Archive Magazine 1997/ARCHIVE_97.iso/text/magazine/vol_09/issue_07

Text File | 1996-03-07 | 321KB | 6,673 lines

Products Available
9.7
3Gb for the price of 2Gb Ö We have some 3Gb external SCSI drives on sale
for ú750, virtually the same price as the 2Gb (ú730). We have two
available, so ring if you would like one of them.
9.7
5-ARM processor boards Ö Simtec are hoping to have development versions
of their 5-ARM multiprocessor cards available by the time you read this
(the boards are due at Simtecæs on 13/3/96). For ú250 +VAT +p&p (ú290
through Archive), you get a backplane which plugs into the second
processor slot on your RiscPC, and into which you plug your main ARM
processor. It then has slots on it for up to four slave ARM processor
cards and one PC processor. Unfortunately, at this stage, the PC side of
it isnæt working properly due to timing problems. The five ARM cards
work together beautifully, but the timing on the PCs has been optimised
so acutely (well, they have to, to get the last ounce of speed out of
them!), that they arenæt very tolerant in cooperative mode. (I see a
certain parallel here!)
9.7
When production boards are available, they will cost ú150 +VAT +p&p
(ú175 through Archive) for the backplane and software. You can then
populate it with whatever processors you wish: ARM610 (ú50 through
Archive Ö while stocks last), ARM710 (ú147 through Archive), ARM810
(TBA!) and StrongARM (TBA!!). (Anyone fancy a 5-StrongARM RiscPC?!)
9.7
Anglia Multimedia have gone live on the Web! Anglia Multimedia are well
known for their CD-ROMs, and now the facilities offered by Anglia have
been extended through a new web site, offering educational materials,
on-line ordering, previews, and an opportunity to join their multimedia
club. Other products such as datafiles and maps, which can be
downloaded, will also be available from the site. The service is
designed for teachers, parents and children at school and at home.
Potential purchasers will be able to view examples of Anglia products
and access information and special offers. News and support areas will
allow users to gain upgrade information, and will also include an ideas
area in which teachers can exchange project information and tips for
using Anglia products in the classroom. The multimedia club is for
parents and children at home, offering a range of opportunities based on
themes in Angliaæs educational CD-ROMs. It is hoped that competitions
and projects will encourage childrenæs participation in the club Ö
membership is free. For further information, visit Anglia Multimedia at:
9.7
http://www.iats.norfolk.gov.uk/anglia
9.7
Cambridge Reading Ö Talking Books are disc-based versions of the six
books in the ÉBeginning to Readæ phase of Cambridge Reading, aimed
mainly at children in Reception/Primary 1. Each talking book is a
computer version of a real book and includes all the text (read aloud),
and all the pictures, each with additional animation. The pages are
presented one at a time Ö unless the illustration is a double-page
spread, in which case the spread is shown as one picture. Children can
use the mouse to turn pages on-screen, to move forward or to re-visit
previous pages. The text for each book is read by a clear-speaking
adult. If a child selects the ear icon, to hear all the text shown on
the screen, they will hear it read using appropriate speed and
intonation, with each word highlighted as it is spoken. The six titles
in this collection are: My Pet; The Picnic; Walking in the Jungle; I
went to School this Morning; A very Hot Day; and What For?
9.7
Cambridge Reading Talking Books cost ú40 +VAT +p&p for a single user, or
ú47 through Archive.
9.7
ClickART, Sports and Games, from Matt Black, is another of their
excellent clipart selections. This collection is made up of 180 colour
images on the theme of Sports & Games. There are twelve categories
spread over four discs including: borders, courts, fitness, flags,
flying, horses, gear, ice & snow, water, sports, flying and icons. The
images are in Draw format and the package includes Hugh Eagleæs PickAPic
application making the viewing and loading of saved images that much
easier. There is also a 32-page printed booklet showing the images, and
giving advice on how to use them. ClickArt Sports and Games costs ú35
+p&p. The pack includes a free school site licence. Purchasers will also
be able to obtain a free disc of clipart worth up to ú30.
9.7
Computer Concepts have reduced the cost of their Impression range of
software, and produced new versions of Édongle-lessæ Artworks, Style and
Publisher. The new prices are: Artworks ú116.32 for single user, ú517
for a site licence; Style ú92.82 for a single user, ú411.25 for a site
licence; Publisher ú151.57 for a single user, ú517 for a site licence;
Publisher Plus ú269.07. To upgrade to Publisher Plus from Publisher
costs ú116.32.
9.7
Through Archive, Artworks costs ú110 for a single user, and ú490 for a
site licence. Style costs ú85 for single user, ú390 for a site licence;
Publisher costs ú144 for a single user, and ú490 for a site licence.
Publisher Plus costs ú255 and the upgrade from Publisher is ú110.
9.7
To exchange your current versions of Artworks and Publisher for the new
dongle-less versions, you need to return your dongle, with a note of
your serial number, and a payment of ú15 to Computer Concepts. So far,
Publisher Plus is not included in the dongle-less collection so,
according to CC, if you upgrade from a non-dongled Publisher to a
dongled Plus, the upgrade price will include a dongle!
9.7
This is good news indeed as there is still no sign of Ovation Pro, but
Beebug are saying they hope it will be available öin the next couple of
months or soò.
9.7
Essential Selection CD-ROM is a free sampler CD-ROM from Yorkshire
International Thompson Multimedia showing examples from some of their
products. Included on the CD-ROM are examples from: Aspects of Religion,
British Birds, Directions 2000, En Marchai, En Route, Inventors and
Inventions, Max and the Machines, The Physical World, Scrapbook, World
War II Ö Global Conflict, and World War II Ö Sources and Analysis. From
the Environmental Series: Water, Land and Air; Climate Change;
Conservation; and Dwindling Resources. From the Science Series:
Elements; and Materials. The CD-ROM can be obtained direct from YITM.
9.7
Heavy mouse balls Ö These are now available through Archive for ú3 each.
9.7
HyperStudio is a sort of electronic scrapbook that allows text and
graphics, sound and animations, video and, in the latest versions,
material from the Internet and other online sources, to be assembled
creatively into CD style multimedia pages called stacks. It has been
designed to support the most inexperienced users, constantly relating to
the way we actually think and learn. Its uses are almost endless e.g.
lively presentation of work, records of achievement, student portfolio
work, records, exam and test results, interactive school or class
magazines, interactive revision notes, pupil and staff information lists
with pictures, etc.
9.7
Although aimed at education, it does have a place in corporate and home
environments, providing a means of collecting and displaying any kind of
information.
9.7
The educational prices from TAG Developments for HyperStudio are: ú99.95
for a single user licence; ú299.95 for a 5-pack site licence Ö
thereafter each new licence costs ú37.
9.7
For non-educational users, a single user licence is ú149.95; a 5-pack
site licence is ú499.95. All prices are +VAT +p&p. Through Archive, the
non-educational single user licence is ú168.
9.7
Loudspeakers Ö Eesox have three loudspeakers suitable for Acorn
computers. The speakers are 12W, 25W and 80Watt models (Peak Music Power
Output), and come with a cable to connect to a mini jack socket. This
means that they can be used with Walkmans etc, as well as Acorn
computers. All speakers are magnetically shielded making them suitable
for use next to a computer. Eesox have evaluated a number of different
speakers and chose these for their good all round quality.
9.7
The 25W and 80W have noticeably more bass than the 12W, but the 12W
donæt take up as much desk space and are the most popular. The sound
quality is slightly better with the 25W and 80W. All speakers have a
volume adjuster, but the 25W and 80W also include a bass and treble
adjuster. They cost ú25 for the 12W (size: 80mm wide ╫ 180mm high ╫
115mm deep); ú35 for the 25W (size: 105╫160╫130) and ú49 for 80W (size:
140╫190╫140), all +p&p +VAT; or ú32, ú43 and ú60 respectively through
Archive.
9.7
Modems Ö Because of the huge growth in interest in the Internet, the
sales of modems are increasing and so the price is dropping whilst, at
the same time, the facilities are improving. The Sportster modems we
sell now cost ú135 for the 14.4k and ú220 for the 28.8k. Not only are
these modems cheaper but they now also handle voice (for ansaphone-type
applications) as well as fax.
9.7
PD drive pricing Ö The price of the PD drive (as used in the Cumana
proTeus) has dropped to ú495 for an internal RiscPC drive and ú595 for
an external drive. We announced this as a öSpecial Purchaseò last month
but, actually, we were misled by our suppliers. This is a continuing
price because Panasonic have dropped their prices.
9.7
Praktikum Ö Since Archive went on-line on the net, we have had a lot of
useful contact with a number of companies in the UK and overseas.
Praktikum came to our attention through contact with Feldner & Braun
Software, Germany.
9.7
Praktikum is a formula-based program for processing numerical series.
Its advantages show especially when a formula is used many times with
different entries (e.g. tables of functions, processing of data series
from scientific experiments). Praktikum does not work in a matrix
representation mode as spreadsheet programs do, but all the given data
is held in named variables and referred to under these names in the
formulae. Here a variable can be a whole series of data from an
experiment or it can be defined as a formula depending on other
variables. The variables can then be presented in either tables or
graphs.
9.7
Graphs can be exported as drawfiles. Tables can be exported as CSV, TSV
or TeX files. Formulae can be exported as TeX source code. Formulae
(including automatically generated ones) can be imported as text files,
and data series as CSV files.
9.7
As yet, we do not have any pricing information on this product, but you
can find out more by browsing their web site at: http://www.acorn.co.uk/
acorn/university/praktikum
9.7
Serial switch Ö As an alternative to adding an extra serial port (ú92
and it takes up one precious podule slot), how about a serial switch box
for ú25 through Archive? This product was born out of necessity Ö having
started using a Pocket Book, the A-Link became an essential connection
to the Editoræs computer as well as the modem!
9.7
Smudge is the central character in a number of stories from Storm
Educational Software, aimed at the 5+ age group. Already in the
collection are: Smudge the Spaniel (looking at mathematics, English,
number recognition, sequencing, adding counting and multiplication);
First Words with Smudge (looking at spelling, letter shapes and
writing); and Smudge the Scientist (looking at Science). Two new titles
are now available. Smudge Discovers the World is designed to equip
children with basic geographical skills; in part one, Smudge looks at
different types of housing in villages, towns and cities Ö discovering
the UK and Europe. In part two, compass co-ordinates and mapping skills
are introduced. Smudge Punctuates deals with English punctuation. Itæs a
graded package designed for 5-9 year olds, helping to show that
punctuation makes written work interesting and enjoyable. Smudge is
suitable for school or home use.
9.7
Smudge Punctuates costs ú34.99 +p&p or ú35 through Archive. Smudge
Discovers the World costs ú45.99 +p&p or ú45 through Archive.
9.7
Speak was reviewed in the March edition of Archive (9.6 p8), where the
reviewer suggested that the only thing it lacked was a spell checker.
Well, it now has one. It even uses the pronunciation information in the
speak module to help produce a list of similar sounding words to a given
word. It seems considerably better at finding words from a Ésounds likeæ
mis-spelling than any other RISC OS product Ö confirmed by tests run by
Ted Pottage of the British Dyslexia Association computer committee. It
deals with typographical errors in the usual way. According to its
author, Jonathan Duddington, Speak is constantly under development and
he hopes to announce other improvements in the near future. Toáupgrade
from earlier versions, send the original disc with a 25p stamp for
return postage, to: JonathanáDoddington, 6a Old Mill Avenue, Coventry
CV4á7DY.
9.7
Studio24Pro is a new version of Pineapple Softwareæs much respected
bitmap program. Among the new features is the ability to move, scale,
rotate and edit Draw-type objects as though they were in a vector
graphics program Ö the same applies to text. There are more filters and
effects available, texture generation, more brush options, improved use
of colour channels, and much much more. For a full review, see last
monthæs magazine (9.6 p43). At the moment, the manuals for Studio24Pro
are not yet finished but, as a special offer, Pineapple are offering
Studio24Pro free if you buy Studio24 Ö this will only last until the new
manuals are printed. You will receive a copy of the manual once itæs
finished, and then there will be a new price for the Pro package. Until
then, the price of Studio24 (with Pro) is ú125 +VAT +p&p or ú140 through
Archive.
9.7
PC CD-ROMs Ö There should be some interesting developments with PC CD-
ROMs over the next few months! Using a PC-to-Acorn Reader, Innovative
Media Solutions have already managed to read a number of PC CD-ROMs;
some, apparently, actually work faster with the Reader than on native PC
architecture. So far, the following titles are available: from the
Dorling Kindersley range: PBáBearæs Birthday Party ú33.19 +VAT +p&p; and
The Way Things Work ú42.90 +VAT +p&p, and from the Microsoft Home
Series: Dinosaurs, and Musical Instruments, at ú39 +VAT +p&p each, or
ú46 through Archive. (These were reviewed in Archive 9.6 p67.) Other
titles will be available throughout the rest of the year. (Ancient Lands
and Dangerous Creatures, also at ú39 +VAT +p&p each, or ú46 through
Archive, should be available by the time you read this.)
9.7
Photobase Primary Images is another in the collection of Photobase
images from Longman Logotron. Images cover over 30 categories including
Environment, Entertainment, Birthplaces, Pets, History and People. Each
photograph is accompanied by a brief description, and keywords which
will enable users to retrieve images related to a specific topic. The
images have been chosen for their quality and relevance to the Primary
National Curriculum. The idea is to allow children to compare a wide
range of images with their own environment and gain experience in
searching and classifying information. The images included were
considered to be the best from entries in a photographic competition
organised by MAPE (Micro and Primary Education). All the images are
copyright free. The CD-ROM costs ú52 +VAT +p&p, or ú60 through Archive.
9.7
QuickLynk, from Desktop Projects, provides a useful way of transferring
data from one RISC OS computer to another. The package comprises one
disc of software and 5 or 10 metres of cable for linking the two
computers. Once attached to the serial port, either by the local cabling
or remotely via a modem, QuickLynk allows users to transfer files to and
fro quickly and easily. For security, there is a password system which
prohibits access by unauthorised users. The QuickLynk software on its
own costs ú28; with 5 metres of cable ú34; and with 10 metres of cable
ú39. All prices are +VAT. Through Archive, the software on its own costs
ú32; with 5 metres of cable ú38; and with 10 metres of cable ú44.
9.7
SignalBox is a computer simulation of the Kidderminster signal box, with
a selection of different timetables, fully functional interlocking on-
screen clock and a display of your score, updated at every mistake! A
cut-down version was distributed on the Archive monthly disc (9.5). The
full version costs ú25 and part of the money will be donated to the
Severn Valley Railway. Available from: C K Hall, 3áRockleaze Court,
Sneyd Park, Bristol BS9 1NN.
9.7
Simple Circuits is a combined software and hardware product designed to
teach children the basic fundamentals of electricity and simple electric
circuits, based on the requirements of Key Stage 2 (science) of the
National Curriculum. Children build circuits from the software, and
answer questions about their findings. Camboard Technology, the
designers of Simple Circuits, have now introduced a new low cost site
licence for primary schools. The new site licence costs ú49.95 +VAT and
includes one hardware pack. The single user price is still ú20.95 +VAT.
Single users can upgrade to a site licence for ú20 +VAT. More
information can be obtained by writing to Camboard Technology or
visiting their web pages at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com:80/
homepages/camboard/
9.7
Tele-card is a standard Acorn format expansion card which carries tuning
and decoding circuitry to allow the reception of television signals and
display of teletext pages. As well as delivering decoded teletext pages
directly into the computer, it can supply audio and video signals
suitable for feeding into domestic entertainment systems, video
recorders, video digitisers and many computer monitors. XOB, the company
behind Tele-Card, have added some new features to their system. The
first is an application which allows sub-titles to be grabbed in real
time and accumulated as text files. The second is an application which
shows how teletext is received in real time, line by line. This allows
users to investigate the way some of the newer teletext services are
being implemented, including Program Delivery Control.
9.7
A single user system costs ú152 +VAT +p&p or ú175 through Archive. The
network version costs ú342 +VAT +p&p. Existing users can get a free
upgrade from XOB.
9.7
Virtualise is Claresæ new virtual memory management application. It will
benefit users of ProArt 24 and Composition who have less than 16Mb of
DRAM. It will also help users of programs which utilise Dynamic Memory,
such as Publisher and ImageFS. The updated versions of ProArt 24
(version 1.02) and Composition (version 1.02) now have support for
Virtualise. Prices are: for ProArt 24 ú169.95; the upgrade from ProArt2
or ProArt2CD is ú49.95; to upgrade from any other art package is ú85.00.
All prices include VAT and p&p. Through Archive, the price for ProArt 24
is ú160.
9.7
Composition costs ú169.95; the price for ProArt 24 owners is ú85.00; the
price for owners of other art packages is ú99.95 All prices include VAT
and p&p. Through Archive, the price for Composition is ú160.
9.7
Virtualise costs ú24.95 from Clares or ú24 through Archive.
9.7
Yellowstone will be shipping some new products by the end of March.
9.7
UltraSCSI3 is a state-of-the-art SCSI controller card for the RiscPC. It
supports the latest SCSI-3 specification, using 32-bit transfers and DMA
access to give performance of up to 7Mb/s using asynchronous SCSI
transfers and 8Mb/s using synchronous ones. The UltraSCSI3 controller
can be used with up to seven SCSI devices and supports SCSI, SCSI-2,
Fast SCSI-2 and SCSI-3 standards. UltraSCSI3 costs ú165 +VAT +p&p or
ú190 through Archive.
9.7
DesktopTV is a modular audio multimedia card, incorporating a complete
television receiver and audio processor. The video digitizer has been
specifically designed to provide full motion colour desktop video at
full frame rate for smooth display of TV pictures. The latest one-chip
front end digital colour decoder from Phillips is used as the basis for
the digitizer Ö brightness, contrast, saturation and hue are controlled
in real time. DesktopTV cost ú165 +VAT +p&p or ú190 through Archive.
9.7
Already available is Mozart, a 16-bit digital sound card with a four-
channel mixer. This enables sound from two sources to be mixed with 8-
bit sound produced on the motherboard by VIDC, along with the sound
output from the 16-bit sound circuit. The 16-bit audio circuit
incorporates over-sampling techniques along with a digital tracking
filter. Mozart costs ú59.95 +VAT +p&p or ú69 through Archive.
9.7
Review software received...
9.7
We have received review copies of the following: ÅStrike (eg),
ÅEssential Selection CD (e), ÅBeginning to Read (e), ÅArcVenture IV Ö
The Anglo Saxons (e), ÅElf Tales (e), ÅESP Midi Synthesiser (m), ÅNelson
and his Navy (e), ÅSignalBox (?), QuickLynk (u).
9.7
e=Education, g=Game, u=Utility.
9.7
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.áuá
9.7
4Mation  14 Castle Park Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
8PA. (01271¡25353) [01271¡22974] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Abacus Training  29 Okus Grove, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wilts, SN2 6QA.
(01793¡723347) [01793¡723347]
9.7
Acorn Computers Ltd  Acorn House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB4
4AE. (01223¡254254) [01223¡254262]
9.7
Acorn-by-Post  13 Dennington Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BR.
(01933¡279300)
9.7
  Peter Goater
9.7
Acorn Risc Technologies  Cambridge Technopark, 645 Newmarket Road,
Cambridge, CB5 8PB. (01223-577800) [01223-577900] <sales@applied-risc-
tech.co.uk>
9.7
Alsystems (p7)  47 Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire, GU34
5HG. (01420¡561111) <[e-mail]>
9.7
Alternative Publishing  Suite 1, Pentagon House, 38 Washington Street,
Glasgow, G3 8AZ. (0141¡248¡2322) [0141¡248¡3638]
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Anglia Multimedia  Anglia House, Norwich, NR1 3JG. (01603¡615151)
[01603¡631032]
9.7
APDL  39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London, SE26 5RN.
9.7
Apricote Studios  2 Purls Bridge Farm, Manea, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0ND.
(01354¡680432)
9.7
Base5 Technical Graphics  P.O. Box 378, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4DF.
(01483¡761197)
9.7
Camboard  P.O.Box416, Cambridge, CB3 7YS. (01223¡264512) [01223¡264512]
<101320,[e-mail]>
9.7
Clares Micro Supplies  98 Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich,
Cheshire, CW9 7DA. (01606¡48511) [01606¡48512]
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Computer Concepts  Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 6EX.
(01442¡351000) [01442¡351010]
9.7
Datafile  71 Anson Road, Locking, Weston¡super¡Mare, Avon, BS24 7DQ.
(01934¡823005) <[e-mail]>
9.7
Desktop Projects Ltd  Unit 2A, Heapriding Business Park, Ford Street,
Stockport, SK3 0BT. (0161¡474¡0778) [0161¡474¡0781]
9.7
Eesox  Suite 8C, Newton House, 147 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge,
CB3 7QJ. (01954¡212263) [01954¡212263]
9.7
Innovative Media Solutions  P.O.Box 332, Bristol, BS99 7XL.
(0117¡979¡9979) [0117¡979¡9979] <enquire@ims¡bristol.co.uk>
9.7
Jonathan Duddington  6a Old Mill Avenue, Coventry, CV4 7DY.
(01203¡415535)
9.7
Longman Logotron  124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4
4ZS. (01223¡425558) [01223¡425349] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Matt Black  6 Henry Court, Henry Street, Peterborough, PE1 2QG.
(01733¡315439)
9.7
Neutron Software  Birch Tree House, The Street, Petham, Canterbury,
Kent, CT4 5QU. (01227¡700516)
9.7
Octopus Systems  9 Randwell Close, Ipswich, IP4 5ES. (01473¡728943)
[01473¡270643] <[e-mail]> <http://www.thenet.co.uk/
octopus/>
9.7
Oregan Developments  36 Grosvenor Avenue, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield,
B74 3PE. (0121¡353¡6044) [0121¡353¡6472] <[e-mail]>
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Pineapple Software  Suite13, South Park Business Centre, 310 Green Lane,
Ilford, Essex IG1 1XT. (0181¡599¡1476) [0181¡598¡2343]
<[e-mail]>
9.7
Repair Zone  421 Sprowston Road, Norwich, NR3 4EH. (01603¡400477)
9.7
SEMERC  1 Broadbent Road, Watersheddings, Oldham, OL1 4LB.
(0161¡627¡4469)
9.7
Sherston Software  Angel House, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts. SN16 0LH.
(01666¡840433) [01666¡840048] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Simtec Electronics  Avondale Drive, Tarleton, Preston, PR4 6AX.
(01772¡812863) [01772¡816426]
9.7
Storm Educational Software  Coachmanæs Quarters, Digby Road, Sherbourne,
Dorset, DT9 3NN. (01935¡817699) <[e-mail]>
9.7
TAG Developments Ltd  Unit 5B, Callywhite Lane Industrial Estate,
Dronfield, Sheffield, S18 6NS.
9.7
Warm Silence Software  St Catherineæs College, Manor Road, Oxford, OX1
3UJ. (0585¡487642) <[e-mail]> (Robin Watts)
9.7
Yellowstone Educational Solutions  Welbeck House, Welbeck Road, Luton,
Beds. LU2 0HD. (01582¡584828) [01582¡562255]
9.7
Yorkshire International Thompson Multimedia  Television Centre, Leeds,
LS3 1JS. (0113¡243¡8283) [0113¡243¡48840] <[e-mail]>
9.7
Archive Monthly Disc
9.7
u Utility from Ian Clark to limit access to <f12> and <ctrl-f12> Ö
useful in schools!
9.7
u CMOS utility Ö see Hints & Tips, page 18.
9.7
uáBBC & Spectrum Emulator screenshots + compatibility list Ö Alex Card Ö
page 73.
9.7
u Files from Gerald Fittonæs Column Ö page 37.
9.7
u Heard on the Net Ö A selection of information pulled off the Internet,
including: StrongARM for speech recognition, specs and views of
StrongARM, news about the NetSurfer, info on Acorn videophones,
networking products from ART, etc.
9.7
u Starting Basic programs from Ray Favre Ö see page 64.
9.7
u Current Archive web site Ö so that you can see what youære missing if
youære not on the net!
9.7
u Version 1.7 of Keith Sloanæs WMF->draw (we didnæt get it in time for
last monthæs disc) plus various other vector file conversion utilities.
9.7
Government Health Warning Ö Reading this could seriously affect your
spiritual health
9.7
You know, it must be really frustrating, sometimes, being a programmer.
You spend hours and hours working on your program and then people
complain that itæs got a bug! They donæt notice the 99 other bugs that
you sweated so hard to remove Ö they just complain about the one measly
little bug thatæs actually more of a Éfeatureæ than a bug! No wonder
programmers get defensive about their programs Ö I would!
9.7
To make matters worse, some of the Ébugsæ are not bugs at all Ö just
Éfinger troubleæ on the part of the user. They donæt use the program in
the way that you tried to tell them, and then they complain that it
doesnæt work. öManual?ò they say, öNo, I havenæt got time to read the
manual!ò The four-letter word, RTFM, springs to mind... but you resist.
9.7
You know, it must be really frustrating, sometimes, being God! You spend
all your time trying to minimise the mess that the world has got itself
into, and then people point the finger at you and say, öCall yourself a
God of love? Why do you allow all this suffering then?ò They donæt
notice all the people you inspire to work in the caring professions.
They may notice Mother Teresa, but they donæt notice all the other
unsung hero(ine)s working for peace, justice, love and freedom. And they
donæt notice your invisible messengers whom you sometimes instruct to
prevent some of the worst disasters happening. (If you donæt think
angels are at work in the 1990æs, read ÉAngelsæ by Hope Price.)
9.7
To make matters worse, they accuse you of being responsible for some of
the mess which is actually caused by human beings not doing things the
way the manual tells them. öBible? No, I havenæt got time to read the
Bible!ò, they say.
9.7
If God doesnæt exist then, fine, Iæll shut up and leave you alone, but
if he does, it might not be a very clever idea to ignore him or, worse
still, to say itæs all his fault anyway. (öHe could make it right, so
itæs his fault for not doing so.ò) All I ever ask here in my Godslot is
that you donæt assume you have all the answers and that you check out
about Jesus. Who was this guy? What did he say? Did he really die and
then come back to life, as Christians claim? Check it out Ö it canæt do
you any harm to read a Gospel or two!
9.7
P.B.
9.7
Paul Beverley
9.7
Acorn is dead! Long live Acorn!!
9.7
Acorn have just posted a 12 million pound loss for 1995 and, if the
Apple press are to be believed (I did say ÉIFæ), Apple UK has Étaken
overæ Acorn Education, and RISCáOS developers are being encouraged to
port their software to MacOS. Is this the end of RISCáOS? Is this the
end of life as we know it? Not a chance!
9.7
Things in the Acorn world have never been so full of promise. If you
donæt believe me, read this magazine and then try to tell me you think
Acorn is dead. I think that 1996 is set to be one of Acornæs most
exciting years to date Ö they might even make a profit! Certainly, the
Acorn share price (see page 9) isnæt suggesting the death of Acorn, and
a US institutional investor is reported to have just bought ú9.5 million
worth of Acorn shares reducing Olivettiæs stake to 48% Ö someone thinks
Acorn is a company worth buying into!
9.7
Or try talking to the Acorn employees and see what they think. You will
find that the atmosphere at Acorn House and Ditton House is very
bullish. They feel that Acorn has been set free by David Lee, the new
MD, to do what it is good at Ö innovating!
9.7
Northern Spring Acorn Show?
9.7
On 7th February, Chris Cox visited the Wakefield Acorn Computer Group.
They were bemoaning the demise of the Acorn User Spring Show at
Harrogate. öWhy donæt you organise one yourself?ò said Chris. By 26th
February, the venue and date had been set and 35 companies had booked up
for the Wakefield Show! Now, does that sound to you as if the Acorn
market is dying on its feet? Not to me it doesnæt!
9.7
Interesting times! Watch this space...
9.7
Fact-File
9.7
Key: (phone)áá[fax]áá<net>
9.7
Norwich Computer Services    96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich, NR2 2SD.
(01603-766592) [01603-764011]
9.7
<[e-mail]>  OR  <[e-mail]>  OR
<[e-mail]>
9.7
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/
9.7
Alsystems
9.7
From 9.6 page 11
9.7
Acorn-Apple Joint Venture
9.7
Paul Beverley
9.7
Part of an editoræs job is not just to tell the latest news, but to
comment on it. However, in the case of the Apple/Acorn Joint Venture
(JV), I find it difficult to know what to say because it is all
happening so rapidly that I am hardly able to digest it.
9.7
The basic facts are that on Tuesday 13th February, 1996, Apple and Acorn
together announced that, from 2nd April, the two companies would be
forming a 50/50 joint venture company to market Apple and Acorn kit into
schools.
9.7
The reaction from the US Mac press was nil, while the UK Mac press
rubbed its hands with glee saying that Acornæs educational market had
been Étaken overæ by Apple.
9.7
The reaction on the net, for the first 24 hours or so, was certainly
doom and gloom, but as people had a chance to think about the
implications, instead of just reacting instinctively, the mood
lightened.
9.7
Anyway, so that you can judge for yourself, the joint Acorn/Apple press
release is reproduced on page 10. But, before you read it, remember that
it is not directed primarily at Acorn people but at outsiders, many of
whom wonæt even know what RISCáOS is, let alone how good it is.
9.7
What does it mean?
9.7
Is this the end of RISCáOS as we know it? Are all Acorn developers being
asked to abandon RISCáOS and move to MacOS? In a word, the answer is NO.
What evidence do I have and why should you believe me? I have to be
careful what I say publicly, because Iámust avoid breaking confidences Ö
although I am not under any specific NDAs. So let me just give you a few
facts, most of which are in the public domain, that might help to show
why I am so confident about the future of RISCáOS.
9.7
(1) The new JV is going to be staffed by 45 people from Acorn and 5 from
Apple.
9.7
(2) The Netsurfer products demonstrated by Oracle in San Francisco at
the end of February are RISCáOS devices which ART are developing at
Oracleæs request Ö and being well paid for it! The technology thus
developed remains the property of Acorn and can be used to make Acorn
RISCáOS Netsurfer computers, if they so wish.
9.7
(3) Acorn Risc Technologiesæ publicly stated Business Mission is:  To
allow ARTæs business partners to commercially exploit RISC-based
technology by offering cost and time-to-market advantages through
technological innovation (italicsáadded). Their strength is not in
PowerPC but in Acorn RISC products.
9.7
(4) If you look at the products available from ART, as advertised on
their new web site (see page 11), they include a RISCáOS sub-notebook
and a RISCáOS portable with an A4 touchscreen. Both these are real
products which I have seen and touched in prototype form, although they
are yet to be turned into full production run devices and both require
developments of RISCáOS.
9.7
(5) ART are licensing RISCáOS software and hardware to a huge range of
different companies worldwide.
9.7
(6) Online Media has recently become Acorn Online Media, Applied Risc
Technologies has become  Acorn Risc Technologies and the newly formed
division is Acorn Network Computing.
9.7
(7) ART are advertising RiscPCs on their web site as öavailable with
610, 710, 810* and StrongARM* processorsò, where * says öin
preparationò. The 810 will give a speed increase over the 610/710 of 2
to 3 times and the StrongARM improves on the 610/710 by a factor of
between 3 and 10 times depending on configuration. (See page 25.)
9.7
(8) ART are busy developing StrongARM upgrade cards for RiscPC which
means they need an upgraded version of RISCáOS.
9.7
(9) ART are developing RISCáOS-based point-of-sale display systems:
closed boxes for displaying public multimedia information including MPEG
video at very low cost (set-top box-related products).
9.7
(10) ART are actively trying to sell RISCáOS itself, as a licensable
technology, as well as Replay, Font Manager, MPEG code, etc, etc.
9.7
No company is going to make public statements such as, öAcorn will
continue to develop RISCáOS, and products based on it, for the next 4-5
yearsò but, from what you have read so far, does it really sound as if
they are giving up on RISCáOS and moving over to MacOS?
9.7
All change to Mac OS?
9.7
People have noticed that the press release says that developers will be
given help to port their programs over to MacOS and are panicking and
saying that RISCáOS is being abandoned. First of all, it also says öto
the Mac OS platform and the emerging technologies connecting to the
information superhighwayò. That sounds like two-way traffic to me
because öthe emerging technologiesò are RISCáOS-based!
9.7
Secondly, think about the small amount of good (UK) educational material
for MacOS and compare it with the mountain of Acorn material. How many
schools are going to want to move over to MacOS for educational
material? Admin, maybe, but not education.
9.7
Thirdly, how many Acorn educational developers are really going to fight
with the wooden, pseudo-multitasking OS that is MacOS? (Read Richard
Rymarzæs review of ÉGuardians of the Greenwoodæ CD on page 19 and then
ask yourself if it is likely that top education houses, like 4Mation,
will go over to developing for MacOS Ö PC maybe, but not MacOS.)
9.7
No, this is not about Acorn selling their Éthe family silveræ to Apple
but about trying to fend off the takeover by the mindless majority who
say, in robot-like voices, öYou... have... to... be... industry...
standard.ò The JV is aiming to provide a one-stop-shop for a whole range
of educational hardware and software that will work together, even on a
network. Who else produces server technology that will handle Acorn, Mac
and PC?! OK, it runs on a PowerPC. So what? Acorn are providing the most
appropriate technology to schools Ö and thatæs what they have always
been known for doing.
9.7
We must not allow people to go for the lowest common denominator. Letæs
dare to be different! Yes, I know, I donæt have to handle a schoolæs
budget, so itæs easy for me to talk, but remember that StrongARM
processors, several times the speed of a Pentium, will cost the same as
current ARM chips, in a yearæs time, and think of the facilities that
they will give to educational programmers in the years to come Ö why be
limited by the industry standard? Why not fight to give our children the
best available software and hardware? (As an example of Éindustry
standardæ, see if you can spot the review, in this issue, of software
that was written for the PC and, grudgingly, transferred to Acorn!)
9.7
Where now?
9.7
This article has been put together very rapidly after an extremely
exciting visit to ART on 1st March, so I havenæt really had time to
digest all I have seen. People are saying (and this is even Acorn-
lovers) that Acorn is dead, that it is selling out to Apple and that, in
a couple of years time, there will be no more Acorn desktop computers
available. Donæt you believe it! Acornæs future has never been stronger
and, if we donæt desert them, they will go on from strength to strength.
9.7
As Mark Twain said, öThe reports of my death have been greatly
exaggerated!ò Watch this space...áuá
9.7

9.7
The Press Release
9.7
Acorn Group and Apple Computer to form new dedicated joint venture to
transform IT in UK Education
9.7
New company formed to drive IT solutions and policy in UK Education
market.
9.7
Acorn Group and Apple Computer UK today announce a new joint venture
company aimed at developing information technology solutions for the UK
education market and dedicated to transforming the UKæs approach to IT
in education. The agreement will result in the setting up of a new
company which will aim to provide the widest choice of educational IT
solutions for UK schools. Operational from early April, the new
companyæs name and exact structure will be announced prior to commencing
operations. The UK joint venture is part of a broader alliance between
Olivetti Telemedia and Apple Computer, with the mission to stimulate,
develop and provide comprehensive IT solutions for the current and
future requirements of the European education system. The alliance
intends to support the education recommend-ations of a report presented
by the G7 working group chaired by Olivettiæs Carlo De Benedetti and
supported by Apple Europeæs President Marco Landi.
