felitile piggy wentAo PD market Suhf&jnake huge savings ^qr buy a pig in a poke? Public<6omain explored Anniversary jolts! It's ourthird birthday - wl^ revie y^3^ffrs a events GoinglowiMSd^ Commodore s topji Irving Gould outline the future fortheAmi PLUS: Games * DTJbtaMachine Code • Music • Comms • Amos • DTP Five years lo the month after Pretext version 1 was launched Arnor are pleased to present version 5, an enormous leap forward in both ease of use and performance. Protext S.O introduces o completely integrated system of pull down menus and dialogue boxes. The menus are among the many operations that may now be carried out with either the mouse or the keyboard. Protext really does give you the best of both worlds. Protext 5.0 handles printer fonts flexibly and accurately. You can make full use of any number of proportional printer fonts, mix them freely within any line, centre them in headers, use automatically formatted footnotes. And Protext correctly formats your text os you type it, no matter how many font changes you use, showing you line and page breaks exactly as they will be printed. Protext 5.0 is still the fastest word processor around. Even though we have made all these major improvements we have token great care to ensure that text editing is as fast as ever. The menus work smoothly and quickly even with high resolution displays. But of course, you can use Protext's efficient set of commands and keys just as before and 5.0 remains compatible with all earlier versions from 1.0 onwards. Protext 5.0 is a worthy successor to version 4, which was described as "the best word processor at any price", "the best text processor on the Amiga" and "the most powerful word processor on the Atari ST" (AUI, ST/Amigo Format, ST User). Protext 5.0 heralds a new era of multi-lingual European software, in time for 1992 and the opening up of Eastern Europe. Protext may be used in at least 27 different languages and has 10 different national keyboard layouts ^O^^N built in (plus the capability to define ^£ \s V-J your own symbols and keyboard layouts). The Features '( New fast & easy to use pull down menu system with dialogue boxes and alerts; file selector; mouse dragging to set blocks. Menus complement existing commands and keyboard shortcuts, do not reploce them. Menus may be used with mouse or keyboard. Amiga version follows Intuition guidelines. ,\ Enhanced printing capabilities supports multiple proportional fonts; mixing of different font sizes on the same line; proportional formatting whilst editing; side margin, headers and foolers independent of main text font. Tabs, decimal tabs and centre tabs. Extensive range of printer drivers supplied. -V Multiple file editing - up to 36 files may be open; split screen editing. flr Graphics mode support on PC allows use in virtually any text or graphics mode including 1 3? column or 75 line VGA modes; user defined characters and on-screen bold, italics ond underlining now on oil versions; use of 1 3 different accents on ony character. .V Language support includes Albanian, Bosque, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Flemish, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latin, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Serboaootion, Slovak, Spanish, Slovene, Swedish, Welsh. (Note: some printers do not support all longuoges). -V Index and contents generation. Indexer takes marked words or phrases; contents entries automatically taken from titles wropped in control codes; many options for style of contents output. ,V Spelling checker features completely new 1 10,000+ word Collins dictionary with very fast phonetic lookup. Anograms and find word pattern. Foreign language dictionaries (German, Swedish available now, others to follow). .V Many other enhancements including multi-line footnotes and endnotes; automatic timed save; odd column or row of figures; indent tabs; find word at cursor; 40 column mode support; sentence operations; inter- paragraph space; much improved expression evoluator; self incrementing variables; Roman numerals; newspaper-style column ' printing; file sorting utility with special options for names and addresses; revised manual plus new tutorial guide. ft And don't forget Protext still includes background printing; box manipulation; macro recording; exec files; headers ond footers; find ond replace; mail merging; undelete; file conversion utility; configuration program; auto reformatting; on screen help; time and dole; typewriter mode; line drawing; disc utilities. Protext S.O may be purchased from any good computer shop or directly from Arnor. Upgrodes from earlier versions ore only available from Arnor ond the original discs should be returned with your order. PC Amiga ST/TT Archimedes £149.95 £149.95 £149.95 £149.95 £60 £60 £60 N/A £75 £75 £75 N/A £99.95 £99.95 £99.95 N/A £79.95 £79.95 £79.95 due 1991 Ql Protext 5.0 requires at least 640K of memory on all machines Protext 4.2 requires at least 51 2K of memory on all machines Prodato requires 1 MB of memory on the Amiga Arnor Ltd (amc), 6 1 I Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 3HA. Tel: 0733 68909 {24 hr), Fax: 0733 67299 IS YOUR AMIGA STILL IN THE STONE AGE? "UNLEASH THE POWER OF YOUR AMIGA" T JUST ADD TO YOUR AMIGA FOR ▼ • B5000-25 Faster than the CBM A3000-25 • • 500-1000% Faster than your Amiga • • Massive 4-32Mb of superfast memory • • 100% Software compatibility • • Plug-in up to a 50 MHz Maths Co-Pro • B5000 has advanced 32-bit Paged-Mode design • 32-bit Kickstart — five/ten times faster • Three models — A5000-16/B5000-25/B5000-40 NOOMM ^ 86000-40 RAM A5000-I6 (Price Includes Wh ft I Mi lHWAMCm030«C ? 3 MIPS (B MOut MCM030RP S-6 MIPS HZ MIP* p* B6O00-4Q. 40.00 MMf A>yn ? n- 0 ~o JB MCWDHHP 0-9 MIPS 110 MIPS p» 'PU 12 5 MHf-60 MH| Aiynciiionuui MC66881RC or MC66662AC ASQ0O16 RAM: 4 Mtoibytu of 3?-bit RAM 256 a 4 60n* ORAM* U UegMiyWt W 32*M RAM 1024 a 4 90*if 0« A Ml 3? M«oaD(taj of 32-eit RAM 1024 . 4 OOni ORAM* SHADOW ROM: Move your KichjUrt into W-blf SUPER -FAST- RAM SOFTWARE. 68000 Felloeon moM tor 1001* »or>*»/« compatibility HARDWARE 1004t Cr-npat-bie with Amiga SOWFOOO «nQ *00 on card* INTERFACE 1: Plug* Into 06000 processor tocUl MUM your Amiga INTERFACE 2: A/82000 C&fjroceww (Zonoll) ce/a [for 85000-40 OfUyl U5000-25 (Price Includes 1Mb A' i tfj B5000-40 (Price Includes /»//• /»• i Mi (All prices inclusive of VAT) Solid State Leisure Limited BO riNEOON Road, m r hli* i tuoNauBi . m i NN9 5TI. Teicphone: ID93JI b5D677 iNTrnNAitONAL: I •»•» 933 65D677 THE COVERDISK Rollerpede: Came of the a- month is a good place to start ^O//, If you're looking for quality '"•^'•^ ' games with a zero price tag, 'S^^J"^.^ **© and this month's all-action effort is no exception. ^S^^' effort is no exception. ^SSjf'**^ . %Z r ^"jjft Ro.lerp.de wili keep ^SS ^ you enthralled for «? ^2S»> S§S5^* weeks! Treasure Island: Pit your wits against some cun- ning problems in this superb demo of the HatRack Adventure Generator Musical madness!: We've gone bonkers! Not only have we packed TWO great tunes into this month s Tune-of-the-Month, we've also included some of the best samples you'll hear on any disk (Menu: Now you too can produce professional menus from a script file. JMenu does It all with ease and simplicity ImageED and PasteCadgets: Use this excellent combi- nation of utilities for complete control over your system gadgets. Ideal for programmers and those with the urge to customise Encrypt: Protect sensitive files from prying eyes with this handy utility. Make sure you're the only one who can get to that electronic filofax! ColourtCwik: Capture the coolest colours for your Workbench and save them to disk with ColourKwIk. No more messing about trying to match that per-, feet shade of blue - just click to save It out! C o V WHO'S WHO /' MANAGING EDITOR Derek Uettin PUBLISHER flKMnjWiaim FEATURES EDITOR Efl4e WcKendnck DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR: Paul Austin TECHNICAL EDITOR 5** Kennedy ART EDITOR UlkeSiriey CONTRIBUTORS Jam Holbom. Don Urms, MygiW Slanoei. Peter Woman, Jorri Wsta Ashley CaCer-Carm Don Maple. Pu T Whity SUES AND MARKETING: Jmt CoflMy ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Tracy CarroH ADVERTISING SALES Simon Lees lliiHMMpMaliriCMin i ill.l l U) ■ Ml rwMMi W w N le o MMftKSf tMlWMBU C6t »7»lhr KHMW I n Irani FaMhn U 1 hbM ■) U wAhh H MM ■ li m wmji immWm. Mi mr, on s WW. Ill IMlMll H UMW U MM M MH rW M MMI M M| ble upon the British PuBI Domain ind "p^e^i^heir conclusions qn page^l 4 Amiga Computing 0, »v1 REGULARS What's new If it's happening, it's here. Six pages packed with the latest news, including location reporU Public Domain Our regular guide to the best in free software. Paul Austin sorts out the best from the rest ...... 79 Beginner's guide: CLI Confused by the Amiga's Command Line? q m Let Stevie Kennedy lead the way OJ Gallery Proudly presenting a two page showcase of the very best Amiga art 88 ACAS The Amiga Computing Advice Sen/ice is always at hand with tech help ESP Ezra Surfs Postbox is crammed full of Amiga related correspondence from far Si wide 117 143 Rock Lobster In the true tradition of "...and finally" the Amiga Computing team wind down 146 THE GAME ZONE The section of Amiga Computing that takes having fun seriously! Previews, charts and tips not to mention reviews of BRAT, BARDS TALE III, A10 TANK KILLER. EVE OF THE BEHOLDER. WARLOCK, PCA TOUR GOLF and SUPERCARS II. Get your joystick m j ready for action! *fr3 FEATURES Back to the future After Amiga Computing 's 3rd birthday party Eddie MtKendrkk gets nostalgic 38 Write like a pro Stevie Kennedy takes a look at the latest version of the Prowrite word processor 65 The hard stuff Our Technical Editor gels knee-deep in the latest Amiga hardware offerings 67 Going for Gould Chairman of Commodore, Irving Gould has quite a bit to say. Don Maple listens in 73 The magic of MED Paul Austin takes a look at the built-in sample editor sported by our old friend MED 3 95 1 V3.au lii-ni i-fti t> v t . k i ii ii mi — n |>'| n 1 'I. L*»< •• ■ hubhkid <aaai» T :i->B<«H I iv-rrw I > H« *«yOu | t »i- Intensive care What do you do If your Amiga's heart stops beating? Consult our silicon surgeon , 99 Expand and deliver |ason Holborn continues his quest to expand your Amiga to bursting point 107 The Saxon angle Richard Williams test drives the latest 1 1 ^ Amiga Desktop Publishing sensation f I Z COMPETITION It's our birthday, and to celebrate we are giving away a spectacular competition prize. Remember if you don't enter you can't WIN!. Amiga Computing 5 ANEW SOCCER - BLISTERING PACE - PIXEL PERFECT PASSING - SUPERB TACTICAL GAMEPLAY KICK OFF 2 greatly enhances the gameplay of KICK OFF, winner of the THE GAME OF THE YEAR in the U.K., and similar awards right across Europe. A host of new features have been added to the ones that enthralled players the world over. • Full size multi -directional scrolling pitch with the players, markings etc. In correct proportion. • 1 to 4 players option. (Amiga and ST only) • 2 players TEAM option against the computer or 2 other players. Hundreds of players each with a unique combination of attributes (stamina, pace, etc.) and skills (passing, shootinfl. tackling, etc.) 8 • Instinctive Kick Offjoystick controls to dribble, pass, shoot, head or chip the ball and do sliding tackles. - Set piece. FREE KICKS including dummies and the ability to dip the ball or bend the ball round a defensive wall. • 9 types of corner kicks with full control of shot power. Long and short throw ins. ST ACTION - The best game ever to grace the ST Highest accolade I can give. AMIGA USER INT - The best computer game ever 97% THE ONE - Ultimate soccer simulation 96% THE ACE • Brilliant Buy. Buy. Buy. 930. AMIGA FORMAT • Best footy game to have appeared on any machine 94% ST FORMAT - What a game! Gem to play Magic 90% C ft VG - Championship winning material 95% GAMES MACHINE - Probably the best sports game ever. 92% COMMODORE USER - No other footfe game can touch it. 90% AMIGA ACTION - Surpasses all other football games 93% POPULAR COMPUTING WEEKLY - Nothing short of brilliant NEW COMPUTER EXPRESS - Computer football event of the year. AMIGA & ST £19.99 EXP. AMIGA £24.99 IBM (AT & XT Turbo. EGA & VGA) £24.99 CBM 64 - SPECTRUM - AMSTRAD £9.99. £14.99 • Team selection from a squad of 16 with substitution and a choice of tactics. • League and cup competitions with Extra Time. Injury Time and sudden death penalty shoot outs. • Facility to view, edit and save the Action Replays and create a Golden Shots disc.(ExcL IBM & CBM 64) • Facility to load Player Manager teams and tactics for a single or league game. • Red and yellow cards. 1 6 different referees. Injury time and a host of features to create an atmosphere for a game which is real fun to play. An International class player takes charge of a third division club as Player Manager. His brief is simple -Bring Back The Glory Days. His success depends on his playing skills on the pitch and managerial skills in devising winning tactics, aquiring the right players from the transfer market and building a team worthy of the highest honours. • Unique facility to design and implement your own tactics. • Over 1000 individual players, each with a unique combination of attributes and skills. • A livery transfer market. Haggle for the best deal. " 4 division league and a cup tournament with sudden death penalty shoot out. The Player Manager brings the every day realities of a manager's life, his talents as a manager and a player, his tnumphs and his failures into a sharp FOCUS. ST. ACTION A stroke of pure genius. THE ONE - An exceptional football management simulation, Astounding depth. Most involved, rewarding and playable THE ACE - Successfully blends challenging soccer management with frantic end to end arcade action 920 NEW COMPUTER EXPRESS - The sheer depth is incredible. A definitive managemeni game COMMODORE USER - Ai last a managementgame thai requires true management skills - a winner. 94% ST FORMAT - Brilli.rM 93% AMIGA FORMAT - Enthrsflrneand nddfrtrv* 93% ZZAP - Best football management game ever writtea 92% \ lit DIENSIONIN \ SIULATIONS THE FINAL WHISTLE Amiga - ST £12.99 (Rei .Nov.) Tl Raises the skills required and gameplay of KICK new heights. 2 to Two extra kits. Look at any player stats, (attributes and skill) before Totally newcomer kicks with full control of the power, height and trajectory of the ball. Enhanced throw ins and penalty shots. Provision to flick the ball in the ah* and do a blinding header or a spectacular overhead kick. New two players team mode. Player 1 In position or neatest to the ball and player 2 In position or keeper. Linesmen and referee on the pitch A new player attribute FLAIR. A player with a high level of flair will try a solo attempt at the goal. 4 new pitches - Wembley - Icy - Muddy - Non-League And Lot's More □smon or near* iB high level of uaay - WINNING TACTICS (£6.99 Pel Nov ) - A collection of tactics for use in Player Manager or K.02 with full explanations. RETURN TO EUROPE (£9.99 Rd. Dec.) - Three European cup competitions. UEFA cup - European Cup - Cup Winners Cup. GIANTS OF EUROPE (ReL 1991) Best teams of Europe on one disc. m Draft specifications Subject l^hanges without Jotice ANCO SOFTWARE, UNIT 10. BURNHAM TRADING ESTATE, LAWSON ROAD. DAR3FORD. TELEPHONE No: 0322 92513/18 FAX No: 0322 93422 STRATEGY-REALITY... ■ •7^ •w tti mm i ■ - -a ■ m b^BB> ^*>^fc- V Heralded the American computer role-playing game of the year! Based on Megatiavetter by Game Designers Workshop, the world's most popular science- fiction gaming system. The most sophisticated character generation system ever devised; five military classes, more than seventy talents and abilities. Allows player to control character development through live services: Army; Navy, Marines, Merchants and Scouts. TAXES SCIENCE FICTION ROLE-PLAYING LIGHT YEARS FORWARD SO Twenty-eight planets and satellites to explore in eight systems filled with exciting puzzles, dangerous subjects and interesting characters to encounter. "Megatraveller 1 is one of the best science-fiction role-playing games ever for the computer" "Megatraveller 1 , a game that truly warrants the highest level of praise, the attention to detail makes it exceptional" ^^^^^^^ (Quotes taken ftarn Dragon magazine US and Quest Busters magazine US) Amiga and ST unpiemeniatians try STeVeN Green The no. I best selling book has now turned into the no. 1 best selling game Team Yankee is the definitive action simulation of modem tank warfare Team Yankee. . . the critics' choice" Team Yankee is designed to test your leadership and tactical skills to the quick. STRATEGY PLUS This is a game and a half! The use of four screens in one is simply brilliant - at AMIGA FORMAT Team Yankee presents a game, in a sims clothing, which when dealing with tanks has to be the perfect approach! ACE The blend of thought and reflexes required to play Team Yankee is exactly right! ST FORMAT Hunting the Red Bear has never been so much fun! You wont be able to tear yourself away from Team Yankee! times it's almost like playing on four computers at once! I quickly found myself hooked on a genre of game which previously held no interest. / AMIGA ACTION The tanks have been superbly animated, with great attention to detail! This has to be a must for everyone! EMPIRE SOFTWARE, 4 THE STANNETTS, LAINDON NORTH TRADE CENTRE BASILDON. ESSEX SS1S 6DJ. TEL: 026B 541212 AVAILABLE NOW FOR ATARI ST, COMMODORE AMIGA AND IBM PC & COMPATIBLES - the wait is over! Commodore finally stop crying wolf and unveil a CD player that thinks it's an Amiga, as Eddie McKendrick reports MONTHS of speculation about Commodore's fledgling multi- media product CDTV are finally over. On Tuesday April 30 Commodore officially intro- duced their Dynamic Total Vision to the world. Due to go on sale later this year with a price tag of around £700, CDTV is similar Jn appear- ance to a standard compact disc player, but it is capable of a vari- ety of Interactive leisure and educational applications. With the CDTV, users wilt be able to simultaneously call up video images, text, graphics and stereo audio through a simple infra-red remote control unit. The greatest potential for CDTV lies in the educational field where programs are being developed which exploit the machine's multimedia capability. A Commodore spokesman explained: "You can call up a picture of the African bush con- taining a number of wild ani- mals. "Using the control unit you can then select one of the ani- mals and up on screen comes a detailed picture with descriptive text and the sound of the partic- ular animal or a commentary." A pilot scheme underway with Derbyshire County Council is using CDTV to teach Japanese to local schoolchildren. As well as hearing the spoken language, children are able to see pictures depicting Japanese WHAT'S culture. As no keyboard is neces- sary, CDTV can be operated by people with no previous key- board experience. CDTV exploits the technology of CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) using discs with a storage capacity equivalent to around 720 floppy disks our about 250,000 pages of text. Delivering the goods Independent research commissioned by Amiga Computing has revealed that major High street outlets do not expect to have large stocks of Commodore's CDTV home entertainment system until October. Despite the official launch our survey showed that CDTV is likely to be a slow starter with one retail chain expecting only small stocks by mid-May and others still in the dark about availability. Information for the buying public is woefully inadequate. Under the guise of a customer keenly interested in buying CDTV, our researchers con- tacted approved stockists Dixons, John Lewis and Comet. Sales staff in one major Dixons outlet thought CDTV was "a sort of televi- sion" while staff at another branch asked: "Is it some kind of games console?" Neither had any knowledge of availability. A third Dixons store said they had no idea when they would get CDTV but they would try and order it while the manager of a fourth 6 CDTV may be here as far as Commodore is concerned, but no-one has told the High Street' outlet said: "We've got it in our price list but because of pre-production delays I don't think we will have it in stock until October." A spokesman at Dixons' head office said: "We have no information on when ihis will be available but we hope it will be within the next month. We are just waiting for Commodore, but the price has been fixed at £599.99." Our researchers drew a complete blank at the |ohn Lewis store in London's Oxford Street. Even when given a description of the new machine, a senior member ol staff said they had no knowledge of it. "It's not on our list for this half-year. Maybe we will have it next half," was the reply. Over at Comet, staff in two retail outlets referred us to head office where a spokesman said: "We will have CDTV in some of our selected outlets by mid-May but we certainly do not expect to have it generally available until October. It will cost £599.99 " Amiga Computing 9 WHAT'S Amiga's in education go down a bundle new Smooth operator ANTIA is a font enhancement utility which performs an anti-aliasing pro- cess on normal Amiga fonts. From one original font size, it can produce up to nine scaled down ver- sions, anti-aliased using four brightness levels. AntiA runs on all Amigas. It can handle type sizes up to 300 points, although a 512k machine will be limit- ed to sizes of around 200 points. A 68020/30 Is useful in speeding up the processing of very large point sizes, but not essential. AntiA is available now at a RRP of £40. Contact ZEN Computer Services on 061 793 1931 24 bits on the side AMIGA screen files can now be con- verted into 24 bit colour slides or film of full cinema quality thanks to a new development from Amiga Centre Scotland (031 557 4242). ' Cine Link is a module for use with the company's Image Link package, now re-christened Rastar Link. It drives a number of digital film recorders, allowing Amiga files to be transmitted to them via the SCSI port. They are then converted into 2,000 or 4,000 line resolution pic- tures. Cine Link can also be teamed with a cine camera to produce cine film animations in up to 4,000 line resolution and full 24 bit colour. As Amiga Computing went to press, the price of Cine Link was not definite but should be in the region of £230. Raster Link costs £155. This provides COMMODORE has escalated its assault on the education market by offering education authorities and schools the chance to buy an Amiga 500 and one of 14 software packages for £299 plus VAT - a saving of £1 00. The offer has been made in response to education minister Kenneth Clarke's request for computer manufac- turers to be competitive in their education pricing. It includes a 500 with 1Mb of ram and a choice of Amiga Logo with Talking Turtle, DPaint II, DPrint II, Dpaint III, BBC Emulator, Fanta Vision, MaxiPlan 500, Superbase Personal, ProWrite 2.5, Music Mouse, Dr. T's Music Recording Studio, InfoFile, Photon Paint or Spritz. To ensure that those tak- ing advantage of the offer are bona fide education users, Commodore are deal- ing with all orders them- selves - passing them on to accredited dealers in the appropriate area. "We are policing this offer very closely to make sure that the right people are buying the com- puters," said Commodore's national sales manager for education, Peter Talbot. "So far we have had tremendous response from the government right down to the schools themselves. We have a growing market share in educa- tion and there hasn't been an offer as keen as this one before". Commodore spokesman Andrew Ball added that in the first month alone, • •••••••• sales on the offer had totalled £250,000. Schools wanting to buy the package must provide either their DES number or an official purchase order and the offer closes on May 31 . Further details can be obtained from Commodore's education sales desk on 0628 779677. We have a growing market share in education and there hasn't been an offer as keen as this one before'' Peter Talbot all the software necessary for the conversion but the real shock to the wallet comes with the purchase of digital film recorders which can run into thousands of pounds. Under the Spell SPELL!, the computerised aid to spelling that is now selling in record numbers to Amiga users, has found a new fan - Minister of Education Tim Eggar. He has written to Nicholas Winterton MP, another admirer of the program: "The Government welcomes such initiatives as a way of raising standards in our schools." And he added: "The Secretary of State is concerned at the perceived decline in the standard of spelling among young people and is keen that everyone in the world of edu- cation should take serious steps to improve those standards. Good spelling is essential in all branches of knowledge". Spurious price cuts FOLLOWING reports of price cuts for top-end Amigas in the USA, Commodore UK spokesman Andrew Ball has discounted suggestions that the same i could happen on this side of the Atlantic. He told Amiga Comput- ing: "These are just spuri- ous rumours." The American price cuts take in both Amiga 2000 and 3000 ranges and vary from 1 0 to 26 per cent. The Lowe down on ACS MANAGING director Martin Lowe reports that Amiga Centre Scotland have embarked on a substantial change of direction. They are now concentrating on developing low-cost advanc- ed technology for business, television, the professions and education. "We intend to provide an environment where a busi- ness or education customer can be shown a complete range of computing hard- ware and software, where they can examine and try our equipment and where techni- cal requirements can be iden- tified and satisfied," he told Amiga Computing, 'Too few people and corporations in the UK are aware of the power and price advantages of using the Amiga system. A fully-implemented version of AT&T Unix System V, release 4, is now available on the Amiga, ntemationally, many broadcast and video professionals have already dis- covered the Amiga." The validity of his decision was underlined by the successful appear- ance of AMS's 32-bit graphics board at top European computer show CEBIT where it attracted interest and orders from 40 coun- tries. "Commodore displayed four of our boards on their trade stand," said Lowe. "Japanese company Sharp also showed the Harlequin/Amiga combination displaying images captured with their top ol the range scanners. "Software developers in Europe and America are already pro- ducing programs to lake advantage of our technology" Features in previous issues of Amiga Computing, the Harlequin board substantially reduces the cost of generating broadcast quali- ty, full colour images with an Amiga. Martin Lowe 10 Amiga Computing CITIZEN Silica presents some great offers on the award winning range of high quality dot matrix printers from Citizen. Each Citizen printer is built in the UK to exacting standards, ensuring superb reliability and a very high quality of output. Our confidence in the quality of Citizen printers is such that we are pleased to offer a unique two year guarantee with every printer. Plus, if you purchase your Citizen printer from us. we will give you a Silica Printer Starter Kit (worth £29.95). FREE OF CHARGE! FREE DELIVERY N*si Oay Anywften m the UK m*mlina FREE STARTER KIT Worth C2995 - With every Cfliam printer from Silica FREE COLOUR KIT Worth T3995 ■ With Swift 9 and Swift 24 printers 2 YEAR WARRANTY Silica one' t 2 year warranty ( including tne printer head) with every Citizen pnrrist purchased from S*ca WINDOWS 3.0 Free Windows 30 dmer - in me S*ca Starter Kit FREE HELPLINE Technical lupport helphne open during office hours MADE IN THE UK Citizen prinlers are manufactured lo boh standards 144 -e« DRAFT CITIZEN 120D + The Citron 1200. n otte & onmrt tl h« a ityitsh appei tauu'ei a -•- perlormanca for P"nler Tha 1200* is avaltabl di parallel niortoc* and m an • 9-pin Printheed • Print Speed I44cps Drott • JQcps NLQ • Epton A IBM Graphics Emulation • Pull Tractor A floffom Feed • Superior Graphics • 240x216dpi • FREE Starter Kit excel bJM ■pensive * a ■"" ' 1 printer 144o c rS s ft 24 PRINTER ACCESSORIES CITIZEN 124D The award wnning Otmn 1240 brings high quall- fy 24-pm oo4 maim printing within every comoutfl* users reach It <» the -deal choice where high quali- ty printing ii reQuxeO at a budget price • 24-pin Impact Printer • Print Speed 144cps Draft • 2 LO Fonts (48cpa) • BK Buffer • Epaon, IBM A NEC PS* Emulation • Advanced Paper Parking • Superior Graphics ■ 360-360dpi • FREE Starter Kit RBP E2KM SIARTER KIT .. .. £2995 TOTAL RHP: £322.53 SAVING £11? n SltlCA PRICE: M10J3 SHEET FEEDERS ww 1200 «oo am PRA <215 1240/Swlfl 4/74 [88 70 PRA122B 040/Swffl 9r?4 £4200 SERIAL INTERFACES PRA 1 189 13104- 156 45 PRA 1209 Swift Wt?40 D2.25 PRA 1709 Swift 24 E263I PRINTER STAND PRA 1242 1240/Swlfl V24 £2403 ORIGINAL RIBBONS RiB 3520 UOO/SwIfl 9 Black £4.11 RIB 3924 124D/3wlft 24 Black £4.70 RIB 3936 Swift B/24 Colour £1563 COLOUR KITS PRA 1236 Serlfl ft/24 £33 65 All pncee include VAT and Free oallwf y. 192 DRAFT PIN SWIFT 9 - COLOUR! 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FREE OF CHARGE' • J*i" Dual Format Disk with Amiga S ST Printer Drivers • 3(*' Disk with Drivers for Microsoft Windows 3 • 2 Metre Parallel Printer Cable • 200 Sheets ol High Duality Continuous Paper • 200 Continuous Address Labels on Tractor Feed • 5 Continuous Envelopes on Tractor Feed II you already own a printer, and would like a Silica P"iim NORMAL RRP Starter K* you nay onjer one (ret KIT 50001 for tne tpeoal 5-ilca price of £24 95 - £5 off RRP' tmnk nnr £29.95 SILICA SYSTEMS OFFERS YOU e FREE OVERNIGHT COURIER DELIVERY: On ell hardware orders shipped in the UK. e TECHNICAL SUPPORT HELPLINE: Team of PC lechmcal experts at your serves • PRICE MATCH: We normally match competilors on a "Same product ■ Same pnee" Oasis e ESTABLISHED 12 YEARS: Proven track record in professional computer sales e Cfjw TURNOVER (with 60 atartl- Sol-d and reliable with maintained growth • BUSINESS/EDUCATION/GOVERNMENT: volume discounts available lor large orders e SHOWROOMS: Demonstrat^n and training facilities at our London A S-dcup branches • THE FULL STOCK RANGE: All ol your PC requirements Irom one supplier. e FREE CATALOGUES: Will be mailed to you wilh offers and software/peripheral details e PAYMENT: By cash, cheque and all major credit cards MM yuu aacide •»>•« lo buy your ne* prima*, we augpaal you trw* w, carefully about WHERE you buy tl Crooar -i* ,i M Hba a tow moniha atier you have maoe you> purchase. «n»n you may reQ U -e aeditionai penpaeBBa o> s.ili*a<a rv N>ma wcrimcal h«io and adwee And. the company you buy Irom cnmaci you wah deb.n ci i«* D'OOucu? At Silica Syarama h antui thai you -■■ rujye nothlna to *ci"y about Silica 5yWtn-» ii »* ir» UKi marliog oaapenaant compute Oeawn »na c-ov«Ma a quality Mtyica lo uaan at h-xna in •ducaDon »"D H !)u*if«n thnjugnoui \n* mid" Silica natt Oaan aMekaharJ kutnsi T2 yeeri. and have an annual turnover at (ij million With our unrvjllau aitwrienca and eatSfllia *» can now dawn n meat ow cuatomao rwuirwrr^nii sim a r jrooiv.jniing »l<ich a I »: Of ill tonrra Butoon t |uet lakaour word «» rl CnmrMte ano ntvn tha coupon now. tar our kateei Ffae litorMura on tna Cilmn pnnr#r ranaa and begin to aioananca tha "S«*ca SyOama Service" SILICA SYSTEMS MAIL ORDER: u „ e JriIi« HMfllfliy Rd. SidCup. Kent. 0A14 4DX W: 081-309 1111 ION DON SHOP: O parwiB Hiui LONDON SHOP: fjeaaaej Mnur» SIDCUP SHOP: Canning Hinn 52 Toftenfiam Court Road London, WlP OBA Mon Sa BJOam^OQprn Ma La» Hip— O fnmij r— nn Tel: 07V5M 4000 Sellridges nn Oxford Street London. W1A 1AB W: (T7Vfl29 1234 Mone t MOata ajOpa L— Niffii TnunMari ormi Be* Emmon »•* M Trie i Mews, Hatheriey Ra. SidCup Kent. DAt4 4:> Tel: 081 302 Bail To Silica Systems. Pept AMCQM-0691-55. i-a Tne Mews HalhelteyH? SidTup. KenToA™ 4DX 1 1 PLEASE SEND CITIZEN PRINTER INFORMATION I f,''.'M*-..'f.'E lnitia!5 Surname Add! 1 1 1 Tel (Home) MWeeMtti t*Mtf«»<f»tt fit Po-tfcode: — - - 1*1 (Wbflt): m •lMll».*»ll*Hi lT11*tlt*»»t»IM**Mtl»|t|» f .tll< Company Name (it applicable!: Which computor(B). II any, do you own? J THE BEST ST HOME FINANCE PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE AMIGA AMIGA VERSION * FULL MULTI TASKING * OVER 100 BUDGETS SELECTABLE (10 ANALYSABLE) fersona FTnance Manager —The Worlds Most Sophisticated Personal Finance Program— If you run a personal bank account and have a Commodore Amiga then you need "PERSONAL FINANCE MANAGER". AS EASY TO USE AS A CALCULATOR PFM makes full use of Amiga's Workbench interface, if you need to amend or update an entry or Standing order simply click on it. Your screen looks just like a bank statement! STANDING ORDERS & DIRECT DEBITS EATEN ALIVE PFM handles Credit and Debit - Monthly.Quarterly, Yearly and even complicated regular payments like 12 payments of £52.99 followed by one of £12.50. PFM will check the date and automatically insert standing orders as they become due. BUDGET WITH EASE, AT A CUCK OF A MOUSE. If you're the type that likes to look ahead then PFM allows you to set budgets for both expenditure and income. Over 100 budgets can be set over a year, a quarter or a month and then 10 can be displayed either in figures or as a bar graph for a given period. Expenditure for these budgets can also be shown as a pie chart so you can tell at a glance where your money's gone. PFM also allows you to display or print your budget groups selectively so you can see your expenditure quickly and easily. BALANCING WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IS NO LONGER A JUGGLING ACT When you get your bank account statement or a balance from an autobank machine you can confirm it with PFM quickly and easily. Simply select PFM's unique "Auto Balance' option and type in the balance as given by the bank and PFM will attempt to balance and highlight entries that have not yet been processed through the bank. i i MAIN ACCOUNT SCREEN OTHER FEATURES BUDGET COMPARISON BAR GRAPH SHOWING BUDGETS & ACTUAL EXPENDITURE OR INCOME * The number o' enines ts limited only Dy memory si/e ' You dotino the Hie size * Old entries are automatically deleted ' Automatically places entries in date order * European or U.S. A date formats * Balance of account graph ' Moveable and re-sizeable windows " Run multiple bank accounts by simply using different (lie names. MuHt-Tashing allows Mulli Account access. * Facility lo cnech off items against statements ■ Locates cheques written months ago in seconds " Selective print features for dates/statements. standing orders and budgets IHictiYron Home Finance Program By Peter Veale. Here's what the critics say: Vers,on b V Dan Lennard "PFM is one of those rare programs with which it Is easy to faal comfortable from the first time you run it." Ron Massey, ST USER "Personal Finance Manager is a sophisticated home financial package, it will probably help you save money." ST UPDATE. "PFM is just the ticket if your expenditure is as disorganised as mine." POPULAR COMPUTING WEEKLY PIE CHART SHOWING SELECTED ENTRIES OVER CHOSEN DATES Free 30-Day Trial Order direct from MICHTRON and if you are not 100% satis- fied, return within 30 days for a full refund. BALANCE DISPLAY SHOWING HIGHS & LOWS OVER SELECTED DATES NOT COPY PROTECTED — TO ORDER: SEND TO: MICHTRON PO BOX 68. St. Austell. Cornwall PL25 4YB Allow 28 Days for delivery vB"-. BY PHONE WITH CREDIT CARDS TELE 10726)68020 f3095lmcl P&P) AMIGA VERSION Please send me Personal Finance Manager ai £30.95 (met P&P) 0 Cheque enclosed made payable to MICHTRON \Z\ Please debil my credit card account: 1 I I 11 I I I M I I I I I Expiry date Name Address Signed: WHAT'S new Games galore, but serious VR was the real draw It was a case of games nearly all the way at the European Computer ^ Trade Show, but Richard Williams managed to find the more serious side, too Hi-Tec sign up Bugs Bunny and Co. HI-TEC Software used the ECTS platform to announce a prestigious sign- ing with a major cartoon company. The company has signed contracts with giants Warner Bros, throwing open the flood gates for a host of popular cartoon stars to appear on computer software. The characters made world-famous by Warner Bros over the year include Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Thudd, Sylvester and Tweetie. Hi- Tec has already achieved success with characters from its othf jor licensee. Hanna Barbera. WITH a name like the European Computer Trade Show, you would have thought the number of differ- ent kinds of software and hardware on show at Islington's Business Design Centre would have been legion. You would have been wrong. The order of the day - or rather the order of the three days from April 14 to 16 inclusive - was games, games and more games. True, there was the odd bit of hardware - though mostly joysticks, to aid the playing of games, and mice, which in many cases serve the same purpose — and several purvey- ors of educational and music soft- ware were in evidence. But in the main, games reigned supreme. How strange to have to report, then, that the stand which had the most visitors queueing up was NOT organised by a games outfit. It was a virtual reality demonstra- tion from Divison, a company based in Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol, and which is involved in the more serious side of VR. Although consistently well popu- lated, even the Psygnosis hospitality suite, with those inevitable, loveable little Lemmings everywhere, could not raise the same amount of visitor interest. Division's main claim is that it has made VR a practical proposition. It has done this by creating the hard- ware and software that has moved this leading-edge area of technology away from being an expensive labo- ratory plaything to a product that can be quickly integrated into any application which generates real time images. I must confess I didn't actually get to don the eye-set for a demo, the queues being too long. But I did manage a word with one of Division's directors, Steve Ghee, who told me the company was pushing itself at the research market. The idea is that Division provide the hardware and software with which the cus- tomer can write their own pieces of VR using a high-level language like C. Most other companies involved in VR are working on specific games. One of Division's customers is the Advanced Robotics Research Laboratory in Salford, Manchester. The ARRL is putting together an advanced robotic control system, in which a robot is linked electronically to a human, and the robot "learns" all the actions performed by the per- son. The human hears and sees exactly the same things as the robot. Steve Ghee says it is very, very hard to build an intelligent machine. But by using VR to put a human into ■ the loop, you can teach a robot how to do certain things very quickly. New software promised for Phazer TROJAN, manufacturers of light- phasers for use with the Amiga and other computers, and who also make lighlpens for use with the Amiga and Amstrad PCW, with Atari ST/STE and PC versions com- ing soon, used the show as plat- form for the announcement that it has established its own software house. The idea is "to ensure a contin- uing supply of quality software" to support its products. Trojan promised new titles for all formats of Phazers would be released at regular intervals during 1991 and beyond. Imminent releases are The Enforcer, Aliex anc Fire Star. Trojan lightphasers and light- pens each carry a rrp of £39.99. Anyone thinking of contacting Steve or his colleagues at Division for a quote on a bespoke system had better consult their bank manager first. The kind of system being used in Satford costs more than £50,000, the eye-set and the electronic glove being the most expensive parts. But there's hope. A system Division will be releasing in August will cost £10,000,and Steve says costs will continue to tumble until VR becomes de rigueur for all self- respecting home computer fanatics - and not just the game players! What are the chances of Division- style VR on the Amiga? "You can actually attach our box lo the Amiga, and use the Amiga joystick to control things," said Steve. Show launch for scanner and rodent A NEW scanning package for the Amiga, and a new mouse which can be used with the Amiga or Atari STs, were launched at the show by Pandaal Marketing Ltd (0234 855666). The DAATAscan Pro complete graphic scanning package features ► Cheetah and the Tortoise... THE results of eighteen months of research and development appeared on the stand of joystick manufacturer Cheetah. Visitors encountered what Cheetah described as "the new generation of joystick technology". Cheetah Is renowned for helicopter-style hand- grip sticks, and after conducting extensive research designed a new and innovative range of controllers. The Bug is claimed to be "the most comfortable controller available", sitting snugly and neatly in the palm of the hand, ensuring long-term payabil- ity. The Tortoise is a green, economically shaped model whose shell acts as the directional move- ment control. Aeroskate operates in the same way as a conventional skateboard, except that it con- nects to your games system or computer. Stick X's control handle sits comfortably In the palm of the hand for long-term play, detecting the slightest movement of the hand to different direc- tions. Finally, the Turbofighter is a two-handled Yoke with multi-directional control, including for- ward and back movement. It comes complete with analogue and digital interfaces. Amiga Computing 13 WHAT'S 105mm scanning width, [resolution from 100 to '400 dpi. choice of black r and white or three dither patterns representing 64 grey scales, contrast control, real-time scanning display, zoom and pixel perfect edit- ing, clipboard feature, ability to crop, rotate, flip and invert images and lull printer support. The DAATAscan supports the IFF file format, and is available now at an RRP of £189.95 includ- ing VAT. The ultra-high reso- lution 360 dpi DAATAmouse includes a slider switch located underneath which is used to choose between Atari and Amiga operation. Pandaal claim the two micro- switched but- tons of the DAATAmouse have a lifetime of a million cycles. The anti-static lightweight ball runs smoothly on most surfaces and can be removed for cleaning. It's available now at an RRP of £34.95. AMOS gets turbo charged THE AMOS Compiler - the turbo booster for the 40,000-selling AMOS write-your-own-games program - was the big news from Europress Software, the new name for Database Software as of May 1, Europress said the Compiler would be on sale from May, and would more than double the speed of AMOS programs. Some com- mands are seven times faster once compiled. Europress were also plug- ging AMOS 3D, which allows Amiga owners to create 3D objects and manipulate them in real-time, ideal for creating games like Starglider and Inter-phase. And the next phase of the Fun School education- al series for children, Fun School 4, is well under way and should be launched in the autumn. en, Fun ^ ft 2 " ^ Fun School Development team: Chris Payne (right), Ric Vanner (left), and Peter Lee (top right) Ric^U will be sold alongside Fun Schools 2 and 3, and will offer six further pro- grams across three age groups, all in line with National Curriculum guide- lines. The Fun School series accounts for a staggering 79.6 per cent of all educational software sold by com- puter retailers according to indepen- dent market research commissioned by Europress Software. Managing director Chris Payne said more than a quarter of a million Fun Schools had been sold and dealer; were con- vinced the range would continue to sell for years to come. Contriving to cover Europe CONTRIVER Europe Limited chose the occasion of the ECTS to announce that it is poised to launch its European distribution network. The firm's products, which are made in Taiwan, include a wide range of mice, joysticks, disk boxes, mouse pads, printer stands and other accessories. Managing director Adolfo Giannini said Contriver's inten- tion was to continue ■ its competitive P pricing policy while maintaining the highest possible standards. The company was busy evaluating potential distributors for the contriver range throughout the whole of Europe. W Amiga Computing goes Euro Amiga Computing, launched by Database Publications in 1968 and which last year moved to Interactive Publishing, is now to come under the banner of Europress Publications Limited. This is a result of the restructuring of all companies within the Europress Group. The magazine has been managed by Interactive Publiishing, for the last four- teen months. Interactive was formed as the result of a historic deal between Gollner Publishing and Database Publications. Now all magazines published by the group will be united under one name. Chairman Derek Meakin. who founded the group 21 years ago, said: "With the creation of new subsidiaries in recent years, all with different names, there was a growing danger of the parent group losing its identity. From now on all companies forming part of the group will appear under the Europress banner". Richard Williams has been appointed pub- lisher, with responsibility for both Amiga Computing and Atari ST User. The Amiga Computing editorial line-up comprises Eddie McKendrick (Features Editor) with Stevie Kennedy (Technical Editor) and Paul Austin (Deputy Features Editor). The art department is headed up by Mike Bailey (Art Editor). Behind the scenes, key Amiga Computing personnel are Jane Conway (Sales and Marketing Manager), Tracy Carroll (Advertisment Manager), Simon Lees (Advertisment Sales), |ohn Burns (Circulation Director) and David Wren (Circulation Manager). Richard Williams said; "With a new company structure and more staff we are in an ideal position to make Amiga Computing even better value in terms of editorial content and free disk programs. It will also boost our already great advertising power." Europress Publications also produce PC Today, The Micro User and Let's Compute! Other companies within the Europress Group include Europress Interactive (Amiga Action, ST Action, Gomes-X), Europress Software (Formerly Database Software & Mandarin Software) and Europress Trade Publications (publishers of Computer Trade Weekly). Michael Meakin becomes Managing Director of the group's holding company, Europress Ltd, with Tim Roberts promoted to group financial controller. Derek Meakin Richard Williams Lemming walk it in leisure awards AN alternative name for the European Computer Leisure Awards, awarded and presented during tn* ECTS show, might well be the Psygnosb awards, juding by the number ol honours picked up by the games manufacturer already on a high with the runaway (no pun Intended) success of Lemmings. Psygnosis picked up the prizes for Computer Game of the Ye* (Lemmings), Most Original Gai (Lemmings), Best Graphii (Shadow of the Beast If), 8ei Sound (Shadow of the Beast II and also took the Softwai Publisher of the Year prize, Anyone who is wondering whether Lemmings deserves its success should have seen how visi- tors who had not seen It before were Immediately captivated on visiting the Psygnosis hospitality suite and getting some hands-on experience of trying to lead the lit- tle lemms out of peril. The "biggie" award from the point of view of Amigaphiles was obviously the one for Horn* Computer ol the Year, won b) Commodore for what else but Iht Amlgal Commodore also won the Multimedia Package of ihe Year title for Amiga Vision, Other awards were: Best Animation - Dragon's Latr li (by ReadySofl Inc); Best Action Game - Turrican (Rainbow Arts); Best Adventure/ Role Playing Game - The Secret of Monkey Island (Lucasfllm); Best Mind Came - Klax (Domark), Best Packaging Ultima VI (Origin); Best Simulation M9 Stealth Fighter (Microprose); Console Game of the Year - Tetris (Nintendo). In the Non-games/Technici Excellence Categories, besides two Commodore successes, awar were: Best Art Package - Deluxe Par III (Electronic Arts); Best Musi Package - Bars and Pipes (Blue Ribbon Soundworxs); Best Home Eduction Package - Fun School 3 (Europress Software); Best Home Productivity Package, Microsoft Works (Microsoft); Most Innovative Peripheral - Video Toaster (Newtek); Multimedia Package of the Year - Amiga Vision {Commodore). Amiga Computing was one of the official sponsors of the awards. 14 Amiga Computing in real- . . . and in COLOUR Our VIDfcO DICITISERS are REAL-TIME and COLOUR. They GRAB a FRAME as fast as a TV camera can provide it, PLUS - they include a live frameslore output for connecling to a second picture monitor or ^ even a TV set to simplify focusing and setup. ■A 9 O 9 9 9 It JCL Step into the real-world of real-time AND colour: No need for a perfect freeze frame VCR! No need for a colour splitter! No need for a colour wheel! Pertect pictures from a moving colour source at lust the touch of a Dutton. With SuperPic and ColourPic you can . . . * CRAB a frame from a moving picture in 64.000 vibrant colours * SAVE and display pictures in over 32.000 colours, * ENHANCE your DTP skills with a wide range of built in monochrome tools. * INTERFACE directly with the AIM image processing software to use its wide range of powerful image processing tools. * CREATE pictures for use in image data bases. * CREATE a picture which can be loaded into your favourite art package . . Deluxe Paint. Photon Paint. Digipaint . , . * PRINT to your colour or monochrome printer. * ?f E 1°"/ S Sy LPT ' ma R es vou have never seen them before' Use ColourPic or SuperPic as the ultimate SCUIPT display device! K * DIGITISE images in HAM, interlace and overscan modes. * MULTI-TASK safely with your other software. SSS"fSS£r 11 ,ea, -" me co,our vdeo digitiser for the A 500, A>000 NEW recommended retail price 1147 plus VAT (£399 inc. VAT). ~, a J? a, " ,lme co,our v ' deo digitiser tor the A500 and A2000 including a superb quality genlock for the discerning Amiga NEW recommended ret.nl price 1434 plus VAT (1499 inc. VAT). ColourPic and SuperPic can be obtained from selected Amiga dealers oi direct from |CL. For your free show disk of pictures contact Carol vn on 0H97 7<i7<i\ v JCL BUSINESS SYSTEMS LIMITED t . S™,?™ k House ' Wadhurst Ro ' ld ^ Frant, East Sussex TN3 9EI, Biudand Tel: 08927= 79] (INT) +44 89275 791. Fax: 089275 440 (INT) +44 89275 440. ludftxlUAWLLfRl THE ZHODANI CONSPIRACY TAKES SCIENCE FICTION ROEE-PLHYING LIGHT TEARS FORWARD! The four legendary Frontier Wars have passed.each started by the Zhodani and each ending in a shaky peace.... Now with the help of corrupt Imperium officials the Zhodani and the Outward ■ Coalition are planning a fifth. Smuggling arms to traitorous groups within Imperium borders the Zhodani are planning to strike from within. " Heralded The American Computer Role-Playin g Game ol the Year!" BUSED ON MEGHTHHVELLER BT GHME DESIGNERS' WORKSHOP, THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR SCIENCE FICTION GAMING SYSTEM VERSATILITY The most sophisticated character generation system ever devised, tive military classes, more than 70 talents and abilities. Allows player to control character development through 5 services. Army. Navy. Marines. Merchants and Scouts. IMAGINATION Flexible gaming system supports any playing strategy and allows multiple solutions to problems and obstacles. T— — ft * f*IM »•»• to - , Firepower Coorrge RESOURCEFULNESS Saving the universe costs money: a detailed bartering system lets players earn Imperial m credits through interplanetary trading, with 30 types of cargo. 28 planets and satellites to explore in 8 systems Med with exciting puzzles, dangerous subplots and interesting characters to encounter. Realistic, combat sequences let you control each oi your characters individually, while - still giving general combat orders to the other members of your party. Utilise more than 30 weapons and skills in this advanced combat system. "MegaTraveUer 1, a game that truly warrants the highest level of praise, the attention to detail makes it exceptional!" 72 varied skills to learn and use including medical, piloting, communications, laser weapons, bribery, demolitions and handgun. Supports Ad Lib Music Card and Real Sound let state-d-the-art m lEicaf score, digitized speech and realistic sound effects SCREEN SHOTS TAKEN FtfOM IBM PC VERSION "MegaTraveUer 1 is one of the finest role- playing computer games in at least the last three or four years. " "MegaTraveUer 1 is one of the best science fiction role-playing games ever for the computer." QUOTES TAKEN FltOMIXAQON MAGAZINE US 4 QUEST BUSTERS MAGAZINE U S CopTn&M C I WO Ffuapsn Software Corporation and Game Dosigntm' Walitiop TVAVmro and MTOATRAvmrp are regtmna Dodwnafki of Oame DMtgnen' Workshop InnM fc EMPWf SOrTWAJX All itghU i EMPIRE SOFTWARE. 4 THE STANNETTS, LAINDON NORTH TRADE CENTRE, BASILDON. ESSEX SS15 6DJ. TEL: 0268 541212 1- ^ * -if 1 dm i^^B ^1 I Although Commodore gave most of its space to PCs, it was.... Afar from it-CeBIT-sy event for the Amiga Donald Maple mit der news und der views from CeBIT '91 in Hanover Here we go again! In case you don't know it, the springtime CeBIT show held in Hanover, West Germany, is the largest computer exhibition in the world. More than 4,500 exhibitors from 41 countries, spread over some 20 halls covering nearly 300,000 square metres, showed their wares to a crowd of around 600,000 visitors. The exhibition grounds are so big that, in addition to its own train station, CeBIT provides a free bus service for visitors and a free taxi service for journos. Impressed? (Yeah - sounds almost as good as Birmingham's NEC! - Ed) Commodore is very popular in Germany so It's no surprise to learn that it has always been well repre- sented here. r WHAT'S Show highlights OK FOLKS, you waited long enough. The big news, of course, is the European premiere of CDTV which, contrary to popular misconception, actually stands for "Commodore Dynamic Total Vision". CDTV is basically a 1 Mb keyboard- less Amiga with a CD-ROM drive and remote control. Known internally within Commodore as "the baby" it will start shipping to selected markets in the U.S. and Europe this spring. CDTV was to be available in Germany in May at DM 1 500 (just over £500). CDTV is not TV format specific and can be used with both PAL and NTSC. A "smart card" is used for storage so when the machine is ^ f |J : ^ turned off the settings are retained, I CDTV can also -j play "regular" I audio CDs. "From the moment you turn it on and insert a CDTV disk ( you are involved immedi- V* ately in the content of the appli- cation, not in operating the machine," said Irving Gould. He continued: "Some of the wqrld's leading software and refer- ence companies including Guinness, Lucasfilm, C 0 Disney and the big CiM* European soft- 0 ware houses are PRESS HERE! COINCIDING with the 20(h anniver- sary of Commodore Germany - the parent company will celebrate 30 years in two years time - Commodore's international annual press briefing was a very professional affair. "This press conference presentation was created using the Amiga 3000 so you can see what this product can do in real He," said Helmut Jost, the new boss of Commodore Germany. He was joined by Irving Gould, the chairman of the board and chief exec- utive officer of Commodore in the U.S. But before we get to meaty stuff, a few figures. Commodore continues (o show healthy growth and, compared to last year, the most recent six lonths' sales increased by 23 per cent md net profits jumped NINEfold to million. Bui (he best financial news that with more than 50 per cent the lkja continues to dominate. Europe still accounts for 85 per cent total sales and Germany is again the single largest world market Because of this Commodore Is building a new factory In Braunschweig, Germany - all Commodore machines sold in Europe are already manufactured there. The CM is still selling well in spite of it being declared dead five years ago. In Germany alone C64 sales lumped from 10B.000 to 180,000 mainly due lo East Germany. And the icing on the cake is that alter reaching the 1,000,000 mark in the spring of last year Commodore sold its 2,000,000th Amiga in on working CDTV titles." •"■*»-» The reference .mm. titles include among others World Vista Atlas, the fully illustrated Grollier encyclopedia and the King |ames Bible. CDTV is also ideal for high quality arcade games and entertainment titles. Because CDTV delivers music. video, text, graphics animation and interactivity its application is virtually unlimited. A few examples are multimedia courseware, libraries, point of sales presentations, product demonstra- tions and staff training. While CDTV Is "multimedia for the masses", Amiga 3000 is high end multimedia. However, the latter has also got some new clothes. Namely, Commo-dore is branch- ing out into Unix with the "Amiga 3000 Tower" envisaged as a Unix server and the "Amiga 3000 UX" which runs the latest AT&T Unix System 5 Release 4. The Tower Amiga has five 32-bit and three 16-bit slots. > Amiga Computing 17 WHAT'S > The mother- board also has a 200-pin CPU slot. In contrast to the Amiga 3000, the Tower has the four Zorro III slots on the motherboard and not on a separate card. The video system has its own slot called VDE - Video Display Enhancer. A SCSI port is also included on the motherboard. The heart of the machine is a 25- Mhz 68030 assisted by a 68882 floating point coprocessor. 3Mb of RAM comes as standard of which 2Mb is fast RAM. Using 4 Mbit chips this can be brought up to 18Mb. The machine is supplied with either a 100Mb or 200Mb hard disk with access lime of 19ms. The graphic resolutions range from 320x256 to 1280x512 and are backward compatible with all four previous Amiga modes. A "flicker fixer" chip comes as stan- dard. On the software side the Tower is delivered with "Amiga-Vision" authoring system and the Unix version can communicate with other machines via an Ethernet card. For DOS masochists among you Commo-dore also introduced Its fourth generation of machines which to date this year include nine new PCs such as slim-line, notebooks, desktop and towers featuring 286, 386 and 486 processors. Hands on... Now that we're all charged up let's lay our grubby little hands on some real hardware. The Commodore booth was composed of three stands: a tiny home computing stand, an Amiga stand and a PC stand. The professional focus was clearly reflected in how the total area was divided. The PC area was twice as large as the other two combined! In spite of this division being the same as last year it nevertheless seems contradic- tory to Commodore's statements that the Amiga is the main platform and that it outsells the PCs by a large margin. In contrast to last year's "wall of multimedia video" the Amiga stand this year was dominat- ed by a "wall of CDTV" - a room size multi-screen display running CDTV demos. Oh yeah, the stand also con- tained a car. A what? No, really! A regular size car whose controls were connected to an Amiga and used in a competition. The competitors then "drove" the car and watched the monitor on the wall in front through the windshield. OK, it may not be virtual reality exactly but it comes close... Let's party with Third Party! "Delta-Base", distributed bv Delta plethora of features such as ARexx H^^^^H MH^H^^^^^^ Comm odore 'Delta-Base", distributed by Delta Konzept at 01049-2159-81007 (that's Germany you're calling so, don't make that call too long nowl), is a multidimensional data base written by Chris M. Muench. The program is very sophisticated and after setting the initial parameters doesn't require the user to set the field definitions. In addition to supporting multi- ple users, Delta-Base has one or more Supervisors who are responsi- ble for setting the parameters and structures and manage user access. Delta-Base runs on both the Amiga and the PC and is looking for a dis- tributor in the UK so call Germany on 01049-71 1-3454285 if you wish to become one. Videocomp. responsible for the aforementioned "wall" of video last year, are well known here for endowing Amigas with Transputers and interfacing them with high-end professional video hardware. This year saw the introduction of DVE-10, an all-in-one device com- bining digital effects, a video pro- cessor, audio and video mixers, a fast digitiser and a Genlock inter- face. Merkens EDV introduced "VD 2001", a 24-bit real time digitizer and frame buffer. Originally devel- oped in Austria the device sports a plethora of features such as ARexx support, works with a number of picture formats, overscan, mask editing, brush handling, picture blow-up and reduction. The price in Germany is DM 3998 (about £1,500). Merkens is at 01049-6196-3026 while the UK dis- tributor Is G2. "MXM-Chart" from MXM Is a stock exchange analysis program. In addition to fast processing of data and creation of various graphs the program can also directly grab data from Videotext (the German equiva- lent of Teletext). The program ver- sion 1 .00 lists for DM 349 (about 125 pounds). For more info call 01049-511-446376 (that's Germany again). • funi.ib- - a joint effort by Commodore, Kawai and Steinberg - is a complete MIDI system incorpo- rating both hardware and software. Introduced here last year, Kawai supplies the 6Ukey synthesizer which is actually an FS-680 with a few additional interfacing features. The 13-note polyphonic synth comes with 100 presets (five soft- ware modifiable), an on-board sequencer and a built-in rhythm machine with 100 different pat- terns. Steinberg custom wrote the soft- ware which is Funlab specific and will only work with this synthesizer. The main feature of the package is "one finger ad lib", where the user selects the rhythm, presses one key and the synth does the rest The rhythm selection determines the notes in the automatically creat- ed tune but these notes can also be defined by the user. Funlab also sports a disk based "juke-box". New this year are more "juke-box" disks, each with up to 10 songs and including written notation. Maxon demonstrated their "Maxon-CAD" program with a spe- cial Turbo-version for the Amiga 3000. The prices are DM 249 (about 90 pounds) and SM 449 (about 160 pounds) respectively. Both versions support the CRP graphic tablet and work In resolu- tions from 640x256 to 1 024x1 008. Maxon will answer your call at 01049-6196-481811 (Germany). FEET Computer (yup, that's what they're called!) offer a com- plete digitizing solution for all Amiga models. ARISTOTAB, devel- oped by ARISTO, is the digitizer while FEET Computer wrote the driver which controls the mouse and does scaling and rotation as well. Use your hands and call FEET at 01 049-40-7427081 (Germany). Elnar Kretzler demonstrated three products: Video-imaging for architectural landscape simulations in CAD images, 3D-Simulalion for creation of realistic models and Video-Presentation . Call 01049-451-36112 (Germany) for more inlo. 18 Amiga Computing C~ Commodore SCREEN GEMS is the only NEW Official Amiga A500 pack from Commodore ! Amiga A500 Computet Keyboard 512K Random Access Memory Built-in 1 meg double-sided dish drive Superb 4096 Colour Graphics 4 Channel Digital Stereo Sound Speech Synthesis Multi-Tasking Operating System Klckstarl 1.3 and Workbench 1.3 Three Owners Manuals Extras 1.3 and Tulonnl Disk Amiga BASIC Programming language Notepad Mini Word Processor Commodoro Mouse Power Supply Unii with mums plug TV Modulator ..and all connecting cables to gel you up running on your home TV self Shadow of the Beast II Days of Thunder Back to the Future II Night Breed Deluxe Paint II Art Package and Mctoprose Soccer RVF Honda Kid Gloves Datastorm Dungeon Quest Mfcioswrtchcd Joystick GrjrxJ Monster Skim Powerpfciy Tower oiBabd Shufflcpuck Cafe E-MoOon Mouse Mat F-19 Stealth Fighter The (Am*? SmJokx game from /Itorjprrw worth C3199' Total package price includes VA Tand Next Day Delivery by Courier" Dont delay- Order now ! 