To: 999 (all members)
From: D6F (JOHN CRANE)
Subject: General (intro)
Well I've just recently joined 8BS, so
I thought I'd write in and introduce
myself and have a go at this messaging
set-up. I am not a total computing
nut. I dabble in Electronics and while
I don't profess to really know what
I'm doing I do enjoy fiddling. Thus
computing, to me, is an extension of
this.
It all started a few years back, when
someone gave me an old Electron to
have a go at. I started searching
through Micro`Mart and the like and
bought some 2ndhand stuff, expanding my
set-up to give me a Plus 3 (Disc Drive
with ADFS) and a Plus 1 for those all
important cartridge slots, to allow
the use of various Roms. More recently
I had my Electron upgraded to 64K and
had SP64 fitted. This is a rather good
Desktop Publishing package made by
Slogger, which is basically an improved
AMX Stop Press. Previously available in
DFS only, the SP64 version will work
equally well in both ADFS and DFS, even
both at once, if you have both fitted.
It was while I was scanning various
issues of Micro-Mart that I saw an
article on EUG (Electron User
Group)written by Will Watts (who ran
it at that time). Back then the
magazine was a paper product, but later
it turned into a disc based
format, similar to 8BS. It was in Dec95
edition of EUG that I learned about
8BS and from what I've seen so far I'm
impressed.
At first I wasn't sure about
8BS, because I had some doubts about
compatibility. I don't have Mode7 on my
Elk and the version of ADFS I have has
page at 1D00,which can cause
problems. However I found out most
problems could be overcome by
switching to 64K.
A little while ago I relieved a
friend of mine of an A3010 for a small
sum and have been trying to get to
grips with that. Now, I thought,I shall
be able to read and access 8BS in its
true form (Mode7), via !65Host (BBC
emulator). At first I had 1 or 2
problems. However I noticed the version
of !65Host I had been using was dated
1988, which was from an old disc of
"Lets compute".I tried using the 1992
version supplied with the A3010 and
found everything worked perfectly.
I must thank our glorious leader
Chris while I,m about it as well. To
cut a long story short (something I'm
not very good at),I've had DFS
available as 2nd choice on my Elk for
some time, until my chip went
walkabouts. I had a rom image which
could be loaded into SWR, so it didn't
matter too much.Then my SWR cartridge
packed up. Anyway 8BS offers an Eprom
blowing service so, I thought, the end
to my problems. To cap it all my rom
image somehow got corrupted, so what
should have been a simple task has
taken on more nightmarish proportions
Chris has taken it all in
his stride though and persevered on my
behalf and I now have a working DFS
rom.Thanks a lot Chris,I'll look after
it now and won't let it out of my
sight,I promise.
Anyway that's it from me for now.See
you all again soon.
To: 999 (all members)
From: D5B (Jon Ripley)
Subject: Coming soon!
Under development, graphical adventure
game with 3D graphics unlike any that
have been seen before!
Watch this space (and the JJR
catalogue) for further information.
It should be available for release at
the start of the summer and will be
available from me.
A demo will appear in 8BS.
To: 999 (all members)
From: D5B (Jon Ripley)
Subject: Interactive archives...
I am developing an interactive
archive filing system to allow
archives to be used without
de-archiving them first.
Currently it is loaded into main
memory and should act like any normal
filing system.
It will be read-only and will support
DFS style archives allowing 1 letter
directory names.
All normal filing system calls are
intercepted and treated accordingly.
Only one archive can be open at once
and archives within archives will not
be supported.
Chris Richardson's archiver is
supported at the moment as it seems to
be the most commonly used for archives
appearing in 8BS issues.
To: 999 (all members)
From: D5B (Jon Ripley)
Subject: Apologies!
I would like to apologise to
everyone who has written to me in
the last couple of months because it
has taken me quite a while to reply to
your letters/phone calls. This is due
to unfortunate personal
circumstances, however, do not
despair, I will be writing/phoning
back as soon as possible.
In the future I hope to be able to
introduce a same day postal return
service for enquiries and purchases of
PD discs, etc.
Also, I'd like to say that it might
take me a few minutes to get to the
phone, so please don't ring off after
a few seconds (like so many have). I
live in a large house (with 10 other
people) at the point furthest away
from a remarkably quiet telephone.
(The house is quite sound proof which
adds to the problem.) So, please hold
the line for a few minutes and nearly
all of the time your call will be
answered!
To: 999 (all members)
From: D5B (Jon Ripley)
Subject: JJR PD Update
Recent additions to the JJR section of
the 8BS library.
All JJR discs are available from
myself and Chris at the usual prices.
Discs whose names are prefixed with an
asterisk '*', are only available from
me directly and cost 50p extra. These
discs are not PD and where PD programs
are present on these discs, only these
programs may be freely distributed.
*JJR-08 Extended Repton Editor
This was described in more detail in
the previous issue. It contains four
sets of Repton 3 screens and one of
the most complete lists of Repton
passwords ever!
The editor is meant to be used
alongside the one included with the
game and includes several useful
features including protecting screens
so they cannot be edited and
converting screen files between the
BBC and Electron.
*JJR-09 Adventure games disc 1
See the adventures section for more
details on this disc.
JJR-10 Wordsquares
This disc contains a selection of 23
various wordsquares, ranging in
difficulty from very easy to
impossible.
JJR-11-1 Fractals A-I
The first in a series of discs each
containing 18 stunning fractal images.