9.7
The report states: öGovernments must give priority to education and
training as strategic vehicles to create opportunities for all citizens
and to create a critical demand level for all applicationsò. The
alliance between Olivetti Telemedia and Apple Computer expects to adopt
Mac OS as the underlying technology architecture for these solutions Ö
and as part of the agreement Olivetti has licensed Mac OS technology
from Apple Computer Inc. New Company based in Cambridge UK.
9.7
The new company will begin trading in early April and will be headed by
Brendan OæSullivan, a ten year Apple Computer veteran. Previously
Brendan OæSullivan was Managing Director of Apple Computer Ireland. The
new company will be jointly owned by Acorn Group and Apple Computer UK.
Acornæs Managing Director, David Lee, will be the Chairman of the board.
9.7
Brendan OæSullivan said, öAcorn and Apple share a similar vision and
commitment to the education market. Acorn and Appleæs heritage in
education means that our education customers, software developers and
reseller partners can expect increased investment in sales, marketing
and solutions from the new joint venture company. The political
consensus that is beginning to form around the need for integrating
technology in learning means that the new company is ideally placed to
advise, influence and deliver on government initiatives in UK
education.ò
9.7
New company commits to PowerPC platform & RISC OS products
9.7
The new company will sell Acornæs award winning Risc PC, A7000, Pocket
Book, Network Computers, school administration and SchoolServer products
Ö under the Acorn brand. In addition, it will sell Appleæs award winning
Power Macintosh, Performa, PowerBook notebooks, Workgroup Servers,
Imaging and Newton products under the Apple brand. A priority of the new
venture is to bring out products and technologies which increase the
inter-operability of RISC OS and Apple technology.
9.7
Over time the new company expects to adopt the PowerPC platform, the
agreed hardware standard between IBM, Apple Computer and Motorola, to
develop next generation personal computers Ö based on the powerful
PowerPC microprocessor architecture. (Acorn has previously announced its
intention to develop products which support the PowerPC platform
standard).
9.7
From early April, products from Acorn and Apple will be available from
the joint venture company. Acorn Educationæs customers will be able to
purchase Acorn RISC OS and other education solutions through the normal
channels until the new venture is operational. Similarly Apple Computer
UK will continue to support its education customers until the new
company is up and running. David Lee, Managing Director, Acorn Group,
said: öThis joint venture creates a major new force which will take
educational IT in the UK into a new generation of development. The new
company will provide a planned migration path, enabling users to make a
smooth and logical transition from current to future technologies.
Consequently, schools may continue to purchase Acorn or Apple systems as
best suits them, and will be able to incorporate new generation systems
alongside their existing IT provision, confident in the knowledge that
they are making a sound investment in the future of educational IT.ò
Nigel Turner, Director New Media and Education, Apple Computer Europe,
comments: öApple and Acorn customers in education have a bright future
of powerful, tailored curriculum solutions ahead of them. This agreement
with Acorn is part of Appleæs strategy to reinvent the way it does
business and focus on growing markets that can deliver customers secure
future technology investments. This is an aggressive move by the
partners to ensure that educationalists and government exploit the huge
potential of technology in learningò.
9.7
New company appoints agencies and sells direct
9.7
The new company will appoint agencies to sell its products and will
supply direct to schools. Acorn Educationæs existing agencies and Apple
Computer UK resellers, specialising in the schools market, will be
invited to apply to become agencies for the new company. Initial
examination suggests that the strengths of each companyæs sales channels
are very complementary.
9.7
New opportunities for UK software developers
9.7
Appleæs strength in education worldwide provides Acornæs UK software
developers with an expanded market for their education software
products. Acorn developers will also be encouraged to port their RISC OS
software products to Mac OS to provide a wide cross-platform software
base. The new company will help them develop their products to the Mac
OS platform and the emerging technologies connecting to the information
superhighway. Appleæs dominant position in USA K-12 (kindergarten to 12
grade) market provides UK software developers with a huge potential
market for innovative education software.
9.7
New venture caps joint history of collaboration between Apple and Acorn
9.7
Apple Computer and Acorn Group have successfully collaborated on new
technology ventures in the past. In November 1990, the advanced research
and development team of Acorn Computers Ltd was spun out to form the
independent company, Advanced RISC Machines Limited (ARM), to design,
license and market fast, inexpensive and efficient RISC processors and
other enabling technology. Acorn Group and Apple Computer Inc each
maintain a 43% shareholding in ARM. Acorn uses ARM chips in a wide range
of products including desktops and set-top boxes. Apple utilises ARM
processors in its Newton family of personal digital assistants
(PDAs).áuá
9.7
Acornæs share price over the last six months
9.7
i.e. since David Lee became MD.
9.7
A = First rumour of Oracle deal
9.7
B = NY Times article linking Acorn to Oracle
9.7
C = Oracle deal publicly announced
9.7
D = Joint Venture announced
9.7
New Products from Acorn
9.7
Paul Beverley
9.7
Acorn Risc Technologies is going full bore to sell itself, and one way
it is doing so is via the Internet. The ART web site at http://
www.art.acorn.co.uk/ contains information about a number of products
that they are trying to sell including (obviously) the A7000 and the
RiscPC.
9.7
Less obviously, they are selling a development system for the ARM7500
(as used in set-top boxes and netsurfers!), the PCMCIA controller ASIC,
an A4 touch-screen portable known as the NewsPad, and a sub-notebook
computer called ÉStorkæ. Anyone fancy buying any of those? Well, let ART
know!
9.7
In case you are thinking that these might just be vapourware, forget it.
I have seen them all up and running in ARTæs R & D lab. They are real,
working technologies. I am hoping to get hold of a Stork at some stage
that I can have on show in the NCS office for a week or so.
9.7
Times have changed
9.7
Those of you who remember the Éold Acornæ will probably have fallen off
your chairs by now. Sam Wauchope would never have allowed this kind of
openness. The new Acorn is working on the basis that they have world-
beating technology (they always have had, in fact) but instead of hiding
it until they can spring a öproductò on the waiting world, they are
telling everyone what they have available and offering to ösellò the
technology in any form that anyone will buy it.
9.7
If it moves, sell it. If it doesnæt, license it!
9.7
This means that they will sell, or rather license, pure IPR
(intellectual property rights), e.g. the RISCáOS source code (if you
have enough money!), MPEG code, circuit diagrams for hardware, etc, and
then they will also sell their expertise to help you get things working
based on their designs/software. If you want something Éin a boxæ, they
will happily design it and build it for a price. If it is something
based on an existing design, it will obviously be a lot cheaper than if
they have to do a lot of design work on it. If you just want standard
technology such as RiscPCs, A7000s, STBs, Netsurfers etc but reboxed
and/or re¡badged, they will happily sell that too. If you just want any
of the motherboards to stick in a rack system or some other box of your
own, let them know Ö they will sell it to you.
9.7
Can Archive readers help?
9.7
Too right you can Ö you are just the people to help Acorn make a go of
this. Because you know the tremendous advantages of RISCáOS and the RISC
technology at the heart of it, you can probably see ways in which the
technology can be applied, especially given the huge speed increases
forecast for StrongARM Ö up to 10 or 11 times speed increase over
existing ARM processors!
9.7
Acorn want to sell their technology into new areas, so if you have ideas
and/or potential customers, do get in touch with Chris Cox
<[e-mail]>. If you can do the pre-sales work on the
potential customer(s) and warm them up towards RISC technology, you may
well be able to earn yourself some commission from ART Ö thatæs how
flexible they are under the new regime.
9.7
Also, to promote what ART is doing, we need a few success stories. Does
anyone know of a situation where Acorn RISC technology has been put to
good use? Can you write it up for Archive and/or for ART to use?
9.7
Whatæs so good about Acorn Risc?
9.7
Å Low cost processors
9.7
Å High processing power
9.7
Å Low physical power consumption
9.7
Å Small footprint computers
9.7
Å Excellent GUI
9.7
Å Operating system in ROM
9.7
Å Good quality MPEG support
9.7
Å Excellent screen rendering of fonts
9.7
Can you add to my list? If so, let me know. This has just been knocked
together in the last few minutes before publication of the magazine. Ed.
9.7
ART 7500 Development System
9.7
Å Choice of 16 or 32-bit wide memory systems
9.7
Å 2, 4 or 8Mb of DRAM as standard
9.7
Å Choice of I/O expansion routes
9.7
Å Powerful software development system
9.7
Å 16-bit stereo sound and high quality video
9.7
The ART 7500 development system allows ARM 7500 users to design software
and hardware far quicker than using existing methods. The board contains
extensive hardware support, with two expansion connectors and all the
necessary components for sound and video including a 16-bit serial DAC.
LCD support is an optional extra.
9.7
Multiple memory configurations are supported allowing the system to
mimic the final design as closely as possible. Software development is
aided by the on board operating system, which can be either DEMON or
ARTæs powerful ARTOS which features support for many of the 7500æs
capabilities. By connecting the system to a PC, Sun workstation or HP/UX
workstation, software can be downloaded and debugged, including the
setting of breakpoints and single stepping of code.
9.7
The software includes C and C++ compilers, an ARM Assembler, Linker and
debuggers. The debuggers are also capable of emulating many ARM
processors allowing standalone development for much of the code.
9.7
ART also provides access to its highly experienced consultancy team,
enabling the system to be customised to the useræs requirements.
9.7
Possible applications
9.7
The system is delivered complete with an IDE socket, video Genlock
connector and CDáquality stereo sound system, making the development
environment ideal for CD¡based applications such as games or CD video
systems using an optional MPEG card or ARTæs proprietary video system
Replay.
9.7
The ARTá7500 Development System is also suitable as a base design for
more embedded solutions, such as high performance hand-held / LCD-based
equipment.
9.7
The 16-bit expansion bus also supports Execute in place, so that
software can be placed on a PCMCIA card and run directly from the card
without using any DRAM. This could benefit solutions where code or data
changes fairly regularly. PCMCIA is easily supported with ARTæs PCMCIA
interface chip.
9.7
Using an optional network or modem card, the system could be used as a
low cost networked entertainment device providing internet access or
services on demand.
9.7
Performance
9.7
Å Up to 48K dhrystones (32MHz FClock)
9.7
Å Video displays in excess of 100MHz pixel clock
9.7
Å DRAM access peak 64Mb/s (32 on 16-bit wide systems) with 32MHz clock
9.7
Å ROM access times down to 62.5ns (burst mode supported)
9.7
Hardware Specifications
9.7
Å 32MHz ARM 7500, site for alternative FClock.
9.7
Å 2, 4, or 8Mb 32-bit wide DRAM or, 2 or 4Mb 16-bit wide DRAM, empty
32¡bit SIMM socket.
9.7
Å Two 16¡bit wide ROM sockets, allowing 4Mb of ROM image.
9.7
Å DEMON or ARTOS supplied in ROM.
9.7
Å SMC665 ÉComboæ chip supplying floppy & hard disc interfaces along with
parallel and serial. One floppy disc supplied as standard. Serial port
used to connect with host PC for remote debugging.
9.7
Å 16¡bit stereo DAC.
9.7
Å RTC, CMOS and unique ID chip.
9.7
Å 16 and 32-bit expansion sockets.
9.7
Å 35W universal PSU (auto-ranging)
9.7
Software Specifications
9.7
Å DEMON or ARTOS remote debugging environment, including floating point
emulator
9.7
Å Optimising C/C++ compiler
9.7
Å Linker, Assembler and maintenance tools
9.7
Å Choice of debuggers, ARM chip emulation
9.7
PCMCIA Controller ASIC
9.7
Å ARM-based PCMCIA Controller Solution.
9.7
Å Implemented in a 0.8 micron, Low Power CMOS process.
9.7
Å Supports:
9.7
  Ö Dual PCMCIA slots
9.7
  Ö both memory and I/O Card
9.7
  Ö XIP for 32-bit operations
9.7
  Ö 8Mb of contiguous memory space for each PCMCIA slot
9.7
  Ö 64Mb of PCMCIA address space
9.7
  Ö Two general-purpose I/O ports, ideal for additional system control
9.7
Å Programmable:
9.7
  Ö card voltage control, for FLASH cards
9.7
  Ö buffer control to allow Éhot insertionæ of cards
9.7
  Ö address mapping
9.7
  Ö card access timing
9.7
Å RISC OS PCMCIA software modules available
9.7
Å Adheres to PCMCIA Standards Release 2.1/Jedia 4.2 (July 93)
9.7
Å Full specification data sheet available.
9.7
Å Also available as:
9.7
  Ö Single Euro Expansion Card, Ideal for development systems.
9.7
  Ö Supports PCMCIA card type 1, 2, and 3
9.7
  Ö Macro cell, Custom variants available, ideal for custom ASIC
solutions.
9.7
Details
9.7
Å Electrical Characteristics
9.7
  Ö Temperature Range Ö20 to +75░C
9.7
  Ö Voltage Range 5 Volt ▒ 10%
9.7
  Ö Current Consumption Stand-by 100╡A
9.7
  Ö Typical 110Ö160mA
9.7
  Ö Typical Clock Frequency 16MHz Mechanical Characteristics
9.7
  Ö Dimensions 31.2 ▒ 0.3mm▓╫3.56mm
9.7
  Ö Package type 136 pin QFP Programmable
9.7
Å Interrupt support via 4 registers: Request, Mask, Status and Clear
9.7
Å PCMCIA slot configuration and control via 5 registers per slot
9.7
Å Paging, status, access mode, access time and voltage control
9.7
Å 9 general-purpose I/O ports
9.7
Card accessing
9.7
Å 8, 16 and 32-bit access support using XIP access cycles
9.7
NewsPAD
9.7
Å High performance, touch screen tablet-style portable computer
9.7
Å Photo realistic colour
9.7
Å Long battery life
9.7
Å PCMCIA type 3 support
9.7
Å Microphone and camera input
9.7
Å Internet support pack
9.7
Å Ideal for vertical market applications
9.7
Å Available in
9.7
  Ö Sample format
9.7
  Ö Fully licensable design
9.7
  Ö Full-scale Production (subject to order lead time)
9.7
Technical Specification
9.7
32-bit Processor
9.7
Å 40MHz ARM 7500, 35.9 MIPS (dhrystone 2.1) peak
9.7
Å 4Kb instruction and data cache
9.7
Å Write buffer for enhanced performance
9.7
Å Fully static operation, low power consumption
9.7
Å Sub-mircosecond interrupt response
9.7
Memory
9.7
Å 2 SODIMM Memory expansion sockets each capable of holding 4Mb to 128Mb
of DRAM
9.7
Å 4Mb ROM for Operating System
9.7
Å 496 Bytes non-volatile RAM
9.7
Mass Storage
9.7
Å 2╜ö IDE Hard drive (current size 420Mbyte)
9.7
Å 1.6Mbyte Floppy disc drive connection available via docking station
9.7
Unique Reference
9.7
Å 48-bit software readable unique identifier for use by networking
software
9.7
Power Management Modes
9.7
Å Suspend Mode Ö CPU clock may be halted while video and I/O systems
continues to run, halves power consumption of ARM7500 core chip
9.7
Å Stop Mode Ö All clocks are stopped and unit remains in Éfrozenæ state
until re-activated minutes, hours or days later. DRAM in self-refresh or
slow-refresh mode System Software and Development Tools
9.7
Å Extensive graphics rendering support. Includes outline anti-aliased
fonts, Bezier curve-based graphics and bitblt operations
9.7
Å Extensive high-level language support available, including C, C++ and
debuggers
9.7
Å Run-time support for Macromedia Director
9.7
Video
9.7
Å 10.4ö 800╫600 SVGA active matrix LCD panel
9.7
Å 32k colours
9.7
Å Support for external monitor with resolution up to 1600╫600 pixels 16
colours and colour depths up to 16 million colours
9.7
Audio
9.7
Å CD quality (16¡bits per channel) stereo sound
9.7
Å 16¡bit variable rate sound capture
9.7
Å Built-in speaker
9.7
I/O Ports & Interfaces
9.7
Å 10.4ö Resistive Analogue Touch Screen with medium or high resolution
interface options
9.7
Å 2╫Type II or 1╫Type III PCMCIA socket
9.7
Å Stereo headphones output
9.7
Å AC adaptor connection
9.7
Å Docking station connector, via docking station, will reproduce
parallel port floppy disc interface, serial port, keyboard port, PS/2
mouse port, video monitor connection, AC adaptor connection
9.7
Å Bi-directional infrared link
9.7
Å Provision for CCD camera module
9.7
Physical
9.7
Å Dimensions: width 215 mm, height 300mm, depth 38mm
9.7
Å Weight: 2.0Kg
9.7
Electrical
9.7
Å External switched mode PSU / battery charger, auto-ranging from 110V
to 240VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (output 18Vdc 1.2A)
9.7
Å Battery life in continuous use: NiCd (1400mAh), up to 2 hours. NiMH
(1800mAh), up to 3 hours
9.7
Å Three stage charge control algorithm including fast charge
9.7
Å Charge remaining or ÉGas Gaugeæ monitor
9.7
Stork
9.7
Å Compact portable RISC based sub-notebook computer
9.7
Å Available with 10.4ö SVGA TFT LCD screen or 9╜ò monochrome 16
greyscale LCD
9.7
Å PCMCIA Type 1, 2 or 3 slot
9.7
Å Inbuilt Trackerball
9.7
Å Freeze Mode standby operation
9.7
Å 32MHz ARM 7500-based system
9.7
Å Low power battery system
9.7
Å External floppy drive
9.7
Å Optional docking station
9.7
Å Inbuilt 16-bit digital stereo sound
9.7
Å Comprehensive application software range available
9.7
Available:
9.7
  Ö in sample format
9.7
  Ö as licensable design
9.7
  Ö as standard product (subject to lead times)
9.7
  Ö in sub-assembly format
9.7
  Ö as customised design variant
9.7
Technical Overview
9.7
32-bit ARM RISC Processor Ö ARM7500
9.7
Å 32MHz ARM 7500 giving around 29 MIPS (Dhrystone 2.1) peak
9.7
Å 4Kbyte instruction and data cache
9.7
Å Write buffer for enhanced performance
9.7
Å Fully static operation, low power consumption
9.7
Å Integrated IO, MMU and video subsystems
9.7
Memory
9.7
Å 2 SODIMM expansion sockets supporting up to 128Mbyte per socket.
9.7
Å 4Mb page mode ROM
9.7
Å 240byte battery-backed CMOS SRAM
9.7
Å Additional memory expansion SRAM/FlashRAM up to 64Mb via PCMCIA card
socket
9.7
Unique reference
9.7
Å 48-bit software-readable unique identifier for use by networking
software
9.7
System software
9.7
Å RISC OS 3.6 ROM-based operating system capable of supporting soft-
loadable extensions
9.7
Å Freeze Mode, enabling the machine to be suspended in any mode of
operation and return to the same state instantly up to five days later
(assumes fully charged NiCd battery) without rebooting
9.7
Audio
9.7
Å CD-quality 16-bit stereo digital sound system
9.7
Å 3.5mm stereo jack socket capable of driving 32 ohm headphones or for
use as a line output, plus internal speaker
9.7
Video
9.7
Å LCD screens, all with 8-bit software controlled brightness and
contrast adjustment:
9.7
  Ö 9╜ö 16 Greyscale Monochrome 640╫480 STN LCD
9.7
  Ö 10.4ö 256K Colour VGA 640╫480 TFT LCD
9.7
  Ö 10.4ö 256K Colour SVGA 800╫600 TFT LCD
9.7
Å Wide variety of external monitor resolutions:
9.7
  Ö 1280╫1024 at 2 BPP (4 greys) 60Hz
9.7
  Ö 1024╫768 at 4 BPP (16 colours) 60Hz
9.7
  Ö 800╫600 at 8 BPP (256 colours) 56Hz
9.7
  Ö 640╫480 at 8 BPP (256 colours) 75Hz
9.7
  Ö 480 ╫352 at 16 BPP (32K colours) 70Hz
9.7
  Ö 240╫ 352 at 24 BPP (16M colours) 70Hz
9.7
Expansion
9.7
Å PCMCIA Type 1, 2, 3 slot supporting Éhot insertionæ and XIP (execute-
in-place)
9.7
Å Choice of PCMCIA cards including fax/modem, network, SCSI or memory
expansion
9.7
Å External pocket-sized 2 Mb 3╜ö floppy disc drive via parallel port
9.7
Å Option for IRDA and RC5 infra-red capability
9.7
Å Optional docking station providing parallel, serial and floppy drive
ports, plus external monitor, keyboard, mouse and power input.
9.7
Internal Mass Storage
9.7
Å 2╜ö IDE hard disc drive (425Mb standard, greater capacities available)
I/O ports and interface
9.7
Å RS 232 serial port, 9-pin D-type
9.7
Å Parallel Printer/floppy disc drive port, 25-pin D-type
9.7
Å DC in 18Vdc 2-pin concentric
9.7
Å Stereo audio output via 3.5mm stereo jack socket
9.7
Å Expansion port/docking interface via 50-way miniature connector
9.7
Physical
9.7
Å Dimensions: width 266mm, depth 192mm, height 36mm (monochrome), 42mm
(colour)
9.7
Å Weight: approx 1.8kg
9.7
Å Integral 77-key keyboard with numeric keypad overlay and integral palm
rest
9.7
Å In-built Trackerball with three buttons
9.7
Electrical
9.7
Å External switched mode PSU / battery charger, auto-ranging from 110V
to 240VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (output 18Vdc 1.2A)
9.7
Å Battery life in continuous use: NiCd (1400mAh), up to 2╜ hours; NiMH
(1800mAh), up to 3╝ hours
9.7
Now then, having seen all of these products Ö and there are more that I
saw at Acorn that are not covered here Ö do you see why Iæm excited
about Acornæs future?
9.7
Watch this space...áuá
9.7
Acorn Risc Technologiesæ Business Mission:     To allow ARTæs business
partners to commercially exploit RISC-based technology by offering cost
and time-to-market advantages through technological innovation.
9.7
Because of the power of the 7500 and its successors, this development
system (which looked remarkably like an A7000 with a few extra bits and
pieces added internally!) will be well used by potential users of 7500s
in embedded solutions Ö and this is a huge market, worldwide. Whatæs
more, think how much ART could charge for this glorified A7000 if the
company buying it to wants to use it to develop an application which,
they hope, will earn them millions of dollars, yen, dinars or whatever!
ART and ARM are work very closely in this sort of area.
9.7
There is a huge and growing range of PCMCIA devices and, in the ART lab,
they are using PCMCIA devices on all sorts of machines. It may sound
silly, but if you have an application that could use an existing PCMCIA
device on a desktop computer, talk to ART Ö they may be prepared to sell
the PCMCIA podule plus the necessary code extension to RISCáOS so that
you or your company can develop a new application.
9.7
The Acorn NewsPad A4 touchscreenáportable.
9.7
Why is the news in Spanish? There is a market outside the UK, you know,
and ART are attacking it vigorously.
9.7
Imagine an executive carrying a Newspad around a building and it being
in wireless contact with his companyæs news service. At any time, he can
find out about the latest news in multimedia form. The on-board CCD
camera plus microphone keeps him in touch with others around the
building Ö or in other parts of the world, for that matter, and all from
a handheld A4-size multimedia tablet running a slightly modified version
of RISCáOS!
9.7
ááá
9.7
Would you like one of these? If so, all that someone has to do is find a
buyer for 500+ and weære away. NCS is selling A4s at ú1350 and people
are buying them. This is the latest technology, has memory capacity of
ridiculous size, and would sell for ú1500-2000 depending on how many
Acorn could make.
9.7
These are real computers Ö I saw several around the ART lab Ö but colour
is still a different ball game and some way off. So what about it? How
many of you would send me a cheque if I could let you have one of these
at, say, ú1,900 inc VAT? Iæm serious. Let me know. If we can get enough
serious purchasers, I will go to ART and seed the production of the
Stork!
9.7
Hints and Tips
9.7
Audio balance Ö I recently bought an audio mixer card for my (early)
RiscPC 600. I have just Ö finally Ö managed to balance the output of
left and right audio channels from my CD-ROM drive through the audio
mixing card. The method given in the instructions requires repeated
dismantling of the computer. I gave up after five attempts.
9.7
I have just noticed that !SCSIMgr for the Cumana SCSI 2 cards has an
option for adjusting the audio output. It only took three attempts
(fifteen seconds in total), to get the output accurately set!
9.7
David Crossley <[e-mail]>
9.7
ANT Internet Suite Ö One or two hints, having used this a fair bit for
email and news...
9.7
Old news Ö When you subscribe to a new newsgroup, it will download news
from that group starting from the last time you downloaded any news. If
you want to pick up news from that group from some time ago, you have to
do it by fiddling with the relevant files. (Iæll tell you how to do it,
but canæt accept any responsibility if you mess it up. OK?)
9.7
Assuming you have just subscribed to the new group, go into the
!InetSuite.Internet.Spool.News directory and copy the /active file as /
activeOLD, or somesuch. Edit the original /active file and delete all
the groups you donæt want. Now go into the !InetSuite.Internet.Files
directory and copy the !InetNews file as, say, !IntNewsO. Edit !InetNews
and change the line:
9.7
Last: 960215 140659 GMT
9.7
to read whatever starting time/date you want. (As you can probably
gather, the format is yymmdd hhmmss.) Then load up !IntSuite, connect to
your provider and download mail and news. Finally, go back to the two
files you changed, delete the edited versions and restore the original
versions by renaming them as      /active and !InetNews.
9.7
To avoid duplicating news, you may want to download the news normally
before following the above procedure so that you donæt duplicate the
news from the new group when you download normally next time.
9.7
Mailshots Ö (There may be an easier way, if so, tell me, please, but...)
If you want to mail to a number of different people, you can obviously
have aliases and type, into the CC box on the öMail to fileò window:
9.7
fred, bert, harry, etc
9.7
To simplify it even more, you can set up an alias such as blokes which
is defined as:
9.7
fred, bert, harry, etc
9.7
and then just type blokes in the CC box of the Send Mail to File box.
9.7
If you want to send postings to multiple news groups, you can, again,
either use aliases to avoid all the typing, or prepare the message and
then edit the OUTNEWS file. Simply extend the line:
9.7
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.misc[0d]
9.7
to something like:
9.7
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.misc,comp. sys.acorn.apps,comp.sys.acorn.
advocacy[0d]
9.7
Note that there are no spaces between the newsgroup names, just a comma.
9.7
Set alias Ö I hope you have discovered this wonderful command! Click on
a window in which a posting or an email is displayed, click on <menu>
and then select ArticleÖ>Set alias or MessageÖ>Set alias and up comes
the Address Book window with the name and address neatly typed out
waiting for you to add an appropriate alias. Wonderfully simple!
9.7
Editing aliases Ö Iæm sure everyone else had sussed this except me! It
seemed that sometimes when I edited an alias, it created a second
version and so I had to delete the first, but then when I wanted to
create two different aliases, it simply edited the one! öWhatæs the
rule?ò, I asked the excellent ANT support team (always, only an email
away!). Itæs simple, and logical, and obvious Ö once you know. If you
alter the alias name, it creates a new definition, in addition to the
old one, but if you edit the definition, it has to just change it Ö it
cannot create a complete new alias, otherwise you would then have two
definitions of the same alias name.
9.7
Ed.
9.7
ScanLight 256 Ö I remember recently an article saying that version 1.15
of the ScanLight 256 software needed upgrading to 1.59 to work on the
RiscPC.
9.7
My scanner is secondhand so I cannot do that. When I tried to load the
application, it put its icon on the iconbar, but clicking on this did
not give the relevant dialogue box. However, when I got my RiscPC, I had
some funnies with Ovation, and one comment from Beebug was to use one of
the old modes. So I thought I would try this with ScanLight.
9.7
Typing in öMode 27ò (rather than 16 colours and 640╫480) allowed me to
get a dialogue box which was partly off the bottom right hand corner of
the screen but could be dragged into full view and seemed to behave
normally.
9.7
Then one day, I had been using Artworks and loaded the scanner, having
forgotten the above. After some time, I realised it was working
perfectly normally despite the fact that I was in a new mode (256
colours, 600╫800). When I loaded ScanLight and then tried to load
Artworks I got an error relating to a module called ABIMod. The version
in ScanLight was an older version than the one in Artworks, and when I
updated the one in ScanLight it worked as it did previously on my A5000.
9.7
So the new version 1.59 of ScanLight may have some tweaks to the
software, but doing the above (if you have Artworks) gets it working and
it saves you ú11.75!
9.7
Keith Baxendale <[e-mail]>
9.7
Toggle-size answer Ö (RiscPC only) Thanks to all those who sent in an
answer to Paulæs toggle-size trouble in last monthæs Help! Column. It
was, indeed, a CMOS RAM configuration setting. However, there is no
simple way of altering it without using a small Basic program of the
following form, but I must warn you that, before playing, you should
save your configuration by using !Configure, so that you can restore it
if you make a mess!
9.7
Byte%=28
9.7
Bit%=4
9.7
SYSöOS_Byteò,161,Byte% TO ,,CMOS%
9.7
IF CMOS% AND 1<<Bit% THEN
9.7
 PRINTöWas 1 now set to 0ò
9.7
 CMOS%=CMOS% AND NOT 1<<Bit%
9.7
ELSE
9.7
 PRINTöWas 0 now set to 1ò
9.7
 CMOS%=CMOS% OR 1<<Bit%
9.7
ENDIF
9.7
SYSöOS_Byteò,162,Byte%,CMOS%
9.7
This program swaps the state of bit 4 within byte 28 of the CMOS RAM
each time you run it, and has the immediate effect of making windows
that are toggle-sized, open as far as, but not obscuring, the iconbar.
Holding <shift> down reverses the behaviour.
9.7
This is by no means the only configuration setting not available by any
other method. If you alter the program so that Bit%=1, it will change
the setting for solid icon drags, so that, when you drag a file icon,
you will either get a moving icon or just a dotted box. This option also
takes immediate effect.
9.7
When Bit%=0, this tells RISC OS whether to truncate filenames that are
too long (i.e. greater than ten characters) and therefore potentially
overwrite an existing file, or to give a (rather meaningless) error
message to prevent you from saving a file unless it has ten characters
or less in the name. You need to reset the computer before this option
will take effect.
9.7
There are several others, and they are all documented on page 1-356 of
the PRMs. I will put a copy of the program on the monthly disc.
9.7
James Taylor, NCS
9.7
Impression non-smart quotes Ö Having crowed about how wonderful it was
that Impression (4.08/5.08) now produces automatic smart quotes, I am
recanting slightly. How are you supposed to get unsmart quotes, e.g. for
5╝ö and 3╜ò, without switching the smart quotes off and on again?
9.7
My partial answer is the abbreviations function. I use ö5oò as
abbreviation for 5╝ö and ö3oò for 3╜ò. But what about 14ö and 17ò
monitors, etc? Well, I tried defining öoò as a single unsmart double
quote, but if you type ö17oò, it doesnæt expand the öoò, so you have to
type 17<space>o<space><left><left><delete><right><right>! Anyway, I have
now defined ö21oò as 21ö, ö17oò as 17ò and ö14oò as 14ö, so thatæs OK
until someone wants to talk about a 19╜ò monitor!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
RiscPC hole cutting Ö I keep reading how difficult people are finding it
to cut the openings on the RiscPC for new drives etc. I must admit I
donæt agree. Forget drills/hacksaws/ordinary knives Ö the tool to use is
a laminate cutting blade in a standard Stanley knife. This is the blade
which looks like a small blade set at a angle (not the curved one). It
is used by scoring through the plastic, it is very controllable and it
doesnæt wander easily as it locates nicely in the grooves. It only takes
a few strokes along each groove to cut through. I then use a small craft
knife to trim any slightly uneven edges and into the very corners. I
have now cut two openings like this and have had no problems. The
computer is the RPC600 and is 12 months old, so I believe it is one of
the thick plastic ones.
9.7
Malcolm Sanders, [e-mail]
9.7
Guardians of the Greenwood
9.7
Richard Rymarz
9.7
Programs that are a landmark in educational computing are few and far
between. ÉGrannyæs Gardenæ must still be remembered by many as the
program that opened up computer awareness in their classroom. Others
such as ÉFolioæ, ÉPendownæ, ÉOurselvesæ and ÉAll About Meæ may be
remembered with affection and may still be used. Few programs since,
have emerged as classics, maybe because there is now such a huge choice
of quality software. However, now and again, something comes along which
is just a little bit special which makes a hardened Key Stage 2 teacher
stand up and take notice.
9.7
A special CD-ROM
9.7
As soon as I opened the video style box of ÉGuardians of the Greenwoodæ,
I felt this was a little bit different. Produced solely by Mike Matson
(yes, of Grannyæs Garden fame), the story encapsulates much of his
philosophy towards education, organisation and the present difficulty
that teachers find in managing a restrictive and narrow curriculum.
9.7
The box contains the CD, installation instructions for Acorn and PC
platforms (sigh...... a sign of the times), an adult guide for Ébusyæ
adults, a location map, an introduction and a brief set of curriculum
notes. There is no mention of the National Curriculum since the ethos of
the program is one of fantasy and imagination unhindered by reference to
a set of guidelines. However, this must not put off parents or teachers.
Surely, everything should not be bound by formal National Curriculum
constraints.
9.7
The story
9.7
Greenwood is an ancient forest where people, plants and animals have
achieved a rarity: perfect harmony where each respects the place of
others in the greater order of things. No evil concept such as
exploitation exists until the villainous Hawk Enterprises comes along
and changes the face of the forest. Huge swathes of trees are cleared to
make room for industrial development, factories are built, water is
pumped from the rivers and logs are used to fuel power stations. People
are forced to leave their homes, and important wildlife and plant
habitats are destroyed. All opposition is suppressed by the robotic
ÉClunkersæ who have implanted in their brains a piece of mindstone which
allows them to be controlled by the all-powerful conglomerate.
9.7
There are two main characters: Crinkle, a little girl who sets out to
try and stop Hawk Enterprises; and Wibble, a strange creature who only
exists for those who believe in him. He is really the spirit of the
forest: half human, half tree.
9.7
Guardians of the Greenwood
9.7
After placing the CD-ROM into the CD drive, the program loads easily and
a digitised picture of woodland is displayed. The title credits roll in,
and three options present themselves. Clicking on Preview shows twelve
sample screens designed to demonstrate some of the programæs features.
The clear digitised speech explains what the screens are: a taster of
what is to come. I clicked on one and was immediately impressed with the
way digitised photographs are immaculately blended with cartoon style
characters, animations and interactive sequences. At this moment, I am
watching the water mill turning gently as bags of flour are hoisted out
of the mill roof. In the background is a picture of a waterfall and the
gentle plops of gurgling water enhances an already superb scene. Of
course, everything is fully multitasking.
9.7
There is quite a long introductory sequence where Crinkleæs grandfather
sets the scene. This takes a while, but it is important that the
children listen to the story because there are numerous characters that
Crinkle will meet on her journey, and each one has a specific part to
play in the success of the quest.
9.7
Following Grandfatheræs words of wisdom and, armed with an old, torn map
that he just happens to have, Crinkle sets forth into the Greenwood. The
screen is divided into two main areas: woodland views and animations
displayed on the left, and the words and possessions that Crinkle picks
up and a simple compass, on the right. Click on the compass and Crinkle
moves through the forest. Clicking on the map reveals Crinkleæs location
and where she has already been. Clicking on various parts of the main
screen often elicits more general information about the forest.
