Archive Magazine 1995/ARCHIVE95.iso/text/products/volume_07/issue_03

Text File | 1995-02-16 | 20KB | 343 lines

Å    105Mb SyQuest drives Ö Because of larger than expected price drops,
A5000 owners can now have a 105Mb removable drive for under ú400!
SyQuest have just cut the prices of their 105Mb mechanisms with the
result that we can take ú60 off the prices of all our 105Mb drives. The
SCSI external drives are now ú510, the SCSI internal drives are ú430 and
the IDE version is now ú395. These prices include one cartridge plus
cables but the SCSI prices do not include a SCSI interface. (If you
donæt already have a SCSI interface, we recommend the Morley uncached
interface at ú160 through Archive.)
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(I do apologise to those of you who have recently bought these drives
but I did deliberately set the profit margins as low as I dared in
anticipation that the prices might drop Ö but I could not have foreseen
such a large price drop and, in any case, I couldnæt have set a negative
profit margin! Ed.)
7.3
Å    A5000 4Ö8Mb Upgrades Ö You can now upgrade the new 33MHz A5000
computers (ALB32 and ALB35) from 4 to 8Mb. The Archive price is ú470.
They are self-fit upgrades provided you have a little bit of technical
know-how Ö no soldering is involved, just chip extraction and insertion.
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The 4Ö8Mb upgrade is also available for the old 24MHz A5000s (ALB22 and
ALB25) but the computer needs to come back to us for the upgrade to be
done. This is because the MEMC chip has to be removed and a socket
fitting in its place before the upgrade can be inserted. The price,
including two-way carriage is ú545.
7.3
Å    Academy Television CD-ROMs Ö A new series of educational CD-ROMs has
been released, including Science Series I: The Elements (ú130),
Directions 2000: French/íEn Marcha! Spanish (ú140 each, including a
microphone recording system), and the Environment Series I: Water
(ú130). You need to add ú5 p&p to these prices, plus VAT.
7.3
Å    Acorn AKF50 Ö The latest Acorn monitor handles all screen modes up to
SVGA. It has a 0.28mm dot pitch tube and is built in the UK by
Microvitec PLC. When purchased separately, the price is ú374, and if
purchased with a computer (in place of an AKF18) a surcharge of ú75 is
made. (More details are given at the end of Stuart Bellæs article about
monitors on pages 9Ö12.)
7.3
Å    Acornæs Education Cash-back offer Ö Until 24th December, Acorn are
making a ú100 cash-back offer on sales of the new 33MHz A5000 computers
to educational establishments. Schools and colleges can buy any number
of A5000s and, after the purchase is complete, Acorn will send schools a
cheque for ú100 for each A5000 computer purchased.
7.3
Å    Anglia Television CD-ROMs Ö Five more educational CD-ROMs are
currently available from Anglia TV. ÉUnderstanding the Bodyæ and
ÉCastlesæ (ú40 each) are self-contained library discs including stills,
video sequences, vector graphics animations and text written for the 11-
14 age group. ÉCountries of the Worldæ and ÉCounties of Britainæ (ú40
each) are for use with Angliaæs Key system Ö Key Plus, Key Note or Key
Calc can be used. Finally, É19th Century Biographiesæ (ú25) is the first
Key Plus datafile to be released on CD and features over 250
biographies. Discounts are offered for multiple purchases, and site
licences are available.
7.3
Å    ARM3 special price Ö We have got hold of some ARM3s without fpa socket
and are selling them off (öwhile stocks lastò, as they say) at ú145
instead of ú185 inclusive. Ring the Norwich Computer Services office if
you are interested Ö please donæt just send in a cheque as there are
only a few available Ö ring first and we will put one aside if they are
still available.
7.3
Å    Armlock is a RISCáOS software-only utility that prevents unauthorised
access to CMOS RAM or designated files/directories on the hard disc. The
CMOS settings are protected by password so that only the system manager
can make amendments.
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The hard disc is also password protected although, unlike other security
systems, the hard disc does not have to be partitioned into read-only
and writeable areas. File attributes are utilised to grant or revoke
access to files or directories for public users. ÉExecute-onlyæ allows
users to run applications but not to copy them, thus effectively
preventing software theft.
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Armlock also provides a facility to back-up the protected areas in a
compressed form to a series of floppy discs, (or other transfer medium),
thus allowing identical Armlock hard disc configurations to be created
on further machines.
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Armlock costs ú35 +VAT single user or ú135 +VAT for a ten-user licence
pack from Digital Services or ú38 and ú145 respectively through Archive.
7.3
Å    AudioWorks Ö One of the Computer Conceptsæ products released at Acorn
World 93 was AudioWorks. It can handle a variety of sound files
(MicroSoft WAVe, Armadeus, DataVox, SoundTracker and RawData formats)
for playback from the standard Archimedes speaker, or advanced audio
boards like CCæs own Lark, which can also record samples.
