r
EXPERT ADVICE • TOP TIPS • BEST BUYS •
MORE FACTS^*^^^
Does Hotlinks make laying out pages with
Pagestream a doddle? DTP: page 81
ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992 • £1.50 • YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE
I
JUII'M
ow to use your Amiga to add top-notch
titles to your home videos, ..Video: page 73
Got Gajits' Sequencer One? - then you
should check out Hit Kit MIDI: page 122
I
s easier than you think to program a
neural network on your Amiga, ..Al: page 44
L
Save on phone bills ~ set up your own
Amiga bulletin board!........Comms: page 86
All the latest low-cost and no-cost software
PLUS where to get fonts PD: page 141
WANTED!
" your problems
We just love ^em!
Nothing's too tough for
A
JljJjjJjijlJ
Beginner or expert -
Your unmissable collection of
' essential Amiga advice
3D Graphics, Printers, Music, BASIC
Hard disks. Scanners, Accelerators...
we've got the solutions - Tbe tOO 200 StOftS Oil p16
HOW 10 GET 10 GRIPS WnH
Jtm
uiure
Your guarantee ot value
770961 "73002S
08
Commodore
The new compact a600 from Commodore
Built-in TV modulator
' Workbench & Kickstart 2
I Enhanced chip set
' 1MB of chip RAJM
j IDE hard disk controller built-in
^ Credit card size RAM & ROM slot
A600 i399
A600 with 20MB £499
, A600 with 40MB i599
' A600 with 80MB i699
^k600 IVIennory Cards
. New RAM boards for the Commodore A600 APOA
, IVl isce 1 1 a neous
%^
IMew PC880B
Now with X-Copy Professional!
Power Computing have teamed up with Cachet
of Germany to bring you the ultimate in disk
backup systems,
The new PC880B disk drive can be used directly
with the X-Copy Professional 'Cyclone' software
without any extra cables or interfaces.
j^- This gives you the the power and reliabilit>' of the
proven 'Cyclone' backup sofrware with the conve-
nience of the PC880B floppy drive,
, So now you can have two backup systems 'Blitz'
■ and 'Cyclone' available at the touch of a button!
^ And the PC88flB still has our unique switchable
^,. anti-virus mode, preventing all write accesses to
K^ the bootblock of your floppy disks!
If you all ready own a PC880B, and the Cyclone
copier, a hardware upgrade is available to take
; your drive up to the latest specification.
^ New PC880B with Blitz & X-Copy *90.00
[Jf New PC880B (Cyclone compatible) i75.00*
|Q|S Cyclone hardware upgrade for existing PC880B
V owners £15.00
' *Thi.s drive is jVLiilLihlc i>nlv lo KtGlSTERED owners oi X-Cupv
a-,
Ci ProfcsAioniil. You musl provide prt>of t)f purfharic ot X-Cupy
PC880 Disk drive £49-95
PC501+ RA,IVI Card
I Our RAM board is designed specially for the new
! A500+ computer and coines with 1MB of K/\M on Ixard
to expand your memory to 2MB of chip ll\M. Plug in
■ and go operation (fits into trapdoor).
'^., Gives you a loLil of 2MB of chip RAM £49
te 32 chip RA.M card £59-95
8 IVl B for any A500
-^ Plugs into side slot
^ Fully auto config
Full thni'port
j^ Expand 2MB-8MB
N
2MB
8MB
£129
£299
4MB £189
1 X 4Zip £19.95
2IVIB for any
A.500
'Sa'/ Economy 2MB RAM externally cased
■M 16-Chipaxl DIP)
Nothru'port £99-95
Board
\
) 10 Maxell disks, optical mouse, Zipstick £45
, Power Mouse £15
Optical Mouse £29.95
' Replacement optical mouse mat £9-95
A500 Plastic dust cover £9
Maxell multi colour branded disks (Bos of ten) £9-95
Floppy disks bulk £POA
Blitz Amiga
Back up disks at lightning speed
Stops all external drives from clicking
Contains anti-vims from Ix'ing written into the
bootblocker £20
^ PC881 A500 Internal drive £40.00
^ PC882 A2000 Internal drive £45
%^ A500 Internal anti-click board £9.95
Spacial upgrade
offer!
g% If you consider your scanner system to be inferior
^^ to the Power Scanner, we will happily upgrade
your .software and interface for only £49.95
( Power .Suanner i.s t:c)mp-jlii)te with mtjsl .seanninj^ heads.}
ta
1 .5IVI B RAM
I Plugs easily into your Amiga
i Fully supports 1MB chip RAM
Fully compatible with Fatter Agnus £79
j (Kictaait 1.3 anJ above, not compatible with AiO0+)
' fYnur Amig;-] nfc;cjs to lie opened, this may effect your warratity)
IMB wi-th Thru'port
Expand your A500's memory to a total of 2MB withoLtt
disposing of your existing 51 2K upgrade. Works witli
"^ 1MB of chip RAM, simple internal fitting. £49.95
512K IMA miisl be 4 chip type, or not exceeding 'km in length.)
(Your Amiga neeJs to he iipeneii, this may cfrect your warranty)
^
^J^j A500 RAM Card
"""j^ il2K RAM expansion with battery backed dock and a
te^ fi'ee disk paclced with useful software C4 chip Rj\M) £29
IM 51 2K RAM card without cltKk £24
<feSi| 16 chip RAM card with clock £24
"^ 16 diip RAM card wititout clock *19
(A5t)0+ compaltble)
^^
2MB £129
Aries RAM
A 1 5OO/A2 0OO
4MB £169 6MB £209 8MB £249
^W
"feiit^^S^ T'''^; ^"^
Send your order to Power Computing Ltd, Unit 8 Raikon Road, Woburn Road Industrial Estate, Kempsum, Bedford MK42 7PN
Ring your credit card order through on 0234 843388 {10 lines) or Fax on 0234 840234 Technical helpline 0234 841882
All prices include VAT, clc!ivt.-ry and art- suhfcl to change, .Specific-ations bk subject to change witiiout notice. Next day dcliverj'-Jt^i JO (U.K. mainland only), all lt:adeniark.s acknowledsed
DIstrilHilDr for Power Cojnpuliitg in ll^ly, D.R.K ,SI{L 00142 t^rnia.
Via Uua-io l>i liuiminsfj'm. 2J Tel (061 ^IMlSl.'lSJ fas "^w™/*
Power ComputluR France. 1^ ISkI Vnliain.' 7^tlt I, l^lis, FrjnCL'
"I'd ( 1 1 ijiJUlfi'* Id liws) Ivis 1 1 1 l.l.iWUlS
ftiwer Computlnfj C.SJL. il SiMli "vili Sin.T.1. Suite 000, l'tiilaileli>lii;i. PA 1911*
Tet 21^ n2 OOSO Fas 111 Vll lllll.
.%n rv
/* VC' .. .^c»\e53ii*A,> A* ;>r^ „>* vp^vo>.«st^'
WELCOME
mm.
9'
AT A GLANCE
0UIDE
To help you find what you want
quickly and easily, this is a cross-
referenced list of all the products
and subjects covered in this
montii's Amiga Shopper. The
subjects covered in Amiga Answers
are detailed on page 45; the many
PD programs covered on page 146
are listed there. The page numbers
given are for the first page of the
article in wiiich the product
s
mentioned.
A570
139
A600
13
Amiga Answers
47
AmigaDOS
92
AlWOS
98
Artificiai tntelligence
42
Bulletin boards
86
Buying advice '
151
CD-ROM
137
CDTV
137
Comms
86
Competition
154
Desktop publishing
81
DTP
SI
Education
7S
For sale
140
Graphics
16
HAMA 290 genlock
76
Hit Kit
126
Hotlinks
61
Letters
13
Listings
70
Mail Order
135
MIDI
122
Modems
86
Music
122
Neural networks
42
News
7
PageStream
61
Product Locator
152
Professional Calc
131
Programming 70.108 |
Public domain
141
Reader ads
140
Scala 2,0
139
Shareware
141
Shades
61
SID 2.0
141
Smoothtalker
76
Spellbound
78
Subscriptions
114
Talking Shop
13
User groups
112
Video
73
Word Processors
16
Are there any products or
subjects you'd like us to
take a look at? Well,
just
drop a line to:
Amiga Shopper,
30, Monmouth Street, |
Bath BAl 2BW.
WELCOME
espite last month's somewhat surprising
I news that Commodore had decided to
' cease production of the A500 and
concentrate on a new range represented
byXUe entry-level A600, there's still no news on
what might fill the gap between that machine and
the A3000. Commodore has always refused to
speculate on new machines before they're
launched - even to the point where the first you
hear about them is someone ringing in to say that
they've just bought one in Dtxons or wherever! But
they will go so far as to intimate one is on the way
and it seems pretty certain, talking to developers,
it's a replacement for the A2000.
ff you look at the letters pages this issue you'll
soon see what the majority of readers think about
the decision. Throughout my replies I've tried to
stress that I personally believe all is not doom and
gloom. Neither Commodore, its developers nor
third party manufacturers and publishers are likely
to dump a machine range that's sold 1.2 million
units in the UK alone. That the A500 is no longer
the state of the art is unquestionable - it's just
that its replacement leaves a lot to be desired.
Commodore would have
been much better off
delaying the decision to
cease production of the
A500 until a new
machine with a faster
processor had been
brought to market. That
way it could have saved
a considerable amount
of face. As It is, it has
lost credibility.
So, in this big meanwhile, what's a poor A500
owner to do? Hang on in there! Buy the new chip
set so you're assured of future software
compatibility, wait for someone to release an
adaptor which'll let you hook up forthcoming A600
peripherals... and relax!
\
j\fisu S|oMir
m^mam
HARD DRIVING
There are thousands of Amiga programs which are
available for little more than the price of a disk. And
many more which allow you to try the software free
before you buy. Each month \n Public Domain World
we examine the best of these programs and explain
how to get hold of them.
This month our resident PD sampler, Ian Wrlgley,
scans through his latest batch to focus on SID 2.0
the great hard disk manager and samples a whole
bunch of new fonts. Public Domain World or...
cor baby that's nearly free...
as we call it, starts on page 141
13 PAGES DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS
Every month In Amiga Answers our panel of experts
answer more genuine reader questions than any
other Amiga magazine. And for be^nners our easy
Expert Tips will help you get to grips with your
Amiga, and understand the other features in this
month's issue.
We answer questions every month on
Workbench • The CLi • Comms • Programming •
DTP • Video • Business software and more.
THE ANSWERS START ON PAGE 47
FOR A FULL LIST OF CONTENTS, TURN THE PAGE
This maiazine comes from Future PuWtshing, a
company founded just seven years ago, but which
now sells more computer magazines ttian any
other pubfisher in Britain. We offer;
Better advice. Our ttties are packed with tips^
suggestions and explanatory features, witten by
the best ii> the business.
Stronger reviews. We have a cast-iron policy of
editorial independence, and our reviews give clear
buying recomntendations.
Clearer design. You need solid information, and
you need it fast. So our designers highlight key
elements in the articles by using charts.
Your guarantee of value
diagrams, summary boxes, annotated
photographs and so ori.
Greater relevance. At Future, editors operate
under two golden roles:
• Understand your readers' needs.
• Satisfy them.
More reader interaction. We draw strong^ on
readers' confribuhons, resulting in the liveliest
letters pages and ti>e best reader tips. Buying one
of our magazines is Ske joining a nationvnde user
group.
Better value for money. More pages, better
quality: magazines you can trust.
Tbe home of Britain's finest computer magazines;
Amiga Shopper • Amiga Format • Amiga Power
* Public Domain ■ Commodore Format
•PCW Plus* PC Plus
ST Format • Your Sinclair • Sega Power
Amstrad Action ■ F^ Answers • PC Formal
Mountain Biking UK • Needlecraft • Classic CO
• Cycling Plus • Photo Plus • Total!
and millions of other top-sellers in the pipeline
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE T 6 • AUGUST 1 992
LOWEST PRICES GUARANTEED!
CORTEX Va Mb RAM
EXPANSION
for the Amiga A500
Essential A500 upgrade- 1Mb Amiga IS
^s— •«-',^^— '^
AS01 ■ Lower power iMbil DHAm Ldiw
■Fatter AOfiLis' compatible tot IMD onij
S-Xpro«te enable/disable swrtoh-
Sabl^inorwitbo..bane^-backad
clocW calendar module-
CLOCK £22.95
£17.95
\
GVP 8Mb RAM EXPANSION
lor the
Amiga A1500/A2000
Fully implemented aut°-'=°Jffi
. Zero wait states • Uses 1M x 9bit
Q^X 2.4. or 8Mb configurations.
2Mb £159.00
ROM SHARERS
E.en,ial.f.-de.era,l^^^^^^^^
(Winers f"™'f(]fKi*start HOMS •
RdM sockets to allow for r jfcJHLUl
future expansion. BTi TTf
fts above but witti rJt; t:H
2 position sliile switdh K 11 Ff CM
KICKSTART ROMS
i
CORTEX 8Mb RAM EXPANSION
for the Amiga A500/A1000
The ONLY RAM upgrade approved by Commodore UK •
Fully compatible with A500 plus for 10Mb maximum RAM •
External fitting (Warranty remains intact) • Through port
(covered by blanking plate) • Fully implemented auto-
configure • Zero wait states • Compatible with A590 and all
major hard disks • UsesIM x 8bit or 1M x 9bit SIMMs •
Complete with its own power supply unit (UK, US, or
EURO} • FullyAIOOO compatible • RAM test software.
2Mb I 4Mb I 8Mb
£185.00 1 £241. 00 1 £353.00
CORTEX 1 Mb
MODULE
FOR A500 plus
Gives 2Mb CHIP MEM •
f-unctional equivalent to A501
plus ' Ultra low power design •
LOW component count for
maximum reliability • Available
populatedtoV^MBorlMB
1/2 Mbl 1 Mb
£25.95l£39.95
GVP IMPACT SERIES 2
HARD DISK WITH RAM
(A500HD8-t-)
52Mb Hard disk system with up to
8Mb of RAM ■ Factory-fitted
Quantum Pro-drive, 11ms access
Uses 1M X 8bit SIMMs (see RAM
CHIPS section for prices) ■ Game
switch (hard drive disable) and power
supply.
^^«^■
240Mb
£359.00l£499.00l£799.00
Other GVP products availble: call for prices
EXTERNAL FLOPPY-DRIVE
High-quality silent mechanism •
Tnrouqh-port • Enable/disable
switch.
ENHANCED CHIP SET
(E.C.S.) UPGRADES
£36.95
£34.95
8372A
Fatter Agnus
8373
Super Denise
£47.95
MegaChip 2000 with Super
Agnus (allows 2Mb to be
fitted to A500/15On/?nnfli
A500/1 500/2000)
SeeXICKSTART '
RO/iflS' for ROM
upgrade.
£199.00
GVP
Full range available including new mini-slot
AT-Emulator.
NB. Price promise applies!
RAM CHIPS
PRICE PROMISE
Cortex will match any genuine price olfered by one of our U.K. competitors on
goods thai are in sKtxk on a iiite-for-iike basis. This offer appiies at the time of
purchase only and does not apply to prices offered in saies of banknjpt stock,
clearance or ciosing down sales.
2 YEAR GUARANTEE
Ail product bearing the Cortex brand name carries a 2-year gjarantee. Other
products in this advertisment cany a 1 year guarantee.
Ail prices include VAT and postage & pacliaging. All products shipped same day
where possibie. Allow 14 days lor delivery if ordering by cheque. Make cheques/
P.O.'s payable to CORTEX..
1Mx8bitSllWMS(fof
Cortex.GVPelo) EACH
4M X 8 bit SIMMS (for
GVP etc} EACH
256KX4M DIPS (for ASM,
2091 ICD etc) EACH
1MxlbftDIPs(forolder
A2000 cards) EACH
1Mx 4 bit sialic- column
mode 2Ps (for A3000}
EACH
DEPT AS, CORTEX DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY LTD, BRITANNIA BUILDINGS,
46 FENWICK STREET, LIVERPOOL L2 7NB. • 24 HOUR SALES
TELEPHONE: 051-236 0480 24 HOUR FAX: 051-227 2482
CONTENTS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
AMIGA SHOPPER
Issue 16 August 1992
Editor: Andy Storer
Deputy Editor: Cliff Ramshaw
Layout Sub-Editor: Diana Taylor
Productiort Editor: Alison Harper
Consultant Editors: Jeff Walker,
Mark Smiddy
Contributors: Jason Hoiborn, Paul
Overaa, Gary Whiteiey, Ptiil Harris,
Ian Wrigiey, Pfiilip Gladwin, Jolyon
Halpti, Toby Simpson, Wilf Rees
Guest Composer: J S Bach
Ad Manager: Margaret Clarke
Senior Ad Sales Executive:
David Eckett
Production: Ricfiard Gingell
Production Teciinlcians:
Simon Windsor, Chris Stocker,
Jerome Clough
4ssfst3nf Fublistjer: Stuart Anderton
Circulation Director: Sue Hartley
Promotions Manager:
Michele Harris
Group Publishing Director:
Greg Ingham
ABC audited circulation:
July-December 1991:
45,209 copies/ month
Printed by Redwood Press
News Trade Distribution -
UK: Future Publishing 0225 442244
Worldwide: MMC Ltd 0483 211678
This magazitve is copyright © 1992
Future Publishing Ltd. No part of this
magazine may be reproduced without
written permission. We welcome
contributions for publication but regret
that we cannot return any submissions.
Any correspcndencR will be considered
for publication unless specifically stated
30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA12BW
Tel: 0225 442244 : Fax: 0225 446019
E-mail: amsliopper ©clx.compulink
Advertising
Rayner House, 23 Higher Hillgate,
Stockport SKI 3ER
Tel: 061-474 7333:Fax: 061-476 3002
Sudscffpt/ons
The Old Barn, Somerton TAll 7PY
Tel: 0458 74011
So how about ' '
subscription then chaps? -
want you to do Is send us tt.. ....
actor who the glille, who staned in the
HollrwDod movie referred to (n these pages,
tell in love with In that Dim. Yo — "-—
Just send It In to: *l go into a s
thinking about her in that chiffon diess',
Shopper, 30, frton mouth St, Bath, BAl 2BW.
Rrst out the hag wins 02 free issues .
— ■ — ' ■--* ■-■- -■ 35 NP Wilson -
News
7 AtnigaDOS
98
If the demise of the A500 wereti't enough, we now hear
rumours that Nintendo plans to buy Commodore!
Talking Shop 13
A500 R.I.P. SPECIAL
You respond to Commodore's decision to
cease production of its most popular Amiga...
nnd there's flak flying left, right and centre!
Artificial Intelligence 42
The third part of our new series revealing the secrets of
neural networks and practicai At progrannming
TOP TIPS 16
The bluest collection of hancty Amiga advice ever
published with sections full of essential tips on:
• printers • desktop video • 2D & 3D graphics
• hard drives • word processors • Workbench
• RAM expansion • DTP • sound sampling
• BASIC • comms • accelerators • Shell
• C • scanning • music composition
• spreadsheets and Assembler.,. Phew!
Are these twenty pages you can afford to miss?
DIY Li$tings
70
How to write your own Search and Repiace text utility
courtesy of reader, and £20 winner. Fu Sang Li
Video
73
How to get the most from a video titiing package PLUS:
HAMA's new 290 gentocl< put through its paces
Education
78
We show you the best way to present your data, graphs
and stats PLUS: How to improve your spelling
Desiitop publishing
Jeff Walker checks out whether the Hotlinks data
exchange system for PageStream does the biz
The world of Comms
Let the Amiga world come to you! We show you the easy
way to set up your bulletin board
Why bother buying an off-the-shelf appointments scheduler
when yoy can code your own the easy way!
AMOS
108
More tips on better AMOS programming PLUS: how you
can win a free copy of the forthcoming AMOS Professiona!
Programming
108
Cliff Ramshaw continues his BASIC attempts to beat his
Amiga at Noughts and Crosses
AMIGA ANSWERS 47
A problem shared is a problem solved!
13 PAGES of your worst nightmares
diagnosed by our unrivatled panel of
experts. Absolutely nothing's too tough
for these guys - just try 'em!
Expert Tips 1 1 9
How to choose the programming language for your needs
MIDI Music
122
Can Gajit's Hit Kit add-on for its popular Sequencer One
package make your music composition a cinch?
Business
131
is Professional Calc from Gold Disk, the successor to
Advantage, the only Amiga spreadsheet you'll ever need?
Amiga CD
138
Andy Storer looks at a new easy-to-use CDTV authoring
system which could make you a lot of money
PfllJIS IDETW
Public Domain World 141
Couid all your hard disk problems be solved for free
with SID 2.m PLUS: where to get hold of oodles of
fonts - well 281 anyway - for next to nothing
81 Product Locator
137
We rate all the Amiga hardware on the market in this easy
access, at-a-glance guide to the top products
87 Win Easy AMOS!
154
Yep, we have 15 copies of this programming package to
give away. All you have to do is answer 3 easy questions!
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1 992
lUeSeruc
of Hampshire Established 7 years
NEW
Amiga Workstation
/Expansion System
Monitor stand with shett for drives etc.
Strong metal construction made from
1 4SWG steel epoxy coated Amiga
°°^^' ^ *-* /-\
Special price L. ^ / ■ S3 U
New Price
Citizen 224
24pin Co/our*
Enhanced 24ptn printer, * optional colour
with oasy to use control pane^
2 year warranty. Pt'ice with cab^e & paper
Mono £209
Cobur £219
Amiga printer driver £5.00
Midi Interface
4 channel Midi Interface for Amiga
£29
Dr. T's Midi Music Software
(rat su itable for A500 + 1 £9.95
All Citizen printers have
2 year warranty
Swift 24E
Enhanced 24pin, Colour printer
with cable & paper
£269
Citizen Swift 9
with cable & paper
Mono £1 69
Colour £1 79
Citizen 120D +
with cable & paper
£119
Panasonic
KXP1123
Probablv the best 24pin mono
prir«er available. With cable & paper
£179
New Price
HP
Deskjet Colour
300dpi colour Inkjet printer.
Colour laser quatity at 1/10 of the cost
3 vear warrarty. Price with cable 8i paper
£529
Deskjet 500
HP 300dpi Inkjet printer. Laser
qualitv at dot matrix price.
3 year warranty. With cable & paper
£359
Printer Drivers
Citizen Swift Colour ..... 5.00
Canon BJ-lOe 4.95
Deslciet 500 Colour 9.95
Printer Dust Covers
most types in stocit
from £4.70 inc VAT
Hard Disks
Supra 500XP52M
for A500
£299
Commodore A590
£249
20M Hard Disk
forA500
GVP Series 2 52M
forABOO £359
GVP Series 2 120M
forASOO £469
GVP Series 2 52M
forA1500 £279
1 M Simm
Suitable for GVP Hard Disks etc.
£29.90 per 1Mb
£29.90
Floppy Drives
Cumana CAX354
The most reliable drive you can buy
1M external
L O ^ While stocks last
Comnnodore
A1011 1M external
£49.90 While stocks last
Roctec
RocLite RF382C 1M external
£56
Canon BJ-IOex
360dpi Inlcjet printer
with cable & paper
£229
Star SJ-48
360dpi Inkjet printer
with cable & paper
£219
Star LC200
with cable & paper
New Price
Panasonic/Epson
KXP1170 9pin 134
KXP1124i24pin 227
KXP2180 9pin Colour .... 189
KXP2123 24pin Colour... 269
Epson LQ570 24pin 265
Epson EPL-41 00 Laser.. 680
Epson EPL-8100 Laser.. 1115
Prices include VAT cable & paper
Naksha Mouse
for Atari ST & Amiga
with house & mat
£21.50
Squik Mouse
for Atari ST & Amiga
£13.90
£179
Amiga 600HD
20Mb internal Hard disk & software
£449
Amiga 600
Standard A600 with full software
£349
Comnnodore
1 084SD
14" Colour Monitor with cable
dot pitch 0.42 mm
L ^ 1 y While stocks last
Philips CM8833 MK2
Colour monitor with csble
£199
UK. 240V mains +F19 game
GVP Series 2 120M
£419
Hard Disk
for A1 500
A2286 Bridgeboard
CBM 286 Bridgeboard for A1 500
£319
Amiga 1500
with full software pack
£499
1 /2 Meg Ram + Clock
£24.95
A500 PLUS
Cartoon Classics full software pack
£329
Star
LC20Mono Spin 129
LC200 Colour Spin 179
LC2420 Mono 24pin 189
LC24200 IVIono 24pin 209
LC24200 Colour 24pin .. 259
Prices include VAT cable & paper
Kickstart Upgrades
Commodore 2.04 full upgrade 79.00
Kickstart ROM only v2.04 .... 41.50
Kickstart ROM only v1 .3 29.00
Phoenix Rom sharer 24.95
VXL30 25MHz Accelarator ..239.00
Fatter Angus custom chip ....37,50
A590 or Supra Hard disk PSU 49,00
Accessories
Joystick/Mouse twin extension 4.70
3M Joystick/Mouse lead .... 3.75
A500 Printer cable 7.95
Modulator/DiskExtension 10.95
23way Plug or socket 2.95
A500 Dust Cover 4,70
Mouse Mat (thick soft type! ,, 4.95
Mouse House 2.95
1M internal 3,5" drive 49.00
A500 replacement PSU ,, 39.00
A590 replacement PSU 49,00
1/2 Meg Ram NO Clock 23.90
Rocgen Plus - Genlock + ... 129.00
SONY
DISKETTES
SONY branded
(llfotlme warranty)
(1 00% certified error freet
lOx 3.5" DS/DO 135lpi 7.50
50x 3.5" DS/DD 135tpi 32.30
100x3.5' DS/DD 135tpi 59,93
250x3.5" DS/DD 135tpi 141.00
1 kx 3. 5" DS/DD 1 35tpi 540, 50
DISKETTES
SONY/DYSAN bulk
(lifetime warranty)
(1 00% certified error free)
lOx 3.5" DS/DD 136tpi 5.95
50x 3.5" DS/DD 135tpi 21.86
100x3.5" DS/DD 135tpi 39.60
250x3.5" DS/DD 135tpi 94.88
Ikx 3.5" DS/DD 135tpi 353,68
40 X 3.5" Disk box with lock .... 5.49
100 X 3.5" Disk box vaith lock ..7.50
Carriage on 50+ disks £3,53
Naksha Scanner
£99
200 to 400dpi, 1 05mm
width with express-IT
software
Phone for our 60 page catalogue
EDUCA TIONAL AND GOVERNMENT ORDERS WELCOME
All products have a 30 day money back & 1 2 month warranty.
Prices are subject to variation without prior notification.
Established 7 years. 3 minutes from M27 Junction 1 1 ,
Free parking. Open 9 to 5,30 Monday to Friday & 9 to 5 Saturday
Postage 94p or £3,53 Securicor £6,46 (£5,50 + VAT|
UlBServB
[.a-ger items delivered
by Secuhcor
Amiga/Shopper Dept.
40-42 West Strael
Portch ester Hants
P01 6 9UW
Tel: 0705 325354
UlESerVe Best for
service
UJeSerVB Best for
NEWS
NEW BOSS FOR
COMMODORE
TAKEOVER RUMOURS CAUSE COMMODORE SHARE PRICE FLUCTUATIONS
Is Kelly Sumner set to take Steve
Franklin's place as the managing
director of Commodore UK?
Kelly Sumner Is expected to ttecome
the new MD of Commodore UK.
According to industry rumours
and as reported in the trade paper
CTW, Sumner is to take over the post
that Steve Franklin has filled for the
iast five years, Franklin is to take a
management role with Commodore's
CDTV project,
We spoke to Keiiy Sumner, but he
wouid offer no comment on the
rumours. An announcement regarding
the change is expected to be made at
the end of June. Next month's Amiga
Shopper will carry an in-depth
interview with the new MD.
COMMODORE COUP AT
MULTIMEDIA AWARDS
Three multimedia titles running on
Commodore machines won awards
at the British Interactive iVluIti media
Association Awards this year.
The Vistrain police training
system, first reported in issue 12,
was winner in the Productivity
category. Developed by the National
Computing Centre and the Scottish
Police Coliege, it uses a Commodore
PC and Amiga 2000 with genlock to
teach police officers how to controi
crowds.
The Consumer goid award went
to Cioudscan's CDTV Karaoke Hits
One. whiie Eurotalk's CDTV title
Learn French With Asterix was winner
of the European category and second
in the Education section.
The awards bode weii for
Commodore's multimedia hopes,
despite the public's current lack of
enthusiasm for CDTV.
To counter the lack of interest,
the company has released the
Multimedia Pack, a bundle consisting
of a CDTV, a keyboard, mouse and
disk drive. Essentially an A500 with a
CD-ROM, it sells for £599.
?
Console giant Nintendo is to make a
takeover bid for Commodore
International, it has been rumoured
on the New York Stock Exchange.
The rumours began late in
March, when a prominent analyst
described Commodore's stock as
'the single best value in the
computer industry'. At the time.
Commodore's share price was
quoted at $14 3/S. The analyst
predicted the company's share would
be at $25 by this time next year. The
price of Commodore's shares
immediately began to rise following
the speculation.
Commodore executives were
unavailable for comment, and a
spokesperson for Nintendo of
America denied the speculation. The
rumour had not specified whether it
was Nintendo of America or its
parent company Nintendo of Japan
which was to make the bid, so
speculation continued.
Industry sources in Japan told
Amiga Shopper \.hat Commodore
directors had met with Nintendo
executives at Chicago's recent
consumer electronics show and
were only weeks away from
i FOR [
An answer to the C programmer's
prayers comes in the form of the
Amiga C Encyctopedia.
The encyclopedia consists of six
manuals contained on 12 disks, and
Is compiled by the Amiga C Club,
based In Sweden.
The Information contained on the
first ten disks Is widely available in
the public domain, but the last two
are only available by registehng with
the club.
In total the encyclopedia contains
175 fully executable examples along
with source code. All are compatible
with Workbench 1,3 and Workbench
2, and follow Commodore's
programming guidelines.
Subjects covered are the basics
of C and the Amiga, using Intuition,
using graphics, accessing the
operating system, using devices and
using sound. Snippets likely to
Interest coders are explanations on
sprites and BOBs, 3D routines and
creating copper lists.
signing on the dotted line.
By the close of business on 26
March, Commodore's share price
had risen $1 3/8 to $15 3/4, while
the share prices of computer
companies such as IBM, Hewlett
Packard and Compaq were falling.
The takeover would offer both
companies benefits. Commodore
would gain Nintendo's immense
marketing power and a huge cash
injection which could, conceivably, be
plowed into further research and
development. Nintendo, already in a
position of near-dominance of the
console market, would gain the best
possible position in the home
computer market without having to
develop its own line of machines.
The Amiga market would almost
certainly burgeon, creating much
more interest from third party hard
and software developers. Perhaps
the acclaimed Mario Brothers game
would finally make an appearance on
the Amiga,
Nintendo is certainly in an
acquisitive mood at the moment. It
has recently paid $75 million for the
ownership of the Seattle Mariners
football team.
in addition to the encyclopedia,
registration with the club offers
programmers many other benefits.
Anders Bjerln, the club's
organiser, offers to digitise
members's pictures in colour, as
well as sampling sound effects. He
also undertakes to help members
with their C coding problems by
. answering questions, giving advice
and helping during the debugging
stage.
The Amiga C Club has been in
existence for two years, and currently
has 150 registered members.
Registration costs £45, for which
members will receive the complete
Amiga C Encyclopedia. If you already
have the first ten disks of the
encyclopedia, then registration Is
£30. Anders requests that you don't
send him cheques.
Anders BJerin can be contacted
at: Datra, Amiga C Club, Anders
Bjerln, Tulevagen 22, 181 41 Lldlngo,
Sweden.
Could Mario, the famous computer
games character, soon be making
his appearance on the Amiga?
There has still been no official
comment from either Commodore or
Nintendo.
If there is any truth to it, the
facts will be revealed in the next two
months or so. It wouid be impractical
for the two companies to undergo
large scale change afterwards,
during the much busier sales period
of Autumn. Amiga Shopperw\\\ keep
you posted on any further
developments.
IT'S A SIM
Famous computer game SitnCtty is
being used to test artificial
intelligence software used in urban
planning.
Scientists from the University of
Chicago are using the game from
California-based Maxis to put their Al
system through its paces.
HISOFT AND KUMA AGREE
HiSoft has become the manufacturer
and promoter of Kuma's line of office
application packages following an
a^eement between the two
companies.
HiSoft, weii known for its popular
range of software development tools,
will be taking over all of Kuma's
business oriented software. Existing
users of Kuma software will be given
technical support from HiSoft. The
company will continue the
development and enhancement of
Kuma's packages.
The handing over of its software
leaves Kuma free to concentrate on
publishing its expanding range of
technical books. HiSoft « 0525
7181S1. Kuma T 0734 844335.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16* AUGUST 1992
NEWS
PRINTER
PROMO
OKMs offering buyers of its LED page
printer a selection of free gifts in an
effort to sell more units during the
quiet summer period.
The OLSIO uses Light Emitting
Diode technology to produce laser
quality output with less moving parts
and, in theory, greater reliability and
efficiency.
Buyers of the printer before 30
September can choose one of four
free gifts or buy an OKI portable
ptnone for £99 (it normally costs
£289). Tlie gifts on offer are: an
Olympus Superzoom camera; a Sony
Personal CD Player; an OKI car
phone; and a dual bin upgrade for the
printer itself.
The OLSIO costs £1,499.
OKI o 0753 531292.
AMIGA IN
INDIAN STORM
Canadian-based Integrated Solutions
has used the Amiga as the centre of
an Interactive presentation system,
Initially used to re-create the
atmosphere of an Indian
encampment.
The Interaction System debuts at
Wanusitewin Heritage Pari<, Canada,
where it will be used to create a
SoundScape that helps to 'convey the
intimate spiritual connection this
culture feels towards the land'.
The system is made up of an
Amiga running ARexx, Geodesic
Publications' AirLink and The Blue
Ribbon SoundWorks' Bars&Pipes
Professional. It is connected to 24
speakers concealed throughout the
park and a lighting board to produce
changes in daylight and storm effects.
Motion sensors are connected to
the Amiga so that it can randomly
choose a 16-bit digital sound sample
to play through any particular speaker
when a visitor approaches. The
overall volume of the sound is also
varied depending on the number of
visitors in the park at any one time.
The most spectacular effect
created by the Interaction System is
a storm, for which it uses both visual
and audio techniques, including high-
powered sub-woofer speakers to
shake the floor. Each storm is
different by virtue of a random
number generator, although always
following a natural progression.
Integrated Solutions can be
contacted on «■ 0101 306 5652061.
COLOUR SCANNER GIVES AMIGA ADDED DTP CREDENCE
NEW COLOUR SCANNER
A flatbed full colour scanner for the
Amiga has been released by Epson.
The Epson GT-6000 is an A4
scanner that plugs into the Amiga's
parallel port and will scan documents
at a resolution of up to 600 dots per
inch in up to 16 million colours.
Software to use the scanner has
been created by ASDG, maker of the
Art Department image processing
software.
The scanning controller software
comes in two forms. It can either be
integrated into Art Department as a
new module, or used as a stand-
alone program. One of the big
advantages of the program is that it
can save scans direct to disk, so that
scans can be taken by users without
huge quantities of memory.
Zone is to distribute Dr T's brand
new Boom Box program.
Boom Box is a program for the
Amiga that simulates a ghetto blaster
and enables the user to trigger
samples in real time S la rap or
house mixes. As well as supplied
samples. Boom Box will accept
samples created with other packages.
A price has yet to be confirmed, but It
is expected to be in the region of
£35.
Zone is also selling Dr T's
Composer Quest, a musical title for
Commodore's CDTV, The program
contains information on music from
1600 to the present day, including
colour screens and 60 musical
performances. Biographies of
composers can be called up, as can
definitions of musical terminology. A
trivia quiz Is also included. Composer
Quest costs £69.
The generic editor/librarian XOR
The release of the
Epson scanner and
AS DCs software
takes the Amiga one
step closer to
acceptance as a
serious machine for
desktop publishing.
Commented Keith
Howell of HB
Marketing: "It has
opened up a new
price point for full
colour A4 scanning. .. „ ^.. ^
The nearest Excellent results from Epson's full colour A4 flatbed
„ it ^ „„j,„-t „ scanner. Sorry you can't see the colour
competitive product is ' '
considerably more expensive," for a total of £1303.80 by HB
Epson -B 442 61144. ASDG Marketing e 0753 686000.
■B 0101 608 2736585. The scanner l-00*< out for a full review of the
plus ASDG's software is being sold scanner In next month's issue.
SF
[
has been updated to contain 150
profiles. It can be used with the KCS
sequencer to enable real-time editing
and recording of sound profiles. Some
of the new profiles Included in the
latest version are for the Boss SE50
effects unit, the Wavestatlon A/D, the
Wavestation EX and the Roland R8
drum machine. Existing owners of
XOR can obtain the update from Zone
for the price of postage and packing.
The product Itself retails at £219,
although users of Zone's products
can buy It for £159.
Zone intends to run two seminars
during August and September. Fixed
dates or prices have yet to be
announced, although one seminar will
be for beginners while the other will
be for existing users of the KCS
sequencer.
Zone •= 071 738 5444, Dr T's
Music Software ■= 0101 617
4551454,
DIAMOND SHARES IT OUT
The Computer dealer Diamond Is
hoping to float itself on the Stock
Exchange and Issue shares to the
public.
This move follows a suggestion
for a merger by a technical company
already listed on the Stock
Exchange, Since Diamond will be the
majority share holder, the resulting
company will be called Diamond
Computer Systems PLC,
Diamond recently payed a seven
figure sum to take over the
beleaguered Microbyte dealer chain.
FISHY VIRUS ALERT
A new virus has been discovered on
disk 622 of the Fred Fish public
domain library.
The disk contains two versions of
Challenger, a quiz game. The English
version is safe, but the German
version when run will copy a trojan
bomb to either the user's hard disk or
Workbench system disk, it is believed
that the virus was created and
distributed by the author of Challenger
himself. No current virus checkers will
spot the infection.
Its effect Is to print up a message
on 24 July each year. The computer is
unusable on this day.
If you have any worries about this
virus, contact the Virus Research
Centre 1*0942 895320.
«• m Pfifss •••
FMG CRASHES
Commodore's official repair centre
FMG has ceased trading.
The company, which repaired all
of Commodore's machines under
warranty, ceased trading at nine
o'clock 17 June.
Commodore is currently hoping
to be able to carry out repairs itself.
If you have a faulty machine under
warranty, call Commodore Customer
Sen/ices = 0908 368222,
A spokeswoman for Commodore
could make no comment on the
status of machines already at FMG.
8
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
lAfordworth
a tvr iter's dream
The graphica! nature of Wordworth® makes producing
documents faster and easier. The WYSIWYG display shows
exactly how your printed dooiment will iook, different fonts,
styles and sizes, headers and footers, graphics and so on.
Commands are grouped under a series of pull-down
menus, accessible either by the mouse
or keyboard. Frequently used
commands have on-screen icons,
including Help, should you need it.
Experience the look and feel of
the new and exdting WB2 (even if
you use WBl.3). Each document is a
separate multi-tasking window.
lAfordworm
which means you could for example, print one doamient
while editing another,
Digita's® innovative Human Interface Protocol® is
incorporated setting a new standard in speed, style and
elegance. "\i HIP^ system is intuitive and a pleasure to use."
— thank you Amiga Shopper, it's nice to be appreciated,
Graphics have always been the Amiga's strong point. Now
it's better than ever. Pictures from
Deluxe Paint can be placed in
a document, and then sized, scaled
and dragged (text automatically
reforatiats around the image).
Wordworth's enhanced fonts
will give you the very best printed
quality. You can also print spedal symbols, such as boxes,
arrows and so on. Better still, you can mix graphics,
Wordworth's enhanced fonts, Amiga fonts, Colorfonts and
your printer's own internal fonts, aU on the same page.
There's even a driver for Postscript printers.
You needn't worry about your existing informaKon -
Wordworth will let you open documents from most word
processors, including Kindwords, Pretext and Wordperfect
(you can also maiknerge with Superbase).
When Amiga Format said "a new word processor that will
give the rest of the world a run for its money" they weren't
joking.
IJiPiiiliiilill^M
1
' '
i
1 1 fSSkl
i ^j^:^.^:;^^^^^:-:^^^
-al
vl4
Wordworth is written in the UK by Digita, Which
means you'll be using an English Collins spelling checker
and thesaurus, and you'll know where to come for
professional support.
The only way to really
appreciate Wordworth is to use
it. Phone 0395 270273 for more
information or, write to Digita,
FREEPOST, Exmouth EX8 2YZ.
Wordworth cosb £129.99,
which includes VAT, postage and
packing; and when purchased from Digita, comes with a
7 day money-back guarantee.
If you already own a word processor, for a limited
period only, you can trade-up for just £S9.99 by returning
your original disks to Digita with your order.
Summing up, Amiga Shopper said: 'Tounds-per-feahire
no other Amiga word processor comes close. Wordworth is
what every owner of Kindwords would wish they
had." Dreams become reality with
Wordworth.
Machine support
Written specifically for the Amiga
Fully suf^rts WB Vl.3 and V2.00
All medium or high resolution modes
(mono and colour)
Requires 1MB of memory
•fflffli\
®
DIGITA
INTERNATIONAL
software thats righv'
Worrfworth is ^v^ilabte from Jahn MEfuies. V^gin, W H Smith and aU good oannputer retaikrs or \o the
trade tlrouigb Co3uiinhu&, Gem, HB Maiieting. IBD, Llojt. LdainesoA:, Predsion and SDL
Digita International Ltd Black Horse House Exmouth EX8 IJL ENGLAND Tel 0395 270273 Fax 0395 268893
- A member trf Uw Digita groufi -
r>igita. riw E^i^jra logo, WoTiWorth Mid tihe Wordworth logo are registered ti^demaj^. and H7T* Hmvm Inierfna /"yofpaii'ard sofhran ttul^ r^ht are tr^^JlmwrVs of Digjti Hol^^s Ltd
All ottwr badcnuriu and their OYfTien are acknowledged. Sold suinlrd: to gtzndacd conditjcrns of ule E & 0£.
NEWS
ICD ROM SWITCHER
ICD has released KIckBack, a ROM
switcher for all Amiga computers,
Including the A600.
KickBack will enable users to
choose between versions 1.3 and 2
of Kickstart. It requires no
soldering; it connects instead via a
ribbon cable, wtiich also solves any
conflicts of space with internal
accelerators and so on.
A particular ROM is selected by
holding down the [Amiga] and
[Control] keys simultaneously for a
fixed period. After this a tone will
sound, informing the user that the
ROM has been switched, and also
which ROM is now being used. The
user may also choose which of the
two ROMs is to be used as the
default on boot-up.
KickBack costs £27 and is
available from Silica Systems
■B 081 309 1111 and HB Marketing
■a 0753 686000. ICD is on " 0101
815 9682228.
FIRST REAL WORLD APPLICABLE NEURAL NETWORK FOR AMIGA LAUNCHED
NEURAL NETWORK SOFTWARE
American-based software house
MegageM has released a professional
neural network package for use on the
Amiga.
NeumPro 2 uses a three layer back-
propogation system with up to 256
cells per layer and up to 131,072
connections in total. It utilises a
Workbench 2 look and feel to make its
application in pattern recognition,
speech recognition, language
translation and so on as easy as
possible. Control from ARexx is also
possible.
The system makes full use of the
Amiga's graphical abilities to show the
workings of all network operations and
data objects.
Data can by input at up to 256 bits
at a time, in the form of ASCII text.
mini Office
HOME OFFICE
PROGRAM TO
BE RELEASED
Eu repress is to launch an Amiga
version of its popular Mini Office
home business package.
Mini Office was originally
released for the Commodore 64
computer in 1984. It has been
updated for the Amiga, and
consists of an integrated word
processor, spreadsheet, database, graphics program and set of disk utilities.
The word processor may be used in conjunction with the database and
graphics modules to produce mail merges. A variety of graph forms are
supported, including bar, line and pie charts.
A price has yet to be confirmed, although it will be between £60-80,
Europress w 0625 S59333.
SOUND AND PICTURE COMPETITION
ei
There'll be no escaping extra office chores
with Europress' Mini Office for the Amiga
Elite Publications is organising a
three pronged competition for
creative Amiga users.
The first of the categories is still
images, which is sub-divided into
hand drawn images using packages
such as Deluxe Paint, hand drawn
images from HAM art packages, and
images created with the aid of a
computer, such as ray-traces and
fractals.
The second category is for
moving pictures, which can be
submitted as either ANIM files,
stand-alone demos or on VHS video
tape.
Prizes for both of the above
categories are £300, £70 and £30
vouchers for purchases from Trilogic
Computers.
Sound samples and music form
the third category of the competition.
Sound effects, instruments and
music are permissible.
Entries to the competition must
be either in IFF format or on audio
tape. The best ten entrants will
receive a TechnoSound sampler and
have their work released into the
public domain.
The closing date for the
competition is at the beginning of
September. For further details call
Elite Publications « 0733 571109.
arbitrary bit arrays or
as arrays of pixels.
The package
requires a maths co-
processor to run, and
a minimum of 1.5Mb
of RAM, although
2.5Mb are
recommended, it is
available at an
introductory price of
$199.95 until the end
of August, after which
it will sell for
$299.95. A demo
version, wlitch
doesn't need a maths
co-processor to run,
is available for $12.
MegageM n 0101 805 3491104
. . j.gr r^ m - -iy,i i »» !■■>■> T,T<"r j
NeumPm 2 has a graphical front end to facilitate its
use in real world situations. You'll need a big Amigal
TITLES FOR VIE
V^dt^e'aphers may be interested In
lEOGRAPHERS
users to add captions and titles to
a new package from Elite
their masterpieces.
Graphics.
Subjects covered by the
Videopack is a set of eight
package include weddings.
disks containing animations,
engagements, festive holidays.
backgrounds, ANIM brushes, text
sport and children. A minimum of
brushes and special effects, all of
1Mb is needed to make use of the
which load into version III or IV of
animations.
Delfjxe Pa/f7t. The package is
Vidsopack costs £24.99 from
designed to heip desktop video
Elite Graphics « 0827 288348.
Mastering AmigaDOS 2 Volume Two has been
updated to take Into account the commands
Included in version 2.04 of the Amiga's operating
system.
The book, written by Mark Smiddy, gives an
alphabetical listing of every command available
under AmigaDOS, from version 1.2 through to the
very latest. It includes appendices that deal with
error codes, viruses, the Interchange File Format
and the Mountlist.
Mastering AmigaDOS 2 Volume Two costs
£19.95 and is published by Bruce Smith Books
rr 0923 894355.
Relax
In front of your Amiga with
a good book ~ this one's
packed full of info
MORE FONTS...
George Thompson Services has
released a collection of
Comptigraphic fonts.
The collection, the first of many,
comes on three disks containing a
use with all versions of Professional
Page, PageSetter 2, PageStream 2.x
and Workbench 2.x via the Fountain
utility.
The pack costs £9.99. George
total of 37 fonts. They are suitable for Thompson Services rt 0707 664654.
10
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
NEWS
BOOK FOR BASIC
PROGRAMMERS
A new book for Basic programmers
has been released by K&IVl
Publishing.
Called Creative Basic, the book
is by D Martin Evans and consists of
a variety of functions, procedures,
subroutines, programs and tips to aid
tiie Basic programmer. String
manipulation, dates, numeric
functions, box drawing, menuing,
conversions, indexing and full screen
editing are all covered.
The programs are written in Turbo
Basic, and it is claimed by the
publisher that they will be easily
convertible to other dialects.
Creative Basic costs £5 from
K&IVl Publishing » 0490 2328,
PRINTERS GOING CHEAP
Kodak Dlconix 150 Plus printers are
being sold cheap by Mo^an
Computers, specialists in surplus
and excess stock computer
hardware.
The pnnters, which retail for
£345, are being sold for only £150.
They are portable inK jet machines
capable of up to 150 characters per
second. They connect to the Amiga
via the parallel interface and are
capable of both Epson and IBM
emulation modes. Morgan Computers
» 081 575 0055.
LEARNIN' GERMAN
Verstehst du diese Frage? If not
you'd best get hold of Micro German
Educational software house LCL has
released Micro German, a package
designed to take students up to
GCSE standard in German.
With the aid of graphics and
sound the package teaches written
and spoken German. It joins LCL's
Micro range - Micro Maths, Micro
English and Micro French.
LCL hopes that the package will
appeal to business people, as well as
students, thinking in terms of the
forthcoming single European market.
A program to automatically generate
business letters is incorporated.
Micro German costs £24 (plus
99 p postage and packing) from
educational software stockists or
direct from LCL b 0491 579345.
NIKLAUS WIRTH'S LATEST LANGUAGE TO BE RELEASED FOR AMIGA
MIDSUMMER PROGRAMMERS' DREAM
Real Time Associates Is to launch
the first Gommerclal version of
Oberon-2.
Oberon-2 is the latest brainchild
of Nicklaus Wirth, creator of Pascal
and Modula-2. The main advance It
offers over Modula-2 is the addition
of object-orientated features. These
enable the programmer to treat the
data, rather than the program itself,
as the most important feature of the
application under development. Such
a methodology is thought to aid the
rapid production of reliable code.
The package released by RTA is
called EXJACY. It is not a compiler as
such, but rather a set of two
translators. One Is a Modula-2
translator, the other an Oberon 2
translator. Both produce C code
which must be further compiled with
a package such as SAS/Lattice C.
With EXTACY, the programmer is at
liberty to write part of an application
in Moduia-2, part in Oberon-2, and
part, perhaps the Amiga specific
areas, in C, and then link the whole
lot together.
The C code produced by the
translators is said to be very
efficient; although the programmer is
free to optimise or modify the
resulting C code as necessary.
A program is currently under
development that will convert the
Amiga C include files into Oberon so
that the system can access all of the
Amiga's facilities. It will either be
included with the finished EXTACY
package or supplied as an update.
DfMCywill cost £150 from Real
Time Associates « 081 6567333.
HUNTING FOR FONTS
EM Compute rgraphic has Just been
named as the sole UK distributor of
American-based Computer Safari's
collection of fonts.
The fonts are Adobe type 1,
which means that they can be used
directly with PageStream or with
Professional Page after conversion by
Professional Page's Fontmariager
program.
The first sixteen disks in the
collection, which each contain three
fonts, cost £7.99 each, A further
eight disks are available with
slightly more esoteric fonts for
£12.99 each.
LICfNCEWARE mm [STABLISHED
A number of UK public domain houses have formed a single organisation to
deal with the distribution of licenceware.
Called the Central Licenceware Register, or CLR, the organisation aims to
distribute all of the currently available licenceware disks under a single label.
putting an end to the divisiveness usually associated with licenceware. Any PD
library which is a member of the scheme will be able to distribute the entire
range of disks.
Prices are to be fixed at £3,50 for a program based on one disk, £4.50 for
one based on two. There are currently 17 titles in three categories; educational,
utilities and games. All disks will be badged with CLR's Hydra logo. Licenceware
programmers will benefit by being sent £1 for each disk sold.'
Libraries wishing to join the CLR scheme or programmers wishing to submit
software for distribution should contact their nearest participating library. These
currently include 17 Bit Software, Biitterchips, Essex Computer Systems,
Goldstar EC, Loadcrest, NBS, PD Soft, Start Computersm Valley PD and Virus
Free PD.
NEW CHROMA KEY UNIT
Desktop video enthusiats will be
pleased to hear of a new chroma
key unit launched by RocTec.
The RocKey retails for £351.33
and, when used in conjunction with
a genlock, enables users to
superimpose live video over graphics
or video, display graphics in front of
video, substitute the brightness
portion of a video source with a
keyed image, embed graphics in
video and embed video in graphics.
The product is to be marketed
by Jessops photographic stores and
HB Marketing w 0753 686000.
Jessops wilt be running a
competition until September 1 in
which any buyer of a RocTec genlock
will be eligible for winning a RocKey
unit.
In addition to these disks, EM
Computer-graphics is distributing a
number of public domain and
shareware fonts which have been
sou reed from America and Canada.
Volume 3 contains 34 fonts for
use with PageStream only. It costs
£5, Volumes 4 through 7 each
contain between 60-80 Adobe type 1
fonts across five disks.
Each volume costs £12.50, For
more information on the above
contact EM Computergrapics
•o 0255 431389.
SAMPLE LIBRARIES
FOR AMIGA
Walkabout Music has released a
collection of sound samples on 25
disks.
Each sample is taken directly from
a studio master at twice the rate used
in public domain sample disks. The
disks are divided into different
categories, including African, Indian,
Arabic, guitars, strings and brass.
Each disk costs £2.50, or £19.95 for
10, with an additional £1 for postage
and packing. Walkabout Music
o 072681 3807.
DIART DATES
July 19: All Formats Computer
Fair. National Motorcycle
Museum, Solihull.
9 0225 868100.
September 5: All Formats
Computer Fair. National
Motorcycle Museum, Solihull.
«022S 868100. "
September 12: All Formats
Computer Fair. Sandown
Racecourse, Esher.
> 0ZZ5 868100.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
11
MEMORY EXPANSION
HOENIX PRODUCTS
D
PHOENIX
m^
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With its ntDdern compact semi portable wedge stiape designr
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Suift in TV niDdulator ' standard smart card slot ' Trapdoor
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A 600 (inoludes Deluxe PaM+t software tidel.... £369. 99
A 600 HD {including 20 Mh Hard Drive) £469.99
■i 'i ■.■ ' K'l'lV I....STOP PRESS....fll'AIL'lBti: NOW I....STOP PBESS
Phoenix 1Mb upgrade( to 2 Mb)
AEOO Keyboard switchable ROM Sharer..
....£49,99
,...£29.99
ALTERNATIVELY! Purchase the A600 as part of our
Unbeatable Value PHOENIX POWER PACK, which includes
ouet tIM of qiialiry software and accessories. Probably the
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FyUv Microswitched Joystick
50 Capacity 3.5" Disk Box 8mm Mous
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even more money on accessories. Comprises of: 100
Cap. 3,5" Disk Box • 10 3.5 " Disks t Labels - Top quality
r^/licroswitcfi Joystick • 8mm Moiisemat" Dustcover
siORftiii.:
Disk Box 10 Cap
£1.93
aisk Box 25 Cap
£2.99
Disk Box 50 Cap
£4.99
Disk Box 100 Cap
., £6.99
STftwtis:
14" Tilt 'n^ Swivel stand
£13.99
2 piece printer stand
£7.99
WISCELLflNEOliS:
Printer cable 1.8 m std
£5.99
Mouse Mats
...£3.99
Boctec Mice
£13.99
Disk tiead cleaner
£3.9S
1000 Disk Labels
£9.9fi
LL OUR
aru
SUPRA 500RX Manufactured out of Albany,
U.S.A. SUPRA offer the ultimate in Fast Ram
expansion units.
Built to the highest technical specifications they offer full auto
configuration and quick easy fitting to the side expansion port
B Mb pop to 1 Mb»...,„ £99.99
B Mb pop to Z Mb* _ „ El 24.99
S Mb pop to 2 Mb £149.99
S Mb pop to 4 Mb £209.99
8 Mb pop to 8 Mb £309.99
(•Uses 256x4 ZipsI
PHOENiX ABOO Plus
2 Meg RAM Uporndc Modules
PHOENIX RAM
Modules expand
your chip RAM up to
2 Mb using the
trapdoor expansion
port.
Chip RAM is required to
unleash the full graphics
capabilities of the Amiga
500 Plus. Designed and
built to exacting standards
In the U.K. all our boards carry a full 2 year no quibble
replacement guarantee. It's never been cheaper to upgrada!
PHOENIX 1 Mb Fully populated RAM board„-£39.99
PHOENIX 1 Mb unpopulated RAM board. £16.99
PHOENIX Kickstart
ROM Sharer
Because some olderl
games and business
software will not run
on the new Kickstart |
2.04 ROM.
PHOENIX have designed a I
sharer for both ROM chip
sets. Switchable between 1.3
and 2.04 you can get all the I
benefits of the latest ASDO I
Plus without the drawback of I
losing your old software. Fits I
all Amiga 500/1500/2000.
•Kickstart ROM Sharer £24.99
•Kickstart Rev 3/S ROM Sharer £27.99
*NEW, Keyboard Switchable ROM Sharer..£34.99
Kickstart 1 .3 ROM... „..£29.99
Kickstart 2.04 ROM ....£34.99
•■(ROM Chips not intiluded)
VIDEO
ROMBO-Complete Colour Solution. £99.99!
Amazing Price Reduction!
ROCGEN Plus SPECIAL OFFER-ONLY £129.99
Qjality features aniJ performance. Recommended.
AMIGA RELEASE 2
The long awaited
Upgrade kit for
1.2 / 1.3 owners
from Commodore
has finally arrived
and is selling fast!
INST0CI{....£79.99
EXTERNAL DISK DRIVES
All drives feature super slim design, enable-di^able switch,
thru port and come with a 1 year replacemenlguaranteel
PhaenixDeitixeDrive £49.99
Roctec Roclite ......£59.99
Mouse/Joystick Switch £13.99
Don't damage your Amiga's ports!
This device saves wear and tear makes switchover RiST, and
does NOT require power unlike many others.
Computer/Video Scart Switch.. ..£19.99
Similar to the It/louse/Joystlck switch. Flip between Video or
cotnputer signals atthe push of a buttnn.
AMIGA MUSIC
Attention all you music I overs I nioenix have put
logsdier an unbeatable music dea I f or you this s
When purchasing either
t of the following Phoenix products
Stereo Sampler £34.99
Combines ease of use with state of the art analogue to digital
conversion technology.linc. FfiEE sample editing software
+audioleadl __ . __
Pro-Midi 2 Interface £24.99
This fully featured professional quality midi interface is very
flexible giving semi. patch bay facilities. It has five ports In,
out, thru and two switchable out/thru. (inc. f REE midi lead|
Amiga Music in Two Easy St^s-Only from Phoenix!
DISKS
Do not confuse these quality disks with others currently
available on the market, 3.5' 100% certified error free 70%
clip. All disks come with FREE high quality labels.
10 £5.99
K £12.99
50. £22.99
100 £40.99
200... £72.99
SOO. £174.99
750. £259.99
1000 £339.99
CHIPS
PHOENIX have bulk buying
power which means that
prices freguently change.
These prices are accurate at
the time of going to press
^ .__^^jk^ but please call for the best
^ ^^)^^H deals. Quantity discounts
^^■^^^'j are also available on some
i2L •' ^m chips so please ask.
AMIGA CUSTOM CHIPS
Kickstart 2.04 ROM £34.99
Kickstart 1.3 ROM £29.99 FaMer Agnus 8I72A .£34.99
NEW Super DeniSB, i34.99 CIA 8S20A £995
MEMORY CHIPS
4 Mb X 9 (-70) Simm...£119.99 1 Mb n 4 (-B0) Zip *£34.99
1 Mb X 9 (-B0) Sinim...;.£29.99 2S6k X 4 (-801 Zip *£29.99
256k X 9 (-80) Simm .£12.99 1 Mb x 1 DRAM £3.49
256k X 4 DRAM„ _.£3.49 *11iis price is for 1 Mb of RAM
These chips cover practically every popular memory
expansion or Hard Drive system on the market far the
Amiga ie. GVP, SUPRA, MICROBOTICS, COMMODORE etc.
RING OUR TECHNICAL HEIPUNE IF YOU NEED ADVICE
HARD DRIVES
GVP IMPACT SERIES II Hard Drives, the fastest
Hard Drive/Controller for the Amiga.
Features Game Switch, external SCISI port, FAAASTFiOM
SCISI Driver, GVP's custom VLSI chip and internal RAM
expansion up to a tregt All units use high speclfica^on fast
access QUANTUM Hard Drives and come withSyr, guaraBtea.
A500-HD8+ 52 MEG(Unpopulated) £349.99
A5D0-HDS+ 120 MEG (Unpuputated) £464.99
Secies II Hard Disk Controller/RAM caid rNoHOk...£139.99
Series II ^ MEG Kard Disk and RAM card £279.99
Series El 120 MEG Hard Disk and RAM card £419.99
Series II Z40 MEG Hard Disk and RAM card £649.99
EXTRA MEMORY-Only £27.99 when bought with drivel
Tel: 0532 311932
FCC DISTRIBUTION, UNIT 19, ARMLEY PARK COURT, STANNINGLEY ROAD, LEEDS LS12 2AE
•
TEL (0532) 311932 U.K. Sales TEL (05S) 310796 Trade^uropean Sales TIL (0532) 319061 TechnKal Helpline
All prices include VAT. and free U.K. delhrerv. Next day delwery by courier £4.50
Pl^ise nnake cheques payable to F.C.C. I>istribtition Ltd.
LETTERS
DEAD BABIES
I remember the day that my new
A500 arrived, nudging the sturdy
but distinctly uncooi CPC6128 into
the darl< recesses of the spare
room. The dining room table
gradually disappeared beneath
printers and extra disl< drives,
cables snaked across the carpet
into the Hi-Fi, the children were
given a quick blast of The Simpsons
and then toid that the Amstrad was
all theirs now (howls of derisive
laughter), and my wife packed a few
essentials and went to stay with her
mother.
The world was my oyster! Ail
those slotsi And best of all, a dirty
big slot In the side which would
connect to anything... RAM
expansions hard disks, PC
emulators, expresso coffee
machines...
But now my Baby is obsolete.
The A600 takes smart cards, but
nobody is rushing to make any. The
A570 will now cost £350 as it
needs WB2.0. The GOTV software is
elephant doodoo. Ttie Big Cheese at
Commodore says that putting faster
chips in an A500 would tie like
driving a Ferrari in a no-parking
zone. PC386S with SVGA monitors,
stonking great hard drives and
sound boards can be picked up for
£7-800, and PC prices are in free
fall... what's a poor boy to do?
Commodore has not just shot
itself in the foot, but seems to be
intent on stuffing its nuts into the
food processor too. Punters like
myself who enjoy being a Railroad
Tycoon, checking out the odd
dungeon and flying the F-29
Turbo nutter will be asking Santa for
the low risk option of a good PC, oh
and tiy the way, lob the kids a
SuperNintendo!
rviartin Badkin
Leighton Buzzard
Don't get too nostalgic though Martin
will you? - It's not as though 1.2
million UK Amigas, and the software
and add-ons for them, are going to
disappear off the face of the planet.
I'd say the machine still has a bright
future ahead of it - look at it this
vifay; sheer force of numbers is going
to maintain a healthy market
provision because developers and
publishers can't afford to ignore such
a massive user base.
WHITHER THE A1 500?
So that's it then, the A500 range Is
ofiicially stuffed! Do you ever get
the feeling that you're having the
old wossname taken out of you? At
the same time, I read that
production of the A 500 Pius is to be
terminated, I learn that the entire
range of Amigas is to be
"improved", and that the price of
the A570 CD-ROM drive is to be
hiked up by £100 and that's before
it's even released! When will it all
end?
I have had an A1500 for barely
three months now but I'm already
heartily sick of seeing "Not enough
memory" on the screen, and those
clunky drives are sending me ga-ga.
Additional memory is a must and so
too, if you want to do more than
play games, is a hard drive. That's
about £400 right away.
With the demise of the A500
Plus, the cost of the add-ons
for existing machines will probably
drop to clear stocks, so, does that
mean that A1500/2000 and
A3000 owners will have to pay
more for their add-ons to make up
the loss?
Finally, I direct this last
comment to Commodore. If I knew
three months ago what I know now I
may well have gone for a PC instead
of an Amiga. Think it over!
Richard Sharp
Dundee
I don't think you should assume
you'll have to pay more for add-ons
to make up for losses on A500
peripherals. But if you have any
doubts then maybe you should buy
that extra memory now.
'If i knew three
months ago what I
know now I would
have got a PC
If/
68000 REASONS
The A600 is a step backwards not
forwards, if the 500 is obsolete then
it's because it only has a 68000,
and what's the 600 got? The same
thing - absolutely stupid!
NP Wilson
Peterborough
Yes... this is probably the fact which
A500 owners find most perplexing.
If the A600 had been launched with
a 68020/030 or even 040 chip then
all would have been forgiven and
Commodore would now be receiving
rapturous applause.
The A600 Just doesn't appear to
be any great leap fonward and as
such doesn't do much to instill
confidence in the company.
If, for my sins. I v/ere appointed
to the board of Commodore US (and
hey! - you know where to contact me
guys...) I would have just put a lid on
the whole subject until I had a Super
Amiga about to be launched.
Because that's what should have
been done. As it is though...
Talking
Shop
A500 R.I.P. SPECIAL
Last month we broke the news that the Amiga
A500 is to be discontinued. Since then, weVe
been inundated with a flood of letters
commenting on this err... rather brave decision
by Commodore to cease production of a
machine which has sold 1 .2 million units in the
UK alone.
Here's the pick of the postbag...
LUNACY
The A$00 - one small step for man,
one...
CR Thorpe
Merseyeide
PCKKET AMIGA NEXT?
What on earth do those nonsense-
mongers at Commodore think they
are doing? Wasn't it only six
months ago that they were saying
that the A500 Plus was the
product, the personal home
computer?
You'd better keep an eye on the
boys at Commodore because by
Christmas they'll probably
discontinue the A600 and replace it
with a pocket Amiga. Don't they
know a good tiling when they are on
to It.
From a very confused but proud
A500 owner.
IVIr Anon
My money is on an Amiga Organiser.
Only joking...
THE AMIGA CONSOLE
So Commodore is dropping the
A 500 "range" in favour of the A600
- what a ludicrous move. It would
seem more viable to me to release a
cheaper, cutdown A600, (if it has to
exist) as a superior alternative to
the ever growing console market
while retaining the A500 and
marketing it as an entry level
"serious" machine.
Also, why is it recently that
every time CBM develops a minor
Improvement to its existing range it
releases a whole new machine? The
Amiga is now seven years old and is
In need of a serious revamp. So why
not give us a completely new Amiga
and give us, the users, peace of
mind and the third party developers
a break. They are the people who
have to keep putting the time and
money into redesigning upgrades for
every new machine. Surely CBIM
should support existing Amiga users
not alienate them. It would serve
CBM right if third party developers
refused to acknowledge the A600.
Thanks for hearing me out.
Darren Kemp
Leeds
We took an A600 apart the other day
{and not with a lump hammer and
crowbar \ hasten to add) and lo and
behold there on the motherboard
was the legend 'A300'. Now, all
through 1991 there .were rumours
circulating of a proposed Amiga
console with the codename A300. I
think basically what's happened is
that CBM has done some furious
on pom 14
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
LETTERS
imtliiiMd ham page 1 3
back pedalling here. It's seen the
abject failure of the C64 console,
seen the unassailable world
domination of Nintendo and Sega
and realised, in any case, that it's
impossible to bring out a cut-down
Amiga at anything like the sub-£i50
price point of a games console.
Hence the A600.
DO THE WRITE THING
Having just upgraded my three-year-
old Amiga 500 to a new ASOO Plus,
I was horrified to read thai
Commodore is withdrawing support
for the A500.
in my opinion, Commodore has
let us A500 owners down once too
much. I for one wiil not be
downgrading to an A600 to stay
compatible, nor can I afford to trash
my Amiga system for an A1500 or
B2000. Therefore, unless
Commodore at least compromises, I
for one will not be continuing to
support its products. For that
money I can buy a nice 16IVIhz 386
PC with a 40 meg hard drive.
1 have written to the managing
director of Commodore UK, Mr
Steve Franklin, and the managing
director of Commodore USA,
expressing my views, and I would
strongly urge other users In my
position to put printhead to paper
and do tike wise.
It is time that Commodore
learned to support Its customers,
and not abuse them.
David French
Salcombe
You might therefore like to know that
CO incidentally, or un-coinoidentally
depending on how conspiratorial you
are about these things, Commodore
UK has a new MD - Mr Kelly Sumner.
% for one^ will not
be downgrading fo
an A600 to stay
compatibles^
ON THE OTHER HAND
The A500, Commodore's entry level
model for the past few years, was a
great machine for its time.
Unfortunately, everything must
come to an end and in the computer
Industry lifetimes are often shorter
that of a hedgehog crossing the Ml.
Next up the line are the
A1500/2000 series computers.
Excellent machines and almost
infinitely expandable, but I don't
think that even these will defy the
grim reaper for much longer either.
Finally the A3000, the top of
the range and definitely top of the
price range Amiga. A marvellous
machine held back by the fact that
It costs almost as a much as an
annual season ticket from Brighton
to London on British Rail.
The good thing Is that, at this
time, only two series of processors
are widely used on the market. The
680x0 and the 80x86 CPUs, both of
which are available to Amiga users
via accelerators and Bridgeboards,
which means that current users
won't be left out.
As for chip upgraders - well at
least Commodore released models
with the ECS and Kickstart 2, which
saved people who bou^t their
machines In the last six months
from forking out on upgrades, and
those who have old models can buy
an upgrade and have it fitted quite
easily and cheaply. Even if you want
the Super Agnus chip with 2Mb of
Chip RAM, third party manufacturers
have made an adaptor for A500 and
A1500/2000 machines. But
because of the way the A600's
motherboard Is made, they will have
great difficulty In upgrading that.
As for the 'credit card' slot on
the A600, 1 doubt If many Items
that aren't already available for the
A 500 will be manufactured for it
until it's known just how popular
the machine Is, and even then I'd
t»et my last penny on a third party
manufacturer producing an add-on
with the Gayle chip and a 'credit
card drive' for existing machines.
Personally, I think that the
A600 machine is just a bridging
machine for a better A800 or A2200
running a 68020 CPU, and won't
last for long. I believe the
A1500/2000 series will soon die a
natural death.
Hopefully Commodore wilt
reduce the price of the A3000
enough to make that the mid-range
machine and a new A4000 model
the top of the range. Either way,
unless Commodore makes a radical
change to AmIgaDOS and
Workbench, existing users shouldn't
be left out too much. Preferably,
Commodore's 'Power Up', the
machine upgrade system, should be
made more comprehensive as to
allow more users to upgrade with
better deals. After all. If It wasn't
for Amiga lovers all over the world,
there wouldn't be anything to
upgrade anyway.
By the way, I'm an A1500 user
so my machine could be phased out
as quickly as the A500. Although
this worries me, I have to look at
the future, and personally I'd rather
have a new range of Amigas than no
Amigas at all.
Kevin Breldenbach
Heme Bay
A good, positive angle there Kevin
and one which I think is the best way
to reflect on this whole development.
It's got to be only a matter of time
before some enterprising third party
company brings out an A500 to
A600 add-on connector. As I said
earlier, sheer force of numbers will
dictate it.
QUICK GOODBYES 1
I think the A€00 will fail to sell like
the A 500 did, it certainly isn't an
Improvement.
RL Hughes
I feel this Is a great kick in the teeth
from Commodore to all one million of
Its supporters.
Julian Baum
Chester
Commodore needs to take a serious
look at Sinclair. Watch out! - you're
heading the same way.
Leydene
The A600? I like it, but it should have
three things, battery power, LAN and
a screen in a clam-shell lid.
Graeme Bell
Glasgow
Commodore could have warned Its
users that the A500 was to become
Mr JA Ettles
BUT THEN AGAIN...
I was horrified by the announcement
that Commodore is to junk the
A500 and A500 Plus, mainly
because of Its crass idiocy in
treating one million owners as If
they were just a set of sates
statistics.
I bought my A500 a year ago,
not for games, but because it was
cheap, and went on to discover
what a great number of things one
can do with it: designing knitwear
for my knitting machine with
DPaint, corresponding with friends
and business people, desktop
publishing and the whole world
of PD programs which Is a
revelation.
I don't want a costly all-singing,
all dancing, high-spec machine to
do all these bits and pieces, nor do I
want an A600 which is mainly for
games. What I want are
Improvements to the A500 and
A500 Plus and a bit of continuity. I
definitely don't want an "end of
the line" announcement which Is, to
say the least, a slap in the face for
one million Amiga owners.
Commodore has really flipped
its corporate lid this time around!
Margaret Haedlcke
Bridge water
Somerset
I think you just have to rest assured
that third party developers and
publishers will provide the continuity
you are looking for l^argaret. But by
all means have a good moan in the
meantime.
''I don't think the
Al 500/2000 series
will defy the grim
reaper either'
.//
A BUNCH OF CYNICS?
) purchased an Amiga A500 Plus in
November 1991. Never having
owned a computer before It has
been a challenge to be able to use
It in a productive manner. Seven
months later I have managed to get
to grips with some aspects of Its
use. It comes as a great
disappointment to learn that the
A500 range of computers Is now no
longer In production.
It is my opinion that Commodore
has tittle commitment to Its
existing customers. This is
displayed by the cynical comments
of Commodore's representative,
Kelly Sumner, in Amiga Shoppei's
July Issue.
Computers are unlike most
items which are purchased in a
shop as they rely heavily on
software and hardware produced
and supported by Independent
companies. This could be adversely
affected by the news that the A500
range of computers will no longer be
produced.
My other concern Is, If in the
future my computer should require
repairs, will spare parts be readily
avaltable'7
Derek Brown
Kilmarnock
Ayrshire
t dan only Imagine that spare parts
will always be available if there's
sufficient demand for them. It's like
old cars. I have a 1969 BMW which
is no longer officially' supported but
you just find that small companies
turn out 'cloned' spares, mostly at
significantly cheaper prices than the
14
AJMIGA SHOPPER • tSSUE 16 ^AUGUST 1992
LETTERS
originals. In any case, J guess
there's literally tons of A500 spares
out there - iook at how many Amigas
need fixingl
(Oniy Joking - admission 2}.
MURDER MOST FOUL
I read with interest your article on
the death of the A 500 Plus, i have
quite a few friends with Amigas and
all of them said that this is the end
of the Amiga. A lot of third party
manufacturers are going to eithor
stop making extras for Commodore
computers or just produce add-ons
for the new breed.
Commodore has constantly
ignored the people who have
supported It (and made it vast
profits) and hampered developments
by others who could have pushed
the Amiga forward, by refusing to
allow its chips to be used - take for
Instance the few failed attempts to
produce a lap top by German and
American firms - these could have
opened huge new markets but, no.
Commodore has scuppered every
attempt to bring such machines
out.
Well, as far as I can see, once
again It's the end user who is left
out. When the new Plus came out it
was hailed as the new wonder to
take the Amiga ^^^^^^^^^
Into the 90s. Now
all those people
who bought new
500s or upgraded
their 1.3s have
been dumped by
Commodore. I
myself have spent
nearly £1750 on
Commodore
hardware In the
past year and now I
am seriously
thinking of selling — — — -
up and buying a PC, at least I will
be able to keep up with changes
thanks to the way the PC is set up,
ie upgrading a 286 to a 386 is easy,
just spend £150 and insert a new
motherboard - no problems.
If Commodore had any sense It
would have released a 500 or 1500
with a faster processor at least a
year ago ~ the prices of such things
have been dropping for ages but, no.
It stuck blindly to the same old
68000 with the exception of the
3000.
The Amiga is now at the same
stage as the Speccy was two years
ago and we all know where that Is
now... and you cannot say that It
will not happen to the Amiga as
there are over a million of them In
the U.K alone and that will keep it
going. The humble Speccy had sold
over 3 million in the UK, even before
the 128 was released and that
didn't help It.
The way forward is not by
alienating people who have invested
lots of cash and time in
Commodore's products, but by
bringing out sensible upgrades with
as much compatibility as possible
with older models. This gives people
the chance to buy upgrades at a
reasonable price, not bringing out
stupid things like the 600. Who In
their right minds is going to develop
for this? I can just see software
houses Investing in the smart-card
port idea when the Amiga scene is
dying; all they are going to do is
move into PC and console markets;
why invest In the smart-card if
Commodore is going to bring
another computer out in a few
months with yet more stupid slots,
etc?
To save the Amiga, the people
say Commodore should trash the
600 and any machines based round
it that they might be bringing out,
and go back to the 500 Ptus/1500
but stick a 68030 cpu and 68882
fpu in some of them running at
25IVIHz/33MHz with a SCSI Interface.
R.I. P. the Amiga - killed by
Commodore's inability to support
end users.
Born - June 85. Murdered - May 92.
M Barker
Hull
"In short I think
Commodore is very
slowiy committing
suicide
If
^^If Commodore had
any sense it would
have released a
500 with a faster
processor at least a
year ago"
I take your point
about the Spectrum
but the situation
here is different, it's
not as though you
can significantly
upgrade a Speccy by
sticking in a 68040
card is it? No. The
Speccy died
because it wyas
superseded by
technological
' ";■' -" " "■ " '""" advance. With the
Amiga you can at least transform its
power beyftnd belief and, with
emuiation, even run a 386 PC.
MISUNDERSTOOD YES...
It seems to me that Commodore
has completely misunderstood
where the A500 series now lies In
the market place, namely that It Is
an upgradeable affordable machlns
capable of being used as a simple
games machine or for more serious
business purposes after improving
the machine internally as well as
externally.
People are able to Improve the
performance of the A500 graduatly
as their pocket allows.
My A500 for example has a
Microblotics VXL30 25Mhz
accelerator board now with Co-Pro,
an A590 fitted with 40 meg drive
with two meg memory expansion
and a SuperRam 500RX 2 meg [ at
present) also a Rendale Genlock all
of this added gradually. With the
scrapping of the A500 you will not
have a machine in the A 500 price
bracket that can be turned In to a
more powerful machine. Certainly it
would seem impossible to Improve
an A600 In such a way!
In short I think Commodore is
very slowly committing suicide. It
has developed two flexible
machines (thanks largely to third
party suppliers} called the A500 and
the Plus. There is a huge network of
companies supporting the A500 and
it has a large amount of users. But
it's been all thrown away.
Wake up !!
Mr G Scott
Bognor Regis
BUT UNEXPANDABLE?
What on earth is Commodore doing
switching to SMT (Surface Mount
Technology). It makes the A600
virtually impossible to expand to
any large degree. This will stop a lot
of people from buying them; for
instance, small business' which
need an emulator won't buy them,
because none of the emulators can
be plumed In. As a side effect of
SMT, people with ASOOs could be
worried about future expansions not
being made for their machines.
Also, what happens when
Commodore releases new versions
of custom chips? Can you see
Amiga owners all over the country
trying to solder a new Agnus into
the thing? It's difficult enough for a
professional to do.
As I see things at the moment
Commodore needs to do one of two
things (or both) if they want to stay
on top. Either lower prices all round,
(drastically in the case of the
A3000) or upgrade the machines by
a large amount so people are
getting good value for money. I see
room for four versions of the Amiga.
The A600 for the games player. The
A2000 for the serious home user.
The A3000 for the professional on a
budget. And lastly, the A4000
(with a 68040 CPU) for the
professional who needs sertous
power.
Stephen Boddy
York
I don't think you shouid assume the
A600 is unexpandable in the viay you
refer. It has a pretty decent 25-pin
edge connector which opens up to
the outside world of add-ons - it's
just that CBM has caught everyone
on the hop and there's none
available yet. Time will tell...
QUICK GOODBYES 2
Why didn't they give the A500 a
faster processor, new custom chips
and take notice of the tremendous
industry support out there? Build on
success, not kick it in the teeth.
John Ward
The only people who will enjoy the
new A600 are the sort of people who
think Mario and Sonic are the best
thing since Space Invaders.
Ian Shillito
Uxbrldge
All in all I think the A600 is a cut-
down A500 games console not
worthy of the name Amiga and the
sooner it dies the better.
Graham Smith
N Featherstone
Now that the A500 is dead,
Commodore Is bound to kill off the
A2000 as well. It's OK to say trade-in
and buy a A3000 but they're
overpriced and buying a 040 card for
my 2000 would be cheaper.
Robert Hart
Roehampton
So there you have it... except for this:
COMMODORE IS DEAD
Stupid... idiotic... insane... the list
goes on. There's sure to be loads of
comment and anger over the loonies
at Commodore scrapping the
A500/A500 Plus - suffice to say I
will personally never purchase any
product by them ever again.
Kev Allcock
Stockport
Just one of the many tetters that
seem to sum up "the feeling on the
street'. Depressing stuff maybe but
take it from me - there's loadsa life
in the old dog yet!
NEXT MONTH
TALKING SHOP will return to its
normal format - so get writing on
anything and everything under the
Amiga sun and send it to me,
Andy Storer, at: Talking Shop,
Amiga Shopper, 30, Monmouth St,
Bath BAl 2BW.
AMIGA SflOPPEtt • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
200 TOP TIPS
HARD DRIVES
TOP TIPS
Here if is - the greatest collection of Amiga
tips ever printed. From programming in
assembler to word processing^ we give
you the hints that ensure you get the most
out of your machine. One basic tip before
you read on: subscribe to Amiga Shopper
A hard drive is one of tlie
most essential purcliases
for all Amiga users.
Choosing and using a
hard drive can be tricky; there are
quite a few different drives on the
market, some are excellent, some
are real stinkers.
How do you work out which Is
the best to buy? And once you have
your hard drive, how should you go
about using it. And how should you
make sure your hard drive continues
to perform flawlessly?
1 Space - Wori^ out haw much hard
drive space you really need.
Remember that each floppy disk you
install on your hard drive will eat
av/ay nearly 1Mb of your precious
storage.
Don't expect to be able to install
many gannes on hard drive. Most
games are copy protected, so checl<
on the boxes to see if they will allow
hard disk installation. If you're only
interested in word processing you
can probably get away with a small
40Mb or 50Mb hard drive (the 20Mb
drives still sold by some companies,
in particular Commodore, are really
not worth considering unless on a
really tight budget). Desktop
publishing, graphics, databases and
programming require a little more
space to work, and if you're going to
do any multimedia work you're
looking at big (500Mb+) hard drives.
2 Plug-In and go - Unless you
know your SCSI terminators from
your Rigid Disk Blocks, make sure
you buy your hard drive and controller
together and make sure that the
drive is Preformatted and Installed by
the supplier. This will mean you can
plug in and go when you get your
hard drive home, and you won't be
frustrated with trying to get
installation programs working. Under
no circumstances be tempted to buy
a hard drive cheap from an auction.
Most of them don't work, and those
that do will be almost Impossible to
link to the Amiga. You may think that
£50 for an 80MP drive is cheap
when you buy It, but it's an expensive
doorstop when you can't run it.
3 Drive mechanism - Check what
type of drive mechanism is being
supplied; most are SCSI, but some
are XT or AT IDE drives. In general,
SCSI is the best (as it will allow you
to add up to six more drives, CD-
ROMs, tapestreamers or other
devices to your system), whereas IDE
will only allow one extra hard drive to
be attached (and on some
controllers none at all). AT IDE and
SCSI drives are more or less the
same speed, but XT IDE and
What's so hard about a hard drive? Get to grips with tips
numbered one to ten and you'll be able to plug in and go!
MFM/RLL drives are much slower,
and should be avoided.
4 Drive standards - Commodore,
when designing its new
generation of Amiga hard drives (the
A590 and the A2091) published a
specification for hardware
manafacturers to follow so that
different drives and controllers from
different manufacturers could be
compatible. Fundamental to this is a
feature called Rigid Disk Block
(RDS). It means that a small table of
information about the drive Including
where the partitions are set up, what
file system they are using, and their
names is written to a block on the
disk. Any controller using the RDB
system can then look at this block
and correctly identify and use the
drive, so a hard disk formatted on a
Commodore Amiga 3000 can be
read fine when plugged into the back
of a GVP Impact 500 controller. This
may not seem useful, but it means
that software (such as drive
optimisers and disk repair programs)
can be written to function with all
such controllers. Not all controllers
support this. GVP, Commodore,
Supra, IVS, ICD, Nexus and
Microbotics controllers support RDB;
some others do not,
5 Extras - Controllers vary widely
in extras supplied. Some have
room for expansion RAM to be fitted,
often up to 8Mb. With Amiga 500
oontrollers check how much the full
8Mb will cost in some (for example
the Supra and GVP), using 8Mb
requires expensive lMbx4 chips.
Other extras to look out for are a
SCSI through port (for adding
conMnued on page 1 8
16
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
streamline plastic casing for
perfect fit to your A500
orASOOPlus
upgradable HDD capacity
(40MB and avove) with user
friendly installation
supports 2 IDE hard drives
external SCSI port supports up
to 7 extra SCSI hard drives or
other SCSI periphals
expandable to 8MB SIMM
memory in 4 easy steps
game switch ensures complete
compatibility with game
softwares
can be used solely as a 8MB
RAM expansion
Augoconfig compatible and
autoboot with Kickstart 1.3 and
above
auto power sensing
reliable external power supply
unit included
ROCHARD RH800C
EXTERHALHARDmKDRm
mTHEASOOAHDASiiO+
i
f . . switch on
►ur Amiga and be
amazed at the speed
with which it j
boots up.
'.ijl3-.» !.»-:»
i
youre
►king for a hard
drive for your Amiga,
this should be high
onyourhst.
illGA SHOPPER
REVIEW MAY 1992
m
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L I M I I ( El
Dtsigtieil & produced hy The Bureau Imagesetters 0293 77561 1
200 TOP TIPS
HARD l>RfVES/2D PAINT PACKAGES
tMllniMd from page \t
external drives}, a game switch (for
disabling the hard disk to load floppy
based games), and an external
power supply (essential if you've got
a hard drive plus Fast RAM).
6 Through ports - If you've got an
Amiga 500 and you've already
got a device plugged Into the
expansion socket to the left of the
Miiga, you may have to remove this
to use tine hard drive. While some
hard drives and other devices have
through ports, these are notoriously
unreliable, and you don't want your
hard drive to crash while you're in
the middle of saving something.
7 Virus alert - Once you have got
your hard drive up and running
you should install a virus checker on
your machine to avoid infection. The
only types of viruses that can infect a
hard drive are 'fl!e viruses'. The hard
drive does not have a 'boot block* in
the same way that a floppy disk has,
so viruses cannot Infect it this way.
Always boot with your hard drive If
possible; if you have to boot with a
foreign disk disable the hard drive if
you can. Another good way to avoid
viruses is to upgrade to Kickstart
2.04 - most viruses do not work
under the new operating system,
particularly the nasty Saddam virus.
8 Backing up - Back up your hard
disk regularly. It Is well worth
Investing in professional backup
software (Quarterback 5 and Ami
Back are two of the best) to do the
job properly. If you've got a large
hard disk you will either need a lot of
blank disks and a lot of spare time,
or a SCSI tapestreamer, which can
back up over 500Mb in one go.
9 Fragmentation - You may find
that after a few weeks use your
drive will seem to slow down, this Is
because the disk is fragmented.
Files are not always stored in one
lump on the disk; sometimes. If
there are no gaps large enough for
the file to fit in one place, the file will
be spilt into several 'fragments'
which are placed on different
physical areas of the disk (although
it will still appear as one file to the
Amiga).
When you try and load this file it
will take much longer (as It has to
load several small parts). To cure
this you need to 'defragment' your
hard drive. To do this you can back
up all the files on to disks, reformat
and restore all the files, or use a
program such as Quarterback Tools
to defragment the drive (Always back
up the drive before defragmenting).
1 i\ ''3*'''6 - l^ost hard drives
J. \f have autoparking (when the
power Is turned off the drive heads
move to a safe place for transit). All
modern SCSI drives autopark, so
you'll never have to use the Park
programs provided with the drives.
Only elderly A590s need to use Park:
modern A590s have SCSI drives
which autopark.
Virtually every Amiga
owner in the known
universe owns a 2D
paint package. Whether
you use DPaInt or Photon Paint,
DigiPaint or SpectraColouf, here's a
few tips to help you get the most
from your pixel punching program.
nHAM - Amiga paint packages
generally come In two flavours
- HAM [Photon Paint 2, DigiPaint etc)
and non-HAIvl {DPaint 3, Express-
Paint etc). Although several paint
packages are not starting to bridge
this gap (notably DPaint 4), which
type of paint package to buy is a
difficult decision. Generally though,
always go for a non-HAM package
first and move up to HAM later. HAM
can be a pain to work with, so you'll
find a non-HAM paint package much
easier to contend with.
■| <\ Basic tools - When choosing
J.M a HAM paint package, check
that your chosen program includes
all the basic painting tools. Many
HAM paint packages are available
that offer a multitude of power (but
often useful) extra features, but fail
to deliver basic painting tools.
DigiPaint 3 is a good example of this.
Although it Is arguably the fastest
and most capable HAM paint
package avaiiabie, it lacks a fill tool.
DPaint 4 is a very capable HAM paint
package but it can be painfully slow.
"I O Image processsing - A good
XO companion product to any 2D
paint package is an image
processing program such as AS DCs
Art Department Professional or
Progressive's PIXmate. These can be
a godsend when you need to convert
images between different formats (a
low resolution picture to high
resolution, a HAM picture to 32
colours etc). Unless you're working
with 24-bit images, PIXmate is the
best image processing program
available. It's available from Silica
Systems on 081 309 1111.
M Shading - Realistic shading
effects can be achieved
quickly and easily within DPaint using
its excel lent 'Smooth' facility. To
create graduated shading between
two colours, create a spread of
colours between the two colours you
wish to blend and then
use the Freehand
Dotted tool to smooth
over the border. This
can be very effective
when used on
posterised images,
■| r^ Colour
1.%J conversion ~ If
you need to convert a
HAM picture to 32
colours or less under
DPaint 4, set the
screen mode to the
mode that you wish the
image to be converted
to and then load the
HAM Image in as if it
were a 32 colour
image. DPaint 4 will
then convert the HAM
image to 32 colours for
you, removing the need
to use a separate
image processing
program. DPaint 3 has
a similar facility, but it
cannot handle HAM Images.
■i /? Stencils - Large unconnected
J. O areas can be re-coloured
without affecting other areas of the
same colour with ease using
DPaint's stencil function. Simply
select the Stencil function and then
mark the colour that you wish to
recolour, click on 'Invert' and then
'Make*, You can then recolour the
areas in question in bulk using the
filled rectangle tool without messing
up any of the colours that surround
them. The Stencil is very powerful
but few users seem to use it to Its
full potential.
'1 ^ Mono dt^tlslng - If you do a
J. f lot of digitising using a mono
video digitlser such as VidiAmiga,
then get your hands on DigiPaint 3.
DigiPaint 3 has a very powerful
'Colorize' function which enables you
to apply coloured tints to any area of
a monochrome images. The results
are very impressive Indeed.
If you can't quite stretch to the
price of a colour digitiser, then
DigiPaint 3 provides a quick and
easy method of adding colour to any
mono image.
"I Q Chartging size - If you need to
J.O resize an image to either low,
medium or high resolution within
DPaint. simply alter the page size to
the same as the screen mode you
desire, DPamt will then ask you
whether you want the bitmap
stretched or compressed to fit the
new page size. Although the image
will still be saved in the original
format, just select 'Cancel' when
DPaint asks you whether you wish to
change the screen mode when the
image is loaded into a screen of the
desired mode.
Unravel the mysteries of shading, colour conversion
and image processing with tips 11 through 20. Never
tteforo has handling DPaint been this easy
19!
(Extra HalfBrlte - Although the
Amiga's rather obscure Extra
HalfBrlte mode is usually pretty
useless, It can be very useful indeed
for adding shading effects to images
with DPaint. Say for example you
wanted an object to cast a shadow
on to another object within DPaint.
All you would have to do is to pick up
the object that is to cast the shadow
as a brush, select HalfBrlte' from
the Mode menu and stamp the brush
down where the shadow is to appear.
The brush will then be pasted down
using darker shades of the pixels in
the background.
20
Background and foreground -
If you need to mix a
background from one image with the
foreground from another (both with
different palettes), reduce both to
sixteen colours In low resolution,
load in the first, pick it up as a brush
and then save it off to disk. Load in
the second Image then load In the
first in its brush form and then select
'Remap Colours*. DPa/nt will then
automatically mix the two images
and create a new palette that retains
both paiettes.
18
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST T993
From screen size to mouse speed, you can customise your whole set-up witli
the aid of the Preferences screen. Printer and serial port (used for modems)
settings can also be aitered
uch of the Amiga's
power goes unnoticed
by the new user, who
instead often becomes
frustrated at Its apparent Inabtilty to
carry out a simpie taslt. Much of
this frustration can be avoided by
learning the ilttle trlcl<s and tips
that make life easier.
So off we go with ten tips for
getting to grips with the Amiga's
Workbench. Avoid ail that tiresome
rummaging through countiess
reference manuals. Read on, and
become a power user...
O "I Drawers - These are a
£l 3. convenient means of filing
programs and data. Placing
something in a drawer is a matter of
selecting its icon, dragging it over the
drawer and releasing it. A new drawer
is created by making a copy of the
existing Empty draw/er. (Select
Duplicate from the Worl< bench
menu). This can be renamed and
placed wherever you like.
Have an organising principle
behind your drawers. You might
choose to place all of your DTP
software in one drawer, all of your
programming languages in another,
and all of your graphics files in a
third. There may well be drawers
within each of these, determined by
each package's requirements.
f\ f\ The Trashcan - Get rid of an
£l £i unwanted file by dragging this
icon into the Trashcan; even a drawer
and its contents can be deleted this
way.
l\fothing is actually removed from
the disk until you click on the
Trashcan and then select Empty
Trash from the Disk menu. Until then
you can double click on the Trashcan
and it will reveal its contents in a
window.
S\ O Snapshot - This repositions
£i %y icons and windows.
If you want to move an icon to a
different area in its window, select it
and move it to its new home. Then
select Snapshot from the Special
menu, thus storing its new position.
Windows can be moved around
the Workbench screen and re-sized in
a similar manner - to do this the
window alone must be selected.
You can Snapshot several icons
by multiple selection. While holding
down the [Shift] key, select each icon
In turn by single clicking on it. They
should alt become selected. Now
choose Snapshot; all of their new
positions will be remembered.
O Fi Pfsferences - The Preferences
£t T' program, found in the
Preferences drawer of Workbench,
enables you to customise various
Workbench settings: screen colours
can be altered with the slider
controls at the bottom left of the
screen; the sensitivity of the mouse
can be adjusted such that a physical
movement corresponds to a varying
degree of movement in the screen
pointer; and the delay between a left
mouse button double click can be
altered, as can the key repeat speed.
You can choose between having
60 and 80 characters in a column -
60 columns is easier to read on a
TV. There is also a choice between
Interlaced and non-interlaced
screens. An interlaced screen has
twice as many horizontal lines in it,
and as such it can display twice as
much information.
WORKBENCH/RAM iXPAHSIONS
S\ [? initialize - This prepares disks
M %J for use by the Amiga. Any
blank disks you buy must go through
this process before anything can be
stored on them. If you initialise
(sometimes called 'format') a disk
already in use, then all information
stored on the disk will be lost.
To initialise a disk, put it in the
drive, click on its icon once and
select Initialize from the Disk menu.
O a Duplicate - This copies the
^ O entire contents of one disk to
another. Click on the disk to be
copied and then select Duplicate
from the Workbench menu. You will
be asked to periodically insert the
source (the disk you are copying
from) and the destination (copying to)
disks as the process goes on.
Duplicate can also be used to
copy files. Select the icon and then
Duplicate.
C\ ^ Copying files without icons -
^ • This is often necessary when
copying PD programs to Workbench or
hard disk.
If a file doesn't have an icon, the
only way you can see it is via the
Shell. Open the Shell and make the
Dir, Copy and Makedir commands
resident by typing:
resident cidir
and so on. Then insert your PD disk
I and find out what is on it by typing
J 'dir'. Transfer each of the listed files
to your destination disk using the
Copy command:
copy dfOiFileOflntereBt J
Ili^isk:
Other files will be held In directories.
If directories with the same names
already exist on your destination disk,
then copy the files into those
directories. Othenwise, make a
200 TOP TIPS
directory of the same name on the
destination disk:
makedir MyDisk:NevrDi rectory
and then copy the files across.
rt Q info - Among other things,
^ O this Workbench menu option
can be used to link a project with Its
parent application.
If you have a program written in
AmigaBasic, then you can write the
name of its application and where it
can be found in the Default Tool box
of the file's Info window - in this case
'Extras 1.3: AmigaBasic', You can
then use the project by clicking on Its
icon instead of having to click on its
application first and loading the
project from there.
If you later move the application
to another disk, you can modify the
Default Tool box in the project's Info
window to point to the application's
new location,
Sy f\ SetMap - This tells the Amiga
A *J which national keyboard you
are using. It is found in the Systems
drawer.
Click once on SetMap, select Info
from the Workbench menu, click in
the Tool Types [Add] box and type the
following:
KEyMAP=gb
(The first word! must be In capitals.)
Press [Return] and click on [Save],
Now run the SetMap program by
double clicking on it, thus setting up
your keyboard as a British one.
Q A RAIH Disk - The RAM disk can
OvFbe used like an ordinary floppy
disk, but is faster and its size is
limited only by the memory available.
Periodically save your work to
floppy, because a power loss or a
reset will erase its contents.
C
C
7
:
uying the right RAM
expansion to suit your
needs can be a bit of a
minefield - especially if
you have one of the traditionally
more limited machines such as the
A500 or even the latest A600. If you
have a bigger model the choice is
generally more limited - but the
options are better.
31
How much do you need? -
This depends a lot on the type
of applications you intend to mn. For
most jobs, other than playing games,
consider 1Mb to be the absolute
minimum. The more complex the
application, the more memory it will
require. Incidentally, the size of an
application does not detemiine its
RAM requirements - a program just a
few bytes long could literally grab
GIGAbytes of RAM in one go. In
practice of course, this rarely
happens, but assume most packages
continued an page 21
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16* AUGUST 1992
^°>^^
ROCLITE 3.5 SLIMLINE DRIVE
Amiga Format says
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* Enable/disable switcli
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MITSUBISHI DISKEnES
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5-10 boxes
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* Our diskettes ore 100% error free and carry a lifetime guarantee.
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Maverick Qal.^Hp tl^,Vo
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ACCESSORIES
Mouse Mot .,
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CABUS MID SWIICHES
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CEh4TGONICS PLUS TO PLUG
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10 metre.,
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Serial
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DOT MATRIX
Broth&rM1309 9pin80col £175.00
Cttteen 120D 9 pin 80col £125.00
Citben Swift 9 pin 80COI £155.00
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Brother 1324 24pln eOcol £230.00
Star LC24-20O colour 24pin £225.00
Citizen Swift 24 24pin , £199.00
LASER PRINTERS
Brother HL4V £765,00
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Brother HL8V £1250,00
HP Loseijet III £835,00
StarLP4 £725,00
Canon LBP4 £706,00
INK-JET PRINTERS
Canon BJIOE
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RAM EXPANSIOHS/BASK PROGRAMMIHG
200 TOP TIPS
limited power modules
capable of driving about
2Mb RAW and a single
external drive. Internal
RAM expansions will
cause extra drain and
may shorten the life of
botn the PSU and the
machine. External units
are less of a problem
since most come
supplied with (or
support} an extra PSU.
If you need 2Mb or
The Cortex 1Mb - so
easy to Install that the
instructions are on the
back of the box
continued itam page 1 9
require twice their own
size (in bytes) of RAM
and you won't go far
wrong.
QOWhatwililt
O ^ cost? - If one
thing is certain, RAM is
never cheap and the
price fluctuates all the
time. Interestingly, the
price (and availability) of silicon is
often blamed although few RAM
chips are manufactured from silicon
and utilise a system of evaporated
metal oxide. The price of an upgrade
is determined by two major factors:
basic capacity and upward
expansion. The basic configuration
determines the initial price. The type
and design of the expansion fixes the
future cost - this point is especially
applicable to A500 expansions.
O O Wi'l 't be compatible? -
OO Owners of A2000 and similar
machines should have few problems
with compatibility between boards
since the expansion bus system is
quite well defined. The problem is
aggravated with the A500 since
some manufacturers shoehorn their
internal boards into the memory map
with software patches. More costly,
external expansions such as those
made by Supra, Power and Cortex
use a well defined standard called
Autoconfig™ which solves most, if
not all, the problems. The final proof
of the pudding is testing it - and
then it's often too late. If budget
allows, stick with external boards.
(One exception to this rule is the
512K and 1Mb trapdoor cards.)
O JQ Is power drain a problem? -
Ot' Again, this is something
where the bigger machines score
over their baby brothers. On larger
Amigas, the internal PSU is designed
to cope with large RAM expansions
and other cards. The story with the
A500/600 is somewhat different
though. Both these machines have
The Zydec 512K - one add-on for the A 500 and the
A500 Plus you definitely shouldn't foi^et
more, prefer one of these to the
internal option.
351
Four or 16 chips? - In theory
' at least, RAM is RAM and the
story ends there. Chip manufacturers
are always getting more bytes-per-
inch and therefore, the number of
chips required to fulfil a certain
memory requirement drops. An
interesting aside to this is: as the
chip count is reduced so are both the
power consumption and the heat
dissipation. Also, four chip designs
are less complex, cheaper to
produce in large quantities and
probably more reliable. Given the
option, the lower chip count is
usually the better bet.
36
Chip or Fast RAM? - This
question only applies to the
A500/600 and A3000 machines.
The first expansion you buy will
probably be Chip RAM since these
are the cheapest. (On the A3000,
you can swap the bits around as you
add more RAM.) The vast majority of
applications don't care what sort of
RAM you have - so long as there is
enough to go around. Chip RAM is
gobbled up by screen displays and
the sound system so this is the most
important.
O ^7 S12K trapdoor expansion
O f with the A500 Plus - As a
rule this is a waste of money, unless
the budget is tight. RAM added to the
trapdoor is automatically mapped for
the custom chips and the A500 Plus
supports 2Mb of CHIP RAM. As has
already been mentioned. Chip RAM is
the most important for most
applications, so get as much as you
can afford. The choice for A600
owners is much more limited at
present, and it seems unlikely a 512K
expansion of this type will be
produced. Such a device would be a
white elephant anyway,
ly Q Through ports - Sideways RAM
«J O expansions for the A500/500
Plus come in two groups: those with
throughports and those without. In a
perfect world, Autoconfig™ should
take care of RAM in any number of
external devices up to the machine's
theoretical memory limit. In practice
throughports can be more trouble
than they are worth: some A590s for
instance are known to suffer
problems with the Supra 500RX.
However, a RAM expansion without a
through port is a dead end - so if you
cannot afford a combination unit,
prefer the design with a throughport.
O Q '*'' emulators? - Some of the
O*/ more recent hardware based
PC emulators such as the new Vortex
card for the A1500/2000 series
machines have their own RAM
anyway. Emulators for the A500/5OO
Pius are more problematical. Both AT-
Once and the KCS Powerboard will
use any Autoconfig™ RAM - the KCS
system supplies its own RAM anyway.
If you have a PC emulator, or intend
to buy one, avoid internal RAM
expansions - especially those with
software patches.
/i f\ Combination units - Combo
T'" cards, those incorporating
RAM expansions with accelerators,
hard disk controllers - you name it -
are always going to cost more in the
short term because of the extra bits.
However, on the A500 at least,
combinations represent very good
value for money because they can
save a lot of incompatibility problems
in the future.
However, you should be careful to
choose a card which will fulfil your
RAM requirements both now and in
the future. The A590, for instance,
only supports an extra 2Mb of on-
board RAM, This might seem
attractive initially, but it soon gets
used up. A1500/2000 owners have it
easier and there are generally less
compatibility problems.
as ic is by far the most
popular programming
language. Just about
everyone who has ever
begun to program has started with
Basic. It Is easy to learn, easy to
understand, and offers far more
power than many people think. Here
are some tips to help the would-be
programmers {and the more
experienced but lax programmers) on
their way:
K "t Design before you code -
TC J. Always create a logical
'blueprint' of the program you wish to
write. You are not aiming for
perfection. Just something to guide
you on the way!
K f\ Documentation - Do produce
^^ at least skeleton
documentation while you are
developing the program rather than
afterwards. This way the program is
still fresh in your mind.
JK O Use comments - It may be
^O obvious to you now what
actions your masterpiece performs,
but it may not be in a couple of years!
Use comments to divide the program
into named sections to make the
program far more readable. See Figure
1 on page 22 for an example.
M Clear variable names -
Nowadays Basic allows the
use of long variables names, so make
the most of this facility to create
helpful, descriptive, code.
Admittedly code written in this
style will take longer to type, but it Is
guaranteed to make more sense than
the cryptic use of variables named 'A',
'B' and so on.
JR ^ Minimize the use of globals ~
T'iJ Global variables are variables
which can be accessed (and changed)
from anywhere within a program.