9.7
And so the quest begins. This is no mean feat and should not be taken
lightly. The adventure lasts some hours, providing a whole kaleidoscope
of discussion and interest for the child, and a wealth of curriculum-
related ideas for the parent and teacher. (There is a Ésaveæ facility,
thank goodness.) There are clues, puzzles, Énastiesæ, heavies and lots
of cuddly, cute Égoodiesæ who are all out to help Crinkle overcome the
dreaded Hawk Enterprises. All in all, there are thirty characters to
find and talk to, each with a different voice. A map is provided in the
documentation but it is valuable if the children can map and annotate
their travels themselves.
9.7
In Part 2 of the story, there is a section on areas of particular
environmental interest. Items such as coppicing, depletion of natural
resources, derelict sites, erosion, etc, are emphasised.
9.7
Anyway, a brief exploration soon reveals a piece of paper with what
appears to be a code written on it. Further investigation shows pylons,
overhead conveyors and, eventually, Hawkæs head office. Entering this
office provides the first puzzle which involves cracking a code. The
adventure continues in similar fashion until Crinkle eventually manages
to sail to the Greenwood North and on to a final solution.
9.7
The screens
9.7
For the technically minded, Mike and his team at 4Mation used an Acorn
RiscPC, and Dave Caughleyæs very successful authoring system. Most of
the photographs were taken in Sussex using Kodak Photo CD. The images
were edited using Clareæs Pro Artisan 24 and 4Mationæs Chameleon. The
speech was sampled and edited using Computer Conceptæs Lark and
AudioWorks. The end result is an amazing mix of real photographs and
drawn animations that blend seamlessly. Objects appear to flow around,
between and through others as if it were natural. Shadowing and the use
of lighting enhances these effects. The quality of the images, and the
imagination used to draw the characters, is exemplary. The overall
presentation cannot be faulted and is an impressive combination of
hardware, appropriate software and of course, imagination. In true Mike
Matson style, Guardians offers a complete multimedia adventure that
entertains, educates and lets the imagination flow.
9.7
(Note which platform is used to create the package that is then
presented as a dual-platform program! I wonder why?! Ed.)
9.7
But...
9.7
1. Be warned, there is an awful lot here to get through, and children
will need to persevere, especially after the initial delight is over.
Careful planning Ö as always Ö is needed to ensure that children have
the stamina to complete the quest.
9.7
2. The language is acknowledged to be a Échallengeæ for the 9-13 age
group for which it is designed. Fortunately, there is an electronic,
talking dictionary which can be loaded and run alongside the main
program. Click on any letter, and a glossary of words springs to life.
Choose a word, and an explanation is offered, as well as the context
within in the story Ö very neat.
9.7
3. Mikeæs voice could be said to be a little low key, although I
recognise that this is matter of personal taste.
9.7
4. There are some (minor) grammatical errors, although I believe Mike
argues that this reflects how people actually speak rather than
following strict grammatical convention.
9.7
5. Who wrote the introductory music?
9.7
Conclusions
9.7
Guardians of the Greenwood costs ú49.50 +VAT (p&p is free) from 4Mation,
ú56 through Archive and is well worth the money, bearing in mind the
average cost of CD-ROMs today. Parents and teachers can be assured that
they are receiving an ÉEnglishæ product that has the backing of an
experienced software educational house. For teachers, it offers plenty
of ideas for children to work on away from the computer, as well as
accommodating the Modelling strand of the National Curriculum. Just one
thing stops me from recommending Guardians unreservedly: will an idea
with fairy story style creatures appeal to its targeted audience? As a
practising teacher, I hope that Ébiff bangæ violent games and todayæs
television exploitation, has not deadened the imagination and creativity
of this age group.áuá
9.7
Internet Column
9.7
Dave Pantling
9.7
I apologise for the brief nature of the column this month. I have been
developing the Archive web site, and this has taken up a lot of my time.
Iæve learned a lot about running a web site, and will pass on this
knowledge in next monthæs column. Iáhave put a copy of the web site on
the Archive disc so that anyone who wants to can have a look at it even
if you arenæt yet on the Net.
9.7
First of all, the promised review...
9.7
ANTæs Internet Suite
9.7
This suite arrived in a slim, grey, plastic wallet, containing one high
density floppy disc and an 80-page comb-bound manual.
9.7
Installation is carried out by an installer application, which asks you
for registration details, including your serial number which is a
combination of upper and lower case letter and numbers. I found that the
mix of l,1, and I in the serial number was a bit of a nuisance.
9.7
You are then prompted for details of your Service Provider. If your SP
is known to the software, (more than likely, even if you are outside the
U.K.), most of the tricky stuff is done for you.
9.7
As I have a dial-up connection, I will not be covering the network
options in the suite, other than to say they are present and extensive.
9.7
The !InetSuite application is the centrepiece of this suite Ö all the
other clients are accessed from here. It installs on the filing system
(left) end of the iconbar which, on reflection, is a very logical
decision. Its menu gives access to the usual connect and hang up
options, status windows, and an Apps directory.
9.7
The Apps directory contains the tools for setting up and using the
suite. The Configuration utility offers you the opportunity to alter the
default settings for your account, and to set up your modem driver. The
suite can auto-detect whether you have an Acorn or PC serial lead, which
is a thoughtful addition, as taking one apart isnæt for the faint-
hearted!
9.7
The ÉE-mail and Newsæ client, Marcel, offers the usual facilities of
reading and replying to messages. It also offers options like Ébounceæ,
ÉForwardæ, and the option to reply by email to the poster of a news item
instead of posting a (public) reply. Marcel automatically quotes the
message you are replying to, in line with what happens on other
platforms. It doesnæt yet have the facility to delete old news items,
but this is a minor quibble and will be addressed in the next version
which is due quite soon.
9.7
To avoid remembering and/or typing peopleæs email addresses, there is an
address book system. You can either click on an entry in the list or use
an easy-to-remember alias. For example, to mail Paul, I type öpaulò and
press <return> and öPaul Beverley <[e-mail]>ò appears. What
is more, if you have an email or a news posting in front of you, click
on the menu item ÉSet aliasæ and the senderæs name and email address
appear in the address book, just waiting for you to add a suitable
alias.
9.7
Fresco, the Web browser, offers precisely the facilities youæd expect.
It displays the text first, (when people have written their HTML
properly!), and fills in the images later. Interlaced images are slowly
built up, making navigation quick and easy.
9.7
Frescoæs ÉChoicesæ menu option gives you a great deal of control over
the browser, from setting the size of the cache, to removing the button
bar if you donæt use it, and choosing to keep the pages in the cache
after you come off line to that you can deal with the pages at leisure.
The information on each page you receive can be saved as text or as an
HTML file, and the individual pictures can be saved as sprites. This can
all be done off-line, if you prefer, so long as you set a big enough
cache to hold all the pages you want to save. (Thatæs how I got the
picture of the Newspad colour touchscreen portable off the ART web site.
Ed)
9.7
The file transfer and terminal clients work well, giving rise to no
problems and little comment.
9.7
Other tools provided include Ping, (which wins the award for funniest
icon Ö two computers playing table tennis!), network time, to fetch and
set time over a network, and an Éidiot-resistant upgraderæ. Upgrades are
fetched from the ANT web site Ö only Fresco can fetch upgrades, so it is
easy for ANT to keep track of copies!
9.7
Comparison
9.7
I have all three packages installed in my machine and no individual
package meets all of my requirements. The ANT Internet Suite compares
well against Voyager and Termite, though all have their strong points.
Voyager is very easy to use. Termite Internet provides an input buffer
on its Telnet client, but the ANT Suite is perfect for mail and news.
9.7
I do find, however, that the ANT suite is permanently installed on my
iconbar.
9.7
Down time...
9.7
I have, in my previous columns, talked about the Internet as a powerful
communications medium, with near limitless information available. I now
want to introduce a note of caution.
9.7
The demands of the rapidly growing number of users have placed
tremendous strains on the networks that make up Éthe Internetæ. In some
respects, it is a victim of its own success. It is expanding as quickly
as the rising demand, so should be thought of as Éhighly strungæ.
9.7
One company recently started Édumpingæ mail because it couldnæt cope
with the load. Other companies are hit by servers failing, and downtime
while they upgrade their networks always causes a backlog.
9.7
These problems affect a far wider range of users than those just using
the server in question, as there are knock-on effects. Email can be
unreliable, WWW access is often very slow, news service can be patchy...
9.7
When you consider that the Internet is trying to be all things to all
people, with different hardware, operating systems and requirements, I
think we are lucky that it works at all!
9.7
Discount schemes
9.7
Time spent on Internet access often makes up the largest component of
peoplesæ phone bills. If BT provide your phone service, there are a
number of options which can reduce these charges.
9.7
ÉFriends and Familyæ requires a one-off payment of ú4.99. You give BT
five numbers of your friends and family (or Internet service provider!)
and those five numbers attract a 5% discount.
9.7
ÉOption 15æ has a quarterly charge of ú4.00, but gives you a 10%
discount on all calls. This is cost-effective when your quarterly call
charges reach ú40.
9.7
ÉOption 15æ and ÉFriends and Familyæ discounts can be combined, giving
you 15% off those five numbers.
9.7
ÉPremierLineæ is for people with bigger bills, over ú60 call charges per
quarter. It attracts a 15% discount, for an annual charge of ú24. This
discount can be combined with ÉFriends and Familyæ, but not with ÉOption
15æ.
9.7
All prices are inclusive, and donæt give you any discount on the line
rental.
9.7
Get in touch!
9.7
Please feel free to email me, [e-mail], or by mail to the NCS
address.
9.7
The Archive web site can be found at: http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/
acorn/archive/
9.7
If you have a web presence, please send me your URL, and Iæll put it on
the hot links page.áuá
9.7
Datafileæs PDCD-3
9.7
John Woodthorpe
9.7
There are a good number of these Public Domain and Shareware software
collections emerging on CD, and The Datafile has reached its third such
disc, imaginatively called PDCD-3. I have mixed feelings about CD as a
medium for issuing PD software, which tends to change fairly regularly
as more is written and existing stuff modified. Inevitably, that means
that, by the time a collection is put together, mastered and pressed, it
is already out of date. On the other hand, it is an incredibly cheap way
of getting hold of a wide range of software, and if only a small
proportion of the contents is useful to you, that can easily justify the
cost. (This CD contains the equivalent of ú750 spent on ordering the
same software on HD floppies from The Datafile.)
9.7
Personally, I think that a collection needs something extra to justify
its existence and make you come back to it again and again; such as a
wide range of clipart (as on two of the APDL offerings), or the WWW
pages on Uniquewayæs excellent Risc Disc 2. I bought The Datafileæs
PDCD-1 because of the Project Gutenburg collection of electronic texts
and the Pocket Book software that it contains, so what special
attractions are there on this CD?
9.7
The answer to that is some 250Mb of Red Dwarf Replay films, which are
not Public Domain but are distributed by permission of the production
company. A further attraction for me is a large collection of 535 Pocket
Book/Psion files (mostly for the PBII/S3a, but some for the older
machines), and an assortment of 600 music files (Tracker, Digital
Symphony, etc) with a variety of players for them. One of these players
(!RTracker) has now become my preferred one because of the range of
different files it handles.
9.7
What do you get?
9.7
Unlike the PDCD-1, opening the root directory is very quick thanks to
the absence of lots of application files loading their sprites to be
displayed. Instead, we have !ArcFS, !Database (a version of Datafileæs
searchable index describing the files on the CD), and 27 directories
containing the main software (in excess of 640Mb, most of it archived).
9.7
As well as the expected games, utilities, sillies and demos, there are
comms, morphs, graphics (GIF, TIFF and JPEG) and clipart directories.
Some more unusual items are a collection of electronic magazines, some
German software (e.g. a Star Trek database, Hangman etc, all in German),
assorted programming languages, ArmTeX 3.141 Ö Release 2.03 (a multi-
platform text processor), and some specialist databases.
9.7
Other directories contain educational files (including a molecular model
editor, physics applications, Magpie folders on the Stuarts and the
Tudors etc), Internet access software, a collection of file archivers,
FLI and !Projector animations, and some Star Trek JPEGs and morphs. When
you add in the Red Dwarf, music and Pocket Book stuff, that gives some
idea of the breadth of software contained.
9.7
An important part of the CD is the accompanying 64-page A5 booklet,
which complements the !Database application, to help you work through
the vast amount of software. Inevitably, there is some duplication: I
found two versions of Rick Hudsonæs wonderful !SoundCon program, both
newer than the one I had, and at least one other cropped up twice, but
that seems perfectly understandable given the quantity of PD software
that a library such as The Datafile collects.
9.7
Incidentally, the first two PDCDs used standard Acorn filenames for many
of the archives, including the ö!ò character. This caused problems for
people wanting to access them on a PC (either because they were
unfortunate enough not to own an Acorn but wanted the Pocket Book
software, or because they didnæt have a CD drive and wanted to transfer
some of the files onto floppy on a friendæs PC) as these directories
were not recognised. PDCD-3 is now readable on a PC, so if you donæt
have a CD drive and have been disappointed that you have no access to PD
and Shareware software in bulk, The Datafile have a solution for you.
9.7
Added to that, the Pocket Book software is ZIPped, allowing the archives
to be opened by a PC owner wanting to transfer them to a Psion.
Considering that some of the Psion PD/Shareware CD collections are
significantly more expensive than PDCD-3, but contain less than the 21Mb
here, this could be an attractive proposition.
9.7
Red Dwarf
9.7
These Replay films are a major selling point of the CD, and range from
15 secs to a minute in length. Instead of paying a royalty, The Datafile
have agreed with Grant Naylor Productions to make a donation to a
childrenæs hospice for each copy sold. There are two directories, one
with nine clips from the broadcast programmes (two different intros, and
some of the best clips Ö including the dog food bit!) and one with
eleven of the Smegups (out-takes). Some of them are very good Ö
especially the ones where the Starbug models crash into Red Dwarf on
take-off.
9.7
They play well on my quad speed CD drive, but there is a suggestion that
if you have a slower drive, you should copy them onto a hard disc first
to avoid any jerkiness that might be observed. My only real complaint is
the sound quality, which seems a bit Éwoollyæ and indistinct, but that
could just be the fact that lots of 8-bit material sounds like that
since I got a 16-bit soundcard! Suffice it to say, my kids head straight
for these films whenever they get the chance! There are also some
sillies, a collection of quotes from the series and an adventure game
where you play Kryten, but the Replay films are the main event.
9.7
Pocket Book software
9.7
Thereæs a great mix here, culled from the normal Psion PD sources,
including quite a bit that Iæd not seen before. These include some good
sound samples in Psionæs WVE format (also playable on 32-bit Acorns with
the aforementioned SoundCon) and a number of programming-related files.
Anyone wanting to learn to program in OPL should get hold of some of
these, especially the OPL examples and programming manual in DBF (Psion
database) format. Some kind authors have provided the source code of
their work for you to examine, translate and learn from Ö most useful.
9.7
Other highlights are an interpreter to play Infocom games on the Psion,
Procyon (a graphical Astronomical almanac), Mapper and John Boyceæs
freeware programs (such as JBDATA, the replacement for the built-in
database).
9.7
Overall
9.7
As youæd expect, this is a mixed bag of applications, data and pictures.
Some of the Artworks files refuse to load into !AWViewer, which claims
that they are too old, and some of the clipart mentioned in the booklet
had to be removed because the files became corrupted when the master
image was made, but thereæs still enormous value for money here.
9.7
Even if youæve got either of the first two Datafile CDs, this one is
worth getting hold of, especially if you have a Pocket Book II or Psion
Series 3a. The standard Datafile price is ú32, but Registered Users can
get it for ú25 (both prices inclusive of VAT and postage). Itæs
particularly good to see Dave McCartney of The Datafile responding
positively to requests to change the presentation of the CDs so that
they are more widely usable, and also that he tries to avoid duplicating
the contents of previous discs. Inevitably, if you buy CDs from other
libraries, you will have duplicates of some of the software, but there
should still be enough here to justify the purchase.
9.7
Dave tells me that he is already working on PDCD-4 (how does he think up
these names?!), which will contain some more very large Replay films. I
look forward to that appearing.áuá
9.7
Dave McCartney of Datafile says... We have recently reviewed our CD
prices and have reduced them to ú25 each fully inclusive, with a
discount for multi-purchases:  ú5 off for two and ú10 off for a triple
purchase. (Each disc is ú25 through Archive.)áuá
9.7
Comment Column
9.7
Claude and Maude Ö The Claude and Maude review was written about six
months ago and, since then, Brilliant Computing has inserted Christopher
Jarmanæs own handwriting font as an option in the program in response to
his suggestions about a more cursive style.
9.7
Also, Brilliant Computing has now been acquired by SEMERC, so the
program is now available from their catalogue and not directly from
Brilliant Computing.
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Email art Ö Chris Walker <[e-mail]> spotted this one and
sent it in. I asked Nigel if I could use it and he replied, öIt isnæt
original, but youære welcome to use it. There are lots of good ideas to
be found on ascii-art newsgroups (e.g. alt.ascii-art) Ö thatæs where
mine came from. You could suggest this to your non-artistic readers
(like me).ò
9.7
           . ÿ .                Nigel Parker Ö [e-mail]
9.7
          (      )
9.7
         ( (/oo\) )              and friends
9.7
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9.7
           ( \/ )      wwwwww                   /__\
9.7
          (      )   wöww  wwòw                | oo |   _WWWWW_
9.7
         (        ) W   oöòo   W    (o)(o)    (|_()_|) /  o o  \
(+)(+)
9.7
   oo   (          )W  ______  W  wö      òw    \__/ (|  __O__  |)/
\
9.7
 wö()òw  (        ) öw \_\/_/ wò W  -====-  W  /|\/|\  \ \___/ /  \ -==-
/
9.7
W -==- W   É ÿ æ  wwöòwwwwwwöòww öw      wò  |||||||| /ÿÿÿ-\   \    /
9.7
 öwwwwò     =  =    |||||||||||| wöòöòöòöòöòw |||||||||=========| <\/\/
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9.7
wö    òw    =  =    ||||||||||||W            W|||||||||=========| /
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9.7
  Elmo    Big Bird     Oscar    Cookie Monster  Bert     Ernie
Kermit
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Fancy a StrongARM card for your RiscPC? Ö (A conversation overheard on
the net...)
9.7
Andy Southgate <[e-mail]> wrote in the the newsgroup
Éacorn.hardwareæ about the StrongARM:
9.7
Through the mysterious and chaotic workings of fate, Acorn have been
landed with the most cost-effective desktop processor in the world, BUT
what are they going to do with it? Why not just bung it on a card, clock
it at 200MHz, and stuff it in a RiscPC? No cache, no new memory
structure, low development costs, and a label with 200MHz in big letters
on the front. The thing would be choked by the bus, but the beauty of
this plan is that nobody would notice as RISC OS is so responsive with
low processor speed. The one thing it could do very quickly would be
looped code that fits in the StrongARMæs cache and does no memory
access, i.e. floating point emulation!
9.7
Somebody called ÉPeter Bondaræ from a company called ÉARTæ replied:
9.7
You might say that, I might think that, but I couldnæt possibly comment.
9.7
What does everyone think about this? How about 200MHz StrongARM uncached
for August at, say, ú200 and/or 200MHz StrongARM Cached for November at,
say, ú350?
9.7
The relative performance factors compared with ARM710@40MHz =1, would be
SA uncached ╫3, SAácached ╫5!
9.7
Be warned that what you might say could result in a product! All dates/
prices are for illustration only, no commitment made/implied etc.
9.7
Well, what do Archive subscribers think? How many of you would send me a
cheque for ú200 to put in the pile ready for the uncached card, and how
many would send ú350 for a cached card? I know that ART are working
their socks off trying to get this StrongARM card out so they can shove
it up (non-pro-Acorn) peopleæs noses and ask them öWhat do you think of
the RiscPC now? Eh?!ò
9.7
Apparently, if you were to put a large cache controller on the card as
well, you could get speeds of between 5 and 10 times the ARM710 Ö and
this is with the first Érelatively slowæ StrongARM chips at (only!)
200MHz. These chips will be rolling off the chip foundry production
lines in the next few weeks.
9.7
Do let me know what you think, because the Archive readership represents
(forgive me saying this!) the hardcore of Acorn support. If you donæt
think itæs worth doing, it ptobably wonæt be done. If you are going to
write or email me (use öSA voteò as the subject line) about this, please
make it short and to the point!
9.7
Watch this space...
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Floating Point Support for RiscPC????? Ö Acorn are now accepting orders
for the RiscPC ARM700/FPA upgrade card. However, it is unlikely that the
product will become available(!), since the currently indicated demand
does not justify the costs involved in setting up a production line.
However, should demand be substantial, a one-off production run will be
initiated to fulfil all orders received. The order code is ACA51, and
the price will be ú299 +VAT.
9.7
The following information provides some background to this desision.
9.7
At the launch of the RiscPC, Acorn announced that an ARM700 with FPA
upgrade would be available in the future. Prototypes of such a device
were even demonstrated although, at the time, only first generation
(25MHz) FPAs were available and the ARM700 prototype would not execute
reliably at speeds greater than 30MHz.
9.7
Whilst awaiting the delivery of the second generation FPAs, it was
decided to modify the ARM700 design in order to develop a device which
offered greater performance and could exploit the greater capability of
the second generation FPA.
9.7
Unfortunately, the newer design proved problematic and, after over a
year of attempting to obtain a reliable high performance part, it was
decided to abandon the new design.
9.7
Consequently, there is currently no hardware floating point solution for
the RiscPC, and little chance of an alternative hardware solution being
developed in the short term. However, one option is to revert to the
original design in order to deliver enhanced floating point performance
for those users for whom such improved performance is essential. In
order to achieve this, Acorn will have to commission the production of a
limited number of the original ARM 700 design. For economic reasons,
this has to be performed as a single production run, with a minimum
quantity of 1,000 units.
9.7
Acorn therefore invite customers to place firm, non-cancellable orders
for a limited run ARM700/FPA combination card. This product will operate
at approximately 30MHz, and offer performance similar to that of its
predecessor, the 33MHz A5000 with FPA. The price is ú299 +VAT, and Acorn
will not be able to commence production until 1,000 firm orders are
received. Orders will not be invoiced until the product is delivered.
9.7
In the longer term, Acorn are investigating alternative ways of
providing high performance floating point capability for existing and
future RiscPCs. Information relating to this will be released as and
when there is progress to report.
9.7
Dick Wallin, Marketing Manager, Acorn Education.<[e-mail]>
9.7
This, to me, is an example of the new Éflexibleæ Acorn. Can you imagine,
a few years ago, Acorn making a public statement like this? Itæs honest,
it says clearly what the position is, and it gives people an option.
Anyway, no-one could expect Acorn to build something just because a few
people Éwant oneæ Ö they are a commercial company, not a charitable
trust! Ed.
9.7
How secure is your data? Ö If you are thinking that this issue shows
signs of being a bit cobbled together at the last minute, let me tell
you a salutary tale.
9.7
Last week, James popped into my office and asked me to format a new
cartridge for him. I tried to spin mine down to take it out but Marcel
(the ANT Suite mailer) complained so I span it up again and shut it down
properly. Now, when I tried to initialise a cartridge once before, I
initialised one of my fixed hard discs instead, so I asked James to
follow what I was doing carefully and make sure it really was the
removable drive I was initialising. It was, but I handæt changed
cartidges!
9.7
öJames, what is this cartridge you have given me? It seems to have some
writing on the front of it Ö it says ÉPaulæs discæ Ö Aarrgh!!! That is
(was) my main data disc with... oh no!... absolutely everything on it.ò
9.7
When was it last backed up? Well, the Archive magazine info was backed
up three days earlier Ö not too bad, and very fortunate, because it can
be 2-3 weeks before I remember to back it up sometimes. What about the
rest of the disc? That was November! That included all my Internet
stuff, all my church and private correspondence, home accounts, etc,
etc, etc.
9.7
What an idiot! How could I be so stupid? (Very easily, actually!) But
when did you last back up all your data? You see, I was thinking that
the important stuff was backed up fairly regularly and the rest of it
reasonably often Ö but it wasnæt. You never back up as often as you
think you are doing.
9.7
One other thing that has occurred to me as I have thought about this
tragic incident. My philosophy with the removable has been that the
sensitive data gets backed up every few days, so if a file or two gets
corrupted Ö which can happen on a removable Ö no great loss. What I
hadnæt really thought about was that I carry that disc around with me
all the time, so if someone stole my briefcase, the whole lot would be
gone, just like that. At least, I have the initialised disc and can use
Disc Rescue to scrape off any important files that I need, but what
would happen if someone stole your removable, or your computer.
9.7
I will be more careful to back up regularly from now on, and I suggest
you do too!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Internet: Message style Ö Iæd like to make a plea about the style people
use in sending emails. Some days, I reply to about 30/40 messages and so
anything I can do to speed it up would make my life much easier. All I
ask is this...
9.7
Use lots of short, double spaced paragraphs, please!
9.7
The reason for this is that, in formulating a reply, if the information
is in short paragraphs, you can quote the original message and simply
add a comment or two between each paragraph. If, instead, you write in
big paragraphs, I either have to split it up into separate sentences by
manual editing, or write giving much fuller details, e.g. öWhen you say
that, blah, blah, you need to take into account this and that. As
regards what you say about something or other, I should point out blah,
blah, blah.ò This all takes time and lessens the chance of you getting
the quick response you may be wanting.
9.7
Am I being unreasonable?!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Internet: Which modem? Ö A lot of folk who are starting up on the
Internet ask whether it is worth getting a 28.8K modem instead of a
14.4K. The first point to make is that if you are downloading direct
from a BBS using a 28.8K modem, you might well get twice the data rate
compared with a 14.4K modem. However, on the Internet, in most
circumstance, you will certainly not get double the speed. The point is
that, often, your modem is not the limiting factor determining the
overall speed of the data communication channel. Let me give some
examples from my own experience.
9.7
I have a 28.8K in the office (because daytime phone calls are more
expensive) but only a 14.4K at home. The ANT Suite, in its Connection
Status window, gives a continuous readout of average data rates in cps
(characters per second). This is very useful because it alerts you to
occasions where the speed of the communication is poor so that, to save
money, you can log off and try again when there is less traffic on the
part of the Internet that you are using.
9.7
I have checked the average data rates when downloading newsgroup
messages, for example. It is not easy to say what öthe speedò is because
it varies such a lot, partly depending on the length of the message.
Lots of small messages show a slower overall speed, presumably because
of the time taken at the beginning and end of each message. Anyway, when
using the 28.8K modem, I have seen it get up to around 5,000 cps
although it often spends more of its time around the 3,000 mark. With
the 14.4K modem, the best I have seen is 4,100 cps but with an average,
similarly around the 3,000 mark or just under.
9.7
When browsing the net, especially if you have your software set to
download graphics as well as text, you would think that the 28.8K modem
really would come into its own, but my experience is, again, that the
speed is much more limited by the net than the modem.
9.7
You may be wondering, as I was, how a 14.4Kbaud modem can be capable of
transmitting 4,100 characters/sec, because thatæs 4,100 ╫ 8 bits-per-
character which makes 32.8Kbits/sec. The reason is that the modem
transmits down the phone line at 14.4Kbaud maximum, but it can
communicate with the computer even faster and uses compression
techniques which, depending on the type of data, can be as much as 4:1.
This means that it could, theoretically receive data from the computer
at 4╫14.4 = 57.6Kbits/sec.
9.7
(This may also mean that it is better not to compress data before trying
to send it down the phone lines Ö let the modem do the compression. Has
anyone done any tests on this? Would anyone be prepared to do such tests
and report back, please? It could save lots of Archive readers a fair
bit of phone time = money!)
9.7
So, is it worth paying the extra for a 28.8K modem over a 14.4K modem?
Well, some things will be faster, so maybe it is, but if you are
thinking in terms of saving the extra cost by having smaller phone
bills, I think you will be disappointed!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Personal Accounts Ö We called for comments from users of Personal
Accounts in the light of comments about it in a review of Finance
Manager in Archive 9.4 p59. We only had a small response, but having
said last month that we hadnæt had much response, this month I was
deluged with comments. These were, almost without exception, extremely
positive saying, for example, öQuentinæs support is excellentò, and öhe
responds to suggestions for improvements to the programò, and that the
program is öa delight to useò, and öthe reports it generates are very
varied... they are invaluable and much more flexible than I had
realisedò.
9.7
I think we can say that they like it!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Promoting Acorn (you can help) Ö Like many other Acorn enthusiasts, I
feel a strong moral obligation to try to awaken unenlightened PC users
to the benefits of RISC OS Ö both the Acorn machine architecture, and
the Acorn market spirit in general. It never ceases to amaze me that
intelligent people will discount the facts presented to them in favour
of that false grail they call öIndustry Standardò.
9.7
However, even if Acorn were to spend ill-affordable amounts of money on
advertising, it would make but a very small dent in the mass hypnotic
delusion created by the likes of Microsoft and Intel.
9.7
The only thing that will win people over is if they hear about Acorn
being used in serious applications in their own particular field. When
they hear of such examples, they tend to at least take a closer look,
rather than just dismissing the Acorn solution out of hand. Sibelius is,
of course, a brilliant example of this.
9.7
I have, for some time now, been trying to get Acorn to provide case
studies which could be made available to the Acorn faithful (perhaps by
going out to the Clan members as a regular part of the mailing) but it
seems that this requires too much of Acornæs resources to be
practicable.
9.7
It therefore falls to us to research and write up case studies about
Acorn computers being used in serious applications, and preferably,
illustrating how their use (rather than a PC or Mac) benefits the
particular application.
9.7
Please send your articles to the Archive office, and we will do our best
to publish them in some form or other. If you are not a writer, but have
heard of an outstanding use for Acorn computers, you can send us the
necessary details, and we will pass them on to those who can write, but
do not have the contact details.
9.7
James Taylor, NCS
9.7
James writes from the heart, and I support him 100% and would add one or
two other suggestions. When the new Oracle netsurfer computers are
mentioned in ANY publication and the name ÉAcornæ is not mentioned,
every one of us should write a very polite letter to the editor asking
whether he/she is aware that Oracle are using world-beating chips
designed by a UK company (ARM Ltd) and designed for this massive US
giant by a (relatively) minute UK company (Acorn Computers).
9.7
I suggested something similar to this in the Comment Column in Archive
8.6 when Apple was shooting off its mouth about having the Éfirst
commercial RISC-based computersæ. I suggested writing to magazine
editors, using the awareness of ÉRISCæ that Apple were generating, and
telling them about Acorn. Quite a lot of subscribers did so then, and so
now letæs do it again because we have much more to shout about now than
we did at that stage: Netsurfers, the StrongARM, multi-ARM processing,
A4 touchscreen portables, and more to come.
9.7
Acorn, in its new Éopenæ mode will be showing more and more of its
developing technology to the outside world, way before it is marketable
as finished products. This is because they have realised that they can
make a lot more money by selling the raw technology, than by keeping the
technology secret and suddenly announcing a (nearly!) finished product.
9.7
My guess is that we will see Clan members, interested in particular
areas of the technology, being allowed to have a look at it before it is
officially released. Then we can get out there and sell the ideas into
the companies and organisations where we have influence. (More details
about this in the ÉART on the Netæ article on page 11.)
9.7
If you are worried, from what I have just said, that Acorn may stop
producing desktop computers, donæt! Peter Bondar and Chris Cox know full
well that what makes Acorn such a success is not just the bodies inside
the walls of Acorn House and Ditton House but the rest of the Acorn
Éfamilyæ Ö you and me. Many of us (but not me!) are generating world-
beating ideas using Acornæs leading edge technology.
9.7
No, what Peter and Chris are set to do is to find big people like Oracle
(although that is rather a staggeringly large example!) to fund the
development of the new technology, and then they will feed the spin-off
to us. I guess they will argue at Board-level that they ought to do so,
even if they donæt make a lot of money out of selling desktop, laptop
and palmtop computers, because it feeds the family and the family will
look out for them!
9.7
Ed.
9.7
SCSI compatibility Ö On behalf of a number of readers, my very grateful
thanks go to the many people who responded to my recent request for
user-reports on the Alsystems and Cumana SCSI II interfaces. Letters
came from as far away as Singapore and the USA, and the reports were
invaluable. In one particularly happy case, I received a plea for help
from one reader and the definitive answer from another Ö both in the
same post!
9.7
Jim Nottingham, York.
9.7
StrongARM statistics Ö (A message from one of the Acorn newsgroups,
reproduced here with permission...) There have been some exciting
announcements on the net about the SA-110. I wonæt summarize them here.
(See the monthly program disc. Ed.) Instead, Iæve looked around the web
to make a short, and probably bent, comparison of the Dhrystone MIPS
rating for the 200MHz part:
9.7
Processor  MHz  Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS
9.7
SA-110  200  230
9.7
Pentium  133  125
9.7
PowerPC 604  125  167
9.7
Draw your own conclusions from this, but bear in mind that the Pentium
and PowerPC tests were run in a Érealæ system, while the SA-110 was
probably run in a lab. On the other hand, donæt forget that the
StrongARM only draws 1 Watt running at 200MHz, which makes it quite
exceptional in its own right, whether or not it beats the Pentium (Pro)
or PowerPC.
9.7
The only chip listed to beat the StrongArm was, not surprisingly,
Digitalæs own 275MHz Alpha.
9.7
Steven Kramer , University of Amsterdam <[e-mail]>
9.7
StrongARM tactics Ö The following items appeared in PC Week dated 13
February:
9.7
Specialised low-voltage microprocessors from Digital Equipment and Sun
Microsystems will power new generations of PDAs and Internet terminals
made by Oracle, Sun and Apple.
9.7
Digital will begin volume shipments of its StrongARM chip in spring.
Oracle plans to use the processor in its second-generation Internet
terminal, sources said. Apple later this year will also introduce a
version of the Newton PDA based on StrongARM that will be five to eight
times faster than Appleæs current model, they said.
9.7
The StrongARM, also known as the SA-110, will be available in 100MHz,
160MHz and 200MHz clock speeds at prices ranging from $25 (ú17) to $50
per chip.
9.7
How is it that Digital get all the credit in a British paper for the
work of Advanced RISC Machines? Probably Digital wrote and sent the
press releases. When will Acorn wake up and grab the headlines?
9.7
Anthony Hilton, Leeds <[e-mail]>
9.7
See my comments above, and letæs educate the Editors of such ill-
informed publications. Get your pens, WPs    and/or email software
working! Ed.
9.7
WMF files for Vector Ö In Rob Ivesæ MetaConvertor review (9.6 p22), he
noted that there was a problem using the files output from the converter
with Vector and Impression. There is a explanation and solution for the
former.
9.7
Vector does not check, or adjust, the bounding boxes of objects when
loading a file, as Draw and DrawPlus do. This is deliberately not done
because the checking takes a long time, especially for large files, or
if many text fonts are in use. I suspect that the files output from
MetaConvertor may not have the bounding boxes set correctly. If this is
the case, there is a öCheck boxesò option on the menu which will go
through all of the objects and make any adjustments necessary.