24HourCnxStCard Hotine Telephone (0906) 378006 — m 1 DIGICOM 36-37 Wharfside Watiing Street Fenny Stratford Milton Keynes MK22AZ Telephone (0906) 378008 - Fax (0908) 379700 Showroom Hours - Mon to Sat 9.00an>530pm Ring or write in tor out latest Amiga catalogue lining hundreds ot products available lor this versatile Horn* Computer We slock COLOUR PRINTERS STEREO COLOUR MONITORS. EXTERNAL DISK DRIVES. MEMORY EXPANSIONS. HARD DISK DRIVES. AMIGA BOOKS. FRAME CRABBERS. OIGITISERS. SCANNERS. WORD PROCESSORS. DATABASES SPREADSHEETS. ACCESSORIES and ol course hundreds A hundreds of garnet and all al well below recommended retail puces' Digicom otter you the very best In customer alter sales support with 12 month warranty on all Computer Hardware All units are lull UK specification with 30 day replacement guarantee an faulty items and FREE collection ot the detective units within this period And should you ever need any technical advice our experienced and helpful stall are available on the telephone or in our showroom Remember - there are no hidden eilras all prices are fully inclusive ol VA T and ne*t day courier delivery Oftn 4 •»••"»•■ •■■ • »• i a. i Ha-' ~»M • 140* THE MAGAZINE FOR AMIGA PD ENTHUSIASTS Qeorge Thompson Services presents their elusive ' ( Jfumc Tacf^of the 'Month' starring 'Mandelbrot & fractals Set I' fix-May UU definitive four disk^vackjor Mandelbrot Artists and 'Enthusiasts. *We nave selected only the finest programs. They include the latest version of Mandel Mountains, which was recently featured in Amiga Computing, use MandAnim for handmade animations, create exploding Julia set animations and realise the beauty of Mandelbrots with CPM 7ourd*skjet only £1039 (Members £939) Words' fortune If you art interested in computing, solving or making up crosswords or anagrams, this is the ideal pacftf or you. Included art top p rog rams such as Cross, "WordQame, Scratzle and IHsearch. Two diskjet only £539 (Members 15.49) Mease note both the above reauirt 1 J ; §4 Qther Theme Packs Available "Printer Workshop" for January We hive included on two packed disks the finest PD/S hare wire programs to help Amiga users achieve high quality print results. Print disk labels with DiskPrint, Post is a Postscript Inter- preter, PLUS PrintS tudio, Printlmage, PrintSpool GPrint and SoftFont A total of 25 programs. 2 Disk Set for £5.99 (Members £5.49) "Home Management VoI.II" for February More useful programs for home use and the small business. There is a typing tutor and gram- mar checker PLUS 'Web' a superb spreadsheet and 'DataEasy', an easy to use database. 'CheckBook' will keep track of your finances and 'Mileage Master 1 will tell you just how much your car costs to run. A total of 19 programs. 2 Disk Set for £5.99 (Members £5.49) "Famous Board & Puzzle Games VoI.II" for March Fifteen games that include BackGammon, Chi- nese Checkers, a superb Draughts plus Domi- noes, Blackjack Lab, the latest version of 3D TicTacToe, Step 3, Puzz, Raps and Bounce. 2 Disk Set for £5.99 (Members £5.49) "Disk Utilities Vol.1" for April Do you have problems validating or formatting disks? Need an efficient back- up program? Want to speed up disk loading or even edit disks? This packed set includes over 20 useful pro- grams that will solve these and many more disk related problems. 2 Disk Set for £5.99 (Members £5.49) Are you reading $*D Otyws? Just send 50p for a trial copy and keep in touch with top quality PD programs from GTS. ACC mm u "K.O. the Virus" V4.0 of an exclusive compilation of the most effective PD and Shareware virus detectors and killers. Includes VirusX, ZeroVirus, NoVirus and many more. Only £3.99 (Members £3.49) Update Service £1 "Video Applications Vol.I" A custom pack for the Genlock user and Video enthusiasts. Features smooth scrolling titling programs, useful utilities, transport tools & fonts. 2 Disks Set for £5.99 (Members £5.49) "T.V.Graphics" Original Video Fonts and Scenic Backgrounds for Fixed Video displays and tilling. Ideal for home videos when a Genlock is not available. 2 Disk Set for £5.99 (Members £5.49) "Catalogue Workshop" Catalogue your Video/Audio Cassettes, Records, Magazines, even your GTS PD Library! Print disk and cassette labels and much morel 2 Disk Set for £5.99 (Members £5.49) Cover Feature The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines "Public" as "open to or shared by all the people" and "Domain'* as "an area under one rule." Cel these two defini- tions together and you have a fairly good iteration of what Public Domain software is all about The driving force behind Public Domain is a sense of enthusiasm for the widest possi- ble development and enjoy- ment of computers. This con- flicts sharply with the commer- cial ethic of identifying computing as a market within which money is the motivator and profit the prime concern. Originally, most PD programs were written by people who needed their computer to do something that an off-the-shelf package couldn't cater for. Having put effort Into produc- ing the software, it made sense to release it to as wide an audi- ence as possible. It was this type of software which established the PD distri- bution channels now used to dissipate everything from pro- fessional quality productivity software through to scrolling vector-ball demos. The fundamental concept behind Public Domain software is that it is intended to be entirely free. More and more these days, this principle seems to be lost. This is especially true with the larger libraries as Ihey have grown over the years. Growing up The Public Domain industry has evolved from a small enthusi- asts' haunt into a fully fledged industry, servicing the ever growing number of Amiga own- ers eager to get bargain priced Amiga Computing 21 DISK CATALOGUE ONLY 75p REFUNDABLE ON FIRST ORDER P D REBELS (one) BRITAINS BEST VALUE AMIGA PD LIBRARY THE REBELS TOP 100 "THE BEST OF THE REST' OVER 1600 PD TITLES ALL IN OUR NEW CATALOGUE GAMES Rl Star Trek (Strategy) * R2 Star Tiek (3) 2 Drives* R3 Star Trek (2) New version R4 Star Trek (2) V good R5 Flasn aer (Bouiaerdash clone) R6 Return lo Eorth (Sci-fi) R7 Pacmon 87 R8 Breakout Construction Set R9 Pseudo Cop (Shoot em up) RIO Holy Grail (Text Adventure) * Rl 1 Golden Fleece (Text Adventure) R12 Hock (he Classic D + D Game R13 Slontx (Super Shoot em up) * R14 Ffih Games (5) (The best trom Fred Fish) R15 Battle Farce (Strategv game) R16 Bull Run (Crvil war) R17 Moria (D + D game) R18 Tennis* R19 Games Pock I. Arcade games R20 Games Pack 2. Arcade games UTILITIES R2I Word Wright (the PD W/Processor) R22 Clerk R23 Vsicalc (Spreadsheet) R24 R.i.M. (Great dataoase) * R25 S.I.D. R26 Flexibase (Simple database) R28 Bankn (Finance package) P2° Jazz Bench R30 Quick Base R31 Ultimate virus Kiier R32 Ultimate Utilities 1 R33 Credit (Text editor) * = 1 Meg R34 Icon Magic R35 CB Tutorial R36 Virus X R37 Amiga Fox R38 Trooper Fonts (3) (D Point etc) R39 C Manual (3) RdO Utility Disk Set (10) MUSIC R4I MED R42 SoundtrackerlnstSet(lO) R43 Soundtracker R44 Noisetrocker Rd5 Sonix Instruments + Music (10) R46 Bort Simpson (3) R47 Amazing Tunes 2 (3) Brllfcani * R46 D Mob 4 (Brilliant) R49 StarTrecker R50 Crusaders Bacteria R51 Rebets Megabtast R52 Crtonks Neverwhere R53 Sounds of Sttents R54 Games Music Creator R55 Pet Shop Boys R56 C Bit 90 (Brillllant) * R57 808 State Remix DEMOS R5fl Budbrain I (2) Over 18 s R59 Budbrain 2 R60 The Run (Amazing animation) R61 100 C64 Tunes R62 Mental Hangover R63 Fraxlon Horror (Slckl) R64 KylieDemo(2) R65 Blues Brothers (2) R66 RAF Mega Demo (2) (2) * 2 Disks etc R67 Elvira Demo * 009 Frnrlnl Flinht * i i ii*ji r HUT " X R68 Predators Mega Demo (2) WiiHofi Anrilif* f-iti/~ir-*c fO\ R69 Puggs in Space * R85 Demofcher Utilities (2) R7Q New Tec Demo (2) * . R86 apart Set (5) R71 Viz Slide Show R87 Boot Champion R72 Walker Demo 1 * R88 Boot Writer R73 Walker Demo 2 * R89 Education Set 1 (2) Age 6* R74 Cool Enough * R90 Education Set 2 (5) Age 13* R75 Madonna Slide Show (3) R9I ST Emulator (It works) R76 Crusoders Genesis * R92 Messy Dos R77 Night Breed Slide Show R93 Red Devil Cruncher R78 USA vs Iraq Demo R94 Bacteria Demo R79 Total Recall Slide Show R95 Vision Mega Demo R80 Real Things (2) (Birds & Horses) R96 Red DeW Utilities R97 N Comm (Modem software) GOODIES R98 Power Packer 2.38 RSI Dope Intromaker R99 C Compiler R82 The Probe Demo * RIOQXCopy THE BEST DEALS AROUND Deal I. 1-9 Disks = £1.75 each Deal 2, 10+ Disks = £1 .25 each Deal 3. 20+ Disks = £0.90 each Deal 4. Buy 10 PD Disks and gel a free 10 capacity box Deal 5. No minimum order charge Deal 6, No post & packaging Deal 7. No VAT to add Deal 8. Order before 3 o'clock and we despatch same day Deal 9. Order 3 disks and get a free catalogue Deal 1 0. Come to the shop and get another 25p of all prices SEND CHEQUES P/OTO: PD REBELS 52b LONG STREET DEVIZES, WILTS 0380 727419 PUBLIC DOMAIN ALL DISKS ARE 99 PENCE 0P0277 0P027B OP0279 OP0247 OP0245 OP0257 OPD2S9 OPD2JS OPD217 OPD275 OPD273 OPD272 OPD271 OP0269 OPD268 OPD264 OPDI12 OPD220 OP021I OP0197 OPOIM OPO209 OPD200 OPO070 OPD150 MADONNA VOUCE (4) VISION HOUSE CWONICS NfVERWHERE HArHICJC RAVE DEMO MASTER VIRUS KILLER FLA5MBIER P.O. CAME GII01A5COPE 2 DOPE INTO WRITIR SONIX HOUSE 1 NEW ORDER MUSIC 2 TURTLE POWER AMAZING MUSIC 2 (i) BANGING RAVES BATMAN THE MOVIE MAYHEM PD GAME HORIZON MEGAOEMO 1ILLET THE IISH BUDBRAIN MEGADEMO 2 MADONNA SPANKY STAR TREK GAME J (2) THE WALL PINK FLOYD A COPY (DISK COPIER) 0 COPY (DISK COPIER) P COPY (DISK COPIER) SAf E SEX DEMO RAF MEGADEMO (2) ALE 2 MIX OPD026 COMPUTER CONFLICT OPOU2 REBELS MEGADEMO 6 OPD1 84 BADGE KILLER DEMOS OPD218 CAVE PARTY DEMO OPDIS9 MADONNA SUDESHOW OPD1 99 WALKER DEMO 2 (M) OPD236 SAM FOX SUDESHOW (X) OPD1J3 MUSIC MAESTRO 6 OPD00S PUGGS IN SPACE OPD078 BUDBRAIN MEGADEMO I <2)(M) OPD207 DRIP P.D. CAME (M) OPD187 PSEUDO COP P.D. GAME OPD169 IAZZBENCH OPD08J SPACE ACE DEMO OPD120 FRAXION HORROR (X) OPDT27 ROBOCOPDEMO OPDU9 COOL COUGAR OPD191 BETTY BOO (MUSIC) OPD2S2 808 STATE REMIX OPDI9B WALKER DEMO 1 (M) OPD222 KIM WILD SUDESHOW OP0193 BODYTALK (X) (2) OPD0BS FRESH COLA MUSIC (2) OPDJB3 SUNWIND BY ACCESSION (MUSKT) OPD3S6 ERASURE DEMO OPD375 RAF MEGAMIX 2 (2) OPD377 CRUSADERS DOSE GENESIS (M) Numben in ( ) nvam number o* dliki, M - 1 Meg, X = 18 yean only Price is 99 pence per disk ♦ SO pence p&p per order Cheques . PO payable lo Orbital P.D. 5 Green Lane, South Challey, East Sussex BN8 4BT England. All overseas orders are subject to a 10 pence per disk surcharge. SAE (or a free catalogue. Tel: 027J 401286 SUPER FAST SERVICE ULTIMATE PD ONLY 99p EACH P EMO S D001 Walker 1|i Meg) -Clasac D002 Wafcer2[1 Meg) -Brill' D003 Walker 3 |t Meg) Nee Lags 0004 Cool Cougar 1 1 Meg) Amazing 0014 Space Ace Demo (1 Meg) -Wicked 0028 BiXtoainMecjademotfDisksiGetnNow' DM5 Arse Wipe Ad (XXX) -Very Funny 0039 Red Sector MegarJemo (2 Daks) • Best D062 Red Secfc CEBIT 90 Amazing D077 Good Morning Vietnam - Cool SamcM DG88 Stents Megademo - Very Good 0134 Garteid Sddesnow ■ Cool Pccy s 0147 Ne^iwurs SWesnow • Hilarious 01 48 viz Calendar - Good 0150 Windsurfer Anims 0 Meg 2 Date) D151 ftor«»2SlKJeshow-Nic»iDakFuil DI53 Epic Game Demo (1 Meg) -Getm D156 Operation Vark - Funny A Long D 1 60 • Exodus Real 30 - Amazing Sideshow D166 Horizon Megademo - Cod D169 Budbrain Megacemo 2 • Wei Ard Dt84 Dragons Lair 2 (1 Meg) - Mica Arum & Sound DiB5 Wratn of the Demon Demo 1 1 Meg)Cool DiBG Team Suzuki Demo - Cool Graphcs 0187 Balman ihe Move 0 Meg) - Mega Cool D188 Demoniac Demo - Amazing D189 Simple Stufl. 5 Latest Demos Cool D>90 Iraqi Demo ■ Very Funny a Good D217 Siycath Demo Comp 1 - 5BriDemos 0226 Cnonics- Total Destruclion Bnil MUS IC M011 DMOB Music 2 -Cool A Funky M012 DMOBMusic4(2 0tsk5) Veryr4ce M026 Amiga Chad Mix 5 - Anotner Cool Disk M029 DM06 Music 3 - Cool Long Mi> M083 Dank a i'liu- w. - Vm Funm M034 Total Rerru (2 Disks) • UZI 9MM M035 D«o>iad Concert 2 Get This Nov. 1.1036 Ogtai Concert 3 - And Ths M037 Ogaal Concert 4 - Cool WD i8 Ogrtal Concert 5 One ot the Best M039 DdM Concert 6 - Gel It' M040 RAF Megamix i • Amazing M049 Ben Etton (XXX) • Very Funny MOSS Gel Up • Mega Cool Long Sample M06J Sound Aia« 2 > Cool Disk Full M070 Stoopex Shadow Muse - Get It' M075 100 C64 Tunes Nice M093 PE Module Comp 24 (I Meg) - Cool M094 Vision Muse Masters - Well An) Mtl2 Jarre Revolutions - Check It Out 1 MI14 Bern/ Boo' -Jusi Doing the Do 1 M125 RAF Mepamu 2 (2 &sks) - Br* MI 27 Amiga Chart Mix 6 - Mega Cool M134 Miami Vice |4DisM)-Er... long 1 M136 Laurel « Hardy (2 Daks) • Very Good M 1 42 Arwng Tunes 2 (3 oaks 1 Meg) - The Best' M171 HCCMuscDsc 2- Amazing' UTILITIES U004 Soundtracker Collection |3 Disks) - Great U012 Mega UUs 175 Ulits U023 Warriors Crunchers Dak • Load otThem U033 Ckp Art Fonts ■ Cool U039 Amoase3 76 -veryGood U047 Jazztwncfi Cool S Better Workbench U059 C i© Art - Loads ot Cool Art U062 Ultimate Copy 4 V^us K«er Disk U072 Rcoers - 44 Music Rippers • Demo GAMES G001 Star Trek 3 (2 Disks) -The Best* G0C8 Board Games - Monopoly elc etc G010 Wheel d Fortune - Good G01 5 Star Trek (t Meg 3 Daks) -Good G020 Tram Construction Set - Good Funt CRAZY COMPETITIONS AMIGA ONLY Please add SOp P&P to total Hundreds of disks in slock, please make all cheques payable to P. A Cannon Send all otters to: Ulhmate PD. Deot AC. 44 FesOrvog Road. Gaoatla. CardrB CF4 20S The Ultimate PD Mag Catalogue Disk is now available tor only 7Sp or tree with orders o* 2 disks or more All orders back in the post, the same mom^cj Order 10 disks and choose l tree Europe Orders Add 50p per disk P&P World Orders Add 7tp per disk PAP UWmate PD. is the lastest, triendttest and most reliable PD library around Cover Feature The dirt on the domain The world ol Public Domain has been gradually gaining a reputation not too dissimilar to that of a used car salesmen. Ves, I know I'll receive hundreds of irate letters from furious used car salesmen threatening lltigalion for being compared with a business which is as notoriously dodgy as PD, but nevertheless it must be said. The problems with the Public Domain usually arrive with the fly by night elements that set up overnight and go bust almost as quickly, leav- ing punters in the dark and invariably out of pocket The only real way to avoid the Arthur Daily element is to check out their ads in respectable magazines and make sure they're well put togeth- er. If possible check a few back issues to see if they regularly appear in the advertisers' Index. ~ 4* * t Another clank drmo software. A good example of the speed and scale of development is provided by one of Britain's bigger libraries, Wakefield based 1 7-Bit soft- ware. Back in February 1 988 they boast- ed a library of 40 disks. Now they are approaching the 1,500 disk mark. Things haven't stabilised yet. the library is still growing at an impressive rate. Looking at 1 7-Bit now, it is diffi- cult to retain perspective and keep sight of the original PD ideals. The organisation occupies its own offices with five staff looking after the needs of over 19,000 members. There is no disputing that Public Domain has developed from more than a back bedroom pursuit. More and more people, perhaps dissatis- fied with existing PD sources, are opting to set up their own PD libraries. Some do it for fun, others aim to make their fortune from sell- ing other people's voluntary efforts. Martyn Brown has been in PD for over three years. Known to his friends as 'Spadge', he is one of the most influential players on the PD circuit. He is reflective on the UK Public Domain scene, hankering back to the early days when the flop- pies were few but the quality was high. "Our most popular sellers in the early days were utility disks, Sonix tunes and the Walker demos," he relates, pointing illustratively at a 17- bil PD catalogue on the table. So what sells now? Martyn reveals with- out hesitation: "It is all sampled stuff now, graphics and sound." No productivity software? Martyn breaks the silence pensive- ly: "No, not really, it is one of the weak spots with Amiga PD. We do some utility packs but there is hardly anything in the way of decent seri- ous software." What we now have is a Public Domain soltware base awash with demos , innumerable disk utilities and workbench hacks, but few useful programs. This is quite a contrast to the PD scene of a few years ago. Free PD? PD libraries charge anything from 50p to £5 for disks. As previously dis- > PD the legal language For the average newcomer the almost endless variety of legal variations beneath the umbrella of the Public domain can make the basically liberal philosophy of the business seem very confused. To help clear the waters here's a brief guide as to what it all means. War and PD you've no doubt noticed there seems to be something ol a war in progress with various factions cutting prices like and rustling software faster than a cowboy .with an insa- tiable desire to poke other people's critters. This cut throat mood is not solely the fault of the small opera- tors but in fact quite the reverse. The large libraries use their Z^"* formidable market position to corner various new releases with \. Licenceware agreements which vary in detail but invariably result in ' the software being tied temporarily or permanently to the library in question. As a result, what's left for the rest becomes very hot prop- erty and of course that's when the blood starts to flow. widely 'sampled PD/Freeware With this format you're not obliged to send anything to anyone, the whole thing is totally free The only restnetion is that the software is not sold commercially and if it's distributed to anyone the cost ol Ihe disks is not meant to exceed the amount required for duplication, packaging and postage. Shareware This is by far the most popular format. The idea is to allow you to sample the software and if you then use it on a regular basis you're legally bound to pay a nominal amount to the author. This will usually have the added effect of making you a registered user, which generally means technical support and access to the latest upgrades. Licenceware In most cases this distinction only really applies to PD libraries by restrict- ing distribution to the library with the particular software franchise In question. As far as we the punters are concerned the software itself is usually Shareware with an occasional exception and should be treated accordingly. Beerware This is a splendidly silly alternative which calls for the donation of a six pack of beer to the alcoholic author. Of course if the beer monster in question lives in Lapland it could be a lot cheaper to send a cheque and a bottle opener. Charityware This is a rare but highly commendable variation on the theme. As you've no doubt guessed tf you become addicted to the program in question you're required to send a donation to the charity of either your or the author's choice. If your conscience can stand this particular poke in the eye and you still don't donate you've got to be mpioo can be classed as a very sad character, in the PD Amiga Computing 23 Cover Feature Paying There is an easy alternative to the tangled web of licence agree- ments: simply cough up the cash and make the donation like you're supposed to. This isn't quite as surreal as it seems. There are some definite advantages to becoming a regis- tered user. Perhaps the biggest bonus is access to updates as soon as they're available, not to mention the technical support the author will be more than happy to supply to his new found friend. Another twist in the tale employed by many a wiley author is to only supply partial versions of their software for release within the PD. Only when you do the decent thing and cough up the cash will you receive the full-blown all singing, all dancing version of the software complete with extra disks or occasionally even various hardware add-ons which will allow full use of the software in question. An alternative method of encouragement relies on the need for a manual which the author will happily trade for the appropriate cash incentive. Both these methods are becoming increasingly popular. The only downside for the par- tially complete approach is the potential for free advertising that has already been spotted by a good few commercial companies. Occasionally it can be really useful to get some hands-on experience of expensive commer- cial packages before you hand over your hard earned cash, but more often than not the PD alter- natives are just advertisements for the next ninja mutant blasl-'em- cussed, the actual software s free, so where does the money go? Again. Martyn Brown can offer an insight: "We charge £1.50 for our disks and all we really do is cover our costs." Some of the cost can be directly accounted for: 35p on postage and packing. 30p on duplication and Sp on literature. These factors combined account for 50% of the cost. That may look as if it leaves 70p profit on each disk but there is quite a lot to read between the lines. From that remaining 70p, the library has to pay (or lighting, heat- ing, telephones, five staff and a whole range of other day-to-day costs. Add to that the production of the "Update" disk magazine which is sold for only £1 an issue and the cost of advertising in magazines. With these factors combined you won't get much change from £60,000 each year. The bottom line is, in order to cover costs 1 7-Bit have to sell 85,715 disks annually. To assist in the duplication pro- cess, 1 7-Bit have a professional dupli- cator capable of chucking out copied, verified disks at the rate of 1 28 an hour. So if you have a bedroom big enough and you really do enjoy tick- ing stamps there is nothing to stop you setting up a library. Don't under- estimate the sheer volume of effort required though. Direct Connection It is possible to get your hands on PD software without paying a library for it Hundreds of Bulletin Boards exist up and down the country providing literally thousands of PD programs for a wide variety of machines. Up until a year or so ago, the Amiga was the poor relation online, but we are catching up fast. Most BB's don't 1 Have you paid your licence The Ucenceware arrangement is something of a mixed blessing. It actually contravenes the spirit of PD in the eyes of most aficionados by restricting the socialist ideals of the PD concept. The trouble with such high ideals is that they are seldom lived up to and as a result the poor forgotten <buls who created the software rarely receive the reward they so richly deserve. The rewards should come in the form of Shareware donations from the hoards of punters who regularly make use of the authors' hard work. Unfortunately this very seldom happens and as a result licenceware releas- es are destined to dominate PD in the not to distant future. The various forms of PD agreement are explained elsewhere in the arti- cle but nevertheless it's worth remembering that the vast majority of releases are Shareware which leaves you legally bound to contribute to the coffers of the author if and when you become a regular user of the software. In the eyes of many an author the licenceware approach is an ideal answer to the problem ol non payment. When a product is licenced to a particular library the author Immediately receives a payment for his labours. At this point the software doesn't usually become copyright material in the normal sense, but it does mean It can't be legally distributed by another library. Nevertheless it can usually still be given away, something which the average PD library is far from keen on. Even though the authors do receive some cash from the library which will be distributing their latest releases, it's by no means enough to retire on. As a result there's no reason why a Shareware contribution couldn't be made to encourage the authors on to their next minor masterpiece. There is a variation on this theme which makes the licenceware con- tract valid lor a limited period. This is perhaps the best of both worlds, allowing the author to see some return, the library to make some profit, which of course they donate to charity, and lastly for the spirit of PD which can fully embrace the software after the licence period expires. The old guard may well be completely died in the wool as far as PD principals are concerned but with the new mood in the market these high ideals are no longer enough to maintain the standard of software which the average complacent punter has come to expect. charge for downloading software, but they usually expect something uploaded in return. This principal works well, ensur- ing that there is always a fresh supply of software available to down- load. It is important to bear in mind that depending on where the bul- letin board is, how fast your modem can go and how big the program you are downloading is, it could well be cheaper to buy the software from a library. If you are determined to spread PD to the masses, it might be worth taking the plunge and setting up your own Bulletin Board. This isn't as An okl friend Irom Ihc Public Domain Demo Ken* 24 Amiga Computing ***************** PUBLIC APOLOGY M. D. Office Supplies would like to take this opportunity of apologising to all its competitors. Our MAD SPRING SALE will be offering Discs, Storage boxes etc. at UNBELIEVABLE, UNREPEATABLE MAD, MAD PRICES. As ever the best costs less at M.D. Office. WE GUARANTEE IT. JUST MARVEL AT THESE INCREDIBLE OFFERS OVER 20,000 HAPPY CUSTOMERS LAST YEAR ALONE CERTIFIED PRODUCT * UNBEATABLE PRICES * AMAZING VALUE 3.5" 'MAGIC MEDIA' DS DD DISCS 25 DS-DD 135 TPI DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £19.95 50 DS DD 135 TPI DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £29.95 75 DS DD 135 TPI DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £37.95 ******************************* * 100 DS-DD 135 TPI DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £42.95 * * 200 DS DD 135 TPI DISCS PLUS 2, DELUXE STORAGE BOXES £69.95 * * 300 DS DD 135 TPI DISCS PLUS 3, DELUXE STORAGE BOXES £99.95 * v************************************************** Magic Media' is our own brand of carefully selected Diskettes. We boastfully claim these Discs to be the very best quality available. 100% certified, tested product, simply the best. YOU CANNOT BUY BETTER 5.25" 'MAGICJtiEIM DS DD DISCS 20 DS DD 5.25" 720K DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £13.95 50 DS DD 5.25" 720K DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £19.95 70 DS DD 5.25" 720K DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £23.96 100 DS DD 5.25" 720K DISCS WITH OUR DELUXE STORAGE BOX £29.95 200 DS DD 5.25" 720K DISCS WITH 2 DELUXE STORAGE BOXES £54.95 What can we say. simply these are the best value money can buy. These diskettes are packed in 10's. certificated, tested, 100% quality product YOU CANNOT BUY BETTER ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ * ***************** MAGIC MEDIA" HIGH DENSITY 3.5" Dl scs"\ 10 OS HD 3.5" 1 44 MEG DISCS IN LIBRARY CASE £14 99 30 DS HD 3.5" 1.44 MEG DISCS WITH STORAGE BOX .... £39.95 50 DS HD 3.5" l 44 MEG DISCS WITH STORAGE BOX £49.95 1 00 DS HD 3.5" 1 44 MEG DISCS WITH STORAGE BOX £64.99 (AS EVER LIFETIME GUARANTEED. UNQUESTIONABLE QUALITY) MAGIC MEDIA' HIGH DENSITY 5.25" DISCS 10 DSHD 5.25" DISCS IN LIBRARY CASE „ „ £6.99 30 OS HD 5.25* 1 .2 MEG WITH DELUXE STORAGE BOX £16 95 50 DS HD 5 25' 1 .2 MEG WITH DELUXE STORAGE BOX £27.95 70 DS HD 5.25' 1 .2 MEG W1TH.DELUXE STORAGE BOX £38.95 100 DS HD 5.25' 1 .2 MEG WITH DELUXE STORAGE BOX £4295 (AS EVER LIFETIME GUARANTEED. UNQUESTIONABLE QUALITY! ACCESSORIES 100 CAPACITY 3.5" LOCKABLE STORAGE BOX~ 100 CAPACITY 5-25" LOCKABLE STORAGE BOX 35" OR 5.25- PACK OF 5 LIBRARY CASES TILT N TURN MONITOR STAND , UNIVERSAL PRINTER STAND PROFESSIONAL PRINTER STAND 35* OR 5 25* HEAD CLEANERS DELUXE MOUSE MATS . „ LL OF 1000 3.5" DISKETTE LABELS \RO ..£7.95 £7 95 ...£4.95 £12 95 .£7 95 £24.95 £2.95 ...£2.95 .£12.95, DISC DRIVES & MICE AMSl RAD 1512 ifrlO 3 DS DD EXTERNAL IHllVf IBM XT AT 3 5" DS DD EX TERNAl DRIVf IBM XT AT 3.5" DS HO EX TERNAl. DRIVE IBM XT 'AT 5 25" DS DD FXTtRNAl DRIVf IBM XT AI 5 25" DS HO EXTERNAL DRIVI SHARP TOSHIBA. EPSON. LAPTOPS DSDO 5 EXTERNAL DRIVE AMIGA OR AIARI 3 5" DS DD tXTLMNAI I »HIV BANX BOXES by overwhelming public demand we are now able to offer these boxes again. they stack horizontally or vertically first come - first served only £8.95 v. NEW - NEW - NEW AT LAST THE NEW LOGITECH 3 BUTTON MOUSE ARRIVED THIS MOUSE IS SIMPLY THE BEST VALUE MC CAN BUY. VERY LIMITED STOCKS ONLY £29.99 HURRY - HURRY - HURRY HAS I D 18 CRESCENT WAY, FARNBOROUGH, KENT BR6 9LS. TELESALES HOTLINE: 0689-861400 {All prices quoted are inclusive of VAT and carriage UK Mainland only) E.&O.E. EDUCATIONAL S GOVERNMENT ORDERS WELCOME £1.25 per disk trictly f 1 25 P.D 11 per disk Fast, Furious and Friendly... HOUSE PACK Games Music Creator. LJesus Loves Acid. Over 20 House Samples and Blank Disc. Only £6.50 incl. GAMES PACK 3 18 Games including Chess. 3D Pool, Fruit Machine, SB and Castle. Only £6.00 incl. BLANK DISKS 10 FOR £5.50 50 FOR £22.50 All prices inclusive of Postage and VAT WORKBENCH PACK Jazzbench, Speedbench, Workbench Fun!. New Updated Virus-Killer, Blank Disk and free P&R Only £6.00 incl. DEMOS 0209 Alcatra* Megademo 2 0207 Amaze Revolutions D204 Animation 1991 Dt 64 Annie Jones Slideshow 0195 800 Crazy 0222 Bowie Demo 0015 (2 Disks) D173 Budbram 2 {The Sequel!) D211 Bunsen Burner Amm|t MB) D020 CeotvConuiVidorv (1MB) 0189 Centronics Demo Camtxtalw D225 Cheap-o-Productions V>0» 0160 CokemarvSmurt Animations D231 Colour Cycling 0228 Crusaders f reaked Out' D232 Deadly Jamrmn 2 D171 Desert Island Slidesno* 0157 Dragons Lair 2 0035 Elvira 0185 Elvira Activities Disk D 1 32 Enterprise Leaving Dock D216 fashion Megademo DIM Fillet the fish D037 Fractal Flight (IMDi D036 Franion Horror 0170 Girts 0' Soon Illustrated 0210 Good Morning Vietnam D1 69 Home and Away D224 Horror Demos (Over 18 only) DIM Hypnosis Demo Compilation 0172 indy 500 Game Demo 0229 INXS ano Cascade Demo D200 Iran vs USA D197 It Came From the Desert D202 JamieS Mega-miii D' 82 Japan Culture Slideshow D047 Jarre Docklands Demo 0154 Jarre Revolutions 0046 Jasper Carroll D1 92 Jesus Loves Acid (Superb) Dl2BKybe Demo (2 Daks) 0175 Kytie Locomotion D221 loaasamoney D2l3Mactiine Animation 0055 Madonna D164 Madonna (2 Dote) 0146 Madonna 2 0168 Madonna Cartoon Animation 0129 Maria Whitaker 0188 Napalm Death 0074 Probe Sequence 0075 Puggs in Space 0183 Red Devil Compilation 8 HMD) Dl 76 Red Sector Megademo (2 Dsks) 0187 Roger Dean Slideshow D083 Safe Sex Demo 0130 Sam fox D177 Space Bubbles 0163 Space Chase (1Mb) 0121 Star Trek Animations lAgatron 17) D089 Star Trek Animations D112 Stealthy 2 (1Mb) 0233 Subway Clapping World 0174 TecnnobaH Game Demo (New) D212 The Dream Goes Berserk Anim 0227 Ugly Mug Goes for a Spin DQ99 Walker Demo2(lMD) D 196 Wet) Demo Compilation UTILITIES U063 Amigaar (Astronomy) U074APDL71 (3Dartelc) U085Art ol Virus-Killing U071 Biorhytluns(IMb) U054 Business Card Maker U073C-Lighl(1Mb| U007C Manual (3 Disks) U079 Cad 5 U069 Cartoon Brushes U076 Catalogue Creator (2 Dtsksl U060 Champions Total Utilities U065 Chet Sotace (Over 20 Uliks) U049 Countacn An Collection (3 Drsksi U056 DTP Clip Art (2 Disks) U042 Education I.German U043 Education 2: Learn Geography U044 Education 3 Weather/Climate U075 Electrocad U068 Fonl Disks (4 Disks I U051 Future Composer U072 Genealogy (1Mb) U006 Home Business Pack (3 Disks Wordprocessor Spreadsheet. Databasel U062 Iconmania UOfcMandletKOt Explorer U078MCad U057Medv2.13 U019PagesetterClip Ait DOM Pascal U067 Programming Dsk UG91 Rabid Rita's Utilities 1 U025 Sid VI 6 U070Skdeshov^ Construction Kit U084 Speech Toy (Let Computer do the Talking' U052 Speedbench U064 Star Chart (Astronomy) U082 Voices U061 Workbench fwt! MUSIC M033 8 Channel Soundtracker M061 808 Slate Remixes Mi ?8 Amazing Tunes (3 Disks) Ml 05 Another Day in Paradise M1 30 Bach Busters Mi.16Back-2-Base M092 Betty Boo Ml 37Crusaders Protect Beat Mi35Deobie Gibson (2 Disks) M141 Dirty Dancmg M101 Feel The Rhythm Ml 39 Flesh lor Fantasy M012Games Music Creator M0l5Genests M096Groove is in The Heart MilBHenoween (? Disks) M093lron Maiden MiOBJamcracker M1 36 Jester Brothers imernational Ml 00 London Beat M097 Madonna Vogue (4 Disk Set' Excellent) MOlSMiami Vice Remn M05t Michael Jackson Bad M1200r)ginal Rips 1 (Bast ol PD Music) M121 Original Rids 2 M12? Onginal Rips 3 M095 Pet Shop Boys 2 Mi 07 Pel Shop Boys Suburbia M125Po«e'psck Passionate Album 1 Ml 29 Queen LaWalVDe la Soul M131 Simpsons: BarlmanO Dsks) M054Sonu House 1 Ml 09 Synth Music M102 Sydney foungtwod (Bass X) Mi24lhe POM Remix M031 The Wall -Pink Floyd M032Walk this Way M1 23 What Time 6 1 Love? (1 Mb) M1332eeSHip-HopDisk GAMES GOS3 2 -Player Soccer League G102 Adventure Disk G001 All New Star Trek Game (2 Disks) G073 Autobahn 3000 G039 Breakout G077 Cave Runner G0O6 Collosus G008 Eatmine G063 Electric Train Sel G069 Escape from Jovi G051 frame Freddie G037 Holy Grail G052 Jeopard (1Mb) G07B lame-ST Pons (Snoot-Em Up) G066 Learn and Play 1 G067 Learn and Play 2 G075 Lettrr. G059 Marathon Mme G057 Marble-Slide G074 Master ol me Town G072 MaMenninaHame-Game G055 Mayhem G071 Metagaliactic Llamas G065 Oucmaster GO70 S E U C K Game G060 Snakepit G064 Star Trek (US) (2 Disks) G076 The LostOccrest G056 The Turn GQ53 Treasure Hunt G041 Trek Trrvla G06B Wordsearch Games Galore 1 £2 50 Games Galore 2 £250 Games Galore 3 £2.50 Games Galore 4 £2.50 Games Galore 5 £2.50 Games Galore 6 £2.50 Alternatively, why not buy all six for £15.00, postage tree! These disks total over 50 games and cheats! Please add 70p for post and packing. Overseas orders very welcome, but please add 25p per disk for postage costs. Send SAE for free new catalogue describing all disks in library! Cheques/PO's to: STRICTLY P.D. 11 York Place, Brandon Hill, Bristol BS1 5UT £1.25 per disk Cover eature Cull themei like Slar Trek form an Important part of the PO wene ► cheap as it might sound either though. Firstly you will need a fairly meaty Amiga, a last modem and masses of storage space. Next you will have to get a phone line and pay the quar- terly rental. You will not be able to hold an impressive range of software for download on a single floppy Amiga 500. You really need a hard disk to do a board justice, even then it could be a struggle. As of January this year, the Fred Fish library consisted of 530 megabytes of data spread over 46,000 separate files. If you really do have more money and enthusiasm than sense, you would do well to consider a CD ROM drive. The Fish collection Is available on a single CD for $69.95. The politics The Public Domain sector seems to have changed quite dramatically over the years. Something which owes its success to a group of enthu- siasts working together lo promote a machine has turned into a much more commercial beast. As the collection of available soft- ware grows, it is obvious that the number of distribution outlets and methods will increase. At the end of the day it is down to Public Domain users to keep the industry in check- Any library which starts solely for profit does not deserve to survive, nor will it with the fierce competition All change A quick glance at any author's income, or to be more accurate the lack of it, is enough to make anyone understand the disillusionment which drives the talented to the tempting allure of licenceware and possibly on to do the unthinkable. Yes there's an even darker side to the business which is begin- ning lo appear due to the apathy of the punters. This is the recent move by the authors of software such as the massively popular PowerPacker series to release their latest versions in the commercial sector in a final desperate attempt to make floppies meet This is almost an inevitable move which is brought about solely through a lack of support within the PD. As I mentioned earlier the complacency regarding quality releases never fails to amaze me. PowerPacker is a fine example. When it was in the PD most peo- ple never considered posting a Shareware donation but neverthe- less these same souls were more than happy to cough up the £7.99 to buy It commercially. Perceivable value is a strange beast... in today's scene. Martyn Brown wryly recalls the early days: "We would put a lot of effort into compil- ing disks only to find another library copying them and selling them for £1 cheaper. " The whole point of Public Domain is that it can be freely distributed so things all come back to enthusiasm and effort. Martyn is not bitter about the re-distribution of software from 1 7-Bit's library. He acknowledges that the prac- tice can't really be described as plra- > The ieductlvr face of Public Domain Fred Fish If you look at almost any PD column, sooner or later the name Fred Fish is bound to make an appearance. The Fred Fish or "Fish disk" collection is the biggest and best in the business. Good old Fred has been banging out the goods since 1985 and as a result it's become the definitive collection which covers literally everything to do with PD on the Amiga. Fred's latest wares are a very hot item in the PD world and the best bits soon find themselves in almost every library in the business. If a library boasts a com- plete and current collection of Fred's disks it's usually safe to say that you're dealing with a professional out- fit At the last count Fred's collection came in at around the 460 mark so that's the sort of figure you should be looking for. The collection was initially compiled from sources mostly within the states but as it's grown it's attracted contributors world wide. The only real problem with Fred's immense collec- tion is Its size and variety, so if you're after specific items a copy of Aquarium is essential. This is the database which gives a guide to the entire collection and should take you straight to what's required. Houri 0 f mem and hard work often combine to produce uieteii, rf entertaining detno'i Back room With the business being 99 per cent mail order, the temptation to set up a couple of drives in a back bedroom and dodge the inquisi- tive eye of the tax man is almost too much to bear lor many an acne ridden entrepreneur. This often ends in some very dodgy operators and virus ridden results that can cause misery to millions of defenceless files. Because of the small scale and lim- ited access to new material most of the software on offer is usually far from new and often less than complete. A common marketing ploy is to be extremely selective when con- structing the disks. For example a couple of useful utils or the odd game may be added and then heavily featured in the ads but the rest of the disk is invariably com- plete rubbish, merely added to make up the numbers. Amiga Computing 27 Cover Feature More of that ever popular PD pursuit, ray- 1. rated art > cy because Ihere is no copyright on the software lo start with. If you are looking to buy PD soft- ware, the message is to shop around. A casual flick through this issue of Amiga Computing will reveal a myriad suppliers eager to provide you with their wares. See a specialist Libraries tend to specialise these days in order to cultivate a particular area of the market. As Martyn acknowl- edged, 1 7-Bit is perhaps not the best place to find productivity software, but if it is utilities and entertainment software you are after, the choice is endless. Most libraries produce catalogue disks, or hard-copy lists. It makes sense to scan these carefully before committing to buying a lot of disks for only a few bits and bobs of soft- ware. Often you can find the same pro- grams you require, packaged up on fewer disks within a different library. The range and depth of software available is evident within the pages of Amiga Computing each and every month. Our Public Domain column aims to provide the latest gen on pro- grams that are unique, of special merit or just plain indispensable. To make the most of your Amiga, you really should make the most of Public Domain. The new movement If it's quality rather than quantity you're after take a look at some of the long established libraries which produce compilation collections of the best software in any specific area. 28 Amiga Computing These are combined to form the definitive PD collections in each par- ticular field. They can vary from games, utilities, home management, clip art and so on. if you've not yet delved into the domain this is an excellent entry point for your first investments. On paper it can sometimes appear a rather expensive alternative to single disks priced at 99p, but it's worth remembering that there's very little wasted space and of course you're sure that the contents will be rele-, vant to your requirements. The plastic press Another aspect of the domain not yet mentioned is the ever expanding market for disk-based magazines. If you're not familiar with the medium a brief explanation is in order. These disks are usually monthly offerings which are either released through the individual libraries in a similar format to the licenceware arrangement applied to PD software or are written and released by the larger libraries themselves. These are then either bought sep- arately or sent to registered sub- scribers in a newsletter format. If it's literary quality and news Why do they do it? Even if you prefer a poke in the eye to the average scrolty demo you can't fail to be impressed with the incredibly clever coding which goes in to pro- ducing these amazing combinations of graphics and sound. I'm far from a fan of the average scroll routine but I must admit the quality of the coding never fails to impress. The obvious question is, why aren't these guys and gals making a for- tune writing the next software smash? Well, quite simply that's exactly what they intend to do and a jaw drop- ping demo is just the thing lo attract the attention of the software houses. Many a scrolty demo expert has moved on to coding classics for the com- mercial sector. It's not only coders who benefit from the demo scene. If you're looking to break into the serious side of Amiga music, joining a coding team may well be a route to fame and, if you get noticed, perhaps even a bit of for- tune. Private collections Abng with the PD monsters which are distributed to all such as Fred's there are a number ol collections which are exclusively distributed by individual libraries. An example of this would be the Tbag collection released through the Amiganuts United. It's a monthly offering that takes the pick of the PD from the states and combines it onto a single, extreme- ly stylish disk. It's worth enquiring with larger libraries about similar deals they may have struck with other collections. you're after it's probably best to go for the independent releases. Aside from the quality of the contributors there's the added advantage which the international input lends to the magazine. As a consequence of their Email upbringing they tend to provide the latest stories, software, news and reviews from literally all around the world. Of course one of the main selling points of most plastic mags is the weird and wonderful collection of software bundled with every issue. It tends lo be something of a mixed bag but in general the quality is high and of course bang up to date. If you check out the Public Domain section in this issue you'll find a guide to the alternatives which should point you in the right direc- tion towards the best in the plastic press. Helping hands Another commendable talent of the PD is its ability to throw a lifeline to those poor souls who are stranded, lost and alone with their consuming passion tor some sort of bizarre Amiga application. If you're one of these poor unfor- tunates try contacting one of the larger libraries and they should be able to put you in touch with various clubs that deal with everything from fractals to C programming. Most ol these clubs release monthly newsletters full of hints, tips and reviews which cover everything to do with their particular passion, so even the keenest enthusiast should be kept happy for hours, months or even years. SENLAC SOFTWARE P 14 OAKLEA CLOSE, OLD ROAR ROAD, ST LEONARDS ON SEA. EAST SUSSEX TNB7 7HB 72%: W&f 755093 Personal Callers / 2-10 disks £1.25 each. 11 or more disks 99p each' ~ly\ / MAILORDER PUBLIC DOMAIN LIBRARY ^ V to our new shop at C Unit 6, West Hill Arcade, George Street, Hastings \ GRAPHICS ANIMATION IFFPtxsI IFFFtxslJ IFFPixsHI IFFPixsIV IFFPixs V Fantasy I Fantasy 11 Fantasy III Fantasy IV Fantasy V Fantasy VI Photomontage I Photomontage II Photomontage III Forgotten Realms Paradise Slides Joe II Slideshow iXasa Digipixs I Nasa Digipixs II Disney I* Countach Fantasy I Countacb Fantasy II Viz Slide Show Agatron Reflections Sun Connection Calatm Gate Turbo Stiver Masks Mk vwiams Broadcast GAMES 1 Boomerang Breakout Flashbier Frantic Freddie Hack Eat mine Lam Drip.' Autobahn 3GVX) Tricky Zerg Card Games Casino Craps Blizzard Moria \'3.0' Return To Earth Empire Sub Culture Level I Cribbage Kill to Free Tra inset Games Galore 1 \ PC Chess Games Galore II DEMOS Kefrens Mega Coma Red Sector (2) Red Sector Cebit Menial Hangover Pii/igs In Space thiivrsal I & II Demob I Demol) II Vision Mitsic Vision Megademo IV Vice Workbench Vangetis* Newtek (* 2 ED) Sewtekllir2ED) Science 4.51 SorthStar(2) Dexion Megademo Highclass (UK) Rebels Megademo Amazing Demos VI ISA Demos Phenomena Megademo Complex Bobs Pitlsiflers Hardcrack GFX fCS-Shelkbock Alcatruz Demo Scoopex Demos Triange Demos Tetragtm Megademos Deathuarf) I Maximum Overtime 'Jl Cave Mega Demo U Angels 'The Pouvr Amaze Final Absolutions Crionics Total Destruction Animation Horizon Sleeping Bag Kefrens The Wall Panic Vector Birdi Swapions Tern Zing Art of Zing Vertigo Fill em Up Bud Brain Mega Demo I (2) Bud Brain It Stealthy II Walker n Kuli(Pen) Knight II Rotating Ship Shark Gymnast Walker I letFIS Robo 2 MEG VauxkiUer 12) Station at Kherne (3) lost In Scape t iJ MEG Radio II Italia Cinema Conganian Showbiz Bad Bird Billy The Kid TV Commercials Batman Juggler 2 IV. MEG - At the Moties 3+3 V* MEG Sentinel (2) LATEST IN Star Trek V.1.85 (2") -£6.00 Mcch Fore 3.71 .£3.00 VScan + Big Brother .£3.00 Chaos Strikes Back Maps £3-00 AMOS PD Note: . AMl IS siMOS AMOS AMOS AM( ».S AMOS AMOS AMI IS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS AMOS 62 per disk. No discount* for qt 19 Micrvnuin Music 22 Fumchool III Demo 31 Screen Designer 33 Pink Goes Ape 55 Archivist 21 Word Square Solver 20 Arc Angel Demo 32 Pn>gs / Carii / FearrL / .\'adet , m 34 Luke Miller Music 36 AMOS/RAMOS 1.2 Updates 38 FOXTS H 52FR.U. 53 Curos/Slarros Demo 2 54 Amos Progs 2 59 Super Quiz 62 Arcadia 64 Amos Prog 3 76 Ra in lx)iv Warrior 77 Amos Progs 5 til Juke Omega Demo 1 82 Juke Omega Demo 2 H3 Amos Paint 84 Luke Miller Music 3 85 Reversi/Snakes & Ladders 97 Dynamite Dick i.mlilv AMOS LICENCEWARE Note: per disk. No discounts for quantity) LAPD I Colouring Book LAPD 11 Arc Angel Maths IAPD IV TbiiiQamafig f I meg) LAPD V Jungle Bungle IAPD 17 PukadtL'Sphles LAPD Ml Four Way Lynx 1 1 meg) LAPD 17// Work C-'Pldy i I meg) LAPD IX Assembler ' L'WDX The Word Factor)' IAPD XI Go-Getter ( 1 meg) UTILITIES C Light C Light Anim KAnti Flicker Virus 4. 1 Disksalv 1.42 ESA Utilities FullForcelll Ghostwriter D-Copy Copiers I WGFX/Fonts B<x>tblocks (2) 12) Video Progs (2) Graphics Apps (2) Amiga/Atari GFX Convenors Energy Utilities SID Vl .06 Aardiark Utilities Mandle Generators Archive Utils ARP 1.3 Installer \ortb Sea (1) C Manual 1 1) CU Tutor BUSINESS FINANCE Wordwright liankn Analyticalc* Amihase REM Spread QBaseVC Clerk V4.0 Intvntory/Memopad Journal' Analyticalc 3D Isrc only I Workbench 11 lxx>k Raytracing Sampled Sounds Demo Creator />»/«' Intro MCAD VI. 25 Rot lazzhench Celtics Demo Maker I not I 3 Boms) Hallotteen Sample '21 Direct Action' Utopia Postcards Cando Support I Cand" Suptxtrt II Fractal Fnvht TREKKERS!! All new StarTrek (2) Startrek (* 3 ED) StarTrek V2.0 (* 2 ED) StarTrek Fleet Manoeuvre Anim * StarTrek Dry Dock Anim ■ ! StarTrek Enterprise Reliant Anim i StarTrek Miscellaneous An ims ' Trektrivia I Enterprise Approaching* Karns Attack* MUSIC • * Requires 1 Meg (2) - no. disks in set (ED) = extra drive required :ulpt objects. S999 We are pleased to accept Switch and Connect cards for Immediate despatch of disks Sotindtrackers (2) \Soundtrackers V4.0 {Future Comfxiser Games Music Creator \Perfect Sound [Sound Editor \Compact Disk \HiFi Player* Instruments ST-02 \histruments ST-03 Instruments ST-f)4 Instruments ST-05 \ Instruments ST-06 {instruments ST-07 lltKtrumettts ST-08 Instruments ST-09 [Instrumetits ST-10 \InstnunentsST-ll Instnanents ST-21 {lnstrtmients ST-22 \lnstrumenls ST-92 Instrument ST-93 Instruments ST-94 Instruments ST-95 Instruments ST-96 Instruments ST-97 Instruments ST-99 MedV2.12 Soundtracker Professional RIP Eruptions Flasbteam Music Crusaders Freed Out Crusaders Audio X Crusaders flrvofc to Base 'not J j Horns) Med V.I 2 Sonix Play Star Trekker (8 channel) Pro Tracker 1. 1 A Acid Mix I OVERSEAS - EEC Please add £2.00 to cover postage cosls. OVERSEAS - Australasia Please add 50p per dish to cover Airmail costs. Credit Card & Postal Order payments despatched by return. AMIGANUTS UNITED 169 DALE VALLEY ROAD, HOLLYBROOK, SOUTHAMPTON S01 6QX. MON-FRI 10am to 6pm TEL: 0703 785680 AMIGANUTS ARE THE OFFICIAL UK DISTRIBUTORS OF THE T.BAG DISKS AND THE LATEST ISSUES ARE ALWAYS AVILABLE FROM US FIRST AMIGANUTS ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE THE EXCELLENT EIGHT CHANNEL MIDI COMPATIBLE OctaMED C This copyrighted eight channel version of the well known med music program is reviewed in this and next months AMIGA COMPUTING THE PROGRAM IS OF SUCH HIGH QUALITY THAT WE COULD EASILY HAVE PUT IT ON SALE FOR £50 OR MORE! However, Amiganuts and the author, Teijo Kinnunen, want it to be within the reach of all Amiga enthusiasts, so we are keeping the price down. You can purchase this great program for only £10.00, within Europe (£15.00 rest of the world). The price includes return post and packing. Payment in pounds sterling only, if ordering from overseas, send a bankers order/Eurocheque etc. (Credit card orders will not be accepted). Because of the exceptionally low price, it comes without any glossy packaging and only a very small amount of printed documentation. Full instructions are, however, on the disk. An instruction manual may become available if there is enough demand for one, (it's up to you). **** THE LISTING BELOW IS FROM OUR LICENSEUIARE PROGRAMS **** THEV ARE ONLY AUAILABLE FROM AMIGANUTS **** NEED A QUALITY DATABASE PROGRAM? THEN AMI BASE PROFESSIONAL II MAY BE JUST WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR" 1036: AMIBASE PROFESSIONAL II FROM KAG IS NOW AVAILABLE. THE ADDITIONS'FUNCTIONS OF THIS DATABASE PROG MAKE IT A MUST HAVE {1 MEG) £10-00 MED SAMPLES PACK 6 DISKS (not 8). PACKED WITH SAMPLES. ESPECIALLY CHOSEN FOR COMPATIBILITY WITH MED AND OCTAMED £8 00 876: QUIZMASTER THINK YOU KNOW IT ALL"* WELL NOW YOU CAN PROVE IT. SAVE AND RE-LOAD FACILITY Fof 1 -4 players EXCELLENT! £3.00 877: 1 ACROSS 2 DOWN A fully Hedged crossword program It comes on two disks (or only £5. 00. Data Disks 2 & 3 Now ready at £2.00 each INTO CODING? - WANT TO LEARN? THE AMIGA COOERS CLUB IS FOR YOU! ACC t/4 COMPRESSED ISSUES OF AN EXCELLENT SERIES FOR CODERS, EVEN IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE AMY, GET THIS IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ASSEMBLY USING DEVPAC ETC A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF ASSEMBLY ONLY £l .50 THE AMIGA CODERS CLUB DISKS ARE PACKED WITH SOURCE, HINTS, TIPS, ADVICE FROM MANY OF THE WELL KNOWN CODERS THAT ARE ON THE AMIGA SCENE TODAY ISSUES 5-6-7-8-9-10-1 1 NOW AVAILABLE. PLEASE NOTE, EXCLUDING THE COMPRESSED INTRODUCTORY DISK, AMIGA CODERS CLUB DISKS DISKS ARE £3 00 PER ISSUE THE AMIGA COOERS CLUB IS ONE YEAR OLD AND TO CELEBRATE THIS. ISSUE NUMBER 1 2, (TO BE RELEASED 1 2th MAY). WILL BE A TWO DISK SET FOR £3 00 988; MOD PROCESSOR V1 .8. MAKE PICTURE and'or MUSIC PROGS, ADJUST PICTURE HEIGHT WIDTH. IT EVEN LOADS PP CRUNCHED MODULES. EXCELLENT £3.50 1038: SUPER AMIDASH REMEMBER THAT GOOD OLD COMMODORE 64 GAME BOULDERDASH? WELL HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE THAT FUN AGAIN. 1 MEG £3 00 THE FOLLOWING IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN SHAREWARE COLLECTION THAT UP E HAUE COLLATED OUER THE PAST FIUE YEARS 66 POTtOSOlBCtWafO'iaf-WBiouraOqiDitr HiO 65T COWWI. StASIEf CaHOOH SLHSHOW W OIOPIA £150 Wl^SHPY *nmr.i~ <w tCt**f«0«) - - 11» T7 S*nsrj Afij«ifc«cfe»w.uwt30sprtedi<Xiia 11.S0 o« AMv6Pt«3f : after - HxMif ct *v&*U^l«7 - EIOO Ml » Fw$tr«Cliasb3' ThcnKXjnwdmapo* CTOO m WGA* Of H*a Ih«3«n* (c-eoihW flats l«3 £3 CO USGW>OV PC-SHOW VEWurnaoa petuo ItSO 6*9 RJDBRAW IWODfS* "EGaMmO (for *iMtor*r) tUO 1114 UKEAVB»haorMrtmtmoddr4ClM{AdJt} - » 674 ffSTTM 5 CO**UTK)N A Otto, Intro and 9wf V* TSB. KXJJ-BEKM Trifi0r*6fUlc*b0Ot*^uiitl>« IBM W0 BLIZZARD Aiw -««podi*«!t«ttO 11.50 TOO MOW " EXCEUEM topM pr&sram IJi ifWuctoni.— 1150 "0 STMTREM* mUSK uHL - RWAStS W 4 Mwi ttOfl W ADAMS FAMtfGoM pa ol B* rftroa* to* imcj tlSO m 6 GO00 DEMOS . A GAMf Ihr Ojoio. Co^o, «n 6900d £150 BM mmE-*C«>$ WAlCH*Ottft 4 MAKH ANAGRAMS by* mmt WOO ttJ NASAPKTUtES Good rhttspcam of s»*c< mews £-150 its t/IUS Th» farrow BOO' IOOT* IT . offwn CtSO WMBUS '•WON GoodMlMcsmV tfDrt*,) 1* 00 396 KJaWACKEt ft Nico Francos ErteNr* crunch Uat _ 4M0 ?4l:Nor«Vl3[?DetaUA5Kn«er«c tw$»v«Hj-t»i (500 BW C-UGHI RAV TRA<r*G t*C(AGE A irui lw the «W H.OO Hi SMIE10G Gf*iOtta*tbarS of »aM*«**i £'50 75* PSEUDCXOP GAME VaoOclM W notcm |*X £400 fl«8 KincEfrt tutttr* K/nnlM) i PONT DES^CCB A nxiW £950 416 T<XET PAN KX »W AM- Nwdiinn SMblWn (J Dntti C1Q0 )6t tHEBEGtMNG AwrlorcicnicOdcnK) • olrim iwq £800 «05 rREASue SEAKM M i"«r lor V* children IMej £903 445 SHC*WANMt>,>c^GxTn:w«TO!l5 mr» ] IMcj £1 50 96;. SHBEO 30 DEMOS IY ESI (Greal'but neeftSDfaiei) £800 *» DrNAMTTE DOT. &«, for Ma*urt wdWbiU! IMej £900 4*3 Io<»R<r^l(4ilAlDi||DlOrW»jnA«MK>«S £150 |01B THfKAHEM ■ wy i*ndbo»*< By . — . £800 W7: SNAKES 4 LADOEK GAME AMUS1 foi AU ayt iMej- £900 484 TTJ&AMUSK IBToom {TKBEAmSRE-MBrSGttAD -£' 50 t09! COVOIE ThB rt it( irotkr weffknt CoyWr »<nBttofi £1-50 910 PAJB-ff. Exdlent rduudontf gam* for Die «x* iMe) £900 Si 5 lOTE'DO^^-li? wtf Wiatwwutith. 11 ) BCD i03!Al*fX3 Tnrf «> flw fractal wno (3 data) 1«tS (400 W'AMOJPAINT A «pod c«" «A*ry *mtin r Amos iMtj £900 S38 WSTIS On^^io^amtiavnta „_X800 XWED A^cotoonofAdul|«fo £800 "3 JU3GIEB I Anmaeon rhnns«od iMej -MM 5J6 EDUCArCNpaatfl-miowrK* prop forw chttn £800 113 MjSKlrftASON 91 foor* . FWron game 9Dws "00 ^ OASStAl WI9C CWuwW I BrBobla.lf7 (1.50 5W WTAJdmionatobttiatrierato - £800 130- FLASCHBER AnwBfnt 3«nf hom Alpra fiqr* ...XI iO 999 BAD BSD asmaTON Bi D» - fOKfi 1M*3 £150 LMWl 1 H»SD' TRM Of IK L<XSO*£ W '9 D*o) (300 943 1HE DEFNIM 1ARRE SHOW Good mjvc ( ckv Br HCC - -.-11-50 9» 0A»« mEGADEmO n fcop AiMala Ihnsjood £150 565 PyTHONS'LUMBERlACi;SO«V1^oyf«reajred) i300 969: SOME GREAT DHjfftSED PKTURES OF WAlERSHf DOW £1i0 «3 A«EHE Gcneatoft IMS (S IHE HEW vj imc$ £950 57T B USEfU. limntS FOR IHE HARD 0R"E USER ETC £150 965: HOW I CAUGH1 AND DESTIOrEO A 4HJS (AnmatBn) -MSI W FRAflOHS HEW mEGADEmO 1M WAU* Rianotf - (ISO 580NCOMMV19 UrknTDrostoVwiiKXlanuMr £130 3CO CLASSICAL MUSK 1 Ran nearly 50 mm (vYRobBattr) -C1» **9 SYNIBG* *TU PRESENTED SCULTI 40 RCIURES (150 556 9C0. .IS 9C0I UTRJUS by 6*> of Ptrxfc (ir»t 11 50 39B GhOSTPOOL and SPIGOT AnmaWn m Or Goridal 1M*J (ISO 950 THE FA DEAD B* POSSESSED Can vou kfi 1M ZorrtMt £150 S» PONTOON Ar«fvoi»onbYChrii[abri»B CliO 418 HEAOOCr AHMATION Hrcdi rnn. 9Mb Ram (Two QiU) J3.00 W FUET THE fish Tra n an amuirfl anmaDon £150 619 GAMES (<>^TK>CMortfln»0^.7o^n • 5 OTKri £150 <u RaFmEGAOEmO DEMOS -Some pfcrrttle (9Da«9Drr«) £300 >39 TEXTPLU590E Cne of me bene PD W»orro pro»irs £900 618 REFLECTIONS I lioTarif kM iuK Oyl* maite 11.50 4S3 MJM6LAST AnrXn s)tm(ML»taiii^S*M) , _11.» 976- THE LAUREL 4 HAWC ShO*' *bu by Bnuk 9 Data 1Mej £300 697 8A5fJ. MARS AND MUIX (3). AMMAlOfi . TV I«ro 11.50 468 FRAOON5 FOSGOTTEN REALMS SLUSHOW 90 1 Ham pics) £1 50 A! THE MC«SAIWIICMWnH SOUND EFX IMtj 1150 640 8 GAMES Intu^ m* TIAf* SET, A MUST to W UOS 19 00 499 lOGKLAB. De«W> «UO-« eWdrKalcnufi ..- £9 00 1034 Ai^t«XjRAMMWTUTCmDr»fror»mtS*AG Group H 50 647 HORROR DEMO vi.9 Good horro' pn AduRt orfy 19.00 SSI STARTRElbrT RKIW.auVnntcdEi^lihhnrucDon _ laOO '037 GAMES Uondart iGrtalvtncnl 5anori(Furitol0di) IliO 971 : THE NEW MASTER VIRUS KILLER V?. IT RECOGNISES AND KILLS 105 OF THE PESTS & OTHER EXCELLENT FEATURES. (INC. HARD DRIVE PROTECT £2.50 990: AMIGA C CLUB MANUAL V2 IS NOW READY. LOADS MORE INFO, SOURCE AND HELP FROM ANDERS BJERIN. NOW AUTO-BOOTING AND ON FOUR DISKS £6.00 994; FOR THOSE AMY USERS THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN RELIGIOUS MATTERS. THE COMPLETE NEW TESTAMENT IS ON THIS DISK (A LOT OF READING) £2.00 996: THE LATEST AND EASIEST SETKEYS PROG TO RE-DEFINE YOUR KEYMAPS. PLUS A HOST OF OTHER UTILITIES. (ICON DESIGN, ICONLAB, CLIPIT ETC) £2.00 1010: MAGNETIC FIELDS NEW DEMO COMPILATION. THIS INCLUDES THE NEW COMA DEMO PLUS THE VERy WELL PRESENTED BOBBY THE BALL DEMO £1.50 1026: STAR TREK MEGADEMO. ANOTHER WELL PRESENTED TWO DISK SET FROM TOBIAS RICHTER, COMBINING PICTURES, ANIMATION AND MUSIC. IMeS £3.00 1031: GAME COMPILATION. SPACEPOKER, A GOOD VERSION OF THE POKER-BANDIT. PIUS RUNNING AND SNAKEPTT, BOTH WITH FULL GAME EDITING £2.00 1 033: THIS NICELV PRESENTED PRINTER UTILITIES DISK FROM THE SOUTH WEST AMIGA GROUP, INCLUDES A NICE PROG TO DOWNLOAD FONTS £2.00 TEXTPLUS V3.0EN THE SHAREWARE WORDPRO IS HERE!! Footnotes, serial letters, multiple windows, ARexx-Port with 120 commands, powerful block-operations, arbitrarily defined command -sequences may be sent to the pfiter via par: or prt:. The ability to load files crunched with PowerPacker, mappin$ of function keys, menu for external applications or macros, automatic savins in time intervals. It is now also ANSI-compatible and has auto-overscan. Offered at the incredibly low price of only C3.00 IMPORTANT! WE GIVE PRIORITY TO AIL ORDERS THAT ARE MADE FOR OUR LICENCED/COPYRIGHTED PROGRAMS. THEREFORE IF YOU ARE MAKING AN ORDER FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN/SHAREWARE DISKS ONLY, PLEASE ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR YOUR ORDER TO BE RETURNED FREE DISKS + FREE PROGS + FREE MEMBERSHIP - OVER A THOUSAND DETAILED PROGS PLUS SOME GAMES TO PLAY, ON THE MAIN CATALOGUE DISK. ONLY £1.00. PRICES QUOTED INCLUDE RETURN POST AND PACKING - MAKE CHEQUES ETC, PAYABLE TO: AMIGANUTS UNITED WE DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARD ORDERS THE 1 991 UPDATE TO OUR MAIN CATALOGUE IS NOW READY FOR £1 .00 (The update contains only the LATEST additions to the library) NEW PROGRAMS WILL ONLY BE ADDED TO THE UPDATE CATALOGUE ON A QUARTERLy BASIS, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. (NOTE! AFTER ITS INITIAL PURCHASE, THE 1991 UPDATED CATALOGUE WILL BE RE-COPIED, FREE! IF YOU RETURN IT WITH AN ORDER FOR £15 OR MORE) 17 BIT SOFTWARE PO BOX 97 Wakefield West Yorkshire WF1 1XX Tel:- (0924) 366982 Fax:- (0924) 366982 LOOK! NEW PACKS! LOOK! NEW PACKS! LOOK! NEW PACKS! LOOK! NEW PACKS! EDUCATIONAL PACK A 4 disk educational pack carefully selected from the Amos license ware series features COLOURING BOOK, ARCHANGLES MATHS. WORK AND PLAY. AND WORD FACTORY. Every program is of a commercial standard and is ideal for children of any age. Superb value at onlv £7.99 This is essential RD. at it's very best!!! AMOS GAMES PACK A 4 disk games pack that should be at least £25 but brought to you for an ama/ing £7.99 All games run without Amos and are probably the best RD. games on offer at the moment. Features Pukado, Jigmania, Go Getter and Four Way Lines a superb puzzle game in the Pipemania mould. All disks are Amos licenseware and are of a very high standard!!! 