Archive Magazine 1997/ARCHIVE_97.iso/text/products/volume_10

Text File | 1997-08-17 | 458KB | 8,425 lines

Acorn Price Drops - The 'Old Acorn' was never known for price drops(!)
but the new, flexible Acorn seems more able to move as the market moves.
The RiscPC pricing has fallen so that the ACB64 (4Mb/540Mb RiscPC 600)
is down ú50 at ú1299, the ACB77 (5Mb/540Mb RiscPC 700) is down ú50 at
ú1549, and while the ACB75A (10Mb/1Gb RiscPC 700) is down ú190 at ú1799.
10.1
Never-the-less, despite the ú190 price drop, the DIY RiscPC idea, that
NCS started a few months ago, still saves you money. For example, if we
make up an ARM610 ACB75A equivalent, it will cost you just ú1666 (ú133
saving). Admittedly, that's with an ARM610, not a 710, but with the
StrongARM available at ú99 +VAT (from Acorn) up to the end of the year,
it would seem better use of resources to start with the 610 and use part
of the ú133 saving to pay for the StrongARM!
10.1
Tertiary education prices - ART have also agreed that Acorn Centres of
Technology (e.g. NCS) can supply computers to tertiary education
organisations at Xemplar prices, so please let us know if you are
interested. "Tertiary education" is being interpreted pretty broadly to
include, as well as universities and FE colleges: teaching hospitals,
teacher training colleges, theological colleges and prison education
units. All you need to do is send us an order on headed notepaper, and
you can take advantage of the improved pricing. At the time of going to
press, we don't know the exact Xemplar pricing, because we suspect that
they will follow ART in dropping their prices. To give you an
indication, Xemplar prices were about 12% below ART prices, but whether
Xemplar will drop their prices as much as ART remains to be seen. If the
prices come through in time, we'll put them on the monthly price list.
If not, just give us a ring on 01603-766922 if you are interested.
10.1
ANT Suite II - The new version of the ANT Internet Suite is now
available at ú99 +VAT or ú115 through Archive. It has many new features
which are detailed in our Internet Column on page 13. There is now the
possibility of upgrading to the ANT Suite from other Internet packages
for ú49 +VAT - details from ANT Ltd.
10.1
Canon BJC4000 - We still have stocks of the Canon BJC4000 although the
current model is the 4100. The difference is that the 4000 'only' has a
resolution of 360╫360dpi instead of 720╫360, but unless you are using
top quality paper, I doubt that you would be able to tell the
difference. The 4100 now costs ú310, so to sell off the 4000s, we will
offer them for ú270 each. Please ring if you would like one.
10.1
Dalmation have launched some new font families, including some quite
unusual ones. Among the fonts are: Gaud Sans - based on the popular Gill
Sans set of faces, this family includes 21 family members as well as two
free decorative fonts for ú10, or ú17 for a site licence. All the family
members include full Latin 1 character sets (+ Welsh). Scriptura
Universus is a set of 22 script faces in a variety of styles includes:
calligraphic, formal, informal, half-uncial, blackletter and engraved.
As a bonus, the set also features 201 brand new Impression format
borders. All the family members include full Latin 1 character sets (+
Welsh) except for the complex Blackboard, and the set of additional
characters for Book of Kells Extra. It costs ú13.95, or ú23.71 (site).
Ancient Scripts is made up of 17 archaic scripts featuring hieroglyphs,
coptic, runes and cuneiform. Hieroglyphs can also be typed into a
comprehensive set of left-to-right or right-to-left cartouches. It costs
ú7, or ú11.90 (site). Codes, Ciphers & Signals is a collection of 15 of
the leading codes, ciphers and signals from the distant past up to the
present day. The Signal International Code Flag font also has an
accompanying drawfile for full colour versions of the flags. It costs
ú6.50, or ú11.05 (site). Super Game Set is a three-font collection for
creating playing card diagrams, dice and dominoes. Additional characters
are also provided for creating Contract Bridge diagrams. It costs ú5.50,
or ú9.35 (site). Trax have two animal and human track fonts for creating
over 200 European and Australian animal prints. Trax walking font is for
creating fun borders with the footprints walking in eight compass
directions. It costs ú5, or ú8.50 (site). Symbol Set 1 contain two fonts
for creating Zodiac and religious symbols. Belief, the religious font,
features symbols from all the leading religions. It costs ú4.50, or
ú7.65 (site). Finally, the Recorder Font Family is a set of ten fonts
for creating pictorial and graphical representations of all five members
of the recorder family (sopranino, descant, treble, tenor and bass).
Additional draw format diagrams are also included. It costs ú5, or ú8.50
(site).
10.1
Customers should specify whether they want their font collections on
either 1.6Mb or 800Kb discs. You can also write or call for a copy of
their 20-page catalogue. Prices are inclusive from Dalmation
Publications - no VAT to add as they are not VAT registered.
10.1
Eesox CD Writers - Following the trend of the industry generally, Eesox
have dropped the prices of their CD Writers to ú699 (+ú8 carriage +VAT)
for the internal version and ú749 for the external, or ú820 and ú870
respectively through Archive.
10.1
Ethernet Interfaces - ANT Ltd brings 'multiple mode' support to its new
low-cost range of Ethernet interface cards for Acorn computers. This
will enable users with a PC Card fitted to their RiscPC to connect the
PC and RISC OS environments to a network simultaneously, sharing a
single Ethernet card. For example, the user could be logged onto a
Windows server to run a PC database application while using the RISC OS
side to surf the World Wide Web using the ANT Internet Suite.
10.1
ANT 'Myson' low-cost Ethernet interfaces feature: Dual 10Base2 (coaxial)
and 10BaseT (twisted pair) interfaces; automatic selection of interface
socket and network integrity; high-capacity 8Mb ROM socket; flash memory
build option; Acorn Access+ fitted as standard: AUN and NFS boot ROMS on
request; high-reliability surface-mount construction; state-of-the-art
low-power Ethernet controller chip; rear panel indicator light
10.1
The cards cost ú79 + VAT for the Risc PC NIC, and ú99 for other Acorn
machines. Through Archive they cost ú93, and ú117.
10.1
Iiyama monitor pricing - Another factor making it cheaper to set up a
really good computer system is that Iiyama have dropped the prices of
all their monitors. The new prices are as follows (the price in brackets
is the extra you pay if you buy it with a computer, i.e. over and above
the cost of the Acorn 14" monitor):
10.1
15" ú350 (ú80)
10.1
17" ú630 (ú360)
10.1
Pro 17" ú700 (ú430)
10.1
21" ú1190 (ú920)
10.1
Pro 21" ú1290 (ú1020)
10.1
The Pro 17" is the most popular monitor of all, by far, and it is down
by ú50, but now that the 15" is only ú350, that makes a very worthwhile
alternative to the Acorn 14" for just ú80 extra. The major price drop is
in the 21" monitors - each is ú300 down on previous pricing! Having said
that, I have to be honest and admit that I tried a 21" monitor and, for
personal use, there is, to my mind, little or no advantage over using
the Pro 17". It's bigger, so you simply have to have it further away.
Obviously, they are wonderful as demonstration monitors, but for
personal use, I would say save the ú590 or, better still, spend it by
buying something else from NCS!
10.1
Maths Book - This is the latest program from software designer Marshal
Anderson, whose Music Box won the Gold Award at BETT '95. It does just
what its title suggests, simulating a child's maths exercise book on
screen, right down to squared 'paper', eraser and teacher's comments. It
allows children to do 'sums' (addition and subtractions in the first
pack), configurable from tens and units to thousands and decimals. If
children make mistakes, Maths Book does its best to diagnose the error,
telling them (using real speech if required) what to try next. It's a
good way of honing basic skills, and it gives teachers and parents the
chance to find out what the children can really do.
10.1
Maths Book is for Maths at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. Primary/Secondary/
Special Needs. It requires RlSC OS 3 with at least 1Mb of RAM. The
single user price ú35 + ú3 p&p +VAT. A site licence for an unlimited
number of machines on a single site is an additional ú35 +VAT. The
prices are ú42 and ú82 through Archive. (See the review on page 73.)
10.1
Matt Black has recently published its latest clipart pack in the popular
ClickArt series for Acorn machines. The Special Occasions pack provides
500 detailed Draw images covering 17 categories of events and holidays
including Parties, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Father's Day, Mother's
Day, Valentines and Weddings. Every image has been carefully selected to
reflect British lifestyles, traditions and tastes. Therefore, the pack
does not contain 'American' lifestyle images. The new pack is designed
for schools as a source of pictures for children to use in their own
card and stationery designs. The images can also be used to illustrate
projects on the origins of customs and traditions. Home users and
designers can use the new pack to produce printed materials associated
with special occasions, including party invitations, greeting cards,
adverts and posters announcing celebrations and events. The pack
includes a free school site licence, professionally printed visual index
and the latest version of Hugh Eagle's !PickAPic clipart manager
application. The Special Occasions ClickArt pack is available direct
from Matt Black and costs ú35 (no VAT) +p&p.
10.1
Matt Black have also announced the following price reductions: Education
Image Pack ú45 (down from ú65); Animals & Nature; and Sports & Games now
ú25 each (down from ú35).
10.1
Network Links, a utility for connecting PC cards to networks via
Ethernet cards has been updated and costs ú25 +VAT for a single-user
copy from Aleph One or ú28 through Archive. Site licences are available
from Aleph One, starting from ú100 +VAT.
10.1
Nstore, the popular National Curriculum record keeping and reporting
package for teachers, is now available for the Pocket Book II. The
program is supplied on a Solid State Disc, and requires an Acorn Pocket
Book II with at least 256Kb of memory.
10.1
This new version has all the main features of the original Archimedes/
Risc PC version, but also includes a range of extra facilities, offering
teachers and schools instant access to all the National Curriculum Level
Descriptions in all subjects, as well as a bank of 750+ teacher comments
to assist in report writing. Other features include: search and update
facility which allows you to search the whole National Curriculum for a
particular word or phrase - the results of the search can be stored in a
'topic' which can then, for example, be used to update all or selected
pupil records automatically when that topic is covered in class; highly
efficient and portable storage; recording and analysis of National
Curriculum data for individuals and classes; import and export of pupil
data and reports between Nstore and the built-in Pocket Book II
wordprocessor and spreadsheet, wordprocessors, databases and
spreadsheets on other computers (including Acorn machines, Apples and
PCs - using the appropriate linking leads and software, which are
readily available).
10.1
Full information about the Pocket Book II version of Nstore, including
sample output files and screenshots and a free demonstration copy of the
Archimedes/RiscPC version are available now from the HS Software web
site at: http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/hssoftware
10.1
Nstore costs ú49.95 inclusive from HS Software. Discounts are also
available for owners of the Archimedes version, or for multiple copies
for use in one school.
10.1
New Wave Concepts, a specialist in educational micro-electronics, has
introduced two new products, Micro Tutor and 68kEm. Micro Tutor is
designed as an introduction to learning about the fundamentals of
computer science. It is based around a fun visual approach, in which the
student can use either a Z80, 6502, 68000 or 8086 to investigate a
variety of different concepts. It is aimed primarily at secondary and
further education computing and electronics courses.
10.1
68kEm is a more advanced tool providing a complete educational,
development and simulation environment for the Motorola 68000
microprocessor. It offers a full cross-assembler (utilising Acorn's
DDE), multi-window monitoring, unique 'virtual device' facility, all
based around a comprehensive emulator, so the user can gain a solid
grounding in the 68000. New Wave Concepts believe that Micro Tutor and
68kEm lead the field in micro-electronic training systems on the Acorn
platform. For more information, including free demonstration discs,
contact New Wave Concepts on 01638-660222. Micro Tutor costs ú69 +VAT,
and 68kEm costs ú180 +VAT from New Wave Concepts.
10.1
!PCPro from Aleph One is an enhanced and updated version of their driver
software for PC second processor cards for RiscPC computers. The
features of !PCPro include faster overall performance for Windows 3.1
and Windows 95, better support for Windows 95, shared memory drivers
which accelerate data transfer on and off hard discs and CD-ROMs, and
VESA support for DOS which enables a wider range of DOS-based games to
be run. Aleph One's tests using the Winstone 96 benchmark show that
!PCPro produces a 37% speed increase on the same 5x86 hardware using
Windows 3.1, and a 54% increase using Windows 95, compared with earlier
versions of the !PC support software. More benchmark figures are
available on the Aleph One web site. !PCPro is free to owners of Aleph
One PC cards (send Aleph One a disc of an earlier version of Aleph One
!PC Software and add ú5 for an Issue 6 User Guide if required). Owners
of Acorn cards can purchase !PCPro, bundled with Acorn PC Exchange (the
file transfer utility between RISC OS and DOS/Windows) from Aleph One
for ú49 (inc. VAT and postage) or ú47 through Archive.
10.1
Perspectives Franτaises is a new CD-ROM for Key Stage 3 and 4 French,
useful for independent learning in libraries, computer rooms, classrooms
and the home. The modules which conform to the Areas and Levels of the
National Curriculum, have been developed by the AVP PictureBase team in
close cooperation with Anne Topping, an experienced HOD well known for
her books, visual aids and computer software.
10.1
Before completing simple tasks and exercises, pupils look at high
quality photographs, and study texts which are recorded. Pause and
repeat keys enable them to progress at their own rate. Unfamiliar words
can be looked up in the PictureBase dictionary which not only
translates, but gives explanations and comments to encourage pupil
confidence and independence. Work, including, copies of the pictures and
text, may be printed if required.
10.1
The topics covered include: the home, school, shopping, food, holidays,
a wedding, free time and leisure, the family, work in town and country,
travel, places, customs, tourism and the physical environment. Because
of the powerful search facilities the program is extremely flexible and
can be used in conjunction with any course book, or for cross-curricular
studies. The default setting sorts pictures and text into Areas A-E of
the National Curriculum, but the order may be changed by anyone who
knows the password. Pupils can search for French words and the relevant
pictures and text will be located by the computer. There are further
search facilities in the Dictionary, into which teachers can add extra
words and definitions. Teachers can make their password protected
entries in the User Notepad.
10.1
The Acorn version costs ú69 +VAT for school site licence from AVP. The
home user price is ú39.99 inclusive of VAT - both prices are +p&p.
Through Archive the prices are ú78 and ú39 all inclusive.
10.1
Praktikum price - We have been asked to mention the price of Praktikum
when ordered directly from Germany. It can be paid for via a EuroCheque
of DM119, or DM59 (students). This method is, to their knowledge, the
cheapest way to pay in a foreign currency. The Web link has been updated
due to the restructuring of Acorn and now should read: http://
www.art.acorn.co.uk/TERTIARY/praktikum/Home.html
10.1
Precise Mousing Surface - We featured 3M's much acclaimed new mousemat
last month (9.12 p21) and have already sent out getting on for 100 mats.
The only comments we have had have been positive, and although they went
out as "complete money-back guarantee if not 100% satisfied", we haven't
had a single one back. We'll have them at Acorn World 96 if you want to
"try before you buy", but with the money-back guarantee, what have you
got to lose?! The PMS costs ú10 through Archive.
10.1
Psion 3c - The latest Psion palmtop is the Psion 3c which comes with 1
or 2Mb (upgradable to 4Mb), the usual built-in spreadsheet, WordPro,
Time, Calculator, Autodialling and Programmability. Whilst the screen is
the same resolution as the 3a, 480╫160, it now has a greyscale display
which should improve the graphics somewhat. Other new features include
infrared support, a jotter application, a database 'list view', and an
updated Agenda application. This is available in 1Mb at ú340 and 2Mb at
ú400. (We've not given too many details of the 3c, because this is an
Acorn magazine! If you want to know more, there are various press
releases and user comments in the 'Clippings' directory on the monthly
program disc. Ed.)
10.1
Psion Siena - This is a sort of shirt-pocket-size Psion 3a, with all the
power of the 3a but with a screen about half the size. It terms of
software, it has Database, Agenda, Time, World, Calculator, Word
Processor (Microsoft Word compatible!) and Spreadsheet. It has a qwerty
keyboard, and a separate numeric keypad. It is powered by two AAA
batteries giving about 40 hours of operation, and communication with
other Psions or with printers and PCs is via a built-in infrared link or
through its serial link. The Psion Siena is available through Archive in
500Kb at ú170 and 1Mb at ú230.
10.1
R-Comp have announced that they have had the Acorn Driver for the Tabby
Graphics Tablet re-worked so that it is now compatible with Photodesk
versions 1 & 2, as well as all other desktop applications. Additional
features include the ability to re-define the keyboard emulation. Any
existing owners of the Tabby with the Acorn driver can upgrade for ú5 by
contacting R-Comp.
10.1
Religious Talking Stories is a set of discs covering different aspects
of the main world religions. Each story is made up of eight pages, each
with a photograph and descriptive sentences. With one mouse click, the
whole written description can be heard, or the words listen to
individually. Each description has a word missing, to progress through
the story, this must be completed by selecting the correct word from a
word list on the screen.
10.1
Series 1 is made up of five talking stories on Christianity. Simon's
Baptism tells the story of a baby being welcomed into the Anglican
Church at his Christening. It describes the purpose of baptism, the
religious symbolism and the celebration of the occasion. Baptist Baptism
tells the story of a total immersion baptism of young adults within the
Baptist Church. Baptist Communion shows the sharing of the bread and
wine in the communion service of the Baptist Church and touches on its
meaning. Salvation Army at Worship shows the side of the Salvation Army
not often seen. It shows the Citadel and a service of worship. Salvation
Army in Action tells of the good things done by the Salvation Army in
the community, including their music and their care for people. Other
stories will cover different faiths, including: Buddhism, Hinduism,
Judaism and Islam. The series has been produced in conjunction with
Wyddfa Software and CAITI Software, and is available from the University
of Wales Media Centre. Each story costs ú19.95 each +p&p +VAT. The more
of the stories you buy, the cheaper they become. For example, the five
stories in Series 1, bought together, cost ú48.95 +p&p +VAT.
10.1
Teddy Bears Picnic 2 - Fans of Teddy Bears' Picnic will be pleased to
learn that Sherston Software and Jean Norgate, author of the best
selling Teddy Bears' Picnic, have released The New Teddy Bears' Picnic,
a brand new program for the Acorn range of computers. Those who are
familiar with Jean's work will know her to be an inspirational software
designer and this is reflected in the new program.
10.1
The New Teddy Bears is a fun-packed program containing a completely new
set of six carefully designed cross-curricular activities, including a
very simple introduction to data handling. Among the titles are:
Fusspots - children get lots of practice with simple logic and fractions
as they help the fussy bears sort themselves out at the picnic. Musical
Hats - this activity is a variation on an old favourite that helps
children with their counting and simple subtraction work. Hidden
Pictures - an activity that practises number work from simple counting
to multiplication. Picnic News - a language activity that helps children
design their own front page, and includes reading, capital letters,
rhyming etc. Bear Facts - children use the ready made (and very simple
to use) database all about bears, or make their own from the information
sheets provided. Teddy Facts - one of the simplest information handling
programs you'll ever see, ideal for introducing the difficult concept of
data handling to young children.
10.1
The New Teddy Bears' Picnic costs ú32.95 +VAT for a single user; ú49.43
+VAT for a primary site licence, from Sherston Software, or ú37 and ú55
respectively through Archive.
10.1
Teletext+ software - We mentioned this last month but got the price
wrong - sorry! We said ú39 but that's an inclusive price and not +VAT.
So, Teletext+ is available for ú39 inc VAT from Octopus, or ú38 through
Archive.
10.1
Titler is a sophisticated yet easy to use video titling and presentation
package, linking you with the world of professional video via an Acorn
computer. The package consists of two main programs; Titler, which
provides the tools to produce title screens, and Sequencer, which is
used to show the screens in your chosen order, together with any
animations and sound effects that you want to add. Animations can come
from Render Bender 2, Euclid, Rephorm and Acorn Replay.
10.1
As well as its obvious use in video titling, this package is ideal for
creating presentations and rolling demos. Presentations can now be
prepared easily and quickly using your Acorn computer. Because you can
save the whole thing as a stand alone application, you can pass copies
of your presentation to your audience or even use it to create
demonstration discs. Titler features include: outline fonts in any size;
drop shadows; genlock compatibility; text justify left, right and
centre; underline; rubout Boxes; slow print (teletype emulation);
accepts Sprite, Atelier, ProArtisan, Render Bender, Illusionist and
drawfiles; any mode including overscan modes.
10.1
Sequencer has the following features: accepts the above file formats
plus Render Bender 2, Euclid, Rephorm and Acorn Replay animations; on
line compression; save as stand-alone application; many fade in and fade
out effects; user-defined delays; audio soundtrack using Sound Tracker
or samples; Genlock compatible; time, mouse or keyboard triggering; any
16 or 256 colour mode including supplied overscan modes; a Script
language enables you to include your own programs which are run from
within a sequence. Titler is not currently suitable for video use on a
RiscPC.
10.1
Titler & Sequencer cost ú99.95 from Clares, or ú95 through Archive.
10.1
User Interface Toolbox Manual - This is one of the four volumes supplied
in the Acorn C/C++ package which gives details of programming the WIMP
using the Toolbox modules. These give a more object-based view of the
WIMP with standard dialogue boxes for common objects such as 'Save as'
dialogue boxes and the colour picker. The manual gives details of the
way in which the toolbox is used and the SWI calls involved, as well as
details of using the ResEd application for editing Resource files (the
next generation of template files). ResEd is also part of the Acorn C/
C++ package and is not available separately.
10.1
(Is anybody aware of a Freeware/Shareware equivalent?) The cost of the
UITM is ú29 through Archive.
10.1
VideoBase is a ShareWare application from Paul Hobbs, designed to keep
track of video tape recordings. It's a complete rewrite of an earlier
program and features: searching for free spaces for a new recording;
exporting the complete file or a selection as text or CSV; support for
interactive help and BubbleHelp; addition and deletion of complete tapes
from the database; selection of recordings by string search on titles or
by category; locking and unlocking of recordings to prevent accidental
deletion; support for 'real time' and numerical tape counters; storage
of recording start time, length, tape number, channel, date, SP/LP
setting, title etc; user configurable colours for the main window; go to
a particular tape directly by choosing the tape number from a menu; the
number of tapes and recordings limited only by free memory.
10.1
The main window displays the complete contents of a tape in contrast to
version 1 which had a card style display, one recording per card.
Version 1 files can be converted to version 2, and registration costs ú8
or the equivalent in local currency. Updates to this application will be
available from http://www.angel.co.uk/phobbs/
vbase2.htm
10.1
Xemplar Roadshow is a teacher-friendly event to make it as easy as
possible for you to see what's new from Xemplar. During the autumn,
Xemplar is running a series of educational seminars to give first sight
of the latest Xemplar solutions, including: Primary Toolbox - a complete
curriculum solution; Primary packs including the latest software from
Dorling Kindersley, Random House and Sherston; Integrated networking
solutions; Secondary Toolbox solutions for English, Maths, Science,
Geography and Design & Technology; Internet solutions; Admin solutions;
Leasing schemes; Personal purchase schemes, and much, much more. Xemplar
expect the roadshow events to be heavily subscribed, therefore, to
guarantee a place, you will need to contact Xemplar very quickly.
Roadshow dates are: September 30th Stansted. Then in October: 1st
Gatwick; 2nd West London; 3rd Bristol; 4th East Midlands; 5th Newcastle
upon Tyne; 9th Manchester; 10th Clwyd. For more information, contact:
Xemplar Education Limited, The Quorum, Barnwell Road, Cambridge CB5 BRE
or WWW http://www.xemplar.co.uk.
10.1
Product News
10.1
Apricote have said that they will be launching Prophet 3 at Acorn World
'96. Prophet has always been acclaimed as an innovative and productive
accounting package for small businesses, and version three will take it
to even greater heights. What is unusual about the development of
Prophet is Apricote's 'fewest button-press' policy. Because of this,
producing an average set of accounts using Prophet 3 requires
substantially fewer button presses and mouse clicks than some leading PC
programs. Productivity is at the heart of Prophet 3, and that is why
everything can be done using the keyboard ù users don't have to waste
time reaching for the mouse if they don't want to. What is more, data
entry is kept to a minimum by allowing users to selectively repeat items
from previous entries through a single keypress as well from the use of
context-sensitive menus. Major features include: new, tidier interface
(including user adjustable full size ledgers); auto-retrieve - click on
any ledger field to display related documents; full export/import
including TSV, CSV and Text; WYSIWYG document design (including
drawfiles); electronic document sending; auto tone dialling from
customer/supplier databases; StrongARM aware. Prophet 3 is compatible
with all Acorn computers that run RISC OS 3.1 or greater, and have at
least 2Mb of RAM (4Mb and a hard drive recommended).
10.1
Micropedia '96 is soon to be released for the Acorn platform. At the
moment, the PC version features two levels of information: Level 1
contains short text entries of 20-30 words, each of which has a 'Read-
to-me' button so that less confident readers can investigate and make
discoveries independently. Level 2 has a full text entry for stronger
readers - equivalent to the information given in the original Micropedia
from ESM.
10.1
Information in Micropedia has been updated from the latest edition of
the Kingfisher Children's Encyclopedia, and entries have been added for
recently established countries and contemporary figures such as
Micronesia, Eritrea, and Nelson Mandela. Micropedia '96 also contains
new pictures, animations, music and sound effects which help to
illustrate the entries.
10.1
The Acorn version will feature a third level of information not
currently available on the PC version. The Seelinks database will allow
children to sort and classify entries relevant to their own
investigations before entering the full encyclopedia, encouraging data
handling and planning of personal work.
10.1
Octopus Systems, well known for their Teletext expertise, can also
develop software and systems for a wide range of other applications.
They have developed many applications for other companies as well as
their own software for Windows, DOS and RISC OS. Each software project
is usually quoted for in advance, rather than charging an hourly rate,
and they deliver a complete working system with discs, manuals and
technical support included.
10.1
They have developed a complete audio test system for Acorn Computers and
Online Media which is now used to test all of their computers and set-
top boxes. Their software for audio testing and teletext viewing is in
use in 12 different countries by many large and small organisations
including the BBC and British Telecom. They also have a good deal of
experience with the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) and can create
custom pages using customers' own artwork or logos.
10.1
PC Games - The new version of the PC Games Compatibility list should now
be available from a number of WWW sites. In addition to a detailed list
of games that work / don't work, there are a number of comments and
links relating to other issues concerning PC compatibility. The main
supported site is run by Mike Enderby and can be accessed at: http://
www.interpages.co.uk/acorn/pccard/index.html
10.1
Vector - 4Mation's much underrated drawing software is undergoing a
facelift! There are, at the moment, some fifty-two changes to the
program. Some of the changes are cosmetic, and some are bug fixes, but
they are also including some enhancements to make the application fully
compatible with newer Acorn machines and operating systems. Various
areas have been changed to work correctly with newer versions of the
operating system, and to support the enhanced graphics capabilities of
the RiscPC. Vector should now operate correctly with large high-
resolution screens in any colour depth; all dialogue boxes and menus
have been reformatted to be correctly aligned when the desktop is using
an outline font; and memory for documents is allocated from a dynamic
area, where possible, in order to improve task switching performance and
allow larger amounts of memory to be used. Among some of the
enhancements are: the ability to create multi-line text objects and a
new 'Text Layout' dialogue to set justification, kerning and line
spacing; background printing (with a suitable version of Printers); the
'Rulers' dialogue has been split up into two dialogue boxes 'Rulers' and
'Grid', in order to reduce its size and complexity; rotation is now
snapped to a user-specified angle step - this gives far more obvious
results than the old system, where the mouse position was snapped to the
normal grid and then that was used to define the angle. A text object of
any size can be edited (previously there was a limit of 256 characters);
the system colour picker on RiscPCs can be used for all colour selection
if preferred. This is selected by the RISC OS colour picker option in
the Choices dialogue. Finally, OLE from Impression is handled correctly.
10.1
Vector is no longer compatible with RISC OS 2 - to implement complete
backwards compatibility would have seriously restricted the
implementation of new features and compatibility with newer machines.
The program upgrade will be available in the autumn at a cost of ú10 +
VAT + p&p to existing Vector users. All registered Vector users will be
notified of the upgrade by 4Mation.
10.1
Review software received...
10.1
We have received review copies of the following: ÅDoorway Classroom
Pack (e), ÅMicro Tutor 68kEm (e), ÅVideoBase
(d), ÅWarm Silence 6502 + Z80 emulators (u), ÅVRview (u).
10.1
Products Available
10.2
AutoSheet is a Shareware program from Alisdair McDiarmid. It creates
user-defined sum sheets for use in maths. It can create addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division sums, and they can then be laid
out in columns or in rows. The program was written to replace 'board
sums' and hand-written worksheets, and since it works almost
automatically, it saves a lot of time and effort. The program has full
printing facilities, and the sheets can be saved as drawfiles. Most
importantly, it is designed to be very easy to use. Some main features
include: answer sheet created automatically; configurable maximum and
minimum numbers; four types of problem supported, with more to come;
versatile sheet printing. Features soon to be added: new sum types to
include: long multiplication; long division; 'missing numbers', i.e.
simple algebra ù 974 - ___ = 349; magic squares; sheet titles; multiple
sheet handling.
10.2
Because AutoSheet is Shareware, you can use it on a trial basis for a
period of 30 days. After this, you must either destroy your copy, give
it away or register. The three levels of registration from Student at ú5
to Site Licence at ú30 - details from Alisdair McDiarmid, 2 Cedar Drive,
Milton of Capsie, Glasgow, G65 8AY, or from APDL.
10.2
CC's StrongARM upgrades - Computer Concepts have now released the
StrongARM-compatible versions of Publisher and ArtWorks (ú19 +VAT each
from CC) and Turbo Driver (ú10 +VAT from CC).
10.2
Cherisha Software have announced a minor update to Accessory and the
launch of two new products. Accessory is a utility which provides
application launching and electronic mail facilities for networks
running Acorn's Access+ networking software. Amongst others things,
Accessory allows you to get to any other computer on the network, which
is also running Accessory, by double-clicking on any object - this
object could be an application which is run, a directory which is
opened, or a file which is loaded. It also allows you to send a copy of
an object (a file, directory or application) to another computer. Such a
facility could be used by two or more co-operating users in order to
backup specific files from one computer to a particular directory on
another computer. A site licence copy for Accessory costs ú25 (no VAT
payable) from Cherisha Software.
10.2
Connect 32 SCSI card - Q-Tec in Hartlepool have recently taken over
responsibility from Clares for the UK distribution and support of the
Connect 32 SCSI I-II interface manufactured by MCS in Germany. The
interface is available for ú211.50 including VAT and carriage from Q-
Tec.
10.2
EasyFont Professional will be released at Acorn World '96. The RRP is
ú59.95. The upgrade price from EasyFont3 will be ú15. To upgrade at
Acorn World, bring your original disc with you to the Fabis stand.
10.2
Kalah (also known as Mancala, Wari or Owari) is an African game of great
antiquity; it is a game of skill with no chance element. Due to the
simplicity of the rules, it's a natural choice for computerisation. Upon
starting a new game, a player has a small pit filled with a certain
number of stones (Africans usually play with six stones per small pit,
so this game has followed suit). A player moves by picking all the
stones out of one of his/her six small pits and sowing them into the
other pits of his opponent, anti-clockwise around the board. The game is
over when more than half the stones are in one player's Kalah, or the
player who has the move has no stones available. A single user licence
for Kalah costs ú2 (no VAT payable) or is free of charge if purchased
with any of Cherisha Software's other major applications including
Observess.
10.2
LispCalc is a prefix notation calculator suitable for all Acorn
computers running RISC OS 3.1 or later. LispCalc is based on the
mathematical functions of the programming language, Common Lisp. With
standard mathematical notation, a sum such as adding two to three would
be entered as 2+3, with the function (+) being placed between the two
arguments. With prefix notation, this same sum would be entered with the
function first, followed by the two arguments (i.e. + 2 3). Every
calculation must be entered as a parenthesized list; the function must
always prefix the arguments and at least one space character must
separate each element of a list. The beauty of prefix notation is that
you are not limited to just two arguments per function, so a calculation
such as 2+3+4+5 in standard mathematical notation would be entered, in
prefix notation, as + 2 3 4 5. Due to the fact that an entire
calculation within LispCalc can be up to 255 characters in length, the
application will happily cope with a parenthesized list containing up to
127 elements. LispCalc is able to deal with very complex calculations by
placing parenthesized lists inside one another. For a single user
licence, LispCalc costs ú15, with a site licence at ú45 (no VAT
payable).
10.2
Oscar CD-ROM drive - Cumana has announced the release of their quad
speed Oscar parallel port CD-ROM drive, designed for use in both primary
and secondary schools. Described as the simplest, easiest and most
affordable CD-ROM drive in the range, it's suitable for use with a range
of Acorn computers, and all PC platforms, and is ideal for use with
desktop and notebook computers. The user can connect the Oscar drive to
the parallel port of the computer and install the driver software. Being
an external device, Oscar can be moved between different computer
platforms as both PC and Acorn driver software is included. To complete
Oscar's flexibility, a 'through printer port' on the rear of the unit
allows other parallel devices, such as printers, to be connected. Oscar
now boasts quad speed performance and offers a fast access time of
200ms, plus an on-board 256Kb cache memory, which means that it can
access a wide range of CD discs, audio CDs, PhotoCDs and provides
support for powerful multimedia applications. The drive features a
motorised tray disc loading system, integral power supply, and a CD/
computer audio mixer. Separate driver software for both Acorn RISC OS
and PC compatible computers is included and eliminates the need for an
additional interface card.
10.2
The Oscar Quad Speed CD-ROM drive costs ú249 +VAT +p&p from Cumana.
10.2
To support the launch, Cumana have joined forces with Anglia Multimedia
to offer a special CD-ROM Package. Choose four of Anglia's CD-ROM titles
along with an Oscar CD-ROM drive (including driver software for PC and
Acorn and a set of mini stereo headphones) for just ú299 +VAT (includes
delivery).
10.2
Photodesk Light is now available. At Acorn World '96, Spacetech will be
offering Photodesk Light for the first time as an alternative to the
full version of Photodesk 2. At half the price of the full version, it
is offered as a way of accessing all the creative features of the
program, with the exception of a handful of facilities provided to
satisfy the demands of the full-time graphics professional. This means
that graphic artists can now benefit from the full range of tools and
effects (including those yet to come via the plug-in route) for less
than the cost of the original Photodesk! Full hardware support for
scanners, graphic tablets, PhotoCD and the FotoFUN dye-sub printer have
been retained. The main difference is the removal of the colour
management system (CMS) which enables the proper handling of colour
separations (CMYK) in Photodesk 2. Other unrelated omissions are
restricted to the full-screen mode, drop-shadow pasting, image
calculations, and display of page rulers. Should requirements grow, an
upgrade to the full version will always be available for the exact
difference in price. Photodesk 'Light' has all the speed and versatility
of its 'big-brother' and is presented in exactly the same way. This
means that there are no visual differences in the layout of the
application which is great news for people gaining skills in the
creative use of the program.
10.2
Prices: Photodesk 2 costs ú229.36 +VAT +p&p, or ú255 through Archive.
Photodesk 2 Light costs ú114.68 +VAT +p&p, or ú130 through Archive.
Photodesk 2 site licence costs ú595 +VAT, and Photodesk Light site
licence costs ú395 +VAT.
10.2
Picture Book 2, from The Really Good Software Company, has undergone
some changes since our review in the September issue (9.12 p77). The set
is now made up of six individual programs, the main alphabet has been
extended to include pictures for all letters and a phonic alphabet has
been added. The six programs are called: AlphaBook, Flashcard, Count'em,
Spell It, WordMatch and Snap. Each program uses Picture Book 2's unique
Alphabet files with professionally-drawn graphics by prize-winning
illustrator Walter Briggs, plus special sound effects and spoken words.
Every program is fully configurable, and individually saved Choice files
can be arranged to automatically load a specific alphabet file and run
the program with a double-click of the mouse. Picture Book 2 still costs
ú35 inclusive.
10.2
Sherston and DEC_dATA - Clipart specialists DEC_dATA have entered into
an exclusive agreement with leading educational software publisher,
Sherston Software, which has seen the launch of the Sherston Clip Art
Collection. DEC_dATA clip art has in the past been aimed mainly at the
education market and so it is a natural addition to the Sherston range.
The clipart files, which will be available in drawfile format for Acorn
computers, and CGM format for PCs, will be available as individual
subject selections on floppy disc or as a complete collection on a dual
format CD-ROM. The disc-based products will cover a range of popular
classroom topics, including Anglo Saxons & Vikings; Greeks & Romans;
Egyptians; 19th Century Britain; Normans & the Bayeux Tapestry; Earth &
the Solar System; and a Primary Teachers' Clip Art Starter Set. The
Sherston Clip Art CD-ROM collection will contain all of the above plus
many others, including Science, Technology and an extensive range of
maps.
10.2
The disc-based range cost from ú15 to ú21 +VAT +p&p, including a free
site licence. The CD-ROM collection cost ú49.95 +VAT +p&p, including a
free site licence, or ú56 through Archive.
10.2
SIMM prices RISING!!! - I'm sorry to say that the prices of SIMMs are
going back up again. Current prices are 8Mb ú60, 16Mb ú120 and 32Mb
ú240. However, we have decided to peg the prices of SIMMs at ú50, ú105,
ú210, if you buy them with a RiscPC! i.e. we don't want people to delay
buying their RiscPCs (Purely altruistic of us, you understand!!) We will
hold these prices as long as possible. To be on the safe side, please
ring us before placing an order to check the current pricing.
10.2
Sky_Guide - Alan Senior has uploaded an astronomy program to Demon -
you'll find it in riscpc/astronomy or archimedes/astronomy. The program
plots star maps, constellations, planets, Sun, Earth's shadow (umbra/
penumbra outlines) and phase of the Moon. Information about each object
can be displayed; the display can be time-stepped; and celestial sphere
and equatorial views are available. You'll need a multisync monitor
(square pixel mode) - 800╫600 is best. The more computing power you
have, the better - a lot of calculations are involved! Comments/bug
reports and ideas for enhancements would be appreciated. Alan can be
contacted at: [e-mail]
10.2
Speaking Starspell CD is an expanded version of the well-known Starspell
spelling system, from Fisher-Marriott, already used in over 10,000
schools. Speaking Starspell contains over 300 word lists, giving unique
order to English spelling, and providing a graded progression for the
learner. All of the 2500-plus words are spoken, and many of them are
illustrated. The idea behind Speaking Starspell is that attention is
drawn to how words are built, allowing the learner to apply that
knowledge to his or her writing. It checks the spelling and even has a
friendly way of putting things right. It costs ú42.50 +VAT for a single
user. For a network licence, add ú42.50 +VAT.
10.2
This got a good review last month, page 79, and it is now available
through Archive for ú48 single user and ú96 for a site licence.
10.2
SPEED! is a simple, but very clever, utility that appears to speed up
your machine. What it actually does is prevent applications from slowing
down your machine. The WIMP constantly sends messages to applications.
Some messages tell the applications that something has happened e.g. a
mouse button pressed. Another message, Null poll, tells the applications
that nothing is happening, at which point the application can perform a
task. The problem is that, in order to tell the application about the
Null poll, the memory manager has to page the application in as the
current task. It does this even if the application then totally ignores
the Null poll. The memory manager then pages out the application again.
This involves lots of memory being moved around, and it is this that
slows down the machine. Imagine that process if there are several
applications responding to null polls. The overheads become enormous and
the whole machine slows down. SPEED! overcomes these problems.
10.2
Included on the disc are three simple utilities: InstallSpeed determines
your machine's various characteristics, and generates a customised
Speed! module for it. The module produced is unique to your machine and
cannot be run on any other machine with any guarantee of success. At the
time of installation, Speed can be loaded into your boot sequence
automatically. Switch is a utility that loads the Speed! module specific
to your machine and allows you to toggle the module on and off by
clicking on the icon on the iconbar. SpeedTimer is a utility designed to
allow you to see what effect loading Speed! has on your machine.
Clicking on a 'Measure' button gives a reading to show the speed gains
of the program.
10.2
We have tried the program on a number of applications, and it does seems
to work. Take, for example, an Impression document with 10Mb of text and
graphics. Without Speed loaded, it groans under the strain. With Speed
loaded, it works as fast as it would if there were only a few lines of
text. The SpeedTimer suggested a speed increase of 2.6, on a RiscPC 700.
This doesn't mean you get StrongARM performance from this little
utility, but it does mean you get a more efficient working environment.
The utility works in the background, so you don't even notice that it's
there. It could become quite a useful program to have - perhaps Acorn
should incorporate it into RISC OS!
10.2
Speed costs ú10 from Clares, or ú11 inc p&p through Archive.
10.2
(Clares have given us a demo version for the monthly program disc, so
you can try it out first to see if it makes enough difference on your
particular system to be worth the investment. Ed.)
10.2
Spreadsheets across the Curriculum - Anglia Multimedia has added a new
package to its range of software for schools. Spreadsheets across the
Curriculum is a photocopiable book packed full of ideas for introducing
the use of spreadsheets into the classroom. With the book come two discs
with sheets already set up.
10.2
The spreadsheet is seen as one of the key applications of computing in
the world today, from business planning to the modelling of the weather.
This pack helps teachers with ideas, puts the worksheets immediately to
hand and, in many cases, provides the data ready set out. Designed to
meet the progressive needs of students and Key Stage 3 of the English
and Welsh National Curriculum, it provides models from Mathematics,
Science, Geography, Design and Technology and Modern Languages. The data
is provided in Anglia's Key Calc format, and has been designed to be
used in the classroom, providing links with active graphs, working
models, and a simplified approach to spreadsheets. Teachers who favour
using other spreadsheet packages will find that they can quickly build
the models on the spreadsheet their school prefers, on any computer
platform.
10.2
The booklet has been prepared by editor Richard Warrington, with
supplementary material from Phil Gauron. Richard has many years of
classroom experience, and all the materials provided have been tried and
tested in his classroom. Phil has been adviser to Channel 4 Schools' The
Maths Programme and many of the examples he provides have been featured
in that series. Whether it's modelling the real world, testing
hypotheses, investigating changes, looking for patterns in data, or
presenting information in graphical form, the book and discs are full of
examples. Each unit has teacher information sheets and pupil worksheets
to guide classroom use.
10.2
Spreadsheets across the Curriculum costs ú30 +VAT, or ú34 through
Archive. A special Acorn bundle of Spreadsheets across the Curriculum
and the Key Calc spreadsheet software is available at ú70 +VAT, or ú78
through Archive.
10.2
Texture Garden is an algorithmic texture generation program for RISC OS.
It uses a range of techniques, including inverse two dimensional fast-
fourier-transforms of filtered noise. Genetic methods are used to seed
the textures, enabling breeding, selective mutation, cultural
transmission of colour and sexual recombination to be implemented. The
program supports seamless tesselation, twenty-four bit colour and full
control over texture animation. The program comes supplied with a range
of textures in the form of plain text files which may be dragged into
the program's main window. When they are dragged into the window, an
hourglass appears for a second or so before the textures are displayed,
and they can then be manipulated to suit users' particular needs.
10.2
The full single user version costs ú8; Super-user licence and Site
licence versions cost ú10. It's available from: Tim Tyler, The Mandala
Centre, 11 Alexandra Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2DD. You can visit
Tim's web site at: http://
www.varuna.demon.co.uk/tmc or email him as: Tim Tyler
<[e-mail]>.
10.2
The Games Suite - Grasshopper software is about to release its third
Acorn software title in November. The Games Suite includes everything
needed to write professional quality games in any language. Powered by a
powerful relocatable module and running at up to 19.5 times faster than
the Acorn VDU drivers, the suite incorporates lightning-fast sprite
plotting, with a host of game support procedures. These include
scrolling texts, star fields, collision detection, animations, object
walk paths and scrolling landscapes. Also included with the games engine
is a range of support applications, taking the hard work out of games
writing. A fully working game can be produced by anyone with only
minimal programming experience. Applications created on the Games Suite
install on the iconbar and run in the wimp environment.
10.2
The Games Suite retails at ú25. As a pre-release special offer,
Grasshopper are offering the suite to Archive readers for ú15 with a
free upgrade to the full version in November. Send an SAE to Grasshopper
for details. Offer ends 1st December 1996.
10.2
VRAM - Simtec have announced the availability of their new range of 1
and 2Mb VRAM cards for the RiscPC. Using their expertise in expandable
module design, and their development of the smallest SOJ sockets
available, they have been able to manufacture the first user-expandable
1Mb RiscPC VRAM module. The 1Mb card has empty sockets on the reverse
side and can be easily user-expanded to 2Mb in a few minutes by plugging
in the extra chips. This avoids the current inconvenience of sending a
card away to have the extra chips soldered on. All cards carry the usual
Simtec two year guarantee.
10.2
Archive prices are: ú90 for 1Mb user-expandable; ú70 for 1-2 Mb plug-in
chip upgrade. (This compares with ú90 for a standard 1Mb VRAM (!) and
ú120 for 2Mb VRAM.)
10.2
Product News
10.2
ANT - In line with ANT's policy of continual development they are
preparing a new release of ANT II to address features discovered in the
initial version of release. They expect to make it available in the near
future. In the meantime, there is a small patch available immediately to
fix problems with the Internet Suite when run on machines with the new
StrongARM processor cards.
10.2
The PPP/SLIP driver, as shipped in the ANT Internet Suite release II,
will not work if you have a StrongARM processor card. A small (42 Kb)
upgrade to fix this problem is available from their WWW site at http://
www.ant.co.uk/cgi-bin/get/upgrade/
10.2
Ethernet cards + StrongARM: Some types of ANT Ethernet card don't start-
up correctly when used on a StrongARM machine. New Ethernet drivers are
currently under final tests by Acorn, and an announcement with details
of how to upgrade to the new drivers will be made in the near future.
10.2
Release I + StrongARM: If you have release I of the Internet Suite, then
you will need to upgrade to release II before you can run it on a
StrongARM machine. The upgrade costs ú10 from ANT - details about
upgrading can be found on their WWW site: http://www.ant.co.uk/
10.2
OvationPro - Good news from Beebug: "We are just finishing the next
significant update to Ovation Pro. This will be shipped free-of-charge
to all registered users within the next couple of weeks. Most of the
changes are bug fixes or minor improvements. We do now partially support
Clares PCA Protocol (data sharing is supported, but not in-place
editing, yet). A number of extension 'applets' will be supplied,
including abbreviation expansion, auto smart quotes and ligatures and a
bookmark manager. The new update is StrongARM compatible."
10.2
R-Comp have announced some new products for release at this year's Acorn
World show. Visitors will be able to see the very latest version of
HTMLEdit 2, the WWW authoring package. If you're involved in creating
WWW sites on the Internet, then HTMLEdit 2 should be a highlight of the
show! To accompany HTMLEdit 2, R-Comp will be showing, for the first
time, an extension pack offering visual table and frame creation,
advanced programmable macroing for HTML tags, URL databasing and various
utilities for managing PC/Unix file extensions under RISC OS. The pack
will be of benefit to HTMLEdit users, but as each utility is stand-
alone, it should be essential for all web publishers.
10.2
Visitors to previous Acorn shows may know that R-Comp has long been
involved in providing solutions to those involved in graphical work,
both with the Textures resource, and graphics tablets. Earlier this
year, PC Pro magazine gave the AceCat II graphics tablet its Recommended
Seal of Approval. Now R-Comp can let Acorn users take advantage of this
wonderfully precise and durable tablet. It's great for professional
users on a budget, and for home users. Its unique durability and its
modular design also makes it ideal for the classroom - full price and
availability details from R-Comp at the Show.
10.2
Finally, they will be demonstrating a new version of ShortCuts, the
desktop file and application manager. The price remains the same at ú15,
but the application has been enhanced to co-operate with every RISC OS
program, and most importantly, it now includes a built-in window manager
for those times when multitasking gets a bit out of hand and you need to
find that elusive window!
10.2
For more information, contact R-Comp at: [e-mail]
10.2
TBA Software have said that the TAG2, their 3D graphics engine, will
also include, as standard, support for software Midi playback using
special ReMidi libraries, a well known Acorn Midi application. The first
demos of TAG2 will be shown at Acorn World 96 at the TBA stand.
10.2
Review software received...
10.2
We have received review copies of the following: ÅAutoSheet (e), ÅKalah
(g), ÅLispCalc (pu), ÅPicture Book 2 (e), ÅTexture Garden (ua),
ÅVideoBase (d).
10.2
Products Available!
10.3
A4 Battery Packs - The bad news for all you A4 users is that Acorn
are no longer able to supply replacement battery packs. However, the
good news is that if you send your existing battery packs to Ray
Maidstone at RepairZone, he will dismantle the pack, replace the
cells and rebuild it for less than the cost of a (now-non-existent
anyway) new pack. The charge is ú55 (no VAT).
10.3
APDL have produced a third in their series of clipart CD-ROMs. Called
DTP-3, it contains Artworks, sprite and drawfiles of over 720Mb worth
of material. They have also re-mastered their two popular PD CDs, now
with more programs, but at the same price.
