Archive Magazine 1995/ARCHIVE95.iso/text/products/volume_08/issue_06

Text File | 1995-02-16 | 19KB | 337 lines

Å  Advance upgrade Ö Acorn Advance has been upgraded: It is no longer
copy-protected so that installation is quicker, the spreadsheet size has
been increased from 5,000 to 10,000 and it is now fully RiscáPC-
compatible. The upgrade is done through Acorn Direct  and costs ú29.95
(single user), ú39.95 (primary site licence), ú49.95 (secondary) Ö all
prices inc VAT. Send cheque or credit card information to Acorn Direct
along with proof of purchase. For the single user, this means sending
your program disc (not the data discs) and for site licence owners,
sending your licence agreement. The upgrade offer lasts only until 30th
June 1995.
8.6
We have two copies of the current version of Advance in stock (drat!),
so if anyone wants to buy one, they are available at ú50 each. If you
upgraded them through Acorn Direct, you would only pay a total of ú79.95
instead of the normal Archive price of ú105.
8.6
Å  Aleph One PC podules ù The PC cards for pre-Risc PC have benefited
from the price cuts in the PC market. A bare 50MHz card costs ú399 +VAT
from Aleph One and a 25MHz version costs ú339 +VAT. The cards then need
standard SIMM memory to be added.
8.6
Å  All New Talking Animated Alphabet Ö Sherstonæs BBC Micro product, The
Animated Alphabet, has been updated for the Archimedes and Risc PC.
Using the same speech technology as the Talking Stories, the pack
features three activities dealing with visual and aural letter
discrimination and letter recognition. Children can see a letter
changing into an object which starts with the same sound, whilst hearing
the letteræs sound. All New Talking Animated Alphabet costs ú29.95 +VAT
from Sherston or ú33 through Archive.
8.6
Å  Arcturus ù a new game from Oregan Software involving piloting a
spinning craft across numerous landscapes, avoiding nasties and
collecting goodies. The cost is ú24.95 from Oregan or ú24 through
Archive. See the review on page 49.
8.6
Å  Canon BJC4000 ù Computer Concepts have released the Canon BJC4000
colour inkjet printer, bundled with a special version of their latest
Version 4 TurboDriver software. Unlike the BJC600 the printer has two
cartridges, a high speed mono, approximately twice as fast as the BJ200,
and offers resolutions of up to 720dpi using interpolation. A colour
cartridge allows 360dpi colour output. The price is ú445.32 inclusive
from CC.
8.6
Å  CD-Net2 Ö Cumana have upgraded their CD-ROM server for Acorn
networks. New features include predefined settings for most CD-ROM
titles, which can be reconfigured if desired. Changes to the discs
loaded in the server will be reflected by the clients so the users know
which are available. PC discs for DOS and Windows are also now
supported, which can be run via the PC Emulator or PC second processor
card. The performance has improved since the original version and Acorn
AUN/Access, SJ Research Nexus, Oak ClassNet and TCP/IP are all
supported. CD-Net 2 costs ú175 +VAT from Cumana, registered users of CD-
Net 1.50 or later qualify for the free upgrade path.
8.6
Å  CD-ROM drives Ö Two new CD-ROM drives are now available from Eesox.
The Silver 2 is a 2.4 speed drive which, say Eesox, is in some tests
almost as fast as some quad speed drives (360Kb/s) because of the fast
(220ms) access time and the 256Kb internal cache. The main thing about
it is the very keen price Ö ú195 inclusive through Archive for the
RiscáPC internal version and ú280 for the external version. If you want
a quad speed drive, their Gold drive (600Kb/s + 225ms access time) is a
caddy-loading drive at ú360 for an internal (Risc PC) drive and ú440 for
an external drive through Archive.
8.6
These are SCSI devices, so you need a computer with a SCSI interface.
(We suggest the Morley uncached card at ú160, or the cached version at
ú220 or the Cumana SCSI II at ú235 plus ú27 for a SCSI II cable if using
it with an external drive.)
8.6
Å  Chair prices rising Ö If you are thinking of buying a Wing chair, now
is the time because, apparently, the prices are increasing in March. The
Stokke Wing chair (see Archive 8.3 p4) is currently ú320 inc VAT and
carriage through Archive.
8.6
Å  Clicker Plus Ö The updated version of Crick Computingæs Clicker
package can now handle colour graphics and symbols as well as sound and
text. An on-screen keyboard displays a number of cells. when a cell is
clicked, the word or picture is inserted into the word processor in use.
Speech can also be used so children can hear their choice. An upgrade
from Clicker is ú20 +VAT, the full Clicker Plus package is ú55 +VAT from
Crick Computing.
