BBC MASTER- ELECTRON ARCHIMEDES £130
MARCH 1988 BEST-SELLING AND BIGGEST BBC/ACORN MAGAZINE
HAPPY FAMILY:
OverView makes
its mark
KEEP IN TOUCH:
School software
for touchscreens
SIDEWAYS RAM:
Creating custom
utility ROMs
ADFS GUIDE:
Get to grips with
disc directories
MENU
MAESTRO
MANDELBROTS:
Plots in seconds
on an Archimedes
ARC WINDOWS
WIMPs for all from simple Basic programs
Repton fans have begged, cajoled and pleaded with us to release another set of screens for our Repton 3 game.
How could we refuse? Our lovable hero returns again to star in 40 new screens that vividly depict Repton’s life-story.
The Five Ages of Repton:- At first we see Repton as a baby: a mewling infant surrounded by teddy-bears, humpty-
dumptys, and aggressive clockwork toy-soldiers. Then Repton is a whining school-boy, creeping like snail unwillingly to
school, with his pens, his calculator, and a bundle of homework. And then Repton
during his teenage years becomes a spikey-haired punk armed with a ghetto-blaster
and a collection of records. Then Repton goes to work: we see a harried office-
manager amidst computers, photocopiers, and endless cups of coffee. Last scene of
all, that ends this strange eventful history, is Repton as an old-age pensioner searching
for his false-teeth, his spectacles, his “pint of stout”, and his well-polished war-medals.
Each copy of The Life Of Repton includes:
• the Repton 3 main program #the Repton 3 editor and #the 40 new game screens
c
t
Acorn Electron Cassette £6
Acorn Electron 5’/4" Disc £7,
BBC Micro Cassette £6.95
BBC Micro 5V4" Disc £7.95
BBC Master Compact 3 Vj" Disc £9.95
(Compatible with the BBC B, B+ and Master Series computers).
The screen pictures show the BBC Micro version of the game.
PRIZE COMPETITION
If you complete all 40 screens of The Life of Repton. you can enter our
competition. Prizes include £200 in cash, with Repton mugs, badges, pens
and certificates for runners-up
Closing Date: 30th June 1988.
j
/supcmon
C'.sonwnnc
ACORNS6FT
Dept. LR5. Regent House, Skinner Lane, Leeds LS7 1AX. Telephone: 0532 459453
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» Postage and packing is free.
* Faulty cassettes and discs will
be replaced immediately.
(This do«s not attect your statutory rights)
fifllllHlUBW BM— SH—
ra hedir
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280
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for most standard
vtV printers Made of
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For 80 column £1 4.50
1 32 column £1 6.50
Paper
feed and
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80 column 1 32 column
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1 34.85 1 42.50
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MD 50
5/4" X 50
1 7 80
3+ 7 40 each
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Computer Labels
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Please state no of labels across
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Computer paper
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m M*qf ' DrDOi Pr<e«*tx)i
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Exact A4
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80
2760 58.50
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on memo
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Computer Supplies
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miron iTicmo_miron miinio i~nznin i~in~on iTicnio miron memo miron 'memo i
I IILISU I ILUII I I IILISU I ll-UII I I IILISU I ILUII I ~l IILISU I ILUII I I IILI\U I ILUII I I IILISU I ILUII I ~l
WaBSBBBm I aH
ACORN USKR MARCH 1988
ACORNUSER
ISSUE No 68 MARCH 1988
EDITOR
Graham Bell
REPORTER
Carol Atack
TECHNICAL ASSISTANT
Robert Miller
EDITORIAL SECRETARY
Pauline McLernon
SUB-EDITOR
Stuart Anderton
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Teri North
ART EDITOR
Liz Thompson
ASSISTANT ART EDITOR
Paul Holmes
ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER
Gary Lucas
SALES EXECUTIVE
Shane Hussien
ADVERTISEMENT
PRODUCTION
Jonathan Marsh
PUBLISHING SERVICES
MANAGER
Sarah Bullard
MERCHANDISING
MANAGER
Seran Anderson Haddick
GROUP EDITOR
Tony Quinn
ART DIRECTOR
Mike Lackersteen
EDITORIAL MANAGER
Ellen Brush
GROUP ADVERTISEMENT
MANAGER
David Castle
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
Michael Potter
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Christopher Ward
NEW USERS
HINTS & TIPS:
Directory enquiries: getting started with ADFS
FIRST BYTE:
Shortcuts to bug-free programs from Tessic Revivis
REVIEWS
THE GAMES PAGE:
Forthcoming releases from all the big names
GAMES:
Terrific or tedious? Spellbinder, Bonecruncher and The Hunt
GAMES:
Brilliant or boring? Evening Star, Spitfire 40 and Peter Scott’s trilogy
SOFTWARE:
OverView attempts to integrate the View family, but how good is it?
SOFTWARE:
Can you run the Arc’s Basic 5 on the Electron and BBC micro?
SOFTWARE:
Simon Craven takes to the air in Glider Pilot 2
EDUCATION
NEWS:
Essential reading for the up-to-date teacher
SOFTWARE REVIEW:
Teaching Latin with Ecce Romani, and creating educational adventures
PLEASE DO TOUCH:
Special needs software for the Microvitec Touchscreen
39
45
141
143
145
146
149
151
155
157
159
REGULARS
News
7
Genie offer
104
Order forms
133
Noticeboard
15
Competition
109
User groups
165
Letters
33
Yellow Pages
113
Free Ads
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Acorn Forum
49
Acorn User offers
129
Acorn Abuser’s Diary
168
Published by Redwood Publishing Ltd, 20-26 Brunswick Place, London Nl 6DJ. Tel: 01-490 1444. Telecom Gold: 81: RLD00I. Lax: 01-490 0494.
Subscriptions: Contact Gail L'airhall, Redwood Publishing Ltd, Lambourn Woodlands, Newbury, Berks. Tel: (0672) 40888. See order form for details.
Printed by Riverside Press, Gillingham, Kent. Typeset bv Tabloid Fotoset, London. Colour reproduction ny Trumps Studio, Ware, Herts. Print
production by Aquarius Print and Design, London. Distributed by Comag, Tavistock Road, West Drayton.
ABC
ACORN US HR MARCH 1988
FEA TURES
CONTROL TRICKS/ftigc SI
Joe Telford investigates a new language to make control
programming easier
BUILD YOUR OWN TOOLKIT ROM /Page 87
Keep your favourite utilities permanently on call with Dave
Lawrence’s AutoROM program
ARC WINDOWS WITHOUT PAIN/ Page 95
Using the Arc’s windowing system in your own programs
is easier than you think!
MANDLEBROTS IN MOMENTS /Page 103
The fascinating fractals of the Mandlebrot set can be
created in seconds on the Archimedes
PLEASE DO TOUCH /Page 159
Being able to just touch the screen rather than use the
keyboard opens up the micro to many less-able children
COVER
Illustration by
Richard Draper
NEXT MONTH
A new series for new
users starts with a
step by step guide to
VicwSheet, plus:
getting the best from
colour printers and
the Concept Keyboard
©Redwood Publishing Ltd 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher
cannot accept any responsibility for claims or errors in articles, programs or advertisements. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the publisher
or Acorn Computers Ltd. Acorn, Acornsoft and the acorn symbol are the registered trademarks of Acorn Computers Ltd and Acornsoft Ltd. Redwood Publishing is a registered
data user whose entries in the Data Protection Register contain descriptions of the sources and disclosures of the information held. ISSN 0263 7456.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
3
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The products in this price list are available in our
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Vehicular access to car park
via Albert St. anil Hart Rd
1013B View Print Driver Cassette 8.62
1014B View Print Driver Disc 9.77
1002B Hi- View 44.28
1021AViewIndex Disc 13.80
1 04$B Vie wSpell ROM 34.02
1001B ViewSheet 32.63
1030B ViewPlot 25.30
1019B ViewStore ROM 44.28
1023C View Professional 99.95
1020D Overview 98.90
1008B Basic Editor 28.00
1017BGXRB 28.00
1018B GXR B+ 28.00
1031 B Termulator ROM 31.05
COMPACT COMPUTERS
01 99G Compact Entry System 375.00 356.25
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0197GCompact Mono System 440.00 418.00
01 96G Compact Colour System 575.00 546.25
COMPUTER SPARE PARTS
mm
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0809D Master Keyboard
0810DBBC Keyboard
0815A65C02 CPU
0820ABBC Key Switches
0821 A Spacebar Support
0822 D BBC Power Supply
0823D Master Power Supply
0807B Master Battery Kit
COMPACT ACCESSORIES
0227F Second 3.5” Disc Drive 108.00 102.60
0201 B Compact RS232 Interface 29.90 28.41
0211CPAL TV Adaptor 29.90 28.41
0250C Compact 5.25” Disc Lead 12.32 11.70
0298B Compact Printer Lead 9.77 9.29
Master Modem
ACORNSOFT LANGUAGES
0243B Master Lisp Cart.ROM
1003B Lisp ROM
0245B Master Logo Cart.ROM
1006B Logo
1004B BCPL
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1005B Comal
1007C ISO Pascal
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1033B Microtext Disc
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MASTER COMPUTER
A new internal modem for the Master
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which are ideal for Prestel, Micronet
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pulse dialing, auto-dial and auto-
answer. An interesting feature is that it
uses the internal Master speaker for
call progress monitoring. The modem
is supplied with the highly acclaimed
Beebug Command ROM.
Stock Code 0759E Price £119.00
Members Price £113.05
0200G Master 128
0234B Ml 28 Econet Module
0781 B Care Elec. Cartridge
0782B Care 4 Way Cart.
0230C 65C1 02 6502 Turbo-
0231 D 801 86 Co-Processor
0233F Universal 2nd Proc.
0207A Basic II ROM
0208A1.2 Operating System
0209B1.2 DNFS ROM
0212B Acorn Speech Upgrade
021 7B 1770 Disc Interface
0218AADFS Upgrade 1770
0225B Econet Upgrade BBC
0226B 64K Upgrade Kit B+
ACORNSOFT
APPLICATIONS
1000B View 2.1
1022C View 3.0 ROM
iBSfreufiBEraUGDEcBUGBECBUGpEgniK
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MEMBERS ON HARDWARE/SOFTWARE
Only if you quote your membership
number.
BEEBUG Membership £14.50
RISC USER Membership £12.50
See separate advert for
ARCHIMEDES
Free Inter-word
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DISC DRIVES
0706A27128 16K EPROM
0707A6264 8K RAM
0708AEprom Extractor Tool
071 4 ABB function key strip
ACORN COLOUR
MONITOR
0224G Master Disc Drive Unit 316.00
0600F Cumana CSX1 00 40 106.95
061 OF Cumana CS100 40 126.50
061 4F Cumana CS100E 118.45
0601 G Cumana CDX200 40 215.00
0602F Cumana CSX400 40/80 142.60
0603F Cumana CS400 40/80 162.15
0615F Cumana CS400E 155.00
0604G Cumana CD800S 40/80 286.35
0611 A Cumana Disc Guide 1.90
0650B lOxMemorex Discs SS 40 15.50
0651 B 10 x Memorex Discs DS 80 25.50
0669B 10 x Memorex 3.5" Discs 25.00
0652B Disc Head Cleaner (5.25") 9.65
0648B Disc Head Cleaner (3.5") 9.65
0653B Disc Case (10 x 5.25" discs) 2.25
0654C Disc Box (holds up to 50) 10.00
0655C Lockable Disc Box (50) 13.80
0656C Lockable 3.5" Disc Box (40)11.05
300.20
101.60
120.18
112.53
204.25
135.47
154.04
147.25
272.03
1.81
14.73
24.22
23.75
9.17
9.17
2.14
9.50
13.11
10.50
VOLTMACE JOYSTICKS
uqteEsuc
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SU'G'GEEBL
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•EE.UGBEL'B
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071 8B Delta 3B Single Joystick 9.99
071 9B Delta 3B Twin Joysticks 17.00
0720B Delta 14B Joystick 12.50
0721 B Delta 14B/1 Interface 13.00
0773B Delta 3S Compact Joystick 9.99
COMPUTER CONCEPTS
As used with Compact & Archimedes
14” Hi-res (0.43mm dot pitch)
RGB (Scart, audio/ phono connectors)
Normal R.R.P. £360
Supplied with free leads
Beebug Members Price
1117B Interword
1110B Intersheet
1114B Interchart
1116B Interbase
1 11813 Spellmaster
1 1 00C Word wise Plus
GAMES
All Superior Software games are available on
both 5.25" and 3.5" discs, telephone for prices.
1036B Elite Disc 14.95 14.20
1016B Acornsoft Aviator Disc 17.08 16.22
1 125B White Knight Disc 18.63 17.70
1133B Trivial Pursuit Disc 19.95 18.95
1138B Revs incl 4 Tracks 14.95 14.20
1188B Imogen Disc 9.95 9.45
Non-Members £247.37
Stock code 0540G
16B6EBUG&I
vUQgEEBUCi
iSUGBEEGu
:ebl«g.8Eeb>
3EE8U6GEP
SBBEBUCSci
JG3FEBUGS
'UGBEEBUG
■BUGBEEBU 1
1035B 6502 Development 45.00
1039B Creative Sound Disc 19.00
WATFORD HARDWARE
SUM
»U$B.£E6UG
.BUGBEEBU
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LUG8EEBUG
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5EEBUGBEE
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021 4 B Watford DDFS Kit
0216B Watford DPS Manual
021 9 B Watford 1.43 DFS Kit
0702 B 32K RAM Card
0709DWatford Eprom Eraser
071 7B Watford Sideways ZIF
0736B Solderless ROM Board
0737B Watford Battery
0752B Watford Diagnostic Disc
0755 B Write Protect Mkl2
0739C Watford Video Digitiser
0429B Watford NLQ Epson
0748F Co-Pro Adaptor
0785C Quest Mouse & Paint
56.35
6.95
62.10
67.28
3335
17.83
36.80
4.37
23.00
2.76
113.00
28.75
55.00
67.85
PRINTERS & RIBBONS
AMX MOUSE
0299C Panasonic KX-P1081
0304G Panasonic KX-P3131
0311GTaxan KP815
0316CTaxan KP915 15"
0322E Epson LX800
0327GStar NL-10
0328G Epson FX800
1165C AMX Design
1164B AMX Extra Extra
0703CAMX Mouse
0757C AMX Mouse (Master)
1153B AMX XAM
1 154C AMX Stop Press
1162C AMX Stop Press M128
1155B AMX Superart ROM
1163B AMX Sup’art ROM M128
1161 B AMX MAX ROM
0786B New AMX Mouse
:
IGBEEBUGB
UJGEteEB'QG
flUGBKBb
EB.UG8CE9
OTHER HARDWARE
0704 B ATPL ROM Board BBC 39.67
0746B ATPL ROM Board BBC 13+ 33.35
0735B ATPL Battery Backup 17.37
0705 A 2764 8K EPROM 2.64
•EBUGBCE*
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RISC USER
Wc have launched a magazine and support group specifically
for users of Archimedes. The magazine provides news,
reviews, hints and programs, while the support group gives
Technical Advice and 5% discount on our range of
Archimedes products. UK subscription is £12.50 per annum.
Reserve your Archimedes 400 Series computer
9\ COW.
Archimedes 440s are available Ex-stock.
Please telephone for details of 0% Finance
BUGBE
EBUGB
EEBUG
BFFBU
GBEEB
UGBEE:
BUGBE
EBUGB
EEBUG
EEBI
ARCHIMEDES 300 SERIES
(Always in stock)
GBEEI
UGBEEI
BUGBE
0190G BBC 305 Entry System
01 91 G BBC 305 Mono System
01 92G BBC 305 Colour System
0193G BBC 310 Entry System
01 94G BBC 31 0 Mono System
0195G BBC 310 Colour System
0257G BBC 31 0M Entry System
0258G BBC 31 0M Mono System
0259GBBC 31 0M Colour System
803.85
861.35
1033.85
891.25
948.75
1121.25
960.25
1017.75
1190.25
Trade-In your BBC
or Master Series
Computer for an
Archimedes.
Sample Discounts available:
BBC B issue 7 with DFS £225
Master 128 £250
Master Compact Entry £215
Computers must obviously be in good
working condition to qualify for this offer.
Please telephone for further details
ARCHIMEDES LEADS
0558 B SKART Lead
0425B Archimedes Printer Lead
0795C 5.25” Archie Disc Lead
0796C Serial Link Kit & Disc
See next column for details
MINERVA
Deltabase
29.95
28.45
System Delta Plus
69.95
66.45
Sys. Delta Plus Ref. Man.
29.95
28.45
Order Processing
64.95
61.70
Sales Ledger
64.95
61.70
Stock Manager
64.95
61.70
Purchase Ledger
64.95
61.70
Nominal Ledger
64.95
61.70
School Administrator
79.95
75.95
Video Rental
69.85
66.36
Reporter
24.95
23.70
Minotaur Game
14.95
14.20
MEMBERS SPECIAL OFFER
When buying a new* Archimedes we will
give you absolutely free:
"Zarch" the complete Lander game. Printer
lead and Lockable 3.5" disc box with 10
discs all worth over £60.
ARCHIMEDES 400 SERIES
0260G Archimedes 410 Entry
0261G Archimedes 410 Mono
0262G Archimedes 410 Colour
0263G Archimedes 440 Entry
0264G Archimedes 440 Mono
0265G Archimedes 440 Colour
Beebug are a specialist Acorn
appointed Archimedes Repair
Centre. If you have any problems
with your Archimedes we will be
only too happy to put them right.
ARCHIMEDES UPGRADES
PRICES INCLUDE VAT
Where two prices are shown, the first is our
full price and the second our members price.
0266C 0.5Mb RAM (305 only)
0267F Floppy Disc Drive
0268G20Mb Hard Disc (300’s)
0269C Podule Backplane
0270DROM Podule
0271 D I/O Podule
0272DMIDI add-on to I/O
102.35
97.23
143.75
136.56
573.85
545.16
44.85
42.61
67.85
64.46
90.85
86.31
33.35
31.68
5.25” DISC DRIVE INTERFACE
FOR THE ARCHIMEDES
Connect up to four external disc drives to
your Archimedes with our fully buffered
disc drive interface. It fits neatly at the
back of your machine and requires
NO SOLDERING.
Stock code 0795C Members price £24.00
SERIAL LINK KIT & DISC
This kit enables files to be transferred
between BBC and Archimedes, in either
direction, with the minimum of fuss. The
software is menu driven and is fully
compatible with DFS and ADPS. The three
metre lead simply connects between the
serial ports and the software is loaded via
the Archimedes.
Stock code 0796C Members price £17.25
ARCHIMEDES SOFTWARE
1608.85
1666.35
1838.85
2643.85
2701.35
2873.85
Ansi C
113.85
108.16
ISO Pascal
113.85
108.16
Fortran 77
113.85
108.16
Twin
3335
31.68
Logistix
113.85
108.16
Prolog X
228.85
217.41
Lisp
228.85
217.41
PC Emulator
113.85
108.16
Artisan
39.95
37.95
Image Writer
29.95
28.45
Archimedes Toolkit
39.95
37.95
Alpha Base
49.95
47.45
Wordwise Plus Disc
23.00
20.70
Viewsheet (Emulation)
59.80
56.81
Viewspell (Emulation)
39.85
37.86
Viewstore (Emulation)
59.80
56.81
Viewindex (Emulation)
14.95
14.20
View (Emulation)
59.80
56.81
ARCHIMEDES BOOKS
1242B Archimedes Ref. Man.
1271B ARM Assembly Prog.
29.95
12.95
28.45
12.30
The CC ROM Podule from
Computer Concepts, features seven
128K ROM sockets which can have
Battery-Backed RAM fitted to them.
0675B 10 x Beebug 3.5" DS Discs 15.79 15.00
OTHER HARDWARE
0805DCC ROM Podule
5635 53.53
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A-50p, B-£l, C-£2, D-£3, E-E3.75, F-£5S0, G-£7. When
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lEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBEEBUGBF
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EDITORIAL
Written any letters on an
Archimedes yet? If you have,
well done. You’ve overcome
the hurdles Acorn places in
front of people attempting
the most basic of micro tasks
- wordprocessing.
‘Prior to running View,
load and run the 6502 emula-
tor’ say the instructions. But
the separate guide to running
the emulator fails to mention
where the emulator can be
found on the disc.
Yet it’s perfectly possible
to make this very easy. A
View disc can easily be made
to start from both the Desk-
top and via Shift-Break. Why
did Acorn make things de-
liberately difficult? Acorn
doesn’t want to encourage
people to use the emulator.
But we’ve got to - six mon-
ths after the launch, there
still isn’t a wordprocessor
that runs without it.
View should have been in-
cluded on the Welcome disc.
Acorn might claim this
would harm development
and sales of more advanced
wordprocessors - what, a
four-year-old eight-bit prog-
ram that runs slower than on
a model B!?
If View had been on the
Welcome disc, would First
Word Plus , ArcWord or
Graphic Writer have been
any later? Their sales could
only be hurt if they weren’t
much better than the freebie
- as they surely must be.
As it is, the Arc is sold
without the most fun-
damental tool of all. Not
quite a tractor without the
plough, but not far from it.
Acorn can’t afford to con-
tinue selling advanced hard-
ware yet ignoring what its
customers want to do with it.
Graham Bell
School micro
units to merge
new
By Bill Penfold
The long-established Council
for Educational Technology
(CET) is to be merged with the
Microelectronics
Education Support
Unit (MESU) by
April. MESU took
over from the Micro-
electronics Education
Programme (MEP)
just two years ago. The
body will be called the Nation-
al Council for Education Tech-
nology and is likely to be based
in Coventry.
Education Secretary Kenneth
Baker claims economy of scale
will ‘enhance’ the work being
carried out by both bodies.
The CET has been around
for many years as a ‘think tank’
and evaluator of technology,
and still holds the copyright of
many of the MEP projects.
MESU took over part of the
role of the MEP, the body
which supported the project to
put a micro - most of them
MICROELECTRONICS EDUCATION SUPPORT UNIT
BBCs - into every school.
The new body will have a
broad remit to evaluate tech-
nology for education and train-
ing, and publish its findings.
It will also be expected to
provide an information service
to schools. A further role will
be to support trainers and
advisory teachers and to pro-
vide help to teachers using IT
across the curriculum.
In addition, Mr Baker wants
the new body to continue to
develop MEP work on special
education. Such changes, he
maintains, will achieve ‘greater
overall effectiveness, and, in the
process, better value
for money.’
However, almost
any reference to fi-
nance is bound to
provoke fears that
the Government is
aiming to trim budgets on the
grounds that amalgamation will
end wasteful duplication of
services and facilities.
With Government grants of
just £800,000 and 36 staff, the
CET claims to already be high
ly cost-effective and officials
are quick to point out that it is
larely self-funding through out-
side contracts. Meanwhile the
MESU - with a £3.1m budget -
is only two years into its plan
ned five-year life.
Chips designed on Arc
Micro guides
from Watford
Qudos is using the Archimedes
to design custom silicon chips
quickly and cheaply. It plans to
launch its Quickchip chip de-
sign software - presently run-
ning on powerful Unix work-
stations - on the machine.
Qudos’ chip making process
means students can design their
own chips, then have them
built for £300 per design.
Peter O’Keeffe, managing
director of Qudos, hopes this
will increase sales of the
machine into higher education,
where science and engineering
students study chip design as
part of their courses. ‘We had
hoped to put out an
Archimedes version of Quick-
chip much sooner. It would
have helped if the 400 series
had been available when the
machine was first launched, and
if there had been more help
from Acorn for software de-
velopers.’
■ As well as being chip desig-
ners and builders, Qudos are a
leading Acorn distributor.
‘We can’t get enough of the
400 series to satisfy demand’
said O’Keeffe. ‘Acorn seems to
have made too many of the 305
when the demand is for the one
megabyte and over versions.’
Watford Electronics is pub-
lishing two books about BBC
and Acorn computers. One is
the long-awaited Master Refer-
ence Guide , originally commis-
sioned by Acorn. It appears
after two years of uncertainty.
Watford’s own authors have
updated the manual.
The other is the Complete
BBC Computer User's Hand-
book, covering the B, B4-, Mas-
ter and Compact, as well as the
Electron. Some chapters are
machine-specific, but the book
is intended to show users how
to get the best out of the whole
range. It costs £14.95.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
7
One
Full 4 Year
for just 1 £ 14.50
We are specialists on the BBC Micro, Master and Compact computers, established in
April 1 982 following the launch of the original BBC Micro.
For £14.50 we will provide you with:
Free access to our technical support /
team (by phone or letter), to give I
impartial advice and help on any I
computer, hardware or software f 1
problems that you may have. 1 /
/ 72 page magazine mailed directly to i
/ you ten time a year. This will keep you J
/ up to date with news, reviews, hints 1
f and programs for your computer. I
f / Quality, free programs for you to type /
f / in (also available on tape/disc) f
/ covering everything from printer f
/ buffers to windows & icons. f
A swift mail order service for all your L
hardware & software needs at I
competitive prices, with a further 5% f
discount to you as a member. f J
/ A showroom to try out the latest i
/ peripherals and software with 1
/ absolutely no obligation, and with 1
' knowledgable staff on hand. f
1 / Free personal adverts in the magazine L
f / to sell your unwanted kit. f
/ Second hand BBC micros. A trade-in f
/ scheme to upgrade to a Master or f
j Archimedes. §
Join 20,000 satisfied members!
All New Members Will Receive A Special Welcome Pack Including:
• 68 page booklet packed full of information and
program listings
• Quick reference card to your computer
• Handy function key stripS screen planning sheets
NATIONAL USER GROUP FOR THE
n
■ ■
1 1
1 1
• Plus a booklist, software catalogue,
local user group list, magazine indexes etc.
# And of course your personal membership
card & the latest magazine
BBC MICRO, MASTER & COMPACT
INFORMATION
NEWS
REVIEWS I
FREE PROGRAMS |
INTERESTING ARTICLES ■
ADVICE "
TECHNICAL HELP
10 MAGAZINE/YEAR
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PHONE 0727 40303
NEWS
Clares’ Arc 1 nnmfl
icHsnr rlicnc nn
applications UUIIIIj
loUdy uiobo yu
Clares Micro Supplies is boost-
ing the amount of Archimedes
software available by releasing
three programs at once.
The first is a utilities disc for
Artisan. It includes a printer
dump for Integrex and Epson
colour printers, and facilities to
merge one picture into another.
There are eight merge patterns
or you can define your own.
The utility can mix one picture
with another like a pop video -
it’s TV quality’ said Dave
Clare. It will cost under £20.
The two other programs are
Graphic Writer , a £29.95 word-
processor with graphics editor,
and Alphabase , a database.
Graphic Writer requires Arthur
1.2 or higher. Users should reg-
ister for upgrades, which will
be provided free.
Alphabase complements the
existing BBC database Beta-
base. The program is geared to
users who want a pre-packaged
database without programming
facilities. Files and information
can be transferred from Be-
tabase to Alphabase , which
costs £49.95.
News in brief
■ Pineapple Software has up-
graded its printed circuit board
designer, adding an auto-
routing facility to the program.
It works on all the BBC micros
including a standard model B.
The ROM costs £55 for ex-
isting PCB owners; others will
have to pay £212.75. A plotter
driver costs £40.25.
■ The University of Keele’s
education department has re-
leased fast Archimedes versions
of its mathematical programs.
The programs are Matpack , for
matrix manipulation, EM AS,
which accompanies the text-
book Elementary Mathematics
from an Algorithmic Stand-
point, and NT which deals with
number theory.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988 •
down on the farm
The BBC is continuing to back
the Domesday system, despite
poor sales and the internal tur-
moil at Acorn. Two new discs,
Volcanoes and Countryside ,
will be released in 1988.
In an attempt to boost sales,
the voucher \ scheme, which
gives schools £1300 off the full
price, is being extended until
the end of March. This is the
end of most schools’ financial,
year when any surplus funds
have to be spent or lost.
The recent restructuring of
Acorn has taken staff from the
Domesday project. Acorn
spokesman Michael Page
admitted that this was because
of a shortfall in sales. Tt isn’t
that customers are dissatisfied.
There simply aren’t enough.’
The system is not short of
critical acclaim for its unique
system of storing pictures and
computer data on a video disc,
removing the need for controll-
ing software to be run on a
floppy disc. The Ecodisc won a
gold award at the industry con-
ference, Interactive ’87. Volca-
noes will be released this
month. It was produced jointly
by the BBC and the Oxford
University Press. It features
film of eruptions in Iceland and
Hawaii, and animated film of
The BBC’s Countryside disc simulates a working farm
explosions on one of planet
Jupiter’s moons, Io, the most
volcanically active body known
to man.
The disc also includes the
text of book by NASA resear-
cher Dr Peter Francis, a glos-
sary and a dictionary of re-
levant geological terms. These
are linked by a sophisticated
new indexing and cross-
referencing system.
Pointing to a highlighted
word produces an Oxford En-
glish Dictionary definition of it
on screen. The BBC admits this
is a very basic use of the con-
cept, but will decide whether to
incorporate a more complex
version in the later releases.
The second release, sche-
duled for the autumn, is Coun-
tryside. It is a comprehensive
picture of the state of the coun-
tryside. There are three main
sections: a ‘massive’ database
includes information on sub-
jects ranging from soil surveys
to rural industry, real-life case
studies illuminate some of the
problems facing the country-
side, and, the centre-piece, a
full-scale simulation of a tradi-
tional English mixed farm.
No prices have yet been de-
cided for either disc.
High hopes for British
adventure company
Topologika Software hopes to
become the British equivalent
of American adventure pub-
lishers, Infocom.
Manager Brian Kerslake en-
visages the company releasing a
stream of adventures for
machines including the BBC
and Archimedes, although he is
reluctant to give release dates.
Available at the moment are
expanded disc versions of
Acornsoft’s Philosopher's Quest
and Countdown to Doom.
A sequel to Countdown to
Doom , by Peter Killworth,
should be released soon. All the
adventures cost £9.95.
Cheaper images
Eltime has cut the price of its
Image III picture processor to
£1495 with the software costing
an additional £250.
9
THE COMMS COLUMN
NEWS
Acorn wins Japanese
ministry contract
Acorn has achieved the hi-tech
equivalent of sending coals to
Newcastle, selling computers
into the technology-conscious
Japanese market.
In a deal worth £40,000 the
company has sold 40 Master
128s, installed as an Econet net-
work, and a Domesday system
to the Japanese Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. It will be used
to teach English to trainee dip-
lomats at the ministry’s Foreign
Service Training Institute.
Acorn won the contract after
submitting a tender which beat
many US companies including
IBM. Acorn’s David Parker ex-
plained: ‘The Japanese had seen
a similar Acorn system in the
British Council office in Japan.
They were impressed by it and
asked Acorn to tender. It was a
very prestigious contract for us
to win’.
Even further afield, the West-
ern Australia Education Depart-
ment has approved the
Archimedes and Master Com-
pact for use in its schools.
Both will be distributed by
Barson Computers. A feature of
the Compacts sent there will be
the free software, including
View version 3.0, ViewSbeet
and Logotron Logo.
Magazine guide
to desktop
publishing
January’s Educational Com-
puting carries a five-page arti-
cle on publishing, including a
colour poster. The article de-
scribes the experience of
teacher Dorian Goring, one of
whose tabloid pages is shown
right. Copies cost £1.50 from
Redwood Publishing.
PRESS
LIBRARy
NEWS
UPDATE
KIDS INVADE
LIBRARX ss
Last call for DTP contest
with Arc as prize
The Acorn User Great Paper
Contest closes on February 29.
The overall winner will receive
an Archimedes 305 complete
with monitor, and the winner of
each age age group will get £250
worth of AMS software. Entries
from schools or groups as well
as individuals are welcomed; the
categories are under 14, 14 to 18
and over 18.
The idea of the competition is
to produce a new national news-
paper. Entries should consist of
three items: a two-page synopsis
of the target readership, a list of
typical issue contents and two
complete A3 (tabloid size) pages
from the newspaper.
Entries must include the name
and age of all entrants, address
and day-time telephone number.
Send them to Acorn User at
20-26 Brunswick Place, London
N1 6DJ. The competition will
be judged in March by a team
including Tony Quinn, Nick
Pearson, MD of AMS, and a
journalist from the national
press.
■ The latest in Archimedes
comms is a program, avail-
able now, which works with
viewdata and scrolling sys-
tems. Even better is that the
program has been placed in
the public domain by the
authors, Hugo Fiennes and
Brian Clark, and can be
downloaded from a number
of bulletin boards, including
this month’s highlighted
board, The Firm. The prog-
ram offers auto-dialling and
log on, and even XMODEM
file transfer. Of course, if
you’ve sold your Beeb to get
an Arc, then I’m not sure
how you’ll log on to down-
load it! Hugo Fiennes can be
contacted on Prestel mailbox
*234784531#.
■ Micronet’s latest offer for
prospective customers a
Propak modem and software,
together with a year’s sub-
scription to Micronet and
Telecom Gold for £218.95.
The modem is a badged
version of the Pace Linnet,
an excellent low-cost intelli-
gent modem, and the comms
software is PMS’ easy-to-use
Dialup.
Together with the sub-
scription the total value is
about £300 (although £90 of
that is the Dialup software
which costs about three
times as much as most of the
competition!). The subscrip-
tion offer doesn’t, of course,
include Prestel and Gold
time charges, the latter being
quite high, but nevertheless,
if you were thinking of join-
ing the comms world any-
way, it looks like a reason-
able offer.
■ The Microlink user group
on Telecom Gold has started
a ‘play-by-mailbox’ version
of Diplomacy, the interna-
tional strategy game. For
those new to the game, a
playing board can be
obtained at a special price
through Microlink. Ken
Flughes, the moderator of
the game, said they have ab-
out 25 players at the mo-
ment, but more are welcome,
especially experienced Di-
plomacy players to act as
adjudicators. Contact Ken on
72:MAG043.
■ The spotlighted board this
month is The Firm, or Sea-
haven BBS, run as part of
Seahaven Computer Club in
Sussex. The board runs on
SBBS software with a BBC,
10Mb Winchester and De-
mon modem. The board
works in mode 7 colour and
graphics, with a lovely
flashing lighthouse on the
front menu.
Features are diverse, from
astronomy, through recipes
(menu-driven of course) to
quizzes, and a new
Archimedes section, available
to registered users only. It
contains many hints and tips.
Downloadable BBC telesoft-
ware includes Music 500/
5000 files, and some of the
telesoftware that used to be
featured on Prestel’s Tube-
link prior to the demise of
Viewfax 258. This ex-
Tubelink range includes the
Lancanster University 65C02
assembler, and the Fanfare
Telecoms program.
The board is run by Alan
Baker, who used to edit the
Ramlink and Musiclink sec-
tions on Viewfax, and much
of the material which has
been missed by Micronetters
from those days can be
found on this board.
The Firm runs for 24
hours a day, V21 or V23,
8N1 on (0273) 513872. To
get the mode 7 colour dis-
play, you must be in mode 7
with the filter off.
David Atherton
Contact David Atherton ai
Acorn User on 8T.RED001 ,
or direct through Prestel
942876210 and Telecom Gold
72: MAGI 1596.
10
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
"£229 for all that?
“What’s this -a new printer?”
“Yes, it’s the very latest, the industry compatible Multi-font
LC-10 from Star, there are features included as standard not
found on printers sometimes twice the price...
“Well, there’s the Star front control panel - so you don’t have to
fiddle with DIP switches -
“Oh really -like what?”
a built-in push tractor
for low form tear-off.
And you don’t even
M have to take the tractor
paper out to autoload single
sheets with the LC-lO’s paper
parking. There’s a large 4K
buffer - it’s even got six NLQ fonts
as standard. It prints at a realistic
120 cps and has a really fast NLQ
at 30 cps”.
“Hey, that sounds good, but what
about quality? You ’d have to go a long
way to beat the print quality on that
NL-lOyou ’vegot”.
mm Wm
£ /
. v : "V
v . •
m
True, but they’ve even
improved on that
and you can change
all the resident fonts
at the touch of a
button”.
“Htntn, that s ^
really easy -£229
for all that? I
wonder if my
dealer will
have any
left...”
PRINTERS FOR BUSINESS
StarMicronics U.K. Ltd.,
Craven House, 40 Uxbridge Road,
Ealing, London W5 2BS.
Telephone: 01-840 1800.
A division of
StarMicronics Co., Ltd., Japan.
I . 1
| I'd like to find out if my dealer has any left. Please send me an LC- 10 brochure □ I
I Please send me details of the Star range of dot matrix printers □ I
I ‘ I
I Name Company I
I
j Address
I
I
I
I Telephone
I
_ Postcode .
ACU 3
Price excl VAT.
International Distributors in Africa. Australia. Belgium. Canada. Cyprus. Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, New Zealand, Malta, Norway, Portugal. Sweden, U.A.E.
>'* ,x# e V
e 0 '* 6 '
4 {.® o e<N
Ae+ ,6^- „ ov
' Aa»'® \e'-° ^V 5 **
^v>"V?S^ e '
'V'# ^ V
G»'
'%&&&$*
,'ltgP ,*«“ iWiWwV -'■■■•< s
*
'&&&$&£' ■■**»>*
wmm „
— MINERVA SYSTEMS
69 SIDWELL STREET • EXETER • DEVON EX4 6PH • TELEPHONE EXETER 0392 37756
Compact and
Arc discs
Compact and Archimedes
owners no longer have to sit in
sullen silence, missing out on
all those wonderful programs
and graphics.
Due to popular demand,
Acorn User is now making the
monthly listings disc available
in the 3.5-inch format.
Both this month’s and
February’s listings discs are
Compact discs: listings on 3.5-inch
now for sale in the new format.
The listings cost only £7.95
on 3.5-inch disc. Cheques
should be made out to Red-
wood Publishing and orders
sent to Acorn User Monthly
Disc Offer, 20-26 Brunswick
Place, London Nl 6DJ.
We can also transfer the con-
tents of unprotected DFS or
ADFS 5.25-inch discs on to
3.5-inch ADFS discs. The cost
is £5 including the disc, or just
£3 if you send us a blank for-
matted 3.5-inch disc.
It is the readers’ responsibil-
ity to ensure that they do not
breach copyright or the data
protection laws.
Please include sturdy return
packaging for both discs, plus
postage, and ensure that all
discs are clearly labelled with
your name and address and the
disc format you use.
Send your orders to the
address above. Acorn User can-
not accept responsibility for
loss or damage. Be sure to keep
a back-up copy of each disc
you send.
White water micros
Enthusiasts are taking their
BBCs into strange and danger-
ous places. Britain’s wild water
canoeists are using the micro to
provide a timing and results
service for their meetings.
The micros are, however,
kept a safe distance from the
river’s edge. ‘They are usually
safe in the back of someone’s
car, running off a generator or
car battery’, explained technical
director John Handyside.
Each canoe crossing the fin-
ish line breaks a light beam
which signals the micro to
calculate the time and position.
The result is displayed on a
series of monitors. Up to 2000
entrants can be recorded,
although 200 is a more usual
number lor the canoeists.
‘We wanted something a lit-
tle more upmarket than pieces
of string and stopwatches to
time races. Two of my friends
were BBC fanatics and working
on timing programs; I intro-
duced them, and together they
produced two chips which con-
tain the program,’ said John
Handyside.
The system includes in-
formation on each competitor
which can be shown along with
the race results. Programmers
Mike Gettleson and Adrian
Kennard have formed a com-
pany, Microtime, to market the
program. It has already been
used to time one stage of the
RAC Rally.
■ A similar piece of software,
to keep track of a cycle race, is
described on page 163.
Predictype
finishes your. . .
If you want to know what
you’re going to type before
you type it, then Predictype is
the software for you.
The program gives five pre-
dictions from its 1500- word
dictionary to chose from and is
compatible with six of the most
popular wordprocessors. Dis-
abled people and inexpert typ-
ists are seen as the main users.
Predictype works on any
BBC machine with at least 16k
of sideways RAM and costs
£30 (this includes a site licence
for schools).
Acorn has confirmed its Unix
workstation is set for launch in
the second half of this year.
The machine will use an im-
proved version of Acorn’s
RISC chip to run a version of
Unix, the powerful multi-user
operating system.
New MD Harvey Coleman
outlined his hopes that Acorn
would be able to expand from
its traditional base in education
into markets now dominated
by Sun and Apollo. Spokesman
Michael Page refused to give
any details, saying: ‘We are still
some months away from
launch and settling on the final
configuration, which will de-
pend on market needs.’
Whatever the configuration
of the finished machine it will
face competition from Atari,
whose Abaq transputer-based
Unix workstation is also sche-
duled for later 1988. Prototypes
have been shown at computer
trade fairs in the US, and de-
tails of its specifications re-
leased to journalists.
From little
acorns
As half the country leaps
around planting new trees,
Dartington has leapt in to take
over control of the Acorn Vase
(as featured in last March’s
Abuser) from Wedgwood. It’s
a lead crystal vase about two
inches high, used for starting
acorns off on the way to being
mighty oaks.
For news of next month’s
competition and co-operation
with Micronet and the British
Trust for Conservation Volun-
teers, turn to page 109.
Education shows
Education exhibitions on the
way include:
March 1-3: Education Equip-
ment Exhibition; G-Mex,
Manchester. MGB Exhibitions,
30 Calderwood St, London
SE 1 8 6HQ.
March 25: MAPE; the primary
teachers’ user group gets
together at Durham University.
David Whitehead, Holly Farm,
Lench Rd, Waterfoot, Rossen-
dale, Lancs.
July 5,7: Education, Training
and Personnel Development;
at the NEC Birmingham. Brin-
tex, 178 Great Portland St,
London WIN 6NH.
Acorn confirms Unix
workstation plans
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
13
L
WE REPAIR - ON THE PREMISES - QUICK TURNROUND
☆ AMSTRAD PC PCW/CPC
* BBC & ELECTRON COMMODORE
☆ APPROVED SERVICE CENTRE
* DISC DRIVES, PRINTERS, MONITORS
* HARDWARE HIRE - MINIMUM 10 DAYS
MAIL ORDERS by phone Access and Visa Accepted
A Range of Hardware, Software, Joysticks, Leads, Interfaces
Chips etc, and Computer Paper always in stock
CROYDON COMPUTER CENTRE
29 BRIGSTOCK ROAD, THORNTON HEATH,
SURREY CR4 7JJ. Tel 01-683 2646
THIS NOTICE WORTH C5
AGAINST ANY PURCHASE OF HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE OVER £50
AA90
0
MAKE YOUR MICRO EARN!
Yes, making money becomes incidental when you know how.
Your micro is, if only you knew it, a gold mine, the size and make
is irrelevant.
Make the initial effort NOW by starting your own
HOME BASE BUSINESS
Remember: You’ll never get rich digging someone else’s “ditch".
It’s more rewarding than playing games.
The benefits are many and varied. Full or part time, for FREE
details S.A.E. to,
97 Pilton Place (AU11)
King and Queen Street
Walworth, London SE17 1DR
ACORN USER ADVERTISEMENT PAGES -
4MATION
MARCH
86,158
1988
Manor Court Supplies
86
A&G Electronics
94
Martelec
96
AB Designs
40
Matmos
92
ACP
53
Meadow Computers
110
Alpha Microtcc
138
Mertec
148
Amcom
164
Mewsoft
158
AMS
19
Micro-Media
1
Apex Software
138
Microcvitec
154
Autoservices
135
Microaid
156
AVP
88
Microboss
164
B&S Computing
93
Micro Help
32
BBD Computer Dust Covers 48
Microman Computers
84
Beebug
4,5,6,10
Micronet
111
Blue Cliip Computers
92
Micropower
139
Brainsoft
14
Microstudio
86
C&F Associates
142
Minerva Systems
12
Caldcrdata
110
Mitsubishi
46
Camp Beaumont
158
Morley Electronics
Nebulae
152-153
Care Electronics
36
48
Clares Micro Supplies
90
Norwich Computer Services
138
Communitcl
92
Oak Computers
Overseas Media
135
Compshop
16-17
32
Computcch
36
Paul Fray
110
Computeck
110
Peartree
27-29
Comput account
65
Pineapple Software
100
Computer Concepts
106,108
PMS
96
Computers By Post
31
Portobello Trading
92
Conniston
156
Project Expansions
34
Contex Computing
110
Puma
48
CSS
34
Rotherham Computer Centre 140
Dabs Press
18
Silicon Vision
94
Database
22
SMB
136-137
Datastore
102
Software Services
48
Datathorn Systems Ltd
30
Solicom
44
Design Dynamics
166
Solidisk
42
Digital Services
32
Squirrelsoft
34
Edusoft
156
Star Micronics
11
Electroneuuip
Fairhurst instruments
140
Superior Software IFC.IBC.OBC
164
System Software
142
General Information Systems 26
Tech-Soft
166
HCCS
102
Technomatic
58-64
HCR Electronics
156
Ted Kirk
158
HSV Computers
112
Terrel Electronics
102
Home Base
14
Tubelink
150
Intccrcx
Intelligent Interfaces
J&J Microchips
144
Twillstar Computers
20-21
92
Valiant
54
92
Viglen Computer Supplies
23-25
Keyzonc
34
Watford Electronics
66-79
Komos
50
We-Serve
150
LCL
156
Whittle Systems
Wight Scientific
138
Lcewood Developments
110
164
BRAINSOFT
LTD
FOR THE BBC SERIES AND ARC
ARC DESKTOP
+ TRANSFER SOFTWARE .
This software Is an enhanced desktop for the Archimedes ((C) Acorn computer Ltd) , and has the following functlons:-
SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR, A 30 function scientific calculator with a facility for number conversions.
CLOCK, A clock with a difference ! . Big ben digitised and incorporated in the archlmede 3 desktop.
DIARY, Same design and function as Acorns standard diary.
NOTEPAD, An improved version of Acorns notepad, with direct pointer driven input.
PALETTE, A Palette of the same design as the Acorn Palette.
BBC CONVERTOR, This program blends into the desktop, when a RS 232 lead has been connected between the BBC and the
Archimedes select the 5.25* disk icon and a window showing the files on the BBC B disk drive appears on the archimedes.
To load files just select them with a mouse (as many as you want) , and from the desktop menu select load to rake the
files transfer automatically from the BBC to the archimedes. The baud rate is set at 19200 baud although any speed can
be used, the Convertor Is intelligent ar.d recognises automatically the file types contained on the BBC's disk drive.
^on C ^! S th! e^ iORal ‘ aC “ lty f ° r CdltiR9 SOUrCC tCXt flleS f ° r caT P lle ” 'FORTRAN, C, PASCAL etc), to work it must be used cn at least a 310 (this is not a disadvantage
o. e of -he compilers are able to work on a 305). This advanced program blends fully into the desktop onvlromer.t, and is very user friendly ard intuit' ve In its use th ? ,
text size is 2000 lines. The files produced are ccmpatiblc with twin, it is entirely WIMP driven and needs no control /function keys '
The basic editor functions included are string search, search and replace, load, save, merge, print, clear.
"Thla kit from Brainsoft can be thoroughly recomaad.d" from review in Archive mags zip. December 1987.
SIDEWAYS RAM
BRAINSOFTS 32K STILL THE BEST VALUE
SIDEWAYS RAH FOR THE BBC RANGE .
•Uses latest technology.
•32K of ran In a size no
larger than a EPROM.
•No soldering required the
tw> leads clip cn.
•Takes up only one sideways
ran socket.
•Does not use user port but
uses 1FF.30 register.
•Low power consumption.
Incompatible with ran boards except Peartree MR3CC0.
BRAINSOFTS 16K COMPATIBLE WITH >CST
PCM BOARDS.
This nodule has been tested with the following boards:
ATPL, Watford, and Peartree MR3000.
This nodule has the sane construction of the 32JC nodule
but is minus the bank select Una.
Writ* protect switch
At little extra cost a write protect switch can be added to
a nodule which allows -protected* software to be loaded.
NJTE: it Is Illegal to copy or pirate software.
All the above are guaranteed for 1 yr. Please state co-nuter.
SOFTWARE
SIDEWAYS RAM UTILITIES BBC B, Be, MASTER
Now Vorsion 3 with ARFS and APB ! !
-MENU DRIVEN SOFTWARE this selects RAMLOAD. RAKSAVE. RAMLIST. PRINTER
BUTTER, or PRCCRAJWERS UTILITIES .
-ADVANCED PRINTER BUTTER provides the user with up to an extra 63K of buffer space,
which allows the user to continue using W0RDWISE-PLU3. VIEW or BASIC whilst the
printer is printing.
-PROCJWHERS UTILITIES are a collection of 23 utilities including a full-screen-
nenory editor, all variables clear, program relocation, program ccrpactlon,
program repairer, rom list, ran enable, ran dlsablo, ran status, speed control,
corputcr status, string search, variable list, vector Ust, close aU files, list of
the currently active variables, keyload, keysavo, program comparison with a file
held on disk, ran save, and screen ccrpactlon/unconpactlon which can pack
a node 0 screen In less than IK of disk space.
-ADVANCED ROM FILING SYSTEM provides the user with fast access to programs and
data, so fast that it can load a 2CK program quicker than the BBC’s CLS corm-and takes
to clear the memory. The ARFS is capable of storing files longer than 32K In length, the
amount of file space Is limited to the rnrsber of sldoways ram the user has. the r.-Mxr of
flics, length of names being United by only the ran size. The ARFS when enabled by
•RFS acts like a disk interface allowing saves and deletions, as well as loading, many
programs which use ’legal’ disk calls are catpatlble.
Also provided on the disk are three BASIC programs which can be easily adapted to run
on NETWORK systems, ramload, ramsave and rami 1st.
Provided with the sideways ram utilities Is a 12 page Instruction book, the software is
supplied cn a 40T disk with I0T conversion software.
PRICE LIST 1ST QTR
88
161C MODULI JUST
£14
32K MXULE
£14.5
HRITI PROTICT SWITCH
£2
SIDEWAYS SOFTWARE
£6
SIDEWAYS SOFTWARE
ORDERED WITH A MODULE! 3
62256LP-12 RAM CHIP
£11
2+OFF 62256LP-12
£10
ARCHIMEDES SOFTWARE
LEAD ONLY
£8
SOFTWARE ONLY
£8
SOFTWARE + EDITOR
£13
LEAD + SOFTWARE
£14
LEAD + SOFTWARE+EDIT
£19
PRICES GIVEN FULLY
INCLUSIVE NO EXTRA COSTS .
EDUCATIONAL ORDERS ACCEPTED
lOISCOUNTS 6IDEN FOB QUANTITY
BRAINSOFT LTD
22 BAKER ST.
LONDON WIM IDF.
TELEPHONE 01-4860321
14
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
NOTICEBOARD
Coming next month
in Acorn User
Next issue: software for the Concept Keyboard
Competition
winners
The answer to November’s The
Hunt competition was that
Phillip had an Electron, and
Gary bought an Arc which
comes with a mouse. Sarah
bought a Trackerball for her
Master 128 and Nigel has a
Compact and joystick. David
had the BBC B and a lightpen.
The winners were D Hullah
of Harrogate, Geraghty and J
Burnett of London, S Under-
wood from Par, K D William-
son from Norwich, M Bell
from London, Mackie from
Stoke Poges, K Bastemeijer
from Holland, J Comber of
Torquay and C Garnett from
Kings Lynn.
Contacts
BBC Enterprises, Woodlands, 80 Wood
Lane, London W12 OTT. Tel: 01-576 0202.
Clares Micro Supplies, 98 Middlewich
Road, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire.
Dataphone Ltd, 22 Africa Square, Wood-
ston, Peterborough. Tel: (0733) 230240.
Eltime, 10/14 Hall Lane, Maldon, Essex
CM99 7LA. Tel: (0621) 59500.
Micronct, Telemap Ltd, 8 Herbal Hill,
London EClR 5EJ. Tel: 01-278 3143.
Pineapple Software, 39 Brownlea Gardens,
Seven Kings, Ilford. Tel: 01-599 1476.
Qudos, Cambridge Science Park, Milton
Road, Cambridge. Tel: (0223) 862333.
Topologika, PO Box 39, Stilton, Peterbor-
ough PE7 3RL. Tel: (0733) 244682.
University of Keelc Education Depart-
ment, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG.
April’s Acorn User sees the
start of a new regular feature
written by Bruce Smith - a
simple guide to using a spread-
sheet. Bruce will take you
through setting up a simple
spreadsheet from scratch, with
detailed descriptions and dia-
grams at each step of the way.
Joe Telford presents a prog-
ram to help you design stained
glass windows - either church
windows or those you get
above the doors in suburban
houses - and there’s also a way
to print them out in colour
using an Integrex Colourjet
printer.
If you don’t have a colour
printer, Dorian Goring shows
you how you can produce col-
oured hard copy using your
ordinary dot-matrix printer.
Hints and Tips shows you
how to keep a mailing list in
View. Sending out a standard
letter to a list of people can be
done using ‘macros’, and
there’s also a program to print
address labels from View macro
files. And Martin Phillips has
written a routine to make April
Fool’s Day a real event.
Chris Drage and Nick Evans
continue their look at hardware
and software for special needs
education, looking this month
at the Concept Keyboard and
Elfin speech systems.
Plus there are reviews of Black
Queen, BBC Soft’s Bridge
program, and BBC Basic on the
Apple Macintosh.
BLUNDERB0X
In the February issue, the Rep-
ton graphics loader on the
Games Page should read:
160 *&900="SAVE "+LE
FT*(a*,6)+"l 5800 +262
O O 31E0"
And on page 97, also in Febru-
ary, the first key definition
should read:
*KEY 0 " *FX 7,7IM*FX
8,7!M*FX3,7IMLIST!MPRI
NT I "<FX 2,0! " !M*FX 3,0
IM"
POST A PROBLEM
Acorn User has a guaranteed fast reply service for enquiries. Your
answer will be returned within 10 working days for just £3 !
(includes VAT), or your money back.
Just write out your problem, fill in the coupon (right), and send I
both off to Acorn User with a stamped addressed envelope and
cheque or postal order for £3. If you want recorded delivery add
the cost of this on. Include as much detail as possible, and a disc
or cassette if a program is involved, with enough space to record
any corrected listing.
Please note: debugging readers’ programs or those from other I
magazines is a complex task and we cannot guarantee to give a full i
solution. Unless the problem can be spotted quickly, the service I
will only be able to make general comments or suggest a strategy !
for the reader.
We will answer the problem and return all material
received - within a guaranteed 10 working days from receipt. If
we fail to match this promise then your cheque or postal order
will be returned with the answered question - you can’t lose!
ACORN USER READER SERVICE
20-26 Brunswick Place, London Nl 6DJ.
NAME
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER
I enclose a cheque/postal order for £3 and an sae with my
problem.
OFFICE USE ONLY Date in:
Date out:
Answered by:
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
15
24 HOURS A DAY
7 DAYS A WEEK
NEVER SLEEPS
TELEPHONE: 0276-22677
01-441 2922 (Office Hours)
FAX:
0276-684716
MAIL ORDER PRICES MAY VARY IN RETAIL SHOPS
PHONE YOUR ORDER NOW WITH CONFIDENCE
WE GUARANTEE TO MATCH PRICES OFFERED
THROUGH ANY OTHER SUPPLIER
ALL MAJOR
CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
CARRIAGE ON
ANY ITEM
POST £3.00
BBC ‘B’ (2nd User)
PRICES FROM £175
3 Months Warranty
PLEASE CALL FOR AVAILABILITY
Master 128
Master Turbo Upgrade
Master 512 upgrade
Eprom Cartridge
Relerence Manual Part 1
Reteience Manual Part 2
Advanced Reference Manual
View Manual
ViewSheet Manual
Disk Filing System User Guide
Plynth for Master
Joystick (switched)
£ 369.00
£ 99.00
£ 199.00
£ 11.00
£ 14.95
£ 14.95
£ 19.95
£10.00
£10.00
£ 5.00
£12.00
£ 15.00
Mono
Colour
Baso
Mono
Colour
A310M
Baso PC Emulator
Mono PC Emulator
Colour PC Emulator
Cl 299.00
Cl 349.00
Cl 499.00
Baso
Mono
Colour
A440
Base
Mono
Colour
0.5 Mbyte Ram
Floppy Disk
20 Mbyte f Controller
Podulo Backplane
I/O Podulo
PC Emulator Softwaro
Archie Roforonco Guide
5 25 Datatech Diskettes per 10 80T Double Sided £ 15.00
3 5 Datatech Diskettes per 10 80T Double Sided £20.00
3 Diskettes per 10 Single Sided
Double Sided
80
3 5' Storage Box 10
30
60
C12 Cassettes 12 min x 10
Ribbons
Epson MX/FX/RXB0/LX800
MX/FX/RX100
LX/80
JX80 (Colour)
LQ800
LQ1000
Canon/Taxan
Colour Cartridge
Juki MS
Juki SS
Hermes (Remstar)
Imagewriter/Apple DMP
Microline
Anadex 9500/1
TEC/CItoh/Diablo
Brother HR15/DX100.
Amstrad PCW 8256/512
PCW 9512
Amstrad DMP3000
£ 4.00
£8.00
£ 4.00
£10.00
£6.00
£ 8.00
£ 6.00
£ 10.00
£ 3.00
£ 2.00
£ 3.00
£ 6.00
£ 2.50
£ 12.50
£ 5.00
£ 4.00
£ 6.00
CALL
£ 4.00
PC1640SD Mono
PCI 640DD Mono
PC1640HD20 Mono
PC 1640SD Colour
PCI 640DD Colour
PC1640HD20 Colour
£ 599.00
£ 699.00
£ 949.00
PC1640SD Enhanced Colour
PC1640DD Enhanced Colour
PCI 640HD20 Enhanced Colour
Printer lead for
BBC 1m
BBC 2m
BBC 3m
RS423
Compact
Apricot. Sanyo
IBM/Amstrad PC/Archie
IBM RS232
Custom made leads
£ 749.00
£ 799.00
£ 1099.00
Acorn Winchester
30 Mbyte with L3 S/W
£ 1549.00
1 640 Technical Rof Manual
LQ3500
DMP3160 Printer
DMP4000
Modem Card
HD20 Add-on
£ 19.95
£ 349.00
£ 199.00
£ 349.00
£ 149.00
£ 449.00
Cumana Disk Systems for BBC
Single without PSU
CSX 100 40T/SS 10(
CSX400 80T/DS 40(
Single with PSU
CS100 40/TSS 10(
CS400 80T/DS 40(
CS354
Dual with PSU
CD200
CD800S
CD358
£ 109.00
£ 139.00
£1 19.00
Printer Data Switch
2- way
3- way
4*way
2-Way Crossover
Wordstar 1512
Wordstar Express
Supercalc 3.1
Supercalc 3.21
Reflex
Sidekick
Infomaster
Accounts Master
Paymaster
£ 49.00
£ 69.95
£ 49.00
£ 69.00
£ 69.95
£ 29.00
£ 69.00
£ 149.00
£ 49.00
40T/SS
80T/DS
3.5"
200 K
800 K
800K
Selmour Desks
4X2 (with shelf)
3X2 (with shelf)
Shinecrest Desk (3x2)
UFD/Akhter Disk Systems for BBC
MD200B 40 Track 200K
CS400B 40/80 400K
Dual with PSU
MD802E 40/80 800K
HD2000 Winchester 20Mb
Monitor/Disk/Printer Stand
Cassette Lead
C12 Cassettes (per 10)
4-way mams adapter
PCW 8256
PCW 8512
PCW 9512
ACORN ARCHIMEDES
AMSTRAD COMPUTERS
ACORNSOFT
View ROM
£ 37.00
ViewSheet ROM
£ 37.00
ViewStore ROM
£ 37.00
ViewSpell ROM
£ 29.00
GXR Grafics ROM
£ 26.00
ISO Pascal ROM
£ 60.00
Basic 2 ROM
£ 15.00
OS 1 2 ROM
£ 10.00
Viewlndex
£ 12.00
ViewPiot
£ 22.00
Hiview
£ 36.00
Printer Driver Generator
£ 10.00
Speech Upgrade
£ 39.00
ADFS Rom
£ 25.00
1770 DFS upgrade
£ 49.00
COMPUTER CONCEPTS
Wordwise +
£ 40.00
Intersheet
£ 37.00
Interword
£ 39.00
Interchart
£ 26.00
Interbase
£ 55.00
Disc Doctor
£ 28.00
PnntMaster
£ 24.00
Communicator
£ 49.00
Termi II
£ 25.00
Accelerator
£ 48.00
SpeHMaster
£ 47.00
Edword 2 ROM
£ 46.00
A I PL Sidewise Board
£ 39.00
AMX Mouse
£ 59.00
AMX Pagemaker
£ 37.00
ECONET EQUIPMENT
Upgrade for
BBC B £ 60.00
10 Station Lead Set £ 25.00
Module for
100m Cable
£ 86.00
Master/Archie £ 43.00
Installation
Clock Term Set £ 86.00
(per day)
£ 150.00
Outlet Socket Kit £ 26.00
Filestore E01
Level 1 Software £ 80.00
' (server)
£ 828.00
Level 2 Software £ 216.00
Filestore E20
Printer Server £ 42.00
(20Mbyle)
£ 721.00
DISK SYSTEMS
—
BARGAIN BASEMENT
Apple Disk with Controller
C149.00
Apple Additional Disk Dr ivo
C99.00
Duodisk with Controller
C349.00
Apple Monitor
C79.00
Super Serial Card
C69.00
Cirtech 80 Column Text Card
C49.00
Cirtoch 80 Column 64 K Card
C79.00
Cirtech Printer Card
C49.00
Sound - Vision Modulator
Cl 9.00
RGB colour card
£49.00
Apploworks
C99.00
Workbench
£99.00
Juki 61 00 printer
£200.00
TEC FI 0-40
£699.00
Acorn 280 Second Processor
£200.00
Acorn Toletext Receiver
£75.00
Anadex 8500 (Non-runner)
£100.00
Acorn 30Mbytc Winchester
with L3 Softwaro
£1200.00
Apple Macintosh Add-on Drivo
£200.00
| MISCELLANEOUS |l
PART EXCHANGE YOUR BBC FOR
ANYTHING WE CARRY IN STOCK
Allowances from £75 (non-working)
to £200 (late model - DFS Machine).
)
Epson
LX800
SS Feeder
FX800
SS Feeder
FX1000
SS Feeder
EX800
SS Feeder
EX 1000
SS Feeder
Colour Ribbon
Colour Option
LQ500
SS Feeder
LQ850
SS Feeder
LQ1050
SS Feeder
LQ2500
SS Feeder
SQ2500
CQ3500 Laser
Data Products LZR 1 230
Canon
Juki
PW 1080 A
A55 132 col
Serial Interface
PJ 1080 Colour
LPB-8 Series 2 Laser
6100 Daisywheel
Serial Interface'
SS Feeder
Tractor Unit
6200
£189.00
£75.00
£299.00
£139.00
£439.00
£139.00
£399.00
£148.00
£545.00
£198.00
£18.00
£55.00
£299.00
£75.00
£499.00
£155.00
£699.00
£179.00
£789.00
£198.00
£999.00
£1495.00
£2490.00
£249.00
£449.00
£79.00
£399.00
£1646.00
£279.00
£59.00
£199.00
£1 59.00
£449.00
and many other micors.
TTL RGB input, analogue RGB input, audio input,
button to select green text, 12 months warranty.
Limited number only El 99.00
Ideal for 80 column word processing, and for colour
graphics.
PLOTTERS
Unoar Graphics Plotmate
A4 Parallel
A4M Multi-Interface
A3 Parallol
A3M Multl-lntorfaco
Houston Instruments
EDMP52 A2/A1
High Speod Intelligent
EDMP 52MP A2/A1
High Spood Intelligent Drum
C369.00
£429.00
C399.00
CS49.00
Microvitec
MONITORS
1431 MS Std Res
1431DS Std Res
1431MS/AP
1431DS/AP
1451 MS Med Res
1451 DS Med Res
1451MS/AP
1451 DS/AP
1441 High Res
2030CS Std Res
2040CS High Res
1 456/DI 2 CGA
1322/SI 2 EGA
Touchtech501
Tilt & Swivel
£ 168.00
£ 168.00
£ 219.00
£ 219.00
£ 219.00
£ 219.00
£ 249.00
£ 249.00
£ 359.00
£ 380.00
£ 685.00
£ 349.00
£ 449.00
£ 249.00
£ 19.00
6300
6500
National Panasonic Matrix
£699.00
£799.00
Philips
7502 12" Green
7522 12" Amber
7542 12" White
£ 69.00
£ 85.00
£ 85.00
KXP 1081
KXP3131
Brother Daisywheel
HR15
HR20
RS232 Serial Interface + 2K Buffer
+ 8K Buffer
Also available, Citizen, Star
£149.00
£245.00
£275.00
£349.00
£49.00
£89.00
7513 12" Green IBM
7713 14" Green IBM
7723 14" Amber IBM
8833 14" Colour
8852 14" Colour
887314" EGA
£99
£ 113.00
£ 118.00
£ 249.00
£ 279.00
£ 499.00
Taxan
KX 17
£ 75.00
SPECIAL OFFER
KX 12
£ 99.00
Acorn Philips medium resolution colour monitor suit-
able for BBC B. BBC Master. Acorn Archimedes. Atari
Acorn
ADF32 Med Res
Colour
£ 199.00
II
Miracle WS 2000 V21/23
£92.00
WS 2000 Aulo Dial Card
£27.00
WS 2000 Auto Answer Card
£27.00
WS 2000 Sk. Kit
£5.00
WS 2000 User Port Lead
£5.00
WS 4000 V21/23
£135.00
WS 3000 V21/23
£244.00
WS 3000 V22
£409.00
WS 300 V22 BIS
£537.00
(Comes complete with BBC Corns
package and
Data Lead)
Pace/Nightmgaie Modem
£1 15.00
BBC/Commstar Software
£29.00
1 PCB DESIGN
•Professional PCB Layout using Racal RedCAD
— no | 0 b too small
•EPLD Chips designed
(Erasable Programmable Logic Devices)
•24 Hours turn round —
contact Russell Clarke 0276-684715
SATELLITE RECEIVING SYSTEMS
•Complete Systems from £499
• Satellite Decoder Boxes for Filmnet
from £299
Sky ♦ BBC
EUROMICRO PC SYSTEMS
386/16
1 Mbyte RAM, Single 1 .2 MByte floppy
286/10
1 MByte RAM, Single 1 .2 Mbyte floppy
Baby AT
1 MByte RAM, Single 1.2 MByte floppy
XT-Turbo
640K RAM, Single 360K floppy
All complete with Monocrome Monitor, Keyboard Serial and
Parallel ports, and MSDOS v3.21
Add-on Hard Disks (including controller where necessary)
for XT-Turbo 20 MByte
£295.00
for Baby AT 20 Mbyte
£350.00
for 286/10 20 MByte
£200.00
for 386/1 6 20 MByte
£350.00
for 386/16 20 MByte +
£495.00
cache
Add-on floppy
for XT-Turbo 360K
£65.00
for Baby AT, 1 .2 Mbyte
£95.00
Add-on Memory
for 286/10 1 Mbyte
£130.00
for 386/1 6 1 Mbyte
£295.00
EGA Colour monitor
£395.00
EGA Card
£195.00
Euromicro PC reviews have said:
Which Computer -‘Startling Good Value’
of 386/1 6
Which Computer -‘Best Buy’
of 286/10
PC User ‘Excellent’
of 386
PC SOFTWARE
Delta Professional
£399.00
Delta 4 Budget
£85.00
dBase III Plus
£399.00
PFS: Professional Filer
£199.00
Cardbox
£52.00
Cardbox Plus
£249.00
WordPerfect v4.2
£299.00
Junior WordPerfect
£86.00
Wordstar v3.4
£199.00
Wordstar Professional v4
£249.00
Wordstar 2000 rel3
£299.00
Lotus 123 rel2
£349.00
Lotus Symphony
£325.00
Psion Xchange
£325.00
Ability
£99.00
Logistix
£99.00
Sage Bookkeeper
£95.00
Sage Accountant
£135.00
Sage Accountant Plus
£165.00
Compshop was established in 1978. and in the nine
years of trading numbers among its customers BBC.
BOCC. BP, British Aerospace. British Home Stores.
British Leyland, BT, CBS, DECX, Ferodo. GEC, Hirst.
ITT, ITN, Kodak, Logica, Marconi,
Metal Box, MK
Electric. Pilkington Glass, Radio Rentals. Rolls Royce.
Saatchi and Saatchi, STC. STL. Texal. Instruments.
Thorn EMI. UDT and Zales.
PRICES EX-VAT AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. PLEASE RING FOR STOCK SITUATION BEFORE MAKING LONG JOURNEYS.
comp M
•ESTABLISHED EDUCATION SUPPLIERS •
WITH APPROVED ACORN-AMSTRAD-CUMANA
MICROVITEC* EPSON ^SERVICE CENTRES
RETAIL SHOPS
COMPSHOP LTD
OPEN
10-7 • Mon-Fri
10-4 • Sat
14 STATION ROAD,
NEW BARNET,
HERTS EN5 1QW
(NEAR BRITISH RAIL STATION)
SALES: 01-441-2922
TECHNICAL: 01-449 6596
TELEX: 298755 TELECOM G
INNOVATION HOUSE
ALBANY PARK
CAMBERLEY,
SURREY GUI 5 2PL
(BEHIND ‘PAYLESS”)
SALES: 0276-29219
TECHNICAL: 0276-684715
DABS PRESS NEW RELEASES
HyperDriver
The ultimate printer driver for Epson-
compatiblcs offers eighty (yes, 80!) casy-
to-rcmcmber mnemonic star commands
which control every aspect of the printer
from View, Wordwisc Plus, Interword,
BASIC and any language which accepts
star commands. A special printer driver
in the ROM is loaded for View which of
course supports microspacing. The ROM
allows test printing to screen, with full
screen effects (bold, underline, con-
densed, italic, super/subscripts), a CRT
graphics mode where characters arc
printed from BBC definitions, and a full
3-pass NLQ font so you can have NLQ
even if your printer doesn't normally
have it
A packed 100-page manual takes you
through all the features, which we can't
begin to describe here— please send for
our detailed leaflet Also a utility disc is
included with many example files.
HyperDrive costs £29.95 and works on
any BBC Micro or Master with Epson-
compatible printer. Please advise if you
want a 3.5" utility disc. The ROM will
work as a RAM image.
Master
Emulation ROM
SideWriter
Does your keyboard disappear under a
mound of notepaper, as you forever
make notes which don't really fits into
what you're doing at the moment.
Sidewritcr is a pop-up notepad which
resides in your Sideways RAM giving
you a scrolling screen of 128x76 charac-
ters. No matter what you're doing, press
CTRL-SHIFT-TAB to enter SideWriter,
and when you've made or consulted your
note, press TAB and you'll return in-
stantly to where you were.
Commands exist to save, load, clear, and
print the pad contents, which deal with
the various types of Sideways RAM on
the Model B and Master Series.
Possible uses include:
• Programming notes
• Keys trip information
• Taking telephone notes
• Information eg, price lists
• Directory of mailbox numbers
• Game keys
• Adventure locations
The SideWriter data can also be ex-
ported into most wordprocessors. For the
BBC B/B* with Sideways RAM, and
Master Scries. Price £7.95 (5.25" disc)
MOS Plus
MOS Plus is an invaluable ROM for
Master 128 owners. Unlike most ROMs
this one is not for programmers, but for
the ordinary user. It fixes the notorious
♦CLOSE and ♦EDIT bugs in DFS, en-
hances many of the standard Master
commands, provides some new ones, and
contains a complete alarm clock system,
and extra ♦HELP options.
The extra commands include ♦FIND,
which will find any file on an ADFS disc,
♦SRKILL to wipe banks of Sideways
RAM, ♦SETTIME to set the clock when
not in BASIC, and ♦BUST to list a
program without loading it
♦FORMAT, ♦VERIFY, ♦BACKUP,
♦GATALL and ♦EX ALT, mean that you
no longer need to use the Welcome disc
for these essential operations. ♦BACKUP
is improved to optionally use Sideways
RAM for storage reducing swaps for
single drive users, (without corrupting
main memory) and Side 0 can now be
copied to Side 2 on another disc.
The Alarm system will ring at a specified
time and survives power-down. For the
Master 128 only, price £12.95 ROM,
£7.95 5.25" disc.
Other Dabs Press favourites
Makes your Model B like a Master. Runs
with add-ons ie, SRAM. Now works with
Solidisk RTC and TwoMcg 128. £19.95
ROM / £14.95 Disc. Ask for Data sheet
Orders
Send cheques PO or official orders to the
address below, or quote your Access/V isa
number and expiry date. Access/V isa
also accepted by telephone. Trade orders
welcome. P&P free in the UK. Abroad
add £2 (£10 airmail). All discs available
in 3.5" ADFS format— £2 extra. All discs
unprotected. No cheques cashed until
goods despatched. Ask for free catalogue
and detailed leaflets on all products.
View: A Dabhand Guide by Bruce Smith.
Complete tutorial and reference for the
VIEW wordproccssor. New edition. Book
£12.95 Book and disc £17.95
Master Operating System : A Dabhand
Guide by David Atherton Book £12.95
Book and disc £17.95
Fingerprint machine code monitor by
David Spencer. Includes disc and SRAM
versions £9.95
Assembler Bundle : Two books and tw o
discs, 90 programs in all only £9.95 Also
available for Electron.
Conversion Kit by Bruce Smith 26
machine code subroutines for £7.95
Master 512 Utilities. Includes 800k for-
mat sector editor. £12.95
Coming soon...
ViewSheet and ViewStore: A Dabhand Guide by Acorn User Technical Editor
Graham BelL Due out March 1988. £12.95 book, £17.95 book and disc.
C: A Dabhand Guide by Mark Burgess. Complete guide to C programming
applicable to BBC and Archimedes C £14.95, £19.95 with disc. Due May 1988
Archimedes Assembly Language: A Dabhand Guide by Mike Ginns Due Spring '88
DABS PRESS
76 Gardner Road • Prestwich • Manchester • M25 7HU • © 061 773 2413
18
ACORN US HR MARCH 1988
Snttanr^ lJxti
MlTSI AT WASH COMUON 1*
2r'JbSUMW -i'CCi.
^ stop press m m
‘Stop Press’ puts you right at the heart of the Desktop Publishing
Revolution. Utilising dynamic WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You
Get) facilities, ‘Stop Press’ makes it simple to create professional
newsletters, leaflets, flyers, forms or in fact anything where text and
graphics are required.
'Stop Press’ is the ideal publishing software solution for home
enthusiasts, schools, societies and small businesses.
— = READ ALL ABOUT IT
Documents may be prepared using any of the superb selection of type-
faces (12 or more) supplied or alternatively a typeface of your own
design.
Text can be entered from within ‘Stop Press’ or imported from your
preferred word processor with fully automatic on-screen text formatting
as the file loads.
Centering, ragged right, and literal justification are all available. There
also is full pixel resolution control over character size and spacing.
„ GRAPHIC DESIGN
As well as the ability to import digitised images there are outstanding
facilities for drawing, spraying and painting using either the patterns
supplied or your own pattern designs, enabling you to produce graphs,
charts, diagrams and pictures.
These can then be pasted, cropped or re-sized to fit any layout, and for
those finishing touches a fantastic zoom is available.
=HOT OFF THE PRESSES
At anytime your pages can be previewed before being output to a wide
range of Epson or compatible dot matrix printers.
MX MOUSE
‘Stop Press’ can be used with a joystick or keyboard but the AMX MK III
M ouse gives you the control and flexibility which you would expect from
the most accurate pointing device available. Produced in Switzerland
the AMX Mouse has a unique patented design which includes high
resolution movement (D.P.I.) and superior ball technology to ensure
that contact between the
Mouse and surface is
constant at all times.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Complimenting ‘Stop Press’, Extra! Extra! is a superb collection of
ready made clip art and new typefaces covering a wide variety of
subjects and styles.
•STOP PRESS’ IS AVAILABLE FOR
SOFTWARE
ONLY
WITH AMX
MK. Ill MOUSE
EXTRA!
EXTRA!
ACORN BBC/B + /MASTER
£49.99
£79.99
£24.99
AMSTRADPCW 8256/8512
£49.99
£89.99
-
AMSTRADCPC6128
£49.99
£79.99
£24.99
COMMODORE 64/128
£39.99
£69.99
-
These superb products are available from all good computer dealers or
direct by cheque. Access or Visa. All prices include VAT. postage and
packing. Becomeyourown publishing baron with ‘Stop Press’ and start
the presses rolling.
i-rsr
ADVANCED MEMORY SYSTEMS LIMITED
Imagination at your fingertips
FOR INSTANT ACCESS OR VISA ORDERS TELEPHONE: (0925) 41 3501.
ADVANCED MEMORY SYSTEMS LIMITED 16 6-1 7 0 WILDERSPOOL CAUSEWAY. WARRINGTON W A 4 6 Q A .
TELEPHONE (0925) 413501 TELEX: 628672 AMS G FAX: 0925 58039
TUBELINK ON MICRONET 800 *T U BE L I N K f SUPPORTS THE AMX MOUSE AND ALL AMS SOFTWARE
SPECIAL
Delivery
SPECIAL
SHEET f
SPECIAL Of i
RIBBON
£5.50
■i9n/§
mm
KIWI
WHY SPEND MORE FOR PROFESSIONAL RESULTS?
Never before has a 24-pin dot-matrix printer in this price range combined
such impeccable print quality with such practical, efficient flexibility. NEC's
Pinwriter P2200 gives you the vital edge that will turn your printouts into the
most impressive documents ever.
The P2200 delivers letter-perfect print, in several sizes, at 56 characters per
seconds (cps). Or switches to draft mode for high-volume outputs at 168 cps.
And it gives you a vast selection of typeface options and superb graphic
capabilities.
P2200's excellence is revealed in one detail after another. Like the built-in
tractor that permits push or pull feeding of continuous forms - with a tear
bar for quick, easy removal of receipts, packing slips, or other demand docu-
ments. And the front feed function that lets you insert cut sheets or continuous
forms into the front of the printer.
When you get right down to it, comparing performance against cost, Pinwriter
P2200 is the most impressive printer in its class. The printer that offers executive-
class printouts at budget prices. Like we said earlier, why spend more for
professional results?
ACORN USER READERS OFFER NEC P220 PINWRITER
FOR THIS MONTH ONLY
APEX HOUSE
1 BLANDFORD ROAD
NORWOOD GREEN
SOUTHALL
MIDD UB2 4HD
S 01-574 5271 or
S 01-571 5938
Telex: 25247 Telex G.attn TIL
Fax: 01-547 4326
IW5
SPECIFICATIONS
Print Rate
• High-speed draft: 1 68 cps
• Standard draft: 140cps
• Letter quality: 56 cps
Printhead
• Impact, 24-pin dot matrix
• 0.2mm diameter
• 2 x 1 2 staggered array
Vertical Line Spacing
• 6 or 8 lines per inch (Ipi)
• Programmable up to n/360 Ipi
Resident Type Fonts and Variations
• Draft Gothic: 10. 12. 15, 17. and 20
pitches
• LQ Courier: 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20
pitches
• LQ Bold Proportional Spacing : plus con-
densed
• LQ Super Focus: 10 and 17 pitches
• LQ OCR-B: 10 and 17 pitches
• LQ ITC Souvenir: 10 and 17 pitches
• Italicization, emphasis, and enhance-
ment electronically possible for all the
above
• True superscript/subscript
Character sets
• ASCII standard
• IBM graphic
• Italic
• 96 user-defined characters
• 1 3 language character sets
Interface
• Industry-standard parallel
• RS-232C (optional)
Input Buffer
• 8K standard
Graphic Resolution
• Up to 360 x 360 dpi
Copy Printing Capacity
• Original and two copies with copy
control lever
Paper Wldth/Wefght
• 5 top 10 inches/ 12 to 22 lbs.
• 6.5 to 8.5 inches with sheet feeder
Dimensions (W x H x D)
• 39 0mm( 1 5.4"x 1 40mm(5.5")x280mm
( 1 1 . 0 ")
OPTIONS AND SUPPLIES
Paper Handling Devicer
• Sheet Feeder
Interface Board
• Serial Interface Board
Font Cartridges
• Letter Gothic 1 5
• Letter Gothic 1 2
• Bold Italic PS
• Courier 15
• Prestige Elite 1 2
• Prestige Pica 1 0
• Courier Light 1 0
• Courier Light 1 2
• OCR-A
• Prestige Elite 1 2 \X/P
• OCR-A/Bar Code 39
• Helvette 10 PT.
Ribbon
• Black Fabric
(UK Mainland onlyj All prices exclude VAT Please add 15% VAT to all orders
Prices correct at time of going to press but subject to change without notice
Please make cheques payable to TWILLSTAR COMPUTERS LTD.
Access/Visa Card Holders: Welcome.
VISIT OUR MEGA-COMPUSTORE OPEN 9am - 6pm Monday to Saturday
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ARCHIMEDES
305 BASE AKB 10 695.00
305 & mono monitor 728.00
305 & colour monitor 865.00
310 BASE AKB15 752.00
310 & mono monitor 804.00
310 & colour monitor 952.00
A3I0M AKB30 815.00
A3 1 OM mono 865.00
A3 1 OM colour 1014.00
4 JO SERIES
Entry System 1399.00
Mono 1449.00
Colour 1599.00
440 SERIES
Entry System 2299.00
Mono 2349.00
Colour 2499.00
Archimedes/Master Econet 43.00
0.5 MB RAM 89.00
Floppy disk 125.00
20 Mbyte hard disk Spodule 499.00
(300 only)
Podule Backplane 35.00
Archimedes Pre f Manual 18.00
Assm. Lang Prog Manual 1 1.00
Archmedes software in stock
MASTER 128
Complete with internal
Software 346.00
Master Turbo Upgrade 99.00
Master Econet Module . 40.00
Master 5 1 2 Upgrade 1 89.00
Universal second processor 75.00
Eprom Cartridge 13.00
Reference Manual Part I 13.00
Reference Manual Part 2 13.00
BBC MASTER COM PA CT
ENTRYSYSTEM
’128k* ’Single 640K Drive*
’Bundled Software* 313.00
TVSYSTEM
*128K* ’Single 640K Drive* *UHF
Modulator* ’Bundled Software*
326.00
MONO SYSTEM
•I28K* ’Single 640K Drive* ’Bundled
Software* ’12" High Res Monochrome
Monitor* 358.00
COLOUR SYSTEM
•128K* ’Single 640K Drive* ’Bundled
Software* *14" Medium Res Colour
Monitor* 491.00
MONITORS
Phillips BM 7502
1 7 Hi res P3 1 Green Phospher Screen.
CVBS input Audio input Band width 20
MHz. 2000 CHRS Display 68.00
Phillips BM 7522
Amber Screen 82.00
Phillips BM 7542
Dedicated WD phosphor Screen monitor
82.00
Phillips BM7513
12" Green IBM compatible 104.00
Taxan KX117
12" Green Screen P31 77.00
Taxan KX118
1 7 Green Screen P39 86.00
Taxan KX119
12" PUL Amber Screen 86.00
Taxan Super Vision 620 260.00
COLOUR MONITORS
Phillips CM8833
1 4"CVBS and RGB medium resolution
colour monitor. IBM PC compatible. Fast
blankup to enable superimposing.
Stereo Audio. Ear phone socket. 600 dots
x 285 lines vertical 234.00
Phillips CMBBS2
1 4" RGB professional med res colour 700
dots x 285 251.00
Phillips CMBB73
1 4" RGB high resolution colour monitor
Res 850 x 480 478.00
MONITOR TO TV CONVERTER
AV 7 300 Colour tuner module Push
button control. 1 2 preset channels. Built
in aerial. Compact design. "Composite
video only 60.00
MITSUBISHI DISC DRIVES
Source 100% BBC compatible slimline
disk drives. All drives supplied complete
with formatting diskette,
comprehensive users manual and all
necessary cables. All drives are 40/80
Track switchable at the front and have
two years warranty.
5 'A" Drives without P.S.U.
4 00 A Single 400K Double Sided 98.00
SD 802C Dual 400K Doub'e Sided
190.00
5 'A” Drives with P.S.U.
400B Single 400K Double Sided
117.00
SD 802 E Dual 400K Double Sided
204.00
SD 802D Dual 400K Drives horizontally
mounted in a monitor stand to fit both
the BBC B and the Master series
230.00
Mitsubishi Bave drives uncased with
40/80 switch 77.00
SOURCE DISC DRIVES
Source SD35 3 '//disk drive, single drive
69.00
Source SD352 3'/?" dual drive 125.00
Supplied cased complete with cables,
powered from computer. Extended two
year warranty
Source SD35S 3'A” single drive with
P.S.U 99.00
Source 352S 3'/?" dual drive with P.S.U.
173.00
SPECIAL OFFER
Source 35S Combo Dual 5 1 A " and 3 '//’
160.00
Source SD3545S Combo dual 5'/«* ar K l
3 'AT drives with P.S.U 216.00
WINCHESTER DISC DRIVES
Source HD20 Twillstar’s 20 Mbyte
winchester drive including Acorn DFS
ROM complete with P.S.U. 433.00
Source HDP201 Twillstar's 20 Mbyte
winchester drive and a 400K double
sided floppy drive built in a plynth to
accommodate monitor on the top and
the computer underneath. Includes
ADFS ROM and P S U 694.00
Source TS10 10 Mbyte tape streamer
backup unit with utilities 565.00
Other size hard disks are available,
please call for our latest prices.
FLOPPY DISCS
Raven SW* pack of 1 0 in a clear library
box 13.04
Raven 5'/T rainbow colour pack of 10
in library box 13.04
Raven 3 Vi" single sided pack of 10 in
library box 1 2.00
Raven 3 Vi" double sided pack of 10 in
library box 22.00
LOCKABLE STORAGE BOXES
Trackmaster 5y«" 70 x 5'/-T lockable
7.00
Trackmaster 5V7 100 x 5'/«" lockable
9.00
Trackmaster 3 16" 40 x 3Vi" lockable
6.00
Trackmaster 3 Vi" 100 x 3! V?" lockable
9.00
PRINTERS
CANON PW10B0A
80 column 160 cps draft 40 cps NLO
Built in friction & tractor feed 21700
CANON 55 A
Wide version. IBM compat. 347.00
NEW JUST ARRIVED
STAR LC- 10 182.00
New enhanced version complete with
IBM & Parallel Interface
Sheetfeeder POA
STAR LC- 10 Colour POA
Ribbon 4.70
STARNB24-I0 415.00
STAR NX15 269.00
STAR ND JO 259.00
STAR ND IS 365.00
STAR NRI5 425.00
STAR NR 10 325.00
STAR NB 15 585.00
STARNB24-J5 525.00
MP200
200 cps draft. 40 cps NLQ. 7K buffer ( 1 28
downloadable characters in NLQ)
optional 8K memory 255.00
MICRO P MP 165
80 Columns. 1 65 cps in draft 35 cps NLQ
Ultra high res. graphics. Friction and
traction feed. 2 Year warranty
Epson or IBM compatible ..... 173.00
MP201
As MP200 with 1 36 columns. 299.00
APEX HOUSE
BLANDFORD ROAD
NORWOOD GREEN
SOUTHALL
MIDD UB2 4HD
® 01-574 5271 or
S 01-571 5938
Telex: 25247 Telex G.attn TIL
Fax: 01-547 4326
MPJ35
135 cps. 80 column printer. Friction
tractor feed. NLQ. Epson & IBM
Compatible 1 26.00
MP480
480 cps dot matrix printer 74 cps NLQ.
80 column. Epson & IBM compatible.
Std parallel 303.00
TAXAN KXPBJS
Taxan KYP 815 new enhanced KP 810
with 160 cps and fully Epson & IBM
Compatible 260.00
TAXAN KZP9 15
Taxan KXP 915 New enhanced KP
915 with 180 cps and fully Epson &
IBM Compatible 365.00
CITIZEN LSP 100P 175.00
1 20/25cps 80 column Centronics IBM
Parallel
CITIZEN LSP I00S 199.00
1 20/25cps 80 column RS232 Serial
CITIZEN MSP JOE
l60/40cps 80 column Centronics IBM
Parallel 239.00
CITIZEN MSP JOE
1 60/40cps 80 column RS232 Serial
239.00
CITIZEN MSP 15E
1 60/40cps 136 column Centronics
IBM Parallel 251.00
CITIZEN MSP 1SE
l60/40cps 136 column RS232 Serial
346.00
CITIZEN MSP 15E
200/66cps 1 36 column dual interface
561.00
PREMIER 35
Daisy Wheel 35cps 1 36 column
Centronics IBM Parallel 434.00
PREMIER 35
Daisy Wheel 35cps column RS232
Serial 494.00
CITIZEN LASER
Overture 110 1303.00
TECO VPJB14
Overture 110 173.00
NEC P2200 PINWRITER. High speed
draft 168 cps. Standard draft 140 cps
Letter Quality 56 cps. You have to see it to
believe u 289.00
NECP660
2l6/72cps80column
Centromc/IBM Parallel 434.00
NECP665
2 1 6/72cps 80 column RS232
Serial 486.00
NECCP660
Colour 2 1 6/72cps 80 column
Centronics/IBM Parallel 503,00
NECCP665
Colour 2 1 6/72cps 80 column
RS232 Serial 573.00
NECP760
2l6/72cps 1 36 column
Centronics/IBM Parallel 520.00
NECP765
2 1 6/72cps 1 36 column RS232
Serial 573.00
NECCP760
Colour 2 1 6/72cps 1 36 column
Centronics/IBM Parallel 608.00
NEC 765
Colour2l6/72cps 136
column RS232 Serial 660.00
P6/CP6 Pin Tractor 50.00
P6/CP6 Bl-directlonal
Tractor 104.00
P6/CP6 Cut Sheet Guide 8.00
P6/CP6 Cut Sheet Feeder 90.00
P7/CP7 Pin Tractor 74.00
P7/CP7 Bl-dlrectlonal
Tractor 120.00
P7/CP7 Cut Sheet Guide 13.00
P7/CP7 Cut Sheet Feeder 23 1 .00
EPSON PRINTERS
LX-800 199.00
FX-800 320.00
FX-1000 433.00
EX-800 399.00
Ex- 1000 545.00
LQ-800 430.00
LQ-1000 580.00
LQ-2500 865.00
SQ-2500 1126.00
PANASONIC KX-P3 13 1
Fully Formed Serial Impact Daisywheel
Printer Print speed I 7cps Diablo
compatible print wheels. Print pitches
availableare: 10. 12, 1 5 and proportional
spacing Standard friction feed and
optional tractor Standard Centronic
optional RS232C Built with 6K text buffer
expandable to 32K buffer 251.00
BROTHER HR 20
Daisywheel 8K standard buffer
upgradable to I6K. Standard serial and
parallel port 338.oo
JUKI Daisywheel
Juki 6100 286.00
MP26 Daisywheel
Universal compatibility with almost all
personal computers at an unbeatable
price Speed: 26 cps 132 columns
Diablo 630 compatible 2 1 6.00
Optional Tractorfeed 82.00
Optional Sheet feeder 126.00
GAKKEN GPR-2000
Print speed of 1 8 characters per second
Fully Qurne compatible Takes Qume
exchangable Daisywheel and ribbons
Selectable 10. 12 & 15 pitch. Supports
proportional spacing. Standard friction
feed Tractor/cut sheet feeder and serial
interface optional 146.00
\ sa vc -
^c^lNTE* STAND
FREE Ic rbC CABLE
? aper
2 00 SHEE1> a
r^o°8<. .
pao rafts* %
enhanced cp <, g-fo
cps in W«y e P sor >2
A:
oSfeSJaandirt \L
„, ntf Tiooe^ rtac e :
8 w< opi'° nal
RS232
, 56.00
SPECIAL
O FFtW
\ Fllsne ^S * nCl
\ ffi'oa Can also K d sUU cuon 8 00
1
being re P a,r *
Computer is { our f e Pf |H
Or take °* ^rfdngW
l contracts an b t to me airpo • H
\ you«n e ^ r 9 ComP uters £
in hoU p r ^ n \eTS M° dernS ' ^ I
D # eS ' and mcg° rs caU our ’
1 Fot iUtt nance Hotiine on
X
You can purchase any of the Items listed. All you have to do Is write your
requirements on a sheet of paper, and we will despatch your goods within 24
hours, subject to availability. Please add the following amounts for Postage and
Packing.
Items below 10.00 addl.50
items below lOO OOadd 3.50
Items below 50 00 add 2.50
Items over 1 00.00 add 8.00
(UK Mainland only) All prices exclude VAT Please add 15% VAT to all orders
Prices correct at time of going to press but subject to change without notice.
Please make cheques payable to TWILLSTAR COMPUTERS LTD.
Access/VIsa Card Holders: Welcome.
VISIT OUR MEGA-COMPUSTORE OPEN 9am - 6pm Monday to Saturday
. n —
Experience
the thrills of
...at the Renold Building, UMIST,
Sackville Street, Manchester
10am-6pm Friday March 18
10am-6pm Saturday March 19
10am-4pm Sunday March 20
Of course you'll find the very latest software
and peripherals for the complete Acorn range
at the Electron & BBC Micro User Show. But
there'll also be an exciting bonus:
Your personal passport to the
fascinating world of adventuring
t the family!
ITS SO
EASY
TO GET
THERE!
BY CAR... AA signposting and ample
car parking space nearby
BY COACH... Chorlton Street Station
only a short walk away
BY RAIL... 300 yards from Piccadilly
railway station
...and every advance ticket comes
complete with a detailed map.
Avoid the
queues!
Get your
ticket in
advance
- and
SAVE £1
A HEAD!
YOUR ADVANCE TICKET ORDER
Admission at door:
£3 (adults),
£2 (under 16s)
Please supply:
Adult tickets at £2 (save £1 )
(Order four adult tickets,
get the fifth FREE!)
Under 16s tickets at £1 (save
(Order four under-16s tickets,
get the fifth FREE!)
□ I enclose a cheque made
payable to Database Exhibitions
□ Please debit my Access/Visa
card no:
Advance ticket orders must
be received by Wednesday,
March 9, 1988.
£ 1 )
Total £_
Expiry date:
Signed:.
Renold Building
Sackville Street
EuJmIIlIX Manchester
x tsdP March 18-20, 1988
Post to: Electron 8i BBC Micro User Show Tickets,
Europa House, Adlington Park, Adlington,
Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 5NP.
Name
Address.
. Postcode.
PHONE ORDERS: Ring Show Hotline: 0625 879920
PRESTEL ORDERS: Key # 89 then 614568383
MICROLINK ORDERS: Mailbox 72:MAG001
Please quote credit card
number and full address A 282 _ ■ ■
PANASONIC PRINTER KIT
SPECIAL OFFERS FROM VICLEN
The Panasonic KX-P1081 come complete with £45.00 worth of
accessories FREE including tractor feed and roll feed units with
paper, printer cable, and a specially designed metal printer stand.