10.3
The DTP CD-ROMs cost ú19.90 each, or two for ú37.50, or three for ú50
inclusive. Through Archive they cost ú19 each. The PD CDs cost ú14.90
each or ú27.50 for the two. Through Archive, they cost ú14 each.
10.3
AccessPlus Ethernet cards - The ANT ethernet cards all now have
AccessPlus software included as standard, and are reduced in price.
They are available through Archive at the following inclusive prices:
NIC (network interface card) version for RiscPC/A7000 is ú93 and
supports both 10base2 (flexible coax) and 10baseT (twisted pair) on
the same card. If you have an A3000/A3010, you can put in a
minipodule interface and can choose between 10base2 or 10baseT
versions, each costing ú93. Any computer that takes a standard-sized
podule can again choose between 10base2 and 10baseT versions at ú93
each, or you can have one podule that includes both 10base2 and
10baseT for the slightly higher price of ú117. Finally, if you want
to link an A3020/A4000 to an ethernet network, you can use an
interface that goes in the network slot (therefore leaving the
minipodule slot free for other things), and again, you can choose
between 10base2 and 10baseT versions. The disadvantage is that this
version has to have part of the interface exterior to the case and
they are therefore more expensive at ú117 each through Archive. (We
have a few of the more expensive Acorn Ethernet cards in stock, so we
will supply these at ANT prices until stocks are finished.) Anyone
wanting 10base5 ethernet interfaces should contact Atomwide for
details.
10.3
Acorn extended warranty - ServiceTec, an Approved Service Provider
for Acorn Computers Ltd, is offering A7000 and RiscPC owners the
opportunity to extend their 12 month technical hot-line support and
on-site maintenance cover for an additional two or four years. In
addition to hot-line support and on-site maintenance cover for the
computer and monitor, ServiceTec will also provide the same cover for
any Acorn approved hardware upgrade purchased and fitted to the
system at the time of application. ServiceTec say they will make a
site visit within 16 working hours from receipt of a fault call, and
will either repair, replace or loan a unit; always leaving the
customer with a working system. An extended warranty may be taken out
at any time within the 12 month warranty period, and costs ú71.91 and
ú90.15 +VAT for a two year period for a A7000 and RiscPC
respectively. Telephone ServiceTec on 0118-977-5311 for details.
10.3
Caller from Octopus Systems is a Caller Display System which displays
the caller's number when you receive an incoming telephone call. It
can also display the name or other details (such as membership
number) or even open a directory or file containing telephone notes
for the caller. Full details can be found on their WWW site:
http://www.octosys.co.uk/ or by contacting Octopus Software direct.
10.3
The complete system comprising the Caller ID unit and their Acorn
software is ú84 +VAT or ú94 through Archive.
10.3
Computer Concepts - News from CC about StrongARM compatibility.
Products that work already and do not require an upgrade: TV Tuner,
TV Tuner & Teletext, Graphics Loaders, RTF Loaders, Precision and
pressure-sensitive ArtWorks tools, AudioWorks, Lark card, Midi Max,
Formulix, Equasor, TableMate, ArtWorks clip-art CDs, ScanLight 256,
ScanLight Professional, ScanLight A4, ScanLight Video, Chroma Genlock
CG6, GreyHawk, Eagle card (but the existing Eidos compression Codec
does not work with the StrongARM, so you will not be able to save or
load files in Escape format).
10.3
Products for which upgrades have been produced: the following
upgrades are available for ú23 +VAT (ú27.02). All versions are de-
dongled. If you have already bought a de-dongled version of these
products, they are available at a discounted price of ú19 +VAT (ú22.
32): ArtWorks, ArtWorks on CD, Impression Publisher, Impression
Publisher Plus (no de-dongled version was previously available).
Impression Style is available for ú19 +VAT (ú22.32). The following
upgrades are available for ú10 +VAT (ú11.75): Compression, Wacom
tablet drivers, MacFS, MacFS Light. The following products share a
common upgrade available for a one-off cost of ú10 +VAT (ú11.75).
TurboDrivers, TurboDriver & LaserDirect Network Spooler, LaserDirect,
Movie Magic. N.B. the upgrades are only available from Computer
Concepts.
10.3
Because many people will be wanting to upgrade a large number of
products at once, CC have set a maximum upgrade charge. The most they
will charge for a set of upgrades to StrongARM compatible versions of
software is ú60 + VAT (ú70.50). The Computer Concepts Web
is: http://www.cconcepts.co.uk/
10.3
Clares have announced the release of new versions of their software
to include StrongARM compatibility and some enhancement over previous
versions. Among the new releases are: Virtualise - versions 1.10 and
1.11 are StrongARM compatible and are still compatible with earlier
RiscPCs. These new versions have many enhancements over version 1.02
in addition to SA compatibility. Version 1.11 adds an option to purge
the scrap file on disc each time Virtualise is started. This
overcomes the problem of scrap files being left if another
application dies and takes the machine down with it. To upgrade,
return your program disc only with payment of ú10. Serenade 1.11 is
StrongARM compatible, and is still compatible with earlier machines.
This new version has support for Dynamic areas and Virtualise on
RiscPC as well as an 'All channel Midi Thru' facility that has been
requested. To upgrade, return your program disc only with payment of
ú5. Schema 2 1.04 overcomes a problem encountered with adding rows
and columns on RiscPCs. Due to the altered memory configuration of
the RiscPC, this was very slow (almost instantaneous on pre-RiscPC
machines). Version 1.04 overcomes this problem but if you are not
using RiscPC, there is no benefit in this upgrade. To upgrade, return
your program disc only with payment of ú5. ProArtisan 24 1.10 has
some internal enhancements in addition to SA compatibility and
includes PCA support. To upgrade, return your program disc only with
payment of ú10. Composition 1.10 has many enhancements in addition
to SA compatibility, and includes PCA support, on screen rotation and
scaling, import and manipulation of TopModel files plus many more. To
upgrade, return your program disc only with payment of ú29.95.
10.3
Each of the upgrades is available only direct from Clares. For more
information, visit the Clares' web site at http://www.stcoll.ac.
uk/clares/
10.3
ClassDesks is a protected desktop system for educational
establishments. Pupils can only load and save the files which the
teacher specifies, as well as only load specific applications from
the ClassDesks filer. With ClassDesks, you can arrange for one
application to 'Chain' another. For example, loading Draw can cause
the Printer Manager to be loaded automatically. ClassDesks protects
hard discs so that only specific areas can be looked at, and it also
prevents un-authorised re-configuration of the computer as well as
adding a host of other features.
10.3
ClassDesks is available from iSV for ú30 +p&p, or ú30 inclusive
through Archive.
10.3
ClickArt Special Occasions is a new collection of clipart from Matt
Black, following the themes of Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day,
Food and Drink, Halloween, Love, Parties, Weddings, and Travel. There
are also a few images connected with Fathers' Day, Jewish festivals,
Irish festivals, Mothers Day, new baby, new home and New Year. In
all, there are over 500 images compressed onto twelve 800Kb discs.
10.3
ClickArt Special Occasions costs ú35 + ú2 p&p from Matt Black, or ú42
through Archive
10.3
Clip Art Collection from Zenta Multimedia is a collection of 10,000
clipart files on one CD-ROM. All the files are supplied in Draw
format and are accessed using a modified version of Easy Clip. The
images have been sorted into over eighty categories from business
flowcharts to wildlife, including cartoons, culture, education,
leisure, military, people, publishing, signs, technology, and
transport - plus many, many more. The clipart contained on the CD
comes from several sources: some are Acorn-produced freeware clips;
others were commissioned by Zenta especially for the CD. Additional
clipart files were licensed from other sources and formatted by Zenta
for the Acorn.
10.3
The Clip Art Collection costs ú29.95 from Zenta, or ú29 through
Archive.
10.3
Disc Doctor is a disc maintenance and repair suite from Oregan
Software, designed to maintain and repair floppy and hard discs. The
suite provides a simple and effective solution to recovering
accidentally deleted files, repairing broken directories and
repairing faulty disc maps. !Resurrect is the utility everybody has
been waiting for - an application which is able to undelete files, or
even whole directories of files which have been inadvertently
deleted. !DiscAid is an application which is able to check and repair
commonly occurring problems with either floppy or hard discs,
including broken directories and faulty disc maps. !MapView is able
to display the map of a disc in a graphical manner. This is useful to
analyse how a file or directory is stored on the disc surface, or to
examine how much of the free disc space is fragmented.
10.3
Disc Doctor costs ú29.95 fully inclusive, or ú29 through Archive.
10.3
Disc Rescue 1.5, from Looksystems, is the latest incarnation of the
popular disc fix software. It has been considerably re-worked and
incorporates new facilities, along with a number of additional checks
and repairs. It is also StrongARM compatible and provides support for
the new large disc format introduced with RISC OS 3.6. The new
features include: three additional checks/repairs for directories,
four additional checks/repairs for disc maps, improved
recovery/repair algorithms for directories, faster 'file-style'
recovery of corrupt discs, support for foreign disc records extended
to data recovery, improved floppy disc shape detection, various
improvements to the disc editor including, disc shape recovery,
faster text searching, more goto options, map/root saving.
10.3
Disc Rescue 1.5 costs ú45, or ú43 through Archive. Upgrades to 1.5
cost ú19, from Looksystems.
10.3
DrawWorks 2.3 - A new version of DrawWorks2 is available from iSV.
Version 2.3 includes, among other things, a much faster redraw of the
toolbars, a Precision tool that allows you to precisely position
objects and groups of objects on the page, step and repeat functions
allowing repeated copies of an object to be precisely positioned,
auto-repeating undo and redo buttons, compatibility with Nexus
application servers and other networking systems, subtract Red, Green
or Blue parts of a selection, production of photographic negatives,
and a psychedelic colour option.
10.3
DrawWorks 2.3 costs ú20 +p&p, or ú20 through Archive. The upgrade
charge from earlier versions of DrawWorks2 is ú5 (return disc to iSV).
10.3
Fax Pack - The Argo Interactive Group have designed some software to
allow Acorn users to send and receive faxes on their computers,
quickly and efficiently. Designed for use with US Robotics' Vi and
voice/fax modems, VTi's new pack is not only significantly cheaper
than a dedicated fax machine, but it also transmits and receives
better quality blemish-free messages. Unlike standard paper faxes,
computer-generated messages cannot be sent askew, or with distorted
text and images. Users simply create a fax within a word processing
package, click on the Fax Pack icon, fill in the fax number on the
pop-up screen and away it goes. Faxes awaiting collection appear
listed within a box on the screen. These can be read, printed out,
discarded or archived.
10.3
Fax Pack costs ú19 +p&p +VAT, or ú24 through Archive.
10.3
GAG-News CD-ROM features Issues 1-24 of the German Acorn magazine,
GAG-News, and contains the first four years of this regular bi-
monthly magazine. The GAG-News is stored as hi-res Sprites in 200 dpi
for display on screen, and in 400 dpi for printout. The use of
sprites makes display very fast and retains the looks of the
magazine. It is accompanied by an electronic index for easy lookup
and retrieval of GAG-News articles. The cover discs of the GAG-News
are on the CD as well. Please note: This part on the CD is in German
only.
10.3
To fill up the rest of the space on the CD they have added some other
things (mainly bigger archives) such as ARMTeX with German add ons
and GhostScript, GnuPlot, PlPlot, 9Mb of Internet software, several
programming languages like GCC with ADA, Lisp, Oberon, Risc BSD for
the RiscPC up to kernel 4444 and ARMLinux for the A5000. More
information on this CD, the GAG-News and the German Archimedes Group
can be found at http://www.gag.de/.
10.3
The price of the CD is DEM 49 inc. VAT. Please add DEM 3, for postage
in Germany, and DEM 6, outside Germany.
10.3
GraphMate 1.18 is the new version of GraphMate. Amongst some of the
enhancements are: new chart types - Area/Line 2d charts, Area/Line 3d
charts, Area/Line stacked charts, horizontal stacked charts, hi-lo-
close charts to 2d linears, I-beam charts to cartesians, more than
one best fit line per graph, option 'not' to plot a dataset (all
graph types), report of plot function, root etc. in cartesian best
fits, better colour controls, template controls with the ability to
define graph format in template files, labels - control of number of
decimal points. There is also a new interface which automatically
detects the presence of a graph for format selection and other
optional purposes through the menu system - no need to select the
graph object with the arrow tool. All-in-all, it has a better
interface, more graph types and more colour controls. GraphMate 1.20
will add a further couple of graph types - multiple pies and
frequency charts.
10.3
GraphMate costs ú45 inclusive, or ú43 through Archive. Upgrades are
free from Dalriada Data technology; just send back your program disc.
10.3
Here 1 Am, from Cambridgeshire Software House, has been released for
the Acorn platform. This program involves children making a book
about themselves, which can be from one of five different categories,
by gathering information about themselves and entering it into the
program. The information can be entered in a variety of formats and
all instructions are on-screen. The PC version has been used widely
in schools and at home, its popularity being its ease of use and
colourful screens. If you are involved either as a teacher or as a
parent of a child currently in Key Stages 1 or 2 in England and
Wales, or in Primary 1 to 5 in Scotland, this package will be very
useful.
10.3
Here I Am costs ú19.95 +p&p +VAT from Cambridgeshire Software House,
or ú25 through Archive.
10.3
HolyBible - A demo version of HolyBible can now be downloaded from
the CAUG Web-site at http://users.ox.ac.uk/~hu94003/Acorn/caug.html
10.3
In a few weeks, this site will also start to keep lists of third
party HolyBible Resources and who's got them.
10.3
Impact database - Circle Software have announced two additions to the
ever popular Impact database range. There are now three versions:
Impact Junior, a cut down non-relational database, the original
Impact2, much enhanced, and Impact Professional, with more new field
types and programmable action buttons. Contact Circle Software for
more information.
10.3
iSV Font Pack 312 - After two years of development, iSV have launched
a new range of fonts using a sophisticated hinting system called NDT
(No Dropout Technology). NDT hinting ensures the best reproduction of
fonts at all point sizes, so that even at the smallest sizes letters
do not suffer from dropouts. First to be released is Font Pack 312,
containing over 300 RISC OS 3 Latin 1 character sets, all with
kerning pairs. The collection comes with an installer for creating a
fonts folder, or for loading into Easyfont or Font Directory.
10.3
Font Pack 312 costs ú26.50 inclusive from iSV, or ú26 through Archive.
10.3
Inferno is a new game from the Paradise Budget range. It has been
designed to provide a playable, fun and action-packed shoot-em-up,
that incorporates puzzle and exploration elements.
10.3
Among some of the features are: craft upgrades, bonuses, weapons,
keys and interactive backdrops - many objects in levels may be
changed/destroyed by the player. There are intelligent enemies -
although the bonuses and maps stay the same, no game will be
identical because enemies react to players' movements and actions,
and a map of players' surrounding area may be accessed at any time.
The game flip scrolls horizontally, and smooth-scrolls vertically.
Every level has been thoroughly play-tested, and designed to provide
a decent difficulty curve for any player. Levels grow in size,
complexity, and difficulty. There are 20+ levels in the game.
Passwords are not given freely, players must earn them by completing
a fast-paced bonus level. Players will discover a big surprise at the
end of the game! Music and SFX ingame (ARM250+). The electronic game
manual is accessed from main menu, and there is automatic joystick
support (RTFM, Acorn, and VTi). It also has many passwords, hidden
features, hidden levels and cheats!
10.3
It's the first release in the budget range and costs ú9.99 from
Paradise.
10.3
ModemDial version 1 is a Freeware program designed to dial phone
numbers using a modem. This has the advantage of being able to type
the whole number, then check that it's correct before dialling.
Frequently dialled numbers can be stored so that they don't need to
be typed every time the number is required. Numbers are accessed
using a name, so the number need not be remembered at any time. The
withhold code, 141, can be automatically added to the front of all
numbers dialled. Charge advice can be used for all calls - this
feature would normally require the # and * buttons, which some phones
don't have.
10.3
ModemDial is available from HENSA (package e152), or from web
http://www.aberry.demon.co.uk/programs/ or direct by email from
[e-mail]
10.3
Multimedia Showcase - Following on from their award winning
multimedia CD-ROM, The World of Robert Burns, Cambridgeshire Software
House have just released Multimedia Showcase. This enables users to
create electronic books and carouselled presentations by simply
dragging and dropping any Acorn recognisable file format onto a blank
page. It is specifically aimed at children in the 6 to 12 age bracket
but can also be used for School presentations etc. Multimedia
Showcase will be an ideal vehicle to introduce students to the world
of multimedia as it is very easy to use.
10.3
Multimedia Showcase costs ú39.95 +p&p +VAT from Cambridgeshire
Software House, or ú47 through Archive.
10.3
My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary CD - Innovative Media
Solutions, using their PC to Acorn Reader, have made this CD-ROM
available to Acorn users and, not surprisingly, it runs better than
it does on PCs! It is available now through Archive for ú49
inclusive.
10.3
New Loaders for Photodesk - A new set of plug-ins for Photodesk 2 and
Photodesk Light are now available from Spacetech Ltd. This is the
first in what is intended to be a regularly issued series of
collections of optional extras for the acclaimed studio quality image
editing and artwork creation package. Collection FX1 contains ten
plug-in applets that perform the following tasks: zoom blur, 3D
ripple, diffuse map, lens map, edge sharpen, hatch stylise, pixelise,
crackle, outline glow, spin blur. These effects further enhance the
wide range of existing facilities and bring the package more in line
with expectations of users of non-Acorn applications in the Repro
industry.
10.3
The plug-in file formats, Collection FF1, contains two additional
loaders and three additional loader/savers for Photodesk. These are:
Photoshop loader/saver, Targa loader/saver, BMP loader/saver,
Artworks loader and Draw loader. These formats complement the wide
range of formats already implemented in Photodesk. As with all the
facilities within Photodesk, a great deal of effort has gone into
optimising the quality of these operations.
10.3
Both collections cost ú19.95 each inclusive from Spacetech. The
manuals for loaders can be downloaded from Spacetech's Web site; if
you then decide you want the programs, these can be emailed to you
directly from Spacetech.
10.3
New Teddy Bears' Picnic from Sherston Software, is a "picnic full of
educational fun for all Teddy Bear fans". It contains six carefully
designed activities to help meet the requirements of the National
Curriculum Key Stage 1. These are: Fusspots - simple logic and
fractions; Musical Hats - counting and simple subtraction work;
Hidden Pictures - practises number work from simple counting to
multiplication; Picnic News - language utility that helps children
design their very own front page; Bear Facts - a simple-to-use
database all about bears (can be added to from the information sheets
provided); Teddy Facts - the simplest information handling program
that we've seen, it helps to introduce this difficult concept to
young children.
10.3
New Teddy Bears' Picnic is available from Sherston for ú32.95 +VAT
for Single User and ú49.43 +VAT for a primary site licence. It is
available through Archive at ú37 and ú55 respectively.
10.3
If you go down to the woods today, you really are in for a very
pleasant surprise!
10.3
PB is here! - (No, not Peter Bondar or Paul Beverley!) PB Bear is now
available on CD for Acorn users. The much-loved bear from the Dorling
Kindersley Collection is now released into the Acorn community!
PB Bear's Birthday Party CD costs ú33.19 +VAT +p&p from IMS, or ú39
through Archive.
10.3
PCSound Professional - R-Comp Interactive have announced the
availability of the first release of PCSound Professional, highly
compatible SoundBlaster 16 drivers for users of RiscPC PC cards. The
PCSound Pro project aims to provide the following: Full Windows 3.1
and 95 Support, including DirectSound! A very high degree of DOS game
support, including accurate sound for the likes of Doom, Duke 3D,
Heretic, Hexen, Sim City 2000, Transport Tycoon, Time Commando,
Terminal Velocity. DOS and Windows Midi Playback (requires hardware
or software Midi Synth), Midi Input support for Windows. The package
will work with !PC 1.995 (the latest 'free' release) although !PC Pro
from Aleph One is highly recommended (ú47 through Archive). The
product will also include instructions on how to set up PC titles to
work correctly, something of a minefield, even for seasoned PC users!
Full tech support will also be available, and regular updates will be
made to ensure continuing compatibility!
10.3
PCSound Professional costs ú30 from R-Comp.
10.3
Patch the Puppy is a new dual Acorn/Windows CD-ROM from 4Mation.
Aimed at the early years, 3-6 year olds, it focuses on the three core
curriculum areas of mathematics, language and science. The content is
relevant to children following the pre-school guidelines, and where
appropriate, it works towards a National Curriculum statement at
Level One. Learning is supported by the narrator, sound effects and
animations. These have all been designed to be appealing so that
children will not be disheartened when they make mistakes, but are
encouraged to try again. Children are not merely told that an answer
is wrong, they are also given guidance as to why it is wrong. The
four accompanying story books, which are designed to be used with the
program, give further glimpses into the adventures of the animals who
live on Barley Farm.
10.3
Patch the Puppy costs ú39.50 +VAT +p&p from 4Mation, or ú46 through
Archive.
10.3
Polygon is the first non-commercial ArtWorks plug-in module! Polygon
is ShareWare and adds handling of regular polygons and stars to
ArtWorks. It is a cut-down implementation of CorelXARA's QuickShape
tool. Simply choose the number of sides you want, and create regular
polygons by a simple drag operation. Change the centre, the radius or
the number of sides of the polygon at any time using the info bar.
Turn the polygon into a star (and vice versa) by a simple mouse-
click. All ArtWorks features which apply to shapes also apply to
polygons, e.g. fill colours etc. Undo and EPS export/import are fully
supported. Polygon is available from HENSA.
10.3
Printmaker - The Printmaker Studios in Reading can offer many
services that a normal printer cannot provide. With screen process
printing, they can print onto a variety of surfaces such as plastics,
wood, metal, glass, textiles, paper and board, and print a large
format size of 60╫40 inches in one pass. The most common applications
for screen printing are posters, stickers, signs, banners, T-shirts,
promotional items and exhibition displays, to name but a few. They
can match to your colour specifications and can cater for short or
long runs. A complete artwork service can also be provided from their
'In-House' design studio. Alternatively, artwork can also be sent on
disc or by modem.
10.3
They can also produce self-adhesive vinyl lettering or logos from
Acorn drawfiles. Maybe you want to produce graphics for your company
van, school bus or create signs and exhibition graphics? Text and
drawings created in Draw or Artworks, can be easily reproduced and
run out on their Acorn-driven Roland plotter in colourful self-
adhesive vinyl in any quantity or size you require. The resulting
stickers are easily applied to a wide variety of surfaces.
10.3
Contact Chris Mercier at Printmaker for further information or take a
look at their web site at: http://www.cybervillage.co.
uk/folio/printmaker
10.3
Rainbow's Edge is a new collection of four titles on CD-ROM from
Resource. The collection is designed for Nursery to Key Stage 2 and
is made up of nursery rhymes, stories and songs. Much Ado at
Rainbow's Edge has over 100 of the most popular nursery characters
(plus the Grand Old Duke's 10,000 men) living together in the village
of Rainbow's Edge. Click on a character to find out about them, where
they live and the stories they have to tell.
10.3
(Coming up in the series are Dr Foster's Song Book with over 60
nursery songs with music to sing along to, Rainbow Rhymes where
children are invited into a castle to choose from 36 talking rhymes
and associated songs, and Rainbow Stories, a selection of 18 talking
books of favourite nursery stories complete with original songs. The
stories contain some excellent graphics which makes the CD-ROM really
feel like a book.)
10.3
Much Ado at Rainbow's Edge should be ready for release before
Christmas and will cost ú49 +p&p +VAT from Resource. The other titles
should be available some time in the New Year.
10.3
Religious Clipart on Disc is a collection of religious clipart from
Matthew James Publishing Ltd. The collection was created by Steve
Erspamer and first published in books of clipart in the United
States. In their original form, they were designed to follow the
three year Roman Catholic lectionary cycle, but have proved to be
useful to a much wider audience - other denominations, schools, etc.
Their style is very like medieval wood cuts, but with a modern
flavour.
10.3
There are three packs (A, B and C), each on eleven 800Kb floppy
discs, with roughly 500+ images in each pack. The files are all
compressed sprite files, using Acorn's own Squash utility.
10.3
Each pack costs ú48.94 inclusive, from Matthew James Publishing Ltd,
or ú48 through Archive.
10.3
Report Generator - Produce National Curriculum style school reports
in seconds with this multitasking school report generator. It
includes hundreds of standard phrases that can be quickly inserted
into any text. Report Generator also alters all phrases to take
account of the name and sex of the particular pupil. Includes phrases
for History, Maths, English, Science, etc.
10.3
Report Generator is available from iSV and costs ú20 +p&p.
10.3
Robert Duncan Cartoon Kit is a new collection of clipart from
Bitfolio. Users of Bitfolio 7 will have had the benefit of a
selection of Robert Duncan's cartoons, and now Bitfolio have enlarged
the collection and put them onto a separate CD-ROM. Each cartoon
comes as a full colour, a part colour and a black and white image.
Not only do you get the images, you also get captions, bubbles and
cartoon strip boxes for making up your own cartoon strip. There's
also an 80-page book with thumbnails of all the images, with an
explanation of how to use them. The set is divided into animals,
domestic, emotions, kids, office and work, people, sports,
miscellaneous, caption and extras.
10.3
The Robert Duncan Cartoon Kit CD-ROM costs ú49.95 inclusive from
LOOKsystems, or ú48 through Archive.
10.3
Rusty Dreamer - Billed as "The Ultimate Reading Experience", Rusty
Dreamer from Sherston Software is an interactive trip into the world
of Rusty Dreamer, as she bravely struggles to overcome the strange
object that invades her life, and threatens the very world. It is
available on a triple format (Acorn/Mac/PC) CD-ROM. Features include
three different reading levels, video animation, hundreds of high
quality pictures and a scrolling map. It is written by Mike Matson
and narrated by Marion Naidoo. Rusty Dreamer is available at ú49.95 +
VAT from Sherston, or ú58 through Archive.
10.3
SCSI 2 Interface from Cumana is a 32-bit data transfer board with
direct memory access on RiscPC, on-board buffering, support for
ANSI X3T9.2 SCSI standard, SCSI fast timings of 7Mb/s synchronous and
8Mb/s asynchronous, future-proof interface through Flash EPROM, free
technical support and updates.
10.3
The card costs ú198.58 inclusive, or ú195 through Archive.
10.3
SCSI PowerROM - Alsystems are marketing their own PowerROM as a
replacement for the ROM on most SCSI cards, giving the full
SCSI II functionality of the Alsystems interface (but not
SCSI II performance, of course). There are versions for Morley, HCCS,
Cumana and Castle cards.
10.3
The price of each PowerROM is ú39.95 +VAT + p&p, or ú46 through
Archive.
10.3
StrongARM PCPro - Aleph One have released a StrongARM version of
PCPro. This version fixes various video problems that occur when used
in combination with StrongARM. Known fixed problems are: Windows
furniture not appearing, appearing in the wrong places, or drawn
incorrectly, inverse video text, window and mouse trails in some
video modes, updated SSound module, to stop 'abort...' on starting up
!PC.
10.3
(If you have a 'general crashing' problem, then that is probably due
to hardware problems, and you should talk to ART's StrongARM helpline
about it.)
10.3
You can get the update from http://www.aleph1.co. uk/softrev.html or
ftp://ftp.aleph1.co.uk/aleph1/Upg203L.arc
10.3
StrongGuard - the Acorn World Show saw the launch of the latest
addition to the ARM Club's product range - a must for all those
buying a StrongARM card. StrongGuard will enable a number of games
and desktop applications to run on a StrongARM that are otherwise
incompatible. Desktop examples include ImageBank and Uniqueway's CD
sampler. Games include Cannon Fodder, Chequered Flag, Cycloids, Elite
and Star Fighter 3000.
10.3
StrongGuard costs ú25 from ARM Club, or ú24 through Archive.
StrongGuard incorporates Game On 2 from which upgrades will be
available, priced ú10. Upgrades from the original Game On! are priced
at ú15, from ARM Club.
10.3
Survival Mysteries of Nature - Anglia Multimedia recently won the
EMMA award in the General Interest / Natural History category for
this CD-ROM. The EMMA International Multimedia awards are regarded as
the premier awards within the multimedia industry, attracting
nominations from throughout the world. Survival Mysteries of Nature
is one of Anglia's educational CD-ROMs designed for children in
Primary and Secondary schools. Using footage from Survival, Anglia's
wildlife film archive, pupils are able to experience the wonder,
beauty and excitement of some of the strangest inhabitants of the
animal kingdom. Narrated by the three times Oscar winning actor, Ian
Holm, the three interactive documentaries - Flight, Senses, Hunter
and Hunted - allow them to understand how these creatures thrive and
survive. Survival Mysteries of Nature was produced on Acorn computers
using Anglia's own authoring system, Key Author.
10.3
Survival Mysteries of Nature is available for Acorn, Windows and
Macintosh computers, and costs ú40 +VAT, or ú45 through Archive.
10.3
TableMate Designer - TableMate has been around for a long time, and
has come a long way since its early days. Now we have TableMate
Designer. Among some of the changes from TableMate 3 are: More
control of lines - double lines/distance control/separate setting of
widths/ ability to switch off individual portions/single cell of
horizontal lines. Text Style - named text styles / ctrl B/I etc,
superscript and subscript, aspect ratio control, allow variable font
within a cell/character-by-character text effects. Colour - copy
colours, fonts etc from original column/row when inserting, local
text colour (character-by-character), named colours (including
automatic row/column colour shading). Export/Import and Cut/Paste -
import ASCII text into a cell, HTML export/import, import sprite
files, export of imported graphic files. Metrics - fixed height rows
(i.e. does not vary with content), control of column margins left and
right, direct printing to a single page and vertical joins across non-
identical rulers. TM Designer comes with eight fonts from Electronic
Font Foundry (hand-picked for tabling purposes), and TableTools which
converts old hard-spaced tables into CSV format (for import to
TableMate), and converts various graphics formats into GIFs/sprites
and vice-versa. Essentially, this gives a WWW conversion pack for
tables and graphics.
10.3
TableMate Designer costs ú60 inclusive, or ú57 through Archive.
Upgrades from TableMate 3 are ú25 from Dalriada Data Technology. For
owners of Impression Style or Publisher Plus, the price is ú45 from
Dalriada.
10.3
TANKS or Tactical ARMoured Nuclear Kombat Stations, is a multi-player
game based on the classic idea of several tanks on a hillside, each
trying to lob missiles over the hills to destroy the other tanks. Up
to twelve players can compete, in teams or singly, or you can play
solo against the computer. The tanks can be human or computer
controlled, with a range of computer opponents to choose from. As
players earn more money, by destroying their opponents, they can buy
additional equipment for their tanks, including: missiles, lasers,
shotguns, MIRV's, nukes, funky bombs, shields, parachutes, tracers,
deflectors and many more.
10.3
Tanks costs ú25.95 +p&p from Werewolf Software.
10.3
TBA FS is a high performance data compression system from TBA
Software. According to TBA, it takes only two minutes to install,
will cope equally well with files of any size, has no limit to the
number of files per directory, allows for long 36 character file
names, has a constant RAM requirement, and uses read/write cacheing
for maximum speed. It comes complete with TBA FS image rebuilder and
a full version of TBA Turboboot.
10.3
TBA FS costs ú24.99 inclusive from TBA Software.
10.3
Textease is now available in a multimedia version, allowing users to
add video, animation and sound. Replay files can be dropped into a
document and played, paused, copied and pasted, to create a story-
board with pictures and text, or for multimedia presentations. Replay
files can even be run upside down.
10.3
Textease Multimedia version costs ú85 +VAT, or ú95 through Archive. A
primary site licence costs ú130, and a secondary licence costs ú170
from Softease.
10.3
The Way Things Work CD - this excellent PC CD-ROM (see the review on
page 78) is now available through Archive at ú49 inclusive.
10.3
TopModel 2 is the latest version of TopModel and fixes many of the
little problems of the original version. It is also StrongARM
compatible and will import and export VRML files. It includes an
entirely new graphics engine - the Gemini module, which means: added
support for 16- and 32-bit modes, full clipping in every rendering
mode, hi-precision z-buffer always active, chrome and bump mapping,
fog effect, lens flares effects, no need for memory when creating
large bitmap images, anti-aliased output image, new material editor
with real-time preview. A new manual will be supplied with the
upgrade, and new additional objects libraries will also be supplied.
10.3
In the New Year, an entire re-write of TopModel will be available,
called TopModel Pro, which will be aimed at the professional user.
Features such as multi-processor support will make this package a
force to be reckoned with in the professional world of graphics
creation, especially when running on a StrongARM.
10.3
TopModel 2 costs ú130 +VAT, or ú145 through Archive. The upgrade from
version 1.12 (or older) to TopModel 2 costs ú30 +VAT from Spacetech.
10.3
Undelete is a utility for un-deleting files. It can recover files,
applications or directories deleted from the disc today or a week ago
- subject to the fact that the file might have been overwritten, of
course. The wonderful thing about it is that it is totally non-
technical, no 'disc maps and sectors' knowledge is required. You just
see the deleted file in a list, and you click on it to undelete it!
10.3
It costs ú18.95 plus ú2 p&p from Quantum Software, or ú23 through
Archive.
10.3
Vector - 4Mation's much underrated drawing software has been given a
facelift and is now shipping as version 1.3. Some of the changes are
cosmetic, and some are bug fixes, but they have also included some
enhancements to make the application fully compatible with newer
Acorn machines and operating systems. Various areas have been changed
to work correctly with newer versions of the operating system, and to
support the enhanced graphics capabilities of the RiscPC. Amongst
some of the enhancements are, the ability to create multi-line text
objects and a new 'Text Layout' dialogue to set justification,
kerning and line spacing, background printing (with a suitable
version of Printers), the ability to use the system colour picker on
RiscPCs for all colour selection, quick object copy for fast
duplication, measurements can be entered in any unit and converted to
the defined drawing unit, improved alignment facilities, and support
for dynamic areas.
10.3
The upgrade, from 4Mation, costs ú10 +p&p +VAT to existing Vector
users. All registered Vector users will be notified of the upgrade by
4Mation. The full version costs ú59.50 +VAT, or ú67 through Archive.
10.3
Voice VTi Voice Mail System from Argo can transform most Acorn
computers into a highly effective telephone answering system, when
used alongside a Sportster Vi voice modem from US Robotics. The VTi
Voice Mail System allows callers to record messages on the computer
hard disc. These calls appear listed in a box on the computer screen,
the user simply clicks with a mouse to hear the recorded messages.
The number of messages that can be stored is limited only by the size
of the hard disc.
10.3
Voice Mail costs ú15 +p&p +VAT, or ú19 through Archive.
10.3
WinRisc is a new program from ARMed Forces which allows you to run
Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 software as multitasking RISC OS software.
You can open the RISC OS style menu with the menu button, you can
drag and drop files to load and save them, and you can multitask
Windows software seamlessly with RISC OS software. It's just as if
'WordPerfect for RISC OS', 'CorelXara for RISC OS', and thousands of
others, had all been released at once! Not only that, but instead of
the awkward Windows program manager, you now get a RISC OS filer
window, with directory icons allowing you to open the program groups.
When WinRisc is running, the PC screen is hidden from view, and
instead, a copy is taken of every Windows window and displayed as a
RISC OS window. The menu bars are translated into RISC OS menus, and
click, keypress and redraw messages are passed back and forth between
the two processors. Features currently available: all Windows windows
replaced by RISC OS windows, replaces menu bars with RISC OS menus,
complete RISC OS style replacement for Windows program manager, fast
window update and advanced window data cacheing system, drag and drop
file load/save for PC software, new virtual memory added to Window
cacheing.
10.3
WinRisc costs ú29.95 from ARMed Forces, or ú29 through Archive.
10.3
Zip Drive - Argo Interactive has joined forces with Acorn to launch
the Acorn Iomega Zip Drive portable hard disc for use with Acorn's
Network Computer and other RISC OS machines. The Zip Drive offers
users a low-cost portable storage solution that is ideal for
transferring data between home and work, and for backing up important
documents. The new pack comprises an Iomega Zip Drive, a 100Mb disc,
Argo's driver software and the relevant cables. Users simply install
Argo's Acorn driver software and plug the Iomega into the bi-
directional printer port. Each removable hard disc can store up to
100Mb of data, which can be transferred at speeds of over
300Kb/second.
10.3
The Zip Drive costs ú149 +p&p +VAT, or ú175 through Archive.
Additional hard discs cost ú15 +p&p +VAT, or ú17 inclusive through
Archive.
10.3
Product News
10.3
Anglia Multimedia are giving away free resources on the Internet to
support schools following the BT Global Challenge Yacht Race.
Anglia's database software, Key Plus, is recommended in the BT Global
Challenge Teachers' Pack for its unique ability to plot data onto
maps, providing a tool for charting yacht positions as data is drawn
down from the Race results system. On Anglia's web site
(http://www.anglia.co.uk), there are sample files using data from the
early stages of the race, as well as templates suitable for plotting
the present and past positions of the fourteen yachts taking part.
Anglia have linked their pages to real time data available on the BT
Global Challenge web site, making a unique resource for schools using
the race to support areas of the curriculum. Students can compare the
progress of particular yachts by plotting their positions over time.
The data also contains information on speed and distance travelled,
enabling students to make and test hypotheses concerning the relative
merits of the yachts and their routes. The BT Global Challenge
resource on Anglia Multimedia's web site is the latest addition to
the huge range of curriculum material available from this source to
support their software and CD-ROMs in schools.
10.3
BT Global Challenge Web site is:
10.3
http://bt.globalchallenge.com
10.3
Cambridgeshire Software House are due to release, in January next
year, another CD-ROM title to follow on from 'Frontier 2000' and 'The
World of Robert Burns'. The subject matter this time will be King
Arthur and the Knights of The Round Table.
10.3
Playbook2 - A new triple format authoring System for Sherston
Software. Sherston is well known for its extensive range of talking
books for young children, all of which were produced using their own
in-house authoring system, PlayBook. This system utilises Sherston's
speech compression system which enables them to squeeze a talking
book onto a single floppy disc. Not wanting to rest on their laurels,
Sherston have now re-written and extended PlayBook to produce a full
blown multimedia CD-ROM authoring system that allows the company to
develop titles for Acorn, Apple Macintosh and PC/Windows computers
simultaneously.
10.3
Sherston intends to make PlayBook2 freely available to all its
authors to use, and say it really is relatively simple to design
multimedia software using the new authoring system. So if you are an
aspiring software author with a good idea but little programming
experience, it may well be worth getting in touch with Sherston and
having a chat!
10.3
For information contact: David Eccles or James Bayliss at Sherston
Software.
10.3
Toybox is a new chest full of fun for young children from Sherston.
Building on their success in the early years software market,
Sherston Software will soon be releasing a brand new activity based
package for children aged from 4 to 6 years. Produced by new Sherston
authors Sue Rankin and Hans Rijnen, and developed in conjunction with
Mike Matson, The Toybox uses animation, speech and music to address
early basic skills. With the help of a friendly clown, young children
can choose from a wide variety of fun-filled activities that will
help them with the alphabet, simple rhyming words, prepositions,
matching and sorting, sequencing, simple number work, colours and
much more. The company are planning to release two versions of the
new title, a standard disc-based version which will come on several
floppy discs, and an enhanced CD version which will include extra
activities, pure speech, music and enhanced animations.
10.3
The ToyBox is scheduled for publication as a standard six disc set
for Acorn, Apple and PC computers at the BETT exhibition in January.
The CD version will be available shortly afterwards. The price is
expected to be in the region of ú40 +VAT.
10.3
Win Risc - We have already mentioned the main features of Win Risc
above, but the program is still developing. On the ARMed Forces list
of things to come are: integration of ImageFS2 for transparent
loading of Sprites/Drawfiles into PC software, and transparent saving
in the same way, integration of other conversion software (e.g. PC
exchange), Windows video drivers to allow video rendering to be
handled by RISC OS, e.g. through MovieFS, some windows could be
displayed as actual RISC OS window templates, PC applications
appearing as !Applications in RISC OS filer windows, Disable the
hidden !PC display window to increase speed, automatically close the
!PC display window, better access to the PC hard drive from RISC OS,
faster (DMA based?) window redraw, Dynamic area memory allocation,
better integration into RISC OS, e.g. ProgMan 'Drive' icon perhaps,
include iconised PC windows on the RISC OS pinboard. For more
information about Win Risc, including Windows programs which already
work on Win Risc, see their Web page at: http://www.afsoft.demon.co.
uk/
10.3
Review software received...
10.3
We have received review copies of the following: ÅInferno (g), ÅiSV
Font Pack 312 (uw), ÅNew Teddy Bears' Picnic (e), ÅTANKs (g), ÅRusty
Dreamer (e), ÅTexture Garden (ua), ÅVector (a).
10.3
Products Available
10.4
Acorn 17" monitor - Acorn's new 17" monitor (AKF91) is actually the
Iiyama MF-8617E. This is somewhat better than its predecessor, the
AKF90, although it is exactly the same price.
10.4
The cost of the Acorn-badged monitor is ú40 more than Iiyama's own
version, but it may be worth paying the extra because (1) the Acorn
version would be covered by the on-site warranty, whereas the Iiyama
one would not, and (2) the 20/20 interest-free finance could be
applied to the Acorn monitor.
10.4
Acorn RiscPC spec changes - Because of CE regulations, Acorn are not
producing any two-slice computers. However, all three RiscPC specs
will now have the higher power (103W) psu so that they are capable of
powering a second slice. These new-spec RiscPCs have a B suffix:
ACB64B, ACB77B and ACB75B. The second slice for these computers is
therefore only ú90 instead of ú117 as there is no power supply
included.
10.4
The ACB64B has also been uprated from ARM610 (33MHz) to ARM710
(40MHz) with no price increase - it is still ú1299 including a 14"
monitor, or ú1699 with the new 17" monitor. The ACB75B has been
uprated from 850Mb hard drive to 1Gb, and still costs ú1799 although
it now only has a single slice, so its price has effectively gone up
by ú90, making NCS's DIY RiscPCs even better value.
10.4
ASPI drivers - Aleph One have released the Freeware ASPI drivers by
Andreas Walter which allow you to use your SCSI devices (scanners,
tapes, removable drives) using PC side ASPI drivers. This software is
freeware and thus not directly supported by Aleph One. Use the PC
card mailing list, or the newsgroup comp.sys.acorn.extra-CPU for
support if you need it. The instructions are currently not complete,
and you will require some knowledge of DOS/Windows to install. If
this fills you with horror then wait a couple of weeks whilst they
improve them! These can be found as a Sparkive on their Web site at:
http://www.aleph1.co.uk/softrev.html#ASPI or you can send them an
address label with your address on it and four first class stamps
(UK), or four International Reply Coupons (rest of the world). They
will return a floppy disc containing the software.
10.4
Blinds version 1.23d is the latest version of Quantum Software's
pinboard-type application which is fully StrongARM, RISC OS 3.7
compatible - tests show that it runs over five times faster than on a
RiscPC 600. Blinds allows users to group applications, files and
directories in a convenient way on blinds of any size. These can then
be brought up at the click of a mouse button. The blinds can also be
set to appear whenever an application is run, and the icons on the
blinds can be given long names rather than just file names. For
review see 8.6 p65.
10.4
Blinds costs ú25.95 inclusive from Quantum or ú24 through Archive.
Users of Blinds 1.23a/b/c can download a patch to version 1.23d from
Quantum's web page at http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/qs/
10.4
Caller Display from Octopus Systems is a device that, once connected
to your telephone socket, displays the user name and number of
incoming calls - it also opens any notes and account records you have
on the caller and turns off the audio CD just before the phone rings.
10.4
The small Caller Display unit plugs into a standard telephone socket
and passes Caller Display information on to the computer via its
serial port. A specified file or directory can be opened
automatically when a call from a particular number is received. This
can be used for telephone notes allowing you to refer to previous
calls, find addresses, or make notes during the new call (much like
the new BT CallScape system which is now being advertised on TV).
10.4
Calls are logged on disc, and you can see at a glance how many new
calls have been received if you have been away from the phone. It is
ideal for handling sales and support calls where it can display
customer details, addresses, version numbers and notes of previous
conversations before the call is answered. It can also be used to
screen calls, and verify the identity of the caller on private modem
lines.
10.4
An existing database can be imported, or new names can be added
during the call. The software will also link with other applications
(including Datapower 2 and Prophet 3) to display the caller's
records, and it can speak their name using suitable speech software
(such as Speak or Speech). The software includes a list of area
codes, so even if you don't know the caller's name, you can find
their location. Where possible, it will display the district as well
as the main area. For example, '0171-728-9432' would display 'London
(inner), St John's Wood'.
10.4
A serial port card is needed if you have an A300 or A400, or if your
serial port is already in use. Speak or Speech software is needed to
speak the caller's name.
10.4
There is a demonstration version on Octopus Software's web site at
http://www.octosys.co.uk and on this month's Archive disc
10.4
Caller Display on its own costs ú99 from Octopus or ú96 through
Archive. The combined pack of Caller Display & Speak costs ú125 from
Octopus or ú120 through Archive. All prices include the Caller
Display unit, software, manual, telephone splitter, VAT and delivery.
10.4
STOP PRESS: An new version has appeared that now provides a display
showing, on a UK map, where the call is coming from!
10.4
There is a demo version of Caller Display on this month's Archive
program disc. Ed.
10.4
Children's Micropedia 2nd Edition is now available for the Acorn
platform. The contents have been divided into 12 topics covering:
animals, countries, people, astronomy, history, our Earth, plants,
science, sports & pastimes, machines & transport, art, music and
books, peoples & government. As with the PC version, it features two
levels of information. Level 1 contains short text entries of 20-30
words in large text, each of which has a 'Read-to-me' button so that
less confident readers can investigate and make discoveries
independently. Level 2 has a full text entry for stronger readers.
10.4
Information in Micropedia has been updated from the latest edition of
the Kingfisher Children's Encyclopedia, and entries have been added
for recently established countries and contemporary figures such as
Micronesia, Eritrea and Nelson Mandela. It also contains new
pictures, animations, music and sound effects which help to
illustrate the entries.
10.4
The Acorn version has a third level of information not currently
available on the PC version. The Seelinks database allows children to
sort and classify entries relevant to their own investigations before
entering the full encyclopedia, encouraging data handling and
planning of personal work.
10.4
Children's Micropedia 2nd Edition is available from LDA Multimedia
for ú65 +VAT, or ú73 through Archive.
10.4
DeskFM & DeskSP, from Raymond Datalink, are two new desktop
multimedia cards - an FM Stereo Receiver, and a Digital Sound
Processor. DeskFM is a high quality, software controlled, FM stereo
radio receiver card incorporating a digital sound processor. The FM
receiver gives crystal clear stereo reception over the standard FM
band of 87.5 to 108MHz, with an external aerial input. Software
control of automatic, manual and preset tuning is fully supported.
The sound processor gives full software control over volume, balance,
bass and treble in fine steps including a unique loudness mode. The
listening source can be selected from any combination of four
internal and two external line inputs. The line output can be
connected directly to headphones or to an amplifier for listening
through speakers. The sound can also be monitored through the
internal loudspeaker, with separate volume control. Comprehensive
software emulates the look and feel of conventional HiFi units.
DeskSP is based on DeskFM but with only the digital sound processor.
10.4
Both DeskFM and DeskSP make ideal control centres for multimedia
sound sources and are ideal for selecting and enhancing output from
the computer, CD-ROMs or sound samplers. Suitable for A300, A400,
A540, A5000, A7000 and RiscPC.
10.4
DeskSP costs ú49.99 +VAT and DeskFM ú84.99 +VAT from Raymond
Datalink, or ú58 and ú98 through Archive.
10.4
ESP Midi Synthesizer - The ESP Midi Synthesizer is now fully
StrongARM compatible, with version 1.56 of the MidiSynthesizer
module. Please note that to function fully with StrongARM, version 0.
26 of SharedSound is also required to cope with a change to the
version of SoundDMA supplied with RISC OS 3.7. Both the update to the
Synthesizer and the latest version of SharedSound are available from
the ESP WEB site http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/esp/
10.4
The ESP Midi is a General Midi Synthesizer that provides, in
software, the capability to play Midi based music on a RiscPC. It
provides Midi playback facility for all RISC OS Midi software as well
as Midi playback from the PC Card for both DOS and Windows
applications. A Midi player is also provided which plays Midi files.
The Synthesizer comes with a full General Midi set of instruments
which provides 128 melodic and 50 percussion instruments.
10.4
The Synthesizer can provide different levels of quality and different
numbers of notes at one time (polyphony).
10.4
An application is provided that enables you to select the instruments
that are loaded and re-map them onto Midi program numbers if
required. You can also set the maximum amount of memory for the
Synthesizer to use to store instruments, after which time instruments
are loaded from disc as and when they are needed. Additional
instruments are available from ESP, as well as an Instrument editor
to allow you to create new instruments from a variety of different
sources.
10.4
The ESP Midi Synthesizer is for the RiscPC with 16 bit sound facility
only, and costs ú39.95 +VAT, or ú45 through Archive.