17-BIT DISK MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION OFFER!!! I7-Biis update is their key to success in the world of Public Domain. It offers the very latest in P.D. news every month and is packed with great utilities, music, and demo's. Often copied but never better it's your doorway to the fantastic world your Amiga can offer. Single issue (currently 181 £1.50 5 issues for only £5.00 12 issues for the staggering amount of fclft.ftO flgg Hum n lihLl Ordering any one of these 3 very special offers opens you up to 17-Bit software as a fully fledged MEMBER with amazing software bargains, hardware offers and a range of P.D. heading for near on 2000. We are the oldest and best RD. library and pride ourselves on an excellent speedy service all orders dispatched within 24 hours and with 1st class mail. Do your machine a favour and shove in an UPDATE you won't regret it. MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED!!! 17-BIT ARE OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK MONDAY TO SATURDAY, 9.00 WHILE 8.00PM MONDAY TO THURSDAY AND 9.00 WHILE 5.00PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, ANY OTHER TIME OUR ANSWER MACHINE WILL GLADLY TAKE YOUR CALL. WE TAKE ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS INCLUDING SWITCH. MAKE CHEQUES AND POSTAL ORDERS PAYABLE TO 17-BIT SOFTWARE. TEL 0924 366982 17-BI'l SOKIAVARi: TOP 10 NO] applecusimeg N02 NASSA SLIDES N03 PEG AMM I MEG N04 ROBOCOP DEMO N05MC HAMMER MIX N()6 MASTER VIRUS 2.1 N07 GAMES GALORE 4 N08 SYSTEM VIOLATION N09 SIMPSONS DEMO NOI0 MARIA WHITTAKER [SLIDESHOWt SOUNDTRA CKER MODULES This pack contains about 50 modules for use with all major music creation programs E.G, Noisetracker. Protracker, Soundtracker ETC, Comes complete with Intuitracker, a replay routine that allows you to string together a Modules disk and play them back in any order. All modules are fine examples of Amiga MUSIC Amazing value at only £4.99 ZY-FI AMPLIFIER AND SPEAKER SYSTEM Amazing 3 way speaker system and built in amplifier that is tailor made for your machine, comes to you for a fabulous price of £34.95 Transforms games into arcade soundalikes, and makes music throb with power. Do your Amiga a favour and plug it into a ZY-FI, the two were made for each other. Works from mains or batteries 9V adaptor provided. WE ALSO STOCK FISH 1 TO 430 tICUS 1 TO 2 !GAN I TO 2 \AGIT0 46 WE ARE ALSO THE ONLY DISTRIBUTORS OF NEWSFLASH (COMPILED BY Mi BROWN) 17-BIT THAT BIT BETTER! Gc DOD115HD •« OODXJ.5HD L Squash de Rollerpede isn't a blindingty original game concept. In fact, it's already been done a great many times in every way from the arcade console original to budget compilations. What's new about this implemen- tation is that it's free and at least as much fun as the game that hooked so many of us in the arcades back in the early eighties (sound of nostalgic music in background). Ah - those were the days! When sprites were sprites and greenie blasting meant just that - no sortie multi-colour games in the old days Defender and Caloxians were two of the most popular games around, j offering raw non- stop blasting with none of the frills associated with today's games (any more nos- talgia and you're fired - Ed) but arguably the most addic- tive was Centipede, on which our own Rollerpede is based. The object of the game is to blast as many aliens as possible before your own inevitable demise, racking up as many points as possi- — ble in the process. To aid you in this you have a generous five lives at the start of the game, and it soon becomes obvious why you need so many. The game starts with a better Arcade action to keep your joystick jiggling with Matthew Donkin's superb shoot-em-up. Kill those creepies! than average Soundtracker tune, and offers Iwo screens of basic information on the sorts of aliens and power-ups you can expect to meet. After this, a click on the joystick fire button starts you n on the game prop- er. The first thing you'll notice is that Rollerpede is smooth and fast, and that the sound has been very well done. The spot effects for shots and explosions do the job without assaulting the eardrums too much, and all scrolling is entirely judder-free. Speed is a prime concern in the game. Your ship will only move at one speed - there's no power-up for mobility - but the enemy can descend on you at a frightening rate once the Rollerpede - smooth, last and en client u\t of \uuiul .lie Hi h.lllm.irki screen begins to fill up with mush- rooms. When it encounters a vertical cor- ridor of mushrooms, the Rollerpede will snake down at great speed, and can squish the hapless player before he can loose off more than a Super samples Directory. Tune-ol-the-Month A little while back, we received a disktul ot samples which had our jaws dropping even as we listened to them. Twenty Cuts, Breaks and Scratches' from Paul Hill (of De-Bugging the Wack, Northampton) was a disk containing some of the best Amiga samples any of us had ever heard, and we couldn't resist using them. Unfortunately, it would be unfair to devote an entire coverdisk to samples, as our non-musical readers would hasten to tell you, so we've done the next best thing and decided to supply as many of our favourites as space on the disk permits. This month, you'll find a 'samples' sub-directory in the Tune-of-the-Month directory, and in It you'll find six these are special effects which you could use in a tune it you really wanted to, but which are mainly just good fun, or of use to those using Wall Oisney's Animation Studio and who'd like to add SFX to their cartoons. » The other two samples, however, are from Paul Hill's disk and are guaranteed to grab your attention. Funky Drummer and Boyee are lengthy samples which you can use as a basis for a house or hip-hop tune. If you doubt the ease with which you can make music on your Amiga, load these into last month's coverdisk sensation, MED v3.00, and play them using the 'U' key (this is the pitch at which they seem most happy). You should quickly spot the potential for using such high quality sounds in your own compositions. shot or two. The first few levels aren't too taxing as long as you can shoot fast enough, but when the aliens begin to manifest themselves in forms other than the standard Rollerpede, things can rapidly get hairy. There are four special alien types: UFOs, Walkers, Seekers, and Spiders. Nefarious nasties UFO's are easy enough to avoid. They simply fly along the top of the screen dropping strings of bombs which, although not very dangerous on their own, can detract consider- ably from your life expectancy when you're trying to dodge attacks from three other directions. Shooting them as soon as they appear is the best way to deal with them, and will earn B you 1500 points. Seekers are a bit I more of a pain. They 32 Amiga Computing Disk that no drive afford to be without - because it s free! 2 FULL GAMES, 2 TUNES , A and 5 great ^^fl utilities!^ Tune of the Month Author: Argen Schumacher Tune-Of-The-Month appear at the bottom of the screen and look something like SCUD mis- sile launchers. The difference between these and real SCUDS, however, soon becomes apparent when they home in on you with something approaching accuracy. Shoot the missiles to preserve your peace of mind and T boost your score by 3000 — ■» points. L Walkers are extremely T annoying because they ' can't be killed. They crawl slowly along the bottom of the screen, firing from time to time, and force you to hop over them. As this can often mean colliding with a pass- ing rollerpede, Walkers are about the most annoying aliens of all. Avoid them until they walk off the edge of the screen. Spiders at first •* seem dangerous, but they soon • become a welcome sighL This is because although they bounce around and can kill at a Men I SCO PTS OK, we said we'd bring you something special to make up for the lack of a Tune of the Month last month, so we did. In your Tune-of-the- Month drawer you'll find not one, but two, excellent tunes and a directory full of top quality sam- ples into the bargain! Rocket and Confused caught our attention because they are different and because they utilise MED's sequencing capabilities without falling prey to its inher- ent weaknesses. In other words, they may have been written with the aid of a sequencer, but they don't sound like sequences, It is all too easy, when using a tool like MED, to fall into bad habits and to produce musk that is repetitious and bland. With so many easy exits provided for in MED, the ove rwhelming tempta- tion is to give in and follow along the beaten track (no pun intend- ed), and just cut or paste the same block of music, with a few varia- tions, until it's long enough to pass off as a song. The user can't be completely to blame, because all sequencers encourage to a certain extent the sort of repetitious techniques which are responsible for this type of computer music. However, when you hear songs like the two we've chosen this month, you have to admit that there can be little excuse for lazy composing. How to use The Disk A variety of bug* And power- up* to keep those joystick* bitty tint ol all, you mutt make i back-up copy of the coverdlsk. To do this, boot- up with your copy of Workbench, then double click on the Workbench disk icon, followed by the Shell or CU icon. Now type: DISKCOPY FROM DFO: TO DFO: or, tf you have an extra disk drive, put a Wank, formatted dnk in DF 1 : and type: DISKCOPY FROM DFO: TODF1: Follow the on-screen prompts until the copying procedure has ended, then put your original disk away In a safe place. Now switch off the machine and wait for JO seconds before re-booting with the copy. Wait until the CoverDiskl 7 icon appear?, double dick on it and away you go. Thai's all you need do to make a straight copy ol the entire disk, ever, you may also want to to HO* copy individual programs from your copy of ihe coverdisk to a separate disk. In this case ensure that you fully understand which related files need to go wrthlt. For example, all ol the document files on the disk require that the text editor PPmore is In the current disk's C: directory. Therefore, if you copy the docs to a new dak you wW also have to copy PPmore to the new C directory before you can read them. Some of the smaller docs will not have been crunched, to for these you need only change the tool types on the Icon's info screen to reflect whichever text editor you do have on the new disk. As a general rule, you should care- fully read the documentation for any program you copy from disk to dak. This can save a great deal of mess- ing about and can help you avoid all those infuriating error i Amiga Computing 33 Treasure Island Author: Tony Heap reasure Island is a text-only adventure in the classic mould. Where it differs from many others, however, is thai you could write it yourself I It was generated using Heyley Soft- ware's HatRack adventure generation system, a piece of soft- ware designed to make adventure game writing as easy as possible. Anyone who has ever used The Quill or Professional Adventure Writer from Cilsoft will be familiar with this sort of utility, and might even have regretted the lack of such a pro- gram on the Amiga. You might be asking yourself who on earth still plays text adven- tures these days, but I remember reading a debate on the issue in that excellent, if short-lived, com- puter mag Micro Adventurer back in 1984 or thereabouts, and even then the pundits were concluding that the genre's days were numbered. As far as major commercial releases go, that's more or less true today, but there are still a huge number of adventure fans out there, and if the number of lovingly-craft- ed PD text adventures is anything to go by, they enjoy writing and playing them as much as ever. The text adventure is nowhere near as dead as they were predicting seven years ago. Just in case you're completely new to computer games, and wouldn't know a Zork if it sat up and bit you in the nether regions, here's a quick guide to get you started. You move around your text- defined world either by entering the directions as keyboard com- mands or by clicking on the graphical compass which the HatRack system uses for all games. Apart m this, communica- Enough to bring a noiUlgk ilgh Irom older gam*n - . text -only adventure tion with the computer is carried out entirely through the parser. A parser is a word recognition routine which converts what you type into commands the computer can act on, and the HatRack sys- tem's parser is as flexible as the best of them. It relies on the usual Verb-Noun double act ("GET SWORD", for example) but can also cope with adverbs, adjectives, and pronouns ("GET THE BIG SWORD AND HEAVI- LY THRASH THE SLIMY EDITOR WITH IT", for instance). The begin- ner should thus be able to get his or her wishes across to the computer with relatively little fuss. Treasure Island is a demo adven- ture, and is therefore quite small with only sixteen locations. It is a complete game in itself, however, and contains a tricky problem whose solution you'll have to pon- der for a while. If nothing else it should give latter day gamers a taste of what they missed when nfocom closed its doors touch, they are the player's passport to power-ups. Shoot a spider and one of four types of power-up appears ready to be collected, and let me assure you that success is These unmissable utilities can all be found in the UTILITIES directory. You can't miss it - if s the big set of tools in the disk's main window. - ImageED and PasteGadgets Author: Olaf Leimann These two utilities work best in com- bination, and give the user freedom to mess about in any way he or she chooses with the Amiga's 'system gadgets'. System gadgets are the gadgets you click on to re-size a window, push it to the background, pull it to the foreground, or close it. You're normally stuck with the bland stan- dard gadgets, but with ImageEd. the user can load up the existing system gadgets, alter them at will, and save them as either raw binary or C source code. Using PasteGadgets, the cus- tomised gadgets can then be loaded In as part of' a disk's startup- sequence, lending your favourite disks an air of customised quality. ImageEd's limitations are that it cannot utilise IFF images, so that all systemgadgets must be defined with its restricted single pixel drawing mode, and its failure to use a file requestor. These bugs (if you can call them that) aren't really all that dam- aging, however, as ImageEd and PasteGadgets remain easy and fun to use. Fuller documentation for both can be found on the coverdisk. Encrypt Author: Steve Meredith Have you ever stored files of a sensi- tive nature on your Amiga and wished there was some way of pro- tecting them from prying eyes? You may have stored financial informa- tion in an address book program or database, or may simply wish there was some way to protect your love letters from discovery. Privacy can be precious! Have you tried the AmigaDOS command PROTECT <filename> R SUB? This would remove the READ bit from the filename's flag set so that the file's contents could not be examined until the flag was reset. Not a bad defence against Amiga- illiterate snoopers, but hardly of use against the prowler with a knowl- edge of AmigaDOS. By using Encrypt, you can make impossible in this game without a healthy supply of them. The most useful power-up, as with all arcade games, is the one which grants extra firepower. Rollerpede's version takes the simple expedient of sensitive files resistent to all but those who know the pass-code, thus ren- dering them infinitely safer. To protect a file using Encrypt, simply type the following: Encrypt cod»1 code? <fU»ni«> The Encrypt routine will then jumble the file according to the two codes and overwrite the original file. To decypher the file, just use the same passwords and the file will be restored to its original form. The big drawback with Encrypt is that it is not a 'runtime' encoder. PowerPacker is a good example of a runtime program because it com- presses a file, then attaches a header to it which sets out how it will de- compress. To use an Encrypted file, however, the user would have to go through the CLI prior to every file access. This means that Encrypt could be too time-consuming for the casual user who happens to be security-con- scious, and makes it of more use to those with a real need for privacy on his or her system. JMenu Author: Jim Collins (Menu is a PD program designed to allow any average Amiga owner with no knowledge of C or Assembler to generate professional looking menus from his or her own script files. It requires the burning of a few brain cells to use, but the results are worth the effort. To see it in action, click in the CLI window at the bot- tom of your screen to activate it, then type do wh yo sh( ap| dis wou call sequ OptM up, < IV aver men go' choi ed < reqi T |Me fine aspi fom CD STS:UtUH<fi/JHenii <IETHH> EMWU EiHpld <IETUM> You may get error 20: out of memory when using an unexpanded Amiga 500. If so, reboot your coverdisk, interrupt the startup by pressing CTRL-D as soon as boot-up begins, then type in the lines as above. JMenu works as a command with- in a script file. When it is executed, it calls its own special script file defin- ing what choices the menu will offer and what actions the Amiga should take in response. Once the user makes a choice by clicking on the mouse, the response is carried out and control Is passed back to the original script file. This 34 Amiga Computing doubling the player's rale of fire, which can have a dramatic effect on your greenie-totalling ability. It should be gobbled up as soon as it appears on screen as all power-ups disappear after a few seconds if not would enable you, for instance, to call a menu from your startup- sequence to offer a variety of startup options, such as a NoFastMem start- up, or a stripped-down Workbench. More usefully, the program gives average owners the ability to define menus which hold simple click-and- go 'macro' style operations of their choice. The possible uses are restrict- ed only by your imagination and requirements. The documentation supplied with |Menu is rather brief, so you might find a few words on its technical aspects of some help. Syntax is of the form ■•■ . «icrfptniM> <viriiblemif> where scriptname is the file contain- ing information on the menu itself, and variablename is the variable which will hold the user's response. The scriptname file is made up of three main types of information. Every menu is made up of TITLE lines, which the user can use as he or she likes, MENU lines which hold the choices which will actually be dis- played, and EXEC lines which hold the AmigaDOS actions to be carried out as a result of the user's choice. To define a menu, you must create a script file listing your MENU choic- es, then the corresponding EXEC responses in the same order. As long as you put a space between the keywords (MENU and EXEC) and the text, (Menu will read these and execute them accordingly. See the example below as an Illustra- tion. TITLE His Is in impli itnu TITLE jolt to let you si* ion TITLE, jflmit norti REIU Print l silly ■migf KM Print in ivm itlllir ititigt "EM Print in ibiurd isssigr EIEC Eeb9 ■] liki KtT UU Uta "1 Ilk* ircHMdii- E1EC tclo -I Wit tht Bit Meet" The menu defined above would be called by a line in a script file some- thing like this: JHenu sHlytiMpli virl and would display the menu shown in the |Menu screen shot. One last thing to remember about (Menu is that it treats the EXEC AmigaDOS command as an environ- collected. The second most useful is the 'extra man' power-up. These appear less frequently than most, but are a quick and easy route to survivability. The problem with very desirable A silly rumple menu - but you CM be Mftouj If you llkel ment variable, and will attempt to write to the ENV: device, which is where all environment variables are stored. Normally, ENV: is set up either as a real directory on your disk or, more commonly, is assigned in the startup- sequence as being the RAM: disk. This has already been done in CoverDisk 20's startup-sequence, but if you move the program to a new disk, you will have to put the line ASSIGN Vttl m: in Its startup-sequence or type it into CU before using JMenu. Finally, feel free to experiment with JMenu. There are quite a few example scripts and menus in the [Menu directory, not all of which will work from your coverdisk because they require AmigaDOS commands not in the disk's C: directory, but all of which will work if you transfer JMenu to a Workbench disk. ColourKwik Author: Adam Lock ColourKwik is one of those time-sav- ing utilities which is only really appre- ciated by those who have tried the alternatives. It makes it easy for the user to alter and save to disk any sin- gle set of Workbench colour prefer- ences, and can save a great deal of messing about. For example, if you're one of those people (Dennis Norden not included) who have booted up a PD disk or a coverdisk, and enjoyed the Workbench colours It used enough to try to emulate them, you'll already know how hellish a task it can be to fiddle with the colour settings in preferences. Now all you need do is run the ColourKwik program and then save your palette to disk. The obvious advantages are that you can ship colour palletes from disk to disk with- out the pointer and other prefer- ences information contained in the system-prefernces file, and that by using ColourKwik you can easily alter the colours on a disk which doesn't contain the Preferences program. power-ups such as this is that you often get yourself killed in the over- eager rush to collect them! The other two are not as exciting, but Shield can come in very handy, and Boost wilt earn you a welcome lew extra points. Don't bust a gut to reach these amidst a swarm of roller- pedes, but pick them up If you can. We're sure you'll like Rollerpede, even if you have seen its like befere. It's fast, fun, and addictive. Enjoy! AMIGA COMFUTINO 5u DSC» 0el5 Think you can do better? Want to be famous? We ore olwoyi on the lookout for now quo«Y Amiga programs for the coverdisk if you think you have written something good enough (or others to share and enjoy, please send If in and we'l have o look The Annga Computing covetaek ts used by thousands of Amiga owners every month in places all over the world from New Zealand to the US A. to If your sub- mission finds Its way onto the disk, you could be famousi Please make sure you list ALL Workbench and other files necessary 'or the program to work. Feel free to design your own Icons for progs which run from Workbench, but please don't moke them too big ft you ensure your program is as com- patible as possible with a wide range of Amtgos. it will aiso stand a Defter chance o' publication We are espeelaiv interest- ed In programs designed to work with the A30CO. although If they work onfy with the new machine they'll have to be quite small. We are prepared to pay our current rates for original work which hasn't been dWrtJuted In any other way and which has not been put m the public domain if you wish your program to be released as shareware or freeware we will be happy to publish l|, but would, of course, be hap- pier rf we'd been given it first! vour submission MUST be accompanied with the submissions form, a copy of It. or a signed declaration to fhe some effect. Please supply your full name address and phone number We cannot undertake to return disks sent to us as the volume of submissions makes this an Impractical exercise Name Addresi _.. ...... .I...**... ....... i— ~. >-•••«- — « *.!*-.. ....... ...... Daytime phone „ Evening Phone Submission name.,- „ Submission Bre You must sign this declaration The stuff on this dfcsk S mine, i ddn'l nick It off someone else. It hasn't been published before and I have n't submitted ft etsewhere because I want Amiga Computing to pub- lish rt. i understand that by submitting my work to Amiga Computing and signing the declaration I am gMng full copyright control lo Europress Publications Uct I understand that If my submission Is bought by Amiga Computing I wN be paid the cur- rent appecoble rate I know what copyright means and I we' be retponsbre for any passible lltlgatton arising from breech of ft by interactive Publishing as a result of usjng my submission Pott youi sutmftsons WITH A COPY OF THG FORM to; Stevie Kennedy. Amiga Computing. CoverDisk Submissions. Europa House. AcBngton Park. Macclesfield. SK 1 0 4NP Signed Dote ^ THE NATIONS TOP PERIPHERAL SUPPLIER JOYSTICKS Quickjoy Junior £5.95 Quickshot 2 Turbo £9.99 Comp Pro 5000 Goal £9.99 Comp Pro 5000 Extra £12.99 Star Probe £10.99 Quickjoy Jetfighter £18.99 Topstar £9.99 RADICAL RAM 12 MEG UPGRADE The best A501 on the Market ....£24.99 Without clock£21.99 MICROSMAPT MEGA DEALS :V- .: l.i I I'M' 1 All Inc. upgrade am) clock Dragons Laic 2 Dragon MaftW J Nictate K*kO(f2 0ISK BOXES 3.5 5.25 ACCESSORIES 40 Cap £5.99 80 Cap £8.99 50 Cap £6.99 100 Cap £9.99 REMEMBER DUST KILLS 1000 3.5 Disk Labels £7.50 Disk Cleaning Kit £2.50 Mouse Pad £3.99 Mouse Holder £3.99 4 Player Adaptor £7.99 Screen Filter £9.99 Printer Lead £9.99 ST Turbo Blitz Lead £1 9.99 H N 56 99 5699 46 99 46 H MICE THE ORIGINAL NAKSHA MOUSEPLUS.' Mouse & Mai (Amiga & ST) £19.95 vii s "THE" Ctuvw S m i Amiga. SI Contm PC. Am* PC. SchnlWPC Pil/S'MotiW Houu Halt 1999 Mega PC Mouse Pack Dr Halo An Package 9-25 Converter. Pad, Holder. Superb Quality . Value at £24.99 HARDWARE GAMEBOY PACK £69.99 16 Bit Mega Drive & M Mouse £165.00 Sega Master System £74.99 Please ring for cheap & comprehensive list ol all console & hand held games & extras MUSIC Turn your Amiga into a Mega Sound Blasting System 50 WATT 3 Way Speakers Power Supply, cables, Headphon- es & lull instructions ONLY £49.99 Midi Interface £18.99 Personal Stereo Rewind, Fast Forward & Mega Bass Switch ..ONLY £14.99 Call lor details on >JI 1^, the new Roland J K, Synth Amiga kit with ^■■■V Sampling & T ^ sequency capabilities 200* sound types with percussion sampled sounds. Tiger Cub ST & AMIGA ONLY £94.99 Music X £59.99 Master Sound Blaster 2 £39.98 Techno Sound £34.99 Sound Blaster £49.99 AeacsSomx £14.99 Drum Studio £4.99 Deluxe Music Con Kit £54.99 Amas • Midi - Digitiser £69.99 Quartet (ST & Amtga) £24.99 Perfect Sound £39.00 Audio Engineer £149.00 Iga A500 Screen Gems Pa Amiga 500 512K keyboar Meg disk drive* Free TV £24.99 allowing you to use blank disks, mouse * mains | basic, Amiga extra's 1 3 workbench 1 3 PLUS Amiga step by step tutorial • With a further four new releases • Shadow Beast II, Back to the Future II, EDUCATIONAL PACK £499.00 inc VAT & next day courienHB FEATURES Amiga A500 TV Modulator • Midi Interface- Software • Kind Words II wordproc or • Page Setter DTP • Super Base Personal Database • Maxplan 500 spreadsheet • Amiga Logo BBC Emulator Deluxe Paint II Amiga A500 Screen Gems Pack Extra E399 inc VAT & Next day Courier Screen Gems Pack includes: Amiga 500 512K keyboard with built in 1 Meg disk drive • Free TV Modulator worth £24.99 allowing you to use the Amiga with a normal TV • 10 free games software has a potential RRP of Joystick, mouse mat * 10 blank di mouse + mains plug • Amiga basic, . extra's 13 workbench 13 PLUS Amiga step by step tutorial • With a further four new releases • Shadow Beast II, Back to the Future II, Nightbreed and Days of Thunder Amiga A500 Sound & Vision Pack £399 inc VAT 4 next day courier Amiga A500 51 2K keyboard with built in 1 Megabyte Disk Drive • Free TV Modulator worth £24.99 allowing you to use the Amiga with a normal TV • Deluxe Paint II Graphics Package • Shadow of Beast II horizontal scrolling games software e Back to the Future film action software • Nightbreed state of the art graphical arcade action • 1 0 free games worth £200 e Free joystick, mouse mat & 1 0 blank disks e Amiga Basic Amiga Extras 1 .3 Workbench 1 .3 PLUS the Amiga Step by Step Tutorial • All leads, manuals PLUS Mouse and Mains plug e PLUS Days of Thunder serious fast action games software ♦ Deluxe Paint II Arrticjs 1 500 The Amiga 1 500 Personal Home Computer is the ultimate in Personal Home Computers for the whole family. Platinum works - integrated - Word Processor, Database and spreadsheet. Deluxe Paint 3 - the ultimate in paint packages. Populous and Sim City - State of the Art strategy games. Battlechess - the chess programme amongst all chess programmes. Their Finest Hour - The battle of Britain brought to life in a tec h nice* fHght elm. A10B4's stereo colour monitor to get the best from your Amiga. The Amiga 1 500 has been designed with hardware facilities that would put any mid range business machine to shame. Please call for further details £1 049.00 inc VAT + next day courier service. PRINTERS Star LC24 200 24PIN including ST/Amiga C259.00 Star LC200 24 Colour including ST/Amiga C210.00 Star LC200 24 Colour inbcluding interface lead for ST/Amiga —£219.00 LC200 24 Colour - The most popular letter quality printer on the market only £21 9.00 with all Amiga + ST leads Amiga Power Supply £34.95 Amiga + ST Second Drive 880K formatted Anti click on/off switch CAmiga has Daisy chain facility. £59.99 I 24 HRS 0908 564369 or the shop-0908 615049 AMIGA UTILITIES & BUSINESS Aaoi Soni 'Wi iUk EmulMan CWic ii 'WW 44 99 27 99 D— cat HaorT »m r- . .. S9B0 >7 99 !••< .4 " Mfi Sea-ora I|png 1999 *M V.4 SB OS 31 90 GRAPHICS ft VIDEO 93.75. C<Mt '■it . . — M 90 DP*— 1 111 (pal imb> 57.50 ting. B»0« 33 90 'i ■ ' >■■ «7 75 Plr**. 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H U H 96 Sci«— Plainu— *l 86 BUSMtSS A EDUCATION BAN 6ajB_. . 77.60 ■ir.$a->»2PMf8*M«ach) tttM OCT 3 Bean 22 90 i-6»4«o.7.(«_cM IBM IMMM 58 00 ■ - ■ 207S -— »Cm»KJ 97M 1MB Anon -— oeO 34 09 *4i>» 9«r '|pmg Tukvi0 7S Woo 0CSF. Maths hot eOCSE French UK 1925 (Eaeni 19.25 Moon. *>o PtutHd BtaaaNM CHMMM mPaiiPai 'MB) OSM* 54 00 P-tM4 2(1-*» Ws-partM umatamRhrt Vaui ai lecnori Piw X Cooy Backup EOwr vioeo Cie»i T«n Scrotier Deki.eVdeo3 Og>V-wOoU - Goaj DM Tft- Mdia macn,camafi»ie«— " 19987 Kan Haadma Forei 3 54 97 Mngen Genlooa Protect D _ • — . The OrefCr Tod KH TMPi*) , TV TBI Pio*tM«nat VWaoTW— .. WW' A**ga PAl OoM- VUCn—M '-a 164 9t .esse 34« ITS* 39 90 89 92 "BBS 569 94 34 98 12 3107 -.47. 2703 13984 99 82 84 87 -) l MICROSMART MEGADEALS! SftOI "i" C'iQO-ii Lit 2 ■ ■■ ■ i rr v-.-.-r- JNkTioU* K>ct Q" 2 All inc. upgrade and Mock EDUCATIONAL Am m r Back Saner anssau' Osoovary K«l i" &>am*»iry 'nr&Utbim School 2 1 jnoei tfi) fur SctxxH 2 6-8 . 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Ma-MI AM»'- Wairrtn SM IBM 16 8) IN BM IM IBM IB '« 'IM OM OM MM IBM IBM OM 17M OM IBM ItM OM It M IBM . .-.-!66B '9M IBM I'M OM IBM IBM ■4M MM "-94 'SM Ml 7' « 71 » 28 M MM IBM 18 M OM 11M 21 N 21 M M*9 ties M99 UN MaaaeDraa-a ism un WtOhB—t 18 M UN *r>9> ._ >_JtU9 iVngaeirvy OH OB) none Cx> Sow M IBM It M lira— 16 9) 'IN ■ w>> 7 Maeaeaui itM iflM Bp taea a tt ae iim <bm lonot 19*0 '1*9 June 1988: A new magazine launches to cater for the growing Amiga community. And 4,014 pages later you have arrived at this feature. The pages in between have seen Amiga Computing cover virtually every aspect of the Amiga. We have carried everything from getting started with the Amiga, through to making the most of the machine with numerous soft- ware tutorials and hardware projects. Then edi Simon Rockm summed U Amiga Com puting's pio- neering spirit with o opening editorial in issue one: "Welco to Amiga Computing magazine produced by a staff which lives and breathes the Amiga - from days of careful planning with Superbase to long nights playing Arkanoid. tf you enjoy your Amiga as much as we enjoy ours then this is the magazine for you." A flick through our 36 back issues reveals a community of computer enthusiasts growing month by month with their machine. Over the last three years we have witnessed the Amiga develop from an enthusiast's machine into a truly affordable mass market home com- puter. Amiga Computing has gone through exactly the same evolution, widening our scope as the computer we serve continues to expand and develop its diverse range of features and capabilities. A nostalgic focus on our first Issue reveals an uncanny number of paral- lels between June 1988 and the pre- sent day. Take for example our lead news story in issue one: "Amiga catches up with ST." In that piece, we published the results of an ad-hoc survey of 100 computer dealers. We were pleased to report that in the Midlands and South-East, the Amiga was outselling its arch rival, the Atari ST, two to one. One of the dealers surveyed, Steve Kingston from Bath Computer Shack, offered an interesting insight into the then Amiga market "The ST buyer 1 regard as an XR3 type aged from 25 to 35. But, strangely enough, the Amiga purchaser seems younger, with the exception of those people from the vertical markets such as video production." Steve was certainly right to pin- point video production as an area where the Amiga would later estab- lish a foothold to be envied by other computer manufacturers. This can be credited more to (he enthusiasm of third party peripheral manufacturers than any vision on the part of Commodore. / The parallel be- tween our first and /current issues contin- * ues with the Bards Tale adventure series from Electronic Arts providing link. ack in '88 we took a look at the original in our eisure software feature, three years and several W I thousand pages later, we are -J looking at the latest in the series, 8ards Tale III, with equal commit- ment and enthusiasm. Phil South introduced the CLI to' eager beginners in issue one. Again a parallel can be drawn. Stevie Kennedy's "Beginners Guide to the CLI" series continues in this issue, introducing a new batch of begin- ners to the mysteries of the Amiga's command line. Forgetting the past for a moment, here and now in 1991 the Amiga is probably the most exciting hardware platform to write about. We could not hope for a more diverse range of users, all trying to sway the maga- zine in different directions. 4miga Computing receives letters daily from readers: some praise, some criticise, but all care passion- ately about their machines. That fact was only too clearly borne out when I dared to comment on the relative merits of the beloved Amiga 1000 in a previous article. The quantity and quality of argu- ments from dedicated 1 000 owners defending their machine was truly breathtaking. „ The running theme through every issue of Amiga Computing over the last three years has been progression. Virtually every expan- sion avenue from hard disks to local area networking and modems has been explored. Our features have focussed on Amigas in the classroom, on the race track and even in the tunnels of the Back the future What does a birthday, a magazine and a potato have in common? Eddie McKendrick blows the dust off our back issues to find out London Underground. August 1989 saw the launch of Britain's first Amiga dedicated CoverDisk. Since then, our cover mounted media has provided megabyte upon megabyte of enter- tainment and utility software. The first disk featured two playable game demos. Since then we have responded to readers views and shied away from making our disk an advertising platform for software houses. Instead our Cover- Disk has become an integral part of the publi- cation, providing support programs for articles and stand alone software that really make the most of your Amiga. Other magazines have since jumped on the coverdisk bandwag- on, but none can claim to be as diverse or truly useful as those affixed to the front of Amiga Computing. Over the months our disk has been the source of numerous exclu- sives including the excellent SID directory utility. MED the music editor and even an official Commodore Workbench upgrade. The CoverDisk has proven its worth with our readers time and time again. As an experiment we withdrew the disk in February 1990 and reduced the price of Amiga Computing by £1.00. Reader response was over- 38 Amiga Computing irthday "'CO I'UIIkO I - %miga\ ' COMPUTING -&MIGA ▼/ <-0 M » U I I N O ▼/. o a ■ » u » i ■ a > U T I NO SEPTEMBER 1988 Hewson Soflware enters the Amiga soft- ware market with the title Netherworld, last month the company was put into voluntary receivership. OCTOBER 1988 The USA Department of Defense suffered a break-in. An Amiga with a 68030 being used to simulate enemy attacks was stolen. Obviously it didn't pre- dict that the enemy would come in through the bathroom win- dow. of new hardware and software is developed to service this vast array of new users. APRIL 1989 Commodore announce the AS90 external hard drive and put it up for public inspection at the Which? Computer Show. MAY 1989 The |ohn Menzies store chain starts to back the Amiga by announcing it will be carried in 14 of their outlets. At the time ol announcing a de- emphasis of Atari's machine, Menzies' merchandising manager -'AMIGA ~ to ■ » ' , 'AMIGA * O MP U 'AMIGA COMPUTING i^^MIGA £1 "AMIGA /■CO •NII4G 1 -&MIGA ▼/.<• OMPU UNO *AMIGA C O M P U Z0MIGA Z&MIGA ^&MIGA\ whelming - it was clear that our calculatedexperi- ment had gone more than slightly wrong. In order to cool our switchboard down and stop our postbag over- flowing the disk was hastily returned. It hasn't looked back since. Around the Amiga world in 36 issues... It would be impossible to summarise all the major events Amiga Computing covered in its first three years. Instead here is a look at the more quirky side of the machine. JUNE 1988 A magazine with the internal working title of "Your Potato" hits the news-stands. By, the time it gets into the sweaty hands of ■ the pub- lic, it assumes the more formal title of Amiga Computing. The launch issue features a look at what lies in store for the Amiga. JULY 1988 We herald the arrival of the F/A 18 Interceptor flight simulation. With a score of 96% Simon Rockman confi- dently described it as "The greatest Amiga game ever. You will believe a computer can make you fly." AUGUST 1988 Palace software announce that they are doing a special version of thetr "Barbarian II" packaging fol- lowing complaints from Boots about the scanty attire of Maria Whittaker. NOVEMBER 1988 A Commodore spokesman said that Workbench 1 .3 was "realised but not yet shipping." DECEMBER 1988 While other computer com- panies are suffering a DRAM famine, Commodore are claiming to control 40% of the world memory market. "We are still building PCs and Amigas at a time when several other manufactures are struggling to keep their plants turn- ng over," a bullish Commodore spokesman commented. JANUARY 1989 We take a look at the official Commodore BBC emulator. A prod- uct designed to help the Amiga break into the classroom. The emula- tor won't run games or any program which breaks Acorn rules. Slow at • machine code, but magnificent for running educational software. FEBRUARY 1989 A new strain of Amiga virus is discov- ered. The IRQ virus Is different because it corrupts programs rather than disks. Also Commodore US "strongly disagrees" with a tax bill of S74.1mfrom the IRS. MARCH 1989 The Amiga is fast approaching a worldwide user base of 1 million. Commodore announce plans to ensure that an ongoing supply Bob Shingllon confides; "The volume of Atari ST sales certainly did not come up to our expectations". JUNE 1989 In the aftermath of the Lockerbie air disaster, an Amiga 2000 is teamed with video to reconstruct the site of the crash so police can work out what happened immediately prior to the accident. JULY 1989 WordPerfect corporation In Utah USA announce that they have closed their Amiga development sec- lion. It is clear ■ Amiga Comput 39 WIN A PC COMPETITION CASHMASTER HOME ANO BUSINESS ACCOUNTS • Master your own finances. CASHMASTER re the easiest 10 UM, most versatllo accounts program yet written. • CASHMASTER la suitable for both small business accounts or homo finance use. We wrote CASHMASTER for our own use out of sheer frus- tration wiln the other so called easy to use packages CASH- MASTER allows you to input entries in one easy operation and yet allows you to extract the absolute maximum of infor- mation In an impressive array of statements and reports: Just look at its range of features: • Easy natural data entry - lust like a handwritten ledger. • Full VAT analysis or omit VAT altogether it you wish. • Any amount o' ledgers at one time • No set time periods, span any time period - no one year hmlt. • Reports can be produced over any time span (1 day to 100 years) • Up to 100 use* definable Class and 20 Accounts Codes • Detailed statements by selected Classes or Accounts. • Prrrfn & Loss Statement. • Tagg.ng of entries for report selectivity. • Entries can bo Inclusive or oiclusrve or zero VAT. • Automatic repeat entries (standing orders etc.) yearly, half yearly, quarterly, monthly, lortnWhtly or weekly • Insert entries anywhere in ledger. CASHMASTER auto- matically sorts into date order. • Soar.fi and i rtdopaon on any may ■nywfwn NNNn Mb* • Reports can be output to so eon. printer or disk rite. • Reference field for every entry (Invoice no cheque no etc ). • Spin and merge ledgers at any time • All functions available from main programme screen, Class and Accounts codes visible at all times. 9 FREE pop up running total calculator called up with one key press. CASHMASTER IS THE MOST USER FRIENDLY. POWER- FUL AND VERSATILE ACCOUNTS PACKAGE YET - YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED And now available with... CASHMASTER INVOICING & STOCK CONTROL • Full customer data Me - easy to find account records • Full stock data file, once lists, re-order lists. • Full Invoicing with user defined messages. • Full Invoice editing, invoice to & deliver to fields. • Pre-paid, account or credit note, full VAT facility • Settlement, no return & line discounts. Stand alone Invoongystock control or integrates fully with CASHMASTER for a FULLY FEATURED ACCOUNTS/INVOICING PACKAGE costing less than a quarter the price of Its rivals. CASHMASTER £39.95 CASHMASTER INVOICING C39.95 BOTH PROGRAMMES TOGETHER E69.95 €€££ PROFIT FROM YOUR MICRO f £££ RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? • Make your Micro earn I • Whatever make o( micro you have you can use It to make a good income even If you only have a couple of hours spare each week 1 • This is not PIE IN THE SKY. MAKE A MILLION BEFORE BREAKFAST nonsense but a true report ol exactly the sort of steps that we ourselves took at INTRASET • We have put together a package of easy, sensible business ■deas which can easty be used by anyone with any Micro • NO COMPUTER EXPERTISE REQUIRED. • Earn ££Fs from home doing what you enjoy doing - using your computer) • Vcj probably already have even/thing you need to start earning. • Hundreds of potential customers In your area who will GLADLY pay for your services. We lei you how to find theml • Part time or start your own full time business Ideal lor housewiveamusbands. unemployed etc. Very Me capital outlay on protects • Full slep by step sixty page book PROFIT FROM YOUR MICRO comes complete tor just... £14.95 inclusive SPECIAL DISK DEAL £ B E DISK 10 50 too T CF2 (AM50FT) 3 1/2DSDD 19.00 92.50 180.00 690 32 00 60.00 5 1/4DSDD 3.90 19.00 37.00 GENUINE HIGH QUALITY DISKS INTRASET LTD Tel: 025 72 76800 (Main office & 24 hr order line) Helpdesk 0490 3284 (weekdays 3-4pm) Fax vour order on 025 72 74753 All prices include P&P and VAT. Overseas orders please add £5.00 POOLSM ASTER The Football Pools Predictor -A LICENCE TO PRINT MONEY" - I* f C Hamrmxl ot Esmi *WE HAVE WON MANY THOUSANDS* Mr P E Rctarts of Dorsal • Just n couple of the many unsolicited testimonials about this truly amazing Football Poo's Predictor Programme which has consistently astounded us with its accuracy Check out >1s features: • Predicts homes, aways and draws. • No fiddly typing in of team names unique indexing system for quick entry of fixtures and results |ust type in the results each week from your usual newspaper and the pro- gramme updates itsetf. • Uses scientific formula which is the result of many years study o* the football pools to give a strike rate which is consistently higher than the laws of average. • Also has a SEQUENCE PREDICTOR option in addition to form Predictions which anafysos coupon number sequences This option has astunded us In the past and continues to do so. • Can be used for league and cup matches Updates season after season No need to buy a new copy every season. • Send for POOLSMASTER today and Increase your chances of that JACKPOT. Comes complete with manual and informative Pools Guide. DISKS AND TAPES £24.95 ★ ★ SPECIAL OFFER SPECIAL COMPENDIUM DISKS/TAPES - POOLSMASTE FVCOU RS EMASTER £44.95. BUY ANY THREE PROGRAMMES AND RECEIVE PROFIT FROM YOUR MICRO FREE OF CHARGE. THE GRAPHOLOGIST HANDWRITING ANALYSIS PROGRAMME "UNCANNILY ACCURATE" ■ 8000 PLUS MAGAZINE • Analyse YOUR handwriting, or your partners, friends etc. What are they REALLY like' Your handwriting always reveals your true nature, state of health etc • This programme Is a must tor anyono Interested In hand- writing analysis, both expert and beginner alike. • The programme will provide an analysis of a subjects handwrrtmg ranging from a simple signature analysis to a fuD 1 5 page complete character repel ideal for prospective employers, experienced graphologists or anyone interested In ■hi 5 fascinating art. • All you need is a sample of the subjects handwnting and follow the simple on screen instructions Upon completion you are left wtth an in depth report detailing all aspects of your subjects character from career ambition, state of health through to sexual preferences and megalomanlal • You may even edil this report using your word processor tor representation to your subject'client. THE GRAPHOLOGIST Is a must for serious business use or simply have loads of fun entertaining your friends whilst learning the finer aspects of this fascinating subject. • COMPLETE WITH MANUAL OF GRAPHOLOGY Price £49.95 Inc. VAT and P&P All programmes available for IBM/PC A compatible*, all Ametrad PCa. Ametrad PCW'e Atari, Amiga CPC 6128 (unleee otherwise stated). Perm-Master alio available tor Commodore 128 disk. Coursemaeter and Pools most of also available lor all AmWradCPC'B. all Speotrume and C64 A 128 COMPETITION RULES Every purchase made qualifies you to enlBr our rompejrbon draw. The total value ol your purchases will determine the prize won. There win be one 1st prize only per draw. Spend up to £20.00 - tst prize - a Star LC printer. Spend up to £40.00 - 1st prize - Amstrad PC1512 SDMW Spend over £40.00 • 1st prize - Amstrad PC1640 SD colour. 5 runners up will each win lull set ol Intraset software as above. Inlraset's decision final on all matters. Send SAE for list of winners. Draw dates 28rtV91 and 2872/91. COURSEMASTER THE COMPUTER HORSERACING TIPSTER PROGRAMME • BEAT THE BOOKIE FOR A CHANGE" • RATES ANY RACE using racecard in any dairy paper or racing paper - BOTH FLAT AND JUMPS. • Gives clear forecast of best selection PLUS second and third for Thcasts etc and even recommends type of bet. • Works out your WINNINGS on most popular typos ot bet ie. SINGLES, DOUBLES. PATENT, YANKEE. CANADIAN, etc • MAINTAINS A BANK ACCOUNT - Bet like a PROFESSIONAL! • PLUS the amazing COURSEMASTER SYSTEM BET This superb easy to use betting system rugularly provides our customers with MAJOR WINS lor small stakes - try II and amaze yourself Will even PRINT OUT YOUR BET- TING SLIP for you rl you have a prmterl • COMPLETE WITH 20 PAGE BETTING GUIDE AND MANUAL DISKS AND TAPES £24.95 PERM-MASTER It you entoy doing the Pools and regularly use perms as we at INTRASET LTD. recommend then checking your coupon can be a nightmare. Have you won or haven! you? Perm- Master ends the agony by checking your perm for you Simply tell It which of your coupon numbers are draws and it wiH do the rest, telling you how many winning lines you have. Perm-Masler comes complete with several ol the top perms already Built in. but rf your favourite perm is not there then simply create your own using the unique perm editor • end slmpta K UM • Unique PERM EDITOR • Create your own perm using the inbuilt perm calculator, test your own theories etc • For most block and single line perms Price £19.95 SPOT-THE-BALL For all SPOT-THE-BALL fans this programme is a must, no more tiresome counting of >'s or messy rubber stamps. Use your computer to do your SPOT-THE-BALL coupon. Just loll your computer where you think the ball Is using the screen template supplied Will print out up to 540 micro- tine crosses in your chosen shape, or simply tell It to choose at random. Learns as ft goes - tell it where the ban « every week and build up a database of results to use In SPOT- THE -BALL'S sequence predictor option. Works with any Epson compatible dot matrix printer or build your own pnnter dnver using the on screen option • LET SPOT-THE-BALL Ml In VOUR COUPON this week SPOT-THE-BALL £17.95 P.C. PATIENCE • Four addictive P.C. card games to test your ski* and luck • P.C. PAIRS. THE INTRASET CASINO. PC GOLF i CHESS PATIENCE • Ideal relaxation whilst the boss ts not looking, but dom blame us if you get totally addicted. (But we know you Willi) P.C. PATIENCE £14.95 H8M/pc compels only with 256K , CGA momtor required) Spend over £100 and claim this Hem freelll INTEREST FREE CREDIT TERMS Spend over £80 and spread the cost at no extra charge' (Cheque purchases only). Simply divide your order by 4 and send us lour cheques each with your name and address and cheque guarantee card num- ber. .Date the first cheque with today's date and post- date each ol the other cheques by one month i.e. 1/5/91, 1/6/91 etc. We will (hen hold each cheque until it is due. Sorry not available on hardware items HOW TO ORDER: CHEQUES, P.O.'S TO: INTRASET LTD (DEPT. PCT) FREEPOST 10 WOODSIDE AVENUE, CLAYTON-LE- WOODS, CHORLEY, LANCS. PR6 7BR OR PHONE/FAX AS ABOVE FOR LIGHTNING FAST SERVICE. WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT/CHARGE CARDS. SEND SAE FOR FREE SOFTWARE CATALOGUE Feature that despite previous promises, they will not be producing any further versions of WordPerfect for the Amiga. AUGUST 1989 The Amiga 3000 is on ^ the way at last. So is £ Kickstart 1.4, but not for a while. Also in September, Commodore warn people to be wary of grey imports and WH Smith triples the number o 16 bit games it will stock. SEPTEMBER 1989 A Swinton licensee took swift action when FAST, the Federation Against Software Theft, stepped in to tell him an illegal software copying den was being run in the back room of his pub. "It was so blatant" said a spokesman for FAST. OCTOBER 1989 Commodore issues a statement con- firming that Amiga 1000 owners have not been abandoned. In the same statement Commodore also announces that the ECS will not work with the 1000. NOVEMBER 1989 Nick -Green" Vietch joins the Amiga Computing team One of his first assign- ments is to meet Elvira, the result of which forms our caption competition in this month's Rock Lobster. DECEMBER 1989 Marketing manager Jeff Earl leaves Commodore "to persue his own interests". The company famous for having more doors marked "exit" than "welcome" does not yet ask new recruits to sign the visitors book. JANUARY 1990 With 45 shopping days before Christmas, Commodore rather meek- ly announces it has sold out of Amiga 500s. The reason for such huge success is the simultaneous launch of Ocean's "Batman" game and the Commodore Amiga 500 bundle bearing the same name. FEBRUARY 1990 First hints of a 1 mb Amiga 500 come to light as Commodore start to ship the machine with space for the extra 512k on the motherboard. Also in Feburary, Amiga Computing stops the CoverDisk and reduces the price of the magazine by £1 , » MARCH M990 CDTV was reported to have been shown to "favoured" devel- opers in California. Also Commodore celebrated its 200,000th Amiga 500 sale in the UK APRIL 1990 Commodore were reported to be "furious" at leaks con- firming that the Civil Aviation Authority would be using Amiga 2000s to train pilots. Their fury cen- tred around a headline in "Computer Weekly", a trade magazine for data processing managers. "Flight Con- trollers to train on games kit" was not appreciated by the company. - J1 MAY 1990 We previewed perhaps the most suc- cessful utility program for the Amiga ever - AMOSthe creator. In the same issue we announced that Amiga Computing would be pub- lished on paper that was "kinder to the environment." You can sleep safe in the knowledge that Amiga Computing is printed on paper which uses a chemithermo-mechanical pro- cess which is greener than older methods. JUNE 1990 The Amiga 3000 drew closer with a confirmed launch pad of the Which? Computer Show. "The Tipster" horse racing form speculator program fell at the first hurdle in the Grand National. The only horse tipped by the software came in fourth. JULY 1990 Amiga Computing provides the first exhaustive look at the long awaited Amiga 3000 but we are still waiting for CDTV. In the same issue The Last Blit relates the woeful tale of Green, our then Reviews Editor who was run over by a car during an assignment in Dublin. AUGUST 1990 Commodore officially announces CDTV at the CES show in Chicago. Staying on the theme of innovation, Mandarin software release the eager- ly awaited AMOS games creator. SEPTEMBER 1990 120 schools in Derbyshire would be teaching their pupils Japanese using Commodore's CDTV technology. The unlikely move is a result of Toyota's decision to build a £700m car assem- bly plant within the county. OCTOBER 1990 Silica Systems announce the arrival rol the ATonce PC emulator for the Amiga. Thousands of Amiga owners are terrorised by the Lamer II virus distributed on the now defunct rAMpage disk magazine. Ocean soft- ware admitted that the copy protec- tion on F-29 Retaliator caused some copies to crash due to problems with the tolerance of some disk drive units. NOVEMBER 1990 Surprise surprise... Commodore announce delays to the launch of CDTV. The company is now citing a mid-February launch as probable. DECEMBER 1990 Amiga Computing veterans get a shock as the first "new look" issue hits the street. The cover features a hideously mutated creature - even after extensive make-up you can't fail to be appalled by the sight of Stephen White. JANUARY 1991 The Amiga 1 500 hits the streets and our reporters hit the floor when they encounter a retailer selling "free" Commodore T-shirts off his stand at the Commodore Christmas Show. FEBRUARY 1991 We report on the worldwide frenzy caused by the football simulation Kick Off 2. The software was report- ed to have drawn a crowd of 1 5,000 players at a league event in Italy and caused a police crowd control unit to intervene during a German event. MARCH 1991 Commodore announce that they sold an amazing 140,000 ASOOs in the UK over the pre-Christmas period of October-December, In the same issue we start to ask questions about software censorship. The letters of response are still coming in. APRIL 1991 It's that CDTV thing again... Commodore's press guru Andrew Ball is still talking about a spring launch for the multi-media system. In the same issue we report on an interactive skateboard launched by Cheetah. Aeroskate connects to the games system or computer then the player jumps aboard using balance and leans left or right to avoid being zapped during the game. MAY 1991 Amiga Computing receives a letter from the Gulf congratulating Page One Public Domain on shipping their wares to the war zone so quickly. CDTV is getting closer with a demon- stration of its capabilities on the BBC's Tomorrows World science pro- gramme. Commodore announce that the Screen Gems package will be shipped with lmb memory as stan- dard for a limited period. Whkh tide has he make-up on? MEGA BLITZ! THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR AMIGA PD SOFTWARE THIS IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION OF OUR VAST LIBRARY UTILITIES POU 10 Word Processing. Databasing PDU 16 Air Tunnel Simulation PDU 23 Fish#1 10 A68K Assemble' PDU 24 FisruM 14 C Docs PDU 26 Fisn*1 33Console Handle* PDU 27 Fish*136 Create own puzzles PDU 29 Fish* 1 40/ 1 4 1 SBProlog 2 disks PDU 31 Fish*143 RIM Database PDU 32 Fish* 1 44 Analytic spreadsheet PDU 38 Fish#i 85 Official CBM IFF disk PDU 43 Fish*203 Assembler & C eg PDU 44Fish*215MandelvroomV2 0 PDU 45 F>sh»2i 0 Scientific calculator PDU 46 Fish*213 lcons|300 m 8 colors) PDU 51 Fish»2l 9 Astronomy program PDU 52 Fish#52 A-Z Tent Editor PDU 60 Fish*237CLIprint PDU 70 Fish 193 Keymap Editor PDU 72 SIDV1 06 The ultimate disk uW PDU 74 C Manual PDU 78 File Archiver PDU 80 Fonts and Surfaces PDU 81 Disksah/e1.3 PDU 82 Scale. Wordwnte PDU 98 Celtics Demo maker PDU 99 Ham Radio utils(5disks) PDU 101 Menu-Maker PDU 102 Label designer PDU 103 (con -Maker PDU 104 Icon-Mania PDU 105 Crossword Creator PDU 118 Various CLIuOls PDU 1 46 Grocery. Video list maker PDU 149 Icon Fun PDU 151 Fixdisk-disk repajrer PDU 164 Games Music Creator PDU i68Vacone-Booster(Viruskiiler} PDU 169 QuickSase DataBase PDU171 Fish»3i5Draw-map PDU 1 75 F ish*26fl Piotdata 2D PDU 185ANC22 (Excellent utis) PDU 166 Falcon Bootblock Creato* PDU 189 Bootblock Copier PDU 194 Pman Virus Killer POU 198 Synchro Packer V4 6 PDU 200 Virus Killer Pro V2.0 PDU 207 Perfect Sound V1 .93 PDU 257Fish#349MED PDU 262 MED Modules DEMOS PDD 1 Anarchy Demo PDD3Cull Demodisk PDD 4 Deathstar Megademo(2 disks! POO 7 Elvira Demo PDD 1 4 RAF Megademo{2 disks) PDD 16 Robocop Demo PDD17SAE Demo*12 PDDl8SAEDemo«i9 PDD19SAEDomo*2i PDD 20 SAE Demo#25 PDD 21 SAE Demo«32 PDD 31 Anarchy-Ooh its obscene lir PDD 51 Hacktrick*1 Arsewpe PDD 52 Hacktnck*2Sm«sh.ngdayout PDD 55 Kefrens Mogademo 8f2 disks) PDD 60 N troAC Demos* 22 PDO 62 Northstar Mogademo*2 PDD 70 Rebels Megademo PDO 71 Red Sector Demo PDD 72 Red Sector Demodisk»4 PDD 73 SAE Demos* 2 3 PDD 74 SAE Demos#36 PDD 75 Scoopei Demos PDD 76Scoopex Megademo PDD 90 Tnlogy Demos*4 PDD91 Tnlogy Megademo»i PDD 93 TWI Demo* Virus killer PDD 94 Vortex Megademo PDD 96 Magnetic FieldsDemo*36 PDD 97 Prodators Megademo(2 disks) PDD 99 Semtex Megademo PDD 107 Budbrain I (2 disks) PDD 1 1 5 Magnetic Fields Demo*40 PDD 1 i6MagneocFieldsDemo*4i PDD i30Chuboy Brown PDD 131 CnonicsDemo PDD 1 32 Giants Megademo(2 disks) PDD 1 34 Magnetic Fields Demo*45 PDD ^ 36 Page One Demos 1 PDD 139 Page One Demo*2 PDD 1 40 Page One Demo*3 PDD 141 PageOneDemo*4 PDDl45SAEDemo«3l PDD 152 Flash-No Brain No Pain'(2) PDD 1 53 Billy Connally Demo(2 disks) PDD 160Hacktrick"Rave-on" PDDl65SAEDemo#35 PDD 166 SAE Demo»39 PDDl7?BudorainH PDD 1 79 Criomcs Total Destruction PDD 1 80 DMOB Vectordemo PDD 1 86 Flash Demos*? PPD 209 Rulper Demodisk PDD2l2SpacoPack*32 ANIMATION PDA9KnightAnimabon(l meg) PDA 12 Agatron Star Trek Anims2 PDA 13 Agatron Star Trek Anims 1 7 PDA 1 4 Puggs m Space PDA 15 Moonwalker Demo PDA 1 8 Miller Lite Advert PDA 31 Nude Girls Anim PDA 34 Basketball Amm PDA 358FPOSI.deshow(i8*) PDA 36 BFPO 9iOoshow#2(l8*) PDA37BusyBeeAnim PDA 41 DigrviewerSlidoshow PDA 42 Dragons Lair Demo PDA 44 French Horn(i meg) PDA 45 Monocyde & Sportscarp msg) PDA 47 Hoiston Pils Advert PDA 48 Magnum Jogger Amm PDA 49 Mayfair Vol.23 no3( 18+) P D A 50 Mega C lean Show V 1 . 7 PDA 54 NASA Graphics PDA 56 Newtek Domorooll (2)( 1 meg) POA 57 Newtek Demoreel3(2)(1 meg) PDA 58 Paradise Siideshow PDA 61 Sabrma PDA 63 Space Anims(1 meg) PDA 65Star Trek Anims PDA 68 Walker Demol (1 meg) PDA 69 Walker Demoi (2meg,2disks) PDA 70 Walker Demo2( 1 meg) PDA 73 Wes(coastCracker*4(i8*) PDA 74 Bodeans Borda4lo*1(18+) PDA 75 Bodeans Bordeilo*4(i8.) PDA 76Playboy(i6>) PDA77SamFox{18.) PDA 78Utopa*1(l8*J PDA 79 The Fmal Ecstacy»1(18+) PDA 80 Walker Demo 2(2 meg.2 disks) PDA 81 Ray Trace Art DBW Render ubl PDA86Utop.a*4<18+) PDA 89 Bodeans Bordeho*9 (1 8.) PDA 90 Bunsen Burner- Jet Fighter anim PDA 92 D.Landers So- fi Show* t PDA 93 D.Landers Sci-fi Show*2 PDA 95 Magician 'Jogger Anims PDA 97 Mike Tyson Knockout disk PDA 106 Back to the Future II anims PDA 1 08 Adams Family PDA 1 10 Bruce Lee Enter the Dragon PDA 1 1 Bruce Lee Slideshow II PDA 1 12 Dragons Lair II Demo PDA 114 Neighbours Sideshow PDA 116 Terminator MUSIC PDM 2 Music Invasion I PDMSMusic Invasion II PDM 4 Mus* Invasion lll(2 disks) PDM 5 MFrElectnc CLI IV PDM 6 Winkers song<2 disks) PDM 9 Ride on time & Batdance PDMi9Bad-MJackson PDM 20 Bat Dance PDM 27 DMOB Megamusic III PDM 28 Enemies Music III PDM 30 Digital Concert II PDM 31 Digital Concert III PDM 33 Heiloween'Follow the Sgn'(2) PDM 35Thmk were alone now-Tilfany PDM 36 Land of Contusion Gene sis PDM 38 Miami V.co Theme (4 disks) PDM 40 MFI Vangolis Demo PDM 65 Digital Concert IV PDM 71 Noiseplayer V2.40 PDM 72 Popeye meets the Beachboys PDM 80 Digital Concert VI PDM 82 Freddy Krugo- PDM 83 Kefrens Jukebox PDM 84 Madonna-Hanky panky PDM 85 Miami Vice-Crockets Theme PDM 87 RIP Eruption PDM 88 Slab Music PDM 9l 100 MostRememoeredC64 tunes PDM95Hi-FiDemo PDM 104 PDM 105 PDM 106 PDM 109 PDM 110 PDM 111 PDM 112 PDM 1 1 7 PDM 118 PDM 120 PDM 125 PDM 128 PDM 131 PDM 132 PDM 142 BassX*5 Power Remx BassX*6 Sydney Youngbooa Betty Boo DepecheMode DMOB Muse I DMOB Music II DMOB Music IV(2 disks) Flash Gordan (2 disks) Hacktrick loadsa money' Laurel & Hardy (2 disks) Mr Food (2 disks) NASPV2.0 PotshopBoys Remnai PetshopBoys Remix*2 The Amiga Chart III GAMES PDG 1 Star Trek-Final Frontier(2 disks) PDG 2 Star trek (3 tft&ks.Z dnves) PDG 5 Card & Board Games PDG IB Marble Slide PDG 19 Destination Moonbase PDG 21 Boing the Game (2 disks) PDG 26 Treasure Search PDG 31 Mona PDG 32 Legend of Fargheil PDG 33 Arcadia! Breakout style game) PDG 34 Dynamte Dick PDG 35 Pair It PDG 36 Snakes 8 laddors/Revers- PDG 37 Super Quiz CLIP ART There Is a total of 10 disks in the clip art ran go All are In IFF Format & ant ideal for DTP.There are loads of Images to choose from, ranging from fancy borders to special occasions & from people to animals etc etc. WE ALSO STOCK AMOS DISKS Venous demo s/mu s»c and games MAGAZINE DISKS Amiga Fo*mat A Computing DOCUMENT DISKS Game HintS'Soiutionsetc etc PACK1£& PACK 2 & -f -V JV PACK 3 » vVvVPACK 4 tfn> Home Buisness Pack Tns 8 drsk pack contains:* Spreadsheet Word Processor Amiga Spell Memo-pad Inventory Database etc etc A must lor home accounts! C10-00 md. 10 cap. box. Demo Pack (lOdrsk pack) Budbram 1(2 disks), & 2 Magnetic Fiews *40 Magnetic Fields *4i Kelerens Megademo(2 disks) Puggs m Space Filial the Fish Scoopex Megademo A great starter peck C1 1-00 ind. 10 cap box. Music Pack (10 disk pack) Heilowen (2 asks) Cryptic Glides cope II Beatmaslers III J.M.Jarre Noseplayer V24 * Sample)?) Freddy Kruger Crockets Theme 100 C64 tunes C11-O0 incl. 10 cap box Adult pack (10 disk pack) Satyma,Sam Fox (2 risks) Booeans Botdelb t2 Bodeans Bordello #3 Bodeans Bo'delio 110 Bodeans Movies Wesl Coast Cracker BFPO#l,BFPOff2 Utopia oi C11-00 incl 10 cap doi DISK PRICES 1-9 £1.50 10-19 £1.25 20+ £1.00 FREE CATALOGUE ON DISK FREE P&P ON EVERY ORDER UK ONLY Please add 25p per disk lor Europe 50p per disk for World WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS PLEASE MAKE CHEQUES PAYABLE TO- PD DIRECT PD DIRECT HOW TO ORDER:- 0782 208228 PD DIRECT DEPT AUC5 UNIT 3 RAILWAY EKT. CENTRE SHELTON ST0KE-0N-TREKT STAFFS .ST4-7SH 0782 281506 FAX xO*W SHOP wW> o* low J down on tne k Compiled exclusively for / > ■ * C O M I won COMPUTING 1 SWIV Storm £24.99 . 