Volume 6 Issue 7
=
wi
Wang
Sord M-5
| Hyperion
r
ariel prs Op Guide to Calcs
S hk . ; a a a
6 and financial planning
WRT EMAS TES
Word
1 rocesuims
Sy stem
Cromemco System One
MicroCentre introduce Cromemco’s new System One computer,
available with an integral 5 megabyte Winchester hard disk, at a
new low price.
The System One supports the full range of Cromemco interface cards,
including high resolution colour graphics, and software packages.
The choice of operating systems includes CDOS, CP/M and
CROMIX—Cromemco’s answer to Unix.
Call MicroCentre for (4 Cromemco
MicroCentre Ltd Seat haat
Complete Micro Systems i rt
woe hk he at eg Tel: 031-556 7354
oe oo |
“NEWS
| HARDWARE NEWS
British Telecom enters
the badge-engineering market, and
Gavilan shows a brilliant portable.
2 SOFTWARE NEWS
Microsoft breeds
a mouse, and educational software
takes off.
29 IBM PC NEWS
Silicon Office runs
on the PC, and Apple users are
offered an 8088 card upgrade path.
3 | EXHIBITIONS
Carl Peterson reports
from the National Computer
Conference at Anaheim, California.
3 PRINTOUT EXTRA
What is Digital Research
up to? Roger Cullis reports.
>FINANCTAL
PLANNT Mis
calcaholics spend hours poring over
spreadsheet programs .. .
] | 3 CALCS ON
THE BEEB
Simple spreadsheets can be run even
on low-priced micros. John Harris
looks at what’s available for the BBC
machine.
| | SPREADSHEETS
FOR CP/M MICROS
Two popular spreadsheets are
Calcstar and Plannercalc. Mike Lewis
sees how they run.
] 20 VISICALC v
MULTIPLAN
Neville Ash reviews the two leading
spreadsheet programs running on the
Apple II.
| 2 BEYOND VISICALC—
MICROMODELLER
Mike Lewis investigates one of the
more sophisticated planning
packages.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
FRACTICAL COMPUT ING
1 2 SPREADSHEET
SURVEY
A brief guide to some of the
spreadsheet and financial-planning
software available.
] 26 FORMCALC FOR
THE ZX-81 — PART 1
Yes, you can have a spreadsheet on
the expanded ZX-81.
| 3 MODELLING THE
U.K. ECONOMY
Test the economic plans of the new
government on your own micro.
“FEATURES
49 FREE ENTRY
COMPETITION
Celebrate Practical Computing’s fifth
birthday and you could win
£500-worth of Commodore products.
QQ PROGRAMMING
SPRITES
How to design and program sprites
on the Commodore 64, described by
Kevin Irving.
] 3 FICTION —
WIPEOUT
The Department of Propaganda
asked for an account of the computer
supremo’s working day.
| 42 APPLICATIONS —
CAPITAL’S APPLE
Della Bradshaw finds out how
London’s leading commercial radio
station uses a micro to get
information PDQ.
] 44 EDUCATION —
SPI-TREES
Identification trees are an important
tool: Simon Scotland provides a
program for teacher’s Pet.
REVIEWS |
So 16-BIT WANG PC
Can the office-automation
giant make an impact on the micro
market? Chris Bidmead tests the first
offering.
o SORD M-5
HOME MICRO
Bill Bennett examines a Spectrum
look-alike to see if the Japanese can
compete.
1983
HOME WP — PART 4
Ian Stobie looks at
JULY
10
two word-processor packages for the
] wait DYNALOGIC
HYPERION
Jack Schofield tries out a powerful
portable from Canada.
| 4 ATARI GAMES
Quix plus new offerings
from Sirius and Wayout.
] 9 BUSINESS BOOKS
John Cookson rounds up
a herd of books from the green
pastures of business computing.
“REGULARS
EDITORIAL — NOW
WE ARE FIVE
After five years of Practical
Computing the micro industry is
booming. Which models and
magazines will survive the bust?
FEEDBACK
YOUR LETTERS
The column that keeps you in touch.
39 CHIP-CHAT
SILICON FUTURES
Ray Coles provides an overview of
microprocessor developments.
43 RANDOM ACCESS
C04 CONTINUED
Boris Allan continues his discussion
of CO4 criteria with a look at small
micros.
] em OPEN FILE
Programs for the
Newbrain at last — plus more for
Apple, BBC, Tandy, Sinclair and
other popular micros.
20 LAST WORD
After the Data Protection
Bill was lost in the last parliament,
Chris Naylor says: ‘‘Please use it
sparingly.”’
’
wv
~The Worlds First
Z-80A™ CPU, Floppy Disk Controller, 64K of
Memory, Serial & Parallel 1/O Ports...
all on a SINGLE S-100 BOARD!
Don't buy another one of those 3 Board Sets until you see what one can do!
Advanced Micro Digital has been e IEEE S-100 Standard Also introducing SUPER/SLAVE to
producing the SUPER QUAD for ¢ Z-80A CPU run multi-processing operating
some time now and it’s truly one of * 64K of Bank Select Memory as well systems such as turbo-DOS™.
a kind. Just plug this board into as extended addressing With 128/64K of memory, serial &
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Runs with CP/M, MP/M, and Drives each user will have its own CPU
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additional boards, I/O, hard disk i ge intelligent hard disk Now it’s time to replace or throw
BUS master, The cost of this board is * 2K or 4K of monitor EPROM slug the SUPER QUAD in Save
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been paying for the three board set. heres Retail price is £495.
© One year warranty
Just take a look at these features: * BIOS disk available Dealer enquiries welcome
For more information write or phone:
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Unit 14, 29 Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 4NA.
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computer systems Official Distributors for Advanced Micro Digital Corp., U.S.A.
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4A
EDITORIAL 01-661 3609
Editor
Jack Schofield
Deputy Editor
Bill Bennett
Assistant Editor
lan Stobie
Art Editor
Steve Miller
Production Editor
John Liebmann
Sub-editor
Sally Clark
Editorial Secretary
Julie Milligan
Consultants
Chris Bidmead
Peter Laurie
ADVERTISING 01-661 3612
Advertisement Manager
lan Carter 01-661 3021
Assistant Advertisement
Manager
Kenneth Walford 01-661 3139
Advertisement Executives
Lynne Brennan 01-661 3468
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David Honeyman 01-661 8626
Advertisement Secretary
Janet Thorpe
Midlands office:
David Harvett 021-356 4838
Northern office:
Geoff Aikin 061-872 8861
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
Chris Hipwell
Published by Electrical Electronic
Press, Quadrant House, The Quadrant,
Sutton, Surrey SM25AS. Tel:01-661
3500. Telex/grams 892084 BISPRS G.
Distributed by Business Press
International Ltd, Quadrant House,
The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2
5AS.
Subscriptions: U.K. £12 per annum;
Overseas £18 per annum; selling
price in Eire subject to currency
exchange fluctuations and VAT;
airmail rates available on application
to Subscription Manager, Business
Press International Ltd, Oakfield
House, Perrymount Road, Haywards
Heath, Sussex RH16 3DH. Tel: 0444
459188.
Printed in Great Britain for the
proprietors Business Press
International Ltd by Eden Fisher
(Southend) Ltd, Southend-on-Sea.
Typeset by Centrepoint Typesetters,
London EC1.
© Business Press International Ltd
1983.
Would-be authors are welcome to
send articles to the Editor but PCcan-
not undertake to retum them. Pay-
ment is at £30 per published page.
Submissions should be typed or
computer-printed and should include
a tape or disc of any program, Hand-
written material is tlable to delay and
error. b
Every effort is made to check articles
and listings but PC cannot guarantee
that programs will run and can accept
no responsibility for any errors.
THE FUNCTION of this magazine is sorting
microsheep from microgoats and bringing order
out of chaos. So we recently published a guide to
16-bit microcomputers. When we started we
thought there were about 30; when we went to
press there were over 60. Three months later no
one knows how many there are. Over 100?
Portables are experiencing a similar boom
while eight-bit small business and home com-
puters continue to appear at a terrifying rate.
Many more micros of all types are going into
production even today. . .
This is the microcomputer boom. After boom
comes bust.
No one believes that in two, three or maybe
five years time there will be more than 20 or 30
sucessful brands on the market. The obvious
inference is that some 330 to 500 micros cur-
rently on sale, and untold numbers yet to be
launched, will have gone to the wall.
The $64 billion question is which ones will
survive?
The answer is not going to be found by looking
at either market shares or famous names. A
glance at comparable markets for cars, cameras
and hi-fis reveals that dominant names can fade
in only a few years. Even in the brief history of
microcomputing once-prominent micros such as
Altair and the Exidy Sorcerer are virtually
unknown to the vast majority of today’s buyers.
Few will appreciate that the burning question for
we impecunious neophytes was once ‘‘ Nascom or
Ohio Superboard?”’
When it comes to market share bear in mind
that only two years ago the Sinclair ZX-80 was, in
volume terms, the biggest-selling microcomputer
of all time. How many are still in use?
Nor can the choice be made on the grounds of
quality. Some truly appalling computers seem to
sell in quite large numbers, while-far superior
ones — such as the aforementioned Exidy
Sorcerer —are neglected intoextinction. Clearly
a large proportion of microcomputer buyers
would not recognise a good machine if it crawled
ee |
wbade
a OO es oe
VPLS FO YD bee TE
ers |:
We seem to be hearing all the time about the Pet system from
Commodore Systems, but Pet's ‘kid sister’, the Kim 1
microprocessor, !s also beginning to make an impact. One com-
pany which distributes it, GR Electronics of Newport in Gwent, has
announced a range of new features which turn the basic system,
which retails at £161, into a sophlsticted and powerful machine.
GRis selling a video board at £150 which allows the Kim 1 to be
plugged straight into a domestic television set, for use as a visual
display unit with a capacity of 16 lines of 64 characters.
A Memory Plus board, costing £199, adds a further 8K bytes of
RAM ard allows for another 8K of EPROM (that's erasable pro-
3999GTIGHI9I9GG99 Fas Pg 198392 Sggryica
SA ee HEB ne Ba Wm ae
COL 50a)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
eg ere ee ne Years ago...
Editorial ===
tn) ajo atl
! across the floor and bit them on the leg. When
ignorance reigns as widely as it does now, adver-
tising, marketing and sheer salesmanship count
for far more than technical quality. Anyway,
even the magazinescannotcope withthe floodof
new introductions so how can mere mortals |
cope?
In the good old days of, oh, 1982 it was a good
bet to buy a micro for which there was lots of
software. This contributed to the continuing
success of the Apple, Atari and Tandy micros,
and today is an important element in the choice
of a Sinclair Spectrum.
This year software writers are on a new tack.
Writers who want to get rich quick sensibly now
avoid the popular micros. That part of the soft-
ware market is tough and competitive. There is
no room for another Lunar Lander or simple
word-processing package. Even the best pro-
grams have many rivals. It is far more profitable
to write for a new machine that has no software
available at all because desperate buyers will‘just |
lap it up. Thus the virility of a new computer’s |
software market is no longer an: indication of
success.
Perhaps the solution is to separate:the craze
buyer of micros from the serious buyer. Craze
buyers are the people who would otherwise be
buying CB radios or skateboards or some such,
so who cares which micros they buy? We will not
need to write about them. Serious buyers are the
thoughtful people who have intelligent and in-
telligible uses —.or aspirations for such uses —
for micros, and they read Practical Computing.
When the craze buyers have got bored with their
whizz-bang machines they will move on to
something else. The machines we support will
than be left in the market, occupying a com-
manding position.
We have already outlived a lot of micros and
we expect to outlive a lot more. While it may not
be true, at least the idea that sanity will eventually
return to the market place is a comforting
thought for magazine’s fifth birthday. a]
ee vie iti oe Jibs WOO STIG eile gu
Fa, abe eds, -_-t PR e Me Bibe im oee Ld ea MUM BAHN
grammable read-only memory) to be attached.
In addition, GR has launched a Pocket Terminal to act as a
sophisticated keyed input device to Kim. The terminal is a hand-
held device with 40 dual-purpose keys, giving a full ASCII
character set, and costs £240.
On the software front, GR is supplying a wide varlety of ready-
written software for Kim1. This ranges from basic systems soft-
ware such as Assembler / Disassembler/ Editor, to a number of
games programs.
Practical Computing, Volume 1, Issue 3.
927 3S.) 38 SAen se $995939
2607 2,40 tote 4 AGL 1S
$999994S5599"9959)
D382 GSD as eho ARTE SAS RE Ne
Frente te UR
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(OC CONNECTORS
PCB Plug
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JUMPER LEADS Ribbon Cable
Assembly DIL Plug (Headers)
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Length14pin —-16pin
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6" 1185p 205p
127 198p 215p
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@ 12 Months Warranty on DRIVES
@TEAC CS-50A Single Cased 40 track
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@®CS-50A Twin Cased 40 track
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@CS-50E Single Cased 80 track
S/sided 200K £250
©@ CD50E Twin Cased with PSU, BO track,
16K and 48K RAM versions now
available. Cail in for a demonstration.
JUPITER ACE
Microcomputer that uses the
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Only: £78
BBC MICRO
& UPGRADE KITS
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@ Printer User 1/0 Port BBC2
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Kit £43.00
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Now available BeebPlot; BeebMon;
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@ Drive Cable for BBC: Single £8; Double
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ACCESSORIES
TEX EPROM ERASER. Erases upto 32
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Protects your expensive Chips from
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Tex Eprom Eraser including the Elec-
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tection variable: 5V to 15V @HA £38
Multirail psu kit including Case. Out-
put: +5V 5A; +12V, +25V, -5V,
—12V 1A, Only £39 (p&p 95p)
Attractive Beige Brown ABS CASE for
Superboard UK 101 or Home Brew £26
C12 Cassettes in Library Cases 40p
8" Fan fold paper (1000 sheets) £7
9: Fan fold paper (1000 sheets) £7
Teleprinter Roll 2509p
UHF Modulator 6MH2 350p
UHF Modulator 8MH2 450p
Stack Pack the unique stackable twin
drawer racking system for Computer
Cassettes. 5 Drawers (10 sections)
including 10x C12 Computer Cassettes
anu Labels £6.00
EOGE CONNECTORS
-156°
TWO ROWS
2x 18way
2x 22way
2x 23way
2x 25way
2x 2Bway
2 30way
2x 36way
2 40way
2x 43way
145p
200p
£75
D CONNECTORS: Miniature
EURO (DIN) CONNECTORS
Female
Stet Angle
Pays,
OIN41617
Biway
41b17 A B
2+ 32way
41612 A C
2- 32way
41617 ABC
3+ 2?way
4755
170p
275p —
Pins Pans,
220p 285p
295p 340p 240p 300p
Male
15way
110p
210p
130p
Female
110p 1160p
165p 215p
Pins. 150p 180p 240p
Covers 85p 80p 80p
IDC 25way ‘O’ plug 385p Skt 450p
@ Circle No. 103
Maic
Stet Angie
25way
160p
250p
195p
Solder
Angie
Pins
Pins.
175p
Solder
Angle
210p
290p
360p 385p 260p 395p
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
“won’t
| ing these abbreviated forms are
Acorn surcharges
under attack
1 SEE from the review of View in
the April issue of Practical
| Computing that Acorn is at it
again. When is Acorn going to
get the message that customers
don’t like the hidden extras that
always seem to be essential to
Acorn BBC Microcomputer
products.
The extreme example was, of
course, machine itself. In order
to get the early machines up to
specification the 1.0 operating
system had to be bought. Then
there was the disc operating
system —- you could buy the
chip but would have to pay extra
to find out how to use it.
Similarly, if you buy the
Acornsoft Forth cassette you
get a shred of
documentation — not even a
glossary — unless you pay
extra. The latest example is
View. You can have the word
processor but if you want to
print out anything subtle, of
course, you have to pay extra.
As John Harris said, “‘It is a |
”
wicked con. . .’’. I wonder
how many other Acorn BBC
Micro products have the same
sales trap.
Acorn’s sales department
seems to have gone out of its
way to upset every section of its
users — computer users, disc
users, Forth users, etc. — which
is a great pity because the BBC
Micro system is good. If I were
an Acorn hardware or software
designer I might be sticking pins
in wax models labelled ‘‘sales
dept.’’ by now.
G R Gilmore,
Warrington,
Cheshire.
Pet keywords
IN THE FEEDBACK column,
April 1983, R J Dowling wrote
concerning abbreviated
keyword entry on Commodore |
machines. The ability to use
abbreviated keywords has been
known for some while and is
well documented. However,
for those readers not in the
know I have given all the ab-
breviations that the Pet will
allow.
The main advantages of us-
that program entry is con-
siderably faster and more than
80 characters can be put on one
line of Basic text. For instance |
typing:
10go0S93000:fOx = 32768to
Abbreviated forms of Basic 4.
aB—Abs
cA—Catalog
coL—Collect
di—Dim
eX—Exp
hE—Header
ml—Mid$
2—-Print
reT—Return
si—Sin
sY—Sys
aN—And
cH—CHRS$
conC—Concat
diR—Directory
fO—For
iN—Input£
nE—Next
pR—Print£
ri—Right$
sP—SPC(
tA—Tab(
cL—CLR
coP—Copy
dL—DLoad
gE—Get
eF—Left$
nO—Not
rE—Read
rU—Run
sQ—Saqr
uS—Usr
aS—Asc
clO—Close
dA—Data
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
aP—Append
34768: pO(pE(x)aN128):nE:
iN1,a$:dC:cAd1:goS 2000:
wA158,1,1:reT
| when listed becomes:
10 gosub3000:forx = 32768to
34768: poke(peek(x)and128):
next: input£1,a$:dclose:
catalogd1: gosub2000:
wait158,1,1:return
The reason that these ab-
breviations work is that they
fool the ROM routine, located
at $B4FB in Basic 4 or $C495
in Basic 2, which tokenises the
input buffer. Those wishing to
know how it works should
attack this area with a
dissassembler.
Joe Arrowsmith,
Morden,
Surrey.
0 keywords:
dO—DOpen
gE£—Getf£
IE—Let
oP—Open
reC—Record
sA—Save
sT—Stop
vA—Vai
aT—Atn
cM—CMD
dC—DClose
dS—DSave
goS—Gosub
li—List
pE— Peek
reN—Rename
sC—Scratch
stE—Step
vE—Verify
bA—Backup
cO—Cont
dE—Def
eN—End
gO—Goto
aU—Auto
fi—Find
bR—Break
fO—Format
cH—Change
gE—Get
Texas chips
MAY I THANK you for the
fascinating innovation Chip-
chat. We have plenty of articles
about microcomputers, about
software and about hardware
modifications, but not so many
about the chips themselves.
I was grateful to Ray Coles
for his interesting article in the
April issue reminding us of the
Texas TMS-1000 and the new
TMS-7000. The former is the |
most popular microprocessor in
the world, but unless they have
taken to pieces a washing
machine, automatic sewing
machine or one of those remote-
control cars, I don’t suppose
most hobbyists would recognise
the type number.
I would like to take issue,
though, with Mr Coles damning |
with faint praise the flagships
of Texas Instruments’ micro-
| processor fleet, the 9900 family
| of 16-bit chips. Because the
9900 was the first 16-bit
processor to appear it has been
regarded as rather long in the
tooth, at least by writers in the
hobbyist press.
Industry, however, views it
otherwise. This year the 9900
family has outsold all other
16-bit micro families. The 9995,
the hybrid high-speed variant,
looks like becoming the most
popular 16-bit microprocessor
in the world by May this year.
Unfortunately the personal
computing section of the
industry has ignored the 9995,
apart from the Cortex computer
tO—Load
pO—Poke
reS—Restore
sG—Sgn
stR—Str$
wA—Wait
When using the Commodore
assembler development system
editor the following abbreviations
may also be used:
cO—Gold
kI—Kill
cpU—CPut
nuM—Number
deL—Delete
pU—Put
Our Feedback columns offer readers the opportunity
of bringing their computing experience and problems
to the attention of others, as well as to seek our
advice or to make suggestions, which we are always
happy to receive. Make sure you use Feedback — it is
your chance to keep in touch.
Fee@b3a ee
| produced by Powertran. At
under £400 — £900 with twin
discs — this computer offers
faster benchmarks than the
IBM PC, together with amazing |
| graphics.
addition to the 9900 family, the
99000, which is in many ways
in software and hardware,
has unbelievable benchmarks.
Using Power Basic a prototype
microcomputer using the 99000
carried out Benchmark 1 in less
than 10 minutes and Benchmark
7 in less than 3 seconds. The
IBM PC are 1.4s. and 37.4s.
respectively. For Mr Coles to
call the 9900 family ‘‘seven
stone weaklings’’ does not bear
close examination.
I might say that I have no
professional involvement with
Texas Instruments, but have
watched the development of the
Cortex with great interest and
have helped Powertran’s
technical writers to produce the
instruction booklet for
Cortex.
Roy Tipping,
Sony Typecorder
I ENJOYED reading ‘‘Computing
on the Train” in the March
issue, but as a veteran user of a
Sony Typecorder I was
frustrated by
discussion of this machine,
which to my mind completely
misses the point. The problem is
partly due to Sony’s execrable
documentation.
The Typecorder is a primitive
word processor, but it is a
splendid machine for doing
rough typing under restricted
conditions — on a train or
| plane, or in a library, or away
|from the office. The
Typecorder should always be
used in conjunction with a more
| sophisticated word processor,
but the real news is that almost
any microcomputer will do.
Although Sony sells an
| interface device which adds
several hundred pounds to the
price of an already expensive
(continued on next page)
I understand that the latest |
compatible with the 9995 both |
corresponding figures for the |
the |
Bedford. |
Ian Stobie’s |
Z
| communications
| Tvpecorder is
(continued from previous page)
machine, the Typecorder can be | The smoothed rate of change is
fooled into sending out a
standard 300 baud signal by
shorting the sleeve of the
plug to
ground. I have soldered up a
simple two-wire cable using a
mono plug at one end and an |
RS-232 plug at the other,
connecting the pin of the plug to |
pin 2 of the RS-232, and ground
to pin 7.
I use the public-domain
Modem communications
program to accept the text into
my North Star Horizon. For
some reason, the Sony interface
device is necessary with the
Osborne 1.
Text from the Sony
transferred
perfectly to my Horizon. Saved
on disc, it is easily edited with
| WordStar. The only extra steps
are to remove several control
characters with global find-and-
replace tQtA functions, and to
replace unwanted hard Carriage
Returnst N with spaces to allow
reformatting.
My belief is that the principal
use of hand-held machines for
all serious computer users will
be as peripherals to larger
machines with full-screen
capability. This goes for the
Epson HX-20, the Hewlett-
Packard 75C, and the new
Tandy Model 100, a less
expensive machine which is
loaded with communications
ports and options.
Alan H Nelson,
Berkeley,
California.
Simpler filters
CONGRATULATIONS to Bill Hill
on his article Recursive Kalman
Filters in the April issue. He is
to be commended for
attempting to bring such
a relatively high-flown
mathematical technique within
the reach of the home-computer
owner.
Many such users need a)
to the |
| practice of predictive filtering
gentler introduction
and they could profitably start
with the alpha-beta or g-h
technique. It is widely used in
older radar installations and is
described in An introduction to
Radar Systems by Skolnik. It
computes the smoothed value of
a ‘parameter x and its rate of
change x at the nth observation,
from the following equations.
The smoothed value is defined
by.
!
ee + g(x, = x)
defined by
KX =X + WTA, -x,)
where x, is the predicted value
at the nth observation; x, is the
measured value at the nth
observation; T, is the time from
the last observation. The
predicted value for the next
observation (n + 1) is:
Xamon = %, +X T
The variables g and h are the
smoothing coefficients.
Sometimes two are insufficient |
and a third equation is used to |
provide second-order |
smoothing.
Clearly if g = h = 0
predictions only are used.
Gonversely if g = h = 1
measurements are relied upon
and predictions discarded.
Within these limits, low values
of g and h provide good
smoothing of random errors —
that is narrow filter bandwidth
— while high values or wide
bandwidth provide rapid
response to sudden changes in
the parameter under
measurement.
The standard g-h filter
compromises in favour of
smoothing. There are many
ways of computing the g,h
coefficients. The following
formulae are based on a least-
squares method linear fit to the
observed parameter values. This
gives for the nth observation:
g = An —1)/n(n + 1)
h = 6/(n *(n + 1)
An adaptive filter is one
which varies the smoothing
coefficients to achieve a variable
bandwidth appropriate to the
changes in the observed
parameter values. To simplify
matters the coefficients can be
related thus:
h = g*2—Q)
The value of g is made
dependent on the measurement
error xX, — X,.. Initially the
bandwidth is made wide, and it
narrows down if the parameter
value changes in a smooth,
linear manner. Unexpected or
non-linear changes increase the
measurement error and the
bandwidth is widened.
The actual relationship
between g and the measurement
error depends on the |
circumstances of the particular |
application. In most cases a |
suitable empirical relationship
can be found with a little trial
and error. This simple approach
would be the best starting point
for ‘someone wishing to apply
s
these techniques to the
smoothing of joystick inputs.
The Kalman filter, which is
inherently adaptive, requires
| three models: for the parameter
value changes, the uncertainty
of disturbance in these values
and errors in the measurement
system: If the first model is
linear and the other two are
assumed Gaussian noise with
zero mean, then the Kalman
filter equations reduce to those
of the g-h filter with the
coefficients being continuously |
computed.
L G Westhead,
Scarborough,
North Yorkshire.
Kalman filters
THE ARTICLE by Bill Hill was
very interesting and succinctly
written. I have applications for
a system which smooths signals
so I was keen to try the program
as a means of understanding
just what is special about
Kalman filters. Unfortuantely
the program itself has confused
me and I would be glad of
comments on whether it is |
correctly listed.
I was unable to obtain graphs
at all until I changed line 930 to:
IF K <= 279 THEN GOTO 580.
Both the graphs plotted were
identical, following the
movement of the paddle with
some delay. The numbers
plotted were marginally
different, but the differences
were too small to show on the
graph. If I increased the
variance of the input noise to 25 |
the two curves appeared more
noisy, but again identical. If I
increased the noise level by
amending lines 660/680' the
same thing happened: the noise
levels increased but the
differences between the graphs
were too small to observe.
‘So is the filter doing what I
want, namely picking out
| gain for the first few time steps |
signals from noisy back- |
grounds, or am I missing the
point?
Michael Brown,
Harrogate,
West Yorkshire.
@ Bill Hill replies:
| the case. Even with this
correction, the values of the
| program variables X and XE |
should be, and are, close.
Mr Brown asks why the value
of the state variable estimate,
XE in the program, is so similar
to the state variable, X in the
program, for the thermocouple
simulations. Putting aside the
multivariable case, the whole
point of the scalar Kalman filter
is to remove the measurement
noise, V in the program, and
give a good estimate, XE, of the
state variable X. Ideally, the
values of XE and X would be
identical. If XE is still noisy, it is
simply because X itself is also
noisy because of the noisy input
to the system, U+ W.
It seems to me that Mr Brown
would like to remove meas-
urement noise from a system
which can be assumed
deterministic — that is, one in |
which there is no process or
input noise, only measurement
noise. To illustrate what
happens, try running my
simulation program and set the
input noise variance at zero and
the measurement noise variance |
to 1.E+06. The filter gain
becomes zero after a short while
because, for a deterministic
system with measurement noise
only, the prediction %( — )
made using the filter’s internal |
model becomes the best possible
estimate %( + ) of x,. If the
values of the filter model
Parameters ®* and A were
different from the actual system
parameters, then %,( + ) would
be biased. The non-zero filter
of the fully recursive filter
allows the filter to quickly
improve on the initial state
estimate X ( + ).
Mr Brown’s comment on an
error in line 930 of the program
listing is correct.
930 IF K < = 279 THEN GOTO
580
Brown has made to lines 660,
670 and 680 are not really valid.
The routine in lines 650 to 710
| uses the central limit theorem
As I mentioned in the article, |
the Kalman filter’s
model, line 870 in the program,
| is assumed to be a deterministic |
model of the process. Hence it
does not know explicitly about
any noise in the system.
The correction in my letter
printed in last month’s
Feedback Column makes this
internal |
to generate approximately
Gaussian random variables
from a non-Gaussian series of
random numbers.
A lot of experimenting can be
done with even a
simulation program like the one
| given in the article. You may
notice, for example, that the
value of the filter gain depends
(continued on page 13)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
The modifications that Mr
simple |
@ Circle No. 104
Sinclair ZX Spect
|
ZX Spectrum
RED MAGENTA GREEN ag pire | BLACK |
EDIT CAPSLOCK TRUEVIDEO INV. VIDEO GRAPHICS DELETE
DEF FN OPEN # CLOSE # MOVE ERASE POINT FORMAT
VERIFY MERGE
READ RESTORE DATA SGN VAL LEN
CIRCLE VALS SCREEN $
Exp L PRINT LLIST INKEYS
Eeneeeseaa
BEEP PAPER FLASH INVERSE
The growing range of Spectrum Software
You'll know already that the
Spectrum has generated an
enormous range of peripherals
and.independent software. Our
own range is growing very fast
and is shown in the Sinclair
Software Catalogue — free with
every ZX Spectrum.
10 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
‘um-news!
16K Now
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NOW
At last, a 16K colour computer
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Why have we done it?
Partly because the sheer
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And partly, of course,
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We’ve all heard about colour
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Right now, you can ordera
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
"95
Previously £175.
lowest possible price, we’ve
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At £39.95, it’s almost
unbelievable!
At prices like these, there’s
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ZX Printer now
£39.95
Previously £59.95
How to order your ZX Spectrum
Access, Barclaycard or Trustcard holders
—call 01-200 0200 24 hours a day, every
day. By FREEPOST - use the coupon
below. Please allow up to 28 days for
delivery. 14-day money-back option.
Simca
ZX Spectrum
Sinclair Research Ltd., Stanhope Road,
Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3PS.
Tel: 0276 685311. Reg. no: 1135105.
| To: Sinclair Research, FREEPOST, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3BR. Order |
| Qty Item Code _— Item Price Total
£
| Sinclair ZX Spectrum - 16K RAM version 3000 99.95
Sinclair ZX Spectrum - 48K RAM version 3002 129.95
| Sinclair ZX Printer 1014 39.95 |
Printer paper (pack of 5 rolls) 1008 11.95
| Postage and packing: orders under £90 0028 2.95 |
| orders over £90 0029 4.95 |
Total £
| Please tick if you require a VAT receipt |
*| enclose a cheque/postal order payable to Sinclair Researchitutd for £
| *Please charge to my Access/Barclaycard/Trustcard account no. |
| *Please delete/complete as applicable. aL Bea eee eee ear | |
| Signature mn | PLEASE PRINT |
Name: Mr/Mrs/Miss_ ||| CS a ee Let
| | Address bled 9 eT ie) ie ea) ||
[ess] al el Jou J Le es ah Ee Se (a a a |
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| FREEPOST —no stamp needed. Prices apply to UK only. Export prices on application.
@ Circle No. 105
14
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Send for detailed data pack!
| =e ‘MICROCOMPUTERS
2 a
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ria, Tia > Winstanley Industrial Estate
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Telephone 0925 54117
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make it easy,6n yourself Telex 965999 O&S STD
Apple, trademark Apple computer Inc.
el Feedb ack
| — no relation — as the clear
| competition. The program was
| written in haste one evening and
| BBC sounds
| MY DISPLAY PROGRAM published
| 602% = ?7(ADD%):ADD%
(continued from page 8)
on the ratio of the noise
variances, and therefore the
same value of G will result if VI
is 8and VM is0.0025, or VI is 24
and and VM is 0.0075.
I strongly recommend anyone
interested in finding out more to
read the book by Takahashi et a/ |
mentioned in my bibliogaphy. It
is a good introduction to both
scalar and multivariable
Kalman filters. Another
excellent book, geared to}
applications rather than theory, |
is Applied Optimal Estimation,
edited by A Gelb and published
by the MIT Press (1974).
Good loser
on page 159 of the May issue
contains an error. Line 60
should read:
=ADD% +1
As published the. program will
display the next byte to that
indicated on the screen.
My error must leave Ian Kerr
winner of John Harris’s
put away before fully tested.
As regards improvements,
one of the main criteria was for
a short program which I could
use in conjunction with some
machine-code programming to
examine memory. The size of |
this program can be reduced still
further by reducing the
procedure lines 220 to 260 to a
single line using the Eval |
function:
220 DEFPROC HEX (ADD$): IF_ |
ADD$ = “” THEN STOP
ELSE ADD% = EVAL
(“&” + ADDS): ENDPROC
Dr A KA Kerr,
Holly Lodge Comprehensive
School,
Liverpool.
| on educating and
I WAS INTERESTED to read David
| Peckett’s article in the March
issue about the Envelope and
Sound commands in BBC Basic.
His program is a useful one but
contains one serious error. He
states that if one of the pitch
durations PN1, PN2 or PN3 is
zero then auto-repeating of the
pitch envelope stops and the
pitch of the note continually
cycles. This is not true.
In fact the effect is different in
OS 0.1 from that in OS 1.0 and
later versions. With the earlier
version of the operating system, |
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
q @ Circle No. 106
OS 0.1, a pitch duration of zero
is treated as though it were 256.
For short total durations this
may well give the appearance of
a continually cycling.note, but
for longer notes the pitch
envelope does auto-repeat in the
usual way.
This behaviour would appear
to be an error is OS 0.1, and in
later versions a pitch duration is
treated as zero, and the pitch
envelope simply moves on to the
next element.
T MR Ellis,
Sheffield.
Traffic count
THERE WERE some minor errors
in my article, Classroom Traffic
Count, printed in Practical
Computing, May 1983 issue. In
the list of variables Y should be
YY, and this alteration should
then take place in the lines 300,
| 310, 320, 350, 360, 470 and 860.
The printout routine is only
suitable for the Genie I. For a
Tandy or Genie I suggest a
Screen Print routine similar to
the one published by G Grant in
the May 1982 issue.
Frank Davies,
Warrington,
Cheshire.
Team effort
THANK YOU for your article in
the May issue on the Orion,
and my interview with lan
Stobie. I would like to stress
that computer design is a team
effort, not a one-man show. At
FTS, and I hope other British
companies, is a team of
outstanding talent.
These young people have
produced designs far superior
to the American and Japanese
competition, as your Ben-
chmarks show. I would like
your younger readers to look
with pride -at these achieve-
ments: and to set their sights
training
themselves to continue this
| progress.
Martin Healey,
University College,
Cardiff.
Alias Anon
THANK YOU for publishing my
contribution on Fast Array
storage in May’s Apple Pie.
The only blemish on an other-
wise excellent issue is that there
was no mention of the con-
tributor of the article.
P M Doherty,
Solihull,
West Midlands. 9
You're just
ne step away
m one-step
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mess about with computers. They use ordinary
book-keeping terms without jargon.
Your Commodore dealer should have these
packages ready for demonstration. If not, phone
Anagram and we will fix a demonstration for you.
Or send the coupon.
J
To: Actionline Sales
Anagram Systems, 60A Queen Street,
Horsham, West Sussex RH!13 5AD
iC
Send me brochures on the Anagram packages I have ticked and tell
me where to see them running.
O Integrated Accounts with Stock Contro! 0 Integrated Accounts
0 Standalone Stock Control 0) Standalone Ledgers
Name
Position _
Company .
Nature of business
Address -
County _
Telephone No.
Postcode
Any existing CBM computer
: SG= ANAGRAM SYSTEMS ]
ina C) Sf 60A,Queen Street, Horsham,West Sussex
=€ RH 13 5AD. Tel(0403)50854/58153
| CBM sa trademark of Commodore Business Machines (UK) Lid AN/PCO/0Q7
a eee eee eee
@ Circle No. 107
13
Get a good bit more
for your Superbrain
Hard Disk Upgrade
An integral Winchester hard disk upgrade available. Encotel who
pioneered this feature have supplied over 200 hard disk
Superbrain systems to companies throughout the U.K.
Increase in Fast Access Storage
Capacity
E-Store
Add-on Winchester disk sub-system designed and manufactured
by Encotel the E-Store offers instant upgrade in storage capacity
at low cost. The fitted Rodime disk comes in a range from 5Mb to
40Mb and plugs into many leading micros.
5Mb.............. £1550 25Mb............ £3170
10Mb.............. £1740 40Mb.............. £3620
20Mb............... £2160
Software
The importance of well supported and commercial software has
always been recognised by Encotel.
A great deal of time and effort is spent in the evaluation of new
packages before they are added to our product list.
Over the years Encotel have been instrumental in bringing to the
U.K. market a number of leading software products for
Superbrain. Our range is wide.
There are five programs
in the Microsoft range: Sorcim Supercalc...£194
Micro Pro Wordstar. .£289
nee cca ieget! Wik Remimes. 3
Bartram, ....d £263 Micro Pro Datastar. . £173
COU aes. . £373 Micro Pro Calcstar.. £131
Multiplan........... £195 _ Organic Software
Milestone
Ashton Tate dBase I] £453
Deduct 3% for cash with order. All prices exclusive of VAT.
Attractive
Specially developed for the business user,
the well proven Superbrain from Intertec
Data Systems combines all the elements
of an extremely powerful micro computer
into a single attractive desk top unit.
The configuration of two Z-80A
microprocessors, one for data processing
and the other for handling disk entry and
retrieval, results in extremely fast program
execution.
Superbrain incorporates twin minifloppy
disk drives for permanent storage. These
enable rapid copying of data files and the
ability to separate file types.
Software
Service
Superbrain Dealers
UTH TT ENGLAND
MIDLANDS AND NORTHERN ENGLAND ao EXSHENS
DUDLEY Independent Systems Ltd 0384 236934
LEICESTER Scilex Ltd 0533 402722
STOCKPORT Microscope 061-449 0431
ST, NEOTS West Com Ltd 0480 217217
LONDON
NORTH LONDON Boyd Microsystems Ltd 01 950 0303
KINGSTON UPON THAMES Ideal Computer Systems Ltd
01 946 5568
LONDON SWI Direct Data Marketing Ltd (DDM) 01 834 5016
\4
WEST COUNTRY
Galway (091) 68506
Superbrain uses the industry standard
CP/M operating system which gives
access to the most extensive
professionally written software.
LONDON W1 Bondbest Ltd 01 580 4273/7249
LONDON WC2 Systematica Ltd 01 836 9379
BRENTWOOD Direct Data Marketing Ltd (DDM) 0277 229379
GUILDFORD AFK Associates Ltd 079 82 3758
HORSHAM Sussex Microsystems Ltd 0403 68071
MELKSHAM Advent Data Products Ltd 0225 706289
WALES
GWYNEDD CP.L Ltd 075 881 2053
IRELAND
CASTLEBAR Delta Microsystems Ltd Castlebar 22632
GALWAY Associated Micros Cork (021) 871669
Telex
Pioneered by Encotel, the Microtelex unit turns your
microcomputer into a telex preparation and handling unit with
direct connection to the telex network. While you run your normal
day-to-day application Microtelex automatically transmits your
messages into the telex network — as well as receiving incoming
messages — all in background mode program.
Optional Resolution Graphics
A choice of high or medium resolution graphics available. High
resolution: 1024 x 512 Pixel graphics 128K I/O Mapped. Price
£660. Medium resolution: 512 x 256 Pixel graphics 16K I/O
Mapped. Price £455.
Rental Facility
Encotel have a pool of equipment available for short-term rental
at attractive rates. Minimum period is one week.
The Superbrain is available on this basis — rent starts at only £25
per week including printer.
In addition, full leasing facilities can be arranged on all capital
equipment.
SUPERBRAIN JE"
Comprising five easily changeable
modules, Superbrain is a machine of great
simplicity and reliability. Nationwide
service is available through Software
Sciences — part of THORN EMI.
Encotel are one of Britain’s largest
microcomputer distributors with full
engineering technical support facilities
and workshops.
SYSTEMS
ellCOueL
Britain’s specialist microcomputer distributors
ENCOTEL SYSTEMS LIMITED 7 IMPERIAL WAY
CROYDON AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
CROYDON SURREY CRO 4RR
Tel 01-686 9687 01-680 6040 (six lines)
Telex 8951921 ENCO G
® Circle No. 108
This is the Sharp MZ-3541. It has two Z-80A processors in it, so It
isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire. However it does offer
the user access to a wide range of tried and tested software
through its CP/M 2.2. It is available in monochrome at £1,795 and
colour at £2,450. For details
Telephone: 061-205 2333.
In good
company
YET ANOTHER 16-bit small
business micro from Japan,
the Duet-16 has a few things
that set it apart from the
crowd. It is small, has two
720K half-height floppy-disc
drives and features an Intel
8086 processor.
While it does run MS-DOS,
it is not IBM PC compatible
though it will be possible for
software houses to port IBM
software to it.
Initial software includes
WordStar with colour, Multi-
plan, Basic, Cobol and some
small business accounts
packages — but noless could be
expected. WordStar and
Multiplan seem to make no use |
for the Duet’s 16 function keys.
The price is, sadly, £2,595
plus VAT for the 128K RAM
version with amber screen.
The Duet is made by
Panafacom, a _ subsidiary
venture of Fujitsu. and
Matusushita, in Japan. The |
U.K. distributor is Lambart
Micro Computers, 52 Moor- |
bridge Road, Maidenhead,
Berkshire SL6 8BN. Telephone:.
( 0628) 72037.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
contact Sharp Electronics.
BRITISH TELECOM has launched
a range of new microcomputers
under its Merlin brand name. |
‘‘New’’ means new to Telecom:
the M-2226 Business Computer
is, in fact, an ICL Personal |
Computer, which is perhaps
better known in its original
form as the Rair Black Box.
The M-3300 word processor is
| more familiar in the guise of the |
Logica VTS, with its stylish cas-
ing designed by the now-
| defunct Nexos.
British Telecom has also
launched a terminal which is
also said to be supplied by ICL.
That may well be so, but what
News: hardware
BT does not tell you is that ICL
gets it from Kokusai in Japan.
BT’s new products are not
just ‘‘badge engineering’’,
however. They also have
telecommunications facilities,
which means they can be hook-
ed up to the phone lines and, via
a Puma teleprinter, the Telex
nextwork.
The micros are also supplied
with a ‘‘user-friendly’’
operating system. For the Black
— er, M-2226 this is called
Merlin Master and looks like a
front end to CP/M. For the
M-3300 it looks like a non-
industry-standard OS. Q
Galivan squeezes full-size
A COUPLE of years ago industry
pundits were saying that a full-
featured business micro would
be smaller and lighter than a
portable typewriter by about
1986. The Gavilan fulfils the
brief, because it is small enough
to fit in a briefcase — but we
have used a prototype and can
affirm that it works now.
| Gavilan expects to have pro-
duction models on sale in
Europe in October this year.
The Gavilan micro is only |
11.4in square by 2.7in. high
and weighs a mere 9 Ib. It has a
full typewriter keyboard with
numeric keypad, and a built-in
eight-line by 66-character LCD
display.
Inside is an Intel 8088
microprocessor which enables
| Gavilan to offer compatability
— up to a point — with the
IBM PC. The discs are not
compatible, because
Gavilan sports a single 3in.
micro-floppy with 320K of for-
matted storage.
Other features include 80K |
of RAM, expandable to 128K
internally, built-in Modem and
RS-232 ports, and enough bat-
tery power for an eight-hour
working day. It also has ROM
slots for Gavilan’s Cap-
suleware software packages.
The most interesting aspect
of the Gavilan is that it uses a
Lisa-like operating system. It
was written in Gavilan’s own
language and takes up only
48K.
the |
features into a portable
The Gavilan portable micro has an add-on printer which uses a
thermal ribbon and ordinary paper which combine to produce
correspondence-quality results.
The Gavilan uses all the
mouse-like commands and pro-
cedures but it does not have a
mouse. Instead it uses a touch-
sensitive panel situated above
the keyboard: a finger move-
ment here draws the arrow-
shaped cursor across the
screen. Having positioned it
over, say, Zoom you give the
panel a sharp tap to execute the
command. It enables a great
deal of work to be done calling
up, manipulating and filing
documents without using the
keyboard.
Gavilan has also im-
plemented MS-DOS for the
new micro, and plans to offer
CP/M and UCSD p-system
operating systems. The aim is
an ‘‘open development en- |
vironment”’ to encourage soft-
ware development.
In the short term Gavilan
sees its major markets as being
the vertical ones such as
accounting, insurance, medical
staff, travelling salesmen, jour-
nalists, etc., where business
users have a need for portable
computing.
The price is not, at first sight,
low at around £3,000, including
integrated software. But it is
comparable to the IBM PC for
a micro that offers similar
power.
Contact Gavilan Computer
Corporation, 240 Hacienda
Avenue, Campbell, California
Ca 95008. Telephone: (408) 379
8000. Q
(more news on next page)
15
Buzby’s micros
If you want it tomorrow at
today’s new low prices*
call us today
01-455 9823
COMPUTER/CALCULATORS
HEWLET PACKARD
HP 41C (Comp/Cal}
HP 41CC/R
HP 41CV (Comp/Cal)
HP IL Module
Printer 82143A
Printer 82162A
SHARP
PC 1500 Pocket Computer
CE 148 RS232 and Cent I/F
CE 158 4 printer/cassette W/F
CE 151 4K Addon mem
CE 152 Cassette
CE 155 8K Add on mem
M2Z-80A 48K Comouter
£120.00
£120.00
£169.50
£76.00
£220.95
£286.95
£130.00
£130.00
£115
£43.00
£36.00
£69.00
£425.00
£81.00
£81,00
£600.00
HP 16C (Hex Con)
HP 15C (Adv Sci)
HP 75C (Portable)
TEXAS
TI 59/PC100C (Scl Cal/Pr)
TI199/4A (16K Com)
All accessories stocked
MZ-8080AEU Exp Unit £86,00
MZ-80FB Dual Floppy Disc Drives
for MZ-80AB complete with I/F card,
cables, and
Sharp Disc BASIC & Manual £650.00
MZ-80P4 150 cps Dot Matrix Printer
£700.00
£265.00
£125.00
WORD PROCESSING PRINTERS
QUME®*®
9/45 RO-FFP
9/55 RO-FFP..
9/35 KSR..
10/35 RO-FFP..
Tractor (8i-Di)..
Sheet Feeder........
Mechanical Sheet Feeder...
NEC SPINWRITER*
(RS232 or Centronics)
7710 RS232/7730 Centronics
Tractors, Sheet Feeders and Paper Guides
for NEC, Ex-Stock
Smith Corona®
The most exciting thing to happen to
Daisywheel Printers this year.
Gee or Centronics - please specify
EL-2000
He TPI/Typewriter Combo-Centronics
tee STARWRITER®
F10—40cps (Serial/Parallel)...
FACIT—4565....
An enhanced F1
Ocps with a 2K buf-
Tractor (Bi-O})..
Sheet Feeder.......
Mechanical Sheet Feeder
OLYMPIA*®
ESW 103 KSR
ESW 102{RO)..........