Although they are useful at times
(error Indicators and program exit
flags are examples of where global
variables can be used to good effect)
it is usually better to create isolated
procedures which work with local
copies of any data that is passed to
them.
K /^ Keep your code clean - Isolate
^O any control sequences that
your program might need so that the
main body of code is not littered with
awkward-to-read statments like this
MIDI/serial-port related fragment...
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE T6 • AUGUST 1 992
200 TOP TIPS
BASIC PROGRAMMlHG/mKTOP PUBLISHING
PRINTtt 1,CHRS(&H90 or J
channel) +CHR$(note)+CHR$ J
(velocity) ;
Embedding these types of control
sequences will make yoyr programs
look messy and more difficult to
maintain. The best idea is to isolate
the sequences into separate
subroutines or functions.
For the above example the
preliminary user-defined function
definition...
TSBF FNKciteOnS(note,cli)=CHR$ J
(&H90 OR J
ch ) +CHR$ ( note ) +C[m$ ( 64 )
would enable ttie rest of the program
to send its data by using the more
readable expression...
PRINTS 1, J
Fl]HbteOn$ ( note , channel )
K ^ Isolate I/O Code - Try to
Tt ■ eliminate all I/O and
machine dependent statements from
the main parts of code. Instead
access these facilities indirectly. You
do not want statements such as the
following...
PROKPT$="Please enter a J
record number"
COLOUR 1,4
SAY TRANSLATES (PROMPTS) J
IMPOT
This would mean that the program
was linked to the computer on which
the program was writtten. The best
idea is to reference the facilities
using function calls, subroutines or,
subprograms...
REM COLLECT - MATRIX
COLLECT:
FOR R0W%=1 TO m
FOR COLUMN! =1 TO W%
PRIWT"A ("rROW%;",";COLUMN%;'') . ,, " ;
INHJT 0{RCm%,COLnMN%)
A { ROW% , COLUMN* ) =U ( RCW% , COLUMN! J
NEXT COLUMN%
INVERSE. L(RCW%,R0W%)=1 'Not relevant to the collection of
'the matrix - it's just that this
'input loop is a convenient place
'to set up an identity matrix.
NEXT ROW*
REM —
Figure 1: Use REM stotements to Isolate, and document, your code sections
FKSet ScreenColour ( RED )
below can be useful...
GOStJB tIserMeBsage
GOSDB Collect Input
REM DO-NOTHING
REM Get record nuiriber
DoNothing :
RETURW
These are useful if you want to write
programs that can be easily moved
Supposing an input value S has five
to other machines. In these cases,
different possible states and,
aim to eliminate all screen graphics
depending on the value of S, a
commands, data input or other I/O
program has to execute one of five
and 0/S specific references from the
subroutines. The code could be
main body of the code and place
based on an arrangement such as...
them in a set of isolated subroutines
at the end of the program. To get
IF (S >0 AND S <6) THEN OB J
such a program running on another
S QOStJB A, B, C, D, E
machine you will probably have to re-
write most of those I/O or 0/S
Where A, B, C, D and E are the
related cails... but the important
subroutines which perform the
point is that you are unlikely to have
processing associated with the five
to alter the main body of code.
values. During development some of
these may be non-operational (or
JR QSubroutines which do nothing
~rO- You might be forgiven for
non-existent), so you need some way
of preventing certain subroutines
thinking that subroutines which do
from being executed. Suppose you
nothing serve little purpose. In fact
wanted to prevent subroutine C from
routines such as the one shown
being used in the above example -
just replace the reference to
subroutine C with a reference to a
subroutine that does nothing, like
this...
IF (S >0 AND S <6) THEN ON J
S GOSUB A, B, DoKothing, D, E
The approach is useful when you
have a large number of possible test
values and where not all values
require a subroutine to be executed.
One example is the execution of
routines performed when control
characters are detected. On the
basis of detecting keypresses
related to particular control codes
you may wish to perform certain
subroutines but in ail probability you
will not wish to support all possible
control characters. Executing a 'Do
Nothing' routine for all control
characters that you do not wish to
support provides an easy solution.
/i O ^'^" ^^^ ^^^ unexpected -
T' 17 Your program should be user-
friendly but don't expect the user to
be program-friendly. Assume that the
user will make all possible mistal<es
as far as use and data input are
concerned and plan so that your
programs do not come to a grinding
halt when a user puts a wrong disit
into the drive or supplies a wrong
input value. Programs should provide
error messages (and helpful
prompts) to guide the user back on
course.
rZ f\ ^^^P '* S'liple - Clarity will
iJVr pay off. Remember, one day
you may need to look at (and
understand) the code you wrote
years ago in order to make changes.
Whether you are
producing the
occasional single
sheet flyer, a fanzine
or even a whole book, you'll find the
following tips Invaluable for getting
the very l>est results out of your
desktop publishing pacltage.
[J "I Memory considerations - To
\M -I. conserve memory (and
increase the speed at which the
program operates) worl^ on a 2-
colour non-interlaced screen.
Professional Page has switches for
this in its Preferences menu;
Page Stream users will need to alter
the Tool Types of the program's icon
so that C0L0RS=2 and
IMTERLACE=No.
Mennory can be further conserved
by opening the program on the
Workbench. Alter PageStream's or
Professional Page's SCREEN Tool
Type so that SCREEN=Workbench.
Alternatively, Professional Page
users can open the program on a 2-
colour non-interlaced screen and
then switch the Worl<bench off from
the Preferences menu, which
conserves even more memory.
^ f\ Keeping it fast -
iJ^Compugraphic fonts, bitmaps
and structured drawings all take time
(and memory) to render, so it mal<es
|ianc3l
100%
/.
7K^^;i
^/
Wi'
If^
25%
't^r'
^H''.' .s-r
mf''
□ lock ll.
ansparent
^L '
□ Hide Contsnti GBox FraHS |
mbk^
T9xt Hrap ; ®Non9
(fjMidost
*V%I
QRfc tangle
Qleit
W'^m
Qlrpss"'^
QRiaht
m^^u
Exclude
v{3*
RttatloR AnsleE^°
T»p EEEm
BQt.Esmii
••
HidthES^EI
Ht.Qioa
VIlEliTiW
n,"
Scale: X^JBIJiliH
] 1 Cancel [
1 OK 1 iBitnap Info
ill
\
V
/D
o^
</
ts DTP a prickly subject? Scaling down pictures and other DTP tips will
become second nature with the tricks of the trade presented on these pages
H
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
DESKTOP PUBUSHIHG/SOUND SAMPUHG
200 TOP TIPS
sense to cut as many comers as
possible.
• Professional Page users -
Once you have a bitmap scaled to
the size you want it, X-out the graphic
by selecting the Hide button in the
Alter Current Box requester. If you're
working with a structured drawing,
make sure Wireframe mode is on, or
eise you'il have to wait for all the fill
patterns and line thicknesses to
render. When some text has been
imported and requires no more
editorial changes, hide the boxes
containing that text so that it gets
'greeked' instead of rendered.
• PageStream users -
You can't hide individual bitmaps, so
import, size and position all the
bitmaps you require right at the start,
then toggle the Show Pictures option
in the View menu to cross them ail
out.
[? O 24-blt pictures - Professional
•JO Page users do not need lots
of memory to import 24-bit pictures,
but they'll need a fair bit to be able
to print them to a Preferences
printer.
The Amiga's printer. device
supports only up to 4,096 colours,
so if you are printing to a non-
PostSchpt printer you may as well
convert your 24-bit pictures down to
HAM to save memory, time and disk
space. Remember that HAM pictures
can be interlaced, but they must be
lo-res, so scale the width to 50 per
cent of the height to keep the aspect
ratio.
[^ yj Bitmaps - Amiga bitmaps
Ott have a resolution of 75 dpi.
To reduce the blockiness of printed
output, scale bitmaps down (within
the DTP program) to at least 50 per
cent. If your printer's graphics output
resolution is 300 dpi, 25 per cent is
the smallest you can go before the
software has to start removing data
from the bitmap; if your phnter is
240 dpi (9-pin) that figure is 31,25
per cent, for 360 dpi printers (24-pln
and bubble jet) it Is 20.83 per cent.
C S Squaring pixels - Screen
0«J pixels are not exactly square,
and at some resolutions (like med-
res) they are positively rectangular.
You can help the DTP software to
make a better job of scaling and
printing them by preparing bitmaps
beforehand by converting them to hi-
res interlaced format,
Do this with Art Department by
selecting Hi Res and Lace from the
screen controls panel, and then (if
necessary) enlarge the Y dimension
(height) by 200 per cent. Do this in
Deiuxe Paint by selecting Screen
Format from the Picture menu and
selecting the Hi-Res button. When
the software asks if you want the
image stretched to fill the page, say
'Yes'.
If your bitmap contains too many
colours for hi-res mode, convert to lo-
res non-interlaced.
P? £* Mono printing - If you are
t/\J printing to a monochrome
printer then there's not a lot of point
in using coloured pictures, converting
them to 16 levels of grey beforehand
will save time and memory.
The best tool to do this with is
Art Department Professional, but
Deluxe Paint is also able to convert
to 16 greys, even from HAM,
although you have to put some work
in.
Rrst load the picture and then
change its Screen Format to 16
colours. Then bring up the palette
tool and change colour to black
and colour 15 to white. Click on the
black colour, click on Spread, click
on the white colour. Now select
Remap from the Color menu to get
the picture looking normal again,
[" n Screen frequency -
O f PageStream users can take
advantage of the Screen Frequency
feature of the Edit Coordinates
requester to get better greyscale
output.
If your printer is 300 dpi, make
the screen frequency figure 75 to get
the printer to produce 16 greyscales.
increasing that figure to (say) 100
will give you a higher apparent output
resolution (the dots will be phnted
closer together), but fewer levels of
grey will be produced. Decreasing the
screen frequency to (say) 60 will
allow more levels of grey (handy for
256 greyscale TIFFs) but the
apparent resolution will decrease
as the dots will be printed further
apart.
360 dpi printers should have a
screen frequency of 90 to get 16
greyscale output, 240 dpi printers
should have a screen frequency of
60.
ff Q ^"'■'wPrint Professional-
ly O Professional Page and
PageSetter II users will get much
better greyscale output If TurtJoPrint
Pro^ssionat is doing the dithering,
rather than Preferences.
If you find that pictures are
coming out too dark, adjust
TurtoPrint'a Gamma Correction
upwards slightly and try again.
Each picture will be different, so
you will need to experiment each
time to get the best results, if you
have more than one greyscale picture
on a page, you may have to
compromise with a happy medium.
[■ Q *'**'*"" Pfinting - You're
»J»/ asking a lot for a 9-pin, 24-pin
or Inkjet printer to give you top
quality colour output of HAM pictures.
Each picture, and each pnnter, will
give different results, but one trick
you can try in order to get better
printed output is to convert the HAM
picture to 32 colours (or fewer)
before importing into the DTP
package.
Again, Art Department
Professional is the best tool to use,
but Deiuxe Paint can do a similar
thing by simply changing the Screen
Format to 32 colours and letting it
compute a new palette. The picture
won't look as good on-screen, but it
will probably print better.
gy f\ Using the RAM disk - When
Owyou are printing a desktop
published page to a Preferences
printer you are basically dumping a
massive picture.
it takes time for the software to
create that picture in memory, time to
transfer it to the printer, and time for
the printer to print it.
You can speed things up, if you
have the memory, by using the CMD
tool in order to send the output to a
RAM file Instead of the phnter, and
then using the Copy command to
send the file to the printer for
printing.
Double click the CMD icon, and
then 'print' your page or document.
When It has finished, quit the DTP
program and open a CU or Shell.
Type the command
COPY RAM!CMD_FIIiE TO PAR:
and the page/document will get
printed.
Depending on what you are
printing, this method can reduce
printout times by up to 25 per cent.
"E
if you can afford it, then dump the sample editor that came with your
sampler and treat yourself to a copy of AudloMaster 4
f your samples don't quite
I come up to scratch, or you're
confused by the plethora of
poorly documented Sound
Tracker programs around,
read on and gain some handy
Insights into the world of Amiga
sound
/? 1 Quality - The quality of the
Xj J. samples that are obtainable
from any sampler will only be as good
as the source signal that you feed it.
If you're sampling from a crummy
tape deck, then the results that you
get won't be that good. Unless you're
sampling real world sounds (speech.
for example) then always try to
sample from CD. Even the cheapest
CD players will consistently give you
much better results than audio tape
simply because of the cleaner audio
signal that a CD can output.
/? n Leads - Another equally
\J^ important factor to consider
when you sample from an audio
source is the quality of the audio lead
that you use to connect the sampler
and your audio source together. Many
samplers come with their own
sampling lead, but these are rarely
any good. If you can spare a couple
of pounds, then take a thp to your
G
T
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE !6 • AUGUST 1992
23
200 TOP TIPS
SOUHD SAMPUNG/COmUNKAWNS
local music technology store and
treat yourself to a professional audio
lead. Considering their relatively low
price (about £5 for 3 metres), these
leads will substantially increase the
quality of your samples.
/JO Microphones - If you're
UO sampling real life sounds,
then a decent microphone is a
worthwhile purchase. Many samplers
do come with their own microphones
but I have yet to see a microphone
that could be described as anything
other than a total waste of space.
Once again, a trip down to your local
music technology store will be well
worth the effort. Have a chat with the
salesman - he will be able to advise
you on which microphone is best for
you. You may have to pay at least
£40 for a decent mike, but the
results will be worth it,
/J K Stereo and mono - When
Ot' purchasing a sampler, don't
ignore mono samplers in favour of
the trendier stereo units that have
flooded the market. To be perfectly
honest, stereo sampling on anything
other than a Fairlight or a Synciavier
(two professional samplers with price
tags to match) is a complete waste
of time. Stereo samples not only use
■up twice as much memory as a mono
sample, but they also restrict you to
Wave goodbye to the MIDI blues.
Sampling's a cinch with the tips
numbered 61 to 70
sampler, it may be worth your while
ditching the sample editing
software bundled with the sampler in
favour of one of the stand alone
sample editor programs now
available on the market. These may
cost you anything from £50
T[fiERl|^+-Oct4MED-ProfM5iOMl*(v3,00)
VQL^REK
CItRNNGLS' -■
ilFllTER El E2 E3 ST£ SPEED- 033/ B3
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[t!!?iiiLililiBL-"-L- fL«V BLOCK D COHT. SLOCK
triLES fflSC
VOL /i7--#9
INSTR MIDI SVHTH
BLOCK TRilNS SMPtD
EDIT RfllJGE SLIST
— mm-2 mm— umm mm— e
662 — 86681— 88B88F-2 76881— 8868efi1 49868— 6888S— 88688— 88866
897 — 8ee„,
889 — 8688^
819 — er"
— eeeef 11 49688—
99eeaF-2 78968— eesaSFH 4688a— 889661—
nen m\iV ££882721
\m
IIIIIIHIIlllllllllllNIIIIHII
1 1 1 1 H i n r r i Tr r rrrrri I t't T niT i » 1 1 1 n 1 1 1 1 r i f
Choosing a Sojnd Tracker utility can be confusing unless you know what to
look for. OctaMED shown here Is one of the most fully featured available
a maximum sampling rate of just
29 KHz. Very few packages support
stereo samples, so you're uniiltelyto
ever find a use for this facility. If the
sampler produces good quality mono
samples, then that's the one to go
for.
65
Editing software - For the
best results from any
upwards, but they're streets ahead
of any of the bundled paci<ages
available.
The current top two sample
editing packages on the market are
SunRize Industhes' Audition 4 and
Oxxi/Aegis' AudioMaster 4, Both
of these packages are available
from HB Marketing on 0753
686000.
/J £* Sampling - if you
viOare serious
about your sound
tracking sessions, then
an absolute must is a
sound sampler.
Although most
trackers come with a
I wide selection of
sampled instruments,
owning a sampler will
allow you to grab your
own instruments adding
a bit of individualism to
your tracker tunes.
If you can, always
go for a Sound Tracker
which has sampling
facilities built into it.
This will enable you
to grab instruments,
edit them and use them
within your tunes
without ever having to
leave the comfort of
your Sound Tracker.
£* ^ Commercial software -
O • Although virtually all Sound
Tracker utilities are the same, there
are commercial trackers available
which are worth checking out. One
such program is OctaMED 2 (soon to
be upgraded to OctaMED
Professional), a fine commercial
tracker written by Teijo Kinnunen, the
author of the PD tracker clone MED,
OctaMED 2 costs just £20 and is far
superior to the PD trackers. It offers
score editing and the ability to play up
to 8 samples simultaneously. For
serious tracking, OctaMED 2 is a
must,
£* Q Construction - Song
O O construction is one aspect of
Sound Trackers which confuses many
people. Songs are built up within a
Sound Tracker by linking together the
patterns that you define. Somewhere
within your Tracker will be two
controls marked 'Song Position',
'Pattern' and 'Song Length',
Song Position is simply a counter
which dictates your position within
the Song, Pattern defines which
pattern number should be played for
the current song position value and
Song Length tells the Tracker how
many Song Positions there are in your
song.
£*f\ Modular format - When
\J *y choosing a Tracker, always
check that the program can load and
save modules in standard
SoundTracker format,
SoundTracker modules are a
standardised file format for Tracker
songs which will enable you to load
and play your songs within other
Tracker packages and even
programming languages such as
AMOS without having to convert them
first, AMOS now includes direct
support for SoundTracker format
modules, so a Tracker that can save
in this format is far more useful,
^ f\ P''*^^* ''^■'^ ~ l^ahy older
# \j Tracker utilities were tied to a
system of preset lists containing a list
of sampled instruments that the
program new about. Although these
could well be spread across several
disks, there was no way of loading a
sample that was not in this preset list
without exiting the program and
editing the preset list from within a
separate program.
Always check that the Tracker
that you choose is not tied
exclusively to a silly preset list.
Most modern Trackers allow
instruments to be loaded from any
device including hard disks (some
early trackers didn't support hard
disksl).
Modems open up a
whole world of fun:
exciting boards, free
software, new
friends and big telephone bills.
Communications is notoriously
expensive but with Amiga Shopper
by your side, you'll be able to save
money, and get more out of your
modem with our top tips.
^ "I Use Mercury - The easiest
f X way to save money during
comms work is to cut down the size
of the telephone bill. Apart from
buying a faster modem the simplest
way of doing this is to subscribe to
Mercury, For under a tenner you get
about 20 per cent off non local calls -
well worth a try,
^ ty Keep a log - Use the log
i £i facility of your comms package
to keep a record of your visits to each
BBS, There are a couple of reasons
for wanting to do this. Firstly, It
enables you to go back over any
confiiiued on page 26
34
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
Computers Unlimited
25 MHz 80386SX PQAT Emulator
for Amiga 2000/3000/3000T.
PC/AT Slot Support.
Max. 1 6 MB
PC/AT RAM
Up to
4MB
for Amiga.
MS-DOS
IDE Hard Dislc
Interface and
HD Floppy Disk
Controller* (2,88 MB).
Golden Gate'
A Golden Gate is the 25 MHz
80386SX PC/AT emulator for
Amiga 2000/3000/30O0T, As a
bridge-slot-board it closes the
gap between the Amiga's PC/AT
(ISA) slots and the Zorro slots,
A ISA expansion boards like
EGA/VGA graphics cards, LAN
controllers, I?AM expansions or
SCSI host adapters are
accessible under MS-DOS.
A Golden Gate's PC/AT RAM
expansion can be configured to
a max. of 16 MB (SIMMs). Up to
4 MB of this RAM are available
under AmigaDOS. 512 KB RAM
are already installed.
A Golden Gate uses RAM
expansions and Commodore
compatible hard disk
subsystems in the Zorro slot.
A Golden Gate's IDE interface
supports AT bus hard disk
subsystems under MS-DOS.
A Golden Gate supports flicker
fixing cards and accelerators.
Authorized Dealer: SILICA SYSTEMS
Mail Order Hotline: 081-309 II II
tendon Shops: 08 1-580 4000/ 07 1 -629 1234
SidcupShop: 081-302 8811
Golden Gate integrates the
internal and external 360 KB
and 720 KB Amiga floppy disk
drives.
*With the optional 82077A
floppy disk controller up to
three Internal and external HD
floppy disk drives with 1 ,2 MB;
1,44 MB and 2,88 MB can be
used.
With a standard Anniga monitor
and no further graphics card the
following video emulations are
available: CGA with 16 colours,
EGA/VGA monochrome
graphics, Hercules, Olivetti and
ToshibaT3100.
Windows 3 runs unrestrictedly
in the enhanced 386 mode and
the protected mode.
Golden Gate runs fully as a task
on the Amiga.
VORTEX COMPUHRSYSTEME GMBH
FALTERSTRASSE 51-53 • D-7101 FIEIN
TEl 4971 31 /5972-0 • FAX 4971 31 /5S063
Golden Gate is compatible with
Kickstart 1.3 and 2.0.
With the optional 80C387SX
arithmetic co-processor the
performance can be increased.
The Amiga mouse is emulated
as a serial Microsoft mouse
The Amiga keyboard works as
a PC keyboard.
The serial interface can be used
as COM1/COM2; the parallel
interface as LPTl under MS-DOS.
Golden Gate offers sound, RTC
and CMOS RAM,
An external option connector for
future expansions is integrated
Yes, I would like to get more
information about the vortex
PC/AT emulators.
^
80286
ATonce
80386SX
Golden Gate
With the installation the guaranty mieht be vraded All rompany or product names ate trademarte or registered trademark of their respective holders Golden Gate and Albnce aie registered
tiademaiKs ot vortex Computersysteme GmbH Disttlbuted in the UK by: SDL. 10 Ruxley Comer Industrial Estate. Ed^ngton Way. Sidcup. Kent, DA14 5SS, Tfel 081-309 5000, FSx. 051 -300 5440.
200 TOP TIPS
COrniAUNKAWHS-
D
Inspired by the comins tips and you
don't have a modem - well, lucky for
you, a Hyundai modem Is one of the
bargain buys on our mail order pages
(otilliuMd f rtml poga 24
problems you had and see what the
reasons were. If you had trouble
downloading a file for instance, you
can Chech to see if you spelt the
name wrong. Secondly, you can use
the log file to read messages you
didn't have time for, or to go bach
over a conversation with the sysop
and write down that telephone
number.
■ \1(
I
Know your software - Your
communications software has
been designed to provide you with
the facilities to get the most out of
your comms worh - use it! Get to
know what facilities are there, and
how they worh.
Things lihe the scrollbach facility
in NComm are particularly useful. A
few minutes spent learning how your
package works will pay off the first
time you need to show the sysop a
piece of a message you just read or
you want to write down some
information offline.
^ Jj Know your BBS - Every
4 ^ minute you spend on-line is
another minutes worth of charges.
Become aquainted with the boards
you call regularly. Take a look
around, even at areas you aren't
interested in at the moment, and try
to remember where all the
L interesting things are hept. Learn
I how the file search facilities worh; it
will make it easier when you need to
find that elusive file.
You can use your log files to go
' bach over the board off-line,
especially if you are loohing for
something in particular. Once you
know where it is you can go straight
' to it when you get on-line, saving
time and, more
importantly, money.
Download the
file lists and heep them
for later, it is much easier
to find a file off-line when
BT aren't involved.
75:
Off-line readers -
If you are a
member of a conferencing
system such as CIX or
Compuseme, or you enjoy
reading the messages on
your local BBS then get
yourself an off-line reader.
Offline readers allow you
to read all the messages
you want in the comfort of
your own home, without
the shadow of the phone
bill hanging over you.
Although the
download size for an off-
line reader can be pretty large, often
a couple of hundred hilobytes of
data, the savings are well worth it
and it will pay for itself within a few
days of using it.
If you don't read the messages
on your BBS, you're missing out on
an important aspect of comms, the
chance to mahe new friends, and
find out things you never knew you
didn't know. Give it a go - you don't
know what you're missing.
7 /? Scripts - If your
f O communications program
offers you a script facility, use it. A
good script can save a lot of time,
and also protects you against
accidents such as you forgetting your
password.
As you are using a board, think
about how scripts could be used to
automate processes other than
logging on. Downloading files is
one particular case in point, where
the same information is entered
every time the operation is
performed and a prime candidate for
a script.
^^ Stay friendly - Remember,
f f when you are calling a BBS
you are a visitor on another persons'
computer. That person has hlndly
spent a lot of their spare time and
money to create somewhere for you
to call, they don't want you messing
about.
Follow these guidelines and you
won't upset anyone;
• Be polite. People don't call bulletin
boards to be insulted or offended.
The Connections Interdial modem -
another favourite. No more muddles
with modems when you've followed
our top comms tips
Bear this in mind when you are
leaving messages.
• Upload files. To be successful a
board needs to heep a steady flow of
new files. Most sysops will try and do
this anyway but If every caiier
uploads a couple of files a weeh, the
sysop'sjob is made easier and the
board becomes more successful.
You'll also be given higher security,
ISvsteH Iransfw Con Translate Screen Plicnp Dial
jstart ASCII CjFtia>«|3J|
more time on-line, and be allowed to
download more software.
• Follow the rules. Read and abide
by the rules of the BBS. It's not
difficult and it will save a lot of
hassle,
• Don't drop the earner unless you
absolutely have to. The most
annoying thing for a sysop Is a user
who can't be bothered to log off.
Hanging up in the middle of a
session can cause
problems, sometimes
even tahlng the board
off-line.
• Don't hassle the
sysop. Don't keep paging
the sysop If you have a
problem - leave him a
message. Even the most
fnendly sysop will get fed
up of being continually
paged, and a message
will save you money as
■vveii.
NComm Is one of the most popular comms packages. But remember 3
package is sometimes only as good as Its user
Always hang up -
Always hang up
when you leave a board.
It doesn't happen often
but sometimes a bug in
the bulletin board
software will cause it to
not drop you off the line
when you exit. You will
then end up there sitting on the line
clocking up a huge bill.
The most well known example of
this is a bug In CIX which after
logging you off and telling you to
hang up, sometimes places you back
at the login prompt. On a multi-
tashlng machine such as the Amiga
it is all too easy to swap to the
Worhbench screen and begin playing
with the software you've
downloaded, leaving the comms
pachage sat at the CIX prompt.
70 '^""'^ leave it alone - Comms
■ */ packages are wonderful,
scripts are wonderful, off-line readers
are even more wonderful.
Unfortunately they are far from
perfect. No matter how good you
think your scnpt is, you should never
leave it running when you aren't
around.
It Is easy for a stray bit of line
noise to upset the script completely.
When this happens, one of two
things will go wrong.
The most lihely scenario is that
the scnpt will just stop and stand
there clochlng up on-line charges
until the BBS times out and throws
you off. Worse though is the scnpt
that wanders off on its own through
menus it was never supposed to
see, trying to download files and
leave messages to people who don't
exist.
26
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUI 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
COIi/mUNiaWHS/UilHG THESHiU
200 TOP TIPS
Q f\ Support your sysop - Bulletin
OV/ boards are usually run on a
voluntary basis.
The system operator gives up liis
free time, and very often a
substantiai amount of money, to
provide you with a service. Apart from
respecting his wishes, uploading files
and generally being a nice person,
there are pienty of ways you can
encourage your sysop.
When you first visit a board, let
the sysop l<now what you thought. Be
constructive though, simply saying
that yoii didn't like it is no use. The
opposite is true as well, just saying
that you liked the board isn't much
help. Try and offer at least some
suggestions as to why you liked it,
and any areas that could be improved
on.
Report any problems you may
have to the sysop. Particularly things
that could be considered "bugs". For
instance, if a particular menu option
doesn't worl<, let him i^now so that he
can fix it,
Rnally, if the board has a
membership scheme, and it's not too
expensive, join it. Not many boards
do have a scheme but supporting
those that do is well worth the little
cost. [Mot only do you get increased
access but it encourages the sysop
to do more with the board, something
that benefits everyone.
iwiiiimiiin
another disk, and AmigaDOS will look
there instead for the required
directory.
Getting a list of the files held in
the Joyce directory, held in the Irish
directory, ail on the disk ModemLit,
would be done as follows:
Dir ModemLit ! Irish/ J(^ce
It is possible to specify which files
you want to list by the means of a
wildcard.
Represented by the '#?'
characters, a wildcard means 'any
characters'. The Dir #? command
will behave exactly as normal, but
the Dir #?.iff will only list those files
whose names end with '.iff*.
MCD - This command changes
the current directory (the one
which will be listed with a simple Dir
command, and which Is named as
part of the AmigaDOS prompt).
Followed simply by a '/'
character, it will move one level up In
the directory hierarchy. Followed by a
':', it will move to the root directory
Some operations on the
Amiga are made so much
easier by using the Shell.
Some operations just can't
be done any other way. Using the
Workttench is all very well, but it's
only once you click on that Shell
Icon that you can really get your
hands dirty and find out exactly
what Is going on.
Here we provide a brief
Introduction; If you need more
Infoimation don't foiget our regular
Cracking The Shell column by
Mark Smiddy, which covers just
about every conceivable use of
AmigaDOS.
Q "I Files - A file is a collection of
O J, information stored on a disk.
It could be a program, or simply a
group of data for use by other
programs.
Each file has associated status
information stored with It, which
records such things as when the file
was last altered and whether or not it
is a program file. All of the Shell
commands are held on disk as
program files.
Q i\ Directories - These are the
0*rf Shell equivalent of Workbench
drawers. They are arranged in a
hierarchical, tree-like fashion, and
may contain further directories and
files. Take a look at the above
diagram for an Illustration of this
Idea - often it's easier to think
pictohally.
At the top of the hierarchy is a
directory termed the 'root'. It is
denoted by the ':' symbol. The root
directory of another disk is specified
by the disk name followed by a
root (Modern Lit:)
I
English
lode
Arrerican
Irish
(ModernLit:lrish)
French
Ysats Joyce
[ModemLit: I rish/Joyce
Ulysses
(ModernLpt:lrish/Jc)yc©/UlysseE
Directories are organised In a hierarchical structure often called a 'tree'. In
fact, the shape is more like an upside down tree, with the root at the top. The
AmigaDOS path to the directories Is shown in brackets
colon. A directory further down the
hierarchy is specified by supplying Its
name after the colon. If the directory
is not immediately 'below' the root,
then any Intervening directories must
also be named, each of them being
separated by a '/' character.
Q Q Dir - Dir Is an AmigaDOS
Q%J command that produces a
listing of all the files held In a
directory. Normally, the listing is
given for the current directory - the
one named In the Shell's prompt.
Any directories held within the
current one are marked '(dir)'.
It is possible to get a listing of
files in a different directory by using
that directory's name (and those of
any others between it and the current
one, all separated by the '/'
character) as part of the command. If
the directory is above the current one
in the hierarchy, then the '/'
character must be used Isefore the
directory name to instruct AmigaDOS
to look one level up. Alternatively,
the ':' character tells AmigaDOS to
look from the root directory on the
disk. Precede this with the name of
of the current disk.
A directory name can also be
specified with CD, but if it is anything
other than directly below the current
directory in the hierarchy, then a path
to it must be specified.
85
Makedir - This creates a new
directory inside the current
The name of the new directory is
specified as part of the Makedir
command, but must be separated
from it by a space. The newly
created directory will initially be
empty.
Q C Copy - The copy command,
Ovf funnily enough, copies files.
Following the command comes the
source file, then, after a space, the
destination where the copy should be
placed.
Both source and destination can
be specified with full AmigaDOS
paths. If the name of the destination
file is omitted, then the source file
name Is used. In this case, wildcards
can be used to copy several files
with only a single command:
ccjpy grabs t#?. iff article:
Q ^ RAM; - This Is the RAM disk,
O ■ behaving like an ordinary
disk although much more quickly
and with the information held in
memory.
If you are using a single drive
machine, it is useful to copy often
used commands into RAM: so that
you won't have to insert the
Workbench disk whenever you use
^ne of these commands, thus
saving time and irritating disk
swapping.
The RAM: disk can also be used
as an intemiediary store when
copying groups of flies from one
disk to another on a single drive
system.
Q Q '-'''' ~ ^^'^ '^ ^" advanced
OOform of the Dir command. As
well as listing the files In a directory,
it will display the status information
and size of each file.
The command has many other
possibilities. Its output can be sent
to another file by use of the
command To following it, followed
Itself by the name of a destination
file.
The options available are far too
complex to go into here in such a
short space - refer to Cracking The
Shell each month for more details
and handy tips.
OQ Startup-sequenco - This Is a
O*/ text file containing a number
of AmigaDOS commands.
The startup-sequence is a type of
file which is known as a script. It
behaves in a similar manner to a
program when run.
Each of the commands in the fife
are executed In turn, as if a user
were typing them one by one at the
keyboard. Think of it as a way of
creating your own AmigaDOS
commands by joining together
existing ones.
The startup-sequence is a
specialised script which is executed
every time the Amiga is switched on
or reset, it performs various set-up
flinctions, such as telling the Amiga
which nationality of keyboard to use,
and where to look for certain, often
used files.
It is possible to modify the
startup-sequence, although it's
advisable to make a back-up first,
using the Copy command (only ever
do this with a copy of your
Workbench disk, as tampering may
stop your Amiga from booting up
altogether).
Q /\ Ed - Ed is the AmigaDOS text
Uvr editor. It is like a very simple
word-processor, and is mainly used
for creating and altering script files
such as the startup-sequence. Just
type Ed at the prompt to use it.
c
7
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
27
200 TOP TIPS
CMOOSIHG AH ACCUiRATOR
ib^^LiS^T^^T^^S^~ 'iirshu -til 'inyjiv-^ii'i i'Mj&il'i ) LUfimjia imf S
i'il'fltf/tilBi! S'Lliiil
jkmiilttfjl iteilih fifjiJI
The program above is used to rate the speed of your accelerator compared to
standard Amiga set-ups, just so you can be sure your machine realty Is fast
[n^ (^cte; ON muKi Mede: Ofi
iaja Cai3»:6H tSursI ModelWF J!£j^lMi,
V
ext to a hard disk, your
accelerator could be the
most expensive add-on
that you buy for your
Amiga, and in some cases they can
be more expensive than your Amiga
itself. Consequently, with the huge
jungle of different ones you can get,
it is vital that you get the right one
for you.
The accelerator market can be
very confusing, not only because of
the range of models, but also due to
the range of prices. The cheapest
ones start at under £1S for a 68010
chip, and if you have the money it is
quite possible to spend over
£1,500. With this In mind, I shall
attempt to untangle this and make
that decision a little less of a
headache.
f\ 1 Do you really need one? -
tj ±. Accelerator cards are for
running high powered applications,
such as DTP or ray tracing, much
faster. If you just use your machine
for occasional word processing,
games and perhaps some AMOS
programming, it is unlikely that you
need a fast accelerator card - your
money would protialaly tie better
spent on a large hard disl< or other
hardware add-ons.
/\ f\ Consider your needs - You
»/ M can save a lot of money at
this stage. If you do a lot of ray
tracing and other processor intensive
graphics work then you definiteiy
need a good FPU (Floating Point
Unit), either a 68882 or a 68881. If
you are on a tight tjudget and are
buying your accelerator to generally
speed up your Workbench and
programming environment, you
probably don't need to w^orry about
such gadgets as Memory
Management Units, or possibty
floating point co-processors, and it
might be better to consider getting a
faster, or better processor instead.
C\ ^ Hard disk controllers - Quite
»/ O a fevi/ of the A1500/2000
accelerator cards come with built-in
fast SCSI hard disk controllers.
These are vi^ell wonU considering if
you do not already own a hard disk
card - they v^ill be considerably
faster than ordinary plug in cards as
they are specially optimised to work
with the faster processor and faster
32-bit RAM.
Q « 32-bit RAM - From the
5/ r» 68020 upwards, the
processor is 32-bit, This means that
it can access a whole 32-bits (4
bytes) of data In one go. All current
Amigas except for the A3000 series
have 16-bit RAM, which means that
whatever the processor is, 68020
■030 and '040 included, they can
only ever get 16 bits, 2 bytes in one
go - half their potential performance.
By spending a iittle more money on
your accelerator card, you can get it
with some 32-blt Fast RAM on board.
if your programs are running in this
32-bit fast RAM they will run at the
full potentiai of your processor. You
realiy want 2Mb or more 32-bit RAM,
preferably 4Mb. If you are not able to
afford fast 32-bit RAM on the card,
think about getting a card that has
the facility for you to add some at a
later date.
Q ^ MMUs and the
Programmers and
developers buying
accelerator cards need
to watch out for the
68030EC and 6S040EC
chips. The EC stands for
'Economy': to save cost
on the chip Motorola
removed the MMU
(Memory management
unit.) The MMU is vital
for Virtual Memory
operating systems, such
as Unix, in which part of
your hard disk wili act as an
extension to your available RAM. The
Amiga operating system does not
currently support Virtual Memory, but
if you intend to buy or use Amiga
Unix, then you must avoid the EC
chips. Likewise developers may find
the MMU useful, as it is able to trap
and report illegal memory accesses.
Amiga developer programs, such as
Enforcer, are invaluable for large
Amiga applications development,
because, if your program does
something naughty, it reports it down
Uie serial port so you can see what
happened and where the fault was.
Q /? MHz-age and MIPS/MFLOPS
»/ O - There are two basic
performance figures that will show
you how fast an accelerator card is.
These are MIPS and MaOPS, MIPS
stands for Miilions of Instructions
Per Second, For a normal 68000
chip this is less than 1. A 25Mhz
68040 could manage over 20 MIPS,
which would make it as fast as 20
A600S. M FLO PS stands for Millions
of Roating Point Instructions Per
Second,
There are a number of things
that affect both these figures. One is
the MHz {Megahertz), or clock
speed, of the processor, the other is
the availability and speed of 32-bit
RAM. As a reference, a standard
stock A600 runs at 7.14Mhz, and a
stock A3000 at 25Mhz.
To get the best from 68040
cards you really need fast 32-bit RAM
(wth 60 or 40ns access time). You
would be well advised to steer clear
of slow 68020 cards, as for very
little extra money you can get the
68030 chip which is far superior.
f\ ^ 68000/68010 options -
*/ fl These are the cheapest of the
accelerator card options. In the case
of the 68010 upgrade, it simply
involves buying a £15 68010, 8 or
lOMhz version, from an electronic
components supplier, removing your
existing 68000 chip and replacing it
with the 68010. It is a plug In and go
option. You will notice a small
increase of speed, of up to 20%.
There are also several 68000
upgrades, whereby a small card fits
The G-Force 040 Accelerator speeds
up your machine, just as these
accelerator tips accelerate your
learning curve...
in your existing 68000 socket and
doubles the dock speed of the chip
to around 14Mhz. These cards cost
around £200, and their value is
doubtful. If you are going to spend
this amount of money it may be
better to wait for a cheaper 68020 or
*030 card.
Ck Q. ^**^ 68020 - The 68020 was
y O the first of Motorola's full 32-
bit microprocessors. It Is capable of
reading a full 32-blts of data at a
time if it has access to 32-blt RAM.
The chips have an on-board cache,
which enatjies the processor to work
much faster on loops and other tight
code by storing infonnation In its own
internal ultra-fast RAM.
The 68020 Is available in clock
speeds from 16 to 33Mhz. (Although
the 33Mhz version of the chip Is
brand new.) The 68020 does not
ship with a MMU as standard; the
Commodore card has a seperate
MMU chip on the card, but if you
want a 68020 with an MMU from
another manufacturer, you wit! have
to check.
OQ ^^^ 68030 - The 68030 has
%ftJ the MMU built into the
processor, although the EC version
of the chip has omitted this. It is
faster than the '020 chip, having had
its instruction speeds sped up.
A 68030 clocked at 25Mhz will
run about one and a half times as
fast as a 68020 at the same speed.
Cache sizes on the 68030 are also
larger than the '020. 68030 chips
are available at speeds from 16 to
33Mhz, although 40 and 50Mhz
versions of these chips are planned.
A 25Mhz 68030 chip will manage
around 8-12 MIPS and about 2-2.5
MFLOPS.
1 A A The 68040 - Currently
J. wvFthis is the flagship of
Motorola's processing chips.
Technically it is nearly a RISC chip,
as it is able to execute, on average,
one instruction every 1.3 cycles. This
means that a 25Mhz 68040 chip can
2S
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
PROGRAMMIHGIHC
200 TOP TIPS
run at about 21MIPS. This is twice as
fast as a 25Mhz 68030.
Another advantage of the 68040
is that the FPU is built in. This mal<es
it even faster, as the R=U has been
optimised to run at high speeds on
tlie same piece of silicon as the 040
chip.
Unfortunately some of the more
complex Floating point operations
could not be fitted on, and have to be
emuiated in software. This is of little
consequence, however, as the
68040 chip is so blindingly fast.
Motorola also produce an EC version
of this chip, without the twin MMUs.
68040 chips are current available at
clock speeds from 25Mhz to 33Mhz,
giving a maximum MIPS of around
29.
Faster 40 and 50Mhz versions
are planned.
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imSfl^HJ-r ''-'■•'■•'"■
^^^^^^^^^^^^^™
m
The above Mandelbrot generator Is being edited In the LSE screen editor
supplied with the excellent SAS/Lattice C development program
Cmay be a brilliant language
but unlike languages like
Pascal and Moduia 2, it
does little to guide or
force the programmer into adopting
good coding habits. All Is not lost
however because the following tips
should put some of those 'potential
coding nasties' well and truly out of
harm's way...
m Parameter passing - One
of C's greatest strengths
is its parameter passing facilities.
Design code units that make the
most of this facility.
When a lot of data is involved
however parameter passing can add
a significant overhead so the best
idea then is to create structures
which represent the parameters and
then pass a single pointer to the
parameter block.
*! /\ O Brevity - Avoid highly
-l Vl ^ compressed code styles
like the plague.
Despite the fact that C would
allow this code fragment;
if (key==HSCAPE)
(
CloseFilea { ) ,-
DiaplayMessage (CLOSING) ;
WaitToQuitO ;
}
to be written along these lines..
if (k==E) (CF() ;DM{C) ,-WTQ() ;}
you'll gain absolutely nothing by
doing so in the long run. The code
will not run more quickly and trying to
understand programs years after
you've written them in this typw of
condensed form would be a
nightmare,
■1 /XORe-useabre code -Write
A vIO functions that are
generally useful. Re-used code
rapidly becomes bug-free code and of
course using pieces of existing code
in this way reduces the effort
required to write your programs.
'1 /\ JQ Public domain compilers -
J. V^ Without detracting from
some of the excellent work that
people put into public domain
software you should be aware that in
using a public domain compiler you
may not be able to place so much
dependence on the compiler itself.
Rightly or wrongly professional
programmers tend, in the main, to
assume that a program which
compiles without error is syntacticaffy
correct. To suggest that they use a
compiler where this might not be the
case would be extremely
disconcerting to them. Public domain
software, especially something as
large and as complex as a compiler,
is unlikely to ever achieve the
reliability and stability of a
commercial product. If you are using
a public domain compiler it is
probably wisest to take extra care in
this area so that you assume as little
as possible about the errors the
compiler can catch.
"I /\ Pf Re-useable modules -
X Xlij Modularize and compile
units that are generally useful. In the
same way that individual functions
are more useful when written in a
general way so also are precompiled
modules that have a well defined
interface and this of course takes us
into the world of the ADT (abstract
data type).
The philosophy underlying the
ADT is basically simple: by defining
the important, ie useful, properties of
an abstract data structure, and
defining which operations will be
allowed, we can build an ADT
description. When translated to real
code this 'blueprint' becomes a 'data
structure' building block which can
be used to solve problems.
By way of an example let's take
a fairly simple ADT type, the queue. A
queue is a set of objects logically
arranged in Rrst- In-First-Out (FIFO)
order. The type of operations which
can be usefully associated with
queue structures are well known...
we need some means of initializing,
adding items to, and retrieving items
how intermediate macros calls have
been used to enable me to work with
any size of queue object using just
CreateQueue(t), AddToQueue(s,x).
RemoveFromQueue(s,x), KillQueue(s)
and QueueEmpty(s) function calls...
"I /\/>:Library functions -
X \J \J Maximise the use of
standard library functions. The effort
which has gone into the Amiga
system routines, Lattice/SAS and
Manx compiler C function libraries
(and many oth^r third-party libraries}
is considerable. With the new AI\ISI
standard now firmly established all C
compilers support the ANSI specified
core routines and, when you have a
choice of functions to use, the best
idea is to opt for these ANSI forms
because it means your code will be
that much more portable.
"I /\ ^ Keep It simple - Code in
X Vf f the most obvious way
possible to start with: In the early
stages of program development
there is little to be gained by worrying
about run-time efficiency and so
forth. Your main aim should be to
write code which is a clean, and
easily understood, representation of
the design or algorithm that you are
trying to implement. Go for obviously
recognisable variable and procedure
names and develop your program in
LISTING 1 • LISTING 1 • LISTING 1
/* Queue ACT header */
typedef void QUEUE;
/* Tlieae macros are used to create a slightly more friendly
interface to the user. They just remove the need for explicit
sizeofO, casting and address talking operations in the
applications code */
#define CreateQueue(t) CreateQ(sizeof (t) )
#define AddToQueue ( s , x ) AddToQ(s, (UBYTE *)Sl(x))
#de f ine Remo veFromQueue ( s , x ) RemoveFromQ ( s , ( UBYTE * ) & [ x ) )
Sdefine KillQueue(s) KillQ(s)
#define QueueEmpty (s) QEir5pty(a)
/* These are the prototypes for the underlying; queue access
routines which do the real work */
QUEUE *CreateQ(tlLONG unit_size) ;
void KillQ (QUEUE *descriptOrj)) ;
BOOL AddToQ{ QUEUE *descriptOrj), UBYTE *data_itera) ;
BOOL RemoveFromQ (QUEUE *de5Criptor_p, UBYTE *data_iteni) ;
BOOL QErrip ty ( QUEUE • des cr ipt or_p ) ;
An ADT queue header that provides simple user-interface functions
from, the queue in the proper FIFO
order.
There's not the space to go into
internal coding details but that's not
particularly important anyway. What
is important is that you should aim to
create a programmer-friendly
interface so that the module can be
used without the programmer
knowing how it is implemented. The
header file given in Listing 1 shows
a way which allows each new routine
to be tested as it is written (the so
called 'incremental testing'
approach). Once you've got the
program running then by all means
make any improvements, or use any
additional coding tricks, that you feel
are necessary.
108
Nesting functions -
Development of routines
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
20
200 TOP TIPS
PROGRAMMING IH C/HAND SCANNING
using the 'nested function' approacln
is good in theory but in practice,
when many nesting levels are used,
the parameter passing overhead ttiat
can buiid up can be significant factor
as far as execution speed is
concerned. To get speed increases
just eliminate the unessential
internal calls whilst leaving the
function's main parameter interface
intact.
■| /\0 Assembler patches -
M. \j*J Remember that if you use
assembler patches you can, with
ANSI C get the compiler to check
your usage of the patch by creating a
suitable prototype. If, for example,
you've get a piece of assembler code
which represents a GetMextTextLineO
function that expects to b^ given a
pointer to a line of text and returns a
pointer of the same type you can
force the compiler to checi< your use
of the assembler function using a
prototype like this:
TEXT *GetNextTextLine (TEXT J
*textline__p) ;
no:
I Pointers - The use, or
' rather misuse, of pointers
can cause programmers serious
problems and because of this it's
wise to adopt a convention of naming
pointer variables using a_p suffix.
This obviously doesn't stop potential
misuse, but it is a useful reminder
that a pointer variable is being dealt
with, tt therefore goes some way
towards helping reduce the likelihood
of inadvertant misuse. A fatal, and
common, pointer slip involves non^
initialization. The programmer
declares and uses a pointer variable,
but forgets to set it to a suitable
initial value (or perhaps sets it to an
incorrect value).
With the Amiga many system
structure pointers are used. When,
for example, an Intuition Screen Is
opened the OpenScreen() system call
returns a pointer to an Intuition
Screen structure. This type of system
call code:
global_Bcreenji= ( struct J
Screen J
* ) OpenScreen { SNewScreen) ;
in most cases would function
correctly, ie the OpenScreen{) call
would set the global_screen_p
pointer variable to the appropriate
Screen structure address.
The trouble is that, although the
code itself is correct, it's not
possible to guarantee that this line
of code will always work.
Why? It is because the Amiga's
system routine OpenScreen() may
itself fail - if your Amiga is already
using most of its RAM then
OpenScreenO will not be abte to
allocate memory for a new Intuition
Screen.
The system tells you this by
returning a NULL (zero) pointer rather
than a valid Screen structure
address. The result? If you did not
check for a 'non-NULL pointer' value
your program would crash the
moment you made use of the
global_screen_p variable. It is
because of the possibility of system
call failures that ail Amiga system
calls should be tested to see that
they have been successful.
sing a hand scanner to
transfer images to your
Amiga can sometimes
seem like a trial and error
process. But follow these handy
hints tielow and you'll find that
you're getting superb scanning
results every time.
ou
^^™*^ process. E
o
o
(Nl
111
suitable picture to scan.
The quality of the scan will always
depend on the quality of the original
[mage.
It's not true that black-and-white
photographs produce better results
than colour ones; what's important is
the amount of contrast, A good
quality, bright and colourful
photograph taken in strong light will
scan better than a black-and-white
photograph of the same thing.
1"! () The right surface - Always
J. M scan on a flat surface. If
the surface on which the image is
printed is uneven, slippery, or too
small for the scanning head to roll
over it smoothly, place a sheet of
clear plastic or acetate over the
image before scanning. If you
haven't got a clear sheet of plastic
then buy one of those clear A4 paper
sleeves that stationers sell, and slip
the image inside it.
113
Lighting - Avoid scanning
near a strong light source.
and measuring the brightness of the
light that is reflected, you must make
sure that there are no bright lights
shining on the image or the top of
the scanning head. Changes in the
ambient lighting level can also affect
the scanner's performance.
If you are scanning from a book
with thin pages, there is a chance
that light emitted by the scanning
head will be absorbed by dark
images on the reverse side of the
page. When this happens, turn the
brightness wheel up and scan again.
adjust the brightness control with
software that scans in real-time is to
move the scanning head on to the
darkest part of the image and roll the
head backwards and forwards over
this area while gradually decreasing
the brightness until the dark area
just appears black.
Touch-Up users will have to wait
between scans for the software to
process the image, but the principle
is the same.
114'
Resolution - Scan at the
"maximum resolution
possible. This will usually be 400
dots per inch (dpi), which will
produce a large bitmap that can be
scaled down to get the best possible
resolution from your particular
printer.
Amiga biUnaps {\f¥ ILBMs) have
a resolution of 75 dpi, no matter how
116;
> Moving the head - Move
I the scanner head at a
constant speed. Always remember
that a single, slow and smooth pass
of the head over the image is better
than a series of small jerky ones.
As the head passes over the
image it is taking in an awful lot of
information and passing it on to the
computer. If you drag it too quickly it
won't be able too keep up with you
and the resulting scan will either be
Because the scanner works by
shining its own light on the image
tf the Image is too wide to scan upright
software to rotate It by 90 degrees
large or small the picture is.
Scaling not only changes the
printed size of the picture, it changes
the output resolution. Note that we
are talking about output scaling here,
not scaling or resizing a brush in an
art package.
Halving the output size of the
picture increases the resolution by a
factor of two, to 150 dpi - the image
still contains the same number of
dots, but they are being printed half
the size. Reduce the picture to 25
per cent of its original size and the
resolution soars to 300 dpi. This is
handy if you have a 300 dpi printer,
such as a laser or inkjet, but not if
you have a 24-pin dot-matrix or
bubble jet pnnter, which have output
resolutions of 360 dpi. To cut a long
story short, 360 dpi printers get the
best results when images are scaled
down to 20.8 per cent.
scan it sideways and then use the
corrupted, have bits missing, or
appear 'squashed' on-screen.
117!
1't tf Brightness -
■ For your first
' practice scan, set the
brightness wheel to the lightest
setting possible. The best way to
' Pressure - Don't apply too
much downwards pressure
on the head. The height at which the
scan head rolls over the paper has
an effect on the image brightness.
Pushing the head down on to the
paper excludes ambient light from
getting in underneath the scanning
head, adding to the illumination of
the picture, and consequently the
amount of light reflected from it.
Result? It makes it darker.
So if you press downwards too
hard you will muck up the brightness
setting that you carefully adjusted.
11 Q Dragging - Drag the head
X O in a straight line. Use a
straight edge to drag the edge of the
scanning head against, like the spine
of a thick and heavy book - a
telephone directory is Ideal. The
book needs to be heavy so that it
doesn't slip if you accidentally push
the scanner against it too heavily.
30
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
HAND SCANNING/DESKTOP VIDEO
200 TOP TIPS
Leaning on the book with your elbow
gives it extra stability.
11 Q Keeping It straight - If you
J. */ find that the head is sttll
not scanning in a straight line then it
probably means you are pressing
down too hard. There are two
solutions, either ease up on the
pressure you are appiying or get
another heavy book and piace its
spine on the other side of the head,
parailei to the first book. This makes
a guiiy aiong which you can puii the
scanner without any chance that the
head will wander.
120
Probiems of vwidth - If a
picture is too wide to scan
but not very high, scan it sideways
and then rotate the IFF by 90
degrees. This is illustrated in the
screen grab on page 30. Only the
Date! Hand i scan software is not
capable of rotating scans in this way.
If the picture is too high to use
this trick, then try scanning the image
In two parailei strips and then joining
them together.
Scanning two parallel strips is
quite difficult but not impossible. Use
the spine of a heavy book or even a
ruier to guide the scanning head. Try
to appiy the same amount of
downward pressure on the head for
both scans and ensure that the
ambient lighting ievel remains the
same.
esktop Video can have a
variety of meanings,
including using your
computer to produce and
display graphics and animations,
digitising, video titling, multimedia
presentation and video production,
either on or off the deslctop. For me,
there are three main Ingredients
which contribute to DTV success.
These are liardware, software and
application, which, when mixed
together in the right proportions,
make for good productions.
1 Q "I Quality - Whatever your
M.£l A. DTV production, quality
should always come first. This
doesn't mean buying broadcast
equipment - it means using what you
have to the best of its ability. But if
you are recording to VCR it does
mean using the highest quality video
tape you can afford, since skimping
here will invariably let down even top
quality computer output,
1 QQ Planning -Think about
M.^£t your projects. Prepare
alternative strategies. Brainstorm,
Doodle. Fool around with your paint
program or titling software. Work up
a storyboard. Determine what you
can do with the equipment available
and that what you require can
actually be achieved. You may need
to decide how to put an animation
together from various component
parts - some pictures here, some 3D
work there, and some words from
somewhere else. You will often have
to find a work-around to achieve what
you want and familiarity with
production techniques and
equipment will pay dividends here,
*| O Q Experiment - Don't be
J. M O afraid to experiment. If you
have a few spare minutes and you're
tempted to get blasting with your
favourite shoot 'em up, try out a few
ideas with Deluxe Paint instead. It
can be just as much fun working up
an idea successfully, knowing that at
the same time you are adding to your
repertoire and knowledge. The more
strings you have to your bow the
more ideas and techniques you can
contribute to a production.
1 Q A Software - Learn the full
Jl£i^ capabilities of your
software. And be prepared to buy
what you need to do the job. If you
need high quality titling there's no
point in using a lo-res PD program. If
you want animation you'll need a
program which does what you want.
We all have our favourites - I
personally like Deiuxe Paint, Sca!a
and Broadcast Jitter 2 for good
quality video work, but if your needs
are lesser there Is plenty good
software now available,
I O f? Colours - If you plan to
J. ^O work on video, colours can
be crucial. The lower the standard of
video format you are working on. the
worse the colours may be affected.
Watch out for deeply saturated
colours, especially deep blues and
reds, as they tend to look very
smeary, particularly when transferred
to VHS. Try to record your graphics
direct to the master video tape to
avoid the extra "generations" caused
by editing. Don't forget that there is
a marked difference in quality
between crisp RGB and any
composite video signal.
1 Q /^ Good grabbing - if you
M.£l\J plan to grab images from a
video camera it's best to mount it on
a tripod or copy stand to avoid
camera shake. Have plenty of diffuse
lighting to illuminate your subject
evenly - fluorescents are good for
this. Avoid hot spots, as these will
tend to "burn-out" the digitised
image. If you have a black and white
camera you will need to use the
colour filters provided with your
digitiser to capture colour images. If
you are using a colour camera or
VCR you'll need an electronic colour
splitter to separate the video signal
into the red, green and blue
components required by the digitiser.
The VCR must also have a rock-solid
freeze frame or you'll find that the
grab is all shook up and looks rather
nasty. Digitise in the highest
resolution you can, as you can
always convert images down the
scale, but they won't look good if you
need to convert then up.
"I O ^ Presentation - In the early
l^£t i days of the Amiga, DTV
was confined to simple slide shows
of IFF images. Now it's possible to
put sound and vision together and
play some very complex sequences
back, thanks to programs like Scala,
them on self-running disks for
distribution,
1 (^ Q The big picture - When
X ^ O working for video
applications it's very important to
use an overscan screen format for
your graphics. Most good software
has overscan support these days,
though there seems to be no
agreement as to what the overall
dimensions should be.
Why overscan? Well, if you
output a standard Amiga screen to
video you'll notice that it doesn't fill
the full TV screen. Overscan screens
are significantly larger than this
standard size, and therefore cover
the entire monitor area, A typical
example would be an overscan size
of 704 X 566, while the normal
screen size would be 640 x 512,
"I O f| Fine words - If you are
Lrntv doing video titling you'll
need some typefaces. Many
programs come with a reasonable
selection to get you started, and you
can use the ones that came with
your Amiga, but inevitably you will
need more.
There are many sources of
commercial fonts, and a lot of PD
ones. Choose large typefaces
wherever possible, as they can be
shmnk down for more ffexibility and
they will look better in hi-res modes.
Better still, go for Color fonts or anti-
T
^ ^
The dark area represents
a standard Amiga screen.
The dashed line is the
edge of a TV screen.
The light area is an over-
scan ima^e. It reaches
past the TV boundary.
k
Screen size Is a very important thing to bear In mind when
getting into desktop video ~ see tip 128
AmigaVision and The Director,
amongst others. Whole productions
can be generated from your Amiga,
with the control being handed over to
software, and with their built-in
transitions such programs can save
the cost of putting everything
together in a video studio, for all you
need now is enough memory and
storage space to hold all the
components of your presentation.
Then you can lay them straight to
video-tape or you could even provide
aliased fonts. These will impart
added slickness to your titles. Or, if
you don't need too many letters on
screen, design your own titles
screens with your favourite paint
software.
"I O r| Watch TV - Television is a
A O vf free sou rce of DTV
knowledge in your own home. Watch
business, news and sports
programmes, current affairs, wildlife
and Saturday morning kids shows. In
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 •AUGUST 1992
31
200 TOP TIPS
DfS/frOP VIDEO/MUSK COlAPOStTION
fact, watch everything you'd normally
watch, but be more aware of how the
professional directors on TV do
things. You'ii be able to pick up quite
a few ideas this way and adapt these
to your own taste,
TV doesn't have all the answers
but it can teach you plenty about
presentation techniques. Watch the
way they use colouf and layout, what
kinds of text work well, and what
kinds of backgrounds are used.
Notice how information is usually
presented cleanly and simply, and is
easy to quickly digest. Borrow from
TV, use ideas you like. You may not
get the quality the BBC gets, but
you'll be on the right track.
omposition
The great thing about using
your Amiga to create music
is that the whole job
becomes significantly
easier and almost everyone can
achieve good results from the
moment they start. Here are some
goodies to help all you budding
rock-stars out there to get the most
from your musicai endeavours.
m Section it off - Create
song sections that are
meaningful rather than incorporate
everything into a large single
sequence.
Plan your songs using
beginnings, ends, verses, choruses,
J.:., iMci'iiKTiiia iinwrin
I
Some of SuperJAIVTs internal sound editing facilities
and so on and label sequences so
that their purpose is obvious. If, for
instance, you have a song that has a
number of different verse sequence
variations then call them versel,
verse2 and verse3 and so on.
Most sequencers allow songs to
be created in this way and being able
to build the final song by linking the
various sections together makes it
very easy to alter arrangements.
Re-useable libraries -
Build libraries of your
favourite riffs, drum parts or even
control sequences, in a form which
allows re-use with the minimum of
effort. In fact whenever something is
created which you think is likely to be
of use in the future... isolate the
track/tracks of interest and save
them separately from the main
composition. You can even store
single bars of completed songs of
various styles containing bass,
drums, keyboard data and anything
else other than the main melody line.
If you collect fragments based on
common chord types (major, minor,
7ths, diminished and so on) then
you'l! be able
to piece
together
backing tracks
very easily
indeed; read
in the
appropriate
style library's
chord bar,
protect the
drum part from
transposition,
and then
transpose that
bar to give the
required chord.
Clone as many
of those bars
as needed,
then read in
the nert library fragment and repeat
the process ad infinitum. Lazy?
Mever, after all.., you still have to do
the transposition and copying
operations yourself!
I MIDI channels -
' Standardise the use of
your MIDI channels so that you get
used to seeing particular instruments
on particular channels (eg channel 1
for drums, 2 for bass, 3-6 for other
Synth modules and so on). This type
of consistency has a number of
benefits: firstly, it makes it easy to
recognize sequence data, and this
leads to fewer silly mistakes when
editing. Secondly, it eliminates the
need to physically alter the
receive/transmit channels of the
equipment itself when working with
your own, previously arranged,
material - this again makes life
easier.
134
Voice doubling -
Sequencer users can do
and used as the basis of your own
compositions (again using either midi
or internal IFF sounds).
■| Q '7 Tricky ideas - When you
X O i are stuck for ideas or your
songs are beginning to sound
monotonous use a few standard
tricks to add some variation.
Having created a reasonable
melody or chord progression in one
part of the song try things like
reversing the theme, mirror imaging
the first part of it, or adding a third
harmony to the melody line -
these types of alterations will all
Manage your music making with ease - tips 131 to 140 give a sequence of
notes guaranteed to tighten up your tunes
an awful lot to thicken up poor
sounding synthesizer voices.
Doubling, where you take a track and
duplicate it, and then change the
voices so that two different voices
play essentially the same notes
(perhaps after slightly time-shifting
one of the tracks) can Improve things
no end, IFF sound users can,
memory permitting, do the same
thing.
■| Q C Choosing your key - If you
X O iJ are struggling with
physically playing the keyboard then
stick to keys, such as C and A minor,
that are easy to play in.
You can always transpose the
final song to the required key when it
is finished. Don't be embarrassed
about this approach - a great many
professional musicians who are not
primarily keyboard players, but
because of their need for MIDI
facilities have to be able to 'get by'
on the synthesizer keyboard, do
exactly the same thing.
1 Q C ™"" *''« format - Get into
i O O the habit of storing your
data in MIDI file format.
A great many music programs
can read MIDI file data and even non-
MIDl users can benefit from the
advantages, SuperJAM users for
instance can create song
accompaniments based on IFF
sampled sounds and can store the
note details of the SuperJAM
generated composition as a MIDI
file. Such files can then be read into
sequencers like Sequencer One Plus
help make the duplicated sections
sound more interesting. With
sequencers sometimes merely
changing the voices, or using the
'doubling' technique mentioned
earlier, will be enough to bring
additional musicai interest back to
the piece.
Third harmonies incidentally are
easy to generate: With songs written
in a major key and just the basic
chords of the key being used you can
just duplicate the melody line,
transpose it upwards by four
semitones (thus creating a whole
track of major third harmonies), and
then flatten the internals which need
to be minor thirds.
1 Q Q Control messages - It is
X O O best to use short
introductory sequences to set up
your MIDI instruments rather than
embedding lots of program changes,
tempo changes and so on, in the
early parts of the first music section.
This eliminates possibly
unnecessary duplication of control
messages when the first real music
section is copied but best of all you
not only always know where to look
to find the initial program change
data but you can edit it, or replace
the whole sequence, very easily
indeed.
It's common to use a one bar
sequence containing the high-hat
(playing once on each beat) plus the
program change events which set up
the synthesizers, drum-machines,
delay units and so on.
continued oit page 14
32
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
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^_ At Power, we want to tell you just where you can
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stantly if you are scanning the innage ttx) quickly J-;^ off and the PC880B wil sit quietly, without click
utomatic selection of 100-400 DPI
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1^ We have noticed how pricey unintelligent drives
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The Power Kickstart ROM switch fits into any A500
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V Kickstan ROM Switch (Bare) il7.95 |
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Supra
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200 TOP TIPS
MUSK COMPOSITION/WORD PROCESSIHG
1
H
fmn page 131
■| O Q Sysex messages - Avoid
X O*/ the use of embedded
sysex messages in your song
sequences because in thie main
they'll mal<e the data difficult to port
(hawing said that, a few generally
recognised sysex messages do
exist).
When you get to the stage where
you have hundreds of arrangements,
then the last thing you'll want is to
have to edit all of them just because
you've changed one or more pieces
of your MIDI equipment.
The best idea is to start as you
mean to go on and, if you are
intent on making regular use of
sysex facilities, isolate the sysex
data into a separate 'control
sequence' so that, If the occasion
arises, It is at least easy to replace
or eliminate.
1 y^ /\ Cheait the beat - There is
A ^\j a lot of non-copyright
MIDI/music material around in the
public domain and very good some of
it Is too. Similarly lots of synths,
sequencers, and drum machines
come with any number of pre-
programmed demo tunes or drum
patterns. Providing you do not steal
something clearly marked as
copyright there's nothing to stop you
borrowing Ideas from the examples
you hear. Either write it out as a MIDI
file or, if it is an external unit like a
dnjm machine then just link it to your
sequencer and record the output.
Remember though that you will need
to maintain proper bar divisions so
it'll be necessary to set the external
unit up so that It generates MiDI
clocks and set the sequencer to
'external sync' so that it uses the
externally generated clock data
rather than its own internal clock.
ft
K
A
O
e
word processor is
probably one of the most
sought after Amiga ap-
plications. Just about
everyone has a need to write. It may
1^- be nothing more than personal
notes, or letters to the bank
manager. But it may be you have
ambitions as a professional writer,
or that you have to compile
attractlve-loolcing business reports.
The costs and facilities of word
processors vary considerably. It's
therefore important to have a clear
Idea of your needs, and of what the
various packages supply, before
parting with your cash. Here's ten
pointers to bear in mind:
on. if your printer is fairly basic, with
only one or two fonts, then control
codes aren't that important, but if it
has lots of fonts built-in for you to
play with, then you'll want a word
processor which enables you to send
control codes to it to make use of
'I' and 'w' in this text. The standard
Amiga font is not proportional - all
letters take up the same space on
the screen. Some word processors
will enable you to use proportional
fonts on-screen, and send these to
your printer. However, these tend to
be slower - updating a screen
containing a proportional font Is a
mucfi more complex process than
one with an ordinary bitmapped font.
Whether you need this facility
depends on how professional you
want your output to look. Again, if the
quality of your documents is really
important, it might be an idea to look
at a system comprising of a basic
word processor and a DTP package.
None of the word processors
currently available will support a
printer's built-in proportional fonts.
1 A y& Number of documents - If
M. 'kT' you're doing nothing more
than writing letters, you're unlikely to
need more than one document open
at a time. If, however, you are
involved in creative writing, the
facility to cut text from one document
and paste Into another can be
invaluable.
Just about every word processor
will enable you to have more than
one document open at once, but
different packages set different
limits on how many can be open.
Available memory will often be a
limiting factor. Bear In mind that
programs which make use of colour
and graphics In documents will use
much more memory for each opened
document as well as running
progressively more slowly. Being able
yiuitiL Intevdiriwn
141
Graphics - Not all word
processors support
graphics, and of those that do, some
offer better facilities than others.
Before Investing in a word processor
with graphics facilities, decide
whether you really need them.
Remember that the phmary purpose
of a word processor is to help you
write. If graphics are important to
your work, you may be better off with
desktop publishing, which will give
you far better control over graphical
output.
helpI
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pjinUrs seircli ftr Mssigts uliieh tniis Ik* fr(piii«r; sejsjjes
llkich COM Frih Ihe b»l< >( the visible, hi this, noL becMsc
9)1 piinlers in Pliiltnisls, bul b«caust Liicy look so har^, '
Throujliotil Ibis very varitd boob, anJ especially hIim Hriliiq on ;
arl, Jihn krycr iwilts us Lo achnoNltdie Ibe akstliilts aid
imiflrsals iibicb, hi imisls lie bdiind Iht surfjses of Ihinjs,
Ht joesfl'l hn a jreal deal lo say akoul Lbese aksthles, mi
asks us Lt be center^ uilh lems like Ike essenliil, Iht
inwsilile, He sacreJ or Ibe real, as if Ibe mis Lk«sel»«,
floaliny free cf any discernible Ikeoltyg tr nelipkysics, m
aisaer Iht lusslitns Ihty raise by Iht sinple urytncy (tilh iihicl
Iheii art eLlered. For ht Lhey cin'l: and gel I found tyself
hufrjin; Ihrough Ibese essays, ealiny Iheit «>, as if 1 reill)
belitvtd Ikes could fetd Lke hunger Lhcy cftaltd.l
142!
Control codes - These are
layout instructions which
are sent to the printer. They do
|things such as change fonts, sizes,
switches from bold to Italic and so
is one of the most popular and professional Amiga word
, but is It really what you require? Perhaps you need DTP?
Wordworth
processors.
them. If you need to send control
codes, be sure that the package you
have in mind supports them - most
don't.
1 Jj Q Proportional fonts - These
1 riO consist of letters which
are of different widths, such as the
to type faster than a word processor
can display is a real irritation.
1 K [^Spelling checker -All but
X ^O the cheapest word
processors come with spelling
checkers. A spelling checker is a
pretty useful utility, but It should
never be relied upon one hundred
per cent to correct your text. Also,
don't forget that word processors
from American manufacturers will
have American dictionaries, In which
many words will be spelt 'incorrectly'.
Some of the better word
processors have several dictionaries
against which they can check your
work. With these programs, text will
be checked against a dictionary of
commonly used words before a
larger (and therefore slower)
dictionary is consulted. This Is useful
if you have large documents to
check.
Another thing to look out for is
the facility to create more than one
user dictionary (in which you can
enter your own words, unrecognised
by the computer's dictionary). Having
more than one user dictionafy means
you can store sets of esoteric words
relating to different subjects.
If you Intend to create large
documents, another good facility is
the ability of the spelling checker to
go through the whole document
before querying any words. That way,
you don't have to wait for requester
after requester to appear as the
checker churns through your text and
all the Instances of the same word
mis-spelled several times throughout
the text will be corrected with only
one entry from the user.
•| Jj /J Thesaurus - Not rnany
A T'O packages include a
thesaurus, but then again not many
people need one. Computer
thesauruses tend to be pale
shadows of their bookish
counterparts. Don't let the inclusion
of a thesaurus in a package sway
you overmuch in Its favour.
■| JR ^ Columns - Some
X ^ I packages enable you to
format your text in several columns
across the page, which can be handy
for producing newsletters and the
like. However, if you Intend to make
a great deal of use of this facility,
and you require a good deal of
flexibility in the formatting of your
text, again you might be better
advised to look at a DTP package.
The multi-column facilities of word
processors are OK, but basic. One
thing to look out for is the ability to
insert column breaks in your text,
giving you greater freedom in
deciding which text goes where.
1 K Q Contents - The ability of a
X TtO word processor to form a
list of contents or an index based on
user-selected words can be a boon
when producing a report or technical
documentation.
X 4 */ These are short sections
of text that get printed at the top and
34
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
WORD PR0aSS0R$/3D MODELUNG
200 TOP TIPS
bottom of every page. They are
useful for just about anything beyond
simple letters. Look out for the
facility to use different headers and
footers for left and right-handed
pages.
"I ff /V Mail merge - This is the
X tJv ability of a word processor
to take name and address
information from a database and
place it in a document. This is handy
if you intend to use your word
processor for business and will be
writing a lot of standard letters
(those in which the main text is the
same for each recipient). Look out
for the facility to choose names and
addresses from the database
according to user-specified sort
criteria (only sending letters to
people in London, for instance).
3D programs have been
appearing for the Amiga
since it was ftrst
launched. One early
offering, Vtdeoscape, has since
evolved Into Lightwave, the
powerful software which Is the heart
of the Video Toaster's 3D system.
Other programs, such as Imagine
and Real3D, have also been
developed extensively over the
years, though some, particularly
Sculpt 3D, have almost faded away.
As Amigas become ever more
powerful, 3D software continues to
push at the boundaries of reality.
But whatever the power, 3D
requires sustained input from the
user. Here are ten tips to help you
towards virtual reality.
"I [? "I Speed and time - 3D work
J. *J X is very time and memory
intensive.
Some serious software now
requires at least 1Mb of Chip and
2Mb of Fast RAM just to get started.
I'd advise you to add as much RAM
as you can - you'll need it. Also add
a largish hard disk, because you'll
need somewhere to keep your 3D
objects and textures, as well as your
renderings. And, especially, add an
accelerator, the faster the better.
Otherwise you'll quickly become
frustrated with the snail's pace that
your Amiga seems to work at. Of
course, while none of these items
are obligatory, any serious 3D work,
particularly in 24-bit, will really
benefit from any or all of the above.
A tape streamer might also come in
handy for those large sequences of
images which will ultimately be
transferred to video-tape.
1 ^ (^ Is ray tracing necessary?
A. tj M - The answer is often no.
Although many images do look
prettier when raytraced, it can be a
waste of precious rendering time and
the final product may benefit only
marginally over a non-raytrace
rendered image. Weigh up the
benefits of including shadows,
refraction and true reflections. Use
reflection mapping instead if your
software allows, as a simple two or
four colour reflection map can make
a major difference.
"I ^O Keep cool -3D modelling
A iJtJ and animation requires
high levels of concentration and
patience. And even then the failure
rate can be high. Conceptualising a
3D solid and translating it into a
wireframe representation in a 3D
modeller can require some bold
leaps of imagination. Be prepared for
a long learning curve. Patience,
practice and regular saves will help
keep you out of the 3D straight
jacket.
"I [? ij Sleep on it - Don't waste
J. »J^ precious computing time
rendering frames. Let your Amiga do
the hard work while you take a well-
earned resL Even with multitasking,
3D rendering can be very time
consuming, with frames often taking
many hours to complete on norv
accelerated machines. So while you
dream about reality, let your
computer handle your virtual dreams
and have them ready for you in the
morning.
■| J? [■ Get converted - Instead
X OiJ of building your object
from scratch it is often simpler to
take a 2D image and convert it to 3D
with a program like Pixel 3D or Race
Trace. Some recent 3D software,
such as Imagine, have built-in 2D
converters, though they can be a
little flaky. It's amazing how much
time and trouble you can save by
digitising or painting a company logo
and converting it for that flying logo
extravaganza. Don't forget that it's
also possible to use a file format
converter to transmute an object
from one particular format to
another. Two programs spring to
mind for this - Interchange and, once
again. Pixel 3D. You'I! wonder why
you wasted all that time before,
■| [?/? Tape or disk? -How you
X O O output your work depends
on your needs. In most cases the
choice will be between video-tape or
computer disk. The best quality will
obviously be obtained by saving all
images and animations on disk and
playing them back on an RGB
monitor. But for many purposes this
is either impractical or downright
impossible and video is usually tine
prefen-ed method, with animations
either being played back directly to
tape via a quality RGB encoder or
genlock or by single frames being
recorded consecutively to an
accurate, time-code equipped VCR.
The frames will usually be of 24-bit
quality and the VCR will be a
professional modef.
■| ff ^ How many bits? - 24-bit
X.ij i devices undoubtedly
provide the best-looking output, but
they are expensive, with the
up is, or where your current position
is in relation to 0,0,0, then you are
quickly lost! Understanding of the
notional 3-dimensional space witiiin
the software is a must. If you aren't
sure about something, pencil and
graph paper. Lego bricks, or
whatever you need to bring you back
to the real world can be a big help.
Setting a notional scale for the world
is also extremely helpful. As 3D
software space has no absolute
dimensions you should impose your
own measurements. Think in metric,
or feet and inches, but stick to one
system and you'll have a better
sense of scale.
ICQ Lighting - In most cases
X OI/ at least two light sources
are desirable to get a good image.
Use a mixture of ambient
(environmental) and lamp source
lighting. This will at least give you a
crude representation of lighting in
the real world. In other cases
multiple lights are needed.
When you light a scene, think
about how light might enter in reality.
One light source is often the
brightest (the Key light) and the
C
C
H
T
Tactical tips for taking your 3D modelling into another dimension. As you can
se« from this picture, some superb effects can be achieved
cheapest costing around £600 and
offering little other than video output.
While 16, 32 or HAM colour formats
all have their place, they aren't
always acceptable for quality 3D
applications. Some programs
produce animations in proprietary
formats for playback directly to tape
or monitor, though the size of these
is limited by on-board RAM. Another
option is to use DCTV, which can
play animations back in high-quality
DCTV format. Whilst there is a trade-
off in quality against 24-bit, DCTV
anims are pretty space-efficient and
provide a way of getting close to 24-
bit motion playback.
"I f? Q The world - Understanding
XOO the 3D world is
paramount, if you don't know where
others fill the scene with dimmer
light. Less ambient light will give a
moodier feef to your image.
1 A O ^^*'*'*^ dashing - Often it
X vJvr really isn't necessary (or
practical) to go to extremes in
modelling ail the minute details of an
object. If your software supports
surface mapping you should make
use of it as it is a very useful
feature. For example, you want to
build a row of houses for the
background of an animation. By
using surface mapping to apply a 2D
IFF image of a house front to one
side of a simple cubic shape you not
only avoid some extremely time-
consuming and difficult modelling,
but also reduce memory usage
dramatically.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
35
200 TOP TIPS
PRINTERS
m,
10
1
1
Judging by the vast numbers
of printer queries which
appear again and again in
our Amiga Answers mali bag,
printers pose a few problems to
many of you. That's why we've
devoted a massive 20 per cent of
out tips to printers...
"I /J ■< Plugging it In - Never,
1. O X ever, plug a printer cable
into the printer or the Amiga while
the printer or the Amiga is switched
on. Some tech-heads wiii teii you
there is no probiem with doing this,
that there is no power travelling
along the parallel cable so no
damage can be caused, but this not
always the case (see tip 162). If you
are using a serial pnnter this tip is
especially important because there
almost certainly will be power
travelling along the serial cable,
■| /Jrt Parallel port - The Amiga's
J. O A parallel printer port is not
completely standard, it sends power
along a couple of lines that standard
parallel ports don't use. This is so
that peripherals can take their power
from the parallel port rather than a
separate power supply, Digi-View
does this, and so do all Amiga sound
samplers.
A standard (IBM PC) parallel
printer cable does not have these
lines connected, and this is the type
of lead you need to connect your
printer to the Amiga's parallel port.
There will be no need to alter such a
cable in any way, it will work 'straight
out of the box'. But avoid leads that
are made out of ribbon cable, it is
likely that all the lines in such a
cable will be connected, and you will
end up frying the printer, the Amiga,
or both.
"I /JO Serial port - Connecting a
X OO serial printer to the
Amiga's serial port is a black art.
While the Amiga end (obviously)
remains the same, the connections
at the other end will be of the pnnter
manufacturer's invention, You will
need a special lead; you certainly
won't be able to walk into a shop
and ask for "a serial lead to connect
my Amiga to such-and-such a
printer". A lead will have to be made
up specially, and for this you will
need details of the printer's serial
port. These details should be in the
printer manual, and you'll need to
give this and your Amiga manual to
somebody who knows what they are
doing.
If the serial lead is wired wrongly,
you will at the very least (and
instantly) blow up your Amiga's serial
port.
164
Bargains - Resist every
temptation to buy an old
Amiga. Don't accept printed output
from under the counter as proof that
it works, you want to see it working
for yourself.
if the retailer's response to any
of these questions sounds at all
nen/ous, assume that the printer will
not work properly with the Amiga
because there isn't a specific printer
driver for it.
Repeat this process with as
many retailers as it takes until you
find one that knows what it is talking
about.
1 /? C Claiming youf rights -
X OOwhen buying a new
printer, make the retailer write "For
text and graphics use with the
Amiga' on the receipt.
When you find out it doesn't work
Don't settle for anything less than print perfection - test out our tips and see
your printing Improve In leaps and bounds, whatever your printer
printer at a knock-down price at an
auction or car boot sale unless you
know for certain that there is an
Amiga printer driver for it. You will
need to know what popular printer
the knock-down printer emulates in
order to find a driver, if you're lucky
these details will be in the manual
under the 'specifications' section,
otherwise you'll
need to phone the ^^^^ammmm
manufacturer and
ask. Then comes
the frustrating task
of finding a driver
that works with
that emulation.
If you buy an
old, manual-less
serial printer at an
auction you have
almost certainly
thrown money
down the drain.
properiy you can return it and ask for
your money back because the printer
does not do the job you bought it for,
as written down by the retailer on
your receipt. This is your statutory
right as a consumer.
167
Profusion of Ps - If you
are getting Ps or other
''Resist every
temptation to buy
an old pnnter at a
knockdown price at
a car boot sale,"
weird characters
printed at the top of
the first page of
every printout, check
that you have a
current version of
'printer. device' in the
DEVS directory of the
disk you booted
from.
Open a CU or
Shell to full screen
size and enter the
command line:
1 /J [? Compatibility -When
X OO buying a new printer, ask
the retailer if that model of printer
will work 100 per cent perfectly with
the Amiga. Ask which of the supplied
Workbench Preferences printer
drivers you should use. And then ask
to see the printer working in both
text and graphics mode with the
TYPE DBVS SPRINTER. DEVICE HEX
Press the spacebar once to halt the
listing before it scrolls out of the
window. About half way down the
page, on the right-hand side, you'll
see a version number, followed by a
date. Your version should be at least
35 point something, and dated 1988
or later. The version of printer.device
distributed with Workbench 2.04 is
V35,603; the version distributed with
Workbench 1.3.2 is V35.563; with
Workbench 1.3 it was V35.562. All
these versions should work OK.
The version of printer.device
distributed with Workbench 1.2 was
V33 (Revision 132), and is the one
that is causing some programs to
pnnt out strange characters at the
top of pages when used with
Workbench 1.3 or later.
1 /? Q Epson emulation - if you
X O O are getting strange results
from an Epson compatible printer
and an Epson compatible printer
driver that are supposed to work
together perfectly, check the printer
manual to see if the pnnter has an
IBM emulation as well as an Epson
emulation. If it does, check the
printer's dip switches to make sure
they are set for Epson emulation.
This may sound like an obvious tip,
but printers that the manufacturer is
aiming at the "professional" (ie PC)
market almost always come set-up
for IBM emulation.
"I /?||\ Ribbon Ink - Never use
X OI/ Quink or stamp pad ink (or
anything else like that) to re-ink a
monochrome pnnter ribbon. And for
heaven's sake don't let anybody
convince you that it is OK to use
WD40 or any other type of 'duck' oil.
Proper nbbon Ink contains a
special type of lubricant that not only
helps the pins in the head move in
and out, but also transports the large
amounts of heat generated by the
pins away from the printer head. If
the pins get too hot they become
brittle or soft and are liable to snap
orbend a little bit and get stuck. The
classic symptoms of this are very
noticeable horizontal white lines on
graphics dumps, and bits of letters
going missing in text printouts.
There is proper stuff available,
called Re-inK, that will re-ink between
20 and 100 nbbons, depending on
the size of your ribbon. It costs about
£12 per "future friendly" spray can.
For more details call the Re-inK help
line on 0202 666155.
1 ^rt Reflil kits - Inkjet printer
X I v/ owners can save money by
buying re-fill kits instead of new
cartridges. There are various
companies selling these kits,
Systems Insight (0707 276913) for
example, which cost about £20 and
normally include a syringe and
enough ink for about five re-fills.
Colours are also available.
m Technical line - if you are
having bad problems with
your printer, it is always worth calling
the manufacturer's technical help
line. These lines tend to be quite
busy, so you may have to call quite a
36
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
PRtNURS
200 TOP TIPS
few times, or hang on the line for a
while, until you can get to talk to
somebody.
In my experience I have found
the following companies to be
especially helpful, and most of them
know quite a bit about the Amiga and
Amiga applications: Star (■» 0494
471111), Citizen (« 0895 272621),
Canon (= osi 773 3173), Brother
(= 061 330 6531), and Facit («
0634 868000).
1 'yO ^'"S niee - Strictly
M. 9 £l speaking, printer
manufacturer technical help lines are
for the use of printer dealers and
distributors, not for customers, but if
you catch them on a good day and
you throw a few compliments around,
you'll be surprised how helpful they
can be. If you steam in with the "it's
your legal responsibility" approach,
or explain to them that "this phone
call is costing me a fortune", expect
to be politely requested to take your
problem to the dealer from which you
bought the printer.
■| ^QDeksjet owners- DeskJet
J. # OsOOC owners will be
pleased to hear that the latest
version of TurboPrint Professional
comes with a DeskJet 500C driver.
If you've already bought
TurboPrint Professional and want an
update you will need to contact
IrseeSoft direct. The address is on
the back of the manual.
If you own a DeskJet 500C and
are considering buying TurboPrint
Professional, do ask the retailer,
before you buy, if this is the version
that comes w/ith the DeskJet 500C
driver.
1 ^ Jj PostScript support - if
■I. # ^ you are considering buying
a laser printer, think long and hard
about vifhether to buy one that
supports PostScript.
While the cost of the printer will
be slightly more, there are enormous
advantages to using PostScript over
LaserJet emulation, not the least of
which is the fact that there are no
proper LaserJet II or III Amiga printer
drivers yet.
"I ^ P? PostScript software -
■L f O Before buying a PostScript
printer keep in mind that the
software you are using must also
support PostScript, and that if you
want to use the printer to create A4
desktop published pages then 2Mb
of phnter memory is a realistic
minimum. If your A4 pages use lots
of downloaded fonts {as opposed to
the 35-ish fonts that will be built into
the phnter), then you will need more
printer memory.
Also, make sure that the
implementation of PostSchpt inside
the printer is a modern version and
100 per cent Adobe standard,
aren't.
■ If
■| ^ /J Colour separations •
J. I O you are outputting
PostSchpt colour separations,
remember that the screen
frequencies (lines per inch) and dot
angles are extremely important.
Professional Page users should note
that the default values supplied In
the Output PostScript requester are
not "suggested" or "tried and
tested" values, they are simply
arbitrary numbers.
Screen frequencies and dot
rotation angles must be discussed
with the bureau which is doing the
films for you, othenwise you'll end up
paying for wasted films and time on
the imagesetter.
If the bureau doesn't understand
what you are talking about or says or
implies that "it doesn't matter", go
to another bureau toot-sweet.
1 lyy Page width - The
X f I PostScript page width is
vety important. If you specify a width
of PostScript page wider than that
which the bureau's imagesetter can
handle, most imagesetters will
happily accept the input... trundle,
trundle, trundle... but will output
nothing. However you will still have to
pay for the time on the imagesetter
because it was your mistake.
The maximum width of film
imagesetters can take differs
depending on the
model of ^^^^^^^^^
imagesetter being
used. You must ask
the bureau what
width of PostScript
page you should
use. Remember that
if you want cropping
and registration
marks, these marks
will be printed in the
area between the
edge of the physical
page and the edge of the PostScript
page.
^Xatch them on a
good day, and
you'll be surprised
how helpful
manufacturers can
be/'
and plate - and that's as well as the
four plates for the cyan, magenta,
yellow and black separations.
Don't assume that the bureau
knows or understands about the
Pantone colour system. Ask
beforehand or you'll end up having
an argument about whose fault the
'mistake' was.
And unless you
^^^n^^^^have deep pockets,
ask about the cost
of using Pantone
colours before the
bill gives you a heart
attack.
17Q'
I/O.
Pantone colours -
' Professional Page users
should note that each Pantone
colour used requires a separate film
PRINTER DRIVERS
This is a list of popuiar current printers for whicit there are Itnown printer
drivers that work perfectiy and take fuil advantage of the printers'
faciilties, in cases where tlie software tiiat Is doing ttie printing allows, it
is certalniy not a complete list, but we get more letters alraut these
models of printers than any others.
None of the drivers in this list come with Workbench. Citizen Print
Manager \s available from Citizen (o 0895 272621), all the others are on
various Jamdisks, available from JAM on a 0895 274449.
Note that at the time of writing there are no proper Amiga printer drivers
for the Hewlett-Packard DeskJet Plus, DeskJet 500, DeskJet 500C, LaserJet
Plus, LaserJet II, LaserJet IIP, LaserJet III and LaserJet HIP. If this fact annoys
you, phone Hewlett-Packard {w 0344 360000) and give Its technical boffins
an ear-bashing, then phone Commodore (« 0628 770088) and give the
people there an ear-bashing too.
It should also be noted that Canon, Star and Citizen have gone out their
way to ensure tbat there are Amiga printer drivers for at least some of their
cur-ent models.
PRINTER MOOEL/S
Canon BJ-lOe/lOex
Canon BJ-300/330
Canon BJC-SOO
Canon LBP-4/8
Citizen printers
Commodore 1550C
Epson FX-850/1050 (or emulation)
Epson LQ-850/1050 (or emulation)
Epson LQ-1000/1500 (or emulation)
Epson LX-S50 {or emulation)
NEC 24-pins
Panasonic KX.P1123/1124
Star LC-200
Star LC24-10/15
Star LC24-200
Star SJ-48
Star XB24-10/15
DRIVER NAME
CanonBJlO
CanonBJ300
coming soon
CanonLBP
Citizen Print Manager
Star9Plus
Star9Plus
EpsonQPIus
Star24Plus
StarQPIus
Nec24Plus
PanasonicPlus
Star9Plus
Star24Plus
EpsonQPIus
Star24Plus
Star24Plus
Printer
trouble -
if after telling an
application to print
something, nothing
happens and then
after about 30 seconds a 'Printer
Trouble" system requester appears
on your screen, this means the
phnter driver has been trying
desperately to send data to the
printer, but the printer has not sent
back a message saying that it has
received that data.
This could be due to several
things... Is the printer switched on?
Is there paper in the printer? Has
the paper jammed? Is the printer on-
line? Are you using a proper printer
cable? Is the printer cabfe plugged
in? Are you using the correct printer
driver?
'I Q /^ Opening the printer
JL O " device - If when trying to
print you end up with a "Cannot
open printer device" system
requester, this (normally) means one
of two things. Either some other
application that you are multitasking
is using the phnter (and therefore
already has the phnter device open),
or some required system files are
not where they should be. Luckily
both these problems are easily
remedied...
This mostly happens when you
create your own 'boot-up' disks and
forget to copy the 'printer. device' or
'parallel. device' file into the DEVS
directory of the boot-up disk, or
you've forgotten to copy the printer
driver into DEVS/PRINTERS on the
boot-up disk.
The answer to this problem is to
work backwards. Instead of creating
a boot-up disk from empty, copy the
Workbench disk, remove the files
and directories that you do not need,
and then copy your application on to
the copy of the Workbench disk. Do
note, however, that unless you know
precisely what you are doing, you
should leave the DEVS, L, LIBS, S
and SYSTEM directories exactly as
they are.
oinllniied on poge 40
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
37
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But yeurt for an unbelievable £399,99
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But yours for an unbelievable £499.99
NB: HD VERSION DOES NOT INCLUDI DPIII OR GAME
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1 .5 MEG EXPANSION [Not Plus compolibte) £79,95
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i.'-'^-J'/i-
200 TOP TIPS
Smm UP A SPREADSHEET
-ssHiHSHSBmBHHiHiiiiasNeiiBiaiMBSieaiiiMiRiiaBiiiMaBBamiHeeB
The above shows a series of sin waves rotated through 180 degrees - the
message to be learned from this is to keep it as simple as possible
nnS
Settin
Vf
X
1
o
N
evising a spreadsheet for
any particular application
Is one of the most
arduous tasks a beginner
can be faced with - but with some
careful planning, it need not be as
complex as you might Imagine.
m Basics - To begin with,
you must have a basic
idea of what the sheet is meant to
do. Most spreadsheets can be
configured in countless variations -
but it is important to iay down a few
ground ruies before starting out.
Three things are required:
• What values you have available.
• What results you wili require.
• The formulas required to turn A
into B.
The actual maths involved in the
calculations will be handled at great
speed by the sheet, but it can only
follovi' the rules you enter into it. If
you start viitU the prerequisites
described above, you will find
designing the sheet wili be a breeze.
182
most common jobs a
spreadsheet is called upon to do is
to add up the entire contents of a
column or row: you might want to
add up a column of numtiers for
example. The most obvious way to
do this is add each individual cell in
turn, viz:
■ A1+A2+A3+A4+A5+A6
However, most spreadsheets will
allow you to add up a sequential
sehes of cells such as this with the
SUMO function. Cell referencing
techniques may change
@SUM(A1..A6) or =SUM(A1:A6) for
instance, but it means the same
thing.
1 QQ Add Up 2 -The tip
J. OO described above uses a
technique called "cell relative
addressing" or "cell relative
referencing". This just means the cell
addresses are not fixed and if you
want to add an extra row between,
say A3 and A4, the formula:
@SUM(A1..A6)
will change to:
@SUM(A1..A7)
The extra row is accounted for
automatically in this calculation and
all others affected. This is, of
course, one of the advantages of
using a spreadsheet. However, the
benefits of using "absolute
referencing" should not be ignored.
in this case cell references always
point to the same cells. You would
use this in a cashflow (for instance)
to calculate the difference between
the total income (BS) and total
expenditure {B20) plus the balance
carried over (A22): A20-A8+A22
if you should add an extra row or
two, the relative references will be
corrected by the sheet, so the
formula might change. Adding a row
at A12, would change this fonnula
thus: A21-A8+A23.
■| Q Jj Cut and Paste 1 - The
X O ^ fastest way to create a
basic sheet for simple jobs such as
a cashflow is to create an entire
column manually, copy it, then paste
it into the remaining columns.
Any column specific (monthly
headings etc.) alterations should be
made later. In Procalc the keypress
A-V is a shortcut for Paste... Relative
- to automatically resolve cell
addresses. In Advantage ■^ou must
use the menu option
Paste... Relative. The shortcut A-V
(menu Paste.. .Full) is absolute and
does not resolve the references.
1 Q C Cut and Paste 2 - The
X OO paste function in Analyse
is more comprehensive than either
Advantage or Procalc. In this system
you can copy a single cell to a range
of cells - Analyse will resolve all the
cell references automatically. Follow
these steps:
a) Click on the cell (fonnula) to copy,
b) Press /RC. (Menu: Range... Copy).
c) Press Return to confirm the
selection.
d) Move the cursor where you want
to copy TO...
e) ...and press "." to hold the first
cell.
f) Move the cursor to mark the entire
block.
g) Press [Return] to complete the
operation.
The same technique can be used to
copy a row or column. Select the row
as described above. Move to the first
column/(row) you want to fill and
press ".". Move the cursor to block
out the entire selection and press
Return. The copy and paste areas
need not be the same size.
1 Q /^ Baste charting - Most
X OO systems offer a large
number of complex graphics - but for
most purposes a bar or a line chart
will be quite sufficient. Automatic
systems such as Advantage and
Pmcatc, while easier and faster to
use suffer from labelling problems.
Therefore, either keep the label
names short, or, reduce the amount
of data shown on the graph. If you're
printing graphics on an impact
machine, keep them simple to save
wear on your print head and your
nervous system.
"I Q ^ Automatic chart parsing -
X O f This suffers from two
major bugbears. First the data can
be read in one of two directions: by
row or by column. This can cause all
kinds of bother when you produce
say a pie chart and it only has one
segment. In this case change the
parsing from Row to Column or vice-
versa.
By the same token, automatic
scale labels are read from the
respective rows and columns
above and to the left of the selected
data. If you need to produce a chart
of some specific data, copy it
{values only for speed) and its
respective labels to a separate area
on the sheet and take a chart from
there.
-fl Q O Formulas - Always keep
X OO formulas simplel Always
prefer an internal function to one
constructed from separate functions.
This will help keep the sheet's recalc
time down to a minimum and makes
it easier to understand. If you must
use a complex formula, break it
down into smaller chunks and hide
the intermediate results elsewhere
on the sheet.
You can hide intermediate
values on some spreadsheets by
changing a range of cell's pen
colour to the background colour —
use this as a last resort though.
Keep a separate "sheet" of any
special formulas you devise so they
can be copied-in whenever they are
required.
-| Q f\ Show negative results -
X O ^ Most spreadsheets have a
feature to allow you to highlight
negative values. Advantage and
Procalc do not: you must use a
function instead although this is
more powerful. Assume you have a
row of results A20...G20 and wish to
highlight any negative values. The
following function should be entered
into any spare cell below in column
A: SETCOLOR{A20<0,2,3,A20)
and then pasted relative (A-V in
Procalc] into all the cells through to
column G.
The colours are detennlned by
the two centre numbers. Also, the
cell highlighted need not be the one
checked. A similar technique is
available using the SETSTYLE
function. This uses binary values to
set one of seven available styles —
consult your manual for more
information.
■| f| /\ To Transfer Dala - The
X */ V simplest way to exchange
data with other spreadsheets -
either on the Amiga or other systems
such as PC and Macintosh - is to
save the file in Lotus 1-2-3 format.
Major packages such as Procalc,
Advantage and The Works all support
a major subset of the Lotus file
format and this is generally the most
effective method. Other methods
such as DIF are less reliable. If you
are sending your sheet to a database
package use CSV (comma delimited)
if this is available.
40
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
ASSEmiY LANGUAGE PROGRAlAf/llHG
200 TOP TIPS
oil) Sprlte:,.Bff()
witch tha overlay sprite*; off for stttf on yipu
tnput^, rto outputs.
ffo reaiiter-s corrupted
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BEo»kSf>ritc>oB
dli.dl
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noue . I
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naue.u
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dbro
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dl.2(aii>
d2,S0rf_ClrSprti
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lea blank, a8
' aS.dB
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Psurdo CoAt
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If Spr itrfSpritPtouoterJ^e f
frec5prlLri-FrpcSprltci+l
Sprittptountpr-SprltfCoimtrr*!
Until SpritKounter^nftXSPRfrFS
^flurn Spr i l«Caui)trr
Two Jdeni;i;ai ^e^^tions of code. Which looks best to you? Learn how
to make your code more productive with tips 191 to 200
^^rrogramming
Assembly language
programming on any
machine can turn into a
complete nightmare If
you are not careful. Programs, by {
nature, are naturally longer and
seemingly more complex. But If
some simple guidelines are adhered
to, it can be a very productive
choice of programming language.
Here are some suggestions which
you can follow and build on.
"I f| 'I Development tools -
X •/ -I. Make sure that you are
using the righit software and utilities.
I recommend Hisoft's excellent
DevPac 3, vifritten to look and work
well under the 1.3 and 2.04 . It also
comes with the full 1.3 and 2.04
Include files as supplied by
Commodore and a pov^erful
monitor/debugging tool- Monam. It
also comes with a linker and other
utilities with a (Comprehensive
manual and after-sales support.
"I #\f) Back-ups - This cannot
3.9^^ possibly be stressed
enough. Regular and organised back-
ups of your code protects you
against unfortunate incidents with
your floppy or hard disks. It's so easy
to save files under the wrong
filename - In a puff of smoke your
10,000 line source code file can
miraculously become a copy of your
startup-sequence! It's good to use
automatic or timed back-ups if you
can, or save files under different
filenames. Back-up to a separate
place (another disk or partition)
regularly if you are working hard on
your software,
"I f| O Lai>els and comments -
J. «/ O Assembly language
programs are notoriously bad to
read. They are much longer than
programs in other languages due to
their simplicity. It is easy for even the
simplest utility to grow to over
several thousand lines, it is
important that you use sensible label
names and comment your code. The
illustration shows two identical
segments of code, one is well
commented and labelled. Which one
would you rather have written?
Labels such as Loopl, Loop2 Loop3
and so on are almost meaningless.
Document routines too, with input
and output parameters and the
registers that they corrupt.
'I Q y^ Program organisation -
J. 17^ Structure your program. If
you can, separate your set-up and
close-down routines, such as
AliocateMemory and CloseLibraries.
Keep all routines and subroutines
specific to a particular subject
together. For instance, keep all your
set-up routines in one place. This
helps you to find your way round
large source files quickly. If you know
you need to check something in the
graphics routines, for example, you
know that they are together. It makes
debugging and development easier.
"I /]| ^ Correct Include files -
l^tJij Use the correct Include
files. If you are writing Amiga
assembly language code, you will
need to use some of the Amiga
library routines. It is easy to pepper
the start of your programs with lines
such as "CioseLlbrary = -414". This
is a bad thing to do. Use the official
Include files, this reduces the things
that can go wrong with your program,
and makes debugging easier. The
same applies to operating system
labe! names. Try to avoid having
tables of numbers at the start of your
program defining things such as
"CUSTOMSCREEIM". Simply include
the correct files, and all of these
things are then defined for you.
■| Q /? Obey the rules - This
J. »/ O should be carved in stone
and stamped on the foreheads of ail
Amiga developers. Commodore has
laid down a comprehensive set of
rules and guidelines for your Amiga
programming, designed to make your
programs more efficient and easier
to write. They are also designed for
future compatibility with improved
operating systems and video
hardware. The primary reason why
software {games, applications and
PD products) broke when
Commodore released Workbench
2.04 was because of people failing
to obey these rules. Commodore had
to spend additional time developing
Workbench 2 to minimize
incompatibilities. Amiga development
is on-going! Obey the rules now, and
your software will work on future
versions of the operating system.
"% f\^ Books and documentation
A 1/ I - I would recommend you
have at least one 68000 reference
manual, not specific to the Amiga,
talking about the 68000 series Of
chips, and detailing the individual
instructions in the processor,
including descriptions of the
additional features present on the
68010, '020, '030 and '040.
Although the official Amiga
documentation is expensive, it is
worth its weight in gold. Programming
hints and guidelines are present in
the books, and are written by the
people who have developed the
operating system itself. The official
Amiga documentation will not teach
you how to program assembly
language, it will show you how to use
your assembly language skills to
their best on the Amiga system.
1 #]| Q Processor specific code -
X ^ O Don't use it without
thought. This one should be under
the obey the rules tip, but I shall
detail a couple of things which you
should bear In mind when starting
developing 68000 assembly
language programs. Many 68000
programming manuals show how to I
create delays by executing loops lots
of times. This is very bleak Indeed,
as a delay routine that takes one
second under a 68000 may execute
in a millisecond on a 25Mhz 68030.
This is another of the reasons that
software which works fine on an
A500 fails to function on an Amiga
3000. Instead, create your timings in
a non processor-specific manor, such
as counting vertical blanking gaps, or
using the CIA timers {preferably with
the timer device, but if this is not
possible, remember to ask the
operating system for a CIA timer
before you simply use one!)
199:
you are trying to do before
you do it! You may find yourself with
spaghetti code - which is worse with
assembly language programs than
with other languages. It's always a
good idea to sit down with a pen and
a piece of paper initially to scribble
down some ideas, possible screen
layouts and so on before committing
yourself to code. The same applies
to complex or long routines.
Sometimes it can lead you to
discover even better ways of doing
things that you would not have
thought about otherwise, Pseudo
code is also a good starting point,
see the third window in the screen
shot for an example. This is not real
code, and is not intended to run -
it's an easy way of getting the basic
gist of how a routine will work, and is
a good starting point for coding.
^ f\i\ Debugging - it's unlikely
Stl\J\J that you will be able to
write a bug-free Amiga application.
Debugging can be by far the longest
part of software development if your
program design and layout is not up
to scratch. If there is a fault in your
program, you need to isolate it.
Reduce the code you need to wade
through to the smallest possible
chunk. There are many ways of doing
this, you could step through your
entire program, or, more sensibly,
narrow it down by putting indicators
at certain points in the program so
you know how far the code got before
went wrong. These indicators can
range from the simplest, such as
flashing the screen a different colour,
to printing messages on the screen
saying things such as "1 got to the
memory allocation routine OK', or "I
opened the serial device
successfully," If you have access to
another computer with a serial port,
you may like to refer to the section
on RomWack in the Amiga Libraries
book, as this can be helpful for
finding what went wrong after a
software failure (Guru meditation).^©
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
41
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Can't find
my way
home
In part two of this
introduction to
Prolog, Philip
Gladwin shows
you OCGs and cuts,
and naturally,
processes some
language. Plus:
part two of the
Route Finder
This month I'm going to
finish off the discussion of
Prolog's syntax by looking
at lists, and at controlling
backtracking. I'm also going to
sketch details on writing an English
language grammar, followed hy
hints on navigating a node network
(that's roads and road Junctions for
the imaginative among you).