10.4
Exploring Maps - This CD-ROM allows pupils to explore the concepts
behind maps by creating their own interactive atlases on screen. From
simple case studies to the presentation of detailed environmental
information, Exploring Maps reinforces geographical language and
skills in three sections. What Is A Map? presents an audio-visual
sequence where the principles of mapping are examined and the use of
symbols is introduced. Working With Maps is the core of the disc,
enabling pupils to build up their own maps of geographical regions,
and to understand the information that is displayed graphically. A
selection of Maps of the World, Europe, the Americas and Great
Britain is available, offering detailed political, environmental and
physical information. Each map has an interactive key that allows
students to create a map to suit their study requirements. Simple
case studies help to reinforce geographical language and concepts.
Map Skills uses on-screen questions and off-screen activities to help
develop an understanding of the basic skills needed to use maps.
10.4
Also included are Scrapbook Odyssey, which allows staff to collate
and present materials to pupils, and an assessment manager to monitor
students' progress. Designed to accommodate all Key Stage 2 pupils'
abilities, Exploring Maps is a stimulating and informative resource
for the geography classroom.
10.4
Exploring Maps costs ú59.99 +p&p from YITM, or ú69 through Archive.
10.4
Growing Up Together CD-ROM has been designed for use by and with
Primary School pupils (4-11 years, Key Stages 1 & 2, Scottish 5-14)
and focuses on the emotional and physical changes of growing up.
Available on two separate discs, the CD-ROM uses a block of flats
occupied by different families as their setting. In each apartment,
children meet real people, in video and illustrated sequences,
learning about their feelings. Using appropriate language and levels
of information, both discs introduce aspects of sex education,
dealing with relationships within the context of PSE. Other topics
covered relate to health education and personal and social
development. Key features of Growing Up Together include: interactive
on-screen activities linked to each topic, comprehensive teacher
support material for use both with the CD-ROM and in classroom
discussions, access to each section of the disc can be controlled by
teachers, and specially created narrative video and illustrated
sequences. Produced by YITM in partnership with CARE.
10.4
Growing Up Together costs ú59.99 +VAT +p&p from YITM, or ú69 through
Archive.
10.4
HolyBible REB - This is a revision of the NEB commissioned jointly by
fourteen of the major UK denominations working jointly with Oxford
and Cambridge University Presses. Although not always technically
correct when it comes to some word and phrase translation, it does
have a more extensive vocabulary range (4,000 words) than the GNB (1,
200 words) and is therefore better suited for use with teenagers and
adults. It is also particularly 'English' as opposed to American, and
reads well.
10.4
(It alters the verse orders in Job chapters 40-41 to make the
descriptions of Behemoth and Leviathan better fit with its
translations of Whale and Crocodile, but HolyBible can auto-track
this section correctly with other translations where the verses are
in their more usual order.)
10.4
The REB Pack also contains four Resource modules. Places provides
large vector maps (drawfiles) with auto-location boxes and auto-zoom
for place-names mentioned in the Biblical text. Temple & Tabernacle
is an extensive elaboration of the notes about the Ark in the Base
Resources, now including all the furniture and fittings of the
Tabernacle as described in Exodus chapters 25-40 and Solomon's
Temple. There is also an overview of the Biblical view of Atonement
for Sin, and its outworking under the Old and New Covenants. This
gives a good grounding of the historical roots of Jewish worship as
opposed to modern Pharisaical Judaism. Timeline is a Biblically
correct (editable) drawfile of people and events from Adam to the
present day. This is backed with detailed descriptions of the
references used, the Biblical ones operating as dynamic cross-
references to enable the user to confirm the dating methods employed.
Quizzes gives three example puzzles using the capabilities of the
software to deliver auto-referencing to aid those with little
Biblical knowledge to find the correct passages.
10.4
The REB Pack costs the same as the other full-modules: ú45 +VAT
(single-user) and ú90 +VAT (site licence) from ExpLAN, or ú52 and
ú104 respectively through Archive.
10.4
Keystroke version 4.00 is fully StrongARM, RISC OS 3.7 compatible,
and tests show that it runs more than ten times faster than on a
RiscPC 600! Users of version 3.xx are advised to upgrade to version 4.
00 - full details are available from the Quantum web site at
http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/qs/Quantum Software
10.4
Keystroke is a desktop utility which allows you to perform a range of
desktop activities with a click of the mouse or the press of a key.
For example, at a single keystroke, you can call up Impression master
pages and go straight to the master page you want to edit. You can
add auto save to those applications that lack it. You can even make
up your own button bar. It comes with example files of Keystroke
definitions for Filer, Paint, Draw, DrawPlus, TypeStudio, Vector,
WorraCAD, Ovation and Impression, amongst others. The new version is
faster, is much easier to set up and use, and includes over sixty
functions.
10.4
Keystroke costs ú 35.95 inclusive from Quantum Software, or ú34
through Archive.
10.4
Kiyeko - Innovative Media Solutions (IMS) and UbiSoft have joined
forces to bring one of the 'hottest' IBM PC CD-ROM titles to the
Acorn platform. Kiyeko and the Lost Night is one of a growing number
of children's 'edutainment' titles designed to make learning
interactive, incidental and fun. It's designed for children from 4 -
11, and is based on a tale by Vladimir Hulpach entitled 'The Snakes
who stole the Night'. Kiyeko is set in the heart of the Amazon
Rainforest and contains a superb cast of characters - both human and
animal. The format of the CD-ROM is that of a multimedia book of 11
chapters which includes a multi-lingual storyteller. The quality of
all aspects of Kiyeko has really to be seen to be believed. As
indicators of the quality of the production, the narrative voice has
been provided by Ben Kingsley, and the list of credits is several
pages long. Kiyeko on the Acorn platform has more features than does
the PC version. For example, on the Acorn version the program can run
in a RISC OS window and each page can be either saved to disc as a
sprite or sent to a printer. A free demo CD available with a disc
reader. The demo contains two of the eleven scenes and is available
from IMS or from the IMS web site http://www.ims-
cdc.demon.co.uk. The Acorn version of Kiyeko requires at least an ARM
3 processor, 4Mb of RAM and a CD drive.
10.4
Kiyeko and the Lost Night costs ú31 +VAT for the CD and Acorn Reader
Software from UbiSoft and Innovative Media Solutions, or ú35 through
Archive.
10.4
For a full review, see page 19.
10.4
Mustek Twain - If you want a copy of the Twain driver for the Mustek
scanners, they have now been taken over by Castle Technology. That
means that Twain for other scanners is available from David Pilling
or through Archive (ú34 including ImageMaster), and a copy of Twain
plus Imagemaster for the Mustek scanners is available for ú39 +VAT
from Castle.
10.4
PD-CD 4 - Acorn World '96 saw the release of yet another CD-ROM
compilation, PD-CD-4, from The Datafile. Each of the previous
Datafile CD-ROM discs have been a useful resource for clipart
(drawfile, sprite, Artworks, etc) and music files (Symphony, Tracker
and Midi) and this latest disc includes a large selection of new
material and updates. At around 380 utils, plus games, graphics and
clipart, there must be something to please everybody.
10.4
The major item is RiscBSD, the PD version of UNIX, with its
installation greatly simplified by Dirk-Willem van Gulik and,
together with many utilities and add-ons, it brings UNIX to the Acorn
platform. Much care is needed in setting this up, but the various
programs are extensively documented. Another sizeable item is Merlin
- a suite of programs for ray tracing, complete with a very
comprehensive manual (for Publisher) and many graphics files to get
you started. This major release from Evolution Computer can be
upgraded later for StrongARM. Additionally, Datafile are offering a
competition for Merlin users, with prizes and the promise of your
efforts appearing on the new Merlin CD-ROM.
10.4
In the Midi directory, there is a working, but time limited (1╜
mins), version of !ReMidi, the Midi music file player, complete with
all of the latest patches/voices and drum kits. There are also many
excellent Midi files, including at least one karaoke-style song with
words scrolling across the ReMidi control panel.
10.4
PDCD-4 costs ú25 inclusive, whilst the three previous CD-ROM discs
are still available at the reduced price of only ú15 each from The
Datafile, or ú24 and ú15 respectively through Archive.
10.4
See page 60 for a full review.
10.4
Parallel Port Midi Interface, from ESP, is a new Midi interface for
the Acorn RISC OS range of computers. It is designed to provide a
more versatile alternative to the internal expansion card interfaces.
By using the parallel port, it provides the opportunity to add Midi
capability to any Acorn machine including those with no expansion
card facilities, such as the A4 portable. It is particularly useful
when you want to use a Midi keyboard with a computer other than one
that has an internal Midi interface installed. With the Parallel Port
Midi Interface, you can easily move the Midi capability from one
computer to another rather than have to move a whole computer or have
to install an internal Midi interface in each machine.
10.4
The ESP Parallel Port Midi Interface provides a Midi In, Midi Out and
Midi Thru connection. It also contains buffering of incoming data, to
ensure that there is no data loss. It is fully compatible with the
latest Acorn Midi module, and is therefore suitable for use with the
RiscPC PC Card. It contains a number of user selectable functions,
such as the filtering of system real-time messages and support for
Midi Time Code.
10.4
The Parallel Port Midi Interface costs ú75.95 + VAT from ESP, or ú86
through Archive.
10.4
Primary Maths - The new IOTA Primary Maths CD-ROM has hundreds of fun
animated exercises, that are bright and colourful, introducing the
basic numeracy skills such as sorting, matching, sets, ordering and
counting. A built-in voice, reads out what needs to be done, and then
encourages them when the exercise is done. All the exercises are
progressive, so children can build up their skills as they go along.
They are based on the tried and tested ideas of the Cambridge Primary
Maths course, published by the Cambridge University Press.
10.4
Primary Maths costs ú49 +VAT +p&p, or ú56 through Archive.
10.4
Power-tec 4╫4 CD Multi-Changer - The Power-tec 4╫4 is a quad speed
ATAPI drive from NEC with a quality built-in multi-changer mechanism
which allows you to insert four CDs simultaneously into the drive.
The Power-tec software positions four CD icons on the iconbar
allowing you access to different information from any one at any
time. The 4╫4 fits easily into your RiscPC's 5╝" bay, has been
thoroughly tested with StrongARM and RISC OS 3.7, and is fully
compatible with PhotoCD, MPEG and audio CDs.
10.4
The Power-tec 4╫4 CD Multi-Changer costs ú125 +p&p +VAT from
Alsystems, or ú150 through Archive.
10.4
Quick Cam is a digital parallel port camera requiring no additional
hardware. It can be used to capture black and white Replay movies or
sprite snapshots, directly onto the desktop. No internal capture
cards are required, just run the simple to use software, plug the
camera into the parallel port, connect the power adapter, and you're
away!
10.4
The Acorn RISC OS QuickCam driver provides the features of the
equivalent PC drivers (also supplied free) plus more, including:
Replay movie grabbing, sprite snapshots, timelapse facility, timer
function, real-time movie compression.
10.4
QuickCam is available for RISC OS for ú109.95 +VAT from Oregan
Developments, or ú125 through Archive. (A separate power supply is
needed for pre-RiscPC computers - ú15 extra.)
10.4
Rusty Dreamer brings children's fiction to life in a way no ordinary
book can. Designed to support and promote National Curriculum for
English across Key Stage 2, Rusty's story can be read (and listened
to) at three different levels of difficulty, and comes complete with
resource materials and teachers' notes to provide pre-prepared ideas
and activities for a wide variety of language work. The opportunities
for cross curricular activities haven't been forgotten either. The
story takes place in rural England and is full of map work, English
cultural heritage, landscapes, architecture, etc. Features include:
three different reading levels, exciting plot that appeals to all
ages, professional narration, innovative video animation, hundreds of
high quality pictures, scrolling map with over 130 photographs,
picture galleries featuring a variety of subjects to stimulate
creative work, and extensive resource materials.
10.4
Rusty Dreamer CD-ROM costs ú49.95 +VAT +p&p from Sherston, or ú57
through Archive.
10.4
See page 45 for a full review.
10.4
StrongARM Switcher - At Acorn World 96, we saw a clever device from
MCS in Germany that allows you to have both StrongARM and an ARM610
or 710 in your RiscPC at the same time and be able to switch between
them in software. Details aren't quite finalised, but it will be
"about ú120" through Archive, and should be available a week or so
after you receive the magazine. Ring for more details if you are
interested.
10.4
The Evacuees, from 4Mation, provides a fascinating experience, via an
interactive adventure, of the First Evacuation of World War 2. As
well as providing a large amount of factual content, the program
assists with the development of several of the required Key Elements
specified in the National Curriculum for History at Key Stage 2. The
program is a true adventure - The Evacuees' is not simply an animated
story requiring pages to be turned. Children will find the program
challenging as well as informative. A fully descriptive User Guide is
also provided.
10.4
The program comes on floppy disc and is available for both Acorn and
PC Windows computers. It costs ú27.50 + p&p and VAT for the single
user version, or ú32 through Archive.
10.4
The Games Suite - Grasshopper Software recently released The Games
Suite, a fully functioning games editing suite. The software itself
contains 100% handwritten ARM code routines with the sprite plot
running up to 19.5 times faster than the in-built VDU sprite op. Also
contained are a number of support routines for star fields, collision
detection, walkpaths, animation, fades etc. For a limited period, the
software will be available for ú15 from Grasshopper Software with a
free upgrade to the release version. The release price will be ú25,
and the full version of the software will be available at Christmas.
10.4
Unterwegs - Based on the much-praised En Route book and disc, this
core curricular CD-ROM brings language learning into the 90's.
Developed with 11-14 year olds in mind, Unterwegs uses video, text
and audio to teach German. There are quizzes, songs and drawings by
the illustrators of Viz Magazine to keep each section lively and
appealing. With three different ability levels, the disc recreates
the atmosphere of the language lab, but adds so much more. Pupils
will hear native German speakers and can record their own voices to
test pronunciation.
10.4
There are ten different sections dealing with everyday topics, to
prepare students for all aspects of the GCSE exam. Each chapter,
offering vocabulary and grammar related to specific topics, has its
own differentiated interactive activities, and ends with a list of
the new words pupils encounter. A lexicon facility enables students
to look at vocabulary both in context and translation. Unterwegs'
Assessment Manager tests pupils' understanding and monitors their
progress, whilst encouraging their independence.
10.4
Unterwegs costs ú79.99 +VAT +p&p from Yorkshire International Thomson
Multimedia, or ú90 through Archive.
10.4
Web Designer's Toolkit - The Web Designer's Toolkit is a set of seven
utilities for designing your own Web pages.
10.4
WebTable adds tables of information directly to your Web Pages. Cells
can be joined, alignment can be set, and headings included. You can
set cell borders and add captions. Framer allows you to produce frame-
based pages - it supports all frame properties. Imageconv lets you
create Animated Gifs, and use drawfiles in your pages. In addition to
all the usual GIF/JPEG options, it now supports batch processing of
images. WebMapper is an image-map editor for generating 'hot' images.
Create multiple hot zones on your images, and produce industry
standard files. Str1pIt (Batch!) processes HTML and text files for
transfer to other platforms, and prepare them for DTP documents.
HTMLink creates custom macros and tags for use with any application.
Special parameter support is included for tags, and it's enhanced for
HTMLEdit users, and includes URL databasing. DOSExt converts
filetypes to PC/Unix file extensions for guaranteed web page
compatibility!
10.4
Web Designer's Toolkit costs ú30 inclusive for a single user (ú29
through Archive) and ú85 for a site licence, from R-Comp.
10.4
Welsh language HolyBible - ExpLAN is the only Bible software
publisher in the world to license the text of Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd,
the New Welsh Bible. Currently, they are supplying the first edition
text, although all users will be upgraded to the second edition when
this is completed. The text includes Yr Hen Destament, Y Testament
Newydd and Yr Apocryffa. The order of Apocryphal books is identical
to the standard Hebrew texts, and therefore differs from the book
order found within English Bibles. However, HolyBible utilises its
unique UCN system to enable it to correctly auto-track the BCN with
all other translations, regardless of verse numbering or order.
10.4
Acorn computers include the characters for the Welsh language in most
Latin font files as standard, and there are two Welsh keyboard driver
systems available to access the accented characters, one from MEU
Cymru and the other from EFF. Within HolyBible, it doesn't matter
which keyboard driver is resident, or indeed whether there is a
driver at all. The search-window will automatically map the keyboard
to accept both models of key layout for input of words.
10.4
The BCN is a HolyBible add-on module and requires a Base Pack to be
installed first. It costs ú25 +VAT from ExpLAN, or ú28 through
Archive.
10.4
Product News
10.4
Find it, Fix it - 4Mation and RoSPA will be bringing 'safety' into
the classroom with the launch of an exciting program in January 1997.
It is designed to address the National Curriculum requirements for
hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control in Science &
Design Technology. This interactive program features superb graphics
by award winning artist Don Slaven. The software program is a Royal
Society for the Prevention of Accidents initiative, to help schools
teach children vital safety concepts which are key to later working
life and central to accident prevention. 'Find it, Fix it' is the
first computer-based interactive teaching resource focusing on
'safety in the curriculum'. The program comes on floppy disc and will
be available for both Acorn and Windows computers. Price: ú24.50 +p&p
+VAT for the single user version. Program available January 1997.
10.4
MelIDI - Liquid Silicon have announced details of their eagerly
awaited music sequencing package MelIDI. Features in MelIDI include
32-track pattern based Midi sequencer, sample playback options, easy-
to-use drag and drop editing, standard Midi file import/export,
tempo/pitch bend/aftertouch/velocity/controller maps, all patches
referenced by name - no need to remember any numbers, drum pattern
editor, piano roll editor, multitasking background playback, memory
efficient (can run on a 2Mb machine with room to spare), supports any
Acorn-compliant Midi interface, support for up to 64 independent Midi
channels, supports linked patterns so that when one copy changes, so
do all the rest. MelIDI Pro will be released later in 1997 with extra
features aimed at the professional market.
10.4
The first full release version of MelIDI is planned for the first
quarter of 1997 but, due to public demand, they are planning to make
available an advanced beta-release version. As a precursor to this,
they are creating an email mailing list for interested parties to
receive future information regarding MelIDI. If you would like to be
added to this list, please send an email to: [e-mail]
10.4
The list members (and relevant newsgroups) will be informed as to the
availability of the advanced release copies nearer the time. In the
meantime, you can whet your appetite by visiting the MelIDI WWW site:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~av1dpm/melidi/
10.4
If you do not have email access, please contact Liquid Silicon for
future information.
10.4
"Starting Basic" - The Book? - Ray Favre has written a book inspired
by his "Starting Basic" series, and with the same title.
10.4
At 336 pages in A5 format, it is more comprehensive than the series
and is, in fact, a complete rewrite, with over 40
screenshots/diagrams, 11 appendices and an index. The hands-on
tutorial approach is used in the earlier chapters to develop a
complete program in stages - with listings of course.
10.4
That's the good news! The bad news is that, because the market is
considered too small, Ray has not yet found an established publisher
to take it up commercially, and he cannot afford to risk the sort of
outlay needed to publish it himself in sufficient quantities to bring
the price down!
10.4
However, rather than see it lay idle, if he can find around 100
buyers, he is willing to put up the initial money and sell copies "at
cost plus a donation to charity" which is expected to work out at
about ú16 each including UK postage.
10.4
Without obligation, if you might be interested in a copy and want a
better idea of what is in the book, send an A4-size SAE to the
address below to get a free copy of the contents list with a synopsis
of each chapter. Ray will then gauge the risk from the response.
10.4
Ray Favre, 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7
7QA.
10.4
Review software received...
10.4
We have received review copies of the following: ÅCaller Display
(hu), ÅDTP 3 CD (w), ÅExploring maps (e), ÅNew Teddy Bears' Picnic
(e), ÅProSound (Oregan) (m), ÅPrimary Maths (e), ÅVoiceMail (bu).
10.4
Products Available
10.5
6502 & Z80 Emulators - Because the Warm Silence Software 6502
emulator got such a good write-up in Archive last month (p35), we
decided we ought to stock it. It costs ú18 through Archive. There is
also a very complimentary Z80 Emulator review in the pipeline, so we
are stocking that too which is also ú18 inclusive. If you want any of
the other support software and hardware, these are only obtainable
through WSS.
10.5
Anglia Multimedia has changed its CD-ROM site licence policy. Every
Anglia Multimedia CD-ROM now comes with a 10-user site licence.
Further copies of the same disc are available at time of purchase, or
on proof of purchase, at half the listed price.
10.5
Acquaint is a simple name, address, telephone and facsimile number
database application. It stores your acquaintances' details in a
master ASCII text file. Whenever a search is carried out, an
appropriate subset of the master text file is saved to another text
file, ready for viewing on the screen, sending to your printer or
transmitting over the Internet. Unlike conventional name/address
databases, each search can be kept if required.
10.5
Acquaint costs ú8 for a single user licence from Cherisha Software,
and they do an unlimited site licence for ú24.
10.5
AppByType is a filetype database. Whenever a data file is dragged to
the application's icon on the iconbar, a window is displayed,
containing details about its filetype and the application(s) to which
it is associated. Currently, AppByType knows about 459 different
filetypes, and included in the price is the ability to update the
data from time to time. Should you discover filetypes that AppByType
does not know about, you can dispatch the master disc plus details of
the filetypes found to Cherisha Software; the data file will then be
updated with the data you supplied and with all the other information
collected in the meantime.
10.5
AppByType costs ú15 for a single user licence from Cherisha, or ú45
for an unlimited site licence.
10.5
ARM System Architecture is a new book by Steve Furber published by
Addison-Wesley ISBN 0-201-40352-8 at ú21.95 (ú23 inc p&p through
Archive). We hope to have a review soon.
10.5
Artworks Video Tutorial from Pineapple Software is a VHS video
tutorial covering the use of Artworks. Walter Briggs is the tutor for
this 1 hour video which shows how to use all the Artworks tools and
then goes on to show how Walter produced his famous tiger head
picture. Walter also draws an impressive landscape picture which can
be copied by those with no artistic talent at all.
10.5
Artworks Video Tutorial costs ú19.99 inclusive from Pineapple
Software or ú19 through Archive.
10.5
BoardMenu - Have you ever suffered from the problem of wanting to
double-click on an object stuck to the pinboard but you just can't
find it? BoardMenu is a utility which creates a normal RISC OS menu
of all the objects (in alphabetical order) stuck to the pinboard.
From this menu, any object may be effectively double-clicked upon,
thereby saving you having to close or resize windows or having to
move windows off the screen.
10.5
Whenever a pinboard configuration file is dropped onto BoardMenu's
icon, a menu of the pinned objects within the file is automatically
created. The object menu created by the program, reached via the List
option on the iconbar menu, contains an entry for every object pinned
to the pinboard, except iconised windows. Clicking on the menu entry
corresponding to the object in question will effectively simulate a
double-click on it. The object menu can cater for up to 120 objects.
10.5
BoardMenu costs ú4 for a single user licence from Cherisha, and an
unlimited site licence costs ú12.
10.5
Casio digital cameras - Casio QV10a cameras are now available through
Archive. The complete kit, including the cameras, software,
connecting cable and mains adaptor costs ú410. If you want higher
resolution (640╫480), we can also get the QV100a but it currently
sells at ú655, although we are trying to improve on that price.
10.5
CheckCSV is a utility for checking comma-separated-value files for
errors. Such errors could be: too many or too few fields in one or
more records; an odd number of quotation marks in one or more
records, or blank lines within the file. To check a CSV file, you
simply drag the object to the iconbar and drop it over the CheckCSV
icon. Should any record in your CSV file have too many or too few
items, an error will be issued.
10.5
CheckCSV costs ú3 for a single user licence from Cherisha Software.
An unlimited site licence costs ú9.
10.5
Clicker Sheet is designed primarily for pupils and students who have
difficulty in laying out number work and charts. Because of its
extreme flexibility, it can also be used for a number of other tasks.
Clicker Sheet runs alongside Clicker 2. Use it in place of a word
processor for tasks such as: laying out number work, creating bar
charts and pictograms, picture-word matching, creating charts using
symbols or pictures, on-screen crosswords and word-searches, software
speech plus the ability to play sound samples. A Sheet is in some
ways a mirror image of a Clicker grid. A sheet has cells, and the
cells can have actions, but these cells receive text or graphics from
Clicker 2 or from the keyboard. Lots of example sheets are provided,
and you can create your own, either by editing one of the examples,
or by starting from scratch.
10.5
Clicker Sheet costs ú45 +VAT +p&p from Crick Computing or ú53 through
Archive. A site licence costs ú90 +VAT from Crick.
10.5
Creator version 3.00 is a major upgrade, hot on the heels of version
2.01. Creator can now perform colour quantisation and dithering to
enable conversions to a reduced number of image colours, e.g. to
create 'ideal palette' images from true colour images. The algorithms
used (Heckbert median cut and Floyd-Steinberg) are sophisticated and
are implemented in 100% optimized ARM code. This new functionality
greatly increases the number of image format conversions available.
Creator is Shareware, so continued use requires registration.
10.5
Creator 3.00 is StrongARM compatible and is available from: www.inter.
nl.net/users/J.Kortink
10.5
Dodo - Eesox have announced the release of a new CD-ROM drive to add
to their range. The ATAPI 12-speed CD-ROM drive may be used on any
Acorn RiscPC 600/700 series or A7000 computer. It has an average
access time of below 150ms and a built-in 256Kb cache. The top speed
from the drive, (using Eesox's enhanced ATAPI driver) is 1.6Mb per
second, which makes this one of the fastest CD-ROM drives available.
The CDs are loaded via a tray which slides in and out with a smooth
action, and there is an audio headphone jack socket with volume
control at the front of the case. On the rear, is a line out audio
connector for use with the Eesox audio mixing board, or RiscPC 700
mixing boards.
10.5
The drive is provided with the following items: IDE connecting cable,
fixing screws, fitting instructions, drive manual, audio cable (line
out to mixing interface on computer), Eesox's ATAPI driver and
utilities. Eesox's ATAPI driver replaces the Acorn driver and allows
this CD-ROM drive to work correctly on these machines. Eesox also
provide you with some useful utilities such as an Audio Player,
enabling you to control CD Audio discs from the desktop. The CD-ROM
drive is also available bundled with the CDFast cacheing software,
and matching active speakers. This drive is not suitable for use on
any machine other than a RiscPC 600/700 series, or A7000.
10.5
The ATAPI Dodo CD-ROM drive costs ú139 +carriage +VAT from Eesox, or
ú170 through Archive.
10.5
Draggie has been described as 'the professional application launcher'
and it gives fast, on-screen access to frequently used games, files
and applications. Applications, files and directories can be stored
in named 'pull down' menus which sit on the top of the screen. To
access a menu, you either double click on it or pull it down. Once
open, applications etc can be run with a single click. It is also
possible to apply key shortcuts to applications in order to run one
or more of them without opening a menu. In addition to the manual
provided with the program, there is also an interactive on-screen
manual.
10.5
Draggie costs ú12 inclusive from The Really Good Software Company.
10.5
fsck - A new version (1.31) of fsck has been released. fsck is a
suite of programs that allows you to fix most of the problems that
may affect FileCore discs such as broken directories, undeletable
files, the infamous 'Disc not understood - Has it been formatted?'
error and corrupted disc maps e.g. the 'Map inconsistent with
directory tree' error reported by CheckMap. The new version is fully
StrongARM compatible and includes a few improvements and bug fixes
over the previous versions. The fsck suite of programs is Shareware,
so you can try it, but if you like what it does, if you use it
regularly or it fixes your disc, you have to register. The
unregistered version has all the features of the registered version
except that it won't fix 'big' discs, i.e. discs larger than 512Mb.
You can download fsck from http://cdc8g5.cdc.polimi.it/~pel0015/fsck.
html or ftp://mic2.hensa.ac.uk/micros/arch/riscos/c/c015/. It is also
on this month's program disc.
10.5
ImageFS version 2.3 is now available. Among some of the changes are
support for a number of new bitmap filetypes, including: Photoshop 2.
5 and 3.0 file format, Atari Degas, MTV, Psion, QRT, JPEG. This
version of ImageFS supports the loading of JPEG files, but it doesn't
support JPEG saving as yet. The JPEG loader is fully StrongARM
compatible although it has not been optimised for it. Consequently,
the speed for StrongARM computers is "only" around 2.5 times that of
an ARM7 computer. StrongARM users may prefer to use the in-built RISC
OS 3.7 JPEG loading routines which offer faster (╫5 speed) loading,
albeit on a more limited range of files. ARM3/6/7 users will find
ImageFS to be generally faster. The JPEG loader may be improved in
terms of speed and file support in future versions of ImageFS
10.5
ImageFS 2.3 supports a new class of graphic - vectors/metafiles.
These graphics are akin to drawfiles in RISC OS and can contain
bitmaps, lines and text. ImageFS converts these files into fully-
editable drawfiles, which can be dragged into any application that
accepts Draw images. Extensive support for WMFs is provided by
ImageFS 2.3. Almost all WMF objects are supported - lines, bitmaps
and text objects. Both placeable (interchange) and non-placeable
files are supported, as well as context stack pushing.
10.5
Other changes include: improved Control Panel dialogue boxes,
improved operation with other applications, OLE exclusion,
improvements in many of the current filters, e.g. additions to BMP
include support for CMYK and 16-bit Windows 95 BMPs, parent filename
option - an option to name the sprite files within foreign graphics
with the name of the foreign file itself, pop-up preview scaler - the
TinyView preview has been improved to support non-linear files such
as RLE compressed BMPs.
10.5
ImageFS costs ú39.95 +VAT from Alternative Publishing, or ú45 through
Archive. Upgrades are available for ú15 +VAT.
10.5
Inferno - Paradise have now made Inferno 100% StrongARM compatible.
This means that Inferno now runs on any Acorn from a lowly ARM2 all
the way up to StrongARM, so long as you have at least 2Mb memory and
RISC OS 3.1+. They are able to offer upgrades to the new version to
existing users. The upgrade cost is ú2.00, and users should send back
their original game disc and receipt.
10.5
Intersect - Following the success of the Polygon and Translate
ArtWorks tools, there is yet another new ArtWorks module, called
Intersect. This module adds new menu entries to the Lines/Shapes
menu: Intersect all creates an object which is the intersection of
all currently selected objects. Intersect with top clips all selected
objects to the topmost object of the selection. Intersection works
for all path objects and all objects which can be converted to paths
(ellipses, rectangles, text objects, etc). Using this module, you can
create many interesting effects, including hatching, pattern-filling
and even simple transparency effects. For example, to hatch an
object, create two parallel lines, blend between them to create the
desired hatching lines, then clip the whole blend to the shape you
want to hatch. Intersect is completely free to registered users of
the Polygon tool. Note that Intersect is not Shareware/PD, so the
only legal way of obtaining it is to register for Polygon (which is
ú10 for private users).
10.5
Jaz 1Gb removable hard drives - Iomega's larger removable drives are
now available through Archive. They are SCSI devices, and although
they aren't as fast as the 1.6Gb SyQuest drives are promising to be,
they are actually available now (and there's still no sign of the
SyQuests!) The Jaz drives cost ú390 (internal) and ú490 (external),
including one cartridge. The extra cartridges cost ú85 each.
10.5
ModemDial - version 2.02 is now ready. Version 2 has been re-written
to make use of the block drivers and should now function correctly on
all setups, including the serial cards which caused problems with
previous versions. Other improvements have been made since version 1,
and many more are planned for the future. The new version has been
uploaded to HENSA (package e152) or is available from: http://www.
aberry.demon .co.uk/programs/ or by email from: andrew@aberry .demon.
co.uk
10.5
Music Studio 32 provides 32 track facilities for composing, playing,
editing and printing the score of your own music as a professional
piece of published work. Musicians and music students can have the
freedom to produce music away from a professional studio using merely
an Acorn 32-bit computer. The format of Music Studio 32 is similar to
that of a word processor, and is highly configurable for a wide range
of ages and abilities. In Score Editor, Sequence Editor and Grid
Editor, there are a number of editing facilities for composing,
altering and playing music. Lyrics can be added and edited with equal
simplicity. A Layout Editor enables you to prepare music for
printing. Composers have the choices they would expect in a fully
equipped studio. Compositions can use up to 32 tracks, making it
possible to listen to full orchestras. Students can select external
or internal voices, and a library of instruments is provided. Music
Studio 32 supports full Midi facilities including keyboards.
10.5
You compose music with a simple drag and drop method, or by
'recording' directly into the software via Midi keyboard. The Score
Editor enables editing in a traditional stave format, the Sequence
Editor represents the music in horizontal blocks or bars, and the
Grid Editor allows detailed editing of notes in an alternative
representation of the music. You can create your composition over
many sessions. Build the tracks one at a time, experiment with
different voice parts, add pre-recorded songs, enter music by playing
on external Midi instruments. Once you are happy with the content of
your work, use the Layout Editor to finalise the presentation before
printing on paper. You have the opportunity to add lyrics and print
A4, A5 landscape or portrait, or output to drawfile.
10.5
Music Studio 32 costs ú83 +VAT +p&p from Longman Logotron or ú95
through Archive. Upgrades from Notate are available, as are site
licences - contact Longman Logotron for details.
10.5
Oregan SPDIF - Oregan Software have developed a new range of products
providing facilities required by professional and semi-professional
sound engineers. But also, due to their modular nature, and the
intuitive design of RISC OS, these products are attainable and
productive for anyone with an interest in audio editing. The Oregan
SPDIF card allows direct capture and output of digital audio data,
between a RiscPC and SPDIF compatible DAT recorder. As the SPDIF card
enables transfer of a digital stream of data, there is no quality
loss as a result of low quality DAC or ADC chips in the sampling
hardware being used, ensuring lossless transfer. The card also
permits economical backup of hard discs onto DAT tape, using the
software provided. As such, it is a very convenient piece of hardware
for anyone owning a DAT recorder. The price has still to be confirmed.
10.5
See below for their other products in this range, ProSound and
StudioSound.
10.5
Parallel Port ProTeus - Cumana have recently launched a new addition
to their successful proTeus SCSI drive range. The new parallel port
proTeus combines a CD-ROM drive with a 650Mb rewritable disc drive
which can connect to either a bi-directional or ECP/EPP printer port.
The CD-ROM element of the parallel proTeus gives 6-speed CD-ROM
performance with a 160ms access time and a large 256Kb data buffer
(or cache memory).
10.5
Housed in a slim and strengthened metal case, the drive features a
powered tray disc loading system, integral power supply plus on/off
switch, a CD/computer audio mixer and parallel port
interface to connect via a cable to the computer's printer port.
A through printer port connector is included on the rear of the
drive. You also get the Cumana developed driver software, with full
support for removable media for use on most Acorn RISC OS (A3010 to
A7000, RiscPC and StrongARM) computers. Separate driver software is
available for PC compatible computers which eliminates the need for
an additional interface card.
10.5
The parallel proTeus costs ú449 +VAT +p&p from Cumana, and this
includes the drive, connecting cable and driver software for both
Acorn RISC OS and PC-compatible users. Through Archive it costs ú520,
and additional 650Mb discs cost ú45 each.
10.5
PictureBase - The latest CD-ROM launches by AVP make their integrated
educational PictureBase range more extensive than ever. The CD-ROMs
in this range integrate together to form a detailed and extensive
multi-CD-ROM encyclopaedia. The two newest CD-ROMs are English
Architecture and Life and Living Processes. English Architecture is
the most comprehensive introduction to English architecture available
on CD-ROM. The full range of styles and periods that make up the
heritage of English Architecture are illustrated. The story
progresses along two strands - the religious and the secular. The
former begins with the Saxon churches and the latter with the castles
of the Normans and progresses through history to the present day.
Life and Living Processes uses pictures, diagrams, text, sound and
video to illustrate the subject of life and living things. It covers
the following topics: the Life Processes, Green Plants as Organisms,
Adaptation and Change, Habitats, Food Webs and Micro-organisms and
Humans as Organisms. The CD-ROM is ideal as a basis for the study of
Key Stage 2-3 Science.
10.5
Both PictureBase English Architecture and PictureBase Life and Living
Processes cost ú69 +VAT +p&p each, or ú80 through Archive, and a site
licence costs ú139 +VAT, or ú155 through Archive.
10.5
Polygon tool - There is a new release of the Artworks Polygon tool (1.
10) which now lets you twist stars, i.e. you can control the angular
offset of the inner corners of a star. You can even produce self-
intersecting spirograph-type objects. The new release of Polygon also
includes the Tutorial pages for the Intersect module so you can see
for yourself how powerful it is. Polygon 1.10 can be found on HENSA
in directory /e/e155.
10.5
ProSound is a fully integrated hard disc recording, sound editing and
audio processing suite. The package is designed for capture, editing
and processing of digital samples of virtually unlimited length.
ProSound supports most existing audio sampling hardware and, as such,
is an ideal alternative to the software supplied with them. It
utilises a fast virtual memory system, making it possible to edit
enough audio to fill a typical audio CD, using just a 4Mb machine.
Plug-in modules may be used to add or enhance any ProSound facility.
It supports multiple projects, to allow editing to take place on
several different projects simultaneously, and offers an eight track
mixing desk. Each track may be assigned somewhere between the left
and right stereo positions, at varying volume levels. The tracks are
then mixed in real-time when the project is played. Tools such as
bandpass filters, and frequency analysis diagrams may be used to
improve sample quality, whilst special effects may be utilised for
the production of a synthesized sample.
10.5
Supported formats include: WAV, AIFF, Psion, Mascom, Raw, Replay,
Sun/NeXT, VOC, Audioworks, Datavox, SOU, Armadeus. ProSound enables
many of the currently available 16-bit audio capture cards to record
directly to disc, and so recording duration can be virtually
unlimited. The following sample hardware is currently supported by
ProSound: EagleM2, Irlam 24i16, Irlam Lambda, Irlam VideoDesk, SEMERC
/ VTi Parallel Sampler, Lark, Irlam SoundCard, Irlam ReplayDIY,
AudioDynamics DMI.
10.5
Audio editing is naturally a process which is most effectively done
by ear, rather than by eye. Many sample editors rely on the user's
ability to find a position in the sample by its visual waveform
representation. However, ProSound offers very accurate shuttle and
jog controls to pinpoint by ear any particular point in a sample.
10.5
ProSound costs ú119.95 fully inclusive from Oregan Developments, or
ú110 through Archive.
10.5
RemindMe is an application for people who work in a busy environment
where major tasks can be easily overlooked in favour of minor ones.
It gives the user a regular reminder of tasks still to be done,
allows tasks to be prioritised, prevents accidental deletion of task
details and allows hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and/or yearly
reminders to be automatically set. Purchasers of version 1.00 are
entitled to a free upgrade to version 2.00 (scheduled for release in
early 1997); requests for features to be included in the next release
are most welcome.
10.5
RemindMe costs ú15 for a single user licence from Cherisha, and an
unlimited site licence costs ú45.
10.5
"Starting Basic" - The Book? - Ray Favre has written a book inspired
by his "Starting Basic" series, and with the same title.
10.5
At 336 pages in A5 format, it is more comprehensive than the series
and is, in fact, a complete rewrite, with over 40
screenshots/diagrams, 11 appendices and an index. The hands-on
tutorial approach is used in the earlier chapters to develop a
complete program in stages - with listings of course.
10.5
That's the good news! The bad news is that, because the market is
considered too small, Ray has not yet found an established publisher
to take it up commercially, and he cannot afford to risk the sort of
outlay needed to publish it himself in sufficient quantities to bring
the price down!
10.5
However, rather than see it lay idle, if he can find around 100
buyers, he is willing to put up the initial money and sell copies "at
cost plus a donation to charity" which is expected to work out at
about ú16 each including UK postage.
10.5
Without obligation, if you might be interested in a copy and want a
better idea of what is in the book, send an A4-size SAE to the
address below to get a free copy of the contents list with a synopsis
of each chapter. Ray will then gauge the risk from the response.
10.5
Ray Favre, 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7
7QA.
10.5
StudioSound is a 32-track audio sequencing studio, allowing several
hours of audio to be sequenced and mixed, using an intuitive visual
cutting desk. Crossfades between sample segments may be drawn with
the mouse, and real-time software DSP effects may be applied to each
track of the sequence. Audio samples that have been recorded to hard
disc, may be sequenced by StudioSound, adding Midi control events or
patterns, hence producing the finished soundtrack for a multimedia
production, or for mastering to DAT and audio CD.
10.5
StudioSound has a wide range of functions including:
10.5
Crossfades - StudioSound allows a crossfade curve to be drawn for
each sample segment, permitting audio samples to be smoothly faded
out, whilst sample segments on other tracks are faded in.
10.5
Mixing Desk provides level and pan controls for each track, thus
assigning its contribution to the sequence, with the level of the
entire audio sequence controlled with the master fader. All controls
operate in real-time, and so changes to the settings may be instantly
monitored.
10.5
Real-time DSP - StudioSound is able to apply real-time software DSP
effects to sample segments on each track of the timeline. As the
control knobs are turned for effects such as high pass, low pass and
frequency boosts, the effect on the sequence is reflected instantly
during playback.
10.5
Multiple Undo/Redo - StudioSound is totally non-destructive, such
that it never actually modifies audio sample data. All editing is
performed in real-time, so any editing operation may be undone or
redone at any time, allowing maximum flexibility.
10.5
Sample Control and Trimming - Sample segments placed on the
StudioSound timeline are treated as objects, and may be dragged
around on the timeline, or cut, copied and pasted under the RISC OS
clipboard system. Sample segments may also be cropped, such that only
smaller snippets of the sample are sequenced in the project. A
control panel also permits the playback tempo and gain for each
sample segment to be individually controlled. StudioSound is able to
import and export most industry standard audio file formats, and so
most sample files may be dragged directly onto the StudioSound
timeline for sequencing.
10.5
StudioSound costs ú119.95 fully inclusive from Oregan Developments,
or ú110 through Archive.
10.5
StrongARM clocks - Dinamyx, a Young Enterprise company, is now taking
orders for its StrongARM clocks. These clocks have a picture of the
Acorn StrongARM RiscPC on the front and complement any Acorn
computer, StrongARMed or not. The clocks are available for ú7.50 plus
ú2.50 postage and packaging (the clocks are sent recorded delivery)
from Dinamyx and more information and pictures (including the address
to send cheques to) is available from their web site: http://www.
keeffe .demon.co.uk/dinmyx.htm
10.5
Typography Font CD - iSV Products have released a Font CD containing
fonts from their font packs 277, 298, 312 and the Blackletter pack,
as well as over 200 extra fonts that have been designed just for the
CD. Typography contains just over 1300 outline fonts, all with full
character sets, kerning pairs and hinted with their new NDT (No
Dropout Technology) hinting system. The CD also includes a font
viewer that allows you to see samples of all the fonts, and a hard
disc installation utility. Also, you can choose to run the fonts
directly from the CD rather than copying them to a hard disc.
Typography includes a free copy of The Font Designer's Toolkit.
10.5
Price ú46.50 inclusive (overseas add ú2), or ú44 through Archive.
10.5
Upgrades are available through iSV for owners of their existing font
packs, though the original font pack master discs must be returned
direct to iSV. For Blackletter Pack and Font Packs 277 and 298, you
can get ú5 off the price for each pack, and for Font Pack 312, you
get ú10 off the price. So if you already have all of the iSV fonts,
you can upgrade to the Typography CD for ú21.50.
10.5
WimpWorks, from Jaffa Software, is a flexible and modular system for
programming the advanced WIMP system on the Acorn series of computers
running RISC OS. It provides many new commands which can be used in
conjunction with the standard BBC Basic commands such as FOR ...
NEXT. A demonstration version of WimpWorks can be downloaded as can
the freeware WimpWorks SDK which gives full details on how to program
WEMs.
10.5
Jaffa Software have also announced a website with a difference and an
email address for support and enquiries. Instead of just another
attempt to market a product, this site is a dynamic environment in
which users can exchange hints and tips, and download applications
developed by other users of WimpWorks. The site address
is: http://www.warwick.ac.uk /~csube
10.5
The email address for programming queries or general enquiries on any
of their products is: [e-mail]
10.5
WimpWorks is available from Jaffa Software for ú25, cheques made
payable to Andrew Flagg. Each copy is programmed with the purchaser's
name, so if it is being bought for someone else, this should be made
clear at the time of ordering.
10.5
Review software received...
10.5
ÅARM System Architecture by Steve Furber (bk),
ÅAcquaint/BoardMenu/CheckCSV (u), ÅAppBy Type (u), ÅExploring maps
(e), ÅMusic Studio 32 (m), ÅNew Teddy Bears' Picnic (e), ÅPrimary
Maths (e), ÅRemindMe (u), ÅWimpWorks (p), ÅVoiceMail (bu).
Products Available
10.6
Acorn RiscPC prices - Sales of RiscPCs have continued at a very high
level, and so Acorn have felt able to drop both the educational
prices and the end user prices. The ACB77A (5Mb/540Mb) has dropped by
ú100 to ú1185 (or ú1449 with a 14" monitor) and the ACB75A (10Mb/1Gb)
has dropped by ú200 to ú1335 (or ú1599 with a 14" monitor). But Clan
members can buy these two computers at a further ú200 off - see the
Acorn Clan offer below.)
10.6
The ACB64B (4Mb/540Mb) has stayed at ú1035 (i.e. ú1299 with a 14"
monitor), so this means that the difference in price between this and
the top-end machines is now somewhat less. Therefore, the incentive
to buy an ACB64 and build it up is now somewhat less, especially when
you consider that the extra bits you add are not covered by the on-
site warranty. It is now better to decide the specification you want,
work out which of the three RiscPCs comes nearest to it, and start
with one of those. We will still do the 'DIY RiscPC' job for you of
adding in the extra bits and pieces you want, and testing it before
sending it out to you. Please ring or email us for a quotation.
10.6
The offer of a StrongARM at ú117 when you buy a RiscPC has been
extended yet again, because Acorn can see that it is encouraging lots
of people to make the step of buying a RiscPC now, rather than
waiting until some time in 1998 for the mega-RiscPC. This means that
Clan members can buy a StrongARM RiscPC for under ú1000! Admittedly
this is not including a monitor, but Acorn (that is, the new flexible
Acorn!) are not now saying that you have to buy a monitor with your
computer (unless you really twist their arm). They are quoting RiscPC
prices with and without monitor. So, yer pays yer money, and yer
takes yer choice!!
10.6
Acorn Clan special offer - The trade-in offer that Acorn had before
Christmas has been continued and extended. What is more, this is in
addition to the price drops mentioned above, and now applies to all
RiscPC models, not just the top two. This means that the price of the
ACB75A has effectively dropped by ú400 in one fell swoop!
10.6
The rules of the offer are that it's only for Clan Members (but it's
only ú15 to join!), that it's one computer per person (but different
family members can each join the clan separately if they wish!), and
that it applies to trading in any computer except Sinclairs and BBCs
- but Amigas, Ataris, PCs, etc, as well as any of the older RISC OS
computers, can be traded in.
10.6
ARM Architectural Reference Manual - Prentice Hall have published
their first ARM book, edited by Dave Jaggar, which is a 300-page
reference tome, (definitely not a sit-down-and-read-it job!) with
sections including the ARM instruction set, ARM code sequences, 26-
bit architecture, and the Thumb instruction set. This costs ú34.95
(ú36 inc p&p through Archive).
10.6
(This is not to be confused with "ARM System Architecture" by Steve
Furber, or "ARM RISC Chip: A Programmer's Guide" by Alex van Someren
and Carol Atack, both published by Addison-Wesley. Mike Allum is
manfully wading through all three of them to tell us the strengths
and weaknesses of each.)
10.6
CD Multichanger - This is a 4.4 speed ATAPI drive, marketed by Eesox,
with a quality built-in multichanger mechanism which allows you to
insert four CDs simultaneously into the drive. The software positions
four CD icons on the iconbar, allowing you access to different
information from any one at any time. The 4╫4.4 fits easily into your
RiscPC's 5╝" bay, has been thoroughly tested with StrongARM and
RISC OS 3.7, and is fully compatible with PhotoCD, MPEG and audio
CDs. The 4╫4.4 Multichanger costs ú140 through Archive.
10.6
ClassDesks - iSV Products has just launched ClassDesks, a protected
desktop for educational environments. ClassDesks provides each pupil
with their own protected hard disc partition for saving their work.
Pupils can only load and use the applications that the teacher has
specified; normal hard disc access is restricted, and the
configuration of the machine is locked. Each copy of ClassDesks can
be configured for use by multiple pupils and multiple classes.
10.6
ClassDesks comes with a five-machine site licence for ú31.50 from iSV
Products, a full site licence version is available for ú61.50.
10.6
DeskTV - Just released from Yellowstone Educational Solutions is the
latest in modular multimedia desktop digital television, DeskTV. The
product, which is initially for the RiscPC only, requires a minimum
of 4Mb RAM, 1Mb VRAM and RISC OS 3.5 or later.
10.6
DeskTV is available in two versions, the Entry Card and the Standard
Card. The Entry Card comprises an audio processor, video scaler and
digitiser, and desktop display, and allows you to play any external
video source on your desktop. Along with this, is the ability to save
high quality screenshots as sprites. The Standard Card builds on the
Entry Card with the addition of a TV Tuner for reception of TV
pictures from an external aerial.