Reference Sides Size Files
*JJR-08 1D 159k 14
*JJR-09 1D 87k 20
JJR-10 1D 27k 25
JJR-11-1 2D 363k 20
If you have written any software you
would like to be included in the JJR
section please send it to me or if you
want to order discs from me.
Jon Ripley, 37 Ceylon Place,
Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 3JE
Tel: 01323 721091 Anytime
To: 999 (all members)
From: 3PM (dp-j)
Subject: IQ
Last month Roy Dickens asked how come
a man with high IQ had problems. Well,
the converse is worse. A man with low
IQ doesn't know he's got problems.
But if he knows the man with high IQ
has problems then he has a higher IQ
than the man with the high IQ ?
Congratulations Roy.
I feel qualified to debate this topic
as I have similar attributes to Jon
Ripley. I'm 150 with an IQ of 18+,
miles from Bristol that is. No, not
the IQ, the furthest one. The nearest
one's in the opposite direction. See,
I have got problems. Wow, that must
put me up in the 19+ class. I'm glad I
got involved. Now I've got something
to worry about.
What was I going to Bristol for?
Anyway it must be nearer now the
nearest one is further away, or was
that my IQ. I'm sure you see my point
depending on whether you are lower or
higher than me.
I hope that, to quote our illustrious
Premier, 'makes it perfectly clear'.
But then he's further away than .....
any of us. Bristol even.
Any time Roy, it's a pleasure. You
only need ask.
Incidentally, a motor mechanic friend
went along to see a psychiatrist and
crawled under his couch. The bloody
fool gave him treatment and now he
sits on cars.
To: 999 (all members)
From: 3PM (dp-j)
Subject: PUZZLE ANSWER 8BS-47
from Jon Ripley
(and there's more)
Hello Jon. Nice to see all that
enthusiasm. You're giving us plenty to
think about. An interesting solution
to Puzzle but did you notice that
successive RUN's always return
alternating times of 6.2 and 2.76 secs
on the Master128. But occasionally the
result takes 16.56 secs and the answer
is wrong. Viz 8m,23w,69c. Now there's
another puzzle!
My own contribution was a vehicle to
provide some text to demonstrate the
!Fred text file reader. However if the
additional condition AND x=INT(x) is
put in Line 40 to eliminate the non-
integer totals you will see more
clearly that some totals such as #104,
#112 and #115 have two solutions.
For the puzzlers. Can you identify
integer totals having two solutions
either of which is not simply a direct
multiple of a lesser total amount?
For example, 6m,86w,8c and 9m,7w,84c
both give #104 total but the former is
simply double the #52 result, whereas
the two solutions to #115 are unique
in the above sense. Do such totals
have some overall functional form? Is
there an upper limit? (Clue: do any
prime number totals have two such
solutions?). What about three answers?
To: 999 (all members)
From: K2F (John Davis)
Subject: As if you cared...
Some idle thoughts on getting,
randomly, 1 or -1, from quickest
to slowest:
1) A=SGN(RND)
2) A=1-(2 AND RND(1)>.5)
3) A=1-(2 AND RND(2)=1)
4) A=1-(RND(2)-1)*2
5) A=1+(RND(2)=1)*2
6) A=-1^(RND(1)>.5)
7) A=-1^RND(2)
8) A=2*(1.5-RND(2))
and perhaps:
9) A=RND(2)^1.584962503-2
and even:
10) IF CHRIS HAD EGGS FOR BREAKFAST
THEN A=1 ELSE A=-1
This condition was implemented in
some very early Acorn basics, but,
unaccountably, was later deleted.
Perhaps it was thought too slow, as it
only allowed one iteration per day,
and also involved peering through
windows, telephone calls, etc. These
basics are now rare and valuable.
To: 999 (all members)
From: 3WU (Fred Price)
Subject: The Month Of March
This not related to computers but it
is of interest to the month MARCH.
I came across this little story a few
years ago and in my hospital radio
program I usually play a piece of music
called THE MARCH HARE and read this
out:
The expression Mad as a March Hare
comes from the fact that March is the
rutting season for Hares.
It also refers to Hares running wild
in marshes or where there are no
hedges or other cover to hide in.
On the other hand the term MAD AS A
MAD HATTER dates from the time when
Mercury was used in the making of
hats.
Mercury is very poisonous and it
also produces symptoms similar to those
encountered in brain disorders.
-----
So if any one wants to have a tea
party please don't ask me for a MAD
HATTER as the IDES OF MARCH has got
him. SO BEWARE
To: 999 (all members)
From: 3WU (Fred Price)
Subject: MASTER
At last I have managed to join the
MASTER class. Yes I am now a MASTER
owner since last December an what a
difference it is but it does give you
some extra thoughts being a bit
different to straight Beeb but I won't
part with them yet until I obtain
another Master.
On a slow course I am getting to
know the brute popping in and out of
DFS and ADFS and I have found that I
can go into View very easily, in fact I
found that if I wanted to change one
of my scrips into ADFS it was easier
to load it in DFS then go into ADFS
and save it doing it that way saved me
using a utility program to change
from DFS to ADFS. I use Mick Needham's
View suite a lot and I have found that
the full program will not go in so can
it be that the Full Stop is the one
thing that stops it from working and
if it is altered will it work OK?
It does make me think a bit more as
to what I have to do but I have got an
escape route which I use now and again
and I must say that my namesake FRED
is always very helpful when I ring him
I know that I have had him tearing his
Hair out with some of the questions so
I must give a big thank you to Fred
Nevin for helping me out but be warned
Fred you are not off the hook yet so
beware of the IDES of March.
Fred Price 3WU
PRESS SPACE