To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : FOR SALE
Spectrum 48/128 games on tape, over 100
of them (boxed originals with instrux)
for around 30p each plus postage.
Anyone interested let me know and I'll
send you a list to choose from.
Terminator for Sega Game Gear. Perfect
condition, boxed with instructions.
Fifteen pounds.
ZX Spectrum 48K power pack. Allegedly
can also be used to power a Sega
Megadrive in case your PSU blows (I
wouldn't know). One pound fifty plus
postage.
Kempston Pro Joystick Interface for ZX
Spectrum 48K. Has ports for three
joysticks, and can be used with
Kempston, Cursor, and Sinclair
joystick-compatible games. Also a slot
for cartridge games. Three pounds plus
postage.
Dead ZX Spectrum 48K. Probably in
complete working order apart from blown
ULA, and hence will have working Z80A,
48K of RAM, all the other bits for
electronics enthusiasts. (I can't find
anyone prepared to fix it). Only fifty
pence plus postage.
Cassette recorder suitable for computer
use with volume control, tape counter,
Mic, Ear and Remote sockets, connector
for BBC tape connection (incl. motor
control) and large built-in speaker (so
needn't be used only for computer).
Still works but now ten years old, so
two pounds plus postage.
Large Hitachi ghetto-blaster style
portable stereo with four-band radio,
three-band graphics equaliser, stereo
CD etc. input, headphones socket,
decent size speakers. One cassette deck
is broken but the other is OK, incl.
record facility. Otherwise in complete
working order, five pounds plus
postage.
I know someone who is selling an
Amstrad PCW, complete with printer,
monitor, 3" and 5.25" drives. I believe
it is an 8256 which has been upgraded,
presumably to 512K. The price is one
hundred pounds; get in touch with me
and I will put you in touch with them.
I can be contacted on 0204 492613 until
October, or write to 1 Oakwood Drive,
BOLTON BL1 5EE, or contact me via 8BS.
To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : WANTED
Amstrad 3" disk drive suitable for
connection to Spectrum +2A.
Serial lead suitable for connecting
Spectrum +2A RS232 to Master 128 RS423.
To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : 2-disk issue?
After reading Jock Smylie's comments
last issue, where he pointed out that
many DFS users are missing out on the
ADFS extra software, and that having
two disks for each ADFS issue would
solve this problem, I am tempted to
agree.
Previously, there has not been as much
of a problem, as both Chris and I have
mostly restricted the extra ADFS
software to Master-only software,
samples of items in the TBI pool,
graphics screens etc.
However, now that the amount of
contributions has again increased, some
good software that would have made the
DFS issue much more interesting, such
as the wave demo etc. in Issue 28, are
only available to ADFS users.
The alternatives to having two-disk
issues are archiving, or alternatively
joining several BASIC programs together
in one file. Archiving has its
disadvantages; joining programs was
used in Issue 28 to save DFS filenames,
but can be confusing to new users.
Reducing the gaps between issues cannot
be a long-term solution, as this
results in many people (including
myself) having difficulty in meeting
the deadlines. Delaying software from
one issue to the next (and the next...)
is not particularly desirable either,
and simply delays the problem to a
later date.
So it seems that having a two-disk
issue for DFS users, while using only
one disk for ADFS users, would be a
good idea. One disk could be used for
the magazine, allowing as much text as
was available, as well as the
opportunity to have sections split up
into as many articles as necessary. The
other could be used for software, thus
allowing all members' software to be
published almost immediately, and the
best of other PD software to be
included as well, without worrying
about space.
To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : My assembler article in 8BS 28
Just so everyone knows, this was in
fact written rather a long time ago
(two years in fact). I am unlikely to
have the time to continue it at the
moment, and it ends rather abruptly, so
if anyone has the inclination to
continue from the point where it
finishes, please do so.
To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : One-liner competition
I don't know how anyone else feels
about this, but it seems to me that
using a program to poke in lines of
such length that they could not be
entered at the keyboard is cheating a
little!
To : 999 (All members)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : Mad Rabbit PD
This library have contacted me
recently, and although I am not sure
how exactly their library is arranged
at present, I believe from this and
from a mention in Acorn Computing that
they are back in business.
To : 0E7 + 3PM + YJ2 + 999
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : Beebug's demise
Fred Nevin is right in saying that 8BS
and Solinet are the only options left
after the demise of Beebug, but I'm
convinced that both Solinet and 8BS
will continue as long as the demand
exists - we should be able to equal the
5 years that Acorn computers have
promised to continue producing spare
parts for 8-bit machines. Also, of
course, there are the half-dozen or so
other PD libraries, some of which have
been going for nearly 10 years, and
intend to continue as long as
necessary.
