8-BIT SOFTWARE ISSUE 22
INTRODUCTION AND NEWS
*** IMPORTANT ***
It seems that quite a few people have been omitting to read important
parts of the disk magazine, in particular the end of the Mailbox article,
which contains any messages which have been sent to you personally. I know
some parts of the magazine do go on a bit, and are somewhat more technical
than many people might like, but please try to at least look through it!
*** ALSO IMPORTANT ***
Issue 23 is to be edited and distributed by Chris Richardson.
Please try to get all submissions, text etc. to Chris by 1st November at
the latest. The issue will be distributed around 14th November, and I am
told that it will be largely in Teletext format, but with advanced
printout and MODE 3 display options.
Any software/articles I have received that have not been featured already
will be forwarded to Chris, but please send him any new articles, software
or other text (comments on programs etc.) if at all possible.
Please note that Chris CANNOT supply 3.5" disks, so if this is the only
format you are able to use then ask me for a copy of issue 23 when you
write to me for issue 24.
ISSUE 24
I am distributing issue 24 (the Christmas issue, hopefully), and the
arrangements are as usual; 50p + disk + return P&P. Please write as soon
as possible after the end of November, as I return from university at the
start of December and will not have very much time to get the issue
organised.
If you wish to write to me between 7th October and 31st November, you can
write directly to:
Daniel G. Shimmin
The Queen's College
Oxford
OX1 4AW
Please DO NOT ask for issues or back issues or TBI disks while I am at
university as I won't have them with me. Also don't expect a quick reply,
especially if you don't enclose an SSAE.
You can still write to the old address and letters will be forwarded
within two weeks.
REPTON COMPETITION
Right, I know this is now about three years past its sell-by-date, but I
forgot to mention it last issue and...
For those who don't know, the competition is to design a set of screens
for whichever Repton game allows you to do that (!), which will then be
published. All members will then vote on which set is best, the winner
gets five pounds cash plus two (I think) commercial games, all of which
have been contributed by Duncan Webster.
The new deadline for anyone to submit their Repton screens (send them to
me) is 5th December 1992. All screens will be published in the Christmas
issue, everyone will vote, and the prizes will be given before February
1993. That is the final deadline - there are to be NO MORE EXTENSIONS. I
promise.
MEMBERSHIP ETC.
Issue 20 has been distributed to well over forty people, and issue 21 to
around twenty-five. This is still a worryingly low membership, despite the
fact that BBC Acorn User have finally featured our free ad, and, thanks to
the help of one member, 8BS has even been mentioned on local radio.
No doubt membership will slowly improve over a long period, and the
existing membership seems quite sufficient to generate some excellent
issues. However, several people have suggested that if any members have
any spare free ad coupons for magazines they should send them in to me -
this seems a good idea.
ADFS VERSION
I am now wishing I had never done an ADFS version of issue 21 as it took
up so much time, but it has proved very popular, so I have prepared an
ADFS version of issue 22 as well. Please let me know if you have ADFS but
want issues in DFS.
PROFIT/LOSS
Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions for cost-cutting (!) - I am
looking into some of these. You don't need to worry though, as 8BS won't
be closing down just because of a financial loss. Thanks also to the
people who have written in supporting the 50p charge (!).
ARTICLE SUGGESTIONS
Or rather, suggestion. Steven Flintham has suggested that someone should
write some computer-based humour on a regular basis, like the long-dead
"Barry Wood's Tailpiece" and "Bob and Trev" in The Micro User. Any offers?
APOLOGIES
Firstly, for the late delivery of issue 21, which caused some confusion.
Hopefully this is all sorted out by now. Secondly, for the fact that
recent issues have resembled the Arch Programmer's Ref. Manuals in
complexity and the amount of information (if not in price). I would like
to make every article accessible to the absolute beginner while remaining
short enough not to bore people, but this is not always possible. Finally,
8BS has been a little disorganised over the last month (the old lack of
time problem again), so if I have missed anything out please let me know.
SOME WORDS COMMONLY MIS-SPELLED
weird
receive
all right
thank you
grateful
definitely
original
originally
(That was my attempt to make this issue educational)
MISSING FROM THIS ISSUE
I have omitted the various hardware reviews I promised for a variety of
reasons - no-one has submitted any comments of their own for a start. If
time allows I will write hardware reviews for either issue 23 or issue 24.
In addition, I have been promised a very large amount of submissions,
especially articles, which have not yet reached me.
GENERAL COMMENTS
Gareth Moore has written to me and very kindly offered to continue the
special-offer prices for 8BS members (see GLM PD catalogue in issue 20)
until Summer 1993 or possibly even longer. So get your orders sent off
now!
I have now purchased a 32016 second processor, with the accompanying
system software (C, Pascal etc. etc.) and it looks very impressive. I
intend to set up a user-group for 32016-owners, as there is little
commercial support available - the user group is to be called 24-bit
Software. So far it has two (!) members, as Hugh Williams intends to
purchase a 32016 very shortly. If anyone knows anyone else who owns one I
would like to get in touch...
POWER RAIDER CHEAT
Chris Richardson has supplied a cheat for M.T.Farnworth's Power Raider
game in issue 20. To gain invincibility, do the following:
*LOAD POWCODE
?&2E78=&EA
?&2E79=&EA
?&2E7A=&EA
*SA. POWCODE 1800+3FFF