11 F1 9 Stealth Fighter Microprose £29.99 2 Lemmings Psygnosis £24.99 12 Panza Kick Boxing US Gold £24.99 3 Speedball 2 Mirrosoft £24.99 13 Moonwalker Kixx £7.99 4 Fantasy World Dizzy Code Masters £6.99 14 Double Dragon Mastertronlc £9.99 I 5 Final Whistle Anco £12.99 15 AlOTank Killer Sierra Online £34.99 6 Little Puff Code Masters £6.99 16 FC Manager Energize £6.99 1 7 Turrican 2 Anco £24.99 17 Super Scramble Simulator Kixx £9.99 8 R-Type Hit Squad £7.99 18 Kick Off 2 Anco £24.99 9 Super Hang On Hit Squad £7.99 19 CJ's Elephant Antics Code Masters £6.99 1 10 Treasure Island Dizzy Code Masters £4.99 20 Super Grand Prix Code Masters £9.99 ■ OOOOOOQ] ATOMINO - Psygnosis You don'l need to be an Einstein to have fun with atoms, at least that's what Psygnosis would have us believe with their latest release. The basic idea is to construct molecules by piecing together atoms. Each atom that you place has a certain number of electrons that orbit around it, all of which must be linked before you successful build up a completed molecule. Expect it really soon for the usual Psygnosis price. Find out about the latest games FIRST in Amiga Computing... STORMBALL - Millennium If you thought rugby was a lough game, just wait until you get a load of the kind of antics that the players get up to in Millennium's latest release, Stormball. Billed as 'the sport of the future', Stormball looks like'a cross between Speedball and 3D soccer that sees up to two players simultaneously battling it out in a split-screen 3D game. Rules seem to be an afterthought too - put simply, anything goes so you'd better put on your pads unless you want to end up eating hospital food. LEMMINGS 2 - Psygnosis Lemmings fanatics will be over the moon to team that DMA pro- grammer Dave Jones has already started work on a follow up. It still has a very long way to go before we get the chance to save even more of those little green-haired fellows from certain death, but Dave is optimistic that the game should be ready for some time later this year. According to Dave, the gameplay format is very similar to the original, but there's a greater amount of interaction with the background. Lemmings can now pick up objects, move them about and even use them to help complete each screen. There are also many more tasks that can be assigned to Lemmings. PRO TENNIS TOUR 2 - UBI Soft Zee about which they more than adequately deployed when they launched the original Pro Tennis Tour. Ok, we'd seen tennis games before, bat never had a tennis game been so playable. Now tively named Pro Tennis Tour 2. The new game features tarted up graphics and a greater range of shots. For tennis fans everywhere, this looks like being a must WRECKERS - Audiogenic There's nothing more annoying than being woken from a good nap, but things are even worse if you just happen to be in suspended animation. In Audiogenic's latest release, you've been woken from your deep sleep by the ship's computer that informs you that some highly dangerous alien slime is heading your way. It's up to you to jour- ney around the ship, preparing for the slime's arrival. Eventually, all this changes to a fight for survival as the slime invades your ship. Oohl Alien eat your heart out. BIRDS OF PREY - Electronic Arts It's been over three and a half years coming, but |ez San's latest block- buster has finally arrived. Combining some of the most realistic depth-cued 3D objects with fast and furious gameplay, Birds of Prey promises to be something very special indeed. You can take up a large number of different aircraft, including the A10 Thunderbolt, the F16 Fighting Falcon, f 14 Tomcat, Harrier, Soviet MIC-29 Fulcrum and even the good old British Tornado. If |ez and the rest of the gang manage to find enough time between yet another pizza, then yc can expect a full review very soon. the 44 Amiga Computing You'd better be careful that Nathan doein't drop oh* lhal round-about Have you noticed thai despite how utterly wretched a child may be, the parents still think that they're a little angel? Whether they're running around the supermarket pelting each other with rice crispies or throwing stones at passing cars, the parents always turn around and try to justify the child's actions by claiming that their child is too young to know oth- erwise. Of course we all know that this is far from the truth. Fact is, kids are pretty smart characters. Take young Nathan, for example. During the day he's a pretty lovable sort of fellow, but as the sun sets, Nathan changes into something quite terrible - he becomes a brat. As his bodily self rests, Nathan's mind goes into over- drive, taking him to a land where he's a really cool character, complete with leather jacket and shades. Even in his dreams poor Nathan wanders around in a daze, unable to look after himself. Scattered around dreamland are many hazards that will cause Nathan to wake if he runs Into them. Being a rather young chap, he needs as much sleep as he can get, so it's up to you to ensure that Nathan's journey around dream- land remains wake-free. Unfortunately, you can't directly control our little brat hero. Instead, you must use the mouse to lay down guiding arrows that will point Nathan in the right direction. These must be laid directly in his path. As soon as he walks over an arrow, he changes direction depending upon which way the arrow points. Along the way he can also pick up objects with which to make the going a little simpler. These include dynamite and even stop signs which can be used to halt traffic. Brat is a lot of fun. Although initially frustrating, you'll soon find it to be a source of many hours of enter- tainment. Once again, it seems ■ ImageWorks have delivered ft the goods. Jason Holborn Here'i looking at you punk* Steer naughty boy Nathan through dreamland Publisher Imageworks Price: E19.95 _l □ J_IJ Nathan get* spaced out on the Moon base Picking up the Hktu of dynamite can makei thlngi easier on later leveii Whit ci Graphics nhat can I say? Brat's graphics are top notch. Add to that a great (and rather humorous) Intro sequence, and you have a graphically superb game. Sound fust like the graphics. Brat's sound effects are also very cutesy, especial- ly the samples of Nathan's speech. The tune Is great too, al- though It tands to get rather annoying after e while. Game Brat plays very similar to that other great Amiga game. Lemmings. It may not quite be up to the same standards as Lemmings where origi- nality and lasting Inter- est is concerned, but Brat ■ till manages to be a great little game. Definitely one for every- one's software collection. J JSJ ■ FINAL JUDGEMENT Amiga Computing 45 th M A r><T^ OFFICIAL GOLDEN 1M ACjE distributor Atari ST £19-95 Commodore Amiga £19-95 ST/Amiga switchable £24.95 IBM Serial £24.95 IBM PS/2 £19-95 Amstrad PC Bus £19-95 The brush is a new slim mouse which is used like a pen. It's ideal for artists. o Amiga £39-95 ST £39-95 a J - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Prices include P&P and VAT @ 17.5% Ov ernight courier service available at extra cost Please telephone for availability yr- ^ P. r-\r- — >. ^, d ,-ir — nn Commodore Amiga £39,95 Atari ST £39-95 IBM PC Serial £39-95 ST with Touch-Up £199.95 Amiga with Touch-Up £199-95 IBM PC Multi-directional ....£199.95 a Atari ST £35-95 Commodore Amiga £35-95 ST/Amiga switchable £39-95 IBM Serial £39-95 IBM PC with Doctor halo £49-95 Amstrad PC Bus £35-95 2Mb Amiga 500 expansion unpopulated ...£29.95 2Mb Amiga 500 expansion populated £129-95 51 2K Amiga 500 expansion with clock £29-95 2Mb Atari ST expansion unpopulated £29-95 2Mb Atari ST expansion populated .£149-95 2Mb-8Mb Amiga 2000 Expansions Care... £169.95 Atari ST £39.95 \ 0 Commodore Amiga £39-95 IBM PC Serial £39 95 Golden Image (UK) Ltd, Golden Image House, Fairways Business Park, lemmas Road, Ixxidon E10 7QT Tel: 081-518 7373 Fax:081-518 7585 Trade Enquiries Welcome Credit card orders accepted by phone j Atari ST, Commodore Amiga. Amstr.id and I KM arc all rvgiMcrvd irademark* l of Ihcir respective o« iicrs c ompuler RPC fans could scarcely have failed to encounter one of the three Bard's Tale games. They are just a couple of the many Dungeons and Dragons type of role-playing games thai have appeared over the last few years and each new release seems more like the grandaddy of RPC than ever. Bard's Tale III is another of the "create a party and go and mash the monsters" RPGs, and while it's not the best in my opinion, it does have a fair amount going for it The quest is simple. The Mad Cod Tarjan is throwing his insane and somewhat humungous bulk around and not surprisingly the inhabitants of the various towns that he laid waste to and populated with evil are a little narked. Ideally you're aiming to kick Tarjan's immortal butt out of the land but a good place to start is the local town of Skara Brae. Players of either of the other Bard's Tale games will be able to directly port their existing character party into the latest sequel, so you can make best use of the items of power that you fought so bravely for last time. New players should not lei this put them off though because BTIII may be played by beginners to RPGs. The screen display never changes. Sound There's no real sound to ipeak of, though you do get a little at timet, and what there Is sounds ade- quate. It's a series of windows with informa- tion on the party and its surround- ings. To view a character you merely press a key and the stats are called up. Unfortunately this also calls up a picture of the character as well which takes some time. According to the manual you can skip this by holding down SHIFT and pressing the number but this didn't seem to work. A shame, because it Gam Bard's Tale Gameplay Graphics Ml Is addictive, merely because I like the gam* type enough to per- severe, and there Is a hefty challenge In there for RPC fans. A pity about those niggles though. makes swapping of booty and check- ing of condition very tiresome. Should the party meet a monster, a picture of it is displayed in the top left window. The name of the monster is told and you are given various options. You can attempt to run away, hide, or advance. If you have bowmen and "Not again*" you moan as you face 1 Serpent <19* >. Mill your- gallant band choose to: Fight bravely Run away 7 1 Monkey 2 Funky man 3 StrongBDim 4 Features 5 Moon wind 6 Bilbo III ■7 Frazzler The party s lint encounter: a terpen!. With teeth like that, ft should be a wolf! The party 13 m-.uir storaqp (mil dm*. Who withes to fasrect? ESC t« eMt bwldint z Thli building may look derelict, but It contain* enough equipment to T^l make your learn a i — ' formidable force The spoils of the encounter. That knowledge comet In handy lor advancing levels, while the gold will buy equipment and food Presentation Is nice but not flawless. I particular- ly noticed a flicker that runs down the list of character names about once a minute. This was offputtlng and looks amateurish - surely the programmers could have debugged It? Graphics are especially neat and full of character. spellcasters in the party they can fire from within range but the monsters have the same options as you so eventually you'll get up close. A commentary on what every- thing is doing and how much vari- ous people are hurt appears in the top right window. Spells are cast by clicking with the mouse on the spell name and then pressing a key for the target. I did find the game somewhat confusing to control as the designers couldn't decide whether to plump for the keyboard or mouse as a form of con- trol and have come to a compro- mise. This means switching between mouse and keyboard quite a lot and I found it awkward. Rolling characters was also tricky. You have to select sex and race of the character and then a series of stats is chosen randomly and dis- played. If these are acceptable (which they often aren't) you then press a key for class. If they are not you have to press escape and go through the whole process again. A system similar to other RPGs would be better, with a single keypress re- rolling statistics. John Diglan The ultimate quest continues. . BARD'S TALE III Publisher. Electronic Arts Price: £24.99 Getting Into the temple requires a little arcane knowledge, obtained from the manual Down In the dungeons, and the party has had a bit of trouble with a lew monsters, looks like a stiffs parly Amiga Computing 47 i And hen? with have the lateit In deikjnrr taihtom for fighter pilot) everywhere, modelled iO beautifully by Frank and (ohn. Don't they look the parti Sign on the doited line and you're dropped straight In at the deep end It's the Biffa Bacon of the USAF A10 TANK KILLER Publisher Dynamix - 1Mb required Price: £24.95 ombat flight simulators are old hat these days, but nothing could ever prepare you for the kind of hard-ass bull kicking power that is the trademark of Fairchild Republic's legendary A10 Thunderbolt. Put simply, it's one hell Nope, VI not a SCUD. ThU little beauty (oold cauie you K>me trouble Here's the map ol the battle below you. There't not a great deal ol detail became your radar tutloni have already been knocked out! of an aircraft. Sure, it goes without saying that the Thunderbolt can dish out some pretty mean fire-power, but what makes this machine one mean motha' is that it can take just as much as it can give. Most combat aircraft are pretty fragile things at the best of times, but the Thunderbolt is the Biffa Bacon of the US Airforce. It can lose huge chunks of wing, and even one of its two engines and still keep on flying - try doing that with an F29 Retaliatorl Put simply, if you want to come back alive, then the Al 0 is the plane to fly. Star of the Gulf War and West country window- shattering 'fly bys', the awesome combat potential of the A10 has been captured within Dynamix's latest release. It's a com- bat flight simulator which puts yo«: in the hot seat of the aircraft thai was once described by a US Airborne Ranger as 'the only true friend of the modem US Infantryman'. So, If you feel man (or woman) enough for the job, it's time to strap on your Biggies flight goggles, wrap your white scarf around your neck and go in search of something to destroy. Strategy is an all-important part of Ajtiifjil t ■'■npltllnij FINAL JUDGEMENT I Son, this is *r«04Diy some to Be or>t pt "Of difficult Ninioni of ydur _ Hope you've written out your wtlll the game, but for the muscleheads among you, there's an option which allows you to fty straight into the thick of battle, blasting away with your 30 mm cannons and Maverik 'fire and forget' missiles. There are seven differ- ent missions which you can undertake, ranging from lank busting to taking out bridges to stop the enemy advance. A10 really comes into its own in campaign mode. You play exactly the same seven mis- sions that you would normally, but all must be played in succession. |ust like in real life however, you can't screw up one mission and then expect to carry on as normal when you move onto the next. Your suc- cess within pre- Your co-pllol politely Informs you thai you've taken a dirett bit. Time to ball out perhaps? Not In thli babyl - the A10 can take a SAM up the bottom without a fllnehl Graph. With missiles locked on, you fly low over an enemy alrbase. Press the fire button and maverkki stream forward, ripping huge chunks out of that airfield vious missions will have a marked effect on the ease of your next. If you screw up totally, you may even cause the war below you to be lost, forcing surrender to enemy forces. As you'd expect, gameplay is exe- cuted in good old solid 3D, but it's far from perfect. Most of the time things run smoothly enough, but the game can slow down to a veritable crawl when the action hots up. Un- fortunately, it's times like this when you most need to be able to get out of trouble quickly. Your A10 may be able to take a fair bit of punishment, but it's not indestructible! A10 Tank Buster is a great game which is let down only by the speed of its graphics. The attention to detail leaves other combat flight sim- ulators cyounded, whilst the atmo- sphere it generates is second to none. It's |ust a shame Dynamix hadn't managed to get things run- ning at a slightly faster frame rate. If they had. A10 Tank Buster would have been one hell of a game. As It is, it can often leave you frustrated. Jason Holbourn Screen update Is satisfac- tory, but things can slow down to an annoying crawl when the action really starts. Compared to games Ilka F29 Retaliates or Actlvlslon's Bomber, A10 runs at a snail pace. Digitised option screens add a great deal of atmosphere to the game. Sound A fairly naff title tun starts the ball rolling, but things Improve con- siderably within the game Itself. Sound effects are particularly good, but It's a shame you don't get to hear them more often. 1 Wl ened strategist or a trig- ger-happy grunt, AIO can be as simple or complex as you want. It lacks many of the more com- plei flight controls you'd expect from a flight sim- ulation, but It more than makes up for these with Its n.ll biting realism. THE ANSWER TO YOUR DISK DUPLICATION PROBLEM! □ SYNCRO EXPRESS IS A HIGH SPEED DISK DUPLICATION SYSTEM THAT WILL PRODUCE COPIES OF YOUR DISK IN AROUND 50 SECONDS!! □ Syncro Express requires a second drive & works by controlling It as a slave device & Ignoring the computer disk drive controller chip whereby high speeds & great data accuracy are achieved. □ Menu driven selection o! Start Track/End Track up to 90 tracks. □ Ideal lor clubs, user groups or your own disks. □ Very simple to use, requires no user knowledge. □ The most powerful Disk Copier ever conceived. □ Also duplicates other formats such as IBM, ST etc. □ No more waiting around tor your disks to copy. □ Probably the only duplication system you will ever need! □ Now with a SUPER POWERFUL "SYNCRO" MODE that ectuolly synchronises your Disk Drives for even greater accuracy!! □ Can be switched OUT when noi In use - totally transparent J Make up to 2 copies simultaneously* PJVCS MANY NEW FEATURES INCLUDING □ DRIVE SPEED CHECKER - now Q DISK TOOLKIT - Syncro III now ll Hard Drive File Copy etc. etc. Bl we a second drive we can supply SYNCRO p Q Q 'her with a DIGITAL DISPLA Y Drive for ONL Y... — C7 C7 . PLEASE STATE AMIGA soo'/iooo'/isoasooo^ooo when ORDERING s products '0' the reproduction ol copyng"! mmenal software such as Public Do"*" malaria! ■)"* users van WARNING Datfll Electronics Ltd. neilrier condones nor authoris 1BBS Tn * bac*"i© lacanea of In-s product are designed to i COPYRIGHT own programs or software where permwon to make bac*a*i hit been Dearly given n is Illegal to make oopi ACT mow m (Bsv wmm swnmn) gspaaae nnn tor your own uae. of copyright malenal wrtnout w gwan permission o» the copyrtghl owner, or the apanoas) tmnet. TELEPHONE [24Hrs] 0782 744707 CREDIT CARD ORDERS WE WILL DISPATCH VOUR ORDER OUICKLY A EFFICIENTLY TO ENABLE VOU TO START RECEIVING THE BENEFITS OF VOUR PURCHASE WITHIN DA VS. NOT WEEKS ORDERS NORMALLY DESPATCHED WITHIN 4B Hrs AIL CHEOUES POSTAL ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO... GOVAN ROAD, FENTON INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. BsE3M FENTON, STOKE-ON-TRENT. ST4 2RS, ENGLAND. FAX 0782 744292 TECHNICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE 0782 744324 5VNC ill LIE THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL FREEZER-UTILITY CARTRIDGE IS NOW EVEN BETTER the NEW MK Jl VERSION is here.-- ^ ^^^^^ STILL ONLY £59.99 POST FREE FOR THE A500/1000 A2000 VERSION AVAILABLE £69.99 PLEASE STATE WHICH COMPUTER YOU HAVE WHEN ORDERING NTO THE EXPANSION PORT OF YOUR AMIGA AND GIVES EZE MOST ANY PROGRAM, THEN YOU CAN... UST LOOK AT THE UNMATCHED RANGE OF FEATURES SAVE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM i nt ENTIRE .'PROGRAM IN MEMORY TO DISK \ Special compacting technique* enable up lo 3 programs lo-Hl on one disk. Now direclly lofd.sk am Amiga Do* - reload* independently of the cartridge - even tranter to hard drive! Worts wilh up to 2 MV„, of Ram - oven 1 Mog Chip Mem (Fatter Agnus). UNIQUE INFINITE LIFE/TRAINER MODE NOW MORE POWERFUL Allows you to generate more and oven infinite lives, fuel, ammo, e you past thai impos fuel, ai iiTble level IC. Very Perfect as a trainer mode lo ge easy to use. IMPROVED SPRITE EDITOR The lull Sprite Editor allows you to viowmodily the whole sprite sot deluding any attached sprites. RANGE OF IMPROVED FEATURES VIRUS DETECTION Comprehensive virus dolection and removal features to protoct your software investment. Worts with all presently known viruses. SAVE PICTURES AND MUSIC TO DISK • Pictures and sound samples can be saved lo disk. Files are saved directly IFF forma, suitable for use with all the maior graphic and music packages. Samples are displayed as screen waveform. • SLOW MOTION MODE Now you can slow down the action to your own pace. Easily adjustable l.om lull speed to 20% speed. Ideal to help you through the tricky parts! RESTART THE PROGRAM SimefyjHess a key and the program will continue where you left oft, • FULL STATUS REPORTING At the press of a key now you can view the Machine Status Ram. Chip Ram. RamDisk, Drive Status, etc. POWERFUL PICTURE EDITOR Now you can manipulate and search for screens throughout memory Over 50 commands to edit the picture plus unique on screen status including Fast ^overlay shows all the information you could ever need to wort on screens. No other product comes close lo offering such dynamic screen handling of frozen programs!! • . . 3 MUSIC SOUND TRACKER With Sound Tracker you can l.nd the complete music in programs . demos.etc. and save thorn to disk. Saves in format suitable lor most track .player programs. Works with loads of programs!! • AUTOFIRE MANAGER From the Action Re-lay II preference screen you can now set up aulofire irom 0 lo.100° D . Just imagine continuous fire power? Joystick 1 and 2 are set separately lor that eatra advantage! • DISKCODER With the now Diskcoder code that will disks will only reload when you enter the code. • PREFERENCES Action Replay II now has screen colour preferences with menu setup. Customise your screens to Suit your taste. Very simple to use. DISK MONITOR Invaluable disk monitor . displays disk information in easy to understand lormal. Full modify save options. • DOS COMMANDS S,» o : ■ ™>'«Uon of DOS commands available at all times - DIR, FORMAT. COP*. DEVICE, etc. DISK COPY Disk Copy at the press of a button - taster than Dos Copy. Workbench ■ availablo at all times, BOOT SELECTOR Either DFO or DF1 can be selected as the boot drive when working Amiga Dos disks. Very useful to be able to boot Irom your e.t option you can now lag your disks jwith a unique prevent the disk Irom being loaded by anyone else. Tagged Very usoful lor security. No need to load PLUS A MACHINE CODE FREEZER MONITOR WITH EVEN MORE POWER! bVfcN Mcnc 9 ■ Full M68O00 Assembler Disassemble! fcW en picture • Play resident sample Full searc" feature • As *™« Dec.m.1 copper Assemble Disassemble - now wi.h sum, names Show Unique Cusion Chip Editoi II Mrs ) ■l'a r i : ^*^t-yf'Ti- CREDIT CARD ORDERS WE WILL DESPATCH VOUR ORDER QUICKLY & EFFICIENTLY TO ENABLE YOU TO START HECEIVIN^l^aMEFnS OF TOUR PURCHASE WrTHIN DATS NOT WEEKS^^ ORDERS NORMALLY DESPATCHED WITHIN 4S Hrs. ALL PRICES .NCLUOE VXT. ALL CHEQUES POSTAL ORDERS MADE PAYABLE TO DA TEL ELaCTROpiCS- LTV., GOVAN ROAD, FENTON INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, FENTON, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST4 2RS, ENGLAND TECHNICAL/CUSTOMER SERVICE 0782 744324 f _^ » *** . -~ - " AAA 3 That chappy looki vldout, but he s dlipalthed quite eaiily Thing* aren't *o easy when he bringi along hh friend* though! Isn't it strange bow popular sewers are amongst monsters? Whilst the average human would rather eat his best Friend's toe- naits than take a trip below ground, monsters seem to view all those dark and damp (not to mention smelly!) tunnels as a prime hang-out. You'll Graphics First rate. With plenty of detail and some very nice shading, Eye of the Beholder doesn't Just play great, but It looks great too. If you thought RPC games were dull, then you're In for a ■heckl Sound Sound effects are a little thin on the ground, but then what did you expect? What effects are present do a great Job of creating atmosphere In the game. If you've played Dungeon Master, then you'll have no problems getting Into Eye of the Beholder. Once you're In, you'll find it practically Impossible to return to the real world. Totally captivating and totally addictive. Eye of the Beholder l> £30 well spent. find werewolves, crazed opera ghosts, giant alligators and even mutant ninja turtles living happily below our feet, feeding on the occa- sional human thai is stupid enough to venture below ground. In this game, you control a band of four brave adventurers who must journey into the sewers below the city of Waterdeep to investi- gate the source of evil that lurks there. In true fantasy style, you can choose between a variety of different races, each of which has its own particular strengths and inevitable weaknesses. Negotiating the labyrinth-like sewer complex is a hefty enough task in itself, but you'll also encounter a variety of different obstacles along the way. There's the usual assortment of traps to avoid, puzzles to solve and of course a fair helping of sewer demons (and M mutant turtles?) that I must be dispatched if you L are to succeed in your quest. At first appearance, Eye of the Beholder bears more than a striking resemblance to a game that should be more than familiar to anyone who has even the slightest idea of what's hot in the Amiga games scene, namely FTL's Dungeon Master. The similarities are not just cos- metic either - much of the gameplay is very similar, but that's not neces- sarily a bad thing when you consider what a cracking good game Dungeon Master was. A blatant Dungeon Master rip-off it may be, but there's no escaping the fact that Eye of the Beholder is still one hell of a game. If you only intend buying one game this monlh, then this has got to be it. In short. Eye of the Beholder is an absolute corker. Jason Holborn Dungeon Master meets Dynorod EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Publisher: US Gold - 1Mb required Price: £29.95 Your pocket t are a little empty at Ihe moment mm OB Preii the button on the wall and Ihe door to the far right begin? to open... 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E1B45 ttrm El2» Ar.g- Ofl Oaphfci S<mra TtaCO £17*5 Ar-rtji OiaW.es MB 1 CM E3? 45 K-iqi HiiOnai rw Manual Rav „ £21 » »">0» Macnn* Lang Ou« ______ £21 M A/->ga Waor* Language CtattS */->gi lAciown Paw P-oo „._.£ie*5 A^iga Prog Hi^SK>o. \X> i .P* 95 Ar>g* PfOQ HanobOC- VW J- -. — ..,..-, „ — P3 .96 Anga Progran»-wr» Ouoa . .tl r *5 *r-iga Pragrairmoti Gjoa . £20 *B Amga POM Karn* Ral Uan Aimxl A^ga POM Un. Rat Uaruaj ... Air«ga PCU Karri* Hal Man l* £28.96 ..£2996 Ai^ga lUa •« Ti» — - - BoXfirg an AfVpaAfM Ilea mull (ij«B lo A"*B« ComnuMl if Boo- oi a™«._.. rsj m Co">pi^a < InO Boo* V AmigA _ £ ttfwiur, Artga BA5»C ,„_ ir.nida Aniqa BWBtfcl triiaa no Aniioa w«n C 2rO Ed_.._ »i>ii*1 OucIb lu Via A-nlfli Kit A I'm Afr»oa .— M*io*^ M Amga .__ — . Mraa tp* a rr<M «■> Amga P<fjiimrmt* Gum (d ne A.Tiqa ..C14.95 IIB4B _.ne.96 C1C96 . . f«696 - £1496 £16.96 _ £34.50 CO 85 £1595 £J095 £1645 DOT MATRIX PRINTERS SrarlC'O „ , Paiawoc KX-P112* Panawot KX-P1IB0 LC200 9pinool Star LC34-200 Star LC?4-200Coaw LC24-10 Slat LC2Q0 Colour PanaacrB: KX-P1BB4 ». A-strw LO5000 £173 ceo £190 ax £265 £]-,; £26$ £395 £375 PROFESSIONAL AMIGA SOFTWARE 9 out otlO™™™ ™. Animator. Images Animator _ Ammaior 30 Arena Accounts C-LnM . Comic Setter „ Deluxe Palm II Dolu.o Paint III Detune PrxitZ . Dedme Mutvc Construction Deluie P'Oductioria Deluxe Phoioiab , Deluxe Video Diglpalni III - GFA Baa* Compiler.. Dmtant Sunt - GFA Bast Interpreior III „ Mm Dovpac V2 Hisolt Lattice C ^ Home Accounts Home Office Kit IntoMe — ™™, inntani Mu&ic. K-Data K -Gadget K-SeKa K Spread III K-Ie«t Kind Word* V2 Ma.lshot Plus Maiiplan Plus „.„ Music X „ Pnr60n,ii Fmnncn Manager Pr-aton Pamt 2 Powerworks Prodata Proteil _ Prole»l V 5— PuOlisheni Crx«».- Quanel Sound Express Stereo Sampler. €29 95 . C89 95 C39 95 E99.95 CI49 95 C39 95 £44 95 .£49 95 .£64 95 E39 95 t54S5 Suporbase Personal SupetDase Personal II Superplan - TVShow VlsU Vista Pro Word Pertect Workbench 1.3 Zoetrop (5 m 1 package! . C54.95 £65 95 £54 95 E39 95 £37 99 £39 95 £3995 £175 95 £22 95 C104 95 £34 95 £21 95 £34 95 £1995 £29 95 £75 00 £14 95 £33 95 £4095 ....£49.90 £169 00 C27.50 £54 95 75 00 £59 95 £64 95 £105 CO £74 95 £39 95 £39 99 £54(10 £29 95 £65 95 . EC9 95 £59 95 £49 00 £49 00 £165 00 CI 5 00 £79 95 LEISURE SOFTWARE maa^a DIB) Ha dim 'i»^rw*[ i OTi ..ma •■-swom.— . mm - ii :» rtohnKbD ni Dial ram £11 ■ '!« ■»■! 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DIB 65...... P7B P7B hira MMajl . Xtll ■MajQaaaai XwlnjUmwi aamnl <„w a»«»G* ■u nr» DM P'B ftTl AMiaaaanaL_ Lefaaaj p'» p;b pi a mm TtaWtdinw •■^Ktoi Mail aMjaa — fin ■ Tarn hi « U4 iur aaaaj AMIGA EDUCATIONAL P'M mi mm ma fit a MlaMtBB P61 Ibbj i luimn nm hoi!ftrB"tma mm *'i-»ta*JiMiOM PIB i-nTOOlenoQiK .. PIB inrcnuMwJ DJK 'nnn Mmm .i* «.» PIB 'infcKtfllMrB t'lm fui 's.va 15B7 P7.B rirMcalOvti; P7.B fui v.miiai P7 « fiii fcKdi Dial nra WlBMlMll P7» MtBaMaaMl C9B ifilaaiM raa ut->Ufa»ili tn» IM tarm 'ttX Tmq DIB Wn; Una D4(TJ raiavaJaOani D*n aaNalaaiMM. pi a i«i«aan DJ» 'imiiMCiuwH til SB 'mtituv-naaaai nia nMBaaamai^ pib '.n ? «aa pib ktwMMH tIB 24 hour nottne lor credit card orders A. All pnees subject to change without no bee All poods sutvad to availaollrty Tito marked * may noi be released vv wH be senl on the day of reease (suotect to availability,. SALES HOTLINE 0923 89 69 69 (MAIL ORDER) To order; Please send cheque-'PO Access or Visa details to SK Marketing Ltd. 13 Morwyhill Parade. Uxbndge Road. Rlckmansworth. Herts. WD3 2BE, All pnees >nclude VAT and carnage is Iree (UK mainland) Souih London: 10 FulKam Broadway London SW6 1AA Tat: 071 38» 6616 Pa. 071 381 0528 North London: 13 Moneytua Parade Uitxidgr) Road Rickmansworlh Herts W03 ?BE Tol 09?3 896969 Fa. 0923 771 058 PERSONAL CALLERS WELCOME AT BOTH SHOWROOMS MONDAY-SATURDAY 9.30am - 5.00pm VISIT OUR R IC KM ANS WORTH SHOWROO lit. If your idea of a relaxing evening in is to guide an army into combat, hacking and slash- ing its way to victory, then SSL's lat- est release is for you. It's based in the days of swords and sorcery, dragons and fair maidens, a time when men were men and woman were most certainly woman (if a tad butch). In true armchair general style, Warlords is a strategic wargame ttiat can be played by up to eight human players, all of whom must outdo the others to gain eventual control of the lands of llluria. You can, of course, play it on your lonesome, with the computer taking control of the remaining armies, but playing with yourself is no where near as much fun as taking on a group of friends. Take it from me, to get the most enjoyment from Warlords, it real- ly is worth inviting a few like minded friends to par- take in a little feudal conquest. This way, you get the opportunity to smile at them smugly ! e: £24.95 Grey DvftiYts g I XM|M L'lvollu | K«l9ht gj Warlord JIM It LMlll £ 1 x*m 1 Xni 9 M DWcMlty: ; ; , ox EH M sem)i</ up jot! wai Pick your army. Up to right human playcn can play against each other with the computer taking control of ■ny armlet that remain hut ft 5t/6flP CC JI/89P Ctr Hvi Qui) M •r At the start of the game, your knight sets forth to conquer the cities o' llluria as their armies are slaughtered at your hands. To win the game you must gain control of the cities of llluria. Sounds simple enough, but there are 80 of them in all, most of which are heavi- ly defended. At the start of the game there are many which are under neu- tral control. These tend to be easy pickings, so it's worth grabbing as many as possi- ble to build up your influence at an early stage. It's not necessary to con- trol all 80 cities - if you have control of more than 40 and your nearest opponent is still at least 15 cities behind you, all seven remaining armies can choose to surrender and accept the inevitable. Each time you overrun a city, its resources fall at your disposal. Each is capable of producing an income which is automatically used to keep your armies at their peak of perfor- mance. If you start to lose these sources of income (enemy forces capture some of your cities, for example), then this can have an effect on the fighting ability of your armies. Money isn't the only thing that a city can produce. If nurtured, some can also produce armies which can be sent into battle to achieve further conquest. All this costs money though, so it's just as impor- tant to keep your eyes on your finances as it is to maintain a decent plan of campaign. rf your finances become dire, you will be doomed to failure - without sufficient funds, you'll be unable to keep your armies supplied, which will eventually make them too weak to defend themselves against attack. n true fantasy style, you can enlist the services of wizards and dragons, both of which will add a bit of extra kick to your army's fighting potential. You can also send your knights olf on quests to search out magical swords which can be used to tip the scales of success in your favour. These prove to be particularly mportant as your opposing forces become more powerful. Anyway, if you don't use magical weapons, you can guarantee that your opponents will! I'm not the greatest fan of wargames, but I must admit that Warlords had me completely engrossed. Most of the time my fee- ble attempts at military strategy ended in my entire forces being wiped out, but there's something very satisfying about it all when you do eventually succeed. Unless you've got a really deep-rooted hatred of wargames. Warlords is very definitely worth checking out, It will not appeal to every- one, but rf you per- severe with it you'll find It to be a real cracker of a game. |ason Holborn [ Like i Graphics e most wargames, graphlci are strictly func- tional. That said, they are generally well-defined nd surprisingly colour- Sound Pretty naff really. The title tune Is uninspiring and there are very few sounds effects apart from the occasional sampled roar and the sound of clashing swords. Then again, what do you expect from a wargame7 As It Is, what effects are present fit the game nicely. Gameplay •p and totally absorb ig, the atmosphere that Warlords generates Is totally electrifying. It's fun to play on Its own, but the game Is enhanced significantly when played by two or more human opponents. FINAL JUDGEMENT Oh dear, you're not particularly popular amongst the other tribes that Inhabit llluria Amiga Computing 55 AMIGA 500 MAMMOTH 'A MEG UPGRADE LATEST DESIGN INCORPORATES 'CHIP MEN' OPTION AT NO EXTRA COSH Increases computer memory from normal /. megabyte to 1 megabyte Includes disable switch/incorporates high quality silver coated pin connector 9 1 6 bit technology • Fit in minutes & Direct replacement of Commodore A501 expansion I Includes "CHIPMEM OPTION" - Phone for details • 1 2 month warranty In stock now! Price includes VAT and post^^^^t^ and packing \^ Tel: 0582 491949 BRITISH MADE Send order with payment to: WTS ELECTRONICS LTD, Chaul End Lane, Luton, Beds LU4 8EZ AMIGA SOFTMACHINE AMIGA COMMOOORf Hahowarf A500 Options from £324 99 A500 tMD Screen Gems £38499 A500CUSS ol 90S £544.99 A500 fi'SlSWW £544.99 Al&OQ £864.99 Ai 500 3MD . 52M0 HUE 11 99 99 A)000 l&Whj . 40Mb HDE2129 99 A3000 25UV * 40Mb HD £2554 99 A3000 25Mh; • 10SMD HDE3074 99 A10B4S Colour Monitor £254 99 A1950 Multisync .-£439 99 ASM 20Mb HO £29999 A590 20Mb HD.1M0 Ram £379 99 AI011 1Mb35' Drive E79 99 6501 flam EipansiofuOowCS/ 99 ■SaOTV Modulator i2i& HAHDWAHt/PERIPHIRAl PniiiM 8833 MMI &1iien120D> _ Otittn 1240 , Gti«n Swrtl 9 Q44 M El 34 99 £194 99 E299 99 Swift 904 Colour Kit £34 99 Star LC-10 El 59 99 Star LC24-10 £20998 Star LC-200 £214 99 Star IC24-200 £254 99 Star LC24 200 Colour. ._E29fl.99 Cumana 1MB 35* Dnv« . £64 99 U501* Rim f <pans»on.C)ocJ> £34 99 AT Once _ „.£179 99 Hitachi Camera A Lent. £224 99 Dio<vlew . £89 99 Vtdi Amiga £95 99 Golden Image Scanner £199 99 Type lOHanffy Scanner. .£135 99 Mmigen „E1D299 Gemocn . Home Titter £139 99 Designer Modem £109 99 Linnet Mooem £161 99 AMAS _„...£71!» Am)« Engineer Plus £169 99 Bjyeripund C2999 irieci SoWl... _.S9« fittsna Mouse E19 99 Conlnver Trackball £29 99 Maico"' Trackball £47 99 Universal Printer Stand £6 99 Centronics Printer CaDle £4 99 RS232 Cable . E7 99 Scan Cable E8 99 35' 40 Capacity Box 3 5" BO Capacity Box . £4 99 £6 99 10 1 Sony Butt 3 .5". .£5 99 Mm Sony Bulk IS"*— _ E24 99 100 * Sony Bull 3.5' £44 99 10 k Sony MF02DD 3.5'. £9 99 10 X TDK MfZDD 35' .£999 Advanced Amiga Bute f 1B 95 •Adv Syi Prog Ode £32.45 • 3D Graphics Prog £18 45 Amiga Aoplicalions. . £16 95 Amiga Ass Lang Prog El 4.45 Amiga Basic In A Out E1895 Amiga C Adv Prog £32 45 ' C lor Beginners £18 45 Amiga DOS -EM 95 Amiga DOS In & Out El 8 45 Amiga DOS Ret Guide £14 95 Amiga Desktop Video £18 45 • Desktop Video Gde £18 45 • D*k Orrves In/Out - £27 95 Amiga lor Beginners £12.95 •Grapncs In & Out E32.45 ' Hardware Ret Man £2195 Amiga Mac" Lang Gde _ £21 95 Amiga Mach«ne Lang E14.95 ■ Prog Hanatoc<*vol 1 £24.95 ' Prog Handbook vol 2 .. £23 95 Compute * P'ogGde £17.45 Weber • Prog Gde £20 45 - ROM Kernel Man Aut £28.95 • ROM Kernel Man UD £2995 • System Prog Gde £32 95 Becoming an * Artist £11 45 Beginners Gde to • E1695 Computes 1st Boo* * E16 95 Computes 2nd Book ' £16 95 Elementary ■ Basic £14 95 Inside ' Graphics E1695 Kids & me Amiga. £15.95 Mapping me Amiga £20 95 Maters Amiga 00S2 £1795 Prog Gde to Amiga £23.95 ' Indicates Amiga in title 68000 Assem Lang Piog ... £21.95 68000 User Guide £895 Programming the 68000 ..£23 95 Teacfi Yourself 88000 E8.95 40 G'tat Flight Sims £13.95 40 Hon Great Rights £14 95 40 Great SubAOv s E1385 ' ■ :■ Steitn Air ComDat £14 95 M9 Stearin fighter £13.95 Falcon An Combat £14 95 Flfltt Sim Odyssey EM 95 Flying Ffcgni Sim £795 Gunship Academy £14.95 Jet Fighlei School El 195 Jet Fighter School II £14.95 learn to Fly Flight S-m £14.95 Sub Commander £12 9S lake Otl Right Sm £15.45 Up 4 Run Flight Sim. £895 Educaiionai Better Mains 12-16 yt» £19 95 Betie- Spelling Over 8 £19 95 Fun School 2 Under 6 £14.95 Fun School 2 6-8 yea's £14 95 Fun School 2 Over 8 £14 95 Fun School 3 Under 5 El 7.95 Fun School 3 5-7 years £17 95 Fun School 3 Over 7 £17 95 lets Spell ai Home £14 95 leaavtsr.m Maths Mama 8-12 yn £1995 H Beacon Teaches Typing £22 95 Mega Maths A-level £20 95 Micro Englisn GCSE . £20 95 Micro French GC5E £20 95 Micro Mams GCSE £20 95 Pntnary Maths 3-1? yrs £20 95 nnumMknm . ESS Prof Makes Sentences £19 95 Prot F-ays a Hew Game £19 95 Sow Book 4-9 years £14 95 The Three Bears £19 95 things lo do with Numbers £14 95 things lo do with Words f 14 95 Woro Processors E»cenence2 Kindwords2 .. £84 95 ("15 QS Pen Pal P'ote.t v5 £85 E102 4:. B5 Pro Ante v3 t 5criD0le Platinum £102 95 £42 as Tra ns writs WWd Perlecl. -._„,„ £31 95 £192 DATABAStS K-DaU £3595 PtodaH _._.£55 95 Supertjase Personal £26.95 SuperQase Personal 2 £64 95 Superuase Professional £164 95 5uperbase Profe*s»onal 4£259 95 SPRf AD5HFEFS Aovantage DG CaJc , tC-Spread 2 Supeiplan. . E75 95 E27 95 E43 95 £64,95 Languagi/Compikrs/Eic £33.95 {23 B BBS FA BM|Cv3 5 Compile! '* Bam vJ 5 IrMrvnWI Hiicrt Bas< K-soti friend £14 95 » Irf^Aisdmtiler £35 95 5*5 lUilicei C V5 Ot £174.95 Desktop Publishing Gold Drsk type . each £31 95 Outline Fonts £99 95 Pagesetto II £46 95 Pagestream v2.1 £144.95 Proclips..-.-..- « £21.95 Professional Page v2 £18995 Strucluied CUp Art £31 95 TemD«tM_ - £34 95 Accounts Cashboc* Combo £47.95 Cashbook Controller £35 95 Final Aaounls._™_ £22 95 Home Accounts £20 95 Pcwinal Finance Manager £22 95 Small Business Ate Cash E57 95 Small Business Act Xtra £81 95 Systems £35 95 Uninifs BAD Cross Dot Disk master . ._ GB Routt , Power windows V2 5 Quattemack X-Copy Professional £31.95 £21.95 £39.95 £27 95 £54 95 £3995 £3595 TlTLlNC/BlFECIS/PhfSfNIAIION Broadcast Title* 2 £189.95 Ettn Performer 2 £51 95 HomeTrtlei - - £34 95 HyptrBook _™_tH9* Pro Tiller £126 95 Pio Video Post £212 95 Sca« E1B9 95 title Page, — m _,.£ 134 95 aPkMSe make cherjues posiai orders payabto lo SOFTMACHINE All items subiect to availability All pncea indud© V.A.T. & U K. Delivery. All prices subject to change without notice E 40 E SOFTMACHINE Dept. AMC6, 20 Bridge House, Bridge Street, Sunderland SR1 1TE. Tel: 091-510 2666 2777 Fax: 091-564 1960 TV Show v2 TV Ie«l Professional Video Ertecti 3D Video Truer 30 CAD/30/Graphics/Ahimah 3D Protessiorttl A"iiqj Vision... ,„ De'u>e Paint III..., Deiuie Pnm II Deiu'e Video III Disney Animahon Studo Imagine , introCAD Plus PTiolon Paint 2 pnoraii.., , P'o'essional Draw v2 Spactracolour x'rjiD Designer ; COMMUNICAIIONS BBS PC GPTerm . K-Comm2 AuoTomastet ill Bais and Pipes OR T s Copyisl App DR.T'S Copyisl OTP Dl TsKCS DrTiKCS Level II DrTsMRS Di T s Tiger Cub . Quartet £47 a £17291 £769* £169 95 £249 9S £51 9i £35 3S SlMUl AIlONS/S'RAHG* A10Tan» Killer, „ F- 16 ComDat Pilot Ml Falcon M9 Stealth F>gmer F-29 RetaMitor. ralcon Mission Disks FdgM Simulator II Flight Sim Scenery . Gutuhlp Mi Tank Platoon Mig 29 Fu*tum. , Pram team Vankee UMS11 m 53 £1799 . . Call f2l 50 E1799 Can £24 9S £1099 £1799 £2150 E24JI . CaN £2150 £21 50 Golf is one of the world's biggest participation sports, and wouldn't you know it from the recent spate of games for hookers and slicers! PGA Tour Golf, fresh from its con- quests on the PC tour, has now sur- faced on the Amiga, and looks like a champion in the making. What sets this game apart from others in the field, apart from being an Electronic Arts product, is the quality of the golf action itself. Too many games have concen- trated on gimmicks at the expense of gameplay but EA have managed to come closer than any other to simu- lating actual golf. In play, this translates as a much more refined representation of the swing and the flight of the ball. I would have liked a few more shot options such as those in last year's Greg Norman game, but simplicity of approach pays off in the end. The traditional swing bar is used to hit the ball, but in this case, the penalty for inaccurate timing is real- istic. Even slight mistakes can result in a vicious hook or slice, which gives the game an element of club-throw- ing frustration just like the real thing. What made me very angry, more so even than when my second and third shots both went in the water at the seventeenth, was the total lack of even a token female option. The game is based around the USPGA Tour, and allows the player to com- pete against 60 of the world's top male professionals, but women golfers such as I can only be appalled that there is no women's tour option. There are thousands of female golfers and computer users in this country, and they must be getting Ihere ate several handy special shots to choose from pretty cheesed-off by the constant stream of games which force you to tee off from the mens' tees and play a round from the point of view of a blond-haired hulk. Software produc- ers please take note! OK, ranting aside, the rest of the game is excellent. Once the ball is actually struck, it soars off into the distance and it is at this point the game boosts the atmosphere with a very useful gimmick. The 'camera angle' switches to a point ahead of the ball looking back down the fair- way, and your ball screams into view to land with a thunk, a thud, or a splash. This simple trick gives the player a far better look at the shot than if it just disappeared into the distance, and does more than any other gim- mick I've seen to convey the atmo- sphere of God's own sport The pseudo-3D putting surface, which you can rotate to examine the borrow, is useful if not very pretty, I n 1 12 HPH 2«© t — iou. nit ^ M* Distance rro wos. °* rVf CLUB' omven OOPS! A nasty like can be the result of a mistimed shot Take a swing with EA today! Graphics Plain for (he most part, but the switching camera angle is a real winner. Sound Almost non-existent except for one of the worst loading tunes I've ever heard. Gamep ,0 re of the usual, but Ith a little bit extra, fflculty level has been pitched |ust right, and the tour element Is good r long term appeal. but I've yet to discover how you shut it off, and it can be annoying when it pops up for a pitch from just off the green. That said, putting is as diffi- cult as it deserves to be, and on those tricky American greens too! All in all, it's still a golf game, but EA's PGA Tour Golf would be a first choice on my list of sports sims. Sandra Foley FINAL JUDGEMENT PGA TOUR GOLF Publisher: Electronic Arts Price: £24.99 There Is advice on hand from the pros The JD contoui map ot the green Is very useful There's plenty of Information on ball positioning and your lie Amiga Computing 57 Graphic The graphics arc not much of an Improvement over the original but then they were good enough to begin with. Sound 3 Lob a miMlk. bump Ihem oH the road, and H that doesn't work, park atom their path Amiga games players who've been around for a year or so will no doubt remember the original Supercars. It was far from unique as an overhead view car racing game but it did have a few features that lifted it out of the ordinary. Well, fans of the genre can jump for joy now because Supercars 2 is here. And the most exciting thing about the sequel is that it caters for two players at once, something that the original didn't manage. On load- ing you are asked to select either easy, medium or hard level then it's foot to the floor time. The circuits start easy, with plenty of straight sections and nothing especially testing. The game is viewed from above and the style of the original is maintained as much as possible. You (and a friend if applica- ble) are represented by a coloured car. The computer cars (and there are a lot of them on most levels) are all white. To call Supercars 2 a race game would do it injustice because much of the game revolves around com- 6 uying weapon* with the winning* can earn you money If you're a shrewd speculator lump thai bridge! You II need a run up or else Its • sticky end 12 (eel below bat. After each race you enter the shop (assuming you were placed in the top five cars) and the winnings from the race can be squandered on repairs for the car and extra armour and weapons to increase your chances of winning the next In each race there are only two weapon types available to you, and they need to be chosen with care. The standard types are front and rear shooting missiles which are activated by pushing the joystick forwards or back respectively. In the shop either of these missiles can be exchanged for homing missiles (deadly and very accurate), spinning missiles that cir- cle the car for a couple of seconds, and land mines. Other add ons include armour (reduces damage to the car from deflections), a larger engine size and a battering ram which causes dam- age to the other cars when you col- lide with them head on. This may come in very handy when you're in a tight bunch. As you need to fight for positions, every dirty trick in the book will be useful. Don't feel at all guilty because the computer drivers Sound Is limited to explo- sions and revs In game and a tune In the shop section. Gamepl Addiction Is simply not the word, though with only ten tracks per level d doubt that you'll be at the keyboard forever. Well worth laying out a ony for. will pull no punches, rest assured! Later levels feature everything you ever wanted from a Super-Deluxe Scalextric set. lumps, lumps, crossovers, chicanes and opening and shutting gates as well as a choice of routes on certain levels makes for some really tough races. Playing with another Human play- er means you are vying for the top spot with one extra contender about, which makes things a bit tougher. Picking on each other will only mean dropping out ol the top five though so avoid it at all costs. Supercars 2 is a very worth- while game. John Diglan Scalextric on screen SUPERCARS 2 Publisher: Gremlin Graphics Price: £24.95 II Mi I .J Tin gmm •aim— 'l- ufffiE The calm before the storm: glory, girli and hot machines 2nd place earns yoo 4 championship points 58 Amiga Computing EE is 2 M — High quality RGB output for your Amiga llif HAM-E system gives you high resolution pure RGB images on your standard I (WW RGB moniior. They are pure RGB. not smeary composite. No other graphics expansion device offers so much performance and costs so little! Ami all the software 10 run it is free. Even upgrades! There is noi enough room to cover all of the advanced features of this system, so here are jusl a few. tytfMM Feature : * Paint. Render. CV1 ip s/w * IK/24 bit "pure" modes * 256/5 12 colour register modes * RGB pass ihrough * Screen " Sere from •Vic * Animate via PageFI * Works * Compl •NTSC * S-VHSBBWHFFcbmpahhle " PAL & NTSC compatible * Uses only RGB port * FCC Class B. UL Listed ' Works w/std Amiga monitors " Does not use Amiga power t'uint l*».»ii/r#%: * Custom brushes use Miner • RGB.HSV. HSL.CMY Palette reads "C" source code availu *Upgradc£jomB*S^.g - »fioJ(»ft|.|<Sl^p;iiniiiig f\| liSd colour MeiwK Mane/ * Prints * Auto ei * Writes uh CLLT andard the 1 2 different HAM-E format image file types. tormai imacc iges may he scaled and convened to 24 bit IFF files. * Image processing software supplied provides edge enhancement, blur, various convolutions, and much more. i X g BLACK BELT SYSTEMS Dislributed Exclusively in Ihe UK by Checkmate Digital Ud 80 Mildmay Park. London. Nl 4PR, England Sales 071-923 0658, Fax 071-254 1655 CheckMate Digital Ltd. 80 Mildmay Park, London, NI 4PR: Sales 071-923 0658 , Fax 071-254 1655 ■ M N(sw Pness TUT m New Model A 1500 Base Unit Price Onl\ !! £ 230.00 inc vat !! Ring For the Latest Checkmate Catalogue IfDl ncf CanDo a Version 1.5 Now shipping only £ 125.00 Hyper Helpers only £ 49.00 CDL Separate Keyboard Kit £59.00 And at last I hen you cry CDL B2000 Slot ( hall' length cards > £ 69.00 A590 Hard Drive Systems A590 Adaptor Kit (A 1 500) £ 69.00 A596 20 meg drive 2Mb Ram £ 349.00 A5W 42Mb SCSI Drive, 2Mb RAM £ 499jO0 A590 86 Mb SCSI Drivc2Mb RAM £ 599.00 A590 173 Mb SCSI Drive. 2Mb RAM £ 799.40 3.5 inch SCSI Drives lor A590, CDL A1500, HiQ:- 45Mb £239.00. 90Mb £349.00. 182Mb £535.00. B2000 hard drive systems From 45Mb. only i 399.00 Brand New A590 20Mb Drive units £ 75.iH» Hi-res Opio-Mechunical Mouse i 24.95 400 DPI Hand Scanner. 64 halt lone levels t" 199:00 200 Wifl Power Supply lor A500 £ 79.00 ( ulour Monitors NEC 3D Multi-Sync Special Price t 4W.00 Commodore A I084S colour + stereo £ 24u.(H) ICD ADSCI Card . fastest hanl disk coniroller £ 1 30.00 RIN(. FOR 1)1 I Ml s <>\ (Hill R PRODI CTS DISCOUNT SOFTWARE For The Commodore Amiga AMIGA A1500- £699.95 Package includes A1500 computer with 1 Mb ram, 2 drives, Deluxe Paint III, Works Platinum and 4 great games. Price includes VAT and Courier delivery A1500 plus 1084s colour monitor £929.95 AMIGA SCREEN GEMS Includes Deluxe Paint II and 4 Top games + Free V?meg memory expansion MJC PRICE £384.95 with Cumana 2nd Drive add £60.00 COMMODORE A590 HARD DRIVE 20Mb Auto boots from WB1.3 MJC PRICE £284.95 with extra 1 Meg Fitted £319.95 with extra 2 Meg Fitted £349.95 NAKSHA UPGRADE MOUSE 280 DPI with FREE Mouse House + Mat MJC PRICE £21.95 AMOS -The Creator -V1 .2 MJC PRICE £33.95 Personal Finance Manager Best Selling Home accounting package MJC PRICE £22.95 CUMANA CAX 354 DISC DRIVE Quality Brand name 3.5" second drive includes thru port, disable switch and No Hassle 1 year guarantee INCLUDES FREE VIRUS-X UTILITY MJC PRICE £61.95 DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIO great new animation package MJC PRICE £74.95 PHILIPS 8833 MK2 MONITOR including cable and delivery MJC PRICE £249.95 MEMORY EXPANSIONS 'A Meg internal expansion lor Amiga 500 Battery backed clock and disable switch uses latest 4 chip technology - will not invalidate your warranty MJC PRICE £31.95 PROTEXT Version 5 A very fast command based package now with 110,000 word Collins Dictionary Mail Merge and up to 36 files open plus much more - call for details (1 Meg) MJC PRICE £99.95 PROTEXT V4.3 £64.95 PRODATA AMIGA £55.95 VIDI COLOUR SOLUTION Vidi Colour package - including Vidi Digitiser, Vidichrome and Photon Paint ' MJC PRICE £95.00 RGB SPLITTER - tor use with Vidichrome or Digiview. (includes PSU) MJC PRICE £64.95 COMPLETE COLOUR SOLUTION Package includes Vidi Amiga, Vidichrome and the RGB Splitter (or a complete colour digitising outfit. Note: For best colour pictures you require a video camera or perfect still frame VCR MJC PRICE £145.00 ZVP VIDEO STUDIO Great Video Production package - call tor details (requires 1 meg 1 2 drives) MJC PRICE £89.95 RENDALE 8802 GENLOCK Great value Genlock ottering both Foreground and Background modes. MJC PRICE £159.95 8802 MODE SWITCH BOX -£31.95 MASTERSOUND AMIGA Great value mono sampler £29.95 QUARTET AMIGA Synthesiser -t 4 track sequencer £39.95 AMIGA EDUCATIONAL FUN SCHOOL 2 Educationally oasM games - 8 programs per disc Fun School J lor 2-5 yeflt oWs Fun School 2 lot 6-B year olds Fun School 2 lor 8-12 year olds FUN SCHOOL 3 5 educational games with great graphics Fun School 3 for 2-5 year olds fun School 3 lor 5-7 year olds Fun School 3 lor 7-12 year olds £1295 £12 95 £12 95 £15.95 £15 95 £1595 Learn to Read With Prat* builds a complete reading course lor 4-9 year olds PT1 Ptof Plays a i*ew Game - includes audio tape & 5 Dookleti£i9 95 PT 2 Prof loots it Words [19 95 MAVIS BEACON TYPING TUTOR The Fun way lo learn typing win games rhymes and custom facilities. (12+) MJC PHIM £19.95 KOSMOS SOFTWARE Answerback; Junior Quit - is a qui? based game containing 750 general Knowledge questions lor 6-11 years £14 95 Fad File Spelling - extra 500 Questions pack lor use with Answerback Quiz £7.95 Fad File Arithmetic £7.95 Answerback Senior Quiz - Is agam a general knowledge quiz lor 12* years £14 95 Kosmoi Language Tutors - useful as an aid lo learning a language. Vocabulary oi some 2500 words split in lo 20 specific groups (12+ years) £14.95 02* years) £1495 (12* years) £14 95 (12* years) £14.95 French Mistress German Master Spanish Tutor Italian Tutor DISNEY EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE - yes software from the world famous Otsney Sludios - with great sound and o' course great graphics Mickey's Runaway Zoo - tor 2-5 year olds - lor rteniitymg and learning numbers £19.95 Donald'i Alphabet Chase - lor 2-5 year okts for fllscovenng the aisteOe! £1995 Goaty i Railway Eipress - lor 2-5 year olds tor learning colours and shapes £19 95 LCI Educational Software - a well presented step by step method - developed by practising teachers Features up to 35 programs per pack Primary Mains Course 13-12 years) Micro Maim tup lo GCSE level) Micro English (up to GCSE level) Micro French < up to GCSE level) £1995 El 9 95 £19.95 0998 Sesame Street - letters For You featuring Digitised Sesame Street voices - fun way lo team the alphabet (3-6) £1595 Sesame Street - Numbers Count digitised sound and a colouring book - (or learning numbers (3-6 years) £15.95 PRICES INCLUDE VAT AND POSTAGE TO THE UK Education, Local Authority and Government orders welcomed. Overseas customers also welcome, please call or write lor quotations. All goods subject to availability, alt prices subject to change without notice. E&OE CALLERS WELCOME : 9.30 TO 5.00 T SIX DAYS MJ.C SUPPLIES (AC) 2 THE ARCHES, ICKNIELD WAY, LETCHWORTH, HERTS, SG6 1UJ TELEPHONE ORDERS AND ENQUIRIES LETCHWORTH (0462) 481166 (6 lines) FAX: 0462-670301 Propnetor: M. J. Cooper We need you! So you think you're pretty mean with a joystick eh? Then why not prove it by sending in any cheats or tricks that you may have found for your (avourite games. We're particularly interested in tips for brand new games such as those reviewed in this issue, so get writing. Who knows, you might even win something! Send your tips to: THE TIP SHOP, Amiga Computing, Europa House, _ Adlington Park, Adlington, Macclesfield SKJO 4NP. Come on, stop reading and I get writing! JAMES POND The name's Pond, James Pond. Licence to kill, 007. If you find my antics a little too much to manage, then type MR2 when the mission starts. A sweet little angel will appear and you'll now be completely inde- structible. Even 'M' couldn't come up with a better cheat than this! We all like to think that we're pretty mean joystick wagglers, but even the best need a little help occasionally. Take a trip to The Came Zone Tip Shop with Jason Holborn E-SWAT Life's tough on the streets, so this handy little cheat will come as a wel- come help. Pause the game and type JUSTIFIED ANCIENTS OF MU MU. The screen will then flash and you will have 99 credits. Something tells me the programmer is into the KLF! TURRICAN Fancy 99 lives? If so, then get your- self onto the hiscore table and enter your name as BLUESMOBIL. If you then start another game, you'll have all those luverley lives, making it easy to reach the high socres again! TURBO ESPRIT If you can't quite handle the perfor- mance of Lotus' sleek turbo street racer, then you can activate this little cheat mode which allows you to qualify for races without having to be in the top ten. In two player HORROR ZOMBIES If the creepy crawfies are getting to you, then type in BOGEYMAN tor infinite lives. To skip levels, type CHEATMODE during play and then press 'F10'. You will then be taken straight to the next level. I. mode, enter player one's name as FIELDS OF FIRE and player two's name as IN A BIG COUNTRY. Aren't they U2 songs? (Nope, Big Country songs - Ed) R0B0C0P 2 Robocop's prime directives probably wouldn't agree with cheating, but who cares anyway? Type in SERIAL- INTERFACE (with no spaces) on the title screen to access the cheat mode. You can now restore your energy by pressing F9 and skip for- ward to the next level by pressing F10. Your move punk! AWESOME It may be jolly pretty, but there's no doubting that if s pretty tricky too. If you need a little help, then press the plus symbol on your numeric keypad and press the fire button on your joystick. If you then start the game, pressing F1 will turn off your ene- mies, F6 will replenish your fuel sup- ply and 1 through to 1 0 (press the 0 key for 10) will allow you to access different weapons. Co for it! LEMMINGS ft <tii. t, LEVEL FUN TRICKY TAXING MAYHEM LEVEL FUN TRICKY TAXING MAYHEM 01 HCCOLONPDX MFMCGKLNFO NJMNLFELHX 16 ■ CINLMDLQCQ LMBIJOOOEJ HMDLGKOMGT : IJHMEMGKIO 02 IHLDNCCCN CMOLMCLQDJ CMCOKLMOFY HMF|FINMHQ 17 CAJHLFLBDT KCCOMMLPEU MELGCKLNGN NHMD1FAUV 03 NJLDLCADCY CCJJLDMBEX MCANMMFPFO MFHFAJLNHX 18 K|HGLBCDQ CKNLMDMQEV DLGIJOMOGV HMDIF1NMIO OA HLLHOOECU 1KHLDMCCEN CINOMGMQFK FHFIfLMOHQ 19 NJNNHCCDDT CCKHNNKBFR LGENMMDPGU MDIFAILNIX 05 LDLCA|NFCK OHNUBADEP GEKKNMJBGJ HFANLMFPHN 20 MLFLCNNEDW 1JJLGMCCFS GKNNOLHQGS DIFlJLMOtQ 06 DLCIJNLGCT IDLMC1QEEU KJILDLGCGU F1NLMFHQHW 21 LFLCCJLFDN OHLFMCADFN GGKHNNHBHY IFANLMDPIN 07 LCANUDHCO IDMCCJNFEP NHNLJGCDGY FAfHLDIBIW 22 NHCKKONGDQ ILFMCKOEF) KJJLFNCCHK FINLMDIQIW 08 C1NNLDUCJ EMCIJMLCEW ILDLCMOEGN IIHLDIFCIP 23 LCCNMLFMDU LFMCEJMFFT NJLGNGADHW (AIHLFIBJI 09 CEKHMDUCO MCEOUDHEW LOLGCfOFGV NHLDIFADIN 24 CINUCUDL GICKKOLGFK KNOHGOOEHL IJHLFIFCJS 10 M|HMDLJCO CMNLLEMIEP ENGIJNLGGO HLDIFINEIV 25 CCKHMGHIDM MCGNMLFHFL LFNGC|NFHJ NHIFIFADJP 11 NHMLHCALCT CEKKOLIJEK LGANOLDHCJ LDIFAJLFIO 26 IJHOOHCKDM BKOMNHIFO GNGIJLLCHP HLFIFINEJY 12 JOLHCMOMCV IKHMEMCKEX GKNOLDUGU DIFIILLCIX 27 NKMFLCALDV CAJJMGMJFS HFANLLFHMU LFIFAJLFJR 13 MDlCAJLNCR OJOUCCLEN GAJIMMHKjX MGCNNIEHIO 28 HOOHCIOMDT KKKOOICKFV F1NLLFHIHN F1FIJLLGJK i 14 aCI)NMOCN HMDMCIOMEM OKHMONCKGT FINLLDIIIN 29 OOHCGJLNDR OHMFMCALFW FAJHMFH|HP IFANLLFHKX IS LCENLMDPCL MDMCCJMNEL OlMElCALCK FA|HMDI|IP 30 GLCMJMMODT HMGMCMOMFU IIHMFMFKHG FINLLFIIJQ Amiga Computing 61 ★ MEDIA DIRECT] AMIGA MEGA PACKS V /a*^ 1 PACK 1 AMIGA A500 COMPUTER INCLUDES:- 3 512K MEMORY □ BUILT IN DISK DRIVE □ 4096 COLOUR GRAPHICS n 4 CHANNEL STEREO SOUND SKICKSTART 1 3 3 WORKBENCH I J 0 EXTRAS 1 3 AND TUTORIAL DISK -1 AMIGA MOUSE □TV MODULATOR □ POWER SUPPLY UNfT □ A500 KEYBOARD PLUS ic MOUSE MAT it MOUSE POCKET it DUST COVER * 40 CAP DISK BOX it 10 BLANK DISKS * CLEANING KIT it QUICKSHOT JOYSTICK ALL FOR ONLY 329.99 PACK 2 AS PACK 1 PLUS:- 0.5 MEG RAM EXPANSION ONLY 357,95 PACK 3 AS PACK 1 PLUS:- 0.5 MEG RAM EXPANSION AND CUMANA EXTERNAL DRIVE ONLY 409.95 AMIGA 0.5 MEG UPGRADE * INCREASES MEMORY TO 1 MEGABYTE * 16 BIT TECHNOLOGY * REPLACEMENT FOR AMI EXPANSION ft FIT IN MINUTES ft ON/OFF SWITCH only 28.95 SSon 32.95 CUMANA 3.5" EXTERNAL DRIVE O VERY QUIET O SLIMLINE DESIGN O THROUGHPORT CONNECTOR O ON/OFF SWTTCH ON REAR O LONG CONNECTING CABLE O 6B0K FORMATTED CAPACFTY O FtTS ALL AMIGA'S 59.95 CUMANA. Yho Im&f ~*c& i hi in n Mi ' tory ONLY NAKSHA UPGRADE MOUSE O SIMPLY THE BEST O 280 DPI RESOLUTION O ERGONOMIC DESIGN © SMOOTH PRECISE OPERATE O 2 YEARS GUARANTEE O FREE MOUSE MAT O FREE MOUSE POCKET ncikihci - 22.95 QUICKSHOT 130F * ERGONOMICAL DESIGN it 2 FIRE BUTTONS it HIGH SPEED AUTOFIRE * BIOGRIP FOR MAX. CONTROL * A STABILIZING SUCTION CUPS ONLY 9.95 QUICKSHOT 131 it ERGONOMICAL DESIGN it 2 FIRE BUTTONS it BIOGRIP FOR MAX. CONTROL it A STABILIZING SUCTION CUPS ONLY 6.95 QUICKSHOT 129F it SPACE AGE DESIGN it 2 FIRE BUTTONS it HIGH SPEED AUTOFIRE it 8 DIRECTION THUMB CONTROL it FUGHTGRIPFQR MAX FREEDOM ^ ONLY 8.99 QUICKSHOT 128 it REVOLUTIONARY DESIGN * 2 FIRE BUTTONS it HIGH SPEED AUTOFIRE it ARCADE TYPE CONTROL STICK it SLOW MOTION FUNCTION it A STABILIZING SUCTION CUPS ONLY 13.95 COMP. PRO 5000 * SUPER SENSITIVE MSW1TCHES it 2 FIRE BUTTONS * STRONG STEEL SHAFT it NON SLIP BASE PADS ONLY 1 1 .95 13.95 | ZIPSTICK it SUPER SENSITIVE M-SWITCHES it 2 WSYfiTCH FIRE BUTTONS it STRONG STEEL SHAFT it NON SLIP BASE PADS ONLY 1 1 .95 hapidfireI 3.95 3.5" HIGH DENSITY DISKS 25 23.75 50 39.95 100 57.95 (ALL DISKS 1 00% ERROR 1 INCLUDES LABEL REE 5.25" DSDD DISKS 30 8.95 5.25" DSHD DISKS 30 17.95 50 12.95 50 20.95 100 23.95 100 35.95 200 45.95 200 67.95 (ALL DISKS 100% "ERROR FREE INCLUDES ENV 'LABELS) (ALL DISKS 100% ERROR FREE INCLUDES ENV /LABELS) ATARI LYNX HAND HELD VIDEO GAME SYSTEM 3 5" COLOUR DISPLAY 160x 102 PIXELS 4.0 Mto MICRO PROCESSOR 6 MEGABYTE GAME CAPACITY 4 CHANNEL SOUND 64K MEMORY 180 FLIP SCREEN INCLUDES FREE CALIFORNIA GAMES CARTRIDGE ONLY 11 9.95 GAME CARDS ELECTRO COP 19-95 SLIME WORLD 19 95 KLAX - 19.95 ROADBLASTERS 19 95 PAPERBOY 19.95 MS PACKMAN 19 95 XENOPHOBE 19 95 BLUE LK3HTNING 19 95 RAMPAGE 22.95 GAUNTLET 3 22 95 DISK STORAGE BOXES 3.5" 100 CAPACITY 5.95 3.5" 80 CAPACITY 5.45 3.5' 50 CAPACITY 4.95 3.5' 40 CAPACITY 4.45 5.25" 100 CAPACITY . 