10.6
The user has complete desktop control of bass, treble, balance and
volume on the sound processor, signal input (TV, AUX or Line),
brightness, contrast and colour on the picture processor and the
ability to auto tune and preset up to ten TV channels (Standard Card
only) on the TV Tuner.
10.6
DeskTV can be viewed whilst the user is working on the machine. The
level of screen update can also be altered (low, normal or high)
depending upon the user's requirements for screen update.
10.6
Plug in options supporting Teletext and NICAM Digital Stereo will
also be available shortly.
10.6
The cards currently retail at ú186.38 +VAT for the Entry Card and
ú220.43 +VAT for the Standard Card. Through Archive, DeskTV costs
ú210 and ú250 respectively.
10.6
EasyClip the clipart manager from Fabis, is now at version 1.5, and
offers all the usual features of viewing your graphics, and also the
ability to export foreign files as sprites and to print out a hard
copy catalogue of all your images. You can upgrade from EasyClip 1
for ú5 +ú1 p&p through Fabis. The full package costs ú39.95 + ú1.50
p&p or ú47 through Archive.
10.6
Epson High Resolution Digital Camera - Irlam Instruments have
developed Acorn software for Epson's recently launched high
resolution digital camera. The camera looks and feels just like a
standard compact photographic unit, but instead of film, the pictures
are stored in memory, and can then be transferred in seconds to DTP,
multimedia and presentation applications.
10.6
Unlike first generation digital cameras, which only provide images at
320╫240 pixels, this camera can produce non-interlaced images at
640╫480 resolution. So, for the first time, there is a digital camera
available for Acorn machines that rivals the quality obtained from
video. The camera is supplied with 2Mb of memory as standard, and
this can store approximately 30 high resolution images or 60 standard
resolution (320╫240) images. Memory can be expanded with optional 2Mb
or 4Mb memory cards so that up to 200 images can be stored. The
images are captured in full 24-bit colour and are compressed in
memory, using a technique similar to JPEG.
10.6
A built-in flash with 'red-eye' reduction system operates in low
light levels. A sophisticated but simple to use application is
provided. This downloads thumbnail versions of the full-sized images
and displays them in a filer-like window. Chosen images can be
selected and exported as JPEG or sprite files. The camera can be
operated remotely by the application, to allow pictures to be taken,
deleted and resolution adjusted, etc.
10.6
For an introductory period the complete package will cost ú499
inclusive from Irlam Instruments Ltd, or ú495 through Archive. This
includes camera, lead and software.
10.6
FontNamer allows you to rename an entire font family to a new name of
your choice. It renames all the files and also changes all the names
inside the Outlines and IntMetrics files to ensure the font is
completely renamed. It doesn't affect the kerning data, and works
with both RISC OS 2 and RISC OS 3 fonts. The price is ú14.95 +ú1.50
p&p from Fabis Computing.
10.6
Grafix CD1 is the first of several planned Grafix discs from Fabis
Computing. It contains over 10,000 images, having examples of all the
standard clipart topics, including: Animals, Buildings, Computers,
Food, etc, as well as web resources such as Animated GIFs, Arrows,
Bullets, Backgrounds and Icons.
10.6
The Grafix CD1 costs ú19.95 +ú1.50 p&p or ú24 through Archive.
10.6
Hampshire CD-ROM is an Acorn format CD-ROM created by Hampshire
teachers from primary and special schools. This disc contains three
Genesis multimedia applications demonstrating that top quality
multimedia is not simply the preserve of professionals but can be
developed by anyone with sound IT skills and an understanding of the
learning needs of children. The disc contains three applications: The
Alps, created by Maureen Gooding of Frogmore Infants School, contains
254 pictures, 99 pages of text and seven worksheets. Together, they
provide opportunities for several levels of exploration through
resources designed for primary education. Itchen provides resources
for the study of the geography, social and historical features of the
River Itchen, and contains 268 pages, 262 pictures, 11 animations, 13
video clips and 15 worksheets developed by Chas Duckhouse. The Itchen
is a river of worldwide renown and has a fascinating history - the
hovercraft, Mothers Union and Frankenstein all began in its vicinity!
Leapout is a careers database that can be used by children from eight
to fourteen to explore the world of work. Originally developed as a
resource by special schools who needed an accessible careers
information database, it has much wider applications. Coordinated by
Bill Jones, it contains 107 pages, 157 pictures and 98 sound files
presented in a humorous and informative way.
10.6
The Hampshire CD-ROM runs on any Acorn system with a CD-ROM and 4Mb
RAM, and costs ú19.99 +VAT +p&p from Hampshire Microtechnology Centre.
10.6
HardCash has been described, by its author, as 'the definitive
payroll management system'. It is believed to be the only payroll
program on the Acorn platform, that can be fully configured by the
user as required. The only time that the program will need to be
updated by RaspSoft is if the format is altered by the Government.
Features include: Full Tax and NI calculations, weekly, fortnightly,
4-weekly, monthly periods. Calculates P.A.Y.E., SC60, 715 Vehicle
Taxes, Fuel allowances, global tax code updates, exports user defined
CSV files, keeps track of SC60 payments. Calculations can be done
manually, or automatically if standard payments exist. It does a cash
breakdown, and labour can be entered as hours and minutes, or decimal
hours and minutes. Wage slips can be standard TAS, SAGE or HARDCASH
format. Screen layouts appear as standard P.A.Y.E. and N.I.
documents. It prints out P14, P60, SC11, Bankgiro, employee's details
and Inland Revenue monthly returns. It has a built-in user
guide/manual and a full browsing feature. For more information, and a
working demo version, visit their web site at: http://www.argonet.co.
uk/users/s.dine
10.6
HeartBeat from Argo is a powerful new package which allows users to
measure, monitor, display and record heart rate changes and calories
burned during exercise. HeartBeat is an accurate electrocardiograph
(ECG) suitable for use by both biology and PE teachers in primary and
secondary schools.
10.6
Users of HeartBeat simply clip a small transmitter unit to a belt and
strap it around their chest. As the user exercises, the transmitter
unit records the heart rate and transmits the information to the
receiver unit plugged into the computer. HeartBeat then displays and
records the changes in heart rate clearly and accurately on the
computer screen in a series of graphs.
10.6
HeartBeat also records the amount of calories burned during exercise.
Users simply enter their details into the computer, such as height
and weight, and the program then records and displays the total
amount of calories burned at the end of any vigorous routine.
10.6
One of the key attractions of this program is the fact that HeartBeat
involves a 'real life' application of computers. Users can also save
information on the monitored heart rate as either a drawfile graph or
a CSV file. Information gathered by HeartBeat is ideal for project
work involving control and measurement.
10.6
The complete pack is priced at ú99 +VAT +p&p or ú115 through Archive.
10.6
HotSpots, from The ACE Centre, is a program designed (in conjunction
with SEMERC) to provide special needs users with switch access to
desktop-based applications normally activated using a mouse.
10.6
A switch is an on/off device that can be operated with whatever part
of the body is used best. Through HotSpots, programs such as Sherston
Software's Talking Stories, can now be accessed and controlled very
simply by a switch. Previously, users could only operate programs
such as talking story books, by using a mouse or a touch screen.
10.6
HotSpots works by providing a number of hidden command buttons on the
screen that users can activate through the touch of a switch. By
operating the switch, the user can then scan through these points,
generating a mouse click at the right time in order to access and
control the application. The advantage of HotSpots over other mouse
emulators is that operation is very simple and efficient - it can
therefore be used by young children and those with learning and
physical disabilities. HotSpots can also be used alongside most DTP
programs.
10.6
The Shareware version of Hotspots costs ú5. If you want Resources,
manual and technical support the full price is ú15 +VAT from The ACE
Centre.
10.6
Japan and World Atlasfiles CD Anglia Multimedia have just released
their new Japan and World Population Atlasfiles on CD-ROM. This
enables students to draw choropleth (distribution) maps using
significant data. Of particular use to students of geography, the CD-
ROMs also contain hundreds of classroom activity sheets at different
levels of difficulty, ensuring students of varying ages and abilities
get the most out of the resource. The CD-ROMs also contain the data
in Key Plus, DataPower, ClarisWorks, DIF and CSV formats for data
handling activities. In addition, over 80 photographs categorised
into geographical topics, together with text and audio commentary,
have been provided. Overall, the Atlasfiles make a unique and
comprehensive resource at a very low price.
10.6
Available on triple platform (Acorn, Windows and Macintosh), the CD-
ROM costs ú35 +VAT from Anglia, or ú39 through Archive.
10.6
Joystick and Joypad products Stuart Tyrrell Developments have
announced new drivers for their joystick and joypad products: 'Solo'
(Single joystick adaptor for Atari-style joysticks), 'N' Interface
(adaptor for Super-Nintendo style joypads), ready-adapted joypads and
their forthcoming PC joystick interface. The drivers allow owners of
Acorn or Aleph 1's PC card, and Aleph 1's series of PC podules to use
joystick-based PC games without requiring any extra programs or
modules. The PC Game Adaptor is emulated, and a patch program is
supplied for those games which require direct BIDS support. Upgrades
are available free of charge to existing customers, and all products
are now shipping with the new drivers.
10.6
Games players now have an even wider choice of joypads and joysticks
with the launch of a new service by Stuart Tyrrell Developments.
Stuart Tyrrell Developments will adapt any Super-Nintendo style
joypad, enabling use on Acorn machines, for a fixed fee of ú9.95 for
single pads and ú14.95 for double pads. This price includes return
postage and packing, software and support. They also stock a number
of ready-adapted joypads which are available at reasonable prices.
10.6
With a bewildering array of options available to the games player,
making a decision as to which interface, joystick or joypad is the
most suitable can be a very daunting prospect. Stuart Tyrrell
Developments have an easy-to-follow flyer which details the options
available and gives some information to help you decide which is the
best for you. Contact Stuart Tyrrell Developments for your free copy.
10.6
Solo joystick interface costs ú14.95 inclusive, and N Interface costs
ú24.95 from STD.
10.6
Laser Direct repairs - If you have a Laser Direct printer, and are
concerned to keep it going as long as possible, PC Tech will be able
to help you. They offer a "full service" for ú195 +ú10 carriage +VAT.
Phone them on 0181-206-1505.
10.6
(I suspect that RepairZone could do it for less then that, but PC
Tech do specialise in Canon printers, so it may be worth paying the
extra. Yer pays yer money... Ed.)
10.6
Laserjet printers - Following the success of the LaserJet 5L, we have
now decided to sell its bigger brothers, the LJ6P and the LJ5. These
are more capable than the 5L, which should really be thought of as a
light desktop printer. The LJ6P runs at 8 pages per minute (ppm) and
the LJ5 at 12 ppm. They have more memory than the 5L as standard, the
LJ6P with 2Mb and the LJ5 with 4Mb. Whilst the 5L has a 100 sheet bin
with a single sheet bypass, the other two both have a main bin taking
250 sheets, and a secondary bypass taking 100 sheets (LJ6P) and 150
sheets (LJ5). The Laserjet 6P costs ú720 through Archive, and the
Laserjet 5 is ú1190.
10.6
Liquid Silicon have announced further details of their eagerly
awaited music sequencing package MelIDI. It is a multi-track pattern
based sequencer with a complete drag-and-drop interface. The song
arranger allows you to drop on patterns imported from industry
standard Midi files, or pattern libraries. Patterns can be merged,
copied or edited by using the mouse. Linked patterns can be created
which take up no extra memory and automatically update if the master
is changed. Tracks can be played through any Midi channel or as
samples through various output devices. There is also support for GS
and XG Midi devices. There are full mapping facilities which allow
tempo, pitch-bend, after-touch, controller and velocity to be entered
graphically by using the mouse. In common with other sequencers,
MelIDI supports plug-ins allowing you to sequence non-Midi events,
such as external hardware or multimedia.
10.6
MelIDI provides a full drum editor with user-definable drum kits
which can be altered at the click of a button. All events can be
quantized to user definable grooves as required. This can be done on
any arbitrary selection of notes or events. All voices, even on
instruments with multiple voice banks, can be selected by name. There
is no need to remember any numbers.
10.6
There are full user-definable note mapping facilities which can be
altered on the fly. If you want to reverse all the notes in pitch,
then feel free! Alternatively, this allows you to transparently play
back GM drum patterns on non-GM drum machines. Taking things further,
MelIDI Pro allows unlimited tracks and unlimited lengths of songs. It
also supports internal and external MTC/SMPTE synchronisation.
10.6
MelIDI is available now to buy as an advanced public beta release.
MelIDI Pro will be available later in the year. If you visit the
MelIDI web site, you can download a demo and manual of the current
beta release. You are encouraged to add to this list of features!
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~av1dpm/melidi/
10.6
The beta release costs ú80 +VAT. The completed version will cost ú100
+VAT; and the Pro version will be ú150 +VAT from Liquid Silicon.
10.6
My World Resource packs from Inclusive Technology include an
extensive range of educational software for special needs users,
early learning and basic IT skills. Extremely popular within schools,
the resource packs are available for My World for Windows (PC) and
for My World 2 (Acorn). Pupils can choose from a wide range of
subjects, from My World-Fractions to My World-Animals Matching. The
new My World - Getting Dressed comprises a set of screens built
around the language and sequencing activity of each dressing
character. There are six characters involved in Getting Dressed, all
with different clothes. This effective resource pack with fun
graphics will enable children to carry out picture and symbol
matching.
10.6
My World Resource Packs range from ú19 to ú25 +VAT +p&p.
10.6
My World Screens - There are three new packs available from Widgit
Software. Patterns from around the world uses pre-defined tiles so
that users can create both simple and visually complex patterns.
Based on the concepts of tessellation, rotation, shape and symmetry,
it develops understanding in mathematical and art areas, as well as
developing visual skills prior to reading. With Sequencing and
Sorting, important pre-reading and early mathematical skills can be
explored using this graduated set of screens for matching and sorting
objects by colour, shape, size and category. The sequencing screens
start at simply copying two elements, through to completing lines of
repeating patterns. First Letters - this set covers many initial
reading skills: initial letters, vowels, word endings, rhymes and
onset and rime. Using the pack, teachers can create activity screens
to fit with their other teaching activities, or can use the wealth of
example activities supplied on the disc. Each pack provides ready-to-
go screens, but also includes the resources from which these were
developed so that teachers familiar with My World can extend the use
further.
10.6
My World Screens cost ú55 +VAT +p&p from Widgit Software.
10.6
Optic4 is now available. It's an Acorn Disc Magazine which covers
anything from Acorn PD to the TV Series 'Friends'. It's sponsored by
NCS and edited by Jonathan Gutteridge. For more information contact:
2, Newton Close, Eaton Rise, Norwich, NR4 6RB. It costs ú2.
10.6
PD Collection CD1 is a collection of the most popular PD software
available at the moment, all on one CD. Included are Utilities,
Games, Comms software, Image Processors etc. The price is ú14.95 +ú 1.
50 p&p from Fabis Computing or ú18 through Archive.
10.6
Project Presenter is a new presentation system with sounds and
pictures, which is powerful yet easy-to-use, making it ideal for
classroom demonstrations and project work. A multimedia slide show
program suitable for children and adults alike, Project Presenter
allows sprites and drawfiles, created by a wide range of software, to
be displayed on screen as a sequence of slides. Various options allow
the student to select the length of time the slide is displayed, and
to choose how to fade the picture out. Students can create an instant
fade, pull down fade, discovery fade or a right to left fade. A wide
variety of pictures and images can be dropped into the screen, and
sound effects added, to bring a student's artwork and projects to
life.
10.6
Project Presenter is easy and quick to use, making it perfect for
displaying students' work, creating simple multimedia presentations,
parents' night displays and school electronic notice boards. The
program is designed for use at many different levels and can even be
adapted for office use, at a more advanced level.
10.6
Designed for use alongside art programs such as SEMERC's Dazzle,
Project Presenter will take Draw, Paint, Flare, Replay or Armadeus
files. Project Presenter costs ú29 +VAT +p&p from SEMERC. A site
licence costs ú58 +VAT.
10.6
Recycler from Fabis Computing is a recycle bin for RISC OS. It
automatically captures deleted files and stores them in the 'bin'.
You can set it to automatically empty the bin each week, month etc,
or you can manually empty it whenever you like. It can prevent the
deletion of files or directories of your choice, and it also compacts
all the deleted files so they take up less HD space! The main window
is fully drag and drop compatible, and looks and works just like a
normal filer window.
10.6
The launch price is ú29.95 + ú1.50 p&p or ú35 through Archive.
10.6
Risc Disc Volume 3 CD-ROM contains nearly all new material since
Volume One and Two with much enlarged PD / Shareware sections. The CD
is the first Acorn CD to be Internet connected. All software pages
have clickable links which will connect directly to the authors' web
sites, or compose an email directly without having to manually type
in email addresses.
10.6
If you want to find a program on the CD, there is a search program
built into the Risc Disc 3 front-end that will enable the location of
programs under a specific heading or subject or author. Major
features of the CD include: the full release version of Risc BSD 1.2,
plus all the latest StrongARM compatible versions of StrongED, Zap,
Arcweb etc.
10.6
The RiscDisc CD Volume 3 costs ú25 inclusive (ú23 for Clan Members)
from Uniqueway, or ú23 through Archive. As a special offer, Risc Disc
Volumes One and Two may be purchased at the same time for only ú20
extra, only from Uniqueway.
10.6
Science Explorer lets 7-12 year olds experience the wonders of a
virtual science exploratory where they can move through exciting and
colourful galleries. This CD-ROM contains 26 interactive experiments
illustrated with sophisticated graphics. These offer pupils the
opportunity to take control and actively explore topics such as
living things, human beings, the material world, electricity, light
and sound, forces & motion and space. An electronic log book facility
records pupil progress as they move through galleries and
experiments. Pupils can also build up an electronic project folder
containing selected text and graphics from the galleries, to which
they can add their own notes. All the experiments are supported with
detailed reference information which is illustrated and has
interactive glossary support.
10.6
Facilities include: six galleries containing exhilarating exhibits
and information; each exhibit offers four facilities, viz. Learn
about, Find out more, Experiments, and a Test; profile of a pupil's
use of the disc is built automatically; comprehensive glossary of
terms provides scientific definitions; focus on aspects of National
Curriculum Key stage 2 and Scottish 5-14 Curriculum guidelines.
10.6
Science Explorer costs ú59.99 +VAT +p&p from YITM or ú68 through
Archive.
10.6
SerialNET 1.5 - iSV Products has just updated their award-winning
SerialNET application to version 1.5. This new version now includes
support for Atomwide and SerialPort high speed serial cards. It also
includes even better error correction routines to ensure reliable
transport of files. Upgrades for existing users are ú5, master discs
need to be returned to iSV Products. (See 10.4 p56 for a review).
10.6
Software Showcase is an initiative that has been set up to help
developers of low cost RISC OS software to advertise their products
to thousands of Acorn users around the globe. It can be found at:
http://www.flipside.co.uk/softshow/ and contains a wealth of software
from a variety of sources. There are links to other sites, so that
some of the software can be downloaded straight to your computer,
without the need of typing in new addresses. For example, Polygon
from the Hensa site can be easily accessed with a couple of mouse
clicks. For more information, see the Comment Column on page 29.
10.6
Smudge the Spaniel - Storm Educational Software's Smudge the Spaniel
extends an invitation to discover a world beyond her kennel with the
latest title - Smudge Discovers the World. This easy-to-use graded
package for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children is presented in
three parts for use in the classroom or at home. Interactive
activities will introduce and reinforce basic geography skills in an
exciting way. The activities cover: the British Isles, Europe and the
World; Compass, Coordinates and Mapping skills; Rivers and the
Effects of the Weather. Each subject offers levels and options plus
excellent graphics, and the 'Smudge Marks' reporting system and it is
fully supported by worksheets included in the package.
10.6
Smudge Discovers the World costs ú45.99 inclusive from Storm or ú42
through Archive.
10.6
Sound Byte Recorder, from The Argo Interactive Group, consists of
sophisticated software and a microphone, which allows users to record
voice and commentary, sound effects or music, or to add further
material to talking books and multimedia programs. The Sound Byte
Recorder can capture a particular sound using the Recorder's
microphone or record from any other source, such as a hi-fi or tape
recorder. It is suitable for all ages and enables users to create
echoes as well as to distort, repeat and edit particular sounds in
many different ways.
10.6
The Sound Byte Recorder costs ú49 +VAT +p&p or ú58 through Archive.
10.6
Telepad-III - The Telepad-III is a graphics/digitiser tablet which
offers precise and natural ways of driving a host of graphics and
data input applications. The tablet is operational after plugging in
the RS232 cable and the 12V adapter. There are no DIP switches or
jumpers to set up. Connection to an application that makes use of a
digitiser is just as simple.
10.6
The four and sixteen-button cursors have long life, positive feel
switches and a wide view cross hair for easy menu selection. They are
light enough to use for many hours without strain. The Telepad is the
first tablet to offer an affordable sixteen button cursor for users
wishing to assign several menu selections to a single button. There
is a three-button stylus for users requiring fine drawing control
combined with multi-button operations. For simple data input and pen-
computing there is a single button heavy duty steel stylus with an
ink/non-ink refill.
10.6
The Telepad-III, plus Acorn drivers, is available from R-comp for
ú165 +VAT (A4 size) and ú190 +VAT (A3 size).
10.6
TitlerTools is a suite of programs that was at one stage going to be
released as a commercial product to complement Titler from Clares
Micro Supplies. Due to a number of factors it was never released, and
Clares have now allowed its release as freeware - though neither
Clares nor the author can provide support for the programs.
10.6
Among the programs are: Linker, an animation program. The aim was to
create a DVE (Digital Video Effects) generator in software. Features
include transparent-tinted-motion trailed 3D rotation and distortion;
rotoscoping; 'tweened' convolution; gleam bars; mesh distortion and
user-definable 'mouse trails'. Linker is also handy for creating
animated GIF files through InterGif. Hroller is a horizontal outline
font text scroller. Output may be included in Sequencer. TimeCalc is
a desktop calculator for time. ArcPrompt is a Teleprompting/text
reading application.
10.6
The software can be found, with some other 'bits'n bobs' at
http://www.GeoCities.Com/SiliconValley/7320
10.6
Tizzy's Toybox is brimming over with meaningful activities for young
children. It is full of magical animations, lively speech and music
that will entrance all young children. With the help of Tizzy, the
magic clown that lives in the toybox, youngsters can choose from ten
fun-filled games and activities that will help them grasp those all-
important early basic skills. Once children have chosen the toy they
want to play with, Tizzy does the rest as she guides and helps them
through the educational games and activities. With Tizzy's help,
young children can get to grips with simple rhyming words,
prepositions, the language of comparison, matching and sorting,
counting and one to one correspondence, colours, jigsaw puzzles,
sequencing, the sounds and shapes of the letters of the alphabet and
much more. Perfect for all children from 4 to 6 years, Tizzy's Toybox
has been produced by new Sherston authors Sue Rankin and Hans Rijnen,
in conjunction with Mike Matson.
10.6
Tizzy's Toolbox CD-ROM costs ú40 +VAT +p&p from Sherston Software. A
slightly cut-down version on floppy disc also costs ú40 +VAT +p&p.
Through Archive, they each cost ú46. A site licence costs ú60 +VAT
from Sherston.
10.6
Review software received...
10.6
ÅClassDesks (eu) ÅExploring maps CD-ROM (e) ÅRisc Disc 3 CD-ROM (upc)
ÅTizzy's Toolbox (e).
10.6
c=Comms, e=Education, p=Programming, u=Utility.
10.6
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.
10.6
Product News
10.6
AddressIT will give you access to all 26 million addresses recognised
by the Post Office to provide you with an accurate address to street
level throughout the UK. All you do is enter a postcode, and
AddressIt will supply the town, village and street. Add the house
number and drag the completed address to your favourite database,
accounts or DTP software. AddressIT is being developed now by Fabis
Computing, and is due for release at Wakefield. The price is due to
be set at ú149 for the first year. Thereafter, you can pay an annual
fee of ú75 to receive the latest version of the software and upgrades
of new postcodes.
10.6
Anglia Picture CD-ROMs - With the resources of Anglia Television,
Survival Anglia and other companies in the United News and Media
group behind them, Anglia Multimedia have an extensive archive of
photographic material. This archive enables them to make available
high quality resource collections suitable for pupils and students of
all ages in CD-ROM format. This spring they will release five titles
on popular curriculum topics aimed at classroom use. 'Settlement',
'Water', 'Science in Action', 'On the Move' and 'Science
Exploration'. Each will contain 108 high quality photographs with
explanatory text. Audio commentary has been added to increase access
to pupils with special needs. All photographs and text can be
extracted for student use making the CDs perfect for project work
either in printed or multimedia format. The discs will be triple
platform Acorn, Windows and Macintosh CD-ROMs costing ú12.99 +VAT
each or ú49.99 +VAT for all five. Through Archive we expect them to
cost ú15 and ú56.
10.6
Map Detectives - News that Sherston's best selling author, Simon
Hosler, is putting the finishing touches to his first CD-ROM title,
to be released in April, will be welcomed by teachers around the
country.
10.6
Map Detectives is an interactive package which teaches mapping and
compass skills through the ingenious use of different types of maps
and charts. The CD-ROM contains all the resources you'd expect in the
form of photographs, animations and speech etc, all cleverly
interlinked in a story line full of fun and mystery in true Hosler
style. Supporting the teaching of geography, an area not particularly
well served with software, and aimed at 8-12 year olds, Map
Detectives is sure to be a welcome addition to schools' software
libraries.
10.6
Map Detectives has been produced on Sherston's own authoring system,
Playbook, and should be available in April 1997 on triple format CD-
ROM. The price is yet to be confirmed but will be in the region of
ú45 +VAT for a single user copy.
10.6
The Games Suite from Grasshopper Software is now almost complete. The
package allows the production of games, from platform to
sideways/vertical scrolling 'shoot em ups'. It features a huge number
of features, and now sports a macro language. The package is based
around two sections, a compact 5Kb module, and a front end editor.
The front end is for those with little programming experience, i.e.
Basic only. All the functions of the front end are available through
a SWI interface, or via a branch table.
10.6
The user creates a data file in the editor, which revolves around
seven sections: Animation Streams, Walkpaths, Landscapes, Macros,
Time Code, Collisions and Key Mapping. The elements above are enough
to create quite a complex and intricate game. There are facilities
for a wide range of things including full modelling of vector motion,
with friction, etc. Objects (e.g. your object or powerups/bullets
etc) and a starfield can be plotted in parallax relative to your
current velocity. Both animations and walkpaths take no extra time to
apply, so static unanimated objects are no faster than moving
animated objects.
10.6
The suite accepts standard Acorn sprite files, making editing and
saving images very easy. One of the most important aspects of The
Games Suite is that is easily expandable - the macro language has an
instruction set of up to 2048 instructions, allowing extra modules to
be added easily. Plans are already underway for a 3D version. For a
demo, visit their website at: http://users.ox.ac.
uk/~sjoh0576
10.7
Acornæs StrongARM RiscPC - Once stocks of ARM710 RiscPCs are sold
out, they will be replaced by the new StrongARM-ready RiscPCs. The
ACB 75/76 10Mb RiscPCs have already been sold out and therefore they
are replaced by the SRP05 which is 10Mb (8Mb SIMM plus 2Mb VRAM), 1Gb
hard drive, 200 MHz StrongARM at ú1450 inc VAT and the SRP06 which is
the same as the SRP05 but with an eight-speed CD drive for just ú50
extra: ú1500 inc VAT.
10.7
All About Handwriting & All About Planes CD-ROM - Christopher Jarman
is one of Britainæs leading handwriting gurus, whose books for
teachers and children are bestsellers around the world. He has teamed
up with software publishers Topologika to produce a CD-ROM which
contains not just one but two titles:
10.7
All About Handwriting provides computer-based handwriting resources
for primary and secondary phases. Topics include: Handwriting Skills,
The Story of the ABC, How To Make Ink & Quill Pens, Things to Try in
the Classroom, Illuminated Letters and Writing Surfaces. All About
Handwriting will encourage children to form their letters correctly
and take a pride in their work, enhance History and communications
topic work and develop Handwriting INSET. It also includes Éjoinsæ,
an easy-to-use animated program to demonstrate how to write and join
any letter, phrase or sentence.
10.7
All About Planes targets reluctant readers from Key Stage 2 and up.
From Icarus to the Space Shuttle, from How Planes Fly to websites to
visit, Planes is designed to get kids reading. Planes has been
structured like a book so that students will find it easy to use and
develop those all important transferable skills. Each page has an
illustration/animation with text which can be spoken by the computer.
There are plenty of activities, including making paper aeroplanes,
pictures to print and colour - thereæs even a section to help plan
school trips. Topics covered include: Early Planes, Air Flow,
Passenger Planes, Helicopters, Birds & Gliders, Military Planes,
Cockpits, Fun Planes, and Things To Do, including a multi-choice
ÉPilotæs Examæ. Students can easily export text and pictures for
inclusion in their own work.
10.7
The CD-ROM costs ú35 +VAT from Topologika (or ú39 through Archive),
with a network licence available at double the cost, and the extra
discs are ú15 +VAT each.
10.7
Autosheet - See Archive 10.6 p38 for the review of Autosheet. In the
meantime, there are a couple of changes to mention. Firstly, the
email and WWW addresses have changed. Alisdair McDiarmid can now be
contacted at: alisdair@verisimilitude. demon.co.uk, and his web
pages are at http://www.verisimilitude.demon.co.
uk/alisdair/
10.7
Secondly, the licence has changed. The difference now is that the ú5
student licence has been removed, leaving the Teacher and School
licences as before.
10.7
BitFolio 7 CD - This clipart CD got a good write-up a year ago (9.6
p9) as öIf you only ever buy one clipart collection, this is probably
the one to buyò. The reviewer made that comment when the price was
ú95. We managed to do a special deal with BitFolio and sold large
numbers at the special price of ú75. BitFolio have now dropped the
price, making it ú49 inclusive through Archive - virtually half price.
10.7
Canon BJC4550 - If you are wanting an A3 colour printer then the new
BJC4550 offers the larger size format at 720╫360 resolution for only
ú400 through Archive. (Drivers currently only for 360╫360.)
10.7
CD-ROM drives from Eesox - The BronzeII 4╫4 is an auto-changer CD-ROM
where up to four discs can be loaded into the mechanism, and each is
given its own CD-ROM drive icon on the iconbar. The drive will
automatically change between the discs, taking approximately 5
seconds to do so. Even though it can hold four CD-ROMs, it still only
takes up as much space as a standard CD-ROM drive. Itæs a 4-speed
drive with an average seek time of 220ms. Loading is by direct
insertion and it can operate vertically.
10.7
The BronzeII ╫8 speed CD drive is the flagship model for those
demanding top performance from their CD-ROMs. Not only does it
deliver data quickly, it also supports the more unusual features,
such as CD volume control, and the ability to transfer audio CDs
digitally to hard disc. Itæs an 8-speed drive with an average seek
time 120ms. Loading is by tray and it can operate vertically.
10.7
Both of the Bronze drives work with the PC card, and are PhotoCD and
Multi-session compatible. Their connections are: printer pass-through
port, headphone socket, audio left/right line out.
10.7
The BronzeII 4╫4 costs ú169 +p&p +VAT, or ú200 through Archive. The
BronzeII ╫8 costs ú189 +p&p +VAT, or ú230 through Archive.
10.7
CD-ROM prices down - Continuing the trend of speeds going up and
prices coming down, we can now supply a twelve-speed IDE drive for
ú145 and twelve-speed SCSI drive for ú175 (internal) or ú235
(external). If you are wanting multiple CDs, for situations where
waiting for CDs to change is not acceptable, e.g. in a school, the CD-
tower is the answer. We can supply a tower with six six-speed CD-ROM
drives all in one block for ú1090. These are all Eesox drives.
10.7
CoPS is a psychometric testing system for 4-8 year olds. Each child
tested with CoPS is run through a series of nine tests, each of which
tests one or more cognitive skills such as visual sequential memory.
Each test takes about ten minutes, which must be undisturbed, but the
tests do not all have to be taken on the same day. CoPS assesses
visual and auditory/verbal associative memory, visual and
auditory/verbal sequential memory, visual-verbal associative
learning, phonological awareness and auditory discrimination. It also
indirectly measures information and motor processing speeds. This
gives a profile of the childæs cognitive abilities. One of the tests,
Zoidæs Friends, tests visual sequential memory (temporal/colour) by
showing a sequence of differently coloured aliens. The child must
then click on coloured boxes to indicate the order. If they find this
difficult, they may have difficulty with verbal encoding, look-and-
say reading methods, spelling or writing.
10.7
CoPS is available from Chameleon Assessment Techniques Ltd for ú350
+VAT. Leasing is also available through Chameleon.
10.7
DataFrame is a new way of handling data from Resource. DataFrame
stores information in a way which is clear and immediately
understandable, by combining the most useful aspects of a database
and a spreadsheet. You enter the data by typing it into the
appropriate row or column - want an average or a total? Two clicks
and itæs done! A pie or bar graph? Two clicks and there it is! You
can search for names or values, make calculations, sort, change grid
size and more, but always in a clear, intuitive way. DataFrame will
handle very simple material at Key Stage 1 but is flexible enough to
cover data handling requirements through to Key Stage 3.
10.7
DataFrame comes with sample files at different levels, and costs ú30
+p&p +VAT from Resource.
10.7
Disc Doctor - There is a new version of Disc Doctor, able to handle
large hard drives formatted with the HForm Beta. There is a free
upgrade for all registered users. Disc Doctor is a commercial
development of the FSCK disc repair system. It is able to perform all
the functions of FSCK, whilst providing the user with a simple to use
RISC OS front end, which means no more messing with command line
parameters. In addition, the suite provides a simple and effective
solution to recovering accidentally deleted files, repairing broken
directories and repairing faulty disc maps.
10.7
Among the suite of programs is: Resurrect an application which is
able to undelete files, or even whole directories of files which have
been inadvertently deleted. A list of previously deleted files, may
be presented at any time, perhaps even dating back several weeks,
then undeleted by dragging them back to a filer window. DiscAid is an
application which is able to check and repair commonly occurring
problems with either floppy or hard discs, including broken
directories and faulty disc maps. MapView is an application which is
able to display the map of a disc in a graphical manner. This is
useful to analyse how a file or directory is stored on the disc
surface, or to examine how much of the free disc space is fragmented.
10.7
Disc Doctor costs ú29.95 fully inclusive or ú29 through Archive.
10.7
EFF free CD-ROM with 4000 PD Fonts. The Electronic Font Foundry
believes that Public Domain fonts should not be sold by anyone, since
their authors have made them available to the public for free. This
was a reason why EFF has launched this collection of Public Domain
fonts, and whatæs more decided to supply them free of charge. In
order to make these fonts useful for Acorn computer users, the EFF
has added hinting and skeletons to every font - they are not made to
the exacting standards they apply to their own fonts, but they do
make them more usable at any point size no matter how small. EFF say
that they use an improved, No Dropout Technology method of hinting
and that these fonts benefit significantly, compared to other Public
Domain fonts. Thatæs not to say that these fonts compare with EFFæs
own collection - they are still PD fonts!
10.7
Applications on the CD include: !PDcat an on-line catalogue of all
the fonts - it shows samples of the fonts at any point size between
12 and 72, and also has a search facility and a Font Installer which
makes an installed font available to any application immediately
without a need to reset the computer. !EFFcat is an on-line catalogue
of the professional fonts from the Electronic Font Foundry - it shows
samples of their fonts in the various languages they cater for. This
application can also search for the EFF font names or their
PostScript equivalents.
10.7
If you are ordering anything from the EFF, the CD-ROM is completely
free of charge, otherwise they require a self-addressed label and
their standard handling charge of ú1.50 in Post Office stamps or a
cheque for ú2.05.
10.7
Frank and the Kilowatts CD is an interactive safety game aimed at
conveying important safety messages to young people that could save
them from serious injury or death. Itæs a fun, graphical adventure
game featuring the ÉCreature Comfortsæ characters. It shows children
how to avoid the most common hazards involving electricity, and shows
how electricity is generated and distributed. Safety messages
featured: Water and electricity donæt mix, the importance of using
circuit breakers, never play near a substation, never retrieve an
object from power lines, pylons or substations, using the right fuse,
playing in disused buildings, safety in the home, and the dangers of
low-level power lines.
10.7
Comprehensive teachersæ notes with step-by-step instructions on how
to install and use the game are included. It requires 2Mb of RAM, 5Mb
of hard disc space, CD-ROM drive and RISC OS 3.1 or greater. Itæs
aimed at Key Stage 2 to 3, and is relevant to Science and Information
Technology.
10.7
To education, the cost is ú5, but for non-education users the cost is
ú15 +VAT from an organisation called Understanding Electricity.
10.7
HardCash - RaspSoft have announced the release of HardCash 50 (see
Products Available 10.6 p5 for the original notice) - the Éultimateæ
payroll system for the Acorn platform. A working demo can be
downloaded from their website at: http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/s.
dine
10.7
HardCash costs ú99 from RaspSoft, but they are doing a special price,
until 30th April 1997, of ú89.
10.7
Internet software - Looking for any Internet software? The
ödefinitive collectionò of free Acorn internet software on the web
has been compiled and is available at:
10.7
http://www.infopark.demon.co.uk/freenet/
10.7
Authors tend to keep the latest version of their software on their
home web pages, and so this is the first place you should check.
10.7
Maltron ergonomic keyboards - The successful range of Maltron
ergonomic keyboards has just been extended with the introduction of
the Maltron Expanded keyboard. This Expanded keyboard has been
developed to enable those with muscular control problems and those
with visual problems to access a computer.
10.7
The expanded face presents a series of square holes with the key
mechanism underneath a steel shell. All the operator has to do is
press through the 18╫18mm hole to hit the exact key required. And the
problem of multiple characters being produced by a single yet
elongated press is solved by allowing the Typermatic repeat rate to
be easily changed at the keyboard. An off condition and three
different speeds can also be selected.
10.7
This new Maltron Expanded keyboard suits IBM AT and PS/2 computers,
(this includes the RiscPC), and the manufacturers are currently
producing a version for use with the A4000 & A5000 machines. The
nylon coated steel case with integral key guard provides an easily
cleaned surface and longevity in a physically demanding environment.
The keyboard is supplied with a standard cable and adaptor so that it
suits 5-pin and 6-pin socket systems. An integral switchbox in the
expanded keyboard enables a standard keyboard to be plugged in which
is most useful for teachers and carers etc.
10.7
Two letter layouts are supplied with each keyboard. These are the
standard QWERTY layout, which suits those with some typing
experience, and an ABC arrangement. An LED light shows which letter
layout is being used.
10.7
The Maltron Expanded keyboard is available from PCD Maltron and costs
ú545 +VAT.
10.7
Oak Recorder 3 Plus - With the power of the RiscPC in mind, Solent
Computer Products have produced a new version of their Oak Recorder
sound sampling system: the Oak Recorder 3 Plus. This has been re-
engineered to achieve higher quality in two ways: A wider dynamic
range for greater sensitivity is produced and higher recording rates
up to 40kHz can now be achieved.
10.7
The Oak Recorder 3 Plus supersedes the Oak Recorder 3 in production
at no extra cost. The price remains fixed at ú44.95 +p&p +VAT, or ú52
through Archive. To education it costs ú39.95 +p&p +VAT.
10.7
Hardware upgrades are available to existing Recorder 3 users for just
ú12.95 + VAT. Contact Solent for further details.
10.7
!Pdf is an Adobe« Portable Document Format file viewer for RISC OS.
Although !pdf is based on version 0.6 of xpdf, it does not support
all the features of xpdf. The following extra features are supported
though: Zoom, and Save as drawfile (use Draw for printing your page).
To use !pdf, you need the following resources: Acorn toolbox modules
and 2Mb RAM. !pdf has been tested on an Archimedes 310/4 Mb, RISC OS
3.1, with FPA, and StrongARM RiscPC/20 Mb, RISC OS 3.7.
10.7
!pdf is available for download from the Knoware website: http://www.
knoware.nl/users/lsmiers/index.html and is based on the program xpdf
from Derek Noonburg (<[e-mail]>). (Itæs also on this
monthæs program disc. Ed.)
10.7
PDSview - Designed for image processing in True, False and Pseudo
colour on large binary data arrays, such as satellite and spacecraft
remotely sensed data, PDSview has also taken on a new lease of life
with the StrongARM version. Now that vast amounts of Spacecraft data
are available via the internet, the need for an image processing
package specifically designed for the analysis and enhancement of
these images, is greater than ever.
10.7
PDSview costs ú116.91 inclusive from Spacetech or ú110 through
Archive.
10.7
RamDisc+ is a management utility for your RAM disc. By clicking on
its icon on the iconbar, the RAM discæs size can be increased or
decreased by an amount equal to your computeræs page size. For those
with Access+ networks, options to share the disc, just like those for
other drives, are also provided. For those utilising the RAM disc
when copying files to floppy disc, options are provided to set the
size of the RAM disc to one of many common disc sizes. Dropping
objects onto the RamDisc+ icon will place the object in the RAM disc;
such objects can be dragged from directory displays or even an
applicationæs Save window. Underneath the icon on the iconbar, the
RAM discæs free space is constantly displayed. At the click of a
button, all the files in the RAM disc can be moved or copied into a
directory on a fixed disc of your choice, deleted or closed. Options
are also provided to set the RAM disc as the location for scrap files
and as the currently selected directory (CSD).
10.7
RamDisc+ from Cherisha Software costs ú10 (no VAT) for a single user
licence. An unlimited licence costs ú45.
10.7
Recall - Have you ever quit an application only to need it again a
short time later? Recall is an application that stores details of all
the applications run on your computer since Recall itself was
started. At the click of a button, an application long since quit can
be re-launched. As each application is quit, its name will be added
to the Recall submenu on the iconbar menu. By clicking on the
required applicationæs menu entry, the application in question can be
re-launched.
10.7
Recall from Cherisha Software, costs ú4 (no VAT) for a single user
licence. An unlimited licence costs ú12.
10.7
Safety First from the Understanding Electricity Educational Service,
covers safety issues, simple circuits and the role of fuses in
electrical appliances. The Simple Circuit program allows pupils to
build their own circuits; it also introduces the concepts of
conductors, insulators and electrical circuits before pupils move
onto practical, experimental work. The Fuses program simulates the
fitting of fuses to six domestic appliances and shows the dangers of
fitting a fuse with an incorrect rating. The Safety Game takes pupils
around a house; players score points for correctly identifying
potential electrical hazards at different locations in and around the
home. Itæs aimed at Key Stage 2 to 3 with curriculum relevance to
Science, Technology and Information Technology.
10.7
Safety First is available from Understanding Electricity, and costs
ú5 for education and ú15 +VAT for non-educational users. (Despite the
similarities, this is not the same product as Frank and the Kilowatt
CD. It confused me! Ed.) (Not difficult!!)
10.7
Sportster modems - The range of Sportster modems has extended, and
the prices have dropped. The 14.4Kbaud is now ú110, the 33.6Kbaud is
ú180 and there is now a 56Kbaud modem at ú220. This new modem
technology from US Robotics is the first Sportster modem to have
flash memory and it enables Internet and On-line connections at
nearly twice the speed of those currently available over standard
telephone lines.
10.7
In addition to the flash upgrade capability, the new Sportster has
all of the user features of the current Sportster Voice 33.6. These
include fax, personal voice mail with multiple mailboxes, hands-free
speakerphone, remote voice message and fax retrieval, and fax-on-
demand. To use the voice features, including the hands-free telephone
function, requires the addition of a headset, a powered speaker or a
soundcard.
10.7
The modem is supplied with fax, data and voice communications
software for PC, and free trial offers to Virgin Net, NETCOM (both
exclusive to US Robotics), AOL and Compusrve. It also carries a five
year warranty and free lifetime support.
10.7
How, you are asking, can a company claim to get 56Kbaud data transfer
on a standard telephone cable? On your behalf, I asked the
salesman(!) and he claimed that itæs a new technology that many of
the big ISPs have adopted/are adopting (he mentioned Pipex, AOL,
Compuserve, Netcom and Virgin), which allows 56Kbaud from the ISP to
your computer, although you are still limited to 33.6Kbaud in the
other direction. Before buying the öFlash X2ò modems, as they are
called, I suggest you check with your ISP! (If anyone has any further
information and/or can explain it to a confused editor, it would be
much appreciated!)
10.7
Talking Rhymes 2 - Topologika now have two Acorn RISC OS titles in
the Talking Rhymes series. Pack 2 follows the success of the first
Talking Rhymes release and contains: Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Baa
Baa Black Sheep, Jack and Jill and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
10.7
Topologikaæs Talking Nursery Rhymes give reading software a new
twist. Children are presented with jumbled up bits of a rhyme as a
picture and/or words. When theyæve got it un-jumbled, the computer
speaks the rhyme and plays an animation with a sing-along tune. And
thatæs not all - when the child clicks on a piece of the puzzle, the
computer speaks that part of the rhyme. Itæs a real human voice, so
children have no difficulty understanding it.
10.7
Buttons help with reassembling the rhyme and managing the program: a
Écheatæ button shows how the rhyme will look when itæs finished, and
an ear button reads the rhyme as it currently is - no matter what the
order of the words! Screens can be configured to present the child
with lines, columns or just words, so the same task can be re-
presented with higher levels of difficulty. These Étalking jigsawsæ
have tremendous potential for young children who love the detail and
humour in the animations; they can even play them backwards! The pack
includes a manual full of suggestions for work away from the computer.
10.7
Pack 1 contains Humpty Dumpty, Georgie Porgie, Little Jack Horner and
Miss Muffet.
10.7
Pack 2 contains Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Jack
and Jill and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
10.7
The packs cost ú25 +VAT each or ú40 for both. Site licences cost
twice those prices. Owners of Version 1 of Pack 1 can get a free
upgrade - just send your original discs back to Topologika at their
new address. Through Archive, Packs 1 & 2 cost ú29 each or ú45 for
the two.
10.7
Teletext Plus - Octopus Systems have recently released v6.5 of their
Teletext+ application (reviewed in Archive 9.7 p57), and an upgrade
can be obtained by returning your master disc to them with a cheque
for ú12 to cover the cost of the upgrade, a printed supplement, VAT,
postage and packing. Registered users can also obtain the upgrade
from Octopus Systems by email at no charge.
10.7
The upgrade offers full compatibility with StrongARM and with Irlam
Instrumentsæ Risc TV package. The latter has its own teletext add-on
option but the built-in software control facilities are relatively
basic. Using the Teletext+ software instead affords all the extensive
facilities covered in the review, and more. The Risc TV application
does not need to be pre-loaded because starting Teletext+
automatically extracts the necessary support module data from the
Risc TV.
10.7
The update now allows sub-pages to be rolled automatically, has the
ability to load teletext files saved from Design IT or Computer
Concepts teletext software, allows telephone numbers in teletext
pages to be dialled using DTMF tones through the computeræs sound
system, and has a new alarm facility, improved choices and keyword
searching options.
10.7
The Games Suite version 2 - After much work, the Games Suite version
2.00 is now available. The new version is a completely new product -
not much of the original remains, hence it has been named v2.00. For
those who have not encountered The Games Suite before, it is a
complete games development tool kit. The system assumes no prior
knowledge, and can be used on two levels: either by those who are
competent coders, and just require the use of the specialist games
library routines, or by those with little or no programming
experience. The routines are all produced in 100% ARM code, and will
handle: collision detection, sprite plotting, animating and moving
objects, handling their interactions with other objects, etc.
10.7
The multitasking environment editor and macro language will let you
in gently to the world of games programming, with an easy-to-use
program and step-by-step manual. Upgrades will be continually
available for a nominal handling fee, by post for versions 2.00 to 2.
09, after which an upgrade fee will be charged. Free upgrades will be
dispatched to all users of v1.00 upgrading them to v2.00. For full
details and a free demo, point your browser to: http://users.ox.
ac.uk/~sjoh0576
10.7
The Games Suite is available for ú25 inclusive from Grasshopper
Software.
10.7
The Ultimate Human Body CD (TUHB) is the latest product from
Innovative Media Solutions - a company which specializes in
developing software to allow some of the best IBM PC CD-ROM titles to
operate on the Acorn platform. TUHB has been produced in conjunction
with Dorling Kindersley (DK), the company which developed the CD for
the IBM PC. For each of their products, IMS has written a reader
program that is very specific for that CD-ROM. The reader takes all
the data from the CD - the graphics, text, speech, music, animations
and videos - and translates it into a RISC OS application. All this
happens transparently, behind the scenes, as you use the program. All
you need to do is double-click on the reader (just like any other
RISC OS program) and you now have a native version of the CD-ROM
software to explore.
10.7
TUHB costs ú38 +p&p +VAT, or ú45 through Archive. (See the review on
page 25.)