Features include:
★ 120 cps draft printing 24 cps NLQ
★ IBM and Epson compatibility through dip switch settings
★ Prints 80 coloumns on A4 cut sheets, continuous stationery
or roll paper 9x9 draft and 18 x 23 NLQ
Stock Code Description Price inc. VAT
SP079 Panasonic KX-P1081 £185.95
plus accessories
Please add £8 for insured courier delivery.
Plug in 20 to 1 12 Megabytes of extra storage with the Viglen
Winchester system.
The Viglen Winchester is ready to plug in and use on a BBC
Master micro; for a BBC B or B plus you will merely need to fit
the Acorn ADFS Rom. The Winchesters are 100% compatible
with the Acorn Winchester and Acorn ADFS and will also work
with the Acorn Master 512 board with DOS plus.
Drive 1 Winchesters are also available for backup or just more
storage and simply plug into the back of the Drive 0 unit.
The Winchester package consists of: Winchester unit (cased
with controller boards, power supply and fan), Master
reference Manual part 1, Winchester user guide and
Winchester utilities on disk (such as formatter, verifier, ADFS
menu and sophisticated backup program allowing you to make
fast backups on DFS disks, ADFS disks or Drive 1 Winchester).
Stock Code
Description
Price inc. VAT
Drive 0 Single
SP0150
VB20 20Meg Viglen Winchester
£499.00
SP0152
VB28 28Meg Viglen Winchester
£519.00
VI 55
VB40 40Meg Viglen Winchester
£799.00
VI 56
VB56 56Meg Viglen Winchester
£899.00
Drive 1 Second Drive
SP0160
VB120 20Meg Drive 1 Winchester
£479.00
SP0162
VB128 28Meg Drive 1 Winchester
£499.00
V165
VB140 40Meg Drive 1 Winchester
£739.00
VI 67
VB156 56Meg Drive 1 Winchester
£769.00
VI 57
20MB Tape Streamer Backup
£689.00
V503
Acorn ADFS Rom and Manual
(Only necessary for BBC B or B Plus)
£29.95
Please add £8 for insured courier delivery.
Available for use with SJ research file
server at no extra cost, please specify when
ordering.
ofb
\<£
The finest Japanese disk drives
(not Taiwanese immitations)
available at the lowest prices.
All disc drives are supplied with a manual, packed utilities disc
and a full 1 2 Months warranty (2 Year Warranty available) and
are ready to plug in and use on a BBc B (fitted with a DFS) B + or
Master micro. 40/48 Track drives have a switch which enables
operation in either 40 or 80 track mode.
The capacity quoted are given in single density mode; for
double density mode (1770 DFS + ADFS as in the Master) the
capacities should be approximately doubled.
An integral power supply is not necessary as the disc drives run
from the micro's power source however should you require
drives with their own power supply, these are also available.
If your BBC B micro does not have a DFS fitted then you will also
require the Acorn dfs kit. These are available from Viglen.
Stock Code
Description
Price inc. VAT
SP014
400K Single Drive 40/80T
£99.95
SP030
400K Single Drive 40/80T + PSU
£109.95
SP019
800K Dual Drive 40/80T
£189.95
SP020
800K Dual Drive 40/80T + PSU
£209.95
VPD0240
100K Single Drive
£105.95
VPD0241
400K Single Drive 40/80T
£113.00
VPD0242
200K Dual Drive
£195.95
VPD0243
800K Dual Drive 40/80T
£219.00
VPD0245
100K Single Drive + PSU
£119.95
VPD0246
400K Single Drive + PSU
£135.00
VPD0247
200K Dual Drive + PSU
£209.95
VPD0248
800K Dual Drive 40/80T + PSU
£235.00
VPD0249
800K Dual Drive 40/80T + PSU
in Metal Bridge Unit
£265.00
V0060
3.5" 400K Single Drive
£95.95
V0061
3.5" 800K Dual Drive
£199.95
V0062
3.5" 400K Single Drive + PSU
£135.00
V0063
3.5" 800K Dual Drive + PSU
£199.00
V0064
3.5" and 5.25" 800K Dual Drive
£219.00
V0065
3.5" and 5.25" 800K Dual Drive
with PSU
£249.00
Please add £8.00 for insured courier delivery.
CLEAR PERSPEX
PRINTER STAND
The Viglen printer stands are beautifully finished in clear
perspex and raise the printer high enough to put continuous
stationary underneath.
Price inc. VAT
£19.95
Stock Code Description
V490 80 Column Printer Stand
(15" x 13" x 3.5")
V491 136 Column Printer Stand
(23.5" x 13" x 3.5")
Please add £3 P & P
£29.95
ORDER FORM ON LAST PAGE OF VIGLEN SECTION
CONSOLE SYSTEM
SPECIAL OFFERS FROM VIGLEN
I
The Viglen Data DUCK (Dualling Up Connector Kit) converts
any two single drives to a dual drive instantly. Simply plug the
duck into the micro's disk drive socket and plug two single
drives (any type and any make) into the duck to obtain a dual
drive system accessed as drive 0 (and 2 if double sided) and
drive 1 (and 3 if double sided). If neither single drive has its own
power supply then you will require a Viglen power DUCK in
order to obtain two disk drive power sockets from the micro.
★ No soldering simply plugs in.
★ No need to take disk drives apart to change links.
Stock Code Description Price inc. VAT
V084 Viglen data duck £16.95
V085 Viglen power duck £7.95
Please add £2.50 for P & P.
MASTER
TRANSFORMATION
Give your BBC Master micro the professional PC look by
replacing your existing lid with this smartly styled package. The
system is strong and constructed in high impact ABS colour
matched to the BBC Master and it gives your Master a very neat
and impressive look.
★ Will support monitors including up to 16" TV.
★ Can house two 5W' disk or Winchester drives.
★ Capable of housing 3V2" drives.
★ Will accept Acorn cartridges and the Viglen Master Cartridge
system.
★ Full internal metal screening.
★ Also available with fitted drives (5V4", 3V2" or Winchester) or
as a complete system including the Master.
The Master console unit system packages includes:
★ Remote Keyboard case with cable.
★ Metal screened main unit casing (including internal fittings
for 5Va" drives).
★ Two switches which can be used for 40/80 track switching
and can be either fitted on the front or rear of unit.
★ Two blanking plates to blank out any drive aperture that is
not used.
★ Full labelling kit.
★ Fully illustrated fitting instructions.
Stock Code
Description
Price inc. VAT
V861
Viglen Master Console unit
£59.95
Accessories for the Master Console unit
V853
Dual Drive data cable for console
unit
£9.95
V854
Dual Drive power cable for console
unit
£7.95
V855
Power supply for the console unit
£34.95
V866
Fan Kit for console unit
£34.95
V858
Fitting bracket for 3V2" drive
£8.95
V851
Viglen Professional Console Unit
for the BBC micro
£49.95
Fitting service available from
£15.00
Please add £8 for insured courier delivery.
VIGLEN ROM CARTRIDGE SYSTEM
Having fitted the Viglen Rom cartridge system to your BBC,
Master or Master COMPACT, you can plug in your Roms/
Eproms simply by inserting each one in a Viglen cartridge and
plugging in whichever cartridge you want to use. The same
Viglen cartridge can be used on all the micros mentioned and
there is no need to switch the micro on and off between
cartridge changes.
The Viglen cartridge system for the BBC micro consists of the
cartridge cable assembly and socket, blanking off plates, 1
cartridge and cartridge storage rack. The cartridge socket when
fitted protrudes from the rectangular slot on the left of the
keyboard where the cartridges are subsequently inserted. It is
simple to fit and requires no soldering.
The Viglen cartridge system for the Master and Master
COMPACT simply plugs into your Master cartridge slot (or
COMPACT expansion port) and accepts two Viglen cartridges.
On the Master you can plug in up to two Viglen cartridge
systems thus giving you access to 4 Viglen Cartridges
simultaneously. The system comes complete with 2 cartridges
and cartridge storage rack. On the Master you can also use
Viglen cartridges which have 32 and 64K paged Roms inserted.
Stock Code Description Price inc. VAT
V560 Viglen Rom cartridge system for BBC £12.95
V559 Viglen Rom cartridge system for BBC £12.95
(low profile)
V550 Viglen Rom cartridge system £14.95
for Master
V551 Viglen Rom cartridge system £14.95
for COMPACT
V561 Single Viglen cartridge £3.45
Please add £2.50 P & P (£00.50 for single cartridge).
LOOK FOR
OUR AMAZING
SPECIAL OFFERS
Acorn w
Authorised Dealer*^
ORDER FORM ON LAST PAGE OF VIGLEN SECTION
DISK DRIVES
SPECIAL OFFERS FROM VICLEN
★ FRONT PANEL SWITCHING
★ 800K DUAL DRIVES 40/80T WITH
PSU
Direct disk drives are manufactured to the
highest standard using high quality Japanese
mechanisms. All drives are supplied complete
with user manual and utility diskette.
Stock Code Description R.R.P.
SP0249 800K Drive in Bridge Unit £229.95
with PSU
DIRECT MASTER BRIDGE UNIT
Acorn'
Authorised Dealer*^
Prices correct at time of going to press
and offers are subject to availability
VIGLEN
m Viglen Ltd.,
% #♦ ■ Unit?
n /jCtTI \\f~~ > ! — TrumpersWay
mm ■ IFI iy |\ Hanwell, London W7 2QA
V ! // " VM V ----- ^ Telephone: 01-843 9903
M m Telex: 919 304 VIGLEN G
* Fax:01-574 5126
HOW TO ORDER
Simply fill in the coupon or write to us with your requirements enclosing a cheque/postal order or your credit card no. for
the total amount. Don't forget to add the cost of delivery. Allow 7 to 10 days for delivery.
Credit card holders may order by telephone on our sales hotline 01-843 9903 (8 lines).
Orders from overseas should be exclusive of VAT (please deduct 1 5% from the total cost).
VISA
Dealer and Trade
Enquiries Welcome:
OFFICIAL ORDERS
Official orders from education establishments, Government departments and Pic companies accepted
Viglen has a special education department to process orders and queries from schools, colleges,
universities and Local authorities so please ask for oureducation department when you call. Being one of
the major suppliers to the Education market, the experienced Viglen team will be able to understand and
help you with your requirements.
Showroom opening hours
Monday to Friday 9.30 to 5.30
Saturday by appointment
Fill in and post to Viglen Ltd., Unit 7, Trumpers Way, Hanwell, London W7 2QA. Tel. No. 01-843 9903. Please make cheques and postal orders payable
to Viglen Ltd.
STOCK CODE DESCRIPTION QUANTITY TOTAL PRICE
Carriage
Please find enclosed a cheque/postal order □*
I prefer to pay by VISA □ * ACCESS □ * , Total
* Tick one please.
Card No Signature Expiry date
Name 1
Address _
Postcode
Tel. No.
AU3
Red Boxes provide a
home automation and
security system that . . .
WORKS OFF YOUR MICRO
Announces an intrude r
Starts the washing machine
NEEDS NO SPECIAL WIRING
Discourages the would-be burglar
With Red Boxes home
automation becomes a reality at
last. Programmed simply and
easily via your micro* Red Boxes
use the mains wiring of your
home to send signals which will
control any appliance powered by
a standard I3amp socket. That
gives you control over your home
environment - without wires
trailing all over the place.
Home automation with Red
Boxes also provides a
soph isticated security system . At
one level, it is an efficient burglar
alarm which can detect and
announce an intruder. At another
level, you can make your house
appear full of life when nobody’s
at home ,
simply by program m ing
ligh ts, television and radio to
operate in your absence.
And if you have two micros,
with Red Boxes you ’ vegot a local
area network as well. It s a system
that expands with your needs -
and your imagination in home
a u tom a t ion applica tions .
Most remarkable of all, the
Red Boxes sta rter system costs
only £129. And additional Red
Boxes cost just £34.95. Get yours
now, by clipping the coupon .
Credit card holders can call 0480
87464.
' The Red Boxes system will
work off an Amstrad, BBC Micro,
Commodore 64, IBM PC or
Spectrum 48k/128k.
To: Electronic Fulfilment Services, Chesterton Mill,
French's Road, Cambridge CB4 3NP.
□ Please send me further Also include:
details of the Red Boxes
system.
□ Please send me a Red
Box starter system at
£ 133
( including £4 p&p).
My computer is a:
□ Amstrad
□ BBC Micro
□ Commodore 64
□ IBM PC
□ PC Compatible
□ Spectrum 48k! 128k
Na me
Ad d ress
. . .project manuals at £9.95
. . . additional Red One control boxes at
£36.95 each ( including £2 p&p).
. . . additional Red Two infra red sensors
at £36.95 each (including £2 p&p).
□ l enclose my cheque for a total of £
made payable to General Information
Systems Ltd., Readers' Account .
□ Please charge a total of£ to my
Access! American Express card.
Account number.
Signature
_ Postcode _
J ^ For credit card orders or further information, call 048087464.
Tells you. when the baby’s crying
IS SIMPLE TO INSTALL AND USE
Switches on the electric blanket
Wakes you for Breakfast Time
DOESN'T TIE UP YOUR COMPUTER
Turns on the dish washer
Con trols your heating
IS EASY TO PROGRAM
Turns on the light when you walk in
Puts the kettle on
GIVES YOU A NETWORKING FACILITY
Switches on Crossroads
Swi tches off Crossroads
AND COSTS JUST £129
PUTT
• T H E • F U T
Peartree House, No 1 Blackstone Road, Stukeley Meadows Industrial Estate, Huntingdon, Cambs PE 18 6EF. Telephone (0480) 50595
► PEP024
driven with complete menu options at top
Sound Shaper allowing you to create your
own waveforms, envelopes, mouse, lightpen
or keyboard driven
Instrument definer allows you to define your
own instrument pitch, amplitude and wave
forms
visitors attended the 87 Acorn User Show.
Most were amazed at the performance of the
MUSIC 87. As a result we have been receiving
hundreds of telephone calls from people
wanting to know the differences and merits of
the MUSIC 87 synthesiser when compared to
more expensive music synthesisers. Below is a
table showing how the MUSIC 87 compares to
the Music 5000.*
9 good reasons to buy the MUSIC 87 rather
than the Music 5000.*
FUNCTION
Music
5000
MUSIC
87 ,
Mouse driven
2nd processor compatible
Light pen driven
Full 32k EPROM
Waveform designer as standard
Ability to bypass AMPLE
Graphic representation of
waveforms, envelopes and score
Music printout as standard
Expensive
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
S'
I
X
Price Music 5000.* MUSIC 87
£161.00 £79.95
Inc Vat Exc Vat
JBD5K^§
y
SYNTHESIS
E R
MUSIC 87 software to upgrade your Music
500 or 5000 only £39.95
’Music 5000 is supplied by Hybrid Technology Limited
PUTTING • THE • FUTURE • INTO • YOUR • HANDS
p
u T T I N G
M
BRITISH
BKPAPCASTINt;
CORPORATION
MASTHR SLRIbS
MIl KOCOMPl TLH
THE • FUTURE • INTO • YOUR • HANDS
Approved
service centre
for all Acorn
products.
Peartree House, No 1 Blackstone Road, Stukeley Meadows Industrial Estate, Huntingdon, Combs PE 18 6EF. Telephone (0480) 50595
HARDWARE
ACH001 BBC MASTER 128 £385.00
I28K complete with View, Viewshcct, banc editor.
ADFS 1770 DFS
* * * special offer includes
FREE MUSIC 500
ACH002 BBC MASTER COMPACT £375.00
I28K computer 640K disc drive built in RGB comp video,
pystick end printer port
ACH003 BBC MASTER COMPACT TV £395.00
As obo*e with PAL IV modulator
ACH004 BBC MASTER COMPACT MONO £445.00
•< w sh - -h r ! I . 1 r," . n ~n mt: i
ACH005 BBC MASTER COMPACT £545.00
COLOUR
As above with RGB medium ret colour monitor with
video composite
ACH0II TURBO UPGRADE for £99.00
MASTER 128
65C102 co-processor 4MHz • 64K ram extra high Basic.
high editor
ACM0I2 512KMSDOS for MASTER £189.00
IBM compa tible DOS phis 8186 processor
ACH041 UNIVERSAL 2nd PROCESSOR £75.00
ABo»s both the turbo upgrade ond the 51?K upgrode to
be run on the BBC Mode l B or 8+
ACH015 1770 DFS KIT for BBC B £41.00
Allows BBC to occess disc drives
Allowi yo u to use ADFS os well
ACH0I6 ADFS ROM for 1770 or BBC B+ £24.00
Gives 720K per d isc
ACH020 32016 CO-PROCESSOR £999.00
32 bit processor • Complete with Fortran, Poscol,
Cambridge Lisp, C Bcsc and 32016 assembler
ACH021 ACORN CAMBRIDGE £3400.00
WORK STATION
4MB work stotion with 32016 co processor
ACP003 MEGAMOUSE £49.00
High quolity UK monuloctured * Slip Irte rubber coaled
boll • FulJjr AMX compatible
ACH034 ACORN MUSIC 500 £49.00
ECONET FI
nan
n
ACH006 ECONET BBC MASTER ET 128 £300.00
No DFS E conet station with 128K memory
ACH007 ECONET KIT £55.00
Upgrades for BBC B or BBC B+
ACH008 ECONET STARTER KIT £79.00
ACM 00 9 ECONET SOCKET KIT £29.00
ACH010 ECONET MODULE £43.00
Upgrade cartridge for Master 128
ACH02? ECONET 10 STATION LEAD SET £25.00
ACP006 PRINTER SERVER EPROM £39.00
Allows BBC machine to be o printer server Potion
ACH031 WINCHESTER 30MB (ACORN) £1449.00
with LEVEL 3 FILE SERVER
ACH039 FILESTORE E01 £819.00
Stand alone twin floppy fdc server unit
Contoins dock box, terminator, etc
ACH040 FILESTORE E20 £709.00
20MB hord disk for use with Ffcilorc £01
DISC DRIVES
flhHTER
All Peartree Disc Drives
have o two year warranty by
Akhter Computers
£135.00
£229.00
ACH026 SINGLE 40/80 DRIVE, NO
PSU 400K MITSUBISHI
ACH027 SINGLE 40/80 DRIVE
inc. P5U 400K MITSUBISHI
ACM028 DUAL 40/80 DRIVE,
NO PSU BOOK MITSUBISHI
ACH029 DUAL 40/80 DRIVE, £269 .(
inc. PSU 800K MITSUBISHI
ACH030 DUAL 40/80 DRIVE IN £289.1
MASTER BRIDGE MITSUBISHI
ACH032 WINCHESTER 20MB & £766.(
400K DRIVE
in monitor bridge for Master - Built in fan and power
supply - Other sizes for hard discs ore ovoJoble. pleas
co*
PLEASE USE OUR CODES
WHEN ORDERING
1
MODEMS
HR
ACS075 COMMSTAR II
Now compatible withMoster 128
£29.95
ACP014 PACE NIGHTINGALE
£99.00
1200/75 75/ 1200 300/300 boud rales -BI opproved
complete with cables • Includes Comstar II
AC P 0 1 5 PACE NIGHTINGALE COMBO £129.00
As above with Comstar software
ACP020 WS3000V21/V23 MODEM
I Hoyts compatible
£285.00
ACP021 WS4000 SCHOOLS MODEM £159.00
] Autodial, autoanswer - Schools opproved
ACP029 VOYAGER MODEM
£59.00
ACP031 BBC MICRO VIEWDATA
£49.00
COMPONENTS
ACP007 EPROM 27256 32K £4.95
37K epram
ACP008 EPROM 27128 16K £3.95
16K epram
ACP010 8K RAM CHIP £3.50
low power ram chips used w sideways rams
ACP012 EPROM ERASER WITH TIMERS £29.95
ACP013 EPROM BLOWER £69.00
Will program 7764, 7/178, 77756 ond 27513
ACP023 ACORN BBC B KEYBOARD £49.00
ACP027 ACORN 8271 AND TTL £49.00
Complete Of S It'd
ACP028 BBC B+ AND BBC B IBM £99.00
LOOKALIKECASE
ACP033 BBC MASTER DUST COVER £4.50
ACP034 BBC B DUST COVER £4.50
The Acorn
Y N T H E S I S E R I
Now available from Peartree the Acorn
Music 500 for the BBC, BBCB+, Master 128
£ 49.00 excluding VAT
only from PEARTREE ► ACH034
SOFTWARE
Computer Concepts
ACS002 WORDWISE PLUS £45^0
Mode 7 editing, preview in mode 0 - Multi document
edging
ACS003 INTER SHEET £42.00
40. 80 ond 105 column mode i
ACS004 INTER CHART £3CL00
Built in Epson screen dump ■ Supports pie, line & bar
charts
ACS005 INTER WORD £42.00
80 or 105 column word processor - Continuous
documents
ACS006 INTERBASE £50.00
Compatible with all filing systems • Cord index mode,
contoins powerful Baiic lie programming longoogc
ACS033 SPELLMASTER £50.95
^ACORNSOFT
ACS012 VIEW 3.0 £53.00
Industry's stondard word processor - For the BBC 6, B+,
6507 compatible • Including printer driver generator
ACS013 VIEWSHEET £36.00
Acornsofl stondord spreadsheet
ACS0I4 VIEWSTORE £37.00
Complete with report generator
Dato con be imported from other view products
ACS015 VIEWSPELL £32.00
Spelling checker lor View with 70 000 »crds
ACS016 VIEWPLOT £24.00
Enables you to drew lines, pie graphs
Compatible with View she et
ACS017 VIEWINDEX £13.00
Automatically creoles indexes, notes, page numbers
ACS018 VIEW PRINTER DRIVER jSCOO
GENERATOR
Used to personalise View documents with speciol
features
SOFTWARE
ACS 181 OVERVIEW £86.00
Includes oil View family softworo
ACS 181 OVERVIEW £86.00
for the MASIER series only • Includes Viewplot,
View store, Viewspell, Vicwindex and the View Printer
Driver Generolor
ACS020 ISO PASCAL £52.00
Full implementation of the ISO stondord
AC SOS 3 ISO PASCAL S.A.G. DISC £29.00
Generate stand clone code
ACS021 LOGO £52.00
Good intro, for children with total graphics support
ACS022 TERMULATOR £29.00
lermincl emulator enables the host computer to be sent
directly to the BBC's output driver
ACS023 COMAL £39.00
Programming longuoge stondord in mony European
countries
ACS024
BASIC EDITOR
Powerful screen basic editor
£25.00
ACS025 MICRO PROLOG
£60.00
ACS026
BCPL ROM
£49.00
ACS027
BCPL CALCULATION
£29.00
ACS028
BCPL STAND ALONE
GENERATOR
£39.00
ACS054
FORTH ROM
£39.00
ACS055
FORTH DISC
£14.95
ACS056 MASTER LISP C-ROM
£49.00
ACS058
MASTER LOGO C-ROM
£52.00
ACS059
6502 DEVELOPMENT
PACK DISC
£39.00
ACS060
GXR for MODEL B
£23.00
ACS061
GXR for MODEL Bd
£23.00
ACS03I
DOS COPY BBC/MS-DOS £14.95
BBC MSDOS copies to or from many IBM MSOOS disc
formats • Requires 1770 based DFS
ACS032
CPMBEEB BBC/CPM
£14.95
ACS038
AMX MOUSE AND SUPERART
£65.00
ACS039 AMX DESK
£19.00
ACS040
AMX UTILITIES
£11.50
ACS041
AMX SUPERART
£43.00
ACS042
AMX PAGEMAKER
£43.00
AG043
AMX 3D ZICON
£21.00
ACS044
AMX DATABASE
£21.00
ACS045
AMX XAM
£21.00
ACS046
AMX MAX
£17.00
ACS047
THE ARTIST SOFTWARE
£39.00
ACS048
ARTIST AND MEGAMOUSE
£79.00
ACS050
ADVANCED DISC
£22.50
INVESTIGATOR
Powerful disc utJify • Bock up most protected
discs - Check ond repar faulty frocks • Compatible with
the BBC B. 8+ and the Master
ACS075 ADVANCED 1770 DFS £27.50
Turn our RAM cartridges into RAM disc - 67 file
catalogue • 640K disc capacity
AC051 ADVANCED DTSC TOOLKIT £27.50
Compatible with oil Acorn products
35 extra commands ADFS formatter and back up plus
many more powerful utilities
ACS052 MUSIC 500 SOFTWARE £9.95
Ample software wilh full manual
MONITORS
COLOUR
MON002MICROVITEC 1451 COLOUR £249.00
MON MED
Medium res monitor - Melol or plastic case, please state
when ordering • RGB interface
MON003MICROVITEC 1451 A/P COL £279.00
MON MED
As above with audio ond compostlc video input
MON004MICROVITEC 1441 MON £449.00
COL HIGH
Very high resolution monitor • 8V5 pixels • RGB mlerfoce
MON005TAXAN SUPER VISION £349.00
625 COL HIGH
17* super high resolution colour monitor - 4 unique text
modes • front monochrome text sw*h • 640 A 26? Ire rrsduten
MON006 PHILIPS CM8833 COLOUR £273.86
MONITOR
14 inch medium resolution monitor • RGBI RGB III
MON007PHILIPS CM8852 COLOUR £299.00
MONITOR
14 inch medium/high resolution • RGBI RGB
MONOCHROME
MON609KAGA KX 117 GREEN £89.00
MONITOR P3I
MON010 KAGA KX 118 GREEN £99.00
MONITOR
Clarity exceptional on BBC text
MONO 11 KAGA KX 119 AMBER £99.00
MONITOR .pun
MON01? PHILIPS GREEN MONITOR £79.00
Mony other monitors ore in slock. We con supply, pleose
coll for prices ond deliveries.
PRINTERS
PRT001 EPSON LX86 PRINTER £199.00
120CPS • NLQ mode • Centronics Interface
PR1002 EPSON FX800 £399.00
19 pm dot matrix • 180 CPS draft mode, 35 CPS NIQ
mode 8K buffer Parallel interface stondord 80 column
PRT003 EPSON FX1000 £499.00
19 pm dot matrix • 200 CPS draft mode. 35 CPS NIQ
mode • 8K buffer • Parallel mlerfoce stondord ■ 136 column
PRT004 EPSON LQ800 PRINTER £499.00
74 pm dot mtrui • 180 CPS drofl mode. 60 CPS NIQ
mode 7K buffet • Porollel mlerfoce stondord - 80 colunw
PRT005 EPSON LQ1000 PRINTER £699.00
24 pm dot matrix • 180 CPS draft mode, 60 CPS NIQ
mode • 7K buffer Porollel mlerfoce stondord • 136 column
PRT008 MP 165 PRINTER £199.00
165 CPS drofl mode, 40 CPS NIQ mode • 2K
buffer - Centronics interface ' Built in tractor feed • Epson
compatible
PRT0U JUKI 6100 PRINTER £299.00
18 CPS daisy wheel printer - Standard
ribbons • Centronics interface
PRT021 PANASONIC KX-P1081 £147.00
DOT MATRIX PRINTER
Fasl draft prntmg at 120 CPS
EiceUetti Neor letter Quality font at 24 CPS
PR1014 EPSON LX TRACTOTFEED £22.00
PRT016 EPSON LX CUT SHEET FEEDER £59.95
PRT023 EPSON LQ1000 TRACTOR FEED £50.00
PR1024 EPSON LQ1000 CUT SHEET £130.00
FEEDER
PRT025 EPSON FX80 1 CUT SHEET £129.95
FEEDER
"Pleose Note
We have many olher mokes of printers in slock such os
LEADS
LDS001 BBC TO TV LEAD £1.25
LDS002 BBC TO GREEN MONITOR LEAD £2.95
LDS003 BBC TO SONY/KAGA £5.95
COLOUR MONITOR
LDS004 BBC TO MICROVITEC LEAD £2.20
LDS005 PHONO TO PHONO LEAD £1.25
LDS006 BNCTO BNC £2.95
LDS007 BBC TO CASSETTE £2.25
LDS008 BBC TO ACORN CASSETTE £2.25
LEAD
LDS009 BBC TO CENTRONICS £9.95
LDS010 BBC TO SERIAL PRINTER £9.95
LDS011 4 WAY MAINS TRAILING £9.50
SOCKET
LDS012 CABLE FOR MODEM £4.9 5
LDS014 MASTER COMPACT £15.95
PRINTER LEAD
BOOKS
MIS012 BBC MASTER REFERENCE £14.95
GUIDE PT1
Ml SO 13 BBC MASTER REFERENCE £14.95
GUIDE PT2
MIS014 VIEW MANUAL (BBC) £10.00
Ml SO 15 VIEWSHEET MANUAL £10.00
MIS019 VIEWSTORE MANUAL £10.00
Ml SO 16 DFS OPERATING SYSTEM £6.95
MANUAL
MIS017 BBC USER GUIDE £14.95
MIS024 BBC ADVANCED USER GUIDE £16.95
MIS018 ADVANCED SIDEWAYS RAM £9.95
USER GUIDE
PRINTER RIBBONS
MIS005
RIBBON FOR MX FX80 &
£4.50
MIS006
JUKI 5510
RIBBON FOR LX80 LX86
£4.50
MIS007
RIBBON FOR MP165
£5.00
MIS008
RIBBON KAGA KP810/
£5.95
Ml $009
CANON PW1
RIBBON FOR EPSON FX
£7.95
MIS034
RX/100
RIBBON FOR EPSON LQ800
£11.95
MIS023
RIBBON FOR CPA80
£3.50
All prices are exclusive of VAT.
THE • FUTURE • INTO - YOUR - HANDS
PUTTING •
PUTTING • THE • FUTURE • INTO • YOUR • HANDS
Acorn $
r rhe choice of experience>
JIL
BRITISH
B KOADCAM I NCi
CORPORA ! ION
MASThR ShRlhS
M ICROCOM PITER
Peartree House, No 1 Blackstone Road, Stukeley Meadows Industrial Estate, Huntingdon, Cambs PE 18 6EF
PEARTREE
PRODUCTS
PEP001
PEAR 1 ROM CARTRIDGE
Add 32K rom to your Master
£8.95
PEP002 MR6000 MASTER CARTRIDGE £11.95
Add 64K rom fo your Master
PEP003 MR7200 MASTER RAM £29.95
CARTRIDGE
Add 32K ram to your Master
PEP019 MR8000 MASTER RAM
CARTRIDGE
Add 64K ram to your Master
Battery backed up
Battery life five years
£39.95
PEP023 MR4800 RAM BOARD £59.95
RAM board for the BBC Model B
128K RAM
Battery backed up
Small, easy to fit, complete with utility software
Includes write protect switch, battery included
PEP004 MR3000 ROM BOARD £15.95
Still going strong. This has proved to be a very
popular mini rom board for the BBC Model B
Add 4 extra rom sockets
PEP005 MR4200 RAM BOARD
Add 32K of sideways ram and 3 extra rom
sockets. Includes write protect switch
£29.95
PEP010 DISCS DS/DD 5.25 96 TPI
Life time guarantee
Reinforced hub
£13.50
PEP011 DISCS DS/DD 3.5
Double sided
Suitable for the Master Compact
£26.00
300 SERIES
OLD
PRICE
NEW
PRICE
A305 SYSTEM BASIC
£J9T
£699
MONO
£749
COLOUR
£99T
£899
A310 SYSTEM BASIC
£775
MONO
£825
COLOUR
400 SERIES
£975
A410 SYSTEM BASIC
£1399
MONO
£1449
COLOUR
£1599
A440 SYSTEM BASIC
£2299
MONO
£2349
COLOUR
£2499
rchimedes
The ARCHIMEDES High Performance Computer
Systems represent a considerable lead in
performance, but how has this performance been put
to use in the range of products?
The ARCHIMEDES range includes the 300 Series and
the more sophisticated 400 Series.
All machines have features in common:
U 32 bit RISC technology;
■ ergonomically styled in a 3 box
presentation;
II 'IBM enhanced' style keyboard with
3 button mouse;
II British Broadcasting Corporation Micro
style operating system (ARTHUR);
■ BB BASIC V;
■ interfaces; printer, serial, monitor,
stereo sound;
■ ECONET plug-in option;
■ a variety of podules can be fitted.
THE 300 SERIES
The 300 Series, identified by its red function keys,
Now available: 0% Finance*
on all Archimedes models
from Peartree— call for
details.
consists of two models, ARCHIMEDES 305 with
0.5 Mbyte of RAM and ARCHIMEDES 310 with
1 Mbyte of RAM. These machines are the latest
generation of British Broadcasting Corporation
Micros. They offer, at low cost, all the basic features
with expansion capabilities. Both machines have a 512
Kbyte ROM and a 1 Mbyte (unformatted) 3V disc
drive.
THE 400 SERIES
The more powerful 400 Series offers considerably
increased expansion capabilities. These machines are
the new range of Acorn Computers.
The ARCHIMEDES 410 has 1 Mbyte of RAM; 1 Mbyte
(unformatted) 3V disc drive; a hardware floating
point unit option; a co-processor bus; a hard disc
controller; a four socket back plane; 512 Kbytes of
ROM.
At the top of the range is ARCHIMEDES 440. This
machine possesses all the features of the 410 as
standard, with the adoption of 4 Mbytes of RAM and
a 20 Mbyte hard disc.
ARCHIMEDES is an open system and its flexibility is
achieved by fitting any of the following podules
(peripheral modules) via a back plane:
■ hard disc controller (300 Series only);
■ ROM extension board;
■ MIDI music interface;
■ MS-DOS co-processor;
■ SCSI;
■ hardware floating point unit;
■ Ethernet podule.
Third party suppliers will be meeting other user
requirements.
We accept Bardaycard/Visa/Access/Master-
card/postal orders or cheques. We accept
government and educational orders. Leasing
available, please apply for written details.
You may purchase any of the items listed, by
cheque made payable to
PEARTREE COMPUTERS LTD.
All you have to do is to list your requirements
on a sheet of paper, post it to us quoting ref,
and we will despatch your goods within 24
hours, whenever possible.
Please add the following amounts for postage
and packing:
Items below £10.00 add £1.50
Items below £50.00 add £2.50
Items below £100.00 add £3.50
Items over £100.00 add £10.00
Independent courier for items over £ 100.00
All prices exclude VAT.
Access/Barclaycard holders— call us on our
new special line: (0480) 50595
Prices are correct at time of going to press.
Peartree Computers reserves the right to change prices
without prior notice.
‘subject to status.
PUTTING • THE • FUTURE • INTO • YOUR • HANDS
GEORGE HOUSE, 50 SPRING GROVE, LOUGHTON ESSEX IG10 4QD
NO! It is NOT a PHOTOGRAPH nor is it the
Datathorn cat, Jingle. It is one of the early
experimental Laser prints from Mike Harrison's
Archimedes image grabber, soon to be marketed
by Watford Electronics. Rick is still doing
work on optimising grey codes (as printed in
bit matrices) on the GQ-3500. The full size
of the picture is 4. 25"x3. 25" . We shall be
selling the dump routines in due course.
Congratulations to Jonathan Marsh's production
team for last month's advertisement. Although
no reproduction is as crisp as the original,
they showed that the Epson CAN be used most
effectively to do your own typesetting! This
advert has again been produced directly on an
Epson GQ-3500, BBC B and InterWord. We are
not neglecting the Archimedes (see below), but
ours is now heavily into development work so
is seldom free for advertisement writing!
GRAPHICS :
Several enqui rers have asked how the graphics
in the January ad. were produced. An early
version of our QSTDMP program was responsible.
This program takes MODE1 'PAINT' screens from
WE QUEST or AMX and puts them into the GQ for
printing in text (B/Masters) £12.50
ARMDMP :
Still on the subject of graphics, we are
designing a program to download pictures drawn
using the free 'PAINT' program supplied by
Acorn with the Archimedes. ShouTd become
available during February at a pri ce . . . £t . b. a.
FONTS :
We can supply the full range of Epson Font
cards (rrp £125 each) which contain various
combinations of around 4 to 6 fonts at the
reduced price (each) of £119.00
Our own first catalogue of software fonts is
available. Send (18p) SAE marked FONTS if you
want one. Up to 8 fonts can be loaded at a
time (for very large fonts a 2 Meg upgrade
card, available from us, may prove useful) and
are called by embedded commands. We put your
selection on disc with a special downloader
program at reasonable prices starting at under
£10.00 per font.
PRESENTTHE INCREDIBLE
EPSON GQ-3500
LASER PRINTER
The SPECIAL OFFER this month INCLUDES a free
typewriter style 12cpi font in response to
requests from customers who found that they
had written or configured a lot of software
for FX compatible dot - matrix printers at 12
cpi (elite) size, which is not available on a
standard GQ-3500.
If required separately, this disc is.... £15. 00
LABELS1 :
Near to release, our LABELS1 program will
print up to 144 labels a minute using data
from your keyboard, or assembled by a word -
processor, database or your own program. Very
friendly to users. (B/Masters/Archimedes)
Only £15.90
FORMS1 :
Already in use up and down the country, this
easy to use program suite allows you to
define, edit, save, load and download to the
GQ-3500, forms of various types. Text can be
inserted initially and/or from most word -
processor, database, accounts programs or your
own program - with the WHOLE form (including
contents) printed in one pass.
( B/Masters/Archimedes ) £17.00
HELP SERVICE :
We are the established authority on using the
Epson Laser Page Printer and offer a unique
depth of help to our customers when adjusting
to this powerful yet friendly machine.
Despite requests, we cannot yet extend this
service to others, since this might overload
it and reduce its effectiveness to customers.
Our package and news sheets make transition to
Laser printer use as painless as possible.
DISC TRANSFER SERVICE :
3.5", 5.25", DFS , ADFS , DOS+ , MS-DOS etc..
Complete disc transferred from as little as
£5.00. Send (18p) SAE marked "TRANSFERS" for
details. Especially useful for Archimedes
users. Optional emergency 24hr service!
EPSON GQ-3500 PRINTER PACKAGE includes :
* GQ-3500 Laser Page Printer
♦LaserJett Emulation card
♦Parallel Cable (state computer)
♦FORMS1 form design software
♦Command Summary Sheet (correct codes!)
♦Support Service
♦12 cpi Typewriter Download Font Disc
♦Del i very
♦12 months warranty
All for £1498.80
(NB: RRP of printer ALONE is £1795.00)
♦24hr on-site maintenance contract
First year for only £95.00
♦All Epson accessories at discount prices
♦♦FREE FACT PACK** including sample output and
forms if you send large SAE (26p stamp)
PLEASE NOTE: Archimedes is a trade mark of Acorn Computers Ltd.
All prices exclude VAT. Please add £2.50 p&p to sub £50 orders before VAT.
Our telephone: 01-508 4904
30
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
irwrSTllk. pmSGUMtAHTEIP
FLOPPY DISKS
PRINTER RIBBONS
2 +
5 +
12 +
ACORN
AP80
£2.50
£2.00
£1.80
API 00
£2.50
£2.00
£1.80
AMSTRAD
DMP1
£3.70
£3.10
£2.90
DMP2000/3000
£4.20
£3.90
£3.80
PCW8256/8512
£4.10
£3.80
£3.60
BROTHER
HR5
£3.00
£2.80
£2.60
HR15 Corr
£2.70
£2.30
£2.10
HR15FAB
£3.10
£2.70
£2.40
HR15MS
£3.00
£2.60
£2.30
HR1 5 also for HR25/HR35
EP44
£2.90
£2.50
£2.30
Ml 009
£3.20
£2.70
£2.50
CANON
PW1080A Black
£2.90
£2.40
£2.20
PW1 080A Red or Blue
£4.30
£3.90
£3.60
PJ 1 080 Ink Jet Colour. One Off
£10.70
PJ1080 InkJet Black. One Off
£8.70
CBM
1515
£2.50
£2.00
£1.80
1525
£2.50
£2.00
£1.80
MPS801
£3.40
£2.80
£2.60
802/1526
£3.50
£2.70
£2.50
803
£3.20
£2.70
£2.50
MPS1000
£2.50
£2.10
£1.90
4022
£2.50
£2.10
£1.90
MCS801 Colour. One Off
£18.50
DPS1101 SS
£2.20
£1.70
£1.55
DPS1101 MS
£2.70
£2.30
£2.10
DPS1101 Corr
£1.60
£1.30
£1.20
CENTRONICS GLP1/2
£3.20
£2.70
£2.50
CITIZEN
120D
£4.80
£4.40
£4.10
DAISYSTEP
2000 MS
£2.90
£2.40
£2.20
2000 FAB
£4.70
£4.00
£3.80
EPSON
MX/FX/RX80 Black
£2.50
£2.10
£1.90
MX/FX/RX80 Red or Blue £3.70
£3.00
£2.80
100 Series
£3.50
£3.10
£2.80
LX80/LX86
£2.50
£2.10
£1.90
JX80 Colour. One Off
£18.30
LQ800
£3.50
£3.10
£2.90
LQ1000
£4.30
£3.70
£3.40
JUKI
6000/2200 Corr
£2.90
£2.50
£2.30
6100 MS
£2.70
£2.30
£2.10
6100 SS
£2.20
£1.70
£1.55
6100 Corr
£1.60
£1.30
£1.20
KAGA
KP810 Black
£2.90
£2.40
£2.20
KP810 Red or Blue
£4.30
£3.90
£3.60
M/TALLY
MT80
£3.50
£2.70
£2.50
OKI
80/82
£1.20
£0.90
£0.80
84
£3.70
£3.20
£3.00
Mate 20 Colour
£7.00
£6.50
£6.20
Mate 20 Black
£6.60
£6.20
£6.00
PANASONIC
Dot Matrix
£4.80
£4.40
£4.10
QUENDATA
QUME
SEIKOSHA
SHINWA
SMITH
CORONA
STAR
DWP1120 MS
DWP1120 FAB
Sprint 7/9 MS
Sprint 7/9 FAB
GP50
GP80
GP1 00/250
GP500/550
GP700 Colour. One Off
SP1000
CP80
Fastext 80 (Twinpack)
TPI M/S
TPI Fabric
TPI Corr
D1 00/200
D300
DP/GEMINI/SG
SR15
NL10
£2.90 £2.40 £2.20
£4.70 £4.00 £3.80
£2.60 £2.10 £1.90
£3.80 £3.50 £3.20
£5.80 £5.30 £5.00
£2.50 £2.00 £1.80
£2.40 £2.00 £1.80
£3.70 £3.10 £2.90
£18.50
£5.80 £5.30 £5.00
£3.50 £2.70 £2.50
£11. 70 £11. 20 £10.90
£12.50 £10.70 £9.95
£5.70 £5.25 £4.95
£5.00 £4.70 £4.50
£4.60 £4.20 £3.70
£5.80 £5.30 £5.10
£1.20 £0.90 £0.80
£4.70 £4.30 £4.10
£5.00 £4.40 £3.70
51"
JVC inc Plastic Case
MD-1D
MD-2D
MD-2DD
MD-2HD
DYSAN
MD-2D
MD-2HD
IBM
MD-2D
S/side D/dens 40TR
D/side D/dens 40TR
D/side Q/dens 80TR
D/side H/dens 1 .6MB
D/side D/dens 40TR
D/side H/dens 1 ,6MB
D/side D/dens 40TR
VERBATIM -DATALIFE
MD525 S/side D/dens 40TR
MD550 D/side D/dens 40TR
MD577 S/side Q/dens 80TR
MD557 D/side Q/dens 80TR
DISK STORAGE
FUJI
*S/side D/dens 40TR
*D/side D/dens 40TR
LOCKABLE DISK BOXES
MODEL SIZE
DD40L 373.5"
DD80L 3.5"
GS100 3.5"
DD50 51"
DD100 51"
LIBRARY CASE 51"
CAPACITY
40
80
100
50
100
10
PRICE
£8.50
£11.90
£13.90
£8.90
£11.70
£1.50
’Coloured Disks - red, groon, blue, beige, grey £1.00 pc
D/side D/dens 80TR £17.99 £17.50 £17.25
3J”
JVC S/side D/dens
SONY/FUJI S/side D/dens
FUJI D/side D/dens
SONY/VERBATIM
D/side D/dens
3 DISKS CF2 5Disb £ 2.59 each £12.95 pack
CF2 10 Disks £2.29 each £22.90 pack
BOXES OF 10 DISKS
1-2 3-9
£9.99 £9.50
£11.99 £11.50 £11.25
£15.99 £15.50 £15.25
£26.99 £25.99 £25.49
£11.99 £11.50 £11.25
£20.95 £19.95 £17.95
£17.95 £16.95 £15.95
£11.60 £11.00 £10.60
£13.80 £13.00 £12.60
£14.99 £14.75 £14.49
£19.50 £19.00 £18.60
£10.99 £10.50 £10.25
£13.49 £12.99 £12.75
,00 per box extra.
£l
BOXES OF 10 DISKS
£17.99 £17.25 £16.99
£18.99 £18.25 £17.99
£26.99 £26.50 £25.99
£22.99 £20.99 £18.99
COMPUTER STATIONERY
PLAIN WHITE WITH MICRO-PERF EDGES PRICE
BOXES
£13.00
£15.50
£19.75
£12.25
SIZE
GSM
QUANTITY
1 BOX
11 x 9}
60
2000
£13.50
11 x 91
70
2000
£16.50
EXACT A4
70
2000
£21.90
ll$x91
90
1000
£14.20
SPECIAL OFFERS ON DISKS
PRICES PER 10 DISKS
20 disl
TDK 5 ’/4 "SS/DD
MAXELL 5V4"SS/DD
BASF 5 V 4 " SS/DD 40TR
3M 5V4" DS/DD
Bulk Disks
5 V 4 "SS/DD 40TR
5'/4"DS/DD40TR
5V4"DS/DD80TR
Life time guarantee. Disks include envelopes, labels, hub-rings
and write protect.
3Vz"DS/DD £18.80 £17.80 £16.80
Life time guarantee.
20 disks
50 disks
100 disks
£8.50
£8.00
£7.50
£8.75
£8.25
£7.75
£8.75
£8.25
£7.75
£11.90
£11.50
£11.25
£6.40
£5.90
£4.80
£7.40
£6.90
£5.80
£8.40
£7.90
£6.80
LASER PRINTER CONSUMABLES^ PRINTER
CABLES
TONER CARTRIDGES
Epson GQ3500 £18.50 Canon A1/A2 £74.95
Oki Laserlino 6 £18.50 Canon A8 Mk II £84.95
HP LaserJets £74.95 QMS K8 £74.95
HP LaserJet Mk II £84.95 Citizen Overture £22.95
Amstrad CPC
BBC
IBM/Amstrad PC/Atari ST
Parallel £8.90
Parallel £6.50
Parallel £14.50
PRINTERS
Amstrad DMP4000
Amstrad LQ3500
Citizen 120D
Citizen LSP10
Juki 61 00
NEC P2200
NEC P6
NEC P7
NEC P5XL
Oki ML 182
Oki ML1 92
Oki ML292
Okimate 20
Olivetti DM1 00/4
Olivetti DM280/1
Olivetti DM600
Olivetti DM1 05/1 Colour
Panasonic KXP1081
£299.00
£299.00
£139.00
£159.00
£269.00
£299.00
£374.00
£436.00
£744.00
£183.00
£278.00
£449.00
£158.00
£197.00
£305.00
£899.00
£172.00
£138.00
Seikosha SP1 80
Seikosha SP1200
Seikosha SL80
Star LG 0 inc l/F
Star ND10
Star NR10
Star NX15
Star ND1 5
Star NR15
Star NB24-10
Star NB24-15
Star NB15
£148.00
£188.00
£279.00
£189.00
£248.00
£318.00
£269.00
£334.00
£384.00
£404.00
£515.00
£597.00
LASER
Epson GQ3500 Laser £ 1 1 90.00
HP LaserJet Mk II Laser
Canon LBP8 Mk II Laser
Oki Laserline 6 Laser
Star LP-8
Citizen Overture Loser
Brother HL-8
Kyocera FI 000
Qume Laser Ten
AMSTRAD
SD Mono
DD Mono
20Mb Mono
CGA Colour Extra
EGA Colour Extra
30 Meg Hard Card Extra
£1790.00
£1549.00
£1369.00
£1599.00
£1259.00
£1679.00
£1879.00
£2089.00
1640
£449.00
£534.00
£809.00
£139.00
£279.00
£259.00
_ _ _ _ ___ m All consumables and software
11 Cl I \S E O W P° st Hardware £5 + VAT 4 Day.
Elil V C 1% I £9 t VAT 24 Hour. Laser Printers £1 5 * VAT
24 Hour.
EPSON PRINTERS
UK'S LOWEST PRICES
ACORN ARCIMEDES
UK'S LOWEST PRICES
Epson LX800 £184.00
Epson FX800 £287.00
Epson FX1 000 £373.00
Epson EX800 £371.00
Epson EX 1000 £497.00
Epson LQ850 £419.00
Epson LQ 1050 £569.00
Epson LQ2500+ £699.00
Epson SQ2500 £969.00
Epson GQ3500 Laser £1 1 90.00
ra|||fi!lU 3 Eflg
FAX MACHINES
Highly discounted
prices on NEC,
Panasonic and Canon.
COMPUTERS BY POST GUARANTEED after buying anv of
the hardware or software in this advertisement, you find the same item offerea
at a lower price locally within one week, we will refund the difference.
All prices exclude VM
CREDIT CARD HOT-LINE
§ 01-760 0014
Computers by Post (ACU), 14 Emmabrook Court,
Sea Road, Rustington, West Sussex.
Export Enquiries Welcome
To: Computers by Post, 14 Emmabrook Court, Sea Road, Rustington, West Sussex.
I wish to order.
My computer is
I enclose cheque/PO for £
or charge my Access/Visa No:
_inc VAT
Name
Signature-
Address
Postcode-
_Tel No:.
OVERSEAS MEDIA DISTRIBUTORS
COMPUTER SUPPLIES AT WHOLESALE PRICES
FREE CARRIAGE
UNBRANDED DISKS Certified & Guaranteed
25 50 100 200
5 %" DSDD £9.50 £17.50 £32.50 £62.00
Supplied with Labels, Envelopes & Write Protects
10 25 50 100
3 ’/a" DSDD £12.50 £26.25 £54.00 £105.00
Supplied with labels
COLOURED DISK Free Library Case
5 ’A" DSDD 48 TPI
Colours: RED, BLUE, GREEN.
£7.90 per box of ten
YELLOW & WHITE
DISK STORAGE
SYSTEM
YUD 50L 5%" x 50
£6.25 with disks £22.50
YUDD 1 00L 5V4"x 100
£7.90 with disks £38.00
YUD 120L 5V4"x120
£10.50 with disks £47.90
YUD 40L 3V2"x40
£6.00 with disks £46.90
YUD 80L 3y 2 "x80
£8.25 WITH DISKS £78.90
All with Lock & 2 Keys
CLEANING KITS
HEAD CLEANING KITS
5 %" £2.50 3V' £3.75
ALL IN ONE KIT
1 Bottle General Surface Cleaner
1 Bottle Anti-Static Fluid
1 Bottle CRT Cleaning Solvent
3 Manual Spray Pumps
1 5 %" Floppy Head Cleaning Kit
50 Lint Free Cloths
SPECIAL PRICE £9.50
5^? Rugged steel frame.
Height adjustable basket
for output paper & base shelf
for input paper. Self assembly -
includes castors.
80 column £45.00
132 column £57.50
PRINTER STANDS
YU-S24 UNIVERSAL PRINTER STAND
Knock-Down typo. A cantilever refold paper
trays use no table space. Pits all printers,
standard carriage and wide. Made of molded
plastic.
£19.50
YU-S25 K/D PRINTER STAND
Made of molded plastic. Feeds and
refolds paper underneath the printer,
takes up hardly more space than the
printer itself
YU-S25A: for 80 col. printer.
YU-S25B: for 132 col. printer.
80 column £28.50
132 column £32.50
PRINTER RIBBONS
Price per
Ribbon
AMSTRAD
8512/8256
£3.95
DMP 2000/3000
£2.25
BROTHER
HR15MS
£2.75
CITIZEN
1 20D
£3.75
COMMODORE MPS 801
£4.00
DIABLO
HYTPYE II MS
£1.90
EPSON
FX/RX80 FX800
£2.75
MX/1 00/FX 1000
£3.75
LX80/86
£2.25
JUKI
6100MS
£2.50
PANASONIC
KXP110
£3.95
QUME
IV M5
£2.50
STAR
NL-10
£4.50
MOST OTHER MAKES OF RIBBON
AVAILABLE, PHONE FOR DETAILS
PLEASE NOTE PRICES ARE EXCLUSIVE OF
VAT. @15%
FREE POSTAGE IN U.K. |
COPY HOLDERS
YU-H32 COPY HOLDER
WITH ADJUSTABLE ARM
Size: 9%" x11%"
With smooth slide line
guide. £19.50
PLASTIC LIBRARY
CASES
5y4 #, x io
£1.75 WITH DISKS £5.90
3 y 2 " x i o
£2.50 WITH DISKS £13.90
CHEQUES OR POSTAL ORDERS TO:
OVERSEAS MEDIA DISTRIBUTORS
REF AC 003, 30 GREAT MEADOW ROAD, BEAUMONT LEYS
LEICESTER LE4 OQA. TEL: 0533 340114
EDUCATIONAL & GOVERNMENT ORDERS ACCEPTED - TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOME
ECORET ERHRRCEniERT HRRDLURRE mam DSL
o
□
ECONET \
TAPE STREAMER
Back up your entire Econet Level 3 Winchester in 2 minutes!
The Digistore 600 is the latest addition to our range of Econet
enhancement products. It provides Acorn hard disc users with the first
professional tapestreamer for Econet and ADFS, and at 5.2 megabytes per
minute, a security backup can be made several times a day with almost no
effort.
The Digistore uses industry standard data cartridges giving exceptional
reliability and data security.
159 HAVANT ROAD, DRAYTON, PORTSMOUTH. HANTS P06 2AA
TELEPHONE (0705) 324934
(r
INTERFACING ?
We have Interfaces available ex-stock for many purposes including Stepper Motors, Lamps, Relays
and small DC motors. From the User Port, you can control two stepper motors and a relay, or up to
9 relays can be added to control mains devices. Full user information included with each.
VERSION 1. Powered from BBC auxiliary power supply. £ 23.0 0 inc. P & P.
VERSION 2. Kith mains Power supply (optically isolated! £ 49 .00 inc. P t P.
VERSION 3. High output for stepper motors or other. £ 42 • 50 inc. P fc P.
Up to 3 Amps per line. Needs a separate power supply which we can supply (See below!.
POWER SUPPLIES available for many voltages and currents. Write or 'phone for quote.
STEPPER MOTOR CONTROLLER
Our S,M.C. is now widely used for DIY plotters, turtles and computor control (CNC) of small machine
tools. It allows you to control two stepper motors and a relay direct from BASIC by adding 20
eaty-to-uie 'star' commands. Savr the machine code writing time for your project.
ROM with easy fitting instructions £ 14.95 ind. P & P.
SCRAPBOOK
A free-format storage L retrieval system for all types of information including colour and graphics
Incorporates screen designers and facilities to search, sort# browse, print, extract etc. Forget
fields, records etc. Store information as you want to read it - on the screen. Store up to 320
Teletext screens on a disc. Do automatic 'slide show' type presentations.
Disc, ( 40 or 80 Track ) and manual £ 12.95 ind. P & P.
Instant Oll'SCreen Help
All BBC models can have On-Screen help with our range of ROMs and Disci Why thumb the handbook
when you can have the important details on screen'even when wardprocessing.
WORDWISE COMPANION
For Computer Concepts Wordwise and Wordwise Plus wordprocessors.
BASIC COMPANION
Instant help for getting to grips with BASIC programming.
PROGRAMMERS COMPANION
Colours# Graphics, Sounds, VDU codes, ASCII codes# »FX commands etc,
MACHINE CODE COMPANION
Assembly language help. OS routines# 6502 Instructions, Addressing Modes, Vectors etc,
Atl the above ROMs come with easy to follow fitting instructions
£ 19.95 ind. P £ P.
£ 9.95
£ 19.95
ind. P S> P.
ind. P S • P.
All of the above ROMs a, e also available as ROM IMAGES on disc for loading into sideways RAM,
Any of the above ROMc f 8.95 All FOUR Companions £ 19.95 ind. P F P.
Disc Versions
Disc versions of Basic, Programmers and Machine code Companions,
All three Disc Companions on one disc. 40 or 80 Track
Demonstration Disc
With interactive demonstration and samples from all four Companions. £ 1 .25 me. P Z> P.
Hafod-y-Mor,Hill Terrace,LLANDUDNO,LL30 2LS,
32
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
Write to Letters, Acorn User, 20-26 Brunswick Place, London N1 6DJ
MISTAKE
OVER MICROBRUSH
Sir, With reference to January’s
review of Microbrusb , I have
been using it regularly since it
first became available. There
have been various reviews in
Acorn User of other art/CAD
packages and I felt sure that
when Microbush hit the lime-
light, you would be singing its
praises at great length. How-
ever, since the overall flavour
of the review did not, I feel,
give this impression, I can only
suggest that had a little more
time been spent reading the
manual before using the pack-
Microbrush : Can make cuts
age, you too would have reaped
the benefits, as I did.
Although you acknowledge
that it is more versatile than
any other system for the Beeb,
you certainly boobed on one
point. There is a cut and paste
routine, although it is referred
to as a screen editor and embo-
dies a superb special effects sys-
tem. It’s well covered in the
manual and offers much more
than simple cut and paste.
1 would agree that you can’t
master the system in five mi-
nutes, but just because you
hold a valid driving licence,
you wouldn’t expect to be able
to jump in and fly Concorde
would you? I have tried most
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
of the other systems available
and by comparison they are
very ‘Mickey Mouse’. For the
serious user, there is only one
package that does virtually ev-
erything - Microbrush. Used
with a Trackerball, it outper-
forms anything else on the
market - including Watford’s
Quest Paint , which I have also
tried out.
David Jackson
Paignton
CRICKETING
COMPUTERS
Sir, As a cricket statistician, the
winter months are devoted to
my hobby and profession of
compiling records from a busy
English season.
So far with my BBC Master,
InterWorci and InterSheet , I
have managed quite a few use-
ful functions, but feel the Mas-
ter could be put to better use
with a form of database that
could be used for compiling
cricket averages and records.
Victor Isaacs
Association of Cricket
Statisticians
FO OTBALL
CRAZY
Sir, I think that the program
most suitable for M Hyde of
Liverpool, who wanted to keep
a sports league, is Football Fol-
lower from Selec Software. It
costs around £15. The program
contains a menu option which
enables a file to be created
covering the user’s own re-
quirements. It has a maximum
of 130 teams and 10 divisions,
which would more than likely
cover Mr Hyde’s requirements.
Display options include league
tables, statistics of individual
teams’ performances and com-
parisons of either competing
pairs or complete fixture lists.
K R Page
Lowestoft
ON THE
BALL
Sir, M Hyde can use a database
like Clares’ Beta Base , costing
around £25. Set up a database
for each division with eight
fields; name, played, won, lost,
drawn, for, against, points. You
can add wins and losses to the
appropriate columns, then use
an option from the main menu
to calculate:
f(8) = f(3) * 3 + f(5)
Now sort the file on field 8, in
descending order. You can
print out the league table hori-
zontally, using printer control
codes 27,15,27,71 for pleasant
condensed text.
Mike Jones
Manchester
Thanks to all those who have
suggested solutions for Mr
Hyde. Using a database cap-
able of calculating field values
like Beta Base might be of use
to Victor Isaacs too.
STATISTICS
SURVEY
Sir, N Pawar asked in January’s
Letters about reviews of statis-
tics packages. Such a review
was published by Henderson et
al in the journal Computer Ap-
plications in the Biosciences ,
volume 3, pages 279-282 in
1987. The cheapest program,
and among the most versatile,
was Microtab published by Ed-
ward Arnold.
S Lazareno
Ware, Herts
A detailed work on BBC micro
statistics (published by Edward
Arnold at £49.50)
GRAPHICS
IN PRINT
Sir, How do I print out the
graphics screens on the Acorn
User monthly listings discs?
M Richie
East Grinstead
Each disc contains a graphics
bonus which can be loaded
with *LDPIC BONUS, where
BONUS is the name of the
file. You need a screen dump
ROM such as Acorn User's
UserDump or a utility prog-
ram on disc. If the screen
dump command is *SDUMP,
this will load and print the
screen:
10 *LDPIC BONUS
20 *SDUMP
33
7
for the
PROD
ELEC!
CTS
i
&
31
l_£TD
A UTILITY ROM
40 commands on a 16k rom-a command for everyone
from error extension to character designer » > PRICE > >
SOLID STATE & MECHANICAL DESK TOP DATA SWITCHES
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“PRINTERSHARER” Several Micros to one Printer
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"PRINTERCROSSOVER" Two Micros to two Printers
FOR LONG CABLES
Keyzone Solid State Switching Devices can use cables from
1m to at least 30m on input & output without any data loss/error
PARALLEL PRINTERSHARER
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Paper White Screen Monitor
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C-VD
SOLID STATE MANUAL
SR23X
Serial RS232-25D (PCB)
£70
Model
Pins
Way
Price
SR423X
Serial 5 pin DIN
£45
BPS3
26 (BBC)
3
£60
SR29X
9 Pin D. (Mac)
£62
BPS3C ABOVE WITH INTERLINKS
£75
SR2CX
5 Pin DIN (//c)
£45
BPS6
26 (BBC)
6
£110
BPS6C ABOVE WITH INTERLINKS
£140
APS2
36
2
£75
APS3
36
3
£85
MECHANICAL T-SWITCHES
IPS2
25D(IBM)
2
£70
IPS3
24D(IBM)
3
£80
PCB -
ALL LINES - NOT HARDWIRED
PARALLEL PRINTERCHANGER
T36-2
Centronics 36 pin 2 way
£60
SOLID STATE MANUAL
T36-3
Centronics 36 pin 3 way
£72
BPC3
26 (BBC)
3 way
£60
T36-4
Centronics 36 pin 4 way
£90
APC2
36
2
£75
T36-X
Centronics 36 pin 2x2
£90
APC3
36
3
£85
T25-2
Parallel 25D IBM 2 way
£55
IPC2
25D(IBM)
2
£70
T25-3
Parallel 25D IBM 3 way
£65
IPC3
25D(IBM)
3
£90
T25-4
Parallel 250 IBM 4 way
£75
PARALLEL PRINTERCROSSOVER
T25X
Parallel 250 IBM -2X2
£75
SOLID STATE MANUAL
BPX
26 (BBC)
2x2
£70
APX
36
2x2
£95
IPX
25D(IBM)
2x2
£85
CABLES (STANDARD 6FT)
SOLID STATE AUTOMATIC
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APS2A Parallel 36 pin
APS3A Parallel 36 pin
APS4A Parallel 36 pin
IPS2A Parallel 25D (IBM)
IPS3A Parallel 25D (IBM)
IPS4A Parallel 25D (IBM)
IPS8A Parallel 25D (IBM)
2 way £105
3 way £115
4 way £180
2 way £100
3 way £110
4 way £150
8 way £200
KPC101
KPC101-C
KPC103
KPC103
KSC101
K8C106
KSC-101
KPC-106
SERIAL PRINTERSHARER/CHANGER
PCB - ALL LINES (NOT HARD WIRED)
SR232
25D-PCB
2 way
£55
SR233
25D-PCB
3 way
£65
SR234
25D-PCB
4 way
£75
SR423
5DIN (BBC)
3 way
£40
SR292
9D(Mac)
2 way
£52
SR293
9D(Mac)
3 way
£59
SR2C
5DIN(//c)
3 way
£40
Parallel Interlinks lor BBC Switches
Parallel Interlinks lor Compact
BBC Printer Cable
Compact Printer Cable
Serial RS232 (10 lines) M/M or M F
Serial RS232 (25 lines) M/M or M F
Serial IBM Printer Cable (10 lines)
Parallel Interlink lor IBM Switches
KPC-105-6 Parallel IBM Printer Cable (6 ft)
KPC105-10 Parallel IBM Printer Cable (1011)
KPC104R Centronics Flat Ribbon Cable 36-36pin £12
KPC104F-6 Centronics Flex Cable 36-36pin (6 ft) £16
KPC104F-10 Centronics Flex Cable 36pin (10ft) £18
CUSTOM CABLE MAKING
SERVICE AVAILABLE
£8
£9
£9.50
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£14
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£15
£17
Add postage: Switches £3 00 each. & cable £0 75 each • 15% VAT
KEYZONE COMPUTER PRODUCTS LTD
Vf&vJ U 1 4 Acton Business Centre.
V 55 ' School Road. London NWIO 6TD
ncvzonc Telephone 01-965 1684 1804 Telex 8813271 GECOMSG
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SCUIICIPEILSCTT
PRESENT
The new ‘CARE’ range of programs:
For the Electron, BBC-B & B*f, Compact, Master and Archimedes
INVESTMENT CARE PLUS - £19.95
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displays & printouts of Capital Gains Dividends. Current
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This new version has improved handling characteristics and a
3D BAR CHART program with a disc search procedure to
collect past data.
CASH CARE -£11.95
Bank account AND Savings account. Full Analysis - 60
categories. Budget Forecasts. 3-D Bar Charts Password
Protection Easy storage of data. Printouts of all accounts and
Bar Charts
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Checks the complex interest calculations involved on a day to
day basis. Shows interest earned to date. Spreadsheet display.
Easy storage of data. Printout of account to date.
VAT CARE -£14.95
225 Sales AND 225 Purchases each month (BBC). Three
month period. ALERT warning if VAT 2% or more incorrect.
Easy storage of data. Printout with month & 3 monthly totals.
The CARES DISK - £29.95 - comprising all four Cares utilities.
TV DIRECTOR:-
Now popular in schools this program enables you to make your own video without cameras
etc. on VHS or Betamax using this suite ot purpose built sottware:-
Picture maker' - Gallery - Program review Gallery' includes one TX and 8 P V monitors.
A&B bank vision mixer to provide cuts, lades. & dissolves, opening & closing credits Sample
picture datafile provided to get you going choose your own soundtrack & record the result on
to any suitable videorecorder - £14,95.
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THE GAMES DISK £14.95 COMPILATION OF GAMES PROGRAMMES
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ADDRESS
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Please phone 061-789 4120 for further information
M rchimedes
Acorn®
The choice pf exfM'rienre
CUMBRIA SOFTWARE
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ACORN APPROVED DEALERS
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EDUCATIONAL DISCOUNTS
OFFICIAL ORDERS
ACCEPTED FROM
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34
ACORN USKR MARCH 1988
LETTERS
BUND
DATE
Sir, I have a BBC Master 128,
which I use for letter writing.
The letters are all kept on disc,
the only printed copy being the
one that is actually sent
through the post.
However, when I came to
look up one of my master-
pieces, sent some time in the
past, I was horrified. Because
I’d used | D to date the letter, I
couldn’t find when it was post-
ed. Can anyone suggest a way
to keep that date for posterity
on the letter in question? Or
have we to go back to the old
way of actually typing the date,
forsaking the |D facility of the
Master?
Alan Callaway
Exeter
One way is to include the date
in the filename, so a letter
written on February 11 could
be called ‘0211LET’. You put
the month before the day and
the name, so the files appear
on the disc catalogue in date
order. On networks and the
Archimedes, all files arj. date
stamped automatically.
WORDPROCESSING
ADVICE
Sir, I cannot agree with your
comment that InterWord can
be awkward in use (January
Letters). I would thoroughly
recommend it, though this is
not to denigrate View , which I
have not tried. Compared with
LocoScript for the Amstrad
8256, InterWord is a paragon of
user friendliness and speed.
Any wordprocessing program
requires some initial effort to
get the hang of it, whether you
are new to wordprocessing, or
merely used to some other
program. Incidentally, I still
use Wordwise to create !BOOT
files to load special function
keys, initialise parameters etc
for InterWord. There are other
ways of doing this ( :: 'BUILD,
or even a brief Basic program),
but they are far less convenient.
As regards the number of
books available, if you need
them then the official manual is
not what it ought to be (aftcr-
InterWord : Quick and friendly
all, a wordprocessing program
is not as complex as a compu-
ter!). Indeed, I would look ask-
ance at a manual more than
about six millimetres thick:
either the program is bristling
with features you will never
need, or is unnecessarily diffi-
cult to use, or the manual con-
tains a lot of verbiage (and
some of them do!).
Ruben Hadekel
London S\V6
InterWord is easy to use for
some applications, awkward
for others. For example, it’s
difficult to use a mixture of
single and double line spacing,
as found in most technical
writing. However, InterWord
is quick, and the menu system
is very friendly.
CANON
CONVERSION
Sir, I was very interested in
December’s issue and was very
pleased to find Stuart Rogers’
NLQ printer driver. On read-
ing the article I was posed with
the same old problem: it
needed alteration for my
Canon PW1080 printer. The
article took it for granted that
everyone had the know how to
change the program. I always
enjoy typing in listings and find
this very frustrating. Could
you please help?
J Gilmour
Saltcoats, Ayrshire
The only change that is
needed for the Canon PW1080
and Kaga 810 printers is:
1430 EQUB ASC “)”
ZENITH
IS SAFE
Sir, In his monitors review in
the December 1987 issue of
Acorn User , Chris Drage raised
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Zenith safety standards high
some doubts over the suitabil-
ity of the Zenith ZVM-1200
12-inch monochrome monitor
for use in education. In particu-
lar, he queried the use of a
two-core mains lead. In fact, as
a safety feature, the monitor is
double insulated, and it doesn’t
need to be earthed.
The connector half way
along the lead is intended to
prevent accidental disconnec-
tion of the computer - only the
monitor is switched off if the
lead is pulled.
Because of its quality and
value for money, the Zenith
monitor is recommended for
use in education by the Train-
ing and Educational Systems
Testing Bureau. We have sold
thousands of these monitors to
satisfied users in educational
establishments up and down
the country.
Nazir Jessa
Watford Electronics
FAMILY
TREES
Sir, I was pleased to note from
Alan Clamp’s letter in January
that someone else was using the
Personal Ancestral File on the
Master 512. This is a first class
program. The Society of
Genealogists’ journal, Compu-
ters in Genealogy , said it was ‘a
very good buy indeed.’
One important point to bear
in mind when using the PAF on
the Master 512 is that the 512
system can use several different
disc formats, as pointed out by
Graham Bell in the November
issue. PC discs are usually for-
matted to store 360k of data,
and some PC programs are de-
signed for 360k discs only.
They can corrupt discs using
other formats.
This appears to be the case
with the PAF. Using the BBC
800k data format I found that
my files were corrupted when I
had occasion to modify them.
But using the IBM 360k format
for data discs has given trouble
free working.
Readers may like to know
that I’ve found that IBM Dis-
play Write 2, version 1.5, works
on the Master 512.
John Pettinger
Solihull
Computers in Genealogy is a
quarterly newsletter published
by the Society of Genealog-
ists, 14 Charterhouse Build-
ings, London EC1M 7BA.
VENIVIDI
VICI
The address that you printed in
January, for our wargaming
magazine, Veni Vidi Vici was
incorrect. Readers should write
to: Brian Frew, 14 Lower
Meadow, Edgeworth, Bolton.
Bernard Emblem
Bury
35
ACORN USIiR MARCH 1988
The Garth, Hampsfell Road, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6BG Telephone: 044 84 4604
SOFTWARE:
Inter-word The Word Processor
Spell-Master Ultimate Spelling Checker
Inter-base Database
PHILIPS MONITORS & TV/MONITORS Inc. lead:
Suitable for BBC B. Master & Archimedes computers
Philips 8833 Medium Res Colour
Philips AV7300 TV/Tuner for 8833
Philips 1010 TV/Monitor
Philips 1210 Remote TV/Monitor
Open
Mon - Thurs 9am - 5pm
Fri - Sat 9am - 4pm
@ £252 20
@ £65 00
@ £228 00
@ £250 00
READY MADE LEADS
(Widor range available)
Centronics to Centronics
Disc Drive Data (Single)
Disc Drive Data (Dual)
Archimedes-6 pm RGB
Archimedes-7 pin Hitachi RGB
Archimedes- 7 pm Ferguson RGB
Archimedes-Scart (Euro)
Archimedes Sena! to BBC RS423
Archimedes Printer Lead (fully screened)
Printer (BBC to Contromc)
RGB 6-7 pm DIN (Hitachi)
RGB 6-7 pm DIN (Forguson)
RGB 6 pin to SCART
User Port Extension Skt to Plug
Printer Extension Skt to Plug
1MZ Bus Extension Skt to Plug
SWITCHING UNITS
1 MICRO INTO 2 PR
£800
£7 60
£8 00
£8 00
1 5mt @ £11 00
1 2m t @ £6 00
1 5m t @
1 2mt @
1 2mt (3)
1 2mt @
1 5mt @ £10 00
1 2mt @ £8 00
1 2mt @ £14 00
1 5mt @
1 2mt @
1 2mt @
1 2mt (3)
5mt @
£7 00
£6 20
£6 20
£8 20
£9 00
£290 03a
£74 75b
£262 20a
£287 50a
£1 2.65c
£6 90c
£9 20c
£8. 74c
£9 20c
£9 20c
£11 50c
£9 20c
£16 10c
£8 05c
£7 13c
£7. 13c
£9 43c
£10. 35c
£1 1 73c
£11 96c
800 ST ALBANS ROAD.
GARSTON. WATFORD.
HERTS. WD2 6NL. Tel: 0923 672102
Price Each = Ex Vat: Inc Vat:
BBC Pnnter 6 to 1
@ £71 00
£81 65d
Centronics 2 to 1 (Inc Lead)
@ £31 00
£35 65d
Centronics 4 to 1 (Inc Lead)
@ £70 00
£80 50d
Centronics 2 to 2 ’X* Switcher
@ £70 00
£80 50d
Centronics 4 to 1 Automatic Switchor
@£102 00
£117 30d
Centronics 8 to 1 Automatic Switchor
@£128 00
£147 20d
Usor Port 2 way & Off Posn (Inc Load)
@ £33 00
£37 95d
Usor Port 6 way & Off Posn (Inc Lead)
@ £72 00
£82 80d
RGB Switchor 2 to 1
@ £20.20
£23 23d
RS423 2 to 1
@ £20 20
£23 23d
Teletex Adaptor ATS Software on ROM
@£100.00
£1 15.00d
Eprom Programmer Software on ROM
@£ 33.00
£ 37.95d
SPECIAL 3.5" A 5.25" COMBINED DISC DRIVE UNIT:
Suitable for the ARCHIMEDES. BBC B. MASTER. COMPACT. IBM PS/2 etc. Boot off any
drive, definable selection of drive number, i.e. 0, 1,2. 3.5/5 25 DISC DRIVE UNIT
@ £190.00 £218. 50b
CARE MASTER ROM CARTRIDGES:
Designed by CARE Electronics to Acorn Specifications Capable of taking up to 2 or 4 x
16K Eproms. Including Inter word and Spollmaster. CARE Cartridges offer 4 options for
maximum user flexibility. 1: Standard Cartridge. 2: Single Zif. 3 Dual Zif. 4 Quad.
CARE MASTER SMART CARTRIDGE
Freeze Prog at any point and dump Scroen to Disc/Printor. Copies 99% of Protected
programs Tapo - Disc, Disc-Tape, ASCI Dump and much, much more.
CARE BBC Model B Cartridges @ £3 00 £3.45c
CARE BBC Model B Zif Cartridges @ £7.00 £8.05c
CARE Low Profile System (The Original) @ £12 00 £13.80d
CARE Library Rack (Holds 6 Cartridges) @ £1.60 £1 84c
|^J CARE Master 32K/32K Switchable Rom Cartndge @£11.00 £ 12.65c
CARE Master ROM Cartridge @ £8.00 £9.20c
CARE Master Quad Cartridge @ £13.00 £1 4.95c
CARE Master Single Zif Cartridge @ £12 80 £1 4.72c
CARE Master Dual Zif Cartridge @ £17 00 £ 19.55c
CARE Master Smart Cartridge @ £34 60 £39 79c
LOW COST CITIZEN:
Citizen LSP-10 Printor @ £162.50 £186 88a
J3EEI3EiniI2[3EEEBII!I223I3 (^or Master & Compact/Modol B&B+)
Uses S/RAM, Any Spare I/O, Complotoly Usor Definable
Rom Version @ £14.00 £16.10d
5^25*DiscVersiori @ £13 00 £14.95d
Comprehensive label pnnting program for E creation or Business
MasteTBB^B^ompact. Electron with DFS Menu driven. Two modes Message or
Address labels, different print stylos & underline, italidsod otc. Please state disc format
required LABELMASTER @ £15.00 £17.25
BBC or Mastor version, ploaso specify
GOVERNMENT A EDUCATION ORDERS WELCOME
HOW TO ORDER:
All prices inclusive of VAT. By Post
Enclose your choque/P.O. made payable to CARE Electronics. Or
use your ACCESS/VISA Please allow 7 days for delivery Please
add carriage.
a - £10.35 b « £5 75 c = £1.15 d - £2.30
36
ACORN USKR MARCH IVKS
LETTERS
TERMINAL
E MULATOR
Sir, Can you tell me who sup-
plies a terminal emulator, either
on ROM or disc based, for use
on the Master 128 when con-
nected via a modem to a DEC
Vax computer.
I am looking for either
VT100 or VT200 series emula-
tion, with the Master keypad
performing the same editing
functions as the VT series and
possibly with Tektronix 4010
vector graphics emulation.
Kate Crcnnell
Didcot
The most comprehensive ter-
minal emulator available for
the Master 128 is the Termula-
Acomsoft’s TemiulatorRQM
tor ROM (Master version). It
supports VT52, VT100 and
Tektronix 4010 emulation,
and is available from Acorn
and its dealers.
S HARING
A HARD DISC
Sir, At my place of work we
have a BBC B4- and a Master
128 linked to a Viglen 28Mb
Winchester through a Tech-
nomatic four-way multiplexer.
This arrangement works very
well, allowing both computers
to work on the same random
access file at the same time.
The only problem I have en-
countered is when one of the
computers ‘saves’ a program or
Edit/ Ultracalc 2 file, the other
computer gives a ‘Disc
changed’ error when it next
tries to load a file. When I issue
a "'MOUNT command, I find
that we have been put back to
the root (S) directory. Have
you or anyone else had this
problem?
We now wish to add another
Master 128 to the system, but
this one is to be situated about
100 feet away from the multi-
plexer. Is it possible to extend
the IMz bus that far?
R J Allen
Glasgow
The ‘Disc Changed’ error is
inevitable, as the other com-
puter alters the disc catalogue
when it saves the file. Using
two computers to access the
same random access file in this
way is a recipe for certain
disaster.
"'MOUNT always returns
you to the root directory.
Extending the 1MHz bus
up to 100 feet is not really
feasible, as the signals from
Hard discs: Two into one won’t go
the hard disc drive will de-
teriorate as they travel along
the cable. Installing an Econet
may be the best method;
you’ve already got the Win-
chester, so all you’ll need is
the cabling, interfaces and file
server software, plus a spare
BBC micro as the file server.
SJ Research manufacture
suitable networking equip-
ment. Contact them at 108
Mill Road, Cambridge CB1
2BD. Tel: (0223) 69927
ACORN
ACCUSED
Sir, I recently purchased an
Archimedes 310. Two days la-
ter, I found the price had drop-
ped by £115, and I noted Acorn
User's views on this move.
Acorn refuses to comment, but
I for one am finished with
Acorn. Acorn says that cus-
tomers buying early machines
will receive free ROM upgrades
and a wordprocessor, but what
it doesn’t state is that you’ll
need a backplane option and
ROM podule to use them.
I have tried some old listings
from Acorn User , including
‘ThreeDee’ from April 1986.
Old BBC programs work fine
on the Arc, but why does it
rejects any machine code list-
ings that I enter?
R D Stalker
Falkirk
You should by now have re-
ceived your Arthur ROM up-
grade, and the Arcwrite word-
processor. You don’t need a
ROM podule or backplane to
use them, as the 1.2 Arthur
ROMs replace the ROMs on
the main circuit board, and
Arcwrite is on disc.
The reason that the Arc
rejects machine code you type
in is that Basic 5 only assem-
bles ARM code, not 6502 code.
To type in 6502 code, you’ll
need to run the emulator.
"RMLOAD the module
(65Arthur) and then type
*EMULATEBBC, before en-
tering or running your prog-
rams with 6502 machine code
in them.
EIGHTY C0LDMN
OFFICE
Sir, I find the wordprocessor of
Mini Office 2 to be very useful,
and adequate for my particular
requirements. I can only use it
in 40-column mode. I am told
my BBC B does not have suffi-
cient memory available to en-
able me to use 80-column
mode. What do I need to add
to my existing equipment?
N Reed
Huddersfield
You can add a shadow mem-
ory board to give your model
B an extra 20k of memory
which should be enough.
Watford Electronics and Aries
produce suitable boards.
However, only the ROM ver-
sion of Mini Office can make
use of a shadow RAM board.
If you are using either the
tape or disc version, then
you’ll have to stick to 40-
column mode.
UNDERU SED
LOCAT IONS
Sir, If you need some memory
then &90-&9F is safe if you are
not an Econet user. &9F and
&F9 are not used at all by
OS1.2, nor are &39F to &3A6.
If you are not using cassettes,
then &380 to &3DF and &900
to &AFF are available.
Adrian Hall
Address supplied
As many people spotted, the
item in Forum in November
should have concerned mem-
ory locations &A8-AF, not
&AB-AF. The reason for us-
ing these locations is that they
are within Acorn’s program-
ming rules, whereas the other
locations mentioned are set
aside for other things -
Econet work space, cassette
work space, and so on.
By all means use them, but
be warned, your programs
may not work on other peo-
ple’s machines, or with other
versions of the operating sys-
tem. Converting your prog-
rams later can entail a lot of
hard work.
ACORN USLiR MARCH 1988
37
DABHAND GUIDE
ACORN US E R OFFER
The Ultimate ViewSheet and
ViewStore guide
DABS
PRESS
A Dabhand Guide
GRAHAM BELL
VIEWSHEET
VIEWSTORE
Including ViewPlot and OverView
Acorn Users Technical Editor, Graham
Bell, provides the ultimate tutorial and
reference work in his Dabhand Guide to
ViewSheet and ViewStore.
This information-packed book covers
every thing you need to know, whether
you want to check a bank statement or run
a multi-million pound business. Written to
appeal to both beginner and experienced
user alike it describes in detail how to set
up, use and maintain spreadsheets and
databases and provides comprehensive
practical examples and utilities throughout.
The book is applicable to all Acorn
machines and filing systems. Just some of
the many topics covered include: absolute
and relative replication, building an invoice
system, database and spreadsheet design,
use of SELECT and REPORT, using a
printer, machine code utilities, plus large
helpings of practical hints and tips.
The accompanying disc contains all the
programs listed in the book plus many
more, and comes with a handy manual.
Please send me:
copies of ViewSheet/ ViewStore: A Dabhand Guide at £12.95 (including P&P)
copies of VicwShect/ViewStorc and 5.25-inch disc at £16.95 (£1 discount)
copies of ViewSheet/ViewStorc and 3.5-inch disc at £17.95 (£2 discount)
I enclose a sterling cheque/postal order payable to Dabs Press for £ (outside UK add £2
P&P)
Please charge my Access/Barelaycard £
ACCOUNT NO: EXPIRY DATE
NAME
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
Send this coupon with your remittance to ViewSheet Offer, Acorn User Merchandising, Redwood
Publishing Ltd, 20-26 Brunswick Place, London N1 6DJ.
38
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
HINTS & UPS
DIRECTORY ENQUIRIES
The ADFS’ system of directories can be confusing at first - here’s how they work.
Plus your advice and programming ideas
Figure 1. The branching tree structure of an ADFS directory
The Advanced Disc Filing System (ADFS)
seems to present problems to anyone who
is used to the normal DFS. It comes with
all BBC Masters, Master Compacts,
Archimedes and with the Acorn Electron
Plus 3. It differs from the normal Disc
Filing System (DFS) which is supplied with
the BBC, B + , Master and some Master
Compacts in a two basic ways; the method
of data storage, and the system for storing
the catalogue of files.
The way data is stored on the disc is
very different. One track of a DFS disc has
10 ‘sectors’, each storing 256 bytes of
information. A byte can be regarded as one
normal character, a letter, number or what-
ever. An ADFS disc has 16 ‘sectors’, each
storing 256 bytes. The DFS format can
have either 40 or 80 tracks per disc, de-
pending on the type of disc drive being
used. Each surface of the disc, top or
bottom, is treated as a separate disc. The
ability to use the second side of the disc,
known as drive 2, depends again on the
type of disc drive linked to the computer,
not on the type of floppy disc. Almost
every disc is suitable for two-sided use.
The ADFS can also use either 40 or 80
tracks depending on the disc drive being
used. However, it can also treat the oppo-
site side of the disc as a continuation of the
first side. The ADFS takes in terms of
‘small’, ‘medium’, ‘large’ and ‘double’
when referring to the format of discs.
■ Small is a 40-track single-sided format,
giving 160k of disc space.
■ Medium is an 80-track single-sided for-
mat with 320k of disc space.
■ Large is an 80-track double-sided for-
mat, offering 640k, of disc space.
■ Double is a special Archimedes-only
format using 80-track double-sided discs,
but using five extra large sectors of 1024
bytes on each track. This gives 800k of disc
storage on a 3.5inch disc. This compares
with only 100k for a 40-track DFS disc,
and 200k for an 80-track DFS disc. Of
course using the second side of the disc
adds an extra 100k or 200k.
The way programs are stored on a DFS
disc and an ADFS disc are quite different.
The ADFS overcomes many of the short-
comings of the DFS system, and is very
similar in operation to other disc systems
like MS-DOS. The main disadvantage of
AFS is that there is some loss of speed in
program loading.
The DFS catalogues and stores programs
in a very similar format to that of a book
of short stories. There is an index at the
start of the disc. The index contains the
program name, of seven letters only, and
the ‘page number’ of the program. The
page number is given in terms of sectors.
The sector is equivalent to a page in a
book, and a new program always starts on
a new sector. A major limitation of the
DFS is that it is only able to have 31 names
in the catalogue. Thus the catalogue can be
full long before all the space on the disc is
used up. This is especially annoying when
you want to save a series of short word-
processed letters on a disc. Each file is
stored in order, much as each page of a
story must follow the previous page. There
are never odd pages inserted within the file.
This is how the ‘Can’t extend’ error crops
up. A file can be stored on the disc
between two other files. The space avail-
able for it is fixed by the gap between the
two others. If you try to make the file
longer, it gets too big for the gap, and
because files are always stored in one piece,
it can’t be made any bigger.
The ADFS stores programs in a much
more efficient way. It uses a series of
directories, so there is no limit to the
number of files stored in each directory.
You can create a series of directories on
ACORN USER MARCH 198S
39
Could you produce this advertisement on your Micro?
n-£15Q 2, 16K roms + disc utilities, BBCB and Master
Hicrobrush BE200 3, 1BK roms+disc utilities, Master only.
Mhen ordering please remember to state which system you require, whether you need
40 or 80 track discs and a telephone no. if you have one. Orders and information requests
should be sent to-flB Designs, 81 Sutton Common Road, Sutton, Surrey. Phone 01 644 6643
There is uery little that is not
possible uihen you haue a graphics
system as fast and as powerful as
tylCRQBRUSH
Hicrobrush is a professional graphics package
for either the BBC B or the Master. Whichever
machine you have, Hicrobrush transforms it into
a pouierf ul graphics computer. If you own a
Master then Microbrush offers you extended
resolution in mode 0 and mode 1.
Mode □ -1216*416
Mode 1 - 608*416
This whole R4 page was
composed as one mode 0
high resolution image
using the out- board scroll
system, and has a resolution
of 1216 * 900 pixels.
Microbrush for the BBCB is
comprised of two 16K roms.
The Master version contains a
third rom. The first two roms can
be used in either machine.
The whole system is menu driven and
controlled by the Marconi RB2 tracker ball
for speed and precision, but may also be used
with either the RMX or the Whigmore mouse.
Please note that the tracker ball is not included.
The Colour System
This is just 1 of 33 major graphic systems
contained within Microbrush and offers you
42 colours in mode 1 and 42 grey tones in
mode 0. New colour palettes can be created
with which you can draw lines, sketch, fill,
paint in foreground, background, opaque,
transparent and combined colour. Add this to
a colour rubber which will selectively erase
any actual colour and you have a very
powerful painting system with more than
1,000,000 possible colours.
Rbove the painting system in mode O.
The Ikon Generator
The ikon generator is the main workhorse of
the Microbrush system as it is used for both
generating and positioning any ikon up to 6*3
character blocks. This system is also used
by the typesetter and for creating colour
palettes, rubbers, paint-brushes and type-
faces. Up to 46 ikons can be stored in
memory. The scope of the ikon facility is
immense as it allows you to transform the
Microbrush system into a purpose built
design tool that suits your needs.
The Type Setter
With the Microbrush system you will receive
50 proportionally spaced typefaces. The
smallest allows you up to 170 characters to
the line and if this is not enough then you
can design your own typefaces.
The typesetter displays the current
font as a scrollable menu allowing you to
quickly produce professional typography.
The Screen Editor and the
Special Effects Generator
The screen editor is a powerful drag system
that allows you to store up to a quarter of
the screen in memory. Once stored, images
can literally be dragged across the screen,
repeated, copied, saved to disc or fed to the
special effects generator.
The Special Effects Generator
This is a very versatile system which will
automatically outline, inline, shadow, 3 D ,
half-tone, etc. any image held within the
screen editor’s memory.
The Injector rom
The Injector rom is the second rom in the
Microbrush system. This rom contains the
drawing functions such as lines, rectangles,
circles, ellipses, arcs, rotate, squash, stretch,
zoom, halve and quarter screens, plus a
whole host of other functions.
This is a very brief description of just 7 of
the 33 graphics systems contained within
Microbrush, fill of the systems are both fast
and easy to access. Microbrush also includes
a 7*7 character pixel editor and an Epson FXB0
screen dump.
The Master rom
The Master rom takes you into a completely
different world of graphics with almost 4
times the resolution in modes 1 and 0, plus 2
on-board graphics screens, 10 rom based
typefaces and a 10 point perspective system.
This is linked to a 3° generator which is soon
to be released on a 4 lt > rom for complex
perspective tasks such as the camera seen
above. Also available for the Master rom is an
out-board scroll system which allows you to
build images with a resolution greater than
1216 ♦ 2000, plus there are high res. screen
dumps for both Epson and Integrex printers.
Lastly flick through the pages of this
magazine and see how many of the other
graphic systems are capable of producing
their own advertising.
40
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
HINTS SUPS
each disc. This is a hierarchical structure, a
bit like a filing cabinet. Files are arranged
within directories, or folders. Folders can
be arranged within other, bigger, folders,
perhaps equivalent to the cabinet’s draw-
ers, and all the folders are finally arranged
together in the cabinet, known as S, the
root directory.
Type -'CAT on an ADFS disc, and the
files usually appear followed by WR or
something similar. Directories are followed
by the letters D or DL. Figure 1 shows a
possible simple hierarchical structure for a
disc containing wordprocessor files. The
first directory is called root directory (S),
From this, two more folders have been
defined: DOCS and LETTERS. These
directories can then be sub-divided. The
LETTERS directory contains two files, and
it could of course have many more. DOCS
contains two further folders, which might
each have files in them. As you can see
from the S directory, a folder can contain a
mixture of files and other folders if neces-
sary. The whole system is arranged in a
sort of branching tree structure.
There is some danger of losing files
within the filing system as the system
becomes more complicated. This is easier
to do than you might imagine, as once in
any sub-directory, you can’t see those
directories above and around it. If using a
hard disc, then this problem can become a
nightmare because of the vast number of
directories. Here the sensible thing to do is
to draw a map, or series of maps like figure
1 to show the structure of the directories.
To look at the use of these directories in
the ADFS, take a blank formatted ADFS
disc. Then create the directories in the
following way:
-•MOUNT
*CDIR LETTERS
*CDIR DOCS
-DIR DOCS
-CDIR REPORTS
-CDIR MEETINGS
-DIR S
The -CDIR command creates a new direc-
tory. Then you move into that directory
using the -DIR command to make sub-
directories from there. In order to start
again from the root directory the -'DIR $
command must be issued, otherwise the
directories will be created as sub-
directories of the current directory. It is
worth noting that -'DIR on its own has the
same function as -'DIR $. Once back at the
root directory, any one of the paths shown
can be followed downwards to get to the
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
sub-directories. One cannot jump from
one path to another: eg, the following will
not work from the root directory:
-DIR DOCS
-DIR REPORTS
-DIR LETTERS
A ‘Not found’ message appears. In order
to go from REPORTS to LETTERS the
following path must be taken:
-DIR $
-'DIR LETTERS
That is, you can go back to the root, then
back down the path to LETTERS. One
quicker way of doing this is:
*DIR S.LETTERS
Another way of doing this is to type:
-'DIR A. A. LETTERS
The A character means ‘go up a directory’,
so A. A takes you up two levels, from
REPORTS to S. You can see that dots can
be used to string together directory names
to move up and down the path is bigger
steps.
A file in a directory can be loaded either
from that directory directly or by includ-
ing the path from the directory you’re in to
that file. Thus it is possible to load in a file
from anywhere on the disc provided you
know its path. To load a data file called
‘CLUB2’ from another sub-directory you
could use the following command:
LOAD J.DOCS.MEETINGS.CLUB2
Or, if you’re in the REPORTS directory:
LOAD A.MEETINGS.CLUB2
CARING FOR
YOUR CASSETTES
Cassette recorders need to be well main-
tained in order to work reliably with a
computer. This isn’t difficult to do, and
can reduce the frustration caused by poor
loading reliability.
Most importantly, clean the tape heads
often. There are two heads on most small
cassette recorders, the erase head and the
record/replay head. (See figure 2). The
latter needs regular cleaning, as does the
rubber pinch wheel and capstan. To do
this, take off the hatch above the tape
mechanism if you can. There are often two
little clips inside the cassette hatch that
release the door. Do press them gently or
they will break, and be careful of any
springs which might want to fly out.
You can clean the inside of the cassette
using a tape cleaning kit, but to save
money, cotton buds and a drop of lighter
fluid or methylated spirits work just as
Figure 2. Cassette recorder mechanism
well. Take care, as these liquids are both
inflammable. Push the Play button as this
usually makes the heads easier to get at.
Clear the head with a bud dampered with
spirit. Treat the heads gently to avoid
scratching them. It’s also a good idea to
clean any dirt or fluff out of the compart-
ment. In general don’t use a cleaning tape,
as they are abrasive and will wear out the
heads quickly.
If loading becomes difficult and the
cassette is clean, then the tape heads could
be out of alignment. To record and replay
properly the record/replay head must be
positioned parallel to the tape. There is a
small cross-head screw usually at the left of
the record/replay head to do this - it is
often covered by a dab of paint. Most
cassette players have a small hole to allow
you to adjust this screw whilst the tape is
playing. Its position is shown in figure 2.