[L,I,SXS]
The list is the primary means of data
storage in Proiog. As SBProlog is
interpreted you don't have to worry
about which data types you are
using, so iists can be lists of
anything: numbers, mixed with atoms
and variables, or predicates, or other
iists - even empty iists. Lists are
indicated by the use of square
brackets:
[atom, 1234, foo (bar) ..] - tl^ere
is a standard way to refer to them.
We say that a list has a head - the
first element in the list, and a tai],
which is a sublist made up of aii the
other elements in the iist. Rgure 1
illustrates this.
How do lists work? Well, if you
want to add an element E to a iist L
you push what is already in the iist
into the tati, and insert the new
element in at ttie head: [EiL], Simple.
Deleting an element from a list is a
little more complicated, and requires
code. There are two cases when
deleting an element from a list: if E
is the head of list L, the result after
deleting E is the tail of L On the
other hand, if E is anywhere in ttie
tail, you should produce a tail with T
deleted from it. Look at some code
which does this:
delete(E, [EITail} ,Tall) .
delete(E, [XI Tall] , [XINewTall}
) : - delete ( E , Tail , NewTail ) .
Try drawing out a trace of what
happens when you call it with the
query delete (s, [a, a,d] , Result).
(Hint- Kfisult should = [a,d] ).
SBProlog comes with an
excellent set of library functions,
including plenty stuff for messing
about with lists. However, delete is
not one of them, so you may find the
above useful. The predicates built
into the interpreter are indicated in
the source code by beginning with a
'$', The library predicates loaded by
the interpreter - in the same way
that it loads your source files - are
not labelled in the same way, but if
you can't find a definition of a
predicate in my code then it has to
be from the SBProlog library.
CUTU
The Cut, (written as 'I') is a
procedural directive used when you
are sure that the bit of proving you
have just done should not need to be
repeated, either because you know
the result to be true and further
backtracking would waste time, or
because if the first alternative is
wrong then you don't want any other
alternative to occur. It commits you
to the line of proof that you are
already on; if any of the goals on the
Figure 1: The main method of data
storage In Prolog... The Ust
/ >- :
For the list [•!,' abc, poKarg), Var]
For the list
[atK, poi(aig), Var]
EH/T]
right of the :- fail then you cannot try
another version of the goal to the left
of the :■ . For example:
LINE la:- b,c,d,e.
LINE 2 aj- f,g,h.
LINE 3 b.
LINE 4 c.
LINE 5 o.
LINE 6 d:- X.
LINE 7 f .
In the normal path of execution,
calling the predicate a would make
Prolog try to prove it by stepping
through all the goals on Line 1 - so it
would call in turn predicates i),c,d
and e. If all of these predicates
succeeded, the execution would stop
there, and a would be taken as
proven. If, as in this case, predicate
d failed, Prolog would begin to
backtrack. This is where it gets a
RUNNING THE PROGRAM
To load source file into Prolog you ask it to 'consult' it. There are two ways of
doing this at the I ?- prompt : type either consult (filename) . or use the
shortcut and type [filename] . When it has looked at your code, run the
program by typing go. Enter one of the two types of query at the prompt:
"give nie a route from <node> to <dif ferent nod©>"
"how do i get £ram <node to «ii£ ferent node>"
Enter the queries as they appear here - including all the lower case letters,
the quote marks, and the full stops, but substituting your prefen-ed node in
between the angle brackets. About 30 seconds later you should have some
result. You can tell when Prolog has finished, because it will echo 'yes' or
'no', depending on your query's success, and return you to the I ?- prompt.
little complicated. The trace of
execution looks like this:
/ 7- a.
call a (line 1)
call b (Line 3, succeed)
call c (line 4, succeed)
call d (line 6)
call X (no x's, fall)
d falls
(backtrack)
retry c (line S, succeed)
retry d (line 6)
call X (no x's, fall)
(backtriick)
retry c (no more c's)
(backtrack)
retry b (no more b's)
a falls
retry a [line Z)
call f (line 7,succeeft)
call g (no g's, fall)
a fails
NO
I 7-
Now look what happens to
the same trace if you alter
the code by inserting a cut
in LINE 1:
NEWUNElas- to,l,c,d,e.
The trace now looks like:
I 7- a.
call a (newllne 1)
call b (Line 3, succeed)
call c (line 4, succeed)
call d (line 6)
call X (no x's, fait)
d falls
(backtrack)
retry c (line 5, succeed)
retry d [line 6)
call X (no x's, fall)
[backtrack)
retry c (no more c's)
(can't backtrack past I)
a falls (I has committed you to
tiie first line, you are not
allowed to try any other a's, so
the call to a stops here.)
no.
I 7-
AND SO TO CODE
Look at the code you have been
supplied with this month: it is divided
up into four main sections. The first
predicate, go, is the controlling
predicate; you call this one to run the
program. The other three sections,
nip, lang and route preprocess your
input; parse your input, checking that
it is a question and extracting the
important information; and find the
shortest route between the two
nodes you have requested. Let's
look at the preprocessor first.
dbciear initialises the bits of
Prolog's internal database we're
going to be using later.
gat_(iuery/l takes the question
from the user, and breaks it up into
a list of words, prepars/l takes
this list, checks that each of the
words is in the vocabulary (declared
in last month's code section), and
asserts the fact that the sentence
42
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
contains each word into the
database. Note that the character; is
to be read as 'OR'.
Moving to the first of the
predicates in the lang section; s/3,
let's sidestep for a mornent to look
at an Artificial Intelligence type
formalism called a DCG, or definite
clause grammar. Take a look at
Rgure 2. You'll recognise (if you read
the introduction to Al in AS 15) this
way of representing an English
sentence as a tree. The DCG is one
of the most efficient ways of doing
this, and it happens that using
Prolog is one of the best ways of
wori^ing a DCG. Assume that there is
a sentence stretching between the
beginning and the end of the list of
words passed as input to the DCG
(eg [how,do,i,go,ErQm,aa,to,d]}.
According to the Prolog rules In the
Lang section, a sentence (S) is
until you are looi^ing in the
vocabulary section to see If there is
such a thing as a determiner ('a',
'the') and a noun ('route') to
concatenate to mate up an NP.
CRUEL (REAL) WORLD
The route finding section of the
program is simplicity itself after all
this - get_routes/4 finds all the
routes it can between the two nodes,
and flnd_Bhortest/3 finds the
length of each of them, and presents
you with the shortest. What eise is
there? Well, of course, this is a
technique that only works on such a
small network. Using a full UK map
and finding every possible route
between Blacitpool and Grimsby
would last longer than my lifetime. In
the real world you would throw in a
few heuristics, such as working out a
way of preventing your route being
Rgure 2: Two sentences to Interrogate your program
KPT
[glvel
[a]
taijht phrase
TPP"^ W>P
[route] TPrep Node DPrep
t I 1
Node
[to] [X] [from]
m
Qadv
[how]
inX
toY
legitimate if it can be proved that
there Is a questioning verb phrase
(QVP) and a targeting noun phrase
(NPT) such that, when concatenated,
they equal the list given as Input to
S/3. This is explicitly stated by this
extract of code:
a(s,_,_)!-
(lvp<CfVP>,
ni)t{HPT,_,_),
$aCE>end(QVP,NPT,S) .
(The other S/3 rule allows another
sentence format to be used - you
can have as many sentence formats
as you like.) Of course, Prolog being
Prolog this process recurs and
recurs, and so a QVP exists if there
exists a Questioning Phrase (QP),
and a Verb, and they can be
concatenated together to form a
QVP, Likewise for NPT. Note that Itie
NPT does something else which,
strictly isn't part of a language
parsing process: it uses the Target
and the Origin nodes for use in the
Route Section. This process of
definition and subdefinition occurs
longer than 2x the crow's flying route
between the two nodes. Or perhaps
making a classification of the types
of routes, and only using routes with
a fair percentage of A roads and
Motorways. Real Routefinder
systems use these methods, and
then some. The point is that Prolog
is a nifty way of prototyping your
ideas. SBProlog may not be a
serious development tool, but I've
used Prologs in the IBM world that
gave blistering performances and
could be used for real programming.
All we need Is for an enterprising
someone to port one over... O
ooooooooo"
SHOPPING LIST
SBProlog
(Fish Disk 140}
available from f D Direct
(Disk PDlf29a|
tr07B27152S5
£1.25
ROUTE FINDER DEMO PROGRAM PART 2
/* AMIGA SHOPPER ROUTBFXtJDBR
vp{VP),
VIS^ FROORAH FART 2
Sappend(QP,VP,aVP) .
*/
8 (S, Target , origin) : -
gor- nip, 1 ,
vp{ve).
nl,print( ^Ncw finding J
npt (NPT, Target, origin) ,
route * , *' ) ,nl.
$Wpend(vp,HPT,s) ,
route.
rcfUtefR, L} ,
s (a, Target, Origin) :-
print ('The stsortost route is J
qvp(QVP),
along road segmenta : '] ,
iipt (NPT, Target, Origin) ,
prlnt(R}inl, print('*l^is route J
?append(OVP,NPT,S),
is '), print (L).
tp {^TP , Target , Origin) : -
print ( ' miles long ' ] , nl .
tpp (TPP , Target ) ,
opp ( OPP , or igin) ,
$appena(TPP,OPE,TP) .
(Sbolaar:- aliollBhfdb, 1) ,
tp { TP , Target , Or igin ) : -
alx>lish( target, 19,
cpp(OPP,Origlii) ,
aioliBh(orlgin,l),
tpp(TPP, Target) ,
abolish (route, 2) .
$appenii(OPP,TPP,TP) .
get_iiuery {Out ) : -
tpp(TPP,M):- di)(tprerp{TPRBP)),
print ( 'Enter ytiur QuQry: ' > ,
db{node(»)),
read(X) ,
$appeiid ( TPREP , H , TPP ) .
wor<ifl{X, £], [],Oiit).
yp(VP) :- db(v(v)>.
nlpi-dbclear.
db(pro(P)),
get_<iuery(Out) , ! ,
$append[V,P,VP).
print ( ' Parsing request ,,,'),
vp(VP) :- db{pro{P)),
prepare (Out) , ! j
db(v{V)),
s { Out , Target , Or igin } ,
assert (taxget (Target) ) ,
$app9nd{P,v,VP) .
assert {origin (Origin) ) '
/*- — EOOTB •/
prepare ( []) .
prepare( [a|T]}:-
exi St B_route ( End, End, Route , Route }
word(H) ,
prepare (T) >
axiste_ronteOtart,Bnd,i.i8t, J
Route ) : -
word(X) :-
(road ( Seg, Start , Midway ,_) ,'
( (det ( [X] ) .aBoert (db(det ( [X] ) > ) ) j
road { Seg , Midway , Start ,_)) ,
(□prep([x]),assect(<&( oprep J
not Sraemiber {seg, List),
(Exl))));
existB_route (Midway, End, J
(n {[X]), assert (db{n(EXl))));
ESeglList], Route).
(pro( [X] ) .assert (db (prof [X] ) ) )) ;
(ga( [X] ) ,asaert {di.{(ia{ [X] ) ) ) ) ;
£lnd_pos{H, EHI_],Po8,Pob).
( tprep { [X] ) , assert {fib { tprep J
f ind_poa {X, EH 1 T] , Pos , Out ) : -
(1X3)))) J
Newpos is Pos + 1,
(v{[x]),aBsert{db(v([x]))));
f ind_pos {X, T, NewpoB , Out ) .
( node {[X]), assert {iJb{no<3« J
(CXI))))).
£ind_sliorteat (Routes, Route, Len) i-
words { [ ] ,Word, Carry, Out) : -
sumfRouteB, ti , Totals) ,
$reverse {Word,Wordl) ,
sort (Totals, [Shortest l_l).
nanB{Word2,Wordl),
f indjpOB (Shortest , Totals , 1, J
^reverse ( [woraa 1 carry] ,Out) .
Suinber),
words { [32 iT], word, S, Out) :-
$ reverse ( Route b , Route Bl ) ,
$re verse {Mord,Wordl) ,
5iittiaieiiiber {Roatel.RCRiteel, J
Eiaiiie{Word2,Wordl),
Nuntber),
words (*,[], [words IS], Out).
total (Routel, , Len) ,
words(|HIT],Wor(i,S,Out):-
$ re verse( Route 1, Route) .
wordB(T, [HI Word] ,S,Out) .
get_;routoo ( Start , End , Rcautea , J
Out) !-
Handles 2 types of ijueries:
exi 9ta_route ( S tart , End, [ 1 , Route ) ,
"give me a route to Y from x".
not $iiiember( Route, Routes),
"how do 1 get from X to Y".
get_routes(Start, End, [Route J
*/
laouteel,out).
gat_route a (Start, End, Routes, J
np{NP):- dt>(det(nBT)),
Routes) .
ab{n(N)),
$appena(DBT,N,NP),
route:- J
origin ( [Start 1 ) , target { [ISid] ) ,
npt (MPT, Target, Origin) J- J
get_routeB (Start , End, [ ] , Houtes) ,
tp (NPT, Target , Qrlgla) .
f ind_Bbortest (Houtes, Route, Len) ,
npt (»PT, Target , Origin) j -
assert (route {Route, Len) ) .
E(P(NP),
tp(TP, Target, Origin),
sunif [] , Out, out) .
$append(Hi',TP,NPT).
Bum( [K 1 TJ , Begin, Out > s -
total (H,0, Total),
ppp(OPP,K)!- db(crprap(OPEBP)),
Bum{T, ETotall Begin], Out).
db(aode(N)),
SappenS { OPKBP , N, OPP ) .
total(£],Out,Out).
total ([HIT], Running, Out) : -
sa>lQP]:- (5b(qa{Qli)),
road(K,_,_,X),
db(v(V!),
Carry is sunning * X,
$appena{QA,V,QP) ,
total (T, Carry, Out) .
<lvp{QVP)j- (ip{QP),
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
43
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The ihird part m Philip Glad^^in's
series helping you to give your
Amiga a smidgen ofAl
Last month I gave you the
concepts you need to handle
single processing nodes -
this month we're going to
use these concepts and begin to
connect them together Into the
neural network shown In Figure 1.
We're going to use nodes which
have four output channels and four
primary input channels; notice how
they send their output directly into
the input channeis of their four
nearest neighbours. Notice also how
the net wraps around, so that the
nodes on the outside of the net take
some of their input from the nodes
on the other side of the net. Figure 2
gives the complete iook-up tabie for
the net when it is in a state of
complete ignorance. Each node
starts off with undefined output; this
alters when we teach ttie net
anything.
How do we do this? OK - iet's
start off by giving the net infoimation
about the letters "C" and "K". To
teach the net the pattern for "C",
assume that nodes 1,2,3,4,7,8,9
put out a 1, and nodes 5 and 6 put
out a 0. Then, for every node, look at
its input pattern, and find the column
in the look-up table which corre-
sponds to it. If the node is outputting
a '1' change the '?' to a *1'; if it is
putting out a '0', change it to '0'.
Repeat this for the letter "K".
When you have done this the
look-up table should look like the top
half of the table in Rgure 3. Now
generalise the net's memory. You do
INPUTS & OUTPUTS
1
Figure 1 : Nine node neural net
EXCITE THAT NOTE
The next step up in network complexity would be to allow the connections
between the nodes to have strengths, or weights, between -1 and 0. This
simulates the fact that in the human brain there are some inputs which
inhibit the firing of the node, and some that excite its firing. A node, in
deciding whether or not to fire, will sum its inputs and apply some sort of
function to the total. This function can be a simple thresh-holding (fire if the
sum of the inputs is greater than 0} or something much more complicated.
INPUT 1
oil
111111
INPUT 2
1 11
10
1111
INPUT 3
110 1
10
110 11
INPUT 4
10 10 10
10 1
10 10 1
NODEl
???????
? ? ?
??????
NODE 2
???????
? ? ?
7 - - - . .
NODE 3
???????
.
. .
NODE 4
? ? ? ? - - -
-
-
NODE 5
7 7 7 7. - .
.
all?s
NODE 6
? ? ? ? - - -
-
, Input 2
NODE 7
NODE 8
NODE 9
? ? ? ? - - -
? ? ? ? - - -
? ? ? ? - ■ -
-
Input 1
NODE
ln^3
Figure 2: look-up laoie ror a 9-nuuB nei
before learning
Input 4
COLUMN
12 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16
NODEl
7 7 7 7 7 ? ?
? ? ? ? ?
? 1 ? 1
: NODE 2
7 7 7 7 7 ? ?
? ? ? ?
? ? 1 ?
NODE 3
?????? 1
? ? ? ? ?
? ? 1 ?
1 NODE 4
? ? ? ? ? 1 ?
1 ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
NODE 5
???????
? 1 ? ? ?
? ? ?
NODE 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ?
NODE?
7 7 7 7 7 ? 7
? ? ? ? ?
? 1 ? 1
NODES
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? 1
? ? ?
NODE 9'???1???
7 7 ? ? 1
? ? ? ?
ungenerallsed outputs for 'C and 'K'
NODEl
11111 11
11111
1111
NODE 2
? ? 1 ? 1
? ? ?
1 ? 1 ?
NODE 3
11111 11
11111
1111
NODE 4
11111 11
11111
1111
NODE 5
1 ? 1 ? ? ?
1 ? 1 ?
? ?
NODE 6
NODE?
11111 11
11111
1 1 1 i
NODE 8
? 1 ? 1 ?
? ? 1 ? 1
7 0?
NODE 9
11111 11
11111
1111
generalised outputs for 'C and 'K' - nodes 1,3,4,1 and 9 always output 1,
and node 6 always outputs
Figure 3: Completed look-up table for a 9
node net learning 'C and 'K'
this by allocating as many as
possible of the remaining '?'s to
their nearest Hamming neighbour.
(See last month's article if you're
confused by this.) When you've done
this you should have the second,
usable version of the table, ie the
net has been taught two patterns.
From now on the net is ready to
use. So, put the net into operational
mode by switching the Teaching
Input on each node from 1 to 0, and
you're ready to test its knowledge.
The point about neural nets is
not that they work or they don't - like
the brain they are modelled on, they
have a performance gradient. They
can sort of half work, or work most of
the time. This net is no exception,
and it performs best on pattern
completion problems where the
pattern is close to one or the other
of the patterns it has been taught.
Where the test pattern has a
Hamming distance towards the
midpoint of the two taught patterns
then the net can get confused.
Operating the net is dead easy.
Type it all in, and get it to pass the
AMOS irrtemal syntax check. The
printed code shown is the code
which runs on my Amiga, so if you
have problems, check your typing.
The f rst screen teaches the net
the patterns you want it to know.
Clicking on the grid switches nodes
on and off. When you're happy with
the pattern, click on "Pattern OK' to
make the net accept your pattern,
and clear grid for the next instruction.
Teach the net the letter 'T', and
repeat this for the letter 'H'. When
the net has accepted both patterns
click on the "Use Net" button. You
will then see a screen with two
separate grids. The grid on the left is
the test grid, where you enter the
patterns you want the net to identify.
Try it - click on nodes (1,3,5 and 8)
and click on the "Go" button. The net
will identily *at partial image as
being closest to a 'T'. Click on
"Clear", and try St again, with nodes
(1,2,3,4,6,7 and 9). This time the
net settles on an 'H'.
It shouldn't take you long to
realise that the net can settle into
strange loops and cycles. Next
month I'll be closing the series with
an explanation of why this is. ^D
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AMOS NEURAL NET PART 2 • AMOS NEURAL NET PART 2 • AMOS NEURAL NET PART 2
Procedure (SSHEBAIiISE
Peo 3 ! locate 5,5 : Print
"Iieaming . , , , " j Pen 2
11=31 : JJ=101 : KK=32 ! Iili=104
For N0DE=1 To 9 : Ram For every node
For T=l To 16 ! Rem Set every J
untaught col
If OUTPUTS {NODE, T) =9
SHORTEST CN0DB,T,1 3 : Rem J
find the shortest 1 dlst
x-Param
SHORTEST [NODE, T,0] : Rsaa J
find the shortest diat
Y-Param
If X<Y ! Rem if cloaer to J
1-taughts
0-taughts
GEK_ODTPDTS ( NODE , T ) " 1
End If
If x>Y : Rem if closer Co J
GEN_OOTPOTS ( NODE , T ) =
End If
End If
Ink 1 : Bar II, JJ To KK,IiL : J
IBC KK : InlE 2
Next T
Next HOEK
End Pcoc
Procedure lliilT
Randcjolze Timer
Reserve Zone 25 : Curs Off r J
Ink 3 : ClB : Paper
I>ESCRIBE_NBT
SET_TRCJTH_TABLB
End Proo
Procedure LEARN
LEARN_SCREEN
CELLS
GENERAIiISE
End Proc
Procedure I£&RK_9CREEH
BiriLI3_ZONES 136, 36, 126, 126, 1, 3, 3]
BDILD_ZONES[36, 146,126, 166, 10,1, 1]
BUILD_ZOHESt36, 178,126, 198, 11,1, 1]
Locate 13,0 : Print "TEACH MOHE"
iKXJate 5,19 : Print "Pattern OK"
Locate 7,23 : Print "Dee Nat"
End Proc
Procedure PBAR[HODE,K]
Ink K
On
NODE Goto
A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I
A:
Bar
37,37
TO 65,65 ! Goto LEAVE
Bs
Bar
67,37
To 95,65 ! Goto LEAVE
C:
Bar
97,37
TO 125,65 : Goto LEAVE
Ds
Bar
37,67
To 65,95 : Goto LEAVE
B:
Bar
67,67
To 95,95 s Goto LEAVE
F:
Bar
97,67
To 12S,9S : Goto LEAVE
0:
Bar
37,97
TO 65,125 : Goto LEAVE
H:
Bar
67,97
To 95,135 J Goto LEAVE
l!
Bar
97,97
To 125,125
LEAVE:
End Proc
Procedure
PPBAR[HODE,K]
On NODE Soto A,B
C,D,E,F,
G,H,I
A: Bar
157,37
To
185,65 :
Goto LEAVE
B: Bar
187,37
TO
215,65 :
Soto LEAVE
Ct Bar
217,37
To
245,65 :
Goto LEAVE
B: Bar
157,67
To
185,95 ;
Goto LEAVE
E: Bar
187,67
TO
215,95 I
Goto LEAVE
F: Bar
217,67
To
245,95 !
Goto LEAVE
G: Bar
157,97
TO
185,125
; Goto LEAVE
H: Bar
187,97
TO
215,125
J Soto LEAVE
I: Bar
217,97
To
245,125
LEAVE:
End Proc
Procedure
ailT_TRDTH.
.TABLE
For I-l To 4
Restore 1*100
For J=l To 16
Read trdth_table(i, J)
Next J
Next I
100 Data
0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1 :
Rem top neighbour
200 Data
0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1 :
Rem right neighbour
300 Data
0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,0,1,1 :
bottcoi neighbour
400 Data J
0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1 !
Rem left neighbours
End Proc
Procedure SHORTEST [KOBE, COL, TYPE]
HAMMING- 4
For 1=1 To 16
ST0KE=4
If COLOI
If OOTPUTS(NODE,I)-TYPE
If
TRUTa_TABLE (1,1) -TROTH_TABIiB (1, COL)
Dec STORE
End If
If J
TROTH_TaBLE (2,1) ='niUTH_TABI,E ( 2 , C Q L)
Dec STOKE
End If
If
TRUrajTABLE (3,1) =TRDTH_TABLE ( 3 , COL)
Dec STORE
End If
If J
TRDTOLTABLB (4,1) .TRDTH_TABI^ { 4 , COL}
Dec STORE
End If
End If
If STORE <HAlaaHG
HAKKING^STOHE
End If
End If
Next I
End Proc [HAHMlllG]
Procedure teach
' Finds out wliich row in the J
truth table the node
' should occupy hy referring to J
its neighbours and finding
' which of them are on
For C=l To 4 : Rem for every J
node get the neighbours
X=CONNECTED(N,C) : Rem X = J
this node's current neighbour
If N0DE(X)=1 Then J
HEIGHB0(JRS{N,C)=1 : Rem if neighbour J
on then . . .
If NODE(X)=0 Then J
HEiaHBODRS(N,C)=0 : Rem
Next C
FIKD„TT_COL !N3
COL=Paraai
ODTPDTS (N, COL) -NODE (K)
GER_OnTPnTS <N, COL) =NODE (N>
TEMP (N, COL) -1
Next K
ALLOCATE
End Proc
Procedure USE
Shared CLICKED ()
Do
Cls
nSER_SCREEH
CSER_PATTERH
Repeat
CLCK=Mouse Click : J
ZC^-Mouse Zone
DELVE
ontil(CLCK-l and ZOM-ll) orJ
(CLCK-1 and ZCN-12)
If ZON=12 Then Edit
Ci:,EAR_GRID
For 1=1 To 9
NODE (I) =9
Next I
Locip
End Proc
Procedure n3ER_PATTBRN
Shared CLICKED
Repeat i Rem this loop gets the J
pattern from the user
CLCK=Mouse Click : ZON=MOuse Zone
If CLCK=1 and zaN<10 and ZON>0 J
Then CLICK[ZON3
until (CLCK=1 and ZON-10) or(CLCK=l J
and ZON-12)
If ZON=12 Then Edit : Rem option J
to quit
For 1=1 To 9 : Rem this loop puts J
the user pattern into NodeO
If CLICKED{I)-1 Then N0DE(I)=1
If CI.ICKED(1)=0 Then NOaE(I)=0
Next I
Ind Proo
Procedure USER„SCREEN
Reset Zone
BniLD_Z{»lES[36,36,126,126,l,3,31
BUILD_Z0NES[156,36,246,126,12,3,3]
BUILD_Z0NES [106, 146,176, 196, 10,3, 13
Locate 14,0 : Print "USE MODE"
Locate 17,19 i Print "Go"
Locate 15,21 : Print "Clear"
Locate 16,23 : Print "Quit"
End Proc
' End Neural Net Program
Ink K
For N=l To 9 ! Rem for every node
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
45
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MISCELLANEOUS
Deluxe Paint 3 Video Tutorial £17,95
Stereo Master , £29.95
Techno Sound Turbo £29.95
Pro Midi Interface £19,95
Personal Finance Manager £22,95
MaxiplanPlus £34,95
Home Accounts 2 £36.95
DELUXE PAINT 4 ....X59.95
Hisoft Devpac 3 £47.95
Hisoft Hi-Speed Pascal £69.95
AiVIIGA EDUCATIONAL
KOSMOS Answertiacli Junior Quli -
includes 750 general knowledge questions
and a game reward £14.95
AnswerlMck Senior Quiz -
as above but for age 12+ .
..£14.95
Factfiles - add-on question packs for the Answeriiack
Quiz:
Factflle Spelling (6-U) £7.95
Factflle Arithmetic (6-11) £7.95
KOSMOS Language TMors: with a vocabulary of over
2500 words + the ability to add your own - up to GCSE
level;
French Mistress £14.95
German Master £14.95
Spanish Tutor £14,95
Italian Tutor £14.95
KOSMOS Maths Adventure: The latest offering from
Kosmos covers the National Curriculum maths using a
series of four gannes. There are four difficulty levels
and your performance can be kept and printed
out. (6-14) E17.9S
ROMBO PRODUCTS
NEW - TAKE 2
New Animation package from Rombo
MJC PRICE £39.95
VIDI COLOUR SOLUTION
Vidi Colour package - including Vidi Digitlser, Vtdichrome
software and free Photon Paint
MJC PRICE £49.99
RGB SPLITTER - for use with VIdichrome
or Digiview. (includes FSUl
MJC PRICE £49.95
COMPLETE COLOUR SOLUTION
Package includes Vidi Amiga, VIdichrome and the RGB
Splitter for a complete colour digitising outfit.
NOTE: For best colour pictures you require a video
camera or perfect still frame VCR.
MJC PRICE £99.95
C«nip Col S«lutlon + Take 2. MJC PRICE £129.95
Rombo prices held whilst stocks last.
NEW - MEGAMIX MASTER
New Stereo sampler and digital effects package.
MJC PRICE E2B.95
ROMBO prices held whilst stocks last.
VIDEO TITLING/PRESENTATION
Big Alternative Scroller £42.95
Broadcast TItler II £159.95
Broadcast Font Pack £89.95
Broadcast Font Enhancer Pack £89.95
ROCTEC ROCGEN GENLOCK
Budget priced genlock, includes fader.
MJC PRICE £S9.95
AMOS ■ The Creator |
NEW - EASY AMOS - Powerful hut easy.
AMOS VI. 2 - The original Language....
AMOS COMPILER
.£25.95
.£32.95
.£19.95
£21.95
AMOS 3D
LCL SOFTWARE
Primary Maths Course (3-12) £19.95
Micro Maths (GCSE level) £19,95
Micro French (GCSE level) £19.95
Micro English (GCSE level) , £19.95
Reading and Writing Course (3-^) £19.95
NEW- MEET A0I1
ADI is a friendly alien being that appears on this latest
range of educational software from Eu repress (the manu-
facturers of the fun School range). Each package is
specifically designed to follow the National Curriculum for
a particular school year.
EHGLtSH 11/12:
Features pronouns, verbs, adverbs, spelling, synonyms,
and prefixes/suffixes MJC Price £17.95
ENGLISH 12/13:
Using dictionaries and reference books, construct
adverbs, punctuate sentences MJC Price £17.95
MATHS 11/12:
Covers geometry, algebra, statistics symmetry, quadrilat-
erals and number operations .......MX Price £17,95
Furtlier Inlormatloii on our Educational range is available in our Educational Supplement - on request
Remember - prices include VAT & delivery
CONTENTS
AT-A-GLANCE
Accelerator 53
Action Replay cartridge 54
AmlgaDOS 52
AMOS 52
Animation 62, 66
ARexx 63
Art Department 54, 67
Audio Engineer, — S4
Audio filter 64
Basic 52, 62, 66
Brother printer 68
C 53, 54, 65
Canon printer 65
CD-ROM 63
Chip RAM 53, 68
Citizen printer 64, 67
Commodore printer 53
Database 52, 65
Deluxe Paint 54, 62
Denlse 65, 67
Exponentials 63
RIcker fixer 67
Fountain.... 67
Hard drive 53, 54, 62, 63
Include fites 53
Kickstart 64, 67
Mac 68
Mannesman printer 53
Memory expansion 53, 54, 65
KlessySID 68
MIcrovltec monitor 63
NoPalH»s»t. ..„.„....,„...„„68
OcUMED — ..............64
PagBStteam 64, 67
Partitions 62
PC 54,68
PC monitor 66
Prtntf 54
Proiext .6i
Rambrandt .53
Requesters 65
Sampler 64
Selkosha printer .....53
StD 65
Star printer 52, 53, 54, 64, 65
TechnoSound Turbo 54
Trackball 52
OUR EXPERTS TACKLE YOUR REAL-LIFE PROBLEMS
• BUY THE RIGHT AMIGA
• WHICH PC EMUUTOR?
• POWER FUNCTIONS IN C "^ -
• PARTITION YOUR HARD DRIVE
• DTP PAGES '"F""'" 111
• MAKE A cmzfif nm mmoa disk
• COMMODORE INCLUDE FILES
ALL OF YOUR AMIGA
PROBLEMS ANSWERED
SO WHAT DO ALL
Beginners:
this icon
will appear
next to any
questions which are
'basic' in content.
Printers:
tliis icon
denotes a
querv
about printers, printer
drivers and so on.
u
General:
this icon is
used for
any
general Amiga-related
queries.
Technical;
any
queries
about
programming witi have
this icon next to them.
Caution:
be sure
ttiat you
fully
understand the answer
before trying it out.
Video: this
icon
relates to
any query
about using your Amiga
with video hardvi^are.
ICONS MEAN?
Danger:
the answer
to tills
question
could weW invalidate
your warranty - or youl
Music: this
I^^H*)^ icon Is for
questions
about
iVIIDI, sampling,
synthesizers and so on.
H
Hardware:
this icon is
used to
denote
questions rotating to
general hardware.
Programs:
any
program-
specific
queries have this icon
next to them.
Buying
advice: we
use this
icon if the
question asks us for
buying advice.
Comms: if
your
question
relates to
comms, this is the icon
that we'll use.
WHATEVER YOUR PROBLEM WITH THE
That's the task we have set ourselves In giving you the best
possible support for your Amiga. We are confident that our experts
can cope with any technical questions you can throw at them. If
they don't already know the answer to your problem, they will find It
out for you.
We are prepared to deal with any problem you have with the
Amiga, from general enquiries about AmIgaDOS or Workbench,
throu^ questions about specific pieces of software and hardware,
to advice on what you need to buy to do a particular task. If It's to
do with the Amiga, we will help out. What we cannot do Is offer this
service over the telephone - do not phone us with your enquiries,
but write to us at the address below.
We also cannot enter Into personal correspondence - all
enquiries will be dealt with In the pages of the magazine. This does
mean a bit of a delay in solving your problem, but you'll Just have to
be a little patient and wait for It to appear In print. You won't get a
personal reply even If you enclose an SAE with your letter, so please
don't bother.
Send your question on the forni below to: Amiga Answers, Amiga
Shopper, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BAl 2BW.
The Amiga Answers panel consists of our consultant editors
AMIGA, WE ARE HERE TO SOLVE IT
Mark Smtddy and Jeff Walker - and, of course, our resident deputy
editor Cilff Ramshaw. We will also be calling on the services of alt
our other contributors, so you won't be able to catch us napping
whatever the subject of your query.
Each panelist will be dealing with queries In their own specialist
area(s) so It would help us greatly If, when writing, you label your
query envelope with the name of the expert who can solve your
particular problem,
Below is a list of areas of expertise, it's a list that we will add to
and update every month, so you will know who to write to about any
subjects not mentioned here.
Gary Whiteley - Video
Paul Overaa - Programming, music
Mick Draycott - Hardware, programming, MIDI
Jeff Walker - Desktop publishing, programming
MaHf Smiddy- AmIgaDOS, business, CDTV, hardware projects,
hard and floppy disk drives
Jasofi Holbom ~ Public Domain, AMOS
Jolyon Ralph - Programming, hardware, CDTV
Cliff Ramshaw - The really hard stuff that no-one else can answer
If you send In a question for the Amiga Answers experts, please fill
in and include the form below (or a photocopy if you don't want to
cut up your magazine). And please also make sure that you include
all the relevant details - version numbers of software and so on -
so that we have the best chance of helping you. Send your form and
question to: Amiga Answers, Amiga Shopper, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath
BAl 2 BW. Sorry, but we cannot personally reply to any questions - even
if you include an SAE.
Name:
HaKi disk; Mb as DH_: Manufacturer .
Extra RAM fitted - type, size In Mb and manufacturer .
Details of any other hardware which could help us to answer your question:
Address:
Now, use this space to describe your problem, Including as much relevant
Information as possible. Please continue on a separate sheet If necessary.
Your machine:
A500 □ AlOOO □
A2000 □ A3000Q
Approximate age of machine:.
A1500 Q
KIckstart version (displayed at the Insert Workbench' prompt)
1.2 □ 1.3 □ 2.x □
Workbench revision (written on the Workbench disk)
1.2 □ 1.3 □ 1.3.2 □ 2.x Q
PCB revision (If known). Do not take you machine apart Just to look
for this!
Total memory fitted (see AVAIL In Shell foi 1.3 Workbench)
Chip memory available (see AVAIL In Shell)
Agnus chip (If known)
Extra drive #1 (3.5"/5.25'') as DF_: Manufacturer
Extra drive #2 (3.5"/5.25") as DF_: Manufacturer
AS 16
48
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1993
O^CE
LEEDS TEL: 0532 63798
kkkft#w p^x: 0532 637689
NEW OPENING HOURS
OPEN MON - SAT 9.30AM-5.30PM
SUNDAY OPENING 11.00AM-3.00PM
THURSDAY NIGHT LATE 9.30AM-7.30PM
WEST YORKSHIRES PREMIERE
AMfGA AND ATARI COMPUTER STORE
AUTHORISED DEALERS FOR STAR, CtTtZEN,
COMMODORE, ACORN, ROMBO <S PHOENIX
^^
^^K^^
99
; E.
The iVe>v AMIGA A600
Commodore's new computer/games machine, Buili in keyboard and
compact in size the A600 will take "Smart Cards". The A600 comes
with I 2 month on site warranty, workbench 2.0S,Dpalnt HI and
Lemmings.
now only £359.99
The TV^H' AMIGA A600HD
Same spec as tiie A600 but with a built in 20 meg hard disk for those
games that run better on a hard disk. We shall be offering larger hard
drive upgrades for the A600. Please ring for details ana prices. The
600HD does not come with Lemmings or DPaint III
now only £459.99
THE AMIGA A500 PLUS
CARTOON CLASSICS
The ASOO has more serious capabificy Chan the
A6D(> with It greater expandibillty and a large
selection of high quality third party add-ons
Complete vi^fth:
* One Mb af chip RAM Expandable to l(^ Mb of RAM In C&tal
* The new KIckstart 2.04
* Workbench 2.04
* BuiMc in battery backed real time c]oc\i
* New tmproved user friendly manuals
This pack also comes with Lemnnings, {die onl/ game ever to gei a
\00% raUngE) The Simpsons, Captain Planet and Deluxe Paint 3
die Incredible paint and aniinnaEiari p^cltafe pitjs mause and rrddulator
now only £339.99//
or £374.99 for 2Mb version
MONITORS
All our monitors are UK spec
All monitors come complete
with a free Amiga lead
WAflNING; Before you pyrthase a monitor make
sure k has a full UK ^pecEHcatlon. You might be
buying what you think it a limllar monitor ata lower
price but it \i likely to be a "'GREY" Import. Th«e
moolton do not comply with BHtlah safety stand-
ards uid are not covered by an afrkisi warranty
THE AMIGA 1500 & 2000 PLUS
The New AMIGA
2000 Plus Base pack
now complete with the latest 2.04
Kickstart chip and Workbench 2.04 //
The 2000 Base pack is the ideal upgrade machine for those wanting
to upgrade from their present Amiga 500
only £529.99
Amiga 1 500 Plus Business &
Entertainment Software pack
Thesamespecasthe base pack but with Deluxe Paint3, Platinum Worta
(the best integrated package availablefortheAmiga), Home Accounts,
Pjuric, Elf, Toki plus die latest Amip FormatTips book (2.04 compatible)
and Jo/stick.
now only £549.99
or £769.99
with 1085 SDI colour monitor (UK Spec.)
THE AMIGAA.500 & 1500/2000
PLUS UELUXE SERIES
The AMIGA 500 />g/fag
is an uprated version of the A5O0 Plus with the Phoenix ROM sharer
and 1 .3 chip because some older software will not run on the A500
Plus. The ASOO Deluxe h<is been developed so you can choose to run
either Kkkstart L3 or 2.04 making incompatibility problems a
thing of the past ! The Deluxe also Comes complete with the
Cartoon Classics software pack.
only £4 1 4.99 or £449.99
for 2 Mb version
The Amiga 1 500 Deluxe is an advanced
version of tlie standard AMIGA 1500 Plus
incorporating the famous Phoenix ROM sharer and 1 ,3 Kicltstart KOM ciiip.
As Willi the ASOO Deluxe, tliis enables ^ou to switcli between the old and
new operating system to accommodate older software that can only run on
the ] .3 operating system.
only f-Jjir til for base pack version or
£609.99 for the 1500 software pack version
GVP HARD DRIVES AND ACCELERATORS
AMIGA 1500/2000 Hard Drives
Impact Series II HC8+ Control card only £134.99
I mpact Series II HC8+ with 52Mb Hard Drive £279.99
ImpactSeries II HCe+ with I lOMbHard Drive £419.99
Impact Series 1 1 HC8+ with 240Mb Hard drive £639.99
Impact Series II HC8+ with 420Mb Hard drive £ 1 1 69.99
AMIGA 1 500/2000 Accelerator Cards
G-Force 03O-25MHi with 1Mb 32 bit RAM £549,99
G-Force 030-40MHi with 4Mb 32 bit RAM £899,99
G-Force 030-50MHI with 4Mb 32 bit RAM £1269.99
G-Force 040-28 MHz with 2Mb 32 bit RAM £1699.99
AMIGAA500 HARD DRIVES
GVP Series II HD8+ 52Mb £354.99
GVP Series II HD8+ 105Mb £469.99
GVP Series II HD8+ 240Mb £734.99
GVP Combo Accelerator Series
for the AMIGA ASOO
A530 Combi 40MHz with 52Mb Hard Drive £699.99
AS30 Combo 40MHi with 120Mb Hard Drive £849.99
A530 Combo 40MHz with 240Mb Hard Drive £1039.99
68882 Co-Processor for A530 £234.99
GVP memory RAM modules
Series II RAM 8 RAM cardfor AMIGA IS00/2000with2Mb £149,99
32 bit 60ns IMb SIMM for Accelerator cards £64.99
32 bit 60ns 4Mb SIMM for Accelerator cards £179.99
Pro tar Stereo
colour monitor
This monitor uses the same tube as the Philips 8B33
MK2 and has a similar specification. Hie Prot^r
comet with a full 12 month replacement guar-
antee. This must be the best value medium res.
monitor on the market. Amiga cattle Included^
Tilt and swivel stand only i\ 1-99 wtienpur^
chased with this monitor. Cover onljr CS-99
only £195.99 UK Spec
Philips Brilliance SVGA
Colour monitor
with ov^jscgn facility
The firilliancie monitor has a high quality Super
VGA resolution ideal for making your AMIGA
into a proresslonal s/stetn. Iclud«s overscan ^ciU
\vf^ .28 dot pitch.and tilt/swivel stand. I^onicor
[:over only £S.99 If purchas.ed^ ac the sam« un\A
tsoffl VERSION £399.99
with Flicker Free Video card
ASOO VERSION £499.99
Commodore I960 muieisync
only £436.99
Commodore
1 085 SDI Stereo
Colour monitor
The perfect complement to your Amiga System. This
Colour stereo monitor features .5 1 dot pitch thoIu-
Uon and green screen Facilit)i'. Amiga cable in-
cluded. Tilt and swivel stand only £ I L'9? when
pyrchaied with this monitor Cover for moni-
tor only £5.99
only £2 1 9.99 UK Spec.
Philips CM8833 MK2
stereo colour monitor
Colour Kcereo monitor. b00*28S line resolution,
gi'cen screen facility, one years on site mainte^
nance^ cable for Amij^a included. Tilt and
swivel itand only £ll.9"9' w^en purchased
with monitor. Cover only £S.99
only £219.99 UK Spec.
with F 19 Flight Simulator
Goldstar remote
control TV/monitor
superior to a standard TV set with fuH rempte control
now only £179.99
F/BST CHO/C£fiEEDs, m: 0532 W
FrGG Delivery on a.11 products///
FAX: 0532 637689
uimmodore Lynamic Total vision
CompFete with Hutchinsons Encyclopedia,
Lemmings and Wetcome CD disk, CDTV is a
powerful media for both entertainment and educa-
tion. Capable of handiing up to 540 Mb of data,
whole encyclopedias can be stored on just one
compact disc. The COTV is alsoa high quality audio
CD player. We also stock a large range of COTV
software all at discount prices
now only
£399.99 UK Spec
Weiv CD Rom for the Amiga A500 -J FIRST CHOICE PACK
The aidd-on that every one hu been waitingfor. This high quality CD ROM
curn» your amlssi into a CDTV
only £279.99
New CDTV
keyboard
Effectively transforms your CO TY into an Amin
50 you can get oven mor« out of CDTV. With me
aid ofa standard 3,5" disc drive the CDTV will take moit
of tlie normal Amigsi sofcware from word proceislrxgta
entertainmetn
only £49.99
New CDTV
Trackerball
complete witli 2 [oystick I
ponsv 1*1 Is Is a must for
CDTV owners
only £74,99
Take :nt 'ii^adacic oul o\ buyiiij^ a compjccr wiLh our eve aopLli:" flHST
CHOICE Pack. All the Hsentjali required far the Tmz time buyer. Ideal for an/
Amiga and great value too!
Comprises:
I * Top quality micros'^itched
Po^erplay Cruiser joystick
I* Mouse Mat . *v#*/v /\^v
l*DustCover OPlly £29.99
I**- 10 Blank Disks
**lus 3 Ex'tra. games"
TAR PRINTERS
All Star printers inc ribbons, free
std printer cable and 1 2 month
guarantee
The Star LC20
Replacing the bmoiis LCIO, the LC20 is teier
at ISOcps draft and 4S cps NLQ. It's also
quieter. The front panel now has push button
operation repiacirig the old LCIO membrane
panel. Other spec is similar to LC 1 0.
now only £1 39.99 -V
New Star LC24-20
24 pin quality at die price of many 9 pins. 1 1 Ocps draft,
^(Hcps in LQ, lAkbufFerexpandaide lo^Sk 1 resident
i'onu, LCD front display, Auto «fnijlation selection
only £199.99
Star LC24-200
Mono and colour. 222 cp3 draft and 67 cps LQ. lO
resident fofits. A4 Landscape printing
only £229.99 mono
or £289.99 colour
Star XB24-200 Colour
The choke of many professional orprisatiors, this printer
comes wtch one rear on-site malntenarce. 332 cps draft,
too cps LQ. 29k buf^ vxp to IB9k, A super LQ foncs
and 1-4 LQ fonts
now only £379.99
Star LC200
Colour 9 pin printer wich 8 resident fonts and a hl^
speed Df225cps draft and 45 cps in NLQ. A4 Landscape
prindnf^
now only £199.99
THE STAR SJ48
BUBBLEJET
With Epson LQ and IBM Proprinter emulation. The
Sj48 is a revolutcion in printer technology. The quality
is almostas good as an expensive luer pdnteryet ccusts
less [lian tmany 24 pin printers. Porrahle in sir*, very
quiet, and faster than mon dot matrix printers at 100
cps in LQ. Mincer cable included
only £229.99
Auto sheetfeeder £52.93
HEWLETT PACKARD
INKJETS
ISt^r printer accessories J Dust covers from 1^4*99, Printer stand JLfst £7,99 when purchasing printer. Mono ribbons from only 0*69
WW^
CITIZEN PRINTERS
Al! Cl&en printers inc. free printer caWe
andiomewitiiaftiillywrwarrantyi
The Citizen Swift 9
Colour
Unbeatable value colour printer 4 resident fonts,
192 cps draft and 48 cps in NLQ. Hi^ly recom-
mendedr This printer is also as^l^able In a wide
carri^e (136 column) version
only £194.99 (80 col)
or £314.99 (136 col)
The New
Citizen 224
A repkcement for the famous 1 240, the 224 now
comes with the option to upgrade to a hl^h
resolution colour printer. If you want 24 pin
quality, you want to print in colour if necessary
and you don't v^^nt to spend a fortune, the new
224 IS an Ideal soJutlon. using the same technol-
ogy as the Swift 24, the 224 is pasically a cut down
version. [ 92 cpf draft and 64 cpi letter quality with
3 built in fonts,
only £2 1 4.99 (mono)
or £244.99 (colour)
Canon BJ I Oex..£ 244.99
Canon BJ300...£379.99
Canon BJ330....£5I9.99
I Citizen printer accessories : Mono ribbons only lA.n, Printer ttands £24.99, auto sheet feeder; IKM, semi auto sheet feeders only 119M fjj^ ^ll canon printers are llK-SEES.
The New Citizen
Swift 24e and 24x
(What Micro Best Buy)
The best budget 24 pin printer
has just got better/
This must be tlie best 24 pin colour princer for less than
£3(X). 5I< buffer expandable lo 4CH:, 2\it cps draft, 72 cps
LQ and multilingual too !
only £274.99 (80 col) I
or £414.99 (136 col)
you Eo create laser jet equality without the ccut.
with lOO page auto sheet feeder, printer cable, 3
page /minute speed and
3 ye;tr UK warr anpy
only £359.99
The HP Deskjet 500C
The famous deskjK SOO is now available as a
colour printer, with this printer you can get
SEunnIng coloor output at laser quality
now only £569.99
^wmmmf^mmsmwmmm
SUPRA MODEMS supra 2400 Plus
The i\ew super Jast
Supra-Fax Modem
V.32 bis (1 4400 baud.'.'!)
Allows you to send and receive fax messages,
This new modem from Supna has full 1 4400
baud Capability. Spec includes V,32bis, V.32,
V.22bls, V22, V2I,MNP4-S, MNPIO {for cell
phone comms), V.42, V42bi5, Class I & 2 com-
mands, 9600/14400 Group 3 Fax. Includes free
comma software and modem cable
only £259.99
EMULATORS
(up to 9600 BPS)
Even faster than the standard 2400 modem from Supra wtth auto dial and
auto receive. %O0bp5 Hayes com(»tible.V42 Bi^ MNP Sand auto adjusting
facility to maximise transmrssion speeds. Sp^c Includes V22 Includes frft«
modem cable and comms softwaneJJ
only £129.99
Supra 2400
Get on line with this incredible value fast modem from Supra widi auto dial
and auto receive. 2400 baud Hayes compatible, V22 Bl^. Includes free
modem cable and ccHinms soltwarefJ
now only £79.99
KCS Power board
Regarded as one of the best emulators on
the market, this emulator fits easily into
the trap door and also acts as a RAM
upgrade. Highly recommended.
now oniy £179.99
Add E1S.0D for MS-DOS 4,01
A500 Plus compacltkte
KCS Amiga.
1500/2000 adaptor
only £59.99
New Commodore 386-20
This is a full PC 3e4'20SX Bridfneboard (not an emulator)
™"*''"'""°"* only £439.99
TheNewGVPI6MhzPC-286
plu^ into an inwmal mini sl&t on the <jVP Series II HD3 + or GVP
A5» hard disc drives
only £239.99
VORTEX AT Once Pius
emulator turns your Am^ga into an IBM AT compaclble The
AT-Once Plus can be fitced to either the AMIGA I SO0/2DO0
or the ASOO.no w With 16 Mhz dock sp«ed/
only £214.99
■H^
ACCESSORl
ES
1 00 CAPACITY LOCK ABLE BISK BOX
«.)!
50 CAPACITY LOCKABLE DISK BOX
n CAPACITY STACKABLE BANX BOX
14.»
iD.)»
ISO CAPACITY STACKABLE TOSSO BOX_
AHIGAASOO DUST COVER ...
— XH.n
n.n
AMISA too COVER....
..II. n
M" M Q NITO R DUST COVER _™.
1 !■■ M ONITOR DUST COVER.
.„.-.i*.»
.a.M
I AMtCA TO SCART MONITOR CABLES M.M
I STD I.S METRE AMIGA PRINTER CABLE £4.V4
I MODEM AND NULL MODEM CAILES ,f9.V1
HKH QUAUTY AMIGA AS 00 CONTROL CENTRE
I «tti ntefFil M drlyt itidf, mouse I jofitidi pons, prtjjtd ned
rcHHmidon,Kmii^u3^e)pu« only £59*99
AMIGA SOUND
ENHANCER
Bjf Omejp Projects this sound enhancer will improve any sound
tbat Ps played throL^ your Amiga. Hear the Amiga's sound like
youVe never heard it before!
only £32.99
2 '^^^a.y Parallel port
HtmillliiiiBBHili^
Many peripherals Such as printers and scanners share the
Amiga parallel port causing the user to have to swap bem/een
the two. Solve this prohtem wich the 1 w^y sharer box
only £17.99
I -I
The Zy-Fi Stereo
System
The speakers are optimised with reflex |
ported cabinets. The 3 way system has 1
bais, mid range and treble drivers.
Complete with its own power supply the I
Zy-Fi system can also be powered by |
batteries
only £36.99
%
New Rooiite 3.5"
The new super slim Roclice has recently received the best reriewfor
disk drives in Amiga Format |^r\|w O^Q QQ
Cumana 3.5"
I meg external dnve.ThebestnarT^eindiscdriveanQwatzsuper
tow price, sail the most reliable. __|,, OO OOl
now only £53.99 1
Golden Image 3.5 Tracker
wltti built in LCD tracker display /»|«|i| l^A 00
FINALCOPY mw version UU
Nowftisurandeasierto use, this superb wccpjbiisl'ierfrcmchewricersofPenPaL
With bulk in oudine form for lop quality output, full graphics imp on; capability (IFF
and HAM). Features include Thesaurus, spetling checker and detector, automatic
hyphenation, insert date, time, and page number, scale graphics to any size, crop
graphics, multiple columns layout, magnified and reduced page view, full post script
support and much more.
Highly Recommended OFlly £49.99
^.^ £ I 04,99 with Cumana 3.5" externaf drive
AMIGA RELEASE 2
UPGRADE KIT
Complete with;
'Kickstart 2.04 CHIP
^Workbench 2*04^ Install,
Fonts and Extras cttsks
' full Commoctore manual set
only £79.99
SCANNERS
■
Aj r«OfTHTierded by CommodDre we believe diis to be one of die best all round rru^uidbiwcs
packa^ on *e Amiga, k connts wt* Ratinum Scritihle w^p, spell checker, thesaurus, Aralyse { a lotus
1 H' ccfT^uble spreandsheec with 3D grapfiics), a c^tabase, sidewa^ prrnJng utjliiy and communisLUons
SDJtvrare pEuS die besE selling Digiu Hame Accounts
only £44.99.'/
DI<3f-VI£W60LD
MEDIA SYSTEM
The new tomplete graphics creation
presentation package fo'^ your Amiga.
CamcS complete with the ^mpus Digi-Vifew
Gold, Digi-Paint and Elan Performer
only £129.99
WORDWORTHVI.I
ThE latest version Cif this highly 3C£kimed
WYSIWYG word publiiher. Comes wiih
multiple fonts, powerful thesaurus, large
spelichecker, spee^ synthesis.
only £72.99
PENPAL 1.4
"'"liii bfit 5c-llin^ -.''^.i-d^uDl [h-^i' n';ci'DO-n[es
r-.nny features fourjd orily in a dtisk LOp pub-
lisher. Also includes an ta.sy to use database.
now only £53.99
PAGESTREAM 2.2
The latest version of this powerful DTP
pack^ie that we re-commend. Bener dnan
abc of DTP packages on a PC and bener
than most on a Ma,G
only £t 29.99
New- INTERSPREAD
Thts newspH-eadshccLJs h-ighl^ rccCirn-
mended at at a bargain price, features
Include graphics presentation, and
advanced macros
only £24.99
New QUARTERBACK V5
New. completely rE-wntten version of
this Fast and Famous hard disk backup
utility. Supports up to 4 disk drives,
variable compression options and full
Macro and AP.EXX support. The Best!
only £39.99
ID Text Animate now only £?.««
Aegts S*jnfx...-r.,.-r„r„ ,„r.,., £39.99
Ai^ Department Pro 1. 1 £KI».?9
Am tga Vision M9.99
Amos Creator £34.99
Anios Compiler............ £37.99
Amos 3D £17.99
Audio Engineer £1 69.99
Audio Master version 4 £39.99
Broadcast Titler onlx£l49.99
CrossDos C I 9.99
Deluxe Music Costructlon Set. .£54. 99
Deluxe Paint 2 now only £4.99
Deluxe Paint 3-.-. now only £12,99
Deluxe Paint 4 now only £57,99
Easy AMOS £24.99
EXPERT DRAW ONLY £49.99
EXPERT 4D JR ONLY £37,99
Flexidump printer utlllty..,........,..£3l.99
DEVPAC J £ST.»9
Distant Sum £34.99
Final Accounts -...„..„ _.,„ £29.99
GB Route Planner .........£29.99
Gold Disk Office .......,....£64.99
OF* BASIC 3,S INTSWHETER ..ONLY £1 9.99
HiSoftBasic ....(54.99
Home Accounts 2.....„...,..............£37.99
Imagine VI £189.99
Opus Directory £29.99
Pagesetter 1 DTP £42.99
Pliraiie iJ».l9
Plstinum Scribble w/p inc spell checker/
theilurus,..,.,., ....now only £29,99
Pro Page professional VI DTP.,£149,99
Protect 4.3 W^.« now only £39.99
Pro Video Plus £1)9 99
Quarterback Tools ., — ..............^.^Ny £44.99
Sequencer One.............................!l74,99
Smooth Talker.... £10.99
TURBO PRINT £49.99
Vista £29.99
Vista Pro 2 (1 Mb re<|ulred) ...(«9.99
Walt Disney Animator £64.99
XCAD JD £189.99
THE COMPLETE
COLOUR SOLUTION
TTA^ICE 2
This IS latest an imatior. packd^e for :he ATiig^
from Rombo. Features include load and save
from D, Paint animations and IFF files. S*jp>-
p=mHAM|r,phics. only £44.99
As offi cial dealers for Rombo, we are able to offer
this extellent package at a great price.The com-
plete CDlour sdJutJori comes with RGB splitter,
Vidi Amiga, Vidi Chrome, power supply and
Photon Raint.
iw onJy £94.99
1 VIDIAMICSA^
High quality digitizing. IrtC Vidi dirom*
Golourisintg software - ^ ^^
now only £59,99
MEGAMIX MASTER
This ii a low cost 8 bit, h«gih spec, sampler
Chat plugs into your printer port. Special
effects include echo diat can be added in
real time, fully multitasking and easy to use.
only £29.99
RGB SPLITTER
EnabJes you to Cdoiur Digitise in a sec-
ond. Replaces red green blue filter set
Can be used with Digi view or Rombo
-■^Tow onty £44.99^
MICROBOTICS
ACCELERATORS
VXL30 25Mhz EC
only £239.99
VXL30 40MhzEC
only £369.99
I 6888 1 co-pro for above
only £79.99
1Mb of 32 Bit RAM
(fiOns)
only £214.99
8 Mb of 32 Bit RAM
(60fis) only £419,99
PANDAAL HANDSCANNER
On test this scanner has proved to be the easiest and most effective scanner that we have
used to date havii>g compared it to most of the other major hand scanners; on the
mar4tet.We are able to offer this high quality sca,nner at a fraction ot the normal cost.
Complete with the latest improved version of Daata'Scan software this scanner Is able to
pick out text and graphics at up to 40O d.p.i in real i^me. Daata-scan enables you to easily
manipulate the Image. Scans in real time up to M grey scalesi.ldealfor desk top publishing
and presentation.
now only £ 1 04.99 or £ 11 9.99
with 2 way parallel switcher box
THE POWER SCANNER
Highly fated by the review median this scanner comes with the latest version sohvare. With
bright and sharp grey scale performance and flexible scanned image display manipulation
options, this scanner muse be rated as a best buy[ Options include Clean up, embolden,
resile and flip. Highly recommended by the reviews!
only £94.99
DRAM & CUSTOM CHIPS
Kickstart l.3...£29,99
Kickstart 2.04.£39.99
Fatter Agnes. .£3 0.99
Super Denese.£30.99
4 Mb by 9 Simms (for cvp)
only CI 14.99 each
I Mb by 4 ZIPS
as used in Supra boards. 2 I Mbby^ ZIPS equal I Mb
only £38.99 per Mb
256 by 4 DRAM (DILs)
ideal forAS90&Supr^Harddriive&plus rrta/iy
other Amiga RAM appllcatiofis
I Mb by 4 DRAMS for Supra and
other RAM applications. .£27.99
QTY
4+ (SI2K)..now only £3.S9
8+ (IMb)....now only £3.39
16+ {2Mb)..now only O.09
I Mb by 8 or 9 SIMM boards
now only £29.99
ROCTEC MOUSE NAKSHAMOUSE
This is an excellent high quEil-
ity mouse for the Annii|ra. Fully
micro-switched mouse. Excellent
value and highly recommended.
only £13.99
or £16*99 MthmouKmit£hdtd«r
1 III:: iiiiiiOui ..liij Ln::it icJ'i!^ mouise
comes complete with Operation Stealth.
mouse mat,, holder and 2 year warrenty.
Features Include 290 DPI resolution, this
■5 Still our most popular upgrade mouse.
only £24.99
GENLOCKS I Rocgen Plus
Rocgen Genlock
with biiilt in mode switch box and auto
pass thru function, the Rocgen repre-
sents excelfent value for mone
only 99,99
with all the features of the standard
Rocgen. Alsti includes dual control
for overlay and keyhole effects^ ex-
tra RGB pass thru allowing real time
graph editing,
only £129.99
DISICS
Ail our 3.S" disks are GUARANTEED FOR A LIFETIME and are
CERTIFIED ftH3% ERROR FREE double sided, double density
disks are of the highest quality in magnetic media and are
extensively used hy dupEicatin| houses
k600
.MIGAA500PLUS
RAM MODULES
QfTY
F 3.5"
Bulk
OR
SONY
BRANDED
10...
30..
50...
100.
200.
500..
.,.£4.99 £6.99
.£ I 4.29 £ I 7.99
.£21.99.
.£39.99.
.£72.99.
.£169.99.
£28.99
.£54.99
.£99.99
,....n/a...
....n/a..
1000.. £339. 99
Sony Branded disks come complete with labels
Disk Labels....50O now only £6.99
Disk Labels...! 000 now only £9.99
m
These hljh quaiiw HAM modules will take your ASM Plus or the new AMM up to
2 Mb of chip RAM without invalidating ^ur warranty.
ASOOP A600
Unpopulated only £16.99. £29.99
Populated to SI2K only £29.99......£39.99
Populated to I Mb only £39.99 £49.99
PHOENIX ROM SHARERS
Be^iauie lorr c o :c a- iov.ware wi 'I ,iot run or [ le new 2.i>4 o peratin| lysie m Ph De ms
have ctes (gnecS a high quality ROiM sharer. Recognised as being the best on the nurket,
this ROht sharer features a fteKlble ribbon conntctton so that it can be positioned
anywhere within your ASM PJus or A600. Keyhoarti switchable sharer now
avaiiabiei All PhoenIx products come complete with a full 1 year
replacement warranty
SUPRA RAM
The ultimate Amiga ASOtJ expansion. Take your ASOO up to 9 Mh {10 Mb with
the ASOO Plus]. Fits tjnio the side eKpansion por^ Auto confgures with |^
software etching.
Please note that when 256*4 ZIPS are used, the Supra RAM can only be
populated to a maximum ol ^ Mb. If you use this confguration and want to
further increase ytsur capacity you must replace the 256*4 ZIPS with I Mb by
4 ZIPS.
8Mb pop to 1Mb £94.99
8Mb pop to 2 Mb using 256Mzip$...£l 19.99
8Mb pop to 2 Mb using IMb*4 zip$..£ 139.99
8Mb pop to 4 Mb £194.99
8Mb pop to 8 Mb £299.99
now only £19.99 or £29.99 for keyboard switchable version
Kickstart 1.3 only £29.99 or Kickstart 2.04 only £39.99
I
MAIL ORDER ? WHY FIRST CHOICE 1
Order bf telephone quoting your credit cart)
rtiirber. If paying by cheque please make
payable to FIRST CHOICE. In any
correspondarce please qjote a contact
phone number and post code. Allow 5 work-
ing days for cheque clearence
Mail order Hotline 6 lines
0532 637988
Pnces are subject to change wittiouc notice, E&OE.
* All prices include VAT and Standard Delivery
* All hardware/computers are genuine UK spec.
* Free Fast Standard 4 to 7 day Delivery
* Guaranteed 2 to 3 day Delivery only £2.00
* Guaranteed Next Day Delivery only £4.50
"Open seven days a week for your convenience
SI2K RAM EXPANSION
Top qualii^ RAM eKpsnsions lo - tic A500 complete with
battery backed clock arid cn/cff iwitcn. This RAM expan-
sion will not in anyway invalidate your Amiga wan
'""^ ' now only £24.99
pleas!
DEPTAS,Um8,ARMLEY
PARK COURT, OFF CECIL
STREET, LEEDS, LSI 2 2 AE
NO PROBLEM!
Welcome once more to Amiga Answers, the
section of the macazlne ^ere we endeavour to
straighten out your hassles with that wonderful
but occasionally stubborn machine, the Amiga.
Every ntonth we devote more space and apply
more resources than any other Amiga magazine
to solving your problems. We receive sontething
itke 100 queries a week, so the s«rviGe Is
obviously appreciated.
It's my Job to co-ordinate the whole thing:
sorting throu^ the questions and sending them
off to the relevant chappies for the kind of In-
depHi answers you've come to expect; and
compiling them Into the lovingly crafted pages
which you see before you.
I call on a wlcte variety of expertise to make
sure you get the answers you need, which Is why
Amiga Anaw^ta is so successful. There's Mark
Smiddy, industiy gunj, AmlgaDOS-tamer and
business applications wizard; Jeff Walker,
probably the most knowledgeable Amiga desktop
pubilslier there Is; and Jason Hotbom, longtime
AMOS explorer and PD sampler, as well as good
ail-founder (or should that be all round good
guyl).
if It's a question about video, then I'll pass it
on to Gary Whitetey, our professional
videographer for whom the word 'genlock' means
'mixing Amiga graphics with video ftir magtcal
results' and for whom the word 'snipwirrar
means nothing at all.
Programming queries are dealt with by Paul
Overaa, who's not afraid to cods In any
tartguage, and who doutiles as a MIDI maestro to
solve your sequencing slip-ups.
Our hardware guru is Jolyon Ralph. This man
knows Just atMut everything about disks, both
hard and floppy, and what he doesn't know about
memory lie's probabty forgotten. Communication
breakitowns are flxednjp by Phil Harris.
All in ail, a fonnidabie team, supplemented
by my own not Inconsiderable Amiga suss. L«t's
face It, If we can't answer your question, It's
probably one of ttie Mysteries of the Universe.
This month we put yet mora people In the
right direction for printer drivers - the most
common Amiga query there Is. We give Amiga
buying advice, explain the Intricacies of floating
point representation, partition a hard drive, arvd
detail the connection of several monitors.
The sound Alter Is analysed, using requesters
from C Is explained, and the delights of Denlse
are divulged, amongst numerous other things.
Don't forget to keep sending us those
problems - we thrive on themi
Cheers,
e^i^mJi^
AMOS ANSWER
r-T :| As the Editor of
li% I Vactor, the
l^^^^J shareware disk
I^I^U magazine, I was
wondering whether it would be
possitrie to include listings from
Amiga Shopper in a new section
devoted to AMOS. 1 am especially
interested In using the 3D requester
routine by Chris Hurst and the Time
procedure by Francois Lionet.
Anon
Having checked with Andy (our
editor), you'll be pleased to learn
that he has given the big thumbs up.
Other readers should note however
that It is always a good idea to
contact a magazine before re-
publishing anything that appears in
print. Every single word that a
magazine publishes Is copyrighted to
the author and the magazine In
question, so legal action could be
taken if someone re-publlshes any
part of an article word for word
without the permission of the
publishing house In question. We're
pretty easy going on Amiga Shopper,
but we still like to know when
someone wants to re-publish any
part of the magazine. JH
BASIC PRINTING
is It possible to
detect whether a
printer Is ort4ine from
Amiga Basic?
Frank Dyson
Elland
West Yorkshira
It is possible to detect errors when
writing to the PRT: device (whether
explicitly or by using LPRINT) and you
will find that having the printer off-
line will generate a normal Basic
type trappable en-or as this short
example will show:
ON EBBOR GOTO TRAP
LPRIHT "Just a. line of J
test teatt"
END
TRAP: PRINT "Sorry - J
printer is still not aa line"
RESUME NEXT
If you run this program with the
printer disconnected you'll get, after
a short delay where nothing appears
to happen, a system requester
telling you that there is printer
trouble. If the requester Is cancelled
without the fault being rectified then
the Basic error trap takes over and
in the case of the above example
the attempted LPRINT Is cancelled, a
message telling the user that the
printer is still not on line appears,
and the program terminates. As far
as 1 know there is no way to prevent
the system requester from appearing
but the error trap statements can, at
least, make sure the program takes
a suitable course of action. PAO
CROSS WITH FILO-DOS
W A 'M I have entered the
lr\. I AmlgaDOS database
l^^^^J on page 121 of
IBI^U Amiga SlJoppai'B May
edition but I can't get it to work, it
Just says "Command:" at the
bottom and refuses to do anything
else. What is going wrong?
Shane Lambert
Beverly
South Humberside
1 suspect you have misunderstood
the article. The AmlgaDOS database
is constructed from several modules
which were serialised from issue 13
to 15. The Database listing you refer
to forms the main menu which calls
the Individual modules. MS
TRACKBALL TROUBLE
HI recently purohased
an Alpha Data TKB-
MT-A trackball from
Gastelner Techno-
logies. When the trackball is
piugged-ln, my Nexus/Quantum
hard disk refuses to auto-boot,
although the system will boot from
floppy-
Can you please help? I am
capable of and willing to perform
the minor surgery of replacing leads
and/or connectors if this Is
necessary.
Qraham Darlington
Hale wood Village, Liverpool
I have never heard of dodgy
mice/trackballs crashing the Amiga.
I have heard of mice that have the
metal shielding on blowing up
Amigas by short circuiting the mouse
port (indeed I did this to my first
Amiga 2000 *e week after I bought
it), but this Is not the same thing.
I'd try replacing the trackball,
failing that, take your Amiga to a
repair centre and ask them to take a
look at your mouse port, JR
STAR FADES AWAY
have a problem with
my Star LC24'10
printer. Parts of the
printed text or
graphics are faded at the beginning
and end of some lines, more so with
graphics than text.
We've taken the printer back to
the shop, where It has supposedly
been repaired, it usually performs
better after a repair, but gets worse
JARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
Chip RAM - The area of the Amiga's memory directly accessible by the
custom graphics and sound chips, St Is used for producing screen
displays, animations and sound effects.
Hard drive - Like a floppy drive, but much bi^er and faster. Also, the disk
cannot be removed, so once the hard drive has been filled, it's either
time to delete excess files or get another one.
Include flies - Supplied by Commodore, these provide the offsets needed to
access system library routines, and the fonnats for all system stmctures.
244>lt ^aphics - Normally, the Amiga uses between one and five bits (binary
digits) to store the colour of each pixel (picture element) of a display.
This means that between two and 32 colours can be displayed. Hardware
add-ons are now becoming available which use 24 bits per pixel, giving a
possible 16.7 million colours.
52
AMIOA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1993
-HBHhR.
again, it's never bean conipletsly
solved.
We've had the printer for two
years; the problem developed after
one. What causes the fading?
Mark Fox
Hazlenrere
High Wycombe
This sounds suspiciously like the
ribbon gear mechanism isn't working
properly. When you return it to Ihe
retailer he probably opens up the
printer and twiddles around with this
mechanism, which will cure it for a
while, but not for very long, as you
have discovered.
Your retailer won't fix it properly
because the guarantee has run out.
The only solution is to pay someone
to repair it. If the place you bought it
from won't or can't do the job, then
phone Star sales « 0494 471111,
explain the problem, and ask for
details of Star dealers who will be
able to repair it.
But before you do that, try it with
a new ribbon just In case the one you
are using Is faulty or worn out. I know
this might sound like a sales pitch
for Star, but the only LC24-10
ribbons I can put my hand on my
heart and recommend are those
manufactured by Star itself; some of
the cheap third-party LC24-10
ribbons are not worth the plastic
case they come in. JW
GAME DECISION
I wish to purchase an
Amiga computer for
the sole purpose of
playing games. I had
decided upon an Amiga A500 Plus
but the arrival of the A600 has left
me wondering which of the two
machines would be best suited for
my purposes. When I purchase my
new machine, Is It Important to
specify the Kickstart version? is tfw
Philips CM8833 compatible with
both the ASOO Plus and the A600?
FD Ballby
Thome
Doncastar
If you only ever intended playing
games, then I'd probably tell you to
buy an A600, but chances are that
you'll probably want to do a lot more
than this once you actually buy an
Amiga, l\flany people buy Amigas for
the sole purpose of playing games,
but most of them eventually realise
that there's a iot more to computing
than waggling a Joystick. I for one
started my computer career playing
games only, but you'd be surprised
just how easy it is to get tempted by
the more serious side to computers,
especially when they're as capable
as the Amiga.
With this in mind, your best bet
is the ASOO Plus. Although
Commodore has discontinued the
machine, third party hardware and
software vendors will continue to
support the machine for years to
come. After all, in the UK alone the
ASOO accounts for almost 95% of the
user base. If hardware vendors were
to ignore such a huge market, they'd
be cutting their own throats. Even
when vendors start to produce titles
for the A600's ROM card slot, you
can bet that some enterprising
company will come up with an
adaptor. Take my advice - buy the
ASOO Plus instead.
All new machines come equipped
with Kickstart and Workbench 2.04,
so there's no reason to specify the
Kickstart version. Rnally, the Philips
CM8833 will work perfectly with the
A500 Plus and the A600. JH
HEY BIG SPENDER
I am In the market for
a 24-blt display card. I
have an Amiga 500
with an SSL A5000
68020 accelerator and 3Mb RAM.
I've seen tfte adverts for the
Progressive Peripheral and
Software's Rambrandt system
which utilises the Texas 34020 and
34082 chip set to produce very fast
graphic processing, 3D hardware
shading etc.
I have a budget of £3-£4000
and this must also Include a 68040
processor as well as the display
card. Could you tell me If
Rambrandt Is the fastest system
currently on the market within my
price range or, would I be better
looking at other systems?
DF Edwards
Harlow
Essex
Unfortunately you are going to have
to include a new Amiga in your
shopping list If you want a
Rambrandt. Why? Simply because
the Rambrandt Is designed to fit
Amiga 1500/2000/3000 series
computers as an internal expansion
system. This also applies to many
other 24-bit devices based on
expansion slot architecture, for
Instance Amiga Centre Scotland's
Harlequin, G2's VD2001 and GVP's
IV24. Archos's AVideo24 will fit in
the Denise slot of your Amiga 500,
but you'll need an '030 card to run
TV Paint In fact, an '030 is almost
obligatory for graphics work at the
level you appear to be aiming for,
though your projected '040 will, of
course, do nicely instead.
From what I've seen so far
(which is limited to the Amiga
St)opper Show) the Rambrandt
appears to be a very interesting
device. The selling price will be
around £2200 when they eventually
hit the streets, probably around the ■
time you are reading this. As 1 said
last month, the spec looks great, but
until there is enough software
support I would hold fire. You may
also be interested to know that GVP
Is producing a graphics card which
attaches to the 32-bit expansion slot
of their G-Force cards, which is
rumoured to be excellent, and
Britain's own G2 should be pitching
in with its own offering soon. My best
advice for now is to stick with what
you have and wait a little while. Keep
an eye open for the new generation
of hardware which is literally just
around the comer. By this time the
whole lot, including a new Amiga,
should be well within your budget.
aw
MINISCRIBE DRIVE
HI Have a IVIInlscrlbe
8425 E8D5I PM 8000
hard drive. All I wmild
like to know Is
the capacity and the Interface type
- IDE or whatever - and which
controller you would recommend.
The drive has an Inspection date of
20/5/87 and was made In
Singapore and I have no paper work
with K. It's to ftt a revision 6.2
B200D.
Jtm McCusker
Letchworth
I'm not sure about the capacity of
this drive, although I'd hazard a
guess and say it is probably a
massive 20Mb drive. The Interface
you describe is ST-506, and there is
no way of connecting this to the
Amiga 2000, except the Commodore
A2090A controller, which is no longer
made and was a piece of junk
anyway. Sorry I can't help any more.
JR
WHICH PRINnR?
1 am going to be
buying a printer near
Christmas, and I want
to know which would
be best. My choices are the
INCLUDING C
I have recently
purchased NoithC,
a PD version of the
C language. Can
you [ilease tell me how and
wrtiere I can purchase the
Commodore Amiga lnclu<te files.
5 Bultltude
Lower Stondon
Beds
The header files can be ordered
for £25 directly from Commodore
UK at: Commodore Business
Machines (UK) Ltd., Commodore-
Amiga Technical Support,
Bradbourn Drive, Tilbrook, Milton
Keynes MK4 SAT.
Seikosha 5P-1900 Plus dot-matrix,
the Commodore MPS-1270 Inkjet,
and the Star LC20 dot.4natrlx.
I was thinking atmut the
Commodore one, but I read In Amiga
Answers (Issue 9} that this printer
is not currently tveing produced. Is
this true?
Rnalty, could you tell me which
printer driver each of the above
printera require?
Mark Whitworth
Yaadon
Leeds
If the MPS-1270 Is not fn cunent
production, this is big news to
Commodore's marketing people, who
tell me the opposite.
The driver Commodore
recommends for use with the MPS-
1270 (in IBM or Epson mode} is the
CBM_MPS1000 driver on the Extras
disk; however, as the name of the
driver implies, it Is not a 'proper'
driver for the MPS-1270 and there
may be problems with graphics, and
there might be some features of the
MPS-1270 that cannot be used.
The Seikosha SP-1900 Plus
HEART SURGERY
HI recently gave my Amiga ASOO open heart surgery and
suGcessfuity made the modifications necessary to allow the
machine to use 1Mb Chip RAM. I managed that without a
hitch, but while I was working, I noticed that near to the
existing four RAM chips there were another four empty spaces. Does this
mean I can add another 512K to my machtne in addition to the 1Mb
already shared with the A601 expansion?
BBal
Woh^rhampton
The Midlands
This is commonly known as a "gotchya". There is room for 1Mb on the main
board: two 512 K blocks configured from four 1Mbit chips. The "gotchya" is
the fact that the A501 occupies exactly the same physical address space as
those four chips. The answer therefore is, no. Sorry. At better ^icat solution
would be to get a larger expansion - preferably on which fits on the side of
the machine - Power Computing has just released two; one of which is a
budget 2Mb expansion. MS
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
53
JARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
HAM - Hold And Modify is an Amiga graptiic mode allowing alt 4096 colours
to be displayed at once, with certain restrictions.
PC clone - IBM PC compatible computer based on one of the fntel 8067 or
SOxxx series CPUs, and with similar hardware/software configuration.
Printer driver - A program tfiat sits inbetween any apptfcations program
producing output and the printer. It converts any codes describing text
and graphics format into a form suitable for a specific printer.
RAM - Random Access Memory, the place in the Amiga where programs are
stored while they are being executed. The more RAM the better.
Sample - A digital - computerised - representation of a sound, A sample can
be sent through a digital to analogue converter (the Amiga has four of
these) and be heard as sound. Changing the speed at which the sample
is ptayed back changes the frequency (or pitch) of the sound.
emulates the Epson FX-S50. It's
supposed to be a 100% FX-850
emulation, but then they say that to
all the girls. If it is 100% FX-850
emulation, then the best driver to
use is called Star9Plus, available on
a £2 Jamdisk from JAM » 0895
274449.
If you are considering a Star 9-
pin printer then I would recommend
the LC-200, This is the only printer in
your list for which an Amiga printer
driver has been specifically written,
that driver being the afore-mentioned
Star9Pius one. JW
MEMORY MATTERS
I want to add more
ntemory to my Amiga
A50D (about 2-3Mb).
What Is tiie best
memory expansion available bearing
In mind that I don't want to spend
any more than £1407
Also, I use the PD program
PrintStuaio to print out Vtata
landscapes but the printouts are
rather dark. Surprisingly though,
other programs seem to print OK.
What can I do to Improve tiie quatl^
of my printouts? I am using the Star
LC-10 driver to drive my LC-200.
Paul Chamberlain
Letchworth
Harts
Having used several RAM
expansions, I personally prefer the
Cortex (« 051 236 0480) range of
boards. The 2Mb board that the
company produces costs £160, OK,
this is £20 more than you want to
spend, but it really is worth it.
Cortex RAM expansions boast an
impressive list of features including
a pass-through connector (very
important if you wish to buy a hard
drive at a later date) and they come
witti their own power supplies so
they won't burden the Amiga.
If the printouts that you are
obtaining from the Star are too dari^,
then check the density setting on
your Wsts program disk, (f the
setting is too high, then the printout
will be rather dark. Under 1.3
Preferences, go into the Graphic 2
window and adjust the density
setting to about 3 or 4. Failing that,
it might be worth getting your hands
on a copy of the Star9Plus printer
driver which is on Jeff Walker's JAM
disk 5, It costs £2 and can be
obtained from JAM, 75 Greatfields
Drive, Uxbridge UBS 3QN. JH
REAL 32 COLOURS
l^^^gH i read a review of
H_*l RealSD some time
I i?^ I °^'*' ' ^^^^ beginners
^^^^^J version 1.1 and I am
having difficulty rendering Images In
32 colours. I can render to 16
greyscale and HAM but I am unable
to render 32 colours. Do I need the
professional version?
M Wallman
Colchester
Essex
The short answer to your question Is
that none of the versions of Real3D
support 32 colour rendering, only
HAM, 16 colour greyscale and 24^ttl
If you want to produce a 32 colour
image you'll have to render it in HAM
or 24'bit and convert it. 1^0 u could try
using DPaint IV to do this by loading
a HAM image and then changing the
screen format to 32. Alternatively,
other programs such as PixMate or
Art Department are available to
perform the same tasks. BW
PC BLUES
My Amiga A1500 has
a C5A.MMR because
I needed the speed
for DTP and DTV
work. I have now discovered I need
to run PC software at home for a
training course. Would any of the
current emulators suit my setup? I
don't want to have to buy a
separate PC.
David Sethwood
Warrington
Cheshire
There are several choices for such a
setup such as the Commodore
Bridgeboards, Vortex ATOnce and the
KCS Power PC cards. The choice Is
up to you, but my personal choice
has always been the KCS system.
Although, like ATOnce, it needs an
adapter for the larger Amigas, It
remains the most consistently
reliable system I have used and
offers the best choice of screen
modes. However, if you intend to run
any hi-resolution EGA or VGA modes,
it may be worth investing in a flicker
fixer and multi-sync monitor. MS
SWITCH GLITCH
HI have bought a
Golden Image hand
scanner with Touch-
Up software. I also
bought a Centronics switch box so
that I could switch between using
my Star LC-200 printer and the
scanner without having to switch off
the computer.
All seemed fine until I took a
look at some line art that I had
scanned. It was very corrupt. So I
tried connecting the scanner
directly to the computer and the
oorruptlon problem went away.
All the cables appear to be
making good connections, and the
switch box has no fault. Any Ideas
on what Is going wrong?
Graham Crowther
Pant
Oswestry
'd'ou've proved that the switch box is
the problem, it obviously cannot
keep up with the speed at which the
scanner is trying to pass data
trough the parallel port.
Solution? Get a better switch
box. Avoid these big (and cheap)
switch boxes that look like a rat's
nest of wires Inside, go for one that
is made with a printed circuit board.
JW
THROUGH-PORT ADAPTOR
Hi want to buy a hard
drive. I had settled on
the GVP lOSMb as
the Ideal choice but It
does not have a through-port and
would consequently need
unplugging at regular intervals to
use my Action Replay.
I know this question has come
up from numerous people In
different forms a number of times,
but It seems noiwdy will give a
definite answer to the question.
Most Just duck It and give a totally
different and unsatisfactory answer.
I use the Replay a lot now:
formatting, installing, doing
directory checks, checking which
disks I'm stupid enough not to have
labelled, rippirig pictures and words
and so on. I found recently that life
was a lot harder without a Replay.
Is there a reliable company that can
make up a lead to connect both
hard drive and replay to the Amiga
at once?
David Lord
Manchester
You are in luck. Datel Electronics Ltd
(« 0782 744 324) does a little
board which will allow you to plug
both the replay and hard drive into
the Amiga at the same time. JR
SOUND EDITS
I use TechnoSound
Y^U^ Turbo to produce
^ samples, but one
thing seems to puzzle
me. I know that to Increase the
pitch of a sample It has to be played
at a higtter speed but this also
speeds up the sample. Aucffo
Engineer Plus claims to be able to
alter the pitch without altering the
playback speed. Could you please
tell whether this process works well
or does the quality of the sample
suffer? Are there any cheaper
packages available that will do the
same Job?
Stuart Wilkes
Tunbridge Weils
Kent
Altering the pitch of any sample will
effect its sound quality no matter
whether you're using TechnoSound
Turbo or the latest Akai l6-bit
sampler, especially when the pitch is
lowered. Considering the limitations
of the Amiga's sound hardware,
Audio Engineer Plus actually does a
very good job of altering the pitch
without effecting playback speed. It
doesn't wori( too well on shorter
samples, but for long looped rtiythms
etc, the results are certainly pretty
impressive.
Audio Engineer is rather
expensive (£200) so no doubt you'll
be pleased to learn that the software
is available separately in the shape
of AudioMaster 4. It costs
approximately £80 and is available
from HB Marketing ■a 0753 686000.
JH
C POWER
I have been using
NorthC 1.3 for a
number of months
now, mainly to get
the foel of intuition. Recently
however, I needed a power function
so I used the math.h Include ftle to
get access to pow(). I've noticed
that this only has an accuracy of
five decimal places, as does the
exp() which I assume Is used along
with logo to make up the pow()
function.
Although math.h uses different
declarations to the libraries/
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
You know what you want
from your computer, that's
why you 're choosing AMIGA
. . .NOW YOU'VE CHOSEN THE RIGHT
COMPliTEli MAKE SURE YOU CHOOSE
THE RIGHT DEALER
lyone c;iii be good at selling Amiga or CDT\'. but sadly, that's
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The Closer you look,
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STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS
iMEW 1Mb. AMIGA A600 RANGE
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As this issue of the magazine was going to press, Commotlore announced these new modets
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The details beiow are provisionai, but rest assured the multi title Powerpiay pack we are puttii
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TWO MODELS: A600 FD Single 3.5" 880Kb. Floppy Drive
A600 HD Single 3.5" 88QKb. Floppy Drive with internal 2QMb. Hard Disk Drive.
These two latest additions to the Amiga family introduce some stunning new features...
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COMPATIBLE: With virtualiy all Amiga A500+ software, Memory Upgrade Port.
1Mb. RAM; Expandable to 2Mb. internally with Real Time Clock.*
IN HOME SERVICE: Means should a hardware fault develop, a technician will visit your home to service or replace yc
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*/( IS important to note that the sidecar expansion bus & RAM ^_ ^
expansion slot are diflerent from those found on the original ■
Amiga ASOO and the current Amiga ASOOf computers.
Existing Amiga owners who have peripherals which connect in
these ways who wish to upgrade computers, should consider
whether the new A600 or its recenllY launched partner in (fie
Amiga range, the A500*, is the most appropriate lot their needs.
Plosse contsci us i) you ','jould Ms /o discuss these
ii>v7':;:/';!.v;;iC'B 'n more detail.
A570&A670CDR
These fantastic CD ROftfl Drives will allow y«J to access the
growing range of Interactive CDTV Titles for around £299'
and also play your audio CO collection through your stereo!
Simply plugs into your Amiga S00+ or A600 for iminediate use.
['RRP. compatibility and release details yet to be confirmed
by Commodore UK' ■ Please telephone lor further information]
Apple™ in Alfreton...
For the professional U5er, Gordon Harwood provides the outstanding Apple™ Macintosh™ range of most
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TIk Laser-QuaHiy Style Writer™ Ink-Jet printer with automatEc sheet
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MacitJEosh™ a the industry standard systan for Dt? and
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As an Apple Authorised Reseller, systems are avaiiahle
dwJU j^ our showroom only. Plrase visit us for your
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Computers
9\.ys#
ew GORDON
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TV Modulator
4096 Colours
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Speech Synthesis
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Amiga Mouse
Operation Manuals
Workbench 2 Disks
ALL Connecting Catiles
PLUS.. .All OUR Amigas
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[Please see M details in our
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THAT'S RIGHT HARWOODS HAVE PUT TOGETHER THE
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Just took at what you get NOW...
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THE SIMPSONS, BART vs THE SPACE MUTANTS - Thats right mani
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CM8833/II
STEREO COLOUR
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See page G lor FULL ;
dedjte Ql this nmartaUe ;
Oirrmmjtof secttw] m page 6
gima fun details taryetirctiolce
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+
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PROFESSIONAt^
••M
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ATNOESTHACOST!
See page 6 fm FULL
"'13
O
lI'llfH
""13
«ii;;;i»
STEREO COLOUR MONITOR
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STAR LC200 9 PIN Nl
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then you also get.,.
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"
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GORDON
Co^pi
ALFRETON DERBYSHIRE
The Closer you hok
The Better ive look
■l-llllllltV k-l-IUM f/JV
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COTV ACCESSORIES
RsassraK for
IMAGINE, IF YOU CAN, THE CONCEPT OF
A NEW, MORE POWERFUL AMIGA...
...WITH 1 MEGABYTE OF MEMORY, AND A COMPACT DISK DRIVE OF ALMOST INFINITE
SIZE. A DISK DRIVE SO VAST, IT CAN STORE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DIGITS OF
DATA. THIS DATA COULD BE, SPEECH, ANIMATED PICTURES, OIGITISED STEREO
SOUND, COMPUTER IMAGES OR WHOLE ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.... AND MORE.
IMAGINE THIS. AND YOU CAN START TO GRASP THE CONCEPT OF CDT\''.
THE irnEGRAL COMPACT DISK DRIVE. IS THE KEY TO THE POWER OF OQVJ. ITS STORAGE CAPACITY IS EQUIVALENT
TO AROUND A QUARTER OF A MiaiON FULL PAGES OF TBfT. THIS WHEN IHTE6HATE0 WITH TWE 1 MB OF INTERNAL
AMIGA CIRCUttflY, CREATES A SYSTEM, WHICH FROM A CO DISK, CAN GIVE YOU ACCESS TO AN UNIMAGINABLE
SPECTHUM OF REAL WORLD IMAGES, NEVER SEEN COMBINED BEFORE. THESE VIVID IMAGES, WITH WORDS AND
SOUNDS, GIVE YOU A WHOLE NEW DII^ENSION IN HOME EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT & INFOHMATiON TECHNOLOGY.
AND... DONT FORGET, THAT COTV CAN PLAY IN SUPERB QUALITY, ANY NORyAL AUDIO MUSIC CD, AND IT CAN
ALSO PLAY THE NEW CDtG DISKS, WHICH GIVE DIGITAL SOUND AND ON SCREEN GRAPHICS.
ON CD DISKS NOW AVAILABLE. THERE ARE EDUCATIOtWL PACKAGES, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS PACKED WR^H
REFERENCE INFORMATION, STUNNING GAMES, MUSIC SYSTEMS AND MANY OTHER NEW AND VARIED
SUBJECTS, INCLUDING WHOLE WORLD ATLASES OR EVEN THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPE^E,
EACH ON ONE CD DISKIII CDTV ■ NOTHING LESS THAN REVOLUTIONARlf
FREE CDTV STARTER PACK!!!
WHEN YOU CHOOSE YOUR CDTV FROM GORDON HARWOOD, NOT ONLY DO
YOU GET OUR LEGENDARY SERVICE, BUT WE GIVE YOU A CDTV STARTER PACK,
TO GET YOU EXPLORING YOUR NEW WORLD - STRAIGHTAWAY.
THIS INCLUDES A SUPERB SELECTION OF CD DISK TITLES INCLUDING THE WELCOME
TUTORIAL & HUTCHINSOMS ENCYCLOPAEDIA, PLUS ... FIVE GAMES, SHERLOCK HOLMES
& THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, SIM CITY, CHAOS IN ANDROMEDA, A TOWN
WITH NO NAME, AND THE ACCLAIMED LEMMINGS, WORTH IN TOTAL ALMOST £200.00.
IN ADDITION IS THE INFRARED REMOTE CONTROLLER, AND ALL THE HARDWARE
NEEDED TO GET YOU CONNECTED.
ALL THIS FOR JUST £499.95
CDTV IS THE SAME SIZE AND STYLE AS MOST VIDEO HEOORDEIS, SO IT CAN SIT UNOBTRUSIVELY ABOVE OR BELOW
YOUR HOME VJ AND/OR HI-FI. AND WITH ITS INFRARED PEMOTE CONTROLLER, FT CAN BE OPERATED FROM YOUR
ARMCHAIR. BUT PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU ARE A COMPUTER ENTHUSIAST, REMEMBER THAT INSIDE
P/ERY CDTV, IS AN AMIGA, JUST WAITING TO BE USED. SO LATER ON, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BUY THE OPTIONAL
KEYBOARD AND DISK DRIVE, TO GET INTO THE WORLD OF AMIGA COMPUTING. PRINTERS, DIGITISERS,
GENLOCKS AND OTHER ACCESSORIES,CAN ALL BE CONNECTED TO GIVE ACCESS TO MANY OTHER EXCITING
FACiUTIES, AND ALSO MANY OF THE EXISTING SOFTWARE PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR THE AMIGA COMPUTER,
NEVER BEFORE HAS THERE BEEN SO MUCH POTENTIAL FROM ONE NEW STUNNING SYSTEM, PACKED WFTH
TODAYS TECHNOLOGY.!
CAU. IN AND SEE US FOB YOUR PERSONAL DEMONSTRATION, OR PHONE US FOR YOUR
FREE DETAILED CDTV INFORMATION PACK
AN B9 KEY QWERTY KEYBOARD £49.95
INFRARED MOUSE WITH BATTERY SAVER. £49.95
INFflAR£DTRAa<BAU.,WITHTHEOFTION £79.95
OF DIRECT CONNECTION TO EXTEND BATTERY UFE.
DUPUCATES FUNCTIONS OF 2 BUHON MOUSE &
INCLUDES TWO 9 PIN PORTS FOR STD, JOYSTICKS
FOR HOLDING CD WITHIN DRIVE £9,95
CD 1401 MEMORY CARD PERSONAL RAM CARD CONTAINING £79,95
64K OF MEMORY FOR STORING DATA OR AS A
BOOKMARK FACILITY WITHIN CDTV
;D 1«S memory card a larger personal ram card £249,95
CONTAINING 512K OF MEMORY FOR STORING
DATA OR AS A BOOKMARK FACIUTY WITHIN CDTV
3.5" FLOPPY DRIVE WfTH SBOK CAPACITY. £99.95
MATCHING BLACK FINISH . SUPPLIED WITH
AMIGA WORKBENCH DISKSfMANUALS StC.
PAL BASED VIDEO INTERFACE CARD FOR £149,95
SUPERIMPOSING CDW IMAGES OVER A VIDEO SIGNAL
PROVIDED BY ANY STANDARD VIDEO SOURCE
CDTV COMPATIBlf AND STYLED IN £69.95
MATCHING BLACK.
Many Amiga Aocsssofles S Pwipterals (e.g. Printere, Disk Drives, Software etc.) are
compaiibie with CDTV. Pleass phone us for rampatabilSy [nfomation.
CD 1220 KEYBOARD
CD 1252 MOUSE
C012flOTRACK8ALl
CD 1400 CADDY
C8M FLOPPY DRIVE
;D1301 GENLOCK
ROCUTE 3.5* DRIVE
HARWOODS AMIGA
PRO-GEN
NEW LOWER PRICE
lO-GEN Amiga Genlock
T^e Pro-gen AMIGA Genlock allows you to mix you( Amiga display wUh ary PALvkteo
slgnai whether it is fran a VCR, Laserdisk player or a Camcorder. In fact any item of
vfdeo eqiiipment which outputs a PAL comptisite video signal .Combined with the Amiga
coniputer the PrcnGen gives you the fftciWes ot a special elfects & video tilling suite.
Take your own films & give Ihem a professieral look it/ OVERLAYING TITLES or by
SUPER IMPOSING YOUR OWN GRAPHICS created in packages like Photon Palnl 2.0
or Deluxe Paint Pra-Gerr is suppf ed wih micro illusions superb Ptioton Paint 2.0 package.
FREE Photon Paint 2.0 Software
A powerful Lo^d-Hi resolutioii hoW and modify (HAM) paint program, Willi overscan
(NTSC/PAL) arid special effects for your Amiga Computer including all ttie following...
Contour Mapping: drap«s a brush over a 3D 'landscape'. Pixel intensity values decide
the peaks and valleys, while a special^ deve'oped ray-tracing algorithm maps the image
precisely. Surface Happing; around 3D objects, both geomelrir; and free hand drawn.
Lumfnanoe: sets tlie light source and intensity. Shado«ln(|: automatically wHti corrtrcl of
size and offset. Brush Control-, twist, tilt, resize, flip, rotate, bend, adjustable transparency,
stretcti Etc etc. PLUS LOTS MORE! A great program allowing use of 4096 colours. Choice
of honz/vert page print, negatives, anti-aliasing, dilhered print, adjustable brihglness etc.
How it works: | \ — i | STOP PRESS
PHVaBL. NOW inClUOH AVHW
veRSAI«£ MU.T1 CONHimfrVllKO
TO QEHOCKCUHCCnNO CMIE HT.
Tffi MPWS PRCHSai TO BE USQ)
SHWCKTmAYWITH MOSt POfWH
VIDEO axmajT, vimnur iHE USD
TO MM KMITHE OOHSCT com-
EClMS C*eiK Tlffi XH CW AtSD SE
USD 10 COWeCT IN OT}En WA«..
l|.VCflTDVCR«.
* m TO START YOU OF RISm FFO«
TIC MCHpn VOU lyei THE eOHII
NEW
LOWER
Photon Paint 2.0 ON LY £99.95
Mode Switch-box for Genloclcs
Features include
■Compatible VWlti The Pro-Gen And Rendale 88CK
-Supplied With Genlock Extender Cable Worth E9.9S
-Sv*ltch-box Switches Between Foreground, Back-
ground, Video And Computer Ndodes.
'hmim' ft'OH.v (()■(' iiniihlih Imhjtvl I'l
AMIGA DRIVES & MEMORY
Cumana CAX354 3.5"
.V Features Induds
,V Long connBding cable
;< IKb, (880K FormatlsO) CapacI
,v Enable/Disatle Switch
,V ThroughiMrt
,v Access Light
> Compatible with AmigaSM/l OOO
IMOffiOOOWOOandCDTV
WWSUPPLIQ)WrrHAFREE
3.5' Disk Head ClNMir to nuimaln
your new drive Jh tlf^top' condFtlon.
£57.95
■> Capacffiss of 52 to420Mb
,\ Connects to sidecar bus on L/H
side of ASM/ASM Plus
■Jt Autobootemtti KicJtstart 1.3.(2.0,
tiDDt «iable;disable swildi
•i Sockets for up to 3 Mb of RAM
if SCSI Port ekm up to 7 other
cievices to b^ connacted
-^ Supplied with easy to use software
-i 2 Yaar Warranty A Dadicatad PSU
■,'( Mini slot for future axparsior
,V PC-AT Emulator planned to be
avaiiatiia for 1992
■ ( GVP AMIGA A500 HARD DRIVES |
1 RAM 1 CAPACITY
1 GVP AMIGA 1500/2000 HARD DRIVES i
RAM 1 CAPACITY
CALL FOR MEfWtORY
UPGRADE PRICES IF
YOU ALREADY ARE
A GVP OWNER!
^YMWAjmmmmmzimmmvmm
0Mb.
£349.95
£459.95
£729.95
OMb,
... .::
£639,95 ,:
2Mb.
£419.95
£529.95
£799.95
2Mb.
£359.95
£479.95
£709.95
£1239.95
4Mb.
£489.95
£599.95
£869.95
4Mb.
£429.95
£549.95
£779.95
£1309.95
8Mb.
£629,95
E739.95
£999.95
8Mb.
£559.95
£679.95
£899.95
£1429.95
All our packs contain the new
Amiga A500 Phis.
flj Amiiicis may si ill he availaljle
to special onler. please eminire)
EDUCATION SOFTWARE
OOKT JIST PLAY GAMES WHEN VOU
CAN LEARM WITH YOUR AMIGA TOOl
MICRO MATHS - 24 ea^ to uss programs liirGCSE(V'Level) £18.35
re^fisicnofsrfftuiliQn
MEGA MATHS - A 9 terat st«p by slop tuition ooursa. For matum £20.95
t>eginrt&fs, 'A' LevbI sttfdas & Mk;ro Mattis userB
MICflOFRENCH-GCSE Fmu^ tuititin or revision ootne. Omn £1 8.95
tfflb sfK'^eji L wnttsn Frsncfi
MICRO ENGLISH - Complete sBlt'tuilkin programs lo GC3E level,
PRIMARY MATHS . A9S! 3 lo 12, Complete 24 Prog. Course.
SPELLSOaK-Ages4loe. Developed viith tlia tio^ of a Prinary
School hfead Teacher to aid spelling skii^.
HOMEBASE - Home storey prog., idsaj lor ttwso hoiEsehoid Ibts,
ehildiens educational projects, student notes etc. Easy to use "Pusn Button'
controls and a extensive r^erenoe manitai.
COMPEHDIUM SIX PACK- 6 Great Educatonel ?m^. tor cfildrwi £29,95
egad 4-1 2yBars ol age. Each is designed to keep your cnikls InAerBst Mtiil&t
tne^ learn. KiUS TYPE - Large characters & cci^jrftji grapfiics tielps creation
of levies. WEATHER WATCHER . Collect S analyse data using gtaplis elc.
even animate your own wealticf ma^l CALENDAR QUIZ - Quiz tias^d iaaming
of tiiiie related events. WOHDS AND NUMBERS . Pul words i scentences in
tie oorrect enter or group numliers. GAME, SET ( HATCH . EarV learning of
sltapes colouis, numtKis, coins, sequences and including a 'reaction fmei'.
WHAT IS tn WHERE IS IT? - Learn names & iocalinits ttf Britsii csunttes.
£18.95
m\
£19,95
HARWCK)DS AMIGA
. 1Mb PRO-RAM PLUS
t ADO MORE POWER TO YOUR AMIGA 500 PLUS
WITH A FULL 1Mb. MEMORY UPGRADE!!!
1Mb. RAM expansion tor the Amiga 500 Plus
Gives a total of 2Mb. of RAM
Easily fitted without any dismantling in
the trapdoor expansion slot underneath
Amiga. DOESN'T Invalidate your warranty!
Low power consumption 2 Yr Guarantee!
A GREAT NEW OFFER FROM HARWOODS
dk-
£40.00
0.5 Mb PRO-RAM
Compatble with Amiga A500 and 5tX! Plus
Gives ASOD a total oM Mli Memory + Clock
Gives 50C Plus a total of 1 ,5Mb Memory
£2^!?95
AMIGA SOFTWARE
Music-X: Tha ultimata software for professional MIDI sequencing. Ttie software indudes a config-
urable librarian and a synthesisar patch editor. All you nead to recraata a song can be recalled fraiti
one performance file including sequences, MIDI routing, sync setup, koytjoard maps 4 synthesiser
or drum machine patch libraries. NEW LOW PRICES - £*S.95 or just £69.95 with midi^fnterface!
MIDI INTEflFACE (5 Port): In, Out, Through plus 2 switchable ttiru'/out. Inc. 2 cables. E24.95
AMOS: AMOS allows you to aooass the power of the Amiga with ease. 5O0 different commands
mate AMOS a sophisCcated dei'eiopment language. The AMOS animation language allovre you to
create complex animation sequences. 300 page manual and over 80 e^tampte programs £49.95
Amos Add on Modules: (BOTtt require Amos prog.]
Ama« Compiler £29.95 Amos SO !:S4.95
"m
■\
SuperBase 4: Most powerful database available for the Araiga.Connb^es the ease of use of Super-
Base 2 with a versatile programming languap so that you can t^lor your data to your own specific
needs for dub/buslnessllitirary records etc. £229.95
Lattice C: An ideal tool for the C programmer yvhether enperienced or a nmnce. The best way to
create applications for Itie Amiga. Fully supports Motorola chipset. Nearly 300 functions optimised
to help the user write the tightest possible code. Iitdudes screen editor. Most Amiga C books are
based around lattice. (Requires either 2ftappydrivesOFiaharddisl<drive) £1 99.95
Deluxe Paint IV: Latest version of the Amigas first, and sUII the b«st, paint and animation package,
now including HAM mode. (1 Mb. minimum memory or more recommefided) £79.95
VIdl, The Complete Colour Solution: VIdl with flGB Splitter, Frame Grabber & Digitser. Grabs
moving colour video into 16 grey scale frames (up to 16 frames in 1 Mb. Amiga) and digitises from
still colour video source in up to 4096 colours in less than 1 second! Requires home VCR or video
camera for grabbing. Requires video camera or VCR with perfect pause for digitising. Now comes
wifti Photon Paint 2.0 ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHWIGEI!! £149.95
STER EOM ASTER: High quality 'stereo' sampler (best for sampling instmmants etc.] £39.95
THE ABOVE IS JUST A SMALL SAHPIM mm OUR EXTENSIVE HANGE OF mOUSANOS OF SSHOUS. EDUCATION MD RECRE4TTCW
7/71ES. WE CANT USr THEM ALL HERE SO PiEASE CALL US IF YOU CANT SEE THE PROGRAM ray REOUJRE, ITS PROBABLY IN STOCKI
Pen Palvo
WORD FROCESSOK/DiVTABASE
Wifli Pen Pal you can mix text, 4096
colour graphics & data in ways no other
w,i^ can! "Ifshandlii^of gr^^hics is
unsurpassed: Pen F*al is the ouly word
piDcessur I tested that will |-^"':
automatically wr^ _. \
text round giafbks,. / ^^'
Amiga Wortd, I
Jaty'90 ...;- ^
£79.95 "^
PEN PAL complete r-, ■_,
W!TH512KAmis(i\ 1^1
RAM Expansion { \
GORDON
ALFRETON DERBYSHIRE
The Closer you look,
Tfje Better we look.