5 95 5.25" 50 CAPACITY. .4.95 TSnftrA OFFER DEDUCTtl.OO FROM THE ABOVE BOX PRICES IF PURCHASING A QUANTITY OF DISKS BELOW 75 AND C2.00 FOR A QUANTITY ABOVE 75 5.25" OR 3.5" 10 CAP BOXES 5 FOR 4.50 10 FOR 7.50 T MEGA DEALS * AMAZING OFFERS ON 3.5" DSDD DISKS 25 DSDD 135 tpi 10.95 50 DSDD 135 tpi 20.95 75 DSDD 135 tpi 30.95 100 DSDD 135 tpi 35.95 AU. DISKS SUPPLIED WITH LABELS AND AHE 100% ERROR FREE 2 FOR 1 GUARANTEE BANX BOX HOLDS 90 3.5" DISKS CAN BE STACKED HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY 1 ••*■■■»■■■■ 3+ 5+ ......... . ...8.00 ...7.50 ...7.00 XCOPY PROFESSIONAL (THE ULTIMATE BACKUP UTILITY) ft FLOPPY DISK BACKUP ft HARD DISK BACKUP ft BACKS UP IBM/ST DISKS ft CHECKS DISKS FOR ERRORS ft FAST FORMATTING UTILITY ft INCLUDES HARDWARE FOR EXTERNAL DRIVE BACKUP ft BACKSUP VIRTUALLY ALL KNOWN DISKS THIS UTJLfTY IS RECKONED TO BE THE BEST ON THE MARKET ONLY 34.95 THIS MONTHS SPECIALS OFFER 1 Z % 200 3.5" DSDD + 2100 CAP BOXES 64.95 tirSk OFFER 2 fta NAKSHA MOUSE + MAT AND POCKET ■34^5 22.95 OFFER 3 CUMANA EXT.DRIVE PLUS 51 2K RAM EXP. WITH CLOCK 87.95 OFFER 4 CUMANA EXT.DRIVE PLUS XCOPY PRO JHiZO 89.95 ArA OFFER 5 ACCESSORY PACK MOUSE MAT MOUSE POCKET DISK CLEANING KIT DUST COVER JHft 7.99 GENUINE SONY 3.5" DSDD BULK DISKETTES 25 12.45 50 22.95 200 79.95 500 179.95 100 41.95 1000 339.95 (ALL DISKS 100% ERROR FREE AND ARE SUPPLIED WITH LABELS) RAINBOW DISKS (RED.GREEN.YaiCW.CflWGE.aACK.WHfTE CO.ORS AND OTYS Of YOUR CHOICE) 3.5" DSDD DISKS 25 DSDD 13.75 50 DSDD 26.45 100 DSDD 44.95 200 DSDD 84.95 5.25" DSDD DISKS 25 DSDD 10.45 50 DSDD ;. 18.95 100 DSDD 34.95 200 DSDD 67.95 (ALL DISKS 100% ERROR FREE AND ARE SUPPLIED WfTH ENV /LABELS) GENERAL ACCESSORIES QUALITY MOUSE MAT..... 2.50 MOUSE POCKETS 1 50 3.5' CLEANING KIT. 1.95 5.25' CLEANING KIT 1.95 ATARI DUST COVER 3.95 AMIGA DUST COVER 3.95 2 PIECE PRINTER STAND..5.95 MONITOR STAND 12.95 POSSO BOX HOLDS 150 3.5" OR 70 5 25* DISKS CAN BE STACKED HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY ONLY 15.95 RIBBONS WE STOCK A LARGE RANGE FOR AMSTRAD BROTHER CfTIZEN EPSON NEC PANASONIC STAR AND MANY MORE SWITCHES AND CABLES WE STOCK A LARGE RANGE OF DATA SWITCHES AND CABLES PHONE FOR A QUOTE HOW TO ORDER BY PHONE 0782 208228 BY FAX 0782 281506 BY POST MEDIA DIRECT COMPUTER SUPPLIES LTD AMC5, UNIT 3 RAILWAY ENT. CENTRE SHELTON NEW ROAD STOKE ON TRENT ST4 7SH ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT 2.95 P & P PER ORDER 9.00 NEXT DAY (UK MAINLAND ONLY) REMEMBER !!! WE ONLY SELL HIGH QUAUTY DISKETTES.OUR 3.5' DISKETTES ARE MADE BY K.A.0 AND OUR 525" DISKETTES ARE MADE BY ATHANA.WE DO NOT SaL SUB STANDARD DISKETTES FROM THE FAR EAST. HOW TO FI ND US DISTRIBUTORS OF:- BANANA TRADE GOVERMENT LOCAL AUTHORITY AND EDUCATIONAL ORDERS WELCOME KCS POWER PC BOARD THE PC EMULATOR FOR AMIGA 500 DUE TO RECOVERY OF DEVELOPMENT COSTS Only £199.99 ex VAT (E234.99 inc VAT) COMPLETE Run professional MS-DOS software on your Amiga 500 at a price you can't resist SPEED - OUTSTANDING (faster than many 286 AT's (Amiga Format Oct/90) now even faster with new software upgrade ver 2.0 COMPATIBILITY - EXCELLENT (All the software I tried ran perfectly - Computer Shopper Feb/91) CONVENIENCE - A DODDLE (For a plain plug n go pc emulator with no installation hassle there is no competition - Computer Shopper Feb/91 MEMORY - AMIGA 1MB RAM + 512K RAM disk, PC 704 KB + min 1 92 KB ems DISK SUPPORT - Floppy 3.5, 5.25, H-D A590, (other hard drive support to follow - software upgrade) VIDEO SUPPORT - MGA - Hercules - GGA 16 col (dynamic) (EGA - VGA soon) ALL UPGRADES ARE SOFTWARE BASED VALUE JUST SEE FOR YOURSELF INCLUDED WITH KCS BOARD MS-DOS 4.01, GW Basic, Shell inc manuals (not GW Basic) Phoenix DOS help 1MB on board memory plus clock KCS PC Emulator TOTAL WORTH £80.00 £55.00 £64.00 £30.99 £229.99 "So what's the point in having a 'wizzo processor it it's no faster' (Amiga Computing Jan/911 - and invalidates your guarantee Compatibility is excellent but no-one can guarantee every single program available, therefore if your purchase depends on a particular program, please ask us first or send in a copy of the program. (With suitable S.A.E. if to be returned). Price subject to change without notice. BDL Bitcon Devices Ltd. 88 BEWICK ROAD, GATESHEAD. TYNE & WEAR, NE8 1RS ENGLAND TEL: (091)4901919/4901975 FAX: (091)4901918 We welcome UK & Export trade Trade enquiries welcome ■ UK & Export Q4ND4AL M Amiga DMTAscan Pro DMTAscan Professional ts a complete Image capture package. Our scanning software has been developed over a period or 2 years on i ■■ t ■ ■ machines ond b widely recognised by me compote* p The Amiga version ho* the following features: • 1 05mm scanning width • PeaMtme scanning display ■ 100-40) dpi resolution ■ Scons line-art or photcgrophs • Zoom 4 pixel perfect editing ■ Clipboard: Cut. copy & paste ■ Oop, rotate, flip & invert • Supports IFF me format • Full printer support The DMTAscan Professional 6 an excellent partne* for DIP and PAJNT package appftccrt torn. DELUXE PAINT etc Package consists or: * 106" scanner interface, psu A< MHmum system reQLHfemeni Amiga A500 HARDWARE The 1 12 MEG upgrade will upgrade your Amiga AS 00 to a full ONE MEG mocnlne Intrude* oattery bached up clock. Easy to fit. simply plug In ond odd 512K RAM to your Amiga Super low power 4-chrp design. 0 MIA disk drive is a high quality 3.5* external 2nd disk drive Features: ■ SflOK formatted capacity ■ SlimHne case Inc. on/off switch ■ through port tor daisy chaining ■ low power consumption ■ Extremely quiet operation ■ Top quality, reliable mechanism DMTAmouse is a silky smooth 360 dpi high resolution mlcroswrtched replacement mouse almost twice as last as the Amiga's own mouse FAST Moll Order Service All prices include VAT & postage Please make all cheques payable to PML. Send your orders to the address below. \ #\ CREDIT CARD HOTLINE 0234 855666 PML. 44 Singer Way, Woburn Rood Industrial Est. Kempston. Bedford MK42 7AF. Fax: 0234 641331 ProWrite from New Horizons is the big brother of the QuickWrite wordprocessor we reviewed last month, and is now widely available in its latest version 3.1 release. One of the US's older wordproces- sor families, ProWrite has never really caught on in this country, but with its £129 price tag there's no reason why it shouldn't be competing with the likes of Protext 5. in common with packages such as Excellence! 2.0, ProWrite is intuition- based and designed for mouse users. There's no need, therefore, to use the keyboard for commands and much of your editing work, but a comprehensive array of keyboard shortcuts is available to diehard rodent-haters and those to whom speed is essential. Hype-wrap For the beginner in wordprocess- ing, ProWrite should be a dream. It Is easy to use, friendly in operation and appears to be almost bug-free. I found I needed to consult the manu- al only once during the creation of a document which included multiple columns, imported graphics, a vari- ety of fonts and styles, and headers and footers. I was eventually forced to open the manual by the packaging's claim [ P rnlHW ir r.r IMa — . h-.i— Inc. El • It Tn*MlluS0M> IMMHMUBI Journalist loses job in boring toieifc shocker!- P45 handed oul as ei npnt value of lrud'tm pluamrtitf fcut poltr* r.'n.rd la DBOMIINCM* limv -frrly rwmlri r*rlin«a af ilrawaliMii. Olhar raadira. biMivrr. ■ara round • I unpad fio. *0"" In !'i-ir trtihriitm. and n>By B««a cloia la aro>ning tn n-.T Mn rratlt.* "I fauna "Villi noaajna off i r«aa in* find I ma" ana vidIIh No need lo ltkk to drab ityln with Pfowriic that it was possible to 'wrap text around pictures'. This to me means the same as auto-flow, the facility whereby text is automatically fitted around any graphic, no matter how irregular its shape, and would amount to a major plus for a pro- gram in ProWrite's price bracket. Despite a very close inspection of the otherwise helpful manual, how- ever, I couldn't discover how this was achieved, and can only conclude either that the claim is misleading or the manual is incomplete. The only way to avoid text print- ing on top of a graphic is to set the margin marker by dragging it to the edge of the picture, and this is hardly a text wrapping facility. Apart from this gripe, ProWrite does everything that's claimed for it, and has many useful features which make up for the hassle of finding out about the non-existent text-wrap- Words with a smile ProWrite v3.1 has many more pros than cons, as Stevie Kennedy found out ping. Some of these, such as clicking on the bar at the bottom of the screen to move to any page, have apparently been borrowed from Microsoft Word, and most of the others are new to packages in this price range. Quark Xpress it aint New Horizons quite rightly avoided the use of the term 'DTP 1 when they set out the blurb for ProWrite. However, programs with fewer DTP- like features have lost no time before waving this particular flag, and ProWrite would cope reasonbly well with small DTP tasks such as club newsletters. Support for multiple columns and imported graphics allows the user to put together rather interesting-look- ing documents, although if you want to import text into a document whose layout you have just set, you have to open it as another docu- ment, then cut and paste it in from there. It's the program approach to colour printers, however, which gives it an edge in the page production stakes. True WYSIWYG Instead of trying to cope with full- colour graphics on screen, which at first glance would have been a big selling point, ProWrite concentrates on the use of the same eight colours which the average colour dot matrix printer, such as the LC10, uses when it tries to reproduce a screen image. In this way, ProWrite offers true WYSIWYG, because when you import a graphic for use in your document, it is converted into a dithered image made up of the eight colours, and should be a very accurate representa- tion of what you will see on paper. The spell checker suffers from the same problems as the one used on QuickWrite in that a whole docu- ment is checked from start to finish, one word at a time, and there is no option to first sort the words into alphabetical order. The process is therefore a good deal slower than that used by ProtexL As if to make up for the substan- dard spell checker, ProWrite offers an excellent Thesaurus which claims to include over 300,000 cross-refer- ences and works at great speed. The word list could perhaps be a little longer (it failed to recognise 'computer' or 'software'), but when used on standard English words, it was a joy. When given the word 'communicate', for example, it replied with a list ol 99 associated verbsl More macros For advanced users, and those lucky enough to be using Workbench 2.0, ProWrite makes good use of the ARexx multi-tasking language. If you already have this and are familiar with its use (Workbench 2.0 incorpo- rates it), then ProWrite offers an extensive list of macro commands which should enable very sophisti- cated operations to be lied down to a couple of keystrokes. The beginner will find this option rather inaccessible, so it would have been thoughtful of New Horizons to include the simpler 'recording mode' macros for the benefit of mortals. In an office environment, however, any number of machines could be con- figured lo run ARexx with a pre- defined set of the most useful macros as requested by the users. Conclusion ProWrite is a wordprocessor which deserves to succeed, and should pro- vide some much-needed competi- tion for Protext 5. ProWrite is a product of New Horizons Software. Austin, Texas Available: Now Supplier: Silica Systems Tel: (081)3091111 Price: £129.95 Amiga Computing 65 If there was an award for educational software, it should go to School Software Ltd. said ST Format THE BEST IN EDUCATION HOW TO ORDER 1 . Post your order. 2. Fax your order. 3. Ring credit card number. 4. Ring for advice. 5. Ask your dealer to order. Pupils will lose 5% in GCSE for poor spelling says Education Secretary Say BYE to bad spelling with BETTER SPELLING Available from all retailers and distributors M BEWARE CHEAP IMITATORS Staf villi Hii trtfciiiMili * Improves Reading * Scientifically developed * Uses modern research * Superb Reviews * Market Leader * Teacher Tested * Variety of programs * Not another variation of hangman I Prices: | IBM 51/4 or 31/2, ST & STE, AMIGA £22.95 | CPC. PCW, CBM (disks). BBC £16.95 I FREE CATALOGUE J ORDER DIRECT TO: I School Software Ltd., Tail Business Centre, I Dominic Street, Limerick, Ireland. J Tel: (U.K.) 010 353-61-45399. | Fax Orders: 010 353-61-44315. 1 Credit Card Hotline (U.K.): 010 353-61-45399. I Others Tel: 01 0 353-61 -45399. j Access'Mastercard/Eurocard'BarclaycardiVisa No ! emu qui itttj qie Expiry Date Cheque/POD My machine Titles - ! t I I Name I Address. The Amiga has always been a machine to which users have added extra bits, and as far as quality peripherals are con- cerned, they have been fortunate in the available choice. Since the Amiga began to take off in a big way back in 1988, third party manufacturers have been lining up to launch every- Ihing from hard drives (o digitizers, and U.S company LCD has often been at the head of the queue. The company will be familiar to most A2000 owners, who have been enjoying the company's add-ons for that machine for some time. A500 users, however, have had to content themselves with ICD's 6Mb trap- door-mounted AdRAM board. Sales of this unit have suffered in the price war because, although ol a high quality, it is a lot more expen- sive than the popular 1. 5Mb boards. ICD now looks set to make a push Stevie Kennedy checks out the lat- est kit from state- side peripherals wizards, ICD, and discovers techie heaven into the A500 market with its three most recent launches - AdSpeed, AdIDE, and flicker Free Video - all of which are aimed at the serious and hobbyist user, and all ol which are attempts to solve a particular prob- lem. The approach is unimaginative but purposeful, and promises to bring success, if only on technical merit. Storage Not as much of a problem as it might have been two years ago, the ASOO's storage needs have been met by progressively bigger and cheaper hard drives as the market hes expanded. The drives we've seen, such as the A590 and the GVP units have been getting faster, but most Fast and fulsome flickers have remained eyesores slicking out the side of the Amiga and eating up valuable desk space. Owners of A2000s or AISOOs have a much neater time of it because their larger machines can support hard drives internally on card slots, but the A500 has not had this option until recently. The advance of miniaturisation brought about by the boom in the portable computer market has now made it possible to fit hitherto large amounts of storage into a very small space, and one result is the AdIDE interface and 20Mb hard drive. The ICD unit is neat, small, and incredibly cute, but for the life of me I can't figure out who would want one. It fits quite easily into the Amiga's case. It will auto-boot with reasonable access time and can kick up a bit of dust when pressed, but the whole ensemble smacks of a very desirable tech- nical answer to a problem no Amiga 500 owner has yet asked. The ICD engineers have managed to bring a 20Mb hard drive with a respectable 25ms access time to A500 owners, in a space that is about one tenth the volume of the A590 - the drive will literally fit in a cigarette packet - but the ICD mar- keting people appear to have identified a market of very small proportions, For those in need of an Amiga 500 hard drive setup that is more portable than other combinations, and those whose desk space is extremely scarce, the AdIDE and hard drive is a timely offering. At a retail of £387, however. AdIDE is considerably more expensive than the A590 which, while being a little slower and a lot uglier, is still a solid alternative, and one which offers RAM expansion possibilities. Speed Speed! The word is on everyone's lips these days, as if life itself depend- ed on adding MIPS to your micro. It has almost become perceived wis- dom that the standard Amiga - the one the shop assistant told you was extremely powerful - is past it as far as advanced applications go. First of all, it has to be said that the 'perceived wisdom' is arrant non- sense. The Amiga's 68000 processor Amiga Computing 67 is a perfectly good piece of silicon for the tasks to which the home user puts it. Where it's speed limitations show up are in areas for which the Amiga was never designed, and in which it has always looked a bit pedestrian. AdSpeed, at £173 (including new rate of VAT), is the cheapest accelera- tor so far released, but is also the one with the lowest specification. It con- sists of a 68000 processor exactly like the Amiga's processor except it is rated at 14.33MHz, twice the clock speed of the original and an on- board 'memory cache' which speeds up routine processor tasks. The chip's clock speed is nothing new. Faster-than-normal 68000s have been available for a while, but they have been impractical for gen- eral use because speed is a more complex matter than bare rate of knots. The Amiga system Is designed to run with a processor at 7.16MHz. and if another speed is used without technical fixes, timings will be out of order, memory accesses will be out of sync, and all communications between the fast CPU and the slower custom chips will be put at risk. Switching in style To rule out as many compatibility problems as possible, AdSpeed has a 'fallback' mode, controllable through both hardware and software. A jumper setting on the board itsell Dodgy Displays The Amiga has one particularly annoying drawback that is con- stantly being thrown in the faces of its users when in hot dispute with Mac and ST aficionados. Quite sim- ply, the standard non-interlaced Workbench screen modes are insuf- ficient for high-end professional uses such as CAD and DTP. The Amiga user can partly deflect such criticism by reminding his or her Mac-loving chum that with interlace, the Amiga can double the number of horizontal lines in its dis- play, and achieve a very ht-res dis- play. Unfortunately, if the user has no flicker fixer, those irritating Macophiles usually have the last laugh when they realise how abysmally painful it can be to oper- ate an Amiga in flickering interlace. This is where the flicker fixer comes in. ICD's is one of the few flicker fix- ers available, and the first which will fit inside an A500. To fit it, you must remove the Denise display chip, mount it on the flicker fixer board, then plug the board itself into the vacant slot in much the same way as the AdSpeed plugs into the 68000 socket. It means that fitting Flicker Free Video will invalidate your warranty, but this is a far more inviting option than permanent eye damage, the inevitable result of using interlace for any length of time. On the plus side the board gives a rock-steady display, and once fitted should be transparent to the user. Cathode cardiac! It is at this point the user discovers the overheads Invloved in Flicker Free Video or any other flicker fixer, and the shock can be quite chilling, A decent multisync monitor, with- out which the card is useless, can cost up to £600, and there's no way of getting round the necessity of buying one. Even if you manage to find one of the discounted models in our ads (and there are some to be found), the total cost of Flicker Free Video and monitor could quite easily top the half thousand mark. Power Computing are offering a bundled package of card plus NEC monitor for £510, but even with this dis- count the user will still have to blow a large hole in his or her bank bal- ance. The semi-professional or corpo- rate user should find the price tag a little more comfortable, but even then it raises the price of a DTP- capable Amiga system to levels at which it would struggle to compete against the low-end Macs and 386sx PC's. imk.t fret Video gives a rock steady display, and once fluted should be transparent to the user Why does it flicker? A standard Arniga screen mode is output to a monitor or TV whose horizontal scan frequency (i.e the num- ber of times the scanning beam traverses the screen in one second) is 15.75KHz, and 50Hz vertically. This gives the standard 256 pixels high PAL screen. When this no longer suffices, the screen must be 'interlaced' so that one lull screen of scan lines is pro- duced every cycle, and another is shown half a scan line further down on the next scan, This produces a high frequency flicker because the two are never on the screen at the same time. Flicker fixers work by taking the two signals and combining them into one steady display. As this is impossible at the original scan frequency, flicker fixers must produce their output a twice the frequency, or 31.5Khz. Unfortunately, the standard Amiga monitor will not 'sync up' to this frequency, so an expensive high-quali- ty multiscan monitor must be purchased to make use of the flicker fixer. 68 Amiga Computing AdSpeed uses »»ct(y the umc Instruction **t as a standard 68.000. so software Incompatibility K almost none*! stmt determines wtipch mode of operation (7MHz or 14MHz) the board will boot up in, and a small program which you can run in the back- ground from your startup- sequence allows the user to switch between the two without having to re-boot. This is more useful than many boards, whose fallback modes incur a re-boot as the CPU used is switched from (for example) a 68030 to the 68000. As AdSpeed uses the same processor for both speed modes, it is easier to switch speeds, and as even at the faster speed it uses exactly the same instruction set as a standard 68000, software incompatibility is almost non-exis- tent. If you find any problem soft- ware let us knowi The 32k on-board memory cache is what gives AdSpeed its bite. The technique of mounting a small amount of high speed RAM on the processor chip, and dedicating it to the most lime-efficient tasks has Wen used in 68020 and 68030 chips ffefore now, but this is the first time it has been used on a cheaper 'eplacement 68000. Basically, 32k of RAM is set aside as a data/instruction cache to hold common code loops and machine code instructions so that they can be accessed by programs in the shortest possible time. At 14.33MHz. AdSpeed can just dump things into the cache memory instead of having to wait for memory accesses or other chips to catch up, and can then get on with something else. DIY go-faster For the new Amiga owner with a morbid fear of technical activities (let's not be shy - that's a high per- centage of us!), AdSpeed is unfortu- nately one of those products which invalidates the machine's warranty. To fit it, the case must be opened and the original 68000 chip levered out of its socket, an idea which some of you might not be too keen on, but one which you'll have to live with if you want to upgrade your Amiga. Installation is otherwise a simple matter, and the card behaves very well once it's in situ. As a no-fuss no- frills accelerator, AdSpeed works very smoothly and we've so far failed to find a single piece of software which doesn't like the 1 4MHz mode. If it was selling for £50 less than its present retail price, AdSpeed would be an unmissable buy for the speed-hungry hobbyist. As is stands, however, it falls short of Blue Chip status on value-for-money terms, but only just. Hard Error! Unfortunately, there are two hard drive set-ups which don't entirely work with AdSpeed. When you use a CVP drive that has extra memory on-board, it makes DMA (Direct Memory Access) calls to its own memory without telling AdSpeed, thus rendering the cache contents out of date. The problem only occurs when you use both the drive and the extra RAM, and GVP has promised to rectify the problem with a ROM upgrade. Users of Xetec hard drives will also encounter problems because the A quart into a pint You can now fit a wide range of peripherals into the ASOO's casing, but there is only so much room in there, and a large proportion of the peripherals are competing for the same living space. The 68000 slot is currently the place to be in a 500, with acceler- ator cards vying with hard drive interfaces for the prime spot of real estate. The various bits of hardware, however, do not have to compete directly to cause a clash. We found, for example, that auto-boot sequence on these drives does not work properly when used with an accelerated processor. Again, this problem will eventually disap- pear when Xetex upgrade their soft- ware, and the user can always auto-boot in 7MHz mode before switching to 14MHz. Overall, compatibility with hard- ware and software is as good as could be expected, though users of either of the above systems might want to think twice about processor accelerators. Conclusion ICD has attacked two very real problems In the shape of speed and display enhancement, and one rather ethereal concern with A500 internal hard drive storage. Their solutions are of a quality and level of pot neither of the large accelerator boards examined in our April issue would fit into an A500 which con- tained an ICD AdRAM board because the board connected over the Gary chip got in the way. Such restrictions on space serve only to highlight the fact that cramming peripherals into a 500 is mainly a crisis measure for those who would like to upgrade to a 1500 or 2000 but can't afford to get the cash together, or those who love expensive and very clever toys. technical competence to raise them above the products of many other companies, and all work very well in their own right. As consumer products, which is how they must be judged, the AdSpeed is the most desirable, with the flicker fixer coming second by a few lengths and the internal hard drive struggling along at the back. I suspect the first two will succeed, especially AdSpeed, but I would be surprised if too many punters were to be found in the act of jumping summersaults over the hard drive. Product Information AdSpeed, AdFFV (Flicker Free Video), and the AdIDE with Internal hard drive are all products of I, CD Inc. Available: Now Supplier: Power Computing (0234) 843388 Price: AdSpeed £173, AdFFV £285 or £510 with VGA monitor, AdIDE and 20Mb internal HD £3 AdSpeed Ease of use Value for money Flicker Free Video Ease of use AdIDE and hard drive Ease of use Are you confused by CLI& Frustrated by files? At lai> -r~Z a powerful shareware P***j dbye to W d screens and cotnp j. Fl oo i ..nth IU»* *P/r/hg you Wore A/ere -' ttaT' ^'^g for/ i , Packa 9e more ip et1 °n has an f9m •sibt e like drive rfrfvi e *fra 99 *fo and on the 9oe s 'tis W. /f'j on very Kern ard u\d e*P e ' CO On/ y\M7GA P RDE R FORM COMPUTING Please send me a Workstation disk tor the special offer price of £3.50 (inci. VAT and p+p). I wish lo pay by: D Cheque/Eurocheque enclosed made payable to Europress Direct D Accesa^slercard/EurocaroVBarclaycardA/isa/Connecl Expiry dato No. Name.. IHHHfMHW 1 1 II !■ M **..SlQnOd *r«(i I n*t*r>r — ...... Postcode ™™_____ Send to: Europress Direct, FREEPOST, Ellesmere Port, South Wirral LG5 3EB Order at any lime of the day or night PHONE ORDERS; 051-357 1275. FAX: 051-357 2813 Don't forget to give your name, address and credit card number Got a faulty floppy? WheiiWtaTdi^ get damaged, you'll now have the chance to try the seemingly impossible mission of recovering ail your work. Workbench's geriatric DiskDoctor can be sent into re tirement by this super utility! , TV* to des^n a6W is^«L al ass unique ■ ■roe into a can ma*e th- CL Find out more about The Workstation - turn to Page 76 LITBaffled by backups? las your problems are over. CTION is Its no secret that the Amiga is the most powerful home computer of them all. What has remained a mystery for most newcomers is how to make the most of its immense potential. Now Amiga Computing has produced a floppy disk that is packed with everything you need to take the hassle out of harnessing the inbuilt power of your Amiga. Many months of research and testing have resulted in a simple-to-use, single disk replacement for Commodore's Workbench which we're calling The Workstation, lis indispensable collection of utilities, including some outstanding shareware never before assembled together on one disk, is now available for just £3.50. It s too good to miss! PLUS! PLUS! PLUS! As well as all these superb features The Amiga Computing Workstation also includes a wide range of programs designed to make life with your Amiga a whole lot easier. There are simple solutions to everyday problems, such as mouse utilities which display screen co-ordinates and give your rodent a much needed speed boost. • You can even define extra pulldown Workbench menus that cut out the familiar icon clutter and let you really get down to business. • In addition to all of these valuable new features all traditional CU commands have been retained - for the old hands among you! Order NOW and start explorina vour Amiaa riaht awav! f DEAL DIRECT I I DEAL DIRECT AT LAST!! A PREMIER TRADE SUPPLIER COMES DIRECT TO YOU - THE PUBLIC! 3.5" DISKS Large ot small users - we have the pnces lor you! SONY D S D O 135 Ipl 50's 42p each C21.00 100's 4ipeach E41.00 400 s 39peach £1 56.00 800's 36p each £286.00 1200's .35p each £420.00 MITSUBISHI DSDD 135TPI 50's 37p each £18.50 100's 36p each £36.00 dOO's 33p each £132.00 8O0's 30p eacn._ £240.00 1200's... m.. 29p oach „ £348.00 All disks are PIN numbered and cany a 100% quality conuol'no quibble guarantee. Disk labels supplied STORAGE BOXES 3.5" (10 capacily box) "Slimpak" £0.95 each 3.5" (10 capacity box) see through "Vision lO* - £1.00 each 3.5" (40 capacity box) lockabfe disk storage box £3.50 eacli 3.5" (50 capacity box) lockable disk storage box .£3.95 each 3.5" (BO capacily box) lockable disk slorage box.,.— £4.30 each 3.5" (100 capacity box) lockable disk storage box „ £4.95 each 3,5" (120 capacity box) lockable disk storage box £6.50 each 3.5" 'POSSO* slackable box (holds 150) ~ - _ £15.95 3.5" 'BANX' lockabie/stackabie (holds 60) £7.95 All disk boxes are anti-static, Amiga beige, contain keys, dividers and rubber leet (with the exception of 10's) ACCESSORIES Pnnter Stands (80 col) — _ £5.50 Pnnter Stand with tray (BO bol. 132 col) £6.95 Tilt 'n' turn monitor stands for Amiga £9.95 4 Player Adaptor — „ ~ „_ £4.95 Data Switches (2>way serial or parallel)...... £15.95 Mouse'Joystick extension £4.95 A4 Desk Top Holder £7.90 Mousemats (boxed 8mm) red. blue, grey - £2.95 Mousemats 5mm packaged _ „ £1.95 Mousobf ticfcsts ii »iiitHi4ititiiiriiiittitii'iii^Hiiitiiniit MM«*<t>i»4 £t >95 Amiga pnnter leads « - £5.95 3.5" cleaning kits ..„_..., ,. ,.. £1 .95 Amiga Oust Covers £2.95 Star LC10 Dust Covers — £4.95 Roll ot 1000 3.5" labols... — £7.50 1 000 Tractor teed labels £9 .95 Mouse'Joystick Switch - Manual ~ — — ™ £9 95 Mouse'Joysiick Switch - Auto £19.95 . PRINTER RIBBONS QTY1 QTY5 OTY10 Slar LC24-10 Mono £3.90 £3.70 £3.20 Amstrad DMP 2000/3000 £2.90 £2.60 £220 Amslrad DMP 4000 £3.90 £3.80 £3.20 Amstrad PCW 8256 8512 £3.50 £3.20 £3 00 Amstrad PCW 9512..,.., £2.90 £2.60 £2.20 Brother HR 1 5>20'25'35. .... £2.50 £2.30 £2.1 5 Brother M1009/1 109 £3.90 £3,60 £3.20 Citizen 120D/LSP10 _ £2.90 £2.70 £2.40 Epson MX. 1 FX 80. 85' 800 £2.90 £2.70 £2.40 Epson FX 100/1 05/1 000 £3.60 £3.40 ....£3.10 Epson LX80/86 - £2.90 £2.70 E2.30 Panasonic KXP 1080/8V82 £3-90 £3.70 £3.20 Slar LC10 ~ £2.90 £2.70 E2.40 Slar LC10 4 colour „ „.„™ £5.90 £5.30 £5.00 Star LC24-200 Mono £4.90 £4.70 £4.50 PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION OF OUR LARGE RANGE TELEPHONE 0530-BI3591 FOR PRICING ON OTHER RIBBONS NOT LISTED r RAM EXPANSIONS n 12 meg upgrade (without clock) £27.95 V2 meg upgrade (with clock) £32.50 1 1/2 meg upgrade (with clock) £89.95 Features include: ON'Off memory switch, auto-recharge battery backed clock. AMIGAS Screen Gems £349.94 Basic Amiga Including modulator & mouse £329.99 PRINTER SUPPLIES n Star LClOMono £158 95 Slar LC200 Colour Printer £229.95 Star LC24 200 Colour Primer £279.95 Listing Paper 11" x 9.5~ S.P. Plain 70 GSM Micro Pert. Pack ol 100 £2.50 Pack ol 250 ~ £3.95 PscK of 500 p .4iiitiHi4i»t«ritHritttit(**i(iiMi»t>» .£5 .^5 Pack ot 1000 £8 95 Pack of 2000 ^ £16.95 POWER SUPPLY Fully compatible replacement Power Supply for Amiga 500 ONLY £38.95 DISK DRIVES AMIGA OMC AMIGA STARTER PACK COMPRISES: A500 Screen Gems v? meg additional RAM upgrade 3.5" external disk drive 103.5' D/SD/D135 Ipi diskettes 1 (40 cap) lockable storage box i mousemat i mouse i mouse bracket i joystick i Amiga dustcover PLUS the usual 4 great software titles PHONE FOR DETAILS ON CLASS OF 90 s PACK NO NEED TO SHOP AROUND R R P €679 OMC All Inclusive price ol £465.00 Inc. VAT A saving ol £214.00 3.5" External disk drive tor Amiga. Slimline design colour co-ordinated Ihroughpon connector. Double sided with own PSU 1 year guarantee ONLY C58.00 JOYSTICKS Ouickshol 128F Maverick £12.99 Quickshot II Turbo _ „ _.E7.95 Ouickshol III Turbo £8.95 Competition Pro Colour £9.95 Quickjoy Superboard £14.95 Ouickjoy Jettighter , M „, B „, (MM _£1 2.95 Quickjoy Topstar £2395 Cheetah 125+ £8.95 Quickshot 127 Inlra Red Remote £29.99 MICE Amiga mouse, two button fully compatible as replacement „ £17.95 Naksha Mouse mc 2 Year Warranty. Mouse Mat and Mouse Bracket £28.95 Geniscan GS4000 Scanner £159.95 r SOUNDBLASTER Techno Twin slereo ampiilied speaker system tor tne Amiga. Pack includes: Cables, Power Supply. Speakers and easy tilting instructions. Also includes two sonically sensational games (Corporation and Jumping Jackson) plus playable demo of "Lemmings". ONLY £49.99 inc VAT TO ORDER CHEQUES AND P.O.'S PAYABLE TO OMC LTD AND SEND TO ADDRESS BELOW CREDIT CARDS SIMPLY TELEPHONE YOUR ORDER ON 0530 813591 (8 LINES) FAX 0530 B13595 FOR OUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION EE THE ORIGINAL MEDIA COMPANY LTD ■™ DEPT AC, MEDIA HOUSE, UNIT 14, ASHBY ROAD, Al I M COALVILLE, LEICS LE6 2LA TEL: 0530 813591 (8 lines) FAX: 0530 813595 Mobile No: 0860 922 436 Trade a/cs welcome. All prices include VAT. Corporate, education orders welcome. Personal callers welcome. POSTAGE: £3.50 CARRIAGE: £8 ?DEAL DIRECT ff DEAL DIRECT Q: The Amiga chips were designed in the mid-80s. What does the future hold? IG: There are constant changes. As a matter of fact there is a new chip set for the Amiga we've been working on now, I guess, for almost two years that should be ready this fall. Q: And what will that provide? A bet- ter platform for the graphics? IG: More icing on the cake. More colours, more chip RAM and that sort of thing... You have to stay with the state of the art Q: So thot's the direction you're tak- ing. You're trying to position the Amiga for when multimedia really takes off? IG: Amiga covers the full range. We'll give the consumer multi- media in the CDTV and the pro- fessionals or the offices - most offices and schools and every- body else - are going more and more towards interactive, true multimedia platform. Q: How is it selling in the business area at the moment? Hove you mode many sales? IG: Very much so! It's penetrated the market (which) so far is rather small, but you take North America where we're not a major factor like we are in Germany. But if you take certain small markets... NASA uses Amiga. The Berkley Linear Accelerator, advertising agen- cies, TV studios, graphic artists... they're all using Amigas. Q: And the video toaster... IC: The video toaster enhances that once again. Q: So it's going for the leading edge man\et? IC: People who, instead of paying SI 00,000 to do something, can pay S5000 or S6000 and get the same performance. Q: Which they thought was impossi- ble to do. IC: Exactlyl Q: Do you foresee licencing the tech- nology? Will there be Amiga clones? IC: I don't think we are interested in licencing the technology for computers. We might be inter- ested in licencing the CDTV plat- form. Q: But not the Amiga itself? Third pony or something? IC: I don't think so. I never like to use the word never... Q: Presumably that's because you want to keep the Amiga in-house, You want to be able to develop it the , _ fre s< Go^ °" want to devel- <Jo*i op it. But, ^vPe^ e wouldn't it be W ^r Q nice to have Cvc\ Y*^ somebody else WT***' 1 support the same rtA fpfJ ^ platform? Make it a OO^J / more "serious" machine? IC: Yes, but it all depends who your partner is! It is becom- ing a serious machine. Computers are only sold for tbe what they'll do for you. Otherwise they're just a door stop. And that means the appli- cations and the software. S "0 you have to marry the two together. To do a certain type of software you have to have a platform of that power and the capability, That's what makes CDTV what it is because there is no other platform, no other technology outside of the Amiga that you can do this with at a consumer price. Q Off the shelf, and you don't need extra hardware... IG: And that box - we're not telling anybody, but it's a full computer in there. There are many periph- erals that will be coming for that machine that will astound you. Q: How do you see the CDTV devel- oping? Whot's its next stage? IC: (Shrugs his shoulders implying "anywhere") Well, first of all the next stage will be full motion video. Going for Gould What does Commodore have up its sleeve for the future? How will it meet the chal- lenge of Europe in 1992? What hopes does it have pinned on the new CDTV? Donald Maple went straight to the top and asked Irving Could, Chairman of Commodore International Q: When would you anticipate that? IC: Let me make this statement. They're still trying to decide on the standard. Whenever they set the stan- dards we'll be there. Q: Are you going to use DVI chips or are you going to develop your own? IC: No, they're talking the |PEG stan- dards. And as soon as )PEG is resolved I can tell you that we will either be the first or one of the first. Q: It 's not even on paper yet, is it? IC: It's getting close. But close doesn't count. Only in horse- shoes and hand grenades... (Laughter) Q: What kind of market do you see for CDTV? Who will buy that? IC: The consumer! Q: Average consumer? Domestic? IC: Wouldn't It be fun, instead of having jerky motion, to have full motion. If you get the proper compression techniques you can do actual movies. Q: Would that be at an accessible price? IC: It has to be! Otherwise you're not gonna get the volumes. And you know we're in an industry... unfortunately prices never go up, they only go down, So you wanna talk CDTV today and look two years out, you're not gonna see it as high as it is today. That's the nature of our busi- ness. Q: About networking. You an- nounced a special division last year... IC: You need specialists. That's a highly specialised area. It's been implemented to a much greater degree today. We do have a net- working specialist division that we've set up in Denmark that handles out R&D. Q: Aoout IBM. When Commodore decided to make PC compatibles it really bugged me... IC: Whether we like it or not, or whether it's the best or worst machine in the world, you can decide yourself, I have my own Could on the CDTV; 6 If I am wrong about CDTV as a consumer item it is still the greatest educational tool that's ever been invented J opinion... But, you can't fight City Hall... Most businesses throughout the world today have accepted MS-dos with all its dreariness and every-, thing else... You can't change that... I'm the first one to admit. If Commodore had been on the ball the MS-dos wouldn't be. It would have been the PET standard. We were the first... We goofed... Q: lost year, alter hearing how important Europe is lor Commodore, I asked facetious- ly: When are you moving to Europe? I'm asking it seriously now. Don't you think it would be wise to have some sort ol R&D base here in Europe as well as in the States to reflect the actual number of users that you hove here? IC: Well, we have always had some R&D development in Braunschweig (Germany) and we will continue to do it. Q: Even though I live in Europe I'm actually a Canadian... IC: So am I! Q: Are you really? IC: Of course! Canadian passport. Q Oh! A Cannuckl IG: "Out"! Q: In terms of 1 992 it would be very advantageous to have some sort of official R&D project here... IC: We do! We've constantly had a group of engineers in Braunschweig married with our American (engineers) and we give them certain tasks. We intend to keep that. Q: Especially in terms ol 1992. You must be aware ol that? IC: We are! That's why we're build- ing the new lacility. Q: Thai's certainly good news since then you'll be considered a local company? IC; Commodore has always in Germany been considered a local company. Q: All Amigas sold in Europe are actually made in Braunschweig. A tot o/ people don't know thatl Gou\d on menu Comm co L you have to beat the leading edge and that's where Commodore* conn* ^ It's not being a a leader } We haven't used everything said by Gould in the interview, because we wanted to concen- trate on what we believe our readers will find the most interesting parts. However, we simply couldn't resist using the following Gould quotations: "...CDTV is television that you control, not television that controls "...all you n*ed to use CDTV is its hand-held remote control". 'The Amiga for the first time allows (multimedia) at a reasonable price and that's the exciting part. CD-ROM prior to this time was primarily a data base." "It's always been my goal to develop a product that is powerful and exciting but accessible to people like me who find it difficult to use a computer. CDTV is the answer." IC: When you use the word "make" you have to use it loosely. Q: What sort of company do you see Commodore being in five years time? IC: At my age? I don't know! (Hilarious laughter all around) You tell me! I think we are on to a greal thing. Even the CDTV, I always said that if I gamble I always like to have one card bent (more laughter). What I mean by that is I like a bit of an edge. If lor any reason - and I don't think I am - but if I am wrong about CDTV as a consumer item it is still the greatest educational tool that's ever been invented. That I'm sure of. It is the great- est governmental tool and cor- porate tool. Someone asked what you can do with a repair manual. You can have the pic- tures. It's a real "how to". It is also the greatest "point of sale" piece of equipment ever invented, Experiments have been going on right now in Toronto, with Canadian Tyre. They couldn't wait lor the CDTV so they've been using the Amiga knowing that CDTV is coming. But you put a touch screen on this and you do anything you wanL That's amazing consider- ing the type ol people who go to a store like Canadian Tyre. They ore not technically minded at all. IC: have it in the sporting goods department. It'll demonstrate the equipment, it will show it... It's a salesman! It's got the sounds, it's got the pictures... A major US corporation that's also in the retail • they brought their chairman over to look at it. They wanted very badly to sell at the retail level but they want- ed it internally for what it could do tor them. So, you're just see- ing the beginning of something here, And we're gonna have com- petitors. We're not in this world all by ourselves. But you have to be at the leading edge and that's where Commodore is gonna gel back. It's not being a follower it's being a leader! 74 Amiga Computing GUIDING LIGHT PRESENT: THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN GOING TO HELL WHEN YOU'RE DEAD IS GOING THERE WHEN YOU'RE STILL ALIVE! 0898 442 777 Internal Pu«li*. Fuwdivh Riddlev Stynlan Toad*, Demonic Clowty Hot-Aii BalootmS and j Dutiolii -il Hv*J lmpw*ondi(x All itm ,ind mote when you enter the ln(e*no* ESCAPE FROM HELL OR ROT FOR ETERNITY - THE CHOICE IS YOURS! £100 PRIZE YOU THINK 15 HOURS OF TONY BLACKBURN JOKES IS HEUf WAIT UNTIL YOU VISIT:- INFERNO Full details of the competition rules, forthcoming Rames and all our other services can be obtained by dialling the above number. twill' IW'tcKi. PUBu.54. S WMuiwhrMn M1S4LS CALLS CHAKC.II) At I |p Mm 'the-U* RjW -fW 44,i Mtn ■ .ill . .i .,...,„„., Switchable voice fax line 0983 79496 Open I0am-7pm Monday to Saturday ACCOUNTS Atouim taojia 12717 ■in':. ■ sijj ia/UajmtaDum 15146 Pwwnji MM Mji a 67 :'-.vr. in-.d, Au mm 58A <tn i |1 7t IfBVlMpnf 4019 BOOKS M Llftn SlKltd HW! Aim UngPrat Jl 95 Alinr&VlfB Prig A^sjca^fiw Am>jj'yB*enr»n OfitnoVitooGijdf &M 0n>« nOtf twawt fltt Uirua kk»A«o iht»ii»M„_ LB» A Dm aOUHii UK H95 II 4 UBS 11(5 114 :r« ji * 1*96 79 95 7795 CASKS 100 Linn Slotted Or.'S-DISPNECUIJO MIS EONS' 1MBI 61 Ul« ihsp-cmp jm Pnm< est owcomywoi si7 im GWr Opipirt 799 lw F*t iti*sw< . 35 7J SiorlDTlSlHwC 517 SwDfitm DBS > 7 an COMMUNICATIONS Alaii 1 _JM* TfTf COMPUTER flIOtO DESIGN ■DHMM 1 5MB 1117 [*tg>J0 SBH MDMW PCB 13959 • ' <- 8171 DATABASE MANAGERS BOHHralr 4601 MM M*4WPM_ ''■■'. i.- ft* "roam ■ .- ■ 1 ' '■ } 3>na<DiM Frwiu: Sme-tiur Frc } ■ .;'■;■ r i Pre 4 „ ■6% 3901 54 99 5**0 SID an ".nasi ■Ml DESKTOP PUBLISHING ClpAnPD(7D4A)) 1551 GnutM.lwmcnj 3314 Ouilf* 'OTi I Ql 99 Pa;»Sfnnr 5173 P«l«Stn«n7l .11771 Ft Clot 5t> M HI P") P*p ? ?»* 19411 SltKiuTaClpAn 1760 DUST COVERS TILmSUM A-ipjJ00Ci» SM EDUCATION 0*Wf. Sura 5173 fv>Scie*iJ|«Kiii . IIJ3 U^iMjtr»Ali.» 7411 Men [iijuii GO'*. 7444 Uco'WriGCSti . 74 44 Mc'cMimilGCStl 74 44 . 7191 PwwvMtf,, EDITORS ftmU Pw? 41,10 GRAPHICS An i -Aon Sluao .1117 ct«ma«Tnwa 33ii Conn SfCB- 40 H OiiirFan; 5977 Ouit Prfll _ .ffOf tfcuitPIWotiB 5640 Dou.1 HS»1 71.44 D-j PM 1 54 DS 'inaVHnti _ _ J57J i"Bj>-t ID Moving 114 01 »imid( ... 1019 SiB^uftwonr 1571 Sr.,iiF3DIl 9951 VtBKftMr K95 HARDWARE IJUpHHOH M54 J 5 En 50! >.'■■» 5959 ■■■■:■.'".■:■■■.. mo ir;. AWR'WCuM 3056 AiKrauo "j-b Dm a* si AW*Wi2MBA*JI 35717 Am(*isotiyoB4S'« 95334 l/rii;i!!.:0&SW Am««l5Q0 . *mgi 3000 i** Crum9»((24 CriJtn S»fl 9 comTi:4D74m- CwtnSwnTii IWAni RAMc>o7M< CMQi 613 K mat 7M10 :■■> ti »44S as 13 1110 3055 70145 6" 613 13 sancM Tin mm < . i ■ . MULTIMEDIA Amip'/mm (CW) HfpttaH I God Obi. PROGRAMMING AUOS (Uuc Dtviai J Aut-omt iif* BlUt imilB., QiABii'. Co-qip KwflB* Co«t«iW LinxrCSI RntunDiunniHi RIBBONS [fluursi.-joiii ;:nu wpsiaooi (Ji caw upsisjo^tt Oi(t« t!0O (il SOUND AUAS Sltrm i<noa' AuOiwaw J SW MlltT-SOi"! Midi Pl.u 'V.' - «.« « JU--C OUIIH ■Mil Saird ll» 3 ro*G* SPREADSHEETS An.*Tt»oi DBCtt ■:.,.>■.- UTILITIES A"ili1 to' StOUKtli A Ben • AD OltmBst 101 " it a ■hi 10199 son 3710 13301 «B9 4*09 75n 5173 161 U 379 M77 4 73 tut sir 179 7615 54 99 5091 3314 7531 M7J) 1677 39 95 -S1I7 JOSS 61 10 BBC f 'u*o> Brt» *B*c CmuDOS Dtmnrf Vr. ajir 0«Uj*>li_ DOW An DCS 700$ Eifurae ' 3 til c .t.i i Pump Mjin Bucd» T(pnj OuntTiuu loo« *«riir*ro«fi «iu' Ik"N Tr« 7 I tep; '"Mwn VIDEO MDM RM TUB DQiV^ftWl •MKHQirMLim YinA-tjj ^i.r, T WORDPROCtSSORS tUM— I Ult)M— _ •xirwmn7 Pi»Wt5 PtuAKf]. Cli(IWM( 35 77 7015 7911 35 77 •OB •OH 1055 1504 I3U 7SJJ 61 'B 7511 6177 1901 15101 10199 70145 1019) 111 01 ID 6' •977 7531 3577 7041 M94 10199 101 n 44 65 «7T 3364 Qua, 7165 3055 5173 UroWPuinir. ' i -A - SPECIALS tphoiH condmon) IS Si 19 BJ 1133 1133 1111 BjitKnni :>■...- Pirn ] *on.na 6 Prom Una SlmCti 6 Wirt IhfrFfiNHtur 3055 3314 INFO 3JW PLEASE SEND S A E FOR SECOND HAND LIST OR CATALOGUE PACKAGES IfPlBV . 30 » O'lpttiSOmM M10 "(TWlVgNW Apo«« f«w«tcr K.rr* Cono F»mmaA* Cmv» Lant. CJW* BMn * VWor P031 TLA UK. •KHT A MCKMG L|tm» >Mhrq Ww Bun 7KG> UK « Soma D»»«^i t? 99 S«o»«>i F7U EiiBQpets iw np- i*fliori9jdiiaai9M9M WOBUJt'J isihm - £9 ic KWie-i* -w- CXOUCS i'jar Svino e • " « obim DfSPAICH Fran iKkIi 24 tvi InNn kapM' 41 "1 EI^CWT I OPWO IkiT^ U. VAf 1,1 1*1 A K AIftiPW tWBWoVJ I Bownmnrw PIKCS *■» iwatiM-iy iuobi- O thptB MEUOBY i V*! RAU <n)jt*i: iUT AMIGA Just £44.95 inc ★ ★ ★ Commodore registered repair cenlre Over 10 years experience with Commodore com- puters 20 qualified technician engineers at your disposal We will undertake to repair your Amiga 500 compuler for jus! £44.95 including parts, labour, VAT and post & packing Most computers will be repaired within 24 hours of booking in Prices include full service check, overhaul, soak- test and replacement of power supply unit if necessary Repairs to keyboard and disc drive also includ- ed. (£25 extra if these units are unrepairable and require complete replacements) All repairs covered by a 90 day warranty * How to take advantage of this exceptional offer: Simply send or hand deliver your machine to (he workshop address detailed below, enclosing payment and this advert and we will do the rest. (If possible please include a daytime telephone number and fault description). * If you require 24 hour courier to your door, please add £5 or else your compuler will be sent back by contract parrel posL < WIS m*m (in "jfti in n-tuw nucftin** llul in itur ^ „ an- p9M9jJ rwonaMr rvpalrt. WTS Electronics Ltd, Studio Master House, Chaul End Lane, Luton, Beds. LU4 8EZ Tel: (0582) 491949 (4 lines) £j I SID's hidden talents The heaM and soul of the Workstation has to be SID and the host of utilities it allows you to access. The SID within the Workstation is a much more powerful beast than the standard empty shell supplied by PD libraries. Our completely configured ver- sion not only handles disk manage- ment but goes on to do much, much, more. This is done by instructing 5ID to access all manner of external utilities which in turn perform miraculous tasks that the original Workbench disk can only dream abouL Perhaps one of the most common requirements for most users is not the transferring of files from disk to disk, but rather to simply examine what's on them. This is sometimes not as easy as it sounds, but with the aid of SID you can examine the con- ' tents of a disk and either edit, read, run, view, or hear the contents as required. Often the file names on a disk give absolutely no indication as to what they may be. To find out what you're dealing with click the left mouse button with the pointer at the very bottom of the screen. This opens up a whole range of previous- ly hidden options which make prob- ing the hidden depths of your disks simple. As you can see there's a complete The Workstation is an easy-to-use replacement for Workbench. In the first of several support articles, Paul Austin explains how to start making use of an invaluable friend set of options for each device. Size is the first option and the one most often used, being the formaHn which SID initially appears. Si/e for obvious reasons is the most conve- nient display when transferring files from disk to disk. Next in the line comes the Date option which details when the file was added fo the disk. Combining the Date and Time options can be great for keeping track of old and new versions of the same files on various disks. It's worth remembering that some commercial software can have very strange effects on the Amiga's perception of time, so check the Internal clock is correct before saving files which may depend on the TIME option for recogn\tion. Use the TIME icon in SID's control panel to check. After Time and Date comes BITS. At first glance this option appears to be a dull collection of jumbled let- ters. In fact it's one of the most useful aspects of SID's hid- den tal- ents. By using the BITS option you can set the flags for any file or directory you wish. In simple terms this means you can decide whether a file is readable, writable, hidden, protected and so on. To alter the flag parameters of a file simply highlight it and click on the protect icon in the control panel. Menus just waiting for the right mouse AS well as the hidden extras at the bottom of the screen ■ there's a whole selection of pull downs just waiting for the nght click on your furless friend. Move the pointer to the top of the screen and click on the RMB. This highlights a selection of pull downs. Most of the options are obvious, giving various alternatives for SID's infor- mation display. Along with the various format alternatives there's the system menu which gives access to other utilities and areas within the Workstation, CLI, preferences and so on. Perhaps the most useful option in the various menus 76 Amiga Computing is FIT. This calculates if the files highlighted will actually Tit Into the available space on the destination disk - great for reducing wasted time and Valium dependency. Well I'm afraid that's about all that space will allow for this month, but SID will be further explored in future support columns so watch this space. When you've fin- ished delving into the innermost secrets of your disks click on the SHRINK Icon on the top right and SID will do exactly that. When you're ready click on expand and he'll leap back to life. Wonderful! Until next month, bye for now... This brings up a requester displaying the flag options used with that file. For example, by altering the flags you could hide a file or directory from prying eyes, or perhaps protect it from accidental deletion. There's a whole range of options which can be applied to files and the BITS option gives a full description of each file and directory's current state. The NOTE option is another aid to organising your files. It allows you to read comments which have been appended to either a file or directory. This is handy if you use files with only numerical differences - Pic.l, Pic. 2 for example. When you first add files using this format it's easy to remember which is which, but come back a day later and you won't have a clue. At this point the only option is to view file by file until you find the one you're after, yawn... This is where SID's COMMENT and NOTE facilities come into their own. Whenever you need to add a few essential words click on the file followed by SID's COMMENT icon and type away. This has no effect on the file, or on the way in which it's treated by other programs, but it does make it instantly recognisable when viewed using the note option. Last in the list comes the DESC option. This is perhaps the most use- ful of all the available display for- mats. It gives a description of each file in the current directory list - whether it's an IFF graphic, Binary file, executable file, an ASCII file and soon. This is great for searching through faceless disks for the samples and pictures you know are in there some- where. Of course I'm not trying to suggest you good people would poke around pinching other peoples juicy bits. Of course you wouldn't. • If you haven't already got a copy of Workstation, see Page 70 for special offer. E3 m CATALOGUE DISK - SOP GOLDSTAR COMPUTERS (E.C.) LTD P.O. 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P<i^ lUr DUriHNkl - BXMflcfll -lull Pun Fufponcn Hwlms- M< ' FW^ Snn«ilJe II - Chct 1 5 meg* here Pll NASA I - Spaee sllullk- P!2 NASA II - Smillai nin muui P2I Joe/itH- Hrill<Nul3> P23 Adatns Fanuly - All Anici «an family -P2* HogcrDcan- Al**nlu«cly -uperti P2» Sunslitlc 111 - and nwirc IM2 Agamrtift- T.R KOl l'3* AgairunM- and nunc Pio Mix 1 - An - Very nl*e I'll Neniesi*- Ifcirtr wtlh (limit stUer Pit* Psygnosis Midr% - Ua-aitUdktng P^l SumiiniH-tilnn - Dientlgmal PV> Sagcl P» - Plu- mJiOes PM Faniasy lies - MiiivVulkvyi lid rual Recall - CkmxI IVri Agaimn 12 - ImiedJiU- Ku Flailcin Fuiure Vi<U«ins - HrlllLani lir Again m 1 1 - : . . xix.l MUSIC MOV Flash Miish - Along a ihscn win M 10 Jean Mhltcl. lane - Nke Mil llmnos Musk II - \y.-ry nhv disk Mlr> Audh» X — Hy Ou«aderv UiilL M18 Anmadeu-- s*apcrti hy Mr. Haxin MI'i Cbssu I - Tut eat u A Fugue In I> Minn M2u CbssU 2 - Canon A Giguc M- ' Crusaik-T ILailrrium - Fxivplional MSS APDL 2H - Midi ulilitu-. 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G2 COOL COUGAR* Gi7 CREEP SHOW GIS AGAIR0N H» G19 AGATRONS* G21 SPACE ACE DEMO G22 MILLER UTE AD G26 GHOSTPOOtt G27 FRACTAL FLIGHT* G30 WALKER DEMO* Cat WALKER II DEMO* sac iwmuc«u3; G40 TRIPT0MAR5 G42 LUX0 TEENAGER* G52 JUGGETTE DEMO GS4 OIGI-WHEELS GH SPACE BUBBLES GB2 FILLET TIC FISH 07 PASCAL (FISH 33S) US C COMPLETE LANGUAGE UJ9 PASCAL TO C CONVERTER U20 BTRACXSONDTRACKER lOi SEEK A DESTROY (Vrus MM VM KEFRENS JUKEBOX US VANGEUS DEMO* M14 iAflRE DEMO lOxKanflfl M22 WE WANT SOME FUSSY RAP M23 P0PEYE MEETS THE BEACH BOYS U29 DIGITAL CONCERT 6 GM1 HOLY GRAIL ADVENTURE* GMI1 PSEUD0C0P GM13 WEUTRIX QM14 DBF WH Y NQTS SN PFQRAU9T Send cheques and PO's to: 23 OAKFIELD, NEWTON AYCUFFE, CO. DURHAM DL5 7 AS GAMES DOMAIN P.D. GAMES PACK # 1 American Star Trek. Lorn. All New Star Trek, Jackland, Skylight, Kapothelio, Bouncer, Welltrlx. Blue Moon, Word Search GAMES PACK # 2 Oripl Raschbier, Buuard, Pseudo- Cop, Crystal Caverns, Obsess O Matlc, Mlrrorwars, Dominoes, ATC. 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Hertfordshire SG2 8EQ Our cheap and cheerful PD person Paul Austin points his finger at the plastic press The Independents from CTS Through a mixture of fate, confusion and sheer bad luck the PD column and George Thompson Services, one this country's biggest and libraries, have been passing by each other without even as much nod in the recent past f-orfunately this month the run of bad luck has come to an end and as a result I'll be featuring some of the excellent offerings from on the longest established libraries in the business. One of the strongest aspects of their business Is the exclusive rights release two of the best plastic mags in the business, both of which a independent offerings from the opposite sides of the world. and Is to i are oumalism is a term that has to be applied loosely on occa- sion. This slight dig only really applies lo the newsletter side of the business - generally monthly subscriber sup- port disks compiled in-house by any- one who's interested. As a result the usual journalistic standards don't lend to apply. Now if someone will hold my horse Til step down and explain these blatantly snotty statements. The lack of adhesion to journalistic standards doesn't mean that these particular mags are necessary badly written or unpleasant to read, but it does mean they tend to be littered with various references lo bodily parts and functions. You might not be too keen on the kids clapping eyes on some of them. 17 bits Update A fine example of the Viz approach to literature is the regular offering from Seventeen Bit, one of the coun- tnes largest PD libraries. Their Update disk mag is more ol a newsletter than a true magazine and tends to throw a few demos, hints, tips and gossip about the world of Public domain, plus a healthy amount on the worid ot the authors and their latest acquisitions, whether it's Cortina, a Lada or a por- tion of chips. It must be said that it isn't the most informative offering around but it will certainly raise a smile. For example in the hints and tips section you'll find such classics as a tip about chips, not as you might expect a guide lo upgrades but rather the solution to the pressing problem of portion control with the vegetable variety. Newsflash In defence of Seventeen Bil they do have an alternative publication under the banner of Newsflash. This is a very different bag of chips aimed at a much more serious side of the Amiga market. It has a far more professional approach and tends to deal more in utili- ties than scrolly demos. The editorial reflects the general theme of user rather than watcher, so if you,'re that way inclined give it a look. Both mags are available from Seventeen Bit on 0924 366982. Jumpdisk lumpdisk is the old man of the flop- py press, being the first publication 10 cast off the chains of paper and printer and swap to the delights of the disk. The 58th issue is due to hit the streets at any moment, easily making 11 the grand old man on the Amiga. The disk is an American publication which boasts the biggest distribution in the states. With such an enviable pedigree, not to mention circulation, it's obvi- ous that the product isn't going lo be duff and of course il isn't. It has a nice selection of utilities and editorial and the occasional special additions with the odd silly bit thrown in for good measure. As well as the mag itself there's a supplemental disk full of material offered with each issue. Each copy comes in it's own little bag with a simple instruction sheel detailing what's on the disk plus the almost obligatory advanced advertising. It's generally an excellent product that's well worth a closer look. Megadisc This is the second mag in the CTS stable and in my humble opinion quite simply the best plastic mag in the business. The software is excel- lent and the editorial is easily on a par. The disk like many things in the British media is an Antipodean import that's more of a blockbuster as opposed to soap opera we're all too familiar with. The Australian influence on the Amiga world has been ralher limited to date bul if this is a typical exam- ple of what's on offer there could be some serious pommie bashing in the near future. The real strength of the disk lies within its structure which leans much more in the direction of a true maga- zine than many of ils rivals. Most disk mags find it very difficult to walk the fine line between being a maga- zine and becoming yet another PD compilation disk. Megadisc does exactly that by striking just the right mix between Ihe two. A particularly pleasant feature is a section devoted entirely to hardware applications and how to tweak and solder your way to a perfect system. The editorial section is full of inter- Amiga Computing 79 PCS INTERNATIONAL PD 33 °™SfiEg" R0AD win an THE NORTHWESTS BIGGEST PD LIBRARY wn 23 ll 0942 521577 SUPPLIERS OF AMOS PD AND LICENSEWARE, T-BAG, AMICUS, FISH AND PCS PD NEW AMOS PO APD 96: AMOS UPDATER 1.23 APD 138: SPANISH TUTOR APD 139: MASTER RACE APD 140: AMOS PROGRAMS #7 APD 141: AMOS GAMES APD 142: PAIR CRAZY APD 143; CYBERNETICS DEMO 1 APD 144: ZENN SOUND BOX APD 145;D-REZ4.7 APD 146: FRUIT MACHINE APD 147: AMOS GAMES H2 APD 148: DEMOLITION MISSION APD 149: GOBBIT & PONTOON APD 150: AMOS PROGRAMS #6 CREDIT CARDS TAKEN WITH ORDERS OVER E10 PCS PD PCS 200: AMAZING TUNES II (3 DISC) E4.00 PCS 210: ZEROVIRUSIII PCS 215: JAZZBENCH PCS 216: BARTMAN MUSIC AND ANIMATION PCS 217: C-LIGHT ANIMATION AGATRON ANIMATION AND SLIDESHOWS PCS 218 AGATRON 28 STAR TREK PCS 219 AGATRON 29 STARWARS PCS 220 AGATRON 34 MORE STARTREK PCS 221 AGATRON 33 KLINGONS PCS 222 AGATRON 32 STARWARE PROBE PCS 223 AGATRON 30 HYPERSPACE EACH DISC CONTAINS 4 OR MORE RAYTRACED ANIMATION PCS 230-235 DIG) CONCERT 15 THE SET £6. PCS 240: ARNIE SUDESHOW PCS 250: TOTAL RECALL DEMO PCS 251 : MADONNA SUDESHOW 3 DISC SET E4. PCS 253: IRAO DEMO PCS 254: BUDBRAIN 1 AND 2 3 DISC SET £4 PCS 255: STEALTY MANOVERS 1 AND 2 2 DISC SET £3 PCS 224: DMOB MUSIC 2.5 4 DISCS £6.00 PCS 225. NEIGHBOURS SLIDE SHOW PCS 226 ROBOCOP SLIDE SHOW PCS 227 GOOD MORNING VIETNAM PCS 228: BATMAN THE MOVIE 1MB PCS 229' GARFIELD SUDESHOW PCS 230: SPACE ACE DEMO PCU 105. ANTI-VtRUS PAKII PCU 118. VIRUS KILLER COLLECTION 1 PCU 142, LABEL DESIGNER PCU 183, COMMS DISK IU PCU 193. A RENDER PCU 393. ULTIMATE ICON DISK PCU 663. BUSINESS CARD MAKER PCU 823, PRINTER DRIVERS PCU 1001. DISK MASTER V3. PCU 1032. N.COMMV1.9 PCU 1043. THE MASTER VIRUS KILLER V.2 PCU 1156. PRINTER DRIVER GENERATOR PCU 1202. RED SECTOR DEMO MAKER 1MEG AVAILABLE NOW FRED FISH AMICUS T-BAG PCS PD AMOS PD 80-450 1-25 1-28 1-300 1-150 ? c s h PCS 237: VIZ CALENDAR THIS IS ONLY A SMALL COLLECTION OF OUR VAST RANGE OF PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE IF YOU HAVE ANY PD DISCS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE WE WILL GLADLY SWOP ON A ONE TO ONE BASIS WE HAVE DEMOS. UTILITIES. BUSINESS. COMMS AND ANIMATION. !L Y ?or-T NT ANY PD D,SC THAT IS N0T ADVERTISED THEN GIVE US A RING ON THE ABOVE NUMBER WE ARE SURE WE CAN BE OF SERVICE TO YOU. MODEM USERS!! WE ARE NOW ON LINE' PCS. PRICES FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ARE AS FOLLOWS UK I- 5 DISCS E2.00 6-10 DISCS £1.75 II- 20 DISCS £1.50 2 1+ DISCS £1.25 EUROPE I- 5 DISCS £2.50 6-10 DISCS £2.25 II - 20 DISCS £200 21+ DISCS £1.50 REST OF THE WORLD I- 5 DISCS £3.00 6-10 DISCS E2.75 II- 20 DISCS £2.00 21* DISCS £1.75 PUBUC DOMAIN SOFTWARE 132 Gunvllle Road, Newport, 1*1 o of WlgM POM 5LH TbI (09B3) 529594/821983 Fax (0983) 821599 -A*. NBS. The No. 1 Official Distributor of AMOS Licenceware = === = j# -=?:, in February, our first month of stocking the disks (figures ■ bwv courtesy of the Official AMOS Library) Tnt tokwine « i IMC** erf the -ery 6«i w AMOS PD jvhIicid If** do nut twd AMOS to ran A13J4 ,5ir,<. -Di'.