TOSHIBA*
The all new high speed: — Word
Processing/Draft/Data Processing printer
using a — 24 wire printhead to give
exceptionally high letter quality output
that equals some Daisywheels! PLUS
Data Processing High Speed Throughout
100cps in Letter Quality Mode, 192cps
in Draft Mode {1 2cpi)
TH — 2100H Highly F Recommended
Centronics Option
BROTHER®
HR1 °Highly Recommended *
Seria] or Centronics — Please specif
630(KSR)
Tractor (Bi-Oi)..
Sheet Feeder.
FUJITSU SP 830*
THE FASTEST DAISYWHEEL
‘ROIS :
Front Panel Option
Tractor (Bi-O
Sheet Feeder...
RUTISHAUSER & B
Sheet Feeders and Tractors for.)
Qume, Diablo, NEC, Ricoh, TEQ
Starwriter, Olivetti, etc.
HERMES 612-B
Gentronics. cvs. -<1--::--..
FOR BEST DEAL
Mode! RP1600(S) nt Buffer)
Flowriter (8K) QD..
Tractor {Bi-Di).
Sheet Feeder.......
Mechanical Sheet Feeder.
DOT MATRIX PRINTERS
.£198
.£333
(120cps Pin, Friction with RS232 &
Centronics Parallel 1/F) 55
o -£
= £478
(120cps Friction, removeable Tractor and
RS232 and Centronics Parallel as
standard)
ws. £768
...£210
(RS232 Option)........
GP-100 (VIC ae
GP225 OX vvacasese
ANADEX*
DP-9001(A).
OP-9500iIL) ...
OP-9500{A)...
Op-9501
DP-9501(A)..
OP-9620{A) 15
(A) Series are alt BUFFERED WODELS
STOP PRESS
NOW IN STOCK
NEW APPLE 11E £645
] sirtus 1128K WITH 1.2 Mb S/S DISKS £2095
SIRIUS 1128K WITH 2.4 Mb D/S DISKS £2549
SOFTWARE
IBM SOFTWARE
IBM Pascal Compiler.
IBM Cobo! Compiler.........
{BM Fortran Compiler
IBM Basic Compiler...
IBM Macro Assembler.......
UCSDP-System Pascal
£354
.. £338
£420
..£400
£110
£744
«£229
£245
peer
-..£320
Easywriter tt
Wordstar
CU
dBase 2..
Oesktop Plan..
Graph Magic.......
Visitrend/Plot
Visidex.......
Visifile
Micro-finesse
IBM SYSTEM EXPANSION
64K Memory Board :
128K Memory Board.
192K Memory Board....
256K Memory Board..
512K Memory Board..
Other Software including Microsoft/Comsoft/BOS etc. also in stock
GOODS FULLY GUARANTEED
PRICES EXCLUDING VAT AND P+P.
Company and Government orders accepted by phone.
Barclayeard/Access/Visa accepted by phone.
Tel.: 01-455 9823
MOUNTAINDENE
22 Cowper Street London EC2
16
@ Circle No. 109
Winchester
combinations
ICE has launched a range of
3.5in. Winchester drives that
can be used with most popular
microcomputers. The drives
are supplied as stand-alone
units, one with a single 3.Sin.
Winchester, one with a Win-
chester and a 3.5in. floppy,
and a twin Winchester unit.
The Winchesters are
available with either 5Mbyte,:
10Mbyte or 15Mbyte of ready-
formatted capacity. A single |
drive is housed in a unit that is
a mere 4in. by 5.25in. by 1.5in.
which is about the size of a
paperback copy of War and
Peace.
Networking is possible by
using the ICE multiplexor in
conjunction with one or more
of these drives to give a central
database accessible by up to 64
micros. For further informa-
tion contact ICE Ltd, Littleton
House, Littleton Road,
Ashford, Middlesex. Tele-
phone: (07842) 47271. |
Midland Fair
Highlights
\ |
THE FIRST EVER Midland Com-
puter Fair, held in the centre of
Brimingham, brought the ex- |
citement of the London show to
England’s second city. Over
16,000 local enthusiasts,
business people and school-
children passed through the
doors over the four days of the
|
show.
The accent of the show was
on software, with hundreds of
thousands of microcomputer
programs being sold to
members of the public and
distributors alike.
There were two compilers for |
the Sinclair ZX Spectrum on
show at the fair. One using a
subset of the micro’s native
Sinclair Basic was being shown
by Softek. The other,
proudly demonstrated by
Swindon-based Hisoft, was a
full Pascal compiler. Calied
Pascal 4T, the compiler adheres |
to the definition of the
language aS given by Jensen |
and Wirth. The package will
run on any Z-80 based micro,
but there.is a special Spectrum
version which supports that
machine’s colour graphics.
Many retailers at the show |
commented on a demand for
Oric and Lynx software, but
there was little to be seen. In
News: hardware
| fact there was a great deal of |
confusion concerning the pric-
| ing of the Oric computer which
could be bought ona number of
different stands, each offering
a different price.
Users of the BBC and
Dragon computers were able to
purchase some software, but
the widest range of programs
available was for the Spectrum.
Among the stands with Spec-
trum software were Quicksilva,
| DK Tronics, and New
Generation.
Small business systems were
also a feature of the show.
Among the machines on show
were the Sirius 1, Olivetti M-20 |
and Televideo 803. Horizon |
Software was showing a
number of packages written in
| Cobol for the 803, which will
also run on any CP/M system.
Meanwhile Junction 1 Com-
puting, a local Sirius supplier,
| was demonstratin the Pulsar
Software that runs on the
machine. Q
Spectrum
RAM pack
| THE CHEETAH 32K Spectrum
RAM pack converts the £99
16K Spectrum to a 48K ver-
micro in such a way that the
notorious ‘‘RAM pack wobble
blues’’ of the ZX-81 simply do |
not apply, and it is fully com-
patible with all other Spectrum
accessories.
Cheetah RAM packs are
| rently available for £39.95 by
mail order from Cheetah
Marketing Ltd,
| Strand, London WC2R OHS.
Telephone: 01-240 7939. J
Free books
DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORP-
ORATION has produced a book
called Guide to Personal
Computing, which it is giving
| away free to anyone who wants
money for one of DEC’s ex-
| cellent computers, which
feature heavily inside, but it is
planations about what DEC
puter to be. The text has been
angliscised, so you can allow
| kids to read it without picking
up bad habits. For your copy of
the Digital Guide to Personal
Computing ring DEC on Bas-
ingstoke (0256) 59200. |
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
@ Circle No. 110
sion. It fits on the back of the |
fully guaranteed and are cur- |
359 The |
perceives the personal com- |
acopy. It isan undisguised ploy |
to get you to part with lots of |
an interesting book filled with |
pictures and good detailed ex- |
>
CUBE-Universal Control
by Eurocomputer
CUBE is THE comprehensive Eurocard Computer system.
Over the past two years, many of Britain's top industrial
companies have been quietly and efficiently using CUBE
modules in their small-scale computer control projects.
The range exceeds 30 master Eurocards, extended by
almost limitless permutations. Now with the powerful new
EUROCUBE, a single board computer which is a system in
itself, the range is complete. All these robust, sensible
products are very low-priced-the EUROCUBE, for
example, is just over £100.
The fundamental choice is between 6502 and 6809
microprocessors and the newly-available 68000. Each
choice is fully supported with efficient assembly language
development tools, and with high-level languages for
really quick programming. The range is extended by a
continuing programme of industrial computer
development, and by compatibility with Acorn Eurocards.
Similarly, the CUBE cards can be used as extensions to the
BBC computer.
The Cube Systems
All CUBE systems are delivered to the customer
configured to his exact requirements, and tested in that
arrangement. An appropriate text editor, machine code
assembler and high level language are included with each
system, as our experience has shown that most
applications demand these tools, and the CURE systems
offer just about the most cost effective development station
available.
The Software Products
Each of the three processor options 6502, 6809 and 68000
have associated machine operating systems, disk
operating systems, and machine code assemblers.
On 6502, the user has a choice of a 10k version of ROM
or disk BASIC with built-in screen graphics commands, or
a 12k version called ICOL which provides real time control
of inputs, outputs and timers.
On 6809, the disk operating system offered is FLEX,
under which a wide variety of languages may be used,
such as Pascal, BASIC, and PL/9. The advantage of PL/9 is
that while it is similar to BASIC in ease of use and
quickness of implementation, the final program is
compiled, and therefore is much faster in operation than
interpretive BASIC, and does not require the purchase of
an interpreter for each implementation. A 2k version of
tiny BASIC on ROM is also available.
BASIC is available on 68000.
The Hardware Products
EUROCUBE. The complete system on one small card.
Available with either 6809 or 6502, and supplied complete
with two channels of serial i/o, 20 channels of digital i/o,
four memory sockets, each of which can take up to 32KB of
ROM, EPROM or RAM, and a battery back-up circuit
which provides non-volatility for CMOS RAM.
FORCE PROFIT Il. 68000 single board computer with
128kb of DRAM, 2 serial and 2 digital ports, and 2 user
EPROM sockets.
CU-MEM. Universal Memory Carrier board for ROM,
EPROM and RAM up to 8KB per device, with 2 banks of
four 28 pin memory sockets and battery back-up circuit for
CMOS RAM.
CU-DRAM. 64kb of DRAM Plus 16kb ROM/EPROM socket.
CU-KEY. Standard QWERTY layout keyboard, or non-
staggered arrangement of 5x5 or 5x 12 keys.
CU-GRAPH. High resolution VDU card for programmable
text layout of up to 85 columns x32 rows, mixed with
graphics of 512x256 pixels. Uses independent memory
from microprocessor, and colour extension allows eight
logical colours with no loss of resolution.
CU-MOT. 6802 single board computer for study purposes,
without machine or disk operating systems, or languages
support.
CU-PROM. EPROM programming unit for EPROMs up to
32KB (eg 27256)
CU-CLOCK. Real time calendar clock. with battery back
up and watchdog circuit.
CUPS. Range of power supplies for CUBE system.
CU-STOR. Single and double density floppy disk
controller.
INDIO. Industrial heavy duty input/output system.
RACKPRINT. Panel mounted impact printer.
VIEWLINE. Single line display module.
CU-BAN. Analog interface with choice of 8 bit or 12 bit
conversion.
ROMULATOR. Development tool for simulating ROM
based programs in target systems.
SERIO. 2 or 4 channel serial interface.
BEEBEX. Allows use of BBC computer with CUBE
peripherals.
Compact, superbly-capable and incredibly
economical, Control Universal’s cards are the best deal
around in industrial control intelligence.
Find out more by ringing one of our engineers or
sending for our new catalogue, 150 pages of detailed
product information. It’s absolutely free!
Control Universal Ltd
The Hardware House
Unit 2 Andersons Court,
Newnham Road, Cambridge CB3 9EZ
Telephone (0223) 358757
Just how big a difference is there
between Digital and other
personal computer manufacturers?
Seana
~
—_
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
The gap, believe us, is wide.
And the confusion surrounding personal computers,
widespread. Because the term ‘personal’ computer now
stretches to include a multitude of machines, with a diverse
range of functions and capabilities.
So let's set the record straight. And get down
to business. Over the past quarter century Digital's main
objective has been to personalise the computer. Permitting
direct access to real computing power to whoever wants it.
And in that time Digital have introduced
minicomputer power into banks, mines, steel plants, farms,
refineries, aviation, broadcasting, universities and assembly
lines to name but a few.
Digital were also the first company to mass produce
minicomputers, and the PDP-11 is, in fact, the world’s most
popular minicomputer today.
A fact that makes Digital the world’s largest manu-
facturer of minicomputers. Which, in turn, makes it less of
a surprise that Digital have now developed a range of
personal computers unrivalled in their ability to meet
todays professional requirements. From the dual micro-
processor Digital Rainbow to the highly advanced Digital
Professionals, the first personal computers with the ability
to perform numerous functions at once, theres a Digital
personal computer to suit practically any need.
And the Digital difference becomes even wider
when you consider Digital's unique service back-up,which
includes access to our Customer Information Centre,
service support, software services and maintenance. And
in the unlikely event of anything going wrong, Digital
guarantee to deal with any problem, on site, within 8
working hours anywhere on the UK mainland.
Plus you automatically get a free 12 month warranty
to cover all our hardware and software.
It's a service record that is, in fact, unrivalled by any.
If you'd like further information about Digital pro-
fessional personal computers ring Digital on Basingstoke
(0256) 59200 or contact any of the Dealers shown
overleaf, then compare the facts with any other machines
to see just how wide that chasm of difference really is.
Youll end up on our side every time.
Doing more. The Digital difference.
@ Circle No. 111
19
Where to find your nearest
Digital Authorised Personal
Computer Dealer.
LONDON
Beauchamp Computer Systems Ltd.,
115 Fulham Road, London SW3.
Tel: 01-581 8134.
The Computer Terminal, 44 Cathedral Place,
London EC4. Tel: 01-236 2187.
Demotab Ltd,
99-101 Regent Street, London WI.
Tel: 01-439 3971.
(Market Research & Advertising Agencies)"
Guestel Ltd., 8-12 New Bridge Street,
London EC4. Tel: 01-583 2255.
Matmos Electronics Ltd.,
14-16 Childs Place, London SW5 9RX.
Tel: 01-373 6607.
(Opticians & Opthamologists)*
Micro Business Systems PLC, Cannon Street,
London EC4. Tel: 01-621 1122.
Personal Computers Ltd., 220-226 Bishopsgate,
London EC2M 4JS. Tel: 01-377 1200.
Planning Consultancy Ltd., 46/47 Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5JG. Tel: 01-930 5274.
Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd, The Xerox Store,
84 Piccadilly, London WIV 9HE.
Tel: 01-629 0694/5.
The Xerox Store, 110 Moorgate,
London EC2M 6SU. Tel: 01-588 1531/2.
The Xerox Store, 76-77 Holborn,
London WCIV 6LS. Tel: 01-242 9596/7.
Software Sciences, Thorn (EMI) House,
14 Old Park Lane, London W1. Tel: 01-499 7099.
Software Sciences, 88 Old Street,
London ECL. Tel: 01-253 1480.
Sumlock Bondain Ltd, 263-269 City Road,
London ECIV JIJX. Tel: 01-250 0505.
Sytec Products Ltd,
25 Bruton Lane, London WI. Tel: 01-409 1244.
(Pressure Vessel Design, Surveying,
Structural Analysis)*
HOME COUNTIES
Dataview Ltd. Portreeves House, East Bay,
Colchester, Essex CO1 2XB. Tel: 0206 865835.
Ferrari Software Ltd,,683 Armadale Road,
Feltham, Middlesex. Tel: 01-751 5791.
GSI Ltd., Stanhope Road, Camberley, Surrey.
Tel: 0276 62282.
(Motor Dealers & Manufacturers)*
Key Computer Centres, Enterprise House,
Terrace Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.
Tel: 09322 42777.
Micro Business Systems PLC,
119-120 High Street, Eton, Berkshire.
Tel: 07535 55211,
Microfacilities Ltd, 7-9 Church Road,
Egham, Surrey. Tel: 0784 31333.
Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd, The Xerox Store,
3/4 William Street, Slough, Berkshire SL1 IXY.
Tel: 0753 76957.
20
AUTHORISED
afi |gfilt}alt
PERSONAL COMPUTER
DEALER
STC Micros, West Road, Harlow,
Essex CM20 2BP. Tel: 0279 443421.
Sytec Products Ltd., Cord House,
The Causeway, Staines, Middlesex.
Tel: 0784 63911.
SOUTH/SOUTH EAST
Bartholomews Business Systems Ltd., Portfield,
Chichester, Sussex. Tel: 0243 775111.
(Agricultural Suppliers, Farming)*
Computerland
(Sperrings Computer Shops Ltd),
Spencer House, 12-14 Carlton Place,
Southampton. Tel: 0703 39571.
Software Sciences, Abbey House,
282-292 Farnborough Road, Farnborough,
Hants. Tel: 0252 544321,
South East Computers Ltd.
Unit 2, Castleham Road,
Castleham Road Industrial Estate,
Hastings, Sussex. Tel: 0424 426844.
South East Computers Ltd., 29 High Street,
Maidstone, Kent. Tel: 0622 681263
SOUTH WEST
Computacenter, Theatre Square, Swindon,
Wiltshire SNI IGN. Tel: 0793 612341/2.
Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd., The Xerox Store,
Bristo] & West House, Broad Quay,
Bristol BS99 7AX. Tel: 0272 277828.
15 Castle Street,
Software Sciences, Unit 39, Southfield Road,
Nailsea, Nr. Bristol. Tel: 0272 851462/3.
South Coast Computers Ltd.,
South Coast House, Wimbourne Road,
Ferndown, Dorset. Tel: 0202 893040.
Whymark Computing, 20 Milford Street,
Salisbury, Wilsthire SP1 2AP.
Tel: 0722 331269.
MIDLANDS
4B Microcentres Ltd., 13/14 North Bar, Banbury,
Oxon OX16 OTF Tel: 0295 66555/50796.
Micro Business Systems PLC, Wirksworth,
Derbyshire. Tel: 062-9823120.
MMS Ltd. Ketwell House,
75-79 Tavistock Street, Bedford MK40 2RR.
Tel: 0234 40601.
Zygal Dynamics PLC, Zygal House,
Telford Road, Bicester, Oxon OX6 OXB.
Tel: 08692 3361.
NORTH EAST
Microware Computers Ltd, Diamond House,
Whitelock Street, Leeds. Tel: 0532 434377.
Microware Computers Ltd, Priory House,
1133 Hessle High Road, Hull HU4 6SB.
Tel: 0482 562107.
Whessoe Technical & Computing Systems Ltd,
Brinkburn Road, Darlington,
Co, Durham DL3 6DS. Tel: 0325 60188.
NORTH WEST
Cytek (UK) Ltd, Sandringham House,
9 Warwick Road, Old Trafford,
Manchester M16 OQQ. Tel: 061-872 4682.
Micro Business Systems PLC,
Birchwood Science Park, Warrington.
Tel: 0925 822261.
Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd., The Xerox Store,
Pearl Assurance House, Derby Square,
Liverpool L2 9QR. Tel: 051-236 7512.
WALES
Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd, The Xerox Store,
South Gate House, Wood Street,
Cardiff CFI 1EW. Tel: 0222 40118.
Sigma Systems Ltd., 266 North Road,
Cardiff CF4 3BL. Tel: 0222 34865/69.
SCOTLAND
Micro-Centre (Complete Microsystems) Ltd.,
30 Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 6)N.
Tel: 031-556 7354,
Micro Business Systems PLC,
Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh.
Tel: 031-333 1000.
Pilgrim Business Machines Ltd,
28 Walker Street, Edinburgh.
Tel: 031-226 5528.
(Solicitors)*
Pilgrim Business Machines Ltd.,
Northfield Place, Aberdeen. Tel: 0224 645104.
Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd., The Xerox Store,
166 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 2TG.
Tel: 041-333 0495.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Systems Plus Ltd, 19 Glengormley Park,
Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
Tel: 023-134 2117.
DIGITAL UK HEADQUARTERS
Digital Equipment Co. Limited, PO Box 110,
Reading RG2 OTR. Tel: 0734 868711.
*Vertical market application speciality.
dfifgliltlall
@ Circle No. 112
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Microsoft are moving further
into complete across-the-board
competition with the latest
flurry of product announce-
| ments. Time was when
Microsoft wrote the language
| interpreters and Digital
, Research the operating systems,
but things have not been the
same since the arrival of IBM
and the 16-bit micros.
| Since Microsoft obviously
wants people to use its MS-DOS
16-bit operating system in
preference to Digital Research’s
| CP/M-86 it is not surprising
that Microsoft has attached low
priority to bringing out up-to-
date versions of its languages to
run under CP/M-86. Recent
machine reviews have fre-
quently had to criticise the
TO BE ABLE to wander around
the country gather infor-
mation to send through the
telephone system to a computer
back at base requires the right
computer, the appropriate
software package and a com-
Suitable system at the base end
of the link.
HX-20 portable computer has
always looked highly suitable
for this kind of application, and
products are now emerging to
support it in this role. The
acoustic coupler from Norbain
Micro is battery powered:
Norbain Micro has adapted the
popular Sendata unit to run off
the HX-20’s own _ internal
battery power supply.
Intext is a compatible text-
4
3
o
5
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
combination of hardware and |
software. You need a portable |
patible acoustic coupler with |
you on your travels, plus a |
The battery-powered Epson |
imp-
lementations of Microsoft
MBasic on brand-new 16-bit
| machines with masses of RAM
to address more than 64K of the
memory. Meanwhile Microsoft
has been bringing out all sorts of
wonderful programming tools
making full use of 16-bit
hardware to run under MS-
DOS.
Digital Research has been
responding vigorously by writ-
ing its own languages and
development tools: DR Logo,
for instance. The latest
development is a new DR Basic,
Personal Basic. It will run on
any of its 16-bit operating
systems which include CP/M-86
and Concurrent CP/M-86. DR
claims that it can execute
MBasic source code with little or
}
editing package. Running on |
the unexpanded Epson
machine, Intext leaves 5.5K of
memory for the user to enter
text into. With the Epson
expansion unit fitted this goes
up to 21.6K.
The ProStar Training Guide
covers all slx Micropro
packages — WordStar,
| Mailmerge, Datastar, Spellstar,
Supersort and Calestar — in
one volume. The 220-page
guide adopts a tutorial
approach almed at the
beginner, and gives special
attention to how the packages
can be used together. The
| guide costs £29 and is
available from Micropro dealers
| or from Jane Davis
Publications, Hillcrest, The
Avenue, Farnham Common,
BucklInghamshlre SL2 3JS. [1]
no modification, easing the
transfer of existing applications
across from the Microsoft
product. Programs written in
Personal Basic can address
IMByte.
‘Personal Basic is aimed
primarily at the first-time
computer user. Digital Research
expects computer professionals
| to prefer the existing CBasic and
CBasic compiler. To that end
Personal Basic comes with both |
a reference and a. tutorial
manual. It has a full-screen
editor, syntax errors are flagged
at program-entry time. with
intelligible error messages, and
extensive debugging features.
Personal Basic costs £100 and
should be available from Digital
Research dealers immediately.
In another move to counter
Text can be previewed on the
built-in printer, sent to a larger
printer via the Epson’s RS-232
interface, or dispatched through
the phone system. Intext can be
used with an ordinary mains-
powered Sendata acoustic
coupling Modem, or with the
battery-powered Norbain
adaptation of it.
Intext costs £50, and the
Norbain acoustic coupler £240.
Both products can obviously be |
used independently of each
other for other applications.
Details from Talbot Offset, 61
Heathwood Road, Talbot Park,
Bournemouth BH9 2J7,
telephone (0202) 519282; and |
from Norbain Micro Ltd,’
Norbain House, Boulton Road,
Reading, Berkshire RG2 OLT,
telephone (0734) 752201. D
Epson HX-20 phone hook- Boa
i]
‘Personal Basic heralds increased competition
DIGITAL RESEARCH and | inability -of particular
Microsoft, Digital Research has
announced an agreement with
VisiCorp to suppport its VisiOn
operating environment as the
standard graphics-oriented user
| interface for use with applic-
ations running under CP/M
Operating systems.
VisiOn is an integrated multi-
purpose package from the
maker of VisiCalc which uses
high-resolution graphics and
another of those mice. Digital
Research and/or VisiCorp can
be expected to bring out a range
of programming tools to make
the VisiOn window manager
and mouse interface available to
third-party software producers.
Digital Research U.K. Ltd
can be contacted at Oxford
House, Oxford Street, New-
bury, Berkshire RG13 1JB.
Schools
programs
GOOD EDUCATIONAL software
from commercial suppliers has
been in surprisingly short
supply, considering the obvious
need for it. Maybe the prospect
of illicit copying by the
underfunded but highly org-
anised users in schools has put
the companies off.
The rapid rise-in the number
of home computers is changing
the situation. There is now a
rush of new educational titles
which seem to be intended
primarily for use in the home.
| Most of them get away from the
overtly didactic approach, and
instead resemble games.
Chalksoft specialises in
educational software and has a
range of programs for the BBC,
Spectrum and Vic. Details from
Chalksoft, 37 Willowslea Road,
Northwick, Worcester.
Telephone: (0905) 55192.
In the game-like but
demanding Microbe, the player
or players pilot a miniature
submarine round the human
body to fight off disease and
repair damaged organs. There
are several levels, so the
beginner can build up skill and
knowledge.
Microbe costs £34.95. plus
VAT and requires a 48K Apple
II with one disc drive and games
paddles. Contact Pete & Pam
Computers, New Hall Hey
Road, Rossendale, Lancashire
BB4 6JG. Telephone: yy
HM)
212321.
(more news on page 24)
21
G.W.COMPUTERSLTD
RANGES
LONDON’S WEST END NATIONWIDE OVERNITE SERVICE MORE PRODUCT
BETTER SERVICE PROBABLY THE WIDEST SELECTION OF NETWORKS...
MICROS...AND PRINTERS ON DISPLAY NATIONWIDE
“****THE NEW DBMS ill (series III of the world’s first ‘task-robot-programs’)* ****
eeee* EE ATURES*****
1400 character record sizes..
mathematical scratchpad.
record relational indexes...
translateable to any language..
User-defineable reporting......
field protection/classification........
either-or. same as. greater. smaller....... ‘
sorts ‘alpha or numeric’ apy window
12 online file architectures...
12 online file architectures
240 fields using cross-referencing...
cross-record Calculations...
‘Jump-to’ any record in 12 files... 4
User-defineable files/field words/sizes...
endless ‘either-or’ matching..
formulate/recall on selection criterla
13 interrogation question types...
short filing output/audit traits.
Word-star & Mbasic compatible.
DBMS Ill.7 NEW SWITCH MODE FACILITY ENABLES YOU TO CROSS UP TO 12 See FILES
(32000 RECORDS PER FILE) PRE-SELECTING ANY OF UP TO 20 FIELDS PER RECORD/FILE FOR
DISPLAY/PRINT OUTPUT (240 FIELDS) IN ALL. a eee ENQUIRY CAN PASS THROUGH
384,000 RECORDS
You might have two files whose records are directly related to each other, so that the first file (say containing names and addresses) refers
to the second file (say financial and other information relating to the same record numbers in the first file) directly. Then you can simply
select that in file 1 you are interested in just the name and telephone numbers, whereas in file 2, you are interested in the income, trading
period and number of branches, information. Your enquiry can then pass through both files highlighting that information only. Actually there
doesn’t need to be a strict correlation between the same record numbers in different files, and you can also on just one JUMP command go
to any record in any of the 32000 records in any of the twelve files and carry on cross-referencing from there onwards.
DBMS’S MACROS WORK FROM THE MOMENT YOU INSERT THE ‘TASK DISK’ IN THE COMPUTER
Simply design your file, give its fields your words, setup your report mask, and then enter your records. Switch to ‘automatic drive’ and
formulated any task you wish to program to fulfill, the task is stored as a macro. Take a copy of the program on another ‘task disk’ and from
then on, the task disk will function without a single key-stroke. Think of a number of such ‘task disks’ such as ‘‘stock-re-order reports”
“'stock-valuation reports’’; ‘’analysis’’; ‘patient history analysis’’; ‘’research-analysis’’; ‘‘budgetting-analysis’’; ‘’vehicle-location
control’; “librarian analysis’; ‘‘plus more?”’
Not only does this program surpass most of its kind that you might buy elsewhere, but if you buy the hardware from us, then you get it
FREE... DBMS i! (WITHOUT MACROS) AND DBMS I ARE FULLY IMPLEMENTED UNDER CPN-86 (tm) AND.MS-DOS (tm) I.E.:
SIRIUS/VICTOR/IBM DBMS IIS £395.00 (or £250.00 by mail order ex. training) . . . DBMS Illis £5 75.000 (or £295.00 by mail order
32000 records per filename..........
20 main/200 sub fields per record...
fleld and record related formulae
‘Jump-to' any of 32000 records per file.....
randomibinary/key/multiple field search..
‘if-then’ questioning -
file protection/password entry...
fange match. not match. integer match..
sort speed 500 records per 20 seconds...
ex. training).
MICRO-COMPUTERS
INTERTEC -Superbrain 64K RAMQ20K disks
‘Superbrain 64K RAM/700K disks
Compustar 64K RAM20K disks
-Compustar 64K RAM/700K disks
‘Advantage 64K RAM/700K disks
Advantage 64K RAMS.3M disks
802 64K RAM7O0K disks
-BOQH 64K RAM/7 3M disks
806 64K RAM/OM disks
816 256K/750K disks
ACT Sirius 1 128K/1.2M disks
Sirius 2 128K/2.4M disks
‘Sirtus 3 12BK/10MEG disks
VICTOR 9000 128K/1.2M disks
18M ° PC 64K RAMGAOK disks
-PC1 OOK 640K disks
“XT 12BK/1OMEG disks
ALTOS ACSB00-2 64K RAM/1M disks
ACS800-10 208K/10.5Meg disks
NEC APC 128K.RAM/2M disks
CORVUS Concept 16 bit pc
SANYO G80 64K RAM/20K disks
ABC 26 64K RAM/22M disks
All computer prices include mbasic as standard.
All prices marked * are 816 bit machines.
WE STOCK MOST OF THE BEST KNOWN SOFTWARE ALSO MOST OF THE BEST
KNOWN BRANDS OF PRINTERS & PERIPHERALS FROM 300.00 TO 2700.00
(OKVEPSON/DRENECQUME/ANADEXRICOH)
SOFTWARE COMMENT!!!
INTEGRATED SOFTWARE IS PROPERLY
REPRESENTED, when the degree of integration
reflects the ability to refer to as many different files,
as well as employ as many different functions,
under as many different modes as possible In one
program only. This principle not being observed, will
confer upon your purchases the attribute of their
being expensive as an aggregate even though
individually they are cheap. "DBMS III.7" and “THE
KEY” are comparably worthy of such a label.
SYSTEM DEAL (our speciality)
SAVES YOU 1500.00+
Buy any computer, any printer and 150.00 value
diskettes add £85.00 for cables and testing.
add 10% for return to base warranty for 1 year (optional)
add £110.00 for delivery & installation {optional}
Training optional extra £120.00
and get completely *** * *FREE*****
cpm handbook 50 basic exercises ©2000 sheets paper |
DBMS II.7 magic wand w/proc magic calc
mbasic 80 diagnostics msort/dsort
recover autoload instant basic
library boxs disk/games DT/AS/NS sorts
Total Value £1525.00
Based on 8 bit hardware, 16 bit software varies.
Here’s a typical example of a complete system deal
1-Sirius 128k ram/1.2 megabyte disks 2395.00
2-Oki microline 80 printer 295.00
3-Cables & testing 85.00
4-Diskettes 150.00
5-price differential on magic/wand for word-star 100.00
software described above *****" FREE ***** 3025.00
We specialise in ‘STANDARD MICRO-PRINTER
SYSTEMS’ as well as ‘NETWORK SYSTEMS BASED ON
A SHARED HARD DISK’.
The range of computer products (mostly ex stock)
includes the most popular brands of micro-computers,
printers, modems, buffers, spoolers and software.
NORTHSTAR
(exc DOS)
TELEVIDEO
PRINT
OKI -Microline 80
-Microline 82A
-Microline 83 695.00
-Microline 84 895.00
-MX80/FT-3 425.00
-MX100/FT-3 575.00
-DP 9000 895.00
-DP 9501 1045.00
-DP 9501 (A) 1145.00
9/45 RIO 1995.00
-9/55 RIO 2195.00
-9/35 R/O
NEC 3510 RIO
7710 RIO
-5520 KSR 2250.00
DRE 8820 1295.00
8830 1695.00
TEXAS 810 995.00
825 995.00
DIABLO 630 1995.00
RICOH -RP 1600 1095.00
OLYMPIA -ESW 103 14 CPS 975,00
295.00
395.00
EPSON
ANADEX
QUME
1495.00
2195.00
1495.00 |
G.W. COMPUTERS LTD — Tel: 01-636 8210
POPULAR BRANDS OF EQUIPMENT WE SELL
MICROS: Sirius/Victor/l.B.M./DEC
Epson/North-star/Sanyo/Superbratin
Compustar/Altos/Apple-Lisa/Televideo
PRINTERS: Nec/Qume/Dlablo/Oki/Epson
Olympia/Ricoh/Texas/Dre/Anadex
OTHERS: Corvus/Compustar
Hard disks networks and multiplexors
Spoolers/Modems/Buffers
most of the best known brands of software
PERIPHERALS &
ACCESSORIES
6 Meg hard disk
-11 Meg hard disk
-20 Meg hard disk
-Multiplexor 7 station
-Mirror backup card
-Compustar 10 Meg hard disk
-CDC 144 Meg hard disk
-16 Bit u/grade
-18 Meg hard disk
Meg hard disk 1495.00
+12 Meg hard disk 1950.00
GENIE -5MG fixed/SMG removeable disk
3295.00
QUADRAM 64K print spooler/copier 295.00
BIZCOMP = -RS232/Auto-modem 1200 baud 450.00
AST -port expanders (4 tmnis to 1 prir)395.00
GIxX -port expander (switcher) 95.00
1950.00
2950.00
3950.00
695.00
695.00
2950.00
7950.00
395.00
2995.00
CORVUS
INTERTEC
N’STAR
RODIME
NOTE: Corvus drives with multiplexor may network
sirius.. Superbrain.. Concept.. PET.. Victor..
IBM...
-BUS V8.00 (Accounts)
DBMS 11 (Database)
‘DBMS II (by mail order only)
-DBMS III (database)
DBMS Il (by mait order Only)
FORMS/TEXT/CALC/-DBMS IV
‘Sales Ledger
-Purchase Ledger
-Nominal Ledger
Stock-Contro!
Address-Mailer
QASort/QNSont (500 Recs/14secs)
| MICROSOFT -Mbasic 80
-Fortran 80
Cobol 80
Basic Compiler
MU lisp/mu star
Word-star
-Mail-+nerge
“Speistar
-W-star/M-merge/Sp-Star
-BStam (communications)
-BStms (tele-comms’)
-CBasic
-Concurrent CPM/86
CBasic86
-Pascal MT
-T/Maker
CIS Cobol
Forms Il
SORCIM -Super Calc
PEACHTREE Magic Wand
«Magic Calc
VARIOUS. -including telecomms etc
Software formats on all micros in our hardware list.
Ail prices marked £ are available 8/16 bit formats.
275.00
“£395.00
*£250.00
£575.00
“£295.00
“£575 00
MICROPRO
BYROM
DIGITAL
| LIFEBOAT
M'FOCUS
TERMS & ETC
G. W. Computers Ltd (Grama (Winter) Ltd)
55 Bedford Court Mansions
Bedford Avenue London W.C.1. England.
Tel: 01-636 8210: 01-631 4818: tlx 892031 twe gi
Boston office tlx 94.0890
24 hour answerphone-leave address for ‘intopacks’
We do not operate a reader's reply card service.
Terms: C.W.O. or C.0.D. Prices exclude V.A.T.:
but include all non-credit discounts available.
No dealers. The above lists are not exhaustive
Piease call at our showroom only by prior
appointment. Unless expressly agreed, all
warranties are commercial 90 days retum
to base for parts and labour. Annual
warranties and maintenance facilities
available nationwide through closely
related third parties.
TELEPHONES: .01-636 8210 . 01-631 4818 . TLX: 892031 TWCG (BOSTON 94-0890)
G. W. COMPUTERS LTD
G80/86 SOFTWARE
Fully implemented on MS-DOS, CPM 2.2 and CPM 86 (tm)
Works on IBM, Sirius and Victor 9000 and all micro-computers in our price list
Requires the prior acquisition of DBMS 111.7
Sales ledger (95 pounds)
Purchase ledger (95 pounds)
Nominal ledger (95 pounds)
Stock control-valuation/re-order (95 pounds)
The address mailer (95 pounds)
Qasort/Qnsort (500 records/15 seconds) (95 pounds)
Each module is a set of ‘task disks’ designed for minimal learning curve. This software derives from modules of ‘DBMS
lll’ and runs reports without your secretary having to touch a single key
Consider the advantages in these features: The user manual is contained in FIVE pages. All reports are generated by
robot functions. Reliability tested (benchtest PCW June). Works in a network multi-user environment Fast easy data en-
try. Files are re-organised and sorted automatically. Produced by the same people that originated ‘BUSiness’ ‘DBMS II’,
‘DB-CALC’, ‘AUTOLOAD AND RECOVER’ ‘ETC’ and sold successfully over the past five years.
Also see our advertisement next page.
The G80/86 networks
Based upon one hard disk and multiplexor module the G80/86 networks feature full network sharing of data resources
by adding different stations that may be as various as Sirius/Victor 9OOOf/IBM/Superbrain/Pet/N’star/Sanyo.
We also have a special ‘spooler module’ as well as software controllable port expanders and modems for output to
telephones, printers, and screens so that a number of terminals may share the resources of one printer, as well as be
able to send files over the telephone at any time (day/night) to both store on the hard disk and print out as well.
only from G.W. Computers (the leaders in database)
Call us on 01-636-8210 or 01-631-4818 and leave your address for our standard ‘infopacks’
G. W. COMPUTERS LTD — tei: 01-631 4818
Contains the highest state of the art software available today
FORMS/TEXT/CALC/DBMS IV ALLIN ONE PROGRAM — “KEY” — at £575.00
When you budget for a complete system of software you eventually end up with a host of packages like, Sales, Purchases, Nominal,
Data, Text, Calc, Mailshot, Invoice, Order, Workflow, Personnel, andso on.
The list is endless and the outlay several thousands of pounds.
Features. Design a form as wide as a window of 250 characters, long as needed. Cursor movements are ‘left, right,
up, down, delete left delete right, tab right-left-up-down’ Paint your formas you like directly on the screen.
Write a letter as you see it on the screen, edit it then simply enter “P to print.
Set into the form, your data fields, “LEE ELEL’’ and specific file-related activities, formulae and validation
checks.
Enter values and see the spreadsheet calculate itself.
Database. Search files for data to be inserted to fields specified.
All the features of DBMS Ill, explained elsewhere in our ad.
Here’s an example of an invoice you might design for your stationery
You could design your own spreadsheet, order form, statement, or any other kind of form that is required to fit your existing
stationery.
INVOICE <O>feefeereeece
ToL<1 >LELLLELEL EL EL From: G.W. Ltd
£<e>rerrereererereeee 55 Bedford Court Mans.
g£<a>Leerereereeeecers Bedtord Avenue
£<4>eLeceececeerce London W.C.1.
£<5>ecererece Tel: 01-636 8210
Date <6>££.££ Tax point <7>££.££ _Agent <8>eee
Quantity Description Cost Tax Total
<9>E£E£E <1O>ELELLKELCESEEE <11>£LE <12>£E <13>£E£E8
<14>£8 <15>eereerecrreees <16>£E <17>£E <18>£EfE£
and soon..
Total...<19>£eeree Tax...<20>£££E
<??> items <1 >to <5 >internal command to request name input, and then search an address file for details.
Sir Se items <6 >to <7 >request date input and validate.
<??> item <8 >request agent number and validate range.
<??> <9 >request quantity, validate range.
<??> <10>request description, search file, accept, and calculate fields <11>., <<12>, < 13>, if finished in-
voice then calculate fields <19> and <20>
Now comes the more valuable facility, you can provide the ‘FORM’ with file-related instructions, not only to request a ‘console’ in-
put for a file search against names, and stock, but after the invoice is finished the fields you have selected may be passed to
related files.
EG: Send fields <O >, <1 >, <6 >, <7 >, <11>, <12>, <13>, <19>, <20> toa sales ledger.
Then send fields <9 >, <10>,.<11>, to product analysis file. “LT
Then send fields <O >, <1 >, <7 >, <19>, <20> toV.A.T. file 3
Then send fields <10>, <11>, <12>, <13> to Nominal ledger. © Circle No. 113
PHOENIX
Data Display
Monitor
THE TRUE LOW COST,
EUROPEAN ALTERNATIVE!
The Phoenix Technology new breed of precision
display monitor, offers an exceptionally high standard
of performance and reliability at a true low cost.
a
P12
Data Display
Monitor
Specifications:
Input:
Composite video with
loop through facility.
lv into 750ohms
CRT-Colour:
If you think you are
paying over the odds for
Green P31, just another monitor,
Orange P33 call and see
Band width: the Phoenix range.
24MHz measured Tel: 01-737 3333/01-737 0971
at 3 db down
Display area:
210mm — horizontal
150mm — vertical
Scan frequency:
15.750 — horizontal
50Hz — vertical
Power consumption:
25 watts
PHOENIX
TECHNOLOGY
129/131 Coldharbour Lane
London SE5 9NY
Telex:946292 Emcog
@ Circle No. 114
24
Spectrum
Pascal
HISOFT PASCAL 4 is a Pascal
compiler for the Spectrum. It is
a true compiler producing Z-80
machine code, so a program
produced with it will run very
much faster than the equivalent
program written in ZX Basic.
The compiler supports the ZX
Printer and Spectrum graphics
and sound facilities. Hisoft
claims its Pascal imp-
lementation is close to standard
Pascal as defined in the Wirth
and Jensen Pascal user manual
and report, and has all the
standard data structures except |
files.
Pascal 4 costs £25 from
Hisoft at 60 Hallam Moor,
Liden, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3
6LS. Telephone: (0793) 26616. |
Hisoft also has a new version of
its assembler package for the
Spectrum, Devpack 2 — cost
£12.50. 4}
Microsoft
breeds mouse
FOLLOWING the interest created
by Apple’s Lisa system and
Visicorp’s VisiOn, which both
use mice to control the user
interface, it, emerges that
Microsoft too is unable to resist
the lure of the cute little furry
creatures.
Microsoft’s mouse, is held in
the hand and rolled around the
desk top to move a cursor
around the screen. It has two
buttons on it, which can be
pushed to initiate actions.
Mice really come into their
own with 16-bit machines, and
are just part of a user-interface
philosophy developed over the
last 12 years, mainly at Xerox’s
Palo Alto research centre. The
approach demands high-
resolution graphics and uses
ikons, the name given to
graphics symbols on the screen
representing currently valid
actions the user can take.
The importance of the
development lies in the software
Microsoft is including with the |
mouse. The standard mouse
driver software supports all
Microsoft’s high-level lang-
uages, including Basic, Pascal
and Fortran. The application
programmer will not have to
worry about the details of
producing a highly friendly style
of interaction with the user.
The mouse comes in two
versions, both costing £140. The
IBM PC version has a plug-in
| board, and Microsoft promises
| immediate availability’ in the
U.K. The second version is for
any computer running MS-DOS
which has a standard RS-232
interface.
The disc has on it, apart from
the device driver, three
demonstration programs to help
the user build up skill at using
the mouse. The source code is
provided so that programmers
can see how the system calls are
handled.
Database for
beginners
ASHTON-TATE of dBase II fame
is following the current fashion
| for ridiculous software names
and calling its new product
Friday!. It is a database-
management system designed to
be easier for the first-time user
than the company’s best-selling |
dBase II. It supports up to
60,000 records which can be
| indexed on any field. Files
produced by dBase II applic-
ations can be read by the new
package and vice versa. It costs
£190.
More details can be had from
Ashton-Tate, | Lancaster Park,
Richmond, Surrey TW10 6AG.
Telephone 01-948 3111.
|Challenger
‘to WordStar
MICROSOFT has demonstrated a
new word-processing package
which is hoped to be sufficiently
| advanced to knock Micropro’s
WordStar off its perch.
WordStar is probably still the
top-selling word-processing
package despite being rather
long in the tooth.
Multi-tool Word is comp-
etitively priced at £275. It adopts
the same style of interaction
with the user as Microsoft’s
highly successful Multiplan
| spreadsheet. Data can be
transferred between the two
packages, and Microsoft
intends to add further
compatible applications to the
range.
Although Multi-tool Word
works quite happily with a
standard keyboard, it has been
| designed to take full advantage
| of the mouse if you have one.
| Microsoft is offering the two
| products together at a special
price of $350. Multi-tool Word
| should be available in August,
and runs under MS-DOS.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
News: software
COMPSOFT’S DMS —- winner
of the 1982 ITA Awards,
‘Software Product of the Year’.
Now Compsoft announce
Delta — the very powerful, very
friendly database* that the
world has been waiting for. .
* For micro computers with CP/M, MP/M or MSDOS operating systems. Including IBM PC.
Compsoft Training Centre
4
aes
——
rie | a os
AUTIS PAL NIU
= . . : = é
“=
If part of your microcomputer's job is to store guides to DMS handling a multitude of business
information, you need Compsoft’s software. situations from order processing, invoicing &
Compsoft DMS is already Britains No. 1 record stock recording, through to library, personnel &
keeping program. And with 4000 users to our hospital record management.
credit, we can honestly say we know more about Find out more about the database revolution.
information storage & retnieval than anyone else. Either telephone the office or clip the coupon
We listen to your comments & requests and now now.
we've produced a world first — the Delta — a true Compsofts Delta — taking microcomputers into
transactional database. the third dimension.
If you'd like to know more, we have general
brochures, full technical specifications & free -----~-=---------+---+---———-€-
Please send me further details
Compsoft Limited Company
Hallams Court
Shamley Green Contact
Nr Guildford, Surrey
__England GU4 80Z Address
Telephone: Guildford (0483) 898545
Telex: 859210 CMPSFT 2S
@ Circle No. 115 Tel No.
“GORDON SAYS
IF YOU DONT
BUY THIS MICRO
YOU NEED
YOUR EYES
TESTING:
6 6 It’s time to introduce a new breed of business
micro -the Duet-16.
What you get is a performance that no
computer its size has ever been able to offer.
For a start, you won't have to be an expert to
make the most of its superior intelligence.
Whether it’s accounts or business management,
word-processing or stock control, the Duet-16 will
give you the solutions.
This isn’t magic. It’s simply the new power of
true 16-bit processing. And this is combined with the
progressive technology of a World leader in computing.
So you can rest assured that every detail has
been carefully considered.
For example, the pin-sharp screen and colour
graphics are decidedly easier on the eyes.
And the memory is big enough to leave other
micros green with envy.
However, even with all this performance it still
won't swamp your desk. The Duet-16 measures a
mere 16” x 13” And with a separate low-level
keyboard you can work in your own style.
And all this comes for around the price of an
everyday 8-bit.
But don't take Gordon's word for it. SeeQQ
for yourself.
We've worked hard to be the best.
Lambart Micro Computers Limited, 52 Moorbridge Road, Maidenhead, Berks. SL6 8BN
Tel: 0628 72037/74916. Telex: 848635 LAMCOM G sj
@ Circle No. 116
OUT-GUN
THE COMPETITION
WITH NEC CRTs.
NEC in-line gun colour display tubes offer you all the advantages.
They come with deflection yoke already prealigned at the factory, thus
enabling sharper focus and stable colour purity.
Inherent self-convergence eliminates any need for correction or
re-adjustment.
Fine phosphor dot pitch gives outstanding clarity and high
contrast, as shown in our range of tubes from .2Imm super high
resolution to 38mm medium resolution. The NEC standord for high
resolution is .3lmm.
29.1mm diameter neck ensures low power consumption. Special
anti-reflection surface treatments and a wide range of phosphors,
ranging from medium short to long persistance, are also available.