10.7
!TMViewer is a PD VRML browser from the authors of TopModel and is
available for free download at: http://www.hornby.demon.co.
uk/freeware/index.htm
10.7
!TMViewer is basically a 3D viewer which accepts files in TopModel
binary format (&B5C 3DFiles and &139 3DScenes) and VRML files (with a
good integration with Fresco web-browser). Thus you can happily use
this viewer with TopModel; build your own world into TopModel, export
it in VRML file format, put it on the web and navigate into it using
!TMViewer. It is public domain so you can (and must) distribute it
freely, provided you copy all the files contained in the archive.
This is the very first release (v.1.00), so it isnæt totally bug-
free! If you want further details of !TMviewer, the latest releases,
give suggestions, etc, you can contact Giancarlo Castagno at:
[e-mail] or Chris Hornby at Spacetech Ltd.
10.7
Undelete - Quantum Software have announced an upgrade to their
Undelete program. Existing users may email them at:
[e-mail] to be sent the upgrade program (only 28Kb)
or visit their website at http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/qs/ to
download the latest version of the Model module to take it to version
1.39 (Undelete is at version 1.15).
10.7
They are also planning to set up an automatic mailing list for
registered users of Undelete/Keystroke/Blinds and Impressive, so that
any future upgrades or announcements can be sent directly to users
when they become available. Please email: [e-mail]
quoting your QS product serial number and full name and address if
you are interested in being added to this list.
10.7
Undelete is an easy-to-use program that allows you to recover deleted
files from a floppy disc or hard drive without any fuss. Any files,
directories or applications you have deleted after you have installed
Undelete can be quickly recovered.
10.7
You simply see the deleted file in a list and click on it to undelete
it. Undelete is designed to work on RISC OS from 3.1, and supports
ADFS, IDEFS, SCSIFS, ATAFS and IZipFS. Undelete also remembers your
deleted files between computer sessions!
10.7
Undelete costs ú18.95 +p&p for a single user licence, or ú23 through
Archive. A multi-user licence costs from ú70 +VAT - please phone or
email Quantum for a quotation.
10.7
Usborne Exploring Nature CD-ROM is an adaptation of the ÉUsborne
First Complete Book of Natureæ for CD-ROM, designed and produced by
media specialists Main Communications of Winchester.
10.7
With realistic illustrations, and text written by teachers, this CD-
ROM provides a classroom and library resource of the highest order
for all primary, middle and secondary schools. Access to the
resources is simple, using a menu picture of the inside of a childæs
study bedroom. From here the user can pass through windows or an open
door into a metaphorical natural world featuring common habitats.
Screen Éhot spotsæ allow the user to find species of flora and fauna
in their correct context. A naturalistæs toolbox with camera,
notebook, binoculars, tape measure and other measuring devices lets
the user analyse key features. Back at the study bedroom, the user
can browse through a themed bookcase with hundreds of pages of
exportable sprites and text. Basic information is also quickly
available through a reference option.
10.7
Usborne Exploring Nature CD-ROM costs ú42.51 +p&p +VAT from Hampshire
Microtechnology Centre, or ú49 through Archive.
10.7
Victorian Crime and Punishment is a major multimedia resource and
datahandling package for Key Stages 2-3 History and IT. It revolves
around a (Pinpoint) datafile of information on some 378 prisoners,
including scanned images of their mugshots, from County Gaol Habitual
Criminals registers of 1869 to 1878. It provides more than a complete
termæs work for a whole class. The package is designed to introduce
datahandling in a structured way, whilst at the same time encouraging
a questioning and exploratory approach to the study of history and
historical sources. It was developed in collaboration with the
Cambridgeshire Curriculum Agency and Cambridgeshire Constabulary. It
includes a 175 page searchable multimedia binder of historical
background information, and a 64 page book containing teachersæ notes
and photocopiable worksheets. It requires Pinpoint 2 or Junior
Pinpoint. Victorian Crime and Punishment costs ú41 +p&p +VAT from
Longman Logotron, or ú48 through Archive.
10.7
WimpBasic from Clares Micro Supplies, is a total programming
environment for RISC OS 3.1 and later. It enables you to write WIMP
applications without having to understand how the RISC OS windows
environment works. WimpBasic handles it all for you, and it enables
you to write applications quickly. Wimp Basic has a graphical Menu
Creator, graphical Window Creator, interactive Variables Editor and
an easy-to-use Code Editor, complete with ÉThrowbackæ that enables
you to enter the code at the line causing the error. A comprehensive
set of tutorial applications (some producing useful applications) is
also provided.
10.7
WimpBasic costs ú49.95 inc VAT from Clares, or ú46 through Archive.
(See the revieweræs initial comments on page 36.)
10.7
ZeriLink 2.00 enables a 400Kb/sec file transfer link between a RiscPC
and an IBM PC, two RiscPCs, or two IBM PCs, via the parallel port.
Except for the parallel cable, no additional hardware is needed. IBM
PCs should, however, have a parallel port which supports ECP
(available on nearly all multi-I/O cards) and should have an 80386 or
better. ZeriLink is Shareware and is available from John Kortinkæs
web page at: www.inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink It costs 30 guilders.
Not much for half an Ethernet.
10.7
Product News
10.7
Inclusive Technology - April l5th 1997 will mark the launch of I.T.
Art and Mental Health at the House of Lords, a ground-breaking
exhibition focusing on pieces of computer artwork created by adults
with mental health difficulties. Organised by the National Council
for Educational Technology (NCET) and sponsored by Inclusive
Technology, educational suppliers of special needs computer products,
this is the first public exhibition of its kind. The exhibition will
coincide with the launch of the new online Special Needs Service from
Inclusive Technology.
10.7
In this country, mental health problems, ranging from schizophrenia
to depression, affect more than 6 million people (about 1 in 7 living
in private households). The I.T. Art and Mental Health exhibition has
been designed to raise public awareness of the positive relationship
that can be formed between people with mental health difficulties and
computers, thus encouraging and alerting staff working in colleges,
hospitals and psychiatric day centres to the potential of computers
in aiding the rehabilitation process.
10.7
The exhibition will include twenty totally different pieces of
computer artwork from artists in day centres and colleges who are
using computers to help people with mental health problems. By taking
the exhibition on tour around the country, NCET and Inclusive
Technology will be making a positive step forward for people with
mental health problems. A list of venues and further information on
the exhibition can be obtained from Sally McKeown at NCET.
10.7
Further information on Inclusive Technologyæs online Special Needs
Service can be obtained from Roger Bates, Information Director at
Inclusive Technology. The new online Special Needs Service can be
found on Inclusiveæs website - Inclusive.co.uk.
10.7
Makaton Symbols are widely used by a whole range of teachers, care
assistants, therapists and their clients or students. The Makaton
Database contains over 1800 Symbols and Signs. Symbols are the core
vocabulary (revised 1996) to reflect the basic everyday requirements
of children and adults, as well as the needs of a multi-cultural
society. Signs used with the Makaton Programme are from British Sign
Language (BSL). At the moment, Makaton Signs and Symbols is only
available on PC, but an Acorn version of the Makaton Database, with
the Makaton Core vocabulary, is in preparation - weæll let you know
when it becomes available.
10.7
Topologika working to improve handwriting worldwide - Topologika are
sponsoring the Society for Italic Handwritingæs 1997 Handwriting
initiative - watch out for details of this later in the year. Latest
information can be found in the Press Resources section of their
website. Other software companies involved in this are SEMERC
(Oldham) and Softease Ltd.
10.7
For further information, contact Brian Kerslake at Topologika.
10.7
Review software received...
10.7
ÅAccessory (u) ÅLispCalc (u) ÅKalah (u) ÅThe Games Suite 2 (pg).
10.7
g=Game, p=Programming, u=Utility.
33MHz ARM3 FPA upgrades are now available from Simtec Electronics.
They have been able to manufacture a special batch of new 33MHz ARM3
upgrades to fit the A300, A400 and A3000 machines. Each ARM3 uses
their original single piece, surface-mount design with integral
socket for the FPA10 or FPA11. The special 35MHz rated surface mount
parts have socketed crystals (except for the A3000 version) and are
clocked at 33MHz for the FPA11 and at 25MHz for the FPA10.
10.8
The 33MHz ARM3 with FPA socket (will accept standard FPA11) costs
ú152 inclusive, or ú150 through Archive. The 25MHz ARM3 with fitted
FPA10 costs ú199 inclusive, or ú196 through Archive. The FPA11 costs
ú90.
10.8
64Mb SIMMs - At last, the larger SIMMs have come down to a
(relatively!) affordable price. Prices are still varying, but they
are about ú400 (cf 32Mb at ú160). Please ring for pricing if youære
interested.
10.8
abc-CD - Sherston Software are about to launch an enhanced and
revised CD-ROM version of their best-selling Talking Animated
Alphabet. The new triple format abc-CD features a welcome return for
Alphabod, the lovable character from the original BBC version of the
program, but with some significant improvements! The new Alphabod
jumps, back-flips, star-jumps, spins on the spot and performs all
sorts of other antics to make learning the alphabet fun for young
children.
10.8
The CD-ROM version also features the unique morphing graphics that
made its predecessor so successful. Using clever illustrations and
animations, the CD lets children watch each letter of the alphabet
magically morph into something that will help them remember its shape
and sound. Three carefully graded activities teach children to
discriminate visually between the different letter shapes, to
recognise the different letter sounds, and finally to match together
the shapes and sounds.
10.8
abc-CD costs ú29.95 +VAT, or ú34 through Archive, for a single user
copy. Site licences are available from Sherston Software.
10.8
Acorn StrongARM RiscPCs - Acorn have launched their new range of
RiscPCs with 200MHz StrongARM processors and an online user guide.
Also supplied on the hard drive is the new HTML version of the User
Guide plus a cut-down version of their Web browser, Phileas, for
viewing it. Acorn have indicated that if this proves to be
successful, they may consider converting the PRMs (Program Reference
Manuals) to HTML as well.
10.8
The four models of StrongARM RiscPC all have the larger 1Gb hard
drive, and the optional CD is only ú50 extra, even though it is an 8-
speed drive.
10.8
The models are: SRP05 (10Mb) ú1450, SRP06 (10Mb + CD) ú1500, SRP10
(4Mb) ú1150, SRP11 (4Mb + CD) ú1200.
10.8
STOP PRESS: ú200 off all the above prices! Acorn have just announced
that the ú200 trade-in offer has been extended to include BBC
Microcomputers! That means, effectively, that anyone can have ú200
off as there are old Beebs all over the place. Dig them out of your
lofts and send them in and get ú200 off your RiscPC.
10.8
Archive CD - I noticed that we didnæt seem to be selling many Archive
CDs, and I wondered why. (We find it so useful in the office - we use
it every day.) Then I realised why. We havenæt actually told magazine
subscribers about it! Arrgghhhh! We did a new version of it in time
for Acorn World 96, but then we forgot to mention it in Products
Available!!! Believe me, itæs excellent value for ú12. The contents
are as follows...
10.8
- Archive Impression Files - all of the Archive magazines from 4.5
(the first one to be done on Acorn machines rather than Macs) up to 9.
12.
10.8
- Archive Words discs, again from 4.5 to 9.12 - these are text files
of all the articles in those magazines so you can search through for
that elusive article (...or was it just a hint? ...or was it in a
Comment Column?) that you remember reading somewhere in Archive!
10.8
- Products Available file - the text of all the Products Available
columns in all the Archive magazines right back to Volume 1, Issue 1!
(e.g. öDid anyone ever produce a program for Acorn computers to do
such-and-such a job?ò)
10.8
- Monthly Program Discs right from Volume 1 to 9.12. Itæs quite fun
looking back at some of the Éamazing programsæ we published nearly
eight years ago(!) and the current discs contain some extremely
useful programs and data.
10.8
- Archive Factfile with the names, addresses, etc of over Acorn-
related 500 companies.
10.8
- Archive Utility Discs - all nine discs, as detailed in section 28
of the Price List.
10.8
- Archive Hints & Tips Discs - the text of all the hints and tips
ever published in Archive (up to 9.12).
10.8
- Archive Glossary - a glossary of over 600 technical Acorn-related
words, with over 20,000 words of explanation as to what they all
mean. This includes a major section (almost half the total) of
internet-related technical words.
10.8
- Archive PD Discs - Lots of the old ÉCarewareæ and ÉSharewareæ discs
that we used to distribute.
10.8
- Archive Multimedia Swap Shop - Paul Hooper has sent us all the best
multimedia applications/binders that he has collected.
10.8
- PLUS a special guest appearance of the oldest-established Archive
author, who has written articles in every single Archive magazine
(barring about two in the first volume) for almost ten years. Our
very own Gerald Fitton has sent us sample discs for his three disc
subscriptions: Z-Line for users of Fireworkz, PipeLine for users of
PipeDream and I-Line for users of Style, Publisher and P-Plus.
10.8
The Archive CD-ROM has been selling for ú12 to subscribers. We were
wondering whether to put it on special offer, but really, itæs worth
every penny of ú12. The only discount is for those who have the 1995
version - to them itæs ú8 (but please donæt send the old CD back - we
trust you to be honest).
10.8
ARM Switch - In spite of Acornæs efforts to make the StrongARM
compatible with all older applications, there are still some programs
which do not run on the SA 110 but require an ARM 610 or 710 instead.
Unfortunately, RISC OS does not yet permit running multiple ARM
processors simultaneously. To make things worse, many users would not
want to lose their second CPU slot because of PC cards and the like.
Since the appearance of the StrongARM, many users have therefore had
to swap the cards when they need to use older applications. Of
course, this is not very satisfactory as a long-term solution.
10.8
The ARM Switch is an expansion board which is plugged into the
RiscPCæs processor slot. It contains one slot each for an ARM 6/710
and a StrongARM, as well as a switch to select one of these before
booting up the computer. Thus, you can choose which CPU you would
like your system to use. The second RiscPC CPU slot remains free, so
you can still plug in a PC card. In addition to these two slots, the
ARM Switch card contains a third slot for additional CPU expansion
cards such as FPAs.
10.8
MCS, the German based manufacturer, are currently working on a
software switcher to enable application-sensitive CPU switching. This
so-called soft Éswitchæ will most probably give you two docking bars,
one for each of your ARM CPUs. Launching an application from one of
these bars will switch the entire system to the appropriate CPU. The
switching software will be available soon.
10.8
ARM Switch costs ú119, or ú115 through Archive.
10.8
Beetles is a music package that provides access for a wide range of
children, even those with specific learning difficulties, and some
hearing loss, as well as motivating very able children to learn the
basics of musical composition and structure.
10.8
For those who are less well versed in the complexities of music, and
who wish to look at the more basic skills of musical appreciation,
Beetles is ideal. It is suitable for all the musical goals at key
stages 1 & 2, and has a wide variety of options for working towards
Key stage 1 with very young children and those with special needs.
10.8
The program arrives on two floppy discs with a simple, easy-to-
follow, 8-page instruction booklet. Once installed, the program opens
to display a theatre set, peopled by three insect musicians on a
stage, with a conductor in the front. At the bottom of the screen
there is a scrolling area containing pictures of all the instruments
that are available to the Émusiciansæ. The three Beetles play
different parts - one plays the beat, one plays the accompaniment and
one plays the melody. You select an instrument for each musician to
play, then click on the conductor, to play the tune. Children can
change each instrument at will, and choose the ones that make the
tune sound most pleasing, or interesting to them. There is also an
option to limit the choice of instruments to only those relevant to a
particular style.
10.8
Older children can write or import their own compositions using a
music notation suite. One really impressive feature is the range of
options available to the less able child and the very young.
10.8
The program can be set to allow the computer to choose the
instruments, and there are options to allow switch users to access
the program by either two switch (left and right options), or just by
clicking anywhere, or using a single switch to play the selected tune
with a range of instruments chosen.
10.8
As a tool for teaching the rudiments of musical structure, improving
listening skills and musical appreciation, or just as an opportunity
to explore a wide range of musical sounds and instruments in a
constructive and entertaining way, this is a great piece of simple
and easy-to-use software.
10.8
Beetles runs on any Acorn computer with RISC OS 3.1 or later, with at
least 2Mb of memory, and costs ú36 single user and ú72 site licence,
from Brilliant Computing, and is available through SEMERC.
10.8
CD-Net II is the award-winning networking product for accessing CD-
ROMs across an Econet or Ethernet network. Release 2 continues the
development of the product by introducing dynamically loaded support
for the export of non-CDFS filing systems (e.g. ADFS and SCSI), plus
the latest incarnation of the CDCache module which utilises a totally
rewritten cache technology designed to get even more out of your CD-
ROM drive. The server manager allows you to control the following
aspects of service, both at the server level and for each disc: how
many users at once can access a disc, which computers (by network
address) can or cannot access a disc, which filetypes (e.g. Replay
movies) cannot be accessed, thus giving you control over files which
may lead to high bandwidth consumption, which filenames (e.g.
!System) cannot be accessed, thus avoiding problems of paths being
set for CD-ROMs that are later dismounted, what combination of memory
and disc cache is used. The server remembers the settings for each CD-
ROM, thus ensuring a swift and efficient startup. CD-Net uniquely
emulates the networked discs as real CD-ROMs, thus ensuring maximum
compatibility with software that looks for physically connected
CD-ROM drives. It also ensures that networked CD-ROMs can be accessed
through the PC Emulator or the PC card, both with Windows 3.1 and
Windows æ95.
10.8
CD-Net II costs ú150 +VAT +p&p from Cumana, or ú170 through Archive.
10.8
Eesox CD-ROM drives - Following the (now rather boring by
repetition!) trend of more speed for less money, the 12-speed IDE
drives have dropped to ú125, and the 4╫4-speed autochanger IDE drives
are now only ú100. The Bronze Elite II parallel port CD-ROM drives
are increased to 12-speed from 8-speed but the price remains at ú230.
Finally, the CD Bricks also increase to 12-speed for no increase of
cost.
10.8
FontMan & TextArea - These two new programs from Carlton Software
come in one set, and go alongside their popular Maker Series -
DateMaker, MailMaker and MemoMaker. FontMan is a simple to use and
configure font manager, without the complexity of other programs.
Over 5000 fonts can be stored and managed from within FontMan.
TextArea is designed to enable users to get more out of the Draw and
Edit programs that come with every computer. It does this by making
it easy to create text areas, which enable multi-column text to be
manipulated within Draw, and for styles to be applied to sections of
the text.
10.8
FontMan and TextArea cost ú9.99 +p&p or ú12 through Archive.
10.8
Iiyama VisionMaster500 - Iiyama have brought out a new 21ö monitor,
the 8721, which costs ú1190 through Archive. It has an FST tube, like
the 8221, with a dot pitch of 0.27mm but it will run up to a dot
frequency of 240MHz instead of only 200MHz. This means that it is
capable of 1800╫1440 at 75Hz - ideal for those looking for a monitor
that will do justice to the RiscPC IIæs mega-graphics resolution!
10.8
MIDIWorks sequencing studio - Oreganæs MIDIWorks is a highly
sophisticated MIDI sequencing and composing system aimed at the
serious home and professional musician.
10.8
MIDIWorks is a multi-track pattern based sequencer with a difference.
The arranger easily allows you to combine your own recordings with
patterns imported from industry standard MIDI files, or pattern
libraries. Using an intuitive drag and drop interface throughout the
program, arranging and composing could not be easier.
10.8
Even without having MIDI instruments attached, composing using the
computer keyboard and editing tools is simple.
10.8
Offering up to 64 tracks, the arranger provides a powerful
spreadsheet, managing 20 track parameters and 20 local effect
parameters per pattern. Besides Musical patterns, tempo patterns are
also available which, containing accurate tempo maps, may be copied,
saved and processed just like any other pattern.
10.8
MIDIWorks provides multiple editors per score and per pattern. Piano
roll, Event list and Drum map editors allow you to edit any aspect of
a score, including the more powerful MIDI features such as System
exclusive, Poly key pressure, the latest Real-time controllers, and
Note-off velocity, to name but a few.
10.8
In the Piano roll editor, all MIDI controllers are graphically
represented and can be fluidly drawn with the mouse. Unique is the
Meta controller graph, which enables the user to sequence non MIDI
events. This provides an easy way to synchronise multimedia
presentations to music by triggering audio samples and Replay movies,
or to control external hardware.
10.8
The flexible processing tools include three types of Quantisation, as
well as Groove quantisation, Data transformation, Non-linear
timestretch, and Data reduction. All processing tools can be applied
to an accurately defined selection of notes or events.
10.8
MIDIWorks is equipped with internal and external MTC/SMPTE
synchronisation, human sync and many studio utilities and gadgets
such as Patch bays, MIDI filters, MIDI monitors, and an on-screen
keyboard and user-definable instrument lists.
10.8
MIDIWorks should be available by the time you read this, and costs
ú159.95 inclusive from Oregan or ú151 through Archive.
10.8
Monopoly for the Pocket Book II / Psion 3a is a black and white
version of the popular board game. Up to six players can play each
other, or one player can play against the computer. The screen is
divided into two areas, one showing an overview of the board, the
other showing the current playeræs position and the squares next to
it. All of the usual Monopoly rules apply, and auctions and other
deals can be set up by each player or by the computer.
10.8
Monopoly for the Pocket Book/Psion costs ú29.95 (floppy disc) from
Psion or ú28 through Archive.
10.8
My World resource packs for mathematics. Shapes, Building Blocks and
Pattern Maker are programs specifically designed to promote a better
understanding of Mathematics, and they are included in the extensive
range of subjects in the new My World Resource Packs from Inclusive
Technology, supplier of educational IT products for all learners
within primary and special needs education.
10.8
My World 3D Shapes is designed to support the Maths curriculum at key
stages 1 & 2. It has a set of screens, in which the user must match
the 3D shapes and names. Further screens involve sorting the 3D
Shapes into the National Curriculum Maths Programme of Study.
10.8
Blocks has colourful 3D shapes which can be placed on top of each
other, or side by side, to create a range of patterns and pictures.
Early screens involve copying an arrangement of blocks, while later
screens allow free building of simple towers up to complex
constructions.
10.8
My World Pattern Maker is a program for tessellation activities. By
using different coloured squares, triangles and hexagons, in a range
of bright colours, any shape or pattern can be created. Itæs easy to
use, and the shapes can rotate and flip in order to extend the
possibilities of pattern making.
10.8
The new My World Resource Packs range from ú19 to ú25 +p&p +VAT from
Inclusive Technology.
10.8
Nstore, the popular National Curriculum planning, record keeping and
reporting package has been completely upgraded. It is now
multitasking and mode independent, using drag and drop file transfer
and RISC OS printer drivers. Having listened carefully to their
regular users, HS Software have added in lots of new features
including: automatic printing of targets in reports, automatic
production of a list of targets for a pupil or class, and a ranked
list of the topics which best cover them, import a CSV file of pupil
names, gender, dates of birth and attendance, search and update
facility which allows you to search the whole National Curriculum for
a particular word or phrase. The results of the search can be stored
in a Étopicæ which can then, for example, be used to update all or
selected pupil records automatically when that Étopicæ is covered in
class. It also has easy transfer of pupil data between Nstore discs,
and there is a hard disc version with site licence also available.
10.8
The basic version of Nstore 5 provides all these new time-saving
extras plus all its original features, including automatic report
writing. This version comes with two discs, and stores data for six
classes of 36 pupils, and 144 Étopicsæ. Extra discs, which can each
store three classes, are available at ú3 each. Nstore costs ú44.95
inclusive from HS Software.
10.8
The hard disc version, which stores up to 36 classes and over 1,200
topics, is available for ú69.95 including a site licence. Existing
users can buy a complete upgrade, including manual, for ú14.95 (basic
version) or ú29.95 (hard disc version).
10.8
Special offer: Any customers who purchase Nstore 5 before the end of
May can also buy the Pocket Book II version (winner of the 1996 Acorn
User Award for Best Pocket Book software) for ú28 - less than half
normal price!
10.8
Full information about Nstore, and a free demonstration copy, are
available from HS Softwareæs website at: http://www.argonet.co.uk/h.s.
soft.
10.8
PackDir is an extremely fast file archiver. It can take a set of
files and put them together in a single archive file and can perform
the reverse process, i.e. it can exactly recreate the original set of
files from the archive file. To make archive files as small as
possible, PackDir can perform lossless compression on file data,
which reduces the archiveæs size typically to about 50% (or even much
less, depending on the nature of the file data).
10.8
PackDir is extremely quick. All archiving and unarchiving is
performed by 100% ARM assembler code that cuts every possible corner
to maximize processing speed. The data compression and decompression
routines are highly optimized and are even faster than Acornæs Squash
routines contained in RISC OS. On a RiscPC, archiving or unarchiving
a directory (with compression enabled) is even faster than making a
copy of that directory.
10.8
PackDir is not meant to fully replace existing archivers because it
lacks some Éconvenienceæ features, but if you regularly need to lug
around a lot of data, e.g. if you regularly exchange data with your
friends or if you regularly make and restore backups of your data,
PackDir is an ideal tool. It will save you a lot of time. If you also
need Filer-like read access to PackDir archives, you may want to use
SparkFS - newer versions of this program can read PackDir archives.
10.8
PackDir always archives and un-archives a single, complete directory.
It does not provide for archiving of a specific selection of objects
or for adding objects to or removing objects from an existing
archive, but PackDir is Freeware.
10.8
You can get a copy from www.inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink, or email
[e-mail], or snail mail: John Kortink, Nutterbrink 31,
7544 WJ Enschede, The Netherlands. Include a DD or HD floppy, return
envelope and one International Reply Coupon.
10.8
PC card speed improvement - The latest Aleph One 5x86/100MHz second
processor cards have a secondary cache of 512Kb, in place of the
128Kb which has been used in the past, but there is no change in
price. Aleph One have also done some speed tests, and here are their
conclusions about what gives the best increase in performance:
10.8
Å More increase in performance is obtained by allocating extra RAM to
the PC side than by any other method
10.8
Å Increasing the secondary cache from 128 to 512Kb has the next
greatest impact on performance
10.8
Å The effect of using an AMD 5x86 processor at 133MHz, over a Cyrix
5x86 at 100MHz, never exceeds 5%. (In some circumstances it can even
go slower!)
10.8
The benchmark used was Winstone 96 Version 1. This was chosen because
it is a comprehensive application-oriented benchmark suite comprising
real-life applications involving Graphics, Spreadsheet, Database and
Word processing, which takes an hour or two to run.
10.8
The data on the tests is available on Aleph Oneæs website, http://www.
aleph1.co.uk/benchmark.html.
10.8
The price remains at ú339 +p&p +VAT from Aleph One. Through Archive,
they cost ú375 (or ú351 if bought with a RiscPC).
10.8
PhotoLink - Spacetech have announced the launch of PhotoLink, an
Acorn multi-driver for the most popular makes of Digital camera.
Cameras currently supported are the Olympus 400, 400L & 800L, the
Sanyo Image PC and the Epson Image 500. Other cameras will be added
to the range. PhotoLink is available from Spacetech as part of a
hardware bundle which includes the camera, or on its own for users
who have already purchased a camera.The multi-driver has many
advanced features with full remote control of the camera, including
some features not available from the camera itself. A Photodesk-like
clipboard is used to display and manage the contents of the camera
which may also be hot-linked to any application capable of loading
JPEG images. This hot-link could be used to transfer an entire batch
of photos directly to Photodeskæs clipboard, in one simple operation,
for example.
10.8
Other advanced features include: Time lapse photography (unlimited by
camera capacity), Self-timer delay, Exposure setting (often not
available on the camera itself), External control of image quality,
flash, power saver, camera time and LCD monitor, On-screen viewfinder
with continuous preview option, Advanced clipboard with options to
save, dump, hotlink or lock images, Save photos in JPEG, sprite, BMP
(Win), BMP (OS/2), GIF, Targa and PBM Plus formats, Scale image,
Colour depth conversion, Convert to greyscale, RS232 connection speed
configuration.
10.8
A high-resolution digital camera (like the Olympus 800L) coupled to a
studio-quality image editing application (like Photodesk 2 or
Photodesk Light) via Spacetech PhotoLink, on an Acorn RiscPC, makes a
highly productive resource for advertisement design, product
photography or web-page construction. Photography enthusiasts will
also welcome the opportunity to combine an interest in IT with their
hobby. With this setup and a true photographic printer like the
FotoFUN! (also available from Spacetech), a complete digital
alternative to the traditional studio and darkroom is possible.
10.8
PhotoLink costsú58.72 +VAT from Spacetech, or ú66 through Archive.
Phone NCS for hardware bundle prices.
10.8
Scrabble - The electronic version of Scrabble is available for the
Pocket Book. The system provides the user with up to three machine
opponents, who can be chosen from a team of fifty. Ten of these are
anonymous, and simply ranked for skill, the best is alleged to be
able to beat all human Scrabble champions. The other forty are given
names and personalities, or at least jobs and hobbies, and again
ranked for general Scrabble-playing skill, and for knowledge of the
little two and three letter words which enable a cunning player to
multiply points by cobbling several together.
10.8
You can play a practice game, in which you see your opponentsæ tiles,
and time taken is not registered, or a friendly one, in which neither
of those conditions holds, but you still can take as much time as you
like, make mistakes without penalty and get advice after a move or
hints before it. Alternatively, if you have the confidence, you can
play competition games, in which mistakes and overruns are penalised
and your score is registered.
10.8
Other options are a version of Rainbow Scrabble for children, an
infinite game, and a Setup game for problem-solving. If you want to
be given hints, you can choose what kind of hints you will receive,
in what order, from the very subtle, such as how many points the
hinted word would provide, to much broader ones such as the first
letter or the area of the board.
10.8
Scrabble for the Pocket Book II / Psion 3a costs ú49.95 (SSD) from
Psion or ú47 through Archive.
10.8
Shuggy is a new graphical adventure game from Werewolf Software. Itæs
an exciting adventure game with fast and furious colourful graphics
and full-stereo sound effects. Throughout the game you must use your
characteræs skills, and the many objects scattered around the
locality, to solve challenging puzzles and progress through the game.
As Shuggy, a young elf, your quest is to save the inhabitants of the
fantasy world from the evil Overlord Mordac who rules the land with
an iron fist. Salvage savings, prospect pitch-black pits, liberate
locked up locals, and dethrone a despot! All this and more in this
new game!
10.8
Shuggy runs on any Acorn 32-bit computer with RISC OS 3.10+ and 2Mb
RAM. It is fully RiscPC and StrongARM compatible.
10.8
Shuggy retails for ú25.95 +p&p and is available from Werewolf
Software, or ú25 through Archive.
10.8
As with the release of Tanks, Werewolf Software will be running a
competition to win a free copy of Shuggy. The deadline for this
competition is Wednesday, 30th April 1997. It will be run as a form
on their website, so go to http://www.werewlf.demon. co.uk/ and
follow the links to the Shuggy competition.
10.8
Donæt worry if your browser cannot support forms as there is an
alternative text file to fill in. If you do not have web access, mail
Werewolf Software and they will send you back the text file to fill
out - there are absolutely no excuses why you cannot enter this
competition!
10.8
SyQuest removables - The new generation of SyQuest removable drives
is now available. Learning from past experience, they now have closed
doors rather than the traditional floppy-disc-like open slot system
which invites the ingress of dust and moisture. The new drives are
available in two capacities, 230Mb and 1.5Gb. The prices are as
follows:
10.8
 230Mb external SCSI ú270
10.8
 230Mb extra cartridges ú25
10.8
 1.5Gb external SCSI ú450
10.8
 1.5Gb internal SCSI ú350
10.8
 1.5Gb internal IDE ú350
10.8
 1.5Gb extra cartridges ú75
10.8
Teletext+ from Octopus Systems is now available for Irlam Risc TV
cards as well as most other teletext cards (including Ground Control,
Morley, Solidisc, Design IT and Computer Concepts cards).
10.8
Teletext+ breathes new life into Teletext by making page access very
fast and by automatically searching for items of interest. As well as
cacheing the pages and subpages that you use, it caches those it
thinks you might use, and it learns which pages you access. The
sophisticated script language allows you to search for hundreds of
keywords on hundreds of pages every day, and it can even set an alarm
automatically to remind you when your favourite TV or radio programme
is about to start.
10.8
Teletext+ software costs ú39 from Octopus Systems, or ú38 through
Archive. It is also available with a Computer Conceptsæ Teletext card
for ú210 (ú170 through Archive) or with an Irlam Risc TV/teletext
card for ú369 (ú370 through Archive). As well as providing Teletext,
the Risc TV card can show live television in a window and it can also
digitise still frames from television or from another video source
such as a camcorder. Prices include VAT and carriage.
10.8
Existing users can obtain a free V6.5 upgrade from teletext@octosys.
co.uk quoting their serial number.
10.8
VirtuaCD is a new product that allows you to use existing disc space
to hold compressed images of CD-ROMs and access them as if they were
present in a physically connected CD-ROM drive. The two main
advantages of this technology are the ability to retrieve data at
hard disc speed, and the ability to access more CD-ROMs at once than
you have drives for - ideal if you want to build a CD-ROM server. The
software consists of a CDFS device driver, a management application
for controlling which disc image is available through which virtual
drive, and an application capturing a CD-ROM image. The basic product
licence provides two virtual drives, with further licences adding
five drives each, up to the maximum of 27 virtual drives (CDFS
supports up to 28 drives, and you must have at least one physically
connected drive).
10.8
Base and five-drive licences may be ordered by email: virtuacd@pep-
assoc.co.uk or by post to PEP Associates.
10.8
A base licence costs ú44.95, and a five-drive licence costs ú14.95.
There is no VAT payable, and prices include postage and packing.
Further details, along with a free 30-day evaluation, can be obtained
from their website http://www.pep-assoc.co.uk/
10.8
If ordering by email, the licence code will be emailed back to you,
but the authorization code that is required to prevent the licence
code from expiring will not be sent until payment has been received.
Regardless of how the order is placed, you will receive a paper copy
of the licence code. If you have ordered a base licence, you will
also receive a disc containing a copy of the software.
10.8
ViVID 7000 - After intense customer pressure, iSV Products has now
produced a version of the ViVID graphics enhancer for the A7000
computer. ViVID 7000 offers larger desktops and more colours on A7000
machines and RiscPC computers using a 14ö monitor and no VRAM. For
example, in 256 colours, the largest possible mode on an Acorn AKF50
is 800╫600. ViVID 7000 will allow you to go up to 1024╫768 (square
pixels). ViVID 7000 also offers much larger 32,000 colour screen
modes, including VGA (640╫480) and beyond. ViVID 7000 also allows
machines with no VRAM to display true colour (16 million) modes for
the first time.
10.8
ViVID 7000 costs ú11.50 inclusive for a single user copy and ú21.50
inclusive for a site licence version. Through Archive the costs are
ú12 and ú22.
10.8
Review software received...
10.8
ÅAccessory (u), ÅArchive CD ROM (acegmpu), ÅExploring Maps CD-ROM
(e), ÅHardCash 50 (b), ÅKalah (u), ÅLispCalc (u), ÅViVID 7000 (u),
ÅThe Games Suite 2 (pg).
10.8
a=Art, b=Business, bk=Book, d=Database, c=Comms, e=Education, g=Game,
h=Hardware, l=Language, m=Multimedia, p=Programming, u=Utility,
w=wordprocessing/DTP.
10.8
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. u
10.8
Product News
10.8
i-cubed have a website at www.i-cubed.co.uk, and this includes data
sheets for i-cubed Ethernet products, an on-line version of the
Educational Useræs Guide to Ethernet, and a softloadable version of
the latest Ethernet driver (4.19). Further content is being
developed, and all comments and suggestions should go to webmaster@i-
cubed.co.uk and will be answered promptly.
10.8
AudioPort - Oregan have had a number of requests for further
information on their forthcoming AudioPort hardware, so here are some
brief details to whet your appetite prior to release at Wakefield.
AudioPort has been designed to fill a large gap in the current Acorn
audio scene, and hopefully move the Acorn platform onto a far more
professional level, with respect to audio editing. AudioPort is a
modular system. The AudioPort motherboard fits into a normal, single
width podule slot, and provides the following facilities: S/P-DIF
transceiver, dual buffered MIDI ports, TDM-bus for external digital
audio units, onboard DSP with mutual host/DSP interrupts, PIO and DMA
transfers between host and DSP, system sample-rate clock generator,
sample rate converter.
10.8
This motherboard may be used as a stand-alone SP/DIF, DSP and MIDI
unit, or expanded further with the connection of external analogue
audio CODEC units to the TDM bus. Current external CODEC designs
include: 2in/4out device - allowing two channel analogue input and
four channel simultaneous output, mounted in an external half-size
rack mount unit; 8in/8out device - allowing 8 channel analogue input
and eight channel simultaneous output, mounted in an external full
size 19ö rack mount unit.
10.8
Further CODEC designs are currently under review at the moment. When
coupled with ProSound and StudioSound, this brings about the
introduction of true eight track hard disc recording, as well as
offering considerable control of devices in the digital domain. In
terms of hardware, this system will put the Acorn platform on a level
that is at least comparable with systems available in the PC and Mac
markets.
10.8
Exodus is the first commercial software production by Artex Software,
a new software group that intends to specialize in Acorn games. It is
a simulation featuring the conquest and colonization of a galaxy,
while playing against 14 intelligent opponents of different races.
The player has to conquer planets, build them up, defend them against
other lords, and make trading or war alliances. Further, the player
has to build a fleet and defend it against space pirates. Skilful
officers in the command staff will help to execute all tasks
correctly. Ones own people have to be treated well, otherwise they
might start a revolution. Inventions are necessary to improve the
living standard and the security of the people and the Empire. Also,
the secret service can sabotage the enemies in a variety of ways.
10.8
The gameæs aim is to fulfil a certain mission to satisfy the Space
Guild and become the Guild Master. At the beginning of the game, the
player may choose his own objectives: he can either try to earn a
certain monthly amount of money, or he can build a great
civilization, or conquer the galaxy and defeat all other lords. The
game can be played with up to five human players. During the turn of
one player, the other players act as Éautomaticæ players, i.e. the
decisions of an empire are made by the computer officers of that
player.
10.8
Among some of the features are: fourteen intelligent computer players
out of four different races; depending on the playeræs choice,
fifteen to forty stars with five planets max, allowing a maximum of
two hundred colonizable worlds that are uniquely created for every
game (including structure of surface); up to five human players;
interactive music; megabytes of graphics and animations; high
complexity; different aims allow completely different games.
10.8
Exodus should be released in the next month or two.
10.8
Font Wars?!? - We have received a press release from iSV refuting the
claims of one of their rivals in the fonts market: öIt has come to
our attention that a rival supplier of fonts has been distributing
somewhat misleading information to a number of magazines and onto
UseNet. In order to set the record straight about iSV Productsæ NDT
(No Dropout Technology) hinting system, we have enclosed a printout
using fonts produced by The Electronic Font Foundry and ourselvesæ.
The font printout included the following, with appropriate comments:
10.8
öPD Font (Adine Kirnberg Script) supplied by EFF printed at 14pt -
dropout has occurred on almost all letters... Commercial Font
(Allegro) rrp ú7 +VAT supplied by EFF printed at 14pt - dropout is
starting to occur on some letters, the printed result looks
spidery... Commercial Font (Flourish) rrp 3.4p supplied by iSV
Products printed at 14pt - dropout has not occurred on any letters...
10.8
öWe believe that these printouts speak for themselves. Only iSV
Products fonts use the NDT hinting system. Over 2 years of
development has gone into NDT, so we are rather saddened that another
font supplier has tried to cache in (sic) on our good name and our
high quality products by producing a very poor quality imitation.ò
10.8
iSV Products have also announced a special deal for new customers.
Anyone returning a Public Domain Acorn font CD with their order for
Typography CD, iSVæs acclaimed commercial Font CD, can claim ú10 off
the price - a saving of over 20%. This brings the cost of Typography
down to only ú35. With PD CDs available for as little as ú1.50 this
is an excellent opportunity to obtain better quality fonts. All
prices exclude carriage at ú1.50 per order.
10.8
Live from Sarajevo, 1914 - The crisis that led up to the First World
War is to be re-examined by students across the globe in the first
ever Interactive History Day. Supported by YITM (Yorkshire
International Thomson Multimedia) and Teeside Tertiary College, users
will experience the events of July 1914, over a period of 24 hours.
A news service containing contemporary press reports and other
historical materials from the period will go live on-line on Monday,
June 30th at 10a.m. As the day progresses, bulletins relating to
different aspects of the July Crises will be released as news items.
10.8
Using YITMæs WW1 website, and specially prepared materials from
historical sources, the Interactive History Day offers students the
opportunity to use their historical skills to interpret documents
from that era. They will be able to contribute to an on-line
discussion, ask questions of one another or of guest contributors
and, as class groups, electronically create a contemporary news item
or newspaper. The best of these will receive prizes and will be built
into the YITM WW1 website.
10.8
Designed as a global experience, the news service will operate in
English although opportunities will be available for contributions to
be received in French, German and Spanish.
10.8
All participating schools and colleges will be required to pre-
register and will receive an electronic starter pack. This will
include ideas for making the best use of the day, free software and
software vouchers.
10.8
For further information and to register: See the YITM website at www.
yitm.com/yitm/ww1
10.8
Makaton Vocabulary Development Project. We mentioned this last month,
and hereæs where things are at the moment. Resource has entered into
an agreement with MVDP to create an Acorn version of the symbols
which will be in drawfile format and to create a search/browse
mechanism for both PC and Acorn versions of the database.
10.8
The PC symbol database is already available, and the Acorn conversion
of this core vocabulary is complete. This has produced in excess of
10Mb of drawfiles in the symbols alone (the signs have not yet been
fully converted). This represents somewhere over 800 symbols.
10.8
The Acorn version of the search/browse application is in development,
and the aim is to have the first release out by April/May. The
application will allow the entire database to be searched by both
symbol name, filename and level, or simply by browsing. The
information on each symbol will largely be the same as the MVDPæs
hard copy booklet although, if they receive feedback that asks for
additional info, they will look to accommodate it. The displayed
drawfile can be saved out separately or dragged to any other
application that accepts drawfiles.
10.8
They will also create a direct link to the Resource TalkWrite product
so that the symbol can be sent directly. This feature will be
combined with TalkWriteæs ability to Éspeak picturesæ, with the
picture in TalkWrite having the actual text associated with the
symbol, rather than the more limited max 10 letter filename. In
future releases of the application, they will also look to add this
direct connection facility with programs such as Clicker 2, to make
the integration of the symbols into a practical environment as easy
as possible. With this in mind, they will be looking to create sets
of the symbols which can be used with products such as Writing With
Symbols from Widget.
10.8
They also plan to implement an ability to create dictionaries for
individuals, in line with a common practice for the paper-based
version of the symbols. This in effect creates a mini version of the
database. However, given the size of the actual database, this would
be a set of links to the main database rather than copies of the
symbols. As yet, we donæt know whether this feature will be in the
first release or not.
10.8
Once the Acorn version of the product has been trialed in both
Special Education schools and Adult Training centres, they will
produce an updated Acorn version and also a PC version.
10.8
Ovation Pro - Beebug have announced that a new Colour Supplement
providing a colour separations facility will be available for Ovation
Pro at the end of April. This capability will allow professional
designers to produce output for high quality commercial litho
printing. Both spot and process colour separations are supported,
with colour correction provided by look-up tables. Separations can be
previewed on-screen, and options are provided for setting PostScript
screen angles, frequency, etc.
10.8
The colour supplement also provides useful image processing
capabilities. The brightness, contrast and gamma levels of images can
be adjusted using sliders, and custom settings defined on the colour
map. A duotone option allows colour images to be converted to
monochrome, and the two colours used in the monochrome image
specified. Unusually, these options can be used with both bit-mapped
and vector images, such as Draw and ArtWorks files.
10.8
Ovation Pro itself has been improved further, with a range of new
features including: multi-row button bar, misspelt word highlighting,
picture info box, style palette and colour palette. This new version
and the colour supplement will be sent free-of-charge to all users
who have bought Ovation Pro before the end of April. After that, the
supplement will be available as an optional extra costing ú57.58.
10.8
Beebug have also announced that the introductory upgrade prices are
to rise from 1st May. The upgrade from Ovation will rise to ú116.33.
Upgrades from other DTP systems and word processors, including Style
and Publisher, will rise to ú139.83. To upgrade, users need to return
the original program disc with payment. Site licence upgrade prices
will also rise on the same date. All prices include VAT, but exclude
carriage charge of ú3.50.
10.8
R-Comp have announced that, as of Wakefield æ97, their range of web
products will be extended with HTMLEdit v3 and Textures Pro. HTMLEdit
3 is the follow-up to the BETT Award Winning, HTMLEdit 2 web page
authoring software. The new version incorporates full HTML syntax
checking to 20 different HTML standards, including those defined by
Netscape and Microsoft, as well as more traditional standards. This
gives users unprecedented levels of compatibility testing for their
pages, and eliminates most common mistakes. A greater degree SGML
control has also been added.
10.8
Version 3 also includes much enhanced control over foreign and top-
bit-set characters, including entity numbering and naming, and auto-
expansion as you type, a feature much requested by overseas
customers. Macroing, URL databasing, and document scanning for
positional markers for rapid linking are also included, alongside
many links to the Web Designeræs Toolkit, integrating the two
packages tightly together.
10.8
Other important features include dynamic content, allowing pages to
be built from common sources and building blocks, and then published
to the web for easy management. This enables common sections of
document (e.g. button bars) to be changed globally in seconds. This
feature has been extended to dynamic dates, times and version
numbering.
10.8
All these features are already present, and many more should be
appearing before Wakefield! Upgrades will be available to existing
registered users, who will be notified automatically. HTMLEdit v2
will continue to be available.
10.8
Textures Pro - Building on the original Textures application
providing web page background and artistic resources, Textures Pro
adds full texture building, generation and colouring, using the
latest genetic and mathematical modules to produce perfectly tilable
textures every time. With a wealth of example starting points and
alternative colour schemes, making attractive, individual backdrops
to your pages is simple, whether youære after subtle marbling, or
totally psychedelic swirls! The product is ideal for professional
use, but the creativity and exploration of colour and texture offer
exciting possibilities in the classroom, too! As always, upgrades
will be available to existing users through R-Comp. u
Products Available
10.9
ú200 Clan trade-in - This is just to say that Acornæs very special
offer of ú200 off a RiscPC for trading in any old computer you can
find is not one of those ramble-on-month-after-month offers that
Acorn sometimes runs. It is definitely going to end on 31st May, so
youæll have to place your orders pretty rapidly to take advantage of
it.
10.9
64Mb SIMMs - We have at last found a 64Mb SIMM that is small enough
to fit inside the RiscPC. It has 32 chips, which exceeds Acornæs
specifications, but it works OK in the computers we have tried so
far, including those with PC cards which are the most critical on
timing/bus loading. All we can say is that if it doesnæt work in your
computer, weæll simply refund your money. The cost through Archive is
currently ú490 inc VAT. (Other current prices are: 32Mb ú165, 16Mb
ú85, 8Mb ú45.)
10.9
Acorn 17ö monitor - If you want a 17ò monitor but cannot afford the
cost of an Iiyama monitor, how about an AKF93? This hasnæt got as
high a spec as the Iiyamas (0.28mm dot pitch instead of 0.26mm, and
64kHz instead of 86kHz), but it is a perfectly serviceable monitor
which works well at 1280╫1024 - which matches the resolution of the
A7000+ - and it only costs ú423.
10.9
Acorn A7000+ - The new version of Acornæs A7000 computer is based on
the ARM7500FE processor running at 48MHz, giving about twice the
basic processing speed as its predecessor, but over seventy times its
speed for scientific calculations because of the floating point
hardware contained within the processor. It has 8Mb RAM as standard
with one slot for plugging in extra memory. The hard drive is 1.2Gb,
and the optional CD-ROM drive is an eight-speed device. Despite
doubling the speed, memory, drive size and CD-ROM speed, the price
remains exactly the same as the original A7000! Further details are
given in the article on page 17.
10.9
BasDT - Just released, is version 1.00 of BasDT, an interactive
debugger for Basic programs. It allows you to follow the execution of
a program in detail, to help you find the bugs. During program
execution, you can: execute the program line-by-line, or run it
continuously; set breakpoints, to interrupt execution at a certain
line; set watches, to inspect the value of Basic variables (or, in
fact, of any Basic expression); switch the screen display between the
program listing and the output that your program produced.
10.9
Features include: watchpoints - interrupt the program when a watch
becomes non-zero; can debug Wimp applications and non-Wimp programs
alike; interrupt key - a press on this key interrupts the program at
any time, even when in an infinite loop; executes at up to 90% of the
speed of ROM Basic; handles multiple Édebug sessionsæ simultaneously
(so you can, for example, debug two Wimp applications that exchange
messages); cooperates with text editors and comes with a StrongEd
extension to start debugging straight from an editor window; plus
throwback of errors to the editor.
10.9
BasDT is Careware: if you keep using it after the trial period of 3
weeks, you should pay ú10. The money goes to charity. It can be
downloaded from www.win.tue.nl/~wsinda, and is produced by Dick
Alstein, Lijnslagerstraat 204, NL-5625BP Eindhoven, The Netherlands
<[e-mail]>.