1-miiiiiA'lcniiniivtinisltihicii
PINTERS
FREf
flccEssomcs
All prtntera in our range Include b standani Centranics^arallel Port
for direct connection to Amiga, PC'a, Atari STs, Archlmadeg etc.
We supply a connection catile to YOUR computer F Fi E
El
plus a Qualiw Dust Cover with ALL Dot Matrix Printars
Fl
FREE
NEW CANON BUBBLEJET BJIOex PRINTER
NOW IN STOCK
ONLY £244.95
£134.95
CmZEN 120D+ 9 PttJ MONO - Up to 120/25 cps
Ul Very reliable iM cosi printer with interetiangable Inteffatss fOf ,
Cteit(oniC5;RS23E'ssrial type {C64 etc.) LI FuH 2 Year manufadurefs ^imaitf
NEW FASTEfi STAR LC20 9 PIN MOKO - Up to ISOT! cps
Replai;8irent forounrostpofiiJlarMpm Dot-Malitx at a su|ief low price
LJ Uultlpla font otifions eaaly accesaSils D Slmuitaneous, conUnuctJS sikI singb
tai frortt panSI sheet slafaieiy
a Btcallaitpapetharatlmg facilities LI 2« x 240 dpi Gfaphies
£154.95
£199.95
STAfl LC200 9 PtN COLOUR PRINTEB - 185/40 cps
Ttiid is l^ia ofid in our pscksl
J eOCoiumnDotMatrix Q Mlixopaperfeed.MaK. papsf width 1 1 .7'
D 240 dpi - 8 Pin COLOUR O Supplied with coioui S mono ribbons
_J 16KSirffei.BResidert Fonts CI Pap^r part( with auto anflle sheet ioailing
J Push/pull traiitot&rear/boltoni tote a Programmabls from tat :panal.
■Ji Heveise paper feeds □ 12 monlh warranty
CmZEN SWIFT 9 PIN COLOUR ■ 160/4Clcp« — ■
New super tilgh sp«c 9PJn mloiir printer
3 8K Buffer 4 Fonts □ 240x240 dpi CoiOurOfaplilcs
_j Push and pull tractor buHt^n a Best taid quality in oiirSPin range
_1 Feed for iahsls/imiiti part stafionacy Q 2 Year (^itaen wananty
STAR SJ48 INKJET PfllNTEfl
£199.95
New super h^ quaHly bubbis ink iet printer
3 B4Nozaeinkjet
LI Emulates EpsorLOmd IBM
Proprinter for fall compatlbilily
Q Complatewttti AC adaptor
STAR LC2*200 24 PIN MONO - 22M5 cps
Mono version of LC24/200 Colaur, same spec except for a emaJer TK batter
STAR LC24/200 24 PIN COLOUR ■ 22afK cps
Colour varskm of lie LC24-2(X) Mono.
£239.95
LJ Larse2eK Buffer
Q 360 X 360 dpi ne^ laser print quality
ll^l Optional Ni-Cad battery for mdna free
operation
£239.95
£289.95
_J BDColiinin Dot Matrix
JJ 360 dpi -24 Pin MONO
_J 30K Buffer (e«)arHfel]le)
J 10 Resilient Fonts
_] Front Pane) Pitt*iSelBclion
_l Push'pali tractor 4 r^i/bottom feeds
_l IlBverse paper feed
a Paper park wiltiaulo single sheet kiading
a Micro paper feed , Max. paper width 1 1 .7'
O Stippiied wHir mono ribtion
Q Faster than the old LC24-10
□ Extra font taitridges available
Q Program from Htjnt panel. No DIP switrttes
3 12 month warranty
£229.95
NEW 24 Pin CITIZEN 224 COLOUR - 160/53 cps
Brand Neur, lowest coat cxjiour 24 Pin printer, anyyrfierel
J aoColamn Dot Matrix wiBi 4 Fonts _a Push & pui! tractor feeds
_i aeo dpi -24 Pin COLOUR _1 Complete paper parking facilities.
_i BK Butter expandable 1J5 32K U Supplied wilb mono S colour rilrtons
Q Easy to use hont panel (OTTbolB □ Full 2 Yesr Citizen Warranty
£299.95
NEW 24 Pin CITIZEN SWIFT 24E COLOUR • 180/60 cps -
Brand f4ew, superb specification colour 24 Pkt prMr.
J 80 Column Dot Matrix witb 7 Fonts LJ Pusti/pull & botUnn tractor feeds
_j aeo dpi - 24 Pin COLOUR J Compiote paper parking facSHiea.
J BK BiSfer expaniiaHe to 32K LI Supplied with mono S colour ribbons
■LI E^ to use LCD panel controls U FuS 2 Year Citizen Wananty
NEW FASTER STAR XB 24 PIN COLOUR
RANGE X824-2O0 & X824-250 ■ 27&80 cps
TbeseNEWtopoftfB range Stars replace the XBS4/1 &
XB24/t5, & offer llie best possible guilty dot maMx pnnting
£399.95
24-200 Colour
£499.95
24'2S0 Colour
J Biilleri 29K[XB24fi(») S 7BK (XB 24/250)
_l 360 x 360 clpi Colour Graphics
U 12nithson-slle»»aiTanly(llKMalnland|
LI Exceptional print quality
□ 4 1 48Pin super letter quality fonts
□ 14 x24Pin near letter qualilv fonts
HEWLEH PACKARD PAINTJET COLOUR A4 INKJET — I £579.95
Our best quallly fi^i colour pdnfet at a reatlslic price '- —
U ParaBel/CentronicS or Serial HS232 Iff (specify wltti orda, MAC option available)
J For presentation graptiics/OTP, C/U3 and technlcaVsiaentiiic applications
LI Aful page of colour graphics in 4 minutes (typical)
3 Nonimpact printing, _J Will print transparencies
□ virtually silent, 43dlia _J 12 Months on-site wananty [UK MaWand)
STARSCRIPT • 4(jpm POSTSCRIPT COMPATIBLE LASER £999.95
M Laser Printer, will connect to PC, Amiga, Atart ST, Macintosh etc. 1
L1300DPI,2Mb.Upgradableto5Mb.
LIEmuMon3ira::HPSenesll, Epson
EXacO, IBM ProprirterS Diablo 630
JComplelewitii'Starscript' (Stars
poslscrfpt language emulation)
U Serial and Parallel Interiatss
_J 1 Sroonth on site warranty (UK Mainlarvd)
J 49 quality fonts bulNn
-J Apptotalk for connecBon to Macintosh
LI Every desktop piibflstiers dream
SEE OUR LIST OF ACCESSORIES FOR BOTH STAR
AND CITIZEN PRINTERS, ALL AT COMPETITIVE PRICSS!
All tfia ch»ractera Per Second apaeda quoUd tilxiva are Dratt/LO at lOcpl
PRINTER ACCESSORIES
CITIZEN PRINTER ACCESSORIES:
Cifizen 1 20D+ Sheet Feeder £69.95
Crtizen 1 20D-I- Parallel Ititerface £49.95
CUteen 1 20D+ CBM C64 Serial Interlace £49.95
Citizen 124D32K Buffer £13.95
Citizen 124D Sem I- Auto SheetFeeder £39.95
Citizen 1 24D Automatic Stiest Feeder £79.95
Citizen 124D Printer Stafvd £24.95
Citizen Swi 9 Semi-Auto SheetFeeder £39.95
Citizen Swift 9 Automatic Slieet Feeder £79.95
Citizen Swift 9 Printer Stand £24.95
Citizen Swift 9X Printer Stand £34.95
Citizen Swift 9X Automatic Sheet Feeder £139.96
Citizen Svwft 24 32K Printer Buffer £13.95
Citizen Swift 24 Semi-Auto Sfieet Feeder "39 .95
Citizen SwB 24 Automatic Stieet Feeder
Citizen Swift 24 Printer Sland
Citizen Swift 24X Auto Stieet Feeder
QHzen Swift 24X Printer Stand
HEWLETT PACKARD PAINTJET
PRINTER ACCESSORIES
STAR PRINTER ACCESSORIES:
Star LC-20 Mono Printer
Automatic Sfieetf^eeder
StarLC24-10 Mono Printer
3aK Bufter £67.95
Automatic SheetFeeder
Star LC-200 Colour Printer
Automatic SheetFeeder
£74.95
£67.95
£74.95
£74.95
Star LC 24-2(30 Mono/Colour Printers
32K Printer Buffer £34.95
Automatic SheetFeeder £74.96
Star SJ4B Printer
Aiitomatic Sheet Feeder £54.95
rji-Cad Battery £39.95
Star XB 24-200 Colour Printer
£24.35
Pull Tractor
Font Cartridges ■
£34.95
£139.95
Styles To Be Announced
£29.95
£34,95
1Z8K Centronics Printer Buffer
£89.95
Automatic SheetFeeder
£114.95
JET
Dual Bin SheetFeeder
£429 ; >;
Hewlett Packard PaintJeit
Black Ink car^idge
£25.95
Colour Ink Cartridge
£31.49
Single Sheet Printer Paper
£17.95
Z-Fold Printer Paper
£15.95
Transparency Ps^er:
Pack of 50 Sheets
Star XB 24-250 Cotour Printer
Pull Tractor
£34.95
Font Cartridges •
Styles To Be Announced
£29.95
128K Centronics Printer Buffer
£89.95
Automatic SheetFeeder
£174.95
Dual Bin SfieetFeeder
£459.95
CITIZEN 120D+
CITIZEN SWjFTS^ BLACK/COLO UR
SWIFT2W4E/224 BI ACK/CQLOUR
STAR LC10-/20'v BLftCjW OLOUR
ST AR LCiOO BLACK /COLOUR
STAR LC24/200 BLACK/COLOUR
OLOU
RIBBON
£16.95
£16.95
COLOUR flIBBON
SIX PACK'
£4.50* -V £24.95* -V
£6.95 ZX9 £36.95 ZX9^
£8.95 Z24 £49.95 Z24
C12.9SZX9CL £69.95zxw:l
£14,95xjacL £74.95 X24CL
STAR XB RANGE BLACK/COLOUR £8.95 Z24 £49.95 Z24 £1 4.95xj4cl £74.95 xmcl
ii^^^r
Also compfltibii
compfltitoie
and Cannoi
uOK SHOP
iLWAYS CAflRir LARGE STOCKS OF THE fWU. S*«e£ Of
»SACtJS i OTHER BOOKS-flam m ler*MU
UK* FOR BEGINNERS - VOL. 1 ABACUS BOOKS, £1 2.95
From imacWr^ your Anriga lo oteatiivj your ovm bobs, Indudee fira use of
basic arc artras disk. Nm rsvisEd wrson mering •or*bencti 1 J and 2
JUIIGA BASK INSBE »N0 OUT . VOL 2 MAOUS BOOKS, £1 8-95
OBlinrlive step jjy sl9p guiiie to pitigraninvrig AmJja's n basin
AMIGA MACHINE LANGUAGE - VOL » ABACUS BOOKS,
Praeilcal guMo tt iBaraing 68000 assemble Isiguage.
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TEl. 0773 f«h.
JARGOH BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
Basic - Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code is a high-level
programming language, much favoured by micro-computer users. It
combines a fair amount of power with ease-of-use.
C -A compiled language designed primarily for systems programming. Itv/as
used to write mucli of the Amiga's operating system, and is used in the
writing of many Amiga applications.
Format - A process of preparing a floppy disk so that it can be used by the
Amiga. With Workbench 2, floppies can be fomnatted with the Fast Rling
System to make them operate quieter, but with more likelihood of errors.
Partition - Part of a hard drive separated off from the rest. As far as
Workbench, AmigaDOS and the rest of the world is concerned, a partition
is a disk in its own right. Problems do come to the fore when you try to
copy data between two partitions on the same drive.
Priiitf - A standard function supplied with C which enables prog-ammers to
send output to the screen.
Trancendental function - A mathematical function associated with
logarithms. Each transcendental function has its opposite, such that if
tiie log of a number is taken, and the anti-log taken of the result, the
final number will be the same as the initial one.
ctntimml (rm pogt M
mathffp.ti file I can only assume
that the mathtrans SPPow() Is
being used as the disk with the
libraries on Is called tor when the
program Is first run.
According to the documentation
supplied the mathtrans llt)rary Is
opened when one of Its functions Is
used and so manual opening Is ''
unnecessary. I have done this to
use the SPPowO function directly
but tiiere Is no difference In the
solution. Is my problem unique or ts
the mathtrans SPExp() library
function really that badf
David McKone
Chester-Le<St reet
County Durham
The ffp (fast floating point) libraries
are based on a Motorola format
which uses 24 bits for the mantissa.
Ignoring the accuracy of the
algorithms used to compute the
FINDING THE BOOK
Fl
Amiga Sftopper
recently mentioned
a boolt called HISoft
Jl Basic but I've not
been able to find It In any
bookshop. Can you please tell me
where I can get a copy from?
HS Sherglll
Uttleover
Derby
I think the simplest thing to do is
write directly to HiSoft. Its address
is HiSoft, The Ofd School,
Greenfield, Bedford MK45 5DE.
The book, incidentally, costs
£14.95. PAO
various transcendental functions, the
representation error will be 1 in 24
bits, ie about one part in 'two times
ten to the power seven'! You would
therefore expect errors from around
the eighth significant figure onwards.
This is much better than you have
found and your problem lies not with
the accuracy of the ffp routines but
with your use of the NorthC printfO
function.
If, for example, you try to print
the value of e/100 using the
following program:
#include <8tdio.li>
iinclude (math.li>
mainO
{
double x;
printf{"%f \n",eixp(x)/10O.0)f
)
you will get a result with six decimal
places, 0,027183, where only the
first five are correct, if however you
try to calculate a value that is one
hundred times greater than e, using
this modified program:
Slnclude <stdlo.h>
#lncl-ude (math.h?
mainO
<
double x;
x=l;
prliitf("%f \ii",100*exp{x))j
}
you will get a result of 271.828188
which, as you'll doubtless know,
gives a value of 100 times e correct
to eight significant figures.
These results suggest that, like
most other printf() implementations,
the NorthC version defaults to
floating point number display
containing six decimal places with
the last figure rounded.
The NorthC documentation
su^ests that floating point
formatting has not been
implemented but a few experiments
along the lines of the above pieces
of code showed quite clearly that it
is. If, for Instance you modify my first
example so that It uses a ten digit
floating point format string, ie use
"%10.10f \n" rather than "%f \n",
you'll find that instead of 0.0271S3
you'll get a result of 0.0271828184
which is 'significantly' better (sorry,
couldn't resist that one) than the
results of the first program would
lead you to believe.
The bottom line then is that
when using printf() to display these
ffp values you just need to modify
your format strings so that the
appropriate number of digits are
printed. PAO
FRAME RATE FIX
To help me work out
the number of pre-
and post-roll frames
of my video gear I
made up an animation using
DPaintA on my Amiga 500. 1
produced a sequence of -100 to to
+100 pages, twice, and
interspersed it with 200 blank
fl-ames.
Transferring this anim at 25
frames per second resulted In every
Sth frame doubling up. Only by
running at 30 FPS could I achieve a
25 FPS video run correctly. I wonder
whether my A500 Is running slow or
are all ASOOs the same due to some
bug In the NTSC to PAL system.
Secondly, when I attempt to
transfer a sound sample captured
on my Mastersound sampler to
DVideoS or Disney Animation Stuiilo
I get a "Not an SMUS file" error, if
all programs are IFF, what's going
on?
Fred Wells
Leeds
WYorks
I'm fairiy sure that this is no bug.
What you're seeing is either the
product of your Amiga just not being
able to push data through fast
enough, or (and this is my favourite
theory) that the maximum 30 FPS in
DPalnt4 is a hangover from the NTSC
version.
As you know, NTSC frame rate is
30 FPS, and the software is
American. Port it over to PAL, and 30
FPS probably equates to 25 FPS in
reality- as you have discovered. You
should also be aware that the larger
screen formats, especially hi-res
overscan in 16 colours, will run
increasingly more slowly as they are
more memory intensive.
For your information, SMUS is an
oldish IFF format developed for
musical scores. It never really
became widespread, but programs
such as DeluxeMusic and Music-X
can save, though not load, in this
format. DeluxeVideo can play back
SMUS files, which is where your
problem originates.
However, the sound samples
which Mastersound saves, though
still in an IFF format (either *SVX or
RAW, I think) are not in SMUS
format. IFF (Interchange RIe Format)
is more a philosophy than a format,
as graphics are also saved in IFF
ILBM format, but you can't load
these into most music software, for
instance.
My reading of your trouble is that
you are trying to load a sound
sample (as produced by
Mastersound] as a Tune Track In
DVideo, which only accepts SMUS
files - hence the error message.
What you should be doing Is Playing
the sample as part of a Scene.
1 suggest you try opening a
scene, adding a new track, then
defining It as sound, loading one of
your samples and then playing back
the scene. All should now be well.
aw
HARD UP GRADE
' i ^ My GVP hard drive
JjL I came supplied with a
single partition
confl^red for use
with Workbench 1.3. 1 have since
replaced the machine with an A500
Pius and would like to re-conflgure
the drive with two partitions and
Workbench 2. 1 do not have
anything Important stored on the
drive, but since the thing cost over
£400 I do not want to blunder about
on my own.
JL Jones
BIrklnhead
IVIerseyslda
The first stage of the process is to
reformat the drive using the
Faastprep utility supplied by GVP.
This will allow you to set up the
number and size of partitions: two
equal-sized ones are a good start.
The formatting procedure is quite
painless and you should have no
problems following GVP's excellent
manual. You can manually copy all
the Workbench 2 disks from the
Shell using the following command
on each:
oqpy from dfO: to dhO: all
If all else fails ask your local
specialist dealer. NASCR (National
Association of Specialist Computer
Retailers) members in particular, are
specialists in this sort of area and
should be able to get you going for a
minimal fee. MS
62
AJHIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
HARD DISK HARD TIME
HI have recently been
given a Rodlme 40Mb
hard disk Qust the
drive and no other
circuits) and I would like to know If
It would be possible to connect this
to my A&OO. If 80, could you give
nw details of how this could be
done? Would I require a HD
controller or would i be able to
make an interface for the hard disk
myself?
A Qosling
Wythenshawe
Manchester
Without knowing more details on the
Rodime time (Rodime went out of
business last year, so the company
won't be able to help you) It's
difficult to say what type of drive it Is
or how to connect it. If it's a SCSI
drive you can link it up to almost any
Amiga SCSI controller (such as the
Amiga A590 hard drive). If It's any
other type, you're probably better off
losing it somewhere. JR
CASE FOR COMVERSION?
HI have a 2Mb A500
Plus and I am thinking
about up^adlng the
machine with a GVP
hard drive for the Amiga 2000 using
a Checkmate expansion case as the
price seems to Just about balance
out against the ASOO GVP drive. Do
you think tiiat this is wise?
is the Checkmate 1500 system
compatible with most A2000 cards?
Can I mount the new A690 CD-ROM
drive Inside the 1500 case? Does
the A690 have a SCSI Interface? I
believe that I can also use ASOO
cards inside the ISOO. is this
conect?
Martin Fleming
Paisley
Scotland
I'rn afraid, Martin, that your
calculations may be a little incorrect.
The Checkmate Digital 1500 Is still
being sold for around £200 and the
A2000 GVP hard drive controller with
52Mb drive is £300. However, the
price of the ASOO GVP drive (which
can be connected directly to the
ASOO without any ejrtra hardware) Is
just £380, Add the price of the GVP
A2000 drive to the Checkmate drive
and you'll actually end up spending
£120 more for a system that is no
more capable than the standard
A500 GVP system.
Even if the prices did balance
out, I think you'd be unwise to go for
the Checkmate 1500, Having owned
one myself for a couple of years now,
I have never been particularly
impressed. The overall quality of
constnjction is rather low to say the
least, with many of the parts failing
to connect altogether. If you really do
want a replacement casing, then why
not check out Checkmate's HIQ
Tower system, a much better (and
better built} replacement casing for
the A500 based around a PC
compatible tower system casing.
Failing that, sell your A500 and buy
an A1500 instead (you should be
able to pick them up for about £500
these days).
The bog standard Checkmate
1500 system isn't compatible with
any A2000 cards - this is an
optional extra which adds to the
price of the whole system. As it
stands, the 1500 can handle a
single A2000 card which can be
either a standard Zorro II card or a
video card (a genlock, for example),
tf you want to add extra A2000
cards, then you're stuck. Checkmate
had planned to produce an
'OverRider' box which allowed a few
more A2000 cards to be used, but
this never actually arrived (it became
vapourware, as the techies say).
Although the 1500 can handle
the A590 hard dhve, it cannot handle
the A690 CD-ROrvi drive simply
because you need to be able to
remove the CD-ROM 'caddie' every
time you wish to load a new piece of
CD-ROM software.
Because of its age, the 1500
has not been designed to handle any
device that uses removable media
other than the standard Amiga floppy
drives. I'm sure Checkmate will build
this facility Into the HIQ tower,
however. JH
FATHER AND SON
Son writes;
i have acquired a
Microvitec Cub
monitor and MIcrollne
80 printer. Which cables would I
nsed to connect to my Amiga 500
Plus and are they available?
Colin Swift, age 11
and...
Father writes:
in Amiga S/iopper dated December
1991 you state that the MIciovltec
Cub can be used with the Amiga
500 Plus. My son's queries
regarding the use of the monitor and
printer stem from the fact that I am
unable to obtain any information
regarding their compatibility. Can
you help?
L Swtft (no age given)
Nottingham
As long as the Cub you have has a
TTL input (6-pin DIN : l=Red,
2=Green, 3=B[ue, 4=Composlte
sync, 5=Ground and 6=Not
connected) connection you'll be OK,
Then you'll need to get hold of a copy
of Amiga Shopper 3 (page 113)
where electro-doctor; Smiddy takes
you step by step through Axing your
TALLY MAN BLUES
My Mannesman Tally MT81 printer keeps double spacing. I
have tried all the drivers on the Extras disk, with various
setting of the dip switches - IBM/ Epson emulation,
linefeeds on/off for example - all to no avail,
rang Mannesman Tally but the person I spoke to wasn't very
Interested. The g!ri said the printer has to be In IBM mode. Help.
Neil Croft
Herringthorpe
S Yorks
With dip switch SWl-1 switched on (that's block 1, switch 1) the IV1T81
emulates an Epson FX-S5, and so it should work with either the EpsonXOId
or EpsonX(CBM_MPS-1250] drivers.
The double linefeed is being caused by the Amiga sending a linefeed
and the MT81 providing its own linefeed, so SWl-2 should be off to prevent
this.
After changing dip switches you must switch the printer off and on again
for the changes to be recognised. JW
Amiga to a TTL-equipped Cub. This
involves a small amount of internal
tinkering to make the Cub work with
the Amiga's 4096 colours, rather
than TTL's eight, but this should be
easy enough for most folks. If you
don't fancy making the lead yourself
you should contact Meed mo re Ltd
o 051 521 2202, which supplies
both kits and the ready-made article,
along with additional notes - in case
you can't contact the Amiga
Stopper's back issues department
tt 0458 74011.
Before you can decide what
connector you need for the MIcrollne
80, an oldish 9-pin printer made by
Oki, you'll have to establish whether
It Is configured as a parallel or serial
printer, since it was onginally
available in both formats.
iMert you'll need to select a
printer driver to control it, but I'm not
sure that there is a specific driver
available for the 80. As I was told,
this printer doesn't have any
facilities for emulating Epson or IBM
printers, as most modern printers
do, so it isn't possible to use a
standard EpsonX-type driver.
However, there should be a printer
driver called 0kidata_92 in
Devs/Prlnters on your Workbench
Extras disk which you need to copy
into the Devs/Prlnters drawer of your
boot disk.
After you've done this open
Preferences/Printers and select
Okidata_92 from the Printer Drivers
list and Parallel (or Serial) for the
Printer Port setting. If the printer is
using a serial port you may also
need to make some adjustments to
the Preferences/Serial settings. You
should find the required settings in
the manual (if you have one). If not,
a call to Oki technical support
■B 07535 31292 may be necessary.
You will probably have to make
other adjustments to get everything
exactly right but you should now at
least be able to get started. GW
EXPONENTIAL DECAY
Having written a
simple ARexx script
to generate a data file
with X and y co-
ordinates I need to calculate
fractional exponents. All ARexx
returns Is Error: 48 (severity 10).
This basically Is telling me that I
cannot perform an exponential to a
fractional index. Is there any way
around this? I know that In the
mathsleeedoubtrans.llbrary there is
a function called lEEEDPEXP, but I
do rtot know how to access external
libraries from ARexx. Can you help?
Andrew Porter
Rotherham, South Yorkshire
You'll find all the technical details of
external library ARexx interfacing In
the AReioc User's Reference Manual.
This can be obtained from the Amiga
Centre Scotland (a 031 5574242)
but there is incidentally a
RexxMathLib library on Rsh disk 227
which has been designed to make
various high-level math functions
such as sin, tangent, log, exp etc,
easily available from ARexx. PAO
FAST FORMAT
a) I am considering
getting an expansion
based RAM pack such
as the Supra 500RX,
but I am worried about compatibility
problems. Can this sort of RAM be
switched off?
b) How long will It be before Pius
owners can buy programs confident
they will work?
c) Are there any PD DTP programs
for the ASOO Plus? I'm having a lot
of trouble finding PD that wortts on
the Plus and I'd be grateful If you
could ntentlon this.
d) How can I format my disks using
the Fast Filing system?
Stephen Richards
Bamsiey
S Yorks
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST • 1993
63
^m^
a) This is a case of horses for
courses. Some external expansions
sucli as tlie 500RX have disable
switches, others don't. Generally
speaking such things are an
unnecessary gimmick becaus« all
software should support expanded
RAM and the vast majority does.
b) How long is a piece of string?
Every enhancement brings with it
change and Incompatibility. Time and
time again, Commodore insists that
developers follow strict rules to
maintain upward compatibility; time
and time again, programmers ignore
the rules and problems arise. This
should never happen; it does though.
One exception affects the CDTV
since the 1.3 Kickstart {which used
to be considered sacrosanct insofar
as the CDTV was concerned) is
gradually being replaced tiy 2.x.
c) There is one called Tex, but this is
very difficult to use. A much better
system (Goid Disk's PageSettei) was
given away with issue 34 of our
sister magazine, Amiga Format
Don't leave it too long though - back
issues are in short supply. You may
iike to know, our PD columnist, Ian
Wrigley also uses an A500 Plus so
anything which runs on his machine
should be work fine on yours.
d) You can do this from Shell using
the following command to format a
disk in the internal drive;
fozmat drive d£0:
empty ffs
Even so, fast filing system Is not
recommended for use on floppy
disks because of its inherently lower
redundancy, MS
DTP Snil IN BITS
I wrote to you
recently concerning
missing lines of
graphics during
output to my Star LC24-200 using
PageStraam 2.1. Your reply
suggested a memory Insufflclency,
and to conflnn this by printing ait a
lower density.
JARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
Bit - A binary digit, with a possible value of zero or one.
Byte - A collection of eight bits. A byte is the smallest unit of memory that a
computer's processor can access.
Ktelutart - The most basic and centra! part of the Amiga's operating system.
These days it is held in ROM, so that it is immediately present when the
machine is switched on. AlOOOs have Kickstart on a floppy disk
meaning that on power up this disk must be inserted before the
Workbench disk.
ROM - Read Only Memory Is used to store essential programs, such as
Kickstart and many of the library routines. These do not have to be re-
loaded each time the Amiga is switched on because ROM retains its
contents without power. No new information can be written to ROM,
hence the name Read Only.
Startup^equence - A program which Is executed every time the Amiga is
switched on and after every reset. It sets up the system so that it is
usable from Workbench, and may be customised by those who have
unusual hard or software requirements.
Tills I did, and tKe output was
OK. So I put it down to the above.
However I do require the higher
density output so I twu^t a GVP
HD8 hard drive plus 4Mb of memory.
This has not solved my problem -
only one page has been created and
It Is not that large (A4], with little
print on it.
I have printed out on maximum
density to a Citizen S^iin with no
problems, so I surmise a printer
RAM buffer problem. However t
don't have problems with Deluxe
Paint III or other applications. Could
I have an on-ttoard RAM problem?
Peter Clark
WIgan
I don't understand what you mean by
"only one page has been created",
but let's take this opportunity to
learn a bit more about how DTP
programs print pages to
monochrome dot-matrix printers.
Keeping it as simple as possible,
what they do is print a graphics
dump of an enormous bitmap, which
has to be created in memory first,
DO, DO
Hlf have ntted my Amiga with a ROM switcher to enable me to
use both 1.3 and 2.x KIckstarts. However, although the
machine works fine under 1.3, tt refuses to autoboot my
Vortex hard disk when I switch to Kickstart 2. CouM this be
a prtMem witti the personality module whicii was r«laased before
Kickstart 2?
A Mackarlll
Swansea
South Wales
The Vortex system is getting a bit old now, but It should (theoretically)
automount and autoboot under Kickstart 2 if it works OK with Kickstart 1.3. 1
have only come across this once before with an ancient A590 which showed
a similar malady on the A500 Plus. You could try contacting Vortex
Systemas, GmbH, at Falterstrasse 51-53, D7101, Fleln Germany, to see if it
has a more recent version of the ROMs, MS
either all in one go or in smaller
strips If memory is tight. If you are
printing an A4 page at 360 by 360
dots per Inch, the full bitmap will be
(8.27in * 360) dots wide by (11.69in
* 360) dots high, which is 2,977
dots by 4,208 dots.
Now, if each dot on the page
requires one bit of memory, this
means we need 2,977 by 4,208 bits
of memory to hold the complete page
In memory - which works out at
12,527,216 bits; and as there are
eight bits to a byte, this calculates to
1,565,902 bytes; and as there are
1,024 bytes to one kilobyte this
works out to be l,529K (about
1.5Mb).
If we were printing at 'half' that
resolution, 180 by 180 dots per
inch, that same page requires 1489
+ 2104 dots = 3,132,856 bits =
391,607 bytes = 3S2k.
Your 9-pin Citizen, which has a
top resolution of 240 by 216 dots
per inch, requires 1984 * 2525 dots
= 5,009,600 bits = 626,200 bytes =
612K.
Now I'm not saying that the
above description is exactly how
PageStream prints its pages - only
the developers will know that - but it
serves as an example of how
doubling the output resolution
requires four times the memory, not
twice the memory.
It doesn't matter what's on the
page, by the way, a completely blank
A4 page requires the same amount
of memory as one covered in text
and graphics. The blank page is Just
a bitmap composed of lots of 'white'
dots.
5Mb of memory should be plenty
for PageStream to render a full A4
page at 360 by 360 dots per inch,
unless there is something else using
up that memory. Compugraphic fonts
eat memory, the larger the font the
more memory required, and because
of the way PageStream works,
bitmap (IFF ILBM) pictures take up a
lot of memory as well. If your
document has many pages with text
and graphics on, all these pages are
taking up memory even though you
can't currently see them. I'd guess
that you'd start having output
problems if your document had four
pages filled with Compugraphic
fonts, and a couple of coloured
bitmaps on each page.
The other problem is that the
memory required for printing almost
certainly needs to be all in one
contiguous lump. As you work,
importing things and moving around
your document laying things out, the
Amiga will allocate blocks of memory
here and there as required, and
when it comes to printing the page
perhaps memory has become so
fragmented that there isn't a large
enough contiguous chunk left to
render the page properly.
The answer might be to save
your document, reset the Amiga to
de-fragment memory, and load and
print your document. This tip
certainly works with Professional
Page when the 'bits missing' output
problem happens. You could also try
splitting your document, saving it as
separate pages, then loading and
printing each page one at a time.
In my experience - and believe
me I'm not just saying this because
you have 5Mb of memory - in my
experience I've found that almost all
the DTP problems disappear once
you get to 7Mb. This really is one
problem that can be solved by
throwing money at it. JW
SOUNDING OFF
H^HM I recently bought the
H^H^ Omega Projects
H^BM Sound Enhancer
d^H which Is supposed to
work at its best when the Internal
audio filter Inside the Amiga Is
turned off. How do I do this7
Programs like OctaMED allow you
to turn It off from within the
program but Sequencer One Plus
does not seem to have such a
facility. Because of this limitation
have have been forced to run both
OctaMED and Sequencer One
concurrently Just so that I can use
Sequencer One with the Sound
Enhancer. Is there a better way of
getting around this problem?
John Griffiths
Hodderdon
HerU
The Amiga's audio filter is actually
controlled through one of the
peripheral control bytes in the Amiga
CIAs which are located at HEX
BFEOOl (Decimal 12574721). If you
have a copy of AmigaBasic then you
can write a small program which
could be placed in the startup-
AM AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUI 1 6 • AUGUST 1 992
mm
sequence of your hard drive to
automatically turn off the audio filter
during boot up. Here's the code that
will do the job:
A - PEKKB(12S74721) XOR 2
POKES 12574721, A
If you have access to an assembler,
then the code is even simpler. All
you need is a single line:
EORI.B #2,$BFEa01,
This register actually toggles the
audio filter on and off so all you need
to do to turn the audio filter back on
again is to run the code above a
second time. JH
BJ-1 30 DRIVER
I have recently bought
a Canon BJ-130
printer and I am
having all sorts of
problems with printer drivers.
The BJ-130 driver In
PageStream 2.1 produces ifarbage,
however the Epson 9-pln works
perfectly. Also, the Workbench
EpsonX[CBM_MI>S-1250] driver
works fine with Notepad and
Graphlcdump. But nothing that
comas wtth Pen Pal or PageStream
II works, nor any other program I
have tried.
I would appreciate It if you could
tell me where to gat a suitable
driver,
Peter Okleford
Mt Albert
New Zealand
You're right, the BJ-i30 driver
supplied with PageStream does not
work with the BJ-130. I told Soft-
Logik about this almost tw/o years
ago. Plainly the company didn't
believe me.
What you need Is the proper
Workbench CanonBJ130 driver,
v^hich is on Jamdisk 2 and will cost
you £5 air mall from: JAM, 75
Greatfields Drive, LJxbrldge, UBS
3QN, United Kingdom. To use It with
PageStream you should select
PageStream's 'Preferences' driver.
JW
PROTEXT LC-200 DRIVER
I've created a really
good printer driver for
the Star LC-200
printer for use with
Pn>t0xt, which makes use of all
possible fonts, colours, sizes and
pitches. Am I allowed to distribute
It, or will Amor get annoyed?
Adam S Pearson
Gateshead
Tyna & Wear
If your Protext Star LC-200 driver is
bug-free and as good as you say it Is,
I should think that Arnor would
probably be interested in including it
on the Prafext Printer Drivers
distribution disk. If you play your
cards right you might even be able to
wangle a free copy of Prodata in
return.
In the meantime, if anyone wants
Adam's Star LC-200 driver - and
remember, it's not a Workbench
printer driver, it's only for use wtth
Protext 5.0 and later - then send a
blank fonnatted disk and stamped,
self-addressed envelope to: Adam S
Pearson, 19 Camborne Grove,
Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE8 4EX.
(And Adam, speak to Arnor about
your clock problem while you're at it.
Ask for a free upgrade to the latest
version, only don't tell them I told
you to). JW
MACHINE CHOICE
I am writing for some
advice on buying an
Amiga. When the
A500 first came out I
bought one and was very pleased
wtth It. 1 had It for quite some time
before having to reluctantly sell it.
Having lost touch with the
Amiga scene I am not entirety
f^mlHar with the Amiga ISOO, 2000
or 3000 ranges or their capabilities
and I would be very grateful If you
could tell me a little about all the
machines currently avatlabia
Including the A500, ASOO Plus and
the new A600. 1 have a wide range
of computing Interests (not just
games] > so I'd be very grateful If
you could advise me on which modal
I should buy.
IVt Milne
Tankemess
Orkney
Which machine you buy depends
entirely upon how much you wish to
spend and what you vuant to do with
your Amiga. Unless you are intending
to use the Amiga for professional 24-
bit graphics, then you don't really
need one of the new high-end A3000
machines. If you intend to expand
your machine quite substantially then
an A1500 is for you. But if your
needs are fairly minimal then go for
an ASOO Plus.
Anyway, here's a quick rundown
of the Amiga range as It currently
stands. I've tried to highlight which
machines are good for which
applications.
• A500 Plus - The replacement
machine for the classic A500, the
A500 Plus boasts 1 tMb RAIVI as
standard and comes complete with
Workbench 2 and the new Enhanced
Chip Set which gives more screen
modes, more chip RAIVI and a more
capable biitter. The A500 Plus is
ideal for games, small business use
and amateur video, DTP, music and
graphics work, A good all-rounder for
home users.
UNSUCCESSFUL SID
have Just upgraded my revision 6.2 B2000 to Workbench 2.
I have also installed the new Dentse chip. I seem to be
having a problem. Every now and again my monitor screen
goes one colour wtth lines In another colour going up from
Urn bottom of the screen to the top. When this happens my computer
crashes. This problem happens at random and 95% of the time while I'm
running SID 1.08. ts this a problem with SID or )s It possible that one of my
new up^ade chips Is damaged?
RotJert Hart
Roehampton
Not being a great fan of SID (until version 2 anyway), 1 haven't seen this
problem before. It sounds tike a software crash (the vertical lines are sprites
gone mad), but this could be caused by a hardware problem - I'd need much
more Information to diagnose this problem. M
• A600 - The new A600 machine
boasts a similar spec to the ASOO
Plus but is rather limited in its
expansion capabilities. It can only be
expanded to 4IWb RAIVI and cannot
use ASOO hard drives and RAIVI
expansions that connect to the
machine through the bus connector.
It features an all-new ROM Card
facility which enables software to be
used which is stored on credit card
sized ROIvl cards. Currently though,
virtually no ROM card software
actually exists. The A600 is good for
absolutely nothing. Take my advice -
don't even think about buying an
A600, at least for the moment!
• A1500/B2<MM) - Both are virtually
the same machine apart from an
extra floppy drive which is fitted to
the A1500 {which Just happens to be
the cheaper machine). Comes with
1Mb RAM (expandable to 9Mb),
Workbench 2 and the new Enhanced
Chip Set. Both machines are very
expandable and feature separate
keyboards. An excellent choice for
both home and professional use.
• A3000 - Available in a number of
different specifications, the A3000 is
the flagship of the Amiga range.
Based around the high sfteed 32-tiit
68030 processor, the A3000 is
available in both 16 and 2S MHz
versions with either 50 or 100Mb
hard drives as standard. Comes as
standard with 2Mb Chip RAM
expandable to 16Mb on board.
Because of its price however, the
A3000 is strictly for professional use
only. JH
C REQUESTER
Using intuition from
C, I want to display a
requester using four
string gadgets, all of
which the user will usually
complete. I'm OK so far but would
like to save Hie user swapping
between mouse and keyboard so
that when the requester appears
tha cursor Is already In the first
gadget.. Whan the user presses
[Return] I would like the cursor to
move to the next gadget and so on.
Pagesetter II does this - how Is It
achieved?
J Flymi
Yate
Avon
There is an Intuition library function
that has been specially designed for
this type of string gadget situation.
It's called Activate Gadgeto and the
usage details are as follows:
Act 1 vat eGadget ( gadget_p , J
wlndciw_p, re<iueBt6r_p)
ffadgat_p Is a pointer J
to the gadget.
wiiidow_p is a pointer J
to the vdndcw containing J
the gadget.
re<iuester_p. . . ie a pointer J
to the requester structure.
The window and the requester must
be active before the routine can be
used with success. PAD
MORE POWER
Ha) Since buying my
Power Computing
1.5Mb expansion and
converting to 1Mb
Chip memory, RAD: has stopped
working] When I do a warm boot
everything gets lost - what can I
do7
b) My machine has started crashing
occasionally. Nothing too
spectacular - the screen Just goes
grey. Is this due to a lack of power?
if It Is due to a lack of power,
should I rig a separate PSU to my
PC880A external drive?
c) My floppies have a habit of
taking an extra five minute to boot
load - producing a strange grinding
noise from the drive. I can
sometimes get round this by
booting Workbench with the dodgy
disk in DFl:. Why Is this?
Jeremy Sharp
Newbury
Berkshire
AMIOA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
65
SCART AND
SWEET
Please could you
tell me If I connect
my Amiga to a
video with a
SCART socket will It make any
difference te the picture?
Andrew Bsrtiam
Dagenham
Essex
Yes, if the SCART accepts analog
red, green and blue signals, as
most do. But do you mean video
{ie VCR}? Or do you mean
monitor? If you connect to a
SCART VCR make sure that it is
correctly connected to a SCART
TV with a suitable SCART cable,
not an RF (aerial) cable. The
picture will probably get worse
otherwisel GW
a) RAD in the 1.3 Kickstart was not
designed to function with 1Mb Chip
RAM which is why the device gets
confused and ioses data. You can fix
this bug by appending -R to the
SETPATCH command in the startup-
sequence, like this:
aetpatch >iill: -r
b) This could be a virus, but it's more
likeiy to be "one of those things".
Computers crash iike this from time
to time - it's just iife. It is very
difficult to give a precise diagnosis
unless this happens with certain
pieces of software.
c) That grinding noise is a task
conflict. Two tasks are trying to
access the disk at the same time
and the disk head is constantly
thrashing between two separate
points on the disk. This is usually
caused by poorly written startup-
sequences but in your case I suspect
the culprit is something called the
"disk validator".
it goes something like this: every
time you insert a disk the validator
ensures the structure is secure; this
process normally takes a second or
so. if a file has only be partially
written the validator has to update
certain structures on the disk - since
this is being done while AmigaDOS
attempts to run the startup-
sequence, the disk head ends up
flailing all over the disk. That's what
all the thrashing noise is. Curiously,
you can make this worse by write-
protecting the disk!
The solution is simple. Boot a
Workbench and place ail the suspect
disks in your external drive and wait
for the drive light to go out. Watch
carefully, it goes out for about a
second and comes back on again for
an instant - that's the validator. This
happens every time you write
something to the disk and you must
let it complete before re-booting the
machine. If you remove a disk before
it validates you will get a message
like "You must replace volume XYZ:
in DFO:" MS
CONFUa OF CLOCKS
HA few months ago I
upgraded from a
standard A5D0 to an
A500 PIjs. To ensure
100% software compattbllity I fitted
a Phoenix ROM Sharer and 1.3
JAUGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
Binary - A special number format, consisting of only two numerals
It is used by computers to store all information.
- and 1.
Database - An applications program that enables Information to be stored
and retrieved in a s^uctured manner. Information can be categorised
according to a user's preference, and searched for according to user-
specified criteria.
Directory - An organisational method of storing files on a disk in a helrarchy.
A directory is a sub-section of a disk which may contain files and/or
further directories. In this way, similar files can be grouped together.
nicker fixer - A card that removes the flicker from the Amiga's Interlace
mode and the visible scan lines in the non-interlace mode, interlace
mode is the Amiga's way of doubling the vertical screen resolution, but
normally by effectively halving the screen update rate and creating flicker.
Font - The group of letters, numbers and special characters that comprise
on variation of typeface, eg: 12pt Times, 12pt Times Bold, 12pt Times
Italic. Sometimes (mistakenly) used in desktop publishing to refer to a
type 1am I ly.
Task - A program running in memory. Under multi-tasking, each task appears
to have its own 68000 processor, without having to worry much about
other tasks Interrupting it.
Kickstart chl|>. Since then I bought
a standard O.SMb memory
expansion, but as the A500 Plus
already has an Internal clock I Just
ordered the version without a clock.
However, when fitted, whether
switched on or not, the O.SMb
expansion disables the clock (Ie
messages of "Battery backed-up
clock not found" displayed) I cannot
Intaglne that the ROM sharer Is to
blame as this problem occurs In
either 1.3 or 2.x mode.
Also, according to many sources
the O.SMb expansions are supposed
to work perfectly well on the ASOO
Plus, and I have yet to see any
advertisement Indicating otherwise.
What's going on? If the ROM sharer
Is to blame what Is the remedy?
This Is not an isolated Incident. Two
of my friends carried out exactly the
same procedure with the same
results.
I Cameron
Sacrlston
Durham
With an A501 type card fitted, the
interna! clock is disabled and the
clock on the card replaces the one
on the motherboard. Commodore
only recommends A501-type cards
(with clocks) for use with the ASOO
Plus. While it should be possible to
prevent such a card disabling the
clock, I'm not sure how this is done.
JR
ANIMATION STATION
'■"j ^ Can you please tell
r% [ me what software I
would need (If It Is
possible] to run my
'saved' game animations. 1 have
Deluxe Paint 4 and use a separate
disk to store my animations. Is It
possible to run my animations from
this separata disk without having to
load DPalnt 4 first? Is It possible to
make an Icon so that the animation
can b« run from Workbench or will I
need a programming language like
AMOS?
Markus WItcomb
Telford
Shropshire
All you need is the Animation Player
program which is on your DPaint
Animations disk. This will allow you
to run animations from the
Workbench without having to load
DPaint first. JH
DATABASE DILEMAAA
I am trying to write a
database program
which will use
random access files
to record the different counties
contacted via Amateur Radio. The
file will have 373 records each of
138 characters (flag 1 byte,country-
nante 27 bytes, prefix 10 bytes,
status 9 times 1 byte, confirmation
10 times 9 bytes) and a hashing
algorithm will be used to convert
country-name to a record number.
I've written a test module to set up
blank records, write data to them,
and then read the data back and
this works OK. A similar program to
amend a record however Just
deletes the existing data and writes
the new data as the first record.
I've enclosed listings of the test
modules - can you please advise me
on what is wrong.
GR Gaurrtlett
Sprottbrough
Doncaster
Before 1 try and give you an answer
can I make a general plea to
everyone thinking of sending in
program listings: don't bother. We
are more than happy to help you with
programming problems, to offer
advice and general guidelines. We
are not interested in trawling through
pages and pages of listings to find
your bugs. If you want to write
programs, then you must also learn
the necessary patience to debug
your own programs.
Anyway, just this once...
As far as your second module is
concerned I can see one thing that is
obviously wrong - the file has not
been opened for appending data. It
has been opened for writing new
data whilst discarding the previous
contents.
In short you've written...
output=f open (filename , "i*" )
when you should be using...
output= f qpen ( f i lenanie , " ol>" )
if you are just writing, or...
outi)fQt=fcs>en.( filename, "a+b")
if you want to read and write. PAO
PC MONITORS
My question Involves
the use of a PC
monitor with my
Amiga 1500, which I
bought after I became frustrated
with the lack of f1exit)lllty of my ex-
work 3270 PC system. I thought,
however, that I would be able to use
the PC's monitor with my Amiga,
but this Is where my problems
started.
The monitor, labelled IBM 5272
colour display, Is connected to the
outside world with a 9-pln D-type
connector. I looked up the pin
assignments In the manual and
made a lead to connect my Amiga
to the monitor, linking what I
thought were the correct pins. But
although the monitor seems to
display the correct colours the
picture Is continually rolling and
breaking up.
The monitor pins are as follows:
1 to 4 Not connected
5 Green
6 Blue/Intensity
66
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
—JhJJjJjiJijL
7 Red/Vidto
8 Horizontal Sync
9 Vertical Sync
I know the 3270 computer <lo«s not
use the standard CGA graphics card
but contains both an APA (All
Points Addressable) display adaptor
and a PS (Programmed Symbols)
card, which I believe are to do with
its use as a mainframe tennlnal
emulator. Does this have any
bearing on the type of monKor It
uses? Can I use this monitor with
my Amiga or will I have to purchase
a new one? My eyes are going funny
trying to use my TV!
Brian Parker
Hemel Hempstead
Herts
The 3270 PC is an old type of AT
computer, and a search through
documentation archives by IBM's
Enquiries department (■» 081 747
0747) came up with nothing of use
regarding the 5272 monitor, though
there were mentions of it. I suspect
this lack of information is to do with
the fact that the monitor In question
is mid-1980's vintage. The
gentleman at IBM enquiries
suggested i try a couple of its
dealers which had (possibly) sotd
these Items in the past, but again I
drew a puzzled blank.
Perhaps If there is anyone out
there who can shed some light on Mr
Parker's problem they might like to
contact Amiga Shopper. GW
LOCK ON
H Occasionally, the
Capjs Lock key flashes
on and off and the
keyboard locks. Is
there something wrong with the
keyboard wiring and what should I
do?
Aftab Khan
Shepherds Bush
London
it's difficult to say exactly what is
wrong with your machine but the
indications point to a spurious
hardware fault In the keyboard
processor. The only recourse for this
sort of thing is to get the machine
serviced by a recognised repair outfit
such as FMG or WTS Electronics. MS
GOOD CmZEN
I recently received my
free copy of Cttlzan
Print Manager, read
the instruction leaflet
and the ReadMe file, together with
your more innjepth article on
TurboPrlnt Professional In the April
edition, which I found far more
educational and recommend to
anyone with Citizen Print Manager.
As you state, the new printer
drivers are a vast Improvement over
the Workbench ones, especially for
DARK SIDE OF THE DJ
Whenever I try to print IFF Images from PageStream to my
DeskJet 500 they always come out too dark. Is there a
simple solution to this?
Would I get better quality If I converted to halftone and. If
so, which Is the cheapest way to do this? {PageStream can do this but the
quality is no better.)
Alan Hargreaves
Stoke-on-Trent
Mot quite sure what you mean by 'convert to halftone". Of course
PageStream does this, that's how It manages to print coloured pictures on a
black-and-white printer.
What I think you mean is would you get better quality if you first
converted your coloured picture to 16 levels of grey? And the answer ts yes,
probably, but then you'd need to lighten the darker shades of grey.
What you really need is The Art Department - not necessarily the
Professional version, the cheaper, cut-down version will do. This package will
convert to grey for you and then allow you to play with the brightness,
contrast and gamma levels of the picture, as well as apply a number of
dithers which will further enhance the output.
If you're watting for me to tell you how to do it for next to nothing, then
you'll be watting a longtime. Good software tends to cost money. JW
graphics, I use an Installed copy on
a separate floppy disk, but to really
appreciate the software I would like
to Install It on various program
disks. However I And that Citizen
Print Manager takes up a lot more
disk space than Citizen claims.
Would It therefore be possible to
pare down a working copy of Cttlien
Print Manager, to make It a lot
smaller? If so, what gets deleted? I,
for Instance, am only interested In
the Swift 24 driver,
Terry Birch
Castle Donlngton
Derby
It's easier if I say which files you
need, rather than which you should
delete.
OK, let's start with a blank disk,
which we'll call the Svi/ift24 disk for
the purposes of this example.
You need 'PMPrefs' and
'PMPrefs.info'. You only need
'NoPM' and 'NoPM.info' If you have
the need to remove Print Manager
from memory. So copy both these
files to the root directory of the
Swift24 disk.
You need the whole CONFIGS
directory (there's only one small file
in there), so copy that CONFIGS
directory from the Print Manager disk
into the root directory of the Swift24
disk.
Next create two directories in the
root directory of the Swift24 disk,
called PM and PRINTERS, Into the
PM directory copy the files called
■tde', 'ttO' and 'ttl' from the PM
directory on the Prirjt Manager disk -
that's Tee Dee Fee, Tee Tee Zero
and Tee Tee One, just in case of
confusion.
The other 'tt' files are for when
you select another language from the
Print Manager front panel.
Into the PRINTERS directory on
the Swift24 disk copy the
'Swifl24.m' file from the PRINTERS
directory on the Print Manager disk.
And that's it. Comes to about
120,000 bytes all told.
Now copy the entire contents of
the Swift24 disk on to any of the
program disks you want Citizen Print
Manager to be on. If you haven't got
120,000 free bytes on a program
disk. Citizen Print Manager won't fit
unless you 'crunch' the PMPrefs
program with something like
PowerPaciier Professional, which will
probably give you another 40,000
bytes or so of room. JW
KICK IT IN!
Whilst using
Demollshere Utilities
which I obtained from
United PD (Disk
PU040) 1 came across a utility
which claims to be able to load a
Klckstart from disk Into RAM. Once
loaded, the system then treats this
as ROM and reboots the machine
under this new Klckstart version.
Where can I get my hands on copies
of Klckstart disks 1,3 and 2.04 and
how much would they cost?
Morvyn Myles
Perth
I presume the PD program that you
are referring to is either ZKicl< or
Kiclilt, two utilities which were written
to enable developers to install pre-
release Kickstarts (held on disk as
binary files) to be loaded into RAM
and then used as if they were real'
Klckstart chips. Unfortunately,
although the programs themselves
are PD, the Klckstart files that they
feed upon are strictly copyright of
Commodore UK. Unless you are a
registered developer, tt is very
unlikely indeed that you will be able
to obtain Klckstart 2.04 as a binary
file (1,3 is not available in this
format).
If you do manage to get a copy of
a Klckstart file, then trash it
immediately unless you want a letter
from Commodore's solicitors to drop
on your door mat. If you really need
to be able to switch between
Kickstart versions, then a Klckstart
ROM sharer board is probably your
best bet. These boards enable you to
switch between two different
Kickstart chips. The one I use (and
recommend) is the Change Kickstart
board from Cortex. It costs £30 and
is available from Cortex w 051 236
0480. /H
FOUNTAIN OF TROUBLE
I have attempted to
use Fountain as
supplied with
Workbench 2.04. 1
//
have followed the instmctlons given
in the manual to add the ASSIGN
statement to the Ltser-startup file
but when I double click on Fountain
t get the message "cannot open
diskfont.llbrary VS?", Can you help
me get Fountain running? I did try
FIXING THE FLICKER
1 own an Amiga 1500, recently upgraded to WB 2.04,
Including the Super Denlse. My problem Is that when I try
and select 'productivity mode' the picture completely
crashes, (going white and flashing) forcing me to soft boot.
But If 1 use any of the other screen resolutions it's perfect (and flicker
free). Is this because i am trying to put the signal through the equivalent
of two flicker fixers (le Super Denlse and the ICO flicker flxer), or because
I had to make the connecting cable from the I CD board to the monitor
myself?
Nigel Bates
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
It could be your lead causing this problem, as I'm not aware of any
compatability problem with the ICD Ricker Free Video and the Super Denlse
chip, I wouldn't get too worned about it: productivity mode is about as useful
as a chocolate teapot If you've already got a flicker fixer, JR
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 AUGUST • 1992
67
Jijjj yjjiju-i
writing to Commodore - but have
received no repiy as yet.
J Davies
Forest Hili
London
One possible answer is to re-assign
the LiBS: assignment to tlie fonts
disk viU'Kh contains thie new version
of disi^font. library. A typical example
migiit read:
assign libs: J
f ontB2 . 04 : libs : defer
My personal preference is to thirow
away disl<font. library V36 (on tiie
Worl^bench disl<) and replace it witli
V37 from the fonts dish;. You can do
this as follow/s:
a) Use Workbench's Shovi/.,.AII files
on the Workbench and Fonts disks.
This will reveal the two "Libs"
drawers.
b) Op>en the "Libs" drawer on the
'Fonts" disk and locate the
diskfont. library.
c) Now drag tine diskfont, library icon
from the Fonts disk to the "Libs"
drawer on the Workbench disk, MS
BRIDGEBOARD WORRIES
^V"~^« I have an Amiga 2000
^^^J (Workbench 1.3), two
^^ ^H floppy drives, 5Mb
^f^^H memory (Golden
Image card), an XT Sridgeboard
with 5.25" drlv«, and a 20Mb hard
drive. I have a few questions:
a) I can't boot the Bridge board with
my Amiga memory expansion card
plugged In (Bridgeboard hard disk
works fine without the card). After
booting It will ask me to Insert JHD
or It will Just crash.
b) My internal and external disk
drives seems to be incompa(tlble.
(files saved on one drive can't be
read by the other; but new software
can be read by both drives)
c) If I upgrade to the new ECS chip,
will my 1Mb In the A2000 be
converted to Chip RAM?
Michael Thien Wei Seng
Singapore
Dealing with your questions one by
one:
a) It sounds like your memory board
is incompatible with the Bridgeboard.
Try to replace it with a different board
(the Commodore, ivlicrobotics and
ICD cards all work with the
Bridgeboard).
b) One (or both} of your drives need
to be looked at professionaily. It is
not an easy task to re-align the
heads on Amiga floppy drives, so let
the experts at an Amiga repair centre
look at them,
c) As long as you have a B2000 (with
the composite video output at the
back next to the sound outputs), you
should have no problem converting
to 1Mb Chip RAM. Earlier A2000s
(without the composite video output)
used the same chips as the Amiga
1000, and are not upgradeable. JR
SERIAL MURDER
i have been trying for
ages to get a Brother
"^SiJ HR-15 daisywheel
printer to print from
my Amiga 500. The problem Is that
I don't know the right questions to
ask, so the only advice I got from
Brother technical support was that
It is a serial [irinter.
Is my printer compatible with
my Amiga? There is a driver on the
Extras disk called Brother_HR-15XL,
Is this close enough to work?
As I do not have a manual for
my printer, can you tell me which
cable I need? Could you give me the
plnouts so that I can make one
myself.
JE Gould
Waltham Abbey
Essex
Yes, the Brother_HR-15XL driver
should work perfectly. To make a
cable for the pnnter you'll need
details of the Amiga's serial port and
the printer's serial port - look In the
Amiga manual for the former, and
speak to Brother about the latter.
Ask if it can send or sell you a
manual, or at the very least a wiring
diagram for the HR-15's serial port,
plus details of the dip switch
settings,
I warn you though, wire the cable
wrongly and you'll blow up the
Amiga's serial port. Unless you are
experienced at this sort of thing I
suggest you gather all the required
details and give them to someone
who knows what they are doing, JW
MAC AND ME
in Issue 13 of Amiga
Shopper (page 154)
you printed a review
of MessySID 2 in
which you stated that the above
program could be used to transfer
Amiga files to and from the
Macintosh. I bought the program
but have since found that the
claims that you make in the review
are simply not true. Am I doing
something wrong? If so, could you
please tell me how to transfer files
between the Amiga and Mac using
MessySfD.
Evangelos MIchallldls
Fallowfleld
Manchester
I'm afraid you've got the wrong end
of the stick, Evangelos. As it
currently stands, MessySID cannot
directly read and write Macintosh
format diskettes - it can only handle
Amiga and MSDOS-format disks. To
transfer a file from the Amiga to the
Mac using MessySID you need a
Macintosh that has a high density
disk drive and a copy of the Mac
program Apple File Exchange (this is
given away with Mac Finde!). This
program allows the Macintosh to
read and write standard 720k
MSDOS disks (like those produced
by MessySID].
As you can see, the whole
process of transferring files to ^e
Mac using MessySID relies entirely
upon the Mac's ability to access
MSDOS disks. If your Mac doesn't
have a high density drive, then
MessySID cannot be used for this
purpose.
If you really need to transfer files
to and from the Mac, then there are
two options available to you. The
cheapest is to treat yourself to a
Mac to Amiga null modem cable and
then use communications software
running on both machines
(something like NComm on the
Amiga and Red Ryder on the Mac) to
transfer the files down the null
modem cable. This can be a rather
slow process when you're
transferring larger files (IFF images,
for example), but it's very cheap.
if money is no object then treat
yourself to a copy of Central Coast's
Mac2D0S. This hardware and
software combination will allow you
to connect a Macintosh 800k disk
drive to the Amiga and read and write
files to Macintosh format diskettes
with ease.
Expect to pay around £300 for
the privilege though! Mac2DCiSis
available from HB Marketing "= 0753
686000. JH
NOT MY PAL
Every now and then
my computer seems
to switch Into NSTC
mode after a guru or
I perform a soft reset. I have
when I
been told by a friend that I may
have an American processor which
could result In the machine coming
up in NTSC instead of PAL. Is there
anyway of stopping this?
Also, is there any way to tell If
another disk drive Is present during
the startup-sequence? Finally, my
clock has reset back to 1978. Has
this been caused by a virus?
Calum Metcalfe
Middlesbrough
Cleveland
NTSC on reset is a common and well
known bug in the 1.3 Kickstart ROM
- even the CDTV suffers from it! You
can get round It using a little PD
program (available from all good PD
libraries) called NoPatReset.
You just insert NoPalReset in the
startup-sequence and If the machine
tries to boot In NTSC, NoPatReset
then resets the machine (and will
keep on doing so) until it boots in
PAL.
It Is possible to check for the
presence of another disk drive during
startup. With your 1.3 Kickstart and
AmigaDOS, it Is not very practical
since the command causes a
requester to appear.
Your clock could have lost its
time for two reasons: first, the
battery may have run down; second it
might have been affected by a rogue
program running riot through the
machine,
You can charge the battery by
leaving the machine (not the monitor)
switched on for 24 hours and reset
the clock using the following
command;
setclock reset
That should fix any problems that
may have been caused by a rogue -
not necessarily a virus. MS
JARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
ECS - Extended Chip Set Is the name given to the new versions of the
Amiga's custom chips that handle graphic, sound, memory and so on.
Library - The Amiga has many special features, and programs are already
present in the operating system to make use of these features. These
programs, or library functions, may {and should) be used by applications
programs, obviating the need for each programmer to write a similar set
of routines.
NTSC - National Television Standards Committee. This is the name for the
TV colour coding system used In the USA and other countries. It has 525
lines, running at 60 fields aand 30 frames/second, it is often, and
perhaps unfairly, japed at as Never Twice the Same Colour by PAL
standard users.
PAL - One of the main TV colour coding system (with the exception of
France's SECAM system), which is in use around the world and was
developed in Britain. PAL refers to Phase Alteration Line. In fact, there
are several hybrid PAL systems in use, all of which are slightly different.
Serial port - An interface port at the back of the Amiga, used for connecting
to a modem. Sometimes used for printers.
68
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
AMIGA 600
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nodels carry Commodnres' comprehensive new '[n-Homc'
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ii®0602
LISTINGS
We're on the lookout
for programs In any
language which Is
supported on the
Amiga, and we'll pay £20 for any
that we publish.
Programs of any type are
admissable: serious and useful,
wild and wacky, or stunningly
creative. Just remember that we
can't print listings that rely on binary
files for sprites, samples and so on.
All you have to do is pop your
program on an AmlgaDOS disk
(along with source code if it is
compiled or assembled) and send it
to us at the following address:
We v/anf your lisHngs! Olspltxy
your programming proy^ess before
your felloy^ Amigans and earn
famcr fortune and everything ifiof
goes wilfi it (Mfefl, £20 anyv/ay,..)
Listings
Amiga Shopper
Future Publishing
30 Monmouth Street
Bath
BAl 2BW
Don't forget to include a stamped
addressed envelope if you want your
disk returning. Some form of printed
documentation would be nice, too.
This month we've got two
listings from Fu Sang Li of Hackney
in London, who'll be receiving £20.
They're both written in C, and
complied with the PD package
NorthC. The first, handily named SR,
Is a text search and replace utility
run from the Shell, Type sr, followed
by the text filename, then the text to
be searched for and the text with
which it is to be replaced. Two
switches are permitted: '/c'
instructs the program to be case
sensitive; '/p' asks it to prompt you
before making any changes. The
second program, TS, is a text
search program. It will accept the
'/c' case sensitive switch, and list
occurrences of the matched string
in the text file.
Remember: give us your listtngs!
LISTING 1
/* Search- and-Replace utility by Fu Sang U. •/
# incliide< stdio . h>
#def in« OFF
#define OK lOFF
fdefine BaCKaP_FII.E "backup"
void chec]t.c«se ( ) ;
inaiii(argc, argv)
lut argc;
char *argv[]}
{
FIIiE *Brc_fp,
•deejp;
char wDr<lj3uff[ 256], line_buff [512] , ca8e_BeiiB=0FF,
prc(tii)t=OFF, ch, oh2, write_err«FALSE;
lut i, j, k; lohH line_pD=0, exohange8=0;
if {argo<4)
priatf ("\nusage! SR <Filenaiiie> <Search-'r«3Et> <Repl*ce-
Tajct> [/c] [/pl\3i\n");
else
{
•(ftrgv[4]+l)=tolow6r(*(argv[4]+l));
* (argv [ 5) +1 > =tolciwor ( • <arav [5] +1) ) f
if(lstrcns)(argv[4], "/c") II lstrca(p(argv[51 , "/□">)
caset_senB>OH}
If (!stronp(argv[4], "/p") II !Btj:cmp{argv[5] , "/p") )
proKptnONj
if (Brc_f p»f open (argv [1] , "r") )
{
if (deB_f p=f (^pen { BACKDP_FILE, "w" > )
{
fclose(Bre_fp) J
f close (des_fp);
if ( !'write_err)
{
arc_fp=fopen(BftCKtIP_FILE, "r")|
deB_fp=fCJpen(argv[l], "W">;
vftiile ( ! f eof ( Brc_fp) )
{
fgetsdinojiuff, 512, Bro^fp);
line_jio++;
iiOt
j-Oi
whiletliiie_buff[i])
{
ch-line_buf f ti] ;
ch2=*(argv[2]+j))
choc5t_caBe(case_eens, ftch, ioh2);
i£(oh==ch2)
{
(*ile(ch=«ch2)
{
wordjroff [j++]=llne_buff [i++] i
ch*line_baf f ti] ;
ch2=*<argvt2]+j)j
check^case ( caae„BeinB , fich, tch2 ) ;
}
If { J==strl«o{argv[21 ) )
{
if (prcnpt)
{
do
{
ch=fgetc (Bro_Ep) t
ifdfeof {src_fp))
if(fputc(ch, dBB_fp)"BOP}
writ6_err=TRUE;
}
**ileCIfeof(Brc_fp) &t Iwrlte_«rr)j
1 ine_no , 1 ine_buf f ) ;
Skip: ")f
cbar B[2]j
printf CXnLitte Md:\n%B",
printf ("<CE>-EjK:toai^e, S*<CE>-
gets (a) f
if (iBtronptB, ""))
(
fputB{argv[3] , deB_fp) f
exchangeB++;
)
VA AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1 993
LISTINGS
)
elae
f puts { eirgv [2 ] , dea_f p ) ;
J
el Be
{
f puts ( surgv [3 ] , <3eB_f p ) ;
exchanges++ ;
}
>
ela«
{
wor<I_buff [j] = '\0';
fputs(wDrd_buff, doB_fp);
)
i-0,
)
else
fputc ( liiiB_buf f £i++] , deB_f p ) i
}
printf ("XnDone! Exchange (s): %1A ",
eKchanges) ;
prlntf ("(Orginal file backed up In
' backup '.)\n\n");
fcloBe(arc_fp) i
f close (des_£p) ;
)
else
printf ("\iiNot enough disk Bpec« for backup
fllonnSn"!;
J
else
t
)
)
else
print f { "XnError qpenina backup fllel\a\n")f
fclose(Brc_fp);
priatf {"XnError opening ^6a<\n\n", argv[l]);
>
>
void check_c:aBe(caBe_sens, chj), ch2_p)
chat caBe_sene, *ch_p, *ch2_pj
{
•oh_j;>=caBe_sens?*ch_p:toupipor(*chj?> ;
*oh2_p=caBe_sens?*oh2_p : toijpper ( •ch2__p) j
tISTING 2
/* Text Search utility 1^ Pu Sang Li - 13 May 1991 •/
# inclii(le< stdio . h>
#def ine OFF
Mefine (M lOFF
void □heck_caBe() ;
void Eiain(argc, argv)
int argc;
char *argv[I;
t
FILE "fp/
char linej&iiff [S12),
caBe_aenB-OFF ,
ch,
cMf
int 1,
J,
freg;
long line_jio»0,
coimt=0;
if (argc<3)
printf<"\nUaage: TS <Filename> <Search-Text> [/c]\n\rL"};
else
{
if {lBtrcnip(argv[3], "/c") II I strcDUp { argv [ 3 ] , "/C") )
case_Beiis'=ON;
If (fp=fci>ea(M^v[l], "r"))
(
v*lle<!£eof (fp))
{
fgetedinejjuff, 512, fp) ;
line_iio++ (
1=0;
j=0)
frecisO;
while (llne_buff ti] )
t
ch=line_buf f [i] ;
Ch2=*(argv[2}+j);
check_ca3e(oase_Beiis, fich, tch2);
if (oh==ch2)
Tdii le { cli=~eh2 }
{
i++;
i**t
ch=HneJjaf f [ij ;
ch2=*(argvt2]+j);
cheGk_cafle(caBe_8ena, &ch, sch2);
if (J==Btrlen{argv[3] ))
{
couat++ ;
)
j=0(
)
else
i++r
J
if (freg>0)
printf("%d occurrencets) in liae %ld.\n",
f req, line_no) ;
}
if (count>0)
printf ( " \n'%fl ' containa %ld occurrence ( b ) . \ii\n" ,
argvll], count);
else
printf ("NnHo occurrences of '%b' found in
'%s'.\n\n", argv[2], argv[l]);
}
elae
printf {"\nError opening '%B'!\n\a", argv[l]);
}
> I
void aheck_caBe(caBe_Bens, cli__p, ch2_p)
char case_Bens,
*ch_p,
•ch2_p»
{
•cb_j>=caBe_senB?*ch_p : toupper [ *ch_p > ;
*ch2 j)=caBe_aenB? *ch2_p : toiq^iper ( *ch2_p) ;
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
71
Just PROGRESSIVE
040 S ZEUSFor200(V1500 28MIuWiih4MegAndScsi£1599
if ordered at the time of purchase you can get a fiirth^ 16 megs of SO nanosec ram
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MERCURY 2R Mhz 040 zero K For A3OOO/A30O0T £1 150
PRORAM 64 Meg 32 Bit Dram for A3000/A300ffr. 4 meg £349 1 6 meg £850
THE NEW 28 MHZ 040 FOR 500/SOOP With 4 megs £895 8 meg would be
£1025 works with existing nim so your tnachine can expand to 17 megs!! Works
with 1.3 & 2.04 with 2.04 mounted on board, 68000 fall-back mode works ALL hard
drives. The ultimate accelerator. 22nrups
T IDEO VIDEO BLENDER the ultimate desktcm video wilh genlock,
unlimited video effects, multitasking, stereo mixingjuma keying, wiping, biack
burst, loop throug, mixing and many many more, works all Amiga's, VHSS, MIS
RGB etc £999 FRAMEGRABBER £499
RAMBRANDT the much talked about 24 bit card now being shipped at £2499
G. V. P . 030 40Mhz With 4 Meg And Scsi £899
Full GVP Range of drives, 030's etc CALL for prices.
AS30 030 40 Mhz Wilh 52 Quantum £699 With 105 Drive £850
Please IK>te CSA 030 's are no longer stocked due to hard drive
incompatibilities and their slow speed. The I^gressive 040 is now recommended.
FAST 24 BIT CARDS vision 24 Bit super
Graphics Card Wilh 40 Nansec Video Ram 2000/1500/3000
85 mhz with 2 or 4 meg ram start £1599 or £1999
110 mhz with 2 or 4 meg ram start £1999 or £2599
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Multi-sync 17" or 21" up to 2048 x 1536 resolution from £999
24 bit video digitiser and software £599
400 dpi colour scanner with software £1799 or 600 dpi at £1999
A500/500P 2 MEG RAM £99
Everything On One Board Up To 8 Megs Ram A Co-Pro Socket And Scsi Interface-
TAPE STREAMER isomegscsi ext case fsu& and cableop?
Workbench 2.04 Kit. Rom & Manual £65 P&P£4.S0
ACCELERATORS UNLIMITED
P.O. BOX 87, LYTHAM St ANNES. LANCS, FYS 5SP
TEL 0253 795796 FAX 0253 736035 Tno Credit^
OPEN 10AM TO 5PM MONDAY THRU' THURSD^. Card ,
Mail Order Only-Overseas Welcome . Surcharges i
Registered post or courier extra, Prices include VAT v. . . . . J
Fluctuation exchange ra(es mean prices may vary -check first
Electronic Phone Mail Box available when we are not
^'"'^Professional
Video Captioning
# Amiga 1500
# 52MB hard drive
# 4MB ram
# Broadcast Titler
software
# VideoCeriter VCI
genlock
# Assembled & tested
£1850 + VAT
II 1 1 III I i_i_
5 Mead Lane, Farnham
Surrey GU9 7DY
Tel: 0252 737151
Fax; 0252 737147
THE SURVIVAL GAME
WAUNIIVG!
This interactive programme could szve the lives of
yourself and your family or friends.
Our huge 12-disc programme includes hundreds of
illustrations, animations and sounds written,
compiled and drawn by ex- Special Service Personnel.
IT CAM HAPPEN TO YOU.
Fear and intimidation can come to anyone
anywhere in the world.
* Would you know what to do to protect yourself?
* Do you really have the expertise,or are you fooiing
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COULD YDU COPE IF IMWOCENTLY CAUGHT
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Our comprehensive programme will give you the knowledge
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OUR PROGRAMME 1NCLUDES:-
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* Identification of poisonous plants and dangerous
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* Interactive emergency communications .
* Direction-finding (SUN MOON STARS).
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INCREASE YOUR SURVIVAL CAPABILITIES NOW.
...YOU MAY NEVER GET ANOTHER CHANCE...
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ACCESS/VISA
CD AND PC VERSIONS GUT SOON!
VIDEO
Since the first Atnlgas were
released In 1985 it has
been acknowledged that
one of their outstanding
applications Is for adding graphics
and titles to video Images. Judging
by the number of different genlachs
on the market and the range of
titling and painting programs
available, this fact hasn't escaped
the manufacturers and retailers
either. No surprise since many
Amiga owners have access to at
least one VCR or camcorder, and a
lot of video owners will have access
to an Amiga, by rental, purchase or
through friends and relatives.
The cost of video production
equipment has reached the point
wtiere access is potentially available
to millions of people, at many levels.
The quality and specifications are
increasing, while prices continue to
fall and equipment which was
available only to specialised video
companies 10 years ago has
become more affordable and
Increasingly popular, A desire to
emulate the professionals, or even
become one, is a logical step
forward for many Amiga video users.
Bearing all this in mind, and
know/ing that many of the Amigas In
'serious' use are employed in video
and graphics production, I thought
that It might be worthwhile giving you
a few hints and tips to help you to
Improve your ov/n titling efforts.
GEHING STARTED
To use your Amiga for video titfes
and graphics, there is a minimum
amount of equipment required. At
the very least you'll need an Amiga
(with suitable software, of course!), a
modulator, a VCR or camcorder and
a TV set. I'd recommend that the
Amiga has at least llVlb Chip RAM
and not less than 1Mb Fast RAM.
Some programs will require a lot
more than this to produce their best,
and the power of programs such as
DettixePaint can be greatly increased
by adding another megabyte or two
of RAIVl. If you are thinking of buying
an Amiga for video use, please don't
be fooled into thinking that a brand
new, straight-out-of-the-box Amiga is
all you need to get Instant TV-quality
graphics and special effects. It isn't
accelerator card, should be
considered too.
The same points apply about
video equipment, and the amounts
and costs usually increase in
proportion to the quality you require
and the format you wish to use. It's
possible to buy anything from purely
domestic VHS quality equipment to
full broadcast specification gear.
While a simple domestic quality VHS
rig might cost less than £1000 in
total, a top end digital setup could
cost hundreds of thousands of
pounds, when you take into account
all the video recorders, monitors,
high quality genlocks and other
hardware needed at this level.
An average setup would probably
include a genlock, maybe a video
camera, second VCR and extra
monitor/s. But the cost and amount
of equipment is not what concerns
me here, because whatever level you
are working at, and whatever your
titling needs, you may be interested
to know that there are a number of
simple things which can be done to
effectively improve your Image.
TIPTOP
TITLING
Gary Whiteley makes the
headlines w/ffi some terrific titling
tips, and sho}/\^s yau hov^ to y^in
friends and influence people wiffi
the new Smooth Talker and
Hama genlock
Much more prominence can be given to words by outlining or drop-
shadowing them, as you can see in the above examples
CARE Wrm COLOUR
One of the simplest, and most
important, ways of getting a better
looking picture involves choosing
appropriate colours to work with. You
should always try to avoid using
heavily saturated colours such as
deep reds and blues, as these tend
to 'bleed' on video, and therefore
signal) which Is usually sharp and
high quality, and a colour part, which
Is where the problems start. In
simple terms, adding colour (the
chrominance element) reduces the
picture quality and smearing starts to
set in. Because this smearing (or
chroma crawl) is worse with highly
saturated colours, the degradation
becomes more noticeable when deep
reds and blues are used.
If you have no choice but to use
such colours, you could try putting a
dark outline around lettering and
logos, rather like the outlines on
cartoon characters. You'll find that
the text becomes more readable
F«0«R«E*C*A«H*
JARGON BUSTING « JARGON BUSTING
Modulator - An electronic gadget used to convert the RGB output from the
Amiga into a video signal acceptable by a standard TV set aerial socket;
other outputs such as composite video and audio may be included.
- it's only a start. You'll need to add
more to it, such as memory, extra
disk drives, maybe a hard drive. If
you're short of the folding stuff then
extra memory is definitely more
important than a second disk drive.
And if you're really serious about
graphics a hard disk, and even an
don't usually look too good at all.
Light colours and pastel shades tend
to work best, especially for lettering.
There are technical reasons for this
which revolve around the fact that a
colour television picture is composed
of two parts - a monochrome video
image (the luminance part of the
Increased Sales
Decreased Cc^^
m PROFIT GAINS
Interesting backgrounds can be added to Improve otherwise dull test.
In this case it's a treated digitised Image, but It could be live video
instead. Be careful not to obscure the text though!
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
73
VIDEO
WORLD EBC RATES
mOWDlNG SMALL TEXT&NTCT
-NOT HELP THE VIE WERTO
UNDEM^^I^D WHAT YOU ABE^,
i^^s^-m
SOURCE: Dr Gaz's Wortd Of Food
With enough nremory, a good collection of artworl< (In tills
case a Scala background and a PD worid map) and
typefaces you can create some great images on the Amiga
^0A€MGROtJ.
Don't make the mlst^a of putting too mucli text on a page!
Some backgrounds are unsuitable and can distract from the
headline. (Just as well when there's a typo!)
because the edges are less smeary.
Text can be made smaller if need be.
If you have enough memory
available use the highest screen
resoiution your software permits.
This will help to reduce the jaggies,
as you'll be using smaller pixels to
draw with, and your graphics will look
sharper. Remember that it's not
always necessary to have 32, or
even 16, colours on screen, so even
llVlb Amigas have a chance of
producing something good. I only use
HAM' for text if I really have to, as the
fringing effects this mode produces
can sometimes make the whole thing
look messy, and its highest
resolution is Interlace.
You should always use an
Overscan screen size if you can, then
you won't risk the possibility of
cutting your graphics off at the edges
of the screen. Unlike the Amiga's
'standard' screen sizes (eg 320 x
256, 640 X 512 etc) which do not
cover the whole of a normal TV
screen, overscan screen sizes (eg
352 X 290, 704 x 580) stretch
beyond the edges of the average TV
screen and so really are full screen.
This is important, especially where
information moves on and off the
screen, for Instance with scrolling or
crawling text, othenMise
unacceptable cropping could occur.
LOW STEPPING
Anti-aliasing can also be a great help
in improving the look of your
presentations. Instead of the usual
jaggy edges which plain non-
horizontal or vertical lines take on, a
degree of smoothing can be achieved
by using intermediate tones to
visually soften the staircase effect, if
you have ever used DeiuxePaint IVs
anti-aliasing functions you will be
aware just what improvements can
be made. But even If you don't have
DPaint IV and have to make the
adjustments by hand you should still
find the extra work worthwhile
because the end result is usually
immensely improved.
Smoothing text can be a more
difficult proposition altogether, as
DeiuxePaint IV cannot do this directly
while adding type to a picture, which
is a pain. Even 24-blt paint programs
leave something to be desired here,
so the best option is to use pre-
processed fonts, either as Colorfonts
(which are special muiticoloured
bitmap fonts) or proprietary fonts
such as those provided with
programs like Broadcast Titler 2.
Colorfonts will often be more flexible
as they can be used with many
Amiga paint programs, and you can
use a utility such as Anti-A or
Caliigrapher to make them from
normal bitmap fonts. The drawback
with using such multicoloured
typefaces is that they use up colours
from the palette, so you must make
allowances when designing your
images. You should be aware that
some of the more expensive titling
programs, most notably Scala and
Broadcast Titler 2, can perTorm anti-
aliasing on typefaces directly, which
is often a great aid to producing
quality results.
PLANNING
It might seem an obvious tip to give,
but planning your titles and graphic
sequences really is important and
can save a lot of time later on when
you find that all your work has to be
changed because you have to use
less colours, or a different
resolution, or some other problem
has arisen that you did not foresee.
if you make a serious mistake at the
planning stage you should be able to
fix it quickly. If you are half way
through your graphics sequence you
TEN TOP TIPS FOR TITLING
• Colour choice - Avoid saturated colours, especially reds and blues.
Choose lighter colours wherever possible.
• Screen size - Use overscan formats whenever possible, then graphics
won't be cut off before the edges of the screen.
• Graphic size ~ Avoid small graphics and typefaces - they can be difficult
to read and transfer badly to video. Avoid lines less than 2 pixels wide.
• Layouts - Lay out graphics so that they are balanced and well spaced.
Don't overcrowd them. If they are easy to read the message will get across.
• Timing - If you have something to communicate at least give the viewer
time to read it fully.
• Typefaces - Whole books have been written about typeface usage.
Basically, use a typeface to reflect the content of your title. Design your own
if necessary. But don't be afraid to mix It up a bit.
• Backdrops - Under itie right circumstances a well chosen backdrop can
greatly Improve a title.
• Anti-aitasing - Smoothing out the jaggies will often improve the look of
your graphics enormously.
• Be appropriate - Stick to the subject. Keep it snappy. Make it stick. And
don't add extras that aren't necessary!
• Viewing distance - Remember to step back from the Amiga monitor from
time to time and check your work from a more realistic viewing distance.
Nobody watches TV at the distance a computer monitor is viewed from.
And don't forget the ptannltigl
might just have to start over.
There are many aspects of
graphics and titling which require at
least some degree of planning.
Colour choices, for instance. How
many colours do you really need?
Will you be using CoiorText? Will
different pages need different
palettes? Do some colours need to
be reserved for a logo? What colours
will be needed for the text? This Is
Just the start.
But don't worry, many of the
choices you have to make will be
based upon need. Certain colours
and typefaces will have to be used.
Layouts often become obvious
because of the nature of the work.
CREDIT SEQUENCES
As for the content of the images, a
lot of this can be pre-planned too. If
you are preparing a credit list for a
video It makes sense to get a list of
all the names which have to be
included, (making sure that you spelt
them all correctlyl), ensure that you
know what everyone's role was and
in which order (and what relative type
sizes) they appear in. You may be
provided with a brief for this from the
director, but more likely than not
you'll have to sort most of this out
yourself - especially If you are the
director. Once you have all the
Information to hand you can start
designing the credit sequence. If you
don't have a brief you will probably
have to make some choices - will
the sequence be scrolling up the
screen, or appear page by page, or
crawl along the bottom of the page?
Will there be transition effects which
need adding, such as wipes?
If you are animating a flying logo
with DPaint you may find that drawing
up a storyboard will help you
visualise the sequence you want.
Even quick notes and sketches can
help and jog your memory when the
going gets rough. And believe me, it
does get rough. Planning can save
your bacon. Because anything that
can go wrong wiii. It always does.
You will Inevitably have to make
some compromises to accommodate
your software and computer setup,
but try to follow the plan as closely
as possible, if you are doing the work
for someone else check with them
first and explain the problems.
Usually changes can be mutually
agreed and everyone stays happy.
Even If you're just titling your
home video there's no need to be
short of Ideas. Watch TV and learn
techniques from what you see there.
Notice which typefaces are used,
which sizes and which colours.
Decide what works for you and what
doesn't. Experiment with your Amiga,
Play and practise. Accept that you
will have failures, but make sure that
you learn from them so that you can
get It right the next time.
74
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
VIDEO
The easy v^ay to
make friends In
the TV studio
GARY TO READER
Cue 1
Have you ever wondered why a
newscaster often seems to be
shiftily glancing about while he ta/te?
Or how a studio presenter appears to
have a wonderful grasp of even the
most obscure of subjects?
Cue 2
Well, I can now reveal that it's alt
done with mirrors. And computers,
video monitors and bits of wire.
Have I lost you? OK, let's go back to
the second cue and start again.
Cue 2
Well, I can now reveal that it's all
done with mirrors. And computers,
video monitors and bits of wire.
Got it yet?
I'm talking about autocue macliines,
or teleprompters; feeding scripts to
talking heads whiie they smile at the
camera and demonstrate how
l<nowledgeable they are. I'm tallying
about Smooth Talker, a newcomer to
the illustrious (and hitherto
unspoken) history of teleprompters
and, as far as I know, the first fully-
fledged prompter to use the Amiga
as its host computer.
You might wonder about the
mass appeal of a product like
Smooth Talker. I mean, how many of
you read the news for a living?
Nevertheiess, I'm going to tell
you about Smooth rafter anyway,
because I like it. It's easy to use,
and It gets the job done. And it's a
heck of a sight cheaper than some of
the systems on the market, if you've
already got the Amiga to run it on.
TELEPROMPTING
What does Smooth Talker do? Well,
being a teleprompter, it displays text
for a presenter to read. The text,
controlled by the presenter or a
teleprompt controller, rolls up the
screen at a readable speed, and is
tiien read out loud. !f the presenter
is talking directly to camera an
arrangement similar to Figure X is
likely to be used, where a monitor
displaying the rolling text is reflected
on glass mounted in front of the
camera. A primitive arrangement, but
it's all that's needed. If someone is
speaking to an audience at a
conference, for instance, those odd
transparent rectangles which so
often flank the rostrum will invariably
be used. They serve the same
purpose as the monitor - to reflect
the words so that the speaker can
see them easily without continuously
referring to written notes. A
teleprompter makes the whole affair
seem that much slicker.
With Smooth Talker you get a
software disk and a small black box
with a knob and a switch on it. The
disk Is self-explanatory - it contains
the Smooth Talker program and
associated files, while the black box
(which plugs into the parallel port) is
a hand-held remote control for the
prompting system, with the switch
being used to go back and forth
between preset cue points and the
rotary knob for setting the forward or
reverse speed of the text roll.
By reacting text raflectecf off a glass
screen In front of a camera, a TV
presenter can give the Impression of
great skill and knowledge
HOW IT WORKS
There are two parts to the software -
the main menu screen, where access
to all of Smooth Talker's functions Is
made, and the text display itself.
The program is flexible in that
scripts can be prepared within
Smooth Talkers main screen, from
the prompting screen Itself, or ASCII
files can be imported and exported
for simple modification. Prompting
scripts can be saved for later use.
Any available Amiga bitmap font
up to 50 point size can be used,
though as there are always four or
five lines displayed on screen a size
between 24 and 45 is advisable, A
couple of suitable fonts are provided
on the disk and there's an unusual
feature that I should explain to you.
Look at Rgure 1 again. Then
think which way round the
text would have to be on
the monitor screen for it to
appear correctly to the
presenter. That's right - it
would have to be reversed.
This can be achieved by
reversing the scan coils of
the teleprompting monitor,
creating a reversed screen
display but Smooth Talker
uses a novel method so
that a normal monitor can
be used instead. How? By
providing a backwards
typefacel All that's then
required is to link the monochrome
output to a suitable monitor, rig up a
glass system and you're in business.
FLEXIBILITY
Fonts can be changed at
any time, and the text
will reformat automat-
ically to take account of
this. Screen colours can
J be either black text on
nBMBB white background or vice
^^^^* versa. There's no need
for multicolour here.
Cue points can be
marked in the text to
save having to scroli
back to a certain line if a
retake is required. A
marker is ail that is
required is to click the switch on the
remote control and the display jumps
back or forward to the next marker.
An inverse line facility is included
to allow text to be highlighted (such
as instructions to the presenter
which aren't meant to be read
aloud). And, if required, all the text
can be toggled to upper case -
though this can't be undone.
Changes to the text on display
can be made through function key
selections and the keyboard and, if
you have a serial printer or don't
have the remote connected at the
time, the results can be output to a
printer for hard copy.
Scrolling speed can be smoothly
varied by using the rotary control on
the remote handset, allowing
continuous adjustment to keep pace
with the presenters' requirements.
Additionally, the handset cable can
be extended to 30 metres or more.
Smooth Talker mil run on any
512K or greater Amiga running
Figure 1
Product shot digitised by GW
AmigaDOS 1.2 or higher. It is self-
booting and multitasking. If you are
contemplating buying a teleprompter,
I'd recommend you contact ZEN
Computer Services for more info.
For those who aren't sure, a
demo tape is available for £2,00
which shows Smooth Talker in use.
E-Mail me on CIX as drgaz.
ooooooooo
SHOPPING LIST
Smooth Talker £14!
from ZEN Computer Smites
2 Stiver Birch Grove,
Swinton
Manchester M27 1 FS
= 0617931931
CHECKOUT
Smooth Talker
Quality • • • • O
Fulfils its objectives.
Features • • • • C
Wel! thojgm out, everything you need to
generate teleprompting screens.
Documentation • • • • O
Compact but eomprehersive.
Price Value • • • • C
No competition in the Amiga world.
Hardware • • • O O
Slightly quirky, but easily usable.
Overall rating • • • • o
Nice to see ZEN coming up with another
innovative and well-produced (if limited
appeal) product.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
75
VIDEO
I he 290 genlock, from
I Hama, Es the latest
I genlock from one of the
I well-known names In the
photographic and domestlc/soml-
pro video markets. How does this
new product measure up?
GOOD LOOKING
The 290 has plenty of knobs and
switches, a couple of stubby fader
levers, Input and output connections
for S-VHS, composite video, and
Amiga RGB and a built-in RGB splitter
for use with digitisers capable of
automated operation, such as Mew
Tek's Digi-View Gold. A power supply
is included for those situations
where the host Amiga (such as some
A500s), is unable to supply enough
juice to power the genlock, or the
unit Is being used solo to convert S-
VHS to composite or RGB outputs.
UP AND RUNNING
Connection Is easy. There's a
longish ribbon connector built in to
the 290 which connects to the Amiga
RGB port. The RGB output can then
be taken from the genlock's 23-pin D
connector to an RGB monitor. Video
connectors are quickly accessed on
the upper rear of the unit and consist
of phono connectors for composite
video and standard Hosiden (IVllni-
DIN) connectors for S-VHS. The
single phono for the digitiser output
is also on the top.
Operation is equally straight-
forward. Through switches and
faders it is possible to cross fade
between combinations of Amiga,
biack, video and l<ey signals. Keying
Is via the usual Amiga colour zero
removal, but it's also possible to
reverse the key to produce a
'keyhole' effect - where everything
except colour zero is transparent to
the video input. The Amiga can be
switched out entirely by using the
Bypass switch, letting the video input
pass through unaffected, and the
display on the Amiga can be
switched between Amiga only or
genlock output signal, which is handy
for seeing what you are doing when
placing graphics over video Images.
The only problem I had with the
controls was that the fade to black
lever had an effective range of only a
In the sleek, dark grey case which is the Hama house style, the 290
Is around the size of a large hardbaclt of the coffee table variety
quarter of its travel, resulting in a
very abrupt fade to black.
There are also some controls for
tweaking the video input, allowing
some degree of colour, contrast and
brightness adjustment, as well for its
red, green and blue levels. These will
be useful where some corrections
need to be made, but unfortunately I
thought that the range of RGB
variation wasn't quite as wide as it
ought to be for ful! effectiveness.
Overall the output is reasonable,
though there is some bleed through
of live video into the Amiga image
which could be very annoying. There
is also an electronic problem In the
unit causing two narrow vertical lines
to appear in the processed Image.
Additionally, the video output shows
noticeable faults when viewed on
test equipment, the most noticeable
being an unstable black level.
Lastly, in order to work correctly,
the 290 requires a continuous video
feed, or no video feed at all. in a
situation where a tape has run out of
picture but is still playing back, the
system will fall over until video Is
restored or input is disconnected.
THE BIG 3 PLUSES:
1. The Inclusion of user controls for video colour, contrast, brightness and
RGB adjustment.
2. Ability to convert S-VHS to RGB and composite outputs.
3. RGB to AtTiiga connector and Amiga/genlock output switching.
AND THE 7 MINUS POINTS:
1. Phonos for composite video connection. I'd expect BNCs for this price.
2. Hosiden (IMini-DIN) sockets for S-VHS were slightly loose.
3. Video signals were not up to spec, black levels were incorrectly clamped,
output was noisy (producing 2 vertical lines) and there was slight bleed
through on to the Amiga image from video input.
4. Not enough range on colour correction controls to bring some average
colour problems into line.
5. Too short a travel on the Video/Black fader, resulting in unsubtle fading.
6. No manual switching for splitter component output selection.
7. Direct cutting between genlock and video signals was poor.
Gary Whiteley
\^elcomes you
back to
Genlock Corner
WOL NO DIGmSING?
I tried to use the built-in RGB splitter
with my Digi-View, but after some
enquiries to Hama I found that the
cable required to connect the
genlock to the Amiga joystick port for
automatic splitting under software
control was not yet available. Even
though I built a cable myself, 1 was
unable to get the splitter working
automatically. Because there is no
way of selecting between the R, G or
B components I couldn't assess any
output other than the default (green).
This lack of manual switching Is
serious and will preclude owners of
other monochrome digitisers from
using the splitter output.
One final word. I suspected that
this product was made by a third
party, boxed and badged by or for
Hama. iWy suspicions were aroused
when 1 found the manual for the 290
genlock was almost identical to the
manual for the Electronic Design
genlocks I reviewed in AS 9. 1
discovered that Hama also sells an
Electronic Design genlock under the
name Hama 590! Hama confirmed
that the units are badged, but
couldn't say who makes them. CD
oooocJoooo
SHOPPING LIST
Hama 290 Genlwk . — £749
incPSU
by Hama PVAC Ltd, Unil 4
Cherrywood, Chinebom
Business Park, Basingstoke,
Hants RG24 OWF
«02S6708110
CHECKOUT
Hama 290 Genlock
Documentation • • # A
Good, comprehensive and clear.
Features
Well stocked.
• • • •
Quality • • • O O
Output and control problems mar
performance.
Price Value • • • • O
Overpriced, considering its problems.
Overall rating • • • • Q
! would have expected much higher quality
for this price tag. True, there are a number
of potentially useful features, but an
overall improvement is needed to make
this unil a worthwhile buy.
76
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16«AUGUST 1992
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HARWOOD
HARWOOD
EDUCATION
9-,
T 3-
S 7-
f 6-
S 4-
1-
, , . ^*^'''"
.; , ::::. .,._^-.-''"
■ ■ - ■/
/
i
niLES PER HOUR
The acceleration of a vehicle with more oomph than a Skoda - line graphs
Illustrate relationships between speed and time In a clear fbrmait
This month Wilf Rees looks at
presenting data, graphs and
statistics and hoysf Speilboundl
can develop your memory^ logic
and spelling skills
One of tiie surest ways of
getting your point across
Is to present your Ideas
or findings In the
clearest way possible. The same
applies In school projects or In the
business world. Ths more clearly
you present your worh, the more
professional and worthy of acclaim
It Is. This month I'm focusing on
neat ways of displaying statistical
Information In various graphs, all
with a tittle help from the Amiga.
BE CONVENTIONAL!
When any data has been collected
from any source, there are accepted
norms of graphical presentation.
These norms follow obvious rules,
the principal one being, that the
whole premise of presenting
statistical information in a graphic
format, is that It should provide
visual comparison, and enhanced
understanding of the data, not
obvious in pure data form.
There are basically four
conventions for presenting data:
graphs, column and bar charts,
histograms and pictographs and
percentage charts.
Each convention has a specific
application for which It is most
suited and whilst these sometimes
overlap, you should try to get the
correct application.
Primarily I want to deal with how
to actually produce the images. You
could go out and spend your hard
earned loot on dedicated software,
which can do a lot of the donkey-
worl^ for you, but personally, I always
use good old DPaint, some of the
features of which you can adapt to
enhance your outcomes.
KISSl
IMo, I'm not being overtly familiar, but
the acronym also stands, for Keep it
Simple, Stupid! and that really is the
itey to all graphical presentation.
Above all else the purpose of the
exercise is to mal<e it obvious what
we are trying to communicate, the
more simply the betterl
FOOD
LEISURE/
SRUIN&S
SERyiCES/
FQELS
mW. WRTlGflGE/f^ENT
■aiai>
S^CLO-fflIiil&/
g nisc.
PERCENTOGE
UEEKLV PERCENTAGE EKPENDITURE OF ftVERRGE FRtllLV 2 fiDULTS,
2 CHILDREM <12 VRS. U.K. 1||1
A pie chart showing expenditures of an average tamlly. Did you know a pie
chart Is so called as It was named after tts Inventor Professor Helmut Pie?
iARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
Graphs - A graph is used to demonstrate the relationship between two
parameters, where one is dependent on the other. The presentation can
be in the form of a series of interconnecting straight Ithes, or as a curre.
In the example I have shown, top right, the curve showing acceleration is
a direct function of the inter-relationship of time and speed.
Columns and bar charts - Used to demonstrate comparisons, where the
performance of each process or item can be measured against each
other, A bar chart is drawn horizontally, a column chart vertically. In both
cases the bars or columns should be of ec|ual thickness and spaced
eciually apart. Each item should be labelled, with words or an illustration.
Often column charts are drawn as 3-dimensional columns to give
enhanced visual appeal.
Histograms and pictograms - A histogram is used where both axes vary
numericatiy. The columns are stacked against each other and plot out a
rough curve along the top.
Percentage charts - Produced in two formats, as a bar chart, or as a pie
chart. In both cases, an area is filled with a colour or pattern which
refects the ratios of each item. In the above example, I have presented
the data as a pie chart with simple patterns to give the chart more
visual appeal.
GROUND RUL£S
When you start thinking about how
you might present your information,
there are a few simple ground rules
to help you achieve optimum results.
Try looking at your finished results to
see if they conform to some simple
guidelines...
1 Ensure you ^ve your Image a title
saying exactly what It shows.
2 When deciding on the axes of the
image, determine their ratios within
FUNNY FORMAT
I was sent two disks witti the
following information on: "ADI
Maths samples Maths screen
shots, box top etc. Europress
Software." Sorry, but the discs
were unreadable. If they are yours,
please contact us here ait 4m/ga
Shopper.
78
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1 992
EDUCATION
WH"
sensible parameters to reflect
what it is you are showing.
3 Always label the axes
oleariy, indicating scaie.
4 Always provide a 'Key' to
describe the different
elements.
5 Select the most appropriate
form of presentation for your
data.
6 Make the data clear and
readable
If the answer Is affinnatlve to
these criteria, then your data
should be presented correctly, and in
a easily interpreted fashion.
MAKE THE SOFTWARE
DO THE WORKi
Let's start looking in detail at how
we can use the features of DPaint to
make the preparation and recording
of your Information quicker. There
are several of the tools which
facilitate short-cuts, and none „,
more useful than the 'Grid' tool. __
Clicking on the icon with the right
mouse button gives us a
requester, which asks for
information on the 'X' and 'Y'
axes. This Is a facility which you
may not have used before much,
but now it comes into its own.
The default settings are both at
'8', Changing these will cause
the screen pixel to default to a
detemnined location at regular
tntenfals, ideal for spacing your
axis caitbrationsi
An additional item on the
requester is labelled 'Adjust'. Try
clicking on this, tl^en returning to
the screen. You will see that by
holding down the left mouse
button, you can drag a grid across
the screen to whatever format you
require. The 'Line' tool also has an
important role. Obviously you use it
to set up the axes, but similar to the
Grid tool, if you point at the tool and
press the right hand mouse button a
requester comes up to ask about
spacing. Using this facility enables
you to generate dotted lines of
infinite variety. These are so useful
for indicating major calibration points
on your axes, and leading the lines
vertically and horizontally to meet at
strategic points you might want to
emphasise.
The rectangle and circle tools are
going to be useful in the construction
of boxes to demonstrate 'bars' and
'pie' charts. It is important though
that you ensure all columns or bars
are the same width, and equally
spaced. The obvious way to do this
is to use the bmsh.
GOOD OLD BRUSH
Probably, the bnjsh tool will come in
for more use than any other. Get into
the habit of using it for more than
just duplicating images and reducing
The fill requester Is one of the keys to
making your graphs look professional -
DPaint 4 gives a range of possibilities
or enlarging them. It makes a brilliant
rubber by holding down the right
mouse button. You can grab any
nonsense on the screen and use it
as a rubber , but try grabbing a
shape similar to the one you want to
erase. Double clicking on the 'Brush'
qpjdding
X-spaoinsr:
Y-spacirifif:
ancei
The G ridding tool«
enables you to
highlight the X and
Y coordinates of
your graph and
change them to suit
the particular
calibration you
require for your grid
Icon gives the ^f^lnfs Une tool Is useful for indicating
option of calibration points along the length of your
selecting a graph to hi^ll^t points of Interest
polygon based brush. This is even
better, in that you can draw around
an area with a mistake, superimpose
the bmsh on the original, right hand
mouse button, and it's gone!
Alternatively, move it to the spare
screen {pressing 'J' on the keyboard)
carry out repairs, then redraw and
bring it back to replace the original.
When making pictographs, the
bnjsh is ideal. Draw your image, grab
it, then duplicate it by placing the
brush image alongside. Another tip
here, don't try to keep aligning
further brush images, just redraw the
two images as a brush and double
the number of images each time! It
really does save a lot of frustration
and repetitive tasks.
GOING FOR BUST
Rnally adding the little touches which
make an ordinary graph into
something a little more professional.
Obviously if your graph is going to be
printed you are limited to your
printer's facilities. OK, it's nice if you
can print them out in colour, but it's
not essential, after all, we don't use
colour at Amiga Shopper, but it's still
the first mag everyone looks for each
mo nth 1 You can generate patterns to
use as fills, or, use gridded lines as I
have on the pie chart. Remember
when all your friends swagger on
about their colour-kits or ink-jets, the
best photographs, and those taken
by the pros, are still black and white.
If you do have colour printing
facilities, don't gild the illy by
overdoing the assortment of colours.
Stay within a range of tones if the
subject matter is related.
I have purposely made my
examples as simple as possible,
because their intention was to
convey the different types. You can
however spend more time, for
example on the text, using shadowed
fonts.
Alternatively you
could use the
perspective
facility to make
3D column
charts. Electronic
Arts has added
some interesting
additions to
DPaint 4 in the fill
facilities, and
several of the
icons allow fill
possibilities,
again by pointing
and clicking with the right mouse
button. These can add a variety of
patterns and textures to what would
be ordinary blank spaces. (See
example of fills on the pie chart).
You could of course Just use your
graphs as part of a visual
presentation, intended to be shown
on a monitor, in which case, the June
issue of Amiga Shopper contains a
presentation routine in the Education
column. Combining your written
Information and supporting graphical
statistics in a self-contained
presentation format will give your
work professionalism, and score top
marks! C^
GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT
Don't be shy about sending in your wori<. We're looking for good examples of
work on the Amiga to use in this column. If you are developing your studies
and are pleased with the result, then share It with us. Remember there are
some nice goodies waiting as rewards, and one of them could have your
name on itl Mark for Wilf Rees' attention at the Amiga Shopper address.
