Archive Magazine 1997/ARCHIVE_97.iso/text/magazine/vol_07/issue_03

Text File | 1995-06-25 | 292KB | 5,804 lines

Acorn World 93 Ö The aftermath...
7.3
So Acorn World 93 has come and gone. Did it live up to expectations?
Well, it certainly did as far as Norwich Computer Services is concerned.
We were well and truly Ére-launchedæ with the new-look magazine and our
somewhat more professional-looking stand. We were pleased to receive
such positive feedback from the many Archive subscribers who visited the
stand. Iæm glad you liked it.
7.3
It was great to have several of our regular contributors there at the
show so that people could chat to them. Many thanks to all those who
gave their time to be available.
7.3
There was a lot of interest in the 105Mb removable drives. They really
have to be seen to be believed and, having seen them, many people bought
them. We also now have software available so that the IDE versions work
properly Ö many thanks to Atomwide for that!
7.3
The best thing about Acorn World 93 as far as Archive is concerned is
that in three days, we increased our subscribers list by almost 9% ! In
fact, in the last month, our subscription base has increased by 17% Ö so
a big welcome to all the hundreds of new (and renewed!) subscribers. I
hope the new-look Archive will serve you well. Let us know if there is
any way you can think of to make it even better.
7.3
...and the ARM700 Machine?
7.3
All we saw of the new machine was a tantalising screen display showing
what the new 16-bit desktop and 24-bit graphics capability could be
like. It didnæt even say that it was an ARM700/VIDC20 running the
display but I donæt see that  anything else could have produced such
stunning graphics at such speed.
7.3
When will it be launched? Well, it would be nice to think that it would
appear at BETT æ94 in January but my guess is that we may have to be
even more patient than that.
7.3
Happy reading!
7.3
Products Available
7.3
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.)
7.3
(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.
7.3
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.
7.3
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.
7.3
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.
7.3
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.
7.3
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.
7.3
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.
7.3
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.
7.3
Existing users can upgrade to version 2 for ú25 +VAT or ú35 +VAT
including a revised manual. Upgrades are only available from Digital
Services.
7.3
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.
7.3
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.
7.3
Review software received...
7.3
We have received review copies of the following: ÅArchimedes Game
Makeræs Manualá(bk), á ÅArcSimpáV3 (electronics) (e), á ÅArcVenture III
Ö The Vikingsá(e), á ÅASM_Helpá(u), á ÅCars Ö Maths in Motioná(e), á
ÅCreator IIá(lgu), á ÅE-Numixá(e), á ÅGestalt 2 Ö Money & Shoppingá(e),
á ÅGestalt 2 Ö Time & Fractionsá(e), á ÅKeyboard Trainerá(em),
ÅLettersá(e), á ÅLingomasterá(e), á ÅMini Expansion Adaptorá(h), á
ÅNavigatorá(e), á ÅNotesá(u), á ÅObservess Expert System Shell, ÅOpening
Doors on IT Capability Ö four packs, see aboveá(e), á ÅSea, Trade &
Empireá(e), á ÅSoapboxá(e), á ÅSounds & Rhymesá(e), ÅSwitchá(g),á
ÅTilesá(e), á ÅTwilightá(u).
7.3
e=Education, bk=Book, g=Game, h=Hardware, l=Language, m=Music,
u=Utility, a=Art.
7.3
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.ááA
7.3
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously affect your
spiritual health.
7.3
Have you ever been really depressed? I donæt just mean feeling really
fed up Ö I mean that horrible rising tide of fear that wells up inside
you and makes you go hot and cold. You want to escape but there is
nowhere to run. Some of you wonæt know what I am talking about Ö and Iæm
glad for your sake that you donæt Ö but some of you will know exactly
how it feels. A few days ago, I slipped into just such a depression and
it was terrifying. Iæm only just coming out of it.
7.3
Given the sorts of things I normally say in these comments, I guess that
some of you will be expecting me to come up with some simple solution:
öGod will heal you if you believe in Jesusò or some such.
7.3
Iáonly wish it were that simple! All I will say is that I donæt think I
would have survived that depression if it hadnæt been for the inner
strength that I receive through my faith in Jesus. Oh, yes, I can hear
my critics saying, öThere you are, you see! Christianity is just a
crutch for those too weak to stand on their own two feet. They believe
in the unbelievable just to make themselves feel better.ò
7.3
Sorry but thatæs just not true. I believe in Jesus because when I didnæt
feel any sense of need, I studied what Jesus said and decided it made
sense. Although it couldnæt be proved, I believed it to be
intellectually self-consistent. Iátherefore decided to take Jesus at his
word and accept all that he was offering.
7.3
So, if you are feeling strong and that you have no need of a crutch, NOW
is the time to examine Jesusæ claims. At least you will know that you
havenæt been swayed into believing in Jesus just because you feel in
need of support or strength.
7.3
Paul Beverley
7.3
P.B.
7.3
Fact-File
7.3
(The numbers in italic are fax numbers)
7.3
4th Dimension     P.O. Box 4444, Sheffield. (0742-700661) (0742-781091)
7.3
4Mation     11 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA.
7.3
    (0271-25353) (0271-22974)
7.3
Abacus Training    29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2
6QA.
7.3
Academy Television     104
Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS3 1JS. (0532-461528) (0532-429522)
7.3
Acorn Direct     13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2RL.
7.3
Acorn Computers Ltd    Acorn House,
Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4 4AE. (0223-254254) (0223-254262)
7.3
Alpine Software     P.O.Box 25, Portadown, Craigavon, BT63 5UT. (0762-
342510)
7.3
Amsat-UK     94 Herongate Road, Wanstead Park, London E12 5EQ. (081-989-
6741)
7.3
Anglia Television      Education
Department, Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (0603-615151) (0603-631032)
7.3
Calderdale CST     Heath Training & Development Centre, Free School Lane,
Halifax, HX1 2PT. (0422-357832) (0422-348783)
7.3
Cambridge International Software        8
Herbrand Street, Russell Square, London, WC1N 1HZ. (071-278-5136) (071-
837-6077)
7.3
Cambridgeshire Software House    8 Bramley
Road, St Ives, PE17 4WS. (0480-467945) (0480-496442)
7.3
Castle Technology     Ore Trading
Estate, Woodbridge Road, Framlingham, Suffolk, IP13 9LL. (0728-621222)
(0728-621179)
7.3
Colton Software (p7)    2 Signet
Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA. (0223-311881)
7.3
    (0223-312010)
7.3
Computer Concepts (pp8/13)    Gaddesden
Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX. (0442-63933)
7.3
    (0442-231632)
7.3
Dabhand Computing     5 Victoria
Lane, Whitefield, Manchester, M25 6AL. (061-766-8423)
7.3
    (061-766-8425)
7.3
Dalriada Data Technology (p18)     145 Albion
Street, Kenilworth, Warkwickshire, CV8 2FY. (0926-53901)
7.3
Datafile     71 Anson Road, Locking, Weston-super-Mare, Avon, BS24 7DQ.
7.3
    (0934-823005)
7.3
Digital Services     9 Wayte Street, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 3BS. (0705-
210600) (0705-210705)
7.3
Doggysoft     7 Blackhorse Crescent, Amersham, Bucks., HP6 6HP.
7.3
Electronic Font Foundry     Gibbs House,
Kennel Ride, Ascot, SL5 7AQ. (0344-891355) (0344-891366)
7.3
E.S.M.     Duke Street, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 2AE. (0945-63441)
7.3
Expressive Software Products      Holly Tree
Cottage, Main Street, Strelley Village, Nottingham, NG8 6PD. (0602-
295019)
7.3
Honormead Software Solutions     The Grange,
Hospital Lane, Mickleover, Derby, DE3 5DR. (0332-512848) (0332-512867)
7.3
Icon Technology     9 Jarrom Street, Leicester, LE2 7DH. (0533-546225)
7.3
    (or Mike Glover on 057-286-642)
7.3
Jumping Bean Co     Leen Gate, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2LX. (0602-792838)
(0602-780963)
7.3
Kudlian Soft     8 Barrow Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8á1EH. (0926-
851147)
7.3
Le Computer     Main Road, Willows Green, Chelmsford, CM3 1QB. (0245-
362225)
7.3
    (0245-362225)
7.3
Leading Edge     376 Meanwood Road, Leeds, LS7 2JH. (0532-621111) (0532-
374163)
7.3
LOOKsystems (p40/41)    47 Goodhale
Road, Bowthorpe, Norwich, NR5 9AY. (0603-764114)
7.3
    (0603-764011)
7.3
Matt Black     P.O.Box 42, Peterborough, PE1 2TZ. (0733-315439)
7.3
Micro Studio Ltd     22 Churchgate Street, Soham, Ely, Cambridgeshire.
(0353-720433)
7.3
Microvitec Ltd    Bolling Road, Bradford, BD4 7TU. (0274-390011) (0274-
734944)
7.3
Norfolk IT Team    Norfolk County Inset Centre Witard Road Norwich NR7
9XD.
7.3
Oak Solutions (p14)    Broadway
House, 149-151 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge, CB3 7QJ. (0954-
211760) (0954-211767)
7.3
Oregan Developments     36 Grosvenor
Avenue, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield, B74 3PE.
7.3
Quantum Software     35 Pinewood Park, Deans, Livingston, EH54 8NN. (0506-
411162 after 6)
7.3
Sherston Software     Swan Barton,
Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH. (0666-840433)
7.3
    (0666-840048)
7.3
Sibelius Software     4 Bailey
Mews, Auckland Road, Cambridge, CB5 8DR. (0223-302765)
7.3
Software 42     109 Ferry Road, Hullbridge, Essex, SS5 6EL.
7.3
Spacetech     21 West Wools, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EA. (0305-822753)
(0305-860483)
7.3
System Insight     Unit 1-3, East Burrowfield, Welwyn Garden City, Herts,
AL7 4TB.
7.3
    (0707-395500) (0707-395501)
7.3
Topologika     P.O. Box 39, Stilton, Peterborough, PE7 3RL. (0733-244682)
7.3
UK Software     38 Midlands Estate, West End, Southampton, SO3 3AD. (0703-
474681)
7.3
Unilab Ltd     The Science Park, Hutton Street, Blackburn BB1 3BT. (0254-
681222)
7.3
    (0254-681777)
7.3
Widgit Software     102 Radford Road, Leamington Spa, CV31 1LF. (0926-
885303)
7.3
Words & Music     26 Newark Drive, Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7DF. (091-
529-4788)
7.3
    (091-529-5327)
7.3
Colton
7.3
New artwork
7.3
CC
7.3
New artwork
7.3
Modes, Megahertz and Monitors
7.3
Stuart Bell
7.3
A beginneræs guide to monitors
7.3
The ultimate aim of this article is to help Archive members to come to
an informed decision about the best way of upgrading the video display
which they are currently using on their Archimedes. It would be possible
simply to list the options, but that doesnæt help as soon as a new
monitor comes on the market, and choosing from a list isnæt really
making an öinformed decisionò! But the consequence is firstly that we
really have to understand a little of the development of video displays
on Acorn (and IBM compatible) computers, and secondly that we have to
get involved in interpreting the specifications of monitors, so that we
can determine their suitability for our particular computer.
7.3
A little history
7.3
1987 was an important year in the personal computer industry. That was
the year that saw the production of the first A310 computer. It was also
the year in which IBM produced their PS/2 system, with a new standard of
video display Ö VGA, the acronym for ÉVersatile Graphics Adaptoræ, which
is the interface board within the computer which produces a VGA display.
7.3
Before 1987, there was a plethora of mutually-incompatible display
standards in the PC world, and thus no Éindustry standardæ which Acorn
could have chosen to follow. Instead, since the A310 was seen as ù and
labelled as ù the successor to the original BBC computer, Acorn chose to
maintain some measure of compatibility with the video output of that
machine. The BBC computer worked with televisions, or with what are
termed Ébroadcast standardæ monitors, which are effectively TVæs without
a tuner. Thus, the first Archimedes User Guide (1987), lists modes 0 to
20, of which all but the last three will work on such displays. (Modes
18-20 are the 640╫512 displays for multisync monitors.) To this day, the
standard Acorn colour monitor is a broadcast standard device, with the
very important consequence that, to be fully compatible with an
Archimedes, a monitor must support these modes 0ù17, and in particular
modes 12 and 15.
7.3
A little terminology
7.3
Monitors work much like televisions, in that the screen image is
Épaintedæ on the front screen of a cathode-ray-tube by a Égunæ which
fires electrons at the screen. (To be precise, on non-Trinitron colour
screens, there are three such guns.) The guns trace a path of parallel
lines, working down the screen, and at typically 640 points on each line
the gun may be turned Éonæ or Éoffæ, or to some intermediate power,
according to whether, for example, any green colour is required at that
point on that line on the screen. As soon as the screen has been
Épaintedæ once, the whole process starts again, each screen cycle being
termed a Éframeæ.
7.3
There are three parameters to the timing of the display being provided
by the monitor. The first is the vertical scan frequency, or the frame
rate. This is the rate at which the whole screen is being Ére-painted.æ
Typically, this takes place 50 to 80 times a second. The number of
cycles is measured in ÉHertzæ, so such a monitor would be described as
having a frame rate of 50-80Hz.
7.3
The second parameter is the number of lines of display that the monitor
can display in one second. This is termed the horizontal scan frequency,
or the line rate. A typical multisync monitor might have a range of
30ù60kHz, meaning that it can display 30 to 60 thousand lines in one
second.
7.3
Thirdly, the bandwidth of a monitor describes the rate at which the
colour of individual Édotsæ or pixels can be displayed on the screen. A
bandwidth of 80MHz would mean that it can display 80 million pixels per
second. Clearly, these parameters are related to each other, and also to
the resolution of the display on the screen. This is expressed as the
number of pixels displayed ù for example 640╫256 in mode 12. (You will
find it useful to have Appendix D of the RISCáOS 3 User Guide in front
of you!)
7.3
For example, a 60Hz frame rate and a 30kHz line rate would imply that
each frame contained 30,000/60 lines, that is 500 lines of display. In
practice, the borders at the top and bottom would reduce this to perhaps
400 pixels in the vertical direction. Similarly, a 30kHz line rate and a
30MHz pixel rate would suggest that each line contained 30,000,000 /
30,000 = 1,000 pixels per line, which, allowing for borders might be
about 800 Édotsæ.
7.3
Finally, the last often quoted parameter for a monitor is the Épitchæ,
or the physical size of the pixels on the screen. Whilst a typical size
is 0.28mm, some lower quality screens may have a pitch of 0.39mm. The
quality of the perceived image will fall off rapidly if you try to
display more Édotsæ than will fit on the screen. For example, my 14ö
monitor has a 0.28mm pitch, and the horizontal width of the display area
is about 250mm. Therefore, one cannot expect to be able to display more
than 250 / 0.28 = 892 pixels across the screen. Some better monitors
will allow this rule to be bent a little, but quality will deteriorate.
7.3
An example: Mode 12 on a standard monitor
7.3
Mode 12 is the 16 colour 640╫256 pixel mode used by many users with
standard monitors. Such displays have a fixed frame rate of 50Hz and a
fixed line rate of 15.625kHz. As we have seen already, this implies that
every frame must have about 15,625á/á50 = 312.5 lines, and you will
observe that, to allow for the top and bottom borders (and time for the
Égunsæ to move back to the top of the screen) every desktop mode from 0
to 17 does indeed have 250 or 256 lines. The number of pixels displayed
along one line depends on the relationship between the pixel rate and
the line rate. In mode 12, these are 16Mhz and 15.625kHz respectively,
giving a theoretical 16,000,000á/15,625 = 1024 pixels.
7.3
In practice, mode 12 displays 640, but you can see that there is scope
to use up some of the margins with some monitors ù hence RISCáOS 3æs
mode 35, a Éwideræ mode 12 with 768 pixels per line. Similarly, it
squeezes 288 lines out of the theoretical 312, instead of only 256. By
increasing the pixel rate with standard monitors, it is possible to
increase the horizontal resolution of the display. For example, mode 16
uses a 24MHz pixel rate to give a 1056╫256 display, and I have
personally been able to wind that figure up to over 1100 on some
screens. But the vertical limit of 256 to 288 lines remains.
7.3
Thus, in 1987, Acorn computers offered a good range of modes, with up to
256 colours, on Ébroadcast standardæ monitors, at a resolution up to
640╫256 pixels. This compared very favourably with the displays of other
personal computers and also offered compatibility with earlier Acorn
machines. For users with access to Émultisyncæ monitors, modes 18-20
allowed 640╫512 displays. It should be noted at this point that, as the
RISCáOS 3 mode list shows, such modes do not show twice as much
information. The logical area displayed (defined in ÉOS unitsæ) is the
same, but as twice as many lines are used, the resolution and clarity of
the display is much better. Since mode 12 uses 640╫256 pixels to display
1280╫1024 OS units, whilst mode 20 uses 640╫512 pixels for the same
area, the former is said to be a Érectangular pixelæ mode, and the
latter a Ésquare pixelæ one. Most higher resolution modes are of this
type, but it is important to be sure. For example, what is sometimes
described as a 1600╫1200 mode on one of the new colour cards in fact
displays 1600╫600 pixels ù it is a rectangular pixel mode.
7.3
Example 2: Mode 20 on a Émultisyncæ
7.3
Whilst standard monitors have fixed frame and line rates, multisync
monitors will synchronise with a wide range of rates ù hence the
designation. Mode 20, a 16 colour 640╫512 display has too many lines for
a standard monitor, but could be displayed on a multisync with quite a
range of different line rates. For example, a pixel rate of 24Mhz, a
line rate of 30.075kHz and a frame rate of 50Hz work quite well, giving
narrow borders. (You may like to check the calculations, to find the
theoretical display size.)
7.3
However, as we shall see later, multisync monitors are not the answer to
all our problems. First, there is the question of cost but, more
importantly, we shall find that very few can display the standard
resolution modes without special software.
7.3
The VIDC enhancer
7.3
First developed by Atomwide, the use of the VIDC enhancer has been well
discussed in Archive. It may be worthwhile, however, to consider the
technical reasons for its development. For all machines up to and
including the A3000, the fastest pixel rate that the VIDC (the chip
responsible for the video display) could produce was 24MHz. Since 50Hz
is the lowest frame rate for practical use, that means that the maximum
number of pixels that could be displayed on the screen was 24,000,000á/
á50 = 500,000. Allowing for borders all round, the practical maximum was
about that of mode 40, 896╫352 = 315,392 Édotsæ. Atomwide realised that
by speeding up the VIDC, a pixel rate of 36MHz is possible and Acorn
built this new clock rate into the later machines. For example, with the
right monitor, mode 102 ù 1152╫448 ù 516,096 displayed pixels became a
possibility.
7.3
The VGA standard
7.3
As we have noted, IBMæs PS/2 machines introduced the VGA standard to the
PC world in 1987. It specified a 640╫480 pixel 16 or 256 colour display,
with other modes, such as 720╫400, being offered. As usual, where IBM
led, the rest of the industry followed (öAll we like sheep have gone
astray... ò), and VGA became the industry standard. When a need for
higher resolutions was perceived, after an initial period of chaos, a
manufacturersæ association, VESA, defined the 800╫600 (SVGA) and the
1024╫768 standards. Immediately, the need for multisync monitors became
less pressing and manufacturers could tailor the electronics of their
displays to support only the VGA standard and its successors. The cost
savings in producing these less-flexible monitors is quite massive ù
hence the current price differences between multisync and SVGA monitors.
7.3
For Acorn users, however, there is the major problem that the VGA
standard bears no relation to anything that Acorn produced prior to the
A30x0, A4000, A5000 and A540 machines. The VGA standard defines a pixel
rate of 25.175Mhz, and a line rate of 31.5kHz. The SVGA standards are
36MHz and 35.5kHz respectively.
7.3
Watford Electronics saw the advantages for Acorn users of being able to
use SVGA monitors and, in addition to producing a standard VIDC
enhancer, devised also an SVGA version, which added a 25.175MHz clock to
the 36MHz pixel clock normally provided. The use of this device is
described in my article öThe Taxan 787 Monitorò in Archive 7.2 p77.
Whilst it forms a very cost-effective solution to monitor upgrading, the
limitations of the device in respect of the Életterboxæ display of
standard modes should not be ignored. Later Acorn machines added the
25.175MHz clock, thus allowing the use of SVGA monitors for many but not
all display modes, as the table on page 220 of the RISCáOS 3 User Guide
indicates.
7.3
The VIDC ù Memory bottleneck
7.3
A significant limit on the quality of display produced by the VIDC ù
with or without an enhancer ù is the speed at which it can access the
memory which holds the information to be displayed. On older machines
with memory running at 8MHz, this is about 18Mb per second. Thus, at a
frame rate of 50Hz, this limits the screen memory to 18,000,000á/á50 =
360Kb. (RISC OS itself limits display memory to 480Kb, but this is not
normally a problem.) The 360Kb limit precludes 256 colour versions of
the larger resolution modes being used. For example, the 16 colour
800╫800 mode 31 takes 234.4Kb, but a similar 256 colour mode would
require twice that, and is therefore impossible. A further problem is
that when using such Ébigæ displays, the VIDC takes most of the
bandwidth of the memory. In other words, it is so busy reading and
displaying the screen memory that it stops the processor from doing
useful work. This degradation is obvious on-screen, even with ARM3
processors.
7.3
The bottle-neck solution: Colour Cards
7.3
Again, these have been well described in earlier issues of Archive. They
circumvent the problems of VIDC speed and memory bandwidth although, at
the moment, they are still constrained by RISCáOSæs 480Kb display memory
limit when displaying the desktop. With Ésquare pixelæ displays of
1600╫600 with 16 colours or 800╫600 with 256 colours in the desktop, and
576╫424 with 32,000 colours outside the desktop, they represent the
highest-quality upgrade for Archimedes users. But since they also
require extremely good monitors, almost certainly with a 17ö screen, to
display such great numbers of pixels, they cannot offer the lowest cost
upgrade path!
7.3
Having outlined the development of Acorn display standards and attempted
to explain the characteristics of different monitors, in the second half
of this article next month, I shall try to help readers to come to an
informed decision about their own possible display upgrade path.ááA
7.3
Some new information has come to light since Stuart wrote the above
article...
7.3
A new entrant
7.3
Acorn have just launched their new AKF50 multisync monitor as an
alternative to the AKF18. It is a 14ö monitor with a dot pitch of 0.28mm
(the same as the Eizo 9060) compared with the AKF18æs 0.39mm. Like the
9060, it works right down to the lower frequency modes and, from our
initial investigations here in the Archive office, it looks to be a very
good monitor for the price.
7.3
The Archive price of the AKF50 is ú374 compared with ú600 for the Eizo
9060 monitor. This may well be because the AKF50 is UK built (by
Microvitec) instead of being imported, fully-assembled, from Japan. (The
dollar exchange rates have been pushing up the prices of Japanese goods
for some time now.) If you want to buy one with an A5000, just add ú75
to the price as quoted with the AKF18.
7.3
Obviously, we cannot yet say anything about the long-term reliability
since it is a brand new monitor. However, anyone who has used Microvitec
monitors on BBC computers over the years will know that they had a very
good reliability record. We can only hope that this reputation will be
maintained. Ed.ááA
7.3
Beginnersæ Column
7.3
Laura Handoca
7.3
Where do we go from here?
7.3
Letters and questions are becoming a little thin on the ground and I
remain somewhat unconvinced of their general usefulness. With the new
series of beginnersæ articles by the NITTs starting this month, I felt
it was time to take stock of the situation.
7.3
What do people really want from the Beginnersæ Column? The only feedback
from Acorn World 93  concerned programming (see below), with some
questions about where beginners can go for help.
7.3
This is therefore an appeal for some slightly more specific information
from you, the reader. What areas of computing would you like to see
dealt with in Archive? What is your most persistent trouble spot
(printing?... organizing memory?...). I could compile a questionnaire to
find out this sort of thing but it would be easier if people wrote to me
with ideas.
7.3
From the feedback so far, areas of confusion seem to include using the
task manager, configuration set-up, !Alarm, and what happens outside the
desktop. Please have a think about this and write to me!
7.3
Programming...
7.3
The main beginnersæ queries I encountered at Acorn World 93 concerned
Basic programming. It has been suggested that we provide help for
beginners who are keen to learn how to program in Basic, but who
encounter problems that they canæt solve. The idea would be that they
should send in their program to the Beginnersæ Column, indicating (if
possible) which section is causing difficulty, and describing what they
are trying to achieve.
7.3
We will try to find and correct the mistake, and explain the reason why
the code did not work in the first place. We will probably not be able
to print whole programs in Archive but airing some common mistakes will,
hopefully, help most early programmers.
7.3
So, if there is anyone out there who would find this a useful beginnersæ
feature, please send in your problem programs.
7.3
More help available
7.3
One thing I did pick up from the Acorn User magazine stand was a little
booklet entitled öThe Acorn User Handbookò. It only took half an hour to
read but I thought it was quite well done Ö easy to read, jargon-free
and informative. I think some beginners would find it useful.
7.3
It is only available from Acorn User magazine Ö contact them for more
details on 071-331-8000.ááA
7.3
CC
7.3
From 7.2 page 8
7.3
Oak
7.3
From 7.2 page 7
7.3
Look Systems
7.3
From 6.12 page 40
7.3
Look Systems
7.3
From 6.12 page 41
7.3
New Outline Fonts on the Archimedes
7.3
Richard Hallas
7.3
Ever since the Archimedes first appeared, there seems to have been a
dearth of quality fonts, at least in comparison with other systems.
Despite having the best font management software which, at the time it
was released, was a quite staggering step forward in quality and ease of
use, there has nevertheless been only a relatively small number of fonts
available in the Acorn format. In the cases where a font family was
available, there was normally the inconvenience that the Acorn name did
not match the PostScript name on other machines.
7.3
We have at least been lucky to have had one font design house, the
Electronic Font Foundry, which has been dedicated to producing quality
outline fonts at a reasonable price, but it has frequently been true
that desired fonts from the Mac and PC platforms have simply not been
available to users of the Acorn machines. All that is now set to change.
7.3
Two new contenders have just entered the scene, in the form of
LOOKsystems and the Datafile. Both companies are offering conversions of
high quality fonts from PostScript format into Acorn outline format, and
their prices are very competitive indeed.
7.3
LOOKsystemsæ 100 Monotype Typefaces Pack One
7.3
Over the last few months, it has been difficult not to notice the high-
profile advertising from LOOKsystems in the various Acorn magazines: a
double-page spread, listing all the 100 Monotype fonts in the pack.
Given this amount of advertising, there is little point in listing all
the fonts in the pack here; suffice it to say that this first pack
consists of 100 individual font faces in 26 actual families, the number
of faces in each family ranging from 1 to 13.
7.3
The price of the 100 Monotype Typefaces Pack One from Archive is ú90,
which seems ludicrously cheap. Do you really get a set of very high
quality outline fonts, in RISC OS 2 and 3 format with full kerning data,
for only 90p each? It is, after all, quality rather than just quantity
which is required. I will get around to answering this question shortly.
7.3
Opening the LOOKsystems pack when it arrived through my letter box did
indeed put me in a very favourable mood from the outset, as it is one of
the most attractively presented software packages I have yet come
across. The pack consists of six discs, a manual and some installation
notes housed in a slim white plastic wallet which is slightly larger
than A5. The A5 manual, which is of similar dimensions to an issue of
Archive, is a really beautifully presented document and must, in itself,
have been quite expensive to produce. Printed entirely on highly glossy
paper in red and black ink, it contains a complete printout of every
font in the pack, with type samples in various point sizes.
7.3
Installation of the fonts has to be done by a special utility, you canæt
just copy the fonts onto your own discs, as they are both protected and
in the wrong format. The first time you run the installation program, it
prompts you for a unique password which, when typed in, unlocks the
package. (This only has to be done once.) Installation still has to be
performed by the utility after you have entered the password, as the
fonts are stored on disc in an efficient way. From the individual files,
the installation program extracts the RISC OS 3 or RISC OS 2 format
fonts, according to which format you have chosen. (Of course, if you
choose RISC OS 2 format, the kerning data is lost from the copied
version of the fonts.) It can even create new font directories for you.
The installation program is nicely presented, very simple to operate,
and can be run as many times as you wish. You donæt have to install all
the fonts at once Ö you simply pick which ones you want from a list. If
you only have RISC OS 2 in your machine, you can install the fonts in
that format and replace them with the improved versions (with kerning
pairs and more characters) if you upgrade later.
7.3
The Datafileæs ITC, Letraset and URWáfont conversions
7.3
The Datafile is doing a very similar job to LOOKsystems and is, in fact,
using the same conversion and hinting software. Unlike LOOKsystems,
however, the Datafile is selling font families singly at a rather higher
price. This is not a case of the Datafile trying to cash in Ö itæs just
that the two companiesæ licensing agreements are different and it would
not be financially viable for the Datafile to sell its fonts any more
cheaply. The way that the Datafileæs pricing structure works is that you
pay ú10 for the initial face in any family, ú5 each for any further
family members up to the sixth face and then ú3╖50 each for any other
faces.