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8 bit, 12 bit, 16 bit, linear signed, linear unsigned, VIDC logarithmic,
m-law logarithmic, mono and stereo samples are all supported. There are
several display modes for the waveform display and the sound output can
be shown using the real-time spectrum analyser and oscilloscope
displays. An additional utility for playing back from hard disc in the
background with various effects is also provided. The price is ú49 +VAT
from CC or ú53 through Archive.
7.3
Å    BJC-600 Ö The Canon BJC-600 is the A4 version of the popular BJC-800
colour printer. Four colour CMYK inks are used for the best full
spectrum of colours, including real black, in resolutions up to 360 dpi.
öThe high quality colour results that you can get on plain paper mean
lower running costs than other colour inkjet printers.ò The price ú529 +
ú10 carriage +VAT from CC or ú633 through Archive. (If you get your
calculator out, you will find that there is no discount on the CC price.
This is because CC only give a very small dealer discount so we cannot
offer any discount to subscribers. Sorry.)
7.3
Anyone who saw the output of these new printers at Acorn World 93 will
confirm that they are very impressive, especially when you consider the
pricing compared with other colour printers.
7.3
Å    BJC-600 Turbo Drivers Ö The Computer Concepts range of Turbo Drivers
now includes one for the BJC-600 (currently the only printer driver
available for it!). It is designed to take advantage of the 24-bit
printing which more and more packages are now supporting. The software
requires RISC OS 3.1 or later, and a minimum 4Mb RAM is recommended. The
price is ú49 +VAT from CC or ú53 through Archive.
7.3
Å    Buzz is a new games label Ö actually, it is the budget arm of
Krisalis. They have just re-released some older titles at ú9.99
inclusive each. Titles are Swiv, Revelation, Jahangir Khan Squash, Mad
Professor Mariarti and Manchester United.
7.3
Å    CD-ROM 6 Pack Ö A late release at the show, this CD-ROM drive (a
pioneer DRM-604X) marketed by Computer Concepts, uses Pioneeræs
ÉQuadraspinæ Technology to rotate the disc at four times normal speed,
giving a sustained 614 Kb/second transfer rate. It also has a six-disc
magazine and autochanger allowing it to do the job of six separate
drives. The package includes the drive and controller software. It will
work on any Archimedes with an Acorn-compatible SCSI interface, although
it is aimed at networked schools and high-end professional users. CD-ROM
6 costs ú999 +VAT +carriage from CC or ú1150 inclusive through Archive.
7.3
Å    ColourCard Gold is based on the original Wild Vision/Computer Concepts
ColourCard. It keeps the large screen resolutions and fast redraw
speeds, but now also allows the 32,000 colour screen modes to be used on
the desktop (the 24 bit modes are not (yet?) desktop compatible) at
resolutions of up to 800╫300 or 576╫400. RISC OS 3.1 is needed and users
of older machines (A300/400) should ensure that their machine has a
genlock header fitted. An A3000 version is available, but requires a
special fitting kit so it is important to specify, when you order, which
machine you are using. The new Colourcard Gold costs ú249 (+ú6 carriage)
+ VAT from Wild Vision or Computer Concepts or ú280 inclusive through
Archive.
7.3
Å    Creator II Ö The new version of Alpine Softwareæs arcade game designer
has been released, with many changes, resulting from usersæ feedback. A
tiled mode of operation is now available to create large background
sprites. Square tiles can be used to build up the background. Further
additions make it easier to use and improve the final result. The price
is ú49 +ú1.50 p&p direct from Alpine Software or ú55 through Archive.
Upgrades from any previous version of Creator (1.xx) can be obtained for
ú20 +VAT Ö return both your old Creator discs to Alpine Software.
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Å    Crystal Maze Ö Based on the Chatsworth Television program for Channel
4, this game features a mix of puzzles and action and has been released
exclusively to the Acorn Market. It costs ú39.95 inclusive from Sherston
Software or ú37 through Archive. (See the review on page 47.)
7.3
Å    Dinosaur Discovery Ö This is actually a new version of a game
originally written for the BBC Micro in 1985 by Jacaranda. This new
version is by 4Mation and makes use of the improved graphics facilities
of the Archimedes. The purpose is to follow the notes given in the diary
of a professor to find, and then incubate, a brontosaurus egg. Various
tasks must be completed and problems solved. The single user version is
ú27.50 +VAT (ú30 through Archive) and the site licence is ú64.64 +VAT
(ú70 through Archive). Schools may take advantage of a 28 day trial
period before buying the software from 4Mation. Individuals may obtain a
demo version by sending a blank disc directly to 4Mation.