^l ' Woj , *n mtrcitrc \Mtmj putt iiju. tra-MVtt ? "5* fe?' EEL 1 " 8 " I? S« t *g» A supe* igu. puaW pint 1oi /oong rtf oB» A'lO (UJmf , CROSS fWEO ltog)Gn*Gtmt Trjvp raw a grdufccfawccMcM MUMMHi A 15 mm ^lOOWCVO Mag) R, youi Wiloon twi tr* nyKrapen k^d rt>-i>t AOdWiw AW (Gamt) OEADUNi 1 1 Ugg. rt>tt»n ucng AU0S I0W£ min stnu Al?4 lOtmo) BOB MANIACS BY SWO Unawai, a MH otmo -ilh *ri good fX AIM iGomtjlHE WOODEN BALL (l Meg) Good garnn food tat M into yn, mm* ooal A133 (UW)fA»irMSIOI«DA1ABAS(nUB9lEJiylo«r ft* anome- aaiauw A'37 (Gamt) TlL£ nun a rawnabd wing Moa cuata pam? AT3S (f flue) SIMON AND SP«C( UATKS Smon a Rial oM cnttfnut and Spat* MUW i port nulfa pr«iram <Gimj rami wow & Run crush a roam i*n mat n«9 n nudgr & i onr-cui pu//» gin ll M A proportion ol H| bom |q tht autnor L001 (Art) Colounng few \ 1 Meg i Oil u,t * ill gruf hin to> Hie Mot , 5* mel T^ngM^'B 1 1 "fit Sow MM Pun*i *ntjm to tnidrm 24 m a> 1005 iGarmi jungti BVW 1 1 Meg) An . con 3nvtr atantwf game torn. Ma **» thildnm m mn) 1006 BM Piuru H Mtgl A gncfl game at gUD d quKHy. and ana tnntran WMd M HI about LM7 <Gvnt> 4 Way Lyn. 1 1 U«gi simitar onnccal Id p.prwti M Mn* 1 UK (EBuc I Wort PUy 1 1 1 3 fCocOM flams fw cl-ridun Mng n imana mflu LO 0 (Om, M itod faaory (1 Megi A ipakng aW mmoiy gimf Good ilvim Out I m w wtata TaII rf' 00 GWe ' ( 1 M»0l A ijood comoulp HMH cl «lu( •outd TO a good Do*d gamt HoiW i loot L012 iOA^)^woPtUnd(IMegi5fi«af!oltoDUlBt*ftolbloao 10'3 iCarrt) Jigmana 'i Utqt Uc<f iigtawfun. « cofaliucftOfi Ul 10H P* a SaM (1 Han AaMaMiprlfel MflB. Aran ny lo Iftim jocni ulff, m inc now L X« f - Coll "" , 1 ' Uti) u,le D,IBa$ 01 "^'W AppatBou, laa Tuny FA77 SH 2 ' ' Uo01 * " p ' n P' c "' m « , l ■ Amoi P0 union, •flh pWfmM tin Ian* mmm S . r 9 ^* I ' ™ W ptoman lo M lorvlNap wW Up m I mm and r inan cm » in,pi 10IB -oucwcia It Mtgi A tin ganw vnia< W Shan^> L501 IC1D Km (Indwendem Litannwit) IntOII moit mi *on» r your SIAR I CIO [ rhitispiiW»i»«a«nWouiAMOSPO WtlimwIaYiilOOOulhvPOotsU boMH Dwma UuKUDinu n&l BAG and »i afM/ing Gtimogr Hltclion tVo also ul Cuimwdll ga-nti inl compulBt juann r-oi lul deibli ovasr lend i staflipw. S*rt addrnsM ttiy«op». and ftcnvi our PO Updaw d Mhri tw bund n»» iu«*mem «tm> grm lull mm on ortf *00 PD data CaiKc^unlffMMnonnt AJIKBS PO caflinaif i M pmdrtl ORDERING DETAILS MB CheotevPO payable lo UBS M wnd In above addiru Ot «0i mnanl dopun (Jlione your onjrjr On/in(jyouiorailc«ao«»lJ AIINBSPOE125 AMOSPDE) 50 All LtflKNM 1350 i m BH Iff once r*v 1 1:. M t, 10 vara] pha k« posUgc. Qlne» w pnM *w SOo IowiioS pesage and ptdtlng Vally PD PO Bo\ 15, DefMAC^ftcfiee, Co Durham. SKX I NY- Tel: 091 5871195 9am-6pm, Now over 1 400 diifcj in slock inc Fred Fish I -450. Ttug 1-46. jthe AnXM Libnir> & ihc Amos Lieeitsewurc » nut own libnir> ; All prio ol ihc same e xcept Amen Licenceware I.V50) /'■(■•... & .IniMdOvrfi Heme noic dni.\ are I . Iflp caih unoer l()dir>ks. 1(1 disk* or over 95p. Heme mldSOpP&P per order. A FRbb .it of )oui o»n choke I* ills nnlers oter 0 divk> Pleme make ChctjucvPOs payahle lo Vally PD. or phnnc in your Credii Can BO <5 dul* « oval 001 ■■ : . Walking col! «M Vun|iel« <Jcm«> Superb! • 0116 Gymnast demo Fab! 4 011 ^e•lomCraul^:B^U , 012 Runanim BnllraM" 015 CnoriK* demo • Madonnu O'ft i n. r . !i i.i Fan' IU I Ptpcye meet i Dexhboys! 370 CnlwcyclinfNicepiw! •1 1 1 Bu*y bee arum. Grrai'* 4S7M M Python Lumberjack! UK Cnnader* Space drleria * nlJK Dragon. Lair II: Superb 4 AM Budbnunl EtceUem! hM Evil dead demo: Kill em' 674/5 Luirel&Hardyi2diskvi 705 Crusaderv play Genewt!* 7l7«MrFood: Hilarinuv<2» 798 Su|Krv.t)tnafi animation' R02 Simnvom demo Bart *eo! H03 Groove m ihr llrari' *25 /eu% baM anim: Good*' H65 BeatmaMcr HOH siaic' W.i-., i vf.j-i ,' ... 157/8 Soundtrackcr vamplev 2 245 Mrdidok Synth procv' 246 FM.Il'CavioCZcdrlrV 248 Arnica chart .1 Black DOM 317 MJDO Pitch cooverlor! 534 Dmoh3: Superb donee dnk 562 Dead dance thrath: Metal' 5H7 Ami*juleuv: Mo/an great' 5W Audio mapc; Slraeken? 622 Mag lleldv chip (eJival! 6*2 Bangint Rave* 1 Good! 671 Med ir2tl3 muvic pmc' B54 Difital Drhu*vv: Clav»wnl Foh 40'Kav.ai K4 editor' Auvrneii & Serioui 057 Che! Solace 26 iNiltlKi! 117-20 TV graphic. 3.50 (41 153 Jaia-bench- All V.'<irkhem:h 271'Rim Dalahave: Good! 272 rlexibaw: J.i . to uur! 273 Home utiK: Wt*d»richt • 274 An^yth^k; Spreadsheet' 278 L'edn Windpnve»»or^ 2H6 DBW Ray trace procram! 2*1 Amigilov Woriprrxewn 291 FBM: Graphics con*cnm« 303-5 3 divk lallofclipan! 309-M C manual on 3 dab! 44H Pottcrpacker 2 3} Crurxhcr 489 Graphrc.dtvk:l«ful! 544 [Vopy: G>wdcopy pnig! 600 A64:'CBM64Eniulalor' 601 Clerk AccounM pron! 615 Cursor v I Bui. Compiler 616 Pavtal Compiler! 617 Mead. Cod design program 636 Clijhc Evcelhrm rav iraca! ft60 Masifivuu.lillerkilM05 677 Amateur Railw: fin Hams' 6W BioryihmsStarchanctc! 6*fli F-vih* hails Coloured liini> 720 Eleclrocad demo: Pcbt! 771 | liimale Icon did V jji*«J K05 NicaihC Compiler V l_1l B08-8l4 7dia.vcltpon.650! FiJi2l9Deepvky vSeic' Fish 343 Stockbntcr & more* Fish 36h Pnm Studio! Fivh 375: Te«ph» v2-2! fob 382: Mei»ydnv*Cnis«ilm! 861 ST Emulator • unlitm! 862 Spninim Emulator * utik! APD 83 Amm Pamt: Good! APD 132 lamilv hrslorv dhaw' fkmnmumm 043 Holy Grail Te«t adventure 36*9 Scar TM Bnll 2 divk*! 42WUam&Pby:r«bd»f 451 Tenm.game cm*! line" 382 Civile of doom Advcntuie 584 FrantK Freddie: Platlorm 612 Monopoly 4 (Turdo' 613 PacmanRetuliaior.Sany' 625 Blirrinl: Shoot em up' 626/30 Educoluai pack 5. 4.» 658 Siarfleet Shi-e em up' 721 Banleforcc. Slraietv game 800 Yelp: good Utile game' APD62 Arvodu: Fab breakout! APDH5 Snakes *ladderv'rtvcni ■.!■:»■" Pair it: Much ihe cards APF97 Dy namite dut good! APDIIOCfostfire: kids game! APDI35 Simon • Space mmhv VjoViAum; (U4 Sonei luon cars. Stunning! 067 Dynamic Him: Amaring' 097 Real UEacelaem pro! 610 Nik William* vlidc: Fab! 775 NW Dynom* hirev Meg.' Amm littBitwan: LPDICotonngh.uk for b«>! LPD2 Arc angel maths lun! LPD4 Thincamajig liguwt! LPD5 lungle Bungle: good! LPD6 Pukada • Sprites! LPD7 4 »ay Lyn.: Piu/le! LPD8 Wvirk-play: 3 lo learn! LPD9 Amen aitembkn' I.PDI0 Word factory : Spelling LPDII Go getlei gome! LPDI2 Hypnotic lands: game LPDI3 Jigmania mjM«v! NBS... HERE TODAY... AND HERE AGAIN TOMORROW Mting review* and information on all manner of popular Amiga applica- tions. As you can tell I'm impressed and you're sure to be the same. for further details on both mags get in touch with George Thompson Services on 077 082 21 2 or Fax 077 082 212. PD for the little people OK, that's enough back slapping, ifs time to mount up and get back to get back to my moral crusade from earlier in the column. If you've got kids you'll be well used to the "can I have a go, please let me try, you said I could" syndrome. This is a common complaint that most computerised parents suffer every time they turn on the machine. Even the toughest parental tyrant cracks eventually and will hand over the apple off their eye to the franti- cally keen kid. If you're a PD parent this can be a risky business. Some of the software available is definitely not suitable for the smaller kids in the family. As a result an alternative collection is required and that's exactly what the Chaps at A Bit on The Side have come up with. The Junior PD Club If you're looking for material and you want to be sure it's clean. The Junior PD Club could be the answer. The title may give slightly the wrong impression about the con- tents. The material is suitable for kids but not necessary aimed at them. The club guarantees the material to be clean rather than condescend- ing. A fine example of this is a classic sample disk containing immortals like Popeye meed the Beach boys. To be honest the collection isn't that original as far as contents are concerned, with most of the material ncredible! Eight tracks for MED : The amazing Teijo Kinnunen does the impossible yet again and comes up with the next great step for the monster he's created. OctaMED has amved and somehow he's managed to make it fully compatible with its predecessors. The new version will happily take on either eight or four track characteristics on demand. The new version isn't PD but considering the great Ings Teijo has done for the domain in the past it's only fair to give the guy a well deserved plug for his first commercial offering, Ifs available for the patheti- cally small sum of £10 within Europe and £15 world- wide and this includes post and packaging. The new version has all of the abilities ol our recent coverdlsk giveaway plus the extra four tracks and a new and improved bug free Med player. As I men- tioned earlier Med has become a real monster and as a result the new version has a hard time squeezing into the straight jacket of 512k. : As a result Teljo has added a low res option to which It will be automatically defaulted when Ifs on a half meg machine. Amiganuts United hold all distribution rights OctaMED and as a result Ray Burt Frost, one on the Amiga's finest nutters, has thrown down the gauntlet to the coding community and is offering a full licence- ware agreement to the first person to create a conver- sion program which will transfer tunes from the f to the eight track format. If you're an AMOS expert there could be a sepa Ncenceware goldmine waiting for the first person to provide an AMOS compatible MED player. To add the final icing to the cake of OctaMED a manual will so be available to make life a little eas>er for owners of eight track version of Teljo's masterpiece. OctaMED Is available exclusively from Amiganuts United. For further details contact Ray Burt Frost 0703 785680 I s ■ being available from almost any- where. The real advantage comes with the sure and certain knowledge that the fruit of your loins isn't going to be subjected to scrolly demos that give graphic instructions on where exactly other coding teams should put their latest release. No bare breasts, no sexy stereo- types, or at least not that many, and every new member gels a badge and a Biro to pose with in the play- ground. If you're interested you can contact A Bit on The Side on 0302 887332. Uncle AMOS An alternative for the PD parent could be the offerings of the Amos library. The AMOS library doesn't claim to be squeaky clean but any- one who's used any AMOS material will be familiar with its very smooth and friendly front end which makes it ideal for children. This particular talent has already been spotted by most Amos authors and as a result there's a huge range of material aimed specifically at the kids. There is a small price to be paid for the smooth and stylish Amos approach to PD and that's its ten- dency to only offer one program on a disk, so compared to other com- pilation disks it can work out a little expensive. Most of the larger libraries carry an ever growing supply of AMOS. The very best material tends to be licenceware available through PCS International on 0942 521 577 o alternatively from Amiganuts United on 0703 785680 Classy compilations While I'm still holding the shovel I might as well heap a little more praise on the already overburdened GTS. As well as the series of mags sup- plied GTS also sent an excellent col- lection of compilation packs varying from utilities to games. Besides the quality of the compila- tions perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the packages is the packag- ing. Most experienced PD fans are no doubt wondering: "What packag- ing does he mean - the envelope?' I know ifs hard to believe, but this stuff actually arrives nicety packaged in a plastic bag with a smart little card which documents the entire contents of the disks. My pet hate with PD is the infuri- ating habit which almost all the libraries have of supplying their wares with absolutely no way of identifying one disk from the next, Amiga Computing 81 P D apart ol course (rom loading them up. To the novice collector this partic- ular inconvenience is hardly noticed but if you've got a lew hundred disks all from the same supplier it can be a nightmare to find exactly what you're after. I know what you're thinking: why don't you scribble on the disk label? Well, firstly, it looks a mess and, sec- ondly, most labels are already cov- ered with logos and phone numbers leaving little or no room for anything else. A nice convenient card wouldn't cost the earth but would save a hell of a lot of wasted time. This alone was enough to make GTS an instant contender for the column. The packs have more of a theme rather than just being a collection of like minded material. For example the printer workshop collection doesn't just give the usual collection of standard printer drivers but rather offers all manner of really useful printing-related utilities which combine to provide a solution to almost any printing predicament FIRST TIME BUYERS If you've just read this month's cover fea- ture you might well be strolling through the PD section for the first time. Usually this column is chock-a-block with reviews of the latest releases, but as a result of making PD our main feature this month's column has been designed to complement some of the issues the feature will no doubt raised. One of these issues is the plight of the new convert to the ranks of the Public Domain. If you're a beginner the huge range of PD to choose from can be almost off putting. The first thing to do is contact a likely looking library and ask for their catalogue. This usually comes in the form of a disk but on occasion you might be lucky enough to get one in book format. These catalogues are rarely over a pound a time, and on occasion you even find a few programs thrown in to wet your appetite. It's always worth searching through a few catalogues before you buy to avoid the almost inevitable duplication of certain ele- ments of your collection. If you're particularly keen on a specific area of the Amiga's talents, Softville PD Services are one of the best in the business when it comes to dedicated collections. If for example you're into graphic applica- tions they can supply clip art sets with as many as seven disks in each set all at a very reasonable price. If there's a need, Softville usually have a collection to support it. Their disks aren't quite as cheap as some of the opposition but that's the price you pay for dealing with pros. All their collections can be found by strolling through their regularly updated book style catalogue. Contact Softville PD Services on 0705 266509. Well that's it for another month. Next month I'll be back to the usual rundown of the best in the business, so watch this space... For Example A Fantastic P.D. Company with a FREE Catalogue Disc!! Ever wanted a P.D. company to take things seriously? Like their own fully machine coded catalogue disc with great music and intro's included. Ever wanted a P.D. company with it's own Demo group?? With self releases like the NEW-WAVE mega demo! Ever wanted a P.D. company with it's own Bulletin Board system? (Online files). If so, LETS PARTY coz NEW- WAVE is here. (no hidden extras) (free catalogue) Because of the huge response we have slashed the prices, even Freddy would he proud at £1.99 a disc. AMIGA In stock we have thousands of Demo's, Musak Programs, Graphic Slides, Animations, Utilities, Mega Demo's, Shareware, and coming soon. Licenceware. If you would like to join our demo group, ring or send demo's of graphics, musak and code. NEW WAVE, PO Box 199, Manchester Ml UE Tel: 061 839 5378, Fax: 061 839 5379, BBS: 061 839 5381 Orders outside the UK send for details VIRUS FREE PD Amiga Public Domain Software OVER 1400 PD DISKS AVAILABLE PD SOFTWARE HELPLINE THOUSANDS OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS OVER 100 DISKS ADDED EVERY MONTH MOST ORDERS SENT WITHIN 24 HOURS ALL DISKS DISTRIBUTED VIRUS FREE PD STARTER PACK 2. Only £5.00 inc P&P WET BEAVER TENNIS RSI DEMO MAKER MVK 2.1 5 COOL DEMO'S VOGUE MUSIC COMP 15 PD DISKS = £20.00 inc 5 FREE ONLY £1.00 FOR EACH SUCCESSIVE DISK. EG: 16 PD DISKS = £21.00 17 PD DISKS = £22.00 20 PD DISKS = £25.00 Call for details of discounts on bulk orders. OVER 1400 PD DISKS CATALOGUED. Official AMOS PD Disks Now Available. Licence ware. £3.50 a disk DEMOS 1365. PORKY PIG ANIM 1339. COPPER DEMO 2 1318. SYS VIOLATION 1307. MAJOR DELIGHT 1306. EVOLUTION 76 1305. PHENOMINA 1300. FART & BELCH 1297. CLOTHS PEG 1173. PANIC 1180. DISASTER 1167. MOVIE DEMO 1172. ENFORCEMENTS 1185. THUNDER CHILD AMAZING TUNES 2 20 FANTASTIC TUNES. 3 Disks, 1 Meg. OVER 18 929. SICK 'N' SEXY 615. BEDROOM OLYMPIAD 614. SEX VIDEO 607. BRA BUSTERS 071. PARTY GAMES 778. TWISTED DREAMS 672. TRIPLE PORN SHOW 1045. PORNO MOVIES 1036. HOT GIRLS 1026. BETTA LATEX 1023. HOT GIRLS 2 1022. TOPLESS GIRLS 1008. COMPU PORN 1004. EVERY INCH A LADY 1080. LIFE'S A BITCH 1 MEG 1084. SEXY SLIDES 1 1086. GREEN DILDO DEMO 1170. SEXY SLIDES 2 135. BEAUTIES 1 1205. HORNY DOG ANIMS 1200. GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS 1196. DIRTY PICS 3 1367. THE PORN KING 1366. PERVERTS DELIGHT 1356. STAG PORNO ANIMS 1354. BLONDE BEAUTIES 1350. GON GON GIRLS 1345. PORNO MOVIES 3 1298. INTER VENDETTA GAMES 843. METAGALACTIC LLAMA'S 1064. LETTRIX (GREAT) 1020. MASTER OF TOWN 1204. WET BEAVER TENNIS 849. THE HOLY GRAIL 850. BREAKOUT CON KIT 830. QUIZMASTER 670. MONOPOLY 595. CAVE RUNNER 1209. WACKO IN WONDERLAND 832. AGATRON GAMES 531. BLIZZARD 530. PACMAN 509. PARADROID 1207. FRANTIC FREDDY 505. DRIP 255. FLASCHBIER 856. XENON 3 ETC 117, MORIARPG 154. TRACK RECORD 1 MEG 534. GAMES DISK 1 1179. CHESS ETC 1184. MASTERMIND ETC 100 s MORE AVAILABLE _ BLANK DISKS Branded 3.5" Disks Only 35p each. With any other purchase UTILITIES 659. ESSENTIAL UTILS 1 1206. MANDLEBROT MAKER 1208. DATABASE WIZARD 1078. ESSENTIAL UTILS 2 1099. PRO TRACKER 1.1 1202. RSI DEMO MAKER 1146. ICON MAGIC 1151. C-LIGHT 1156. DRIVER GENERATOR 1368. SPECCY EMULATOR 1310. MVK 2.1 MUSIC 1320. SLABYS MUSIC 1317. "19" 1308. VOGUE MUSIC COMP 1303. IMAGINATION 1322. FLASHING BYTES 1319. ORIGINAL RIPS 3 1323. MATRIX MUSIC 3 1324. BLOOD SUCKERS 1327. TRIUMPH MUSIC 11 1333. AMIGADEUS 1334. THE BEATLES HITS 1338. TURN UP THE BASS 1347. CLASSIX 2 1353. THE BEST OF RAF 1348. HOT WIRED 1217. EQUAMANIA 2 1181. TRUE ENERGY EXCLUSIVE WARE. CROSSED SYSTEM MEGA FAST SHOOT EM UP SILKY SMOOTH SCROLLING DIGITIZED SFX& SPEECH MULTIPLE WEAPONS AND MORE. EXCLUSIVE TO US Only £3.99 inc P&P Crossed Syslem is NOT PD Do the Bart man A 3 DISK VERSION OF THE No.1 HIT SINGLE ONLY C3.00 inc P&P MASTER VIRUS KILLER 2. 1 Can now detect 124 Viruses/Bootblocks FOR JUST £1.00 YOU CAN RECEIVE OUR HIGHLY PRAISED CATALOGUE DISK, GIVING DETAILS OF OVER 1000 PUBLIC DOMAIN DISKS. OR ORDER 3 OR MORE OF THE ABOVE AND RECEIVE IT FREE OF CHARGE. RED SECTOR DEMO MAKER Available Now ES NOW AVAILABLE CLIP-ART VOLUME 2. 3 DISKS, ONLY £3.00 inc Catalogue Disk Available at £1 .00 sent FREE with all orders Send Cheque or Postal Order to: VIRUS FREE PD (Dept AMC) 23 Elborough Rd, Moredon, Swindon, Wilts, SN2 2LS, England. Tel: 0793 512321 Fax: 0793 512075 All Prices include P&P in UK. Minimum order ol 3 Disks, Overseas orders welcome, but please send Euro cheque or Bankers draf! with order. Please add £3.00 towards Postage and Packing. WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! 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LIBRARY QA M G S G048 Intact G046 Entropy G045 Dragons Cave G044 Snakepit G043 Stone Age G040 Star Trek Next Gen Trivia (2) G041 Cluedo Compilation G036O.C.P.D. Compilation G035 Mayhem G049 Mechforce 3 71 G002 Treasure Trap G024 Properly Market Game G009 Tennis G001 Learn and Play (2) VTIUVE5 U090 M.E.D. 3 U091 Workbench 2 Look a Like U082 Game Trainers Disk U101 Spectrum Emulator U088 Picture Format Convenor U050 Red Sector Demo Maker* U039 Catalogue Workshop U074 Business Utilities U078 Education Pack (5) U076Grafx (2) U035O.C.PD. Compilation U031 Direct Action Animator U042 Mightflers Utilities 1 U044 Mac Clip Art U020 Jazzbench U019 Amibase U01 7 Razor Toolkit U051 Video Graphics (4) U101 ST. 58 U102S.T60 U061 Genealogy' P WQ$ AW MVSIQ S011 Aliens Slideshow (2) S013 Images from Aquarius SOU Photomontage 1 S01 5 Photomontage 2 SOI 6 Photomontage 3 M031 Chaos and Megadeath M030 Follow the Sign M029 Iron Maiden (2) M028 "19" M024 Crusaders Does Genesis D070 Franklin the Fly D071 Tron Animation (2)' D074 Evil Dead Sight and Sound (2)' D076 Wild Copper Demo D066 Share and Enjoy Freestyle D068 Elvira Activity Disk 4 M015 Blues Brothers (3)' M01 6 Aliens Sounds (2) M014 Bagpipe Music 5018 Gorezone Slideshow 501 9 Madonna Slideshow (2) 5020 Hendrix Slideshow 5021 Fraxion Divine Visions (2) LICENCEWARE (2.95 PER DISK) L001 Space Blob L002 Mr Dig L003 G-Boid L004 Computer Conflict L005 Subculture We also stock other Fletcher Fonts AMOSPD AO 19 Microman Music Demo A020 Arc Angel Demo 1 A021 Word Square Solver and Games A031 Screen Designer A033 Pink Goes Ape A034 Luke Millers Music A051 Weird Science Demo A052 Forms Unlimited A060 Hockey Pista Demo A062 Arcadia A063 Hacks Magic Demo Creator A083 Amos Paint A099 Benson Demo 1 A103 Pick A Puzzle* A104 Pick A Puzzle Data Disk A1 35 Simon Says'Space Maths A1 36 Tile Trial' A012 Panthorus Mega Demo (2)' A096 Pair-It A053 Curos and Stavros Demo 2 A110 Cross Fire A109 Weird Science 2 A130 Wooden Ball' GREAT HARDWARE PRICES Cumana External Drives 61.00 V2 Meg Upgrade with Clock..32.95 This is only a small selection of the hundreds of titles available from our constantly expanding library. Free disk catalogue sent with all orders. You can also call into our showroom and pick-up your software. Payment by Access/Visa or make your cheques or P.O. 's payable to Office Choicer- Suite 14, Avon House, Town Centre, Cumbernauld G67 1EJ Variati onath Stevie Kennedy finds out CLI can be environment-friendly As last month's focus on script files demonstrated, AmigaDOS is a surprising- ly flexible tool when used as a crude programming language. The Auto- Script file on May's coverdisk was an attempt to show users a little of the system's potential to cut out a lot of routine drudgery, but it was left intentionally deficient in its use of variables. This month's column should give users a basic appreciation of how to use variables in their own AmigaDOS scripts, and will show how even a simple application such as Auto- Script can in this way be given a new lease of life. With AmigaDOS, we can separate variables into two groups - parame- ters and environment variables. A parameter is a value which is passed to a script file by the user when he or she EXECUTES it, and is nowhere near as flexible as a true variable. Environment variables, on the other hand, are a bit more complex, much more flexible, and will be introduced in the second half of this tutorial. Let's look again at Auto-Script. It is a script file which formats a disk in your extra drive, creates the essential directories, then copies the relevant system files across to make a system disk which will auto-boot For the sake of simplicity, the script assumes that the second drive ECHO "t'l join; to bf rill » boring" ECHO "and Just do i directory lilting* ECHO "try lo contain rour mitcient' ECHO " - ECHO 'lnd>r ■It 110: Eumplf 1 is called df1 : which is the case for the vast majority of A500 and A1500 users. There are many A2000 own- ers, however, whose external drives are labelled df2: because on these machines only internally mounted extra drives can be called df 1 :. Such users would have found Auto-Script useless in its original form. Parameter Paradise With the use of a simple parameter, this sort of problem could be avoid- ed with ease. Take a look at Example), a script which carries out a directory listing of dfl:. As it stands, it is a pointless script because it does nothing you couldn't do quicker and easier from CLI. Now take a look at Example2. Although this is still less than use- ful, it shows how a script can be Is changed quickly and easily to accept parameters. To run Example! , you would type E1ECUIE EIIB'LEt <IETUR-> but to run Example2, this would become EXECUTE EUHPL.E2 <drm> <RETUM> where <drive> is the parameter looked for by the script. The script knows it should expect to be passed a parameter because the first line defines a "key". The key should always be the first line in a script and should always start with a period (or dot) and the word 'key' followed by the parame- ters. If there is more than one param- eter, a comma is used to separate them. Example2 knows, therefore, lhat it Amiga Computing 85 must expect one parameter, and it will attempt to carry out a directory listing in accordance with the string it receives. If you type EXECUTE EXAMPLE2 DFO: the script will accept (he string 'dfO:' as its parameter and act accordingly. II you don't pass a parameter, the IF test will detect that varl is the empty string "" and print 'No drive specified', then SKIP to the end. You will have noticed that AmigaDOS places variables in angled brackets when they are being oper- ated upon. This is necessary simply to distin- guish them as variables and has no other technical significance. Try not to confuse them with the angled brackets we put around the word RETURN and others in examples ol CLI commands. Value of variables It we turn our attention back to Auto- Script, it should be easy to see when? improvements can be made. Instead of all those lines which refer specifically to dfl:, such as COPY »? to DF1 :c, we ought to have lines which refer to the parameter <var1>. These lines would look something like COPY »? to <varl>c. When A2000 users with external second drives want to use the script, they would then type EXECUTE iUTO-ICIIPI DF2: and Auto-Script would know which drive was to be used as the target drive. As long as you are using Workbench 1.3 or higher (and if you aren't I'd advise you lo upgrade immediately) you can also test vari- ables and parameters using the VAL condition to the IF test. In Example2, 7^1 I BEGINNERS [ Iguide PART 3 . kcr virl K VAL <«r1> E8 0 III DfO: SKIP tnd EID1F If ML „ .-, , dii nu SKIP end EMU if ml <nr1> es ? BID DF2: SKIP end END J F Echo 'Bone i the IF tests <varl> to see if it is a blank string, but it would be jusl as easy to test its numerical value. Let's say we wanted to be lazy when running the script, and instead of typing dfl : we wanted to type just the number 1 . The result would be something like Example3, and you would type EiECUTE OTMtHrT 2 to carry out a DIR of df2:. Defaults Although, as we have seen, the default value of a parameter is an empty string if nothing is passed to it by the EXECUTE command, it is also possible to set a default value from within a script. This is achieved by a line of the syntax •6EF <v«ri«bli> "default ilrlng" and sets the default for that variable or parameter for all succeeding oper- ations. In Example2, for instance, we could define the default for var! as "No drive specified'* and fix things so that this is printed when no parame- ters are specified. Alternatively, you can use a dollar sign ($) each time you use a variable Variables: Three Golden Rules Remember the 'key' at the start of every script file which Is to have parameters passed to it. It must begin with .key' and contain as many entries as there are parameters. Remember a variable can be optional (e.g 'varl/k) or com- pulsory (e.g varl/a). You may need to make a variable com- pulsory so that drastic things don't happen when the default value is taken. Always include the line ASSIGN ENV: RAM: in your startup- sequence If you Intend using environment variables. Eiamplc i in order lo specify the default value it should take at different points in a script. The line ECHO -<«irl I 1 Mki nriaftU*" tells AmigaDOS thai you would like the siring "I like variables" printed if the script has not been passed a value for varl. All text inside the angle brackets to the right of the dollar sign is treated as the default Options As a final note on parameters, you should be aware that they can be either optional or compulsory depending on your needs. To make a parameter essential, you must add 7a' to it in the key line at the begin- ning of the script, so it would read .key varl/a. If a value is not passed to a com- pulsory parameter, the script will grind to a hall with an error message. This feature would be of most use if, lor example, it would cause a prob- lem when the parameter was given a nil! value. FORMAT DRIVE DF<\arl>; would cause a bit of concern to most people if it took a default value of zero and formatted their system disk! Optional parameters, to which AmigaDOS defaults, are defined by the adition of Vk' on the key line, and can be passed values in the normal way. SETENV and GETENV Environment variables are the true AmigaDOS system variables, and since the release of Workbench 1.3, Amiga users have had an increasing amount of control over them. The two commands I'm going to look at in this brief overview of envi- ronment variables are SETENV and CETENV. SETENV is used to create a vari- 86 Amiga Computing able and/or alter its definition. It takes the syntax SETEM <wtible> <itrifi9> where the stnng defines the variable. CETENV is used to retrieve the variable's value or string and uses the syntax EEIEHV CWtlfclO II will print the variable's contents to whichever device the user specifies with a redirection (>) character, although it defaults to the current CLI window. II, therefore, you want- ed to keep a running tally of an important variable in a program, you could quite easily use the line GEIEKV >PRl: <*jr'ibte> at various points in the listing to redi- rect output lo the printer. When you define an environment variable, AmigaDOS looks for a logi- cal device called ENV: which is usual- ly set up in your Workbench's startup-sequence using the ASSIGN statement *SS16W EKV: MR; lo slore all information concerning the variable in the RAM disk. Always either make sure you have this line in your startup or type il in before messing about with variables. Environment variables are Ihe big brothers of the ASSIGN statements and bring a new flexibility to AmigaDOS. It's all very well being able to ASSIGN logical device names as long and complex pathnames, but when you can use environment variables for absolutely any string of lext, your script files are in danger of becoming true programs. We don'l have enough space to go further into environment variables in this column, but if there's enough interest in the subject, we'll cover them in more depth at a later date. For the moment, we've received many more letters requesting infor- mation on more down to earth areas of AmigaDOS, so we'll be looking at them first. Next Month The difference between Shell and CLI, and how to get the most out of the extra features offered by SHELL I) K V K L O P M E N T S Upgrade your Amiga 500 512K extension with clock * Top-quality PCB and connector for total reliability * Latest 1 meg D RAMs for low power consumption * Auto-recharging battery-backed real-time clock * Memory enable/disable * Compact design * Easily fitted in seconds. No risk to your warranty MADE IN U.K. No frills or gimmicks. Just a quality product at the best price you'll find. Also available: * 5 1 2K extension without clock £25.99 * Half meg card with clock (no RAMs) £15.50 * Half meg card (no RAMs or clock) £11 .50 £29.95 inc VAT P&P * RAM chips per meg set £16.65 * l'A meg extension with clock £79.95 * Vh meg card with clock (no RAMs) £30.00 Credit card hotline 24 - hour service 0734 890588 Same day dispatch 12 - month guarantee Virgo Developments Ltd, Sapphire House, Fishponds Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG11 2QJ. JUST AMIGA MONTHLY Drive, Uxbridge, UB8 3QN r >< Yes! Rush me... NAME ADDRESS i SUBSCRIPTION TO JAM ✓ UK £19.95 Europe £29.95 Overseas £49.95 SINGLE ISSUE OF JAM UK £1.50 Europe £2.25 POSTCODE PHONE Please post this order form lor a copy of ii) plus your cheque or postal ortlcr nuide out to JAM to: Just Amiga Monthly I AC}. 75 Greatftelds Drive, Uxbridge, UBH JON Whether you've just bought your Amiga or whether you're already in training for Guru status, we're sure you'll find JAW magazine an informative, entertaining and honest read. The articles, tutorials, reviews and commentaries in JAM are written by your peers - Amiga users with an almost fanatical interest in the machine. And it's also a forum where you can have your own say - a pjace to gel it off your chest, pass on something you've learned, find out what other users think of your ideas. JAM is typeset, laid-out and produced on an Amiga 500 and an Amiga B2000 - living proof that the Amiga is ideally suited to serious pursuits other than playing games. JAM concentrates on the applications and programming side of the machine, never afraid to go in-depth when the occasion calls for it It's a magazine written by Amiga users, for Amiga users. The subscription rate for Just Amiga Monthly is only £19.95 (Europe £29.95) for a years supply - that's less than 40 pence per week. But don't take our word for how good it is. drop us an order form plus a cheque or postal order for £1.50 (Europe £2.25) and we'll send you an introductory issue to check out. Naturally, there's no obligation to subscribe, but we know you'll be back for more! Pentapod: Kevin Dunne Gtotoe; Rod Summers New look Kevin Dunne srtthe From the teal lo the surreal. Ihe Gallery continues to aitroct the best from the rest In the world of computer art. Once again the Amiga's domination of this field is confirmed, whether It be ray tracing, enhanc- ing digital images, or the combination of hand and eye. It can't be beat, this month's collection shows excellent examples of all the afore- mentioned abilities. Keep them coming Inl Clown2 Bod Summers 88 Amiga Computing Amiga Computing 89 61 r/#i O 2 CO o = cr »— ° 3 m cog § UJ DC o CO ^ aj D CO o tr "-Si = £ 8 O O CO 3 Q. E | g« is o ui - 3 5s aioS s « * « * <i to * ■< 5 ' 1 1 m ° li§ a> Ida til «• W - o> lie GO s C+4 3« I (/> p g b» ■ DO ■* * * * a -V- 1*1 III s 5 I ■tmill cm 'Hi! lltl Hi IB, r . h n So ^2 o Q- CO < ^ oc o o o - CD O ID CO o < CO o IT3 9 g ■ i o _ B ■ 3 >< u 2 a E 8 1 lis a ' . i ■ i ,- ■ WE CM PRICES DOWN TO SIZE mm Take a look! HOME COMPUTERS AMIGA A500 MICROSNIPS PACK (bought sepaiately £489) £359.00 SPECTRUM PLUS 2 JAMES BONO PACK' (usually £159) £149.00 SPECTRUM PLUS 3 ACTION PACK (usually £199 95) £129.00 ATARI 520 STFM DISCOVERY PACK inc 1 0 disks £299.95 ATARI 520 STE TURBO PACK inc 20 disks f 399.95 CBM 64 PACK (usually £179.95) f 149.D0 SAM COUPE (was £249) f 199.95 BUSINESS COMPUTERS AMSTRAD PCI 51 2 plus Software Pack. 00. Mono (was £499) £399.00 AMSTRAD PCI 512 plus Software Pack. 0D. Colour (was £599) £469.00 COMMODORE PC10 STARTER PACK (usually £499) f 399.00 MONITORS COMMODORE 10B4 Stereo Med.Res Colour (was £299) £239.00 PHILIPS 8833 MKII Med. Res. Colour (was £299) £249 00 ATARI SM124 Hi Res.Mono (was £149) £119.00 WTERFACES& ACCESSORIES UdISK DRIVES & RIBBONS STAR LC-10 Mono (was £199) £179.00 PANASONIC KXP 1081 (MRP £199) £179.00 STAR LC-24/200 (MRP £349) f 299.00 PANASONIC KXP 1124 (MRP £399) £269.00 STAR LC200 Coloui Printer (MRP £299) £249.00 BOX 2000 SHTS 60gsm PAPER (wood lree) f 1 5.95 BOX 2000 SHTS 70gsm PAPER £17.95 BROTHER HR5 THERMAL PAPER £7.95 TIMEX/ALPHACOM THERMAL ROLLS 5 tor f 1 1 95 ZX SILVER ROLLS 5 for £14.95 MODEMS, SOUND A N D MIDI PRISM VTX5000 MODEM (SPEC 48/+)..:..£39.95 C0MM00QRE 64 MODEM £39.95 MULTIPRINT tot SPEC 48k. 48k+. 128k, +2 £44-9* £39 95 CBM 64 CENTRONICS INTERFACE £3*33 f 29 95 AMIGA/ST/PC/CENTRONICS LEAO CJO-95 £8.95 AMSTRAO. +2i/ +3 CENTRONICS LEAD Ofl*fT£6.95 SPECTRUM COLOUR PRINTER DRIVER £24.95 1000 1 ACROSS LABELS £8^5 £6.95 DUSTCOVERS & SPARES AMIGA OUSTCOVER £*95 «95 ATARI ST OUSTCOVER £8r95 f 4.95 SPEC +2/ +3 DUSTCOVER £4 95 CBM 64 DUSTCOVER fB<85 £4.95 ZX MEMBRANE £7.95 SPEC+ MEMBRANE CU-95 £9.95 *** au coverts stocked 'call us) *** MONITOR ACCESSORIES AMIGA-SCART LEAD £10 95 AMIGA-PHILIPS 8833 Mk2 LEAD £10.95 ATARI ST-SCART LEAD £10 95 ATARI ST-2 PHONO (Composite Video) £10 95 SPEC+2a/+3-SCART LEAD £9 95 CBMSCART LEAO £10.95 14" ANTI GLARE SCREEN FILTER. £0*95 £17.95 THINGI COPYHOLDER -£&99 f2.99 ATARI ST-MULTISYNC MONITOR CABLE £24.95 ATARI ST-COL + MONO MONITOR CABLE f 24 95 TV/COMPUTER SWITCHING UNIT £4.99 3'/," OSDO BULK DISKS 20 tor £15.00 5'/," OSDD BULK DISKS 50 in lockable box £24.95 TDK 3'/," DSOO DISKS 10 tor £11.95 TDK 5'//' OSDO DISKS 10 for £7.50 3*73 VT (state which) ORIVE HEAD CLEANER £4.99 AMSOFT 3" CF2 DISKS 10 tor £19 95 AMIGA Q TEC W EXTERNAL DRIVE (was £89 95) £75 00 ATARI Q TEC 37," EXTERNAL ORIVE Iwas £89 95) £75.00 CBM 1541 MKII DRIVE mc 8 GAMES (worth £200) £139.00 AMS ODI-1 3" DRIVE and INTERFACE (was £159) £99 00 AMS FOI 3" SECONO ORIVE (CPC6128 and +3) (was £99.95) £7995 SAM COUPE ORIVE £79 95 STAR LC10 MONO RIBBON 2 tor £7 90 STAR LC10 COLOUR RIBBON Original 1 tor £8.95 PANASONIC KXP 1081 RIBBON 2 for £7.90 CITIZEN 120D RIBBON 2 lor £7.90 AU RIBBONS STOCKEO - CALL US *•* GRAPHIC DEVICES AND ACCESSORIES AMIGA. ST, AMS PC1512 Q-TEC MOUSE (was £29 95) «1 95 OATEL 48k/ *2a GENIUS MOUSE mc ART STUDIO «9 95 DATEL +3 GENIUS MOUSE tnc ARTIST II ..£49.95 DAT EL 128k/ +2 GENIUS MOUSE inc ADVANCED ART STUDIO £49 95 JOYSTICKS 'MAGNETIC MEDIA* ALL CURRENT AND MANY OLD FAVOURITES STOCKEO AT AFFORDABLE PRICES FREE PRICE UST SEND A4 STAMPED SAE27p. N E. W ST O R .ES — ft BIRKENHEAD f 25-29 GRANGE RD. WEST. 051-647 3377 ft WEST KIRBY f 2 ACACIA GROVE. 051-625 9199 ft WALLASEY L3Z1 MAIL ORDER and PERSONAL CALLERS 37 SEAVIEW RO. WALLASEY. MERSEYSIDE L45 4QN. 051-630 3013 / 051-691 2008 FAX: 051-639 2714 RECORDERS AND ACCESSORIES DATACORDER inc 4 3 or 48k LEAO CBM LOAO IT DATACORDER CBM 1530 0ATAC0R0ER CBM/SPEC/AMS HEAD AUGNMEN1 (state which) +3 CASSETTE LEAD IWftl LAStY ONLY | BANK MHF1 MASTtRCARO fUBOCHlOUt CARRIAGE CHARGES IP 10 f 50 ftOO ftOf» BOO flOO ft« 1 10 DO EVoup * Courw r OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS WELCOME INSTANT CREDIT europe prices as shown OTHER COUNTRIES ADD 5%. (HEAVY ITEMS CARRIAGE EXTRA) ASK FOR DETAILS \s It's fair lo say MED isn't, the friendliest looking utility on the market. However, it's nowhere near as complex as it first looks, and in fact it's more of a musical dream than a technological nightmare. The massive range of abilities have always put it on a par with anything in the commercial sector but the lat- est additions to its repotoire make MED by far the best all round music utility in the business, regardless of price. 99.99999 per cent of you already have a copy of MED III thanks to its inclusion on the Amiga Computing May coverdisk. If you were abducted by aliens or were hiking in the MED put from a headphone socket and then adjust the volume control on the amp until the signal is just below the distortion or clipping point. With MED you can monitor the input sig- nal and adjust it until the waveform fits perfectly before you sample the sound. All Amiga samplers are 8 bit units, and as a result even the best are far from perfect, so don't worry about Hi-Fi quality but rather originality. Most samples tend to be ripped off from CDs, tapes and so on. Again this isn't the most original method but it's a lot better than using sounds which have been kick- ing around the Amiga scene for nnunen A.Qyi t*rl A. Pi »no2 SassDrun.u '"lit!.'!' ■ mudUM) ■■■•IB 28 Uwu 1/62312/16 ui n i *• nn * v n r t>Or ■ * n JLLI Fnt the tln.kal form* . muv> -411 be Mar wHh, to the ladywnd the ih*pe ol iNnq, | 0 lome) the Himalayas you might have missed it. If indeed you did, you could always order a copy of the December issue of Amiga Computing, when it featured on our cover disk. (See order form on Page 124). This was follwed in our January and February issues with a series describing how to get the best from MED. So check your back issues for hints and tips for the soundtracker lection of the program which is still the same. This month I'll be concentrating on how to get the best from the all- new sample editor. Paul Austin takes a closer look at the latest addition to Teijo Kinnunen's incredible music utility MED! s-s-s-sample ed-ed-editor Exciting The editor is by far the most exciting addition and it not only gives you the ability to manipulate samples you already have but you can also sample your own sounds. Using first generation samples is by far the best approach. Avoiding repetition in the music and the sounds is the key to a classic It's not essential that you go mad and spend a fortune on a sampler, just go for something cheap and cheerful. The key to using cheaper samplers is to really apply some power to the input signal. The best way is to take your out- months. A useful asset of the MED editor is its ability to add and delete space within a sample. High levels of hiss between sounds often ruin an otherwise excel- lent sample. Minimising this hiss is what makes samplers like the Audio Engineer so impressive, not to men- lion expensive Even so with a little patience it's possible to make even the cheapest sampler sound a good deal more expensive. First copy your sample to the copybuffer or preferably a floppy. This is always a good idea if you're about to do any form of editing. Next, mark out a range between two sounds within the sample, but make sure you leave some space between the range and the sounds on either side of it. This space will become important later. Now click on the CLR gadget A blank space should appear to replace the hissing silence of the original. Repeat this process right through the sample. OK, now play the sample. It's probably better than the original but the hiss has now been replaced by annoying clicks when each new sec- tion of the sample plays. The next job is to smooth the transition between the total silence of the new sections and the sounds themselves. Volume change To do this we'll use a gradual volume change to fade the background noise up and down before and after each sound. Click in the first window after the VOL CHANCE gadget and type 1, press return and type 99. Now elicit on the ZOOM IN gadget and scroll up to the beginning of the first sound using the cursor keys. This is where the noise left at the beginning and end of the separate sounds come in useful. First mark a range that includes this section, with at least the same amount prior to ft. Now click on the CHANGE VOL gadget. You should see the differ- ence between the original and the blank insert decrease. If you repeat- edly click on CHANGE VOL the dif- ference between the two will become increasingly subtle. Repeat this process at the begin- ning of each sound in the sample. When you've done them all simply reverse the numbers in the CHANGE VOL windows and follow exactly the same procedure at the end of each sound. Now compare the original and the processed version and the results should speak for themselves. Teijo Kinnunen, the author of MED, obviously took a long hard look at Audio Master when designing the sample editor. As a result it's very similar in many respects, boasting most of its features for a fraction of the price. To be fair the samples produced with MED aren't as good as Audio Master and it is trickier to use, but considering the editor is only part of the MED package it's quite simply amazing. If you do become addicted please send some cash to Teijo - he deserves it,. Amiga Computing 95 3 / 2 " EXTERNAL FLOP PY DRIVES AMAZING LOW PRICE £54.95 including VAT & deliver) PRICES INCLUDE DELIVERY AND VAT @ 1 7.5% Express Courier Delivery £5.00 Extra BUY WITH CONFIDENCE Irom one ol the longcsl established companies In their field, with a reputation lor good service and prices. We have Invested heavily in a computer system to enable our Telesales sia" to provide up-lo-lhe-minute slock information coupled win highly efficient order processing Our fully equipped Workshop enables us to carry out almost any repair on our premises. We feel sure thai you wont be disappointed If you choose Evesham Micros. HOW TO ORDER Call us now on 0386 765500 Lines open Monday -Saturday, 9.00am - 5.30pm {2f~r\ S© nc * Cheque. Postal Order or •^-U ACCESS/VISA card details to : Evesham Micros Ltd Unit 9, St Richards Rd. Evesham, Worcs WR1 1 6XJ ACCESS /VISA Cards Welcome Government. Education & PLC orders welcome Same day despatch whenever possible Express Courier delivery C 5.00 extra Please note that 5 working days must be allowed for personal cheque clearance. Mail Order Fax: 0386-765354 RETAIL SHOWROOMS All ou' Showroom outlets nob) large stocks of most items and also supply Irom a far wnjflr product range than adverbsed Please do not hrsiiaio to ring any ot oof showrooms and discuss your fOQj-'pmonts wth a momtwi o' our higMy trained Staff Unit 9 St Richards Road. Evesham Worcestershire WR11 6XJ W0386 765180 fa. 0386 7653M Open Mon-Sot.oOO-5 30 Corporate Sales Depl 5 Glisson Rd. Cambridge CB1 2HA 0223 323898 10. 0223 327883 Open Mon-fn. v.30 6 00 and Sat . 9.00 5 30 Corporate Sales Dept e IBM dealer 1762 Pershore Road, Cotteridge Birmingham B30 3BH ©021 458 4564 (a. 02> d30 3825 Open Mon Sal.. 9 00 530 ▼ TECHNICAL SUPPORT ▼ ■B- 0386-40303 Monday to Friday, 9.30 - 5.30 12 MONTHS WARRANTY ON ALL PRODUCTS All details correct at lime ol press All goods subfect to availability. E. & O.E Please note: Puces that include On- Site Maintenance (On-Sile Warranty) are UK Mainland Only. AMIGA A500 SOLDERLESS RAM UPGRADES RAM/CLOCK UPGRADE 512K ONLY £32.95 including VAT and delivery or 512K RAM/CLOCK EXPANSION FEATURES : A Direct replacement (or the A501 expansion Convenient On / 0(1 Memory Switch ."i Auto-recharging battery backed Real-Time Clock Compact Unit Sire : Ultra-neat design A Only 4 low power consumption FASTRAMs 512K RAM Expansion' also available without | clock for only £27.95 VIDI f VIDI-t MINK 1 .5MB RAM BOARD -V Fully populated board increases total RAM in A500 to 2MB ! ^ Plugs into the trapdoor expansion, and connects to GARY chip ,V Includes Auto- recharging battery-backed Real-Time Clock :< Socketed FASTRAM ICs tor accommodating up to 1 .5MB RAM Unpopulated RAM board with clock £ 39.95 RAM Board as above, with 512K FASTRAM installed .... £ 59.95 RAM Board as above, with 1MB FASTRAM Installed £ 74.95 RAM Board as above, with 1.5Mb FASTRAM installed .. £ B9.95 N B The expansion ooard requires KicKaial 1 3 lo operate • KcMsian l 3 upgrade available trom us lor C29 95 COMMODORE A590 HARD DISK Good Quality Commodore Herd Disk unil. including lis own PSU and buM'i COOhng Ian Features sockets (o> up lo 2Mb ol on board FASTRAM expansion (see below) 60ms Access time, wilh up lo 2 4MtWsec transfer rale AuWboots when used with Kickstat l 3 Commodore A590 Hard Drive ( 20Mb Hard Disk ) E 279.00 AS90 RAM UFGHADES A590 RAM Upgrades are Wted fee SIZK Upgrade C31 B5 of charge »hc- Doug" »nn an A593 ™* uj££j 1 11 It We currently support specially upgraded versions ot the A590 incorporating NEC high capacity, fully autoparkmg SCSI drives (25ms access time) SCSI interlaced hard drives otter a substantial performance Increase over conventional units. We are also ottering the NEC mechanisms separately, either cased tot those who wish to 'chain on' an additional hard disk to their A590. or on their own for internally replacing their existing A590 20Mb mechanism A590 upgraded witn fast 40Mb NEC SCSI Disk C 479.00 A590 upgraded wttn last lOOMb NEC SCSI Disk £ 669.00 A590 with 40Mb NEC SCSI Disk. PLUS 2MB RAM FASTRAM titled E 559.00 NEC 40Mb SCSI Drive cased with PSU to directly add-on to me Commodore A590 C 349.00 NEC Drive cased witn PSU as above. 100Mb version C 549.00 NEC 40Mb SCSI Drive mechan'sm on its own C 249 00 NEC 100Mb SCSI Drive mecnamsm on Us own E 449.00 AMIGA 1500/2000 UPGRADES HARD DRIVE / RAM RD KIT Kits comprise ol fun size hard Oak cards mcorporatmg unpopulated HAM oxpanswn sockots 'or a Up lo 8Mb BAM; PLUS high spoed. access NEC SCSI hard disks. 40MB HARD DRIVE & INTERFACE / RAM CARD ... E 100MB HARD DRIVE & INTERFACE / RAM CARD .... £ 5951 PLEASE NOTE these are unpopulated RAM *ooa| - Add E 1 19.00 per 2Mb of RAM required 9MB RAM EXPANSION CARP W JTH 2MB FITTE OMering maximum 1lo**tlity on RAM upgrade, this card is supplied with fectory-installed. upgrnOonlHo m stops 4Mb. 6Mb and 8Mb ■ qutckly and east? using IMDrt D-RAM chip ONLY £149.95 ^ACCESSORIES^ NEW! Zl f-FI amplified stereo speakers REALISE THE TRUE SOUND POTENTIAL OF YOUR AMIGA WITH THIS PAIR OF FULL RANGE SPEAKERS ! tour Amiga produces fine quality ht-li stereo sound. Enjoy quality stereo sound reproduction to {he lull this specially designed, great new twin speakor m» Features reflex ported speaker design with 3 rate drivers in each unit, and incorporates a &jilt-m amplifier with adjustable volume control Runs hxn PSU (supplied) or from batteries (not included) Dimension* P*8i93m >25mm iHmWmOI ONLY £39.95 INCLUDING VAT AND DELIVERY VIDI-AMIGA vidi-amk;a 'egwaed at ir>* besi n m anpv VDMiMpi vdeo dlgHMi •C"» voo to - I M*v* pMect tree/* irame from mrndw 16 Wade* ( tab real ltfne 3 D .mage> • '-<■.,..,.,,.-.,.,..,..-... • u*ne>aie digriiMd cotou' vneae* • (tomurh mucnmore IW**^)* a compel*!* w*h aS m-, UamMUs egcobui &W H BeM PAL NTSC Wl \IIH-t MKOMK AMIGA Cotoui frame otabbing. upgrade ■Ntlng production ol Red Green and Blue eWmeni* when u*ing • i . .-. -i . ■ .. tamer* by us* ol liner* I Colour camera"nO*o recorder • betoaij VID1-RGB i- m.-> Green •r*l Blue colour signal from «deo recorder or camera enablng <■■ ■ . C !■>(«: ton ol colour cuciure* riDI Amiga Including VIOI-chrome £ 110.00 VIDI Chroma) C IS. 06 VIDI RGB t 64 06 wiNIGEN Genlock Adapter C 95.00 TRUEMOUSE WE GUARANTEE that this it tht smoothed, most responsive and accurate replacement mouse you can buy lor the Amiga. Excellent performance, amazing low price I £H y QC SATISFACTION I / .33 GUARANTEED GOLDEN IMAGE OPTICAL MOUSE Am.ga/ST compatible • ■Maw <r jwl & accuracy assured C 37.95 GOLDEN IMAGE HANDY SCANNER & TOUCH-UP Outitsfoig Qualify e>ceuenr value Ic* money - the peciege orude* a IfXMOOdO' scanner with earner opeon* fnn W amazingly ooaeriul TOUCHUP software package : tn» ■ — ■ v Scamer .rcluOM . ■ * ■ ■ t lor accural* •cam every ime Scan eilhar ■.. .- or Qray image* up 10 400a> Many irr-age erviarcemerf t ...... effect* available Irom wfiin Toucn-Us A iei*itiu> £179.00 INCLUDING VAT AND DELIVERY PHILIPS 1 5" TV/MONITOR With Its dedicated monitor input, this model combines the advantages of a high quality medium resolution colour monitor with the convenience of remote control Teteteit TV - at an excellent low price I £269 00 delivery & cebie Philips CM8833 Mk.ll inciurjirvg cable £ 249 00 if AMIGA SPECIAL DEALS AMIGA 500 SCREEN GEMS PACK Top-selling package includes Amiga 500 now Includes 1Mb RAM. plus 1Mb Drive and TV modulator, also 'Night Breed", 'The Beast 2\ 'Back to Ihe Future 2'. 'Days ot Thunder'. 'Deluxe Paint II'. A500 1MB SCREEN GEMS PACKAGE E 369.99 A500 Screen Gems Package PLUS Evesham Micros 37/' External Drive .. Z 419.99 LOOK WHAT ELSE YOU GET WHEN YOU BUY AN AMIGA FEATURE PACK FROM Evesham Micros] THE.SE _FABULOLJS_QAMES: Tracksult Manager 90 Jaws Treasure Trap Block Alanche Lost N Maie Olscman Battle Squadron Diet Riot Tank Battle Nigel Manieii Subbuteo • PLUS! A wordprocessor and spreadsheet AMIGA 500 CLASS OF THE 90'S PACK Pec* leeiures AJW compiler piui ASOl 5t?K DAM Upgrade TVModulaior B sen .are title* lODliki. rrou»emeta rnoie CLASS OF THE 90 s Package £ 549.00 Class of the 90's Pack plus 37»" Drive .. £ 600.00 AMIGA 1500 STARTER PACK ini-.iudos A1SOO computer (1Mb RAM. 2 x 3 /7* Dnvet. 8 expansion •lot*) Commodor* Hi-R»*oM>on Colour Monitor, plus Sollware including Detune Paint III 'Battle Class' Sim City' and The Worn* (buaine** sollwarol A1500 STARTER PACKAGE £949.00 AMIGA 500 COMPUTER BASE PACK Feature* a Oenuin* UK varson SI?* Cornrnodore AmiQa W0 computer mbi 1Mb iruemai Dnve TV Modulator Mouse Power Suppt, R»c«wan t 3 etc Mole Doe* nor mcMM etire *o/rw*nr . i ... a* mtn orher paciage* above Amiga 500 Base package c 307.49 A500 Pack as above, with 512K RAM/Clock titled.. C 337.49 A 500 Pack with External 3 1,' Drive C 349 99 A500 Pack with Eiternal 3 Drive and 51 2K RAM / Clock Upgrade filled £ 379.99 NEW! VIRUS PROTECTOR | | NEW! Olivetti DM124C Outstanding 24 Pin COLOUR Printer BANISH VIRUS PROBLEMS! Our compact Virus Protector Ills easlty lo Ihe Port ot the lasi disk drive in your Amiga system, protecting all Internal and external drives Irom boot block viruses. Incorporates a switch to enable or disable the protection facility. Top value I ONLY £9.95 REPLACEMENT A500 PSU Genuine Commodore Amiga AS00 type replacement Power Supply Unil. Good quality switch mode' type. Super low price! ONLY £39.95 MIDI INTERFACE : GET CONNECTED ! I Oui lu»y competuie. r»ot gua *i» MIDI rtertace cmnecis dueciiy *rih lr* Annoa ; j lenalpiyianlprovOesiN. CiJTS THRU porrs lor good lle'*>Wy Feaiures LED ' j ndcaiors on each port for SIIC purpOSO-; compaci design Ekapewt ONLY £19.95 PROFESSIONAL QUALITY 24-PIN COLOUR PRINTING NOW AVAILABLE - AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE ! Combining ine advantages ol advanced COLOUR oulput witn tne sbwrro/Quaiily ol Olivetti Prolessionai 24-c-n printing the new DM124C represenis excellent value lor moneyi Consisieni nign quafcly is assured every time, wnn no mk excesses or paie lines ai any speed Peace C* M-no lor trouble free use is Guaianjem wiin OiiveniS 1 2 Monins On-S«e Warranty cove* I _J Faal 200 cps oulpul in dralt. 50 cpa in Lellor Ouality mode j 7 Colour output. Grepttec* resolution up lo 360 x teodpi J Parallel Intenaco. Traclor & single Snoot Feed as standard J Complete with cable & 13 MONTHS ON-SITE WARRANTY Ollveni DM124C Normal RRP: £ 389.95 tnc.VAT I Evesham Micros ONLY £269.00| | Special Offer Price mc.vAT, Denary & cable | - Aufomsfic Cuf Sheet Feeder available lor only t 79.95 - STEREO SOUND SAMPLER S-S-S-SAMPLE THIS I Ottering full compatt>l>y with almost an, Amiga audio c*g«ser package, cur Sound Sampief leaiures excellent c*cu*ry yiettng proiessxmai resuts Tne main AO converter gr.es a cagnisng rosokinon ol up to SOKX/ with a last slew rale l*o phono sockets an? prevded loi siereo ime irom. pbs an option lor - i '.'>"- AdNislaUe gam is achieved wan ouam control knob Complete with publ>c domain disk containing sound sampling •ppi«atons I uiiilvs ONLY £29.95 NEW! TRACKBALL Excellent new high performance trackball ; diieciv compatible to any Amos or Atari ■ ST Operates Irom Ihe rr. . - . . . . • owl Super smoom. accurals and ; reasatiie • you probably wonl want to I use a mouse agam a'ler using ths I TrackbM ' Total one-handod • control Top Quality constiuclton • and Oplo-mecrtanieal oes>gn ; daevenng hign speed and accuracy every • lime No drivei soiiware needed ■ : pO/A/TaCOC P'tees Include VAT. #-#T##V/CICO delivery and coble EVESHAM MICROS SPECIAL OFFER ! All STAR Printers Include 1 2 months On-Slte Maintenance Star LC 10 Best-selting 9-pin pnnter. l44/36cps..£ 159.00 Star LC 200 9-Ptn Colcuf. 4 torts, l80/45cps £ 209.00 Star LC 24-10 24-Pin. 4 loots. 180A50cps £ 215.00 Star LC 24-200 24-Pin, 5 fonts, 200/67cps £ 249.00 Star LC 24-200C 7 colour version ot above £289.00 StarFR-109-pin Including Colour Upgrade £309.00 Star XB24-1 0 24-pin Including Coir. Upgrade £ 459.00 Cltuen Swifl-24 24-Pln COLOUR Printer Z 279.00 HP Deskjet 500 3 pageevminule 300 DPI irw,et prmter t 399.00 Olivetti DM100S 20OO0 cps 9-pm. «x 12 months OfS/M 1 1 15.00 PBrA** D "ic K»P1 123 ■ ,,i„n [,„, ;„.,,.: j tog oo ONLY £29.95 AT-Once "ardwar* PC EmuMlor lealuring CGA aru) Hercules emulauon support tor hard Oaks end enended memory No soloemg needed lor evuallaMn KCS Powerboerd Hardware PC EmuUiior wen ** own 1MB of RAM on Board. 5I2K useaue in Amiga mode Kkkaiart 1 3 Upgrade Amiga SO0 Dual Cover NEW! 37," DRIVE with LED Track Display SOFTWARE Kind Word*? Promt vs Diglte Home Account* Deluxe Pair* 3 Uelnre Vrtoo 3 C37 f>0 C 1I9SS I 59 96 E59 Of t t AMOS HiSofi Letlxce C GFA BASIC V3 GEA BASIC Compile' Oevoac ? IS Osney Amnvaiion Slinho Rog*rRabbf I 179.00 t 229 SB t 29 95 t 495 C 11000 (37 ■■■ r i7s c as US f 34 95 c ** '• r s 95 - » High quality double-sided 3.5" floppy drive offering the full 880K formatted capacrty per 3.5' drsk Featutes a special LED display which accurately shows ihe curtoni track bemg accessed during any disk d'tve activity. ONLY £74.95 □ BYTE BACK 4C. Ring us now! 0636-79097 we re programmed to help THE BEST OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN! DISK PRICES At! disks guatanieed virus (feel 1 disk - ... E1 99 10 disks * ftlo box £15.99 20 disks ♦ file boxes £24.99 Prices are inclusive, nothing lo add 1 AG. GAMES AG.01 Star Trek; superb game based on TV series. Featuring superb digitised graphics and sound 1 (2D-MB-3 disks) AG. 02 Various; Gravwars. Jackland, Paman. Othello. Empire. Hanoi.. AG.03 Star Trek (Agalron); Strategy game by Tobias Renter, Gormany's No. 1 Trekker* English version (2D-2 disks} AG. 04 Monopoly: lull version ol tho classic properly trading game' AG. 05 Pacman 87; Multi level version ol this addictive arcade classic AG. 06 Various; CosmoroidS. Amoeba. Crazy Eights. Blackjack, Backgammon. Daleks. Yahtzee. Stone Age, Ratmaze. Klondike Keno . AG 07 Board and Card games; Cluedo, Othello, Klondike and Cribbage AG. 09 Puzzle Maker; jigsaw puzzles trom IFF files Phis puzzle pro AG. 10 Space Invaders: Arcade classic version' Plus Lander. Amoeba. AG. 11 Tennis; excellent shareware sports simulation (MB) AG. 14 Flascheiber; Bouiderdash style game Almost commercial quality! AG. 15 Paranoid game; Arkanoid style, including a screen designer AG. 16 Castle ol Doom; Adventure game with graphics - beginners level AG.17 ST Bash; superb Spaco invaders inspired shool-em-up where the aliens are Atari ST related spntesi AG. 18 Golden Fleece; Superb intocom slandard adventure Tram, design a railway with 2 trains' Tron; 2 player ligtit cycle game Plus: Star Root. Kamikaze Chess. Tumblinq Tots... AG.22 Return to Earth; Elite style spaco trading game with excellent graphics and 'J y ti&*?J l-ouv] AG. 24 Drip; Arcade quality game with digitised sounds and smooth spntes! Plus: China Challenge, Super Gridder. Frogger. Air TraMic Control Sim.. Mutant, Ping Pong G.26 Zero; Ultima style role play. Plus: World; Infocom type adventure. Daleks. Caiiisto. Puzz. Pontoon.,, G.27 Star Trek (USA): Space strategy game Captain the USS Enterprise and repel Klmgon attacks! (2D-MB-2 disks) G.28 Quattro; Totrls style China Challenge, Mah Jong based puzzle game breaker; Breakout style with screen designer. Plus Aslerolds version... G.29 Chess; Superb multi teatured version with variable level ol play. Tiles; unusual Shanghai version. Battleships: groat Implementation ot the classic pencil and papoi game. Tetrls Two. 2 piayor puzzle game AH. HELP! AH 0i Adventure Game Solutions; Mors than 100 including: Dungeon Master. Future Wars. Ultima I to 5, Sierra. Inlocom, Bards Tale, Zak MacKracken. Maniac Mansion. Rainbird... Every adventure players dream! (2 disks) AU. UTILITIES AU.01 Jazzbench; Workbench upgrade wMh many indispensable features' Includes, show hidden tiles, show as text, show devices, alphabetise.,. AU.02 UEdlt; Excellent tile editor, a vast improvement on Ed' AU.03 OL Emulator; plus 2 data disks packed with dies. Superb' (3 disks) AU.04 Amiga Spell; Spelling checker, compatible with most word processors. AU.08 Various; Starchart 600 stars & galaxies. TXED. editor/word processor Persmait: personal Me manager AU.09 Midi Tools: Midi keyboard; live oclave. mouse operated keyboard., progchangod, change m»di channels etc AU.10 Graphic Utilities: Fontlixer. IFF convenor, palette convenor, boot utilities bootext, bootup. Plus: Memcheck. Disksalv. dragpack AU.11 Starchart: Astronomy program giving positions and movements ol all major constellations' AU.13 Vislcalc; Superb lull teatured spreadsheet with manual on disk AU.14 Various; Amcat, cataloguing system. Iconlype; change Icon type. recoverable RAMdisk, spell checker, black book; memo pad. DX synth voice library Classic Cave adventure. AU.15 Dope Inlro Maker; create demos with this user triendly package AU.17 D Copy; excellent disk copier, similar to the lull priced X Copy, very effective in Nibble model AU.18 North C; complete C environment lor iho Amiga! Amazing value! AU.19 SID; Workbench replacement with easy tile handling, improvod DMouse window control and many mote features AU.20 K.O. The Virus; virus detectors and killers' Includes; Virus x 4.1, Berserker, BBChampton. Rod Alert AU.21 Avoiding CLI; lots of useful utmtios otherwise only obtainable through CLI; FixDIsk. QulckCopy. PopDir. DiskOptl... AC. CLIP ART AC. 01 Deluxe Paint; lots of quality pictures in low, medium & high res AC. 02 Pagesotter Ad: Animals, tood, computers, lantasy, holidays, music. people patterns tOO's of pictures AC.04 IFF Alphabets; 30. screens ol professional quality character sets plus marble and wood surfaces Ideal tor headings, logos, titling... AC. 05 Animals, Anatomy. Buildings, Christmas. Construction ... AC. 06 Cartoons; Comic plcturos ot people, animals, funny objecls... AC.07 Holidays, home. Mags, flowers. miscellaneous... AC. 08 Music, people, places, school, religion, symbols, weddings.. AC. 09 Signs; lilies, logos, headings. spots, athletics, bowling, boxing, cncket. racing, football. Iishmg. horses, skiing... AC. 10 Teddy Bears; cute pictures - ideal lor present labels, greetings cards ol )ust for fun % AC. 11 Nightclub, clowns, dancing, vintage cars, bikes, boats, office, computers, industrial. . AC.12 Colour; occasions, transport signs, electrical, architecture... SND. SOUNDTRACKER ETC SND.Ot Soundtracker; Four versions ol this lavourlto music creation program SND. 02 Soundtracker 4; alternative version * instruments disk. (2 disks) SND.03 Sound Monitor; 20 demo scores • instructions in this superb sound package' Extra RAM and drive useful. Plus: Soundtracker file converter! Plus: Instruments disk. (2 disks) SN0.04 MED Music Editor; Soundtracker style music creator' Easy to use! STI.01 to STI.08 Instrument samples for Soundtracker or compatibles, 8 disks packed with 100's ot digitised samples! Buy any one disk or all 8 for only £999 STS.01 Sampled sound effects to use instead ot instruments! STS.02 Longer samples, many Irom films, Slar Wars 2001, Raiders AE. EDUCATIONAL AE.01 Blackboard Maths. Concontralion Colourpad, Cat & Mouse, Galactic Worm Animated Pointers, Shark (Age 5+) AE 02 Spelkjuiz. Wheel of Fonune, Tug 'o' Word, Flower Garden, Stepping Stones Maths test, Puppypix (Age 5*) AE.03 Fractals. Desktop Calculator. Function plotter. Evolution (Age It*) AE.04 Gravilywell, Weatherman. Gravslm. Airfoil. ..