To: 999 (all members)
From: 15A (Steven Flintham)
Subject: Too much text in magazine?
I'm starting to get a bit worried here!
Is my voice going to be drowned in the
cries of the program hungry masses? I'm
probably going to regret saying this,
but I find the text is the most
interesting part of the magazine. The
programs are fine, I DO look at them
and I use them, when there's something
of interest, but (the way I see it)
programs are available from the myriad
of PD libraries - you don't get much
text there, though.
I feel that the current 8BS combination
is ideal - a nice amount of text
(although I'd like a bit more) with
some programs and full documentation -
plus the ability to contact the
program's authors and comment on them
(the programs, that is!).
From: 20G
WE WANT LESS TEXT states a member. I
thought the same once, but then, text
can help to explain all the little bits
and bobs that a programmer might be
unable to do. I feel that the balance
is about right. After all 8-BIT is a
magazine and not a straightforward PD
disk. Like any magazine do you read it
all? By all means look all the way
through it and pick out the bits that
turn you on (no not page three bits).
We had about sixteen plus different
programs in the last issue (as with
text, do we use all of them?) That is a
lot compared with a magazine+disc from
a news stand and it would have cost a
lot more. My X goes in the "stay as it
is" box.
To: 999 (all members)
From: 15A (Steven Flintham)
Subject: Humorous text files/articles
I would like to say that I thought the
"Tonkin's first computer dictionary"
last issue was superb. There must be
loads of this sort of thing floating
around in the PD - might I be so bold
as to suggest that you send it to 8BS.
And why not ask a few friends who
aren't as enlightened as you and don't
own Acorn micros - text files are one
of the few universal(-ish) standards,
and there are probably even more around
in Amiga/ST/PC PD libraries. Better
still, have any 8BS members tried
writing any themselves - you could
always submit it anonymously!
To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (D.G. Shimmin)
Re : Help?
Does anyone know whether Alan
Blundell's BBC PD is still running? I
have been sending all 8BS issues to him
for around six months with no reply. I
have experienced delays up to three
months before, but this seems a bit
much...even if it is still running, can
anyone supply me with a copy of a
recent-ish BBC PD Catalogue & Sampler
disk (anything after July 1992)?
To: 999 (all members)
From: 15A (Steven Flintham)
Subject: Programme vs program
First of all, let me apologise. I know
EVERYONE hates people who get picky
over things like spelling - I do, even
though I'm always doing it. And yes, I
do know that from now on there'll be a
spelling error in everything I send to
8BS.
Anyway, let me clarify the position as
I see it. I thought that program
(American spelling) was used for
computer software, and programme
(British spelling) was used for
television. Normally, I hate American
spelling, but in this case I don't,
just to be inconsistent. Everyone in
the last issue of 8BS seems to be
spelling it programme - is this 8BS
policy or just other people's private
conventions?
By the way, just to get really trivial,
how do 8BS members feel about disc vs
disk. Personally, I always use the
former, but I know a lot of people use
disk. You could argue that disc should
be used for compact discs and disk for
computer discs, but I don't like it. I
wrote a couple of utilities for BBC PD
to handle this, if anyone is interested
- they automatically change all
occurences of disk to disc (or
vice-versa, just for completeness),
when passed through the VDU drivers.
Anyone fancy doing something to convert
programme <-> program? - it would have
to be AI, though, since both are
acceptable in certain circumstances!
Editor: Personally I have always used
"program" for computer programs, and I
think this is more or less a standard,
to the extent that "programme" looks
wrong to me, and I always change it.
Chris is more tolerant, hence the
different situation in Issues 23 and
25. Disk is a bit more borderline
(after all, the machine accepts both,
and I'm sure COPYFILES spells it DISC).
However, I prefer disk for computer
disks (presumably including CD-ROMs?)
so all issues edited by me will use
this spelling from now on.
To: 999
From: 19F (Theo Gray)
Re: Printer ROM
Would anyone like to buy the Watford
Electronics BEEB Printer ROM for six
pounds, in good condition with original
box, manual, and function keystrips. If
so, please ring me on (0525) 220136
after 7:30pm weekdays. It needs a BBC B
and OS 1.2, and is said to:
i) Increase the apparent intelligence
of almost any printer
ii) Give single key control of complex
printer functions
iii) Provide printout of (user defined)
characters from their OS definitions
To : 999 (All Members)
From : 1V5
Subject : Archimedes
Anbody got any Archimedes software to
sell + anybody like to swap info on the
subject of Archimedes. Secondly, does
anybody know of any good Archimedes PD
libraries; I would be grateful for any
help.
Editor: Since we now seem to have a few
Archimedes owners among our members,
anyone with any info please send it in
and hopefully it will be of use to
everyone.
From : 2J3 (C.J.Richardson)
To : 999 (All)
Re : For sale, Wanted
BBC model B £90
80T DS drive £25
Software on disk:
Revs + 4 tracks,Gold collection £3 each
On tape for 50p each:
Graphic adventure creator, Warehouse,
Repton 2, Pole Position, Salamander
Utilities package, Vortex, Space
jailer, Nightshade, Eddie Kidd jump
challenge, Hunchback, Bug Byte graphics
package, Karls Kavern, The Hacker, Hell
driver, Caveman adventure
Pascal ROM + manuals £2
All these prices are buyer collects or
add P&P.
WANTED
Modem, cheap 2nd-hand printer, sideways
RAM for Beeb.
Contact me at:
17 Lambert Park Road
Hedon
Hull
HU12 8HF
Telephone 0482 896868
To : 999
From : 3SQ
Re : FOR SALE
I have an issue 7 BBC B for sale fitted
with WE Shadow Ram, WE Rom Board, WE
ADFS, Acorn ADFS and a ZIF socket. I
would like £150 for it as it stands,
but can separate if the situation
demands it.