For full information contact your NEC distributor now or use the
NEC
NEC Electronics (UK) Ltd
Impectron, Norbain Electro Optics ltd NEC Electronics (UK) Lid,
Foundry Lane, Arkwright Road 116 Stevenston Street,
Horsham, Reading New Stevenston
West Sussex Berks MALI 4LT, Scotland
Tel: 10403) 5011 Tel: (0735) 224474 Tel: (0698) 732221 Telex 777565
NEC Corporation.
®@ Circle No. 117
| IBM PC. It is attached to the
| micro via a slot-in card, and
Character
recognition
CAERE CORPORATION has |
launched the Series 500 optical
character-recognition system,
which is compatible with the
uses a hand-held optical wand
for data reading. The system
will read strings of up to 80
alphanumeric characters at a
scanning speed of from five to
20 inches per second.
Caere claims the system is
much smaller and, at $1,145,
cheaper than previous systems.
i A big market for data capture is
envisaged, especially in shops,
where the wand can read credit-
card slips, computer-generated
invoices and price tags.
Contact Caere Corporation,
100 Cooper Court, Los Gatos,
California 95030. Telephone:
(408) 395-7000. D
No protection
COPY II PCis a bit copier which is
claimed to copy more protected |
software for the PC than any
other copier. It acts as a
replacement for the Diskcopy
file in PC-DOS. As well as
formatting and copying it also
verifies the duplicate disc.
Naturally the Copy II PC is
only intended for people to take
back-up copies of their own
software. Copy II PC is not
copy-protected itself.
The disc costs £39.95 plus
VAT. Contact Pete & Pam |
Computers, New Hall Hey
Road, Rawtenstall, Lancashire |
BB4 6JG. Mi |
Leare bow to use the operating system MS-DOS with your IBY personal compster
(C) Comprehensive Software Support 1962
(Wt is a trademark of Entarnational Business Machines Corp.
WS-BOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.
ar to cont ieur
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Vector Sketch is an inexpensive CAD package for the IBM PC. It
also requires the use of the Digl-Pad 5 digitiser, a graphics monitor,
and a suitable printer. The program supports Epson printers and
Hewlett-Packard 7000 series plotters. It offers a zoom facility and |
built-in Help commands. Price is around $3,000. Contact John |
Frothingham, GTCO Corporation, 1,055 First St,
Maryland 20850. Telephone: (301) 279 9550. Telex: 898471.
New version of
Silicon Office
SILICON OFFICE was recently
rewritten from scratch in 8086
assembler for the Sirius | micro. |
The Bristol Software Factory |
then sent Mike Whitehead home
with an IBM PC, and on May
19 — a month ahead of schedule
— he had it up and running on
that.
The new Silicon Office offers
a top-quality word-processing
system combined with
spreadsheet and database-filing
capabilities. It is also simple to
write programs as part of
Silicon Office, which means
that it can take over most office
functions within the one
program.
It also remembers the last
half-dozen screens you were
working on, so switching from
one function to another is
| step through
| communications.
Rockville,
Hy)
virtually instant. In other
respects too the new version is
very much faster than the one |
originally written for the 96K
Pet.
The Sirius version requires a |
minimum of 256K and costs |
£790 plus VAT, complete with
manuals, extra keycaps and a
program-protection dongle.
The documentation of the IBM
version is expected to be ready
in two months time, but the
price has not yet been fixed.
In addition, the National
Computing Centre is holding a |
series of courses on Silicon
Office, at £330 plus VAT.
Contact The Bristo! Software
Factory, Kingsons House, |
Grove Avenue, Queen Square, |
Bristol BSI 4QY. Telephone:
(0272) 277135. Q
Plug-in card
AFTER LANGUAGES and then
Operating systems, Microsoft
Corp. has entered the plug-in
card business with 64K to 256K
RAM cards. You can upgrade
by adding memory chips, 64K at
a time. The card can also be
used as a fast disc-substitute or
| RAMdisc.
The 64K card costs £245, and
the 256K one £495, both plus
VAT. Contact Pete & Pam
Computers, New Hall Hey
Road, Rawtenstall, Lancashire
BB4 6JG:
When is an
Apple an IBM?
IF YOU HAVEan Apple II, II plus |
or Ile microcomputer you can
now add 88Card to upgrade it to |
an IBM Personal Computer.
The new board includes an Intel
8088 microprocessor and 64K of
RAM. It is supplied with the
MS-DOS operating system and
Microsoft Basic, and CP/M-86
is promised as an option. The
88Card costs only $595.
Initially the card will be a
software-developer’s tool,
allowing Apple programmers to
rewrite their applications
software for the IBM PC under
MS-DOS. If the card catches
on, however, then there will be a
market for Apple-formatted
| IBM programs.
Contact Personal Computer
Products Inc., 16,776 Bernardo
Centre Drive, San Diego,
California 92128. Telephone:
(619) 485 8411.
An 8088 card is also available
in the U.S. for the Atari 800
with the ATR 8000 CP/M
maker. |
Computer-aided teaching
THERE’S SOMETHING not quite |
right about learning computing |
from a book. If computers are
that good for education, then
computer learning should come
from computer-aided teaching.
Such packages have been
available for the small Atari and |
Commodore micros for some |
time. Now there’s one for the |
IBM called PC Tutor. |
It consists of a manual plus a |
disc which takes you step by |
the keyboard
layout and functions, PC-DOS
commands and utilities, right
through to asynchronous
It is menu-
driven so you can skip the more
boring topics.
PC Tutor was written by
Comprehensive Software of
Los Angeles, and costs £59 plus
Computers.
distributed in the U.K. and most
European countries by the
software consultancy CACI |
International. CACI also has
educational packages for
WordStar, dBase II, VisiCalc,
Easywriter and Multiplan.
Contact CACI International,
CACI House, 89 Fleet Road,
Fleet, Hampshire GU13 8PJ.
Telephone: (02514) 22133. {J
28)
News: IBM™
| VAT direct from Pete & Pam |
It is also being |
i Software News
INNOVATIVE
TRS 80-GENIE SOFTWARE -
rom the projessionals
£250 REWARD
Below you will find described a new program entitled
Enigma. It is a true simulation of the German
wartime cypher machine of that name. It will
encipher messages which may be communicated
to third parties by any means who, assuming they
have the key, will be able to use their Enigma
program to decipher.
We will pay the sum of £250 to anyone [who has
purchased the program] who can demonstrate an
infallible method of deciphering the coded message
supplied in the program’s instructions. We consider
Enigma to be the best program of its kind on the
U.K. or U.S. market; contestants may therefore use
any orthodox means to crack the code, including
microcomputer programs other than Enigma.
The original message and keys will be lodged with
our Solicitors for safe keeping in a sealed envelope.
In the [hopefully] unlikely event that the code is
cracked by more than one person, the reward will
be paid to the first customer who demonstrates to
us that he has succeeded.
MOLIMERX LTD.
During the 1939/45 war the German Army and Intelligence used a deciphering machine called Enigma. it
was a fascinating machine and the stories that have surrounded it are equally interesting. There have been some
four or five books written about the machine, and with regard to the way in which the British counter intelligence
managed to crack the code.
That they did so was the culmination of some fortuitous circumstances, a lot of luck, but mainly it was due to
the fact that the people who did it were extremely clever mathematicians. The fact that It took so much brain
power, plus a rudimentary type of computer and a specimen of the machine in order to crack the code is an
indication of how complex that code is.
The Enigma microcomputer program that we are selling is a simulation of the original machine, together with
one or two improvements which were suggested by Gordon Welchman, who wrote the book ‘The Hut Six Story”’
last year and was also the leader of the team that cracked the code.
Although the machine and, therefore, the program is so complicated, its use is amazingly simple. One simply
inputs a key and a message and the code is supplied. To decipher, the message is input again with the key and if
the key is correct then the decoded message is displayed. With the cassette version it is necessary to input from
the keyboard but with disks both inputs and outputs may be to disk files if required. A printer is of course supported.
The code may be transmitted in any way which the written word can be transmitted. Companies who wish to
fully protect their communications will no doubt have the program generate the code and then tap it into a telex.
Tape users will have to send either the output from their printer or write down the code direct from the screen.
Enigma is a fascinating program designed, not only for those people who are Interested in encryption
professionally or as a hobby, but also for companies or private persons who wish to communicate with others in an
entirely secure manner. As is shown by the above Reward Notice, we have great faith in the powers of this piece
of software.
ENIGMA (Tape) ... £17.25
ENIGMA (Disk) ... £23.00
Inciusive of V.A.T. P&P 75p
TEL: [0424] 220391 / 223636 MOLI M ERX~ LTD TELEX 86736 SOTEX G
A J HARDING (MOLIMERX)
1 BUCKHURST ROAD, TOWN HALL SQUARE, BEXHILL-ON-SEA, EAST SUSSEX.
TRS-80 & VIDEO GENIE SOFTWARE CATALOGUE £1.00 plus £1 postage.
@ Circle No. 118
30 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
WHILE THE IBM Personal Com-
puter dominates the American
| market, portable computers
continue to appear. Some of
them are, of course, IBM PC
work-alikes. To the Dynalogic,
Dot, Compaq and Corona
models must now be added yet
one more — the Columbia VP.
Columbia Data Products has
already become well known for
its IBM PC look-alike —- Prac-
tical Computing, March 1983.
| The portable version has a
| built-in 9in. monitor and 128K |
| of RAM, but only one expan-
sion slot. The price is attractive,
at $2,995 including software.
The software includes the
Perfect range of Writer,
Speller, Filer and Calc, plus
MS-DOS with ‘‘RAMdisc’’,
Fastgraphs, Home Accountant
Plus and Space Commander.
A cheaper portable that also
comes with software is the Pied
Piper. It costs $1,299 and,
again, comes with the Perfect
range. It weighs only 12.5lb.,
| but then it has only one drive
and no display. As a Z-80
machine, it has only 64K of
| RAM.
| The Access Matrix is another
Z-80 based offering, though it
sports four other micro-
processors too. It comes with
software including, yes, the
Perfect range like the previous
two.
The main selling points are
that it has a built-in dot-matrix
printer, built-in acoustic
ny)
Per a “
a3
yi
Carl Peterson takes time out from Disneyland to visit the
National Computer Conference in Anaheim, California.
coupler, two floppy-disc drives
and a 7in. amber monitor. It
runs for one hour from
rechargeable batteries, or from
| the mains. The price: $2,495.
Microdyne Computer |
Systems has gone a different
route with its MCS-100 port-
able micro. As you might guess
from the name it is an S-100 |
machine. It has an eight-slot
bus with four slots empty for
expansion. This Z-80 micro has
256K of RAM, one floppy and |
one 46Mbyte hard disc, Qin.
green screen and built-in
Modem.
Sharp’s new portable is a
16-bit model using the Intel
8088 with 128K of RAM and
192K of ROM. An optional
extra is 128K of bubble
memory. This I1lb. portable
has an 80-character by eight-
wae
The 2-80 based Access Matrix with built-in printer.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| line LCD display plus a built-in
80-column thermal! printer, and
a Modem.
The typewriter keyboard is
done to a good standard —
which has not always been the
case with Sharp — but what the
PC-5000 lacks is, oh dear, a
disc drive.
It would have been a good
machine if only it featured a
micro-floppy. Still, it keeps up
the current Japanese tradition
of having something sig-
nificantly wrong with every
microcomputer product.
Among the many new non-
| portable Japanese micros
| shown was an interesting model
from Sord. The M-68 is a com-
| pact dual 16-bit/eight-bit
machine with both Z-80 and
Motorola 68000 micro-
processors.
Sharp PC-5000: no disc drives.
News: exhibitions
California
dreaming
|
One of the less exciting
aspects of the design is that the
68000 CPU has 256K of RAM |
whilethe Z-80 hasitsown 64K of
RAM. Asaneight-bit machine it
runs Sord’s Pips, but not as a
16-bit machine.
A somewhat smarter-looking
new micro is the Mitsubishi
Model 816, which is that com-
pany’s second go at a 16-bit
micro. Where the Multi-16
sported an 8088, the 816 uses an
Intel 8086.
The styling is a reasonable
copy of the DEC Rainbow 100,
but Mitsubishi has missed out
on IBM PC compatibility. The
Model 816 offers not MS-DOS
but M/PM-86. The best it can
offer for software transpor-
tability is a transfer from 8in.
IBM EBCDIC format to a
5.25in. ASCII format. |
31
You know you should
Computerise. -
if only it
weren't so
Well it needn’t be.
Not any more.
Not if youre talking to
people who speak the same language.
And that’s where we come in.
Tell us what you do and how you do it. How
many buying and selling transactions you make.
How you deal with stock control and despatch.
How you run your accounts fear
and routine correspondence.
— How long does it take to
deal with your payroll?
We'll listen carefully and
come back with suggestions
for soeeding up and costing
down all or any of these func-
tions — and more — by match-
ing equipment and software
j Name.
business system
2631949 318A5
=<
| would like to know how computers can improve our business.
Please send leafiets to:
personnel until they’re fully in the picture. And
be at hand for as long as required in case our
help is needed.
To computerise is to
improve efficiency all round,
and to have a vast store of
vital. information always at
your fingertips. You'll want all
that to stay in the race.
But you need a common
sense firm to start you off.
And that’s what we are.
We're called Chromasonic.
to your present and probable
Position
Call now or
future needs. And it needn't |
be expensive.
We won't blind you with
Company
| OC _——————
~ | send the coupon to
i Chromasonic
J Business Systems,
Tel: I 48 Junction Road,
science or deafen you with f
jargon. lf you accept our
proposals, we'll train .your
32
Post today to: Chromasonic Business Systems,
48 Junction Road, Archway, London N19 5RD.
we ew Oe eS oe =
| Archway, London N19 5RD.
—_em ee es Telex: 22568.
® Circle No. 119
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Please send technical details, printout samples and
local dealer details to:—
pitt
Tae
Wh
ite
vr Zs
oe
4
¢
YEE
@ Circle No. 120
.. Position ..
i
SA)
‘i iia
?
; wt
: cs
ONE YEAR GUARANTEE ONE YEAR GUARANTEE ONE YEAR GUARANTEE
ONE YEAR GUARANTEE
a
-
:
—
STAR DP510/DP515
Matrix Printers
available for around
80 Column (DP510),
136 Column (DP515)
100 CPS, Bi-Directional Logic
Seeking
Friction, Tractor and Roll Holder
as standard
Full standard features including
2.3k Buffer
JUKI 6100 Daisywheel
available for around
18CPS — Bi-Directional Logic
Seeking
10, 12, 15 CPI + Proportional
Spacing
“Drop in” Daisywheel — Triumph
Adler Compatible
Supports all Wordstar features
Diablo protocols — IBM Selectric
ribbon
2k Buffer as standard —
100 character Daisywheel
SHINWA -
CTI CP80 Matrix Printer
available for around
80 CPS — Bi-Directional Logic
Seeking 80 Column
Friction and Adjustable
Tractor Feed
Patented Square Needles up to
9 x l3 metnk
Hi-Res Graphics and Block
Graphics
HERMES 612
WPO Printer
available from around
Up to400CPS and Word Processing
Quality at 120 CPS
10, 12 or 15 CPI — programmable
to 1/360" spacing
132 eolumnat 1OXCF]
Allnow on general release —see them at
your local dealer
33
69 The Street, Basing, Basingstoke, Hants. RG24 OBY
RATT JANrAA ARAN SS
im a aR aa: a I a a
WINCHESTER CP/M SYSTEM
BREAKS THE £2000 BARRIER.
THE COUNTRY
i
“CP/M is not dead, but revitalised and
prepared to challenge MS-DOS, Unix or
any other contender in the race to be the
standard operating system for 16-bit
processors. ”’
THIS WAS the message received by nearly
500 independent software vendors who
crowded into the Cafe Royal on April 21
for an overview of the future as seen by
Digital Research. With over 350,000
installations by over 500 different com-
puter manufacturers, these were words of
comfort to the software vendors who
support applications programs written on
CP/M. The last thing they want
is to have to start again from scratch
with each new upgrade in hardware
technology
The presentation by Digital Research
was the first opportunity to learn about |
the capabilties of a whole range of new
software products. First, but not over- |
shadowed by the rush of 16-bit systems,
was the long-awaited CP/M 3.0, now
renamed CP/M Plus. Externally it
possesses many similarities to the tried and
trusted CP/M 2.2, with which it is
upwards compatible, and should present
no problems to a user who is familiar with
the existing system.
Internally, however, the changes are
major and reflect current trends in
Operating-system technology. Directories
are hashed, BDOS now executes least
recently used buffering, drive capacity has
been extended to 512Mbyte, maximum file
size is 32Mbyte and new facilities include
banked memory, extended line editing, |
password access and extended buffering.
To aid the user, a new Help command |
accesses a 76K data file which can be
tailored to individual system requirements
with detailed explanations of each CP/M
command. It is now possible to use
optional English words to make com-
mands easier to use and remember. Time
and date stamping will make for improved |
housekeeping. As an incentive to upgrade,
CP/M Plus includes many transient
| programs which previously had to be
purchased separately.
On the 16-bit front CP/M-86, which has
already been around for some time,
permits existing CP/M 2.2 programs to
be run on an 8086 or 8088 processor
based microcomputer such as the IBM PC
or DEC Rainbow. Obviously, assembly
language requires recoding, but high-
level programs recompile with little |
modification.
To make software transportable,
CP/M-86 uses 8086 registers corres-
ponding to 8080 registers for system call
and return parameters, loads programs
into memory Starting at 100H, and stores
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Printout extra
Better the devil
you know
Digital Research has been taking pains to reassure
dealers that CP/M is not about to be pushed aside by
more recent operating systems. Roger Cullis reports.
the default buffers and file control blocks
in the base page of memory in exactly the |
same way as its eight-bit parent. The
increased power provided by 16-bit
processors means that a _ processor
performing single tasks is under-utilised.
Concurrent CP/M-86 allows the user to
accomplish several tasks at the same time
by creating a virtual console environment.
In a typical installation, several
function keys on the console keyboard
represent separate virtual consoles which
can be switched in at any time. Virtual
consoles operate in either dynamic or
buffered modes. In the former a
continuously updated screen image is |
stored in a buffer which can be switched in
at any time in the manner of turning a
chair from one physical console to
another. In the buffered mode, output is
stored in a disc file. Concurrent CP/M-86
supports multiple list devices each with up
to 16 disc drives managing up to
$12Mbtye. It can be used to monitor real-
time events, and supports process
synchronisation and communication by
queues.
For those with Motorola 68000-based
computers, CP/M-68K provides all the
familiar features. Looking further into the
future, CP/M _ will rapidly be made
available on new processors as they are
released, since the source code is now |
written in C and it isno longer necessary to
start from scratch to implement a new
system.
One area of microcomputing which has
been crying out for standards is the field of
graphics. Each new machine appearing in
the market place has its own unique
system which is not compatible with any
of its competitors. In a bid to do for
graphics what CP/M did for operating
systems, Digital Research has now
introduced CP/M Graphics, which is
based on the ANSI and ISO standard
graphical kernel system, GKS, designed to
provide source-code portability.
A device-level interface addresses the
ANSI virtual-device interface to provide
object-code portability. A CP/M
Graphics system is configured like a
CP/M system, with GDOS and GIOS
taking the place of BDOS and BIOS as the
interface between a graphics utility
running a graphics applications program
and the graphics input and output
hardware.
The graphics system extension, GSX, is
loaded from disc prior to execution. It
comprises the graphics device, operating
system, GDOS, which is device
independent, the graphics input output
system, GIOS, which is the device-
dependent module that tailors GDOS to a
specific device, and Gengraf, a utilty
which configures a graphics application to
run in the GSX environment.
As part of the CP/M Graphics package,
Digital Research also provides GSS-
Kernel, a subroutine library for graphics
programmers and system builders which
includes such things as two-dimensional
primitives, hardware text, character and
text-string attributes, line style, colour and
pen control and a number of applications |
utilities. GSS-Plot contains high-level
functions for business, engineering and
scientific applications involving pre-
paration of graphs and charts. GSS-4010
permits microcomputer users to emulate a |
Tektronix 4010, 4012 or 4014 to act as a
Plot 10 compatible terminal. GSS-Graph
enables a user without programming
experience to produce presentation-
quality graphs and charts; and GSS-Draw
performs the same function with drawings
such as organisation charts and slides.
After a review of its Language Division
products CBasic, Pascal/MT+, Cis and
Level II Cobol, Logo and C,_ Digital
Research completed its new-product
presentation by introducing two applic-
ations utilities. Display Manager creates,
modifies and documents screen displays
and stores them in an indexed file.
Each display is constructed from a
blank screen by painting in the desired
image using a powerful screen-oriented
editor using standard alphanumeric
characters as building blocks. Standard
visual attributes found on a CRT terminal,
including full or half intensity, inverted or
flashing video and underlining, may be
used. Access Manager is a versatile file-
access method for CP/M systems. iM]
35
There will always be
good reasons to buy the
new HP-86 personal computer.
You'll run out of problems before the And there are lots of software options
HP-86 personal computer runs out of —for everything from accounting and
solutions. finance to engineering.
e Spreadsheet analysis solutions. Put that together with the modular
e Letter, memo, and report solutions. configuration of the HP-86, and you’ve got
e Information management solutions. a system designed to expand as your needs
e Presentation graphics solutions. expand.
e Data communications solutions.
But there are
reasons to
From now until 14th July 1983, Hewlett-Packard is offering
three valuable pieces of software for the price of one. In the
Personal Productivity Pac, you'll get VisiCalc® PLUS, FILE/80,
and Graphics Presentations.
VisiCalc® PLUS is a powerful analytical tool that lets you =
lay your worksheets out in front of you electronically. Change one | al
number, and adjustments are automatically made through- - —_-
out. It’s a wonderfully easy way to do your ‘what-if’
planning.
FILE/80 software lets you store and retrieve infor-
mation quickly, add to your records, delete or modify them,
and maintain your customer files or stock control system
for rapid review and usage.
Graphics Presentations, when combined with a plotter,
lets you produce professional-quality pie and bar charts, line
graphs, and text pages. You can even make overhead trans-
parencies.
FILE/80
yy
Sb
nr eonane |
ee sy
| LUNs i
«qc eeeemmareorresion
three very good
buy it now.
os SUPER 3 All in all, this is an offer designed to meet your essential soft-
= ware needs. With the HP-86 and the Personal Productivity Pac,
you’re ready to achieve true efficiency.
Incidentally, if you’ve only just bought an HP-86, don’t kick
yourself —our offer stands for existing owners too!
VisiCalc is a registered trademark of VisiCorp. All information correct at time of going to press.
Kip HEWLETT
PACKARD
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR FULL DETAILS: Aberdeen Tyseal Computers Ltd,
Tel: 0224-647365. Belfast Cardiac Services, Tel: 0232-625566. Belper (Derbyshire) Midlectron Ltd,
Tel: 077382-6811. Birmingham John Mabon Associates Ltd, Tel: 021-643635). Sumlock-Bondain Ltd,
Tel: 021-745 8616. Bournemouth South Coast Business Machines, Tel: 0202-893040. Brighton Office Machinery
Engineering, Tel: 0273-689682. Bristol Decimal Business Machines Ltd, Tel: 0272-214093. Cambridge Hi-Tek
Distribution Ltd, Tel: 0954-81996. Edinburgh Robox Office Equipment Ltd, Tel: 031-225 3871. Glasgow Robox
Office Equipment Ltd, Tel: 041-221 8413/4. Harlow STC Micros, Tel: 0279 29522. High Wycombe Rapid Recall Ltd,
Tel: 0494-26271. Leeds Holdene Ltd, Tel: 0532-459459. Leicester Sumlock Services, Tel: 0533-29673.
London The Computer Terminal, Tel: 01-236 2187. Microcomputers at Laskys, Tel: 01-636 0845. Midlectron Ltd,
Tel: 01-488 2400 Sumlock-Bondain Ltd, Tel: 01-250 0505, 01-626 0487. Manchester Automated Business Equipment,
Tel: 061-4320708. Holdene Ltd, Tel: 0625-529486. Nantwich Rapid Recall Ltd, Tel: 0270-629090.
Newcastle Thos Hill International Ltd, Tel: 0632-73926]. Norwich Sumlock-Bondain (East Anglia) Ltd,
Tel: 0603-26259. Reading CSE Computers, Tel: 0734-61492. Royston (Herts) Electroplan Ltd, Tel: 0763-41171.
Slough Crellon Microsystems, Tel: 06286-4300. St. Albans Albeta Ltd, Tel: 0727-74361/2.
Tunbridge Wells DJ Herriott Ltd, Tel: 0892-22443.
ms,
@ Circle No. 122
38
IBM PC - full range of products available,
including colour monitor, Z80 card,
= Winchester up grade kits, and our
————, UDMrange of add-on boards.
eee ACT Sirius - plus Epson | Oo
printer or equivalent, from £2395.
1-2/2:4/10Mb nigen software, _ = =— eal
—Seee| ‘OSBORNE 1- £13 75 with
= 7“ a. 1 free 12” monitor, MailMerge;
cee’ ~WordStar," C and M Basic,
i # Mack II;" Super Calc;’ and CP/M.
SUPERBRAIN II from £1495, [ik f|
full range from 320K to 36 Mb, }——* 4
6Mb hard disk models £2795. as.
EPSON QX 10 - at £1730, om
ge —4t, Pearl & Peachtree software and
Seacut \ Our new range of Epson printers.
@ Microware
For Sales, Service, Maintenance, Advice.
Phone 01-272 6237/6398 or Telex 297598.
637 Holloway Road, London N19 5SS.
®@ Circle No. 123
Chip-chat====
Silicon futures
IT SEEMS not very long ago that you could
have any microprocessor you liked as long
as it was an Intel 4004 or 8008. At that time
the designers and users of real computers
had difficulty in suppressing a snigger, the
public at large yawned — ‘‘Micro-what?”’
— and at CBM headquarters the “‘personal
computer’’ still meant a four-function
calculator. How things have changed!
The first microprocessor chips grew from
calculator designs and used a technology
called PMOS, which stands for p-channel,
metal, oxide, silicon; the name describes
the way the individual transistors on the
chip are fabricated. In a nutshell, a piece of
very pure silicon — a common element
refined from sand — is doped with a small
quantity of p-type impurity in which each
atom has one less outer electron than the
pure silicon.
Silicon itself is an insulator, but p-doped
silicon has spaces or ‘‘holes’’ in its crystal
structure which allow electrons to move
about, and hence a current to flow. By
doping a p ‘‘channel’’ into the silicon and
covering it with a layer of insulating oxide
and then a metal control gate, an MOS
transistor is formed with a p-channel. Even
in 1970 it was possible to put a couple of
thousand devices on to a single chip, and
with the aid of a metal interconnection
pattern a functional circuit could be
formed.
Trouble was hole mobility for the PMOS
devices is low and the circuits require fairly
high voltages to function properly. They
are also slow in operation, and because of
their p-type channel they appear to be
“tupside-down’’ when interfaced to
external logic of the TTL type. What was
needed was NMOS of course — everyone
knew that — but unfortunately NMOS
fabrication requires a dopant with one
extra electron rather than one less and was
too complex and expensive for use in large
arrays at that time.
It is all history now, but in 1975 Intel
cracked the problem and introduced the
NMOS 8080, the first of the real
microprocessors, and the microprocessor
revolution was launched in earnest. Not
that everything was perfect. The early
NMOS technology used up quite a lot of
silicon and still required some strange
voltages to operate correctly, but equip-
ment designers could see the potential and
the race was on.
The constant procession of newer, bigger
and faster devices since then is due almost
entirely to improvements in the way that
the individual NMOS transistors
themselves are fabricated, and most
particularly on how small they can be
made.
All the major semiconductor firms have
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
been on
treadmill, and as they progress we reap
the benefits with more powerful
this particular development
microprocessors and bigger,
memories.
We have already heard about the PMOS
8008 and the NMOS 8080, but before long
Intel had a new process, HMOS. It may
look like something from a tax-return
envelope — but actually stands for high
performance NMOS. HMOS was first used
cheaper
by Ray Coles
on the 8085, successor to the 8080, but since
then there have been new variations as Intel
has refined its process to produce HMOS
II, HMOS III and so on, with some of the
latest devices having up to 1,000,000
transistors on one chip.
A prime example of what can now be
achieved with HMOS is the new 27256
EPROM which is now available from Intel.
This single device in a standard 28-pin
package can store no less than 32K or
software — enough space for VisiCalc, a
word-processing package and a game or
two, with room to spare.
Application software still has to come
from disc or tape at present, because it has
been too expensive to use the more
convenient ROM method. Before long, and
thanks to HMOS, we can expect our new
personal computer to offer us things like
CP/M, VisiCalc and WordStar at the press
of a button. It will not be expensive because
the special HMOS-E process which Intel
has used allows all 262 144-bit cells to be
put on to a chip only 4.29mm square —
smaller than the first EPROM which only
stored 256 bytes.
To achieve this kind of density Intel had
H] |to get the dimensions of the individual
transistors down into the region of 1
micron or 1/1,000 of a millimetre. With
that sort of geometry the traditional 21V
EPROM programming voltage is a bit like
the national grid. To compensate, Intel has
reduced the programming voltage to 13V
but have retained the 5V_ standard
operating supply because it makes the
EPROM faster. As with all EPROMs, the
contents of the 27256 can be erased by the
application of high-intensity short-wave
ultraviolet light ready for reprogramming
with new software to find the answer to
Life, the Universe, and everything!
But how about CMOS, where does that
fit in? CMOS uses both NMOS and PMOS
transistors in pairs on the same chip, and it
has the advantage that when the n-channel
device is on, the p-channel device is off and
vice versa. Power consumption is low with
CMOS because there is no standing bias
current. Current is used only when a switch
changes state, and even then only a little is
used to charge up the capacitor formed by
the insulated gates of any driven devices.
As always there is a snag. CMOS devices
are more complicated to fabricate and
therefore they lag behind their NMOS
cousins in speed, circuit complexity and
cost, although the gap is narrowing. Take
the new Intel CHMOS-D III technology,
for example. If recent announcements at
the International Solid State Circuits
Conference in New York can be relied
upon, this process will shortly make
available a 64Kbit dynamic RAM memory
device which will not only use less power
but will also be better than the current
generation of NMOS devices.
If you use a personal computer at the
moment, the chances are that it will use big
dynamic RAMs like the 2164A to store
your programs. If you use a battery-
operated pocket computer like the Sharp
then you are probably relying on CMOS
static memory, which is fine except that, as
you have probably noticed, you donot have
very much of it. Thanks to Intel and its new
CHMOS-D III process, this will soon
change and we can all expect to have at least
64K of cheap CMOS dynamic RAM on our
briefcase computers of the future!
Not that the new CMOS dynamic RAMs
will be restricted to portable computers.
They may even displace NMOS devices
altogether in the end because, according to
Intel, they are much less prone to being
zapped by the dreaded alpha particles
generated by the radioactive decay of the
chip package material. With device
geometries so small, a single alpha particle
hit on a bit cell can destroy the contents,
leading to what is euphemistically termed a
“soft-error’’. Hy
39
...- MORE TO EXPLORE
with EE computer “add-on” projects...
NEW SERIES STARTS THIS MONTH
MICROCOMPUTER
INTERFACING
TECHNIQUES
Peripheral Circuits and Software
Holiday weekend
\a for 2 in this
Ee delightful cotswold
village hotel
(4 Poster Honeymoon Bedroom)
A series of articles to help the electronics
experimenter build and use a range of
simple peripheral units, which can be
interfaced with 6502 closed
microcomputers.
WITH EACH OSBORNE SYSTEM
Relax away from it all — Renowned
for good food, friendly company and
pleasant atmosphere.
OSBORNE 1 TO
EE knows how to make Ly 45
DATA ili amen. £1550 |) circuit building easy oO? Sale Jun aS
WORD PROCESSING System £1850 || EVERYDAY
+ VAT
ELECTRONICS
ane Souter PROJECTS
Oxon
* Available from your local newsagent. In case of difficulty send £1 to:
Banbury (0295) 65023
Post Sales Dept., IPC Magazines Ltd., Lavington Street, London, SE1 OPF.
@ Circle No. 209 | _ = __@ Circle No. 304
LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS
Now you can have an Intelligent Terminal System Computer
at the same price as a Monitor based one.
BANBURY COMPUTER CENTRE
Greens Garth, Bloxham, Banbury,
The EASYUSE 1 is a single board
computer that brings Intelligent
Terminal System Prices into line.
Typical Monitor System Costs:
EASYUSE 1 £295
HAZELTINE ESPRIT It
A REAL V.D.U. inc all
documentation:
TOTAL
Single Board Computer
12" T.V. Type monitor
Full ASCII Keyboard £100
TOTAL
EASYUSE 1 is a full 64K RAM, Z80A CP/M2.2 computer board with 2 Serial
& 1 Parallel ports which runs both 8” and 51/4" drives. Super fast.
Available from these dealers
PHOENIX SYSTEMS WOODSTOCK COMPUTERS S.C.A.
BUCKINGHAM HOUSE 44 HOPGARDEN RD 61 SERRINGHAM LANE
42 PRINCESS ST TONBRIDGE FERRING
MANCHESTER KENT IN10 40T WEST SUSSEX
Tele: 061-236 1172 Tele: 0732-355349 Tele: 0903-504446
Manufactured by American Microcomputers Ltd.,
Unit 20, IDA Pease St. Enterprise Centre, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Tele: 0001 717568 & 0001 717477.
Dealer enquiries invited.
@ Circle No. 301
40 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
, | 68000 BASED
arRIVED - HIGH
——~\ RESOLUTION
GRAPHICS BOARD
SK Uses superfast 68000 CPU
JUS
Ilustrated with
% height drives (57mm high) the case
also accommodates slim line ¥% height drives (41mm high) — colour matches BBC micro
SK Uses the new revolutionary 7220 graphic chip
TWIN 49 track single sided (200K) cased with professional grade switch mode PSU-... £360 + F10P &P + VAT ~ £425.50 AK Incredible 1024.x 1024 resolution in one plane
TWIN 40 track double sided (400K) cased with professional grade switch mode PSU... £480 + £10 P & P + VAT = £563.50
TWIN 80 track double sided (800K) cased with professional grade switch PSU... £610 + E10P &P + VAT = £713.00 3K GKS (graphic kernel system) supported
CASE ONLY
(Measures W 300mm x D 350mm x H 57mm)
. £25 + £5 P & P+ VAT = £34.50
(Please state drive size — % (41mm high) or % (57mm hugh)
height)
SWITCH MODE POWER SUPPLY Suitable for TEAC,
MITSUBISHI, CANON, BASF drives.
Slim line (W 98mm x D 200mm x H 45mm) + 5V @
3A, + 12V @ 2.5A fully regulated complete with cover
: . £45 + £5 P & P + VAT = €57.50
OISK FORMAT PROGRAM
for BBC micro . .£)5 + £2 P & P + VAT = £19.55
BARE DRIVES are also available at competitive prices.
Please telephone for details.
* Usable either as stand alone or with another computer
(8255 interface chip)
CASE AND
POWER SUPPLY
3K 32K RAM/ROM (8K for system commands)
128K RAM for graphic, 16K for user program
eae £699 + £10 P & P + VAT = £815.35
only (without drive)
£60 + £5 P & P+ VAT = £74.75
Slimline switch mode power, supply
used for 2 drives.
WORLD'S FIRST
NEW FROM
EPSO
Models FX80
and RX80
INTELLIGENT
ASCII KEYBOARD
* True micropressor — based (uses 6809 CPU, 2K
Mikrokey Iii
RAM and EPROM)
LED display of HEX values
ei ne
* (including 19 function keys and separate Serial (selectable baud rates} or Parallel operation fa % a ;
numeric and cursor pads) keys (please indicate choice) , ; f= |
* All. function keys are freely programmable via Housed in beautiful low profile two tone beige | am 1
*K
*
Star DP 510 — 80 column “
STAR DP510
“PROG” key
Auto repeat on all keys (user selectable frequency)
Alpha lock, shift lock, MSB, 2 key rollover
case (W528 mm, D 198 mm, H 57 mm)
Comes complete with cable and connector
£295 + £5 P&P + VAT = £345
>
> *
£298 + £10 p&P +VAT = £354.20
(RRP £349 + VAT)
An astronomical array of features
at a down-to-earth price.
100 CPS bi-directional logic
Subscripts (H2S0s) and
superscripts
» Centronics as standard
(optional serial interface}
Auto underline
Model FX80 super
fast dot matrix printer
international characters
Serial interface £75 + VAT FX80 ..... £398 + £10 P & P + VAT = £469.20
Ki * @ 80, 137 column @ Proportional spacing
seeking ; 5 ;
« 9X9 matrix — te » Vertical & horizontal tabs @ 160 CPS print speed @ Sub-script, Super-script
deccenders + — Left and right-margin set (100 CPS for RX80) @ ADatvaddraseabletcranhi
» 2.3 K buffer as standard » Skip over perforation @ 96 character ASC11 + pes deri Uearaue
» Friction, tractor, roll holder » Backspace up to 256 down-loadable @ Tractor and friction feed
The best price/performance printer only 4 HiRes and block graphics . Sebtad user defined characters (Tractor only for RX80)
» *
*
LOW PROFILE
PROFESSIONAL
METAL CASE
FOR
COMPUTER
SYSTEMS
houses Micronix 8DHD, % height 5%’
floppies (% height floppies optional), a switch mode power
supply for the complete system. The panels have cutouts for
floppies, connectors and a fan (as illustrated). Thoughtfully
constructed for easy accessibility. Cover and base grey/
beige. Frame dark brown.
Case for 24 height floppies £90 + £10 P & P + VAT = £115
Case for % height floppies £95 + £10 P & P + VAT = £120.75
gmicronix computers Lid
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Italic printing
RX80...... £298 + £10 P & P + VAT = £354.20
SWITCH MODE SLIMLINE
POWER SUPPLY
Measures only: 60mm H x 120mm W
x 248mm D
Input: 220/240V 50Hz
Output: +5V @ 7A; +12V @ 3A;
—5V @ 1A; —12V @ 1A;
“ Enough power for Single Board Micro, 2
Mini Floppies & CRT. 88 Watts. .
ONLY £77 + £3 P & P + VAT = £972 inc.
Back
(formerly Vincelord Ltd). 4 ;
Lh A | Suite 2, 26 Charing Cross Road, London WC72Z. Tel. 01-240 0213/0217. Telex. 295173 VILORD G
@ Circle No. 129
44
“Sage — e- .
™~
The right place ...... The right time
Following the overwhelming success of the 1982
Northern Computer Fair, the sponsors announce
that an even bigger and better show will be held
again this year at Belle Vue, Manchester, from
November 24th-26th.
This is the North's premier exhibition for the
rapidly expanding home and small business
computer market, mounted at a time now
recognised as a peak buying period for this type of
equipment. It is now one of a nationwide series of
exhibitions designed to attract the broadest
possible cross-section of both home computer
enthusiasts and the rapidly increasing body of
personal computer users found throughout
business and the professions.
Make a date for Belle Vue, Manchester,
November 24-26, 1983, and post the coupon below
for more details. ember 24-26. 1 9858.
manchester: wow ——_ fF
pelle Vue, Man
| am interested in exhibiting.
THE
Name — = :
Omputer “=
Address __
a
r Personal computers
ad || Home computing
Smail business systems Telephone
The Exhibition Manager, Northem Computer Fair, Reed Exhibitions Limited, Surrey House, 1 Throwley Way, Sutton, Surrey SM1 40Q
Random ace¢ssee
CO4 comparisons
Boris Allan tries to help you choose your micro with his CO4 criteria.
WITH SO MANY computers now appearing
in the market place it is clear there is aneed
for some way to compare them. But rather
than concentrating on items such as
colour, high-resolution graphics, the type
of keyboard and similar, I will concentrate
on the purpose served by the machine.
This does not mean that its features are
not important, but such comparisons are
notoriously suspect. | am thinking of the
tables that some manufacturers produce
to justify their product’s excellence: the
| more specific the comparison, the simpler
| it is to prove your machine is best on your
chosen criteria.
If you concentrate on the function of
the machine and look at the machine as
part of asystem, you can see that there are
certain basic reqirements that need to be
satisfied by any system. The _ basic
requirements of a computer system are the
CO4 criteria:
@ Communication — How does the
computer solve the problem of com-
municating with the user?
@ Computation — How does the com-
puter produce the desired results?
® Co-ordination — How are the dif-
ferent aspects of the computer
system interrelated?
| ® Constitution — What is the design
philosophy behind the computer?
The first three criteria are ‘‘hows’’ and
might possibly be seen as equivalent, in
| some senses, to the colour, graphics and
| keyboard form of discrimination. The
added criterion is a ‘‘Why’’ — there is this
computer, why is it like this? To illustrate
| the way these criteria may be used I will
apply them to three rather different
computers: the ZX Spectrum, the Vic-20,
and the BBC Microcomputer.
To use a computer one needs to
communicate with it. Some computers are
what is called user-friendly, but a user-
friendly computer is not always a powerful
or flexible one. When we use this criterion
our attention is directed towards the way
the user interacts in, say, entering, loading
or Saving a program.
The Spectrum is designed to make
entering a program from the keyboard as
simple as possible. To that end it uses
keywords on individual keys. Yet despite
what others might say, I believe the use of
the keyboard is over-complex. In terms of
ease of use, the Spectrum is an advance
over the ZX-81 because the keyboard is
more positive and more than one
statement is allowed on a line. Unfort-
unately the Spectrum is more difficult to
use because the keys have far too many
functions.
In terms of
loading and saving
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
programs the Spectrum is about as good as
most cassette-based systems. The vast
improvement over the ZX-81 was
probably due to the extreme user-
unfriendliness of the ZX-81’s cassette
system.
The Vic-20 was also designed to be user-
friendly, but the definition of user-
friendliness was different. The Vic-20 was
designed to,be a proper computer with a
proper keyboard, compatible in many
respects with a very successful series of
computers, the Commodore Pets.
Whereas Sinclair tried to make the
language user-friendly, Commodore tried
to make the box easy to use and the
language familiar.
The Sinclair approach, using keywords,
led to complex use of the keyboard. The
Commodore approach of slightly
modifying Pet Basic led to the language
not being flexible in the use of graphics.
Though the BBC Micro is fairly
friendly, it was intended to be a serious
machine for serious and non-serious users.
Friendliness was not high in the scale of
priorities. It takes more effort to learn to
use the BBC Micro but it can do a lot
more.
For the BBC Micro communication was
less important than computation, that is
the programming language. It is very
difficult to have a user-friendly language
that is also computationally powerful. For
example, it is difficult to add new
commands to Sinclair Basic because of the
use of keywords, whereas it is com-
paratively easy to add new commands to
the Vic-20 and BBC Basics.
Each Basic has its own problems — the
VDU command on the BBC, the lack of
high-resolution graphics on the Vic-20,
and the contamination of Inks in high-
resolution on the Spectrum — but in the
case of the Spectrum and possibly the
Vic-20, communication was more impor-
tant than computation. The relationship
between computation and communication
can be seen to set the style of the computer
system as a whole.
There is far more to computing than
just Basic, witness the increasing number
of machine-code games being produced.
But the Spectrum and Vic-20 are very
much Basic-dominated machines. Neither
adapt easily to use other languages and
machine code, especially on the Spectrum,
can be tedious to write, though not
impossible.
The ability to use machine code is built
into BBC Basic. Languages other than
Basic are simpler to implement on the
(continued on next page)
43
(continued from previous page)
BBC Micro than on the other two
machines. The Spectrum is dominated by
its version of Basic to such an extent that
once the ability to use keywords is taken
away, as in Forth, the drawbacks of the
keyboard become more evident.
The question of other languages brings
us to the next criterion, that of co-
ordination, which seems to be related to
computation by what might be described
as rules of operation. The Spectrum
system consists of a computer, a cassette
recorder, and a printer. Though other
peripherals can be added, the Spectrum is
not designed to be extended to anything
vast. The Spectrum can be extended quie
remarkably — as can the ZX-81 — but the
extensions are produced by private firms
and individuals, partly to compensate
for the Spectrum’s inherent drawbacks.
Proper keyboards are produced, to
counteract the one on the Spectrum, and
firms offer many kinds of interfaces to
allow the Spectrum to be linked to grown-
up devices.
The Vic-20 is an example of the
standard Commodore philosophy: it is
designed to be extended in many ways. But
the way to extend it is by use of peripherals
manufactured solely by Commodore —
| though, again, other firms also produce
peripherals. The Spectrum can use any type
of cassette recorder, but the Vic-20 has a
special Commodore cassette recorder, and
it is difficult to modify the interface to use
; General Brands
hast” Produe
min and Prosotion Scneguie
Sintrom
44
Nothing communicates, impresses and sells your
ideas like graphics. Whether used in a presentation to
colleagues, top management or an important
customer — Graphwriter can offer you custom quality
graphics in a compact, easy-to-use system.
Graphwriter comes as a complete stand-alone
computer graphics system or software package and
costs no more than a quality word processor. It
produces highest quality hard copy computer graphic
output and forms a desktop system requiring no
special operator training or computer personnel.
Graphwriter can easily fit into your existing
organisation giving a‘graphics department capability
of over 400 original charts per month serving users
=,
Electronics
normal recorders. However, the Spectrum
has to use a special printer. The Vic-20 will
take an ordinary printer, given a few ad-
justments, but Commodore likes you to
buy its own model.
Manufacturer-friendly
The restrictions on the co-ordination of
the system for the Spectrum and the Vic is
partly due to the emphasis -on_ user-
friendliness at the communication stage.
To keep your system user-friendly the
manufacturer makes it possible for
everything to be purchased from one
source. It is not only user-friendly-but also
manufacturer-friendly. For the BBC
Micro communication is not paramount,
and the emphasis is towards computation
and co-ordination. The BBC Micro is
slowly beginning to be extended in many
ways which are beyond the scope of the
Spectrum or the Vic-20. For this reason |
like the Apple II, |
the BBC Micro,
promises to be around for a long time,
especially when the problems with the
Tube are sorted out.
The lifespan of the Spectrum is not |
going to be as long as more co-ordinated |
computers. And the same is going to be |
ture — is already true? — for the Vic-20.
Both the Spectrum and the Vic-20 are so
user-friendly that hundreds of thousands
have been sold. But in the long run, will
they be gauged as successes in anything
other than a commercial sense?
GRAPHWRITER FOR IBM-PC & HP SERIES 80
a simple inexpensive way to provide quality graphics to everyone in your organisation
demonstration.
IS MOT KEP!
1 PACE ITH DEMAND 4001800 Corpor,
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Sintrom Electronics Ltd
Arkwright Road, Reading, Berks RG2 OLS
Tel: Reading (0734) 875464
throughout your company.
The key to Graphwriter is an index of over 40
business graphics formats. These include standard
graphs, Gantt and organisation charts, as well as
many other formats for conveying virtually any
commercial data in graphic form. You can also
visualise and specify your graphics without leaving
your office, by using a unique input form.
