¢THE 1993 FUTURA SURVEY RESULTS¢¢¢(Percentages or average scores are given on the right)¢¢¢** QUESTION 1 **¢¢How much text do you wish to read in each issue of Futura?¢¢(A) No text.................... 0%¢(B) One quarter of one side.... 0%¢(C) One half of one side....... 0%¢(D) Three quarters of one side. 25%¢(E) All of one side............ 75%¢¢¢Ed: A clear majority favour Side A becoming all-text. As a result, from this issue on, software will be found only on Side B of a Futura disk. Side A will be 100% text. ViewDocs will autoboot after the title screen.¢¢ This arrangement will increase the text content on each Futura disk from approximately 450 to 600 sectors. The remaining sector space is required for DOS.SYS, AUTORUN.SYS, the title screen and ViewDocs. With 600 sectors available, I will be able to offer a number of new columns, as well as the expansion of present ones.¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 2 **¢¢Please give your opinion of the following Futura columns (1 = like a lot... 5 = Don't like)¢¢Introduction................. 1.29¢Editorial.................... 1.71¢8-Bit News................... 1.14¢Inside Atari BASIC........... 2.14¢Software Scene............... 1.43¢Hints & Cheats............... 1.57¢Diamond...................... 2.14¢8-Bit Trivia................. 1.43¢Competition.................. 1.71¢Futura Feedback.............. 1.29¢VCS Futura................... 2.43¢InfoFile..................... 1.71¢¢¢Ed: Your favourite columns are 8-Bit News, Introduction, Futura Feedback, Software Scene and 8-Bit Trivia. These will be expanded over the next six issues. I'll improve the Editorial and Hints & Cheats.¢¢ The results for Inside Atari BASIC and Diamond were understandable due to their now defunct status. However, 2.14 for each is still quite good.¢¢ The InfoFile will now only appear every few issues. Although the score of 1.71 shows that you like it, there were some requests not to include it in every issue. I think this is a good idea.¢¢ The 2.43 result for VCS Futura was the lowest. However, even this is not bad for a non-8-bit column.¢¢ I'm pleased that VCS Futura cleared 2.50 because that's the figure I'd set for each column to clear. If a column scored below the half-mark of 2.50 I was going to scrap it. Luckily, no column scored below this mark so all will remain.¢¢ The average score for all twelve columns was 1.67. This is very high considering that 1.00 was a perfect score. However, I'll still try to improve upon this average over the next six issues!¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 3 **¢¢Are there any changes you would like to see made to any of these columns?¢¢¢Ed: Everyone was happy with the columns as they are. There were also many complimentary words - thanks!¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 4 **¢¢What kind of articles would you like to read in Futura which have not been featured so far?¢¢¢Ed: Answers included languages, machine code, adventure, PD Top Ten, utilities, and the most requested topic... hardware. I will therfore begin preparing a new hardware column which will review, examine and generally digest all manner of Atari 8-Bit hardware.¢¢ I'll begin with items such as the Touch Tablet, Trackball, 1050 / US Doubler / Write Protect Switch, Citizen 120D+ & Micro-Print Interface, 1010 Program Recorder, Atari Light Gun, etc, etc. In other words, every piece of hardware I own. Hopefully, these will be complimented by reader submissions.¢¢ The column will be called "HARDWARE WAREHOUSE" and will begin in Futura issue 10 or 11.¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 5 **¢¢Now that the Inside Atari BASIC column has concluded, would you like to see another column on programming in Atari BASIC or any other language (please state)?¢¢¢Ed: Everyone requested another programming column to replace Inside Atari BASIC! The most popular request was Turbo BASIC. A more advanced Atari BASIC column was also quite popular. Other requests were for a DOS column and a machine code column.¢¢ Due to the overwhelming interest in a Turbo BASIC column I have decided to begin just such a column. Please read FLYER.DOC on this disk for some exciting news of The Turbo BASIC Flyer by Ron Fetzer which will begin in the next issue of Futura.¢¢ I may also start a new BASIC column in the not too distant future. Machine code has been covered recently in Page 6 and the TWAUG newsletter so I'll leave it for now. A DOS column is an interesting idea and one which I will consider.¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 6 **¢¢Please give your opinion of the programs featured within each issue of Futura (1 = Brilliant... 5 = Awful).¢¢Disk Utilities............... 1.83¢Other Utilities.............. 1.14¢Games........................ 1.42¢Demos........................ 1.14¢¢¢Ed: The results for this question were very pleasing. I'm glad that everyone is enjoting my selection of software. I always try to provide top quality software with an obscure edge. There will be no major changes to the software content of Futura.¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 7 **¢¢Please list your favourite and least favourite programs from Futura issues 1-6.¢¢Favourite: Answers included... Howfen DOS V3.07, DeskTop V1.5, Horse Racing, Sound Monitor Professional, 3D Tetris, Spider, Flip, Bombjack, Let's Hop, Revenge of Magnus, Munchy Madness and To Kill a Commodore.