8.6
Å  Concept Keyboard Support Pack Ö A collection of datafiles and
overlays for use with the Concept Keyboard, based on ideas from teachers
of Key Stages 1 and 2. Topics include Myself, Weather, Direction Giving,
Sequencing, Alphabet, Keyboard, Colours, Shapes, Sizes, Seed Growth,
Number Bonds and Coins. A number of blank A3 and A4 overlays are also
supplied. The price is ú20 +VAT from Hampshire Micro Technology Centre.
8.6
Å  Conjuguez Ö The Conjuguez package from Creative Curriculum Software
has been revised and there are now three versions. Conjuguez! comes with
800 verbs in seven levels from beginner to GCSE level and costs ú16.98
+VAT. Conjuguez Plus covers from beginner to A-level with 3500 verbs and
costs ú25.49 +VAT. Owners can upgrade from Conjuguez to Conjuguez Plus
at a later date. Conjuguez Education has all the features of Conjuguez
Plus, with an additional facility to add more verbs to those supplied,
allowing the student to progress beyond A-level. The price is ú39 +VAT
for a single user version, or ú89 +VAT for a site/network licence from
Creative Curriculum Software.
8.6
Å  Easy C++ Ö Beebug have released Easy C++ the first native RISC OS C++
compiler. Using a similar interface to Easy C, the complexities of
compiling and linking are reduced, although there is a command line
interface if you need the additional control. The software is supplied
with the standard C and C++ (iostream) libraries. Easy C++ is ú99 +VAT
(ú110 through Archive), the upgrade from Easy C is ú49 +VAT. Easy C is
still available for ú59 +VAT (ú67 through Archive).
8.6
Å  HeartBeat Ö This is a package of heart monitoring hardware and
software produced by VTI and Health Care Technology as part of the
CardioSport range. A receiver plugs into the serial port and a
transmitter is strapped onto the chest. The software allows heart
information to be recorded and can analyse the calorific burn rate,
maximum and minimum heart rate and so on. Results can be displayed in
graph or table forms. The cost is ú99 +VAT from VTI.
8.6
Å Heavy mouse balls ù Weighing in at four times heavier than the
standard mouse ball, these fit neatly into the Acorn mouse, giving it a
more positive response. They are available from Oak Consultants for ú3
including postage, packing and VAT. (I have put this entry in again
because we now have the address of Oak Consultants. Ed.)
8.6
Å  Holy Bible Ö ExpLAN are just finalising the licence agreements on
their Holy Bible software, a multimedia package using electronic texts
from around the world. High quality graphics, multiple versions, fast
searches, read-only commentaries, user-created notes, cross-referencing.
The base pack comprises Authorised Version and Strongæs Concordance at
ú70 +VAT for the single user version, and ú199 +VAT for a site licence.
Additional full modules are: NRSV with study notes (CUP), REB with
educational resources (CUP), Russian with Cryllic fonts (Licht in
Ostern). These are available for an additional ú45 +VAT each and the NIV
Anglicised (Hodder) is an additional ú25 +VAT. Carriage is also extra.
(Archive prices are ú80, ú225, ú52 and ú28 respectively through
Archive.)
8.6
Å  Junior Insight ù This is a new data-logging application from Longman
Logotron to assist in experiments for Key Stages 2 and 3. It is capable
of display and capture of analogue or digital data at a user-specified
sample rate. Results can be displayed as tables or graphs, and the
graphs may be overlaid so comparisons can be made. Analysis options can
calculate the gradient of a slope or the area under a curve. It is
compatible with interfaces such as Unilab, Sense and Control, LogIT,
SenseIT and the Philip Harris hardware. A single user version costs ú29
+VAT.
8.6
Å  Lots More Fun & Games Ö HS Software have produced a set of three
games aimed at 5 to 9 year olds. Dataday teaches the days of the week
and months of the year in sequence. Spot the Blot involves visual
perception and discrimination skills and Gwynæs World involves shape
recognition and fractions. Lots More Fun & Games costs ú22.95 from HS,
or ú22 through Archive.
8.6
Å  MathMania Ö In this educational game from Topologika Software,
children have to help the teacher escape from a maze, answering
questions on Number, Time, Measurement, Angles, Shape & Space. Questions
can be at four difficulty levels, the first two corresponding to Key
Stage 2, and levels 3 and 4 to Key Stages 3 and 4. There are also five
puzzles which occur at the end of a maze before the player can move on
to the next, more difficult, maze. The price is ú25 +VAT (ú28 through
Archive), site licences are an additional ú25 for primary and ú40 for
secondary (ú28 and ú45 through Archive).