Alternatively, saving the file in Vector format and then loading it
again will regenerate all of the bounding boxes and have the same
effect.
9.7
Jonathan Marten, [e-mail]
9.7
Help!!!!
9.7
DTP Column Ö Mark Howe, who has been doing our DTP Column for some time,
is finding it difficult to fit in with work commitments. Keith Parker
was beginning to move into Markæs shoes but was whisked away to become
DTP Column editor for another Acorn subscription magazine! (Actually,
the new Editor of the self-same magazine, Richard Hallas, is a former
DTP Column editor of Archive!)
9.7
Would anyone be interested in coordinating and collating DTP info for
Archive, please? Experience of using DTP in a professional or semi-
professional capacity is a must, and email access would be very helpful.
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Free ink cartridges!!! Ö Once upon a time, NCS ordered some inkjet
cartridges, supposedly for the Acorn Inkjet printer. They do not fit! We
have never managed to find any that do, and we have half a dozen
cartridges gathering dust. If anyone has any of the following printers
and would like a few free cartridges, do let us know. (JP150WS, JP250,
JP350S/WS or JP450.)
9.7
Ed.
9.7
Free software Ö Some new versions of existing software, and a new
module, are now available from my local ftp server. For full details,
see my web pages at: http://www.tcp.co.uk/~tonyh/ or email to
[e-mail].
9.7
The software is all provided as ArcFSArc (&3FB) archive files:
9.7
WinEd Ö New version 2.30 An award-winning shareware template editor.
ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/WinEd.arc (193Kb)
9.7
FormText Ö New version 1.03. A freeware utility to format text files for
printing as manuals. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/FormText.arc (22Kb)
9.7
Users without RISC OS 3.6 may also require the Toolbox modules:
ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/System.arc (247Kb)
9.7
Bombz Ö New version 1.10 (now with sound) Aáfreeware arcade puzzle game.
Push the bombs to strategic positions and detonate them to make your
escape. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/Bombz.arc (68Kb)
9.7
BombzDes Ö A desktop level designer for Bombz. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/
BombzDes.arc (32Kb)
9.7
THHeap Ö A freeware module to provide OS_Heap memory management within
Dynamic Areas. An RMA version is provided for backwards compatibility.
ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/THHeap.arc (4Kb)
9.7
THSound Ö A module to provide voice generator code for sound samples
which have been placed as raw data in memory, eliminating the need to
make each sample into a module. ftp.tcp.co.uk/pub/acorn/THSound.arc
(3Kb)
9.7
Tony Houghton, [e-mail]
9.7
International Golf by Q-Soft. I have been very impressed by the demo for
this game but have been unable to get a reply from the author or obtain
the full game. Can anyone help, please, as I would love to explore its
full potential?
9.7
Phone Geoff on 01277-352036.áuá
9.7
RiscDOS Column
9.7
Mike Clarkson
9.7
I must begin by apologising for the lack of a RiscDOS Column in the last
few issues, and thank those who have, nonetheless, kept the letters
flowing in to me. During this time, much has happened, and still is
happening, and I shall therefore first outline where things stand (as
far as I know) at the time of writing.
9.7
The most recent version of !PCx86 is 1.993 (02¡Feb¡96). !PCx86 is the
new name for the !PC486 RISCáOS application which runs the PC card. This
new software drives all versions of the card Ö 486 and 586, Acorn and
Aleph One. This version is still at beta-test level, and includes
support for Windows 95 for the first time. For those on the Internet,
the latest version of the software is always available by ftp from the
Aleph One site (ftp://ftp.ant.co.uk), and also from the Acorn site,
though sometimes this is not as up¡to¡date; The latest non-beta version
(1.92) is available from NCS as Utilities Disc N║ 9 (ú2).
9.7
Much has improved over earlier versions, including Soundblaster sound
support (if you have 16-bit sound, for which original RiscPC600s require
an upgrade), and better Win95 support, including correct colours,
multitasking and the elimination of the junk encountered on start-up.
!PCConfig (now at version 0.57) has also been re-written and given a new
interface, similar to the RISC OS !Boot configuration utility.
Certainly, in my opinion, it is worth upgrading, whichever PC operating
system you are running. However, if you are running Win95, you will
probably need to upgrade further to obtain the full, bug-free, version.
9.7
As well as new versions of the software, new hardware is now available,
as has been mentioned in recent editions of Archive. David Coronel
kindly sent me a set of test results based on Windows User benchmarks,
which came out as follows:
9.7
Benchmark   Acorn  Aleph1  Acorn  Aleph1
9.7
  SX/33  DX2/80  DX4/100  586/100
9.7
Processor  4.6  15.5  21.5  36.5
9.7
Memory  4.1  8.2  9.3  12.2
9.7
Graphics  4.3  6.2  6.4  6.5
9.7
Disk  5.9  12.4  13.0  18.3
9.7
Windows  1.7  3.6  4.0  5.9
9.7
OVERALL  3.8  8.1  9.2  12.5
9.7
Expressed in percentage terms, the increases look as follows:
9.7
áááááááááááááááTo:  DX2/80  DX4/100  586/100
9.7
From
9.7
SX/33  113%  142%  229%
9.7
DX2/80    14%  54%
9.7
DX4/100      36%
9.7
(David carried out the tests using a machine with two SCSI PC
partitions, 16Mb RAM allocated to the PC card, running Windows 95. These
figures are an average of five runs).
9.7
Clearly, significant improvements in performance can be achieved (at a
price), although more RAM will also yield speed improvements, and lack
of RAM will make even a 586 run slowly. Upgrades from the original Acorn
card are available at a discount, as are cards purchased with new
machines. (See Archive 9.5 p3 for details.)
9.7
PC users
9.7
Having set out where things stand, perhaps I should summarise the way I
see the PC card being used? One type of user runs the PC side to their
machine as a full blown PC, running major PC applications (Word for
Windows, Excel etc), and dedicating a lot of resources (RAM, hard disc
and  cash!) to this side of the machine. The other type of user has a
fairly basic configuration which enables them to run specialist PC
applications which are not available for RISC OS, quite probably
including multimedia CD¡ROMs.
9.7
Both types of user meet their own problems, some of which I will outline
below Ö with a few solutions! Certainly, moving from being one type of
user to another is an expensive exercise, since it may involve upgrading
the PC chip/card, RAM, hard disc and buying PC software. Of these, the
last is the one at which I balk most: buying another 8Mb RAM improves
both my RISCáOS and PC systems, and buying a faster PC card seems to
offer a reasonable return for my money, but PC software can be very
expensive. What makes this worse is that most PC owners donæt buy PC
software, since it almost always comes pre-installed on a new PC. If
anyone knows a (reputable) PC dealer  that sells applications (by which
I fear I mean Microsoft Office, or its constituent parts) at a discount,
please let me know. It is also worth adding that, in general, the price
of PC software does vary enormously, so itæs always worth shopping
around.
9.7
A few problems (and solutions)
9.7
Acorn and Aleph One have done a terrific job at integrating the PC card
into a RISCáOS machine Ö perhaps the ultimate plug-and-play? However,
there are still plenty of problems out there (most of which would occur
on a conventional PC). Perhaps it is worth saying, at the start, that
!PCx86 is optimised for running Windows 3.1/3.11 (and soon for Win95),
not for running DOS, and certainly not for DOS games. It is also worth
saying that there are plenty of programs which refuse to work on
conventional PCs Ö DOS games again are frequent culprits. As Windows 95
(and its successors) takes over the PC world (slowly...), some of these
problems should diminish, though, by then, hardware developments may
have taken us rather further Ö CHRP, etc.
9.7
Hardware problems
9.7
The most common hardware problem has been persuading CD drives (and,
less frequently, other disc drives) to work, and configuring them for
use in the PC partition. Running such a peripheral is, in fact, highly
complex Ö itæs nearly a miracle that it can be made to work at all Ö but
it can. Before giving a solution, let me outline the problem.
9.7
When running a CD-ROM, for example, under RISCáOS, you usually install a
module or two (CDFS and one specific to the drive) to control the device
(plug and play, as it should be). When you run such a device under DOS,
you also install two modules (called drivers under DOS), one called
MSCDEX (MicroSoft CD EXtensions), and one specific for the drive. If you
are also running Windows, you also load extra Windows drivers for the
device you have attached. If you are running Windows 95, you will
probably need a further/different set of drivers.
9.7
You might imagine that persuading all these drivers to talk to each
other is the source of the majority of problems, but Aleph One have
worked minor miracles, such that this nearly always happens Ö but only
if all the drivers are present. With such a long list of drivers, it is
understandable how one can be left out, and doing so, of course, causes
problems Ö though not necessarily all the time.
9.7
Under RISCáOS, typing *MODULES at the command line, lists all the
modules installed, making it easy to check that all is as it should be.
Unfortunately, under DOS/Windows there is no direct equivalent, since
the Drivers option, via the Control Panel, tells you which device-
specific driver is installed, but not whether MSCDEX is installed. To be
sure of this, check that you have a line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
(which can be loaded into Edit if !PCx86 is not running) containing
something along the lines of C:\WINDOWS \MSCDEX.EXE (with various
letters after it). Also, as Jim Nottingham points out in his article on
page 34, errors encountered during start-up (i.e. in loading the
drivers) are easily missed. Jimæs article also contains details of how
to modify/determine which driver letter the CD is allocated under DOS.
9.7
Given the complexity of the issue, Iæm most grateful to Sean White who
sent me a clear installation method for getting Windows 95 running. It
seems the extra layer of drivers here has often been the final straw,
and perhaps it is also the case that the !PCx86 application does not yet
support Win95 drivers directly, without DOS/Windows 3 drivers
underneath. Certainly, there seems to be a problem running DOS programs
from Win95 if DOS drivers have not been installed. Anyway, here is one
solution you can try. (You will need about two hours, 70Mb hard disc
space, about 8Mb free RAM, !PCx86 and a PC card currently running
Windows 3.1.)
9.7
1. You must upgrade from Windows 3.1, not from DOS or 3.0, or the
various drivers you need might not be installed. In my case, I had
dreadful problems with running DOS programs from Windows 95 because of a
missing VGA grabber.
9.7
2. Before upgrading, install all hardware drivers you might need
(ARMDRV.DRV, sound drivers, CD-ROM drivers, printer drivers etc) into
Windows 3.1. Make sure that Windows 3.1 is using the right drivers, and
that sound, CD-ROMs, printers etc, work properly. Ensure that you can
run DOS tasks from the Windows 3.1 desktop.
9.7
3. Make a new partition for Windows 95, using !PCConfig. Windows 95
itself will take around 40-50Mb of disc, so youæll need at least 70Mb.
Call the partition Win95, and configure it as Drive D.
9.7
4. Run the PC card, enter DOS and format D as a system disc (FORMAT D: /
S).
9.7
5. Quit the PC card. Ensure that Truncate is off (*Configure Truncate
Off), then, using the RISC OS filer, copy across all the files (except
the system files already installed on Drive D) from your original
partition to the new partition.
9.7
6. To hide the old partition, rename it Win31. Use !PCConfig to make
Win95 Drive C and have no Drive D. The original Windows 3.1 partition is
now preserved in case of disaster.
9.7
7. Turn off your RISC OS screen saver. I got a horrible crash when the
screen saver kicked in during the Windows setup.
9.7
8. Use !PCConfig to give your PC Card at least 4Mb RAM, and an 800╫600
256 (with palette) or 32,000 colour display mode. Accept the suggested
memory allocation for the screen display. Set direct access to printer
port, ignore RISC OS printer stream, and donæt allow the PC card to boot
from floppy.
9.7
9. Run the PC card in single-tasking mode, then run Windows 3.1. Use
File Manager to find and launch the Windows 95 setup program Ö run the
program called SETUP.EXE. During setup, do not be tempted to go into
multitasking mode with RISC OS. I did and, at certain times, this
provokes a PC crash.
9.7
10. Select CUSTOM INSTALLATION. When prompted, choose to overwrite the
previous DOS and Windows installation, as you have got it all on Win31.
9.7
11. About 97% of the way through the hardware detection, part of the
Windows 95 Setup, the PC card will crash. Do not worry. Restart the
setup procedure Ö even switching off the Risc PC if necessary Ö and next
time around, Windows will skip the problematical bit. Accept SAFE
RECOVERY when prompted.
9.7
12. All being well, in about an houræs time, youæll have a working
Windows 95 system. In case of disaster, you can delete the new Win95
partition, re-create and continue from Step 4. During the Windows boot
up, youæll get some odd screen displays Ö just ignore them. Windows 95
takes 1-2 minutes to boot.
9.7
13. You now have two operating systems for your PC card. When you are
happy with Win95, you could delete Win31 Ö but Iæm keeping mine, as it
makes re-installation, in case of disaster, much easier. It is possible
to make two different Config files, and make a couple of short pseudo-
applications which run the PC Card with one partition or the other, as
required.
9.7
14. One tip I learned from Computer Shopper, is very useful for those
who want both Windows 95 and DOS applications to run on the same
partition. You can force Windows 95 to boot up with a menu; from RISC
OS, find the file C:\MSDOS.SYS and, using Edit, add the following lines
to the [Options] section (the carriage returns are best obtained by
copying from within the file) and re-save it (it is locked, so unlock,
save and re-lock):
9.7
  BootMenu=1[0d]
9.7
  BootMenuDefault=1[0d]
9.7
  BootMenuDelay=5[0d]
9.7
The second line means that Windows 95 will be the default, and the third
line gives the delay in seconds before the default is selected. The menu
appears almost instantly, and selecting option 5, before it times out,
gives you an old-fashioned DOS-based PC. However, Windows 95 will have
modified AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, removing mouse and other drivers,
and you shouldnæt change them back. You may, therefore, need to create a
batch file to load the necessary drivers then run your application.
9.7
Another hardware problem has been trying to get printing out of Win95,
but this is not something Iáhave experienced. My setup is as follows:
Printers 1.22 and Turbodrivers 4.40, with the Printing option of
!PCConfig set to ÉUse RISCáOS printer streamæ for LPT1. My printer is an
Epson Stylus Color, and Iáhave the Epson Windows driver installed. This
seems to work fine, although I have done little printing from the card.
Possibly, those who are running into problems have not installed a
Windows driver for their printer? I realise there is now a newer version
of !Printers, and possibly of Turbodrivers as well, so any info on
setups that work, as well as those which donæt, would be useful.
9.7
Software
9.7
The most common software problems are with PC games. Unfortunately, in
many cases, there are few answers, since as on any computer, PC games
writers achieve maximum speed by using Éillegalæ methods. Some will
remember the problems getting BBC games to run under the emulators
(!Beebterm and/or !65Tube) supplied with original Archimedes machines.
As I said above, some games refuse to work on conventional PCs, indeed
the head of IT at the school where I work (who is something of a Windows
wizard) has found one game he cannot get running on any of the variety
of PCs we have. (Ofácourse, it only took one of the 15 year old pupils
15¡20 minutes to get it sorted!)
9.7
Despite this pessimism, and a lack of solutions for specific games (does
anyone have any?), I can offer some help to those running games off CD.
Almost certainly, these games run under DOS, and it may be that you can
access the CD drive from Windows, but that your DOS driver is not the
correct one, or is not installed. Getting hold of DOS drivers for Acorn-
oriented CD-ROM drives, may be a problem. Iásuggest that, initially, you
try your supplier, or support at Aleph One. Can I also make it clear
that this is a tentative solution, but it may help some.
9.7
That, Iæm afraid, is all I have time and room for this month. Do see Jim
Nottinghamæs excellent article below, and drop me any hints, tips,
problems etc, that you have.áuá
9.7
PCx86 Cards Ö Hints & Tips
9.7
Jim Nottingham
9.7
The article in Archive 9.1 p41 led to a fair amount of correspondence
with readers continuing to have problems in setting up their PC cards
and others coming up with excellent advice, so this is a follow-on
article to bring everyone up to date.
9.7
One thing I hadnæt made clear in the original article was that the hints
and tips were aimed at configuring the Acorn PC card for the RiscPC.
However, a reader pointed out that the majority apply equally well to
Alephæs range of standard-size expansion cards.
9.7
Erratum
9.7
Thanks to Mike Clarkson for correcting my careless error in linking
Microsoft with the DOS software issued with the PC cards. In practice,
we get PC DOS which is produced by IBM Ö sorry about that.
9.7
Software and documentation
9.7
There are reports of Acorn cards being sent out with two versions of
support software and user-guides, marked öPC 486ò and öPC x86ò
respectively. Not unreasonably, some PC486 card buyers have used the
former to set up their card. This is a bit naughty of the suppliers as
it should be noted that the PCx86 software (v1.91 or later) and user-
guide supersede those marked PC486 and are applicable to all Acorn PC
card variants.
9.7
Drive formatting
9.7
A number of people responded to my request for a reason for the
formatting funny described in the original article and elsewhere.
Especial thanks go to John Woodgate whose technical explanation not only
fitted the numbers perfectly but was sufficiently clear even for a
simple chap like me to understand! As John points out, there are two
definitions for a megabyte in general use:
9.7
Å The first (which Iæll call Defn 1 for reference) is the simple one
which is that a Mb is a million bytes. Seems reasonable... In decimal
terms, this could be expressed as 106 bytes. So, for example, a 270Mb
SyQuest cartridge would cater for 270 ╫ 106 bytes, or 270,000,000 bytes.
9.7
Å The second definition (Defn 2) is that, in computer terms (i.e.
binary), a megabyte is 220 bytes or 1,048,576 bytes. I hadnæt met this
one before, but we may be more familiar with the equivalent figure for a
Kb which is 210, or 1,024 bytes.
9.7
From these numbers, we see that, numerically, there seems to be roughly
a 5% difference between the two definitions used for a Mb, and this is
what we get in practice. So, for the nominally 270Mb SyQuest cartridge,
we may see either of the following:
9.7
Å Defn 1: 270,000,000 bytes ≈ 106 = 270Mb
9.7
Å Defn 2: 270,000,000 bytes ≈ 220 = 257Mb
9.7
In practice, we see both definitions being used and this has led to the
confusion about drive formatting. For example, if I stick a 270Mb
cartridge (using Defná1) into my SyQuest drive and click on Free on the
drive icon, Size will return only 256Mb. So this appears to be using the
Defn 2 method. However, it seems that, when we come to use !PCConfig to
set up a disc partition, this uses Defn 1 for the partition size. Very
confusing for the punters!
9.7
So Johnæs explanation clarifies why, if the SyQuest cartridge returns
only 256Mb free (using Defn 2), it is possible Ö and indeed sensible Ö
to use !PCConfig to set up a full 270Mb PC partition (using Defn 1). As
proof of the pudding, once the partition has been set up on the drive,
we can perform Count on the partition icon (drive_x) and get ö270xxxxxx
bytes totalò.
9.7
I think itæs worth noting that, although the two definitions apparently
give different capacities, we arenæt actually losing out if we use Defn
2; in principle, we will still be able to squeeze the full 270 million
bytes onto the drive, even though Size suggests only 256Mb are
available. In practice, however, there will always be the additional
overheads for directories and file block size to contend with, reducing
the space actually available for data.
9.7
Configuring for Windows
9.7
The Éfeatureæ of DOS which has caused readers most problems is how to
finish up with the desired Windows desktop display following boot-up
(using Windows v3.xx). As described in the original article, this is
achieved by adding the C:WIN command at the end of the DOS main ÉBootæ
file (AUTOEXEC.BAT). In the event, all the reported problems proved to
have only two root causes, so Iæll look at these in some detail:
9.7
Line terminator
9.7
The first one is my fault (sorreeeee...). Iæd said to add C:WIN to the
end of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file but omitted to say that, if you are using
!Edit to do this, you should end the line with the [0d] line terminator.
Until you do, the WIN command will have no effect. Unfortunately, some
readers had added the [0d] by typing it in as a 4-character string. The
[0d] is in fact Editæs way of displaying the Carriage Return code in
hexadecimal (described in the Text Import article in Archive 8.3 p65). I
should have suggested the complete procedure:
9.7
Å Load the AUTOEXEC.BAT file into !Edit.
9.7
Å With the mouse, <select-drag> to mark a [0d] character present on any
line (any one will do Ö note that it is a single character; not a 4-
character string).
9.7
Å Type in C:WIN at the bottom but, before pressing <return>, press
<ctrl-C>. This will copy the marked [0d] command and add it to the end
of the C:WIN command.
9.7
Å Press <ctrl-Z> to deselect the marked [0d].
9.7
Å Press <return> to terminate the C:WIN[0d] command line.
9.7
Å If present, delete the DOSSHELL command by deleting the line (probably
immediately preceding the C:WIN[0d] command) reading something like
C:\DOS\DOSSHELL.EXE[0d].
9.7
Å Save the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
9.7
Some other text editors (e.g. StrongEd) automatically sort out correct
line terminators so, if you modify your AUTOEXEC or SYS files etc using
an alternative to !Edit, you may find you donæt need to follow the above
procedure for entering the [0d] command.
9.7
Errors in AUTOEXEC.BAT
9.7
This is one of the areas where DOS is not very friendly. If there is an
error in our main RISC OS !Boot file, for instance, this will be
detected during boot-up, RISC OS will bring up an explanatory error
message box and politely wait for us to click on OK.
9.7
Not so with DOS! Any problems in AUTOEXEC.BAT will be detected, and DOS
will throw up an error message (e.g. öInvalid commandò) Ö but will keep
on going. So it is very easy to miss an error message in the fog of the
numerous copyright messages etc and, when everything stops, wonder why
we havenæt finished up with the Windows desktop.
9.7
The only thing I can suggest here, if you hit problems, is to keep a
very beady eye on all the messages that scroll up the screen while DOS
is booting up Ö the cause of the problem may well be embedded somewhere
in there. Indeed, as boot-up progresses, it might help to either click
on Freeze or take one or more screenshots of the DOS window, using
!Paintæs snapshot feature (I find !Snippet ideal for this purpose). Then
you can read the start-up script at leisure and, hopefully, spot any
problems.
9.7
CD-ROM drive
9.7
Configuring a CD-ROM drive so that it has a unique drive letter, and
doesnæt clash with other drives, is another area which seems to have
caused readers no end of problems. My recommendation to leave it until
last and follow the procedure on p24 of the original Acorn PC486 user-
guide to the letter didnæt work for everyone. Colin Bucklandæs method
described in Archive 9.6 p26 worked for him, but didnæt work for me or
others who tried it!
9.7
So where does that leave us? Acorn seem to have picked up the problem by
modifying the procedures as given in the current user guide (PCx86), and
also adding further advice in the Read_Me file included with the CD-ROM
installation files that come with the card.
9.7
Should you continue to have clashing drive problems of the type
described by Colin Buckland, it seems the definitive answer is to add an
extension to the relevant command line in AUTOEXEC.BAT to specify the
CD-ROM drive letter. Thus, for example, if you already have two PC
partitions set up as drive_c and drive_d respectively, and therefore
wish to configure the CD-ROM drive as drive_e, you would add the
extension so that the command line reads:
9.7
C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD000 /L:E
9.7
The final letter E specifies the drive identifier. This is a handy
option because one reader mentioned that some early CDs for PCs assume
the CD-ROM drive is identified as drive_f. So you could cause your drive
to be correctly identified by giving the command line the extension /
L:F. However, in that event, there will be a Égapæ in the drive
lettering and, for this to work (as described in the Read_Me file), you
also have to add the cryptic command LASTDRIVE=Z to your CONFIG.SYS
file. Isnæt DOS friendly...?
9.7
Boot-up time
9.7
There were various rather uncomplimentary comments about the sheer time
taken for DOS and Windows to boot up. Welcome to the wonderful world of
PCs, say I! Iæm afraid this is an inevitable result of using a complex,
inelegant, disc-based operating system and GUI. So, to a large extent,
we are stuck with it.
9.7
However, there are a number of things we might do to prune at least some
of the excess, and here are a few suggestions:
9.7
Memory allocation Ö During DOS boot-up, much of the time is taken up by
HIMEM testing the extended memory. This appears to be almost directly
proportional to the amount of RAM allocated for use by the PC card. This
is adjusted using the Memory section in !PCConfig, so it is easily
reduced or, if you then find yourself short of memory, just as easy to
restore.
9.7
Single user Ö If you are running the network version of Windows (v3.11)
on a stand-alone machine, you can trim a few seconds by adding an
extension to the C:WIN command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that it
reads C:WIN /n[0d]. A by-product of this, is that the pretty Microsoft
logo welcome display is omitted Ö but I think we can live with that...
9.7
Start-up configuration Ö Acorn have given us an extremely flexible set
of options for initiating and modifying the PC card start-up routine.
These have major effects on the time taken, so having got used to how we
wish to use the card, we can configure the start-up to give us the
preferred optimum. This is easily achieved using the three options in
the Start-up section of !PCConfig.
9.7
Start up on iconbar Ö This option is probably best for those users who
wish to go straight into using RISC OS with minimum delay, but who may
wish to use the PC card at some later stage in the session. It is near-
instantaneous in that it simply loads !PCx86 onto the iconbar without
starting up DOS/Windows. When you eventually wish to use the PC card,
clicking on the PC icon as normal initiates DOS/Windows start-up, but
the downside is that it will then take some time to complete the start-
up routine.
9.7
Full screen Ö This option is probably best for those users who wish to
go straight into using the PC card from switch-on. The full screen is
taken over by DOS/Windows but the time taken to complete the start-up
routine is minimised. If, during this process, you wish to revert to
RISC OS, this is achieved simply by clicking <menu> which transfers the
DOS/Windows display into a RISC OS window. Start-up will continue albeit
at a slower rate but, in the meantime, you can use the RISC OS desktop.
9.7
RISC OS window Ö This option is perhaps the most convenient compromise
for general use as DOS/Windows will start up from switch-on and in the
background, albeit at a snailæs pace (time for a cuppa?). But if you
then want to use the PC card straight away, and wish to speed things up,
simply double-clicking in the window converts it to a full-screen
display and minimises the time taken to complete the remainder of the
start-up. However, if you want to use the RISC OS desktop instead, and
the PC window intrudes, simply click on the latteræs close icon to
remove it. This freezes the DOS/windows start-up but, next time you
click on the PC icon to re-open the PC window, start-up resumes from
where it left off.
9.7
Altogether a very flexible and user-friendly set of options; thanks
Acorn.
9.7
Windows 95
9.7
I havenæt yet installed or used Windows 95 on an Acorn machine, so
cannot comment on compatibility etc. However, Mike Buckingham has
written a very helpful article which is published in the February 1996
issue of Acorn User (pp54/55).
9.7
The end bit
9.7
Please keep further queries and ideas coming, either to me at 16
Westfield Close, Pocklington, York, YO4 2EY or to Michael Clarkson at
Riggæs Hall, The Schools, Shrewsbury, SY3 7AZ.áuá
9.7
Geraldæs Column
9.7
Gerald Fitton
9.7
This month, my column starts with a few requests for help; I continue by
describing a serious bug in Fireworkz which PipeDream doesnæt have.
After risking a couple of comments contrasting the way in which Psion
and Acorn currently market their products, it is with a measure of fear
for the consequences of speaking out, that I analyse Colton Softwareæs
future prospects, and I then complete my column with an offer from
Australia.
9.7
Printer port SCSI interface
9.7
Barry Allen writes to ask: öDo you have any thoughts on getting an Epson
GT 6500 scanner working using the Printer port SCSI interface from
Atomwide? With the interface plugged into my A4 and a SyQuest removable
attached and terminated, everything works perfectly. With the SyQuest
and the scanner on the bus, the scanner terminated this time, the
SyQuest works perfectly but typing *devices, only finds the SyQuest.
With only the scanner on the bus terminated, typing *devices only finds
the PrinterPort SCSI. All the devices have different device numbers.ò
9.7
If you can help, please write to me (Iæve got an A4 and a SCSI SyQuest,
so I might buy a parallel port SCSI interface) and directly to: Barry
Allen, 1áDeanbank Avenue, Manchester, M19 2EZ
9.7
Epson printer problem
9.7
Mike Beardshaw writes: öAfter using an Epson LX86 with no problems, I
recently bought an Epson Stylus 800+ inkjet printer, connected it to my
RISCáOSá2 Archimedes and soon came across a problem. When the amount of
text or graphics sent to the printer filled its buffer, 32Kb in normal
mode, the printer sends the signal ÉStop sendingæ, as usual. However,
when the printer emptied its buffer (by printing), the Archimedes would
not send any more text to the printer.
9.7
öThe computer shop tested the printer and could not fault it, but they
did test it on an IBM and, with usual IBM blindness to any other
computer, they didnæt want to know! Acornæs Helpline said it was a well
known problem and really, öTough luck pal!ò Epsonæs helpline said it
should work and were puzzled, but did confess that Acorn had had
problems in the past, and if I got anywhere to please let them know.ò
9.7
After much testing and hair pulling, Mike reports that öI have in fact
solved the problem, without any modification to the printer, or to the
computer or its configuration. The printer lead connections have
remained the same also.ò
9.7
Currently Epson are doing some tests, and so, although Mikeæs solution
works very well for him, it is possible that Epson may have produced
another method of overcoming the problem. If anyone wants to know Mikeæs
solution (he hasnæt told me what it is), please get in touch with him at
the address or æphone number below.
9.7
Mr M Beardshaw, 30 Penshurst Avenue, Hessle, HU13 9EL. Phone 0585-
632391.
9.7
For my part, I wonder if this is related to a fact Iæve reported before,
namely that some recently produced printers will work only with a bi-
directional parallel port (i.e. data flow in both directions to and from
the printer). The printer ports of IBM type PCs have been bi-directional
for some years now, but Acorn introduced the bi-directional printer port
with A5000 and A4. Earlier Archimedes, including my A540, have a uni-
directional port, and Acornæs printer drivers will not drive some of the
more modern printers.
9.7
Wordwise to PipeDream
9.7
Peter Clarke asks for help with such conversions. Heásays:
9.7
öI think I remember reading that you used to use WW+. I transferred some
40 heavily formatted WW+ files containing my table tennis clubæs history
from my old BBC computer; each file includes a table. I can probably
remove the embedded codes in !Edit, perhaps after identifying their hex
codes with *Dump, but if there are ways of directly replacing those
codes with PipeDreamá4 highlights (or Fireworkz styles and tables), it
could save some time.ò
9.7
It is such a long time ago that I ported my Wordwise files to PipeDream,
that Iæve forgotten exactly how Iádid it! My recollection is that I
printed from Wordwise to a file and then imported the ASCII file into
PipeDream Ö but I canæt remember. If you know how to do what Peter
wants, please write directly to:
9.7
Peter D Clarke, 24 Redwood Glade, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 7JT. Phone
01525-371254
9.7
A serious bug
9.7
About a year ago now, I received the file [Bug] (on the Archive disc),
from Jonathan Puttock. He complained that Fireworkz Versioná1.07 had a
bug in the set_value(,) function. I brought this to the attention of
Colton Software who said that they would fix it in the next version!
Because they were going to fix it, and because I was assured that the
new version was not far away, I decided that I wouldnæt publish
Jonathanæs bug in Archive. Well, a year later, Iæve got version 1.24 and
itæs still there!
9.7
Jonathan wrote:
9.7
öI have found a bug in Fireworkz which is associated with recalculation
when set_value(,) is used in a spreadsheet. Since this gives incorrect
answers when the program is apparently working perfectly, it is
potentially very serious. The problem is illustrated on the accompanying
file [Bug].ò
9.7
In case the screen shot (below) is unclear, let me explain what goes
wrong. The Fireworkz function set_value(to,from) pushes a value from the
slot Éfromæ to the slot Étoæ. It also works with arrays and
calculations. An example is the slot b12 which contains the formula
set_value(d5d8,b5b8*c5c8). Three such set_value(,) functions are used in
b12b14 to arrive at the Étotal with VATæ in column f. These totals are
summed into the grand total which youæll find in slot f9. I am sure
that, however non-numerate you are, youæll see that the value in f9
canæt be right! If you have the Archive disc, youæll be able to confirm
the bug exists. If you donæt have it, youæll just have to believe me
when I say that there is nothing wrong with the design of the
spreadsheet. What has happened is that the spreadsheet has made a
miscalculation! What is even more worrying to me is that Fireworkz sends
no error message!
9.7
I agree with Jonathan that this is serious and I have had many other
complaints about set_value(,) not working properly and giving no error
message. My own research into the occasions when this problem arises is
that, to experience the unreported error, you must use set_value(,) in
such a way that the Éfromæ in one set_value(,) has been derived from the
Étoæ in another, and that the Édepthæ of this Éfromæ Étoæ sequence is at
least three.
9.7
Some time last year, I wrote that I wouldnæt trust Fireworkz with
anything important because of this particular bug. Mark Colton
telephoned me and expressed his annoyance that Iæd openly criticised
Fireworkz this way Ö he assured me that this bug would be fixed.
Consequently, I toned down my criticism and, as an alternative, I gave
positive advice about using cross checks in all calculations. Anáexample
of such articles is in the directory ErrorChk on the Archive disc,
together with a [ReadMe] file explaining how to use the error check
custom function contained therein.
9.7
Although many found my cross check articles interesting, only a few
people went to the trouble of including such cross checks in their
Fireworkz spreadsheets. Those who did not include cross checks as a
matter of routine, found this set_value(,) bug manifesting itself all
too often Ö or worse still, they didnæt find it until it caused a
disaster, such as sending out an incorrect invoice. One of my
correspondents got into an argument with the Tax Man! Letters of
puzzlement, amazement and complaint continue to arrive to this day.
9.7
Advantages of a mature package
9.7
Have a look at the screenshot below. PipeDream does not have this bug!
The grand total in slot F9 shows the correct value of 44.
9.7
Often I am asked to compare one package with another. Usually, my
correspondent wants to know which package to buy. Of course, I tailor my
advice to the requirements of the writer (as far as I am aware of them)
but here are a couple of my now famous rules. One is öDonæt buy a new
piece of hardware or a software package just to keep up to date Ö if you
donæt need the facilities of a more expensive package then stick with
the cheaper one with fewer facilities!ò To that rule, I often add (but
sotto voce) öIf you have the choice between an older and a newer package
then choose the older because it probably has fewer bugs!ò.
9.7
Regular readers will know that, for many of the real jobs I do (as
opposed to playing with the software), Iáprefer PipeDream to Fireworkz.
The fact that PipeDream is old troubles me not at all! Let me refer you
to the mathematical formulation of a well known proverb which states
that the correlation coefficient between the quality of a wine and the
age of the bottle from which it is poured, is positive and not negative!
(viz öMany a good wine is poured from an old bottle!ò) There is no doubt
that PipeDreamá4 may show its age in some respects, such as öWhere is
the edge of the page?ò, varying fonts (styles) and line heights but,
when it comes to doing sums in the background without error, displaying
and fine tuning charts, creating and executing command files, character
based (quick) printing and keyboard shortcuts, it is the PipeDream wine
that has the fine bouquet and no bitter after taste.
9.7
One of the reasons why I have not yet bought a RiscáPC is that PipeDream
doesnæt work as well on it as it does on earlier machines. Today, I
finally decided not to buy a RiscáPC and bought one of Paulæs reduced
price A4 lap top machines instead. The A4 will not replace my primary
machine, an A540; I shall pension off my aging A440 Ö it is an original
A440 and not one of the later A440/1 models.