¢¢Least favourite: Answers included... Flip, Horse Racing, How To Meet Cows, Jump, Arabic Converter, My Jong, Conversion, Color Helper 4, Total Recall and Cyrtabor.¢¢¢Ed: No single program really stood out in either category, except perhaps Howfen DOS 3.07 and DeskTop V1.5 as favourites and Cyrtabor as least favourite (due to the difficultly level).¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 8 **¢¢Is there any type of program you would like to see in Futura which has not already been included?¢¢¢Ed: Answers included war games, communications, programming utilities and art programs. I'll search around for the best PD programs in these categories and place them on future issues.¢¢ I'm actually considering beginning a column on using the excellent BBK Artist. I would, of course, include the program itself along with the first column. Interested?¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 9 **¢¢How often should Futura be released?¢¢Monthly........................ 43%¢Bi-monthly..................... 57%¢Quarterly...................... 0%¢¢¢Ed: As you can see, this one was split right down the middle with a bi-monthly release just edging it. Futura will therefore remain bi-monthly for just now. However, I will consider a monthly release beginning some time in 1994. Everything depends on maintaining a quality product for you, the end user. It is your subscriptions which allow the release of every issue.¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 10 **¢¢What density should Futura disks be formatted in?¢¢Single Density.................. 0%¢1050 Density.................... 50%¢1050 Density or Single Density.. 50%¢Double Density.................. 0%¢¢¢Ed: Everyone who submitted a survey requested 1050 density. However, half stated that they wouldn't mind single density either (hence the new '1050 or SD' section above).¢¢ Now this one really is tricky. Before releasing Futura issue 1, I'd thought about producing both single and 1050 density versions of Futura disks. However, I decided this would involve too much work and opted for the standard 2 x 707 sectors.¢¢ The central problem here is that I know there are Futurians with 810 drives (I know of two local members). A 1050 disk would be unfair to them.¢¢ For now, we'll stay with single density disks. However, I am seriously considering producing a 1050 version of each Futura issue which will feature bonus programs. It is not the fault of the 1050 owner that an 810 can only read single density. This must be weighed against the right of an 810 owner to gain access to Futura. Two versions of each disk seems the perfect solution (and more sleepless nights). Another thought to ponder over endless mugs of coffee.¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 11 **¢¢Would you like to receive the text on the disk version of Futura as a printed newsletter? If yes, how much extra would you be willing to pay for this service?¢¢No - .DOC files on disk........ 83%¢Yes - no extra charge........... 0%¢Yes - 55p extra (2.50).......... 0%¢Yes - one pound extra (2.95).... 17%¢Yes - two pounds extra (3.95)... 0%¢¢¢Ed: Everyone seems to be happy with the current disk-based text. Also, ViewDocs received a lot of praise. There will be no change to a printed newsletter for now. However, a professional hardcopy magazine / newsletter is still my ultimate aim (the aim of any aspiring publisher).¢¢¢¢** QUESTION 12 **¢¢Would you like to receive all the text and program files on future issues in .ARC format?¢¢No - Ready-to-run files only.. 50%¢Yes - ARCed text files......... 34%¢Yes - ARCed programs........... 16%¢Yes - All files ARCed.......... 0%¢¢¢Ed: Again, you like things as they are. I will therefore not ARC all files on Futura disks. I may end up having to ARC the text content on Futura if it expands at the current rate. With new columns planned and current ones developing all the time, ARCed text files may be necessary to fit everything on the disk. You can save almost 50% of sectors by ARCing text files. We'll have to wait and see on this one. However, I can say that programs will definitely remain unARCed for now.¢¢¢¢P.S. ** VIEWDOCS v VTEX **¢¢Ed: In Futura issue 7, I asked which text viewer you preferred - ViewDocs or VTEX. As a post script to the survey above, I'd like to let you know that almost everyone who answered my question stated that ViewDocs should remain.¢¢ ViewDocs will therefore remain as the text viewer on Futura disks. However, I hope to add a few improvements to the program which will allow page counting, auto file selection, a read-all-files option and perhaps back-paging. If anyone can assist with these improvements please let me know.¢¢ I've recently disabled the Break key and allowed a single Screen/Printer entry (you now only need to make one selection after ViewDocs has loaded). These were simple and quick improvements; I don't have the time just now to make the improvements suggested above. If you can help, please let me know.¢¢¢¢ -----¢¢¢ Extra special thanks to everyone who submitted a survey. They are the "hardcore" Futurians who have been with me from the early issues. Greetinx and thanx to... , Pete Geraghty, Oliver Harrison, Alan Hitchen, Steven Nicklin, Keith Pates, Simon Roe, and Brian Walker. Cheers lads! Your answers, comments and suggestions will help to shape Futura over the next six issues.¢¢ Check out COMP.DOC on this disk to find out the winners of the competition!¢¢¢Keep 8-Bitting!¢¢Stu.¢