7.3
Concerning packaging, the Datafileæs fonts are also very attractively
presented in a thin white plastic wallet which is similar to, but rather
smaller than, the LOOKsystems version. The wallet is almost square and
slightly larger than a 5╝ö disc. The relevant font is featured on the
cover, and a separate printout of one complete face in several point
sizes is supplied inside the package, along with samples of the other
faces. The disc itself also illustrates the font, which is a nice touch.
Where possible, the documentation also contains some historical
background about the font, which is both interesting and illuminating.
7.3
Rather than taking the LOOKsystemsæ installation approach, the Datafile
fonts are supplied in both formats on a single disc. You simply copy the
RISC OS 2 or RISC OS 3 face out into your own font directory.
Alternatively, you can use the RISC OS 3 font directly from the original
disc if you so wish, as a small application is supplied which adds it to
the font list. (Running fonts from floppy discs is a slow process,
though.)
7.3
Since Datafile adverts have been less widespread than the ones from
LOOKsystems, here is a list of the fonts which are available at the time
of writing:
7.3
From ITC: Bauhaus, Eras, Isadora, Manhattan, Panache; from Letraset:
Academy Engraved, Balmoral, Freestyle Script, Gillies Gothic Extra Bold
Shaded, Mastercard, Quixley, Sinaloa; from URW: Palladio, Antiqua.
7.3
The Electronic Font Foundry ITC andáLetraset fonts
7.3
EFF is very much a known quantity in the Archimedes sphere, as it has
been producing fonts since the early days of the Archimedes. Recently it
has begun advertising ITC and Letraset fonts in addition to its own
typefaces. The reason for this is that it has now obtained a licence to
supply its own versions of these fonts and so there will be a certain
overlap between the fonts produced by EFF and the Datafile. The
difference is that EFF, being a design house, will be selling its own
versions of these fonts which have been newly created from the ITC and
Letraset shapes, whereas the Datafile sells actual PostScript
conversions, so what you get is very similar to what you would be
getting if you bought the PC or Macintosh version. Until recently, EFFæs
fonts have been supplied in large (video cassette size) plastic boxes,
but these rather over-size offerings have now been replace by smaller
wallets. The fonts themselves must simply be dragged from the disc into
your own fonts directory before you can use them. (There is also a very
simple install program which you can use to automate this process if you
wish.) No actual font printout is supplied, but a small utility,
FontTable, which is supplied on the disc, creates a drawfile of a font
so you can make your own printouts if you wish.
7.3
EFFæs pricing structure has recently been revised. Fonts now cost ú5 per
face in RISC OS 2 format, or ú6 per face in RISC OS 3 format, which
includes kerning data. There are also a number of font packs which
(depending on the pack) can supply fonts for as little as ú1 per font.
These prices only apply to Latin 1 fonts: other language fonts are
available at a higher price, and cater for around 60 languages. EFF is
currently the only company of the three to supply foreign-language
fonts, although LOOKsystems has definite plans to do so in the future.
7.3
Quality and technicalities
7.3
So much for the packaging and installation but what are the fonts
themselves like?
7.3
When you buy an EFF font, you know that it has been specifically
tailored for the Acorn platform. Every character in the face will have
been defined, and best use will have been made of the special Acorn-
specific hinting methods for improving printing quality.
7.3
As the LOOKsystems and Datafile fonts have both been produced using very
similar methods to each other, they can be grouped together for this
part of the discussion. These fonts have been converted from PostScript
and then have had full hinting and skeleton lines added to them, and
quality control measures have been taken to ensure that they all print
correctly, even at very small point sizes. However, since they have been
converted from PostScript, there are certain features which make them
slightly different from EFFæs Acorn-specific offerings. The most
important point, in a way, is that (initially, at least) the hinting
methods used are not quite as good as those used by EFF.
7.3
The way that PostScript handles the curved parts of letters is different
from the Acorn method. The control points of the curved lines occur at
the N, S, E and W directions, whereas the Acorn system requires that
control points are positioned at NW, NE, SE and SW, and that pairs of
points are attached to the scaffolding lines, with the Ébellyæ of the
curved segment on the scaffold. The diagram below should make this
clearer. The left window is from EFFæs Garamond and the right one from
the LOOKsystemsæ Monotype Garamond.
7.3
As you can see, the EFF Q has pairs of points attached whereas the
PostScript conversion has only single points attached. This will lead to
a slight difference in quality when printing at small sizes. However,
Adrian Look (who wrote some of the conversion software used by both
LOOKsystems and Datafile) is investigating the possibility of rotating
the necessary points by 45░ to enable them to be attached to the
scaffolding lines in the correct way. If he is successful, then both the
LOOKsystems and Datafile fonts will be upgraded. (The fonts will remain
the same price, and upgrades will be free to existing users.) Even if it
cannot be done, it does not really detract much from the quality of the
fonts. Any differences would only really be apparent at very small point
sizes and, in any case, at resolutions of 600 dots per inch or more
(resolutions which are now available cheaply via various direct-drive
laser printers) the effect would not really be noticeable at all.
Besides, the fonts have all been checked and modified as necessary to
ensure that Édrop-outæ does not occur when printing the characters at
small sizes.
7.3
For example, take a look at the bitmap illustrations on the opposite
page.
7.3
These two bitmaps show exactly what you would get if you printed a
capital Q (the very same letters are shown in the previous illustration)
in 6 point text at 300 dots per inch. (This is really the smallest size
you can get away with on a standard resolution ù 300 dpi ù laser
printer.) The EFF character (left) does have slightly more balanced
sides with a better inner Ébellyæ at the mid-point of each curved side.
However, there are a couple of points to note. These two Qs are taken
from versions of Garamond from different design houses, and the overall
weight of the font in the right-hand window is a little heavier than
that in the left. Also, the descenders are of slightly different designs
to each other. The comparison is therefore not quite a fair one. Bearing
these points in mind, you can see that there is very little practical
difference in quality at these resolutions. If you were not printing on
a laser printer, and the resolution were lower, then differences may be
more apparent. However, if you donæt have a laser printer, these
differences will probably not worry you anyway! So, in a truly practical
sense, the potential difference in quality is not of great concern.
7.3
A second issue is that of character sets. As mentioned above, in an EFF
font, every usable character is defined, including those in the range
ASCII 128Ö139 which are not specified in the Acorn format. This is EFFæs
own adaptation of the standard Latin 1 set. The new specification for
RISC OS 3 fonts includes some accented W and Y characters which were not
present in the RISC OS 2 specification and, of course, the EFF fonts
include these characters. The PostScript conversions do not include
these characters but the RISC OS 3 versions of the fonts generally have
a few more characters which are extra to the Latin 1 set. These include
S and Z (in both upper and lower case) with a caron accent (like an
inverted circumflex) and L with a slash through it. (Actually, these
characters are not accessible under the current version of the operating
system but thatæs not the fault of the fonts Ö itæs a limitation of RISC
OS, but thatæs another story...)
7.3
Therefore, if you need fonts which can cope with the Welsh language
(circumflex W, etc) you have no choice but to buy the EFF fonts;
otherwise, there should be no problem, and the PostScript conversions
will give you a few extra characters for free.
7.3
A further consideration is that not all the PostScript conversions have
absolutely full character sets. All the most important characters are
there but there are sometimes a few omissions in the display fonts.
(Characters such as <, > and = may be omitted.) This is, of course, not
a fault of the conversions Ö theyære not defined in the PostScript
sources either. The Letraset fonts, in particular, suffer from this and
so do a very few of the fonts in the Monotype pack. However, itæs not
really a problem since the fonts concerned are intended as display faces
rather than for body text and so you would be unlikely to use the
omitted characters anyway. The vast majority of the converted fonts have
absolutely full character sets (excepting the Welsh characters) and they
do of course follow Acornæs layout of characters. (Under their licensing
agreements, LOOKsystems and the Datafile are not allowed to add any
characters to the ones already provided.)
7.3
Now looking at the specific font packs available, the Monotype Pack One
certainly gives you a lot for your money. I am pleased to say that the
LOOKsystems fonts are really very good indeed. If you install them in
RISC OS 3 format, the fonts incorporate full kerning data. RISC OS
applications are now increasingly making use of this data and it can
drastically improve the appearance of documents. (In particular, current
versions of Impression, Ovation, Wordz and PMS make use of automatic
font kerning under RISC OS 3.)
7.3
As for criticisms, it is really rather hard to make any. Aside from the
point that the scaffolding could be slightly improved (which Adrian Look
is actively working on), the only point I can think of is that itæs a
bit of a pity that thereæs not slightly more variety in the fonts
provided. A few of them do look a bit similar and it would perhaps have
been nice if a few more display faces could have been included among all
the body text fonts. However, the fonts have been well-chosen and form
an excellent range of Éstarter-fontsæ. Also, the range provided gives a
good representation of typographical history, from the Éclassicæ Blado
and Poliphilus (whose original designs date from the early sixteenth
century) to much more modern fonts. A second point is that itæs very
useful to get the full range of the font families at once, rather than
just, say, four faces per family. The Blado and Poliphilus fonts do
contain a lot of control points and have a rather lumpy appearance when
examined in detail. This is seemingly a result of slightly over-zealous
conversions of the hot-metal originals into PostScript format, with
possibly a little too much attention to fine details. They are certainly
Éauthenticæ fonts but they do consume a bit more memory and disc space
than is desirable. Anyway, thatæs a fault of the originals rather than
the conversions.
7.3
There are also some unusual inclusions in the LOOKsystems pack which are
well worth having (such as Goudy Text Lombardic Capitals), and I was
very pleased that a Plantin Expert set was included. The expert fonts
include the Éstandardæ ligatures which are not built into the Acorn font
specification, as well as old style numerals, small capitals and tools
for building up fractions. (The EFF Publishersæ Pack includes a Garamond
font ù LondonA ù with similar expert sets.) The expert sets are of
course for quite specialised use, and the characters available do not
all conform to the standard layout Ö indeed, they couldnæt, as many
arenæt included in the specification. Full character sets are not
provided in these fonts. However, for specialised use, and for really
sprucing up the appearance of your documents to the highest standards,
they are invaluable. Both LOOKsystems and EFF expert sets follow similar
layouts. (How fitting that this article should be published in the first
issue of Archive in which Monotypeæs Plantin is being used for the main
text. Ed)
7.3
The Datafileæs font conversions are of a very similar quality to those
from LOOKsystems. The same comments apply about their conversion
processes, hinting and character sets. In the first instance, the
Datafile was only going to be converting ITC and Letraset fonts, but URW
(the Hamburg company which creates the original PostScript files) was so
impressed with the conversion quality of the first selection that they
granted the Datafile an exclusive licence to convert their own fonts.
7.3
URW is the biggest design house in Europe, and wrote the software which
is used to convert the original letter designs into the actual
PostScript in the first place. The Datafileæs acquisition of exclusive
rights to supply URW fonts in Acorn format is of huge importance given
Acornæs new printing ventures in Germany and Holland. Acorn versions of
these URW fonts have been specifically requested by the Germans, and the
Datafile is now supplying fonts to AB Dick in Germany and ECD in Holland
as part of Acornæs publishing system.
7.3
The selection of fonts from the Datafile is generally Éfancieræ overall
than the LOOKsystems offerings at the moment, although some body-text
fonts are available too. The Letraset conversions generally suffer from
the incomplete character sets mentioned above but this is only because
the characters do not exist in the PostScript versions. Also, in some
fonts there are some interesting additions. In particular, the Freestyle
Script conversion (which includes a bold face) contains a number of
special ligature characters (for example qu, on, tt). Whilst this means
that this particular font is in a non-standard format, with a bit of
trouble you can get some font-specific refinements which would not
otherwise be possible. Interestingly, this font is also available from
EFF. In this incarnation, the character set is absolutely standard, as
you would expect from EFF. None of the special ligature characters are
provided (and EFF does not currently supply a bold face). However, the
full, standard character set may be what you require.
7.3
The LOOKsystems pack contains a copy of Monotype Garamond. EFF currently
produce ITC Garamond, so I compared the two. It was interesting to find
that they are so different as to almost comprise two different fonts
(see above, in the Q hinting example). There are in fact at least four
different versions of Garamond (designed by different companies) in use,
and these are two of them. It does illustrate the point, though, that
you cannot assume that two fonts with the same name from two companies
will be just the same. In this case, I preferred the EFF design but this
is not a comment on the quality of either font.
7.3
I also compared the EFF version of ITC Bauhaus with Datafileæs
conversion of ITC Bauhaus. Even though this is the same font from the
same source, I still found a (smaller) number of differences, which can
be accounted for by the fact that EFF does its designs from the original
shapes rather than converting PostScript data. I found the Datafileæs
version to be preferable, with more rounded letter shapes overall Ö but
thatæs a subjective judgement.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
If you owned a Mac or a PC, and you were to buy one of these fonts, it
would cost you around ú38 for every single face. If you buy them from
the Datafile, they cost you around ú5 each, from EFF they cost up to ú6
each, and from LOOKsystems they all cost 90p each.
7.3
Whilst the Datafileæs fonts look a little expensive compared with the
LOOKsystems fonts, it is important to remember that the LOOKsystems
fonts are only sold in packs of 100, and ú90 (at Archive price) at once
can seem like a great deal, especially if you only really want one or
two fonts in the pack. The Datafile fonts are available singly, and
there is an additional advantage that if you want a particular ITC,
Letraset or URW font which has not yet been converted, you can ask the
Datafile for it and its conversion will be made a priority.
7.3
The LOOKsystems and Datafile packs present, for the first time on the
Archimedes, world-class quality fonts from Monotype and ITC, and their
ranges will include not only brand-new typefaces, but also classics
which have been around for as long as these companies themselves.
7.3
The historical importance of many of these fonts should not be
understated. The Monotype Corporation, in particular, has been creating
typefaces of world renown for a century, and the Monotype Classic Font
library consists of around 700 typefaces which have been adapted from
their hot-metal originals using the same software which Adobe uses for
creation of its own fonts. Now this classic library is to become
available to Acorn users, courtesy of LOOKsystems, and that really is
good news for anyone who has even the slightest interest in printing.
7.3
The outline fonts supplied by the Datafile and LOOKsystems are high
quality originals, and of the finest traditions, as ITC New York,
Monotype, etc are world class type foundries which work with the
original type designers, and very many famous typefaces have been
designed by or for these companies. The importance of these licences for
Acorn users cannot be stressed too highly, as they mean that well over
3000 typefaces will eventually be converted into Acorn format, finally
bringing Acorn users in line, typographically speaking, with the other
computer platforms Ö and all at much lower costs.
7.3
The points I have made about less-than-ideal scaffolding and
occasionally slightly incomplete character sets are really very minor
niggles. I have only really included them to be fair to all companies
concerned, and to paint a true picture. In answer to the question I
posed at the beginning, öIs it too good to be trueò the answer has, for
once, to be a resounding öNo!ò. Both the LOOKsystems and the Datafile
fonts are of the highest quality and if you are in need of any new
fonts, I urge you to support these companies in their new ventures.
After all, the fact that these converted fonts have had extra hinting
added really makes them better quality than their PostScript originals,
and the fact that they can be bought for as little as a fortieth of
their prices on other platforms comprises one of the biggest bargains in
computer history. The conversions of these classic fonts at these prices
suddenly makes Acorn machines seem a whole lot more attractive to
publishers of all kinds, and can only be very good for the Acorn
community as a whole.ááA
7.3
Introducing Your Computer
7.3
Norfolk IT Team
7.3
This is the first of our new series of articles for the absolute
beginner which we announced in the last issue of Archive.
7.3
No assumptions
7.3
Although we said last month that there would be no assumptions, we are
in fact going to make just two. The first is that you have managed to
connect together the various parts of your machine and have switched it
on. We are relying on you to have done that because the various
computers in Acornæs Aáseries range all connect together slightly
differently and the Welcome Guide supplied with your machine includes
very clear instructions for this process.
7.3
Our second assumption is that you are using a machine with RISC OS 3 in
it. Aargh Ö jargon already! RISC OS 3 is the current version of the
operating system Ö i.e. the programs that are always inside your
computer. Letæs try to explain what an operating system is through the
use of an analogy.
7.3
If you had serious amnesia, you might forget who you were, where you
lived, etc. If you were affected even more badly than that, you might
find that you could not even read or talk or walk. These basic faculties
are rather like the things your computer knows about as soon as you
switch it on. It has, as it were, an identity. It also possesses a set
of procedures which enable it to recognise a program on a disc, know how
to make a picture appear on the monitor screen, etc.
7.3
If when you switch on your computer there is a little green acorn in the
bottom right hand corner of the screen then you have RISC OS 3 Ö all is
well. If you have an older computer and a multi-coloured ÉAæ symbol in
the bottom right hand corner of the screen then you have RISC OS 2 Ö an
older version of the operating system. Our advice would be to upgrade it
to the newer version, Talk to your local dealer about this Ö the cost is
little compared to what you probably paid for your computer and there
are significant advantages.
7.3
The mouse
7.3
The mouse is used to get information into the computer. Moving the mouse
around on a flat surface moves a small pointer around on the screen Ö
try it. You should be holding the mouse with the wire pointing away from
you. As you move the mouse away from you then the pointer moves up the
screen, as you move it towards you then the pointer moves down the
screen. Moving the mouse to the left moves the pointer to the left and
so on. If you run out of space for your mouse to move but have still not
got the pointer far enough on the screen just pick up the mouse, move it
back a bit, put it down again and carry on. Itæs rather like Ébrummingæ
a toy car. For as long as the mouse is picked up, the pointer will not
move on the screen. It is a good idea to buy a Émouse matæ Ö a spongy
pad that mice particularly like to move around on.
7.3
The buttons
7.3
The mouse has three buttons. These have different names and all do
slightly different things. They are known, from left to right, as
Select, Menu and Adjust. Many people find it easy to remember because of
a certain brand of baby milk powder. If it bothers you that you can not
remember the names of the buttons then simply mark them as S, M and A
with a marker pen.
7.3
Select, the lefthand button, is generally used to choose things and do
things on the screen (e.g. keeping it pressed down while moving the
mouse to draw a line in an art program). The Menu or middle button is
used Ö well youæve probably guessed that one Ö it calls up a menu (a
list of options) if you want to go on to do something other than what
you are already doing. These first two are the buttons you will be using
most Ö which is great if you are right-handed as the select button sits
most naturally under your right index finger. Software does exist which
allows you to reverse the way the buttons are named if you feel you need
it but most left-handers donæt seem to be bothered. The Adjust button
has particular uses which you will gradually come to appreciate as you
become more familiar with your computer.
7.3
Clicking
7.3
When you use a button on the mouse, you will most usually need to press
it quickly just once Ö this is known as Éclickingæ. Sometimes you will
need to press it twice in rapid succession Ö known as Édouble-clickingæ.
People can get anxious about trying to remember when to click and when
to double-click but itæs not worth worrying about Ö if a single click
doesnæt work then just try a double-click!
7.3
Dragging
7.3
This is another use of the buttons on the mouse. ÉDraggingæ is moving
the mouse while holding down a button, usually <select>. (The convention
in Archive is to use ö<select>ò rather than saying öthe select buttonò
every time. Similarly, we would say öpress <return>ò rather than öpress
the return keyò. Ed.) In most cases, the pointer will need to be
positioned over a particular object or Éiconæ on the screen, the button
depressed, the mouse moved until the pointer is in a new position and
then the button released.
7.3
The screen
7.3
When you turn your computer on, after a short delay during which there
will be an introductory RISC OS 3 message, you will see something like
the picture opposite.
7.3
Most of the screen is blank but at the bottom is the iconbar. Icons are
used extensively in the wonderful world of RISC OS which you are about
to enter. However, these icons bear little resemblance to religious
pictures painted onto wooden panels hanging in a Greek monastery. They
are used to represent programs, disc drives, saved work Ö everything!
Generally they are designed to convey their meaning fairly well but some
are arbitrarily designed or simply represent something too abstract to
picture easily. This icon, at the bottom left of your screen is designed
to represent the opening of your machineæs floppy disc drive...
7.3
and this one...
7.3
represents a Éfolderæ of tools which are analogous to crayons, paint
brushes, pens etc.
7.3
Your computer may well have more icons at the bottom left of the screen
and will have a couple at the bottom right too Ö bear with us for now,
weæll come to them later.
7.3
Opening a window
7.3
Right, letæs do something! Move the mouse pointer until its tip is
within the ÉAppsæ icon at the bottom left of your screen and click
<select> once. A Éwindowæ will open on your screen. A window is a part
of the screen where a particular job that the computer is doing is
displayed. A window might contain a page of writing you are working on,
a picture you are painting, a game you are playing or whatever.
7.3
This particular window is a Édirectoryæ Ö it shows us the contents of
the Apps Éfolderæ. (See the diagram at the bottom of the page.) The
icons within it all represent applications. The word Éapplicationæ is
generally used rather than the word Éprogramæ to refer to what is
nothing more than a set of instructions for the computer to enable it to
carry out a task.
7.3
Window icons
7.3
Around the edge of the window you have opened are a series of tiny
icons. All RISC OS windows have some or all of these icons. Once you
have learned what they are for then that knowledge will be applicable
whether you are using a word-processor, database, painting, diary
application or whatever. It is worth putting in a little work at this
stage Ö later it becomes much easier as a result. In the same way that
you do not need to re-learn all your driving skills when you use a
different car, you will not need to re-learn everything for each
computer application you use.
7.3
To explore the functions of these icons, it will be useful to have a
second window open on the screen so letæs load an application. Move the
pointer over the É!Calcæ icon and double-click <select>. Sometimes it
takes a little practice to get the speed of your clicking right, but
eventually it becomes second nature. You will know you have succeeded
when a small calculator icon appears on the iconbar on the right-hand
side. You have loaded an application. To use it, now move the pointer
down to the icon on the iconbar at the bottom of the screen and click
over it with <select>. The calculator which appears on screen can be
used with the mouse pointer doing the job your finger does with a hand-
held calculator. Click on <select> to press the buttons.
7.3
Now back to our exploration of the window icons. Here is a picture of a
window with its icons labelled.
7.3
Weæll take these icons one by one. Experiment with the icons on the
windows on your screen.
7.3
Å    Send to back Ö If one window is overlapping others on the screen then
clicking <select> on this icon will send a window behind all the others.
In this way your windows can be Éstackedæ on the screen rather like
sheets of paper on a desk top. In fact, Acorn use the term desktop to
refer to this way of working on screen.
7.3
Å    Close the window Ö Click on this with <select> and the window will
close. As the icon is an ÉXæ, this operation can be thought of as
kissing a window goodbye! Remember to click on the Apps icon to re-open
your directory window or on the calculator icon to open a calculator
window again.
7.3
Å    Title bar Ö This shows the title of the window but also has a very
important function. Clicking with <select> on the title bar of a window
will always bring it to the front of the Éstackæ Ö try it. If you Édragæ
the title bar (move the pointer over it, press <select> down and,
keeping it down, move the mouse) then the window can be moved around the
screen.
7.3
Å    Adjust size (bottom right) Ö If this icon is present, dragging it will
change the size of the window on the screen. Try it on the Apps
directory window Ö drag it up and left first to shrink the window. Note
that the window may be made tall and narrow, short and wide etc and that
the icons inside it will shuffle around to show as many of themselves as
possible.
7.3
Å    Toggle size Ö If you have previously shrunk a window, clicking on this
icon will enlarge it to the size of the whole screen or as large as it
need be to show all its contents. Clicking on it again will return the
window to the smaller size so this icon flicks (toggles) between the two
sizes.
7.3
Å    Scroll arrows Ö Try shrinking the Apps directory window until you can
only see one or two of the icons inside it. Now holding <select> down
over one or other of the scroll arrows will move the contents of the
window up or down. See what happens if you use <adjust> instead of
<select>.
7.3
Å    Scroll bar Ö When a window is at less than its full size then the
scroll bar can be dragged up and down to move the window contents.
Clicking in the area between the scroll bar and a scroll arrow will
cause the window contents to jump a window-full at a time.
7.3
Some windows have horizontal scroll controls at the bottom as well as
the vertical ones on the right hand edge.
7.3
Finishing
7.3
So far, all this has led you to the point where you can use your
computer as a very expensive, basic calculator! Now to finish using the
computer for the time being.
7.3
Move the pointer down over the calculator icon on the iconbar and click
on <menu>. A menu will appear with two items on it. Move the pointer
over the ÉQuitæ option and it will be Éhighlightedæ. While it is
highlighted, click <select> and the icon on the iconbar will vanish. The
application has now been closed down.
7.3
It is a good idea to get into the habit of Éshutting downæ your computer
properly. Move the pointer over the green acorn icon in the bottom right
corner of the screen and click <menu>. Now select ÉShutdownæ just as
before you selected ÉQuitæ from the calculator menu. Your computer will
inform you when it is ready to be turned off.
7.3
In the next issue of Archive we shall introduce the keyboard, cover the
use of discs and loading and saving work such as text and pictures.
7.3
As we said last month, do contact us if you have any comments to make
about our beginnersæ articles or requests for areas you would like us to
cover in the future.ááA
7.3
Many thanks to Mark Hickson of NITT for this first article and to the
team of öexpert beginnersò who looked at Markæs article before it was
published. Trying to combine five or six peopleæs (sometimes
contradictory) views of how to improve Markæs article proved rather
difficult but I hope I have included the best suggested changes.
7.3
If you have views on what you would like to hear about in these
articles, write to me at the Archive office or direct to Mark Hickson at
NITT. Ed.ááA
7.3
Dalriada Data
7.3
From 7.1 page 5
7.3
Enlarged to fit space, please.
7.3
PipeLineZ
7.3
Gerald Fitton
7.3
Thanks for your many letters and the praise youæve heaped on me for the
article which appeared in Archive a couple of months ago. Although I
have a lot which I could write this month, I am mindful that much of
Archive will be filled with reports of the Acorn World Show. Rather than
have my submission succumb to the delicate touch of the Editor I have
restricted myself to one major topic and a few odds and ends.
7.3
Odds & Ends
7.3
There is no doubt that PipeDreamá4 continues to be supported by Colton
Software. The most recent version of PipeDreamá4 is Vá4.13. If you have
any suggestions for Vá4.14 then please write to Mark Colton, Colton
Software, 2áCygnet Court, Swanns Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA marking the
envelope öPipeDreamá4.14ò. If you have found a Ébugæ in Vá4.13 then it
will help diagnosis if you can enclose an example on disc which
demonstrates the Ébugæ.
7.3
In the past, if you have wanted to upgrade from one Colton Software
product to another (e.g. PipeDreamá3 to Wordz) then you would have been
offered a Étrade inæ value for your unwanted software. Now Colton
Software are extending this Étrade inæ offer to many products other than
their own. For example, you can trade in First Word Plus or Acorn
Advance against any Colton Software product. Telephone them on 0223-
311881 or write to the address given in the paragraph above if you want
a quote for your unwanted spreadsheet Ö no suggestions from me as to
which one! Ö or other software as a Étrade inæ against any Colton
Software product.
7.3
I have received a letter from Steve Drain, 14 Paulsmead, Portland,
Dorset, DT5á1JZ in which he offers support for anyone with View
Professional (this is the package which Colton Software regard as being
PipeDreamá1 Ö it runs on a BBC Model B). In his letter he refers to a
sideways RAM image which makes View Professional öwork almost exactly
like PipeDreamá2ò produced by Dr David R Lucas. If you have a BBC
computer and View Professional then I suggest that you write to Steve.
7.3
Finally, by the time you read this, the current versions of Wordz,
Resultz and Fireworkz will be Vá1.06. To obtain your free upgrade, send
your Program and Examples discs to Colton Software at the above address.
You will speed up the return of your discs if you enclose a self
addressed adhesive label and return postage. If you want a Fireworkz
demo disc then we can supply it for ú2.00 if you live in the European
Community or for ú2.50 outside the EC.
7.3
Large Resultz spreadsheets
7.3
Now to the major topic. I have received countless letters about the
ösluggishnessò of large spreadsheets Éportedæ into Resultz from
PipeDreamá4. Such letters of complaint often conclude with a remark such
as öTo be quite frank, I have stopped using Resultz and Iæve returned to
using PipeDreamá4ò. There is no doubt that, in the minds of all too many
of you, this tardiness is a major shortcoming of Resultz. I have
discussed the Éproblemæ with Mark Colton, looked into his suggestions
and my conclusion is that Resultz is not inherently slow or sluggish Ö
it is the way it is used! First let me explain what causes Resultz to
slow down before telling you how to speed it up.