First rate ideas deserve first rate graphics.
Graphwriter makes it all possible using the IBM-PC;
Hewlett Packard HP-85, 86 & 87 computers. Contact
us for more information or to arrange a
For professional career opportunities contact our Personnel Department
Random accesso
So far we have seen the importance of
the design philosophy in setting the
computer in context. Co-ordination is
| related to constitution by values implicit in |
the philosophy.
Both the Vic-20 and the Spectrum were
designed as cheap colour computers with
high profit margins. As the Spectrum
came later it had to undercut the Vic-20, |
and did so by having a dummy keyboard
and being less flexible. That the Vic-20
had a high profit margin was indicated by |
the drop in price when the Spectrum
eventually appeared. High profit margins
are the norm: the ZX-81’s price dropped
by 43 percent.
‘The Vic-20 and Spectrum can be used
for applications other than home
computing. But ultimately it might be
cheaper, quicker and more reliable to go
for a system designed to cope with more
complex applications.
For the BBC Micro the philosophy
of sophistication was paramount: the
| machine was meant to be flexible, to be
extensible, to be able to cope in many
different situations. For the BBC Micro |
the constitution was paramount, whereas
for ‘the other two communication was
paramount.
When evaluating computers the criteria
should not be simply numerical — ‘What |
is the resolution?’’ — but also qualitative,
the hows and the whys. There are ‘‘horses
for courses’’ and I hope to have clarified
| the course in which you are interested. J
PERIPHERAL
SUPPLIERS
ASSOCIATION
Telex: 847395
@ Circle No. 126
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
J ans :
1 7
itsour |
@ \« ; = M, 4
| X eee = _/ Micros for the Business, Commercial
$e r |] | a: | +t and Technical user~ Stand Alone
eo * and Multi-user Systems.
Whether your applications involve
simple financialproceduresorcomplicated
R & D Graphics (or a myriad of techniques
in between) KGB have the system for you.
See us atthe
Gps RdRRIEN A sega compelhive pices COMPUTER FAIR,
But we go further still We can help with Farls Court
3
finance and leasing. We provide sound system
training. And comprehensive maintenance.
So send for our literature Have a look
at the KGB service - and find out how you can
win Game, Set and Match! - -
an a
word processing + accountancy +_ financial
modelling + calculation + record keeping +
sales office management + accounts + payroll
+ graphics + engineering + communications +
languages + solicitors + CAD
/ 16th-19thJune,
Stand NO235
14 Windsor Road, Slough SLI 2€J. Tel: Slough (0753) 38581/38319. Telex: 23152 KMICRO
f
M ICROS L M ITED and in Scotland: Micro Change Lid. Telfer House, 74/80 Miller Street. Glasgow. Tel: 041-204 1929
@ Circle No. 127
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 45
80-BUS MULTIBOARDS
GM811 — CPU
Board
%& 4MHz Z80A CPU
* Four 'Bytewide’ Memory Sockets
*# Two 8-Bit Input/Output Ports
* 8 Bit Input Port
#RS232 Serial Interface
%* 4200 Baud CUTS
Cassette Interface
GM802-—64K Dynamic Ram Board
® 64K Dynamic RAM
* 4MHz Operation —
* RAM Disable Function GM802— 64K RAM
* Page Mode Operation £4125 (£143.75 inc VAN
= PLUTO—
’ Colour Graphics
r Processor Board
* 640 x 576 Bit mapped display
f * On-board 16-Bit microprocessor
* Comprehensive on-board
software
10 828 A: 10 828 B:
492K RAM “BABY PLUTO”
- “PLUTO” £399 96K £299
* (£458.85 inc. VAT) (£343.85 inc.VAN)
GM803—EPROM/ROM Board
* Upto 40K of Firmware
* 2708 or 2716 Type EPROMs
* Page Mode Operation
The Gemini GM803 EPROM/ROM board is Ideal for the user requiring a
large amount of firmware in his system. This board caters for up to 40K of
EPROM and ROM. There are 16 sockets organised in four banks of four
and, as long as each bank contains the same type of EPROM, banks
may be mixed between 2708 (1K x 8) and 2716 (2K x 8) devices. Each
bank may be decoded to start at any 4K boundary. (£74.75
GM803—EPROMIROM— ©O§ inc van
EV 814—IEEE
488 Controller
* Cost-effective
Controller
* Comprehensive
sattware
supplied
Controis
equipment fitted
with IEEE488 or
GP4B interface.
MULTI I/O Board
* Six 8-Bit 1/0 Ports
* 4Counterffimer Channels
* Real Time Clock
* Further expansion
capability
Daughter boards also
available for further
expansion.
46
as GM813 — CPU/64K
RAM Board
%*& 4 MHz Z80A CPU
%& 64K Dynamic RAM
%#& RS232 Serial Interface
* Two 8-Bit I/O Ports
%* 1200 Baud Cassette
Interface
%*& Extended and Page
Addressing Modes
TheGeminiGM813isan 80-8US compatible CPU cardincorporating 64K dynamic
RAM and utilising the powerful Z80A microprocessor running at 4MHz, Extended
addressing and page mode facilities allow for future memory expansion up to 2
megabytes. Input and output capabilities include both programmable serial and
parallel interlaces — RS232, 1200 baud CUTS cassette interface and the Z80A PIO.
When used with the GM812 video card, the GM813's unlque RP/M monitor allows the
creation of cassette or EPROM based programs or files which are upwards
compatible with a disk based CP/M system.
The Microvector 256A is a high performance graphics
display interface on an 80- BUS and NASBUS compatible card.
Various graphic primitives such as vector and character
Ft are executed In hardware by a Thompson EF9356
raphic Display Processor. Plotting rates are typically
4 million pixels per second giving full animation capability.
Various vector and character types can be selected,
Characters can be scaled to give 256 different sizes.
MV 256A Suitable for TV use (PAL-UHF) £499.00 (inc. VAT)
MV 256B Sultabie for TV or RGB monitor £220.00 (inc. VAT)
GM812 —
IvC Board
%*& 80x25 Display Format
*& On-board Z80A Microprocessor
* Buffered Keyboard Input
%*& Programmable Character
Generator
%#& 160x75 Pixel Graphics
% Light Pen Input
FDC/SASI Board
* Single/Double density operation he
* Single/Dauble sided drive
operation
*® Upto 4 mixed 3.5", 5.25" and
8" drives
* Industry Standard SAS) hard-disk
interface
Keyboards, Mothers, Frames
With MultiBoards an almost unlimited number of system permutations
are possible. There is a range of 15 available from your Microvalue
dealer; together with mother boards, frames, cables, power supplies,
keyboards and compatible software if required.
Ask for latest catalogue for details of suitable permutations to suit your
requirements, whether building a system from scratch, or expanding
your Galaxy or NASCOM computer.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
alue -MicroValue -Micrc
COMPUTERS
Gemini Galaxy 2
“| would place the Galaxy at the top of my list”
(Computing Today, April 1983)
%& Twin Z80A Processors * Serial and parallet printer
* CP/M 2.2 Operating interfaces
System %* Cassette and light pen
* 64K Dynamic RAM interfaces
* 800K Disk Capacity * User definabie function .
* 80x25 Video Display keys
* Numeric key pad 01 495
* 12" Monitor included (£1749.24 inc. VAT)
At last—a Winchester Drive Phoenix
BUY FROM THE
COMPUTER
PROFESSIONALS
for your Gemini /mascom System! | P12 Monitor
GM835 Winchester Drive Sub-system.
%*& 5.4 Megabyte Formatted Capacity
& Rodime Drive
%& Industry Standard SASI
interface
¥ Integral Controller
and power supply
MICROVALUE
DEALERS:
AMERSHAM, BUCKS
Amersham Computer Centre,
18 Woodside Road,
Ahigh quallty data display
monitor, ideal for all Nascom
NOMANAAAR,
and Gemini systems. Tel: (02403) 22307
20Mkz resolution. ( )
Available in amber or BRISTOL
green phosphor. Target Electronics Ltd., 146 Cherry Lane.
Tel: (0272) 421196
EGHAM, SURREY
Electrovalue Ltd.,
28 St. Judes Road, Englefleid Green.
Tel: (07843) 3603
£140
Disk System for Gemini & nascom
GM6825 Disk Drive Unit —- The GM825 floppy disk housing is supplied with either one or two
5.25" single sided, double density, 96TPI high capacity Micropolls 1045F5 disk drives. IPSWICH
These provide 400K bytes of formatted storage per drive. (Gemini QDSS format). The A ae lr _—
CPIM2.2 package available supports on-screen editing with either the normal Nascom ati (0473) 7295" os
or GeminilVC screens, parallel or serial printers.
An optional aiternative to CP/M is available for Nascom
owners wishing to support existing software.
Called POLYDOS 4, it includes an editor and assembler
and extends the Nascom BASIC to include disk commands.
LONDON W2
Henry's Radio, 404 Edgware Road.
Tel: 01-402 6822
LONDON SW11
Single E Drive System CP/M2.2Package POLYDOS4 OFF Records,
GM8 (GM 532 for Gemini) for Nascom Computer House, 58 Battersea‘Rise;
(£402.50 (£103.50 {£103.50 Clapham Junction.
£350 inc. VAT) £90 inc. VAT) £90 inc. VAT) Tel: 64-223 7730
Dual Drive System
GM825-2S MANCHESTER M19
EV Computing, 700 Burnage Lane.
Tel: 064-434 4866
NOTTINGHAM
Computerama, (Skytronics Ud.)
357 Derby Road.
Tel: (0602) 781742
£575 neva
SOFTWARE
CP/M Software
‘The Last One’ is used in conjunction
Compas
with Microsoft's MBASIC *. No knowledge of
d : BASIC programming Is required since all input
is totally different from other ‘ : :
CORB IER based Pascal is performed using question £330
systems, as it allows you to and answer routines written
create, edit, run, and in plain English. (£379.50 Inc. VAT)
debug Pascal programs *°MBASIC—MicroValue Price if purchased with
ina highly interactive ‘The Last One’ —£478.95 inc. VAT
manner.
1 20 {£138 inc. VAT}
“eg GEMPEN Text Editor £45 (£54.75inc. VAT)
Gemini cem zr assemvier £45 (£54.75inc. VAT)
« GEM DEBUG Debugging Utility £30 (£34.50 inc. VAT)
Softwa re: WORDSTAR Word Processor £245 (£247.25 inc. VAT)
GEM GRAPHIC Links with MBASIC £35 (£40.25 inc. VAT) REAL value a from the Professionals
@ Circle No. 128
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 47
Telephone orders welcome
48
The DUPLEX SUSS-BOX and
DUPLEX SUSS- ADAPTOR have
been designed to enable the less
skilled computer user to have a
better understanding of the correct
working connection between a
computer and a peripheral, such as a
printer, This 1s achieved by using the
commonly used signals (wires) of the
RS232C serial data cable specification, a
matrix-block and special connector pins
By inserting the connector pins into the SUSS-
BOX's matrix-block at the axis of two incoming
signals the user can quickly establish a firm
connection. The signals are routed into the SUSS-
BOX by two 25 way D type connectors; | x
female. 1 x male. The SUSS-BOX also provides a
lamp for each signal to show its condition when
connected in-line, je High or Low
Pocket size
SUSS-ADAPTOR
When the user has achieved the correct ‘Pin-out
between a micro computer and a printer the DUPLEX
MPE RING: SUSS-ADAPTOR should be used as a permanent
| means of connection. This is done by ‘transposing’ the
correct matrix-block pin-layout already established
Jumpering between two or more signals is with the SUSS-BOX onto the matrix-block of the SUSS
possible by using three SEPARATE jumpering ADAPTOR, and then installing the SUSS-ADAPTOR iy
lines also available on the SUSS-BOX & between the computer and printer
ADAPTOR matnix-blocks, thus each of the
incoming 25 way connectors can be jumpered
independently
WIRES ROUTED THROUGH THE
MATRIX-BLOCK
On each connector, pins:— 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,8 &
20. All remaining pins are wired through.
Lines for jumpering:~ Jl, JA2, JA3, & JB),
JB2, JB3. All separate lines
SUSS BOOK
If the user specifically wishes to connect a
microcomputer to the OCTET or HERMIT
typewniter/printers then refer to DUPLEX’s
SUSS-BOOK for details on various
microcomputer cable 'Pin-outs’
3” x2" x H"
SS ma
= ~——_ —
All prices are based on
| “b cash-with-order terms
[he hterface Fople
Midlands/North—2 Leire Lane, Dunton Bassett, Nr. Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 5JP. Tel: 0455 209131
South—52 High Street, Stock, Essex CM4 9BW. Tel 0277 841011
®@ Circle No. 124
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| People often built their own micros from
| facilities,
WHEN THIS MAGAZINE started, five years
ago, it was not uncommon for enthusiasts
to put a micro together for themselves.
The motherboard, video board, memory,
keyboard, Basic, etc. might all be bought
separately and at enormous expense.
kits to save money. As for software...
What software?
The Commodore Pet was a significant
introduction into this market because it
made microcomputing accessible to
everyone. It came as an_ integrated
package, including Basic, keyboard,
cassette deck and screen. All you had to do |
was plug it in and go.
Last but not least, it had a friendly,
approachable name. ‘‘Pet’’ was supposed
to stand for Personal Electronic |
Transactor, or some such rubbish, but a
household Pet it became.
Commodore was not the only company
to make an impact in those early days — |
the Apple, Tandy TRS-80 and Exidy |
Sorcerer models were also attractive, as
| was the British Research Machines 380-Z
— but the ‘‘one box’’ principle was both
unique and important.
Five years later, the basic micro-
computer has changed surprisingly little.
The Apple Ile and TRS-80 models soldier
on in fundamentally the same form, and
the Commodore 8096, for all its 96K
memory, is instantly recognisable to
anyone who saw the original Pet.
At the same time new ranges have
grown up on either side of the original all-
purpose line. At lower prices there is now a
huge mass of home computers with colour
and sound facilities. At higher prices there
are hundreds of business machines
provided with floppies and hard discs, the |
IBM PC, Sirius 1 and DEC Rainbow
among them. The all-purpose micro
continues with machines that include
colour and sound, but also proper
keyboards and business software and
as exemplified by the
Acorn/BBC Model B, Atari 800 and
Commodore 64.
In addition, a new type of computer is
becoming popular, the portables. They
range from the pocketable micro with a
single-line display such as the Sharp
PC-1500 through phone-book: sized
The earliest family Pet.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Write a news report on a new micro launched in July
1988, and you could win £500-worth of Commodore
equipment of your choice
computers such as the Epson HX-20 to!
mains-powered transportable machinés |
like the Osborne and Dynalogic Hyperion.
Rather than slowing down, the pace of |
new developments is hotting up. More new |
micros, and more different new micros,
are coming out than ever before. Five |
years ago, who outside the pages of
science fiction believed the Gavilan
portable micro detailed on page 15 of this
issue was possible, let alone likely to
appear at an affordable price?
Our question is: What will the new
micro of 1988 be like? Send us your
answer in the form of a short news report
about one new microcomputer. Make it |
suitable for publication in the news pages
of Practical Computing. You can include |
sketches or diagrams and a specification
sheet, but the number of words must be
less then 1,500. The deadline for entries is
August 1, 1983.
The entries will be read by the staff of
Practical Computing, and the winner will |
be selected by the Editor. The prize:
£500-worth of Commodore products of
your choice.
Practical Computing is not the sort of
publication that holds a competition every
| month or even every year, so we hope you
will get out your word processor, |
typewriter or even a primitive manual |
writing implement, and have a go.
A selection of the best entries will be
published later this year, then held on file
for our 10th anniversary issue in July
1988. The comparison then should be
fascinating. |
Rules
1. Entries must consist of a
Competition
description of one microcomputer
launched in 1988, in the form of a
news report not longer then 1,500
words.
2 Entries must be marked
COMPETITION on the envelope
and arrive by August 1, 1983. The
address is : Birthday Competition
Practical Computing, Quadrant
House, The Quadrant, Sutton,
Surrey SM2 5AS.
3. The Competition is not open to
|employees of Business Press
International Ltd, or Commodore
(U.K.) Ltd or members of thelr
families.
4. The Editor of Practical!
Computing is the sole judge in the
competition, and his decision will
be final. No correspondence can be
entered into.
5. The result of the competition
will be announced in the first
available issue of Practical
Computing. The winning entry wil
be reproduced, and other entries
may be reproduced without
payment. The author of the winning
entry will be able to select
£500-worth of Commodore
equipment of his or her choice by
arrangement with Commodore
(U.K.) Ltd.
49
GIVE YOUR VIC20 & 64
IEEE PLUS RS232
VIC and 64 users
Would you like to be able to access any of these
peripherals from your computer?
4 megabyte disks (Commodore 4040 drive)
1 megabyte disks (Commodore 8050 drive)
10 megabyte disks (Commodore 9090 hard disk )
Printers including a wide range of inexpensive
IEEE and RS232 matrix and quality printers
IEEE instruments such as volt
meters, plotters etc.
Now you are no longer limited
by the VIC or the 64’s serial bus.
Simply by attaching INTERPOD
you can vastly increase the
Oxford Computer Systems (Software) Ltd.
communicate with any number
power of your VIC 20 and when of parallel and serial IEEE devices
used with the new 64, INTERPOD and any RS232 printer.
turns the computer into a really powerful system.
With INTERPOD the VIC and 64 become capable of
running really professional quality software such as
Word-processing, Accounting, Instrument control and
many more.
INTERPOD will work with any software. No extra
commands are required and INTERPOD does not
affect your computer in any way.
Using INTERPOD is as easy as
this:
Simply plug INTERPOD into the
serial port of your computer,
power-up and you are ready to
Hensington Road, Woodstock, Oxford OX7 1JR, England Tel. (0993) 812700
H+ |COMPUTERWARE
SUMMER SPECIALS
OSBORN 1 D/D WITH SOFTWARE
+ 12°’ Monitor & Adaptor + Epson FX80 or SC TP1
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PRINTERS
Epson FX80 £370! Epson RX80 £252!
Juki 6100 Daisywheel £399
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Pheonix Green Screen 24 MHZ 12"’ £99
Kaga colour 12’’ TV1 £249 TV2 £295
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HOME/BUSINESS STARTER PACK
Apple 11e + Drive + FX80 Printer with Interface
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Choose £100 Free Software to start you off!
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APPLE SOFTWARE
Send for Macro Lists — Great New Games Added!
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Just phone or write. We aré here to serve YOU.
Full Price Lists and Brochures on Request
Add: Carriage £8
Access or Prepaid Orders
Educational and Govt. Orders welcome
P.O. BOX 34, CHEADLE, CHESHIRE SK8 4PT
Tel. 061-428 2014
@ Circle No. 130
50
OSBORNE Double Density
EPSON FX80
£1425*
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£1625*
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Fraser Associates Ltd.
\ 1 Bristle Hill Buckingham Bucks MK18 1EZ
.———————_ Tel. Buckingham (0280) 816087
@ Circle No. 132
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
= Mm The competitive
specialists!...
ATA’S philosophy is to
ensure that our.
customers have quality
computer hardware and
software products at
COMPETITIVE prices, —
together with technical
assistance required to
efficiently operate their
computer system.
Export specialists — ring or telex for details
..With recognised professional support
Disk Drives Printers Unbeatable Value!
Apple disk drives at these incredible low Epson
StMivavailable prices! Apple Dot Matrix 120 cp8.cs...sssssees: £349
Apple Wl Plus 48K = With Controller................60ccccccseeeee £270 Apple Letter Quality Printer.... £1150
ONLY £499 Without Controller...................06008 £200 Silentypelll......c0..cceeece weg
Mios Dual Disks.............. £899 (1.25 Mb) Silentype IIl.. Ee 2O)
While stocks Epson RX80. £280
lastl Epson FX80............... £387
Epson MX100 Type Ill.......
Rioch 1300 (Daisywheel}... £995
Interfaces Rioch 1600 S Flowriter.............00+ £1499
Serial Printer Interface
Card (High speed)........0..:.0ccce cee £105 Plottérs
Parallel Printer Interface.................... £70 Hewlett Packard
£105 7470A Plotter
WEEE (B68 ocriccl eect sces £240
Nn i an 8 Channel A/D Converter. eee )9) Sleokee Mllalen
F . Gia pPPleNe nn ....02-055- sevens a LOD: The Strob
Operating Systems & Displays 16K RAM Card... £48 @ SUODE ieee ese ete terete tsees
; 32K RAM Card E150" Geapiiel eye
Pascal (incl. Interface Card).............. £240 128K RAM Card. "6390 Monitors (12” Green)............2.6 Only £99
Z80 CP/M (Microsoft)........ £220 hea ard: ae
Z80 Card Digitek........... £160 Celera trans .acceatetewiavcscsacecaseasea Access ories
Videx 80 Column Card.... fe 198
40/80 Column Switch................ £25 Apple Ul + Stand... ccs sens £130
80 Column Extender Card 64K lle.....£150 Numeric Keypad... £85
80 Column Card Ile..............55 E70 Joystick Apple..... e271)
Apple Pilot......... ‘£80 Apple tii Paddles Apple... ae
Apple Fortran.. Bos Aes teres eee cies sae Meaeaiianiettein agit FH £1995 Cooling Fan.......... .£50
IEOCKSrriithe 4a) ccc. iiuetasasdwenya inecceswcsdsee £77 ZB O Keinsenmatas «acs va deecs nsseaie te £2495 Voltage Stabilizer................... £230
Secondary Disk Drive (143K)........... aaee 10 fie ne (5.25") BASF. pear ac AG]
Profile Hard Disk.................. £1495 Listing PapeniOM@cnenens—.-c.cc45. 20
Software Pascal Ill.......... , «a LO Listing Paper 16” .. £29
ZEOICP/ Mila. :.cs-.+-ceenee-» aac feNeeeteaaiy £280 Bisk Boxes (50)... .2-eremaaeeee suena ai. e222
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Visitrend/Plot.. +, 400882220 es:
ERMS AND CONDITIONS Please send me price list
MISIG Genero so... .- |. saklsieessiaisiactesaienies £179
Visicale £295 if For delivery please add
MEE oe £0-£199 + £5, £200-£1499+ £13, NAME sscsscscseccsssssssevsesssasesssensssteensenses Al
a aia £1500 + 1%.
Data base CHEQUES WITH ORDERS Position: ose eT Ce os «
GBaSel es. .e es cece. se oases seucetan saa ii Please allow 10 days for clearance. [|
Quick File tle. i PLC's, public sector etc 30 days COM PAMYier. a2. <2... seaaeeceneneaah Mie seteeeeee.
List SRG i cceccconmepraaies eoqexeeneearnerenis.: credit available on official orders,
Word Processing fi subject to 5% credit charge. Address El
ABpIeWEitar GHIN, .. csusves cane Loven £55 OPENING HOURS ED) ec Sscceree.. 2... .e TET eer.
A 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. VISA
Applewriter 2.... wee 3 12.30pmS, ——
Wordstar.......... ie SUNS ZA S01 She Tel. No....... Lain ae Ne HEN. .
Appleveriter Wes... .. nx. gieeeems ATA — LONDON ;
4 Albion Hse, 1 Back Hill, London EC?
Financial Accounting 01-833 0044 Telex 25102 CHACOMG Ll
MieSake MOG al. seusacdes.... snseennasos-ssmas POA ATA — ST ALBANS
MAGSUMOGUIAR. ...5....25055.55...8en acctewenaNe POA = 70 Park Street, St Albans. 0727 74361 + |
Prices exclusive of VAT and current ATA — SHEFFIELD
72 Eldon Street, Sheffield, $1 4GT
(0742) 700802
at time of printing
®@ Circle No. 133
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 51
HELP?
HELP SCREEN UTILITY FOR THE APPLE II AND Ile.
Allows help screens to be created and easily displayed at any
time from within a program. Can also be used to provide
menus and other user instructions, data lists etc.
Supports multiple screens within a single program.
Access time j 0.05 sec. via simple ‘call’
Original text screen replaced unchanged after help screen
display.
Easy to use — example program provided.
Suppiled on DOS 3.3 diskette.
£18.95 inclusive of V.A.T. and postage.
BIG FILE
ALLOWS 250K+ DOS TEXT FILES!
Allows a single DOS text file to be spread over two disks.
No changes to existing programs are necessary and records
are accessed as normal in a random access text file.
£12.95 inclusive of V.A.T. and postage.
PRO-FORMA
Allows the design, printing and completion of any type of
form — e.g. application forms, reports, returns, etc.
Forms may be designed and the format, titles, other text
and information saved to disk.
Any form can be completed, whether It is designed using
the system or is an existing internal or external forms, with
the user being prompted by field name for the data to be
inserted in each position. All data entered is checked for
validity and size.
Multiple copies of blank or completed forms can be printed.
£21.95 inclusive of V.A.T. and postage.
Available from:
Fipplest@p Ltd
17 Fulford Grove New Marske Redcar
Cleveland TS11 8JZ
Tel. 0642 474707
CE) Circle No. 135
The new generation of plotters
@A3 paper
@ RS232, IEEE
Cx I/faces
“HOUSTON
DMP-29
SINTROM GROUP
52
for all business & scientific graphics
Low cost, high performance
intelligent plotting £865
@ A3/A4 paper
@ Interchangeable pens
@ RS232 & IEEE I/faces
@ 8 pens £1 990
Sintrom Electronics Ltd
Arkwright Road, Reading, Berks RG2 OLS
Tel: Reading (0734) 875464
Telex: 847395
SUPPLIERS
__. PSa
Electronics (2
For professional career opportunities contact our Personnel Department
GISTERED ERRAL CENTRE
ga FOR THE BBC PROJECT
BEEBUG §::
BBC MICRO
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL USER
GROUP FOR THE BBC MICRO
MEMBERSHIP NOW EXCEEDS 18,000
18,000 MEMBERS CAN'T BE WRONG — BEEBUG PROVIDES THE BEST SUPPORT FOR THE BBC
MICRO. BEEBUG MAGAZINE — NOW 62 PAGES INCLUDING NEW PRODUCT GUIDE SUPPLE-
MENT — DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BBC MICRO.
Programs — Hints & Tips — Major Articles — News — Reviews — Commentary. PLUS members
discount scheme with National Retailers. PLUS members Software Library — a growing range of
software from around £3.50 per cassette. 10 Magazines a year. First issue Apri 1982. Reprints
of all issues available to members.
April/May Issue. Special Anniversary Issue — Contains Index to the whole of BEEBUG Volume 1.
Music Composer — create complex 3 part harmonies with this synthesiser Program. Colour bar
chart generator program. Beeb Implementation of the Connect-Four Game. Invasion — a 16k.
Plus Review of Tape Recorders for the Beeb; a Basic Program Editor, which lists variables and pro-
cedures, and executes Find and Replace in a Basic Program; Reviews of Acornsoft Games and the
Torch Z80 Disc Pack. Disc Menu Program. newcomers introduction to Mode 7, How to save the
unsavable; and a routine to print Double Height Characters in all modes.
June Issues: Program Features ‘Return of the Diamond’ a 16k adventure game, ‘Hedgehog’ a well
implemented ‘Frogger’ type game, and Etlipto, Create your own off the shelf sound effects with
Sound Wizard. Plus articles on Using Files, Rotating and Expanding Characters, Using Printers,
and How to multi- program the User Keys. Reviews of The Hobbit Floppy Tape System, Adventure
Games, and a Comparative Review of Wordwise and View. Plus FX Cali Update, Disc Program
Auto-relocator, Wordwise Update, and more BBC Book Reviews.
Magazine programs now available on cassette to mem! at £3.50 inc: VAT & p+p — see
April/May issue for detai
BEEBUG members Garr how obtain the new 12 OPERATING
SYSTEM ROM at around HALF PRICE
See BEEBUG Magazine February, March or April for details.
As a result of BEEBUG negotiations with Acorn the ROM now may
also be offered by other user groups to their members.
MEMBERS SOFTWARE LIBRARY +
BEEBUGSOFT: BEEBUG SOFTWARE LIBRARY
offers members a growing range of software from £3.50 per
cassette.
1. STARFIRE (32k). 2, MOONLANDER (16k), 3D NOUGHTS AND
CROSSES (32k), 3. SHAPE MATCH (16k), MINDBENDER (16k), 4.
MAGIC EEL (32k), 5. Cyion Attack (32k), 6. Astro-Tracker (32k).
Utilities: 1. Disassembler (16k), Redefine (16k), Mini Text Ed (32k).
Applications: 1. Superplot (32k), 2. Masterfile (3k).
13% discount to members on the excellent wordwise word pro-
cessing package — this represents a saving of over £5.00.
Send £1.00 & SAE tor Sampte. Mahe cheques to BEEBUG and
Membership UK £5.30 foe axa months send to
£9 90 for one year BEEBUG Dept 5, 374 Wandsworth Ad
Overseas one year only’ wich
furope £16 00 Middle East £19 00 Kondap Sia sere
Americas & Atrica £21.00 Editorial Material to PO Box 50,
Other Leuntnes £27 00 Si Albans. Herts. ALT TAR
® Circle No. 136
a
~~ HOUSTON DMP40
®@ Circle No. 134
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
M The competitive
cam Specialists...
ATA’S philosophy is to
ensure that our
customers have quality
computer hardware and
software products at
COMPETITIVE prices,
together with technical
assistance required to
efficiently operate their
computer system.
Export specialists — ring or telex for details
..With recognised professional support
Systems Commodore Systems
Sirius 4016 16K RAM 40 Col 12” Screen..£495
ACT Sirius 4032 32K RAM 40 Col 12” Screen..£625
1128K with 1.2 Mb s/s Disks........ £1995 8032 32K RAM 80 Col 12” Screen..£805
ACT Sirius 8096 96K RAM 80 Col 12” Screen£1075
1128K with 2.4 Mb d/s Disks........ £2395 Super Pet 9000 6502/6809 80 Col 12”
ACT Sirius 1128K with 1.2 Mb d/s Disks SGIQEN sc: (ca<ccvcaseiascssies.0<cHahih asses £1350
and 10 Mb Winchester.........-.......- £3395 Disk Units
128K Additional Memory... £349 2031 171K Single Disk Drive.......... £350
134K Additional Memory... £895 4040 343K Dual Disk Drive.... BOZO
ZB OCP MSY Stem: iess tielkas «acta ses £345 8050 950K Dual Disk Drive.... £799
occa 2Mb Dual Disk Drive.. eae
. 5Mb Hard Disk....... i Kole)
Operating Systems & 9090 74 Mb Hard Disk............... £2240
Languages
C. Basic 86 Coming. es
Level Il Cobol with forms 2.......0..0..- £169 ommunica tion
Microsoft Basic Compiler... .. £549
oe ee Microsoft Pascal Compiler. £249
ra Microsoft Fortran Compiler... ..£310
Sirius Software Microsoft Cobol Compiler. £439
Pulsar Sales Ledger............:e00c:00000: £175 CP/M Programmers Kit... £16
Pulsar Purchase Ledger. fies TEEE 488 Package.............. £169 Heat Gains Calculation..
Pulsar Nominal Ledger... £175 Graphic/Bisigraf Graphics Pack.........£169 Heat Loss Calcuation.... £270
Pulsar Payroll........... £175 . Pipe and Duct Networks £540
Pulsar Stock Control.. £175 Printers Toolpath:.::.sv0cs: 5: eee 8 £540
Pulsar Stock Control. £175 EPSOM MBO»... WRG can von. ones £280 Stats/Costing
Pulsar Invoicing..... £7175 Epson FREO.. oii. ...ercccue eoor Data Analysis — Histokit................... £72
Data Analysis.. £255 Epson MX 100 F/Type 3. £420 Graphikitwscuereepeemen Pci.
Micromodeler £555 Roch 1300...... 66:0. £995 Multivar..... .. £90
Super Calc.... £140 Rioch 1600S Flowriter.... £1499 Job Costing.. £225
Multiplan... £149 TEC 40 cps Daisy wheel. .£995 Time Costing. £675
1s edged rea TEC 55 cps Daisywheel...... £1295 GhargehandWr..0:..-...-. sett -. re. £199
elect.......
Mail Merge...............-.. £85 WE ALSO STOCK APPLE (#234 AND HEWLETT PACKARD
Padmead Financial Modules e175
Information Management TERMS AND CONDITIONS Please send me price list
The Manager..........:.-..008 sfedisintaten £247 For delivery please add
DMS Management System. £260 £0-£199 + £5, £200-£1499 + £13,
Silicon Office............0...-. £710 £1500 + 112%. &
The Administrator..................0.00008 £445 CHEQUES WITH ORDERS POSITION wece: six. Reem, cee me «<< RRR
3 . . Please allow 10 days for clearance.
vonmeen wiggle and Word proce ; | PLC’s, public sector etc 30 days COMPAN View. sesscumssormsnarasemremmnneme mmm
Wi Ps APT Ct ea one aaa £247 credit available on official orders,
ordpro-Plus Series................00-+. q subject to 5% credit charge. (AGOeSSin.....; ait Mera reeren Nee eee ie
Pegasus Accounting Suite OPENING HOURS
9am-5pm Mon-Fri.
9am-12.30pm Sat.
IAVOIGIGiae cages. wxcwan ss. =. s eso neee £225
£315 J
aac ATA — LONDON
Sales Ledger....
Purchase Ledger.
Nominal Ledger...
Zz
®
S|
ha
a
Stock Control... i Pale 4 Albion Hse, 1 Back Hill, London EC?
Ficanetal Bircetor E675 ] 01-8330044 Telex 25102 CHACOMG
Finplan............... £425 ATA — ST ALBANS
VISIC ANGE were teense. s wadlteanoccscicaseeete fll25 70 Park Street, St Albans. 0727 74361
Prices exclusive of VAT and current
at time of printing
ATA — SHEFFIELD
72 Eldon Street, Sheffield, S1 4GT
(0742) 700802
® Circle No. 137
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 oo
WHEN IT COMES
TO MICROCOMPUTER
SOFT WARE
WE WROTE
Flow do you stay up-to-the-minute with
the rapidly changing world of microcomputer
software? Get the Lifeboat Catalogue.
The latest innovations The new
Lifeboat Catalogue is packed with the latest
state-of-the-art software. And if we publish a
new program after the latest catalogue has
gone to press, we enclose a flash bulletin in
your copy.
The greatest selection
Because Lifeboat is the world’s largest
publisher of microcomputer software,
our catalogue offers you the greatest selection of
programs for business, professional and personal use. Our
more than 200 programs range from the integrated
accounting and professional practice systems to office
tools for book-keepers and secretaries to sophisticated
tools for programmers. Included are business systems,
word processors, programming languages, database
management systems, application tools and advanced
system utilities.
We specialise in software that runs on most small
business computers. Our more than 60 media formats,
including floppy disks, data cartridges, magnetic tape and
disk cartridges, support well over 100 different types of
computer.
Get full service We give the crucial dimension
of after-sales service and full support to everything we sell.
That includes:
@ An update service for software and documentation.
@ Telephone, telex and mail-order services in the London
office and at overseas offices in the United States, France,
Switzerland, West Germany and Japan.
@ Subscriptions to Lifelines!” the monthly magazine that
offers comparative reviews, tips, techniques, identified
bugs and updates that keep you abreast of change.
CATA L
Get it now Lifeboat
now serves tens of thousands
of satisfied customers with our breadth of up-to-date, fully
tested, fully supported and competitively priced software.
You may not need ail we offer, but we offer just
what you need. After all, we wrote the book.
+
Lifeboat
World's fore
sociates
ftware source
Mail coupon to: Lifeboat Associates
PO Box 125,London WC2H 9LU or call 01-836 9028 |
CU) Please send me a free lifeboat catalogue.
Name
Title
Company
Address
Postcode
Copyright © 1981, by Lifeboat Associates. |
pyrig “ar y oo ) ee (
Lifeboat Worldwide offers you the world’s largest library of software. Contact your nearest dealer of Lifeboat.
USA Lifeboat Associates 1651 Third Ave. New York NY 10028 Tel {212} 860-0300 Telex 640693 |LBSOFT NYK] TWX 710 581-2524 JAPAN Lifeboat Inc. OK Bidg. 5F 1-2-8 Shiba-Daimon Minato-ku
Tokyo 105 Japan Tel 03-437-390! Telex 2423296 (LBJTYO} ENGLAND Lifeboat Associates Ltd PO Box 125 London WC2H 9LU England Tel 01-836 9028 Telex 893709 {LBSOFTG)
SWITZERLAND Lifeboat Associates GmbH Hinterbergstrasse Postfach 251 6330 Cham Switzerland Tel 042-36-8686 Telex 865265 (MICO CH) W GERMANY Intersoft GmbH Schlossgartenweg 5
D-8045 ismaning W. Germany Tel 089-966-444 Telex 5213643 (ISOFD} FRANCE Lifeboat Associates SARL 10 Grande Rue Charles de Gaulle 92600 Asnleres France Tel 1-733-08-04
Telex 250303 (PUBLIC X PARIS)
54
®@ Circle No. 138
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
IF OUR ADVERT DOES NOT
“CONVINGS ¥OU THE FREE:
SHINWA-CTI CP80
FULL FEATURED 80COLUMN MATRIX PRINTER
PROBABLY THE BEST PRINTER AVAILABLE IN THE WORLD
BELOW £300!!
COMPATIBLE CENTRONICS INTERFACE
AND INDUSTRY STANDARD CONTROL
CODES MAKES THE CP 80
IDEAL FOR:—
BBC, DRAGON, ORIC,
APPLE, NEWBRAIN,
SIRIUS and many more.
OPTIONAL RS232
INTERFACES AVAILABLE
BOTH UNBUFFERED Made in Japan
AND BUFFERED
FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY
SPECIFICATIONS
+ 80 COLUMN + AUTO UNDERLINING
+ FRICTION AND ADJUSTABLE TRACTOR FEED+ VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL TABS
+ BIDIRECTIONAL LOGIC SEEKING + BACKSPACE
+ HI-RES GRAPHICS AND BLOCK GRAPHICS +SELF TEST
+ eus AND Surerccerrre + ITALIC PRINT STYL
+ 9 X 9 DOT MATRIX - TRUE DESCENDERS +E x<XPANDE ES
+ COMDENSED PRINT + DOUBLE PRI .
+ EMPHASISED PRINT +£ AND id
+ GRAPHICS SET - __mmeeeGl | 188 Ba
Week, b4r ts | —++
@ABCDEFGHIIJKLMNOFQRSTUVWXYZE\I%_‘abcdefghijkimno
CABCDEFGAIJALANOPARSTUUWXYZINI* _‘abcderghi zk ilnnop
T"HSYE' (H+, -./0L23956789: 5 <=>? S*MSRR’? CDH H,-./0L
NO DELAY! - TELEPHONE YOUR CREDIT CARD No. TODAY en ef OG
AND YOU CAN START PRINTING TOMORROW eo Ne RR.
- AND IF YOUR NOT SATISFIED RETURN WITHIN 14 DAYS
FOR A FULL REFUND.
® Circle No. 293
e (og —, = mens
COMPUTER CENTRES LTD
Please send me FREE print out samples
and literature.
OPEN GIDAVE A WEER
MON - SAT Bain to Vom [6pm/SAT}
COMPUTER CENTRESLID)
Enterprise totsd 44 Ternece Hoge, Boos <<. 2
Wabtorn-or-T hares Siriey KFT2-45
PRICES QUOTED EX-VAT AT 18%
lelradniriek AnpANsee Te ee See Pt MUGS Seo coc ccc erne eese ce coroners oe ceeae ea ear rea aoe athe ees
aeaeae Podokad dele a ag aa
274 HOURS FROM STOCK (09322) 2777114 BES csccs ete Reece ees deen eee PostiGode: .:.....522..5-
a Slr Reeth
56
DESCRIPTION
VIM FOR APPLE II
CONTAINS:
Voice Input Module 2020C
with:
16 channel audio spectrum
analyzer
6803 high speed
microcomputer
8K Bytes of RAM, 4K Bytes
of ROM
Voice Utility Diskette
with:
Vocabulary builder/editor
Prompting vocabulary trainer
Recognition software
Vocabulary tester
Microphone, Users Manual
and all necessary cables and
connectors
Dealer enquiries welcome
CASCADE GRAPHICS DEVELOPMENT
179 Lower Richmond Road, Richmond, Surrey
Telex 923921
TW9 4LT
& An exciting and
practical new product
to use on your personal computer
FEATURES
® No application
programming necessary
® Near perfect recognition,
98% +
® Apple Il® slot compatible
board
® Unlimited vocabulary using
eighty word/phrase
subsets
Diskette software allows
immediate recognition for
applications
Recognizes anybody’s
voice easily
Multi-lingual recognition
Allows concurrent input of
voice and keyboard
Converts spoken words to
commands
Recognition and memory
on the board
APPLICATIONS
The VIM is designed to add
voice input to any existing
Apple Il application:
Graphics
Word Processing
Data Input and Retrieval
Education
Business
Industrial Automation
Programming
Testing & Measurement
Control Systems
Games & Entertainment
Local Environment Control
Voice Machine
Communications <j
Inc. :
@ Circle No. 139
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Introducing Perfect Software
Now, put the power of our
remarkable new programs
to work for you!
f you've been looking for
powerful, flexible software
that’s also easy to use, take
a close look at what we've got
to offer.
An integrated product line
with the state-of-the-art features
and common-sense prices you're
probably looking for.
_Derfect Writer”
“Perfect Cale™
“Pestect Filer”
Perfect Speller™
Whether you're interested
in one or all four of our revolu-
tionary products, you owe it to
yourself to find out what we
have to offer:
Perfect Writer.
The most powerful and
versatile word processing soft-
ware for microcomputers avail-
able anywhere. Features include
Virtual Memory, multiple edit-
ing of up to 7 files at once, dual
display windows, automatic
footnotes, table of contents and
indexing.
Perfect Calc.
You get 17 application pro-
grams that are ready to use for
any planning and financial con-
trol task. Plus multiple editing
of up to 7 files at once and dual
display windows.
Perfect Filer.
This incredible double data
base management system pro-
duces personalized standard
letters and versatile sort menus
for generating lists or invoices.
It prints labels, envelopes and
more. It can even handle ac-
counting functions!
Perfect Speller.
Now, get a 50,000 word
dictionary that checks over
4,000 words a minute. It even
locates and corrects document
design errors!
1
Take a look at
what you get:
Britain’s first fully-integrated
product line. Learn only one
set of logical commands.
Easy-to-use, user-friendly
features that are unmatched
in the industry.
Interactive teaching disks
make Perfect Software easy-
to-learn.
Available for both 8 and 16
bit micros, CP/M ™ oper-
ating systems and the
IBM PC.
All programs maximize vir-
tual memory architecture for
all applications and multiple
file display.
True ASCII files for power-
ful communication
capability.
And lots, lots more.
Perfect Software, Inc:
To order or find out
more, contact:
Pete & Pam Computers
Telephone: 0706 227011
Telex: 635740 PETPAM G
Transam Microsystems Limited
Telephone: 01-405 5240/2113
Telex: 24224 (Ref. 1422)
Tamsys Limited
Telephone: Windsor 56747
Telex: 849462 TELFAC G
Software Limited
Telephone: 01 387 8832
388 9927
‘Telex: 21879
@ Circle No. 140
Hotel Microsystems Ltd.
Telephone: 01 328 8737
Telex: 266828
Interam Computer Systems Ltd.
Telephone: 01 622 9373
Telex: 925859
Attention Dealers/Distributors
All inquiries are invited. Contact your
UK Sales Representative:
Micro Marketing International
2936 Domingo Avenue
Suite 5
Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 94705
Telephone: 415 658-5548
644-0205
Telex: 171 596 AAA SCOM SUVL
© 1983 Micro Marketing International
CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research, Inc.
58
A POWERFUL
MICRO SYSTEM
AT UNDER
THE PHOENIX
STRATOS
AS A MICROCOMPUTER BUYER CONSIDER THE
IMPORTANT POINTS LISTED BELOW.
@PRICE — under £2,000 including VDU.
@ STORAGE — 2 megabytes plus
@STANDARD OPERATING SYSTEM — with large
existing library of software including word processing,
electronic spreadsheet, database management, inter-
computer communication facilities CP/M 2.2
recommended.
@®WARRANTY — 6 months parts and labour warranty —
2 year extended warranty available.
@ PROVEN DESIGN — Z80 processor (4 MHZ) 64 K RAM
$10, CTC, DMA.
@ COMPATIBLE — accepts all serial printers, including
dot matrix and daisy wheels.
®COMPACT — Attractive design, Strong, lightweight
aluminium casing, neat and tidy.
@ DETACHABLE KEYBOARD — 80 x 24 line green
phospher display.
@U.K. BUILT — British reliability.
@DISCOUNTS — further discounts negotiable for
quantity purchase or by educational institutions and local
authority or government agencies.
After extensive testing we recommend all buyers looking
for the above specifications to examine the Phoenix Stratos
Microcomputer because it is the only one we know that
fulfills the above criteria, and is immediately available.
Serious enquirers should contact 061 236 1172 for
further details.
PHOENIX SYSTEMS
2nd FLOOR
BUCKINGHAM HOUSE
42 PRINCESS ST
MANCHESTER 1
TEL: 061-236.1172
OVERSEAS & EXPORT ENQUIRIES WELCOMED
=mepneae@geqaneeee@ee@ es @& & ag
| would like to know more about the Stratos
NAME _ = __ eS
POSITION " _ atts
ORGANISATION ____— ——
ADDRESS ___ es
See PHONE INO TIA
® Circle No. 141
MICRO-COMPUTER
MAINTENANCE
See us at
RI ae
Ze 45.32 1 SoU
APPLE NATIONAL
IBM ON-SITE
SIRIUS 24-HR.
VICTOR CONTRACTS
COMMERCIAL DATA SYSTEMS LTD.
Telephone: 0268-710292 (ask for Sales)
@ Circle No. 142
CRYSTAL RESEARCH LTD
XTAL BASIC 3
A Z80 based Interpreter. Disc and Cassette versions in-
cluding CP/M are available now or in the near future.
FEATURES
1 Has over 110 Commands and Functions and is user extendable
2 Xtal BASIC 3 incorporates its own editor that is independent of
VDU or terminal being used but appears tohave the facilities of the
most sophisticated direct screen editing, in brief the editor contains
the following:
Lines of 127 characters (can be extended up to 254)
Full on screen editing, up, down, left, right.
Auto insertion of lines.
HOME CURSOR, CLEAR SCREEN, DELETE LEFT, DELETE
RIGHT, INSERTCHAR ACTER, ERASE WHOLELINE, ERASE
TO END OF SCREEN, PRINT SCREEN CONTENTS TO
PRINTER, and ABANDON LINE. A LINE EDIT MODE IS IN-
CLUDED AS STANDARD.
Variables can be of any length. First five characters used to dls-
tinguish one variable from another. Multi-dim arrays, string arrays
and integer arrays.
Full Tape and Disc file handling
32 standard error messages and traps. Ability to tap BREAK
KEYS. Error table is extendable.
Possible to run programs larger than memory capacity.
Special features allow transfers of programs from machine to
machine.