9.7
The Pocket Book Column
9.7
Many of you have written to say that youære pleased Iámentioned Audrey
Laskiæs Pocket Book Column in glowing terms. You agree with me that
Audreyæs column deserves praise. Indeed, long before I bought a Pocket
Book, it was one of my regular reads! Even if you donæt have a Pocket
Book, I recommend her column to you not only for the wide variety of
interesting technical content, but for the winsome way in which Audrey
writes. In Archive 9.6 (last monthæs) she comments that she uses Cards
for recording expenditure rather than the spreadsheet Abacus, and
confesses to being an öAbacus dufferò, leaving me with two spreadsheet
areas to cover in the near future, namely Geraldæs Address Book and
Audreyæs Expenditures! I shall do so soon, but not in this issue.
9.7
Already, I have received letters (with disc files) asking how to use the
Pocket Bookæs spreadsheet to deal with a variety of problems. The ones
Iæve had have been relatively straightforward, so my response has been
almost by return. I am pleased to have Audreyæs permission to say öKeep
them comingò.
9.7
Rather like Audrey, I have taken to using my Pocket Book in bed (to
prepare spreadsheets for the following dayæs lessons at college) and,
like Audrey, the other side of my bed is occupied by my helpmate, Jill,
who makes highly intellectual comments about the spreadsheets I prepare,
but gets particularly interested in the Pocket Book when she wants me to
check a synonym or spelling for her crossword puzzle. Because the Pocket
Book is multitasking, she can use Spell without affecting my spreadsheet
in any way Ö when I switch back to Abacus, the cursor is in exactly the
same place as I left it!
9.7
Acornæs marketing
9.7
Which? is a magazine. It often gets things wrong but most people, when
asked, would reckon that it champions consumersæ rights and exposes
weaknesses in consumer products. Their word goes a long way! Alan
Williams has sent me a photocopy of part of their Étestsæ on computers
in which, to quote Alan, öIáwas puzzled to see the Acorn RiscáPC rated
the slowest! ... This article must have done no end of damage to Acornæs
marketing.ò
9.7
Alan explains why he has written to me. It is partly because Iæve been
writing about marketing in Archive but he also flatters me by saying ö
...but also because you write so clearly!ò I may be able to write
clearly but, regrettably, my letters to Acorn only rarely receive an
answer!
9.7
Those of us who use both Acorn and other types of machine know that the
Acorn is faster. The mistake that Which? made was to look only at the
processor clock speed which, at 40áMHz (in the model they chose), does
have a smaller number of ticks per second than a Pentium running at
90áMHz. One of the many things of which Which? took no account was how
much work is done each time the the clock ticks Ö another is the
superior Acorn architecture.
9.7
In the normal course of events, I would not bother commenting on such an
article. I certainly would not try to educate the author of the Which?
article about Dhrystones and the like Ö I would leave that to someone
else, such as the Acorn Marketing Department. I mention the Which?
article only because I see that the date of the article is Octoberá1995
and because Alan says öWhy hasnæt Which? been challenged?ò The
implication is that not only have I not bothered to reply but that Acorn
have not bothered either!
9.7
I believe that under their new management this apathetic attitude will
soon change.
9.7
Psionæs marketing
9.7
Psionæs name and product are popping up in the media all over the place.
Apparently Psion are selling to the Russians. They are hooked into
publicity about the digital portable phone networkæs Short Message
Service (SMS); you can link a Psion to a digital portable phone and send
(and receive) messages or even files over the portable phone! They get
free publicity because pictures of ÉFamous Peopleæ using a Psion appear
(together with backup articles) in newspapers and magazines. I see other
examples too numerous to mention.
9.7
About four weeks ago, I wrote to both Psion and Acorn advising them of
my Archive column (sending them a copy of one particular page) and
asking for information which it might be useful to publish. Psion
replied by return; I am on their mailing list and will receive lots of
literature. I have yet to hear from Acorn Ö but I expect to do so
eventually!
9.7
Portable spreadsheets
9.7
As I have said in previous issues of Archive, in schools, at college, in
business, and in engineering and scientific establishments, the use of
spreadsheets is showing a surprisingly high rate of growth. It used to
be said that the word processor was the biggest single use of the
personal computers, but WP usage, whilst still holding its own, is being
caught up by the spreadsheet. In contrast, or perhaps because they are
inversely correlated, the use of the electronic calculator is declining.
9.7
For some time now Sharp have had on the market a lightweight semi-
portable (but not battery operated) combined word processor and printer.
The development I want to bring to your attention is that now they are
including a Lotus-clone spreadsheet as part of their ú400 Font Writer
machine. The company from whom I obtain my office supplies is
advertising a similar machine, a Brother LW700i, for ú300á+áVAT. Both
have full size keyboards and fold down liquid crystal monochrome
screens. These machines (and others which are similar) are rivals to the
Psion. I mention these rival and non-Acorn machines because I have been
asked, in correspondence, direct questions which I answer by saying, öIf
you must have a full size keyboard (because of the amount of typing), if
you need a spreadsheet, if you canæt afford a lap top and need to be
able to print, you need a portable such as .á.á.áò and I include a
photocopy of the Font Writer or Brother.
9.7
Acornæs awareness of the market has improved so much recently that Iæm
sure they must be considering a downgraded (and reduced price) version
of the A4 with software in ROM and a specification similar to the Sharp
Font Writer and Brother LW700i. I hope that they will include a
spreadsheet which is more like PipeDreamá4 than the Lotus clones of the
Sharp and Brother. I hope that Acorn approaches Colton Software (or that
Colton Software approach Acorn) and that we donæt get offered a
spreadsheet with all the limitations of Lotus.
9.7
Let me go on record as saying that I think Colton Software are making a
serious mistake in not marketing PipeDreamá4 for these portable
machines. Sometimes I wonder just how much Protechnic would sell
PipeDream for? If so, just how much it would cost for the code to be
Étweakedæ to make it more compatible with the RiscáPC? A gamble for the
entrepreneur who buys PipeDream is that it might be financially possible
to develop it for use on the up and coming portable spreadsheets!
9.7
Fireworkz and Fireworkz Pro
9.7
I have hesitated for many months over writing on this next topic. It is
only because I have been besieged by so many requests that I have
decided that the time has come to be brave and get on with it.
9.7
Letæs start with something that is simple and straightforward;
information about the latest version. The versions which I have of both
Fireworkz and FireworkzáPro are labelled Version 1.24/01 dated
17tháJaná1996. I have been told that 1.24/02 exists and a few have been
distributed but I donæt have a copy.
9.7
It is becoming more and more difficult to pin down Colton Software about
their upgrade policy; indeed, over the last few months, their policy (as
expressed to me) has gradually changed. I believe that these changes in
policy are not the outward manifestation of any long term consciously
thought through pro-active strategy, but that they are the varying
reactions of their new masters, Protechnic, to information received
through the monthly Sales revenues and Costs of running Colton Software!
It is my guess that, at the moment, costs exceed revenues and, rather
than investing in operations which might increase revenues, Protechnic
have embarked on a series of cost-cutting operations. For example, you
may have noticed that the number of advertisements has gradually waned
(I donæt think there are any running at the moment) and that their
appearance at Shows is being curtailed. Back in October, Colton Software
openly expressed their intention of running a mailshot to everyone who
had ever bought PipeDream or Fireworkz, advising them of the various
options they had for upgrading. That mailshot has not happened.
9.7
Under these circumstances, you will appreciate that the information I
have from Colton Software is fluid and liable to change! Nevertheless,
let me tell you what I can about the upgrade policy. So far as I can
determine, there will be no more upgrades of Wordz and Resultz after
Version 1.07 and no more upgrades to Recordz after Version 1.23! It
would seem to me that, when stocks of manuals, brochures, discs, etc,
run out, there will be no more sales of Wordz, Resultz and Recordz,
indeed, no more Wordz, Resultz or Recordz, except for second hand
copies! I do not mourn the passing of Wordz, Resultz and Recordz as
entities separate from Fireworkz. I always felt that selling Fireworkz
piecemeal served only to dilute the marketing effort and increase
disproportionately the expenditure on programming and administration.
Iábelieve that abandoning them can only focus attention on the major
products, FireworkzáPro and non¡Pro.
9.7
The situation with regard to Fireworkz and FireworkzáPro is different
and more difficult to rationalise. Let me digress slightly. On the
1stáDecemberá1995 Colton Software confirmed to me (for publication) that
further development of FireworkzáPro for Windows (i.e. for the PC) had
been abandoned. This is still the case. However, Fireworkz for Windows
(i.e. the non¡Pro version Ö without the Recordz database) is still being
progressed in parallel with the RISCáOS variant of Fireworkz (i.e. the
version without the Recordz database). Those of you who have
FireworkzáPro, even the latest 1.24 version, will know that the Recordz
(database) section of it still suffers from many problems. In
combination, these facts make the future of the Pro variant of Fireworkz
(for the Archimedes) more tenuous than the future of the non¡Pro
variant.
9.7
Some of you have noticed (and commented to me) how few applications of
the FireworkzáPro database Iáhave included in Archive. This has not been
accidental. Until the future of FireworkzáPro becomes clearer, such
applications will appear only rarely Ö if at all. Nevertheless, I do
thank those of you who have sent in such applications for inclusion in
Archive Ö Iáhave found them interesting, but I donæt want to use them at
the moment.
9.7
The Protechnic masters of Colton Software have a management problem. Let
me do my best to explain it to you. There is no doubt in my mind that
Protechnic want Colton Software to Érationaliseæ their product range,
selling either Fireworkz non¡Pro or FireworkzáPro, but not both! At this
stage, they feel that they cannot abandon FireworkzáPro. Why? One reason
is that selling FireworkzáPro brings in more revenue than selling
Fireworkz non¡Pro! However, as a company familiar with commercial
practices in the mainframe (and PC) business, they are afraid that this
would lead to an outcry for compensation from many purchasers of Pro. In
the meantime, every sale of FireworkzáPro (rather than the non¡Pro
variant) increases the size of this potential compensation. Compensation
to FireworkzáPro users is a contingent liability inherited by
Protechnic.
9.7
The serious management problem they have is whether they should spend
what is necessary in order to get the bugs out of the database section
of Pro or whether it would be better to ride out the storm of protest
which would result from abandoning it. You all know what happens with
computer software and programmers. It always seems to be harder (takes
longer and cost more) to remove bugs than the programmers realise. I
think that, initially, Protechnic either didnæt know of (or they
underestimated) the problems which Stuart Swales would have, and is
still having with the database section. I believe that their realisation
that there is no Équick fixæ for getting the Pro section working, has
been gradual, and with it has come a gradual disillusionment with
FireworkzáPro.
9.7
Now let me express the views of many of my correspondents rather than
rely on my own. Their perception is that the database of FireworkzáPro
is not as integrated as they would like. What is more, by its very
nature (it is bolted on), the degree of integration cannot be increased.
Feedback to me from users of Pro is that they are very disappointed with
the database section, and not only because of the bugs. Many say that,
even if it were working properly, it would not do what they had hoped it
would. I donæt believe Protechnic are aware of this storm; it is beyond
their horizon. In my personal view, this fundamental shortcoming of Pro
augurs badly for its future.
9.7
It is my personal view that Protechnic would do better to concentrate
their efforts on the non¡Pro version of Fireworkz, even though this
means that there will be decisions to make which will be hard and
(maybe) expensive to implement. My guess is that, sooner or later, as
they look for the silver lining beyond the inexorably approaching storm
of protest, Protechnic will come to the same conclusion as Iáhave, and
they will dump the database and cease to promote the Pro variant of
Fireworkz. If abandoning the database section results in focussing more
attention on improving the spreadsheet/wordáprocessor package then, in
my view, this would be a good thing and the sooner the better. By
improvement, I mean, for example, that they should include more of the
features of PipeDream to which Iáhave referred earlier in this article.
9.7
There are markets, such as the Acorn Pocket Book and the Sharp Font
Writer, which could do with an integrated word processor/spreadsheet
package of PipeDreamá4 quality. ÉFocusæ is one of the management jargon
words which is Éinæ at the moment. Would that the expertise of Stuart
Swales (of Colton Software) were directed at such growth markets!
9.7
Cricket
9.7
Over the last few years, I have received about a couple of dozen
requests for the results of various local and international cricket
matches in either PipeDream or Fireworkz format. There have been some
requests for an application which will automatically calculate batting
and bowling averages from such a database. Well, after much asking, we
now have a result! If you have an interest in cricket, you can obtain
various interesting database files and spreadsheets which analyse
performance by contacting: Ric Finlay, 214 Warwick Street, West Hobart,
Tasmania 7000, Australia.
9.7
IRCs
9.7
You will note that Ricæs address is in Australia. Please send Ric not
only a disc on which to copy the files, but also sufficient return
postage. If you donæt live in Australia, the best way of doing this is
to buy, from a Post Office, what are called International Reply Coupons
(IRC for short). To Ric, each IRC will be worth only the minimum postage
of a letter from Australia, so be sure to send him at least two (better
send him three) IRCs to cover the extra weight of a disc. Generally, the
cost of you sending Ric a blank disc is more than the cost to Ric of
buying a disc, so you might consider sending Ric three IRCs instead of a
disc (in addition to the three he needs for the return postage)!
9.7
Whilst on the subject of IRCs, we get them sent to us here at Abacus
Training. Rather too often we receive only one IRC when it costs us the
equivalent of three to send a disc half way across the world! One IRC
wonæt cover the return postage of a bag with one disc in it. If you
donæt live in the UK, and want your disc returned, please send us two or
three IRCs if you can Ö of course, if you canæt send us return postage
for any reason, weæll still send you your disc back but remember that it
is at our expense and we donæt get paid for writing for Archive! If you
live overseas and do want something from us on disc, consider whether
youæd rather pay the extra cost of sending us the blank disc or whether
three IRCs instead of the blank disc will be cheaper.
9.7
Overseas correspondents
9.7
Whilst on the subject of overseas Archive readers, Iáhave to say we do
try to give as rapid a service as we can. It is Jill, my wife, who keeps
reminding me that Iámust reply promptly to overseas correspondents, so
you will appreciate that it gave her real pleasure when we received a
letter from the Antipodes expressing pleasure and surprise at the speed
of our response to a difficult problem.
9.7
Hey, guys! I have to say this... Get on the Net!! No discs buzzing
around the world, no IRCs needed, no trips to the PO, and very fast
turnaround, even from the Antipodes. Ed.
9.7
To all of you
9.7
Thank you for all your letters. Please write to me (with a disc showing
examples if appropriate) at the Abacus Training address given at the
back of Archive.áuá
9.7
Club News
9.7
Derbyshire Acorn Risc Club Ö The inaugural meeting will take place on
Monday 15th April 1996, 7.30-9.30 p.m. at the Church Hall of St
Augustine in Duffield. This lies East of the A6, on the Little Eaton
Road.
9.7
The Guest Speaker will be Chris Cox of ART.
9.7
There will also be discussion on the type and structure of future
meetings.
9.7
Subsequent meetings will be on the second Monday of each month.
9.7
The acting chairman is Mike Smith who can be contacted on 01629-540281.
9.7
Suffolk Acorn Risc Club Ö The club meets every month, usually on the
second Thursday of the month, in Ipswich Central library (use the side
entrance in Old Foundry Road). Special events include:
9.7
11th April æ96 Ö Design Your Own Newsletter Ö Hints and tips on using
Draw, Paint and Impression.
9.7
9th May æ96 Ö AGM and a Special Surprise Attraction Ö The clubæs Annual
General Meeting, featuring a special bribe for attending.
9.7
Wakefield Acorn Computer Group have meetings on:
9.7
Wed, 3rd April Ö Visit by Marshal Anderson showing Topologika products.
9.7
Wed, 1st May Ö Visit by Softease to demonstrate Textease and latest
developments.
9.7
Wed, 5th June Ö Visit by Mike Cook.
9.7
All the meetings take place at 7.30pm at the West Yorkshire Sports &
Social Club, Sandal Hall Close, off A61 Barnsley Road and Walton Lane,
Wakefield.
9.7
Further information from Chris Hughes: phone: [phone], or
<[e-mail]>.
9.7
Wakefield Acorn Spring Show
9.7
Sunday 19th May 1996
9.7
at The Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield, WF4 3QZ.
9.7
Exhibitors signed up so far: 4Mation, Acorn Cybervillage, Acorn Risc
Technology, Acorn User, AJS Computers, Akalat Publishing, Aleph One,
Alternative Publishing, ANT Ltd, APDL, Argonet, Atomwide, Clares,
Computer Concepts, Cambridgeshire Software House, Castle Technology,
Dalriada Data Technology, Datafile, Davyn Computer Services, Desktop
Projects, Eclipse Software, Eesox, FabisáComputing, FirstáComputer
Centre, Icon Technology, NorwicháComputer Services, Irlam Instruments,
Quantum Software, Resource, Serious Statistical Software, Sherston
Software, SimtecáElectronics, Softease, Stuart Tyrell Developments,
Vertical Twist.áuá
9.7
Landmarks Ö The War Years
9.7
Rocky Grove
9.7
In The War Years, to quote Longman, öpupils can explore a graphically
based virtual world, lifting the roof off a building to see inside,
examining objects more closely and even asking the inhabitants of the
small village of Westerleigh simple questions. Pupils can visit
Westerleigh at various times between 1938 and 1945, sharing the lives of
its inhabitants for a while. They are able to experience all aspects of
living throughout the war, from the peaceful rural life of 1938 to the
dark years of 1940 and 1942, rumours of invasion in 1944 to the
happiness and joy of it all being over in 1945ò. This is a fairly
accurate description of the program, although I would argue with
statements like öexperience all aspects of livingò, for this it
certainly does not do.
9.7
The problem with the War Years is that all you can do is to explore.
There is no interaction, an ingredient which greatly helps to maintain
childrenæs interest. Two programs with similar aims, which I have used
recently, are Sherstonæs Victorians Time Detectives and 4Mationæs Betsi.
Both of these programs provide a similar exploration of a period of time
as does War Years, but the children also have a quest to complete. In
War Years, the aim for the children is to produce a fact file about the
war years in Westerleigh. Only the more motivated children will find
this sufficient stimulation to explore the program enough to find out
everything that is provided. A further way in which War Years suffers in
comparison with these two programs, is in the quality of the graphics,
which are rather basic.
9.7
The program
9.7
The program is supplied on two discs. It can be run directly from floppy
disc, or very simply transferred to hard disc. I have used it on an
A4000 and a RiscPC, and the notes state that it can be used on a 1Mb
machine. It takes over the whole screen and, after a short introductory
screen, the clouds clear to provide an aerial view of part of
Westerleigh. The graphics are fairly basic Ö I have seen similar on a
BBC Master. The mouse pointer can be used to choose various options, as
shown in this picture:
9.7
The questions are very basic: for example, you can choose things like
describe or comment; and the answers are only slightly fuller Ö e.g. off
for my flying lessons. Iæm hoping for the R.A.F. if anything happens.
9.7
Use in school
9.7
I teach a class of 25 Year 5/6 children on a socially deprived
Birmingham overspill estate. I obtained the review copy towards the end
of the term in which we had been studying Britain since 1930. The
children were initially very interested in the program, but after a
couple of visits, interest wained. One comment was öthereæs nothing to
doò. They had no problems in loading and using the program. We had used
Victorians Time Detectives, the previous term, and the children were not
very flattering in their comparisons. However, the program was, of
necessity, introduced towards the end of a twelve week study, during
which the children had built a fair knowledge of the war. I feel their
reaction would not have been the same if I had introduced the program
earlier.
9.7
Conclusions
9.7
Taking into account all my reservations, The War Years is a vast
improvement on previous Landmarks programs, and it does help children to
obtain information about the Second World War in a different way. The
War is one of the central features of the Key Stage 2 topic, Britain
since 1930, and until Sherston, 4Mation, or the like, produce a much
better offering, it will help children to increase their understanding
of this important period of our history. It is available for ú25 +VAT,
or ú28 inclusive from Archive Ö a site licence is available for (a
steep) ú75á+VAT.áuá
9.7
Printers and Printing
9.7
Dave Floyd
9.7
Psychic printers?
9.7
Anthony Hilton from Leeds writes with a possible answer to last monthæs
enigma. He suggests that perhaps the scanner software picked up the
print command as well as Impression, thus directly sending the bitmap
image while Impression was still sending its page to the printer. While
I have not managed to emulate this, it is the only suggestion so far.
9.7
Turbo Driver & PC card
9.7
Mr Williamsæ problem from last month has prompted a few replies. Anthony
Hilton says that the setup indicated in last monthæs column should work
as he has a manual sharer box before his Artworks dongle and Turbo
Driver cable, to allow the use of a Powerpad, which will not work
through the dongle. He goes on to say that the only caveat is that the
switch must be the right way round before Turbo Driver is loaded,
otherwise the computer will need to be reset before any printing can be
done.
9.7
Anthony also states that the Deskjet 500C does not require to be
configured to receive serial data as it automatically senses which port
the data is coming from. Mr Williamsæ original plan to redirect IBM
printing through the serial port should therefore have worked. There are
at least three possible reasons why it may not have done.
9.7
Firstly, the configuration may have been incorrectly carried out.
Details of the settings required at both ends are in Appendix C of the
Deskjet Useræs Guide.
9.7
Secondly, the serial cable may be wired differently from what is
required. Having worked with PCs before, I can confirm that the only
thing Éstandardæ about serial cables appears to be the spelling.
9.7
A third possibility, suggested by Brian Baker of Peterhead, is that
Turbo Driver could be disrupting the output through the serial port. He
had problems regarding this back in 1993, and although Computer Concepts
isolated the problem and promised to upgrade Turbo Driver to rectify the
bug, it is possible that Mr Williams has an unupgraded copy of Turbo
Driver dating back to before 1994.
9.7
Brian warns that if you are plugging the dongle directly into a manual
sharer box, it is possible to damage the dongle itself when switching.
While this appears to be at odds with the advice stated above, Iáfelt it
was worth mentioning along with a reminder that, while efforts are made
to ensure that advice given is correct, neither myself, NCS nor any
other contributors can be held responsible for loss or damage caused by
following our advice.
9.7
Brian also gave me a description of how the Turbo Driver works. I seem
to remember that this was covered in another column fairly recently, so
will not repeat it here, but this, combined with another comment he
made, started me thinking. It now occurs to me that Mr Williams may have
set up the PC card to access the parallel port directly. If so, then by
changing that option to force the PC card to use the RISC OS printer
stream, and loading !Printers, and (possibly) Turbo Driver prior to
!PCx86, the PC card should then print happily using the Turbo Driver
cable anyway. If not, a phone call to Computer Concepts may provide an
answer, asásomebody else surely must have come across a similar problem.
9.7
Impression and the PC card
9.7
My mentioning of errors that occurred when loading the PC card after
using Impression, prompted the memory of A Taylor from Poole. Although
he has notáexperienced any problems recently, when he was using
Impression Publisher v4.01, he also suffered errors. The answer is to
upgrade from version 4.01, which I am still using.
9.7
Dongles
9.7
Itæs official, the dongle is dead. Computer Concepts are now advertising
dongle-free versions of Impression Publisher and Artworks. In order to
upgrade to a new copy, you have to send CC your dongle, registration
number and ú15. As I was intending to upgrade anyway (see above), the
cost is not so bad for me, but those who have recently paid ú10 for
their last upgrade, may be rather less than pleased. For those who use
either Impression or Artworks daily, this will be very inconvenient as
their software will be unusable for three or four days until the upgrade
arrives. Bearing in mind that we were all charged extra for the dubious
pleasure of having a dongle in the first place, should they not be
sending us money to get the dongles back? Apparently not!
9.7
Canon BJC600
9.7
Brian Baker has a Canon BJC600 which he does not use often. Recently,
when needing to use it, he discovered that two of the four ink
cartridges were empty. He had not used the ink, it had just vanished.
Investigation showed that the pad at the bottom of the printer was
soaked with the missing ink. These were the original cartridges and head
that were supplied with the printer. He has also come across someone
else who has the same printer and has had the same problem. What he
would like to know is, is this a Éfeatureæ of the printer, or have he
and his friend just been unlucky?
9.7
HP Laserjet 5L
9.7
A. Taylor has recently invested in an HP Laserjet 5L. He reports that it
gives excellent print quality both from !Printers v1.52, and from
Windows using the driver supplied with the printer. He has a problem,
however, that stems from an omission in !Printers.
9.7
Mr Taylor uses A5 paper for some of his letters. When the guides are
moved for the printer to line up the A5 paper, they both move in towards
the middle. Quite a few printers use this system as it means that you
can use the full width of the page rather than have a relatively large
margin along one edge. When printing from Windows, using the HP driver,
this does not pose a problem as the printer driver centres his A5 page
nicely. The Acorn driver prints as if it were an A4 sheet, however,
there being no preset option for A5 centred. This obviously has the
effect of moving the printed image 30-40mm to the left, as the driver
thinks the left edge is where an A4 sheet would line up. Although Mr
Taylor has temporarily fudged around the problem by using an A4
Impression page with a centred A5 frame, he wondered if there was a more
elegant way around the problem. He has tried editing the printer
definition file but has had no luck.
9.7
I have suggested to him that it may be (technically) more elegant to
create a master page in Impression, A4 in height but A5 in width, with
an A5 frame at the top. If he then selects Centre pages in Impressionæs
print setup this should have the desired effect. This is little
different from what he has already done, however, and is obviously not
ideal. I also suggested that he should write to Acorn about the problem
because, once they are aware of it, they may update their printer
drivers to accommodate A5. If anyone else has any other ideas or a
solution, I would be pleased to pass it on through the column,
especially if you have managed to glean any sensible results from
playing around with the graphics margin settings in !Printers ÉEdit
paper sizesæ.
9.7
Scanning for printing
9.7
I have selected two pieces of artwork for the tests. Aácolour photograph
and a litho printed monochrome CD cover. I am using a Risc PC 600 at
800╫600 resolution (therefore allowing up to 16 million colours with 2Mb
of VRAM) and an Epson GT-9000 scanner. The only software I will be using
is the Irlam ProImage package, supplied with the scanner, although
better results could be obtained in some instances by using David
Pillingæs ImageMaster or Photodesk, to further manipulate the images.
Printing of the captured images will be done using a Calligraph A4
printer at 600╫600dpi.
9.7
These articles are not intended to be a detailed look at image
manipulation. While a series such as that would interest me, I have
neither the time nor the technical expertise to attempt it myself. All I
intend to do is scan in the images, using a variety of different
resolutions and settings, drop the resulting graphics into frames on an
Impression page and report on the outcome. Hopefully, this will mean
that readers can avoid much of the trial and error stage when attempting
to scan in similar graphic images for themselves. Memory constraints
will also limit the extent of the testing. The colour photograph I am
using is 128╫86mm. A full colour scan of the photo takes approximately
the following amounts of memory.
9.7
  Dpi  Memory  (Mb)
9.7
  100  0.5
9.7
  200  2
9.7
  300  4.5
9.7
  400  8
9.7
  500  12.5
9.7
  600  18
9.7
  1200  72
9.7
  2400  288
9.7
I will, for obvious reasons, limit myself to the lower end of the
resolution scale when dealing with colour!
9.7
Monochrome
9.7
I will begin with the monochrome image, as it is the easiest. I disabled
dithering and scanned the image in six times from 100dpi to 600dpi, at
100dpi increments. That done, I dropped the graphics into an Impression
page containing six 85╫85mm frames and printed the page. Much of what I
have read about scanning, states that using higher resolutions merely
wastes memory and disc space for little return. This is not true when
you are dealing with monochrome lineart or text. Although scanning at a
resolution higher than your printer is capable of can be wasteful, up to
that level, the higher the better. In this example, the frames are
smaller than the original image so I had no real need to scan at 600dpi,
as the effective resolution is raised as the image is reduced. Iácould
therefore detect no real difference between the 500 and 600dpi prints.
The 400dpi image would also have been perfectly acceptable, but below
that, the text on the page began to show signs of jaggedness. Printed at
full size, there is a noticeable difference between 400 and 600dpi,
mainly on the scanned-in text.
9.7
Colour
9.7
The colour photograph I scanned forty-two times in all, in 4, 16 and 256
greys, in 16, 256, 32 thousand and 16 million colours, and each of them
dithered and undithered, and at resolutions of 100dpi, 200dpi and
400dpi.
9.7
The four grey scans can be effectively discounted. The native scan
looked almost Warholesque when printed, and the dithered version was
very dotty as would be expected, although things had improved slightly
in this area when I reached 400dpi. The sixteen grey and colour scans
were also less than perfect, although the dithered versions looked
better than I had expected.
9.7
More surprisingly, perhaps, was how the 32,000 and 16M colour scans
printed. I assume this is due to the laser printer only being able to
handle 256 grey shades itself, but once they had been printed, they
looked awful at each of the three resolutions. On screen they looked
good, though.
9.7
We are left, then, with the 256 grey and 256 colour scans. At this level
of shading, I found that dithering detracted from the picture quality by
fuzzying the edges without really adding anything to the image. However,
the photo I am using consists mainly of sizeable areas of white, red and
black, so things may be different with a more subtle original, such as a
landscape. If I get time, I will check before next month.
9.7
There was little difference between the grey and coloured versions when
printed. On balance, Iápreferred the grey scale copies as I felt they
provided slightly better contrast, although this could have very easily
been rectified by using a manipulation program.
9.7
As for resolution, I could detect a slight improvement between 100 and
200dpi, but effectively none between 200 and 400dpi. Assuming,
therefore, that you are requiring a scan of a colour picture to print
out at actual size or smaller, from these tests it would seem that you
will obtain the best results by scanning 256 grey or 256 colour shades
at 200dpi with dithering turned off. Higher resolutions will do little
other than waste time and disc space if all you are planning to do is
print them out on your laser printer. I have to admit that I am a little
disappointed with this outcome. I could have simply quoted from the
Irlam manual and saved myself the best part of six hours work!
9.7
Scanning for photocopying
9.7
On running the printed sheets through the photocopier, there were no
surprises at first. The monochrome images scanned at the high
resolutions came out better than the lower resolution originals. Iáhad a
slight preference for the copy of the 600dpi original, although
differences were very slight between all the copies between 300 and
600dpi. Bearing in mind that most office copiers only copy at 300dpi,
this is not really surprising and any improvements at the high end are
largely because the original was slightly better in the first place.
9.7
I did not expect any real difference in the copies of the colour
original, but here I was to be surprised. The 256 grey scale scan
photocopied slightly better than the 256 colour scan, the shades being
better pronounced. What did take me by surprise was that the best
photocopies were obtained from the dithered scans, even though I was not
particularly happy with them when just laser printing. I also had a
preference for the 400dpi version, even though the laser copy did not
appear to be any different from 200dpi.
9.7
It would seem then that when laser printing for photocopying, higher
resolution scans are of use, as is dithering. As I said earlier, I will
try a colour picture with a more varied range of colours before next
month. It will be interesting to see whether the same results emerge. I
have enclosed a copy of the laser sheets and photocopies for Paul to
look at in case his eyes disagree with mine (after all, the air is
probably clearer in Norwich). To summarise then:
9.7
Monochrome line art: Scan in to as high a resolution as possible, up to,
or perhaps just over, the resolution of your printer.
9.7
Colour photographs: For laser printing, scan in to 200dpi and 256 greys
with dithering turned off. If you will be photocopying the printouts,
scan to as high a resolution as memory will allow, using 256 greys and
dithering turned on.
9.7
Finally
9.7
Any printing-related problems or suggestions for future articles should
be sent to Dave Floyd,             c/oáPOáBox 2795, London NW10 9AY.áuá
9.7
EZ135 SCSI SyQuest Drive
9.7
Mark Desborough
9.7
I have a RiscPC fitted with a 40MHz ARM710 card, 33MHz 486 SX card,
Cumana 16-bit SCSI card, NEC 3-speed CD-ROM and a Mustek Paragon
scanner. I had already replaced the 210Mb hard drive with a 400Mb, but
found that I was still running out of storage space. I also have some
200 floppy discs backing up essential applications and data. The SyQuest
removable drive looked like an excellent way of both backing up the hard
drive and extending the storage capabilities.
9.7
Iæm lucky in that I work for an Acorn developer/dealer, so was able to
get the drive from our supplier at a discounted price. I understand that
the recommended retail price of the drives is around ú290 but you can
buy them for as little as ú199 +VAT.
9.7
Shortly after placing my order, a very swish-looking box arrived
containing the drive, one cartridge, formatted for the Macintosh, a 25-
way ÉDæ to 50-way Centronics SCSI cable, a power supply and power cord
and some very minimal instructions.
9.7
The cable was a bit of a problem as I wanted to attach the drive to my
scanner and so required a 50-way Centronics to 50-way Centronics cable.
The cheapest supplier I found was Technology Matrix who charged ú10 plus
shipping for the cable.
9.7
The drive had been set as SCSI device 4 which was fine by me as it was
an unused device number on my system. If you need to change the device
number, it is very simple as it is set externally on the back of the
drive.
9.7
Everything connected up easily, I powered up the drive, powered up the
computer and ran !SCSIMgr, the SCSI manager program that comes with the
Cumana card. I mapped the drive to SCSI drive four and initialised the
supplied disc. (I was told that there is no need to actually format it,
even though it is Mac formatted, and it does seem to work OK!)
9.7
Clicking on Éreadæ created a partition of 128Mb. Apparently, SyQuest
talk in terms of 1Mb being 1,000,000 bytes per instead of 1024╫1024 and
this accounts for the discrepancy. I named the disc ÉSyQuestæ to avoid
confusion.
9.7
Quitting !SCSIMngr results in a dialogue box asking if you want the
changes to be implemented immediately. I said yes and there it was!! A
new drive icon with Syquest underneath it. A check of Éfreeæ revealed
128Mb free. Clicking on the drive icon opened up the filer window.
9.7
It is a fraction slower than my IDE hard drive, but there really isnæt
that much in it. The discs cost around ú13 +VAT each. They are
reasonably robust, thicker versions of normal 3╜ö  floppy discs.
9.7
I have also tried the drive with the printer port SCSI adaptor from
Atomwide. This was even easier to use because the !PrintSCSI software
automatically detected the drive and put up the drive icon. !SCSIForm,
which comes with the adaptor, formats the disc correctly. Access speed
is only slightly slower than when using the Cumana card.
9.7
In my opinion, the EZ135 is an excellent product and very good value for
money. Now, every time I run out of storage space, I cough up another
ú16 and add 128Mb.áuá
9.7
Pocket Book Column
9.7
Audrey Laski
9.7
Transferring applications
9.7
Michael Clark writes from Christchurch, New Zealand Ö how the Pocket
Book travels! Ö to ask about transferring applications from SSD to flash
disc. He has Schedule, OPL and Plotter all on SSDs, and now that he has
a 2Mb flash disc naturally wants to transfer these, but has found the
manuals give no instructions for this.
9.7
We have found that the following works well. Itæs necessary first to
build a directory tree on the flash disc to correspond to the relevant
parts of the internal disc, using MakeDirectory in the disc submenu or
Acorn-+. Then Copyfile in the file section of the desktop menu, or
clicking Acorn-C, will open a copyfile window. The disc reference must
be changed to that of the drive in which the flash disc lives, while the
Tofile name is retained. The application will go across quite meekly.
Alternatively, you can do it on the Acorn desktop using PocketFS.