7.3
Resultz and Fireworkz have a most useful feature, namely that (if you
set the appropriate options) the row height of the cell within which you
are working adjusts automatically so that you can have a Émulti lineæ
cell. This feature is switched on (or off) by the Fixed height option
(which you can find under Row in the style editor). Generally, if you
create or use a Text style, then you will want the Fixed height option
of such a Text style set to allow variable row heights but for the
numbers and formulae of a spreadsheet, you will normally used fixed
height rows. Using word processing jargon, when you switch off the Fixed
height option you can consider each cell of the spreadsheet to be a
separate paragraph with each paragraph containing many rows. To move the
Éinput focusæ to a new paragraph you must press <return>; if you wish to
remain within the same paragraph (cell) then you use <ctrl-return>. One
of the penalties for this variable line height is that, if a Text style
exists within some (many?) cells of your document, you will find that
the time taken to scroll around the document is increased at least
proportionately to the number of cells which are treated as having a
variable height.
7.3
There is another more subtle but more influential parameter and that is
the number of Regions in a document. A Region is a section of the
document to which a style has been applied. A Region can vary from a
single word in bold (applied as an Effect by clicking on the B button)
through a single Left aligned slot to a complete column to which the
(variable height) Text style has been applied. The golden rule built
into the operation of all the Fireworkz packages is: öFewer Regions mean
faster operationò. If you have Ébuilt upæ your large spreadsheet from a
blank sheet of paper then the chances are that your sheet has relatively
few regions. However, if your version of Resultz is lower than 1.06 and,
if you have dragged a large PipeDream spreadsheet over the Resultz icon
to create your monster, the chances are that it will have a relatively
large number of Regions. With later versions of Resultz, there is an
option in the Regions menu to display a Count of the number of Regions Ö
youæll be surprised at the way in which regions are proliferated,
particularly if your PipeDream sheet has many blank cells! Allow me to
repeat öFewer Regions mean faster operationò.
7.3
So what can be done about reducing the number of Regions?
7.3
Letæs start by assuming youæve upgraded to Vá1.06. If so, you can drag
PipeDream files over the Resultz (or Fireworkz) icon and the file will
load with the Text style disabled. As a consequence, there will be
substantially fewer Regions than if you had carried out the same
exercise in an earlier version and your Resultz spreadsheet will run
quickly. My own experiments with Fireworkz show that most of my large
sheets run faster in Fireworkz than in PipeDreamá4.
7.3
The Édownsideæ is that you will now have to apply the Text style to all
those slots which will benefit from the application of that style. When
you apply the Text style, do so in large blocks such as most of a column
or over many rows rather than a cell at a time. Remember that every
extra Region will imperceptibly slow down the operation Ö but youæd have
to spend a long time creating Regions by hand to have a noticeable
effect!
7.3
If you donæt have Vá1.06, ask for a free upgrade Ö whilst youære waiting
for it to arrive hereæs what you can do about any PipeDream sheets you
Éconvertæ to Resultz (or Fireworkz). Load Resultz onto the iconbar.
Click on it and select the Sheet template from the options. Click on the
S (Style) button and Delete the Text style. Save the modified Sheet as a
template file under a new name such as SheetPD. From here on you can
load your PipeDream file into the modified SheetPD template assured that
the number of Regions will be few. There is a small problem if you do
want some Text Regions Ö youæll need a Text style. The best way of
handling this (until your Vá1.06 arrives) is to drag the original Sheet
template from the !Resultz.Resources.Templates directory into your large
Resultz file so that the Text style is added to your list of style
options. Then apply the Text style to large Regions as above.
7.3
We still have to deal with those previously created Resultz files which
you donæt want to Éstart againæ (because youæve done some work in
Resultz). Hereæs my recommended Ésolutionæ.
7.3
If you have Vá1.05 (or later) of Fireworkz or Resultz (note that Vá1.05
of Resultz was never released) then one of the options offered when you
click on the S (Style) button is to delete all traces of a particular
style from a document. You do this by clicking on the Delete button from
the Style option menu. (In versions earlier than Vá1.05, you would get
the error message that you couldnæt delete the style because it was in
use in the document.) Use this Delete option to delete the Text style
completely from your document. The document will reformat. Now reload
the style template (probably the one in the !Resultz.Resources.Templates
directory called Sheet) as described above. This will add the Text style
back to your list of style options. Then apply the Text style to large
Regions as above.
7.3
Finally, if your version of Resultz is pre-Vá1.05 then you may have
Vá1.06 of Fireworkz (or not). If you have Fireworkz (it will be at least
Vá1.06 because that was the first general release version of Fireworkz),
load your Resultz file into Fireworkz and proceed as in the previous
paragraph.
7.3
If you donæt have Vá1.06 of Fireworkz Ö and, as you read this, most of
you will be in that situation, then your choices are few. They are
either (a) buy Fireworkz or (b) wait for Vá1.06 of Resultz to arrive or
(c) delete the Text style region by region (a painstaking process which
I donæt recommend); continue as in the above paragraph but one!
7.3
To summarise
7.3
Phew! That was a marathon so Iæll summarise by telling you what I
believe is the easiest strategy. Buy Fireworkz (Vá1.06) or apply for the
upgrade to Vá1.06 of Resultz. Except in the most urgent of cases, put up
with what you have until Vá1.06 arrives. When Vá1.06 arrives Éupgradeæ
all your Éoldæ Resultz sheets by deleting the Text style from the whole
of your sheet and then applying it again to large regions.
7.3
Finally
7.3
In spite of the relative shortness of this piece, please continue to
send your comments and criticisms to me at the Abacus Training address
on the inside back cover of Archive.ááA
7.3
ArtWorks Column
7.3
Trevor Sutton
7.3
Kingfishers, water droplets and BJs
7.3
The Acorn World show came and went and what did the ArtWorker see to
excite the mind? Well, this particular ArtWorker was delighted to meet
Saturday morning visitors to the NCS stand and to talk about the state
of the Art. I was also pleased to have the opportunity, after finishing
my stint, to talk to other interested parties about the progress and
future of AW.
7.3
Clearly, and it is probably true to say as usual, CC grabbed the biggest
crowds; even bigger than Acornæs who seemed to be giving nothing away
apart from a New Look and some Pocket Book shareware. Certainly CCæs new
offerings look exciting but this is the wrong column to get excited
about new Impressions. With any luck, my next column will be written in
Style. However, I have to say, as I did last month, that despite CD-ROM
developments, it is a pity that after a year we do not have another
plug-in tool to give us new scope for work in AW. This brings me on to
my next plea.
7.3
I talked at length with Gordon Taylor of CC about this and he asked me
to offer a challenge or get down on my knees to other companies to write
some Éplug-insæ for AW. Though I donæt feel AW should go to the extremes
of programs like Corel Draw, with dictionary, thesaurus, graphing and
DTP facilities, there are many features which would make AW an even
better program. I would hope that CC are still developing this side of
AW, but other companies have particular expertise in producing bit-map
editors, tracing software (OK, I know I always put a big ? against
tracing), hatching software. Perhaps itæs time for another wish list and
perhaps one directed at other companies capable of producing
enhancements for AW. Come on, letæs hear what you think.
7.3
To the companies with the knowledge, please contact CC and talk to them.
7.3
The ArtWork on display at the show was most impressive both in the
quality of the printed product and also of the skills of the artists. I
look forward to poring over the CD-ROM images and will feature these in
a future column. Remember that there is a lot to be learned by
dismantling other peopleæs ArtWork. There was some real art work, with
little evidence of plagiarism. Some was reminiscent of air-brush
painting while other examples had the feel of drawings in coloured
pencils. The draughtsmanship in the drawing of the camera was stunning
whilst others had all the hallmarks of computer art and, when viewed on
the colour card made one proud to be using this package. The newer,
cheaper BubbleJet colour printer (BJC600 at ú633 inclusive through
Archive including the Turbo Driver) looks like the perfect, and now
realistically priced, choice for AW printing. Perhaps I may be asked to
review its potential for Archive. (Well you can but try!)
7.3
Finally, it is pleasing to see increased support for AW file rendering
in other packages, from DTP and databases to, I hope very soon, Genesis.
7.3
Coda
7.3
This column has just been a very brief and speedily produced rΘsumΘ of
the Wembley offerings. In the next column, I hope to include something
else for you to try in the manner of last monthæs tesselations.
7.3
Finally, I have nothing but admiration for what I saw on the CC stand Ö
itæs just a pity there were so many folk there that it was difficult to
get close to a CC representative.ááA
7.3
Small Ads
7.3
(Small ads for Archimedes and related products are free for subscribers
but we reserve the right to publish all, part or none of the material
you send, as we think fit. i.e. some people donæt know what Ésmallæ
means and there are certain things, as you can imagine, that we would
not be prepared to advertise as a matter of principle. Sending small ads
(especially long ones!) on disc is helpful but not essential. Ed)
7.3
Å    47Mb SCSI external Seagate drives, little used, ú120 each + p&p.
Amstrad SM2400 modem + A5000 serial lead ú50 + p&p. Beebug 5╝ö disc
drive interface for A3xx, A4xx computers only, ú10 + p&p. Phone Malcolm
Davies on 0283-75345.
7.3
Å    A3000 2Mb, RISC OS 3.1, WE 30Mb IDE hard drive, colour monitor with
stand and new logitech mouse. Software and manuals included. ú650 o.n.o.
Phone [phone].
7.3
Å    A3000 4Mb, RISC OS 3.1, manuals and discs, no monitor, ú350. Phone
0684-573098.
7.3
Å    A4 model II (4Mb/60Mb HD) 1 year old, inc. PC Emulator v1.82, will
split, ú1180. Euclid 3D ú30. Interdictor (unopened), ú5. Pineapple
digitiser podule +software, ú50. Basingstoke 0256-467574.
7.3
Å    A410/1, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb IDE HD, RISC-OS 3.10, Acorn Multisync monitor,
manuals and loads of software, ú850. Phone [phone] (eves).
7.3
Å    A440/1 with ARM3, RISC OS 3 and much PD software ú825 o.v.n.o. Acorn
colour monitor ú100. 0272 736237.
7.3
Å    Ace Prodriver DJ500C/550C ú20, Snippet ú20, EasiWriter V3 ú59, S-Base
Personal V1 ú39, Equasor ú20, DeskEdit 2 ú15. Phone [phone].
7.3
Å    Acorn med. res. monitor ú40, 20Mb hard disc ú25, Graphbox Pro. ú10,
Chartwell ú10, 5╝ö 40/80 external drive + interface ú25. Phone 0742-
483534.
7.3
Å    CC ROM/RAM board fitted with 32Kb RAM chip, Interword, Intersheet and
Spell Master chips, complete with manuals and key strips, ú80. Also
Acornæs original maths coprocessor podule, ú150 o.n.o. Phone 0925-
811420.
7.3
Å    CC ROM/RAM podule with battery backup ú30, Autosketch CAD v2 ú35,
System Delta v2 database ú20, Lemmings ú15, Interdictor ú10, Psion 3
serial link (for PC) ú40, Personal Finance (Widget) for Psion 3 ú35.
Psion series 3 256K (4 months old) ú140. Phone Andy after 8pm on 081-
675-5972.
7.3
Å    CC Scanlight 256 hand scanner with Scanlight Plus (v2) software, ú90.
Watford Electronics Video Digitiser and software, ú50. Pace Linnet V21/
23 Modem, ú30. All excellent condition and complete with manuals and
packaging. Contact G. Rhodes 0302-722781 (eves).
7.3
Å    Eureka! + update discs ú75 (inc p&p). Phone [phone] anytime.
7.3
Å    Iota Desktop Database ú35, Easiwriter ú90, Resultz ú80, Quest for Gold
ú10, Triumph Alder wide carriage serial daisywheel printer c/w
printwheels, ribbons ú90. Phone [phone].
7.3
Å    Laser Direct HiRes4 board plus Canon LBP-4, latest software. Good
working order ú700 or reasonable offers. Phone [phone].
7.3
Å    Oak 52Mb SCSI external high speed drive, plus 16 bit podule, ú185
o.n.o. Phone [phone].
7.3
Å    Orion podule box for A3000 ú15, Atomwide VIDC enhancer ú14, Lemmings
ú12, Interdictor 2 ú12, ArcPinBall (RISCáOS 2) ú5. Phone Mike Battersby
on 081-841-1463.
7.3
Å    Series 3, 256K v1.80f, just over 1 year, ú130 o.n.o. which includes
new manuals, new batteries and postage. Also, Series 3, 256K, ass above
but not as old, ú150. Will supply PD if discs provided. Phone Mark after
7pm on 0905-754277.
7.3
Å    Standard Res monitor AKF12 for A3000, ú45. 1-2Mb RAM board for A3000,
ú20. Phone Wisbech 0945-581111
7.3
Å    Star LC24-10 printer ú100, 300Mb SCSI drive ú250, Oak 47Mb SCSI drive
plus interface with CDFS ú150, Prophet accounts ú120. Phone [phone].
7.3
Å    Watford IDE podule with IBM 40Mb Hard disc, backplane and fan, ú50.
Watford MkII ARM3, ú100. Acorn AKF11 med-res colour monitor, ú100.
Ovation 1.35, ú60. PC emulator 1.8, ú50. Ground Control teletext, ú50.
Investigator 2, ú12. Chocks Away Compendium, ú12. Phone [phone].
7.3
Å    Watford (A310) hand scanner ú55, HCCS Colour Vision Digitiser ú40,
Tracer ú25, Euclid ú35, Tween ú17, Mogul ú13, Snippet ú20. Phone 081-
950-7589.
7.3
Å    Watford MkII 16 grey scale hand scanner (podule+scanner head) ú95. For
details ask for Roland 01033-88601988 (8am-8pm). For delivery in London,
phone [phone].
7.3
Å    Wanted Ö Utility or module to transpose mouse keys, for left-handed
use. Terry Meech, day 081-889-8110, late evening 081-806-3540.ááA
7.3
Morpheus
7.3
Richard Hallas
7.3
Fans of science fiction films like Terminator II and of the Star Trek
Next Generation and Deep Space Nine TV series cannot fail to have been
impressed by the splendid effects used to show a person transforming
into an alien form, or into an inanimate object, or some other such
unlikely occurrence. The Terminator effects seemed absolutely
revolutionary when the film first came out, but since then these kinds
of effects have been used extensively in other films and programmes, and
are now even being used in TV commercials.
7.3
So what has this all got to do with Acorn computers? The answer is
Morpheus, a new package from Oregan Developments, which allows you take
two pictures and melt from one to the other in liquid animation.
7.3
How does it work?
7.3
You supply Morpheus either with a directory containing start and end
pictures, or with a pair of sprites (which it can scale to be the same
size). In the latter case, it will create a directory with the necessary
files for you. Morpheus opens two windows on the desktop which contain
the pictures you have supplied. Both pictures are overlaid with a grid
which is initially square. You have to tell Morpheus how many
intermediate pictures you want it to produce, the default being ten. If
you were to simply load in two pictures and make Morpheus start morphing
straight away, then you would get a series of frames in which the two
pictures gradually fade into each other, which would be a fairly
pleasant if not very spectacular effect. The real power of Morpheus lies
in its ability to make specific areas of the start picture transform
themselves into specific areas of the end picture. Not only that, but it
can also make them transform at different speeds from each other, and
the transformations can move in curved lines.
7.3
This is where the grid comes in. Although it is initially square, you
can can click on any point where horizontal and vertical lines
intersect, and drag the point (the Éknotæ) around. This pulls it out of
shape with the rest of the gird, but the grid lines bend and stretch
between knots so that the four lines surrounding the knot you are
dragging follow it around. For any area on the start picture which you
want to transform into a specific area of the end picture, you must drag
knots to surround that area. Once you have done that in the start
picture, you must repeat the process with the same (equivalent) knots in
the end pictureæs grid, so that Morpheus knows which areas of the
pictures have to blend into one another.
7.3
There are plenty of helpful options: by using <Adjust> rather than
<Select>, you can drag a knot in both grids simultaneously, and itæs
possible to add and delete rows and columns of knots from the grid, or
to move them up and down or left and right. The whole grid can be
resized, and if you only want to morph a section of a picture, you can
position the grid to cover just that section. The handy grid cursor
snaps to the nearest point to it (unless you turn the option off), so
you rarely miss the point you want (unless two points are very close
together). When you have finished editing the grid, each picture will
have all its major features surrounded by knots in both start and end
images. You can also save the grid for future use in the directory
containing your source pictures.
7.3
Once you have outlined the necessary parts of your picture, you can put
different sections into different Égroupsæ, of which there are eight,
and these can be given individual names. For example, if you were
morphing a face you would have outlined the eyes, nose, mouth, hair-
line, shape of head, etc. You could put all these into different groups
and give them appropriate names. The advantage of doing this is that the
eight groups can all be made to transform at different times, and at
different speeds.
7.3
Rather than grouping knots together, individual knots may be given a
path to follow. By default, all knots travel in a straight line, but you
can edit their paths in the form of bezier curves. Paths can also be
copied from one knot to the knots surrounding it. Altogether, then, the
facilities for editing how the pictures morph into one another are
really quite extensive and flexible.
7.3
Other options
7.3
Morpheus has a wide range of options for creating animations and
sequences of frames. You can make as many frames as you have disc space
for, and the program tells you just how much space is needed. The frames
can be saved singly, in a sequence, or as a stand-alone animation
(either multitasking or full-screen), and you can even save the sequence
as a Replay film or ViA file. (No soundtrack, of course!)
7.3
The number of picture formats supported is very extensive, and includes
all the Acorn sprite formats, Clear files, RGB and CMYK files. One of
the really innovative things about Morpheus is that it can handle very
big image files, far larger than available memory. It incorporates its
own disc-based memory swapping system which enables it to work with
images as large as 2000╫2000 pixels in 24-bit colour (12Mb per image).
7.3
It is possible to alter the timing between individual frames, and there
is a small range of presets to make the transformations go slow-fast-
slow, for example.
7.3
There is a large range of options which can be set to alter all sorts of
features, from the colour of the grid to whether dithering and anti-
aliasing are used. Morpheus can be set to multitask or take over the
whole machine while it is processing, and gives helpful progress reports
if multitasking (otherwise it uses the percentage in the hourglass).
Overall, Morpheus works very quickly indeed and can, apparently, achieve
up to 50,000 pixels per second in the optimum situation.
7.3
During the entire review period, my copy of the first release of
Morpheus operated faultlessly. The only problem I found was that it did
not handle the palette of imported 256-greyscale sprites correctly, but
this is obviously an oversight which is bound to be corrected. The whole
performance of the program was very impressive indeed, and itæs very
nicely presented on-screen too.
7.3
The only Élimitationæ, as such, was that it is not directly possible to
morph from one image to another via one or more intermediate images.
However, since the frames can be saved singly, there is no reason why
this could not be performed manually if required, by simply taking the
final frame of one transformation and using it as the first frame of
another.
7.3
Packaging
7.3
Morpheus comes on three discs, two of which contain example files, the
other containing the application itself. Copy protection takes the form
of entering your name, which is then displayed in the programæs Info
window: surely the best of all methods.
7.3
The packaging itself is somewhat flimsy, consisting of a very thin
cardboard box (almost like a pizza box) surrounded by a colour-printed
sheet. This features the clever transformation of John Major into John
Smith featured in the adverts. The manual takes you through the program
basically by explaining all the menu items in turn, and is possibly the
least helpful part of the package. Itæs adequate but it could have been
more extensive.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
Morpheus is the first commercial offering from one of the most able
public domain and shareware authors, whose public-spirited offerings
have so far included one of the best public domain disassembler
packages, DisAssem, and the excellent shareware image processor,
Process. Morpheus is an extremely impressive commercial debut. If it
could only work with memory-sized sprite files then it would be an
interesting novelty, but the fact that it can work on huge images in 24-
bit colour elevates it above the current hardware limitations of the
Acorn machines, and possibly into the world of full video editing. If
you have any need for a package of this nature, then I can recommend
Morpheus very highly indeed. You wonæt be disappointed Ö itæs a
remarkable piece of software.
7.3
(Morpheus has an RRP of ú34.95 inc VAT from Oregan Software Developments
and costs ú33 through Archive.)ááA
7.3
Spy Snatcher
7.3
Dave Wilcox
7.3
ÉSpy Snatcheræ is another text adventure from Topologika, whose better
known text adventures include The Doom Trilogy and The Kingdom of Hamil.
7.3
The package
7.3
The program comes on one disc presented in a plastic fold-over type
wallet along with the usual advertising literature and a manual. I must
admit I could not really see the purpose of the manual Ö the only
section of use was the Hint list. This would have been better supplied
on a single A5 card like the loading instructions and basic commands, or
the latter included in the manual perhaps.
7.3
The software
7.3
The disc is not copy-protected and the game can be installed onto a
hard-disc with the usual proviso that disc 1 is used on start-up. To
start the game, you open the directory and double-click on the
!Adventure icon. The game takes over the machine and you are greeted
with the only graphic, the title screen. Pressing keys as directed
presents you with a brief scenario of the situation you are faced with.
7.3
    ÉYou have been summoned to MI7 headquarters, popularly known as ÉThe
Zooæ, in order to unmask a mole. The chief of MI7 is extremely worried
because the plans for the new Sonic Macrothrodule are believed to have
been leaked. They were kept in the safe in his office, and were there
yesterday when he came in at 9 am, the safe had been disturbed when he
checked it in the morning, but the plans were still there. He reckons it
would take about one hour to remove, copy and return the plans.æ
7.3
You are there in an unofficial position and, if caught, you are on your
own. Your job is to look around, collect evidence and find the mole,
from about a dozen staff. To achieve this, you need to hack into the
computer system, crack safes, listen at keyholes and remain unseen.
7.3
Whilst in the game, you have options to save your position to disc for
reloading later Ö very useful. Within the game is a hints section Ö if
you get really stuck, type HELP and refer to the manual for the hint
number you require. Most hints are multi-layered and offer a bit more
info, if required, down to giving the answer in some cases.
7.3
The puzzles themselves are not incredibly difficult, if you can see
them, if you donæt they can drive you quite ratty Ö but this is what
makes text adventures playable.
7.3
Summary
7.3
Topologika rate this game as moderately-sized and of medium difficulty.
It is priced at ú15 inc. VAT. If you like text adventures, I would
recommend giving this one a try. It is well-written and well-presented
and uses the standard dictionary of command words. I would have liked it
to run in a window, so that I could use Edit as a notepad Ö perhaps this
will be provided in future games Ö we shall have to see. Overall, this
is a good brain teaser.ááA
7.3
Comment Column
7.3
Å    105Mb removable drives Ö Having just set up the 105Mb external SCSI
drive on my A540, I would like to thank you for bringing such a useful
item to the Acorn platform. You should justifiably sell lots of them as
the news spreads (assuming you manage to overcome the IDE interface and
formatting difficulties). These are now solved, thanks to Atomwide who
have written a piece of code to allow the cartridges to be dismounted
like floppy discs. Ed.
7.3
I have just one comment to make about setting it up on the Acorn SCSI
card. I was thinking in terms of it being more like a floppy than a hard
drive, so I set the configuration for an additional floppy. That does
not, of course, work but it took me a little while to realise what I had
done wrong! John Green, Shrewsbury.
7.3
It may be helpful to add that, on some Acorn SCSI cards, you may get
problems with the system hanging when copying large numbers of files. We
have a software fix for this problem which can occur with any of the
removables on the Acorn card. Ed.
7.3
Å    Batty ideas Ö A recent Archive mentioned that someone was using a
Leading Edge sound sampler in research on bats. Having used an Armadillo
sampler for the past couple of years to study the calls of magpies, I
was not surprised by this. Last autumn, ÉTomorrowæs Worldæ showed an
Acorn machine running a commercial radio station. I have read of another
controlling watering and ventilation in a commercial glasshouse, and
another in use at Joderell Bank for radio astronomy research. If you are
using an Archimedes for an unusual hobby or research project, I would
like to hear from you. If I get enough responses Iæll combine them into
an article for Archive.á Les May, Rochdale.
7.3
Å    Grey Scales error Ö In Colin Singletonæs hint & tip about grey scales
last month (Archive 7.2 p32) there was a typesetting error that made
nonsense of one sentence. The number sequences lost some leading É1æ
digits. It should have read: öIf you want them to appear on the screen
as shades of grey, use Écoloursæ 0á12áá1áá2áá3áá4áá5(?)áá7. If you
prefer them displayed in colour, use the series 0áá12áá9áá14áá15áá10
5(?)áá11áá7.ò Sorry for any confusion caused.
7.3
Å    Keystroke Ö It is a pleasure to endorse Richard Skempæs praise of
Keystroke and especially of Stuart Halliday, its author (Archive 7.1
p21). I wrote to Stuart with a problem, fully expecting to be told that
Keystroke öwasnæt designed to do thatò. Instead, he sent me a disc
containing two solutions. In more recent correspondence, he has been
more than helpful, and his latest letter brings information that may be
of interest to other people who use both Impression and Keystroke.
7.3
The Keystroke command Move Window can be used to adjust the size of an
Impression window and its position on the screen but, if the document is
set to have Rulers on, the instruction doesnæt work. Stuart has
discovered that, in this configuration, there are actually two windows
and that Move Window and Drag to Set only operate satisfactorily when
used on the background of the outer one. This only exists in the top
left-most corner of the Impression window, immediately below the title
bar, as shown below. As Stuart says, itæs amazing.
7.3
Å New products Ö The theory is that companies with new products for
Acorn computers should communicate with magazines such as Archive to
tell us about them but sadly that doesnæt always work. This is where you
come in. The thousands of Archive readers can act as an information
gathering network. If you see some new product that you think might be
helpful to other Archive readers, either ask the company to let us into
their secret(!) or send us some information yourself.
7.3
This information network is already working Ö the 105Mb removable drives
are an example of that. David Bower saw them and realised their
potential for Acorn users, alerted us... and the rest, as they say, is
history! Ed.
7.3
Å    Pixel Resolutions Ö Comments have been made from time to time in
Archive relating to the number of pixels which can be displayed on a
monitor with a certain dot pitch. In some cases, we seem to be trying to
put a quart into a pint pot Ö and succeeding! How? The following
deliberation is based on a certain amount of guesswork. If any Archive
readers are better informed, confirmations and corrections would be
gratefully received.
7.3
A monitor display, like a television picture, is made up of dots of
three colours, red, green and blue. In my diagrams, these are
represented by circles in three shades of grey, and the relative
positions of the three colours are, hopefully, as shown. (On a Trinitron
screen, the dots are rectangular, tall and narrow with no gaps, and the
appearance at this scale is very different from the Édotsæ screen. A
different analysis of resolutions would be needed.)
7.3
The manual for my 16ö Eizo 9070 monitor claims that, with suitable
control cards, it can display up to 800 lines of up to 1280 pixels. It
uses the term Trio Pitch, rather than Dot Pitch, and gives the figure as
0╖28 mm, which appears to be the SVGA standard. My principle piece of
guesswork is to assume that this is the distance between centres of dots
of the same colour, which are in a triangular formation in the display.
7.3
The display area of my screen is approximately 220 ╫ 293 mm, from which
I can calculate the nominals size of each pixel for a particular screen
mode. The lines which look like Playschool windows show how the pixels
relate to the tri-coloured dots for various modes. The relative
positions of the pixels and the dots will vary in different parts of the
screen, but the relative sizes should be right. By my reckoning, there
must be about 1830á╫á1570 single dots, comprising 1220á╫á785 triangular
trios.
7.3
Using the enhancer which is standard on the A540, the highest
resolutions available are Mode 98 (800╫600) and Mode 102 (1152╫448).
Mode 98 has square pixels, which probably makes it the best for certain
types of graphics. Mode 102 has rectangular (tall, narrow) pixels, and
is the one I use for DTP. Using one of the new colour cards, I could
obtain 1024á╫á768 pixels, which has become something of a standard for
PCs, and probably the 1280á╫á800 quoted in my monitor manual.
7.3
In the fourth diagram, it will be noted that this mode includes,
overall, approximately one dot of each colour in each pixel, although
one dot may appear to be shared between two or three pixels. The monitor
cannot, of course, display parts of a dot in different intensities, so
each dot will be displayed in the intensity appropriate to the pixel
which claims most of it, or perhaps the average intensity of the two or
three pixels, depending on the logic of the controller. The dithering
effect, which in any case is used to give the impression of a palette of
colours from the three actually displayed, will ensure that the result
Élooks rightæ. It should look better than a standard TV set, which has,
I believe, 576 rows of 768 trios. The fact that the positions of pixels
in relation to dots vary across the screen can result in identical thin
lines in different parts of the screen appearing to be of different
widths, something I frequently observe.
