Archive Magazine 1995/ARCHIVE95.iso/text/products/volume_08/issue_11

Text File | 1995-07-14 | 15KB | 273 lines

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ARM RISC Chip: A Programmeræs Guide Ö This book, by Alex van
Someren and Carol Atack, examines the ARM RISC processor, and support
chips, in particular the ARM6 core. It gives details of the instruction
set, both integer and floating point, and covers many other topics
essential for assembly language programming. The price is ú24.95 or ú25
through Archive (including p&p). More information is available on page 2
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CD-ROMs from Anglia Multimedia Ö Anglia Multimedia have released
three CD-ROMs aimed at the 11Ö14 age group. The three titles are:
ÉIndustrial Revolutionæ, ÉUnderstanding Energyæ and ÉCastlesæ. The CDs
use a full range of multimedia techniques Ö there are video clips and
animation, hundreds of photographs, vector graphics, scanned images,
text and audio clips.
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The Castles CD contains information on over 150 castles in the
British Isles and Ireland, including all the English Heritage sites.
Building a castle, attacking a castle and defending a castle are all
part of one of the chapters on the disc. Another chapter takes you to
Chirk Castle in the time of Edmund Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, where you
meet castle guides who explain their role and their life. They are
mostly real characters Ö based on the account rolls of Chirk.
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The principal themes of ÉIndustrial Revolutionæ are Transport,
Agriculture, Industry and People. The disc allows you to visit the homes
of rich and poor, introduces inventors and industrialists, demonstrates
traditional techniques and explores the highways, railways and canals
which allowed the Industrial Revolution to take place.
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Understanding Energy examines the different sources of energy we
have at our disposal, looking at how they have been used in the past and
how they might be developed in the future. It provides a comprehensive
introduction to the Science, History, Technology and Geography of
energy. It addresses the understanding of energy under four main
headings. ÉWhat is energy?æ is approached in the first section; the
second answers the question ÉHow do we get our energy supplies?æ; the
third question is, ÉWho uses what?æ and the fourth deals with, ÉFuture
energy decisionsæ.
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Understanding Energy costs ú50 +VAT (ú56 through Archive).
Castles costs ú40 +VAT (ú45 through Archive) and the Industrial
Revolution costs ú110 +VAT (ú122 through Archive). Schools that already
have licences for the Key Plus database system can purchase this CD for
ú90 +VAT from Anglia Multimedia.
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CD-Tracker Ö This package is a database and playing utility for
(audio) CDs from Werewolf Software. The database facilities are
available on any machine and allow you to make a record of your CDs, and
which tracks are on which disc. The data can also be exported to/from a
wide range of databases (including the ARM Clubæs SmartCD). On machines
which have a CD-ROM drive fitted, it is also possible to use the program
to control the drive to play your CDs in a favourite order, shuffled or
just individual tracks. The price is ú12.72 + ú1 p&p from Werewolf
Software. A demo disc is also available which can be downloaded from
Arcade BBS (file: CDdemo), or by post from Werewolf Software. (Either
send them a jiffy bag, return postage and an 800Kb disc, or ú1 to cover
DD disc and postage.)
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Disc repair Ö LOOKsystems have just launched a free Disc Repair
Advice Service and also a ÉNo Fix, No Feeæ Data Recovery Service. These
are based on LOOKsystemsæ expertise built up on their Archimedes Disc
Rescue software (ú35 inc VAT). Since 1991, this has saved 1000æs of
discs and gigabytes of data.
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The free telephone technical help is offered to all of its
registered users and has talked many anxious customers through the
repair and recovery process. LOOKsystems are now offering their
extensive expertise free of charge by launching a new telephone help
line. If you have just lost some important data or your hard drive has
been taken ill, you can call them on 01603-748253 and they will help you
to diagnose the problem and explain whether it is possible to retrieve
your data or not.
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The Éno fix, no feeæ data recovery service is a fixed fee
service which costs ú10 inc VAT for floppy discs and ú50 inc VAT for
hard disc drives. As the name suggests, if the disc cannot be repaired
or any useful data recovered, LOOKsystems will waive their fee and
return the disc. However, this fee does not include carriage in either
direction.
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So, for example, anyone sending floppy discs to be repaired
should also send the same number of blank formatted discs onto which the
data can be recovered, an SAE for all of the discs to be returned and a
separate ú10 cheque for each disc Ö this is so you only pay for the
discs that are recovered. Hard disc owners should call LOOKsystems to
discuss the problem in detail before sending any equipment.