7.3
Å    Ergo-Keyboards Ö Released by Castle Technology, these keyboards are
compatible with the Acorn keyboard, including the mouse socket and the
reset button. They have industry standard 102 key PC layout and hardware
keyboard mouse emulation. The price is ú99 +carriage+VAT direct from
Castle Technology.
7.3
Å    Eizo F560iW is a 17ö flat-screen monitor (not Trinitron) with a higher
specification than the F550iW. It is quoted as 1280╫1024 and has a dot
pitch of 0.26mm. (The F550iW is 1024╫768 and 0.28mm.) Unless you intend
to get a colourcard, it would probably not be worthwhile getting a 560
instead of a 550 as the extra resolution would hardly be noticeable. (I
havenæt seen them side-by-side so this is based on supposition.) If you
compare the F560iW with the T560iT (Trinitron) then you get a monitor of
comparable resolution for ú270 less (ú1590 cf ú1320) but you donæt get
the better brightness and increased colour saturation of the T560iT.
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Å    Eizo F780iW is a 21ö flat-screen monitor (not Trinitron) with a
somewhat higher specification than the F760iW. It is quoted as 1664╫1200
and has a dot pitch of 0.26mm. (The F760iW is 1280 ╫1024 and 0.31mm.) If
you want the ultimate in monitors for use with a colourcard (or the
ARM700 machine!) then this is it. The Archive price is ú3,300 including
VAT and carriage Ö rather more than the F760iW at ú1,990 Ö but it would
certainly be a öfuture-proofò purchase!
7.3
Å    FireWorkz Ö The integrated spreadsheet, graphing and wordprocessing
package from Colton Software is now available. Effectively, this is a
merging of Resultz and Wordz and the integrated nature has the advantage
that, instead of creating a separate table and including it into the
wordprocessor, the wordprocessor can have Éliveæ data. The wordprocessor
features a style editor, button bar for frequently used functions,
spelling checker (55,000 word) and WYSIWYG display. The spreadsheet can
have background or manual recalculation, includes a custom function
macro language and access to a full range of charts. Import and export
functions include Wordz, Resultz, PipeDream, ASCII text, CSV, Lotus 1-2-
3 and RTF text. The price is ú169 +VAT (ú185 through Archive) but there
is a special launch price (valid to the end of 1993) of ú149 +VAT (ú165
through Archive). Upgrades from Wordz and Resultz are available from
Colton.
7.3
Å    Flossy the Frog is an interactive adventure for under eights, released
at Acorn World 93 by 4Mation. Features include point and click movement
and investigation. Animations are also included and more than one can
occur at a time. It is designed to provide reading opportunities,
although it is not necessary to be able to read to use the software, and
it also teaches simple problem solving. The price is ú24.50 +VAT from
4Mation or ú27 through Archive. Schools can take advantage of the Étry
before you buy schemeæ from 4Mation.
7.3
Å    Haunted House is a desktop adventure game using a similar interface to
ÉThe Wimp Gameæ. This new offering from 4th Dimension sets you
collecting all the antiques from an old house, at the owneræs
instruction, although he declines to come with you. At least 2Mb of RAM
is required and there are enhancements for ARM3 machines. Animations
enhance the game, in which 99.5% of the graphics are scanned. The price
is ú25.95 or ú24 through Archive.
7.3
Å    Home Computer Minefield Ö After a legal challenge by Commodore UK,
Acorn Computers have withdrawn their öHome Computer Minefieldò video.
They will be moving on to the next stage of their free video campaign
which involves a detailed guide for parents on the educational use of
computers.
7.3
Å    Inkmun refills Ö System Insight have released a range of specialist
refill kits for some of the latest inkjet printers, including the CLC10,
BJC800, Epson Stylus 800 and Deskjet 1200. Refills are specifically
designed for each of the printers, the ink being matched to that of the
original cartridge manufacturer, and contained in a concertina-style
bottle eliminating syringes and sharp needles. As well as the Égreenæ
aspect, refilling is Éat least 50%æ cheaper. Prices start at ú14.98
including VAT and first class postage for two complete refills. As a
special offer to Archive readers, System Insight are offering a 10%
discount on any Inkmun Refill Kit on all postal and telephone orders (a
maximum of five kits per customer) if you quote reference öArchive
Magazine RB20ò when ordering.
7.3
Å    Jumble Fun Ö This is a game for pre-school and special needs from
Honormead Software Solutions costing ú15.95 +VAT (including site
licence). It can be used in conjunction with switches or touch window.
Level one is a jigsaw and level two a picture jumble. Additional discs
with further topical jigsaws are available, or pictures can be imported
from Scribble, 1st Paint or scanned/digitised images.