8.6
Å  Meteosat RISC consists of a CD-ROM and Acorn software to run it. The
CD is produced by the European Space Agency and contains 23000 images
from the geostationary Meteosat satellite. There is an infra red image
of the whole Earth taken each day from 1986 to 1991. In addition, there
is one image per month in visible light and assorted extra images of
water vapour and snow storms. The software supplied includes !Meteosat
to access the pictures in date order, !Palmake to edit the displayed
colours, and !SpMovie to create an animation showing weather
development. The package is available from Musbury Consultants for ú30
inclusive. Note that you must specify if you are using a Risc PC because
an enhanced set of applications are supplied.
8.6
Å  Non-Designeræs Design Book Ö This book by Robin Williams has
absolutely nothing to do with Acorn computers! However, it is really an
excellent guide showing how to make the best use of those DTP facilities
that most of us possess yet few of us (including me) have been trained
to handle. It explains the basic principles of page layout, using fonts,
etc, in such a way that (a) it is easy to understand and (b)áit is
memorable. This means that you actually put into practice the things
that you have read. (See Mark Howeæs review, on page 23) The price is
ú13 inc p&p.
8.6
Å  Oak Recorder Update Ö Both versions of the Oak Recorder sound
sampler, supplied by Solent Computer Products, are now being shipped
with the latest version of the SoundLab software, which features a
button bar for ease of use, amplifying, fading, echo, filtering and can
convert between a number of different formats. Oak Recorder 2 for
earlier systems costs ú39.95 + ú3 p&p +VAT, Oak Recorder 3 for machines
with a bidirectional parallel port (i.e. A5000 or later) costs ú44.95 +
ú3 +VAT.
8.6
Å  OMR Supplement Ö A new extension to the Iota DataPower database
allows the database to read Optical Mark Reader forms. It will read DRS
SOS files, which describe where to look on the OMR form for data, and
from it creates a DataPower database ready for use. The completed forms
can then be read directly from the completed forms into the Database
ready for analysis, assuming you have the necessary reader. Possible
uses include assessment, end of year reports, attendance reports and
multiple choice examinations. The supplement costs ú99 +VAT from Iota
Software, and you will need a copy of DataPower if you do not already
have it. Optical Mark Readers start at ú2000 from DRS.
8.6
Å  Picture Point ù This package, aimed at Key Stage 1 pupils, to
introduce them to data handling. Children can perform surveys with a
simple point-and-click interface. The survey can then be displayed
graphically as a bar chart, pie chart or a pictogram. When clicked on,
the graphs will actually speak to explain the relationship between the
numbers on the graph. The data can be exported into Junior pinpoint or
spreadsheets. The single user version costs ú29 +VAT from Longman
Logotron or ú32 through Archive.
8.6
Å  Printer Port Sampler Ö VTI have released a new version of their
printer port sound sampler, capable of sampling simultaneously from line
as well as mic inputs for mixing sound sources. A microphone is supplied
with the package, along with the Sonor sample editing software. The
price is ú44.95 +VAT.
8.6
Å  PublishArt Ö Smart DTP have produced a clipart resource pack
featuring designs for use in DTP packages rather than drawings or
pictures. Included are QuickPapers, highlights, page layout, patters,
stencils symbols and backdrops. The price is ú29.95 inclusive.
8.6
Å  Rainbow Multimedia ù This is a new picture-based multimedia package
from Longman Logotron. It is designed to assist development of a childæs
writing, language and object recognition skills and enables pictures,
animation, video, text, speech, music and sounds to be combined to
produce interactive books. Rainbow Multimedia costs ú29 +VAT +p&p from
Longman Logotron or ú33 through Archive.
8.6
Å  Report Writer Ö After the review last month (8.5 p70), Creative
Curriculum Softwareæs report-writing software is proving particularly
popular amongst teachers and lecturers, so we have decided to stock it
at ú56 inclusive.
8.6
Å  ReSound Ö NW Semerc have produced a printer port sound sampler which
can sample from the supplied microphone or from other sources via the
line input. It is supplied with software to allow editing of the
captured samples. The price is ú42 +VAT from NW Semerc.
8.6
Å  RISCáOS 3.1 Style Guide Ö This product has been available and then
not available... but now it is available again Ö ú10 inc p&p through
Archive.
8.6
Å  Speech II Ö Superior Software have upgraded their speech synthesizer.
It now has an extra 3,500 words, improved speech quality, improved word
editing facility for special words, interactive help support, is hard
disc installable, has accented characters, foreign language support ù a
German extension is available Ö and the new Speech module can be used
directly with Talking PenDown and Full Phases to give much improved
speech. The upgrade from Speech costs ú10 inclusive, ú15 if you want
German Speech. Single user copies are ú29.95 inc VAT or 34.95 for German
Speech and site licences are available from Superior Software.