Xtal BASIC 3 is designed to be compatible with most available
BASICS and a program is supplied for many BASIC to BASIC
conversions.
9 Themanual, consisting of over 100 pages, includes full description
of the BASIC, sample programs, useful Machine Code Subroutines
in Xtal BASIC 3, examples of extra commands and functions.
10 SIZE 12K to 14K depending on the System.
11 Available on Cassette and/or Disc. Please contact Crystal
Research Ltd., for availability on your particular machine.
12 On Cassette £40.00 + VAT On Disc £60.00 + VAT
OEM and Manufacturers are invited to contact Crystal Research
Ltd.. for licence details.
Open 0930-1200 1300-1730 except Saturday & Sunday
40 Magdalene Road, Torquay,
Devon, England Tel: 0803 27890 XTAL
Access and Barclaycard BASIC
® Circle No. 143
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
)
Oo ND wa
Mini Micro or Super Micro?
Only (4 Cromemco offer this depth of choice
Two solutions representing the extremes of microcomputer evolution—both from the Cromemco stable
—both breaking new ground in microcomputer technology—both unbelievably cost competitive in their
specific areas of application.
ON THE ONE HAND
THE RIGHT CHOICE
AT THE RIGHT PRICE
C10 Mini Micro- The Manager's Micro for just £1350
complete. Designed for the Manager's Desk, or his staff. A
stand-alone Desk Top 64K, Z80A, single board Personal
Computer—with 12” easy to read, green phosphor screen,
detachable keyboard with optional function keys and
numeric pad, plus 390K floppy diskette drive; supplied
complete with CP/M compatible operating system, easy to
use word processing and financial planning/spread sheet
application software and 32K structured BASIC.
The Cromemco C10 is the first stand-alone micro to make
computer power cost effective at an individual by individual
desk top level throughout an organisation or company, with
the opportunity of adding full networking capabilities ata
later date.
THE RIGHT CHO
AT ANY PRICE
68000 Super Micro- The DP Professional’s Dual
Processor Micro. The Dual Processor Micro-computer with
a Motorola 68000 16 Bit processor plus an on-board
software selectable 8 Bit Z80A. You have a choice of $100
bus systems with comprehensive 1/0 options for business,
scientific and research applications, and memory expansion
of up to 4M Bytes. You have the option of 5” or 8” floppy
diskette drives, or Winchester Hard Disk subsystems up to
70+M Bytes, with a choice of CP/M compatible system
software or Cromemco's Cromix; a 12 station Unix-like multi-
user, multi-tasking operating system. Cromemco’s
comprehensive 16 Bit and 8 Bit development language
library includes FORTRAN, BASIC, PASCAL, COBOL, C,
RPG11, Assembler, LISP. and RATFOR.
If hardware and software compatibility, and future networking potential are prime considerations for
your organisation, then Cromemco must be the first and only choice.
Comart are Cromemco’s longest standing, most experienced European Distributor. So with
Cromemco choice, and Comart support you won't have to write off the past to step on forward into the future.
comart
Specialists in microcomputers
sico Sveieine. Iam parliculari ml
I Please send me full detalls on Cromemco Systems. | am particularly
interested in (_] The C10 Manager's Micro, {_] The 68000 DP
Professional Computers [_] All Cromemco products.
Laboratories.
CP/M is a trademark of Digital
Research Incorporated.
| Name
Position
Comart Limited, | py
Little End Road, | Address
Eaton Socon, St. Neots,
Huntingdon, |
Cambngee PE19 3JG. Cc
elephone 0480 215005. mem
Telex 32514 Comart G. | Cc ro € co
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Developing through evolution
A member of he 4- Comant group of companies = —_
Z80A is a trademark of the Zilog
Corporation.
Cromemco and Cromix are
| Unix is a trademark of Bell Telephone
trademarks of Cromemco
ee eyes ot ncorporated:
@ Circle No. 241
os)
THE EPSON QX-10 FROM TRANSAM
Incredible graphics
with
16:1
ZOOM
@ Multi-font Basic, supports 16
character Fonts on screen
@ 192k Ram expandable to 256k
supplied as standard
@ Clock and calendar with
battery back-up faciliti ‘Iti
@ New slimline disc drives a Py . press
@ Unique split screen facility
@ Unique price
£1739...0
A FULLY INTEGRATED DESKTOP MICROCOMPUTER SYSTEM.
The QX-10. A fully Integrated Desktop
Microcomputer system that takes the hard
work out of using software. An incredible
new member of the Epson family,
emphasising cost effective computing on
your desk. The QX-10 gives you a lot more
for your money. |
_ Lightweight, Z80A CPU, VDU and Key-
board units in modern functional design.
Very easy to use - specially for the first
time operator.
More Power for your money. 192k up-
gradable to 256k RAM. Incredible graphics
capability with zoom facility, RS-232C and
parallel interfaces and multi-font BASIC as
standard. Compare that with systems costing
twice the price.
Add-on power. Simply slot in up to 5
optional interface cards for the following
facilities:-
Cassette Omninet
Bar code reader Universal interface card
Joysticks for developing your own
Sound generator interfaces
80 col. x 25 lines screen with full bit
image control, 640 x 400 resolution for
greater definition. 16:1 zoom and special
effects as well as unique split screen facility
allowing different typestyles and graphics to
be shown together for educational
applications.
TCL SOFTWARE - the software division
of Transam, offer complete CP/M software
support for the QX-10 and a professional
software service to guide you through all the
available options.
Combining the resources of Transams
experience with CP/M Based systems and
software with Epson innovation and
reliability means we can offer you your best
buy in 1983.
The QX-10 personally packaged by Transam.
THE HUMAN COMPATIBLE
MICRO
We also stock the new range of Epson RX and FX printers.
Please send me further information on the QX-10 and software
products by return.
Name-
Company __ ”
Address
Tel. _ = Interest _
Tel. Orders Accepted on VISA and ACCESS.
or visit our London Showroom.
WD | i (pt 4Yans LIMITED
50/61 Theobalds Road, London WC1.
Telephone: 01-405 5240/2113
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
WITH TOTAL SUPPORT FROM
TCL SOFTWARE
TCL Software, a division of Transam, offers GENERAL OFFICE Survey Analysis
one of the most comprehensive ranges of a ied peseraey ce
CP/M based software. We support most of Pics = pers: ee
: ; A g
the popular microcomputers available which Mailing Time Tabling
gives us the strength, in depth, to identify Reports OTHER LANGUAGES
the best. BUSINESS TCL Pascal
We offer the professional system solution. Accounting C Compiler
Payroll CIS Cobol
PERFECT SOFTWARE FOR QX-10 Stock Control COBOL 80
Introducing the PERFECT SOFTWARE Job Costing Comal
range of office software. Available now for Bookkeeping _ Forth
QX-10 as well as other CP/M based micros. Lhe Sa ee Fortran
CLR Sten ene pons TocaCn tena maO rans COMMUNICATIONS
Pou Sptleeli onc cccsscscsemcectlsnscaD PROFESSIONAL = DEVELOPMENT
Paria rete. 2; glans de taads. Base’ be: £165 Scientific AND UTILITY
P@rfectehilen ciiccivieiis a cro oases oistpe aie ere ateearvehae £215 Statistics PROGRAMS
Perfect Writer re-thinks the whole approach to word processing. All the standard features plus split screen editing on two files or two parts
of a single file. Automatic footnotes, indexing, page referencing and paragraph numbering facilities. One set of commands common to all
Perfect Software packages and links directly with Perfect Speller, Calc and Filer. Perfect Calc supports up to seven worksheets on line at
once and split screen editing. Functions and formulae can be defined by the user. Files can be associated and re-calculated in order of
dependancy. Perfect Calc also links with Perfect Filer, to fetch data and to Perfect Writer to create reports. Please contact us for further
information.
rego roc
COMPUTER £402
+ VAT
As a stand alone portable or linked to your
CP/M based computer, the HX-20 takes
computing a step further. Unlimited horizons
on a limited budget.
Transams portable computer centre offers
a wide choice of portable equipment and
software. The HX-20 has taken pride of
place. Software now available includes:-
CARD INDEX - System/Data Base.................. £25.00 A computer small enough to fit into a briefcase yet with a
DIARY ~ 3 month rolling diary..............0...000. £25.00 full size typewriter keyboard, LCD virtual screen, printer
DIY - Do it yourself system generator............... £30.00 and microcassette facility actually built in. High speed
SALES ORDER ENTRY - For Travelling Reps. ........ £40.00 serial communication with other computers plus the Epson
EPSON CALC- Financial spreadsheet/reports....... £30.00 reliability - a World beater.
COMMUNICATIONS ROM - ISO Standard.....:.... £30.00
CORRESPONDENT 20 - Portable Word Processor ... £25.00 CODE — Wwe
MAILING LIST - and label printing................. £30.00 HUA Peano Unit with
GAMES 1 + 2 - aselection of games, each........... £18.00 ed oneal ——
Viny] Case £9.00
HX20MC-SA Microcassette Drive £75.00
INTELLIGENT TERMINAL eee Berenson Unit ee
- ar Code Reader ch
EMULATION AND TEXT EDITOR. HX20RC-SA ROM Cartridge baste
New from Transam, the software (in ROM) ee ne aeapier £8.50
5 e SHX700 Sendata Acoustic Coupler £220.00
allows your HX-20 to interface with any _ CAB 702 _ External Cassette Cable £5.70
computer and act as a terminal to transmit CAB705 = Acoustic Coupler Cable £15.00
and receive with 4 ff line’ editing. Full Ss CAB 714 Terminal Printer Cable £15.00
editor for text 2 ti diti g + pinata CAB 716 Local Network Cable HX20/HX20 £15.00
or for text preparation. CAB71? _ Serial interface Cable £15,00
THX01 Parallel Interface Unit £85.00
Plug in ROM and documentation £45.00 plus vat. HOORP | Paper Rolls (5) - 220
Sendata acoustic coupler £220.00 plus VAT. MC-TAPES Microcassette Tapes £1.60
@ Circle No. 145
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 61
62
MICRO NETWORKS NEW BABY —
FROM NISSEI SANGYO/HITACHI
S16-Bit Mega Micro
Processor: 16-Bit 8086, cycle time 215 Nano Seconds. Architec-
ture: DMA Bus based, true 16-Bit. Speed: DMA @ 6MB/sec; Disc
transfer @ 3MB/sec. Memory (RAM): 128KB standard, expand-
able to 640KB. Screen: High resolution green; anti-glare optical
filter. Colourgraphics optional extra. Discs: Two 8" DS/DD giving
2.36 MB usable. (BM compatible. Interfaces: 2 RS 232 communi-
cations interfaces. Plus: Centronic printer interface. Operating
Systems: MS-DOS CP/M-86. 8-bit software emulator.
Languages for 16-bit: Basic, Cobol, Pascal, Fortran, PL/1, BCPL
compilers and interpreters available. Customising: with logo,
namestyle and house colours, can be arranged. “So simple to
operate” — and don't forget, the $16-bit Mega Micro is built
to military standards with laboratory-level quality control
for complete dependability.
Go & ©
NISSEISANGYO MICRONETWORKS S16 MEGA MICRO
The symbols tnat guarantee your business computing success.
The $16-bit Mega Micro is a product from Nissei Sangyo, a
subsidiary of Hitachi. (In a word, reliability). Micro Networks
Limited is a fast growing company backed by a powerful financial
consortium, dedicated to the marketing of proven high quality
Computer equipment, at the right prices!
NATIONWIDE MAINTENANCE - the most compre-
hensive after sales service on the market. Our qualified engineers
give a 24 hour working day calling service.
WARRANTY — Free for a 12 month period.
GUARANTEED-of course, but also a guaranteed no quibble
replacement.
TRAINING-— comprehensive training schemes available.
SUPPORT -— from our fully trained dealer network
SOFTWARE Universal availbility of business software.
All MS-DOS and CP/M-86 software will run on the $16,
which means a comprehensive library of business/
technical applications packages are available to you.
...SO much more —
for so little!
What are your business
computer requirements?
Business Systems? Specialist Systems? Are you a first time buyer ?
Single user? Looking for a replacement for obsolete equipment?
Or, do you want a main frame link-up system?
The S16-bit Mega Micro is the powerful, reliable answer
and can be tailored to your exact needs now, with flexible,
expandable options in the future.
A CHALLENGING INVITATION!
Compare the $16-bit Mega Micro with other 16-bit
micros, including the PCW Benchtest winner 1982 (the
Olivetti M20). We know what the results will be, new
Benchtests prove it!
Before you make a decision to buy a micro computer — and
maybe make a costly error —
“2 01-602 7405
for more information about the $16-bit Mega Micro. One of
our qualified Sales Executives will give you friendly, helpful advice
and if required, arrangea non obligatory demonstration. Call into
our London offices — or, fill in the coupon for immediate
response.
to: MICRO NETWORKS LIMITED |
382 Kensington High Street, London W14 8NL
= Please send me your colour brochure,.full details of the
S16-BIT MEGA MICRO and the name of my local dealer.
1 would like a representative to call me today.
Name
Position
Company
Address
PC? 83
d
a!
| Telephone
ee, ene oe Oe ae
® Circle No. 176
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
PLEASE TICK |
TWO’S COMPANY ...
... TEN’S a hole
in your pocket
iit”, Two 5%" Datalife
“ minidisks in a convenient
pack, complete with labels
and read/write protect tabs.
Available from all Verbatim
authorised retailers, or call
01-773 1115 for your nearest stockist.
The new Datalife minidisk Twin-Pack.
4 Verbatim
Verbatim Ltd. Mint House, 6 Stanley Park Road, Wallington, Surrey SM6 OHA. Tel: 01-773 1115 Telex: 892757
®@ Circle No. 147
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 63
As a home personal
computer user, you don’t
always want to buy your
floppy disks in 10-packs. But
you do want high quality media.
So Verbatim offer you Datalife in a
twin-pack.
LONDON COMPUTER CENTRE
8/16 bit SOFTWARE
The comprehensive range includes
WORDSTAR £235 D BASE II £325
SUPERCALC £165 MAILMERGE £134 LM Ui Wann
Betts —o od LANGUAGES fe ji YF YOU HAVE A BBC MICRO
pellBinder MBasic 195
Magic Wand 226 MBasicCompiler 215 THEN YOU NEED
bel ye Fore 80/86 325 Zz
roofreader is Cobol/Forms2 399/105 \ N
Grammatik 75 ~~ Pascal M 250 atl” Sw
FINANCIAL PLANNING Pascal MT+/SSP 350
Calcstar 85 ACCOUNTING <2 WS — __ is the newsletter of the Independent National BBC Microcomputer Users Group. Ifyou want
M ultiplan 1 65 SGS from 250 the best source of information on the BBC Micro you <an’t do without <r as. No matter what your
Plannercalc 75 Peachtree from 325 interest ~ hardware, software, business, games or education then <r Os has something for you
T/Maker III 175 = Tabs from 199
Microplan 200 Exact 500 Also, «2s —— has available many special offers including dust covers (for computer, monitor, printer,
D BASE CORNER Pulsar 395 disks), cassette leads and 1.2 ROMS FOR ONLY £5.50 INCLUSIVE - THE CHEAPEST PRICE ANYWHERE!
Autocode 195 COMMUNICATIONS me aa
Quickcode 205 Bstam 130 s
D Base Window 150 Crosstalk | 35 <= =>—» defies descnption - send off for a sample copy and you'll find that it sells itselfto you. See one
UTILITIES Moveit 80/86 90/105 saab
Sid £60, ZSid £70, Mac £70
FORMATS: Superbrain, Televideo, Sirius, Sanyo, Osborne
Northstar, 8” SD, DEC, Epson QX-10, IBM
Please supply me with { ) more details abou Pee and your special offers
{ ] a sample copy for £1.00 and an A4 SAE (7p postage)
{ ] 1 UK 12 Month Subscription for £12.00
[ ] | UK 6 Month Subscription for £6.00
Software All pn ices are exclusive of VAT ] J. 8 Overseas Surface Mail Subscription for £14.00
(alr mall rates on application)
2 | Please send the goods to:
43 GRAFTON WAY, LONDON W1P 5LA (Opposite Maples) Rie ADDRESS
OPENING HOURS: 11-7 MON-FRI 12-4 SAT Tel: 388 6991/2
24 hour answer phone: 01-388 5721 {enclose m cheque/PO for £ p made payable 10 LASERBUG.
Please send the form to LASERBUG Dept. C, 10 Dawley Ride, Cotnbrook. Slough, Berks.. SL3 0QH.
@ Circle No. 148 @ Circle No. 149
CP/M MS DOS __CP/M-86 ¢95_RTII £150
e Backs up a Winchester CLIP offers effortiess backup. It will
on to floppies. also take care of most of the chores
e Compresses text or data to in building an ordered file library,
; ; operations. The user can set up his
e Large files can span multiple own housekeeping procedures in a
discs ;
e Selective backup or retrieval,on = Shy function just type €.0, BACKWIN'
an inclusive or exclusive basis. 'VIEWTOPS' 'RESTORE'.
With CLIP’s powers of selection and
CLIP has no equal in reputation, compression, the user can expect a
convenience, power or economy. four-to-one saving over global
CLIP comes standard with the CIFER copying, with no error excent to
Business Management System, and feed discs on cue. Or, CLIP can select
with all Winchester systems supplied just the new/updated files and
by COLT & TRIUMPH ADLER (UK). reduce the backup load still further.
All piece rely eet ied in i .
M r disc formats from stock.
KEELE CODES LTD 5 pie
University of Keele, Keele, Staffordshire, U.K. Tel: (0782) 629221 Telex: 36113
24-hour telephone service: Access accepted.
@ Circle No. 150
64 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
KNIGHTS GUARANTEE LOWEST
PRICES ON SHARP AND ATARI
SHARP MZ-80A DEAL A36+2 £ 419 A real computer with 56K
memory, screen & cassette. Supplied with BASIC & PASCAL
languages + 36 programs.
DEAL A40+4 £449 MZ80A with 40 programs + BASIC,
PASCAL, FORTH & MACHINE CODE.
DEAL A113+4 £475 MZ8DA, 113 programs + 4 languages
MZ80A SYSTEM £1575 micro, twin disks, printer, 4 languages
& 150 programs.
MZ-80B £747 76K memory, BASIC, MACHINE CODE &
ASSEMBLER.
MZ80B SYSTEM £1899 micro, printer, disks, 3 languages + 70
programms.
ATARI 400 £138 16K memory, 128 colours, 2 microprocessors
+63 programs.
ATARI BOO £299 with 63 programs.
ATARI BASIC £33.90 cartridge & manuals.
ATARI DISK UNIT £259 with 63 programs.
Ring or write and we will rush you our newsletter, software
catalogue-and unbeatable price list. All above prices exclude VAT
but include Securicor delivery — we accept VISA or ACCESS.
108ROSEMOUNT PLACE, ABERDEEN AB24YW
, 2 TELEPHONE: 0224 630526
Knights TD
COMPUTERS
OSBORNE Double Density
EPSON FX80
OSBORNE 80
} Column Double Density
*Prices + VAT
& Delivery
Ss FREE DATABASE
Pd
&
ORDERS RECEIVED
BY JULY 31st
3 AUTHORISED OSBORNE MAIN DEALERS
[ae
Sa a
Tel. Buckingham {0280) B1 6087
@ Circle No. 151
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
PACKAGE FOR ALL
A good idea
worth sharing.
Custom
Keypanel Kits
for the Spectrum
and now the
Put everything you
need on the keyboard
with a Custom Keypanel Kit.
Precision die-cut panels fit perfectly over your
keyboard and create an instant and individual
reference to all your software.
Each kit comes in a clear plastic wallet and
contains: 10 matt black eee plus sheets
containing over 140 self-adhesive command labels,
pre-printed with words and symbols — arrows, left,
right, FIRE!, POWER, etc, plus a sheet of blanks for
your own desi gns.
SPECTRUM Keypanels (96 x 224mm)
Self-adhesive label sets are printed in ‘Spectrum’
bree red. A must for flight simulation and all
multi-key games and applications, the first add-on
for your Spectrum.
ORIC Keypanels (105 x 275mm)
Self-adhesive label sets are printed in ‘ORIC light
blue. Master those CTRL and ESC key combinations
and create a reference to all ORIC’s keyboard
functions.
NOW in super ML PLASTIC.
We despatch to you first class post by return:
* Subject to stock availability
= ol ae Se ee oe
Post today to Softeach Limited, 25 College Road, Reading,
Berkshire, RGO 1QE. |
Please send me:
. Spectrum Keypanel Kits at £3.95 + 35p p&p each |
(overseas should add 25% for additional surface mail) |
ORIC Keypanel Kits at £4.95 + 35p p&p each |
|
a
(overseas should add 25% for additional surface mail)
lenclose a total remittance of &
orders payable to Softeach Limited.
NAME. . oem ae.
AC. i fra meee acer ae “3
... Cheques/postil
@ Circle No. 153
65
As from July
there could be
NEW magazine ;
—
in your life...
@ Micro Business is designed to bridge the
gap between those who are producing
microcomputer hardware and software and
those who are selling it.
@ Micro Business is the magazine which
makes sense of the micro scene, identifying
the pitfalls and explaining the complexities of
the microcomputer jungle.
@ Micro Business is produced by the
publishers of Practical Computing; Your
Computer; Systems International; Computer
Weekly; Electrical & Radio Trading and
Electrical & Electronic Trader — Britain’s
leading journals in the computer and
electrical retail markets.
about hardy... >
SSE and software sales
7
UK and Japanene
Suppliers © Store dts,
Retailer, revenge
@ Micro Business will bring new hardware
and software products to the attention of
dealers and retail outlets throughout the UK.
That all adds up to an effective marketing and
sales aid for companies producing
microcomputer hardware and software. And
an important source of market information
for those at the sharp end — the retailers and
dealers who are selling direct to the general
public. If you fail into either of these
categories please complete the coupon and
return it to us, to obtain Micro Business free
of charge.
ee eee eS ee a a ee eee
| To: Chris Hipwell, Publishing Director, Micro Business, Room 309H, Business Press International Ltd, |
Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey
Name- =
i tam professionally involved in the production and/or sale of fl
| microcomputer hardware and/or software products. Job Title_ |
| Please tick O Please send me areader application Company Name ; oe |
appropriate card so that! can register for free j
§ box(es) copies of Micro Business. Company Address |
i OO Please send me your advertisement hs |
brochure as! am interested in
j advertising in Micro Business. |
PC
ee eee ee ee eee ee ee es es
66
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
oo
——
©)
The New British Minstrel rrom £2,455
with Winchester Drive Lonel Author heeds
Winchester Drive makes Minstrel
the preferred professional Computer
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION CHECK THESE OUTSTANDING FEATURES
@ Versatile and highly adaptable Standard system Other Configurations
3 ; me. Available
@ Built for reliability and ease of @ S100
| servicing ; @ Multi-user systems
| @ 5-20 Mb Winchester drive
| @ Horizon compatible @ Multi-processor systems
@ 64K RAM
@ Superlative software: CP/M, @ 16-bit processor using
MINOS, Turbo-DOS, and @ Horizon compatible, 400 Kb powerful 68000 processor
multi-user application — 1.6 Mb floppies
packages @ Z80 Processor
@ British manufacture
L /€’ For more information about the brilliant new British Minstrel computer, J.
or nto find out your nearest U.K or European Dealer, write or telephone: Andrew Ward or Tony Harris
~~
Although the NewBrain is conceived as a total
system, the unexpanded Processor itself has a great
deal to offer. It is available in two forms: Model AD,
shown below,witha built-in line display;and Model A,
without the line display. Both models can operate
with a monitor ora television set
MEMORY
0 24K bytes of ROM:
0 32K bytes ofRAM, atleast 28K of whichis available
to the user.
THE SCREEN DISPLAY
o 40 or 80 characters to the line - without affecting
the 28K bytes of RAM at your disposal;
© 24 or 30 lines to the screen;
o well-formed characters, with true descenders;
g a full European character set;
o normal or reverse video, high resolution graphics
on screen of controllable size, 256, 320, 512 or 640
horizontal resolution by 250 vertical lines;
Oo a facility to set up a “page” of up to 255 lines, with
the screen acting as a “window’ to display it;
O ability to maintain several such pages simultane-
ously, and to switch rapidly between them;
o text may be used on graphics screen as well as on
parts of the video screen not used by graphics.
CHARACTER SET
o 512 characters, including the full ASCII set, all
European accented characters, Greekand graphics
symbols.
GRAPHICS
0 20 powertul graphics commands;
o all text characters usable on the graphics screen;
g variable-sized graphics screen, with the rest of the
screen available for text - for versatility and to save
memory.
“CP/M IS A REGISTERED TRADE MARK OF DIGITAL RESEARCH INC
SOFTWARE
Enhanced ANSI BASIC; screen editor (32
commands); mathematics package (10 significant
figures); graphics commands.
o averyfriendly screen editor - a delight to useand
readily adapted to text processing:
o arithmetic to 10 significant figures;
o very controllable output formatting of numbers -
invaluable for accounting, statistics, and scientific
applications;
o a powerful, much enhanced BASIC;
o avery flexible operating system, which allows any
data stream to be opened to any device.
INTERFACES
o two tapecassette ports built into theprocessor unit;
o a built-in printer interface;
og abuilt-incommunications interface (V24/RS232):
o avideo monitor interface:
o a IVinterface;
o an expansion interface for NewBrain system
expansion modules.
KEYBOARD
a standard typewriter pitch, action, layout and size,
with editing control and graphics keys.
Youcan get everything inthe box on th
68
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
lf you understand the facts and figures on
the leftyou'llsoon realisethat NewBrain has to
be one of the most powerful micros around.
However, if you find the box on the left a
little hard to follow, don’t worry.
We've got over 120 dealers nationwide
who've got all the answers at their fingertips.
Either way you'll discover that NewBrain
is the kind of micro that will stop the
competition getting a look in.
At £269 it starts off with twice as much
memory as most of its competitors and can
expand to over thirty times that amount So
there's no chance of being left behind in the
micro race.
It comes with a very powerful language
(enhanced ANSI BASIC) and itll take CP/M;
so itll work on the same system as similar big
business micros, givingyouthecapacityto use
an almost limitless variety of tried and tested
software.
But most of all NewBrain ts a machine
that can expand.
It's designed to take disks, printers and
memory expansion modules (up to 2M bytes)
plus anything else you'd expecta professional
business micro to handle.
So, whether you understand the box
on the left or not, pay a visitto someone in the
know on the right
They'll answer all your questions and give
you a full demonstration.
New?3xain
Grundy Business Systems Ltd, Grundy House,
Somerset Road, Teddington.
ALTRINCHAM
PHARMACY COMPUTER SYSTEMS,
(061-928 0087)
IRNSLEY
SRODK OFFICE SUPPLIESLTD.
16}
LANDKEY-NEWI AND (027) 77883)
J& ACAMERAS (0271 75037)
BE
DFORD
MICROPOWER BUSINESS APPLICS
{0234 213571)
BIRMINGHAM
CALISTO COMPUTERS LTD
(021-632 6458)
LASKYS (BIRMINGHAM) (021-632 6303)
MICROL: Ua tad )
(021-233 1105)
Tr CENTRES (021-622 5385)
BOURNE
MICRO-C (LINCOLNSHIRE)
(077 82 4566)
BRADFORD
SeBD COMPUTER SERVICES
(0274 ae 36)
BRIGHT!
CASS BMHTONOZT 725625)
RISTO!
i!
FLECTROPRINT COMPUTERS
(0272 292375)
LASKYS (BRISTOL) (0272 20421)
MICRO-C (BRISTOL) (0272 650501)
COLSTON COMPUTER CENTRE £70
(0272 276619)
BROMLEY
LASKYS (BROMLEY) (01-464.7829)
BUCKNELL
BORDER COMPUTING &
PROGRAMMING (05474 368)
CAMBERLEY
ASYST SYSTEMS CONSULTANTS LTD
(0276 28397)
CAMBRIDGE
ates COMPUTER STORE
65.
(0223
GCC (CAMBRIDGE) LTD
(0223 835330)
CANTERBURY
MD WRIGHT DATA SERVICE SLID
(0227 69090)
CANVEY ISLAND
MERCURY meTOS STEMS up
(0268 696263
CARDIFF
LASKYS (CAROIFF) (0222 374893)
CHALFONT ST GILES
PRINTIVITY LTD (02407 4906)
CHATHA’
AM
MEDWAY Peet {00 3 628080)
CHELTENHAI
COMPUTER SHACK LTD (0242 584343)
CHESTE!
eevee ud
(0244 380123)
LASKYS (CHESTER) (0244 317667)
CAPRICORN COMPUTER CENTRE
(0206 331168)
CORK
CDS COMPUTING LTD (0002 23922)
CORRINGHAM
C& LCOMPUTERS LTD (0375 67 5656)
COVENTRY
COVENTRY MICROCENTRE
(0203 58942)
CROYDON
LASKYS (CROYDON) (01-68! 3027)
DARLINGTON
DARLINGTON COMPUTER SHOP.
(0325 487478)
DE
RBY
FIRST BYTE COMPUTERS.
(0332 49672)
BLIN 4
THE ECL GROUP OF COS
(0001 603497)
OUNFERMLINE
ANDREW THOMSON (0383 724541)
EDGWARE
CITADEL PRODUCTS LTD (DI-951 1848),
EDINBURGH
LASKYS (EDINBURGH) (031-556 2914)
JOHN MENZIES PLC (EDINBURGH)
ee ol 8555)
ELS
FLSTREE Petar
{01-953 6921)
GILLINGHAM
MEDWAY MICRO COMPUTERS LTD
(0634 576764)
Gl
L ASGOW
VICTOR MORRIS (AUDIO VISUAL)
{041-221 8958)
LASKYS (GLASGOW) (041-226 3349)
GLOUCESTER
MILEQUIP COMPUTERS (0452 411010)
DEALER NETWORK
GREAT YARMOUTH
KAYDE ELEETBONG LIMITED
(0493 pita Hy)
GUILDFOR'
MCDLID 48 574659)
HAMILTO!
STRATHCLY i MICRO CENTRE
(03552. fret iW
HARPE
consul Ms IN OFFICE POWER
(05827 66911)
HASTINGS
THE COMPUTER CENTRE (BMS) LTD
90)
‘ORD
HONEYSETT COMPUTERS LTD
(0432 279404)
HERTFORD
RMR COMPUTER SERVICES
(0992 561 eo
HIGH WYCOMBE
SUM IT COMEOTER SYSTEMS LTD
ol a 8)
TY ree (ELECTRONICS) (0466-88 337)
ISLE OF WIGHT
VECTIS COMPUTER SERVICES
(0983 528345)
KIODERMINSTER
MICRO- Hales 742142)
KINGSTON
LASKYS (KINGSTON) (01-546 1271)
VISION STORES LIMITED (01-549 4900)
LEAMINGTON SPA
WARWICKSHIRE COMPUTER CENTRE
(0926 311873)
LEEDS
MICRO-C (LEEDS) (0532 446601)
MICROCELL COMPUTER SYSTEMS
oe ake)
LEI
THUY COMPUTER SYSTEMS,
(0533 553984)
MICRO-C (LEICESTER) (D533 546224)
UNGFI
IELD
SNOBEECH ane CENTRE
westcese 832876
LIVERPOO!
LASHTSVERP OLS 236 2828)
LONDON
aig PHOTOGRAPHIC (UK) LID
{
ent CDMPUTER SYSTEMS LTD
(01-584 8203)
LION MICRO COMPUTERS
(01-580 7383)
MICRO-C (LONDON NW1)(01-387 9275)
TRANSAM MICROSYSTEMS LTD
(01-4055240)
LASKYS (QUEENSWAY) (01-229 6425)
LASKYS (TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD)
(01-636.0845)
LASKYS (OXFORD STREET)
(01-493
OFFICE INSTALLATIONS LTD
(0)-5796771)
TREND VIDEO & HI-FILTD
(01-521 6146)
MR DEAN & SONS LTD (01-723 4630)
WELBECK VIOEO (01-486 3783)
RICHBY COMPUTER SERVICES (2)
(01-723 1382)
AUDIO MARKETING UK) uD
(01-580 a
LOUGH! BORGU
DATA ONE SYSTEMS LTD (080937281)
MICRO:C (LOUGHBOROUGH)
(0509 37367)
LUTON
LASKYS (LUTON) (0582 38302)
MICRO-C (LUTON) (0582 425079)
MAIDENHEAD
KUMA COMPUTERSLID
(0628 ee)
MAIDSTO!
LASKYS (MAIDSTONE) (0622678165)
MANCHESTER:
NSC eda SHOPS LTD
(061-832
Meno cd MANCHESTER)
4
832 60!
OMAK LID (Oe: $32 6167)
MIDDLESBROUGH
MICRO-TECHNIC COMPUTER SYSTEMS
(0642 221501/2)
MILTON KEYNES
MILTON KEYNES COMPUTERCENTRE
(0908 668811)
NAILSEA
BYTE MICRO COMPUTING CENTRE
ees 337)
NEW MILTDN
SUPE COMPUTERS LMIeD
(0425617477)
a CC
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE
MICROCORE COMPUTERS
(0632617077)
NEWMARKET
DATA IBASE (0638 667311)
NOTTINGHAM
MICRO. (NOTTINGHAM)
(0602412455)
LASKYS (NOTTINGHAM)
(0602415150)
ORMSKIRK
MALTHOUSE COMPUTERS LTD
(0695-78 Oh
PETERBORO!
EASITS (PETERBOROUGH)
(0733 313513)
PLYMOUTH
DISKWISE LTD (0752 267000)
POTTERS BAR
POTTERS BAR COMPUTERS.
(0707 59669)
PRESCOT
MICROSYS LTD (051-426 7271)
PRESTON
pea UCHR ESTO (072 59264)
READII
LASKYS (READING) (0734 595459)
RICHMOND:
TANTUS MICROSYSTEMS LTD
(01-940 7299)
ROYSTON
CORNIX MICRO (0763 44766)
RUGBY
OEM COMPUTER SYSTEMS
(0788 70522 a
SANDERSTEAD
ua PS REN (01-657 7646)
WENDMORE MANAGEMENT SERV LTD
(04895 6318/9/0)
SHEFFIELD
TA EDUCATION LTD (0742 618539)
LASKYS (SHEFFIELD) (0742 750971)’
SOUTHAMPTON
SE Sa aTON)
(0703 29676)
el EE eet uD
ge 03 783322)
THE POIESORCENTRE ESSE
(0534 77070)
DATASTREAM (JERSEY) LTD
eo 71219)
ETER PORT
THE porn CENTRE (GUERNSEY)
(0481 288; “4
STOCKP'
DISKWISEY COMPUTER CENTRES LTD
(061-47; at 5931)
STROU!
Le MODEL SHOP (045-36 5920)
U RBI
COMPUTASOLVE (01-390 5135)
SWANLEY
PETER RALPH (82 62230)
TEDDINGTON
AM PROGRAMMERS LTD (01-9432266)
STAG TERMINALS LTD (01-943 0777)
TEIGNMOUTH
eA COMPUTERS (062 672258)
AMPLAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
7330)
eS OU CAR EUIER CENTEE
(0}- eet
TUNBRII Ge ELLS.
RICHBY COMPUTER SERVICES (KENT)
2060)
U
JB MICRO (0895 57908)
WALTON ON THAMES
PMFS(98 22895)
KEY (lag CENTRES LTD
decal rH)
WAREH,
CANES COMPUTERS (09295 51383)
WARRINGTON
NO Ben COMPUTERS LTD
(0928 35110)
WATFORD
LASKYS (WATFORD) (0923 47488)
WELWYN
ANGELA ENTERPRISES (0438 8124 39)
WENDOVER
TARACE LTD (0296 623965)
WINDSOR
CASTLE COMPUTERS (95 58118)
YORK
UASKYS (YORK) (0904 641221)
MITREFINCH (0904 52995)
left from anyone in the box on the right.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983°i
@ Circle No. 156
69'
ee
o keepin
OMPUTER down the cost
HU of computing ,
s = 7 5 Sa. &,
Only by direct mail order can we offer these pricestOagZayy
Ss
Hardware Software
SUPE2BRAIN Sct: SHARP PC 1500
Pocket Computer
Junior
320 DISK CAPACITY ... £1406
MICROSOFT
Basic
Basic Compiler
£202
QD
720K DISKCAPacITY............ £1744
SD
1.5 MB DISK CAPACITY.......
MICROSOFT
Fortran
£225
MICROSOFT
Cobol
£330
{Carriage £10)
LCD Screen. Extended BASIC language
3.5K RAM. Typewriter style keyboard
Optional Extra
CE 150
four colour graphic printer/cassette
interface £117.35 (Carriage £10)
(Carriage £25)
MICROLINE 83A
PRINTER oo, £450
(Carriage £10)
SORCIM
Supercaic
£135
MICROSOFT
EPSON HX20 £150
Portable Computer
HARD DISK
SUB SYSTEM
for
Osborne IBM PC Superbrain
6 MB .......ncuce... E1MGS
10 MB............. . £1305
(Carriage £10)
MICRO PRO
Wordstar vers. 3.0
£210
MICRO PRO
Mailmerge
£70
including case (Carriage £10)
16 KB RAM RS 232C and Serial interface
32 KB ROM Full sized ASCII keyboard. ia sca
Built in printer 1 55
MICRO PRO
Calcstar
£105
MICRO PROFESSOR
280 Based Microcomputer
BBC
MICRO
ees ORGANIC NB
SOFTWARE uperbrain
RAM 2KB expandable to 4KB : & 8in. IBM
FLOPPY DRIVE £185 eae eae, Ete Milestone foriate ony
(Carriage £10)
4 , resen
Requires Acorn Floppy drive card sv eresem
Optional EPROM Programmer Board
Speech Synthesizer Board and Printer 1 70
To: Thé Micro Computer Club PO Box 66 Croydon CR9 4QB Tel: 01 689 2080
Please accept my order and enrol me as a member of the Micro Computer Club.
All prices are based on exchange rate at time of going to press and 4 be subject to
change. All orders must be accompanied by a cheque for the sum due. This will not be
banked until four days before despatch.
UNIT PRICE TOTAL
ITEM Qnty €p £p
TOTAL
INET. cP. . ae. See, .. Fs, HOP. He Serudee
On site maintenance from day one LCC Gh eee Cee 2 SOR 2. aaneagenn. ap et ‘
Nationwide contracts through Software VAT at
Boros See deeee atimuer ofthe Emiocep WM sss Ce ce eh anh deans
All machines sold to UK specification with full
CHEQUE TOTAL
manufacturers warranty
Sciences - a member of Thorn EMI group
Software Sciences will inspect, deliver
and maintaln your SUPERBRAIN
MICROLINES3APRINTER... £150 pa The 24 hour call out basis ACCESS/
pom | BARCLAY CARD/VISA NO.
Membership of the Micro Computer Club entitles members to other special offers
Everything for the Acorn and BBC microcomputer user.
ACORN USER EXHIBITION
Cunard International Hotel 2225.01
unard international MOTE! 25-28 August 1983
The Acorn User Exhibition at the Admission charges: Adults £2 per
Cunard, Hammersmith will house the ticket, Children £1 per ticket.
largest display of Acorn products ever We have arranged for nearly every
assembled under one roof. It will be four exhibitor to redeem the cost of your ticket
days of non-stop entertainment and when you buy something from their stand.
education for parents and children alike. Group rates: 10% discount for parties
The new Electron, the second of 10 or more.
processors for the BBC micro, the BBC Buses: Frequent services from central
Buggy, all the new software and hardware —_ London.
will be on show. There'll be competitions, Tubes: Hammersmith Broadway —
prizes, Acorn experts to answer your Metropolitan, District and Piccadilly lines.
technical questions, demonstrations and Car Parking: Several car parks in the
lots and lots of bargains. immediate area.
If you are an Acorn owner, or just For details of exhibition stands and
thinking about being one, you can't afford advance ticket sales contact Computer
to miss it. Marketplace Ltd, 20 Orange Street,
=. Sy ., Opening hours: August 25th-27th, London WC2H 7ED. Tel: 01-930 1612.
89) XX <5, 10am-7 pm; August 28th, 10am-4 pm.
RR St 4. ADVANCE BOOKING COUPON Miss the queue — buy your tickets in advance.
SHASNY xe Computer Marketplace Ltd, 20 Orange Street, London WC2H 7ED.
<iee : : 5
AS. Ras Please send__ Adult tickets at £2 Childrens tickets at al
Cy ?
eat 6. | enclose a cheque/postal order value £ ____ payable to Computer Marketplace we
Svat. Name l
| Address
® Circle No. 158
New Colchester Group have a
number one disk on their hands.
When 3M awarded us the franchise for their range of computer
media we knew that we had a number one disk on our hands.
32% less abrasive to the disk drive read/write head than '
the industry average.
Over twice as durable as that expected by nt :
diskette drive manufacturers. 24 HOUR b
And 30 years experience in magnetic media SERVICE
guaranteeing error-free storage. AND REALLY
As aresult you only pay for reliable, durable Weve)ylJ aama hy 3
and accurate information and not for excessive PRICES
headwear, expensive down time and costly maintenance.
Like their musical counterparts flexible disks may
all look alike, but as you've just heard they don’t all make such sound
business sense. :
As authorised dealers for 3M we naturally stock a complete Sy
range of computer tapes, disks, cassettes and support material.
If you don’t need disks immediately tick the box in the
coupon and we'll be pleased to send you a rather unique
COLCHESTER COMPUTER PRODUCTS
order form and price list. { St. Helen’s Lane, Colchester, Essex.
| Telephone: (0206) 61671.
COLCHESTER COMPUTER PRODUCTS ne
Sel DDRES
St. Helen’s Lane, Colchester, Essex. | & : g
Telephone: (0206) 61671. |
] TELEPHONE NO. PC
3M Authorised Distributor. 3M and Scotch are Trademarks of the 3M Company. If you don’t need disks immediately tick the box La
® Circle No. 159
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 71
@ = eCircle No. 157
COMPUTER SYSTEMS LIMITED
462 COVENTRY ROAD, SMALL HEATH
“ BIRMINGHAM B10 0UG
THE COMPUTER, PEOPLE ‘Telephone: 021-771-3636 (10 lines) Telex: 335909 (Camden G)
-——5Smus WINCHESTER
=m.
SPECIAL OFFER APPLE IIE
APPLE IIE PLUS MONITOR AND STAND 80 COL CARD ee ni
5 MEG WINCHESTER WITH BUILT-IN NOMGR a ie
MONITOR &
FLOPPY. STAND 170 150
DISK WITH CON 345 270
RECOMMENDED PRICE _— £2810 DISK W/OUT 245 {220
See eee ake! TRIDENT 5 MEG
1700 1465
fCray) 10 MEG VERSION £2275 St ie
ay ALL PRICES EXCLUDING VAT
12 MONTHS PARTS AND LABOUR ON ALL APPLE AND TRIDENT PRODUCTS
@ Circle No. 211
MEMORY & GRAPHICS BOARDS
FOR THE ACT SIRIUS 1
Designed & Manufactured in Britain to the
Highest Standards — at Remarkably Low Prices
MEMORY BOARD available in two versions
@ 256K and 128K expandable to 256K
GRAPHICS BOARD
m 128K Bytes of RAM + graphics routines in ROM
Graphics Features include :-
OO) CHARACTER LOAD AND PRINT O RAPID PLOTTING OF POLYGONS, CIRCLES, ARCS AND ELLIPSES
D AREA FILL WITH USER DEFINED PATTERNS O CHOICE OF FULL AND BROKEN LINES AND RAY LINES
O AREA DELETE O ROTATION IN STEPS OF 1
O FULL SCREEN DUMP
Now available with ‘Silicon Disc’
A HIGH SPEED RAM BASED DISC EMULATOR
DEALER ENQUIRIES INVITED
MAGUS COMPUTER SYSTEMS LTD
SOPWORTH MANOR, SOPWORTH, CHIPPENHAM, WILTS SN14 6PS
TELEPHONE: 045 423 231 & 022 122 3576
O RELOCATABLE SCREEN ORIGIN
®@ Circle No. 212
72 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Now with WINCHESTER
Acomplete computer system,
with a 5.4 megabyte
Winchester Drive for only
£2,500
The new Galaxy 3 has been built to comply with the most widely accepted
industry standards, so the business user can make effective use of the targest range of
hardware and software options. It uses the world’s best selling micro processor, the
Z80A, and is based on industry standard 80BUS Boards. Interfaces include both
paraliel printer Interfaces and RS232, enabling the user to immediately connecta
wide range of compatible hardware, even to the extent of building up his own
networking system.
The Galaxy 3 has CP/M as its standard operating system which gives users access
to the widest range of applications software and programming languages currently
available for any machine.
@ Central processor unit with 64K RAM @ 5.4 megabyte Winchester drive
@ 800K byte floppy disk drive @ Full Qwerty/numeric keyboard
with function keys @ 12” green or amber monitor
There Is a network of Gemini dealers throughout the country, able to
offer you complete support for the Galaxy, including compatible
hardware and a full range of business software. 24 hour on-site
maintenance is also available. Phone us now for further detalls
and the address of your nearest dealer.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Features include:
Twin Z80 processors
5.4mb Winchester
64K dynamic RAM
800 disk based storage
80 x 25 screen format
Dual printer interfaces
Modular design
Networking system avallable
Green or amber monitor
40 & 20 meg versions also
avallable.
*Price is exclusive of VAT.
WM Cemini Microcomputers
18 Woodside Road, Amersham, Bucks HP6 5E0. Tel:(02403) 28321.
@ Circle No. 161
ie
Biodata
i ink-Computer
Microlink-Computer Has
Comshare
Microconnect
021-704 4151
SF-W
Business Controller
01-727 5561
Millhouse Design
Comms Pr ecco BOS N
0420-84517 O1-é
Py, ulsar
inge
©
A
We felt it was time we stopped telling you about ourselves and said a few words about the massive
commitment which over 100 software organisations have made to the ACT Sirius 1.
On these pages are just a few of more than 400 packages now available for the Sirius 1, Britain's best-selling
16-bit personal computer.
The packages range from traditional accounts programs to sophisticated computer-aided design systems
and there is a whole host of software for specific industries and professions.
If you're looking for a computer solution to match your business requirements, then ‘phone one of the
numbers above, before you look any further. THey're all convinced that the ACT Sirius 1 is the best machine
of its kind in the country — and they have the software that will make it work for you. And if you don't see
what you want, just clip the coupon for details of more than 400 products designed for the ACT Sirius 1.
°
s
Vt -
eaiex-Scientifi Pra
2 “a — Basc ri Praxistock
i Word Processor ath
re)
01-847 2331 061-273 3333
Interdata_
Telex-simulation |— |
01-761 4135
Heronview
IEEE488 Driver
01-628 5423
Micro Supplies
er 4 Busisoft
Dairy mer Spellbinder
Management
01-381 4337
0262-7 771 115
] S
Pegasus Sof ftware
Invoicing
0536-522822
Fast Data Entry
0264-58933
©
A) ~~
Bristol Software
u
system
42796
eo
: Please send me
the Registered Product Brochure, 8 er
listing over 400 Hardware and
Software products for the ACT Sirius 1.
