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0022-3.564
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dmg-3413
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news.txt
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1989-04-05
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4KB
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82 lines
#################
# #
# OUTLAWS PDS #
# ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ #
#################
Outlaws PDS is not a public domain library! It is a public domain service
run by Rab Gilmour who collects PD programs and is willing to swap and
make contact with other ST users. As with everything in this world there
is no such a thing as a free lunch and Rabs services don't come free.
To get discs you will either need to have PD to swap with Rab, this seems
fair. If you don't have anything to swap you can still get discs by either
sending two blank discs, one for Rab and the other for the disc you want
or by paying 90p per disc. Remember to include a SAE too.
The catalogue uses the same shell as Caledonia PDL. It boots with a demo
type screen and a large scroll text. If you resist the urge to press the
spacebar the scroller goes on to inform that it was written by the High-
lander and that the music is by Mad Max.
To be honest I can't be bothered with this way of displaying messages.
Large characters being scrolled in a sine wave pattern over a moving
background is *NOT* the way to read text. Apart from being fairly boring
to 'outsiders' it is terrible on the eyesight. So if there was anything
interesting after the first ten seconds I'm afraid I've missed it.
Pressing <SPACE> brings up a second screen where the arrow keys change the
current file and pressing <SPACE> again loads it.
Outlaws has ten sections: Art, Covrdisk, Demo, Disk_mag, Games, Misc,
Read_Me, STE, Utility1 and Utility2.
Once loaded a help screen can be accessed by pressing the <HELP> key.
There are quite a number of features available in this shell. It is possi-
ble to scroll through the text by line or page, jump straight to the top
or bottom, invert, search or print the text, change the music and more.
Only whithin the actual document displayer though.
There are 'only' about 400 discs available from Outlaws but they seen to
be the pick of the crop with very few minority-user ones. The contents of
the discs are well described with larger applications such as art packages
and games getting long descriptions and smaller utilities getting a line
or two. There are a few discs where every program isn't at least mentioned
and these tend to be ones with dozens of compressed programs.
Pressing the <ESC> key returns to the desktop where there is a selection
of PD including a game, demo and utilities. The game is 'Digger', the demo
is 'Animal Band', utilities include 'STPAGE', a disc editor and a file
splitter. These have been around for a year or so now, but are reasonable
as disc fillers.
While Outlaws cannot (and doesn't want to) rival the mainstream libraries
it must be considered by anyone new to the ST scene and wanting to try
lots of PD programs without spending a fortune. In fact it should be
possible to use a few of the 'free' PD libraries to obtain discs to swap
with the others. That way a decent collection of PD can be built up, new
friends made and everyone gets lots of swaps.
OUTLAWS PDS
174 Primrose Lane
ROSYTH
Dunfermline
KY11 2LW
Tel. 0383 411157
Dave Mooney
~~~ eof ~~~