9.7
Recommendations
9.7
Steve Hutchinson, of Gloucester, strongly recommends Palmtop magazine as
a forum for palmtop users. It is produced by Steve Clack, 25 Avocet Way,
Bicester, Oxon., OX6 0YN and costs ú24 for a yearæs subscription (6
issues). In it, he found the answer to his own question in an earlier
column about alternatives to Data(Cards): a freeware program by John
Boyce called JBData, which is available on the Internet. He has found it
excellent, apart from a certain slowness in loading large files; he
says, ÉI love the list view and the search that produces a subset. It
also has a Quicksearch facility that searches as you type, and is about
three times faster than Data.æ Unfortunately, this will run only on the
3a/PocketBook II; and it needs about 88Kb free to run. He also
recommends JBFind, a Énatty utilityæ which will search all oneæs files
for a given phrase.
9.7
Dealing with $
9.7
Correspondence continues about this maddening topic. Peter Stephens,
another correspondent with only an e-mail address, suggests the
following, which he has been using to deal with filenames in
applications he has downloaded from the Internet:
9.7
1. Ensure that !SparkFS/!SparkPlug etc are not installed.
9.7
2. Drag the archived file into !Edit and do a ösearch and replaceò for
the offending filename Ö e.g.  replace SYS$HELP.OPO with SYSXHELP.OPO,
making sure the number of characters remains the same and that you are
not duplicating a filename used elsewhere in the application.
9.7
3. Save the edited archive (under an alternative name so that you retain
the original!).
9.7
4. Install !SparkFS or similar and decompress the new archive.
9.7
5. After installing the files in the Pocket Book via the A-Link, use the
Pocket Book to rename the files to their original names.æ
9.7
John of the other side of the bed responds...
9.7
öI have been exploring the PD module application !Longfiles, and it is
very helpful if somewhat obscurely documented for PocketFS needs. First
of all, do not do *addlongfs pocketfs. Instead, do *addlongfs adfs, or
any other filesystem you want to use, e.g. SCSI. Then you can drag files
between directories on the Pocket Book and elongated ADFS directories
etc on ADFS without losing information. É.æ will show as É/æ and $ as <.
You can also name your own files as f/e, and they will drag to pocketfs,
which will Érenameæ them f.e.
9.7
öIt seems that Spark, which was designed before this problem was
recognised, deals differently with É.æ, and, itself, truncates filenames
and substitutes É_æ for É.æ. Therefore, you have to do it the old way by
hand from Spark. I shall ask David Pilling whether he will consider
changing, and to find out about SparkFS.
9.7
öJim OæNeill, of Bourne End, Bucks, has written to Audrey to suggest
working with the PC Emulator or, presumably, the PC second processor
board, and using the standard MSDOS PKUnzip. For backup, he proposes
simply dragging files in PocketFS to an MSDOS formatted disc; most
ingenious, but can one do this with 11 character files? The
disadvantage, of course is that PKUnzip is a command line program, and
does not, I think, handle directories in archives properly.
9.7
öIf people want more about how !Longfiles works in relation to the
Pocket Book, please ask and I will explain it to her beside me, so she
can write something.
9.7
öSpeaking as a lonely dunce, I said last month that ADFS displayed
filenames containing É.æ and É$æ as though they were the characters É/æ
and É<æ. I now deduce, using thimbles, care, forks and hope, that this
is not so, and that only DosFS and PocketFS so display and transliterate
the awkward characters on output and input. Clearly this is less
powerful than Iáhad originally believed, in that files containing
characters such as É/æ and É<æ, cannot be transferred, without
transliteration, to these file systems.ò
9.7
Thanks, John, but I canæt help hoping this correspondence is now closed.
I will, of course, carry it further if anyone has a new thought.
9.7
Endnote
9.7
Iæve had Power Pack blues again: sudden loss of my little green light.
Paul Pinnock, whose Pinnock Organiser Services Iæve already praised in
this column, rapidly diagnosed, demonstrated and dealt with damage
inside the Pack and to the lead. Iæm not conscious of treating the poor
thing roughly, but evidently I do. I shall try to be more tender with
it. The new lead has a 90 degree socket rather than a straight one, so
it might allow less tenderness.áuá
9.7
Small Ads
9.7
(Small ads for Acorn 32¡bit computers 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.)
9.7
2¡4Mb RAM upgrade, Risc Developments board for A5000 ú60 ovno. Phone
Brian on 0181¡951¡1503.
9.7
A3000, ARM3, RISC OS 3.1, serial upgrade, VIDC enhancer, double podule
expansion ú200, PRES housing and monitor plinth ú30, 2nd floppy
interface ú15, 4Mb RAM ú100, Eizo 9060S monitor ú150, SCSI interface
ú50, 240Mb SCSI HD ú110, external CD¡ROM drive ú140, EcoSampler and MIDI
interface ú55, or ú700 for the lot. Phone 01454¡772159.
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, internal Midi  I/O card, Acorn monitor and
stand ú200. Buyer collects or pays delivery. Phone Clive on 01438¡365564
eves or email [e-mail].
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, RISC OS 3.1, ARM3, Taxan 775 14ö multisync, serial
upgrade, Wild Vision expansion box, Risc HD floppy disc controller,
PCáemulator 1.8, lots of software ú425. Phone 01734¡571883.
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, 60Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, Acorn monitor, PipeDream 4, PD and
games ú400 or offers. Phone Devon on 01548¡843852 eves.
9.7
A3000, 4Mb RAM, serial upgrade ú150, Advance ú20, collect or carriage
extra. Phone Geoff on 01277¡352036.
9.7
A410/1, 4Mb RAM, 20Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, Acorn colour monitor, v.g.c.
documentation, NewLook, lots of PD software, fonts, games, clipart, etc.
May deliver within the 0161(ish) area and, if required, provide help
setting up ú450. Phone Gary on 0161¡280¡1437 eves.
9.7
A440/1, ARM3, 4Mb RAM, 47Mb HD, RISCáOS 3.1, VIDC enhancer, Eizo 9060S,
PCáEmulator 1.83, PipeDream 4, Compression, games ú495. Phone Gordon on
01257¡424113.
9.7
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 40Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1 ú600, Pineapple Video Digitiser
(dual slot) ú100, Star LC24 200 dot matrix printer ú100. Phone
01255¡436494.
9.7
A5000, 4Mb RAM, 405Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, multisync monitor, Impression
Publisher, Genesis Pro, Poster, PC Emulator, 600 fonts ú695. Phone Chris
on 01424¡719569 or 01271¡850355.
9.7
A5000, LC, 8Mb RAM, 425Mb HD, RISC OS 3.1, socket for external floppy.
Boxed, with manuals, support discs etc, immac. condition, Taxan 770+ LR
monitor, external 40/80 5╝ö disc drive. ú750 o.n.o. Phone 01924¡255515,
Fax: 01924¡257445, <[e-mail]>.
9.7
Acorn bits Ö Back issue magazines/cover discs (AU, AW, AC, MU) æ91
onwards ú1 each; Risc User discs (July æ95 onwards) ú3 each; Almanac 3
offers?; Mousemats ú1 each. Contact Jon on 01823¡680111 or email
[e-mail].
9.7
Acorn MIDI card (AKA16) ú40 o.n.o., EMR Sampler 8 card ú35 o.n.o. Phone
Dominic on 0117¡9422¡663.
9.7
AKF50, 14ö high res colour multisync, as new ú250. Local delivery may be
possible. Phone Gary on 0161¡280¡1437 eves.
9.7
Aleph One PC card, 486, 4Mb RAM, fast pals, software version 1.71,
offers over ú100. Phone Dave Leckie on 01397¡704361 eves.
9.7
A¡Link for Acorn Pocket Book (AHA30) RS232 interface & PocketFS2 for
Pocket Book or Psion3a ú30. Phone 01606¡834745 or
[e-mail].
9.7
CD¡ROM drive, Morley Revolution ú50. Phone 01483¡455564.
9.7
Clares Compo (latest version 1.02) inc Virtualise ú70, Revelation
ImagePro24 ú20, Clares ProArt 2 ú25, Oak Archimedes Basic Compiler ú25.
Contact Pete on 01663¡733027.
9.7
!PCx86 package for Risc PC card ú5, ImageFS 2 (as new) ú35. Phone
01342¡714905.
9.7
RISC OS 3 Style Guide and RISC OS 2 PRMs, upgradable ú40, Acorn Desktop
C ú40, or both for ú70 ono. Phone 01454¡772159.
9.7
Software, Photodesk 1.22 ú100, ImageFS2 ú20, Revelation ImagePro24 ú30,
CC Graphics Loaders ú20, CC RTF/WP Loaders & Savers ú20, ArtWorks
Clipart CD 2 ú10, Hutchinson Encyclopedia Edition 2 ú15, Event (diary)
ú5, Populous ú10, The Times Sampler CD¡ROM (DOS only) ú15, RISC OS 3
Style Guide ú5. Offers considered for multiple purchases. Phone
01752¡840027 after 5pm.
9.7
Star LC¡10, colour dot matrix with box, stand and manuals ú85 ono. Phone
01752¡840027 after 5pm.
9.7
Wanted Ö A4 at a reasonable price. Phone 0117¡973¡6237 or email
[e-mail] with details.
9.7
Wanted Ö ArtWorks, preferably CD¡ROM version. Phone 0181¡349¡4877.
9.7
Wanted Ö One or two ARM3s for A310, any type acceptable, but prefer
4¡layer board and optionally FPA socket. Please contact Kjetil
Thomassen: phone: [phone], fax: [phone] or
<[e-mail]¡prakla.slb.com>.
9.7
Wanted Ö PhotoCD player. The same charity that was setting up a FaxPack
network in November æ94 needs a PhotoCD player, but Philips and Kodak
have stopped making them! If you can help, phone Steve on 01483¡502146.
9.7
Wanted Ö Retired engineer and computer enthusiast seeks project or
charitable work. Remuneration is not necessary but a task of some
interest is. Live Watford area but this is not a limitation. Phone Stan
Haselton on 01923¡445149.
9.7
Wanted Ö ST506 3╜ö hard drive in working order; around ú30 for 20¡40Mb,
or make me an offer! Can collect St. Neots/Royston/Cambridge area. Email
100746,[e-mail] or phone 01480¡470804.
9.7
Z88, 128k RAM, 128k EPROM, case, mains adapter, Arc Link software/
cables, manuals, magazines, printer interface ú80, collect or carriage
extra. Phone Geoff on 01277¡352036.áuá
9.7
The Graphics Column
9.7
David Thornton
9.7
Vector file format overview
9.7
It has been obvious for some time that many people have a requirement to
convert graphic files from one format to another and between different
platforms. Bitmap conversion has largely been covered over the past few
years with programs such as ChangeFSI, ImageFS, ImageMaster and many
others, supporting the various bitmap formats. Vector file converters
have remained largely absent. This has frustrated many people who need
an easy way of accessing cheap, but high quality, PC clipart CD-ROMs.
Many PC clipart CD-ROMs are available for DOS and Windows platforms,
containing high quality illustrations and drawings. Most of these
graphics are stored in one of the following formats:
9.7
  Å WMF Ö Windows Metafile
9.7
  Å CGM Ö Computer Graphics Metafile
9.7
  Å CDR Ö CorelDraw
9.7
  Å CMX Ö Corel Presentation Exchange
9.7
  Å AI Ö Adobe Illustrator
9.7
  Å EPS Ö Encapsulated PostScript
9.7
A few programs exist which can read these formats, including ArtWorks,
which can import and export AI and some EPS files, and a few non-
commercial utilities that arenæt as reliable as they might be, but most
of the formats are regarded as alien to RISC OS machines. Thankfully,
some commercial software has begun to fill the gap in the market. Meta
Converter by KeySoft was recently launched, which allows WMF files to be
exchanged between PCs and Acorns (See the review last month on page 22.)
Alternative Design & Publishing are updating ImageFS to support WMF,
CGM, AI, CMX and also DXF (Data Exchange Format), WPG (WordPerfect
Graphics), OS/2 Metafile, HPGL and Lotus PIC. Iáhave researched various
vector formats and have provided a summary of some of the formats below.
9.7
Windows Metafile
9.7
This format, as its name may suggest, is designed for storage and
interchange under Microsoft Windows. Itáis device-independent, and files
are usually well structured, although relatively complex. The format
stores a list of Windows graphical functions which are replicated
internally by Windows. The format is therefore very similar to the
internal graphic calls of Windows. The format is also used when graphic
images are cut or copied to the Windows clipboard, and most Windows
illustration and drawing programs support the format.
9.7
Computer Graphics Metafile
9.7
This format is similar to the WMF format but is not so platform-specific
as WMF is considered to be. The format is defined and controlled by the
American National Standards Institute and so is officially recognised.
It is supported by PCs, Macs and other workstations, and is often used
by CAD programs as well as most of the popular PC drawing and
illustration programs.
9.7
Data Exchange Format
9.7
This format is most commonly used in conjunction with CAD software,
especially AutoCAD. The official Acorn filetype is &DEA. Draw supports a
limited range of DXF commands and can import DXF files with a varying
degree of success. The popular RISC OS CAD programs also support the DXF
format, again with varying degrees of compatibility.
9.7
WordPerfect Graphics
9.7
This format is a metafile designed for use in conjunction with
DrawPerfect and WordPerfect 5.x. However, many other programs support
the format, although often half-heartedly, so it can be classed as a
general purpose graphic format. A WPG file can contain either a single
bitmap or a sequence of drawing routines. Different versions of the
format exist in relation to the different versions of WordPerfect.
WordPerfect 6.0 includes an implementation of WPG 2.0. DeskTop
Laminations (a.k.a. the CD Circle) developed a WPG filter for use with
any application that supports CCæs graphic filter system. This only
really includes Impression and ArtWorks, although Digital Darkroom 2
also supports the filters. Currently, only bitmap WPGs are supported up
to versions compatible with WordPerfect 5.5.
9.7
OS/2 Metafile
9.7
This format is IBMæs metafile implementation and is primarily used by
OS/2 applications. A careware utility called Draw-Met, by Keith Sloan,
allows RISC OS to convert these files to and from the Acorn Draw format.
Not all OS/2 metafile elements are supported and the program has one or
two bugs.
9.7
Corel Presentation Exchange
9.7
The CMX format is used by Corel for storing all of the clipart provided
with the most recent versions of CorelDraw. It has become a popular
format for clipart, and Corel have kindly allowed non-Corel applications
to support the format. The native CorelDraw format, CDR, is not easy to
implement and it is unlikely that it will be implemented under RISC OS
because of the sheer effort that would be required. Also, there isnæt a
corresponding RISC OS file format that could hold all of the contents of
a CDR file.
9.7
These are just a few of the industry-standard vector file formats.
Others could be implemented, and I am pleased to see that, at long last,
someone is doing something about this important niche in the RISC OS
graphics market.
9.7
Please contact me...
9.7
I am very interested to hear your comments about this column and
graphics in general. I have just joined the Internet and you can email
me at <david@modcon. demon.co.uk>. Please do so. You can also write to
me at: David Thornton, 1 Castle Court, Lower Burraton, Saltash,
Cornwall. PL12 4SE.áuá
9.7
Cine Clips
9.7
Andy Jeffery
9.7
Cine Clips is a CD from Oregan Software Developments that has been
produced to provide the users of CineWorks, Oreganæs movie editor
application, with a collection of video and audio clips. It also
contains some example replay movie files created in CineWorks and some
especially interesting animation files. However, it is not necessary to
own a copy of CineWorks because all the files on the CD can be accessed
by the included applications, namely !Armovie to view all the video and
audio clips and !FliPlay, by KáFáQuinn, which plays the Autodesk
Animator FLI and Animator Pro animation files.
9.7
Video
9.7
All of the movies are Replay files of 160╫128 pixel size and cover
subjects including animals, birds and outdoor scenes, such as London
Bridge and motorways. Included is a particularly exciting shot of a
police car overtaking on the wrong side of the traffic!
9.7
The necessity of using a CD to provide a library of replay files is
obvious when the size of these files is examined Ö some clips are over
3Mb in size and, in all, there are 140 video files. However, I would
question the usefulness of many of the shots. A much wider range of
shots, not so easily obtained by the amateur, would prove more useful.
However, the idea behind this CD is not to provide you with a whole
library of movie clips to add to your own productions (you would need at
least one CD on every subject to be of real value as a resource), but to
provide a collection of videos to allow you to experiment and explore
the facilities of CineWorks, without first having to capture your own
clips. There is a selection of example edited clips revealing some of
the potential of CineWorks to fade from one video sequence to another
and apply text over film.
9.7
Audio
9.7
The audio samples, also in Replay format, consist of five groups,
providing some very useful sound clips to use in your experimental cine
editing. The samples offer a wide range covering atmospheric sounds such
as haunting music, general sounds such as a train and applause, and a
good selection of melodies. 16-bit and 8-bit qualities are provided, and
this selection should provide a good start for adding sound to movies.
9.7
Fli animations
9.7
This directory contains 66 AutoDesk Animator files which can be viewed
in the !FliPlay application which is also supplied, or they may be
imported into CineWorks. Unfortunately, my favourite animation program,
The Complete Animator by Iota, does not accept these files. These
animations are particularly worth viewing and, presumably, when combined
with CineWorksæ capability of adding such files to ordinary video clips
and sounds, should produce some very impressive presentations.
9.7
Conclusion
9.7
If the intention of this CD is to provide a selection of movie,
animation and sound clips as a convenient resource to start
experimenting with the wonders of CineWorks, I am surprised that this CD
is not supplied as part of the CineWorks package, especially when
CineWorks is advertised at ú150. However, there are not many CDs
available for under ú6 and, at this price, even if you do not own
CineWorks, the audio and animation files make it well worth adding this
CD to your collection.áuá
9.7
Genealogy is Free on Acorns!
9.7
Kate Crennell
9.7
This is an article along the lines of ÉMe and My Acornæ, but the main
focus is on programs for genealogy.
9.7
Unlike PCs and Macs, all Acorn computers come with useful software:
Basic, Edit, Draw and Paint. Iáhave an A4000 Home Office system which
came with a simple database and EasiWriter. These were enough for me to
make a transcription of the memorials on the tombstones in our local
village church, All Saintsæ, Chilton.
9.7
I was fascinated to discover that, in certain lighting conditions, the
stones that I had long thought of as shapeless lumps had originally been
beautifully carved, and that there were only a limited number of shapes.
(I would be interested to hear from anyone who knows of a definitive
list of standard tombstone shapes, especially if they had a drawfile of
the shapes, so that I could assign standard shape numbers to the stones
in our churchyard.) I did a map of the graveyard using Draw, the
inscriptions were entered into EasiWriter, but then I began to wonder
about using a family history program to store the relationships between
those whose names were carved on the tombstones.
9.7
Ancestry
9.7
The only program I knew of was Ancestry, but it costs far too much for
me to consider buying it for a hobby package. However, at Acorn World
last October, they had it on special offer for ú30 since they had just
launched Ancestry II (list price ú99), so although the salesman could
not tell me much about Ancestry and was unable to demonstrate it for me,
Iábought a copy.
9.7
Ancestry I is not a desktop program, and when I got it home, I found
that on my A4000, the multi-sync monitor emitted a revolting squeal of
protest when forced to run in mode 12 Ö which is all that Ancestry has
available. Luckily, the Basic source was supplied, so I fixed most of it
up well enough to run in mode 27, but still I find it frustrating not to
be able to Éexitæ without loading another long chain and waiting to read
an image off disc, which may look pretty but does not actually do
anything useful for me.
9.7
Small images of individuals can be stored in special files, as can extra
notes about the person, but this needs extra files to be set up and I
did not find it worth the effort. I found that although you can see a
family tree on the screen, you can only print it if you have an Epson-
compatible printer. It does not use !Printers. I asked for advice on
converting it for other printers, but have yet to receive a reply.
9.7
Help came through Archive
9.7
At this point, I decided to look for an alternative. Hence my recent
request for help on finding out about !Family, which resulted in lots of
helpful information which I can now pass on to other Archive readers who
are interested in their family history. Many thanks to all those who
replied!
9.7
!Family
9.7
There are two PD applications, both named !Family. One by David
Breakwell, available from APDL (B207), was also published on the
Archimedes World cover disc for September 1991, with an article on page
33. It lets you input the data for each family member in a standard
database type format and it can then produce a drawfile of the whole or
part of the tree, and will export the data as a CSV file.
9.7
It comes with two examples, one of which is a family tree of the various
Acorn computers. However, it is not as useful as the other one and, as
far as I know, has not been updated since 1991. The authoræs address is
not given.
9.7
Another !Family!
9.7
The other !Family is the one I was looking for, by Denis Howe. !Family
version 2.11 was on Archive Disc 8.8 (ú2 from NCS) and on the Archive
CD¡ROM (ú12 from NCS). It is also on the PDCD¡1 from The Data File (ú29
from NCS), fromáAPDL (B324), from Hensa (b010) and from the Demon Mirror
of Hensa. It is a RISC OS application for editing and printing family
trees, with a sophisticated algorithm for laying out a graphical
representation of all the descendants of a given person on the screen or
a printer. A simple system of menus and dialogue boxes allow you to move
around the tree and modify it. You can store collections of related
people in files.
9.7
!Family stores the data in GEDCOM format. This is the standard format
normally used to transfer data from one genealogy program to another.
All GEDCOM fields are read and copied out by !Family, but only a
personæs name, sex, birth and death dates, mother, father, spouses and
notes can be edited on the desktop at the moment. However, I understand
that Denis is working on accessing more fields. Personally, I would like
to be able to edit marriage dates and places.
9.7
The latest version of !Family, 2.12, allows the tree to be saved as a
drawfile, as shown below.
9.7
Another correspondent remarked that !Family output, sent direct to the
printer, makes a widely spaced out tree, so that a lot of cut and paste
is needed to get a more compact version to fit onto an A4 sheet. !Family
output sent to a drawfile may also need some later editing in Draw to
get it into a more compact format. It has the pleasing feature, for
those with colour printers, that male names have blue text colour and
female names red.
9.7
!Family also has some utilities for converting from other formats, such
as that of Ancestry. This too is written in Basic, so that if you find a
problem, you may well be able to fix it for yourself. For example,
Iáchanged it so that it did not complain when it found an Ancestry entry
which had nothing in the field for Ésexæ.
9.7
Denis encourages users to make changes and send them back to him for
incorporation into the distribution version. I am working on an
alternative type of Étreeæ which makes a PostScript file containing a
circular family tree. If you do not have a PostScript printer, you can
view the file using !GhostScript (APDL disc B161). This PostScript
Circle tree was first described in ÉFamily Tree Computing magazineæ No
7, November 1993 by Gordon Adshead. Most of the plotting work is done in
the PostScript printer, leaving you merely the work of making the lines
of text, one per person, where the details are separated by a comma.
This means they can probably be produced as CSV files from most database
systems. For example, here are the first few lines for the people in the
TreeWoods file:
9.7
(7,Lucy,Katharine,WOODS,b 17 Aug 1973,Chilton)pp
9.7
(2,Jennifer,Jane,PLATT,Didcot,Oxon,b 4 Apr 1947)p
9.7
(3,Keith,Joseph,WOODS,Salford,Lancs,b 25 Mar 1947,m 5 Nov 1969)p
9.7
(4,James,Osborne,PLATT,b 1 Jul 1917,West Ilsley)p
9.7
(5,Joan,Kathleen,MISSENDEN,b 8 Oct 1916,m1941)p
9.7
The central person is listed first, with a reference number specifying
the number of generations (number of concentric circles) to plot. The
first number of the other lines is the reference number of the person,
followed by the information to be printed, one on each line, within
their sector in the tree. The reference number for a personæs father is
twice that for their own reference number, their motheræs number is
twice their number plus 1. If any Archive readers are interested in this
type of tree, perhaps they can let me know, otherwise I may never get
around to sending Denis Howe my new routine.
9.7
Thereæs more than one way...
9.7
Another suggestion was to use the older program, Family History System
(FHS) which used to be sold by Micro-Aid for the BBC-B, and I believe is
also available for the Archimedes. It is not a desktop program, and
originally ran from a floppy disc. Peter Brunning has converted his
version to run on a hard disc and was persevering with it because he had
found that !Familyæs GEDCOM transfer is incompatible with the Family
History System.
9.7
He also said he had thought of switching to a PC package, of which there
are many, if/when he gets a RiscPC. He also reads Computers in Genealogy
which has lots about software, almost all for PC these days. It is
published by the Society of Genealogists, 14áCharterhouse Buildings,
Goswell Road, London EC1Má7BA (0171-251-8799).
9.7
Dave Willington reports that he uses !Family as well as a PC program,
Pedigree, which runs on the DOS Emulator as well as the 486 card.
9.7

9.7
A really novel way
9.7
The most interesting suggestion came from Brian Wichman who said that he
did not bother with a special family history program; he just used the
PD Web browsers and HTML, the language of the World Wide Web (WWW).
These allow hyperlinks and storage of images, and even video and sound,
if you have plenty of disc space. He wrote:
9.7
öThe language behind WWW is HTML (Hypertext Mark Up Language) which is
actually a variant of the Standardized General Mark-up Language (SGML).
The basic idea will be familiar to those who have used the WWW Ö text is
displayed on the screen, and some of the key words are highlighted and
underlined. Clicking on this text leads to the display of another
screen. Putting family tree information into HTML format is
straightforward in principle, since the links to father, mother, son and
daughter cause the display of their data.
9.7
The clerical job of forming the links requires care, but nothing more
than the Edit text editor is required. Aámajor advantage of using WWW
for family tree information is that the data is completely portable,
since when WWW is used over the Internet, the data has to be transmitted
from computer to computer. Moreover, free WWW Browsers are available for
most other computers too.
9.7
A few negative points should be mentioned: a full Internet WWW consists
of some communications software which is not needed for Genealogy data
that is handled on one machine. Hence, if you want to run the Archimedes
WWW software, you need to delete this communication software to run
effectively on a machine without a hard disc. Obviously, the WWW
browsers provide no software specially for family trees, such as drawing
conventional trees. However, pictures can be displayed, including a
sprite of a tree.ò
9.7
I decided to try this, since I already had a copy of the PD !Webster for
viewing HTML files, and I find it works reasonably well. Here is an
example page in the Webster viewer showing the portrait of Gertrude
Platt. You can click over the underlined names to see details of her
parents, and can include drawings or photographs.
9.7
If you have access to the Internet, you may like to know of the United
Kingdom & Ireland Genealogy Information Service on the World Wide Web,
which is at URL http://midas.ac.uk/genuki/. GenUKinfo is the
introduction, GenUKi/HTM is the index page which lists sources of
genealogical information by county and includes addresses of local
family history societies, and the texts of publications describing the
service. There is also a newsgroup where you can leave messages for
others who may be searching for relatives of the same name.áuá
9.7
Teletext Plus
9.7
John Woodthorpe
9.7
Back in the old days of home computers, I started off with a BBC Model
B, tape recorder, dot matrix printer, and portable TV. The next hardware
add-on I bought was the Acorn Teletext Adaptor. This was a large beige
box that plugged into the Beeb, the mains, and a TV aerial socket. It
was controlled by a series of little tuning wheels (that always seemed
to drift when you werenæt looking) and the Advanced Teletext System
software. The BBC were also broadcasting a range of Telesoftware for
downloading, in those days.
9.7
As well as games, teachersæ notes for schoolsæ programmes, and weather
satellite pictures, there were programming courses and extra software to
let your adaptor do other things. Eventually, I had a system that would
search through all the pages transmitted, looking for keywords (e.g.
Cricket, Acorn, etc) and store the first ten pages on which the keyword
appeared.
9.7
Eventually, the day came to upgrade to an A3000 and, despite the death
of the Telesoftware service, my main concern was to keep the Teletext
access. Consequently, I bought a Ground Control Teletext Adaptor with
their software. In some ways this was better, in that it multitasked and
I could watch the Test Match scores updating in a small window while
doing something else. Unfortunately, it wasnæt possible to search for
keywords or do anything fancy except click on a keypad or on a number
embedded in a page, to change the displayed pages Ö you couldnæt even
use the keys to control it.
9.7
Sadly, Ground Control closed down some time ago, and I thought I was
stuck with their software. I was aware of other Teletext systems, and
that Paul Skirrow, of the strangely-named Octopus Systems, was selling
updated software, but the price put me off. His Teletext+ software
upgrade was mentioned in the January issue of Archive, and I decided to
treat myself to a copy for Christmas.
9.7
Ground Control
9.7
For those who havenæt seen one, the Ground Control adaptor is quite
small (20╫13╫6cm) with no controls or displays apart from a mains switch
and power LED. Mine sits on the floor covered in dust and hidden in the
general ratæs nest of wiring behind the desk. It has given sterling
service since purchased, and stays powered up whenever the computer is
on. Iácurrently use it with a RiscPC, but have previously had it working
with an A5000 as well as the A3000, as it plugs into any podule
expansion card connector (or you can solder the three wires directly
onto another expansion card).
9.7
A good TV signal is needed to connect to the adaptoræs co-ax socket, but
as long as you get a decent TV picture, you should be OK (only donæt
bother with those little set-top aerials because the signal will be too
weak). I have a splitter to feed both the computer and the TV, and get
good reception on both. As well as the socket to connect to the
computer, the adaptor has a DIN socket with composite video and audio
output, giving access to the television picture and sound being
broadcast on the selected channel. This can be connected to an RGB
colour monitor, to a video digitising card, or even used for grabbing
moving video directly with the Computer Concepts Eagle card. When Ground
Control went out of business, Octopus Software bought up all their
remaining stock.
9.7
The TTX+ software
9.7
On upgrading, you get a floppy in a slim wallet folder and an excellent
A5 spiral-bound manual. Installation over the Ground Control software is
remarkably simple, and it even uses the same tuning information,
avoiding the need to re-enter anything. The list of features is
considerable, ranging from simple improvements such as displaying
flashing text and allowing keyboard as well as mouse control, to a
sophisticated predictive page cacheing system.
9.7
Cacheing
9.7
Teletext systems transmit one page at a time, with as much as 25 seconds
passing before the page youæve asked for being broadcast. The Octopus
software tries to avoid this problem by storing pages in a memory cache,
ready for future use. A simple text file is used to tell it which pages
to collect, and a scoring system adds other pages that you regularly
access to the cache. If a page is not currently being transmitted (e.g.
company news pages on a weekend), then the search is abandoned after a
few minutes to avoid öhangingò the system. You can specify the size of
the cache depending on your page list (I have set a WimpSlot of 1Mb,
which can hold 797 pages, but it can run in as little as 350Kb with a
smaller page cache), and if you manually select a page, it will be
retrieved from the cache when possible, or the adapter will grab it for
you.
9.7
Sub-pages are dealt with in the same way, and the display stays on the
one you select until you press a cursor key to move backwards and
forwards through the list. All this happens in the background while you
get on with other things (itæs running while Iæm typing this, with a
barely perceptible delay when a page is saved to the cache).
9.7
The predictive cacheing is really cunning. The system keeps a list of
the pages you actually look at, and gives them a score to reflect how
often you check them. It then grabs pages in that order, so the chances
are that it will have picked your favourite pages in a fairly short
time. These can be on any channel, as it hops around following the score
list, grabbing them at 3-6 pages per minute.
9.7
If you give it a while to stock the cache, you wonæt need to wait long
for the information you want. Twenty minutes or so is a good length of
time, although my full set of 500 pages takes two hours to complete
(although thatæs because I collect the Channel Four Share pages (p532
and 533, with their 80 or so sub-pages). I also tend to ödisturbò the
system by asking for pages out of sequence, which slows the cacheing
down a bit. There are some sample lists provided for you to play with,
so getting the hang of the principle, and then defining your own, is
very straightforward.
9.7
Of course, it can get caught out from time to time, especially with news
stories changing during the day. However, there is a double check, as a
page is first pulled out of the cache and then grabbed direct, to deal
with this situation. You might get a few seconds of the wrong story
before the real one is displayed, but the system works very well indeed.
9.7
One request Iæve made to Paul Skirrow is to be able to disable all the
sophistication to get, for example, the cricket scores continually
updated, as I used to do. At the moment, I revert to the Ground Control
software for that, but it may be remedied in a future release (although
seeing Englandæs recent performance in South Africa, perhaps the urgency
has reduced!).
9.7
Keyword searching
9.7
Now this is something that really makes teletext on a computer very
useful. You can set up another list to tell the software which groups of
pages to search for what keywords. If I want to see references to
Hampshire (the cricket team), then I want to look in the sports pages
only, so as to avoid references to Hampshire (the county). Iæve got page
groups for Sport, TV, Radio, News, Weather, Shares, Cinema etc, and they
are searched on receipt and stored in a separate window. Clicking on the
reference, brings up the page for you to read, and allows you to build
up a personal öelectronic newspaperò.
9.7
The (rather full) screenshot shows this in action, but it is possible to
tidy things up considerably, arranging for only the windows you want, to
be displayed where you want them. Some suggestions are provided to allow
you to build up your own selection, and ensure that you never miss an
episode of your favourite TV or radio programme, or a particular film
coming to a local cinema.
9.7
What else can it do?
9.7
It can do lots of other things too. It can set the computeræs clock very
accurately from the Ceefax time packet; pass email or WWW page links
onto ANTæs Internet software when clicked on; save share prices in a
format suitable for Apricoteæs Shares package; and automatically log
numerical values (e.g. currency rates, share prices, weather
information) to ASCII files on disc.
9.7
It can also save pages (complete with all sub-pages if desired) in its
own videotext format, as sprites, plain text or Impression DDF files,
and even save subtitles to a text file. This last one is brilliant! You
could create your own collection of scripts from Horizon, The Natural
World, or any other subtitled programme, including song lyrics from Top
of The Pops if you feel so inclined!
9.7
Why bother with Teletext?
9.7
In these days of modems and WWW access, itæs easy to overlook Teletext
as a source of information, but there are no subscription or on-line
charges (assuming you already have a TV licence), it is updated more
regularly than any other information service Iæve found, and it has a
wide variety of general news and information. OK, it doesnæt have any
significant computing content, but the news, sports, business and shares
information is excellent. In fact, Iæve seen postings on the Motor
Sports Forum on CompuServe quoting Ceefax reports as their source!
9.7
Just make sure that you have a valid TV licence to cover the reception Ö
a colour licence is needed for viewing Teletext on a colour monitor
regardless of whether you have a colour TV! If, as I was, youære stuck
with old, rather primitive Teletext software, Iæd strongly recommend
upgrading to Teletext+. If youæve never really thought of Teletext as an
asset to your Acorn, Octopus have a few complete systems left at a very
reasonable price.
9.7
Availability and prices
9.7
The Teletext+ V5.7 software for an existing adaptor costs ú39, and is
suitable for Ground Control, Morley, Computer Concepts, Design IT, Irlam
and Solidisk teletext units. A hard disc is not necessary to run it.
Upgrades from earlier versions of Teletext+ are available free by email,
and you should contact Paul Skirrow for further information.
9.7
A complete kit of adaptor with software costs ú169 while stocks last.
The package includes: Ground Control adaptor with built-in power supply,
Teletext+ software, podule lead with blanking plate (i.e. a large podule
plug to plug into an expansion slot with the wire going through a
grommet set into a blanking plate). These prices all include UK delivery
and VAT, and the adaptors are supplied with a one year guarantee. Full
technical support is available by phone, fax, post or email, and I must
say that Iæve found Paul very responsive and helpful, even before
Iástarted work on this review!