Name
Position
Company
» Address
& Telephone —
- @ Circle No. 162
ACT (Sirius) Ltd. FREEPOST. Birmingham B63 1BR. or cali 021-501 2284
NE
SPECTRUM SOFTWARE RANGE.
ALL TITLES DN BOTHAR
r ACHINE
=F,
» PS
= oe) "
- o,
i ; i. OMINOES
GULPMA) ? : ThgAgl-time favourite is be
Laser defence, fiftee *% { w your opponent is
over eighty levels, § y vy
machine code!! ‘\
2
ui
The complete information control system for
the Commodore 64. Ideal for any home,
business or professional environment where
records are kept. Create the format you
moo
Come and see for yourself at the
Commodore Computer Show,
Cunard International Hotel,
Hammersmith 9-11 June 1983
on Stands B36 and B124.
Also at the London Computer Fair
16-19 June on the Commodore Stand.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
trengthen your hand
4
need and enter your records. If the layout or
data field sizes are not quite right, correct
them and carry on. Superbase gives you an
unrivalled range of powerful features including:
Send me details of Superbase 64 to:
Jj Name
Address
oy
2
9°
_)
Precision Software Limited
Park House 4 Park Terrace
Worcester Park
Surrey KT4 7JZ England
Telephone: 01-330 7166
Telex: 8955021 PRECIS G
Precision
ftware
@ Circle No. 164
TEE
Our
‘Today, computers, micros and more
importantly business planning systems are no
longer considered luxuries
They allow you to make better decisions
by providing better information on budgeting,
cash flow, project profitability, Acquisition
Appraisal, Lease vs Purchase analysis and
much more.
You stay one step ahead of your business
and your business stays one step ahead of the
competitors.
But which system should you buy?
Surely no one system can meet the needs ofall
businesses?
Fortunately Comshare is not like most
companies. We see the need for different
systems to suit different people.
NEW USERS START HERE
PlannerCalc at £85.00* is now accepted
as the first choice for people new to financial
planning.
Designed for 8-bit micros, it boasts the
kind of features that you’d expect to pay twice
as much for (Buy PlannerCalc’s nearest rival
and you'll have to.)
Unlike all other‘calc’ products
it allows you to enter calculations
in a language you understand.
Plain English.
For example:
LINE | SALES= 100, 150,175,210
LINE 2 EXPENSES=GROW 70 BY 15% FOR 4
LINE 3 NET=SALES~EXPENSES
LINE 4 CSALES=CUM SALES
COLUMN 5 YEAR=SUM OF COL | THRU COL 4
So it’s much easier to use.
Aberdeen
Abtent Lid
(0224) 647078
(0252) 31355!
(Ofice Suppbes Lid
10226) 88916
Bedlora
MSC Heand &
(0234) 50260
Be
1021) 736 3455
CPS (Data Systems} Lid
102}) 707 3866
Serres Lid
(0254)677215
DS Bus Systems Lid
(02754) 676935
It uses the popular “spread-
sheet” approach with a window
that can be rolled in all directions.
7@ Which means. you can enter
new figures and rules and
@Cirerloa Ain 466
Raven Computers Lid
10774) 306966
Bnstoi
fheon Mbcrocentre
Systems Lid
(0272) 277778
CEE (Europe Ltd)
(0454) 321088
readsheet
et’s start wil
immediately see their effect on every-
thing else in the model. —
It comes with #&—— idl
the best manual
on the market and
it’s suitable for Business Planning on aM
most micros with
a™CP/M 2.2
cpeaingsstem, I age” S80REs
64K of memory, Her) 9989
giving at least 900 999 99
cells, minimum
screen width of 80
characters and 2
floppy disc drives.
MUCH MORE POWER,
NOT MUCH MORE MONEY
MasterPlanner is the most powerful
spreadsheet system currently available with
its increased matrix size, 2000-3000 cells on
most 64K micros. (But at £245* it certainly
isn’t the most expensive.)
Consolidation of models, allows you to
create separate plans for each department and
then combine them into an overall company
Metcatar Lomputer moe Modeteng, Beate =. Rn
‘Spstems Lid RGB Micros Lid
(0272) 731079 (omy 2046 on 28 07 0 pba (75) 38581
Transtec Lid Harpe: Dartedate Lid sam Computers Lid Southampton
warnaiieez oe, 01-519 7004 ot 402 a) Kian Systems Ltd
+ ‘ (05827) 62421 ee (0703) 38740
dmunds puter
a: Sud : Hi Systems (td os 385 ais St Albans
(0784) 62022 asimes 01-039 4354 St Aibaes Computer
0 2 a Louth te Sernces Lie
Camberiey ere Equmos Computers Ltd Compal -A- (0727) 77700
‘Aerander Systems Lid (0424) 439190 01-739 2387 (0507) 604271 ata
(0276) 28571 Heretord Ferran Software Lid Moher A estar Centre
Cambéidge Honerset Comovters Lid 01-75) 5791 ern Micro Systems (0534177070
Buuness Computers (0432) 279404 a Meee, igi Thomas & Company Ltd
{Cambrdge) Lid . 9 Melisham (0534) 77700
(0223) 357130 While bent Mec Ghter Systems Lid
Mcleagh Business Systems Lid ne 10275) 706361 West Byfleet
Gaterbury ae Oren e321 Fergusson Computers
Rent Micro Systems Huddersheld tCER Lid ua
(0227) 50200 a Ludhouse com ld (0225) 702133 (91941810
Jutea Lid (0484) 47450 hed Midhurst West Drayton
10227) 830083 2 Matmas Electroracs Lid Wordshill Automaton Lid Frasers Und
'pssich 01-373 6607 (07 3081) 6641 81 41731
itt Microsystemn
Bomsinnes Computer (0449) 740086 ayia Business Mitton Keynes Weston Super Mare
Sennces Lid Systems Lid Pencom Oata Eastiern Lid
10222) 36825 Leamington Spa Ot 688 3836 Systems Lid 10934) 418346
‘ Words Lid (0908) 618282 Weyb
Chatham 10926) 30209 MGE Systems Lid Weybridge
et ay Computers Lid 01-439 9617 Sear je CO
10634) #76080 Leicester STrpie S Ltd 0932 57046
: Leester Micro Certre Mecromcs Telesystems Lid (046) 28472 Winchester
Chesterheis (0533) 551869 01-263 6926 Nottingham Pare 9
Javtar Computer Systems Nokia (UK LIC thc rapeopie Lid Systems Lid
» caahaad inalieiwee (ul 01-990 0421 (06074) 69117 (0962) 55759
Gevedon (08462) 3184/3665 Pinewood Computers Lid Oxtord Yatton
Bara Corapuies 01-506 0403 ‘Choce Business Glove Business Machines
corre 5? sec ibeesest ua PE Hare & Associates peat ae
(0272) 878 1: are $0C% 97
(OSH) 2635738 01-551 1988 ee Yeovil
Cranbrook Rayleigh Date Computer
The Soft Option UL Lid London Acchores WEL Lid Y) Parkins Assocastes Systems Ltd
1058080} 310 BD Computer Systems 01-723 1688 0768 143928 (0935) 72000
Goncaste, ees Sofreare {1d Redcar
Brarstar Computer Business Information 01-387 927 Applesiog
Centre Systems “dameats (0642) 474707
(0302) 67135 O1-373.3113 aeeasOr? Ricwnand
Oatapowes Ltd Tetech Computer
Teansiec Lid 01-437 $994 area ote: 01-948 213
(0001) 718521 lento Computer Rutland
Fareham Systems Ltd Sumioct Bondaan Lid Macrospecttic Lid
Flectronequip Lid 1-670 4202 01-250 0505 (0572) 2528
(0329) 230670
ems start at £85.00.
you ne
plan. Data transfer to word
processing and other systems
lets you incorporate figures in
reports and output to a data
base. It also has extensive
formatting facilities which
means you can produce reports
that wouldn’t look out of placein
the board room.
It can store up to 25 stan-
dard reports to run when you need them. It’s
| got full WHAT IF? analysis and direct
editing of both spreadsheet and logic display.
JUST AS EASY TO USE
All this increased power doesn’t mean
you'll need a degree in advanced computing
to understand MasterPlanner.
It works on exactly the same
system as PlannerCalc and models
written on PlannerCalc run without &
modification on MasterPlanner.
16 BIT VERSION
A new version of Master-
Planner has been specifically designed
a
for the 16 bit micros like the Sirius 1
under “CP/M-86 or the IBM personal using
either CP/M-86 or ™MS DOS 1.1. Witha vast
matrix size of over 7000 cells on 128K and
even more with larger memory, you'll at last
be able to make the most of your micro.
ULTIMATE POWER
Fastplan is the top Comshare micro
planning system.
It’s file-based, allowing development of
large scale models; with a staggering 18,000
cell matrix; full financial functions plus back-
wards iteration, file input and output; and
much more. Yet, because it can be menu
driven it is easy to use. For the full story, tick
the Fastplan box when you return the coupon.
ed one.
OVER 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE
When you invest in MasterPlanner or
PlannerCalc you're not just getting the best
software money can buy.
——.
p
Advanced Business Planning ona Micro.
Soran
PANG
Die i
Yourre also
and after-sales service that only a company
of Comshare’s track-record can guarantee.
If you'd like to know more about any
product, call in at your local dealer or fill in the
coupon and send it to us.
*Plus VAT and post & package.
Making the computer make sense.
*CP/M and “CP/M-86 are the registered trade marks of Digital Research Inc.
Comshare Ltd., 32-34 Great Peter Street, London SWIP 2DB. Telephone: 01-222 5665.
Please send me:
Qty Product Micro Op System |Disc Size) K pe
"| PlannerCale CP/M 2.2 | 8°/51"
@ £99.50
|_ (8 bit only)
MasterPlanner
@ £282.95
MasterPlanner
MsDOSIi| e75w | |_|
revswt | |
eine lmao
=
=
MasterPlanner
ae
All prices include VAT and postage & packing
Please send me information about Fastplan |e
enclose a cheque/postal order for £ made payable to Comshare Ltd.
Please debit my Access Card No,__for£__.
= Barclaycard'No, = Ss eee tore
Signature
|
Address.
—STOCK—
CLEARANCE
—SAVE £400—
The s9SBORNE Business Portable Computer
ZAK clearance price £1,095* ex. var.
whilst stocks last
* Inclusive Software:-
@ WORDSTAR word processing @ CBASIC programming language
MBASIC programming language
@ MAILMERGE maillist etc.
@ SUPERCALC electronic spreadsheet
@ CP/Moperating system
se A
Authorised Dealer
Computers.
80
FULL 12 MONTHS GUARANTEE
Our special price includes the 12 months
parts and labour Osborne warranty.
Osborne Authorised Dealer
Zak Computers Ltd.,
Churchill House, 88/92 Talbot Rd.,
Manchester M16 OPD.
Tel: 061-872 7818. Telex: 665449
@ Circle No. 167
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
The new All British QUANTUM expansion potential which a few
2000 computer system is
years ago would have required
outstanding among all the fine planning. permission.
microcomputers now on the
market. The explanation is simple. What QUANTUM means by
All microcomputer designers see Versatility:
Versatility on a high scale as their 1. Available with 1,2 or3disk
aim for the future. Inthe
drives.
QUANTUM 2000 this ideal has 2. Disk drivescan be 400K or
actually been achieved, therefore it 800K floppies OR
is demonstrably more advanced
5or 10 meg. Winchester OR
Po
than any other. Amixture of floppy and
QUANTUM 2000 offers every Winchester.
feature experts would look for ina 5. 192K of extra RAM canbe
new tigtttetrinology 2.2 CP/M added, in addition to the
based microcomputer pilus an standard 64K.
6.
Qwantum Wi) 2000
ifthe standard Centronics plus
RS232 ports are insufficient,
just plugging in a board adds a
few more.
| EEE 488? No problem! Plug
in acard.
Other expansion cards
available:
REAL TIME CLOCK
SPEECH SYNTHESIS
NETWORKING (UP TO 32
TERMINALS)
HIGH RES COLOUR
A/D—D/A CONVERSION
A MULTIBOARD COMPUTER,
16 BIT BUSINESS SOFTWARE
= \
g
PULSAR business software is the creation of
ACT — the company behind the Sirius I and
recognised leader in 16-bit personal computing.
The new PULSAR range, developed by ACT
at a cost in excess of £1 million, takes full
advantage of the power and expandability of
16-bit computers.
It is inherently faster and more powerful
than traditional 8-bit software.
And it is a true 16-bit range, designed and
developed by ACT’s own software engineers.
PULSAR offers more of all the key
requirements in business software:
MORE PORTABILITY
Written thoughout in machine-independent
portable languages to protect your software
investment.
LONGER PEDIGREE
ACT has more than 17 years experience in
developing business software. Thousands of
companies throughout the world use ACT
packages.
GREATER INTEGRATION
All the PULSAR packages are designed to
share information, avoiding duplication of files
and eliminating re-entering of data.
MORE USER-FRIENDLY
ACT's unique UFO (user-friendly
origination) routines allow even the inexperienced
user to quickly and easily configure a PULSAR
system to precise requirements.
For more information on the
or call
O21-454 8585
'm indicates registered trade mark. Ownership details on request. ALL prices exclude VAT.
Birmingham BIG6 IBR
BETTER TRAINING
Two training centres, in London and
Birmingham are open to all PULSAR users.
MORE SUPPORT
A ‘‘hot line’’ telephone support scheme to
instantly resolve any operating queries.
PULSAR SOFTWARE CENTERS
Only PULSAR is available through the
unique network of PULSAR Software Centers.
These are hand-picked computer dealers who
handle a range of personal computers but who
specialise purely in PULSAR to meet all business
needs.
THE PULSAR RANGE
Sales Ledger £195 Informer Database £295
Purchase Ledger £195 Micromodeller £595
Nominal Ledger £195 SuperCalc™ £150
Payroll £195 MultiPlan™ £159
Stock Control £195 WordStar™ £295
Invoicing £195 Select £295
Data Analysis £195 MailMerge'™ £95
dBase ll £395
AVAILABLE NOW FOR SIRIUS -
IBM PC and DEC Rainbow
coming soon.
Please send
me further details '
of the new PULSAR Range.
new PULSAR Range clip the
coupon and return to ~ Name
ACT (Pulsar) Lt d f Position
FREEPOST, sical
Address
® Circle No. 169
SCI | »
You were impressed by the
unique portable Epson Computer
that fits into your briefcase.
Now take a look at the one that
sits on your desk.
The QX-10. A fully integrated Desktop Microcomputer System.
A new member of the Epson family.
But there's more to the functional and stylish lines of this
remarkable machine (just to prove that beauty isn’t only skin deep).
The lightweight CPU, monitor and Keyboard units are very easy
to use — even for a first time operator. You could say that our
system takes all the hard work out of using software, and once
used...you probably will.
What's more, when it comes to cost you'll find there’s more
power for your money.
Just look at these qualities.
192k upgradable to 256k RAM, Z80A CPU, RS-232C and
parallel interfaces. CP/M and multifont BASIC comes as standard.
The QX-10 offers an incredible graphics capability. The
80 columns x 25 line display has 640 x 400 resolution and full bit
image control for greater definition, 16 : 1 zoom and special effects.
QX-10 [Ease
THE HUMAN COMPATIBLE Extraordinary product.
BUSINESS MICRO Exceptional quality.
Epson (UK) Limited, Freepost,
Wembley, Middlesex HAS 6BR.
Freefone: 2730. Telex: 8814169
Not to mention a unique split screen facility enabling different
typestyles and graphics to be shown together. A major first for
educational applications.
For even more power — simply slot in up to 5 optional interface
cards for cassette, bar code reader, joysticks, sound generator,
plus a Universal Interface card for developing your own interfaces
Clock, calendar and full battery back-up complete the system.
As with all the other respected Epson products, you are assure¢
of high quality. (We even manufacture the slim line disc drives
ourselves.)
So, at last there’s a desktop microcomputer system that really
works together. To really work for you.
See it soon. We know you'll be impressed.
poco tcstscstscc
CJ I would like a demonstration of the QX-10.
CL Please send me details and the name of my local stockist.
Name
Position __ =
Company
Address
Get your
terminals
a 9
_ talking
‘ for under
Z|
ee:
eae
Phiri of CLEARW/AY a2 telephone system for Re. me oe a cat denbld perie Some i n.
computers and office equipment = imagine micros, valiganie GUI4 UA. Paros Pe i 10252) 546213 Terex. 858893 FletelG
word processors and mainframes, all able to
communicate with each other ~ think of the greater a a _— a
flexibility you'll get from your system. : 1
CLEARWAY is the Local Area Networking System a ies in fs iaiaed . low cost Networking
with a starter kit that can be fully installed for under ines nemae eae ties BRC OPENS
£500. 3 PPR ip ansacencnssos eddy anemeebnaarvenceapsenesqscsssesasasaaiasqacadareadsaedereras |
CLEARWAY can handle over 25 continuously
active channels. And it can be installed by anyone, | Position........ prspeenecascesssso0We cess ¢oSguntetn yi Save T TOT WausaNeN TN <aTaMeR AD: (I
provided the hardware has a standard RS232 PR AIReSS srecemwens sc sorsemmnnttv areas SRE cscases +0020 Ms. ORTON TROT
interface.
1 | Mele pliOme teccomes £225 -cavisass owaqaes0ee seeaaeeeee=ses seo e see « ees tae RNS Taina ia
@eA rway | Sendto: Real Time Developments Limited, UI
Lynchford House, Lynchford Lane,
The best low cost
Farnborough, Hampsnire GU14 6JA
Telephone: Farnborough (0252) 546213
. ; L Telex: 858893 FleteiG 8307PC
local area networking device =
®@ Circle No. 203
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 85
86
Highly efficient
A _ = heating system
< = we rome = as standard.
walls insulated
to highest
thermal
efficiency.
lighting
system as
standard.
High quality
maintenance-
free
exterior
finish.
glazed, tinted
solar-control
up to high standards
and low maintenance.
The design of the
buildings is such that
they are adaptable to
Livingston's Hi- a host of applications And they're avail- Special Development
Tech Modules are including factories, able now. To rent or Area, only 20 minutes
probably the most offices and even buy. With all the or so from Edinburgh
advanced advance showrooms, and are attractive grants and and not much more
factories you've ever _—_ designed to allow incentives of this from Glasgow.
seen, incorporating easy economic we Post the coupon
solar-controlled expansion. JR, today for further
glass, double glazing, details.
highly efficient insula- MAKE iT Ue)
tion and a host of
onermears"S LIVINGSTON
the accentson living
Dear Mr Pollock, I'd be interested in finding out more about Livingston. |
Please send me further details.
E Name
il Company ___ —as
Address
7 Position
Contact: James Pollock
[i Livingston Development Corporation
1 Kirk Lane, Livingston EH54 7AD, Scotland.
Telephone 0506 414177 Telex 727178 Prestel 468117
® Circle No. 171
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
WHAT GIVES A STAR’
THE EDGE OVER RIVALS?
You igi look back i ¢ di tr
aftér baying this rival.tjhas
little power and.a tiny-display *
#7. (&Z screen. In comparisorwith Hyperion’s
You-want youg businesS¥ 256kb memory and crystal clear
at your fingertit di 2.seven incasargyn
4, but this he ‘todted q SEEL
4 d@gival will fke over
whote deat
The neat, stylish
aye
ee = a elles oot 7 ® The Hyperion is
dc 7 This rival’claims to 4} IBM-pc compatible.
“ We a portable, but It also runs the MSDOS
you'dneed a and BOS operating
weight-lifting course systems So you can
first. The Hyperion interchange disks and
is a genuine portable data. But it’s cheaper
computer weighing in at. : than the IBM-pc.
only 2Olbs. For the And it has a RAM disk —
first time you can / which the IBM-pc hasn't.
carry 4 Whole business
‘small case. Fe sl
In business you need an edge. So it makes sense to choose the portable computer
with the edge over its rivals. It's what makes Hyperion the world’s major star.
For more information just fill in the coupon below and send it to Gulfstream
Technology Limited, Unit 3A, Tunnel Estate, 726 London Road, West Thurrock,
Grays, Essex. RM16 1LS. Telephone (04026) 4926. Telex: 894222 Gulfs
i. \ Dhzaawaam
the world’s most powerful
—A portable computer
is EER EE EB ee EEE 2 ee ee ee
GULFSTREAM TECHNOLOGY LIMITED Unit 3A, Tunnel Estate. 726 London Road,
West Thurrock. Grays, Essex RM16 ILS. Telephone: 04026 4926
Please send me full colour brochure of the Hyperion Portable Computer (_]
Piease send me details on how | can become a Hyperion Portable Computer
Dealer] A MEMBER OF THE BYTEC GROUP (x)
= —— = Telephone a
eee ee oe - ;
@ Circle No. 172
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 87
88
The major A.|. research centres in Europe and the USA. The
Japanese. The members of the Alvey committee. The top computer
Scientists in multi-nationals and government departments.
All, if asked to identify the most significant recent development in
computer languages, would probably give you the same answer.
PROLOG
If you are looking to the next generation of ‘intelligent’ applications,
you should find out about Prolog. For only £290 (4+-VAT) you can
VEOC
CREATING INTELLIGENCE
have a ‘full’ implementation running under CP/M on your Z80-
based micro. This version is completely compatible with the
Standard text book on Prolog (also available from us), and with our
other implementations on PDP-11’s and VAX’s.
Phone or write for an information pack, which also contains details
of our courses on Prolog.
Educational establishments in the UK are eligible for 15% discount
on our software.
Expert Systems Ltd. 34 Alexandra Road, Oxford OX2 0DB Telephone (0865) 242206
@ Circle No. 173
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Now you can buy a QUAD function IBM PC board
without having to buy more memory.
MegaPlus™ and |/O-Pius-2™ are the ulti-
mate add-on products you will need to
expand your |BM PC and XT. Which board
you decide on will depend on where you are
heading. To take full advantage of your IBM
PC and XT beyond 256k, you will want to
expand with the MegaPlus™. It’s features
include two asynchronous ports, clock/cal-
endar, printer port, and up to 512k of
memory expansion. But what if you already
have all the memory you need? The |/O
Plus-2'™gives you all the features of Mega-
Plus™ to operate your printers, plotters and
modems, set your time and date automat-
ically with the clock/calendar, without
adding memory. Also a special game adapter
is available, but more about that later. Both
boards include SuperDriye™ disk emulation
and SuperSpool™ print buffer software.
MEGA WITH MEMORY
The MegaPlus"™ has three functions stan-
dard: Parity checked and fully socketed
memory up to 256k in 64k increments;
clock/calendar with battery back-up for
automatic loading of time and date when
the computer is turned on; and an asyn-
chronous communication port (RS232C
serial) which can be used as COM1 or
COM2, (DTE for a printer, or DCE for a
modem). Optional is a 100% 1BM compatible
parallel printer port, and a second asyn-
chronous port for another £30 each. The
MegaPak™ option plugs onto your Mega-
Plus™ “piggyback” style to give you 512k
of additional memory. Now you can create
disk drivesin memory up to 360k, set aside
plenty of space for print spooling, and still
have memory for your biggest programmes.
1/O-PLUS 2 WITHOUT MEMORY
The I[/O-Plus 2™ comes standard with a
clip-on battery powered clock/calendar,
and asynchronous communication port
(RS232C serial). Optional is asecond asyn-
chronous port (DTE for a printer, or DCE for
a modem), a parallel printer adapter, and
the best game paddle adapter on the market.
What's So special about our game adapter?
Not only is it an IBM standard game port,
but itcan also use low cost, widely available
Apple compatible paddles and joysticks. If
you already have sufficient memory the
1/O-Plus 2™ gives you all the input and
Output ports you might need for less than
the cost of most single function boards.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
FREE SOFTWARE
SuperDrive™ disk emulation software cre-
ates ‘disk drives” in memory which access
your programmes at the speed of RAM
memory. SuperSpooler™ print buffer soft-
ware allows the memory to accept data as
fast as the computer can send it and frees
your computer for more productive work.
Some manufacturers sell hardware print
buffers that do only this for hundreds of
pounds. SuperSpooler™ eliminates the
need for these slot robbing products. Both
of these powerful pieces of software can be
used with any expansion memory for your
IBM PC or XT.
CHEAP SOFTWARE TOO
What good is great hardware without some
great software to use it with? We offer
some terrific prices on some of the popular
programmes you will want to use your
board with. How about the cream of the
spreadsheet programs, SUPERCALC, for
just £129, or SUPERWRITER for £199. If
you are looking for data base management
you can get dBASE II by Ashton-Tate for
£369.
WHY BUY IT FROM US?
Because we provide the service and support
most companies just talk about. Each board
is fully tested and burned in prior to ship-
ment. We realize how integral this board is
tothe use of your computer. What good isa
warranty if it takes weeks for repairs to be
made? We offer 48 hour turnaround or a
replacement board on all warranty repairs.
Doyou hear anyone else making this prom-
ise? If you still are not convinced, and want
to compare prices, remember we don't
charge extra for credit cards, shipping, or
COD fees. We think the ultimate testimony
to our good service and high quality is that
one of our largest customers is none other
than IBM! If you still want to buy elsewhere,
ask any competitor if they will face the acid
test.
THE ACID TEST
Qubie’ (say que-bee-A) gives you a 30 day
satisfaction guarantee on all board pur-
chases. If you are not completely satisfied
we will refund the entire cost of your
purchase. If you can get one of our competi-
tors to give you the same guarantee, buy
any other board you think compares and
return the one you don’t like. We're not
worried because we know which one you
will keep. We also offer a one year parts
and labor warranty. An additional one year
extended warranty is available for £35.
TO ORDER BY MAIL SEND;
—your name and delivery address
—board type, size, and options requested
—daytime phone number
—UK Residents add 15% for VAT
—Company check or credit card number
with expiration date (personal checks
take 10 days to clear)
r=]
PRICES:
1/O-Plus 2™ with Clock/calendar, a-
synchronous communication adapter,
SuperDrive™ and SuperSpool™ - £115
MegaPlus ™ with memory, clock, async,
SuperDrive™ and SuperSpool™ soft-
ware: 64k £249
128k £299 256k £399
192k £349 512k £698
OPTIONS:
Parallel Printer Port £30
Second Async Port £30
Game Adapter (1/O-Plus 2 only) £30
MegaPak™ with 256k of memory £299
Cable to parallel} printer £30
Cable to modem or serial printer £20
Memory Diagnostics Program £7
SUPERWRITER by Sorcim £199
SUPERCALC 1) by Sorcim £129
GBASE Il by Ashton-Tate £369
SHIPMENT
We pay postage charges. Credit card or
bank check orders shipped next day.
QUBIE’
DISTRIBUTING
LTD.
Tempo House
15 Falcon Road, London SW11, UK
Telephone (01) 223-7662
(01) 223-4569
DEALER ENQUIRIES INVITED
®@ Circle No. 174
89
One cheer for
AT LEAST the hardware people back in the
States know what they are doing. The
thoughtful industrial design of the
keyboard, CPU unit and monitor that are
| the three constituent parts of the Wang
Professional computer will certainly make
sure it looks good draped around
executive desks.
The good looks are more than skin
deep: the modular construction of the
main electronics, power supply and disc
drives inside the welded steel mainframe
| of the CPU unit gives excellent accessi-
bility. They have chosen a true 16-bit chip
too, the Intel 8086, and left plenty of room
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
90
for hardware expansion. One cheer for
Wang.
Let us save the other two cheers for
software and support. As a total system
the WPC, as the handouts call it, shows
signs of lacking both. We will come to
that.
“‘Draped around executive desks’’ is not
artistic licence because the WPC is capable
of just that. Although the VDU can be
planted conventionally on top of the CPU
unit, Wang also supplies a spring-loaded
mounting arm. It is a sort of beefed-up
Anglepoise that clamps to the desk, letting
you position the screen anywhere in three
dimensions over your work surface. |
Similar mechanical ingenuity enables you |
to dispose of the CPU unit by hanging it
| over the side of your desk, though the |
| fitting for this was not supplied with the |
review machine. Wang literature describes
this unit as ‘‘compact’’, but at 38cm. by
59cm. by 16cm. it is only millimetres
smaller than the classic S-100 main-
| frame of now distinctly old-fashioned
dimensions.
With the hardware came five manuals
in the now standard dwarf format
established by IBM _ with its PC |
| documentation. The Introductory Guide
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Wang
describes the hardware and operating
system, MS-DOS version 2. There are two
volumes, a Reference Guide and a
Training Guide, on the spreadsheet
package called Multiplan. The word
processor seems to be known — rather
refreshingly in these days of Perfects,
Magics, Supers and so forth — simply as
The Word Processor and is also
accompanied by a two-volume guide. The
fifth volume is the manual for the Basic
supplied with the machine, Microsoft’s
| familiar MBasic with Wang enhancements
to plot graphics and evoke soft music —
well, loud noises actually — from the 2in.
speaker concealed under the keyboard.
The basic WPC comes without a
monitor and with only one disc drive,
which makes one suspect it is more of a
| pricing convention than a piece of
vendible kit. The review machine was the
minimum configuration that you could
reasonably call a stand-alone micro: dual
floppies and a 12in. monochrome monitor
with an additional character generator
board to drive it. Disappointingly the
drives offer no more than 362K each,
hardly state-of-the-art for double-sided
double-density diskettes.
In common with a number of 16-bit
machines, the Wang is booted by latching
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
the boot disc into the drive before
powering up — a practice that will grate
on the nerves of old computer hands. But
as this is the only way of getting up and
running presumably Wang has taken care
of any surges likely to scribble on the disc.
Five LEDs built in to the keyboard light up
and go out one by one as the system goes
through its internal checking.
The initialising software then searches
for a drive with a disc in it and attempts to
boot. This feature allows you to boot from
| drive B if drive A goes down, but would be
more useful on a day-to-day basis if it were
able to distinguish between system and
non-system discs. As it stands, if both
drives are loaded and latched the system
disc must be in drive A or the boot fails.
The Sirius works the same way — it’s a
missed opportunity.
On booting successfully the monitor
springs to life with a huge display of the
manufacturer’s name in neon-sized letters
— in case you think you have bought an
IBM PC? — and invites you to enter the
date and time. You can skip this step with
the Exec key, as distinct from the Return
key which toggles the cursor Letween the
date and time prompts.
From the very beginning you may never
Standing up to IBM in the market for large
word-processing systems has been no mean
feat, so can Wang do as well with its micro?
Chris Bidmead reviews the Wang Professional.
whirr of the system disc carries you
straight into a menu offering you a
selection of tasks. The 0.0 version number
of the menu should be a warning to stand
by for bugs, bomb-outs and general
shortcomings. Reviewers absorb a lot of
anguish in the cause of news-worthiness
but I was looking forward to writing up
MS-DOS version 2. I certainly did not
expect to find the systems software as
incomplete as subsequently appeared.
The first branch of the menu works as
expected, taking you into a second level
that offers a choice of the Word Processor
or Multiplan. You need to change the disc
to get at these programs but the process is
properly prompted, and well proofed
against the elementary error of inserting
the wrong disc. However, things can go
badly astray if you do not close the disc
drive properly, or you insert a disc of the
wrong format. The error messages are
clear enough — ‘‘Drive A: not ready’’ or
‘*‘Non-DOS disk error reading drive A’? —
but the action options offered do not
make a lot of sense.
Rival operating-system vendor, Digital
Research, points with some scorn at the
MS-DOS Ignore? optional. response to a
trapped error. The criticism is that if you
(continued on page 93)
91
Review : i
92
Sig/net 2 has been designed for expansion. As your
business grows, so can your Sig/net microcomputer. You
can add more computing power, hard disks and
workstations just when you need them.
Yet this modular approach is at lowest cost.
A single user, flexibie disk system with
display terminal and printer
costs around £2,200.
Asimilar
configuration,
but with 7MB of
Winchester hard disk
is £3,400. And a multi-
user system with, say,
three workstations, one printer
and hard disk would be £6,100.
You can select peripherals to match your application.
Sig/net is housed in a compact unit to which a wide
range of terminals and printers may be attached.
Sig/net does not date. As more facilities become
available, they can simply be added to your system.
Some such additions inciude high resolution, colour
graphics and dual 8/16 bit processing capabilities.
Software. Because the Sig/net is CP/M based, the
world’s largest selection of proven business and other
software is available from dealers throughout the country.
Shelton’s own MCNOS is probably the best CP/M
SIG/NET
FORA
ROWING
SINESS
compatible, multi-processor, multi-user operating system
in the world. You can share or confine data between
users, while its multi-processor network gives you the
fastest speed. And its CP/M compatibility means your
software can be retained when upgrading from a single-
user system.
Sig/net is manufactured by the successful British
company, Shelton Instruments Limited.
For more details about Sig/net simply complete and
return the coupon to: Shelton Instruments Limited, 74/77
White Lion Street, London N1. Telephone: 01-278 6272.
J Please send me further details of Sig/net. |
Name Position
Company.
Address
Shelton Instruments Limited, 74/77 White Lion
|
|
|
|
: Street, London N1. Teleph 01-833 1111.
| Shelton Sigimel
@ Circle No. 175
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Wang
(continued from page 91)
ignore an error but allow the applications
program to pick up again thinking that all
is well, it is likely to go on and do some
very strange things to your data. Wang, at
| this level at least, has quite rightly
eliminated the option choice:
(A)bort or (R)etry?
Fine sentiments, but what does the offered |
choice actually mean? Changing the disc
and retrying works fine, but if you decide
to abort out of a wrong-format error the
system is left with nowhere to go and
simply hangs — even if you have corrected
the error and substituted the right disc. So
the option should read Retry or Hang, |
which is hust about where CP/M leaves
you at this point. It is not easy to
‘see what Microsoft’s ‘“‘improved error
handling’’ brings in the way of real
benefits.
The Wang Word Processor, embodied
in a file called WP-.Exe, will certainly
appeal to beginners if only because of the
way it is integrated with the keyboard. In
fact the 18 function keys that run along the
top of the usual QWERTY cluster are
mostly engraved with WP functions like
Srch, Replc, Indent and so forth. Unlike
the IBM PC the keyboard is sensibly laid
out for a touch typist, with the Return and
Shift keys where typewriter-trained
fingers expect to find them.
The screen is well suited to word
processing, being absolutely stable with no
trace of flicker or swim — although I
prefer the characters to be a little larger
than Wang’s seven-by-seven dot matrix
allows. Unfortunately there is a price to
pay for the stability: when the screen
scrolls the long persistence of the
phosphor produces rather unpleasant
smearing.
The anti-glare treatment of the glass |
surface is not very effective, but the
swivel-arm mounting is movable in all
directions and makes it reasonably easy to
defeat reflection. The two controls on the
front are for the operator to adjust the
brightness and contrast without having to
fumble round the back or in the entrails of
the monitor.
WP.Exe has many of the characteristics
of dedicated word-processing machines
being robust and simple to learn. I would
not quarrel with the assertion in the Wang
literature that it ‘‘meets the fundamental
word processiung (sic) needs of virtually
any office environment’? — no spelling
checker apparently — but the features are
wrapped in some curiously old-fashioned
menu-driven ergonomics.
You get your first glimpse of this at the
point of entry. If you cannot remember
the name of the file you want to edit, the
menu allows you to branch to the
directory, here rather confusingly called
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
the Document Index. But you have to wipe
that screen in order to log on the chosen
file, so there is no way of looking at the
directory while you enter the file name.
Better-mannered word processors evol-
ving in the wider world of portable
software have developed a_ distinct
etiquette in these matters. At these prices
you have the right to expect some or all of
the following:
@At jeast to be able to see your file
directory while you make your entry.
@ Preferably to be able to move a cursor
over the file names listed and select a
file without retyping the name.
@A directory that gives you more
information about the files than their
MS-DOS prefix. Why not the data created,
which MS-DOS records auto-
matically against each file name, and
possibly a comment on file contents?
Instead you get an entry prompt that
insists you type your file name in upper
case only, which is rather like a bus
conductor refusing to give change.
Another curiosity of the software is that
there is that there is no way of exiting from
a edit session without saving the edit you
have made. What if you have messed up
the file and want to go back to the
original? Tough, says WP.Exe.
Insertion and deletion inside the text are
also rather heavy-handed. To correct the
typo ‘‘separatewords’”’ in the top line of a
page of prose, WP.Exe has to erase the
whole screen from the word ‘‘separate’’
onwards to allow insertion of a single
space. By way of compensation, print
enhancements like underlining and bold-
facing are very straightforward with the
screen reflecting exactly what is going
Menu Madness
on. Instead of WordStar’s ugly and |
uninformative embedded control codes,
WP.Exe actually puts up the underlines on
the screen. Boldface is represented by
inverted video and, best of all, super- and
sub-scripted characters shift vertically by
half a line to appear exactly as on the
printed page.
Whether in fact they print out like that I
cannot say. Wang did not supply a printer,
and is not able to tell me how to configure
| the software to drive a standard Diablo-
type daisywheel through the RS-232
port. No documentation to cover this is
| available at the time of writing, and you
will search in vain through the five
manuals to discover even so much as the
address of the port.
Like most of the software promised or
currently offered with the Wang
Professional, Multiplan is a Microsoft
product. It is one more son of VisiCalc
with some sophisticated additional
features like two- and three-dimensional
indexing, an extended Lookup function,
and the ability to give names to blocks of
cells. Like Supercalc II it allows sorting of
rows of data, and there is an option to let
alpha entry spill over into adjacent cells if |
they are empty — very useful for filling in
headings and textual comments.
The two Multiplan manuals, one for
learning and one for reference, are
excellent although for some reason the
Reference Manual lacks an index. The
software is well designed with some nice
ergonomic touches like the intelligent use
of default values. Three minor criticisms: I
cannot see why VisiCalc’s alphanumeric
reference scheme, for example, B7 to |
(continued on next page)
Beginners In this business — not the end-users, | mean mainframe
manufacturers starting out fresh-faced and hopeful in the |ucrative world
of the micro — assume that their customers are rather simple people
incapable of typing the word Basic into an operating-system command
line. The unimaginative solution to this largely imaginary problem is to
offer lots of user-friendly menus.
Rv ===
After eight seconds of disc activity up comes menu number one. With
two easy keystrokes the user selects Program Development. The disc
grinds again and a second menu appears. The user chooses Basic witha
~— keystroke. Again the disc spins into action and at last we are ready
© go.
This sort of thing is helpful for the first day with a new computer, but
with a floppy-disc machine particularly you very quickly tire of all these
extra calls to the backing store. Unfortunately Wang has safety-pinned its
menu software on to the operating system in a way that makes it hard to
shake off.
According to the documentation it ought to be possible to create a
clean unmenued version of the system disc by using the Format utility.
You need the -s option to reserve special tracks on the newly formatted
disc, to take the necessary system information, and copy across the files
Command.Com, Bios.Com and MS-DOS.Com.
But if you try to boot up this new disc on the Wang the drive hangs
with a message telling you that the command interpreter is missing or
corrupt. Do not feel guilty — it Is Wang that has botched Command.Com
so that it dies unless the menu files are present. Command.Com is
looking for a file called Menudrvr.Com, which will not work without
Menu.Com. Menu.Com in turn needs Menu.Dat and Menu.Msg. So every
system disc you create has got to have seven files on it before it wilt even
boot.
93
(continued from previous page)
name a cell, has been replaced by the more
long-winded numerical addressing, R7C2;
hardware of this calibre really deserves
software that can translate spreadsheets
into graphs; and why in taking Multiplan
to its bosom hasn’t Wang U.K. patched it
to offer £ signs as well as dollars.
To return to the main menu you will
have to swap back to the system disc. If
you then choose the second item on the
menu, System Utilities, there will be no
need to switch discs again because the
routine file management it offers — |
renaming, copying, deleting and so forth
— is supplied by .Com files on the same
disc as the operating system.
On a floppy-disc machine this business
of loading menus,
beginners, soon becomes something of a
hold-up. Although the menu system is
ingeniously configurable, allowing you to
-alter the wording of the existing options or
even write whole new menus of your own,
I suspect that users will eventually prefer
| to work from the MS-DOS command line. |
Wangp’s so-called enhancement, the menu
system, presents users with something of a
problem here — see the Menu Mania box.
But you can temporarily get to raw MS-
DOS from the menus by choosing the
DOS Command Processor option.
But Communications leads to a dead
end, prompting for .Com files not
supplied with the standard software.
Program Development appears to offer
you:
— Basic
—Debugger
—Editor
—Linker
—Library Manager
— Other
but of these options only Basic is supplied.
The standard MS-DOS utilities like Edlin
handy for total |
and Debug, the Microsoft equivalents of
CP/M’s Ed and DDT, are nowhere to be
found. Of more immediate concern to the
| everyday user there was no Sys.Com, the
routine that puts the system across to
existing discs, and no Recover, the
program to repair damaged files.
At this point my depression set in on
behalf of the 5,000-odd customers to
whom Wang U.K. hopes to be selling the
machine this year. I will have to share my
gloomy thoughts with you before this
review is done. But for the moment let us
contiue to look on the bright side and at
the Basic, which is very comprehensive
and easy to use.
To the main body of Microsoft Basic,
with its extended Print Using statement
and luxuriant string- and error-handling,
Wang and Microsoft between them have
added:
@Enhancements to the built-in editor,
making it much easier to use.
@ Dates and Times functions to fetch and
Basic and the operating system.
@Colour and monochrome graphics
handling.
@ Sound and Play commands to give full
Specification
CPU: 8086
Operating system: MS-DOS 2.0
Memory: 128K expandable to 512K
Interfaces: Centronics, RS-232C -
KEYBOARD
Type: 101-key detached, generating
224-character set
Features: Auto-repeat on all keys,
geographic cursor key layout
DISPLAY
Type: 12in. monochrome green, long
persistence, front-mounted
brightness and contrast controls;
optional suspension arm
‘Dimension: 640 x 225 dot resolution,
optional graphics card produces
800 x 300 dot resolution
DISCS ,
Type: One or two 5.25in. 36K floppies,
optional 10Mbyte Winchester ;
control over the speaker under the
keyboard.
The added editing features include easy
entry of standard Basic commands like
Auto, Print, Delete and so forth with only
one or two keystrokes; single-key line
editing using the dedicated editing keys
like Insert and Delete; and best of all a
full-screen editor. The last feature is very
nice indeed: any section of code listed on
the screen can be changed by moving the
cursor into the line to be altered, making
the modification, and hitting the return
key to send the new version of the line to
the buffer. You can even edit the line
numbers, but this takes some getting used
| to as altering:
carry calendar and clock data between | -
|not remove a complete line from the
40 GOTO 300
to
45 GOTO 300
results in a pair of lines
40 GOTO 300
45 GOTO 300
Similarly the ‘‘erase to end of line’
function provided by the Erase key will
buffer if you position the cursor in front
of the line number, although it appears to
do so on the screen. So it is not quite a
built-in word processor.
The calendar and clock functions could
not be easier. All it takes to display the
time and date on the top line of the screen
is:
10 CLS ‘clear the screen
20 LOCATE 1,35 ‘position the cursor
30 PRINT “The time is ” + TIMES +“ and
today is "+ DATE$
Add a fourth line
40 GOTO 20
and the time and date will refresh
| dynamically on the screen.
Unfortunately there was no graphics
board with the review machine, so the
graphics commands only produced Illegal |
Function Call messages. But Sound and
Play produced music, of a sort, in
abundance. Play is particularly easy to
use, and you can set the keyboard
carolling with a line as simple as:
10 PLAY “‘L4 03 cccdcc O02 g2agab 03
C262.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Cee Review===
The L4 sets the default note length to
quarter notes to be modified as necessary
by value suffixes; c2 is the note C played
for the duration of a half note. O3 and O2
are inserted to set the octave, of which
seven are supposedly available, numbered
0 to 6, although on the review machine I
| could only find one note b on the bottom
octave. The letters a b c def g
straightforwardly represent the scale, with
accidentals indicated by adding + or—
‘suffixes. Alternatively the # sign can
indicate a sharp.
The Play statement understands dotted
notes as well, though there is no simple
construction to represent triplets. Notes can
be played legato, ML, staccato, MS, rever-
ting to normal with the MN instruction.
The whole tune with a little phrasing added
would look something like this:
5 FALSE = 0: TRUE = NOT FALSE
10 DATA L4
20 DATA O3 cccdcc O2 g2agab 03 c2c2
30 DATA 03 c.c8cdcc O2 g2a.g8ab O3
c2c2
40 DATA ML O03 gfededc2 O02 agab 03
»MN c2c2
50 DATA O2 ggab O2 ccd2 ML gfed MN
c2f2c2
60 DATA $
70)"
80 THE.END=FALSE
90 WHILE NOT THE.END
100 READ CHAR$
110 IF CHAR$ = “$” THEN
THE.END = TRUE ELSE GOOD.
KING.WENCESLAS$ = GOOD.KING.
WENCESLAS$ + CHARS
120 WEND
120
130 PLAY GOOD.KING.WENCESLAS$
But at around £3,000 for dual-floppy
system you are going to be looking for
more than a programmable pianola. The
real question hanging over the WPC is
where is the rest of the operating system? |
The distribution disc for the system
software had arrived without a write-
protect tab and some previous borrower
had accumulated experimental! data files
on it, so perhaps the missing utilities had
simply fallen off. I rang Wang U.K. to
check this, and after being passed around
several people there it became clear that
they could not bring anybody to the phone
who could assert that Debug and Edlin
were/were not currently being supplied
with the operating system — or even knew
what Debug and Edlin were.
The implications of this are rather
serious. Rightly or wrongly Wang U.K.
manages to give the impression of a
company comprised of salesmen who are
not really sure what they are selling.
Microsoft delivered MS-DOS version 2 to
its OEMs in January, so Wang should
have familiarised itself with the product by
now. Its literature describes MS-DOS as
“the 16-bit standard operating system’’.
Maybe — that battle is still going on.
Microsoft’s side of the story is not greatly
helped by the current showing from
Wang.
Let us make it one-and-a-half cheers for
the Wang Professional because Multiplan
and Basic are in good shape and it is half-
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| bigboard and its replacement would form
way to being a very worthwhile
microcomputer. The hardware design
seems very sound and there is an intriguing
empty slot beside the 8086 which looks like
it might be reserved for the 8087 fast
maths chip, although the upgrade
information published by Wang makes no
mention of this.
My one reservation about the hardware,
apart from the pusillanimity of the disc |
drives, is that the architecture is very
firmly committed to the 8086. The main
processor board is an enormous L-shaped |
a major part of the hardware cost. As
RAM prices fall the segmented memory
addressing of the 8086 is going to look
increasingly cumbersome, and I am not
convinced the chip will have much of an
active social life after 1986.
What there is of MS-DOS version 2,
with its Unix-like 1/O redirection and
tree’d directory — which the manu-
facturer does not recommend for floppy-
disc machines — appears to support the
applications software adequately. There
was no evidence of the in-built disc
cacheing that is supposed to be a feature of
MS-DOS 2. With its promise of CP/M-80
emulation, high-resolution graphics and
network communications the Wang PC
will certainly be worth a second look when
it has got its act together.