7.3
In theory, with the right electronics, my monitor could display pixels
about two-thirds the width and half the height of those in the
1280á╫á800 mode, giving about 1920á╫á1600 pixels. Each pixel, however,
would then correspond approximately to just one coloured dot, not a
trio. Hence, in general, whatever colour may be defined for a pixel, the
screen would only show one of the three RGB components of that colour.
Dithering, again, would produce the desired result. This hypothetical
mode, would require three times the screen memory of the 1280á╫á800
mode, and three times the processor power, but the end result would be
much the same. The advice in my manual would therefore appear sensible,
and the multi-scan electronics in the monitor are not sufficiently
variable to display as many as 1600 lines. This would be pointless.á
Colin Singleton, Sheffield.
7.3
Å    Pocket Books et al Ö I really must disagree with you about those
öpretentious electronic diariesò! (Archive 7.1 p30) (Hands up those who
spotted that I called them Éelectronic dairiesæ! Ed) I use the cheapest
form, a Z88, in every day use. When you get over the feeling of prodding
ödead fleshò, the standard size Qwerty keyboard is a boon compared with
the small öpocketò type. The use of a portable machine also enables me
to input data, write memos, reports, reviews, etc on the daily train
journey between London and Huntingdon, which would otherwise be a total
waste of two hours each day.
7.3
I consider the Z88 with its diary facility as a natural extension to the
Archimedes computer. The on-board PipeDream package may not be the
worldæs most up-to-date wordprocessor but it does what I want, and the
similarity of command keystrokes between the Z88 and Archimedes version
of PipeDream is essential for efficient working.
7.3
The amount of work thus achieved on the train is quite remarkable. The
phone doesnæt interrupt your ötrainò (sorry) of thought, and all that I
have typed can be dumped onto the Archimedes, graphic headings added,
and the results lasered, jetted or dotted onto hardcopy in the office.
7.3
However, I might be tempted to agree with you that the use of a near
ú2,000 NoteBook is highly pretentious, when there are others which
suffice at a much lower cost.
7.3
I would say that once a decision to use a form of electronic diary has
been taken, it is essential to fully commit to the medium. There is
nothing worse than trying to keep two diaries Ö there will come a time
when an entry in one is either omitted from the other, or causes a clash
of bookings. I have tried, but it is impossible. Even with one for work
and one for personal events, there will eventually be a disaster!
7.3
Please reconsider your opinion Ö the fact that you personally donæt have
a regular use for this type of machine shouldnæt affect your judgement.
(But donæt worry, Iæm a staunch Archive reader!)á Bob Ames, Huntingdon.
7.3
It is interesting to see the reactions I get to my comments. Really, I
am quite happy to see portables of various sorts used with the
Archimedes. If it is the right tool for the job, use it! Talking of
which, I think we really ought to be adding the Psion 3A to the Archive
Price List as it is such an improvement over the Psion 3 (and Pocket
Book). If you are interested in getting one, give us a ring. Ed.
7.3
Å    The A-Word Ö I quote from an official Acorn press release, dated 29th
October 1993: öAcorn Computers today announces the availability of its
new high resolution monitor, the Acorn Super VGA Multiscan monitor, for
the Acorn Archimedes range of 32-bit RISC OS computers.ò The news of the
monitor is excellent, although one might query the price, but it would
be easy to miss one glaringly obvious but rather unexpected word:
Archimedes.
7.3
Since the A3000, Acorn appeared to have dropped the name, so we ended up
talking about öAcorn 32-bit RISC OS machinesò, which was a rather
verbose replacement for öArchimedesò! Even the A-symbol disappeared from
the iconbar with RISC OS 3. Are Acorn rehabilitating the A-word? Is it
official or was it a mistake? What next ù shall we be able to talk about
öpodulesò again, instead of the more mundane öexpansion boardsò? The
previously-forbidden name also appeared several times in one article in
the official Acorn World Show Guide, whereas others continued to use
familiar A-word-avoidance techniques such as öRISC OS A-series machineò!
Whatæs going on?
7.3
Stuart Bell, Horsham.ááA
7.3
TechWriter
7.3
Brian Cowan
7.3
TechWriter is the only integrated scientific or technical writing system
available for the Archimedes range. I have spent a long time getting to
know Impression and using it together with Equasor (and BestForm) to
produce scientific documents. Readers will recall that some time ago I
lamented the fact that Computer Concepts had decided against upgrading
Equasor to release 2. This caused me to have a new look at the second
version of BestForm Ö on which I will report in a future issue. Ideally,
a package like Impression would allow öhot linksò or öobject linking and
embeddingò to other programs like Equasor so that objects could be
manipulated actually from the Impression document. That would give the
appearance of integration, a second-best to what TechWriter provides: a
fully integrated system.
7.3
EasiWriter plus
7.3
TechWriter is based on Icon Technologyæs EasiWriter, with the addition
of a powerful equation editor, footnotes and endnotes. TechWriter
version 1 is currently on sale but there is a version 2 under
development which has numerous enhancements. EasiWriter is rather
different from Impression. Rather than the styles and effects of
Impression, it has structures. A chapter structure can thus have the
first line defined as the chapter heading, in a larger, possibly
different type face, perhaps centred. Subsequent lines would be in the
regular style. Other types of structure include lists and tables.
Clearly one needs to understand the facilities of EasiWriter while
learning to use TechWriter. I therefore recommend interested readers to
see the review of EasiWriter in Archive 5.7 p35. But the temptation is
to start directly on the scientific facilities. This can be done with
the set of graded exercises in the manual Ö more on this below.
7.3
Expression mode
7.3
Equations, or expressions, can either be part of a line of text or they
can occupy a line of their own. On going into expression mode, by
choosing Expression from the Maths menu, or by typing Ctrl-[, the caret
changes from red to green. Thereafter, typed text appears in Italics
(except brackets, etc) until expression mode is terminated. However,
much more is going on in expression mode. Spaces are generated
automatically in equations, including the placement of Ö signs. In
particular, the monadic Öa is different from the diadic a Ö b, although
both would be typed without spaces (Equasor does not recognise this
distinction.) Also, the prime character É becomes æ, the differentiation
symbol.
7.3
Picking symbols
7.3
The Greek and symbol characters may be chosen from a scrolling palette
at the top of the document. I have shown the enhanced palette and
toolbar which comes with TechWriter version 2. The characters are from
the MathPhys font (from EFF) and they are arranged in a logical way. To
the left is the Greek character set. Next is a selection of özero-widthò
characters for overtyping symbols with hats, etc, such as αa or ┴b .
Then there are the stretchable arrows and integral signs, followed by an
array of various symbols. This is not the MathGreek font with which some
readers may be familiar; MathPhys has a number of differences. There are
closed loop integrals for two and three dimensions and Ö a particular
favourite of mine Ö Planckæs (other) constant Σh. As yet, the MathPhys
bold font is not included; I hope this will be supplied with future
versions of TechWriter. I have been wanting bold Greek for ages!
7.3
Scrolling palette
7.3
The scrolling palette is a clever idea since, although there are a lot
of symbols to be displayed, in this way they appear at a reasonable
size. Presumably, to facilitate fast scrolling, the symbols are
displayed in bit-mapped form rather that as outline font characters. But
here I have a slight reservation since it means that everything is tied
to the MathGreek font and it could not easily be substituted by,
perhaps, a custom-made font.
7.3
In expression mode, the Greek characters are printed as Italic while the
other symbols appear in upright (Roman) form. This is certainly logical,
although many scientific typesetters use Italic English and Roman Greek
characters in equations. However, if you click on Planckæs constant, you
will get the h in Roman style Ö and that would never be used.
7.3
Tool bar
7.3
The tool bar of TechWriter version two is much-enhanced. On the top row,
the icons provide the frequently used functions of undo, save, print,
spell check, search, ruler show/hide, and various zoom options. The
lower row provides tab setting, math palettes and show/hide. There
follows a collection of structure buttons for chapter, section, sub-
section, list, sub-list, table, figure, picture, footnote, equation and
end structure. Next are the justify options: left, centre, right and
full. Font style is controlled by the next set of buttons giving bold,
italic, underline and plain styles. And the last three buttons open
dialogue boxes for borders, type style and line spacing.
7.3
In use
7.3
TechWriter takes quite a bit of getting used to. There is a set of five
exercises in the manual which introduce the user, in a very gentle
fashion, to the capabilities of the system. The return key is often used
as an indication that a particular sequence of operations is completed.
This is in contrast to Equasor where the cursor-right key would be used.
But perseverance pays off. With practice, it becomes second nature to
create documents containing a mix of text and mathematics with both in-
line and separate equations. It is much easier than Impression plus
Equasor where, for editing, an equation must be exported from the
Impression document to Equasor and then reimported after modification.
However, equally important is the fact that TechWriter automatically
follows the rules of scientific typesetting, producing much more
satisfactory equations than does Equasor. All this happens quite
invisibly to the user.
7.3
Menu choices
7.3
It can be quite confusing getting to grips with some of the large menu
trees which appear, and finding the path to oneæs required option.
Things are not always laid out in the most logical manner; certainly the
arrangement is different from Impression. But here the tool bar of
version two is a great help, with most common options available at the
click of a button.
7.3
Graphics objects
7.3
One can import both Draw objects and sprites. These become embedded in
the text; they keep their place in the text rather than their place on
the page. However, it is not possible to place more than one line of
text beside a graphic. If there is space on a line then just one line of
text can be placed beside it, appearing half way up the graphic. This is
an unfortunate limitation but it follows since TechWriter is text-based
rather than frame-based (such as Impression). Thus one should regard
TechWriter as a highly sophisticated word processor rather than a DTP
system. The above problem has a solution, based on the facility to
export a selection of a TechWriter document as a drawfile.
7.3
Text beside a graphic Ö solution
7.3
One of the example files provided with TechWriter shows that it is
possible to place a block of text next to a graphic object. If the size
of the graphic is known, the size of the required adjoining text area
can be worked out. A new TechWriter document is opened with a column set
at the required width. The required text and expressions is then typed
in, to the number of lines to give the required height. This selection
is then exported as a drawfile and imported to Draw where it is placed
next to the graphic object. Finally, the composite drawfile is imported
into the TechWriter document. This is clumsy but it works. Ideally,
TechWriter would allow (TechWriter) text frames together with the other
types of frames supported. A compromise could be effected if TechWriter
exported the areas as a tagged drawfile, containing the original
TechWriter information. This would then enable editing of the text/
expressions.
7.3
Miscellaneous points
7.3
The standard scientific document preparation system is TEX. While
TechWriter does not provide output files in the TEX format, nevertheless
the general structure of TechWriter is based on that of TEX. It is
therefore possible that in the future either a new version of TechWriter
or a special utility might become available to generate TEX files from
TechWriter documents. I do hope this will happen.
7.3
The TechWriter document is stored as a single file in uncompressed form.
Currently, Impression documents are constructed as an application
directory containing a number of files. This makes for a number of
problems, particularly in scientific applications, as I have mentioned
in the past. A facility for conversion between TechWriter and Impression
document format is highly desirable.
7.3
The TechWriter manual contains a wealth of information on the
conventions of scientific typesetting. It also covers many facilities
which I do not have space here to discuss such as matrices, chemical
formulae, brackets, underlines, overbars, subscripts and superscripts
etc, etc. I have found no mathematical construct which could not be made
relatively easily! Although I have been working with TechWriter for some
time, I am continually discovering new features; it really is very
versatile. I propose to discuss more of the facilities of TechWriter,
including those of the new version, in a future article on scientific
document preparation. This will also cover the merits of BestForm. (For
those interested in my feelings about BestForm, my main criticism is
that it does not allow for any variety of character sets: it only allows
a text font and a symbol font in only Roman and Italic styles Ö no
bold.)
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
Should I use Impression plus Equasor or should I use TechWriter? The
answer is that both have their uses. For complicated scientific or
mathematical documents, reports, etc, TechWriter is clearly the winner.
But for the creation of carefully laid out pages, Impression has to be
the answer. With Impression, you must do more work in creating your
equations and tweaking them to the required form. Some constructs,
trivial to create with TechWriter, such as matrices and horizontal
braces, are impossible to construct with Equasor. Furthermore, using
Impression, you canæt produce footnotes and endnotes. On the other hand,
with TechWriter you canæt place a block of text beside graphics easily,
certainly not in an automatic manner. Also, TechWriter does not support
(so far as I can find) vertical kerning. So I could not use it to write
TEX!
7.3
One worry I had about TechWriter was that it might not continue to be
supported by its producer. However, Icon Technology is a well-
established software house. They produced EasiWriter in collaboration
with Acorn, who bundle it with some of their Home Office packs, and they
have written such packages as Formulator and MacAuthor in the past. The
imminent arrival of TechWriter version 2 is an indication of their
commitment to this product.
7.3
My view is that Acorn should produce a Éscientificæ bundle, possibly
with the yet-to-be-announced new machine, containing TechWriter and a
port of Maple Ö but thatæs another story!
7.3
TechWriter is a superb package. I thoroughly recommend it for scientific
document writing. TechWriter costs ú236.18 inc VAT & p&p from Icon
Technology or ú215 through Archive.ááA
7.3
TechWriteræs Greek...
7.3
TechWriter (version 2) Toolbar
7.3
Version 2 maths tools
7.3
...and symbols palette
7.3
Music Column
7.3
Stewart Watson
7.3
It would seem, from circulars I have been receiving, that a whole host
of new music software for the Archimedes was to be launched at Acorn
World 93. Unfortunately, living as I do in the frozen north, distance
prevented me from attending the show, but I am looking forward to seeing
the software as it becomes available.
7.3
SS1600
7.3
One of the most exciting hardware developments I have seen for some time
is an expansion card from ESP (Hardware). It provides an Acorn standard
MIDI interface together with and an on-board 16 bit quality GM standard
Wave-Table synthesizer with some software, all for ú249 +VAT. This could
be the answer to many peopleæs prayers if it lives up to expectations,
and I await further information with great interest.
7.3
Rhapsody 3
7.3
From Clares, there is a new version of Rhapsody, which will have full
dragging of notes and other symbols, different note styles, outline
fonts for text handling, a whole range of new symbols, etc.
7.3
Sound Advice
7.3
Sound Advice (7.1 p50) from The Really Small Software Company, will
shortly be available with the facility to load and save standard MIDI
files, and will have MIDI thru capability. These extra facilities, which
will be available to present users as a free upgrade, will make Sound
Advice (price ú38 from Archive) even better value for money.
7.3
Rhythm-Bed library
7.3
I mentioned a few months ago that a library of Rhythm-Bed files might be
a good idea. Well, ÉKeep on Drummingæ from Words & Music provides 160
files in directories including Afro, Blues, Disco Fills Funky Heavy Hip-
Hop, House, Latin, Motown Reggae, Rock, R-N-B and Shuffle, all in
standard MIDI file format with drums on MIDI channel 10, (some with bass
parts assigned to channel 2) together with some tips on making the most
of the files provided. The documentation is a bit sketchy, e.g. no
catalogue of the discs contents is included, but there is certainly
plenty of variety in the material on the disc. These files can all be
loaded directly into Rhythm-Bed or Serenade and should save users a lot
of time and effort.
7.3
EMR
7.3
ElectroMusic Research should have released by now MicroStudio 2, Desktop
Scorewriter and Music Player 3. I look forward to seeing these programs
in the near future. EMR music library files now have presets to match
the general MIDI format. Of course, using the facilities available in
the MIDI list mapping page in Studio 24+, these voice presets and drum
voices can easily be altered to suit other set ups.
7.3
Disc Orchestra files
7.3
As well as standard MIDI files, there is a wide range of music of all
types available for the Yamaha Clavinova range of electronic pianos in
Disc Orchestra format. These discs are in Yamahaæs own version of DOS
and the files are protected and usually unreadable. Unlike most music
files where a song is completely loaded before playback begins, Disc
Orchestra files are loaded in sections, the Clavinova accessing the disc
regularly as the piece of music is played.
7.3
Editing
7.3
I have a Clavinova and a PSR6700, both of which load and run Disc
Orchestra files, but neither keyboard transmits these files from the
MIDI out, or the MIDI thru port. This is not necessarily a problem if
you are happy to leave the files in their original state but if you wish
to edit them then it is a bit frustrating. But there is a third way to
run these files, using an MDF2 MIDI Data Filer and a TG100 expander, and
when the files are run using this combination, the data is passed to the
MIDI thru port and can be recorded into an external sequencer for
editing.
7.3
Signal processing effects
7.3
By careful use of copy, cut and paste, it is possible to obtain some
interesting signal processing effects using only a sequencer. This can
be useful if you do not have an effects processor, or if you have need
of more effects than your processor can handle simultaneously.
7.3
Echo
7.3
Echo is a single repeat of a sound, usually at a lower volume. Studio
24+, for instance, can add echo to a sound by copying that sound to
another track and reducing the volume of the new track, using the track
options facility. Select track options in the track box and a window
appears. The last option in the window should read Velocity. Change the
percentage to the required amount (e.g. if you wanted the track to be
repeated at half the original volume, enter 50%) and click on OK.
7.3
Delay
7.3
Delay is a number of repeats of a sound gradually decreasing in volume.
This effect can be created in exactly the same way as echo, by making
more copies of the original track.
7.3
Chorus
7.3
Chorus is an effect which fattens out a sound and is usually produced in
signal processing devices by adding a second track with the same note
information but slightly higher or lower than the original.
7.3
If you have any ideas for special effects Ö or any other ideas,
suggestions or questions about using the Archimedes for music, write to
me via the Archive office.ááA
7.3
Humanoids and Robotix
7.3
Meg Else
7.3
Humanoids
7.3
The object of humanoids is to defend the humanoids against the invasion
of enemy landers and to survive. The game is based on a repeated
horizontally scrolling landscape, and you must kill all the enemy
forces, against enormous difficulties, before they capture your men. If
they successfully capture one of your men and you fail in a rescue
attempt, the successful lander becomes a Mutant, and far more dangerous
than before. To complete a level you have to kill everything on the
screen.
7.3
The graphics are poor by modern day Archimedes standards. This game is a
development of the BBC game Videos Revenge. Itæs repetitive, but
somewhat addictive. Itæs very hard to play and can be annoying at times.
7.3
My son James managed to reach level 3 and rated it like this:
7.3
    Graphics 34%
7.3
    Sound 76%
7.3
    Gameplay 83%
7.3
    Overall 64%
7.3
Robotix
7.3
This game is much less interesting than Humanoids. Itæs a simple
structure. The object is to shoot the enemy, avoid the indestructible
hulks, pick up the humanoids and to survive.
7.3
Both the graphics and sound are poor. Itæs very hard. We got to level 7,
which sounds good but the levels are short and repetitive, although
there was quite a range of monsters. Unlike Humanoids, however, we soon
lost interest in the game which was only slightly addictive.
7.3
Rating by James:
7.3
    Graphics 17%
7.3
    Sound 24%
7.3
    Gameplay 7%
7.3
    Overall 16%
7.3
Overall rating for both games:
7.3
    Graphics 26%
7.3
    Sound 50%
7.3
    Gameplay 45%
7.3
    Overall 40%
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
Not a very inspiring set of games but you canæt grumble when itæs only
priced at ú24.99 for the pair from Cambridge International Software.
7.3
They are now on special offer at ú9.95 for the two from C.I.S. or ú10
including p&p through Archive Ö which makes quite a bit of a difference!
Ed.ááA
7.3
Hints & Tips
7.3
Å    Two independent stories with Ovation Ö Richard Hallas demonstrated an
excellent method of creating two independent stories with Impression in
the ÉHints & Tipsæ column (Archive 6.12 p27). To perform a similar task
with Ovation is not quite so easy but there is a way that this layout
can be obtained.
7.3
Double-click on the Ovation application to load it onto the iconbar.
Click <menu> over Ovationæs icon and select the ÉNew Documentæ option.
From this menu, choose the A4 page, ÉPortraitæ orientation and single
column options. For this example, I will create two independent columns
on an A4 sized page. Similar layouts can be created with other page
sizes.
7.3
Once Ovationæs main window has been opened, click <menu> and select the
ÉPageæ menu. From this menu click on ÉShow Master Pagesæ. You will now
see Ovationæs master page for the A4 document. Ovation, unlike
Impression, does not allow you to delete any frames on the master page.
Alter the width of the A4 frame by choosing ÉObjectæ from Ovationæs main
menu and then from the ÉObjectæ menu select ÉModify Frameæ.
7.3
Set the main frame width to 90mm and height to 255mm. After modifying
the frame it will be displayed on the left hand side of Ovationæs master
page. Now create an identical sized text frame, using the text frame
icon on Ovationæs tool bar, and place it on the left hand side of the
master page, making sure that it aligns perfectly with the left hand
frame. Check with Ovationæs ÉModify Frameæ option that this newly
created frame has identical dimensions to the previously created frame.
At this stage, any header or footer frames should be added to the master
page. You may well have to alter the height of both main text frames to
accommodate the header and footer frames.
7.3
Now quit the master page and return to Ovationæs main window. Ovation
still displays the original A4 frame outline. To display your newly
created dual frame layout, you will need to select the ÉPageæ option
from Ovationæs main menu. From this ÉPageæ menu select the ÉInsert Pageæ
option and a box ÉInsert Pagesæ will appear on the screen. Click on ÉOKæ
and the newly created page will now be displayed in Ovationæs window.
7.3
If you have already created two independent text stories with another
word processing package, you will need to have both stories saved as
plain text files, ready to drop into each newly created Ovation frame.
7.3
Click <select> on the first of these text stories and drag the file into
Ovationæs left hand main frame, making sure that this frame is the one
selected. The text will fill the frame and generate the necessary number
of linked frames to accommodate the story. Remember that this left hand
frame was originally Ovationæs A4 master page frame, adjusted to the
required size to accommodate another frame alongside it.
7.3
If you now select and drag the other text story into Ovationæs right
hand frame, you will notice that only the first right hand frame will
fill with text, and that Ovationæs text overflow arrow is displayed at
the bottom of this frame. For the text in this right hand frame to flow
through the length of the entire document, you will need to select the
ÉLink Frameæ option from Ovationæs tool bar. Once this has been
selected, you must then individually link each right hand frame
throughout the length of the document. As you link each right hand
frame, you will notice that the text story flows from the previous
frame. Note that you can choose the ÉLink Frameæ option from the tool
bar with <adjust>. If this is done, this option will remain selected,
but will significantly slow down the scrolling speed of pages.
7.3
It is most important to drop the first text story into Ovationæs left
hand frame. This is the frame that generates automatically linked frames
as the text flows throughout the document.
7.3
Ovation can, of course, be used to produce the original stories, with
the proviso that the left hand frames are used to write the first story.
If required, the two frames on Ovationæs master page may be swapped
over, so that the first story can be set in the right hand frame.á Mike
King, Guernsey.ááA
7.3
PD Column Ö The Virus Problem
7.3
David Holden
7.3
I have received several letters recently from people worried about
computer viruses and, in particular, the likelihood of Écatchingæ one
from a PD library. Most of these letters were from new users who have
been subjected to the various scares in the press that have appeared
during the past year or so and havenæt realised that these refer mainly
to the PC. I shall therefore suggest a few simple precautions users can
take to avoid infection.
7.3
It is worth stating that, provided you take the appropriate precautions,
I donæt believe there is any serious virus problem with the Archimedes
nor is there ever likely to be. They obviously exist, and some users may
have Écaughtæ one at some time but, so far, they have been annoying
rather than dangerous or destructive. If you are worried about viruses
then consider the Great Michaelangelo Virus Scare last year which was
supposed to wipe out half of the PCæs in the world. I wonder how much of
the media Éhypeæ preceding this was real and how much generated by the
many companies selling expensive virus detecting software for the PC
market? Luckily there is no equivalent commercial driving force to
exaggerate the problem on the Archimedes.
7.3
Quarantine
7.3
There are two main reasons why the Archimedes is comparatively immune
and why it is likely to remain so. Before I expand upon this I shall
state what is obvious but is frequently forgotten. Viruses in computers,
unlike their namesakes with people, cannot be Écaughtæ by one computer
just being in close proximity to another. The virus needs to be
physically introduced from outside. There are normally only two ways
that this can be done: via the serial port (including modems) or carried
on a floppy disc. I shall ignore networks because, for purposes of virus
infection, a network should be thought of as a single large computer so
the principle is the same, it is just that there are more Éentrancesæ.
Your computer canæt Écatchæ a virus, someone (that probably means you),
needs to be careless and introduce infected material.
7.3
The primary reason for the Archimedesæ natural immunity is that it has
its operating system in ROM. Most PCæs, with the exception of some
laptops, load their OS from disc. It is therefore impossible to run them
without accessing a disc drive of some sort and this is where most
viruses strike. They attach themselves to a part of the OS on the Ébootæ
disc of these computers so they are loaded and active as soon as the
user switches on. There is simply no way that even the most ingeniously
programmed virus could attach itself to the Archimedes OS. If you
suspect that your Archimedes has a virus you can actually start it up
without loading anything from disc. With RISCáOS 3 hold down <shift>
when you switch on or, with RISC OS 2, É*Configure Nobootæ and
*Configure Drive 0É and although your hard disc will still exist, the
Archimedes wonæt look at it until you take some action yourself.
7.3
In theory, it is possible to start up an Amiga or PC in the same way but
it is more awkward.
7.3
How viruses work
7.3
Most Archimedes users start up their machines without the use of any
Éforeign bodiesæ and this gives them a very important first line of
defence. Remember it is impossible for your computer to be infected, a
virus can only hide on a disc and so you can easily prevent it from
getting to work. Most viruses operate on similar principles. They attach
themselves to or disguise themselves as something that exists naturally.
The primary objective of a virus is to replicate itself as many times as
possible before it is discovered and to achieve this it wants to be
Érunæ as soon and as often as possible. This is why some viruses attach
themselves to !Boot files of applications.
7.3
Another type of virus attaches itself to modules. This is very easy to
do because a module, unlike a normal application, must be written to be
fully relocatable and its Éheaderæ must conform to a specific format.
Also once a module is loaded, it tends to remain active until the
computer is switched off so it is easy for it to claim vectors, watch
for file operations, and attach a clone of itself to any suitable file
copying actions.
7.3
Prevention...
7.3
From what I have said so far, you can see that prevention is really very
easy. Donæt put anything into that slot in the front of your Archimedes
unless you are certain it isnæt carrying a virus. Unless absolutely
essential, keep all floppy discs write protected so if you do become
infected, the infection is contained in as small an area as possible.
Remember it is your discs, not your computer, that will be infected. If
you use floppy discs, try to keep your applications and data on separate
discs. You can then write protect the discs which contain the actual
programs. Since most viruses work by attaching themselves to
applications of one sort or another, they will be unable to replicate
because data files are not normally suitable for their purposes.
7.3
Unless you are confident of its source, use a virus scanner on every
Éforeignæ floppy disc before you click on the drive icon. There are
several PD and Shareware detectors and removers but if you handle more
than the occasional alien disc, I recommend you subscribe to the
Pineapple Software service. This will cost about 60p per week and is a
worthwhile investment.
7.3
If you have a hard disc, scan it regularly. Your first line of defence
is checking each new floppy but sooner or later you will forget one so
check regularly. Always scan your hard disc before you back it up. Itæs
obvious but easily forgotten.
7.3
Be suspicious of unexpected Édisc write protectedæ error messages and
any unusual disc operations. These may be a virus trying to put a copy
of itself onto a disc.
7.3
... and cure
7.3
This is just an extension of prevention and if you take precautions,
there shouldnæt be any problem. Most viruses can be removed from the
programs to which they have attached themselves, so a disc can be
Édisinfectedæ. If all else fails, you will have to go back to your last
hard disc backup. (You did scan before you backed up, didnæt you?)
7.3
Donæt just scan your hard disc and the few floppies that you remember
using in the last day or so. If you discover an infection on your hard
disc, scan every disc that isnæt always kept write protected, which is
another good reason for keeping as many as possible in that state. Most
recurring virus infections happen because not enough trouble is taken
when it is first discovered to ensure that it is completely eradicated.
7.3
Once again itæs obvious but keep a copy of your virus detector program
on a write protected floppy disc. If itæs on your hard disc and that
becomes infected...
7.3
Source of infections
7.3
The people who are most often blamed for spreading virus infections but
are in fact least likely to be the cause are PD and Shareware libraries.
As the precautions for avoiding infection are so simple, it is most
unlikely that you will Écatchæ a virus from a disc obtained from any
reputable library. Before their existence was well known, there were a
few instances but that was long ago.
7.3
In general, PD libraries, because they receive discs from all sorts of
strange sources, are most likely to take proper precautions and so least
likely to pass infections on. The same is true of most bulletin boards.
It is more difficult to prevent infection because in theory anyone can
Éuploadæ but most services now only permit uploads to specific areas and
these are thoroughly checked before they can be accessed by users.