9.7
Octopus Systems now have a WWW site with a page covering their Teletext
software and hardware, available at http://www.thenet.co.uk/octopus/ and
they can be contacted at the address at the back of the magazine.áuá
9.7
Does anyone know how this compares with software available for other
platforms? Could it be another case of Éthe best software available on
any platformæ, like Sibelius and Holy Bible? Ed.
9.7
Communications Column
9.7
Chris Claydon
9.7
Sorry, again only a short column, but for a different reason this month
Ö nobody has sent me any questions! If you have any questions or topics
youæd like me to cover, please write, phone or email!
9.7
The Archinet BBS
9.7
The Archinet BBS, located in Ashford, Kent has been available for some
time now, and has some very useful features not available elsewhere. The
most interesting of these is the full screen message editor ÉArmMailæ Ö
something which has been in great demand on Acorn bulletin boards for a
long while. This is still under development, but looks extremely
promising.
9.7
The ArchiNet provides a good range of FidoNet, RiscNet and Internet
mail, as well as providing users with free email addresses. It is
available 24 hours a day on 01233-665918, and is run using ArmBBS on a
RiscPC with 1.6Gb of storage and a 33600bps modem Ö quite a set up!
There are currently 260Mb of files available in over sixty categories.
9.7
The SysOp, Ben Brown, has developed many doors (software to extend the
BBS) himself, including ArmMail, a well-presented Élast twenty usersæ
display and notice board. He also developed the FidoArm software which
allows ArmBBS systems to access FidoNet and RiscNet mail.
9.7
The ArchiNet is one of the first Acorn BBSs to have its own WWW Home
Page, located at http://oeonline.com/~nelson95. It is a well-designed
BBS with many features still not available on the bigger boards, a
helpful SysOp and plenty to do. It has the potential to become very
popular!
9.7
Renegade BBS
9.7
Renegade is a long running and popular Acorn board. Since the closure of
ArcForum BBS, it has been the only Acorn board in Scotland. SysOp Robin
Abecasis runs on an even more over-powered machine than the ArchiNet Ö
the specifications speak for themselves!
9.7
RiscPC 610, 10Mb DRAM, 2Mb VRAM, USR 33600bps modem, PowerTec SCSI-II
card, RapIDE32 card, Intelligent Interfaces dual high speed serial card,
HiVision (24-bit) digitiser, internal 210Mb IDE, internal 1.2Gb EIDE,
internal Panasonic PD drive, internal quad speed CD-ROM, internal ╜Gb
SCSI-II. Outside the machine, there is a stack of four SCSI II hard
discs, all internals, but out on the desk, powered by a separate PC PSU
Ö 116Mb, 340Mb, ╜Gb and 1.2 Gb. I make that well over 4Gb of storage!
9.7
Renegade also runs on ArmBBS, and runs more doors than any other Acorn
board. Renegade has 2,200 files, totalling over 200Mb in the main
filebase. Also, it provides mirrors of the Acorn FTP site, Artworks
clipart and the filebase of Rich in Paradise BBS which sadly closed down
recently. There are also two CDs online at any one time from the 19
discs available.
9.7
Renegade provides FidoNet access, but not Internet or RiscNet. It also
provides information and files from the CAUG (C Acorn Users Group). (Not
to be confused with CAUG Ö Christian Acorn Users Group run by another of
our subscribers. Ed.) Renegade is available 24 hours on 01224-621956.
9.7
There are plenty of good ANSI graphics when you log on and off, and
there are some excellent ANSI menus which display the menus in Éwindowsæ
on the ANSI screen Ö very neat! As default, however, the standard ArmBBS
menus are used Ö you need to select the ÉANSI menusæ option from the
further configuration screen.
9.7
Overall, an excellent board with a friendly sysop, but still lacking a
few important features, such as Internet access. Give it a call!
9.7
News
9.7
Wire BBS in Warrington, run by Andy Simm, will be re-opening soon on a
dedicated line, after a few months absence due to a faulty modem.
9.7
Contact details
9.7
Voice phone: [phone], ARMed Forces Multimedia BBS: 01962-880003.
Internet email: [e-mail], FidoNet: 2:252/501, RiscNet:
7:44/212, Post: Chris Claydon, 38 Main Road, Littleton, Winchester,
Hampshire, SO22á6QQ.áuá
9.7
Using the Acorn Toolbox Ö 1
9.7
Tony Houghton
9.7
A number of people have asked for a tutorial on programming with the
Toolbox supplied with Acorn C/C++. I will be aiming this at programmers
who are competent in C but have never used it to write a RISC OS
application. Experience of programming the Wimp in Basic or Assembler
will help, because to write your own applications, you will probably
need to know many essential aspects of Wimp programming that I cannot
cover here.
9.7
I would guess that anyone serious enough about their programming to buy
Acorn C++ will also have the PRM, so I will assume that, at the very
least, you are familiar with RISC OS and know what files should be
inside an application directory and how they work; also you should have
played around with ResEd and got the hang of it.
9.7
I have used C rather than C++ for the tutorial. This may seem a strange
decision after my last series of articles, but there are good reasons.
It means those of you new to C++ will not have to struggle with language
issues as well as the Toolbox; and there are currently no C++ class
libraries suitable for Toolbox programming.
9.7
The example application
9.7
I decided not to simply write a program that would open a few windows
and do nothing; I wanted to write a small, but real, application to do a
real job. It is called FormText and formats plain text files ready for
printing. It adds margins, headers and footers, and even a contents
page. The complete application is provided on the monthly disc so that
you can examine what it does. I have not provided the Toolbox modules,
because you should have them already if youære reading this. However,
you may need some newer modules than were originally provided with Acorn
C/C++, so you should get the C/C++ Update Disc 1 from Acorn-by-Post for
ú5.00. The upgrade is also available from Acornæs FTP site
(ftp.acorn.co.uk) as archive cupdate1 in directory riscos/releases. The
FTP site is reproduced on the Archimedes World and second Acorn User
cover CD-ROMs. You will also need the upgrade for flexlib which weæll
come to next month.
9.7
The directories Step1, etc, on the monthly disc show different stages of
FormTextæs development to accompany this article.
9.7
Getting started
9.7
You really need to have a good idea of exactly what your program will do
before you start writing it. However, the advent of the Toolbox at last
means that you can design the whole interface of a program interactively
if you wish, provided you are clear about what will go where.
9.7
If you want to provide interactive help, give all your objects help text
as you go along Ö it is probably quicker in the long run, and certainly
less tedious than leaving it as a final chore.
9.7
Event reason codes
9.7
For most events generated by the Toolbox, you have a choice between
using the default reason codes allocated by Acorn or supplying your own.
For this, Acorn have allocated numbers in the range 1-&FFFF. I prefer to
supply my own for menu selection, and button icon click events in
particular. This makes it much easier to make abstractions between a
program and its user interface, and also makes it unnecessary to
explicitly read which menu entry or button has been clicked. Thus, menus
can be completely rearranged and common functions can be duplicated with
keyboard shortcuts without changing any code. If you do use your own
reason codes, you will obviously have to keep track of them in a text
file or on paper. It is a good idea to allocate your own chunks, say 1-
255 for a particular window, 256-512 for a menu tree, etc.
9.7
Step 1
9.7
I like to have something pretty to look at as early as possible when
writing an application, so the first thing I did was create the
application sprite files, !Sprites and !Sprites22.
9.7
I decided to make FormText use an iconbar icon with the most basic of
menus, just containing Info and Quit entries. Dragging a text file to
FormTextæs icon will pop up a window, allowing the user to choose how
the file should be formatted. When formatting is complete, the window
will be replaced by a ÉSave asæ dialogue box to save the processed file.
9.7
I created a new file in ResEd and opened the Prototypes window. From
there I selected Iconbar, Menu, ProgInfo, SaveAs and Window and dragged
them to my file. I didnæt bother to rename them because Iæm only using
one of each.
9.7
I then edited the Iconbar object to use the sprite name !formtext with
no text. We donæt need it to do anything in response to Adjust or
Select, but it does have a menu, so I selected the relevant options and
dragged the Menu object to the ÉShow menuæ writable icon; many of
ResEdæs writable icons allow you to drag objects to them instead of
typing. No help text is necessary for the iconbar because the Wimp
provides its own messages here if you donæt.
9.7
For the menu, I set the title to ÉFormTextæ and stopped it from
generating show and hide events. No help text is necessary if all the
entries have help. Iáchanged the existing entry to öQuitò and made it
generate event 1. I then opened the Menu entries dialogue and dragged an
entry with a submenu to above my Quit entry. I set the text to öInfoò
and dragged the ProgInfo object to the Submenu action ÉShow objectæ
field.
9.7
In the ProgInfo object, I left the title as default to be given the task
name and filled in the main fields. I use version numbers of 0.xx for
software I am developing and update it to 1.00 for the first release.
9.7
In the SaveAs dialogue box, the default title will do; we want a
filetype of text, and no selection will be available. The client (our
program) does not need to participate, but it needs to know when the
dialogue box is closing to clear the file from memory when it has
finished with it.
9.7
For the main dialogue box, ÉWindowæ, I changed the title and added all
the gadgets required. The top group is for all the page dimensions Ö I
used writable number ranges and linked them together and later with the
other writable icons in the window.
9.7
The header and footer fields are for entering text to add at the top and
bottom of every page respectively. %p and |M are special sequences to
allow newlines and the current line number to be inserted. There are no
buttons to enable/disable generation of headers and footers, because
this stage of processing is required to get the page dimensions right.
If a user doesnæt want headers and footers, the fields can be left
blank.
9.7
Any line beginning with a top-bit-set character corresponding to the
character entered in the Heading flag field is treated as a heading. It
will be underlined with as many Underline chars as necessary and appear
in the contents if enabled.
9.7
Contents generation can be switched on and off, and the title to use on
the contents page will behave like a header. The leadering character is
used to pad the gap between a contents entry and its page number to
guide the readeræs eye.
9.7
I gave the action buttons appropriate event numbers from the Échunkæ
&100-&1FF that I allocated for the main window.
9.7
The file must be saved as öResò (with optional territory suffix) to be
automatically loaded by the Toolbox.
9.7
All Toolbox applications require a Messages or Messagesn file where n is
the territory number; 1 is the UKæs territory number. The file must
contain at least one entry that has a token _TaskName. This is read by
the Toolbox when the task starts up and used as the taskæs name.
9.7
Step2
9.7
Time to start writing code. Have a look in the h directory. err.h
contains declarations for error handling functions, using
Wimp_ReportError to report messages in a Wimp error box.
err_set_taskname() sets the string to use in the error boxæs title Ö I
have simplified things by just using the task name instead of öMessage
from task nameò, when reporting messages that arenæt program errors. The
err_check() functions check the result of functions that return an OS
error block pointer (_kernel_oserror *), zero meaning no error. If there
is no error, the function returns (with a value of zero for the non-
fatal version), but if there is an error, it reports it and returns with
1 for the non-fatal version or exits for the fatal version. err_report()
is for reporting messages that arenæt really errors, err_complain() and
err_complain_fatal() are for things that should be considered user
errors and might (or when forced by the fatal version) lead to the
program being abandoned. E and EF are handy short-cuts to save typing
when checking countless SWI veneer calls.
9.7
msgtrans.h contains functions for MessageTrans handling. It supports one
file and relies on this being opened by another function, because the
Toolbox opens the default file for us. msgs_get_ descriptor() returns a
pointer to its descriptor for us to give the Toolbox to initialise.
msgs_lookup() returns a pointer to the string corresponding to the
supplied token. The string is not copied out of the original file, so it
may not be relied on to be zero-terminated.
9.7
tbchunks.h shows which groups of Toolbox reason codes I have allocated
to which objects.
9.7
After writing err.c and msgtrans.c, I started building the skeleton of
the program in main.c. The first thing main() does is call
initialise_task() to set up the program as a Toolbox task. Have a look
at the entry for toolbox_initialise() in the User Interface Toolbox
manual (currently pp33-34) and compare it with the call in function
initialise_ task(). Throughout the manual, any flags not specifically
mentioned should be left as zero. We should pass 310 as the Wimp version
if we want the program to run on all versions of RISC OS from 3.1
onwards.
9.7
Next is a list of Wimp messages we want to receive Ö weære only
interested in the ones concerned with transferring data and the Task
manager signalling our program to quit. Next we need a list of Toolbox
events we want to receive. A Toolbox application is likely to want to
receive so many different Toolbox event codes that we might as well
accept them all. It doesnæt make it less efficient, because the Toolbox
will only try to send us events that weæve enabled in the Res file apart
from a few that we want anyway.
9.7
FormText$Dir will be set up by the !Run file to point to FormTextæs
application directory which the Toolbox needs to load its resource
files. Then we pass it the MessageTrans descriptor used by the msgs
functions and a block to use for Toolbox IDs. This block must stay
available for as long as the task is running, but it does not need
global access, so Iáhave used a static local variable. We donæt need to
know the return values from toolbox_ initialise(), so the rest of the
parameters are zero. The manual doesnæt say that it is safe to do this,
but the example sources provided by Acorn do so, so I have assumed it is
safe.
9.7
The event library (event.h and eventlib.o) is provided to deal with
polling the Wimp and passing events to client functions; you should read
the chapter describing it in the Acorn C/C++ manual. After initialising,
a program should register any handlers it needs with event and then keep
calling event_ poll() in an infinite loop to sustain multitasking until
it receives an event telling it to quit. Each call to event_poll()
allows other applications to have a share of processor time, and the
Wimp will respond with an event. event_poll() then tries to find a
handler for that event, and when the handler has finished, event_poll()
returns. Thus, it must be in an infinite loop to allow more events to be
received.
9.7
Certain events can be masked out so that they will not be sent to our
application. In particular, it is important to mask out null events to
save our application being continually activated for no reason.
event_set_mask() sets the mask for us. event_initialise() needs to be
called so that event can pass a pointer to the same Toolbox ID block
that we provided for the Toolbox to any handlers. Finally,
initialise_task() looks up the task name in the Messages file and passes
it to the error handling code.
9.7
Back in main(), it registers some handlers for general events. The first
two are to deal with the two types of quit event we can receive; one is
a message from the Task manager and one is the toolbox event that we
told the menu to send us. It is also possible for the Toolbox to
generate errors some time after we have called one of its SWIs, e.g. if
we tell it to open a menu and, later on, the user attempts to open a
submenu with an invalid ID. The Toolbox tells us about these errors with
a Toolbox_Error event, so I have claimed this. Now all thatæs left to
add to main.c, for now, is the main loop of calling event_poll, and we
can produce a working task.
9.7
The interactive Make tool is fine for simple applications like this, so
I loaded it and created a new file to build a !RunImage file with the
Link tool. Iádragged all the local c files to it as well as the clib
Stubs, and from tboxlibs, eventlib, toolboxlib and wimplib. After
clicking the Make button, I had a !RunImage file. To tell the truth, I
had to do a little debugging most times I compiled something, but
Iáwonæt clutter up the article with any of those details.
9.7
We now need a !Run file to ensure all the Toolbox modules are loaded (it
checks for the versions as supplied with RISC OS 3.6; some of them have
been updated, but the bugs donæt seem to affect FormText and it would be
too inconvenient to load the replacements). Set the FormText$Dir
variable, allocate a small memory slot and run !RunImage. We now have an
application that will put itself on the iconbar, show its menu and Info
dialogue box and quit when asked, but thatæs all for now. Next month
weæll make it start doing some real work. u
9.7
Starting Basic Ö 8
9.7
Ray Favre
9.7
Weæve already had to use examples of string manipulation and arithmetic
operators in our ÉLoanæ program but I donæt want to run too far ahead
before introducing them in more detail.
9.7
String manipulation
9.7
BBC Basic provides a number of keywords, and other facilities,
specifically for handling strings. They are used in virtually all
programs and they are of particular importance for Wimp programming,
which tends to use strings for all screen printing of numbers as well as
words.
9.7
Weæve already introduced string variables (Part 2) and how to print them
(Part 3) Ö as well as the keywords CHR$, GET$ and INSTR (Part 5). Weæve
also used a couple of facilities without explanation: STR$ and the É+æ
sign to join two strings. Letæs start with these last two...
9.7
Keyword STR$()
9.7
This keyword is a function which converts a number into a string. The
conversion can be into either a decimal or hexadecimal number. I havenæt
covered Éhexæ numbers, because it is standard textbook stuff. Acornæs
BBC Basic Reference Manual carries a chapter on it also. However, I have
prepared a separate sheet on Hex, Binary (and the AND, OR, EOR, NOT
operators) for those who are already taking the printed listing service.
It is on the monthly disc in Impression Publisher format. If anyone else
wants a printed copy, just send an A4 SAE to my home address below.
9.7
Examples of the format of the keyword STR$ are:
9.7
STR$ (23.45)
9.7
STR$ (RealNumber)
9.7
STR$ (PI * Circumference)
9.7
STR$ ~ 75
9.7
As shown, it can operate on anything that evaluates to a number. The
last example shows how to produce a hex result Ö use of the É~æ
character here will produce the string ö4Bò, the hex equivalent of
decimal 75. The character É~æ is called a tilde. If you put the tilde in
front of a real number, only the integer part of it will be converted to
hex.
9.7
Incidentally, just in case you are ever asked in Trivial Pursuits, the
tilde has the highest value of printed character in the standard ASCII
set Ö 126 (see the Chart from Part 5) Ö and is therefore sometimes seen
in programs which need to set a variable to the highest ASCII value for
some reason, e.g. alphabetical sorting.
9.7
The brackets around the number/variable are not needed Ö indeed the
latest Acorn Basic Reference Manual doesnæt show them in the formal
syntax Ö but old habits die hard and I find myself always using them. If
you do use brackets, the tilde must be before the opening bracket.
Formatting is not strict and therefore you can use spaces between the
different elements, as in some of the above examples.
9.7
One of the main advantages of using STR$ is that it is much easier to
format and position a number on the screen if it is, in fact, a string
i.e. ö123.45ò instead of 123.45. FNnumberToString in our ÉLoanæ program
demonstrates this very clearly and could easily be modified to include a
third parameter which would allow us to specify the number of decimal
places in the returned value.
9.7
STR$ is not always without its complications. The particular format of
the Énumberæ returned is controlled by a device which controls the
printed format of all numbers, namely the value of the rather special
Resident Integer Variable @% (remember them from Part 2?). I havenæt yet
made up my mind whether to include a description of @% in this series.
(This was covered in a very helpful article by Francis Crossley in
Archive 7.3 p60, Formatting the Basic PRINT Statement. Ed.) In the early
days of BBC Basic, it would have been essential, but nowadays, string
manipulation seems to be preferred Ö and is admittedly less awkward,
albeit needing more programming lines.
9.7
ÉAddingæ strings
9.7
The Basic statement:
9.7
NewString$ = öThe cat sat ò + öon the
9.7
 matö
9.7
will assign to NewString$ the value öThe cat sat on the matò. The É+æ
sign simply joins the two strings together, in the order written, to
produce one string. Any number of strings and/or string variables Ö
anything that evaluates to a string, in fact Ö can be (wait for it!)
Éconcatenatedæ in this way. Have a look at lines 3300 and 3310 of
ÉLoan_7Cæ to see some examples of joining string variables and direct
strings. A very common sight is:
9.7
PRINT ö&ò+STR$ ~(Number%)
9.7
which puts the hex sign in front of the number-in-hex just to ensure
there is no confusion.
9.7
By the way, you cannot use the minus sign to Ésubtractæ strings!
9.7
Keywords LEFT$(), RIGHT$() and MID$()
9.7
These are probably the main string manipulators and they act as
functions, in similar ways. The normal format of LEFT$() is:
9.7
LeftPortion$ = LEFT$(öABCDEFGHIJKLò,6)
9.7
which assigns öABCDEFò to LeftPortion$ i.e. it returns the first 6
characters from the left of the subject string. The number in the
bracket is, in fact, optional: if it is omitted all but the last
character (öLò here) is returned. Similarly,
9.7
RightPortion$ = RIGHT$(öABCDEFGHIJKLò
9.7
,6)
9.7
would assign öGHIJKLò to RightPortion$. In this case, if the number is
omitted only the last character is returned.
9.7
MID$() is a bit more complicated. The general form is:
9.7
MiddlePortion$ = MID$(öABCDEFGHIJKLò
9.7
,4,3)
9.7
which assigns öDEFò to MiddlePortion$ i.e. it returns the three
characters which start at the 4th character from the left. A number in
the É4æ position is essential, but the second number is optional. If it
is omitted, the function returns the starting point character plus the
whole of the string to its right. Thus MID$(N$,N%) returns the righthand
end of N$, but specified as östarting from character N%ò, whereas
RIGHT$(N$,N%) says, ötake the last N% charactersò.
9.7
Note that the opening bracket is part of the keyword in each case, so
there must not be a space between, for example, ÉLEFT$æ and É(æ. (The
same applies to TAB() and INSTR(), although I did not mention that when
we introduced them in Parts 3 and 5, sorry.)
9.7
All of these keywords are more normally seen with string variables
(rather than direct strings as used in the examples). As usual, the best
way to get familiar with them is to Éplayæ in a Task Window.
9.7
There is a second way in which these three keywords can be used, to
substitute part of one string into another, but we have no need to look
at that at the moment.
9.7
Keyword LEN()
9.7
This is almost self-explanatory Ö it is a function which returns the
number of characters in the subject string. So,
9.7
LEN (öABCDEFGHIJKLò)
9.7
would return the integer number 12. It is widely used to help with print
formatting when we are dealing with strings of different length.
PROCcentrePrint() in our ÉLoanæ program does this, for instance. The
brackets are again optional, and the addition of spaces is not
important.
9.7
Short demonstration
9.7
As a demonstration, the following short program uses several of the
above keywords to take an entered string and print it vertically on
screen. Use it as a Éplaygroundæ.
9.7
 10 REM Horizontal to Vertical
9.7
 20 ON ERROR REPORT:PRINT ö at Line ò;
9.7
ERL:END
9.7
 30 REPEAT
9.7
 40   CLS
9.7
 50   Prompt$ = öType in a string... ò
9.7
 60   PRINT TAB((30 Ö LEN(Prompt$))
9.7
,10) Prompt$
9.7
 70   INPUT TAB(30) HorString$
9.7
 80   FOR Letter% = 2 TO LEN
9.7
(HorString$)
9.7
 90     PRINT TAB(30) MID$(HorString$,
9.7
Letter%,1)
9.7
100   NEXT
9.7
110   PRINT : PRINT öMore? (Y/N)ò
9.7
120   REPEAT
9.7
130     YesNo$ = GET$
9.7
140   UNTIL INSTR(öYyNnò,YesNo$) > 0
9.7
150 UNTIL INSTR(öYyNnò,YesNo$) > 2
9.7
160 END
9.7
Keyword STRING$()
9.7
This saves a lot of typing and/or listing space. The typical format is:
9.7
NewString$ = STRING$(6,öABCò)
9.7
which would assign to NewString$ a single string comprising six Écopiesæ
of the string öABCò joined together i.e. öABCABCABCABCABCABCò. A common
use for it is to draw patterns on the screen e.g.
9.7
PRINT STRING$(20,ö<ÿ>ò)
9.7
will print a Éprettyæ separator line across an 80¡character screen.
9.7
You do need to watch the total length of the result Ö the Error Message
östring too longò will occur if the result exceeds 255 characters (see
Part 2). Note also that the opening bracket is part of the keyword and
must not be separated by a space.
9.7
That completes the introduction of the string manipulators Ö but I do
suggest some Éhomeworkæ later.
9.7
Arithmetic operators
9.7
As weæve recently introduced several calculations into our ÉLoanæ
program, it is a good time to comment on Basicæs arithmetic operators
i.e. the arithmetic signs/symbols used in calculations. Believe it or
not, Acornæs BBC Basic Reference Manual lists 28 different operators,
but we do not need to concern ourselves with all of them at this point.
9.7
The key thing to note is that operators are acted on by the Basic
processor in accordance with a set of priority rules. For instance, what
would you say is the answer to the following calculation:
9.7
12 + 3 * 4 Ö 6 = ?
9.7
BBC Basic says it is 18 Ö but if you did not know the rules you might
have got Ö30, or 6 for instance, depending on which order you worked
things out. What this tells us is that BBC Basic evaluates the
calculation as:
9.7
12 + (3 * 4) Ö 6
9.7
i.e. it has a set of rules which effectively inserts brackets before
starting the calculation and then does the calculation in a certain
order Ö a priority or precedence order. In this case, it works out the
multiplication item in brackets before doing the adding/subtracting.
Much of this is identical to the order in which we were/are taught
arithmetic in schools, so there shouldnæt be too many nasty surprises.
9.7
Table 1 is a list of the few most common operators and their priorities.
You can deduce from this list that one certain way to prevent problems
is to be liberal in your use of brackets. You can freely insert and
Énestæ more pairs of brackets than you are ever likely to need Ö and,
because they take Priority 1, you effectively dictate the calculation
order you want. This is particularly useful and important when you have
a fairly long equation, but it is sound practice at any time (c.f. the
earlier comment about using brackets around the number in the STR$
keyword.). Look at line 2590 in ÉLoan_7Bæ for instance.
9.7
So, if you really wanted the answer of Ö30 in the earlier example, you
would have written:
9.7
(12 + 3) * (4 Ö 6) = ?
9.7
and Basic would have obliged. Therefore, the rule is: öIf you are not
sure which way Basic is going to work it out Ö insert pairs of brackets
to force your wishes.ò It canæt do any harm, but do remember to insert
in pairs.
9.7
Built-in maths functions
9.7
It also seems a good place to mention Basicæs built-in mathematical
functions, provided by keywords such as SIN, COS, TAN, PI, LOG, DEG,
RAD, SQR, INT etc, many of which need a parameter/argument added when
called. There are over 20 of them (see Part 3 for how to get a list of
all keywords and what they do). They are used exactly as functions Ö
that is, you substitute the keyword into a program statement structure
exactly as if it were a FN. Thus:
9.7
Circumference = Diameter * PI
9.7
Base = Hypotenuse * COS(IncludedAngle)
9.7
Integer% = INT(Real)
9.7
The last two examples carry parameters/arguments, which are needed to
tell the function on what value to operate. (Weæve already used INT() in
our ÉLoanæ project.)
9.7
The main point to watch is that all the trigonometric functions use
radians as the units for their parameters. So, it is quite common to see
expressions such as:
9.7
Base = Hypotenuse * COS(RAD(
9.7
IncludedAngle))
9.7
in order to express the angle in degrees. (RAD converts degrees to
radians, and DEG the reverse.)
9.7
Review ÉLoanæ program
9.7
With the new items introduced this time, it would be a good idea to
examine the last listing of our ÉLoanæ program Ö ÉLoan_7Cæ Ö to ensure
that you are comfortable with how the above items have been used. Donæt
forget, they were introduced into the program in several small ways
without much explanation at the time, but with a promise to Élook at it
again lateræ. So itæs as well to take stock at this point.
9.7
Finally, because it can cause confusion if you donæt know, deliberately
put a space before the opening bracket of a TAB and MID$ in the earlier
demonstration program Ö and re-run it. What Error Message do you get?
Why? Answer next time.
9.7
Next time
9.7
I will be completing this temporary diversion from our main flow in
order to pick up a few more isolated but important topics. Keep the
comments, queries etc (and SAEs for printed listings) coming to:
26áWestáDrayton Park Avenue, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QA.áuá
9.7
Puzzle Corner
9.7
Colin Singleton
9.7
Two more new names appeared on the full list last month Ö one of them
has gone straight onto the leader board, which shows all contestants
with smoothed averages over 10. Perhaps I should remind you that each
monthæs smoothed average is 85% of that for the previous month plus 15%
of the current monthæs score. You score 50 for a correct answer to the
main puzzle, plus a maximum of 50 in total for the three quickies. The
average score for submitted entries has been 60, and this has shown no
upward or downward trend. The averages shown in the table are lower,
because they include scores of zero where no entry is submitted.
9.7
The latest winners ...
9.7
(50) Infinite Roots
9.7
An excellent entry for this puzzle Ö several readers found not only the
answer (3) but also the proof, which I had not previously discovered. It
goes like this:
9.7
substituting specific values
9.7

9.7
substituting each of these expressions for the appropriate value in the
previous equation
9.7

9.7
... and so on ...
9.7
One reader chastised me, quite reasonably, for not specifying positive
square roots, but I donæt think he realised that including a negative
root would produce a complex answer, and I wouldnæt inflict that on
Archive readers! A few readers found the incomplete proof by induction
which I mentioned last month, but none completed this proof with a
proven starting value. Mick Abrahams of Elstree, Herts, wins the prize.
9.7
(51Ö53) Interesting! Ö The Vicaræs Age Ö More Pandigitals
9.7
Several partially-correct answers, but again only four totally correct.
The prize goes to Geoffrey Brown of Hermitage (Nr Newbury), Berks.
9.7
... last monthæs answers ...
9.7
(54) The Battle of Hastings
9.7
The answer to Sam Loydæs version is 13á╫á180▓á+á1á=á649▓. The smallest
answer to Dudeneyæs version is 61á╫á226153980▓á+á1á=á1766319049▓. How he
found that without a computer, I do not know! The general form of this
problem is known as the Pellian Equation, rather unfairly, since it was
first proposed by Fermat (famous for his marginal notes).
9.7
(55) More Cubes
9.7
Recalling the original puzzle, you could have added 2│ to each side
giving 12│á+á2│á+á1│á=á10│á+á9│á+á2│á =á1737. This is a valid answer,
but not the smallest, which is 10│á+á2│á+á1│á= 9│á+á6│á+á4│á =á1009. If
I had not specified three different cubes in each sum you could have had
6│á+á3│á+á2│á=á5│á+á5│á+á1│á=á251.
9.7
(56) Angles
9.7
There are ten different triangles whose angles (in degrees) are 360îA
360îB 360îC, where A, B and C are integers, not necessarily different.
The smallest of the three angles is minimised by taking (A, B, C) = (3,
7, 42). The angles are 120░, 513î7░ and 84î7░. This is the only one of
the ten solutions in which the angles are not integral numbers of
degrees.
9.7
(57) Children
9.7
If t is the total number of children and g is the number of girls, the
probability that the first five are all girls is given by
ágîtá╫ágù1îtù1á╫ágù2îtù2á╫ágù3îtù3á ╫ágù4îtù4. This =á╜ only if tá=á10
and gá=á9.
9.7
... this monthæs prize puzzle ...
9.7
(58) Prime sequences
9.7
This puzzle was inspired by one published recently in New Scientist, but
I rather think I have seen it before, somewhere. Consider the
consecutive integers 13, 14, 15. The first is prime, the second is twice
a prime, the third is three times a prime. The next number is not four
times a prime. Can you find the smallest such sequence which does extend
to a fourth term? Or a fifth, sixth or seventh term?
9.7
... and this monthæs prize quickies ...
9.7
(59) Ship in a Bottle
9.7
My thanks to Mick Abrahams for this one. A small model boat floats in
water in a large bottle partly filled with water. The bottle is corked
and air is pumped in through a hole in the cork, so as to increase the
air pressure inside the bottle. Will the boat rise or fall in the water,
or neither?
9.7
(60) Heinz Beanz Canz ...
9.7
If you have read Geraldæs Column recently, you will have been forewarned
of this puzzle and given helpful advice on how to solve it. A beans can
is made from a cylinder of metal plus two circular ends. For a given
volume, what ratio of height to diameter gives the smallest possible
surface area?
9.7
(61) ... continued
9.7
For unit volume, what is the surface area of the optimum (minimum area)
cylindrical can? If an upright can has a rectangular, rather than
circular base, what is the minimum surface area for a can of unit
volume? Finally, what is the minimum surface area for a unit-volume can
of any shape?
9.7
And finally ...
9.7
Referring back to (46) Prime Square, Richard Lyszkowski has sent me a
3╫3 Magic Square using nine consecutive prime numbers, which was
apparently discovered in 1988 by Harry Nelson using a Cray computer, and
won Martin Gardneræs prize.  It looks as shown opposite.
9.7
My thanks to readers who have sent contributions, but I would like the
answers as well, if you know them! Solutions (by Friday 5th April,
please), contributions and comments to me, please, at 41 St Quentin
Drive, Sheffield, S17á4PN.áuá
9.7
APDL CD Collection
9.7
Dave Wilcox
9.7
APDL (The Archimedes Public Domain Library) currently have four CD-ROMs
on the market. These are PD-1, PD-2, and Clipart/DTP 1 and 2. The first
two are collections of public domain and shareware covering a range of
topics, the other two are DTP Graphics collections, in the three main
formats, Artworks, drawfile and sprite. All four discs come in the now
expected crystal CD case, much nicer for storage. I look here at PD-1
and 2 and DTP-2.
9.7
APDL PD-1
9.7
To quote APDL, this disc contains over 1,600 programs and utilities from
small enhancements to major works like TeX and the Gnu C++ compiler.
There are over 100 text files consisting of novels, classics, the King
James Bible, most of the works of Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes novels,
129 Hans Christian Anderson stories and technical and historical
documents. The disc is broken down into the following groups, and sub-
group classifications:
9.7
A4, Am_Radio, Apps, Art_Draw, Clock_Time, Comms, Compress, Customise
(inc. Backdrops, Hourglass, IconSprite, Pointers, Tool, ToolSprite),
Database, Deskutils (inc. Keyboard, Mouse), DiscUtils (inc. Backup,
Bins, Bootup, Catalogue, Foreign, Menus, Protection), Educate (inc.
Admin, Bible, Games, Language, Maths, Network, Text), Emulation,
FileUtils, File_Trans, FLIC (Movies), FontUtils (inc. SystemFont),
Fractals, Graphchart, Graphics (inc. Conversion, Display), Life,
Magazines, Music (inc. Midi, Coconiser), Printing (inc. Labels), Program
(inc. Animation, Assembler, Basic, C, DDE, Debug, Hacking, Language),
Raytrace, Screen (inc. Blankers, NewModes), Sound (inc. Samples),
Technical, TextUtils, Utilities and  Books.
9.7
When you load the disc and bring up the root catalogue, there are no
menus to take you through the disc. In the root directory is a copy of
the read-only ArcFS, an Impression document named ÉBookletæ and a text
file named ÉCatalogueæ. The rest of the root directory consists of
directories as listed above. The layout is logical and easy to navigate.
As you may have gathered, the two documents are catalogues of the disc
contents, and the Impression document prints out to approximately 60
pages, which is not too bad if printed as an A5 booklet. If you wish to
search for a specific program or topic, the text or Impression file can
be searched with almost guaranteed success. There are three additional
directories on this disc which are not catalogued: these are Earthmap, a
program by John Kortink; MPeg, a player and a couple of example files;
and Virus, a selection of virus check utilities.
9.7
As you can see, there are no games, novelties, music files or graphic
images on this disc Ö these are saved for Disc 2, leaving this disc to
contain the majority of the more serious type of application. In all,
this disc contains 446Mb of mostly compressed data.