Insert a tape into the mechanism and listen
to it as it is playing. You can turn the
screw left or right using a small screwdriv-
er, until the sound is clear, sharp and rather
tinny. It sounds like turning the tone
control up. Always use a pre-recorded tape
such as the Welcome tape to do this, never
a copy. It could even be a music tape. If
the tape heads have been out of alignment
for some time, then your own programs
might not load after you’ve adjusted the
heads, but commercial programs should
load more easily. All you can do here is to
try to load your old programs, then re-
adjust the heads and re-save them.
Most cassette recorders switch off the
internal microphone automatically when
the computer lead is inserted into the DIN
socket. Check your recorder does this by
talking whilst making a recording from the
computer. Now play the tape back and
listen. If you can hear your voice as well as
the recording, then you’ll need to insert the
little blanking plug into the external micro-
phone socket when you save programs.
41
MASTERPLAN HHH MEMORY Hi I DFS ROM 1770 DFS
Complete with bridge unit, suitable
for both BBC and Master 1 28K, Price
£238.00 inc VAT.
TWIN
DOUBLE-SIDED 5%
DISC DRIVES
Wbrdwise
Why buy a new machine when you can upgrade?
nUl^ i»AI m IFkll% A* m m mm m
miTW 1 111.111/ \\J
SOLIDISK — WHERE TECHNOLOGy MATTERS
To order or for further information,
please send your name and address to:
Solidisk Technology
17Sweyne
Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS26JQ
PC500 and PC PLUS:
PC compatibility has nover been cheaper or easier with the PC500and PC Plus. Theycanbe
left plugged into the TUBE socket. An IN/OUT switch at the rear turns the unit on/off. The
PC500: basic Acorn 80186 (1 0MHz) in a case, 5 1 2k of RAM, upgradable to 1 MB, mouse,
DOS Plusand GEM Runs most PCsoftware(listavailableonrequest). Price:£239.00inc.
The PC PLUS: same as PC500but with one Megabyte of RAM. Without case £327. OOinc.
With case: £339.00 inc.
PLUS-upgrade: add 51 2K of RAM to your 80186 Work carried out in our workshop. Price:
£107.00 inc.
Solidisk 15MHx — AT Compatible:
Intel 16/32 bit 80286 processor, 8. 10, 15 MHz switchable clock. Enhanced 102 key-
keyboard, 8 expansion slots. Up to 3 5MB of RAM (just add RAM chips), 640k split. GENOA
super EGA display card (640 * 480 EGA, CGAand MDA, up to 5 times faster than standard
EGA). Serial and parallel interface, battery backed Real Time Clock. ATharddiscandfloppy
disc controller. Loudspeaker. 150 Watts power supply unit. DOS 3.2, manuals. Up to 9
times XT speed. Hundreds of add-on cards. Networks, Unix, Xenix, Windowsand OS/2etc.
From £699.00 + VAT. Choice of disc drives and monitor
Official bodies and trade welcome. Education volume discount available.
1770 Disc Interface:
The new Acorn Disc Filing Systems DFS and ADFS require both the WD1 770
chip. The Solidisk 1770 DDFS (Dual Density Disc Filing System) is ideal
because it is:
— inexpensive.
— totally compatible with Acorn ROMs, to the hardware level, and with the
Acorn 80186 coprocessor.
— easy to install by expert and novice alike. Only 4components to be plugged
into the motherboard.
— the direct replacement for the standard Acorn upgrade since 1 985.
Price: £35 00 inclusive of VAT, p&p £2.00.
1770 + 8271 DFDC:
If your BBC already has an 8271 DFS installed, don't throw it away to use the
new DFS and ADFS! Our 8271 M 770 DFDC (Dual Floppy Disc Controller) is
what you need. Simply remove the 8271 chip, insert the DFDC board and
replace the 8271 in the empty socket provided. The DFDC offers:
— All the advantages of the new 1 770 chip
— 100% compatibility with all existing software.
— Compatibility with ALL Acorn ROMs to the hardware level and with the
Acorn 80186
Price £40.00 inclusive of VAT, p&p £2.00.
DFS ROMS:
Solidisk own DFS 2.2 and ADFS 2. 1 ROMs have a superset of utilities andcommands. Theyare alsocompatible with Acorn's latest DFS ROMs Data
sheets on these ROMs are available on request.
DFS Version 2.2 (16k) ROM:
This will work with both the 8271 and the 1770 chips. It allows you to use both single (standard)and double density discs (with the 1770), yielding
60% increase of storage at no extra cost. It also offers such advanced features as unlimited number of filenames (Acorn 31 ). filesize up to 5 1 2k. read
after write error correction and conditional double track stepping. It hasa — secondonly to Acorn's — 8271 emulation when used with the 1 770chip
to overcome software protection. It also has many built-in utilities while others offer as extras such as disc formatter and verifier, disc sector editor
recover and restore files etc. Price £ 1 5.00 inc. — £1 0.00 if purchased together with the 1 770 DFS (or DFDC)
ADFS and DFS Version 2.1 ROM set (32k, 2 chips) for the 1770 chip:
This is probably the best Disc Filing System ever made for the BBC, providing for single and double density DFS and ADFS. It has all the advanced
features of the DFS 2.2 ROM plus a superset of commands for ADFS (Advanced Disc Filing system such as in use on the Master, Compact and
Archimedes). Lots of articles have been published about the advantagesof ADFSoverDFSbut littleisknown about advancedfeatures of the Solidisk
version versus the standard BBC (Acorn) version such as password protection, user defined number of files, automatic disc format detection, disc
formatter/verifier and file transfer utilities which make the ADFS super-friendly. Furthermore, there is no copy-protection problem with the ADFS.
Price £30.00 inc, or £20.00 if purchased together with the 1 770DFS (or DFDC)
The Multifunction Twomeg 128K:
This new style TWOMEG 128K is the best ever solution for memory
upgrades. It combines a ROM expansion board, a Sideways RAM board, a
Shadow RAM board, a Printer Buffer board in a single, sleek unit offering:
— 8 ROM sockets (4 on the TWOMEG board, plus 4 on the mother board).
— 8 Sideways RAM banks (4-7 and C-F).
— - 4 of the RAM banks (C-F) can be used as two Shadow RAM banks (and
two 8k Sideways).
— Any Sideways bank can be used as a printer buffer.
— Write-protect switch for Sideways RAM software.
— in the included software: MENU, MANAGER, PRINTER BUFFER.
— Ramdisk is available with Solidisk DFS and ADFS ROMs.
Easy instant installation: simply remove the 6502 CPU, drop in the board
and push 3 wires onto the middle pins of S20-22. ABSOLUTELY
CLIPS. NO CUTTING. OR SOLDERING REQUIRED
Price: £60.00 inc. software disc and VAT, p&p £2.00.
Only £60.00 inc. I
: This is a superb 80 track, double-
> sided, dual density, lever type and
• very fast disc drive. Unformatted
: capacity: one Megabyte. 40/80 track
:• manual switch optional as most
; Acorn and Solidisk DFS have soft-
:• ware switch. Supplied with data and
: power lead (please specify your
• computer), Price £119.00 inc VAT.
: 40/80 track manual switch if re-
• quired. £2.00 inc VAT
This is the best way to upgrade your present
computer system. It's quick and with a minimum of
fuss We will accept not only your computer but
also your Acorn or Solidisk add-ons in part
exchange. Up to date quotations are given over the
phone with written confirmation sent by post, valid
up to 30 days with no obligation from your side
You can choose any computer system, not just
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best deals on just about any other makes and our
own AT-compatible system
Example One Megabyte RAM ARC £731.00 ♦
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Philips CM8833 £930 ♦ VAT).
IBM COMPATIBILITY
Compact Master Arc
FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES: RING !!
£10
HINTS & UPS
USING THE
LIST IF COMMAND
A useful extension to Basic on the Master
series and Archimedes is the LIST IF
command. It is a simple way of. finding
lines in a listing, or checking variables.
In a long program, try some of the
folowing options:
LIST IFDEFPROC
to list all the lines containing a DEF-
PROC.
LIST IFB%
to find all the lines with B% in them.
LIST IF10
to list the lines with the number 10 in
them. It will ignore line numbers, so it
doesn’t list line 10.
LIST IFA
lists each line containing an ‘A’. It will
ignore any keyword with an A in it, like
ADVAL,as these are tokenised.
LIST IF%
will find all the integer variables.
In a long program, it’s easy to lose a
procedure. Using LIST IFDEF it is very
easy to find the starting line number of the
procedure. One important point is that
you shouldn’t put a space after IF, or it
will search only for occurrences of DEF
which are preceded by a space. It is possi-
ble to restrict the search line numbers:
LIST 100,300 IFPRINT
will find all the PRINT statements between
lines 100 and 300.
THE TOWER.
OF HANOI
This month’s short listing solves the age-
old Tower of Hanoi problem. This a
mathematical problem where three pegs are
fastened to a stand. There are also a
number of wooden discs, each with a hole
at the centre. The discs are all of different
diameters. They all start in a pile on one
peg, arranged in order of size with the
largest disc at the bottom. The problem is
to shift the pile to another peg, by transfer-
ring one disc at a time. The catch is that no
disc may be put on top of a smaller disc.
The number of moves required rises
rapidly with the number of discs used, and
is given by the formula m=2 n -l where n
is the number of discs. If n=3 then the
number of moves (m) is seven; with four
discs the number of moves is 15, and with
15 discs this number rises to 32767 moves!
The Tower of Hanoi
This is good example of recursion great-
ly simplifying the programming. The prog-
ram, listing 1 on the yellow pages, has only
two procedures, PROCdraw and PROC-
proc. PROCdraw draws the disc in one of
the three piles. By starting with this proce-
dure and defining each disc in terms of
four parameters, this simplifies the rest of
the program:
DEFPROCdraw (pile, n, height, col)
The four parameters required are ‘pile’
which is the pile (1,2 or 3) which the disc
is, ‘n’ which is the number of the disc, 1
being the lowest disc in the starting pile,
‘height’ is the height in the appropriate pile
at which the disc is to be drawn, and ‘col’
is used to indicate whether the disc is to be
drawn or erased, ie, drawn in black. Two
variables determine the size of each disc.
As n increases, the width of the disc is
reduced. The width also takes into account
the variable size%, as does the height of
the disc. This variable is determined by the
number of discs you start with. With lots
of discs, they are made thin so that the
display will still fit on the screen. If there
are few discs, then the height of each disc is
fixed at 64.
PROCproc is the recursive procedure to
move the discs. A stack is created at
location D. D ? 1 is the destination pile, D?2
is the intermediate or transfer pile, and D?3
is the source pile. D is a pointer to the
stack. A%?1 is the number of discs on pile
1, A?2 is the number if discs on pile 2 and
A%?3 is the number of discs on pile 3.
Speed is an important consideration in
this program, as the number of moves may
be so great. Out of interest here are some
timings for four machines:
Machine
BBC B
BBC Master
Archimedes
RM Nimbus
Five Discs 10 Discs
4.31s 142.75s
3.55s 117.18s
0.55s 17.17s
1.98s 64.9s
WOBDWISE STRING
SEARCH
Mike Roden from Manchester wins himself
£10 for useful Wordwise Plus segment he’s
developed to search for a string while in
the edit mode. Like many, Mike has found
the normal search and replace a bit tedious,
especially when you have forgotten to
move the cursor to the top of the text first.
Mike’s routine asks for a search string from
the edit screen, and does not require a
replace string. Thus it can be used to move
quickly to any point in the text without
having to leave the edit screen. I found it
particularly useful for correcting mistakes
and altering text after I had read through a
paper copy. It is an advantage to be able to
jump quickly to any point in the text.
This program, listing 2 on the yellow
pages, resides in one of the segments and
can be called up quickly by pressing the
appropriate function key together with
Shift. It could be included in the Wordwise
Plus menu program from May 87.
When the segment is run, it disables the
Escape key with *FX 229,1, and takes the
cursor to the top of the text that is being
edited. This text can be in the main text
area or in a segment. The program sets up a
small window at the top of the text to
prompt for the search string. Next it looks
for any markers present, and if it finds any,
prompts for the search to be confined to
the marked piece of text. This is useful if
you know the string lies within the area of
marked text. Then the FIND command is
used to look for any occurence of the
string. Take care, as FIND is case sensitive.
As soon as the search string is found, the
program beeps and ‘Is this it? (Y/N)’ is
shown at the top of the screen. Pressing N
will continue the search, pressing Y will
leave the cursor at that point.
The clever part of the program is the
way the cursor is able to move back to the
marked point in the text after a prompt is
displayed. Mike discovered that in the edit
mode the cursor always remains on line 13
and the horizontal position of the cursor
can be found in location &7E. C% is
assigned to this position before the prompt
message is displayed, and VDU 31 (Tab) is
used to return the cursor to this point.
Although this location is the same in both
versions of Wordwise Plus that I’ve tested,
1.4A and 1.4E, it could change in others.
Would anyone care to produce a list of
other Wordwise Plus locations?
ACORN USER MAPCH 1988
43
THE SCML TELETEXT
ADAPTER:
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SPECIFICATIONS:
— connects to the user port on Master 1 28k
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computer.
MAIL ORDER:
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Please delete or tick as applicable.
Computer:
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for the amount of £79.95
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Date:
Signature:
ILLUSTRATION BY AXEL SCHF.ITLF.R
FIRST BYTE
WHAT’S BUGGING YOU?
Getting magazine listings to work is a heart breaking business.
Here’s some sound advice
BBS
A program that runs first time after typing
it in is a very rare thing indeed - not even
the experts can manage it, so don’t feel like
pulling your hair out if it happens to you.
The trick is being able to correct the errors
- bugs as they are often called - and get the
program to run as it should.
Whether you are writing the program
yourself, or typing in a listing from the
yellow pages, the techniques are basically
the same. Of course if you have written the
program yourself then it may well be
trying to do the impossible - which is
difficult to cater for in a magazine article!
So this month we’ll keep to debugging
programs that you know work.
Despite rumours to the contrary, the
programs presented in the yellow pages are
tested and dumped direct from a working
copy to ensure that the program is correct
and will work when it is entered. The first
thing to do is to read the article that goes
with the listing. An obvious point perhaps,
but experience has shown that many prob-
lems occur because the program has not
been entered correctly, or perhaps relies on
another program or data file to work.
Understanding what a program is going to
do, and how it will go about doing it, is
half the trick in getting it to work.
The next step is to ensure that the
program will run on your micro, and this
can be seen from the compatibility table or
the first four REM statements of a yellow
pages listing. A program written for a
Master 128 using Basic 4 may not run on a
BBC B running Basic 1, so check this
before you start. Similarly, some extra
hardware might be required; for example:
30 REM B/B+/M with 6502SP
This shows the program won’t run on a
Beeb or Master 128 without a 6502 second
processor or Turbo co-processor attached.
Next look for any special notes on how
to enter the program. PAGE may have to
ACORN US HR MARCH 1988
be set to a new value for instance, or an
Econet interface may need to be disabled.
These problems may not stop you from
entering a program, but could cause prob-
lems when you type in RUN.
When you are quite sure you have done
all the pre-entry checks, you are ready to
start tapping away at the keyboard. To
make this as easy as possible, the majority
of program listings are entered on lines
which are numbered at intervals of 10. This
not only makes entry simple, but makes it
easy to spot any missing lines.
Basic contains an automatic line-
numbering command for just this purpose
- AUTO. Just type this in, press Return
and the first line number, 10 should be
displayed. The flashing cursor shows
where text will be typed as you enter it at
the keyboard. And away you go. Pressing
Return at the end of each line will display
the next line number in the sequence. But
notice that, because of space limitations,
programs listed in Acorn User are not
printed full width from one from one side
of the pages to the other. You shouldn’t
press Return at the end of each line as it
appears on the page, only at the end of a
line where the program finishes for one
line number and begins another.
Many programs, especially if they are of
a tutorial nature, will contain lines with
REMs in, eg:
250 REM read name -from -file
REM stands for REMark and is simply a
reminder of what is to follow. It is not vital
for the program’s operation and could be
left out - simply press Return when the
line number is presented to do this. If you
45
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46
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
FIRST BYTE
make a typing error during entry, and you
undoubtedly will, you can only edit the
error by deleting it with the Delete key.
Thus il you notice something is missing
from the line you’re on, you will have to
delete the intervening section of program
line. If the error is on another line, you
can’t get at it while using AUTO. The
solution is to revert to pen and paper -
make a note of the line number and the
error and come back to it when you have
finished entering all of the program.
Once you have entered the listing, save
it. Never run a program before saving what
you have entered. If you have made even a
simple error, programs can quite happily
destroy themselves and waste all your
typing work. It doesn’t happen often, but
it does happen. With a copy safely on disc,
if you have problems you can simply type
NEW and load the program back in.
In addition, when entering a long listing
it is good practice to stop and save what
you have done at regular intervals - just in
case. In fact, the November 1984 issue of
Acorn User contained an automatic prog-
ram saver which saves the current program
every four minutes, and this is included on
this month’s listings disc for your conveni-
ence.
Before you run the program, look down
the listing to see if it contains any ON
ERROR statements, eg:
90 ON ERROR GOTO 150
If it is similar to this, delete it for the time
being. The reason for this is that without
the ON ERROR, Basic tells you what sort
of an error occured when a program goes
wrong. With ON ERROR, it performs the
rest of the program line instead, so you
don’t find out about the error. The worst
sort of ON ERROR lines are ON
ERROR RUN statements - generally they
arc not used in Acorn User y but then it may
occur in programs listed elsewhere. If this
was left in, then when an error occured this
command would be executed and re-run
the program. Of course the error would
occur again and the program would be
re-run over and over. The problem in the
program would never be revealed.
Now run the program and try to use it
as described in the article. Remember to
check in the article or notes with the
program, to see if you have to pre-set any
parameters such as PAGE. If the article
says nothing about PAGE settings, then
simply type RUN and press Return. At
this stage, it’s almost certain that an error
will occur - unless you are an incredible
typist! One of the most common error
messages is:
Syntax error at line 120
The error message displays the line number
of the line which is confusing the compu-
ter. This type of error almost invariably
means that you have mis-spelt something
in your typing. So list the line, in this
example line 120, and compare it carefully
with the printed listing in the magazine. If
you can’t see the error then look very
carefull at number Os and letter Os, plus
number Is and letter Is. These often look
similar when printed, and arc confused and
exchanged very, very frequently. Another
difficulty is with pound signs; they are
very rarely used in listings, and it could be
that a hash (#) character was intended.
Some printers confuse the two, but great
care is taken with the yellow page listings
to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Another error message which is very
commonly seen is:
No such variable at line 1120
Here the computer has come across a
variable that it cannot recognise, and once
again it is likely to be a spelling mistake.
The listed line could be correct, as you
might have spelt the variable name incor-
rectly in another line. So you will have to
check every occurence of the variable until
you locate the bug.
If there are several variables on a line,
like this:
130 three7.=one%+two7.
then you can find out which one is at fault
by printing their values. It can never be the
variable to the left of the equals, so try
PRINT one% and PRINT two% to see
which one causes the problem.
Each time you make a correction, re-
save the program and run it again, correct-
ing the errors one by one.
Another common error is:
No such FN/PROC at line 120
This message suggests that there’s a mis-
take in line 120, and there may well be.
However, line 120 will contain a call to a
procedure or function, like this:
120 PROCtest
and if this is correct, it is almost certain
that the error lies in the lines which define
PROCtest. So this block of lines must be
found and then examined one by one.
Once you find the line with DEFPROC-
test, the error might be obvious. If the
procedure or function is short, a simple
typing error can be very easily spotted.
I have only touched on a few of the
more common error messages. You will
encounter many more at various times -
they are all documented in the User Guide.
Find out what they are, look at the
erroneous line, and if that fails look else-
where in the program. Check other lines
that mention the same variables as the error
line in particular. On the Master series,
you can use LIST IF to find all the lines on
which a variable occurs. You can always
find out the line number of the last error
by typing:
PRINT ERL
The last error message can be repeated
with:
REPORT
Logical errors are frequently encountered
and loops are a prime source of this type of
error. You may use a variable in a loop that
has been used elsewhere in a program for
instance, which can cause all sorts of prob-
lems. Rule one is always to keep a note of
all variables that you use in a program to
ensure you don’t use them twice. For
example, there is a problem with:
10 FOR N7.=0 TO 10
20 PROCcheck
30 NEXT
40 s
160 DEF PRUCcheck
170 IF N7.>0 THEN N7.=0
180 ENDPROC
This program would never finish, as N% is
set back to 0 each time round the FOR-
. . .NEXT loop. In cases like, this inserting
an extra line which prints out the variable
will reveal the nature of the problem:
15 PRINT "Current NX is ";NX
The use of the TRACE command would
also clarify this type of error. Typing
TRACE ON before running the program
causes the computer to print the line num-
ber of each line as it is executed. In a large
program this could narrow down the bug
search area to a specific region. TRACE
OFF cancels the line number display.
Programming aids, such as Sleuth from
Beebug, can be useful, but tliey still depend
on your knowing what to look for in the
faulty program.
Strange as it may seem, bug hunting can
be fun, and it is very rewarding when you
solve the problem. Experience plays a part
too, and the more programs you debug the
better you will get. A final word - if you
are really stuck, a breath of fresh air and a
quiet ponder way from the computer can
do wonders.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
47
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48
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ACORN FORUM
TAKING EYTES TO RITS
Routines to disassemble Arc machine code, prevent you accidentally
overwriting files and use a digital joystick
Well-known Acorn User author Peter
Sandford has recently upgraded to an
Archimedes, and he has been investigating
the Arthur operating system.
He has found a number of excellent
utilities incorporated into the Archimedes
ROM. He’s got release 0.30 Arthur, but
the following applies to later versions too.
The utilities are not documented in either
the Welcome Guide or the User Guide,
although typing "'HELP . (space, then full
stop) can yield some useful information.
One of the most interesting of the utili-
ties is the debugger module. This includes
the command :; *MEMORYI which will dis-
assemble ARM machine code in memory
into ARM assembler instructions. This can
be incorporated into a function key defini-
tion to act as an instant disassembly tool:
*KEY1 INPUT "Address : ",A
AX*4*EVAL ( "&"+A$> DIV 4: RE
PEAT : OSCLI ( "MEMORYI "+STR$^A
X-*-" 4" ) : KX=GET : AX+-4: UNTIL F
ALSEJM
Press the key, and the machine will prompt
for a start address (in hex), and disassemble
the first four bytes into one 32-bit instruc-
tion. Press the space bar to continue the
listing or Escape to exit.
The program listing supplied by Peter,
listing 1 on the yellow pages, is a more
sophisticated utility which can be used as a
combined disassembler and memory dump.
Using the cursor up and down keys, you
can move backwards and forwards in
memory. By pressing the Tab key, you can
toggle between a disassembly mode (which
will disassemble one ARM instruction at a
time), and a memory display mode (which
uses the command "‘MEMORY to display
a block of 256 bytes at a time).
Peter has found the utility to be ex-
tremely useful in examining the contents of
the relocatable modules supplied in ROM
and on the Welcome disc. You can use the
command "'MODULES to obtain the start
address of the module. On an Arc 310
Start address
03848978 : ..
03848974 : fl
: 73840978
. : 00880008
. : 00885FC4
RHDEfi
8HDEB
R0,R0,R8
R5 R0,R4,8SR #31
03840978 i
0384897C :
■ i
L£
. : 08000000
. : 0888684C
i RNDEfi
: RHDEG
R8,R8,R0
R6,R8,R12,RSR 86
R0,R8 R4,LSR 86
03848988 :
$.
. : 00008024
BHDE8
Address :
3 2 10
7 6 5 4
8 6 9 8
F E D C i
ASCII Data
83848980
80088024
66088633
0068884F
60868686
. .3, . .0
. . . . ARMBasi cEdit
83848998
88000000
424D5241
63697361
74696445
03848980
54B8726F
41286568 .
6E726F63
53495228
or, The Acorn RIS
838489B0
61422843
28636973
74696445
4188726F
C Basic Editor. 8
838489C0
45424D52
68868808
6606056C
88FF8868
RHBE |.
038489D0
08000800
68666669
746E4588
74287265
. . . . i . . . . Enter t
038409E0
45206568
6F746964
73752872
28676E69
he Editor using
638489F8
54494445
6F726620
6142286D
68636973
EDIT fros Basic,
03848808
E8BD438E
E1889080
E59C822C
E59F7858
eC-J8.a°Mu£Xp0£
03848810
E28C0F7B
E28C1F87
EB088085
E3500806
U00,50...X,.Py
83840820
18008002
E28C0E1F
E28D1E22
EB080886
hB",J8.,.h
03848830
E93D838E
E8BD4800
E4982080
E4913860
e£=i,IHB, ab.886
03848848
E1528007
68060064
E1530068
13808888
. . Ra Sa. ,°.
03848850
18000804
E1528809
020990DF
E4889808
Rada. ..586
83840088
E4818008
E3668601
E93D8068
26282020
03848878
E8BD408F
E1883800
E1802081
E3881880
,8T0,8°a. °o..°y
The ARM Basic Editor, memory dumped and disassembled
♦MODULES
Position Workspace Name
03840970 01802CD4 ARMBasi cEdi tor
^MODULES shows the module’s position in memory
fitted with Arthur 0.3, the display will list
the modules fitted. The first one is shown
in the figure above.
This shows that the start address of the
ARM Basic Editor module is at
&03840970. The first few bytes of the
Editor are shown disassembled at the top
of the page.
Peter has also pointed out a problem
with the Archimedes cable diagram given
in Forum, November 87. The Archimedes
end of the diagram is shown looking into
the plug. If you follow the pin numbers
you’ll be right, but to see the connections
looking into the socket, you should draw a
mirror image of the printed diagram.
OVERWRITE
WARNIN G
The other three items in Forum this month
are all ‘patches’, that is, alterations or
extensions to the operating system. You
can add patches by changing the vectors in
page 2 to jump to user code instead of into
an operating system routine.
For a long time, I have admired the
warning message given by Worckvise Pins
when you are about to save a file under the
same name as one that already exists.
The feature is specific to Wordwise and I
have lost many ‘latest version’ files because
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
49
SUBSCRIPTIONS
A U OFFER
Subscribe to Acorn User magazine today and we’ll send you a
free monthly listings disc or cassette worth at least £3.95. All you
have to do to assure the direct delivery of 12 issues of Acorn
User is to fill in the coupon below and choose your favourite
monthly programs from 1987 or 1988.
By sending us your subscriptions today you could receive any
of the following programs free: Calendar (August ’87), Gus
(March ’87), Greek (September ’87) or Wizalon (January ’88).
These are just examples; you can select any of the listings from
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Any one of our monthly listings programs will be yours
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Manager, Redwood Publishing Ltd, Latnbourn Woodlands, Newbury, Berk-
shire RG16 7TW.
-the micro-control language in a ROM
■ - develops ‘top-down’ structured
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■ - program construction by defining
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■ - build up a dictionary of defined
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■ - in 16 K ROM for BBC Microcomputers
B, B+ and Master.
■ - uses the same editing, loading and
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■ - many more looping and conditional
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■ - controls any device attached to the
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e UNILAB LIMITED
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Prices exclude carriage and VAT and are correct at time of going to press.
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• Over 350 defined characters accessible with simple 2-key codes
• All characters printable on both screen and printer
• User defined characters can be stored on disc
• All facilities can be used with word processors or with BASIC
• Tested with BASIC I & II. Wordwlse. Wordwlse Plus. View 2.1 . View 3.0.
on the Master 128. B+ & Model B. and with Epson/compatible printers
GREEK ALPHABET: Upper and Lower case, upright and Italic
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SCIENTIFIC CHARACTERS: Mainly mathematical but also chemical symbols
mho H M 0 W.80.,.,. H\„. ♦ HSO.’...,
| I / oxidation I I /
M-C-C-C
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Orders accepted from schools, colleges, establishments, etc.
Private orders - cheque with order, please
Mayhew Telonlcs.
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Whatever your subject. . .
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50
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ACORN FORUM
View and Basic don’t have the same fea-
ture. To remedy this, I wrote this short
assembly language program, listing 2. The
program assembles some machine code at
&900 in memory, and starts it up. After
this, every SAVE operation performs a
check to see if the filename being used
already exists. If so, it gives a warning
message ‘Are you sure? (Y/N)’ and waits
for a Y (or y) response before proceeding
to overwrite the old file. Any other key
means no, and the SAVE is aborted. When
you have created the machine code, which
is saved under the name WARN, you need
only type "WARN to install it. Trying to
install it twice will have no ill-effect, and
you are told that the patch is already
installed. The installation is cancelled by
pressing Break, or by a change of filing
systems (say by typing '"TAPE), and by
some ROMs when they are initialised.
The program must be installed in the
I/O processor, although it will run with an
active second processor. If you’re using a
second processor, make sure that the load
and exec addresses of the WARN file are
&FFFF. The program works by intercept-
ing the Filev vector located at &212 on the
I/O processor. Every time the vector is
called, during every Osfile operation, the
accumulator is tested to see if it is a save
command (value=0). If so, the registers are
preserved, and Osfile with A =5 is issued.
The call is used for reading catalogue
information, but also returns in a value the
accumulator to show whether a file is
present. The call accesses the disc to do
this. This program doesn’t differentiate
between files and directories, so if A is
non-zero on return, the file exists. At this
point, unless the file exists, the normal save
operation takes place. Otherwise, the mes-
sage is printed, the keyboard buffer is
cleared, and a keypress is read from the
keyboard. If the key is Y or y, a jump is
made to the standard exit point, where all
registers are restored, and the program
jumps to the old Osfile vector. If any other
key is pressed, the registers are restored
but the routine returns to the calling lan-
guage without accessing the filing system.
The routine uses most of page &9 for
code, and a 17-byte buffer for Osfile A=5.
Also three bytes of zero page are used
from &90-&92. (Econet work space)
although obviously these values can be
changed. As assembled, the program will
run quite satisfactorily with View , Word-
wise, Edit , Terminal , BBC Basic, Comal
and probably most other languages.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
*DRIVE COMMANDS FOR
ADFS COMPATIBILITY
Martin Hesketh has found that when con-
verting software to the ADFS, problems
are encountered if the software tries to
select a different drive using '"DRIVE. The
Master Compact recognises this problem
and implements '"DRIVE (n), which trans-
lates to "'DIR :n.$. Martin’s program does
essentially the same thing for earlier ver-
sions of ADFS. However Martin goes
further in offering a choice of directories to
be selected for the four possible '"DRIVE
parameters. This allows you to take a
program which maybe occupied two or
even four surfaces in DFS, and put it on a
single ADFS disc.
When you run listing 3, you will be
asked for a directory to be selected for each
of the four possible '"DRIVE arguments.
All directories are taken from the root
directory. So if PROGRAMS is the direc-
tory to be selected when a '"DRIVE 0
command is executed, then the command
will be accepted as '"DIR $. PROGRAMS.
Because of this full pathname requirement,
the program will, once installed, work
correctly whatever the current directory.
The program will then be assembled, and
saved under the name ‘DRV’. To activate
the patch, you should type '"DRV. After
this, until the next Break, the '"DRIVE
command will select directories as needed.
The program also intercepts *D. com-
mands, but not "‘DISC commands. On the
Master 128 *D. is an abbreviation of '"DE-
LETE, not '"DISC. If a '"D. command is
recognised then the DFS is selected. This
can be changed to ADFS by changing the
line LDY #4 after the label ‘.disc’ to LDY
# 8 .
The program works by intercepting the
Oscli vector, cliv, and checking all star
commands. If the command is '"DRIVE,
then the argument is read, and the
appropriate directory is selected using
'Oscli, the full '"DIR command having been
set up at assembly time.
DIGITAL JOYSTICIL
INTERFACE
Ahmed Qamruddin of Skclmersdale has
sent in a program which allows you to fit
an Atari-type digital joystick to the user
port of your BBC. This is not entirely
new, but Ahmed’s solution happens to be
1
LM R# l
J* D* f k • • • • •
ONO
\7
CiNO
[>* Ji
L * * ’
Looking Into Computer socket Looking into the plug
Wiring a digital joystick to the user port
one of the neatest and simplest I’ve seen.
When you make up the cable and run
the software provided, you’ll be able to
control many BBC games with an Atari
joystick, which, because of its switched
rather than proportional action, gives you
better response. Ahmed says that the old
games Killer Gorilla , Rocket Raid , Arca-
dians and so on, all work fine, although
more recent games which access the ADC
chip directly, overwrite vectors, or disable
the user port won’t work.
Some wiring up is required, as shown in
the diagram. You’ll need a 20- way IDC
connector, ribbon cable and a nine-way
male D-type plug. Connect this up as
shown. The diagram shows the view of the
user port connector as seen from the out-
side, and the joystick plug as seen from the
outside. You’ll need a soldering iron and a
crimping tool or vice to fit the IDC header.
When everything is done, plug one end of
the cable into the user port and the other
end into a joystick, run the software and
away you go!
The software in listing 4 on the yellow
pages works by intercepting Bytev, and
substituting values for Osbyte 128, the call
which reads the ADC. The values returned
are always zero, 32768 or 65535, which
equate to a proportional stick being moved
hard to one side or the other or moved to
the centre. The user port lines are normally
set to one if nothing is connected, but
return a value of zero if grounded. The
switches on the joystick ground various
bits of the user port so the code checks the
port before returning the false value.
The code may be left as Basic source
code, and run before a game is used. The
code resides at &880, the end of the
parallel printer buffer. So as long as the
printer is not used, the code should not be
corrupted. It is important not to press
Break, as this cancels the effect of the code.
That usually means that you can’t start up
the game with Shift-Break - you can usual-
ly use '"EXEC !BOOT instead.
Details of the Acorn Forum Listings are on
page 113.
51
CHALICE
& SOFTWARE/HARDWARE
■ VECTOR 1 1
TAPE TO DISK UTILITY
+ Once only purchase FEATURES
+ Can save to any disk
+ Very user friendly, help pages on disk
+ 40/80 Format
+ No awkward ROMs, can be used on any machine
+ Can load to all available RAM &400-&7FFF
= Simply the best tape to disk utility available
Vector 1 versions compatible with Acorn,
Opus, UDM, Cumana, BBC + &
Watford (Not 1-42, 1-43 DFS's.)
■VECTOR 2 >
DISK TO DISK UTILITY
FEATURES
+ 40/80 Format
+ User friendly, menu driven
+ Contains powerful features such as a disk
sector editor, Disk Compare, format,
verify and track repair
= The most powerful disk utility available
NEW IMPROVED VERSION (1.40)
Send C3.do with old disk for upgrade.
vectobVow ] r < 1
0 pus 1770
and also
Solid-Disk
^sue^inc.
PLEASE SPECIFY DFS
Prices: £12.00 each for Vector 1 or Vector 2 £23 for both.
Scythe Toolkit £21 .95 (Send for full details)
All prices shown include VAT and p&p. Please add £3.00 per disk if you
require 3" disks and specify when ordering.
Orders to:
CHALICE SOFTWARE, Dept AU
3 Merlin Way, Covingham,
Swindon SN3 5AN.
Telephone 0793 615026
r
MEDUSA
Curriculum Material to meet REAL classroom needs
-OLc'L
GETTING INTO PRINT - £10
as described in this issue
VIEW FAMILY GUIDES
lo View, Vicwsheet, Viewstore and Viewplot - £10 each
including Teachers' Guides, Worksheets, Examples
CROSS CURRICULAR GUIDES
to Spreadsheets - £7.50, and Graphics - £7.50
sample applications with templates on disk
OTHER CURRICULUM SUPPORT MATERIALS ARE
AVAILABLE FOR USE IN BOTH PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
LEA LICENCES AVAILABLE
For further details and free catalogue contact:
MEDU, BISHOP GROSSETESTE COLLEGE,
NEWPORT, LINCOLN, LN1 3DY
Telephone (0522) 44713
MEDU - Leading the way in Educational I.T.
V
J
Source-Level Debug
The revolutionary new idea in software development
21
22
23 •
24 loop
25
26
27
28
Debug v 3 (C) 1987 Mijos Soft »or«
Teat Ido /10
sto conn
;Prinl reverie airing
W y count
Ido airing, y
jar oawrch
dec count
bne loop
A- X- Y- SlkP NV BOfZC ADORS
00 20 23 TO 00100001 5678
COUNT - 0 STRING -Thia is trie String
DEBUC> S Teat
OCBUO 0 Count String
DEBUO S
end ol print loop
DATA
10
Order Now or
ring or write for details
Tel 096289352 after 6.0pm
Available NOW on your BBC
for use with the MIJAS
65(002 Development System
The new debug Rom
allows you to step or run
through your program
following your
ORIGINAL SOURCE CODE
on the screen.
How does it help me?
Source-level Debug enables you to
monitor the running of your program
looking at the original source code and
examining variables by name. A
complete module can often be tested
and corrected without knowing a single
hex address.
This means far fewer listings and your
code is finished sooner. Ideal both for
the beginner and for the experienced
programmer.
The Debug rom requires the use of
the 65(002 development system issue 3
or above.
Mijas Software
Helping to bring the new
software world to your micro.
Cut out and return the order form below for fast delivery.
To Mijas Software From
Please supply-
item
Price
Number
Required
Item
Total
PO Box 2
Sutton Scotney
Winchester
Hants S021 3LU
( AU.4.87 )
BBC Model
Disk type
Sideways Ram?
Linker and Assembler - disk £22
Optional Unker Assembler Rom £7.50
New Debug Rom £20
Telcomp II mini card-index £10
/ enclose check/PO to the value of
Also at Mijas, Winchester Rd.,Micheldever, Winchester, Hants S021 3DG
Jf
52
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
How to make your students
work under pressure
\nruoiT"
‘Working under Pressure’ is a computer
assisted learning program in which students
are placed in the role of gas pipeline planning
engineers. They have to make the decisions
made by gas supply engineers in real life.
Decisions such as optimum pipe diameters in
relation to variable demand, and where to
locate compressor stations to keep up the
pressure in the mains.
This is the first in a series of computer
aided learning units called ‘Network for the
Nation', designed to focus on Britain’s
immensely complex gas supply system.
The program meets many of the national
criteria for examination boards offering GCSE
Computer Studies, Modular Science and
CDT Courses.
Versions available:
BBC 40T (Model B) also B+
Stand alone
Cat No 84/1
and Master 128
BBC QOT (Model B) also B+
Stand alone
Cat No 84/2
and Master 128
RM (480Z)
Stand alone
Cat No 84/3
RM (Nimbus)
and network
Stand alone
Cat No 84/4
IBM PC (inc. XT & AT)
and network
Cat No 84/5
Price per pack: £ 13.80 (inc. VAT) *
‘Engineering your gas supply’ is a colour
wallchart depicting the component parts of
the gas supply system, featuring examples of
real pipeline problems and their engineering
solutions. This would be a useful addition to
‘Working under Pressure' for physics, CDT
and engineering classes, but would also be of
interest for geography and environmental
studies.
To order, fill in and post the coupon below to
British Gas Education Service, PO Box 46,
Hounslow TW4 6NF.
Please send me (state format and quantity required):
I enclose 'cheque/postal order/local authority
requisition for £
(‘delete as appropriate) payable to British Gas pic.
Please send me
wallchart □
Name:
Dept:
School:
Address:
copies of the free colour
(Tick if required)
ENERGY IS OUR BUSINESS
Reliable
that
leave yo
There's no disputing the fact that
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But reliability isn’t at the expense
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The KX-P1081 Dot Matrix model,
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The results were impressive
MATRIX PRINTERS: KX-P1081 (120CPS, 80 COL.). KX-P1082 (160 CPS. 80 COL.). KX-P1083 (240 CPS. 80 COL.). KX-P1592 (180 CPS. 132 COL.), KX-P1595 (240 CPS. 132 COL.).
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To: Panasonic Industrial UK Limited, 280-290 Bath Road, Slough,
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DAISYWHEEL PRINTERS: KX-P3131 (1 7 CPS. 1 20 COL.). KX -P31 51 (22 CPS. 132 COL.)
m
The company responsible for marketing and distribution of Advanced Computer Products
VIEW CARTRIDGE . . . the Acornsoft word processor for the Electron and
Plus 1. Inc. full documentation £14.95
VIEWSHEET CARTRIDGE ... the Acornsoft spreadsheet for the
Electron and Plus 1. Inc. full documentation £14.95
VIEW & VIEWSHEET . . . both products as above ‘special
Price* £22.00
LISP CARTRIDGE . . . the Acornsoft language cartridge for the Electron
and Plus 1 £9.99
ELECTRON ADVANCED USER GUIDE . . . further reading and
information for the Electron user £3 95
ELECTRON ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE . . . book by Bruce Smith
containing many examples of how to program in
assembler £2.95
Software on disc for the above 3.5" ADFS £3.50 - 5.25" DFS £2.50
ACCESSORIES
Plus 3 2nd drive adaptor
3.5" Library box (holds 10 discs)
£2.95
3.5" Library box (holds 40 discs)
ADVANCED PLUS 6 ... a fully buffered 6 ROM expansion module for the
Electron user. AP6 is fitted inside the advanced Plus 1 or a modified Acorn
Plus 1 (when used with the Acorn Plus 3, 5 ROM sockets are available).
All sockets are designed to accept either ROM/EPROMS or RAM chips.
A further feature is the optional AP7 upgrade £33.00+VAT (£37.95)
UPGRADE SERVICE for the original Acorn Plus 1 to Advanced
Plus 1 and AP6. This will provide all the benefits of AP6 and also includes
the printer circuit modification for some modem printers. (AP6 can be
fitted to original Plus 1 by users with soldering experience) for upgrade
service add £7.00 + VAT to AP6 price ie £40.00+VAT (£46.00)
This price includes modification, fitting AP6, testing and return postage.
Address for returning your Plus 1 .
P.R.E.S. Service Department, PO Box 34, Bradford BD17 6DE
*PRICE BREAKTHROUGH*
THE ADVANCED PLUS 3
Now you can turn your Electron (& +1 ) into a full disc system -
no more waiting for tape loading or 'bad blockVdata ?'
messages. A.P.3. gives you . . .
1. A 1770 interface
2. 80 track 3.5" disc drive (320k capacity)
3. Separate PSU (Conforms to BS)
4. Acorn ADFS
5. Welcome disc
6. Utilities
7. Full documentation
All the advantages of the original Plus 3 PLUS extra ROM
socket and possible upgrade to A.P.4. from ACP.
All this without dramatically increasing the required desk space!
"EXTRA BONUS*
3 games on disc - SNAPPER - DRAUGHTS - REVERSI
COMPLETE PACKAGE ONLY E99+VAT (£113.85)
SPECIAL PACKAGE of Advanced Plus 1 & A.P.3.
£149.95 Inc.
Please send order to:-
P.R.E.S. LTD.,
6 Ava House, High Street,
CHOBHAM, Surrey, England.
GU24 8LZ. Tel: 0276 72046
(Mail order only)
All our prices indude
UK delivery & VAT
DISC DRIVES
Cumana 5.25" dbl/sided 40/80 track, switchable, inc. psu £149.00
Cumana 5.25" sing/sided 40 track, inc. psu £129.00
Cumana 3.5" dbl/sided 80 track, inc. psu £129.00
PRES special 3.5" sing/sided 80 track, inc. psu.
"ONLY* £59+VAT. (£67.85)
ADVANCED PLUS 1 . . .The plus 1 is the main expansion for the Electron.
It provides the Centronics parallel printer, printer port, joystick interface
and 2 cartridge slots into which go ROM cartridges including View,
Viewsheet, Pascal, Logo and our own popular AP4 disc upgrade.
£49.95
■EISC5
3.5" 10 in plastic library box - ideal for Plus 3 users £19.95
5.25" 10 dble/sided dble/dens £12.99
5.25" 10 sing/sided sing/dens £8.99
5.25" Twin Gift Pack £i .49
C.0.M1NS SQ QN
ADVANCED PLUS 7 . . . upgrade for AP6 allows for 2 banks of 16k battery
backed sideways ram which can be fully write protected.
HYBRID'S MUSIC 5000 ... as widely used on the BBC computers has
been fully versioned for the Electron & Plus 5.
ADFS VERSION 1.1 FOR THE ELECTRON
Suitable for existing Plus 3 or A.P. 4 users. This new version has the
software fixes for Zysyshelp, write protect disable and compaction. Also
Winchester code has been replaced with 'patches' for future enhance-
ments! 16K ROM and full documentation £19.95 + VAT (£22.55)
ADFS E00 ... at last regained memory used by ADFS suitable for AP4
or Plus 3 users with 32k of sideways ram supplied on disc with documen-
tation 5.25" DFS £19.95
3.5" ADFS £22.95
PRINTER
Printer ideal for Electron Plus 1. Panasonic KX-P1081 Graphic Epson
Compatible NLQ ready to connect including cable, delivery and VAT
£179.00
ADVANCED QTR. MEG RAM
Hi-Tech cartridge (Normal size) containing an incredible 256K of S.Ways
RAM although it could be used to store many pages of sideways ROM
Images its primary and best use is as a RAM disc supported by our
Electron ADFS. Now Databases (ie Viewstore) can perform at breathtak-
ing speed (over twice as fast as some other 1 Meg silicon discs) and
amimation becomes a reality £79.95
ADVANCED ROM ADAPTER 2
An Acom approved cartridge containing a card with special 'zero’ profile
sockets that allow you to fit compatible 8k or 16k EPROMS/ROMS. The
cartridge is fully enclosed providing complete protection for your ROMS.
Simple to use - No switching - complies fully to the Acom (sideways) Rom
filing system.
"The best ROM cartridge is by far the ARA 2 ...A&B Dec 86 £ 14.95
ADVANCED BATTERY BACKED RAM
For Master and Electron users. A battery backed 32K RAM cartridge.
A.B.R. is a self contained cartridge containing two 1 6K Pages of sideways
RAM with a rechargeable battery backup. Each 16K page can be individu-
ally locked by software. Supplied with new Pres software support. To
include loading software, ROM save, print buffer and a new improved
MAKEROM utility. "Its a superb addon and a must for all serious Electron
Users" - EU June £39.99
Product
Qty
@
Total
Name
Address
(in event of any query-
phase incfude your tel. no.)
Postcode
Tel:
Credit Card No.:
I endose payment for £
Exp date (Ref 34)
Price per teaching pack:
Both versions £ 37.20 (inc. VAT)
(Payable on disk only)
Student pack, containing 5 copies of the
books: £18.95
To order, fill in the coupon below and
send to:
British Gas Education Service, PO Box 46,
Hounslow TW4 6NF.
Please send me (state quantity and format required):
teaching pack(s).
Please send me (state quantity required)
student pack(s).
I enclose * cheque/ postal order/local authority requisition for
£ Cdelete as appropriate) payable to British Gas pic.
Name:
Dept:
I
I School:
I Address:
British Gas^
ENERGY IS OUR BUSINESS
‘The Gas Billing System ' is a perfect
case study of commercial application for the
GCSE examination in Computer Studies.
Based on a fictitious organisation called
‘Capital Gas', it is a simulation of a gas billing
system, in which the student assumes the
role of a member of the Company’s staff, or a
customer, and explores the workings of the
billing system.
The teaching pack contains 1 disk, a
20-page Teacher’s Guide (including seven
masters for worksheets) and one 40-page
student book.
The student pack contains 5 copies of
the student book. This is designed to be
motivational. Written in a friendly, informal
style, it is heavily illustrated with photographs,
computer printouts, flow charts and
cartoons.
Versions available:
BBC Disk 40T Micro (Model B, B+ Master
128). Stand alone Cat No 83/ 1
RML 380Z/Link 480Z (SD) Disk.
Stand alone Cat No 83/2
Technomatic
BBC COMPUTERS & ECONET CENTRE
1 7 Burnley Road, London NW 1 « 1 ED Tel: 0 1 -208 1 1 77
305 Edgware Road, London VY2 Tel: 01-723 0233
ARCHIMEDES
300 & 400 SERIES
Archimedes 305 Basic £699(a)
Archimedes 310 Basic £775(a)
Archimedes 3 1 0M Basic £835(a)
Archimedes 4 10 Basic £1, 399(a)
Archimedes 440 Basic £2, 299(a)
Monochrome Monitor* £50(a)
Colour Monitor* £1 95(a)
'Monitor prices applicable only when purchased with the micro.
ADD-ONS
0.5Mb Ram upgrade kit (for 305)
2nd Floppy drive (for 305, 310 & 4 10)
Econet Module (with stn set disc)
Backplane for 2 podules
I/O Podule
20Mb Hard Disc 4- Podule
CCRom Podule
(7 skts for ROMs (16K/128K) or RAMS (8K/128K)
Battery’ backup optional.
I loir futilities are expeeletl in the coining weeks please
telephony / nrhtlest uptimes
IEEE Interface Podule £283(b)
Full implementation of IEEEstd 488 1978 & supp. IEEE std488A 1980. Full
specification on request.
SERIAL LINKS
Arc. to BBC Serial Link £25(c)
(Software for both Arc & BBC)
Arc. to PC/XT £29(c)
(Software for both Arc & PC)
Arc External Drive Adaptor £25(d)
BOOKS: (no VAT)
£79(c)
£125(b)
£43(c)
£39(b)
£79(b)
£499(a)
£49(d)
Arc. Ref Manual
ARM Assy Lang Prog
SOFTWARE:
PC Emulator
LANGUAGES:
ANSIC £95(c) ISO PASCAL
Prolog X £I99(b) FORTRAN 77
LISP £ 199(b) COMAL
PROGRAMMERS TOOLS:
TWIN Editor
Arc. Toolkit Module
Software DevT/Box
Software Dev DcbugT/box
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS:
Logistix
(incl Spreadsheet, timesheet, d/basc & Graphics)
woRdprocessors
View SKM3 1(e)
InterWord (e)
DATABASES
Dcltabase
Systems DeltaPlus
Alphabase
Viewstore SKM27 (e)
SPREADSHEET
Viewsheet SKM07 (e)
Intersheet (c)
GRAPHICS & ART
Gammaplot
System Gammaplus
Artisan
Interchart (e)
£29.95(b)
£12.95(d)
£99(d)
£95(c)
£9S(c)
POA
£29(d)
£33(d)
POA
POA
£99(c)
£49(d)
£39(d)
£26(d)
£60(d)
£4 1(d)
£52(d)
£52(d)
£39(d)
£30(d)
£60(c)
£32(d)
£25(d)
Special Offer
FREE £115 inc vat VOUCHER
with every Archimedes model 310, 410
and 440 purchased from us.
This voucher can be redeemed against
any future purchase made from us.
Additionally we will offer discounts
upto 10% on Archimedes software and
upto 5% on Archimedes hardware
stocked by us to all purchasers of
Archimedes computers.
This is a limited period offer so do not
miss your opportunity for a bargain not
to be repeated.
ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE
Minerva’s suite 5 Modules (ea) £54(d)
Order Processing, SalesLedgcr. StockManager, Purchase Ledger
& Nominal Ledger
GAMES:
ZARCH £17(d)
Minotaur £ll(d)
Software packages marked with (e) run under 6502 emulated mode.
Please check on availability of some of the above
packages
FILESTORE
Acorn’s new file server system
Filestore E01 £825(a)
Filestore E02 £699(a)
Full details on request
ECONET ACCESSORIES
Econet Starter Kit £85(b)
Econet Socket Set £29(c)
File Server Level II £75(b)
Master FS Utility Disc £17.25(d)
Econet Bridge
Printer Server Rom
10 Station Lead Set
£I74(b)
£44 (d)
£26(d)
ECOLINK
Ecolink allows you to connect a PC/XT or AT to
an econet network. Supplied complete with
comprehensive manual, software and cable.
Full spec on request £299(b)
UPGRADE KITS
1.20SROM
DNFS ROM
BASIC II ROM
£15(d) ADFS ROM
£19(d) 1770 DFS Kit
£22.50(d) Econet Kit
£26(d)
£43.50(d)
£55(d)
EPROMS/RAMS
MAS PER SERIES
AMB 15 Master 128K £346(a)
Incl free educational/fun software pack made up from BBC
Publications’ range (normal RRP £40)
AMC06 Turbo 65C102 Module £95(b)
ADC08 512 processor £ 185(b)
ADF10 Econet Module £40(c)
ADJ22 Ref Manual I £14(c)
View User Guide £8.50(d)
TRC22ROM
Cartridge £7.50(d)
TRC3232K RAM Cart. £29(d)
Acorn 32016 Co Processor
Acorn X25 Gateway
Acorn IEEE Interface
Universal CoProc Adapter
65C102 2nd Proc for Model B
5 12 Co Proc for Model B
(incl DOST & GEM suite)
Acorn Rom Cartridge £l3(d)
ADJ23 Ref Manual II £14(c)
V/sheet User Guide £8.50(d)
TRC44ROM Cartridge £ll(d)
Master Dust Cover £4, 75(d)
£949(a)
£2175(a)
£265(b)
£69(b)
£160(b)
£249(b)
MASTER COMPACT
All Master Compact computers come complete
with 128K RAM and an integral 640K 3.5" drive
with educational software. We also include our
own free bundled educational/fun pack made up
from BBC Publications' range with each
Compact.
SYSTEM 1 Entry system £310(a)
SYSTEM 2 with 12" Hi Res Mono
Monitor £365 (2xa)
SYSTEM 3 with 14" Med Res Col Monitor
£475 (2xa)
Compact 2nd Drive Kit £95(c)
Serial Kit £25(d)
TV Modulator £26(c)
Mertec Adapter £35(c)
(upgrades Compact to almost Master level)
External Drive adapter Cable £9(d)
SPECIAL OEEERS
Acorn 32016 Co Processor
£899(a)
10MHz upgrade for 32016
£175(a)
(incl free fitting)
Multiform Z802nd Processor
£ 179(b)
(incl. MS DOS R/W utility)
AcornSoft C
£52(d)
View Professional Master Ver
£69(c)
ISO PASCAL Master, B&B +
£46(b)
TRC32 32K RAM Cartridge incl RAM
£2 1(d)
Master Operating System book
£6. 95(d)
Seikosha GP700 Colour Printer
£ 120(a)
Plotmate A4 Plotter
£195(a)
Plotmate A4S Plotter
£250(a)
The products listed above are brand new but carry
no warranty
RAM/ROM EXPANSION
2764-25
£2. 80(d)
27128-25 (12.5V Vpp)
£3.40(d)
ATPL Board for Model B. Simple
27128-25 (21.0V Vpp)
£4.80(d)
to instal, no soldering. Allows
6264LP-15
£2. 40(d)
expansion to 15 Roms +2*8K RAMS
£37(c)
27256
£5. 00(d)
ATPL Battery backup kit
£18(d)
27512
£9. 90(d)
ATPL Board for BBC-f
£31(c)
1
Technomatic
17 Burnlev Road, London NWIO 1EI) Tel: 01-208 1 177
TECHNOMATIC DISC DRIVES
TS 400
A range of high quality high performance drives to meet the needs of all BBC Micro Users.
All drives fitted with high quality, slim line Mitsubishi drive mechanism and necessary cables.
* All drives are fitted with high quality slim line ultra low power mechanisms capable of single and double
density operation and offering fast track access and head setting times. Our confidence in their quality
enables us to offer a two year parts and labour warranty on these mechanisms without any extra charge.
*5.25" floppy drives are fitted with 40/80 track switches as standard at no extra cost. The switches are
located in the front and clearly marked to indicate the status at a glance.
♦The mechanisms are set inside attractively styled, sturdy metal casings painted in BBC beige colour.
♦All drives fitted with all necessary leads and are ready for operation on unpacking. The drives with the
mains power supply are supplied with a mains lead fitted with a suitably fused 13A moulded plug.
"TECHNOMATIC drives stand out from other drives because of the high quality of construction and use of
reliable switchmode power supply units on dual drives.
PD 800 P
5.25" Single Drives 40/80 switchable:
TS400 400K/640K £90(b)
PS400 400K/640K with integral
mains power supply £104(b)
5.25" Dual Drives 40/80 switchable:
TD800 800K/1280K £170(a)
PD800 800K/1280K with
integral mains power supply £190(a)
PD800P 800K/1280K with
integral mainspower supply and
monitor stand £209(a)
3.5” SOT DS Drives:
TS35I single 400K/640K £67(b)
PS351 single 400K/640K with
integral mains power supply £85(b)
TD352 Dual 800K/1280K £126(b)
PD352 Dual 800K/1280K with
integral mains power supply £149(b)
Combo Drives (5.25" & 3.5" drives)
PD853 with integral psu £ 1 65(a)
PD853P with integral psu £179(a)
DISC DRIVE MULTIPLEXER
see page 5 of this ad for details
For Master, B,B+ and any DFS/ADFS
TDM2 Two computers/one drive unit £65(b)
TDM4 Four computers/one drive unit £1 15(b)
TECHNOMATIC WINCHESTERS
Technomatic offer the most popular range of
Winchester drives for BBC micro systems at
competitive prices. The drives are fully
compatible with Acorn ADFS system. Fan cooled
switch mode power supply ensure efficient and
reliable operation. Combination of floppy and
winchester drives in our elegant plinth housing
provides an ideal solution for need to have large
storage and ease of transferring data to floppies.
Technomatic front end utility for the Master
supplied with the winchesters at no extra cost
provides an easy and efficient file management
system. The entire contents of the drive are
displayed on the screen on boot up, each file or
directory appearing as an icon. The icon type
indicates whether directory or file and type of data
if latter.
Larger capacity drives available on request.
P20HD TECHNOMATIC 20 Mbyte
Winchester Drive £429(a)
P30HD 30Mb Winchester Drive £449(a)
P40HD TECHNOMATIC 40 Mbyte
Winchester Drive with Acorn
ADFS ROM £749(a)
P204HP TECHNOMATIC 20 Mbyte
Winchester and a 80T DS floppy Drive
built in a monitor stand.
Includes ADFS Rom. £609(a)
P2041HT As P204HP but also with a
10 Mbyte tape streamer backup unit
and backup utilities.
Includes ADFS Rom. £1 179(a)
TSI0 10 Mbyte Tape Streamer
Backup unit with utilities. £599(a)
TFC10 10 Mbyte Pre-formatted
Cartridge for use with P2041HT
andTSlO.
£19(d)
Technomatic Winchesters can be adapted to
operate with the SJ Research FileServer by
internal modification. However this must be
specified at the time of ordering otherwise the
drive has to be returned to us for modification.
Adaptor for SJ FileServer £28
WINCHESTER Drive Multiplexer
These units let you share aWinches-
ter drive between a number of com-
puters. Full details on request.
TWM2 for two computers.
TWM4 for four Computers.
£99 (b)
£149 (b)
Following the great success enjoyed by our P20HD unit,
we are pleased to announce the launch of P30HD - a 30Mbyte
hard drive. This drive is also supplied with the free front end utility
for the Master. £449(a)
BULK DISCS
3M FLOPPY DISCS
5.25" Discs in packs of 10
74440TSSDD £8. 20(d)
74540TDSDD £10(d)
74680TSSDD £12. 25(d)
74780TDSDD £13. 00(d)
3.5" Discs in packs of 10
80TSSDD £15(d)
HOT DS DD £19. 50(d)
(Add £1 for library case packing)
50 5.25" 40 T single sided discs with sleeves
in lockable box. £25(b)
50 5.25" 80 T double sided discs with sleeves
in lockable box. £32(b)
50 3.5" SOT double sided discs with sleeves
in lockable box. £60(b)
FLOPPICLENE DRIVE HEAD
CLEANING KIT
5.25" Kit with 20 disposable discs £12. 50(d)
3.5" Kit with 20 disposable discs £14. 00(d)
DISC STORAGE BOXES
DB340 Lockable 40 x 3.5" £8.50(c)
DB550 Lockab’ 2 50 x 5.25" £6.50(c)
DB570 Lockable 70 X 5.25" £8.50(c)
DB5100 Lockable 100 x 5.25" £10.50(c)
2
5
Technomatic
305 Edgware Road, London W2 Tel: 01-723 0233
EPSON LX800
£189(a)
EPSON FX;800
£295(a)
EPSON FX1000
£405(a)
EPSON EX800
£395(a)
EPSON EX 1000
£539(a)
Colour option for EX800/EX1000
£59(b)
EPSON LQ850
£439(a)
EPSON LQ1050
£529(a)
TAXAN KP815
£269(a)
TAXAN KP915
£369(a)
NATIONAL PANASONIC KXP1081
£149(a)
STAR NL10 (Parallel Interface)
£179(a)
STAR NL10 (Serial Interface)
£2 19(a)
INTEGREX Multicolour
Inkjet printer
£549(a)
BROTHER HR20
£349(a)
NAT PANASONIC KX P3I31
£249(a)
includes massive buffer of 38K
JUKI 6100 Daisy wheel printer
£295(a)
BBC/Master Parallel Printer
Lead (1.2m)
£5(d)
BBC/Master Parallel
Printer Lead (2m)
£7(d)
Compact Parallel Printer Lead
(1.2m)
£9(d)
Archimedes Parallel Printer
Lead (2m)
£9(d)
PRINTERS
PRINTER STAND
A new style printer stand with easy paper feed and
paper seperation, provides complete access to
paper. Can be used with both top and bottom
paper feed. Very space efficient. £26 (b)
MODEMS
All modems listed below will be
BBC data lead.
MIRACLE WS4000 V21/23
MIRACLE WS3000 V21/23
MIRACLE WS3000 V22
MIRACLE WS3000 V22 bis
(All modems are BABT approved)
BBC Data Cable for WS3000/4000
MIRACLE WS2000V21/23 &
BELL stds
WS2000 Auto Dial Card
WS2000 Auto Answer Card
S2000SKI Kit
WS2(KK) User Port Lead
supplied with a
£135(b)
£244(b)
£409(b)
£537(b)
£7(d)
£92(c)
£27(d)
£27(d)
£5(d)
£5(d)
TIME WARP
Real Time Clock, Plugs into the
user port, battery back up as
standard, includes manual, demo
software including a diary/planner
application program
£29(d)
PLOTTERS
Hitachi 672XD A3 4 Colour HPGL
(variety of pens available)
Plotmate A4S
Plotmate A3M
£465(a)
£282(a)
£431(a)
Large Plotters available. Please enquire.
PRINTER SHARERS &
BUFFERS
TSB256 Printer Sharer
Buffer
Provides a massive buffer size of
256K and connects three computers
to one printer. Autoswitching
between computers. Facility to
print copies.
£189(b)
BUFFALO PB Buffer
Parallel buffer for internal fitting to
most Epson printers. Simple to
instal.
PB128(128K)
£89(c)
PERIPHERAL & COMPUTER
SHARERS
High quality switches to allow the user to switch
between computers, printers, modems etc. Fully
shielded metal cases, all lines fully switched.
Parallel
Serial
2 Computers to 1 Printer 36v36-2
£25(c)
25v25-2
£25(0
3 Computers to 1 Printer 36v36-3
£39(c)
25v25-3
£39(c)
4 Computers to 1 Printer 36v36-4
£45(c)
25v25*4
£45(c)
2 Computers 2 Printers
25v25-x
£49(c)
X-over36v37-x
£49(c)
BBCCableSet3tol(lmea)
£24(0
BBCCable Set4to 1 (Imea)
£30(c)
£2 1(c)
BBC Computer Sharer: TCS26
1 computer to 2 printers fitted with
BBC cable
Paper & Labels
Plain fanfold paper with microperforation:
2000 sheets 9'/z x 11" £12 (£3.50)
2000 sheets 14*4 x 11" £18.50 (£4.50)
1 500 sheets A4 90gsm £18.00 (£4.00)
Labels/1000
Single Row3‘/2 x 1Vi6
Triple Row2 7 /i6 x l 7 /i6
£5(d)
£5(d)
PROGRAMMING
ACCESSORIES/SOFTWARE
Compatible with B, B+ and Master
EpromRyter (Epromer II)
EpromRyter is compatible with
BBC Master only. Sec page 7.
Upgrade of Epromer II to Eprom Ryter
(Please return your Epromer II)
EPROMER II
MPROMER
META ASSEMBLER
PORTAL EPROM
EMULATOR 5 1 2K
TEAM Disassembler
EPROM ERASERS
UV 1 B 6 eproms, safety cutout
UV IT 6 eproms, timer, safety cutout
£89(b)
£49(b)
£89(b)
£49(c)
£145(b)
£245(b)
£145(b)
£47(b)
£59(b)
MONITORS
14" MONITORS
Microvitec 1431
Std Res
Microvitec 1431AP
Std Res + PAL/Aud
Microvitec 1451
Med Res
Microvitec 1451AP
Med Res + PAL/Aud
Microvitec 1441
Hi Res
£179(a)
£199(a)
£225(a)
£255(a)
£359(a)
Philips 14" RGB
Med Res, high contrast screen,
TTL/Linear Input, Mono/Colour
Switch Sound Input. Separate
controls for brilliance and
contrast. This is the monitor used by
Acorn with Archimedes and Compact
Computers.
£ 195(a)
Microvitec 20" RGB/PAL/
| Audio Monitors
Microvitec 2030CS
Standard Resolution RGB/Comp
Video
£380(a)
Microvitec 2040CS
High Resolution RGB/
Comp Video
£675(a)
TAXAN SUPER VISION 620
12" Hi Res/Hi Contrast Option to
switch to green/amber BBC/IBM
Compatible
£269(a)
TAXAN SUPER VISION 625
12" Super Hi Res and contrast RGB
Monitor with option to switch to
mono BBC/IBM compatible.
£3 19(a)
| 12" MONOCHROME MONITORS
PHILIPS BM 7502
Hi Res green screen
£69(a)
PHILIPS BM7522
Hi Res amber screen
£75(a)
PHILIPS BM 7542
Hi Res Paper White screen
£79(a)
SPECIAL
for this month
Swivel Stand for Philips
Mono monitors £6(c)
(if purchased with monitor)
MONITOR ACCESSORIES
Microvitec Swivel Base
( 14" plastic monitors)
Monitor Stand Models B & B +
Monitor Stand Master
Double Tier Stand Models B ,
B-f or Master
Taxan RGB Lead
Microvitec Lead
Monochrome BNC/Phono Lead
£17(c)
£ 10(c)
£13(c)
£24(b)
£5(d)
£3. 50(d)
£3. 50(d)
3
Technomatic
17 Burnlev Road, London NW10 1ED Tel: 01-208 1 177
CAD/DRAWING PACKAGES
NOVACAD
Cad Package for B, B & MASTER.
(See page 5 for specification)
Tracker Ball/Mouse Version (IM)
TM Version plus Tracker Ball
TM Version plus Mouse
Plotter Driver Generator
MOUSE
AMX MOUSE with SUPER ART
(psc specify B, B + or Master)
STOP PRESS (Pagemaker)
EXTRA/EXTRA
(utility for the Pagemaker)
MAX
STAND ALONE MOUSE
(includes horizontal scroll lock)
RB2 TRACKER BALL
RB2 Tracker Ball with Icon Master
(for B, Bf & Master)
RB2 Tracker Ball with Cursor Control
Rom
(for Master only)
RB2 Tracker Ball ‘Stand Alone’
for use with NOVACAD & other
software)
Cursor Control Rom for Master
MIRRORSOFT FLEET
STREET EDITOR
£49 (d)
£94 (d)
£79 (d)
£15 (d)
£59 (d)
£32 (d)
£34 (c)
CP/M SOFTWARE
Please send for details on our range of CP/M
software for Acorn/Torch Z80 2nd Processors
BBC SOFT/FIRMWARE
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
VIEWSTORE £37 (d)
STARdataBASE £39 (d)
MASTEREILE II £17 (d)
ACORN OVERVIEW PACKAGE
Special Offer £69 (b)
(RRP £86)
WORD PROCESSORS
ACORN VIEW PROFESSIONAL (BBC) £75 (c)
£35 (d)
£48 (c)
£12 (d)
£7 (d)
£29 (d)
VIEW 2.1
VIEW 3.0
VIEW INDEX
VIEW PRINTER
GENERATOR
VIEWSPELL
DOT PRINT PLUS
WORDWISE
WORDWISE PLUS
WYSIWYG PLUS
SPELLMASTER
INTERWORD
WORDEASE
SPELLCHECK III
EDWORD II
DRIVER
£38 (d)
£21 (d)
£47 (d)
£39 (d)
£24 (d)
£31 (d)
£43 ( C )
SPREADSHEETS |
VIEWSHEET
£37 (d)
WINDOWMATIC
£15 (d)
VIEWPLOT
£22 (d)
INTERSHEET
£37 (d)
INTERCHART
£26 (d)
ULTRACALC
£26 (d)
MINI OFFICE 11 DISC Version
For B & B -f 40T or 80T
£14.75 (d)
I For Master 80T £17.30 (d) 1
For Compact
£19 (d)
MINI OFFICE II ROM Version
For Master, Compact, B + & B
£48 (c)
MEGA 3Rom
£82(b)
CC’s integrated package offering
Interword,
I Intersheet & Interchart on one 128K ROM. For 1
1 | Master, Compact, B-f & B
LANGUAGES
META ASSEMBLER
£145 (b)
TEAM DISASSEMBLER
£145 (b)
i MACROM
£33 (d)
ACORN MICRO PROLOG
£62 (d)
ISO-PASCAL
£51 (c)
, ISO-PASCAL STAND ALONE
GENERATOR
OXFORD PASCAL
£30 (d)
' (40 or 80T) Specify B or B-f
£36 (d)
OXFORD PASCAL
for Master
£52 (d)
ACORN LOGO
£46 (c)
LOGOTRON LOGO
£55 (c)
BBC PUBLICATIONS OPEN LOGO
£59 (c)
ACORN LISP ROM
£39 (d)
ACORN FORTH ROM
£39 (d)
ACORN COMAL ROM
£39 (d)
MICROTEXT
£52 (c)
MICROTEXT PLUS
£229 (b)
COMMUNICATIONS
TERMULATOR
COMMSTAR II
MAY A Comms Package
See next page for details 8$^
£25 (d)
£28 (d)
r
1 £49
MODEM MASTER
£11 (d).
COMMAND
£34 (d)
MASTER TERMULATOR
£34.75 (d)
1 UTILITIES
ACORN BASIC EDITOR
£24 (d)
MONITOR (BBC Pub)
£19 (d)
SLEUTH
£23 (d)
TOOLKIT PLUS
£31 (d)
TOOLBOX 2 (BBC Pub) Manual
£9.50 (d)
Cassette
£9 (d)
ACORN GXR GRAPHICS ROM
specify B or B +
£24(d)
PRINTMASTER
£24 (d)
PRINTWISE
£24 (d)
> DUMPMASTER
£26 (d)
1 FONTW1SE PLUS
£17 (d)
ADV TELETEXT UTILITIES ROM
£7.95 (d)
COMPACT (all on 3 Vi" disc)
ARTROOM
£27 (d)
FONTVVISE +
£22 (d)
FONT EDITOR
£22 (d)
BETA BASE
£27 (d)
WHITE KNIGHT MKII
BBC PUBLICATIONS
BUNDLED SOFTWARE
£16 (d)
£18.50 (d)
BBC PUBLICATIONS
EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE
A series of programs developed in many cases along-
side Radio & TV programmes by BBC’s Education
Department which supplement the classroom studies
by moving and colourful displays helping in clear
understanding of a variety of subjects. Some packages
also include audio cassettes.
PRIMARY EDUCATION
ASTRONOMY £11 (d)
COMPUTERS AT WORK Aud/EC/disc£16 (c)
PICTURE CRAFT Disc£17 (d)
INTRODUCING GEOGRAPHY Disc£16 (d)
MATHS WITH A STORY 1 Cass£8 (d)
MATHS WITH A STORY 2 Cass£8 (d)
NUMBER GAMES Cass/EC£7.50 (d)
USING YOUR COMPUTER Cass£24 (c)
SECONDARY LEARNING
TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN Ptl
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ADVANCED LEVEL
STUDIES: STATISTICS
ADVANCED STUDIES:
GEOGRAPHY
INSIDE INFORMATION
Book£8 (d)
SCIENCE TOPICS (ST)
S.T.:WAVES
S.T.:RELATIONSHIPS
S.T. ‘.BONDING
S.T. ‘.ELECTROMAGNETIC
SPECTRUM
S.T.:ELECTRONICS IN ACTION Disc£14 (d)
S.T.:NEWTON & THE SHUTTLE Disc£19 (d)
S.T.-.ECOLOGY Disc/EC£19 (d)
S.T.:POLYMERS Disc/EC£19 (d)
S.T. CLASSIFICATION &
PERIODIC TABLE
S.T.:FOOD & POPULATION
SEC. SCIENCE
MICROTECHNOLOGY
SEC.SCIENCE:THE
MOLE CONCEPT Disc/Aud/EC£16 (c)
£21.50 (c)
£10.50 (d)
I)isc£23 (d)
Cass£10 (d)
Prog Cass£10 (d)
Audio Cass£5 (d)
Disc£14 (d)
I)ise£14 (d)
i)isc£14 (d)
(d)
i)isc£20 (d)
Disc£20 (d)
Cass£7 (d)
GENERAL
VU-TYPE PROFESSIONAL
WHITE KNIGHT MK II
(for 1770 DFS)
BATTLEFIELDS
A VOUS LA FRANCE
Disc£19 (d)
Disc£16 (d)
Cass£8.50 (d)
Cass/EC£17 (d)
Book£5.25 (d)
Audio Cassettes
(2) £7.50 (a)
A dditional charges for discs £9 .00 (d)
DEUTSCH DIREKT Disc/aud/EC£16 (c)
Book£5.95 (d)
BLACK QUEEN
A long awaited bridge game. ( 1770DFS) £ 13(d)
BISMARCK
History of the famous battleship.
(1770DFS) £13(d)
Cassette based programs listed above can he supplied
on disc at* an extra charge of £1.50 per disc and please
specify the format required 40 or SOT.
4
Technomatic
305 Edgvvare Road, London VV2 Tel: 01-723 0233
li
BOOKS
No VAT Carriage Code (c)
LANGUAGES
6502 Assy Lang Prog £19.95
6502 Programming £13.95
8086 Book £23.95
Acorn BCPI User Guide £15.00
Acorn FORTH £7.50
Acorn LISP £7.50
Acorn ISO Pascal Ref Manual £10.00
Intro to COMAL £10.00
Intro to LOGO £7.50
Micro Prolog Ref Manual £10.00
Introduction to Turbo Pascal £14.95
Prog the Micro with Pascal £8.50
The Supervisor’s BBC Micro £10.95
BBC MICRO GUIDE BOOKS
Inside Information £8.95
Maths Prog in BBC Basic £7.95
The Friendly Computer Book £4.50
Toolbox 2 £10.95
ARCHIMEDES
Archimedes Reference Manual £29. 95(b)
ARM Assembly Language Prog £12. 95(b)
PROGRAMMING/UTILITY
Advanced Sideways Ram User Guide £9.95
Advanced User Guide (BBC) £15.95
Applied Assembly Language on the BBC ...£9.95
BBC Micro Advance Programming £9.95
BBC Micro Ref Guide (B Smith) £10.95
BBC Micro Sideways ROM’s RAM’s £9.95
Guide to the BBC Rom £9.95
Beginners Guide to W.P £7.95
Mastering Assembly Code £8.95
Mastering Interpreters & Compilers £14.95
Master Operating System £12.95
Mastering View, Viewsheet & Viewstore... .£12.95
View by B. Smith £12.95
View 3.0 User Guide £9.00
Viewstore User Guide £9.00
Viewsheet User Guide £9.00
Wordwise Plus £9.95
SOUND & GRAPHICS
Computer Graphics & CAD Fundementals .£9.95
Mastering Music £6.95
DISC DRIVE SYSTEMS
Advanced Disc User Guide £16.95
Disc Book £3.50
Disc Programming Techniques £7.95
Disc Systems £6.95
File Handling on the BBC £6.95
Discovering Disc Drives £POA
Practical Disc File Techniques £5.95
Mastering the Disc Drive £12.95
Mastering DOS plus £12.95
APPLICATIONS
Interfacing Proj for BBC £6.95
BBC and Small Business £5.75
The Software Business £5.50
Mustering Operating System
(David Atherton) £6.95
WYSIWYG PLUS
WYSIWYG PLUS is a printer and screen utility for Wordwise Plus, View, Interword, and Basic users,
supplied on a 16K Eprom. To obtain a particular printer effect, such as enlarged text, it used to be
necessary to discover the appropriate ‘printer control code’ from your manual and incorporate it into
your text. Secondly, you had to print several trial copies in order to position the effect correctly in
relation to the rest of your text.
WYSIWYG PLUS simplifies this trial and error approach using easily remembered * commands. For
example, ENLARGED not only selects enlarged text on your printer, but uniquely shows you double
width characters on your screen / even from within Wordwise Plus!
WYSIWYG PLUS incorporates a logo editor. Just draw your design on screen using the arrow keys, and
save the results. Use the *GRAPHICS command to incorporate your design anywhere in your text;
position and sec your design in your text before faithfully reproducing a hard copy.
I here is also special help for daisy wheel users. The *WHEEL command will prompt you to change
daisy wheels whenever a change in type style is about to occur.
WYSIWYG PLUS is designed to work with the following systems:
BBC Model B 6502 Second Processor, BBC Master 128 All printers (Except lasers)
BBC Model B-f Turbo coprocessor BBC Compact
WYSIWYG PLUS workspace is relocatable.
MAYA TERMINAL EMULATOR
A conims package for the professional user. MAYA emulates DEC VT52, VT100 and Tandbcrg
TDV2215. Special BBC VDU mode allows full access to the BBC VDU driver.
Menu driven software allows the setting up of parameters and function key definitions which can be
saved to disc for future use.
Flexible command parser provides a uniform user interface and allows full access to * commands and
HELP facilities.
Xmodem and Kermit file transfer protocols are included as standard. Unique feature of MAYA is
that Kermit can also be used in ‘remote mode’, which allows file transfers to be initiated by other
computers connected to the BBC. File transfers can also be done with a ‘dumb’ ASCII protocol. Open
architecture allows for expansion and addition of new features. Options currently under development
are graphics drivers for Tektronix 4010/4014 emulation, TDGR driver for TDV2215 and a Viewdata
patch (provisional version included in the current issue). Registered users will be provided with regular
updates and customisation service will also be available to those interested.
The package comprises of a rom, utils disc and a comprehensive manual. It is compatible with Master,
Models B & B-K It supports DFS, ADFS, NFS and ANFS filing systems.
BLACK QUEEN
YU-TYPE
A contract bridge program from BBC Publica-
tions both for beginners and for club players.
Features include rebid and/or reply of any deal
just played. Deals can be saved to a disc. Unique
feature of Black Queen is its ability to construct
deals from standard or classic ones in newspapers
etc.
Compatible with Master, B and B+ £13(d)
EDUCATIONAL/FUN
SOFTW ARE BUNDLE
Do you have finger trouble when typing?
Do your letters look like this?
Dear Sor,
I wuold like to...
then you need:
VU-type, a complete touch typing program pro-
duced by BBC/Pitman.
It allows you to learn at your own pace and has a
wide range of exercises. Screen displays show the
keys you have pressed and it will report on your
speed and accuracy.
Supplied on a 40T Disc with a manual.
Available at a special price of £7. 50(d) instead of
the usual £15. Offer valid while stocks last.
Drawstick
Locomotion
Wordmover
Wordplay Pantry Antics
These programs are supplied from the BBC
Publications Educational Software range and will
be supplied on a 5.25" disc for BBC Master, B +
and B and on a 3.5" disc for the Compact.
5.25" Disc £17. 50(d)
3.5" Disc £18. 50(d)
(Normal RRP over £40)
BISMARCK
An enthralling game of strategy involving the
famous German battleship of the same name.
You can play the role of British Navy in its quest
to find the Bismarck and sink it or take either
British or German role against another player. It
requires the highest qualities of judgement, obser-
vation and decision to plan strategy and tactics to
plot the death of Bismarck. £ 13(d)
PRINTER ACCESSORIES
EPSON ACCESSORIES:
Interfaces
8143 RS232 £30 (cl)
8148 + RS232 + 8k £65 (d)
8177P NLQ for FX80 +/FX100 + ..£99
FX1000 £179 (b)
Ribbons:
RX/FX100/100 +, FX105 £7 (d)
RX/FX80/80 +, FX85 £4 (d)
Star Printer
NL10 Sheet Feeder £52 (b)
NL10 Ribbon £4.50 (d)
National Panasonic KX P1080/81
INTEGREX INK JET COLOUR
PRINTER
Spare Ink Cartridge Black £9 (d)
Spare Ink Cartridge Colour £15 (d)
Paper Roll £7 (d)
Printer Leads:
BBC Parallel Lead (1.2m) £6 (d)
(d)
LX80/LX800
. .£4.50 (d)
Sparc Ribbon
£4.50 (d)
PAPER & LABELS
Parallel & Serial Buffers of various
LQ800
..£8.50 (d)
KXP3131 Tractor
£90 (a)
Plain Fanfold paper with micro
size also available.
LQ1000
£10 (d)
KXP3131 Sheet Feeder....
£189 (a)
perforations:
LQ800 Tractor Feed
£47 (b)
EX800/1000
...£7.50 (d)
JUKI 6100
2000 sheets 91" x 1 1" 60 gsm/sq m ..£12
LQ1000 Tractor Feed
£52 (b)
H180 Pen Set (Aqueous/Ball point)
Tractor Feed
£149 (a)
(£3.50)
SHEET FEEDERS:
...£8.25 (d)
Ribbon (Carbon)
£2.00 (d)
2000 sheets 141" x 11" 60 gsm/sq m
LQ800
£135 (b)
HITACHI 672 Plotter
Sheet Feeder
£219 (a)
..£18.50 (£4.50)
LQ1000
£179 (b)
Aqueous Pen Set six pens ...
.£18.50 (d)
BROTHER HR20
1500 sheets A4 90 gsm .
£18 (£3.50)
EX800
£135 (b)
Oil Based Pen Set six pens ..
.£25.00 (d)
Tractor Feed
£116 (a)
Labels/ 1000:
EX 1000
£309 (b)
TAXAN CANON Accessories:
Spare Ribbon Nylon
£3.00 (d)
Single Row 31 x 1&" ...
£5.25 (d)
FX800
£135 (b)
Ribbon, KP8 10/8 15/9 10/9 15
£6 (d)
Sparc Ribbon Carbon
£4. 50(d)
Triple Row 2 tY' x L 7 *..
£5 (d)
5
Technomatic
17 Burnley Road, London NVV10 1 ED Tel: 01-208 1 177
NOV ACAD
Computer Aided Draughting for the BBC Micro
i ( Novacad can drive a plotter to provide drawings of a high quality . . .
Novacad is excellent. It is flexible, genuinely easy to operate
without much practice, and a pleasure to use. 55 Reeling December 1086
A sophisticated CAD package with unique facilities which are
generally confined to the professional CAD packages costing
thousands of pounds.
NOVACAD is being used in widely differing fields ranging from
leading British industries for producing engineering drawings to
Accountants’ offices for producing flow charts. Architects,
U Novacad is a professional package, well worth the £90 for the
ROM and disc and is expandable to suit your own particular
requirements. I would have no reservations if / heard Novacad
called, “the best on the market**. W A&B Computing August 1986
engineers, plumbers, kitchen planners and many other
professions requiring easy to use facilities for producing
professional quality output are making extensive use of
NOVACAD’s unique features. NOVACAD is proving to be a
invaluable teaching aid in technical schools and colleges simply
because of the ease with which it can be used.
NOVACAD’S MAJOR FEATURES
* Simple and easy to use with logical command
sequence.
* A large drawing area (approx 15 screens).
* The ability to create complex icons (upio 500
lines instead of the usual 15 to 20 pixels),
store them in a library and recall them at
different scales and orientations.
* A zoom facility allowing magnification of up
to 20 times to insert finer details.
* Block copy of shapes on the screen for
repetitive use.
* Text entry at any 90° orientation at any
position on the screen.
* Create multi layer drawing with 8 levels
available.
* Full compatibility with the BBC range with
minimal hardware requirements yet having
the capability of exploiting the potential of
the extra shadow memory or the second pro-
cessor’s memory and speed.
* Printer routine for Epson 80 and 136 column
printers.
* A unique optional facility to output to any
BBC compatible plotter.
* Cursor control from keyboard, tracker ball or
mouse.
£49(d)
Plotter Driver
Generator £15(d)
NOVACAD is compatible with all BBC
models fitted with Acorn DFS. It has
minimum hardware requirements of a
single drive and a Epson compatible printer
to get started though NOVACAD will
utilise fully a dual drive system and 6502 2nd
processor or the shadow ram on the B +
series. To obtain high quality drawings we
recommend a BBC compatible plotter and
our plotter driver generator.
With basic BBC B, NOVACAD operates in
mode 4 allowing use of any 2 colours. With
shadow memory of the BBC + or the Master, it
can also operate in mode 0 for higher resolution
or mode 1 for allowing use of any 4 colours, and
it will provide additional user memory for more
complex drawings.
6502 second processor or the Turbo on the
Master will also increase the drawing speed con-
siderably.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Plotter driver generator is available as an
optional extra to configure a plotter routine for
any BBC compatible plotter. Pre-configured
programs for the popular plotters like Epson HI
80, Hitachi 672, Plotmate, Penman and HP GL.
This program allows the drawing to be scaled to
the maximum plotter size thus enabling drawing
of A2 and A3 sizes to be produced with equal
ease. The zoom facility will enable inaccuracies of
drawing on the screen to be eliminated.
BBC SPARE PARTS
BBC B & General
Power Supply £52.00 (b)
Keyboard Connector ..£5.00 (d)
Complete Keyboard.. £52. 00 (b)
Kcyswitch (state type). £1.75 (d)
Modulator UM 1233 ....£4,80 (d)
Video ULA £18.00 (d)
Serial ULA £14.00 (d)
ADFS ROM £26.00 (d)
6502A £5.50 (d)
17.734 MHz Xtal £2.50 (d)
16 MHz Xtal £2.50 (d)
6522A £5.50 (d)
6845SP £6.50 (d)
DS3691
£4.50 (d)
88LS120
£6.50 (d)
LM324
£0.45 (d)
SAA5050
£9.00 (d)
UPD7002
£7.00 (d)
NE555
£0.50 (d)
68B50
£2.50 (d)
74ALS245
£5.00 (d)
WD1770
£24.00 (d)
68B54
£8.00 (d)
75159
£2.20 (d)
76489
£4.00 (d)
BBC B +
Keyswitch (state type). £1.75 (d)
Modulator UM1233 ....£4,80 (d)
B+ OS £18.00 (d)
PAL16RH £18.00 (d)
BBC MASTER
Power Supply £65.00 (b)
Keyboard Connection .£3.75 (d)
Keyboard £65.00 (b)
Keyswitch (state type). £1.75 (d)
1 Mb OS ROM £39.00 (d)
CF30060 ULA £10.00 (d)
CF30047 ULA £15.25 (d)
CF30048 ULA £15.25 (d)
CF30049 ULA £15.25 (d)
CF30050 ULA £19.75 (d)
CF30058 ULA £15.00 (d)
6818 £4.00 (d)
65SC12 £15.66 (d)
50464 £3.50 (d)
74F00 £1.00 (d)
74F74 £1.40 (d)
74HCT253 £3.50 (d)
9637 £2.00 (d)
32.768 MHz Xtal £2.00 (d)
2nd PROCESSORS
ULA (512) £34.00 (d)
ULA (6502 & Z80)... £28.00 (d)
Power Supply £42.00 (b)
Technomatic
MAILORDERS RKTAIL
l7Burnlc> Road
London NN I01F.D
lav 01-452 15011
Telex: 022800
RETAILSIIOPS
15/17 Burnley Road, London \M 10 II I)
Tel: 01-208 1 177 I elc\: 922800
(close to DollisHiM-eO
W est End Braneh
305 Edgnarc Road, London W 2
Tel: 01-723 0233, 01-402 0444
(near Edgwure Road-0')
Eor fast delivery telephone
your order on 01-208 1177
using MSA/Access Card
BARCtArCARol ZZZ
a
Orders welcome from
government depts &
educational establishments
All prices ex VAT.
Prices are subject to
change w ithout notice
Please add carriage
(a) £8.00 (Datapost)
(b) £2.50
(c) £1.50
(d) £1.00
EpromRyter
♦Highly sophisticated & Advanced Programmer
♦Handles all current single rail Eproms
♦State of the Art Programming Algorithms
EpromRyter is a powerful eprom programmer designed for use with the
BBC Master Computer. It takes full advantage of the latest
developments in the eprom technology and the extra facilities on the
Master to provide fast, simple and efficient programming and editing
facilities.
The software is totally menu driven and on screen help messages make the
programming simple for both specialists and novices alike.
The EPROMRYTER interfaces with the Master through 1 MHz bus. It is
mains powered with its own psu. 3M Textool zif socket has been fitted to
ensure consistent and reliable service over long periods.
The single rail eproms handled by the EpromRyter are:
12716 2732 2764 27128 27256 27512 27*513 27011
2516 2532 2564 (NMOS & CMOS)
• One time eproms P27XXX, 87CXXX etc.
• Also A suffix eproms such as 27XXXA
A proven Eprom programmer for BBC Model B and B + with thousands in use in
industry, educational and R&D establishments. It offers many of the powerful
features of the EpromRyter and can program all single rail eproms upto 27256.
Full details on request.
The main features of the programming software are:
Device, function and voltage selection from the computer keyboard.
Continuous display of the options selected.
All eproms upto 27512 (64K) programmed in single pass.
Automatic Intelligent identifier support for eproms able to respond.
Selectable programming voltage 25/21/ 12.5V
3 programming methods: Normal, Intelligent & Pulse (30 see for a 27128).
Serial port protocols supported incl Intel Hex & Motorola S.
DFS, NFS, ADFS and Rom Filing System Supported.
BASIC/Machine Code programming using RFS.
Powerful editor with input in HEX or ASCII. * * Full editable 64K file.
Block move of data within the address range.
* User can select any section of the eprom from single byte to the full address
range to blank check/burn/vcrify! Facility to program single bytes makes
program dcvelopmcnt/amendment simpler.
* Multiple loading for ROM Filing System
Some of the above features apply to Master Computers only
META Version III
“All the good features you would expect to find in a good source code editor are
present . . . Meta assembler lives in a different world. It is structured to work
with any new processor . . . as new instruction sets can he added . . . as needed
. . . has a well featured editor with colour highlighting, a sound modular
approach. “ Acorn User October 1986
• Assembles for over 30 popular processors, including Z80,
6800/01/02/04/05/09/11 etc — and 68000 — using native
mnemonics for each processor, eg. LD A, (HL) for Z80 and MOV
AO, $1000 for 68000 etc.
• Fully integrated Editor: four field, all search, search/replace,
block copy, delete, move, marked save, load etc.
• Compatible with Portal Eprom Emulators and Team
Disassemblers.
• Send object code in Intel Hex, S-Record, straight binary etc. down
to discs, RS232, parallel port, Eprom Emulators etc — all during
Assembly.
• Over 50 directives included as standard: handling nestable macros,
conditional assembly and- twenty types of table definition
directives.
• 32 bit labels; 31 character names. Arithmetic and Boolean
arithmetic to 32 bits.
• Modular source code with numeric and string parameter passing.
• Serial communicator area with eight options lines: echo, control
code trap, LF supression/addition etc.
• Over 500 in use throughout the world in universities and many
different industries.
• Two 16K Roms, two 80 track discs, A4 ring-band manual,
function-key strip.
PORTAL EPROM EMULATORS
• Emulates 2716, 2732, 2764, 27128, 27256, 27512 eproms at 150ns
Access time.
• Load at 4Kbytes/second — No “erase” time.
• 28 pin header plugs into Eprom socket on target system — status
monitored on 13 Leds.
• Fully software controlled from Meta Assembler.
• 100 times faster than standard EPROM program/erase cycle.
• Fully CMOS compatible; draws no power from target system.
• Four portals may be independently programmed off same user-
post cable.
• Complete with all cables, manual and disc.
PORTAL 512 (2716, 2732, 2764, 27128, 27256, 27512).
TEAM DISSASSEMBLER
The third part of the Universal Development System: a Meta
labelling disassembler.
Supports 1802, 8080, 8085, HD64180, Z80, 65XX (includes
65 col, 6511 etc), 68XX (includes 00, 01, 02, 03, 08 etc):
• Up to 64K of object code translated back into META
compatible source code modules: labels automatically
inserted on all jump targets, memory references etc.
• Pre-editing stage allows marking of object code areas as
byte, string, word, long word etc, tables. These areas dis-
assembled into appropriate directives instead of garbage
mnemonics.
• Reconstituted source code ready for immediate re-asscmbly
by META.
• Omniversal search/replace for re-naming arbitary label
names with meaningful ones.
THE TECHNOMATIC BBC CATALOGUE
REVISED WINTER CATALOGUE
This advertisement can only show an example of the range of
products stocked by Technomatic. So send for our latest BBC
catalogue providing detailed information and prices on BBC
Computer Systems, Peripherals, Software and Books. To obtain
your free copy please complete and return the coupon below.
Technomatic is a BBC Computer and Econet Referral Centre
providing a professional and reliable service to the BBC user.
NAME
ADDRESS.
.Post Code.
3/88
Return to Technomatic Ltd, 17 Burnley Road, London NW10 1ED
Computaccount (UK) Ltd
11 High Street, Harborne
Birmingham B17 9NT
Tel 021 427 9898
We are major suppliers to the
educational and health sectors
Please telephone for our free extensive catalogue and price list.
Archimedes
THE NEW RISC COMPUTER FROM ACORN. A
VERY FAST 32 BIT MACHINE, SPECIFICALLY
AIMED AT THE EDUCATION MARKET
COMPATIBLE WITH MOST EXISTING BBC
SOFTWARE
Base
♦ Mono
♦Colour
Archimedes 305
model
monitor
monitor
512k RAM. 512k ROM. 1Mbyte 3 5 drive
£699
£749
£899
Archimedes 310
As 305. but 1024k RAM
£775
£825
£975
Archimedes 410
As 310. but with hard disc controller.
£1399
£1449
£1599
floating point option, coprocessor bus.
Archimedes 440
As 4 10. but 4048k RAM. 20 Mbyte hard disc
£2299
^£234^
£2499
ACORN
MONITORS
NEW MASTER COMPACT
series.
Standard system is 128K, single 3.5 inch
drive, bundled software.