10.9
Coypu is an easy-to-use equation and data plotter aimed at secondary
and sixth form education, as well as anyone with an interest in
mathematical graphs. Designed to encourage the imaginative
exploration of data and to develop interpretation skills, Coypuæs
capabilities include: plots Écartesianæ, polar and parametric
equations; produces scattergrams and simple line graphs from data
files; allows combinations of the above; prints graphs; exports
graphs to wordprocessors/DTP and other applications; imports data
from spreadsheets and databases. Simple equations can be plotted
easily - just type a function onto a Écardæ and drag it to the graph
window. To compare two functions, enter another function on a blank
card and drag it to an existing graph. Up to 20 cards can be entered,
and sets of cards can be saved.
10.9
Equations can include one or more single-letter constants; these can
be rapidly changed and the result re-plotted. Families of lines can
also be plotted (e.g. y = a exp(-kx2) for k=1 and 2, a=1 and 2).
Coypu understands a wide range of equations, from a simple y=mx+c
line, to trig and log functions. Many implicit equations are
understood directly, so typing x2/a+y2/b = c will produce an ellipse.
Up to 16 (x,y) coordinates can be typed directly onto a card and
plotted immediately. Much larger data sets, with multiple fields, can
be imported from spreadsheets, databases and data logging software as
CSV or SID files. This can be used to plot scattergrams and line
graphs. When plotting, you can perform any function on the data
fields, e.g. x=TIME, y=log(VOLTS) - or combine fields - x=WEIGHT,
y=DISTANCE/TIME.
10.9
Coypu costs ú50 for a single user from October Pen. A site licence
costs ú120, or ú170 for a dual Acorn/PC format copy. A free cutdown
demo version is available from: www.octpen.demon.co.uk/ or from
October Pen.
10.9
Courier provides the means to convey files of any type to another
party via an open communications channel in such a way that
interception by interlopers is unlikely. This is achieved by
encrypting the files and concealing them within innocent looking
files. By default, the use of Courier is unrestricted, but it can
optionally be limited to access code holders, allocated by a
supervisor. Most aspects of the application will be unavailable until
the user logs in with a recognised access code. Courier contains
several predefined files suitable for use as Public files. These can
be selected from buttons on the Conceal window. The application
closely follows Acornæs guidelines when manipulating standard file
types by making no assumptions regarding position or order of
information beyond the filetype definitions.
10.9
Courier costs ú35 inclusive (price to be confirmed) from Base5
Technical Graphics.
10.9
Drifter is the new game from the Fourth Dimension. Itæs a race game -
simply race around the track and win - well, not quite. The obvious
way to win is by being quicker than your opponents, but the other way
is to take them out with missiles! Each game must be started from
level 1, and the tracks come in pairs. You will be allowed four
attempts at completing a level each time you play. Once you have
chosen the craft which best suits the track you are facing, flying it
has been made as simple as possible. As you race, you go under
various checkpoints to stop you cheating and to update your current
position. You race against the computer using either the mouse or
keyboard (or joystick option on an A3010).
10.9
Drifter comes with nine race-tracks and three different race
vehicles, each with their own unique handling characteristics. On the
way, there are powerups, obstacles, trackside graphics, sound FX and
music. The graphics are rendered with a new 3D graphics engine
(Perpetual Motion) which features high-speed texture-mapped graphics.
On a RiscPC, you get an extra vehicle called Exocet. With fast
speeds, on-screen damage and speed indicators, and timed laps, this
could become addictive!
10.9
Drifter costs ú34.95 from the Fourth Dimension, or ú33 through
Archive.
10.9
EarthMap has been updated - nay, totally revamped. EarthMap is an
electronic globe. It draws on a huge database consisting of 5,719,617
line segments, describing coordinates and shape of a number of
natural and man-made features on Earth. This includes coastlines,
country borders, rivers, lakes, canals, glaciers, etc.
10.9
The highlights are: now supports all RiscPC screen modes; the world
is now displayed in Éwrapæ mode, which means there are no more
Éedgesæ to the globe; database files may be cached in memory, which
enormously speeds up processing. Detail colours may now be edited (on
RISC OS 3.5 and higher) and saved as default; processing is generally
faster; lines Écrossingæ the view window border are now clipped to
the border before being saved to a drawfile, so the resulting
bounding box is smaller.
10.9
EarthMap provides an extensive array of viewing facilities, including
pan, zoom and coordinate entry. In addition, any view may be saved as
a drawfile. EarthMap is also very fast. Special care has been taken
to make view updates as fast as possible. The EarthMap data is
available from the Internet, or from the CD-ROM supplied with
StrongARM cards. EarthMap is Freeware. The URL is: www.inter.nl.
net/users/J.Kortink
10.9
Elements and Nuclides - Atomic Software have announced new versions
of !Elements and !Nuclides called ÉTalking Elements IIæ and ÉNuclides
IIæ. Nuclides now has a Decay Simulator which plots a time history of
the accumulation and decay of all daughter products from any selected
radio-isotope, calculating the abundance of all products after any
chosen Decay Period. Talking Elements now pronounces the names of
elements. Both have been enormously expanded since the 1995 review in
Archive (9.6 p39) with new charts, plots and facts, and it now
requires 4Mb RAM as a minimum. It is StrongARM compliant.
10.9
The price is ú14.95 each, or ú19.95 for both, from Atomic Software.
Upgrades from existing versions are ú2 each.
10.9
Emotions - GEK Programs, in association with The Datafile, have now
released Emotions - Search for Humanity on the Acorn platform. Henky
Penky is a rather plain guy, but heæs going to change that!! His
search for Emotions will lead him towards mortal combat, bizarre
monsters, weird puzzles and of stacks of midgets. Twenty fun filled
levels with great graphics and sound.
10.9
This is a RiscPC-only release, needs a minimum of 5Mb of memory, 1Mb
of VRAM is recommended and you will require 5Mb of free space on your
hard drive. Screenshots and further details can be found at: www.
datafile.demon.co.uk.
10.9
The commercial release of Emotions from GEK Programs is available
from The Datafile, for ú19.95 +p&p, or ú20 through Archive.
10.9
Floating Point Accelerator software from Warm Silence Software is a
module, that when installed reroutes all floating point instructions
to the PC card, where they can be processed using the inbuilt
floating point unit, and the results passed back as required. The end
user should see no change in behaviour at all, except for a speedup!
Obviously, only PC cards with a DX processor (one with a floating
point unit) can be used with this software. While FPEPC is in
operation, it takes total control over the PC card, which means that
it is impossible to use it simultaneously as both a PC and a floating
point accelerator. The release version of the software should detect
the PC card being started up, and switch back to the normal FP
emulator, so operation will be entirely seamless.
10.9
Current tests indicate that the peak throughput of the software
running on a StrongARM with a 586DX100 card, is around 830KFlops (830
thousand floating point operations per second), which is about the
same as a StrongARM using the normal FPE. For this reason, they are
not currently recommending the software to StrongARM users, as the
speedups will be minimal, though they are considering a specially
StrongARM-tuned version of the software to help us improve
performance there.
10.9
ARM 6 or 7 users, however, will experience much improved performance;
an ARM 710 with a 586DX100 card manages 750KFIops for typical maths
operations - nearly as good as a StrongARM.
10.9
The exact speedup of a given application depends on several things;
firstly what ARM processor you have, secondly what PC processor you
have, and thirdly how much and what kind of floating point operations
you are doing. Floating point intensive software will obviously
experience far greater speedups than software that uses floating
point only rarely; ray tracers and statistics packages are good
examples of packages that have lots to gain. Applications coded
specifically to avoid most/all floating point operations (like
Artworks and Draw) will not benefit much at all.
10.9
The final point to appreciate is that some operations will speed up
more than others; simple maths operations (such as addition and
multiplication) are accelerated by a factor of 4 on an ARM 710,
whereas more complex operations (such as SINE, COSINE) become over
100 times faster. This is to do with the overheads of communication
between the two processors involved, versus the time taken to emulate
each instruction.
10.9
FPEPC costs ú30 +VAT +p&p from Warm Silence Software, or ú35 through
Archive.
10.9
FontFX/EasyFontPro - Owners of Data Storeæs FontFX and Fabis
Computingæs EasyFontPro will know that they do not happily co-exist!
However, a patch is now available on the Data Store website to cure
the problem. You need to have FontFX version 5.07 to apply the patch.
If you have an earlier version, you should upgrade in the usual way,
by sending your original disc back to the Data Store with a stamped
addressed envelope and a cheque for ú2, and a note to remind them
that you require the EasyFontPro-patched version. You can download
the patch from: www.datstore.demon.co.uk/ffx.html
10.9
Fresco 1.46 is the latest version of Fresco and is now available for
download from the ANT Internet Suite upgrades page. This version does
not yet include Frames support, but does include: improved HTML
parser which is much better at handing incorrect HTML; now supports
forms with action=mailto: and method=post; added support for
persistent history lists; now supports Server-push images and pages;
added support for <font color>, also accepts <font colour>; HTTP
module now supports keep-alive and image prefix fetching; text now
anti-aliased to table background colour; added support for <dl
compact> tag; support for HTTP/1.1 virtual hostnames, using Host:
header; will load files with the /htm or /html extension regardless
of their filetype; much better at giving memory back when all pages
closed; better escape code handling in URLs; crashes related to image
handling greatly reduced by fixing bug related to problem in
spriteextend; made \t, \r and \n as acceptable as space for comma
separated lists; year wrapping bug in webftp fixed; better handling
of over constrained tables; stop button performs a complete stop;
<style> tag no longer prevents further text from being displayed;
refresh=ondispose now works properly; play forever animated GIFs now
work properly; better cache behaviour in low memory situations;
images handled correctly on mode change; improved memory usage when
displaying page; improved handling of low memory situations.
10.9
Most crashing problems (fatal internal error type 5) have been cured,
and work is currently underway on a completely new tables renderer
which will cure the remaining problems there.
10.9
Hatch is a new Artworks plug-in module. Gone are the days when all we
had available in Artworks were flat, graduated and radial fill
styles. The Hatch module provides five new fill styles: simple hatch,
crosshatch, squares, chequered, and spots. Each of the styles offers
several parameters to adjust (foreground and background colours,
angle(s), offset and width), so the possibilities are almost endless.
The fill patterns are not held in memory but rendered on the fly,
which means that even high frequency fills do not take any extra
memory. The pattern-filling is dynamic, so for example, pattern-
filled text is still editable! As you might have expected, the module
is fully integrated with the rest of ArtWorks which means that you
can blend between pattern-filled objects and export them as Draw or
EPS. The Artworks Undo system is fully supported. Screenshots giving
more details on Hatch can be found at: www.flipside.co.uk/awtools/
10.9
The Hatch module is available for ú20 +p&p from Computer Concepts.
10.9
Registered users of the Polygon module can obtain Hatch at a reduced
price by ordering from Martin Wuerthner quoting their Polygon
registration number. There are two versions of the package: the email
edition (text file instead of printed manual) for ú18 inclusive, and
the standard edition (disc+printed manual) for ú20 inclusive. To
order, send ú18 or ú20 to MW Software. He accepts bank notes of any
currency, Eurocheques, international postal orders and cheques drawn
on British or German banks (payable to Martin Wuerthner). When
ordering the email edition, please send a blank email message to him
with a subject line of ÉHatch order xxxæ where xxx is your
registration number.
10.9
Iiyama monitor prices down - Yet another drop in the overall cost of
computer systems has been produced by the reduction of Iiyamaæs
monitor prices. The 15ö is down to ú300, the 17ò FST (8617) is down
to ú530 and the 17ö Diamondtron (9017) is now ú570.
10.9
The 17ö monitor that Acorn sells with the RiscPC is a re-badged 8617
selling at ú640. As they are no longer doing on-site warranties,
unless they also reduce their price, there is no incentive at all now
to buy the Acorn 17ò. (Sorry, Acorn!) Also, the Iiyama 15ö monitor at
ú300 is only ú35 more than the Acorn 14ò at ú265, and is a noticably
better monitor, so there is little incentive to buy anything other
than an Iiyama monitor for a StrongARM RiscPC unless you want a 17ö
and cannot afford ú530, in which case the Acorn (Microvitec) 17ò at
ú423.
10.9
John Cabot and the Merchant Venturers, from Anglia Multimedia, was
released in time for the 500th anniversary celebration and re-
enactment sailing of the Matthew. On May 2nd 1497, John Cabot sailed
from Bristol aiming for the Orient but landed on the American
continent in what he called the ÉNew Founde Landesæ. Earlier in May,
a reconstruction of his ship, the Matthew, set sail from Bristol,
launched by the Queen and Prince Philip, re-enacting his journey. In
this release, Anglia Multimedia take you back to 1497, and introduce
you to John Cabot and his world.
10.9
Using the latest blue screen video technology, the CD-ROM is
introduced by ÉJohn Cabotæ and his ÉNavigatoræ. The disc takes you to
Bristol Docks and asks you to help Cabot prepare for his journey by
entering interactive environments. Here you will be able to get
everything you need for the journey from the shipæs biscuits to an
Astrolobe! Back on the quayside, you can board Cabotæs ship for a
tour of the vessel and find out more about the voyage. You can also
find out more about the second voyage in 1997.
10.9
Targeted at Key Stage 2 History Study Unit: Life in Tudor Times, the
disc also gives detailed biographies of 10 other related explorers
such as Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake, as well as detailed
maps and accounts of their voyages. Like all Anglia Multimedia
education products, John Cabot and the Merchant Venturers contains
extensive activity sheets and specially written classroom games. It
also allows for the copyright cleared saving of text and resources,
and features ÉStudentSaveæ, Angliaæs save status feature allowing
users to save their current position and settings on this interactive
adventure.
10.9
John Cabot and The Merchant Venturers costs ú40 +p&p +VAT, or ú46
through Archive.
10.9
King Arthur - Cambridgeshire Software House has just announced the
release of the follow-up CD-ROM to their award winning ÉWorld of
Robert Burnsæ. King Arthur - Legends of Saxon Conquest & Medieval
Chivalry has taken over two years to produce and has taken the team
at CSH to most corners of the UK and France. It is interactive and
will involve children following various quests as they discover for
themselves the joys of the many Arthurian tales and ideals. The
Saxons are not forgotten and there is a whole section on them. Over
200 places are covered by the CD-ROM, and the majority have pictorial
(some of which is aerial) as well as text and literary resources
attached to them. There are even photographs taken from inside the
Queenæs Robing Room in the House of Lords to look at and study!
10.9
Brian Richardson, a partner in CSH, says, öWe have worked with the
Honourable Society of Knights of the Round Table on this project, and
I hope we have produced a package that can be used by schools and
enthusiasts no matter where they are. The Knights of the Round Table
have been most helpful and have allowed us to produce a unique
software package which includes details of many of their priceless
possessions amongst other things. Any school, whether primary or
secondary, will be able to use the CD-ROM because, whether they are
studying the Saxon period or the work of Alfred Lord Tennyson, there
will be something for them on it.ò
10.9
The CD-ROM is currently available for Acorn CD systems and costs ú49.
95 +p&p +VAT, or ú58 through Archive.
10.9
Millennium Clocks - Clares, and others, have released Millennium
Clocks free onto various websites. The applications (some of which
were written with Claresæ WimpBasic) tell you exactly how many
days/hours/minutes/seconds we have left until we hit the year 2000.
It adjusts for the current Time Zone as well as allowing you to set
Daylight Saving Time, thus being applicable in both the northern and
southern hemispheres. You will need WBModules 1.03 if you do not
already have it.
10.9
The clocks are available from the WimpBasic website at: www.treknet.
is/wb or www.infopark.demon.co.uk/software or www.beard.demon.co.
uk/software/possum.html, and two of them are on this monthæs program
disc.
10.9
Mr Clippy - iSV Products has just released Mr Clippy, a new clipart
manager for RISC OS. Mr Clippy supports many standard file formats
including sprites, drawfiles, Artworks and JPEG. Mr Clippy supports
fun & funky windows, as well as the worldæs first title screen that
you can sing along with. He stores clips in groups with iSV Productsæ
new ÉFind-a-Clipæ system for easily locating clipart files. The
program uses under 300Kb of memory and can store over half a million
named clips. Clips can be accessed using easy-to-use Étape-recorderæ
style controls, or from a clip menu, and it can print out complete
thumbnail sheets, as well as preview them on screen. Mr Clippy can
export files in JPEG format, so you can import a GIF file and export
it later as a JPEG or a sprite.
10.9
Mr Clippy retails at ú20.00 +p&p from iSV Products, or ú20 through
Archive. (See also special offer from SmartDTP).
10.9
My World - Story Book 1 is one of the many programs included in the
new My World Resource packs from Inclusive Technology, the supplier
of educational IT products for all learners within primary and
special needs education. My World - Story Book 1 provides users with
a bank of words and an assortment of colourful images to illustrate
popular childhood tales, such as Goldilocks, The Three Little Pigs
and Little Red Riding Hood.
10.9
Users can create their own story books by re-telling a traditional
tale or simply make up their own stories from start to finish. The
structure of the program provides a title page, inside pages and a
conclusion page, combined with hints, images, words and phrases which
appear clearly on the screen in pop-up windows.
10.9
With the aid of My World - Story Book 1 and enough material to create
a personal library, storytelling has never been so much fun.
Extremely popular within schools, the resource packs are available
for My World for Windows (PC) and for My World 2 (Acorn).
10.9
New My World Resource Packs range from ú19 to ú25 (ex VAT).
10.9
Nursery Rhyme Time from Sherston. For generations, young children
have enjoyed listening to, and learning to recite, nursery rhymes.
Now they can enjoy and play with their favourite nursery rhymes on
the computer with the launch of Nursery Rhyme Time by Sherston
Software. Well known for their extensive range of talking stories,
Sherston have produced a collection of animated nursery rhymes on a
triple format CD-ROM for Acorn, Mac and PC. (A cut down version of
the rhymes is also available on floppy disc for Acorn and Apple Mac
computers.)
10.9
A lot has been written in recent years about the value of nursery
rhymes. It is generally accepted that they really do help children
develop phonological awareness and lay down solid foundations for
learning to read. Building on their extensive experience producing
reading software, Sherston have designed Nursery Rhyme Time to foster
this phonological awareness, and they use the power of the computer
to develop important pre-reading skills.
10.9
Featuring full screen animations produced by animation specialists,
Bevanfield Films in London, lively narration by Jacqueline Tong and
specially arranged music by Rob Kirkwood, Nursery Rhyme Time seems
set to bring traditional nursery rhymes into the information
technology age!
10.9
The CD-ROM costs ú40 +p&p +VAT for a single user copy, or ú46 through
Archive. Site licences are available from Sherston.
10.9
Publish Art 3, from SmartDTP, is the third incarnation of this DTP
resource. This is not clipart in the usual sense, but a collection of
designs and highlights for use in creating eye-catching and
interesting page layout. This new version has grown by about 1200
designs, and includes, on the CD-ROM version, a host of other
goodies, making this the most complete resource SmartDTP have
produced to date.
10.9
The idea behind Publish Art is to provide the user with a collection
of design components which are then used to create page designs. The
great benefit of this collection is that you donæt have to wear
yourself out trying to think up your own designs; whether itæs a drop
cap, or a rule to divide some text, or even a different bullet point
to the usual dot (Å), PA3 has something useful.
10.9
In all there are 2790 designs in both Artworks and Draw format (on
the CD-ROM) or one or the other on high density discs. To make life
simple, the collection has been divided into fifteen topics, as
follows: backdrops, borders, bullets, corners, designs, drop caps,
headers and footers, highlights, margins, pattern, quickpaper, rules,
stencils, surrounds and symbols.
10.9
As well as the fifteen main topics, the CD-ROM includes a number of
extras, including 220 Impression borders and 24 irregularly shaped
frames for use with Impression Publisher. There are over 200
miscellaneous clipart files; Colourfun, a multi-purpose package for
use by young children in conjunction with the computer and a teacher
or parent, for colouring; iSV font pack 277; Electronic Circuit
Development for producing high quality schematic diagrams for
electronic circuits; and a demo directory made up mostly of iSV
products, but also including Studio 24, Textease and Easyclip.
10.9
Publish Art costs ú39.95 inclusive from SmartDTP, or ú38 through
Archive. For a limited period, they are also offering Mr Clippy at
20% off the normal RRP. If ordering discs, please say which format
you require.
10.9
Upgrades from earlier collections cost ú19.95 - contact SmartDTP for
details.
10.9
QuickCam - No longer is your computer limited to dry text or someone
elseæs clipart. QuickCam for RISC OS is the first affordable, digital
video camera for Acorn RISC OS computers. QuickCam makes it easy for
you to take your own still pictures and video movies. By simply
plugging the QuickCam into the parallel port of your machine and
installing the Oregan picture and movie grabbing software included,
youæll see your own images on your computer in minutes. Thereæs no
need to take apart your computer, set switches or purchase additional
hardware. QuickCam uses direct digital imaging to create stunning
movies and still pictures. Use the images you create in the programs
supplied or add your movies and pictures to thousands of other
RISC OS applications - virtually anything that supports Replay movies
or standard sprite files.
10.9
Monochrome camera: 320 ╫ 240 pixel capture in 64 shades of grey;
frame rates up to 24 fps; powered from keyboard port, draws less than
350mW; field of view approximately 65░; focus fixed from 18 inches to
infinity; maximum lens speed is f/1.9.
10.9
Colour Camera: up to 640 ╫ 480 pixels recording at 24-bit colour;
frame rates up to 30 fps, depending on image size and processor;
powered from keyboard port, draws less than 2 watts power; field of
view approximately 48░; focus adjustable from 1ö to infinity; maximum
lens speed is f/1.6.
10.9
QuickCam, including software, costs: colour camera ú199.95 inclusive,
mono camera ú119.95 inclusive from Oregan, or ú195 and ú116 through
Archive. Separate Acorn driver costs ú29.95, or ú29 through Archive.
Note, both the colour and mono cameras/software are really designed
for the RiscPC.
10.9
QuickMPEG is a real-time MPEG encoder that captures frames from the
Connectix QuickCam and compresses and saves them on the fly. This
utility is used in conjunction with the Oregan QuickCam driver for
the RiscPC and is now available for free public download from the
Oregan website: www.oregan.demon.co.uk.
10.9
RTF to HTML, from The Event Horizon, converts RTF Version 1.4 files
into HTML documents suitable for viewing by any application which can
display HTML files. The document text and certain formatting
information is translated from RTF into HTML. The RTF text styling
which is carried over to the HTML output is: paragraph alignment,
bold, italic, underlining, superscripts, subscripts and strikeout.
Future versions of RTF to HTML will include the mapping of RTF
document styles onto HTML document styles, such as headings and
lists. The HTML produced by this application has been tested with
Arcweb v1.65 and Bookworm v1.00. If using Bookworm v1.00, it should
be noted that it does not support all of the features listed above.
An unregistered version provides full functionality but expires at
midnight on 30 June 1997. It is available from Event Horizon: www.
ehorizon.demon.co.uk.
10.9
Rlab2 is an interactive, interpreted scientific programming
environment. It is a very high level language intended to provide
fast prototyping and program development, as well as easy data-
visualization and processing. Rlab is not a clone of languages such
as those used by tools like Matlab or Matrix_X/Xmath. However, as
Rlab focuses on creating a good experimental environment (or
laboratory) in which to do matrix maths, it can be called Matlab-like
since the programming language possesses similar operators and
concepts.
10.9
Rlab borrows the best features of the Matlab language and provides
improved language syntax and semantics. The syntax has been improved
to allow users more expression and reduce ambiguities. The variable
scoping rules have been improved to facilitate creation of larger
programs and program libraries. A heterogeneous associative array has
been added to allow users to create and operate on arbitrary data
structures. Rlab is copyrighted with the GNU General Public Licence,
and is free (in the GNU sense) for all to use. The place to find out
about it is: ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/i/ians/rlab/sources/rlab2.tgz.
10.9
Recycler is a Recycle Bin for RISC OS. It automatically captures
deleted files and stores them in the Ébinæ. You can set it to
automatically empty the bin each week, month etc, or you can manually
empty it whenever you like. It can prevent the deletion of files or
directories of your choice and it also compacts all the deleted files
so they take up less HD space! The main window is fully Drag Énæ Drop
compatible and looks and works just like a normal Filer window.
10.9
The launch price is ú29.95 +p&p from Fabis Computing, or ú35 through
Archive.
10.9
RiScript Pro is a substantially improved version of the original
Public Domain RiScript Postscript viewer which has been developed by
the original authors Roeland Bos and Jeroen Medema. The RiScript Pro
package also includes ScripTerm and two completely new programs,
DSCript and PDFront. The main purpose of DSCript is to allow for
better browsing in documents, a bit like ghostview is a companion of
ghostscript. PDFront is a PDF-viewer which has been built on top of
the capabilities of RiScript. It is, however, fully fledged and does,
for example, incorporate active links and images. New features in
RiScript Pro include: scaling - the drawfile output can now be zoomed
up to 500% to allow for viewing of fine detail in documents; fonts -
Type 1 fonts can now be loaded and are saved as Acorn fonts (and it
does a better job than T1toFont) Type 3 and Type 4 fonts (Acorn
internal) are handled better; support for multi-master fonts (also
conversion to Acorn fonts) outline fonts can now be interpreted;
RISC OS support recognizes RISC OS fonts and introduces major speed
improvement because of this (in generated output from printer
drivers); a more standard user interface; colour - added colour
spaces, added colour images; filters have been added: ASCIIHex (2),
JPEG, LZW, ASCII85 (2), RunLength (2); several improvements in speed;
compatibility - MS-DOS and Mac files are no problem any more; diagram
size (drawfile) is no longer static.
10.9
RiScript Pro costs ú99 +p&p +VAT from Uniqueway, or ú112 through
Archive.
10.9
Sascha is an application which generates ASCII Art from Sprites. The
application takes a sprite and converts it into a textfile, based
upon the (full) black and non-black pixels of the original sprite.
The textfile will be roughly as big (area size) as the sprite. To
find out what the application is really up to, visit the special
Sascha download page at: www.riscysite.demon.nl/Sas.html
10.9
You can download a full version of Sascha from this page, too. Sascha
has been developed by users of Acornet and the Dutch Acorn User
Group. The program is in the Public Domain, and requires RISC OS 3.1.
10.9
Sclcswk is a new application developed for science teachers, to be
used at Key Stage 4 for pupils taking the 1998 examinations. It was
designed originally to process the marks from the various pieces of
coursework, in order to find the best mark which satisfied the
criteria. By now most science teachers will be aware that the final
mark must contain a mark from all four skill areas, from all three
subject areas and, further more, one must be from an investigation,
yet only four marks are used! The programæs author, a chemistry
teacher, found that it took several minutes per pupil to do this by
hand.
10.9
The application consists of a main window, into which files are
loaded by dragging. This then displays the pupilsæ names and details
of their experiments and marks, if already entered. Up to six sets of
experimental results are stored. Other windows are used for entering
marks, and for changing entries! The data is actually stored as a
simple text file, and so could be edited within Edit by a competent
user if so desired.
10.9
Each file can contain the work from one class, up to 40 pupils, per
file. The data is eventually processed to give full information of
the best possible mark and how it has been selected. This information
can then also be saved as a text file, directly, or by using the pipe
method available in RISC OS 3, so that it can be transferred to the
final appropriate form. Any shortcomings, for example, incomplete
data, are also reported.
10.9
The program costs ú10 from the author directly: Paul Pibworth, 2 Pine
Tree Drive, Hucclecote, GL4 3LJ (01452-614428).
10.9
Sketch Pad has now been updated to version 1.10. This version
contains many improvements, including 256 colours, a more flexible
toolbar, and much more. Other features include animation, and
animated GIF output (useful for Web pages). It can be downloaded from
HENSA. It requires RISC OS 3.1 or above, works on a RiscPC, and
should work on StrongARM.
10.9
ShowPic is a slide show program. It will show up to 500 sprites in
succession or in a random order. It was originally written to display
studentsæ computer art during an exhibition, but has grown into
something much more versatile. ShowPic can handle new Acorn sprites,
JPEG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, and so on. In fact, it will show anything that
ChangeFSI can process. If a special text file is present, it can also
display the title or a short description of the current picture. If
this file is missing, ShowPic will display the name of the directory
and file.
10.9
It does have certain limitations; for example, ShowPic will only run
on a RiscPC with enough memory and it supports only limited
multitasking. As soon as you display a new image, ShowPic will take
over the screen and will not work with sprites larger than about 1.
2Mb. All sprites, even Acorn ones, are displayed via ChangeFSI. This
avoids problems with different sprite modes.
10.9
ShowPic can be downloaded from: www.argonet.co.uk/users/tudor. If you
like it and wish to register, it will cost you ú10 from Jochen Lueg,
Trust Cottage, 2 Annadale Lane, Limavady, BT49 9BX.
10.9
Soapbox - This five disc package aims to help with the learning of
reading by emphasising the relationship between spelling patterns and
the vowel sounds. Each word is pronounced, the consonant pattern is
emphasised by highlighting, and contrasts are made between words with
short and long vowel sounds. The pupil is presented with a word in
the centre of the screen which they can listen to and must match to
one of the surrounding boxes. If the word is dragged to the correct
shape, it can be spelled by the computer using a high quality sampled
alphabet. The screen now changes to display the letters of the
alphabet in an arch around the central panel where the word must be
either typed or spelled using the mouse pointer and the lettered
tiles.
10.9
Once all the words in a group have been practised like this, there is
a final endgame where their spellings are further reinforced. The
target is to help pupils learn when to use double letters in
bisyllabic words. Digital sampled speech is used throughout the
program as an aid to reinforcement. With the use of a sound sampler,
teachers may also create their own word lists to use within the
program, and hear their voice spoken by the computer. A report file
saved to disc shows how the pupil progressed with the spelling tasks
and will keep track of repeated exercises.
10.9
A demonstration copy of the Soapbox program is available:
http://xavier.bangor.ac.uk. Soapbox costs ú37.50 +VAT +p&p from
Xavier Educational Software.
10.9
Spellbank is a spelling aid for children at Key Stages 2 and 3 for
use alongside a wordprocessor. When a pupil enters a spelling,
Spellbank provides a list of close matches, in some cases with clues
to their meaning. The close matches can be heard spoken aloud (when
using Full Phases, Pendown or !Speech etc). The chosen match can then
be inserted in another program, such as a wordprocessor, without re-
typing. There is an option for the program to keep a record of the
childrenæs spellings, which can then be searched by the teacher using
various criteria. This enables the teacher to design tailored
revision for each child. Spellbank has a main dictionary of over 16,
000 words as well as the capability to use topic dictionaries
(teacher-created) and personalised user dictionaries for pupils. The
pupil can add both spellings and meanings to their user dictionary
using a ÉLearnæ facility. It can also spellcheck a complete file and
create a list of unrecognised words. It gives a count of the total
number of words and of the number of words which were not recognised.
10.9
Spellbank costs ú25 +p&p +VAT, and a site licence costs ú50 +VAT from
Semerc.
10.9
Speak - The new version of the !Speak, text-to-speech system is now
available, with no increase in price. Owners can upgrade by sending
their !Speak disc with a stamp for return postage.
10.9
The new version includes: improved speech quality; different voices
and accents (normal, Lancashire, Brummie, and posh); voice editor;
can speak punctuation and indicate capitals (to help with proof-
reading for visually impaired users); 16-bit sound; talking text
editor; talk-as-you-type from the keyboard into any application;
pronunciation editor; phonetic based spelling checker (gives better
lists of suggestions); SWI calls and, Say command for use from your
own programs. !Speak can benefit any Acorn user, for example, with
proof reading; you can listen to your text, and hear errors such as
missed, duplicated, or wrong words. Talk-as-you-Type and hear your
mistakes as you type them. Text Reader - sit back and listen to
ReadMe files etc, even Project Gutenberg book files. A demo version
of !Speak is available from: www.argonet.co.uk/users/jsd.
10.9
Speak costs ú19.50 inclusive from Jon Duddington.
10.9
Spell Tester is an automated spelling test program. The computer
speaks aloud, in a female English accent, ten of the first two
hundred words. It repeats the word every five seconds and has a
Érepeatæ button if needed. The pupil types his or her answers on what
appears to be a normal sheet of lined paper. At the end of the exam,
the computer corrects the student and grades them; 8, 9 or 10 correct
achieves a gold star. This was created for secondary aged pupils with
special needs in spelling, but it may work for primary aged children.
It is shareware and costs ú5 for a site licence.
10.9
You can download a full copy from: www.msmith.demon.co.uk/mssoft/arc.
html or mail a disc and a stamp to Mike Smith, 6 Grenville Road,
Saint Judes, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 9PX.
10.9
Squirrel relational database is now StrongArm compatible with the
release by DSL Supplies of a patch for insertion in the Boot.PreDesk
directory. Previous irregularities encountered using RISC OS 3.7 with
pre-StrongARM processors are eliminated, and a significant increase
in all database functions can now be enjoyed through StrongARM. The
patch for Squirrel v2.07 costs ú32.50 (single user) from DSL.
10.9
SyQuest EZFlyer230 - Cumana who are the authorised distributor for
SyQuest Technology for the Acorn market, have recently launched a new
portable data storage solution for use with Acorn computers. Cumana
in collaboration with SyQuest Technology, have adapted the EZFlyer230
removable 3╜ö cartridge hard drive for use on a wide range of Acorn
RISC OS computers fitted with a bi-directional or ECP parallel port.
This means the unit is compatible only with the Acorn A3010, A3020,
A4000, A5000, A4, A7000 and RiscPC (including StrongARM). Older Acorn
machines like the A310/4XX, A3000, etc. donæt have a modern
bi-directional parallel port.
10.9
Weighing just over 1╜ pounds, the small and lightweight unit is
housed in a durable plastic case and is fitted with a side power
on/off button and a front disc eject button. A self sealing door
protects the 3╜ö square cartridge inside from dust particles. The
average seek time is 13.5 milliseconds, the peak data transfer rate
is up to 1.25 Mb/sec and the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) rate is
200,000 POH (Power On Hours), making this an impressive performer
indeed. (Ed: Is the quoted MTBF actually for the cartridge or the
drive, as I make that 68 years if only used 8 hours a day!)
10.9
The EZFlyer230 parallel port drive is supplied complete with the
Cumana developed driver for Acorn RISC OS 3.1 or higher, a 230Mb
cartridge, connector cable and driver software for other systems (inc
DOS 5.0 or higher, Windows 3.1 or higher and Windows 95).
10.9
Cumana believe that this Acorn-adapted drive has numerous uses for
owners of Acorn computers. One key area is Primary and Middle schools
who tend not to back up their computer hard discs. All too often, it
is only when something happens (e.g. a hard disc fails or even worse
the computer is stolen) that the importance of copying pupilsæ
coursework or software applications is then realised. Furthermore,
since the EZFlyer230 is a portable unit and simply connects to the
printer port of the computer, it can easily be shared between
computers and classrooms.
10.9
The Cumana version of the SyQuest EZFlyer230 parallel port drive with
Acorn RISC OS and Windows 3.1/Windows 95 driver software and one
cartridge costs just ú219.00 +p&p +VAT, or ú255 through Archive.
Additional cartridges cost ú20 +VAT, or ú25 through Archive.
10.9
Tony Nash Collection - The Datafile have released the Tony Nash
Collection on gold disc. The collection contains all the fonts and
clipart found in both Gothic and Medieval packages and both Engravers
packages. Many of the fonts have been updated and new weights added,
with a few new fonts designed by Tony for this release. The package
is further enhanced with the addition of 13 illuminated character
sets designed by Andy Jeffery, the artist who released the ABC of Art
series.
10.9
This CD-ROM costs ú80 from the Datafile, or ú76 through Archive. More
information can be found at: www.datafile.demon.co.uk.
10.9
Twain scanner support - The range of scanners supported by David
Pillingæs Twain has been extended by the addition of Agfa SnapScan,
UMAX S6E, Microtek Scanmaker E3 and E6, and also the new Canon
CanoScan 300 and 600. Each version of Twain still costs ú19 on its
own, or ú34 with ImageMaster, through Archive.
10.9
Typeinfo 1.6 - This program differs from other filetype databases in
that it interacts with the WIMP, so that when you come across a file
with no sprite, or that would give the ÉNo run action specified...æ
error when run, you just double-click on it. Rather than this awkward
error occurring, up pops a window with the fileæs sprite, name, use,
software that uses it, and in many cases where to get it from, and
the software author. The database comes with a built-in editor, and
data search, so that you can scan for, say, an Armadeus filetype by
just entering the word Armadeus, even if you donæt know what the
actual filetype is, and donæt have an example file to hand.
10.9
It handles files which are used by different programs, giving each
use its own page of information, with up to ten uses being allowed.
You can take a look at www.geocities.
com/SiliconValley/Park/4119/typeinfo.htm
10.9
Registration costs ú5 from David Sharp, 11 Woodlands Drive, Grantham,
NG31 9DJ.
10.9
ViVID 7000 the latest in iSV Productsæ range of graphics enhancers is
now available. ViVID 7000 is designed to improve the resolution
offered by A7000 and RiscPC computers with 14ö monitors and no VRAM.
10.9
ViVID 7000 costs ú10.00 +p&p from iSV products, or ú11 through
Archive.
10.9
WebMaster - Do you have free webspace on your Internet account that
you donæt know how to use? Perhaps you already use your allocation
but find maintaining your site a chore. Whatever your situation,
WebMaster, from Innovative Media Solutions, could be of help to you.
10.9
From creating your site through to publishing it on the Internet,
WebMaster offers comprehensive features, including: the ability to
keep your site together in one site file; links updated when you
move/rename a resource; import sprites and drawfiles; named colours
and a master page for consistency; visual imagemap editor (works like
Draw); preview your site locally at simulated modem speeds; preview
your site over an Access network; upload your site to the Internet
with a single mouse click.
10.9
WebMaster looks and feels just like a wordprocessor. You can generate
HTML 3.2, see your page change as you apply effects, drag images to
place them on your page, drag resources to create hyperlinks. For
more information, visit the IMS website at: www.ims-cdc.demon.co.
uk/webmaster/
10.9
Webmaster costs ú99 +VAT, or ú110 through Archive.
10.9
Webspider is the first interactive, visual editor of HTML on the
Acorn platform. Webspider offers anybody with a website the
opportunity to create and edit their website without resorting to
learning about the complexities of internet jargon or HTML tags.
It works just like any of the leading wordprocessor or DTP packages,
giving even the novice a running start at creating their website.
However, a pleasant and familiar interface is only the start; beyond
simply creating the pages themselves, snares lie ahead in managing
your website - remembering to update links when files are renamed or
repositioned - converting graphics in an appropriate way whenever a
change is made - generating image maps, and so on.
10.9
Webspider offers more than simply a Éwordprocessor for the webæ.
Conversions are performed automatically; links are remade when files
are renamed; files in use cannot be deleted by accident; table and
image map editors are provided too. Webspider is not one program, but
the core of a whole suite of programs. In the future, further modules
to add to the Webspider suite will be produced: special effect tools
for creating interesting graphics in an instant; even more advanced
image map and conversion tools; an editing studio for animated
graphics, and more. Dalriada recognises that undertaking the whole
gamut of internet technologies relies on co-operation with many other
players, and that the central editor is in many ways merely the glue
holding together many different forms of media and graphics.
Extensive support is therefore being given to these external
developments.
10.9
Further versions of Webspider are to be released throughout 1997 and
1998, providing support for facilities such as Cascading Style
Sheets, Frames and Layers, plus productivity boons such as colour
swatches for exact colour matching across different platforms,
templates and a fully operational tag editor for those who just canæt
keep their fingers off the raw HTML!
10.9
Webspider costs ú40 as an introductory offer (full price ú50) from
Dalriada Data Technology. Through Archive, Webspider costs ú48.
10.9
The second generation Webspider product, Webspider Studio, should be
released at Acorn World. The upgrade route from Webspider to
Webspider Studio will be no more than the difference in price
(anticipated to be ú20).
10.9
WimpBasic, the total WIMP programming environment from Clares, is now
at version 1.03. All registered users should have received their free
update. Anyone who has not received it, and who is registered with
Clares, should contact them. The update can also be downloaded from
the WimpBasic website at: www.treknet.is/wb/
10.9
The update includes bug fixes, plus manual changes to correct errors
and to clarify certain areas. In addition there are new tutorial
files that supply answers to some queries raised by users. One loads
and displays drawfiles and the other shows how to implement warning
boxes. Additional files have been added to the libraries. The code
library contains procedures for error reporting, tracing, handling
32-bit words etc. WimpBasic is on a rolling programme of updating and
enhancements.
10.9
WimpBasic is available from Clares at a cost of ú49.95 inclusive, or
ú47 through Archive.
10.9
ZeriLink 2.30 provides a robust, fast (800Kbytes/sec) file transfer
link between either a RiscPC and an IBM compatible PC, two RiscPCæs,
or two IBM PCæs and is now twice as fast as version 2.20 due to
smarter low level code. File transfer speeds of up to 800Kbytes/sec
can now be reached. Its only requirement is that both machines have a
parallel port that supports ECP (Extended Capabilities Port). All
RiscPCæs have such a port, and most current IBM compatible PCæs also
have one or have the option of adding one. The hardware side of the
link simply consists of a suitably wired parallel cable, which is
plugged into both machinesæ parallel ports. The ZeriLink software
provides you with convenient commands to transfer files between the
two machines. ZeriLink is ShareWare and costs 30 guilders. It can be
downloaded from: www.inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink.
10.9
STOP PRESS: While ZeriLink 2.30 and older only work on ECP compatible
parallel ports, version 2.40 adds PS/2 (Ébidirectionalæ) parallel
port support. The latter should make it work on Acorn machines with
an 82711 I/O chip (e.g. the A5000 and A4), although this is as yet
untested!
10.9
Review software received...
10.9
ÅABC CD-ROM (e), ÅAccessory (u), ÅApp-by-Type (u), ÅAPDLæs DTP 3 CD
(au), ÅArthur (e), ÅClipArt Collection CD (a), ÅCourier (u), ÅGrafix
CD1 (a), ÅEmotions (g), ÅMr Clippy (au), ÅNursery Rhyme Time (e),
ÅRomans CD-ROM (e), ÅSc1cswk (e), ÅSpellbank (e), ÅViVID7000 (u),
ÅThe Games Suite 2 (pg).
10.9
a=Art, e=Education, g=Game, p=Programming, u=Utility.
10.9
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.
10.9
Products News
10.9
AudioPort, from Oregan, has been designed to fill a large gap in the
current Acorn audio market, and move the RiscPC platform onto a far
more professional level for audio editing. Providing true multi-track
recording and SP/DIF digital input and output, AudioPort features all
those facilities required by the serious audio engineer and musician.
The SP/DIF protocol allows direct capture and output of digital audio
data, between a RiscPC and SP/DIF compatible DAT recorder. As the
SP/DIF enables transfer of a digital stream of data, there is no
quality loss as a result of low performance DAC or ADC chips in the
sampling hardware being used, ensuring lossless transfer.
10.9
The SP/DIF also permits economical backup of hard discs onto DAT
tape, using the software provided. As such, it is a very convenient
piece of hardware for anyone owning a DAT recorder.
10.9
AudioPort is a modular system. The AudioPort motherboard fits into a
normal, single width podule slot, and provides the following
facilities: S/P-DIF transceiver, dual buffered MIDI ports, TDM-bus
for external digital audio units, onboard DSP with mutual host/DSP
interrupts, PIO and DMA transfers between host and DSP, system sample-
rate clock generator and sample rate converter.
10.9
This motherboard may be used as a stand-alone SP/DIF, DSP and MIDI
unit, or expanded further with the connection of external analogue
audio CODEC units to the TDM bus. Current external CODEC designs
include: 2in/6out device allowing 2-channel analogue input and 6-
channel simultaneous output, mounted in an external half-size rack
mount unit. 8in/8out device allowing 8-channel analogue input and
8-channel simultaneous output, mounted in an external full size 19ö
rack mount unit. Further CODEC designs are currently under review.
10.9
When used in conjunction with ProSound and StudioSound, AudioPort
brings true 8-track hard disc recording to the RiscPC, as well as
offering considerable control of devices in the digital domain.
10.9
Oregan are aiming to have AudioPort ready for Wakefield, with an
expected price of between ú150 and ú200.
10.9
DaVinci is alive and kicking. A new website has been set up by Eric
Willemen and Chris Miles specifically dedicated to the DaVinci range
of 3D Modellers, assuring us that they are still being actively
developed by Aspex Software. The site provides a general introduction
to DaVinci (both the man and the program!) with lists of features
current and future, various things for you to download, including 3D,
VRML and Merlin models, animations and sample pictures as well as
demo software and the full comercial version of VRMLEyes (courtesy of
Aspex software). It also has links to other sites related to DaVinci,
Merlin, VRML, DXF and computer graphics generally. You can find this
site at www.regretta.demon.co.uk.
10.9
Quake - Software games developer TBA Software have made the bold step
of converting the popular PC game Quake for the Acorn market. A fully
working evaluation version of ÉAcornQuakeæ appeared on a German FTP
site and the Acorn game newsgroup has been buzzing with excitement
ever since. The copy is not supplied with the all important game data
called a PAK file, you have to get your own! This is not too
difficult to find as the Shareware version of Quake is freely
available on PC cover CDROMs or from many internet FTP sites such as
Demon. You also need to find a friendly PC owner (or a RiscPC owner
with the PC card) as the PAK file is usually supplied compressed (8Mb
compressed or 17Mb fully uncompressed) in a special LHA format which
requires to be installed first onto a PC, then transferred onto your
ADFS hard disc.
10.9
The current AcornQuake is a port of IDæs code and, as such, needs
hardware floating point processor in order to run at a playable
speed. Even on a 200MHz StrongARM AcornQuake is far too slow to play.
10.9
TBA say they have started negotiations with ID Software and hope to
have on sale an integer optimised version that will be very playable
on a RiscPC StrongARM machine.
10.9
If you wish to try out AcornQuake, you can find it at: ftp://ftp.uni-
kl.de/pub/acorn/long/fun/games/Quake.b21
10.9
Youæll need a StrongARM RiscPC with 16-bit sound and 19Mb of free
disc space and at least 4Mb of RAM to run it in. Youæll also need a
copy of TBA Softwareæs dearchiver application, TBAFSrd, which is
available from: www.tba-software.co.uk/downloads/. You can find the
Shareware version of Quake at many sites in order to extract the PAK
file: ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/.d1/mirrors/simtel/games/idsoftware/quake/
10.9
Sibelius are one of the software companies to respond to our recent
RISC OS developers survey, and their response is one example of how
innovation on Acorn machines can lead to worldwide success. Hereæs
some of what they said: É...we have opened a Los Angeles office and
are exporting RiscPCs very successfully to professional musicians
there. Among the key US users we have already got are conductor
Michael Tilson Thomas, the Juilliard School in New York (the USAæs
leading conservatoire), and a Hollywood film composer who does not
want publicity yet but, suffice to say, has written the music for
several blockbuster films which have shown worldwide over the past
few months. Sibelius Softwareæs expansion continues apace, with a
constant stream of new staff joining, and an annual turnover of about
úl.4m. Ongoing developments include the following: We have recently
released a Sibelius 7 SMPTE extension for film/TV scoring, which
automatically synchronizes playback to video; Version 3.5 of the
Sibelius programs will be released in the summer; a music scanning
program developed in partnership with Neurotron Software will be
released at around the same time as version 3.5; we already have
plans for Sibelius Version 4, to be released some time in 1998.ò
10.9
Silica Software Systems produce a number of popular packages
including Dazzle, Project Presenter and Go-Go!, all distributed by
SEMERC. Although the programs sell well to schools, Dazzle and
Project Presenter have far wider appeal in graphical design and
multimedia applications. Their website is now online at www.
silicasoftware.com, and as well as downloadable updates to the latest
versions of all their software, there are some extra resources too.
If you want to try before you buy, they have working demos of all
their products to download.
10.9
Uniqueway news - Uniqueway would like to point out that contrary to
the recent reviews in Acorn User and Risc User magazines, the Risc
Disc 3 contains the 1.2 release version of Risc BSD, not the Beta
Version. To assist in installing Risc BSD they have posted an updated
version of the current Risc BSD installation notes on: www.uniqueway.
co.uk/cdroms/rbsd_inst.txt
10.9
The Risc Disc 3 is designed to run on all current versions of RISC OS
3.1, 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7 and not just on StrongARM-based machines. If
you do have a StrongARM machine then the Risc Disc 3 also includes
loaders that will enable the earlier Risc Disc 1 & 2 to run with the
StrongARM and also include updated Search Indices for those two
discs. Risc Disc 3 costs ú25 inclusive (ú23 to Clan members), or ú25
through Archive.
10.9
The StrongARM upgrade for Empire should now be available and will
cost ú10 +VAT +p&p.
Products Available
10.10
128Mb SIMMs - Yes, thatæs what it says, 128Mb! These have now come
down to the level where they are just about affordable - they are
currently ú960 through Archive. (Other prices currently are: 8Mb -
ú45, 16Mb - ú80, 32Mb - ú155, 64Mb - ú460.)
10.10
14.4K modems - With the ever rising expectations of modem speed,
weæve got stuck with five 14.4K modems in stock which no-one seems to
want. If anyone wants a cheap intro to the internet, they are
available at ú90 each. Please ring or email (oops!) if you want one.