Unfortunately there is little prospect
of 8BS or Solinet managing to persuade
contributors to Beebug to join us, as
previously contributors were paid quite
substantial amounts, or so I'm told.
However, we will make an attempt to
persuade some of the ordinary members
of Beebug to join.
To : 0E7 + 999 (Fred Nevin and all)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : Upgrading options
For those who wish to follow Beebug's
example and leave the 8-bit world for a
more modern machine, the question of
which machine to choose arises. As can
be seen from the Archimedes vs. BBC
debate (which later developed into the
Archimedes vs. PC debate), all the
experts appear to have different views.
Here is my attempt at a summary.
PC's and Archimedes provide relatively
similar facilities and software. Both
have provision for large hard disk
drives, fast processors, high-quality
monitors and several megabytes of RAM
to allow virtually any category of
software to run on them, from
high-quality console-style games to DTP
programs, accounts, advanced word
processors, etc.
There are however several differences
to be considered and weighed against
each other.
(1) The Archimedes retains some
features of the BBC range, such as BBC
BASIC and the ADFS filing system, so
BBC users who wish to continue
pottering around in BASIC but with
greater speed and superior facilities
than an 8-bit machine will be happier
this way, and there will be no need to
learn DOS and some new language such as
C.
(2) The actual hardware tends to be
cheaper for the PC range by about 30%
for a machine with an equivalent
processor (486DX vs. A5000, say).
However, this is the average PC, and
some would claim that the Arc is as
well built and reliable as the more
expensive PC's, such as Dell etc.
However, extra hard drives, RAM,
scanners etc., do certainly seem to be
cheaper for PC's.
(3) If you plan to use the machine
solely or mainly for business then
there is far more business software for
the PC than the Arc; there will be Arc
packages to cover most things but
perhaps not quite what you are after,
whereas on the PC you can be sure of
anything being available.
(4) The PC market brings in new
technology faster than the Arc one.
This can be either advantage or
disadvantage. For example, virtually
all new PC's have facilities for
inserting new, faster processors to
replace their existing ones when the
need arises, while with all new Arcs
this is impossible. However, in the PC
market continuous upgrading seems to be
virtually enforced (a 386SX PC will
soon be unable to run most new
software, for example), while even if
you bought a relatively lowly A3020
Archimedes you should be able to count
on software support for another 3-4
years at least.
(5) PC packages appear to be programmed
less efficiently, requiring preferably
4Mb of RAM or more and large amounts of
hard disk space. (PC pundits claim this
is because they have so many
facilities, and for some PC games this
may well be true). By contrast
Archimedes owners can just about manage
with 2Mb of RAM and no hard disk AT ALL
(although I would recommend a 60Mb HDD
and a machine capable of expanding to
4Mb of RAM), thus enabling them to buy
a substantially cheaper machine but
still run similar software.
(6) PC's appear to have a clear edge
over current Arcs in terms of graphics
display capabilities. Whether this is
important to you is your choice.
(7) Both Archimedes and PC assembly
language are markedly more difficult
than BBC (the PC apparently even more
so), but the Arc has BASIC, and there
are loads of PC programming languages
available.
(8) If you want to make money out of
your programs, or get a job as a
programmer in the long term, you are
more likely to do it on the PC. Really
obsessed perfectionist programmers
might be able to do well writing a
brilliant game in assembly language for
the Arc though.
Recommended PC:
486SX-25, 4Mb RAM, 80Mb hard drive
(minimum). Larger hard drive VERY
valuable. Dell Dimension range well
worth looking at. 5.25" drives are
unnecessary.
For a better machine, a 486DX-33 with
ability to fit DX-66 processor or
Pentium is worth looking at, try to get
a 100Mb or so HDD.
Don't buy a notebook unless you REALLY
need one.
Recommended Arcs:
If you insist on buying cheap, A3010
with RAM upgraded to 2Mb.
A3020 with 2Mb RAM and 60Mb HDD and
Colour Monitor (existing monitors for
BBC's are, I believe, incompatible, and
it's a waste to look at such good
graphics on a TV). Multiscan monitor is
not essential.
A5000 with 4Mb RAM.
I personally don't plan to buy either
in the next six months, since the
current Archimedes range will soon be
out of date as a new range with
different processors and graphics
capability appear, and I expect 486 PC
prices to fall considerably as the
Pentium grows in popularity.