7.3
One thing that has disturbed me somewhat is that, in the last few
months, I have received several unsolicited discs from Germany with
requests that I include the material in my library and/or pass it on to
others. About 75% of these have been infected with various viruses.
Naturally, I have no way of knowing whether this is a deliberate attempt
to spread infection or merely indicates that viruses are out of control
in Germany. However, there is no doubt that an unusually large
proportion of the viruses that abound for PCæs and Amigas did originate
in Germany, so there would appear to be an öirresponsibleò element in
that country and I hope that this does not indicate that they have now
turned their attention to the Archimedes.
7.3
It is now generally acknowledged that, with PCæs, the most common cause
of virus infection is through pirated commercial software. This is one
reason why introducing Épersonalæ software onto an office PC is now a
sackable offence in many companies. The suggested reason for this link
is that the type of person who will use or pass on copies of commercial
software is also likely to be the sort of person that is amused by
infecting others with a virus.
7.3
Future developments
7.3
There is one development in PCæs which, I feel sure, will bring with it
a new type of extraordinarily destructive virus. Hopefully, this will
not be emulated in the Archimedes.
7.3
All PCæs have a Ékernelæ of their operating system in ROM. This is known
as the BIOS (for Basic Input Output System) and is the part which is
responsible for carrying out system checks and loading the main part of
the OS from disc. Because it is in ROM, this has hitherto been immune
from virus infection. However, some PCæs are now being made with the
BIOS in a Éflashæ programmable ROM. The idea behind this is to enable
the people who assemble the computers to program the BIOS with suitable
messages to suit the country in which they will be sold. This sounds
like a good idea, except that no additional hardware is required to
program this area and no write protect link is provided. This means that
a virus could be written which would infect the BIOS and render all
conventional Édisinfectionæ software useless. Because the very core of
the computer is infected, it could not be used at all until the BIOS had
been reprogrammed.
7.3
Please donæt think Iæm giving anyone ideas by pointing this out. The
perverted people who write and spread viruses are probably already hard
at work. In fact, thatæs the most exasperating thing about the whole
business. Thousands of hours are spent by dedicated and skilled
programmers with no other aim than to be a thorn in the side of computer
users. If only this effort were put to productive instead of destructive
ends...ááA
7.3
Acorn Computers in TV Post-Production
7.3
Alan Afriat
7.3
This is a rather technical article but anyone involved in this area will
realise its importance. It is yet another area where the power of
RISCáOS computers is providing a cost-effective solution to a real-world
problem. Ed.
7.3
The ÉYour Worldæ primary schools TV series, currently transmitting on
Channel 4, has been an experiment in more ways than one. The series, a
co-production between Channel 4, Encyclopaedia Britannica and Case
Television, was designed as resource material for teachers to record off
air for classroom use by themselves or individual pupils. It has no
commentary, but an on-screen clock provides easy reference to the course
notes and crawler captions throughout give headline information Ö which
make the programmes particularly suitable for hard-of-hearing children.
Also experimental was the post-production work, including the programme
compilation, computer graphics and captioning, in which we tried out for
the first time a novel approach to graphics and tape editing using Acorn
computers for just about everything.
7.3
When we started on theáproject, I already had the Encyclopaedia
Britannica Video Library database on an MS-DOS partition. As this has
full shot lists of nearly all their programmes, I transferred all
information of interest to a Squirrel database which allowed me to add
extra fields as required and multitask it with other applications that I
was using such as Optima (Eidosæs, RISC OS digital video editing system)
and Octopus (a video editing machine controller board and software which
we have developed in-house). The transfer was surprisingly easy and
Squirrel afforded much better search facilities than were available on
the original database. Multitasking was crucial as I wanted to be able
to drag timecodes between applications for quick access to digital or
tape pictures and database information.
7.3
The programmes were edited using a novel combination of digital and tape
editing techniques. Although Optima does not give as good a picture as
some of the MS-DOS and Macintosh JPEG based systems, it is in many ways
the most flexible Ö and itæs a great deal cheaper! It does have the big
advantage of being able to directly access removable, re-usable magneto-
optical discs, each side of which can hold up to 70 mins of timecoded
sound and video Ö so with two MO disc drives and a 540Mb internal hard
drive, you can edit a programme of any length without having to digitise
tapes onto an expensive internal multi-gigabite hard disc system. You
can access any frame on a disc instantly by just dragging in a timecode
and you can cut, paste and overlay sound or picture in a flash. It gives
you all the creativity and flexibility of traditional film editing but
without any of the dross. Itæs really good for track laying too; with up
to four sound tracks, you can fit and lay effects, commentary and music
precisely Ö and produce a film-style dubbing chart by dragging timecodes
and comments into a Draw or Artworks template. It also outputs a
reliable edit decision list data file for on-line picture and audio
auto-conforming.
7.3
Octopus Ö our own edit controller Ö will drive up to eight editing
machines of any type that have a standard computer interface. It
consists of multitasking editing software and an expansion card which
plugs into any Acorn computer that accepts standard cards. It normally
drives a three machine edit suite with the new JVC 22 series S-VHS
machines and the latest Panasonic mixer/DVE, but other machines can be
driven and hired in as required, including Beta-SP and disc, DAT, HIDAT
and ADAT recorders for audio conforming.
7.3
Before editing, master Beta-SP tapes are assembled, with original
timecode, onto 4-hour S-VHS tapes and then digitised. The resulting
tapes are then scanned at 10 times speed to index them for database
cross reference. Whenever Optimaæs image quality leaves any doubt, this
indexing system makes it possible to gain almost instant access to a
high quality tape picture and sound for checking. You just drag a
timecode from Optima into the edit controller window and type in a roll
number and whichever machine has that frame will instantly spin down to
it. Current machines spool at more than 100 times speed, so with three
machines connected, any frame out of 12 hours of material can be
accessed within a maximum of 3╜ minutes.
7.3
For viewing the completed cut, computer edited versions can be
transferred to tape with up to four mixed tracks and then have pictures
auto-pasted over. It takes about 1╜ hours for the edit controller to
picture conform a half hour programme Ö and, with 4-hour tapes, it does
it in the background with minimum tape changes Ö so you can get on with
something else while the machines are busy. One of the virtues of this
hybrid 2-tier off-line editing system is that you can achieve a really
complete off-line edit. The mixer will produce visual effects, picture
in picture, multi-screen and frozen images Ö so you can off-line your
effects and then digitise them for editing.
7.3
We have also developed our own Acorn-based computer graphics system for
producing, cueing up and displaying in the off-line edit, broadcast
quality pictures, captions and subtitles, including rollers and simple
real-time animation. These can be precisely reproduced on-line where the
computer responds as though it were another VTR, giving complete editing
freedom at any point in a caption routine.
7.3
Apart from early teething troubles and de-bugging, our system performed
amazingly well. We achieved frame accurate off-line edits including all
captions and crawlers; we hired in two Beta-SP editing machines and a
waveform monitor/vectorscope and performed an A & B roll, cuts only pre-
conform. We took our A5000 computer along to the on-line edit and
completed everything in one pass, laying down captions as we added
visual effects and mixes. Sound was transferred to the S-VHS FM tracks
and digitised along with the rushes Ö I then track-laid with Optima,
auto-conformed with our edit controller and transferred to DAT and then
a digital recorder for dubbing. (Next time, we intend to conform
directly onto a digital multitrack recorder.) The S-VHS FM tracks have a
frequency response of 20-20,000Hz and JVC have brought the switching
noise of the new machines way below the audible threshold so, for
effects purposes, they were quite adequate. All this means that tape
generations and expensive on-line editing and dubbing time is reduced to
an absolute minimum.
7.3
Your World was the first time we had used our system on a real project.
Because I was working to a tight fixed budget with agreed production
specifications, it was imperative that on-line editing and dubbing costs
were kept to a minimum. We were successful Ö thanks in no small measure
to my associate, Adam Goodfellow, who engineered the graphics and tape
editing systems.ááA
7.3
The Crystal Maze
7.3
Gabriel, Jonathan and Katherine Swords
7.3
The Crystal Maze is a game from Sherston Software based on the Channel 4
series of the same name. For those of you not in the know, the idea of
the game is that you travel through four game zones, with a team of six
characters, competing in physical, mental, skill and mystery challenges.
The successful completion of each challenge rewards you with a crystal.
Your aim is to collect as many crystals a possible Ö the more you get
the longer you get to stay in the Crystal Dome.
7.3
The Crystal Dome is the climax of the game. Once inside, youæll see gold
and silver tokens floating around Ö you have to collect as many gold
tokens as you can, while missing the silver ones. When your time is up,
the computer counts the amount of gold and silver youæve collected,
deducts the silver from the gold then gives you your final score. Easy
really Ö until you start to play!
7.3
In my first five attempts, I collected a total of ten gold tokens Ö that
makes an average of two per game. I didnæt think that was too bad until
I read that 100+ is what you should be aiming at. So, a little
disgruntled, I decided it was time to hand over to my kids Ö more on
them later!
7.3
Inside the box
7.3
The game comes boxed with an A3 poster, manual and three discs, and a
registration card. The instructions were good enough to allow my
children to load the contents of the discs to hard drive, alter a piece
program to allow for hard drive use, and run the game.
7.3
Once inside the game, you start by setting the  configuration Ö this
includes adjustments to the sound effects, music and volume. From there
you move to the difficulty level Ö the slider goes from 0 to 99 so
thereæs plenty of scope for different levels of player. Thereæs also a
learner mode which allows you to practice any game as many times as you
like. In addition to all that, you can also re-define the Éinput
devicesæ Ö the keyboard, joystick and mouse.
7.3
Once set, itæs time to choose your team. There are twelve characters to
choose from Ö according to the instruction manual each character has
different strengths and weaknesses, some more suitable than others for
the games you enter. Youære supposed to be able to work out who is
better at what the more you play, so far I havenæt got a clue. Choose
your six characters then select your first playing zone.
7.3
There are four zones. The Aztec zone is a re-creation of the Aztec
kingdom of the 15th and 16th centuries. The Ocean zone is set in the
hull of a sunken ocean liner. The Medieval zone is set the depths of a
medieval building. The Futuristic zone is a cold, impersonal place where
lives are ruled by computers Ö I know the feeling!
7.3
When you enter a zone, you have to play three games before you can move
on. You can choose from physical, skill, mental or mystery. Choose a
game type, and a player, then off you go Ö but donæt hang around, you
only get one or two minutes to complete the challenge Ö and if you donæt
get out in time you get locked in!
7.3
The real thing
7.3
This is where the game really starts to look and feel like the real
thing. While I was at the controls, my Éback seat driversæ were
constantly telling me what to do Ö then as the seconds ticked by, they
started screaming at me to get out before I got locked in. I was a
nervous wreck by the end of my first game Ö just like the real thing!
7.3
After completing one zone, you go on to the next until youæve done
twelve games. The games reflect the atmosphere of each of the zones; so
in the medieval zone you could find yourself firing crossbows at moving
targets or jumping over snakes. In the Futuristic zone, you could be
chasing electrons or working your way out of a maze. The games donæt
change if you increase the difficulty level, they just get harder to
play! The ones I really hated, and therefore left to my children, were
the mental games Ö you know the kind of things; ÉIf I ate two thirds of
my sweets on Monday, and three quarters of the rest on Tuesday, and
there are still five left, how many did I have originally?æ Ö I havenæt
a clue!
7.3
You can quite satisfactorily play this game on your own, but it really
does lend itself to team play Ö as a family we all chose characters and
took turns at playing different games. Because youære working as a team,
as they do in the TV series, you begin to get excited or frustrated when
the others are playing. This is also one of those games where you donæt
have to succeed at one level before you go on to the next Ö in fact, you
could end up with only one crystal after 12 games but still get a go
inside the Crystal Dome Ö albeit for only 5 seconds. Itæs a game for
adults and children.
7.3
Speaking of children Ö how did mine get on? Well, when I arrived home
from Acorn World 93,  they proudly announced they had scored 161,
playing at the same level I had played on. They think itæs great Ö
things are getting so bad that now I have to book time on my own
computer!
7.3
Niggles
7.3
They are only a few niggles. For example, some of the clocks which tell
you how much time you have left arenæt very easy to read. Some of the
graphics on the picture puzzles arenæt always as clear as Iæd like. And
when you leave the game and come back into desktop, you need to remember
to reset your font cache which goes down to 32Kb.
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
So, after all the hype in the magazines and at Acorn World 93, does
Crystal Maze live up to the expectations that the advertisers tried to
place on us? Well, apart from the few niggles I have mentioned, we can
all thoroughly recommended The Crystal Maze. It really is Éfun for all
the familyæ and would make a good Christmas present.
7.3
Crystal Maze costs ú39.95 inclusive from Sherston Software or ú37
through Archive.ááA
7.3
Blood Sport
7.3
Richard Rymarz
7.3
Blood Sport is the Archimedes answer to Street Fighter and other such
ÉBeat æem UpÉ games found on other computer formats. It is distributed
by Matt Black (well known for their clipart), comes on one disc in a CD
style plastic case and costs the princely sum of ú9.99 (ú12 inclusive of
VAT and carriage) which, by todayæs standards, must rank as a budget
game. It is easily installed on hard disc although I had to reset my
machine before it worked.
7.3
The scenario
7.3
Blood Sport takes over the whole machine and begins with an attractive
picture behind a high score table and a number of options: the defining
the keys, information about the various foes that are to be encountered
and no less than six playing modes including one to play against a
friend.
7.3
There are ten lethal opponents that have to be beaten before you can
become a champion. Once completed, the level of difficulty can be
changed. A total of sixteen moves have to be mastered which requires a
fair degree of dexterity to say the least. It took me some time to learn
the moves since I was unsure what I was actually doing. I feel that a
seventh option allowing some practice would have been helpful.
7.3
The game
7.3
Clicking on Éplayæ results in some disappointments. The playing area is
only a quarter of the height of the screen. The figures, although well
drawn, are tiny and the different moves are difficult to define.
However, on the plus side, the action is fast and furious and is
accompanied by the requisite thumps, groans, ÉOohsæ and ÉAahsæ as your
opponent knocks you down over and over again. The screen even shakes as
you hit the ground with a thud. The various backgrounds have some fairly
basic animation. Fights are timed and points for each fighter are
clearly shown.
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
Since there is much of a muchness about the action, it soon loses its
novelty and interest wanes. Blood Sport is not in the same class as
games such as Street Fighter. However, it is one of the few ÉBeat æem
UpÉ games for the Archimedes and it is cheap.
7.3
Blood Sport is fairly mindless but, if played with a friend, might
occupy the odd half hour on a winteræs evening when there is little else
to do.ááA
7.3
Quark
7.3
Andrew Rawnsley
7.3
Quark is a new release from the rapidly expanding Oregan Software
Developments. A year ago this was a tiny, little known company but today
it markets a variety of excellent utilities including, arguably, the
best Acorn tracker music editor (Digital Symphony) and a morphing
package (Morpheus). With Quark, it has broken into the quality games
market.
7.3
Vive la France!
7.3
Quark is written by a new French programming team Psychotic. It astounds
me the amount of quality software that comes from the rest of Europe
because, letæs face it, Acornæs marketing department is hardly making a
splash over there. (They are making major moves into Germany at the
moment. Ed.) However, the likes of Digital Symphony and the popular
public domain utility Dissi come from Belgium, Eterna were based in
France, and who can forget demo writers extraordinaire, Brothers in Arm,
in Norway! Quark doesnæt let the side down.
7.3
At first sight, Quark is just another vertically scrolling shoot Éem up,
but when you get into it, it is a feast of blasting mayhem with lots of
different spaceships, levels, music and even more power-ups. I mention
the spaceships because, unlike most games of this genre, Quark lets you
choose the ship which you want to pilot from six basic craft. Each has
its own speed, weaponry (with different power-ups) and armour class. The
appropriate values are stated in the manual which is clear if a little
concise.
7.3
Play a friend
7.3
The game can be played by one or two players simultaneously, and each
player can have any ship he likes. Cleverly, the programmers have
restricted the amount of weaponry power-ups that each can collect in the
two player game, to about two-thirds of what your ship is capable of in
the one player game. This means that you donæt get such an overwhelming
advantage when in two player mode.
7.3
Each player can alter his or her individual keys using a small, but
well-designed, desktop application. This is supplied on disc one, along
with a hard disc installation program and the main game. Hard disc users
will still need the original disc at hand to insert at the beginning of
the loading process.
7.3
The title screen is pretty, and is followed by a pleasing, permanent,
scrolling high-score table. However itæs a shame that you can only start
the game from the title screen and not the high score table. You have to
press a key to return to the main screen. Why not just allow the player
to go straight to the ship selector or enter the game.
7.3
Pressing <F12> starts the ship selector, whilst <F8> gives you a quick
start option using either the standard spaceships or the one(s) used in
the previous game, depending on whether you have just loaded.
7.3
The game itself
7.3
The in-game graphics are well drawn, although they only use 16 colours
in order to obtain smooth scrolling. Despite this limitation, the
colours are used to good effect to provide variety within the levels.
There are some clever colour palette changes, so you may travel out of a
gold coloured section, for example, into a purple section and on into a
green one. This shows that the game has been well thought out, and not
just knocked together overnight! The background graphics were
exceptionally detailed, even on a fairly low resolution monitor.
7.3
The amount of damage that your ship has taken is shown by the amount of
armour left on your ship. As you get hit, chunks of armour disappear
until your craft looks like a burnt out shell, at which point one more
hit will reduce you to dust and remove one of your lives. Fortunately,
you can get more lives by collecting certain tokens. The manual doesnæt
actually tell you what each token does, so itæs up to you, with the help
of the odd bit of digitised speech, to decide what does what.
7.3
Sound
7.3
The music is excellent, with tunes to suit everyoneæs taste, be it
classical (on the game over screens) or heavy metal (for a metallic
level!). For once, the music hasnæt been written by the programmer
himself, but someone obviously skilled in computer music. Only four
channels appear to be used in the music, and the others are for used
sound effects such as speech and explosions.
7.3
Criticisms
7.3
I would like to have seen more animation of the ship, as in the soon to
be released Xenon 2. Also, maybe the levels could have been given
passwords. Fortunately, when your game ends, the computer remembers
which level you reached so that you donæt have to replay all the
previous ones. Otherwise, this is a very polished game.
7.3
One serious flaw was that the review copy had problems with multisync
monitors. The fade routine into level two caused the screen to go
completely black on my Acorn multisync, so I suggest you ring Oregan
direct (as instructed in the manual) to check on the compatibility of
your monitor and to see if the bug has been fixed.
7.3
The competition Ö Quark versus Xenon 2
7.3
To my mind, the only major competition for vertically scrolling shoot
æem ups comes from Swiv and Xenon 2.
7.3
Swiv has a simultaneous two player, but Quark offers more crafts for the
player(s) and more power-ups. The music is much more comprehensive in
Quark with tunes for every part of the game, not just the title screen.
7.3
Xenon 2 has more power-ups than Quark, but only one spaceship, and one
(rather good) piece of music which plays virtually non-stop throughout
the game, the exception being when you are in the shop. Xenon 2æs
animation is better than Quarkæs, and the level of presentation is high,
but the two player game is hopeless. Player 1 has a go, and then when he
dies, player 2 starts. Another comment on Xenon 2 is that by the time
you reach the later levels, it is almost impossible to die. You simply
have too much firepower. Quark is still challenging late into the game
because, unlike Xenon 2, you lose some (but not all) of your firepower
bonuses when you die.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
Quark is an excellent product which compares very favourably with the
competition. If you own a multisync monitor, check its compatibility
with Oregan first but if you like vertically scrolling shoot æem ups,
you canæt go wrong with Quark!
7.3
Quark costs ú24.95 from Oregan Software Developments or ú23 through
Archive.ááA
7.3
Help!!!!
7.3
Å    Archway Ö Can anyone advise or help with upgrading Archway? I have
version 2.00 and believe there is now version 2.10, but Simtron seem
very hard to get in touch with! Phone Andy after 8pm on 081-675-5972.
7.3
Å    Screenwipes Ö Can anyone tell me how to use screenwipes on sprite
files from Basic? Contact Jonathan Topper, 4 Clapham Old Rd., Ingleton,
Via Carnforth, Lancs, LA6 3JA.ááA
7.3
Help Offered
7.3
Å    PCATS Graphics Enhancer Ö Following my request for help about using
the PCATS Enhancer under RISCáOS 3.1, I got no offers of help! However,
I have managed to write a short relocatable module which stops the
enhancer crashing on RISCáOS 3.1 and provides the full range of
multisync and enhancer modes. I am happy to provide copies of the module
to anyone sending me a blank formatted disc plus SAE. Seßn Kelly, 8
Vicarage Lane, Wing, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 0NU.
7.3
Å    Scientific Software. A disc of scientific software, mostly of a
chemical nature, is now available. If you would like a copy simply send
a formatted blank disc (not 720Kb DOS!), together with return postage
(and address) to Chris Johnson, 7, Lovedale Grove, Balerno, Edinburgh,
EH14 7DR. Chris would still like to receive more software of a
scientific nature, as he would like to make up additional discs for
distribution.ááA
7.3
Demonæs Lair
7.3
Rob Wears
7.3
This game from the 4th Dimension was reviewed on an A310 (ARM 3, 4Mb
RAM, SCSI hard disc) and an A4 (4Mb RAM, hard disc). The game requires a
minimum of 2Mb RAM and it must be said that a colour monitor would make
your life a lot easier.
7.3
The plot?
7.3
You have drawn the short straw and have therefore volunteered to save
the land from an evil demon and release a friendly dragon. The only
things between you and a horrible death are your wits, luck and a Karate
kick capable of disrupting ghosts. And the name of this mighty hero Ö
Thorin Bloodaxe? Er... no actually you get to be called öBobò. Iæve got
nothing against being called öBobò Ö itæs the wife that isnæt too keen Ö
but it just doesnæt fit with my notions of your basic muscle-bound hero.
The blurb is a little weak but how does the game compare?
7.3
The package
7.3
The game comes on two discs and is copy protected by means of a ökey
discò. It will readily load to and run from a hard disc, providing disc
one is inserted for a short while as the game loads. There is no need to
replace the key disc if you find the need to reload a saved game
position. I find this a very inoffensive piece of copy protection which
did not cause any problems during testing, and provided that you keep
the original disc safe when not in use, it should not cause any
problems. When loaded, the game sits innocently on the iconbar and uses
1120Kb. When playing, it takes over the whole machine but a single
keystroke returns you to the desktop environment.
7.3
You are supplied with a single A4 sheet of paper with loading and
playing instructions, and a set of hints that are only minimally
helpful. There are also some clues contained in the screen shots shown
on the outer packaging, which are invaluable.
7.3
The game play
7.3
The puzzles are all said to be logical in nature, but Iæm not too sure
that Mr Spock would approve of the rather brutal use of the rabbits!
There are some instances where you still have to rely on luck despite
having set things up to the best of your ability. As it is possible to
move your character freely in three dimensions, there are numerous key
actions possible to control the actions of your hero, and remembering
the right key to press can be a bit of a nightmare. However, it is very
easy to produce your own key definitions, which is essential for the
non-standard A4 keyboard.
7.3
The graphics
7.3
The graphics scroll smoothly but are rather cartoon-like. They are of a
similar standard to most of the Acorn games currently on the market Ö
that is to say, they are not particularly stunning and certainly do not
compare well with those found on games console machines. It is possible
to play the game on an A4 but you do miss some of the detail Ö I found
it quite surprising to find a corridor full of grabbing green arms on
the A310 because I had assumed the strange flickering lights on the A4
display were some sort of transporter beam. In addition, the magic is
colour coded (!) so using it with a monochrome display involves a lot of
trial and error. A colour display makes life a lot easier and is
therefore highly recommended.
7.3
To buy or not to buy?
7.3
So should you buy it? Well, if you enjoyed öThe Kingdom of Hamilò and
the öDoomò adventures on the Beeb, or öPandoraæs Boxò on the Archimedes,
I would say öYesò. There is enough öarcadeò gameplay to keep you amused,
but this does not distract from the high quality of the puzzles. Itæs
basically all there Ö cackling witches, giant spiders and skulls, an
enormous eye on a spring, a Red Herring and a dragon. There is plenty of
humour (have you ever played a game where it is actually necessary to
become a frog for a while?) and plenty to keep movie buffs happy (spot
the bits from Frankenstein, Jaws, the Prisoner and the famous rock from
Indianna Jones). Above all, the game has that certain öIæll just have
one more goò quality combined with a degree of complexity which ensures
a good lifespan. This is a very high quality game which deserves a place
in any Acorn games collection.
7.3
Demonæs Lair is ú25.95 from Fourth Dimension or ú24 through Archive.ááA
7.3
The Dungeon
7.3
Dave Wilcox
7.3
This game is one of the latest releases from The Fourth Dimension and is
one of the role-playing genre. It comes in the now standard video type
box with a colourful cover. Inside you will find three discs and a 13
page A5 manual. The manual is well written and easy to understand. It is
stated that this game will work on all Acorn 32-bit machines but you
must have at least 2Mb of RAM available.
7.3
Loading
7.3
As is now the norm with many games, the main disc cannot be backed up.
It is, however, possible to install the game onto your hard disc if you
have 3Mb free Ö an installation program is included on the disc to
simplify this for you but you still need to initialise the running of
the program with disc 1. Loading the game is a simple matter of double
clicking on the Dungeon icon. You are greeted with a rather bland
opening screen accompanied by a stereo tune, somewhat less intricate
than I would have expected. You will then need to insert disc 2 but,
initially, this is the only disc change and this passes you on to the
game screen.
7.3
The story so far
7.3
Many years ago there was a monastery. The monks resident there ruled the
area in a fair but firm manner. In doing so, they accumulated great
wealth. One night the monastery burned to the ground and, after the
fire, no bones were to be found and no trace of the great wealth was
evident. People searched to no avail. One day a parchment was found in
an old library showing the entrance to a crypt under the monastery.
Assistance was sought from three trusted friends and the four explorers
set off for the crypt. On entering the tunnel, the floor falls away from
under the four and they fall deep into the crypt. It is your job,
Éshould you decide to accept itæ, to guide these explorers through the
crypt gathering as much treasure as possible until you find the exit.
7.3
The game
7.3
The game screen is made up of six windows, the main and largest of which
is the graphical view location screen, showing the room or corridor you
are currently in, along with items and occupants. (Occupants are mad
Monks, etc Ö you never see your own character.) Under this you have a
window associated with each of the four team members, showing items
carried and their respective conditions in bar graph form. To the right
of the main screen, you have a window associated with the team leader.
This can be changed to make any person the leader, as the game
progresses. This window shows items carried in their back-pack, items of
clothing worn, options to sleep, eat, examine items, general condition
report and the option to save and load games. The bottom right of the
screen is taken up with the creation of spells with runes found on your
explorations. There are two other windows across the top of the screen,
one contains the spells found listed on scrolls and the other is the
text reply window where the game communicates text information to you.
7.3
The first feature that really makes an impression is the graphic
programming. The graphics used in the corridor construction are very
good and the scrolling is smooth. Extra effect is gained from the
programming of the various light sources, ranging from candles to
torches. When these sources are first lit, the surroundings are bright
and easy to see but as the light source burns down, the light intensity
decreases until the source expires and darkness again envelopes you.
7.3
Staying on the subject of graphics, the monsters and mad monks, etc are
the main point that really spoil this program. Whilst these are at a
distance along the corridors, they are acceptable but as they close in
they become very Épixellyæ. This is a shame because otherwise the
programæs graphics are good.
7.3
The sound effects used throughout the game, consist of the usual grunts
and groans from monsters and doors creaking open or closed somewhere.
There is nothing new or exhilarating on the sound front but it does
fulfil its purpose and is programmed in stereo.
7.3
Movement around the dungeon is well thought out. You have the option of
keyboard control or mouse control. Using a trackerball, movement is easy
and quick. As you move around the dungeon you will come across numerous
items of treasure, weaponry, clothing, food, drink, potions, etc, all
devised to help or hinder. As you progress, you are required to
negotiate teleport systems, floor pads/switches, doors, portcullises,
pits, stairways, chasms and secret rooms. I havenæt managed to get out
of the Dungeon yet but I can say that I am hooked!
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
This game is of the sort of standard we have come to expect from The
Fourth Dimension. The graphics scrolling is smooth even on an ARM2
machine Ö up to 12╜ frames per second. With ARM3, this goes up to 25
frames per second. If you like games involving role playing, in
preference to blasting everything in sight, this game is for you and can
be recommended without hesitation. It is available from 4th Dimension
priced at ú34.95 or ú32 through Archive.ááA
7.3
Vigil
7.3
Andrew Rawnsley
7.3
When I saw that Vigil was advertised as Éthe Spy on the Desktopæ, I
didnæt know quite what to expect from Vigil. I bought it whilst it was
still undergoing beta-testing, as part of a special offer from Rheingold
Enterprises. I was soon to realise what an understatement the slogan
was.
