News
The latest news from the RISC OS world
VirtualRPC-SE only £99.00!
VirtualAcorn are pleased to announce that to celebrate VirtualRPC's first birthday as a stand alone product we are running a special offer. Customers can now buy VirtualRPC-SE for only �99.00 inc VAT (plus �1.50 p&p in UK, �3.50 p&p overseas). VirtualRPC-SE allows user to run RISC OS and RISC OS applications on PCs running Windows 2000 and Windows XP. VirtualRPC-SE comes complete with RISC OS 4, which normally costs �85 on it's own, along with many RISC OS applications including Ovation, DrawWorks Millennium, Mr Clippy, SiteWriter and WebFX3D.
VirtualRPC-SE is easy to install using the Windows front end on the CD. Just put the CD in your PC and the installer will start, click on a few buttons and within a few minutes RISC OS will be installed on your PC along with hundreds of RISC OS applications.
VirtualRPC-SE includes networking support so you can easily share files with a real RISC OS machine, you can even browse the web using a RISC OS browser on a PC. Also included is our power management plugin that significantly increases battery life on portable computers. Unlike a real Risc PC VirtualRPC-SE supports screen modes up to 8Mb in size, including 1280 x 1024 in full 24 bit colour. On machines with standard internal CD and floppy drives VirtualRPC-SE can even read Acorn format discs directly allowing, allowing users to install software from their original discs.
For more details on VirtualAcorn products, or to order, contact 3QD Developments LTD.
3QD Developments Ltd
86 Turnberry
Home Farm
Bracknell
Berks
RG12 8ZH
01344 452868
Please note that all VirtualAcorn products require an unlock code which you will need to obtain from VirtualAcorn after installation.
The Unix Porting Project
The Unix Porting Project has been busy this Summer, laying important foundation work for many new ports to RISC OS. Some of these ports are already available, and have been mentioned elsewhere - including the UPP site, but have not been more widely announced.
Included are:
- Dillo - A port of a simple web browser to RISC OS - there are many improvements over the previous release.
- RDesktop - A direct port of the RDP client for Linux, allowing viewing of remote sessions on Windows 2000 Server and Windows XP Pro.
- madplay - A command line MP3 player, which demonstrates the ability to easily use sound in ported programs. madplay also dithers its output, which it claims can give a better sound than non-dithered output(such as that in AMPlayer).
These programs contain only small, or no modifications from the original versions to work on RISC OS. The Unix Porting Project hopes to have many more exciting programs in future. Help support RISC OS development by subscribing for only 25UKP for 6 months.
New RISC OS user group in the netherlands
On Saturday 11 September, a new RISC OS user group will be founded within the HCC.
The HCC (www.hcc.nl, sorry almost exclusively in Dutch) is a large computer club with over 200,000 members. Within the HCC there are various user groups, and on 11 September the new RISC OS user group will be added.
The founding meeting will take place in the HCC main office in Houten (NL, just south of Utrecht), starting at 11.00h. Address: De Bouw 141, NL-3991 SZ Houten Route: www.hcc.nl -> Info kantoor -> Routebeschrijving.
More information about the RISC OS user group can be found from www.risc.hccnet.nl. HCC members are kindly requested to bring their membership card. Joining right there and then is also possible of course.
Ger van Vugt.
First Steps with RISC OS 4
We're delighted to announce that the first stage of our First Steps project is available NOW. Covering vanilla RISC OS 4 (the standard RISC OS 4.02/4.03 variants) it explains, in plain English, everything you need to get started with RISC OS 4 itself.
This is an ongoing project, with the next steps including sections on the RISC OS applications (aside from Printers, which has been explained as part of configuring RISC OS) and supplements to cover the use of RISC OS Adjust, RISC OS within Virtual Acorn and ... well ... a few other surprises.
Obviously as we expand this project, the main book is going to get bulkier. As such, anybody who buys this book before the end of October will be sent all updates free of charge.
Within the UK, First Steps is priced at 14.99ukp including postage; please add 3ukp within Europe and 5ukp outside of Europe. This will include the cost of sending the printed updates to you.
To all existing purchasers, they've gone out today - so you should get them in the next few days. I very much hope they live up to your expectations.
First Steps can be ordered from APDL on 020 8778 2659, by post to APDL, 39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London SE26 5RN or by email to sales@apdl.co.uk. Very important - make payment out to APDL!
The Alligata Books are published by Alligata Media, and distributed by APDL. Alligata Media is a separate entity, and contact details are provided in each book we produce.
Dave Bradforth
RISCWorld