To : YJ2+999 (Andrew Snodgrass & all)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : 5.25" drive for A3010
I very much believe that there is no
interface provided (I could be wrong)
and am not sure whether an add-on
facility is possible. Serial link
appears to be a popular method of
transferring data/programs (is there a
serial port on the A3010?) Much simpler
is sending me a disk and asking me to
put it on 3.5" ADFS L, which any
Archimedes can read.
To : 3PM + 999
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : Copyright
The legal position is probably that if
you use virtually any part of someone
else's coding then you have breached
their copyright, regardless of changing
the function of the program. However,
if you only use their technique, you're
OK. If you're using their technique and
just so happen to have an identical
piece of code then think again.
To : 19F + 999 (Theo Gray + everyone)
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : PC memory
I am pretty sure the figures 70, 90
etc. are the access times in
nanoseconds. The lower the better, of
course. (70 is pretty good if buying by
the megabyte).
To : 999
From : 483 (Daniel Shimmin)
Re : Questionnaire results
I'm interested to see that we now have
a total of six members who own either
6502 second processors or 65C102
co-processors. Time for some parallel
processing software maybe? Software
writers may be interested to see that a
total of ten members have mice.
And there are eight people with modems.
One suggestion that has been floating
around for a while is that someone with
a modem should do an article listing
and comparing the services available
from all the various bulletin boards
available, as I'm sure the modem-owning
members would find this very useful.
Any offers?
While on the subject, there seem to be
at least twenty people who have not
filled in the new version of the
questionnaire.
To : 999 + (YJ2 Andrew Snodgrass)
From : 0E7 (Fred Nevin)
Subject : Issue 4 of 8BIT Software
Congratulations on taking on and
accomplishing such a mammoth task as
compiling an Index/Directory for all
the issues of 8BIT software.It is going
to be quite a task to keep it going and
an update each month would appear to be
too much. May I suggest that perhaps
someone could write a DIY programme so
that it could be put on a seperate
catalogue disc and the information be
entered by each member with each new
issue of the magazine. The 'EDITOR'
could keep the master copy and issue it
say once in a blue moon when he could
not fill the disc with programmes from
the members.(Sorry Chris only another
daft suggestion but I may have sown the
seed?)
I see you have no information for
issues 2-4. Can I attempt to help in
this matter. I believe I joined 8BITPD
around about issue 4/5. After some time
I believe Duncan decided to make
available all issues of 8BITPD that
were available. I decided to obtain
copies of all the discs issued and they
start at No 4 which contains the
following SYSTEMS programmes and is
very similar to Disc No 1.
BANK ACCOUNTANT SYSTEM
BULLETIN BOARD DATABASE
PHONE ACCOUNTANT SYSTEM
SYSTEM SERVER DATABASE.
Hope this is of some use. I suspect
that things may have been a bit hectic
in the beginning and I am suprised to
learn that you have issue 1 which
appears to be the same as my issue 4.
Perhaps issue 2 & 3 got lost in the
heat of battle. The only person who can
confirm this I presume would be Duncan.
To : 999 + (4G7 J.R.HAY)
From : 0E7 (Fred Nevin.)
Subject : A & B Computing
A & B Computing like all the other
magazines have deserted the old Beeb
and gone over to the Archimedes camp.
They changed their name to ARCHIMEDES
WORLD or something similar some 12 to
18 months ago.
If anyone has any old copies of A & B
Computing they wish to sell/dispose of
I would be interested to receive full
details.
To : DP-J.(3PM) and (999).
From : Roy Dickens (20G.)
Thank you for your very
detailed comments about the FOOTBALL
POOLS PROG. and your FTBL program
random numbers. It appears that your
spot on in the art of maths. I'm
fascinated by the subject but not very
good at it. You have put in a good
prog. about borrowing plus interest now
how about one for the savers? I had a
go myself but it didn't look right but
it worked! The idea was that you could
enter how much you wished to save a
month/year at a entered percent
interest over a entered number of
years. So with the compound interest
and regular savings what is the end
result?
It would be, say 120 a year
plus 10 percent equals 132. Then 132
plus 120 plus 10 percent then 277.20
plus 120 plus 10 percent then 397.20
plus 120 plus 10 percent = 436.92 and
so on. I have not seen this in a book
or magazine. My way of doing it went
all round the houses so I'm sure it was
wrong. Perhaps you or someone of 8-Bit
would know a quick and/or correct way
of doing it.
To : 999 (All)
From : 2J3 (C.J.Richardson.)
Subject: TBI
Roy Dickens asked me what TBI stands
for. Take your pick:
Too Big for Issue I think.