Wang has carried over some niggardly
mainframe pricing habits into the micro
world. The rudimentary single-drive no-
monitor unit just scrapes in under the
£2,000: mark, but the full workable kit
with two floppies will cost £1,000 more.
That price includes Multiplan but not the
word processor. The mounting arm for the
monitor and the desk clamp for the CPU
unit are also extra.
If you go for the hard-disc version you
get a graphics adaptor and the word
processor thrown in for £6,315. Not cheap
for a mere SMbyte.
Conclusions
@The physical layout of the machine,
with its well organised low-profile
keyboard and swivel-armed monitor, is
beautifully designed.
@ The standard of documentation is very
high. The five manuals are clearly written
with plenty of examples, and on the whole
accurately describe the behaviour of the
i system.
@The WPC is a micro built by a
mainframe manufacturer, as is all too
evident from the software and the price
structure.
@ Multiplan is a mature, well thought-out
spreadsheet package. Its companion word
processor, Wang’s own WP.Exe, could
learn a lot from its ergonomics.
@ As a true 16-bit machine, with an 8086
CPU and 128K of core memory in the
minimum configuration, the Wang
Professional is a potentially powerful
machine. But none of the listed optional
upgrades include memory expansion
beyond half a megabyte. With its small
floppies and modest 5Mbyte Winchester
option this machine is not exactly thinking
big.
@ The mystery of the missing system files
remains. What is most worrying is the
absence of a clear stance from Wang U.K.
on this.
. »- more cheers for W
Repeated phone calls to Wang and
Microsoft have unearthed some of the
more important missing system utilities,
and shortly after our production
deadline we had a chance to assess them
together with the Programmer’s Guide.
The additions comprise:
@ Microsoft’s 8086 macro-assembler
together with the linker, library
manager and cross-reference utility.
@ The debugger, Debug.
@ A track-to-track disc copying utility.
@A text editor.
Much appears to be missing still.
Documented by Wang but apparently
not implemented are Recover, Sys and
Pwd. |
But what there is offers a reasonable
enough grip on the system. The first
thing I'was able to do with the utilities
Was dismiss the ponderous menus. It
roved to be much simpler than I
thought, and revealed a particularly nice
feature of MS-DOS 2.0. On powering
up, before calling Command.Com the
loading sequence consults a file called
Config.Sys, in which some
personalisation parameters are set out in
ang
aspect of the operating system — the
part that the user sees. Wang has
designed it as the infernal nest of menus
but it need not be so. So instead of the
text line in Config.Sys that reads:
SHELL = MENUDRVR.COM
it is only necessary to substitute an
evocation of Command.Com, the plain
MS-DOS shell, to break the chain.
The change is made with the text
editor. Wang has deposed the standard
MS-DOS Edlin.Com and substituted its
own PCedit.Com, a luxurious screen-
based editor with its own built-in help
sheets. I found myself at home in it
Straight away and, apart from the odd
stray bug expected in a 0.0 version, it
appeared robust and well-designed.
The Wang PC, then, emerges after this
last-minute update as a manageable and
reasonably well-endowed system.
Another last-minute flash has just
informed me that Wang has dramatically
revised its prices downwards and is now
offering 10Mbyte hard discs instead of
S5Mbyte ones.
It seems to be learning fast, this
plain text. It is here that the MS-DOS
shell is selected. A shell is the external
company. Better make that two cheers
for Wang. Do I hear two-and-a-half?
95
|
SORD M-5
A colour micro for the home and hobbyist market, examined by Bill Bennett.
THE SORD M-5 is the first potentially large-
selling Japanese home computer to reach
our island shores. Like Japanese hi-fi
equipment, video recorders and cameras,
it has been built to a very high speci-
fication at a low price. On paper the Z-80
based M-5 is very impressive, but
somehow the finished product is less then
the sum of its parts.
If microcomputers were sold on speci-
fication alone, the Sord would have little
competition. But there is more to buying a
micro than simply comparing technical
data. It also matters how you read the
specification.
At £189.95 the Sord is too highly priced
to be a direct competitor to the Sinclair
Spectrum, which it resembles slightly, or
the Commodore Vic-20. Its main com-
petition will include the Oric, the Atari
400 and the Dragon 32, and its paper
specification matches all those machines.
More important than that is the software
list already announced, packages being
available on both cassette tape and ROM
cartridges.
It is the software, particularly excellent
programs like Hungry Horace, Football
Manager and Scrabble which makes the
Spectrum the best-value micro on the
market. It is the lack of software which
makes the Oric and the Dragon a less
attractive proposition.
A wide range of software is projected
for the Sord, some of which is available
now. Cartridges weigh in at £24 which is a
little pricey, and at £9 even cassettes are
expensive when compared with those for
the Spectrum.
Among the packages currently available
are three versions of Basic, one of which is
included as standard with the micro. Also
available is Falc. It is a cut-down version
of Pips, a special language available on the
bigger Sord micros which was reviewed in
Practical Computing in July 1982.
Slightly larger in size than the Oric, the
M-5 is of sturdy construction. The case is
moulded grey plastic with a sea-green
panel surrounding the keyboard. There is
a red power-on light, rarely seen on home
computers, which might save you from
damaging the micro.
The moulded rubber keys are every bit
as horrible to touch as those on the
Spectrum. The crime is compounded by
their revolting colour, the same sea-green
as the keyboard surround, and the
difficulty of reading the graphics char-
acters which are printed on them in a
slightly darker shade. For some arcane
reason, possibly to do with oriental
96
aesthetics, each key has a lump cut out of its
lower right-hand corner.
Two shift keys are definitely an
improvement on the Spectrum keyboard,
and they have the added advantage of
being in the right place too. There is no
space bar as such; instead there is a Space
key just below the Return key so I
continually found mysélif hitting Return
when I meant Space, and vice versa.
Because there are 15 more keys on the
Sord than on the Spectrum, in about the
same amount of space, the keys are much
smaller. This is probably fine if you have
delicate little fingers, but I found it
difficult to use. I did not think I would
ever sing the praises of the Spectrum
keyboard, but it certainly beats that of the
Sord.
Some of the keys have yellow words
printed on them which I though were Basic
keywords. Sord calls them functions, and
most of them are invoked by using the
quaintly named Func key. However,
thanks to a major inconsistency some of
them are invoked by the Control key: I
managed to guess which was which, but
nowhere are you told.
Above the keypad section is a lid which
lifts to expose a garish yellow piece of
plastic perforated by a row of air vents.
There is also a deep recess which accepts
the software cartridges. It is similar in
concept to the expansion port at the rear
of the Spectrum. The inside of the lid is
covered with information, at least one
item of which is wrong. Matters are
further confused by the ROM cartridges
being referred to as cassettes.
A lug of plastic set into the side of the |
recess corresponds to a cutout on the side |
of the cartidges and helps to locate them
accurately in the slot. The lid pulls off
easily, but the cartridge, because it sits in
an upright position, seems to be
Specification
CPU: Z-80A running at 3.58MHz
Memory: 16K video RAM, 2.9K available
to Basic; 20 K total
ROM: 8K monitor ROM; up to 16K ROM
in cartridge
Interfaces: Centronics; joystick port; full
bus connector; composite Pal output
Keyboard: 55 keys, rubber-pad type;
auto repeat; direct editing
Display: 32 x 24 characters of text;
16 colours on screen; 256 x 192 high-
resolution mode; 32 sprites
Supplier: Maptin Electronics, PO Box 3,
Rayleigh, Essex. Telephone: (0702)
552911
vulnerable. Dropping the machine or
accidentally knocking it could smash the
cartridge.
The rear of the machine features a rag-
bag of different types of sockets, a feature
which would greatly enhance the
Spectrum. The power and cassette sockets
are of the DIN variety, while the printer
socket is male in gender and distinctly |
Centronics looking. Next to it are a pair of
small DIN-type sockets which handle the
controllers. A monophono socket is
provided to allow you to output sound to
your hi-fi or synthesiser, and there is a
similar monitor output. Lastly comes the
good old UHF TV output.
The power supply for the micro comes
in a separate case and has the distinction
of being the biggest power supply
available for a home computer. Sord has
thoughtfully provided a long lead for both
the power supply and the TV cable, so you
can keep your distance from the screen
and thus avoid eye strain.
Power can only be switched on with a
cartridge in the slot, otherwise nothing
happens and you are confronted with what
looks like a dead machine. The docu-
mentation with the M-S is appalling, being
written in the impenetrable school of
manual writing pioneered by Sharp.
Nowhere did it state that a cartridge must
be plugged in before the micro would
work.
When the power was eventually
supplied to the micro I was greeted by a
display informing me that the machine
was ready and that it was in Basic-I, the
integer Basic which comes as standard
with the micro. Basic-I is not a good
programming language. Its inclusion as
standard in the M-5 shows a serious
miscalculation of what home computing is
about. The idea is that once you have
mastered Basic-I you will be happy to shell
out another £35 for the privilege of having
a floating-point Basic, and yet a further
£35 for the graphics-handling Basic-G.
Basic-I’s subtitle, ‘‘Easy Basic for
Beginners’’ is not merely patronising. It
also means that the actual cost of the
machine is higher than the original
purchase price. Basic-I is insubstantial
and, much worse than that, it is also non-
standard. For example, you do not Load
programs from cassette, you use the Tape
command.
Sprites are supported in Basic-I, but are
not especially easy to use. Furthermore,
apart from some cryptic hints in the
manual as to some of the commands
which may be used with them, there was
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
aEuEEEE=:
ett
cee
no documentation. It is like supplying
| someone with a box full of gold bars and
omitting to give them a key to the box.
Another non-standard Basic command
is Joy. Intrigued, I tentatively put my
index finger on Func and hit the
appropriately marked key. I must say I
was most disappointed that waves of
ectasy didn’t wash over me, neither did the
troubles of the world disappear. In fact,
nothing happened at all. The command is
a trick, and it certainly is not documented.
I never actually persuaded the Sord to
Print anything in a colour other than the
white on grey-green which is the default
setting On power-up. There is some
discussion as to how this works in the
| manual, but I found it too complicated —
and I did try. It seems that you must define
a colour for a particular character before
printing it. Each subsequent appearance
of that character then remains in that
colour until the ultra-complicated STCHR
command, followed by a parade of digits,
is used again.
The amount of RAM free to Basic is a
meagre 2.9K out of a total of 4K supplied.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
|
a
In addition there is 16K of video RAM,
which apparently cannot be used directly
from Basic.
The Sord has a separate video
processor, the TMS-9918A, which is why
the software supplied on cartridges looks
so good. A total of 32 spites are possible,
as are 32 separate colours. Sound is very
good. It is normally emitted from the TV
loudspeaker, or can be fed to a hi-fi. It
also is produced by a separate dedicated
chip, the Texas
explosion sounds.
One feature of the M-5 that I
particularly liked was the Time function,
which returns the number of seconds
elapsed since the machine was switched
on. It has a number of potential
applications, especially in games.
Imaginative use has been made of the
control keys, every combination of which
does something weird and wonderful. I
was impressed by Control-C,D,E and F,
which allow you to scroll the screen up and
down as well as from left to right.
Instruments 76489. |
Chords are possible, as are a wide range of |
musical effects together with gunshot and
However, if you lose anything off the
screen in the course of this scrolling, it
stays lost.
A colour-graphics mode can be entered |
by Control-Q. Here, characters printed to |
the screen appear as blocks of colour.
Unfortunately, the same character does
not correspond to the same block of
colour, but it changes as it moves downthe |
screen.
Conclusions
@ The Sord M-S is a badly documented |
microcomputer aimed at the home and
hobbyist market. Better documentation
may be on its way soon from Sord’s Irish
subsidiary. |
@ The M-5 does not compete with
existing machines on price, but does have
an extremely good specification. Unfor- |
tunately the quality of the hardware is not
matched by the tiny memory and the
paucity of the Basic included with the
machine.
@ Software support for the Sord is
curently lacking, though this situation
should change soon. Q
97
Any four colours can Automatic character
be selected at a time magnification.
from the palette of 255
available.
Oreakdown ir
plage Capacitors
—_—
Fast block fill facilities
provided.
User-defined shading = | , i
patterns. ———_ fr SSE: 122 CLEAR 208
{18 DIM HE?)
128 TEXT
148 CALL"RESOLUT}ON", 8,2
-—Erher week muster --
snter yaar -- “ee
ariter station numer --
Text in 40 character Characters can be ‘Windows’ can be
mode with 80 character oriented in any of four defined and scrolled
mode overlaid. directions. independently.
A picture may be worth a thousand words but it still tells ability to produce ‘instant’ graphics by drawing them with the
only half the story about graphics on the 380Z. colour ‘switched’ off and then ‘switching’ on.
For a start, our standard graphics functions include Next, not only can 380Z graphics pictures be saved
on and retrieved from
disc, they can also be
output to one of a
range of popular dot
matnix printers.
Remember, too,
that HRG is not a third-
party add-on but designed,
developed, and supported
by Research Machines itself
as an integral part of the
380Z.
And finally, we've now
implemented GINO. So for the
first time this well-established,
professional suite of flexible,
device-independent graphics
software from the CAD Centre is
available on a micro.
point plotting, line
drawing, instant block
fill, block copying,
offsetting, and
Exclusive Or Plotting.
Then there is the
important fact that our
High Resolution Graphics
is supported by Basic,
Algol and Fortran. And
since the Graphics is
contained in its own 16K of
RAM, every byte of user
memory remains available for
applications program use.
It is also worth noting
that 380Z graphics are equally
effective in monochrome — for
‘colour just read ‘shades of grey:
Again there are 255 shades
available, and there’s also a very
useful facility for fading up and down throughout
the grey scale.
There are also the special effects
— such as moving between graphics
‘pages’ for pseudo-animation, or the
If you are interested in graphics —
for scientific, technical, and industrial
research; or in secondary or higher
education; or for design,
engineering, or control, then you
will be interested in the 380Z.
RESEARCH MACHINES
RESEARCH MACHINES LTD Mill Street, Oxford OX2 OBW, Tel: (0865) 249566
@ Circle No. 177
98 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Graphic ===
Editing sprites on the
Commodore 64
Kevin Irving presents a program to help you develop fast-moving graphics.
AMONG the excellent features of the |
Commodore 64 are its sprite graphics. The
manual method of creating sprites can be
tedious and time-consuming, as you will
know if you have ever tried it before.
Using a sprite editor can take the boring
and repetitive part out of creating sprites |
and help you start your program off. All |
you need to do is draw your sprites on a |
grid using a series of easy-to-use editing |
keys and then leave the calculations to the |
computer. The program should prove to |
be a useful tool to anyone writing
educational or games software.
There are two resolutions of sprites. |
available to you, the normal 24 by 21 and
the multi-colour 12 by 21. With normal
sprites, if a bit is set then the sprite colour
will be displayed in that position; if not
you will see the background colour.
Multi-colour sprites are different. Each
pixel of a multi-colour sprite takes up two
bits, which allows four colours to be
incorporated into one sprite at half of the
normal resolution. The combination of
the bits to produce the four colours are
shown in table 1.
When you enter the sprite editing mode
you are asked which type of sprite you are
using. If you use a normal sprite then
whenever you plot a point on the screen
you will plot a point on your sprite. If you
| are using multicolour sprites then you will
have to plot two points to specify which
colour you wish to use. Each of the two
points which you have to plot must start in |
an even column, as shown in figure 1.
Because multicolour sprites are at half
the resolution of normal sprites you will
find that each pixel is oblong rather than |
square. Expanding the sprites in the Y-
direction will restore them to a square |
| Shape again but expanding them in the X- |
direction will make each pixel even longer.
To enter the program you should use the
following procedure:
@ Turn the computer off and on.
@ Enter POKE 2560,0
POKE 44,10 (return)
. @® Now either start typing from line 30,
entering line 30 exactly as itis printed, or |
load what you have typed in so far and
continue.
When you have finished typing in the
program and it has been saved and tested,
follow the next set of instructions:
@ Turn the computer off and on.
@ Load the program.
@ Enter lines 10 to 23 exactly as printed.
@ Save the program.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
e@ Run the program. It crashes if you have
entered a Rem incorrectly.
This procedure is used because the Rems
take up 4K exactly. The program then
moves the start of Basic up the memory
512 bytes and leaves some space in which
the sprites are edited. The program will
now start at line 30 and the Rems will be
written over by sprite data. The details of
the program are shown in table 2.
The subroutine which puts machine
code on to Data lines might be useful to
anyone writing an assembler or character
editor. The routine will work on the
Commodore 64, Vic-20 and, if you change
the start and end of Basic Pokes, it will
also work on the Pet. Similarly, the
Plot a pointin Plot a point in
sprite ieceees multicolour 1
should be useful in any such applications.
When you run the program, you will be |
faced with a menu of options. If you are
starting eight new sprites then it may be
useful to erase whatever sprites are
currently in the memory using option 1.
When you first load and run the program
there will be garbage sprites which you
may want to erase.
Once you have created your sprites
option 2 will allow you to save them to
tape and load them back at a later date. If
the sprite editor was used to save them,
then the sprite editor will load them.
When you select option 2 you should
have your tape set to the correct place for
| loading. After a pause you will be asked
machine-code Load and Save routines |
Plot a point in
multicolour @
(continued on next page)
Figure 1.
Top-left
corner of
a multi-
What is a sprite?
A sprite is a graphics character
which is user-defined and which
can be moved about on the screen
without moving it bit by bit through
screen FAM. Sprites are found
bearing several names including
“player-missile graphics” on the
Atari 400 and 800, ‘‘movable object
blocks” on the Commodore 64 and
“sprites” on the TI-99/4A and Sord
M65. As it is the simplest name, Tl’s
“sprites” has stuck.
Sprites are used to provide fast
animation. The conventional way to
move an image on the screen is to
rub it out and redraw it, say, one
space to the left. This is slow,
because the whole screen has to
be redrawn, and jerky, because
movement is normally one
character at a time.
The problem Is that the image
you want to move, such as a rocket
ship, occupies several lines of the
screen so the data that produces it
is scattered across RAM, Inter-
spersed with the background data.
colour
sprite, seen
in edit mode
The solution is to define the
whole image as one block, store it
somewhere else ir RAM, then
simply superimpose It on the
screen. It can be moved as one ~
block, simply by changing its X, Y
co-ordinates.
With several sprites on the
screen at once, priority and
collision registers become
important. Collision registers
detect if two sprites occupy the
same place. If this happens,
priority registers decide which
sprite takes priority. A sprite can
appear to pass in front of or behind
other sprites, and thus provide
three-dimensional effects.
Defining a sprite Is exactly like
specifying a user-defined
character: you draw your sprite on
a grid on which each column
corresponds to a different power of
two. The values for the lit pixels
are tnen added together to give a
total value for each line of the
sprite.
99
(continued from previous page)
for the name under which you saved the Table 1.
sprites. If you have forgotten the name
just press the Return key, otherwise type Bits Colour Comment
in the name. You will be given the chance 00 background _ colour value is taken from location 53281
to cancel the loading process after this if 01 multi-colour 0 Colour value Is taken from location 53285
you wish to. 10 sprite colour Colour value is taken from location 53287 + sprite
Once the sprites are loaded you are : number, 0-7 —
given a display of the sprites and the 11 multi-colour 1 Colour value is taken from location 53286
opportunity to cancel any unwanted ones.
If you keep a sprite you will be told the .
sprite number that it was saved as, and be || Control characters for Commodore Pet, Vic and 64 machines.
asked to assign it a sprite number. This SYMBOL KEY PRESSES HERKIHG MACHIHE
may be any number in the range of 0 to 7,
and you will refer to that sprite by this || #@ CTRL-1 SET Soaceipl * are
number from then on. If a sprite has ‘ Pe ral oul ue eed
- i jis, teen b= COLOUR TO RED
already been assigned to that number then |], CTRL-4 SET COLOUR TO Cy'AH
it will be written over by the new one. 4 CTRL-5S SET COLOUR TO FURFLE
Once sprites have been loaded and || fi CTRL-6 SET COLOUR TO GREEN
modified or created you will want to save || & CTRL-? SET rege 4 70 eae
them to tape using option 3. Once you a SE = ee wv bia) tre
have selected the correct option from the & Loeo-2 SET COLOUR: BROWN
menu you will be asked for the range of || x Loasa-# SET CHLOE FIHK
| sprites to be saved to tape. If all of the a Losa—4 SET COLOUS CRAY 1
| sprites are to be saved then give the +] LOGQ-3 SET COLOUF GRAY 2
| starting sprite as 0 and the ending sprite as || @ LOGO-é SET a LIGHT —"
7. Once the range has been input you must || ae a goed aes
enter the name under which they are to be ‘a ETRL-RVS SET REVERSED TEXT PETAWIC CS
saved. You can then either continue or a CTRL-FWS SET HORMAL TEXT PET AMI
aie ties ee q CREE | MOWE CURSOR DOWN ONE LINE PETAY
Once they are saved you may load the ty CRSR— bed cheer + aa Hig ae mete
Spates ome ee re cee Bae i chee MOVE CURSOR LEFT ONE LINE 9 PET.
the sprite editor. By selecting option 4 7 SHIFT-CLR CLEAR THE SCREEH
from the menu you can instruct the a HOME : HOME THE CURSOR. PET. WIE
conipuler ogee Pep 32 Po ae SHIFT-INST MOWE THE CURRENT LINE AT
containing the sprites as Poke values on RIGHT ae CURSOR FLGAT Pet
Data lines. You must specify the same OHE PLAC E
parameters as you A clit inthe normal || Feet ned eet 1
machine-code save under option 3, then i: Finer: on a r ;
wait for a few minutes. This method || - FUNCTION KEY! >
should only be used when the final, 5 SHIFT- Fo FUNTION KEY 2
finished sprites have been created. & SHIFT-F4 FUNCTION KEY 4
Once the program has been written, you a SHIFT-Fé FUNCT IOM KEY &
are given a final chance to return to the a SHIFT-F& FUNCTION REY 3 ,
menu or continue and have the program. i CTRL=H SET LOWER CASE HIDE
. Gi SHIFT —2> HEL.
If you continue, you should save the Data CTRL-RYS ON,
line program, turn the computer off and SHIPTSM) TRL
on, then reload the program or sprite -RvS OFF.
editor if you wish to do some more work. SHiPT—2, Wel SET UPPER CASE NODE
The top of memory and start of Basic are | CTRL-H DISABLE | SHIFT- Lots)
moved to an area of 4K free RAM between CTRL I ENABLE SHIFT-LOGE
the Basic ROM and I/O controller chips.
This area of memory is unused by the A FEM ¥RPOROREEESOHROREDEE+ ESE ESSERE
Operating system and is just the correct L REN SHFAP CARED LOHOEDT RENNER ES NUNES SS
length for storing the Data line program. || {2 fenssesssastoanaensenesbensenseaeten
If you simply wishito look at the-data | {ith a it ay Sgn er hearers
values which would make up a sprite then g RENWGMaes AUTHORIHETIN IPYING onesies
| option 5 from the menu will allow you to FEM@® <0) CURYEIGHT JANIZARY LASS. 4
"do so. You will then be asked which sprite || 1: Femsesensessenestersnevetvesssceress
you wish to see the values for. Answer DA REMeetes FROGEAM LEMGTH=11. 1 eeaee
with a nueiber in therange of 010)7 Once | | 2) GA osauamemareets tleaneane
it has been displayed you should press the S REM
space bar to return to the menu. 30 REM # SPRITE ECITOR +
As soon as you enter the Edit mode, || 2 Poiutciacss -efeni 4s
option 6, you will be asked which sprite yates gh a ee
| wy wish to work on. Reply with a number 5 rece ‘ S5ho1=6NROPEEN! ee 2 SS RNEPEEK 25 2) = 1BANDPEEK (2569? =143THENG 1
in the range of 0 to 7. Next you will be Ga PRINT" ane EPRI :
asked if you want the sprite to be amulti- |) 15” pPIntBEOAUSE BAEC OES WoT STRET ae
colour. EQ PRINT'S84%: €G1+ THIS PROGRAM CANHOT CONTINUE.
You must then specify if the sprite is to ere meiiy bie, we meter OFF AND OW THEN LORD"
be expanded in any direction, though this Pea eae osha ve ":
is only needed for a display of the sprite 210 PRINT" SSUTHORA: @FEVIN IRVING. " :FORT=OTO2000 :HEXT
and will not affect the editing. The | L2#6 SOSVES 198 GOSUESSE0
100 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Se aphic ————
EeINT MN
PRINT
PRINT Mel); 1. °R ERASE ALL EXISTING ;
FROM TAPE"
THE SPRITE EDITING OF TIONS APE :
PRINT’S 2.093) ORG SPRIT
\ PRINTS 23.09 SAVE SPRITES TO TAFE”
PRINTS 4. °5 WRITE A PROGRAM CONTAINING”
PRINT" SPRITE PukE VALLES ON DATA
PRINT" LINES"
PRINT @ 5.90 CISELAY THE PORE VALUES FOR A SPRITE"
PRINTS 6.98 EDITACREATE A SPRITE"
S FRINT"@ 7.08) C0 SPRITES”
PRINTS 5.3) EMCHANGE SPRITES
PRINTS &. > GUIT"
PRIWT " Bislske= feu ECT: WEL 8a Eee": :TH=S7 TL 48 -Gosupyone
BOLUES 1G
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REMN#**#¥CLEAF SFRITES&#OO®
PRINT" ® ERASE ALL SPRITES
FRIWT" a wa 4
PRINT Sel) ARE YOU SUPE THAT ‘YC! WAHT TO ERASE ALL";
PRINT°OF THE SPRITES <Y.'N>° wl JiMNI"; :GOSUESTOG -FRL. Ts IF I =@THENSOS
$ FRIHT'
FOR T=20@4ST025599 :POKEL 8
PRINT" Sxelaieteiaysieiys| EAR IMG SPRITE: “INTs Cl-2645",
mM HEXT
PRINT " cfelstateletelesai #ee% PUHISHED $448" FOR T=8701 OG NERT
GOTOSES
REMe#eeeCREATE-EDIT A SPRITE
BOSE Si
GH PRINTTARS 26)" ORSPR ITER
PRINTTARS 26) "MULT ICOLOUPE 8" ;
PRINTTAE< 269 "EXPANO-“M: .
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SYS825 :Pl=O:F2=0
Fi=@ =B:FOKESSS 255
BETAS :PA=1145+P1+F2¢408:6L
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J~33 PRINT
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VIPRIHT
VPP LAT
SOAP QHS+INT CR L259 SBI S27 (PCP AZ8= INT OPI ED RED
POKEPA+54272,2 :PE=PEEK CPA! :POKEFA.42
PRINT" cieleleielelieeteeOWRSGRRHE. "Fim
PRINTTABC31 2H CREE
IFAS=" 3)" THENP1=0 :FS=0
IFAS=" 8" THENF2=Fo+1
IFAS="" THEMF 2 ae 1
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IFAS="R" THENGISL
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AY THENGO
'S" THENGOSUB? 1a
"2° THEMGNSUE? Sa
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GOTOE 33
FOR I=9TO9 :FOR J=8TO2 : =FEEKCI#3+J+SR>
POKES 1#34+.7+SA) .PEEKC (20-15 #2+ 1+SA)
PORE? (20-1 #34 74+SF) KK SHEXT sNEST
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FOKESA+ I FEE. SA+2+1
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FORT =87T062 :-L=6 FOR. I=ATO7S TEP.
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BYSRIS : FE TUM
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| need to select option 9 to end, since the
| 64 user guide. If you saved your sprites as
| to the next line number.
computer is now ready to accept an editing
command, using the keys shown in table 3.
Option 7 copies sprites so as to save you
some typing. This feature, along with
some of the editing commands, should be
useful for creating sprites to be used in
animation.
If, for some reason, you want to switch
two or more sprites over, then option 8
will allow you to do so. This may be useful
for putting your sprites into an order for
your program or moving them together
for saving.
When you have finished with the sprite
editor, or wish to get out of it, you will
Stop key is disabled. When the program
ends you will be left with your sprites in
sprite blocks 32 to 39 inclusive. Basic will
also have been moved up the memory 512
bytes to start at location 2560, $A00.
Once you have created and saved your
sprites you will want to use them
somehow. If you saved your sprites on to
Data lines you will need to Poke them into
the memory as detailed in the Commodore
machine code then you will need to load
them. }
The format of the numbers stored on
the Data lines is:
First 63 numbers — first sprite saved
64th number — 128 + sprite number
Next 63 numbers — next sprite saved
Next number — 128 + sprite number
If you saved your sprites as machine |
code you will need to use a machine-code |
loading routine. The routine which starts
at line 4300 in the sprite editor should do
the job for you. To use it you should set S$
to the name of sprites to be loaded, and A
Once the sprites are loaded you will
need to move them to an area of free
memory which you are going to use to
hold the sprite data. The sprites will be
loaded into locations 49152 to 49633. The
addresses at which each sprite will load up
at are outlined in table 4.
When you load the sprites you will
notice that the last byte of each sprite
holds the number equal to 128 plus the
sprite number that it was saved as.
The machine-code loading will be of
more use to advanced programmers, who
are using a lot of sprites, than it will be to
beginners. Obviously if you are using up
to eight sprites the Data lines will do the
job quite well. If Data lines were used for
putting 20 or 30 sprites into memory you
would find your program space decreasing
rapidly.
Table 2. Program features.
Program lines.
Lines 10-23. Memory savers.
Lines 140-200. End program if start of
Basic is at the wrong place.
Lines 300-360. Menu.
Lines 400-450. Erase all sprites.
Lines 500-733. Edit a sprite.
(continued on next page)
101
(continued from previous page)
Lines 500-632. Initialise edit routine.
Lines 633-636. Update screen display.
Lines 637-667. Check input command and
perform it.
Lines 670-673. Make sprites upside down.
Line 680. Reverse all colours.
Lines 690-697. Invert sprite, mirror image.
Lines 700-705. Rotate sprite left.
Lines 710-715, Rotate sprite right.
Lines 720-723. Rotate sprite up.
Lines 730-733. Rotate sprite down.
Lines 740-770. Display decimal Poke
values for a sprite.
Lines 800-950. Save sprites.
Lines 800-865. Ask for range of sprites to
be saved.
Line 867. Move sprites which are to be
saved to Himem.
Lines 870-900. Set up screen display to
save sprites and continue running
program.
Lines 910-935. Set up memory for save.
Line 940. Start save.
Lines 1000-1160. Coad sprites from tape.
Lines 1000-1075. Input name and load
sprites.
Lines 1080-1160. Identify sprites and
allow user to cancel those not wanted.
Lines 1200-1290. Copy one sprite over
another.
Lines 1300-1330. End the program.
Lines 1400-1470. Exchange two sprites.
Lines 1500-1630. Write a program with
sprites as values on Data lines.
Lines 4000-4040. Customised single-key
entry routine.
Lines 4100-4120. Clear screen and display
header.
Lines 4200-4210. Wait until space bar is
pressed then return to menu.
Lines 4300-4340. Machine-code load
routine.
Lines 4600-4630. Input a string.
Lines 4700-4720. Get a Y/N reply.
Lines 4800-4890. Initialise
varlables/memory.
Lines 4900-4930. Display sprtie matrix
grid.
Line 5000. Ask if user wants to continue.
Lines 5100-5320. Subroutine for storing
machine code on to Data lines.
Lines 63000-63005. Machine-code
routines used.
Program variables.
1,J,K,L,M, — Various uses.
IH — Highest ASCII value of input.
IL — Lowest ASCII value of input.
IV — ASCII of input.
iV — With Y/N reply 1=Y, O=N.
A$ — Various uses.
S — Sprite belng edited/created.
V — Starting address of video controller
chip.
SA — Start address of sprite being
edited.
P1 — Horizontal position of editing
cursor.
P2 — Vertical position of editing cursor.
PA — Address of character under cursor.
(table continued opposite)
102
P32 RPEMSOSOOOL SPLAT FORE VALUES Se eoee
74 PRIUT OR DISPLAY FORE VALUES
V4! PRINT" = '
P42 PRINT" SeWHICH SPRITE Ec yew | WANT Us PORE VALUE
(listing continued fram previous page)
Pas FRINT"OTSPLAYED FOR (8-7-7 mL Jl: TL=4 ys
; SEF RANT gem HE Puce VALLIE S Foe SPEITE" Iv 48" HEE: ae PRINT!
T=) :FORT=2049+: [Y-45) 64702111401 ¥-48. e064
FRINTRIGHT? Ree PEERS 1>> LENCSTREIXPEERS Toto 3
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IFPEEKC2119
NEXT
saToszea
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YOU MUST TELL “WE THE
PRINT" TO BE S EG). *
5 PRINT” START=3,EN0=5 WILL SAVE
PRINT QEHTEF THE
SPRITES 3.4 © 5"
SPRITE RAHGE 10 BE SAVEL!'
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ENG
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19580 PRINT" THE WANE IS HOT KNOLN. "
1669 PRINT" as NAME @C 1 ESSER SORE
163 IL=32:1H=25:11=15 :GOSUBSE60 :FRINT :OOSUESO6G:
1065 PRINT "CO"; : LFREEKC 1 =SSTHENPRINT”
1066 IFPEEKC1>=SSTHENLO6E
1476 bNTO4 300
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THENSO8
18496 GOSUES 100 : GOSUB 4990 :AD=49152+K¥ed
1192 PO.EST71 AL, &, AD-PEEK (371 #258. Sy'SS
1110 PRINTTAECZE> SMHS WAS SAVED
1115 PRINTTARC269"DAS SPRITE" A.
1126 FPRINTTARC2E. "DO ‘OL WANT TO"
1125 PRINTTRECZE "JUSE IT <Y’ND 7": ;GOSUE4780: ITF I\=@THENNEAT :GOTOS0@
11350 PRINT: PRINTTABCZ6* "PLEASE ASSIGN"
1135 PRIHTTARS 26 "THIS SPRITE R"
1146 PRINTTAB.« "NUMBER <G-7 2: JHES5 COSLBEGRR
1158 FOR J=GTOEZ :FOr E2edS+« I''-48) EEK AD+.$> sHENT
116@ NEXT :GOTO3ne
1199 PEM¢eeeeCOPy SPRITES OFO4
1200 PRINT'R cory SPRITES"
1285 PRINT" i saa
1216 PRINT SOE NTER SPRITE TO GE COFIEQ FRuM Co- 7) mo UMWNRY Tha4eel
1 GOLA AAGstS=1¥) 4857 1=2G454+5R864
PEINT"BENTEF SPRITE TO BE COPIED TO - el J HAtee"
OG GOSNE4O0G :34=1/-46 :S2=2845+S4¢e4
PRINT " Bisielexs SPRITE"SE°WILL GE WRITTEN OVER"
PRINT" SPRPITE"S4"RNO THE OLO SPRITE"“S4
PRIHT" WILL BE DESTROYER, 5)”
DM GOSUESAA : IFIV=@THEHSud
84 FORI=8T062 :FUNEI+5¢ .PEEK.
2 REMKHESHEND HEH HH
POKES SO, 255
FRINT" ie)
PRINT" ERSIC HE.
SrTSS2978
I1+S1> :NEXT -GOTOSAH
THIS PROGRAM HAS ENDED, THE STRRET OF":
BEEN MOVED UF TO LOCATION 2566c£AGD>. “
:GOSLWESAGO
FORI #E4TOSERES :POKES9152+1 .PEEK ¢ 2845412 :NENT
PRINT"; : TFPEEK< 1>=SSTHENFFINT “tt PRESS FLAY & FECORD Ot TAFE”
PRINT“ Xheleie-AV'E "CHR (34> :S5sCHREC 247" 1,1"
PRINT" Rleisisieiiey CRESS, 1 :POKES4, 10; POKES S,"“PEEK(C45" :FOKE46, "PEEK C46"
PLAY ON TAFE"
H=5S
ae
S4*64
PRINT“ elelegeders” : Eo
FEM#*eeeESCHAHGE SPRITES #keeR
FRINT"R RCHAHGE SPRITES
FRIWT" in ET: TE ad
PRINT" BES PLEREE ENTER THE NUNBERS OF THE TWO":
PRINT"SFRITES To BE EXCHANDEL, a”
PRINTS 1ST SPRITE <@-?> eC J@RR’; FIL =45: 1H=55 -GOSUE4AGH :St=IV-4s
PRINT :St=c@48+52e64
PRINT 2HO SFRITE <6-7> mt JAGAN": (OUSUESGO0 :S4eIV-45 S2=c045+
PRINT PRINT" eletexs PLEASE WAIT WHILE I EXCHANGE"
PRINT" SFRITE"SS"HITH SFRITE"SS"H. ”
1460 FORI=@TOES :M=PEEKCS1+. »:POKES1+1 .PEEKCS2+1) :POKESS+i M1 :NEXT
1478 GOTOSH8
1499 REN¢es*e4eUR ITE PROGRAM CONTRINING SPRITES ON CATR LIHES#eeee
150@ FRINT'R WRITE A PROGRAM CONTAINING SPRITE"
1505 PRINT’ = ——— ——_
1526 PRINT" POKE VALUES ON DATA LINES”
1525 PRINT” eee
1530 PPINT"’MS CU MUST TELL ME THE RANGE OF SPRITES":
1535 FRINT"TO BE STORED! OM OATA LINES, EG.“
1540 PRINT" STAR T=3,EHO=5 WILL STORE THE FPOKE"
1545 PRINT" VALUES FOR SPRITES 3.4 & 5 ON CIRTA"
155@ PRINT" LINES. “
1560 PRINT’ MREHTEF THE SPRITE RANGE TO BE SAVED"
1565 TL =48: [H=5S :GOSWE4 G00 :PR INT
156?
PRINT" START<@-7>m C lim":
DS=¢( 1V-45) #6442648 :SS=1¥-48
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
‘i PRIWT" ENO? Seu? if Tom 0 UG Tl HT Gn ube
FEIN :OB=¢ 1-47 #6442895
PRIHT" sie 7 HOW NEEQ TO KNOW THE LINE MUMEER'
PRIPT RT WHICH 7 SHALL START WRITING THE DATA"
PRINT LIHES. "
FRIHT OS STAPTIHD LINE NUMBER if
IL=43:1H BAS LHS VAL
TMU BER"
foe PRINT
ATHENS ae
: :PRINT as WAIT WHILE I WRITE SOuUr PROGRAM"
9981
486)
PRINT" al
2 PRINT! 1"
PRINT" a"
:PETLUPH
f = 1 SAHDRE = 1 THENSE
© IFIV. ILO IVY THTHENHEST : PETLRM
J=33 :FE TURN
49S REM+e+eeQ] FLAT HEALER +O +e
4100 FRINMT"Ge COMMOUORE &4 SFRITE EDITOR 7}
4110 FRINT"
4128 RETUPH
4199 REMMOOOHPRESS SPACE BAR TO GO TO MENUaeeee
4208 fe inser. marge momma Sa BFRESS SPACE BAR TO RETURN TO MENU.”
4218 : OSWESGGG : GOTO208
HE ohare
PRINT “CNM CRO" CHR EC 34 ARS CSA, 1,1"
Fe IMT " aeleioietereiaiaierer | te "PEEL S35 ¢" sPOREIE, "FEEK! 46)
FRIHT " alah a
PORELS3 ,S:FORT=6 2170840 sFUKEI 13 :HENT
: PRINT "si" > : EMC!
4sa3 REM+#e#eeS TRING THRUT ROUT LHE eee &
4600 S#="" ;RE=1
$665 GOSUES5G1
4616 IF IV=1STHEMRE=6 :RETURM
626 IFLENCS# CLI THENS#=S¢+CHRE CTY? :GOTISERS
SES PRINT UE M's GOTO4ESS
4693 REM###44GET Woe ON REPLY eee
47 aa = UESAG
4716 *SSTHEMPRINT "OL BM = sS0TC4 709
47208 ?RETURN
4739 pergaies fr MEMORY? $44
4800 POKES4 e : CWEV +21 8: FOKEV+17,.27 :POKEV+22 . 200 :FOKEN+24,21
42168 1FOKEGS@,67 :POMEV+37,@:FOKEY+39.11
4820
483
4340
4856
4870
4350
4990
+899
$c06
4910
49268
$928
4999
SAGe
Saag
31a
Bt class us le asic
JsNEXT
“256
FD RI=BTOS 28 ,
FORES 20+ 142, 1-PEEK CS 214162 ; #256: HE
FOR I=8TO? :POKEDa40+ i? 1+32 :POKEV+I+
FORT=S296°TOS299 1 ; REAC I:POKEI,J:HE
FORT =OTO? :POKES111+1#64,14123 :MEXT
RETURN
REM¢##44SET UF SPRITE MATE IS C1SPLATeReee
PRINT " @2) peer"
FORT=8TOQ20 :FRINT"
PRINT ChLitiiri i trs irre rer peers gy
RETURN
REMeeeee CHECK IF USER 15
PRINT" 00 YOu! WAHT TO
REMNt#@eOF ROGRAM WELDING
PS=SF+1 :POKESF 4 ;:SP=SP+1
zs EG: eh! ESF+2,LN-PEEK CSF +3 >¢256
: Fess
CH= PEEW. COS) :02=05+1 5
AS=R TIGHT EC STRECCH? ,LEMCSTRE CCH? O-1 5
FORTIS 1 TOLENC AS) rPOKESP+Eo .ASCCOMIUSCAS,. 1,149 :FR=FG@+1 sHEXT
IFOS=DETHENS 263
IFFP@>?8THENGOS SHA BOTOS LIA
IFLNS 65555 THENS1 Si
FRINT" aS THE VLIHE NUMBER WHICH S'OU) GAYE ME"
FRINT"IS TOO HIGH. IF YOU STILL WAHT A PROGRAM" :
PRIMT’MRITTEN THEN TRY AGAIN WITH A LOWER LI MENUMEER"
GOTO4 26
FOLESP+P,44 > F
SOSUES IAG :FOk,
4" :NEXT
SURE # nt tee
COMTINUE “YN >
SUBROLT 1 NEF ee
WC DMN" + -GOSUB4706 PRINT: RETURH
onan
ee
Nun on
+1 :G0709125
', O;:POKESF+) .a:PE=SP+2
PRINT" Ge VOUR PROGRAM IS REACT. IF ‘YOU WAHT”
= PRINT" TO CANCEL THE PROGRAM AND RETURH TO THE"
FROINT°HMEMM AT THIS FOIMT THEM YOU MAY. TF WOT”
S PRINT’ THEM COMTIHUE AHO T WILL LEAVE vou WITH"
& PRIMT" THE PROGRAM THAT I HAVE JUST WRITTEN. 4”
GOLUBSOGR : LFIY=OTHEHSaG
POKES4 PS :POK ESS, PS-PEEK C44 e256
FOKE1 G01 .FE- LIKE 1680, FE--FEER © 168) 2#25¢
FPORESE PEEK: 10819 :POKE4S,.PEEF C1aaa>
PORESE,.267 :FORESS,25 3
CLP EHO: RUIN
pele - CSP +P O+ 1
Ge IRHe so sD
tn as
Desens
OO cy md
256 :POFESP . SF+PG+1-PEEK. SF+1 4256
4 CATAL ES
CDE 1.
: DATA SE
> CATR
ORTAL
CATA!
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
i on sprite to be saved.
— Ending sprite to be saved.
i — Maximum length of input string.
S$ — Input string.
AD — Address in Himem of a newly
ae sprite.
— Address of sprite number S3.
oe — Address of sprite number S4.
'S3 — Sprite to be copied from; first
sprite to be exchanged.
'S4 — Sprite to be copied to; second
sprite to be exchanged.
LN — Starting line number.
DS — Data starting address of machine
code to be put on to Data lines.
DE — Data ending address of machine
code.
| [SP — Spare RAM pointer; indicates
Starting address of Data line program.
RE — input routines; 1 enables Return
key, 0 disables Return key.
PO — Current relative position in Data
tine being created.
CH — Character to be put on to Data
line.
PE — Data line program end address.
PS — Data line program starting address.
Table 3. Editing command keys.
CSR-+ — Move cursor down.
CSR-t — Move cursor up.
CSR-+ — Move cursor left.
CSR-> — Move cursor right.
f1 — Plot a point and move cursor right.
f2 — Plot a point and move cursor left.
f7 — Erase a point and move cursor
right.
f8 — Erase a point and move cursor
left.
R — Reverse all colours.
| — Invert the sprite to mirror image.
U — Turn the sprite upside down.
| W — Roll the sprite upwards.
Z — Roll the sprite downwards.
A — Roll the sprite to the left.
S — Roll the sprite to the right.
Return — Set the cursor to the left-hand
side of the current line.
Shift-Return — Set the cursor to the
right-hand side of the current line.
Stop — Return to the menu.
CLR — Erase the current sprite.
Home — Set the cursor to the top left-
hand corner of the screen.
Table 4. Sprite addresses.
Sprite Start
address
49152
49216
49280
49344
49408
49472
49536
49600
End
address
49215
49279
49343
49407
49471
49535
49599
49663
Q
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
103
A tale of
two cassettes
Ian Stobie contrasts a pair of packages for the Dragon 32.
THIS IS THE STORY of two word-processing
packages for the Dragon, one crude and
limited, the other wonderful.
Textstar costs £12.95 and is written by
PSS of Coventry. Telewriter costs £49.95,
was originally written in the United States
and is available in the U.K. from
Microdeal. Telewriter is the wonderful
one.
Rather than writing off Textstar as
inferior it is interesting to compare the two
products. Requirements for word
processing in the home differ. Some
people really want a practical product to
produce letters and longer documents ona |
decent printer. Others just want a taste of
word processing and never intend to use
their computer seriously in this way. So
there is an honest role for the cheap but
fairly impractical product, a toy version of
things used in real offices.
The Dragon is good home machine on
which to try out word processing as it has a
proper keyboard with normal full-travel
keys, not a miniturised rubber pad. But in
other ways the Dragon is not ideal, and the |
screen in particular has its limitations. The |
standard display shows 16 lines of only 32
characters, whereas the typical letter
produced on a typewriter is at least 50
characters across. Telewriter solves this
problem with a virtuoso piece of software
writing, which produces — by software
alone — a 5l-character by 24-line display
with true upper-case and lower-case
letters.
But there are some problems the
software writers cannot solve. The
Dragon’s actual display area covers a far
smaller proportion of the TV screen than
most comparable small micros. Further-
more the screen display is not very good,
especially on the earlier machines off the
production line. I tried out three machines
before I found one I could bear to look at
for very long — number 88059 was much
better than number 9. Even so, the photos
for this article were taken from a monitor,
nota TV.
Textstar from PSS comes on cassette in
a small video-style case just like one of
PSS’s games. The only documentation
you get with it for your £12.95 is a single
sheet of paper printed on both sides. The
program is in Basic so you CLoad it. There |
104
is no disc version so the program and any
text files you create are kept on cassette.
Running the program brings up the main
menu:
1 Load/Join File
2 Input Data
3 Line Print file
4 Save file
| 5 Edit file
6 Set format
7 Help
| 8 Quit/clear file
* TEXTSTAR FUNCTIONS! &
Or FE
2 COAD
Textstar main menu.