7.3
Å    Medieval and Gothic Fonts Ö This font pack (reviewed in Archive 6.12
p77) from the Datafile has now been updated to include full character
sets, and the quality of drawing has also been improved. The pack
therefore now consists of four discs rather than three. The price
remains the same and existing users can upgrade by sending ú2 to cover
costs. You do not need to return any discs.
7.3
Å    Midi add-on to Acorn I/O podule Ö This module is no longer available.
There are plenty of other Midi interfaces available but users of the I/O
podule will no longer be able to save a podule slot in this way.
7.3
Å    Navigator Ö Topologika have produced a content-free software pack to
develop navigation and mapping skills. Maps can be displayed on screen
and students can navigate around them in various different ways: compass
directions, compass bearings, O.S. references, latitude and longitude,
Éturtlingæ based on turns and moves and vectors (moves relative to your
current position). The pack comes with six ready-to-use activities on
disc, manual and teachersæ notes for ú45 +ú2.50 p&p +VAT or ú52 through
Archive. (N.C. key stages 2 to 4, Geography, Maths and History.)
7.3
Å    Noddyæs Playtime is produced by The Jumping Bean Company. The
materials relate to the National Curriculum in Key Stage 1. English,
Maths and Science are covered with eight special learning programs,
Railway Station (memory game), N & B Works (observational activity),
Chimney House (musical fun), Noahæs Ark (jigsaw puzzle), Farm Yard
(animal matching), Market Place (letter recognition), Post Office
(counting) and Police Station (maze game) which are linked together by a
driving program. Also included is a full art package whose features
include picture colouring, electronic Éfuzzy feltsæ, freehand drawing
with pens, spraycans and fill patterns. The software is RISC OS 3
compatible but 2Mb of memory is required. The site licence cost is ú49
and the single user version is ú25.99.
7.3
Å    Opening Doors on IT Capability Ö This sounds like the title of a book
but actually it is a series of öcomputer-based learning resourcesò from
the Calderdale Curriculum Support Team. The packages are integrated
collections of text and graphics file, tutor notes and student
activities. Packs available so far include Using Objects 1 (KS2/3
History, Technology Ö ú20), Using Pictures 1 (KS2/3 History Ö ú15),
Limestone Scenery (KS3/4 Geography Ö ú40), Impressionism (KS2/3 Art Ö
ú40). The prices include VAT Ö more details from Tim Scratcherd at
Calderdale Curriculum Support Team.
7.3
Å    RISC OS 3 Laser Direct Drivers Ö The long awaited Laser Direct Drivers
are now available from Computer Concepts, giving full compatibility with
the RISC OS 3 !Printers application. Free upgrades are available to
existing LD owners.
7.3
Å    Scribble is an easy-to-use art package aimed at pre-school and special
needs. The program can be tailored to meet the individual needs of the
user. The touch window screen is also supported. Topical support packs
are also available including ÉThe Farmæ, ÉSpaceæ, ÉDinosaursæ,
ÉChristmasæ, and ÉMiscellaneousæ. Pictures can be imported and exported
into other applications. The cost is ú29.95 +VAT from Honormead Software
Solutions and includes a site licence.
7.3
Å    Squirrel 2 Ö Digital Services have announced a major upgrade to their
popular Squirrel database. Squirrel 2 has 38 separate enhancements over
the previous release versions including data compression, the ability to
store sprites, drawfiles and text on the backdrop, spreadsheet format
editing, subset updating and many others. A new graphing module is also
included. The new price is ú139 +VAT or ú150 through Archive.
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Existing users can upgrade to version 2 for ú25 +VAT or ú35 +VAT
including a revised manual. Upgrades are only available from Digital
Services.
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Å    TCP/IP release 2 Ö There is now a new version of TCP/IP which has been
produced to take account of the various new network interface cards
available. The new price is ú399 +VAT or ú420 through Archive. This
price includes a site licence.
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Users of version 1 may upgrade to version 2 by sending a cheque for
ú59.95 (inc VAT) to Acorn Direct Ö or ring 0933Ö279300 for more details.
7.3
Å    WordWorks Ö This package from Computer Concepts is supplied with the
new Impression packages (neither of which is yet available). However, it
is a separate application and has been released on its own to assist
users of all word processors (although it is more integrated with
Impression). It combines the functions of a desktop Thesaurus and a
complete English dictionary with explanations. It is also possible to
use it as an inverted dictionary Ö for example, you could find all words
whose explanation includes the word Éusefulæ. Once a word has been
chosen, it can be transferred to your wordprocessor to save you typing
it again. WordWorks uses licensed thesaurus and dictionary data from
Collins, so you can be sure that the information is up-to-date, accurate
and of the highest quality. The price is ú39 +VAT  from CC or ú43
through Archive.
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