10.10
A7000+ prices - One or two errors crept into the pricing of the new
A7000+. Sorry about that. In the Archive Price List, the CD version
is listed as ú998 instead of the (correct) price quoted in the
article of ú935. Also, Xemplar put up the prices of A7000s, so the
prices quoted in the magazine and the Price List, for Further
Education, were all wrong! They are now AMC08 ú620, AMC10 ú705, AMC50
ú825. (We will honour all orders that were placed at the lower
pricing.)
10.10
Acorn NetStation - This monthæs Acorn computer launch(!) is the
NetStation. It is available in both Ethernet and modem variants and
features the ARM7500FE with 8Mb of RAM. The NetStation (in either
format) is ú468. This includes computer, smartcard and all cables.
Service provision for the modem version is available via Argonet at
extra cost. (Details are not finalised yet, so see the pricelist
supplement, or ring NCS.)
10.10
Advanced Level 4 Server has been developed to deliver powerful file
serving for schools. This product is a development of the Acorn Level
4 fileserver which was designed 8 years ago for RISC OS 2 machines
fitted with 1Mb of RAM and ARM 2 processors. With developments such
as RISC OS 3 and the new Acorn StrongARM processor, it has meant the
current version of Acorn Level 4 and NetFS client cannot deliver best
performance from the hardware and operating systems now available.
10.10
Upgrading from the Acorn Level 4 fileserver to the Advanced Level 4
Server is a simple process, as the it is a natural evolution, not a
complete revolution. It is backwards-compatible with Level 4 and
supports all the previous functions.
10.10
The software enables a RISC OS computer to act as a file server for
other Acorn computers. It consists of three major applications; File
Server, Printer Server and a User Management application. It is a
straightforward process to install and run this software and the
training required is minimal. It is supplied with an easy-to-read
manual to allow a person new to networking to be up and running in a
short space of time. The server can support up to 2048 users with up
to 128 logged on at any one time. Facilities for monitoring usage,
controlling access to files, space accounting and managing usersæ
accounts are amongst the many functions provided by this package.
10.10
Highlights include: twice as fast for single clients, up to 10 times
faster when used with multiple clients; faster simultaneous log on;
reliability is much improved and the software is more robust; simpler
and faster management application; large files sizes up to 4Gb are
now supported; new faster 32-bit client software; updated printer
spooler application; compatible with StrongARM and RISC OS 3.7;
support for exporting Microsoft NT Server mount; compatible with
Econet and Nexus networking.
10.10
The licence covers use of the software on up to three servers and
with up to 2048 users on each server. The normal price of the upgrade
package is ú249 +VAT from i-cubed Ltd, or ú285 through Archive.
Existing Level 4 customers can get a special discount price of ú199
+VAT from i-cubed Ltd, if you upgrade before 31st July 1997.
10.10
ANT RiscPC 10base2+T - Atomwide have announced the release of a
firmware upgrade for users of ANT RiscPC 10base2+T
(combi/Myson/EtherM) Ethernet cards. The new driver implements
multiple mode to enable simultaneous use of the network card from
RISC OS and a PC co-processor (through Aleph Oneæs Network Links
software). The driver also fixes a few problems which a small number
of users have experienced, and it is StrongARM-compatible. ROM
upgrades are available for no charge from Atomwide upon return of
existing ROMs. New ROMs can be despatched before old ROMs are
received if a refundable ú10 per ROM deposit is paid.
10.10
Ancient Egyptians - Ancient Egypt comes alive with this interactive
CD-ROM from Anglia Multimedia. From the moment the Pharaohæs sleep is
disturbed, Ancient Egyptians transports pupils from the pyramids to
the reaches of the Nile valley and beyond, with the help of seven
Éguidesæ to help them on their journey. The Builder explains how the
pyramids and great temples were constructed, the Captive about life
as a slave in Egyptian society, the Scribe about their form of
writing and how it was used from administration to recording their
history. The Pharaoh and the Great Lady tell us about the royal
court, wealth and power in Egyptian society, the Farmer describes
crops and produce, trade and the seasons, and the Priest about
Egyptian Gods, their festivals and how to make a mummy! Each
character draws the user into the information by coming to life on
the screen, made possible through the use of state-of-the-art blue
screen video technology. Within each characteræs environment, there
are a host of objects for pupils to click on and learn about.
10.10
The challenge of Egyptians is to collect an object from each of the
characters and help the Pharaoh ascend to the afterlife. Each object
can be won by doing a puzzle or task relating to the character. These
puzzles reinforce concepts from areas of the curriculum other than
history, making the CD-ROM a truly integrated resource.
10.10
Like all Anglia Multimedia education products, Ancient Egyptians
contains a host of photocopiable activity sheets for use in the
classroom. It also allows for the copyright-cleared saving of text
and resources, and features ÉStudentSaveæ Angliaæs save status
feature. This allows users to save their current position and
settings on this interactive adventure. For those with Internet
access, the disc automatically links to Anglia Multimediaæs website
containing up-to-date links and additional material that the pupil
can use.
10.10
Target Market: National Curriculum Key Stage 2 and matching curricula.
10.10
Ancient Egyptians costs ú40 +VAT +p&p, or ú46 through Archive.
10.10
Archive Utils Disc N║11 - This is a collection of all the latest
Monitor Definition Files we could find for RiscPC. There is also a
copy of !MakeModes, a utility allowing you to create your own MDFæs.
Archive Utilities Disc N║ 11 costs ú2 through Archive.
10.10
ARM Clubæs PDCD2 is now available. Included on the CD-ROM are nearly
900 indexed Freeware/PD/Shareware/Commercial demo applications,
including some very recent software; 24Mb of Pocket Book software;
over 70Mb of clipart; 182 games, cheats and game related utilities;
58 graphics demos; well over 100Mb of music and sound samples;
Websites from The ARM Club and other Acorn related voluntary groups;
a complete set of Eureka magazine discs; electronic texts including
the Bible and Classics; a point and click Web front end, using
Stewart Brodieæs ArcWeb; search engine enables software to be located
in seconds; alternatively, browse the fully catalogued indexes.
10.10
The price is ú15, or ú10 pounds to members of The ARM Club.
Alternatively, the CD with one yearæs Club membership costs ú22 (ú26
outside the UK within Europe, ú29 for the rest of the world) from the
ARM Club.
10.10
Burn Out - In response to customer demand for a fully StrongARM-aware
version of BurnOut, a patch has been developed. The patch does the
following: allows Burn Out to run on StrongARM without other
modification modules being present; makes necessary slowing
adjustments for playing the game on StrongARM CPUs; allows users of
multisync monitors with 100Hz or similar Mode13 game modes to play
the game at a sensible speed; fixes a bug in the garage which was
present in some releases of Burn Out; adjusts the ÉAll Time High
Scoreæ table so that the scores are actually realistically
achievable; visually identifies StrongARM (when present) as the game
loads; and has a more precise RAM check. You can still run the
upgraded version of the game on a non-StrongARM processor. The patch
may be found in the Features section of the Oregan website at: www.
oregan.demon.co.uk, or by writing to Oregan Ltd.
10.10
Charges is a flexible work manager application for monitoring the
time spent working on jobs at the computer and calculating your
earnings, invaluable for anyone who designs and publishes documents
professionally. The program times how long you spend working on
files, and calculates how much you should be paid. It keeps a list of
all work in progress on disc, allowing you to spread jobs over
several days or weeks if necessary. Different rates of payment can be
set for individual jobs, along with exchange rates and other
attributes.
10.10
Charges can be operated manually alongside any RISC OS application,
and it can interact with Ovation Pro and Sibelius 7 automatically,
meaning that you donæt even have to remember when to start and stop
the timer. Just start editing, and Charges will begin timing your
work; move between files, and Charges will keep track of where you
are. Charges is supplied on floppy disc in an attractive wallet with
a full printed manual, and is compatible with all versions of RISC OS.
10.10
Features: keeps track of numerous concurrent jobs; flexible charge-
rounding options; provision for multiple currencies; automatic
exchange-rate database; remote activation by other programs;
quick conversions facility; many user-definable options; easy
transfer of data to other applications.
10.10
Charges costs ú15 inclusive from: Richard Hallas, KeyNote, 31 Skelton
Crescent, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, HD4 5PN.
10.10
DiscInfo 1.20 - This new version contains several improvements. For
example, DiscInfo now understands F format discs and displays disc
maps graphically instead of textually. It provides extensive
information on discs that reside under a FileCore based filing system
(e.g. ADFS and RAMFS). In addition to Édry numbersæ, DiscInfo also
provides a graphical display of a discæs space allocation map. The
information given by DiscInfo is very Éinvolvedæ and is therefore not
explained. For a good and thorough explanation, you will have to
refer to the FileCore chapters of the RISC OS 3 PRM, available from
Acorn. DiscInfo is Freeware from www.inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink
10.10
Font Directory Professional is the latest in the line of LOOKsystemsæ
font management software. Among the large number of changes are:
Remote Control Fonts allows you to use Font Directory to control
other applications. All you have to do is select some text and drag
the font you want to use from Font Directories WYSIWYG display onto
the applicationæs window. The font will be activated and a message
sent to force the application to change the text.
10.10
The Font Sets Editor is a completely new tool which allows you to
join any number of user defined sets e.g. Éfancyæ, Éboldæ, Éscriptæ,
Éserifæ, Ésans serifæ, etc. Once this is done, the sets editor can be
used to control the WYSIWYG display by forcing it to show (or
activate) the fonts in a chosen set e.g. just the Éfancyæ fonts. The
search-as-you-type facility now has the option of displaying only the
found fonts. This makes it much easier to see matches that span
several directories. The Font Player is a Élabour saving deviceæ
which is used to control the font viewer. It allows you to view one
font after another without having to keep clicking on the WYSIWYG
display.
10.10
It has extensions for ultra-fast document scanning extensions, custom
WYSIWYG display and font renaming. Font Directory Professional can
perform a number of checks on the files put into a partition. This
helps to ensure that all of the fonts are valid and that there are no
duplicates. You can now export fonts quickly and easily from the
WYSIWYG display, so you donæt have to run the filer application and
hunt around the partition. This is great when sending documents to be
typeset. There are all sorts of minor updates, along with a new
choices editor and better networking support.
10.10
Font Viewer - some of the changes since v2.01: The toolbar can be
separated from the current fontview window by dragging the toolbaræs
title bar. Thereæs a Quick Print button to print a hard copy of the
current fontview window. The Styles button can be used to open a
directory for storing your favourite styles and text. When the
pointer is over a character in the char map, it will display the
ASCII number of that character.
10.10
Font Directory Professional costs ú65, and Font Directory 2 ú45, or
ú62 and ú43 through Archive. From FD2 to Pro, the upgrade costs ú25.
From EasyFont to FD2, it costs ú30, to Pro ú45. All prices are
inclusive of VAT and carriage, and the upgrades are only available
through LOOKsystems.
10.10
Fun with Texts is a foreign language package originally designed for
the BBC B in 1984. It was one of the most popular software packages
for modern language. It is an imaginative authoring package that
enables a teacher to create a number of short texts which can then be
used by students as the basis of a variety of text-reconstruction
exercises. The package has been thoroughly field-tested by
experienced teachers and by students of English, French, German,
Spanish and Italian. It is designed for use by individual students or
by pairs and small groups.
10.10
Fun with Texts consists of the following exercises: Copywrite - two
versions (easy and hard) of the popular Étotal Clozeæ exercise in
which the whole text is reduced to blobs and punctuation. In the easy
version, the first letters of each word are given. The student has to
recreate the text. Clozewrite - a Cloze exercise, with regular but
variable deletion intervals. Enigma - a decoding exercise based on
the letter-substitution principle. The student has to decode the
text. Scrambler - an exercise in which the student has to unscramble
jumbled words. Prediction - a prediction exercise in which the
student predicts which word comes next in a text, from a set of given
choices. Textsalad - a line re-ordering exercise. The student has to
put the jumbled lines of a text back into order. Teachers can create
their own texts in any language, using Edit. All the teacher has to
do is find a suitable text, and the computer then generates the
exercises listed above.
10.10
Fun with Texts is printed and published by Camsoft and costs ú75 +VAT
for a 10-user site licence, thereafter ú7.50 +VAT per workstation -
an unlimited site licence costs ú250 +VAT.
10.10
HTMLEdit v3 is the latest version of the award-winning Web Page
design family. HTMLEdit provides a complete WWW studio for
professional web authors using RISC OS. Building on a three year
track-record of HTML software development expertise, this latest
incarnation boasts a long list of the new features, including full
HTML Syntax and error checking to over 20 different HTML variants
including NetScape and MS Internet Explorer. HTML 3.2 is fully
supported, and there are brand new website management features. WebFS
provides an Internet compliant filing system for your computer,
removing the limitations imposed on site design by RISC OS. The
Publish utility allows you to extract your website quickly,
rebuilding files with a single click. Dynamic content allows you to
build a site based on shared source documents. By changing a source,
you can quickly make global changes across your site. By linking into
the Publish utility, you can extract and rebuild your site in
seconds. HTMLEdit 3 is now search-engine aware, allowing you to
preset any keywords you want your page to be triggered by. You can
also give a formal description of your page, instead of the usual
snippet of page that is given. For overseas users, and those using
non-standard characters regularly, thereæs improved foreign character
support. An auto-expansion feature is provided, which converts non-
printable characters as you type, but you can toggle between ISO and
Latin 1 names. Image, URL and Macro databases allow you to configure
the system to have all your commonly used files, links and commands
at your fingertips. Finally, there are dynamic macros with parameter
handling, all this adding up to a truly flexible environment.
10.10
HTML 3 costs ú49 for a single user from R-Comp, or ú46 through
Archive. A site licence costs ú150, and an upgrade from version 2
costs ú15 (please return original disc to R-Comp when upgrading).
10.10
Nexus StrongARM upgrade - The StrongARM processor is an impressive
upgrade for a RiscPC, transforming it into one of the worldæs fastest
desktop computers. However, customers who have attempted to use their
StrongARM RiscPC with Nexus have so far been disappointed - until
now! To coincide with Acornæs decision to fit StrongARM to all new
RiscPCs, Design IT has completed the work to allow StrongARM and
Nexus to operate together. A ROM change on the interface card is
needed as well as an updated Nexus boot sequence. This not only
provides StrongARM compatibility but also offers quicker boot up
times for all other computers. Discless A7000s are better supported
so that screen mode information is preserved. As with all operations,
when StrongARM is fitted, everything on the RiscPC goes faster -
access to applications, saving/loading files and printing etc.
10.10
Each upgrade pack costs ú25 +VAT and can be ordered from Design IT,
Cumbria Software or ExpLAN. When ordering, please make clear the type
of interface card to be upgraded.
10.10
PCJoy - The Wakefield show saw the official launch of Stuart Tyrrell
Developmentsæ PC joystick interface, PCJoy. The interface provides
for a full game port, enabling the use of joysticks which use four
channels, or the use of two joysticks using a standard splitter
cable. It is supplied with their plug and play transparent drivers
for the PC card. PCJoy costs ú39.95 inclusive from Stuart Tyrrell
Developments.
10.10
ProFiler is a replacement filer for the desktop, that contains all
the functionality of the ROM-Filer and more. Among some of the
features are: rename-in-place; access-in-place; select files in
several viewers at once; very fast viewer update;
uses Wimp_BlockCopy; hang-clicking is supported; objects can be
hidden from view; a status bar can show the size of your selection;
Booting of applications happens in the background; updates relevant
files when a filetype sprite becomes available; the width of objects
is properly calculated, and the widest object sets the standard in
the viewer - this applies to both the name and the sprite; key
shortcuts for the majority of functions, including things that are
not in the menus, like moving around in the viewer and running
objects; key shortcuts are fully definable, and unused shortcuts can
be used for external utilities; the input focus will never be
Éstolenæ from another application, unless explicitly told to do so; a
large number of things are customisable; the module is about 48Kb,
written exclusively in assembler; third-party extension modules for
providing thumbnails for objects; extended full-info display; all of
the choices for a viewer can be stored locally for that viewer;
separate options for each file-operation, e.g. turn on Confirm for
delete, but not for everything else; cache system for thumbnails, and
option to save pieces of the cache in the places where it will be
needed; service calls, wimp messages and SWIs allow applications to
take advantage of the Fileræs extended abilities; system variables
allow easy extensions without having to program. Requirements:
RISC OS 3.70 or later (a later version will work with 3.10).
10.10
You can get a demo at: http://pip.dknet.dk/~pip1339/download.html
10.10
The demo contains all of the functionality of the full ProFiler, but
if you use this filer for a prolonged period of time, you will find
that your RMA grows steadily until full. The final distribution
details of the full version have not been agreed upon. If you have
email, you can be notified when this matter has been settled. Send
mail to: [e-mail] and ask to be added to the list.
10.10
PhotoReal, from Spacetech Ltd, is an extension to the Acorn printer
driver system which provides support for the latest range of
Bubblejet printers with Photo-realism capabilities. The Printer
driver makes use of the same Colour Management System (CMS), normally
found in PhotoDesk, to produce high quality four-colour separations
from the output of any RISC OS application.
10.10
PhotoReal is available from Spacetech as part of a hardware bundle
which includes the printer, or on its own for users who have already
purchased a printer. Visitors to multi-platform exhibitions, such as
BETT97 will have been impressed by the superb results possible with
the Canon printers and Windows software. Unfortunately, there has not
been a comparable driver available to produce similar results using
the Acorn. Spacetech has worked closely with Canon and Acorn to
produce a driver that utilises a true four colour process (CMYK), the
maximum resolution of the printer and a sophisticated colour
management system. Not only is it possible to obtain near
photographic quality using the special photo-real cartridge and high
resolution paper, but excellent results are also possible with
standard paper and cartridge. Other options include a high
performance black cartridge and a fluorescent cartridge. Many media
options are available including transparencies, high gloss paper,
high gloss film, fabric sheet and even T-shirt transfers.
10.10
At last it is possible for those who hanker after dye-sublimation
quality printing, but cannot afford the price-tag, to produce artwork
and graphics that compare very favourably. The printer can, of
course, be used for everyday printing and produces speedy, laser
quality standard documents. Printers supported so far are the Canon
BJC240, BJC4200 and BJC4550 models.
10.10
PhotoReal software costs ú69 inclusive from Spacetech, or ú66 through
Archive.
10.10
Printer bundles including software/VAT:
10.10
BJC240 A4 Bubblejet 720╫360 dpi mono, 360╫360 dpi colour ú245, or
ú245 through Archive.
10.10
BJC4200 A4 Bubblejet 720╫360 dpi mono, 720╫360 dpi colour ú269, or
ú279 through Archive.
10.10
BJC4550 A3 Bubblejet 720╫360 dpi mono, 720╫360 dpi colour ú499, or
ú495 through Archive.
10.10
Quota is a paper saving printer management software for Acorn
computers. It runs alongside Level 4 and !Spooler for easy operation
and management. It works on all AUN networks that use !Spooler. Users
can be given ÉPrint Statusæ ranging from unrestricted to locked out.
These include a fixed daily quota, updatable quota (requires teacher
confirmation) and totally supervised printing where every printout
must be confirmed by a teacher!
10.10
Software includes: Quota - a printer server management application
which runs alongside !Spooler allowing the network manager to
allocate pupils a certain amount of printouts which can be edited
remotely by the teacher. The user base is self-creating leaving the
manager free to do other things! Individuals, groups or stations can
be updated quickly and easily. Client - this runs alongside the
Printer Driver and provides users with an indication of printouts
remaining.
10.10
Quota costs ú49.99 inclusive from Room 20 Software.
10.10
RiscCAD Professional version 1.55 Release 2. The latest version of
RiscCAD now includes the ability to import drawfiles. This allows a
wide range of existing clipart to be used in CAD drawings, and also
means RiscCAD can be used to plot drawfiles. Compatibility with other
CAD systems is also assured using the DXF conversion utility. New
features include better support for plotters, especially for network
users. Drawings can be plotted to any device connected on a network
without interrupting the user on the target machine. Plot files may
also be generated and queued for later plotting. Extra circle and arc
dimension styles have been added, along with bubble numbering
(indispensable for component part labelling). Thereæs also a polygon
construction tool and extra trim functions.
10.10
RiscCAD is suitable for all drawing disciplines from mechanical
engineering to architecture, and for electrical and electronic
schematic drawing. Among some of its features are: very fast screen
redraw; Zoom from 1 % to 4000%; fast vector drawn text; dynamic
object dragging; stretch area retaining all connections; automatic
dimensions; work in any units; draw to scale; group objects for easy
editing; step and repeat; polar and rectangular arrays; hatching;
user-definable toolbox setup; sideways and scaled printing;
programmable plotter driver; up to 77 pre-defined plot settings;
network plotting; flat queueing; Cut/Copy/Paste between drawings;
work on up to four drawings; eight snaps plus two offset snaps;
fillet and chamfer; trim objects; join lines; automatic number
sequence generation; 32 layers; hide objects; symbol and template
management; DXF import/export; Draw import; page rulers; password
protection; mirror; rotate and pivot; scale text to fit; definable
text and point layers; justified text; underlined/italic/boxed text;
parallel lines/circles/arcs; auto-centre mark top; divide objects;
grid; wide range of construction tools; quick edit feature; four
cursor styles; layer translation; on the fly symbol rotate/scale.
10.10
RiscCAD is supplied with a wide range of pre-drawn, ready-to-use
symbols covering subjects such as flowcharting, maps, mechanical
engineering, electronics, electrical engineering and panel design.
Creating and adding symbols to the symbol libraries is simple, and
can be done within RiscCAD, without opening any filer windows.
Drawing templates are handled in exactly the same way. Templates can
be created, then saved and used as the basis of future drawings,
cutting drawing time to a minimum.
10.10
RiscCAD Professional costs ú250 inclusive from Davyn Computer
Services, or ú240 through Archive.
10.10
RiscPC Power supply - We can now supply, as a spare part, a 103W
power supply for the Acorn RiscPC which is dual voltage, i.e. has a
switch to allow it to be used on different voltages, specifically
110V for the States and 230V for UK. This costs ú98 through Archive.
10.10
RLaB2 was mentioned last month but we gave the address as: ftp://ftp.
eskimo.com/u/i/ians/rlab/sources/rlab2.tgz. This is correct to get
the source code, but most users will not want to recompile it, so the
right place to look at, for info in general about RLaB, is www.eskimo.
com/~ians/rlab.html, and for the binary Acorn distribution:
ftp://penguin.fluff.org/pub/arch/rlab or hensa, package e022.
10.10
SSERC Graphics Collection (Scottish Schools Equipment Research
Centre) - Science and technology graphics, data, programs and
applications in abundance. SSERC is a national service agency
providing advice, information, consultancy and training on science
and technology equipment and facilities. The CD-ROM has been put
together from SSERC resources, and contains material which is
directly relevant to British science and technology education and is
all compatible in terms of scale, line thickness and content. The
graphics are easily accessed using a friendly Éfront-endæ for cross-
referencing and display, in access times typically less than ten
seconds, provided you know part or all of the subject word for which
you are looking.
10.10
The graphics have been drawn by subject specialists in science and
technology, and have not been derived from other machine formats but
have been drawn specifically for RISC OS. The Graphics Libraries are
already widely used in over 1000 schools, colleges and universities
throughout the UK and as far afield as Norway, Sweden, Luxemburg,
Singapore, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Australia and New
Zealand.
10.10
Features include: almost 9000 files; 127 molecules each in up to 18
different model representations; programs to generate drawfiles of
gears, sprockets, ratchets, tapped threads, washers, tubes, nuts,
bolts etc; 38 multiple page help/info files available for
multitasking display when using graphics/applications; 880 files of
interfacing data derived from real experiments; 28 Vector Libraries;
interactive help available on search operations; upwards of 50,000
key words - indexing data alone is almost 1Mb; 4 years of graphics
work at SSERC; 330 Mb in total; 1045 files compatible with Worracad.
10.10
The SSERC Graphics Collection is available on CD-ROM for ú50 (or ú47
through Archive) and includes the CD-ROM, manual, Draw Practical
Guides, DTP for Chemistry Teachers, two compressed 1.6Mb updates
discs. The CD-ROM on its own costs ú10 from SSERC. Graphics are also
available on disc for ú14 each from SSERC. The prices include VAT and
a site licence from SSERC.
10.10
StrongED - The latest release of StrongED 4.20 is now available from:
http://login.eunet.no/~guttorvi/strong.html
10.10
If you donæt have StrongHelp 2.10, remember to download that as well,
so you can read the manual. StrongED is the öfriendly text editor,
equally suited to the professional programmer and his mother.
If youære one of the three remaining people still using !Edit why not
give it a try? Happiness is only a couple of mouse clicks (and 250Kb)
awayò says its author, Guttorm Vik!
10.10
So, whatæs new since 4.16? First of all StrongED can now do
ÉFoldingæ. When you fold a text, you take groups of lines and hide
them away, only showing the first one. Then you go around the text
and open and close the folds as you see fit. In programming, one fold
is often one procedure. This can be very helpful when used properly,
but is probably not for everyone.
10.10
Secondly, the StrongED directory has been restructured. The most
obvious effect of this is that modefiles, modewhen and filemenu have
moved into !StrongED.Defaults. There they are write protected, since
any changes you might want to do, should be placed in the !StrED_cfg
directory. With this new directory, future upgrades of StrongED
should be a doddle, since you just replace the entire !StrongED
directory, and have your own customisations safe in !StrED_cfg.
10.10
The ÉFileMenuæ part of StrongED (that will soon be moved out into a
separate application) can now contain URLs and can function as a
hotlist (instead of the !Hotlist application in the ANT internet
suite). As usual there is also an assorted number of bug fixes and
minor new features. In the future we can expect: Outline fonts, a
better mail/news mode and proper syntax colouring of multi-line
comments.
10.10
StrongED is shareware and costs ú10 for registration.
10.10
StudioSound - A new version of StudioSound is now available, which
has been dispatched free of charge to all registered users. There are
many unregistered copies of StudioSound, so could all users please
return registration cards, so as not to miss this upgrade? New
features include: new digital DSP interface with new 2nd/3rd order
effects such as reverb; MIDI event list editor; vary-speed playback
and reverse controls; flexible audio enveloping control; thumbnail
waveforms shown on each sample segment. A new demo version is
available on the Oregan website at: www.oregan.demon.co.uk
10.10
StudioSound costs ú119.95 fully inclusive from Oregan Developments,
or ú110 through Archive.
10.10
Textures Pro is the latest version of R-Compæs texture creation
software. Building on the original Textures application for providing
web page background and artistic resources, Textures Pro adds full
texture building, generation and colouring, using the latest genetic
and mathematical modules to produce perfectly tileable textures every
time. With a wealth of example starting points and alternative colour
schemes, it is simple to make attractive, individual backdrops to
your pages, whether youære after subtle marbling, or totally
psychedelic swirls! The product is ideal for professional use, but
the creativity and exploration of colour and texture offer exciting
possibilities in the classroom, too! As always, upgrades are
available to existing users through R-Comp.
10.10
Textures Pro costs ú20 from R-Comp (+ú5 p&p for outside of EU) for a
single user licence, or ú20 through Archive. A site licence costs ú55
from R-Comp.
10.10
The UK Education Internet Primer 2nd edition has been completely
revised, updated and expanded into the Éonlyæ book that looks in-
depth at all the issues involved in the Internet from the perspective
of educators, parents and learners in UK educational institutions.
The writers, Nicholas Mailer and Bruce Dickson are, respectively, a
writer on Internet issues and a science teacher (one of the first
teachers in this country to connect his school to the Internet).
Topics covered include: an introduction to the Internet, its
structure, history and a summary of the services available; what does
the Net offer for education; dealing with problems; communicating
with email newsgroups; getting files via FTP; Internet tools; The
World Wide Web; Internet service providers. There are 300 pages with
illustrations, b/w screenshots, and cartoons. Dimensions: 230╫180mm,
perfect bound paperback.
10.10
The UK Education Internet Primer costs ú17.95, or ú18 through Archive
including p&p.
10.10
Total Psion Beginners - This book is the complete guide to using the
highly successful, and widely available, Psion Series 3 palmtop
computers. The book is compatible with the Psion 3c and Siena, 3a, 3,
Workabout and the Acorn Pocket Book II. The bookæs jargon-free
introduction to using the Psion Series 3 is suitable for beginners
who want to learn how to use their new computer. It goes on to
provide in-depth coverage of the many sophisticated Psion features
such as time management, electronic mail, financial planning, record-
keeping, wordprocessing and fun! The book explains the many features,
shortcuts and options hidden to new users. It provides practical and
fully-illustrated examples for the reader to follow and try out.
Other features of the book include screenshot illustrations of all
the scenarios the reader can encounter and a pull-out reference to
all the hot-key commands which make the Psion easier to use, plus
useful contact details.
10.10
Total Psion Beginners costs ú15.99 +p&p from Paragon Publishing, or
ú16 through Archive.
10.10
TopModel 2 - The first package of a new series of professional tools
for 3D graphics on RISC OS platforms, TopModel 2 is a 3D editor which
gives you the possibility to create your own 3D objects and
manipulate them. You can add textures, material definitions and many
different light sources, to give your scenes the maximum level of
reality. Even the most complex models can be created and manipulated
with unrivalled ease and speed, and objects made up of hundreds of
thousands of polygons are now ridiculously easy to manage.
10.10
Optimized hand-written ARM code routines have been created to boost
performance, from screen redraw to the most exotic tool. For the
first time, all operations (from line drawing to complex non-linear
extrusion, from torsion to Bezier volume distortion) are applied in
real time. Filters are provided for import/export of various industry-
standard formats, to give you access to an enormous quantity of
objects from all around the world. TopModel 2 can save your scenes in
ASCII and native binary file formats, as well as drawfiles for easy
inclusion in your documents and as sprites for other purposes.
10.10
For the best output, the package can produce high quality 24bpp
rendered images, with multiple light sources at sizes up to 2048╫2048
pixels (memory permitting). System requirements: RISC OS 3.10 or
later; 2Mb of RAM minimum (4Mb recommended), hard drive, and VGA or
multi-sync monitor are recommended, and ChangeFSI must have been seen
by the filer.
10.10
TopModel 2 is priced at ú130 +VAT +p&p from Spacetech, or ú145
through Archive.
10.10
Village Life in India is a new interactive CD-ROM which has been
produced by Cambridge University Press in conjunction with Actionaid,
a charity working with some of the poorest countries in Asia, Africa
and Latin America. Based on real people and places, the CD-ROM is
both entertaining and educational.
10.10
Who are the Adivasi? What is the hottest month in Bangalore? How many
kilograms of tea are picked in one day? The Village Life in India CD-
ROM answers these questions and more. Games, activities, graphics,
interactive stories and over 20 minutes of QuickTime video clips are
accompanied by a soundtrack of authentic Indian music which takes the
user on a spectacular tour of southern India. The CD-ROM, as part of
a larger package of materials, won this yearæs Times Educational
Supplement Mixed Media Resources Award (Primary). Judges described
Village Life in India as Éa wonderful celebration of a world that is
getting smaller and more intimate by the day... There is a feeling of
being a guest in the Tamil Nadu village of Chembakolli.æ (T.E.S.).
10.10
Village Life in India costs ú55 +VAT +p&p, or ú63 through Archive.
10.10
XStitch 2, from iSV Products is now shipping. New features include:
support for DMC colours; import of JPEG, GIF, TIFF files; scaling of
imported images to the canvas size; OLE editing of imported bitmap
files; automatic conversion of bitmaps to 64 colours; generation of
blank canvasses; save designs in a new XScanvas file format so they
can be edited later; canvas editing features available from a new
toolbar; rectangle, box, line, circle, ellipse and single stitch
tools; copy blocks around the canvas; flip both horizontally and
vertically any part of the canvas; design on screen using both
colours and symbols; colour picker that shows both the colour name,
symbol and a sample of the colour; remove unused colours from the
colour picker; produce a design using both colours and symbols and
then remove the colours before printing; save default settings,
thread manufacturer, default colours etc; undo option to recover from
any mistakes; 30+ page on screen manual.
10.10
Improvements: faster canvas generation; scaling of printing sizes by
5% (instead of 50%); greater variety of hpi sizes (from 8 to 72 hpi);
improved colour matching routines; bitmaps of any size can now be
loaded and then fitted to a particular size canvas.
10.10
XStitch 2 costs ú35 +p&p, or ú35 through Archive. An upgrade from
version 1 costs ú16.50 including carriage from iSV. If you are
applying for an upgrade, please remember to include your original
XStitch 1 master disc.
10.10
Review software received...
10.10
ÅARM Club PDCD 2, ÅCourier (u), ÅEmotions (g), ÅFun with Texts (e),
ÅGames Suite 2 (pg), ÅShuggy (g), ÅSmudge Discovers the World (e),
ÅSpellbank (e), ÅSSERC Graphics (e), ÅUK Education Internet Primer
(e), Å Village Life in India CD (e), ÅViVID7000 (u).
10.10
e=Education, g=Game, p=programming, u=Utility.
10.10
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. u
10.10
Product News
10.10
4th Dimension are purchasing new premises on the Isle of Man. A
building large enough to accommodate the whole company and to allow
the further growth which is planned for the next few years. öThe
beautiful surroundings in which we will be working will make for a
relaxed and altogether more pleasant atmosphereò said company owner
Rick Sutcliffe. öSea views from one window, rolling hills from
another, this is going to be the best thing to happen to 4D in years.ò
10.10
Arrangements have been made with Parcel Force and the Manx Postal
Service so that their customers can still expect to place an order,
by telephone, at 4pm and receive their games the following morning.
Since they pay postage on all UK orders, the carriage costs are
likely to increase a little.
10.10
ArmEdXG is a RISC OS control application for Yamaha XG devices,
fulfilling the same function as XGEdit on PC and Macintosh platforms,
and enabling Acorn computer owners to control XG devices, including
the DB50XG chip which can be found on many Audio-Dynamics DMI sound
cards. XG devices are in particular need of an external editor due to
the comprehensive nature of the parameters available, and to the fact
that daughterboard and the MU10 versions do not have a display
screen, thus relying on the useræs knowledge of MIDI System Exclusive
programming for control.
10.10
The first full release of ArmEdXG will have the following features:
easy editing of all parameters via windows on screen; MU80/50 control
panel buttons can be operated directly from the computer if required;
editing of most used parameters from main window; main window
parameters can also be used to control Roland GS devices; saving and
restoration of XG configurations means setting up for a new number in
seconds.
10.10
A preliminary beta-test/demo version of ArmEdXG is available for
download from The Score Machineæs home page - www.scoremac.demon.co.
uk - together with further information about the product and contact
information. Information is also available from the XG home page at
www.yamaha.co.uk
10.10
The registered version of ArmEdXG will cost ú20.
10.10
Bajorasoft announce their new website! Bajorasoft are a brand-new
Acorn software company who shall be releasing their first piece of
commercial software at their stand at the Acorn Southeast Show. They
have just launched a brand new website, which is available by
pointing your browser at: www.datstore.demon.co.uk/bajora/
10.10
They can also emailed at [e-mail] .co.uk. Look out for
them on stand number 23 at the Southeast Show, being held on Saturday
5th July 1997. For more show information, have a look at www.digibank.
demon.co.uk.
10.10
DataPower 2 is the new relational version of DataPower, designed to
be as easy-to-use as its predecessor, but with the power of a
relational database engine behind it. It is due for release at the
beginning of July!
10.10
In DataPower 1, each database file contains exactly one Étableæ of
records, but DataPower 2 allows you to create any number of tables in
a database file, each of which has its own set of fields and records.
So, for example, in one database you could have a table of pupil
records, and a table of teachers, where previously they would have
been two separate databases. The advantage of this is that the two
can be linked to show which teachers take which pupils. New features
include improvements to: layouts, search and sort, match and merge,
action buttons with scripting language, a new formula editing window,
print current record button, find and replace, sort and search
filters for any given layout.
10.10
The single user price will be set at ú149 +VAT. Once it is released,
weæll let you have more price details, including upgrades.
10.10
Destiny is a fully texture-mapped walkabout game for the Acorn
Archimedes and RiscPC computers. It will have a lot of gameplay and
should accommodate several styles of play. The game is designed to be
as realistic as possible. The weaponry is based on realistic
principles and the multi-level 3D layout of the game will offer very
challenging scenery to explore. The latest deadline is July 1st!
10.10
Technical details: there will be a selection of screen resolutions
and graphics detail; basic screen resolutions: 320╫256 for all the
Acorn machines and 768╫640 for RiscPCæs with 1Mb or more of VRAM
(note that all the above resolutions can be modified to suit the
processor speed of the machine, for example the screen output can be
plotted normally, pixel doubled and approximately pixel quadrupled,
resulting in the following range of resolutions: 100╫256, 160╫256,
320╫256, 256╫640, 384╫640, 768╫640). Solid filled polygons can also
be selected for early machines, ARM2/250æs etc. Other features
include: a large range of combat styles and weapons; projectile
weapons, pistol, RPG, etc; guided weapons, heatseeking, self-
targeting & guided missiles; special weapons, remote control mines
etc; monsters that team up to catch you; secret features, (so that
you have at least some surprises).
10.10
Destiny is currently being developed by Robert Templeman and Robert
Alcock, with graphics by Angharad Templeman, Alan Jerries, Simon
Fraser and Andrew Ingram, and music by Mirko Vidovic.
10.10
Digital audio mailing list - Just a reminder that Oregan are still
running a digital audio mailing list, for all those with a interest
in music production and sound engineering on an Acorn. To subscribe,
send a message with the subject SUBSCRIBE to: [e-mail].
co.uk
10.10
Harmony - This might of interest to music lovers... öJust a quick
note to let you know that the brand new, factory-fresh issue of
Harmony, the Acorn Sound and Music Webzine, is now online. Not only
that, but itæs had a bit of a facelift; it also got itchy feet and
has found itself a new home at the following address: www.argonet.co.
uk/users/mendip/home.html
10.10
öItæs the magazineæs proper launch, the first issue being just a test-
run. I believe we have before us a fine, upstanding example of a
magazine - thoughtful, caring, honest, blithesome, not quite blond,
but the eyes parading a startling cobalt tinge. If you have time,
please pop along and take a peek at the new-look site, which now
sports exciting new attractions such as the Music Hall where you can
download the pick of the most splendiferous, tippity-tip-top music
files on the net. Also, from now on, the site will be updated
regularly (honest!) with any news that comes in. Rather than having
new Éissuesæ every once in a while, it will be updated on an as-and-
when basis, so keep checking back for the latest news.
10.10
There are also reviews of products, and an ever-growing comprehensive
list of sound and music products and suppliers who have an
involvement in the Acorn world.ò Tim Wye, Harmony editor.
10.10
Games Suite support utilities - The first support applications are
now available for download from http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sjoh0576
10.10
The utilities provide facilities for archiving games, improving the
front end and producing Élockedæ games. These are the first in a
series of freeware support utilities that Grasshopper hope to be
releasing in the near future.
10.10
Games Suite v2.09 is now available. The new version includes better
sound support, a number of bug fixes and some new macro instructions.
Return your original discs with an SAE for a free update to
Grasshopper Software. Original purchasers of version 1 may upgrade
for ú3.50 +50p p&p (this includes a 60 page manual).
10.10
Psion 5 rumours - The strength of rumours about an ARM-based
successor to the Psion 3 range is increasing, the suggestion being
that there may be a launch during June. Some of the latest rumours
are available on: www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Way/3333/psion5.
htm, and a copy of this is available in the Clippings directory of
the month program disc. (If you are wondering why Psion 5 is the
successor to Psion 3, itæs because 4 is the number of death in
Japanese culture!)
10.10
Skullsoft have announced that their shareware text adventure, Arya:
The Dragonæs Quest is now available. It features lots of graphics and
graphical puzzles. A demo currently at version 1.00 which represents
about one third of the game, is available from: www.eganc.demon.co.uk
10.10
The complete version 1.00 will be available soon. They intend to
upload it to various ftp sites, but until theyære sure itæs working
properly, it will only be available for download from the above
website. They welcome any comments, ideas or constructive criticism,
as well as bug reports.
10.10
Task Force Clipart CD-ROM - Akalat Publishing are currently
negotiating distribution rights to the Task Force CD-ROM of clipart
produced by NVTech of Canada. The collection contains over 10,000
coloured line art drawings covering a huge range of subjects, plus a
collection of 500 photographic images covering animals, buildings,
plants, landscapes and, most usefully, textures. There is also a 386
page full colour catalogue illustrating every single image in the
collection with useful subject indexes. The good news is that they
expect to sell the Task Force Clipart Collection for just under ú30.
Products Available
10.11
20th Century is an informative guide to the global goings-on that
happened in this century. It uses an Outline Font text viewer and
full colour graphics. This version also has a fully WIMP graphical
front end. It requires 1Mb RAM, RISC OS 3+, and a hard drive. It
costs ú15 inclusive from X-Developments.
10.11
Applaunch has three main objectives: 1. To enable a teacher to
structure the computer hard drive. 2. To speed up access to programs
on the hard drive. 3. To stop access by Élittle peopleæ to areas of
the hard drive where they are not supposed to go.
10.11
With Applaunch, you can run programs, open directories, run
applications, create and open sub menus, control access to the hard
disk, and define childrenæs work areas. The Administration
application is used by the teacher to set up the menus to their exact
specification - all submenus can be tested and altered if required.
The main program is then used by the pupils to access programs. There
are four levels of menu, each with eight options - over 500 possible
choices of selection.
10.11
Applaunch is available for ú19.95 inclusive from Eric International.
A multi-user licence costs ú39.90.
10.11
ArgoNet Pack - Connect to the Internet and surf the web with the
latest plug-in-and-go access pack from Argo Interactive. For only ú99
including VAT, the ÉGet connected to ArgoNet Packæ comes complete
with a 33.6K external modem, access software, technical support and 3
months unlimited Internet access through ArgoNet at local UK
telephone call rates.
10.11
The ArgoNet pack offers öthe best value available in the UK today for
connecting to Windows, Acorn or Macintoshò. The 33.6Kbps
voice/fax/data external modem comes with stereo headphones, a
microphone and connecting cables. For Windows or Macintosh users the
pack includes Access and Voicemail software, for Acorn users Argoæs
own easy-to-use Voyager access software is supplied.
10.11
After the initial three months online with ArgoNet, the subscription
can be extended for ú10 +VAT per month. The standard ArgoNet service
includes 100% local UK telephone call coverage, 5Mb of free web
space, five email addresses and free technical support.
10.11
ArgoNet Pack costs ú99 +p&p from Argo, or ú100 through Archive.
10.11
CDWriters - If you already have a CDWriter and want Acorn software to
go with it, you can buy the Eesox software separately from the drive
for ú234 inclusive through Archive. This software works only with
Philips CDD2000 and CDD2600 and with Plasmon CDR4240.
10.11
Chess is an advanced chess program for the new Psion Series 5 hand-
held computer that enables the novice, or expert, to play a
challenging game any time, anywhere. Features include: superb
graphics with 2D and 3D display options, a choice of board layouts, a
choice of multiple piece sets, animated moves with a choice of
animation speeds, a powerful chess engine written by a world-renowned
chess programmer, 25 Master Games selected by an international
master, all of which are numbered and cross-referenced in the user
guide, a selection of playing levels for all abilities, play against
the computer, a human opponent or watch the computer play itself,
load and save games, request the computer to suggest a move, hints on
legal moves and those pieces under threat, take back pieces and
replay moves, set up positions of your choice, built-in chess clocks,
on-line tutorial with advice on rules, moves and move notation.
10.11
Chess costs ú49.95 inclusive from Purple Software on floppy disc, or
ú48 through Archive.
10.11
Cromwell The Fire Fighter - Hot on the heels of their much acclaimed
CD-ROM, ÉKing Arthuræ, Cambridgeshire Software House has recently
launched what could be a real life saver! Cromwell the Fire Fighter
(who is a cute lion cub!) is an instructional CD-ROM that has been
designed and produced as a joint venture between the Durham County
Council SciTech Centre, the Durham Fire Brigade and Cambridgeshire
Software House. It tells the story of a call out to a Mrs Jones and
the damage caused to her house when her chip pan caught fire. The CD-
ROM contains original video clips and photographs, and all text which
can be read to you is available in ÉEasyæ and ÉHardæ format. The CD-
ROM was produced in an effort to help young children to be more aware
of the dangers of fire and to advise them on a variety of safety
measures that even they can do. It is supported by a resource pack
that contains workcards, logo exercises and plans for use with floor
turtles etc.
10.11
The idea is that both parents and teachers will sit down with their
children and go through it together. In that way, the message will
reach a wide audience, and the dangers of fire, and what to do when
confronted with it, will be brought to everyoneæs mind.
10.11
Cromwell The Fire Fighter comes in dual format for both Acorns and
PCs, and is available from CSH at a cost of ú39.95 +VAT +p&p, or ú45
through Archive.
10.11
Datagraph - Topologikaæs popular Datagraph package has just been
given a face-lift. New features include: full compatibility with all
versions of RISC OS from 3.11 including StrongARM, additional
configuration features to make it even more focused for younger
children, improved monitoring of childrenæs data to help them avoid
mistakes, pictograms can be drawfiles as well as sprites, all new
printer drivers supported, data entry and graph drawing optionally
both on the screen at once, so children can instantly see the results
of their work. öDatagraph continues to be the first choice for
teachers exploring data presentation in Key Stages 1 and 2, in both
Maths and IT.ò
10.11
And they have reduced the price to ú25 +VAT, site licence ú50 +VAT.
Through Archive it costs ú28 or ú56. Upgrades from version 1 are
free, from Topologika, with proof of purchase.
10.11
DiscInfo 1.25 provides extensive information on discs that reside
under a FileCore-based filing system (e.g. ADFS and RAMFS). In
addition to Édry numbersæ, DiscInfo also provides a graphical display
of a discæs space allocation map. The information given by DiscInfo
is very Éinvolvedæ and is therefore not explained. For a good and
thorough explanation, you will have to refer to the FileCore chapters
of the RISC OS 3 PRMs, available from Acorn. This new version now has
complete support for Élargeæ discs. DiscInfo is Freeware, the URL is:
www.inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink
10.11
Earthquakes and Volcanoes is a multimedia CD-ROM with over 400
images, graphics, maps and videos at two curriculum levels targeted
at the post-Dearing KS3 Geography and GCSE Science. It contains
teachersæ notes and student self-study notes.
10.11
Itæs available from Bedfordshire Inspection, Advice and Support
Service and costs ú50 +VAT for single user, and ú88 +VAT for network
version, p&p included.
10.11
EasyPage - Porters Primary Software have just launched a new package
called EasyPage. This is a very simple DTP-style program for
children/special needs. It allows the user to draw a picture using
the built-in painting program, and write a short story. These are
then placed on a page with a choice of layout, along with a title and
name. The page can then be printed. EasyPage includes ÉSpeakæ,
enabling stories and pages to be read out by the computer. There is
also a built-in Éword bookæ which teachers/parents can use to build
up lists of words either arranged alphabetically or by topic.
Drawfiles can be imported into the EasyPage picture window and these
can then be coloured using the drawing tools.
10.11
EasyPage costs ú49.95 for a three computer licence or ú79.95 for a
full site-licence (and network) version (no VAT is payable). Upgrades
to EasyPage from Porters Primary Softwareæs previous programs, Infant
Windows and In Windows, are available for half these prices for
registered users.
10.11
Enterprise Accounts is a high capacity integrated accounts system
made up of Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger and Nominal Ledger. This
provides a first class, easy-to-use, time saving method of computer
accounts for the small to medium sized business. All the normal
accounting requirements are included for both Wholesale and Retail
businesses and it can also be used in education and for business
studies. Enterprise accounts is the easy way for the business to
computerise its accounts to the highest professional standard. The
program can be upgraded to the additional facilities in Enterprise
Professional at any time for the difference in price.
10.11
Recently upgraded, Enterprise Accounts costs ú79 inclusive from
Meadow Computers.
10.11
Enterprise Professional is a high quality range of programs that
covers the computer requirements of the businessman. Each program
covers one specific area of business, and they build up to form a
powerful yet easy-to-use system that is completely flexible to the
needs of business. Each section is known as a module. The modules can
be bought individually to meet different needs. Additional modules
can be bought and added at any time without losing any of the
information already stored. A package containing all of the modules
except payroll is also available at a discounted price.
10.11
The system is fully multitasking under RISC OS. In addition to
running more than one program at once, multitasking is also possible
in each program, so that more than one operation can take place at
any time. This provides a remarkably powerful and flexible system.
10.11
The Enterprise programs are fully integrated, which avoids repetitive
entries, and ensures that the information is always up-to-date.
Enterprise Professional provides all the accounts facilities in
Enterprise Accounts. In addition, the Stock Control module stores
stock holdings and values. The Mailer module prints labels and
mailshots from the names and addresses stored in the Sales and
Purchase Ledgers and also contains a separate database for storing
other information. The Payroll module stores details of the
employees, calculates tax and N.I. and prints payslips.