9.7
APDL PD-2
9.7
Again to quote APDL on their product description, you have on this disc
more than 500 games and novelties, over 250 game cheats and over 200
demos. There are most of the popular music players and tools that I know
of, accompanied by over 400 Maestro tunes, 840 Tracker tunes, 1000
Digital Symphony tunes, and over 550 digitised sound samples in assorted
formats. You also have a selection of the popular disc magazines along
with a few graphics utilities and some high quality images. The disc is
broken down into the following groups, and sub-group classifications:
9.7
Games (inc. Adventure, Board/Dice, Card, Education, General, Kids, Misc,
Puzzle, Shootup, Tetris), Graphics (inc. Display), Life, Magazines,
Music (inc. Coconiser), Novelty, Sillies, Sound (inc. Samples, Maestro
Tunes, Tracker/SoundTracker, Digital Symphony).
9.7
The structure and layout of this disc is identical to the first; ArcFS,
ÉBookletæ, ÉContentsæ and the above listed directory structure. The
Impression booklet from this disc will print out to about 30 pages.
Again, when printed under the pamphlet settings, it is quite acceptable.
There are also three more directories unlisted on this disc: Cheats,
Game Cheats and Modifications; Demos which are the PD scrolly type, not
commercial product demos; and Images which are saved in sprite format.
In all, this disc contains about 461Mb of mostly compressed data.
9.7
APDL CD-3 (DTP 2)
9.7
This is one of the best compilations of clipart I have seen from the PD
scene. There is no catalogue with this disc, but itæs very much a Ésuck
it and seeæ approach. As a consolation, you have two viewers in the root
directory, the AWViewer and a new one to me Ö CDView written by David
Holden of APDL. This is the better viewer to use with this collection as
it will handle all three formats on the disc.
9.7
Before getting into the piccies, the root directory contains a few bits
and pieces. Besides the viewers, there is an application called
!Undgrnd, written by Alex Hopkins in 1990. No prizes Ö itæs a map of the
London underground system. It single tasks but scrolls quite nicely.
This really shows what can be done with a little thought and
application, as it consists simply of a couple of sprites and a loader
written in Basic. Also included are the usual disclaimer files and
licence instructions, mainly for network users.
9.7
The main part of this disc is split into four directories; Artworks,
Colour, DTP and Shareware. I will not list the subdirectories of each
group Ö suffice to say there are several in each area, going to varying
depths. The vast majority of the pictures on this disc are excellent. I
would dearly love to have the ability to draw like this, especially with
a computer, let alone a pen. On the other hand, I would also like the
gaul of some who submit their drawings for inclusion on such a disc.
There are a small number of drawings that leave one wondering!
9.7
Most of the Artworks directory is, in my opinion, of the same quality as
Computer Conceptsæ own discs. Aávery large proportion of the sprite work
is scanned images, and some of the drawfiles are obviously traced, but
most are of good quality. The three directories, colour, DTP and
shareware, are all mixed sprites and drawfiles. If any items are subject
to restrictions, a text file is included in the directory stating the
restriction. I have not found one yet that you cannot use freely, with
restrictions only applying to distribution.
9.7
Altogether, you have at your disposal 250 Artworks files totalling
approximately 40Mb, 5,800 DTP files totalling 385Mb and 143 colour
sprites totalling 75Mb. I make that 500Mb in all. OK, itæs uncompressed,
but itæs still good value, and according to the advertising put about by
APDL, none of the files on DTP 2 are repeated from DTP 1.
9.7
Gripes
9.7
The last line leads me nicely into the one gripe with the first two
discs. I noticed a couple of duplicate files on Disc 1, in different
directories. A closer examination followed with a surprising result.
Disc 1 had 47 occurrences of files repeated elsewhere on the disc, and
three occasions where they were repeated twice elsewhere. OK, all the
files fell into the category headings under which they were placed, but
this seemed a little excessive to me.
9.7
I then compared Disc 1 with Disc 2 for repetition. There was 50Mb of
data off Disc 1 repeated on Disc 2, mostly directory for directory, file
by file. On talking to APDL about this, I was told that this was a
deliberate move, not just a ploy to fill the disc. Disc 1 was aimed at
the more serious topics and, as such, it would be the one most likely to
be purchased by educational establishments. Disc 2 was aimed more at the
home user, with samples and demos and the like. The common topics from
both discs fall into categories useful for both sets of users. There was
no other software in APDLæs collection which could have been included on
these discs when they were produced.
9.7
Conclusion
9.7
APDL do not plan to churn out CD-ROM after CD¡ROM, rather, they intend
to update their PD ROMs at regular intervals. When updating, all newer
versions will be re-mastered onto the discs and new software included
where appropriate. An upgrade policy is to be adopted where existing
owners can replace with the new ROM at a reduced price.
9.7
Even given the repetition, there is still 400Mb plus of data on each
disc, the layout is simple and easy to follow, and all the files I have
been through to date are complete, no bits missing or corrupt files. If
DTP 1 is as good as 2, this set will be worth having in your collection,
and if, like me, you tend to save everything you come across, you will
be surprised at the number of floppy discs you can reclaim, and hard
disc space for that matter.
9.7
The Clipart CDs cost ú22.50 each from APDL, or ú23 through Archive. The
PD CDs are ú17.50 each from APDL or ú18 each through Archive.áuá
9.7
Optical Professional OCR
9.7
Peter Jennings
9.7
Early versions of Neurotron Softwareæs Optical Professional optical
character recognition (OCR) program first appeared more than three years
ago and the first one to be Écompleteæ with all its intended features
was reviewed in Archive 7.10 p71. The program was very fast but was
obviously going to benefit from its continuing development as far as
accuracy was concerned. It has now reached version 4.22, with a manual
which has doubled in size, and it has advanced enough to be well worth
another look. The price is now ú149 with no VAT to pay.
9.7
Briefly, for those not familiar with OCR, it is best explained as
converting a scanned image of text back into individual characters which
can be edited.
9.7
Programs of this type always come with some sample scans which are, of
course, usually chosen to show it at its best. One of the sprites
supplied with the first version I reviewed, produced 26 mistakes in 573
characters after it had been converted and spell checked by the program.
So there was a very obvious improvement when text from the same scan
appeared in the new version error free in just over half a minute. Three
of the words were coloured orange, indicating that an error in
conversion had been corrected by the spelling checker, and a two digit
figure was in green as a warning that figures and words of less than
three characters are not checked in this way. There is an accuracy/speed
option with a scale of one to four, with the higher numbers giving the
highest accuracy but lowest speed. This test had been carried out at the
default setting of three.
9.7
The result was very impressive so it was a little disappointing when I
then tried one of my own test sprites, from an Archive back page scanned
for the original review. I tried this first at accuracy level three then
again at accuracy four. Both were markedly better than the results from
the earlier versions of Optical Professional, but they were still
sprinkled with misinterpreted characters with, for example, the well-
printed capital öMò in öMagazineò being read as the five letters
ölilllò.
9.7
Font teaching
9.7
However, Optical Professional has a font teaching capability which
allows the program to learn as you type in corrections. To do this, I
defined a new font which I called öArchiveCoverò. I restored the ölilllò
to a single character by repeatedly clicking <select> and <adjust> to
join the letters, a pair at a time. This resulted in it becoming
interpreted as an öNò, so Iáfinally typed in the correction. Characters
which have been merged can be separated and single wrong letters just
need overtyping.
9.7
One problem remained after type-teaching. Dashes had all been
interpreted as bullets and I could not change them with <alt-153> or
even by using a keyboard hyphen as a near alternative. Then I clicked on
the reOCR option. This time, öMagazineò had become öMagazirleò but,
apart from the dashes, there was only one other wrong word. I made these
corrections, again using the type-teach facility, and this time managed
to get one of the dashes accepted. Then a further reOCR gave a
completely correct text except for the uncorrected bullet.
9.7
Part of the OCRed text of a newly-taught font. The Ébubbleæ shows the
original text where the caret has been placed to make further
corrections.
9.7
Repeating this test with other typefaces confirmed that more than one
teaching session usually seems to be necessary before the program learns
a new font to a reasonably satisfactory standard. However, this
criticism is outweighed by the fact that user training is actually
possible, as Optical Professional is, at present, the only program to
offer this facility on Acorn computers.
9.7
Spelling checker
9.7
A number of other improvements have been made during Optical
Professionalæs succession of upgrades. The spelling checker now allows
Impression SpellMaster, and user dictionaries, and plain text lists of
words to be used instead of the supplied lexicon, although they cannot
be combined with it. The spelling checker makes a significant difference
to the accuracy of the text output but it could still be improved. It
misses many words which are almost correct and which are immediately
recognised when the text file is spell-checked in a word processor.
9.7
Direct scanning can now be carried out using David Pillingæs Twain as
well as from Computer Concepts Scanlight and Watford scanners as before.
Text can be rotated and a succession of scans can be appended. This is
useful if you are using a hand scanner with a limited four-inch width as
it allows you to cover a wider block of text with a series of scans
across instead of down the page.
9.7
A feature new to Acorn computers, Menu Linked Embedding (MLE), allows
text to be transferred directly into another application. The MLE window
contains a list of recognised applications, including Edit, and others
can be added by simply dragging an Acorn icon from the MLE window into
the applicationæs main editing window. The listed applications all have
an öOCRò option added to their menus. Selecting this option opens the
Optical Professional scanner window (or the Acquire window if Twain is
being used) and the OCRed text then appears at the caret in the chosen
applicationæs window, either immediately the conversion has been
completed or after editing, if preferred.
9.7
Text can be saved in a choice of four file formats: plain text, Rich
Text Format (RTF), Document Description Format (DDF) as used by
Impression, and Comma Separated Values (CSV) which is used by many
databases, spreadsheets and some document processors to transfer data.
9.7
Worthwhile results
9.7
When writing about OCR, it must always be emphasised that you cannot
expect to get the best results from anything much less than a perfect
scan from a well-printed text. My tests have all been made with a hand
scanner (using repeated scans to get the best possible quality) and,
although this shows that Optical Professional is good enough to be used
with direct scans or sprites made this way, better results could be
expected from a flatbed scanner.
9.7
Optical Professional has developed to the stage where worthwhile results
can be obtained with the right conditions and some care. However, for
most jobs, making corrections by hand is still a necessary part of the
process. This is easily done within the program and/or with a spelling
checker in a word processor or DTP program. If there are not too many
errors to correct, using OCR can be quicker and less tedious than
retyping a document, but the decision on which is better will probably
still depend on how fast and how accurate your typing is. Also, ú149 is
an investment that can probably only be justified if you are going to
make regular use of the program.áuá
9.7
Among the choices offered is a trade off between accuracyáandáspeed.
9.7
After OCRing an unknown font, the program can beátaughtáÇtoárecognise
it.
9.7
BBC & Spectrum Emulators
9.7
Alex Card
9.7
I guess that many, if not most, people reading this article will, like
myself, have had their first experience of computers by using or owning
a BBC B or Electron micro. When Iáswitched over to the Archimedes, it
was not only with joy but also with some regret, because Iáwas leaving
behind programs that Iæd become accustomed to, like losing old friends.
This was compounded by the inadequacies of !65Host, the so-called BBC
emulator which merely seemed to run Basic programs.
9.7
After all these years, it was with great surprise that Iáchanced upon
the Warm Silence Software stand at the Acorn World show to find Zalaga
being played on a Risc PC. The memories flooded back and Iáknew Iáhad to
have the emulator. WSS also released a Spectrum emulator (!Z80Em) and
whilst this wasnæt such an exciting prospect, Iábought this too and will
be covering it here as well.
9.7
These days, it seems as though games players fall into one of two camps;
they either hate old games with a passion or they miss their simplicity,
addictiveness and, above all, playability. Iádefinitely consider myself
amongst the latter group and still feel that nothing has surpassed
Exile, despite time and technology.
9.7
!6502Em
9.7
Loading the emulator is a little tricky at first. An application called
!Rip65Host has to be run which actually cannibalises Acornæs !65Host
program and uses modules within it to provide full emulation. Double-
clicking on !6502Em will then install the BBC icon onto the iconbar. If
you get a ÉSnapperæ icon, youære using an older version and are advised
to send a formatted disc and an SAE to WSS for the latest version. On
entering the emulator, youære greeted by the familiar black screen of
the BBC, a reassuring beep, and you are ready to type away in glorious
BBC Basic or use *¡commands. This is a pretty pointless exercise though
Ö what we need is games!
9.7
Up in the attic?
9.7
This could prove to be a stumbling block Ö have you still got your old
Beeb games? Are they on tape or disc? Are they on 5╝ö or 3╜ò discs? As
there are no games supplied with the emulator, make sure you still have
access to some before buying the program otherwise youæll be in for a
big disappointment. Another consideration, even if you do still have
them, is how to get them ported over to your Archimedes or Risc PC. To
this, there are three solutions:
9.7
1) Tape method (Printer port adapter ú15, !Tapes software ú10)
9.7
WSS can supply an adapter which connects to the printer port, plus
software to convert all those screeches of data and interblock gaps into
files, which can then be saved to disc and used by the emulator. Iáhad
limited success with this method, mainly due to how much my tapes had
deteriorated over the years, although occasionally everything seemed to
be going well up to the point of saving to disc, when Iágot an Éerror
writing fileæ message.
9.7
The tape software and adapter can be used for both BBC and Spectrum
programs and, potentially, data from other computers, such as Amstrads
and Commodore 64s, should emulators appear for these.
9.7
Iáwould have preferred to have had the software save each file
individually, but instead it continues reading files until the tape runs
out or it is stopped by the user. However, by subsequently dropping the
saved file back on the !Tapes icon, it can be split up into its
component files. The !Tapes Manual (supplied as pages of drawfiles)
contains an illustration as to how to build your own Printer port
adapter, but itæs sure to be fiddly, and unless youære an adept
tinkerer, is to be avoided Ö buy a ready-made one!
9.7
2) Serial transfer from BBC discs
9.7
As most of my software was on 5╝ö discs, this was my preferred method of
transfer and involved linking a cable from my Risc PCæs serial port to a
BBC B with a disc drive. Iáused a lead and software from Beebug which
Iábought in 1988, and this worked fine but may be difficult to obtain
now. Iæm sure there must be others on the market, which will work just
as well.
9.7
The only problems Iáencountered using this method were illegal
filenames, and remembering to create BBC style directories, i.e. single
character ones, to transfer files to, such as X.Elite. Most forms of
disc protection scuppered my attempts at transferring files but the vast
proportion were trouble-free. Programs can be run in the usual way by
CHAINing or *RUNning the initial file, or by being built into a RISC OS
application.
9.7
3) Possibility of a CD-ROM or discs being released
9.7
This would be by far the simplest method (especially a CD-ROM) and is
one that WSS are looking into. The obvious difficulty is one of
copyright. Superior Software hold the rights to many games and, indeed,
still sell BBC games, but whether theyæd be prepared to release them
cheaply enough is doubtful. However, all is not lost, as is demonstrated
by the fact that Iábought a compilation CD of 3,000(!) Spectrum games
from WSS for ú15, so a BBC one shouldnæt be out of the question. If
anyone with influence is reading, Iáfor one would buy a BBC CD-ROM!
9.7
In action
9.7
!6502Em is extremely comprehensive. It not only supports the model ÉBæ
but also Master 128 and Compact (with the appropriate ROM images). Sound
emulation is nothing short of amazing. Itæs not always spot on to the
original, but a very good approximation and even managed speech
comfortably. Keyboard layouts have changed over the years, but all keys
are completely redefinable and the program even supports the use of
joysticks.
9.7
There is quite a lot of variation in how well games play under the
emulator, if at all. Many play perfectly, and at the correct speed,
whereas others are too fast, despite setting the ÉExact Speedæ option.
To use !6502Em effectively, an ARM 3 at least is required. Iátried an
A3010 but found it to run painfully slowly and canæt recommend running
the emulator on A3010/3020/4000 unless youære desperate to re-live those
moments again regardless.
9.7
Some games run with minor glitches but most can be corrected by setting
various options from the menu. These include: ÉPaletteæ on/off, ÉExact
Speedæ of emulation, ÉPass on OSCLIæ, whereby *¡commands that arenæt
recognised by the emulator are passed to RISC OS, ÉMachineæ, which
selects which model of BBC to emulate, and ÉPatchæ, which enables
specific built-in patches for awkward games like Revs and Elite. In most
cases, itæs best to try the default options first on each game as there
seems to be approximately 80% success rate on these settings.
9.7
Beeb games
9.7
A while back, Iáwas asked to list my Top 10 Beeb games of all time and,
after racking my brains, Iácame up with these. Iáhave indicated how well
they fare under emulation.
9.7
Exile Ö Awesome graphic adventure that Iáhave yet to finish. Plays like
a dream with no modifications. The closest alternatives are ÉCastle
Questæ and ÉDr.Whoæ, the latter of which is abysmal but both performed
well under emulation.
9.7
Firetrack Ö Ultimate space shoot æem up by Orlando Ö remember him?
Unfortunately, due to its complex scrolling, it refuses to run. If
anyone manages to get it working, please let me know. Iácanæt recommend
a replacement but ÉWaræ is probably the nearest, although only
remembered for its minuscule playing area Ö it does at least run under
emulation.
9.7
Joust Ö One of the best two-player games ever Ö battle on the backs of
ostriches for domination of the skies. Again, this wouldnæt work. It was
also released as ÉSkirmishæ, so maybe someone has this. Joust is long
overdue for a modern re-write!
9.7
Planetoid Ö The first game Iáever bought, no introduction needed surely
... OK, itæs a superb version of ÉDefenderæ. This works but is
unpleasantly jerky, the sideways scrolling seems to be a bit of a
problem to !6502Em and recurs with a few games of its ilk. Strangely
ÉGuardianæ from Alligata is almost identical yet plays perfectly. Other
similar games worth digging out are ÉPsycastriaæ and ÉMoon Raideræ.
9.7
Mr.Ee Ö AKA ÉMr.Dooæ. This puts the recent Archimedes version to shame.
Dig around a maze, drop apples on monsters and go for bonuses. Plays
perfectly except for running slightly too quick for the first couple of
seconds, so make sure youære quick off the mark. You could always try
ÉPengoæ or ÉRubble Troubleæ!
9.7
Zalaga Ö Based on the swirling, bomb-dropping, alien invading game of a
similar name, Zalaga plays really well, as do other similar games such
as ÉGalaforceæ, ÉArcadiansæ, ÉEagle Empireæ and ÉAlpha Centauriæ.
9.7
Killer Gorilla Ö ÉDonkey Kongæ clone Ö avoid barrels and fireballs and
save the damsel in distress in this platform classic. The trouble is,
Iácanæt seem to get the game to slow down enough!
9.7
Fortress Ö Diagonally scrolling shoot æem up based on Zaxxon, runs well
and is as addictive as ever.
9.7
Frak! Ö If Iásay itæs a caveman-with-a-yoyo platform romp, it sounds
stupid, so Iáwonæt Ö but it is great fun. It runs brilliantly, and you
even get to hear the ÉCaptain Pugwashæ theme before loading. Not as
pretty but still enjoyable is ÉBlaggeræ which is worth digging up.
9.7
Snapper Ö Yes itæs Pacman, but what a great version Ö bonus fruit,
secret passages and blue wobbly ghosts all included. As with most of the
maze games Iæve tried, it works well, although itæs a bit fast Ö unless
Iæve simply lost the knack! XOR pushed Snapper close, with its twin-
shield action, hidden maps and groovy music, and Android Attack is also
fun.
9.7
OK, Iáknow itæs heresy to miss out Elite but, to be honest, Iánever
really liked it. Donæt fret, it works via a patch or you could just run
the Archimedes version!
9.7
Is that all?
9.7
Actually, no! The ability to play most BBC games was obviously not all
the programmers wanted Ö theyæve pretty well recreated a full BBC B
inside your Risc PC or Archimedes. No need for a sideways RAM/ROM board
either, because the emulator can have up to 16 ROM images loaded into it
at once. There is also a save option which allows the user to take a
snapshot of the state of the emulator for reloading at a later date so
you can save your position on any game. It is also possible to set up
games as RISC OS applications by creating script files that contain
information on running the game and setting suitable options for it.
Screenshots may be taken and saved as sprites or incorporated into BBC
applications as icons for individual games.
9.7
Iáwas disappointed to find that the Master 128 and Compact ROMs werenæt
included with !6502Em and was told by WSS that the reason for this was
that theyæd asked Acorn for permission to supply the necessary files,
but were refused on the grounds that they considered that there was
still some value in the ROMs and that to license them would cost in the
region of ú5000. This would have added an extra ú5 to the cost of the
emulator. This is a real shame Ö surely Acorn canæt be this protective
of such old information, can they? Hopefully, under the new regime, they
will have a change of heart and allow their release.
9.7
Z80 Spectrum Emulator
9.7
Iámust confess that Iáonly bought this because it was cheap at the Show.
After all, there are already two or three PD Spectrum Emulators, so why
bother with this one? Well, unlike the others Iæve seen, it works
extremely well, is completely glitch-free and runs at the correct speed.
You can adjust the speed too, so if you find a game too easy, simply
enter a new value in the menu. Iácouldnæt understand why the default
speed had a setting of &11000. It wouldæve been far better to have set
it to 100% and provide up and down arrows to alter the value.
9.7
As with !6502Em, the Spectrum emulator single-tasks rather than
multitasking within a RISC OS window. This to me is preferable, as it
gives a greater sense of Ébeing thereæ. Exiting is instantaneous on
pressing <f12>, in both cases.
9.7
Sound is coped with admirably, and again the entire keyboard can be
reconfigured; this is definitely most welcome as Iástill have vivid
memories of early Spectrum games using QWERT for Up, Down, Left, Right
and Fire .... Why did they do that ? Iáwas impressed to find that Acorn
joysticks are supported within the program too.
9.7
Itæs a pity that 128k games canæt be emulated, but maybe this will be
added in later versions. Still, there are plenty of other games to play,
especially if you purchase the 3000 game CD compilation. Many of the
best Spectrum games, such as classics like ÉKnightloreæ and ÉAlien 8æ,
were ported to the BBC very successfully, but hereæs your chance to
enjoy the delights of those that werenæt, such as ÉStop the Expressæ,
ÉSchool Dazeæ and ÉHorace Goes Skiingæ.
9.7
!Z80Em certainly has the edge over previous Spectrum emulators. Itæs
incredibly easy to use and appears to run all software without problems,
so Iácan strongly recommend it. The fly in the ointment is that the
other Spectrum emulators are PD and contain most of the features of
!Z80Em.
9.7
See you later emulator
9.7
Iáhave compiled a list of BBC games that do and donæt work with !6502Em.
Out of 350 tested, over 90% worked and the rate has improved
significantly with each update to !6502Em. If you would like a copy of
the list, please drop me a line and Iæll happily send a copy. Iæd also
like to hear from anyone who has succeeded in persuading games to run
that Iáhave been unable to, such as Firetrack, Joust, Death Star, Raid
Over Moscow and Jet Set Willy 2. It would be a shame to lose these in
the depths of time, not just for sentimental reasons, but also to
demonstrate that the best games arenæt necessarily the ones with the
best graphics. Both emulators are excellent value if you have a fast
processor, some top old games and are a diehard nostalgic.
9.7
BBC & Spectrum Emulators, from Warm Silence Software, cost ú15 each,
inclusive, or ú25 the pair.
9.7
You can contact me at: 97 Heath View, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4JN.áuá
9.7
Padlock
9.7
Dave Wilcox
9.7
Padlock is the latest program to come from Base 5 Technical Graphics.
Their last offering was Hermes (reviewed in 8.10 p59), which came out
favourably, so letæs see how Padlock stands up to the test...
9.7
The aim
9.7
Padlock is a desktop security program and, as such, is aimed mainly at
education and small businesses. It is designed to allow the system
supervisor to control who has access to the machine and, once in, what
they can or cannot access. It is also possible for any user to leave the
machine in a ÉDesk Offæ state whilst unattended. This renders the
machine nearly unusable until a valid user password is entered.
9.7
The package
9.7
There are two versions of this software, Padlock and Padlock Junior.
Each comes on a single disc; Junior has its manual as text files on the
disc, while Padlock is accompanied by two plastic spiral bound A5
manuals. The main one of these is the User Manual, the other is the
Secure Module Programmersæ Reference Manual. The package is presented in
a cardboard box with an A5 flyer pasted to the top.
9.7
The manuals
9.7
The Secure Module Programmers Reference Manual has been included so that
programmers can incorporate the Secure Module into their own
applications. It contains 27 pages showing the main SWIs and ends with a
couple of examples of how to use them in basic programming. The 53 page
User Manual is well written and easy to follow, with plenty of
screenshots showing the new user the way through the maze.
9.7
The software
9.7
Read the manual before playing Ö well, at least  the first couple of
chapters anyway. Once installed, the program is configured with a couple
of groups and several users from these groups and, of course, the
supervisor user.
9.7
My first object was to go in as supervisor and remove all demo users and
groups. I hit a problem here, trying to delete the last user, apart from
Supervisor, and it crashed, Iæm not sure why. For the second attempt, I
first created one of my own user groups and entered the names of all
users for this group, then deleted all demo users with no problems.
9.7
Setting up the groups
9.7
So your first task is to decide on the group headings for the people who
will be using the machine. The demo is of a school setup giving groups
for Juniors, Seniors, Staff and Heads. From the group definition window,
you first of all configure the group name, and then you have to decide
whether this group should have access to the filer window commands, the
task window and É*æ commands. Each of these choices is made by selecting
a radio icon on/off.
9.7
Group Definition/Edit Window
9.7
The next choice is for the files, directories or applications that you
will either permit or exclude the group from using. It is simplicity
itself to set up, once you have decided which is the smaller list, for
the sake of speed. For example, if you wish to exclude the group from
using configure from the Apps directory, drag !Configure to the exclude
window. The same can be done for !System, !Boot, !Scrap and so on.
9.7
Next you can choose to exclude or permit certain filetypes. The school
example permits the juniors to use Paint and Edit files and the
applications !Paint and !Edit. This gives the supervisor a very fine
degree of control over who is to use what, from full use to almost no
use, dependent upon the useræs current working knowledge or
requirements.
9.7
The final choice from the group edit window allows you to control the
time that the group may have access. The option is again selected via a
radio button on/off. If on, access is then given to two time-panels
allowing you to set the earliest time the group can access the machine
and the latest time they can have access. If a group member tries to
gain access outside of this time zone, no chance! These settings need to
be done for each group you require, and each group definition has then
to be saved.
9.7
From the menu over this window, it is possible to obtain two reports.
The first output shows a full group report, which shows the named group
with exclusions and permits as a list. The second option is a group
summary giving the group names and all members of these groups again as
a list.
9.7
Setting up the users
9.7
Next we need to enter the names of all users allowed into the system.
The user definition window is again simplicity itself. First enter the
useræs identification, i.e. their Name, then enter the group they fall
into as defined above Ö this is selected from a submenu so is even
easier. The final requirement is to set their password.
9.7
User Definition/Edit Window
9.7
On initial setup, I have found the easiest way is to set the password as
the useræs first name or surname dependent upon the size of the user
list. After their first logon they can change their password to whatever
they like. As with the group window, selecting <menu> over the user edit
window gives you access to a summary report of all users.
9.7
Setting the system options
9.7
Thatæs the groups and users set, so the next choice is the system
options. You donæt really need to change any of these initially, as the
defaults are set reasonably. You have a choice of the date format for
the Report and User Log outputs Ö these are set in the same manner as
!Alarm. As it is good practice to change user passwords regularly, you
can configure a recommended password lifetime, after which warning is
given to the user to change their password on accessing.
9.7
Silent Operation gives you the ability, especially useful in classroom
or office environments, to turn off warning beeps except when an error
occurs.
9.7
Impression Format allows report output to have style information
included for use by Impression, the only exception to this being the
User Log report.
9.7
The next three buttons control the User Report ordering and is again
selected by radio buttons. Owner display enables your machine to be
tagged with your School, Company or Personal details. To do this, you
create an Edit file containing name, address and or phone number, then
drag the save window icon to the owner display icon, ensure the option
is selected and your name and address will be displayed in the bottom
left hand corner.
9.7
The user log
9.7
The last facility available to the Supervisor is the User Log. Whenever
the machine is switched on, accessed by a user, a user logs off or the
machine is shutdown, the log is updated with date, time and user or
status, giving a full overview of the machine use. This log can be
cleared by the Supervisor to save on storage space.
9.7
Extra security
9.7
There is an additional protection utility provided with both versions of
Padlock called !Bolt. This allows you to attach ÉHaspæ, a transient
utility, to protect software or machine areas. The first use would be to
set the mouse selection, so if Padlock is not running, neither will the
machine Ö not properly anyway. This means that when someone comes along
and says ÉWell, I can get around the !Boot file by Shift-Reset-ing the
machineæ, he still cannot get access Ö clever stuff this! Also, by
attaching Hasp to your original software, you can prevent it being used
on a machine not running Padlock, so if someone copies your program to
their machine, it will fail to run.
9.7
Padlock Junior
9.7
Junior runs in a similar manner to the full Padlock but has none of the
extras, like Groups or Users, and is basically a one-user machine
protection. You have the Log In and Out options, Password Change and
Owner Display, but once into the machine you have full access. You also
have !Bolt as mentioned above.
9.7
Problems?
9.7
Apart from the initial hiccup mentioned above, I have come across a
couple of other problems. Firstly, a kind person with some knowledge of
the machines workings managed to gain access and rename the !Padlock
utility. When the machine rebooted, Padlock was not loaded, the Hasp
prevented mouse access and the keyboard was locked out Ö a fair bit of
sweat and memory racking was called for to regain control.
9.7
On the positive side, Padlock was only doing its job. Iácontacted Base 5
about this problem because, obviously, the manual cannot give too much
detail on how to bypass the security system, or it would be rendered
useless. Consideration is now being given to registering users, and once
registered, supplying rescue instructions separately.
9.7
The second problem seems to arise whilst using my modem. It seems that
Padlockæs logfile records all communication activity, so another call to
Base 5 is due I feel. I should add that good discipline should be
instilled into all users, at all levels, to ensure that they log off
correctly when leaving the machine Ö not a lot to ask really!
9.7
Conclusion
9.7
This is a deterrent and, as such, it works well. I would think it will
be a boon to schools and small business users worried about unauthorised
access.
9.7
Overall, a nice piece of software which fulfils its desired aim. There
are a couple of faults but Iæm sure Base 5 will have overcome them by
the time you read this review. Considering the targeted user groups,
Iáthink the pricing is reasonable. Padlock costs ú49 inclusive, and
Junior costs ú15 inclusive from Base 5 Technical Graphics.áuá
9.7
Plantwise
9.7
Richard Rymarz
9.7
Some time ago, Sherston Software released a very popular and successful
piece of software called Bodywise. It was a dedicated database that
explored the human body through a series of pictures, texts and
animations. Plantwise follows the same format, only this time, as the
title suggests, the data concerns plants. Designed for 9 to 14 year
olds, the software explores all aspects of plant life, allowing the
children to delve deeper and deeper into the database in a simple way.
Elements covered are: the structure of plants, reproduction, survival
and growth, Élifeæs trialsæ (daily cycles, seasons, protections and
competition) and classification. There is also an experiment section
that takes the child through a series of simple experiments designed to
encourage further scientific investigation.
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The package and installation
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As we have come to expect from this leading educational software house,
the package is quite exhaustive. Three discs containing the application
(one being the now obligatory startup disc), eight experiment cards, six
search cards, a fast find sheet, aáuser guide, a booklet full of
educational ideas and an A3 poster Ö more on the quality and usefulness
of these later. Everything is neatly packed into a clear plastic wallet
Ö no unnecessary extra packaging here.
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Plantwise can run on any RISC OS machine with 1áMbyte or more. A hard
disc is not needed, but everything is quicker and slicker if one is
used. Installation is very straightforward but the key disc is needed to
run the program.
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The program
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Once it is installed, clicking <menu> on the Plantwise icon brings forth
a comprehensive setup window. Users of other Sherston products will be
familiar with the layout which, in this case, allows two levels of
difficulty, sound control, text control and parts of the program which
can be user-defined. It also controls whether the database or the
experiment section is used. There is a word search facility.
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Define your options, click ÉSetæ, the window disappears and the program
is set to go. Nothing could be easier.
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Away we go
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Clicking <select> on the plantwise icon displays an introductory screen
and the main window. The latter is divided into the five sections
mentioned earlier. Clicking on any one takes the user into the database.
For example, clicking on ÉReproductionæ results in a labelled window
showing four areas of plant reproduction: pollination, fertilisation,
seed dispersal and seed germination. Click on one and further
exploration is encouraged. I clicked on seed dispersal which opened
another window. Along the top were seven icons. The first three take the
user back to the main menu, show the written descriptions for each
section and allow a sequence to be animated. The next four relate to
four methods of seed dispersal: explode, wind, animals and water. Each
of these can be animated and their descriptions can be viewed. Further
explorations are possible as the user delves deeper into the database.
At any time a screen can be saved or printed. Accompanying these screens
is a series of bird calls and animal sounds that add some flavour to the
proceedings. (I wondered how they were going to bring sound into a
multimedia package about plants! Ed.)
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Other areas of plant life are similarly explored, providing a very
comprehensive set of data that would be difficult to find your way
around. However, the authors have thought of this, and on the main
screen is a Éfast findæ method of selecting topics. Click once and a
series of flow diagrams is presented. Select your topic and immediately
you are into that section of the database Ö I love it because it is so
easy to use.
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Since some of the terminology is difficult, an on-screen glossary of
words is available. Click on the ÉWhat Word?æ icon and an alphabetically
listed set of terms is presented. Click on a word and the explanation is
presented Ö another excellent idea.
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Experiments
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Choosing Plantwise experiments from the Setup option again allows a
degree of customisation: level of difficulty and teacher options. Eight
experiments are provided, ranging from conditions for successful seed
germination to photosynthesis and chlorophyll. Animations take the user
through the sequence of reactions, according to the set criteria.
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I have my doubts about this section of the program. Certainly, it
provides a set of experiments that a teacher could use, but the point
about children and experimentation is that they do it themselves,
establishing their own parameters, judging whether a fair test has been
created, and coming to their own conclusions based on their own
findings. I can see value in Plantwise pointing children in the right
direction but, as a teacher, I would use this section cautiously. This,
of course, does not detract from the well thought out way in which the
program presents the information.
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Niggles
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Very few. I do wish that when a window was closed, the main menu window
stayed on screen Ö I found it irritating to have to go back to the
iconbar to reopen the main menu.
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Supporting materials
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One of Sherstonæs strengths has always been the high level of supporting
materials. Plantwise is no exception. The excellent user guide explains
the technical side of the program in a clear, easy going style. Another
booklet entitled ÉUsing Plantwise in the Classroomæ is full of cross
curricular ideas linking all areas of the National Curriculum. It also
contains a useful booklist and a list of countrywide places to visit.
Each experiment has its own card which helps children to set up the
experiments without providing the answers Ö much more useful. Finally,
there are six assessment cards linked to the two levels of difficulty.
These are basically questions which the children can either use to check
their knowledge after using the program, or can use as a task to find
from the program.
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Conclusions
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This is another brilliant program. It is easy to use, informative,
clearly defined aims which are well executed Ö I would recommend this
program to all schools. If teachers are impressed then look for Bodywise
which is just as good. Plantwise costs ú44.95 for a single user or ú50
through Archive. (Site licences are available from Sherston.)áuá
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áááOptions Window
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