To: 999 (all members)
From: 3WU (FRED PRICE)
Subject: Reading Poems
I must apologize to any of our members
that have not got a printer. I wrongly
assumed that all of our members had got
printers.
All of my pieces of poem are already in
program form so it much easier for me
to send it in and maybe save any member
copying it out, Also I would suggest
that you do NOT omit line 30 if you
want to disable it, Put a REM in line
30 to make it 30REMVDU2 and that will
stop it going to the printer also it
will pay anyone who has not got a
printer to LOAD ( ) the program then
List it L. and then CTRL N to PAGE it
then read it as it is, IF it is in DR.2
then *DR.2 will take you into DR2 then
*. to Cat it then LOAD ( ) it and you
should not have any more problems in
reading it out in program form, Happy
Eating. SORRY I meant READING
FRED
***************************************
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2B (Colin Culpitt-Smith)
Subject: advert in last issue
In the last issue, I mentioned that a
Shawn Baker had monitors and Beebs for
sale, but somehow his tel no was
incomplete. His number is 0502-512476.
Apologies for any frustration caused!
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2B (Colin Culpitt-Smith)
Subject: MODUS
I recently came across a mail-order
company with a difference, which I
thought 8BS members might like to know
about. Known as Modus Ltd, they offer
wholesale prices to house-holders on a
wide range of top brand named products
from electrical, gardening, CD's,
computer games to insurance for the
home, car etc - all at prices well
below the usual. Typical savings are up
to 25% below retail prices, and are
possible by offering them direct to
house-holds on a 'members only' basis,
and by cutting out middle-men. A years
membership costs only `19.99 and can be
quickly repaid not only from savings
but by a 'recommendation bonus'. If you
recommend Modus to say just 5 friends,
you are paid `4 for each if they become
members. You've now got your membership
fee back, but if these 5 people also do
the same as you and recommend to their
friends, not only do they get a bonus,
but you get a further bonus for each of
them as well! This is all optional of
course, but equally, there is no limit
to the number of recommendations you
can make, which if done seriously, can
produce a good income. Not only can
people SAVE money, but MAKE money as
well.
I personally know someone who saved
over `300 pa in house contents premiums
through the Modus insurance scheme.
If any member is interested, please
contact me for more information on
0738-812186 or via 8BS or write to
Colin Culpitt-Smith, 35 Muirmont
Crescent, Bridge of Earn, Perth, PH2
9RG
To: 999 (all members)
From: K1Y (Paul Harvey)
Subject: BBC Life in general
This is my second attempt at
constructing a message, the first
having gone down in a blaze of error
messages, still we press on.
After having read through various
letters from the previous two issues
of 8BS, I want to add my view to the
"Oh God, what are we gonna do now that
nobody supports the BBC anymore"
debate/worry.
First of all, if you are still using a
BBC of any type, why are you using it
and not a more modern computer which
has bags more processing power than a
Beeb? Surely we must conclude
therefore, that the Beeb you continue
to use is perfectly adequate for your
computing needs...?
Secondly, what about availability of
additional equipment if needed later
on? The Beeb is well furnished in the
department of add-ons, almost anything
you want in hardware or software has
been created and exists. Although it's
generally not possible to walk into a
shop and buy what you need, someone
somewhere has one that they don't need
anymore and are willing to swap with
your handful of loose change. It's
definitely not an expensive computer
system to own when compared to any
newer computer system.
Thirdly, why do we need a commercial
magazine supporting the BBC? There are
very few new releases of any
commercial software/hardware for the
BBC these days and with a wealth of
pubished literature of the last ten
years, just about every detail needed
is already covered - if you can just
find the issue of Acorn User or BEEBUG
that has it! There are a number of
good support groups for the BBC,
including 8BS, with plenty of
still-keen users wanting to share
their enjoyment with other like-minded
folks. Of these interested users, some
still produce various software titles
to constantly amuse and amaze. And the
BBC - not being very complicated and
having good technical documentation -
is an "easy" machine to build hardware
add-ons for, if you are reasonably
confident with a soldering iron and
you know what a transistor does.
The added bonus of "amateur" support
groups like 8BS is that there is a
'friendship' amongst it's members that
is never present with a commercial
venture such as Acorn User: when was
the last time you rang their editor to
discuss various things akin to BBC, or
had the technical editor contact you
to say he managed to find somebody
willing to sell their Master to you
for the price you wanted. Couple to
this the fact that coverage of
sections like Reader's Letters never
seem to be of enough quantity in
these commercial mags due to
advertising space and trying to please
all of the people all of the time and
you have something that rarely caters
for so many BBC user's needs. I love
getting involved in the various heated
discussions
that arise, discussing whether "my BBC
B+ is faster on nested loops than your
BBC Compact..." and similar such
substance.
Even now, there are people becoming
newly aquainted with a BBC Micro for
the very first time and wondering
where it had been all their life. This
requires that support is provided for
the beginner as well as the expert and
this is something that it's support
groups do well.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K1Y (Paul Harvey)
Subject: BBC SUPPORT UNDER FIRE
Having just read a letter on 8BS disc
no.35, I feel 'moved' to reply,
freedom of speech allowing for it.
Our mutual friend seems to have
something of chip on his shoulder,
perhaps brought on by the closure of
BEEBUG recently.
I am referring to the analysis of
present BBC support groups, my own
included.
While I subscribe to the reality of
everyone having their own opinion on
any given subject, I would like to
defend myself only where the facts are
not correct, and perhaps give a little
insight to the "why's" which account
for the situation that has been
presented from one side only.
As a number of you will know, I run
the BBC user group known as ByteBack.