Compact entry system
£349.00
Compact TV system
£359.00
Compact with mono monitor
£389.00
Compact with colour monitor
£529.00
RS 232 interface for compact
££6.00
Extra 3 5m drive for compact
£99.00
PAL TV adaptor for compact
£26.00
Master 128
£379.00
Master ET
£305.00
Master econet module
£43.47
Turbo upgrade
£108.00
G4K upgrade kit
£34.74
Master 512K upgrade
£199.00
10 Mbyte Hard disc with fileserver
£1086.95
30 Mbyte Hard disc with fileserver
£1608.95
Eprom cartridges
£11.95
Acorn DNFS kit
£82.60
1770 upgrade kit
£43.42
ADFS ROM
£26.04
ATPL Sideways RAM 'ROM board £39.00
CONCEPT Keyboard
£124.95
View manual
£10.00
Viewsheet manual
£10.00
Mono
Sanyo DM4112
£79.95
Sanyo DM9112
£126.00
Phillips green Hi-res 7502
£76.00
Philips amber Hi-res 7522
£82.61
Zenith green Hi-res 1230
£85.00
Zenith amber Hi-res 1220
£85.00
Colour
Microvitec std-res 1431
£191.00
Microvitec med-res 1451
£229.00
Microvitec hi-res 1441
£399.00
Philips 8833 RGB Med-res + composite
video
£251.00
Monitor cables (state types required)
.from £350.00
Master Monitor bridge single height
£18.90
double height £25.00
DISC DRIVES
Opus 5802 400k DS 40/80 track. £109.00
Opus 5802DB dual 400k DS 40/80 track
£205.00
Opus 5802D dual 400k DS 40/80 with
PSU £260.00
Opus DDOS kit £59.95
Pace PSD3P 400k 40'80T with PSU
£144.00
Pace PDD3P dual 400k 40-80T with PSU
£260.00
Akhter MD802E dual 400k DS 40/80T
mounted in monitor stand £285.00
Cumana CSX 1 00 100k SS 40T £99.00
Cumana CS100 100k SS 40T with PSU
£129.00
Cumana CS400S 400k DS 40/80T with
PSU £152.00
Cumana CD800S dual 400k SS 40T with
PSU £295.00
Cuman CS354 SS 3 5" with PSU£121.70
Cuman CD358 DS 3 5" with PSU£210.00
Cumana CCD2000S 3.5" ♦ 5.25" with
PSU £282.17
AMSTRAD
* New 1640 now In stock *
Amstrad 1G40
Enhanced colour display
Single 360k floppy drive £799.00
Twin 3G0k floppy drives £899.00
Single 3G0k floppy drive ♦ 20Mbyte hard
disc drive £1199.00
Amstrad 1512-
Mono. twin floppy drives £499.00
Colour twin floppies £649.00
20mB Hard Drive £260.00
PCW 8256 £299.00
PCW 8512 £399.00
PCW 9512 with daisywheel £499.00
Amstrad 3.5" discs box of 10 £30.00
OPUS PC5 (AT) NOW AVAILABLE
SOFTWARE:
Call for full list of IBM/Compatible and
Amstrad software
PRINTER
ACCESSORIES
Epson FX 80/85 Tractor Unit £32.00
Epson FX 80/85 Sheet Feeder. £125.00
Epson FX 100/105 Sheet Feeder£139.00
Brother HR sheet feeder £209.00
Epson MX/RX/FX 80 Ribbons .... £3.75
Epson MX/RX/FX 100 Ribbons £4.50
Canon PW1080/115G Ribbons £5.00
Taxan Kaqa KP810 Ribbons £5.00
Citizen printer ribbons from £3.99
Ail Epson Spares available £POA
Massive range of other compatible
ribbons available
Hundreds of products listed at excellent prices.
BBC ROM
SOFTWARE
PRINTERS
DOT MATRIX
Epson LX 800 150cps 80 col NLQ£229.00
Epson FX800 . £324.75
Epson FX1000 £453.75
Epson EX800 (optional colour) £457.88
1 Epson EX1000 (optional colour) £614.63
'' Epson LO 800 180 cps 24 pin matrix NLO
l £479.00
Epson LO 1000 180 cps 24 pm 132 col
NLO LbbS.UU
Olivetti DM100 80col NLO I20cps
• £225.00
Olivetti DM280 80col NLQ IGOcps
£349.00
Canon PW1080A NLQ 80co! IGOcps
£258.00
Brother 1109 Par ♦ Ser lOOcps f NLO
£209.00
Brother 1409 Par ♦ Ser £349.00
Brother 1509 Par * Ser 180cps ♦ NLO
£449.00
Brother 2024 Par. 'Ser NL0 24pin IGOcps
£750.00
Star NL 10 NLQ 80 col 120 cps £239.00
Star NX 15 NLQ 132 col 120 Cps L33U.bb
Star SD10 NLO 80 col 160 cps £330.65
Star SD15 NLO 132 col ICO cps £415.65
Star NB 2415 NLQ 24 pin 216 cps£645.15
Star NB 15 NLQ 24 pin 300 cps. £806.65
Citizen 120D 120 cps NLQ 80 col £179.00
Citizen LSP100 120 cps Eps IBM comp
NLQ. £225.00
Citizen MSP10E IGOcps Eps/IBM comp
NLO £296.00
Micro-P MP1G5 NLO £208.70
Micro-P MP200 *NEW £299.00
Parallel printer cable BBC £9.00
Parallel printer cable IBM. etc from
£15.00
DAISY WHEELS
Sanyo PR3000.. £199.00
Sanyo PR5200 £299.00
Brother HR25 £550.00
Brother HR35 £825.00
Juki G100 £279.75
Juki G200 £454.00
Juki G300 £694.00
Juki 2200 typewriter /printer . £238.00
Star Powertype 165cof 18cps £219.00
LASER
Epson GQ3500.£1 595.00
Citizen overture £1750.00
Kyocera 1010 £2495.00
Kyocera 2010 £4595.00
OPUS
PC3 SF Mono 256K £499.00
PC3 TF Mono 768K £699.00
PC3 HD Mono 1024K £995.00
PC5 (AT) HD Mono 1024K £1295.00
EGA System available please add £300.00
Wide range of computer
books now in stock for:
BBC
ARCHIMEDES
MSDOS
ARM
AMSTRAD
InterWord £48.00
Intersheet - .. - £48.00
Interchart - - £28.50
Interbase - £59.00
Acorn
View 2 1 £45.00
View 3 0 £63.00
ViewPlot (Disc) £25.75
ViewSpell £33.50
Viewsheet £45.00
Viewstore £45.00
GXR (please state whether for B or B*)
£23.00
ISO Pascal £52.00
LISP £39.00
BCPL £46.00
Logo £52.00
ADFS £26.04
Computer Concepts
Wordwise Plus £40.00
Printmaster £25.00
Accelerator £48.00
Speech ROM £27.50
Spellmaster £46.00
Beebugsott:
Toolkit Plus £33.00
Wordease £25.00
ICON master £29.00
ROMIT £29.00
Help II ROM £27.00
Sleuth ROM £27.00
t xmon II £28.00
pellcheck III £32.00
MUROM £24.00
Pace
Commstar £29.57
AMX
Please state whether for BBC or Master
AMX mouse with Super Art ROM £78.00
Stop Press
£43.43
Paintpot
£13.00
Desk
£21.70
Super Art ROM
£43.43
Database
£21.70
3D Zicon
£21.70
Utilities
£13.00
ARCHIMEDES SOFTWARE
System Delta Plus Database £69.95
System Gamma Plus Graphics £69.95
System Delta Account (per module) £64.95
School Administrator £79.95
Video Rental £69.95
Newsagent £69.95
Clares Alpha Base £49.95
Clares Image Writer £29.95
Archimedes Took-kit Module £39.95
SPECIAL
SOFTWARE
Torch Turbo Library
functions fcnd procedures for Turbo
Pascal to access the power of
Torch/BBC facilities
Newnet
Powerful friendly Torchnet management
software with password protection etc.
dBase special
dBase helper program now available for
those who want to access the powerful
facilities in dBase, without having to
learn how to program in dBase
r
HOW TO ORDER
Payment by cheque to:
COMPUTACCOUNT (UK) LTD
Carriage: Items less than
£50:£2.50, £50-100:£4.50
Carriage and insurance on
items more than £100:£9.50
NAME
ADDRESS
Quantity Item
Please add VAT at 15% to Total,
including Carriage.
Send to Computaccount (UK) Ltd., 1 1 High Street, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9NT
ortelephone 021 427 9898
Price
£ £
£ £
£ £
TOTAL £
1
I
I
I
J
Watford
Jessa House, 250 Lower High Street, Watford WD1 2AN, England
* ^ Tel: Watford (0923) 37774 Tlx: 8956095 Fax: 01 950 8989
ACOril^ Shop Hours: 9am to 6pm (Mon. -Sat.) Thursdays 9am to 8pm
The choice prices exclusive of VAT; subject to change without notice & available on request.
of Experience
Credit Card Orders (ACCESS & VISA) Tel (0923) 33383 or 50234 (24 Hours)
The choice
before and after
the experience
El
rchimedes
micro
The Acorn Archimedes range of microcomputer
comprises four machines - the 305 and 310 with
0.5 and 1 MB of RAM, and the 410 and 440, with 1
and 4 MB. All have 0.5 MB of ROM and one 3.5"
floppy disc drive of 800K as standard. The 440
also has a Winchester drive of 20MB - all moun-
ted internally.
They have separate keyboard and a three button
mouse as standard. The Keyboard is compatible
with the new IBM ATE layout, with 12 function
keys.
The standard display is a high resolution mono
colour monitor. A colour, multifrequency monitor
is optional.
The screen modes include:
• 80 x 25 or 32 characters, in 2, 4 or 16 colours
for wordprocessing, etc.
• 132 x 25 or 32 characters, for spreadsheets,
etc.
• Up to 640 x 256 dots x 256 colours (with
single frequency monitor) and up to 640 x 512
dots x 16 colours (with a multi frequency moni-
tor), for graphics, etc.
The sound system can have up to eight channels
playing at once, from up to 32 instruments or
voices, using waveform synthesis and stereo
output.
The outlets for the monitor, printer, serial port
and audio are all at the rear, and have industry
standard connectors.
The 410 and 440 hava a backplane for four expan-
sion podules and the circuitry for a Winchester
disc drive as standard.
The complete operating system - including
Window Manager and Desktop - is in 0.5 MB of
ROM. It can access directly all the RAM that can
be fitted (upto 4 MB).
The Advanced Disc Filing System uses robust,
pocket-sized 3.5" discs with a new 800K format,
but also reads, writes and formats the 640K discs
used by the Master series. As well as 25% more
capacity, the new format allows almost four
times the data transfer rate.
A battery-backed clock-calender, and CMOS RAM
to hold configuration setting is standard.
Expansion is via internal plug-in boards
(podules), which connect with the backplane.
ARCHIMEDES PRICES
A Computer for BUSINESS, RESEARCH,
EDUCATION & HOME USE
Backplane for 2 podules, with fan
(305,310) £39
I/O Podule (with User port, Analogue port
& 1MHz bus) ' £79
MIDI add-on to I/O Podule £29
ROM Podule (takes five 8 bit ROMs,
of 16, 32, 64 or 128K) £59
Modem Podule (Beebug) TBA
Real time Video Digitiser (Watford) TBA
Sound Sampler (Armadillo) £78
Speech Podule (Tubelink) TBA
Due in the 2nd quarter 1988
PC Podule, with 10 MHz 80186, 640K and floppy
disc interface, (for all models). This should run
about 3.5 times as fast as an IBM-PC. Fully IBM
compatible.
SPECIAL OFFER
With every Archimedes Micro purchased from
us, we are giving away absolutely FREE a 5 ’A",
double sided disc drive with PSU, (1 Megabyte
unformatted), plus the special Archimedes
interface cable, worth £125.
(P.S. This offer does not apply with 0% finance
scheme mentioned below).
0% (APR) FINANCE
For a limited period, Watford Electronics are
able to offer the Archimedes range of
microcomputers at 0% (APR) finance. Credit
facility available for up to 12 months, subject to
status. Please inquire for further details.
(Watford Electronics are Licenced Credit
Brokers)
NEW
CREDIT TERMS now available.
Please telephone or write in for
further information.
Welcome Disc. As well as being in the system
ROM, BBC Basic 5 is provided on disc for
loading into RAM because it then runs about
40% faster. This speed makes it the FASTEST
MICRO IN THE WORLD”. BBC Basic 5 includes
an in-line Assembler.
WORDPROCESSORS
Wordwise +
£20
View
£50
Image-Writer
£26
Viewspell
£32
Interword ROM
£39
Viewlndex
£13
DATABASES
System's Delta Plus
AlphaBase
Viewstore
£60
£43
£52
SPREADSHEETS
Intersheet ROM £39 Viewsheet £50
BUSINESS GRAPHICS
Interchart ROM
GammaPlot
£25
£30
INTEGRATED PACKAGES
Logistix - Database, Spreadsheet, Time
Management & Business Graphics
ACCOUNTS PACKAGES
Meadow Computers' suite of 4 Modules
Minerva's suite of 5 Modules
GRAPHICS, ART & DESIGN
Interchart £25 Gamma Plot
Artisan £34 Gamma Plus
GAMES
Zarch
Toolkit (Beebug)
£95
P.O.A.
£30
£60
£17
£33
EDUCATION
A great many packages are expected in early
1988. The topics include: Business Studies,
Maths, General Science, Biology, Physics,
Chemistry, Economics, Geography, History &
Music.
305 Series
• Entry System £699
• with Green Monitor £749
• with Colour Monitor £899
310 Series
• Entry System £775
• with Green Monitor £825
• with Colour Monitor £975
310M Series
• Entry System £835
• with Green Monitor £885
• with Colour Monitor £1035
410 Series
• Entry System £1339
• with Green Monitor £1449 v
• with Colour Monitor £1599
440 Series
• Entry System £2299
• with Green Monitor £2349
• with Colour Monitor £2499
(Securicor carr. £7 on Micros)
• 0.5 Mb RAM for 305 £85
• Podule Backplane £37
• ROM Podule (Computer Concepts) £49
• Archimedes Ref Manual £29
• ARM Assem. Lang Prog Manual £12
Podules expected this year (from Acorn unless
stated) include:
• 2nd 800K floppy disc drive
(for 305, 310 & 410) £125
• Econet Network Board £43
What Archimedes can do
The software on the welcome disc includes four
applications.
"PAINT” is a simple mouse driven art package,
operating in the 640 x 250 x 16 colour screen
mode. Images can be produced without any
programming and saved to disc for use
elsewhere.
The Sprite Editor allows sprites to be created
pixel by pixel in the 640 x 256 x 16 and 256
colour screen modes. It can also be used to edit
pictures from "Paint”. The results can be used
in Basic programs for animated graphics.
The Font Designer "allows you to design
individual letters and symbols - and save them
together as a font”. They may be "anti-aliased”,
for even better appearance on screen.
The Music Editor allows you to enter music in
standard notation, with up to four "parts", and
save it to disc. It may be played via the internal
speaker (in mono) or via external headphones
or hi-fi (in stereo). The voices or instruments (of
which there are nine as standard), and their
volume, tempo and stereo position may all be
varied while playing.
BBC Basic 5
This is upwards compatible with earlier
versions, so most programs written in them will
run - though far faster. Even using a 305, up to
370K is available in Basic. It also affords access
to all the new graphics, windowing and sound
facilities - as shown by the applications on the
PC EMULATION
The Acorn PC Emulator (for 310, 410 & 440),
includes MS-DOS 3.21 and is available NOW at
£89. It runs most MSDOS and many PC-DOS
applications (which number over 10,000).
Compared with IBM PC, this all-software
emulator can calculate about half as fast, and
write to the screen about a quarter as fast. This
makes it more suitable for running
spreadsheets (such as Lotus 1-2-3) than
wordprocessors (such as Wordstar). However it
includes utilities for copying disc files between
DOS and ADFS formats, so that data may be
transferred to and from Archimedes
applications. The 3.5 discs used by the new
IBM PS/2 models, and by many DOS portables,
may be read, written and formatted directly.
5.25" discs require an additional, external drive,
which is available as an option. The PC Podule
(due second quarter '88), will run very much
faster.
£99
LANGUAGES
Acornsoft ANSI ”C”, ISO-Pascal. Fortran 77,
Cambridge LISP and PROLOG X are all
available now at £95 each, as is the Twin Editor,
at £29. These require at least a 310. The ANSI
”C” affords access to all the graphics,
windowing and sound facilities of the
Archimedes and executes at exceptional speed
- 14 to 26 times that of a PC, 5 to 10 times that
of an AT. and as fast as most 386 machines
(For demonstration, call in at our retail shop.
If you require technical literature, then simply
telephone us).
Archimedes to BBC SERIAL LINK
Using this simple data link, it is possible to
solve all your BBC to Archimedes data transfer
problems. The kit is supplied with two disks,
one 5.25 for the BBC. the other 3.5 format for
the Archimedes, and the necessary cable to
connect the two computers. Using this package
it is possible to transfer any data from the BBC
to Archimedes at upto 19200 baud.
By far the easiest way to transfer data to your
new computer.
Only £25
Archimedes 5V473V2 Disc drive
Interface
With this interface it is possible to connect
almost any 5VYV3V?'' disc drive with its own
power supply to the Archimedes. Upto FOUR
drives can be connected and NO SOLDERING is
involved. Supplied complete with necessary
lead.
Only £25
Note: This is not simply a lead. Attempting to
connect an external disc drive by direct
connection may result in damage to your
Archimedes.
CO-PRO Adaptor
Archimedes Printer Lead
Archimedes Monitor Lead
£8.50
£7.50
BBC MASTER
BBC MASTER 128K Micro incl.
Acorn's: View, Viewsheet, ADFS,
BASIC Editor & TERMINAL £379
SPECIAL OFFER
FREE . . . £105 worth of Hardware
& Software
Gemini's OFFICE MATE & OFFICE MASTER
packages on Disc consisting
of: Database, Spreadsheet, Beebplot
graphics. Accounts packs: Cashbook,
Final Accounts, Mailist, Easyledger,
Invoice & Statements, Stock Control
and Watford's 3'/?", double sided 1
Megabyte (unformated) single disc drive
complete with cables, ready to connect to
the micro - with every BBC Master
purchased from us this month.
BBC MASTER with Turbo Board +
above SPECIAL OFFER £475
512K Processor Add on Board
"inc. Mouse and GEM package" £185
BBC AIV (Domesday) System £4479
ADD-OIMs & ACCESSORIES
Turbo 65C102 Add-on Module £95
Econet Module for the Master £40
Twin ROM Cartridge for Master £7.50
Quad ROM Cartridge for Master £12
Universal Processor Adaptor £75
Master Reference Manual I (No VAT) £14
Master Reference Manual II (No VAT) £14
Master Advance Ref. Manual (No VAT)£19
64K Upgrade Kit for B - £32
Acorn 1770 DFS Kit complete £41
ECONET Upgrade Kit for BBC £42
ALL ECONET UPGRADES Available
ARIES' Professional IEEE Interface £238
Acorn IEEE Interface Complete £265
Morley Teletext Adaptor with ATS Rom £99
BBC MASTER COMPACT
All Master Compact Microcomputers are
supplied complete with an integral 3V. Disc
Drive and various educational and professional
bundled software.
System 1 Standard Package £310
System 1A System 1 - TV Modulator £322
System 2 System 1 - Green Hires Monitor
£364
System 3 System 1 - Medium Res Colour
Monitor £478
RS232 Kit for BBC Compact £25
Additional 3’ . Drive for BBC Compact £90
(Securicor carriage f7)
Now for the first time you can add the Master
Co-processor boards, to your standard BBC
model B. or B Plus. With this brand new launch
from Watford Electronics you can attach any
BBC Master co-processor to the original BBC
Micro. Once again Watford strides ahead with a
new concept in BBC B Micro add-ons. This
unique external Co-Pro Adaptor, is protected by
patent applications.
Use the super fast Turbo Board with your BBC
B, it is much faster than the 6502 2nd processor
superseding it.
With the 51 2K addon your standard BBC
machine achieves IBM PC compatibility at a
realistic price running GEM, Lotus 123 and
many other programs. Included with the 512k
package is a high precision mouse and the
Digital Research GEM suite of software; GEM
Desktop, GEM Write GEM Paint. This requires
both the 1770 DFS and the ADFS to be fitted to
your computer.
To use other co-processors you require a BBC B
with DNFS 1.20 or higher, or BBC B f fitted with
1770 DFS 2.20 or greater. Co-processors work
exactly like a second processor.
Master owners may use Co-Pro to add a second
Co-processor externally.
Watford, brings power to your BBC at only:
£35 (carr £5)
CREDIT CARD 24 HOUR
Ansaphone Hot Lines
(0923) 50234 or 33383
The 80186 Co-Processor
This package consists of the Master 512 board,
Watford Co-Pro Adaptor, 1770 Disc Upgrade
and Acorn ADFS. The Master 512 board using
the 80186 16 bit Processor at 10MHz and
running Digital Research DOS Plus, gives a high
degree of IBM compatibility at an extremely
reasonable price. Included in the 512k package
is a mouse and the amazing Digital Research
GEM suite of software; GEM Paint, GEM draw
and GEM desktop giving a complete Mouse
Icons environment (All other GEM packages will
work on the 512k). Famous packages that will
work with the 512k board include Wordstar,
Dbase II, Lotus 123 and many others. The only
requirement to upgrade any BBC Model B to
this system is you must have twin 80 track disc
drives.
£259
65C102 2nd PROCESSOR
This amazing package consists of the Acorn
65C102 'Turbo' Board, the Watford Co-Pro
Adaptor and Acorn 1.2 DNFS ROM. The 'Turbo'
board, running at 4MHz with 64k of additional
RAM will increase the speed by between 50 and
200% depending on the application running,
and allow a BASIC program of upto 44k in any
screen mode Simply by plugging in the Co-Pro
and the DNFS ROM with its special Tube host
code and you massively increase the power of
any Model B.
£135
SPECIAL OFFER
EPROMs for BBC's Sideways ROMs.
2764-250nS £3.00
27128-250nS (12V5) £3.25
27128-250nS (2iv) £4.25
RAMs (Low power) for ATPL, WATFORD,
etc..
Sideways ROM Boards
6264LP (8K) £2.50
2 x 6264LP (16K) £4.80
Z88 Sinclair's
Portable Micro
Watford Electronics announce a very special
new - and affordable portable microcomputer,
tailor-made for the BBC Micro user on the move
- the Cambridge Z88.
The Cambridge Z88 is a versatile portable
micro, bursting at the seams with built-in
software ready and waiting for you to use at
the push of a button. There is BBC BASIC, a
word processor, a database, a terminal, a filer a
diary and a calculator, all integrated and all
inclusive!
The Cambridge Z88 uses just four AA
batteries, and from this it will store all of your
programs and files on a built-in RAM disc, so
there are no cassettes to worry about or discs
to lose.
The LCD display is particularly impressive,
using state of the art Supertwist technology, the
display is sharp at all times, and clear under
even the worst lighting conditions.
The word processor is based on Acorn's View
package; View is the most popular word
processor available for the BBC Micro, and files
and programs written on the Z88 can be
transferred to and from the BBC Micro with
consummate ease.
The Pipedream word processor is possible
the single most powerful package written for a
portable yet! Being an integrated Spreadsheet
and word processor you can combine text and
numbers to create stunning reports, timetables
or simply letters in a variety of column widths
(up to 80 column) and numeric data can be
freely sorted searched and calculated INSIDE a
text file - a feature only previously available on
much more expensive software packages
running on large machines.
Nearly all of the 32K memory is available as
the RAM Disk, although additional memory
packs of 128K are also available, just plug them
into the machine (no soldering - no screwing)
and you have four times the memory you had
before, all of which is available to the Word
Processor.
Connecting the Z88 to the BBC Micro is easy;
by plugging in the RS232 cable from the Z88
into the RS423 socket in the back of the BBC
Micro, a data exchange as fast as 19200 baud is
achieved, making the Z88 a fast machine for
data transfer.
Custom software is available for the BBC
Micro enabling automatic transfer of files to
and from the Z88 with automatic conversion
and full error checking. The connecting lead
plugs straight into the back of the BBC Micro
and into the side of the Z88 to form a reliable
data link faster than some disc drives!
The Z88 is rugged, reliable, lightweight and
compact. It is considerably lighter than all other
portable computers currency available, and
because it doesn't need disc drives, it is more
reliable than any PC "laptop" portables making
it especially useful to the BBC Micro owner
away from work or home.
Here's what A&B Computing had to say
about the Z88:
"The Z88 is an especially worthy machine to
have on the move because the files it creates in
Pipedream are directly compatible with View
Professional. . you can write a full report using
all of the facilities of Pipedream, port it across
using the BBC link software and load it into
View Professional"
"The Z88 is surprisingly easy to connect to
the outside world - it simply has oodles of
RAM disc (up to three megabytes) which can be
plugged into the machine".
Need we say more? The Cambridge Z88 - a
very special computer. Our Managing Director
liked it so much that he uses one constantly.
Price: £249 (carr £3)
FREE
As an introductory offer, we are giving away, 4
rechargeable batteries and a compact Mains
Battery Charger absolutely FREE with every Z88
bought from us this this month.
ACCESSORIES
Mains Adaptor
£8.65
32K RAM Pack or 32K EPROM Pack
£17.35
1 28K RAM Pack or 128K EPROM Pack
£43.40
Z88 BBC or PC Link
£21.70
Z88 EPROM ERASER
£34.75
Serial Printer Cable
£8.65
Parallel Printer Cable
£24.00
Z88 Modem
£86.90
— ►
u oniinuuu
We stock a range of monitors to suit all needs.
Choice of a monitor is a matter of personal
taste so we recommend that whenever
possible, you ask for a demonstration at our
shop. All Monitors are supplied complete with
BBC connecting leads FREE.
MICRO VITEC 14"
• 1431 - Standard resolution as used on the
BBC television computer programme £175
• 1451 - Medium resolution, suitable for word
processing in mode 0 £225
• 1441 - High res, exceeds the capabilities of
the BBC micro £359
• 1431 AP RGB + PAL and AUDIO £199
• 1451 AP RGB + PAL and AUDIO £255
• 2030 CS 20 Med Res £380
• 2040 CS 20’ Hi Res £675
• Dust Cover for Microvitecs £5.50
• Touchtec 501 Touch Screen £239
TAXAN 12/14"
• TAXAN Super Vision 2 Type 620 Hi-res RGB
Colour monitor. Ideal for Wordprocessing £269
• TAXAN Super 3, Type 625 Ultra Hi-res, RGB
Colour) Text mode switch allows
monochrome text display in Green, Amber,
White reverse or White on Blue £319
• TAXAN 14' Multisync 770 Plus - An
autoscanning Ultra high res, colour monitor.
Ideal for Archimedes £449
• Philips BM7542 12” Paper White Monitor.
Attractively finished high res monitor. Has an
etched glass anti-glare screen and a tilt stand
for optimum viewing angle. 1000 x 850 pixels
resolution coupled with high contrast makes
it ideal for both word pro and graphics. The
paper white display is ideal for DTP and
CAD. Has a Video/Audio input. Only £65
STAR BUY
• PHILLIPS 14 Hi-Res. dark glass,
attractively finished Colour Monitor -
supplied complete with RGB, SKART and
Audio/Phono Inputs. A push-button
switch toggles between Hi-Res
monochrome green text mode and full
colour display.
ONLY £195
ZENITH
“Now Test Bureau Recommended
for use in Education''
12” high resolution monochrome monitor. Ideal
for word processing as its green or amber
screen is very restful to read. (These are the
same professional quality, stylishly finished
monitors as used in the larger Zenith PC Sys.)
Green (New Design) Hi-resolution £66
Amber (New Design) Hi-resolution £70
N.B. carriage on Monitors £7 (securicor)
SPARE LEADS
BNC Lead for Zenith or Philips £3
Skart Monitor Lead £5
RGB lead for TAXAN Monitors £3
SWIVEL BASES
for Video Monitors
Our professional type swivel bases have
front adjustable control. This alleviates
the need to lift the monitor when
adjusting the viewing angle.
for 12" Monitors £10 (carr. £2.50)
for 14" Monitors £14 (carr. £2.50)
Anti-Glare VDU Screen
These extremely effective, easy to install, 12” &
14” VDU screens eliminate harmful glare,
improves contrast on colour monitors.
Increases productivity in offices. A must for all
wordprocessor users. Hundreds of these
screerls are in daily use in various branches of
one of the leading High Street banks.
£12
Panasonic KX-P1081
Available NOW at a superbly realistic price, the
KX-P1081 perfectly balances features, quality of
construction and Value for Money to produce
the printer of tomorrow, here today, ready to
sweep the current generation of machines
away.
Ingenious innovation in terms of software
control codes permits great flexibility when it
comes to defining the print style. A nippy 120
cps of clear Draft text backs up the crisp 24 cps
Near Letter Quality text mode, with upto 40
superbly useful downloadable characters. A
delightful range of assorted character widths is
efficiently supported, with sizes ranging from a
broad 5 cpi to petite 17 cpi, EVEN in NLQ mode.
Some of the extensive support for serious use
includes specialised functions to perform
justification, centering and even left and right
ranging. Proportional spacing permit even
greater freedom when it comes to advanced
use. Not only is the full Epson RX compatible
control code set implemented, but extra codes
have also been added to cater for the NLQ
options, etc.
A full 96 ASCII character set is supported,
with an extended set of 32 international
characters and IBM special characters as well as
IBM block graphics characters. A IK Print Buffer
alleviates much of the wait time normally
associated with printing, whilst the bi-
directional logic seeking print head takes the
quickest route to print as required.
( Price inludes, FREE a 4ft Printer Lead, and a
Dump Out 3, Screen Dump ROM worth £35
with every printer purchased from us).
Special Price: £149 (carr. £6)
Optional RS232 Interface: £39
Panasonic KX-P1082
To complement the hugely popular KX-P1081,
WE are proud to announce the launch of
Panasonic KX-P1082. This superb Letter Quality
printer incorporates all the features of the KX-
P1081, plus a draft speed of 160 CPS. (40 CPS
in NLQ mode). Ideal for high through-put users.
This is a similar speed to the Epson LX800, but
has an in-built adjustable tractor feed as
standard and the price is way below the price
of its nearest rival.
(Our LOW price also includes £35 worth of
FREE BBC Cable and Dump Out 3 ROM).
Introductory Offer: £175 (carr. £7)
Panasonic KX-P3131
Daisy-Wheel Printer
This low-cost high-performance Daisy Wheel
printer is ideal for anyone wishing to produce
clear, immaculate letters or reports. It delivers,
flawless text at 10, 12 & 15 CPS. Supports
proportional spacing. Is Bi-directional, logic
seeking. Printing speed: 17CPS. Has 6k printer
Buffer. A printer of similar spec could cost a lot
more than our ridiculously low price of:
Only £239 (carr. £7)
Single Sheet Feeder
Tractor Feed
£175
£90
FREE 32K extra Printer Buffer with every
KX-P3131 purchased from us this month.
VARIOUS PRINTERS
& ACCESSORIES
• Brother HR15RS232 Daisy Wheel £275
• Brother HR20 Daisy Wheel £349
• Epson EX800 Printer £399
• Epson EX1000 Printer £545
• Epson FX800 Printer £295
• Epson FX1000 Printer £405
• Epson LQ800 Printer £358
• Epson LQ1000 Printer £529
• Epson LQ2500 Printer £790
• Epson LX800 Printer £180
• Epson SQ2500 Printer £899
• Epson Paper Roll Holder £17
• EX800/1000 Colour Option £55
• EX800/1000 Colour Ribbon £18
• EX800 Cut Sheet Feeder £130
• EX1000 Cut Sheet Feeder £195
• FX/LQ/LX800 Single Sheet Feeder £135
• FX/LQ1000 Single Sheet Feeder £169
• Hi-80 Refills -Set of 4 Pens £7
• LX800 Cut Sheet Feeder £75
• LQ800 Tractor Feed £44
• LQ1 000 Tractor Feed £50
• LQ2500 Cut Sheet Feeder £195
• LX1000 Cut Sheet Feeder £305
• Hitachi 672 Colour Plotter £475
(Securicor Carriage on Printers £7
EPSON PRINTER INTERFACES
All these interfaces fit inside the printer.
RS232 £27 RS232 + 2K Buffer £52
IEEE 488 £65 RS232 + 8K Buffer £62
KAGA/TAXAN PRINTERS
(IBM/Epson compatibles)
Kaga KP81 5 Printer £269 (carr £7)
Kaga KP91 5 Printer £350 (carr £7)
RS232 Interface £49
RS232 Interface with 2K Buffer £69
RS232 Interface with 1 6K Buffer £89
INTEGREX COLOUR JET
PRINTER
• Colour Jet 132 Printer
• Paper Roll
• Screen Dump Software
• Colour Cartridge
• Black Cartridge
• 100 A4 OHP transparencies
£525
£6
£10
£14
£8
£55
PRINTER SHARERS
(Ideal for School environment)
Connects
2 BBC Micros to 1 Printer
3 BBC Micros to 1 Printer
6 BBC Micros to 1 Printer
Serial Centronics
£25 £27
£36 £35
£99
PRINTER CHANGER
3 Printers to 1 Micro (Centronics) £65
(Cables extra, specify type required when
ordering)
Professional Printer Stand
This new
professional
printer stand
takes hardly
more space than
your printer. Due
to the positioning
of the paper feed
and re-fold compartments ie. one above the
other, the desk space required for your printer
functions is effectively halved. Additional
facilities include: Easy access to paper from
both sides, used with both top and bottom feed
paper and with its dial controlled paper feed
system with adjustable deflector plates it
ensures smooth paper flow and automatic
refolding.
£26 (carr. £2.50)
k w
THE EPSON RX-FX-KAGA
PRINTER COMMANDS
REVEALED
So you bought yourself a new printer, because
the salesman in the shop showed you how clever
it is and impressed you with all sorts of printouts
to show its capabilities - he may even have
offered you a special price.
However, now that you have got it. home and
connected it to your BBC microcomputer, you are
wondering how to make it perform these magical
tasks. The manual seems to give no clues, and
when you type in the example programs, the
computer throws the LPRINT statements back in
your face.
Now what do you do, when this £400 piece of
high technology refuses even to move its head,
and you have stayed up until 2 in the morning
with copious supplies of coffee, desperately
trying to print something out. Once again,
Watford Electronics comes to your help with our
new book entitled 'THE EPSON FX-KAGA PRIN-
TER COMMANDS REVEALED'.
This book describes in plain, easy to under-
stand English, how to use and make the most of
your KP810, PW1080A or any other Epson FX80
compatible Printers like Panasonic KX-P1080/1,
etc., with the BBC Micro, both from BASIC and
Wordwise.
It describes in detail how to obtain the
maximum in graphics capability from your prin-
ter and includes full indexes allowing you to
cross index the numerous commands. Every
command is explained in detail, with an accom-
panying BBC Basic program and an example of
its use from Wordwise.
£5.95 (No VAT)
MEGABUFFER 256
This new Megabuffer 256 from Watford is a full
featured 256K Printer Buffer. It allows the com-
puter to print 256,000 character in a short time
thus freeing the computer very quickly. In short it
makes light work of printing large documents,
screen dumps, etc. It is extremely simple to con-
nect. The features are:
• Low Cost, High performance.
• Improves efficiency by making more efficient
use of computer and printer.
• Compatible with any computer and printer
that uses Centronics Parallel connections
including all BBCs, IBM PCs, etc.
• Total compatibility with all software.
• Cheaper phone bills when using your
Modems.
• Ideal for those doing large graphics screen
dumps that are slow to print.
• Multi-Copy facility allows you to print several
copies via Megabuffer without going through
your computer.
• Data Dump facility is included.
• Built in test unit for both the buffer & your
printer.
In conclusion it can safely be said that
MEGABUFFER 256 is the ultimate printer Buffer
for both the amateur and professional user.
Only £125 (carr £2)
New Launch Offers
Disc Drives DP35-800S
A Double disc drive - with a difference! Times
are changing fast for the floppy disk, and whilst
the current standard for the BBC B and Master
Series is the 5.25 inch disk, the standard for the
future will most certainly be the smaller; faster
and more reliable 3.5 inch disks - now a
standard feature of both the Master Compact
and the Archimedes Series.
To support the present disc drive users, and
cope with the future, we have designed our
own plinth-mounted disk system - called the
DP35 800S, it contains both the 5.25 inch and
the 3.5 inch drive formats as well as offer a firm
and rigid support for a monitor on top. With the
BBC Micro underneath, the plinth makes a
surprisingly small footprint on the desk -
leaving you more space to work with.
The 5.25 inch disk drive is 40/80 track
switchable, and has its very own power supply
running independently of the BBC Micro.
Watford's new plinth enables users to read,
write and format disks both in DFS and ADFS
format - currently the accepted standard for the
Master Compact and the Archimedes, it also
enables the user to read disks written for the
Archimedes. Ideal for both BBC & Master.
Launch Offer: £165 (carr. £7)
PRINTER LEADS
Centronics lead to connect BBC micro to
EPSON, KAGA, SEIKOSHA, NEC, STAR, JUKI.
BROTHER, SHINWA, Panasonic etc. printers.
Standard length (4 feet long) £6
Extra long (6 feet long) £8
Compact's Special Centronics Lead £9
RS232 Cable P.O.A.
IBM Parallel 1 metre Cable £9
PRINTER RIBBONS &
VARIOUS DUST COVERS
Type
Ribbons
Dust Covers
BBC Micro
_
£3.50
BBC Master
_
£4.00
Brother HR15/20
£3.00
£5.00
EX/LQ800
£7.50
£4.50
EX/LQ1000
£8.00
£5.00
RX/FX80/85/800/MX80
£4.00
£4.95
RX/FX100/1000
£7.00
-
Kaga/Texan KP810/815
£5.25
£4.00
L Q2500
£9.00
£5.50
LX80/86/800
£4.00
£4.50
M1009/GLP
£4.00
£3.75
Panasonic KX1080/81
£4.50
£4.75
SQ2500
£25.00
£5.50
Star NL10
£4.00
£4.50
Microvitec Metal
-
£5.50
Our attractive Dust Covers are manufactured
from translucent PVC. The seams are stitched
and edges are taped to prevent splitting due to
continuous use.
Listing Paper (Perforated)
1.000 Sheets 9V>" x 1 1" Fanfold Paper £7
2.000 Sheets 9V?" x IV Fanfold Paper £12
1 .000 Sheets 1 5" x 11" Fanfold Paper £9
1000 Sheets true A4 Fanfold Paper £11
2000 Sheets true A4 Fanfold Paper £20
Teleprinter Roll (Econo paper) £4
(All our Fanfold paper is Micro perforated leaving
a smooth clean edge when the tractor feed strips
are detached).
Carriage IK Sheets £2.50. 2K Sheets £3.00
PRINTER LABELS
(On continuous fanfold backing sheet)
1,000 90 x 36mm (Single Row) £5.00
1,000 90 x 36mm (Twin Row) £4.90
1,000 90 x 49mm (Twin Row) £7.50
1,000 102 x 36mm (Twin Row) £6.25
Carriage on 1,000 Labels £1.00
OFFICE
MASTER
CASHBOOK - A complete "Stand Alone"
accounting software package for the cash based
sole trader/partnership business. It is designed
to replace your existing cashbook system and
will provide you with a computerised system
complete to trail balance.
FINAL ACCOUNTS - Will take data prepared by
the Cashbook module and produce a complete
set of accounts as following: Trial Balance with
inbuilt rounding routine; Notes to the accounts;
VAT Summary; Profit & Loss A/C; Balance
Sheet.
MAILIST - A very versatile program. Enables
you to keep records of names and addresses
and then print, examine, sort and find them, all
with special selection techniques.
EASILEDGER - A management aid software
tool designed to run alongside an existing
accounting system. Essentially a Debit/Credit
ledger system which can handle sales, purchase
and nominal ledger routines to provide instant
management information.
INVOICES & STATEMENTS - Greatly reduces
the time and cost of preparing Invoices and
Statements by storing essential information like
customer names, addresses and account
numbers. Has VAT routines and footer
messages facility.
STOCK CONTROL - Allows you to enter stock
received, stock out, summary of stock items
and current holdings together with details of
total cost, total stock to minimum level, units in
stock ordering, quantity and supplier detail.
All this for only £21 (Disc)
OFFICE
MATE
• DATABASE
• BEEBCALC SPREADSHEET
• BEEBPLOT GRAPHICS
DATABASE - Set up a computerised card index
system with powerful search facilities.
SPREADSHEET - Offers many calculation and
editing features.
BEEBPLOT - Provides visual representation
from Spreadsheet data.
OFFICE MATE Only £10 (Disc)
CSPM 400/S DISC DRIVE
A single (1 Megabyte unformatted), double
sided, 40/80 track switchable 5W* disc drive
mounted in a BBC Master Plinth (same as DP35-
800S) but with a blanking plate to add a second
disc drive at a later date. The in-built Power
Supply is capable of running two disc drives.
The.ufiit is supplied complete with cables and a
utilities disc.
Launch Offer: £139 (carr. £7)
30 Megabyte
Winchester Drive
Undoubtedly the best value for money
Winchester Hard disc available anywhere for
the BBC Micro.
This 30 Megabyte hard disc is completely
compatible with the Acorn ADFS - that's why
we have bundled it with each Winchester drive,
along with a full user guide and full utilities
including file copy, 1000K save routines, Format
and Verify - in fact all you need and more.
Finished in rugged metal and fetching BBC
beige, the Winchester has an internal fan, so
quiet you won't even hear it! A switched mode
power supply and a neon-lit on/off switch are
there along wqith a light on the hard disc to tell
you when it is working - just compare the price
with our competitors' 20 or 28 Mbyte discs!
Compatible with the Master, and the BBC B
(with 17* X disc interface).
Launch Offer £449 (Carr. £12)
At last, it's here!
The Advance Reference Manual
for the BBC Master
£19.95
DISC DRIVE SHARER
(Ideal for educational establishments)
SPECIAL DISC DRIVE/DDFS OFFER
Type CLS400
• The popular Mitsubishi 400k Single Disc
Drive, Double Sided, cased with Cables.
Plugs directly to your Micro.
• Watford's popular DDFS Disc Interface
(allows 720k storage). Will run in both
Single and Double Density modes 40/80
track Software switchable.
• A comprehensive User Friendly Manual.
A Bargain at Only £130 (£6 carr)
(Offer valid while stocks last)
At last, a low cost alternative to the Econet system. Watford's Intelligent
Disc Drive Sharer allows you to connect 3 BBC micros (model B, B+ and
Master series) to a single or double disc drive. Running under any DFS or
DDFS, this intelligent unit will automatically queue the computers. Each
computer has a status light dedicated to it. If it is green you will get
immediate access to the disk, and red means that you are next in line.
The unit plugs directly into the disc drive socket on each computer and is
powered by the mains. (N.B. Not compatible with ADFS.)
Launch Price: £59 Price includes 3 Cables
NOW WITH EXTRA FEATURES
AT NO EXTRA COST - Watford's latest DFS 1.44
# Incorporates Acorn s Official Tube Host Code so that those with 2nd
processors no longer need to waste a ROM socket on the DNFS
• Option to DOUBLE the speed of BPUT and BGET.
If you already have the Watford Electronics DFS and wish to incorporate
these new facilities then simply return your existing DFS ROM to us
together with £5 remittance for an upgrade. Please'pack the ROM securely
and address the package to our Upgrades Dept.
WATFORD'S & ACORN's
SINGLE DENSITY DFS
Watford's popular and widely acclaimed DFS has now been available for
five years and has gained a large following amongst serious and
educational users of the BBC Micro. Owners of Acorn or any other standard
DFS can upgrade to our "Ultimate" DFS merely by replacing their DFS ROM.
See below for this upgrade. ( P S . Watford's highly sophisticated DFS is fully
compatible with Acorn DFS). (not Acorn's 1770 DFS)
• Complete Disc Interface Kit including DFS ROM and
fitting instructions £48
• Acorn 's 0. 90 DFS Kit complete £47
• DFS Manual (Comprehensive) (no VA T) £6.95
(P'S. Our comprehensive DFS Manual covers both
Acorn & Watford DFSs).
• Watford's sophisticated DFS ROM only £ 1 6
• We will exchange your existing DFS ROM for
Watford’s Ultimate DFS ROM for only £1 2
• DNFS ROM only £17 • ADFS ROM only £25
• Watford's DFS is exclusively available from Watford
Electronics and their appointed dealers only. Every
ROM carries a special label with LOGO and serial
number.
WATFORD's Mk II Double Density
• DFS INTERFACE
Many of our customers have wanted to use our superior DDFS and Acorn
ADFS together. Now our Mkll DDFS board has been adapted to allow the
use of Acorn ADFS.
Added features include:
• Acorn ADFS compatible - Use ADFS on our DDFS board.
• Tube host Code - No longer any need to have the DNFS in your machine
to use Co-Processors, even the CoPro and Master 512.
• Auto 40-80 Track sensing - no need to fuss with 40/80 track switches
(even works with protected disks).
• An extremely powerful 8271 emulation - ensuring compatibility with
almost all software.
• New low profile - small footprint board.
• Fits with all third party ROM boards.
• Option to double the speed of file handling operations - BPUT and BGET.
• Operates in both single and double density modes.
• OSGBPB has been recoded, increasing still further the speed of file
handling.
Please note that not all DDFS's are capable of providing either the full 80°o
storage increase or of allowing a file the full size of the disk - Ours allows
both of these!
If you already have a DDFS (any manufacturer), and wish to upgrade to our
Mkll version, then simply return your existing ROM and DDFS board and we
will supply the new DDFS for only £30.00.
• Special introductory offer £39.00
• DDFS Manual (No VAT) £6.95
• We will exchange your existing DFS Kit for our
sophisticated DDFS for only £25.00
Please note, as the Mkll DDFS is a hardware and software upgrade, it is not
possible for existing Watford DDFS users to simply exchange their ROM for
the new version.
3V4" DISC DRIVE OFFER
quality 3V?" Double sided, 80 track, 1
(unformatted each Disc Drives), are
je\y finished in BBC beige. They are
supplied complete with all cables and a Utilities
Disc. They run directly from the BBC B/Master's
own PSU.
• Single 400K Drive £69
• Twin 800K Drives £126
Mysteries of disc Drives & DFS Revealed
Are you tired of faulty cassettes, and lengthy loading times? Do you want to
upgrade your BBC micro to take discs but you get tied up in the plethora of
jargon surrounding the choice and use of these systems.
Then The Mysteries of Disc Drives and DFS Revealed is the book for you. It
explains in detail the different types of systems available, how they are
installed and how to use them. Many examples are given including pre-
written programs to call various functions of the DFS available only through
Operating System calls. Different types of disc, 40/80 tracks etc. are all
explained. This book is ideal for the beginner confused by the plethora of
choice available in the marketplace.
£5.95 (Book No VAT)
DISC ALBUMS
Attractively finished in antique brown leather look vinyl. Stores upto 20
Discs. Each disc can be seen through the clear view pocket.
£4
FLOPPY HEAD CLEANER KIT
The heads in floppy drives are precision made and very sensitive to dirt. The
use of a cleaner Kit is a sensible precaution against losing valuable data. It
is recommended to clean the drive head once a week. It is very simple to
use. Available in 3 W & 5 V.T, please specify.
£7
ANTISTATIC LOCKABLE DISC
Gives double protection - Strong plastic case
that affords real protection to your discs.
Antistatic helps avoid data corruption whilst
in storage. The smoked top locks down.
Dividers and adhesive title strips are supplied
for efficient filing of discs.
• M35 - holds upto 50 5 ’A” discs £6.00
• M85 - holds upto 95 5'/t'‘ discs £8.00
• M25 # - holds upto 25 3’// Discs £5.50
• M50- holds 50 3V?‘ Discs £7.50
* Not lockable
STORAGE UNITS
PLASTIC
LIBRARY CASES
Holds up to 10 5’/.r Discs. Only £2.00
DISC PLONKER RACK
When using ones micro, there is a tendancy to have
more than one Disc on the desk. This exposes them to
the hazards of fingerprints, scratches, dust, coffee and
an untidy desk.
Why not protect your valuable data from all these
hazards with the help of our extremely handy and low
cost DISC PLONKER RACK. It holds up to eight 5 V »
Discs.
Protection at Only: £2
DUST COVERS (For our Disc Drives)
Single CLS (without PSU) £3.20 Twin CLD (without PSU) £3.85
Single CS (with PSU) £3.95 Twin CD (with PSU) £3.90
To help you decide which drive is the most suitable for your needs (and
your pocket!), we have produced the table below.
The first capacity given in the first column indicates capacity in single
density mode. That within the brackets is the capacity in double density
mode. All disc drive type numbers start with the prefix "C".
The tinting on some of the boxes is used to indicate which Drives are 40
track (non-tinted) and which are 80 track (tinted). All our 80 track drives are
already fitted with a 40-80 select switch ;
All our Disc Drives are Double Sided and will operate in both Single and
Double Density modes. Extensive experience of the usage of disc drives
suggests that the JAPANESE drives currently represent about the best in
terms of speed, reliability and overall " elegance " available for the BBC
Micro.
Various other " manufacturers' ' of disc drives for the BBC micro (more
accurately, " packages " label other manufacturers drives with their own
name). We buy the high quality JVC and Mitsubishi drives in large
quantities directly from the manufacturers, package them and sell them at
" dealer " prices direct to the public.
If you look around the popular BBC micro press, you will find that the prices
we quote for the top quality, new slimline disc drives are, virtually without
exception, some of the best around. These prices, coupled with the backup
of one of the country's largest distributors of BBC peripherals provides a
superb deal.
Unless you anticipate using dual drives in a fully expanded BBC system for
long periods of time with little ventilation, then we suggest that our range of
"CL" disc drives without the PSU (Power Supply Unit) would be quite
adequate (extensive tests within our workshops have confirmed this). All
drives are supplied complete with a SPECIAL UTILITIES Disc, Cables and
Plugs. The Drives with power supply have a mains moulded plug for safety
purposes. Ideal for Schools & Colleges. We are now able to supply all single
disc drives with Power Supply, in either single or dual case. (Dual case has a
twin data cable and a power supply capable of driving two disc drives)
allows easy expansion to a dual drive unit, at a later date. Prices stated in
the pricing boxes below are for single drives in standard single cases. Single
drives in a dual case cost an extra €5. (At Watford we anticipate your needs
of tomorrow, not just today)!
When using a BBC Micro, most people find themselves short of desk space.
The Watford's BBC Micro plinths form an ideal way of recovering some of
this precious space) your BBC, Disc Drive and Monitor can all occupy the
same vertical footprint and still be comfortably situated. With the Watford
Double plinth, your Disc Drive is mounted vertically at one side, leaving a
very valuable area directly in front of you for such useful items as spare
discs, pen, paper, reference manuals, etc. Follow the trend with Watford
plinth. (Turn to the 6th page of our advert for the Plinths).
P.S. All our 5’y Disc Drives with PSU are compatible with the Compact
Micro. AH you require is the special Compact Disc Drive Cables designed by
us.
Capacity
Drives without P.S.U.
Drives with P.S.U.
Single
Twin
Single
Twin
200K
(360K)
CLS 200
£89
CS 200
£98
400K
(720K)
CLS400S
£89
CLD 400
£168
CS 400S
£99
CD400
£188
800K
(1.44M)
cld aoos
£169
CD 800S
£188
• TWIN Disc Drive Case, complete with Power Supply & Cables £43
Securicor carriage on Disc Drives £5 to £6
Prefix C = Cased Drive Suffix S = 40-80 Switchable
L = Less PSU
S = Single
D = Double
e.g. CLS400S Cased Disc Drive, Less power supply unit, single 5’ > 400K,
(720K in double density); Double sided: 40/80 track switchable.
Cable to connect 5VV Disc Drives to BBC Compact
Single £9 Twin £12
Special Cable to connect both 3 Y 2 and 5W Disc
Drives
simultaneously to the BBC Compact £13
3M - SCOTCH Diskettes with Lifetime warranty from Watford Electronics
your 3M Appointed Distributor.
• 10 x S’/j 'S/S D/D 40 Track Diskettes £ 8.25
9 10 x 5 V' D/S D/D 40 Track Diskettes £10.20
9 10 x 5 V S/S D/D 80 Track Diskettes £12. 75
9 10 x 5 }/ j" D/S D/D 80 Track Diskettes £13
% 10 x 5'V 1.6M D/S D/D High Density Discs for IBM
XT and AT £28
% 10 x 3’ /' S/S D/D 40/80 track Discs £13.50
% 10 x 3 ' D/S D/D 40/80 track Discs £19
TOP QUALITY 3V 2 " & 5'A" DISKETTES
To complement the range of quality discs and disc drives that WE already
sell, WE are now supplying some special offer packs of 10 high quality
discs. Each Disc has a reinforced hub ring and carries a lifetime guarantee.
These are supplied complete with selfstick labels and packaged in an
attractive plastic library disc box to protect them from damage. We strongly
recommend these Discs.
DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS, BUY THE BEST
• 10 x M3 3’ .■ D/S D/D 80 Track Discs £18
9 10 x M4 5' , S/S D/D 40 Track Discs £6.50
9 10 x M5 5' , D/S D/D 40 Track Discs £8
9 10 x M7 5’ 1 " D/S D/D 80 Track Discs £9
9 3 Double Sided Discs £3 each
Special BULK OFFER on 5V/ 1 DISCS
(Supplied packed in Anti-Static Lockable Storage Units)
(Lifetime warranty on Discs)
BULK PACK DISCS in lots of 100
Type S-S 40T
• Without Sleeves £35
• With Sleeves
£38
D-S 40T
£39
£42
D-S 80T
£45
£48
ACORN WINCHESTER DRIVES
FILESTORE E01 £825
FILESTORE E20 £705
Acorn 30MB Unit incl. Level III Software £1520
WATFORD'S
WINCHESTER DRIVES
10 Megabyte Unit with ADFS
£399
30 Megabyte Unit with ADFS
£449
40 Megabyte Unit with ADFS
£749
CDP800S
Twin 800K Double sided 40-80 track switchable disc drives mounted in an
attractively finished Beige colour plinth for the BBC Micro. Supplied
complete with integral power supply, cables and Utilities disc. The switches
are mounted on the front panel for ease of use.
CDP 800S for BBC Micro £192
CDPM 800S for Master £196
(Securicor Carr. C7)
(The above drive units are 2 Megabytes unformatted)
ACORN'S Twin 800K
Disc Drives
Specially mounted side by side in a
Master Plinth. Supplied complete
with Cables. Plugs directly to
the Master Computer.
RRPxastr
Our Price: Only £182
(carr £7) !l
Continued
MICRO
AWARDS.
19871
UEST
v MOUSE
QUEST MOUSE
The ultimate in Mouse technology, the Watford
Electronics Quest Mouse must be the most
powerful Mouse package yet produced for the
BBC Micro. Featuring state of the art 32K ROM
software the Quest Mouse package is filled with
features essential to the budding artist. The
Quest Mouse is a high precision, low profile
and large footprint mouse. It has three large
comfortable buttons and is smooth and easy to
use on most work surfaces. The Quest Mouse is
FULLY HARDWARE COMPATIBLE with the AMX
MOUSE so that it will work with any of the
AMX range of software.
The two parts of the Quest package are
available separately so that existing Mouse
owners can upgrade to the Watford's
sophisticated Quest Paint software or replace
their existing worn out mice for a minimum
cost.
QUEST PAINT
The Quest Mouse software is supplied on a
PALPROM unit to allow the sophisticated 32K
program to be used from a single ROM socket.
It is compatible with the BBC B, BBC B Plus and
BBC Master Series machines.
The software is used to draw high resolution
Mode 1 pictures in full colour. All menu
selection and control of the drawing process is
performed with the mouse so that you will
hardly ever touch the keyboard.
SOFTWARE FEA TURES
The software is far too powerful for us to
describe it fully in such a small space. Below is
a list of the various features. Please write to us
for a fully descriptive leaflet.
Disk interface not required. Utilities disk has
facility to create and print big screens. Colours
applied can be solid, either pattern of user
defined pattern. Drawing can use brush or
airbrush. Brush shapes can be defined and
stored. Airbrush sprays colour/pattern randomly
with four jet sizes and even or center spread.
Colour cycles. Colour protection to stop
particular colours from being overwritten by
selected drawing actions. All standard drawing
facilities like: rubber, straight pencil lines,
triangles, circles, ellipses, rectangles,
parallelograms, polygons, etc are provided. All
shapes can be solid or just a boundary line.
Once a shape has been set up it can be
repeated anywhere on the screen. Global colour
replace in a rectangle. Powerful fill facility for
areas and vertical/horizontal lines. Full cut and
paste of rectangular areas with rotation and size
with screens from Watford Beeb Video digitiser.
Load and Save screens with colour pallet
information, save brush and pattern definitions
etc.
Take The Guesswork Out of Selecting a Mouse
Package *
With reviews like this how can you go wrong.
Popular Computing Weekly, 9-11 June '87
"What you actually get for your money is a well
built, three button mouse (far superior to the
AMX mouse). "
"Overall the combination of a quality mouse
and decent art package gives Watford
Electronics a real chance of supplanting AMX
as mouse supremos. "
Micro User June '87
"Quest Mouse and Quest Paint can hold their
heads high in the market. . . "
A&B Computing June '87
". . . Watford Electronics, a company famed for
excellent hardware add ons and versatile
j software packages. Called Quest mouse, "this is
i very special mouse driven drawing package..."
". . . you will have one of the most comfortable
and professionally built mice I have used in a
long time. The buttons are responsive, the
mouse movement is smooth and without
directional bias - a pleasure to use. "
"What we have here is probably the best art
package there is for the BBC Micro ..."
"Quest Paint is a major leap forward in BBC
programming. .
"Quest Paint is an original piece of
programming, it is friendly and well endowed
with many useful facilities. I would comfortably
say it is easier to draw good pictures with
Quest Paint than it is with more expensive
'Professional' art packages for the Atari ST and
the Commodore Amiga. A recommended buy if
you are looking for the best in BBC micro based
art packages".
Acorn User, September '87
"The mouse (Quest) performs well in the face
of competition from AMX, Wigmore and the
rest ..."
". . . this package represents excellent value for
money. If you are interested in art then this
program is for you to buy".
"Given time, I can see no reason why Quest
Paint shouldn't take on the title of the definitive
art package available for the BBC Micro to
date".
"All in all, Quest Paint is a very professional
package. It contains virtually every feature the
budding artist could require".
"What makes Quest Paint so versatile is the
addition of a sub-menu which allows you
extensive control over each function".
"Until recently, Superart from AMS had been
judged as the definitive mode 1 graphics
package for the BBC micro. But now it has a
serious rival in the form of Quest Paint, from
Watford".
"As a measure of what is contained within
Quest Paint, I would say it had all the features
of Superart plus ..."
"In most art packages, provision is given for
drawing triangles and rectangles. Quest Mouse
goes 14 better, allowing any regular polygon of
upto 16 sides".
"One facility, not found on any other Art
package to my knowledge, is the ability to
access a digitiser from within the program".
The reviewer concludes by saying, "The result
is an extremely comprehensive and
professional art package".
John Kilby, Head of Computer Science, Bishop
Wulstan High School, Rugby, writes:
"Quest has been an excellent piece of
equipment. The problem that seems to occur
everyday is that at lunchtime the pupils rush to
the computer room to make sure that they are
first in the queue for the 'Quest’ mouse"
Lt. Cln. C.G. Holton, G2 HQ 1 (BR) Corps, BFPO
39, writes:
"As ever your service is superb and the Quest
Mouse proves every bit as good as the adverts
claim".
Beeblet User Group, New Zealand Oct '87:
"One of its nicer features is that the top menu
is done in Mode 0. the drawing itself is in Mode
1. Thus on screen together are two different
Modes. A neat way around an old problem".
"PAN is used when a larger than one screen
size image is required. The mind boggles at an
A3 size drawing".
"I like it partly because of the mouse itself
which is smooth and easy to handle but mainly
I suppose because of the features I longed for
and previously never got. Its easy to use with
almost everything at your fingertips from the
mouse. The software is simple where needed
and complex where complexity is required".
Watford's Quest package is an extremely
powerful and flexible drawing package, with
very wide and unusual features. However, since
its launch various suggestions for even more
advanced & powerful facilities were received
from the Quest users. ConQuest allows you
these more advanced facilities, like, distortion
of a cutout to any shape and a full font
designer. If you also have a GXR ROM in your
machine or you are using a BBC Master then
ConQuest will take advantage of this to give
ellipses at any angle, sectors and arcs, etc.
Quest combined with ConQuest and Acornsoft
GXR ROM make up THE MOST POWERFUL
drawing packages available for the BBC range.
Quest Paint is able to take advantage of almost
any additions to your machine, such as Shadow
or Sideways RAM. ConQuest takes this principal
even further, by utilising the otherwise normally
incompatible Sideways RAM facility by holding
pictures in them.
Some of the features are:
• Pick filenames off the screen for loading and
saving.
• Rotate a cutout to any angle and Distort it to
any four sided shape.
• Has Built in Font editor.
• Default brushes and patterns on startup.
• 16 x 16 font available on start up.
• Ability to reset patterns, fonts and brushes to
default at any time.
• ROM based enhanced Epson and compatible
printer dump.
• ROM based enhanced extended picture
routine.
• Ability to create and abort extended pictures.
• Improved disk access speed for extended
pictures.
• User definable sideways RAM driver for
incompatible sideways RAM systems.
• Ellipses at any angle on Master 128 (or B
with GXR ROM).
QUEST MOUSE & QUEST PAINT £59
QUEST MOUSE, QUEST PAINT, AMX
PAGEMAKER & PAGEFONT £85
QUEST MOUSE ONL Y £29
QUEST PAINT SOFTWARE £32
QUESTFONTD/SC £72
ConQuest 32K ROM Package £29
QUEST MAT £ 3
Part-exchange your old Mouse for a New
QUEST MOUSE for only £23
GXR ROM for BBC Micro £22
N.B.
1. Quest Paint supplied complete with Software
in a 32K ROM, Comprehensive User Guide and
a Utility Disc.
2. Quest Font Disc has 22 text FONTS for use
within Quest Mouse.
MARK II LIGHT PEN
Our Mark II Light Pen is the very latest in light
pen technology. It is totally insensitive to local
lighting conditions and works with many
different monitors. The pen only responds to
the High Frequency light produced by your
monitor/TV. An LED indicates when valid video
data is being produced. A conveniently located
switch is also fitted.
Price Only £21
(Price includes FREE software Disc and
Operating Manual)
RB2 Marconi Tracker Ball
RB2 (AMX/Quest compatible) £59
RB2 including Quest Paint £85
FLEET STREET EDITOR
Software pack for BBC Micro £31
Software pack for the Master £39
Software Pack for Compact £40
Admin Xtra Disc Utility £13
Walt Disney Disc Utility £13
Fonts N Graphics Disc Utility £13
DIAGNOSTICS DISC
TED
THE ULTIMATE TELETEXT SYSTEM
PLINTHS FOR BBC MICRO,
MASTER & PRINTERS
The BBC Micro is a very complex machine and
thus diagnosing a fault can be very difficult.
At Watford Electronics, we realise how difficult
it can be when faced with a problem, finding
yourself a long way from your nearest dealer,
or even just uncertain about your Beeb's health,
but not wanting to waste time and money
taking it to be looked at.
The solution to these problems is here now, in
the form of the Watford's Diagnostics Disc. This
excellent utility is specially designed to test out
the following areas of your Beeb:
RAMs, ROMs, ULAs, Sound, Keyboard, Disc,
RS423, ADC, User Port, Printer Port, Cassette,
Joysticks, Speech, Disc Drives, 6502 and Z80
2nd Processors.
This utility is an invaluable aid for all those who
take the reliability of their system seriously. A
comprehensive manual provides full operating
details and a list of possible causes and
remedies for any faults that you may find along
the way. The package also enables a permanent
equipment and service record to be maintained.
Only £20.00
THE NEW Mk III
AMX MOUSE
ONLY: £59 Inc. Super Art package
(carr n .50)
(Please specify for BBC. Master or Compact)
FREE our popular Colour Art software pack
worth £15 with every AMX Mouse package
purchased from us.
AMX MAT £3
AMX MOUSE ONLY £29
AMX DESK Package £19
AMX UTILITY Package £11
AMX SUPERART Package £39
AMX STOP PRESS - A Desktop
publising software. Works with
Keyboard, Joystick or a mouse £32
We are giving away absolutely FREE, our
PAGE-FONT disc with every purchase of
STOP PRESS from us.
PAGE-FONTS - Over 20 Fonts for
use with AMX Pagemaker
£9.50
AMX DESIGN (ROM)
£59
AMX3DZICON Disc
£19
AMX Database Disc
£19
AMX XAM Educational
£15
AMX EXTRA EXTRA
£19
AMX MAX A gem of desktop
(ROM)
£15
TED is one of a new generation of powerful 32K
ROMs for the BBC B, B-r and Master computers
and is compatible with disc, tape and network
systems. It is in everyday use in schools,
colleges and universities. Programmers, Prestel
I.P.'s, Micronetters and exhibitors have also
found it indispensable.
TED includes the most comprehensive
teletext (Mode 7) screen editor ever written for
the BBC micro, combining flexibility with ease
of use. Its sophisticated facilities include line,
column and block copying within AND between
frames; text, in a variety of styles and sizes,
entered directly from the keyboard; graphics
and line drawing modes; search and replace;
margins; printer dump routines and a library of
in-built icons and typefaces. TED will edit ANY
mode 7 screen and can even convert high-res
graphics screens to mode 7! Included within the
ROM is a fully Epson compatable mode 7
graphics dump routine giving a grey scale
printout of exactly what appears on the screen.
Using '*SHOW' (a versatile carousel),
collections of mode 7 screens may be 'routed'
or displayed sequencially, making it ideal for
creating and running 'Viewdata' information
systems. Over 1200 frames may bestored on a
twin 80 track drive. A unique feture of TED is
’SCROLL', which lets you create pages of up to
600 lines which may be viewed 'Wordwise
style', automatically or manually. SHOWs and
SCROLLS may be freely mixed and even used
from within a BASIC program.
The package comprises a 32K ROM, a 117
page manual, a function-key strip and a
demonstration disc containing examples of real-
time animation and a sample 55-frame
database. A stand-alone machine code routine
is provided allowing SHOWs and SCROLLS to
be displayed on machines not fitted with TED.
Price: £35
ROM-SPELL
Probably the most advanced and fastest
spelling checker available for the BBC Micro.
Compatible with View, Wordwise and Wordwise
Plus ROMSPELL is simple to use with easy
editing of incorrect words. Full facilities for
editing the user dictionary to allow
customisation to your personal needs.
Dictionary includes over 30,000 words and is
supplied with a Comprehensive manual.
NOT compatible with 1770 DFS.
(Please state 40 or 80 track disc )
Price still only: £25
ROM MANAGER
Take control of your Sideways ROMs with ROM
Manager. This powerful utility ROM gives you
power over your sideways ROMs. Disable
whole ROMs, send commands directly to
named ROMs and many other powerful
facilities.
"Provides comprehensive management of all
your installed ROMs". (BEE BUG November '84.)
ONLY £20
Protect your computer from the weight and
heat of your monitor. The BBC micro plinths
have slots for maximum ventilation. The single
plinth is suitable for a BBC and monitor, whilst
the double height version provides enough
room for our stacked or side-by-side dual disc
drives or TORCH Disc pack, to be placed in the
centre section. If you use our stacked drives,
the remaining space can be used for further
peripherals e.g. Speech Synthesizer, EPROM
programmer or simply stationery. The
computer slides neatly in to the lower section
allowing easy access to remove the lid. The
printer plinth is equally sturdy but without the
cooling slots. It allows for access to the paper
from the front as well as from the rear, (a
facility not often thought of in similar products)
if the paper is located beneath the plinth. This
is a very convenient way to work especially if
your work area is not deep enough to take the
printer and paper separately.
SINGLE BBC PLINTH
DOUBLE BBC PLINTH
PRINTER PLINTH
SINGLE MASTER PLINTH
DOUBLE MASTER PLINTH
£11 (carr. £1.50)
£19 (carr. £3.00)
£10 (carr. £1.50)
£14 (carr £1.50)
£24 (carr £3.00)
COPY HOLDERS
How often have you been about to type hand
written notes into your computer when you find
that there’s nowhere to rest the paper or that
your notes are resting at the wrong angle to
read the type 7 Whether the notes be your latest
program or the draft of a new trilogy, the new
Manuscript Holders from Watford are superb
for holding your paper at the ideal height and
angle to allow you read and type in ease and
comfort.
Available in 2 versions, desk resting and shelf
clamping versions, these two units hold your
paper firmly by means of a plastic retaining
ruler and a clip grip. Both units are full A4 size.
Amazing value at only
Desk Top £10 (carr. £ 2 )
Angle poise £14 (carr. £3)
Continued
ARIES
CORNER
The Aries B/-32
Shadow RAM Card
Like the BBC B + , the B32 provides 20k of shadow
screen RAM and 12k of sideways RAM. Unlike the
Bf, the B32 has simple software commands
which allow the user to reconfigure the RAM as
16k of shadow RAM and 16k of sideways RAM, or
all 32k as sideways RAM.
With the B32, the programmer gets up to 28k of
RAM available for Basic, Logo, Comal, Forth, Lisp
and BCPL programs in any screen mode. The
business user gets extra memory for View,
ViewSheet, Wordwise Plus, Interword and many
other applications. For advanced applications,
the scientific user gets access to a massive 47k of
data storage using the Acorn approved *FX call.
Sideways RAM enables you to load sideways
ROM images from disc, allowing you to have a
large library of sideways ROMs (subject to the
copyright holder's permission) stored on disc.
The B32's sideways RAM can also be used to
extend any operating system buffer (such as the
printer buffer) or to load tape programs into a
disc system.
The B32 simply plugs into the 6502 processor
socket on your BBC micro - no flying leads to
connect and no soldering. Provision of the on-
board ROM socket means that the Aries-B32
control ROM does not use up one of your existing
ROM sockets.
Price: £80 (carr. £2)
CREDIT CARD 24 HOUR
Ansaphone Hot Lines
(0923) 50234 or 33383
Aries B-12
Sideways ROM Board
This board is extremely well made, simple to
install, reliable when fully loaded and compatible
with the Aries-B20 and the Aries-B32
The B12 provides a total of twelve sideways
ROM sockets (the four in the original machine are
replaced by the twelve on the board), all fully
accessible by the MOS sideways ROM system. In
addition, there are two sockets for sideways
RAM, giving up to 16k of RAM using 6264 static
RAM chips.
The B12 system consists of two parts: a large
detachable “mother board" which carries the
extension ROM sockets and a small “base board"
on a short ribbon cable, which plugs into the
existing sideways ROM sockets. This two-board
design eliminates the reliability problems
previously associated with some other ribbon-
cable based systems.
If you do not have a B32 or B20, a small adaptor
module (the Aries-B12C) is available at a nominal
cost.
Price: Aries B-12
Aries B-12C
£40
£5
ARIES B-488
IEEE-488 INTERFACE UNIT
The Aries-B488 is an interface unit to enable the
BBC micro to control and monitor IEEE-488 bus
systems. The IEEE-488 bus (also known as the
'GPIB' or 'HP-IB') is the standard method of
interconnecting programmable laboratory instru-
ments and control equipment. Using the B488, up
to 15 devices may be connected in a single
high-speed data network.
£238 (Carr £3)
All prices in this advert are
exclusive of VAT.
SIDEWAYS
ZIF SOCKET
Allows you to change your ROMs quickly and
efficiently, without opening the lid. The ZERO
INSERTION FORCE (ZIF) socket is located into the
ROM Cartridge's position.
• Very simple to install. NO SOLDERING
required. The ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) elimi-
nates the possibility of damage to your ROM pins
when inserting & extracting.
• The low profile of the socket allows unrestric-
ted access to the Keyboard.
• All data and address lines are correctly termi-
nated to ensure correct operation of suitable
ROMs with the BBC micro. We also supply a
purpose designed see-through storage container
with anti-static lining, allowing you to store up to
12 ROMs, protecting them from mechanical and
static damage.
• This versatile hardware solves the problem of
running out of socket space. Simply lift the ROM
from the ZIF & insert a different one (No pulling
or pushing of Cartridges. It is a must for all
professionals and Hobbyists alike.)
• BBC, B+ and Master compatible.
ONLY £15 (carr £2)
Low Profile
CARTRIDGE SYSTEM
Complete System consists of: Low profile ROM
Cartridge, Socket housing. Cable assembly, 5
labels and a library storage rack for the BBC B.
• Complete System £11
© Spare Cartridges £2.50
• Spare Rack £1.50
16 K Sideways
RAM Modules
Complete with such features as read and write
protection, these new modules from Watford
Electronics are ideal for the hobbyist, software
developer and ROM collector.
Key points to note about this new addition to the
Watford range of products are:
• Write protection (useful in a variety of circum-
stances).
• Read protection (allows recovery from ROM
crashes).
• Compact construction.
• May be fitted in systems even with a ROM
board.
• Multiple units may be fitted, even with a ROM
board.
• No overheating or overloading problems.
• Free utilities disc supplied.
• Can be used as a 16K PRINTER BUFFER
• Ideal for professional software development.
• Supplied with utilities software disc.
Only: £24 (carr £2)
Optional extras
READ and WRITE protect Switches £2 each
Battery for Battery Backup £3
SOLDERLE c S
SIDEWAYS ROM
SOCKET BOARD
In the May 1986 Micro User's independent
review, the writer concludes, “The board has
been well laid out. Its position is much better than
others - not over the HOT RAM chips and further
away from the disc controller area". "I give the
solderless ROM board the thumbs up and wish it
success"
This brand new board from Watford Electronics
is designed specifically for those wishing to add a
ROM board to their own BBC without the need to
perform any soldering.
This new board expands the total possible
number of ROMs in a BBC from 4 to 16.
Unlike our competitors inferior boards, the ONLY
upgrade required for fitting battery backup to the
Watford Solderless ROM board (all Watford ROM
boards, actually) is the fitting of the battery itself.
(No other expensive components are required.)
• The key features of this new, no fuss, easy to
install quality product from BBC leaders
Watford Electronics are as follows:
• Increase your BBCs capacity for ROMs from 4
to 16.
• No soldering required.
• Very low power consumption.
• Minimal space required.
• Compatible with Torch, DDFS, RAM Card, 2nd
Processor, etc.
• Socket 14 takes two 6264 RAM chips.
• Read protect to make RAM “Vanish") allows
recovery from ROM crashes.
• Battery backup option for RAM chips.
• Supplied ready to fit with comprehensive
instructions.
Price: Only £32
Battery backup fitted £36
(carriage £2)
• Sideways RAM Utilities Disc for Solderless
ROM Board. Includes the options to load and
save ROM Images and the facility to use Side-
ways RAM as Printer Buffer.
Only: £8
USER PORT
SPUTTER UNIT
Gone are the days when you had to plug and
unplug devices from the User Port. This
extremely useful little device allows two units to
be connected to the User Port simultaniously.
and select between them simply by toggling a
switch. This device is particularly useful for those
people using Quest Mouse and the Watford
Video Digitiser or any similar combination.
Excellent Value at £21
ROM/RAM
CARD
APOLLO
The NEW Modem from Watford
Watford Electronics announced the first ever
commercial ROM board for the BBC micro, the
Watford Electronics 13 ROM Socket Board 3
years ago. Following the success of this board,
we have designed what probably represents the
ultimate in expansion boards, the new Watford
Electronics ROM/RAM board. This highly ver-
satile and sophisticated board represents the
latest in "2nd generation" sideways ROM tech-
nology for the BBC micro, designed to satisfy the
serious BBC user.
• NO SOLDERING required to fit the board.
• NO overheating problems.
• No User Port corruption (avoids problems
with the mouse, modems, Eprom Programmers,
etc.)
• Fully buffered for peace of mind.
• Firm mounting in BBC micro.
• Compatible with all BBC micros (not BBC+ or
Master).
• Total number of ROMs increased from 4 to 8.
• Up to 8 banks of sideways RAM (dynamic).
• Option for 16k of Battery backed CMOS RAM
(CMOS RAM needs one ROM socket).
• Software Write protect for ALL RAM.
• Read protect for CMOS RAM (ALLEVIATES
crashes during ROM development).
• Separate RAM write register (&FF30 to &FF3F).
• Automatic write to currently selected RAM
socket for convenience.
The MODEM from Watford
At last a professional MODEM for the BBC Micro.
Unlike other ' Modem packages' this is a complete
package there are no extra software costs to get
'up and running'. Of course Le MODEM is multi-
standard. i.e. 300/300. 1200/75 & 75/1200 UK and
BELL (USA) are all supported.
The features that make Le MODEM such good
value are:
• A complete communications terminal that
transforms your BBC Micro into a very powerful
World-wide data transfer system.
• Auto Dials. Auto answers, and is completely
controlled by your micro. There are no external
controls !
• Allows you to access PRESTEL. B T GOLD.
THE SOURCE. MICROLINK. MICRONET.
MICROWEB. THE TIMES NETWORK. MICRO LIVE
(BBC TV database). CITY BB and more
• Designed to be SIMPLE but SOPHISTICATED.
To LOGON to a data base all you have to know is
its TELEPHONE NUMBER. Le MODEM does the
rest.
• Supplied with a comprehensive telecomms
package in a 16K sideways ROM which includes a
FULL PRESTEL terminal allowing TELE-
SOFTWARE to be downloaded.
• A comprehensive 80 column terminal. This
includes XMODEM error checked transfer proto-
col. to allow error free data transfer anywhere in
the world!
Following numerous requests from you, our dis-
cerning customers for an APPROVED, Low Cost &
High Performance modem with Auto Dial & Auto
Answer facilities as standard) we bring you the
versatile APOLLO Modem. Just compare the fea-
tures and look at the price (which incidentally
includes the cost of the Software, manual and
BBC connecting cable). We are sure you will
agree that Watford Electronics in their traditional
way are giving you a super 'value for money'
deal.
Just look at these features:
• V21 for Bulletin boards. Microlink, Telecom
Gold, etc.
• V23 for Prestel, Home Banking, and other
Viewdata services.
• Reverse V23 allows User run Viewdata service.
• 1200-1200 half duplex for communications.
• XMODEM, HEX and ASCII file transmission.
• Auto Dial of given 'phone number.
• Auto Answer for User's Bulletin Board.
• 80 column terminal with split screen facility.
• Prestel text screen dump.
• Fully BABT approved.
• FREE Registration to MicroLink.
• £6.50 off annual Membership to Micronet,
Prestel and Telecom Gold.
The Apollo is attractively finished in matt black. It
opens the doors to world communication to both,
the Hobbyist and the Professionals alike. With
baud rates varying from 300/300 Originate and
Answer, 1200/75 and 75/1200 full duplex and
1200/1200 half duplex, virtually all the popular
tele-services can be accessed. A comprehensive
Comms ROM oversees the use of the APOLLO,
providing simple commands for all the software
controlled facilities. APOLLO is an ideal modem
for both the first time buyer and the seasoned
user. Join the Telecommunications Revolution -
Buy a Watford APOLLO!
Only: £94 (Carr £3)
Price includes, the Modem, Comm Software
Cables & Operating Manual).
(Write in for full specification)
• Accepts any ROM.
• FREE utilities disc packed with software.
• Compatible with our DDFS board, 32k RAM
Card, Delta Card, sideways ZIF, etc.
• Large printer buffer.
• UNIQUE Fully implemented RAM FILING
SYSTEM (similar to the popular Watford DFS).
• ROM to RAM load and save facilities.
The SFS (Silicon Filing System) can utilise up
to the full 128k of RAM (with the SFS in any
paged RAM) as a SILICON DISC. This behaves as
a disc drive, with all the normal Watford DFS
features (including OSWORD &7F for ROM-
SPELL, etc.) to provide an environment that looks
like a disc but loads and saves MUCH faster.
The ROM-RAM Board plugs into the 6502 CPU
socket. This leaves free all the existing ROM
sockets, which can still be used normally!
Any ROM that can be plugged into the BBC
micro's own ROM sockets may be used in the
ROM-RAM Board.
The ROM-RAM Board is supplied with all
ordered options fitted as standard. Upgrade kits
(with full instructions) are available for all of the
options, for later.
Please write in for further details.
INTRODUCTORY PRICES:
• ROM/RAM card with 32k dynamic RAM £39
• ROM/RAM card with 64k dynamic RAM £52
• ROM/RAM card with a massive 128k dynamic
RAM £80
(carriage on ROM-RAM Card £3)
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
• 16k plug-in Static RAM kit £6
• 16k Dynamic RAM for Upgrade £7.50
• Battery backup £3
• Read and Write protect switches £2 each
Complete ROM-RAM board
All options installed £89
P.S.
Is your existing ROM Board overflowing with
ROMs? Do you need more Sideways RAM? Is
your Board unreliable? Then upgrade to Watford
ROM/RAM Board and pay £10 less
• FULLY controlled by simple " COMMANDS
allowing you to control it from your own BASIC
programs. To get you started we supply a FREE
disc of bundled software!
• Connects to the 1MH / bus. A * AUDIO ON-OFF
command allows you to actually hear the tele-
phone line through your BBC micro loudspeaker.
• Completely self contained with internal mains
power supply. (Even a free mains plug is fitted!)
A "TEST facility gives ON SCREEN indication that
Le MODEM is working correctly.
• Packaged in such as way that you need noth-
ing else except a BBC Micro to communicate with
computers all over the world.
• FREE Registration to MicroLink.
SPECIAL OFFER
Price: £94
(carr £3)
(Price includes, Le Modem, Software ROM,
Cables & Comprehensive Manual)
(Write in for further details)
Minerva Systems Software
System Delta with Card Index £55
System Programmers Ref. Guide £19
System Gamma £43
System Gamma Prog, Ref, Guide £19
System Mailshot £17
System Reporter £17
System Intrer/View Link £17
System Sales Ledger £39
System Purchase Ledger £39
System Nominal Ledger £48
System Stock Management £39
Order Processing/Invoicing £39
Nightingale Modem
SPECIAL PRICE to our Customers
£82
(Price includes: Nightingale Modem, Commstar
ROM pack & Comprehensive manual)
Nightingale Modem without software Only £75
COMMSTAR ROM package only £29
(P&P on modem f3.00)
Versatile BEEB SPEECH
SYNTHESISER Unit
The Watford Speech Synthesiser is a very flexible
speech synthesis unit based upon the powerful
phonemes system. This system stores the
building blocks of speech (called phonemes) and
allows you to combine them quickly and easily to
form virtually any word imaginable.
Supplied with an advanced ROM, you are
provided with a 500 word dictionary to get you
started. These can easily be added to by
following the notes given in the comprehensive
manual.
SPECIAL PRICE £32 (carr £2)
Continued-
COMPUTER CONCEPT'S
ROMS
ACCELERATOR
£48
CARETAKER Basic Utility
£25
DISC DOCTOR
£28
Graphics ROM
£23
TERMI
£25
COMMUNICATOR
£49
SPEECH ROM
£24
Printma'ster
£24
Wordwise
Wordwise plus
We are giving away absolutely FREE,
the superb Word-Aid ROM worth
£24, with every WORDWISE PLUS
package bought from us.
WQrd-ffid
The most comprehensive
utilities ROM
for Wordwise-Plus
Extend the power of your Wordwise Plus word
processor with this most advanced ROM from
Watford. By utilising the powerful Wordwise
Plus programming language, WordAid provides
a whole host of extra features, all accessed via
a special new menu option. This ROM has been
personally approved by Mr Charles Moir, the
author of WORDWISE PLUS.
• Alphabetical sorting of names and
addresses.
• Text transfer options.
• Chapter marker.
• Epson printer codes function key option.
• Search and display in preview mode.
• Embedded command removal.
• Print Multiple copies of a document.
• Multiple file options for print and preview.
• Address finder.
• Label printer.
• Mail-merger.
• Number/delete/renumber.
• Clear text-segment area.
• BBC B. B+ and Master compatible.
Only £24
(N.B. Word Aid requires a Disc Interface in your
Micro)
HI-WORDWISE-PLUS DISC:
£5
SPELL MASTER
£45
Inter SHEET only £37
ICHART BBH
£39
MEGA-3 ROM
Interword, Intersheet & Interchart -
3 in one ROM
£85
INTERBASE £55
All Prices Exclusive of VAT
VIEW
VIEW WORDPROCESSOR 2.1 £35
VIEW 3.0 ROM
£48
VIEW PROFESSIONAL
£79
HI-VIEW
(for use with 6502 2nd Processor)
£36
VIEW Printer Driver Generator
(Please specify Disc or Cassette)
£9
VIEWSHEET (Acornsoft) £37
VIEWSTORE
£37
VIEWSPELL with 80 track disc
£29
VIEWPLOT Disc
(Please specify for Master 128 or
Compact)
£22
VIEW-INDEX
£12
OVERVIEW Packs 1 & 2 for the
Master
£75
Watford's own Sophisticated
VIEW PRINTER DRIVERS
Epson FX80 & Kaga KP (Disc) £8
Juki & Brother HR15 (Disc) £8
Silver Reed Printers (Disc) £8
Micros in Business (Disc)
An introduction to Business software
for the BBC Micro from Acorn £43
ADVANCE COMPUTER
PRODUCTS' ROMs
Adv. Disc Toolkit £29
Adv 1770 DFS for Mast/Compact £29
Adv 1770 DFS for BBC/BBC + £29
Adv Disc Investigator £24
Adv. Control Panel £29
MINI OFFICE II
Disc Version £14.50
ROM Version £47.00
REPLICA 3
This new improved REPLICA 3 from Clares is a
very powerful disc based TAPE to DISC Utility
It now transfers even more programs than ever
before. Replica 3 will not work with all
programs but then neither will anything else.
30,000 Replicas have been sold to date. It has to
be good.
£13 (40 or 80 track)
Acorn's Speech Synthesiser
package, complete
Special Offer £18
VIEW PRINTER DRIVER
ROM
View is a powerful word processor, but until
now has seriously lacked in terms of printer
support. With the launch of our Printer Driver
ROM, which includes an extremely powerful
and easy to use Printer Driver Generator, View
users can find themselves in the realms of
advanced word processing only at a small
outlay.
The VPD extends View's printer command
with a series of mnemonic commands. All
standard highlight sequences are also
supported. A large range of printers are
supported by drivers contained within the ROM
(the drivers can be downloaded and
customised). Printers supported include:
Epson's MX, RX, FX. FX, LX, JX80 range. HI80,
KP810/910, PW1080, JP101, HR15, M1009, GLP,
Panasonic KX-P1081/2, JUKI 6100, etc.
Other printers are readily supported by
defining a Printer Driver using the built in
Printer Driver Generator. The features
mentioned below are available to both the built
in Printer Drivers and user defined drivers
(assuming the printer supports the features).
NLQ control. Underline, Bold, Proportional
Spacing, Microspacing, Italic, Superscript,
Subscript, Condensed, Enlarged, Double Strike,
Set lines per inch numerically (e.g. LPI 6), Set
characters per inch numerically (e.g. CPI 5),
Select printer font, Select printer ribbon colour.
Translation sequences, Emulation of BBC
Character Set, Simple numeric expressions for
certain operations, Full printer setup, Send
control codes, Print prompt on screen,
Redefinable Pad character, Pause for key press,
Prompt to change daisywheel, and Execute *
command when printing.
Other features include a very powerful on
screen preview, with bold, italic, underline,
super/subscript, enlarged highlights, and a
special printer driver to allow memory based
text to be previewed by View 1.4. Of course,
View 1.4, 2.1 and 3.0 are all supported, as is
Shadow RAM and 6502 Second Processors. The
BBC B series and Master series of micros are
supported. A comprehensive manual is
supplied. All in all, a very professional product
for the discerning user who wants power at
their finger tips. (Write in for a detailed leaflet).
Price: Only £33
Harness the full potential of your Epson RX or
FX printer. The NLQ ROM makes Epson printers
produce Near Letter Quality output with
optional proportional spacing, enlarged and
underlined. Accessed by simple * commands
from Basic, Wordwise and View (with driver) or
almost any other language.
( Send an SAB for sample printout I
Only: £25
VIEW PRINTER DRIVER for NLQ ROM £7 .
DUMPOUT 3
A highly sophisticated screen dump ROM. This
has to be the most flexible and powerful screen
dump ROM yet produced for the BBC micro. It
will put on paper anything you see on the
screen, including full Mode 7 graphics.
Also provided are window setting utilities and
OSWORD calls to plot and read Mode 7
graphics pixels.
Facilities:
• Vertical and horizontal scaling in all graphics
modes and mode 7
• Rotation of image by 90, 180 or 270 degrees
• Left hand margin setting
• Screen dump window setting
• Colours appear as grey scale
• Two tone fast dump
• Colour mask
• Mode 7 contrast expansion
• Mode 7 contiguous dump
• Key triggered and User Port triggered dumps
The Micro User Feb. 1985.
‘Without reservation / wholeheartedly
recommend the Dump Out 3 ROM as the
ultimate screen dump facility for the BBC Micro
... it must represent excellent value for money
and surely cannot be beaten".
For use with the following printers:
GLP, GP80/1 00/250, CANNON. STAR. KAGA /
TAXAN, NEC, SHINWA CP80, GEMINI. EPSON
MX/RX/FX, Ml 009, NEC PC8023, DMP100/200/
400, Panasonic KX1081/82, Mannesman Tally
and compatibles.
Only: £25
BBC SOFTWARE'S
Popular Educational Software
• Maths with a Story 1 (Cassette). 4 primary
level maths programs £9.95
• Maths with a Story 2 (Cassette) 4 further
maths programs £9.95
• Picture Craft (Disc) 6 - 14 age group. Pack
consists of flexible geometrical design &
colouring programs £17
• WAVES: Science Topics (Disc) CSC O Level
Physics program. £14.95
• RELATIONSHIP: Science (Disc) O Level
Biology program. £14.95
• BONDING: Science (Disc) O Level Chemistry
program. £14.95
• ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM (8 Discs) O
Level program. £14.95
• ELECTRONICS IN ACTION (Disc) O Level
program £14.95
• NEWTON & THE SPACE SHUTTLE (Disc) O
Level program. £20
• ECOLOGY (Disc) O Level program £20
• POLYMERS (Disc) O Level program. £20
• Gasification & Periodic Table O Level. The
suite is supplied with its own database of
chemical elements which can be classified
according to your own rule £20
• FOOD & POPULATION (Disc) O Level
program. £20
• MICROTECHNOLOGY (Cassette) O Level
program. £6.95
• A VOUS LA FRANCE (2 Cassettes) A French
language home study aid £17
• DEUTSCH DIREKT! (Disc & Audio
Cassette)
• Modem Master (Disc)
• ADVANCED TELETEXT SYSTEM
• PERIOD TABLE SOFTWARE
• USING YOUR COMPUTER (Cassette) 8-12
age
£24
Astronomy - Primary Disc
£11
Computers at Work - Primary
£16
Introducing Geography - Primary
£16
Electric Fields 6-14 years
£10.50
Statistics A level
£23
THE NLQ DESIGNER
(The First & still the Best)
Supplied with over 25 Different fonts
A massively useful utility for users of the
Taxan/Kaga KP810/910 or the Canon PW1080.
This program allows you to define NLQ
character sets to download into the printer's
memory. Full on screen editing of the font.
Requires 6264 RAM chip to be fitted in the
printer.
Supplied with disc containing over 25 example
fonts. (Please specify 40 or 80 track when
ordering.) Fonts are: Italic, Courier, Courier
Italic. Script, Copper Plate, Shadow, Bold,
Double Print and Gothic etc. (P S. This ROM is
not suitable for Epson printers.)
• NLQ Designer ROM, FONT Disc and
Manual £25
(Write in for further details on all above ROMS)
ADDER
The only low cost EPROM Programmer for the
BBC Micro that will program both the standard
21V and the new 12V5, 27128 EPROMS.
Adder is the ultimate EPROM programmer for
the BBC Micro. It will program many different
EPROMs up to the very latest 27256 32K
devices.
The Adder unit connects to the User Port and
draws its power from there too. The EPROM is
mounted in a top quality ZIF socket. There are
no switches or controls as Adder is entirely
software controlled.
The Adder software provides sophisticated
facilities for programming EPROMs from a RAM
image produced by loading disc files. The
software is menu driven and designed for ease
of use.
Features:
• Two ultra fast programming algorithms or
standard slow algorithm
• Supports standard 21V programming and
newer 12.5 volt EPROMs. (Software switched).
• The RAM image to be programmed can be
built up in many ways Sections of image can
be loaded separately. Part programming. Read
EPROM. Edit data in memory.
• Automatic processing to handle a list of files
to program into the EPROM
• Automatic disc buffering to allow
programming of 32K 27256 devices from a 32K
file without extra effort.
• Verification gives detailed error list and
checksums are maintained. There is also a
blank check facility.
• Works with all standard filing systems.
Generates header code for RFS ROMs to allow
Basic programs etc. to be stored in EPROM
More than one file per ROM permitted.
• Proarams the following EPROMs
From 2K to 32K 2516. 27*16. 2532, 2732, 2764,
2764A. 27128. 27128A, 27256 (Both 12 5V and
21V).
£75 (£3 Carr)
TEX EPROM ERASERS
EPROMs need careful treatment if they are to
survive their expected lifetime. Over erasure of
EPROMs very rapidly turns them into ROMs 1
The TEX erasers operate following the
manufacturers specifications to give the
maximum possible working life by not erasing
too fast. We use these erasers for all our own
erasing work.
• ERASER EB Standard version erases up to
16 chips. £28 (carr £2)
• ERASER GT Deluxe version erases up to 18
chips. Has automatic safety cut-off to switch off
the UV lamp when opened. £30 (carr £2)
• Spare UV tubes. £9
32K
SHADOW RAM-
Printer Buffer
Expansion Board
at Only!
£89
(t.cirr £2)
A MUST FOR WORD PROCESSING
Watford Electronics now brings you the latest
state-of-the-art MEMORY EXPANSION BOARD
for your BBC microcomputer. Don't throw away
your BBC B for a BBC B Plus or BBC Master.
Just plug the ribbon cable into the 6502
processor socket, and fit the compact board
inside the computer. Immediately you will gain
not 16K or even 20K, but a massive 32K of extra
RAM!!!
• IMPROVE your WORD PROCESSING system,
whether disc or cassette based. Don't wait for a
slow printer - type in text while printing. TWO
JOBS DONE SIMULTANEOUSLY and f100 +
saved on a printer buffer.
• "VIEW" Wordprocessor users can now type
in letters in 80 columns and have up to 28,000
bytes free - 5 times as much as normal
• In WORDWISE (or WORDWISE-PLUS),
preview in 80 columns with the full 24K of text
in memory This product is recommended as an
ideal complement by Computer Concepts.
• Combine GOOD GRAPHICS and LONG
PROGRAMS. Use the top 20K of the expansion
RAM as the screen display memory, leaving all
the standard BBC RAM free for programs
Benefit from MODE 0/1/2 graphics and 28K o 1
program space.
• Use the FULL 32K or the bottom 12K of the
expansion RAM as a PRINTER buffer for
PARALLEL or SERIAL printers, sound channels.