Having been presanled wfth
a word, off we go through
each tevel shootirig up the
assorted nasties to collect
the letters
A very appropriate titlel I must
confess I was somewhat spellbound
by this program. Spellbourtd! is a
superb piece of software, which is
frustrating, entertaining, compulsive
and educational. Morgana's wand
has been locked in a dungeon by the
mad Professor Grime, and the task is
to collect the five keys which open
the dungeon door. Travelling by
assorted airisorne and seaborne
vehicles, you must shoot all manner
of nasty creatures and obstacles. All
very familiar, but the difference is,
that each object once shot, releases
a letter. The letters must be
coliected in the con'ect order to spell
a previously requested word. Now as
you know most software has hidden
cheat codes, and for us reviewers it
saves hours of strife to be able to
move quickty to different levels to
see the program. This is one of the
few where I have ignored cheating! A
great feature is the ability to change
ail of the parameters of the game,
including extending or altering the
words which could even be foreign
language spellings, increasing the
number of lives, having the walls
safe or fatal etc. In other words, a
parent, teacher, or yourself, could
tailor the difficulty to match ability.
The levels take you through an
assortment of environments, starting
with a dungeon, then moving on to
an undersea scene, a Manhattan
sky-line, the Alaskan wastes, and
finally a wild space scene. A high
score table and zany sound effects
at! contribute towards the overall
enjoyment of this product, which is
supported by a well written and
informative manual.
Spellbound! has succeeded in
combining the excitement of an
arcade game with an addictive,
enjoyable education product. It
deserves a place in every school.
Spellbound! la available from Lantter
Software, 74 Victoria Creacant
Road, Glasgow ai2 9JN s 041 3B7
1659, and coats £25,99
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DETAILS
Jeff Walker takes a look at
HotLinks, the new^ cfafa exchange
system for PageStream and
revlev/s Shades, the latest
gradient fill package
DESKTOP PUBLISHING
Two of the criticisms I've
made of Soft-Loglk's
PageStream desl<top
publishing program are that
K is difficult to use the Picture
Window feature to crop bitmap
graphics accurately, and that It is
Impossible to prepare text
beforehand In a word processor
using typesetting or style
commands so that you don't have
to do it the slow way within
PageStream itself.
I was criticised myself for making
these remarks, by PageStream
owners mainly who told me that they
didn't require these features and
that I was giving these shortcomings
too much importance, i mention this
piece of history because Soft-Logik's
latest releases happen to be BME, a
bitmap editor for cropping and
retouching graphics, and PageLiner,
a text editor that supports
PageStream style tags.
These two applications, pi us the
version 2.2 reiease of PageStream,
are the first three programs to
employ Soft-Logik's new HotLinks
inter-program communication
system, and before we get on to
looking at BME and PageLiner
themselves we need to learn all
about HotLinks.
SIMPLE CONCEPT
The HotLinks concept is simple to
understand. In desktop publishing
there are several distinct jobs, like
writing the copy, creating the artwork,
and laying out or 'making up' the
pages, to give just three examples. A
single program that was an expert at
every job would be massive, and
probably very difficult to learn how to
use, so the answer is to use a word
processor for writing the copy, art
programs for messing about with the
artwork, and a desktop publisher for
making up the pages.
Now the beauty of the Amiga is
that with enough memory you are
able to have more than one
application running at the same time,
so you don't have to keep quitting
from one program in order to load
and use another. But wouldn't it be
great if instead of having to save
data to disk and then import it into
one of the other applications you
could send the text from the word
processor and the artwork from the
art program directly to the desktop
publishing program and vice versa?
That is what HotLinks is a!! about.
THE INVISIBLE PROGRAM
Experienced Amiga users will be
screaming "What about ARexx?" at
this point, but bear with me and I
think you'll see why Soft-Logik has
decided to re-invent a wheel.
HotLinks is one of those
'invisible' Amiga programs; when you
double click its icon nothing appears
to happen. But it has. After running
HotLinks any program that supports
the system will make its HotLinks
features available.
There are four features -
Subscribe, Publish, Update and
information. The first job will be to
'publish' something. From PageLiner
you would publish text, from e/WE it
would be a graphic, from PageStream
it could be either. Once some data
has been published, another
program that supports HotLinks can
'subscribe' to it, PageLinercan
subscribe only to text, BME only to
graphics, PageStream to either.
In effect, publishing and
subscribing is almost exactly the
same as saving and loading data.
The difference is that you don't
supply a filename. "Vou have to give it
a name, of course, othenwise you'd
never remember what on earth it was
you'd published, and this name can
be anything you like, but it isn't an
actual file name, it's more like the
filenotes you can create with the
AmigaDOS Rlenote command.
JARGON BUSTING • MRGON BUSTING
Bitmap graptitcs - See IFF ILBM.
Copy - A term used by writers and publishers for the words that form a
complete piece of writing.
GIF - A bitmap graphics file fomiat that can contain up to 256 colours or
greyscales,
iPF- Stands for interchange File Format. Many people call Amiga graphics
IFFs when they really mean IFF ILBM - the ILBM stands for
InterLeaved BitMap. IFF is the general file fomiat, ILBM is the 'type' of
IFFthat is a graphic.
Retouching - The act of repairing or cleaning up a damaged or dirty part of a
graphic.
TIFF - A bitmap graphics file fomiat tiiat can contain up to 256 colours or
greyscales.
Typically you'd call some data a
name like 'Figure 2 graphic for
Chapter 1' or 'Body text for Chapter
2'.
Along with this name you can jot
down some information about the
data in a small notes area, and this
is what the HotLinks Information
facility presents you with when it is
selected - it's an 'About' requester
about a data file, written by yourself.
The data itself is saved to disk
using a WotL/nks-specific file format
and file naming system that you
don't need to worry about.
Once something is published it is
known as an 'edition'. I hope you're
remembering these HotLinks terms
because you may become confused
while reading the rest of this article
otherwise. To recap: 'publishing' is
like saving the data, 'subscribing' is
like loading it, and the things (files, if
you like) you publish and subscribe
to are called 'editions'.
REVISING EDITIONS
So far there's not much advantage to
using HotLinks over the normal 'save
and load' way of working. Which is
where the Update feature comes in.
If you subscribe to an edition and
then change It in some way - alter
the wording of some text for example
- then you need to record those
changes. Now, you couid publish it
again and then subscribe to the new
version, but that's no better than
'save and load', instead you 'update'
the edition.
Updating an edition means that
any application which supports
HotLinks and uses that edition will
automatically change to reflect the
alterations the next time it is used.
So to give a simple practical
example, 'i^ou've laid out the same
leaflet three times in three different
languages. Suddenly somebody
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 19912
DESKTOP PUBLISHING
text edit]
desktop £>i
also U3* I
Mw ttitft p.
If j^ou Ita\
iiaCml
I
the past> user^ hac^ to load
- -.Jy
text edil^or
fiie* t^i*e. the. cjiansfes, saue_LJ bafik'toil
. artiole
i^ti you oora>letg
ansfes, . . _
rtiole tpon PifleStFean a
the phangat iti Pjijgt.ii]ijp
desktop publisher. ^ .._._,,
publish the text artiole fpan PifleStFean
HheTi you ootvle' " ' - . _
After applying PageStream style tags
to a section of text and 'p jblishing' it
in PageUner, the copy automatically
formats Itself when subscribed to by
PageStreani
points out that there Is a glitch in I
one of the bitmap graphics on the I
page. So you load the graphic into
Deluxe Paint (or whatever), clean It
up, save it, load PageStream, load a
leaflet, delete the old version of the
graphic, import and position the new
one and save the leaflet; then you
load tiie second leaflet and do the
same; then you load the third leaflet
and do It again.
That took a little while. Probably
an hour or more.
GRAPHICS CLEAN-UP
Now the same thing using HotLinks.
You load the BME program,
subscribe to the offending graphic
edition, use BMPs art editing tools
to clean up the graphic, then Update
the edition.
That's it. Tool< maybe 10
minutes. Next time you load any of
the three leaflets that use this
graphic (or subscribe to this edition,
to use the HotLinhs parlance) the
altered version is what gets used.
I've used a graphic as an
example, but it's the same for text.
Can you see the advantage of the
HotLinks system now?
The absolute beauty is that it is
so simple - publish, subscribe,
update, that's all you have to
remember, and it's all done for you.
The standard Amiga inter-program
communication system is ARexx, and
to achieve the same thing using
programs that supported ARexx
would require you (or someone else)
to write ARexx programs for each of
the separate applications involved.
There is one more string to the
HotLinks bow, real-time data
transfer. If you have two HotLinks
compatible programs running, the
Update command will not only
update the edition file on disk, but
also any copies of that edition in any
application that has a copy of that
edition loaded.
EASY STYLES
Having discussed the theory of
HotLinks, it's time to see how it
works using BME and PageUner.
PageUner \s not a 'word
processor' because it cannot print
out text styles, only unstyled drafts.
And it's not a 'text editor' because
style and formatting commands can
be incorporated within the text. So
Soft-Logik has split the difference
it understands PageSf ream's style
tagging system, and will let you apply
style tags to blocks of text so that
they automatically format themselves
when imported into PageStream
{V2,2 and greater).
Style tags are deeply wonderful
things. You've all used word
processing style
features like bold and
italics, now imagine
extending that facility
to include the font,
point size, line spacing,
tracking, paragraph
indent... and a whole
host of other things.
For instance you couid
set up a style tag
called 'Body Copy' and
give it all the style
attributes that you
want your body copy to
have, and set up
another style tag called
'Subhead' and give it all the style
attributes you want your sub-
headings to have, and set up another
style tag called 'Captions' and give it
all the style attributes you want your
picture captions to have... And you
can keep on going until every piece
of text in your document that has a
different style has its
own style tag.
When preparing
the text you would
highlight sections of
the text tinat you want
in particular styles,
and apply the
relevant style tag. On
screen the text
doesn't change,
except that bold.
Although BME
displays pictures
in only 16 levels
of grey, It retains
all the original
colour Information
and allows you to
'edit' the picture
using the full
palette In up to
32:1
magnfflcation
and called PageUner a 'text
processor'.
It contains all the expected
facilities of a simple text editor, like
block cut/ paste/copy, wordwrap, find
and replace, plus it comes with a
spelling checker and small dictionary
to which you can add new words. For
bashing out or editing words,
PageUner is an entirely adequate
tool.
The program's real power is that
underline and italics are displayed,
but along the bottom of the display is
an information line that tells you
which style tag has been applied to
the piece of text at the current cursor
position.
After a bit of practice with style
tags you should be able to do all the
hard work in the quicker PageUner
program, rather than having to
highlight blocks in the much slower
PageStream program and select
styles or apply tags. This way of
doing things is a great aid to
productivity - you'll be able to get
more done in less time.
The style tags themselves must
be set up within PageStream, using
its Text/Tag requester. You'd set up
and 'Add' each style you require,
then store the entire list of tags to
disk using the 'Save' button. This is
the file that PageUner can import,
and it can import any number of
'tags' files, appending any new style
tags to the list, ignoring any
duplicate style tag names.
(Ah yes, now might be an
appropriate time to mention that if
you attempt to save a tags file from
PageStream without giving it a
filename, PageStream 2.2 hangs.)
SPECTACULAR CRASHES
Alas, this first version of PageL/ner Is
not entirely stable. Or perhaps ft is
HotLinks, I don't know, but following
through the tutorial on a WB1.3
Amiga 2000, and then on a WB2.04
Amiga 3000, both machines crashed
at the same stage over and over
again. I have managed to get the
publish, subscribe and update
system to work, but at different
stages either PageStream or
Pa^eL/ner eventually always crashes
spectacularly. And while I'm
confident that Soft-Logik will fix this
problem, I'm disappointed that
HotLinks has been released while it
contains such a serious bug; I can't
imagine how it wasn't spotted by the
beta-testers.
When the developers have got it
working properly, however, I can see
that PageUner vi'\\i be an enormous
help to PageStream users. But if you
buy it now, for heaven's sake send
back the registration card to Soft-
Logik so that you can follow the
upgrade path.
BEHER BME
The HotLinks bitmap editor, BME,
appears to be a lot more stable than
PageUner. What I mean to say is
that it has not yet crashed on me,
and neither has PageStream when
subscribing to, publishing and
updating graphics.
Now unless I'm missing
something very obvious, there are
only two uses for BME. The most
obvious, to me at least, is for
cropping. You see, the problem is
that while PageStream can import
bitmaps that contain up to 16.7
million colours, it will only display
them in black and white. Sometimes
you can see enough of the picture to
be able to crop it fairly accurately,
although most of the time there's not
enough detail.
OK. so if it's an IFF ILBM you
couid load the bitmap into Deluxe
Paint, crop it and save it again. But
what about the 16.7 million colour
83
AMIGA SHOPPIR • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
DESKTOP PUBLISHING
244Dit ILBMs? And what about the
256-colour bitmap formats
PageStream supports, like TIFF and
GIF? Without a 24-bit graphics card
and art software (or Art Department
Professional and the relevant fiie
format modules) you're stuck with
trying to crop the black and white
representation that PageStream
provides.
Unless you've got BME.
The process goes like this:
import the bitmap into PageStream,
publish it, subscribe to it in BME,
crop it, and then update it.
BME creates an on-screen 16
levels of grey representation of the
bitmap, which is plenty good enough
to see most of the details in even
16.7 million colour pictures, making
them easy to crop.
BME itself supports only two
bitmap file formats, IFF ILBM (but
not HAM) and GIF. These can be
loaded straight into BME (rather
than subscribed to) and
subsequently published if you like,
but if you want to work on HAM, TIFF,
or 24-bit ILBM bitmaps you have to
import them into PageStream first,
publish them, and then subscribe to
them in BME.
UNDOmG DAMAGE
It's important to realise that BME
doesn't convert the bitmap to 16
levels of grey, it retains all the
original colour information, the 16
greyscales are just for display
purposes.
Another use for BME is for
cleaning up or 'retouching' a graphic.
For instance you might have scanned
an original photograph that was
damaged in some way, and with
PageStream and BME you could
publish and subscribe to it and then
zoom in on the damaged part and
paint over the damaged pixels with
one of BMEs 10 types of brush.
Because BME retains all the original
colour information, you are able to
choose which colours to paint with
from the full 16.7 million colour
palette. In the palette requester the
mation, plus the actual RGB and
CMYK values, although what gets
displayed on screen is one of the 16
shades of grey.
It can be a bit of a hit and miss
operation, but it's an awful lot
cheaper (and faster) than 24-bit
hardware and software.
As well as cropping and painting
with brushes, BMEmn enable you to
cut or copy rectangular sections from
a picture and paste them down
elsewhere on the same picture, or
BME makes pict jre cropping for PageStream a more
accurate affair. First you Import the picture into
PageStream (left), titen Publlsii it and Subscribe to it In
BME witere you can drag out an area to be cropped
(mldctie), the Update in BIVIE and quit, and ftnaily
mirrriT-T-nn -fl Update in PageStream (right)
You can probably see the
advantages of the HotLinks
publishing, subscribing and updating
an art package, more as a simple
cropping and retouching extension to
PageStream. As such, it does the job
admirably.
NETWORK SUPPORT
In the near future (says Soft-Logik)
there will be a version of HotLinks
that supports networks.
Put simply, a network would
consist of a number of people, all at
different Amiga workstations - in
different offices in an office block for
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BME ailows as many pictures to be ioaded as memory permits, after vtlilch
you can copy bits from one picture Into another If you like, or create a 'new'
window into which parts of lots of pictures can be pasted, for Instance, to
create a collage.
into another one. You can even
create an empty window and then
copy bits from various other bitmaps
into the empty one so you can make
collages.
In the same way that PageUner
is no replacement for a proper, fully-
featured word processor, BME is no
replacement for a dedicated art
package. It mustn't be thought of as
instance - all connected to one
massive storage device, probably a
hard drive with capacity measured in
gigabytes {1,000 megabytes or
more}.
While each workstation would run
its own personal copy of HotLintiS
and applications software, they
would all save and load their data
from the communal hard drive.
system here - one person updates a
text or graphic edition, and everyone
else on the system automatically
gets updated next time they access
that edition.
Obviously such a set-up would
need a security system because the
person in charge would want to
restrict access of certain editions
only to those people who need
access to them, otherwise any Andy,
Cliff or Diana could muck about with
the data and deface or destroy
Important work. And although
HotLinks doesn't yet support
networking, the security system has
been written and is included with the
VI .0 release.
SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
It all revolves around the 'system
manager'. This person has his or her
own personal 'handle' (name) and
password that gets his or her into
HUMP, the HotLinks User
Management Program. From here he
or she can add new users to the
network, and combine them into
groups if need be; each user can
have a password, initially provided by
the system manager but which can
be changed later by individuals, or
there can be Just one password for
the entire group.
With the network set up, and
when the networking version of
HotUnl<s is released, editions can be
published with 're ad /write' flags set
so that only certain individuals, or
groups of individuals, have access to
them. You could ensure that nobody
made any further changes to your
edition by setting the Read Access to
All, but the Write Access to Just
Owner, provided you are the owner of
the edition, of course.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
DESKTOP PUBLISHING
This security system isn't useful
just in a networking situation, it
might come in handy if you inave oniy
one worl^station used by many
peopie. if you don't want others
messing with your editions you could
use the security password system
and restrict access to only yourself
or those who need access.
But wliiie this networl<ing system
is a good idea, one that is used
widely out there in the professional
HotLinks improves
PageStream's
chances of
being used
professionally/^
world, I'm not convinced that
PageStream is a professional enough
product to warrant the development
of HotLinks in this direction. I can't
see many home users setting up
Amiga publishing networks, and in
the seriously real world publishers
use Macintosh computers and Quark
Xpress software, period.
! hate complaining about
PageStream In public because
people always accuse me of being
biased against it, but if you'll allow
me one quick demonstration of why
PageStream could not be used to
publish, for example, this
magazine... I have 7lvlb of memory in
my Amiga 2000. 1 asked PageStream
to Import a 24-blt IFF picture whose
file size was 2.5Mb. It imported OK
as an Object, but when I tried to put
that object on to the page I was told
1 was Out Of Memory. When I tried it
again with a slightly smaller 24-bit
picture, PageStream crashed
unceremoniously.
Now that's one, single, lonely,
individual, sole, solitary 24-bit IFF
picture. "You obviously need more
memory!" I hear you scream. Well, if
that's the case how come that with
the same computer I recently used a
rival DTP package to produce a full
colour A4 leaflet that contained no
less than six 24-bit colour pictures
whose accumulative file size was
about 16Mb, plus a 1.5Mb 8-bit
greyscale picture, all viewable on-
screen (albeit in four greyscales),
plus a load of text?
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
The point I'm trying to make Is that
perhaps Soft-Logik would be better
advised to concentrate on improving
PageStream's performance so that it
can be used truly professionally
before developing a product that is of
use only to professional publishers?
Having said that, I must say that
HotLmks certainly improves
PageStream's chances of being used
professionally, at least when they've
got P^eL/ner working properly it will.
But at the end of the day I'm left
wondering what use the home
desktop publisher will have for
HotLinks. Home users will on the
whole be using ordinary IFF or
structured graphics, and there are
better packages for working with both
these formats. And if you really
need to view and crop 24-blt or
alien format bitmaps I
suggest that, even though it
costs a lot more and you
need a lot of memory to use
it. Art Department
Professional is a much better
investment.
PageUner, if the publishing
and subscribing system worked
properly, would be a good reason to
buy HotLinks because of the time It
would save applying styles to
different blocks of text throughout a
long document. In fact I'd go so far
as to say that this feature alone may
be worth the cost of the whole
package. But at the moment it
doesn't work. (|0
ooooooooo
SHOPPING LIST
HotLinks £69.95
by Soft Logik Publishing Corporation
n 1 31 F South Towne Square, St Louis,
MO, 631 23 USA
« 0101800 829 8608
Distributed in UK by:
HB Marketing, Unit 3,
Poyle 14, Newlnnds Drive
Colnbrook SL3 ODX
» 0753 686000
CHECKOUT
HOTLINKS
Ease of Use • • • • O
There's very little to remember, and the
BMEand PageUner programs do rot have
many features, so the system is not
difficult to master.
Features • • O O O
When you write a list of what PageUner
and B/H£car actually do, it's suiprlsirg
hew short it is.
Documentation • • • • O
The three manuals are excellent, and each
provides easy-to-follow tutorials.
Price Vaiue • • O O O
BME Is underpowered, PageLmer doesn't
work properly, HotLinliS itself oniy works
with these two programs and PageStream
2.2.
Overall ratitig • • o o o
in theory It's a good idea, in practice it
sucks. Another curate's egg from Soft
Logik.
NOT SO COOL
IN THE SHADE
Check out Shades - a new^ product
wrfifch supplies gradient fills
for PageStream users
One feature tliat PageStream and ProPage ignore Is gradient
fills, or fade textures. Fade textures blend an area from solid
black to white In as smootti a gradient as possible. DPalnt lias
this feature, but the standard Amiga can display only 16 stiades
of gray, so the difference between each is easily seen.
Proper fade textures go from black to white in
256 steps, but this takes at least 8-bit colour to get 256
shades of grey. Expensive, memory munching and time
consuming. Without many-iit colour the only other way
to get smoother gradients is to use a structured drawing
package that allows you to specify fill colours as
percentages of red, green and blue, so achieving a fade
from black to white in 100 steps or 200 steps by using half
per cent jumps. This also involves the drawing of 100 or 200
shapes into which to put the fill colours, and accurate positioning.
Not expensive, not as memory munching, but even more time consuming.
Enter Shades, a dtskful of ready-to-use 100-step gradient fills.
NOT FOR PROPAGE
The first thing to note is that Sfiades' gradient fills are for PageStream 2.1 and
greater, so ProPage users can stop reading here.
There are 27 shapes and styles, including cirdes, squares, rounded
squares, triangles, polygons, stars, shooting stars, spheres and diagonals.
Using them couldn't be simpler as they are saved as PageStream documents; all
you do is Append the Shades file of your choice to the document you are working
on and then cut-and-paste the ciip to where you want it.
iVIsny hours have been spent creating Shades, and Source Graphics
deserves credit for a job weti done. However I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't
point out a few things that the promotional blurb and manual fail to make clear.
Dot-matrix printers - even high resolution ones like 300 dpi inkjets, laser
printers and 360 dpi bubble jets - are unable to produce 100 grey shades.
Because of the way dithering works, they can only produce patterns representing
16 levels of grey. So when you output a Stiades gradient fill to a dot-matrix
printer, what you get on the page looks very much like a greyscale gradient fill
produced in DPaint - you can see each band of grey quite clearly, so the illusion
of a smooth gradient goes straight out the window.
To get printouts which contain smooth gradients you need to output to a
PostScript device, or to non-PostScript printer via a PostScript interpreter.
This is because PostScript uses 'halftoning', which is nothing like and
nothing to do with, the Halftone dither option in Workbench Printer preferences. I
explained about halftoning in the SaxonScript Professional review last month, so
If you need more details I recommend you dig that out. This dithering problem
doesn't mean that Stiades is only useful
to rich kids, the non-PostScript output is
basically the same as a DPaint bitmap
gradient but without j aggies, so there is
one advantage for us poor kids too.
Shades Is by Source Gra/^lce, costs
£59.95 and Is available In the UK from
Meridian Software, 150 Lubblesthorpe
Road, Narborough Road South,
Leicester LE3 2XF, «- 0533
896743/827102.
The difference between bubble Jet -
360 dpi (top right), laserjet - 300 dpi
{above left), and PostScript laser
printer output - 360 dpi {bottom left)
CHECKOUT
Shades
Ease of Use • • • • •
Easy; simpiy Append, Cut and Paste.
Documentation • • O O O
Manuel is skimpy, out of date, with
grammatical errors and spelling nni stakes.
Price Vaiue • • O O O
tot of money for 27 clips; £2 plus each.
Overall rating • • o o o
Good idea, but a PostScript device is
needed to get the best from them.
84
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16* AUGUST 1992
f^OMYOIIRAimcJ^S
DP lO 84 Brr (16.8 »iiuiox C0UH]RS)
PAEVr PACKAGES SCFPOITrED
SIKEDTO, Mmm, A3 16.00
SECOMi PRians a4 ^61.00, A3 ^Ke.oa
^1
G^ *A raumfcs road cauxeaoAsi xmr mes ipq
^ 06IW BTSSSS
^
THEMATIC CLIP ART
1
Each disk contains batween 1 1 S and 270 ortglnal, high quality, imageis for uaa wtth Amiga s(t
and DTP programmes - Dekjics PaH, Pn> Page, Wordworth, Penpal, elc.
Pets 2. Castles, cottages and churches 3. Trees
4. Signs and symbols 5. Wild Animals
£6.99 each • Buy 3 or nrrare for £6 each - Over 900 Images for only £30
Indyetve of 181 dass P&P.
( J -*» Plaeaa make ohequea/PO' a payable to ARTWORKS. ^
(j<t~%, 1,PondVi«w,Wootton,Ulc«by,5.Humlwralde.ON39S8Fv(M6g58<13S ^Sh
Orciera normally dispatched within 48hr$ or imm^ialely after cheque dearar^ce. KP
E. M. COMPUTERGRAPHIC
Amiga Public Domain/Shareware DTP Packs
WE have Imported most of Ihe material on these disks directty from the U.S.A.,
and have compiled these disks espectally for Amiga DTP Users in mind II.
Wa offer REAL VALUE FOR MONEY SI MCE ALL OUR DISKS ARE AT LEAST B0% FULL II
PteaseNola :Typs1 FortscsnonlirbeueedwtlhPsgestiBamZ.tfi.ZandPPagea.O
EMC Volume 1 - 5 Disks • £12.50 - Bitmapped CllpArt
Fully sorted, ready for FAST access and use, saved as brushesfl
EMC Volume 2 - 6 Disks • £15.00 - PC ClipArt
.gem structured ell part and .img cl'f>a(t - a must for P'Stream usaisll
EMC Volume 3 < 2 Disks - £ 5.00 - Pagestraam Fonts
34 Pagestream format fonts, compatiUe with all versions.
I EAfCVolum»4-5Disks-E1Z.SO-Type1 Fonts i
67 Type 1 Fonts, all with IFF Previews, for PPage/P'Stroam usere,
EMC Volume 5 - 5 Disks - £12.50 - Type 1 Fonts
63 Type 1 Fonts, all with IFF Previews, for PPage/P'Stream usefs.
EMC Volume 6 - 5 Disks - £12.50 - Typel Fonts
83 Typo 1 Fonfe, all with IFF Praviews, for PPage/P'Stream useis.
NEW EMC Voluma 7 - 5 Disks - £12.50 . Typel Fonts
68 Type 1 Fonts, all with IFF Previews, for PPage/P'Stream usefs.
A
V
P
\
11
\
D
o
<=>
o
^
t
ioo%
1
-^^*~
E.M.COMPUTERGRAPHIC would tike to introduce the...
^ (OMPUIEft UrABI range of Desktop Publishing Typefaces
Available for the FIRST time in the U.K. and compatible wrth
Professional Page 3.0, Pagestream (all versions), and Windows applteations
SEncBJlTISifS PjlTil0T Hervaws
zmm TREK nrmm^B SBMSS
mtdfling %m ^^^^-^ Jfpotaorhs
Sticks Bf^^mi:r^ffms' m^W eaZeSf
For more information on EMC's PD/Shareware library and Computer Safari Fonts,
including pnces and printed typeface sheets PLEASE send us a S,A,E.II
Attan. Modem Users :
Leg on Id D1 FOR AMIGA
and check out the E.M.C
tile arest :• 58 ■ 64
Cheques/Postal Orders to ;
E. M. COMPUTERGRAPHIC
8 Edith Road, Clacton, Essex. C015 UU
Tel : 0255 431 389 Fax: 0255 428666
*^ ^ '^ ^t '^ ^ ^ ^k. ^ ^k j§t ^
^p ^p ^^ ^p ^^ ^^ ^^ ^f* ^^ *i^ ^^ *^
* Price Busters!! *
it Graphics & General
Advantage 64.99
^AntlA 24.99
Art Department Pro 2....1 39.99
Baby 9.99
* Big Alternative Scroller. ..34.99
Broadcast Titler 2 .154.99
it Deluxe Paint iV 54.99
Expert Draw... 49.99
jIj Expert 40 Jr 39.99
Font Grabber 29.99
Hot Links 49.99
* Imagine 2.0 189.99
Mediastation 119.99
j(( Personal Finance
Manager 19.99
ju Personal Font Maker 34.99
Professional Calc 99.99
ProDraw2.0 89.99
* Real 3D Beginners 99.99
Scala 179.99
^ Scala 500 64.99
Scenery Animator 49.99
^ Take 2 34.99
^ Video Director 99.99
Video Fonts 39.99
* Vidi Amiga 84.99
Vidi Colour Solution 1 39.99
jk Vista Pro 2 49.99
Educational
* Better Maths ...14.99
Better Spelling 14.99
:fC Compendium 6 24.99
Distant Suns 4.1 39.99
j^ Fun School 4 Series .......15.99
^ GB Route Plus.... 54.99
Junior Typist .....11 .99
* Maths Mania 14.99
Micro Series... 16.99
)(( Tekno Amiga...... 69.99
Three Bears... 14.99
* Development & UtUities
AMOS 29.99
* AMOS 3D 22.99
AMOS Compiler 19.99
:|t Easy AMOS 22.99
Anim Fonts 1, 2 &3 29.99
)|t Blitz Basic 49.99
Can Do VI .6 64.99
jj Dev Pac 3.0 49.99
Directory Opus 25.95
^ Diskmaster 32.99
* HiSpeed Pascal 64.99
Home Accounts 2 36.95 Ht
Quarterback 5.0 39.99
Quarterback Tools 44.99 ^
SASC 159.95
Turbo Print Pro .39.99 ^
Hardware
Boot Selector Switch 14.99
51 2K RAM with clock 29.99
1 .5Mb RAM with clock ....82.99
Invision Plus/Live 499.99
Kickstart Switch .....16.99
Naksha Mouse 22.99
Optical Mouse 29.99
RGB Splitter 59.99
RocGen Genlock .......84.99
RocGen Plus 129.99
RocLite Drive 54.99
Podscat Graphics
Tablet 189.99
Touch Screen
for Amiga 229.99
3 Button Track Ball 34.99
Zydec Trackball........ 29.99
Zydec Amiga Drive 49.99
Zydec A500
1Mb RAM Card 44.99
Zydec Hand Scanner ....119.99
Music & Sound
AD1012/Studio 16
Card 399.99
Audio Engineer Plus 2 ..149.99
Audition4 34.99
Deluxe Music Const.
Set 49.99
Megamix Master 29.99
Perfect Sound 39.99
Pro Midi Interface 19.99
Sound Enhancer - NEW!. 29.99
Stereo Master .29.99
Techno Sound Turbo.. .....29.99
DTP & Wordprocessing
Excellence 3.0 59.99
Gold Disk Type 29.99
Page Setter 2 34.99
Page Stream 2.2 ....129.99
Pen Pal 49.99
Pretext V5.5 ....99.99
Professional Page 3.0. ..129.99
Quickwrite 29.99
Scribble 22.99
Transwrite 29.99
Wordworth 1.1 79.99
Works Platinum 49.99
*
♦ PPEEPOST or £5 Securicor mt
J. 48 hour despatch (cheques 7 days) ^
Cheques should be made payable to Softstore
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* 0628 - 668320 *
* CALLERS WELCOME *
iC4c:|C3|C]|C3|C3|C:|C«3|c4C9K]|C
C O M M S
modem
0^
Setting up a BBS Is not a
simple task. It takes quite
a while and there are a lot
of decisions to be taken.
Amiga Shopper Is here to help, so
we've come up with a guide to
setting up your own BBS.
We start off with what equipment
you will need, how much it will cost
and iiow to plan your board. Next
month we'll take a look at the
software that Is available and
examine how easy it is to use and
This month our
comms expert
Phil Harris
begins a look at
fiov\f to build
your oy^n BBS
which features are provided. Rnally
we'll finish off with a look at some of
the BBS utilities available and a look
round an example board where the
theory has been put into practice,
SETTING UP
As we examine the set-up process
we'll be looking at the general
features boards contain, which will
be of interest to you even if you are
not planning on setting up your own
board.
JARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
BB& ~ A bulletin board system. A BBS is simply an electronic noticeboard.
Callers to the system leave messages for other users to see, or can
download and upload files for other peopie.
Download - To transfer a file from a BBS to your own computer. Boards will
usually limit the amount of time you have to spend downloading files,
although many boards reward uploads with longer download times.
Upload - To transfer a file from your computer to a BBS.
Modem - A MODulator DEModutator. A modem is used to transiate signals
from your computer to and from audible signals that can be transmitted
down a telephone line.
Tennlnal - A software package which enables you to communicate with a
modem.
Having spent a few months
wandering round the bulletin boards,
many users get the urge to set up
their own BBS. One of the reasons
for this Is money.
Although setting up a board can
cost a not inconsiderable amount of
money, it does mean that flies,
messages and users come to you,
saving you an awful lot of phone
calls.
SAVING MONEY
One of the main reasons for wanting
to set up a BBS is to save money, so
the chances are that you will use
your modem less. But if you want
your board to become successful you
will need to put effort into keeping it
up to date, in particular by obtaining
the latest and greatest files, so you
will still need to use your modem.
This Is the *-MEW-* Big Bang Burger Bar BBS,
Well Its the riEU SoFtware*.. RRPPORT ...
Uhats Fl8u I hear you ask ne?
So uhy the Chari^e? Ueli -lU-BB^t Was good in its day BUT lacked a lot of
required featur^es , and 5 lot of the fttw [releases h?d rathpp annoMiFsq BUGS.
TMis iifu sof ti-iar^e ,Hri t ten by Qapgravari* and HMself. prokfides the Pind of
srrwice that we both uould like to see. ftfiPIJNR? will pnouide
a lot none features than -ID-BBS, like vastly inproyed File Tf^ansfeT^s via
the use of XPRLihparies,
This soFtuane ii Still undpr development so please pass on any bug reports,
noans and groans to ne on GangnaDann.
Thanks Fof your Go-flperation and Hope to Chat Soon,.- ftLL IE BEST Fop ' 9R
\ / _^ \ /\
/ // _^ //
\/ \/ \ / \/
/ v____/ N____/y/
Hit any Key to coi>tihU(?
Weird names abound at the Big Bang Burger Bar, an excel lant BBS with the
custom software Rapport
THE EQUIPMENT
The first thing you need to decide
before setting up a bulletin board
system is what equipment you need,
and more importantly, what you can
afford.
Obviously you will need a
computer, a modem and a telephone
line. If you're reading this the
chances are you'll already have a
computer, and it will be an Amiga so
we'll assume that from now on.
BAUD FOR THE BOARD
You may already have a modem as
well If not, the minimum speed you
need is really 2400 baud, with
support for 300 and 1200 as well.
You could go for a faster 9600 baud
modem complete with data
compression and the works, but it is
better to stick with a slower and
cheaper modem to begin with.
You may well decide that you
don't like running your own BBS after
all and decide to pack it in, so the
cheaper the modem the better when
you're just starting out. You can
usually reckon on the modem costing
£50-£100. Whatever modem you
have It must have an "auto-answer"
facility to enable it to function with
the BBS software. Most new
modems have this; get a Hayes
compatible model and you'll be OK,
If you do already have a modem
you will need to decide whether you
still wish to use it for your own
comms work, and if so how often you
will use it. If you only have one
modem the BBS will have to be
taken off-line while you dial your
favourite board and this will lead to
frustration as your callers find your
board corrtinualty down.
If you do want to keep using the
modem and not disturb the board too
often you will need a second modem,
and a computer to use it with, which,
unless you are lucky enough to
already have one spare, will be
expensive.
We'll assume you will be cutting
down on your comms use and using
it in the quiet moments for now
though.
THE TELEPHONE UNE
The third requirement for a BBS is a
telephone line. There are two
options: use an existing line or get a
new one installed.
Using an existing line Is
obviously the cheapest and most
preferable option. There are major
disadvantages though. Obviously
having a modem stuck-on the end of
the line all the time means that
"normal" voice calls cannot be
received without the caller being
greeted with a high pitched whistle
every time they call.
TTiere are ways around this.
Limiting access to the board is the
most obvious or you could try only
allowing calls between certain times,
when other callers won't be
phoning. Late night is usually the
best time for this, say between 9pm
and 9am.
The disadvantage with this is
that you could lose callers who don't
ordinarily have access to their
modem at ttie time you are open. A
night time board, for instance, would
miss out on callers who use their
modems from the office during the
day.
Inevitably people will forget that
the board is not on-line during the
86
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1 992
C O M M S
day and try to phone anyway. They'll
be shocked when you answer the
phone and you'll get an earful of
modem.
RINGBACK RIGMAROLE
There is another way of combining
voice and modem calls on one line,
using "ring back' software. Ring
back software waits for the
telephone to ring and counts the
number of times it does so. If the
phone continues ringing beyond a set
number of rings {usually three or
four) the software ignores the call,
allowing you to answer it.
If the phone stops ringing before
the limit is reached the software puts
the modem into auto-answer mode
and if another call comes in within
the next minute or so it will be
answered by the modem.
That way voice callers can still
get through, but modem users who
follow the correct procedure (ie dial,
wait for one or two rings, hang up,
then dial again) get through to the
BBS.
As with the limited access
method, people will forget and you
will answer the phone to a modem
occasionally but the board will be
available for longer periods giving you
more callers.
GETTING A NEW UNE
Obtaining a new line is the most
satisfactory option, but also the
most expensive. A new line from BT
will cost you approximately £150, not
the sort of thing to be taken lightly,
and if there is any chance of you not
wanting to run the BBS, you are
better off using an existing line until
you are certain you like the idea.
A new line is by far the best
option though; it gives full access to
the board with the least hassle and
you can still use the other line for
your own calls. Even if you are sure
that you will want a new line, it is
best to leave it as late as possible,
Just In case.
DRIVE DECISIONS
The one thing that BBSs are always
short of is space. No matter how
much storage space you have, you'll
always need more, particularly If you
want to make lots of files available.
You've got three options on the
Amiga.
FLOPPY DRAWBACKS
It is possible to run a BBS from a
single floppy drive but 1 wouldn't
recommend it. By the time you've put
the BBS software on the disk, plus
the message base and any support
files required, there will be no room
for any files.
Adding a couple of external disk
drives (£50-£100 each) would give
you an extra couple of megabytes of
space for files. In an Ideal world,
though, that's stil! not really enough.
Of course, you don't have to
have files. It is possible to run a
message-only BBS, particularly if you
have some form of expertise which
you can offer callers. However,
floppies are pretty slow and callers
will soon get frustrated with the long
delays which are costing them
money.
But, it's files which attract
would make using floppies much
easier and quicker, although it's still
far from ideal.
HARD DRIVE
This is by far the best method of
storing the files required for running
a BBS. Indeed, it Is the only way for
a serious BBS of any size.
The Amiga does have a
disadvantage compared to other
I I nhiliit
' 1 T '
HJ ,ian i<iril BB:m:H
nnll SENT UPIDHDS DUmLVBDS CRI.LS lODnv
Sl-Jiin-t4iie 86:^7:471
Press Rnii K«y to &
An example of how to make your board btteiestlnc - the Information screen
from the Big Bang BBS
callers, so although It is possible to
run a BBS from floppies on a
temporary basis it Isn't really viable
in the long term.
RAM DRIVE
If you have plenty of RAM you could
conceivably run the BBS from RAM,
You would, however, need to copy
any data files to disk regularly to
ensure that they weren't lost if the
power went down.
RAM does give you very fast
access, but that's about all. The risk
of losing the board at a moment's
notice due to a power cut or
something similar Is really too great
to allow its use.
A RAM drive could be used in
conjunction with a traditional floppy
drive to give extra storage space, for
the BBS software perhaps. This
machines when it comes to hard
drives in that they are quite
expensive compared to drives for
other machines, although, with a
little shopping around, it is possible
to get pretty large drives for a
reasonable price nowadays.
The minimum size for a hard
drive^Dased system is really 30
megabytes although a 20 megabyte
system would suffice for a while.
Remember that if your board begins
to get more successful in the future,
you will probably want to upgrade to
give yourself more room for files.
WHICH SOFTWARE?
Finally, you'll want some software.
There are plenty of packages
around to choose from, from freebie
systems written in Basic to full-scale
commercial packages which can
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME
The name you choose for your BBS Is Important, A good name will attract
callers. What constitutes a good name depentis on your point of view, but
K's still worth putting a little thou^t Irrto this area...
If you wish only to attract Amiga callers then putting Amiga in the title
gets the message across immediately. 01 FDR AMIGA for instance is clearly
an Amiga only board.
Alternatively you could choose a name relating to the theme of your
board, some^iing which will make it stand out to other people interested in
the subject matter. For instance. The Big Bang Burger Bar will Immediately
attract the attention of anyone interested in The Hitch H/tefs Guide To Ttie
Gaiaxy, where the name comes from.
Or you can choose an unusual name. People will always be attracted to
the board because of the name. Pernicious Anttemia BBS falls into this
category.
Once you've chosen your name, it's a good idea to check to make sure
that one does not already exist with the same name. It would be confusing
and counter productive to have two boards with the same name and some
sysops defend their names with vigour.
cost several hundred pounds.
It is best to plan the layout and
feel of your board before you get the
software. That way you can ensure
that the software you get can do
what you want it to. This enables you
to create the boani you want rather
than what the software wants.
We'll be taking a close look at
the various packages available next
month but before then we'll discuss
how to design your bulletin board,
and make it a success.
ANATOMY OF A BBS
A lot of thought must go into what
your board is going to contain, and
what is going to make it stand out
from the rest of the BBSs,
A BBS is divided into several
sections, we'll take a look at each
one in turn giving a quick description
of what you'll find there.
1 MAIN MENU
The main menu is the first area
callers see. From here it should be
possible to get to most other areas
on the board. It Is also a good idea
to include some general purpose
options Irom here such as a help
command for users to find out more
about the layout of the board, and a
"page sysop" option to allow users
to chat to you.
2 BULmiNS
The bulletins area is a selection of
text files accessible from a menu.
Exactly what is contained in the
text files is up to you but common
items include board news containing
any important announcements you
wish to make, information about the
board such as its history, items you
have for sale second-hand and the
rules and regulations that apply to
the board.
Sysop specials
Some sysops are also able to run
special offers with the help of local
shops and sell disks, software,
hardware and sometimes public
domain software. The bulletin area is
the Ideal place to advertise that sort
of thing.
Otfier boards
Many bulletin boards supply lists of
other recommended BBSs. Again,
this is a good place to put a text file
giving details of your own favourite
board.
Some bulletin board software
has special support for a bulletin
area which will ask users if they want
to read any bulletins every time they
call and infonn them if any have
changed since they last phoned the
board. If you are planning on placing
a great deal of emphasis on
bulletins, it would be worth
contliHKd m pigf M
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
^^^
■m
mmmmmmm
WSSSm
BCS Summer Sale
looitiMir^riiii D I s r$ I
LOOK NO FUR
BOX E S
T H E R
REMEMBER AU DISKS SOLD BY BCS ARE lULUf GUARANTIED
DISKS ! DISKS ! DISKS !
iM% ctmnu iKROR nil
DS/DD X22.50
DS/DD £37.00
DS/DD £52.50
DS/DD £69.00
DS/DD ....«..„ £138.00
DS/DD .,... £160,00
Call for spot price
AS! prices include VAT /free labels
& free deliver/
50
3.5
100
3.5
150
3.5
SOO
3.5
400
3.5
500
3.5
1000
+ C
DISKS + 100 CAP LOCKABLE BOXES
100% ctmnn luot fttt
50 3.5" DS/DD + 100 cap box £25.50
100 3.5" DS/DD + 100 cap box £40.50
150 3.5" DS/DD + 100 cap box £56.50
200 3.5° DS/DD + 2 1 00 cap boxes £74.00
400 3.5" DS/DD + 4 100 cap boxes X147.00
500 3.5" DS/DD + 5 100 cap boxes £174,00
1000 3.5" DS/DD + 10 100 cap boxes £ call
Ail prices include VAT/ free labels
& free delivery
3.5" DELUXE LOCKABLE BOXES
1 40 Capacity £4.1
100 Capacity £4.50
3.575.35" 10 CAPACITY BOX £1^00
NEW A600 C358
DISKS -f- BANX STORAGE BOXES
100% eumniD irror iru
50 3.5" DS/DD + 80 Cap Banx Box £31.00
100 3.5" DS/DD + 80 Cap Barw Box £45.00
1 50 3.5" DS/DD + 2 x 80 Cap Banx Boxes £68.00
200 3.5" DS/DD + 2 x 80 Cap Banx Boxes £85.00
500 3,5" DS/DD + 5 x 80 Cap Banx Boxes XI 99.00
AH prices include VAT/ free labels & free deliver'/
HIGH DENSITY 3.5"DISK top u<h
(OR 100 3.5'DSmD FOR U 1 1NCL Pe.P/
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5.25" DS/DD Disks 21 p each
5.25" QSIHO Disks 39p each
ACCESSORIES
1/2 Meg Upgrade £27.00
1/2 Meg Upgrade -t- Cbck...£29.00
1000 Labels (coloured) £8.00
1000 Tractor Labels (white)£10,00
Amiga Mouse £1 4.00
Mouse Mat £2.75
Mouse Holder £2.50
1MB Upgrade (A500P} £55.00
Amiga Dust Cover.... X5.00
JOYSTICKS
3 Zipslick. £1 1 .50
f Stln^ay Joystick £13.50
^ Cheetah 125+ £7.50
' Cheetah Star Probe £10.00
JetRghter £12.50
'- Topstar £21.00
I Manta Ray £13.50
i Black Cruiser £10.00
3.5" STACKABLE BOXES
60 Capacity Lockable
80 Capacity Banx Lockable Box
150 Capacity Posso Box ,
5.25" 70 Cap Posso Box
...£10.00
£9.95
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5.S5" 50 Cap Lod<able ...
5,25' 100 Cap Lockable.
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NEW A600 PLUS 20Mb HD £454
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ONLYCSS8
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GVP 52 Mb HD £345
PLEASE CALL FOR LATEST PRICES ON ALL 6W PRODUCTS
( AMIGA 1500 ONLY £54») C
14" MONITOR STAND (TlLTiSvnm) 610.00
D
LOOK COLOUR PRINTERS
StarLC-200, £199,00
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Prices ind.VAT/lead
AMIGA EXT CUMANA DRIVE £58
C
10 TDK BRMIDED DISKS DD £6.50 HD £10.50
BEWARE, BEWARE, DUE TO MASSIVE DISK SHORTAGES STOCKS ARE SHORT IN THE U.K. B.C.S. HAS STOCK
DON'T DELAY ORDER TODAY !
All prices ineluHe VAT. Add C4 P&P / add £8 9 daY / £10 next day
Catt in or send ehetiues / postal orders to:
BCS Ltd., 349 Ditchlins Road, Brishton, East Sussex BN1 6JJ
ORDER HOTLINE:
Tel 0273 506269 or 0831 279084 *^^^^^
' y All offers subject to availability. Prices may diange without notice.
lil
C O M M S
considering software which has this
facility.
Either way, it is a good idea to
make it easy for callers to download
the bulletins as files, preferably by
having LIST FILES and DOWNLOAD
options on the bulletin menu. This is
a feature missing from all the boards
I call; something I'd like to see
corrected.
3 MESSAGE AREA
All bulletin boards have message
areas of one sort or another.
You should provide areas for
private e-mail, general discussion
and probably an area for Amiga
specific discussion.
Which other areas you provide is
entirely up to you. Coverage of other
computers, such as PCs, will attract
other callers but you will really need
room for storing PC software.
A better bet, particularly if you
only have a limited amount of space,
is to have general discussion areas,
covering sci-fi perhaps or television
programs. If your board has a
specific theme then message areas
for related subjects are a must.
For example Pernicious Anaemia
BBS has horror as its theme. In
particular vampires. It has a
message area for vampire-specific
discussion and an area for general
horror chat. See below for more
information on bulletin boards with a
theme.
4 FILES AREA
The files areas are the most
important part of a BBS, particularly
an Amiga one. You should aim to
provide as many files as you possibly
can, all archived, and make them as
easy to find as possible.
The easiest way to do this is to
split the files area into several
sections, eg:
• Communications
• Virus utilities
• Music
• Graphics
• Games
• Text files
• Programming utilities
• Word processors and text editors
Obviously, If you only have a fewf
(less than 50) files It is easier to
combine them all into one list,
perhaps dividing the file list into the
appropriate sections. If you have
more than fifty or so files it is worth
dividing the file area into categories.
Searching quesrions
A "search for filename or
description" option Is also an
important part of the files area. This
allows people to find the software
they want, quickly and easily.
It Is also important to have a full
file list available as a text file, ready
for downloading. Make this file nice
and visible so that it is easy to find.
You could even go as far as having a
specific menu item which allows you
to download the list from wherever
you are.
VIRUS FREE!
You should check all files for
viruses, taking particular care to
inspect uploads. Make it clear to
has, the type of editor they wish to
use etc.
6 STATISTICS MENU
Most BBS software enables you to
compile statistics about the users
who call your board. The amount of
information depends on the software
but can include the number of calls,
both total and per user, the speeds
used, the number of downloads and
I'M soi*ry^ I thin{< we'd be better ofF with a slide rule.
VouF* Choice h■.^'1\■.
The main menu from the Big Bang Burger Bar BBS. Clever names like this are
a good way of attracting callers, but the work doesn't stop there...
users that you do so.
It is also a good idea to decide
on a standard archive program which
is used to archive all the files on
your BBS. This makes it easier for
beginners as they don't have to have
lots of different archive programs
and can get used to one In
particular. Which archive program you
use is up to you. I'd recommend
LHA.
If your files areas are well
organised, easy to use and contain
useful, up-to-date software, your
board will be a success. Once you
have the callers the messages will
which protocols were used how
often.
Very often to compile these
statistics you will need external
programs and we'll be taking a look
at the sort of programs available In a
future issue.
7 DOORS
A door is an external program that
can be run by the users. Most
commonly this is some form of on-
line game, and as such it can be very
enjoyable. Other doors include a
*time bank" where users can store
the time they have left on the board
The main menu from Mission Possible
layout. Easy to use; that way you won
I begin to mount up and ttie board will
become more Interesting, attracting
even more regular callers.
5 CONFIGURATION
MENU
This area is designed for users to
configure the system for their own
use. From here they can tell the
system whether they want to have
ANSI (colour) menus, how many lines
per screen their comms package
8BS, clearly showing the menu style
't lose any callers
for a later date, and interactive BBS
lists.
8 LOGOFF MENU
You should have a log off menu
giving users the chance to change
their mind about whether they wish
to leave the BBS, A handy option to
include Is the ability to leave you a
message before leaving the BBS.
Once the user has chosen to
leave the board the final log off
L;i.- Lcron*-- 1 .-j ' ; S;- i.\q ■:):,-' '■■ .
'
Hfm Ustft^
[^ Sl-Jun-lOSi; Ui5a:xt
Starters
naln Gpurse
SMSet
S uick ?5+^- Scan
U
tilities
1' 109 Off
ile 9^595
T
h# Guide
/ off Syrt^rt
essage Bases
)»
non Feedback
Pase Sysop
i_
BBS Lifter^
^f elp on
Oormands
it
anes Roan
message Is a good place to make
some friends. If you place brief
details of other boards you
recommend users will see them as
they log off and give them a call.
The sysops of those boards will
be more than grateful for any
publicity they get and will probably
return the favour.
STANDING OUT FROM
THE CROWD
There are literally hundreds of
bulletin boards in the UK, all offering
very similar facilities and files. In
order to make your board stand out It
is important to offer something
different, something to attract people
to your board.
LAYING OUT
Once you have attracted your callers
you need to keep them.
The best way to do this is to
make your board interesting to use
by adding pictures to each menu, or
laying each one out in a specific
style. Pernicious Anaemia, for
instance has a horror-related quote
at each menu; Mission impossible
BBS has menus laid out to resemble
drop down menus on a computer.
it is important though that the
BBS Is still easy to use, even with
your fancy layout. And if you use a lot
of ANSI graphics then be careful not
to make things too complicated,
otherwise the board will be too slow
for slow callers to use,
USER FRIENDLY
It doesn't matter how pretty the
board Is; if it Is difficult to use, or too
slow, people won't use It,
Stay user-friendly at all times.
Help files makes the board easier to
use. Having a help file on each menu
is tedious to set up but is a great
boon, particularly for new users.
THEME TUNES
Another way to attract, and keep,
callers is to have a board theme.
If you have a hobby or interest
(apart from the Amiga) you can use
that as a theme for the board and
attract other like minded people.
For Instance, The Big Bang
Burger Bar has a Hitch Hikers Guide
to ttie Gaiaxy theme and attracts
users who have read and enjoyed the
books. Pernicious Anaemia
specialises in horror films and
books, in particular vampires. A lot of
its callers have an interest in that
area.
It is also possible to have a
computer-related theme;
I programming or AMOS, for Instance.
' It does help to have some knowledge
In the area though, otherwise you'll
be Inundated with questions you
can't answer.
matlnutd an poge 91
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST T992
T^
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Pdnawnic 32k printer buffer chip
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GVP-SIMM 32JlMb/«)
S372A(PAL) 1 Meg Agnus £31,1(1
S375 (PAL) 2 Meg Agnus £39.50
1.3 Kickstan ROM il9.70
AJOO UK Keylmard-fsclofy new (#312JO2-.Ol)£35.60
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8362 Denise i hrtghl jE13.90
1 x 4/JSO Static Column Zip £15.60
SS20A CIA (2MHi) Great price jE6.35
A500 PC Motherboard -PAL, populated & tested -(new low price) Rev. 3 ,
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779t« E
Educational
Programmes
ft
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Written by experienced
teachers.
88% in ST Format June 91
Tk'ade enquiries welcome
Tel: 0626 779695
Day or evening
Do you want to see your children use the computer for something
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Do they get fed up with being killed off while trying to work out
which button does what? \igggi,\ TJIT
Coombe Valley Software may have what you are looking for
Send SAE for information or disk/50p for demos, state computer
To; C.V.S. 18 Nelson Close, Teignmouth, Devon. TQ14 9NH
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This may be the most imponam move you will ever make.'
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Supia RAM BMb Board tor APOOD Pop 2,'4,'6y8Mt> £149/£20ft(£SeM329.00
Supia RAM SOORX BMb lof A1000«6CO/Pliis PopMfflMb £1il9l£239/£4 19.00
A23a6 20MHiAT Biidgoboard (NEW) £429,00
PRINTERS
StaiLC-20 All printers
Star LC-200 Colour Include a free
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Commodore 10853-02 Stereo O.SSmrrv Dot Pitch £219.00
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Piiilips B833-li Stereo + F19 and On-sJte Maintenance 0.42mm DP £229.00
DISK DRIVES
.£349.00
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CVP Senas ii 62Mb for ASOO
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A200O Inlernal 3,5"
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AlfaScan Plus Hand Scanner 256 Grey Scale papE2. E139.0D
AlfaScan Plus wilh OCR software p&p £2 £249 OO
Commodore A2320 Display Enhancer p&p £2 £219 00
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KCS PC Board for ASOO witboui MS DOS p&p £2 £ i "^ 00
KCS A2000 Adaplef p&p £ 1 tm 95
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Alfa-Data Opto-Mecharhical Mouse p&p £1 £19 95
CHIPS
KiekSlarl V2.04 ROM for A600/2DDD IrBe p*p E35 00
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1 Mb Fat Agnus B372 tree pap £35 00
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1 05Mb Quantum LPS 1 1 mS with 64Kb Cache £379
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nAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnAnA
C O MM 5
continued fmnt page 89
FIDONET UNK5
Another way to attract callers is to
provide a Rdonet iinti. Fidonet
provides you with a host of
messages and the facility to send
electronic mail to any Fidonet board
in the world.
Obviously this costs money, and
you're the one who has to pay for it.
It's not usually too expensive though:
one phone call per night to transfer
messages.
It Is also possible to get a
central board to call you for a regular
fee, usually around £35. For that you
get all the messages you can handle
and can also request files from other
boards.
To run a Fidonet board you need
to meet certain criteria, such as no
pornographic or illegal material, real
names only etc. If you're interested
in finding out more about Fidonet,
contact a local Fidonet sysop and he
or she should be able to tell you who
to get In touch with.
RULES OF THE GAME
Just as Fidonet has rules so should
you. Of course, it's up to you exactly
which rules you have - but when
writing them you should bare in mind
the sort of user you want to attract,
the range of users who use bulletin
boards and also how strict you wish
to be.
Too strict a board will result in
less callers, and those who do call
are more liitely to break a rule
they've forgotten about. If you don't
have any rules, users don't know
where they stand and some callers
may be offended by the actions of
others.
It is a very good idea to specify
no uploads of commercial software.
BBSs are often subject to checks
and If any are guilty of piracy they
can be closed down very quickly.
Foul language is also a good
thing to ban; the range of modem
users is very wide and many will be
offended by bad language.
UMITATIONS AND
RATIOS
Most boards enforce limits on their
callers' daily usage. Limiting the time
on-line Is the most common, along
with the number of files they can
download.
As users call more often and
upload files, a nice touch is to
reward those particular users, the
regulars, if you like, with a higher
security rating and allow them more
time on-line.
To encourage uploads as well as
downloads many boards enforce a
"file ratio" which limits the number of
files which can be downloaded
depending on how many you have
uploaded. You might for example
only be able to download four files
for every one you upload or
alternatively you might be able to
download 250K of files for every 25K
uploaded.
A size restriction as in the
second example is generally better
for you because the uploads will be
bigger and generally better. It's
worse for the callers though,
because they have to spend more
time uploading.
Whether you enforce a file ratio
is up to you. Speaking from
experience, 1 don't think it makes
much difference either way. The
uploads you do get will generally not
be of sufficient quality to warrant the
restriction and there wilt always be
users who will download as many
files as possible before moving on to
another board.
Most BBS software enables you
to give people who upload software a
"prize" of more time on the board
and this is a better way to encourage
uploads, twice the amount of time
spent uploading added to the users'
time on-line is common.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
Some boards offer a membership
scheme for callers. For a small fee
(usually around £10) users are given
much greater access to the board
than non-members, given longer time
on-line and are allowed to download
more files.
Many boards which offer
membership have special members-
only lines and areas which contain
the best software downloadable for
free.
Other advantages are usually
given, perhaps a help-line, or the
ability to send a disk to the sysop to
obtain the software on the board
without having to download it.
The only boards that can really
offer a membership scheme are
those which offer a large number of
files and other services.
There are so many boards
around that it must be something
really special to be able to charge for
access. Most users would rather go
to another BBS and get the same
software for free.
THAT'S ALL FOLKS
That's it for this time. I^ext month I'll
be taking a close look at the BBS
software available and comparing the
various facilities so that you can
decide which option is best for you.
Phlltp Harris can be contacted on
CIX (081 390 12SS) as plharris.
The excellent Big Bang Burger
Bar is on 081 420 6356 while
IVfission Impossible BBS is on
0602 654329.
ORGANISATIONAL OPTIONS
There are three main options when d«4^ing on the tayout of your board,
sub|ect-basect, area-based or mixed.
SUBJECT-BASED
On a subject-based board all actions associated with a particular subject area
are grouped together under one menu. For example, all access to the Amiga
files and messages would be via a single Amiga menu. There would be
corresponding menus for other areas, PC, films etc. This option can result in
the menus being cluttered so menus need to be carefully designed.
AREA-BASED
On an area-based board actions are grouped together with entries for each
subject available. For example, there would be a flies menu, the flies menu
would allow you to download a file from various groups, Amiga, PC etc. There
would be similar areas for messages etc.
MIXED BASE
As the title suggests this is a mixture of the two. Options at the main menu
allow you to branch into areas such as Amiga or PC. From there each subject
menu allows you to branch to messages or files. This type of layout makes the
system menus less cluttered, trying to fit all the message reading options and
all the file download and search options on one screen is not always an easy
task.
Which type you use Is entirely up to you; it makes very little difference to
the user. Your BBS software may have been written with a bias to a particular
sort of layout, so try and have a chat with someone who already uses that
particular software, to make sure your Ideas are usable.
WHAT YOU NEED
The fundamental building blocl<
of the BBS board. An ASOO will
do Just the job. This Is where
all 'Uie action starts - software
downloads for free and you can
chat 'til the early hours with
other nightbirds...
Next up's the modem - the faster the
better. Remember the quiclter users
can carry out uploads and downloads,
the less time they spend on-iine and
the more often thsy will visit
Don't overtook the need for a
phone line. Check out the
teiecommun (cations rivals, BT
and Mercury, to assess the
potential size of the hole to be
burned In your pocket
A hard drive is not essential,
but It will speed up your board,
enatriing your BBS to store
more flies - an essential
element In ensurlrtg your i>oard
Is a success
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16* AUGUST 1992
91
AM IG A DOS
Cr
Ojcking
Shell
Mark Smiddy
demonstrates
The Pest
appointment
scheduler for
AmigaDOS 1,3
oes anyone out there
sttll use AmigaDOS 1.3?
It's slow, bugged and
written In a language,
BCPL, few people have even heard
of - let alone programmed In. I can
understand folks still using the 1.3
ROM to retain downward
compatibility, but still being stuck
with AmigaDOS 1.3 must be a
comparative nightmare. Uke all
classics, AmigaDOS 1.3 Is still the
weapon of choice for many of you -
as has been pointed out by the
battery of Indignation from 1,3
users wanting to use Tfte Peat
[Amiga Shopper 13).
For those who missed it, the
original Pest is shown in Listing 1
and only works with AmigaDOS 2 or
higher. The main bone of contention
lies with the use of the revised
environment handler in lines 4 and
5. (Additionally, commands such as
IF, ELSE and ECHO are automatically
resident in AmigaDOS 2 and make
this startup extension execute at a
reasonable speed.)
The compatibility probiem is this:
in AmigaDOS 2 an environmental
variable can be read directly by a
command by preceding the variable's
name mVh a dollar symbol. For
instance, say you gave the arbitrary
variable NAME a value of "Mark",
and then typed the following:
1>ECK0 "Hello $NfiME"
The response from the computer
would be:
Hello Mark
In The Pest the current date is sent
to a file and processed into a global
environmental variable (called NOW)
using EDIT.
Typically, a date such as:
Kfcmday 2-Mar-92 12:30:04
becomes:
2-Mar-92
At Line 4, The Pest creates a print
file using the environmental variable
NOW, vifhich will contain a string
such as this one here:
== Reminders for: 2 -Mar- 92 ==
The same thing can be achieved in
AmigaDOS 1.3 by joining files
together:
echo >T!pfl "== Reminders J
for: " noline
echo >T:pf2 " ==*n"
join Tspfl EMV:iiow T:p£2 J
AS T:pf
An alternative method which
achieves the same effect looks like
this;
echo >T:pfl "== Rardnders J
the search string is read directly by
AmigaDOS from the NOW variable.
The solution is to trick AmigaDOS
1.3 into reading the variable from a
file, and this can be accomplished
using interactive mode, by following
the command vifith a question mark:
search <:ENV:iiow s:Reminders 7
Here, I've reduced the command to
its most basic format.
The file "S: Reminders" is being
searched for the string contained in
"EI\(V;now".
Interactive mode has been
covered previously in this series, but
it's worth going over again because it
is an important, misunderstood and
LISTING 1 • LISTING 1 • LISTING 1
The Pest AmigaDOS 2 version
1. echo >T:Autol "ETA/ /*nDFA/ /"
2. dace to T: today
3. edit T: today to ENVinow vd.tb TiAutol
4. echo >T:pf "== Reminders for; ^now ==*n"
5. search >->T:pf b: Reminders "$now" nonum
6. if warn
7. echo "Nothing in reminder diary today. . .
8. else
9. run more T:pf
10. endif
for: " noline
join T:pfl ENVinow AS Tipf
echo 5->T:pf " --*n"
Of course, both those methods
assume you want to exactly mirror
the original function provided by the
AmigaDOS 2 version.
In practice, it would be better to
very under-used concept.
You are probably already aware
that If you supply a question mark as
part of a command line, AmigaDOS
spits out a command's template and
waits for you to enter something.
This technique was quite widely used
in older versions (1.2 and earlier) to
pre-load commands such as DIR, The
LISTING 2 • LISTING 2 • LISTING 2
The Pest AmigaDOS 1.3 Versk>n
X. echo >T:Autol "DTA/ /*nDFA/ /"
2. echo >T:Auto2 "2n;d"
3. echo >T!pf "== Reminders for today ==*n"
4. date >T; today
5. edit T: today to EKV:now with TiAutol
0. search »T!pf <ERV:now s : Reminders nonum
7. if warn
8. echo "Nothing in reminder diazy today. . ."
9. else
10. edit T:pf to T:pfl with T!»Wto2
11. run more Tipfl
12. endif
just use a simpler string as is shown
here:
echo >T:pf "== Reminders J
for today ==*n"
A more subtle problem arises at Line
5 where the reminders file is being
searched for sjsecific dates, because
an-ival of RESIDENT in 1.3 and ROM-
based AmigaDOS at 2.x means this
technique has been almost
forgotten.
The key thing to remember is
this: when a command enters
interactive mode, it can read input
(ostinued ss page K
93
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
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A M I G A D O S
imtbiiHit film pcqa 92
from anywhere - including files. This
effect can be achieved by supplying a
command's argument in a file and
preceding the filename with "<"
(redirect input from file). Here for
example, the search string is read
from the contents of the file
"ENVmow":
search <ENV:iioh siKeminders 7
Interestingly enough, it is also
possible to supply further
parameters on the command line
too. Therefore, since The Pest uses
the NO MUM switch, we can add that
too:
searcih <ENV:iiow s : Reminders J
HGNOH ?
The following piece of code should
help illustrate the usefulness of
using the question mark to put
Amiga DOS into interactive mode. Try
typing it in and executing it, but take
to the NIL: device and the condition
codes (WARN, ERROR and so on)
tested, but The Pest creates a file
based on SEARCH'S output.
The solution therefore is to
create another EDIT macro which will
hack out the extraneous Information
and make the output look better. As
it turns out, this is quite simple to
do. The file consists of a header, one
blank line, then the unwanted
template. Therefore the EDIT macro
is constructed to skip two lines and
delete the next one like this:
2n;d
A script based on this idea is shown
in Listing 2 and should be inserted
Just before the LOADWB command in
the startup-sequence. Alternatively,
you can execute the script in its own
right - but this should be done late
on in the startup-sequence.
PEST CONTROL
lyost of this article has so far
concentrated on tine use of the
LISTING 3 • LISTING 3 • LISTING 3
The Pest 2 - Newshell/EDIT Versfon
1. echo >T:AutOl "UFA/ /•nIffl'A/ /"
2. dote >T: today
D 3. edit Tt today to EHVjilcw with Ttftutol
4. search >HlIi: <eEv:iiow S: reminders 7
5. if warn
6. echo "*o[0)OH*etJHothiiiB In rendndar diaey today..."
7. else
8. echo "•e[0|OH*e[J== Ttia Pest (1.3> »=*nOoe moment J
please. .."
\ 9. echo >T:A«to2 "2CL"
10. echo >T:a "0{f/"
tLecho >T:b "/f?m)"
12, Join T:a EHVsnow Tsb AS ttc
13, edit T:c TO T:A-uto3 with T:Aiito2
14. edit S: Reminders with TjAuto3 VBR=* rOaNIL:
15. ask "Press <Ret«m> to exit"
IS. endlf
17. endcli
note of what happens when you do
so.
LIST >T;Temp SYS:
ECHO >T: Search ".info"
SE&RCS <T: Search TiTenp J
HOMtlH ?
The first two lines create a dummy
file to search and something to
search for respectively. This just
ensures the SEARCH command will
do something. Execute the search a
couple of times and watch what
happens.
Notice how the command's
template appears? If this output
were being sent to a file, that
template would also appear and
would look messy. This technique is
usually used with output redirected
SEARCH command to locate and
print text strings within a file - that
is, after all, what it's there for.
However, the AmigaDOS line editor
also has a search feature and with a
little cajoling it can be pressed Into
useful sen/ice.
The basic idea is this: get EDIT
to search for any lines containing the
required string - a date in this case -
and display them. In fact, this is
more complex than It appears.
Because EDIT Is a line editor. It
stops when a matching string is
found on a line; initiate another
search from the same position and
EDIT finds the same occurrence. In
other words it get locked in a loop -
always assuming you can get it to
tM^mi M poga 17
D0S-2-DUALITY
For a iiumbef of reasons 1 am not a big fan of ROM swKches, however I
have to admit, there are beneflts of having two operating systems In one
machine. One of the disadvantages, of course, Is the Incompatibility
between AmigaDOS 1.3 and AmigaDOS 2. Several readers have written In
asking If It's possible to automatically sense which KIcicstart Is In use and
load the appropriate version of Workbench/ AmigaDOS from a hard dislt.
The obvious approach is to use the AmigaDOS 2 boot menu (hold both
mouse buttons after a reset) and have two bootable partitions on the hard
disk. The first partition contains a 1.3 Wori^bench, the second contains
version 2. This can be problematical - especially if you have a mouse based
ROM switch.
One option is to ask which Kickstart Is in use, then execute the correct
sequence. It could look something like this:
ASK "Press Y <Retum> for 1,3 or <Return>- for 2.04"
IF vasN
EXECOTB S;BOOtl.3
EKDIF
; HbB 2,04 boot segueoce ocmtlmies here...
Besides being a little awkward, this doesn't actually work very well! If you
display something early in the AmigaDOS 2 Startup-sequence, the default
screen preferences are loaded from ROM. This causes IPREFS to complain
when It starts later In the script.
The only other alternative is to build a startup wrfiich will automatically
sense which Kickstart version is in use at the time and load the appropriate
Workbench. This method is shown in Listing 4 as a script fragment which
should be entered at the beginning of the main Workbench 2 Startup-
sequence,
HOW rr WORKS
ECL£CnC STARTUP
1. Creates a file in the RAM disk containing the location of ECHO. This
command is resident in AmigaDOS 2, and a transient command in older
versions. Therefore the file will contain either;
BESinEHT ECHO
-or-
C:VCSO
2. Tests the file created in the previous step for the presence of the
substring: RESIDENT. If this is found {as It will be for Kickstart 2) the WARN
flag will be cleared; otherwise it will be set.
In effect, the WARN condition, warns (vrell, what else would you expect
something cailed 'warn' to do?) of the lower Kickstart version.
(Conventionally, this test could be done with VERSION, but the command can
be problematical when used In this way.)
3. Checks w^ich version of Kickstart Is in use and branches accordingly,
Kickstart 1.3 causes execution to continue; Kickstart 2 causes execution to
branch to 10.
4. Calls the 1.3 ASSIGN command to re-assign the command directory. (See
notes be tow).
5,8. Re-assign the main system di rectories to their correct positions on the
hard drive.
9. Runs the original 1.3 Startuphsequenoe.
10. Close the IF construct opened at 3. Execution only gets here if the 2.04
Kickstart was sensed.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
95
33 Ormskif
Road^
Prest|.
Lancasili]^
PR1 2&
Ladbroke Co/npu&ig -are the lanqesl
B^abfshed Atari daalsr in the UK We
hare developed an exten^ve customer
service policy tvfyc/j means tfw? we test
all Hardware prky to despatch to
ensure tha goods arrive in working
order. Although our prices are not
always ttie cheapest we do erxiesvaur
to olfer consistently good service and
backijp. This isn't just our opinion we
*8fe voted 'Best Dealer 1989' by the
readers of ST World iragazine. not tor
'ttie number ol t>oxes sbifted'. btit for
quality service.
Alt prhes are correct at copy dale
W/06/92 (wtile stixks last), and are
atjiiect to change without prior notice
Please phone tor i^ to date prices AH
prices include VW. On orders under
£150 aoW £3 tor postal deivery or £6
!0! next working day delivery On orders
over £tSO add £3 for next working day
deivsry (prices tor defvary UK
mainlarK] onl^ AH prices avaHatile an
Mail Order Shop prices may dilfer Shop
& Mak order premises: 33 Ormskirk
Road. Preston. Lancasttre. Pfll 2QP
Open Monday to Seiurday 9 30am to
SOOpm Phones answered from
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trading name of Ladbroke Computing
Ud. Ai trade marks reco7>i5sd
Du6 to limitations of space
we cannot list ait our
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Diskboxes from £6.99,
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ICD Ad-Speed £189.99.
Dustcovers from £3.99,
Phone for details of our
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Phone for more details.
^M^^^
£24.99
£1999 without software
The NEW Golden Image cJoru^^ Mouse
a^ 150 Dpi resolution
^ 500mm/SEC Tracking speed
Q^ Switchable between ST/Amiga
B' Opto/Mechanical Mechanism
a^ Includes Deluxe Paint III software
S^ Direct mouse replacement
Golden Image Hand Scanner £119.99
A 100. POO. 300. 400 Dpi hand scarmer with 64 halftone levels tor three difereni
halftone mode settings and one letter mode- The scanner comes complete with the
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Jin Scan Hand Scanner £99.99
Special Offer while stocks la^
Phoenix ROM sharer with
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q' Digital Track Counter
B^ Daisy chain 'through' connector
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H' Only £5499 including P&P
GVP II A500 Hard drives iriOude injection mouldBd stySng. mtemal RAM
expansion to 8Mb via SAM boards, Capadtiea from 52Mb, 35' 11ms Quantum
mechflrtsm, tnternal Fan. Qame stw'tcf) and rmni slot for ftjture expansion.
GVP 52Mb £369
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Golden Image 512K
Upgrade with clock
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Phone for: Ultimate Basketball, Fateon
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Defender of the Crown. Chaos in
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Illustfated Hc^ Bble.
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Pack £329.99
Includes: A500 Plus computer
with "Wb on board RAM, mouse,
modutator. Workbench 2.
Lemmings. Captain ptanet.
Simpsona Deluxe Pstnt IH.
New A600 £365
hcludss: 1hfi} Amiga 600 with
internal modulator. Deluxe paint H
and 1 exciting game.
New A600 with
internal 20Mb hard
drive £465
As above with a 20Mb internal
hard drive.
Bare Amiga 1.3
version+Astra
Pack £299.99
star SJ48 Bubblejet £239.99
Star LC-20 £139,99
Star LC-200 colour £199.99
Star LC-24/20 E199.99
Star LC-24/200 £229.99
Star LC-24/200 colour £289.99
All Star pifiters hdLxle 12 monlfis en site warranty
Al pmters include ST/Amga/PC conpaSWa
CentoricscatlB.
Philips 8833MKII £ 219.99
hctides cable. F19 and 12 monttw or site
warranty.
Philips 15" FST Cube TV £ 269.99
Fastext scart input TV near moritof quaity.
^dudes cable.
Philips 15" FST TV
229.99
T
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Lynx 2 (Consote only)
Lynx soft cases
New Battery pack
10 bulk disks £4,94
40 Bulk disks E18.80
100 Bulk disks £41,13
100 disk box £7.99
10 Sony branded^ £5.99
MMlijiM r
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Corrtynx cable
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Phone to?. Klax, Uttiiriate chess, Robotnon Shangfiai. Chips c^BBenge, Xybots
Roacbtasters. CtTequered tiaa Ninja ga^n, Papefboy Turbo sub Xenophobe. Qtx. Fiobo
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Qdden ImagB Opto MBChenloal Mtxise, Z50C*i.
switctiabls between STOVnga E14.99
Golderi Image Optical Mouse. 250Opr. Wouse maL
no iriwhg parts (or greater relabiity. swtchabe
belwoen ST/Rrnga £24.99
Jn Mouse. H^ (jaity replacement
mousa £18 98
Sega
litcludvi', ^<oypi
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Phono toi (^QJ^^
A M I G A D O S
conliaued from page 95
USING ECifcnc
STARTUP
If only it were that stmplel In many
respects it Is, but a certain
amount of work remains, to
ensure you do get a complete 1.3
Workbench. Before you run this
script for the first time you should
copy the appropriate directories
from an original copy of
Workbench 1.3,x. Assuming you
have booted from the hard disk
(into AmigaDOS 2) this is what
you have to do:
MftKEDIR SyS!EfEVS_1.3
MAKEDIR SYS!LIBS_1.3
MMEDIR SyS:S_1.3
J&KEDIR SYS:L_1.3
MAKEDIR SYS:C_1.3
MftKEDIR SYS!System_l,3
MAKEDIR SYS: PrefB_1.3
COPY dfOjDBVS SYS: J
DEVB_1.3 ALL
COPY dfO:LIBS SYB;J
LIBS_1.3 ALL
COPY dfO:L SYS:L_1,3 ALL
COPY dfO:S SYS:S_1.3 AI,L
COPY d£0:C SYS:C_1.3 ALL
COPY dfO: System J
Syatein_1.3 ALL
COPY dfOjPrefs J PreEa_1.3
AliL
COFY dfOsfontS FOMTS: ALL
COPY dfO: System. info J
SYS : Systeni_l . 3 . info
COPY dfO:Prefs.iELfo J
SYS : Pref s_l . 3 . info
You also need to modify the
following in the 1,3 Startup-
sequence. (Don't forget, the 1.3
startup script is in S_l,31) These
lines:
SYS : System/FaBtManiFirst
SYS: System/ SetMap GB
Pati. ram: c: sya: system J
e: sysjprefs add
should be re-written thus:
SYS ! SYatem_l . 3 / FastMemFl ret
SYS!SYStem_l,3/SetMap GB
Path ram: c: eystenul.S J
s: syB:prefB_1.3 add
GOTTA PROBLEM?
If you get stuck with AmIgaOOS or
there is anything specific you would
like to see covered here, drop a line
detailing your conundrum to: Mark
Smiddy, Amiga Shopper, 30
Monmouth St, BATH, BAl 2BW.
Sorry, no personal correspondence
can be entered into. You can EMall
me on CIX @ "SMIDOID".
(ontinotd from ftqe 95
loop in the first case that is.
The solution is a macro like the
following:
0(f /"string"/; ?;n)
Briefly, here's what it all does...
The semi-colon character is used as
a command separator.
• 0()
The commands contained in brackets
are executed in a loop until the input
is exhausted.
• f/"Btriiig"/
Locate the string "String" anywhere
in the current line, or search the text
until any occurrence is found. (The
string in the final script is assembled
as part of the macro.) This function
is case-sensitive so UPPER and lower
case are different.
Display the current line. Strictly
speaking this is the verily function
which sends output to EDIT's own
verify display port. This is usually the
cun-ent console and the relevance of
this will become clear later on.
Go to the next line, or stop if there is
no input left to search.
Unfortunately, that is not the
complete answer. EDIT normally
outputs every line it scans to the
console or the TO file. It also
generates a separate "verify" output
and this is the one we will use here.
The main scan output will be sent to
oblivion down the NIL: device, and
only the lines displayed with the '?'
command will be shown.
HOW rr WORKS
Listing 3
The complete EDIT-based Pest Is
longer, but the exercise gives rise to
some interesting examples in its own
right. You should note that a lot of
commands are grouped together,
and thanks to the disk caching
system, this reduces the amount of
disk access.
The Pest was only intended for
AmigaDOS 2 because it takes
advantage of the ROM-based
(internal) commands, but this script
was provided as an alternative that
will only work in AmigaDOS 1.3.
Here's how it all works:
1. Creates an EDIT macro that will be
used to extract the date component
from the day/date/time format
provided by DATE at Step 2. See
Amiga Shopper 13 for a more
complete description.
2. Reads the current system time
and date and sends it to a file called
Today.
Of course, your system must
have a real time clock for this to be
of any benefit.
3. Edits the date in the Today file as
described at Step 1. The edited
version is sent to the file, "now".
4. Looks in your reminder file to see
if any dates match the current date
read from the system clock. If no
match is found, the WARN flag is set;
it is cleared otherwise.
5. Tests the WARN condition from
Step 4. If no matches were found (in
which case WARN=TRUE) execution
continues at Step 6. If WARN is not
equal to TRUE, control branches
forward to Step 7.
6. Clears the screen and displays a
short message.
The screen is cleared using the
short escape sequence:
*e[0;OH*e[J, (This is available from
"/" delimiter.
12. The three files are now married
together to form something which
(assuming the date was 12-Jun-92)
would look like this:
0(f/
12-Jim-92
f;?!n)
Of course, that doesn't make a
macro, but it is necessary to include
a variable in a complex string such
as this one. Next the string has to be
assembled...
13. ...which is what this does. Look
back at that macro, Auto2. It joins
the three lines together as one and
presto - a macro is created and
ready to run.
14. In effect this just runs the
macro, Auto3, The reminders file is
scanned for the current date and any
matches are displayed on the current
console. The TO file is directed to
NIL: so spurious rubbish produced by
LISTING 4 • LISTING 4 • LISTING 4
Eclectic Startup-sequence
1. v&ich >RAM: tenqp ECHO
2. search. >NIL; RAMstanp "RESIEEHT"
3. if vram
4. C_l . 3/ASSIGN C : SYS : C_l , 3
5.C!ASSrGNS: SYS:S_1.3
6. C: ASSIGN DEVS: DEVS_1.3
7. CiASSIGN LIBS: LIBS_1,3
8. CiASSICSN L: L„1.3
9. execute Ss Startup- sequence
10. endif
11. iOlie Workbench 2.04 startugp continues here
Shell using the alias CLEAR.)
7. If execution gets here from Step 6
it branches directly to Step 16r
otheraflse it continues at 8,
8. Clears the screen and displays a
two line message. (See Step 6.)
9. Creates the EDIT macro, Auto2.
This command tells EDIT to
concatenate (join together) three
consecutive lines. Literally, two lines,
twice.
10. This is the first part of an EDIT
macro which will form the search.
The text in quotes is written to the
file 'a', held in the RAI^ directory *T'.
The line ends at the first delimiting
'/"; a line-feed will automatically be
appended.
11. This is the third (not second) part
of the EDIT macro mentioned above.
Mote how ft begins with the closing
this command is not displayed.
15. Forces a short delay so you can
examine the list of jobs to do.
IS. Closes the IF... ELSE... ENDIF
construct opened at Step 5.
17. Close the cun'ent Shell.
It's important to note here that
this command can be the last one in
the normal startup-sequence if you
include either version as part of your
usual startup. It must be included if
you start Pest using the NEWSHELL
command:
NEWSHEIJ. FROM S:Peat
(B
COMING NEXT MONTH
Next month's Cracking tlie Shell
will demonstrate how to program
a perpetual calendar in
AmigaDOS. See you then.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16* AUGUST 1992
97
AMOS
i4aiON
Jason Holborn
spills the beans
on 'what^s hot
and v^hafls not
in the ysforld of
AMOS,
continues his
tutorial on
AMOS for
beginners and
explains the art
of creating high
score tables,,.
AMOS Action may only be
three pages long this
month, but don't worry,
we haven't sacrificed on
content. We've all the usual
features including games
programming focusing on high scor«
tables this month and AMOS for
beginners which highlights the joys
of hardware scrolling. Oh and don't
fo^et to check out page 104 for
Europress' AMOS challenge.
Changes are afoot in the world of
AMOS. Just when I was starting to
think that the AMOS scene had
nothing new to offer since last
month's exciting installment of
AMOS Action, 1 get a ietter from Anne
Tucker of Totally AMOS fame
informing me of some quite major
changes that are taking place in the
organisation of the off ciai AMOS PD
library (it's deemed official because
it was launched with the assistance
of Europress Software).
Untii now, the AMOS library had
been handled very capably by my
good friend Sandra Sharkey. As
anyone who has either bought disks
from Sandra or just simply monitored
the library's development will know,
Sandra has done a sterling job of
launching and then fine tuning the
library into the ultra-efficient miracle
of PD distribution which we now
know. Sadly though, it seems that
Sandra has stepped down from her
mantle in order to pursue her own
interests. I'm sure we would all
agree that Sandra will be sorely
missed from the AMOS scene.
Bad news indeed, but it seems
that this story at least does have a
happy ending. Rnding a replacement
for Sandra is a formidable task
indeed, but AMOS owners can rest
easy with the news that the official
AMOS PD library has been placed in
the capable hands of Len and Anne
Tucker, two very talented and active
members of the AMOS community.
PRICE FREEZE
Even Len admits that filling Sandra's
shoes is not going to be easy, but he
feels confident that he and Anne will
be able to mairtain the standards of
service which have made the AMOS
PD library the choice for AMOS
programmers and developers alike.
Indeed, the changeover should be
transparent to most customers
thanks to Len's decision to freeze
prices on all the library's range of PD
and iicenseware disks.
You can find out more about the
AMOS PD library and its extensive
range of AMOS only disks by writing
(stamps are jolly expensive these
days, so don't forget to include e
stamped addressed envelope!) to
Len at 1 Penmynydd Road, Swansea
SAB 7EH. Alternatively, you can call
Len or Anne on 0792 588156.
TOTALLY AWESOME
On the subject of Len Tucker, I'm
sure both Len and Anne would be
very grateful if I mentioned the fact
that issue 4 of Totaify AMOS is now
available and issue 5 is only a
matter of days away. Each issue is
packed full of reviews, tutorials and
hints and tips all of which are
designed to make your AMOS
programming sessions more
productive. For more, contact Len on
the address (not forgetting to
enclose a SAE of course!). Or you
can talk to them on 0706 376572.
3,MtlSIC,
4.(5WHICS
7. OTHER INFO.
3 .QUICKIE IHDEX.
iiaiaiiiPiPW
If you're an AMOS user, then don't miss the excellent Totally AMOS disk
magazine. As the name suggests, Totally Amos Is dedicated entirely to AMOS
AMOS ANSWERS
If AMOS is giving you grief, then
let Jason Holborn bring relief
MAZE CRAZY
I am trying to write a game for my children which Involves them guiding a
frog around a computer-generated maze. I have already managed to get
mazes stored as IFF pictures woridng, but they take up a lot of disit space.
What I need Is a routine in AMOS which will automatically generate
working mazes with either 8 or 16 pixel wide paths.
Derek Godson
Southend-On-Sea, Essex
Hmm, sounds like quite an interesting project to set all you AMOS
programmers out there. In fact, it's so interesting that I think I'll turn it into a
mini-competition. If you think that you can write a routine which will do the
job, then send it into the usual address. Entries will be Judged on efficiency
of code and the quality of the end results. Apart from the enviable accolade
of seeing your name in print, the winner will also receive a piece of mystery
software. Go for iti
DIRECT QUESTION
When oiw of my prc^rams starts to get quite large, Direct Mode stops
working and I keep getting a message saying Too Many Direct Motto
VariaUes' even thmigh I'm not usii^ any. Is tliere a way around this problem?
Is It true that Sierra Online is writing a game using AMOS called Hotel
Manager which Is very similar to Monopoly. Would it need to get
permission from Waddingtons?
Paul Mtehalak
Chasetown, Staffe
AMOS' error messages are sometimes a little misleading. The error
message that you're getting hasn't got anything to do with Direct Mode
variables; it is being caused by a lack of memory. If possible, try to split your
program up into several smaller programs and then chain them together.
This will save a lot of memory. Failing that, get some more RAM.
Unless a program is a blatant copy of an established game, then you
won't need to get permission from a third party to market it. If Sierra is
producing a game based around Monopoly, then it will have to be somewhat
different in its gameplay and graphics to avoid legal action from
Waddingtons. If you do produce a direct clone of an established title, then
you'reaskingfortrouble. tM'minim poje 1 03
98
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
AMOS
Ifter last month's took at
I opening and positioning
I screens, we continue the
ttimne with a look at hardware
scrolling, probably one of the most
powerful aspects of AMOS. For
games that require the background
Image to be scrolled smoothly
either up or down, left or right,
AMOS' hardware scrolling facility
gives you the tools to do the job
with a minimal amount of fuss.
Considering the oompiexities of
hardware scrolling, you'il be pleased
to learn that incorporating hardware
scroiiing Into your own AMOS
programs is surprisingly easy.
Indeed, all that is required to get
things moving (pardon the pun) is the
command - SCREEN OFFSET. The
Screen Offset command is similar to
the Screen Display command that we
discussed last month except for one
major difference.
THROUGH THE WINDOW
The Amiga's dispiay is split into
basically two sections - the main
dfsplay (the area that sprites,
windows and bobs can be drawn
into) and the borders around this
display area. Imagine if you will that
the display area (or 'viewport' as the
techies call It) is simply a window in
your house which you iook through to
view bobs and sprites outside in your
garden. With the Screen Dispiay
command, you can physically move
the window around the wall, but with
Screen Offset the window remains in
the same position but the landscape
outside it is moved instead.
All well and good, but there's one
big problem. If the window is 320 by
256 pixels wide then the scroll area
outside must be larger. After ali, if
the scroll area Is scrolled one pixel
to the left, a blank 1 pixel line will
appear on the right. If the display is
scrolled another pixel to the left,
another blank line will be displayed.
To get around this problem, you need
what Is known as a 'SuperBltMap'. A
SuperBitMap is simply an image held
in memory which is larger than the
rectangular display area that you can
see on your monitor.
Tate for example a superbitmap
that is 640 by 256 pixels, if your
viewport is only 320 pixels wide,
then only half of the superbitmap can
be displayed at any one time. Using
HARDWARE SCROLLING
uleuiport ortQln
M-
1
UISIBLE
Ul^lllPUHT
SUPEHDITMHP
Hardware scrolling works by changing the position of the viewport
so that a different section of a superbitmap is exposed
hardware scrolling however, it is
possible to change the position of
the viewport so that all of the
superbitmap can be viewed. With a
game that needs the background to
be scrolled continuously In one
direction, programmers cheat by
simply looping round the
superbitmap so that when the scroll
reaches the bitmap's boundaries, it
wraps back round to view the first
part of the bitmap. If you understood
that lot, then you've already got
hardware scroiiing sussed.
THEORY INTO PRACTICE
Now we've covered the theory, the
time has come to put all that you've
learned into practice. First though,
let's take a look at the Screen Offset
command. The format of the Screen
Offset command is SCREEN OFFSET
<Screen Number>, <ViewPort X
Position>, <ViewPort Y Positlon>,
The screen number parameter is
pretty straightforward, but it's worth
expialning the X and Y parameters.
These two values denote the X
and Y position of the top left hand
comer of the viewport in relation to
the top left hand corner of the
superbitmap. If, for example, you had
a 640 by 256 pixel superbitmap and
you wanted the viewport to display
the middle 320 pixels of the
superbitmap (we'll ignore the Y
parameter for now), the top left hand
comer of the viewport would have to
be placed at 160 pixels left of the
start of the superbitmap. The middle
320 by 256 pixels would be
displayed with 160 by 256 pixels
hidden on both sides of the viewport.
To get this kind of display, you would
therefore enter the line SCREEN
OFFSET 1,160,0.
To actually scroll the screen, all
you need is a continuous loop that
counts up from to 320 and then
resets itself and starts counting
again. When the counter equals 0,
the first 320 pixels of the bitmap will
be displayed and when the counter
reaches 320, the second half of the
bitmap will be displayed. Clever, eh?
Let's take a look at the source code
that will bring this to life.
Screen Open J
1,540, 256, 32, Lowres
Screen Display 1, 128, , 320,256
Flash Off
Load Iff "LOWRESPIC.IFF"
Screen Copy 1,0,0,320,255 J
To 1,320,0
Double Buffer
Do
For CaUNTER=0
Screen Offset
Wait Vbl
Hext COUNTER
Loop
As you can see, the hardware scroll
example above is fairly simple, but it
does introduce a couple of new
commands which you may not have
encountered.
The program starts by opening a
640 by 256 pixel screen in low
To 319 Step
1, COUNTER,
resolution. This creates a
superbitmapped screen because the
size of the bitmap that the program
allocates Is too large to fit on a
standard low resolution dispiay. in
the next line we tell AMOS how large
the bitmap must be - In this case,
320 by 256 pixels.
Next we turn off colour cycling
(Flash Off) and load up a standard
low resolution IFF image into our
superbitmap. AMOS will
automatically load the image Into the
left hand side of the bitmap so we
must therefore copy the left hand
side of the bitmap to the right hand
side of the superbitmap. This
effectively gives us two copies of the
same image side by side within the
same bitmap.
Finally we have Double Buffer,
Double Buffering is quite complex. All
you need to know for the moment is
that the Double Buffer command is
necessary to keep hardware scrolling
nice and smooth. We'll be covering
double buffering in great depth in a
future issue,
GET SCROLLING
Once this Is done, we can start to
scroll the screen. The scroll routine
contains two loops - one continuous
loop and a conditional loop which is
used to count from to 319. We
count to 316 simply because the
scroll position will increment in steps
of 4. Note that the loop doesn't
count up to 320. This is simply
because the loop starts at zero and
therefore counting to 320 would
actually give 321 steps (divided by
four, of course!).
Another new command that you
may not have encountered is Wait
VBL. Wait VBL is a very Important
command that you'll find yourself
using increasing more as you start to
play around with graphics that are
animated (moving). Wait VBL ensures
that the Amiga only updates its
screen dispiay when the raster beam
which draws the screen on to your
monitor screen reaches the bottom
of the screen. This way, we can
ensure that no screen updates are
made half way through a screen
refresh. Don't worry if this confuses
you - we'll be covering screen
synchronisation In a future issue.
WHArS IN STORE?
So there we have it - hardware
scroiiing in a nutshell. Next month
we'll be taking a look at software
scrolling; AMOS' own scroll routines
are somewhat more flexible than
hardware scrolling. In the meantime
though, practise what you've learnt
by writing a couple of hardware scroll
demos yourself. Anyone who doesn't
do their homework will be put into
detention!
GflniQi ptogrommlng (hi page 1 D3
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 •AUGUST 1992
09
WANT MORE
GAMES
OR OTHER
JUST JSK & M GIMAKIH TO 8EA1 M COttranWN
wm MSESFWCK AIM BEST TOf!
HOW"
SUND
L B ft H Si
n P E Hi
71
AMIGA 5001^
M UK MftL, inc. rtiDuso, [nwer supply, oil leads & monualS; sk.
ALONt WITH MONITOR
5t2K 279.00 478.00
1MB 299.00 498.00
AMIGA 3000
2SMHZ, 100UB HD, 4M8 kit RAM, 2U8 chip lUM
• SCAUt * Deluxs faint IV * Amigavisinn
ALONE 32S9.00
WITH PHILIPS 7CM 3279 3539.00
AMIGA 600
1MB, we 2.05, 3,5 FD + Smart Caid Inlerface, with
• 12 month oii-Mtewatronty
A600 + DELUXE PAIKT III + GAME £364.95
A600 20MB HD (LAiiGiR AVAiLABir) £459.95
STARTER PACK I
MAX VftHlE/RRP
• 10 Blank Dkci + 80 capacity lockable disc Sox~ U.IS
• Mouse Mai 4,99
• Virus Kilbr Disk 4.99
• DPaintltlarHtmeAEtounts 79.99
TOTAL VALUE 116.95
WITH AMI6A/C0TV 17.99
SEPARATELY 24.99
STARTER PACK II
MAXVALUE/RRP
• Asira 10 gomes pnclor 0.5MB RAM e»p (1.3) 229.78
• CFABosit SO.00
• Plialan Paint I i or Bacl< to the Fulure II ( 1 .3) 89.95
• HoliJfij AtcommorlBliori*
TOTAL VALUE 369.73
WITH AMtGA/COTV 19.99
SEPARATELY 39.99
'Wliite ito<ki last, ntlitles 2 ptoflt to ilay up ts 1 6
nlgiils in over 2S0 WteU in Great Britain, S.lretsnd ami
Fionte. All ygu hove to (Miy for is tareoiilosl nrwl ilinnaf.
NO OTHER DEALER
CAN BEAT OUR
CREDENTIALS
• B+ years experience in Commodore produd and Iters to stoy
• CommadeTe Iroined slaFF are friendly and lielplul and are
parents, multimedia, educotionol, gomes, preiramming or
lechnirol spedolisis (usuolly more tiiun onel)
• l)pB!i9-6pmMondaytoSoturdayondlO.OO(imto4.30
pm Sundays lor convenient shopping.
• Collets welcome for advice ond demonstfatioi) ot our 1600+ sq
ft High 5t, Town Centre brondtes
• Next dny delivery for most coders received by 5 pm; enpress 7
om-9 om ond Soiurdoy services ovoiloble
• Hardware corelolly handled and delivered solely and reliably
by caged, insured, lop name courier service
• 1 00% pre-despatch testing on Amigos
• Free 30 day, neiil dtry courier colleclion and delivery of NEW
ref^ocement.
• Hotline sappart and in-house engineers
• Exlended warranty avoilnble on mnny praduds
^ Ipgrnde and trade in offers to keep you up lo date
"^ Exc^tiorral ofler sales service
COMMODORE PREMIEIt DEALER
Hofabyle proudly announce this highesi (BM accolade,
awarded to only ttie lop few dozen CSM deeiers offering the
best in expertise and support. All Amiges full UK versions.
THEGAdLERV ,4RNDALE CENTIrE LUTON,
AMIGA 500 PUIS
Full UK spec., inc. mouse, power supply, lends & manuals, etc. inc.
updated Agnus & Dertise cirips lor better screen tesolulion to
1280^512, Kickstorl S; Workbench 2.04, expandable lo 2Me CHIP
memory i battery clock
ALOHE WITH MONITOR
1MB 309.00 509.00
2MB 349.00 549.00
2ydec externol drive wilh on/ofi & daisy cboin port ADD 4S.D0
Also Mill Kicblorl t.3 + ROM Sharer for v*ilcbing between 1 .3/2.04
lo ehminote compotibilily preblemi ADD 47.99
CARTOON CLASSICS
GAMES PACK EXTRA
( 1 MB REOUIRED}
VALUE/RRP
CortoanOossics Gomes: Lenimings 2S.99
Tbe Simpsons 24.99
(optoin Planet 25.99
Deluxe Poinl III with onimotion 79.99
3 Disc Home Pock including Word Processor.
Spreadsheet, Dotobose or PD Games compiiotion 9.9f
TOTALVALUE 161.96
WITH ANIIGA/CDTV
SEPARATELY
15.99
29.99
1 500 PACK EXTRA
(CAH BE USED WITH A500
1MBANDA500+)
VALUE/BRP
The Works Fiolinum, word processor, spreadsheet,
dotoliose
Deluxe PainI 111 wilh onimolion
Gel tite most out of your Amiga book
169.95
79.99
9.95
39.95
Hobbyte SO Programme PD Grants Pock II
EITHER OR
• Sim Cit^ • Pumiii 24.99
• Populous •Toki 24.99
• Their Finest Hour * Digital Home Aicounls 29.99
• Boltlecbess • Fit 29.99
• Micraswitch Turbo Joystick 9.99
TOTAL VALUE 41S.79
WITH AMIGA/CDTV 49.99
SEPARATELY 69.99
SPECIAL: Alio witk Cattoen Classks Gam« ADD 12.99
WHAT THE CUSTOMERS SAY
...'exlreirie)^ courleous end rupid response lo my problem'..."! w3l not
Dr Dorrel Muddy - Slough
hesitote to recommend you
rapid respoi
to my colleo
leagues.
'Thonk you lor deoling so promptly *ltli my reguests."..."l wns riluctonl
nhoul ordering my computer moil order. However I hove been very pleased
with my dealings with H<^hyte -yau are to be comrnetided fof your
customer service."
Irevar Pollersiin - Bongor
"We hove dealt wilh many of the leading computer suppliers, in the post,
buHhe service you provided was se«ma to none, ' r w Joilei - Preslon
...Tkonkyoufor everyone's good service'...' il arrived ot7.!(lam the ncxi
Dovid J Thomas - WolverhamptOfl
"I wds very impressed with ihe service i teceived in the first instance, I
reoEy opprecioled how ([uickly you inenoged la get the printer despatched
fram your luton branch for mt." j ; ^^^^^^ , ^^^^^^
pspisp
|«£ Ate;&";y»" con cAoose M«r I
iri.mA h5 I,, ,
AMIGA 1500/aOOO
Full UK spec, wilh 1 MB RAM, mouse, exponsion us 2000, leads, manuals.
New including Kickslorl & Workbench 2.04.
Hord disc configuration inc. ihe high perform once GVPII controller cord,
EXPAHOAeLE TO 8MB Fast reliable 52MB +1 20MB Quantum Drives ore used.
AtOKE WITH 8833 WITH 7CM * FFIXER
Duol Drive 49S.0D 695.00 359.00
DDf GVP+2[IMe HO 699.00 899.00 1065.00
0D+GVP+S2MB HD 76S.00 969.00 1129,00
00+GVP+120MBHD 908.00 1112.00 1272,00
Per exlra 2MB fitted loGVP
JUso with KickstoH 1.3 + ROM Shnrer
ADD 60.00
ADD 47.99
CDTV
The ullimote CD interaclive mulli media machine wrih an Amiga inside!
• CDTV with CD ItOM drive • Hulchinsons Encycbpoeain CD
• lemmings CD • Welcome CD + luloriol
• DiscCadoy ■ Remote control unit
AS ABOVE 439.99
ALSO: Wilh keyboard ond block molcbing disc drive la allow access lo
whole ronge of Amiga disc bused software 549.00
SPECIAL Also Willi up lo C90 worth of CD titles of your choicel
ADD 60.00
THE HOT LOT PACK
{1MB REQUIRED)
VALUE/RBP
• Cortoaa Classics Gomes: Lemmings 25.99
The Simpsons 24.99
Coploin Flonel 25.99
• Deluxe Point III with onimulion 79.99
• 1 GREAT individuolly packaged gomes, previous 269.82
RRPs up lo 39.99 eoch, plione lo cbcrose fram current list, or
leave it to usi Children's gomes avoilohle.
• SO Programme HobhylePD Greet Pocks H 39.99
■ DusI Cover+ mouse mut 9.98
• 10 Blank Discs + BO Capocity Disc Box 26.98
• Micraswitch turbo joyslitk 9.99
TOIAL VALUE 513.72
WITH AMIGA 59.99
SEPARATELY 79.99
I SPECIAL ALSO 1 oxtrn greal 900101 ADD 25.00
PROFESSIONAL FAMILY
PACK
(IMS REQUIRED)
VAiyE/RRP
• Girtoontlosacs Gomes: Lemmings 25.99
The Simpsons 24.99
Captain Pbnel 25.99
• Deluxe Paint III wilh onimolion 79.99
• The Works Flalinum Word Processoc, Spreodsheel
and Dotobose 169.99
• Ttieir Fnest Hour, Flighl Simulator 29.99
OR Bock to ^e Fulure and Poslmon Pot (1 .3 only)
OR Digitul Home Accounts or Edd the Dud<
• Virus yer Disk 4.99
• SO Pragromme Nnhbyte PD Greols Pock II 39.99
• Hobbyte InlonI, Junior (^ecifyl or Serondury
Eduralional Pock 19.99
• lOBIonk Discs + 80 Coparilylockable disc box 26.98
• Mouse Mul + DusI Cover 9.98
• Turbo Microswtch Joystick 9.99
TOTALVALUE 46S.S6
WITH AMIGA/CDTV 79.99
SEPARATELY 99.99
SPECIAL: Also with Stor LC 200 9 PIH
Colour Priirlei and Starter Pack ADD 185.00
Also with ailian 224+24 Phi
Colour Printer am! Slorler Pack ADD 245.00
COMMODORE PREMIER DEALIER k STAR cbLD DEALER • CDTV CENTRE •
FAMOUS FIVE PACK
7-15 YEARS ^^„t^,),p
• Join Enid Blirton's Fomous Fve to solve the mystary of lieauiie
Island in ihis sduEQlionalinlerndFvgoilventure 24.99
• ADI • dimso fram atif SFitBrtainlng Nolional Curriculum
Malhs or English rourae frum Fun School publishers,
OR any Fun Scbol 25.99
• Tnrget mnths, suita of 4 fun programmas aimed ot 5|ietific
Notionnl Curritulum targets OR Mollis Advanlura:
This advenlura through lime dIIuws pupils to rsviu and
cliecklhairpragrossinllaHaRUl Curritulummollii 2S.99
• Sim City - EducBlionnl ggme award winner ond Papulous
OR Elf ' ttuvel Bt Cornalius tha SI and Puzznic - addictive
puzzle gome 49.98
> HoUjyle Junior or Secondoiy Edutolianol PD Pod<, featuring
up lo 1 ! "laorn while you ploy" gomes 1 9.99
• HobhylaSOprograminePDGreofsllPodi 39,9!