(Ago It *) AE.05 World data bank: CIA world map with political boundaries, view Irom anywhere, any height! Plus: 3D Plot, Calendar Factory. Stieiloe- (Aye H-i AE.06 Talking Spelling Tutor, Speech Toy. German Language Test, Study File Card System, Globe, Elements, Geolime. Text utilities (2 disks) (Age 11») AE.07 Educational graphics. Technical illustrations; Art. Biology, Geology Astronomy some animated like a pumping heart in the Biology section. Includes viewing programs Or load Into Deluxe Paint etc (Age 9*) AE FONTS AF.01 Cosmopolitan; Rangers. Petgnet. Avant Guard. Aldous. Celtic etc... AF.02 Fancy; Hollywood. Park Avenue, Broadway. Camelol, Couner. Ham. AF.03 Publishers; Helvetica. Akashl. Andovor, Bookman, Boxie. Times ... AF.04 Various; Unusual, videolants, large and small fonts. .Plus: various lont utilities etc... AW. WORKBENCH UTILITIES AW.03 Icons; Music. RAM, naughty, jet icons. Plus utilities, colourbench AW.04 Icon Development; design your own eons with Deluxe Paint! Example icons included. Showpic; slideshow AS. SLIDESHOWS AS. 01 Boris Vallejo Ij professional quality graphics in interlaced HAM' AS.03 Forgotten Realms; 13 digitised pictures wilh a fan las y theme AS.05 Exodus Real 3D show; 9 very impressive ray traced pictures AS. 06 Swtmsults; great pictures trom the U.S. Sports Illustrated mag. AS. 12 M.C. Escher; Animated slideshow of Eschors paradoiiical artwork... AS. 17 Agatron 4; 16 ray traced pics including one of the USS Enterpnse that took 38 hours to render! DELIVERY SERVICE ....and the keenest prices AD. DEMOS AD.01 Walker 1; digitised animalion ot Slar Wars imponal Walker (Mb) AD.02 Walker 2: digitised animation of Walker and helicopter* (Mb) AD. 04 Probe Sequence; incoming video pictures from an interstellar probe landing on an alien planet! Amazing' AD.12 Bolng Machine; it's Ray Traced, it's ncredlble. it's impossible . AD.13 Walking Cat; amazing revolwng diqllised animation ol walking cat! AD.16 Ghost Pool; stunning animation ol a play or less pool game AD. 18 Puggs In Space; extremely funny cartoon involving an alien creatine landing on Earth and exploring! AD. 21 Busy Bee; amazing Sculpt 30 animation of a large flying bee' (Mb) AD. 22 Democreators. Create your own demos with Bootwriter, Boolmaker. Boolboy. Boot generator, etc. . AD. 23 Ship and Sphere; super smooth Ray Traced film of spaco Ship 'lying round a glass ball. Masterpiece' (Mb) AD.24 NewTek Demo Reel 3; meted*!*? demo ot NewTek range fealunng some of the best sampled sounds, digitised pictures and animations you will see anywhere! Stunning!!! (Mb-2 disks) AD.25 Tho Run; Outrun style 3D film of a Lotus weaving through motorway traflic with polite car chasing (Mb) AD.26 Starllne Mega; smooth hi res lull screen scrolling pics, crystal dear hi-fi sound samples, enormous scrolling ie«t ■ highly recommended! AD.26 Stamp Collector; amusing film Involving a ghostly magnifying glass examining some naughty stamps' AD 29 Predators Megndemo; brilliant demos including some truly amazing animation and 2 games' (2 disks) AD.32 Vision Megademo IV; superb dlgrtised music and sound effects plus large graphics Brilliant! AU.35 Robert the Mercenary; amusing animation sequence including a gams where you can shoot some aliens! AD.36 Kefren's Megademo VIII; 10 demos Including: Kill tho Boast (Shadow of the Beast meets Xenon 2). Waikmar Kilt Victor. Vedormania (2 disks) AD. 37 Gymnast Demo; Ray Traced animation ot a gymnast performing a high bar routine. Recommended' AD 39 Agatron Animations; 3D lilm ol the USS Enterprise attacking USS Reliant. Plus walking Robot AD. 40 Luxor Teenager; Variation on this classic involving 2 anglepoiso lamps and a large red ball' AD.41 RGB: Badgekiller competilion winner 1 Produced with Director (Mb) AD.42 Comic on a Disk; whole graphic novel, page by page, on screen! AD.44 Laurel and Hardy; Digrtised clips from various films! (2 disks) AD.45 Star Trek, Dry Dock demo; the highly praised Ray Trace masterpiece! AD. 46 Stealthy Manoevre II; cartoon style Stealth Fighter animation AD. 47 Walker Demo; iho incredible 2 megabyte animation (2Mb-2 disks) To order any of Ihe above disks simply quote the required disk numbers. For a complete list ol our PD software ask for a FREE catalogue! TOP QUALITY DISKS - SENT BY RETURN OF POST! Cheque, postal orders or credit card facilities are available XJ BYTEBACK DEPT AF, 6 MUMBY CLOSE, NEWARK, NOTTS, JG24 1 JE Feature What should you do if your Amiga's heart stops beating? PaulTWhiteley takes his bedside manner to a sick machine THE Amiga is a well specified Idiosyncratic machine. Commodore bought it from a team of designers who wanted to set a standard instead of following an existing one. The Amiga shares its 68000 series main processor with the Apple Macintosh, Atari ST, the Sinclair QL and One per Desk machines. The main processor chip is where similarities end. At this point you enter a different plane. The hardware on the Amiga allows 4096 colours, stereo sound, sampling, MIDI, and a whole host of features brought by the foresight of a dedicated chip set and open architecture. The 1000 was the first Amiga, but the majority of machines in the UK are 500s. Together with a sprinkling of 2000s, a few 1500s and 3000s and not forgetting some interesting hybrids like the Checkmate 1 500 and the Bodega Bay. With such a highly specified and complicated machine you could be forgiven for thinking that there's nothing user friendly inside. Take care however and you could learn a lot about the Amiga ...and maybe even save yourself some money. Guaranteed to annoy Like all computers and electronic products, your Amiga comes with a stern warning. "Open me up and kiss your warranty bye bye." If all you want to do is play games, (which is no bad thing to do) then leaving your Amiga intact prob- ably won't be any great loss. But if you want to repair or trou- bleshoot inside the machine, you'll have to forget the warranty or wait until it's run out. If the machine is in warranty and it's ceased to proceed, it's probably the responsibility of Commodore or, more likely, your friendly computer dealer to make it work again. It you are completely silly and are devoid of a functioning brain cell you'll still np your Amiga open anyway. However if you have problems with a relatively new machine, gel It fixed by the people responsible! Preventive medicine No matter what you do to protect your Amiga from the rigours of human foibles there will come the day when a clumsy labrador chews the cables or it meets some other catastrophe that results in loss of function either partial or total. Although the Amiga is a tough cookie, it will only take so much. And while we are talking about repairs and problems surely it makes more sense to treat your computer with care and respect. Do not spill anything near it, or on it. Remember when you attach a peripheral of any kind to the machine, secure all fastenings. If you don't you could be gazing at an invoice. Those little thumbscrew things on the printer cable are not only for decoration. They secure the cable to the socket, thus making it more diffi- cult for a snagged cable to damage the socket The same rule applies for every cable or connecter. Peripherals which attach to the multiway connector on the side can be a danger so if possi- ble secure them in such a way that they cannot move in relation to the work surface. A simple tip is to place a sheet of Amiga Computing 99 Toolbox If you want to do your own repairs and fault finding you'll need these tools. Plan Screwdrivers l/C inserter-extractor lool Multimeter Soldering iron wider Assortment of pieces of wire, sockets etc Rolti tA Insulating tape Solder pump or desoldering braid Mull Icon? cable Wire cutters/snippers Bottle of Tequila Salt Lemon Anadin Alka Seluer If you think that repairs are as importani as your Amiga and want the ulti- mate posing tool for a technical anorak, you could spend £400 on an oscil- loscope confident that no one else would know how to use it either. wood or similar laid flat on the work surface. Mark out the position that your machine covers including all cables and peripherals and attach batons to the sheet. This will prevent the machine and its peripherals mov- ing around in relation to each other. Another way of avoiding costly repair bills is to make sure that all cables are secured in such a way that they cannot be snagged. Make mine a short One of the commonest problems with the Amiga or for that matter any home computer is live or dead short circuits caused by strain on cables. A dead short is the least harmful but sometimes the most difficult to track. This is caused when a cable, wire or track on a printed circuit board is broken by a sharp tug or strain. Normally, the net result is a mal- functioning computer that can be repaired by re-soldering or tracking. The live short is more dangerous. This is caused in the same way but instead of a line, wire or cable break- ing, two or more touch together. Because the circuit remains live, this can damage other components. The knock on effect of a live short is that several components may be unserviceable. In a bad case a live short can cause sparking and burn- ing. If this happens, insulate yourself, and remove the plug from the wall. By depriving your machine of its power you have assured that the damage cannot continue to get worse. If your problem is within a moni- tor and you intend to open it up and attempt diagnosis or repair, remem- ber that a monitor can carry a Jot of 'stored' power and even when not plugged in can give you a shock big enough to stop your heart. If in doubt, leave well alone and call a professional. Bits and pieces If your job requires replacement of a component or an integrated circuit (chip), a few simple rules will make the job pass without problem. Work with plenty of light so that you can see what you're doing. Always keep plenty of open con; lainers around for screws and other bitties to avoid them ending up on the floor. Get any documentation or other paperwork into a place where you can easily refer to it Prepare and label the components ready for replacement. This may sound a little silly but if you've two identical processors on the table how do you know which is faulty by look- ing? Do the job one step at a lime, take notes and label everything that you have saying what it is and where it came from. If it's possible to fit it in more than one way as in the case of an IC, describe its position. An IC won't work if it's in backwards. Gone to war Work with the premise that you may be dragged away for a few months. When you get back you should be able to refer to your notes and con- tinue as if you hadn't left. If there are any bits left when you've finished (and there will be) find out where they're from and replace them. Manufacturers worry too much about money for any of those spare screws not to have a use. They do matter and should be replaced. And finally... Being able to work on your machine can be a useful skill and one to develop. Know your limitations and onfy take on jobs that you can either finish or ask a friend to supervise you through. If you open up your Amiga while there's still warranty, it will be invalidated. If you start a job and it gets too much, bring in a profession- al. Better to look a right prat than wreck a good computer... Safety first Although your Amiga uses low voltages don't work with the power on. A live short that you don't know about could kill you. A read through the coroners reports of any town will confirm that lots of dead people knew better. Get a professional There's no substitute (or knowl- edge. Although you may think that you can tackle the occasional job on your machine, it's good to know that there are services avail- able that can do the work quickly and efficiently. FMG These are the people Commodore trust with servicing all Amiga's sold in the UK. If your machine goes "pop" during the warranty period it will end up at their workshop. It is worth remembering that (heir expertise is available at a reason- able cost after your warranty expires. Commodore trust them, so you can too. Simpson Electronics: Supplier of parts and components for the Amiga. The firm will under- take most jobs and offer help and advice if you're going to attempt it yourself. Lad broke: Initially an ST specialist Ladbroke was quick to notice the potential of the Amiga and has technical staff able to undertake all kinds of Amiga repairs service and upgrades. Tandy: Chain store specialising in tools and components. Annoyingly they don't seem to stock the unusual 23D Amiga connectors but they generally have everything else that you need. Maplin: Catalogue company specialising in electronics. Catalogue on sale in WH Smith for £2. Worth getting for interesting projects. Not Too Difficult If you're determined to try a few repairs or upgrades, don't take on a job that's beyond you. Most importantly, start with simple tasks that can be checked before you blow up your Amiga. Leads are an Ideal initial repair job. You can fabri- cate or repair a monitor lead and test It without plugging it in. The important thing with a lead is to check continuity and be sure that there are no live shorts. This can be done (but it's a fiddle) with a battery and flashlight bulb, a couple of wires and a pair of probes made from a steel needle and a mini crocodile clip. Each line on the lead can be checked and cross checked to be sure of the signal integrity. Another useful way to learn your way around the inside of your machine Is to fit an internal peripheral such as the Power Computing Internal ASOO hard drive, a large internal RAM expansion or the Vortex AT Once board. The AT Once is a good example as it comes with Instructions that offer a step by step guide through the fitting of the boards illustrated with pho- tographs. The process involves opening the machine, removing keyboard and cover and removing the central processor and the gate array (GARY) from the board. There isn't any soldering so It's a job that requires manual dexterity and a little thought but no potentially destructive processes. In the mean- time happy hunting. 1 00 Amiga Computing ty cmm ■■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ wmm M A a ■ ■ 1 ■ ■■ k. ■ ■ ■ Xeues' Rnvirncie Mffrulin | »<lin<j Pukadu: Ulr ,im .nlr rJyliv.lr.ilifiv u.hih: Rainbow Warrior Avwvimi .'.ivt-rdi Inn School 3 H-olilnll/ .imntfMl f<»l l,i'.l .icliim hoii/oiiMltv MfOflmg stall Willi 1li.il |imli'v.«m.il fniirli lo kii«|i ymi tor winch ifinlili". yon lo i.mmIi- r.O|i|wl low up lo tlwt fiurnrjur uw f*\t mHIuhj "l> U. ' |N«w lit"' Willi AM(1S| |il,)YHH| |Slwiirw.in?| liM ti.i<:kilmp\ |l'ii!ihc l)oin.iiil| Inn School 7 [f)»t now f?4 W| With UK sales racing past the 25.000 mart since its launch in June AMOS - The Creator has lo be the biggest-selling wn-game package ever for Ihe Amiga. Every day new programs flood into Mandarins office: Games, educational programs, musical Jukeboxes, scrolling demos, font definers - and all are a tribute to the sheer power and ease of use of AMOS. Its graphical power brings an unprecedented level ol professionalism to even Ihe most elementary programs. Wilh AMOS it is simplicity itself lo display pictures in any graphics mode (Including HAM and overscan); add copper list rainbows: write text using any Deluxe Paint font; overlay windows; add pull-down menus; send soft- ware and hardware sprites spiralling round the screen; and add atmospheric music created in Soundtracker. Noise- tracker, Sontt orGMC But AMOS also has a more serious side loo: Amiga owners are creating icon-driven databases, in-company training programs, home finance packages, COTV applica- tions and so on. AMOS is so successful that the independent AMOS Club already has more than 1. 000 members [contact: The AMOS Club, 1 Lower Moor, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple. Devon EX328NW). Theres also a rapidly expanding Public Domain library with more than 50 discs available {contact: Sandra Sharkey. 25 Park Road, Wigan. Lancashire WW 7AA. Tele- phone: 0942 495261). With all this enthusiasm and support, AMOS Is the perfect package to unleash your creativity and design pro- grams beyond your wildest dreams. AMOS is yours for only £49.99 "Worth every penny - get it now!" - Amiga Format SOFT WA R E Please send me: AMOS -The Creator and FREE Extras disc i I enclose a cheque for £49.99 payable lo Mandarin Software P& P free in the UK. Add £2 tor Europe. Expiry date /_ □ Please debit my Access/ Visa/Connect card number: □□□□ □□□□ □□□□ □□□□ N3(n6>rtf*rtHMtttMltMM»ifiMHIiMHitiii»M<tMttt |ttti»)lM(M A(1dr6SS l*l «H I«l* m t H *t m» »l MH **ili » ih titi MM ti Hm ttt M iii Postcode Send to: Database Direct, FREEPOST. Ellesmere Port. South Wirral L65 3EB. AMC6 24-HOUR ORDER HOTLINE: 051-357 1275 WE WILL BEAT THAT PRICE UNTIL IT HURTS Dl A WE WILL BEAT THAT PRICE UNTIL IT SCREAMS O N D COMPUTER SYSTEMS LTD On all OKI, Commodore & Philips computer products and peripherals, we will match any lower quoted price from any of our competitors and give you an extra £5.00 off. This applies only to genuine U.K. stock. Our staff will smile even if we lose money. -J^F NEW PacK 1Mb NEW 1Mb AMIGA AMIGA AMIGA 500 MEGA PACK INCORPORATING AMIGA 500 + 512KRAM IM&Dilk Onve 4096 Colours Moum ' Three Manual! ' Operating System ■ luflMfl Speech 1 TV Modulator E.tra 5t2k RAM with Clco ONLY £285.00 WITH 8833 MK II Colour Monitor ONLY £449.00 PacK AMIGA 500 SKILL PACK INCORPORATING AMIGA 500 + Dish Storage Box ' Three Manuals 1Mb Dtsk Dnve 1 Opefating System 4098 CWourt * Buill-m Speech md.^i Synth— Ii T V Modulator * EXTRA 512k RAM Oust Cover " Mouse Mai 103.5" Dlaka " Dpainl II "DIAMOND MEGA 10 GAMES' Chess Player 2150. Daiissorm, Dungeon Quest. E4Aotlon. Grand Vonswr Slam, Kid Gloves, Rk* Oengerous, RvF "onda, Shutnepock Cafe. Socce' ♦ Joystick onlv £309.00 WITH 8833 MK II Colour Monitor ONLY £475.00 PacK AMIGA 500 MEGA PACK INCORPORATING 51 2K RAM "Three Manuals 1 Mb Dish Drive ' Operating System 4096 Colours ' Built-in Speech Mouse Synthesis T V Modulator • MEGA PACK 20 GAMES ' Chess Player. Data&lorm. Dungeon Quest. E-Motkm. Grand Monster SUm Kid Gloves. Rick Dangerous, RVF Hondo, Shuftepuc* Cafe. Soccer, Golden Ave, Hard Drtvm, Phooia. North . South, S'Uiwo'ni,Shookweve. Continental Circus. Turrtcan, X-Oul. Ninja Warriors • JOYSTICK only £309.00 WITH 8833 MK II Colour Monitor ONLYE475.00 AMIGA 500 NINJA PACK INCORPORATING AMIGA 500 + Disk Storage Bo. 1M0 Disk Dhva 4096 Colours t.'ou-e TV. Modulator Dust Covet 10 3.5" Disks Three Manuals ' Operating System ' Built-in Speech Synthesis ' EXTRA 512* RAM Mouse Mai ' Dpalnt II ■DIAMOND MEGA 10 GAMES' Golden Axe, Hard Onvin', Phoota. North & South, SI* Worm. Shockwave, Continental Circus, Turrtcan, X out Warners . Joystfck only £309.00 WITH 8833 MK II Colour Monitor ONLY £475.00 All prices exclude VAT No. 1 FOR new PacK new AMIGA 500 AXE PACK INCORPORATING - 512K RAM ' Three Manuals * l Mb Dtt* Onve " Operating System ■ 4096 CoWum - Bu.ft-ln Speech Mouse Synthesis " TV. Modulator " 10 GAMES " GokJen Axe, Hafd Dnvin, Phobia, North & South, Silk Worm. Shockwave. Continental Circus, Turrican. Ninja Warriors * joystick only £285.00 WITH 8833 MK II Colour Monitor ONLY £449.00 PacK EDUCATION PACK FROM DIAMOND AMIGA 500 512k RAM board Mouse mat ' Dust Cover ' Funschool only £299.00 instructional videos AMIGA MADE EASY part 1 ONLY £13.00 AMIGA MADE EASY part 2 ONLY CI 3.00 Diamond Retell Outlets Around The United Kingdom • Dorset $0202 716226 •Bristol <t> 0272 693545 •Manchester <© 061 257 3999 •Southampton D 0703 232777 • London f 081 597 8851 • Warwickshire B 0926 312155 • Edinburgh B 031 554 3557 512k RAM Upgrade with clock ONLY £25.00 512k RAM Upgrade with clock AND Disk Drive ONLY £69.00 COMPUTERS FOR BUSINESS At DIAMOND COMPUTER SYSTEMS we can provide you with expert advice on all your business requirements. We always have a large range of computers and software in stock. In addition to our desktop range of both Amigas and PC compatibles, we also carry a wide choice of laptops and personal organisers. V 9 Ft V %* W ° fd PIN Da fs> If Processor QUALITY ■ nV/l\ & DTP I V PIN PA K ULTIMATE QUALITY 1 ^V^I% pACK PacK AMIGA 500 COLOUR AMIGA 500 PLUS HOME OFFICE A590 20Mb Hard Disk with 2Mb RAM * 51 2K RAM board The ultimate word '20 FREE 3 1/2" disks * Philips 8833 Mk II Monitor processor/DTP pack 80 Disk Capacity, Disk Box ONLY £200.00 " STAR LC200 ' Integrated Word * Connecting Lead processor A590 20Mb Hard Disk ■ DTP 0Mb RAM C229.00 PLUS HOME OFFICE ' Spreadsheet 51 2K RAM C24P.00 1Mb RAM C200.OO 77?© ultimate word " Database 2Mb RAM £270.00 processor/DTP pack ' Intergrated Word Processor PLUS 24 pin SWIFT 24 colour printer IVS TRUMPCARD ' DTP Including colour kit D590 40Mb Hard Disk * Spreadsheet PLUS 0Mb RAM £200.00 ' Database 51 2K RAM Board Philips 8832 Mk II Monitor 2Mb RAM £3404)0 4Mb RAM £200.00 £649.00 £699.00 6Mb RAM £440,00 8Mb RAM £400.00 For Details of Mr. Diamond s Incredible A2000 Part Exchange Deals, See Page 3 Of This Advertlsment LEISURE SOFTWARE SPECIALS Hard Drivin' £4.20 Phobia £4.20 North and South Silkworm £4.26 Shockwave £4.28 £4.25 Continental Circus £4.20 Turrican v r\. .« £4.20 Ninia Warrior* ?A OA Table Tennis £4.20 Chess Player 2150 £4.20 Datastorm C4.26 Dungeon Quest £4,26 E-Motion £4.28 Grand Monster Slam £4.26 Kid Gloves £4.20 Rick Dangerous RVF Honda £4.26 £4.28 Shufflepuck Cafe £4.26 Soccer £4.26 Blood Money £4.20 APPLICATION SOFTWARE HOME OFFICE KIT ONLY £89.00 For a very limited perion. Mr Diamond is virtually giving away the Home Office Kit. This package comprises a suite of six programs selected (or their flawless performance and ease of operation. Everything you need to analyse your cashflow to producing a professional reports. Word Processor Spreadsheet Database Paint Desk Top Publishing KindWords2.0 MaxiPlan Plus IntoFile Artist's Choice PageSetter PLUS 35 Cale Fonts and the Postscript utility LaserScrlpt THE GREAT DIAMOND PART EXCHANGE DEAL TRADE IN YOUR OLD AMIGA 500 FOR ONE OF OUR NEW AMIGA 1500 s. You get the base unit plus Ihe 1500 software pack comprising Deluxe Paint III (the video paint system) + tour games. Their Finest Hour. Sim City, Populous, Battle Chess. FREE collection from your home or offlcel PRICE ONLY £425.00 With a monitor £599.00 GENLOCKS Rendale 8802 £00.00 G2 £400.00 DISKS DISKS DISKS SONY BULK 3.5" 135 tpl only 30p each WANT A 2000? GOT A 500? SWAP IT FOR ONLY £299.00 GREAT AMIGA DEALS FROM DIAMOND lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllDDD A2000 B revision 48Mb ^ HD £789.00 EZ1 AMIGA A 1500 1Mb RAM. 3.5" floppy disk drive, base machine with 2x 3.5" floppy disks and software pack £559.00 all above + Monitor £733.00 with XT Brldgeboard £835.00 INCREDIBLE PX OFFER visit Mr. Diamond and discover what your A500 is worth in part exchange XT Bridgeboard 5.25" floppy drive £129.00 AT Bridgeboard with either 3.5" or 5.25" floppy drive £499.00 The NEW Commodore AMIGA AMIGA 3000-25-40 25Mhz, 40 Mb hard disk £1995.00 AMIGA 3000-25-100 25Mhz. 100Mb hard disk £2295.00 AMIGA 3000 4Mb RAM expansion £299.00 This machine is a veritable «wxwtaiton; n comes wnh Workbench 2.0 - Thane* Commodore Multi-tasking Operating System - It can run the normal video monitor or a multisync monflor without having to lit a niche* fuer ft can even run under UNIX This Is the machine to set the standard for professional use m the 1990s. AMIGA If you have reached the limits of the A500 then take advantage of the Diamond Part Exchange Upgrade Option. Swap your 1 Mb A500 lor an A200 for ONLY £299.00 Mr. DIAMOND AMIGA 2000 PACK A2000 Rev. B 48Mb Autobooting Hard Disk, 28ms average access ONLY £769.00 With Colour Stereo Monitor ONLY £959.00 A2000 base machine £399.00 Ex-demo A2000 £549.00 PC XT & AT Compatibility for AMIGA XT Bridgeboard 5.25" (loppy drive £1 29.00 AT Bridgeboard with either 3.5" or 5.25" floppy drive £499.00 IVSTRUMPCARD tor AMIGA 1 500 & 2000 The IVS Trumpcard Is the top selling SCSI hard drive controller. Representing the latest in technology directly from the USA. it will fit in either the A1500 or A200O. It is the only controller which will support IBM. Amiga and Apple MAC partitions on one hard disk. This allows you to run software for the three main hardware platforms In one machine. No more compatibility problems, only one computer can do this. - HARD DRIVE UNITS Memory Upgrades tor your Amiga 1500 & 2000 with the SUPRA 8Mb RAM board Bare board £69.00 2Mb populated £59.00 4Mb populated £117.00 6Mb populated £175.00 8Mb populated £233.00 High Res 1024x768, 0.28 dot pitch Multisync Monitor £295.00 AMIGA 3.5" external Drive £45.00 ST157N-1 ST177N-1 ST1096N ST296N ST1126N ST11262N ST1201N ST1239N 48 Mb 60Mb 83Mb soon 28ms 20ms 20ms 28ms 111Mb 15ms 142Mb 15ms 177Mb 15ms 211Mb 15ms £199.00 £239.00 £285.00 £239.00 £449.00 £499.00 £599.00 £629.00 SYQUEST 44Mb 28ms removeable cartridge drive. £539.00 IVS Trumpcard tor above add £99.00 To get those flicker free high res modes, use the FLICKER FIXER video card. ONLY £259.00 Installation and formatting £25.00 : h SpeedUp — your 1500. 2000, 3000 with a Co-processor Board PHILIPS I 8833 Mkll colour monitor Phone for details only E199 D501 512k RAM card + clock ONLY £25.00 CHIPS & DISKS We only sell new chips A590 Memory chips 0.5Mb £15.00 1.0Mb £30.00 2.0Mb £59.00 A590 2Mb Populated £279.00 SUP BOARD & CHIPS Bare Board (0Mb) £69.00 add cost of RAM to your specification 2Mb * £59.00 4Mb +£117.00 6Mb +£175.00 8Mb +£233.00 DISK CONTROLLER CARDS The GRANDSLAM, new SCSI controller from IVS. Extra Parallel port - space for 8Mb on board RAM ONLV £199.00 NEXUS SCSI hard disk controller card - space for 8Mb on board RAM. ONLY £175.00 D501 512k RAM card + Disk Drive ONLY £69.00 MONITORS ALL PHILIPS U.K. MONITORS HAVE 1 YEAR ON SITE GUARANTEE PHILIPS 6833(U.K.) Colour Monitor with stereo sound + FREE LEAD & DUST COVER Only £199.00 DIAMOND Multisync Monitor Only£295.00 COMMODORE 1084/s Only £189.00 COMMODORE 1084/SD Monitor Only £199.00 DISKS FOR A LIMITED PERIOD WE ARE SELLING HIGH QUALITY 3.5' SONY BULK DISKS AT ONLY £0.30 EACH PRINTERS & RIBBONS STAR LC3O0 COLOUR CITIZEN >24D OKIDATA LASER 400 PHILIPS MNS143Z CITIZEN SWIFT 24 WITH COLOUR PANASONIC KXP'iias OK I MATE 20 STAR LC MONO STAR los*/ io RIBBONS OKI 20 COLOUR OKI 20 BLACK PANASONIC KXP/1124 KXPlOW1«a JUKI 6100 M. TALLY mtbo STAR LC10 STAR LC10 COLOUR STAR LC24/10 EPSON ueoa AMSTRAD PMP4000 £163.00 £162.00 £599.00 £99.00 P.O.A. P.O.A. £159.00 £130.00 £119.00 P.O.A. QUANTITY EACH 2 6 12 £7.00 £6.50 £6.20 £6.60 £6.20 £6.00 £7.50 £7.00 £6.50 C3.95 £3.80 £3.60 £1.75 £1.60 £1.50 £3.50 £2.70 E2.50 £3.95 £3.70 £3.50 £6.50 £6.00 £5.50 £6.50 £5.90 £5.50 £2.50 £2.10 £1.90 £3.85 £3.70 £3.40 APPLICATIONS XCAD Designer £59.00 Platinum Works! £75.00 Transcript W/P £25.00 ProPage 2.0 £99.00 Pro Draw 2.0 £69.00 Superbase 4.0 £99.00 Hyperbook £29.00 Descartes Maths £19.00 VIDEO SECTION PAINT FRAMEGRAB Deluxe Paint II I £49.00 DigiView Gold 4.0 £75.00 Digipaint III £50.00 Rombo Vidi £69.00 Photon Paint II £20.00 Disney Animation Sprite £3.00 Studio £70.00 Icon Paint £3.00 Comic Setter £20.00 VIDEO TITLING Video Studio £99.00 AUDIO MUSIC AUDIO Al the latest and best audio and music packages «om Mr Diamond at tne keenest pnces MusicX ver 1.1 £59.00 Perlect Sound £39.00 Audio Engineer £149.00 MasterSound £25.00 Quartet £33.00 MIDI l/F £26.00 Keyboard £25.00 LUC Microsales I2I Regents Street Leamington Spa - Warks TEL 0926 312155 FAX 0926 883432 OPEN ON SUNDAYS ▼ ^ Diamond Computers Lid ^ 144 Ferry Road ^ Edinburgh ^ Scotland ^ TEL 03 1 554 3557 ^ OPEN ON SUNDAYS ▲ Diamond Computers Ltd 1022 Stockport Road Manchester TEL 061 257 3999 FAX 061 257 3997 This Voucher is worth 25% Oft all ABACUS computer books WHEN ORDERING PLEASE QUOTE AC06 HOW TO ORDER Simply telephone through your order, giving your Access or Visa card Number or send a cheque or postal order to your Local Dealer. All prices exclude VAT unless otherwise staled. Next Day Courier Service Delivery £10.00 Please allow 5 working days for cheque clearance. Bankers drafts clear on the same day All price* m coneci ai >tme of 1« prc« hm may Jtm»r wiihiiul mHkt. THE Diamond PRICE PLEDGE fc In the extremely unlikely eivnt that you are able to find a better price on any goods currently available through 'Diamond', then we unit match that price; and on Commodore & 'Philips products we unit not only match the price of our competitors, we will even give you £5.00 as well? This does nor apply io sales <v special pnees and or v appl«s at the time ol purchase Diamond Computers Ltd 84 Lodge Road SOUTHAMPTON TEL 0703 232777 FAX 0703 232679 Diamond Computers Ltd 406 Ashly Road POOLE - Dorset TEL 0202 716226 FAX Diamond Computers Ltd 227 Filton Avenue Bristol TEL 0272 693545 FAX 0272 693223 LAN Computer Systems 1045 High Road Chadwell Heath - Romford TEL 08 1 597 8851 FAX 081 590 8959 IWUJJf 1 rmDAY! April '91 saw tite launch of ait efecfronic entertainment magazine wiffi a difference - if comes out eveiy week. 1 «~ Massive £80,000+ software giveaway compo! *~ More coverage of the games scene than any other magazine - over 140 editorial pages per month! *r Coverage of every games machine on the market including: Amiga, Atari ST, C64, Spectrum, Sega, Nintendo etc The best quality coverage in full colour from the biggest editorial team on any UK games magazine! Available every Friday priced 60p from just about every newsagent in the UK! <•> The first news, the latest reviews, the telling interviews - buy it every week! ri/V/l Probably the world's most exciting weekly guide to games Feature When the time comes to add extra beef to your Amiga, there are some fairly obvious areas that deserve attention. Most people soon realise that an extra half meg of memory and an external floppy drive would be nice. The next stage is normally to add a better mouse or a monitor. So what next? In this concluding part of "Expand and Deliver' we set our sights a little further afield and investigate networking modems, genlocks, emulators and all those other bits of kit that people seem to buy, and then find a use for... Data sharing Do you feel lonely when you use your Amiga? If so, then a modem could be the answer to your dreams. Made famous by such scare-monger- ing movies as 'War Games', the modem will let you communicate with other computer users by linking your machine to the standard tele- phone network. Using a modem costs money, so it's worth investing in the fastest modem you can afford, although you must also be aware that many on-line systems cannot cope with certain speeds. Some on-line systems support 4800 baud modems, but the vast majority won't support anything faster than a 2400 baud modem. The price of modems has dropped considerably In the last two years or so, so getting on-line is not quite as expensive as you might believe. Typically, a fairly well endowed 2400 baud modem can be picked up for around £180. Closer to home, it's also possible to connect together several Amigas in a network, therefore allowing them to share programs and periph- erals (hard drives, printers etc). In a professional environment, network- ing can cut the cost of upgrading several Amigas by a considerable amount - instead of having to buy such things as hard drives for each machine, you can buy one large drive (which usu- ally works out cheaper) and share between several machines. Several companies now produce network systems, although it's worth checking out all the options available before splash- ing out. As the old rule stipulates, don't buy the first that you see - you may live to regret H! Working along the same lines as a modem, you can also set up your Amiga to send and receive facsimile (fax) messages. Currently two such systems exist - Mlchtron's FastFax and Applied Engineering's DataUnk system. Michtron's product is per- haps the better of the two, but ifll set you back £600 (a real fax can be picked up for just £4001)- Video visuals Video graphics are an all-important aspect of Commodore's marketing strategy, so it comes as no surprise that the video hardware market has been flooded with innovative prod- ucts ranging from gen- locks and flicker fixer cards, to 24- bit frame buffers which offer near broadcast quality dis- plays. Cenlocking is one application that really sets the Amiga apart from its closest rival. For little more than a £100, you can overlay computer graphics onto a com- posite video source to create titles and special effects for your home movies. I won't go into too much depth about the kind of fea- tures you should be looking for • you'll find these within my Desktop Video column elsewhere within this issue. Moving into the realms of profes- sional video graphics, the last six months have seen an explosion In the number of 24-bit graphics cards available for the Amiga. Most are a bit on the pricey side (£1500+), but several companies in the States have started to market budget 24-bit cards that costs little more than a couple of hun- d r e d pounds. Most promising of ail these is the HAM-E 24-bit RGB card from Black Belt Systems. Their card runs on all Amigas and sells for just Expand and deliver jason Holborn uses his peripheral vision to conclude Amiga Computing's expansion S300. It offers full compatibility with a range of 24-bit file formats including 24-blt IFF, Targa, GIF, Dynamic HIRes and SHAM formats, plus a load more besides. It comes complete with 24-bit paint and ren- dering software, making It an excit- ing proposition for anyone interested in Amiga graphics. Expect a full review soon. Interlacing may be a real pain on the eyes, but It's just the ticket for video work. However, if you've tired out the old interlace hop, then you can rid your machine of it forever by fitting any one ol a number of flicker fixer cards. These ingenious devices convert the Amiga display lo a rock steady picture that would put a VGA PC to shame. Unfortunately, you also need to buy an expensive multisync montor, so they're very much restricted to the more affluent Amiga users amongst you. On the horizon Is the most excit- ing video peripheral yet. Currently only available in NTSC format, NewTek are hard at work on a PAL version of their ground-breaking VldeoToaster effects system, It com- bines a broadcast quali- ty genlock and effects system, with 24-bit graphics capabilities. Don't expect it for a fair ok) time yet, though. Hard driviiT Floppy drives are all well and good, but they have a number of distinct disadvantages. For starters, they are soooo slooow - «ven relatively small files seem to take an eternity to load. Secondly, even the Amiga's fairty well hung drives just can't handle enough data. They're ok i* you're using your Amiga for nothing more than a bit of word processing, but you'll soon start to feel held back once you start messing around with 24-bit graphic and PostScript files. Of course what you really need h a mass storage device, the most common of which is the hard drive. If you've never used a hard drive- based Amiga, then you simply won't even be able to comprehend what a difference such a device makes to the Amiga Suddenly everything becomes so much smoother and so JJA much faster. No more do you have -t] to mess around with disk wapping - •verything is there on a single high speed storage device. Hard drives come in a range of different sizes, starting at about 20 Amiga Computing 107 "iiiiiiiiiiiiii Mbytes and moving up to multi- gigabyte in size. Most cheap Amiga hard drives offer 20 Mbytes of stor- age, but it's worth spending a little more for a higher capacity drive - preferably at least 40 Mbytes. You may think thai 20 Mbytes sounds like an awful lot of storage, but you'll be surprised how quickly it'll get filled. With the imminent launch of Commodore's CDTV system, another storage device worth considering is that of CO-ROM. You can't directly write to a CD-ROM disc (you'll need a £3000* WORM drive for that!), but they have one very major advantage over hard drives - their sheer size. A single CD-ROM disc can store over 600 Mbytes of data, which is over 30 times that which Commodore's A590 can handle. Commodore have announced that they will be producing an exter- nal CD-ROM drive for existing Amigas later this year, but US-based Xetec have beaten them to It. Xetec's drive is fully CD-TV compati- ble, so you'll still be able to take advantage of CD-TV software once it is made available. To keep you going, Xetec actually include a free 'Fish & More' CD- ROM disc which contains the entire Fred Fish collection of PD disks - all 360 of theml If you're using a hard drive, things can go wrong - read writes errors are a regular occurance, but by far the worst fear of hard drive users is the dreaded head crash which usual- ly results in you losing everything on your drive. What you need is a backup device. If you're using a high capaci- ty drive, then a good bet is a tape streamer, a sort of glorified tape recorder which backs up an entire Feature Undercover Amigas Question: When Is an Amiga not an Amiga? Answer when It's a Mac, a PC, a Unix system, a BBC micro, or even an ST.... With little more than an Inexpensive piece of hardware and some clever software, you can trans- form your Amiga into a clone of just about any major computer you can think of. There are emula- tors for all the major 8-bit micros - the BBC, the C64, the QL (yes, the QL is an 8-bit!) and even the Spectrum 48k! For the poseurs amongst you, it's even possible to transform your Amiga into a fully functional clone of an Apple Macintosh, therefore allow- ing your Amiga to take advnateg of the vast range of quality pro ductivity software (well, DTP software, actually) available for Apple's baby. Things really 'start to hot up when it comes to emulating a PC compatible - there are now no fewer than four different hardware PC emulators available! For the A500, the best Is undoubtedly Bitcon's KCS Power PC Card, although SDL's ATonce is still worth a look fust because of its multitasking capa- V bilitles. For those of you with megabucks to spare, then Commodore's new Unix card for the A3000 Is well worth checking out. It's a complete Unix system on a card that's based around the lat- est release of AT&T's multitasking, mul- tiuser operating system. You may not have heard a great deal about it on the home computer scene, but Unix is big business In the corporate market. hard drive onto dedicated tapes that look not unlike those of the audio variety. Once again, Xetec also produce a tape streamer which they sell for about S500. These come in two sizes - 60 Mbytes and 150 Mbytes - and are bundled with all the neccessary software to get you started. If you can't quite afford a hard drive, then a high density floppy drive may just be the thing your looking for. Applied Engineering pro- duce a 3.5ln high density drive which can pack a whopping 1.52 Mbytes of data onto a single high density floppy. This can be bought for about £1 30. Modes rule OK! The Amiga 500 is a pretty versatile machine as. far as expansion possibilities go, but it's still not expandable as its big brothers the A2000 and A3000. However, spotting a gap in the market, several manufacturers have come up with 'expansion ules' which allow the Amiga 500 to use hardware devices designed exclusively for the high end-Arnigas. The first to arrive was the A1500 from London-based Checkmate Digital. For £230, Checkmate's expansion console is a solid replace- ment casing for the A500 that makes the machine look more like its big brother, the A2000. The keyboard is brought out of the A500 casing to live in its own external steel casing which is attached to the main system unit via a curly cable. It provides space for two drives internally, plus an extra kit is available to allow A500 owners to move the A590 hard drive inside the Al 500. Checkmate are still hard at work on an extra 'OverRider' module which promises to add A2000 expansion slot-compatibili- ty to the A1500. This has been in the pipeline for over a year now, but Checkmate recently revealed that the kit is finally reaching completion. More promising still is the Bodega Bay modular expansion console from US-based hardware manufacturer, California Access. Unlike the Checkmate unit, the Bodega Bay offers full 2000-card compatibiity as standard, split between four A2000 100-pin slots (for RAM expansions, hard drives etc) plus three overlap- ping XT/AT-compatible slots. The Bodega bay can handle the acclaimed Bridgeboard PC emulator, plus there's an option to have an A2000 video slot fitted (for such things as genlocks etc). 108 Amiga Computing Explore the wide, wide world of communications with your computer Now — all the features of expensive modems. At a price that cannot be bettered anywhere! Connect your EuroLink modem to your computer and telephone and you're ready lo go - to explore the rapidly-expanding world that lies beyond your keyboard. It turns your computer into a COMPLETE communications centre... a telex machine, a fax machine, an electronic mail terminal. It lets you keep up to date with the latest news, sport and weather. It becomes a retrieval tool that lets you search out and store data from the world's leading electronic libraries. It enables you to download a wide variety of free software, from productivity packages to leisure programs. With your EuroLink modem you can access leading information services such as the UK's Prestel/ ONLY Micronet and Telecom Gold, a multitude of bulletin boards, C/^t^M^J and the biggest of them all, the world-beating CompuServe. WtMmMm # +va EXTRA! Every purchaser of a EuroLink modem will be given FREE membership of CompuServe - the world's largest online information service. You'll be sent your own personal ID number and password, a copy of the monthly CompuServe magazine, and $ 1 5 FREE usage credit. You will also find out how you'll be joining 700.000 other members in more than 100 countries all round the world, about the hundreds of special interest groups, including some dedicated to your own computer so that you can chat online to people with similar interests lo yours. You will be told about the 1 .400 plus databases you can reach through your keyboard, and the vast library of nearly 30,000 public domain and shareware programs you can download straight into your computer. And CompuServe, plus your EuroLink modem, also turns your computer into a 24-hour fax and telex machine! It's all you need to become part of a very friendly and helpful online community! What the EuroLink modem offers • Four speeds - including 2400 baud • Intelligent microprocessor controlled • Autodial, Autoanswer, Auto redial • Automatic baud rate scanning • Auto terminal baud rate sensing • Easy-to-understand built-in Help pages • 32-number telephone directory • Six progress-checking LED indicators • Software-controlled pulse/tone dialling • External plug-mounted power supply • Built-in 'watchdog' circuitry • Internal loudspeaker • Fully Hayes compatible • Fully BABT approved ORDER FORM Please send me a EuroLink modem with power supply and lead to connect to my computer lor the special oHer price of E263.35 (incl. VAT and p+p.J. Also send me my FHEE CompuServe membership pack. I wish to pay by: □ Cheque/Eurocheque enclosed made payable lo EuroLink □ Access/Maslercard/Eurocard/BarclaycardMsa/Connect Expiry dale No. L I I I I L Mi l / i*" Name _ „ _ Signed Address • i-rfiit-i-i rf -'i'iif -l-ir i'i"--|'l — ' " POSt Code Daytime toiophone number in case of quiories — _ - - — ... — — My computer is Stale make and model Send lo: Eurolink, Europa Houso, Adlinglon Park, Maccle«rl»fd SK10 4NP. PHONE ORDERS: 0625 878888. FAX ORDERS: 0625 9966 £ DTP BUREAU onlo paper ot film. S . in Scanning of coloi uslrations. loru aft between 3DjS THE THREE BEARS (5-10) IBM, ST, CPC. AMIGA Superbly wowed educational adventure. Develops reading and MAGIC MATHS (4 -a) IBM. PCW. ST, AMIGA. Highly rated primary mains programs. Selection of games Addand Subtract MATHS MANIA (8-12) IBM, PCW, ST, AMIGA. The best BETTER SPELLING (8 -18) IBM, ST, PCW. AMIGA. CPC, BBC, CBM (D). Highly acclaimed tutor Received excellent reviews. Challenging. 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Easy to fit - just plug in!! 0530 411485 READ THIS FREE REGISTRATION WITH THE ASHCOM USER CLUB Fill in the coupon below to register with the Ashcom User Club and receive exclusive information on new Ashcom products. With each free mailshot you will receive a massive 10% discount voucher. 1 0% discount off any order received with registration. No more endless sifting through adverts for a good deal. Name Address I Postcode I No obligation to order when registering Only from ASHCOM, 10 The Green, Ashby-De-La-Zouch, Leicestershire, LE6 5JU Telephone: (0530) 411485 Fax: (0530) 414433 MON-FHI 9.30-8.3O » AT 9.10-4 Looking for a professional DTP package? Saxon Publisher comes bounding in with boxfuls of delight, but it's not for the faint-hearted, as Richard Williams found out The Saxon Frames and boxes with little handles you can grab hold of with your mouse pointer are well-known to users of desktop publishing systems. With their bounding boxes, the developers of Saxon Publisher. Canadian company Saxon Industries, claim to have gone one better. Before revealing the delights of the Saxon boxes, and describing some ol the package's other features, one or two of which might lead the easily-lrustrated to use a few choice Anglo Saxon phrases, I offer for the uninitiated a few words of explana- tion regarding boxes and frames in desktop publishing. They are the containers for the material - text and graphics - that goes into a myriad of publications from professionally produced maga- zines like this one (I have to say this to please the editor) with full colour separations output to a very high resolution phototypesetter, to the humble parish magazine printed on a mono 9-pin dot matrix machine. With frames and boxes, you con- trol the flow, position, shape and angle of text and graphics, and usu- ally quite a lot more besides, depending on the power of the package you are using. One excellent feature of the Saxon's bounding box is that, unlike some packages, there is no distinc- tion between text and graphics boxes. The law according to Saxon could be stated as "a box is a box is a box*. This makes for less option select- ing and also allows you to mix text and graphics in the same box with- out hassle. The real magic Although it may seem like a restric- tion at first, there are sound reasons for all printable elements being attached to bounding boxes - yes, thai's right, without them there's absolutely nothing you can place on the pages of your earth-shattering — : £7—-* — »»■- ■••^ B00 publication or document. You see, the real magic of a pack 1 age like this is that the boxes can be manipulated in many ways to alter the representation of the items they contain. It really is very easy to rotate, scale, skew, flip, expand or compress objects in just a few seconds. The Saxon box definition requester - one of the several dialog boxes asking you to specify parameters - shows you a representation of your box which changes angle as you select different rotation angles, a neat little trick which shows you fairly precisely Tagging along... One ol the most important functions provided by any DTP program is the formatting of text blocks. In most documents, textual components will be the primary locus, the graphics elements serving as o secondary highlight. for maximum effect, text blocks must be well laid out with proper spacing, sizing and highlights to differentiate titles, headings and body text. And, of course, once you 've created one or several styles, you don't want to have go through the same pro- cedures again every time you create a document. A type style, fairly easily created through the medium of Saxon's requesters - boxes which pop up asking you to select or write in options - is a complete definition of parameters for rendering a paragraph, containing all the information about font, type size, texture and spacing. Once a type style has been defined, you give it a name and it appears in a list on Soxon's sidebar. The great advantage is thot paragraphs can be for- matted and reformatted simply by highlighting them and clicking on an available tag style. All style tags can be saved and retrieved for later use in any document. In other words, you never have to create a style twke. 112 Amiga Computing Creating a template Saxon's template feature allows pages of any complexity to be saved for later retrieval. The pages you save in this way can include bitmapped graphics, structured drawings and even text files. You assign such page designs to function keys by invoking the Page menu and moving the pointer to "Assign f-Key". A small requester appears, asking you to enter o filename at up to 10 characters for the page being assigned. After assigning a template called, for instance, AMICACOMPU to function key fl, the sub-menu item will then read "Assign f-Key ■ Fl .AMICACOMPU". Pages saved in this way are actually stored in a directory within the Saxon Publisher program. If you're running the program from a floppy disk, you should be aware of the limited storage space available for assigned objects. Assigned pages can be recalled whether or not a document already exists in the program environment. Simply hold down the shift key and press the rele- vant function key while in cursor mode. Again, it's a case of once you've designed something, you don't have lo go through the motions again. It's what time-saving, and therefore cost-efficient, DTP is ail about ual says you can "theoretically" make use of the program with a single drive, but "at great inconvenience". Unless your system has a hard disk, at least two (loppy drives are needed to make working copies of the program. For those producing large and/or complex volumes, a hard disk is highly recommended. Oh, and you'll need at least I megabyte of memory. Although Saxon works properly with any standard Amiga display, a high persistence monitor is recom- mended fo reduce the flicker caused by the highest resolution mode, which is what Saxon runs in. Unfortunately, long persistence phos- phor monitors come very expensive compared with standard NTSC colour monitors. The alternative is to use a flicker- fixing device. An inexpensive polarised screen can improve the sla- bility of the display dramatically. The review copy of Saxon version what you're going to get. Having this large measure of control over boxes helps the typesetting process from both the user's and the com- puter's perspective. Incidentally, not all boxes need lo be rectangles. You can create free- hand boxes with any number of cor- ners. Hardware demands Before we go any further, some words of caution for the unexpanded and the slightly expanded. You either won't be able to run the program al all, or at least you'll find it very diffi- cult. Saxon is a powerful program, not intended for the fickle or faint-heart- ed, and that applies to the hardware, too. You really need a minimum of two 3.5in drives, although the man- 1.1 that I used provided direct sup- port only to PostScript compatible printers and phototypesetters. However, I'm assured the released version will provide dot matrix sup- port as well. Well, if that lot hasn't put you oft, you must either have the bee's knees in hardware or be prepared to spend a good deal of money, and also want to produce quality documents or publications. At any rate, this will be the assumption for the rest of this review. The best way to learn about Saxon's excellent facilities, and its few niggling bits, is to work through the Basic Tutorial in the manual and, if you survive that, the Advanced Tutorial which follows it. Enter the first niggling bit - there are NO illustrations at all in either tutorial to show you what you should be achieving as you draw and manipulate your boxes, import your text and graphics and create your type styles and templates. The author seems to assume that you've read and remembered all the other parts of the manual. I did eventually realise, however, that the the results to which the tutorials should lead you are includ- ed on disk, and you could, of course, print this out before you begin. Unfortunately, the bounding boxes, the sidebar containing your tools, filenames of imported text and graphics etc, are NOT on the fin- ished job, so there's slill no easy answer. Take a tip from one who's suffered - make sure you read the Fundamental Concepts and Operating Parameters sections of- the manual before going through the a .r.i..f,i.t , .i.fti,r.i.r. uJ loll ol control over pretty colours and shapes thanks to Saion's drawing and bounding box lacllltte and other ad va rued features tutorials. The 20 minutes this will take will pay handsome dividends. If you still have the occasional problem identifying what's on screen, look It up in the Specific Reference, Sidebar or Menu Strip sections. The four modes Apart from their lack of illustrations, the tutorials adequately demonstrate the features of Saxon. There are four modes of operation. All manipulations lo lext and boxes are performed in Cursor Mode, when the pointer, or arrow, is the active tool. In this mode, all screen display parameters, including colour, are in force and it does seem to take an age on occasion for the screen to redraw itself after a change. In Paragraph Mode, you perform all operations relating to type styles, as well as formatting of paragraph styles. Drawings created within Saxon Publisher itself, bounding box outlines and onscreen colours don't appear in this mode, since they are not required for text formatting. Things happen a lot faster as a con- sequence. Text Mode allows you to manual- ly enter characters into bounding boxes. You could write the publica- tion you are working on in this way, though the idea with Saxon, as with all DTP packages, is that you import pre-prepared text and graphics, with only the odd headline, standfirst and caption to be written in directly. You also have the full range of facilities for editing and formatting text. Again,, the display is a simple one in this mode, lo keep things moving quickly. Finally, Drawing Mode allows the creation and manipulation of struc- tured drawings within your docu- ments, A good range of lools includes line, be?ier curve, connect- ed line, rectangle, ellipse, polygon, and smooth line (similar lo connect- ed line but the angles where lines meet are convened to smooth curves). Rectangle, ellipse and poly- gon have filled versions as well for those who want to put textures into their drawings. Drawing mode only affects draw- ings generated within the program. Externally generated drawings can only be manipulated while in cursor mode. When Saxon first loads, the main area of interest onscreen Is a panel Amiga Computing 113 down the left side of screen, called the Sidebar. This contains gadgets for selecting the four modes as outlined above, text style gadgets (plain, bold, italic and underline), and the screen posi- ton gadget showing the portion of the document currently displayed on screen (magnifications of 30 per cent to 300 per cent are available), The sidebar also contains the tag list In paragraph mode, this contains the names of any text or graphics files which were generated externally and imported into your document or publication. One of the delightful features of Saxon is that you can import files at any stage, right at the start of docu- ment creation, if you like, without having so much as placed a bound- ing box on a page. What happens is that the name of the file - the tag - sits in the list in the sidebar until you've created a box or several boxes for it. Then, simply click on the tag and the text or graphic appears in whichever box is selected. If it's text which needs to be run into several boxes, clicking on the next box to select it, then click- ing once more on the tag will flow the text on from the precise point at which it ended in the previous box. As you continue to run in text in this way, it flows over or around any graphic elements according to the parameters you have given in the rel- evant requester to the boxes con- taining them. In paragraph mode, the tag list displays a list of style tags. The "New" gadget at the bottom of the tag list enables you to create a new style tag, which initially will be the same as whichever tag was high- lighted when you clicked on "New". Add some texture Objects in Saxon Publisher can be textured in a variety of ways. Every page, box, style tag and internally generated structured drawing has a user-definable texture associated with it. Options include bitmapped backgrounds, outlining thickness, transpar- ent and solid colours. As far as text is concerned, outlines, backgrounds and drop shadows can have any solid colour hue associated with them. In the texture requesters associated with any particular document ele- ment, users can specify colour as a combination of red, green and blue. The Colour Display Window provides a graphic illustration of the selected colour. Alternatively, you can use the facilities for selecting colours as Printer's Ink, giving a more accurate representation of printed output, or CMYK val- ues. This latter allows you to to specify exact ink density (as a percentage) of each colour separation (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) which comes off the output device. Texture and colour are close partners when it comes to creating breath- taking effects in your documents. Experiment and enjoy is the name of the game. A goodly range of ready-made pre-set textures is provided with Saxon Publisher. The range includes effects such as gradients, stonebricks and drop shadows. Make the required changes and give the style a new name in the relevant requesters. In drawing mode, the only entry in the tag list Is the word "Retexture". When this is selected, the texture requester appears, allow- ing you to define the outline thick- ness and colours as well as the background textures for all struc- Packed with features As you would expect of a DTP package aimed at professionals, Saxon Publisher is packed with features. Apart from those mentioned in the main part of this review, the notable ones include: • Page sizes up to 20 X 20 inches are supported. • Page backgrounds rendered in any user-defined solid colour or one of 21 bitmapped textures (still more textures can be ordered from Saxon Industries). • Easily created column guides to assist with layout. • Screen angles and densities defined to four decimal places. • Ability to variably scale the final output scale of any document. 