Also Available :-
Hyperdriver (Dabs Press Printer Rom)£10
Romit (Beebug Rom) £10
PIAS 7 (Disc) £5
Printwise (Beebug Disc) £5
Quickcalc (Beebug Disc) £5
Starter Pack (Beebug Disc) £3
Members Pack (Beebug Disc) £2
To : 204 Carl Wheat
From : 6EE Mick Needham
Re : Modem for sale
I have an Acorn Prestel Adapter,
complete with ROM, manual, disc and all
cables, if you are still interested
give me a ring on 0742 424474, if
anyone else is interested then give me
a ring, but Carl has first refusal.
To: 999 (all members)
From: L1L (Jock Smylie)
Re: Hardware/Software add-ons
Does anyone own any of the following:
- Watford Electronics Beeb Hand Scanner
- Quest Tracer Ball
- W.E. 32K Shadow RAM/Printer Buffer
Card Expansion Board
- BBC Model B (8271 DFS v0.9E) with an
ADFS upgrade
If so, would you be able to give a
short review/summary of the particular
item highlighting any
problems/diffuclty that you have found.
Could you also mention what you use it
for and if it has been good value for
money. This may be of benefit to
several members such as myself who are
considering the purchase of one or more
of these items.
Editor: so far as I know, ADFS won't
run on a Beeb with an 8271 disk
controller chip, the upgrade would have
to include a double-density controller
like the 1770 (though I assume most
upgrades do).
To : 999 (All members)
From : 3QN (Lawrie Hallam)
Re : FOR SALE
BBC Model B with ZIF socket, View ROM,
Watford 40/80 switchable single 5.25"
disk drive, Epson LX400 Printer,
centronic printer cable. ALL IN VERY
GOOD CONDITION.
User Manual. Advanced User Manual.
Assembly Language Programming for the
BBC Micro.
Lords of Time, Aviator, Elite discs,
various cassettes.
Buyer Collects please £175. 0733-892985
To : 999 (All members)
From : 4WL (Martin Wilson)
Re : FOR SALE, WANTED
For sale:
BBC MASTER COMPACT
BBC B WITH WATFORD DFS 1.43
MICROVITEC 3000 MEDIUM RESOLUTION
MONITOR FOR ARCHIMEDES
5.25" 40/80 BBC POWERED DRIVE
ELECTRON WITH PLUS 1
5.25" BARE 40T S/S DRIVES (2)
Wanted:
ELITE FOR MASTER COMPACT
PRINTHEAD FOR PANASONIC KXP1081
PRINTER.
JOYSTICK INTERFACE FOR A3000
ADVICE ON HOW TO MAKE MASTER 128 MORE
COMPATIBLE WITH BBC B SOFTWARE
WITHOUT USING HARDWARE, JUST SOFTWARE.
WRITE/PHONE MARTIN WILSON, 32 GRASS
ROYAL, YEOVIL,SOMERSET, BA21 4JW.
TEL. 0935 25974
Editor: see advice elsewhere about
BASIC II and other things, also try
CONVERT ROMimage from Welcome disk.
To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : Help wanted, VAT Calculator
Mr. J.R. Hay would like to know where
he can obtain an Aries B-12 ROM board
for his BBC B, and would also like any
information about the possibility of
getting the Acorn Speech System to work
with INTER-BASE.
He also suggests, with regard to Steven
Johnson's VAT Calculator program, that
the amount of VAT included in an
invoice/receipt can be easily
calculated by:
X multiplied by 17.5 and divided by
117.5, or X multiplied by 7 and divided
by 47, where X is the invoice/receipt
total.
To : 0E7 and 999
From : 20G (Roy Dickens)
Re : Hardly Any Comments in Issue 25
I certainly agree with 0E7 that
comments are in short supply and there
should be more. I think I would be
right in saying that we all value 0E7's
contribution in every issue.
As he says, he is a non-programmer, and
I'm sure that programmers like to know
whether their efforts are user friendly
etc. or not, from 0E7 and all the other
non- or nearly non-programmers.
Looking at it the other way round,
perhaps programmers could do a little
article about programming, or the best
way to start.
Then there are probably programmers who
could spare another minute to help
other programmers to do it better,
easier etc. It may dent their ego a bit
but at least it should spur them on to
further improvement.
I must add that it is, sometimes, very
hard to comment on some of the very
good programs that members submit other
than just saying GOOD, EXCELLENT,
MARVELLOUS, CAN'T BE IMPROVED etc. but
of course that isn't the only comment
that is required.
To : 0E7 and 999
From : 20G (Roy Dickens)
Re : Cracker program
Thanks for your comments. If you would
like to add to the list of gags you
must LIST the program and you will then
see the highlighted REMarks at the end
with the DATA. You just add your DATA
etc. Or just delete one line of data
(gag) and insert your own.
To : 999 (All members)
From : 27N (John Ilsley)
Re : Comments on programs, etc.
In the messages last issue, someone
mentioned about people not commenting
on programs and such...Well, it would
be helpful if the new users to the
BBC's and such would jot down a program
or two that they would like done by the
advanced or experienced programmers.
For example, last issue, there were a
few database programs, including one I
made (which I hope now has a sort
routine), just because one user asked
for a specialised database.
To : 999
From : 27N (John Ilsley)
Re : Concord Comms bulletin board
I have sent my modem away for repair,
so hopefully Concord comms will be
on-line at the beginning of next month.
(Everyone please pray for me!).