Archive Magazine 1995/ARCHIVE95.iso/text/products/volume_01/issue_03

Text File | 1995-02-21 | 6KB | 102 lines

Å  Those who are used to using our own Continuous Processing ROM with
Wordwise Plus will be pleased to know that it is now available in disc
form. The facilities are those of CP-ROM3, not CP-ROM2. We are making it
available for ú8 as an up-grade (i.e. if you already have CP-ROM 2 or 3)
and as a new purchase for ú18 including manual.
1.3
Å  The Inter Series software (-WORD -SHEET and -CHART) from Computer
Concepts is now available but only on ROM, so you will need a back-plane
and a ROM-podule before you can get started. CC are producing their own
ROM podule (see below). If you already have any of the Inter-ROMs, you
can up-grade them to the Archimedes versions for ú11.50 per ROM but this
can only be done directly through CC, not through the Archive magazine.
1.3
Å  Computer Conceptsæ ROM podule is to have 8 slots, like the Acorn
equivalent, but instead of having only two slots for RAM and the other
six slots for ROM, each of the eight slots can contain either RAM or ROM
and there will be an optional battery back-up available. The unit will
come with a ROM filing system so that ROM images can be loaded and saved
and any RAM on the board can be used as a RAMdisc. Price: ú49.95+VAT,
(7.5% discount if bought through Archive.) availability öDecemberò Ö
probably around Christmas.
1.3
Å  A true Archimedes  word-processor! Clares Micros have produced
Imagewriter. Price ú29.95 (ú27.50 through the magazine) and it should be
available by the time you receive this magazine. We will review it
a.s.a.p.
1.3
Å  APL Interpreter  Ö  One of our readers tells us that a öfreeò APL
interpreter will soon be available for the Archimedes. Anyone interested
should get themselves put on the mailing list for the project, stating
that they are using an Archimedes and, when it is available, they will
be informed of the exact cost of disk and copying (of the order of a few
pounds). They should write to:- I-APL Ltd, 2 Blenheim Road, St Albans,
AL1 4NR. The interpreter is designed for educational use, but does
follow the ISO standard.
1.3
Å  Acorn Languages Ö The full release versions of C, LISP and PROLOG are
all available now and PASCAL and FORTRAN77 should be available by the
time you get this magazine. A version of KERMIT is being tested at the
moment and should be available at ú49 + VAT at the beginning of January.
1.3
You need to be aware however that none of the compiled languages comes
with an editor. Acornsoft supply an editor separately Ö TWIN which can
also be used as a BASIC editor by using keywords TWIN or TWINO. The
editor, which is used almost exclusively by Acornæs own software
engineers, costs ú29 plus VAT in its pre-release version, but Acorn have
not yet decided what their up-grade policy is going to be when the full
release version of TWIN becomes available. Acorn say that the present
version is perfectly adequate for preparing source code files for the
various compilers; itæs just that the new version will make better use
of the capabilities of the Archimedes.
1.3
Å  Text processor/editor for compiled languages. An alternative to TWIN
is to be produced by Tubelink for Éprobablyæ ú19.95. Further details
from Tubelink.
1.3
Å  Advanced Statistical software Ö  An extremely impressive looking
software package has been produced by Serious Statistical Software. The
package contains so many different facilities, none of which means
anything to me, that I wonæt even attempt to give a summary. If you know
what övariation inflation factorsò and the öNelder-Mead algorithmò are
then this package is probably for you! Price ú150, but they will give
7.5% discount if you quote your Archive number. We are intending to do a
full review of this in a later issue of Archive.
1.3
Å  Contex Computing have released a range of programs for the Archimedes.
These are upgraded versions of the original BBC programs, making use of
the superior speed and facilities of Archimedes. (Upgrades are available
for existing users.) They include: Bank Manager (ú25) for handling
personal finance including a range of different accounts, credit
accounts, transfers, cash flow, bank reconciliation, reports, foreign
currency and lots more, Business Utilities (ú12) which works with
Manager and adds trials balance and spreadsheet analysis, suitable for
self-employed businessmen and professionals, Typing Tutor (ú15), Easy
Reader (ú12.50) (Iæll have to get Tim to review it!) and Madlibs
(ú12.50), öa hilarious game which also teaches English grammar.ò Contex
will give 10% discount to Archive readers if you quote your membership
number when you order direct from them.
1.3
Å  RESOURCE, the educational software publishers are to publish a set of
utilities to allow programmers to identify and cure problems in
converting software to run under the 6502 emulator. For example,
öBBCrunò creates an environment in which some öillegallyò programmed
software will operate as if on a standard BBC or Master. They are also
doing a Versatile Interface Podule which will allow sampling of analogue
data (up to 60kHz) via two A to D converters. 32 digital interface lines
are also available on this system. To work with this is EARS, a dual
channel digital recording system which can use the VIP to sample sounds
and then play them back through the computeræs audio system.
1.3
RESOURCE are also working on an up-date of their best selling öDROOMò Ö
mathematical öadventureò type software for junior through to secondary
pupils.
1.3
Å  Another art package has been published Ö Arctist from Fairhurst
Instruments Ltd. Ö needs 1 Meg of ram but only costs ú19.95. Weæll try
to get a comparative review done of that and Artisan.
1.3
Å  ╔and a drawing package Ö Pineapple Software have released their
DIAGRAM II drawing package. It has been up-graded for the Archimedes.
Again, weæll get this reviewed as soon as we can.