114 Amiga Computing • Routines to double or quadruple output resolution of bitmaps without sacrificing sharpness or detail. • Text sizes from 3 to a staggering 2000 points. • Support for downloadable fonts. • Facilities to directly import and print 24-bit images without need for conversion utilities. • Support for Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) and PorVestor files. The texture requ*Me*. The range and stytei of textures and the control you have over them are excellent feature! of the Saxon package tured drawings attached to the active bounding box. Style transfer gadgets are also provided, allowing you to impose the style tag of the currently high- lighted paragraph onto an entire sec- tion of text appearing either before or after it, either within the active box only, or for all boxes in whichev- er direction is selected. The remainder of the sidebar con- sists of bounding box definition gad- gets (rectangular or freehand are the two pptions); depth arrangement gadgets allowing you to change the current layering arrangement of overlapping boxes by moving the active box to front or back; and the self-explanatory delete box, delete contents, box moving and graphic filling gadgets. The menu strip, which runs across the top of the opening display, is invoked in the usual Amiga fashion with a click of the right mouse but- ton, and gives full control over docu- ment, importation of external files, pagination, bounding boxes, type styles, editing facilities like cut, copy, paste, search and replace, and pref- erences such as page view and ruler (inches, metric or pica/point rulers are available). And in conclusion... The two tutorials in the manual will p quickly get you up to speed with Saxon Publisher. After completing the second one, I guarantee you will be ready, nay positively itching, to produce something of your own. I don't altogether like Saxon's more complex requesters. There's not much depth to the tittle boxes you need to click (you should have remembered to bring your specs - Ed) and the type style requester in particular looks very cluttered. However, now that we're so close to the end, I have to confess to more than a passing acquaintance with the likes of Quark XPress, Aldus Pagemaker, Ventura Publisher and even the package specially written for the OS/2 on the PC, Describe. Some of those packages have been out quite a few years now, and have had a chance to metamorphose into something nearer perfection. My initial impression of Saxon is that It is good - very, very good, in fact, for those who can afford it and its rather hefty hardware require- ments. It's bound to improve with subse- quent versions. With a few more things like some more fonts and the odd cosmetic improvement, Saxon Publisher will make the grade as a first rate, professional DTP package. I'm certain, however, that it will see far more business than home use. Saxon Publisher Is a product of Saxon Industries, 14 Rockcress Gardens, Nepean, Ontario, Canada K2G SA8 (613) 228 8043 Availability: Version 1.2 (with more features than version 1.1 under review, plus dot matrix printer support) available now Supplier: Surface UK (081 566 6677) Price: £199 I 1 Ease of use Implementation Value for mom *- 0 r 1 finally... Saxon Publisher - The inevitable product of development with efficiency foremost in mind. Its quality has made it the first desktop publisher to be certified compatible under Workbench 2.0 while its advanced capabilities have attracted a loyal following of satisfied customers. POWERFUL FEATURES Currently available is Version 1.2. a substantial improvement to an already exceptional program, incorporating such new features as Pantone and CMYK colour selection, variable tabs, point and pica measurement, automatic hyphenation and intelligent approach to manual kerning. Saxon Publisher now has full dot matrix and Compugraphic support, an integrated text editor and proprietary PostScript compression routines for faster output. With Saxon Publisher, even the most complex operations can be conducted in a matter of a few seconds. Drop shadow s, for example can be created with a few clicks of the mouse pointer. They can be rendered in any user defined colour, and can be offset in any direction. Saxon Publisher features the ability Co rotate, scale, skew, flip, expand and compress both text and graphics. Though the use of transformation matrices, these highly complex operations can be conducted in a matter of a few seconds. No other program offers all these capabilities let alone the speed at which they can be accomplished. EXPANDING YOUR SYSTEM Saxon Publisher's overall superiority over other desktop publishing packages is not simply based on the number of indiv idual features that it possesses. It goes beyond this to encompass every programming and design element found in this program. Saxon Publisher is a testament to our company's commitment to providing our customers with high quality products. However, depending on your previous experience with self-proclaimed professional programs, you may have found it hard to believe some of the assertions that were made in this article. We realise that professional producti\ it) software is often an expensive X investment, and would like a further opportunity to show exactly how remarkable a product Saxon Publisher is. Saxon Publisher is a professional quality desktop publishing program created for the A mica l:tmitv nl ni*rs(tn;il ntnl hii*iirn»*i' computers. With its highly intuitive user interface and its extensive capabilities, it easily represents a benchmark in page layout software for the Amiga. Surface UK Limited 5 Ruckwurc Avenue, (ifccnlmd. MidiH UBft OA A Tel: OKI 466 6677 Fax: 081-566 667K The only magazine for the serious Amiga game player. With features such as the amazing Super League scoring system, definitive games reviews, informative news and mega coverdisk you can't go wrong! If you want the top coverage for your Amiga then buy the best, Amiga Action. 100% Colour 100% Amiga 100% Action 100% Class Available at all good newsagents, now. Don't miss it! Not so Fast I'm in possession of a revision 6 A500 wilh 0.5Mb expansion. Some time ago I modified the motherboard so I could have 1 Mb of Chip RAM. The problem now is that the MS-DOS emula- tor Transformer doesn't work, and when I pull down DPaint Ill's anim menu, it is ghosted out so that none of the options are available. Could it be because there's no (astmem any more or is it because of a hardware fault? If I buy another internal expansion board with 1.5Mb or more, can I then use my Transformer and animate in DPaint III and still have 1 Mb of chipmem? | would really appreciate it if could give me the answers to my questiHs. Keep the good work going - I think you're is the best there is. I Hoogendoorn. Berkel-Enschot, Holland As you guessed, the problem ties in your machine no longer having access to fastmem, at least in the case of the DPaint anlm menu. I'm not so sure of the Transformer problem, but it is more than likely to be the same. You can rule out hardware faults - if your DIY conversion had any detrimental effects on the motherboard, especially the dedicated chips, the results would be a lot more obvious than they are at the moment Anyone with expanded memory can use NOFASTMEM to turn off their fastram and then try DPaint Ill's anim menu. It won't work on a machine with no fastram, so you can rest assured that your Amiga isn't damaged. The addition of a bigger memory board should allow you to use the full 1Mb of chip- mem along with some extra fastram as long as you don't reverse the motherboard conver- sion. Your problem will then disappear Try before you buy I am considering a hard drive for my A500, possi- bly the CVP. However I have a few uncertainties as regards hard drives, and I would be grateful if you could clear ihem up for me. • How prone is a hard drive lo magnetic forces? Mine would be sitting near my mini-speakers and television. • Are there often any procedures to carry out during power on/off? (i.e head parking etc) • What may usually cause a corruption of the disk? Brett Buckley, Huddersfleld The CVP series 2 drives are fast and efficient, if a bit pricey, and you'll find a review of them in our February issue. As for your concerns: • Hard drives are quite safe from normal elec- tro-magnetic fields of the kind generated by TVs and such like. I have a GVP sitting three inches from a monitor and ten Inches from my A500 power supply at this very moment. There's no harm in taking precautions against EMP, but don't get paranoid. • You won't have to park your drive heads during normal use. The only time this Is neces- sary is when you move them from one loca- tion to another, risking heavy Jolts or vibrations. Many hard drives these days, Printer out of puff? Computer cracking up? We're here to help! Write to Amiga Computing. Europa House. Adlington Park, Macclesfield SK10 4NP including CVP drives, will auto-park in any case. • Corruption can be caused by many things, and although hard drives aren't as prone to physical corruption as floppy drives, they still go wrong occasionally. Dust and coffee can affect you mechanism, but the most common problems come about through mangled files and disk validation errors. FixDisk 1.2 from the March coverdisk will sort out most of these. Suffering Seagate Due to a fair amount of gross stupidity on my behalf I find myself without any software to gel my hard drive going. I know that I should have made several back-ups and all that, but we all make mistakes. Why didn't I just write to the manufacturer? Yes, you've guessed it, I've lost the address. The drive is a Seagate ST-225N and the interface is manufactured by a company called C Ltd, model SCSI-500 Serial No. 85 1L 595 Rev 1 .2. I can't find the manufacturer's address or any trace of them. Does anyone out there know their address or even know of any software that can get my drive going? S M Smith, Manchester Where did you buy that interface? I can't find the company either, but Seagate are easily contacted - phone (0628) 890366. You should also contact the shop which originally supplied you with the SCSI interface - there should have been some hard drive tools with it. To get the drive up and running. you'll have to carry out a low level format. Seagate's tech support bods tell me they usu- ally try memory addresses C800 and CC00 to activate the routines for this operation. The process involves using an assembly debug program to find then address the cor- rect memory location, so If you're not into machine code things could get sticky. If you're lucky, the drive might already have been prepped and treated to a low level for- mat. If this is the case. Just turn to pages 5-3 and A-2 of the Workbench 1.3 enhancer soft- ware manual for the scanty Information sup- plied with your machine. If you can construct a mountlist entry and FORMAT the drive, It should be easy enough to MOUNT it and carry on from there. If this isn't sufficient, please send more information on your set-up, and the name of the supplier In particular, and I'll try to gel you a more exact answer. Picture-popper A friend and myself have just started to do a ref- erence program using the Workbench set-up. The program is self-booting, but what we'd like to do is load a picture then have il disappear before Workbench loads up. We have designed a loading screen and called it Monson, but we would be grateful if you could tell us the commands to gel the screen to work during our startup-sequence. B Johnson, Rhyl There are several IFF viewer programs avail- able to do what you want. The most common > Amiga Computing 117 RAM revisited ► is probably Vilbm. which will display any IFF formal, including HAM, and will even display text. One of the most compact is PPShow, which will display files crunched with PowerPacker. The forthcoming Workstation disk will include PPShow and an example of what It does in the startup-sequence, but if you want just a viewing program, most PD libraries will be happy to supply one. They all work in a relatively simple way. For example, to use Vilbm in your startup- sequence, simply include the line VILIR <PtttureliM> and the picture will be displayed until a key is pressed, then startup will continue. Memory Game I was interested to read your article on CLI in the March issue ol Amiga Computing. I have an A500 with a full megabyte and I shall probably buy an extra drive. At the moment I am interested in making bet- ter use of the RAM extension. Games such as Monty Python seem to make extensive use of disk access, which is quile time- consuming, if you could explain how to run games in RAM disk rather than the floppy drive you would save me a lot of time, Peter Tingle, Kingston upon Thames I'm afraid I haven't much good news. The RAM disk is fine for a lot of uses, but you can't copy commercial games into it. Apart from being illegal, it is usually impos- sible, as their copy protection does not usually allow for simple AmigaDOS operations. I mean, if you could copy a game into the RAM disk, you could copy it onto another floppy, and that would be piracy. It should be easy enough to copy PD games Into your RAM disk, but as many of these load completely into memory, you won't save much time by doing this. Kind words for KindWords? I've bought KindWords which 1 am now using, but not to the full extent. I cannot access any of the available fonts because I don't know how to go about setting the correct printer driver in the Preferences. It's supposed to read EpsonX.PRN. By the way, I use an A500 with an extra drive and 0,5Mb extra RAM. Zbigniew Pawlowicz. Hereford When you load up the KindWords program disk, you should find the Preferences Icon In its window. Double click on this to open the Preferences window, then click on the Printer icon. This will bring up a screen with all your printing options. For the purposes of setting your printer driver, simply select Parallel or Serial, then click on the two arrows in the top right quarter of the screen until the EpsonX printer driver is highlighted in the central bar. I am a relative newcomer to the world of Amiga Computing, having bought a Class of the Nineties pack about two years ago, and have been using my A500 mostly for domestic pur- poses. About a year ago, I bought a Mlcrobotics M501 RAM upgrade and an extra drive. I have recently been trying to use the Amiga for adding titles and graphics to our video films via a Rendale 8802 genlock and DPaint III. However, I have run into memory problems - it seems that my 1 Mb is not up to the fob. To add to the problem, I recently purchased the Broadcast Tltler 2 program, which I found requires a minimum of 1 .5Mb to run. Please could you help a green newcomer with some advice on upgrading RAM, especially as more and more of it appears to be needed to run the increasingly complex Amiga applications. I have considered buying a hard drive, but understand that this would mean I couldn't run my existing programs, and would require an upgraded power supply. I would appreciate any help given in simple terms. | R Russell, Uxbridge As you seem to have the money to spend on reasonably expensive kit (the Rendale 8802 and BT2), I would advise you to go for one of the larger and more expensive A500 RAM upgrades. The ICD AdRam board fits in the Now click on OK, then on SAVE when the next screen appears, and your preferences will be set to the correct printer - always assuming that your printer is working In standard Epson mode. If it is a Star LC10, Panasonic KX1081, or one of the other popular 9- or 24-pin models, it will almost certainly be Epson compatible and should be perfectly happy with the EpsonX driver. Xasperated music lover I am a keen music enthusiast who tries desperate- ly hard to write music using my A500 (with vl .2 ROM), MusicV 1.1, and MIDI synth. To add to my problems, I have found that strange things hap- pen when playing back samples through MusicX and PD player programs. The samples seem to play at' the correct pitch most ol the time, but every now and then MusicX plays a sample at what seems to be a random pitch. As you can guess this makes them virtually unusable for producing music. I'm not sure whether this is a hardware or a software problem, although I can't recall having the same problem with Sonix. Richard Hobson, London The samples are playing at a funny pitch because they were sampled at a different rate. If you use a disk of PD samples, the chances of all of them playing at the same pitch are slim. What you need to do Is change the sample play rate and therefore the pitch, and the tech- Amiga's trapdoor and can be expanded to 6Mb. As such it is an attractive add-on, espe- cially as It enables the full 1Mb of chip RAM with a simple solder connection fully explained in the helpful manual. Contact Power Computing on (0234) 273000 for more details. Alternatively, there's the Cortex system from Memory Expansion Systems on (05-1) 236 0480. This Is a large box which fits into the expansion bus on the left hand side of the A500 and can be expanded to 8Mb. It Is a quality product, and has a 'though- port' so that other devices, such as the hard drive you're thinking of buying, can still be attached to the Amiga. As for hard drives, if you are going to put the Amiga to serious use, a hard drive is essential. It doesn't matter so much how big or fast it is - any hard drive is infinitely better than a floppy-based system. Your power supply will be put under an Increased strain by the memory upgrade, so you may Indeed have to purchase a beefier unit from one of our advertisers. Before doing so, however, give your new system a try. I use an A500 with a 6Mb AdRAM board installed. The power supply Is an original Commodore unit, and works well enough, though I do on occasion suffer more gurus and crashes than my fair share. nique required is transposition. Your problem has already been solved for free! MED v3.00, as found on last month's coverdlsk, includes a sample editor which is capable of transposing any sample. Simply load in the sample, change the peri- od rate, then save it out and the sample has been transposed. The Sample Editor document on the disk gives full details and provides a table of values to set for whichever note you'd like the sample to play at. If you don't have MED v3.00 you can gel It from Amiganuts PD on 0703 785680, or you can buy a commercial product like Aegis's Audio Engineer. TV trouble I have recently upgraded from a Commodore 64 to an Amiga 500. With my C64 I used a Ferguson TX television which has a seven pin din RGB input. I was wondenng if I could use this capabili- ty with my Amiga as it would greatly enhance the picture and sound quality. Martin Tomlinson, Wokingham It should be easy enough to connect your Amiga to such a TV - all you need is the cor- rect lead. Whether the RBC input is TTL or lin- ear, and I wish you'd specified which it was, your local dealer will have a lead to connect the Amiga's 23 pin video port to an RGB din socket Quality will not be as high as with a full SCART connection, but it will be a lot better than using a TV with a modulator. 118 Amiga Computing WE MUST BE MAD Due to massive bulk buying and low cost advertising we can offer you high quality European manufactured disks at these extremely low prices 3 CM DSDD Q4 n INC VAT .J DISKS 0 I [J + LABELS 250 + @ 29p each; 500 + @ 28p each; 1000 + @ 27p each ALL DISKS CERTIFIED 100% ERROR FREE SONY 3 5" 38d ™ DSDD BULK ^ 5 25 DSHD 36 P 100 Capacity Disc Box ....3.75 50 Capacity Disk Box 3.25 Mouse Pockets 1.50 Mouse Mat 1.75 Printer Stand 3.75 Amiga Dust Cover 2.50 Posso Box 15.00 Atari Dust Cover 2.50 Amiga 512K RAM Expansion with clock 32.00 Amiga/Atari External Drive 54.95 THIS MONTHS 200 3.5" DSDD DISKS SPECIAL OFFER + 2 x 100 CAP BOXES 605I Please add £2.85 p&p/nexl day £7.50. Cheques/POs to , i PLC COMPUTER SUPPLIES (Dept STU) -, g - M1 - M .. 11 Meakin Avenue .Clayton, i ■ Newcastle. Staffs ST5 4EY. Vfi»rWiWt£tl Pf3 512Kb MEMORY ULTRA-LOW NOISE DESIGN With 2 Years Warranty Our Incredible TOTAL price includes the clock ! TOTAL PRICE INCLUDING POSTAGE AND VAT \ A totally NEW DESIGN from the makers of Britain^ best selling Amiga expansion board. The AMRAM513 is smaller, and has higher safety margins than any other product. What's more it is designed to accept a further 1Mb low cost USER Upgrade. With a TWO year guarantee from Britain's long established « memory board specialists, who would consider anything else f Omega Price Brand New Production with FREE Modulator R500 ourfl500 price only Showoc™ price incftjdwVAl VKOurpriMOMtWIxM jS^^ga 3 J5" Drives With all the extra features you need:- Thru' Port Memory Saver Switch Extra long lead INCLUDING POSTAGE & VAT ^.^n-sa, InrtVii-tlinl/ I Wo toke VISA, ACCESS. SWITCH & STYLE Cords. * inpnOlinKLta. Front St West, BEDLiriQTon, J Northumberland ME22 5UB - Order Line (0670) 827480 Your computer is the only teacher which YOU CONTROL i Whatever your age, whatever your subject - let your computer help you learn. Subjects include ... French, German, Spanish, Italian, English History, Geography, Science, General Knowledge, Football, First Aid, Sport, England, Scotland, Natural History, Junior Spelling and Arithmetic Available for most popular home & business computers Kosmos are specialist producers of Educational Software designed to help you enjoy learning from your computer. Our programs even allow you to add your own lesson material. Write or telephone for a FREE 20-page BROCHURE of our Educational & Leisure software Please state your computer type Kosmos Software Ltd, FREEPOST (no stamp needed) DUNSTABLE, Beds. LU5 6BR Telephone 05255 3942 or 5406 -2 : L Z £. Ill V/SA PICTUREWARE© ©NJ.N. Williams 1991 I Two* deks £4.50 each I Up to five <*sks£1P&P Commodore Amiga IS HERE! ^ ONLY AVAILABLE fflOM^nbeliewyjte qualrty <*S$ ^ NIK WILLIAMS I BRO^CASTI «o2te&M COMPUTER | _ pi/^TT TRT? 32 Colour IFF rlUlUKr. Please specify LIBRARY nfKffi&L, 0792 470503 |_PLEASE_SEN_D SAE_ Give your Paint Package a treat! A stunning photograph to work from!! Put life into your DTP/DTV: wonder at the quality, let your imagination run wiidlll See before you buy!!! . Catalogue disk No.1 is 90p & 50p P&P and forms part of our 3 disk demo set which is £3 post paid. Please specify IFF or HAM demonstration disks. Single demo disks also 90p & 50p P&P. On PicturewareCQ Catalogue Disk One Ar»> People Disks 1 &2 We can >cc*pt African Animals Disks 1 &2 Children Disks 1&2 Access aiwrback Gorila Disks 1&2 African Famine Disks 1&2 _ tfl,a Views of Vietnam Disks 1&2 The Nude Disks 1 &2 \W9 African Pygmies Disks 1 &2 Edwardian Photos Disks 1 82 ^chequlT^ Motorbikes Disks 1 &2 Art In Photography Disks 1&2 Postal Orders f*n Crew On Locsion Disks 182 During Pictureware's© development we've created pictures in all sizes and formats. WeVeproviding them for your fun and entertainment on SPECIALLY PRE- FOR MATTED FLOPPIES. £9 for 10 disks, post free! No guarantees on this exceptional offer, if you like the pictures use them, if not delete them (much quicker than a disk format), and use the disks as blank floppies!!! CDCC ^CATCQM/Wrm every order of six Pictureware© disks rnCC KJrrCrf!!: we are givi ng aw ay FIVE FREE SPECIALLY FOFMATTED flOPPIES!!!! (Wcrth 90p each!!) (Otter closes end of June 1 991 ) PR& "YOUR GRAPHICS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!!!" Orders by post to:- Nik Williams Broadcast, Aspect House, 21 Brynmlll Crescent. Brynmill, Swansea. SA2 OAL. Please allow 21 - 28 days for delivery, 'phone tor urgent orders. 24Hr Credit Card Phone/FAX Hotline 0792 645946 (When ordering by telephone please wait for FAX tone to finish, at which point you'll be connected to our telephone system.) ■0 6^ r COMMUNICATIONS Cpmms Disc Comms Pro6 Star Term BBS Amiga Star Term Amic PD Term Beta GRAPHICS Amiga MCAD Mandel Brot Explorer Mac View Dkbtrace Vdraw Graphic Utilities FBM BUSINESS Vendit Vc Spreadsheet Calc. Wprd Wright Analyticalc PROGRAMMING Mobed Gwin Spritemaker Dez Hexbin Stoneybrook Prolog PDC ZC PCQ PZC £ SHAREWARE CATALOGUE Akore brings you the most comprehensive choice of top shareware programs available. To order your free catalogue call free on 0800 252221 now or to place your order by credit card telephone 0602 500544. For either of the above fill in the tear-off slip below and send it to: FREEPOST, AKORE SHAREWARE, NG1 1BR. ^ Please send me the following programmes and my FREE copy the AKORE SHAREWARE CATALOGUE. of Q 11 5 5 14 — E E 2 o ~ - Name, .Disc Size [ ] 3.5 [ ] 5.25 Address. £ 1/1 Postcode Telephone I wish to pay by |Exp. Date Cheque/P.O. Card No. Credit Cd (type) ■ver cata to d war EDUCATION German Draw Map EV0 (Lutionl The Weather World Database GAMES Clue Battle Mech Empire Gravity Wars Monopoly Tunnel Vision Hack Pacman Tennis Dragon Cave Holy Grail Adventure UTILITIES Dir Util MSH Icon Utilities L Harca The Champions Total Utilities ARP Amiga Line Calls No. Of Discs POST & PACKAGING TOTAL 1.95 Prices 1 - 2.49p 10+ - 1.99p 20+ - 1.75p 50+ - 1.49p 100+ - 1.29p Price per disc (including VAT) Post and Packing 1.95p extra Ever looked through a PD catalogue and been unable to decide which disks you want to buy? Let Amiga Computing take those tedious hours of indecision away by delivering an entire Public Domain library direct to your door! To celebrate our third anniversary we've got together with those awfully nice Seventeen Bit people to bring you the biggest ever Amiga Public Domain competition. Over 1,400 floppies cram packed with the best utilities and latest demos could be providing you with hours of inspiration, education and entertainment. id latest the libr WIN How to win Entering couldn't be easier. To get your hands on this huge collection of quality PD software all you have to do is use skill and judgement to estimate how many disks will be in the Seventeen Bit library at 2pm on the day we do the draw from our magic sack There are two things you need to know. Firstly, the draw takes place on Wednewday 19th June 1991. Secondly it won't be the first correct entry out of the sack that takes the booty. Instead the postman will be knocking twice on the door of the 37th correct entrant drawn. The reason? Take a look at the issue number on our spine! The 36 entrants drawn before the ultimate winner will each receive a superb runner-up prize. Once you have guesstimated the number of disks in the library, write your answer together with your name, address and daytime phone number on a postcard or the back of a sealed envelope and pop it in the post, to arrive no later than Monday 17th June 1991. tj t -in i A complete PD library! RULES 1. The 37th correct entiy drawn from the uck at 2pm on Wednesday. |une 1 9th w win the entire 1 7bit Public Domain library. 36 njnnen up will receive other prizes. 2. Employees of Eutopics.* Group of Companies or 1 7 Bit Software are not allowed to enter this competition. 3- The Publisher's decision is final. Send your entry to: PD Competition Amiga Computing Europa House Adlington Park Adlington Macclesfield SK10 4NP Fuel up, weapons loaded. . . let's fly. . . Some comments from ProFlight Customers "The best simulator on the ST by far." "Very well done, the only flight simulator that gets it rightl Thanks." "Well donelll It is real!" "Superb - without exception the best on the market." "Very impressive - brilliant manual." "At last - a real flight sim for the purist." "Your usual high standard of software. Excellent." "For realism, beats anything I have ever seen on a home computer." "Good fun & makes me nervous when (lying dangerously - 10 out of 10." "Brilliant manual, brilliant simulator." "Another HiSoft winner!" These are all unsolicited commenls Irom users of the Alan ST version ol ProFltghl 72e Tornado Ffykt Sitnaiator ^or oar- Am fa and Atari ST 3 i- . , . target spotted. . . try your cannon! and the Reviews ... "The sheer range of things to < makes this a winner and with h expansions planned this one cc become as popular as the now classic Flight Simulator II." "A great deal of thought has gone into how the plane handles and the controls ore very responsive." STAtthti,Manh 1991. "ProFlight isn't the same as c4M fighter sims - it really does feel a "ProFlight is addictive ... ifyou'vt the hang of less realistic simu moving on to ProFlight will give more months of exciting flying, complex but enjoyable and well the clams t" iteriSTUstr ftbrwf Me* mm ecr?i EES iff i . . . change to missiles. . . locked on,.. . . . heat-seeking missile launched. . . target destroyed. . . bac HiSoft is delighted to announce the immediate availability of ProFlight for the Atari ST and Amiga. ProFlight; a supremely accurate simulation of the Panavia Tornado military aircraft, a plane that is the fastest aircraft in the world at ground level (Mach 1 .2) and one of the fastest at any level (Mach 2.2) with advanced swing-wing technology that gives it a truly multi-role capability. ProFlight uses complex and exact flight equations that allow you to fly this powerful fighter just like its pilots. Everything is there . . . you can fly peaceful reconaissance missions or roar into full attack with cannons, bombs, heat-seeking Sidewinder and radar-guided Sky Flash missiles. ProFlight comes complete with a professional 170-page, ring-bound flight manual which details every aspect of flying this exciting aircraft together with a pull-out specification sheet of the Tornado. ProFlight is available from all good computer stores and costs only £39.95 inclusive (UK only); if you have difficulty locating your copy, please call HiSoft on 0525 718181 and ask to speak to Julie. HiSoft High Quality Software The Old School, Greenfid Bedford MK45 5DE Tel: +44 525 718181 Fax: +44 525 713716 Reader offers Please use the Order Form on Page 124 It's Amazing! It's Radical! It's the Rolling Ru Two rulers for only £6.50 A complete drawing board in one simple unit. With a rolling ruler you can draw: * Horizontal parallel lines * Vertical parallel lines * Perfect right angles with ease * Any other angles from 1" to 359" * Clever circles Available in two sizes, 22cm (Bin) and 30cm / 12in), this great otter gets you both rolling rulers for just £5. 95 (RRP £9. 99) Its Innovative design gives the new rolling ruler the ability to draw . vertical and horizontal lines without lifting it off the paper, parallel . T ; lines, angles, circles, musical staves and graphs with ease, making \ it ideal for the home, the office, schools, workshops and 3D design AIYIIGADOS: A Dabhand Guide Is a comprehensive guide to the Commodore Amiga's Disc Operating System (Version 1.2 and 1.3). It provides a unique perspective on this powerful system in a way which will be welcomed by the beginner and the expert user alike. Rather than simply leiteratlng the Amiga manual, this book takes a genuinely different approach to understanding and using the Amiga and contains a wealth of practical hands-on advice, hints and tips. The many features of this book indude: • full coverage of Amiga DOS 1 .3 functions • Filing with and without workbench • The Amiga's hierarchical filing system • Pathnames and Device names • The Amiga's multitasking capabilities • The AmlgaDOS saeen editor 9 AmlgaDOS commands • Batch processing • Amiga Error code descriptions • How to create new sterns discs • Use of the RAM discs 0 Using AmlgaDOS withC WHY LET YOUR FINANCES BE A WORRY? Personal Finance Manager FOR THE AMIGA Personal Finance Manager provides an easy way ot looking after your bank account, building society account, credit cards and so on. Its WORKBENCH Interface allows transactions to be entered or altered as easily as tilling out a form Full mouse control of PFM's window environment means a really user friendly program. PFM for the Amiga appears and runs exactly the same as our top selling PFM program (or the Atari ST. Automatic Standing Orders means that regular payments are never forgotten, whilst tfie graphic display will help you manage your account more effectively. Personal Finance Manager will even attempt to match your statements by automatically identifying transactions that haven't yet been cleared. • The number ot entries Is limited only by the site ot the memory • Futl Workbench Interlace • Account entries are automatically placed In date order • Selectable date formats • Automatic standing orders • Auto balancing against statement • Grapftlc analysis Including: Balance plot Budget comparison. Spend pie charts • Windows are moveable and re-sloable • Graphics are sett-scaling to tit windows • AU windows can be displayed at the same time R RP PRICE 0 Account print option £23 95 INC. VAT OUR PRICE £24.95 Full multl tasking - allows multiple account access MichYrori 4 VIDI OFFER Thanks to a breakthrough by Rombo Productions in frame-grabbing technology, you can now produce good colour images quickly and cheaply with Vidh Amiga and the VidiChrome colour software. • Take snapshots in 16 shades live from video • Multiple frame store • Dynamic cut and paste • Full palette control • Hardware and software control of brightness and contrast • Compatible with all video standards "Also available - Vidi-RGB Colour Splitter. The splitter is an elect/onic filter which takes a colour video signal and separates it into the three primary colours, allowing each to be digitised Replaces the need for a conventional filter set and ideal for use with Vidi Amiga and VidiChrome Amiga - . Vidi Colour Splitter RRP £61 .95* OUR PRICE £79.95 SAVE £18 Vldl-Amiga/ VidiChrome Amiga RRP E129.95" OUR PRICE £119,9 5 * Includes colour upgrade worth £19.95 "Vidi must be one of the most exciting peripherals you can buy for your Amiga"- Amiga Computing, March 1990 to mwKtbMt AMIGA READER OFFERS Back Issues December 1990 £3.10 9730 January 1991 E3.10 9731 February 1991 £3.10 9732 March 1991 £3.10 9733 April 1991 £3.10 9734 May 1991 £3.10 9735 Alt these back issues include cover dish. Bargain bundle Six Issues ol Amiga Computing (Dec-May) £1 7.00 9961 I 1 Add £3 Europe & Eire/£I2 Overseas □ RombO Vld'l- See Page 123 VkJichrome plus Colour upgrade £119.95' '9891 RGB Splllter £61.95 9964 E Protext Version 4 Feature packed Word Processor £79.95 9530 HI Soft Basic Compiler + Library Harness the Powe* ol your Amiga £69 95 9896 Photon Paint 2 Paint In 4096 Colours £39.95 9945 Battery charger £19.95 9861 Plus post and packing £1 .50 Rolling Ruler - See Page 123 £6.50 9965 [ I Amiga Music -see Page 134 Soundblasler Quartet Masler Sound Package ot all throe £47.95 9959 £39.95 9913 £34.95 9914 £104.95 9960 Amiga DABhand Guide-see Page 123 A comprehensive gukJe to the Amiga's disk operating system (version 1.2 and 1.3) £14.95 9866 I 1 Mail Order offers Publishers Choice Home Accounts/Day by Day ArgAsm Flight Simulator Pair of Scenery Disks • Lotus Esprit James Pond Jane Seymour £79.99 £34.90 £54.95 £35.95 £31.90 £19.95 £19.95 £19.95 9867 9851 9858 9868 9872 9946 9947 9948 Amiga Computing ^ Cover Disks m* selection} OFFER OF THE MONTHH Extra disks (set ot 5) Extra disks (set of 20) £5.00 £17.50 9962 9983 B Disc Bargains Chess Simulator Welitriss American Dreams Future Dreams £19.95 9932 £19.95 9933 £17.95 9934 £17.95 9935 Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing RRP £29.95 Our Price £22.95 9953 Personal Finance Manager - See Page 123 £24.95 9942 LH Joysticks & Mouse Comp Pro Glo Green Comp Pro Extra Joystick Gastemer Mouse £14.95 9954 £13.95 9955 £19.95 995fi Dust covers £4 95 9507 □ Mouse mats £4 95 9508 Binders £5.95 9509 □ Disc boxes £4 95 9860 Addition for postage: Europe & Eire add £3 Overseas add £5 Unless otherwise indicated B TOTAL Send to: Europress Direct, FREE POST, Ellesmere Port, South Wirral L65 3EB (No stamp needed if posted in UK) Products are normally despatched within 48 hours of receipt but delivery of certain items could take up to 28 days ORDER at any time of the day or night Don* forget to give your name. | address and credit card number General Enquiries: 051-3572961 | Payment: Please indicate method (/) I I Cheque/Eurocheque made payable to Europress Direct Expiry r- , Date: l_l Access^astercaroVEurocard/BarclaycardA/isa/Connect no.U_I_U I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Name , Address Signed. Postcode . Daytime telephone number In case of queries. AMC6 itisigk* i MUSIC ...126 In the first of our Almanac Insight series, Paul Austin presents an in-depth look at a new music package - Sequencer One DTV 129 Jason Holborn becomes a budget conscious executive producer in his search for affordable Desktop Video . MACHINE CODE 131 Let Margaret Stanger help you get to grips with the Amiga's graphics^. See Bitmaps from a new Viewport after reading her column MUSIC. 133 Not to be outdone by Paul Austin, our other music maestro Jason Holborn brings you the low-down on the Amiga music scene COMMUNIQATIONS..:....*........135' Eddie McKendrick goes off-peak' to stop his bank manager going otf;C©lour. Saving money is the naijje of the game tbis month AMOS.. 137 A first peek at the Amos Compiler and Amos 3D are just two of the treats that "our expert Peter Hickman has in store ■ • - • CODE CLINIC...... f..m, Margaret Stanger helps yoi^make the most of* your intuition. Join her on the playfield as she takes a look ^t screen displays ♦ DTP. , Ml DTP enthusiast Joltn Walker illustrates the importance of design in DTP and shows how a little planning can go a long way V Amiga C oaM>uting Serious sequencing made simple - Paul Austin rips the plastic off the latest music package. It's been a long time coming but a credible alternative to MusicX and the rest has finally arrived. Sequencer One is the latest release trom Gadjits Music Software, the company gradually beginning to dominate the field of Amiga music processing. They've done it by keep- ing a close eye on what's happening with some of the big names in the business. Last year, Roland, the instrument people, spotted the gaping hole in the Amiga market and as a result combined with Commodore to push their CM and D series synths and modules into the arms of waiting Amigans. To support the move, Gadjits have followed up Roland's lead with patch editing software to support the needs of the new musos. As a result of the collaboration between Cadjits and Roland CM and D-series users will find Sequencer One particularly well suited to their set up. This isn't to say it wouldn't suit any arrangement of equipment, and for those new to the idiosyncrasies of Midi and sequencing in general it could be an ideal introduction to the art. Cadgits have taken a refresh- ing look at the needs of the average Midi musician and developed the product with their requirements tak- ing priority. As a result Sequencer One is not an all singing and dancing mega music utility. It is however a dedicat- ed sequencer which does exactly that and with the minimum of fuss. MusicX, the market leader, tries to be everything to everybody and as a result tends to fall a little short in cer- tain areas such as the Library and Protocol pages, both of which are great in principal but difficult in practice. The Gadjits alternative doesn't support either of these functions, but B&tjits mi I MM* 0 ffi»f±L£, i-»frk:W-»j >«k Mr. M d: n hi* 8r 8 Key htssmt Notes Off: First E*wt: MMl:« last Cmt: NH3I2 Ewtts Ksri: IW972 ' SONG POS "oiT Cwcel I Hutu ml ► » i~ ► 1* tcr*a> » 11 Enl '» ■ "mm* +mk~ ^ ► it rmw » a aj»l — ... ► II rigfctiaj ■ 5 MkB U,tm lUH •i IM ttc m n rurtnr EE RK RQI FT PLAY STOP t * a g m a n u utm The track list screen, playing a very strange song All you need (o know to keep track of thlngi Sequencer version two of the planned Sequencer trilogy will support both fetching and dumping. The prospects of imminent upgrades will no doubt make Sequencer One seem slightly less appealing, but don't despair - the chaps at Gadjits have seen the potential problems and promise upgrades to registered users at very reasonable rates. What's on offer The software consists of three screens, each giving you an Individu- al view of your creation. The track list is the first of the three and has a maximum of 32 tracks available for either playback or storage. As you no doubt know Midi supports a maximum of 16 channels of simul- taneous playback. Nevertheless the remaining tracks are very handy for storing alternative tracks and those slightly dodgy bits you're not quite ready to throw away. Switching between individual tracks is simply a matter of clicking the mute icon on or off. Selecting channels for recording is just as sim- ple - just click on the track and the red record icon appears. From then on the channel's select- ed. Pick a voice and hit the record button and you're off. This makes life easy for the beginner and blisteringly fast for the expert If you're a reason- able pianist you can create a multi timbral sequence in minutes and all recorded at 192 PPQN. Recording can be done in both standard and overdub formats and EES Art*: left fcattaa = tuht = Caml. with optional auto rewind. Any mis- takes are easily rectified with the undo last edit feature, which is great if, like me, you need ten attempts at even the simplest sequence. Each track can be separately marked for easy editing and drum machine style loops can be applied, saving a lot of time and tricky editing. Perhaps my favourite aspect of the Track list is its potential on mixdown. When you've created the next Aggadoo Euro pop hokee cokee classic it still needs to be mixed and the Track List is excellent for adding the important finish- ing touches to the sound. Once a track is highlighted with the record icon the volume of an individual track can be altered with the data volume control on your synth. Combine this with the ability to mute any or all of the tracks and Just a few ol the options available from the pull downs II your finance! aren't quite up (a Midi equipment there Is an alternative Ove »ee your masterpiece and get down to some serious cut and paste 126 Amiga Computing SUii'ts mi □ S 1 — 1 j . i ia ] _ "1 MM»:ll M " ii a h » m i> t All the Info you need to know on any Individual nole One you have an instant digital mixing desk - marvellous! The second screen is the Step Editor and as the name suggests this is where you can take advantage of the power that a decent sequencer can provide, removing notes you don't want and adding the really clever run that you could never man- age live. Ifs this editing ability that makes the Keep Music Live lobby physically sick, but it also makes cre- ating music accessible to almost any- one. The editing screen takes the now familiar piano roll format. The zoom feature varies between full or quarter bar magnification which I found slightly limiting on occasion, For example, when editing drum pat- terns it's sometimes a little tricky to alter individual notes at the first attempt. The info option is particularly pleasant and allows you to click on any note and receive all the informa- tion concerning its pitch, duration and so on. These various elements can then be altered by simply typing in a new number for each character- istic. The delete icon has an obvious function and allows the individual deletion of notes. If you want to remove larger sections of a track you'll probably need to use the block option which lets you manipulate large sections of the track far in excess of the scope of the screen. The block option is best activated by entering the start and end posi- tions into the appropriate window. This can then be deleted, copied, cut or pasted as required. Blocks can also be set on screen by simply clicking and dragging with the trusty rodent. Most operations involve the rodent with the occasion- al bit of typing as you add various start and stop positions. Ifs also possible to use step entry via the KeyB icon, this brings up a miniature keyboard which displays 4 If 'you want quality results quickly and simply you could do a lot worse ^ ■' P iiin My wily real moan concei mall graphics and the, software's occasional hesitancy to delete single Boles < .uffering from this com- mon compl.jlnt there may he a and the bar Editor could t>« described (h C step Editor as musical • -v, the Bar editor would : be described as good old I ioned amputfiion. This screen is a dream for the commercially orientated types who want lo cut and paste their way to the charts. No subtleties here, (ust a touch of musical hack and slash a: you move great chucks of your tunt around to form verse, chorus, middl* eight and on Sorry, I'm showing my age there, I meant to say chorus, chorus, chorus and chorus. various notes as they're depressed. The characteristics for these notes can be altered as required. This is a particularly useful option if you're not an ivory tickler by trade as it gives you the option to work at your own pace. The only problem with this method is its tendency to lead to rather mechanical end results. In general editing is reasonably simple with the block options being a particularly pleasant element. When this is combined with the overdub function and the tape deck controls, editing becomes a little more of a pleasure and a little less of Range of options To be honest the Bar Editor is a use- • ful screen tor anyone, giving a great overview of the entire piece and showing you exactly what's going on where. Again editing is a simple mat- ter of clicking, dragging, deleting and pasting. You can always record from here as you can from any of the three screens with the ever present tape recorder controls. As well as the record and play controls there's a whole range ot options waiting on the menu bar in familiar, intuition-style pull-downs. All kinds of requesters and off/on options are available, some of which you can no doubt see from the com- plicated screen shot It's these pull downs which give the software the necessary complexi- ty to compete with the likes of MusicX. It's possible to access and alter all kinds of sequence informa- tion varying from Midi import and export control, to block functions and the option to work with either (0 & I) Midi formats. This gives a high level of compatibility with many other Midi packages. The Hit Kit For a limited period, Gadjits Hit Kit software is being bundled with every Sequencer One sold. It usually retails at £25 a time but for now it's free. The Hit kit is basically a collection of various sequences divided up into numerous styles with a number of options for each. For example, you could load a drum pattern from the Jazz section followed by a separate bass line, middle, lead and so on. These are all available in single bars but can be pasted in any number and combination. As a result you can build com- pletely new if less than original songs by mixing the various component parts. I've got to admit it's great fun sticking all the bits together, but to be honest the end results are a bit predictable, not to mention slightly silly. Having said that though the num- ber and quality of the drum patterns make the Hit Kit a godsend for even the most serious musos. The patterns alone make the Hit Kit well worth having and the various riffs in the many and varied styles can only help beginners learn a few tricks of the trade. As I mentioned earlier Sequencer One is ideal for the beginner and to cater for that market the Amiga's internal voices have been well sup- ported within the software. Even a separate sample palette has been added to make life a little easier. Final thoughts If you're new to Midi but not neces- sarily music. Sequencer One could well be ideal, featuring a good com- bination of ability and ease of use. To support such a sweeping statement I can only quote my own experience which consisted of creating a com- plete piece in a day without a glance at the short and sweet manual. This alone should be praise enough for any software dealing with an area as complex as Midi. I doubt I could have done the same with MusicX and if I'd dropped the manual while trying I would proba- bly have been in plaster for a month. Sequencer One does not have some of the subtleties and skills of MusicX but if you want quality results quickly and simply you could do a lot worse than investing in Gadjits latest gadget. Gadjits Music Software 1-Mex House 40 Princess Street Manchester Ml 60E Tel 061-236 2515/4 Amiga Computing 127 Distinctly Digita ; Cleverly written and always favourably reviewed in the press, Digita produces a range of powerful, low cost software for the home and business user. DGCALC The (ntosl and most powerful tpraMer«tt *i*Hatta m Biri r-aWk'Ml wrtn!it?iuwsi»yUcolur™*i gi-mgyouupto »6?4nHls A*wit>aNOgnapniducS.Mapwtt»ialHM 9>ogrv"<ielMrVthOuaMout BWrq»ti«r merv rnouaa or (f*nfp#T<J at i»tii you II Off «Dl» M start uawig II wilhm »<IH" -■••iilyt>u»>i*t«'JMi1aipfMdmM(M'o'i 5orrreo< the iHtum wrwft mau it such good »alua arelne arpcrBng of ASCII Mm tor integration wtln cnhef programs. *rt|ui"J»We colurm •tuft and tart ourrrfrow. progiarnmar>e lunctton layi imacrw,. and i unique windowing (ac4rty. H tM you am ioo»*eii»nwo»^oUiiieeuim«u«'«i>m«£gg gg E-TYPE Do you nm have ro pnrd ruemee- end address** 41 ewfcward piece* cn envtlopM. or do you eve* new) la h» in Indry lorm* o> uworoes •r-eio the nil has to be in sucty f* "fl" 1 piece' Usua*» you im « do ii By nand. or get your trusty .iillypHiW duI ol cufXOira and dust it or! We" '«:' anymore Ih«E"*jlWMIVft««(li»t>anBfc(nnyOu' coiour*" and pr*fle' itwj a fi**> fteoged tioewiier. 5-OPOflinfl bold underline rteltc and orwt typs-stylea 3«k*im can dspia. and pr irr »d inSTANILV you can I me up your tarn, pi hi Batuin and Spear a lew limea to "ot w It* axrwaplaM. and s^siari typing Alternately ,ou can switcfi to Itrsa-by-ltnt mod*. wt-eti oflers woro-wac ijttilicalion ana proportional spacing, aothat you can od t £39.95 PERSONAL TAX PLANNER Am you abtotufa<( sure your teaman ia doing n<s too cor-ecSy' 1 Ran you' own tai w>ti ease. Ha menu-dnvon program will caloriaW your ■ ncorne tai lufeltfy (4 tai years ■ "t ludedl and rxovx)* pwrBnenl faca aDoul your tai position You tan partem* «nai-«* carcutaBon lo discover ways lo nvwnwyour tai liability In tad. the cog* am «ril *Cvte ,ouonthin^suchu. ityouarearnarried mart, whether it would pe advantageous to hare your wita ■ mcoma laied ■wataty or not Al mis cea who arrows, you win probatjly f .id that PTP will pay *c* m dm sevrnrji rha tint ame you jserfl ~ 5TOPPBE5S " jjry » - PTP jwr lecwre* tai itrund V over C2.0OO" £39.95 DAY-BY-DAY Available to the trade from: Digita, GEM. Greyhound, LID II Anrl/fitin/n I nnr nvanauiG iu Digita, GEM, . . HB Marketing, Lazer, Leisuresoft, R&R, SDL. MA1LSH0T rt you avar naarj <o aand out mailinga or print labata, you know Now liddty and tirr*-confci"->g ' can oa maWng mm Ui ma laowb at» prmlad cw-actly W«« now all Pal aa rtmg oftnopaai eacsuM MaWot actjaity inowi you it» labera on aooan. you can iyp» namas an) ■HraMM al a«acHylna corrwdplaca Bi« mere (nan that rha laBaM an a/i'inatad on aawaaacorttrwnahawi, altowng y-w w acroil oackwarda and ronawds. lo war eft lor pamuiaf uywordi or Ki adil entrirji with tfia mtnimum ol tun Fatilioea ■nctuda aaavchwig. datat*o« o« duoica* rat-%. todtnrj law »ui r*mat) B laeata acroaa W» ccc«i c< an, i W Ihnrwia to M ma »in-plaai and anmivr- mevm o» aaatng a n-.,i s twt.^lae*a gg MAILSHOT PLUS AovancarJ rartionol UailVol lor ma buamaaa usrtr •* iha looowmg adni rajattnaB ' aiMfai aa rjri with otrw aoftwara (using ASCII tiWai • coluniiVubutaiad lunwnar, |>oaa> (or (Waohona lf«» Mq •aaiMmarr>oliruMp«laoa*|wimrla*aulhl "syaaamto' roding, dJt)"0 and aod.ng maaaagas lo aacP labal ' Ji nWraot layout! a<aiiab»e tor horizontal and verKa* .uaiircarUon FINAL ACCOUNTS Ina program will tat* i raormatton preoarad By CaanOora Conarolla' and proOucc a compWa t«t o* acrauml •ndud-ng ' TnaiBauviot ' Trading and ProM and Loaa Aaaum ' Baiarca Snaat ' NotN to tha Aaourro ' Full AccDurrUng rabOk All r -i-m may oa producao ai an. vmai. **< corrwili^tHWgar'iguraa tl toouirad T»w,t«aiii,hi product, owm dofumanta QurcWy. acturaaaly, and ragularty i» rjlonorman heap m runnog any larga or amall. aire* orw anowi Ina true proMaWT. aenirnwa. and the Dinar tttaeaKlwingm o>fftabuWnaa*inifnraD(aaaMartd £29.95 Ht> .tie CLASSIC INVADERS Escapa Irom amcuDya ivm wm tha dame apace invader £14.95 £49.95 CASHBOOK COMBO Money u«lng conablnrAon pack featuring Don Caanooc* Cot^i* anoFin* **o>ur«a-Sa»af IOCC ^.gg ^ mm 2fe rf-aV 'mm ' i. ■)'■ ,- ■- ■ n..| T * — — — or b-rfidaya and oTrer anr^vtraanei. mer»ng» and acooirronanta. pnone cam to mafce and *0 on Aawnhall t>gita produca, irouttng i"*jrmat«jn k| aunpKify itae" t"0 onot anaarad. you can aaarrfi lor keywor da or lor particular .^ntaauchaaB-n^Mrttoaaewnamoneiacom^guo , i-*cr™i ««nCi, pi *iie» ijtoma'X ren"in()e«a lt> .iverdue appdnvnenta morrlh and wearl aummaryatl glance for lew man C» tha n trw ideal way lo ma»t aiae you never rmaa thai imooranl occasion again* <£2Q 95 -if "^'Cu*. """aatavC ^^^aas ^ar* i art wains home fisS?*? ^^^^^ »■ "ii'in i. ■ "'"t^ r — • -v i__ _ — DIGITA INTERNATIONAL "Serious software at a sensible price" All software written in the UK. Prices include VAT & P & P (add E2.00 tor export) 1_ H0WT _ 0QRPER _ CREDIT CARD HOTLINE Post: Dig Bla Exmouth Devon If you're budget is a little tight, then Jason Holborn has got some good news for you The Amiga may well be the machine lo own for all things desktop video, but there's no doubting that pulling together even a half decent DTV setup can be an expensive affair. Even at the most basic level, you'll need at least two video devices - one to provide the source video signal and another to record it - plus a genlock. The video sources aren't too much of a problem. After all. you can hire such things for little more than a few pounds a month these days, so this is hardly going to break the bank. The most expensive thing you'll probably have to invest in is the device that makes it all possible (excluding the Amiga, of course!) - the Genlock. These can set you back anything up to £2,000, but a fairly decent genlock can be picked up for around £250. For the really skint amongst you, Applied Engineering's 'MiniGen' is about the only real option. There's no doubting that it's cheap, but its features are nothing worth writing home about. Picture quality is poor and there are no options for such things as fading and dissolving between video sources. There's very good news, though. Silica Systems have announced that they intend to take on distribution of a meaty little genlock from the States called RocGen. This little unit boasts many of the more sophisticated features that you'd expect from a genlock costing £500*. but all this power can be yours for just £1 1 7! for your money, you get a Genlock that will allow you to over- lay Amiga graphics onto any com- posite video source and then record the resulting mixed signal to video tape. You can feed it a source video sig- nal from just about any video device that can output a composite signal, including video cameras, VCRs. cam- corders and laser disk players. It can be powered either by the Amiga itself or via an external power supply for those of you who already have a large number of add-ons con- nected to your A500. Unlike most genlocks, the RocGen features AutoVideo passlhru which allows the signal from the Amiga or external video source to pass through the RocGen to the monitor or VCR even if either the Amiga or external video source is powered down. But what really lifts the RocGen above 'budget' genlocks such as MiniGen is its powerful fading and overlaying effects. Using a tuning knob on the front of the genlock hardware, you can adjust the degree of both the fade and overlay. Fade mode allows you to adjust the screen so that it fades from solely a computer graphic display to solely a video image. In overlay mode, the video image is pernamently displayed, but you can 'fade in' (and out) the Amiga graphics. These effects alone will allow you to produce much more prolessional- looking presentations. This feature alone makes the RocGen one hell of a bargain. Very few genlocks below the £500 mark offer fade and overlay controls, espe- cially through a hardware control knob. The RocGen is available now from Silica Systems on 081 309 1111. Expect a full review next month. Genlock for pros At the other end of the pricing spec- trum comes Magni Systems' new Model 4005 PAL genlock for the I Mi ■ 1 . 1 I I 1 • 11 • | ■ I 1 1 ■ i Amiga that will set you back a cool £2000. Fully compatible with (he Amiga A3000, it boasts full broad- cast quality encoding. It ' offers comprehensive fadr-s. wipes, chroma keys and overlays, all ol which are controlled via a separate remote control. A .. u d expect Irom a genlock at this kind of price, the 4005 offers full S-VHS compatibility via Y/C connec- tors and it Is fully compatible with all Amiga v_reen modes. For more, con- tact Magni on 01 01 800 624 6465. I Tools for video Eschalon Developments have |ust announced the release ot their hew Video Tools system, which they daim offers 'everything you need for video production'. For your £300 (it ain't cheap!), you get a tool for creating subtitles and credits, a telepromter, an image presenter (a slideshow to you and me), a video pattern generator, colour bar and safe-area genera tors, text scroller, nine DPain 3-compatible colour fonts and even a complete multi- media presentation system called Ascension. Ascension is anj AmigaVision-like pro- J gram that employs both icon -driv- en operation^ and (for '"r * purists among you) a powerful scripting language. If this sounds like the kind of thing you've been look- ing for, then contact Eschalon on 0101 604 520 1543. Fonts galore If you need some new colour fonts, then there are plenty of new releases on the horizon. By far the most com- mon source of these fonts is America, where such companies as Zuma and Kara have been producing both mono and colour fonts for several years now. A new company on the scene Is Miami-based CV Designs. They've just launched a new three-disk set of colour fonts in a number of different point sizes upto 85 point. They're completely compatible with packages such as TVText Pro, DPaint 3 and Calligrapher, mak- ing them ideal for people who wish to produce stunning text- based displays without having to put in too much effort. Each disk costs approx £15. CVare on 0101 617 391 9224. Closer to home :omes the news that Checkmate Digital Ltd (they of the A1500 expansion console for MM I the A500) i 1 have taken on distribution of the Olo range of colour fonts from Swedish company Artovinjett. As soon as they are made avail- able, you can expect a full review in this column. Stay tuned until then, but in the meantime, you can find out more by contacting Checkmate on 071 923 0658. dth 184K |gg)|H»ight |53< Work >Oold<98> Souro>>No Rctiv* Source Font Pattern>No Active Pattern Style >No Active Stul* Colour fonti tan enhance your video presentation considerably. Next month As well as the review of Silica's new RocGen genlock, I'll be bringing you a comprehensive look at what the PD libranes have to offer the Amiga desktop video enthusiast, including video titlers, presentation systems and slideshows. Amiga Computing 129 PHONE ANYTIME FOR FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE FREE WITH EVERY AMIGA PURCHASED 16 DAY HOLIDAY ACCOMODATION FOR TWO PEOPLE ■ CHOICE OF 250 HOTfLS AMAZING AMIGA SPECIALS I NO HDDfN EXTRAS - THE PRICE YOU SEE 15 WHAT YOU PAY I AMIGA COMPUTE* AJCC AMIGA 5 1 2K RAM Computer Boil m 1Mb Oili On*. Mowe. A52Q TV Modu- 1 bior end Po-w Supply. Workbench 1 .3. Ertoi ord Wwl Di ill ONLY --£3 14991 AMIGA ONf MEG PACK A5C0 AMIGA 51 2K RAM Computer • Built- 1 M 1Mb Oik Dm*. Mowe. A520 TV Mods- 1 b*> and ' - Workbench 1 .3, Exton ond totond DM SUPPUBJWTTM EXTRA HALF MEG expansion rack or*Y £339.99 | | SCREEN GEMS ! SOFTWARE PACK Bock lo tm Fuhjri 2 Shadow of the Beoil 2 Knight Breed and Day* d Thunder. Dflun Font II Art Package FV« FREE T Shirt £49.99 1 ASTRA GAMES PACK Ikn lop Amiga Gome Tirtrn Won* need* £23000 DctoSto-m, Dungeon QutV. Grant Monitor | 51am, fWorploy. MWoonjie Soccer. RVF Honda. E-Mohon, W ol Babel. W Gto-«. SWRepockCofe Special Price . E24.99| ACCESSORIES PACK Mop Qual'y AO Oik HoMer. 10BewQ«e*lv| Diiki loWi. Oualifr Mouw Mat. Movie HoloV. Toileted Monogrornrned Duttl I Con* Speed Pnce £19.99 | AMIGA CLASS OF 90'S EDUCATION PACK AMIGA A500 «rilh I MBUpp/odeond [Bxohorol SoKotj C539.99| All NEW AMIGA 1500 I Fur Hon*. fcuiif*ii Educottcn. Deugn & lunure Frfked w* 1Mb RAM. Twin Dub I Drivn ond Separate Kerboord and CPU Icoieoi A2C03 ISOmVAeEpodtrAokdn I THE WORKS FUTNUM ETXDON |Scrirodd-«r- Dofatnie. Word Pnxmior lord Comrm Pockogo DeUoe Povri III Art I ^oaoge and I Mb Strategy Garnet ITheW Firteii Mow. 6o»le Cheii. S<(» C"*y plui| Tenoin EoWo. Populout pVn Pmmiud landiONlY £659.99 !] COMMODORE A590 HARD DRIVE tm MONITORS COMMODORE lOEUSStonsoNew Model ir«l Leodt. 049.991 PHIUPS CMBB33/II NM Model High Resolution Stores ind leodt £344.99 1 GENLOCK IRENDALE 8802 Gcnkxk E155.99| DUST COVERS TOP QUALITY AMIGA COLOUR DUST COVERS TAILORED. MONOGRAMMED AND WITH BOUND EDGES PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT AMIGA Keyboard DuU Cover C499I CITIZEN !20DIVtnlBrD«ilCW C499I CITIZEN 5w* 9/24 1240 CAM I AMIGA Monitor MO £4.99 1 (AMIGA Monin MKh £4 99 AMIGA 1500 Aj in one Co-er £6 99 SURlCIOPMv- £4 991 STAR IC200 P-mtor £499| STAR IO4/200 Printor C499[ PATJASONC KXPH 24 Meter £4 99| PRINTERS We arc CITIZEN SUPEB DfAiHS ond Authoriied to Offer (heir FVU 2 YEAR GUARANTEE ON All CITIZEN PRINTERS FOR THE MONTH OF MAY ONLY - THE AWARD WINNING CITIZEN SWIFT 9 AND 24 COLOUR PRINTERS WILL BE SUPPUED AT MONO PRICES (CITIZEN 1200. Send or PoraW Interface Pkww Stall wUch when ordering £134 99 031ZEN 1 24D LowM G»l 24 Pm imr Quality Porrw £209 99 CITIZEN SWeT 9 MONO at abo»« o-copr Mono urrhl Colour Kit Fifed £199.99 CITIZEN SWIFT 9 COLOUR High Spec 9 Pm Llh 4 Fo<« and 240 * 240 dpi Colo* Gmphia - -..£229 99 CITIZEN SWIFT 24 MONO oi obort wctqi Mono ur*l Cotour Q Filtod C289 99 CmZEN SWIR 24 COLOL* High Spec 24 P*» (or PeHeO Ouolily to and 360.360 0p< Colour Grophici £31999 SWIFT 9/24 COLOUR KIT ecaih, hwd conW SWIFT 9/24 Mono pnrten into Colour Wmom £34.99 PANASONtC KXPl 1 24 24 Pin £249 99 STAR LC 10 MONO . £159 99 STAR LC 200 COLOUR. £21999 STAR IC24/200 MONO £259 99 STARlC24/200CaOUR £29999 All Pnrrten ore Supplied SHxf>. Ccmed inrj Coble ord Hug ord Rwd/ B Go lo Work Hmw Ring far Pncei of Printcf Bbboa, - fjl Ronoe Srocied CA5PEU R£«K Ribbon MnM £1295 MIDI EQUIPMENT DATEL Mick Mm*, interlace £29 99 Midi Leach PerPr>r£599 CUMANA CAX354 DISK DRIVE £58.99 Thi Beit Amgo Dnve There li RAM EXPANSIONS 51 2K RAM fupanwri. Oodt and Swrich tbid I Mb Memory Copocir/j £29.99 Very Wiy BMond doa net invoHoie warranry. Mode by CORTEX - 3 Year Guoroniw Can be heed and teOsd FREE o> charge i purchased of ion* hme oi Cornpuiv EXTRA SPECIAL DEAL BUY BOTH FOR £8S« KCS PC POWER BOARD Run Profcuiorol MS DOS SofMve on p* AmgoA500 Emy b Fit n Trapdoor irdernealh Armgo No lou ot Guoronlee Addt iMbEnoMmwy Byour Amiga lkxldH£)X}<«xthcJ5oWe Supporn A590 Ftard Dei £?99 00| EXCLUSIVE! THE AMIGA TUTOR VIDEO For new and not so new Amiga Users - shows in clear graphic detail all you need to know to become proficient in using the Amiga SUBJECTS COVERED INCLUDE: • Setting-up Monitors - Mouse Expansion • Workbench Customisation - Copying - Renaming - Formatting • Notepad - Menus - Fonts Saving - Printing • Icons ■ Clock • Sizing - Moving - Scrolling Windows • CU Directory Structure - Starf-up Sequence - Multi-Tasking • Printer Sehup - Preferences • Virus Protection For the cost of a game you will learn techniques fhat will entertain you for years to come. Make sure you get the best from your expensive investment £ 1 9.9 9 inc POSTS. PACKING Featur w: Excellent ... a great help . . . sensibly it teaches you about the most proctkal areas - the ones you will need. Range of topics covered over an hour and a half is wide and, above all, practical ... Put together by people who know a fair amount about the Amiga . . . AMIGA FORMAT - January 1991 Excellent , . . simple answer to many tricky problems ... well worth the asking price ... if only such