RS423 etc Print large text files while running
long graphics programs, and have all your
buffer options available as well
( * FX15.21 .138.145.ADVAL etc). Please note only
a 12K printer buffer can be used with Wordwise
or Wordwise-Plus, due to the way they are
written.
• Unique facility to turn ROMs off and on
again. Unlike all other ROM managers, this
feature does not use 'unofficial' memory Two
bytes of normally user-inaccessible memory on
the RAM card are used to ensure ROMs are
disabled WHERE OTHER ROMS FAIL
Only £59 (carr £2)
(Price includes a comprehensive manual
and the ROM)
INCREDIBLE
WORDPROCESSING
DEAL
Watford's 32K SHADOW RAM CARD an,!
Computer Concept's INTERWORD
Wordprocessor package.
Continued-
BOOKS (No VAT on Books)
15 Hr Wordprocessing BBC/View £4.95
1 5 Hr Wordprocessing BBC/WW&WW-f £4.95
30 Hour BASIC (BBC Micro) £9.95
40BestmachineCodeRoutines £7.95
50Programsin BBCBASIC £6.95
6502 Assembly Language Program £1 9.95
6502 Application £11.95
6502 Assembly Lang. Subroutines £1 9.95
6502 Development Package £7.50
6502 Reference Guide £10.95
68000 Assembly Language Prog. £1 9.95
68000 Machine Code Programming £1 3.00
68000 Microprocessor Handbook £14.95
68000Programmingthe £22.95
68000UserGuide £8.95
6809,Programmingthe £16.95
6809MachineCodeProgramming £7.95
8086/8088 Assembly Language Prog. £1 1 .95
8086/8088 Programming the £16.95
Advanced Disc UserGuide £16.95
Advanced Prog. Guideto BBC £9.95
Adv. Sideways RAM UserGuide £10.95
Advanced UserGuidefor BBC £10.95
AdvancedGraphicswithBBC £10.95
Assembly Language Programming on
BBC Micro £11.50
Adventure into BBC BASIC £6.95
AmigaHardwareRefManual £23.70
AppliedAssemblyLang.forBBC £9.95
ARM Assem, Lang, Programming £12.95
Art of Microcomputer Graphics £15.95
Assembly Language Programming
FORtheBBCMicro £9.50
AssemblyLang.withinBBC £11.95
BasicROM UserGuide £11.95
BBCBCompendium £5.95
BBC BASICfor Beginners £7.95
BBC Forth £7.50
BBC Hardware Projects £8.95
BBCMicro&Small Business £5.75
BBC Micro&thesmall Business £5.75
BBCMicroAdvanceProgramming £8.95
BBC Micro Basic Sound & Graphics £7.95
BBCMicroProgrammingTips £8.95
BBC Micro ROM Book ' £10.95
BBCMaster 128forHigh Flyer £10.95
BBCMicroDiscCompanion £8.95
BBC Software Projects £6.95
BCPLUserGuide £14
BCPLTheLanguage&itsCompiler £7.95
CBigRedBookof £7.50
CforBeginners £10.95
CforProgrammers £9.95
CProgrammingLang. £23.95
Complete FORTH £6.95
ComputerGraphics&CAD fundamentals £9.95
CP-M- 86 User's Guide £19.95
CP-M Bible £16.50
CP-M Handbook with MPM £9.95
CP-M PlusHandbook £13.95
CP-MSoulof £16.50
CP-M The software BUS £8.95
DiscDriveProjectsforMicros £5.45
Mastering Interpreters &
Compilers
£14.95
Mastering Music
£6.95
Mastering the Disc Drive
£7.95
Mastering Operating System
£12.95
MasterReferenceManualPart 1
£14.00
Master Reference Manual Part 2
£14.00
Master, Advance Reference Manual
£19
Mathematical Prog, in BBC Basic
£7.95
MicroProlog
£10.00
MicrotextfortheBBC
£10.00
MS DOS Quick Referance Guide
£3.95
Practical DiscFileTechniques
£5.95
Programming the6502
£16.95
Programming the Z80
£19.95
Software Business
£5.50
Structured Basic
£7.95
The Epson FX-KAGA PRINTER
Commands REVEALED
£5.95
The Software Business
£5.50
Toolbox2
£10.95
T owers Int. T ransistors Selectors
£12.95
TurtleGraphicsonBBCMicro
£7.50
Understanding Interword -
ABeginnersGuide
£6.50
Using DOS4- Amstrad PC
£9.95
View3.0UserGuide
£10
ViewGuide
£4.50
Mastering View, Viewsheet &
Viewstore
£12.95
VIEW Dabhand Guide
f 1 2.95
VIEWincl. ViewSpell& Viewlndex
£12.95
Viewsheet User Guide
£10
Viewstore User Guide
£10
WithintheBBC Micro
£13.95
Writing Interactive Interpreters
&Compilers
£8.45
Wordprocessing BBC
BeginnersGuide
£7.95
Wordstar & CP/Mmadeeasy
£9.95
Wordwise 4 A UserGuide
£9.95
Z80Applications
£15.95
Z80 Assembly Language Prog.
£19.95
Z80 Reference Guide
£9,95
THE COMPLETE BBC
Computer user handbook
" Why has no-one written a book like this
before ? It's long overdue".
If you own a BBC-B, BBC B + . Electron, Master
128, Master Compact or Archimedes then this
book is for you. It shows you how to get the
most from your computer, and how to make
the computer work for you. Although some
sections are machine specific, most of the
information, programs, hints and good solid
experience are for the whole range of BBC
machines. The general style and level means
that both beginner and expert will feel satisfied
with the quality and quantity of the material.
GENERAL - Uses and abuses of computers.
DISC FILING SYSTEM (DFS)
OperatingManualforBBC £6.95
DBASEProgramming Language £14.95
dBaselllPlus £12.95
dBASE III Plus, Quick Ref. Guide £4.95
dBaselllTips&Tricks £14.25
DiscProgrammingTechniques £9.95
Exploring FORTH £6.95
FileHandlingonBBCMicro £7.50
FORTH-Acorn £7.50
FORTH-Advanced £9.95
FORTH-ATextReference £19.10
FORTH on the BBC Micro £9.95
FORTH-Starting £19.10
Functional Forth forthe BBC Micro £5.95
Guideto BBCROMs £9.95
GraphicsforChildren £6.95
HackersHandbook-New £6.95
Inside Information (Computers,
Interfacing & Control o/t BBC Micro £9.95
Interfacing &Roboticson BBO £15.95
IntroductiontoCOMAL £9.50
Introduction to LOGO ' £6.95
Introducing 'C' £9.95
Introducing LOGO £5.95
Introduction to FORTH £8.95
Introduction to PASCAL £17.95
ISO-PASCALReference Manual £9.95
LISP2ndEdition £15.95
LISP, ABeginnersGuideto £10.95
LISP on the BBC Micro £7.95
LISP the Language of
Artificial Intelligence £9.95
LogoontheBBCMicro £7.50
Logo Programming £10.95
Mysteries of DISC DRIVES and DFS
REVEALED £5.95
Mastering AssemblyCode £8.95
Mastering CP-M £17.95
HARDWARE - How to design your own work
station. Hardware additions (disc drives, ROMs,
printers, 2nd processors, etc). DIY alterations.
HARDWARE RUNNING BBC-BASIC - All BBC
machines are described with their differences.
Compatibility between the various BBC
machines. Networks. The Archimedes and its
advantages.
GETTING ORGANISED - so that you keep track
of your programs and control of your software.
Setting up for easier programming sessions.
NEAT PROGRAMMING - Good style. Writing
structured programs. Getting the best from
BBC-BASIC, Graphics and screen displays.
Speeding up programs. Saving space.
GENERAL PROGRAMMING TIPS AND HINTS -
with a multitude of examples (eg input vetting,
dealing with dates, blanking out function key
messages, error trapping, disabling ESCAPE
and BREAK, use of EOR with colour, etc).
DEBUGGING - Specific errors and how to
handle them. How to test programs fully
STANDARD PROGRAMS - Assessing word
processors, spread-sheets, databases, graphics
packages, communications etc. How to
customise them to your own requirements.
COMPUTERS AT HOME AND IN THE OFFICE -
Introducing the computer to the office. Program
protection. Computers and the law.
Communications. Selling your own programs.
28 FULL CHAPTERS, elegantly written and
extensively indexed. To dip into, consult, or
read from cover to cover, again... and again...
and again...
Only: £14.95
BEEB
VIDEO DIGITISER
Using any source of composite video (colour or
monochrome) and the Watford Beeb Video
Digitiser, you can convert an image from your
camera into a graphics screen on the BBC
Micro.
This uses the full graphics capacity of the BBC
micro in modes 0, 1 or 2. The video source may
be a camera, video recorder or television, and
is connected via the video output socket.
Images produced can be compressed, stored to
disc, printed on an Epson compatible printer,
directly used to generate graphics, analysed for
scientific and educational use or converted to
other formats e.g. Slow Scan TV or receiving a
picture from a remote camera using a modem.
The output from the digitiser exactly matches
the graphics capability in each mode, with up to
8 levels of grey in mode 2. The unit connects
into the User Port and automatically scans a
complete picture in 1.6 seconds.
Both the black and white levels can be adjusted
manually for the optimum picture, or switched
to automatic for unattended use. The image
produced can be reversed if necessary.
Full controlling software is supplied on a
normal sideways ROM and this is easily
accessed via additional # commands. The
package is designed to allow easy input of
complex screens and give full access of the
data to the user. Once on the screen, the image
can be used as a normal graphics screen,
allowing any of the usual graphics commands
in BASIC or other ROM's to work on it.
A special print dump routine is included with
the driver programs. This is specially designed
to produce a fast, correctly proportioned
picture, with reduced "contouring", resulting in
an accurate reproduction of the original image.
Detailed examples of driving this unit from
BASIC or other languages are all provided in
the extensive manual supplied.
£109 (Carr. £3)
(Price includes) Digitiser Unit, Software in ROM
& a Comprehensive Manual)
(BBC B-f and Master compatible, except Master
with Econet)
Magazine Maker
(As seen on TV)
A combination of the Pagemaker and Watford's
Beeb Video Digitiser.
Using any video that provides a composite
signal and the digitiser, images from a camera
or TV can be converted into a graphics screen
on the BBC Micro.
They can then be used within Pagemaker to
illustrate magazines or newsletters'- in fact
anything that needs to be created on A4 size
paper.
With Pagemaker's many features, a variety of
pictures can be composed - the only limit being
the imagination.
Pictures can be doctored using Pagemaker's
graphics option to produce any number of
effects.
Text can be formatted around the digitised
photo on screen using the facilities available,
which include 16 typefaces, character and
pattern definer, text formatting and the ability
to load in wordwise and viewfiles plus much
more.
Once created the picture can be printed out.
The Magazine Maker is suitable for any use
that requires illustrated documents.
Complete Package £135.00 (carr. £3)
SURGE PROTECTOR Plug
Fitted in place of your normal mains plug, this
device protects your equipment against mains
surges. Nearby lightning strikes, thermostats
switching and many other sources which put
high voltage transient spikes on to the mains.
This can lead to data corruption in memory and
on disc and can result in spuriously crashing
machines. A must for every computer user.
Protection for only £7.50
4 WAY MAINS
DISTRIBUTION SOCKET
4 way top quality mains trailing sockets.
Supplied wired up with mains plug ready for
use. Can be screwed to floor or wall if required.
Very useful for tidying up all the mains leads
from your peripherals.
£7.95 (carr £1.50)
SPIKES CLEANER UNIT
A 4 way mains distribution unit as above with a
built-in Surge Arrester, providing protection for
your complete computer system
£13.50 (carr. £1.50)
SPARES for BBC Micro
Keyboard
£43
Keystrip
£2
UHF Modulator
£4
Case
£20
Speaker Grill
£1
Speaker
£2
Power Supply
£52
Keyswitch
£1.50
Replacement FLEXIBLE 17 way
Keyboard Connector £3
8 WAY DIP SWITCH
Increase the speed of your Disc Drives by
soldering this switch to your BBC B or B ♦
Keyboard.
Only £1.00
28 pin ZIF SOCKET (Textool)
£6.95
Watford DATA DUCK
Convert two single Disc Drives into one Dual
Drive with this simple external unit (suitable for
disc drives with PSU).
£14
Watford POWER DUCK
£8
CONNECTING LEADS
(All ready made and tested)
CASSETTE LEADS 7 pin DIN Plug
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The Valiant is still the world’s only remote-controlled computer
robotand the most precise turtle around. Now it’s been made even
better than before:-
• Easier to use
A newly designed infra-red communicator
allows problem-free, easy setting up.
Then you can leave the equipment
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• More reliable
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• Longer running time
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But we’ve managed to hold the price
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The complete Valiant turtle system -
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DATE
JOE’S JOTTINGS
CONTROL TRICKS
Unking your micro to the outside world is made easy
with a special control language, MCL
ivu V* vs iiwu ws u^/|/tv pnate
the hardware from some source, and for
many folk building interface boards is
relatively easy, however, in many cases it is
easier to buy pre-built and pre-tested inter-
faces like the Control-IT buffer box from
Deltronics, or the Barnet Box from Com-
motion. It simply boils down to the old
problems of constructional skills versus
reliability and product guarantees.
Acorn User doesn’t encourage you to
work beyond your competence, and mains
electricity projects for your children or
yourself are never advisable. But the main
danger when controlling devices is lack of
that ‘control’ is far too com-
plex. They often assume it is
exceedingly difficult to program, and that
the hardware is hard to build.
Control in the context of computing
means the monitoring of physical changes
in the environment, and the control of
other devices.
Much exploration of control activities,
particularly in schools, comes from con-
trolling models. Another way of learning
about control is to use sensors to monitor
and record changes in the environment,
like light levels, sound intensity, tempera-
forethought. Provided you always
begin by thinking ‘How can this project be
made safer?’, then the danger of any con-
trol activity is reduced.
The software
While most readers are confident with Basic
and even Pascal, C or Logo, there are those
users who want to be involved in comput-
ing with a minimum of programming effort.
The ultimate icon-based control program-
ming that is beginning to appear in
minicomputer-based industrial software
hasn’t reached the home yet, but simple,
easy to use languages for control program-
ming are available at reasonable prices.
MCL (Micro Control Language) is such a
ACORN USKR MARCH 1988
81
JOE S JOTTINGS
package, and recently I had a chance to try
it out.
The manual is a well written, though
slightly verbose text, which has two main
sections. The first is a tutorial of some 37
pages. You learn how to use MCL via a
series of real control applications. If readers
could assemble the necessary hardware for
each application, then by the time they
completed the tutorial section, they would
have learned a good deal about program-
ming for control, and also picked up con-
siderable knowledge specific to MCL. One
slight problem is that as the applications are
discussed in general terms to aid the tuto-
rials, there is no serious consideration of the
problems in getting the hardware for the
applications to work. I felt that some
examples relied too much on imagination.
The second section of the manual in-
cludes 54 pages of reference material, split
into sections covering the MCL commands,
variables, loops and so on. It’s mostly
language specific, whereas the first section
contains a good deal of general control
information. This is the section of the book
which will become dog-eared as experimen-
ters look for the precise syntax of com-
mands.
The MCL language
The Micro Control Language ROM is the
latest in a long line of control-specific
languages. Do you remember how lan-
guages like Dart and Computer Concepts’
Logo emulated the graphics elements of
true Logo? Well, in a similar way languages
like Bits and Control-IT and Acorn User's
own Switch program from October 1987
have paved the way for MCL. MCL is
exceptionally fast, and it covers all the
standard BBC control ports. It is like Basic
in that editing is performed using line
numbers, but it is also Logo-like because
each program can be split into a series of
words, which can be called from one
another. The language supports variables
and powerful sequence control commands,
as well as the usual loops and procedures.
Graphics are specifically directed at data
l°ggi n g an( J graph drawing, and for this
they are very powerful. The two major
omissions from MCL are functions and
filing. But there is very comprehensive help
text for every element of the language. And
there is a rudimentary multi-tasking facility.
This enables a simple comparison to be
made after every line of a program; action is
taken when necessary.
Figure 1 shows the range of commands
and keywords available in MCL. One
Figure 1. MCL commands
Figure 3. MCL’s graphics output
interesting difference between MCL and
Logo is that commands like RUN and
LOAD, etc, cannot be used in statements.
So the line:
LOAD “nextpro” :RUN
results in an error. There is also a series of
commands in MCL, such as SCROLL ON
and OFF which convert between standard
scrolling screen and a Sinclair Spectrum-like
screen which is the default format for
program entry. COLOUR ON and OFF
gives us the choice between a monochrome
and colour display. STEP ON and OFF lets
you execute programs line by line on
pressing the Shift key.
Like Logo, MCL expects a top down
approach to programming, and hence the
language works by defining ‘words’ which
are internally similar to small Basic prog-
rams or procedures. Say for example we
want to define a word to increment a
counter by a certain value every time it is
called. You can type:
DEFINE inc (value)
counter = counter + value
ENDWORD
Now every time we type ‘inc(l)’, or come
across that statement in a program, the
variable ‘counter’ will be incremented.
But there are some problems in defining
words. The manual says lower case defini-
tions can’t be used - they can. Next, the
only way to change a defined word with an
incorrect header, for example ‘DEFINE
inc’ that should have been ‘DEFINE inc(va-
lue)’, is to list the function then type
‘RENAME inc(value)’. Although proce-
LOOP
TIMES
EXITLOOP
ENDLOOP
REPEAT
UNTIL
WHILE
ENOUMILE
FOR
TO
STEP
NEXT
CASE
WHEN
OTHERWISE
ENDCASE
IF
THEN
ELSE
WHENEVER
DO
ENOUHEN
LET
CONTROL.
REAO
DIN
RNO
PRINT
TAB
CLS
GRAPH
PLOT
JOIN
DISPLAY
BEEP
REN
ENDWORD
STOP
WAIT
TINE
HIGH
LOU
VDU
KEY
AND
OR
NOT
IS
USER
PRINTER
FIRE
ADVAL
For further h»lp
typo HELP <word>
Figure 2. Reserved words in MCL
Test MCL Basic
1: 1000 Loops 0.53s 0.70s
2: 1000 Memory assignments 4.53s 1.63s
3: 1000 Additions 5.30s 1.57s
4: 1000 Additions + assign- 14.01s 2.48s
ments 19.80s 5.13s
5: 1000 *, /, +, assignments 23.91s 5.87s
6: 1000 as above 4- ‘IF’ con-
structions
Figure 4. Benchmark tests
dures can take a number of parameters, no
procedure can return a parameter, other
than by storing it in a global variable.
Words can be manipulated using LIST
<word> which lists a particular word,
LIST ALL which lists everything in mem-
ory, or LIST WORDS which lists the
names of all the words. The COPY com-
mand allows more than one word with the
same contents to exist, though the names
are different. This is a useful way to start
editing words when they are only slightly
different. Any action on a word can only
happen when that word is the current word.
To select a word as the current word you
simply list it, then you can RUN, RE-
NUMBER, RENAME, or COPY it.
MCL has four types of variable: integer
variables which are whole numbers up to
2,000,000,000; input variables which can be
either HIGH or LOW; output variables
which can be HIGH or LOW; and ana-
logue variables which can be in the range
zero to 4095. The language can’t handle real
numbers (decimals) or string variables, so
no interactive dialogue using strings is
available.
The variables which exist do however
cover most needs for control programming.
There is even an integer array facility for
data logging or more complex control,
similar to the Basic DIM statement.
Accessing the outside world
The aim of any control language is to ease
the problem of accessing the outside world.
MCL is very successful at this. You can use
82
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
JOE’S JOTTINGS
Figure 5. A model Ferris wheel can be controlled by a simple MCL program. The LDR opposite a bulb
detects the spokes of the wheel as they pass, allowing the micro to move the wheel round one step
at a time. When all of the seats are ‘full’, the wheel spins (see over)
the printer port for output, the user port for
both input or output, the analogue port for
input, and the joystick fire buttons for input
too. Each of these ports is separated into a
number of lines, so that line 5 on the printer
port can be referred to as PRINTER (5).
What is useful is that this line can also be
referred to by a name, usually the name of
whatever it controls in the real world. For
example, if a heater is connected through a
suitable interface to printer port line 5, then
the statement:
LET heater CONTROL PRINTER (5)
would ensure that the heater could be
turned on by
heater=HIGH
and off by
heater=LOW
But it doesn’t stop there. The state of the
heater can be defined: because we said the
^heater should be on or off we can define
two new variables:
on=HIGH
off = LOW
and we can say:
heater = on
ACORN USL-R MARCH 198S
heater = off
This becomes even more powerful if you
want to control a device like an electric
motor which has three states of operation -
forward, reverse, stop. The normal
approach is to use two lines of the printer
port, and with MCL you can produce an
elegant solution:
LET motor CONTROL PRI
NTER (0) TO PRINTER (1)
forward = 1
reverse = 3
stop = 0
Now you can say:
motor = forward
WAIT 100 : REM ie Wait
1 sec
motor = reverse
WAIT 100
motor = stop
You are writing powerful programs, but
they remain easily readable. Variables can
be binary numbers, so in the example above
it would also be possible to say:
forward = V. 01
reverse = 71 1
stop = 7.00
although I would reserve binary patterns
for more complex tasks. For example, a
program to control a set of flashing disco
lights could use binary numbers like this:
LET lights CONTROL PR
INTER (0) TO PRINTER (7)
lights = 7.10000001
lights = 7.01000010
lights = 7.00100100
lights = 7.00011000
Remember too that the input lines can be
read. For example; if there is a pressure pad
attached to line 0 of the user port:
LET pad READ USER(O)
will set the variable ‘pad’ to report on the
state of that line, and:
pressed = LOW
allows us to set up this conditional state-
ment which MCL lets us present in almost
perfect English:
IF pad IS pressed THEN...
Loops in MCL
The MCL language has a great variety of
loop structures. REPEAT. . . UNTIL is
available, as is WHILE. . . ENDWHILE
and LOOP . . . ENDLOOP. The latter
command is interesting because in its nor-
mal state, the loop is infinite. To set a
particular number of loops then LOOP n
has to be used. For people familiar with
Basic, the FO.R. . .NEXT loop is also avail-
able.
All the loop structures are emphasised on
screen in various colours, and are also
automatically indented. This makes MCL
programs very readable. Syntax errors are
also highlighted by a built-in checker. This
is very useful for beginners, though it
doesn’t point out errors in logic. Such
limitations are not going to be solved easily.
Control flow
It’s easy to control the logical flow through
an MCL program, due to the ease of use of
the REPEAT and WHILE statements.
MCL also has a range of other conditionals,
IF and CASE IF. IF is laid out like this:
IF condition THEN dol ELSE do2
The ELSE part is optional. CASE is similar
to the Basic 5 and Comal constructions:
CASE
WHEN condition 1 DO
actionl
WHEN condi tion2 DO
action2
WHEN condi tionN DO
actionN
OTHERWISE DO alt_ac
tion
ENDCASE
83
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• EPROMS/RAM CHIPS:
Eproms 2764 8K
Eproms 27128 16K
Eproms 27256 ( 12.5v)
Eproms 27512
RAM 6264I.P-15 8K
i BBC MODEMS:
Pace Linnet + Commsiar II
Pace Nightingale + Commsiar II
Watford Apollo Modem
► BBC SPECIAL KEYBOARDS:
Concept Keyboard A4
Concept Keyboard A3
► BBC DIGITISERS:
Graphpad II (BBC)
► BBC VIDEO DIGITISERS:
Watford BEEB Video Digitiser
Watford Magazine Maker
• BBC MOUSE/TRACKERBALL
Watford Quest Mouse
Watford Quest Mouse + Paint
AMX Mouse + Super Art Mark II
AMX Mouse Mat
AMX Pagemaker
AMX Extra Extra ( Pagemaker i
AMX Super Art ROM BBC B
AMX Super Art: Master
AMX MAX
Fleet Street Editor
Trackerball RB2 + ICON Soft
Trackerball + Pointer ( Master >
• BBC MASTER CONSOLE
Viglen Console
Viglen Master Console
Pineapple 11
POA POA
POA POA
POA POA
POA POA
POA POA
1 39. (X) 159.85
86.09 99.00
81.00 96.60
109.50 125.93
139.50 160.43
65.65 75.50
109.00 125.35
129.00 148.35
35. 00
59.00
69.52
5.00
43.44
21.70
43.44
43.44
17.35
34.74
59.00
59.00
40.25
67.85
79.95
5.75
49.95
24.95
49.95
49.95
19.95
39.95
67.85
67.85
49.95
59.95
63.25
• BBC CAD SYSTEMS:
Pineapple Diagram
Pineapple Diagram Utilities
Pineapple PCB Designer
AMX DESIGN
• PRINTERS:
Ex VAT Inc VAT
25.00 28 75
10.00 11.50
85. (X) 97 75
60.83 69.95
NEW STAR LC10
Inc Centronics Interface + 2m BBC Lead
Ex VAT Inc VAT
£173.04 £199.00
Star NX 15 Wide Carriage
339.00 389.85
PANASONIC KXP1081
Printer + Free BBC Lead
£179.00
Price includes VAT.
Epson 1.X800
225.22
259.00
Juki 6100 Daisywheel
299.00
343.85
Panasonic Serial Interface
41.00
47.15
Star NLI0 Sheet Feeder
55.00
63.25
LX 800 Sheet Feeder
TBA
Print Sharer 2 Way Switch
• PLOTTERS:
39.00
44.85
Roland DXY880A A3 Plotter
694.78
799.00 1
Roland DXY980A A3 Plotter 999.00 1148.85
We are a Roland Main Dealer and stock the complete
range of plotter, pens and paper
• BBC WORDPROCESSING
SOFTWARE:
View Professional
86 91
99.95
Interword ROM
42.61
49 00
Wordswtsc Plus ROM
42.61
49 00
View 3.0 ROM
45.22
52.00
Spellmaster
51.31
59.00
Viewspell
34.74
39.95
• BBC DATABASE & SPREADSHEETS
Mega 3 ROM - New
85.00
97.75
Master Overview
86.00
98.90
Interbase ROM
60.00
69.00
Viewstore ROM
45.22
52.00
Intersheet ROM
43.44
49.95
Interchart ROM
29.52
33.95
Viewsheet ROM
45.22
52.00
• BBC LANGUAGES:
Master C
78.00
89.70
BCPL ROM
52.00
59.80
BPCL Stand Alone Generator
43.39
49. 90
ISO Pascal ROM
54 13
59.95
ISO Pascal Stand Alone Gen
30.00
34.50
Comal ROM
43.35
49 85
Acorn LOGO ROM
60 00
69 00
Logoton LOGO ROM
60.00
69.00
Micro- Prolog ROM
69.52
79.95
• BBC UTILITIES:
Master Termulator
34 74
39.95
System ADE + BBC Version
46. (X)
52.90
System ADE + Master Version
49 (X)
56.35
Advanced Disc Investigator
25. (X)
28.75
Advanced Disc Toolkit
. 30.00
34 50
Vine Replay ROM’s
30 44
35 00
Vino Master Replay
36.48
41.95
Wc stock a large range of utility software bv ACORN.
CLARES, COMPUTER CONCEPTS, WATFORD etc.
ATARI ST COMPUTERS
We are now stocking the Atari ST* computer, full |
range of peripherals software and books.
OPUS PC &
AMSTRAD 1640
Ring or call for full price list
GOVERNMENT, NHS AND EDUCATIONAL ORDERS ACCEPTED
JOE S JOTTINGS
The last major conditional is the innovative
WHENEVER construction, which enables
a rudimentary level of interrupt to be
slotted into a high level language.
WHENEVER condition DO action
allows the action to be carried out when a
button is pressed or a temperature falls for
example. Note that more than one
WHENEVER command can be operational
at once. To cancel all of them, use an an
ENDWHEN command.
Sound, graphics and input
Sound in MCL duplicates the BBC Basic
SOUND statement with a BEEP command.
So BEEP 1 gives a beep for a twentieth of a
second. BEEP d,p,v selects duration, pitch
and volume, and is analogous to setting an
envelope. The next BEEP 1 will beep for a
twentieth of a second using the last pitch
and volume values.
Graphics are limited to actions on a mode
1 screen, as demonstrated in figure 3. The
commands JOIN and PLOT allow crosses
and lines to be drawn on a co-ordinate
screen with great ease, ideal for data log-
ging. But the graph has preset axes, and so
some scaling generally has to take place.
Whether beginners are up to this is an
interesting question; my feeling is that
people who are making good use of this
facility will also be looking towards filing
the data too, and consequently will have to
progress past MCL.
Keyboard input is a particularly poor
feature in MCL. I appreciate the approach
taken, but redefining ASCII codes is not
good practice. The ASCII code will be
around for a while, and learning how to use
it allows skills to be transferred to later
experiences. This is a serious fault.
Up to speed
Figure 4 shows the speed of MCL in
comparison to Basic in six tests. They are
not uncommon tests of speed, but have
been tweaked from the originals to use the
features most common in control measure
programming. In everything but loops,
Basic is three to five times faster. If you’d
like to try the tests yourself (you will need
the MCL ROM) then the programs are in
yellow pages.
To get a feeling for MCL programming
I’ve included a few other programs: a
simple reaction tester, a more complex
reaction tester which produced the graph of
figure 3, and a Ferris wheel fairground
program. This is best explained in col-
laboration with figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, which
explain how the hardware and software
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
Motor
L_ S
Control-IT
Q o o o Q
1
Bulb
Panic switch
J
Coin detector] switch
LDR
I 4.7k-100k
-o Vref
ADC
buffer
box
Figure 6. Control circuitry for the Ferris wheel
OUTPUT DEVICE
OPTIONS
MCL LANGUAGE
Motor
Stop
LET motor CONTROL printer(O) TO printer(l)
Fwd
LET stop = 0
Bwd
LET fwd = 1
LET bwd = 3
INPUT DEVICE
OPTIONS
LDR
Dark
MCL LANGUAGE
Light
LET Idr CONTROL adval 1
LET dark = 1000
Coin
In
LET light = 3000
LET coin READ user(O)
Panic
Pressed
LET in = LOW
LET panic READ user(l)
LET pressed = low
Figure 7. Ferris wheel logic table
lO s* tup
20 WHOEVER panic 18 pr*SS*d DO *hotc*o
wn
30 LOOP
40 loadchairs<6>
SO *pin<10,6>
60 enoLoop
ENOUORO
Figure 8. Part of the Ferris wheel program
fitted together. One thing is worth pointing
out: the less accurate the mechanical con-
struction of a model, the more rigorous the
programming has to be to control it and
take account of slack and slippage in the
mechanism position.
MCL is fast. It’s sufficiently Logo-like
not to be too daunting to young children.
It’s sufficiently Basic-like to interest any
secondary teachers still involved in Basic
programming. Its method of accessing con-
trol lines using named variables is extremely
powerful, and it has a full range of control-
specific commands. And at around £29 it’s
reasonably priced and easy to learn!
However, the lack of definable functions,
file handling, real numbers and strings
means that it can never be the powerful
multi-purpose language exemplified by
Basic, Comal, or Logo. If general purpose
learning is what you’re after, then Logo
microworlds can model this language, but
about five times slower and without the
WHENEVER context switching facility.
If you want to do some short term
computer based control and you feel that
your programming skills are weak, then
MCL could be for you.
Full details of Joe's listings can be found on
the yellow pages index , page 1 13.
85
PAGEMAKER GRAPHICS
USE OUR READY MADE GRAPHICS
AS A BASIS FOR YOUR ARTWORK
STOPPRESS/PAGEMAKERUSERS
PAGEMAKER GRAPHICS LIBRARY
150 Cutouts (Pack 1)
£14.95
[Utilities Disc
£9.95
30 New Fonts
£7.95
Cutout Previewer
£9.95
Font Previewer
£9.95
FSE to AMX Converter
£9.95
FLEET STREETEDITORUSERS
FLEET STREET GRAPHICS LIBRARY
200k (Disci) £14.95
QUEST PAINT USERS
QUEST PAINT GRAPHICS LIBRARY £14.95
GRAPHICS FOR THE BASIC BBC MICRO
VIDEPAK-150 Screen picture show £14.95
All prices include VAT and P&P
Europe add £3 outside Europe £5
State DFS format (40/50 SS/DS)
Educational orders welcome
£ £ £ SAVE MONEY £ £ £
SPECIAL OFFER
1 ARCHIMEDES WITH FREE SOFTWARE
SEND S.A.E. FOR CATALOGUE and PRICES
Dept 1, MICRO STUDIO, 83 CLAY STREET
SOHAM , CAMBS. CB7 5HL. (0353) 721736
ENTER THE EXCITING WORLDS OF
Dinosaur Discovery, Box of Treasures
Granny’s Garden, DragonWorld,
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4MATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
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TELEPHONE: 0271 455G6
ELECTRONIC MAILBOX TTNS 01:YNK045
SPECIAL OFFERS SPECIAL OFFERS SPECIAL OFFERS SPECIAL OFFERS
25 x 5-25" DS-DD DISCS
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DISKS 5|"
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QTY
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DS/96
25
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100
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200
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. £68.00
All includes envelope, labels and
fitted hub rings
100% guarantee
REMEMBER THE PRICE YOU SEE IS ALL
YOU PAY. (U.K. ONLY)
THEY INCLUDE VAT AND CARRIAGE
Cheque or Postal Order to:
Manor Court Supplies Ltd
M
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Dept AU3, Glen Celyn House, Penybont,
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Telephone: 0597 87784 or 0597 87792
50x3-5" DS-DD DISCS
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HEAD CLEANERS
Special offer price if bought
with discs + box offer
51" + Fluid £2.50
3|" + Fluid £3.50
Both for use with single or
double drives
DISKS 3£"
QTY
SS/IlD
DS/DD
10
£10.00
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20
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Price includes labels
100% guarantee
UK MADE LIBRARY CASE
5£" or
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ONLY 95p
bought with discs)
3V2" DISC BOXES
40 Capacity YU-DD40L £8.50
80 Capacity YU-DD80L £9.75
Both Boxes are lockable
EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT ORDERS WELCOME
TRADE ENQUIRIES ALSO WELCOME | 6 oi)
86
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW MacCONVILLF.
UTILITIES
BUILD YOUR OWN
TOOLKIT ROM
All your favourite utilities are just a star command away
T oo often people are put off writing
ROM software because of the
complexity of the coding required.
Getting to grips with the ROM
header and the extra code neces-
sary for decoding the star commands is too
much for most. Even after reading the
Advanced User Guide , you might still be
unsure what a ROM type-byte is, or how
to write an Oscli command handler. In-
stead, most people write machine code
utilities that reside in main memory (usual-
ly pages &09 and &0A) and load them in
from disc when needed, using the *RUN
command. If you are one of these people,
then you may well be interested in the
subject of this article - the AutoROM
program. It won’t help you to write ROM
headers, although you may learn how to
from looking at the way the listing does it,
but it provides a quick and simple way of
building up ROMs full of useful utilities*
You may consider using the ROM Filing
System (RFS) to load programs from
ROM, however it is quite slow and also
involves a filing system change to access
the programs. You have to change to the
RFS with *ROM, then "RUN the utility,
then change back to your normal filing
system. With Master series it would be
possible to shorten this to a single com-
mand of *-ROM-PROGRAM or even to
use:
*-ROM-LIBFS
"PROGRAM
The ROM-LIBFS sets the ROM filing
system to be the library filing system. In
other words, when an unrecognised star
command is used, first of all the normal,
current filing system is examined, then the
library filing system is checked to see if it
holds any programs of that name. How-
ever, don’t forget that the RFS is still very
slow. AutoROM actually works rather like
a minature RAM disc and has its own star
commands, it is therefore very much faster
than the RFS, and utilities can be run from
AutoROM using just a single star com-
mand to call them.
Entering the program
The listing for AutoROM can be found on
the yellow pages. Type in listing 1 and save
it before running. You can call the program
anything except ‘AutoROM’, as when you
run it the program saves its machine code
under that name. Now run the program.
After assembling, a number of checksums
are calculated - if you have made any errors
you will be told, and the area of the
program to check will be given. Look
through that section very carefully and
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
87
The New Desktop Publishing System from AVP
!igfh
HSU
PERFECT
Pixel Perfect combines some of the most useful
routines of Art, Graphics, Desktop Publishing,
Computer Aided Design and Word Processing
into a single interactive suite of programs. It has
everything you expect from the best desktop
publishing systems plus unique features of its
ovyn. Quality of output and ease of use are what
users of desktop publishing programs most value.
Pixel Perfect is unique in allowing a full A4 sized
true 120 character width document to be
produced. Such width is essential for the serious
desktop publisher. Suitable text files, digitised
pictures and graphics from other sources can be
included using the import utilities. All typefaces
designed for the program are of exceptional
quality being produced using Pixel Perfect's
unequalled font generator. This unique generator
comprises a 48 x 48 grid (16 x 16 is typical).
Further fonts can be obtained along with a library
of art and graphics to produce documents like
those below. If you need to produce technical
documents the Mathspack, a combination of
mathematical, scientific and Greek symbols will
AVP TIMES
1’IXI » Cl Ml I C
prove invaluable. We believe that Pixel Perfect is
the best desktop publisher available for the BBC
B, B Plus, Master 1 28 and Electron with BBC DFS,
and our confidence is such that we guarantee a
refund if you are not entirely happy.
AVP has been publishing since 1969. It is the
larqest publisher and distributor of educational
software in the UK - 96 page catalogue available
on request.
Pixel Perfect
£33.95
Artpack £14.50
Mathspack £14.50
Details of further Fontpacks and compatible
database available on request.
To order, or for more information, contact AVP,
School Hill Centre, Chepstow, Gwent, NP6 5PH.
Telephone: (02912)5439.
Mji ■fuLitihei 5 u
HDESKTOPM
PUBLISHING
srji.j;:
HIIMI ISJIjMU
•""SiuriSm
• I WMw.» CM I.
Mill NMltl
WyjTjyjTjTjTjTsyjTw .
'(.pixel Qerfectfcj
The Complete Desktop 1
Vi Publishing J System... >1 "
■
\j y; vj t 7 \"j vj vj vj yj yj v/v l
j«Sl « » ti 4 ** 1 **? j ( )
‘ • 1 t — 1
Milt
viiM IH»% fMility
I
i
{ MllMn J
UTILITIES
correct the errors, then re-save and re-run
the program. Once all is well, the machine
code will be saved.
If you are using Basic 2 or above, you can
make use of the assembler directives
EQUB, EQUW and EQUS; delete all
references to ‘+0%*, change the save
routine to:
□SCLI ( "SAVE AUTORO
M 6000 ,, +STR$ #x '07.+ " 800
0 BOOO" )
and change the assembling FOR loop to:
FOR I7.=4 TO 6 STEP 2
P7.=&8000 s 07.=&6000
This makes use of the ‘offset assembly’,
feature of Basic 2.
Using the program
Once the machine code is saved, it can be
used as a ROM image. The ROM must be
oaded into a spare sideways RAM bank.
On the Master series use:
"SRLOAD AutoROM 8000 x Q I
where x is 4, 5, 6 or 7 depending on which
RAM bank you have spare. Master 128
users mustn’t use I at the end of the line,
and do need to press CTRL-Brcak to
initialise the ROM. On a Compact, the
ROM is initialised automatically. Beeb us-
ers should refer to their sideways RAM user
guides on how to load the ROM. The
command will normally be something like:
*RLOAD AutoROM
You must now enter :: 'CLEAR; this initial-
ises AutoROM and clears out any spurious
data in the rest of the RAM bank. The
ROM will not function correctly if it is not
cleared immediately after loading it.
Once loaded and cleared, you can type
"HELP. Among the list of ROMs you
should see:
AutoROM 1.0
A similar message is given if you use
" ROMS on a Master series micro.
To see the list of AutoROM commands
to, type "'HELP AUTOROM. This can be
abbreviated to *H. AU. These commands
are listed in figure 1 over the page.
AutoROM can be used to store other
machine code utilities - the sort you nor-
mally keep on disc and run with a star
command. You can store up to 16 files in
the AutoROM , and you have just under 14
kilobytes free. If you type "'DATA you will
be told the exact number of bytes of
memory left. At the start this is &3700.
The rest of this article refers to two
utilites, "PHONE and CHECK; you will
find source listings for these on the yellow
pages too. These are provided for you to try
.start
.service
.error
.mess
.savezero
.loadzero
.hex
.help
.out
.bighelp
.spes
.bmove
.starcom
.coml
.nocom
.none
.indok
.comout
.clear
.data
.sdone
.pdata
.cache
.nofile
.toobig
.noroom
.ok
.fret
.mname
.mndone
.scrap
.doscrap
.notthere
.compok
.justdcl
.hlptxt
.tmp
.memfree
.iptr,.ind
.num
.count
.optr
a,x,y,p
BOX 1: VARIABLES AND LABELS
Standard ROM header
Service ROM calls 4 and 9. (Unrecognised * command and "HELP)
Generate an error, text is pointed to by X and Y
Print a message, text is pointed to by X and Y
Preserve the contents of some zero page locations in sideways RAM
Restore zero page from SWR
Display contents of ‘A’ in hexadecimal.
Deals with *HELP, if just "HELP, then only the name displayed,
otherwise text after *HELP is compared to ‘AUTOROM* and if it
matches (or is abbreviated by V) .bighelp is called
Exit from ROM, but do not claim call
List commands display header message and list out the file names,
.hdone prints a newline only if not already on the end of line
Displays ‘Y* spaces (ASCII 32)
Move an area of memory length ‘len’, starting at ‘from* to ‘to*
Code to test for a valid star command
Check through .corns command list. If command is found, next two
bytes in table contain address of command handler, so use an indirect
jump to it. ‘Y’ points to next textual character after the command
Wasn’t an AutoROM command, so it was the name of a cached file?
Wasn’t a cached file so exit ROM
Was cached file, copy index info and block move file. Restore registers
and JSR to code. Restore registers and exit ROM, claiming service
call
Exit ROM, claiming call
"CLEAR code. Clear index page to 0, set all pointers to mean empty
ROM and calculate amount of free memory
*DATA code. If files exist print header message then the file names
padded out to eight characters followed by the load, exec, size and
addr information
Display free space and message
Print two spaces followed by hex value of index, Y and index+l,Y
"CACHE code. Display syntax message if no file name given.
Transfer file name elsewhere, use Osfile to open the files to see if it
exists, check the length Osargs and then close it with Osfile
Error: file didn’t exist
Error: file was too long to be stored in the ROM
Error: the index was full (16 files)
File existed, wasn’t too big and <16 files cached, so load it with
Osfile, transfer info to index and for block move into SWR. Work
out memfree and do block move
Find a suitable name for file, strip pathname off, and truncate
Move name into index
Name moved, update pointers ready for next file
"SCRAP code. Display syntax message if no file name given
Look for name in index
Name couldn’t be found - JMP .nofile
Name found. Move pointers and if not last name, shuffle files back
Calculate free memory and clear rest of index to zero
and onwards arc all the messages and errors displayed followed by
the command table.
Used to save an area of zero page
General work space
Amount of free memory (in bytes)
Used as pointers into the index
Number of entries in the index
General work space
Copy of &F2 text pointer
Used for saving ‘A’, ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘P’
ACORN USMR MARCH 1988
89
rchimedes
HARNESS THE POWER
A computer like ARCHIMEDES needs software that can match
its outstanding capabilities. Our new products do just that and
one of the first areas that you will want to explore is the gra-
phics capability. ARTISAN, from the authors of ARTROOM, is
the ultimate in graphics packages. Just take a look at the
screen shot reproduced here, as they say 'a picture is worth
a thousand words'. We can't describe all the features here but
some major functions are:
• Full screen • WIMP environment
• Fast multi level • Magic brush
scrolling zoom • ECF designer
• Image distortion
Plus all the usual features and some very unusual ones too.
£39.95
-COMPETITION-
Can you do better than the picture shown here? If so you
could win yourself a unique prize. If yours is judged to be
the best picture then your masterpiece will be transferred
to canvas by our artist Jon Warmisham (BA Hons Fine Art).
The competition is open ended but the best picture each
month will be featured in ACORN USER and a monthly
prize will be awarded. Full details are contained in the ARTI-
SAN pack.
Alpha-Base
Alpha-Base is the successor to the huge-
ly successful Beta-Base, the top selling
database for the BBC micro. Beta-Base
files can even be transferred to Alpha-
Base.
Alpha-Base incorporates all the sugges-
tions and requests that we have received
over the last five years. All of the stan-
dard Beta-Base facilities are there but
in a much improved form. In addition
there are many new' features that will
make your life easier. Some of the
features are:
• Free format screens
• Multiple pages per record
• 400 fields & 27,600 characters
per record
• 2.14 billion records per file
• Multiple display & entry forms
• Fast search & sort options
• Plain English entry of search criteria
• Five data types including formula
& date
• Winchester compatible
At Clares we try to give you usable
programs. This results in some arbitrary
limits on the size of files in Alpha-Base.
The limits of 400 fields and 27,600
characters per record are unlikely to
restrict you but they enable us to save
memory and provide additional fea-
tures. The only other limitations are due
to the hardware. Alpha-Base can handle
2.14 billion records but the ADFS can't!
IMAGE WRITER
IMAGE WRITER is a sophisticated
WIMP based wordprocessor with the
ability to include graphics as well
as to use various font combinations.
Because Image Writer is document
based you do not have to create page
layouts for every page. You prepare
your whole document in one go. Just
type it, add the graphics and print
it— -simple. The graphics can be cre-
ated with the built in graphics editor.
Image Writer is designed as a first
level DTP product and it uses the nor-
mal printer fonts to print both text
and graphics in one pass. We will of
course be producing a full feature
DTP when ARCHIMEDES supports
the fancy font printing. Image Writer
will be available when you read this
so please contact us for more infor-
mation.
£29.95
ARCHIMEDES
TOOLKIT MODULE
ATM is the first toolkit available for this
powerful new micro. Many of the features
that made RAMROD a top seller have
been incorporated into ATM and a whole
host of new features have been added in-
cluding:
• 10 Memory and disc editors
• 8 Memory and disc searches
(inc. wildcards)
• A scrolling disassembler
• A one line assembler (accessed from
the disassembler)
• Shift and compare functions
• Catall and Exall for discs
• Winchester compatible
If you want to explore your ARC then
order the ARCHIMEDES TOOLKIT MOD-
ULE today. It has enabled us to disassem-
ble modules, discover many undocument-
ed SWI calls and has been an invaluable
aid in debugging software. You can even
search for mnemonics.
£39.95
ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT and P+P
OVERSEAS ORDERS ADD £4
Archimedes is a trademark of Acorn Computers Ltd.
DON'T FORGET, YOU CAN ORDER WITH ACCESS CARD TOO!
98 Middlewich Rd Northwich
Cheshire CW9 7DA Tel: 0606 48511
UTILITIES
out the facilities of AutoROM but of course
you can go ahead and install your own
programs instead. Enter both listings, save
them and run them. You should now have
two files called PHONE and CHECK on
your disc. To see what they do, try entering
the following:
"PHONE
:: *CHECK HELLO
-CHECK MADAM
Loading files into AutoROM
CACHE is the command that stores files
in the AutoROM. It takes a file name as a
parameter. It first loads that file into the
machine at its usual load address, and then
stores it in the AutoROM along with its
name and file information. You can use full
ADFS or network pathnames when loading
files, but filenames are truncated to eight
characters as they are stored. For example,
if you type "CACHE S.FRED.UTILS.RE
LOCATOR
the file ‘RELOCATOR’ would be stored
by AutoROM , but it would be called
‘RELOCATO’. So, to store the two utili-
ties created above, you would type:
-‘CACHE PHONE
-CACHE CHECK
You can now run either of these utilities as
before, by typing "‘PHONE for example.
They will be downloaded from the ROM,
rather than loaded in from disc. To see this
in action, remove your disc and try the
three examples above.
There are two ways of finding out what
utilities are loaded into the ROM. One is to
use "DATA, as in figure 2. The other is to
use "HELP AUTOROM. If you try it
now, the AutoROM commands will be
listed as before, but the files will have been
added as in figure 1 .
The files are listed in the order that they
were "‘CACHED, not alphabetically.
When using " CACHE, if the file you try
to load cannot be found, or if it’s too big to
fit into the ROM or there are already 16
files cached, then an error will be generated
to describe the problem.
"SCRAP is used to delete utilities from
ROM. It takes a simple filename as a
parameter and deletes that file from the
ROM if it existed. If the file doesn’t exist,
an error will be generated. "'SCRAP auto-
matically shuffles the files in ROM like
"COMPACT in ADFS, in order to maxi-
mise the amount of free space in the ROM.
So if you typed "SCRAP PHONE, the file
CHECK would be shifted up the memory
to the start of the ROM.
"‘CLEAR initialises the AutoROM. It is
8800-8807
Name of first file
8808-8809
Start address of file in ROM
880A-880B
Load address of file "X
Stored
880C-880D
Call address of file v.
low byte,
880E-880F
Length of file j
high byte
8810-8817
Name of second file
8818-8819
n it
Start address of second file in ROM
n n n n
Repeated for
u n
n n n n
all 16 files
n n
n n n n
BOX 2:THE INDEX BLOCK
Figure 1. AutoROM shows the cached files
rather like the disc filing system’s "‘DES-
TROY command. It must always be used
immediately after loading an ‘empty’ Auto-
ROM. It gets rid of any rubbish left in the
sideways RAM from a previous ROM
image stored there.
"’DATA tells you how much memory is
left for files in the ROM. If you have files
loaded, it will also tell you their names, load
addresses, execution addresses, and their
position in the AutoROM. So if you tried
"‘DATA after caching PHONE and
CHECK, the information shown in figure 2
would be shown.
Now try
-SCRAP PHONE
-’DATA
and notice that CHECK’S ‘Addr’ is now
8900, as the stored file is shuffled down to
save space in the RAM.
It is important to note that, when you’re
loading files into AutoROM , "‘CACHE
first loads the file into normal memory. So
its vital to make sure this will not interfere
with what you are currently doing. If a
utility file normally loads and runs at &900,
then it will do so with "‘CACHE. Another
important feature is that complete, full,
AutoROMs can be saved and loaded as
normal ROM images. So after building up
an AutoROM you could save it for later
use. On a Master or compact use:
"SRSAVE ROM1 8000 xQ
or use your normal ROM dumping routine.
Doing this means you can load in the ROM
Figure 2. Details of the stored programs
image - and have all your machine code
utilities ready to go.
Technical details
All the files cached in AutoROM are stored
in one block from address &8900 onwards.
There are no file separators and no ‘sectors’
like in DFS. Instead, there is a one page
index at &8800 that contains all the names
and file address information for the files.
This is rather like the two sectors used for
the catalogue on a disc. You can see the
format of this index in box 2. Notice that
the file addresses are only stored to 16-bit
precision. The AutoROM can’t load files
into a second processor, so there is no need
for the other 16 bits. Only utilities that run
in the host (I/O) processor can be used. All
the ROM header and command handling
code is stored below this catalogue page,
with about 350 bytes left spare for you to
use with your own enhancements.
Using AutoROM , you can collect
together all those often-used machine code
utilities into a single customised toolkit
ROM. Suitable software tools are often
printed in Acorn Forum - the "‘CHEAT
and "BINARY featured in January for
example. The whole collection of tools can
be saved as a ROM image and only loaded
when required. You could keep a number of
different toolkits of utilities on disc, for
programming, wordprocessing and so on,
loading in the appropriate one for each task.
Turn to page 113 for details of the listing.
91
EPROMS & D RAMS
27 1 28-250N/S 21V (While stocks last) £3.55ea
27128-250N/S 'A' 12V £3.20ea
27128 (One time programmable) £2.80ea
27256 £4.30 ea
2764-250 N/S 21 V (While stocks last) £2.60ea
6264-150N/S £2.29ea
4164-150N/S £0.99ea
41256-150N/S £2.20ea
4 1 , 257 - 1 5 N/s (While stocks last) £2.20ea
2232
2717
5.25* DS/DD 96tpi 55
Minimum quantity sold in 10 (supplied individually sleeved, all
labels and tags with a white cardboard box for storage)
3.5* JVC Bra nd e d Disc DS/DD 1 35tpi £1 .55
3’ DS/DD Disc ; £3 qq:
20Mb Winchester Hard Disc Drive complete with WX2 Western
Digital Controller Board (connection cable etc., etc..) ..£299.00
TTL & CMOS chips (excl. DFS ROM) to be used with 827 1 Disc
Drive Controller each set £2.95
WD1772 £13.50ea
All prices include P&P
Send your order by post with cheque or postal order.
Or phone through your order by quoting your Access, number
HOT LINE
f 24 Hrs Service 01-550 6514 24 Hr$ Service
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addition to your statutory rights.
No VAT Is charged (Not VAT Registered)
J & J MICROCHIPS LIMITED
PO Box 18, Essex IG8 ORB
Co. Reg. No: 1965704
CommunlTel
PROFESSIONAL VIEWDATA SYSTEM
CommunlTel is an exciting professional viewdata system
for the BBC B. Master & Compact Micros IDFS, ADFS or Network).
IT S USES IN EDUCATION INCLUDE
Learning Information Technology Cross-Curricular Development
Structuring Creative Learning Administration/Publicity
The system includes a comprehensive suite of programs which enables the creation of a database with
message facilities This can then be made available to callers using a telephone line and any viewdata
terminal. The package includes comprehensive tutorial and reference manuals and a sample database.
Available in TWO LEVELS FOR USE WITH THE DTI (DaCom or Tandata) SCHOOLS MODEM
LEVEL! FRAME EDITOR
SEARCH
CAROUSEL DISPLAY
FRAME PRINTER
VIEWDATA • TERMINAL
LEVEL 1 + £55
UPGRADE FROM LEVEL 1 TO LEVEL ?. C45
LEVEL 2 FRAME EDITOR
SEARCH
CAROUSEL DISPLAY
FRAME PRINTER
VIEWDATA * TERMINAL
DIAL IN HOST SYSTEM
TELESOF1WARE FORMATTER
LEVEL 2 £95
UPGRADE FROM LEVEL 2 TO ADFS LEVEL 2 £45
LEVEL 2 with Auto-answcr/Auto-dial MODEM from £375 (all prices exclude p&p & VA I )
The ADFS version includes response frames and gives up to 500 pages with
a single 80 track D.S. disk or thousands of pages using a winchester disc drive.
EDUCATIONAL DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE
FOR A DEMONSTRATION of LEVEL dial: Viewdata No 01-968 7402 or Telephone 01-960 7998
For more information cut out the coupon and send to:
COMMUNITEL, 189 FRESTON ROAD, LONDON W10 6TH
X
Please send me details of CommunlTel products. I am particularly interested in (please indicate)
NAME ...
POSITION
ESTABLISHMENT , »
ADDRESS
TEL AU3
COMPUTER
REPAIR SERVICE
BBC AMSTRAD COMMODORE SPECTRUM
★ Amstrad, Acorn and Brother authorised service centres
★ All repairs fully guaranteed
★ Fixed low prices or free estimates
★ Repairs returned within 48 hrs
★ Trade enquiries also welcome
CONTACT ELAINE EDGAR AT:
BLUE CHIP COMPUTERS LIMITED
2 GLASGOW RD, CORSTORPHINE W*m
EDINBURGH EH12 8HL ExJ
, 'U'TTTT/Tr
VISA
031-334 6058
Minimum of £1 50.00 trade in for any working
BBC Model B against any of the products listed
below. (With Acorn DFS add £40.00)
Archimedes 300 series from
£699.00
Acorn Master 128
£395.00
Amstrad PC 1512 full range from
£399.00
Amstrad PC 1640 full range (inc software) from
£499.00
Atari 520 STFM
£260.00
Atari 520 STFM + Mono Monitor
£346.96
Atari 1040 STF
£433.91
Atari 1040 STF + Mono Monitor
£522.74
Full range of peripherals and software available for all the above micros.
All the above prices exclude VAT but include carriage.
Retail shop open 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday- Saurday.
Portobello T rading Company Phone 031 657 2988
300-302 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh EH15 2AsCS
IEEE488 INTERFACES FOR THE
ACORN ARCHIMEDES AND
SPRINGBOARD COMPUTER SYSTEMS
The combination of Acorn 32 bit RISC Technology and Intelligent
Interfaces hardware and software design results in a high
performance interface which fully implements the IEEE Std 488 for
communication with test and measurement instruments.
Intelligent Interfaces designed, develop, manufacture and support
the Acorn IEEE488 Interface for the BBC Model B, B+ and Master
128 Microcomputers.
Officially Appointed Acorn Scientific Dealer.
Officially Appointed Compaq Dealer Associate.
Intelligent Interfaces Ltd
43b Wood Street Tel: 0789 415875
Stratford-upon-Avon or 0703 261514
Warwickshire CV37 6JQ Telex: 312242 MIDTLX G
3 1 /#" PANASONIC DISK DRIVES
Vb height Model JU-363 1 megabyte low component Double Sided
Double Density 80 track disk drives with Shugari compatible interface
using 34 way IDC connector.
P/ease note:
‘Data cable for BBC available
at £7.50 plus VAT
‘Carriage £3 + VAT
‘Quantity discounts of
at least 20% for 1 0 + off
*We still have a small
quantity of HITACHI
Model 305SX DSDD
40 track 3" drives
available at £24.95 + VAT
FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEND S.A.E. TO:
MATMOS Ltd., Unit 1 1, Lindtield Enterprise Park. Or Computer Appreciation, 1 1 1
Lewes Road, LINDFIELD. West Sussex. RH 1 6 2LX. Norlhgate. CANTERBURY. Kent
Tel. 0444-73830/0444-414484/0444-454377 CT1 IBM Tel. 0227-470512
J
92
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
/ Computers and Upgrades
The new Archimedes computer system
available now. Prices start at £699.00.
Phone now tor more information.
Trade in your old BBC Model B against a new
Master 128, Master Compact or Archimedes.
Master 128
Master Compact
Master Turbo Upgrade
Master 512 Upgrade
Master 128 Eprom Cartridge
Master 1 28 Oust Cover
Compact R$ 232 Interface
Compact TV Moduiater
1770 Disc Interface
ADFS ROM (B+orBw.th 1770)
B+64 64K Upgrade
^ Archimedes 305
Archimedes 305 mono
Archimedes 305 col
Archimedes 310
Archimedes 310 mono
Archimedes 310 col
Archimedes 310m
Archimedes 310m mono
Archimedes 310m col
./ Printers (Dot Matrix)
Epson LX800 80col/150cps + 22cps NLQ
Citizen 120 D 80col. 20cps + 25cps NLQ
Citizen MSP10E 80c 160cps + 40 cps NLQ
Citizen MSP50 8Q/250cps + 60cps NLQ
Star NL10 80co'120cps + 30cps NLQ
/ Printers (Daisy Wheel)
Juki 6000 80coi 12cps
Juki 6100 IIOcoi 20cps
Citizen Premier 35 132col 35cps
£369.00 (a)
from £349.00 (a)
£99 00 (c)
£189 00 (cl
£110010
£4 50 le!
£26 00 (c)
£26 00 (e)
£41 00 (d)
£25 00 le)
£30 00 Id)
£699.00 (a)
£749.00 (a)
£899.00 (a)
£775.00 (a)
£825.00 (a)
£975.000 (a)
£835.00 (a)
£885.00 (a)
£1035.00 (a)
£229.00 (a)
£150.00 (a)
£225.00 (a)
£379.00 (a)
£199.00 (a)
£182 00(3)
£280 00 (a)
£554 00 la)
/ Printers (Laser)
New Citizen Laser Overture 110
10 pages/min 250 Sheet cassette
dual interface. £1650.00 (a)
All printers include Free BBC cable
or plus £5.00 for IBM lead.
t 7
^ / AMX Mouse and Software
AMX Mouse + Super Art
£60.00 (d)
AMX Pagemaker
£37 00 (d)
SPECIAL OFFERS
Printers - Dot Matrix
MP 165 80coM65cps + 38cps NLQ
£166 00 (a)
MP 200 80col 200cps + 40cps NLQ
£249 00 (a)
MP 201 136col-200cps + 40cps NLQ
£274 00 (a)
Printers - Daisy Wheel
MP 26 - 26cps Diablo 630 compatible
£234 00 (a)
MP 40 - 40 cps Diablo 630 compatible
£319 00 0)
2 Year Warranty on MP Printers
Gaken 16cps
£189.00
•lies
COMPUTING
BUSINESS SYSTEMS • HARDWARE
SOFTWARE • VIDEO SYSTEMS
MEDIA SUPPLIES
OFFICIAL DOMESDAY DEALER
Acorn*
11m rill liridl r\|M-rii-nrr fc
ACORN APPROVED DEALER
Phone 0602 787923
Disc Drives
Misc
Viglen SS 40T 100K £79 00 (a)
Discs 5.25’ (Boxed in 10’s Lifetime guarantee)
3M 744 SS'DD 48TPI £1 1 00 Id)
3M 745 DSOD 48TPI £13 00 Id)
3M 747 DS DD 96TPI £17 00 Id)
Add £1 for plastic library case
B & S Label 96TPI in see through LIB. Case DS/DD £13 00 Id)
Disc Cleaning Kit (state 5V4* or 3M2*) C9.00 (d)
3.5"
3M 35SS SS'DD (Box of 10) £2 1 00 Id)
3M 35DS DSDD (Box of 10) £29 00 Id)
B & S Label DS DD
£1900 Idl
Lockable Anti-Static 5.25" Storage Cases
70 Disc Capacity
£9.00 (d)
100 Disc Capacity
£10.00 (d)
Disc Drives
Direct Drives all with full 3 yr. Warranty
0241 40/80T DS 400K £99 00 la)
0243 Dual 40/80T 800K (Horizontal) £194 00 (a)
0246 40-80T DS 400K Inc PSU £114 00 0)
0248 Dual 40 80T 800K (Horizontal) Inc PSU £214 00 (a)
0249 As 0248 m Master Bridge-Monitor Plinth £229.00 (a)
0250 As 0248 with 1 x 3 5" & 1 x 5 25“ £239 00 la)
UFD Drives (2 yr. Warranty)
MD 802 C Dual 40/80T DS 800K (Vertical) £2 1 4 00 la)
MD 802 E Dual 40/80T DS 800K Inc PSU £244 00 la)
MD 802 DM As above m Master Bridge Monitor Plinth £284 00 (a)
Winchester Drives
20 mb mej PSU and ADFS £549 00 la)
40 mb incl PSU and ADFS £869 00 (a)
UK Customers: please add 15% VAT to all prices
(including carriage).
Government and educational establishments official orders
welcomed When ordering please enclose a cheque or postal
order for the appropriate amount. UK Carnage Rates (a) £8 50
courier insured delivery |b) £3 50 <c) £2 50 Id) £1 50 (e)
£1 00 All prices are correct at time ol going to press All
offers are subiect to availability, all prices are subiect to change
without prior notification and are available on request Current
price list <s available on request
Goods normally despatched on receipt of order
B & S COMPUTING (NOTT'M) LTD
THE LENTON BUSINESS CENTRE
LENTON BOULEVARD
NOTTINGHAM NG7 2BY
PHONE: 0602 787923
/
ROM Boards
AT PL Sdeways (stale B or B+)
Viglen ROM System (B Series)
Viglen ROM System (Master 1281
Viglen ROM System Compact
Viglen Spare Cartridges
£34.00 (d)
£1125 Id)
£12 00 Id)
£12 00 Id)
£2.00 (e)
/ Printer Ribbons and Accessories
All Monitors include BBC Lead
Phillips Range of high resolution Mono Monitors
with Audio Input Green Amber or Paper White.
BM 7502 (Green) £69 00 la)
BM 7522 (Amber) £74 00 (a)
BM7442 (Paper White) £77 00 la)
Phillips new tv monitor 15" flat screen
RGB/comp video -f 20 CHTV £222.00 (a)
Phillips Colour Monitor RGB, Composite Video,
Audio in Linear RGB Green Screen Switchable
BBC/IBM Compatible CM8833 £230.00 (a)
Microvitec
1431 IMetal or Plastic Case please specify) Std Res £179 00 (a)
1451 (Metal or Plastic Case please specify) Med Res £224 00 (a)
I44t IMetal or Plast c Case please specify) H gh Res £375 00 (a)
1431 AP Metal Case RGB and CVAud-o Std Res £209 00 lal
1451 AP Metal Case only RGB and CV Aud o Med Res £259 00 la)
TILT and SWIVEL Stands for Plastic Case Only £19 00 Idl
Plinths
BBC B S-ngle £1100(0
BBC Master S ngle £12 00 (0
BBC Master wih Shelf £22 00 lb)
Epson 8302 LX 86 Tractor Uni
£19 00(0
Epson LX 86 (Compatl
£2 89 le)
Epson MX 80 RX 80 FX 80'FX 85'ICompat)
£2 50 le)
Juk. 5510 Citizen MSP 20 (Compat)
£2 50 ler
Citizen I20DLSP10
£3 75 (e)
Taxan 810/Canon iCompat)
£3 74 (e)
Juki 6100 Mullistrike
£2 30 (e)
Tally MT85 Fabnc
£5 00 le)
Tally MT86 Carbon
£7 00(e)
Printer lead 15m B B+ M128 ELK + 1
£6 00 le)
Printer lead 1 5m Compact
£8 00 lei
Printer lead 2m IBM or Compat-ble
£1000 Id)
80col Printer Stand
£1100(0
Universal Printer STand
£15 00 Id)
Pr-nter Switch Box 2 Way "T" Switch
£39 00(0
All Modems inc BBC Lead
Miracle WS2000
M.racie WS4000 Hayes Compai
Pace Nightingale + Commstar II
N ght ngaie Auto D al Auto Answer Board + SW
Pace Commstar II ROM
NB BABT APPROVAL ON MODEMS ONLY
50ft Telephone Extn Cable on Wind up Reel
Acorn Soft
M cro Prolog £50 00 (dl ISO Pascal
Logo £44 00 Id) BCPL
Forth Disc £14.00 (e) Comal
Lisp £33 00 le! Hi View
View 21 £37 00 Id) View 3.0
Viewsheet £37 00 Id) View Store
View Spell (80T onlyl £29 00 Id) View Plot
View Index £10 00 le) Overview
View Printer Dr-ver Gen Tape £7 00le) Dsc
Computer Concepts
Interword £39 00 Id) Inter Sheet
Interchan £26 00 (dl interbase
The Newly Released Spellmaster
Wordwise £30 00 (dl Wordwise +
Mirrorsoft
Fleet Street Editor
£950010
£144 00 01
£94 00 le)
£52 00 Id)
£28 00(e)
£9 50 (dl
£42 00 (d)
£3900(0
£32 00 Id)
£37 00 Idl
£39.00 (d)
£37 00 Id!
£21 00 (el
£84 00 Idl
£8 00 (el
£39 00 (dl
£55.00 (d)
£47.00 (d)
£37 00 (dl
Fonts and Graph cs Cl 1 75 le)
£31 00 Id)
Clares
Fontw-se + £16 00 (e) Rephca III £HOOie>
VINE MICRO REPLAY (State M-C and Disc Interface) £30 00 tel
NB It is essential to state machine and 40/80T
when ordering software
/ Books (No VAT on books)
Master Rel Manuals Ptl £14 00 Id) Pt 2 £14 00 Id)
Advanced Master ref Manual (Bray & Dickens) £19.95 (d)
Lisp £7 00(e) Forth £7 00(e) ISO Pascal £7 00le)
BCPL £14 00 Id) VewGu.de £6 00 (e) IntoVew £6 00 tel
V.ew 3 £9 00 (e) Vew Sheet £9 00 le) Vew Store £9 00 lei
Mastering view family £12.95 (e)
/ Fanfold Paper and Labels
2000 x 1 Part 60gm 1 1 x 9 5“ Std Perf Cl 1 00 fc)
2000 x 1 Part 60gm 11x95“ Micro Perf £12 50 Ic)
1000 x 1 Part 85gm 11x95" Micro Perf £9 00 Ic)
1000 x 1 Part 90gm 'Perfect" A4 Micro Perf £12.00 (b)
1000 89mm x 36mm Labels £4 00 Id)
1000 89mm x 49mm Labels £6 00 Id)
1000 102mm x 36mm Labels £5 00 (d)
Please state Single or Twin Row when ordering labels
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
93
SUBSCRIPTIONS
A II OFFER
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I J
BBC B Sideways RAM
32K Unit £16.00
16K Unit £13.00
• Fool proof fitting - No soldering
• 16K Unit Rom Board Compatible
• RW Protect switch as standard
• Each unit requires one rom socket
• Compatible with tape, disc & econet
• Low power slimline units
Sideways RAM & Utility Software Pack v3.0
SWR software (requires lxl6K SWR) Includes:
- Intelligent menu-driven s/w for load/save/test/clearing SWRam
- Wordwlse mem extension -1 60prevlew -Toolkit -Printer Buffer
Utility software (no SWR req’d) Includes 25+ useful programs:
- Damaged disc recovery -Flood-fill -Disc Imager -Char deflner
- Graph plotter -Screen enlarger/fllp/compacter plus much more.
ec
sac
P, 1 2 } \
U PERIPHERALS
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i
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iTH
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1 to 2
£24.00
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£28.00
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£17.00
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£37.00
£39.00
£22.00
1 to 5
£43.00
£44.00
£27.00
1 to 6
£48.00
£49.00
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Tel: 0322 521949
REALTIME SOLIDS MODELLER
PROFESSIONAL 3D CAD SYSTEMS
Rtvitws of Ike original REALTIME GRAPHICS SYSTEM ■
•Vurr isn't anything ytt available for the Beeb capable of producing such
impressive and powerful graphics"-A&B Computing (June ‘87).
'f/irrr is no other software to rival U"-Beebug (April '87).
"there is no better package" -Acorn User (Dec '87).
The REALTIME SOLIDS MODELLER provides a sophisticated design tool for creating 3D
Solid or Wireframe objects of any complexity. Unlike other packages, this system can
perform full colour hidden-surface removal for any solid object at high speed. Colour
hardcopy of the designs can then be produced on a range of popular pen-plotters or
printers for professional results. The package consists of a 32k GrapNcs Rom, six discs
and a 150 paps manual. The design system takes all the hard work out of designing solid
3D objects by providing curves and aurface generators that can create corrplex solids of
revolution or extrusion from simple outlines; recursive macros to allow a building block*
design approach; dynamic 3D Viewing in any graphics screen mode for full colour solid
displays; 3D Multi-Plotter Driver supporting HP-GL. Plotmate, Penmen H, Hewlett Packard,
Hitachi 672. Epson HI-00, Watanabe. Sweet- P. Graphtec. Roland. CalcorTp. Houston
DMP. Sekonickand paper sizes from AO to A4 ; Library facilities: and a Data Convertor
for interfacing to other CAD systems and applications. This system also indudes a unique
32k Solids REALTIME GRAPHICS LANGUAGE { Solids RGL) Rom providing 52 star
commands which allow fileker-fres 3D Animation, Scientific A Mathematical plots or
customised 3D packages to be produoed from your own programs, fts unique feature is
the production of realistic solid Images with hidden -surfaces removed at high speed.
Also indudes a unique 35,000 pixels/sec line generator (considerably faster than Acorn'8
9000/sec) for high speed Image generation. The Solids RGL is compatible with all the
BBC graphics screen, plotting and colour modes including Shadow screen and is up to 5
times f eater than the original RGL. The 32k RGL rom behaves as a 16k Rom to the
computer hence sideways Ram banks are not aflected. For surface and line generation in
excess of 1,000,000 pixels/sec, the Solids RGL can also drive Hardware Graphics boards
like the Prisma 2/3, Cadsoft Workstation, Pluto and CMS colour cards.
Minimum requirements: BBC B/ single drive. Also compatbie with the BBC B+, Master
series, all versions of DFS & DDFS. 6502 2nd Processor/Turbo. AMX Mouse.
REALTIME SOUDS MODELLER: £80.95 (inclusive): Original REALTIME GRAPHICS
SYSTEM: (DFS or ADFS versions available) £49.95 (inclusive): SOLIDS UPGRADE
(return original RGL rom with order): £39.95 (inclusive). Contact your local dealer or send
cheque/P. O. to: SILICON VISION LTD, Dept. AU, 47 DUDLEY GARDENS. HARROW.
MIDDX. HA2 ODQ for immediate delivery. Educational & Dealer enquiries for bulk
discounts are welcome. OffidaJ orders accepted. Tel: 01-422 2274.
94
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ARCHIMEDES
ARC WINDOWS
WITHOUT PAIN
The Arc’s huge potential for using windows, icons, menus
and pointers can be accessed simply from Basic
Chris Adie
ne of the most exciting develop-
ments incorporated in the
Archimedes micros has been the
‘WIMP' system - the use of
windows, icons, menus and poin-
ters to represent a simulated ‘desktop’. The
Apple Macintosh has been the major force
in popularising this way of working, and
the MS-DOS world has followed Apple’s
lead, with the GEM and MS Windows
environments. The Archimedes Desktop
program on the Welcome disc shows that
Acorn is also following the trend towards
easier-to-use software.
What you may not have realised is that
the Desktop is written in Basic! All the
window handling, the pop-up menus and so
forth are controlled from Basic, but actually
performed by part of the Arthur operating
system called the Window Manager. This
division of work between the program and
the operating system means that it is easy to
write your own programs which use win-
dows - much easier than in GEM, MS
Windows or on the Macintosh! This article
explains how your software can take advan-
tage of this state-of-the-art user interface.
The SYS statement
We’ll make a lot of use of the Basic SYS
statement in this article. SYS was intro-
duced in Basic 5 on the Archimedes as a
way of calling the operating system. Most
of the familiar BBC operating system
routines, Osbyte, Oswrch and so on, can be
called using SYS, although they can also be
called in the old way too. SYS is a more
sophisticated version of CALL.
When Basic finds a statement like
10 SYS 6, A7., X7., Y7. TO
resul tV.
it will copy A% to processor register RO,
X% to register Rl, Y% to register R2, and
Listing 1 produces a simple window
It can be moved and resized
then execute a software interrupt (SWI)
instruction, type 6. An SWI is an ARM
machine code instruction which causes con-
trol to be transferred directly to the operat-
ing system. What happens then depends on
the type of the SWI. Type 6 is equivalent to
Osbyte, so the operating system performs
the appropriate operation and then returns
to the machine code instruction following
the SWI. The Basic interpreter stores the
value of RO returned by the operating
system in the variable result%, and goes on
to the next statement in the program.
There are over 16 million possible SWI
types, but only a very few of these are
defined. The Window Manager uses 24 SWI
types, starting with type &400C0 but
we’ll be dealing with only a few of them.
One problem with SYS is that only the
first eight of the ARM processor’s registers
can be accessed. When you have more than
eight 32-bit words of information to pass
across, you must use a parameter block - an
area of memory pointed to be one register,
usually Rl, which contains all the data for
the operating system routine, and where the
routine will store any output values before
returning. So for example you could have
DIM block $<300
SYS poll, 0, block TO r
eason*/.
where ‘poll’ is one of the Window Manager
SWI types.
A single window
Listing 1 on the yellow pages is a short
program which creates a single window on
a mode 12 screen. It’s important to realise
we are talking about scrollable ‘desktop’
windows here, not the usual graphics and
text windows defined with VDU 24 anc
VDU 28. When we need to talk about the
VDU 24 graphics window, we’ll call it the
‘clip rectangle’, since any graphics per-
formed outside that region don’t appear on
the screen. The example window drawn by
the program contains concentric colourec
rings together with some text, and it has a
title bar, full box, horizontal and vertica
scroll bars and a size box. You can move
the window around the screen, scroll anc
re-size it, and when you click on the close
box the program terminates. We’ll go
through the program step-by-step so you
can see what all the routines do.
With Arthur version 0.2, not all of the
characters above ASCII 127 are pre-
programmed with the shapes required by
the Window Manager. If you still have
version 0.2 then you’ll have to add the
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
95
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MSS20 WXSAT COMPUTER INTERFACE AND SOFTWARE:
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★ On screen tuning facility
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★ Can be used independantly of WXSAT station
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96
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ARCHIMEDES
PROCdefinewimpcharacters. PROCsys-
vars defines the various Window Manager
SWI types.
Before you can make any Window Mana-
ger calls, you must initialise the WIMP
system with SYS init. This statement also
has the effect of VDU 5, and all the text
output to windows must be done in
graphics mode. After that, there are two
stages in preparing a window for display on
the screen - first you create it, then you
open it.
Creating a window is done with
SYS createw, 0, bl ock T
(J handle'/.
where crcatew=&400Cl. From now on,
I’ll not refer explicitly to the SWI numbers
- you can get them from PROCsysvars in
the listing. The creation routine returns an
integer called the window handle, which
uniquely identifies the window. It is used
in most other Window Manager calls. In
many ways it’s like a familiar file handle.
The parameters block passed to createw
contains quite a lot of information about
the window. It controls features like the
size and colour of the window - all the
parameters are shown in tables 1 and 2.
Physical work area
The physical work area (PWA) of a win-
dow is the part of the window containing
information - it excludes the scroll bars
and title bars. You can specify the position
of the window on the screen by giving the
co-ordinates of the lower left and upper
right corners of the PWA, relative to the
normal graphics origin at the bottom left-
hand corner of the Archimedes screen as
shown in figure 1.
Usually, the physical work area displays
a small part of a larger work area, and the
PWA can be moved around this larger
logical work area (LWA) using the scroll
bars and arrow icons. Figure 2 shows how
the LWA and PWA relate to each other.
We specify the size of the LWA in the
parameter block for createw by giving the
minimum and maximum X and Y values
measured from point called the LWA ori-
gin. This must be in the LWA. In the
Desktop program the LWA origin is at the
top left corner of the LWA. This has the
disadvantage that Y values within the LWA
measured relative to the LWA origin are
negative. So in the yellow pages programs
the LWA origin is at the bottom left corner
of the LWA, at the graphics origin. The
LWA min X and LWA min Y are both set
to zero.
The positions of the scroll bars control
blocklO to
Initial co-ordinate of window’s
block! 12
physical work area (where first
blocklO
appears on the screen)
PWA min X
block!4
PWA min Y
block !8
PWA max X
block! 12
PWA max Y
block! 16
Initial X scroll bar offset
block !20
Initial Y scroll bar offset
block !24
Handle of window under which
block!28
to create this one (- 1 if on top)
Window flags (see Table 2)
block?32
Window title foreground colour
block?33
Window title background colour
block?34
Work area foreground colour
block?35
Work area background colour
block?36
Scroll bar background colour
b!ock?37
Scroll bar foreground colour
block?38
Title bar highlight colour
block?39
Reserv ed by Acorn
block!40to
Logical work area co-ordinates
block!52
block !40
LWA min X
block!44
LWA min Y
block!48
LWA max X
block!52
LWA max Y
block!56
Icon flags for title bar
block !60 to
Reserved by Acorn
block !68
$(block4-72)
Title string (up to 1 1 characters,
block !84
terminated by CR)
Number of icons in this window
block !88 onwards Icon data is stored here
Tablel: Parameter block for createw
Listing 2 gives you three windows
which part of the LWA appears in the
PWA. The scroll bar positions are given by
two numbers which are the co-ordinates of
the top left of the PWA, relative to the
LWA origin - this may explain why the
Desktop program puts the LWA origin
where it does!
Opening a window is easily done by
calling the Window Manager’s openw
routine with the SYS statement:
SYS openw, 0, bl ock
where the parameter block is set up as
shown in table 3. If you don’t know what
values to fill the block with, you can use:
blocklO = handle'/.
SYS getw,0, block
to set the block up ready for openw. This
opens the window in its last known position
on the screen.
WIMP events
The biggest difference between a program
using windows and a conventional program
is that in the first case, the user is in charge
of what happens next, not the programmer.
You can move, scroll and resize windows,
click the mouse on objects in the windows,
or make keystrokes. The program must
know what to do in all these circumstances,
though it may of course choose to ignore
some of them. The main loop at the heart of
a program using the Window Manager
reflects this situation:
REPEAT
Wait -for the user to
do something
Take appropriate action
UNTIL -finished
To find out what the user has done, you
use a routine called poll. The only input in
the parameter block to poll is a ‘mask’
indicating the actions you don’t want the
user to be able to do - if it is 0, everything
is allowable. On leaving poll, register RO
contains the kind of action which took
place, and the parameter block carries in-
formation specific to that action. These
actions are called ‘events’, but they are not
the same as ‘events’ on the BBC micro -
those can only be used from machine code.
There are 10 possible values returned by
poll, as shown in table 4. The information
returned in the parameter block for each is
shown in table 5.
Event 0 is easy - the user hasn’t done
anything, and we don’t need to do any-
thing either, unless you have an animatec
display to take care of, like the clock in the
Desktop for instance.
Event 2 (open window request) informs
us that the user has brought a window to
the top of the stack of windows by clicking
on the title bar, or that the window’s size
has changed or scrolled. Usually, a suffi-
cient response to event 2 is to call openw
with the parameter block passed back by
the poll.
The openw routine by itself does not
result in anything actually being drawn on
the screen. A call to openw will usually
result in all or part of the window and its
borders needing to be redrawn, so openw
generates event 1 (redraw window request)
before it returns control to your program.
You must respond to this even.t 1 in a very
definite way, using the following code:
ACORN USI-R MARCH 1988
97
ARCHIMEDES
SYS redrawn, 0, block T
0 more*/.
WHILE more'/.
PROCredrawwindow
SYS getr, 0, block
TO more'/.
ENDWHILE
The routine redraww works out a list of
invalid rectangles, which cover the visible
parts of the window which need updating.
It then redraws the title bar and scroll bar
where these intersect with the list, and
finally it indicates to your program
whether part of the PWA needs updating
by returning a flag in register RO. The
parameter block returned by redraww is
shown in table 6. The VDU 24 graphics
clip rectangle is set to the co-ordinates at
block! 28 to block! 40, and your PROC-
redrawwindow routine takes responsibility
for drawing the appropriate graphic or text
in that rectangle. The process is repeated
for all rectangles in the invalid list, using
routine getr to get position parameters for
each in turn, until the more% flag
returned in RO becomes FALSE. Note that
more than one window’s PWA may need
updating, so PROCredrawwindow needs
to pay attention to the window handle
returned in block !0.
The above sounds an incredibly compli-
cated procedure for doing something
which is in reality quite easy to under-
stand. A couple of examples will probably
make things clearer. Diagram 3 shows what
happens when a window which is overlap-
ped by two other windows is brought to
the top, by clicking on the title bar. First of
all, you get event 2 (open window request)
from poll, so we call openw. We then gee
event 1 (redraw window request), and so
we call redraww, which draws the parts of
the border which were hidden by the other
windows. Redraww passes back the co-
ordinates of invalid rectangle A, which you
draw in, and then we call getr. This passes
back the co-ordinates of rectangle B, so we
draw in there too, and call getr again. But
this time getr returns a more% value of
FALSE showing there are no more rec-
tangles. So you go back to calling poll.
Notice that redraww clears all the rectang-
les to the window background colour,
ready for you to draw on.
Diagram 4 shows what happen when
you scroll a window which is partially
overlapped by another window. The poll
routine returns an open window request
event, and you call openw. Poll then gives
you a redraw window request event. You
call redraww, which draws the scroll bars
in their new position and copies those parts
of the physical work area which will re-
Hi ndbU 3'
This is window three.
Text can be typed into
any window by clicking
on it to select the window
then sinply typing.
g ray/:
Text can be added with the caret
Bit
Meaning if bit set
0
Window has a title bar
1
Window can be moved
2
There is a vertical scroll bar
3
There is a horizontal scroll bar
4
The window can be redrawn
by Window Manager (ie, it
contains icons only)
5
The window is a ‘pane’
in another window
6
The window is allowed to
go outside the screen
7
There are no ‘send-to-
back’ or ‘close’ boxes
The following bits are output flags, set
by certain Window Manager routines.
16
The window is open
17
The window is not
covered by another
18
The window has been
toggled to full size
Table 2: Window flags
block!0
Handle of window
block !4 to
Co-ordinates of
block! 16
Physical work area
block!4
' PWA min X
block!8
PWA min Y
block! 12
PWA max X
block! 16
PWA max Y
block !20
X scroll bar offset
block!24
Y scroll bar offset
block!28
Handle of window which this
one is behind (-1 if it’s on top)
Table 3: Parameter block for openw and getw
Event code Meaning
0 Nothing has happened
1 A window needs redrawing
2 A window needs (re)opening
3 A window close box has
been clicked on
4 The pointer is leaving a window
5 The pointer is entering a window
6 User has pressed or released a
mouse button
7 User has finished a drag box
operation (after SWI drag)
8 User has pressed a key
9 User has selected a pop-up
menu item
Table 4: User event codes returned by poll
User event
1
2
3 4
5
block! 0
Handle
Handle
Handle Handle Handle
block! 4
PWaminX
block! 8
PWaminY
block!12
PWamaxX
block!16
PWamaxY
block!20
ScrX
block!24
ScrY
block!28
Under
User event 6
7
8
9
block! 0
MouseX
DrgminX
Handle
Mainitem
block! 4
MouseY
DrgminY
Icnhandle
Subitem
block! 8
Newbut
DrgmaxX
CarctX
block! 12
Handle
DrgmaxY
CaretY
block!16
Icnhandlc
Key
block !20
Oldbut
block !24
block!28
Table 5: Parameter block data returned by poll i
98
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ARCHIMEDES
main visible to their new location. It returns
the co-ordinates of rectangle A, which you
then draw in and call getr for the co-
ordinates of rectangle B. Having drawn that
in, getre indicates no more rectangles, so you
can go back to calling poll. You can see that
in this case you don’t need to redraw any
part of the house, because it does not appear
in any of the invalid rectangles.
If you like, try to work out what hap-
pens when you go from the situation in
diagram 3 - in other words when the user
clicks on the ‘send to back’ box in window
1. Remember that events tell you which
window they are concerned with, by in-
cluding the handle in the parameter block
information returned by getr.
When the user clicks on the close box of
a window, event 3 (close window request)
is passed back by poll. You call the closew
routine with the appropriate window
handle in block !0. If necessary you will get
open window and redraw window requests
when you go back to calling poll, for
windows revealed from underneath the
closed one.
Text and graphics
ROCredrawwindow and PROCdraw in
listing 1 show how to put text and graphics
in a window. In fact, for this simple
program, the entire LWA is redrawn for
each rectangle that we are passed by re-
draww and getr, but since the graphics clip
rectangle is set, only the rectangle in ques-
tion is actually updated.
The first thing to do is to find out where
the LWA origin is, relative to the graphics
origin at the bottom-left corner of the
screen. Diagrams 1 and 2 show that you
can calculate this from the PWA co-
ordinates and the scroll offsets. All text and
graphics to be drawn in the window must
be drawn relative to the LWA origin, so
that scrolling will have the correct effect.
The obvious way to do this is to move the
screen graphics origin to the LWA origin
while we do the drawing, and move it back
afterwards, but unfortunately this leads to
problems. In PROCdraw in listing 1, you
must add the LWA origin co-ordinates to
every graphics co-ordinate in the LWA.
Remember that VDU 5 mode is always
in effect, so that text as well as graphics is
limited to the graphics clip rectangle. You
must position the graphics cursor using
MOVE before using PRINT, and you
can’t use Return for a new line, because
that will move the graphics cursor to the
left-hand edge of the current clip rectangle,
not at all what you want.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
Physical screen
PWA max X
PWA minx
Physic aJ Work Area
PWA min Y
PWAmaxY
Diagram 1: Relationship of physical work area to the Archimedes’ screen
Logical work area
LWA
mlnX
ScroIX offset
Physical Work Area
/
Logical work area origin
ScrolY offset
LWA max X
LWA
max Y
LWA
min Y
Diagram 2: How the logical and physical work areas relate
i
j
B
Diagram 3: On the left, window 1 lies underneath, so when it is brought to the front (right),
rectangles A and B need redrawing
99
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DIAGRAM II now also available for ARCHIMEDES
Diagram II represents a major breakthrough in the techniques used for
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as coded 8*8 pixel blocks.
This technique has three major advantages, First, the size of the diagram is
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allows the smooth scrolling of
diagram.
For people not familiar with Diagram, the basic operation of the program is
to first display any part of the diagram, either by quoting an index name or
. At this point you are free to scroll
screen number.
his point you are free to scroll the diagram around the
screen using either cursor keys, trackerball or mouse. You may stop scrolling
at any point and enter the edit mode which allows you to modify or add new
information to the diagram. When you have finished making alterations, the new
information is stored to disc and you are free to scroll elsewhere on the
diagram stopping to edit at any time,
The edit features are now very comprehensive. Text may be typed straight
from the keyboard, and if other fonts are stored as user defined characters
then these fonts may be printed using the normal keyboard keys.
' scaleable'
The print routines are now completely '
and vertical scales being totally variable iniX steps between a
with both the horizontal
... >s between a size that will
give 18 mode 0 screens on an A4 sheet and a size that would print just one pixel
on a sheet! The routines are adaptable to most types of dot matrix printer and
full advantage may be made of wide carriage printers, The printouts may be
rotated through 90 deg. if required,
The new editing features make DIAGRAM II suitable for all types of serious
drawing application including scale drawings, flowcharts, architectural ,
family trees, and many other subjects as well as circuit and schematic diagrams.
As an example of what Diagram II can do, this complete advertisement (with the
exception of the PCB drawing) has been produced with the package.
12 ,
13,
14,
15.
Works on any model BBC computer with either DFS or ADFS.(ADFS only if
Shadow memory available),
Will automatically take advantage of shadow memory (any make) to
provide more User Definable Characters, 880 with Shadow, 381 without
Shadow,
Rapid horizontal and vertical line drawing routine with automatic
joins for circuit diagrams,
Full rubber band line drawing and circle drawing modes.
Takes advantage of the Acorn GXR rom to provide drawing of arcs,
sectors, chords, paral lelograms, ellipses, and flood filling, Note
this rom is already fitted to Master and Compact machines.
Pixel cursor drawing and deleting mode allows very fine detail to be
added.
Defined areas of screen may be moved, copied, deleted or saved to
disc,
On-screen indication of cursor position shows either the cursor
position on the overall diagram or the distance from a preset point.
Keyboard keys may be predefined to print User Defined Characters,
enabling new character sets to be stored as user defined characters
and then printed straight to the screen using the keyboard keys,
Wordprocessor files may be loaded to the screen and automatically
formatted into any shape screen area.
Index names may be set up to point to given areas of a large diagram,
to enable ragid access to a given point on a diagram.
Fully compatible
U:
_ with Marconi trackerball and most makes of mouse,
All Diagram ' Util ities' are included, enabling screen ident numbers
and borders to be added, and any area of diagram to be moved or
copied, The whole diagram may be displayed in reduced scale (either
4*4 or 8*8 format) on a single screen, and the size of the overall
* Iprrpaspd.
area of the diagram to
deg. in scales that may
* * ' — id
diagram may be increased or decreased.
Completely scaleable print routines allow any
be printed either horizontally or through 90
to 18 mode 0 screens to be printer
... le text).
Complete with 40 page easy to understand handbook.
be varied in iV. steps allowing
' till
on an A4 sheet (still with reidaEle text),
REAR ELEVATION
u r
□C
1
□c
i
Diagram II consists of a set of disc files and a
16k Eprom. The disc supplied is formatted in 40T
on side 0 and 80T on side 2. Please state if this
is unsuitable for your system, or if you require
a 3.5" Master Compact disc,
ARCHIMEDGS version on 800k 3.5" disc.
DIAGRAM II - £ 55.00 + vat
P 8. P free (except overseas)
H.B. Upgrades are available to existing Diagram
owners. Please contact Pineapple if you have
not received an upgrade letter.
PCB
Pineapple's now famous printed circuit board drafting aid produces complex
double sided FOB'S very rapidly using any model BBC micro and any FX compatible
dot-matrix printer,
The program is supplied on Eprom and up to 500 component and 500 ASCII
component descriptions may be stored for each PCB. There is no limit to the
number of tracks that may be stored for a given PCB although the maximum board
size is restricted to 8" * 5,6”,
Using a mode 1 screen, tracks on the top side of the board are shown in red,
while those on the underside are blue, Each side of the board may be shown
individually or superimposed. A component placement screen allows component
outlines to be drawn for silk screen purposes and component numbers and
outlines entered on this screen may be displayed during track routing to aid
identification of roundels.
The print routines allow separate printouts of each side of the PCB in a
very accurate expanded definition i;i or 2:1 scale enabling direct contact
printing to be used on resist covered copper clad board. The print routines
are very fast taking typically 5 minutes for a 1:1 print of a 7" * 5" board,
This program has too many superb features to describe adequately here, so
please write or 'phone for' more information and sample printouts.
PRICE £ 85.00 ♦
UftT
Plotter Driver to suit
nost plotters £ 35.08
PCB AUTO -ROUTING
This brand new addition to the PCB program
greatly increases the power of the software
and speeds the design of PCB' s even more.
A connection list of up to 190 connections
may be entered in the form of a ' rats nest'
and then the computer does the rest!
You may specify which side of a board you
wish the track to be on or leave the choice to
the computer, and you may also say uhether
tracks should be allowed to pass between I.C.
pins. Tracks may still be drawn manually at
any time so boards may be produced by a
combination of manual and auto techniques if
required,
The program is in the form of a second Eprom
and all the features are available even with
an unexpanded model ' S' computer.
Please write or 'phone for full details.
COMPLETE AUTOROUTE PACKAGE
(including Manual eprom)
£185.00
♦ VAT
♦ vat
MARCONI TRACKERBALL
This high quality device comes in three versions. Version one is for the
standard BBC micro and comes with the Icon Artmaster drawing package from
Micro-Draw, and Trackerball Utilities which allow the trackerball to be
used with other software.
Version two is for the Master 128 computer and this comes with the
Pointer Rom. This is a Rom which allows the Master to be configured for use
with the Trackerball and has commands to enable the TrackerbaU to
intercept the cursor key or joystick routines of other software. Commands
are also available to reverse the axes of the trackerball and set the
sensitivity. The three buttons may also be set up to produce any ASCII code,
Version three is simply the bare Trackerball which comes without software
but is suitable for use with specially written software such as Diagram or
Diagram II.
Trackerball adapters are also available which plug onto the end of the
cable and convert the connections of the trackerball to be the same as a
mouse. This enables the trackerball to drive all types of 'mouse' software.
Model 'B' and B+ (with Icon Artaaster)
Maste
For _
For Master 128 (with Pointer Ron)
Bare Trackerball (no software)
Pointer Rom - available separately
Trackerball to Mouse adapters
60.00
60.00
49.00
12.50
8.00
vat
vat
vat
vat
vat
j
All orders sent by return
PRICE £29.00 ♦ vat
39 Brounlea Gardens,Seuen Klngs,I
ford, Essex IG3 9NL Tel 01-599 14761
MITEYSPICE
Miteyspice is a very powerful AC & DC circuit analysis package with graphics
suitable for use with any model BBC micro including those with 2nd processors.