7.3
After using the various different versions (0.42 Ö 1.02) for around
three months, I can honestly say that it must rank as one of the single
most useful program utilities available at the moment, alongside the
likes of Basic Compilers. It does, however, require RISC OS 3.10 or
later.
7.3
Who is it for?
7.3
The package is aimed at desktop programmers but the price has been set
to make it a viable purchase even for those just starting on desktop
programming. Although it has some features specifically for Basic and
Assembler programmers, almost any programming language can be used with
it. I must stress, however, it is for programmers who wish their
programs to run in the desktop, not outside it.
7.3
Basic features
7.3
Vigil has some very special features for those writing in Basic and
Assembler. For example, Basic programmers can view and alter some of
their programæs static and dynamic variables whilst the program is
running.
7.3
Gone are the days when you had to run a program with one value set for a
variable, only to find that the required effect was not achieved, having
then to quit it, edit the code and re-load. Now you can view the
variables, check that they are correct, and alter them until the desired
effect is achieved, provided that those altered are static variables or
dynamic integer variables.
7.3
Later versions will also offer the ability to view certain specified
variables.
7.3
Archway users should note that although early copies of the software had
problems when the Archway module was present with the Basic code, this
has now been overcome. Indeed, Archway and Vigil make an excellent pair
for those with limited desktop programming experience.
7.3
Disassembly
7.3
Assembler programmers will appreciate the number of functions aimed
directly at them. Dropping a file (rather than the usual application
directory) over the Vigil icon on the iconbar will result in Vigil
trying to disassemble it. Module and Utility files are assumed to start
at zero, and disassembled listings will start at that address. Absolute
files are assumed to be application images and are disassembled with a
start address of &8000. You can toggle between zero and &8000 using a
menu option from the disassembled viewer.
7.3
You can view your disassembled code, search it, print it out or save it
as raw data or as text.
7.3
ARM code programmers will also like the ability to display the contents
of the ARM processor registers. This has a secondary use, as it allows
Basic programmers to track individual variables, until such time as this
feature becomes part of the main variable display routines.
7.3
Viewing the workspace
7.3
This is perhaps one of Vigilæs main features. It allows you to examine
and edit the contents of your applicationæs workspace while it is
running. The workspace can be displayed as bytes, words (of memory) or
as mnemonics. The option requires that you have as much memory free as
the size of the workspace, since Vigil keeps a copy of the workspace to
edit.
7.3
Thus, if you register a 64Kb program with Vigil, you will need 128k free
before doing so. If you donæt have enough memory, Vigil will give you
the option of registering the task anyway, but not having the workspace
display available.
7.3
However, this requirement means that if you are working on a fairly
substantial program, you will need at least 2Mb of RAM to make best use
of the system.
7.3
The various options available from the workspace display can be accessed
via menus or via a toolbox which lies on the left hand side of the
window.
7.3
The tools
7.3
Format: this allows you to change the view which you are getting of the
workspace to any of byte, word or mnemonic.
7.3
Go to start: goes to address &8000.
7.3
Go to end: goes to the end of the applicationæs workspace.
7.3
Go to: allows you to go to a specific address within the application
memory.
7.3
Update: opens a dialogue box allowing you to choose a periodic update or
single updates when requested. The update option itself updates Vigilæs
workspace view to that of the registered program. The windowæs title bar
displays the time of the last update.
7.3
Search: allows you to search the workspace display for a byte, word,
mnemonic, SWI or string.
7.3
Clear: clears the currently selected word or block of memory.
7.3
Write: this option lets you alter the contents of memory in units of one
word (4 bytes). This is a very useful option, giving all programmers
similar options to those of Basic programmers listed earlier.
7.3
Print: either prints via a RISC OS 3 printer driver or direct to the
printer port, depending on whether there is a printer driver loaded or
not. You can choose to print all or only the selected area of the
workspace.
7.3
Save: this option lets you save all or part of the workspace as text or
raw data.
7.3
The byte display format also allows you to alter single bytes of memory
or type ASCII characters directly into memory. You can do this either by
altering the hex numbers or by typing directly into the ASCII section of
the window. Each time you type a character, your applicationæs workspace
is altered.
7.3
Other features
7.3
(Vigilæs list of features does seem to go on and on doesnæt it?! Still,
it shows you get value for money.)
7.3
You can display all the wimp messages passed to and from your program,
as reason codes and as the messages themselves. Action codes are given,
where appropriate, and each is listed with the time it occurred. You can
also choose only to view certain messages and poll codes. This can be
very useful in ascertaining why your program is or isnæt performing some
particular action.
7.3
There is a centisecond timer which can come in very handy when you are
trying to optimize your code. It can sometimes be hard to tell whether
that last change speeded your program up or down. Now itæs easy to tell.
7.3
You can display the pointeræs co-ordinates in OS-units. They are
displayed as absolute screen co-ordinates or relative to the work area
or a user-defined point on the screen. You are also told the current
window and icon handles under the pointer. All the values can be
displayed as decimal or hex values.
7.3
You can obtain information on any currently loaded relocatable module.
You can display all its * commands and SWIs. You can examine the
moduleæs code or save the module out to disc. From the code viewer, you
can search, save all or part, as text or raw data, and print.
7.3
Finally, Vigil has thirteen SWI calls which give access to many of the
functions available from the main window, plus a few extra. These SWIs
should be called by the application being viewed and developed.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
It is hard to fault Vigil. It is certainly a feature-laden system. If
you find some feature that you need that isnæt present, a telephone call
to Rheingold Enterprises may well result in it appearing in the next
version! Another reassuring fact is that Vigil was originally written to
help the Author develop other packages. Thus it has been used and tested
by a programmer who knew what he needed and wrote the program to do it.
7.3
Vigil costs ú24.95 (inc. VAT) from Rheingold Enterprises or ú23 through
Archive. This price is less than the average computer game and a lot
more useful for anyone into Acorn programming.ááA
7.3
Genesis/Magpie Column
7.3
Paul Hooper
7.3
GenUp Lite
7.3
I will be devoting much of this monthæs column to a review of GenUp Lite
which is described as a delivery system for multimedia applications.
GenUp is designed to overcome many of the problems associated with the
original !Browser application supplied with Genesis. As anyone who has a
network will be aware, Genesis can take an awfully long time to load and
run an application. Also, on a 1Mb machine, the problems of memory
restrictions become critical. GenUp will solve these problems. Yet this
does not do justice to this suite of programs because once you have
compiled your programs into GenUp format, you are able to index them and
use GenUp to run the application.
7.3
The package
7.3
The package contains a loose leaf folder with an A5 manual and two
discs. The first disc contains four applications and a special needs
directory. The four applications are !Bookmark, !Compiler, !GenUpII and
!Indexer. The directory contains applications which enable you to run
Genesis applications using a concept keyboard. The second disc contains
an example of a Genesis application and a GenUp version of the same
application.
7.3
The manual is well written, with a Équick startæ page to enable you to
get the software running. It is also well indexed.
7.3
Compiling an application
7.3
Compiling an application is simplicity itself. A click on the !Compiler
icon will open a window as shown below. It is then a simple matter of
dragging your Genesis application into the window... then go and make a
coffee while it is compiled. There is a sub-menu which allows you to
specify if you wish to compress the target files, delete the source
files and Émake completeæ. These terms are explained in the manual and
should be used with care.
7.3
The compiler will not cope with all of the Genesis script language, so
make sure you only try and compile a copy of the application. At the
moment, the compiler will not implement commands like INCLUDE and CLOSE
although these are promised for a future upgrade. Also, Word, Euclid and
Ace frames cannot be compiled at the moment. Despite these limitations,
the compiled application runs much faster than the original, and with
RISC OS 3.1 and !Squash, a significant compression can be gained. After
compiling the !Churches application from the Swap Shop catalogue, the
size went down from 640Kb to 569Kb Ö a 12% saving in disc space. Faster
access can be gained at the expense of size if the ÉMake completeæ
option is chosen. This deletes the shared resources and compiles them
into the individual pages that use them. This means, however, that an
application that uses a lot of shared resources could actually become
larger after compression.
7.3
Indexing an application
7.3
Indexing an application follows the format of compiling. You simply drag
the application onto the window and wait. You can either use a default
exclusion list or, using Edit, you can compile your own default list.
7.3
The compiled application
7.3
The compiled application can only be run using GenUp II, and if you have
compressed the application, you will also need RISC OS 3 because GenUp
uses the Squash modules built into the ROMS. On this monthæs disc, is a
copy of the Swap Shop catalogue that has been compiled using !Compiler
and a copy of !GenUp II which will enable you to use it.
7.3
What are the differences between !GenUpII and !Browser ? The first and
most obvious difference is the speed with which the application runs.
Even with compression, a GenUp application will run at about twice the
speed of one run under Browser. The larger the number of resources on a
page, the faster it will run under GenUp. In terms of disc space, GenUp
occupies about 40Kb and Browser 97Kb. The real saving comes in the
Wimpslot claimed by the two programs, !Browser claims almost 300Kb,
including the support modules it loads, whereas GenUp requires no
support modules and runs in a 32Kb slot. So a large Genesis application
of 2Mb can be compiled and run on a 1Mb machine.
7.3
Running the application
7.3
The real difference comes in the way the application is run. The icon
menu has three options as well as the usual Info and Quit. These enable
you to save the current state of the application, ÉOptionsæ leads you to
a sub-menu which enables you to reverse the mouse action so that
<select> becomes <adjust>. This means that you can close the previous
page by clicking on <select> rather than <adjust>. On this sub-menu,
there is also a special needs option, which provides a larger pointer
which can be moved between action frames by pressing <tab> and selected
with <return>.
7.3
The biggest advantage of GenUp is its search facility. If an application
has been indexed, <menu> over a page will provide you with three
writable icons in which you can enter search criteria, which can be
linked with Éoræ or Éandæ conditions. This enables fairly complex
searches to be carried out. Other options allow you to save the results
of a search or export resources that are unlocked.
7.3
The remaining programs
7.3
The ÉSpecial Needsæ directory enables you to run a concept keyboard from
either the serial or parallel port. An A4 overlay is provided and this
is based on the Tab and Return of the special needs facility.
7.3
Bookmark is a program in which you can save those resources that you
export from a GenUp application. It can also be used to view a history
file of the application. Many ideas for the use of Bookmark appear in
the manual.
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
GenUp Lite is excellent for speeding up the delivery of Genesis
applications, but a word of caution. It is very unforgiving and if, like
me, you have developed sloppy habits in the writing of Genesis
applications, it will throw them back at you. It is better to design
your applications with the compiler in mind, avoiding all those CLOSE
and INCLUDE commands. Donæt expect to be able to convert an existing
application without a lot of work to bring it in line with the compiler.
7.3
If you run a network and want to speed up applications, GenUp Lite is
for you. If you are running applications with young or special needs
children, the ability to use a concept keyboard will certainly be
helpful. Even for the single user, the extra abilities of indexing and
SuperSearch will make purchase of GenUp Lite worthwhile.
7.3
Price
7.3
GenUp Lite is available from APA Multimedia Ltd. For a single user, the
price is ú79 +VAT but for a single educational user, it is ú49 +VAT.
There are also special deals for site licences for schools Ö ring APA
for further details on 0634-295222.
7.3
The Swap Shop
7.3
I have finished converting all of the applications between Genesis and
Magpie, but I havenæt received any applications for ages. So let me
remind you that for every application you send me, I will send you three
of your choice. The details of the applications are on this monthæs
disc.
7.3
The end bit
7.3
If you have any questions on Genesis or Magpie or wish to swap some
applications then write to me, Paul Hooper, 11, Rochford Road, Martham,
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR29 4RL or phone [phone].ááA
7.3
JPEG Column
7.3
Stuart Bell
7.3
!JPEGit and !JFIF
7.3
Neil Hoggarth, author of !JFIF, shared the surprise that I expressed in
the September column that !JPEGit seemed faster than !JFIF at
compressing sprites. Neil tried, but failed, to reproduce my results.
So, I tested them again, and now I canæt reproduce my own results! At
the time, I expected similar figures for the two programs, so when they
werenæt similar, I repeated the tests to make sure. I can only conclude
that I must have set some parameters differently for the two programs.
So, as one would expect for applications that use the same underlying
code, one should get very similar timings for !JPEGit and !JFIF.
7.3
Neil had also come across the problem with !FYEO with standard
resolution monitors, but points out that you can still use !FYEO to
convert JPEG files to Sprite files, as the receiving application will
convert the sprite file for your particular mode. There remains the
problem that the sprite file is twice as large as you really need.
7.3
Frank Lyonnet, author of !FYEO and !JView, has written to me to say that
whilst currently they only work with square pixel modes, that wonæt be
the case with !FYEO 2.00, on which heæs now working. However, it may not
be Freeware (i.e. PD).
7.3
Quality matters
7.3
In the last column, I reviewed !Creator, !Translatr and !FYEO, and came
to the conclusion that in addition to testing the speed and user-
friendliness of JPEG applications, we should also compare the quality of
results, as not all cjpeg and djpeg routines are created equal.
7.3
I now have three versions of these utilities. In chronological order,
there are first those implemented by Keith Sloan in his !JPEG
application dated 18 Nov 1991; then those supplied within !ChangeFSI
dated 18 May 1992; and finally those supplied with the latest versions
of !Creator and !Translatr, which are compilations of version 4 of the
Independent JPEG group routines and are dated 23 Dec 1992. The big
question is öwhich set is best?ò
7.3
Since all of the JPEG applications except !FYEO use an intermediate file
format, those Éfront endsæ were not used, but rather the different cjpeg
and djpeg routines were called directly from the command line, starting
with the same 248Kb GIF file. Each time, the GIF file was converted to
JPEG format with a öQò of 25, and then deJPEGed back to GIF format.
Finally, !FYEO ù which also reads GIF files ù was used to produce the
Acorn sprite file.  To compare the deJPEGging ability of !FYEO, it was
used to decompress the JPEG file created by the version 4 implementation
of cjpeg.
7.3
It was immediately apparent, even without magnification, that the
results from the öKeith Sloanò routines demonstrated a very strange
pattern in the upper part of the sprite. The implementations of the
version 3 and version 4 routines produced by the Independent JPEG group
were then compared.
7.3
Whether or not it will be clear in print, there is a difference between
the two sprites. I would characterise the latter as giving smoother
shades, with less apparent pixelisation. The conclusion must be that
öfront endsò like !JFIF and !JPEGit would produce better results if they
were recompiled to use the version 4 routines, supplying them with the
full word switches (e.g. ö-qualityò rather than ö-Qò) which they
require.
7.3
Finally, I compared the previous results with the output produced by
!FYEO from the JPEG file produced by the version 4 cjpeg. Again, whilst
the differences are quite subtle, I conclude that the results from !FYEO
are very similar to those of version 3, and that, therefore, the version
4 routines produce the best results of all the JPEG routines compared so
far. However, one must not lose sight of the fact that they are
currently only compatible with !Translatr and !Creator, and also that
!FYEO is both quicker and easier to use than any of the other deJPEGing
methods.
7.3
Mode overheads
7.3
As I can now use !FYEO with my SVGA monitor, Iæve become a convinced
user of this application. Even if the output isnæt quite up to the
standard of version 4 of the IJGæs routines, its ease and speed of use
more than compensate. However, the use of the higher resolution modes
permitted by the monitor has highlighted the problem of the VIDC and the
ARM CPU competing for memory bandwidth. To deJPEG the HCCS ÉHi Peopleæ
sprite originally compressed with Q=25 took !FYEO the following times
(ARM3, Oak 45Mb SCSI):
7.3
  Mode 12: 15s     Mode 15: 23s
7.3
  Mode 20: 16s    Mode 21: 50s
7.3
  Mode 28: 43s    Mode 31: 16s
7.3
The above figures demonstrate quite clearly that it is the combination
of a high-resolution (Ésquare pixelæ) mode and 256 colours that really
affects performance. A further overhead is the extra work required to
produce a 256 colour sprite. With the ARM3 cache turned off, simulating
an ARM2, the mode 21 time was 147 seconds! (If anyone is using JPEG
applications with one of the new colour cards, please do let us have
some comparative timings.)
7.3
Itæs no surprise, therefore, that for putting sprites into JPEG format,
the ability of JPEGit (the shareware ù not PD ù version) to use Mode 0
during conversion is a real benefit, especially with 256 colour modes.
The relevant figures are:
7.3
    Mode 31, into Mode 0 during processing: 35s
7.3
    Remaining in Mode 31 during processing: 40s
7.3
    Mode 21, into Mode 0 during processing: 35s
7.3
    Remaining in Mode 21 during processing: 115s
7.3
These last two figures represent a 70% time saving. Again, the speed
more than compensates for any nuances in the final output: the JPEGit /
FYEO is my current favourite combination.
7.3
MPEG Ö moving JPEG!
7.3
Tom Kirby-Green kindly sent me the two MPEG engines and a selection of
movie files that he had offered. !MPEG is by Paul LeBeau of 4Mation,
with thanks in the !Help file expressed to Roger Wilson of Acorn. Itæs a
port of an MPEG engine from Unix, and makes no attempt to run under the
RISC OS WIMP front-end. Instead, double-clicking on an MPEG movie file
causes the MPEG engine (i.e. the decompression and display program) to
be loaded transparently and the movie to be displayed in what appears to
be a 320╫256 pixel format, centred in the screen. When the film ends,
the image remains and can only be cleared by scrubbing it out by moving
other windows over it. With an ARM 3 and mode 28, the frame-rate is
about one per second. 16-colour modes are faster, but the colours are
strange!
7.3
!MPEGPlay is another Unix port, made by Niklas R÷jemo and translated by
Tord Eriksson. This one does work in the RISC OS environment. The
application can be loaded onto the iconbar, and the display window is a
proper one which can be closed and moved. The application requires
1500Kb, and has to be re-loaded for each new film. Presumably because of
the pixel-scaling algorithm used, the displayed image is only a quarter
of the size provided by !MPEG. The display frame rate is again about one
per second.
7.3
The first problem I encountered was that the two applications assume
different filetype numbers ù either &123 or &01 for MPEG files, so that
the easiest way to run the two engines alternately was to have two
directories of identical files, albeit with different filetype numbers.
7.3
The second problem is the overhead of 256-colour modes, not only for
displaying the movies, but also for loading programs and films. My
rather ancient 45Mb SCSI drive almost grinds to a halt in modes 21 or
28.
7.3
I suppose that I had somehow expected better quality and a faster frame-
rate from the MPEG applications. Perhaps here would be free Éfull-motion
videoæ! But, of course, I should have remembered the constraints on the
performance of the system. In order to minimise disc space (which is
what both JPEG and MPEG are all about ù the HulaHoop application of
about 40 frames runs to only 111Kb), there must be a massive computation
overhead in decompressing the image, and producing each frame. This
computation is slowed down by the mode overhead in 256-colour modes,
caused by the VIDCæs access to memory.
7.3
So, we have rather grainy 320╫256  pixel images and a frame rate of one
per second. No doubt an MPEG application written in ARM assembler,
rather than complied from a C program ported from Unix would show the
same kind of speed improvement that !FYEO demonstrates over other JPEG
programs. Where MPEG does show its strength is in the disc space
required. Forty such images stored in sprite form on disc would take
2.6Mb, not 111Kb!
7.3
As I write this, I look forward to seeing the Acorn DIY Replay system at
the Acorn World Show ù it will be interesting to compare its results
with those of these MPEG engines. But, if DTP was the application of the
1980æs, then Iæve no doubt that video, in all its forms, will be the
application of the 90æs. And what demands that will place upon hardware
design! The ARM3 that runs Impression  II with ease ù and a darn sight
faster than Microsoft Word on an Apple Quadra I saw running yesterday ù
grinds to a snailæs pace with moving video. The SCSI disc thatæs as fast
as one could want in a 16 colour mode hits the VIDC bandwidth barrier
with 256 colours, and 45Mb is looking very small indeed, even with
MPEGæs economy of disc space. Naturally, the computer manufacturers
wonæt mind if we feel compelled to upgrade our machines!
7.3
Now why didnæt I think of that!
7.3
Allan Woods wrote to remind us that you can extract a sprite which
Impression has saved as a drawfile. Simply load the file under !Draw,
select the sprite and, from the Save menu, select Éspritesæ and save it
as a spritefile. Thanks, Allan! Now, who else had forgotten about that
facility? Admit it!
7.3
Finally, if you send me discs via the Archive office, please ensure that
they are 800Kb, not 1.6Mb format. With an A310, I simply canæt read the
latter. Assuming that thereæs anything to report on the JPEG (or MPEG!)
front, this column should appear again in two monthæs time.ááA
7.3
From left to right, the output from the version 3 and version 4
implementations of the Independent JPEG Group cjpeg and djpeg routines,
the output from !FYEOæs deJPEGing of a version 4 jpeg file, and the same
part of the original sprite file. All these samples are printed at 200%
of Éactualæ size.
7.3
The original 640╫480 256 colour sprite, 50% scale.
7.3
Top of the öKeith Sloan ù producedò sprite
7.3
Formatting the Basic PRINT Statement
7.3
Francis Crossley
7.3
Francis feels that it would be good to have more articles about
programming techniques... so he has started the ball rolling by
providing one himself! If anyone has any ideas of articles they would
like to contribute, just drop a line to the Archive office. Ed.
7.3
This article describes how the format variable, @%, can be used to
control the output of numerical information. To understand how to use @%
a little knowledge of the hexadecimal system is needed. Basic recognises
that a hex number is present when it is preceeded with É&æ; characters
permitted are 0 to 9, A to F, representing the decimal numbers 0 to 15.
The hexadecimal system counts in groups of sixteen, whereas the decimal
counts in groups of ten, with A to F representing the six new symbols
needed.
7.3
The format variable consists of four bytes each of which is written as
two hexadecimal digits, it might look like this:
7.3
@%=&00010A14
7.3
The bytes have the following meaning, starting with the right hand
(least significant) byte called byte#1.
7.3
Byte#1:  (14 in this case) sets the print field width, i.e. the number
of spaces allocated to one value. If the values are printed on separate
lines their right hand digits will be in line at the right hand edge of
the field (right justified). Byte#1 can have any value between 0 and
255, written in hex as 00 to FF.
7.3
Byte#2:  (0A in this case) determines the number of digits printed. In
general format (see later) this is the number of digits printed before
the value is printed in exponent form. In exponent form, it is the
number of significant digits before the exponent (E). In fixed format it
is the number of digits that appear after the decimal point (to the
right), note that the number is not padded out with zeros. Byte#2 can
have a value between 0 and 10 (00 and 0A).
7.3
Byte#3:  (01 in this case) selects the format of the number. Only 3
values are legal:
7.3
00 Ö general format. This is what you get if you do not set É@%æ.
Numbers have the form nnn.nnn, the number of digits printed being set by
byte#2 (not counting the decimal point). If the number is too large, it
will be printed in exponent form.
7.3
01 Ö exponent form. These numbers have the form n.nnnEnn, the number of
digits to the right of the decimal point and before the E being given by
byte#2. This is the only form in which all the decimal points will line
up for all values.
7.3
02 Ö fixed format. Numbers have the form nnn.nnn, the number of digits
to the right of the decimal point being given by byte#2. Overlarge
numbers will be printed in exponent form. The decimal points will not,
in general, line up.
7.3
Byte#4:  The final byte sets the format of printing when using the
string operator, STR$(n). If the value is 0 the general format will be
used, with bytes #1 and #2 having no effect. For any other value STR$(n)
uses bytes #3, #2 and #1 to determine how to print the value.
7.3
Examples
7.3
1)   @%=&00010A14
7.3
Starting at the right: the field width is &14 or 20 in decimal; &0A or
10 (decimal) is the number of digits to be printed, since the next byte
is 01 the exponent form is to be used the number could look like
7.3
1.234567809E5
7.3
The left most byte is 0 meaning that STR$(n) would print the number in
the general format, the above number then  appearing as
7.3
123456.7809
7.3
2)  @%=&0102050A
7.3
This time the field width is 10 (decimal) with 5 digits being shown to
the right of the decimal point in fixed format (2). STR$(n) uses the
same format (byte#4 being non zero).
7.3
Note that Basic can display a maximum of 10 digits, the default setting
of É@%æ permits 9 digits to be displayed in a field width of 10 in the
general form; this changes to exponent form for values less than 0.01 or
those having more than 9 digits.
7.3
If you are not sure of the effect of a particular setting of É@%æ write
a simple test program. Using Basic this takes only seconds (well perhaps
minutes!) and is very instructive. I hope the information given enables
good looking tabulated results to be obtained more quickly. If you have
any comments or queries please write to me at 156 Holmes Chapel Road,
Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 4QB.ááA
7.3
Matthew Hunter, here in the Archive office, has knocked together a
program that will allow you to play around with the format to see the
effect of each of the parameters.
7.3
PRINTöEnter field width :ò;
7.3
field%=FNGetNum(256)
7.3
PRINTöEnter number of digits : ò;
7.3
digits%=FNGetNum(256)
7.3
PRINTöEnter format (0-2) : ò;
7.3
format%=FNGetNum(3)
7.3
PRINTöEnter STR$ format (0 or 1) : ò;
7.3
sformat%=FNGetNum(2)
7.3
PRINTöSetting @% to ò;
7.3
value%=(sformat%<<24)+(format%<<16)+ (digits%<<8)+field%
7.3
PRINTö&ò;~value%
7.3
@%=value%
7.3
PRINT123456.7809,456.25600, STR$(123456.7809)
7.3
END
7.3
:
7.3
DEF FNGetNum(x%)
7.3
REPEAT
7.3
  INPUT y%
7.3
UNTIL y%<x%
7.3
=y%
7.3
Satellite Prediction Software
7.3
Barry Haines
7.3
In this review, I will be looking at three satellite prediction
packages. SatPack from Unilab, ArcTrack from Amsat and Kepler from
Spacetech.
7.3
Background
7.3
If predicting satellite orbits are a simple task, there would be no need
for this software. The most difficult orbits to predict are low earth
orbits which is where you find most weather and amateur satellites.
7.3
The track of each orbit changes due to the rotation of the earth but
also these tracks drift due to the earth orbiting the Sun. To overcome
this, a three axis co-ordinate system is used, the first axis being the
north pole, the second the equator and the third a fixed star (first
point of Aries).
7.3
The next problem is determining where in the orbit the satellite is
located which may not appear to be a problem until you realise that the
satellite speed is not constant. This is due to the fact that the earth
is oblate (it bulges at the equator) and also that the orbit is
elliptical and thus the altitude is changing which in turn affects the
speed.
7.3
These programs require a set of elements known as keplerian elements
which give the time and position of a reference orbit and orbit
parameters. If all of this seems rather sketchy that is because a full
description is beyond the scope of this review and would easily fill the
magazine.
7.3
Accuracy
7.3
My first task was to determine the accuracy of the packages. I used a
NOAA-11 pass in the visual spectrum noting the time at recognisable land
masses and the error of the minute markers. Comparing the absolute data
against the predicted data, the sub-satellite point error was within 2
degrees. This gave an aerial azimuth error of 5 degrees and an elevation
error of less than 10 degrees which is acceptable for aerial gains of
less than 20dBi.
7.3
I also compared the results with predictions using keplerian elements
that were 4 months old. SatPack and Kepler were both about 5 mins late
but to my surprise, ArcTrack was 10 mins early.
7.3
SatPack 1
7.3
This came in a box containing a disc, handbook, keystrip and product
catalogue. The handbook started off reasonably well describing the
various menus but then I think the author got bored because the
description of the display modes was rather sparse.
7.3
I ran the software from a directory on hard disc and, after passing
through a couple of boring introductions, arrived at the main menu. All
of this has a BBC appearance which gave me the impression that it was a
straight port from the Beeb.
7.3
I first discovered that all disc access is to the root directory so all
data files for the satellite elements have to be stored here. Next I
decided to input new data and, using the input function, I kept getting
a bad drive error every time I tried to save it. I then discovered you
could use the edit function but as the SMA (semi-major axis) is not
given in element sets, I left this at zero which then gives you a divide
by zero error. Returning to edit and entering zero for SMA after the
elements had been entered, the program calculates it for you.
7.3
Now I tried a prediction by selecting A from the main menu which first
took me to the timing page. Here you enter the date and start time
followed by the duration of the prediction. You then select real time or
stepped time for the prediction and say whether you want hard copy. I
first tried the prediction in tabular form which gives two lines of data
for each step but this scrolls so fast it was unreadable and is only
useful for hard copy purposes.
7.3
Projecting the prediction to screen has two modes, realtime and stepped,
both of which allow you to save to printer or disc. The default is a
Mercator projection which has a zoom mode that switches to a map of
Europe when in range. You also have a polar projection mode again with
the same facilities as the other modes. The quality of these maps I
consider rather poor, lacking in detail and with no colour.