• Miutrswiith Turbo Joyslick 9.99
TOTAL VALUE 196.92
WITH AWIGA/CDTV 59.99
SEPARATELY 79.99
SPECIAL Also with 1 greol individually packaged gomas
RRPs up 10 £39.99, phone to choose from current list, or
leova il ta us I Children's gomes ovoilobia
VALUE £269.SZ
ADD £34.99
GOLDILOCKS PACK
5-11 YEARS
WAX VALUI/RRP
Die Hirae Bears:- A colourhil educniirinal and anteloioing
adventure loesaly hosed en Ihe trndilionol slory .llmprovas
reading skills nnd develops iinoginolive and logical
thought) • 22.95
ttanpy Mattars - Four grophicolly brilliant and aducolionnllv
sourd games with coins E^eyhonrd overlay, top raviews 24.99
Poslman Pal (1.3 anly), OR Edd ihe Duclt {U yaursl OR
MotchedPoirsOlillinky'sStarySchool 14.99
Hehhyta Inbnl or Junior (specif^l Educolional Pock,
faaluring up lo i 2 "Learn while you ploy"* gamas 1 9.99
Hofabyta 3D Ettsy Children's Gomes, 1 pock disc
includiflg Train Set a nd elher top enterluining PEI titles 19.99
10 Slanli Discs 6.99
Micreswildi Turbo Joystick 9.99
DsluKO PainI I (/Photon Prant II or Elf or Puzznic 19.99
Uouse mot 4.99
TOTALVALUE 214.87
WITH AIWIGA/CDTV 49.99
SEPARATELY i9.99
ACCESSORIES
9lil! virus prelector + backup device for any exlernol drive 23.99
UZO Modulator 2i.99
UOODaluteconlrolcenIre 44.99
Competition Pro Joystick !1.95
CDW Keyboord 44.95
FLOPPY DRIVES
Zydec 3.5 external drive, doisychoin + ort/off 48.95
Cumona CAX 3S4 3.5 exlernol drive, beige 52.99
CDIV external 3.S drive, block, 59.99
PC S90B wilh unti click + 8li1z back up and virus proledor 67.95
PC 8S0Et es above. Cyclone compalihie 78.99
PC880BwilhBli1z + Kopy 98.99
DuoldrivaasPCeBOB 115.95
MONflORS/IVS/ACCESSORIES
C8M1085SDI monitor + leads 216.99
M\fi 8833 MK II monitor ond leads 21 6.99
CBM 1 m Higli m monitor + Mwoy Uer fixer (or 1 S0O/2DOD 549.99
Tilt -^ swivel stand (ac Ptiilips B833 1 2.99
Philips 7CM3279 Hi-res SVGA .2edp far 3000 inc. lih i swivel 259.99
As ofaove, plus flicker fixer far A1 S00/20O0 369.99
HARD DRIVES
ASOO GVP 530 S7mm +68030 1 MB exp. lo BMB 694.99
AiOO GVP 530 IZO MB HO +68030 IHB exp. to BMB 844.95
A500 GVP 530 240 MB HO +68030 1 MB exp. to BMB I03S.95
A590 2aMB HO 269.99
ASOO GVPil 52MB HO, exp io BMB 339.99
A500 GVPil i20M8 HD, exp lo BMB 468.99
Al 500/2000 GVP 11 conlroSer, exp to BMB + Quantum 52MB HD 264.99
A1500/20O0 GVP II carrl., exp to B MB + Quantum 120 MB HD 406.99
Per axiru 2MB fitted to above 62.99
' / / /////'
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
PACK 3-9 YEARS
vmim?
• Fun School 2, under 6 years, 6-8 years or B+ years 19.99
• Fun School 3 ot 4, specify under 5 yeors, 5 lo 7 years or
7+ yeors.
- IZstunningJKeducationolgameswiNibeouliful
pictures, exdting animation and music ihal helps to develop
number, word and other skills. Up to i sk3l levels.
Conform lo National Curriculum requirements. 24.99
• Poslmon Pot ( 1 . 3 only), R Edd the Dutk ( 7+ years! OR
Matched Pairs R Bl inky's Scary School 14.99
• Hobbyle Infont or Junior (spodfyl Educolionol Pack,
f eoturins up to 1 2 "Leoffl while yau ploy" gomes 19.99
• Hobbyle 30 Easy Children's Gomes, 10 pock disc
including Train Set and other tap entertaining PD lilies 1 9.99
• 1D8lank Discs 6.99
• Joyilick 9.99
• Deluxe Paint 11/Photon Paint II or Elf or Puzznic 89.99
TOTALVALUE 206.92
WITH AMIGA/CDTV 49.99
SEPARATELY 69.99
SPECIAL: Wlh Cnto«rt Clniic) Grants and E>point III -f
nrn'mstion instead ol Dpaln) il/Phat«n Paint II (tMB req.)
VALUE 80.00
ADD 14.99
AMOS
PROGRAMMER'S PACK
( 1 MB REQ.)
VAIDE/RRP
• EASV AMOS ■ complete, simplest porable, fun-ta-usa beginners
progromming course. Learn to vfrite professional looking
arcade gomes, educolional, etc. software in weeks, not yeors.
Camplele wilh grophics, sound, onimolion ond mare.
Upgrodeoble lo Amos. 34.99
• Cartoon Classics Games: OR
Lemminos Elf 25.99
CoplainPloiMt Puzinik 25.99
The Simpsons Digito Home Accounts 24.99
• 50 Prog romme Hobbyle PD Greats Pock 39.99
• 20 Blank Discs + 80 Capacity LockotleOisc Box 33.97
• Mouse Mat -i- Dust Cover 9.98
• 'Gel the Most out of Your Imign' hook 9.9 S
• Microswilrh Turbo Joystick 9.99
TOTALVALUE 215.84
WITH AMIGA/CDTV 59.99
SEPARATELY 79.99
A$ above, but with:
■ Amos the Creator inilead of Easy Amos
WITH AMIGA/CDTV 69.99
SEPARATELY 89.99
NOTf : For both obtsve pocks, n iecond ftoppy dj hard drive on^ o
printer for Ihting are rflcooKnembd, buE nol esientiol.
TRAMPY'S OR
THOMAS'S PACK
2-9 YEARS
AT iiiSf 57 £OUCAriONAl/FUN FILLED GAMB!
WAX VALlt/RRP
• The Shoe People - i colourful and entertaining games 29.99
feoiuring Trompy and friends lo encourage early number
rending and pre-reoding skills. Wilh Shoe People music
OR Thomos the Tank Engine's Fun with Words • 6 separate easy
lo use learning programmes wilh oniirolion and sound,
• Shapes ond Colours - Bobby the Clown enlerlains and
loys down the foundokn for maths and writing in i
colourful animated gomes. 9.99
• Rjn School 2, 3 or 4 ■ the "Fun SrfionI" suite have wan
just about every award going, 5 or 6 wonderful
animated games. 24.99
OR Picture Book: 4 celourlul und omusirig gomes from
ex 'Fon School' design monagerwill delight young child ren.
• Deluxe Point ll/Pbolon Point II or Elf or Puiznic 89.99
• Hobbyle Infant Educational PO Puck, containing 1 1 9.99
fun wfiile you leorn games
• Kobbyte 30 Easy Children's Games Pack 19.99
• 1 lion k Discs, Disc Box, Joystick, Mouse Mot 26.96
TOTALVALUE 221.90
WITH AMIGA/CDTV 49.99
SEPARATELY 69.99
SPECIAL: Wftk Cuitaon Classks Games and Dpotnt III +
animation instead of Opciint ll/Pholon Point II ()MB req.)
VALUE 80.00
ADD 14,99
SCANNERS
Noksha 400 dpi 32 greyscole f Dalascan soAviore 87.99
Power Hand Scanner, 400 dpi, 64 greyscole, Fowarscon software 97.99
PowerCdourHond Scanner 23S.95
Sharp JXI 00 Ml Scanner + sconlob software, supports
W6 cols, up to 18 bit 59S,95
Sharp JX-300 A4 Scannec + s/w, up lo 24 bit POA
EXPANSION
A500 512K RAMexp + dock ..21.99 CBM ASOIexp 39.99
ARTISTS PACK
VAIUE/RRP
• Deluxe Point 1 11 with animation 1 upgrodouble to D P IV) 79.99
• Power 400dpi scanner wilh Powerscun professionol s/w 99.99
* 1 disc Hobbyte PD Graphics Pack inc. clip art + uti
(lies 39.99
• Caioon Classics Gomes: OR
Lemmings Bf
25.99
Captain Planet Puzinik
25.99
The Simpsons Oigito Home Accounts
24.99
• SO Programme Hafabyte PD Greats Pock
39.99
• 20 Blank Discs 4 SO Capacity LodcobleDisc Box
33.97
• Mouse Mot 4 DusI Cover
9.98
• 'GettheMostautofYourAmiga'faonk
9.9S
• Miooswilch Turbo Joystick
9.99
TOTAL VALUE
400.82
WITH AMIGA/CDTV
139.99
SEPARATELY
169.99
DTP PACK
ALIASAHIIST'SPACK
40O.BI
PLUS: PAGESEHEIl 11
99.99
TOTALVALUE
499JI
WITH AMIGA/CDTV
189.99
SEPARATELY
219.99
OR: PRO PAGE 3
269.99
TOTALVALUE
(70.81
WITH AMIGA/CDTV
239.99
^^^ SEPftRftTtLY
2?9.99
PRINTERS
wnH
<mm
UON! STMTEH ALONE
srAititR
F*« , .,, ,
PACK
1MBexpforA600..
..POA ASOO + 1MB upgrode 43.99
i .5 MB exp for ASOO 74.99 KSl .3 tOM Sharer 47.99
GVP ASOO nccel.-see Hard Drives
1.3 TO PLUS UPGRADE
Chip filling ond board upgrade availnble, hy
our qinlitied engineers or OIY kit POA
Cilizen120+D 112.95 ^L" Citiien 2244cal* 236.95
Star LC20 124.95 a- Citiien Swift 24e 246.95 o>
SlarLC200cc^ t72.9S - Citiicn Swift 24e col* .266.95 •
Cili:enSwifl9 178,9S - Star KB 24/200' 376.95 —
SlorLC 24-20 178,95 " StarXB24/2S0 456.95 ~
SlorLC 24-200 216.95 " HP Deskjet 346.95 "
SlorLC 24-200 col 256.95 a HP Deskjet col 576.95 a
Citiien 124D 176.95 a HP PaintJet 526.95 a
Citiieii224 211.95 ^ BJlOe Bubble[et port,. 226.95 <
STARTER PACK: 500 Sh«els A4 or continuous pap«f, Amlgn to
printer leoil & UniverHil Printer Stand • with am driver
OLD AMIGA TRADE-IN
The besi trade-in allowance, OKlro for peripherals and
accessories. Trade in your old machine for o brand new A600/
A1 500/2000/3000, CDW Of even a PC.
EMULATION
KCS Powerboord 188.99 AT Bridgeboord forlSOO .329.99
GVP 286 Emulator 127.99 386 SX 8, board for 1 500 429.99
AT Once 1 78.99 GVP 40/4 for tSOO 945.99
DISCS SOTWARE
1 Blank DS/DD discs in box 6.99 Gomes- tel lor list FROM 3.50
50 BlonkDS/DD discs 17.99 All lolssi games 30% OFF
50 BlonkOS/ND discs 27.99 All serious titles 25% OFF
NO DiPOSIT CREDIT FACILITIES
[1 30. uih|«l hi siDius. Compeiiiive leasing sdieinn ne olsa available In
busbiessH. induding sole iraders ond portneislivs. Jusi lelephone iw
wrinen derails md I
ORDERING:
TELiSALES NO: (0727) 56005
Next day d^ry for credit cerd orders placed i^fore 4.3Qpnt j^h^ct la ovailabii^.
Alternalirtly sena cheque, naslnl nrdE; tionkers droit or offeiof order {PLCs, Eikolion
and CevEnment boJies only) to; Dept. iSS. Hobbfle Compiler Centre, i Morkel
Place, St. iUbons. Herts il3 Sffi. fcamw 7 wjddng dt^fM dienue cteronce. Siibiecl
to oveiiobilitj', despoldi is iwrnally wiliiiii 24 hours al recjftof deored poymenl. Prices
are coriecl al titne af gciig lo press, kmw, wc are someliines forced ta dionoe
(rem, tittier up or rtown. ffaise check btiare onJsing. Addilionil ssivices oiid diftermt
PKtnjes moy bs offered in ocir sbowraoms, ond piices mof vary from Moil Order prices.
PssanjI (olleis Be osked to ipnte this od lo ensure Wol Oidw pKkopes ore offered.
DELIVERY CHARGES:
Small consumables i
software items
OHier Hems, except losers
Dffshore and Highlands
INADDinOltWEOffEBTIfE
SolunJoy deliveries
7am ta 9om next day
Am next day
UK MtNlAND (NO! HIGHIAflDS)
Despolched by past, please chad
charges when aidering
Next day couher service, £10 per bax
Nomal rate plus £20 + VAT per bo*
fOLlOWIKOEXPRfSS SERVICES:
Normal mte plus El S + VW per box
Notmol rate plus El + VA! per boi
Normal rate plus £5 + VAT pec ba»
r
4
I ' ( ! I I 1 ' Aralooptites, extepl whetHlotedateint. VAT. E.XO I
HP AUTHORISED DEALER • CITIZEN DEALER PLUS
Did you know that you could do this ?
Load " AMOS_Data : Samples /Samples , abk"
Sam Loop On s Samplay 3,14,10000
While Mouse key=0
S=Xscreen(Xmouse)+40
Doke $DFF0A6,X : Doke $DFF0B6,X
Wend
If not, join the Official AMOS Club, and find out how
you can create your own extensions, including
commands like SAM SPEED, CASE, SHUFFLE etc.
The AMOS Club is the place where CTEXT, the
Colour Text extension was developed and ia the only
place where you can get the new CTEXT V2.0 !
The AMOS Club is the only support group with a
telephone helpline and access to all the latest
AMOS data. Memberahip also entitles you to
discounts on AMOS Club software, such as
AMOS TOME, CTEXT and Sprite X.
Membership costs £12 (£15 Overseas) for the current
subscription, and is available fit)m;
The AMOS Cluh, 1 Lower Moor, Whiddon Valley,
Barnstaple, N.Devon. EX32 8NW.
Overseas Customers Please Note: We can only accept cheques or
Eurocheques drawn in Poimds Steriing on a UK. Bank
UoFTWARt • SECTOR SOITWARE«_SECTORSOPT^^^
TOUCH TYPIST *14
Touch Typist is a very fasc fully featured typing tutor for any Amiga, this program
contains more features than we could list in the whole advert. Demo mode, Lesson
editor, various graph options, 402 lessons supplied, high quality graphics, easy to
use, printout of a Certificate or Diploma a.s prcKjf of your ability. Suitable for
beginner.5 or advanced typists;, (.See review in last months Amiga Shopper page 37).
Touch Typist is almost over qualified. Tremendous value for
money, A fine piece of software. To improve your Typing s bills
look nofurtber than Touch Typist.
Amiga Shopper July 1992.
STD INDEX *14
STD Index is Produced under licence to British Telecom and is a veiy fast alternative
to using Direaorj' Enquiries to obtain dialling code information, the datafile contains
over 650€ UK dialling codes and over 2000 woddwide entries. Now you can check the
location of phone numbers used in adverts or the phone numbers on your itemised
phone bill. Save tiS. compared with using directory enquires or ringing numbers in
the Outer Hebrides thinking they are round the comer.
A fast and functional product, STD Index could save you
hundreds of pounds.
CV Amiga Octoberl991
AMIGA SHOPPER INDEX £12
Lost that article or letter in your Amiga Shopper magazine? Look no further, Amiga
Shopper Index will provide answers in an instant, over 1 100 reviews, articles, letters
news items are all cross referenced in a self loading database program. Now you
can turn your pile of magazines into a complete reference work. Regular updates
available, Shows title, summary of content, author, issue no, date, and page
Qumber. The speed of Shopper index has to be seen to be believed.
AMIGA TO Z88 LINK *25
Use the Cambridge 288 portable computer as a portable Amiga terminal, Write
lettere or programs on the move and use Amiga - 288 link to aan.?fer the data to
and from your Amiga, price includes software and cable,
AMIGA TO TANDY WP2 UlSK *25
Similar to the Amiga-Z88 Link but will converse with the Tandy 'WP2 portable
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WOKDSMITH il4
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AMOS
Iver the past few months
■ we've covered some
I pretty heavy subjects, so
I thought K would be
nice to take a break from our game
and look at another routine that Is
equally Important for games - the
high score table. How you
Incorporate this routine Is up to you,
but the theory behind the high score
table Is pretty much the same.
HIGH SCORE TABLES
If you started working for a software
house as a trainee programmer, you
would probably start your
apprenticeship writing routines of
this kind SQ it's worth knowing how a
good high score routine works.
At its simplest level, the high
score table Is held internally as two
dimensional arrays - one for the
score and another for the players'
names. At the end of each game, the
high score routine checks to see If
the player has scored enough to be
entered Into the score table. If so,
the player's position is Inserted with
all scores below the player's score
shifted down by one position. This
will mean that one score drops off
the bottom of the table, but then
that's how a high score table works.
Anyway, enough of the waffle - let's
take a look at the high score routine.
'*** High Score Routine vO.l
»*** By Jason Holborn
SETUPTABLE:
Dim J
SCQRETABLES [ 5 } , SCORETABLE ( 5 )
For C=0 To 4
SCORETABLES ( C ) = " J
SCORETABLE (C) =5000- (C*1000)
Next C
MAIN:
Do
For C=0 Tio 4
Print J
SCORETABLES ( C ) ; SCORETABLE ( C )
Next C
Input "Enter Score: "; SCORE
If SC0RE>SCORETABLE{4) J
Then Gosub HISCORE
Loop
t
HISCORE:
Input "Congratulations ! J
Enter Name; °;NAIM$
For C=4 To Step -1
If SC0RE>SCORETABLE(C) J
Here's our very basic high score table routine In action. Obviously It needs to be
tidied up In a big way If you Intend to use It within your own games, but the
bones of the routine are all there
"Ehen POSITI0N=C
Next C
For C=3 To POSITION Step -1
SCORETABLES (C+l)= J
SCORETABLES (C)
SCORETABLE (C+1) =SCORETABLE (C)
Next C
SCORETABLES (POSITION) =NAIMS
SCORETABLE (POSITION) =SCORE
Return
As you can see from the code, the
procedure which handles the high
score array is simple. Before entering
the routine, the main program
checks to see if the player's score is
higher than the lowest score in the
score table.
Technically the score should be
registered If it Is equal to the lowest
score, but there's just no room In the
table to hold the new score.
Presidence should be given to the
first player to achieve that score. If
you run the program above (I've
added a few ertra lines to make it
run as a stand-aione program), you'll
notice that when identical scores are
entered, new scores are added
beneath previous ones. This way you
know who achieved the score first.
Once the score has been
checked, the program Jumps to the
HISCORE routine which does all the
hard work. First of all the program
asks for the player's name. In the
routine above this is very basic
indeed. If you feel adventurous, a
much better bet Is to write a routine
which enables the player to enter his
or her name using the joystick. This
way, the player will never have to
touch the Amiga keyboard.
ALL FALLING INTO PLACE
The next part of the HIScore routine
attempts to find the position within
the high score table where the
player's score should be placed. This
is achieved simply by comparing the
player's score with the scores
already held in the high score table,
starting from the lowest upwards.
Once the position is found, it Is held
in the variable POSITION.
Now that we know where the
score should be inserted, all scores
below thfe player's score are shifted
down by one position discarding the
last score in the table. Once this is
done, the player's name and score
are inserted in the table and the new
table is displayed.
SCORES ON THE BOARD
This high score table is by no means
perfect, but It does the job. At the
moment it will only hold five scores,
but it's very easy to change this to
make the table handle more scores
simply by changing the size of the
dimension and by altering the loop
ranges within the HiScore routine.
Play around with it and why not have
a go at writing a better routine
yourself. fT\
nnlimied from page 98
3D PROBLEMS
Why Is K that I never seem to
read a single word of criticism
concerning AMOS In the AMOS
section of Amiga Stioppei?
Although I would agree that
BASIC Itself Is very good, I have
been having serious grief with
AMOS 3D since I upgraded to
AmIgaDOS 2.04. Although It runs
fine under 1.3 (I've got a ROM
sharer), the AMOS 3D Object
Editor OM doesn't run at all under
2.04. What's more, It refuses to
run from a Workbench Icon under
both 2.04 and 1.3. I've written to
Commodore and Europress
i Software but neither of these
seem to understand what Is going
wrong.
Alan M Gratiame
Ampthlll, Beds
I must admit that I'm just as
confused as Commodore and
Europress. I've got a 2.04-based
B2000 and OM certainly runs fine
on that, I've had many letters from
AMOS 3D users who own 2.04-
based machines and they don't
seem to have encountered this
problem either.
Presuming that you're booting
from your Am Drive, it might be
worth checking that your Startup-
sequence isn't launching
something weird which OM
doesn't like - try breaking out of
the startup-sequence as soon as
the hard drive starts to boot and
run DM from AmigaDOS, If it still
doesn't work under 2.04, then I
don't know what to surest. Can
anyone who has encountered this
problem help?
NCOMMAND
PERFORMANCE
Could you please tell me where I
can buy the NCommanit
procedures disk for AMOS?
Ben M«rrlfleld
Batty
South QIa morgan
The address and telephone
number for Oasis software was
actually printed in the last issue
but for those of you that missed it,
NCommand and the new
NCommand Extras disk are both
available from Oasis Software at
392 Birch Road, Wardle, Rochdale
in Lancashire. Failing that, you can
talk to them directly on 0706
376572.
It you 've got a problem with
AMOS, send It to AMOS
ANSWERS, Amiga Shopper,
Future Publishing Ltd, 30
Monmouth St, BATH BAl 2BW.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 •AUGUST 1992
AMOS
AaiOH
JC*
A fractal plotting procedure Is Just one of the utilities Europress Is after
Get your AMOS
procedures ^
published!
Europress, m -
conjunction
wff/i Amiga
Shopper, y^ants
your coding
gems for
Inclusion v^lth
the forthcoming
Amos
Professional
E
uropress, the maker of
Amos, Is currently
developing Amos
Professional. One of this
package's strengths will bs the
Inclusion of folders crammed full of
useful procedures that can be used
to construct programs.
Europress plans to provide as
many procedures as possible, but is
sure the AMOS users that read the
AMOS Action column in Amiga
Shopper w\\\ have written plenty of
great procedures that would benefit
their fellow users.
Consequently, if you have any
procedure routines then this is your
chance to share them worid-wide.
Europress wants to inciude your
routines on the actual Amos
Professional masters. You'il get your
name in the package credits, and wiii
receive a free copy of the completed
package with a personal message
101 PROCEDURES COMPETITION
from AMOS author Frangois Lionet
thanking you for your contribution.
In an effort to standardise the
procedures to aid their
understanding by users, please
follow the guidelines listed below:
NAMING PROCEDURES
When naming procedures start them
with an underscore character ("_").
This will ensure that the name does
not collide with any new instructions
that are added to Amos Professional
or extensions. It also allows the use
of reserved keywords within the
name:
ProcBdure _MYIiBOC
Procedure _PRINTBIG
If you write more than one
procedure to perform a task then
start the whole set of them with the
same name. A set of scroll
procedures might be called:
_SCROLL_IHIT
_SCROIi._MOKK
_SCROIiL_EtID
VARIABLES
Use as few global variables as
possible. Keep necessary variables
hidden within the procedures. Other
than arrays, don't make the user
have to declare variables at the start
of a program.
The vanables within a procedure
should start with an abbreviation of
the procedure's name. The scrolling
demo might have the following
variables:
_9CRS {scroll X position)
_gCH5f (scroll Y position)
Use the SHARED instruction to
pass parameters between
procedures:
Procedure _SCROIiL_INIT [X, Y]
Shared _SCRX, SCRY
_SCRX=Xj SCRY=Y
End Proc
Procedure _SCROLL_W0KK
Shared _SCRX, _SCRY
Print _SCRX, SCHY
End Proc
ORGANISING
If you need to set up conditions
before the procedures are used then
have an initialisation procedure.
There should be only one IN IT
Procedure NftMB[X,Y,Z]
procedure, which initialises all of its
parameters:
Imnits : X. . .
Y, . *
Procedure _IiKME_lMn! tltist J
Z...
of Inlt paroms]
When all is complete and you're
Outirat : Param
ready to quit the use of your
Param#
procedures, or even the program.
Parnin.?
then it may sometimes be necessary
**************
to provide an EMD of procedure
routine:
Qlobal variables used
<try avoid using these)
procedure _ifflHE_END
GLl, GL2, GL3. ..
This procedure should also work if
the initialisation routine failed. The
'Shared variables used
IN IT procedure should set a flag ttiat
says "OK, I'm initialised".
End
Proc
SYSTEM DEFAULTS
Don't assume a set screen type has
been set up ready for your
procedures' outputs. Set the screen
format outside of the procedure so
that other users can see what the
routine needs:
Screen Open 0,640, 200, J
16, Hires
Proc GET_FONT ["Times", "24"!
If your routine requires the use of
Bobs/Music/Sample Banks, then
state what size they are and how
many there are.
READABILITY
Ensure you comment your listings as
clearly as possible. It's important to
explain every aspect of a routine so
that users can adapt them to their
specialist needs. Also - keep the
spelling clean!
DESTRUCTIBILITY
Bug test it with as many inputs as
possible. If your routine is not stable
it is of no use to anyone.
Trap all errors and return error
codes if applicable.
Don't let your procedure interfere
with the user's programs.
PROCEDURE STRUaURE
WHAT WE'RE AFTER
We already have the following
procedures: Disk track read/write,
Format disk, Expression parser,
Scrolling routine. Date, Time.
We'd particularly like to see
procedures to do the following:
Chess algorithm. Screen saver,
Rapid fire. Fancy screen wipes.
Plasma FX, Radar, MagnilV, Fractals.
FINAL NOTES
Send your procedures on disk, along
with explanatory text both printed out
and in ASCII on the disk. Include an
SAE if you want your disk returning.
Include an example program which
uses your routine. You may include
as many procedures as you wish on
each disk so long as they are all
properly documented. They will be
judged by the AMOS team. Send your
entries by the end of July to:
101 Procedures Compo
Europress Software
Europa House
Addlington Park
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SKIO 4NP
Get those procedures rolling! CD
1 AA AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
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PROGRAMMING
Cliff Ramshaw
continues his
programming
tutorial for
beginners* This
month - how^
fihe computer
chooses a move
in a game of
noughts andWB
crosses
It's all very well getting the
computer to display a noughts
and crosses board and accept
moves from a player, but the
really clever bit Is In getting It to
make Its own moves.
There are at least a couple of
ways this could be done. You might,
for Instance, write a program that
tried to play as much like a human
as possible. Its starting move would
be to take a corner position or the
centre. Then It would start looMng
along each of the possible lines
with which It could win - eight In
all. If It saw two noughts together
and a gap. It would place a nought
there. Otherwise, If It saw two
crosses together It would place a
nou^t in the gap to prevent the
player from winning, tf there were
no pairs, perhaps It would try
placing a nought In one of the
remaining comers.
As you can see, there are many
possibilities. Piaying noughts and
crosses isn't as simple as it at first
seems. The problem with writing a
program to piay in the above way is
that it wiii consist of littie more than
a huge list of If statements, it would
be nice if there vifere a strategy which
wouid work out the best possible
move from any board position. And
indeed there is such a strategy.
It's similar to the one used by
chess programs, although a little
simpler. !t does not work in the same
way that a human plays the game.
Instead, it looks at every possible
move, and decides which is the best
by looking to the end of the game to
see which is the winning move.
ON THE MOVE
There are two main parts needed to
do this (see the box^iut on
procedures in this and last montti's
issue). The simple part, which later
forms the base case for the
recursion used to choose the
computer's move, looks at a given
board position and decides whether
or not the game is over. There are a
number of ways in which this may
happen, and for simplicity's sake
they are each separated into
d iffere nt proced u res .
The controlling one, GAMEOVER,
returns a result of True (this is an
AMOS reserved variable with a value
of -1). This result can be read by the
program that called GAMEOVER by
looking at the value of Param.
GAMEOVER itself looks like this:
Procedure GRMEOVER
Shared BOARD ( ) , NOtJGHT, CROSS
RESULTS False
FTJIiL
If Parami»True ^en J
RESULT=True
WONINODGHT]
If Param=True llieii J
RESUliT=True
WOK [CROSS]
If Paraiii=True Then J
RES<ILT=True
End Proc [BEStlUT]
Notice that the procedure must have
access to the game board, and the
values for noughts and crosses, so
the corresponding variables must be
shared. REStJLT is a variable used to
hold the result of the GAMEOVER
procedure before it is returned.
Two further procedures are called
by GAMEOVER. The first is FULL,
which returns a value of True in
Param if the game board is full. If
this Is the case, then the game must
be over and RESULT can be set to
True. The second procedure is WON.
This takes a single parameter: the
type of piece in which we are
interested. If it is passed NOUGHT
and the game has been won by the
noughts, then it will return True,
False otherwise. Similarly, If It is
passed CROSS as a parameter and
the game has been won by the
crosses, then it will return True,
False otherwise.
Here is the FULL procedure:
Procedure FULL
Shared BOftRD C ) , EMPIY
REStJLT=True
For X=l To 3
For Y=l To 3
If BOfiBD(X,Y)=EMPTY
AND MORE ON PROCEDURES
• ••
Procedures have more up their sleeves than I let
on last month.
You may remember the mention of local
variables, shared variables and parameters. Let's
recap: a local variable is one that is only used
Inside a procedure. After the procedure has
finished, the value held In the local variable will be
forgotten. No modifications made to it within the
procedure can have any effect on the parts of the
program external to the procedure, A local variable
may have the same name as a variable external to
the procedure, but they will be unconnected.
Altering one will not alter the other. All variables
used in a procedure are local unless declared by
the programmer to be otherwise.
Shared variables are the exception. If a variable
within a procedure is declared as shared, then it is
exactly the same as the variable external to the
procedure with the same name. Any modifications
to one will alter the value of the other. In the
noughts and crosses example, the board array Is
declared as shared for all of the procedures, since
clearly each procedure needs to be working with the
same game board.
Parameters are variables 'passed' to a
procedure by the external program. In AMOS they
are enclosed in square brackets after the
procedure name, both in its definition and
whenever it is called. The variables in the call -
those passed to the procedure - need not have the
same names as those inside the procedure
definition. The parameters within the procedure act
like local variables. Modilying them will not alter the
external variables which were passed to the
procedure at the call. The difference is that their
values are initially set to those of the external
variables used in the call whenever the procedure
is called.
The best way to learn about the different types
of variables available to procedures is to
experiment. Write a few procedures - try a few
experiments with variable values and Include a few
print statements so you can see what is going on.
You'll soon get the hang of it.
There's a further kind of variable usable by
procedures - a result or return value. Supposing
you wanted to write a procedure which multiplied
three numbers. These could be passed as ttiree
parameters to the procedure. But if the variable
holding the result of the calculation Is local to the
procedure, how can the external pro&^am ever know
what the result Is? One answer is to share the
result variable between the procedure and the rest
of the program. Another, more elegant solution, is
to return the result to the main program, A
procedure can only return one value: It is done In
AMOS by placing the variable to be returned in
square brackets following the End Proc statement.
Tfie value can then be accessed by the main
program via a special variable called Psram - this
always holds the result returned from the last
procedure called. Type In this short example to get
a feel for it;
0=3
MU1T[A,B,C]
Print "Answer =■
A=7
B=5
C=12
UOLT[A,S>C]
Print "Answers
Stop
Procedure [X, Y, Z]
RESULT=X*Y*Z
End Proo [RESCLT:
Param
Parao!
108
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUf 16 • AUGUST 1992
PROGRAMMING
Itien RESUI/TsFalae
Next Y
Next X
Bad Froc [KESXILT]
FULL assumes that the board is
already full, and so sets RESULT to
True. It then searches through each
of the positions in turn. As soon as it
f nds a blanl< one (a position whose
value is equal to EMPTY) it sets
RESULT to False, since the board is
clearly not false. Once each position
has been checked, FULL ends,
returning the value held In RESULT.
The procedure WON looks as
follows:
Procedure WOMtmRN]
Shared BOARDO
REStJLT=False
HORIZLIHE [TORN]
If Param=True Then J
RESULT=True
VERTLINB [TURN]
If ParaiteTnie Vbrni J
RESULT=Tru«
DIAGLINE [TtJRKT]
If ParantsTrue Then J
REStJLT=True
End Proc[RESimT]
As you can see, WON does little
more than rely on another set of
procedures: HORIZLINE, VERTLINE
and DIAGLINE. Lil<e WON, these are
passed a type of piece as a
parameter, and then go on to decide
w/hether this particular piece has won
the game.
HORiZLINE decides whether or
not the piece whose value is heid In
TURN has won by making a
horizontal line of three. It does this
as follows:
Procedure HORIZLJUE [TDRHl
Shared BOftRDO
SESUI.T= False
If ((B0ARD(1,1)=T0RN and J
BaARD(2,l)=r[JRK and J
BaftRIl{3,l)=TDRN) J
or(BQARD(l,2)=TURN and J
BQARD{2,2)=rOTtN and J
BCARD(3,2)=TURH) J
or(BORRD(l,3)=TDRN and J
BaftRD(2,3)=r[JRN and J
BaftRD{3,3)=TURN)) Then J
RESUl/TisTnie
Snd ProcCREStJI/rl
That's fairly straightforward, as is the
procedure to see whether the piece
in TURN has won on a vertical line:
Procedure VERTLIMEtTDRN]
Shared BQARDO
KESIII/r= False
If ((B0ARD(1,1)=T0HN and J
BaRRD(l,2)-TtJRK and J
B0ARD(l,3)=TtJRM) J
or(BOftHD(2,l)='njHN and J
BOARD(2,2)=TORN and J
BOaHD(2,3)=TDRN) J
or(B0ARD(3,l)=TUEN and J
BoasD(3,2)='raHH and J
BOftHIK3,3)='njRN)) Then J
REStJLT-Tum
End Proc [RE3UI/I]
Similarly, the procedure to check for
wins along a diagonal looks like this:
Procedure DIAGLIHB [TtTRN]
Shared BOARDO
RE^StILT=False
If ([BQftRD(l,l)=rURN and J
BOABD(2,2)=TURN and J
BQaRD(3,3)=TURN) J
or(B0ftRD!3,l)=T0RN and J
BQAHD(2,2)=rORN and J
BQftRD(l,3)=TURN)) Then J
RESULT=True
End ProcEREStmr]
The three procedures above could all
have been incorporated into the WON
procedure, but that would have made
things messy. As it is, it's much
easier to see wtiat's going on by
splitting different parts of the
program up into different sections.
The procedure which makes use
of all of the above is known as a
'static evaluator'. It looks at the
board from a particular player's point
of view and returns a value of +1 if
that player has won, -1 If the player
has lost, or If neither player has
won. The code for it Is as follows:
Procedure STATIC [TORH]
Shared BOARD ()
WONCTURN]
If ParanicTrue
RESUKT-l
Else
WON [-TURN]
If ParamsTrue
BSStJI/r=-l
Else
EEStJLT=0
End If
End If
End Proc [RESDLT]
STATIC returns a result depending on
the type of piece passed to it in the
parameter TURN. It first calls WON to
see if TURN has won, and if so it
sets RESULT to 1. If not, it calls
WON with the negative of TURN -
that is the opponent of the player in
question - and if this player has won
then RESULT is set to -1. Otherwise
RESULT is set to 0.
Ail of the above forms the ioase
case of the recursion necessary to
generate the computer's move. The
recursion steps through every
possible move that the computer and
the player can make. It only stops
when the game is over, which it can
discover by calling GAMEOVER.
Next month I'll go into the
recursive part of the move generator.
It's a little complicated, so have a
look at the box to the right to
acquaint yourself with the basic
ideas. CD
RECURSION
Recursion Is one of the most powerful of programming techniques.
Initially It can be a little dlfflcitlt to follow, but once mastered It proves
Its worth.
Something that is recursive Includes itself as part of its definition. In
computer programs. It is usually procedures which are recursive. The
procedure definition will include a procedure call to itself. Look at the
following:
Procedure FACTORIAL [NJ
FACTORIAL [N-1 3
H=N*Paraiii
End Proc[N]
It computes the factorial of a number. The factorial of a number N is
obtained by multiplying all the numbers between 1 and N, In the example,
tfiis is done by multiplying N by the factorial of N-1, which achieves tine
same result. One slight problem with the above - it never stops. The
procedure is infinitely recursive.
Because factorials only work for numbers of one or greater, there is
no need to continue the recursion once the value of N is 1 or less. The
procedure can be modified to:
Procedure FACTORIAL [N]
Z£ II>1
FACTORIAL [N-1]
N=N*Param
End If
End ProcfN]
This Checking for the value of N is looking for 'the base case'. If the base
case holds (in this example, that N is 1), then no further recursion occurs,
and an answer can be given immediately. If the base case is not satisfied,
further recursion is called for.
Imagine the procedure Factorial called with a parameter of 3. The If
statement will be true, since 3 is greater than 1, so Factorial will be called
cgain with a parameter of 2. Again, the If statement will be true, so
Factorial will be called with a value of 1.
Now the tf statement is false, so the procedure ends. The value it
returns is N, which at the moment is equal to 1. After the end of the
procedure, control returns to the statement after the previous call to
Factorial. The special variable Param has a value of 1, given by the result
of the last call. This is multiplied by N, and the result assigned to N. In
this case, N has a value of 2 (remember that N, being a local variable, has
a different value in this invocation of the procedure from those Ns used in
other calls of the same procedure), and the result is 2.
This result is then returned at the end of the procedure. Control again
passes to the statement following the call to Factorial. Now Param has a
value of 2. It is multiplied by N, which equals 3 In this particular call to the
procedure (this is the value with which the procedure was originally
called). The result, 6, is then returned by the procedure.
Control then passes to the main program, since the recursion has
ceased.
The main program would look something like:
FACTORIAL [31
Print Param
Stop
You can see that a recursive procedure consists of two parts: a base
case, which yields a definite result; and a recursive, general case, which
can only yield a result dependent on further calls to the procedure. Bear in
mind that any local variables in the procedure (including the procedure's
parameters) will have different values in each recursive call to the
procedure, even though they share the same names.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1993
10
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Biggin Hill Library, Church Rd, Biggin Hill, Kent,
Meets most Thursdays from 7, 45-9.45 pm.
Lectures and open nights, » John Bicnerstatt
after 8,30pm 081-S51 5436, Also national
rtetwork of user ^ups. Contact Individual groups
for details on activities, cost, meeetings etc:
Andovar « R Geere 0264 790003
AncleM^ n N Massey 0407 765221
Ayr 1 J Smith 0292 261408
Coveptry » W Light 0203 413511
Dublin <r G Reeves 010 3S3 12 883S63
Durham "■ S Harvey 68 Wood Vue, Spenn^oor,
Co Durham DL16 eRF
\ ■» 031 557 4242
rRE)Te 0532 487691
MacclesfleM « P Richardson 0298 23644
MaraeyeHe o G Titherlngton 051 521 2553
Mid Tliame* " M Hatt 0753 645728
S Walu ICPUQ « I Kelly 0222 513B15
Sotant " A Dimmer 0705 254969
SouthWsit IT p Miles 0297 60339
Stevenage ■» 6 Grainger 0438 727925
WMford -IT M Pfyor 0442 864 234
W Riding v K Morton 0532 537318
WIgan -^ B Caswell 0942 213402
imagliie Uaers' Qnrap Encourages the use of
Imagine and other ray tracing packages. Affiliated
to US group. Object library. Membership tree.
Contact Brian Walker. 16 Cambridge Road,
Newton Cambridge CB2 5PL.
Jam eit Tech 24-hr hotline, PD library For info
contact J Maron, Greycourt, Greycourt CI, Idle,
Bradford, BDIO 80H W Vorlfs » 0274 611111
Ex 248
Kent Youth Coinputer Qroup Computer fair visits,
programming, video and DTP work, monthly
newsletter, 30p entry/evening. Meetings Sundays
6,30 - 9pm at the D Bowen Youth centre,
Kingsnoith Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 2LY,
■» 0233 629804
Maritime Amiga Club Maritime computing,
Interact with seafarers ashore on Amigas,
Contact CDR K Osei. GN Ships Refit Office, 51
Rue de la Bretonniere. 50105 Cherbourg. France,
" 33 33225447
Nprtham Irviaml Aml^ Uaef Newsletter, free PD
library. Send SAE for further info. £5 annual
membership. Contact; S Hamer, 98 Crebiliy Rd,
Saiiymena, Co Aritrim BT42 4DS
Norwich Masked Heroa SAE for Info. Free
membership. Contact jorro, 278 Aylsham Rd,
Nont/ieh, Norfolk NR32RG v 0603 409899
Pennine Amiga Cluh 26 Spencer Street,
Keighiey. West Yorkshire BD21 2BU. Free
membership, tree advice and a newsletter.
Contact Neville Annstrong ■» 0535 609263.
PuWic Domain Exchange Demos, music, utilities.
aimatlon Annual fee £3 Contact D McLelsh, 26
Taunton Ave, Leigh, Lanes WN7 5PT
Pubttc Domain User Qroup Swaps PD, provides
advice. SAE to 12 Oxford Rd. Guildford, Surrey
GUI 3RP.
Red Led Amiga Club Swap games and utilities
Contact N Hansen. 62 Wolsey Dr, Walton on
Thames, Surrey KT12 3BA
Rye Computer Club Swap/meet at the Rye
Community Centre. For info contact Oliver
Campion. 71 The Mint. Rye. E Sussex TW31 7DP
10797 222876
Sarfikia Amiga Uaer* Membership £5, £1
admission. Contact J Kucak for more: « 0706
290387. Fortnightly meetings 7.30-11 at tiie
High Crompton Conservative Ciub.
Sharfock PD Quarterly disk mag, help and advice
for beginners, 50p/disk. A Doyle. 44 Miiton
Street, Warrenpoint, Co Down N Ireland
Shropahire Amiga Link Advice, monthly disk mag,
PD £16/year fee. Contact N CochsiynB, 2
Dodmoor Grao^e, Randiay, Telford, Shropshire
TF3 2AW " 0952 S91376
Slim Agnus 115 Brocks Drive, Morth Oheam,
Sutton, Surrey SMS 9UW, Meat last Thursday of
month. PD library. BBS. advice from Amiga
experts. Contact Philip Wofrei,
Software Exchange Service 13 Soumviiie Larw.
Stirchley. Birmingham. West Midlands 830 2JY.
Michael Pun ■» 021-459 7576.
South 16 Bimonthly mag and disk, also PD
library. Send SAE. £10/year. Contact Bnjce. PO
Box 16, Southampton SOS 7AU
South Wales Club Newslener, PD. advice.
Contact Alien 53 West Ave, Trecenydd,
Caerphilly, CFB 2SF
Warpdrlvfl (friendi of Amiga} Amiga hejp-llne, PD
iilirary, bi-monthly disk mag, free drinks,
competitions and Infosheet, £15 a year. Contact
B Scales 110 Burton Ave, Baiby, Doncaster D'N4
8BB ■" 0302 859715
WCSPSAI Help available. PD disk of your choice
and newsietter every month. PD at £1,
Membership fse £25. For information contact A
Jamleson " 0749 677609
Wr«xham District Computet Club PD. library,
equipment loan. lOp to join, 50p to get in.
Memorial Hail, Wrexham every Thursday, 7-lOpm,
Contact Paul Evans, 3 Ffordd Eifed, RhosnesI,
Wrexham, Ciwyd LL12 7LU,
Your Amiga Club Helplines, PD, social evenings,
classes, ciub mag. Fee; £12, family £15. Contact
P HIggins e- 0424 892269. The Old Chapel,
Church Rd, Catsfield Battle, Sussex TN33 9 DP
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE T6 • AU0U5T 1993
3GVP
AMIGA PERIPHERALS
GREAT
VALLEY
PRODUCTS
QUAUTY AMIGA PERIPHERALS
Wrm A 2 YEAR WARRANTY
Silica Systems are pleased to present the
GVP range of peripherals. GVP are the world's
largest third party manufacturer of peripherals
for the Amiga range and have a reputation for
high specification, quality products, The
company was founded only four years ago by
a man who knows about the Amiga,
Commodore's ex-Vice President of Technology.
He, along with a team of Amiga experts
including other ex-CommoctorB staff, understand
the add-on requirements of Amiga owners
tjetter than anyone. F^ot only do GVP provide
peripherals that Amiga owners want, fiey also
offer peace of mind, with a 2 year warranty on
the products they manufacture. So, if you are
looking for the very best in peripherals for your
Amiga computer, look no further than GVP,
QVP's HDS+ hard drive and A53I3 hard drive with 40MHz accelerator,
reprasant the tiighssl quality Amija 500 peripherals, ai vary affordable
prices. Each Ir^corporate^ a Quanium disk drive, RAM expariBion
capability, custom VLSI chip and FAAASTROM SCSI driver, tor , .
unbealabie performarvca.
The HD8+ hard drive offars up to awb o-
standard inlarnai Fast HAM axpansion
and llie A530 Comljo, up to 8Mb of 32-
bit wida last RAM expansiort. Both
feature a SCSI controller, virtiich
supports up to 6 additional devices,
and an Autoboot/Game cut-oft
switch. Both are available in 52, 120
and 240Mb tiard drive versions.
In addtlion, the A530 Combo zooms
the Amiga forward wilh an 030
accelerator, running at a blistering
«l^l-tz. This envies your Amiga 600 to
run at an Incredible 12.1 I^IPS, faster than
an Amiga 30001 No other product in the
world combine all the features found in the
AS30 Combo! A plug-in PC emulator option,
shown below, is available for both the HD8+ and
A530 Combo. ___
PC EMULATOR
PLUG-lf^ OPTION FOR HDB+ & A530
Tlitlri
• 16MHz802e6processor
• 287 K/laths Co-Processor socket
• 512K of PC RAM plus file use of Amiga FWM
• Supports Hercules, CGA. EGAWGA
(monochrome) and T3i00 video modes
• Runs fvfS-DOS (3.2 and upvuards) plus
thousands of other PC programs
This poiverful 286 emulator module simptv plugs into
the 'mini-slot" of the GVP HD3+ or A530 (without
invalidating the warranty). It has full access to the
Amiga's resources and allows
you to run PC and Amiga pro-
grams at the same time, giving
you two oompijters in one.
£249
HDS-f
A530I
HARD DRIVE
OUiUniM ICHI HMtn DRPl^
•
«
JlTTUMfTnrBIJUXQt
•
«
rTHERATEOFTK-ZiJUdHEi
*
•
ms^smsm^^
JlDHHi AIDSHEC C?]3
«
CFTIDIUL am MATHS CD-PHOCESSOR;
■
flUNS AT ^t^ Mll^ If A^HP UVi Ki i}Wil' I
«
IHitnPVI'MIE aUPPDflT TD MilP KICHStitRt IHTD
32-tllVIID( Ndl FtIM FDRftUTER DERATION
1 M ttfHhC THE apgnTHj SYsny .
•
RAJfl BOARD 1
Itf TO HI OF t OR B-H FAST PUM
\i Ofl 9-UI m\ S4MS - lSCm OH mcfSR;
•
UPTUBMOFSZ'tlitVntlEFASTIIAM
iJi-BiJW^tJESIMVs-HlssI
•
>MhFahlLJliT{D
•
OTHER FEATURES
!IOD.'AGC£LEnATH1 'ClfT'QFF' SWITCH Hf\
IWiQiUtfCDMPATIBILm
fCSIl^TnQLLEItlFIHIUPTOe
ADDITIONitL DEVICES
VLSI CtJSTOM CHIP
FIUUI&T{I(IM£C:SI[»R1VER
IDPITlOiU. CQlQUfl ii; STVLIHQ TD THE ASH
BlIILTm vrHTMTION F.AM TO PfUVE^T
THE UHlTnt{lllWEniKfiTIIIQ
DEDIUTEDPQWBl SUPPLY
■ifilll-SLOr,Fflfl FUTURE HPANSIDHB
,[■3 pcewjlat:.^
HEHDVABLI MEDIA SUPPOfIT
DIHECTMEHDflT«CM»(l)IU|aTHE
F^I^ULTIIUTEPERfQRHUICI
EAST-TO-USESDfTWAflE
!li'EAIiWMllUHTT
•
WHAT THE PRESS SAY:
'Superb build, axceHant oeatheHa and
blinding speed make this tha best
A500 hard driye' .. amiga SHoePEH
'GVP claims this Is the hstest hard drive
In the world and none of our tests emild
prove that vming^ Amu snopPin
'Overall: Untouchr^ble. THE choke'
AMIOA SHDPCfH
'Sai ti\e best hard drive' .. 92%
AmEA mfiMAr
r:rHARD drives
!/& ACCELERATORS
PRICES FROtifl:
£379
MODEL
52F«ib HD
MOm HD
240Mb HD
HARD DRUfE
HD8+
£379
Fkjf HAP .3653
£499
Hel- HA^ 0:VX\
£779
flr'; HAR G^4£
A53D COMBO
HSBODBfJE
£749
Rd'- HAR 0952
£869
£1149
Pdl; HA.q 096a
FORALLAMIGAS
lUIIGA 1500 4- 2000 + 3000 PRODUCT
SOUND SAMPLER
■ Plugs into pai'BM port
• MIOS $iippcrt f<M- song input
• Exiensive editing f0Btof$$
QuaHy e-bri staw hxtkI saniji^ ths cvnaitt itiiD
tl»|BnMpQ(taia:rvAirig&SiaD, m, ^SX^, £000
or 3CICH) cominiE^r. CornBin^Cl with ^^a d\ \hs
hBM, moGl janaM ind se^j^bxist scurf mi
mii/c ad)^ iKOpms $i^aas. incUMs 'Utredt
MUS
2500
%
ACCELERATORS
• SS030EC/6S030EG'68030 pwC6$i0f
« 25/4iS/$0MHzdocksf>as(is
* 6S8B2 Maf/tS co-prcc$$$or
• ^Kpamts to 7 m m 6Mt SZ-bit flAiW
* ^-t/^SCSIcontfoHsronboani
Fb31 6a(l3Ds'&9D30£C aixfllerttOJS walh msmpri'
upgnnj^ «nd SCSI interlaoa l»airdi. Eacl^ comas
KirpWfl tt* a eaBK m#is M-p(CceS9& and RM1
L^r^je i$ siEuvjBfd. M Bvaitt^sia, "a nam i" Hand
Dnva wiary G-FuTa CQCi Bwrtf. GVA flESI, CS.^S
25MHx/lMb R^UPQPrn £S99
40MHx/4Mb n.uPaa4H £000
50MHE/4Mb Rt.!UFfit»:^ £1399
HARD CARDS
• Factory Inslslhd hlsfxi Dnves
• SS. fSO. 24Q &■ 420Mb options
• On-toani 8Mb fTWfTJory sockets
• Add uptoS SCSI devicBS
• Eesy to in5t&IS SIMMS
The Impaja II HCB Kurd carda are Iht Kjuwalenl
Ol the HDQ^ rianldm^. bullor iJw iSKtand iSHXi
moOals, ttol oniy are ftie^ some d ilw laat^sl
h^ ilnv& SivsitaHg, DltI tHev ^^ wtisxpat&tB an
unpopiMed SMb HAM es^ngicrn ttoiti.
e£Mb RtfHARI35E £299
120Mb FtoiHAHi4» £449
240Mb ^irfiHAPiuo £699
420Mb wH*Ri&« E1299
BSMb4*
>95
ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT - DELIVERY IS FREE OF CHARGE IN THE UK MAINLAND
VIDEO ENHANCER
• 7eS X 5S0 PAL ftesolistfOn
• Si^p(>OftS comp vittap. S- VHS & FiGB
• BmadcastiHi&Hty genlock
• f<iow with RGB spmgT
ftnpoct Viaon 24 is IhQ Isteet i'^tA f nsfessianal
VttM Adapbr. It feaiurea ie \ni\m colours on
iotedn Si VXS. bdH-tn parbcic, [lk:iflr fiver, Frsme
tHitBT, 1am DiabtHf and <ft{jtei teyar. ^jf^lM
wlh Cai)(|eD^1v;24 HD irffidellkig ardi fflndefing
sDftwan, ScOa \V2A wddo tilling Botiviara, iJlua
MacfO PaM ^-bii psini: package. AtSO&'^OOD
reqjina adiftlcnaj Klttftor. GVAli224, £49.Bg
m* ■ VIU SPLITTEH -^1 viD tih^ £ 1 69 9
mi ■ flU'fflWISCODEItR.1 ^iD7i2* £2099
RAM BOARDS
• Upte eMb of FA$T RAM
• UpgfBde in 2Mb increments
• Stippo{tsin<Su^fy$tendsrdPAM chips
• Diagnosilc software irKlodeii
• FulSy Bulo-configu/ing
J\fm RAkl^ Q\f&i^ an »aay way ^ upgrgdQ y<^r
1S63 OS 2M! in 3Ut) inasinenl& up ta SMiS' The
RAM B la. 1ully auto-oinfiguraiQ and Is sufipllad
hvlih peaoB-ol-nniiid difigeiosirc sctfiwaf>e. £Mb
cgiifi^iatiori suppoited hsrbriclgebc^rd e<wners
0Mb pqputated RAU^aac £99
2Mb populated H*^^ j-hu;- £ 169
REMOVABLE MEDIA
t SyquBsi 4d Or BSMtf removflbi'e media
m 2Grr\s access fjrrre
• O'l^P 1^8 ContraHor option ^xtra
• BttefTia^cfls&^faj'faWfl tor ^5003000
GvP ofler Sfyqwsl drives witti or wilhciirf ilwlr
tics contrQller. Thsy a/a Avallabis in 4^Mb and
8EiWn. capacities a^d twe a soma iKese llmt.
Each drive Hi^e« ^lih a ran]ovai>le canritlge.
44Mb (Si™ Driv*) Hil t-JB1»< t4'49
£549
£599
(♦HOG WhJiH
88Mbi|P(r*Prt«^ IVKtPi
£699
( SILICA SYSTEMS OFFER YOU )
• FREE OVERNIGHT DELIVERY: On all hardware orders shipped In the UK mainland.
• TECHNICAL SUPPORT HELPLINE: Team ot technical experts at your service.
• PRICE MATCH: We normally match competitors on a "Seme product - Same price" basis.
• ESTABLISHED 12 YEARS: Proven track record in piofassionai computer sales.
• BUSINESS + EDUCATION + GOVERNUBNT: Volume rlisoounts avalisPis 081^08 (KM.
• SHOWROOMS: Demonstration and training facilities at our London & Sidcup branches.
• THE FULL STOCK RANGE: All of your requiremerts from one supplier.
• FREE CATALOGUES: Will he mailed to you with offers and software/peripheral details.
• PAYMENT: By casti. cheque and all mfijor credit cards.
Before you decide when to buy your new Amiga products, we suggest you think very caretuily at»ul
WHERE you liuy them. Consider what it will be iike a few months alter you tiave made your purchase,
when you may require addiliorial peripherals and software, or help and advice. And, will the company
you buy from contacl you with delails ot new products? At Silica Syslems, we ensure that you will have
nothing to worry about. We have been astabllshed for over 12 years and. with our unnivalled experience
and eiparllse, we can now claim to meet our customers' requirements with an understanding which is
second to none. But don't just lake our word for it. Complete and return the coupon now lor our latest
FREE literature and iMgin to experience the "Silica Systems Ssrvice".
MAIL ORDER; 1-4 The Mews,
Ord^r L'"iQt} Operi: Mon-Sal S.DOant'fi.COpnii
Katheney Rd, Sittcup,
No LatB Nighl Opanirt
Kent,
DAH 4DX Tel: [1B1-309 1111^
fbk rjD: O01-3OB csoa
LONDON SHOP: " B2 Tottenham Court Roai. London, W1P DBA Tel: 071-580 400D
Oponin^^ Houre: Mpn-Sal 9.3Qani.6.Q0pn^ rto Laie NlQhl Openirg Pst No: il71- 3g3 473,.
LONDON SHOP:
SIDCUP SHOP:
Opening Hdura:
Moo&at ^.OOam-S.aOpm
Sartridoes m Floor). Oxford Straet. London, W1A 1AB TbI: 071-6?9 1Z34
va.DOpffl LalQ NigN'. ThUfSdev until flpm Enlgrtgion: 39 1j
ey ., -
Ualt N^TTt: Friday unM 7pin Fax N(f: 081-3CJ9 0Cn7
Mnn-Sfli fl.SQatTfg. DI3p<ri __^^^
1-4 The Mews, Haltierley Rd, Sidcup, Kent, 0*14 ^DX Tsl: 081-302 0011
Ito:
Silica Systems, AMSHP'0892-68, 1-4 The Mews. Hatherley Rd, Sldeup, Kent, DA14 4DX
PLEASE SEND A BROCHURE ON THE GVP RANGE
r\
M'/MrsWIlss/fils:
Address:
Postcode: .
r'~~r\ MAIL ORDER HOTLINE
m 081-309 1111
SIUCA
SYSTEMS
B
Tel (Home); Tel (Work):
Company Name (i1 applicable):
I Which computer(s), if any, do you own? 68D I
^^ E&OE . Adv«r1JHd prknend BpedflcAilona may cfang* ■ Ptoflaa rerun uw coupon for the lataat inharmallon.
i/lissing the complete set? - well get your back issues NOW while you can!
SOLD OUT
Buying a paint package pius reviews of Pagestream,
Colourpic, Sequencer 1 , KCS Powertoard, and Scala.
Accelerating the Amiga plus reviews of Bars & Pipes,
Daatascan, ATOnce, DynaCADD and BASIC languages.
1
2
3
Buying a printer plus reviews of Pro-24, Real 3D, Wordworth,
TEX, Imagine and Superbase 4
Amiga Answers special pius reviews of Spectracoior, Superbase
4, Touch-Up, Action Repiay, VideoCenter Plus and more
The most comprehensive review ever of Amiga word processors,
pius the Video Toaster and a free fractais guide
ORDER YOUR BACK ISSUES AND
CAKH UP ON WHAT
YOU MISSED
SOLD OUT
A hardware and add-on buyer's guide special, tons
of tips for Professional Page and an in-depth iooi<
at tine HAf^-E colour system
The definitive guide to the A500 Plus, down-ioading satellite
images, choosing sequencers, using video and ProPage 2.
7
8
FREE Tracey plus special animation tutorial, test drive of Roc
Tec's new hard distt, Amiga CO, Pixel 3D, Superbase. A
definitive memory guide and the biggest Amiga Answers ever
Round up of best hand scanners, 5-page special on RAM
boards, first in the series on Artificial Intelligence plus reviews
of 3D animation packages, Ray Dance, Expert Draw and a
preview of the new Easy AI^OS
PD special - a guide to the most indespensable PD programs
and an in-depth review of PD postscript, part two of the series
on Artificial Intelligence plus reviews of ImageMaster,
SaxonScript, SuperJam and 23 pages of Amiga Answers
10
11
12
13
14
15
Special graphics Issue featuring the Amiga's top art pacttages.
Audition 4, Sound Enhancer and desktop video directing
with Showmaker
Insight Into CDTV, a comprehensive guide to printer
preferences, 24-bit graphics, reviews of Genesis, Turbo Print
and Stereo (faster
Drive guide special - ail the facts and advice on hard drives,
quality video output with Impact Vision-24 card, DCTV graphics
and more
but better still, book up for the year ahead - and never miss out again!
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If you think taking tiie
Amiga seriously includes
having fun...
If your Interest in the Amiga covers everything
- including gamesi - you ought to take a look
at the latest issue of the world's best-selling
Amiga magazine.
ON SALE
NOlAfS
fe^v.
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*»»^*&
*^«IW^
^^^^
Read the full review of The Secret of Monkey Island
2 " LeChuck's Revenge. The best Amiga game ever?
Find out what we think are the top 1 classic Amiga games
of all time - the ones even the most serious Amiga addict
can't ignore.
Discover some amazing facts about football and see which
of the new footie games we think could become the
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Explore the complete CanDO! Jr program, worth £ 1 00, and
see how it can help you become a multimedia master.
And while you're there, you can get the low-down on the
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Amiga 600, find out what happened when we tested the
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AMIOA FORMAT ISSUE 36 - IT'S WAITING FOR YOU AT THE NEWSAGENT NOW[
ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
FREE DELIVERY
NEKtDay-Arr^twreirttHtJK mainynd
Silica presents some great
offers on the award winning
range of high quality matrix
printers (ram Citizen. Each
Citizen printer is built in the
UK to exacting standards,
ensuring superb reliability and
output. Our confidence in
Citizen's quality is such ttiat
we are pleased to include a 2
year guarantee with every
printer. Plus, if you buy a
Citizen printer (not Inkjet) from
(is, we will give you the Silica
Printer Starter Kit (worth
£29.38), FREE OF CHARGEI
FREE STARTER KIT
Warih E29.3B - Wtlti every OliEen pnntar
2 YEAR WARRANTY
Silica (sitiu 2 </iai warrantjr [inciudinii' the dirt
m^rlx piinEBT haa) viHh smr/ Gntzan printer,
WINDOWS 3.0
Free Wlr^rtrnvs 3.0 driver.
IrtcludEd vritti tlK SIlKa Slaitfir Kit.
FREE COLOUR KIT
Witti evary frodot 9, Swm 9 fi 244 and 22A
FREE HELPLINE
Teclirttcal supDon lulpFiiu open during o^tcs ItDjrs.
MADE IN THE UK
Citizen ti'rinters are manufaclurwll to high standanls.
LOW PRICE Spin PRINTER
144 CPS 80 COLUMN
Citizen 120D+ - 9 pin ■ 80 column
144cps Draft, 30cps NLQ
4K Printer Buffer + S Fonts
Parallel or Serial Interface
Graphics Resolution: 240 x240dpi
Epson and IBM Emulation
Pull tractor & bottom feed
FREE Silica Printer Starter Kit
nflp Eim
SILICA STARTER KITi29
£115
+VAT= El 35.13 ret: PRI 2120
lOTM VALUt:
s*me-
E2I4
£109
SmCAfmCt: £111
Tha Cttizan 1200 printer c<]mes supplied with & parallel
Interface as standard. II you require a serial interface Instead,
pj&ass slatB rdf: PRt 2125 when piacirig your prefer wlui Silica.
9 PIN PRINTERS
300 CPS 80 COLUMN
• CitizBr\ Prodot 9 - 9 pin - 80 column
• aOQcps Orsft, SOcps NLQ
• eK Printer Buffer + 3 Fonts
• Par^fiel interface
• Graptiics Rasoiution: 240)1 240dpi
• Epson and IBM Emulation
• FREE Colour Kit
• FREE Silica Printer Starter Kit
mF -„.,.. £189
CDlDLin RIT... £11
nUU tTMIEfl iaTu_,^E3»
m/u. vxjitiWi
SAVm: EM
£189]
«KflMM«£El'»
I. tWT.ajs.osirfPBian
192 CPS 80 COLUMN
• Citizen Swift 9-9 pin -80 cotumn
m 1&2cps Draft, 48cps f^LQ
9 BK Pn'rjter Buffer + 3 Fonts
• Pareilsi Intefface
• Graphics i^ssofutiorr: 240x240<fpi
9 ^psan anti BM Emulation
« FHEt Coiour Kit
• FREE SsUca Printer Stertsr Xrt
£2»
Gauvn HT
SlUU STMTEH KI TJM
TOTM VALiX; ElU
SAVHiQ. Ill J
£189
SIttfaffltfg,' flgg V ^'V*T.= KaOfl ral: PRl2gC9j
192 CPS 136 COLUMN
• Otfzen Swift 9x - 9 pfn - 136 cokmn
• 192cps Draft, 48cps NLQ
• BK Pfinter Buffer + 3 Foffts
• PamtSsS intsrtacs
• Grapfiics Hesotution: 240 x240dpi
• Ef)Son flrttf tBM Emuf0tiOff
• Caftjwr Option Avaifatte
• FRE^ Silica Printer Starter Kit
.E3»
»LIGA aTAATEn B Tja
24 PIN PRINTER
PRINTER + SOFTWARE + COLOUR
• Citizen Swift 24e- 24 pin - 30 columr}
• 2l6cps Draft, ?2cps LQ
• 8K Printer Buffer + 6 Font$
• Paraffei Merface
• Graphics R&sofution: 360x3SOdpi
• Epson, IBfvt & NBC P6 Fmafstion
• FREE Colour Kit
• FREE SitiCB Printer Sta/ler Kit
• FHEE Lotus A!\^l t.2 Ward
Processor antj DTP pacfcsge
• FREE Adobe Type Wanaaw VU5
-IS
.Etc
JUQBE rrPE hUNABEn V1.15[ftmiifm
TOT/U. VAliif: 'EIHlfl
SAVlfiS- £33T
jftiHaHUeE E^H
VtWCr^ESEM mipflizmy tofus+./lA)i»M*wasisAirPCflft^(vi3y.- cK* \
*yi,U E3ia.0B wri;Pttl2544_
24 PIN PRINTERS
INKJET PRINTER NOTEBOOK PRINTER
1 92 CPS 80 coLuii/iN
• Citizert 224 ■ 24 pin - SO i^umn
• 19Scps Draft. 64ips LO
• eK Printer Buffer + 4 Fonts
• Pargilel interface
• Grapt\ics Resoiution: 360 x360dpi
• Bpsorj antj fBM Bmuiation
• FREE CGiome Kit
» FREE. Siiica Printer Starter Kit
fllBP ^,^ Oil
WtOUFlHT -m
ULIM BTAmiRKITIIB
TOTAL VAliiE: £33!
S4LW5- El 33
BUB
StiiCi fflJl^E tlU V4WT-IS33.B3 refiPflia^ftT,
192 CPS 136 COLUMM
• Citizen Swift 24x -24 pin- 13$ coiurnn
• I32cps Draft, 64cps NLO
• 8K Pdnter Buffer + 4 Fonts
• Parailei interface
• Graphics Rssolutiorr: 360 x 360dpi
• Epson, iBH4 and JVEC Pe EmtritaJwn
• Coiour Option Avallabie
• ffleF SiOca Printer Starter Kit
..E4n
IIRP . .
SlUtli StiUtTEn iitjza
Tom VAttJ£: au
SAVHtG. E165
SRtCAPRKE: EUfi
SIB
360 CPS 80 COLUMN
• Citizen Ptojst - inffjot - 30 column
* 360cps Oraft. 120cps NLQ
* SO Noz2fs Haad - m^OiMet47dB(A)
* BK Printer Buffer + 3 Fonts
• Optionat HP CoTnpatit}ie Font cards
* Paraftei interface
• Graphics Hesotutfon: StXx^OOdpi
• HP DesS<iet pius emulation
nnp — fi!H
mUt H(Uii£UtW
SAmti: t13?
£M£ri nrfiE osy
£359
\^tVJtTi-&liai.B3 rir:PHia»Q^
64 CPS 80 COLUMN
• Citizen PN43 jVofftboofc Printer
• Wcfl^jTivMisf Printing on Plain Papsr
• 53cps La ' 4K Buffer * 2 Fonts
• Psar ancf Bottom Pspsr LoaoVflgr
■ ParallB! inlsdace
• 0repf]iG3 ResoiiJtion: 360x360clpi
• Epsofj, ffiW. wee PB & atizBf} Emjle&x\
• FREE Silica Prin tsr Stsrter Kit
sftp _i3H
SILIU UMTBtBr-BS
SAvm: noi
£249
•VAr-E2EE.5B rellPRl'ZlEX]'
IFREEI
STARTER KIT
This junar k? will help s'^g iq. gai
SuvpM njnnir»p viilfl ydur ntn
itzen dc^ milRi c^ nolttKCt
3ilH ^fiitm. FfuJs
[MliHl only, M iw
, a ClBen Mnt Hintje/
for 1hB AmtjB Fn» of Chai^i i^
pari <^ lhfl Sl>ta Sliitr Kir.
bringing (hg 1pUl vjlut DJ Ihe Tm
kilupiDE'M.33.
*' 3lf Ciak'^ipJStOiTrtis
•3:^ 6sl(-DiwBhirWndoM3
* 2 Msiit PaialM PrirrlH Cable
' m Shtm of CodHniKHQ Pipir
* IN ConliniHhja Addrui Libds
' 5 Conijrjjow Eiwrtps
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The- Anih^ Pnm hiaujtr dAirarm^
e>^hiiK«j primed oitiiin Pn:v«lB
diTvtiB hir all Citinn pmUn irtd
uptos Amifl^ mrmjl phnltr
p[«1i[«r»u sySMm ' ptintr:^ ii <\\itAti,
iXWl ITIQI! -iMm. (fiphH k«
hizn'. iiSj %:> \m '.v4h iislnianrfi.
Features Include:
* In^unvtd tflUfit SmuttiJIHl
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STARTER KIT WH
AMIQA PfllNT MilWililM E14.9S
.ISJS^E £44.33
ACCESSORIES
SHEET FEEDEfta
liDOlMO JEHM
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mitm MKisvs>fS\u ..niia
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mva ZHSMIHCtiOif. £1S£I
niBiHB PHUfiiiiiiistrM a«[
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( SILICA SYSTEMS OFFER YOU )
• FREE OVERNiGHT OEUVERY: On all nardware ordere shippeij in the UK mainland.
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• PAYMENT: By cash, cheque and ail mafor credit cards.
G«lore you decide when to buy your new prrnSer, we suggest you think very carefully about WHEflE you
buy it. Consider what it will be Eike a few months after you have made your purchase, '^han you may
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r'~~~~\ MAIL ORDER HOTLINE
V.|ilV 081-309 1111
SILICA
SYSTEMS
MAIL ORDER: 1-4 The Mews, Hatherley Rd, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4DX Tat: 081-309 IIIO
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am-5.3l3fyn Lala ^flflM: Friday vm 7pm Fax No: 081-309 QQt7 ^
m
To: Silica Systems, AMSHP-0892-80, 1-4 The Mews, Hatlierley Rd, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4DX
PLEASE SEND A BROCHURE ON THE CITIZEN RANGE
Mr/Mrs/Mlss/Ms:
Initials: Surname:
Tel (Hotne):
Company Name (if applicable):
RoBtcoda ....
Tel (Work):.
I Which computerts), if any. do you own?.........
BOB 1
E&OE ■ Athtttbtd ptIOH wd KHCiteation* rmtf ctiingt - PImk rvtum ^coupQnldrlliBralBMinlctrnalkM.
OMEGA
PROJECTS""
OMEGA HOUSE
83 RAILWAY ROAD
sTEroXv 0942 682203
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(EUROPE) LTD
LANCS, WN7 4AD
s^a°l7s^oTv 0942 682205
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ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT
ALL CHEQUES, P.O.,
I ETC SHOULD BE MADE
PAYABLE TO OMEGA
PROJECTS LTD. WE
I ALSO TAKE ACCESS,
VISA, MASTERCARD
& EUfiOCARD
SOUND ENHANCER
a^.'^s
IF NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS PfiODUCT SfM-
FlY HETURN FOR A NO QUSBLf REFUND.
THIS IS HOW SURE WE ARE THAT YOU Will •
B£ MCHE THAN IMPRESSED. VOUVE SOT
rOHEARItrOBEUEVEn,
100% COMPATIBLE
WITH ALL SOFTWARE
IF YOU THOUGHT THAT THE AMIGA SOUND WAS GOOD THEN YOU ARE IN FOR A REAL SHOCK,
AS YOU CAN ENHANCE THE SOUND TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE BRAND NEW RELEASE
FROM OMEGA PROJECTS: LOOK OUT FOR THE REVIEWS
NOW WITH BASS
ENHANCEMENT
CSA
ROCKET LAUNCHER
A BRAND NEW PRODUCT
to enable people that own
the Commodore A2630
Accelerator to increase its
speed to a fuil SOMHz while
retaining full origind compatibil-
ity. So don't even thlni< about
swapping your original card for
a faster one untii you have seen
the ROCKET LAUNCHER,
£595.00
TURBO CHARGE YOUR CBM
A2630 ACCELERATOR
KICKSWITCH ROM SWITCHER
DOES NOT REQUIRE riHACHINE TO BE SWITCHED OFF TO SWAP ROMS
1 . RIBBON CABLE MOUNTED 24.95 (Bare)
2. WORKS WITH ACCELERATORS 44.95 (Inc 1.3 Rom)
3. AUDIBLE SWITCH OVER 49.95 [inc 2 x Rom)
4. EASY INSTALLATION
5. FULLY AUTOMATIC Save 5,00 on last months prices
150/250Meg SCSI
TAPE STREAMER
The ULTIMATE back-up device
INTERNAL 449.95
AMIGA DOS 2.0
EXTERNAL 549.95 COMPATIBLE
OFFICIAL UK 2.04 ROM KIT
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79.95
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The WC«1£>S fariert, mori rrtkiWe hwd iSltk back-up lillfttv avail-
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49.95
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GVP
SSMcg 379.95
IQSMefl 499.95
IMPACT 500 HARD DRIVE
Expandable to 8 Meg ram
ADD S0.0O PER 2 Meg
IF ORDERED AT SAME
TIME AS DRIVE.
AMIGA A600 & A600/HD
Tiiis iatest addition to the Amiga range of liome
computers is the ideal solution for those of you
on tiie move, due to its size & internal TV
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Mouse, PSU, 20 Megabyte internal Hard Drive
(A600/HD).
1 YEAR ON-SITE WARRANTY FREE
A600 £379.95
A600/HD £479.95
SUPRA RAM 500 RX
External memory expansion for Amiga
500 & 500 Plus. Adds up to 8 meg.
1 IVIeg 119.95 4 IVIeg 199.95
2 Ivfleg 149.95 B Meg 349.95
SUPRA
HARD DRIVE SYSTEMS
500XP 52MEG 349.95
500XP 105MEG 499.95
PLUS UP TO 8 MEG RAM
GVP SERIES 2 (A15(lft/2000) SCSI * UP TO 8 Meg o1 Ram
52Meg 299.95 ADD 50.00 PER 2 meg
lOSMeg 419.95 IFORDERED ATSAMETIME
NEXUS (A1 500/2000) SCSI + UP TO 8 Meg of Ram
52Ilfleg 379.95 ADD 50.00 PER 2 Meg
105tHeg 519.95 IF ORDERED AT SflPilE TIME
BARE SCSI and IDE DRIVES
QuantLim
Quantum
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1 0SMeq
1 70Meq
210Meq
44 Wlcg
850 Meg
SUPER CARD-AMI II
THE ULTIMATE & GENUINE DISK DUPLICATOR.
FULL UK SUPPORT & UK USER GROUP SET UP
A500
34.95 A1 500/2000
200 WATT PSU
COMPLETE WITH A500 POWER CABLE &
OPTIONAL HARD DRIVE POWER LEAD
READY TO PLUG
IN AND GO
79.95
FAN COOLED
SYQUEST REMOVBABLE HARD DRIVES
GVP SERIES 11
68030 COMBO
CARD
This affordable ACCELERATOR CARD
for the A1500/2000 gives your Amiga a
new outloolt on processing. Comptete
with CO-PRO, 32 BIT RAM, and SCSI
HARD DISK controller.
Allowing transfers in excess of 1.2meg/sec
25Mhz + IMeg 32 bit ram 599.95
40Mhz + 4meg 32 bit ram 949.95
50Mhz + 4meg 32 bit ram 1499.95
CSA MEGA-MIDGET RACER
Tlie UKs biggest sdllng ACCELER.ATOK card. For the A500/2000.
Offering a moduiar design allowing you to buy what you can afford ttien
cspand later. Up to 38Mhi CPU + SOMhz Co-pro + 8 Meg 32bit ram +
512K Shadow (STATIC) ram.
68030 accelerator 25, 33, 38 Mhz
Co -Processor socket for 68882 up to 50 Mhz
6S000 socket on board for FALLBACK compatafaility
Gives you more power than the A3000
Optional PliAM expansion up to 8Meg 32 bit ram
Fits tNSIDE A50O/1500/20O0 easily and quiclcly
Creates a monster machine for progs like FALCON etc
Cuts Ray Tracing times SOx - 60x for SCULPT etc
Speeds up screen refresh and overall performance
Lowest price 68030 THAT WORKS!!!!
As the ONLY OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTORS for CSA we offer a 50%
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GVP IV24
24 bit professional video adaptor. Features
16 million colours on screen at once. Built
in Genlock, F/Fixer, Frame buffer, Frame
grabber, and Digital keyer. Comes with
CaSigari 3D. Scala 1V24, & Macro Paint
1699.00
NOW INCLUDES RGB SPLITTER
25m hz EC68030
33MhK EC68030
25Mhz IV1C68030
33Mhz MC68030
25MhzEC + 68882
33MhzEC + 68882
STATIC RAM (512K)
2Meg 32Bit ram
4Meg 32Bit ram
8Meg 32Bit ram
25/25 + SRAM + 2Meg
33/33 + SRAM + 2Meg
349.95
449.95
449.95
549.95
499.95
599.95
99.95
219.95
399.95
599.95
749.95
879.95
A500 Replacement Drive
A 1500/2000 Internal Drives
A590 CMOS RAM Chips (552K)
1 .3 ROtvlS
2.04 ROMS
1 Meg X S SIMMS Q Meg) 80ns
4 Meg x S SIMMS (8 Meg) 80ns
Sound Trap 3 Sampler
Mini Midi Interface
3.5' External Drive (Cumana)
Upgrade Mouse
55.00
59.95
19.95
29,95
39.95
79.95
249.95
29.95
19.95
59.95
18.00
CSA
40/4 MAGNUM
68040 25Mhz
HIGH SPEED SERIAL PORT
HIGH SPEED PARALLEL PORT
4 MEG RAM (standard)
EXPANDABLE TO 65 Meg RAM
HIGH SPEED SCSI 1 & 2 CONT
CALL FOR MORE [NFO
1999.95
YOU GET WHAT YOU P.W FOR
50MHz CBM A2630
Complete ACCELERATOR system with 4Meg 32 Bit Ram
for the AlSOO/2000, comprising a FULL version 68030 CPU
S 68882 Maths Co-Pro. Expandabte to 112 Megabytes o(
true 32 Bit Ram with optional UKB .12632 Expansion board.
Call for other pricing.
£1299.95
DKB 2632
32 Bit Memory Expansion for the Amiga A263I) Card
Now you can go beyond 4 Megabytes of 32 Bit Ram
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BARE OK 4299.95 32Meg £1399.95
4Meg £449.95 64Meg £2499-95
SMeg £599.95 INFORMATION SHEET
16Meg £849.95 AVAILABLE
TEN TOP TIPS
Computer programming Is
somsthiflg that just about
overy Amiga owner decides
to try at some point, it's the
twst metliod there is for getting to
itnow your machine, learning Itow
things tick, and gaining a Iwtter
understanding of commercially
written programs, which can oniy
[Kiy off when you come to use tliem.
Aside from all that, programming
is also a lot of fun. And who knows,
perhaps you'il find you have enougli
of a talent to make some money out
of it?
Deciding where to begin with
programming on the Amiga can be a
confusing business, simpiy because
there are so many languages and
packages available for it. Here are
ten points to mull over before making
the plunge...
O High and ioW'Jevel - Languages
are often piaced into one of these
two categories. If programming is
iikened to joining functional blocks
together, then a high-ievel language
consists of iarge, complex blocks -
oniy a few need be joined to create a
sophisticated program - whereas a
iow-level language has lots of smaii,
simple blocks, several of which must
be joined to make the equivalent of a
block in a high-level language.
While high-level languages are
easy to use and better for expressing
complex ideas, low-level languages
are usually faster and give the
programmer more flexibility - they
allow more direct control over the
machine's hardware.
@ Compiiers and interpreters -
These are the two different methods
by which programming languages are
translated into a form
understandable by the computer -
known as machine code. A compiler
will translate a program wholesale,
taking it in as a text tile and
producing something called an object
file. This then has to go through a
process known as linking before the
final program is created. This will run
completely independently of the
compiler or the original text file, and
it will generally run pretty fast. If a
change Is to be made to the
program, it must be made to the
TOI^UPS - Choosing
a programming
language g
Cliff Ramshavs^ tells you the ten
essentials to look out for "when
mafgjng a start in programming
l.SYS:> cc
, info
f Actoi^'ia.
- - -^s3.:
Screen. q
. It/an: ijon
net_add. .
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^Kt ncnie;j++3
if Cltni<EjUjl>a5
Pi*intf(" Jis, a* Jie\rs" ^nod^C J] , exci ttC j3tfl3 > ;
^*t prDtiessifig dai^«, now to pi^oduc^ soh^ output i*/
printf<"\n\n"} ;
^rew_jtford-- 1 ;
=eiJf<pespo^s^^;l('^+> < /» ain for a reply of RESPOWSE iKtrd
jt'^-xntf C"y^fj .nflrtflt^Kcitfl wriA]>;
fur (i=fl; i<l6; i+*> /* nitiJilLse Ifli jjossibi L i ti«s «/
npKt_exci telil=:fl,e; /* strsnsth of linlis m/
J,inK5„fownd-8; /« nuMrber of possibilities found »/
tar- t (-e:i<nejft^nf>cle; H*> \
it innltrpxqrte^i(rainJ>a> < /^ if there's a Unk to i »
Caf < j-'Sj J>-fl: J — y l /* is it a sti>drtsr as othci" ten
if <exciteET3Cfl]>iitxt ejtcit^rjl) i
for a:-«: Kj; 1 + *J ^
next exfji teCl]i:ne*tt &xtii te t I+IJ : /*t dt>t>y tp^tl
ne>:tIlJ-neKttUlJ:
mHWH
SAS/Lattlce C is a great favourite amongst professional developers, it's a
powerful language which comes with many usefui programming toois
original text file, which then has to
be re<ompiled and re-linked.
Modilying programs like this can be a
laborious process.
An interpreter translates
programs line by line, as they are
actually running. This translation
occurs every time the program is run,
and if one part of the program is
used several times, then it must be
translated each time. The result Is
that interpreted programs are
relatively slow, but making
alterations to them Is easy because
nothing further need be done beyond
altering the program's text file.
® Absolute tieglnners - If you have
no programming experience
whatsoever, you would be well
advised to go for an interpreted
language. You are bound to make
mistakes - everyone does - and the
development cycle of a compiler is
almost certainly guaranteed to
infuriate. It's best to steer clear of
low-level languages - you really need
to know what you are doing to use
one of these. The best beginner's
language is Basic. It was designed to
teach people to program, and while it
doesn't have all of the features of a
high level language {nor some of the
complicated concepts behind them)
it is sufficiently more powerful than a
low-level language to enable you to
produce good results in an easy to
understand and read form.
O Graphics and sound - Access to
the Amiga's graphics and sound
facilities can be obtained through a
set of 'libraries'. These are pre-
written programs which handle all the
messy business of dealing with the
Amiga's hardware. The disadvantage
is that they can be quite complex to
get to grips with. An alternative Is to
buy AMOS, a variant of Basic that
provides extremely powerful and easy
to use facilities for graphics and
sound.
@ Speed - If you feel the need for
speed, then you really ought to
consider a compiled language, or
even an assembler. Interpreters
simply can't cut the mustard when It
comes to speed-Intensive
applications.
® Games - It's possible to write
games In just about any language,
but If you want to produce a game of
commercial quality with fast moving
graphics, there Is only one choice -
assembler.
Assembler Is a low-level
language, the most basic possible. It
is also the fastest and most memory
efficient. It is translated in much the
same way as a compiled language.
although there Is a direct
correspondence between each
assembler instruction and each
machine code instruction that the
computer understands. The only
difference is that the instructions are
expressed in words instead of
numbers. The disadvantage of
assembly language Is that It is
difficult to learn.
O Serious devetopment ~
Commercial applications are usually
written in C ~ a compiled language
which combines the best of both high
and low-level languages. C is so
popular on the Amiga because it was
used to write the operating system.
Interfacing to It is therefore easiest
with C. Alternatives are Pascal and
IVlodula-2.
© Academia - If you are about to
embark on an Open University or
college programming course, you'll
almost certainly come into contact
with Pascal. It was designed
specifically for this purpose, and is
still popular amongst lecturers. It has
grown more powerful over the years,
and Is now a serious competitor to C
In the commercial stakes, too.
® Includes - If you get a compiler
from the public domain, you will be
missing the official Commodore
include files. These contain
segments of code needed for easy
access to the Amiga's library
functions. They can be obtained for
£25 from Commodore Business
Machines, Commodore-Amiga
Technical Support, Bradboum Drive,
Tilbrook, Milton Keynes IVIK4 SAT.
® Weird and wonderful - There are
many more languages other than the
ones mentioned so far. They are
available from the public domain,
and present great opportunities for
experimentation. Languages such as
Lisp and Prolog can be used for
artificial intelligence; Smalltalk for
learning about object-oriented
programming, "/ou'll need extra
books to use these, since their
documentation assumes knowledge
of the language in question, but
they're a good way of realising just
how diverse languages can be. ( ^
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AlfOUST 1992
lEvesnamnicroni
• TELESALES AND SHOWROOM SUNDAY NOW OPENING FROM 10AM - 4f
JOINT WINNER OF
COMPUTER SHOPPER'S
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' AWARD FOR 1991 -
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HERL TODAY ~ HERE TO STAY
f -^.tf.MfY Micros f/ifit Fir-iKo
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Unit 9, St Richards Road
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ACCESS /VISA
Cards Welcome
t3
^
Govflrnment, Education & PLC ordsrs welcome
Same day despatch whenever possible
Eipmaa Courier ctelivery (UK Mainland only) EB.5D eitra
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Sunday 10.00 - 4.0D
Unit 9 St Richards Rood. Evastiam
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OT 0386 765 180
to : (»St 7t535J
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Unpopulated RAM board with clock E 34.95 i n b ThBe.fMnsiori ^m ;
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with 51 2K Installed £ 54.9S with 1MD Installed E 69.95 i apnau - Kicksian t.3 unrsle I
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With 2MB fitted...ei19.99 with 4fWB...£179.99 with 8MB...E289.99
PAmALL Y POPULAJiD VNtTS EXPAND T0amWTM2KI8 MODULES, A VAtlABLE SEPARATELY AT ONLY £69.99 P£R 2m ■ OPTtONAL POWER SiJPPLY £:4.95 \
N. B. Any mtrrtory ffttsd
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3V/' EXTERNAL FLOPPY DRIVES
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PHILIPS 15" TV/MONITOR
>llh Hi iMkiMd nilwillirkipij«.lhlinii!<Woi]iiiUm
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Philips CtlM33 Mk.ll Monitor (Genuine UK vsrslonj inc cable,
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A590 ADD-ON HARD DRIVES
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to dirHClly addon to the Commodore A590 £ 349.00
Eitemal lOOMta SCSI Driwa cased with PSU ...., E3W.00
O^ AMIGA 500 o AMIGA 600
NEW
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Built-in TV Modulator - Kichstart 2 • i Mb
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mMm mmfmjk umm gume Tim
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MIDI
Have a break,
have a
More
sequencing
help as Paul
Overaa looks at
some current
offerings from
Gaiits Music
Last month I talked about
how SuporJAM can simplify
the creation of song
arrang«nents. I thought
this month that 1 would continue
with this theme and look at another
approach which simplifies the
construction of a song, namely the
use of pi«-wrltten blocks of music.
Gqllts Music Software's Hit Hit
offering Is based on this method and
since it Is aimed at Sequencer One
and Sequencer One Plus users I
thought that It would be useful to
start with some details of the
sequencers themselves...
Gajit's MIDI sequencer,
Sequencer One, has established a
large user base which includes not
just Amiga but a great many Atari ST
users (in itself no mean achievement
when you consider the scale of the
ST music software competition).
Why has Sequencer One done so
wel!? It's because Gajits, instead of
trying to offer an all-singing all-
dancing package, set out to produce
a sequencer which offered the user
just the basic facilities needed by a
musician.
What Gajits left behind of course
was the complex, and often rarely
used, things which intimidate many
users (and the 400 page
manuals that take forever
and a day to understand).
In short Gajits produced a
sequencer which was ideal for
beginners and ideal for any
applications where the
sophistication of the heavyweight
sequencers was not needed. It also
left behind the heavyweight prices
and in fact last year an Amiga Fbmiaf
coverdisk offer placed Sequencer
One in the hands of almost anyone
who wanted it. Since this time
Sequencer One has of course moved
on and an upgraded version,
Sequencer One Plus, has been
introduced.
SEQUENCER ONE
AN OVERVIEW
Sequencer One provides the usual
types of loop mode recording,
overdub and block transfer
operations.
All the normal fornis of sequence
editing facilities are provided but as
well as the common or garden
quantization and transposition type
options there are seme additional
goodies thrown in, including
controller re-mapping and range
controlled MIDI event stripping and
thinning functions.
The program works with both
MIDI gear and internal sound
samples and as the sequencer loads
the user gets the chance to assign
memory usage. If, for example, it
was known that 120K of chip
memory would be needed for holding
sound samples then you'd need to
ensure that Sequencer One left a
sufficient amount of chip memory
freel
SCREEN DISPLAYS
Three main screen displays are
available with the original program -
the track screen, the step editor
screen and the bar editor screen.
Like most sequencers, the main
controls are based on a set of
record, play, fast forward, rewind,
stop type tape-deck gadgets. These,
together with the usual array of
position counters, channel activity
indicators and so forth are present
on all three of the Sequencer One
program screens.
The track screen consists of two
scrollable list areas: on the left there
is a display containing information
about the sequencer's 32 tracks and
these hold track number, track
name, mute on/off status, and
channel info.
On the right is a list of
user definable 'song positions'.
The user can set these to any
position in the song and assign a
name to that position. Recording
and re-channelling output (to either
MIDI or the internal sound chips)
quite simply could not have been
made any easier.
The step editor provides a piano
Note: M W, 63 StJi>t: 8828:83.888 Len: 8881,896
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Re-Size
Copy
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Juke Box fBGllltles - anoth«r pli» for th« new releasel
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AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUI 16 • AUGUST 1 992
MIDI
roll type display of a track, showing
which notes are played and where
they start and end. This editor is
used for editing (and deleting)
individual notes or entering music in
step time.
Three modes are associated with
the step editor - delete mode, info
mode and a step entry mode. In
delete mode, notes disappear as you
touch them, in info mode you can
view and edit events, and in step
entry mode you can enter notes
manually in step time.
Event editing {providing of course
you know what the various MlDi
event values mean) is reasonably
straightforward... click on the event
and then when the information panel
appears type in whatever new values
are required.
The bar editor shows the
arrangement of the song graphically.
indicating for each track, which bars
contain data. It's mainly used for
viewing and creating arrangements
and it is well suited for carrying out
block operations.
The file menu lets you load/save
files in both Sequencer One format
and Standard MlDi File formats
and 1 which are the most commonly
used MIDI file arrangements.
Format incidentally is a single
stream arrangement which is
probably the most portable of all
MIDI f les types, format 1 Is a
multiple track storage scheme. One
useful facility is that when SeQuencer
One loads a type MIDI file it splits
the file data up so that the data from
each MIDI channel ends up in a
separate track. Even when you are
not porting your compositions to or
from other sequencers this split
effect allows the MIDI save/load
operations to be used for separating
multi-channel track data.
There's also a block menu which
provides cut/copy/paste/delete type
functions, and a track menu which Is
concemed with global operations
carried out on a single track. It's
from this latter menu that quantizing.
Secaiencer One
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Tempo mamHng comes to the new Sequencer One Plus
stripping, thinning and
note/timing/controller alteration Is
carried out. There's also a rather
sneaky track info facility which, in
addition to giving you some basic
track statistics, lets you attach
volume, patch {program change) and
pan information to a track.
On the MIDI menu side the
options of Sequencer One are.
''The Juke Box
screen allows
albums fo be
created or played.
H
relative to many other sequencers,
fairly basic. There is the nowadays
indispensable Soft Thru option
available plus internal/external clock
choice and SSP (song position
pointer) support.
A number of data filters are also
provided so that note on/off,
JARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
MIDI - Musical Instmnnent Digital Interface; the universal standard by
which digital instalments such as synths and computers can
communicate.
Loop - The section of sound that is designed to repeat as a key is held
down - usually to create the illusion of a continuous sound.
Quantisation - In sampling this is the method of smoothing the overali
level of sound as it progresses from one sound slice to the next.
Seqiiencer - A piece of software on a computer (or sometimes built on to a
keyboard) which stores musical scores and transmtts this infonnation
in real time via MIDI to synthesisers which will then play it.
Me^onome - Timed electronic pulse,
underground.
or a dwarf on ^e Parisian
polyphonic and channel aftertouch,
program change, pitchbend and
controller information can be
selectively passed or filtered,
in addition Sequencer One offers
audible or user selectable MID!-
note/MIDI-channel metronome
control, mouse click tempo setting,
song notes (ie text notes to be
associated with the song) and things
like keyboard help. The big plus for
many users however was being able
to use the Amiga's internal sound
chips either as an alternative to MIDI
or in conjunction with it.
Using IFF sound samples and
MIDI output together is a piece of
cake and there are a lot of musicians
who find many uses for the
thousands of IFF sound samples
which are nowadays available.
Sequencer One then, clearly won
many friends in the 'ease of use'
department.
SB!:
^''"^'•''U^'l
^
This latest version of the software
called Sequencer One Plus, adds a
number of facilities which are not to
be found in the original program. For
a start two new screens, namely a
Tempo Map screen and a Juke Box
screen, have been added.
Tempo maps are graphs of
tempo versus song position which
allow you to define either gradual or
sudden changes in the tempo
(speed) of a piece of music as it is
played.
The Juke Bex screen allows
'albums' (song sets of up to 32
songs) to be created and played. CD
style controls are provided and you
can skip back and forth between
songs, play in random order, pause,
mute selections etc. Vou can also
alter the delay between songs and,
given sufficient memory, have the
sequencer load the next song as the
current one is playing.
A new track 'solo' button has
been Included so that Individual
tracks can be heard in isolation and
'punch in' facilities have also been
added (this allows you to limit
recording to a specific area of the
sequence).
Many other operations including
the quantizing, metronome, and
event filtering options have been
enhanced and there is even a special
filter which solves the 'MIDI echo'
problem found on some Yamaha
synths. Changes to the Alter Notes
options make it possible to scale or
shift note lengths and to change all
occurrences of a particular note to
any other note (this now means that
drum note remapping becomes quite
easy). In addition to these Sysex
recording facilities, a count-in box,
and numerous other facilities have
been added.
By far the most interesting
changes however concern the Step
Editor screen tiecause here a new
'Diamond Drag' graphic editing
scheme has been introduced. This
offers a fast, audible, interactive
note placement and editing scheme
which allows you to listen to, add,
move, stretch, snap (push a note on
to the current step interval) or delete
notes very easily.
EASE OF USE
When you select a note for editing a
set of four 'drag diamonds' appear
around it with note value, velocity,
length and position data being
displayed at the top of the screen. If,
for example, you wish to move the
note you just select the top diamond
and then use the mouse to drag the
note to where you want it! The Drag
Diamond system works in
conjunction with a mini-menu that
drops down beneath the note to
provide other facilities (including the
conversion of notes to MIDI
controller data) and the net result is
an editing system that is both simple
to use and effective.
cofltinued overlMf
ooooooooo"
SHOPPING LIST
Sequence One £1 9.95
[Latest ve5ion with new User Guide)
Sequencer One Plus „,. £49.95
{ovallalile for a limited time ns an
upgrade to registered Sequencer One
owners for £39.95)
Available from:
Gafrtj Music SoHwore
l-Mex House
40 Princes Street
Manchester Ml 6DE
» 061-236-2515
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1 992
MIDI
l(i« Hit Kit is Gajet's musfc
Icomtiosltlon system that I
I mentioned earlier, it can
h#tp to create professional sounding
drum traclw, Imss lines, arpeggio
patterns, and even complete pieces
of music and the good news is that,
since this Is all achieved from within
the environment of Sequencer One
or Sequencer One Plus, there is no
nesd to leant how to use another
prcH^aml I'll be showing you how
you can used the Htt Kit to its iwst
potential to show you how to
achieve some great musical effects.
How does it work? Very simply,
the Hit Kit consists of a disk which
provides a large selection of 'musical
building blocks' which can form the
basis of a piece of music. All you
have to do, is choose the blocks you
want, and arrange them as required
using the sequencers block
'There are seven
style directories
confaining ba/fact
blues, discOf house,
krfin and others,,*"
movement facii [ties.
As far as the Hit Kit is concerned
each block has two characteristics
associated with it: a 'style', and a
'type'. The style is just the style of
music for which the block was written
(eg disco). The type, is the
suggested use of the block (eg a
bass line pattern). These categories
are intended to help you cheese
blocks for a particular situation but
they're not rigid, so you are always
free to experiment!
ON THE BEAT
The Drum Bank blocks contain drum
patterns configured for a particular
instrument. Each dmm pattern is one
bar in length and you will find three
different Drum Bank directories on
the Hit Kit disk.
Separate Roland and Yamaha
format drum patterns are provided
but if you are using a drum machine
Use the Hit Kit to compose anything ftom isolated sounds to complete pieces
of music, all from within Sequencer One or Sequencer One Plus
Sequencer One PLUS
SQijits 1S92
"EST
Se quencer One
Song Nane: ilNIITLED.FLS
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Eii9iit£ Fpes; 842S96
Loading bloclu of data from the Hit Kit via Sequencer One
which uses some other druovnote
<-> voice convention you can do one
of two things: reconfigure the drum
machine itself to match either the
Roland or the Yamaha drum kit or, if
you have Sequencer One Plus, remap
the drum parts.
Drum parts are also provided in a
more specialised multi-track form
needed for some applications,
including internal sound based drum
parts. When you load these blocks.
you will find tinat each drum sound is
located on a separate track of the
sequencer. This means that you can
easily set up the channel and patch
number for the track to trigger the
appropriate sound.
The multi-track format may also
be useful if you have a MIDI
instrument which does not have a
separate drum channel or if ycu want
to play around with the relative
positions of certain drum parts (for
Create pro
sounding
compositions
wffh the Hit Kit -
Paul Overaa
sho^^s you flow
instance, slightly shifting the snare
drum part will alter the 'feel' of many
drum patterns).
Most of the patterns are in four-
four time (except for JAZWALTZ.BLK,
which is in three-four time) and a
fairly wide range of styles are
available.
Despite the fact that there are a
lot of files on the Hit Kit disk a block
naming convention has been
adopted which makes it quite easy to
pick out the right types of patterns;
for each style, the blocks are
numbered from 1 upwards (eg
JAZZl.BLK, JAZZ2.BLK, and so on,
for jazz style) and in general the
pattern becomes more complicated
as the number increases.
For a particular block number,
there may even be several
associated variations available - for
example: the blocks JAZZ4A.BLK to
JAZZ4F.BLK indicate a set of similar
patterns, designed to be used
together in the sequence in which
they are lettered {that is: one bar of
JAZZ4A.BLK, then one bar of
JAZZ4B.BLK, and so on). This is only
a su^ested order and you may, of
course, use them in a completely
different order, just use one of the
blocks repeatedly, or even mix them
with the other stales!
FILL THE RHYTHM
Some of the patterns have 'fill in'
blocks which they can be used in
conjunction with. These can be
inserted at suitable points In the
rhythm, perhaps to separate a verse
from a chorus, or simply to 'lift' the
rhythm. Again a useful name
convention helps to make things
easier for the user- fill In blocks are
suffixed with the letter "F" and so
BALLAD2F.BLK, for example, is
designed to be used as a fill in with
BALLAD2.BLK.
PHRASE FINDER AND
STYLE LOOPS
Phrase Rnder blocks cover bass and
drum parts, chords, arpeggios etc.,
and with the exception of the drum
patterns all are eight bars in
duration.
The phrases are contained In
seven style directories covering
ballad, blues, disco, house, latin
(samba, bossa nova and so on).
I tkM AMIGA SHOPKR • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1 992
MIDI
JARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
Arpeg^o ~ A chord made up of notes which are played in a rapid and
normaiiy upward succession.
CKord ~ Severai notes played at once, usuaiiy to create a harmonically
pleasing combination.
Bar - A unit of musical time with a fixed numlser of beats.
E>ub - To add sound effects or music.
Sequencer - Software which stores musical scores and transmits this
infonnation in real time via MIDI to synthesisers which will then play it.
reggae and techno styles. Within
each of these style directories, is a
set of type directories, one for each
type of block. Hence you can 'home
in' on a particular block simply by
using your sequencer's file selector
box to step through the directories.
The blocks provided in the drum type
sub-directories, incidentally, have
just been duplicated from the main
'Ihe m Kit gives
you instant library
data, saving you
Hme and hassle,"
drum bank data. These contain a
selection of drum blocks which are
suggested for use with that particular
style although it is of course just as
easy to pick your own from the main
drum banks.
The Style Loops are a set of
looping Sequencer One songs made
up of ail the phrase blocks (except
the drums) for a particular style. They
are not intended to be complete
pieces of music and are there simply
as a means of listening to the
blocks which are available without
having to load and play each in
turn.
BLOCK OPERATIONS
To load a Hit Kit block into
Sequencer One or Sequencer One
Plus, you select the Load Block
option from the Block menu bar
heading and then use the file
selector box to choose the block to
load. The block will then be loaded
into the clipboard. To check this, you
can use the Block Info facility (again,
this is under the Block menu
heading). The Block Info box shows
the number of events contained in
the block just loaded, and also the
track and position from which it was
originally taken.
To use the block in the clipboard,
you will need to Paste it into your
music. For single-track blocks (all Hit
Kit blocks except multWrack drum
patterns). Paste will write the
clipboard contents at the current
song position on the current track.
The current track and song position
should therefore be set before using
Paste. A multi-track block will be
pasted at the current song position
on all tracks (even though the block
may not actually use ail tracks). If,
incidentally, the sequencer's overdub
mode is on the clipboard It is merged
with the existing data rather than
replacing jt. Since you can choose
the number of repetitions for a Paste
operation it's often possible, if you
are taking the easy way out and just
using a basic pattern, to paste in
complete song sections with one
paste operation.
AN EXAMPLE
The following example illustrates just
how simple it is to create a rhythm
track for an instrument
using Sequencer One or Sequencer
One Plus in conjunction with the Hit
m...
Rrstly, we'd choose a track to be
the daim track, say track 1, and set
it to the current record track (setting
the MIDI channel as appropriate for
the instrument). Then, with the Hit.
Kit disk in s drive, we would select
the appropriate drum bank directory
using the file selector box, identify a
suitable drum pattern and click on
OK - this will copy that block to the
clipboard.
Having ensured that the song
position is at 1:01, we select Paste
from the Block menu, set the number
of copies to say 4, and click on OK.
Four copies of the block will be
pasted onto track 1 at the start of
the song (if in doubt you can always
check this using the step editor
screen which, in the case of the
example, should then show a 4 bar
pattern).
After a paste, the song position
advances automatically to the end of
the blocks, ready to paste again so
after the above steps it would be
reading 5:01.
We might then decide to load a
variation of the first block and repeat
the steps described above - if four
bar pastes had been used in each
case an eight bar rhythm pattern
would have been created. This could
then be copied and repeated as
many times as required using the
normal sequencer block copy
operations.
Since you can do these types of
operations with the
drum parts, bass lines, chord
progressions and other
accompaniments, this building block
approach makes life substantially
easier for both the musician and the
would-be musician. Don't forget also
that once the blocks have been
loaded into the sequencer there is
nothing to stop you modi'^ing the
blocks in any way you that choose.
THE BOnOM LINE
To be fair it would be perfectly
possible to create your own libraries
of sequence fragments for general
use and, in the early days that is
exactly what an awful lot of MIDI
users, including myself, did. The
disadvantage of the 'self made'
approach, even if you have the
musical expertise. Is that it takes a
lot of time to create such libranes.
The Hit Kit gives you that library data
instantaneously so it saves you both
time and hassle! CS
ooooooooo
SHOPPING LIST
TbeHitiat
The Sample Series
Per vdirnie
For the S vohinie set .
By:
Gafrts Music Software
l-Mex House
40 Princes Street
ManchBster Ml 6I)E
n 061236 2515
E24.9S
THE SAMPLE SERIES
Stnce Sequencer One, Sequencer One Plus, and tite
Hit Kit all provide sampled sounds support, we
ou0tt In passing also to mention GaJH'a Sample Series
disks.