10.11
Recently upgraded, Enterprise Professional costs ú99 inclusive from
Meadow Computers.
10.11
ErgoWeb is claimed to make writing HTML easy. It is supplied with
loads of graphics, and uses extensive online help. Graphics
conversion software is supplied for transporting to other computers.
The first upgrade is free and users can get later upgrades at a
discount. ErgoWeb requires 1Mb RAM, RISC OS 3+, and a hard drive is
recommended. It costs ú15 inclusive from X-Developments.
10.11
EZFlyer brought down - SyQuestæs 230Mb removable drives have come
down in price. The external removable SCSI drive unit now costs ú195
through Archive, the parallel port version with Cumanaæs software (as
well as PC software) is ú220, and the extra cartridges cost ú25 each
(one cartridge is included with each drive).
10.11
HTML Designer, from ARM Solutions, is the latest in the current batch
web page designing kits. Current features of version 0.04 include:
simple image conversion (no need for external image converters),
image previewing on both conversion and inserter functions, easy-to-
use, and stylish toolbar (with all the major functions listed),
advanced error handler (if designer dies whilst you have unsaved
work, it will save what you have done), CSV/TSV to HTML table
conversion, foreign (PC/MAC/UNIX/SUN etc) text file processing,
master page support, Java applet inserter and Java script file
importer, text/html file importer, easy inserting of archived files
(Tar/Zip/Spark/Arcfs/Pack ÉDæ Dir), advanced image inserter with
advanced image map adding facilities, sound support (background
looping or play-once sound support with built-in sound sample
player), full html 0/1/2/3/3.2 tag support, form creation gadgets,
fully functional editor, advanced previewing system, supports Acornæs
interactive help and other Acorn help compatibles, supports the new
toolbox modules, all of the programæs main functions are available
from the toolbar menu structure, supports the ARM Solutionsæ
Éexternal editoræ protocol, to allow a second editor to be loaded (e.
g. htmledit2) to continue editing the document without having to save
the document first - this feature is also heavily protected with
error checking (so no data gets lost), goto and search options are
now available in the text editor, easy document creation - just enter
in your details and away you go, bracket matching e.g. [] () <>,
ability to use master pages for base documents, ability to use as
plain text editor, printout html documents, save document as either
html (faf) or ascii text (fff), fully mapped foreign characters,
supports new Java executable (applet) filetype (ae4), supports new
Java script (Javascpt) filetype (ae5), support for GIF, sprite, JPEG
and draw files, displays Édesigneræ program performance. And thereæs
more in the pipeline.
10.11
HTML Designer costs ú25 inclusive from ARM Solutions.
10.11
Joysticks - For a limited time, Stuart Tyrrell Developments is
offering free joysticks with their Solo joystick interface.
Purchasers of the interface, which allows the use of a single Atari-
style joystick on Acorn machines, and costs ú14.95 inc p&p, will
receive a free Cheetah 125+ joystick worth ú6.95. Stocks are strictly
limited, and will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis until
they are depleted. For further details, or for a free flyer detailing
all their products, contact Stuart Tyrrell Developments.
10.11
Occasion ù ExpLANæs diary software has been made freeware and is
available for download from their website at: www.explan.demon.co.uk
10.11
Event is a single-user diary. Occasion holds multiple diaries with
the capability to share appointments between users. Both diary
systems can read/write the formats used for Schedule (both
iterations) and Agenda (both iterations) on the Acorn Pocket Book and
Psion series 3/3a palmtops. Occasion has two flavours: Family
Occasion, available for download, supports up to eight user-diaries.
Those wanting to implement a diary-server on an AUN network should
request GalaOccasion from ExpLAN on disc.
10.11
Manuals are still available for these diaries. Further details on the
website. No further Technical Support is available for these products.
10.11
OmniFiler - A computer in a school setting has the problem of being
used by a continuous stream of different people, and the computer
user in a school has the problem of continuously using different
computers, each of which has been used by a stream of different
users. Some of the results of these problems are: users are prompted
for floppy discs or network connections that have been in use by
someone else who is now long gone; users and managers have to cope
with a variety of filing systems; there may be a Level 4 network in
the main computer room, a smaller Acorn Access network in the Art/CDT
departments, and stand-alone machines elsewhere scattered around the
school; it is sometimes difficult for the manager to keep the
software on all the systems up to date because there are internal
references to filenames etc. which are filing system dependent.
10.11
OmniFiler addresses these problems, and more. It allows the manager
to set up a coherent, menu-led system for the user, which if desired,
can be identical on all the machines in the school. It provides a
standard method of addressing the various connections to filing
systems, which makes it easier to have a system where all the
software is a straight copy of a central system. It provides a
standard structure for user data which can then be easily copied
between filing systems.
10.11
For the user, it automatically handles multiple Font and System
folders, and provides a clean environment ready for the next user at
the end of each session. If discs containing such items are always
addressed through OmniFiler, you need never again be asked for a
floppy disc or network connection from a previous user. Permanent
connections can be set up to a fileserver which automatically get re-
established every time a user logs on or off. This makes it easy to
set up a ÉSoftwareæ icon on the iconbar which works all the time,
like a local hard disc, even though it actually resides on a server,
such as Level 4 or Windows NT, which requires a user to be logged on.
Anyone without a user work area set up on the system could still use
the software and save onto floppy disc. Hidden connections can be set
up which allow System, Scrap etc. to be set up transparently to the
user.
10.11
OmniFiler costs ú200 +VAT for a full site licence, ú100 for a 10
computer licence and ú35 for a single computer, from Angelsoft.
10.11
Organiser is a fully-fledged Personal Organiser with Repeats, Todo
list, international dialling codes, calculator and extensive help.
The first upgrade is free, and it is supplied with OfficeBar, a
program launcher/audio CD Player. Organiser requires 2Mb RAM, RISC OS
3+, and a hard drive is strongly recommended. It costs ú15 inclusive
from X-Developments.
10.11
OvationPro is now shipping in its full version. Included for existing
owners is a new Colour Supplement providing colour separations,
available as an applet. This allows professional designers to produce
output for high quality commercial litho printing. Both spot and
process colour separations are supported, with colour correction
provided by look-up tables. Separations can be previewed on-screen,
and options are provided for setting PostScript screen angles,
frequency, etc. The colour supplement also provides useful image
processing capabilities. The brightness, contrast and gamma levels of
images can be adjusted using sliders, and custom settings defined on
the colour map. A duotone option allows colour images to be converted
to monochrome, and the two colours used in the monochrome image
specified. Unusually, these options can be used with both bit-mapped
and vector images, such as drawfiles and ArtWorks files.
10.11
Ovation Pro itself has been improved further, with a range of new
features including: multi-row button bar, misspelt word highlighting,
picture info box, style palette and colour palette. This new version
and the colour supplement will be sent free-of-charge to all users
who bought Ovation Pro before the end of April. After that, the
colour supplement will be available as an optional extra costing ú49
+VAT for a single user.
10.11
Beebug have also announced that the introductory upgrade prices have
risen. The upgrade from Ovation now costs ú99 +VAT. Upgrades from
other DTP systems and word processors, including Impression II,
Style, Publisher, Advance, PenDown+, EasiWriter and Techwriter now
costs ú119 +VAT. To upgrade from any of these, users need to return
the original program disc with payment to Beebug. There is also a
carriage charge of ú3.50 to add to each of the prices above.
10.11
Ovation Pro (single user) costs ú165 +VAT +p&p from Beebug, or ú185
through Archive.
10.11
OvationPro Applets - Anyone interested in trying some new OvationPro
applets might like to look at: www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/~u5jel/web/home.html
10.11
The site contains three Ovation Pro applets by Jamie Lawrence, and
information on several more in development (including predicted
release dates). Spell brings up a window when you make a spelling
mistake to give you a visual alert (not just an audible one).
ListFont lists all the fonts available in the current system.
Contents produces contents pages - currently a very beta version and
will be corrected, debugged, improved and made brilliant(!) over the
summer. This version works to some extent but is limited in the
situations it can deal with.
10.11
Paymaster Payroll is a module of the Enterprise Professional business
accounts program. It is a powerful program recording the details of
the employees, and the payments made to them. It calculates Tax and
NI and prints payslips.
10.11
The payroll keeps full details of each employee including rates of
pay, allowances, deductions and Tax and NI information. A range of
related information such as holiday entitlement and job title can
also be stored. Employees can be paid weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly
or monthly. Alternatively, employees can also be paid on a casual
basis at any time. Standard rates of pay and overtime rates can be
defined for particular jobs, and an employee can be allocated a
standard rate. When the rate is changed, all employees on this rate
will receive the new amount. Standard additions and deductions can
also be set up for items such as union dues or commission and
bonuses. These will automatically be included on each payslip when
appropriate. Alternatively, any employeeæs pay can be built up
individually with a personal rate of pay, plus overtime, and other
additions and deductions as appropriate.
10.11
A wide range of facilities allows hours worked, overtime, bonuses and
commission to be entered quickly and easily. A timesheet can be
entered giving details of the hours worked in a particular period.
These timesheets are filed by the program, allowing complete records
of the hours worked to be kept. These can be viewed at a later date,
printed out and totalled as required. For employees on a fixed
regular wage, there is no need to enter a timesheet if they have
worked their usual regular time, but a timesheet can be produced if,
for example, they work overtime. This will then be added
automatically to their regular pay at the next pay day.
10.11
When the Payroll is used with the Enterprise Professional Nominal
Ledger, the amounts paid out are deducted automatically from the Cash
and Bank accounts. The Tax, NI and Pension deductions are also
recorded and a single entry is made when the monthly payment is made
to the Inland Revenue.
10.11
PayMaster costs ú79 inclusive from Meadow Computers.
10.11
PhotoDesk: German Edition - Spacetech have announced the launch of a
German Edition of Photodesk 2. The German edition includes a new
manual, and a set of German language resources. It is available
directly from Orcom Systems, Wolfen. Existing registered users of
English language versions may purchase the manual and resources
directly from Orcom Systems at the following address: Orcom
Systemhaus, Leipziger Str. 70, 06766 Wolfen, Germany.
10.11
Professional Typography CD-ROM from the Electronic Font Foundry.
Further to the release of the Free 4000 Public Domain Fonts CD-ROM
earlier this year, which received a very enthusiastic response from
the Acorn market, the Electronic Font Foundry have just launched a
new CD-ROM, but this time of the highest quality typefaces from EFFæs
own Latin fonts library.
10.11
EFF has been supplying high quality fonts since 1984, and since the
very beginning has been fully dedicated to the Acorn platform. Within
the last 13 years, they have developed a library of over 1,200 fonts,
all of them designed especially for Acorn, and maintained the highest
standards of typographical design, with all fonts carefully hand-
hinted and containing all the appropriate skeletons.
10.11
Now their fonts are available on the Professional Typography CD, öthe
only CD of high quality RISC OS fontsò. The fonts on the CD appear in
two formats: RISC OS 3 and Publisher fonts, the latter being
particularly useful for the professional users since they also
contain PostScript Type 1 fonts for PostScript printers and
imagesetters.
10.11
The Professional Typography CD is accompanied by a large wall chart
displaying the entire EFF font library (which is also available on
its own), and the Professional Typography CD costs ú69 inclusive for
private users, ú99 inclusive for schools, and ú149 inclusive for
companies. Individual fonts are available from EFF for ú7 +p&p +VAT
per weight. A free FontBook and price list is also available from EFF.
10.11
Report, from Room 20 Software, is a sophisticated software solution
which allows the teacher to compile reports for groups of pupils.
ReportEd produces statement banks which can be compiled by Report
into personalised reports - if you can use Edit you can use ReportEd.
OMRPrint allows the user to over-print standard OMR forms with
pupil/subject details so all the teacher has to do is enter the marks.
10.11
Features include: easy import of pupil data from most databases,
simple statement entry/editing interface, manual or OMR report
compiling, pupil self assessment/profiling using OMR forms,
comprehensive printing options, including overprint pre-prepared
report sheets, and export of completed reports for merging with most
WP/DTP systems.
10.11
Report costs ú59.99 inclusive from Room 20. A site licence costs ú149.
99.
10.11
Risc Tracker is a multi-format music file player supporting most
popular tracker file formats, and audio CDs with suitable hardware.
Features list: it can play Coconizer, Digital Symphony, Tracker, QTM,
DXen, Matrix and Scream Tracker files, it plays audio CDs (even on
difficult CD-ROM drives), it has easy-to-use CD player like controls,
it can hold a list of tunes in memory which it can play in a variety
of ways, e.g. repeat one track, shuffle, program, intro scan, it can
scan a directory for tunes that it can play.
10.11
The filetypes that are recognised can be altered, so for example, if
there is a filetype that QTM will play, and Risc Tracker doesnæt
know, you can add it. Memory for tracks can be allocated dynamically,
even on pre-RiscPC machines, which helps reduce RMA fragmentation,
and a small toolbar is available, to prevent the display being
cluttered.
10.11
You can adjust-click on the CDFS icon for a quick CD player, and this
feature can be enabled without having to load the full Risc Tracker
program. CD-ROMs that contain music files can have a playlist
associated with them, which will be auto-loaded when they are
inserted, and it can resume a playing CD when the program is re-
started at the correct place. Versions of Risc Tracker from 3.27
onwards are StrongARM compatible. The current version of Risc Tracker
is 3.32.
10.11
Risc Tracker is Freeware, and available from: www.cms.dmu.ac.
uk/~se96ic
10.11
Schedule+ from X-Developments is a personal organiser. Among some of
its features are: works until 2050 (no millennium bug!), alarm system
that launches applications, convenient notepad, international
dialling codes, five todo lists, export weeks and days in four
different formats, timesheet - saves in CSV for use with spreadsheet
programs, busy view (check whole months at a time), unique, easy-to-
use wimp interface., runs happily on a 1Mb computer. It is supplied
with Officebar 2, an audio CD player, program launcher, and clock. It
has new auto-wrapping message boxes, imports organiser files,
optional password system, free telephone help, print out attractive
drawfiles, export files to the forthcoming mail suite, easy to
install.
10.11
Included with the releases is a competition - find the secret
message, tell X-Developments where you found it and if you are the
first to call, you will receive a Sharp Personal Organiser worth ú49.
99!
10.11
Schedule+ costs ú16.99 inclusive from X-Developments.
10.11
Snapshot+ is an updated version of Irlam Instrumentsæ software for
digital cameras. It works with Epson, Olympus and Sanyo cameras. The
new software has a true filer-like display, integrated image
processing tools, expanded file format support and caching to
minimise camera download times. It also has a new facility for
replaying time-lapse sequences as Replay movies independently of the
camera, and a separate application for cataloguing your digital
pitcures as well as clipart.
10.11
Snapshot+ costs ú49 +VAT from Irlam, or ú55 through Archive.
10.11
öStarting Basicò (the book) - Youæve read the articles, now buy the
book (and disc!). Ray Favre has a limited number of copies of his
öStarting Basicò book: 336 pages in A5, ring-bound, with glossy
cover. The price is ú15, which includes UK p&p and a ú4 donation to
charity. Ray does not expect to run more copies - the demand would
need to be high to warrant this, and he couldnæt guarantee to repeat
this price, so place your order with Ray now before they are all gone.
10.11
He is happy to send a synopsis by email, or a copy of the book on
receipt of a sterling cheque for ú15 made out to Ray Favre. There is
also a disc of the program listings in the book available - at the
extra charge of ú3 (of which ú2 will go to charity).
10.11
If anyone overseas wants to consider local publication, Ray would be
willing to send the book on disc for a suitable donation to charity.
Itæs in Impression Publisher format.
10.11
The address is: Ray Favre, 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton,
UB7 7QA. (01895-444410) [e-mail]
10.11
Task Force Clipart - The Task Force collection consists of 10,000
vector graphics images (like drawfiles) which are supplied in PC
formats. Every image is supplied twice, once in WMF format and once
in CGM format, so you can choose which to use. Commercial software is
available to convert WMF files to drawfile format. A floppy disc is
also supplied with the Task Force collection which provides software
to convert WFM and CGM files into Draw format.
10.11
The Task Force collection also includes, as a bonus, a collection of
500 photographic images. These are again in a PC format, BMP (Windows
bitmap). Each image is supplied in low resolution and high
resolution, and can be converted to RISC OS sprite format using
ChangeFSI supplied with RISC OS. The low resolution images are
approximately 100Kb in size, and the high resolution images are
around 1Mb.
10.11
The Task Force collection is produced by Canadian company New Vision
Technologies Inc. based in Ontario, and Akalat Publishing is the UK
distributor. NVTech have a website at: www.nvtech.com which has more
information about Task Force.
10.11
Task Force comes on CD-ROM and includes a full colour book showing
all of the images. The cost is ú34.95 including VAT plus post and
packing of ú3 (UK) from Akalat Publishing. Through Archive it costs
ú36.
10.11
WebTool - ANT Ltd have announced the release of WebTool, a utility
program that will put you in control of the information you wish to
gather from the World Wide Web, helping you to get the best out of
the Web. This program works alongside the ANT Internet Suite and
exploits its powerful features. The ANT WebTool will enable you to:
download and save all the elements of a single page, so that you can
view it off-line still using your ANT Fresco Web browser, download
and save an entire website or selection of pages from a site, allow
you to choose whether or not to save the graphics as well as the text
from the pages.
10.11
WebTool has been designed to be as easy as possible to use, with a
simple dialogue box to set the options you require for each download.
With WebTool, you will no longer need to go on-line every time you
need to check a frequently-visited page. Your on-line time will be
used more efficiently, saving you both time and money. For further
information, you may like to visit their website at: www.ant.co.
uk/prod/webtool.html. The cost of WebTool is ú25 +VAT, or ú29 through
Archive.
10.11
WimpScript ù Wynded Software has just released the first version of
its desktop automation tool, WimpScript. WimpScript allows script
files to be written for the RISC OS desktop, describing actions which
otherwise a user would have to do. For example, it is possible to
simulate mouse drags and key presses. A screenshot and a
demonstration version, including brief tutorial (48Kb), are available
from the Wynded Software website: www.wymondham.demon.co.uk/wynded/
10.11
WimpScript requires RISC OS 3.10 or later, is fully StrongARM
compatible, and costs ú20 inclusive from Wynded Software.
10.11
Win95FS - Do you get sick of your Windows 95 partitions looking like
this? MS-DOS~1/PIF... WINDOW~1/LNK... ACCESS~1.... ADOBE~1/0...
APPLIC~1... BRODER~1... MATHB~1... Wouldnæt you rather see: MS_DOS
Prompt/pif... Windows Explorer/lnk... Accessories Adobe Acrobat
2/0... Applications... Broderbund Software... Math Blaster for
Windows, etc.
10.11
Would you like to be able to move and rename files without losing
your long filenames? Would you like to archive and restore Windows 95
directories and applications, and have them still work afterwards?
Would you like your Windows 95 files to have sensible file types, so
they are picked up by the correct RISC OS application? Would you like
to access FAT32 partitions?
10.11
Win95FS is a partial replacement for DOSFS, which provides all these
features. Just load Win95FS and click on any Windows 95 disc or disc
image.
10.11
Win95FS is available from Warm Silence Software Ltd for ú35 +VAT, or
ú39 through Archive.
10.11
ZeriLink 2.4 is now Freeware instead of Shareware. This is due to an
apparent lack of interest and a total lack of registrations. ZeriLink
will not be developed any further and the WIMP interface has been
dropped. It provides a robust, fast file transfer link between either
an Acorn and a PC, two Acorn machines, or two PC machines. Its only
requirement is that both machines have a parallel port that supports
either ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) or PS/2 (Ébidirectionalæ)
modes of operation.
10.11
The hardware side of the link simply consists of a suitably wired
parallel cable, which is plugged into both machinesæ parallel ports.
The ZeriLink software provides you with convenient commands to
transfer files between machines. ZeriLink can be downloaded from: www.
inter.nl.net/users/J.Kortink
10.11
Product News
10.11
Acorn World æ97 WWW pages are now available to visit: www.argonet.co.
uk/acornworld97
10.11
If there are any exhibitors who are either not listed or linked,
would they please contact Barry Ricketts on [e-mail].
uk. If you want a link built in, please let him have your URL and it
will be included on the next update.
10.11
If you are an exhibitor and you do not have your own website, you are
entitled to a free page on the site. Please send your copy (text),
logo(s) and pictures (as sprites, JPEGs or GIFs) to Barry at the
above email address, or via Ésnail mailæ to Shared Vision, Chalkpit
Lane, Monxton, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8AR.
10.11
The site will be updated on a regular basis, so keep checking for
more details on the travel and accommodation offers, and up-to-date
seminar, demo and product launch information.
10.11
Almanac - We thought some of you might be interested in an email we
received recently. öAs the author of Almanac and director of Stallion
Software, I have been away in Hong Kong, working on The Stock Market
Channel Ltdæs Acorn-based realtime stock exchange news and
information system for the past year or so.
10.11
öI am now back in the UK and intend to bring out a new release of
Almanac later this year. A Stallion Software news web page has
recently been set up: www.stallion.demon.co.uk on which Almanac news
will be posted. The latest release of Almanac is still 3.06, and a
new general release is not expected to be ready until mid-August.
10.11
öIn the past, Almanac has had a bad press, but I find it invaluable
for organising. The bad press it got was one main factor in the
decision to stop development. Some of the bad press was true, i.e.
the manual - the main fault was its binding rather than its contents.
The other was reliability which, whilst true for a very dodgy set of
releases at the Acorn World show a few years ago, was never true
thereafter.
10.11
öI know that I am biased, but with as much impartiality as I can
find, Almanac has remained more stable and reliable than some
products I could mention. Almanac has worked without the need for
upgrades over the moves from A5000 to RiscPC, from RISC OS 2 to 3,
from RISC OS3 to 3.05 and now to the StrongARM processor.ò
10.11
Weæll keep you up-to-date as things progress!
10.11
Audio Mailing List Trial Success - The Oreganda Digital Audio Mailing
List has been running for several months now. With over 400 current
subscribers, the list is viewed to be a success and will continue to
operate for the foreseeable future. Current topics of discussion
include: Oregan products (ProSound, StudioSound, MidiWorks and HDR
Hardware), General Hard Disc Recording for Acorn issues, and General
MIDI related issues. The address is: [e-mail].
10.11
To subscribe to the list, send a blank message with the subject
SUBSCRIBE.
10.11
The mailing list is moderated by Oregan to prevent abuse, and
receives regular input from their development and support staff where
technical issues warrant this.
10.11
IL æ97 Multimedia in learning: Interactive Learning in a Digital
World. The Interactive Learning Conference will take place in
Edinburgh, from 21st-23rd August 1997. This conference, of which YITM
is a sponsor, is a major educational conference which brings together
leading educationalists from all areas of the U.K. and deals with a
wide range of issues related to interactive learning. This year,
Nicholas Negroponte will be a major speaker, on Thursday 21st August
1997.
10.11
If you would like any other information, please contact Val Mitchell,
Marketing Manager, at YITM on 0161-627-4469.
10.11
Major Restructuring at Oregan - Over the past few months, Oregan has
undergone several restructuring changes. The company now trades with
the registered trading name of the ÉOregan Technology Groupæ. Oregan
Developments carries on the traditional business where it is involved
in the development of hardware and software for the Acorn consumer
market, and bespoke software for corporate clients.
10.11
Oregan Networks will be drawing on a wealth of experience in internet
and intranet systems, to provide consultancy facilities to a wide
range of customers, from educational establishments to large
corporate organisations. Oregan Networks offer a full complement of
services, for all global communication needs.
10.11
Insomnia Studios is an entirely new division dedicated to the design
and development of multi-platform, interactive leisure productions.
Most of the work currently being undertaken at Insomnia involves
development of entertainment systems for corporate clients in the
hospitality industry. Significant investment is also being made in
the production of new leisure console titles, the first of which will
also be appearing as an Acorn platform CD-ROM release.
10.11
Paradise have some small bits of news. Their new email addresses are
as follows: for general information itæs [e-mail],
and to contact Dave Flynn directly itæs dave@paradise. force9.net.
Their new permanent website address is now: www.paradise.force9.co.uk
10.11
There, you will find details of the new games developments,
ÉOverloadæ and a platform game provisionally titled ÉPocket Moneyæ.
Paradise will be following Inferno with Overload, the second title in
the Paradise ú9.99 Budget Range for Acorn RISC OS machines. Overload
is a fast, action-packed sideways scrolling shoot-em-up, complete
with powerful weapons, power-ups, visual effects galore, swarms of
oncoming alien beings, and plenty of hectic trigger-happy action.
10.11
Over 16 scrolling levels, a race of peaceful creatures must be saved
from the invading aliens, and the evil alien bosses must be
destroyed! There are also a number of bonus levels and more! Overload
is compatible with all Acorn machines and ARM processors (it is
StrongARM-native, and will run without any patches or fixes). The
game requires RISC OS 3.1 and 2Mb memory minimum on all systems.
10.11
Pocket Money is being developed by a talented new coder at Paradise,
and the team who worked on Inferno. Pocket Money is an arcade style
platformer featuring frantic two-player action! Characters Suzie and
Colin must battle their way through 20+ levels of zany toy enemies,
bonus sections, and pocket money! (More details will be released next
month.) Both games are expected to be released on 1st September 1997,
priced at ú9.99.
10.11
SoundCard Drivers available to third-parties. Oregan has developed a
comprehensive range of capture and 16-bit output drivers for the
majority of currently available Acorn soundcards. They are now able
to license this technology to third parties in the form of an easy-to-
use SWI based module, enabling applications to take full advantage of
any audio hardware currently installed in the machine. For further
details, and estimates of licence costs, please contact
[e-mail].
10.11
For authors of Freeware/Shareware software, Oregan may be willing to
waive the normal licence fee.
10.11
WimpBasic manual - Clares Micro Supplies have announced the
availability of the Impression format of the WimpBasic manual. This
can be obtained from the WimpBasic website at: www.treknet.
is/wb/wbupdater.htm.
10.11
Two versions are available. The larger one with full graphics
requires approx 2.5Mb to load, and the smaller requires approx 1Mb.
Both are compressed for downloading and are 620Kb and 365Kb
respectively.
10.11
Review software received...
10.11
Å20th Century (e), ÅAll About Handwriting (e), ÅARM Club PDCD 2,
ÅCourier (u), ÅErgo Web (c), ÅFun with Texts (e), ÅHTML Designer (c),
ÅImpact Pro (d), ÅJohn Cabot CD-ROM (e), ÅOrganiser (u), ÅSchedule+
(u), ÅShuggy (g), ÅSmudge Discovers the World (e), ÅSpellbank (e),
ÅStarting Basic (bk), ÅUK Education Internet Primer (be), ÅViVID7000
(u).
Products Available
10.12
ANT Internet Suite - New versions of !InetSuite and !Marcel are now
available for download from the usual ANT upgrades page: www.ant.co.
uk/cgi-bin/get/upgrade
10.12
The upgrade is in two parts, both of which should be downloaded and
installed together. You must be running !InetSuite version 1.15. If
you are not, you will need to download the full disc set and install
from that. Here is a very abbreviated list of some of the new
features and fixes.
10.12
Marcel - much better memory usage for both mail and news, greater
stability when dealing with badly formatted MIME messages, uses a
local IMAP and NNTP server for easier configuration, speeded up
encoding/decoding of attachments, decodes all types of BinHex
attachments, IMAP4rev1 compatible - works with both IMAP2 and IMAP4
servers, no longer crashes when files dragged onto Marcel icon,
updates number of unread messages counter as messages are read, not
just on tidy, mailbox icon goes fat when new mail arrives, online
documentation as HTML, highlights any email addresses in headers and
throughout message text.
10.12
InetSuite - now includes Acornæs latest Internet v5 stack, which is
much faster, it no longer gives Éroute: file existsæ upon Connect to
Internet, long login usernames/passwords are supported, including
those with space, comma, percent, colon, hash, etc, and local user
configuration window now displays useræs Marcel configuration.
10.12
Mail fetcher - itæs now faster, the mail doesnæt get lost if the
connection breaks half way through a fetch, messages no longer get
stuck part way through sending, long login usernames/passwords
supported, including those with space, comma percent, colon, hash,
etc, and it has simple mail filtering - expand X-RCPT-To: header
lines to deliver to separate local mailboxes.
10.12
News fetcher - works with either NEWNEWS or XHDR commands -
automatically uses XHDR if ISP has disabled NEWNEWS, fetches complete
list of newsgroups better (some servers didnæt support LIST
NEWSGROUPS).
10.12
ArtWorks modules - The latest additions to the collection of ArtWorks
plug-in modules are AlignPlus, MRotate and PathUtils. AlignPlus
allows you to position text lines more accurately and to pack objects
(like in DrawPlus). MRotate allows you to rotate a selection about
each objectæs own centre, corner etc.
10.12
AlignPlus - ArtWorks allows you to align objects and pull them onto
the grid. However, the facilities present in ArtWorks only take the
bounding box of the objects into account. When dealing with text
lines, it is more appropriate to perform these operations with
respect to the base lines of the selected text objects. The AlignPlus
module offers the following new menu items: align base lines - aligns
the base lines of the selected text objects; distribute base lines -
vertically distributes the base lines of the selected text objects,
which allows you to create a properly spaced text block out of
several text lines; pull base lines onto grid, pulls the start of the
base line of each selected text object onto the nearest grid point;
pack objects horizontally/vertically - the objects are moved so that
their boundings boxes fit together without overlapping.
10.12
MRotate - The MRotate tool works very much like the standard Rotate
tool, the main difference being that each object has its own origin
of rotation. You can set the origins using the standard 3 by 3 matrix
of buttons, so you can rotate about each objectæs centre, one of the
corners, etc. As with the standard Rotate tool, you can either enter
an angle to rotate by or use the mouse to rotate interactively by
dragging.
10.12
PathUtils - The PathUtils module allows you to change line lengths
and angles easily. Simply select a line segment, then activate the
PathUtils tool. The info bar displays the length and the absolute
angle of the selected line segment and allows you to change either or
both.
10.12
These three modules are only available to registered users of
Polygon. PathUtils is available free of charge, and AlignPlus and
MRotate together cost ú10 inclusive for private users or ú15 for
educational/commercial users. In addition, registered users also
receive a free copy of the Intersect module that allows you to
intersect paths. For more details see: www.flipside.co.uk/awtools
10.12
Arranger on StrongARM. The ArtWorks Arranger module (sold by Computer
Concepts) can now be patched to work on StrongARM machines. The patch
is supplied free to all registered users of the Polygon module. See
www.flipside.co.uk/awtools for details on how to register.
10.12
Alsystems have launched a new Technical Support area on their
website. To gain access to this you must email [e-mail].
uk and they will issue you with a Username and Password. The support
section of the website currently includes: latest releases of Power-
tec software and Power-tec FAQ. They say they will be constantly
updating the FAQ, which currently includes fault-finding instructions
and check lists which you need to follow before contacting technical
support. Future support features include: recommended hardware list,
a list of all known devices that work fully with Power-tec products,
on-line Power-tec manual.
10.12
All Power-tec customers get 30 days free technical support from date
of purchase, but for those wishing to extend technical support beyond
30 days, they offer 12 monthsæ hotline and email support with free
software updates for ú23.50 inclusive.
10.12
British Countrysides is published by Anglia Multimedia in association
with The National Trust. Itæs a CD-ROM which presents the natural
heritage that the National Trust protects, with all of the drama and
all of the contrasts of Britainæs coasts, forests, heaths and moors.
Narrated by Tony Robinson and illustrated with extensive video and
photographic footage, the disc brings our environment to life. Based
around seven case studies of major sites, including Box Hill in
Surrey, Hatfield Forest in Essex, the Northumbrian Farne Islands and
Giantæs Causeway in Co. Antrim, the disc looks at the formation, the
history, the wildlife and the management of each site.
10.12
The opportunity to find out more about the National Trust is provided
in a National Trust Focus section covering everything from the
Trustæs history, to its current staffing and, of course, a database
of all of its properties. A detailed guide, Places to Visit, allows
the user to choose the area of the country they want to know about
and to explore it more closely. An integrated website link will make
sure that they can access up-to-the-minute information about
activities at any of the National Trustæs many properties.
10.12
The retail version of British Countrysides is a triple format CD-ROM
and costs ú29.99 inclusive (ú28 through Archive), and the education
CD-ROM which comes with teacher resources costs ú40 +VAT +p&p, or ú45
through Archive.
10.12
DelTron Control IT - There is no doubt that the Acorn BBC B and
Master series computers revolutionised the way in which computers
were used in UK schools. Perhaps the most important feature of these
machines was their versatility as they could be used for a wide range
of activities from WP to control and data-logging. When the
Archimedes range was launched, Acorn did not include the analogue and
user ports which were fitted as standard to most of their 8-bit
range. At that time, the missing hardware was not so important, as
schools had their existing BBC computers and software.
10.12
In the mid-to-late-nineties, the older BBC and Master computers are
beginning to reach the end of their lives, at a time when the UK
national curriculum is raising the profile of control and data-
logging activities.
10.12
DelTron Control IT has been developed to extend the life of
Deltronics Control IT buffer boxes which are still able to offer
pupils the opportunity to experiment with control work. Using DelTron
Control IT and a new connecting lead, you can now use your existing
buffer boxes with the full range of Acorn RISC OS computers. A wide
range of facilities is provided to allow schools to undertake control
work for the national curriculum. You can continue to write
procedures to control external devices using the keywords that make
up the DelTron language.
10.12
This version of DelTron Control IT has been written to control the
Deltronics Control IT buffer box and you will therefore require one
of those (they can still be purchased from Deltronics). The software
+ lead, costs ú49, inclusive of a small school site licence (less
than 400 pupils) and ú79 for a standard site licence, from DesignIT.
Extra connecting leads can be purchased for ú11.95 +VAT.
10.12
Doorway Classroom Pack - Learning Through Computing have released a
new version of the Doorway Classroom Pack (Switch Access Version), a
suite of maths and literacy programs for Key Stage 1 and 2. This new
version of the pack includes switch access allowing users with severe
mobility problems to use the software. Learning Through Computing is
one of the first companies to produce switch access programs
specifically targeted at areas of the National Curriculum and
Scottish 5-14 Guidelines.
10.12
As well as being accessible through a wide variety of switches, the
programs may be used conventionally with a mouse, trackerball or
touch screen without the need to purchase more software.
10.12
The Doorway Classroom Pack (Switch Access Version) is available for
Acorn RISC OS computers and contains a total of 17 programs (15 of
which include switch access). Prices start at ú75.
10.12
Draw Changer - The Datafile have announced the re-release of
DEC_dATAæs Draw Changer. This application will allow the following
filter to be applied to a drawfile: globally thicken thin lines,
selectively change line join styles, selectively change line end
styles, strip out selected objects, change colour file to white fill
file, instantly change single object fill and line colour, line
thickness, join style and end cap styles, create anti-aliased sprites
larger than machineæs memory, create thumbnail sprite directory,
strip out all text, change to monochrome negative, change to
monochrome colour range, selectively change graduated fill colours,
batch process files, supports OLE transfer from Impression and Style,
full online ClearView help available at all times. More details can
be found at: www.datafile.demon.co.uk/DCHANGER
10.12
Draw Changer costs ú19.95 inclusive from DEC_dATA.
10.12
Fresco version 1.63 is now available for download from the ANT
upgrades page at: www.ant.co.uk/cgi-bin/get/upgrade
10.12
New features include: remote web page publishing - if you have a home
page on the internet, Fresco can now be configured to automatically
ftp the file to your local machine for editing, and once the edited
document is saved, it will be sent via ftp back to your server; image
blacklisting - it is now possible to specify images (such as adverts)
which should be prevented from being downloaded; new Éstop
animationsæ option - this option will allow you to stop any image
animations on the current page; new ÉView source HTMLæ option.
10.12
Living Proof from Channel Four Schools, supports the television
programme of the same name, and covers local studies in history. The
programmes (and the CD) take the form of a quiz show with the
specialist knowledge of local history, the aim being that, as
contestants, children will enjoy history in a new way, and acquire
knowledge and skills that they can put to use in their own local
studies.
10.12
The CD-ROM allows players to select any of over 100 film sequences,
arranged by the periods and subjects of the programmes, with
accompanying quiz questions, and explains the answers with relevant
historical details. Living Proof was runner up in the TES Resources
Award for Mixed Media, Primary 1997.
10.12
Living Proof CD-ROM is priced at ú19.99 inclusive from Channel Four.
10.12
PDCD-5 contains all the Public Domain, Freeware and Shareware that
will run on a StrongARM RiscPC without crashing the machine. Some
archives require a RiscPC but the majority of its contents will run
on most Acorn machines with RISC OS 3.1 and above.
10.12
It contains the latest demos such as Phonology, era, DignityD, FQuake
and Reisnac; utilities released as late as 4th July (WBModules v1.07a
directly from Clares plus many new updates directly from the authors)
a total of 1027 utilities; almost 600 Gutenburg books released
between 1st January 1996 to 16th June 1997, plus 113 games, 149
educational applications and graphic files, internet access software
and animations - a total of over 2200 archives which add up to around
500Mb.
10.12
The cost of this CD has been set at ú17.50 inclusive from the
Datafile, or ú17 through Archive.
10.12
Picture Resources on CD-ROM - Pupilsæ ability to develop their IT
capability can be restricted by limited access to resources. Whether
it be a project that requires desktop publishing skills or
presentation using a multimedia authoring package, quality
photographs and diagrams suitable for education, and which are
copyright cleared, are difficult to find. Anglia Multimedia, using
their extensive archive, and other sources, have created five picture
resource discs for use by pupils in the classroom. Each CD-ROM
contains 108 top-quality images with explanatory text. Audio
commentary on each photograph with straightforward indexing makes the
disc accessible to a wide age and ability range.
10.12
Science in Action gives examples of science at work in the real
world - in the home, industry and in different contexts throughout
the world.
10.12
Settlement is a disc with examples of settlement in the context of
History and Geography. As well as illustrating aspects of the shaping
of life in the British Isles, the pictures show all aspects of
settlement across the globe including homes, work, religion and dress.
10.12
On the Move is a collection of resources on the theme of transport,
and fits into many classroom contexts. Immigration and emigration,
trade and tourism, methods of transport from the past, present and
maybe the future are all there!
10.12
Space Exploration - space has always fascinated children. This
resource disc provides some of the best imagery associated with the
last thirty years of manæs exploration beyond our world: the initial
moon landings, startling images of the earth from space, as well as
the most up-to-date pictures of the far reaches of the universe.
10.12
The images on the disc are copyright-cleared and cost ú12.99
inclusive per disc from Anglia Multimedia, or ú13 through Archive.
10.12
Remote keyboard for NetStation - If you want to operate your
NetStation from a distance and yet want to be able to do emails, all
you need is an infrared remote keyboard. The added bonus is that it
also includes a trackball (apparently itæs passΘ to talk about
ötrackerballsò now!) which makes navigating the screen much easier.
The Freeboard Trackball, as it is called, costs ú98 through Archive.
(It also works with the NetProducts version of the NetStation.)
10.12
Risc TV has been upgraded to v1.30, and existing users can get the
upgrade free of charge by returning the master disc to Irlam with
name, address and return postage. New features introduced by the
upgrade are auto-tuning, TV channel-change using the up/down cursor
keys when in full-screen mode, and the de-interlace feature previewed
in Archive 10.8 p42. User-reports indicate the latter is highly
effective in minimising the symptoms of blurring or Éfeatheringæ
around the edges of images grabbed from moving sources.
10.12
Sillafu - MEU Cymru has announced the availability of !Sillafu, a
Welsh spell checker based on David Pillingæs !Spell. As with !Spell,
!Sillafu will work with almost all RISC OS applications, including
Edit, OvationPro and Impression, and is available ú15 +VAT +p&p
direct from MEU Cymru.
10.12
öStarting Basicò (the book) - Youæve read the articles, now buy the
book (and disc!). Ray Favre has a limited number of copies of his
öStarting Basicò book: 336 pages in A5, ring-bound, with glossy
cover. The price is ú15, which includes UK p&p and a ú4 donation to
charity.
10.12
He is happy to send a synopsis by email, or a copy of the book on
receipt of a sterling cheque for ú15 made out to Ray Favre. There is
also a disc of the program listings in the book available - at the
extra charge of ú3 (of which ú2 will go to charity).
10.12
The address is: Ray Favre, 26 West Drayton Park Avenue, West Drayton,
UB7 7QA. (01895-444410) [e-mail]
10.12
SwitchManager from Learning Through Computing is a program for Acorn
RISC OS which simplifies alternative access to computer software for
users with severe mobility problems.
10.12
Andrew Burt, Learning Through Computingæs Director said: ÉWhat weæve
done is taken a fresh look at how the computer should understand
switch access. Weæve put all the switch access into one program which
can communicate with other programs that need to use switches.æ The
approach that SwitchManager uses has big advantages for schools and
adult education centres: SwitchManager supports multiple users
allowing teachers to define switch settings to suit an individualæs
needs. Swapping between users is extremely simple and quick, and
switch settings are shared between programs that use SwitchManager.
To alter the settings for all of the programs you only need to change
your settings once, and intelligent support is provided for the
SEMERC Mouser, which allows SwitchManager to distinguish between
mouse button and switch presses. Thereæs no more holding down special
keys, or ensuring the pointer is in the correct window, and thereæs a
safer future - when technology brings new switches and sensors,
SwitchManager ensures that programs bought now will be able to use
them.
10.12
SwitchManager is soon to be available from Learning Through Computers
at a price to be confirmed.
10.12
TBA FS got a good review in Archive 10.10 p70, so we have decided to
make it available through Archive.
10.12
TBA FS is a high performance data compression system from TBA
Software. According to TBA, it takes only two minutes to install,
will cope equally well with files of any size, has no limit to the
number of files per directory, allows for long 36 character file
names, has a constant RAM requirement, and uses read/write cacheing
for maximum speed. It comes complete with TBA FS image rebuilder and
a full version of TBA Turboboot.
10.12
TBA FS costs ú24.99 inclusive from TBA Software, or ú24 through
Archive.
10.12
Temp Directory - is a new software product from Keystroke authors,
Quantum Software. Temp Directory is a program to replace the Ramdisc
and provides a quick and very easy way to save your files. The
program places an icon on the iconbar to which you can drag and drop
files, in order to save them to disc quickly. When loaded, it creates
a directory with todayæs date in the same root directory as your
!Boot application. The Ramdisc can be a bit of a pain because it has
a limited size, eats lots of RAM, plus, if you forget to save its
contents, they are lost when the computer crashes or if youæve
switched off in a hurry. To get a copy of it, go to the Quantum
website at: www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/qs and itæs also on the
Archive monthly disc.
10.12
Note: This productæs name, !TempDir, is officially registered with
Acorn and has no connection with another recently announced,
similarly named, product É!TempDiræ by David Glover. David will be
altering the name of his product shortly to avoid confusion. Contact
David for more details.
10.12
Temp Directory requires RISC OS 3.1 or above. Licence conditions -
non-network machines, free licence, networked machines, ú10
inclusive. For a network licence, please send a cheque to Quantum
Software.
10.12
The Music Show CD-ROM, from Channel Four Schools, is aimed at 7-11
year olds. The television series of the same name introduces children
to a wide range of musical styles and genres, and the CD-ROM
continues this, featuring graphic scores and moving visual images,
programme transcripts, background information and interactive
activities. It features a wide range of performers from Evelyn
Glennie to Lord Yehudi Menuhin. The Music Show was the winner of the
TES Resources Award for Mixed Media, Primary 1996.
10.12
The Music Show CD-ROM costs ú29.99 inclusive from Channel Four.
10.12
WimpBasic - Clares Micro Supplies have announced the availability of
the latest version of WimpBasic (version 1.07) which also
incorporates version 1.08 of WBModules. Both the Updater (which
includes WBModules 1.08), and WBModules on its own, can be downloaded
from: www.treknet.is/wb/wbupdater.htm
10.12
The file is just under 1Mb so it is advised that you download at
cheap rate. Donæt forget that the Impression version of the manual is
also available on the same page. This is the final free upgrade to
WimpBasic, and Clares are now concentrating on adding features and
functionality to WimpBasic. Future upgrades will be chargeable, but
those who bought the original will only pay the difference in price
between the original price and the new version when it is available.
10.12
Zip Driver Software - Argo have announced that the Acorn version of
the Zip driver software (version 0.999) is now compatible with
Computer Conceptæs Turbo Driver printer software. If you require an
upgrade to this version, please send Argo your existing disc and
manual so that they can replace it by return of post. Please mark
your envelope ÉZip Driveræ.
10.12
Review software received...
10.12
ÅARM Club PDCD 2, ÅBritish Countrysides (e), ÅCourier (u), ÅDelTron
Control IT (e), ÅLiving Proof (e), ÅMusic Show (e), ÅShuggy (g),
ÅSpace Exploration (e), ÅViVID7000 (u).
10.12
e=Education, g=Game, u=Utility.
10.12
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.
10.12
Product News
10.12
Anglia Multimedia website, containing free-to-download curriculum
relevant material, now has over 30 units on all major National
Curriculum areas. These include Science, Maths, English, Modern
Foreign Languages, History and Geography, and the site is growing
daily. All material is written by teachers, especially for classroom
use, and so is carefully targeted as an important classroom resource.
10.12
Anglia has also announced its sponsorship of Mathsnet, the U.K. Maths
website featuring innovative student and teacher material from
throughout the world, including downloadable resources, articles and
links to other relevant sites.
10.12
Anglia Multimediaæs hybrid CD-ROMs link users directly to additional
relevant content on the web, direct from the CD. This growing range
includes British Countrysides, which links to the National Trustæs
own website, and John Cabot and the Merchant Venturers, which takes
users to information related to the reconstruction of the voyage of
Cabotæs ship, the Matthew. The Cabot area of the website also has
handy links to other Cabot websites from all over the world. Angliaæs
summer release, Ancient Egyptians, also features a hyperlink to
further material and a host of curriculum websites. Free downloadable
Anglia datafiles are available for users of Anglia Multimediaæs
software, in order to extend their use in the classroom. These
include a file of Viking place names in Britain, a datafile from the
Domesday Book, a geographical study of Dartmoor, a comprehensive
British wildlife datafile, plus many more. The website can be found
at: www.anglia.co.uk/education/
10.12
Matti the Mole needs a holiday! Sherston Software is about to release
ÉMatti Moleæs Summer Holidayæ, the latest program from the award
winning team of Mike Matson and artist Hans Rijnen. Matti Moleæs
Summer Holiday, available on triple format CD-ROM, is an interactive
story for junior children (8-9 years). The program, which is full of
fun and surprises, contains a wealth of stimulating language
activities, all cleverly linked into the story.
10.12
Matti, like most moles, lives in her cold, dark, underground home.
She yearns to go somewhere hot and sunny for her summer holiday, but
the beach is a long way away. There is only one thing for it, so
Matti sets out to earn enough money to buy a plane ticket so that she
can fly to the beach of her dreams. As children follow Mattiæs
exploits, trying to raise the cash for her plane ticket, they are
presented with no less than sixteen different language activities
(all at three levels of difficulty), ten different interactive
screens to explore, and four fun games to play.
10.12
The language skills covered include nouns and adjectives, verbs,
alphabetical order, definitions, rhyming words, speech marks, joining
words, plurals, opposites, capital letters and full stops.
10.12
Available from September 1997 on triple format CD-ROM (Windows, Mac
and Acorn), price ú40 +p&p +VAT for single user, or ú46 through
Archive. Site licences are available from Sherston.
10.12
Nstore for Psion 5 - The Psion 5 version of Nstore (National
Curriculum Record Keeping and Reporting package) from HS Software is
nearing completion. This is an enhanced version of the program which
won the Acorn User Award for best Pocket Book software of 1996. It
has a number of features which take advantage of the new facilities
of the Psion 5, including: full use of the touch screen for quicker
and easier data entry, touch screen Toolbar for frequently used
facilities, increased storage capacity (36 classes of 36 pupils), and
larger text.
10.12
It will be available on disc for ú49.95 inclusive from 1st September.
10.12
RiscTV - Irlam are shortly to release a major hardware/software
upgrade to RiscTV which will be the subject of an Archive review. A
Keying Module will allow the RiscTV display to be updated in real
time and full colour, even when overlaid by windows, menus or the
mouse pointer (currently the display becomes monochrome and freezes).
There will continue to be no processor overhead, as at present. A
Sound Upgrade will support NICAM stereo audio. The updated software
will provide improved grabbing of images, Replay movie capture, audio
mixer control and 16-bit stereo sampling of sound inputs from TV
(NICAM or FM), computer or an external source. The upgrade will be
available from Irlam and costs ú49.94 for the Keying Module, or ú179.
19 for the Sound Upgrade and Keying Module, both prices being
inclusive of delivery and VAT, or ú48 and ú175 inclusive through
Archive, respectively.
10.12
Sleuth 3 - Beebug are in the process of upgrading their OCR software,
Sleuth. Among the new features of Sleuth 3 will be: greater accuracy,
user dictionary, batch processing, import of greyscale sprites,
better editing facilities, foreign language support. They say they
still have a way to go before it is ready for release. Weæll keep you
informed.