7.3
I found the stepped mode the most useful because you can jump forward to
see when the satellite is in range and the path it takes. However, if
you select zoom you keep jumping to the European projection and just
when you have figured out the satelliteæs position, it has passed by and
you return to the mercator projection losing all previous data.
7.3
All in all, considering the bugs and the fact that it can only handle
one satellite and is not multitasking and the general poor quality, I
feel unable to recommend it. I also feel that, in its present state, it
would not even be suitable for the PD market.
7.3
Arc-Track
7.3
Firstly, the manual was 16 loose pages which made me wonder if the
binder had been lost. Apart from that, it was well laid out covering all
aspects of the program, including customising, such as creating your own
sprites and changing the map colour, etc.
7.3
The program is fully multitasking and RISCáOS 3 compatible. It installs
itself on the iconbar and is completely menu driven. The map is a
Mercator projection with the land coloured green and the sea a dark red.
Pressing <select> over the icon brings up a status window of all the
satellites giving the name and time to AOS (acquisition of signal)
which, on reaching zero, changes the background to yellow giving the
time to LOS (loss of signal). I found this very useful as a quick check
when I had just started the application or was working on another task.
Pressing <menu> over the icon opens the main menu which has the usual
Info window and a Map function in case you close the map.
7.3
The Time function opens a window displaying the current time with radio
buttons allowing you to move back or forwards in time. This is where I
found some bugs, the first being that the displayed time was incorrect
which turned out to be a Éfeatureæ of RISCáOS 3. This is corrected by
configuring Timezone +0:0 which might then require the system clock to
be reset as you could find it one day ahead. The other bug was that when
I jumped 4-5 years, the program either gave an error or crashed. This is
a stupid thing to do, admittedly... which is why I was the first to find
it!
7.3
Once you have set some time and wish to return to the current time, a
single click on the Real time button and you are back at real time. At
the bottom are some buttons to enable you to advance to the next in-
range orbit or when it next passes the horizon but this only applies to
satellites enabled by the Active function.
7.3
The next menu item is Change which allows you to add and delete
satellites and edit the keplerian elements. You can also give the name
of the sprite to represent the satellite as well as how it is displayed,
i.e. only when in range or all the time.
7.3
This function had one very nice feature that the other programs did not
have. If 2-line NASA elements are down-loaded from packet or some other
BBS to a text file, you can leave in the headers and just drag the file
onto the Change window and all the elements are automatically updated
without the tedium of typing.
7.3
Here again, I found a small bug in that when you add three or more
satellites, the program can crash but if you save after adding two, you
donæt waste too much time re-entering the data. This bug is being looked
into but as you will probably only add more than two when setting up for
the first time its not a major problem.
7.3
The final function is the Active menu which allows you to select which
satellite is active and will also open up a tracking window.
7.3
I found this an excellent package and the only real gripe I have is that
there is no hardcopy facility and no way of producing results in tabular
form with full information for future reference.
7.3
Kepler
7.3
The handbook for this program was also loose leaf but as it was intended
to complement the WeatherDesk application, I assumed it was intended to
be inserted in that binder. The manual was to Spacetechæs usual
standard, covering all aspects to a reasonable depth.
7.3
The program is RISCáOS 3 compatible and fully multitasking and installs
what I thought was quite a nice icon on the iconbar. The icon, when
first installed, has Éemptyæ under it, indicating no satellite data has
been loaded but when loaded with elements the appropriate name appears.
To load the keplerian elements, <menu> is selected and clicking on Show
Satellites opens a directory of directories of satellites and I must say
that I did not know there were so many. A simple double-click loads the
data with a window being opened showing the elements. Selecting <menu>
on this window opens the main menu with a number of functions.
7.3
The main one is Predict which opens another window which displays the
date of the data, the orbit period and increment. At the bottom is the
time of the next pass with two radio buttons to go forward or go back in
orbits and finally clicking on OK brings up the map. The map is a
Mercator projection showing the plot of the orbit and a small red square
indicating the current position of the satellite. The countries seemed
quit detailed and were filled in yellow with a white background which
gave it a bright look. At the bottom were three lines of data such as
the sub-satellite point, azimuth, elevation and also the current time.
7.3
Selecting timetable from the menu brings up another window giving the
date which can be moved forward or backwards and the number of days for
the table. Then itæs just a case of deciding if you want all or just
those orbits that are in range. Going to the Timetable sub-menu and
using Export, you can save as a text file or print a table of equatorial
crossings for future reference.
7.3
To update the Keplerian data, you will find editing is a simple task of
pressing <select> on the icon to open the kepler window and selecting
the elements you wish to update. This program provided one feature that
the others did not have for those who cannot access BBSæs directly or
obtain up-to-date keplerian elements. By selecting Update and entering
data from the Weatherwatch UK telephone service, the kepler elements can
be re-calculated from the data supplied. The telephone number and a form
that can be copied is provided in the manual.
7.3
Summary
7.3
SatPack 1 from Unilab costs ú23.77 inclusive and although this was
claimed to be RISCáOS compatible it was not multitasking. The bugs were
so elementary and obvious it makes this the most unprofessional package
I have yet encountered. It was also tedious and user unfriendly with
poor graphics. I feel unable to recommend it.
7.3
ArcTrack from AMSAT costs ú25.20 inclusive which includes a donation to
the upkeep of the amateur satellite program. This was by far the best
package reviewed being fully multitasking and easy to use. Although
their were a few bugs, these should not distract you from what is such
an excellent package.
7.3
Kepler version 1.02 as reviewed here costs ú34.66 from Spacetech.
Although it was easy to use, it did not have all the features of
ArcTrack. Kepler version 2.00 is under development and is due for
release in the autumn. From the screenshots I have seen, it appears to
have all the features of ArcTrack but with more information on each
satelliteæs position. It is intended to integrate with the WeatherDesk
package to automatically trigger the capture of data and then add
mapping details. For those who use WeatherDesk, version 2.00 sounds the
ideal package.ááA
7.3
Pocketbook Special Offer
7.3
We still have some Pocketbooks left over that we bought at Acorn World
93 under Acornæs special scheme so, while stocks last, we can offer...
7.3
Pocketbook Ö ú160 (ú40 off Acornæs price)
7.3
Pocketbook, A-Link, Mains Adaptor & Schedule Ö ú235 (ú50 off  Acornæs
price)
7.3
Please do not send a cheque but ring the NCS office to book one as we
only have about eight Pocketbooks left at the special price.
7.3
Games Hackers
7.3
Andrew Rawnsley
7.3
In the last couple of months, two computer game-hacking utilities have
been challenging each other for first place in the Acorn market. There
is a significant price difference between them: The Hacker is ú5
inclusive from DoggySoft and The Games Wizard is ú30 inc VAT from
Leading Edge / Vertical Twist. They both require more than 1 Mb of RAM
for serious use, although the cheat modules they produce will work on a
1Mb machine.
7.3
Hackers Ö What are they?
7.3
Games hacking utilities operate by sitting in the background and are
activated when a group of hot-keys are pressed together. When this
happens, they take over the whole screen and allow you to search the
contents of the memory for a given number of lives, time or passwords,
etc.
7.3
The search is repeated for a different value, and the results of both
searches put into lists. You can compare these to see what is present in
both, enabling you to find the address which must be modified to
implement the cheat.
7.3
However, the hackers have been developed to allow you to do much more
than this, and come with example cheats for various Acorn games. The
beauty of them is that, unlike most cheats, you can decide just how much
help you want. You can give yourself just one extra life, or as many as
255!
7.3
An example hacking session Ö Killerbugs
7.3
The hacking principles are similar in both utilities.
7.3
1) Load Killerbugs and start the game.
7.3
2) Go into the hacking utility.
7.3
3) Search for the Éwordæ of memory (always use this for numbers)
containing the number 3 (the number of lives).
7.3
4) Store the results in a list.
7.3
5) Go back into the game and lose a life.
7.3
6) Re-enter the hacking utility and search for the number 2 (as you have
now only got two lives left), storing the results in a different list.
7.3
7) Compare the two lists. This should give you the one address
containing the number of lives.
7.3
8) Alter this address to the number of lives you require.
7.3
Easy, isnæt it? No? Well, the manuals to each of the utilities describe
very clearly how to do it.
7.3
On the monthly program disc is a KillerBugs cheat module produced in the
above way. It was produced using the Hacker utility.
7.3
The Hacker
7.3
I should point out straight away that the Hacker is very much more
powerful than Games Wizard. It is a well-developed and well-supported
hacking utility. It has moved from version 3.05 to 3.08 in the time it
has taken to produce this review, and the number of cheats that come
with it has gone up from 58 to 100. Not bad for three weeks! The author
already has plans for version 3.10.
7.3
The Hacker has a mouse-driven interface when you are actually hacking,
with buttons, radio icons and choice buttons, etc. However, the sheer
number of features makes it quite hard to use Ö hence the interactive
help proposed for version 3.10. A quick skim read of the manual is
essential.
7.3
One of the beauties of the software is that it is expandable. External
code can be written to interface with the Hacker and increase its
usefulness. It already comes with extra code to do everything from
ripping out tracker tunes from games to hacking Spectrum games running
on Speculator Ö the Spectrum emulator. No, Iæm not joking!
7.3
Once you have found the address to alter for a cheat, you can produce
stand-alone modules which allow you to have hot-keys to activate cheats
without needing to have the Hacker present. This is very useful as the
cheat modules only take up a tiny amount of memory.
7.3
You can get all of the Hackeræs 100 cheat modules by sending a blank
disc, or 50p, to DoggySoft and requesting them, as they are public
domain. Even the most recent games such as Zool and Axis have cheats.
7.3
The only limitation with the Hacker is that it only has six lists for
storing addresses. This is not particularly serious, as you should only
need two or three for even the most intensive hacking session.
7.3
The review copy also contained some assorted public domain utilities,
one of which, Wimp Extend, is superb as a programmersæ utility and was
used during the development of the Hacker.
7.3
The Games Wizard
7.3
Unfortunately for Leading Edge, this product is overpriced and under-
powered. For ú30, I expected more. It only comes with 38 cheat modules
and you cannot produce your own without writing to Leading Edge who will
then produce the cheat for you. What a palaver!
7.3
The opening menus allow you to set up the hot-keys used to invoke the
utility during game-play. This was quite useful, although the very
limited control over this in the Hacker never caused any problems.
7.3
Probably the worst thing about this utility is that it is copy
protected! Yes, a copy protected desktop utility! You have to insert the
original disc every time you load it. How annoying! Come on, Vertical
Twist, whatæs wrong with a unique serial number in each copy?
7.3
The main Games Wizard hacking screen has a huge sprite across the top
(what a waste of valuable memory!) and a text menu below. (I always like
text menus, perhaps because I still have fond memories of my old BBC!) I
felt quite at home with this, and most of the features seemed intuitive
to use. This may well have been because there were not very many of
them.
7.3
As with the Hacker, you can save screenshots as well as having the
normal hacking options, and the slow-down facility seemed quite
effective after a little trial and error. However, I would have
preferred it if this just slowed down the opposition, not your own
character Ö but perhaps it is not very realistic to expect that.
7.3
This utility has more lists, 16 of them, labelled from A to P. It should
be noted, however, that the way the utility works is such that you may
well need to use more.
7.3
The final straw was the tutorial in the manual. You can imagine how
irritated I was when, after spending fifteen minutes wondering why the
example cheating session was not working, I realised that the tutorial
was wrong. It is based around Gods and, instead of storing the current
number of lives, it stores the number of lives to go. Thus you have to
search for two and then one, not three and then two as detailed in the
manual.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
The Hacker is excellent value for money and I can recommend it
wholeheartedly. Having spoken with the author over the phone, I can say
that, as a company, DoggySoft are helpful and friendly. This is always a
good sign.
7.3
The Games Wizard is over-priced compared to the Hacker. If it were sold
at the same price as the Hacker, it might represent more serious
competition.
7.3
It is probably worth trying both the public domain Hacker demo and a
copy of the Games Wizard at an Acorn dealer before you buy. You may
prefer the Games Wizardæs simplicity and Éno nonsenseæ text menu
approach to hacking.
7.3
If you want the best, I recommend you opt for the Hacker. At only ú5, it
should be in every games playeræs collection.ááA
7.3
Serpents
7.3
Andrew Rawnsley
7.3
The peaceful land of Serpentia has been thrown into chaos by the evil
Saddame (groan!). He has overthrown the good king and brought great
sadness to the land. As Zippy Slippy, Crown Prince and heir to the
throne, you must escape from Saddameæs dungeons and rescue Kiki, Zippyæs
childhood sweetheart. All in a dayæs work for a snake of Zippyæs
pedigree.
7.3
Loading
7.3
So goes the plot to one of Cambridge International Softwareæs better
recent releases. It comes on one disc, and will run on a 1Mb machine. It
has an A4 sheet of instructions which are clear and concise.
7.3
The game has an attractive title screen accompanied by a jolly, and
rather pleasing, soundtrack. After a while, the screen fades away to be
replaced by the high score table, which is permanent, unless the disc is
write protected. Thus you can show your Éall-timeæ high score to your
friends and colleagues. This was a nice feature and showed that some
thought had gone into all aspects of the game.
7.3
An options menu allows you to enter a password for one of the later
levels and redefine keys. You are also told how to turn the sound and
music on and off, both in game and on the title screen. The final
option, ÉSerpukuæ, applies only when you are actually playing, and
causes you to die Ö suicide.
7.3
Gameplay
7.3
The game is divided into eight levels of Saddameæs castle, from dungeons
to throne room, each containing four stages and one bonus stage, except
for the last level, where the bonus stage is replaced by a final
encounter between Zippy and Saddame. On completing the five stages in
each level, you are told the password to the next set of stages.
7.3
Each stage consists of a play-area occupying just one screen Ö no
scrolling here but the graphics are small yet detailed and are generally
of reasonable quality Ö so this is not a restriction.
7.3
The objective of each stage is to devour a quota of enemy snakes, each
of which has different attributes such as speed or intelligence. These
are shown just under the play-area on the left hand side of the screen.
When you have eaten all the snakes, you move onto the next stage.
7.3
Your snake is segmented and can have up to ten segments. You can eat
snakes smaller than yourself by running into them head-on, but those the
same size or larger than you must be eaten from the rear, or side. If
you bite any snake in the neck Ö between the first two segments, it dies
immediately. Unfortunately the same is true if you are bitten by an
enemy snake. Eating an enemy snake or an egg laid by a snake causes
Zippy to grow an extra segment, up to a maximum of ten.
7.3
There are various power-ups available for your snake, which do all sorts
of weird things to Zippy and the enemy snakes. Some give Zippy increased
speed, whilst others reduce all the enemy snakes to a size of only two
segments. There are many other power-ups, plus B, O, N, U and S tokens
which, when collected in order, give you Ö yes, you guessed it Ö a
bonus.
7.3
Presentation
7.3
Each level starts off with a small, symbolic graphic with some
accompanying music. Indeed, there is music for each part of the game Ö
title screen, level intro screens, eight in-game tunes (one for each
level), a jingle just before you start each new life and yet another
tune when you die. I enjoyed the music, which was of a good quality, and
the attention to detail throughout the game is most impressive.
7.3
The my one real criticism is that I would have liked more variation
between levels. OK, the graphics change a little, and the music too, but
there is little variety in the basic strategy or enemy snakes. As a
result, the gameæs lifespan may not be as high as some others. I also
found that Serpents got difficult rather too quickly.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
Overall, Serpents represents excellent value for money, as it now only
costs ú10 through Archive. As Christmas approaches and many expensive
new games are released, Serpents will prove an excellent stocking-
filler, without breaking the bank.ááA
7.3
Pictogram and Word Library
7.3
Hutch Curry
7.3
Pictogram and Word Library are both RISC OS compliant programs aimed
squarely at the education market. According to Kudlian Soft, Pictogram
was specially developed to support Key Stage 1 for data handling and
Word Library is envisaged as having a multitude of educational uses
(particularly in modern languages) up to secondary level. At present
there is a limited period offer of both packages for ú20 +VAT. This
price also includes a site licence. It appears that at some point in the
future the two programs will be sold separately for ú20 each. At the
moment, for your ú20, you receive one disc, a plastic wallet and an A5-
sized soft covered manual of 20 pages. The manual is well-written,
concise and, in the case of the section on Pictogram, provides
suggestions on how the program might best be used in the classroom.
Neither software is copy protected and they will both run from a hard
disc without difficulty. Let us now consider the two programs
separately.
7.3
Pictogram
7.3
This program is designed to assist in the teaching of elementary data
collection, handling, input and display. The role of Pictogram itself is
primarily in input and display as the program allows children easily to
enter numeric data into pre-defined categories and then have the data
graphically displayed.
7.3
After running Pictogram by double-clicking on the filer icon, the
program installs itself on the iconbar. A single click on the iconbar
icon opens a window into which the data will be entered and displayed.
The next step is to choose a set of pictures to be used in the pictogram
construction. Kudlian supply ten sets of appropriate icons although
others can be added. (I was only able to add my own sets of pictures
through my own industry Ö I could find no mention of this facility in
the manual.) The example that I have included in this review uses the
set of pictures labelled Éprogrammesæ Ö which refers to TV programmes.
The idea of a pictogram is that the picture symbolises the occurrence or
existence of one of whatever the picture is supposed to represent.
Therefore the whole pictogram represents the frequency of occurrence of
aánumber of different events or things. In the example shown opposite,
the bottom row of the upper panel shows two pictures of a globe. The
globe was chosen to represent news programmes. Thus, in this data set
there are two news programmes. In the row above there are seven symbols
representing comedies.
7.3
To construct the pictograms, the user has merely to drag the symbol into
the appropriate row the requisite number of times. Following the
pictogram construction, the user can choose to view the data as a block
chart or as a bar chart. Each of these has a more abstract
representation of the original data.
7.3
There are facilities for saving both the data and the graph and for
printing the graph using the standard RISC OS printer drivers.
7.3
In general, I thought the program was quite good and could be used to
great advantage in the classroom. I personally would have preferred the
program to have gone one step further in abstraction and incorporated
line graphs as well.
7.3
I have two small niggles. The first is that the drawfile that is saved
from the pictogram display should include the key for the icons.
Otherwise, the graphs cannot really stand by themselves. The second is
that the Émovableæ flag on the main window is not set which means that
you are unable to move that window around the screen.
7.3
Word Library
7.3
Word Library is a superb little application that displays list of words
and/or phrases, and when one of these is clicked upon, it sends that
word or phrase to any application that has the text caret. If you hold
down <shift> as you click, the first letter of the text will be
capitalised. Word Library is supplied with seven libraries which include
a number of French, German and Spanish key words and phrases. To vastly
increase its flexibility and utility, Word Library allows the user to
construct their own word lists very easily. Input to Word Library is
through standard ASCII text files which are easily generated.
7.3
For special needs applications, Word Library has the facility to scan
automatically through the list of words and make a selection on the
basis of a switch press or Concept Keyboard activation. This works but
is only a very rudimentary system.
7.3
This is the sort of content free program that should find many uses both
within and outside of the educational system. In the short time that I
have used Word Library, I have found it useful for entering keywords and
structures when I am programming in Basic, for entering values into a
limited choice field in a database and for providing template journal
reference formats for inclusion into manuscripts for publication.
7.3
In conclusion, I think that both Pictogram and Word Library have merit
in their intended environments. I believe that Word Library would be
more generally useful to a larger number of users. At the special offer
price I consider these very good value for money. If the price were to
double....!
7.3
Pictogram, version 1.0, 24-June-93 and Word Library, version 1.1 15-
June-93 are available for a special price of ú20 +VAT from KudlianSoft
or ú22 through Archive.ááA
7.3
EFFæs DrawKern
7.3
Richard Hallas
7.3
The Electronic Font Foundryæs small utility, DrawKern, is designed to
overcome a rather ridiculous omission in the current version of RISC OS
3 Draw. Despite the fact that RISC OS 3 fonts include kerning data, the
version of Draw built into the RISC OS 3.1 operating system treats them
as if they were RISC OS 2 fonts and does not allow their kerning
information to be used.
7.3
This means that any text you create in Draw will not have its inter-
letter spacing set correctly. The DrawKern utility aims to correct what
is presumably an oversight on Acornæs part. Once loaded on the iconbar,
DrawKern does nothing until you drag a drawfile onto it, at which point
it pops up a save box. The file it saves out is identical in every way
to the file you dragged in, except that all the text strings which were
previously unkerned will have had the appropriate fontæs kerning data
applied (assuming, of course, that the font you have used is a full RISC
OS 3 font).
7.3
DrawKern supports inter-application data transfer, so you can usefully
have it loaded at the same time as Draw. You will then be able to save a
line of text from Draw into DrawKern and then drag the icon back into
the Draw window, where you will find it has had kerning applied.
Usefully, once kerning has been applied to some text, you can still edit
it in Draw without the kerning turning off again.
7.3
There isnæt much else to say about the utility. It does what it is
supposed to, and seems to work faultlessly. If you have purchased
4Mationæs Vector, you will have no use for it as Vector already includes
a kerning option. I also rather suspect that a future version of Draw
will be updated to correct this oversight but, for the moment, if you
want kerned text in drawfiles, your only option is either to buy a full
copy of Vector or to get this utility. DrawKern costs ú9.99 inc VAT from
EFF.ááA
7.3
Visual Backup
7.3
Andrew Hersee
7.3
Visual Backup, as its name suggests, is a hard disc backup program. It
comes with a concise 18 page manual which only takes a few minutes to
read since it is well laid out with several screen shots.
7.3
For the purpose of this review, I used version 1.01 of the software on a
4Mb A5000 fitted with RISC OS 3.10 and a 170Mb hard disc.
7.3
Installation
7.3
After reading the manual, I inserted the disc into the disc drive and
double clicked on !VBackup. A dialogue box appeared requesting my name.
I obliged and the disc chugged away. After a few seconds the application
was initialised with my name, which appears each time the program is
run. I could now copy the application to my hard disc.
7.3
Start up
7.3
Visual Backup installs itself on the iconbar taking up 480Kb. The first
thing to do is not to click its icon with <select> but <adjust>, which
opens a preferences window. This allows you to specify either a
directory or complete disc to use as the backup source. The window
contains several other options some of which I will mention later. After
entering the name of my hard disc and saving the preferences, I clicked
on the programæs icon (with <select> this time) and the program began to
scan the hard disc. This continued, multitasking, for some time,
displaying its present position in a window.
7.3
Memory problems
7.3
After a while, the program crashed the whole machine. I traced this to
the fact that it had run out of memory. So I rebooted the computer with
a minimal configuration (Font size, etc set to zero) and tried again.
Fortunately, it worked this time leaving just over 1.5 Mb of free space
which seemed too much since it had previously run out of space. So I
tried again with ArcFS loaded since 30% of my hard disc is compressed.
This time it returned with only 96Kb free.
7.3
It turns out that the program will enter any image filing system files
(e.g. archives and DOS partitions) as though they were directories. The
reason for this is so that a DOS partition is not backed up as one large
file which means you could restore individual files in the partition
instead of the whole thing. One of the many options in the preferences
window allows you to turn this off. It then treats partitions and
archives as single files.
7.3
As the program scans the hard disc, it loads any application sprites it
finds which is why it takes so much memory and time. Unfortunately, this
cannot be switched off.
7.3
Selecting files to backup
7.3
After it had scanned the hard disc, I was presented with a view of the
whole hard disc in a tree structure.
7.3
This allows you to select the files you want to backup. Selecting a
directory selects everything inside it. You can also select files using
a search facility or by loading a previously saved selection.
Unfortunately, there is no option for an incremental backup Ö not even a
simple search on date. I also found it quite difficult to navigate round
the viewer. Consider trying to find a line in a piece of text 10,000
lines long using the scroll bar.
7.3
Compression
7.3
Visual backup uses a simple 12bit LZW compression algorithm to reduce
the space needed on the backup floppies. You can switch compression off
for all files or just small files. This may be useful if you use
Compression or any similar filing system. Using such systems means the
data on your hard disc is already compressed and nothing would be gained
by using Visual Backupæs LZW compression.
7.3
There are two disc areas used for compression and decompression. By
default, these are set to the RAM disc for small files and the RISC OS
scrap directory for files that will not fit on the RAM disc.
7.3
Making a backup
7.3
After selecting the files to backup and setting any other options, you
can start the backup process. This involves a single window that shows
you the amount of data still to backup and the expected size of that
data when it has been compressed. The window also prompts you to insert
discs as and when required. It can backup onto any format disc known by
RISC OS which is good news to people with the luxury of high density
floppies. I assume it would also backup to flopticals and maybe even a
tape streamer but Dabhand Computing did not reply to my list of
questions so I cannot say for sure.
7.3
If you insert a disc which is not formatted, you can specify a list of
commands to execute. This feature is set up to format and verify the
disc as a low density disc. Whilst allowing the user to specify any set
of commands is very flexible, it may be a little daunting to the average
user who is used to clicking on Format in the fileræs menu.
7.3
If the disc is not blank, you are asked if you want to wipe the existing
files before continuing.
7.3
The backup process is fully multitasking and may be paused and resumed
at any time. You can even specify the percentage of CPU time to be taken
up, so if you want to continue working on the computer you can reduce
this figure. This would obviously slow down the backup process but make
the desktop less sluggish.
7.3
At the end of the backup, catalogue data will be saved to the last disc
and all the other discs will be 100% full.
7.3
Using a backup
7.3
This is the best part of the package. Double clicking on any of the
files on the last disc of the backup will open a tree viewer of the
backed-up data. You can then select the required files and click on
restore in which case you will be prompted for the relevant disc(s) and
the files will be restored to their original position on your hard disc.
A few options can be set so that this only occurs if the file does not
already exist on the hard disc or is newer, etc.
7.3
An alternative way of restoring data is to drag the relevant files to a
directory viewer where they will be copied. Whatæs even better is that
you can actually run an application or file by double clicking on it in
the tree viewer. This then restores the file to the temporary directory
on the hard disc and runs it from there. After it has run, the files are
then removed from the temporary directory. This means that you could
make a backup of, say, all your music files. Then, if you wanted to find
one, all you would need to do is load the tree viewer and double click
on the file. It would then request the relevant disc, decompress the
file and load it into your favourite music package.
7.3
Alternative use
7.3
If you have ever wanted to transfer a file that is too large to fit on a
floppy, you may have troubled splitting it up into smaller files and
then joining them back together on the destination hard disc. However,
now all you need to do is select the file and use Visual backup Ö it
will do the splitting and joining for you.
7.3
Visual backup comes with a read-only version of the software which is
public domain. This would allow it to be used to distribute large
software packages such as the public domain TeX distribution which is
20Mb in size.
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
I have mixed thoughts about this package. It has tremendous potential
but I worry that it is going to stay as it is since Dabhand did not
reply to my bug report and suggestions for improvements Ö I gave them
two pages of possible improvements.
7.3
The package works well for small hard discs but cannot cope with a full
170Mb disc. Without an incremental backup option and with a price tag of
ú46, I would closely look at the competition. (See Archive 6.12 p73 for
a review of HD Backup_2.)
7.3
If, however, you need to copy large files onto floppies or package
software up for PD libraries then I can recommend this package.ááA
7.3
10/10 Maths Algebra & 10/10 Maths Number
7.3
Peter Patilla
7.3
These 10/10 Maths programs are non RISC OS compliant programs from 10/10
Educational Systems. They cost ú19 +VAT each (or ú24 through Archive)
and a site licence will be needed if they are going to be used on more
than one computer.
7.3
Each suite of programs is aimed at pupils aged 6 to 16 years and
intended to cover major areas of National Curriculum Attainment Target 3
(Algebra) and Attainment Target 2 (Number). The suites follow the same
structure Ö each has six educational games with six levels of challenge,
level 1 being for early maths work and level 6 for more advanced
mathematics. All the games can be played by one or more children. A
clear Parent/Teacher guide comes with the discs supplemented by a Player
Guide which requires good reading and comprehension levels if it is to
be used by younger pupils.
7.3
After using and playing with the programs over a couple of weeks, I find
myself with very mixed feelings about them...
7.3
Good features
7.3
I really like the way the programs can be customised before pupils use
them Ö you can, for example, set starting levels and control the sound.
Although each game has six levels and is played in the same way, with
just the problems to be solved increasing in difficulty, it is nice that
the graphics become slightly more sophisticated as the levels progress.
From the Parent/Teacher customisation option, you can control the level
of graphics you prefer.
7.3
There is the option to practise most games, often at different levels,
before playing the game in earnest.
7.3
At the start of each game, a simple menu allows for several options to
be set, such as speed of game, timer, number of questions and number of
players.
7.3
There are two scoring methods in built into the programs, one to record
the percentage of correct answers (the Achievement Record) and the other
to note both accuracy and speed (the High Score Tables).