These are a collection of IFF format digital sound
samples which have been created from professional
quality sources and they therefore sound an awful lot
better than anything you could create yourself. Rve
volumes are available covering Percussion & Effects,
Guitars & Strings, Brass & Woodwind, Synth and Vocals
and Piano & keyboards and each disk does incidentally
include its own demo tune.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1 9« 141
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Ihii is Hie very lolBst 24.bir
Profsssioral Video Adoptor. Il
features 16.7rniflion colours on
screen at once, buift-in genlock,
flicker fixer, frame buffer, fiaine
grobber, ond digital keyer. It
comes witfi Coligori IV2J 3D,
Scolo IV24 plus Macro Paint.
Al 500/2000 requires additional
odoplo<eE49,9S
i:>ily£1695
COMPONENT SHOP
HAKODIIKS IDE SCSI
S2Mb E169.9S £179.9S
\05fJti EU9.95 279.95
2 y«ar warranty
SVOUEIT
t^mcn.«abia canridg* drrv«
d4Mb 2Smi £399.«{l
CONTROUER (m above add £A9.9S
ROM Switcher Now Available
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CONCitlON WITH IMS RAM. hjJXiui^fl Of
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CAPTAIN'S CHIP SHOP
412 56K OiMMS
ForAJWStK J^99
IXIMB l»AM5 Fw 81^/Supro (tc je3.99
li<9MbSlMMS
Far NEXUS/GVP/Roehaid »tc X34,99
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PROGRESSIVE PERIPHERALS
25MHi Motojoia 68O40. ByiiMn Molhs cc-
pro;*u«r. 5oftwaf« compatiblg ^rii 6SQ0Q cliip).
Expcndobi* 10 32Mb RAM. Avalhbie Willi 0Mb,
4Mb, aMb, 1 6Mb and 32Mb l!AM. Wc arc r,rt
oilowsd fo pr.nl OUF pricBS off we'll g«l iued, fof
fWiculoutly low priCBi conlocl your iocoi jhc^.
AVIDEO 24
24'bir sraphlct fw iha A500. 76Bx5BQ q^Miltly
rojoluNsn. 1 6J(nillior> colour frams buffer. Small
eoiy to fii qircuif board- Fwl^ guilockoblt. Runi on
sJQndard A500 (1 ^ c^ip RAM], Comei wllfl 24-
bi^ paln^ packagefTV Pairvl). Altowj picture in
picture £i99
REMBItANDT
24.bitcaiovr. 164Tii[i[QncoiourB- Pitt bolh
AISOO/2000 £1*90
DISK DRIViS
AMKSAInteaiai £39.95
Siinnirns £49.91
Ultra jllm £M.95
CDIVdriw £«4.9S
A500 ACCESSORIES
ROCHARD 40Mb £299.00
GVP SERIES 2 HARD DISKS
52Mb ONLY £345.00
105Mb ONLY £449.00
Perfectly tnatched in colour + style to the AMIGA
500p. 1 1 ms access drive, 1 " high drive by Quantum
Room for up to 8Mb of RAM expaniior. Cut Off
switch fiar games Exsponsion 'Mini Slot'. Externol SCSI
port Dedicoted PSU and fan. 2 years free warranty.
Add £65.00 per extrea 2Mb RAM
ROCHARD DRIVES ALWAYS IN STOCK 52Mb
105Mb
Ok £369.00 Ok £529.00
2Mb £434.00 2Mb £594.00
4Mb £499.00 4Mb £659,00
6Mb £564.00 6Mb £724.00
BMb £629.00 SMb £789.00
286 Emulator .
120Mb £495
.£245
240Mb £795
A530 Accelerator
/ 40MHz 68030EC processor
/ Hi-ipeed SCSI interface with 52, i 20 or 240Mb ...
hard drive
• I Mb populated Accomodotes up to maximum SMb
of 32-bit wide RAM
/ Optional 68882 Maths co-processor
/ Opd'o/idf PC-Aremu/oWor
ACCELHATOIt + HD + RAM Uporade
Plugging a GVP A530 Accelerator onto your A500 or
A500 Plus will boost its speed from 7. 1 4MHz to o
blistering dOMHz. The A530 will be available wilh
either 52, 1 20 or 240Mb hard drive ond can be
upgraded to include an odditionol mathe co-
processor, SMb of 32-blt wide FAST RAM and much
more through GVP's unique "mini-slot".
40MHz 1Mb RAM/52Mb HD £749
40MHz 1Mb RAM/120Mb HD £899
40MH2 1Mb RAM/240Mb HD £1099
Monitors & TVs
ee33Mkll +F19 promotion £189.95
Panasonic 1381 multisync £275
Philips TV/Monitor £249
Philips 3350 51" remote control .£349.99
Philips 86cm malchline
1 OOHz widescteen £2499.99
New Philips Designer cube TV/Monitor.. £279
Goldstor TV/Monitor £159
Philips 14''SVGA monitor^ suitoble for use with
A3000or 15O0 with flicker fixer £229.95
Plwisa odd £9.95 for csnnecting lead
AWD •ft THPt tie*C POC THE LtWE, tT^
Twe tsoo •rtJD 3000- 1 ottjjjr ^ueue "rtie
Unfortunately due to its provocative nature we were not ailowed by Future
Publishing to print the names of our competitors. However can you work out who
they are? If you can there's a FREE dislt drive to the first ten correct answers.
YOU CAN'T BUY CHEAPER THAN DIAMOND
Diarrwnd
UK 8633
Monitor
£229.99
£229.95
£234.99
£219
£209.99
£199
£199,95
£219
£249.95
£240
£189.95
HP Deskjet
Colour
£575.00
N/A
£599.99
£539
N/A
£559
N/A
£559
N/A
£699
£491.15
Star LC200
Colour
N/A
£209.95
£199.99
£189
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£169.95
£199.99
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Roc lite Drive
External
£54.95
N/A
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10 Blonk Disks
N/A
£9.99
£4.99
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£3.50
Amiga 600
N/A
£399.99
£359,99
N/A
£379.99
£369
£364.95
£349.99
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£345
Citizen 224
Colour
£240
N/A
£244.99
£239
£224.99
S239
£244.90
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£254.95
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Pen Pal
Word Pro
N/A
£79.99
£53.99
£53
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£39.95
SVP Series II
52Mb H/D
N/A
£379.95
£354.99
£349
£349,99
£359
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£379
£345
Progressive
Petipherd
68M0 Accetetator
cord for A500
Captain Diamond scoured the pages of every magazine he could lay his hands on and
unfortunately he could not find any other supplier who felt technically competent enough to
retail the amazing 68040 product, so if you want to speak to the experts speak to Diamond the
largest Amiga dealer In Northern Europe.
£725
If YPU bpMght QDTV qnd qr^ now living to regret it read on
"..Commodore mode multimedia available to the
masses witli the Dynamic Total Vision (CDTV), but it
iooks set for dinosaur status in the light of Phiiips'
impressive Compact Disc-interactive (CD-i). Chris
Cain's (Senior Staff Writer PCW) comparison of the
two systems gave him the best hardv^are experi-
ence he's had for five years..,."
Personal Computer Worid July 1992
Did you bet on black and it came up red?
Did you buy Betamax when everybody bouglit VHS?
Hove you booked your summer lioliday in Yugoslavia?
I bet you've got CDTV.
Well don't worry we won't take the micky anymore because your not the only
person who fell for oil the hype, but don't panick, Captain Diamond as always is
here to save the day. You can bring your old CDTV into any branch of Diamond
until the end of August and we will give you a brand new all singing all dancing
CD-I system for only £449
P/X Your old 500
for a ne^ Amiga 1 500
for ONLY £399.95
WITH WORKBENCH 2.04
PEN PAL £39.95
PART EXCHANGE EX DEMO
AMIGA 500 +3 MONTH'S
WARRANTY ONLY £199.95
EX DEMO A590'S FROM £199.95
WITH 2Mb RAM £249.95
CAPTAIN DIAMOND'S PERIPHERALS PAGE
ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
£27,49
Graphki & General
DislanI Suns 4.0
Advantage
£64.99
fun School Series
£IS 99
Anim Font lor 2 or 5
£19,59
French Mistress
£15.49
An DepI
£52.29
GB Route Plus
£54,99
£22.99
£16.99
Art DepI. Pro 2
Big Allernotiva Scroller
£139.99
£34.99
Movis Beacon Typing,
Micro Series
Broodcost Tiller 2
£1 S4.99
Colourbursl
£449.99
DTP K Wordprocauing
Deluxe Paiil IV
£54.99
Excellence 2
£59 99
DigiviBw Medio Station
£109.00
Gold Disk Video
£3O.S0
£29.99
Disney AnimaKon S(ud
£64,99
Kindwords
ImoginB 2
£194.99
Pogesetter 2
£39.99
Mediaslotion
£119,95
Fogeslreom 2.2
£139.99
Personol Finance Mgr
CI 9.99
Pen Pol
£39.95
£T9.99
Personal Font Maker
£34.99
Personal Write
Pixel 3D
£64.95
Pro Page 3.0
£149.00
Presentohon Moster
£149.99
Quickwrita
£29.99
Prodraw 2
£89.99
Scribble
£34.95
Professiopiol Cole
£129.99
Tronswrite
£29.99
Pro Video Post
£117.60
Woidswonh 1 . 1
£79.99
Real 3D Beginners
£99.99
Works Piotinum
£49.99
Scenery An i motion
£49.99
Speclro Colour
£39.99
Oevelopment & Ulilrti*>
TV Text
£34.»
AMOS or Eosy AMOS
£29.99
Video Director
£99,99
AMOS 3D
£22.99
Vidi Amigo
£S4,99
AMOS Compiler
£19.99
Vidi Colour Solution
£139,99
Bliti Basic
£69.99
VishQ Pro
£49.99
Con Do VI .6
£64.99
Cross Dos
£22.99
Muik & Sound
Dev Pac 3.0
£49.99
AMAS2
e6».9S
DiractB7 Opus
£25.99
Audio Engineer +2
£149.99
£32.99
Audiomoster A
£44.38
Hi Speed Poscol
£64.99
Audition 4
£34.99
Home Accounts 2
£36.99
Bons & Pipes pro
£156.89
Hyperboolt
£43.99
Deluxe Music const Set
£49.99
Lattice CVS. 1 dev sys
£171. J9
Dr T Copiest Apprenlice
£$8.S5
Quarterback
£39,99
Df T KC5 Level II V3
£147.09
Quorterbock Tools
£44,99
Jam
£69.99
SASC
£1 S9.99
Music X 1.1
£49.95
Superbaek
£35.99
Perfect Sound
£39.95
Superbose Pro 4
£399.00
Stereo Mo star
£29.99
Superbase Pers 2
£76.49
Sound Moster
£84.99
XCopy
£30.39
Techno Sound Turbo
£29.99
Club Membirs Prices Only
EdlKdttonal
(THtSf PRICIS Au AlBEAOT DiscoUNtio)
Answer Backjir
Answer Bock Snr
£15.25
£15.25
Application Star Buys
Ant wier Batk Data Diitu
Arilhrr^efic £7.69
Pen Pal
£39.95
Wordsworth 1.1
.£79.95
spelling
World Geogrophy
£7.69
E7.69
£7.69
Works - tntegraled
spreadsheet, word processor
General Science
E7.69
£36.99
and database
£69.95
Compedium 6
DOT MATRIX PRINTERS
r
STARLC20 £116.32 NEW PANASONIC
CITIZEN 124/D £179.77 2180 COLOUR PRINTER £199.95
STAR LC 24/10 £158.62 SEIKOSHA SP1900+ £111.62
STAR LC 200 £1 68.95 PANASONIC KXP 1 1 23 £1 53.93
STAR LC 24/200 COL £233.82 OKI 380 £198.58
SWIFT 9 COLOUR £179.77 SWIFT 9X £259.95
SWIFT 9 £169.20 SWIFT 24X £354.85
NEW SWIFT 24E COL £267.90 NEW SWIFT 224 £206.80
XB 24 200 COL £348.97 NEW SWIFT 224 COL £219.95
XB 24 250 COL £417.12 NEW SEIKOSHA 24 PIN £245.57
INK JET PRINTERS
HP PAINTJET £632.15 CANON BJIOEX £217.37
HPDESCgET £326.65 CANON BJ 300 £339,57
HP DESKJET COL £491.15 CANON BJ3 20 £327.82
STARSJ48 £209.15
LASER PRINTERS
Oki400 £551.07
HP i P £807.22
OKI lASER 800 0,5Mb £999.92
OKI [ASER 800 Dual bin 0,5Mb £1 199.67
OKI LASER 830 Postscript 2Mb £1099.80
OKI LASER 840 Postscript 2Mb £1399,42
STAR BUY
OKI 400
1.5MB RAM
£699.95
TOP 30 GAMES SOFTWARE
Monkey Island II .£22.79 Cartoon Collection £13.74
John Madden Football £} 5.59 jimmy White's SnookerEl 7.99
Epic £17.99 Bitmap Bros Vol 1 .£15.59
eyeaBelidd6r2 lMb...£21.59 Monkey Island 1Mb ....£15.59
The Manager £18.59 Parasol Stars £15.59 PERSONAL
Pinboll Dreams £14.29 WWF Wrestlemania £15.59 CALLERS
Project X £14.29 Lineker Colladion £11.99 ONLY FOR
Jaguar XJ220 £14.29 Pocificlslands £17.99 GAMES
John Barnes £15.59 Black Crypt £15.59 SOFTWARE
Grand Prix £20.99 Harleouin £15.59 „,..,
Dizzy Excellent Adv ....£13.74 PGA Golf & Courses ...£17.99 .^,.,, . -, _
Space Crusade £15.59 Might S. Magic 3 £21.59 ***'^BLe
Megabnania First SAM .£18.59 Special Forces £20.99 ON MAIL
SIM ANT £20.99 ORDER
A320 Airbus £19.79 CLUB MEMBER PRICE ONLY
Covert Action £20.99 PLEASE BRING THIS
VROOM £15.59 ADVERT WHH YOU
LET CAPTAIN DIAMOND PUT YOU IN THE CLUB FOR ONLY £10
DIAMOND SHOPS AROUND THE U.K.
DIAMOND COMPUTERS
144 FERRY ROAD
EDINBURGH
TEL: 031 554 3557
FAX: 031 554 2115
DIAMOND COMPUTERS
1022 STOCKPORT ROAD
/MANCHESTER
TEL: 061 257 3999
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FAX: 071 560 4399
DIAMOND COMPLTTERS
406 ASHLEY ROAD
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TEL: 0202 716226
FAX: 0202 716160
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443 GLOUCESTER ROAD
BRISTOL
TEL: 0272 322044
FAX: 0272 52 1 738
DIAMOND COMPUTERS
(HEAD OFFICE}
84 LODGE ROAD
SOUTHAMPTON
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CORPOiiATE SALES
TEL 0/03 333184
FAX 0703 232679
COt^TACTS:
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EDUCATlON/GOVERtMMENI
ORDERS ACCEPTED
U DAYS ADD 2%
30 DAYS ADD 5%
HOW TO ORDER
Siffiply telephone ttirough your order, giving your Access or Viio card number, or send
a cheque or postof order to your Locol Deoler. MAIL ORDER No. 071 580 4355
Prices include VAT unless olherwise slated. Minimum Courier Service £1 0.00
Allow 10 vroriiing days (or cheque clearonce. Bonkers drofe cleor on Ihe some day.
All prices ore correct ot time of going to press but moy chonge without nolice.
POSTAL SERVICE FROM OUR TOWeNHAM COURT ROAD BRANCH ONLY
^ THE „
DIAMOND
PRICE PLEDGE
// wRUst Buying goods from us, ypu con show m a Better price for the smm
goods in stoc&Jrom one of out 'H.'K, eompetitorf then we vMmatch that price
'Even ifourprii^ have increased tiie ^(honour the price in this advertismcnt
on items in stoc^as kmg as you Bring it with you
IHis 'Bkdge applies onty to customers relying on this advertisment Before the end
of the tnontk of -puiGcation. It does mrt apply to competitors prices offered in
closing doom, or stoc^ckarance sales.
HELPS YOU WORK,
REST AND PLAY «.,
Public Domain is the magazine
that's 100% dedicated to
covering oil aspects of PD and
shareware. Our in-depth
reviews cover: ^
Programming and Utilities - all
! ^« the useful
tools and
I tricks that k
you get the <
1 best out of
!__ your system
Gomes - the best entertainment
I I that freely
^ distributable
*^^ software has
bj.t© offer. Just
hing for a
ttle light reli
^ISaoffmiwnim-^^
ONLY
AMIGA • PC • ST
ISSUES* El -95
JULY 1992
«*ai«o
PD DlSKt
coiu™
find out hw. the twj'ight
lows oHe»t you ...f^
^MllBl
ged applications
programs that
^ could normally
cost hundreds
I .; but can be
'Ours for just a
ew pounds
Home ond Education - all those g
tbscure little
i
^ Busmess
1
m
ftmigwMl'l— SMPi7)K« JfcJ
ort. IHllljH
■MIH
■^■■■^W
Ir... '
™ '*"f' Nl
■li^^^i
■1
^
PROGRAMMIHGIH
PUBLIC DOMAItl
progmms with
PD Innguoges
MftKlHG WOlg^^^
,t«,„ be done! «««!*«■«
momputo'w"
mode eosy
~-^*^^^^^H
*| anywhere el'
and rated here
arS^'g-^^^
Demos - the section that shows off the software that
mtuu utbKuHiir. Miiiw MMHi •■"'pushes your machine to its
^1;^::" 3 lajgjr [limits. You'll find amazing ^
music, astounding animation
OS well as the ground-breaking
techniques that defy your j
computer's specifications "
SSUE ON SALE
ONT MISS I
Vet another superb magazine
from Future Publishing, the
company that brings you
U I U 1^^^ Amiga Format, ST Format,
y^ ' ^^ ■ ^^ Amigo Power, Amiga Shopper,
PUBLISHING K rtus, K Fofmot, PC Answers..
BUSINESS
When Gold Disk flist
Introduced Michael
Todorovlc't, The
Advantage K was
hailed as the best spreadsheet for
the Amiga ever devised. In many
respects, there were better
offerings: MMS's Analyse II had
more powerful graphing facilities;
Kuma's HSpmad 4 had more
functions. Nevertheless, Advantage
Is fast, superbly easy to use and
generally quite reliable. Time has
marched relentlessly on (as It has a
habit of doing) and the Amiga has a
new Workbench with a more
professional look. To mark this
occasion, Mike put his programming
hat on again, Improved the
Advantage Interface still further,
added loads more features and the
result Is Pfofes^onal Calc.
Dedicated Advantage users will
be Immediately at home with the
new system; the enhanced features
and 140<idd functions will soon
become second-nature. However,
Professional Calc Is so much
better than its predecessor that we
felt it necessary to devote a full
review to it.
The program Is supplied on three
disks with a friendly and well written,
if limited user manual. Just like its
predecessor, It requires at least 1Mb
RAM and a second drive is highly
recommended.
Installation to hard disk Is
painless and can be driven directly
from the Workbench. Unlike some
installs, this one doesn't copy
everything carte bianche, but gives
you some control over what happens.
Customisation options are not
set during installation, but can be
altered through the Icon information
later on. Support has been provided
for all the main screens under 1.3
Kickstart in 4, 8 or 16 colours; plus
the SuperiHlRes, Productivity and
A2024 modes added to Kickstart 2
and the ECS.
FUNCTION FACEUFT
in perfect tune with the new
Workbench design. Professional Calc
features a drab grey, 3D bas-reilef
screen. Even the row and column
headings are displayed as miniature
buttons. The overall effect is very
business-like and easy on the eye;
better still It's easier for neophyte
users to pick out clickable areas.
However, perhaps the best new
addition, at least as far as instant
functionality goes, is the toolbox.
This runs along the top of each sheet
and provides instant point-ancklick
access to functions such as: cut,
copy, paste, style tags, colours and
the ARexx Interface. Beginners and
the terminally lazy will find this
feature a real boon. Even so, in the
best traditions of well-written
software, the toolbox can be
switched off to reclaim a little extra
real-estate on the sheet.
STYU TAGS
One failure of The Advantage was the
range of text options. Text within the
sheet could be set in the normal
console styles of bold, italic and the
various colours. But each operation
was separate, and although a style
could be applied to a block of cells,
getting the desired affect could
take some time. Lack of proper
macros (except ARexx) effectively
meant most sheets ended up
Lightning
. g I ilMwinttgt/fiH'rrliiirtrtplHii
flenbership titi Rae Bangg
ism
^:^^car Sports dd %eprt Chart i
' J 1 1 i i \ £ i F I
18-24
In Group
Pepc»nti9» ~ 5k
MfHbership by Profess ian
25-M
25-34'
PraftssloDdl
Sml-pre
ISkUlcd
Seni-skillBd
18
2
13
12
2a
1£K
Ftnalti
12
1
7
7
Dgc
35-44
35-44
32
tBK
45-54 55 or over
5i 4S
43-54 55 or oirer
32n 1£x
Rsct
In Group Percintigt
31 2R«
3 2)(
25 14X
29 IZk
Professional Calc comes with a professional looking user Interface. One of the
best additions Is the tool box which gives easy access to the functions
Something else I took exception
to was the similarity to the Mac
interface. There's nothing wrong with
lacking that certain pazazz.
With Professional Calc this cavil
has been completely eliminated and
enhanced by the use of style tags.
Basically, you can apply a set of
parameters to a cell and give that
"style" a name. Once defined the
style can be applied to any cell or
block of cells. One fault with this
process is that it's not possible to
apply "no style" to a cell. This is, I
suspect, a bug and something which
may be corrected in a later release.
that (Apple would argue otherwise
I'm sure) but it only goes half way.
For instance, clicking the Style
selector on the toolbox brings up a
requester; clicking the fonts button
pulls up another. This means you
have to move the mouse somewhere
else. A roll-down selection below the
>I3J
iARGON BUSTING • JARGON BUSTING
ARexx -The Amiga's version of the scripting language from IBM
mainframes, Rexx. ARexx was written by William Hawes and has become
so standard it replaces Amiga BASIC in Workbench 2.
CSV - Comma Separated Values. An Import/export protocol used to transfer
data between spreadsheets and databases (usually). Every value Is
delimited by a comma - it's that simplel
EPSF - Encapsulated Postscript File. A postscript program which may be
read by other software.
Macro - A set of common operations recorded by the application. Macros
can be played back at will to perform a series of commonly used
functions automatically and thus allow for faster operation.
Poftttcrlpt - A page description (printer) language devised by Adobe and
used by many high-end laser and LED page printers.
Tag - Text Attribute Grouping, A short form for Styie Tag. Style tags are used
to attach a common name to a set of text attributes: font and size,
italics, colour, and so on. Tags can be viewed as named mescros which
apply a specific style to a cell or group of cells. In DTP systems, tags are
also known as paraigraph styles.
Mark Smiddy
casts a critical
eye over
Professional
Calc, Gold Disk's
Mloy^-up to the
acclaimed
Advantage
spreadsheet
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
131
[7i^:^i-si'i
IF YOU'VE GOT
■■ ■ ^^^ w^ ^^^^^m ON SALE THURSDAY
A BRAIN, YOU JUNE 25
MUST HAVE A PC °"""""'
So get the next issue of PC FORMAT, the
ultimate guide to the PC leisure world.
Next month's issue comes with two
packed coverdisks: one features
WdlfensfeJn 3D, a stunning World War
11 graphical adventure. As if that's not
i-i»i»"'
cSB^wif
ni«M«»»
,.„o»id»'-'^
^rt«»-i trf-"
enough, the other comes with two
playable game previews - UBISoft's
Perfecf General and Empire's Ceef Cro€
Twins - and morel
Inside the issue we've got:
• Soundcards Discover how you can make your
PC produce unbelievably real-
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BUSINESS
Graphics are one of the selling points of Professlonai Calc ~ theie te a
len^hy list of chart options ran^ng from Pie to Scatter charts
(Ofillrwed fruii i
!l31
selection point (like a menu) would
be much easier - and faster - to
use. Also, the style tags have to be
defined using a menu function -
surely the names could be entered
directly into a toolbox gadget? Oddly
enough, tags are not supported by
the graptiics functions -which
seems a little odd.
Standard Amiga bitmap
typefaces are fuliy supported - with
sizes in excess of 120 points would
you believe? (I would hawe preferred
a fonts requester that could retrieve
typestyles from other drawers and
devices - but that's a little picky).
Postscript support is complemented
by several specially built screen
fonts - and there is nothing to say
these couldn't be used on a dot-
matrix printer.
CURIOUS OUTUNES
One particularly Interesting new
feature is the use of multipte views.
This sort of thing is common in other
systems but seems rare on tiie
Amiga. The idea is to open several
"child" windows based on the current
spreadsheet.
Each view shows a separate part
of the sheet and can be used
independently (ranges can be copied
and charted) of the main sheet. Any
changes made In any view are, of
course, reflected in the main display.
When a view is being used the menu
bar changes colour to indicate this -
nice touch that.
A curious addition Is outline
support. Outlines are difficult to
describe, but the idea is to gather a
group of common data under a
heading and collapse the display
under that heading. Groups of
headings can themselves be
compressed down and so on. This
feature may be useful to hide ranges
of rows and columns and just show
results - but its inclusion in a
spreadsheet seems a little eccentrJc.
More time could have been spent in
other areas.
Other new functions Include a
proper (if limited) Fill Range and
macro features - in Advantage these
were implemented in ARexx - and
that made them tediously slow.
GRAPHICS GALORE
Graphics have always been one of
the strongest selling points in
Advantage. Not just because it offers
a wide range of options, but mainly
because they are so accessible.
Professional Calc makes things even
simpler. Clicking an Icon on the
toolbox pulls up the chart requester -
where each chart is represented by a
picture depicting what it will looks
like. This Is much more beginner
(and expert) friendly than fishing
through the menus for that elusive
"SD/split/proportional/pie chart" or
some such thing.
Basically, Professional Gate
offers the classic charts; pie, line,
scatter, bar, hl-lo etc, plus 3D lines,
3D area and dual pie. But why, oh
why isn't it possible to overlay two
different charts on the same display?
This was a major flaw with Advantage
and one which I would have expected
to see corrected.
Admittedly, one of the pre-define
charts comprises a pie chart
alongside a vertically stacked bar
chart - but this is hardly sufficient. I
want the ability to chart two different
ranges on the same display with
different Y axes if necessary. Also,
the ability to chart some row data
along with an independent piece of
column data elsewhere on the sheet
would be handy too.
WISHFUL THINKING
On the subject of extra features, a
facility to calculate linear regression
on a scatter chart and the area under
a line would be nice. Just to be really
pernickety, the ability to define the
viewing angle and perspective of a
3D chart would be nice.
This considerations rnight seem
a little "OTT" to the casual user, but
it should be considered essential for
those presenting reports or making
presentations. In this respect, an
overall impression of professionalism
; Bdtf ant agg/SupflPh as^gr^phits
Iftedcap Sports Club
\l\^^liAiMM
Ijedcar Sprt s Cjuh
ttenbershifi bif Bg^ Range
18-24
18-24
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Percentage 5»
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Ha les
PrDpessional
Sen i -pro
Skilled
Sent-skilled
Hanagenent
Multiple views are one handy feature of Professional Calc, several windows
to one spreadsheet can be viewed at once
BEGINNERS
Whatlsa
spreadsheet?
At its simplest
level, a spi«adsheet is a tool for
processing lots of numbers In
rows and columns; matrices if you
like. (That said, pure
mathematical matrices are a
different thing altt^ether and aie
not supported by Professhiat
Calc). Today's spieadsheets are
used for a variety of different
tilings but most And a home in the
business environment where they
are used for complex costing and
cashflow analysis. Many even
liave simple database-like and
word processing functions too.
What Is a celt?
Every spreadsheet Is constructed
from a ^d of mmiy columns and
rows^ the intersections of which
are called cells. Rows are mari<ed
with numbers, the columns letters
- so every cell has a unique
address (cell reference) ma<fe up
of a letter and a numlier. Cells
can contain fomiulas, numbers
and text; they may even be
empty. At the simplest level, you
can get the sheet to add up an
entire row or column with one
simple command. In this r^pect,
spreadsheets can be viewed as
exbemely powerful calculators.
How are calculations carried out?
The biggest pntbi^n wWi a
spreadsheet Is it's an open
application: a blank piece of
|K9er; like the first screen on a
word processor or an empty
database. The application Is
defined by tiie user and that
means you have to enter all the
fonnuiss youiseif. Sfmfrie
arithmetic such as 24-2 or 5*4
csn be contained itf a single eel),
but more
comptex
pmbiems may
Involve the use of many hundreds
of cells vrith forward or even
circular references.
Wfat are forward and circular
references?
In simpler systems these are
errors, the simplest of which Is a
forward reference. To explain how
this comes about require a
knowlet^e of how spreadsheets
calculate results. As has already
been expjalned, the spreadsheet
Is constrocted tmm a large grid of
cells: row-by-row, column-by-
column. When you ask the sheet
to recalculate (work out the
results of any changes you liave
made) it works through the entire
sheet In a specific order.
For cdumnar recalculation: It
will move down each column (a
row at a time) until It gets to the
bottom, tlwn move to the rtext
column until It reaches tiie end of
the sheet. For row-wise recaic, It
goes the opposite way, traverslr^
the ciriumns (left to riglit) and
moving down one, when each row
Is completed.
Forward references occur
when a fonnuia requires a value
from a celt which is ahead of the
current recaic position. In other
words, the cell Is always one
calculation out of step. CIroular
references are more or less the
same, ttut In this case, the two or
more cells may reference each
other. These features may be
required for some applications
and the correct answer Is
determined by the number of
iterations - the numtier of times
a spreadsheet Is recalculated.
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
BUSINESS
Q J ; fldv ant a 9^/Su^flrteaseBraph I c s
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Ji
Preferences Requester
55 or over
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Sen i -pro
Skilled
Sen I -sic I Lied
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Training
Unskilled
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Ret Ired
Ifnenp joyed
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4S-S4 53 or aver
i
Mac like requesters are part and parcel of the Professional Calc program;
guaranteed to give your mouse a workout!
is often as important as the
information presented. This is not
what power users demand; it is what
they expect.
In spite of my cavils, there are a
lot of chart options - far too many to
even list, let alone describe here.
However, a great deal of thought has
such as Stipettase and graphics can
tie saved as IFF (of course) CAD and
Pro Draw.
The printer options are more
interesting because someone at
Gold Disl< has realised that
Postscript exists outside the realms
of Professional Page. Postscript,
ol ;ndiFanttse/SgperbaseGt>aphic5 IBSKi
HJ2;D4T i'5S or oyer
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Professional ;:;;■ ;";;;";;;;3.;;;';; ;.;■■.;■.■;;■ ; . "i ■ ,, . , 15
Seni-pro 8 2
Skilled 1: : 4-' ■. . :*: ; ^t
Seni-skilled'" ■:■ 7 i- , ■„ '., ; i 12
Manasenent 8: ; J. ...5
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llnskitled ' ' ■- I: 5
Self-enployed 8 8
Retired 8 2 21
Unerployed 3 S 2 8
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Areas of Professional Calc can be selected easily with a drag of the mouse.
Her«, an area covering the cells A32:D47 is shown
been put into how the various
requesters appear. Essentially, you
are never struck by a barrage of
questions - unless you want to add
fancy bits such as: headers, footers,
weird grids - you name it.
Professional Calc even has a
dithering feature allowing access to
136 screen colours - so they claim.
FILE AND PRINTER
SUPPORT
Professional Calc will import files
from: Advantage 1.1; Office Cala
(aka ^cA'anfage 1.0); Maxipian and
Lotus 1-2-3. Gold Disk admits the
Lotos support is not perfect, but it
should be quite adequate for most
Amiga users. (If you really must use
Lotus, get a KCS Power PC Board or
something similar and run it on that).
For Lotus export. Professional Calc
provides the option of not writing the
extraneous file header. This startup
default is accessed through the icon
info and will not usually be altered
anyway. CSV export Is provided for
compatibility with database systems
Adobe's page description language is
as good at printing graphics as It Is
at printing text. With the price of
high-quality Postscript laser printers
dropping all the time, support in
Professional Calc Is a bonus.
Version 1.04 reviewed here Is
capable of printing even on the larger
A3 machines - which has to be good
news for all concerned. Notably, even
if you don't own a Postscript printer,
the program will write a Postscript
program to disk for despatch to a
specialist. If your work includes DTP,
Professional Calc will save an EPSF
for Inclusion in pages prepared on
the Amiga, PC or Macintosh.
DOT ON THE LANDSCAPE
If the high-flying world of laser
printers isn't your thing, the
traditional impact dot-matrix
machines have not been Ignored.
The program will even print
sideways (landscape) on most
graphic pnnters - that is, not daisy
wheels. Taking that Into account, I
think the HP Laserjet/ Deskjet 500
printers should have been catered
for. Although they should pnnt using
the Preferences driver, It is doubtful
the effect would be as good as a
customised support for these
popular machines.
CONCLUSIONS
There is little doubt that Amiga-based
spreadsheets have a very limited
appeal - since the machine is not
generally viewed as a business
micro.
A lot of snobbery still surrounds
the PC simply, 'because IBM makes
them". The Amiga, on the other hand
has (or rather had) two major
problems. Rrst, thanks to a thriving
games market it was viewed as a
games machine. This has been
eased by the proliferation of console
systems and explosion of PC games.
Second: the user interface. Intuition
was looked at as a bit of a joke.
Given that the Amiga was the first
affordable micro to offer reliable
multi-tasking, the GUI was a bit of a
let-down, Kickstart 2 has changed
that and with rumours of new, faster
machines coming, the Amiga might
finally become the machine others
can only promise.
However, this can only be the
case if the software can match the
hardware; and all things considered.
t^
in: :Bdv3nt38e/SiipertiaseSraphi[5
jMa
>| Hone I iljli E| Pj AJ ^MM
B i I i J_
ij.
J ^ ml Tj Fof Ml llSd
1 E 1 F I
J.
Big Text!
standard Amiga bitmap typefaces are supported by Professional Calc. It's
even possible to view text which is even bigger than 120 point in size
the massive range of clever software
Is why the PC still sun/lves. Even 486
systems can be likened to little more
than a leather trimmed Mini with a
Ford-Cosworth engine. The machine
might be fast, but the chassis
technology Is outdated.
POWER SPREADSHEET
Professional Calc Is an early example
of a new breed of software which has
the potential to propel the Amiga Into
the world's offices. Michael
Todorovlc has put a lot of effort into
making this powerful application so
far in front of the competition it Is
unlikely they will ever catch up.
However, It must not stop there.
Being best on one system does not
mean you're best all round.
It Is comparatively weak when
compared to, say: Informix's Wingz
or Microsoft's Excel- and it Is those
systems by which It will and must be
judged. I hope Gold Disk will listen to
the criticism waged here and
encourage Mike to improve the
product until it reaches beyond all
the competition and can truly be
called the professional's choice. As
far as the Amiga is concerned
though, if you need an all-singing, all-
dancing sheet this one is definitely
worth closer examination. 8't-l
ooooooooo
SHOPPING LIST
Professional Cak.
Supptied by:
HB Marketing Ltd
UnilS.PoyieM
Newlands Drive
ColnbrDok
Slough SL30DX
w 0753686000
,£159.9S
CHECKOUT
Professional Calc
Speed • • • • •
still probably tbe fastest Amiga 'sheet
around.
Ease of Use • • • • •
Supreme - if only everything on tfie Amiga
were this simple.
Functions • • • • C
Sufficient for a vast range of applications.
Documentation • • • • O
Beautifully laid out, but a little too sparse
for beginners.
Graphics • • • O O
Easy to access, but limited for a power
spreadsheet.
Value • • • • O
High price, but high performance too.
Overall rating • • • • o
A worthy successor to TVie Advantage.
134
AJMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
9^^l
No^A^^s your chance
to take advantage
of all the bargains
we've lined up for
you at special
prices, a chance you
can^t afford to miss
mil^ MIHITHML iTMi
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k I ntM kmt b>l ill xUw ua^iU dH a HHialir nlM ni n r
•li 1 iIhIi iU ■<>. IWi laU ki urrtnWlH mm tt Mm wtn, K. FUl
Hit vUh em nnLt ii ^ hh5 itikj
DIGITAWORDWORTH
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£89.95
HOMfyiccoi/ivrs
Dlgita's acclaimed (Von/tfort/) word
processing package was first reviewed in
Issue 4, when Jeff walker said: "Heavervs,
there's so much to tKe package." Since
then it has been further improved. It comes
with a spell checker, a thesaurus, an on-line
help facility, and one of the best manuals
we've ever seen. It also has a whoie ioad of attractive fonts and, of
course, exceiient facilities for incorporating graphics into documents.
DESCRIPTION PRICE ORDER
GASTEINER OPTICAL MOUSE
SAVE £6
This mouse soives ati
of those sticking
trackball problems - It
doesn't have one.
instead it uses solid
state technology for
trouble-free operation.
DKCRIPTION PRICE ORDER
Digifa Wordworth £89.95
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SHWORD
Order using
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page 138 or
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0458 74011
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Gasteiner
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DESCRIPTION
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MOUSE
ORDER
Connections Interdial
M5024 modem
This handy little modem will get
you into the world of comms
with a whizz. With IVINP4 error
corrections and MNP5 data
compression, it will provide data
transfer speeds of up to 4,800 bits
per second.
£299.95 CONHINT
WTS RAM Upgrade £24.99 SHRAM
SAVE £6
This excellent
expansion for the
A500 will take your
computer up to
1Mb. It has a
battery backed-up
clock and follows Commodore's guidelines,
RAM UPGRADE WITH CLOCK
HYUNDAI MODEM
The Hyundai modem Is an
excellent item for the beginner In
comms. It has data transfer rates
of up to 2,400 bits per second
and supports the V21, V22 and
V22bis protocols. You'll also need serial cable
and comms software to get started.
HOME ACCOUNTS 2
SAVE £10
Keep complete track of your
accounts with your Amiga
and Home Accounts 2. With
Dlgita's unique Human
Interface Protocol, finance
control couldn't be easier.
DESCRIPTION
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Digita Home Accounts £44.99 SHACCOU
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INTERDIAL M5024 MODEM
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Hyundai HMD240I
modem
ORDER
£99.95 HYUNDAI
Technosound Turbo £29.95 SHTECH
SAVE £10
Yo - sample the action!
Technosound Turbo provides
everything you need to sample
the delights of Amiga audio.
Plug it into your pnnter port,
grab sounds, edit them and
add amazing effects.
TECHNOSOUND TURBO
w
Turn your Amiga
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Miocsoft-MS-DOS.
Users Gukte siid
Ijsers Reference
MfcitsoftMSOOSShdl
Why stick wriYfi an Amiga ^^hen
you can have a PC as well?
Emulafionis the name of the
game v^ith the KCS Powder PC
Board. Run high-
povsrered PC
softv/are on
your Amiga
The emulator runs Microsoft MS-
DOS. It will also support expanded
memory and run Windows
The KCS Power PC Board will
display 16 colour EGA and VGA
graphics
THE KCS POWERBOARD PC EMULATOR
YOURS FOR ONLY £169.95
ORDER BY CREOn CARO - RING 04SS 740 1 1
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m HIDDIN
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KCS POWERBOARD PC £1 69.95 EXCLUDING DOS KCS
£189.95 INCLUDING DOS
411 PRICES imm m, postage m packing
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into a PC!
WITH THE KCS POWERBOARD
MONTH
This is your chance fo
fake advantage of the
wealth of business
software available for
the PC, without
changing your
computer! The KCS
Power PC Board plugs
into the Amiga to
provide almost 100%
nf %tT J- J. , . m ■- ■! * Jt- SIShA "^^^^ *"^^ emulator Is available as a trapdoor expansion for the ASOO and A500 Plus, or as a
■^* ^ ' COmpanOlllTy plug-ln card for the A1500/A2000/A300 series. It comes with 1Mb of extra memory, too
METAMORPHOSE YOUR MACHINE
The KCS Power PC Board was the
first of the PC emulators available for
the Amiga 500. More recently a
version has been released on a plug-
in card for use with the A1500 and
upwards range of Amigas.
The board uses an NEC V30
processor, equivalent to an Intel
8088 as used in the IBM XT and its
clones. The board comes with 1Mb of
RAM. Of this, 0.5Mb is given over to a
private PC RAM disk, while the other
0.5Mb can be accessed by either the
Amiga or PC. In PC mode on a base
Amiga, there is 704K of free memory
with a further 192 K configured as
extended memory (EMS).
Installing the Powerboard in an
A500 is a snap. Just unplug your
machine, remove the trapdoor
expansion cover, plug the card in and
you're ready to go. Preferences can
be set up with the supplied
installation software.
The board will emulate several PC
screen modes: MDA, CGA, Tandy,
Hercules, and 16 colour EGA and VGA
at a resolution of up to 640x480
pixels.
Most popular Amiga hard disks are
supported by the board, including
Commodore's A590, the GVP Impact
and the Supra. 3.5" 720K and 5.25"
360K floppies are also supported.
Serial mouse emulation is
supplied via the Amiga's standard
mouse. The Amiga's senal port can
be accessed by DOS for use by
modems and so forth.
The system is ideai for users who
need to run PC applications and who
don't want to go to the expense of
buying a PC. UK-based Bitcon's
technical support line makes the
Power PC Board an even more
attractive proposition. And, because it
is a complete PC in its own right, ail
upgrades are software-based.
DESCRIPTION
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AMOS
£35.95 SHAMOS
£21.95 SHAMCOM
Ttst Indent Blocks XfnuSFmA Hmi
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RESULT; -lEASISOFM
End If
End ProctffiSlllI]
Procetos BESIKOVECIURNl
Shared BOAMI>,XBESI,mn,Eia>IY
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Edit: ;eliisti3ns>;o,in
AMOS COMPILER
AMOS
AMOS is one of the
best Implementations
of Basic avallabie for
tlie Amiga. With it,
users can quickly
create stunning graphical
and audio effects. It's no
slouch when it comes to writing
serious programs, either.
AMOS COIVIPILER
AMOS programs are pretty test, but
if you feei tlie ne«d for even more
speed, tlieti tlie AMOS Compiler is
for you. Your programs will become
stand-alone applications, independent
of the AMOS interpreter.
OEVPAC 3
HiSoft's Devpae 3 Is
probably the most
advanced assembly
language
programming
system you can buy j
for your Amiga. Mot
only does it come
with a fully-
featured
assembler with
macro support,
but it also
Includes HiSoft's
editor and debugging
program MonAm. Commodore's
header files are supplied, so you can
create Amiga applications immediately.
AMOS COMPILER
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
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DEVPAC3
£65.95 DEVPAC3
S BOOKS...
DESCRIPnOK
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INTUITION: A PRAGICAL AMIGA PROGRAMMERS GUIDE £14.95
INTUIT
PROGRAM DESIGN TECHNIQUES FOR THE AMIGA
£14.95
DESIGN
MARK SMIDDY'S UHLE BLUE WORKBENCH 2.0 BOOK
£12.95
LIHLE
ORDER FORM
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Address
Post code
Telephone No
SEND THIS FORM TO:
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INTUITION: A PRACTICAL AIVIIGA PROGRAMMER'S GUIDE
BY MIKE NELSW - KUMA PUBLICATIONS
Use of Intuition, the Amiga's graphical interface, is
essential for 0vlng your programs that professional look
and maintaining compatibility across different versions of
tlie operating system. This book shows you how, with
sections on screens and windows, communications, menus,
gadgets and requesters.
PROGRAM DESIGN TECHNIQUES FOR THE AMIGA BY PAUL
OVERAA - KUMA PUBLICATIONS
if you've ever written reams of code only to find that It
doesn't work and you can't And th« bugs, then this l>ook Is
for you. It shows you how to design your programs before
typing them In, ensuring more reliable and efficient code.
MARK SMIDDY'S LITTLE BLUE WORKBENCH 2.0 BOOK -
KUMA PUBUCATIONS
Mark Smiddy, probably one of the most knowtedgeable
Workbench gurus, brings you this guide to the Amiga's
operating system. Handy tips include how to maKe a iaoot
disk, how to set up a printer with the right driver, and how to
customise your startuphsequence, with extensive examples.
HISOR PASCAL
At last there's a version of this
popular programming language
for the Amigal Pascal is
popular throughout the
academic worid for its clarity
and precision, so much so
that it has been taken up by
large portions of the
commercial sector. Rnd
out why it has done so
well with HiSoft's
blihdingly fast version,
Highspeed Pascal. A
full set of files are included for
accessing the Amiga's operating system
as well as an integrated editor and a debugger,
DBCRIPIION PRICE
ORDER
HISOFT PASCAL
£89.95
HISOFT P
C PT V
Multimedia '92, held at
Wembley 2 in mid-
June was one of the
best exhibitions I've
ever visited and over the past five
years I must have been to them all.
I have to admit some of them have
Involved nothing more than grabbing
a quick train to London, snatching
every press release I could find and
reading them up on the way home
but this show had me gawking at
stuff for a good eight hours. Over 70
exhibitors were showing off their
wares and while most of these were
PC-based, there were a few Amiga
GDTV set-ups away from the main
Commodore stand.
Now multimedia, whatever you
might thinly of the term, is pretty
fascinating stuff, so much so that
most purveyors of its hardware seem
to spend most of their time figuring
how to get it to work faster rather
than concluding what they actually
want to use it for. Loads of
applications come tumbling out of
the ether of course - desktop TV,
video e-mait, interactive training,
point of sale, even virtual reality. And
there's loads of whizzo add-on cards,
touch screens, hi-res monitors, laser
disk systems and video cameras all
waiting to be hooked up together.
BE A DEVELOPER
But as I said, the applications arena
is wide open because the technology
is still in its infancy. It's almost as
though multimedia is at the same
stage as computers were, say, ten
years or so ago - before someone
had the bright idea that you could
actually use them to write a letter to
CDTV INTERPLAY
Leading CDTV systems engineers,
Optonrca has announced an August
launch for its interplay authoring
system. Billed as 'a multimedia
authoring environment for non-
technical producers... who require
the production of professional
The Amiga CDTV as an Enhanced
QWERTY keyboard, disk drive and
applications without the normal
excessive learning curve and
development costs', Interplay uses a
desktop publishing style front-end to
make it relatively easy for would-be
CDTV authors to build applications by
laying out multimedia productions as
series of pages containing media
clips. The system comes with a low
overhead runtime player and a
motion video playback simulator. It
Multimedia Computer with a
Inft'a-red mouse
STILL NO A570
Although there's still no sign of it, Commodore is confidently predicting sales
of 100,000 A570 CD-ROM drives before the end of the year. A £399 price
point now seems likely since the drive has been upgraded to include RAM:
expansion and built-in hard disk. But at least Commodore is keeping the ball
rolling. It's just announced a new bundle for GDTV - the Enhanced
Multimedia Computer, or as it's known in the trade - The Multimedia Pack.
This consists of a CDTV, keyboard, mouse and disk drive for £599. CDTV
product manager, Gary Lewis, claims the bundle sold 6-7000 units in its first
two months on sale in Germany. So CDTV has now come full circle - whereas
once it was pitched as a machine with no connection whatsoever with
computers, it then became the Amiga CDTV and now the EMC, A year sure is
a long time in Commodore computing.
someone. So the fact that there were
a number of off-the-shelf authoring
systems available for the Amiga
CDTV is not only encouraging but just
goes to show that if you want to
reach 1.2 million users in the UK,
many of whom will be buying a A570
CD-ROM drive when it arrives, you
could do worse than to buy such a
system now and do the business
with a market just dying for a new
product.
will handle sampled audio files, ANIM
animations, ILBM pictures in ail
modes, VideoStream motion clips,
SMUS music files and multi-font text
support. But no price is fixed as yet
though. More information from Lee
Gibson, Optonica, 0455 558282
SCALA MULTIMEDIA 2.00
What many consider to be the
premier multimedia presentation
package for the Amiga, Sca/a, has
now been upgraded with advanced
sound/graphics synchronization,
improved animation loading and
more than 25 new visual effects.
Commodore claims Scala is the top-
selling multimedia authoring package
on any platform in Europe and has
set the standards by which all others
follow. With Scala Multimedia 2.00
available for £395 ex VAT, sound,
music, video and graphics can now
be timed In seconds and frames
while animations can be loaded
directly from a disk as they are
played thus enabling a 16Mb
animation to play back on a 3Mb
machine with instant access.
Soundtracks can be added to
animations without any reduction in
the time of playback. Video
manipulation techniques have also
been enhanced with effects such as
flips, flows, rolls and stretches now
possible. Up to 112 slides can be
viewed simultaneously on-screen
using Scala's Shuffler with the user
able to edit and shuffle the sequence
of slides for presentation with the
click of a mouse. The package's
built-in infociiannel module allows
Sca/a-based presentations to be
distributed to an unlimited number of
remote sites via telephone or data
broadcast links.
VIDEOSTREAMING
A stereo audio sampler, real time
image digitlser and professional
video deck controller along with
production and editing software for
the Amiga and CDTV has also been
announced by Optonica. Although it's
WHIRL
Andy Storer visits
Multimedia '92
and comes ay^ay
yvith news of the
latest CDTV
authoring systems
a touch pricey at, ahem, £2500,
VideoStream is targeted at
multimedia title developers and
requires an Amiga 1500, 2000 or
3000 with 2Mb RAM, hard disk and
video deck. All video recorders
conforming to Sony's 9-pin serial
protocol - covering a range of high-
band U-Matic, Mil and S-VHS decks -
and offering perfect freeze frame and
frame advance are supported. With a
fully automated front-end, WYSIWYG
previewing, ARexx compatibility and
on-board runtime player,
VideoStream offers point and click
video and audio sampling. Used In
conjunction with Optonica' s
/rj(e/p/sy authoring system, motion
video files can be incorporated into
CDTV titles via a 'video from hard
disk' simulator. Video and audio
portions can be fine out via
VideoStreaWs built-in SMPTE
timecode generator, f^
THE TOP TEN
CD TITLES
ON THEIR WAY
PD SHAREWARE
HOME OFFICE
CINEMABILIA
DISTANT SUNS
NORTH POLAR EXPEDITION
NEW YORK CITY
MEDIALEXICON
PROWRITE/FLOW/DESiGN
WORKS
MUSICOLOR
FIDO FAX
...more Info next month
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
READER ADS
Shopper Reader Ads
•«• Or hoysf you can reach 50,000 fellow Amiga oy^ners for only £5
FANZINES
M> monthly. News, charts, re^news
and loads of free software, more than
Just a fanzine. 2 disks every month.
Try it! It's only £3; P.O. Box 1987,
London, Nl3 6PP,
] D|»k Issue 2. TwcKlish
magazine, packed with even more
reviews, news, games, cheats, music,
PO, programs and utilities, send
£2.50 to R Wild, 8 Cranleigh Place.
Whittey Bay. IME25 9UD.
personal
PERSONAL
EKchiii^ AmtCB 50O public domain.
Demos, music, etc; tor /our used
Mercury phonecards. Regular contacts
wanted, David Jamas, PO Sox 1154,
London W3SPZ.
QFA Basic; if you use GFA, why not
contact Ttie Fomm. Both beginners
and advanced users v^lcome. Also
advanced tutorial disk avalEabie. Ring
John any time on 0768 S91197,
FOR SALE
A500 Pliu>. 2 meg RAM, 52 meg
Quantum with rnonitor gnd printer .
Also selection of software £S50
OVNO. * 0606 594717.
Amiga AGOO, 4 Mb, A590 20Mb H/D,
twin floppy, modulator, mouse and
mat, cover, loads of disks, original
boxes, manuals etc, £500 or will
split. Call Ken after 6pm 0929
462634 (Dorset)
r version 2,0 only two
weeks old. Fully guarartteed, free
Mastersound included. Will deliver In
London area. £S5. Contact Bany 071
2673031.
Epson LQ 2500 Printer, manual and
spare ribbons included, £150 or best
offer may exchange for A590, * 051
428 5429 after 6pm.
Amiga 1500, i034S monitor, loads
cf software, kernel plus abacus
manuals, magazines. Excellent
condition. Cost over £1300 new, sell
for £660 ono. Contact Richaiil Vina,
Tadpole Cottage, Eardisland,
Herefordshire, HR6 9AR,
A3(KK), lOQMb, em RAM. 1950
Monitor, 25 mhz, speakers inci 8
months oJd, plus software. Quick
sale. £2300 ono. Ask for Pam. « 081
886 8666 evenings.
AmlEa A500 plus (Apni '92), GVP
S2Mb hard drive inci, 4Mb RAM
(bought with above). Cortex 4Mb
eirtemai RAM expansion (upgradeable
to 8Mb) for A500/A500+/ AlOOO
witti own PSU (Brand new), Philips
CM8832II colour monitor. Star 9 pin
colour printer and ribbons, Cumana
second drive, GFA Basic 3,5, Amos
1.3, Amos compiler, Amos 3I>, Protexl
5, SAS *c' compiler 5.1, Deluxe Paint,
Pboton Paint 2, over 11 games
(unused). Worth over £2000, Will
split. Ring for more details. Sensible
offers, 11 081 427 6511 evenings.
> studio: Imagine,
Deluxe video III, Video Titter 3D,
Videoscape 3D, Di^Painit 3, Deluxe
Paint III, Fantavision, Photon Paint II,.
original disks, manuals. All boxed,
£135, •■'0298 22862,
A500 1Mb 1,3 Extra drive, hand
scanner ar>d software. DPaInt 4. Real
D>Engs, Safari Studio, 30 Anr^iga mags
and software. All manuals, joystick,
mouse, dust cover, PD software
various games £650. » 0359 40620
evenings.
Anttga SOO 1. 3, mouse, Joysticks,
expansion, modulator, external drive,
action replay, rombo colour digitizer,
Panasonic camera. Worth £650 sell
£400. GVP 52 Mb with 2Mb. 3300
KXP 1124 printer £130 - " 0752
670880,
A500 1.S Mb, UpgradeVortex 40Mb
hard drive Midi Interface Music-X, 10
games Sonlx-2.0 Xerox 4020 Ink-Jet
Printer (4024 colours), Panasonic KXP
, lOSQ Dot Matrix Printer. All manuals
included £800 ono, Chns 446521,
GVP S(^l controller for
A1500/A2000. V3,07 Autobooting
Fast roms. Manual and software
bargain at £115, Vidi Amiga, Vidi
Chrome, Vidi RGB, The Complete
video digitiser, bargain; £93. " 081
395 2S25.
CSAesoao Acceleratoi with MMU,
68882, 4 Mb Dram, 512K SRAM,
Software/ hardware suitable to
68000 mode. Fits A5000, A1500,
A2000, Boxed with manual. Absolute
bargain at £880. t 081 3952525,
avp SCSI controller for A1500/
A2000. V3.07 autobooting
Faastroms. Manual and software/
Bargain at £115 vidi amiga, vidi
chrome, vidi RGB, TTie 'Complete
video" digitiser, bargain: £95 ■» 081
395 2525,
1 SOO 1Mb chip, manuals
software extras original packaging.
Also 52Mb Quantum hard-drive with
SCSI, 8 meg unpopulated RAM-board
software installed. Both under year
old £7000,00 ono, will separate.
"0332 571177,
Amvtrad OMP 2160 Dot-matrix printer
£75 orto, TV modulator. New action
replay M,H, II £45 ono, WTS 512K
expansion £15, new cumana drive,
£45, All In full working or^er. Try
before you buy 0516 258994 4pm-f.
A590 hani drtve witti 2Mb disks and
manual £200. Dave 0252 519092
evenings,
Afniga aoftwsn Drakken £6, Silent
samice II £10 F19 £8 Devpac 3 £30,
F151I £10 Kings Quest 5+ Hint Book,
£15 Thundertiawk £6 Heropuest +
Data £11, " 0622 554102,
A590 hanI drive with two meg fitted
£250, Philips 8833 £180, Star LCIO
colour printer, £130 all ono,
Numerous mags plus disks offers,
■^ 0455 610879
Amiga AEOO A5go 20Mb Hard drive
with 1Mb RAM £200, 0483 772739
evenings and 0252 24461 ext 2851
daytime,
DeluxePaInt 2 (No Box) £5,
DeluxePaint 3 £10, both Include
It's only £5 to sell your used hardware and software in Amiga Shopper
Sell your excess hardware and software with Amiga Shopper Reader
Adverts, Just fill in the form and send it to us along w\Vr\ a cheque
(made payable to Future Publishing) or postal order for £5, But BE
WARNED. This magazine is not a forum for selling pirate software or
other illegal goods. Software must include all issue disks, manuals and
a signed statement that all other copies have been destroyed. Please
advise us if you are offered pirate or copied software by advertisers. All
ads are at;cepted in good faith. The editor reserves the right to refuse
or amend ads. We accept no responsibility for typographical errors or
tosses arising from the use of this service.
Trade ads will not be accepted, Including anyone advertising the sale of PD software.
Name.
Essu«16
Address (not for publication)
Postcode .
Date
Tel
Tick one box to
show requtred
section hesding
For sale Q
Wanted Q
Personal,... Ct
Fanzines,... Q
Use one space for each word. Only the words in this section wilt tie printed, I
Return with your
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Amiga Shopper,
30 Monmouth
Street,
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Avon BAl 2BW
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee insertion in a particular issue.
I have read and understood the conditions for the inclusion of my ad.
Signature .
manuals (no covers] all disks. ^ 0954
780856 after 7pm,
Amiga 500, Commodore model 1081
monitor, 1 meg, 20 games, joystick,
mouse, manuals all necessary leads
in mint condition cost £900 sell for
£450, " Elliot 0745 334035
weekdays after 6pm,
Amiga 2000 with XT tiridgeboard (IBM
compatible) 20Mb hard drive loads of
software £695 ono. Also patel Action
Replay £30, For more information
B 081 959 7002.
Amiga AaOOO Quantum 40Mb HD
2091 controller at BB 20Mh HO 2068
RAM Card 3Mb RAM 108450 Monitor
Mouse KYBRD various software
manuals £1700 ■» 0733 371304.
S8020 (SMIlI) + 66881 (20tvlhz) CSA
midget racer for A500, A1500,
A2000, Hts in CPU socket. £90 ono.
For mors infomiatlon « Richard 0206
854946 after 7pm,
ColOiJr bunt 24.bit grapfticsboxfor
all Amigas 16,8 million coioursi No
special monitor needed. Pure RGB
output Including CB Paint software
only £300! •» Tony 02264 350125,
Haidwan: Citizen KQP40 24.pin
printer. Audio engineer + (SOMhz
stereo + software) and Triiogic mono
ssampiens, sound-blaster. Software:
Pretext V 5,0, DPaint III, Sonix,
distant. Suns, Amos V1.3. Loads of
programming manuals, * Nick 0274-
621118,
GVP Quantum hard disk + RAiM card
52Mb ft A20O0. 25MhJ 68030
accelerator with 4 Mb Dram GVP
A3001 Kit, ysn Board 51/4 drive all
complete boxed £600, Many extras.
After 6pm, » 027664298.
Original Amiga software in great
condition Populous II £15, Jimmy
White's snooker £15, UTOPIA £14.
Allen breed £13. Wonderland 14.
Supenna^ £14. t» Steve on
Blimlngham 021 743 9468.
Stow uan TV for the Amiga for sale .
8 sees. Ml , etc £145. Also eolourpic
real time digitiser comp and S-
VHSinputs plus PSU. £275. v after
6pm. Frank 0279 420755.
Yamalia elettronlc keyboard PSR 38
61 keys Midi out/In 5050 voices,
split, auto chord and keyboard
percussion, 24 accompaniment styles
manual, power adaptor, music book,
£190 ono. " 081 8708084, 081
87033034 after 9pm.
Amiga SOO hard drive. XETEC 6SMb
fast SCSI drive with power supply.
SMb Fast RAM, SIMM expansion
board populated with 2Mb. Boxed with
all manuals £300. For this essential
equipment " Dave 0793 7832553.
Amiga 500 1Mb RAM 1,3 extra
floppy drive dust cover games, utilities
software every thing boxe<J as new
mirirt condition would sv^p fpr A1500
or £250 cash, •» 0246 417807,
HAM-E Hhre* 24 Bit graphics card.
Officially modified for use with
Genlock hardware. Cost £400 will sell
for £300 ono. n Robert on 0733
535888 ext 2251 off ce twurs only.
GVP Impact vision £1200.00 with TV
Paint Rendale 8802 fieniock £350
Rendale 8S02 Sen lock £300 Sculpt
4D £100 imagine £100. " Joe 0279
730020.
SDftwai«: Spectracolor, lights,
camera action, Animagic, video titler,
provideo companion, digiPaint 3,
Kindwor^s. Still boxed, £25 each. For
info 1 St Albans 0727 868415
10
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1992
Ian Wrlgley puts ffie neiv version
of SID under scrutiny^ discovers a
new^ collection of first-rate fonts
as v^e// as picking out the best of
the latest PD and sharev^are
don't tell
nrTFiTi
by Timm Martin
Thts month, I'm looking at
the new version of SID,
pluB (of GO jfse) the best of
the PD and shareware
avaliable at the moment. Strangely
enough, there seems to be a little
mora software out there - strangely,
because normally sumnter Is the
'dead' time. Pertiaps It's tiecause of
the interest generated by the new
A600 - or perhaps It's because
programmers are afraid of the suni
Anyway, eyes down for a full
house of serious PD software...
Well, it's finally arrived. After a
one-and-a-half year wait, Timm Martin
mm
KELP
aiilT
What [troif tn 4a y«u uh t« I ist tb* coitttnti «P
LHAfX srchlvfd fl(»?
CB« >ur« ta *ii ttit neCBHirv arfwianti to list
*n irchiwt, iHch » *c:llMrt t*.>
|c;lh«pc li
OK I NONE
SID 2.0'i QuIckPreft program configures the main program and copies flies
into the correct area of your system. Prompts suggest reasonable responses
to many of the questions
— puBqtJMymN
much RAM; Trial, which Is the one
you'll find distributed on bulletin
boards and from PD houses, and
which is fully featured except that it
doesn't save any user preferences;
and Professional, which Is the
version you'll get when you pay your
$25 shareware fee. It's registered in
your name, and allows you to save
preferences so that on launching it's
configured to your personal tastes.
SORTING OUT SID
To configure SID, you need to run a
program called QuickPrefs, which
asks a string of about 20 questions,
such as which text editor, graphics
viewer and so on you use. Then,
theoretically, all the correct files are
copied to the correct places on your
hard disk, so that the program will
launch automatically. Unfortunately,
the version I received {from the C IX
bulletin board) didn't seem to be too
interested in doing that, so I bed to
specify the paths for things like the
help files myself. And I couldn't get
the program to run from its icon -
which uses the IconX program to
launch StD proper - because it was
desperately looking for a utility called
'brun', which I don't appear to have
in my system.
Still, back to the Shell I went (a
little peeved now, but willing to be
impressed), and launched S(D from
has managed to solve a)! the
problems with SID 2.0, and has
released the trial version to an eager
Amiga world. For those of you who
haven't come across version 1.06 of
BEGINNERS
WhatisPD?
PDIsagenenri
tsnn which many peopie
incorrectiy use to refer to all
fre«ly-iHstr1biitalile software. In
tact, PD (which stands for Public
Domdn) software Is only one
brarwh of this af»a; the other
main one Is shareware.
Essentially, PD software may
be coptod and i»ed by anyone,
aKhot^ some authors place
restrtcthms such as not allowing
a PD library to charge more than
a cartahi amount (or the disk.
Sharew»e, on the ottwr hand,
ahoutd be treated more like
CMnmerdti software. Although
you are allowed to copy and pass
arotmd shareware pn^iams, If
you like one tiwn you should pay
the requested fee to the autiwr -
It's normally onty £15 or Ims, and
often entitles you to an upgraded
verskm or a printed manual.
Pa^ng your shareware fees
encourages software authors to
programs -and
If they don't, the
Amiga scene will be a poorer
place.
Can I paas othor peoplB cof^BS of
PD?
Yes - tiiat's the way that It gets
to a wide audience. Just make
sure that you have fcriknived the
author's tequlrements for
dtstrlbutfon - nonndKy that you
don't charge more than a certain
amount for the iHsk, or that you
make sure that all the
documentation is included on the
disk.
You can also pass on
shareware - but not aiv
registered copies of programs.
If, when you pay your
shareware fee, the author sends
yoti an Improved version of the
program, then be careful not to
^ve that out. Only pass on
unregtetered ^weware.
SISI
■^tWt ILlSTIffiC
BY HRtlEl MMRC
SID'S display Is... er... crowded, to say the least. And behind one set of
buttons, accessed by right cllckine, Is another set. All fully customlsable.
It's enough to scare the most tedila of users
the program (why not?l), SID is the
de facto standard Amiga utility for
getting around your hard bisk.
Although other programs have
appeared since SID first hit the
scene, many of which are superior in
one way or another, SID still has
thousands of devotees around the
world. Version 2.0 was written to
update the program and, according
to the author, to make it the ultimate
utility. So, the question is, does it
live up to that aim?
The program comes in three
different versions: Personal, a
compact version that contains the
basic features of the program but
that is designed for those with not
there. And then ran screaming from
the room. When you launch SID, you
realise just how many features have
been packed in. There are buttons
everywhere, and right-clicking on one
set of buttons reveals another set -
there apparently wasn't enough room
on a standard screen to fit them all
in.
Being one of those people who
don't read manuals unless
absolutely forced to do so, I
immediately launched in to the
program, clicking and seeing what
random commands from the menu
do. At least, I did for a few minutes,
nmlimwd n p«gt 143
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
PD
ONLY 99P
ONLY TEL; 0222 705044 (9am - 4pm) PER DISK[
— ^^gj^jygjg^^^r-^^jjgjj^jTs^^
D264 - Shark Animation (IMeg)
D278 - Madonna Hanky Panky (P)
D240 - At The Movies (2 Meg)
D279 - More Aerotoons (IMeg) (P)
D280 - Amy VS. Walker Anim
(1 Meg)
D294 - Life Of Brian (?) (2 disks)
D297 - Anti Lemtnin Demo ( 2 Meg)
(2 disks)
D298 - Robocop Animation (1 Meg)
(P)
D300 - Silents: Ice Demg
D254- Virtual World (IMeg)
D150 - Windsurfer Animation (P)
D315 - Mr Potato Head ( 1 Meg) (P)
D316 - Creature Comforts Demo
D318 - 3D PinbaJl Animation (1 Meg)
(P)
DOOl- Walker 1(1 Meg)
D002- Walker 2(1 Meg)
D003 - Walker 3 (1 Meg)
D004 - Cool Cougar (1 Meg)
D012 - Rebels Megademo
D014 - Space Ace Demo
D023 - Stealthy 2 Anim (1 Meg)
D028 - Budbrain Mega Demo
(2 disks)
D047 - RAF Megademo ( 2 disks)
D045 - Arse Wipe Advert
DOS 9 - Red Sector Megademo
(2 disks)
D062 - Red Sector Cebit 90
D077 - Good Morning Vietnam
D088 - Silents Megademo
D095 - Outsiders Acid Demo
Dl 15 - Vision Mega Demo 4
D127- Chubby Brown
D134- Garfield Demo
D147 - Neighbours Slideshow
D148-VizSlideshow
D151 - Robocop 2 Slideshow
D153 - Epic Game Demo (1 Meg)
D158- Operation Vark
D160 - Exodus Real 3D (1 Meg)
D163 - Probe Sequence
D164 - Slycath Amazing Demo Comp
D168 - Horizon Mega Demo
D169 - Budbrain Mega Demo 2
D176 - Jasper Carrot Demo
D184 - Dragons Lair 2 Demo
D185 Wrath Of The Demon Demo
Dl 87 - Batman The Movie Demo
D251 - Decaying Paradise (1 Meg)
D264 - Hardwired (1 Meg)
D225 - Phenomena Enigma
(1 Meg)
D231 - KGB Mega Demo (2 disks -
IMeg)
D237 - Silents - Global Trash
D240 - Vic Reeves Demo ( 2 disks)
D241 - Ray Of Hope ( 2 disks)
D247 - DMob It's A Lame Demo
D284 - Odyssey - Alcatraz (5 disks)
D312 - Anarchy - Seeing Is Believing
D325 - Hynautic Hammer
D327 - Greatest Demos Vol 1
D330 - Greatest Demos Vol 2
D333 - Greatest Demos Vol 3
D345 - It Came From The Desert
Demo
D346 - Harry Meets A ST Owner
D347 - Shuttle Cock Animation
D354 - NASA Slideshow
D357 - KGB Mega Demo 2
D359 - Kefrens GuEudian Dragon
D370 - Tenninator 2 Slide Show
D379 - Navy Seals SlideShow
D388 - Ttack Ro Vectra
MOOl - Seriously Good Music I
M002 - Seriously Good Music 2
M003 - Seriously Good Music 3
MO 11 -DMOB Music 2
M012 - DMOB Music 4 (2 disks)
M014 - Rebel Megablast
MO 16 - Micromix 2
M022 ■ Amiga Charts Mix 3
M029 - D-Mob Music 3
M023 - Titan Trax 1
M026 - Amiga Charts Mix 5
M029 - D-MOB Music 3
M034 - Arnie Swarzenaggar Total
Remix (2 disks)
M035 - Digital Concert 2
M036 - Digital Concert 3
M037 - Digital Concert 4
M038 - Digital Concert 5
M039 - Digital Concert 6
M040 - RAF Megamix 1
M042- Bat Dance Remix
M049 - Ben Elton (xxx)
M057 - DMOB Music 1
M081- Flash 2 (disks)
Ml 02 - Debbie Gibson's Electric
Youth (2 disks)
Ml 14 - Betty Boo - Doing The Do
M121- Band Aid 11 (2 disks)
M122- RAF Beat Thiz 1
M123-RAFBeatThiz2
M124-RAFBeatThiz3
M125 - RAF Megamix 2 (2 disks)
Ml 26 - Amiga Charts Mix 2
M 1 27 - Amiga Charts Mix 6
M134 - Miami Vice Theme (4 disks)
Ml 36 - Laurel And Hardy (2 disks)
M141 - JM Jarte - Definitive
M143 - CD Plaver Demo (1 Meg)
M144- Flash! Queen (2)
Ml 59 - Techotronic Remix
M161 - Crusaders Bacteria
Ml 83 - ScooPex Beast Sonix
Ml 57 - Digital Concert 5 (VI)
M151 - Crusaders; Genesis
Ml 32 - Depeche Mode Mix Disk
M156 - Seal Crazy Remix (1 Meg)
Ml 85 - 1 Think We're Alone
Ml 86 - Everybodv Dance Now
Ml 87 - Doing The Do (Remix)
Ml 89 - Amazing Tunes (1 Meg) (3 disks)
Ml 90 - Move Any Mountain
M192-Charly Remix
Ml 93 - What Can You Do For Me?
Ml 94 - Bruno Music Box (2 disks)
M195 - Manic Raves (2 disks)
M199 - Star Trek Theme
M201 - Journey Into Sound
M203 - Looney Tbnes
M205 - Vogue CD Player
M206 - Flashing Bytes
M208 - Remember The Itme (Remix)
M209 - Enjoy Live
M211 - Rave Around The Clock
M212- Raver's Dehght
M2 1 6 - Genesis
M217 - Dirty Digit Songs
M22S - Phil Collins
M226 - The WaU By Pink Floyd (6 disks)
M229 - Desire Lego Land '
M230 - Manic Raves Remix
M234 - 808 State Remix
M241 - The Equiliser
M246 - Music Dream 2
M247 - Four Seasons
M24a - Flash Team Music
M249 - Move Any Mountain
M251 - Roger Ramjet
M253 - Crazy Looney Hines
M260 - Old Soul Remix
M265 - Stand By Me
M269 - Mv Giri
M271 - Simply Red-Stars (2 disks)
- ]^» UTILITIES •J -
UOOl - Sound Ti'acker Collection
(3 disks)
U012 - Mega Utilities (175 utilities)
U024 - Sid Cli Utility
U039-AmibaseV3,76
U042 - Front Disk
U043 - Kim Database
U059 ~ Clip Art
U062 - Ultimate PD Copiers +
Virus Killers Disk
U069 - Demolisher Utilities
U071-D-Copy
U073 - Hard Disk Utilities
U074 - Easy Back Up And View 80
U075 - Pascal C Compiler
U078 - A500 + Utihties (For The
A500 +only)
U080 - Tlirbotitle
U081 -S-Movie
LI082 - Graphs
U083- Drawmap V3.1
U085 - RBase H V5
U086 - Text Engine V3
U025 - Sid VI 6
U091 - Opti Utilities 2
U093 - PCQ Pascal
U094-M.U.KV2.1
U095 - Zerovirtis + Bootx V4.30
U096 - ST Emulator
U098 - Amibase V3 6.7
U099- M-CAD
UlOl-C Manual V2.00
U103 - Iconmania
Ut04-Messvsid 11
U105- Insanity Tools
U106 -ImploderV4.0
U107.N-CommVl.921
U108- Amiga MCAD
U109 - D Paint Cartoon Brushes
Ul 1 1 - D Paint Font Disks (4 disks)
UH2 - Ham Radio UUlities (5 disks)
Un3 - Programming Disk (2 disks)
Ul 17 - Sound Applications (2 disks)
Uil9 - Video Applications (2 disks)
U128- The Comms Disk
U129 - D- Paint Clip Art ( 2 disks)
Li 130 - Video Graphics (4 disks)
U132- Genealogy (3 Meg)
U066-C-Light(TMeg)
U135. New Super Killers
UBS ■ Electrocad VI .4 Demo
U139- Spectra Paint V3.0
U140 - Language Tutor
U145 ■ Database Master 2.0
U146 - Dynamite Brush Fonts
U147 - Textplus Word Processor
U149-Med^V3.10
U151-DiceV2.06A
U152 - Pagesetter Clip Art ( 8 disks)
U154 ■ Night Flyers Utilities IV
U156 - Vector ball Editor (1 Meg)
U157- Antivirus V3. 14
U158 - Kids Paint
U159 - Text Engine
U160 - Windows Bench
U161 ■ PDS Utilities Nol Printing Udlities
U163-NCommeVl,921
U164 - Work Bench 2+ Work Station
UI65 - Video Screens
Ut67 - Cursor Basic Compiler
UI68 -JRCommV1.02
UI7I - Super C. Commands
U172-P.SuiteV1.4
UI73 - The Ripper Guide
U174 - Jam Ripper V1.7 Jam Cracker VI
U175 - Beatrix Potter Clip Art
U 1 77 - Thief Sound Ripper V3 .0
UI78 - Faulty Towers Samples
U179- News Flash 21
VIS3- Swag No 4: Fractals
U184-Littie Bench
U18S - PlotUng + Graphics: Plot-X-Y
U186- Draw Map V3.1
GOOl . Star Trek 3 (2 disks)
G006 - Breakout Construction Kit
G008 - Board Games (Monopoly etc)
G014 - Buck Rogers
G015 - Star Ti-ek ( 3 disks, 1 Meg)
G016- Tennis (1 Meg)
G020 - Itain Set
G024 - Pipeline
G026 - IVeasure Hunt
G031-Drip!
G033- Jeopard (IMeg)
G034 - Dragon Cave
G037 - Seven Tiles
G038 - Pom Pom Gunner
G043 - Mental Image Games Disk
G056 - Strategy Games
G057 - Simpsons Game
G059 - Bionix II (1 Meg)
G062-AticAtac(l Meg)
G065 - Battle Pong (1 Meg)
G066 - Frantic Freddie
G068 - Air Ace II
G069 - Down Hill Challenge
G070 - Llamatron
G071- Sky Flyer
G074 - Revenge Of Mutant Camels
G075 - Jet man
G077 - Asteroids
G078 - T^vinn-is
G079 - Card Games
G080 - Battle Cards
G081 -Mind Games 21
G083 - Sword Of The Warlock
G084 - Sohtaire
G086 - Scramble
G087 - Dungeon On Nadroj
G088 - Royal Boulder Dash
G090 - Sub Attack
G092 - Mega Ball
G093 - Air Warrior
G095 - Super Skoda Challenge
^ SPECIAL *
OFFERS
UNBRANDED
BLANK DISKS
38p EACH
DISK BOXES
3.5" Cap 10 99p
3.5" Cap 40 £4.00
3.5" Cap 80 £6.50
Mouse Mat £2.99
1000 Disk Labels. ..£9.99
5 I2K Memory Upgrades
With Clock £32.50
Without Clock £28.50
We also stock Fred
Fish disks 1-596 &
T-Bag 1-59
I^ease make cheques and postal orders payable to:
Ultimate PD.
The Ulthnate PD Mag - Catalogue disk is available
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t TI
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J?!!ySJJffl!!*™
Alt clicking on a button In SID brings up a Requester where you can
things like the colour, name and function that the button perfomis
edit
directory window. This is mentioned
in the on-line help, but since you're
unlikely to ever access help for the
Parent button - It's pretty self-
evident what it does - you may never
find the feature.
I have to admit that I was never a
great fan of the original SID; it
alv^ays seemed to me that ttiere
were far more features than I
needed, while the ones that I did
want weren't intuitive or easy to use.
Version 2.0 of the program
introduces even more features, and
even more customisability. If you
liked the original, you'll love it.
Personally, I'll stick to FileMinder
(revieviied last month). The 'Program
frompoH 141
until I realised that the only way to
have any chance of getting the most
out of the program was to sit down
and plough through the
documentation. Hmmm... what
documentation?
In terms of actual help files,
there doesn't seem to be much
documentation about. However, the
program has an excellent on-line help
facility which just about makes up for
this. Hitting the Help key provides
general help (as does selecting the
Help menu option), while holding
Control down while clicking on any
button brings up context-sensitive
help on what that button does.
BUTTON BANKS
All buttons are totally configurable:
just hold down the Alt key while
clicking and a requester appears,
asking you to specify just what the
button does. There are two 'banks',
each with fifty buttons, so even
power users shouldn't run out of
room.
Configuring is easy; for example,
if you don't have a hard drive named
dh3:, but you have a floppy df2:, Alt-
click on the DH3 button, select
'Dirioad' as the command to be
performed - explanatory text that
this means "load specified directory'
appears to help you - and select
directory df2:. Finally rename the
button and click OK. Simple, You
can even define keyboard shortcuts
for each of the buttons, If you're
happier with the keyboard than the
mouse.
The menus are frightening in
their complexity; seven of them, each
with a multitude of entries. However,
again, by holding down the Control
key as you select a menu item you
access the context-sensitive help
which describes exactly what the
consequences of making this choice
will be.
There's no denying that SID 2.0
is powerful. Unfortunately, it's also
very complex, and on-line help is no
substitute for a detailed
SID On-Ltne Mf
is fUi sptciftes whether you want to
verify tfie deletion of each selected
directory:
Ho Verify
(deletes selected directories without
verification.
Verify
I^tsptays a requester before deleting each
directory to verify that you uant to
delete that directory.
m
Holding down the Control key while you
Requester with details about what the
documentation fie. There are stacks
of hidden features in the program,
and If you don't know how to access
them, context-sensitive help isn't
much use. For instance, although
there is a 'Parent' button to take you
one step up in the directory tree, you
can perform the same action by
clicking just to the left of the
select a menu Item brings up a
menu Item actually does
rating' for this program reflects my
personal tastes, so you may well not
agree with my views. But StD 2,0 is
just too complex for someone who
only uses a file navigation program
as a means to an end, and not as an
end in itself. The lack of proper
documentation doesn't help, either.
Program ratlnfi 6/10
WHERE to GET IT
Thar« mn two main ways to get hold of Amiga PD and shar«wai«: from a
bulletin board or from a PD Itbrwy.
The advantage of using a bulletin board is that often the latest software
is uploaded as soon as it's available. On the down side, you need a modem
to connect, and you'll have to pay phone charges (and sometimes a
connection fee to the bulletin board as well).
There are a growing number of bulletin boards wfth a wide range of Amiga
software available for download. Check out Ol-for Amiga (071 377 1358)
and the Cheam Amiga Bulletin Board (081 644 8714). Another good option
is joining CIX (the Compulink information exchange), which not only has
Amiga software but also contains conference and file areas on a wide range
of subjects, from politics to scuba diving, biking to Science Fiction. Many of
the Amiga S/iopper writers have accounts on CIX, so you can get first-hand
advice on your problems, too. For more details, call CIX on 081 390 8446
(voice) or 081 390 1255 (modem).
If you don't want to use a bulletin board, the other way to get PD
software Is from a PD house. Many advertise in Amiga Shopper, and you'll
find a comprehensive list of names and addresses at the end of this article.
Expect to pay between 99p and about £2.50 per disk - there's often a
discount if you buy in bulk, too.
RATING THE
PROGRAMS
Just to b« awkward, I use two
{llfl^roiit rating systems. If I'm
revtowing a single program, I
give a 'Program rating' at the
end. It, on the other hand, I'm
looking at a disk full of utliKtes
or something along those lines,
you'll find a 'Value for money'
rating at the end. Marks are out
of 10.
UTILITIES
FILE & HD
MANAGEMENT B
PD Soft disk V574
Following on from last month's
review of a great utility disk from PD
Soft which contained the FileMinder
program mentioned above, I received
File & HD Management Disk S, which
contains more programs designed to
ease the trials of actually using hard
and floppy disks and keeping control
of your files.
This disk contains four programs:
ATCopy, DosContral, PCExecute and
PrFont.
• AtCopy
ATCopy Is a demo version of a
commercial program, which
"Replaces the Commodore Amiga
Janus-Software-Parcel commands
'ARead' and 'AWrite'."
"DosControl wins a
place on my hard
disk hr its archive
support
//
The documentation has been
translated from the German by
someone whose English leaves a
little to be desired, but it appears to
be a program which enables files to
be copied between the Amiga and an
XT or AT PC emulator card. It should
work on an Amiga 1000, 2000,
2500 or 3000 with such an emulator
installed. Since my A500 Plus
doesn't really fit those criteria, I
moved swiftly along...
• DosControl
DosContot is another German
program, and is (yet another)
directory utility, ^ la SID.
DosControl was written by Uwe
Brosch, and since the menu comes
(oatlnwil Ml i»g« MS
AMN3A SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
For a fast, reliable but foremost friendly service.
AMIGA PD
1-9 disks £1.20
10-15 disks 99p
15+ 90p
FREE PROGRAMS
Order 10 get 1 FREE
Order 20 get 2 FREE
Order 23 get 3 FREE
061370 9115
No mtniinuin order.
All orders sent out
the same day.
AMOS
APIX)14 IFF Pica Nol (Brill) +
APD031 Screen Designer +
APD033 Pink Goes J^t +
APD036 Amos 1.3 Update +
APDIOI Auto Player VI. 10 +
APD123 Deadline +
APD20S RDraw VI. 48 +
APD303 Litter Busters +
APD329 Fruit Machine II +
UTILITIES
U'ro46 Pendle Europa
UT05LAinlhia3eV3.76
UT057 A64 Emulator
UTl 1 4 ASS Menumaker
UT145 Vogue Utll'a (BrilJ)
UTl 79 CU Tutorial +
UTl 90 Video Graphics
(3 Disks)
UT214 Amateur Radio
(6 Disks)
UT237 Work Bench 2
IA500+) only
UT253 D-Copy 2
GA008
GA030
GA067
GA086
GAISO
GA182
GA204
GA205
GA207
GAMES
Pipeline +
Tennis +
Tmckin {2 diaks)-)-
Assassina 1-20+
Star neet +
Killer Cars +
Chess Tutor 11 +
A5004- Games Pack i
Cars Sharp +
MUSIC
MU017 Digital Concert
(2 to 65
MU025 Star Trekker
MU034 Queen (2 Disks)
MU055 Pro Tracker V2.00
MU073Moiarts Flute
Concerto
MU077Puma Tracker (Brill)
MU058 Mozart (2 Disks)
MU054EFX Musk: Creator
GRAPHICS
001 M-Cad
003 Print Studio +
005 CUp-Art 1 to 13 +
Original set uncut
024 Colour Fonts (5 disks)*
028 Walt Disney Clip-art*
033 Graphics Otila +
BUSINESS
BU004 Clerk (BriU) +
BU005 GenealOBr +
BU007 Bankln' +
BU016 Text Hus V3.00+
BU019 Analytlcalc V2.00 +
BU021 AmlcashV1.0+
BU02S House Hold
Inventory +
BU026 Textenglne +
BU031 BBase (Database)*
SETS
SPDOOl
SPD002
SFD003
SPDOM
SPDOOS
sPDOoe
SPD007
sPDooa
SPD009
SPDOIO
SPDOll
Bc^nners 1 .|5 lUsiis - £5.80]
Bcglnncis 2.(5 Mss - £5.801
Clip-Alt 1.(4 disks - £4.eOI
Clip-Art 2,(4 disks - £4.60)
Games l..(5dislss- £5.801
Games 2..,I5 disks £5.80)
Clip-A]l3..(4diks-£4.6a)
EDI (4 disks ■ £4.60)
ED2 (4 disks - £4.60)
Ed/Sdl (4 disks - £4.601
Bus 1 (6 dlaka - £6.801
WE STOCK OVER 2400
DISKS
including Scope. Macro
and Topic.
StarTronlcs
4 Arnold Drive,
Dioyalden, Blancheiter
H3B SHE m^H
VUA
ACCESSORIES
Large Mouse Mats .,£3.50
Squlk Mouse £17.50
DISK SPECIAL OFFER
Sony Bulk £5.20
KAOBulk £4,99
■)■ = CompatlUe with Flo*
PCMtage fc packing 70|»
Add £3, IB per item for disk
box, Plesse subEolt pn^raent
by cheqtie or poital order
Kdnlmum order of 3 disks
required for ei^dlt
can! paTineiit
FBED PISH 1 - 840
TSAGl -OSO
AMIGA REPAIRS & SPARES || Sxprtss PubUc Vomaiti
5721 Buster £16.00
ROM V1.2 £30.00
ROM V1.3 £30.00
ROM V2.04 £45.00
41256 Dram £3.00
414256 Dram £7.50
68000 MPU £24.00
MSM 6242 Ctack .....El 2.00
8371 ! Meg Agous £35.00
8372A 1 Meg Agnus £50.00
5719 Gary .„..£24,00
3364 Paula £35.00
8362 Denise £29,00
8373Denise £39.00
8520 CIA £17.00
Workbench V2 Kit , £88.00
Many other parts available
Genuine Amiga 500 service manuals now in stock £19.95
Avery limiteo stock of A500 + RevBAboarris E160.00
(Rev 8A boards require Gary, Paula, Denise, BOM, MPU and 2 x 8520)
Amiga Modulator £28.00 A500 Internal Drive.. £55.00
i Meg Ram + Clock £33.00 ASOO PSU £45.00
I Meg Ram £30.00 Amiga Mouse £30.00
1 Meg Ram for ASOO Plus £54.00 Boot Selector .£20.00
ROM Selector £30.00
All prices include postage and packing. Fast Amiga repairs - Phone for details.
ACE Repairs, Dept AS, Outways Farm, Pelynt, Looe,
Cornwall PL13 2NW i"^
(0503) 220282
ma
AMIQA PUBLIC DOMAIN AND SHAREWARE SOFTWARE
OVER 40001- TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM.
UTILmES 19. PratractMrV£.2!>(P) 3B. Joumsl
1 . XCopy VB.4 (P) 20. AcUon Replay (P) 39. Bank Book (P)
2. OCopy Pro V3 IP) 21 . Form Daslaner {P) 40. Disk catalague {PJ
3. PD 4opv V3 (P) 22. QEO (P) - , „ a„n_,rr-n
S. Fl!.diskvi,6o(P) 24. AmIPasa Pro (PI J- 5?"^S'S'i; «™
7. RSIDemonnalierV2(NP) 2S. Nuke visa*) f fgf'iiu'E'i'JL-L;; "■"■
8. DtakX V3.M (P) 27. AmalflNt Hadloje) *■ f^Snmm fin so
9. Sid V2,00 (P) 28. Flenibaee V2 (fJ rK«f « SSS.'i'-^iitahJ:; « iSL
1 0. 600 BuBlnsBB LaHere 28. Spacira Pain! {f*J ^'J^ KS.S^»S?n™!S;5,^
"■»»(*) 30. vCanV5.12(h ^^Sia Sou^d^kto dSaMa
1 2. Zoom V5.4 (P) 31 . Amiga Fox (P) ''^ "" ealalogus dlBH tor details.
1 3. Virus Chacker V&A {P} 32. Icons Ovef 300 AOC^SORIES
14. M«lV3.2C(Pt 33. C Manuals (4) 3 9 disk ., ,,3Spe(Kh
15. NComm V2.03 (P) 34. Vlsicalc (P) 3.5 100 cap box Zeb.SO
16. Tarm V21 (2) (PI 35. AHP Mouse Mat E2.B9
1 7. Zerovlrxis 3 V1 .2(5 {P) 36. FT-X Accounts Duat Cover ASOO .£3-99
IB, Syslnro Ve.EB [Pj 37. MCad (P) Cleaning Kit .£2.99
All P.D. la S9p per dl^. Buy 10+ receive tree (dialog ua disk, Includss All our disks:
3 Games. 2 Virus Killers, Charly Music DemO' and complota listing of [j Guaranlsod error (reel
GraptilGs, Music, Demo, Domomalwrs, Adult, Businoss, Education, Arnos, US' Coinpletewittiawnlabalsl
Utilities, Progrsmmins, D.I.Y., Previews, T-Bag, Fred-Fish. [j VirustreeH
Please add 60p to order U.K., Europe El. 00. rest of world E2.S0 for P&P O 48 Hours DeSvery
r.a.,ft UHMMt MM, MHT mUBHIWI. IHCBTW IE W, W ws iwlCMW Mar S.3m IH (86M| MTWl
>\
DELTRAX PD
fT^
^ 11
PUBLIC DOMAIN TITLES.
WE ALSO STOCK FRED
FISH AND TBAG. ALL
DISKS ARE VIRUS
CHECKED AND TESTED
PRIOR TO DESPATCH.
No OF DRIVES. NOTE: ALL DISKS RUN UNDER 1.3
UTILITIES
Ui Ghositwriler '
\J2 Ent^rcDSlal Utility V2..Q
U3 GrH43fiics Utilily 2
U4 JazzbencTi
U£ LDadsaiconis iP]
U6 Brian Postnia s Sound Monitor
U7 Diekma&lef V3.0
US Midi Utilities
U9 SoLirttf W(3rh«hH>p
IJIO Icon IS1a>!ar
Uii icannnania {P)
U12 A-H§nd9r
U13 Ma[Kl«il>rQt 1 &2{2)
IJ14 Ciaric
U15 C-Ligtil Re.y Tracer
U16 Oeiuxe Draw
U17 Slar Ch6rl&, Siartiythms (p)
U 1 8 Demos Creators Ijislt
tJ19 Bp^CG Wnt^r Demc Crsalor
ir22 Reiationai Data Base
U23 Ciip Art i:HBk 1 [P]
U94 ClipArtDisli2iPi
U25 Comn>soft
UZ6 Commspanmin
UZ7 Demciiisher Utilitlee
U32 Opti Utiiitws (P)
U34 Megados
U35 AfTnga Compuiings Wort; Statkin
U3& Utiiil^es 1 & £ (£)
U37 Quarttum and Tempest U1«ii1ves
U36 Digi!echU1ili1yOiSK1,l
IJ39I VarioLifi Utiiilws
U40 Zodiac Con^paddJST V2.<i
U42 Disit Saiva^
U43 Various Utililaes
U44 Master Virifs Kiilar Z.Q (HP-)
U45 Full1ar^&Ulllltie&(lDta)
U4e Dai/y Jones Fonts ^
U47 'C Language MariuaJ ■ (3)
U4S Paul's Fr^ewars Collection
lM9 'G' Language Compil&r
U50 intr^i Pics
U51 Art Parts £ -
U5^ Deskber>cli icons
\y53 Fuiilorce Mea& Uiilitlefi 2
U&9 OulckberichPlus(P)
U5& PnigramiTiirt^ Diefc 1
U&& Games Music CreaiOr
U57 G&nealagy' (P)
U5S Anti FlicKa
U59 WlncHiTAis Bench - iZ) (P)
UeO Me$Sy Sid II
U62 AZ'Comm
U63 OBWPiay Trace package
U&4 Mandel Meuntaine
u
U66
UB7
U5B
1J69
J70
U71
LI76
U77
U79
ueo
uei
ue2
ue3
US4
US5
U86
U87
US8
US9
U90
US1
U92
U93
U94
U95
U97
u»e
U99
U100
U101
UIOJ
U103
U1M
UIOS
utoe
uios
U109
U110
U111
U112
U113
U117
U118
tJIIS
U120
U121
0122
U123
U124
U125
tJ126
LI128
U129
UI30
U131
Direct Action Animation Creator
QdOE Bancn and Otttefs
Fonts Die*;
Sid VI .OS ■
The Comma disk
Supen$x Modefn U1ill1ie&
Modem Utilltieis
Red Devil Ulililiee S
Fl«d Dgvlle Uttllly 4
Mandelbrot Glene^atot
OuicKfiench
Dynamic Duo LItillties 1
Font Designer
D Paint Fonts I
D Palm Fonts M
Journal - Acotjunle
SpecmjT^ EntulslDT 4- 40 Gairwe (NP)
ESA Uliis 2
Gii Ketp + otnar?
MCAD ' (P)
Ultir^ata fiotstltjck Otilieclion 2
Warnt>rs Virus Kdlers
Eier^rocad Circuit Das^ner (P)
Amitiase VS.?e [PI
System Exerciser
Bootbanclt V2.D
CataJfhgue Workshop One (P^
Catalogue Worl^ahop Twt? {P)
NIghl Flyflfs Utjiltias One
Hard Disk Utiliti^
Amaleur Radio (61 (P)
Bank N Accounts (P)
AmicMh Bankjn Aoctjunia (P|
QBese S Spraadeheet (P)
VIsicaic Spreatfsheel (PI
GF>: ytils 1 fP)
PD.C. DiskAB J.C(31
Anaiylic-aio ■ (2) (P)
FI9XibBsaV2.0(Pl
Ham Lab
Special Brothers Vector Editor
Bc-Fonran 77
CliB II Art 3) (P)
Clip (1 An 4 (P)
Clip II An 5) (P)
NComm 1 .92 (P)
North C Disk A « B (2) (P)
Business Cand Maker (P|
Crossdos
Squash I (A500^ on^J
Scale & Wofdwriortt
Wwdwriflht i, AmiBaepell (NP)
Texiplus Wordprocessor VS.O [P)
u-EdiiWompnacaasorlNP)
U1i3
U134
UIJS
U13«
U1«
U139
U141
U143
Ut44
U145
U147
Ut4«
tJ149
U150
U15S
Ut54
U155
U1S6
U15B
UtE2
Uie4
uiee
U1GB
U1E9
U170
U17I
LH72
U173
U175
U176
U1T7
U17B
U179
U190
UtBI
UIEB
uies
uies
UIBS
uiee
uies
U19t
U192
Uig3
U194
U1M
U196
U197
U19e
U199
\IS»
U201
U29S
U2t)3
U212
Texlplus WflfdpnKSS&or v'G.j iPj
600 Business Lett#rs (PI
QEO Te«1 EOilor IP)
AmigalnxDTPVl.l (P)
y^migaepeit (NP)
AmlgalOK V^ .0
Ae4 Emulatof (NP]
laeM
ST Emulator
Scecltt^ Ennulalor (NP)
Text Engine Va.t (P)
P Copy V3.0
A.Qene (PI
Conin)«»3r« C640am»s Oak 1 (NP)
C^rnotfjre C64ijam4sDi3k2<NP)
Miibsss Prolessional II VI .2 (P)
Speotra Paint V3.2
KatVan^ Mciaiiion Utilities (PI
Slldeahow ConslnjclTon Kit
Micnjgnu&macs - Taxiedlior
AZ Spell (P)
ACU aeneral utilities 24
ArT>l8fl Coders Club {$)
CartoGfi Brushes
Oasipner Disk Set (3)
Door To Door
lllirwis Latwl Primer
Invoice Printer
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Gorf Rectsrder
Muili-Faii
Printer Drivers i2)
Ouick Slan III (2)
Video Applioaliori Utile (21
Vidi Fonts 1
BEasall
Future ConnpMer
Hack Pack (2)
Nag
t;ierk V4.0
Anti.Virus V4.2
D Copy V2.0 (P)
DeltraK Utiis 1
Deltrax Utile 2
OctamMI VI .(5b ■ (P)
Anti-Virvs V4.1 2 (+ only)
Llnle Bench i,* onlyl
Bi^tnerDood Utile I
Broinertiood utiis 2
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Printer Driver (Senerator
.Amidoc*;
Floeclroute (An^erlcan)
Muitiplot
Label Designer
GAMES
oa5
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067
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093
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U22
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095
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IJ24
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097
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S93
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099
n.l.'i
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Q100
U34
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0102
n.ifl
Drip ■ (P
BugBaenNP)
S103
GOT
Qt04
<J41
Escape Fnom Jovi (NP)
Ot05
04a
Orav Attack (P)
Q106
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Downtiill Challengs (NP)
01 07
344
Batneteice (NPi
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Tha J.A.R. (rih
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046
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U47
S49
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0111
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G114
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Q117
{i56
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0116
057
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S119
USD
sea Lance MP)
0120
C59
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3121
uei
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Air Ace 11(F)
0122
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0123
0*3
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0124
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Advenlure Solutions 2 P)
0125
S65
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0125
066
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0123
(J(i7
Treasure Huni (6-Byr3)
G129
nii6
Cheat List Games VI .0(P)
O130
ue9
Wacko Jnr in Wormeriand
Q131
U70
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G132
071
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G133
U/3
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Q134
(i74
Dungeon Delver (2) (P)
0135
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Pick Up A Puzzle ■ (21 (P)
Q136
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Q137
077
Can YOU Picture II ■ (2) (P)
0136
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Crossfire * (P)
Balioonacy ■ (P)
ai3S
079
Q140
(ifli
Demolision Mieeion *
0141
G62
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0142
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0143
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<Mitiiwed friMti |»gi 143
up with the message 'DosControl
v3.1 - DEMO', I can only assume
that it's shareware. However, it will
take someone with a better grasp of
the German language than me to get
much further than that - all the
documentation is in German, as are
most of the commands on the
buttons and in the menus. It's a
shame, too - this program has a lot
going for it. For example, buttons
allow you to choose what information
about a file is displayed in the
standard window: date, time, size,
attributes and so on. Then there are
menu items which provide Amiga to
PC (and vice versa) file translation -
presumably removal of extraneous
carriage returns and so on - and,
most usefully, a menu which enables
you to access your favourite archiving
program from within DosControl. Just
select the files you want to archive,
choose 'Lharc Packen' from the
Archive menu, choose a filename for
the archive, and the program handles
the rest (assuming you've got the
relevant archiving program in your c:
directory, of course). Arch I vers
supported are Zoo, LHArc and Arc,
and DosControl wins a place on my
hard disk for this feature alone.
There are other, supposedly
more sophisticated programs about
which provide archiving routines with
a Workbench front-end, but all I (and,
I suspect, most people) want to be
able to do is create, extract and list
archives - no more, no less.
Congratulations to Uwe for spotting
the user desire and doing something
about it.
If only DosControl were in
English, and if only it didn't (very
occasionally) crash my Amiga, I'd be
able to recommend it without
reserve. As it is, try it out - you may
be able to live with its foibles, and
it's certainly easier to use than SID.
• PCExecute
Third up is PCExecute, by Peter
Vorwerk, which apparently "allows
KOu to send a command to an XT/ AT
board without opening the PC
window." As with ATCopy, my setup
doesn't include such a board, so the
program's not much use to me...
• PrFont
Finally, PrFont, by Joel Swank, is a
$10 shareware program which
searches your Amiga for any fonts in
the fonts: directory, draws a line of
text in each of them and then dumps
the screen to the printer. This would
be useful as a reference, especially
if you have got a lot of fonts Installed
- glancing at a printout is far easier
than trying three or four fonts until
you find the one you were looking for.
i say would, though, because the
program refused to dump anything
Nan
Volune
Stuff _ . , .tfolim.:
files 11 Bvtes 32S38 ^ JSitJiJ
flppLicanoHS
f HeHUider
Tavs
Bp^^iC^TIOHS.info
conf igf * le
Disk. info
Fi leHinder,
Fi les. info
HttCConriQ
Tpvs, info
Tracheal), info
Virus Checker 5.36
,inf Q
28:4? I »■»
28L52r44
ei ;»fl;3S
2i<:M:r>
ia;11 ;36
.'9147:15
iimm
19;36;28
28:38:43
28:34:16
28:28:18
28:34:16
88:42:18
[DSTT
[jJlJ
Dr8:
Ofl:
Stt8:
OHi:
»H2:
MSI;
«m:
Syap i Copy I D«p£opv[ Kal<edir| Type { HeKtypej Bufl [
Hpu|
FFTj _^___„
Oev\ PSflettI Hang j ttoveUp | Renane 1 Find | Pf int 1 Hprint | HanPregf
flSj Bead I Invgrs j (lydatf | Protect) Ccnwentl Show | Prtir | PFcgi-anf
Clear I CLS { Hcue | Peiete [ Birittml Editor [ riUInf| Execute!
DosControl is another S/I>alike, but has some interesting and useful new
features. Simple buttons allow you to select whether files are viewed by date
of creation, time of creation, file size, number of blocks used and so on.
Shame It's all In German though!
out to my Canon BJlOex. (
experimented with a couple of
different drivers, but I had no joy at
all. Owners of other printers may (or
may not) be luckier.
All in all, this disk doesn't really
live up to the standard set by Disk A,
reviewed last month. However,
DosCoritroFs neat features may well
sway you, and there's probably
something of interest here if your
Amiga has a PC emulation card
installed.
Value for money 6/10
FONTS ON THE CHEAP
[^ow that DTP on the Amiga is finally taking
off, with the release of much improved
versions of the two main Amiga DTP
packages - Professional Page and
PageStream - the demand for htgh-
quatlty fonts has increased. To this end,
EM Computergraphic has released
several volumes of PD and shareware
fonts. Many of the fonts are taken from
the PC and Macintosh arenas, where Type 1
PostScript fonts are the 'norm'. The fonts have
been converted on to Amiga disks, and come with
preview files which display a sample of the font on-
screen.
The font library consists of four volumes, totalling 20
disks, containing 281 different fonts.
These fonts can be used directly from PageStream, version 2.1
or above, and from Professional Page 3.0 after they have
been converted with the FontManager utility.
Of course, as with all font coilecfions,
some are better than others; and
because these fonts are PD
and shareware, you
should not
expect the kind of
quality that fonts from a
company sucti as Adobe will exhibit.
However, having looked at a range of the
fonts offered, I must say that I'm quite impressed; by
and: large the quality is perfectly good enough for anyttiing
except top-quality publishing - and some of the fonts would stand
comparison with any similar commercial versions.
Some of the fonts are PD, while ottiers are shareware - it's up to the
purchaser to check for any 'Read me' files containing details of shareware
fees. However, these are clearly flagged, with conspicuous icons, so there's
no excuse for ignoring them.
Shown here are screengrabs of fonts from Volume 6, disks 1 and 2 (the
whole of Volume 6 contains 5 disks, and costs £12.50), For full details of
available fonts, contact EM Computergraphlcs at S Edith Road, Clacton on
Sea, Essex C015 IJil; phone 0225 431389.
Value for money ...9/10
•^
8>^
.^^
■^
^
!^mm^
CRUISEWORD 1.2
From PD Majik
9 0e03 628906
Cruiseword is a word processor
written in AMOS by J Lucas, who
requests a £7 shareware fee.
Unfortunately, as it stands I can't
really say that It's worth the sum
asked for.
As regular readers of Amiga
S/iopper will know, we reviewed three
PD or shareware word processors a
couple of issues back, and sadly
Cruiseword doesn't really measure
up to any of them. Its one advantage
is a built-in spelling checker, but
''fn my test
printouts, some of
the text managed to
disappear.
n
even that Is limited - there is no
support for users to add words to the
dictionary, so you're stuck with the
one provided.
The program has a few basic
features, such as automatic word
wrap, six predefined macros ("Yours
sincerely", 'To whom it may concern"
and some others - ideal for all the
lazy typists amongst you), adjustable
left and right margins, insert or
overtype and the ability to
enbolden. Italicise and
underline text.