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DMI/PowerWAVE 50 Ö The Audio Dynamics soundcards are now
available for machines with standard sized podules as well as mini
podules (see Archive 8.8 p4). The DMI 50 (Dual Midi Interface) costs
ú85, DMI 50 Ö S, including sampler costs ú164. The PowerWAVE 50 includes
wavetable daughter board with 32 channel Ensoniq general Midi
synthesizer with 128 instrument and 49 percussion sounds, removing the
need to have external sound module. This costs ú199, and the PowerWAVE
50ÖS, with sampler, costs ú249. All those prices exclude carriage and
VAT. Archive prices are ú97, ú187, ú227 and ú284, respectively,
inclusive.
8.11
Finance Manager Ö A new accounting application for RISC OS
designed for personal, home or club accounting. It will run on any
machine with RISC OS 3 or later, with at least 2Mb of RAM. Features
include unlimited accounts, transactions, automatic payments (standing
orders etc), drag and drop import/export, and backup/restore facilities,
statement production, transaction analysis, automatic filing, fast data
entry, inter-account transfer, powerful categorization of transactions,
forecasting and budgeting. The price is ú29.99 inclusive direct from
Solloway Software, and a demonstration disc is also available.
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FPA11 Ö Acorn have now released the FPA11 Floating Point
Accelerator chip for use with the A5000 and A540. The chip has a maximum
clock rate of 33MHz (cf the earlier FPA10 which was 25MHz). The new chip
will work in machines with a 25MHz clock rate, although there is no
advantage in doing so, over using the FPA10. For users with 33MHz
versions of the A5000, however, you will gain the 30% performance
increase.
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Acorn quote a peak throughput of 6Mflops, and an average of
4Mflops for a range of calculations. It conforms with IEEE 754-1985 for
single precision arithmetic and, for double or extended precision, has
an accuracy of ▒ 2 units in the least significant place of the mantissa.
The price is ú99 +VAT. If you require additional technical information,
a 62-page data booklet is available from Acorn Direct/Vector Services
for ú10 including p&p.
8.11
Hermes Ö Base5æs ödesktop messenger & interpreterò was reviewed
last month, page 59. It can do so many different things that it is
difficult to know how to describe it, or who might want to buy it. It
got a good review, so we have decided to sell it through Archive even
though Base5 is not VAT registered (i.e. we lose 17╜% straight away if
we sell it at the same price they do). Then, again, because it has such
a range of features that might be used in all sorts of different ways,
we didnæt know how to categorise it for the price list, so we put it
under both Productivity Tools and Programming.
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Hermes has facilities for text transfer and file interpretation,
graphic file loading, activity recorder, window capture, desktop
monitor, flexible event timer, automatic paragraph numbering and
features over 300 commands. It is available direct from Base5 for ú25
(no VAT) or through Archive at ú25 including VAT.
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iSV Font Offer Ö iSV are currently running a summer offer on
their two RISC OS font packs, totalling over 550 fonts. When purchased
together, the packs cost ú36.50 including carriage (ú15 less than the
usual price).
8.11
IT in the Primary School Ö This is a new curriculum planning
resource written by teachers for teachers, governors and parents. As the
new National Curriculum orders come into effect many teachers are asking
the question, öWhat should my children be doing with IT?ò The new orders
seem to be written to hide the answers. This new 24-page booklet (text
also supplied on disc) provides realistic targets at three key primary
school points Ö the end of KS1, mid KS2 and end of KS2.
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A practical progression through Word Processing, Data Handling,
Control, Modelling and Monitoring, enables teachers to check childrenæs
performance and plan routes through cross-curricular themes and topics,
while others, who may simply wish to work with IT as a subject in its
own right, will also find the book helpful. The IT in the Primary School
booklet and disc cost ú10 (no VAT) from Topologika.
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LjDuplex Ö Mijas Software have updated their Duplex printing of
Impression booklets on HP duplex laserjets. If you are using this, you
should send a disc direct to Mijas Software to receive the upgrade. If
you have not already registered, you should do so at the same time.
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PicturePoint Ö Longman Logotron have now launched PicturePoint
on CD. It is a data-handling package for infants, and includes colourful
pictures and talking graphs. A number of projects are included, using
pictures relating to birthdays, journeys, fruit, transport, weather and
pets. An example project is a pet ownership survey, where pupils find
out about which class members own what type of pets, and display graphs
to see the information collected. The graphs are updated live, promoting
an understanding of the relationship between the information and what it
represents. The graphs can also Éspeakæ the data at a click of the
mouse. The program has two sections Ö the collector enables pupils to
collect and display the information by clicking on one of a number of
images, and the designer application enables teachers to create projects
using their own pictures and sounds.
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PicturePoint will run on any Acorn RISC OS computer with CD-ROM
drive and 2Mb RAM. The cost is ú29 +VAT and a site licence costs ú90
+VAT (ú33 and ú100 respectively through Archive).