As well as all the usual facilities available with this type of program,
non-linear effects, small signal, noise measurements and sweeps may be
performed. Component values may be swept, allowing component tolerances to be
investigated as well as thermal performance etc. Comprehensive transistor
modelling is incorporated using a 20 parameter Ebers Moll description. The
program is supplied on disc with a very comprehensive 49 page manual.
PRICE £119.00 + vat
ADFS Utilities Rom — ADU
ADU is an invaluable utility for all ADFS users. It adds over 22 new
♦commands to the ADFS filing system as well as providing an extensive Menu
facility with over 35 sub commands covering areas such as repeated disc
compaction, saving and loading Rom images, auto booting of files and many more
Copying of DFS discs onto ADFS discs can be made in one pass with automatic
creation of the required directories on the ADFS disc. All functions are fully
compatible with Winchester drives including *BACXLP which allows backing up of
Winchesters onto multiple floppies.
Additional ^commands include:- *ADU, •BACKUP, CATALL,*CHANg, *DFSDFS,
♦DIRALL, •DIRC0PY. *DIRDESTROY, ♦DIRRENAME, •DISCEDIT, tDRIUE, *FIL£FIh®,
♦FORMAT, ♦KILLADU, ♦LOCK, ♦MENU, ♦PLRGE, ♦PWRB&K, ♦UNLOCK, ♦VERIFY, ♦VF0RMAT, ♦WIPE
100
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ARCHIMEDES
Diagram 4: Scrolling a partially obscured window
Multiple windows
Having typed in listing 1, relatively few
changes are required to get to listing 2. This
displays three windows containing circles,
ellipses and rectangles. You simply have an
array, window%(), to hold the window
handles, and another array, windowsSQ, to
hold the window titles. PROCrcdraw-
window works out the name of the window
to redraw and calls FNdrawcircles,
FNdrawrcctangles or FNdrawellipses
appropriately. You can increase the number
of windows (controlled by ‘maxindex’) up
to 32, so long as you prove a suitable
drawing routine for each. The structure of
the program is quite independent of
whether you are using two or 32 windows.
Text entry
The Desktop program has a ‘notebook’
window, which you can type into. Typed
characters appear at the position of a text
cursor, shaped rather like an elongated
capital I. This is called a ‘caret’, and there
are two special routines in the Window
Manager for dealing with it.
The first of these routines is setcaret. It
doesn’t use a parameter block. Instead, all
the information is passed in registers. The
call to setcaret is typically like this:
SYS setcaret,handle,-
1 , X , Y , & 1 000024 , - 1
where X and Y give the required position of
the caret relative to the window’s LWA
origin. The three parameters which are
given explicit numeric values have to do
with the size of the caret and whether it is
associated with a particular icon.
A call to setcaret results in the window
title bar changing colour, to that specified in
block?38 in the original call to createw, and
the caret being drawn in the indicated
position (providing that the position is
within the visible PWA). The window now
has the ‘input focus’ - in other words a key
pressed event (poll event 8) will pass back
blocklO
Handle of window
block !4 to
Co-ordinates of physical
block! 16
work area
block!4
PWA min X
block !8
PWA min Y
block! 12
PWA max X
block! 16
PWA max Y
b!ock!20
X scroll bar offset
block!24
Y scroll bar offset
block!28 to
Co-ordinates of rectangle
block!40
to draw
block!28
min X
block !32
min Y
block!36
max X
block !40
max Y
Table 6: Block from redraww, getr and updatew
JARGON BOX
Window - A discrete area of the screen
used to display information. There may
be several on the screen at once.
Icon - Small picture on the screen which
causes some action when the mouse but-
ton is clicked on it.
Close Box - Clicking on this icon re-
moves a window from the screen.
Full Box - An icon which enlarges the
window to full screen size.
Scroll Bar - Device on the side of the
window to let you change the view
through the window.
the handle of this window and the caret
position in the parameter block. A setcaret
call to another window will erase the caret
from the window with the current input
focus and reset the title bar back to normal
before putting the caret in the newly
selected window.
Listing 3 is a program which displays
three windows. You can click the move in a
window work area and type in your own
text, rather like the Desktop notebook. If
you’ve already typed in listing 2, the
changes you’ll need to make are minor. The
text for all the windows is stored as a
two-dimensional array of 80-character
strings. In PROCwritetext, which writes
out the text when a redraw window request
is received, this program actually pays
attention to the rectangle it’s being asked to
redraw, and it only writes out those charac-
ters which appear in that rectangle. This
speeds things up enormously compared to
writing out the entire text every time.
When a key pressed event is detected by
poll, PROCkeypressed places the character
in the text array, and works out where in
the LWA the character should be displayed.
It calls frcrdrw, and then moves the caret
one position along. The frcrdrw (force
redraw) routine is called with:
SYS f rcrdrw, handl e, x 1
,yl,x2,y2
where xl, yl, x2, y2 are the co-ordinates,
relative to the LWA origin, of the rectangle
which needs to be redrawn. The next call to
poll will result in a redraw window request
event if any part of that rectangle is visible
on the screen.
The other routine for handling the caret is
getcaret. Although it’s not actually used in
listing 3, it can be called with:
SYS getcaret , 0, block
On return, the parameter block contains the
information which was passed in the last
setcaret call, so in theory your program
does not even need to keep track of where
the caret is on the screen !
Icons and menus
We’ve mentioned both icons and menus in
passing, but haven’t said much about them.
A future article will cover these aspects of
the WIMP environment, but for now you
have got enough information and examples
to program your own scrollable windows.
Experiment with the existing programs by
increasing the number of windows or put-
ting different things in them. Try altering
listing 3 so that the caret is positioned
wherever you click the mouse. There are all
sorts of possibilities which scrolling win-
dows make available - consider what be-
nefits would a really large logical work area
give you, for instance.
Start thinking now about how you could
alter your own programs to take advantage
of scolling windows. Several of Acorn Us-
er's own listings could be radically im-
proved by a combination of windows and
mouse control.
Over the coming month’s we’ll take a
look at how to write Arc menus and use the
mouse in your programming.
The listings from this article are on the
yellow pages , see page 113. They are also
available on A rc-format discs - see page 13. \
ACORN US HR MARCH 1988
101
m
"0
(/)
O
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©
3
in
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a
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m
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L
C
X
Wacom
APPROVED
HCCS
Telephone: (091) 487 0760
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HCCS ASSOCIATES LIMITED
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Archimedes Computer Systems
Archimedes 305 £699.00
Archimedes 305 Mono System £749.00
Archimedes 305 Colour System £899.00
Archimedes 310 £775.00
Archimedes 310 Mono System £825.00
Archimedes 310 Colour System £975.00
Archimedes 410 £1399.00
Archimedes 410 Mono System £1499.00
Archimedes 410 Colour System £1599.00
Archimedes 440 £2299.00
Archimedes 440 Mono System £2349.00
Archimedes 440 Colour System £2499.00
Archimedes Podules /Upgrades
0.5Mb RAM (Archimedes 305 only) £89.00
Floppy Disc £125.00
20Mb Hard Disc+Podule (300 Series) £499.00
Podule Backplane £39.00
Archimedes/Master Econet Module £40.00
Master Series
Master 128
£365.00
Master Turbo Module
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Master Eprom Cartridge
£11.00
Master Compact Series
Master Compact Entry System
£349.00
Master Compact TV System
£363.00
Master Compact Mono System
£399.00
Master Compact Colour System
£549.00
RS 232 Kit
£26.00
Additional Floppy Disc Drive
£99.00
Pal TV Adaptor
£26.00
Scientific Series
4Mb Workstation
£3250.00
32016 1Mb Second Processor
£1050.00
Panos 1.4 Upgrade Kit
£29.00
X25 Gateway
£2150.00
Gateway Access Pack
£130.00
BBC AIV System
BBC AIV and Domesday System Prices on request
HCCS - PRODUCTS
Video Digitiser £99.00
Includes ROM and Disc Software.
Facilities include, image grab, outlining,
smoothing, window manipulation, distance and
area measurement charting of relative eight
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Accepts standard video signals. Menu driven.
Voice Recognition System £299.00
Utilising state of the art NEC chip set.
Teaching mode 128 word capacity. Down
load from disc any number of 128 sets. Can
be used instead of keyboard after teaching.
Almost 100% recognition rate. The up and
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EPROM adapter for 12.5V EPROMS 2764/128/
256 fits virtually all current blowers enables
the use of cheaper Eproms £15 00
CDT/TVEI componentry price list on application.
All prices are exclusive of V.A.T. All items are subject to availability. All prices are subject to change
without notice. Price and stock status available on request. Official orders welcome. Carriage free.
ECONET SERVICE EDUCATION SCIENTIFIC DOMESDAY GENERAL CUMANA' SERVICE vmsc SERVICE LNEN? SERVICE
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★ 32K dual socket version is ideal for ROM boards
★ ATPL versions adds extra 16/32k. 3-position switch
★ 32K single socket version for standard BBC ‘B’
★ Software includes full Load/Save/List ROMs,
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PRINTER SWITCH BOXES
★ Complete with all cables & connectors
★ Robust plastic case, 100 x50 x20mm
★ Selection by colour indicator button
★ Printed circuit board construction
★ Ready to use just plug in
PS1 2 BBC’S TO 1 PRINTER £31.50
PS2 1 BBC TO 2 PRINTERS £31.50
★ Quality modern style plastic case in beige/brown. size 205 x 145x40mm
★ Selection by push switches fitted
with colour change indicator buttons
★ Data buffers fitted to the 3.7m -fl ^
cables for reliable data transfer. ^
The cables on the PS3 box are
1 x3.7m+2x1.7m
★ Complete and ready to use - just plug in
PS3 3 BBC’s TO 1 PRINTER £59.50
PS4 4 BBC’S TO 1 PRINTER £69.50
(Please add £2 for each BBC Compact)
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Please add 15% VAT Free P&P Send Cheques/PO/Official Orders to:
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EDUCATIONAL DISCOUNTS
Dave's been
down-under 2
Unfortunately, they sent him back. His father did all he
could, but to no avail. Apparently David was beating
the Aussies at "Hopper 1 (as well as cricket) and they
didn't like it. Anyway, he's back, so if you come to see
our full range of BBC software and hardware, disc
drives, printers, monitors, cables etc, and you hear an
Australian accent, it will only be David showing off.
Actually, he sounds better than he used to!
NUMBER ONE IN BROMLEY
Data Here
6 Chatterton Road, Bromley, Kent. Tel.: 01-460 8991
102
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
GRAPHICS
MANDELBROTS
IN MOMENTS
No more leaving your micro processing all night to produce low-resolution fractal graphics.
The Arc can produce 128-colour Mandelbrots in just 28 seconds
T he Mandelbrot set has a fascination
which makes people use up hun-
dreds of hours of computer time
exploring it. Acorn User first intro-
duced the subject of the Mandel-
brot and Julia sets in an article by Susan
Stepney in October 1983. The Archimedes
micros run all the programs presented in
earlier articles about fractals and the Man-
delbrot set, but to make the most of the
Arc’s power, a new program is required.
Because of its processing speed, the
Archimedes can calculate 65,000 pixels of
the Mandelbrot set in under 30 seconds
using listing 1 in the yellow pages. Com-
pare this with the typical times for other
machines on page 105.
The Arc calculates a picture of the whole
set in a medium resolution, equivalent to
mode 1 but with 256 colours, and then
allows you to ‘zoom’ into the set, using the
mouse. The right and left buttons expand
and shrink a box around the area to be
selected, and the middle button starts the
re-plotting of the area. Pressing the ‘R’ key
returns you to the first screen showing the
whole set and pressing the ‘S’ key saves the
current screen onto your disc.
The procedure which performs the cal-
culations is written in ARM machine code,
but the rest is written in Basic 5 and
demonstrates some of the language’s new
features. There isn’t space to describe the
program in detail, but I can explain why it
runs so fast. The May 1986 issue of Acorn
User explains the mathematics behind the
Mandelbrot set.
The secret of the Archimedes’ speed lies
in its RISC architecture. It is based on a
32-bit Reduced Instruction Set Computer,
known as the ‘Acorn RISC Machine’, or
ARM. The architecture of the ARM was
described in detail by Peter Cockerell in
June 1987’s Acorn User . The ARM chip
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
U sing the mouse to control the square,
successive enlargements show greater
and greater detail of the fractal patterns.
The complete Mandelbrot set is shown top left
103
104
GENIE & GENIE JUNIOR
ACORN USER OFFER
Your wish come hue
How often do you interrupt your on-screen work to find a telephone number or address,
make a diary note or use a calculator? If the answer is ‘very often’, then you need your
very own Genie.
Genie is a revolutionary system that offers a number of pop-up desktop utilities -
notepad, diary, address book, phone book, 100-year calendar and 10-digit calculator.
Genie is simple to call into action using a single keystroke, from within all serious
software. When you’ve finished another keystroke makes Genie disappear, and drops you
back where you were before.
Genie consists of a small box which connects to the normal ROM sockets of the BBC,
Master and Compact. Master users can use the package in the portable cartridge version.
With its battery back up there is no need to save your work when Genie is called.
Genie Junior is exactly the same as its older brother but Junior comes on a single ROM
and stores all its data on a disc, not battery-backed RAM.
Genie is just £69.35 (saving £10) and Genie Junior can be yours for only £20, a saving
of £5. l Genie is a superb package ... I couldn’t be without it.’ Acorn User , August 1987.
Please send me:
copies of Genie in a Box at £69.35
copies of Genie Master Cartridge at £69.35
copies of Genie Junior at £20.00
UK orders add £2 P&P, Overseas orders deduct 15% VAT and add £4
Please circle as appropriate: BBC B/BBC B4- /Master 128/Compact DPS/ADFS
80-track/ 40-track 5. 25-inch/3. 5-inch disc
name
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
□ I enclose my cheque/postal order for £ made payable to PMS.
Please charge my Access/Barclaycard
ACCOUNT NO: EXPIRY DATE
SIGNED DATE
Please send this coupon with your remittance to Genic Offer, Acorn User Merchandising, Redwood
Publishing Ltd, 20-26 Brunswick Place, London N1 6DJ.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
GRAPHICS
MANDELBROT SPEEDS
Computer
Language
Time for 65,000 pixels
BBC model B
Basic
8.5 hours
BBC Master Turbo
Basic
3 hours
IBM PC
Turbo Pascal
1.5 hours
Atari ST
68000 assembler
4 minutes
32 BBCs processing in parallel
on an Econet system
6502 assembler
3 minutes
MicroVax
C
2.5 minutes
Single Archimedes without
ARM assembler
28 seconds
co-processor
A s the zoom continues deeper and deeper
into the pattern, there is always more
detail to discover. This infinite complexity
is the unique property of fractal graphics
has been optimised to execute a small set of
instructions very quickly. It can execute up
to eight million of these instructions per
second, but the average speed to closer to
four million per second. This reduction is
caused by a delay while the chip waits for
data from slower memory chips. There is
also a technique called pipelining. While
the processor is executing an instruction, it
is working on the next two instructions
too. But when the program branches, the
pipeline has to be ‘flushed’ and the work
done on the next two instructions is
wasted. This makes the processor wait for
the pipeline to be refilled and slows down
the execution speed.
To speed up ARM programs as much as
possible, short branches which just skip a
few instructions can be avoided. All the
instructions in ARM machine code can be
made conditional. An instruction such as
add with carry (ADC) can be made to
happen only when, say, the overflow flag is
clear, by adding two letters to ADC to
specify the condition - in this case the
instruction becomes ADCVC.
Another feature of the ARM is a device
called the ‘barrel shifter’. This can shift or
rotate any register left or right by any
amount, having the effect of multiplying or
dividing by any power of two. This can be
combined with the other instructions with-
out slowing down the program, and some
quite complex instructions can be built up.
For example the instruction ‘ADD RO, Rl,
R 2, LSR R3’ shifts register 2 to the right
by a number of places specified by register
3, adds it to register 1 and stores the result
in register 0, all in one clock cycle.
Machine code calculations
The pictures of the Mandelbrot set are
generated by repeatedly performing a set of
calculations. The answer from the first
calculation is fed back into the second
calculation again and again, until the answer
either exceeds a certain limit or the machine
gives up after 128 successive calculations.
This is done for each point on the screen,
and the colour is assigned by counting the
number of repetitions required to reach the
limit. The points where the limit is never
reached make up the Mandelbrot set itself,
and the ‘contours’ of different colours
around the set are just successively better
approximations to the set.
Writing a program to produce the Man-
delbrot set in a language such as Basic is
fairly easy - Basic takes care of the floating
point number calculations. Writing similar
floating point routines in machine code is
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
105
MEGA-3 ROM
A single 128K ROM containing INTER-
WORD, INTER-SHEET and INTER-
CHART. The package contains all
manuals, keystrips and quick
reference cards supplied with the
individual packages, but the software
is all on one chip, occupying just one
ROM socket.
MEGA-3 ROM is compatible with the
entire range of BBC Micros: Model-B,
B+, B+128, Master and Compact.
Upgrades: Existing owners may
optionally trade-in their INTER-WORD,
INTER-SHEET or INTER-CHART for a
discount of 25% each. This means that
existing owners of all three may obtain
a trade-in discount of 75% — a cost of
just £21.25 + VAT (£24.44 inch).
Price: full package £85.00 + VAT
(£97.75 incl.).
Computer Concepts Ltd
Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead
Herts HP2 6EX. Tel 0442 63933
GRAPHICS
difficult. But the bits of a binary number
don’t have to represent the integer values 1,
2, 4, 8. They could just as easily represent
fractions such as 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and so on.
This is how the program performs its
calculations using integer add, subtract and
multiply instructions. These calculations
involve several multiplies, so it’s the speed
of the multiply routine which determines
the overall calculation time.
Current Archimedes micros are built
using a modified version of the ARM chip
described in Acorn User June 1987. The two
micron ARM, as it is known, has an extra
instructions built into its hardware. It can
multiply two 32-bit numbers in around two
microseconds. A machine code routine for
the 6502 chip in the BBC model B would
take about 30 microseconds just to multiply
two eight-bit numbers. It is the ARM
multiply instruction that the program uses.
However the result is truncated to 32 bits,
and we need to perform a ‘long multiply’
with several such hardware multiplies to get
the full, 64-bit, result.
An alternative is to shift the numbers
before and after the multiply, so that only
one multiply instruction is needed. This is
twice as fast, but less accurate. The program
uses this fast but approximate method for
the first few pictures, and then switches to
the more accurate method as you zoom
deeper into the set. Ultimately, both
methods become too inaccurate. This limits
the number of zooms to around eight over
most of the set before the picture cracks up.
Screen handling
The program doesn’t use standard PLOT
routines to display the picture on the
screen. For speed it accesses the screen
memory directly. In a 256-colour mode on
an Archimedes this is easy, because each
byte of memory corresponds directly to a
pixel on the screen. A problem arises
because the Archimedes’ use of memory
changes according to the machine’s current
configuration. This is why there isn’t a
memory map in the User Guide. But Acorn
have designed the Arthur operating system
well. There is a routine to read the VDU
variables, including the start address of the
screen memory. Calling operating system
routines from Basic 5 is now easier - just
i use a SYS command specifying the name of
the routine, any numbers to be passed into
registers and any variables to be read back
from registers.
Many of the most useful Arthur operat-
ing system calls have been implemented as
Basic keywords. For example, ‘MOUSE x,
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
VARIABLES
resX, resY Current screen resolution
sizX, sizY The area of the screen to be
filled (in pixels)
limit Maximum number of iterations. If
this is small then the calculations will be
very fast but with poor resolution. For
serious exploration change the value of
limit to 256.
minX, minY Co-ordinates of square in
which the Mandelbrot set is to be plotted,
size Distance across area to be plotted.
JARGON BOX
Fractal A fractal is a pattern which
remains as full of detail no matter how
much you enlarge it. Most shapes be-
come simpler as you zoom in on a part of
them; a tiny part of a circle looks like a
straight line. But closer examination of a
small part of a fractal simply reveals more
intricacies. A common example ot a frac-
tal is the coastline - whether you are
looking at a atlas map of Africa or a
1 :250,000 map of Skegness the amount of
‘crinkly ness’ remains the same. Even if
you zoom in as close as the outline of a
rock pool the pattern is just as complex.
Fractals are common in nature, and much
scientific work is being done on their
mathematics to attempt to understand
‘random’ shapes such as clouds and
mountain ranges.
Mandelbrot set A fractal pattern. The
co-ordinates of a point on the screen are
fed into a mathematic equation, and then
the results are repeatedly put back into
the same equation. The number of times
the process has to be repeated before a
certain target is reached is used to choose
the colour of that point on the screen, eg
if the it takes six runs through the
equation to reach the target the point is
coloured, say, blue, seven and the point
is green, eight yellow and so on. The
mathematics of the Mandelbrot set, so
named after its French discoverer, Benoit
Mandelbrot, were covered in an article
by David Johnson-Davies in May 1986’s
Acorn User , and more examples were
given in May 1987’s issue.
Julia set A fractal pattern based on a
different mathematical equation to the
Mandelbrot set, covered in October
1 983’s Acorn User.
y, b’ reads the mouse position and button
status to variables x, y and b, ‘WAIT’ waits
for a screen refresh to allow flicker free
animation like :; 'FX 19, and ‘OFF’ switches
off the cursor.
Procedures and functions
PROCselmode checks there’s enough conf-
igured screen and sprite memory, reads the
address of the start of screen memory, and
selects the primary bank of mode 13. This
allows direct access to the screen memory.
Then PROCinit sets up the screen window
and turns off the cursor.
PROCbasemand generates a picture of
the whole set (X from -2.25 to +0.75, Y
from - 1.5 to +1.5) and saves it as a sprite.
This sprite is used by PROCreturn, when
you return to the picture of the whole set.
This allows you to zoom somewhere else
faster. FNzoom uses the mouse to select an
area of the current screen to expand to full
screen size. It adjusts the values of minX,
minY and size. The function returns a
TRUE value to zoom onwards, FALSE to
go back to the first screen. Once a new area
is selected, PROCmandelbrot calculates the
new area of the set, using the current values
of minX, minY and size.
The ARM assembly language is contained
in two routines. PROCassem assembles a
routine to calculate the set using either the
fast or slow multiply routine. And FNmulti
is a multiply macro used by PROCassem -
it assembles either the fast or slow multiply
routine, as needed.
Animation
Interesting screens from the Mandelbrot set
can be stored using the ‘S’ key after the
picture has been drawn. This uses the
*SCREENSAVE command, and means that
the screens use the standard sprite format.
So they can be loaded as sprites and
animated too.
Try calculating many small sets, store
them as sprites and then animate them for a
real ‘zoom’. Have fun exploring using this
program - you won’t have to leave your
BBC running overnight to see some results.
I am sure that someone will be able to
knock a few more seconds off the calcula-
tion time using an unexpanded Archimedes.
Also, by using the planned arithmetic co-
processor on a 400-series Arc, it should be
possible to reduce the calculation time for a
whole screen to around five seconds!
The Archimedes Mandelbrot listing is on the
yellow pages ; see the index on page 113. The
program is also available on Arc-format
3. 5 -inch disc , see page 13 for details.
10 7
RCHIMEDES
ROM/RAM PODULE
This podule accepts a variety of ROM or RAM chips and
includes ROM and RAM filing system software.
Seven 32 pin sockets can accept
any combination of ROMs (16K to
128K) or RAMs (8K to 128K)
Battery and controller
chip. TVickle charged
battery ensures RAM
contents are retained
whilst computer is off
(optional).
The controller ROM
provided contains ROM
and RAM filing system
software, is fast, and
totally Arthur
compatible.
Links for battery backup or
normal supply
Special controller circuitry
automatically detects the type and
size of chip plugged into each
socket-eliminating 32 links
Edge connector plugs into podule
back-plane of 300 or 400 series
Archimedes
The board accepts software such as the Archimedes versions of Inter-Word, Inter-
Chart and Inter-Sheet and will accept the forthcoming document processor and
drawing programs. It is compatible and fully obeys all Acorn podule standards. It
requires the back-plane to be installed — available from us and Acorn stockists.
i I i i i i i i i i i
£49.00 + VAT (£56.35) standard
£59.00 + VAT (£67.85) with battery
and controller chip
%
1 1 1 • 1 1
Computer Concepts Li
Id
Gaddesden Place
Hemel Hempstead
Herts HP2 6EX.
Telephone 0442 63933
ACCESS & BARCLAYCARD ACCEPTED
COMPETITION
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Find the changes in these two pictures and a package
of Acorn User graphics software could be yours
Graphics is the theme of this month’s prize
competition. Up for grabs arc three pro-
ducts from Acorn User's own software
range which can help you draw pictures,
give you inspiration and then print them
out in the easiest possible way.
The three winners will each get: a
Graphics Utilities disc; the Portfolio disc by
Jonathan Inglis, and the UserDump ROM
by George Hill - a software bundle worth
almost £40. Details of these packages can
be found on pages 129-134.
This is what you do. There are some
subtle differences between the two pictures
above and you have to spot them. We’re
not saying how many changes there are, so
ring them on the top picture, cut this out,
stick it on a card and send it to us by
Friday, March 18. State on the card how
many changes you’ve found, along with
your own name and address. You can
photocopy the picture to save cutting up
the issue, but you must attach the small
coupon below.
The picture is called ‘Zenith’ by an
unknown artist (we’d like to hear from him
or her). It was done in mode 0 on a /BBC
micro, and the results printed out on a
Taxan printer using one of this month’s
prizes - the Acorn User UserDump ROM.
Entries should be send to: March Com-
petition, Acorn User , Redwood Publishing,
20-26 Brunswick Place, London N1 6DJ.
Next month’s contest
Here’s some advance warning for next
month’s competition. Acorn User is getting
together with the British Trust for Con-
servation Volunteers to encourage replant-
ing of trees. The competition will aim to
get readers interested in restoring many of
the damaged woodlands in Britain, and
raise money for the Trust. The BTCV is a
charitable organisation whose patron is the
Duke of Edinburgh. .
And there will be a special part of the
competition for Micronet users with their
own prizes, and a Chatline with members
of the Trust.
Free copies of the BTCV’s Emergency
Tree Pack are available from Acorn User ,
and a second pack of 10 booklets called
Conservation in School Grounds costs
£2.95 inclusive (cheques payable to BTCV
please). So don’t miss out on the next
issue: get your newsagent order in now.
ACORN USER I
COMPETITION
i MARCH
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
109
A LOW COST DISC BASED
PROFESSIONAL
ACCOUNTING PROGRAM
For the BBC Computer
"Micro-Trader"
INTEGRATED SALES PURCHASE AND NOMINAL LEDGERS
Designed for business use by a business man. "Micro-Trader" offers full Sales and
Purchase Ledger facilities including SALES INVOICE and STATEMENT PRINTING
with a capacity of up to 1,000 accounts and 5,000 transactions per month.
Nominal Ledger features quick and easy entry of everyday transactions. Up to 6 Bank
Accounts, full V.A.T. facilities, Journal Posting. Full Reporting for individual accounts,
Audit Trail, Trial Balance, Profit B Loss and Balance Sheet.
"MICRO-STOCK"
Stock Control program, fully integrated with
"Micro-Trader". 4,000 Stock Items with user
defined Codes. Invoice and Credit Notes and
Cash Sales routine. Full Stock Held Reports.
£75.00 + V.A.T.
"EXTENDED PAYROLL"
Micro-Aid Full Feature Extended Payroll. For use
stand alone or integrated with "Micro-Trader".
£49.95 -+- V.A.T.
"MICRO-MAILER"
A Mailmerge program, fully
integrated with "Micro-Trader".
With a user Database.
£30.00 + V.A.T.
rchimedes
PHONE TODAY FOR A FREE FACT SHEET
mEADOID COmPUTERS
11, LONDON STREET, WHITCHURCH, HAMPSHIRE. RG28 7LH
Telephone: Whitchurch (0256) 892008
COMPUTECK
We are Acorn Approved Dealers
* NEW SOFTWARE & HARDWARE AT DISCOUNT PRICES
* "TRADE IN" DEALS ON NEW SOFTWARE & HARDWARE inc ARCHIMEDES
* USED SOFTWARE & HARDWARE ALL AT EXCELLENT PRICES
* WE ALSO BUY IN YOUR USED SOFTWARE & SOME HARDWARE
* MINERVA-BEEBUG-CLARES-AMS-ACORNSOFT-PACE-PMS-WE HAVE THEM ALL
Software & hardware for ‘'trade in" or “buying in" must be in original boxes complete with all the
appropritate literature.
Please send large SAE for Price Lists (over 850 items). If you want to "trade in" or sell lei us know
what you have and want and for which computer. You will hear from us by return. This will be the
best 1 3p on a stamp you will ever spend !!
Minerva System Delta& Card Index 'Discount Price £58.45
Instant Mini Office on Eproms 'Discount Price £ 53*94
T rade in Mini Office 1 1 for Instand Mini Office £ 49*95
Computer Concepts Interword 'Discount Price £ 45*08
Trade in WordwisePlusfor Interword . £35^00
Second hand Price Computer Concepts Disc Doctor £ i q !99
Just a few of the many bargains we have to offer you
PriceincludeVAT ACCESSandVISAaccepted
Tel. 045 74 65953
Computeck(DeptAU) : I.O.O.F. House : 69 High Street West : Glossop : Derbyshire : SK138AZ
WARNING! Anyone' Bonding “plratod" soltwaro on any media will bo reported to tho sotwaro house or author lor logoi
action by thorn!
LABELMASTER
THE MOST VERSATILE LABEL-PRINTING PROGRAM
All you label-printing requirements available in one easy-to-use program.
Messages labels - hundreds of uses for home and business, c.g. labelling samples, products,
packaging, books, discs etc., using a variety of print styles and sizes.
Address labels - create mailing lists and print them onto label.s
All formatting is done for you. Accepts wide variety of label sizes.
Too many features to list - telepnonc us for details.
Requires 80-column screen and Epson-compatible printer (address labels can also be printed on
daisywheel).
Single colour version £18 Multi-colour version (for colour printer) £23.
Available on 40- or 80 track disc for all models of BBC including Master & Compact and also
Electron (DFS only). Please state model w hen ordering. Please add £1 for 3.5" discs.
CAN III-: VIE WED A T CA RE ELECTRONICS.
15k BUFFER KIT FOR JUKI 5510
Fitted in minutes (no soldering required) full casy-to-follow instructions provided
Only £18
All prices include VAT and p&p
Calderdata, High Lee, Luddenden Foot, Halifax HX2 6LB.
T el: 0422 885202 or 0484 846126.
S P I D E R 2
REAL-TIME CONTROL FOR THE BBC MICRO
Watch the SPIDER!
W Powerful new BASIC commands for
invoking PROCs from the User
Pori , Serial Port or the Keyboard.
jw 8 independent countdown timers.
ft Easy to install with no soldering.
^ Comprehensive manual supplied.
New SPIDER 2 features
^ Special keywords for controlling
the Serial Port.
^ Professional implementation of
Foreground/Background
processing.
% Reaction timing and pulse trains
accurate to 0.1 milliseconds!
from £65 including VAT
LOW COST XYZ TABLES
N.C. Work Station for Drilling, Routing, Engraving etc.
200 mm x 300 mm x 1 00 mm XYZ table and controller from £2400.
Outputs from ‘STARC AD\ ‘LINTRACK PCB’ or any other
software using MOVE, DRAW or PLOT commands can be sent
to the machine via RS.232 link
LEEWOOD DEVELOPMENTS LTD
UPTON, CAMBS.
TEL (0480) 890860 (24 Hr)
SPIDER 2 is a RAM/ROM
combination which
uses none of the
BBC’s memory, so
BASIC programs
are unaffected.
The BBC B+
is fully
supported and we
supply a complete range of
digital, analogue and serial
interfaces for use with SPIDER
using the 1MHz bus. n
Ask now for details.
Paul Fray Ltd
Willowcroft, Histon Road, Cambridge CB4
Telephone: (0223) 66529
3JD
^contex.
Archimedes is a trademark of Acorn Computers Ltd.
BANK MANAGER for disc systems only
The most advanced and versatile personal bank account management program available for all
BBC computers. Consistently acclaimed!
“data entry is a delight. . . professional. . excellent product"
Micro User April 86
Enter cheques and receipts. Standing orders any frequency. Automatic date sequencing .
Reconcile statements. Search, amend and delete. Unreconcile. Move forwards or backwards.
Analyse expenditure. Forward cash flow forecast. Up to 36 simultaneous ‘bank accounts online
simltaneously, inter-account transfers. 9999 standing orders. 99 analysis categories. 1 2 actual
and 1 2 budgets per category, over 4,000 postings on an 80tk disc. Reports to screen or printer.
Graphics. Foreign currency support. Password. File recovery. Auto exec file. Field editing.
Itemised look ahead. Programmable report writer.
Standard Bank Manager for the BBC B, B+ £17.50
BANK MANAGER MASTER for disc systems only
Version 2 now available. Includes all of the facilities of the Standard Bank Manager plus ADFS
file system support, shadow screens, uses sideways RAM, 40 or 80 column screen reports,
improved graphics, m/c windows, function key support and onscreen labels, additional
functions added to the already extensive report facilities.
Bank Manager Master for the MASTER and MASTER COMPACT £22.50
Bank Manager for the ARCHIMEDES (all models) £25.00. Phone for upgrade prices.
BANK MANAGER BUSINESS UTILITIES for disc systems only
For the ‘professional’ who also use the BANK MANAGER to control tho business accounts the
BUSINESS UTILITIES add double entry trial balance and programmable spreadsheet analysis
reports. Generated from cheque and cash transactions keyed into BANK MANAGER. Just pass
the reports to your accountant! Available for all Bank Manager versions, state which.
Bank Manager Business Utility Pack 1 £12.00
TYPING TUTOR
Quickly learn to touch type. Over 90 smoothly graded lessons graduate you from the basic home
keys to complet keyboard mastery. Unique word scan line checking. Target WPM and
percentage correct. You may revise the targets or lessons as required. Audio key click for
positive key depression. Establish a typing rhythm using the automatic metronome. Free format
option. Disc version includes several enhancements eg. on screen keyboard, exact mode, on
screen parameters. Recommended.
□
Cassette £1 2.50, Disc for BBC B. B+ -. Master and Compact £1 2.50
Disc for Archimedes (all models) £1 5.00
ALL PR'lCES FULLY INCLUSIVE. FREE POSTAGE WITHIN UK
Enquiries and Access Credit card orders telephone 023 03 347
CONTEXCOMPUTING 1 5 Woodlands Close, Cople,
Bedford MK44 3UE
Please rush me
□40tk [D80tk B3.5" D5V4
I have a BBC: {JB DB-h MastetQCompact. □Archimedes
Enclosed £ ordebit my Access card no
Name
110
ACORN USKR MARCH 1988
VlV'
COME HOME TO A
REAL LIVE WIRE
Inject the power of a mainframe into vour micro.
MICRONET is the only product that provides
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Free PRESTEL™ electronic mail
Teleshopping - holidays, hotels etc.
70,000 PRESTEL users 56,000 Telecom
Gold users
• National and International Telex
• Technical Support and Help Desk
PLUS: Access to PRESTEL and Telecom Gold,
and there’s much more - all for one low cost
subscription. Modem owners call us now for an
on-line demonstration.
With your first annual subscription
MICRONET will give you a free modem.
Complete and return the coupon for your
MICRONET brochure.
MICRONET
MICRONET, Dun-ant House, 8 Herbal Hill,
London, ECIR 5EJ. Telephone 01-278 3143
Please send me a free MICRONET brochure.
Name
Address.
Tel
Micro.
Age.
AU/LW/3/88
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
111
ALL OUR PRICES INCLUDE CARRIAGE & VAT
HSV COMPUTER SERVICES LIMITED (AU)
23, Hampstead House,Town Centre,Basingstoke,RG21 1LG,
NEW LOWER PRICES
DISKETTES
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and envelopes and come vviu^ niiaraI ^ ee _
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1 20 * 5 I j Sd L ,'j d bi c
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PRINTER STANDS
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TILT 'N' TURN MONITOR STANDS
12" Monitor
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cream, Hue^g Ji«r\ across)
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pert all edges)
£12.95
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Credit Card Hotline (0256) 463507 Faxline (0256) 841018
Access ]
112
ACORN USER MARCH 198, S
YELLOW PAGES
IBSDEX/OiMPlTIiQLHTY
Entering listings
To make the task of entering listings easier,
Acorn User has adopted several standards
in the yellow pages. Programs are listed
with line numbers in increments of 10, so
type AUTO <Return> for automatic line
numbering before you start. Before you list
what you’ve entered, type LISTO 1
<Return> to provide spaces after the line
numbers. Programs in the yellow pages are
often listed to a width of 40 characters, so
type MODE 6 <Return> before you start.
Comparing the line-endings of your listing
with the yellow pages will help you spot
extra or missing characters.
To make sure that the program you want
to enter will work on your particular
machine, check the index below. All the
listings work with Basic 1, 2 and 4 (unless
stated otherwise) and with operating sys-
tems OS 1.2 or above. If a program is
accompanied by an article, please read the
article first. If special care is needed when
entering, we provide an easy-to-complete
‘How To Enter’ box.
Once you’ve typed in your program,
save it to tape or disc then test it by
running it. If you have a major problem
with a listing, ask someone to check it.- If
you still have difficulties, you can also send
off for a list of Checksums which help you
find the errors. Send a large sae (26p
stamp) to A [/Checksums, PO Box 641,
London NW9 8TF.
BUILD YOUR OWN TOOLKIT ROM
119
Store your most frequently used utilities in
sideways RAM
lAifif***' ktll iUI Uif Hit
MANDELBROTS IN MOMENTS
122
High-speed Archimedes graphics with this
fascinating program
ARC WINDOWS WITHOUT PAIN
124
First steps in WIMP programming on the
Archimedes
DISCS AND TAPES
lt«i or it it*..- •- I tiri.r.l (V
All the listings on these pages can be found
on this month’s listings disc or cassette. See
page 129 for details of how to order.
BACK ISSUES
gap
A\ * mU
For help with entering and debug
listings see the following back issues: /
’86, June ’85, Aug ’84, Sept ’83.
Program
Page
BBC B B+/128
Master
128
Master
Compact
Electron
Arc
6502SP/
Turbo
ADFS
Econet
Shadow
RAM
Monthly
T/D
Hints & Tips
114
Listing 1
Listing 2 1
Acorn Forum
115
Listing 1
Listings 2-3 2
Listings 4
Joe’s Jottings
117
Listings 1-4 3
Build Your Own ROM 119
Listings 1-3 4
Mandlebrots in Moments 122
Listing 1
Arc Windows
124
Listings 1-3
Notes: 1 Requires Wordwise Plus , 2 Listing 3 requires ADFS, 3 Requires MCL ROM, 4 Requires sideways RAM.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
113
YELLOW PAGES
HINTS & TIPS
See Hints & Tips, page 39
Listing 1. Tower of Hanoi
Listing 2. Wordwise Plus string search
10 REM Hints & Tips listing 1
REM String Search Program
20 REM By Martin Phillips
REM by Mi ke Roden
30 REM For BBC B/B+/M/C/E/ A/Ni mbus wi
REM for B/B+/M/C/E with Wordwise Plus
th BBCbasi c ( 86 )
40 REM (c) Acorn User March 1987
REM (c) Acorn User March 1988
50 :
*FX 229,1
60 MODE 1
VDU 28,0,4,39, 1
70 VDU 23, 1 , 0; 0; 0; 0;
CLS
80 DIM A7. 2000
PRINT " Search for? " ;
90 N7.=0:D=A7.+4
A*=GLK*
100 1 D=& 1020300
CURSOR TOP
110 INPUT "Number of discs "F
PROCmarker
120 ?A7.=0
130 A7.?1=F
VDU 26
140 A7.?2=0
. go
150 A7.?3=0
FIND A*
160 ?D=F
IF EOT THEN GOTO nosign
170 PRINT TAB (0,1) " It should take
C7.=?&07E
" ; 2^F— 1 ; " moves"
DISPLAY
180 si ze7.= 100/F
VDU 31,1,0
190 Y7.=size7.*8
PRINT " -
200 IF Y7.>64 THEN Y7.=64
PRINT "Is this it? (Y/N) -
210 FOR Q=0 TO F-l
VDU 31, C7., 13
220 PROCdraw ( 1 , Q, Q, 1)
G7.=GET
230 NEXT Q
DISPLAY
240 N7.=0
IF G7.=B9 OR G7.= 121 THEN GOTO display
250 PROCproc
CURSOR RIGHT 1
260 END
GOTO go
270 s
280 DEF PROCproc
END
290 LOCAL t
. di spl ay
300 IF ?D=0 THEN ENDPROC
*FX 229,0
310 D?4=?D-1
DOTHIS
320 D?5=D?2
FKEYO
330 D?6=D?1
TIMES 2
340 D?7=D?3
DISPLAY
350 D=D+4
360 PROCproc
END
370 pi =D?-3
. nosi gn
380 t=D?-l
DISPLAY
390 PROCdraw ( t , (F-?D)-1, <A7.?t)-l,0)
VDU 7
400 PROCdraw (pi, F-?D, (A7.?pi> , 1)
VDU 31,1,0
410 A7.?t=A7.?t-l
PRINT " - Search completed.";
420 A7.?pi=A7.?pi+l
PRINT " Press any key
430 D?3=D?-2
G7 ~GE I
440 D?2=t
B, PLAY
450 D?l=pi
CURSOR TOP
460 PROCproc
GOTO display
470 D=D-4
480 ENDPROC
END
490 :
. in \r ker
500 DEF PROCdraw (pi 1 e, n , hei ght , col )
FINE MARKERS
510 IF col = l THEN N7.=N7.+ 1 : PRINT TAB (10
IF EOT THEN GOTO nomarkers
,2)N7.$" moves"
PRINT " From marker only? (Y/N)":
520 pile=pile-l
G7.=GF *
530 X7.=pile*420+80+size7.*n
540 x7.=400+pi 1 e*420-si ze7.*n
IF G7.-J9 OR G7.= 121 THEN ENDPROC
550 GCOL 0, (n MOD 3) +129
. nomar ker s
560 IF col =0 THEN GCOLO, 128
CURSOR TOP
570 VDU 24,X7.;Y7.*height;x7.;Y7.*(height +
1 ) -4; 16,26
580 GCOL 0,3
590 ENDPROC
ENDPROC
March listings
The easiest way to enter the listings is to buy the monthly listings
disc or cassette. It saves time and avoids errors , especially with a
long program. The disc is fully menu-driven and an excellent buy
at only £5.95. The cassette version for the BBC micro and Electron
contains a tape to disc transfer program and costs £3.95. The
programs are also available on 3. 5 -inch disc for the Arc, Compact
and Electron at £ 7.95 , see page 13 for details of how to order.
The listings can also be downloaded from Micronet if you have
a Micronet subscription (page 600 600 890A). The Acorn User
software can be downloaded just like any other programs from
Prestel. Go to the first page by entering *600600890#. From there
the operation is fully prompted. The charge for the software from
Micronet is £ 5.00 , so you can save money too.
114
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
YELLOW PACES
ACORN FORUM
See Acorn Forum, page 49
Listing 1. Archimedes disassembler
10 REM > ARMdis
20 REM by Peter Sandford
30 REM for Archimedes only
40 REM (c) Acorn User March 1988
50 s
60 ON ERROR OSCLI ("FX 4"): END
70 *FX4, 1
80 INPUT "Start address : ",address$
90 address7=4* (EVAL ( "&"+address*) DIV
4)
100 back7.=FALSE
110 step7=4
120 mem7.=FALSE
130 REPEAT
140 IF back - /. THEN PRINT STRING* (8, "<" )
150 IF mem7- THEN
160 step7.=S<100
170 OSCLI ("memory "+STR*^address7.+ " +
"+STR*~step7.)
180 ELSE
190 step7=4
200 OSCLI ("memory I "+STR*'''address7.+ "
+ "+STR*~step7-)
210 END IF
220 CASE GET OF
230 WHEN 9:mem7.=N0T mem7. SPRINT STRING*
(8, "=">
240 WHEN 139:address7.-==step7-:back7.==TRU
E
250 OTHERWISE: address7.+=step7.: back7.=FA
LSE
260 ENDCASE
270 UNTIL FALSE
280 END
Listing 2. Program overwrite warner
10 REM Overwrite warn
460
JSR anyfile
950
JMP (indlv)
ing
470
CMP #0
960
.
20 REM by Dave Athert
480
BEQ out
970
. text
on
490
LDY #0
980
OPT FNequs ("Are yo
30 REM for B/B+/E/M/C
500
. tl oop
u sure (Y/N) " )
40 REM (c) Acorn User
510
LDA text , Y
990
OPT FNequb (0)
March 1988
520
BEQ tex
1000
. buffer
50 s
530
JSR oswrch
1010
□PT FNequd (0)
60 M"/-=&900
540
INY
1020
OPT FNequd (0)
70 osf i 1 e=&FFDD
550
BNE t 1 oop
1030
OPT FNequd (0)
80 osrdch=&FFEO
560
. tex
1040
OPT FNequd (0)
90 oswrch=&FFEE
570
LDA #21
1050
OPT FNequw(O)
100 osnewl =&FFE7
580
LDX #0
1060
. end
110 osbyte=&FFF4
590
JSR osbyte
1070
I
120 f i 1 ev=&212
600
JSR osrdch
1080
NEXT
130 i nd 1 v=&230
610
AND #&DF
1090
A*="SAVE WARN "+S
140 zp=&90
620
CMP #ASC "Y"
TR*~M7.+ " + "+STR*~ (end-M7-)
150 FOR pass=0 TO 3 ST
630
BEQ yes
1100
PRINT A*
EP 3
640
LDA #ASC "N"
1110
PRINT "Press any k
160 P"/.=M7.
650
JSR oswrch
ey to
save the code"
170 COPT pass
660
JSR osnewl
1120
IF GET
180 LDA filev+1
670
JSR unstack
1130
PROCoscli (A*)
190 CMP #patch DIV 256
680
PLP
1140
*WARN
200 BNE install
690
RTS
1150
PRINT "Code instal
210 BRK
700
. yes
led"
220 OPT FNequb (255)
710
JSR oswrch
1 160
END
230 OPT FNequs ( "WARN a
720
JSR osnewl
1170
lready installed")
730
. out
1180
DEF FNequb (b 7-)
240 OPT FNequb (0)
740
JSR unstack
1190
?P7-=b7-
250 s
750
- out2
1200
P7.=P7.+ 1
260 -install
760
PLP
1210
=pass
270 SEI
770
JMP (indlv)
1220
.
280 LDA filev
780
:
1230
DEF FNequw(b7-)
290 STA indlv
790
. unstack
1240
?P7.=b7. MOD 256
300 LDA filev+1
800
LDA zp
1250
P7-?l=b7- DIV 256
310 STA indlv+1
810
LDX zp+1
1260
P7.=P7.+2
320 LDA #patch MOD 256
820
LDY zp+2
1270
=pass
330 STA filev
830
RTS
1280
340 LDA #patch DIV 256
840
:
1290
DEF FNequd (b7)
350 STA filev+1
850
- anyf i 1 e
1300
! P7.=b"/.
360 CL I
860
LDY #1
1310
P7-=P7-+4
370 RTS
870
. al oop
1320
=pass
380 s
880
LDA (zp+1 ) , Y
1330
.
390 -patch
890
STA buffer, Y
1340
DEF FNequs (b*)
400 PHP
900
DEY
1350
*P"/.=b*
410 STA zp
910
BPL aloop
1360
P7.=P"/.+LEN(b*)
420 STX zp+1
920
LDA #5
1370
=pass
430 STY zp+2
930
LDX #buf f er MOD 25
1380
440 CMP #0
6
1390
DEF PROCoscli (stri
450 BNE out2
940
LDY #buf f er DIV 25
ng*)
6
Continued ►
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
115
YELLOW PAGES
ACORN FORUM
◄ Acorn Forum listing 2 continued
1400 DIM X7. &FF
1410 Y7.=X7. DIV 256
1420 $X%=string$
1430 CALL &FFF7
1440 ENDPROC
Listing 3. *DRIVE for ADFS
10 REM *DRIVE for ADF
S
20 REM by Martin Hesk
eth
30 REM for B/B+/E/M/C
with ADFS
40 REM (c) Acorn User
March 1988
50 :
60 oscl i = ! &208 AND &F
FFF
70 DIM dir*(3)
80 DIM bl ock (3)
90 addr=&A90
100 :
110 PRINT ' "*DRI VE Int
ercept Program"
120 PRINT ""Enter the
directory selected when
: " '
130 FOR dri ve=0 TO 3
140 PRINT "A *DRIVE ";
drive;" corpmand is given
:
150 INPUT TAB (31 ) di r$ (
drive)
160 $ (addr ) ="di r "+d
ir$ (dri ve)
170 block (dri ve) =addr
180 addr=addr+LEN ( "###
####"+dir* (drive) )
190 NEXT drive
200 s
210 PROCassemble
220 f i 1 e$="DRV"
230 A*="SAVE "+f i 1 e$+"
"+STR$'' / (cmd ) + " "+STR$~(
addr ) +" "+STR$~ (ini t)
240 PRINT A$
250 PRINT "Press a key
to save the code"
260 IF BET
270 PROCoscli <A$)
280 PRINT "Type *";fil
e$;" to initialise the *
DRIVE
feature"
290
END
300
:
310
DEF PROCassemble
320
EP 2
FOR pass=0
TO 2 ST
330
P7.=&9C0
340
COPT pass
350
. cmd
360
PHA
370
PHX
380
PHY
390
INX
400
STX &70
410
STY &71
420
LDA #drive
MOD 256
430
STA &72
440
LDA #dr i ve
DIV 256
Continued ►
◄ Acorn Forum listing 3 continued
450
STA &73
460
LDY #0
470
.loop
480
LDA (&72) , Y
490
STA store
500
LDA (&70) , Y
510
I NY
520
CMP store
530
BNE nrec
540
TYA
550
CMP #5
560
BNE loop
570
. com
580
JSR sdir
590
. ret
600
PLY
610
PLX
620
PLA
630
RTS
640
.store OPT FNequb (
&00)
650
.drive OPT FNequs (
"DRIVE")
660
. nrec
670
CMP #ASC" . "
680
BEQ poss
690
. exe
700
PLY
710
PLX
720
PLA
730
JSR oscli
740
RTS
750
. poss
760
TYA
770
CMP #3
780
BPL com
790
CMP #2
800
BEQ disc
810
JMP exe
820
-disc
830
LDA #143
840
LDX #18
850
LDY #4
860
JSR &FFF4
870
JMP ret
880
.sdir
890
LDA (&70) , Y
900
CMP #32
910
BEQ space
920
CMP #48
930
BEQ dirO
940
CMP #49
950
BEQ dirl
960
CMP #50
970
BEQ dir2
980
CMP #51
990
BEQ dir3
1000
BRK
1010
OPT FNequb (205)
1020
OPT FNequs ("Bad dr
i ve")
1030
OPT FNequb (0)
1040
. space
1050
INY
1060
JMP sdir
1070
. dirO
1080
LDX #block (0) MOD
256
1090
LDY #bl ock (0) DIV
256
1100
JMP select
1110
.dirl
1120
LDX #bl ock ( 1 ) MOD
256
Continued ►
◄ Acorn Forum listing 3 continued
1130
LDY #bl ock ( 1 ) DIV
256
1140
JMP select
1150
. dir2
1160
LDX #bl ock (2) MOD
256
1170
LDY #bl ock (2) DIV
256
1180
JMP select
1190
. dir3
1200
LDX #bl ock (3) MOD
256
1210
LDY #bl ock (3) DIV
256
1220
. select
1230
JMP oscli
1240
. ini t
1250
LDA #cmd MOD 256
1260
STA &208
1270
LDA #cmd DIV 256
1280
STA &209
1290
RTS
1300
3
1310
NEXT pass
1320
ENDPROC
1330
8
1340
DEF FNequb (b7.)
1350
?P7.=b7.
1360
P7.=P7.+ 1
1370
=pass
1380
1
1390
DEF FNequs (b$)
1400
$P7.=b*
1410
P7.=P7.+LEN(b$)
1420
=pass
1430
8
1440
DEF PROCoscl i (stri
ng$)
1450
DIM X7. &FF
1460
Y7.=X7. DIV 256
1470
$X%=string$
1480
CALL &FFF7
1490
ENDPROC
Listing 4. Digital joystick converter.
10
REM Digital Joysti
ck Interface
20
REM by Ahmed Qamru
ddin
30
REM for BBC B/B+/M
40
REM (c) Acorn User
March 1988
45
2
50
osbyte=?&20B*256+?
&20A
60
port=&FE60
70
ddrb=&FE62
80
M7.=&880
90
PROCassemble
100
?ddrb=0
110
?&20B=M7. DIV 256
120
?&20A=M7. MOD 256
130
PRINT "Joystick co
de instal 1 ed-now run you
r program"
140
END
150
^ r 8
160
DEF PROCassemble
170
FOR pass=0 TO 3 ST
EP 3
180
P7.=M7.
Continued ►
116
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
Y ELLOW PAGES!
JOE’S J 0 T T I N G S
◄ Acorn Forum listing 4 continued
190 COPT pass
200 CMP #128 350
210 BNE exit 360
220 CPX #0 370
230 BMI exit 380
240 BEQ fire 390
250 CPX #3 400
260 BCC joy 410
270 DEX 420
280 DEX 430
290 .joy 440
300 LDA port 450
310 DEX 460
320 BEQ one 470
330 ASL A 480
ASL A
490
-fire
- one
500
JSR
osbyte
LDY #128
510
LDA
port
ASL A
520
AND
#8
BCC hi
530
BNE
no
BPL lo
540
LDX
#3
RTS
550
RTS
. 1 o
560
. no
LDY #0
570
LDX
#0
RTS
580
RTS
. hi
590
LDY #255
600
NEXT
RTS
610
ENDPROC
- exit
JMP osbyte
See Joe’s Jottings, page 81
Listing 1. MCL benchmarks
DEFINE Title
10
REM MCL Benchmarks
20
REM by Joe Telford
30
REM for B/B+/M with MCL
ROM
40
REM (c) Acorn User March
1988
DEFINE BM2
10
LET red CONTROL PRINTER
(7)
20
LET on=HIGH
30
LET of f =L0W
40
PRINT "BM2.S ";
50
TIME=0
60
LOOP 1000
70
red=on
80
ENDLOOP
90
PRINT TIME;" E"
100
red=of f
DEFINE BMI
10
PRINT "BMI . S
20
TIME=0
30
LOOP 1000
40
ENDLOOP
50
PRINT TIME;" E"
DEFINE BM3
10
n=0
20
PRINT "BM3.S ";
30
TIME=0
40
LOOP 1000
50
n=n+l
60
ENDLOOP
70
PRINT TIME;" E"
DEFINE BM5
10
n=128
20
PRINT "BM5.S ";
30
TIME=0
40
LOOP 1000
50
n= (n/2) *2+1
60
c=n
70
ENDLOOP
80
PRINT TIME;" E"
90
c=0
DEFINE BM4
10
LET c CONTROL PRINTER (0) TO PRINTE
R (7)
20
n=0
30
PRINT "BM4-S
40
TIME=0
Continued ►
◄ Joe’s Jottings listing 1 continued
50 LOOP 1000
60 n=n+l
70 c=n
80 ENDLOOP
90 PRINT TIME;" E"
100 c=0
DEFINE BM6
10 n=0
20 PRINT "BM6. S " ;
30 TIME=0
40 LOOP 1000
50 n=n+l
60 IF (n/2)*2=n THEN c=n ELSE c=0
70 ENDLOOP
80 PRINT TIME;" E"
90 c=0
DEFINE BM
10 BMI
20 BM2
30 BM3
40 BM4
50 BM5
60 BM6
Listing 2. Reaction timer
DEFINE Title
10 REM MCL Simple Reaction Tester
20 REM by Joe Telford
30 REM for B/B+/M with MCL ROM
40 REM (c) Acorn User March 1988
DEFINE REACT
10 instructions
20 WAIT RND (500) +200
30 CLS
40 TIME=0
50 *FX 21,0
60 REPEAT
70 UNTIL KEY >0
80 T=TIME
90 PRINT "Time taken = ";T;" hundredth
s sec- "
100 PRINTsPRINT
Continued ►
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
117
YELLOW PAGES
JOE’S JOT TINGS
◄ Joe’s Jottings listing 2 continued
DEFINE instructions
10 CLS
20 PRINT "When the screen clears, pres
s any key. "
30 PRINT
40 PRINT "The time you take to press t
he key"
50 PRINT "will be measured as your rea
ction time ! "
55 PRINT: PRINT
60 PRINT "Press <SPACE> to start!"
70 REPEAT
80 UNTIL KEY=55
90 PRINT: PRINT "Wait "
Listing 3. Advanced reaction timer
DEFINE Title
10 REM MCL Advanced Reaction Tester
20 REM by Joe Telford
30 REM for B/B+/M with MCL ROM
40 REM (c) Acorn User March 1988
DEFINE REACT
10 instructions
20 GRAPH
30 DIM total (2)
40 person (1)
50 person (2)
60 averages
DEFINE instructions
10 CLS
20 PRINT "When you hear a beep, press
any key. "
30 PRINT
40 PRINT "The time between beep and ke
y-press"
50 PRINT "will be measured as your rea
ction time!"
60 PRINT: PRINT
70 PRINT "Press <SPACE> to start!"
80 REPEAT
90 UNTIL KEY =55
DEFINE waitbeep
10 PRINT "LISTEN! "
20 WAIT RND (500) +200
30 BEEP 1
40 TIME=0
50 *FX 21,0
DEFINE actions (go, n)
10 T=TIME
20 PRINT "Time = ";T;" /100 sec."
30 PRINT
40 JOIN n , go*100, T*10
50 PLOT n , go* 100, T*10
60 total (n) =total (n) +T
DEFINE person (number )
10 PRINT "Person ";number; YOUR GO!"
20 go=0
30 REPEAT
40 waitbeep
50 REPEAT
60 UNTIL KEY >0
70 acti ons (go, number )
80 go=go+l
90 UNTIL go>l 1
Continued ►
◄ Joe’s Jottings listing 3 continued
DEFINE averages
10 PRINT "AVERAGE TIMES in l/100th sec
II
20 PRINT
30 PRINT "PERSON 1: "; total ( 1 )/ 1 1
40 PRINT "PERSON 2: " ; total (2) / 1 1
Listing 4. Ferris wheel
DEFINE Title
10
REM MCL Ferris Wheel
20
REM by Joe Telford
30
REM for B/B+/M with MCL ROM
40
REM (c) Acorn User March 1988
DEFINE ferris
10
setup
20
WHENEVER panic IS pressed DO
shutdo
wn
30
LOOP
40
1 oadchai rs (6)
50
spin (10,6)
60
ENDLOOP
DEFINE setup
10
REM here we set the bits which
20
REM control all the sensors
and
30
REM output devices
40
50
LET motor CONTROL PRINTER (0)
TO PR I
NTER
(1)
60
stop=0
70
f wd=l
80
bwd=3
90
100
LET 1 dr READ ADVAL ( 1 )
110
dar k=1000
120
1 i ght=3000
130
140
LET coin READ USER (0)
150
in=L0W
160
170
LET panic READ USER ( 1 )
180
pressed=LOW
DEFINE loadchairs (n)
10
LOOP n
20
wai t_f or_a_ coi n
30
move to next chair
40
ENDLOOP
DEFINE wait_for_a_coin
10
PRINT "Please enter a coin!"
20
REPEAT
30
UNTIL coin IS in
DEFINE move_to_next_chair
10
REM complexity due to rubber
band
20
REM drive to motor.
30
REM move until light shines i
on 1 dr
40
WHILE 1 dr <dark
50
motor=f wd
60
ENDWHILE
70
REM mve till next chair cuts
1 i ght
80
WHILE 1 dr>l i ght
90
motor=f wd
100
ENDWHILE
110
motor=stop
120
REM check for overshoot
130
WAIT 50
Continued ►
118
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
YELLOW PACES
U T I L I T I E S
◄ Joe’s Jottings listing 4 continued
140 WHILE 1 dr >1 i ght
110
REM brake, halt, & move to next chair
150
motor=bwd
120
160
ENDWHILE
130
motor=bwd
170
motor=stop
140
WAIT 100
DEFINE spin (t , n)
150
160
motor=stop
WAIT 300
10
REM spin t TIMES past n CHAIRS
170
move_to_next_chai r
20
30
motor=f wd
DEFINE shutdown
40
LOOP t*n
10
REM a problem has occurred so
50
REPEAT
20
REM shutdown the system!
60
UNTIL 1 dr >1 i ght
30
70
REPEAT
40
motor=bwd
80
UNTIL ldr<dark
50
WAIT 100
90
ENDLOOP
60
motor=stop
100
70
CRASH
See Build Your Own Toolkit ROM, page 87
Listing 1. AutoROM source code
10 REM Autorom
430
BRK
1000
LDA ext, X
1580
JMP out+D7.
20 REM By David Lawre
440
. copy
1010
STA zero+D7., X
1590
1
nee
450
BRK
1020
DEX
1600
.bighelp
30 REM For BBC B/B+/M
460
OPT FNequs ("(C) Ac
1030
BPL szero
1610
JSR nameonly+D7.
/C/E with SWR
orn User 1988")
1040
RTS
1620
LDX # (hi ptx t+D7) M
40 REM (C) Acorn User
470
BRK
1050
I
□D 256
March 1988
480
l
1060
. hex
1630
LDY # (hlptxt+DX) D
50 s
490
. service
1070
PHA
IV 256
60 MODE 7
500
PHP
1080
LSR A
1640
JSR mess+D7.
70 HIMEM=8<6000
510
PHA
1090
LSR A
1650
LDA index
80 PROCvars
520
CMP #9
1100
LSR A
1660
BEQ nomore
90 PROCass
530
BNE not9
1110
LSR A
1670
LDX #(fcached+D7.)
100 PROCcheck
540
JMP help+D7.
1120
JSR dig+D7.
MOD 256
110 *cli="*SAVE Autoro
550
. not9
1130
PLA
1680
LDY # (f cached+D7.)
m 6000 M +STR$~P7.+ n 8000
560
CMP #4
1140
AND #S<F
DIV 256
8000"
570
BNE not4
1150
. dig
1690
JSR mess+D7.
120 X7.=cli MOD 256
580
JMP starcom+D7.
1160
CMP #10
1700
LDX #0
130 Y7.=cli DIV 256
590
. not4
1170
BCC isnum
1710
STX tmp+D7.
140 CALL oscli
600
PLA
1180
CLC
1720
. hloop
150 END
610
PLP
1190
ADC #7
1730
LDX tmp+D7.
160 s
620
RTS
1200
. i snum
1740
LDA index, X
170 DEF PROCvars
630
t
1210
ADC #48
1750
BEQ hdone
180 DIM cli 20
640
. error
1220
JMP oswrch
1760
LDY #4
190 mem=&70: ext=&70
650
STX mem
1230
:
1770
JSR spcs+D7.
191 1 en=8<70: f rom=&72
660
STY mem+1
1240
. hel p
1780
LDY #8
192 to=S<74: ptr=&F2
670
LDY #1
1250
TXA
1790
• names
210 err=&100: f i nf o=&10
680
. xerror
1260
PHA
1800
LDA index, X
0
690
LDA (mem) , Y
1270
TYA
1810
BNE notend
211 f name=8d 12: index=&
700
STA err , Y
1280
PHA
1820
LDA #32
8800
710
I NY
1290
JSR savezero+D7.
1830
. notend
212 store=8<8900
720
CMP #0
1300
LDA (ptr ) , Y
1840
JSR oswrch
230 oswrch=&FFEE: osnew
730
BNE xerror
1310
CMP #13
1850
INX
1=&FFE7
740
LDA #0
1320
BEQ nonly
1860
DEY
240 osasci =&FFE3: osbyt
750
STA err
1330
LDX #8cFF
1870
BNE names
e=&FFF4
760
JMP err
1340
DEY
1880
LDY #8
250 osf i 1 e=&FFDD: osarg
770
l
1350
. hel p 1
1890
JSR spcs+D7
s=&FFDA
780
. mess
1360
INX
1900
LDA tmp+D7.
260 osf ind=&FFCE: oscl i
790
STX mem
1370
I NY
1910
CLC
=&FFF7
800
STY mem+1
1380
LDA hword+D7., X
1920
ADC #16
270 ENDPROC
810
LDY #&FF
1390
CMP #13
1930
STA tmp+D7.
280 :
820
. pmess
1400
BEQ bighelp
1940
BCC hloop
290 DEF PROCass
830
I NY
1410
LDA (ptr) , Y
1950
. hdone
300 FOR 1 7.= 0 TO 2 STEP
840
LDA (mem) , Y
1420
CMP #ASC" . "
1960
LDA #&86
2
850
JSR osasci
1430
BEQ bighelp
1970
JSR osbyte
310 P7.=&6000:D7.=S<2000
860
BNE pmess
1440
AND #&DF
1980
CPX #0
320 COPT 17.
870
RTS
1450
CMP hword+D7., X
1990
BEQ nomore
330 .start
880
l
1460
BEQ hel pi
2000
JSR osnewl
340 RTS
890
. 1 oadzero
1470
. out
2010
. nomore
350 RTS
900
LDX #5
14B0
JSR loadzero+DX
2020
JMP out+D7.
360 RTS
910
. 1 zero
1490
PLA
2030
I
370 JMP service+D7.
920
LDA zero+D7.,X
1500
TAY
2040
. nameonl y
380 OPT FNequb ( 129)
930
STA ext,X
1510
PLA
2050
JSR osnewl
390 OPT FNequb (copy)
940
DEX
1520
TAX
2060
LDY #8<FF
400 OPT FNequb (1)
950
BPL 1 zero
1530
PLA
2070
. pname
410 .title
960
RTS
1540
PLP
2080
I NY
420 OPT FNequs < "Autoro
970
. savezero
1550
RTS
2090
LDA title+D/C, Y
m 1.0")
980
LDX #5
1560
. nonly
2100
JSR oswrch
990
. szero
1570
JSR nameonl y+D/C
Continued ►
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
119
YELLOW PAGES
U T I L I T I E S
M Build Your Own ROM Toolkit listing 1 continued
^2110 BNE pname
2120 JSR osnewl
2130 RTS
2140 s
2150 .spcs
2160 LDA #32
2170 .spcsl
2180 JSR oswrch
2190 DEY
2200 BNE spcsl
2210 RTS
2220 :
2230 . bmove
2240 LDY #0
2250 . move
2260 LDA len
2270 ORA len+1
2280 BEQ bmoved
2290 LDA (from) , Y
2300 STA (to) , Y
2310 INC from
2320 BNE notfhi
2330 INC from+1
2340 .notfhi
2350 INC to
2360 BNE notthi
2370 INC to+1
2380 .notthi
2390 DEC len
2400 LDA len
2410 CMP #&FF
2420 BNE move
2430 DEC len+1
2440 LDA len+1
2450 CMP #&FF
2460 BNE move
2470 .bmoved
2480 RTS
2490 3
2500 .starcom
2510 TXA
2520 PHA
2530 TYA
2540 PHA
2550 JSR savezero+D7.
2560 LDX #0
2570 STY tmp+DX
2580 .coml
2590 LDA coms+DX,X
2600 CMP #255
2610 BEQ nocom
2620 LDY tmp+D7.
2630 . com2
2640 LDA coms+DX, X
2650 BEQ gotcom
2660 LDA (ptr ) , Y
2670 AND #&DF
2680 CMP coms+D7.,X
2690 BNE nextone
2700 I NY
2710 INX
2720 BNE com2
2730 .nextone
2740 INX
2750 LDA coms+DX, X
2760 BNE nextone
2770 INX
2780 INX
2790 INX
2800 BNE coml
2810 .gotcom
2820 INX
2830 LDA coms+D'/., X
2840 STA mem
2850 LDA coms+l+DX,X
2860 STA mem+1
2870 . movey
2880 LDA (ptr ) , Y
2890 CMP #13
2900 BEQ ymoved
2910 INY
2920 CMP #32
2930 BEQ movey
2940 DEY
2950
. ymoved
3790
LDA
a+DX
4610
TAY
2960
JMP (mem)
3800
PLP
4620
JSR
pdata+D7.
2970
i
3810
.jsr
4630
INY
2980
. nocom
3820
JSR
&CAFE
4640
INY
2990
LDX #0
3830
LDA
optr+D7.
4650
JSR
pdata+DX
3000
STX ind+D7.
3840
STA
ptr
4660
INY
3010
. chkind
3850
LDA
optr+l+D7.
4670
INY
3020
LDX i nd+D7.
3860
STA
ptr+1
4680
JSR
pdata+D7.
3030
LDA index, X
3870
LDX
x+D7.
4690
PLA
3040
BEQ none
3880
LDY
y+D7.
4700
TAY
3050
LDY tmp+D7.
3890
LDA
p+DX
4710
DEY
3060
LDA #8
3900
PHA
4720
DEY
3070
STA count +D7.
3910
LDA
#0
4730
JSR
pdata+DX
3080
. cloop
3920
PLP
4740
JSR
osnewl
3090
LDA index, X
3930
RTS
4750
LDA
tmp+D7.
3100
BEQ gotind
3940
s
4760
CLC
3110
LDA (ptr ) , Y
3950
. comout
4770
ADC
#16
3120
AND #&DF
3960
JSR
loadzero+D7.
4780
STA
tmp+D7.
3130
CMP index, X
3970
PLA
4790
BCC
snames
3140
BNE nextind
3980
TAX
4800
. sdone
3150
INY
3990
PLA
4810
LDA
#ASC"&"
3160
INX
4000
TAX
4820
JSR
oswrch
3170
DEC count+D7.
4010
PLA
4830
LDA
memf ree+l+D7.
3180
BNE cloop
4020
LDA
#0
4840
JSR
hex+D7.
3190
. gotind
4030
PLP
4850
LDA
memf ree+DX
3200
LDA (ptr) , Y
4040
RTS
4860
JSR
hex+DX
3210
CMP #32
4050
:
4870
LDX
# (df oot+DX) MO
3220
BEQ indok
4060
.clear
D 256
3230
CMP #13
4070
CMP
#13
4880
LDY
# (df oot+DX) hi
3240
BEQ indok
4080
BNE
notclr
V 256
3250
. nextind
4090
LDY
#0
4890
JSR
mess+DX
3260
LDA ind+D7.
4100
TYA
4900
JMP
comout +DX
3270
CLC
4110
. clrind
4910
:
3280
ADC #16
4120
STA
index , Y
4920
. pdata
3290
STA ind+D7.
4130
DEY
4930
LDA
#32
3300
BCC chkind
4140
BNE
clrind
4940
JSR
oswrch
3310
. none
4150
LDX
#store MOD 256
4950
JSR
oswrch
3320
JMP out+D7.
4160
STX
mem
4960
LDA
index+1 , Y
3330
. i ndok
4170
STX
i ndex+8
4970
JSR
hex+DX
3340
LDX ind+D7.
4180
LDX
#store DIV 256
4980
LDA
index , Y
3350
LDA index+8,X
4190
STX
mem+1
4990
JMP
hex+DX
3360
STA from
4200
STX
i ndex+9
5000
:
3370
LDA i ndex+9, X
4210
LDA
#&C0
5010
. cache
3380
STA from+1
4220
SEC
5020
CMP
#13
3390
LDA index+10,X
4230
SBC
mem+1
5030
BNE
docache
3400
STA to
4240
STA
memf ree+l+DX
5040
LDX
# (csyn+DX) MOD
3410
LDA index+ll,X
4250
LDA
#0
256
3420
STA to+1
4260
STA
iptr+D7.
5050
LDY
#(csyn+DX) DIV
3430
LDA index+14, X
4270
STA
num+D7.
256
3440
STA len
4280
STA
memf ree+D7.
5060
JMP
error+DX
3450
LDA index+15, X
4290
JMP
comout +D7.
5070
. docache
3460
STA len+1
4300
. notclr
5080
LDX
#0
3470
JSR bmove+D7.
4310
JMP
out+D7.
5090
. xname
3480
LDA i ndex+12, X
4320
.
5100
LDA
(ptr) , Y
3490
STA jsr + l+D7.
4330
. data
5110
STA
f name, X
3500
LDA index+13, X
4340
CMP
#13
5120
INY
3510
STA jsr+2+D7.
4350
BNE
notclr
5130
INX
3520
LDA ptr
4360
LDA
index
5140
CMP
#13
3530
STA optr+D7.
4370
BEQ
sdone
5150
BNE
xname
3540
LDA ptr+1
4380
LDX
#(dhead+D7.) MO
5160
LDX
#f name MOD 256
3550
STA optr + l+D7.
D 256
5170
LDY
#f name DIV 256
3560
LDY #0
4390
LDY
#(dhead+D7.) DI
5180
LDA
#& 40
3570
. moveptr
V 256
5190
JSR
osf i nd
3580
INC ptr
4400
JSR
mess+D7.
5200
CMP
#0
3590
BNE notphi
4410
LDX
#0
5210
BEQ
nof i 1 e
3600
INC ptr+1
4420
STX
tmp+D7.
5220
TAY
3610
. notphi
4430
. snames
5230
LDX
#ex t
3620
LDA (ptr ) , Y
4440
LDX
tmp+D7.
5240
LDA
#2
3630
CMP #ASC"*"
4450
LDA
index , X
5250
JSR
osargs
3640
BEQ moveptr
4460
BEQ
sdone
5260
LDA
#0
3650
CMP #ASC" "
4470
LDY
#8
5270
JSR
osf ind
3660
BEQ moveptr
4480
. dl oop
5280
LDA
num+DX
3670
JSR loadzero+D7.
4490
LDA
index , X
5290
CMP
#16
3680
PLA
4500
BNE
nospc
5300
BEQ
noroom
3690
TAY
4510
LDA
#32
5310
LDA
ex t+2
3700
STY y+D7.
4520
. nospc
5320
□RA
ext+3
3710
PLA
4530
JSR
oswrch
5330
BNE
toobi g
3720
TAX
4540
INX
5340
LDA
ext+1
3730
STX x+D7.
4550
DEY
5350
CMP
memf ree+l+DX
3740
PLA
4560
BNE
dl oop
5360
BCC
ok
3750
STA a+D7.
4570
LDA
tmp+D7.
5370
BNE
toobi g
3760
PLA
4580
CLC
5380
LDA
ext
3770
STA p+D7.
4590
ADC
#10
5390
CMP
memf ree+DX
3780
PHA
4600
PHA
5400
BEQ
ok Continued ►
120
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
YELLOW PAGES
U T I L I T 0 E S
◄ Build Your Own ROM Toolkit listing 1 continued
6190
CMP
#32
7020
LDX
tmp+DX
5410
BCC
ok
6200
BEQ
mndone
7030
LDA
index+14, X
5420
:
6210
CMP
#13
7040
STA
len
5430
. toobig
6220
BEQ
mndone
7050
LDA
index+15, X
5440
LDX
# (f tb+DX) MOD
6230
STA
index , Y
7060
STA
len+1
256
6240
INX
7070
CPX
#&F0
5450
LDY
#(f tb+DX) DIV
6250
I NY
7080
BEQ
justdel
256
6260
DEC
tmp+DX
7090
LDA
index+8, X
5460
JMP
error +DX
6270
BNE
mname
7100
STA
to
5470
.nofile
6280
. mndone
7110
LDA
index+9, X
5480
LDX
# (f nf +DX) MOD
6290
LDA
num+DX
7120
STA
to+1
256
6300
CMP
#15
7130
LDA
index+24, X
5490
LDY
# (f nf +D7.) DIV
6310
BEQ
noinc
7140
STA
from
256
6320
LDA
iptr+DX
7150
LDA
i ndex+25, X
5500
JMP
error+DX
6330
CLC
7160
STA
f rom+1
5510
. noroom
6340
ADC
#16
7170
LDY
#0
5520
LDX
# (ni s+DX) MOD
6350
STA
iptr+DX
7180
. shuf f 1 e
256
6360
TAY
7190
LDA
(from) , Y
5530
LDY
# (ni s+DX) DIV
6370
LDA
to
7200
STA
(to) , Y
256
6380
STA
index+8, Y
7210
INC
to
5540
JMP
error+DX
6390
LDA
to+1
7220
BNE
shuf 1
5550
:
6400
STA
index+9, Y
7230
INC
to+1
5560
. ok
6410
. noinc
7240
. shuf 1
5570
LDY
#8cl 1
6420
INC
num+DX
7250
INC
from
5580
LDA
#&FF
6430
JMP
comout+DX
7260
BNE
shuffle
5590
. clrbl k
6440
i
7270
INC
f rom+1
5600
STA
f inf o, Y
6450
. scrap
7280
LDA
f rom+1
5610
DEY
6460
CMP
#13
7290
CMP
#8<C0
5620
BNE
clrbl k
6470
BNE
doscrap
7300
BNE
shuffle
5630
LDA
#fname MOD
256
6480
LDX
# (ssyn+DX)
MOD
7310
LDA
tmp+DX
5640
STA
f inf o
256
7320
TAX
5650
LDA
#fname DIV
256
6490
LDY
# (ssyn+DX)
DIV
7330
CLC
5660
STA
f inf o+l
256
7340
ADC
#16
5670
LDX
#f inf o MOD
256
6500
JMP
error+DX
7350
TAY
5680
LDY
#f inf o DIV
256
6510
. doscrap
7360
. shuf ind
5690
LDA
#&FF
6520
LDX
#0
7370
LDA
index , Y
5700
JSR
osf i le
6530
. scrap 1
7380
STA
index , X
5710
LDY
iptr+DX
6540
LDA
(ptr ) , Y
7390
INX
5720
LDA
f inf o+2
6550
STA
f name, X
7400
INY
5730
STA
from
6560
CMP
#13
7410
BNE
shuf ind
5740
STA
index+10, Y
6570
BEQ
eoc
7420
LDX
tmp+DX
5750
LDA
f info+3
6580
CMP
#32
7430
. subl en
5760
STA
f rom+1
6590
BEQ
eoc
7440
LDA
index+8, X
5770
STA
index+1 1 , Y
6600
I NY
7450
SEC
5780
LDA
index+8, Y
6610
INX
7460
SBC
len
5790
STA
to
6620
CPX
#8
7470
STA
index+8, X
5800
LDA
index+9, Y
6630
BNE
scrap 1
7480
LDA
index+9, X
5810
STA
to+1
6640
JMP
nof ile+DX
7490
SBC
1 en+1
5820
LDA
f inf o+6
6650
. eoc
7500
STA
index+9, X
5830
STA
index + 12, Y
6660
LDX
#0
7510
TXA
5840
LDA
f inf o+7
6670
STX
tmp+DX
7520
CLC
5850
STA
index+13, Y
6680
. f scrap
7530
ADC
#16
5860
LDA
ext
6690
LDX
tmp+DX
7540
TAX
5870
STA
index+14, Y
6700
LDA
index , X
7550
BCC
sub len
5880
LDA
ext+1
6710
BEQ
notthere
7560
LDA
num+D>.
5890
STA
index+15, Y
6720
LDY
#0
7570
CMP
#16
5900
LDA
memf ree+DX
6730
LDA
#8
7580
BEQ
justdel
5910
SEC
6740
STA
count+DX
7590
LDA
iptr+DX
5920
SBC
len
6750
. comp loop
7600
SEC
5930
STA
memf ree+DX
6760
LDA
index , X
7610
SBC
#16
5940
LDA
memf ree+l+DX
6770
BEQ
comped
7620
STA
iptr+DX
5950
SBC
len+1
6780
CMP
f name, Y
7630
. justdel
5960
STA
memf ree+l+DX
6790
BNE
ncomp
7640
DEC
num+DX
5970
JSR
bmove+DX
6800
INX
7650
LDA
memf ree+DX
5980
LDX
#0
6810
I NY
7660
CLC
5990
. fret
6820
DEC
count+DX
7670
ADC
len
6000
INX
6830
BNE
comploop
7680
STA
memf ree+DX
6010
LDA
f name, X
6840
. notthere
7690
LDA
memf ree+1+1
6020
CMP
#32
6850
JMP
nof ile+DX
7700
ADC
len+1
6030
BEQ
ndot
6860
:
7710
STA
memf ree+1+1
6040
CMP
#13
6870
. ncomp
7720
LDA
#0
6050
BNE
fret
6880
LDA
tmp+DX
7730
LDY
#&F0
6060
. ndot
6890
CLC
7740
. deloop
6070
DEX
6900
ADC
#16
7750
CPY
#&F8
6080
BEQ
gotit
6910
STA
tmp+DX
7760
BNE
noiny
6090
LDA
f name, X
6920
BCC
f scrap
7770
INY
6100
CMP
#ASC" . "
6930
JMP
nof i le+DX
7780
INY
6110
BNE
ndot
6940
. comped
7790
. noi ny
6120
INX
6950
LDA
f name, v
7800
STA
i ndex , Y
6130
. goti t
6960
CMP
#32
7810
INY
6140
LDY
#8
6970
BEQ
compok
7820
BNE
del oop
6150
STY
tmp+DX
6980
CMP
#13
7830
JMP
comout+DX
6160
LDY
iptr+DX
6990
BNE
ncomp
7840
:
6170
. mname
7000
:
7850
. hlptxt
6180
LDA
f name, X
7010
. compok
7860 OPT FNequsC Comm
ands: " )
7870 OPT FNequb (13)
7880 OPT FNequsC' *C
ACHE <f i 1 e>" )
7890 OPT FNequb (13)
7900 OPT FNequsC' *S
CRAP <f i 1 e>" )
7910 OPT FNequb (13)
7920 OPT FNequsC’ *C
LEAR")
7930 OPT FNequb (13)
7940 OPT FNequsC *D
ATA")
7950 OPT FNequw (13)
7960 -f cached
7970 OPT FNequsC File
s cached: " )
7980 OPT FNequw ( 13)
7990 . dhead
8000 OPT FNequs ( "Fi lena
me Load Exec Size Ad
dr" )
8010 OPT FNequw (13)
8020 . df oot
8030 OPT FNequsC bytes
free. " )
8040 OPT FNequw (13)
8050 . f nf
8060 BRK
8070 OPT FNequb (255)
8080 OPT FNequs ("File n
ot found")
8090 BRK
8100 . f tb
8110 BRK
8120 OPT FNequb (254)
8130 OPT FNequs ("File t
oo big")
8140 BRK
8150 .nis
8160 BRK
8170 OPT FNequb (253)
8180 OPT FNequs ("No roo
m in index")
8190 BRK
8200 .csyn
8210 BRK
8220 OPT FNequb (252)
8230 OPT FNequs ( "Syntax
: *CACHE <file>")
8240 BRK
8250 . ssyn
8260 BRK
8270 OPT FNequb (251)
8280 OPT FNequs ( "Syntax
: *SCRAP <f i 1 e>" )
8290 BRK
8300 .hword
8310 OPT FNequs ("AUTORO
M">
8320 OPT FNequb (13)
8330 . corns
8340 OPT FNequs ("CACHE"
)
8350 BRK
8360 OPT FNequw (cache+D
X)
8370 OPT FNequs ("SCRAP"
)
8380 BRK
8390 OPT FNequw (scrap+D
7.)
8400 OPT FNequs ("CLEAR"
)
8410 BRK
8420 OPT FNequw (cl ear+D
7.)
8430 OPT FNequs ("DATA")
8440 BRK
8450 OPT FNequw (data+DX
)
8460 OPT FNequb (255)
8470 .zero
Continued ►
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
121
YELLOW PAGES
GRAPHICS
◄ Build Your Own ROMs listing 1 continued
8480 BRK: BRKs BRK: BRK: BR
KrBRK
8490 . tmp
8500 BRK
8510 .memfree
8520 BRK: BRK
8530 .iptr
8540 BRK
8550 . num
8560 BRK
8570 .count
8580 BRK
8590 -ind
8600 BRK
8610 .a
8620 BRK
8630 .x
8640 BRK
8650 .y
8660 BRK
8670 .p
8680 BRK
8690 .optr
8700 BRK: BRK
8710 .end
8720 BRK
8730 3NEXT
8740 ENDPROC
8750 :
8760 DEF FNequb(b7)
8770 ?P7.=b7. i P7.=P7.+ 1
8780 =1/.
8790 i
8800 DEF FNequw(b7)
8810 ?P7.=b7. MOD 256
8820 P7.?l=b7. DIV 256
8830 P7.=P7.+2
8840 =17.
8850 :
8860 DEF FNequs(bt)
8870 *P7.=b*:P7.=P7.+LEN(b
*)
8880 =17.
8890 :
8900 DEF PROCcheck
8910 PRINT "Checking...
II
8920 PROCsum ( "start ", "o
ut", 20502)
8930 PROCsum ( " out " , " bmo
ve", 16881)
8940 PROCsum ( "bmove" , "g
ot ind ",23862)
8950 PROCsum ( "gotind" , "
data", 28313)
8960 PROCsum ( "data" , "to
obig", 27149)
8970 PROCsum ( "toobig" , "
scrap", 25043)
8980 PROCsum ( "scrap ", "s
huf ind", 22192)
8990 PROCsum ( "shuf ind" ,
"hlptxt", 12295)
9000 PROCsum ( "hlptxt" , "
end", 20917)
9010 ENDPROC
9020 :
9030 DEF PROCsum (S$,E$,
N7.)
9040 T7.=0
9050 FOR I7.=EVAL(S*) TO
EVAL <E$)
9060 T7.=T7.+?I7.:NEXT
9070 IF T7.=N7. ENDPROC
9080 PRINT "Please chec
k from ";S*j" to "jE*,-".
II
Listing 2. Telephone ring
10 REM PHONE (Autorom
listing 2)
20 REM By David Lawre
nee
30 REM For BBC B/B+/M
/C/E
40 REM (C) Acorn User
March 1988
50 :
60 mem7.=&900
70 FOR num7.= l TO 9
80 READ hex$,sum7.
90 tot7.=0
100 REPEAT
110 val7.=EVAL("8<"+LEFT
*(hex$,2) )
120 ?mem7=val7
130 mem7=mem7+l
140 tot7=tot7.+val 7.
150 hex$=MID$(hex$,3)
160 UNTIL hex$=" "
170 IF tot7.<>sum7. PRIN
T "Error in line ";num7.:
END
180 NEXT num7.
190 *SAVE PHONE 900+60
200 :
210 DATA A239A009A9082
0F1FFA905, 1267
220 DATA 8D3809A247A00
9A90720F 1 , 1057
230 DATA FFA24FA009A90
720F1FFA2, 1531
240 DATA 47A009A90720F
1FFA257A0, 1353
250 DATA 09A90720F1FFC
E3809D0D7, 1407
260 DATA 60000 103F60A0
00101007F, 485
270 DATA F6F6FF7F0A010
00100A500, 1051
280 DATA 0900010000000
000060001 , 17
290 DATA 000000000023,
35
Listing 3. Palindrome checker
10
REM CHECK (Autorom
140
CMP #32
310
LDA (&F2) , Y
490
. notsame
listing 3)
150
BNE skipto
320
STA word , X
500
BRK: BRK
20
REM By David Lawre
160
. skipover
330
INY: INX
510
EQUS "Not Palindro
nee
1/0
I NY
340
CMP #13
me"
30
REM For BBC B/B+/M
180
LDA <&F2),Y
350
BNE move
520
EQUB 13: BRK
/C/E
190
CMP #13
360
LDY #0
530
RTS
40
REM (C) Acorn User
200
BEQ eoc
370
DEX
540
. word
March 1988
210
CMP #32
380
DEX
550
BRK
50
I
220
BEQ skipover
390
. compare
560
3NEXT
60
FOR 17=0 TO 2 STEP
230
BNE notspc
400
LDA word,X
570
T7.=0
2
240
. eoc
410
CMP word , Y
580
FOR I7.=&900 TO P7.-
70
P7=&900
250
BRK: BRK
420
BNE notsame
1
80
COPT 17.
260
EQUS "*CHECK <word
430
INY
590
T7.=T7.+?I7.:NEXT
90
. skipto
>"
440
DEX
600
IF T7.< >11553 PRINT
100
I NY
270
EQUB 13: BRK
450
BNE compare
"Checksum error": END
110
LDA <SeF2),Y
280
. notspc
460
BRK: BRK
610
♦SAVE CHECK 900 97
120
CMP #13
290
LDX #0
470
EQUS "Palindrome"
0
130
BEQ eoc
300
. move
480
EQUB 13: BRK
See Mandelbrots in Moments, page 103
Listing 1. Archimedes Mandelbrots
10 REM >MANDELBROT
20 REM by Andrew Fedonczuk
30 REM for Arc only
40 REM (C) Acorn User March 1988
50 :
60 REM Requires minimum conf iguration
70 REM SCREENS I ZE= 10
80 REM SPRITESI ZE=9
90 :
100 MODE 0
110 DIM code7. &1000
120 PROCsel mode
130 PROCinit
140 PROCbasemand
150 REPEAT
160 WHILE FNzoom
170 PROCmandel brot
180 ENDWHILE
190 PROCreturn
200 UNTIL FALSE
210 END
220 :
230 DEF PROCsel mode
240 SYS "OS_Byte", 163,242,65 TO s ze7.,
Size7.,size7. Continued ►
122
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
YELLOW PA6ES
GRAPHICS
◄ Mandelbrots in Moments listing 1 continued
250 IF size7.<&1002C THEN PRINT
SPRITESIZE 9": END
260 DIM block'/- 24
270 block"/.! 0=150
280 block'/-! 4=149
290 block'/. !8=-l
300 SYS "OS_ReadVduVari abl es"
lock'/.+ 12
310 si z e’/.=b 1 oc k'/. ! 1 2
320 start7.=block"/.! 16
330 IF size'/.<80*&400 THEN PRINT
SCREENSIZE 10": END
340 VDU 22, 13
350 *FX 112,1
360 *FX 113, 1
370 ENDPROC
380 :
390 DEF PROCinit
400 @'/.=8<0 10308
410 OFF
420 VDU 28,32,31,39,0
430 VDU 24, 0;0; 1023; 1023;
440 MOUSE ON
450 PRINT TAB (0,0) "Old Vais
460 PRINT TAB (0, 3) "Min X Min Y"
' "Size"
470 PRINT TAB (0, 13) "New Vais
480 PRINT TAB (0, 16) "Min X Min Y" '
' '"Size"
490 PRINT TAB (0,27) "R-Reset. S-Save"
500 ENDPROC
510 :
520 DEF PROCbasemand
530 mi nX=—2. 25
540 mi nY=-l . 5
550 size=3
560 PROCmandel brot
570 *SNEW
580 MOVE 0,0
590 MOVE 1023,1023
600 *SGET basemand
610 ENDPROC
620 :
630 DEF PROCreturn
640 *SCHOOSE basemand
650 GCOL 0,0
660 PLOT 237,0,0
670 mi nX=-2. 25
680 mi nY=-l . 5
690 size=3
700 ENDPROC
710 :
720 DEF FNzoom
730 GCOL 4,0
740 S 7=5 12: MOUSE TO 256,256
750 PRINT TAB (0,4) ; mi nX , TAB (0,7) ;minY,
TAB (0, 10) ; si ze
760 REPEAT
770 MOUSE RECTANGLE 0, 0, 1024-S"/., 1024-S
7.
780 MOUSE X"/.,Y7.,B7.
790 WAIT
800 RECTANGLE X"/., Y7, S7.-4, S7.-4
810 newX=minX+X'/.*size/1024
820 newY=minY+Y'/.*size/1024
830 newS=S7*si ze/ 1024
840 PRINT TAB (0, 17) ; newX, TAB (0, 20) ; new
Y, TAB (0,23) ; newS
850 key$=INKEY*(0)
860 WAIT
870 RECTANGLE X'/., Y"/. , S7.-4, S7.-4
880 IF key*="S" THEN
890 VDU 28,32,31,39,26,12
900 INPUT "Fi 1 ename" ; F$
910 IF F*<>"" THEN OSCLI ( "SCREENSAVE "
+F*>
920 CLS
930 PROCinit
940 END IF
950 IF (B7- AND 1)=1 AND S"/.<1024 THEN S
"/.+=16
960 IF (B7. AND 4) =4 AND S'/- >64 THEN S
7.-= 16
970 UNTIL (B7. AND 2) =2 OR key$="R"
980 minX=newX: minY=newY: size=newS
990 =NOT ( key$="R" )
1000 :
1010 DEF PROCmandel brot
1020 f ast 7-= ( si z e >0 . 05 )
1030 PROCassem (f ast7)
1040 CALL mandel brot
1050 ENDPROC
1060 :
1070 DEF PROCassem (fast'/.)
1080 resX=320:resY=256
1090 si z X=256: si z Y=256
1100 1 i mi t=128
1110 FOR pass'/.=0 TO 2 STEP 2
1120 :
1130 REM Registers that are 'preserved'
1140 x = 0
1150 y = 1
1160 u = 2
1170 v = 3
1180 uu = 4
1190 vv = 5
1200 r = 6
1210 depth = 7
1220 scrn = 8
1230 count = 9
1240 REM Registers that are corrupted b
y macro
1250 incX = 10
1260 incY = 12
1270 sp = 13
1280 link = 14
1290 :
1300 P'/.=code7.
1310 C OPT pass'/.
1320 -mandel brot
1330 STR sp, stacks
1340 STR link, links
1350 MOV count, #sizX*sizY
1360 LDR scrn, scrnS
1370 LDR y , i ni tY
1380 -loopY
1390 LDR x, initX
1400 -loopX
1410 MOV u, #0
1420 MOV v, #0
1430 MOV depth, #0
1440 -loop
1450 FNmul ti (uu, u, u)
1460 BCS exit
1470 FNmul ti (vv, v, v)
1480 BCS exit
1490 TST uu, #&E0000000
1500 BNE exit
1510 TST vv, #&E0000000
1520 BNE exit
1530 ADDS r, uu, vv
1540 BCS exit
1550 TST r, #&E0000000
1560 BNE exit
1570 FNmul ti (r , u, v)
1580 RSB v, y, r, LSL#1
1590 sub u, uu, vv Continued ►
"Needs
bl ock7-, b
"Needs
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
123
YELLOW PACES
< Mandelbrots in Moments listing 1 continued
1600 ADD u,u,x
2030
rhs = 11
1610 ADD depth, depth, #1
2040
work = 12
1620 CMP depth, #limit
2050
ResLow = 13
1630 BNE loop
2060
sign = 14
1640 -exit
2070
C OPT pass"/.