I started it in April 1993 for my own
amusement, but discovered that a few
other people enjoyed it also. I began
with high intensions of a monthly
publication, but being self-employed,
my "hobbies" have to take second
place. Credit must go to Chris for
getting 8BS disc out every month!
Over the last few months, it has
become apparent that bi-monthly
production is more realistic for me to
deal with. It has to be considered
that groups like myself do what we do
for some indescribable reason we
ourselves can't fathom: it takes a lot
of time out of our lives!
I feel that the comparisons drawn
between BEEBUG and ByteBack are a
little unfair, considering BEEBUG
consisted of a team of full-time
staff, working solely for the magazine
and getting paid for it too!
With respect to the letter from K4R:
A postcard advert was not included in
the ByteBack I sent out because I only
sent one to members during the first
'post session'; I thought it would be
rude to ask a "first-time reader" to
advertise ByteBack. Perhaps I should
have worded the mention to explain
this.
Providing information on programs such
as Inter-word is something I was
requested to do by a couple of
members, many who have bought a BBC
system s/h, plenty of Roms, no
manuals.
I didn't devote 2.5 pages (out of 18)
on one model of printer: 0.7 of a page
was a printer review, the rest of the
article consisted of a general printer
program for any dot-matrix printer
conforming to Epson compatibility.
I agree that the majority of ByteBack
content is a rehash of something that
has been done before in Beeb's
lifetime, but that's because there
isn't very much new to work with,
except for some new programs being
written. A survey of BB's members
revealed 56% of them would like to see
a beginners section: surely this would
have to contain information that has
been reproduced elsewhere before?
As to the delay in replying to an
enquirer (3 weeks in this case), I
can't offer any solution and won't
make any excuses. I fit BB in when I
can, and any cheques sent are never
cashed until a number of days AFTER
the magazines have been sent out.
Although this letter speaks
exclusively for ByteBack, I believe I
am voicing thoughts common to all of
the amatuer "enthusiast-run" groups.
Perhaps the disillusoned gentleman
should start up his own group,
structured to his high standards and
then perhaps the reality of the work
involved will sober him into a less
biased view of those working hard to
make other BBC users happy.
I know I can't please everyone with
ByteBack, but I hope to please as many
people as possible with the abilities
and knowledge I have. I mean no
disrespect to K4R with this letter.
To: 999
From: K2C (Frank Jones)
Subject: Beebug Successors.
Congratulations to 8-Bit Software on
scoring 9.5 on Robin Morom's
search for a successor to "BeeBug". I
am sure "Solinet" was not far behind
in replying. Whilst I know nothing of
"Beeb Developements" and "Destroyed
Realities", I feel a touch of sympathy
is deserved for Paul Harvey in trying
to get "ByteBack" off the ground. In
a way, he is the victim of his own
success. Being a self employed
graphic artist, his business has taken
off this year leaving him with less
time than ever. Coincidentally,
"BeeBug" packing up has seen him
overwhelmed with enquiries for a
written magazine, rather than a disc
magazine. Whilst Robin states "that
enthusiasm just alone is not
enough"...I think it is. Sometimes my
conscience is pricked when I think how
little I do to hold the 8-Bit World
together, I think we all should be
grateful to these characters that have
a go. Incidentally I notice that
Chris expressed his appreciation of
Paul's help at the AcornUser show.
Perhaps that too might have held up a
reply.
To: 999
From: K2C (Frank Jones)
Subject: Melvyn Wright
I feel that over the last twelve
months there has been a growing
awareness of the slick programming of
Melvyn Wright who produced several
musical novelties. There was "Blaze
Away" featuring a fairground organ
going full blast. This organ is seen
again playing "Liberty Bell"...both
tunes being real foot tapping music.
Last Christmas, 8-Bit's disc featured
the bell ringing Snowmen playing
carols. This last one was attributed
to some character called "Psycho
Pirate" but at Billingham BBC Computer
Club I have been given the original
with all the Wright attributes.
Mick Reeves of Selby came up with
"Liberty Bell"; he found it as the
lead in music for a game called
"Harvey Headbanger" though once the
game starts the music is totally
different.
I only came into computing about '87
with an 'Electron' and most of
Wright's work was with a BBC around
1985. I wonder if any of our members
know of any of Wright's work of that
era and have discs with pieces on that
I can add to my collection....I might
even be able to build up a 'long
player'!
If anyone has anything or wants a disc
containing the three pieces I have
'phone 0845 522241 or write to Frank
Jones, "Carrwood", 21, Back Lane,
Sowerby, THIRSK, North Yorkshire, YO7
1NQ.
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2O (S Richardson)
Subject: Z88 Upgrades & Spares
I recently spoke to Roy Woodward of
Z88 EPROM to ask if Upgrades & Spares
could be made available to 8BS users.
This he agreed, and the details
follow :-
Version 4.0 Rom Upgrade `24.95
128K Internal Ram Upgrade `44.95
DIY 128K Internal Ram Upgrade `19.95
Note: This requires expertise in
desoldering the existing ram chip.
Z88 Display `99.00
Z88 Leg `2.95
Z88 Battery Cover `2.25
Z88 Keyboard `34.95
Z88 Card Slot Cover `2.95
Z88 Case - Upper `3.95
Z88 Case - Lower `4.95
Z88 Metal Function Key Strip `3.95
Z88 Rubber Feet (Set of 4) `1.00
Z88 Screws 5 for `1.00, 11 for `1.75
Z88 Expansion Bus Cover `2.50
Z88 Manual Issue 4 `9.50
Z88 Developers Notes `39.50
The address to send the orders is :-
Z88 Users' Club
P.O. Box 15
Belper
Derbyshire
DE56 OXE.
Please mention 8BS should you decide
to take up any of the above.
Also available are all the past
issues of Z88 Eprom (41 in all).
PRESS BREAK