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PocketBook II price drop Ö Acorn have dropped the price of the
Pocket Book II palm-top computers. The RRP is now ú205 +VAT for the
256Kb version, and ú255 +VAT for the 512Kb version. The PocketBook II
class pack, containing ten 256Kb versions, a parallel link for printing,
and a desktop link for connecting Pocket Books to a desktop machine
costs ú2049 +VAT. (There is also a special deal of an eleventh Pocket
Book II if a set of 10 is bought before 30th September 1995. Ring NCS
for details of this and deals on 20+ Pocket Books.)
8.11
Postmaster for RISC OS Ö Rapport Limited have just launched a
new PostScript Level II RIP (Raster Image Processor) called PostMaster.
Like other PostScript RIPs, it is available for DOS and UNIX, but it was
co-developed on Acorn machines and is therefore not just a port of a DOS
application. PostMaster gives PostScript to any RISC OS application, and
allows Acorn machines to drive high end professional printing devices
such as image setters. For more information contact Rapport Limited.
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Risc PC TRM Ö The Risc PC Technical Reference Manual is now
available for ú29.95 (no VAT) or ú30 inc p&p through Archive.
8.11
SIMMs for RiscáPC Ö The price of SIMMs for the RiscáPC is, shall
we say, variable. Because of this, we have to keep our prices, if
anything, a little on the high side. (The same applies to hard drives.)
So when you are thinking of buying, it may be worth ringing up first and
checking if the pricing can be improved at all at the time of purchase.
8.11
Smudge the Scientist Ö This is a first science program for 4-8
year olds from Storm Educational Software. It comes on three discs
covering Life and Living, Decay, Electricity, Magnets, The Weather and
Floating and Sinking. Three work books are also included to help the
teacher support the program with classroom activities. The price is
ú45.99 inc. VAT from Storm or ú44 through Archive.
8.11
SnapHappy Ö This utility from Dial Solutions enables animations
to be made using any desktop application. An area of an applicationæs
window can be marked and, at a keypress or mouse click, the next frame
in the animation can be grabbed. Any application can be used to produce
the animation since the frame is grabbed off the screen, although
obviously the most suitable applications are those which allow you to
use graphics, such as Draw, or Paint. SnapHappy costs ú20 +VAT or ú80
+VAT for a site licence from Dial Solutions.
8.11
SoundLab update Ö Solent Computer Products, who took over the
Oak Recorder System from Oak Solutions have updated the SoundLab
software. Sound processing now includes a reverse option, which can be
applied to all or part of a sample, and samples can be merged from the
clipboard to another sample, starting at any point. The toolbox buttons
can be displayed in a choice of sizes for easier use by young children,
or when using large screen modes. Two new utilities are also provided,
an oscilloscope program which is written in Basic and demonstrates the
use of the SWIs provided, and a RISC OS application to convert Armadeus
format sound files to or from PC WAV format. Existing users who wish to
upgrade should return their discs to Solent, together with a cheque for
ú5 +VAT.
8.11
The Theodore Set Ö This selection of fonts and clipart from the
Datafile is the first in the Engravers collection by Tony Nash. The
collection aims to allow documents to be produced in the style of 18th
and 19th century engravers. The price is ú27.50 including p&p and VAT.
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Topologika catalogue Ö A new catalogue of Topologikaæs
educational software is available free of charge Ö just write, ring or
fax them for a copy.
8.11
ViVID Ö iSV have released this high-resolution emulator for
older Acorn machines. ViVID requires a VIDC enhancer and a true
multisync monitor. It offers work areas up to 2048╫1234 in 16 colours,
up to 1472╫1070 in 256 colours via a mode selection utility similar to a
Risc PC. All resolutions also support 16 level greyscale and extended 4
colour dithering. The price is ú11.50 inclusive.
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Review software received...
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We have received review copies of the following: ÅCastles CD-ROM
(e), ÅCD-Tracker (m), ÅFlyátheáAtlantic (needs Navigator) (e),
ÅIndustrialáRevolution CD-ROM (e), ÅMathManiaá(e), ÅMaths Odyssey (e),
ÅOxfordáTalking Infant Atlas (e), ÅSmudgeátheáScientist (e), ÅSnap Happy
(e), ÅStrikeá(e), ÅTalking Clocks (e), ÅTexteaseáTemplates (u), ÅThe
Theodore Set (a), ÅUnderstanding Energy CD-ROM (e), ÅVersatileá(e).
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e=Education, b=Business, bk=Book, c=Comms, g=Game, h=Hardware,
l=Language, m=Multimedia, u=Utility, a=Art.
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If you would like to review any of these products, please
contact the Archive office. Potential reviewers will need to show that
they would use the product in a professional capacity or that they have
some knowledge of the particular field.
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