1650 STRB depth, CscrnD, #1
2080
MOV lhs, numl
1660 LDR incX, incXS
2090
MOV rhs, num2
1670 ADD x, x, incX
2100
EOR sign, lhs, rhs
1680 SUBS count, count, #1
2110
TST lhs, #8<80000000
1690 TST count, #(<sizX-l) AND &OOFF)
2120
RSBNE lhs, lhs, #0
1700 BNE loopX
2130
TST rhs, #8<80000000
1710 TST count, #((sizX-l) AND &FF00)
2140
RSBNE rhs, rhs, #0
1720 BNE loopX
2150
MOV work, lhs, LSR #8(10
1730 ADD 5crn , scrn, #(resX-sizX)
2160
MOV ResHigh, rhs, LSR #8(10
1740 LDR incY, incYS
2170
BIC lhs, lhs, work, LSL #8(10
1750 ADD y, y, incY
2180
BIC rhs, rhs, ResHigh, LSL #8(10
1760 TEQ count, #0
2190
MUL ResLow, lhs, rhs
1770 BNE loopY
2200
MUL rhs, work, rhs
1780 LDR sp, stacks
2210
MUL lhs, ResHigh, lhs
1790 LDR link, links
2220
MUL ResHigh, work, ResHigh
1800 MOOS pc, link
2230
ADDS lhs, rhs, lhs
1810 :
2240
ADDCS ResHigh, ResHi gh, #8(10000
1820 . initX EQUD minX *<1<<27)
2250
ADDS ResLow, ResLow, lhs, LSL #8(10
1830 -initY EQUD (minY+size) *(1<<27)
2260
ADC ResHigh, ResHigh, lhs, LSR #8d
1840 .incXS EQUD (size/sizX) *(1<<27)
0
1850 -incYS EQUD (-si ze/si z Y) *(1<<27)
2270
TST sign, #8<80000000
1860 . scrnS EQUD starts
2280
RSBNE ResHigh, ResHigh, #0
1870 .counts EQUD 0
2290
MOVS ResHigh, ResHigh, LSL #8(5
1880 .stacks EQUD 0
2300
ADD ResHigh, ResHigh, ResLow, LSR
1890 .links EQUD 0
#&1B
1900 1 NEXT
2310
3
1910 ENDPROC
2320
ENDPROC
1920 s
2330
s
1930 DEF FNmulti (result, numl,num2)
2340
DEF PROCmul ti 16 (ResHi gh , numl , num2)
1940 IF fastV. THEN
2350
lhs = 10
1950 PROCmul ti 16 (resul t , numl , num2)
2360
rhs = 11
1960 ELSE
2370
C OPT pass*/.
1970 PROCmul ti 32 (result , numl , num2)
2380
MOV lhs, numl, ASR #8(E
1980 ENDIF
2390
MOV rhs, num2, ASR #8(E
1990 = ""
2400
MUL ResHigh, lhs, rhs
2000 :
2410
MOVS ResHigh, ResHigh, LSL #8<1
2010 DEF PR0Cmulti32 (ResHi gh, numl , num2)
2420
3
2020 lhs = 10
2430
ENbPRGC
See Arc Windows Without Pain, page 95
Listing 1. Single window demo
10 REM Windows Demo 1
240
UNTIL finished"/.
20 REM by Chris Adie
250
s
30 REM for Arc only
260
*FX 4,0
40 REM (C) Acorn User March 1988
270
*FX 200,0
50 s
280
MODE 12
60 MODE 12
290
END
70 ON ERROR PROCerror
300
s
80 *FX 4,1
310
DEF FNpol 1 (mask*/.)
90 *FX 200,1
320
LOCAL a*/.
100 PROCsysvars
330
block ! 0=mask%
110 PROCcol ours
340
SYS pol 1,0, block TO a*/.
120 PROCdef i newi mpcharacters
350
=a7.
130 DIM block 8(300
360
s
140 SYS init
370
DEF PROCacti on (evnt%, RETURN end/O
150 SYS frcrdrw,-l,0,0, 1279, 1023
380
CASE evnt*/. OF
160 *P0 INTER
390
WHEN 0 s
170 wi ndow%=FNcreatewi ndow ( "Target " , &0
400
WHEN 1 s
F, black, white, 1279, 1023, 10, 10,400,400)
410
PROCredrawwi ndow (bl ock ! 0)
180 PROCopenwi ndow ( wi ndow/C, FALSE)
420
WHEN 2 s
190 f inished"/.=FALSE
430
PROCopenwi ndow (bl ock ! 0, TRUE)
200 :
440
WHEN 3 :
210 REPEAT
450
PROCcl osewi ndow (bl ock ! 0)
220 event7.=FNpol 1 (0)
460
end*/.=TRUE
230 PROCaction (event*/., f i ni shed'/.)
470
when 4 : Continued ►
ARCHIMEDES
124
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
YELLOW PAGES
A R C H I HI E D E S
◄ Arc Windows listing 1 continued
480
WHEN 5 :
1140
mi dgrey=15
490
WHEN 6 s
1150
scrol 1 barf gcol =14
500
WHEN 7 :
1160
scrol 1 barbgcol=l 3
510
WHEN 8 s
1170
hi ghl i ghtbgcol =red
520
WHEN 9 s
1180
ti tl ef gcol =12
530
ENDCASE
1190
ti tl ebgcol =scrol 1 barf gcol
540
ENDPROC
1200
VDU 19,0,24,128,128,128
550
•
1210
VDU 19,15,16,128,128,128
560
DEF PROCopenwi ndow (handl e7., f ul 1 7)
1220
VDU 19, 14, 16, 15*16, 11*16,6*16
570
block !0=handle"/.
1230
VDU 19,13,16,0*16,12*16,15*16
580
IF NOT full’/. THEN SYS getw,0, block
1240
VDU 19, 12, 16,0*16, 0* 16, 8* 1 6
590
SYS openw, 0, bl ock
1250
VDU 19,11,16!
600
ENDPROC
1260
VDU 19, 10, 16!
610
•
1270
VDU 19,9,16!
620
DEF PROCredrawwi ndow (handl e/)
1280
VDU 19,8,16!
630
LOCAL more'/. , x 07. , y07.
1290
ENDPROC
640
block ! 0=handle7.
1300
8
650
SYS redraww, 0, bl ock TO more 1 /.
1310
DEF PROCsysvars
660
PR0C1 waori gi n (bl ock+4, x07., y07.)
1320
wi mp=&400C0
670
WHILE more"/.
1330
ini t=wi mp+0
680
PR0Cdraw(x07.,y07.)
1340
createw=wimp+l
690
SYS getr,0, block TO more"/.
1350
createi =wi mp+2
700
ENDWHILE
1360
del etew=wi mp4- 3
710
ENDPROC
1370
del etei =wi mp+4
720
:
1380
openw=wimp+5
730
DEF PROCcl osewi ndow (handl e"/.)
1390
cl osew=wi mp+6
740
block ! 0=handle"/.
1400
poll=wimp+7
750
SYS cl osew, 0, bl ock
1410
redraww=wi mp+8
760
ENDPROC
1420
updatew=wi mp+9
770
s
1430
getr=wimp+ - 0
780
DEF PROClwaorigin <b, RETURN x::,RETU
1440
getw=*s»i mp4*; 1
RN y7.)
1450
getwi=wimp~12
790
x7.=b ! 0-b ! 16
1460
seti=wimp4-l3
800
y"/.=b! 12— b ! 20
1470
geti=wimp4-l4
810
ENDPROC
1480
getp=wi mp4- 15
820
:
1490
drag=wimp4 16
830
DEF PROCdraw(xO"/.,yO"/.)
1500
frcrdrw=wi mp4* 17
840
LOCAL i"/.
1510
setcaret=wi mp4- 18
850
FOR i"/.=300 TO 50 STEP -50
1520
getcaret=wi mp4- 19
860
GCOL i"/. DIV 50
1530
createm=wi mp4-20
870
CIRCLE FILL x 07.4-640, y0"/.+512, i 7.
1540
decodem=wi mp4-21
880
NEXT
1550
whichi=wimp4-22
890
GCOL black
1560
setex tent=wi mp4-23
900
MOVE x 07.4-1 00, y 07.4-932
1570
ENDPROC
910
PRINT "This is a sample window, sh
1580
s
owing
the scrolling features of the"
1590
DEF FNcreatewi ndow (ti tl e$, f 1 ags/C, f
920
MOVE x 07.4-1 00, y 07.4-900
gcol"/.,
bgcol"/, maxx"/., maxy"/., wal"/., wab"/., war"/.,
930
PRINT "Window Manager module in th
wat"/.)
e Acorn Archimedes microcomputer. "
1600
LOCAL handler.
940
MOVE x0"/.+ 100,y0"/.+ 100
1610
block ! 0=wal"/.
950
PRINT "This is in Black. ";
1620
block! 4= wab 7.
960
GCOL green:PRINT "Tnis i 5 in green
1630
block ! 8=war7
H •
• i
1640
block! 12=wat"/.
970
GCOL blues PRINT "This is in blue.
1650
block! 16=0
H .
»
1660
block! 20=maxy7
980
GCOL redsPRINT "This is in red.";
1670
block ! 24=— 1
990
MOVE x 07.4- 1 00, y 07.4- 132
1680
block! 2S=f 1 a gs7
1000
GCOL cyansPRINT "This is in cyan.
1690
bl ock?32=ti tlef gcol
H .
>
1700
block?33=titl ebgcol
1010
GCOL magenta: PRINT "This is in mag
1710
block?34=fgcol"/.
enta.
•• •
>
1720
block?35=bgcol"/.
1020
GCOL mi dgrey: PRINT "This is in mid
1730
bl ock?36=scrol 1 barbgcol
-grey.
>• .
9
1740
bl ock?37=scrol 1 barf gcol
1030
ENDPROC
1750
bl ock?38=hi ghl i ghtbgcol
1040
8
1760
bl ock?39=0
1050
DEF PROCcolours
1770
block ! 40=0
1060
bl ack=0
1780
block ! 44=0
1070
red=l
1790
block! 48=maxx7
1080
green=2
1800
block! 52=max y"/.
1090
yel 1 ow=3
1810
block ! 56=&2D
1100
bl ue=4
1820
bl ock ! 60=&3000
1110
magenta=5
1830
* (bl ock4-72) =LEFT$ (titled, 1 1 )
1120
cyan=6
1840
block! 84=0
1130
whi te=7
1850
SYS createw, 0, block TO handle"/
Continued ►
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
125
YELLOW PAGES
A R C H I M E D E S
◄ Arc Windows listing 1 continued
I860 =handle7.
1870 s
1880 DEF PROCdef i newi mpcharacter s
1890 REM lines 1900-2050 are not needed
with Arthur > 0-2
1900 VDU 23,128,102,0,60,102,126,102,10
2,0
1910 VDU 23,129,240,144,240,31,31,31,31
1920 VDU 23,130,224,224,224,31,17,17,31
,0
1930 VDU 23,131,254,146,146,242,130,130
,254,0
1940 VDU 23,132,102,153,129,66,129,153,
102,0
1950 VDU 23,133,252,252,255,225,225,33,
63,0
1960 VDU 23,134,102,0,102,102,102,102,6
0,0
1970 VDU 23,135,126,195,157,177,157,195
,126,0
1980 VDU 23,136,24,40,79,129,79,40,24,0
1990 VDU 23,137,24,20,242,129,242,20,24
i ^
2000 VDU 23,138,60,36,36,231,66,36,24,0
2010 VDU 23,139,24,36,66,231,36,36,60,0
2020 VDU 23,140,48,24,60,6,62,102,62,0
2030 VDU 23,141,48,24,60,102,126,96,60,
0
2040 VDU 23,142,102,0,60,102,126,96,60,
0
2050 VDU 23,143,60,102,60,102,126,96,60
,0
2060 ENDPROC
2070 r
2080 DEF PROCerror
2090 MODE 12
2100 *FX 4,0
2110 *FX 200,0
2120 REPORT: PRINT " at line " ; ERL
2130 END
Listing 2. Multiple window demo
Listings 2 and 3 also require PROCcolours, PROCsysvars , FNcreate-
window y PROCdef inewimp characters and PROCCerror from listing
1. Add these procedures onto the end of the listing
10 REM Windows Demo 2
20 REM by Chris Adie
30 REM for Arc only
40 REM (C) Acorn User March 1988
50 :
60 MODE 12
70 ON ERROR PROCerror
80 *FX 4, 1
90 *FX 200,1
100 PROCsysvars
110 PROCcolours
120 PROCdef i newi mpcharacters
130 DIM block &300
140 SYS init
150 SYS frcrdrw,-l,0,0, 1279, 1023
160 *P0 INTER
170 maxindex=3
180 DIM window"/, (max index )
190 DIM wi ndow$ (max i ndex )
200 DATA "Circles", "Ellipses", "Rectang
1 es"
210 FOR i7.= l TO maxindex
220 READ window* (i 7.)
230 window’/- ( i 7.) =FNcreatewi ndow ( wi ndow*
( i 7) ,&0F, black, white, 1279, 1023, 100*i7, 15
0+ 1 00*i 7. , 400+ 1 00* i 7. , 650+ 1 00* i 7. )
Continued ►
◄ Arc Windows listing 2 continued
240 PROCopenwindow (window*/, (i 7) , FALSE)
250 NEXT i’/.
260 :
270 REPEAT
280 PROCaction (FNpol 1 (0) )
290 UNTIL FNfinished
300 :
310 *FX 4,0
320 *FX 200,0
330 MODE 12
340 END
350 :
360 DEF FNpol 1 (mask7)
370 LOCAL a"/.
380 bl ock ! 0=mask’/.
390 SYS pol 1,0, block TO a"/.
400 =a"/.
410 :
420 DEF PROCacti on (evnt’/.)
430 CASE evnt"/. OF
440 WHEN 0 :
450 WHEN 1 :
460 PROCredrawwi ndow (bl ock ! 0)
470 WHEN 2 :
480 PROCopenwi ndow (bl ock ! 0, TRUE)
490 WHEN 3 :
500 PROCcl osewi ndow (bl ock ! O)
510 wi ndow7 (FNwhi chwi ndow (bl ock ! 0) ) =-l
520 WHEN 4 :
530 WHEN 5 :
540 WHEN 6 :
550 WHEN 7 :
560 WHEN 8 :
570 WHEN 9 :
580 ENDCASE
590 ENDPROC
600 :
610 DEF PROCopenwi ndow (handl e7, ful 1 7.)
620 bl ock ! 0=handl e7
630 IF NOT full"/. THEN SYS getw,0, block
640 SYS openw, 0, bl ock
650 ENDPROC
660 :
670 DEF PROCredrawwi ndow (handl e7)
680 LOCAL more’/., x07., y07., i7, name*, junk
690 i7.=FNwhi chwi ndow (handled)
700 name*=window* (i 7)
710 bl ock ! 0=handl e7
720 SYS redraww, 0, block TO more7
730 PR0C1 waorigin (bl ock+4, x07, yO’/.)
740 WHILE more’/.
750 junk=EVAL ( "FNdraw"+name*+" (x0’/.,y07
) ")
760 SYS getr,0, block TO more’/.
770 ENDWHILE
780 ENDPROC
790 :
800 DEF PROCcl osewi ndow (handle7)
810 block ! 0=handle’/.
820 SYS closew, 0, block
830 ENDPROC
840 :
850 DEF PR0C1 waorigin (b, RETURN x"/.,RETU
RN y 7)
860 x7=b ! 0-b ! 16
870 y7=b ! 12-b ! 20
880 ENDPROC
890 :
900 DEF FNdrawCi rcl es (x07, y07)
910 LOCAL i"/.
920 FOR i 7=300 TO 50 STEP -50
930 GCOL i’/. DIV 50
940 CIRCLE FILL x 07+640, y 07+5 12, i 7.
950 NEXT i’/.
960 GCOL black
Continued ►
126
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
YELLOW PAGES
ARCHIMEDES
◄ Arc Windows listing 2 continued
970 MOVE X07.+ 100, y07.+932
9B0 PRINT "This is a sample window, sh
owing the scrolling features of the"
990 MOVE x07.+ 100,y07.+900
1000 PRINT "Window Manager module in th
e Acorn Archimedes microcomputer. "
1010 MOVE x07.+ 100,y07.+ 100
1020 PRINT "This is in Black. ";
1030 GCOL green:PRINT "This is in green
"5
1040 GCOL blue: PRINT "This is in blue.
1050 GCOL
1060 MOVE
1070 GCOL
•• ■
1080 GCOL
enta. ";
1090 GCOL
-grey. ";
1100 =0
1110 :
redrPRINT "This is in red.";
x07.+ 100,y07.+ 132
cyan:PRINT "This is in cyan.
magenta: PRINT "This is in mag
mi dgrey: PRINT "This is in mid
1120 DEF FNdrawEllipses(x07.,y07.)
1130 LOCAL iX
1140 FOR i7.= l TO 6
1150 GCOL iX
1160 ELLIPSE FILL X07.+640, y07.+512, 80*i 7.
,80*(7-i7.)
1170 NEXT i7.
1180 GCOL black
1190 MOVE x07.+ 100,y07.+932
1200 PRINT "This is a sample window con
taining a stack of overlapping";
1210 MOVE x07.+ 100,y07.+900
1220 PRINT "ellipses. The window is cal
led ' El 1 i pses ' "
1230 GCOL magenta
1240 MOVE x07.+ 100,y07.+ 132
1250 PRINT "Try changing routine 'FNdra
wellipses' to do something different."
1260 =0
1270 :
1280 DEF FNdrawRectangl es (x07., y07.)
1290 LOCAL iX
1300 FOR i7.= l TO 6
1310 GCOL iX
1320 RECTANGLE FILL x07.+200+i 7.*60, y07.+5
12— i 7*60, 120*(7-i7.) , 120*i7.
1330 NEXT iX
1340 GCOL black
1350 MOVE x07.+ 100,y07.+900
1360 PRINT "Sample window containing a
stack of overlapping rectangles."
1370 GCOL midgrey
1380 MOVE x07.+ 100,y07.+ 100
1390 PRINT "The name of this window is
' Rectangles ' . "
1400 =0
1410 :
1420 DEF FNfinished
1430 LOCAL finished, iV.
1440 f inished=TRUE
1450 FOR i7.= l TO maxindex
1460 IF wi ndow'/. ( i V.) < >-l THEN finished=F
ALSE
1470 NEXT i X
1480 =finished
1490 :
1500 DEF FNwhi chwi ndow (handl e 9 /.)
1510 LOCAL i7.,this7.
1520 i7.= l: this7.=-l
1530 FOR i7=l TO maxindex
1540 IF window7.(i7.)=handle7. THEN this7.=
i X
1550 NEXT
1560 =this7.
Listing 3. Notepad window demo
10 REM Windows Demo 3
20 REM by Chris Adie
30 REM for Arc only
40 REM (C) Acorn User March 1988
50 :
60 MODE 12
70 ON ERROR PROCerror
80 *FX 4, 1
90 *FX 200, 1
100 PROCsysvars
110 PROCcolours
120 PROCdef i newi mpcharacters
130 DIM block &300
140 SYS init
150 SYS frcrdrw,-l,0,0, 1279, 1023
160 *P0INTER
170 maxindex=3
180 DIM wi ndow7 (max i ndex )
190 DIM wi ndow$ (max i ndex )
200 DIM text* (max i ndex , 25)
210 DIM xpos’/. (max i ndex )
. 220 DIM ypos7. (maxindex )
230 chx7.= 16
240 chy7=40
250 :
260 DATA "Window 1", "Window 2","Window
3"
270 FOR i7=l TO maxindex
280 READ window* (i7)
290 FOR j7.= l TO 25
300 text* ( i 7., j 7.) =STRING* (80, " ")
310 NEXT jX
320 xpos7. ( i 7.) =1
330 ypos7.(i7.)=l
340 wi ndow7. ( i 7.) =FNcreatewi ndow (wi ndow*
( i 7.) ,&0F, black, white, 1279, 1023, 100*i7., 15
0+ 1 00*i X , 400+ 1 00*i X , 650+ 1 00*i X )
350 PROCopenwi ndow (window7. (i7) , FALSE)
360 NEXT iX
370 :
380 REPEAT
390 PROCaction (FNpol 1 (0) >
400 UNTIL FNfinished
410 :
420 *FX 4,0
430 *FX 200,0
440 MODE 12
450 END
460 :
470 DEF FNpol 1 (mask7.)
480 LOCAL a7.
490 bl ock ! 0=mask7.
500 SYS pol 1,0, block TO a7.
510 =a7.
520 :
530 DEF PROCacti on (event'/.)
540 CASE event’/. OF
550 WHEN 0 :
560 WHEN 1 :
570 PROCredrawwi ndow (block ! 0)
580 WHEN 2 :
590 PROCopenwi ndow (bl ock ! 0, TRUE)
600 WHEN 3 :
610 PROCcl osewi ndow (bl ock ! 0)
Continued ►
ACORN USUR MARCH 1988
127
YELLOW PAGES
A B C H I M E D E S
◄ Arc Windows listing 3 continued
620 window"/. (FNwhi chwi ndow (block ! 0) ) =-l
630 WHEN 4 :
640 WHEN 5 s
650 WHEN 6 :
660 PROCbuttonchange
670 WHEN 7 s
680 WHEN 8 s
690 PROCkeypressed
700 WHEN 9 s
710 ENDCASE
720 ENDPROC
730 :
740 DEF PROCopenwi ndow (handle"/., full 7.)
750 block ! 0=handle’/.
760 IF NOT full"/. THEN SYS getw,0, block
770 SYS openw, 0, block
780 ENDPROC
790 s
800 DEF PROCredrawwindow (handle"/.)
810 LOCAL more"/., x 07., y 07., i 7.
820 i 7=FNwhi chwi ndow (handle7.)
830 block ! 0=h an die"/.
840 SYS redraww, 0, bl ock TO mo re"/.
850 PR0C1 waorigin (bl ock+4, xO’/C, yO"/.)
860 WHILE more"/.
870 PROCwritetext (x0"/.,y07.,i7.)
880 SYS getr,0, block TO more"/.
890 ENDWHILE
900 ENDPROC
910 :
920 DEF PROCclosewi ndow (handle’/.)
930 block ! 0=handle"/.
940 SYS closew, 0, block
950 ENDPROC
960 s
970 DEF PR0C1 waorigin (b, RETURN x’/.,RETU
RN y"/.)
980 x’/.=b!0-b! 16
990 y’/.=b! 12-b!20
1000 ENDPROC
1010 :
1020 DEF PROCbuttonchange
1030 LOCAL i"/.
1040 i"/.=FNwhi chwi ndow (block ! 12)
1050 IF ( (bl ock ! 8 AND 7.100)00) AND (bl
ock! 120-1) THEN PROCcursor ( i 7., xpos"/. ( i 7.)
,ypos"/.(i7.) )
1060 ENDPROC
1070 :
1080 DEF PROCkeypressed
1090 LOCAL i7.,col7.,row7.,xl7.,yl"/.,x27.,y27.
1100 i"/.=FNwhichwindow (block !0)
1110 col"/.=xpos"/.(i7.)
1120 row’/.=ypos7.(i7.)
1130 CASE block! 24 OF
1140 WHEN 13:
1150 row’/.+=l
1160 col7.=l
1170 WHEN 7,136:
1180 col V.~— 1
1190 WHEN 137
1200 col"/.+=l
1210 WHEN 139
1220 row"/.-=l
1230 WHEN 138
1240 row’/.+=l
1250 OTHERWISE:
1260 block !24=bl ock! 24 AND &7F
1270 MID* (text* (i 7., row’/.) , col 7., 1 ) =CHR* (b
lock !24)
1280 xl’/.=4+chx’/.* (col 7.-1)
1290 yl"/.= 1024-12-chy7.*row7.
1300 x2"/.=xl7.+chx7.
1310 y2"/.=yl7.+chy"/.
1320 SYS frcrdrw,block!0,xl’/.,yl7.,x27.,y2
7 .
1330 col"/.+=l
1340 ENDCASE
1350 IF col"/.>80 THEN col ’/.= 1 : row’/.+=l
1360 IF col"/.<l THEN col ’/.=80: row"/.-=l
1370 IF (row’/.>25)0R(row7.<l) THEN ENDPRO
C
1380 PROCcursor (i’/., col’/., row"/.)
1390 xpos7.(i"/.)=col"/.
1400 ypos"/. (i7.) =row"/.
1410 ENDPROC
1420 :
1430 DEF PROCwr i tetext (x07., y0>£, i ndex’/.)
1440 LOCAL i"/.,a7.,b7.,c7.,d7.,xl7.,yl7.,x27.,y
27.
1450 PR0C1 wacl i prectangl e (bl ock+4, x 17., y
17.,x2"/.,y27.)
1460 a’/.= (1024-12-y27.) DIV chy’/.+ l
1470 b"/.= (1024-12-yl7.) DIV chy’/.+2
1480 c’/.= (x 17.-4) DIV chx’/.+ l
1490 d’/.= (x2"/.-4) DIV chx"/.+2
1500 d7.=d’/.-c’/.
1510 PROClimit (l,a’/.,25)
1520 PROClimit (l,b"/., 25)
1530 PROClimit (l,c7., 80)
1540 PROClimit <l,d’/., 80)
1550 FOR i’/.=a'/. TO b"/.
1560 MOVE x07.+4+chx’/.*(c7.-l) ,y0’/.+ 1024-20
-chy"/.*(i’/.-l)
1570 PRINT MID* (text* ( i ndex 7., iV.) , c’/. , d7. )
’ 1580 NEXT i’/.
1590 ENDPROC
1600 :
1610 DEF PR0C1 wacl iprectangl e (b , RETURN
x 17., RETURN y 17., RETURN x 27., RETURN y2’/.)
1620 LOCAL x0"/.,y07.
1630 PR0C1 waorigin (b , xO 7., yO’/.)
1 640 x 1 "/.=b ! 24— x 07. : y 1 "/.=b ! 28-y 07.
1 650 x 2"/.=b ! 32-x 07. : y 2"/.=b ! 36-y 07.
1660 ENDPROC
1670 :
1680 DEF PROCcursor (i 7., col 7., row’/.)
1690 LOCAL x’/.,y’/.
1700 x"/.=4+chx"/.*( col 7.-1)
1710 y7.= 1024-48-chy7.*(row’/.-l)
1720 SYS setcaret, wi ndow"/. ( i 7.) ,-l,x‘/.,y’/., %
&1000000 OR 36,-1
1730 ENDPROC
1740 :
1750 DEF PROClimit (lower, RETURN value, u
pper )
1760 IF value< lower THEN value=lower
1770 IF value>upper THEN value=upper
1780 ENDPROC
1790 :
1800 DEF FNf ini shed
1810 LOCAL finished, i"/.
1820 f ini shed=TRUE
1830 FOR iX=l TO max index
1840 IF window’/.(i7.X>-l THEN finished=F
ALSE
1850 NEXT i’/.
I860 =finished
1870 :
1880 DEF FNwhi chwi ndow (handled)
1890 LOCAL i’/.,this7.
1900 i’/.= l: this=-l
1910 FOR i7.= l TO max index
1920 IF window7.(i’/.)=handle7. THEN this"/.=
i’/.
1930 NEXT
1940 =this’/.
128
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
OFFERS
program
I S T
N
Arc WIMPs
and Mandlebrot
graphics
Do you find that you can’t remember whether you’ve saved a
program or not? If the answer is yes then you will find our
First Byte program an essential aid. This routine will auto-
matically save the work you’re doing every four minutes.
Forum has also come up with a solution to another
common irritant, an overwriter warning program. With this
routine you need never again lose valuable work through
overwriting files. There is also a program to aid the games
fan, easing the use of Atari-type joysticks. Martin Phillips has
produced another excellent example of a recursive program,
taking his theme from the ancient game The Tower of
Hanoi’. We have also included a routine to enhance the search
facility in Wordwise Plus.
We have a number of programs for new Archimedes
owners. Forum has produced an Arc disassembler, and there
is a feature showing how to produce Mandlebrots using ARM
machine code in 30 seconds! Use the program illustrating the
use of windows on the Arc and learn to produce your own
windows. There is also an Arc graphics bonus. Owners of the
Archimedes and Compact should turn to page 13 to see how
they can order 3.5-inch discs.
Use our AutoROM program, which sits in sideways RAM,
to save programs easily to sideways RAM using a "'CACHE
command. Joe’s Jotting’s for March gives great examples of
the Micro Control Language.
LISTINGS
Monthly disc and cassette
subscriptions
Guarantee the delivery of your monthly listings by
subscribing to our discs and cassettes, for the best quality
graphics, utilities and routines. A subscription to the
cassettes or discs will save you hours of typing and
de-bugging leaving you time to actually enjoy and use the
programs.
You can subscribe to the monthly cassettes for the
Electron and BBC for just £35 or the discs from £40.
Whichever you choose you won’t regret the investment.
This offer is only open to UK subscribers.
BINDERS
Vastly reduced prices
for disc binders
Our grey cloth disc binder is supplied with its own
protective slip case and is filled with six transparent
inserts which will hold a year’s supply of 5.25-inch
monthly discs, and it is currently available at the special
price of just £6.95.
An Acorn User magazine binder is the best way to keep
your precious copies in pristine condition. Our smart red
binder features a wide spine with the capacity to hold a
whole year’s issues. For only £4.95 your magazines can
last a lifetime.
Acorn User order form on page 133 - 24-hour telephone service (0672) 40825
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
129
Graphics utilities tor
your screens
pgEa The 40-track 5.25-inch Graphics Utilities disc,
mm keenly priced at £7.95, features 16 routines to
manipulate blocks of graphics: rotation and reflection, a
screen compressor/expander, a colour flood-fill routine
and three mode conversion commands.
With the Basic procedure library are multi-height,
proportional and justified text and ‘drop shadow* boxes. A
teletext screen editor gives point plotting, line drawing,
rubber banding and flood fill, along with all mode 7
control codes. All can be used in your own programs.
r ft ffg I he Sideways RAM Utilities disc includes: Ram -
mm Pad - your computer's answer to the pad and pen.
On-Screen Fonts - a variety of print styles available in all
graphics modes. * HLP ROM - add your own help text to
call up when you’re stuck. Standard ROM header for use
when writing your own ROMs. * RLOOK to examine the
contents of your ROMs and sideways RAM images.
There are many more utilities on this 40-track 5.25-inch
disc with a transfer program for 80-track users, and it’s
competitively priced at £9.95.
Acorn Usei order form on page 133 - 24-hour telephone service (0672) 40825
OFFERS
Disc for all sideways
RAM users
A Portfolio
of micro
masterpieces
Jonathan Inglis, freelance illustrator and Acorn’s
HHH artist-in-residence for the launch of the Master series,
has assembled a portfolio of his best work exclusively for
Acorn User readers.
The disc, which costs £9.95, contains screens that national,
and regional publications have commissioned Jonathan to do.
Included are representations of Seurat’s ‘Bathers’, which was
used by Time Out for a cover, and two Acorn User front
covers; Willow from November 1986 and Magician from
January 1986, as well as several which were commissioned by
The Times newspaper group.
Jonathan Inglis is interested in the conversion of work by
the great masters to computer graphics, and three of his
favourites are on the disc for you to enjoy: Seurat’s ‘River-
side’, Vermeer’s ‘Lady at the Virginal’ and a copy of a
lithograph by Matisse.
Pixel Editor and Super Painter have been incorporated to
let you create your own masterpieces. Pixel Editor allows you
draw in and alter the minute detail while Super Painter
enables you to draw lines, texture your screen and shade by
mixing the eight standard colours.
The Portfolio disc comes in 80-track 5.25-inch format, and
makes the ideal gift for the graphics fan. Enclosed with the
disc is a comprehensive instruction sheet telling you more
about the pictures and how the artist created them.
130
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
OFFERS
CALLIGRAPHY
A new dimension
in letter
designing
B This is your chance to produce your own letterheads
and posters to a professional standard, with the
minimum of fuss and effort. Acorn User's Calligraphy disc
has been compiled due to popular demand and contains all
the programs needed to produce letter designs that will
impress your friends and colleagues.
The Desalet program is a simple font creator which
produces customised letters, to your personal design. It will
save you from using repetitive data statements and error
prone calculations. You can save your font set on disc and
then call it up as needed. All previously saved sets can be
modified or added to, and each set covers up to 94 characters.
Modical , a modification of the original Calligraphy pro-
gram (September 1986 Acorn User) is also included on the
disc. Modical allows the use of disc-based font sets created
with Desalet. Modical also incorporates a modified file
creation program, which permits files to be printed out
immediately or saved for later printing.
An enhanced font ROM in the form of a sideways RAM
image, is also on the disc. This allows you to design your own
fonts for use on-screen. Any output to the printer will be in
the new font - thus giving true WYSIWYG capabilities.
There is a selection of new fonts to help you get started.
This superb disc comes in 5.25-inch, 40/80-track format
and is great value at only £9.95.
Easy learning with
Education disc
The Acorn User Education disc makes learning
BHl easy and enjoyable. The disc is packed with useful
programs, including the Eco-fax database for Econets.
Graphics are a strong feature, and included on the disc
are Turtle Logo , Easyplot and Bulletin , and you can then
show off your creations with Vufoil and Noticeboard or
make music with Tunemaker. Also included are an all-
mode dumping routine for Epson compatibles and a
teletext dumping routine for mode 7 dumping to Epson
FX80 compatibles. All this for only £7.95.
N ETFRX index
Network utilities for
better communication
■ The Network Utdities 80-track disc is the logical
addition to your network, combining invaluable
routines with a sophisticated yet easy-to-use noticeboard.
Included is Netfax y our own hybrid information system
providing access to thousands of pages of information.
Other special features are: a file locator and directory size
finder; network manager utilities including a bridge com-
patible screen viewer and a ‘notify all’ facility.
Plus there are 150 Netfax pages covering instructions,
help and indexes, all on a 5.25-inch disc for £19.95.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
24- hour telephone service (0672) 40825
131
OFFERS
CHART SOFTWARE
62.5X
Jan Feb Har
/ 8i / 82 / 83 / 84'85 , 86
Improve your
presentation
with ViewChart
Do you use your micro to prepare figures? Perhaps in
QMtM ViewSheet or ViewStore ? Do you make printed re-
ports? This business graphics program from Acorn User
contributor Peter Sandford is aimed at anyone who uses
figures, and wishes to improve the quality of their work.
ViewChart takes your numeric data from a ViewSheet or
ViewStore file, or manual input, and plots various chart
formats to screen. In one plot you can produce between one
and five piecharts, stacked bar charts up to 25 bars, grouped
bar charts up to 24 bars and line graphs with up to five lines
each of 40 plotted points.
In practice, most business presentation data such as sales
figures, departmental breakdowns, cost analyses and so on
can be presented in a form even the boss will understand!
You can even add extra text and graphics to the completed
chart prior to saving or printing. A screen dump program is
provided, for Epson and compatible printers, which is
specifically designed to fit the width of an A4 page. Instruc-
tions are provided on interfacing to other printers. ViewChart
works in screen mode 0, using full shading effects, so what
you see on screen is what you get on paper, and includes
some tips on final presentation of graphics in documents.
ViewChart is supplied on 40-track 5.25-inch disc and
works on the BBC models B and B4- and Master 128.
And the price of this professional software? Just £12.95.
M
Your favourite Acom User
routines
Get User ROM for your favourite Acorn User
routines. Plug in the ROM chip and 19 routines
are instantly accessible via star commands, including colfill
with 27 colourful fills; dotfill providing 23 new black and
white shades; bad program recovery; variable lister; func-
tion key lister; a graphics compiler; a circle drawing
routine and a sound compiler. There are many demonstra-
tion programs and a 22 page manual. All for £19.95.
Full details are available from Seran, Redwood Pub-
lishing Ltd., 20-26 Brunswick Place, London Nl 6DJ.
0
M
UserDump for perfect screen
dumps at £19.95
B The UserDump will allow you to dump any screen
image in any display mode by entering a single
command - either as a line of your program or by typing in
direct from the keyboard. A perfect dump can also be
obtained while a machine code program is running.
UserDump can dump a graphics window, a distortion-free
dump of mode 0 screens using plotter graphics, translate
teletext screen into mode 1, and shift any area of memory.
UserDump will work with any Epson-compatible printer.
Write for further details to Scran (address opposite).
Acorn User order form on page 134 - 24 hour telephone service (0672) 40825
132
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ACORN USER ORDER FORM
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DISC SUBSCRIPTIONS
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1987
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These discs are 5.25-inch only.
See page 13 for 3.5-inch discs.
ACORN USER MAGAZINE BACK ISSUES
1986
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1988
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UK
1201-7 □ £4.95
1302-1 □ £6.95
EUROPE
□ £7.95
□ £9.95
OVERSEAS
□ £14.95
□ £16.95
m v., .. . . . $
24-hour telephone service (0672) 40825 ||
ACORN USPR MARCH 1988
133
ACORN USER ORDER FORM
ACORN USER OFFERS
ACORN USER ROMS
□ USERDUMP 1001-4
UK = £19.95
□ USER ROM 1002-2
Europe = £20.95
□ AXRROM 1003-0
Overseas = £21.95
TOTAL VALUES
ACORN USER SPECIAL CASSETTES
□ ACORN USER GRAPHICS 0601-7
□ REST OF ACORN USER 0602-5
□ FINEST FAVOURITES 0604-1
UK All three= £5.95
UK Individually = £2.95
Europe = £4.95
Overseas = £5.95
TOTAL VALUES
ACORN USER SPECIAL DISCS
GRAPHICS UTILITIES DISC
40-track 0830-3 □
EDUCATION DISC
40-track 0815-X □
UK = £7.95
Europe = £8.95
Overseas = £9.95
SIDEWAYS RAM
UTILITIES DISC
40-track 0825-7 □
CALLIGRAPHY
40/80-track 0950-4 □
UK = £9.95
Europe = £10.95
Overseas = £11.95
VIEWCHART DISC
40-track 0920-2 □
UK = £12.95
Europe = £13.95
PORTFOLIO DISC
80-track 0970-9 □
Overseas = £14.95
NETWORK UTILITIES
DISC
80-track 0809-5 □
UK = £19.95
Europe = £20.95
Overseas = £21.95
TOTAL VALUE £
□ I enclose a cheque/postal order for a total of £
made payable to Redwood Publishing Ltd
□ Please debit my □ Visa (Barclaycard) □ Access (Mastercard)
Credit card number
t r
r
Expiry date
SIGNED
DATE
MR/MRS/MISS/ MS
INITIALS
SURNAME
. ADDRESS
POSTCODE
TELEPHONE
Please return your order to: Redwood Publishing Ltd, Acorn User Mail Order, Lambourn Woodlands, Newbury Berkshire RG16 7TW
134
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
DIRECT FROM MANUFACTURER /
SPECIAL 10 %
LAUNCH OFFER OFF
2800 1 28K processor, professional keyboard, complete £399.00
2801 1 28K processor, 80 track d/s disc drive,
prof essiona 1 keyboard £475 . 00
2802 1 28K processor, dual 80 track d/s disc drives,
professional keyboard £575.00
2820 1 28K processor, 80 track d/s disc drive,
20 Mb hard disc, professional keyboard £895.00
M2801 1 28K processor, 80 track d/s disc drive, professional
keyboard, hi-res mono monitor £549.00
M2802 1 28K processor, dual 80 track d/s disc drives,
professional keyboard, hi-res mono monitor £649.00
M2820 1 28K processor, 80 track d/s disc drive, 20 Mb hard disc,
professional keyboard, hi-res mono monitor £969.00
MC2801 128K processor, 80 track d/s disc drive, professional
keyboard, hi-res colour monitor £749.00
MC2802 128K processor, dual 80 track d/s disc drives,
professional keyboard, hi-res colour monitor £849.00
MC2820 1 28K processor, 80 track d/s disc drive, 20 Mb hard disc,
professional keyboard, hi-res colour monitor . £1169.00
All systems include View (word processor) Viewsheet
(spreadsheet) and are covered by our 12 Month Guarantee
Hi-res mono monitor 2000 characters/green screen.
Hi-res colour monitor . 37mm dot pitch
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
PURCHASE WITH CONFIDENCE
OAK GUARANTEES THE HIGHEST QUALITY ACORN
COMPATIBLES. . . .OR YOUR MONEY BACK! !
Call Oak for quotes on configuration of your choice.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Delivery single systems £14.00 We are pleased to quote for multiple
deliveries. Telephone for quantity discounts. Prices exclude V.A.T.
United Kingdom customers please add 15%.
Oak Computers, Cross Park House, Low Green,
Rawdon, Leeds LS196HA. Telephone: (0532) 502615. P® 2 !
i ■ J Government and Education Authority Orders Accepted, "v i
THE OAK MENTOR COMPUTER SYSTEM
is based on the famous Acorn Master computer.
The new Oak Mentor range offers the user a
professional computer with more facilities
for less money!
OAK
COMPUTERS
DISC DRIVE ACCESSORIES
Single Disc DriveCase _£7.00 p f p co 22
Dual Disc Drive Case P o P nn
Single Power Cable '22 P o P cl'22
Dual Power Cable £3.65 p&p £1 .00
Single Data Cable £3.95 p&p £1 .00
Dual Data Cable E5 - 95 P & P 00
New Uncased 80T 1/2 Height Double Sided.
Disc Drive. N.E.C. 1 2 Months Warranty £67.00 p&p £5.00
HARDWARE ODDMENTS
Ex demonstrator Mentor model 2802,Fully
Master 128 compatible.includes 128k processor,
keyboard.dual 80 track disc drives, manuals.
full 12 months warranty £475.00 p&p £14.00
Ex demonstrator Mentor model 2800,Fully
Master 128 compatible.includes 128k processor.
keyboard, manuals, full 12monthswarranty £345.00 p&p £14.00
2nd Hand Master 128’s 12 month warranty £295.00 p&p £5.50
BBC Upgrade Kit (processor & keyboard housings) £29.00 p&p £4.50
Printer Cable 1 Meter long £6.75 p&p £1 .00
PrinterCable 1.5 Meters long £8.75 p&p £1.00
Cased 40/80T Switchable DSDD Disc Drive £89.00 p&p £6.00
Cased Dual 40/80T Switchable DSDD Disc Drives £1 78.00 p&p £8.00
Disc Drives come complete in Colour Matched Metal Cases with Fitting
Instructions, Formatting Disc & 12 Months Warranty
BBC/ACORN SPARES
B & B + Keyboards £25.00 p&p £2.50
B& B + Power Supplies £38.00 p&p £2.50
B & B + Plastic Cases £1 2.00 P&P £2.50
E3
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED VISA
Telephone for stocklist and prices
Prices Exclude V.A.T. United Kingdon customers please add 15% to(Total cost + p&p.)
Telephone for Education and quantity discounts
Oak Computers. Cross Park House. Low Green. Rawdon. Leeds LS196HA Tel: (0532) 50261 5
Government and Education Authority Official Orders Accepted
/\ rchimedes
NEW ACORN APPROVED LONDON DEALER
Basic Mono
Colour
Archimedes 305
699.00 749.00
899.00
Archimedes 310
777.00 825.00
975.00
Archimedes 310m
835.00 885.00
1035.00
FREE with Archimedes Sales the excellent new Delta Base
from Minerva.
Compact
309.00 349.95
479.95
Master
375.95
Master Turbo
99.00
Master 512K
189.00
Master ET
303.95
Master Econet Module
40.00
Master Eprom Cartridge
13.00
3.5 Disc Dr 400K
86.95
5.25 Drive 400K single
99.00
5.25 Drive 400K
99.00
5.25 Duel 400K P/S
1 19.00
5.25 Drive 800K Duel
185.00
5.25 Drive 800K Duel P/S
205.00
On demonstration for Archimedes the following:
From Clares:
Artisan, Alpha base, Image,
writer and tool kit
From Minerva:
Deltabase, system Delta Plus
From Pineapple software:
Program II
Stock a range of Printer cables and Disc drive leads.
VAT at 15% Access/Visa accepted
Postage Sc Packing charge extra
AUTOMATIC SERVICES, 217 WOOD STREET,
WALTHAMSTOW, LONDON E17 3 NT 01-521 1784
ACORN US1-R MARCH t‘J88
135
UNBEATABLE DEALS
SMB COMPUTER ELECTRONICS (UK)
PRICE LIST
All Computers listed below are inclusive of VAT but carriage is £6 inc. via Securicor within 24 hours in UK on each item
Items are only available via Mail Order and are covered by our Unique 1 year full guarantee at no extra cost. You can, however, obtain our extended
guarantee, backed by an Enormous Insurance Group, on our behalf, at a nominal 1 payment fee for a maximum of 5 years guarantee. Please phone or write to
us for further details, conditions and an application form.
BBC COMPUTERS
BBC Master 128K
BBC with Turbo Board
£379.00
£486.00
(Inc. 1 Unformated- M/byte Disc Drive with every
Turbo purchased this month and complete with
cables to connect immediately)
51 2K Processor Board £217.35
Universal 2nd Processor £86.25
BBC MASTER COMPACT RANGE
We have a large selection for you to choose
from, as follows
ENTRY SYSTEM
BBC 128K, 640K Disc Drive
and Software £360.00
TV SYSTEM
BBC 128K, 640K Drive, UHF
Modulator and Software £375.00
MONO SYSTEM
BBC 128K, 640K drive software,
1 2" Hires, mono monitor £4 1 0.00
COLOUR SYSTEMS
bbc 128K, 640K Drive, Software
14" med. res. colour monitor £565.00
2nd Drive Kit £113.00
COMPACT ACCESSORIES
2md 3.5" Drive £103.00
Compact RS232 Interface £29.00
PAL TV Adaptor £29.00
Compact 5.25" Disc Lead £1 2.00
Compact Printer Lead £10.00
ARCHIMEDES at special prices
300 Series'
305
Basic £790.00
Mono (Green) £850.00
Colour £1110.00
310
Basic £865.00
Mono (Green) £925.00
Colour £1100.00
NEW 310M SERIES
Basic £935.00
Mono (Green) £1015.00
Colour £1175.00
400 SERIES
410
Basic £1595.00
Mono (Green) £1650.00
Colour £1823.00
440
Basic £2615.00
Mono (Green) £2680.00
Colour £2850.00
Archimedes Information and Booklets available
on request
PRINTERS
AMSTRAD
RIBBONS
DMP 2000
£P.O.A.
AMSTRAD
DMP 3000
£P.O.A.
8512/8256
£3.71
DMP 4000
£P.O.A.
Coloured
£4.82
NEW LQ3500
£P.O.A.
Longlife
£4.76
Coloured
£6.27
EPSON
FX80
£P.O.A.
BROTHER
LX80
£P.O.A.
M1009/GLP
£3.10
EX800
£399.00
Coloured
£3.95
EX1000
£545.00
HR 15/25/35
£3.00
FX80
£315.00
Coloured
£3.80
FX1000
£439.00
LQ800
£429.00
CANON
LQ1000
£585.00
PW1 156/1 080
£2.85
LQ2500
£790.00
LX800
£199.00
EPSON
SQ2500
£899.00
FX/MXS/FT /RX/80/85
£2.70
EPSON Paper Roll Holder
£17.00
Coloured
£2.50
EX80C/1000 Colour Option
£55.00
LX80
£2.50
EX800/100C Colour Ribbon
£18.00
Coloured
£3.50
FX80/86 Tractor Feed Unit
£35.00
FX/LQ/LX800 Single Sheet Feeder
£135.00
EPSON
FX/LQ 1000 Single Sheet Feeder
£149.00
MX/FX/RX 1000/105
£3.10
HI-80 Refills-Set of 4 Pens
£7.00
Coloured
£4.20
LX800 Tractor Feed Unit
£39.00
LQ/LP 1500
£2.90
LX800 Cut Sheet Feeder
£75.00
LQ2500
£4.80
LX 1000 Tractor Feed Unit
£55.00
Coloured
£3.80
PANASONIC - Excludes VAT
SHINWA
Dot Matrix IBM/EPSON Compatible
CP80
£3.70
KX-P1081 Special Price £140.00
Coloured
£4.90
Daisy Wheel
KX-P3131 Special Price £240.00
STAR
'Also available
Gemini 10/15
£1.20
Single Sheet Feeder
£190.00
Coloured
£1.75
Tractor Feed
£85.00
NL 10
£4.55
Spare Ribbon
£3.00
Coloured
£5.70
Radix 15
£2.50
ACORN-OLIVETTI PRINTERS
Coloured
£4.25
JP101 InkJet Printer
(Only available while stocks last)
£65.00
PLAIN LISTING PAPER (Perforated)
1,000 9Vfe" 11 V2" FANFOLD
£5.00
BROTHER DAISYWHEELS
2,000 9W 11 Vi' FANFOLD
£10.00
Special Price
1,000 15" 11" FANFOLD
£9.00
HR15 ‘RS232’ Daisywheel
£270.00
1,000 Sheets Full A4 FANFOLD
£11.00
HR20 Daisywheel
£329.00
2,000 Sheets Full A4 FANFOLD
£19.00
Teleprinter Roll (Econo Paper)
£2.50
JUKI DAISYWHEELS These pncos exclude VAT)
(No carr. on less than 5 rolls)
Juki 6100 Daisywheel
Juki 6200 Daisywheel
Juki 6300 Daisywheel
£250.00
£390.00
£630.00
(All Fanfold has micro perforated feed strips and
leaves a smooth clean edge when detached
Juki 6400 Daisywheel
£890.00
u v-n 1 1 i i ii iici j
PLOTTERS
CARRIAGE ON 1,000 Sheets £1.50
2,000 Sheets £2.00
HITACHI
Hitachi 672 Colour Plotter
£475.00
PRINTER LABELS
(£20 off our usual price)
(Mounted on continuous fanfold sheet)
1 .000 90* 36mm (Single Row)
£4.50
1,000 90* 36mm (Twin Row)
£4.70
1 ,000 90* 49mm (Twin Row)
£7.00
1,000 102* 36mm (Twin Row)
£6.00
Carriage on 1,000 sheets £1.00
Archimedes games are available now! For all machines. Please ask for list.
FULL RANGE OF PACE EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE AVAILABLE, PLEASE PHONE FOR DETAILS, AUTHORISED DEALER AND STOCKIST. TRADE
AND EDUCATION ORDERS WELCOME.
136
ACOKN.USER MARCH 1988
UNBEATABLE DEALS
COMPUTER ELECTRONICS (UK)
PRICE LIST
"Lowest Prices Ever!!
DISCS 574” and 3V>'
(Supplied in platic boxes of 10)
SUPERVISION 620
12" RGB High Res. monitor, IBM, BBC, Apple
and most PC’s. 635x312 lines. Positive or
Fully 100% error-free guaranteed
48 tpi 5VV 96 tpi 5WSS/DD 3VmS/DD 3M>"
10
£6.50
£8.75
£8.50
£10.45
20
£8.50
£11.00
£16.00
£19.75
30
£12.75
£14.25
£23.75
£28.50
40
£15.80
£18.00
£31.00
£38.60
50
£18.50
£20.00
£40.00
£47.50
100
£35.00
£37.50
£87.00
£93.00
200
£70.00
£72.00
£147.50
£175.00
500
£170.00
£185.00
£280.00
£427.50
500+ Discs please call for prices
negative sync input. Text colour switchable to
green, amber, white or blue or inverse white.
Super high contrast tube. Optional swivel base
with Clock/Calendar available.
SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER £289.00
(£10 off)
NEW SUPERVISION 625
12" High Resolution Colour Monitor
681 Dots x 312 lines £359.00
(£10 off usual price)
Disc Boxes available on request
100 Disc Box 10.00
50 Disc Box 8.00
MONITORS TO TV CONVERTER
Well Built AV7300 colour tuner module.
Plastic Boxes for 10 Disc
MONITORS - MONO
PHILIPS
£1.05 only
Push button control. 12 preset channels.
Built in aerial. Compact design.
Composite Video only £65.00
(£10 off usual price)
PHILIPS BM7502 12" Hi-res,
CVBS Input, Audio Input,
20 MHx Band Width,
2000 CHRS Display,
Adjustable Viewing Angle,
Green display £79.00
Philips BM7522 Amber Screen £95.00
Philips BM7542 Dedicated WD
Phosphar Screen Monitor £95.00
Philips BM7513 12" IBM compatible £120.00
All these monitors have a special £7.50 off the
listed price above - LIMITED PERIOD ONLY
TAXAN
New Taxan KX1 17 12" Screen P31 £89.00
Taxan KX1 1 8 1 2” Screen P39 £99.00
Taxan KX1 19 12" PUL Amber Screen £99.00
All these monitors have a special £5 off the
listed price above - LIMITED PERIOD ONLY
COLOUR MONITORS
MICROVITEC
Microvitec 1431 STD Res £201 .25
Microvitec 1457 Med. Res £255.00
Microvitec 1441 Hi-Res £391.00
Microvitec 2030 CS20 Std. Res £425.00
Microvitec 1431AP £224.25
Microvitec 1451AP Med. Res £293.25
All these monitors have a special £15 off the
listed price above - LIMITED PERIOD ONLY
PHILIPS
NEW Philips CM8853
14" CVBX and RGB Med. Res. colour monitor.
IBM PC compatible. Fast blankup to enable
superimposing. Stereo Audio Sound.
•Ear phone socket
600x285 lines vertical £259.00
(£10 off usual price)
Philips CM8852 14" RGB Professional Med.
Res.
Colour 700 dots x 285 lines £279.00
(£10 off usual price)
Philips CM8873 14" RGB High Res. Colour
Monitor. Res. 850 x 480 £540.00
(£10 off usual price)
Taxan Super Vision 620
High Res. Monitor with several unique features,
at a price you can afford.
All prices inc. of VAT
Carriage on Monitors £10 inc. via Securicor - 24
hour service
All Drives are covered by our speical 2 year
guarantee. All 40/80 Drives have switch at the
front of drives.
Disc Boxes available on request.
100 Disc Box 10.00
50 Disc Boix 8.00
Plastic Boxes for 10 Discs £1 .05 only
DISC DRIVES
5.25" & 3.5" Drives
40 track single psu £P.O.A.
40 track single £P.O.A.
80 track single psu £135.00
80 track single £113.00
40/80 track dual vertical psu £219.00
40/80 track dual vertical £235.00
40/80 track dual plinth £265.00
3.5" Single Drive £85.00
3.5" Dual Drive £149.00
3.5" Single Drive psu £135.00
3.5" Dual Drive psu £199.00
5.25" & 3.5" COMBO
40/80 track/3.5" psu £1 89.00 inc
WINCHESTER DRIVES
Large range of Winchester Drives available.
Please enquire for details.
ACCESSORIES
Twin Eprom Cartridges £10.00
TELETEXT/PRESTEL RECEIVERS
Morley Teletext Adaptor £95.00
Acorn Teletext Adaptor £P.O.A.
Acorn Prestel Adaptor £P.O.A.
EPROM PROGRAMMERS
Eprom Programmer with software £30.00
ROMS/EPROMS
2764 £2.10
27128 £3.00
27256 £4.80
6264 (8K) £2.80
COMPUTER CONCEPTS
Inter- Word
£41.50
Inter-Sheet
£38.50
Inter-Base
£55.00
Inter-Chart
£28.00
Spell Master
£47.00
Graphics ROM
£23.00
Wordwise Plus
£40.00
Wordwise
£24.00
Disc Doctor
£28.00
Caretaker
£25.00
Termi
£25.00
Speech ROM
£24.00
Printmaster
£24.00
Accelerator
£48.00
Mega-3
£85.00
ACORN
View 2.1
£35.00
View 3.0
£48.00
View Professional
£79.00
Hi-View
£36.00
View PD Generator
£9.00
ViewSheet
£37.00
ViewStore
£37.00
ViewSpell & 80 track
£29.00
ViewPlot
£22.00
(Master/Compact specify)
Viewlndex
£12.00
OverView
£75.00
(Packs 1 & 2 Master)
ADVANCED COMPUTER PRODUCTS
Adv. Disc Toolkit
£29.00
Adv. 1770 for M/C
£29.00
Adv. 1770 BBC/B+
£29.00
Adv. Disc Investigator
£24.00
Adv. Control Panel
£29.00
Adv. Rom Manager
£13.00
SEND ORDERS TO:
Purchasing Department (Mail Order)
SMB Computer Electronics (UK)
Dept (AU)
16 Pangbourne Drive
Stanmore, Middx. HA7 4QT
Tel: 01-958 4476
(24 hour answering service)
VAT Reg. No. 495 5006 32
New Showroom and Office opening soon at:
7 Sedley Place.
Bond Street,
London W.l.
All prices inc. of VAT & P&P on this page. We
also have a ROM/EPROM PROGRAMMING
SERVICE £11.00 inc. ROM/EPROM. Just send
disc/tape with machine specification BBC/
MASTER/ELECTRON.
VISA
VISA CARDS ACCEPTED
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
137
NEWS FOR ALL ACORN USERS IN
BIRMINGHAM AND THE WEST MIDLANDS
Reach For
The Sky
A
L
P H
A
M
1 C
ROTE
C
OFFERS
SHOWROOM -
WORKSHOP -
ECONET-
EVERY ACORN SYSTEM FROM
ELECTRON TO ARCHIMEDES
ON DEMONSTRATION. PLUS A
FULL RANGE OF DISC DRIVES.
MONITORS, PRINTERS AND
ACCESSORIES.
ALL REPAIRS DONE ON THE
PREMISES. ESTIMATES FREE
OF CHARGE., ACORN SPARES
ALWAYS IN STOCK.
INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE
AND TRAINING. EXTENSIVE
WORK UNDERTAKEN IN THE
EDUCATION AND HEALTH
SECTORS.
WE SPECIALISE IN EXPERT ADVICE - SPEAK TO US FIRST
021 - 745 - 8998
OPEN TUESDAY TO SATURDAY 9. 1 5-6.00
321 STRATFORD RD. SHIRLEY. SOLIHULL B90 3BL
with GLIDER PILOT 2, our comprehensive flight
simulator. Features cable launch, thermals, cross
country with map and practice option. Extensively
machine coded for quick response. Instruction
booklet.
With full instrumentation and “solid” colour
perspective graphics, this is not a game but an
accurate and challenging simulation. Keys or
potentiometer joystick. Find the thermals and soar!!
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW IMPRESSIVE
THIS PROGRAM IS, SEE REVIEW IN THIS ISSUE.
FREE to disc users - “NOTEBOOK” - an easy to
use memopad utility. Use it as a flight loq for Glider
Pilot 2!
B, B+ and MASTER.
Cassette £7.95, 5V4' Disc £8.95, 3' Disc £1 1 .50.
APEX Software,
Station Road, Penshaw,
Tyne & Wear DH4 7PE.
T el: Durham 091 <385 3091 .
/Archive
The Original Subscription Magazine for Archimedes Users
•Archive was the very first magazine written specifically for the
Archimedes range of computers.
•Archive is a professionally produced magazine (A5 laser-printed)
written by enthusiasts (i.e. people like you!) for enthusiasts.
•Archive contains news, views, reviews of software and hardware,
programming ideas, as well as more general articles but above
all, it contains reams of hints and tips.
•Archive started in October 1987 on a limited circulation but the
earlier issues have now been re-printed so that all issues from
Volume 1 N 9 1 onwards are still available.
•Archive has 12 issues a year and 50 pages per issue for just £10!
Technical Help Service: £8/year Members’ Discount:
A telephone hot-line service for 7.5% off Computer Concepts,
immediate help with your Minerva and Clares software
technical problems. Any member purchased through Archive,
can send written enquiries, but Overseas Subscription:
for a fast response use the THS ! Europe £16, Middle East £20,
America/Africa £23, Others £25
Archive UK annual subscription: £10
Send cheques to: “Norwich Computer Services”,
(Sorry, no Access or Visa)
18, Mile End Road, Norwich, NR4 7QY.
For more details ring Paul Beverley on 0603-507057.
Price List — Education January 1988
Whittle Systems
For APPROVED
YOUR NIMBUS PC (j0 um/uu distributor
Expansion
HARDWARE
RIO 1 Megabyte memory upgrade for Nimbus PC £115.00
full height card for TN, PC, PCN1
(includes Silicon Disk d Disk Cache drivers)
CSR200 5.25" DSDD External floppy drive for Nimbus £124.00
CRM20 20 Megabyte external winchester for Nimbus PC £575.00
CRM30 30 Megabyte external winchester for Nimbus PC ... . .... £599.00
CRM40H 40 Megabyte, high speed external winchester £899.00
CRM60H 60 Megabyte, high speed external winchester £1095.00
SOFTWARE
DISK CACHE 511 kbyte disk caching software for 1.5 Mb
Nimbus PC186 £35.00
NIMRUS VIEWDATA Complete local Viewdata package £95.00
(includes NYD-EDITOR, NVD-DtSPLA Y, NVDTUTOR, Modem cable)
TRAPDOOR The ultimate debugging aid £49.95
(also available for (RM PC. APRICOT PC. XI. XEN)
ZEM Z80 CP/M Emulator £49.95
Network pricet of tofiwarc
Up to I union. a ) * iuo4.Ionc peke
Up to IMunom Ol< il.n4rionc price
Up to 24 tuitom B ! < u.nd.lonc p*ict
up >0 j: iuiM.r., a •> • .unduooc poet a II prices exclude P & P and Vat.
53, Bcssclslcigh Road, Tel 0865 736488
Wootton, Fax 0865 736835
Abingdon, Oxford 0X13 61)X.
138
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
ELECTRON AND BBC
ELECTRON JOYSTICK
Electron Joystick Interface & Software £14.95
Qulckshot IITurbo Joystick £13.95
BUY BOTH FOR ONLY £25.00!
HOME INTEREST
NEW I ACORNSOFT OVERVIEW
A sophisticated combination of Viewspell &
Viewstore on Rom Cartridge and
Viewplot, View index and Printer Driver
Generator on Disc
BBC Disc & Rom R.R.P.£9&4e-
OFFER PRICE £78.45
Snapper
Boxer
*Watch your
Weight _£6r99-
TheatreQuiz£6r99'
♦Desk Diary I£r99’
♦Business Games
££r99-
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140
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
REVIEWS
TANKS CONQUER ARCHIMEDES
David Lawrence presents the latest gossip from the games world,
including a new Arc game and tips for Starquake
By the time you read this, the third
Archimedes game should be out! This
latest game has been written by Nicholas
Griffiths for Superior and is currently
called Conqueror. It employs the same
plotting routines as David Braben’s Zarch ,
but this time you control a tank moving
over the surface.
There are actually three games in total.
The first is called Arcade and is simply you
against them. The second, Attrition, gives
you control over six tanks, and you must
use your battle strategy to make it through
the levels. The last game, Strategy, poses a
number of objectives that you must achieve
to gain points, in a similar way to the
trading missions in Elite.
All the graphics and capabilities are
based on real American and German tanks.
Many of you may have seen a very early
version of this game in demo form at the
Acorn User Show last year.
Back down to earth after the Christmas
games rush; the next Bceb game from
Superior is going to be something very
special. Richard Hanson described it as ‘the
very best since Elite.* I’m calling it ‘it’ at
the moment, as he would not disclose the
name to me.
It has come from the pens, or rather
processors, of Jeremy Smith and Peter
Irving (authors of Thrust and Starship
Command respectively), who have been
working on it for about a year. It is similar
to an arcade adventure, but according to
Hanson that doesn’t do it justice. It will be
packaged like Elite with a novella, and have
en enhanced Master version.
Pluribus , Mat Newman’s version of
Marble Madness is coming on, and should
appear along with the other games I’ve
mentioned at about the end of February.
Finally on Superior, The Life of Repton is
selling very well - perhaps yet another
sequel are in the pipeline.
The only game that has dragged me
away from Bonecruncher recently is
Taking on the empire in Star Wars
HIGHSCORE UPDATE
Arkanoid
381,820 Adam Gorst
Frenzy
581,399 Ian Lay
Labyrinth
348,800 Ian Lay
Plan-B
14,090 Stephen Hewson
Repton 2
29,064 Stephen Hewson
Snapper(Elk) 2,429,198 Ronnie Cusworth
Zarch
673,307 Sam Greenhill
Domark’s Star Wars. This is a very good
implementation of the now somewhat
elderly arcade game of the same name. If
you haven’t seen it, you must fly your
X-wing fighter in a last ditch attempt to
destroy the Death Star, just like the film.
After battling Darth Vader’s Tie fighters in
space, you fly across the surface of the
Death Star before diving into that famous
trench and destroying the evil battle for-
tress with one photon torpedo!
The version I have runs in mode 5, and
needs one bank of sideways RAM. It also
has no sound or attacking missiles! These
have, of course, been put in for the release
version, but I’m going to hang onto my
current copy of the game, as makes it a lot
easier to play!
I think Star Wars makes the best use of
wire frame graphics since Elite , certainly
the speed at which everything moves is
very impressive for the humble Beeb. The
only problem is that some of the shapes
appear a bit chunky, it would be nice to see
a Master version running in mode 1.
The latest from the budget Top Ten label
is Skirmish. This is in fact Delos D Harri-
man’s brilliant version of Joust , repackaged
and sold for £1.99. This represents excel-
lent value for money; rush out and buy a
copy! Also in the cut price end of the
market, I’ve received a copy of Atlantis’
Cops and Robbers. This bears a strong
resemblance to some early Spectrum
games. Although technically rather simple,
it may be for you if you can’t ‘get into’
complex games like Bonecruncher.
The latest batch of Revs lap times are
getting very close to Linus’ records. Ian
Lay has equalled his Donnington Park time
1:08.5 and came very close on Snetterton
with a time of 1:00.7 (only three-tenths
slower). Meanwhile Gordon Bell is only
one tenth of a second slower on Silverstone
at 1:23.2. The most recent updates to the
highscore table are in the box.
If you’re still stuck playing Starquake ,
here are the teleport codes courtesy of
reader Max Palmer:
VILGA TAMIS ASOGE DARAQ
LEXIA QUARK ARLON KOPEX
OTRUN URIAH SAMAL MISES
I have received the following cheat mode
for Last of the Free from a D Salt who says
‘After transferring all the files to disc, to
get infinite energy type:
By.=0PENUP ,, FREE2"
PTR#B"/.=410
BPUT#B7.,62
CL0SE#0
then type :: *FREE to run the program as
usual. If you have Basic 1 then use OPE-
NIN instead of OPENUP.’
Finally, I’ve been sent the first few
sections of an Acheton map from Alex
Hopkins. These look very good, so they
may become available soon.
Send your games tips and highscores to
Dave Lawrence , Acorn User, 20-26 Bruns-
wick Place , London N I 6DJ.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
141
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Project Thesius
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7.95
10.95
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7.75
12.95
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7.95
10.95
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2.95
4.95
7.75
12.95
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2.95
4.95
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Enthar 7
-
14.95
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12.95
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SUPERIOR
-
15.95
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Spellbinder
7.95
10.95
12.95
Elixir
7.95
10.95
12.95
7.20
Bone Cruncher
7.95
10.95
12.95
7.75
Play It Again Sam
7.75
10.95
12.95
7.20
Life of Repton
5.95
6.95
7.75
Palace of Magic
7.75
10.95
12.95
19.95
Crazy Rider
7.75
10.95
12.95
22.95
Codename Droid
7.75
10.95
12.95
7.75
10.95
—
Around the World
5.95
6.95
7.75
in Forty Screens
10.95
12.95
-
Superior Collection 1
7.75
10.95
12.95
10.95
12.95
-
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7.75
10.95
12.95
Grand Prix Construction
7.75
10.95
12.95
7.75
10.95
_
Speech
7.50
10.95
12.95
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12.95
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Repton 3
7.75
10.95
12.95
Acornsoft Hits 1
7.75
10.95
12.95
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7.75
10.95
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6.75
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10.95
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17.50
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10.95
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TYNES0FT
Winter Olympiad 88
7.75
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Spy Vs. Spy
7.75
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Phantom
6.75
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6.50
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Oxbridge
6.75
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Jet Set Willy
6.50
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Jet Set Willy 2
6.50
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The Big KO
6.75
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6.75
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Goal
6.75
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7.75
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7.20
12.95
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7.75
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7.75
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For our comprehensive range of BBC and Electron Programmes please send for list
142
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
REVIEWS
GAMES
Bonecrunchcr; Superior Software; BBC,
Master, Compact, Electron; £11.95 (5.25-
inch disc), £9.95 (cassette), £14.95 (3.5-
inch disc)
They always say first impressions are im-
portant. When I first saw Bonecrunchcr, I
thought Superior had designed some new
screens for Repton 3. But after five mi-
nutes, I’d found this was far from the truth
and I’ve been crunching bones ever since.
The Repton similarity is quite marked;
you play the part of some reptile and must
wander around a number of screens col-
lecting skeletons. Your character is called
Bono; I wonder if the author likes U2?
Of course, various monsters try to stop
you. When you have five skeletons, the
bone crunching bit starts. First you must
find a cauldron, make some soap, and then
take it to the bathing monsters upstairs.
You may laugh, but this is serious small
business! After five soapy deliveries, you
move onto the next level, of which there
are 24.
There are three types of enemy crea-
tures, and for a change, a friend! The
monsters head straight for you, spiders
follow the left hand wall and glooks move
towards your last soap delivery. All mons-
ters kill you on contact, but can be trapped
in corners. Here, they will suffocate and
you can collect their bones. This is vital on
later levels as there are not enough ‘natural*
skeletons at the start to make the soap.
Glooks behave rather like Repton boulders,
but can move in any direction. They can
also be pushed about.
Your friend is called Fozzy; he is rather
stupid, but protects you from monsters
and can only be killed if he gets trapped.
Talking of traps, there are two to look out
for; the first is trapdoor that kills anything
that touches it, the other is a ‘volcano* that
erupts glooks once uncovered!
The game is technically very good. The
screen is laid-out well, and clever use of
swapping between two screens creates very
smooth scrolling, if a little slow. But at
least, as far as I can see, it never gets any
slower. A catchy tune adds a lot to the
atmosphere. The packaging is also very
nice, with a comic strip to introduce you to
the characters.
My only criticisms are that there is no
highscore table of any sort, and the picture
that appears whenever you deliver some
soap gets very tedious. Also, even on the
Master versions, the screens are loaded in
in four sets of six - some sort of sideways
RAM storage would have been very nice.
Bonecruncher is a ‘proper* sequel to
Repton - the idea is similar, but the overall
game is very different. It looks like another
Superior hit.
David Lawrence
HUNTING HIGH
AND LO W
The Hunt; Robico Software; BBC; £9.95
(cassette), £12.95 (disc)
The Hunt is a graphical adventure set in
space. Your task is to rescue one of your
ship’s crew who has been kidnapped.
You start the game in a space-ship. You
must keep your wits about you when
starting the game, otherwise you get killed
before you know what has hit you. In only
60 seconds your space-ship opens itself to
outer space.
The adventure contains many animated
characters - some are helpful, but others
are not so friendly.
The graphics are adequate, although
small. They are loaded from disc, which
becomes irritating as there is no way to
stop the re-displaying of pictures when
returning to a location except by turning
the graphics off completely.
There are a few nice touches in the form
of natty puzzles and humourous place
names. Overall it*s a good game, although
nothing new. Don’t, however, take this to
mean that it*s easy. I had to use the cheat
sheet to finish! Gavin Gillings
UNDER A
SPELL
Spellbinder; Superior Software; BBC,
Master, Compact, Electron; £9.95 (casset-
te), £11.95 (5.25-inch disc), £14.95 (3.5-
inch disc)
Back in the dark ages, in the land of
Lorraine, Zorn the evil Magelord has de-
serted the brotherhood and fled to the
castle. You take on the role of Eldon The
Spellbinder, and your task is to search the
castle for Zorn and cast the ultimate spell.
Playing Spellbinder is very easy - just
four directional keys are used, with an icon
system for controlling your actions. This
uses six function keys, and game play is
made considerably easier if you make
yourself a little function key strip. It’s a
pity that one is not provided.
During your travels through the castle,
you come across open chests, pictures,
suits of armour, bookcases and other items
from which you can obtain clues, ingre-
dients for spells, and the pestle and mortar,
vital to mix new spells.
Your journey through the castle is made
much more hazardous by the inhabitants.
If they catch you, they take a percentage of
your energy. Some are more powerful than
others, for instance, a death monk will take
eight per cent, while a black witch only
takes three per cent.
An enjoyable game is made much better
by having a volume level control, rather
than a simple on or off toggle. One poor
feature of the game is the sprites - an
unsightly black border often appears
around them. I am sure that this could
have been easily removed.
Spellbinder is worth playing - but £15 is
a lot for an Electron or Compact game.
Richard Beilis
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
143
COLOURJET 1 32
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* OVERHEAD TRANSPARENCY PRINTING
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REVIEWS
GAMES
NOT LIKE
A HURRICANE
THREE’S A
CROWD
Spitfire 40; Mirrorsoft; BBC B, Master;
£10.95 (5.25-inch disc), £12.95 (3.5-inch)
£7.95 (cassette)
Spitfire 40 is a flight program for the BBC
B, B + and the Master. You are an inex-
perienced fighter pilot and it’s the summer
of 1940. Your aim is to rise through the
ranks gaining medals on the way.
A rookie pilot needs practice before
facing the enemy. The practice mode of the
game allows you to master the techniques
of take off, landing and general control of
the Spitfire. After a successful landing your
flight log may be saved and your level of
experience recorded.
The combat mode is the main section of
the game, in which you are given instruc-
tions detailing the number, height and
bearing of enemy planes. Intercepting the
enemy increases your experience level.
The graphics are reasonable. The instru-
ment panel is adequate, and at low altitudes
buildings and other features are visible.
The flight simulation is light years be-
hind Aviator. Takeoffs, landings and
generally flying are not much of a chal-
lenge (the detailed manual states that the
program is forgiving of errors in the early
stages). It displays almost none of the
characteristics of a real aircraft - let alone
the touchy, high-performance Spitfire.
This is most definitely a game, not a
simulation. However, if you can rise to the
challenge of finding the enemy planes, the
combat game is quite enjoyable.
Overall Spitfire 40 is a reasonable arcade
game. The idea of working your way up
the ranks adds extra interest which just
about makes up for its severe limitations in
other areas. Ashley North
Peter Scott Compilation; Top Ten; BBC,
Electron; £1.99 (cassette)
There are three games in this compilation,
Pandemonium , Network and Yoyo. All
three are virtually identical, apart from
slight changes in graphics. In each you
have the task of controlling a character
which must go around a series of rooms
collecting objects, all in true arcade adven-
ture style.
In each screen there are monsters on the
loose. Contact with these is fatal. To help
you on your way you are equipped with a
weapon. In Pandemonium and Network
you are in possession of a laser, while Yoyo
allows the use of a force shield, which will
happily destroy any monsters that get in
your way.
The similarity between these three games
is so marked that while testing them, a
colleague failed to notice that I had stop-
ped playing Pandemonium and changed
instead to Yoyo.
Each game does, however, have its own
peculiarities. For example, in Pandemo-
nium, if you land on top of a monster you
will find that you can remain there for as
long as you wish without ill affect. If this is
tried in Network , you lose energy. Yoyo
goes the whole hog, as it were, and kills
you off outright as soon as you come in
contact with one of the nasties.
There are some nice features in the
games - for example, the screen being
cleared by scrolling the graphics off when
you die. In Network there is a nice little
jingle part way through loading. What it’s
there for I don’t know, but it sounds good.
And while Pm on the subject of sound, the
music in Yoyo is identical to that in Last of
the Free.
If you have a hankering to try an arcade
adventure, and have not yet had the chance
to play Last of the Free , then these games
might be worth looking at. However, I
would advise anyone considering this com-
pilation not to regard it as three games but
more like one game with three different
sets of screens and graphics. Despite that,
at only £1.99 it still represents excellent
value for money.
Gavin Gillings
SPOT THE
TRAIN
Evening Star; Hcwson; BBC B; £14.95
(disc) £9.95 (cassette)
Evening Star was one of the most powerful
steam locomotives in the British Rail fleet
and this locomotive simulation from Hew-
son does it justice. You play the roles of
both driver and fireman in the cab and
must take the engine on a journey between
Bath and Bournemouth attempting to run
to the timetable despite various obstacles.
The software appears to be a re-run of
Southern Belle , which has been around for
a while, with new journeys. However, it’s
still worth exploring.
Once the controls have been mastered
(using the practice run option) you are
ready to undertake a real journey. In all
there are seven journeys, from the simple
training run using few controls to high
speed runs using all the controls and
hazards such as speed limits and signals.
The graphics used for the simulation are
adequate for a Beeb. The dials and controls
within the cab, and the stations and signals
at the trackside are clearly seen. Unfortu-
nately the track is often difficult to see anc
little trackside scenery is in evidence.
My first impressions were poor. How-
ever, after mastering the controls I fine
myself returning to Evening Star time after
time. Stopping and starting at .stations,
increasing and decreasing power or braking
at the correct time and avoiding ‘explosive
blowback’ in tunnels while attempting to
complete the journey on time is a reward-
ing challenge. Overall, Evening Star is an
excellent simulation, which can be playec
on many levels. I would recommend it to
anyone interested in locomotives or
simulations. Ashley North
145
ACORN US1-R MARCH 1988
REVIEWS
UNITY IS STRENGTH
Acornsoft’s OverView links the View family together and makes it much
more powerful, finds Clive Williamson
OverView offers a simple way of obtaining
all the View family of software for the
Master in one unit. The Master 128 is
already fitted with the View wordprocessor
and ViewSheet spreadsheet as standard, but
there are a number of other View family
products that can increase the Master’s
potential as an aid to serious users in
business, home and school applications.
OverView consists of all the disc-based
programs - ViewPlot , Viewlndex and the
View printer driver generator, a plug-in
ROM cartridge, and all the associated
manuals. The cartridge holds ViewSpell
and the ViewStore database manager, and
their dictionary and utility discs are in-
cluded too.
Once the cartridge is in place in your
Master 128, information about all the View
applications is available through a "'HELP
command, so that you can find out about
the software from the keyboard without
the need to refer to manuals frequently,
and several new star commands are avail-
able with the package.
"'WIDE enables more characters to be
shown on the standard BBC micro screen
display. It works in any of the two-colour
modes - 0, 3, 4 and 6, and their shadow
equivalents - and gives you either 106
characters instead of 80, or 53 characters
instead of 40.
The 106-column display is very difficult
to read on normal TV sets and low or
medium resolution colour monitors, but is
reasonably legible on high-resolution
monitors. It is very useful when, for inst-
ance, you need to see large parts of a
ViewSheet spreadsheet in one go. The
53-column display is an ideal size for
medium and low resolution monitors or
TVs, once again giving you a bigger win-
dow onto your work.
The effect is activated by entering
"'WIDE ON, and removed by typing
"'WIDE OFF, then changing mode. A
necessary evil of this type of display is that
it is slower than the normal screen modes,
and the cursor is seen as a thin, steady line
- not easy to spot in the text. The " WIDE
Feature works with all the View family
langauges and Basic, but does not work
with the Master’s Terminal program.
"'KEEP is an extremely useful new com-
mand geared to better integration of the
View range. The ‘Keeper’ can set up a set
of large file - either on disc or in the
Master’s sideways RAM area - to hold
almost the entire memory of the computer
when you change from one View language
to another. This is refered to as the ‘con-
text’ of the language. For example, if you
were writing a document on the View
wordprocessor but needed to refer to
ViewSheet to "’SPOOL a table of informa-
tion for inclusion in your document, you
would normally save your text from the
wordprocessor, enter ViewSheet and do
the work there, then restart View. You
would then have to reload the text file you
were working on, and reset any special
conditions like insert mode or the location
of markers. If the Keeper is active when
you do this however, the text, marker
positions, state of formatting and so on -
in fact the entire contents of memory - are
preserved in a disc file. The files are called
context files. You can then do what you
like using another language such as View-
Sheet or ViewStore . On returning to View,
you will find everything there just as you
left it. The Keeper reloads everything from
disc or RAM. The command to save onto
disc is "'KEEP ON, and the command can
be followed by the optional specification of
a disc drive or directory name to hold the
"'KEEP files - there are three per language
- so they don’t have to be held on the
current drive if you have a multi-drive
system. If several View family languages
are kept on disc, they will all be stored
separately, so that you can retrieve them,
either during the current session, or later.
In fact, you can switch the micro off
completely. When you begin a new session
type " KEEP ON before entering View and
the Keeper will check on the disc first to
see if the kept files are present. If so it will
load the context files for the language and
start up View exactly as you left it last time
you used it.
If you specify "'KEEP RAM rather than
ON, the language contexts will be pre-
served in the Master 128’s spare sideways
RAM areas. This holds contexts trom two
View family languages at once (meaning
that you can work on three at a time). Any
further langauge will then be stored in disc
as before. This method is very quick to use
- almost instantaneous in fact - while
swapping from one language to another
using disc alone takes about 17 seconds
with the ADFS. There are a couple of
points to watch for with the Keeper. If you
are leaving ViewSheet , you should save any
146
ACORN USKR MARCH 1988
printer windows first using the S\V com-
mand, as these are not preserved by the
Keeper routine. Also, if you use the RAM
option with this command there is no
protection for any ROM images that are
already loaded into the sideways RAM
area, and these may be overwritten without
warning. But the "'KEEP command really
does make light work of passing informa-
tion between the various members of the
View family. There’s also a limitation on
the context files - your View text cannot
be longer than 30k, so very long docu-
ments on a Master Turbo may be too long
to preserve in this way.
Extensions to ViewSheet
"READ is another useful command in an
integrated system, allowing the contents of
an ASCII file to be read into ViewSheet at a
specified location. Data ih the form of
numbers or words can be incorporated into
spreadsheets from other sources, including
the other View programs. For example,
"READ TABLE Al would read in the
contents of a spooled file called TABLE,
placing each separate item in a new slot
starting at Al, and moving down to a new
row whenever it sees a carriage return. The
command usually interprets a group of
spaces as the signal to move on to a new
slot, so any spaces in continuous text should
be deleted and added to the sheet later.
Alternatively the spaces could be replaced
with another character such as an underline
before running the command - this is easily
done in View. Tab characters can be speci-
fied as the separator between items if
required, so if the file to be read in contains
Tabs, such as the field separators in a
ViewStore database, then the "READ com-
mand can be altered accordingly by the
addition of the letter ‘T’ at the end of the
command, eg:
'•’READ TABLE AIT
The new "RC command does the opposite
of the VicwSheet’s PC command. It enables
ViewSheet to read a list of slot contents
from one sheet into another, as if they had
been typed in, and effectively allows the
merging of two or more spreadsheets. If
you have a spreadsheet that you wish to
incorporate in a second sheet, you can
prepare a version of the spreadsheet so that
its slot references correspond to gaps on the
second. A list of the desired slot contents is
obtained from this source sheet by turning
off the printer (using the command "FX
5,0), opening a ;: *SPOOL file to hold the
information, then using the PC command
to ‘print the contents’ of the first sheet. The
Viewlndexcan be linked to the wordprocessor
Ignore case? CY^N> Y
Justify reference numbers? <Y^N> Y
Line length: 45_
Vlvulndvx Sorter
Insert disc containing
intermediate index file,
and enter filename: I . INDEX
Enter filename of final
index: O. INDEX
TH E VIEW FAMILY
View - The wordprocessor. Now in its
third major revision, View remains prob-
ably the most powerful wordprocessor
for the BBC micro. Later versions are
much improved on the original. Although
not simple to use, it contains all the
features for producing professional look-
ing documents. Reviewed June 1983.
ViewSheet The spreadsheet. A powerful
spreadsheet now bundled with the Master
128. Reviewed February 1985.
ViewStore - The database manager. Not
simple to use, and can’t be ‘programmed’
to tailor it to your own application like
Minerva’s DeltaBase , but still the first
choice for most users.
ViewSpell - The spelling checker. A use-
ful adjunct to View , but Computer Con-
cept’s SpellMaster has the edge. Reviewed
July 1987.
ViewPlot - The graph generator. Uses
ViewSheet files to produce graphs and
tables. Acorn User produces its own ver-
sion, ViewChart.
Viewlndex - The automatic indexer. Vital
for authors of technic? 1 works.
View PDG - Creates printer drivers for
the other applications.
"SPOOL file is then closed, and the second
sheet loaded in. The "RC command can
then read the contents of the file and enter
them on the new sheet, slot by slot. The
printer should be re-activated at some stage
using "FX 5,1 for a parallel printer, or "FX
5,2 for a serial one.
Compact OverView
OverView is available as a cartridge for use
on the Master 128, but now it’s also on a
single 3.5-inch ADFS disc for the Master
Compact. This disc version also includes
ViewSheet , which is already bundled with
the Master 128. So whichever Acorn
machine you have, OverView offers to
complete the View family.
OverView also forms part of the ‘Com-
pact Professional’ package, available from
most Acorn dealers. This is a Master Com-
pact, plus OverView and a Brother HR-20
daisy-wheel printer. The combination price
is £746 with a mono monitor, £919 with
colour; separately the items would cost
£1091 or £1264.
Conclusions
I have not attempted to talk about the main
products combined within OverView ,
(ViewStore y ViewSpell , ViewPlot , View-
Index and the printer driver generator) as
these have already been reviewed at length
in Acorn User. The beauty of OverView is
that it supplies all these, and more, in one
convenient package. With a price of under
£100, it represents good value for money for
anyone who wants to use the View software
seriously. Admittedly the View family ap-
plications themselves are not particularly
easy to use by current standards, but they
are extremely versatile, and hence are cap-
able of carrying out an enormous range of
business tasks. View 3, as fitted to the
Master, is a great improvement on the
previous versions, and provides a solid base
for the degree of integration made possible
by OverView. The new commands supplied
in the OverView cartridge are very useful
indeed, and I would like to see them issued
in an 8k ROM for users of the good old
model B. In the meantime, the OverView
package certainly offers BBC model B View
users a good reason to upgrade to the
Master or Compact, if they haven’t done so
!
OverView for the Master 128 (cartridge plus
5.25-inch disc) costs £ 98.90 . OverView for
the Compact ( 3.5-inch disc) costs £99.95.
Clive Williamson is the author of Mastering
View, ViewSheet and ViewStore (Sigma
Pressy £12.95).
ACORN USKR MARCH 1988
147
MASTER THE COMPACT
WITH THE
COMPACT COMPANION
YOU COULD SAVE AS MUCH AS £200 ON THE
PURCHASE OF AN EQUIVALENT MASTER 128 COLOUR SYSTEM!
THE COMPREHENSIVE INTERFACE
TO UPGRADE THE MASTER COMPACT
If you need more from your ACORN COM-
PACT COMPUTER or you are a decision
maker considering the purchase of the
ACORN MASTER 128 for your organisa-
tion, then look at the ECONOMIC advan-
tages of using the ACORN COMPACT
COMPUTER with the COMPACT COM-
PANION.
The COMPANION INTERFACE provides a COMPACT COMPUTER
with most of the extra facilities normally found on the MASTER 128
★ User Port
★ Analogue (Joystick) Port
★ MH2 Bus
★ ACORN 1770 DFS in ROM
★ All connections Standard MASTER 128
★ Full user control of the Interface Software
The interface bolts directly onto the end of the keyboard and simply adds
one inch to the keyboard length. Fitting takes two minutes.
PRICE £39.95 inc. VAT
Educational discounts available
Dealer enquiries welcome.
MERTEC COMPUTER PRODUCTS,
35/36 SINGLETON STREET,
SWANSEA SA1 3QN.
Tel: (0792) 467980.
_ J
V.
REVIEWS
SOniSfHE
NOT SO BASIC
Advanced Basic is not a contradiction in terms, but an extension to the language
many programmers will find a boon. Graham Bell tries it out
Fancy an Archimedes but can't afford it?
Obviously your old BBC micro can't hope
to emulate either the speed or the graphics
abilities of the Arc, but what about some
of the improvements Acorn has made to
BBC Basic? A lot of people wonder why
Acorn has not produced an upgraded Basic
for the standard BBC.
Tubelink, however, has released Adv-
anced Basic, formerly known as ‘Archie
Basic’, to fill this gap. This allows you to
use many of the new features of the Arc's
Basic 5 on your BBC micro - providing
you have a 6502 second processor, PMS
second processor or Master Turbo. There's
a separate Electron version for the PMS
E2P second processor.
In the Advanced Basic package is a
ROM containing the software, plus a disc
with both the latest version of Hi-Basic
(1987) and a ROM image of the Advanced
Basic ROM. There's also a manual describ-
ing all the new features of Basic 5 and the
differences between the Archimedes ver-
sion and this one. Installation is easy, once
you’ve decided which way you want to do
it, and the options are well described in the
manual. Both Hi-Basic and Advanced
Basic can be put in sideways RAM, or
Advanced Basic alone can be installed, as a
ROM or sideways RAM image, and Hi-
Basic can be run from disc. *ABASIC
starts up the new language.
So what does it give you? It amounts to
a new version of Basic, similar though not
identical to Basic 5. Structures like
WHILE, CASE and multi-line IF state-
ments are all there, together with conveni-
ences like OFF to switch off the cursor,
APPEND to join programs together, and
ORIGIN to set the graphics origin. These
all make for clearer and faster program-
ming. And with a Master 128, or if you
have GXR , the extended graphics com-
mands like CIRCLE and FILL are there.
Some of the Archimedes SYS calls are
implemented too - by translating them into
their BBC operating system equivalents. So
SYS OS_Byte is the equivalent of CALL
&FFF4. Although the ARM assembler is
missing, there are useful additions to the
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
The commands that help deal with
Archimedes hardware are, of course, not
provided - no TINT, TEMPO or BEATS,
or the higher resolution modes of the Arc.
These are all ignored, though they don’t
necessarily cause any errors.
The Advanced Basic disc contains two
short procedures that can be added to your
programs so that you can drive your prog-
rams with an AMX or Nidd Valley mouse.
Note though that the mouse's SuperArt or
Chauffeur ROM must be present too.
Commands like MOUSE x%,y%,b% can
be used to set x% and y% to the screen
position of the mouse pointer.
One of the best features of Advanced
Basic is that it allows you to use the local
error handling from Basic 5. You can
define separate ON ERROR statements
for each procedure, allowing for the sorts
of problems that might occur in each one.
Normally, ON ERROR cannot jump back
within a procedure or loop. Local error
trapping has the advantage that it doesn’t
lose track of structures - you can carry on
in the middle of a loop:
1000 DEF PROCdivCi 7.,j"/.)
1010 LOCAL ERROR
1020 ON ERROR LOCAL PR I
NT "divide by zero":ENDP
ROC
1030 PRINT i"/. / j7.
1040 ENDPROC
In use, Advanced Basic worked well; it ran
several of the Archimedes programs I had
written, and the manual explained clearly
why the others didn’t run - they relied on
Arc features not duplicated in the Tubelink
ROM. But there could be more example
programs in the manual, showing how to
use the new commands. This isn’t serious,
as the ROM is aimed squarely at experi-
enced and knowledgable programmers.
Advanced Basic does not slow an ex-
isting Basic program down. A RE-
PEAT . . . UNTIL loop in pure Hi-Basic
executes at the same speed as a similar
WHILE. .. ENDWHILE loop involving
Advanced Basic. But some new commands,
like CIRCLE, can be slightly slower than
their equivalent VDU codes, and loops
involving two or more of the new com-
mands can be slower than expected.
Interestingly, Advanced Basic uses an
overlaying technique to avoid reducing the
memory available for your programs too
much. A small amount (4k) of new code is
added to Hi-Basic from the ROM. If one
of the new keywords is recognised, then
this calls up the relevant section of extra
code from the ROM — a very fast transfer
across the Tube occurs. Another new
keyword might require a different section
of the ROM, so another chunk is called up,
overwriting the first. Only Hi-Basic itself
and a small portion of Advanced Basic
controlling the overlays remains in the
second processor memory all the time.
This process of copying parts of the lan-
guage across the Tube while a program is
running accounts for the speed reductions
noted above.
Advanced Basic is an intriguing product.
It offers a lot, but only to the very few
who already have a Master Turbo or 6502
second processor, GXR and possibly a
mouse. And if you write programs using
the new constructs, they won't run with-
out Advanced Basic - if you want others to
use your programs, Advanced Basic is not
for you. But new programs are likely to
run on an Arc, so it can offer a back-door
approach to Archimedes programming,
and its CASE statement is a boon for
structuring freaks. It is a ROM for the
dedicated home programm er only.
Advanced Basic costs £ 29.95 (BBC/Master
disc only), £34.95 (BBC! Master incl. ROM)
and £ 24.95 (Electron) from Tubelink , PO
Box 641 , London NW9 8TF.
149
PANASONIC KXP 1081
with BBC cable & paper
£171.00 (£148.70 + VAT)
Above with Screen Dump & 2m cable
£165.00 (£143.48 + VAT)
Exc VAT Inc VAT
KXP 1080 Fabric ink ribbon 4.26 4.90
KXP 1080 View Printer driver ...7.83 9.00
KXP 1080 Control Dump rom 13.00 14.95
PANASONIC KXP1082
(as 1081 but 160cps)
with BBC cable & paper
£199.00 (£173.04 + VAT)
CANON PW1080A
with BBC cable & paper
£239.00 (£207.83 + VAT)
STAR NL10
with BBC cable & paper
£195.00 (£1 69.57+ VAT)
CITIZEN 120D & LSP10
with BBC cable & paper
£165.00 (£143.48 + VAT)
JUKI 6100
with BBC cable & paper
£299.00 (£260.00+ VAT)
PRINTER ADD ONS
Exc VAT
Inc VAT
Exc VAT
Inc VAT
Universal Printer Stand
13.00
14.95
Epson LQ800
426 09
490.00
1X800 Sheet Feeder
62.61
72.00
Epson FX800
. ..313 04
360.00
LXFX 800 Print Ribbon
3.00
3.45
Panasonic KXP3131 Daisy.
233 91
319.00
Nl-10 Print Ribbon
4.80
5.52
Juki 2200 Daisy
207 83
239 00
120D Sheet Feeder
86 09
99.00
Kaga Taxan KP910 15
350 00
402.00
120D Print Ribbon
4.00
4.60
Amstrad LQ3500
300 00
345.00
KP PW Print Ribbon
3.39
3.90
MP165
169 57
195.00
View Printer Driver
7.83
900
MP420
294.78
339 00
2 way Printer Sharer
43.43
1.5m (4 foot) BBC cable
5.70
6.60
Juki 6100 Dust Cover
5.60
6.44
2.0m (6foot) BBC cable
7.74
8.90
Printer Dust Covers other ..
4.00
4.60
Compact printer cable
7.74
8.90
IBM Archimedes cablo
7.74
8.90
EPROMS, 8271
DISKETTES
(lifetime warranty)
Exc VAT Inc VAT
10 Banana Reversible disks 8.65
10 3.5 D/S tpi 1.65
10 96tpi D/S D'D + case..