8.6
Å  Spelling Book Ö This is designed to assist pupils (aged 4+) with
their writing when using a word processor and to help them learn
spellings. The software allows words to be input into any multitasking
word processor or DTP package, dictionary maintenance is simple, and a
wide selection are supplied. These include basic words, and sets for the
common National Curriculum topic areas. A quiz section is also provided
which allows the dictionaries to be used in missing letter type games.
The price is ú39 +VAT for a single user version, or ú89 +VAT for a site
licence, from Creative Curriculum Software.
8.6
Å  TableCalc Ö This spreadsheet, for RISC OS 3.1 or later, supports
interactive help, point and click expression definitions and full OLE
support for Impression Publisher. It can export Draw and CSV files,
supports 24-bit colour and multiple text styles. The price is ú30 +
ú1.50 from iSV Products.
8.6
Å  Talking Clocks Ö Any user with RISC OS 2 or later can use this
package which encourages children to examine clocks, learning to read
and set them. Clocks can have hand or digital faces and speak the time
when clicked on. There are four parts ÉSay the timeæ allows the player
to build up a sentence to speak the time shown on the clock, ÉSet the
Clockæ teaches children to set the clock to a time given in words,
ÉMatch the Clocksæ requires a clock to be set to the same time as a
second clock and for ÉHow much Time?æ, the child needs to calculate the
time difference between two clocks. The package records childrenæs work
which can then be printed out and most tools are configurable. It is
available from Topologika Software for ú35 +VAT (or ú39 through Archive)
for a single user licence. A primary site licence costs ú60 +VAT or a
secondary licence costs ú75 +VAT from Topologika.
8.6
Å  Talking Stories Ö Sherston have released a third set of their Talking
Stories, based on popular stories from the Oxford University Press
ÉOxford Reading Treeæ scheme, as used in many schools. The stories, read
by actor Richard Briers, are Floppyæs Bath, The Baby-sitter, The Water
Fight, Kipperæs Balloon, Spots! and Kipperæs Birthday. The price is
ú39.95 +VAT (ú45 through Archive) for the single user version Ö site
licences are also available.
8.6
Å  Treasure Chest Ö Thousands of pictures, symbols and sound effects in
!Draw, !Paint and Photo sequences for use in the National Curriculum.
Sections include food, history, languages, natural world, objects,
people, places and symbols. The price is ú69 +VAT from Northwest SEMERC.
8.6
Å  Trees Ö This CD-ROM resource contains pictures and descriptions of
the native trees of the British Isle. Produced with the assistance of
the British Tree Council, the disc also includes photographs, diagrams
of twigs, details of the ecology of trees, and the uses to which trees
are put. A single user version costs ú40 +VAT from Hampshire Micro-
Technology Centre.
8.6
Å  Trip Ö This admin package simplifies the organisation of school
trips, including the tracking of pupil payments. The price is ú14.95
+VAT from Creative Curriculum Software.
8.6
Å  Vision 24 Ö The Vision and HiVision colour digitisers from HCCS have
been replaced by the Vision 24 range of 24-bit digitisers. 254-line
version is ú99 +VAT, the 508-line version is ú139 +VAT and a later
upgrade from 254 to 508-lines is ú49 +VAT.
8.6
Å  Werewolf Utility Discs Ö Werewolf Software have produced two utility
discs for the Acorn range. Disc 1 contains ArmCache, CacheOff, CacheOn,
NewIcons, NewTools, ResetMem, ResetMode, ResetPal, ResetScr+, ResetSnd+,
ResetSysF, Runner+, UnRunner+, WWSHelp and costs ú6. Disc 2 contains
Counter, MakeHelp, PasteUp, Rubbish, Shutter, SpriteUtils, STPlayer,
VATCalc, WWSHelp and costs ú7. If you purchase both discs the price is
ú12, or a compilation disc, featuring the best applications from both
discs costs ú10, Prices include VAT, but postage is 50p extra.
8.6
Å  Woodland Birds CD Ö This is a large reference database from Creative
Curriculum Software containing photographs, bird songs and calls, along
with text, maps and other data. Aimed at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4, it costs
ú49 +VAT (single user) or ú99 (site licence). It is a dual format CD and
can be used on RISC OS or a Windows-based machine.
8.6
Product not going to be available!
8.6
Å  Ion Camera Ö Atomwide have asked us to point out that while they have
been using, and recommending a still video camera, contrary to popular
belief, they do not, and will not be, selling it as a product since it
is only compatible with NTSC television formats.
8.6