7.3
Certificates of achievement can be printed out (more of a motivator for
younger than for older children). I must add that this option created
problems on my setup causing the whole system to lock up requiring the
computer to be reset Ö most annoying! I eventually had to print out via
the Paint application.
7.3
Annoying features
7.3
At the end of each game, words of encouragement, or otherwise, appear. A
very poor score is rewarded with the word öPatheticò; not so worrying in
a game, perhaps, but slightly more so in an educational package.
7.3
The shorthand notation used for the various bits of the National
Curriculum was rather confusing (for example, AT3 Level 4a. 3(i))
although I readily accept that this shorthand can be switched off via
the customisation option. However, I think it highlights one of the most
annoying features of the whole package Ö that of trying to claim or
cover too much. The games within the suites are excellent for developing
quick recall of facts and are motivational when number practice is
needed Ö much better than a page of sums. I worried that some of the
problems did not merit this treatment and, as a consequence, it made the
level of attainment more difficult than intended. For instance, most
children would find Level 2 in the game öCarnivalò on Maths Number more
difficult than Level 3.
7.3
One small irritation was that, when quitting the suites and returning to
my desktop, I found it not as it was left! My font cache had been
reduced from its customary 256Kb down to 32Kb and the Ram Disc icon was
sitting on my iconbar.
7.3
General comments and conclusion
7.3
Overall, the games and graphics score best when they are used to
practise those elements of the National Curriculum which require quick
recall. Interpreting some of the National Curriculum statements of
attainment is a notoriously difficult task and I feel that, on
occasions, the programs miss the intended target and are more difficult
than intended.
7.3
Pupils will have to be rather adept at mouse control to use the programs
and play the games.
7.3
I am not sure whether one suite of six games is a good idea when it is
intended to cater for 6 year old through to 16 year old pupils. This is
a long time to wait for a completed certificate of achievement.
7.3
For me, 10/10 scores 7/10.
7.3
It was tested on an A3000, 4Mb memory, IDE hard drive and Qume Laser
Direct Printer.ááA
7.3
Kimæs Game from Le Computer
7.3
Hutch Curry
7.3
Kimæs Game is a computerised version of the parlour game of the same
name costing ú25 including VAT. For your money, you receive one disc in
a plastic wallet. There is no printed manual supplied, although there is
an on-line manual on the disc. Kimæs Game is Ö according to Acorn
terminology Ö RISC OS compatible, which means that the application takes
over the whole machine. At this point I must admit that I am quite
biased against Archimedes applications that are not fully RISC OS
compliant when they could easily be so. I will, of course, make
exceptions for action games which need the speed and/or memory gains
that can be obtained by running outside of the desktop. In the case of
Kimæs Game, I can see no reason why the program should not have been
fully compliant. As it stands now, Kimæs Game has more the look and feel
of a BBC ÉBæ program than an Archimedes one. To my way of thinking this
is not a plus.
7.3
The central idea behind Kimæs Game is the learning of a list of items.
The difficulty factor in this sort of exercise is the list length. In
this implementation, there are a total of 60 familiar items available
for use. On any one trial, a number of these items are selected for
display. The display consists of a sprite depicting the item and the
name of the item. At the end of the list there is another screen for the
user to enter the names of the items shown. The user is allowed three
attempts for each of the items. At the end of the response entry, the
user is shown small pictures of the items missed.
7.3
After considerable use of this program, I found that my initial negative
response to this program remained unaltered. Specifically, I found that
the quality and clarity of the sprites was variable. Some were quite
good but others were barely recognisable. I did not like the requirement
for perfect spelling for a response to be scored as correct. At one
level, my objection is that the obtained score is not necessarily a very
good measure of list learning as it is quite possible for someone to
have learned the full list of items pictorially but yet be unable to
spell any or all of them. At a more pragmatic level, I would expect that
users who make a typographical error would get annoyed by having what is
essentially a correct answer scored as an error. The solution to my
first objection would require a radical rethink on how the program
operates. A solution to my second objection would be to use a more
intelligent input routine that used a form of Éfuzzy logicæ to determine
if the input was close enough to one of correct answers to be scored as
correct.
7.3
I also discovered that there is a problem with the screen that displays
the missed items. If the name is longer than 6 or 7 letters, the last
letters do not appear consistently.
7.3
In conclusion, I could not recommend that anyone spend ú25 on this
software. There is much better software addressing these same sort of
capabilities in the public domain.
7.3
Kimæs Game costs ú25 inc VAT from Le Computer.ááA
7.3
Primary Nature
7.3
Hilary Ferns
7.3
I am encouraged by this set of Genesis applications, which have clearly
been developed to support and enhance classroom work addressing AT2 of
the Science curriculum. Of course, nothing can ever take the place of
hands-on experience Ö collecting minibeasts and exploring the local
environment would form a major part of the topic. In addition,
significant learning would also come out of group discussion around the
computer and sharing of information with the class. The program is
ideally suited to this way of working, with the children using the
computer as a tool to retrieve and present information. Numerous useful
coloured drawfiles (and textfiles) can be saved to disc, which could
then be used to present work.
7.3
Although nothing is provided which could not be found out from books,
the programs provide significant opportunity to address I.T. capability.
All the information given in the program provides a useful springboard
to childrenæs further research. The collection of species is adequate
providing you are not expecting it to replace an encyclopaedia. Many of
the screens can be printed using standard printer drivers.
7.3
The package comprises three separate programs, each on its own disc. The
Genesis Browser is provided on a start-up disc. All the programs can be
run from floppies or be installed on hard disc. Although the time taken
to load from the floppy occasionally seemed long, it is in fact quite
acceptable in the absence of a hard disc. The various Éclickablesæ and
arrows for page turning are clear throughout. Due to the complexity of
the links in the application, another useful facility is a Ébookmarkæ to
remember pages for easy access later.
7.3
Hedgerow
7.3
The title screen provides a nice animation of a butterfly. (It would
have been quite nice to have further animations throughout the
programs.)
7.3
A picture of a hedge presents itself on the first page, and clicking on
any of the bushes leads to a screen giving information about the plant
and its fruit, and there are three further clickable pictures to find
out about the resident wildlife. The hedge is apparently based upon
findings in a real hedge at a field centre in Leeds. A reasonable
selection of mammals, birds, and insects (including butterflies and
moths) is provided. These also appear in a simple database, (little more
than a set of linked pages), which is accessible from the first page. It
provides easy access for saving drawfile pictures of each creature, but
data cannot be analysed.
7.3
Also provided in ÉHedgerowsæ is a simple explanation of the energy cycle
and food webs and a sheet for you to print out to make your own wildlife
collection.
7.3
Pondlife
7.3
The pond explorer provides many routes to each page of information.
Clicking on the picture of the pond and its surrounds is supposed to
simulate Épond dippingæ. It is a good way to introduce children to
interdependence of species in ecosystems and food chains. ÉCatchingæ a
water flea leads to a picture and information of the water flea, with
further clickables allowing access to the pages for its various
predators and prey. In this way, each child could investigate links
between particular species and share their findings with the class. Such
sequences could be discussed.
7.3
e.g. Water flea Ö Beetle Ö Stickleback Ö Kingfisher
7.3
Pike Ö Trout Ö Snails Ö Phytoplankton
7.3
Food chains
7.3
Again, a valuable tool for children to investigate along their own
chosen path. About thirty species are given as starting points. Clicking
on a name will lead to a display of the appropriate food chain, with
clickable pictures leading to information about each member. A simple
database provides limited facts about each entry. Again, it cannot be
used to analyse the data, but it is a quick way to see what is available
and find drawfiles for saving.
7.3
A screen is again provided to build your own wildlife picture, and there
is also a sorting activity where the user classifies each creature in
turn by looking at such characteristics as fur, feathers, shell, skin
and scales. Photocopiable sheets are provided to support this idea in
the classroom.
7.3
Supporting information
7.3
Photocopiable sheets include ideas and details of practical activities,
as well as black and white printouts of minibeasts and birds. All will
probably be useful at some point. The teachersæ notes clearly explain
each program and worksheet.
7.3
Troubleshooting (Version 1.00)
7.3
Donæt panic, itæs nothing too drastic. When I used Foodchain before
either of the other two programs, all went smoothly. However, if I used
Hedgerows or Pondlife without Foodchain, I experienced a minor hiccup
with loss of the bookmark facility, but I did manage to cure the
problem. During loading, an error message flashed up Ébad filename
.CourseSupæ. The program loaded and ran but a complicated error message
occurred each time I tried using the bookmark facility. Comparing the
command file entitled É!Initæ in each of the programs revealed an extra
line ÉSET FoodChain$dir <Obey$dir>æ in the foodchain application.
Adapting this to suit each of the other programs solved the problem.
7.3
Conclusion
7.3
I am pleased to see software to support Sc2, and welcome this package
into the primary classroom. I have given up commenting on prices, as in
my opinion so many good educational programs are too expensive for the
average primary school where a limited budget has to be moulded and
stretched to supply numerous indispensable resources across the
curriculum. Other commercially developed Genesis applications also seem
to be quite expensive.
7.3
Primary Nature costs ú45 +VAT +p&p from Oak Solutions.ááA
7.3
ArtSchool
7.3
George Barnett
7.3
ArtSchool is a painting program for new computer users who are
interested in art and graphics. Drawing tools can be temporarily
excluded by the teacher or parent, using a separate setup program so
that the user is not confused by too many icons. A built-in help
facility is provided to aid the learning process or as a quick reminder.
7.3
The features of the program are: Pencil and Paint, Shapes and Fill, Undo
and Erase, Patterns and Clipart, and costs ú29.95 inclusive from Micro
Studio Software.
7.3
The program comes on two discs disc one containing the main program and
disc two containing the !Picture Folder (this needs to be loaded before
disc one). I would have it thought it sensible to have reversed the disc
numbers. Put clipart and pictures, a Readme file on disc 1 and the main
program on disc 2.
7.3
The instructions for loading are quite obscure because of the necessity
of double clicking on a picture folder first. A 2Mb machine really is a
must although there are instructions what to do with a 1Mb machine. The
other general instructions are quite reasonable. I gave the instruction
booklet and discs to three fifteen year-old pupils and not one of them
could save their own pictures Ö the saving instructions could certainly
be made clearer.
7.3
When the program is loaded, the screen comes up with the tools on the
right hand side and a help facility which the pupils appreciated. Those
who were used to ProArtisan found this program easier to use and
although the clipart was considerably more juvenile, they enjoyed it and
I think that I would prefer this cheaper program for school use.
7.3
I am of the opinion that the Draw and Paint programs supplied with the
computer are good and adequate but, having said that, few teachers or
pupils seem to use them proficiently. Although the leaflet states that
ArtSchool was written in conjunction with teachers and pupils, I think a
trial in a school would have shown the difficulties of the instructions
mentioned above.
7.3
At the price asked I can certainly recommend its purchase.ááA
7.3
Card Mania
7.3
Andrew Rawnsley
7.3
Having spent many enjoyable hours playing Acornæs Patience on both RISC
OS 2 and 3 machines, I had high hopes for Cambridge International
Softwareæs Card Mania. Since Acorn themselves had shown games writers
the way to produce card games for their machines, I expected CIS to
follow suit.
7.3
To my disappointment, Card Mania bears no resemblance to Acornæs desktop
game and indeed the four games included in the pack do not seem to share
a standard interface, even though they have all been written by the same
author.
7.3
Packaging
7.3
Card Mania comes on two discs, each containing two games as follows:
Disc 1:    chinese patience, cribbage, Disc 2:    2-pack clock
patience, gin rummy.
7.3
The review discs came with no instructions, but with the phrase
ÉInstructions on discæ scrawled on each. In common with many users, I
dislike on-screen manuals, and always print them off for reading and
reference.
7.3
Unfortunately, only gin rummy and clock patience came with text file
manuals, hidden away at the bottom of many sub-directories on the disc.
Cribbage came with a data file which included the instructions backwards
plus a lot of control codes, so you could only view it from within the
game and even though they tell you to print them out and make them into
a booklet, there was no print option! Chinese patience came with no
instructions whatsoever, even within the game.
7.3
All of the instructions included are difficult to understand with
spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Even those familiar with other
card games will not find learning the new ones easy. Not only this, but
the in-built demo modes are far too fast for the new user to follow what
is happening.
7.3
Loading
7.3
The software cannot be installed on hard disc, and the original discs
must be write-enabled, as all the games insist on writing the results of
each game to disc. This proved most annoying.
7.3
The menus for selecting the games reminded me of some of the attempts on
the BBC model B! The two games on the appropriate disc and a quit option
are printed large size in system font, looking very blocky, in white.
You click on the one you want with the mouse.
7.3
The games
7.3
I have never come across chinese patience before so I decided to start
by having a look at that first. There being no instructions, it required
a lot of determined detective work to play it even at a limited level.
7.3
The quality of the graphics is passable, but distinguishing the clubs
from the spades and the hearts from the diamonds is not always easy.
This is partly due to the small size of the cards used in most of the
games and partly due to the colour schemes employed.
7.3
Some of the games allowed you to play against the computer or a friend,
some only let you play against the computer. When you play against the
computer, there is just one skill level (which is not good if you are
learning), except for Rummy, which has eight! In fact, the games seem to
go to great lengths to try and make life difficult.
7.3
In Cribbage, for example, you are expected to calculate and tell the
computer your score. If it thinks you have given yourself too many
points you lose half your score, then the second time, all your score,
and the third time, the game.
7.3
However, if you have under-estimated your score, the game laughs at you
and only gives you the score that you have selected. This is not exactly
encouraging for the beginner and certainly didnæt endear me to the game.
7.3
It is no help either to be told in the instructions that during the
gameplay you can have four Jacks in a row...a total of 40 when the
maximum allowed is 31!
7.3
In Gin Rummy it is possible to reach a stalemate situation where the
computer refuses to give you the one card you need to win the hand and
it cannot Égo outæ with any of the cards you can throw away (i.e. not
already declared) or are available from the pack. There is no way of
getting out of the situation without abandoning the whole game.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
Card Mania is rather a disappointing product. Card fanatics will
probably find the games restricting and hard to play, but may feel the
ú10 a small price to pay for solo practice when human opponents arenæt
available. They may also be more tolerant of the interface and
presentation!
7.3
Novice players and those whose vision is less than perfect will be put
off by the user-unfriendliness and low quality, indistinct graphics (by
todayæs high standards). At ú10 through Archive, Card Mania was not
overpriced, but there are probably better ways of spending the money and
Paul has just told me that the price has gone back up to ú19.95! I
suggest that you look for discs of card games from PD libraries before
parting with the cash.ááA
7.3
KillerBugs
7.3
Andrew Rawnsley
7.3
Between ten and fifteen years ago, a new arcade game appeared. Called
ÉSpace Invadersæ, it went on to be the great-grandfather of thousands of
modern computer games. In the old days, the game was played on a single
screen, with no scrolling, a maximum of eight colours, and it was
wickedly addictive. (Iæm old enough to remember it in black and white on
an Acorn Atom! Ed.)
7.3
Over time, new and improved versions have been released. They feature
scrolling play areas, 256 colour graphics, power-ups and so on. However,
the more advanced the games became, the more they grew away from the
original. (Compare Swiv on the Archimedes to Arcadians on the BBC model
B.)
7.3
Now, as part of its ÉArcade Classicsæ series, Cambridge International
Software (CIS) gives modern games players the chance to experience the
delights of the original Invaders games. For this privilege, CIS are
charging ú24.95. (Now reduced to ú10 through Archive! Ed.)
7.3
The A4 manual sheet doesnæt make out KillerBugs to be anything other
than a pure, unadulterated shoot-em-up. The plot is such as to make it
look like a take-off of the original. The space bugs have invaded and
are trying to steal everything they can lay their claws on. The only
thing between them and their conquering the earth is you. In other
words, blast them before they blast you!
7.3
The review copy came with two applications on the disc, !!Killer and
!!FKiller. The only difference, as far as I could see, was that
!!FKiller has no sound. Why not just put a Ésound offæ option in
!!Killer? The software is copy protected in such a way as to make hard
disc installation a waste of time, as all the game data is loaded from
the floppy.
7.3
The aliens fall into four distinct types: Byrds which are typical flying
aliens dropping bombs on you; Landers and Centipedes are both from the
arcade game, ÉCentipedeæ with Landers travelling vertically down the
screen dropping many bombs, and Centipedes travelling down the screen
whilst moving backwards and forwards across it. The most interesting
type of aliens are the Bouncers, which seem to have migrated from the
public domain game, Ballroom Blitz.
7.3
The game starts with the Byrds being released from the mother ship which
is off to the left of the main play area, and therefore cannot be hit.
They then move out onto the main play area in groups, to be shot at by
vicious Acorn users!
7.3
If the action becomes too frantic, pressing <space> (the keys are
redefinable) gives you a temporary shield. The problem with this is that
you tend to forget to press space until it is too late. You can only use
your shields a few times, as they are controlled by a power bar across
the bottom of the screen.
7.3
You have three lives but you acquire an extra one every 15,000 points Ö
very useful. Unfortunately, running out of lives isnæt the only way to
die. On each level, there are five objects down the right hand side of
the screen and if the Bugs steal them all, you get to see that familiar
ÉGame Overæ message once again.
7.3
After those very memorable blasting sessions, you can enter your name in
the high score table but this doesnæt appear to get saved to disc. What
a shame!
7.3
There is no denying that KillerBugs is a fun game. If you liked the
original Invaders, you will enjoy KillerBugs but, compared to classics
such as Arcadians or Super Invaders on the BBC, KillerBugs seems somehow
lacking in addictiveness. Certainly at ú24.95, it seems very expensive.
If it were priced at ú9.99, like the original games on the BBC, maybe it
would be better value for money. (It is! C.I.S. have dropped the price
and it is now ú10 through Archive.)
7.3
To my mind, anyone wanting a non-scrolling shoot-em-up should take a
look at Ballroom Blitz in PD. It is available on Archive Shareware disc
24. Other public domain games to watch out for are Invaders (requires 2
Mb of RAM) and Desktop Invaders. On the commercial front, Swiv or
Technodream beat KillerBugs every time.ááA
7.3
Compose World
7.3
Richard Rymarz
7.3
Compose World is written by Expressive Software Projects and costs ú48
+VAT (which includes a site licence). It claims to be an easy-to-use
music program that allows young children to combine musical phrases to
compose tunes. The stated aim is to encourage teachers and children to
become more involved in the world of music. As an acknowledged musical
novice, I felt quite excited when asked to review this piece of
software. Maybe it would provoke some spark of musical imagination that
had been lying dormant for nearly 50 years.
7.3
!Compose
7.3
Compose World is fully RISC OS compliant. The manual is beautifully
written and presented and only rarely has to be studied. All
applications and associated utilities are present on one disc and easily
copy onto hard disc. Everything is packaged in a hardy, video-style box.
Clicking on !ComposeW1 installs the application on the iconbar. There is
a second application that allows eight more instruments to be added to
the original voices built into the computer. (Why havenæt Acorn added
more interesting voices to the boring ones built into the operating
system?) Clicking <menu> on the application icon offers the option to
ÉSplit voicesæ allowing all eight channels to have different voices.
Another option allows the program to be used with MIDI which I could not
test. (The program also accepts !Maestro files.) A third option enables
the user to switch the internal speaker on and off. Finally, the user
can define the layout of the three main elements of the program:
phrases, sequences and displays.
7.3
The program
7.3
I decided to leave everything at its default value and clicked on the
Compose World icon Ö I had already added the extra voices. I was
presented with two windows: an empty one entitled ÉPhrasesæ and another
entitled ÉSequenceræ. The latter was divided into 16 empty boxes (more
could be defined if longer sequences were planned) above which was a bar
with tape recorder style buttons corresponding to Play, Stop and Pause.
Further, there was a Loop button, an icon to mark sections of a sequence
and finally a Tempo bar showing the number of crotchets per minute. This
could easily be altered. I loaded a prepared Tune File and chose one of
the twenty seven tunes. A number of pictures in the form of sprites
filled the Phrases window. Clicking on any picture resulted in a short
musical phrase almost inaudibly squeaking its way from my A3000És
speakers. Solution Ö attach the speaker to the household stereo and...
...wonderful Ö a much richer and more rounded sound.
7.3
I then had a great deal of fun listening to all the sounds and
discovered that clicking <menu> on a picture brought up another series
of options including the ability to change the voice and edit it. All
sorts of weird and wonderful sounds can be created in this way and saved
as new phrases. Time signatures, pitch, rhythm, scales, octaves and a
variety of other musical options could be changed. This I felt was
beyond me but many ambitious youngsters would have a great time creating
their own phrases. Even the pictures can be edited, using a very basic
pixel editor, and the results saved.
7.3
ÉComposingæ music
7.3
Now came the moment to Éwriteæ my own music. First, I used one of the
set phrases and, by dragging the desired pictures from the ÉPhrasesæ
window into the ÉSequenceræ window, soon had a tune which sadly, I found
a touch boring. Moving, changing and deleting phrases is very easy and I
improved my effort considerably. However, it still only contained one
instrument and I wanted more.
7.3
Listening to other tune files, I discovered I could add to my list of
phrases. Now I could use more. Soon I had lots of voices and some very
interesting sequences playing in the living room. These were far from
boring. My tune was then saved, edited and could be loaded back into
!Compose with great ease. I finished up Ésingingæ to my composition
having enjoyed myself immensely.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
Usually, when reviewing a piece of software designed for schools, I like
to test them with a selection of the targeted audience. This was not
possible because of the long summer break but I am sure schools will
find Compose World very useful (make sure you can amplify the sound). I
believe there is a history of success for this program, it having
originally been written for the BBC micro. The authors claim to have
enhanced and added to the program to take advantage of the 32 bit
machines found in most schools. Certainly, it achieves its stated aim of
allowing every child Ö and child at heart Ö the chance to create their
own music. What the musical purist will think of it I have no idea and I
am sure that other musical composition programs such as ÉRotateæ would
appeal to them more. However, for the novices of this world, Compose
World is great.ááA
7.3
Tales of Lore
7.3
Richard Rymarz
7.3
Tales of Lore is one of the very few role-playing adventure games
available for the Archimedes. It comes on two discs inside a robust
video style box. The version I am reviewing contains a 16 page manual
that includes all that you need to know. The game costs ú24.95 inc VAT
from UK Software.
7.3
It can be loaded onto a hard disc using a slightly complicated procedure
of altering the !Boot and !Run files. Further alterations are needed if
you are using a 1Mb machine since there are problems when saving a game.
A ReadMe file explains how to change some lines in a particular file.
However, I couldnæt even find the file let alone alter it. Clearer
(correct?) instructions should be given otherwise some game players will
be very disappointed.
7.3
Anyway, letæs get on to the game itself. Perhaps the superb gameplay,
graphics and puzzles would make up for the short comings.
7.3
Preparing to play
7.3
Clicking on !Tales, results in an introductory screen showing a devil-
like creature wearing a loin cloth. Seconds later the desktop is
returned and the game is installed on the iconbar. There is a
configuration option which allows the type of machine to be chosen (ARM
2, 250 or 3); the names of the characters; and whether sound effects are
required. Saving the game is done from here as well and you are
encouraged to do so frequently returning to the desktop by clicking
<select> and <adjust> together.
7.3
The main playing screens
7.3
Clicking <select> on the !Tales icon reveals the main screen. A nice
touch is the heavy breathing that increases and decreases in intensity
as you move. Pictures of your four intrepid adventurers are presented on
the left hand side. Their two hands are displayed, as are three slider
bars representing their health, strength and magic powers. In the centre
is the main playing window and below are directional arrows. Clicking in
any direction is reflected in the main window.
7.3
To the right is a compass which changes to show which direction you are
heading and there is a flag and a tent which toggle whether you are
asleep or not. If you are sleeping (an important strength building
exercise) the main window goes dark and the breathing stops.
7.3
Finally, in the top right hand corner is the Écombat boxæ and shows what
weapons are available for use and allows you to alter the position of
the person in front. Some weapons can be used from the rear but all have
to be in the right hand.
7.3
Clicking on one of the characters reveals his statistics: health,
strength and magic skill; his possessions and whether he is wearing any
armour.
7.3
The game
7.3
The gameæs scenario is that you find yourself under the influence of the
evil ÉBill the Almightyæ. You and your companions bravely announce that
you will investigate the Ékeep on the moorsæ. Having drunk a little too
much you wake up in a dungeon, completely naked and...
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
Playing the game is quite straight forward after you have mastered all
the information and what each function does. All actions are performed
with the mouse. This is my first brush with role playing games and I
quite enjoy playing it. The puzzles are quite easy to begin with
although mapping is essential. However, my well informed sons were not
so impressed. Compared with similar offerings on other computers, all
areas of the game came in for a fair amount of criticism. They did
concede that the sound effects, though minimal, were quite good and
!Tales of Lore was a reasonable introduction to this type of game.
However, they felt the graphics were very mediocre and, for a beginner,
the interface was quite complicated. No doubt experienced game players
would have few problems. Finally, I understand that a similar game from
the 4th Dimension called ÉDungeonæ has recently been released. Perhaps
buyers should compare the two before considering a purchase.ááA
7.3
Bookstore
7.3
Richard Rymarz
7.3
Bookstore is published by ESM and has been available since 1991 although
this review is based on version 1.05 dated January 1992. It is a
dedicated database designed to be used by children at Key Stage 2 and 3
anywhere in school where reading takes place. It attempts to simplify
and make enjoyable some of the more mundane elements of book reviewing
and, just as importantly, allows children to search and read reviews
already created by others. The program comes in a smart, hardback folder
which includes an excellent manual and site licence. It costs ú39.50
+VAT (including the site licence) from ESM or ú43 through Archive.
7.3
The program easily installs on hard disc and contains some sample
reviews. These aim to allow the children immediate investigation of some
titles they may wish to read, as well as show them how to write a
review. The documentation is clear and concise. It is divided into two
sections. Part 1- Teachers Notes Ö includes appropriate references to
the National Curriculum, instructions on how to use Bookstore in the
classroom or library and a step-by-step account of each screen. Part 2
is a user guide and explains how to get started, search the database,
create a review, read a review, edit a review, print a review and create
a new database. All are beautifully written and very easy to follow.
7.3
Creating a database
7.3
I have been using the program since the beginning of this term and to
date (late October) twenty reviews have been entered into our class
database. The children (9 and 10 year olds) found the process easy and
intuitive and it only needed one short lesson to explain what was
required. Creating a review is simplicity itself with the children
moving easily between nine screens each one needing either the minimum
of keyboard entry or just the clicking of radio buttons. This leads to
one of the major limitations of this type of program (recognised by ESM
in the documentation). The options within each screen cannot be changed
and whilst the author has chosen them wisely, the children sometimes
wished they could add their own. Never-the-less, with a little artistic
licence, the children found words that suited or if they wished to be
particularly pedantic, they left certain screens blank.
7.3
Using the database
7.3
Having created a certain number of reviews (ESM suggest that between
1000 and 1500 can be held on one 800Kb floppy disc) searching the
database is very simple. After dragging the directory onto the Bookstore
icon, a window opens displaying the reviews. Large buttons of the
alphabet are displayed at the top. If the letter is coloured red, it
means there is at least one review of a book beginning with that letter
Ö others are greyed out. Clicking on any letter highlights the first
book beginning with that letter. There are four radio buttons at the
bottom of the window: title, author, reviewer and type. Clicking on
either results in the book/ author/ review or type of book being
highlighted in the main window. Clicking on the book brings up the
review which has been condensed from an eleven page entry process into a
three page review. Clicking <menu> on the main window allows further
reviews to be created; the selected book to be renamed; a find facility
that allows any word to be searched for; and finally, the opportunity to
print any selection of books. When a review is being read, clicking
<menu> allows the review to be edited and printed. It is all quite
comprehensive.
7.3
Conclusions
7.3
Bookstore is easy to use, the documentation is excellent and the options
full and comprehensive. In practice, the children enjoyed entering the
reviews and reading them. They can easily search and find favourite
titles, authors and even reviewers. Our class database is not yet large
enough to test how quick the search facility is but I believe the
children will not be disappointed.
7.3
However, there are some improvements that I would like to see
implemented: the system font is the only one available Ö it would be
nice to use an outline font of our choice; there is no facility to merge
files Ö this would be useful where more than one computer is available;
and it would be nice to be able to export reviews as text files to other
programs Ö a word processor perhaps. There were one or two problems:
entering data does take a long time Ö be prepared to tie up precious
time if you want thoughtful results; and, I could not print using my
Laser Direct Ö not too great a problem unless your school/classroom is
rich enough to have such a system available. Finally, one irritation:
the windows do not completely conform to RISC OS guidelines since they
cannot be resized. Never-the-less, I recommend this program as a very
useful tool in a busy classroom.ááA
7.3