10 96tpi D/S D D + case 7.39
10 96tpi D/S D/Din box 6.52
50 96tpi D S D D in boxes. ..21 .70
100 96tpi D/S D/D in boxes 39.19
50 Disc Box hinge lock 6.52
100 Disc Box hinge lock 7.83
Black Library case 1.21
i 8.65
9.95
...1.65
1.90
.13.90
15.99
...7.39
8.50
...6.52
7.50
.21.70
24.95
39.19
45.00
...6.52
7.50
...7.83
9.00
...1.21
1.39
MONITORS
Ex VAT Inc VAT
Philips CM8533 230.43 265.00
Philips CM8852 251.30 289.00
Philips BM7502 Green 68.70 79.00
Philips BM7522 Amber.... 73.91 85.00
Philips BM7542 73.91 85.00
Philips BM Tilt stand 7.78 8.95
Taxan KX P31 Green 73.91 85.00
Taxan KK P39 Green 82.61 95.00
Taxan KX Amber 82.61 95.00
Taxan Super Vision 625 313.04 360.00
Microvitec 1451 221.74 255.00
Microvitec 1451 Ap 260.00 299.00
1 4" Tilt/Swivel Stand 1 3.87 1 5.95
(Prices inc. BBC Cable)
KAGA/TAXAN KP810
with BBC cable & paper
£239.00 (£207.83+ VAT)
KAGA/TAXAN KP815
with BBC cable & paper
£289.00 (£251.30 + VAT)
STAR LC10
with BBC cable & paper
£199.00 (E173.04+VAT)
EPSON LX800
with BBC cable & paper
£205.00 (£178.26+ VAT)
VOLTMACE JOYSTICKS
Exc VAT Inc VAT
Delta 14B single 11.26 12.95
Delta 3B single 9.52 10.95
Delta 3B twin 15.61 17.95
PRINTERS/CABLES
ROMS
Exc VAT
Inc VAT
Exc VAT
Inc VAT
Inter-Word
37.39
43.00
1-9 27128 250nS 21V
...3.57
4.10
Inter-Sheet
36.52
42.00
10+ 27128 250nS21V...
...3.26
3.75
Inter-Base
48.70
56.00
1-9 27128 250nS 12.5V..
...3.04
3.50
Wordwise Plus
37.39
43.00
10+ 27128 250nS 12.5V
2.75
3.16
MEGA 3
71.30
82.00
1-9 2764 250nS
...2.60
2.99
Spell Master
40.87
47.00
10-r 2764 250nS
...2.39
2.75
ACPI 770 DFS ROM.
26.96
31.00
1*9 27256 250nS
...4.22
4.85
ACP Disc Toolkit
26.96
31.00
10+ 27256 250nS
...3.83
4.40
View 2.1
38.26
44.00
1-9 TTLCmos set
...3.91
4.50
View Store
38.26
44.00
1-9 8271 controller
.35.65
41.00
Overview 1811
68.70
79.00
1-9 6264 LP 150nS
...2.56
2.95
View Professional
68.70
79.00
Acorn 8271 DFS
.43.48
50.00
5V4 DISC DRIVES
Ex VAT Inc VAT
Toshiba 400k 80T chassis 65.22 75.00
Toshiba 400k 4- case etc ....82.61 95.00
Cumana CSX100 91.30 105.00
CumanaCSX400 124.35 143.00
Cumana CD800S 260.00 299.00
MD400A 400k No PSU 88.70 1 02.00
MD400B 400k & PSU 1 03.78 1 1 9.00
MD802C 800k No PSU 1 73.91 200.00
MD802E 800k & PSU 191.31 220.00
MD802D 800k + Stand ...216.52 249.00
Phone for Viglen & Torch Winchesters
MASTER/COMPACT
Ex VAT Inc VAT
Master 1 28K Micro 365.22 420.00
Archemedes 305 from ...699.00 803.35
512 Co-processor 185.00 212.75
Turbo Upgrade 98.78 113.50
Acorn Z80 2nd pro 31 7.39 365.00
Acorn Cartridges 1 0.87 1 2.50
Peartree Cartridges from ...8.65 9.95
Care Cartridges from 7.65 8.80
View 3/View Sheet guides 9.00 9.00
ARM Assembler book 12.00 12.00
Understanding Interword ...6.50 6.50
Master & BBC Dust Covers 3.00 3.45
Monochrome Compact 380.87 415.00
Second user BBC Bs available
Phone for our best price before placing your order
EDUCATIONAL & GOVERNMENT ORDERS WELCOME
All products have a 12 month no quibble guarantee
Prices subject to variation without prior notification
We are closed all day Wednesday and some Saturday afternoons
Carriage 92p (80p + VAT) Securicor £6.90 (£6.00 + VAT)
Acorn Dept.
128 West Street,
Portchester,
Larger items [ iTn.i rniTl Hants.
delivered | V/SA ‘ j P016 9XE.
by Securicor !■■■■ Tel: 0705 325354
UJeSerue
ITubeLinK
What is Advanced BASIC? Advanced BASIC is a
new version of BASIC for the BBC micro models B/
, , B+/Master/Electron - the most powerful
QVSnCGQ BASIC ever written for a 6502 based
B A s 1 c micro, enabling you to take advantage of
many of the facilities offered by Acorn's BASIC V (Archimedes
BASIC), along with many additional features for
programmers. Will Advanced BASIC run on my machine?
Advanced BASIC is fully compatible with the BBC micro
models B, B+, B+128, Master, and Electron. To use Advanced
BASIC you will require a second processor; either Acorn
6502/65C02 second processor, Turbo (65C102) co-proces-
sor, PMS B2P or PMS E2P. Advanced BASIC is suitable for
all known makes of sideways RAM, shadow RAM, ROM
extension boards, DFS, ADFS, and Econet. What advan-
tages does Advanced BASIC have over my existing
BASIC? Fiere are some of Advanced BASIC's exciting fea-
tures...
• Over 35 new keywords
• New multi-line program loop structures (CASE, WHILE, etc)
• New graphics statements (ELLIPSE, RECTANGLE, etc)
• New error handling and TRACE debugging facilities
• Instant on-screen HELP for keywords and BASIC programs
• Mouse support (use new MOLISE keyword)
• Function and procedure libraries
• Acorn’s fastest and most accurate 1987 Hi-BASIC included
• Extended features for assembler programmers
• Comprehensive 56pp user guide
• Programming utilities and file transfer software
• Keyword and token-compatible with Acorn BASIC V
• Programs will run on Archimedes without modification
What do the magazines say about Advanced BASIC?
"Once you've started using Advanced BASIC you won't want to go
back to the old one... I thoroughly recommend it as a valuable pro-
gramming tbol." Micro User (January 1988) "Using Advanced
BASIC is most addictive - all those extra commands and facilities
enaole quite complex BASIC to be written with as little fuss as pos-
sble" BEEBUG (November 1987)
The Advanced BASIC system disc contains over 80k of code,
including the very latest version of Acorn's HiBASIC under license,
the Advanced BASIC ROM image, mouse drivers, example pro-
grams, and utilities. Advanced BASIC is available on 16k EPROM
or disc for sideways RAM users. Both packs contain the 56pp user
guide and 40/80 track system disc described above.
Advanced BASIC on 5.25” disc £29.95 • EPROM £34.95 • Ad-
vanced BASIC (Electron ROM) £24.95 (state 3.5” or 5.25" disc)
Acorn's 1987 Hi-BASIC for BBC B/B+/Master Available under
license from Acorn, Tubelink are able to supply the very latest
version of HiBASIC which offers considerable speed and accuracy
improvements over the previous versions. Available on 40/80T disc
or 16k EPROM. (Supplied FREE with Advanced BASIC package) •
£9.95 disc • £14.95 EPROM
Coming soon... DoubleView for BBC B/B+/Master This is a highly
sophisticated, yet friendly and easy to use 32k extension ROM for
the very popular VIEW wordprooessor and ViewSheet spread-
sheet. Amongst its many features, DoubleView offers a unique split
screen allowing two documents to be held in memory and edited
simultaneosly, "cut and paste” between documents, "clipboard”,
on-screen HELP information and a WIMP-based "front-end" envi-
roned. Available from February 1988. Please ask for our detailed
information sheet.
UK Postage free on all items (Overseas please add £3). Free cata-
logue and/or information sheets on all products on request. Educa-
tional and official and trade orders welcome.
TUBELINK PO BOX 641 LONDON NW9 8TF
Tel: 01-205 9393 Prestel page *800256#
150
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
REVIEWS
TAKE A DIVE
A glider simulation may not be everyone’s idea of action-packed adventure,
but Simon Craven finds Glider Pilot 2 well worth a flight
Glider Pilot 2 is an unusual flight simula-
tion program for the BBC B, B-f or
Master. Most simulation programmers seek
to capture the thrills of high performance
fighter aeroplanes, and at first sight the
idea of a powerless craft floating around
the sky at 40mph does lack a certain
glamour. But if you have grown tired of
flying under the suspension bridge in
Aviator , this product could revive your
jaded sense of fun.
The start of each flight is a winch launch
during which you must carefully monitor
your angle of climb. Pull the nose up too
far, too soon, and the tow hook slips off
leaving you with an embarrassing lack of
height, speed and ideas. Keep the nose too
low and you will fail to gain the height
needed to contact lift and thus prolong
your flight.
Once off the line, the steady pull of
gravity drags the glider inexorably earth-
wards, unless you manage to contact rising
air. Then, with skill and a healthy measure
of luck, you can gain altitude with it.
Real-life glider pilots find lift in many
forms, but the most common is the thermal
lift which is reproduced here. As the
ground heats in the sunshine, convection
currents are set up, and rising warm air
gives you the chance you need. This simu-
lator has insufficient detail in the sky and
ground to give the pilot the clues his
real-life conterpart would use, such as the
position of clouds or particular features in
the terrain, but it compensates by including
a digital readout of the distance in feet to
the centre of the nearest thermal.
The screen display is simple. Clear in-
struments report on height, speed, course
and rate of climb or descent, and there is
an artificial horizon which comes in handy
for cloud flying or when the map display is
obscuring the outside view.
Ground features are limited to the home
airfield and a number of beacons dotted
around the imaginary world. Once you
master the basics, the aim is to navigate a
course around these and back to base.
The controls are equally simple - just the
three primary flight controls of ailerons,
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
The runway is in sight in Glider Pilot 2
elevators and rudder together with power-
ful spoilers which steepen the descent for
accurate landings. Keyboard control is
possible, but the use of an analogue joys-
tick makes things easier and more realistic.
Much of the flying time is spent circling
tightly to stay in lift, so it is easy to get
disorientated. Another hazard to naviga-
tion is the effect of wind, which can carry
you off at a considerable rate as you
thermal upwards.
Sound effects are limited to the back-
ground roar and hiss of the airflow, which
accurately changes in intensity as the speed
of the glider rises and falls. The ominous
hush that warns of a dangerous reduction
in flying speed was, if anything, more
helpful than the airspeed indicator itself,
just as in many real-life gliders.
The program is obviously the product of
a low-budget operation - packaging and
documentation are a little crude by the
standards of the major games houses - but
that in no way affects the quality and
realism of the simulation itself. The only
major criticism I can make of the program-
ming is that sudden changes of attitude can
occasionally beat the speed of the horizon-
update routine, sometimes leaving a ghost-
ly false horizon streaking the sky.
The actual content of the documentation
is very informative. A small 16-page book-
let explains the fundamentals of powerless
flight and covers the features of the soft-
ware thoroughly. Newcomers to flying or
flight simulators would still do well to
indulge in a little backround reading.
Glider Pilot 2 lacks the instant gratifica-
tion factor needed to endear itself to the
shoot-em-up brigade, but for confirmed
flight simulation fans it is an interesting
alternative to the better-known products.
Judged purely as a simulator its superiority
to recently released Spitfire 40 must be
profoundly embarrassing to Mirrorsoft,
especially given the small size of Apex
Software. Real-life glider pilots will l ove it.
Glider Pilot 2, Apex Software , Station
Road , Pershaw y Tyne and Wear DH4 7 PE.
Cassette £ 7.95 ; disc £05.
151
TELETEXT ADAPTER
Would you like access to free high quality software
and over a thousand pages of information, but
Prestel access charges and phone bills too
expensive? Then read on!
The answer is Teletext. Yes the same system
everyone has seen incorporated into television sets,
but with a difference. When Teletext is read by a
computer you can actually use the data.
The MORLEY TELETEXT ADAPTER introduces you
to the world of Teletext at a price that won’t break the
bank. Inside it you will find the latest in second
generation Teletext chip technology, which unlike our
rivals who are still using chips designed more than
ten years ago, will be fully compatible with any future
advances in the Teletext system.
With the Morley adapter you will get a state of the art
unit that automatically tunes itself into the required
station (no more messing around with screwdrivers
or twiddling little knobs in the back of the case), a
user friendly menu driven program, easy to follow
instructions and a 12 month warranty. Add to this the
free downloadable telesoftware and we are sure that
you will agree that we are offering you one of the
best bargains on the market today.
FEATURES:
* Advanced design uses the latest technology, will
handle ANY future enhancements to the Teletext
system e.g.: full field; 8 bit data transfer; 2k pages
etc.
* Simply plugs into the user port.
* Low power consumption, less than 200ma.
Optional power supply available.
* User friendly menu driven software including
extended OSCLI and OSWord commands for access
from BASIC programs.
* Supplied with 16k ATS (Advanced Teletext
Software) and 16k support ROM software inc. printer
dumps, page
spoolers etc.
* FREE Telesoftware, no access charges (updated
weekly).
* Save selected pages to disc/tape for later retrieval.
* Full access to all Teletext services and channels
e.g.: CEEFAX, ORACLE, 4-TEL.
* Gives you a real-time clock at your disposal
(•TIME).
* Software upgrades to allow for any enhancements
to the Teletext service, e.g.: extra channels, full field
data on cable & satellite systems etc. (only the media
charge).
* Easy to follow comprehensive user guides.
* No hardware limitations, it can for example receive
virtually unlimited numbers of channels.
* Utils disc available including printer drivers allows
pages to be selected and dumped direct to a printer
(no more TV or Radio Times to buy).
WHATTHE REVIEWERS SAID:
**. . .In terms of price, performance, future expansion
possibilities and those little touches that show
thought for the end user I would recommend the
Morley unit "-(Acorn User, January, 1986).
. .The Morley unit has been designed to ensure
that its operation is simple and smooth. It is the ideal
Teletext adapter for school us e."-(A&B Computing,
June, 1986).
". . .Using it over a number of months in different
schools, it has proved utterly reliable, and may
confidently be recommended."-^T/7e Times
Educational Supplement, September, 1986).
THIS ISTHE BIGGEST SELLINGTELETEXT
ADAPTERCURRENTLYIN PRODUCTION
WORLDWIDE, AND COMES WITH A FULL
MONEY BACK SATISFACTION GUARANTEE.
Now available!
The first true
MEGA capacity
RAMdisc for the
BBC, BBC B+
and MASTER
computers.
This fully
compatible unit,
currently
available in
either 1 or 2
megabyte versions comes complete with operating software on ROM, power
supply, and a comprehensive user guide.
FEATURES:
One megabyte of RAM connected to the ImHz bus. Used with the supplied ROM
software programs and files may be saved and loaded from the RAMdisc in the
same manner as from a floppy disc with a large increase of speed, for example, a
20k mode 0 screen takes about 3-4 seconds to load from disc and about 0. 2-0.3
seconds to load from the RAMdisc. The RAr disc ROM operates as a utility ROM
RAMDISC
working with the current filing system rather than as a separate filing system.
Therefore ensures compatibility with any Acorn compatible DFS (not ADFS). The
RAMdisc can be selected by a * command to take the place of any drive number
from 0 to 9. If the RAMdisc replaces a floppy drive as 0 for example, all
commands addressed to drive 0 will be intercepted by the RAMdisc. The default
driye number is 4. Any ’Dangerous' ‘commands such as ‘COMPACT, ‘COPY,
‘BACKUP etc can be intercepted and the BBC's RAM from page 2 to &7FFF
saved to RAMdisc workspace, and may be recovered using a ‘command. This
prevents accidental corruption of any programs/data in RAM you may have been
using at the time. The filing system wedge ROM supplied supports load/save,
byte file access, all relevant OSFSC commands, and contains a formatter verifier
and ’sector’ editor for use with the RAMdisc. Catalogue structure allows up to
2,688 files.
Well that's the spec., add to this our usual 12 month no quibble guarantee and
we're sure you'll agree the Morley RAMdisc is the sensible alternative if increased
storage capacity and speed is your requirement.
EPROM
PROGRAMMER V2
The MORLEY EPROM PROGRAM-
MER V2 is a small self contained
unit that plugs into the BBC or
MASTER user port. It comes with a
high quality ZIF (zero insertion force
socket) and contrasting plastic case.
Also included in the package is it's
own user friendly menu driven
software on ROM or disc.
This state of the art unit, allows
programming of 2764 (8k), 27128
(16k), and 27256 (32k) EPROMS.
Not only does the hardware allow
programming of the usual NMOS devices, but will handle the new generation
CMOS equally as well, and with the average time taken to program a 16k at less
than 30 seconds we believe it to be one of the fastest programmers
available today.
THEHARDWARE
The Unit is completely under software control, there are no knobs or switches to
baffle the novice, and the extended features provided should excite the pro's.
THE SOFTWARE
The comprehensive user friendly software included in the package has two main
parts, the first allows EPROMS to be read, programmed, verified and edited, also
allowing a ROM image to be loaded or saved to disc. The second is a full ROM
management system in its own right, which has a host of useful features and
routines, such as KILL and RESURRECT ROM to disable or enable a sideways
ROM, dump ROM image to buffer or disc, move ROM image in buffer to sideways
RAM, and VIEW-SEARCH any sideways ROM.
The whole system is available now for less than the price of one WORDWISE
chip. So get yourself the all new MORLEY EPROM PROGRAMMER V2 today
and start using those expansion boards for what they were made for! ROMS.
Immediate delivery no quibble 12 month guarantee.
i
MASTER CARTRIDGE
Designed and manufactured by Care Electronics to Acorn specifications.
These high quality Master expansion cartridges will take two 16k sideways
ROM’s, and will, unlike similar cartridges available from other manufacturers,
accept the new second generation programs, such as Computer Concepts
Interword and Spellmaster ROM's.
These Cartridges come in a high quality, robust, formed-plastic case, that fits
neatlv into either one of the Master’s cartridge slots.
QUADS also available quad cartridges specifications as duels but
taking 4x1 6k roms.
MASTER SMART
CARTRIDGE
This device was designed and manufactured jointly by Morley and Care
Electronics.
The Smart cartridge will at the press of a button halt any program running in
memory and execute any one of a host of useful built in, or user defined
procedures, and once completed will return to the program and continue where it
left off. The only limiting factor with this device is the programmers imagination.
The Smart cartridge will prive useful to the novice, allowing him to do the simple
things like dump any screen to printer, and make backups of protected tape or
disc based software, but has an open ended specification for the advanced
'HACKER' allowing advanced programming techniques to be incorporated into
almost any program at the touch of a button.
BUILT IN FEATURES (at the press of a button)
Autosaves computer's entire memory.
Freeze program at any point.
Screen dump (any mode) to printer or disc.
Allows any OSCLI command without disturbing memory.
Copies 90% of protected software.
Tape to disc, disc to tape.
User friendly menu.
Sound On/Off. ALL CARTRIDGES COME WITH A
12 MONTH NQ QUIBBLE WARRANTY.
MORLEY MASTER
0 .
■I
Mill —
@00
01
BOARD' AA'
Hong last the add-on all MASTER users have been
waiting for, an internal ROM board.
No more need to turn the computer off to insert the
cartridge containing the ROM you need to debug the
program in memory.
ThenewMORLEY MASTER BOARD "AA" allows
you to have up to 8x16k and 4x32k extra Roms
installed inside your MASTER and still leaves the
cartridge slots free. This in effect allows your MASTER
to support as many as 24, 16k ROMs installed
permanently, whilst retaining the standard 4 x
sideways ram banks and four banks by using car-
tridges
A staggering 32 ROM images installed and
accessible at any time
Included in the package is a utility ROM which has many useful features such as ’FICOPY', a clever file transfer program that transfers files
between DFS and ADFS formats or vice versa.
Z1
H — HJLJBJL
MORLEY
EL E C T R 0 N I C S
So for less than the price of four external cartridges you get a MASTER BOARD "AA*' which with twice the capacity has got to beTHE ROM
expansion for the serious MASTER user.
The unit comes with the usual Morley, full no-quibble twelve months warranty, and our usual after sales service
THECOMPLETERANGEOFTELETEXT
SOFTWARE from M/B SOFTWARE
• NEW. .. DESIGN 7 PIU? - now ’the best' is even better. Held in high regard by reviewers and hundreds of satisfied owners, DESIGN 7 has
been further improved, with revised keystrip & even more features. Design/load/save and MODE 7 screen with ease, up to full CEEFAX/Oracle
standard. Will convert ANY MODE 7 screen to a BASIC procedure, for inclusion in your own programs. ROM version includes a file copier, printer
dumps useable from BASIC etc. B/MASTER/COMPACT.
TELETEXT EMULATORS/SCREEN DISPLAYS/INFORMATION SYSTEMS -Acomplete range of teletext programs to cater for all
needs, with full teletext adapter interfacing.
‘NEW . . . DESF AX - totally new version - streets ahead of the competition - run your own information/display system. Stores hundreds of
screens on dual 80 track drives (96 screens on single-sided 40 track), with access to any screen with a SINGLE KEYPRESS. Lots of special
effects - screens can scroll, slide, overwrite etc. Animation, loops, subroutines - send for details - not enough space here to even begin to
describe the advanced features!! B/MASTER/COMPACT
‘NEW . . . MASTERFAX - 84 MODE 7 screens in memory at once. 1 48 screens possible with cartridge RAM. An advanced teletext/carousel
program featuring SINGLE KEYPRESS or 3-digit page selection. Runs entirely from memory - no disc accesses after pages are loaded. Superb
animation and other effects. MASTER/COMPACT only.
♦NEW . . . VU-FAX - 1000 screens and no disc accesses! Screens stored on MORLEY 1 MByte RAM DISC. SINGLE KEYPRESS gives instant
access to any screen (or emulate teletext). This is the ultimate MODE 7 screen management system - there is nothing else like it. MODEL B/
MASTER 128.
r
i
‘ALSO . . . MASTERcopv - DFS/DFS, DFS/ADFS, ADFS/DFS, ADFS/ADFS file copier. Uses the MASTER 1 28’s memory to the full to permit
fast disc copying. 31 DFS files to ADFS disc in less than 2 minutes. Creates directories automatically. You will wonder how you ever managed
without this program. Described by reviewers as ’unexcelled'. MASTER 128 and COMPACT’S fitted with DFS ROMS.
"rde"r"rm"
Toordersimplycompleteandreturnbypostencloslngyour Morley Electronics, Unit 3 Maurice Road Industrial Estate, Wallsend, Tyne
cheque/P. O. made payableto Morley Electronics, orbyphone & Wear NE28 6BY Telephone Tyneside (091) 2627507
duringofficehours, quoting your ACCESS or VISA number. Telex: 265871 A/B MONREF G (Quoting Mag 70211)
ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT@ 15%
P&P Rate
Qty. Morley Teletext Adapters 119.83 (a)
Qty. Optional Power Supply 10.12 (b)
Qty. Teletext Utilities on disc 5.98 (c)
Qty. 1 Megabyte RAMdisc 199.87 (a)
Qty. 2 Megabyte RAMisc 349.60 (a)
Qty. Eprom programmer V2 34.50 (b)
Qty. Master ROM boards "AA" 46.00 (b)
Qty. Master Quad Cartridge 14.95 (b)
Qty. Care Master ROM cartridges 8.97 (b)
Qty. Master Smart cartridge 39.79 (b)
P&P Rate
Qty. M/B Software Design 7+ 9.89 (c)
Qty. M/B Software Desfax 20.01 (c)
Qty. M/B Software DesROM 12.88 (c)
Qty. M/B Software Mastercopy Disc 12.88 (c)
Qty. M/B Software Mastercopy ROM 14.95 (c)
Qty. M/B Software Masterfax 29.90 (c)
Qty. M/B Software VU-Fax System inc RAMdisc 249.78 (a)
Qty. 5.25" Floppy discs x 10 8.05 (c)
Qty. 27128 16k CMOS EPROM 3.68 (d)
Qty. Info Pack + Demo Disc of all Software FREE (c)
Please delete: Adapter software on ROM/SIdeways RAM form at/Software on 40/80 track disc
Name — _ — . Phone no.
Address —
Note Teletext Adaptors for Master Compact
138.00 (a)
Post Code
Cheque No Access/Visa No Amount £
Please add Postage and Packing (g> a=£3.00 b=£2.00 c=£1.00 d=£0.65 (when ordering more than one item, add P&P. on highest rate item only)
GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTHORITY, AND TRADE ORDERS WELCOME. P lease allow 28 days for deli very
The jump from classroom to business com-
puting has always been something of a leap in
the dark. Until now.
Because now Microvitec is introducing
CubPack, the first PC package for
schools to come complete with
business software.
It’s going to bring business com-
puting right into the classroom.
CubPack is a comprehensive
system. There’s a PC with 512k
of RAM. A colour monitor. And
extensive business software.
CubPack is fully IBM PC comp-
atible (just like 90% of the world’s
working PCs). It operates using MS-DOS, so at last
kids and executives can speak the same language.
Ashton Tate’s respected First Framework
software provides database, spreadsheet, graphics
and word-processing facilities identical to those
used in industry.
What’s more, the inclusion of BBC Basic
and a BBC compiler option means most existing
school software can still run.
CubPack means business on the outside too.
It’s small footprint makes it ideal
for desktop use. And both monitor
and PC have tough metal cabinets for
safety and a long classroom life.
Users will soon discover that
CubPack has the capacity to grow
as they do.
A hard disk upgrade kit is already
available. The PC networks easily.
It accepts a GENLOCK card.
Upgrades simply to EGA standard
graphics. And has an open design suitable for con-
version to an interactive video station.
In short, CubPack could have been made with
recent government guidelines on vocational com-
puting in mind.
Clip the coupon and discover more about
CubPack. You’ll soon see how marvellously well-
equipped it is to become the new standard for
school computing.
And throw open the classroom door onto
the real world outside.
r
Please send me a free CubPack information folder
and details of your special introductory offer.
Name
Address
AU3
cub
PACK
The New Education Standard
Send to: MICROVITEC PLC, FREEPOST, BRADFORD BD4 6BR.
154
ACORN US HR MARCH 1988
EDUCATION
NEWS
Spending cuts hit
software houses
( A computer without software is like a car without petrol’
News in brief
■ Two programs have been re-
leased by Sherston Software.
The Farm is intended to fit into
cross-curricular farming pro-
jects. It includes activities such
as language stimulus, number
Exploring Farm life
work and vocabulary extension.
The Nature Park Adventure
looks at conservation with a
liberal sprinkling of maths and
language activities. Tasks in-
clude identifying plants and
animals, to develop observa-
tional skills.
■ Fernleaf has released a series
of logic and reasoning games
for seven to 11 year-olds.
Think It Out comprises five
games. It costs £19.95.
■ Extra fonts and graphic utili-
ties have been released for AVP
Computing’s Pixel Perfect. The
three additional font packs are
£9.50 each. Also available are a
maths pack, including all
mathematical symbols, an art
pack and a printer pack for
screen dumps. All of these cost
£12.50.
■ The British Institute for
Traffic Education Research’s
programs such as Bike and
Sign, Know the Code and In-
sure Your Car may now be
copied throughout a region for
12 times the software price.
Several BITER programs are
also available in Welsh.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
Educational software pub-
lishers are increasingly anxious
about the future of their indus-
try. In a submission to the
Department of Education and
Science they voice their worry
that the government funding
which indirectly supports them
will be reduced.
In the past the Department
of Trade and Industry gave
schools money to buy soft-
ware. This increased sales and
so indirectly subsidised de-
velopment projects. Removal of
this support will make some
companies unviable and most
unprofitable.
The £19 million in this year’s
Education Support Grant is in-
tended to provide advisory
teachers (£llm) and hardware
(£8m). Future DTI software
schemes look likely to be less
substantial than in previously.
Many software companies
have closed in the last year.
Few have become bankrupt;
most have just run out of de-
Music Processor is a new prog-
ram designed to take the donk-
ey work out of composition
and manuscript preparation.
Mid-Sussex Software produced
it to help them publish music.
Much of their recent output has
been made with the package.
The program can handle up
to eight parts. The formatting
velopment money and enthu-
siasm. Neil Souch of 4mation
said that the company now res-
tricted itself to developing one
new package each year. He
blames teachers who expect
higher quality packages, thus
increasing development costs.
Brian Richardson of Cam-
bridgeshire Software House
said that without government
facilities follow musical con-
ventions to improve the
appearance and layout of the
music before it is printed out.
Transposition is made easy by
reading in one file, adding in-
structions and creating a new
file. The is useful for schools
where a variety of instruments
are used.
support the industry would die.
‘If schools want a diversity of
software it is important that a
wide range of companies exist.
‘Without software, a compu-
ter is like a car without petrol.
Schools need a continuing
programme of software de-
velopment to move ahead with
new stages in technology such
as the Archimedes.’
Contacts
AVP Computing, Hocker Hill
House, Chepstow NP6 5ER. Tel:
(02912) 5439.
BITER, Kent Street, Birmingham
B5 6QF. Tel: 021-622 2402.
Fernleaf, 31 Old Road West,
Gravesend. Tel: (0474) 359037.
Mid-Sussex Software, 1 1 Bridle
Way, Pound Hill, Crawley, West
Sussex RH10 4HP.
Sherston Software, Swan Barton,
Sherston, Malmesbury SN16 0LL.
Tel: (0666) 840433.
155
Micro music editor
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‘ Battery back-up facility for RAM
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* ROMs fitted may be 8k, 16k or 64k
* If 64k ROMs are used to hold ROM images - then 48 additional ROMs may be available on
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* A double HCR unitwill hold the equivalent of 12 ROM cartridges costing up to £168 00
* Works well with intersheet series of ROMs
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Telephone: (0277) 355407/8
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40/80/Disc/Tape/ 3 'A” disc
156
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
EDUCATION
SOFTWARE
CLASSICS
UP TO DATE
Classics might seem an unlikely subject to
be taught by computer with software like
Ecce Romani. Why waste new technology
on dead languages? Why, indeed, waste
time teaching them in the first place?
The debate about the relevance of clas-
sics has tended to be conducted by former
students with bitter memories of endless
declensions of irrelevant vocabulary. But
the subject has developed in this
century and much excellent work by clas-
sics teachers has been ignored.
There has been a slight retreat from the
once fashionable approach which discarded
grammar and replaced it with culture and
history. Ecce Romani is part of this retreat.
The discs act as companions to the Long-
man textbook series. They are very good.
The first disc concentrates on sentence
structure, vocabulary and verbs. Latin is a
very precise language, and every word has
its place. The opening section illustrates
this with simple sentences consisting of
subject, verb and prepositional phrases.
Very boring, you might think, but then the
graphics appear.
Puer sub arbore seclet is illustrated with a
boy sitting under a tree. Press a cursor key
and he stands up, the space bar and he runs
around the garden, with the text amended
accordingly. Press another key and a puella
appears. A long way from the slave hasten-
ing to fetch the spear of Tiberius.
Most sections use words and concepts
familiar to English teenagers, rather than
alienating them with freedmen and barba-
rians. The motivation often lacking from
classics classes is provided by the graphics.
The complexity of Latin verb formation
makes machine code look simple to under-
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
stand, and is the main reason why teachers
have shied away from teaching Latin gram-
mar. The various endings (which denote
the subject) and stems (which denote tense)
are almost infinitely configurable. On the
blackboard this meant much resorting to
coloured chalk and pages of tables to be
copied out.
Ecce Romani has endings and stems
separating from their parent verb and mov-
ing across the screen, demonstrating the
thought process necessary to decipher
them. It seems simple and fun rather than
dull and laborious.
Sentence translation used to be the worst
part of Latin classes, translating endless
textbook examples. Ecce Romani comes
into its own here. T understand Latin’, the
program announces, and invites pupils to
write their own Latin sentences which it
then translates back into English. The
program notes admit that the translator is
not infallible but it coped well with the
simple sentences I threw at it.
The second disc continues with transla-
tion of longer narrative passages which are
revealed word by word. The function keys
contain a dictionary, although I found the
command menu confusing. When a passage
is completed or if you have given up, a
model translation is provided. These were
very literal and consequently poor English;
my own equally accurate but less literal
translation was brutally stamped ‘wrong’.
Here the vignettes of Roman life become
less modern, and a little strange, as Corne-
lia accompanies her mother to buy some
dormice for dinner.
My main criticism is that the program is
best used on a one-to-one basis. The au-
thors recommend no more than three
pupils to a computer, but really there is
only room for one. Although there are
often too few computers in schools to
dedicate many to classics, Latin classes are
usually small enough for this not to be a
major problem.
For technophobe Latinists the program
notes are a simple to understand, providing
a reference version of the menus and com-
mands so there is no problem knowing
what to press next. Whether a computer
program can perform classics’ traditional
function of civilising the uncivilised re-
mains to be seen. Carol Atack
MEANINGLESS
QUEST
‘You are the Blue Knight, you are visible
and aroused’ says AUCBE’s Knights of
Camelot adventure. It was written using
their adventure generator - both are bun-
dled in with Quest Adventure.
The message makes little sense - an air of
confusion is carried right through this
package. Problems begin straight away -
you need four different discs to get started,
though this soon narrows down to two for
most of the time.
The package has, at first sight, so much
to recommend it. I can see the difference
between actors, scenes and props is a very
good way of helping children understand
adventures. I can enthuse about the advan-
tages of using a database to build up the
long lists of objects, room descriptions and
so on that an adventure requires. The
adventure creator files are straightforward,
avoiding the complex codes that are used in
utilities such as Incentive’s Graphic Adven-
ture Creator , and an exciting feature is the
facility to have several children playing
different characters in the same adventure.
However, it seems the adventure prog-
ram is inconsistent in dealing with the data
files. In Knights of Camelot , the object is
to find the Holy Grail. Children playing
the game have discovered that often they
start the game already carrying it, or find it
in the Very next room. In fact, the game
will often start you in a location from
which there seems no escape.
The value of the program may lie in
children creating adventures, not in playing
them. But surely they must be able to
produce a game that can be appreciated by
other children. Because of problems with
the adventure playing part of the package,
the chance of disappointment is huge.
There will be teachers who make good
use of this package, but, the inconsistencies
and practical problems of playing less than
well-constructed adventures will discour-
age most.
Marshal Anderson
Ecce Romani costs £ 22.43 from Longman
Micro Software , 62 H allfield Road , York.
Quest Adventure costs £25 from AUCBE ,
Endymion Road , Hatfield , Herts.
157
COMPUTER STAFF
URGENTLY NEEDED
To teach Computing/Information Technology to school
groups visiting Computing/Activity Centre for
Residential Courses.
Opportunity to participate in a wide range of outdoor
activities. The position would suit young teachers/
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TEL: ( 0480 ) 561 23 FOR details
ASK TO SPEAK TO DOMINIC COBURN
THEORY OF MUSIC
QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES - Grades 2 to 5
LEARNING AN INSTRUMENT? This program is for you. Basic Theory of Music is vilal lo every musician.
You have to pass Grade 5 Theory before you can take Grade 6 instrumental. This is a practice
program: it throws questions at you as long as your stamina lasts! Full details on request.
FOR BBC B, Master, Compact
5 Va Inch disc
3 Vi Inch disc
School package (runs on ECONET) £12
(Please specify computer type, colour/mono. 40/80, DS/SS, DFS/ADFS)
Also available:
PLAY WHAT I PLAY
(tests your ear for notes, and helps non-piano pupils to learn their way about
the keyboard: options lor all from beginner to advanced)
CAN YOU READ MUSIC?
(beginners' quiz on notes and rests) The above 2 on a disc (state format ) £7
ORDERS AND ENQUIRIES to: Ted Kirk (AU)
Telephone 0744 81 8761 J 3 Humber Crescent
Sutton Leach, ST. HELENS
Merseyside WA9 4HD
ADDRESS
BOOK
DIARY
USE A
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| FAX*FILE ORGANISER
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ACORN USER FEU 88
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RLLDLIJ5 CHILDREN TIT,
use a large calculator (useful in group situations)
■* use a variety of input devices or the normal keyboard
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fa perform calculations in bases 2 to 10
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use a digital clock, timer and alarm
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design special layouts for particular requirements
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Includes a manual containing suggestions for calculator activities and a
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158
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
EDUCATION
PLEASE DO TOUCH
More and more pieces of software use Microvitec’s Touchscreen to make them
easier to use for children, but how good are they?
Chris Drage and Nick Evans
In classroom situations such as this a Touchscreen would often be an advantage
In the November 1986 issue of Acorn User ,
we reviewed the Microvitec Touchtech 501
Touchscreen. After trialling the device at a
special school in west London, we con-
cluded that the Touchtech 501 was an ideal
device for children with special needs, as it
exploits children’s natural tendency to
point to and touch the image displayed on
the monitor. But our experience with the
Touchscreen also suggested that considera-
tion must be given to the motor skills
required to touch the screen and careful
thought must go into positioning the child
and the monitor.
In the review we noted that good soft-
ware for the device was in short supply.
But now there are at least 160 packages
offering Touchtech support. So it seems
appropriate to look again at the range of
Touchtech software currently available in
special education. This is an important and
growing area of computing.
The four publishers we’re focusing on
are Brilliant Computing, Arrow Market-
ing, the Research Centre for Education of
the Visually Handicapped (RCEVH) at the
University of Birmingham, and Micromate
Software which is available from Toys for
the Handicapped. Each produces well de-
signed software, but their products are not
unique. The latest catalogue of software for
the Touchtech 501 is available from Mico-
vitec, and many teachers can visit a local
SEMERC or LEA computing centre to
evaluate other publisher’s work. The re-
gional SEMERCs have a range of free
Touchscreen software, in the form of
MESU ‘blue file’ material. Although the
quality of some of it is in doubt, it does at
least provide an effective software library
to get teachers started with the Touch-
screen system.
Brilliant Computing produces a graded
range of Touchtech software to comple-
ment that for the various switch units it
markets. Much of the software is enhanced
I from the original switch-based programs.
First Steps provides three programs which
are good for attracting a child’s interest to
the computer, and encouraging tracking,
scanning and vocalisation - it’s ideally
suited for the profoundly visually hand-
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
Big Calculator's buttons can be ‘pressed’
icapped. Switch On , developed with the aid
of the Speech Therapy Department of
Leeds General Infirmary, provides two
further programs which can be used in a
wide variety of clincal or educational situa-
tions. The large, simple graphic images
used, and the sensible choice of colours,
make this software ideal for encouraging
language development with very young
multi-ethnic children in an infant school.
Everyday Signs tests children’s ability to
recognise common words on signs. It pro-
vides a useful matching activity, based on
words commonly encountered in the
everyday environment. The teacher can
add an extra set of 16 words to meet the
special needs of individuals. Brilliant Com-
puting was quick to recognise the value of
the Touchscreen for the visually disabled,
and this resulted in Tonchgames /, a suite
of six well designed programs extending
the tracking, discrimination and hand-eye
co-ordination tasks initially used in its
previous software. Brilliant Computing
offers a range of very useful software to
suit the needs of children with a wide range
of learning disabilities.
Arrow Marketing publishes two Touch-
screen packages: Nursery Pack and Prim-
ary Pack. The former is a suite of three
discs containing exercises focusing on
matching colours and matching shapes.
Colour Snap and Shape Snap require the
child to match or find the odd one out
from groups of screen objects. The rewards
provided by the programs are delightful,
and young children enjoy these a great
deal. The Jigsaw program provides a final
task in which the skills practised through
the previous programs are applied. This is
essentially the same software once pro-
duced by Egabeva software for the Con-
cept Keyboard, but has now been rewritten
for the Touchtech 501.
The Primary Pack provides three discs of
activities to exercise visual perception and
reading skills. The best of the three is Look
159
Alive - based on the familiar ‘beetle* game,
it is designed to practise perception of
similarity. Pick-a-Word suffers from bad
selection of screen colours, although its
basic concept is very sound. Sliding Block
Puzzle is another familiar ex-Egabcva Con-
cept Keyboard program and is included to
provide an activity to consolidate the work
of the previous two programs. Arrow
Marketing needs to pay more attention to
providing greater teacher control over fea-
tures like sound, screen colours, the num-
ber of problems, and number of attempts
allowed at each. Nursery Pack is the better
of the two, and can be recommended.
Over the past three years the RCEVH
has produced and refined 17 excellent
programs for individuals with multiple
handicaps and who have a wide spectrum
of learning difficulties. Its software has
been produced to complement existing
teaching material in the areas of matching,
discrimination and visual memory.
Such is the quality of the design and
concept behind this suite, it is worth look-
ing at the software in some detail. For the
multi-handicapped or developmentally
young, the Just Touch and Touch It two-
disc pack provides a number of programs
allowing a child to touch the screen and see
what happens. The intention is that the
child sits in front of the Touchscreen and
the teacher or helper operates the conven-
tional keyboard. It is open-ended software,
and it can be used for play activities,
exercises in targeting accuracy, or in de-
monstrating cause and effect. The Direc-
tions disc extends this preliminary work by
enabling children to practise using the four
basic directions. Again the teacher should
be controlling the micro with the key-
board, the child at the Touchscreen.
The software consists of several Which/
Match packs. They are ideally suited to the
less able visually-impaired children, parti-
culary those in primary education. The
exercises begin with 12 basic shapes which
vary in colour and size, in Which One/
Match One. The later programs develop
the theme and include exercises concerned
with matching groups of letters or words.
Far more sophisticated shapes can be de-
signed and used with the Which Block/
Match Block suite.
Following on from the Which/ Match
series is a group of programs collectively
called Touch TV*... These programs are
designed for the less able, multiply disabled
or young children with some sight. Touch
W* Match allows more interesting varia-
tions on the themes of matching discri-
Jigsaw is a conversion from the Concept Keyboard
mination and sequencing to be developed.
Touch W* Pairs complements and extends
Touch TV’ Match by presenting pelman-
isms - sequences of objects seen briefly
then hidden, where the child must uncover
a matching pair.
What is most impressive about all this
RCEVH software is the robust, almost
foolproof, nature of the programming, and
the degree of control the teacher or therap-
ist has over the workings of each program.
Colours, shapes, sound volume, the spac-
ing, size and relative position of images,
and whether the first image is held or not
(for exercising visual memory) can all be
determined externally. Each program can
be extensively tailored for each particular
individual, and the settings automatically
saved to disc. A wide range of alternative
input devices is catered for, to suit children
with virtually any degree of disability. In
addition, teachers can design their own
examples for use with each program.
RCEVH states that the examples used on
each disc show the variety ot work that can
be done with the software, but those
teaching children with very severe learning
disabilities may also need to design a more
structured system. This ‘individualistic’
approach offered by the software is vitally
important, particularly in the special
education sector.
Micromate is an integrated system of
hardware and software developed from
research work in schools. It aims to teach
children basic skills and concepts, by pro-
viding access to a range of entertaining
computer-based games and teaching prog-
rams. There are five discs of software,
essentially Touchscreen versions of the
older Miovmate switchbox software.
Typically, each disc comprises three or
four programs. A much-heralded feature of
Micromate programs is the ‘performance
contoured programming’ technique. Put
simply this means the computer matches
the difficulty of the program to the user’s
ability. This is achieved by checking over
the previous few responses, and deciding
whether performance is above or below
160
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
Micromate : ‘performance contoured’
HOW THE TOUCHSCREEN WORKS
Touch HERE to fiop
Dairy Products
Dairy Products Soft Drinks
Pet Food
Everyday Signs tests a child’s word recognition
Devices such as the Microvitec Touchtech
501 enable the computer to find out when
a finger is pointed at the screen.
The Touchscreen projects a grid of
infra-red beams horizontally and vertical-
ly across the face of the monitor. When
the screen is touched with a finger or
pencil as shown in the diagram below,
two of the beams are broken. Opposite
the beams are photocells which can detect
which beams are broken. By noting
which horizontal beam and which vertical
beam is cut by the object, the Touch-
screen can work out the part of the screen
being pointed to. It then transmits the
co-ordinates of the point to the computer
via the serial port. The computer reads
the location and can use it to control the
program - just as with a mouse.
The Touchscreen detects breaks in the beams
that expected - if it’s better, then make
things harder, otherwise reduce the diffi-
culty level.
Despite being very game oriented, the
Micromate programs have a wide range of
applications. They may be used to teach a
number of simple concepts - for instance,
Space Wars and Grand Prix may be used to
improve hand-eye co-ordination and reac-
tion times, Activity Program to encourage
listening and manipulation skills, and Little
and Large and Odd Man Out to test visual
perception. The Micromate range comple-
ments the RCEVH software very well, and
anyone considering purchasing the latter
should look seriously at Micromate too. It
provides children with a different approach
- one which many will find both stimulat-
ing and enjoyable.
An increasing number of the major edu-
cational software publishers are providing a
Touchscreen option for their software as a
matter of routine. Among the latest soft-
ware for mainstream education is a gem
from 4Mation Educational Resources: The
Big Calculator. Mike Matson’s adventure
programs have become familiar over the
years, but this appears to be a dramatic
departure. Touching the on-screen keys is
such a natural means of operating the
calculator that this program is absolutely
invaluable for demonstrating calculator use
to groups of young children. The ability to
design enlarged, simplified calculator
screens for younger children who would
have difficulty in using the small keys of a
‘standard’ calculator, and then being able
to ‘press’ those keys opens up calculator
use to the youngest children.
Touchtech 501 , Microvitec PLC } Futures
Way , Bolling Road , Bradford , West York-
shire DB4 7TU. Hardware-compatible
with metal-cased Microvitec monitors ,
software-compatible with BBC B, B+ and
Master 128. Price: £ 241.50 .
Blue File software is available to teachers
from MESU, regional SEMERCs and
LEAs if you send blank formatted discs.
Sometimes a nominal charge is made.
Switch on, Everyday Signs, Touchscreen
Games. Brilliant Computing , PO Box 142 ,
Bradford BD3 0JN y on disc for the BBC B y
B+ and Master 128, prices: £ 13.35 , £ 13.35
and £ 15.00 respectively.
Nursery Pack and Primary Pack, Arrow
Marketing , 28 Backwell Hill Road , Bristol
BS19 3PL , for the BBC B+ and Master
128. Price: £ 10.50 per pack.
RCEVH software from Research Centre
for the Education of the Visually Hand-
icapped, Faculty Of Education , Department
of Special Education , Sclly Wick House , 59
Selly Wick Road , Birmingham B29 7JE.
Price: £ 5.00 per program for BBC B, 5+
and Master 128.
Micromate Software for BBC B, B + and
master 128 from Toys For The Handicap-
ped , 76 Barracks Road , Sandy Lane Indust-
rial Estate , Stourport-on-Severn , Worces-
tershire DY13 9QB. Starter pack £ 15.00 ,
packs 2-5 £3 0.00 each on disc.
The Big Calculator, 4Mation, Linden Lea y
Rock Park , Barnstaple , Devon EX32 9AQ.
Price: £ 16.10 on disc for BBC B y B+ y
Master 128 and Compact.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
161
DIP MANUAL
STOP PRESS
A U OFFER
Design for Desktop
Publishing
The personal computer is used increasingly to produce
documents intended for wide readership. Desktop publishing
gives you a new ability to produce professional looking pages
when amateur, slapdash presentations will not do. Documents
must persuade, instruct or sell, and a professional designer is
seldom at hand to guide the micro user.
This book is the first to tackle the design problems which
are created by the dramatic new technical developments in the
production of the printed page.
Design for Desktop Publishing , reviewed in January’s issue,
is a clear guide to the basic principles of page layout, written
with the requirements of the micro user in mind.
Fully illustrated with diagrams and examples, Design for
Desktop Publishing is the only book of its kind to offer
thoroughly practical advice to the user.
The author, John Miles, is a professional designer who has
used the techniques of desktop publishing he describes to
produce the book itself.
Please send me copies of Design for Desktop Publishing
at £9.95 (plus £1.00 p&p for the UK, £1.75 overseas)
I enclose my cheque/postal order for £ made payable
to Gordon Fraser Gallery Ltd
NAME
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
Send this coupon with your remittance to Desktop Offer, Acorn User
| Merchandising, 20-26 Brunswick Place, London Nl 6DJ.
A U OFFER
Desktop publishing
at a snip
Stop Press , the most highly acclaimed desktop publishing
package for the BBC micro and Master 128, is being offered
exclusively to Acorn User readers at unbeatable prices!
Stop Press comes on two 16k ROMs and two discs for the
BBC, and three discs for the Master. The package includes; 16
typefaces as standard; keyboard, joystick and mouse control;
user-definable fonts; text editing and formatting; cut and
paste facilities; graphics, drawing and painting; comprehen-
sive dumping routines and a mode 0 screen converter.
This professional package can be yours for as little as
£39.99, saving £10, or with the AMX Mouse for only £69.99.
We can only accept orders with payment.
Please send me
copies of Stop Press at £39.99 (Save £10)
copies of Stop Press and the AMX Mouse
at £69.99 (Save £10)
I enclose my cheque/postal order for £
made payable to AMS Ltd
Please charge my Access/Barclaycard
NO EXPIRY DATE
xrrn"T iiiiiN rrrr
SIGNED DATE
NAME
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
Send this coupon with your remittance to Stop Press Offer, Redwood Publishing Ltd, 20-26
j Brunswick Place, London Nl 6DJ.
ACCOUNT
cm
162
_J
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
BUSINESS
FROM BIKERS TO BANKERS
Acorn micro owners use their machines
in imaginative and original ways
After each issue where one of these articles
appears I enjoy a busy time with letters
about all kinds of uses and ideas for your
micros. Some re-invent the wheel, but one
recent one showed how to keep a record of
them turning!
Seamus Shortall, who works for Rank
Xerox in Dublin, wrote to me about the
way he maintains competitor’s records in
the Nissan International Classic cycle race.
The scale of what is done with a BBC
micro is really most impressive.
In 1987, 87 riders started the five day
race which took them from Dublin to
Waterford, then Kilarney, Tralee, Limer-
ick, Kilkenny and back to the capital. For
each of the five stages the times had to be
recorded, and totalled to produce a ‘general
classification’, with the final winner being
the rider with the lowest total time.
To make things more interesting, as
Seamus says, and to confuse me, points and
bonuses were awarded at some special
stages to reward the fastest sprinters and
hill climbers. The program also calculated
the prize money for each competitor, taken
from the £25,000 which the sponsor, car
manufacturer Nissan, provided.
Each day, a progress report giving the
current race position had to be produced
very quickly. Five hundred sets were made
using a Xerox 4945 laser printer; and
exceptionally good copies they are.
For the technically minded, the main
program is written in Basic and runs on a
BBC Master Turbo. There are also 20
machine code overlay modules, in all
occupying about 500k of disc space. View
is used to type in text as necessary to drive
the program.
It is impressive that such a large and
sophisticated task with tight time limits can
be performed with the BBC Master. How
many other sporting events could the sys-
tem be adapted to cover? I know of one
much smaller and simpler orienteering
event which is recorded in a similar way.
Bicycle races: Records on a Beeb
One problem with orienteering is that
competitors tend to arrive very fast at the
finish - and there is a difficulty in typing in
their times. Do readers know of any sensi-
ble automated system?
If the cycle race is an example of one of
the most ambitious uses I have seen, some
of the small, domestic uses are just as
impressive in their own way. They certain-
ly represent an enormous amount of per-
sonal effort.
One example came from M Fisher of
Swindon who wrote his own home
accounting package to monitor his bank
account, but in fact it allows for 128
separate accounts, 3000 ledger entries and
100 standing orders. He could have bought
a similar program, but to his credit he
prefered to write his own and enjoy the
satisfaction of doing so. His program
doesn’t lack any basic features and is an
admirable piece of programming.
Several others had similar ideas, among
them Shane O’Connor of Newbridge,
County Kildare, who uses a spreadsheet
model using ViewSheet to help with recon-
ciling his bank statements, as I do myself.
He has since gone on from that to make
extensive use of ViewSheet windows on
screen to make the interpretation of the
summaries considerably easier.
Two others writers had similar ideas.
Alan Macleay of Chigwell has written a
program for sale called The Investment
Analyser. I have not seen it in operation,
but it sounds promising. And the Cam-
mells of Aylesbury have marketed a series
of programs aimed at meeting the needs of
individuals interested in the stockmarket.
Their series covers the recording of secur-
ity purchases and dividends. It can produce
charts of share progress, and overall valua-
tions of small portfolios of shares ready for
the Inland Revenue to evaluate its cut of
the profits.
There’s one wide area of business use
that I haven’t yet seen covered at all in this
series or in letters. I would be particularly
interested to hear about and report on
anyone using a BBC micro to maintain
personnel recruitment and staffing records.
1 can find several packages for IBM equip-
ment, but so far none for the BBC. It is
certainly possible, and I am sure they exist
somewhere. As ever, write in with your
ideas and achievements.
IDEAS WANTED
If you have written a piece of useful
software or make use of your micro for
business or pleasure and would like to
share your knowledge and experience,
write to Roger Carus, c/o Acorn User ,
Redwood Publishing, 20-26 Brunswick
Place, London Nl 6DJ.
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
163
HALF HEIGHT
WINCHESTERS
Amcom have simplified winchester design.
The result is a range of half-height winchester drives,
packing a lot of data into a little space.
Amcom have also made winchesters simpler to use.
Amcom winchesters are supplied ready formatted:
just plug into the 1 MHz bus and switch on.
Amcom winchesters use the Acorn ADFS to ensure
software compatibility. And to make full use of this,
Amcom include powerful utilities software to man-
age the megabytes of storage space.
And Amcom have also simplified the price:
20 MByte Unit £430
40 MByte Unit £699
ADFS tapestreamer £599
As official Acorn dealers Amcom also retail the full
range of Acorn products.
(All prices exclude VAT and carriage)
/fagiplOUT
To order, or request further details, about winches-
ters, tapestreamers and networking, contact:
Amcom Software Ltd
35, Carters Lane
Kiln Farm
Milton Keynes
MK11 3HL
Tel: (0908) 569212
(Major credit cards accepted)
ARCHIMEDES
£50 CASH BACK
SPECIAL PROMOTION TO EDUCATION
Acorn is offering a £50 cash back voucher on every 300 series
Archimedes system purchased from us before 1st April 1988.
r a
FOR THE ACORN ARCHIMEDES R310, 4410, R440
THE EASY TO USE 256 COLOUR ART PACKAGE.
FREE!
With every Archimedes purchased from us we will include a mouse mat,
extra demo disc and a copy of ‘ARCTIST the 256 colour art package
written by Fairhurst Instruments Ltd. all free.*
Home & Educational users Phone for good prices
& availability.
We stock ACORN equipment, also IBM, TANDON,
APPLE & AMSTRAD PCs EPSON & BROTHER
printers, Software, Ribbons etc.
Phone Doreen for educational prices.
FAIRHURST INSTRUMENTS LTD
Dean Court, Woodford Rd, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 2LT.
Micro-Computer-Specialists
Phone 0652-525694 (6LINES)
* While stocks last.
signwriter/
instant display lettering £29.95
from a dot-matrix printer (BBC version)
* Signs printed across or down the page
* Sharp characters any size - the bigger the better
* Design logos, symbols on screen
* Extra fonts £5.75 each:
Fair
Also available:
Available from the publisher
LABELWRITER
WIGHT SCIENTIFIC
for multiple labels
44 Roan Street London SElO ?)T
etc.
PAPERBASE
for bibliographies
(Ol) 858 2699
This advertisement printed A4-size with 16-bit SIGNWRITER
BeebDOS version 2 (new) from MicroBoss
Software for BBC and IBM file interchange
Rum on IBM-PC-XT-AT or compatibles and supports DOS 2.0 or later
Supplied on 360K IBM diskette with manual and plastic wallet the software includes:
BCOlW Copy files &BC - feM. IBM - I^BC, BBC - BBC (wild cards allowed)
BCONV Flexible IBM file translate facility enabling text to oe passed between VIEW.
WORDSTAR and Du play write 3 amongst other uses.
BGRAPH Display BBC mode 0.1.0 screen format (AMX Art included) files on IBM standard
colour (CGA). enhanced colour (EGA) or Hercules screens for use in IBM PC
presentation. DTP. drawing and other graphic applications.
BeebDOS is almost a complete BBC DFS/ADFS for the IBM PC with utilities to catalogue, format,
backup, delete, lock, unlock, compact rename, alter title A options, map free space, change and create
directories of BBC diskette/files.
Inf act BeebDOS is probably the fastest and most powerful
BBC/IBM PC file transfer method available and no cables or
serial connections are required.
BBC double density diskette formats supported are Acorn ADFS, Watford, Solidisk, OPUS DDOS and
UDM. Acorn single density DFS is only supported when running BeebDOS on an IBM AT or XT286
with a 360k disk drive. Please send or phone for an information sheet
CHEQUE OR POSTAL ORDER TRADE/EDUCATION ENQUIRIES WELCOME
MICROBOSS LTD 3 HADLEIGH RD FR1NTON ESSEX C013 9HG TEL (02556) 71095
£39.99
Inclusive
164
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
USER GROUPS
LONDON
London. Association of London Computer
Clubs: Robin Bradkccr, Polytechnic Of
North London, Holloway, London N7 8DB.
London. Association of Computer Clubs:
Rupert Steele, 12 Philbcach Gardens, London
SW5 9DY
London. Radio Amateur Micro User Group:
contact by bulletin board No 86300198
East London. SOB AT Computer Club: Mr T
A Kayani, 12 Calderon Road, London El 1
Tel: 01-556 5423
North London. BBC Micro Users Group:
Mr Ric Kevworth, ‘The Penthouse’, 4b
Kilburn High Road, London NW6 5UL
Tel: 01-734 9235
North London. North London BBC Micro
User Group: 82 Hornsey Lane, London N6
5LU
Tel: 01-263 6760 (eves)
Wandsworth. Wandsworth Computer Club:
C Kendrick, Earlsfield Library, Magdalen
Road, London SW16
West London. Personal Computer Club:
Chris, Tel: 01-743 1579;
Steve, Tel: 01-540 6271;
Blue, Tel: 01-579 5415
SOUTH-EAST
Aylesbury. BBC Micro User Group: Aston
Clinton Countv Combined School, Twitchell
Lane, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, Bucks HP22
5JJ Tel: (0296) 630276 '
Billericay. New J PI 01 user group. Sae for
details. JP101 User Group, 8 Gardens,
Billericay, Essex CM 12 01 1 A
Bognor Regis, Bognor Computer Group
E R Piper, 2 Ely Gardens, Aidwick Park,
Bognor Regis, Sussex 1*021 3RY
Bracknell. Bracknell Primary Schools
Computer Users Group: D Donaldson,
Wildridings County Junior School,
Nethcrton, Bracknell, Berks RG12 4DX
Brighton, Hove & District. Brighton, Hove
& District Computer Club:J Smith, 30
Leicester Villas, Hove, E. Sussex BN3 5SQ
Brighton. Brighton Area Micro Enthusiasts:
c/o 41 Wcstdene Drive, Brighton. Prestel
mailbox 919995582. Contact Mr Edwards
Bucks. South Bucks Acorn Computer Club:
David Park, 160 White Hill, Chesham, Bucks
HP5 1AZ
Tel: Chesham 783097
Cambcrlcy. Camberley Computer Users
Club: David Crosby-Clarkc
Tel: Crowthornc 771590
Prestel mailbox 344771590
Catcrham. Computer Club: Caterham
Leisure Centre, Godstone Road, Caterham,
Surrey CR3 6RE
Guildford. West Surrey Computer Club: Jan
Spencer, 52 Lindficld Gardens, Guildford,
Surrey GUI ITS
Tel: (0483) 63512
Harpendcn. Harpenden Microcomputer
Group: P Cowley,
36 Southdown Road, Harpenden,
Herts AL5 IPG
Harrow. Harrow Computer Group: Bazylc
Butcher, 16 St Peter’s Close, Bushey Heath,
Watford WD2 3 LG
Tel: 01-950 7068
Ilford. ILBUG: Peter Jones,
1 De Vcre Gardens, Cranbrook, Ilford,
Essex IG1 3EB
Tel: 01-554 9825
Ivcr. Iver Computer Society: John Haigh, 1 1
Colliston Walk, Ford’s Farm, Calcot,
Reading, Berks RG3 5ZJ
Tel: (0734) 417534
North & Mid Essex. User Group
(NAMEBUG): Andy Purkiss,
12 Palin Close, Witham, Essex
Tel: (0376) 515609.
Prestel: 376515609
Reading. Reading User Group (RUG):
Richard Rowlands,
Tel: Reading 596825 (eves)
South East Essex. BBC User Group
(SEEBUG): Mr A P Jordan, 97 Oakhurst
Drive, Wickford, Essex SSI 2 0NW
Tel: Rayleigh 771428
Sutton. Sutton Library Computer Club: The
Secretary, 21 Village Row, Sutton, Surrey
SM2 6JZ
Tel: 01-642 3102
Welling. Computer Users Club: Tony
Latham, 69 Hadlow Road, Welling, Kent
DA16 1 AX
SOUTH & SOUTH-WEST
Abingdon. The National Elf Service: The
Elf, 18 Kings Avenue, Marcham, Abingdon,
Oxon 0X13 6Q A
Alton. Alton Computer & Electronics
Society: Kevin Weathcrhead, Sheen, Old
Odiham Road, Alton, Hants GU34 4BW
Tel: Alton 87478
Fareham. Porchester & Farcham Computer
Club: Simon Ward, 9a East Cams Close,
Downend, Fareham, Hants 1*0 16 8RP
Gosport. Borough of Gosport BBC Users
Group (BOGBUG): Graham Dubber, 128
Wych Lane, Gosport, Hants 1*013 0TE
Tel: (0329) 282221 (evenings)
MIDLANDS & ANGLIA
Boston. Boston Acorn Computer Users Club:
J C Goodwin, 245 Church Green Road,
Fishloft, Boston, Lines PE2I ORP
Burton-on-Trent. Beeb Users’ Group (Bug
Club): Mrs Linda Yeomans, 13 Regent Street,
Church Greslev, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs
DEI 1 9PL
Tel: (0283) 216443 (eves)
Cambridge. Bottisham Acorn User Group:
Peter Rank,
Tel: Cambridge 812080, or Gerald
Wilcockson, 19 Gallows Hill, Saffron Walden,
Essex CBl 1 4DA
Tel: Saffron Walden 23793
Derby. The Derby Microcomputer Society: F
Taylor, Secretary, c/o 5 Park View Close,
Allestrec, Derby DE3 2G1I Tel: Derby 559334
Derby. Mrs B Bowman, 6 Shady Grove,
Hilton, Derbyshire DE6 5PX. Tel: (028373)
2529
Dudley. Kingswinford BBC Micro Club:
Kingswinford Community Centre, High
Street, Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands
Tel: Dudley 212538
GIossop. Glossop Computer Club
(Derbyshire): T S Fox, 4 Park Lane, Little
Hayficld, Stockport, Cheshire SK12 5NW
Tel: (0663) 44260
Norwich. Amateur Computer Club: Andy
Leeder, Church Farm, Stratton St Michael,
Norwich NR15 2QB
Norwich. Norwich & District BBC
Microcomputer User Group: Roy Street,
Church Farmhouse, Thcmclthorpe, Darcham,
Norfolk NR20 5PS Tel: Foulsham 579
Nottingham. Micro Club: John Day, 8
Warkton Close, Chilwell, Notts NG9 5FR
Tel: (0602) 225660.
Prestel: 602225660
Redditch. Redditch Computer Club:
Anthony Green, 14 Rad way Close, Redditch,
Worcs B98 8RZ
Tel: (0527) 61434
Stoke. POTBUG BBC User Group:
J Forest, 50 Cliff Street, Smallthorne, Stoke-
on-Trent, Staffs
Tel: 818430
Stratford. Stratford Computer Club: Chris
Parry, 15 Kipling Road, Stratford-on-Avon
Tel: (0789) 68080
Suffolk. West Suffolk BBC Micro Users’
Club: Antony Hurden, 14 Plovers Way, Bury
St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 2NJ
NORTH-WEST
Blackburn. Baud: Blackburn Acorn User
Domain, Yuticks Nest, Pringle Street,
Blackburn, Lancs.
Cheshire. Mid-Cheshire Computer Club:
Michael Christie, 496 The High Street,
Winsford, Cheshire
Cumbria. West Cumbria User Group: I*
Majid, Tel: (0946) 62732 or K Purkiss, Tel:
(0946) 66586
Liverpool. Mersey BBC User Group: Nik
Kelly, 56 Queen’s Drive, Liverpool L4 6SH
Rochdale. Beeb owners group, 81
Mornington Road, Kirknolt, Rochdale.
Lancs. OL 11 20J
Rochdale. Rochdale BBC Micro User Group:
c/o 6 Dunbar Grove, Darnhill Estate,
Heywood, Lancs OLIO 3QJ
Wirral. Wirral Micro Users Club: David
Walsh, 23 The Pines, Bcbington, Wirral,
Merseyside L63 9PH
NORTH-EAST
Bridlington. Solinct: Kenneth Hardacrc, 13 St
John Street, Bridlington, East Yorkshire
Y016 5NL
Huddersfield. Huddersfield BBC Micro User
Group: S Gill, 21 Mayfair Avenue, Sowood,
Halifax, W. Yorks Tel: (0422) 73058
Hull. Forum 80:421 Endike Lane, Hull HU6
SAG
Hull. MUSE (for teachers): PO Box 43, 231/2
Friary Chambers, Whitcfriargate, Hull HU l
2HD
Tel: (0482) 20268
Keighly. Kcighly Computer Club: Colin
Price, ‘Apple Garth’, Tnc Hob Hill, Steeton,
Keighlv, W. Yorks
Tel: (0535) 54738
Leeds. Garforth BBC User Group: D G Pell,
84 Park Lane, Rothwell, Leeds LS26 0EY
Newcastle. Newcastle & Washington BBC
User Group (NEWBUG): Multi-purpose
centre, Oxclose Village, Washington, Tyne &
Wear
Tel: (0783) 81 3 175 (eves)
Northumberland. NEBUG: Ian Douglas
Chapman, 13 Pont St, Ashington,
Northumberland
Tel: 0670 856273
Sheffield. Parsons Cross BBC User Group:
Andrew Grant, 28 Rokcby Road, Sheffield S5
9FU
Tel: (0742) 461203
S Yorks. South Yorks Personal Computer
Group: Bob Hindlc, 139 Penrhyn Road,
Sheffield SI 1 8UP
Wakefield. Wakefield BBC Micro User
Group: PO Box 65, Wakefield, West
Yorkshire WF2 6YZ
SCOTLAND
Central Scotland. BBC User Group: D
Davidson, 1 Roxburgh Place, Larbett,
Stirlingshire FK5 4UE
Tel: (0324) 558692
Inverclyde: Inverclyde BBC Micro Users
Club: Robert Watt, 38 Wcllyard Way,
Greenock, Renfrewshire PA 16 0XG
Tel: Gourock 39967
WALES
Cardiff. Cardiff BBC Computer Club:
Geoffrey Barker, 2 Whitcliffc Drive, Pcnarth
CF6 2RY
Tel: (0222) 701023
N. IRELAND
Belfast. Belfast Computer Club: Andrew
White, 19 Greenpark Drive, Markethill, Co
Armagh BT60 IPX
OVERSEAS
Australia: BBC Users Group of Canberra:
PO Box E58, Queen Victoria Terrace, ACT
2600
Australia. Bcebnet: M A Cowley, PO Box
262, Kingswood, South Australia 5062
Australia. Ozbeeb Sydney, meetings North
Ryde, PO Box 1030, Parramatta 2150
Tel: day 635 4868, eve 868 4455
Australia. Dapto BBC User Group: PO Box
447, Dapto, NSW 2530
Canada. Atom Users Group of Canada: John
Wood, 812 Cabot Trail, Milton, Ontario L9T
3M8
Canary Islands (Spain). BBC Micro Club
Tenerife: PO Box 560, 3800 Santa Cruz de
Tenerife
Eire. Irish Amateur Computer Club: Austin
Vaughan, 35 Monastery Drive, Clondalkin,
Dublin 22. Tel: 01-5931 12 (eves)
Eire. OIFIG (Official Irish Forth Interest
Group): c/o Hugh Dobbs, Newton School.
Waterford
Finland. Arien R.utcland. I lopeatie I0A21,
00440 Helsinki 44
France. Club Informatique Asscvent: Claude
Laurent, 1 rue du Marccnal Leclerc, Asscvent
59600. Tel: (27) 652294
Greece. Microclub: C Mantazavinatos, 17
Stournara Str. 106 82 Athens
Hong Kong. Acorn Computer Users Society
of Hong Kong: PO Box 13330, Central PO,
HR
Malaysia. Sabah Computer User Group: c/o
Albert Vun, PO Box 69, Kota Vun, Sabah,
Malaysia
Malta. BBC Micro Users Club (Malbccb):
Ray C Zammit, 20 Oleander Avenue, Santa
Lucia
Netherlands. Big Ben Club:
J W Vuurpijl, Hein Baderstraat 36, 2171 XP
Sassenhcim
New Zealand. BBC/Acorn Computer User
Group of NZ: PO Box 9592, Wellington
New Zealand. Christchurch BBC &: Electron
Users Group: Mrs Rcbc Nolan, 87 Palmers
Road, Christchurch 9
Norway. BBC INFO: I iorten
Ingenlorhogskolc, Skippergt. 6, 3190 I Iorten
Norway. Skandinavian BBC User Group:
Frans-Otto Hendriks, Ludvig Karstensvei 14,
1064 Oslo 10
Pakistan. BBC Users Group:
Capt. Z A Kidvai. Tel: Karachi 540986
South Africa. Acorn Atom Users Group: J G
Dowling, 27 Oribi Avenue, Van Riebccck
Park, Kcmpton Park 1620
South Africa. Pretoria BBC Users Group:
Stan Miller, PO Box 1 17, Montana 0151
South Africa. Tygerberg BBC User Group
(Tygerbug): R 1* Donavan, 16 Bakker Street,
Wclgemoed, Bellvillc 7530
Sweden. BBC User Group: Anders Wichman,
Folkungagatan 58, 1 1622 Stockholm
Sweden. Acorn User Society of Sweden: Tord
Israclson, Tuppa Klaras Vag 12, S-702 29,
Orebro, Sweden
Tasmania. BBC Users Group (Tasbceb): Box
25 PO, North Hobart 7002
SPECIAL
INTEREST
Accounts. BEEBACC Brian Pain. 40a I ligli
Street, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes
Tel: (0908) 564271
Atom. Acorn Atom User Club: Kevin Roll,
66 Shaldon Drive, Morden, Surrey
Tel: 01-540 5282
Bulletin Boards. Forum 80: 421 F.ndike Lane,
Hull HU6 8AG
CP/M. CP/M User Group: Diana Ford red, 72
Mill Road, Hawley, Dartford, Kent
Tel: (0322) 22669
Disc Users. Format 40/80 Club (BBC Disc
User Group): Peter 1 lughes, 5 Marsh Street,
Bristol BS1 4AA
Econct. User Group (Scotland): c/o Michael
Ryan, Balkcerie Cottage, Eassie, by Forfar,
Angus
Education. Micros and Primary Education
(MAPE): c/o Mrs G Jones, 76 Sudbrookc
Holme Drive, Sudbrookc, Lines LN2 2SF
Electronics. Alton Computer & Electronics
Society: Kevin Weathcrhead, Sheen, Old
Odiham Road, Alton, 1 1 ants GU34 4BW
Tel: Alton 87478
Heraldry Society. Colin Forrester, 5 I look
Road, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8T1 1
Logo. British Logo Users Group (Bl.UG):
Richard Olncy, c/o London Technology
Network, 86-100 St Pancras Way, London
WCl
MUSE. PO Box 43, Houghton on the 1 1 ill.
Leicester LE7 9GX. Tel: (0533) 433839
Radio. AMRAC (Amateur Radio and
Computers): MrT Triggel, Gleness, East
Boldre, Brockcnhurst, Hants S042 7WD
Tel: (0590) 612130
RAF' Personal Computer Association: Sun
Ldr J A Upham, Man S (ADP), HO
RAFSC, RAF Brampton, I luntinguon
PE18 801.
Sideways RAM user group. Send SAE: to
Solinet, 13 St John St, Bridington,
Yorkshire YOl6 5NL
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
165
INTERACTIVE 3D is a unique program that actually allows you to create
a design directly in a 3D view. And you can zoom, rotate and change
view at any time to visualise the effect of design changes. Full editing
facilities allow you to create and delete points and lines, and adjust
their positions in any direction, all under cursor control without having
to enter any numerical data. Circles can be generated automatically and
symmetrical forms can be created by reflections. Designs can be saved
to tape/disc and reloaded. Views shown on the screen can be saved or
printed. Altogether, nearly 50 operations are included.
For BBC B, B + and MASTER series.
* Acclaimed in reviews (Micro User, Beebug, A&B
etc)
* Widely used in schools, colleges and industry
* Licenced to Education Authorities
* Sold in nearly 20 different countries worldwide
* Probably the most powerful 3D CAD system for
any home micro, and at an unbelievably low price
£8.95 cassette £12.95 disc (state 40 or 80 track)
Cheque/PO to: OESIGN DYNAMICS|A|
8 Meadow Way,
Ampthill,
Bedford MK45 2QX
640 X 512
RESOLUTION
BREAKTHROUGH!
The BBC computers have quite high resolution graphics. The maximum
horizontal resolution of 640 is good but the overall effect is spoilt by the
mediocre vertical resolution of 256, even in MODE O. The same limitation applies
to normal screen dumps, so the only way to obtain smooth curves has been an
expensive plotter.
Nothing can be done about the screen resolution, but now our unique software,
MODE-00 DUMP, provides a means of outputting graphics to a dot-matrix printer
at an amazing 640 x 512 resolution. All you have to do is add two simple
‘SPOOL statements to your BASIC or machine code program. All the VDU data
used to plot the picture are then saved to disc for use later by MODE-00 DUMP.
Your program can run in any MODE - even MODE 7! (although then you won’t
see the results until you run MODE-00 DUMP). The dump is in one colour (i.e. as
MODE O) and covers most of an A4 page.
A useful graph plotting program is included as an example to show you how to
add the 'SPOOL statements to your own programs.
MODE-00 DUMP for BBC B, B+ and Master computers on 5 Vi" disc.
£12.95 disc only (state 40 or 80 track)
Please note: MODE-00 DUMP works with most dot-matrix printers, but if ESC
is not available (check your printer manual) then you have to omit from the dump
6% of the screen height (either top or bottom).
SPECIAL OFFER: (40 or 80 track disc only)
INTERACTIVE 3D + MODE-00 DUMP £20.00
You can save INTERACTIVE 3D pictures to use with MODE-00 DUMP
TECHSOFTCNf OES ' GNE ''
TechSottCNC + a high ' , . -y ' f
TSuliondraugW'ngm pro1jle ... T
\ please tick.
1 Name and Address
jCMaster, and c) ryw c \
EChls -fl ssE*.
^Iii?NER : 'sS% itse "
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166
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
FREE ADS
PENPALS BBC B disc users wanted, to
swap ideas, info and tips. Bon Sheti, 29
Katzenelson Richon Lc-Zion 75217,
Israel.
PENPALS Electron fanatics sought to
exchange tips etc and collaborate on
soft/hardware projects. Carl Bateman, 86
First Avenue, Kidgsgrove,
Stoke-on-Trent ST7 1DW.
PENPAL wanted, lady beginner 60yrs
with BBC B, swap ideas. P F Lavender,
‘Browfeurig’ Penryncoch, Aberystwyth,
Dyfcd, SY23 3ET.
PENPALS wanted to swap hints tips etc.
Elk owners please. Saul Hill, 5 Hulme
Road, Sale Moor, Cheshire M33
3HU.
NIGHTINGALE modem with
Commstar ROM and manual. Only £50
ono. Offers Telephone Husein Mawji on
01-551 4360.
MODEM Datachat 1223 GEC 1200/75
bits powered from phone, never opened,
includes manual. £45. Tel: 01-997 1205 or
Ruislip (0895) 637518.
ELECTRON Plus 1 Solidisk EFS turbo
driver, joystick, software. £105. Tel:
(0475) 37901 eves.
ISO Pascal cartridge. £40. Master
reference manuals, 1 and 2 £25. View
guide £9. Speech disc £9. Cholo disc £10.
Tel: Cowden (034286) 686.
MASTER 128 Akhter disc drive 40/80
s/ware, joystick. As new. Guaranteed.
£45 Tel: 01-961 2837.
TURBO upgrade for Master 128 (65C
102). £70. Tel: 061-775 7004.
BBC B, Citizen 120D printer, colour
monitor, 40/80T disc drive, Woriiwise
Plus , perfect condition, 40 discs. £600,
will separate. Tel: (03596) 8205.
BBC B, DNFS, 800k discs, monitor,
speech procesor, ATPL board, View,
Acorn Z80 processor, software,
documentation and packaging. £750. Tel:
01-671 1058.
401 D/S 5.25-inch disc drive, half height,
cased with PSU suit BBC, IBM etc. £60.
Tel: (0266) 42568 for details.
EVERY issue of A corn User and Micro
User (July 1982/March 1983). All bound.
Offers. Tel: (0438) 359424.
WORDWISE Plus complete manuals,
cassette, boxed £20. A MX Art ROM
utils, Paint pot discs, manuals. £10. Tel:
Ken (0782) 516610 eves.
SPELLMASTER , new, £35. A MX Super
Art and mouse Mk3 £45. Master
reference manuals 1 & 2 £18. All for
Master 128. Tel: (0295) 65262.
WATFORD Speech £20, 12 disc games
1 £60, 50 others £100. Two BBC ROMs
| £20. Acorn disc drive (40T) £30. Tel:
'051-652 1862 eves.
, BBC Master 512, amber hi-rcs. monitor
DS/DD 40/80T dual disc DOS, Gem,
mouse, manuals, ROMs. £700. Tel:
(0334) 77617.
BBC B (Acorn DFS) wanted with disc
drives and any standard Acorn add ons.
Hurst, 7 Ferris Close, Bournemouth.
Tel: 529787.
BBC B, DFS, 40- T disc drive, recorder,
joystick, with S-Art, MAX, ADI ROMs
plus manuals, four years Acorn User ,
complete £295. Tel: (0656) 60783.
BBC B, DFS, Wortiwise Plus, Philips
monitor, disc drive(s) matrix printer
KP810, Gemini datagem, discs, manuals,
as new. £950. Tel: (0433) 31350.
Derby.
MODEM for Master 128 or BBC B/B4-
with SW RAM, £35. Also, Odyssey
bulletin board online every night (on
request). Tel: (0482) 861307.
BBC B 1.2 OS, plinth, green monitor,
cassette deck, Cumana graphics pad,
Centronics cable, joysticks, software,
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
books, mint condition. £350 ono. Tel:
(Sevenoaks) 461525.
VIEWSTORE user guide, new. £4 post
paid. Danny Langton, 13 Whitmore
Close, New Southgate, London Nil.
ACORN Z80 2nd processor CP/M s/w,
as new. £150. Tel: (0628) 39595.
ELECTRON, Plus 1, Plus 3, PMS 2nd
processor, View, ViewShcet , ADT,
Hitachi green monitor, recorder, discs,
tapes, manuals. £300. Tel: (0923)
224560.
BEEBUG Masterfile II £12. Studio 8
£10. AMX Super Art (Master version)
£20. AMX Max £10. CJE’s MENLQ
ROM 4- disc ‘B’ £22. Tel: (0527)
32613.
WATFORD 32k card, ATPL board,
Acorn 40T SS drive. 6502 2nd processor,
InterWord. Wordwise Plus, InterSheet,
Masterfile, Quick calc. Details Tel: (0284)
61605 eves.
ELECTRON, Plus 1, Plus 3, View £50.
Discs, 4- box, s/w, books, everything
£150. Tel: (0784) 32013. Ask for Harris,
Marshall 001.
PENMAN plotter wanted in good
condition. Tel: (027 875) 477, anytime, or
write ‘Long Beach’, Warren Road, Brean,
Somerset TA8 2RR.
MODEM: Watford Apollo 4- ROM, BT
approved £70 ono. Microvitec colour
monitor £95 ono. Also printer and
dumpout ROMs. Tel: Philip Adey
01-785 2990 eves.
BBC OS 1.20 DFS 0.90 AMX Mouse
Super ROM v3.31 Super-Art , Voltmace
Twin 3b joystick, 100k disc drive, s/w
worth £500, manuals & magazines. £800.
Tel: Paul (068 45) 6334.
BBC micro 1.20 OS, excellent condition.
£175. Tel: Holmfirth (0484) 684663.
ELECTRON, Plus I, Plus 3, View,
ViewShcet cartridges. Original s/w
including database disc, games, mags.
Excellent condition, £250. Tel: Reading
(0734) 62687 eves.
BBC B, Acorn DFS, dual 40T drives,
hi-rcs. monitor, Watfords ROMboard,
many ROMs, books, games. Worth
£1200, only £400. Tel: (0252) 703069.
BBC B OS 1.2, Voltmace joysticks, Mini
Office, Revs, Match day, Seven early
learning cassette tapes. £150. Sheffield
(0742) 363406 eves.
ACORNSOFT Iso-Pascal (new) £35;
Comal (new) £25; Logo (new) £25;
Spellmaster (new) £35; Super Art and
mouse Mk3 £45. Tel: (0295) 65262.
MIDI synthesiser (prophet 600)
polyphonic, 99 preset sounds, including
flightcase E600. James 01-732 3136 after
7 pm.
PRINTER Mannesmann Tally
dot-matrix printer, model MT85. Epson
compatible, tractor and friction feed.
£220 ono. Tel: 01-952 7244.
UFD D/S 40/80T 5.25-inch disc drive,
only two months use. £90. Tel: (0689)
72595 after 7 pm.
DUAL 800k, 40/80T switchable
5.25-inch drives encased in Viglcn
console, magazines, games, all for £150.
Tel: 01-884 3114 eves.
PRINTER Seikosha GP80A. £85. Tel:
Winchester (0962) 67457 after 7 pm.
BBC B, DFS 1.2, 800k D/S disc, amber
monitor, API 00 A printer, extensive
. software, cassette, joystick,
comprehensive manuals. £349. Tel:
David Stewart 01-943 3866.
BBC B, Acorn DFS 40/80 DS disc drive
View, MegaROM fitted, VP 101 printer.
£375 o.n.o. Tel: Lee Hayes 01-861 1395
eves.
BBC B issue 7 with Acorn DFS 0.90.
£225. Pace 100k disc drive. £70. ATPL
ROM board 4- 16k RAM. £28. Tel:
(0204) 699470.
UNWANTED ROMs: Visifax. £20.
Exmon II (no manual). £10. Also discs:
Graphito £15, Gac £10. Interested? Tel:
Andrew (0265) 825025.
BBC B series 7 APTL board, Acorn
DFS, Disc Doctor, AMX Mouse,
Pagemaker, Solidisk case, coiled cable
dual 40/80 drives, teletext, modem.
Offers. Tel: 051-722 5799.
BBC B OS 1.2 with Wordwise,
Masterfde, BBC B calc, Scrabble, other
games, books and manuals. £180. Tel:
01-997 3526.
BBC B Aries B32/BI2 shadow/S ROM.
DFS, ADFS manuals. £250. Tel: (0268)
763171 daytime only.
VOXBOX speech synthesisor for
Electron still boxed. £20. First-Byte
printer interface for Electron still boxed.
£10. Tel: (0522) 40671.
ACORN User 1 to date. Offers. Also
Micro User. 021-353 3498.
BBC B, Cumana dual DD, Microvitec
monitor, lightpen, tape deck, joystick,
Micravct ROM, Wordwise, Office
Master. David (0742) 620989.
BBC B, DFS, 400k DS disc drive,
recorder, speech chip, joystick interface,
games, discs. (0202) 743369.
ATOM 12k, FP ROM, internal
ROMboard, Wordpak , Atomcalc ,
external p/supply, books, software. £70
ono. Barry (0282) 67418.
COLOUR monitor (Microvitec) £150
hardly used, View 2:1 with manuals,
FX80 printer drivers. £35. (0753)
43636.
FIRST Byte joystick interface plus
Quickshot II joystick for electron, only
£22.50 (including p&p). Ring (0223)
243908.
BBC B OS 1.2, dual 100k drives (40T),
32k SRAM, WP, database, spreadsheet,
Pagemaker-, utilities, 60 games. £375.
Derby (0332) 519823.
MASTER 128, Mitsubishi SOT DS disc
drive, Two ROM cartridges, ADT
ROM, manuals, floppy discs. £450.
091-417 4168 eves.
BBC B OS 1.2, 1 6k SRAM, games,
advanced guides, excellent condition.
£240. (0934) 820 952 anytime.
ELECTRON. ROMbox 4-, Plus 3,
View, Viewshcet, Starstore, Elkman
graphics extension S RAM, recorder,
games, magazines, £195. (0362)
694994.
MICROVITEC 1431 standard res
colour monitor, plastic case virtually
unused, £170. 01-668 7101
(Croydon).
ACORN Z80 2nd processor including
manuals and discs. As new, £300. Stewart
01-683 2875 after 7pm.
ACORN User 1 to 53, offers. 13 St
Mary’s Place, Lt. Dunmow, Essex CM6
3HX.
MASTER 128 manuals leads, £300.
Electron, Turbo Driver, £40, Plus3, £100.
40/80 SS, £75, Rombox, £10. 1770 DFS,
£10. Paul (0705) 595691 eves.
WANTED for BBC ‘B’. Foretell share
investment program, and Printmaster
ROM. Tel: Brian, Blandford (0258)
53742.
WANTED urgently BBC B, 4- disc
drive, up to £200. Tel: (0934)
511168.
WANTED Opus challenger 3/512 in
mint condition. Tel: Hank (010)
4771847. (Rotterdam, The
Netherlands).
WANTED Morley Teletext adapter. Tel:
(0703) 262755 eves, and weekends.
WANTED. 40/80T disc drive. £30 to
£35. Must be in good working order. Tel:
Michael 021-552 8677.
WANTED 20Mb Winchester with
appropriate software, also any bulletin
board running S/W. Tel: (0924) 472994
weekends.
WANTED Epson LQ2500 printer in
good condition with sheet feeder and
colour option. Tel: (0745) 825036 eves.
Ask for Hugo.
WANTED NLQ printer for BBC,
preferably Panasonic KXP108I or
Epson, others considered. Cash waiting.
Tel: Chester (0244) 672535, ask for
Daran.
FREE PERSONAL AD SERVICE
Fill in the form below to a maximum of 20 words (one in each box) and send it to A com User Free Ads, 20-26
Brunswick Place, London N1 6DJ. Please use capital letters, write clearly, and remember your name,
address and telephone number. Without this full information, supplied on a separate sheet of paper, we
regret we cannot carry your Free Ad. We cannot accept entries selling or swapping software. This is a
service to readers- no companies please. One entry per form only. Free Ads are carried in the magazine as
space permits, and any Free Ads not used within a month of receipt will be disposed of.
ACORNUSERS
DIARY
Secretary goes
in motto row
One of the nicest things about
the publishing industry is the
shower of goodies which rains
down each Christmas. Diaries
and calendars are particular
favourites. While fighting over
Yorkshire computing centre
Resource’s offering, one of
those desktop calendars you
tear a leaf off each passing day,
ace reporter Orson Fact
noticed that each day bore a
little motto or epigram proffer-
ing seasonal advice.
Always in need of moral im-
provement, Orson flipped
through the pages to learn on
January 6 that ‘There is no
torture that a woman would
not endure to enhance her
beauty’. On September 6,
Orson was told ‘When it comes
to spreading the news, the
female is a lot more dependable
than the mail’.
Orson rang Resource appar-
atchik and AU stringer Nick
Evans. ‘Have we been sexist?
Oh, good,’ chortled Evans de-
lighted by the notoriety.
Orson winced as he heard
several Resource calendars
hurtling through the air, cries
of ‘Ouch’, a door slamming
and a secretary leaving. When
Evans came round he whis-
pered ‘I’ve just spoken to my
ex-secretary, and, er, Resource
would like to apologise abso-
lutely and unreservedly for any
distress caused’.
August 15 sagely advises
‘When you are in deep water,
it’s a good idea to keep your
mouth shut’. Press officers,
please note.
This offensive
epigram sparked
a walkout
by staff at
Resource
•«. Public tf.I.lion.
24
2151 PA V»««« p
ST/-
7~i
t r/rr/ r/r
•/>tft/r>> t-r t
y*
/r//rt,t,
r/r
V
tryr.t
rrrtt r-re/ t’n
t/f y, n //trrt/t ,
t/..r
Big Ben sends
greetings
Dutch user group Big Ben daz-
zled us with their Christmas
card - gold computers printed
on glossy white paper - and
have followed it up with a New
Year card. This has gone to
mag editors over there, and
they claim it translates as: ‘We
wish you a prosperous new
year and hope Acorn users will
find a lot of interesting items in
your publications.’
We print it in the hope that
one of our Dutch-speaking
readers will write in and tell us
the real meaning.
Big Ben’s PR man Harry
Linsen also adds that ‘88’ is the
amateur radio operator’s abbre-
viation for ‘love and kisses’. So
there you go!
Wee Shona leaves
This is the cautionary tale of a
young Scottish lass who made
the trek south to seek fame and
fortune in the big city.
At first, everything seemed
to be going well for ‘wee’ Sho-
na Mclssac. Once the rest of
the Acorn User crew had got
used to the earrings, she settled
down to the daily sub-editor’s
routine of gossiping and think-
ing up 30 puns on the word
‘mouse’ by lunchtime. But
already there were danger signs
- the trips to MacDonald’s, the
political meetings, the flores-
cent green cycling leggings -
and before anyone realised
what was happening the city
had claimed another victim.
Her behaviour became more
and more erratic. Then one day
she turned up for work dressed
as a dog (above) and Tony
Quinn was forced to call for
the men in white coats. They
took her away to work
Chat magazine. As someone
said, ‘How appropriate’. Acorn
User wishes her a full recovery
Acorn abuse in brief
■ In May 1984, Acorn User
headlined news about a statis-
tical package, ‘Data break-
through claimed’. Clearly the
software company thought
their product was quite good.
The company later sent out a
brochure saying ‘Read what the
reviewers said about. . .“Data
breakthrough” ( Acorn User)\ If
it’s that good, perhaps we
should have reviewed it.
■ The TV programme made
by the BBC about itself was
enlivened by a newsreader
keying into his terminal for the
latest hot news. Did you see
what came up? The sales
gures for BBC micros! Coulc
anyone who videoed the prog
ram send us the figures?
■ Deputy editor Steve ‘Right
Stuff’ Mansfield has left Acorn
User. Lack of space here mearis
his picture will appear on next
month’s cover.
168
ACORN USER MARCH 1988
i r
\ m rp' ’
jh&r :
1 IHHnRfwijWB^
ANOTHER NASTY CONFRONTATION
SEARCHING A ROOM
A DEATHMONK APPROACHES
F~ 1 :> IgQgSOiK
1 n
1 l :;
lit: p
n m
Jjlfj '
Leg of Toad, and Golden Fruit,
Mix with Ashes and Nightshade Root.
At the end of the thirteenth century, there lived in the
land of Lorraine ten wise and.powerful Magelords.
Each of them had studied sorcery and enchantment
from childhood days, and each knew how to evoke
potent spells capable of causing metamorphosis
and devastation.
You play the role of one such Magelord named
Eldon The Spellbinder. Your task is to find the evil Zorn,
who has deserted the Magelord brotherhood and
fled to the Castle of Lorraine.
BBC Micro Cassette £ 9.95 Acorn Electron Cassette £ 9.95
BBC Micro 5V4” Disc £ 11.95 Acorn Electron 5 V 4 " Disc £ 11.95
BBC Master Compact 3V2" Disc £ 14.95
(Compatible with the BBC B, B+ and Master Series computers)
The screen pictures show the BBC Micro version of the game.
The graphics of other versions may vary.
Then, by collecting the correct ingredients, you must
mix the Ultimate Spell, cast it at Zorn and banish him
for good.
A captivating 3D arcade-adventure full of problems
to be solved by magical means. Only the
appropriate ingredients mixed in the correct order
will produce all the powerful spells which you need
to complete your mission of destiny.
PRIZE COMPETITION
II you complete the Spellbinder mission (by killing the evil Zorn),
you can enter our competition. Prizes include a superb engraved
trophy, with Spellbinder T-shirts and signed certificates for
runners-up.
Closing Date: 30th June, 1988.
SUPERIOR
SOFTWARE
Limited
ACORNSftFT
Please make
all cheques
payable to
‘Superior
Software Ltd".
OUR GUARANTEE
• All mail orders are despatched
within 24 hours by first-class post.
• Postage and packing is free.
• Faulty cassettes and discs will be
replaced immediately.
(This does not affect your statutory rights)
Dept. SPR2. Regent House, Skinner Lane. Leeds LS7 1AX. Telephone: 0532 459453
24 HOUR TELEPHONE
ANSWERING SERVICE FOR ORDERS
Bono’s partner Fozzy
restrains a monster
. bathing
^nLcov
poizes <> ndPt0
d players
e V»V»on1° r
A Laughs
OUR GUARANTEE
• All mail orders are despatched within
24 hours by first-class post.
• Postage and packing is free.
• Faulty cassettes and discs will be
replaced immediately.
(This does nol affect your statutory rights).
. i-jnQ
'“'D —
24-HOUR TELEPHONE
ANSWERING SERVICE FOR ORDERS
_ / SUPERIOR
^soFTUjnnc
Dept. BC1 1 , Regent House, Skinner Lane,
Leeds LS71 AX.
Telephone: (0532) 459453
COMMODORE 64/128 • COMMODORE AMIGA
BBC MICRO • ACORN ELECTRON
Casseffes
5V«* Discs
3 Vj" Discs
£9.95 (C64. BBC Electron)
£11.95 (C64. BBC Electron)
£14.95 (Amiga. BBC Master Compact)
b-
Bono takes the
skeletons to a cauldron
r/ v/ ' 7
k .• , ( *
> . M r
A PRIZE FOR EVERYONE WHO
COMPLETES THE GAME
Buy Bonecruncher and see if
you can complete all the
game screens!
All successful players will
receive a superb portable
radio with headphones
(illustrated on the right),
colourful Bono’s Bathing Co.
badge, and a signed
certificate.
Closing Date: 30th April, 1988
Pri* e
Bono The Dragon and his Flourishing Business
You are Bono, a friendly dragon residing in a picturesque sea-castle.
As a shrewd business-dragon, keen on "nice little earners", you make
your living by selling soap to the giant monsters who bathe in the sea
surrounding the castle.
With the aid of your business partner, named Fozzy, you produce the
soap by collecting skeletons amongst the castle caverns and then
boiling the bones in a cauldron.
However, the castle caverns are fraught with danger: there are
monsters who will kill you, spiders who will eat you alive, and glooks
who will block your path. It will pay you dividends to also avoid the
perilous trapdoors and hidden volcanoes.
A soap-opera not to be missed!
Live Music Archive
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