However, none of
these features works
particularly well, and
indeed on my test
printouts, some of the text managed
to disappear from the printed
version - not a good sign.
The Idea of integrating a
spelling checker into a
word processor Is a good
one - it's high time more
Amiga PD word processors had this
feature - but Cruiseword really does
need some more work before this
benefit will outweigh the program's
faults. The author claims to be
working on a faster spelling checker,
larger dictionary and mail merging
facility. Personally, I'd rather see
some basic enhancements like a
Quit option (you have to re-boot the
Amiga to leave the program) and an
undedine facility which doesn't
underline the blank space at the
beginning of each line.
Sorry, but this really isn't up to
scratch at present. However, I look
to version 1.3 (to be released later
this year), when hopefully some of
these complaints will have been
addressed.
Program rating 4/10
5
'o
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
This should give some Idea of what the
Electronic Baby Book is lilte. if you've
bought a real booic ilite this, you'il iove
the computerised version. But then,
you probably lli<e Terry and June, too...
CLASSIX 1
Aardvark PD
« 0509 210157
Classix I is a collection of four tunes
by Bach, arranged by Rob Bajcter and
produced using the Aegis Sonix
program. The disk is auto-booting,
and tunes are played by hitting one
of the function keys.
Rob is obviousiy a bit of a Bach
enthusiast, and his explanatory
notes on the music, and Bach
himself, are interesting and
informative.
The sounds used to piaythe
music are reasonable - the proud
boast is that no digitised sounds are
used - although I don't know what
Bach wouid think about some of
them. Certainly the instruments used
to pi ay the Fugue from the Toccata
and Fugue in D Minor are interesting
and work well, but the pipe organ
sound for the Toccata is a little
''No digiHsed
sounds are used in
Classix I - / don't
know what Bach
would think of
thetn.
II
ropey. And talking about that
particular piece, I have to say that
some of the sections did seem to be
played at quite exceptional speed -
rather faster than was originally
intended, I think!
The four pieces are sections of
the Brandenburg Concertos numbers
3 and 4, the Prelude and Fugue
number 7 and, of course, Toccata
and Thing in D whatsit. Each tune
Bg Undo lAodiMie' Luic
-S-il '■\
A%
l--;ii\^ai.s'
Dat*? of Births
. Time of Birth
gpMaln
I But^-SyE?
Enter the name and vital details of
your offspring, and you can
blacltmaii them in the years to come
takes 30 seconds or so to load, and
can be interrupted by hitting the
Escape key at any time. The four
tunes are each fainy long, and the
disk certainly represents a fair few
basic, and allows only 300
transactions per file, but should
prove useful to anyone who really
wants to justify the purchase of their
computer because "it will help me do
my home accounts."
The program is a two-screen
affair; clicking the right mouse button
cycles between the two screens. One
is a listing of all the transactions, the
other has several buttons which
allow you to actually
enter the
transactions. They
are labelled with
things like 'Interest',
'Direct Debit',
'Cheque deposit'
and so on; click on a
button and the
program asks you for
the date, details and
amount of the
transaction and then
adds it to the list.
There are some things that the
program won't do which reduce its
usefulness. For starters, it doesn't
put the transactions in date order.
So if you forget a transaction until
you've entered others with later
dates, you're stuck with the rogue
one appearing in the wrong place.
, Cantinue
B1.f- -17X92
DGsgaaOaFVP I
St?i-i.»T «: 123456
^B da^ipuner
wf^mif^s^f f^F
f» ciirdef'
I
Hddr>a&»*
Hrga Codes |
Cl.
Ti-
"ixt/.y I
JJilt I
fc
ui:
UtaUi 1
Meu 1
Uuii 1
J
The inventory section of Home Manager is fine
stolen that Is!
minutes' listening.
Rob has clearly spent a lot of
time on this disk, and I would
encourage him to keep on with his
efforts. The Brandenburg Concerto
Number 3 in particular was well done
- but do keep the freakier sounding
instruments to a minimum, Rob!
Value for money 6/10
' as long as your Amiga isn't
And editing the transactions is a little
fiddly.
On the plus side, you can pnnt
out the list just by pressing a
function key, and the lack of too
many features means that beginners
to the Amiga won't get too confused.
All in all, AmiCash is a simple
program, to perform a simple task.
I've always thought that people who
need a computer to cope with their
home accounts should simplily their
accounting system, but maybe that's
just me.
Program rating 6/10
THE ELECTRONIC BABY
BOOK
PD Soft disk V658
This really has to be one of the most
nauseating programs I've ever come
across. On the other hand, I know
people who will be delighted with it -
it takes recording your baby's details
into the computer age.
You get some idea of what the
program will be like when the
''If your first
Htought is 'Isn't that
cutet' you should
continue the
program or seek
psychiatric fiefp/'
opening screen appears. If you start
gagging immediately, now would be a
good time to switch the computer off
and go to the pub. If, on the other
hand, your first thought is "Aaahh.
Isn't that cute?," then you should
either continue through the program
or seek psychiatric help.
Basically, the Electronic Baby
(iMrtinii«<l on poge 1 48
AMICASH 1.0
PD Soft disk Ve30
AmiCasti was written in AMOS by
Keith Grant, who asks that a
shareware donation be paid if you
use the program. It's a basic home
accounts package which the author
says is for those of us who are
forever losing track of how much we
(don't) have in the bank. It's fairly
timPr^trirmTtrrn^^
Home Manager's Address Bool< section is as fully-featured as some stand
alone address tiook programs, and offers about everything you might want
146
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
CUT, TICK & POST.... CUT TICK & POST
(0702) 466933
on-Sea, ESSEX, SSI 2YD
Telephone or Fax Hotline
^ PD Sofr (AS16) 1 Bryant Ave, Southend-
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vork^us extra leotures ever ttie olo Word processor. Test
Edilor, Oroptiicsedilor & kKids more.
i:Bf VW2 AMICASH MNNN The 0es6 banWn program
thai i hoffi ever used on the Amiga, eosy controls.
i:^ V19A CHEMESTETKS A pragrom Ihot cIroiAts
molecules using the colotte model Excellent eflects.
OK V401 VmOOWBBiCH vT.O (2) An exceiter^t Work
oench lli replacement terall vi.3 usofs. f^ecomended
Uft V4iO PPS UT1JT1ES No 1: PfOHTWO inUHES
PPType, PPShaw. ASFD, Wew, Tiny PilfH, fAWJCT, A
program for DesJttet 500 users you vt>anl lo i^e the
r^sSulkir enlioncKd graphic set. <ivifPHrrt H ,
ax V4ia WORKBB^ Z & WORK STATK)N Th^s Is
nol just Onoitierworldbench done Ifi o cotlecllan of
unities with the i^orkbiefich theme [21
QfC V413 von SCRShS:) Excellent bock ground
pictures for video producEion work. JHke backdrops
Otr V417 SUPSSmCH & extras m An SHLceNent re^
plQeementdBsk vi^fih more gttiilies Ihon the ortgunal WB
^ V49D CURSOft BASIC CDMMSt Compile ony
Amiga Bosk program wlih this utility disk
a« V423 C- aMMAfClt$ This dislL is filled with utIlHle
whkln con be used in Siortup-sequences
gjf V424 PO&UTlJTK$ NO IB USIIitieS Indude, AnH-
fldHrprogrpm, Said io stop ihe fllclcer in High Res. ST
irmkridr Progrom to tujn yisur omiao into an ST.
i:^ V431 lMPifXl0tv4.O Reduceslie size for soroge
on hord drives our your own collectkin disks
OX V4U AMMAnON STIKHO Ad axceOent AnlmoElofi
crestor for you to moke your o*o
i:iV VUV AMIGA C: mAnUAL N T^iis monual Is the
osmplae C- myHJoi ior ttw Amgo & describes open 5 wxk
with oil ports of the C. system, tl olso cofitfflns ran«B esamptes,
some smpla & some mofKomptes dliha wcr^ through the
(isks a Monol Is thsn to help you out. (4]
i:tV V443 SPECntUM EMUUTOR v1.2 By KOB iV^oin
upck^ed feo9ure ts. It no<A< has sound ability
Qtf V444 PftNTER ORVER UK>ATE DISK If Now
cofltoins ifistrudionon how to insloll Ihem, All provious
drivers Included on this disk. Over 90
QVf V443 JRCOMM vl.02 This is the ionest version ol
me e«ceBerrt modewi based compuler program,
t;^ V4«3 SUPBt C: COMMANDS The disk is nol as fiill
OS Some others but comes witti full instnjstion.
Q^ V4T$ P.SUTTE V1.4A coiiacrion oFprogroms called
PTWirflii a SMTiple word processor, P-Dmw & P^ten " -
I3ir V47« CH^ « CHESS UTIUTES A cotlectiOO of
chess related Puzzles, Programs t iJtiiHes
U V4B4 ADVETUItE SOU/TIONS E2t Another good
collection of at^enture soJuiions lor various oames
ax V4W AMBASe PROFESSIOHALN Tha \a\est
updated version of the exceilem Doiobose pro^ofn.
now Includes various exceU^ newfet^res
UliirV4MMBSVSK>NTt^ Is Ihe loiesi version. Ilwin
reod JViS-Dos disks and Confer any tadfites lo $. from the
PC disk / Your Amiga. So you cgn do work on on ffif^l or an
Amiga and swop text behween Ihem.
Ijgr V493 DESKHMOf m This is on eKColienl
Workbendi replacmeni with spec^l ylililies.
UK V497 BEATRUC POHHI OJP ART An excellent
coltectlon of clip art for any DTP program or Dpolriil.
Q V4VB THIF SOUND RIPPCR VS.6 Pmds SIdrnon T. 2
ftrtid], /Ham cracker, fuhure Composer, Sound monitor,
Molse/Prot/ocker, Stortrekker, Delta sound system
dovid U^iaker & Nolsepocker,
I3>f V4W STAft CHAItr vl.2 Ttiks is on exceiienl slgr
pTotHr^p pnjgram with soma IntrKHng feoiurs
^ VSOV MSl'vS.2 This is another update to
othe
ZM VSIS THE AA4 PACKAGE v±,0 12) A very
complete C 64 Emulator Actually njr^ fiadar ftiat M.
Runs 6-4 basic. Tronsiers disks from your original 64
disk drive wiih o shorewore leod.
ax V317 VIDEO & AMM : VlDfO.DB, A program
(or keep»n track on your wdeo tope calleaions. ffTAPr
1^5 you ploy large Anims on smoJi Mam machines.
Hdr VSia MAOE lab Performs mony ^ds (rom
simple overogingi lo fast fourier trofisforms. Toob On
TofiL Does fades, colourbors & gray bar gAverallon
■JOt yS}9 STHiSrORE Used to create over the
shoulder graphic inserts like the 9'0 dock news.
jatV52Q OIWHICS : AORAPH Creoles colourtull
pie, bar ortd llr>e graphs. PfCBASE^ Sh-iows reduced
versions of all your IFV pictures. ** Requires V522
ax V521 PLOTTMG A 0RAPHK5: niiFTXT, A
powerlul hjll Featured plohirTgi prog, PLANS, A
computer aided droffing prog.** fequires V522
pur VS21 UP V\A : Cgnmon vl.4, n^oik^ rrwny
irn-provemenis lo AmigaDos & makes yoi^ system
eoster to use. mdutdesTull u$9S developers guide,
an VS23 DICE C COMPIlBt [2) Matthew DJIlDns M
Seoi-uf«f powerluii C compiler ienwroment system.
LIK V52S LABEL MAKER v1. 3 An KKcellBnt dtsk
pnnling proorom will^ various new features.
ax V^2V RAaAL ft 5CUlPT4d: T>H4d Cr«0es
sC'Lpi 'id treas with lEoves Contour A6, JFSGen & FtaaiiOL
ax V530 WXXXl A progrom to help manoolng
personal (inonces. The Is a update to disk v£$D,
i:iK VS34 CATMjOGUE IMJTES A colec^cfv of u<«itffis
used toCoMiDguG disk; Video/ Tape coitions S]
ax V54» WSK STATWN m An excellent worJtbench
repkicement with, built in utttitlesi like S*d and otf>ars
ax V54* KIDS PAINT A ptf nSftg program designed kf
children. Includes various cdours and speech.
OX VS4« ElfCTROCAD v1|,4 Another Updated or^
tne cad drowning preview written in Ames.
Q VSIO KffREFa POMSt LmUTHS ; NtWTOfKo,
Pmn r Footle Creole. Edit or chortge any 9xS or >6xl6
fonts. Wlndcnv^ Chonge size oi dps windows,
a VSS4 R.S.I. MUSK MODULES 2/3 Anolher
setedton of mu& from t?ed ^edlon. |^
a VU« RSI SfOOR HEIP DSK Amrher disk to
ihelp you use Iha Red Ssdoc Demo Creator.
a VS60 DUPUCATfONft BAOOJP I AccHectlon of
copiei^ likg omtgnCopy, Codv copy, Pcccry, Rcrttiecapv.
[j|( VS67 PfiiiTES Mn« oe«ftAi^
01 utilities '-vSh vorious eMeBert Printer DrK^r Cenerotors.
i:iK VS69 DUNGEON MASTHt MAPPK A lltjietool
thol Creoles mc^sof dunoeoiutand eventually (owns)
whkih can beused tryo oMfor usein AO&Ogon^.
i:ttr VTTd Cm» HAMS imUTlES : DMWORK VlSV
Excelleol! file copier sImuEal lo diskmrster &Sld but
contains more commands to hor^.. Reconrimend
i:ur V371 WHOM I V2.02 12] An update to the Or.Who
database proorom. Ijves. ol info oth Dr.^Vho progs
i:iir V573 FU & HARD ORM MANAGEM&tT (1) :
HDCUCK v2:.0, A program selector to mctM^ Mord
disk Menuis. Sforls with gadgets.fU MMDB^ Utility br
ireinalnlf™ fcs 1 Directories. DOSCDHtTOtTwithof
connbioes the fundionolily of many senrole tools.
ax VI7S HOME BUSMSS pACKjA) An excelent
setedion of utilliies based oni word' processing, l^ita
Management, Soreod Sheets^ jSrfxounts & Printing.
OK v£sf PDs MilrrMa N« ) : PftMiet DRnm
HP LJes^^el 500 & 500 Colour, Conon &J10e. aJ130,
0:1300. NQc24p, OUJ^p, i<ip, pQil'ip, Pan<lSD0ic9
S^kOShO?, HPMOD^ For use with Desldel 500
i:Uf VSJIt DB A DatflbQSe with upto 50 fiek*s.nKix of
abouf 1.2 minion records. CUCKDOS N, An Amiga
Dos enhacement ullllry. HtSMD 1 SUPSMEW ^.C
ax VS&S iCONffilTat it vi.ti, Con create Icons
upto «flOK200 pixels. DOCTORICON vl.O. Imports
tmoges as Icons, Edit a. Create any Amiga icons
oar V344 QMKMTKm ; FASTTACTS, Everylhing you
ever needed to knew oboyl the solar system.
VV0RU> map. Produces dUfenenl sorts olworld mops.
PLANETS, inslard k-coHons of plants MATH MDUNriJN
ax V5V5 AACH^^RS Aseledkjn od moslorchtvers,
like IKArc, Zoo, iHWorp, F>ak, il. PitAZip. 2«i, ZiMry,
JXVSSi FONTS « C; COMMANDS : DBKSUV^
Repoirs damaged disks. SiAiE^, Free uMJsed oiocolecf
mamory.. FOHTASSiGH Assigns fonts to the SfS path.
-jV V5Q7 OELKMITE FONJft (2) A sefecllon of (onts
for use with ofry DTP Package or Dpoini di^.
^ VS9Z TEXT B«MNE v3^ Anotl^er excellenr wofd
proce^or progrom Sin^ple but will cbs the job
rw V59a DAfABASE WII Th.s program will record
oil your Names & Address. Easy Dolobose program.
CW V5M BftASE If ¥3,3 Th'S cfok ts one o( Ihe mosf
well known dofobose progrom. Recommend
n VftOS POOL FORCAST vTO PErm-Check is designed to
cneckloolbt^ plans fof winning lines nwib)
Q Vi04 W COPT wj,0 Nt^v disk zopi with some
ejrfig commonds & quick copy modes huii in . (IWbl
OX V4M PftOCALC vl,0 Oilers theC orModwwcode
progrmTimer o ifl'XC or FFP colcuiolor when i$ use IliVlW
□ WO* SAMni MAKK v1,0 This mirka speciolly fcf
those who ore nol oble to make samples with o sampler,
a V«07 PRO TUdfBt v2.Q Written by Lors Zap Homre.
Ajto*w updole lo the Uttimote sound making progrom.
i:yr vatb gole scores vi.a4 irs wa recon^ eoch
fouikJ you play. Store it, tfv*e up oneclBdic score NEW!
You o3n also show graphs of scores & peifornvanEe
against par. NEWER! tlwill nowworitout sfableford points
:j)rV611F0<7reALi LEAGUE EDfTORvId Wonllo
update youf teams leogue position os Iha results come in
paf V*ao ASPICe ¥3.2 circuit AnoJysis. A full
feaiured progrom for electric circuit onolysis
ax V621 B3W0R0 v2.2 is o fully leotured &
operational Wo'd processor v^-hich oHersoti
standard feodures & More Hce PowerM one:s
Q; V624 H« COPCft v2.0 VUl ccpy In AmigoDos. Index
Nibble nirO(ies, search rt»de & ^mcIoI porometer copy
ax V*ZI NCOMM ¥2A Conlgins, IHArc v2 LHArca
vl.02, 2oQm v5 4(1. DMS vl .03. IHA. vl .11, LKftSnt vl 11
i:iX V*27 DPAINT FONTS Not 1-3 01 The kitest
selaction Fonts hsr use with any IFF DTP Progrom
CMf VWOAMICASH Basically AmiCoSh joslT^eeps
track of your fronscafions wilh your occour^/eonk
such OS Oired debits. Cheques Wilhdravi-ls
QVA3£I&*M EMULATOR PACKAGE vl.OS IBePAIs
a CGA Colour IB/i/i-PCemuiatof v^rritren to njn on any
Amiga This Is a demoslrofion version with a time
limit of 15 mingle. The shoreware cost is USS30,
:jOt Va36 SHADES & FADE& ANWtFADBl A utllrty
fo fade screens in & out. SUPERVKW^ Will dispkiy
IFF pictures. TURBOTm^ Will creole subtitles
OK V«37 TWM EXPKSS vl.la |2] Tivts ony file direct
Fom unAmiga orlBW Pc, &y conrwci™the2 mochlnes tfl
gather wft o nulf modem cdile. Sowfrote 135ZOO,
ax V63V RADMNCH PUIS wl^lNs Is not on upfate
but a completly new sa of otWlies & m fecfacenvefil.
< V«40 PAGESTREAM fOHT PACK T A selection ot
_ lis for ise ^Mlh Pagastr«irrh ot other DTP Packages |S}
i:3Jf VMS UmiT^ii,Oa word Processor wilhleam
modes. Online He^, A leach f^tode. Split wirwlovrs,
copy & p(Kle, undo & other more standard features.
QV V64« SO v3.0 FIE MANAOat SkJ can b$ used
fctf vortouscpwotlons, The best is prob«rty the tile copier
ax V447 1MMUENCH HACKS A saledlon of
Hacks that hctve t?een reviewed In CU Affiigo
□ VMB TTTANKS CAUNCHOt vl,0 Cruncher with
help &i various protect moiies H>cludes SM*d changes
ax V649 WP&SPBLCHECKNG AColectlon erf
uiillHes. PPV14, Decrurtches Power pockefflto as
they one loaded. SUPBtSPSl v\X SPHlCHECKBt
Id J, TEJORA rt.n Word wocessor SOWMilBtvO.l
ax V650 CHKKBOOK ACCOUNTANT Will monoge
your bank account with easy, vefygoi>d Indeed.
gX V651 THE SUPER KILiERS V2.^ BOOT X v4.4S,
This Is the best vinjs klUer dl^to date kilts ov^r 240
virus & moy be more, Induds excellent killers.
Including VC vfiJw Zvavtau Hl:v1.ia A VT v2.3V.
ax V6» PAd^TREAM FONT PACK 2 A seledk^of
fonts tor use with PaoMtretMn or other DTP Padiogas (St
a Vi$7 PC TASK Ts softwore IBM-PC Erftulator. it
allows you to run Fhe rrvotoritol \RfA software with rto
odditloncil hardware O&A colour. FUlLveeiON.
■ax V6S9 CDMPUm DIAONOSTXS vV.l Is Iheres a
problen^ with your comp>uier them whot is it.
ax V6«0 t^OME MANAGBt This is a great alt In one
addrss book with on Irrvertory database & To^lo Ist
QX VMl MOOCllwe iVBTTK Allows vou to create
3d ohjecls without using the X, Y & Z VNev/s. Loads
Sculpt 3d/4d, Turbo Silver & more Forn^ts MAGC
TWEEH 'fVill metamorphosi^e any tvvo prctures.
J VMZ DCOPf v3.0 PROFFCSSIONAL You can
select ttw speed of tfw disk drsve. Copy modas, Dos,
Nibcopy, ver & scrfecopy. Loods of oiher leolures.
i:Br V6«6 MOOBIMG DUEOS Contolns wer 20 vector
Qb]ects In irrwge fcimwi, Petfed for use w«h Disk V»i
GX V667 STAR TKf. OBJECTS Contains the USS
Reliant, NCCI701D S ferengi plus ci Porsche Cor.
ax VA68 PIKMJUCTTVTTY/IUSiHESS Skick AnaVsIs
progrom SliftSTOM iogv<M0!ir«s with search scons
OX VM9 CELLULAR ALJTOMA This eleclronlc model
will olowyou to simulate cellular circulls.
OX V670 ANDROHS FOWS 1^7 Stfl Instollina font
disks for USB vmh DPoInt progroms (^ Drives iiec, 7 Disks].
QX V677 ANDRODS ViKO lACK GROUNDS A
selection ol Backgrourwl Prerures In Ff Format..
OX V«ri DRAW MAP v4.0 (2) WlH now generote ony
16 cokjur potefle with user control. New feottiras indkide
lorger mops with inallonol boundortes, fnprcvedlheJ^ and
printing. 2iVlb jltl\^b version V^ftJ, 1.2M!b version V536l?D.
Q VA w» oPTuuzBt v)hQ This latest version of the
iDisk. Optimizer. Re-CrecAes Qiste for faster Loading.
i^ V681 GAME TAMER vS.2 Get a hold of that extro
fwrtf gome & Ctwof wuh Gonw Tamer v2 .2 .
ZM VAa2 DEK3»iA,QS Hexa & ^11 Editor Icir use
wilh your Amigo's Software Shareware S15
a VMS SUPS LOCK vVm Seol your daks / Hard
drives lor your eye's only, Proteds v^th o Posswo/d,
ax VAB4 FONT FARM A collection ol uhblles. based
oround rhe subied fonts. Character Editor vl.O, Font
n^osrervVO, 5howFontv3.3, Sel font v2.5 & more.
■DX VABS ASTRO PRO ASTROUK^ The best
Astrokigy progioni on Ihe Amiga by 4ar.
■^ VAU MULTIDOa vl,.12 This is onother must for
pflop^ with PC disks. AJlter this program has been
Insuriled your Amiga drives con reod \QM Disks
ax VAB7 VIDEO WIPES A coltedion of IFF Snjshs
and back ground grophical effects
OX VABB MAGNETK FAGB v1.30 This Shorewore
program vt< create cfek boss] mogozioes m^ graphics.
QX VU9 WALT DONer CUP MT A CoHedlon oi
plduFBS from vcvkius Dbney Films.
UX VAVa 1M0BKUNCH vS.04+ UTMTKS This ts the
best colleclion o^uliftles for use with WBv^.D4. The
disiu will only work on version 2 mochines. (2)
IGXVA92 RACE RATBl 1/1 .d An excellent program for
people whowhol intormotionobout racers.
ax VA93 t^ARLfOUM VSEO AFTTa FOffT EKSK3
Anott>ervldaa_producllon background set of disks (3t
ax VA96 POST vl.7 An excellent PtHlScrlpt Inter-
preier for the Amiga which Implements the Adobe
longu^e. Requires ¥39* & ConMon vl.3+. UPDATE
tj!i*.-tf.iji7i!«jij4ji.i;i —
ax ATOS KllHBCM EI7 CBUSiK trsi lapsilixs
passKH by. fKC-WM REUAHT. veryaxd cnlm Inctecd
OK a™ BfllBHBCtS, leaws Itie Star Sallon dotk.
"~C ITOV^ Tbe tiassic original AnMnafton.
QJ(An7 THE TWO« NCC-IMO, Bellgnl & the NCC
ITbl-A-EnlSpiiSe. MPISCH ROBOTK.
ax AT1B IWOK.O, Anim NCC tUO Al««r& HOC
vm-trtrilma^ NCC HW9 Crisstm
i:iK AT22 AmOACHMQ VSSaSt Anlmollon.
Binary Flight Wifefromekindscopa by I.FfchTer
ax AT2S STAR TREK HST MANEUW NCC-1 im
Fly over & by animtiSion. ^^cellenl classic
Ogt AT33 THE F«OSE K Anirrwllim. BRD OF PK*,
Animalibn from Star Trek, KiMdONNTT.
ax ATM lEAVMS SPACE OfnCE. Andmalun
DOOOHGi Aflimslion fltiln aw lreJ( ATTACK MODE,
fiird dT Prey Scour hip irt atlotlt mode.
i:ir lOM JTAR T«lt TKC h«Xt CmeWTTON. ItlJs
gome is by Te'ry A. Mc into^^. vl A7 '
□« I0B1 THE UTITWIATC STAR TSW (!) Cams try
Tobias Pichler Ncrww,1h Englrsh inslrudions.
Ugr 2222 STAR -nst THIlJeirt OBtBtmOM This E
lhelarsrr|LjlEDarTie boscd on tha Nsxt gonerorjon Bl)
opr maxm The star TRSC Oame t>y Eric
Guswfsiin IB InfHjrt reajires IMb & B| disks.
U SMAUGT54 T^e STM TRBC Gime ty JimtPO Bartxr
TTieAn^FCOnversign 1AU} & [2] disks
:^ VJ67 STAR IKK NKMMATION A Ootabose oi
oil (he DrigtrnI series Very Detailed.
zai TUXi AHn IfUMINS Anim Requires (21 IMb
^ ma I« OATIHO 5A«£ Anim ta 3m1i
3( 1M2 SHUTTIE COCK Antmawm (IMti]
:Dr liSO IATE mow B. lOMWIAlAnm tlMl^
!JX ZOTJ ASiturr Animonon disk nm
ox 2021 VIETT4AM CONFUCTAnirnntion [IMbI
ax 2T33 GULf WAD CWniCT nMH
OX 2307 AMT AT THE MOVES I (4) IMtl Ontf
OXlSTIAMYvsTHEWAlKBIIt t2|]M>
□K J3M AMT AT THE BEACH (2) Prohley Ihe liesr
cnirrfllion by ESIo dale. Excellem 3Mb
ax 2427 CAMOUDRASE AMM 1Mb
QX HIB MR POTATO HEAD ORCM ACT {21 Ef
Chns Utt Krww Ihis ^ (K^ an £5 Anm bu it upfQ Ws srordonj 4
Matures w« {)f hfi dnrodETS The Honigf. &^^enl s^
OK 2UD SKLINK$ « HUNKSiPOOO U AMM 1Mb
Dof 2474 AMWIST Introduces An^ ttie squirrel
^JOl 247S BATMAN. Anolhe^ Animalion.VTOC
oboul ri Harrier vs Pnspflller plane contest.
OX 2474 HOW TO (BJH, Hew 10 njn Into a vrall.
Very ft^nrryAnlffrtilPnbyEriG Sctvworlz.
QX 2477 AMVWAIKS Anim ol Amy Ihe siiuiif ef
UTaltlnn. AMVJOOS OiAmylheSqjIrrelWolkJng
GX 24n LKeKMTMO Mb Slnriog lhiA»Tliur>a«
Central llcencewore Keglsler o NeArcollKtion (rom
the Amaa F>D ubrorys £1 tKl to ^e progrommef.
□X atf TOTAL CONCtFTS; DtH<KAURf(21
OV CU2 TOTAL CONCEPTS: GEOLOGY ID
ax ctui vma mai ax cluj feh iweker
ajfOJUSTYFIMG TUTOR OX OOl NOfifilS
3X002 DAiiK THINGS axcioaFWAaz
□X aD4 >!-STSiEM opraojiBuaaNONitti
□ CIO* OBIITEIULTION QX 7 WILLYS WATES WOeKS
□X CLOe THE NEW DRAGON T1LE5
□X OOT MOTOR EIUEL
THE GAMES SEUCTION
□ W% TCmS QMOMALThls Is the closAsl ^me to the
orfginol tJetirls cornpLfter gome, A Classic
ax U20 OTOS rnis istheb^ 2 PIc^rTelrra gome,
i:^ MS4 MH3iA BALL An excellant Arkonoid gsne
OX WBA SOUTAIRE & SOLJTARE ROYAL CckJ gomes
ax 1561 "FHTWU This Is the best version of Tetrison the
Amjga. with ^ ptoyer, 2 ployar & 3 Payer options,
gx i7iS ASTPVQDS THE ORlGir^' Another old
classic. This Is the original classic compuler gomfl,
a 1747 LLAMATROi/ tSAME 2001 By ieff A&^
BriSorit stuff & An exceiler^t production Shoot to kill
\iac 174« SCRAMBLE 'The Orl^lnal'Remember that old
classic well is now on the AmnttO The SiToof em yp,
Uir 1B70 PATI^CrS, This Is me best version to date.
DOMJNOK, Pkr^vs the compuler or ohother ptoyer.
ax 1V77 POMPOM GUNNER Shoot dovm IhiG inccm-ing
VAykt'wcr Holr ptartes In tteOpemAmWoHtype^nv!
□ 2018 JETHMAN Another Spednjm classic converted lo
the amlgo. irs JeiPak wirh al! the original sounds.
i:iX 20f2 SCIV UU<E. TT>e tirsr Silent Service type sot>
wargaiTiewflhlrk our Amigo PO coHecMon.
i::iX 2054 ATIC ATAC A rendition of the game fron^ rhe
criginoil Spectrum con^puter, Graphic Mazeodventure
i:iX 21A2 BATTU OF BRfTlAN WAR GAME 2 Strategy
war games which botti need loading through Wb,
i:iX 21A4 DUNGEON OH NADAOJ ITiis is l^e besi
Dungeons & l^aaons Public domain r^pe game
a 2t73 CARDGAMES^ Vorious card games titled
Crlbboge. BbjeMoooL Klrrg. Patience li hiearts.
ax t\f% SUflVlVOft A socce based odveture gomre
within Ihe Aliens theme. Nice cohxirluD gnaphics
□X 21B0 SKODA CHAU^^GE An eJcCeW A ployer
holRod gorrve vv'^iren ifi Amos. Simple but good fun.
UX 21BS BATTLECARS ExcEilSent Solid 3d GrophiCS.
travel around, rracfcdov^n the orher cars & destroy
□X tm PAKACHUTt XWST You ore foiling cfaw to
earth. & must lake the Porochulc from the other playef.
QX 23S0«mATEO<C OAM£$, Etemol Rome. Uirds of
l-tosts. In frtoonsfilne. An Ejtcelienl colFeclion.o) garrires.
□X aWl Mi« OAMt$ t\ Of the l>e£i witnd gomes to
cfwilerma your mind not your shooting stalls,
n 22S4 SWORD Of THE WARLOCK A Sards tales / Eye
of the Beholder iqdventuiire qame pocked on three disk.^;.
TT^ besF Shareware rolepwying gome on the omigo.
Excellent Adveiure m \m \1 E>M
i:iX 2272 81ACK JACK LAB FVt^ f^arrkm Lfh 7 f>k»^s. The
wflip^ plofi boniBr S bov.5 ttie popuki WWTO rf tfs gon^
i::iX 2276 CMD SHARP Avery profKslonally pres«nled
seledion of scilitowe type Cord gan'ws, EwslbBit versions
i:iX 2279 SUB ATTACK vl.OConlrod rbe torpeddes &
sink the enemy ships as ttiey soil post. lawmI«.
i::tX 22BO DF1j0MANCYv2,D a classic strotegy gome
loosely based on ^orld Wor (. A very deioiled gonte
i:iX 2313 RCVB4GE OFTHE MUTAhrr CAMBS By Jeff
Minter The ride al o life time with niutont comets
i:iX 23S7 SPACE POKBI TheoHematlve Poker Game
\JX 3411 TOTAL WAR The boorct gome version ol EISIC
i:iX 2412 PORMIAA 1 SIMUlATdR Anadltlve simulator
laX a4aa GOLDEH QUM^ GOloga, Oolosaons, Spoce
invoders, Asieriods, Qolty, Missie Command & Blimeline.
i:iX 2447 AMOS OOMOROP FRUIT MACHINE Excelter^l
slmufoior with varidus oomWe mode;. Greoi fun. .
ax 2450 SMASH TV - THE M> OFf ^mular to the
Originol OrCode machine With neoi gnopglcs 3r sound
ax 245S MAYHEM GuliSe your space ship through Ihe
Spoce COvems, shool things & open ihe spoce gofes.
i:^34SA terrWXAnewTelrisvoriahtwihereyDu
posilon tiles within a leher. time limit so be tet about It.
i:iX 24B0 AMOS FRUT MACHME M As near as
pQssc^ile to ttie (ryti nwchine foumd in Pubs ■& Arcades.
i:iX 24B1 AMI MORUvS,22 Tbls !S the latest upda^e to
the Original Wono odventure gome. Better grophlcs,
and Ihe larKi adventure to date. EKcellent
OV 1402 DfSCtNOCft Is a clone of the clossic orcode
game lemp^cornplete vvlih vectorized graphics,
LDC 34B3 HTRLDS Is a MuttI level Berserk done,
features smDoihoc*n«*ay, great grophics & sound.
Lilf Z4B4 CATACOMB AgroF^lcatodvBnturegameselona
smoit bfcnd In Ih tniddlB of Im ikind ol EXCHBl^ Your qust
Is 10 discover secrets & treosurs ol thte underground maze
Otf MBS RUN OAOS -NAPOLB4C WAR^tMbl This Is
another upckiie to the eKeilent Strategic War Came (2)
QX 24B7 CLASH OF THE EMPffiB (1^b| Another
BKceBent Sirateolcol WorOome 6y T.ASeor. Qj
GX 24B9 THE COLOSSAL CAVE v1.0 An adventure by
Donald i/iJoods &. Will Crowther S> iswrtualjv' identical to
the original moin frame classic. Ported by Tony Beldlog
QX 24™ RUMMT AAOlher Card gome with graphics
ax Z491 L£GB«I OF LOTHAM v1.02 Is an odvenlure
gome In the vien of Ihe Ulfwria game series, iRcludK
coloL^I grcKihlcs. Hordes isl monsters & puzzles to soh?.
QX Z4H BATTLfiMaJTS - HUNCHB^ This is a
convsrslon of threoM dossic goms. Excellent gome
».mHrJLHi]m«UIJ.|.).lMil.HM.I:).IJ:JJrl.l.l
AMOS 8 FRED FISH DISKS
I^VAPDIJI UHDBt$TANEWM AMO$ The Amos
Tutorlol Progrom Disl(, A musf
a Al>D39A KJWBDASE vZ.O This rs an efxsi. hwndlv and
Pcwer^illv dalotMse which con hondte lO.OW records,
jjir FS4V VStSEWtSE vl.O Gospel \fAMX & J) of the
aible view, output, search prog^o m. jump to onry verse,
QX F5A2 SHOW GURU v2.1b Recognizes 16B differeni |
gunj numbers & honsloles them into English
ax FS71 MULTVLOT vM One ol the mosi pcwerful
doio^oltfno padca^es available. Exceltent abllltlK.
nox F§74 tCWZAP v3.S A ihrd gensf olten wfM purpose
Jriie sector ecAtrig utility, includes on eKcellent searcti fsoi^jre
OX F5B0 WOMD DATABANK v2.2 Using o dalo boSe I
^mi the ClA, thisprogiram will plot world mops.
i:iX FSV3 ANALYRNM |2] An intergr^tion of AnolytCok
spreadsheet & RIM^S Datobcse manag«nent.
i:3X FA21 MULTiPLATSC vl-tf Music player progroffi
which ptays soundtrackef/h4DJsetracker modules.
ax ^79 CLBPvl.OI Cannn Loser Printer Driver.
Includes extra preferences with addiftonol options
Lix HtJ AOOC V7-04 A Help unkty for the Amiga. You i
Vniil have pennanent help on any subject you wont.
QX FA3B i^OeO OF LOTHIAN vl.ftl Is on adventure
game in the vwn of the LHIimo game series. Indudes
colour^l gropbics. i^rdes of monsters & puzzles to solve.
QX FA30 BKS vl.lO BoDf Imn Consliuction S?l Q tod to oeolB 1
srrioii WTO o(t Ihe booftliodc,wffidioppeor when a disk ij inserted, r
QX FA31 AHDM v3.B<K[ Horc disfc menu syst'on^ of^rs
o sMsen page n»enu, ecKh page having upta ten
possible odlons. Just double dfek on the opilon.
QX FA32 PMNmLES vO.9 A print utility to replace The
Sfondord worktDenchprinffiles commond. WM Only
QX FA34 SUCER v2.0 1'VIII create abstract art bosKJ on |
mofhemofical functions, such os rnoodetbrot set. NBA"
P(W^v2.1, A pnagrom for formatting tsflfties so that
they con od[ us.i_oir trie n-argins, 00110001 shoreware.
QX FA3S BOOTPtC v2.0^ Allows you to install near^
ony IF? Rcture ihoi yoy like inploce ol the WB haf>d,
QX FA3A ALERT tV<i, Gives clelalled Infornvillon aboui |
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IQX FA37 LAZl Al a utittty for use with archlvers. You
can odd, deieie, eKtract^ update sirigie or n^ulripte
fiEes. LHA ^2% Latest versicn ttom 5>%tan Bobiyg.
QX WSe POWetMAXe *1,1S a powerful mooFrtie
tagume tevel debugger fo' the serious Amiga Procrommer. |
Cuf FAS2 fiEMEmS v3i.O A very nice interoctrve di^loy |
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QX FAS3 RLE SOKTvt.O A ^le requester which is
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QX FASS HAKTAR vUA A kind of odM^nti^e Conslnjct-
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QX FM1 CITADa ^JH A fulE feotured Amlgol£S
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UlX FAA3 DiSKJET v2.1A ^ecl an Internal tent to print
One or rriore tiles Will onlycantral a HP Qeskjeil ^CW's
IQX FAAA KME vT,2 is anofher lceyrt>ap editor, that you
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QX CAi OiP^tT PACK 1 (91 Spoils' Flogs, Aninwfs
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QX VH7 Bobws, Beach, Camels. Chorlie Chopnxin,
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ax V15I Cartoon, Old cots. Outline Men, Outline
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JX UO AVIMA BLUE
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COMPiETE The Complete Fred Fish has been
mEOFISH professional printed, bound & includes
o sorted Index of Oilljhe disl(5. It now stands ol over
ISO+Pages. It olso comes with free update pages as
the new disks ore released. Please note that the
updates are only ovoiloble from PD-Soft. FRED FiSH is
collection of Amiga Games, Utilities & Aluch, More_
Each disttstotoVpadkedwlrhproorants.*. _-j I
All Fred Rsh disks corrwwiihluBinstrucfora "^^-^^j |
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Any other disks Required,
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mpog* 146
Book, which is a $10 shareware
program by Linda Lullie, is a
computerised version of the "record
every tiny detaii of your baby's
development" sorapbooks sold to
guiiible (or sadistic) parents. Whether
you're guilibie or sadistic can be
determined by asl<ing yourself
whether you are iil^eiy to get the bool<
out when your offspring brings their
''Now could be a
good fime to swifc/i
ffie computer off
to to the
andgt
pub.
//
giri/boyfriend home to dinner.
The idea is that, as your sprog
grows, you type in aii its relevant
details - date of birth, weight, name
of the doctor present, when it first
vomltted over the babysitter and so
on. The program has a number of
'pages', ranging from 'Firsts' (smile,
tooth, haircut and so on), through
'Mom's notes and medical notes' to
13 RH.5 53% fun, 4K free, 833K in use iBldl
Icons
t«5
HsrkArt;
■poo
ne_First
DropCloth i!>\\i
M^
Backdrop
The.Bin
Pandora's_BoK Gallery
Start le PowerPacker
The Aml^holics club disk has some utilities and programs on the disk,
although th«re Isn't the variety that you And on some
'Baby's first Christmas'. Details can,
of course, be printed out.
If this is your kind of thing, I have
to say that it's been fairly weli done.
Apart from an occasional difficulty In
selecting a text field to type in to, the
program worked well, the fonts are
reasonable and the graphics are weli
drawn. Personally, I just think it's
sad there's a market for this kind of
thing. The rating depends on whether
you agree or not.
Program rating 1/10
or 9/10
UPDATE... UPDATE...
FT-X AccQUirta now has an Improved user Intmrface and many new features
- recommended I
You may recall that tn the June Issue I raved about a program called FT-X
AccoimtB, by Fred Trigg. Well, Fred has been In touch with me to tell me
that he's radically itpgracle<) the program, which Is now at version 2.01. It's
now far faster, twcause he's re-wrltten It In complied HISoft Basic rather
than Amiga Basic, and added sotne features like Rxed Costs and a faster
reconciliation feature.
Fred has now included a requester telling you that the version you have
is unregistered, and which counts down from about 40 - in seconds - so
that's a good incentive to register. The user interface has now also been
improved - the whole thing is much more attractive and professional-looking.
In the June issue i said that I'd recommend FT-X Accounts; with the
Improvements that Fred has made, I'd say that this is doubly the case.
The shareware fee for the program is £20; Fred can be contacted at 25
Cecil Aldin Drive, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire RG3 6YP.
HOME MANAGER 2.0
PD Soft disk V660
Home Manager is an $1S shareware
program by Len Piatt, who goes
under the pseudonym of Lord Sutch
Productions. It started out as
personal database called Home
Sweet Home, but grew as more
features were added. It now has
eight sections: Appointments;
Personal Inventory; Address Book;
Notepad; The Wallet; Area Codes;
and Important Phone Numbers.
The program works in Interlace
mode, although It only takes up the
NTSC portion of the screen. Until you
register, a small 'nagging Requester'
appears at frequent Internals
reminding you to register the
program - this requester holds up
program operation for about five
seconds each time it appears, so
you'll soon get sick of it.
As with the home accounts
package reviewed earlier, your views
on the usefulness of this program
will directly reflect your opinion of
whether computers are better than
standard paper-and-pen methods of
organising your life. Given that you
think they are, though. Home
Manager i s ce rta I n ly f u 1 1 y-fe atured
and should keep you happy.
Taking a brief look at each of the
sections to the program in turn, the
first is the Address Book. This has
as many features as some stand-
alone programs, including the facility
to print address labels, an individual
entry, a list of all names or the full
database. You can also search for
strings In any of the fields. You can
have two separate address
databases, designated Business and
Personal.
The Appointments module Is a
combined calendar/appointments
diary, with the calendar on the left of
the screen and an appointment book
on the right. Although automatically
set up with time slots at half-hourly
interifals, the appointment diary can
be altered at will.
Area Codes doesn't seem to be
editable, but contains phone codes
for a large number of countries, as
well as many (If not all) American
States. The American States
information might not be too useful
to us here In the UK, but I'm sure
that someone out there will be able
to make use of them.
The Inventory section of the
program allows you to list and
describe all your valuables -
presumably for insurance purposes,
in case your home is burgled.
However, since the Amiga is likely to
be one of the things that's taken. It's
a good Idea to print out the list,
rather than just leave it on the
computer. Fortunately, there's the
facility to do Just that - as well as
printing a single entry or printing a
list of items without any detail.
The Notepad is a basic note
taker - the documentation says that
it's not Intended to be a fully-fledged
word processor, although you can
load, save and print documents from'
this area of the program. Phones Is a
list of regularly-used phone numbers,
which can be dialled if you have a
modem connected to your phone
line. I've seen this sort of routine on
just about every computer ever
made, and I still wonder... does
anyone actually use it?
ToDo's is the section of the
program where you enter any things
that you need to do (surprise,
surprise). Every time you start the
program. It scans to see if there's
anything In the list and, If there is,
lets you know.
Rnally, The Wallet Is described in
the documentation as a "credit card
database with dialler". Unfortunately,
It refused to run on my machine -
every time I selected that module,
the program just terminated and left
me back In the Workbench.
Home Manager needs the fatter
(1Mb) Agnus chip to run, and works
in Interlaced mode - something
which makes it less useful for me
(and, 1 suspect, many people) since 1
don't have a flicker fixer, and staring
at an interlaced screen for more than
five minutes at a time gives me a
dreadful headache.
It constantly amazes me that
people write such high-quality
software for the PD and shareware
marketplace. Home Manner could
easily be sold as a full, commercial
piece of software. It looks
professional, has no bugs that I
could find (with the exception of The
Wallet), has comprehensive on-line
help and is cleariy the product of a
great deal of development work. I
can only hope that Len keeps on
writing shareware - he's already
written six or seven other programs -
since he's obviously very talented.
nMitlflirad on poge 1 50
48
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 1 6 • AUGUST 1 992
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much more, espeotal^ydesignedforvliJeoproduceraW diiiu]
KD KCTDR DEMO MAKK PACKBob, Font & Vector Editors, Program * Utits disfc (s dik*} (h
MUSK MAKIrtii PACK MEtJ, Molsetracker, Psound Player a samples, Ucenceware Sourds (B 4mtt)
AiTI«5HOM» PACK storchart, Amigaier, Deepsky, Planets, Moonphase (» dlikj) (Ml
SlMULAnOHS PACK Metro City wanner, King Oil, Seatance, Truckln, [)CTOplusmore(Sdliiu)
ART « SPAPHtCS PACK Ultra Paint, Cartoon Bnjshes, DPaIrt Art, Fonts & Surtaxes, Graphic Utils (l dUtt)
Amiga ftjr DTP, Tea Rib, Biisiness tetters (WXJJ, Aopolntment Scheduler Clip Art label
Pr1rtandiiti.is,<tdlil!i) ^
CUPAJtT PACK
DISK TOP VIIXO PACK
FXECiimM«jinAMr
.U.1Q
U.H
C7.M
UJO
PKINTEllAMUnPACK
PtOOIIAMHWW PACK
COMMUHKAnSNI PACK
Printer Drtvers, Printer Generator, Label Pnnters Tor eisks, and postage, uQis lb n»re (4 4
Pascal, Dice, c Compiler, Basic Compiler, Fortran CortwHer (s dliJa) ;,,„.
B).,.
r^Comm, Jrcomm, Access, Sopcrtcx, UK STtJ Codes, Qed, Dial, Compreaten UBis,
Dial and rr>ore (5 disksj (HP) £430
Electro Cad l.i, PCB. Desisn Tool, Sptae, Mvstic Hardware HdUa) ™!!!™".! .UJfl
Exile fonts, lar^c, small, unusual, coloured, Workbench Forrts, Dpaint fonts. Outline fonts.
Surfaces, granite, marbte and lots more t5dtski) , MM
iBem PC Emulator, cewi*. Atari ST Spectrum Emulntor, QL Emulator {4 diKs) fpv) OM)
GRAPHIC DKSISH A ITTHi Create whiriing galaxies & netxjlas, Ray tracing, Mpath, Ray^iade, Poses, Fracsen,
6ezsurf,MandelMountalns, C Light, Brush ^D and lots more (6 dlika) ,. EMO
OK KHMUTZ ANIMS (1 meg) Brtiran, TerawnH, late hlsnt, Wetnam ConiUtt, Shuttle cock, coyote II koad leit, (4 dlilaj..^M
nkCK DISKS MaULAimhmVIDUAUyAI99P EACH
EUCmONIC USOIS PACK
FOHTS « SUaiACII PACK
EMIJUtnOWPACK
Ua41 D J. P Amlastei; ( English)
U737 MesaydostftetdsKOISIts)
JM7 Icons (over 300)
De-archived
U2000 Supertdliere (Latest vims
killers)
070* M/stIC HanJware
fconstrucEion details)
11644 Exile Fonts
UO^ Iconrruister & Ikonmeister
+ icorK
W*2 Biorythms ,1- UtIls
BUSINESS
BP10 Honne Mansement Pack (3
diikl) M.ai
E201 6 NEWI Amitiase Professional
BBOO Dauessy (Database)
BS01 Uectit
(Editor/Wordprocessor)
&700 HoiTie Banklr>3
B400 Atwiytlcalc (SprnHjsheet)
CMS Visicaic (Spreadsheet)
B407 Clerk (accounts)
BSOO letters (over AOO)
B500 Business Caid Maker (NP)
U1303
US051
u:ai3
U535
UISOT
LJZOSO
US050
U120S
01 302
utooi
UTILITIES
C-Ughi 3D AnI i Ray Tracer
Tc»tPlu5V.3
Astrolo^ (S ditkl) (HP) £1.70
Eltctroad v1 .04
LandbUEld v3.0£ (Landscape
Creation}
Asene family Tl'ce D/Base
PCQ with PCQED
Windowsbench (Sfd,
iconmostcr, UtJIsMNP)
Cartoon Brushes
Rom Kemat Ref , mjifmmi
U1000
U1901
UflOS
UKXM
LI735
LK057
U20S6
US055
0025
0978
OS010
Lattice C
NorthCv13(adlikl]Ct.T«
C Manual [4 dllk)]ea.W
C LItlls & Oebugger
Hard Disk UtIls
Pools Checker
DlceCComplltr(SdL»lii)
t\M
Fortran Conapller
CUWkanI (HP), CUHelp
Custom Bootblock
PC Ennulfltor
OTHEKS
SCIENCE ddliks] £1.90
Beard Games [n dliki) £1,90
vivt^di's i Seasons (a dliki)...£i .«c
Star Trek (2 dllkt) £1,90
Mad On 'Er Demo
(«<fcta) (HP)E3.M
DatinsCefne3.5>rieg
{a diiio) .ei.M
Kids Paint (Idlik)
Meu*AM({lli4ltiit^
Calilojue Dlik Ineludlnj VIRUt
CHECKEl^ UCDfT,
MURASE K imLS OHIV SOP
Diiki arc virus Chccktd. Order BIO* anci Choose a tret PD dliks
(MP) = MOTAiOO+ Cotufjatlble, Branded blank disks 33p each
SOUMB iAMPLiS (Llceitceware) SCI-FI, DRUMS, GUFTAHS, ATMOSPHERICS + lots more £5 SOP each or £8.00 for pact! ol 4
PC PUBLIC DOAtAlN SINGLE DISKS AND PACKS ALSO AVAILABLE
MAIL ORDER ONIY;- DiSis dtsoatched witfiln 4S tirs ol receipt of order. Printed cataloaus list (Etumjd witti order, OB send
HI S.AE. la l\a ar^. PSP UK SSp Europe El .50 Worid tS.SO, Cheques J< postal orders payable to 3 AW6C6
3 AMIGOS, DEPT AS16, 1 6 MARSETT WAY, LEEDS IS14 BOH,
1^ 1*1- Enq, wekoffl* eJttr i.30pm m (0S3a) 733043 .
ALL 1)I.SK.S
S riLL 0\L\
WpKACH
anglia PD
II K 7«>|i - linllldfM
' (%) = Magazine review score
(P) = Works on A5CI«, ASOO Plu* and A600
PAOESTREAM OUTLINE FONTS PACK 1 OR 2
(P) EACH R\CK: = 5 DISKS £4.95
E-achpaek confaim approxSQ superb nsw (militK fonis for
PagfsStvam V2.i itr htigher... Fantastic!
DESKTOP VIDEO PACK 2 (P) 4 DISKS £3s!l«
Prvhabty ow btsl pack yet! Prvviiies ft* ry/Afi^ lo siart
ytm t#rn video. S MovJefoT Sme^lh strotfing titiej usittg
imyfonl of any jia; Showbtifsrsiideshowswiitt loadi of
■wipes andfadu: A-Grophfor basintss vjdMs: Shadow
Maker iO add shoadews and snwct^ anyj&tfr \'idto
Ubrari&t; Video Tools: Video Tesfs: Ltfadi affonts aiuJ
morff!
DESKTOP VIDEO PACK 2
INSTRUCTION MANUAL!!! {P) £199
A 50 page instnictifj/i ntsmml for DTV pack 2.
Pn^sstoneity pt-jnied, contains instructions faroli ifw
programs in fhe pact and a section on fonts and ftm*-' ro
aiethirt[i Aiso itKSudes a superb g^aidtd ruforiai that
taixs you through the ntajor programs sitp by step, itfting
you create yiaw own titles as. you go> Oesignedfor
beginners and expenenced users, ihis manual wiii mats
desktop video easy!
HOME MANAGEMENT PACK i DISKS (P) £2.97
Calender. Morijiage, Spreadfivit, Grammar, Mileage. Worid
Time, Budget. Cfiequei^ooLDatidiase. Typing Jaior, Ttpcmitei,
Grocery. Ust Maker, Home Banking.
CLIPART PACKS 1, 2 OR J EACH PACK
= 5 DISKS £4.95
5 diffenni pacts ofi disks, allfuli ofihi very best clipart for
PFaintetcfPi
FONTS PACK 1 OR 2 EACH PACK = 5 DISKS S £4.95
diSfrtm pacts of 5 disks, pfiCi I contains: Pabiis!ier/imis,
'I'orioHsfiints. fonts disk 2. Cos/iK^itan fonts, large fonts (loads
of great Jom for DPaint etc.i fPi
ANGLIA COLOURFONTS {P) 5 DISKS £4.95
5 disicifult of original foiour fonts pmduced here m f^glia.
These an 16 colour fonts - not cui atd paste! They are prodttCed
in the same way at the chiitifonf supplied wfTft DPainl and Ae
Kara rantt ^ commerciatJatMs! They htt typed straiglir in asut
wort witn Dpainl and TV Teja.
EDUCATION PACK 1 (P) 5 DISKS £4.9$
Germait. Gif^. Grotitne.Dnrwmap. Evitljuion, Claudi, FormaSa.
Airfoil. Grtniiy 5™, WenfMr. Wa\.t Maker and mare!! fn\iipaek is one
of OUT bea sfllrrt and ii incredible faltufitr tafiaty).
ASTRONOMY PACK (P) 4 DISKS £3.W
This superb pack nav,'in:litdft; Star Chart, Amigazer. Tofal
Contepts Astronomy. Gravity Wrli GravSim. Orhii, Planet and
Past facta on the sotar system.
PRINTER USER PACK (P) 4 DISKS £3^
Ejsrntialfbr ali printer owners' tactudes. Label Designer, Label
Printer. Printer Driver Generator. Print SfUdio, Pita More!
PUZZLES PACK n (•) (P) 2 DISKS £1.98
Superb new pack for fans ofcrosswordt;fpepu:iirs, includes:
HiwiifMorfA ' Ptader - Wdrdhat - Wardgame - Crosswords - CWP
- Daeorch
SIMULATIONS PACK (•) ^P) S DISKS £4.95
Alt of the best PQ simtilofions in one pack! Metro -Be a city
planner. King Oil - you .irt JJ(.! Nuke - fiFuclear arms rget.
frnprtiumMom^tfiHrn - Grab ancient Mediterranean pott^er,
Sealance - Save the world udth vow nuclear sub. Truikin - Rufl
your own truetin company. DCiO - Learn i&/ly a DCiOJet, Lore
^Conquest - TWo pbiyers: lake OVer the galtayl insiders Cluh -
Super/t siocisrtarket simuiation, Air Kirrrior - Toie you pict from
a ha^e range of aircraft viffl this excellent fiight simuloior!
EASY BUSINESS PACK {P) $ DISKS £4.95
Ml programs included are powetfui but easy! Includes: Text
Engine VI iThe very latesi WOrdproceisorf. Spread Vi
i'Spreadsheetf. ^ase (Simple Dafabasei, BBase if (Good
Databaseh Bankn (Great accounts packagei, X-Spell (Speli
checker i. Prim Studio.
INTERMEDIATE BUSINESS PACK (P)
SDfiKS £4^
WorAvrigkf (WordprOcessi^ including fdoil Merge and MacrosH
S-CaSc iGood Spreadsheeti, Amibasr Pro 1 (Stunning Pt>
Database - New!], AmigasptU (Spell Checkeri. LS Label (Infinite
label controli. Messysiil V2, (Antiga FUt Management * PC Pile
Tran^rK Amiga fo* {Deitfitp Fubtishingf
DISK EXPERT PACK (P) 5 DISKS £4.45
If you want to learn more C^ttt yMr Amiga, gel this pack! - You'll
be a disk expert in no time! Includes Power Packer (Easy file
COmpacterj, Sid {BrilUani CU Replacement TooHi. Icormiania
(Change any Icon in seconds), Fixdisk. Viruschecker VS3. D-Copy
tCopies. Repairs. Formats and more}, CU Tutorial (AH >W( i»mJ
to hmviandlO^ (tlhrr utilities!'!
"V PROGRAMMERS PACK (^ 6 DISKS £S34
A Complete "C" language arid sttperb instruction momial pruvide
all yoa need SO learn the "C language, includes North C (2 disks}
and the C Manual (4 diLksf
MED V3a MtSIC PACK (P) 4 DISKS £3.9ti
MED iS videly recognised as the beit music package. PD or
otherwise!! This pack Contains Vi.2. the latest version complete
with loads t^ digital samplts. a disk full cfMED mitrie scares and
some great MED music to load and play! Usien to what tour
machine is capable of?
500+ CLASSIC GAMES PACK (P) 5 DISKS £4.95
An incredible colletlion t^ superb commercial ifuallty arcade
fomet! Hours of fun for both kidi and adults. IneludtS.' Defender,
Galaxions, Scranible, Missile Command. PaC'Man, 3i-Planes,
Dripl. SpitCe in^-aders.Ajteroidt, Breakout, Tetrii + more!
CARD + BOARD GAMES 2 (P) 4 DISKS £3.9*
AiKther outsninding collection! 1$ very good "Thin^ng' Games!:
Chess ^7. Backgaittmon. blackbox. Toveri, Pipe, Zerg, MSit.
Cluedo. ConRecft. Dominoes, Draughts, OtheKo.GoMokit,
Dragon Tilts, Klondike, Canfield. Mastermind, Wordsean-h.
Hangman, Pontoon and many more.
rteue Dole all pick disks mty ht bdORbt stngif il 99pl
SINGLE DISKS AT ONLY 99p!
BUSINESS
B32iiFftSS'^)Amiga^tEngliih DeskTop PuNlshingf
B322 (Fi (93%t 600' Businessd^ettert (St^rb! - Ready to use}
flJJO (Pi (^%) Amicash (Superh new bank account manager^
BSSUPii92%fQED (Very good wotdptocestor for begintutsi
Siii iPi(90^!l U'Edit ViM (Latev and greatest wardpro)
B333 fP\ (m%\ A/nibaie Fn^ssioml 1 jNm PD! - Super danAase}
Bi34 iFl Appt^mmeivs (ite^er jniss nnf.' Let your Aji\iga remind you}
B335 (P) f92%i Poroa tmlimited (Design invoices etc, qmcklvand
tasityli
BI39 (P) A^faph (very easy to use - make bar + line graphs and
pie charts!!
S?mpiy phon& your orOw thnugh or »»tul a ch^^ue/postal ordtr. Pi^an
BS2? (Pi fS6%i Text Erigine V3 (great looking wordproceiiOK easy
yei povirtful)
B140 i(P!t(S^%}BBaselfV5J. Latest Database now includes
better printouts and mailing labets!
B341 (F} Phone-Plus fSiorephone numbers. print address labeis.
good!)
UTILITffiS
tH13 (P) ({00%} Sid v1j6 (makes ^ti a master ofCLIi
U4I6 (P) (70%) CU TuiOritd (Learn all about Hi
i'4i7(PK9i%)D-Copy V2.iNo>vatt even better disk copierl\
U47i X Copy Ul (PD version of commercial prog: Save £3^!!i
U47S (Pi Typing Tutor (New! Great features )
U494 (Pi Pascal (2 t^ks ■ brtlUant language)
U49i ^7*J VUwchecker V6jt)4(P) (The iveti -Forthepki tool)
U496(Pi(9S%\Meu:FSidV2 (Reads and writes PC dlsksi
U497 (P) (S5%i ASi}0+ UtiiUies (For the ASOO-t onlyli
U4ii04 (Pi Pools PreiUctffr (significantly impnoves yoMr chances)
U400S (Pi f75%i Turbo Invloder f«ii«M Imds mote onto a diski
U4006 IP) Fancy disk label designer (the best around, in colour
ioc!)
U4007 iP) (93%) Disk Opiindstr (bt^lliansly simple! Any disk loads
t^ to 15 times faster i
U4008 (P) Sid V7 (It's si^rb!!! Fully functional!)
U4009 (P) Amiga Tutorial (A beginners manual on disk, superbli
U40tO(Pi(9&%)MDCIick V2 + File Minder. Superb hard disk
menu maker + Directory uHllty (NEV^'!)
mon (Pi Race Rater Horse race predictor - Good (NEWH
IMOtl (Pi (i}2%i Magnetic Pages VU. ProdtiCe your awn superb
disk magaiines (NEW!)
imi3 (Pi (SS%i Power logo. Full language (NEWIi
U40i4 (Pi Lazi. Easy to use UiatC, Art ^ loo! (NE»!)
GAMES - r=IMEG)
G60i3 (Pi Chess Tutor (improve your sfnH} includes a full
chess game!
G60i9 (P) A500+ Games (2 1 Games for the Plus!)
G^2l (P) (90%) Tanx (great Jm! get it now ' yctu won't be
disappointed)
G6022 (PiCluedo(100% acctirate version of the board game)
G602S (P) Monopoly (excelled American plus compatible
version!)
G6027 (Pi(9{%)L>ihian. Superb ultima me adventure ^ great
graphics • hordes c^ monsters! (N^)
G602S (Pi (9.^%) D^ender! Abnosi eian arcade comrersion -
Brilliarif!
G677 (P)(<>0^)AmigoSds (The best Asteroids Gamei
G624 (Pi Btiaard {*) (PD's best rftwr em up)
cm (Pi Pom Pom Gunner V2 (Laiest ^ New levels)
CHILDRENS
C701 (P) Learn * Flay (2 disks-super education for 4- 1 Oyrsi
C7S2 (Pf Colour Pad (New colouring book for voun^sters)
C7!3 (P) (90^i Peters Quest (lots d^. platform gamei
C7i4 (94%) Storylandfl (Brilliant kids game)
CJiS (Pi Composer (simply st^tb music maker for i2yrs + J
C71 7 (Fi Frogger! {frantic jrog fun/of under lOsi
C71S (Pi(n%i Centipede (v.'oaderfjtl graphics, brilliant game
fOragesStoadultH
C7I9 (Pi fS7%J Total Concepts (2 DfrtJ.j (Astronamy Jt iJjiuMsur
Education Pack ' Good!i
C720 (Pi Colour ihe<l4phabet (Great education for early leamersiyi*!
C721 (P) Languages! (Practice French, German and Spanish!)
C724 (Pi (95%i Doody. l*fy much like Mario Brot and very good
add 60p to cover p09t mnd packing.
Anglia
anj
^ angi
;lia
1 angl
;lia
FISH DISKS IN
STOCK 350-650
ONLY 99P EACH!
DEJA-VU
IN STOCK 1-85
£3^0 EACH!
PUBLICII
ANGLIA PUBLIC DOMAIN LIBRARY
(EJept ASH), 115 Banelagh Road, Feli>stowe, Suffolk. IP11 7HU
TELE
UJ
Intinwtlonflf
OTBlert WAleamt
but p4«H a
30p pw dl«k
poii^packlnfl.
Old
ifCREDITgi
0394
283
494
puBiyjiiyuyN
CMiHMMd from paga lU
It's another good reason to pay your
shareware fees - to keep guys like
this interested.
Program rating 9/10
DISK MAGS
Please do keep your disl< magazines
coming in, even if I don't review
yours every rnonth. Each coiumn
from now on I'll pick out one or two
that I haven't iooked at for a while,
so it's in your interests to make sure
that I keep seeing yoursi
AMIGAHOUCS NO 5
The Amigahollcs disk magazine
number 5 starts with some pretty
reasonable music and a picture
which siowiy draws itself on the
screen. After a while you realise that
you need to hit a key to continue
and, having done that a scrolling
message appears with the histoiv of
the disl<. Hit a key again (it would be
good to be told that that's what you
need to do) and you're into the
program selector.
The editorial was an interesting
read, as was the Letters section.
Unusually for a disk magazine with a
menu, only the text files were
included on the menu - for access to
the rest of the files, you have to exit
to the Workbench.
The programs included weren't
too spectacular, but the range wasn't
bad. The disk I received was the
February edition (why 1 didn't get a
later one 1 don't know), but I'm
assured that the magazine is going
from strength to strength.
Amigahollcs can be contacted at
29 Wolfe Crescent, Charlton, London
SE7 STS.
Value for money 6/10
DREAMERS
Dreamers Is unusual for a disk
magazine in that its front-end was
written in AMOS (of course, as usual
that means that I can't screen grab
the bloody thing!). The presentation
Is very elegant, with text scrolling in
the middle third of the screen, the
magazine's logo at the top and Icons
for the different subjects at the
bottom.
Much of the disk is taken up with
text files, and the editorial content
certainly seems up to scratch. There
are reviews of 3D drawing packages,
tips on drawing techniques for
popular programs such as Deluxe
Pamt, a review of a DTP package, a
discussion of memory expansions
along with reviews of a few units,
games reviews, news and so on.
There Is also a 'picture of the
month'. Unfortunately, there's not
much (if anything) in the way of PD
software on the disii, so be aware
that you're paying mainly for
editorial. However, in future there will
be two disks - each costing £2, or
both for £3 - one of which will be the
mag, while the other carries a
selection of PD.
Dreamers issue 3 has been
made public domain so that people
can see what it's like; normally the
disks will cost £2. Issue 3 was
supplied to us by PD Soft - it's disk
number 2425. Or, if you want to get
the latest issue, send a cheque for
£2 (or £3 for both the mag and its
associated collection of PD software)
to Paul Harthen, 43 Boyds Walk,
Dukinfield, Cheshire SK16 4AX.
Value for money 6/10
Next month I will, as always, be seeking out the best software to review. If
you've got a particular sub}ect that you want me to cover, or if you've come
across a good piece of PD or shareware that you think deserves a mention,
drop me a line here at PD World, Amiga Shopper, Future Publishing, 30
Monmouth Street, Bath BAl 2BW. Or you can contact me on CIX as
'iwrigley', or on the Internet as 'iwrigley@cix.compu1ink.co,uk'.
(A
(A
o
fr
^
3 Amigos
16 Marsett Way
Leeds LS14 2DN
a 0532 733043
Amlganuts United
169 Dale Valley Road
Hollybrook
Southampton SQl 6QX
AMOS PD Library (also Daja Vu)
25 Park Road
Wigan WN6 7AA
« 0942 495261
Anglla POL
115 Ranelagh
Feltxtowe
Suffolk IPll 7HU
a 0394 283494
Blitterchlps
Cliffe House
Primrose Street
Keighfey BD21 4NN
n 0535 667469
CIS
PO Box 7
Bl etch ley
Milton Keynes, MK2 3YI
« 0908 640763
Ci^y Joa's
145 Effingham Strset
Rothertiam
South Yorks S65 IBL
« 0709 829286
Dottrax PD
36 Bodelviydctan Ave
Old CoSwyn
Clwyd L129 9NP
a 0492 515981
DIgttt
PO Box 144, Mexborough
South Yorks S64 9SL
w 0709 571748
EdUb
Scotland Farm, Stockwood Road
Brislington
Bristol BS4 5LU
• 0272 7234S9
EMPDL
54 Watnall Road
Hucknall
Nottingham NG15 7LE
» 0602 630071
Essex Computer Systems
lis Middle Crockerford
Basildon
Essex SS16 4JA
■B 0268 553963
George Th(Knps(»i Setvlces
Cucumber Hall Farm,
Cucumber Lane
Essendon
Herts AL9 SJB
w 0707 664 654
Goldstar Computeis
PO Box 2
T^desley
Manchester M29 7BN
a 0942 895320
ICPUQ
PO BOX 1309
London N3 2UT
a 081-346 0050
Kemow Software PO Ubrary
51 Ennors Road
Newquay, Cornwalt
NBS
1 Chain Lane, Newport
Isle Of Wight P030 5QA
a 0983 529594
Neural Images
4 Flint Walk, Hartlepool
Cleveland TS26 OTE
vt 0492 263508
Office Choice (OC-PD)
30 Town St, Kirkintilloch
Glasgow G66 INL
ff 0236 737901
PDSoft
1 Bryant Ave, Southend-On-Sea
Essex SSI 2YD
« 0702 612259
Pontile PD
lOa Hag Hill Lane, Taplow
Maidenhead, Berks SL6 OJH
a 0628 666641
Public Domlnator
PO BOX 801, Bishop's Stortford
Herts CM23 3TZ
a 0279 757692
Rherdene PDL
30a School Road
Tile hurst, Reading
Berkshire RG3 5AN
a 0734 452416
Telescan Computer Services
Handsworth Road
Blackpool FY5 ISB
a 0253 22296
Sector 10
160 Hollow Way, Cowley, Oxford
a 0865 774472
Seventeen BK Software
PO BOX 97, Wakefield
West Yorks WFi IXX
a 0924 366982
Software Expressions
Hebron House, Sion Road
Bedminster
Bristol BS3 3BD
a 0272 637634
Softvtile
Unit 5, Stratfield Park
Etettra Avenue,
Waterlooville
Hants
P07 7XN
a 0705 266509
Start Computer Systems
Barbican House
Bonnersfield
Sunderiand, SR6 OAA
a 091 564 1400
Startronlcs
4 Arnold Drive, Droylsden
Manchester M35 6RE
a 061 370 9115
Unique Computing
114 Setters Road, Gosforth
Newcastle on Tyne, NE3 3UP
a 091-284 7976
Valiy PD
PO BOX 15, Peterlee
Co Durham SR8 INZ
a 091-587 1195
Wtrral PD
PO Box 4, Birkenhead
Merseyslde L43 4FW
a 051 651 0646
150
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
SAFE SHOPPING
BUYING ADVICE
FOR SHOPPERS
Whether buying over the phone or at a local store,
here's our advice on how to get what you want
BUYING IN PERSON
• Where possible, always test any
software and hardware in the shop
before taking it home, to make sure
that it works properly.
• Make sure you have all the
necessary leads, manuals or other
accessories you need,
• Don't forget to keep your receipt.
BUYING BY PHONE
• Be as clear as possible when
stating what you want to buy. Make
sure you confirm all the technical
details of what you are buying. Some
things to bear in mind are version
numbers, memory requirements,
other required hardware or software
and compatibility with your particular
model of Amiga (that is, make sure
you know which version of Kickstart
you have).
• Check the price you are asked to
pay, and make sure that it's the
same as the price advertised.
• Check that what you are ordering
is actually in stock.
• Check when and how the article
will be delivered, and that any extra
charges are as stated on the advert.
• Make a note of the date and time
when you order the product.
BUYING BY POST
As with buying by phone, you should
clearly state exactly what it is you
are buying, at what price (refer to the
magazine, page and issue number
where it's advertised) and give any
relevant information about your
system set-up where necessary. You
should also make sure you keep
copies of all correspondence both to
and from the company concerned.
MAKING RETURNS
Whichever method you buy by, you
are entitled to return a product if it
falls to meet any one of the following
three criteria:
A CHECK LIST FOR
MAIL ORDER BUYING
1 Make sure you know exactly what ycu want. Draw up a checklist of the
specifications you are looking for and what you want it to be able to do.
Check with the suppliers that their product matches your list
2 Will the product you have In mind work with your existing set-up, and
anything else you are planning to buy?
3 Can you see a demonstration? Many products are on display at computer
shows around the country.
4 Are there any hidden extras? Does ft need 1Mb to run, or a hard disk?
5 What technical support Is provided by the supplier? Does the
manufacturer offer after-sales advice? Check before you buy,
« Check the guarantee terms. How long is the free warranty? What does it
offer?
T Draw up a list of these details and make them a condition of your order.
8 Check the price and delivery details when you order, and make a note of
them.
9 Note down when you placed the order and who you spoke to.
1 When it arrives, check everything carefully, if anything Is missing, don't
use the product at alt - contact the supplier. If It doesn't work, mtake the
obvious checks such as the fuse, if It still doesn't work don't try to fix it -
contact the supplier.
• The goods must be of
'merchantable quality'.
• The goods must be 'as described'.
• The goods must be fit for the
purpose for which they were sold.
if they fail to satisfy any or all of the
criteria, then you are then entitled to:
• Return them for a refund.
• Receive compensation for part of
the value.
• Get a replacement or free repair.
When returning anything, ensure that
you have proof of purchase and that
you return the item as soon as
possible after receiving it. For this
reason it is important that you check
the hardware or software as soon as
it is delivered to make sure
everything you ordered is there and
works as it is supposed to.
HOW TO PAY
Paying by credit card (s the most
sensible way, whether buying in
person, by post or on the phone,
because you may be able to claim
the money from the credit card
company even if the firm you ordered
from has gone bust or refuses to
help sort out your problem.
Otherwise, you should pay by
crossed cheque or postal order -
never send coins or notes through
the mail,
GEHING REPAIRS
Always cheek the conditions of the
guarantee, and sen/icing and
replacement policy, so that you know
what level of support to expect.
Always fill in and return warranty
cards as soon as possible, and
make sure that you are aware of all
the conditions contained in the
guarantee.
BUYING PD
Even though PD software is relatively
inexpensive, you should still apply
the guidelines set out above, making
sure that you confirm all orders as
clearly as possible.
Shopping around is still
important when buying PD because
different houses charge different
prices for the same disks. There is
no set pricing structure for disks, but
bear in mind that PD houses are, in
theory, supposed to be non-profit
making operations. {JQ
ADVERTISERS INDEX
1st Choice (Leeds) 49-51
3 Amigos 149
16 Bit Centre 80
316Supplies 20
Accelerators Unlimited 72
Ace Repairs 144
Advanced Electronics 94
Anglia PD 149
Artworks 65
BCS 68
Coombe Valley 90
Cortex.. 4
Delta Pi 90
DeltraxPD 144
Diamond 126-129
Digicopy ..,,.65
Digita , 9
Direct Computers 94
Dynamite 110, 111
EMC 65
Evesham Micros 120, 121
Express PD 144
Futureworld 38, 39
G2 Systems , 72
Grapevine 90
Hanwoods 55-61, 77
Hisoft 155
Hobbyte 100, 101
Home Based Business 90
Intracom 72
Ladbroke Computing 96
Merlin , 69
MJC Supplies 46
Olympic Disks 149
Omega Projects .....118
PDSoft 147
Phoenix , 12
Povi^er Computing ...2, 33, 156
Sector Software 102
Shadow Softwfare..., 102
Silica Systems...1 05, 113, 117
Softstore 85
Start ronics , 144
Switclisoft ....94
Trilogic 106, 107
Ultimate PD 142
Vortex 25
Weserve 6
WTS Electronics 102,93
York Electronics 94
Zye Technology 17
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
151
.*k
,„
'TIM 1
■H^HM^^^fr 1
PRODUCTS^
^r _ ^ _ ■
LJ3
•t-]
M^riN' 1
HARDWARE • HARDWARE • HARDWARE • HARDWARE • HARDWARE • HARDWARE • HARDWARE • HARDWARE
Welcome to the Amiga Shopper Buyer's Guide, your regular guide to what's hot
and what's not in tile Amiga marltet place. It's designed as a simple-to-usa yet
comprehensive guide which will help you to make the right buying decisions, it
may not include each and every product ever produced for the Amiga (that would
take up virtually the whole of Amiga Sitoppeii), but you can rest assured that all
mstlor brands and models are here.
TTie Buyer's Guide will run each and every month and as new products are released
and others discontinued, we'll be updating it acconJingiy. Ttits month we bring you what
is possibly the most comprehensive guide to hardware for the Amiga owner. Next month
we'll he listing Amiga software...
AMIGAS
Model
Price Memory
Total Ctilp
Total Fast
Pracesaor Speed (M Hi) Hani Disk (Mb) Floppies
Comment
A600
£399 t r^b
2MB
4Mb
68000 7
No
ixesok
Replacemenl for no
discontinued ASOOPIUS
AMOHD
£499 I Mb
2Mb
4Mb
eeooo 7
20
IxSSOk
A60a witti bullt4n 20 Mb IDE
A1500
£999 1 Mb
1Mb
9Mt)
68000 7
r*o
2);880k
More expandable than ASOO
AZOOOHP
£12»9 1 Mb
1Mb
9 Mb
68000 7
40
UiSSOk
ExacUy the same as A1500, but now Inctuilet hard disk |
A2S00
£???? 1 Mb
1Mb
9 Mb
68020 16
40
lxSS01(
Same as A2000HD
but comes with processor card 1
A3000
£3160 2 MS
2Mb
16Mb
6S030 10/35
SO/100
ijisaok
Available In several hart dtsk/ processor c
uiflgurartlons
Note; A500 ant) A1500 now denote 2.0-based machines, A2500 only avaiiablE in ttie US.
^ARD DRIVES
Price
Machine
Rating
ISSIffi
Modsi
Supiillor
Cafiaclty (Mb)
RAM Expansion
RocHard
Zye Technology
£379
ASOO
52
8Mb
***•
13
impact 11+
Silica
£399
ASOO
50/110
8 Mb
*****
1,2,8,13
A690
Commodore
£399
ASOO
20
2Mb
**•
1,2.8,13
OataFlyeiEOO
TTlkigic
£350
ASOO
48
*•
1,2,8,13
5O0XP
Surface UK
£4a9
ASOO
40
2/8 Mb
♦♦♦*
1,2,8.13
a
FHlTrak
Tliird Coast
£599
ASOO
40
-
***
Novia 301
Power Compxiling
£399
A500
20/30
***
8
Prima
Power Computing
£499
ASOO
50/100
**•
8
8
Trumpcard
Third Coast
£399
ASOO
40
PnitarHP
Protar
£299
ASOO
20
8Mb
****
Impact IIHC+a
Silica
£299
A15O0-*
40-300
8 Mb
***•
1,2,13
1,2
1,13
8,13
OatanyeiaoOO
Trtlselc
£3 GO
AlS0O-»
4S
***
WorflSync2000
Surface UK
£450
A1600-J
52
A20914D
Commodoi«
£200
M.500-J
40
*
Neigs HC
Power Computing
£350
AISOO-^
40
8Mb
4***
8.13
8
SyeOuest
Omeea Projscta
£690
SCSI
88
~
'***
Optica IDrive
Power Computing
£1199
SCSI
128
TapeStrsamar
Omeea Projecta
£600
SCSI
m
■
NOTE: Trumpcard ca
-1 be used on both A500 and Aisoo-i-
EXIERHAL DRIVES
IModel
SuppllH
Pilco
Capacity
Disable Swttch
Machine
Sl»
Ratmg
iMoe
8
0,1,2,3
0,1,2.8
0,14,8
PC880a
Power Computing
£55
Any
3 1/2-
880K
Ves
"*
RF332C
Silica Systems
£60
Any
31/2-
880K
Yes
****
RF542C
Silica Systems
£S0
Any
5 1/4-
8S0K
Yes
****
AlOU
ComiriDdore
£100
Any
3 1/2"
SSOK
No
***
Ziilec
Evesham Micros
£65
Any
31/2-
esoK
Yes
***
0,1,23
0.8
S
8
0i,2,8
8
CAX354
aA-iD
Cumana
Golden Image
£75
£65
Any
Any
3V2"
31/2-
8BaK
880K
Yes
Yes
**♦*
AEHD
Applied Engineering
£140
Any
31/2"
1.52 Mb
No
****
Interna 12000
Power Computing
£50
A1S0O-.
3 1/2-
SSOK
No
DuaiOrtve
Power Computine
£iaO
Any
31/2'-
2)(S8DK '
Ves
Floptical Dish
Digital Micronics
£660
Any
3 1/2-
20 Mb
Yes
NOTE: PC880B corres with built-in disk copier.
RAMEXPAHSIDHS
Model SuDDlifif
Floptical Disk not yet available In UK.
Issue
Price
Maehlns
Slie
MaxSlza
Power SuBPlyT
Fitting
Bating
500RX
Surface UK
£198
ASOO
2Mb
8Mb
Optional
Expansion Bus
*****
5
8
ProRAM Plus
Datel
£25
ASOO
S12i<
-
TrapDoor
***
RAM-Master 2
Datei
£100
ASOO
l.SMb
TfapOoot
*'*
VZDOO
Virgo
£104
ASM
ZMb
-
TrapDoor
*****
-
iydecl.5
Z^ec
£79
ASOO
1.5 Mb
-
TrapDoor
**
Bas«Board
EPO
£300
ASOO
4Mb
■
TrapDoor
*
***•
8
Ashcotli512k
Ashcorr
£3B
ASOO
512k
TrapDoor
Ashcoml.SIMb
Ashcom
£155
AEOO
l.SMb
'
TtapOooi
8
Cortex2
Cortei
£199
ASOO
2Mb
8Mb
Yes
Expansion Bus
*****
GVP Series^
silica
£1E9
AlSOO-t
2Mb
8Mb
Card
S
B
8
A2068
Commodore
£159
AISOO^
2Mb
8Mb
Card
Cant
Card
****
AdRAMZOdO
Power Computing
£179
A1500^
2Mb
8Mb
*****
CorteK2000
Cortex
£176
Price
£850
fNA
£1449
AISOO-
Medline
Any
A1500-->
A1500-»
2Mb
8 Mb
PROCESSOR ACCELEiUTaSS
IModsl
38 Special
40/4 Magnum
Zeus
Supplier
Omega Projects
Omega Projects
Power Computing
Procoasor
68030
SS040
68O40
Speed
38 MH!
28 MHz
28 MHz
Mat 324)lt HAM
8Mb
16Mb
64Mb
Maths Co^iro
68881
68882
68882
Rating
****
*****
iHue
13
la
14
14
14
040/SOO
Power computing
£725
ASOO
65040
2SMHI
8 Mb
66882
****
040/500i
Power Computing
£NA
ASOO
68040
28 MHz
16Mb
68882
SS881
14
Meicuiy
G-Force
Power Computing
Silica
£1249
£599
Aaooo
A160O
6B040
68030
26 MHz
25 MHz
32Mb
16Mb
****
16
Turtwsaooo
BytesaPtecee
£45
ASOO
58000-16
16MH2
No
rto
****
3,5
AdSpeea
Silica
£173
ASOO
68000-16
16 MHz
VXL.30
ZCL ltd
£409
ASOO
£8030
25 MH:
8 Mb
¥e«
*****
2000/40
Maream
£1937
AlS0O-»
68040
50 MHz
32Mb
Yes
Yss
*****
3,E
ASDOl
mca
<179t
AISOO-^
6803O
SO MHz
32Mb
G-Force
Silica
£1999
A300O
88040
28 MHz
Ves
Yes
Yes
FusionForty
Power Computing
£1999
AISOO^
6S040
SO MHz
32 Mb
8Mb
4Mb
*«**
3,5
3,5
CSA MegaMidget
AEO(»0-ie
Byles&Pieces
Solid State
£389
£295
ASOO
ASOO
68030
6S02D
33 MH;
16 MHz
****
BS0O0-2S
Solid State
£595
ASOO
6S020
25 MHz
16Mb
Yes
*****
0500040
Solid State
£1162
AlSOO->
68030
40 MHz
32Mb
Yes
Yes
Yes
***
3,5
Harms Pro30
Bytes&Pieces
£1099
AISOO^
68030
28 MH!
4Mb
****
A2630
ComnxHtoro
£1200
A1500^
68030
25 MHz
4Mb
NOTE: Although sa
SUHNERS
IModel
me 68030 cards appear to
run faster than the
T '040 eauivalents
Uiis may not necessarily be
the case. All '040 ca
rds will run faster internally.
Supplier
Pries
Mactiine
Typo
Colour
Resolution
Rating
***
Issue
14
DaataScan 2GS
Pandaal
£125
Any
Hand Held
No
400dpl
4O0dpl
400dpi
400dpl
200dpi
14
Powar Scanner 2
PoY«f Computing
£99
Any
HandKeld
r<o
14
AlfaScan
Hanity Scanner
Sharp JX-100
Golden Image
Pandaal
Silica
£199
£140
£696
Any
Any
Any
Hand Held
HandHoM
Hand Held
No
No
Ves
***
14
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
» 1 B
.irfflKl-v
i»J Mil«l ■ ^•I'f ^1
I
PRODUCTS
GeniScan
Dotal
£130
QoMcnlnwc*
GDhfAnlnuga
£im
Sharp JX-300
Silica
£3SO0
Phindifti Seiniwr
Pindul
tlK
PcwerScanrhsr
Power Computing
£99
DiemsERS
Msilsl
ShppUh
Ma
OlglViev) 4
Silica
£150
CohwrPIc
JCL
flea
VIDMmlga
Rombo
£130
VMhhi
Powar ComiHrtlng
£200
FremeGrabber
Marcam
£ES9
VMHDIgltlui
l»(t(l
«0
SOUND SAMFLERS
Modal
svppii«
Mm
StereoMfister
MicroDaal
£40
TvchnoSound
N»w DlmarufaR*
£3S
AuctlD Engineer
HB Maftteting
£199
Parfsct aounO 3
HB Ma(«i«tlr«
£«0
SampleStudiO' 2
Datel
£70
&Hjnd M-nttor
HB Martwtinc
£130
Mlcr^Sampdar
Oatsi
£25
$wit^rap3
Omvfa ProjKta
£30
AMASZ
MIcroDeal
£100
StvnSamplafS
TrIlDCIc
MO
GVP OSS
Silica
££0
ADIOU
HB Martuittng
ETBA
AD1016
HE Marketing
£TBA
Audition 4
HB Marketing
£49
Audio Scglptune
SMG
£49
Any
Any
Any
Arty
NOTE: AD1012 and A0X016 ere far A1500-* only
GENLOCKS
MICroQen
Power Computing
RtwOan
Silica
n9(iQen+
Silica
A8S02
Marcam
ABBSta-Vm
MB«am
A8S0e
Marcam
QSTSoM
Thlnj Coaat
VldeoCentre2
G2
VloaoCantreS
at
Vld6oM85tarVM-2
Power Computing
VIKsocofflU 0-100
silica
Image Master
Netlkl
PtoOan
aardon HufWDOd
£199
£M
£117
um
£300
£100
£900
£ISO
£11T0
£799
Mia
CBIvt MiHiae
Nuitilu
Optical
Commodore
Nskaha UK
Golden Im^e
Beetle
Geetelner
Daatamouse
LaKlM«i»
COLOUR CARDS
Pandaal
Ugltach
Power Computing
fiembranrJt
AVIdaoU
AVIdeo 24 Ctiaokmate
HMK Clwcknwla
DCTV Silica
aVFIVM Slllaa
Hartaouln ACS
NOTE: ASoo devliffls can ba usM on all Annlgas
TOUCH TABIEIS
PodBtat PT-3030
OanltlEar
Chen> Mk4
DOT-UATRIX PRINTERS
HB Marketing
DaM
ChBn>
P20
l.24d
Swift 9
Swift S4
LX850
10400
LQS50
LC24
NEC
CHltan
CItlien
CHIian
Epson
Epaon
Epaon
Star
Star
OM
£1150
£130
£3S
£28
£52
£2S
£30
Six
£40
£2T
MaoMna
A1500-t
«,BO0-t
A15O0-^
ASOO
ASOO
A1900-4
AlBOO-^
£179
£U0
£450
£351
an
£2B0
<43S
£289
£2«S
£375
£304
£304
Hand Held
No
4Q0dpl
Hand Htid
No
400dpl
Rat3ed
Yas
300dpi
HandHaM
No
400d|ll
Hand Held
NO
400dpi
Raaltlnia
Colour
Realtbna Colour
AnlmatlcHi
Rstinc
No
Yes
No
No
^***
Ya*
Ym
Yat
No
tm*
Vaa
Ym
No
Yes
***•
N«
Vaa
Na
Na
***
Yaa
Ym
Yes
Yea
*****
Vm
Vaa
No
No
• •••
Starae
Voluma Adjmt
Reaolirtlon
Rating
Yes
Yea
8-Wt
*^**
Vaa
No
8>Ht
****
Vaa
Vas
S-b«
*****
Vat
Va*
Mil
**#
Vaa
{to
frblt
**
Tta
Vaa
Bm
*****
rai
No
84ltt
*
Na
No
MiN
****
Vas
Yes
&tllt
+*••
Vaa
Vaa
MAt
****
Yai
Yat
8-blt
***«
Vaa
Vat
u-wt
*****
Yes
Yas
16-blt
*««««
Vaa
Yat
»4]lt
****
Y«s
Vaa
e-bit
**
Flada
CHaaolva
8-VHS
ROB Rata thni
Rttbig
Yea
Yaa
Mo
Yes
«*•*
Na
Na
Na
No
**
¥«
Yaa
No
No
*«**
Vaa
Va*
No
Yaa
***•
No
No
No
Yes
***
Vm
Vat
Vta
Yaa
**«
Yn
Yaa
Yes
Yes
y<*
vat
Yat
Vat
****
Yaa
Yaa
Yea
Yes
***♦
Yte
Yat
Yat
Vaa
****
Yaa
Yaa
Yes
Yea
***
Va*
Vat
Yat
Yat
*****
Yaa
Yea
Yea
Yas
**«
Na
No
No
Yat
***
***^
****
3
11
11
S
5
10
ID
12
S
lA
SO
£1499
£2SS
£599
£289
£499
£179«
£1400
flKl2"
SxB*
9«ia"
24
a*
9
M
9/24
M
*****
***
****
Type
24-1)11
12-blt
24-bH
34
24
34
Faeucfo
344ltt
244lt
RtuMutkHi
*****
****
*****
lpi«KCPSt
lis
UK
121
tsa.
106
121
109
•1
130
127
Colaur Palatta
Max natahrtkin
24-blt
1024X1024
12-bli
7ea)(SS0
24-hit
7681(680
244«t
sesisso
24*11
368x580
24-lltt
SlOxBTS
24*lt
9101576
• «**
Rating
****«
****
13
13
15
B
12
12
11
tttn
SK
BK
3K
•K
4K
8K
SK
leK
16K
SK
W«at
• #*»
*****
• **
****
SUPPLIER USI • SUPPLIER IIST • SUPPLIER LIST • SUPPUER UST • SUPPLIER LIST • SUPPLIER LIST • SUPPUER LIST • SUPPUER LIST • SUPPLIER LIST • SUPPLIER LIST • SUPPLIER LIST •
ACS 031 557 4242
App.EnglneerIng 01012142416060
ASAP 0724280222
Aahcom 0530 411485
Bytes & PJeces 0263 734218
Checkmate Dl|ltal Ltd 071 923 0658
Cltijen 0S9S 72621
Commodore 062S 770086
Cortex 051 236 0480
Cumana 0483 503121
Datel Eleotrottlca 0782 744707
Digital Mlcronics 0101 619 431 8301
EPD
Epson
Evesham Micros
G2 video Systems
Gasteiner
Golden Image
O602 641640
0442 S1144
0388 766600
0252 737151
081 365 1151
081 618 7373
Cordon Hanvood
US Marketing
JCL Business Systems
Marcsm Ltd
MIcroDeal
Nskshs UK
NEC
NerikI
New Dimensions
0773 8367S1
0753 685000
0S92 518181
061 941 6117
0726 66020
0925 56398
081 993 9631
081 SOO 1866
0291 690S33
Okl
Omega Projects
Panaeai Marketing
Power Computing
Protar
Romtio
Silica Systems
SMS
Solid Steite Leisure
0763 31392
0925 763946
0234 S5S666
0234 273000
0923 54133
05O6 414631
081 309 1111
0274 562999
0933 650677
Star 0494 471111
Surface UK 081 566 6677
Third Coast Technologies 0257472444
Trilogic 0274 678062
Virgo 0276 676308
WTS Electronics 0582 491949
ZCLLtd 0543 2S1275
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUi 1 6 • AUOUST 1 992
15:
COMPETITION
WIN • WIN • WIN • WIN • WIN • WIN • WIN • WIN
Snatch a piece of
the AMOS Action
Vie have IS copies of Easy AMOS ■
Just when yau thought It was safe
- over £500 worthl - to give away*
to program, It^s even safer...
It's Just the opportunity all you
would4)e programmers have
|}e«n waiting tar. Nothing
could be easier than
programming with Easy AMOS.
The program sprang from the
original AMOS, one of the most
popular versions of the Basic
programming language for the Amiga.
What distinguishes AMOS from most
other Basics Is the incredible ease
with which it can be used to create
stunning graphical and audio effects.
Easy AMOS makes these sorts of
effects even easier to achieve. The
package was designed specifically
with beginners In mind. It includes a
complete tutorial, along with
numerous examples, to take the
novice right through to producing
slick games with smooth animation
and brilliant colour.
Also included are a number of
aids to programming, such as an on-
line help which explains the meaning
of every single AMOS Instruction, and
a single-step mode which enables
the programmer to see every
instruction as it is being executed
and to simultaneously watch the
effects it has on the main display.
In short, if you've ever wanted to
get Into programming, then this is
the way to do it. Thanks to Europress
Software, we have fifteen of these
packages to give away. Just ponder
the three questions below and send
your answers on a postcard or the
back of a sealed envelope to:
Easy Peasy Compo
Amiga Shopper
29 Monmouth Street
Bath BAl 2DL
The closing date is August 7.
Remember that only one entry per
household will be permitted. C©
THE CHALLENGE
QUESnON 1
What was the predecessor of AMOS,
written for the ST, called?
a) AMST
b) STOS
c) There wasn't one
QUESTION 2
What word would a French person
use to describe something as 'easy'?
a) Tt&a blen
b) Slmpllstlque
c) Facile
QUESTION 3
What la the name of the creator of
the AMOS package?
a) Fran^lse Lionet
b) Francois Lionet
c) Francois Pascal
GUARANTEE YOUR COPY OF
AMIOA SHOPPEtt - RESERVE IT AT
YOUR NEWSAGENT
Please reserve/deliver me a copy of Amiga Shopper
Name
Addrau ,
111 IHE lilWSAOEtn - Mmlta Shoppw geei on Mile Mw flwl flmrfdiiY In ••A
It's by f Hlvra PuUiihhii and mdlabte from your '^"'jllJI^f'f^l;^:..
■- ~. I . ~ ■ — ■-■. I ■=-- '-1 ■ •-,
I ;/• n a ' | m ' l
Editins Ejsii_i:>i3iwTes;Bobs/Iabsi_AK0S,Abl( -1 bob
Easy AMOS makes programming In AMOS, er, easy. Even absolute beginners
will be messing about with sprites and scrolling screens In no time at all
PRINfIR PALAVIRI
The Amiga Shopper editorial team
are proud to announce the winner
of the June competKton; P Hughes
of Uverpoot, who will be receiving
a CKIzen Swift 24e printer with
colour kit kindly donatecl by
Citizen Europe.
CALLING ALL Gf A
BASIC WINNERS
(or, It's the Aml^ Shopper, Yoa'ro
tiroti - Ed, admin ooek-up comer)
If you wera one of our GFA Basic
winners, could you please get In
touch with your full names and
addressee as soon as possible.
IN NEXT MONTH'S ISSUE
• Amiga Shopper's definitive desktop pubiishing round-up,
We review all of ttie main contenders for thie position of best
DTP package.
• Continuing in the DTP vein, Jeff Waiker starts a new
series on just wiiat it's all about and teiis you liow to get
the best resuits, while Ciiff Ramshaw takes a iook at
Epson's new 24-bit colour scanner and a iaser printer from
Star for the Amiga power user.
• Jason Holbom gameiy tries out Visionary, the adventure
authoring system from Oxxi.
Plus regular columns on Amiga Answers, video,
AmIgaDOS, education and much more
On sale Thursday, August 6
15A
AMIGA SHOPPER • ISSUE 16 • AUGUST 1992
Some reasons
to bQ chQcrfal
HiSoft is renowned for its range of language systems, utilities and
entertainment programs on the Amiga. We have been writing for
the Commodore 680x0 computers since they were first introduced
into file UK and thus we know both the hardware and software
intimately. Our company pohcy is always to offer the highest
quality software at an affordable price with a complete range of
backup support options - in these uncertain, difficult times, we'd
like to put a smile on your face.
The ultimate assembler
language system"
Amiga Format
Gold 4/92
ProFlight
from / a Soft
The professional C develo|>ment package
includes free Stiver Support service
The most accurate flight slm yet .
HiSoft BASIC
version 2
^^PreSi
Highspeed
§@®®
® ® ®
J®®®®®®
^ @®®®®
^uibo Dow«r tof va
M
SelF
Tuibo pow«r tof your
AflOOO computvr
The new PqicqJ compiler with
Turbo Pascal® compatibility
sv
o9
-VA
Q.
S*>
Coming soon to on flmlga near you!
HiSoft
High Quality Software
for more information on any of
our products, please call HiSoft
on 0525 718 181. or fax us on
0525 713716 or write to us at:
Ttie Old School, Greenfield,
Bedford t\AK.-45 5DE UK.
VVc arc delighted to nummiice that, pUowing an exclusive agreement
with Kiimn Computers Ltd, wc have taken over the diftrihutkm,
suppm-t and dei'ciopment offhi'ir i^jpulnr Aniif^n products. Existing
K\fiiM i:usiiymers should write /(> iis or call us for dcltiils of our sii;>;wrt
schemes and infurmatiou on our pluiifi for thefutWL' ofKuma software.
■' Af tlw iipment xvc lia'ce lire popular K-Spread 4 spreadsheet and
K-Da!d"MTabaseaimlatife($t'i> duf order forin on the -righf );"-'■
Wf also have slock of ail the ird Edition Amiga ROM Kernel manuals
fivm Addis<.m Wesley, together ivith the excellent 3rd Edition of The
AmigaDOS Manual (Bantam Press).
Free
gifts!
(subject to
avaOabifity}
^11
si
p.
5 &„S
H. g ±|.£ y,
1^ ^ "^ =■ ^ ^'
>"< 3 2 5 S,
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to ui faa 9 (C K>
ep (£ tfi Id (D CB
cp (S CD ts cc o
ui ui En en ui o
!-]- UL L L
" S O S M xt
5 ^ 2" ^ S" re
3, rt S tS „ BJ
3 S"
@ S § U OD
^ 9) or IB (a
see <IR !^
CLJL LL,
> ^
ft iT
f= « fC
ill
nir
3 I;:
□i-a
sips.
z ^ -^
-d S.
G VP
Series
( ABOO)
2 HD
V-c
Up to 8MB Fast
S2QMB0MU i569
52QMB2MB SA19
52QMB iMB £469
S2QMB8MB £599
105QMB(JWnWf9
10SQMB2MB £529
105QMB tMH £579
KHQMBSMH £719
^<
C5VP
A530 Turbo HD
(A500)
•tOMHz 68050EC accelerator
Optional 68882 maths co-processtir
Up to 8MB 32-bit Fast RAM on toard
68882 Upgrade kit £2J9
S2MB OMR £729 lO'iMB OMH JE869 ilUMB 0MB il069
GVP Series
Up to HMB Sinim KAM on hoard
Suppfjrts external SCSI devices
ForA150(),A20f»
Bare £199
^2QMB0MB £279
^2QMB 2MB £J}9
52QMB4MB £399
=;2QMB8MB £469
2 HD
105QMB0MB £479
10=iQMB2MB £539
1DSQMB4MB £599
10SQMB8MB £749
GVP G- Force
68030 Accelerator board ^' ■
68882 Maths co-processor
25MHz 1MB RAM £579
lO.MHz ^MB RAM £949
50MHz -IMB RAM £1349
Hard drive mount kit £35 ^
Chips
2%K X 4Dfl\M SA.50 4MB x asimm H50 83^2 Faaer
1MB X IDRAM M.95 1MB x HSimm «0 1x4 Zip
iVIagneto Optical
Hard Disk
Progressive
Peripherals
040/3000
!
\:
New style case with built-in power supply
-^:i I li^li power cooling fan
V/ SCSI ID switch for instant ID switch
<SQ -!5-Way & "iO-Way SCSI ports (mw nuy us«lus ihrupuni
V*' Compatihle with all major SCS! controllers
Up la 12fiMB on each removable cartridge
umpaiibie in speed with many hard disks
28.\1B 1[|) (internal tlltingl £999
12HMB HI) (external cased I £1199
28MB i'/:~ optical cartridge £39-95 each
SCSI controller card for AiSOO, A20(I0 £199
" Avicleo24
-^ 2t-bit graphics for the A5ai
*^i "68 X 5H0 quality^ resolution
^, 16.8 million colour frame buffer
A< Small easy to fit circuit board
^tf Overlay Amiga graphics & animations
^^ l-ullv genkx'kabie
^^ Runs on a standard A500 1 1MB of chip RAM)
Allows picture in picture £599 (mciuJfsTV v^mn
Progressive
28MHz Motorola 6W)hU
Directly accesses 32-bit memory on AiOQi) Over
Four times the speed of a standard A3000
AmigaDOS 2.0 compatible
■iMB £999
Progressive 040/2000
28MHz Motorola (iW)iO
Built-in maths co-processor
Expandable up to 32MB of R,\,M
j Software compatible w ith 68001) proces,sors
4MB £1295
^ Progressive 040/500
^ ior ihe Amiga 500
^ ■ iS.Mliz ()81J(0 with prtx-essor
jH Up to -^0 times the speed of the standard A500
^ i\m of high speed 32-bit R.4lM
I ^stJOO fallback mode
^ Kasy to fit. no soldering
P^ I pgrade to 33MHz and 8MB of high speed RAM
28MHz 4MB £849
Zeus 040/2000
For die Amiga iOUl)
CompletL' workstation on a single card
28MHz or 33MHz mut) accelerator
Built-in floating point processor
(hMB high speed 32-bit RAM expansion
1 ast SCSI-2 DMA hart! drive confroller
28MHz tMB £1899 33MHz -iMH £2189
A3000 Static column R.\.M
Simm M x 1MB-60
Simm 32 x 4MB-60
2.0-1 Kickstart uhipHniyi
£22
£65 iMjiy*ln>GVT.H<WO>
£234 'Miiljlik- (in- GVP A'
£39.95
Comes with 24-bit paint package
Agnas i39 Cr '
'.ip £19-95 7^ For A HI
lb'
^^
IB
^^ Rembrand-t
^5 24-bii colour
^ 16 million colours
|r^ 8MB nf high speed video RAM
Nexus Hard Card
Up toKMH Rj\M on Ixjard
00, 2000
Bare £199
52QMB0\1H £279
<^\'2
2.04 Kickslan ROM chip, worklwnch software
install disk 2.04. font disk & extras
With ROM share £115
105QMB0MI5 £479
i)5QMB2MB £539
in5QMB4MB £599
105QMBHMB £749
«
Real time 24-hit image capture
Software supplied
A1500./A2000
£2699
Framegrabber v2.0
Amiga genlock
New software
£399
Bare SCSI Hard
Drive
52 Quanlum £199 105 Quantum
£299
iMirul.li' fi.i (,\1' (, Kiin-f. CAT Mi: Iff Nfxus MCi
f faw m^ kZ
^
V P? !>■■ l^
TJ
Sc'nd your order to Power Compuung Ltd, Unit H Railton Road. Vibhurn Road Indu.slrial Estate', KeinpMon. Hedtord MKii \'\
Ring your credit card order through on 0234 843388 (10 lines) or Fax 0234 840234 Technical helpline 0234 841882
All pria-s indude VAT. driivcrj' and are sutijctl to tIangK SpedficaiiuriN irt- suhjitl to change withoul notiir. Ntxl day dt-livi-n i i SO (t'.K. mainLind imly), ail lrjdemark.s acknowledged
Wnribuior for hnrei Conqiwlng m lulv !) K K sKl 11)142 Rinu.
\u lJii,.i..1>i H.ainmsi-Knj a Tel OKil SWM«1 WJ Fan VMOdtt
1l-1 JJS'fl^'iO^i I..
;\o:ao^^'
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