ST ae
FtLe®
TEE GG Wa 6 Ee Go
Typical Textstar screen.
Documentation is a single sheet.
|
| development.
| for the Tandy Color Computer
Selecting 2 clears the screen except for
an amber flashing cursor, and then you |
can start entering your text. Hitting
Shift-O is necessary to make the Dragon |
keyboard recognise the difference between
shifted and unshifted letters. Textstar
represents shifted upper-case letters on the
screen as inverted black on white — or
more accurately pale green — capitals.
The lower-case letters are just pale green
on black capitals so the display is terrible
for word processing, but no worse than
normal for the Dragon. Tuming the
| colour right down helps.
Textstar cannot handle wordwrap, so if
| you type a word which extends over the
end of the line it just continues on the next |
line regardless. To make things even more
difficult to read, spaces between words are |
displayed as pale-green blobs. It is awful.
There are a few good things to say about |
Textstar. It does have the ability to handle |
Basic programs, and | find the standard
Dragon Basic editor particularly tedious
to use. Textstar’s Find and Replace is
useful for locating and changing names,
and you can also sort lines into numeric
order. It all happens quite slowly though,
as you can imagine with a simple Basic
word processor. Textstar would be
acceptable as a toy word processor to let |
people get the feel of word processing — if
it were cheaper.
American origins
Telewriter costs nearly £50 and is a
superb piece of software, up to full |
professional standards within the limi-
tations of the machine. Written originally
by
Cognitec in the United States, it has been
adapted for the Dragon by Microdeal in
the U.K. Changes are necessary because
the two machines are not absolutely
identical in programming terms.
Telewriter is written in machine code. A
Tandy version is also available from |
Microdeal.
Like Textstar, Telewriter also comes on
cassette and uses cassette files. According
to Microdeal a disc version is under
Microdeal told me that
existing registered users of the package |
will be able to buy a disc upgrade to
Telewriter for £10 to £15, as soon as
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
a
| Dragon brings out its own discs.
Telewriter comes with a 60-page manual
divided into a tutorial section and a
reference section. It is unexciting but clear
and has an index.
The cassette contains four versions of
the program and a utility to enable you to
use Telewriter to edit Basic program files.
The four versions are for different printers
— Telewriter is designed to work with
most common printers. Used with the
Epson MX-80, as in our case, the package
is capable of handling double-struck, con-
densed, and enlarged founts as well as
normal output.
Having loaded the appropriate version
of Telewriter from tape with CLoad, you |
type Exec to set the program running,
which brings up a copyright statement.
Hitting the Enter key brings up the main
menu. Considering how good the rest of
the program is the main menu is not very
grand — a list of the available options in
| inverse video: Create; Edit; Save; %Save,
that is save block; Read In; Append;
Verify; Format; and Words.
Status lines
At the bottom of the main menu screen |
| are three status lines. Space tells you how
much memory remains free for your text
file and is updated each time you return to
the main menu.
generous 18,500 characters available,
which is the equivalent of about 20 A4
pages. File tells you the name of the file
you are working on, and is initially blank
until you read or save a file. Lines tells you
how many lines there are in your text file,
and is also initially blank.
Once you have created some text,
returning to the main menu and selecting
the Words option causes Telewriter to
count up both the number of lines and the
number of words in your file and display
them at the bottom of the screen Counting
is a tedious task and is an excellent feature
to include in a word processor, though it is
often left out.
Menu options are selected by typing in
the first letter of the displayed word. So if
you type C the screen clears except for an
L-shaped cursor and you can start creating
a new text file. Lower case is activated in
the normal Dragon way by hitting Shift-0,
| and is displayed properly in black on white
on the excellent Telewriter 51-by-24 size
software-driven screen. There is no
} noticeable delay so you can still type at
your normal speed. Words typed beyond |
| the end of the line are automatically
carried over so none are left incomplete,
but you can turn this feature off with a
Clear-D command. Clear is used as the
equivalent of Control as the Dragon has
no Control key.
Like WordStar
Deleting characters right of cursor is
done by hitting Break, the character left
by Clear-@. You are automatically in
insert mode — any normal character hit is
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Initially you have a |
immediately inserted at the current cursor
location. The arrow keys move you
around the screen; shifted arrow keys
moving you at high speed. It is all quite
convenient and fast. In this respect
Telewriter is very like WordStar in that it
is quick to correct trivial typing mistakes
with a minimum number of keystrokes,
rather than giving the user wonderful
control over block operations for cut-and- | j
| trolled by putting format codes into your
paste work.
| Block operations
Telewriter does have block operations.
You first mark a block of text with
Clear-B at the beginning and Clear-E at
the end. You can then delete the block or
move it to the current cursor position. You
can return to the main menu at any time
with a Clear-M, and selecting the %Save
option then allows you to save your
marked block to tape if you want.
Telewriter has a good Find-and-Replace
function which lets you find any particular
string of characters in the text and replace
them with another string any number of
times. For instance, Clear-G lets you find
a pattern and replace it throughout the
file.
Telewriter menu.
Tes £5 9 WELEurT ee FTE
ext fan ba in UePES we cane.
The Ful width of
ther dtterss Fike i
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Tus 3 5 dinetay fs sener
phe scemen Anartave *
+ LerSorsd.2
2heur ter
hg ter (were as rewire
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teed Processing much wa.
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A re “ieee? horse at thy
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os mene ys
Fone ster works with mast o¢
Typical Telewriter screen.
TELEWRITE r2
PEAS 12
Wows 4
A superb piece of software.
Returning to the main menu and
‘selecting the Format option brings up
| Telewriter’s second menu, which allows
you to specify how you want the document.
printed. You can print lines up to 127
characters long. The display will still be
only 51 characters wide, but when you
come to print lines will be output to
whatever length you specify.
Some print-time functions are con-
text. They work in a similar way to
WordStar dot commands: you place an
up-arrow symbol “in your text followed
by the relevant parameter. So to centre
text you write Up-arrow H format code,
followed by the text you want printed on
top of each page, for example
“H Dragon WP Review
Telewriter is as full a feature word
processor as I think you could get on a
cassette-based system. The only obvious
lack is that you cannot justify text: the
right margin cannot be lined up like
printed text in this article but must be left
ragged, like typewritten material.
Telewriter is the best program I have
seen for the Dragon. With a few more like
| itthe Dragon would merit being taken as a
more serious machine. Unfortunately the
Dragon is an odd machine built aroung the.
excellent but not very common 6809
processor, and established British soft-
ware companies writing software for other
home machines do not seem to be making
the effort to transfer their software across.
Sor for instance games from Bug-Byte,
Imagine, Psion and Quicksilva are not
available for the Dragon.
Only the Tandy Color Computer shares
the Dragon’s lonely isolation. At the time
the Dragon came out the Color Computer
already had a substantial following in the
| U.S., and my major fear for the Dragon is
that the availability of excellent but
American-oriented software might
discourage good British software houses
from making the necessary investment to
write for the Dragon. The end result could
be Dragon users getting the worst of both
worlds.
Conclusions
@ The Dragon is not the ideal machine to
do word processing on; despite its good
keyboard its poor display lets it down.
That said, Telewriter is an excellent
package.
@Textstar is appalling. Obviously you
have to make allowances for the price
difference, but I feel I could make more
allowances were Textstar cheaper.
@ In this case you do not get exactly what
you pay for — you get more in one case
and less in the other.
@ Textstar costs £12.95 and is available
from PSS, 452 Stoney Stanton Road,
Coventry CV65DG; telephone (0203)
667556. Telewriter costs £49.95 from
Microdeal Ltd, 41 Truro Road, St.
Austell, Cornwall PL25 5JE; telephone
(0726) 67676.
105
Word processing™=""
DYNALOGIC |
Le com cases
riyVCiral
Jack Schofield was first boy on the block with this portable IBM work-alike.
THE SMASH HITS of 1982 in the small |
business computing world were the |
Osborne 1 portable and the IBM PC. At
least, they were in the U.S. and, perhaps
sadly, that’s what counts. This year we
have therefore been deluged with portable
micros and IBM PC look-alikes.
It stands to reason that the secret of
success must be to launch a portable IBM
PC work-alike, and several companies have
done exactly that. Canadian micro
company Dynalogic has, it seems, beaten
the rest in the race to the market place with
its Hyperion model.
The idea of an IBM-type portable
certainly makes sense. It enables the new
buyer to take advantage of the flood of
software the PC is generating. It should
also appeal to the person who already has
an IBM PC but wants a portable, because |
that only makes sense if they both run the
same programs or, at the very least, can use |
each other’s data. It makes sense for the
manufacturers because they can be part of
the burgeoning PC market without having
to tackle Big Blue head on.
The problem with such ‘‘races”’ is that
products may be rushed to market before
they are ready. Thankfully this does not
appear to be the case with the Hyperion,
though there are still a couple of things for
the software people to sort out in relation to
U.K. IBM compatibility.
At first glance it looks stylish and
attractive: it gives you a warm feeling of
possessive pride just to have something this
smart around. Where the Osborne 1 is
workmanlike, the Hyperion is definitely
executive, which is just as well as the
Hyperion is more than twice the price. Still,
if you are bothered about the price you
probably can’t afford it. The real question
is, does it live up to its good looks?
The Hyperion comes in a soft, blue vinyl
zip-up bag with a comfortable handle,
though unfortunately it lacks a shoulder
strap. It is transportable rather than,
portable, and like the Osborne is said to fit |
under a standard airline seat. When out of
its case, the machine has a hand-sized recess
on top which makes it easy to move
around. The rigid plastic casing has a
106
stylish rake to it, rather like Apple’s Lisa. |
The front displays a 6.75in. screen plus two |
5.25in. floppy-disc drives. A recess under |
the body holds the detached keyboard.
The mains power input and all the 1/0
ports are on the back. They are identified
with symbols and clearly numbered as
follows:
1 Composite video jack for external monitor
2 and 3 Direct-connect telephone jacks with
built-in auto-answer Modem, currently
awaiting British Telecom approval
4 Port for connecting to an acoustic coupler |
If phone jacks not available
5 Serial interface port
6 Parallel interface port
7 Expansion bus
With these connections the Hyperion can
handle most printers and meets RS-232 and
RS-423 standards, both synchronous and
asynchronous. Port 7 is a 50-pin female
socket which seems to carry all the output
lines, and could be used for various things |
such as hooking up a hard disc or for |
networking.
Unfortunately the power cannot be
switched from U.K. to U.S. standard
without opening the case and using a
screwdriver. Gulfstream says it is working
on this problem, and plans to mount a
selection switch gn the back.
The front features two thumb-wheels to
control the contrast and brightness of the
screen, an over-bright power-on indicator
light and a Disc in Use light for the drives, |
which are labelled A and B. Every control is |
neat and well sited. In addition, the
Hyperion is smoothly finished in creamish
IBM-coloured leatherette, to complete an |
attractive package.
The keyboard is somewhat smaller than
the IBM version with which it is claimed to
be compatible. Typists will be pleased to
Benchmarks
learn that it does not have the IBM’s
suprious backslash key between Z and
Shift, which messes up the IBM model. It
has been moved to the top row between Esc
and 1. The Alt key which IBM dumbly sited
below Left Shift, has sensibly been moved
to the left. The Break key has also been
moved to join it.
To narrow the width, the 10 soft function
keys, which on the IBM form two ranks
down the left, now form two lines along the
top of the keyboard. Again this improves
usability over the IBM, as the keys now sit
| under their function labels on the bottom
of the screen.
Though the touch of the Hyperion’s keys
is much inferior to the IBM, the layout is
far more suitable for a touch-typist. IBM
would do well to look at it, and learn.
The keyboard is flat enough to meet the
German Industry standard, with two fold-
out feet at the back to raise it to a good
typing angle. There is just one thing wrong
with it: it is connected at the right-hand end
|
by a strongly coiled cable to the inside left |
end of the keyboard recess. The keyboard is
so light it may be pulled sideways on a shiny
desk, and it makes it impossible to use the
keyboard on your lap. At least, you need to
use one hand to hold it there. The cable is |
hard wired to the keyboard, so you cannot
simply change it.
At anominal 7in. the screen is larger than
the screen of the Osborne 1, and
subjectively rather more readable. As the
resolution is the same as that of the IBM
PC the display is very sharp, and it has an
attractive amber colour.
In the 80-character mode, text is quite
| readable but numbers become harder to
distinguish. Horizontal compression of the
bit-mapping makes 6, 8 and 9 hard to tell
apart. Some of the special characters such
Comparison of the speed of execution for simple Basic routines running under PC-
DOS or MS-DOS. All times are in seconds.
BM2
46
48
49
Hyperio
IBM PC (retested)
Canon AS-100C
BM3
10.1
11.7
10.9
BM8
3.4
3.1
3.7
BM6
20.8
23.3
22.4
BM7
32.4
37.4
34.5
BM4
10.5
12.2
V2
BM5
11.4
13.4
12.3
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| unrecognisable. In the 40-character mode,
| may protect the amber phosphor in the long
as the black and white faces, Greek a |
and the infinity sign become almost
however, readability is outstanding.
The one problem with the screen display
is that if not used it turns itself of after only
3 minutes 10 seconds approximately. This
term, but is no good to a pipe smoker or |
other person whose working schedule
includes time-consuming rituals. At least
seven minutes thinking time should be
allowed before the screen blanks out. There
| 1S no way round this problem in PC-DOS,
but in Dynalogic’s MS-DOS a Mode utility |
is provided, whereby the screen can be
switched on permanently.
Booting up the Hyperion is an interesting
experience. Insert the Master User Diskette
in drive A and turn the power on. Like the
IBM PC, it plays dead for a while before
whirring into action. It displays an amber
Texas Star then goes into a boot routine.
IO-SYS 1.00L is followed by MS-DOS
1.25G. The Hyperion then copies five |
.Com files, including Format, Chkdsk and |
| Phone, on to dive C:. It then gives the date, |
checks drives A and B and lists their names,
| throws up the function-key assignments |
and waits. It all takes 45 seconds. Drive C:
is what Godbout calls drive M:, a portion
of RAM set aside to act as a high-speed
disc.
The initial five function assignments are
Lastin, Disks, Files, Mode, Dir/P, Phone,
Edit, MPlan, Xplain and Help. Lastln
repeats the last instruction given to MS-
DOS. Disks, F2, changes the function |
assignments to Dos, D-Name, Files, Date,
Dir/P, D-Copy, D-Comp, Format,
Chkdsk and Help. Pressing F2 again — it
mans D-name now — changes them to
DOS, Disks, Files, (blank), (blank), A:, B:,
C:, (blank) and Rtn. Pressing F3 in the first
menu brings up another 10 assignments |
including Type/P, Eras/P and Rename. |
And soon. . . The function keys are set up |
in a series of hierarchies that enable many |
DOS functions to be accessed via single |
keystrokes. This is very convenient.
Help brings up a screenful of
information on each set of function
assignments, which is very useful as the
main Hyperion documentation is stil] IBM
size, not portable at all.
The Xplain key gives access to another
set of Help files which are saved on the
Master Diskette as .Exp files. There are 2]
©
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er Lp teh
be Meas ate Dar te Mie etiette aad cows! ihe Mr
“= Same sue
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
of them, including Copy, Dir, Phone,
Type, Softkeys and Hyperion. They can be
selected from the menu display by moving
the cursor using the arrow keys.
Incidentally, the clock is of the real-time
variety with a battery back-up. The date is
shown on request and in MS-DOS is
permanently displayed between the two
groups of five function-key labels. Two
advantages of this are that you are spared
the MS-DOS request to enter time and date
— which are generally ignored — and also,
files are labelled with the correct time and
date.
The most frequent date on the master
diskette is 1-25-83. The universal date on
my American IBM PC-DOS system disc |
version 1.10 is 5-07-82; on my U.K. system
disc, also 1.10, it is the same but with a few
later additions. Major differences are that
the Hyperion disc neither contains Basic
nor Basica, nor comes with the Samples set
of demonstration routines.
The disc contents as supplied for review
did not match the disc label, which
suggested In:scribe and In:touch — the
Hyperion word-processing and communi-
cations programs — were on it. An extra
(continued on next page)
Lik am apes
riyvcin.at
(continued from previous page)
‘hand-written’? Rev O} disc did include
Multiplan, Basic and Assembler, but not
In:scribe or :touch. Multiplan is exactly the
same spreadsheet as seen on the Wang,
Apple, IBM, DEC Rainbow 100 and
numerous other micros.
The Hyperion press release claims it is
fully IBM PC compatible, and indeed it has
the same operating system and 320K
double-sided double-density drives.
Nonetheless it did not boot from working
copies of the U.K. System Master diskette,
only from the American PC-DOS disc or its
own. Nor did it prove possible to load the
Specification
CPU: Intel 8088 running at 4.77MHz;
| Optional 8087 arithmetic processor
Operating system: MS-DOS, with BOS to
follow from Guifstream
Memory: 256K RAM with 20K video RAM;
8K ROM with diagnostics and VO
routines
Interfaces: serial RS-232C/RS-423; parallel,
phone jack and Modem; expansion port;
composite video
Features: real-time clock; sound; case
KEYBOARD
Type: 84-key detached with 10-key numeric
keypad/cursor-control pad; American
layout
Features: auto-repeat on all keys; optional
click on keystroke; foidaway feet; stows
in main unit for transportation.
DISPLAY
Type: built-in 7in. amber screen with
brightness and contrast controls
Displays: 40 or 80 characters by 25 lines
up to 250 x 640 pixels; 200 x 640 is
provided for IBM PC compatibility
DISCS
Type: two 5.25in. with 320K of storage per
drive.
Dimensions: 18.3 by 11.3 by 8.8in.
Weight: 211b./9.6kg.
108
—————— a =:
Anderson Jacobson’s Ajile, identical to the Hyperion, known as the Passport in America.
Microsoft Basic or Basica from either IBM
disc — the system just crashed.
With Basica loaded from the Hyperion |
disc it was possible to load and run all the
IBM programs available. This makes the
Hyperion more compatible than some
work-alikes. One reason is that it has the
same screen-display characteristics too. It
should be possible to run a large proportion
of IBM PC packages, with the possible
exception of some of those British ones that
boot discs automatically.
There is just one bad apple in this
particular barrel. That is, the 230V U.K.
mains Hyperion still packs an American
keyboard, with no £ sign, the @ over the 2
where ” should be, and the ” next to the
Return key. A hunt through the character
set confirms it is the American one that is
| used, with characters 127 and 254 missing
for reasons known only to Dynalogic.
If you plan to run American software,
this is fine, but IBM(U.K.)’s software is
customised for the U.K. keyboard and key
positions. I suppose you can learn to press
@ when you want ", but it won’t be fun.
Otherwise, Gulfstream will have to find a
way of bypassing the Keybuk file on the
IBM system diskette.
| Dynalogic’s Microsoft 1982 Basic
appears to be identical to IBM PC
Microsoft Basic. Though it was not
possible to test every single command, the
only one I could not make work was Circle,
but that was my fault: the command
worked fine inside the psychedelic Circle
program from IBM’s American Samples
demo.
The Hyperion handles single, double and
integer precision in the same way using
CSNG, CDBL and CINT. It also follows
the IBM PC in the use of Color statements
in monochrome. Color 0,7 for example,
gives inverse video, and Color 9 gives high-
intensity underlined text.
String handling is the same, Locate |
works the same, and you switch to the
40-character screen by typing either Screen
1 or Width 40, exactly as on the IBM PC.
= Revie
the same, except that the Hyperion plays
the tunes faster.
running the trivial Benchmarks thought up
by Kilobaud Microcomputing magazine
shows. As with the IBM, Canon, Orion and
other machines reviewed in these pages, the
standard Microsoft ‘‘bug”’ is a feature of
this Basic. The one-liner
10 PRINT 9.9, 990/100
gives the result 9.899999, 9.899999, which
just serves you right for doing floating-
point maths in binary. The program then
lists as:
10 PRINT 9.899999. 990/100
as usual.
that even while running MS-DOS and with
free to Basic, which is about as much as
Microsoft currently allows. The total
amount of RAM in the system supplied was
set aside for drive C:.
The Hyperion came with three IBM-style
manuals, a User Guide, a Multiplan Guide |
and a programmer Guide. Like the DEC |
Rainbow and IBM examples, they were
excellent. In addition, and even more
useful, is a slim spiral-bound Setup Guide,
which tells you all you need to know to set
| up and run the machine. It includes a
quick-reference guide plus the important
specification details, yet is still pocketable.
While it is by no means comprehensive, it |
should provide the average CP/M user with
enough back-up to manage a trip out of the
office.
Conclusions
@ The Hyperion is an extremely attractive
portable and in advertising/marketing
terms certainly rates as ‘‘sexy’’.
elt is light enough and rugged enough to
be moved about, though bear in mind you
need mains power to run it. One drawback
is that the power supply is U.K. and not
| externally switchable, but Gulfstream may
solve this problem.
@ It is sufficiently IBM PC compatible to
foster expectations of a good software base
rapidly becoming available.
@The screen and keyboard are well
designed and with a minor alteration to
each would be excellent.
elt is not cheap, but it seems good value
for money—especially for anyone who
really needs a compact or transportable
IBM PCs.
| @The Hyperion is manufactured in
Canada by Dynalogic Info-Tech, and
distributed in the U.K. by Gulfstream
Computer Products, Unit 3A, Tunnel
Estate, 726 London Road, West Thurrock,
Grays, Essex RM16 1LS; telephone (04026)
4926. Both companies are subsidiaries of
| the $50 million Bytec Management
| Corporation of Ottowa.
| @The price is from £2,899 plus VAT.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
The one-voice music commands seem to be |
Because of the Hyperion’s 4.77MHz |
clock rate the Basic is slightly faster, as |
219,888 bytes, of which 39,424 bytes were |
micro, or who has regular contact with real |
Those programming in Basic will find |
aC: drive in use, there are still 59,866 bytes |
hirking {Or fOrnOrOW
rere |
NrerSley
a Rayihes on Co See
"CE 446
Word Processing with Wordstar
isa Sound Training pack that enables
users to operate Wordstar easily and
effectively within only a few hours —
The Word Processing with Wordstar
package consists of two audio cassettes,
reference book, checklists and job aids.
The interactive package is a complete,
self-contained training course which
involves listening to the tapes while
operating the computer — and following
the instructions when they are given.
It’s an ideal way to learn — it’s fast,
enjoyable and effective.
Just as important, it builds up
confidence in using the program.
*Wordstar is a trademark of Micropro International Corporation.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
a faster, more enjoyable
way to learn,
without the need to rely on the manuals.
Other Sound Training packs
cover Using Your CP/M Micro, 7
Using Mailmerge, Word Processing with
Wordcraft, Introduction to Plannercalc
and other titles are planned for the future.
Price £40.00 (inclusive of VAT and postage).
el
| To Newtech Publishing Ltd, 8 Forge Court, Yateley,
Camberley, Surrey GU17 7RX. Telephone (0252) 873373
| CO) Please send me . _ copy/ies of
WORD PROCESSING WITH WORDSTAR @ £40.00
| C lenclose my remittance of £
C Please invoice my company
j CZ) Please send me full details of your Sound Training packs
Name
Title
Company
Address
Signature Date
= oe rote
®@ Circle No. 179
109
The SUPERBRAIN microcomputer was designed as
a small business system, aimed principally at first
time buyers needing a general purpose machine.
But as small businesses grow, so SUPERBRAIN
has kept pace with its users’ development and
can now offer a system which is suitable for
businesses of any size. And which can
compete very favourably with the new 16
BIT personal computers, and many mini
computers. (Indeed, the December
issue of Which Computer? put
SUPERBRAIN top in a survey of
business systems which included the
Sirius, Apple II| and Philips
P7000.)
SUPERBRAIN II
One of the most successful micro-
computers in the UK. A smart,
fully self-contained desk-top unit
with a choice of 320K, 680K and
1.5 MB disc drives. Twin Z80
micro-processors and an RS-232
communications port make it
easy to extend the system as
you grow. Its CP/M operating
system gives you access to
literally thousands of software
programs.
The Icarus dealer network includes:
LONDON
DATA PROFILE, Lawrence Road, Green Lane, HOUNSLOW,
Middx. Tel; 01-572 6381
J & F GROVER LTD., 10 Barley Mow Passage, LONDON W4 4PH.
Tel: 01-994 6477
S1SCO LTD., 4 Moorfields, LONDON EC2Y 9AA.
Tel: 01-920 0315
TERMACRE LTD., 126 Woodwarde Road, LONDON SE22 8TU.
Tel: 01-693 3037
HOME COUNTIES
CULLOVILLE LTD., Thornfield, Woodhill Road, SANDON,
Chelmsford, Essex. Tel: 024 541 3919
FOREST ROW COMPUTERS, 53 Freshfield Bank, FOREST ROW,
East Sussex. Tel: 034 282 4397
MASS MICROS, Weilson House, Brownfields, WELWYN GARDEN
CITY, Herts. Tel: 07073 31436
THAMES VALLEY COMPLTERS, 10 Maple Close,
MAIDENHEAD, Berks. Tel: 0628 23532
110
For full details contact
Computer Systems Ltd.
Deane House, 27 Greenwood Place, London NW5 1NN Tel: 01-485 5574. Telex: 264209
SOUTH & SOUTH WEST
BARD COMPUTER SERVICES LTD., 24 Old Street, Clevedon,
Nr. BRISTOL, Avon. Tel: 0272 878157
COMMONSENSE COMPUTING, PO Box 7, BIDEFORD, Devon.
Tel: 02372 4795
MICRO-XZEC LTD., Walton House, Richmond Hill,
BOURNEMOUTH, Dorset. Tel: (0202) 21220
NICOMTECH LTO, The Old Mill, Anthony Passage, SALTASH,
Cornwall. Tel: 07555 2719
EAST
CAMBRIDGE MICRO COMPUTERS, Cambridge Science Park,
Milton Road, CAMBRIDGE. Tel: 0223 314666
STUKELY COMPUTER SERVICES, Barnhill, STAMFORD, Lincs
Tel: 0780 64947
MIDLANDS & WALES
BASIC BUSINESS SYSTEMS LTD., 39/41 Trent Boulevard,
WEST BRIDGEFORD, Nottingham. Tel: 0602 819713
DRAGON SYSTEMS LTD., 37 Walter Road, SWANSEA, W. Glam.
Tel: 0792 474498
1S SS’ SUPERBRAIN
SUPERBRAIN W6
Integral Winchester disc storage gives you up to
thirty times the capacity of a basic SUPERBRAIN
- over 10 MB. Data retrieval is faster and the
utility programs for the W6 allow you to define
up to 6 logical disc drives of a variety of types
and sizes. The W6 includes SUPERBIOS
which has the advantage of increasing the
power and speed of the micro-processor,
while still using the standard CP/M
operating system with text editor,
assembler and debugger.
COMPUSTAR
COMPUSTAR provides the facility to link
up SUPERBRAINS ina multi-user
network. Each SUPERBRAIN is
connected into a central data store
which offers 10, 96 or 144 MB of
storage. And since each SUPERBRAIN
has its own twin Z80 processors, CP/M
operating system and 64K of internal
memory, overall response time
remains incredibly fast.
So you'll never outgrow
SUPERBRAIN. As your business
grows, so your SUPERBRAIN
business system grows. What you
install now will remain an integral
part of your organisation for as long .
as you wish.
XENON COMPUTER SYSTEMS, 18 Old Rectory Gardens,
Cheadle, STOCKPORT, Cheshire. Tel: 061 428 9508
JENNINGS COMPUTER SERVICES, 55/57 Fagiey Road,
BRADFORD, West Yorkshire. Tel: 0274 637867
MICROSERVE (HUMBERSIDE) LTO., 39 Oswald Road,
Scunthorpe, SOUTH HUMBERSIDE DN15 7PM.
Te!: 0724 849696
NASTAR COMPUTER SERVICES LTD., Ashton Lodge.
Abercrombie Street, CHESTERFIELD $41. Tel: O246 207048
SORTFIELD LTD., E Floor, Milburn House, Dean Street,
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. Tel; 0632 329593
LAWMAR BUSINESS SYSTEMS, 1 Paterson Drive, Woodhouse
Eaves, LOUGHBOROUGH, Leics. Tel: 0509 890900
SCOTIA AND 2
ESCO COMPUTING FACILITIES., 321 Blythwood Court,
Anderston Cross, GLASGOW, G21. Tel: 041 221 0310/2536
TURNKEY COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY LTD., 10 Somerset
Place, GLASGOW. Tel: 041 332 7101.
@ Circle No. 181
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
——————
What if-
d what for?
Modelling"
Chris Bidmead ponders on what has made spreadsheet packages such a success.
1 BORROWED a managing director the other
day to try out one of the newer ‘‘What-if?”’
spreadsheet packages that derive from |
VisiCalc. He had the advantage of being |
unsullied by previous contact with
microcomputers, and I needed a fresh
guinea pig to test the effectiveness of the
tutorial program that came. with
software. An animated version of the
package that automatically builds a table in
front of your eyes as you press keys in
| response to the prompts seemed to be a |
good way to start learning.
After spending two hours with it, my |
| arrive at the derived values. Often the
executive friend had learned to move the
cursor about the. screen and make entries
into the cells, the individual locations |
within the grid that makes up the
spreadsheet. He knew how to write the
basic formulae and how to set headings and
widen or narrow the columns.
So the tutorial had been effective?
Wrong! He pronounced the thing
fascinating but still incomprehensible. The
trouble with the tutorial, on-screen help
| sheets and accompanying manuals of this
| package — as with so many others — is that
they tell you everything about the program
except why.
A spreadsheet is a table of numerical
values, laid out in a way that helps to
convey the relationship between the
figures. At its simplest this might be three
sums of money arranged in a single |
column, the uppermost representing gross
sales, the middle one gross costs, while the |
lower figure shows the difference between
the two, the gross profits. The table uses a
single dimension, up and down, to clarify
the relationship.
A typical simple spreadsheet might
consist of 12 such columns arranged side by
| side, each representing a month of the year.
We are now introducing a _ second
dimension, left to right, to depict the time
element. Further clarity is gained by
labelling the rows, across, and columns,
down, with headings, something like the
table on this page.
This table has two stories to tell. First
there is the top-to-bottom story of how
the |
| nothing more sophisticated
sales become profits, and secondly there is |
the left-to-right story of the growth of sales,
costs and profits as the year wears on.
Notice particularly that there are two
kinds of figures involved. Entered data, the
gross costs for instance, are values brought
in from the real world; derived values, like
gross profits, are figures calculated within
the table itself using formulae like
Gross Profits = Gross Sales — Gross
Costs
The difference between these two kinds of
figures is not always clear from the table; |
and the same is true of the formulae used to |
reader may not need to make the distinction
or know the precise formulae, but to
construct or change the table it is crucial to
understand these inner workings.
As it stands, the table is a valuable
imparter of information that can be put
together without any help from a
computer. We are considering a very simple
set of figures, but you would still need
than a
typewriter to produce a neat version of
larger spreadsheets where, say, gross costs
might be subdivided into additional rows of
direct costs and overheads.
But the more ambitious the tables the
more laborious they are to prepare. Three
clerica! skills are brought into play: laying
out the table neatly so that, for instance,
the decimal points align; entering the data
correctly; and doing the calculations.
A fourth implied skill is patience. The
spreadsheet may be a budget — that is,
guesswork that needs quick revision in the
light of new information. The alteration of
a few pence in a single item of entered data
might mean the whole table has to be
recalculated and reformatted.
These clerical skills are well within the
capability of a computer, and mainframes
have long been used for printing out tables.
| What VisiCalc introduced in the late 1970s
to the Apple and later to the Pet was the
idea of displaying the table on the screen
and allowing you to enter or alter the data
| by moving a cursor to the appropriate cell,
and just writing it in.
| dimension by consolidating a set
| spreadsheets.
Formulae used to produce derived data
can be set up in the same way, but it is here
that the electronic spreadsheet departs
from intuitive hand methods. In drafting
out the gross profits table with a paper and
pencil you might very likely use the margin
or a separate sheet to scribble down the
formulae and calculate the derived figures
before transferring them to the appropriate |
cells. In the electronic spreadsheet you
enter the formulae directly into the cells
where they lurk invisibly, their location
defining where the generated results are to
appear. For checking purposes these
formulae will usually, be displayed in some
marginal location whenever you steer the
cursor into formula-loaded cells.
Something quite new happens to
| spreadsheets when you paste them up on an
instantly redraftable computer screen.
Instead of being regarded as an end-result |
, to be sent off to the board room, the table
becomes a kind of two-dimensional
| calculator that you can use to think about
| what the effect will be on whole ranges of
| derived values if the data input were
different — hence ‘‘What-if?’’ software.
The gross sales chart in the table, for
example, generated in this instance by
Supercalc, is a budget forecast based on
only two items of real-world data: my
present January sales figures and their
associated costs. | have assumed that they
| will both rise through the year at the rate of
10 per month — I’m an optimist! — and
have told the chart so by embedding an
identical formula in each of the cells of the
top two rows from February onwards.
I have only discussed one kind of
| spreadsheet, but of course the VisiCalc idea
| can be applied to almost any collection of
| related figures. As well as straightforward
maths, newer versions of the software
simplify the creation of complex business
tables by incorporating a rich variety of
ready-made formulae like net present
value, and allow you to introduce a third
of
One fact alone about VisiCalc and its
relatives has helped sell the software by the
barrel-load, and a lot of hardware to go
with it: it looks very impressive on the
screen of a micro. Despite the experience of
my executive friend, customers are also
beginning to discover it has its uses. O
Feb
1430.00
1045.00
2475.00
Mar
1573.00
1149.50
2722.50
etc
2093.66
1529.98
3623.65
Jan
1300.00
-950.00
2250.00
Apr
1730.30
1264.45
2994.75
Gross sales
Gross costs
Gross proftis
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 14
a COMPUTER CENTRE
Be Sirus 7 eS
1.2 Mb Disk Storage £2395
2.4 Mb Disk Storage £2895
Now available
Z 80 CP/M Add-on board
to run all CP/M 8 bit or
16 bit software
EPSON QX10
the revolutionary
small Business
Computer
CP/M 2.2
196K RAM
£1730
CP/M Software| EPSON FX-80 EPSON HX20
Wordstar £235
Spellstar £134
Grammatik £75
FootNote £75
CPM/IBM £99
CPM/IDEC £99
T Maker || £150
DBasell £325
Autocode £195
Milestone £195
Task £195
AUTO SHEET
FEEDER £580
New! 12” Wide |
Automatic
Sheet Feeder
fits all below
DAISY WHEEL
PRINTERS
LETTER QUALITY
PRINTING.
&
runs CP/M & TRS
Model 16 Model II
128K with TRS DOS
from £3129 and CPM at
no extra charge
from £1995
Toshiba P1350
li i
FLOWRITER RP 1600 CPS ~ bs
£1500.
“TEC 40.40 CPS
JAPANESE DIABLO 630 uses Diablo
Daisy Wheel & Ribbons £1135. and addressable Pin graphics £12
Options: Tractor £87
Automatic Sheet Feeder £250
Sirius
Hard Disk 10 Mb
ya: Available Now! £3995
Wordstar Magic Wand Spellbinder
Spellstar D Base II T/Maker Calcstar
Milestone Datastar Microstar
Fortran Cobol Pascal or any CP/M
software
TELE-VIDEO SINGLE-USER TO MULTI-USER
. ees
Invoice Purchasing
Word Processing
EE
Payroll
=
160 CPS the Portable
~—! Computer from £402
AUTHORISED TANDY DEALER
11 Mb Hard Disk model 11/16
DOS £1895
Model I
16K £599
48K £649
Osborne
48K with 2 disk £1350
HARD DISKS
for Superbrain,
TRS 80 Model ll, Apple
Model 6 6 Mb Formatted £1595
Model 12 11.5 Mb Formatted £1895
2 Specially designed Hybrid
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Data Error Recovery
24 Pin Matrix offers High speed drafts 190 CPS
Letter Perfect Printing (Daisy wire ty) 100 CPS
=)
S
—
All prices are Exclusive of VAT and Delivery. Dealer Enquiries invited on all Products.
Large range of CPM Software available. Please phone for Prices.
Demonstrations on all models.
43 GRAFTON WAY, LONDON W1P 5LA (Opposite Maples)
OPENING HOURS: 11-7 MON-FRI 12-4 SAT Tel: 388 6991/2
24 hour answer phone: 01-388 5721
@ Circle No. 182
THE BBC MICROis generating some beautiful
software products and these may well soon
set the standard for the rest of the micro
the competition. And not only is the
hardware cost right, but the prices charged
for available non-game software are lower
by factors of five to 10 compared with what
has been available on older micros and on
CP/M.
for review are low, mid- and high-price
products in current BBC software terms.
Table 1. Memo-Cale instruction set.
Option Meaning
1 2
Create new file
Search for record
named record
by number
Column search
all
numeric equal
numeric less
numeric greater
4 File manipulation
| | cursor keys active
fast jump
add a record
change a record
modify column heads
change key field
modify data
view or print record
view or print file
sorts on column
calculations
total columns
total records
on cell contents
on two cells*
on range of celis*
as ba t*
Save file
Load data
Print complete file
Exit program
Orm> 2K
/
A
®
H
K
M
R
F
S
@
“result stored in nominated cell
**nominated cell may exceed current file
bounds
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
market. The hardware is modern, and with |
extensions will remain so for longer than |
The three spreadsheet programs selected |
|
They vary in their capabilities, which need |
to be carefully matched to individual |
requirements before the decision is made to |
choose one in preference to another.
The cheapest of the BBC Calcs is
undoubtedly that from Micro-Aid of |
Cornwall. It combines the functions of an
index-card data manager with a very
limited set of arithmetic facilities, and as
such can emulate a subset of spreadsheet |
functions. Whether it meets your specific
needs can only be for you to decide, but if it
does it must be among the least expensive
pieces of useful software you will ever buy.
Operationally it is the least convenient of
the three, requiring explicit key depressions |
to allow individual field modification,
which is a bind if you want to vary very
many of them. The internal terminology
refers to records and columns instead of the
more conventional rows and columns,
which is a consequence of the data-
manager aspect of the program, but the |
| effect is no different. Headings are limited
| it can do the job you require it for then you
to a single column or row, as are the
automatically recalculated Total fields. |
All the recognisable spreadsheet ele-
ments are present, such as cursor |
movement between cells, direct addressing,
arithmetic manipulation using any Eval-
able equation across a restricted range of
source cells into a nominated cell. What is
missing is the ability to link permanently
such equations to the destination cells; only |
resulting values are carried through to the
Saved file.
This restriction bars the program from
membership of the spreadsheet family
proper but, as with all software products, if
have found a candidate for selection. If |
not, then do not waste any more time — |
move on.
Beebcale from Gemini Marketing allows |
full spreadsheet manipulations across a
maximum addressable array of 26 columns
by 50 rows. Don’t think you can populate
them all, of course. At some point available
memory will be filled and the operating
system will intervene with a No Room
Modelling: BBC
interrupt, which is frustratingly final.
spreadsheets
Matching software to your requirements is always important. John Harris takes three
Calcs for the BBC and weighs up their capabilities.
To give an example of what will fit into a
Model B with disc-filing system a start-up
projection for a knitting shop is shown in
figure 1. As in any such emulation the
projection is broken down into its most
elementary operations, in this case stitches.
A ‘“‘nominal’’ stitch defined as that for
plain hand knitting, and all other
Operations, such as machine knitting, are
costed on a pro rata basis. The intention is |
that the chargeable staff time is invoiced at
a constant hourly rate, regardless of the
particular activity involved.
Overheads are entered along with salaries
and initial investment costs. The start-up
rate in terms of regular customers is
(continued on next page)
Table 2. Beebcalc instruction set.
‘Option
1 2 3
Meaning
Active
Enter value
Enter text
Enter command mode
B blank cells
global
entry
column
row
calculate
change display format
left
right
integer
sterling
extend or delete table
formula entry
jump to any cell
print
table
data
replicate
absolute
relative
save data
disc
tape
toggle on/off
auto recalculate
order RC or CR
column-width adjustment
exit Command mode
cursor keys
numerics
“literal”
{
or AG Dr ox
113
BBC
spreadsheets
(continued from previous page)
decided by informed guesswork, and from
that point on all figures are derived
| automatically by the in-built relationships
between the base data fields. Both print
modes, Table and Data, are demonstrated,
showing the degree to which the data
elements may be interlocked and generated. |
A model of this complexity is quite
capable of showing the effect of Low/High
variations on each set-up parameter,
allowing isolation of the critical variables
from those whose variation has little effect
on the profit line. It is simple from that
point to plot a profit against charge against
Table 3. Ulttracalc instruction set.
Option Meaning depth on the top and left of the sheet, so the
1 2 3 first page displayed could, for example,
Cursor keys Active for cell location contain a label index into the body of the
Shifted cursor keys Active paging | analysis with appropriate text descriptions. |
Ctri-A Recalculate | The ability to partition the sheet and |
8 Move input cursor left one character locate the desired information without |
9 Move input cursor right one character otherwise remembering or looking up the |
Shift-Copy Duplicate current cell entry to Input cell address makes manageable what would
Delete Detete character at input cursor otherwise be a very unwieldy mass of data.
Copy Put current cell address to input The ability to colour each individual cell
Return Hg _ omg from the range of eight mode 7 foreground
= <entry> The = and background colours further simplifies
A ; Tab direction; press cursor key recognition of specific areas of the analysis.
B delete cell contents Considerable power
DC delete column d
DR delete row Ultracalc is able to save and load not only
Fn format to n decimal places the model but also sections of data from a
FA <area> copy format throughout area model, thereby overlapping and merging |
FL left justify current cell entry | results from one analysis into another.
FR right justify current cell entry Careful tailoring of addresses is required |
G <entry> as = <entry> for this technique to be used to its full
H protect current cell potential, but the power in a suite of
i‘ oer | associated models is considerable.
IR nea<ow: A full range of editing facilities has been
HA <area> copy protection throughout area built into the data and formula-entry
L load data from file created by S procedure with the result that changes to a
M toggle autorecalculation given model are easy to implement. At no
O <area> print the sheet parameters within area point does the program require more
P <area> print the sheet within area keystrokes than seem necessary to
Q quit and restart accomplish a given function. Clearly,
R <area> replicate considerable care has been taken in |
<area>
! <area>
Se
T
TX
Wo
WA <area>
-
*
Esc
Break
Tab
f0 to {7
Shifted f0 to {7
114
| workload contour map, for example,
two most critical elements for a business of
a given size.
Operation of Beebcalc is simple and
beginning if you have several fields to set up
or modify. Calculation of the example took
less than a minute, and was the only
operation requiring a pause in program use.
The example was designed and coded in
about three hours.
Some minor details within the program
| handling are inconvenient. Formula editing
is non-existent, which is unnecessarily
harsh if all that needs to be changed in a cell
equation is a single character. The formula
replication allows relative addressing but
the algorithm employed in deciding what is
relative and what is fixed is over-simplistic.
as R from a single cell
save data to file |
fix rows and columns top and left of cell
unfix rows and columns top and left of
cell
change width of column In range 0 to 39
change width to that of current cell
toggle scale display
toggle Commercial/Scientific
make negatives red
pass rest of line to OS as command
input is value
input is label
input is evaluated as value or label
Clear input and re-enter
Hardware reset
As Return with move; see /A
background colour change
character colour change
convenient so long as you remember to |
toggle off the automatic recalculation at the |
(SSS An SS a ee eee ee ee
| The result is that very few sensible
which describes the result in terms of the |
replications can be made, and most
formulae in the example were eventually
keyed in full. Finally, no attempt is made to
recover from a full memory and to retrieve
the existing data.
Ultracalc was designed and coded by
Topexpress of Cambridge. Originally
intended for use by Topexpress itself, it is
now in the process of being marketed by
BBC Publications. On discovering that it is
the spreadsheet demonstrated all those
months ago on the BBC TV series by Ian
Macnault-Davis one might wonder quite
what has taken them so long. The program
comes on ROM, and is by far the best
| documented of the existing BBC spread- |
sheets; the manual was written by the same
team at Information Transfer that built the
View manual for Acornsoft.
A maximum array of 63 columns over
255 rows gives Ultracalc a full spreadsheet
range. Headings may be defined to any
designing the user interface.
The difference between one spreadsheet
and another priced 10 or 20 times as high is
| no reflection on the utility of the programs
for a given user. Somewhere in the market
place it may be the case that you get what |
you pay for, but that has never been true of
software, from mainframe tailored systems
down.
The concept of buying the most
expensive to get the quality goods is pretty |
shaky at the best of times. The only way to
choose between one product and another is |
to know your requirements beforehand and
to check the market for the best match,
adjusting requirements in the light of |
available facilities and costs only at the end |
of the exercise.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Modelling: BBC===
Suppliers and prices
Supplier Format _—— Price
Memo- Micro-Ald Cassette £7.95
Calc Manual +£2
Disc +£1.50
Plain nana «nittins 7.SE-4
fancy hana «nitting 9.375E-4
gesigner set macnine knit
Beebcale Gemini Cassette £19.95 eet cncar aitesemiret knit
Marketing Disc 40 +£4) | Oatcn retention per montn
Disc 80 +£5 ! proportion plain nano knit
proportion fancy nana knit
Ultracalc BBC ROM £50] | proportion set macnine «nit
Publications Sroportion preset machine knit
Oatcn storage customer nang
oatcn storage customer machine
batch storage one-off nanc
Datch storage one-off wacnine
Mew customers ger month
customer Loss rate per month
one-offs per month
Customer workloag per month 1000U0
One-offs worxlcaa per montn 4000uU
workstation cost per ttionth 125
rent rates anc oills 2575
aaministrator's salary 5755
«nitter's pay per month Sir.5
NI ana employer contrinution U.2
workloaa per knitter month 13Gu000
initial costs 1650
Figure 1. Knitting shop on Beebcalc.
TEXT="knitters' payroll”
FORM=823*B35
FOKM=B23*C35
FORM=B23*0355
FORM=B23 *E35
FORM=B23*F35
FORM=B25*G35
FORM=823*H35
FORM=823*135
TEXT="PAYE overheads”
FORM=B24*(845+822/12)
FORM=824*(C45+B22/12)
FORM=B24#(045+822/12)
FORM=824%(E45+822/12)
FORM=B24%(F45+B22/12)
FORM=824% (645+B22/12)
FORM=B24* (H45+822/12)
FORM=B24*(145+B22/12) F50: FORMN=E50+F48 DS: FORM=B5*C5
TEXT="costs total" G50:. FORM=F50+648 Ao: TEXT="batch retention per month"
FORM=844+845+B46 H50: FORMN=G50+H48 86: VALUE=2.25E-4
FORM=C44+045+C46 I5U: FORM=148*12 A7: TEXT="proportion plain hand knit"
FORM=D444+D45+D46 B7: VALUE=0.25
FORM=E44+E45+E46 A&: TEXT="proportion fancy hand knit"
FORM=F44+F45+F 46 BS: VALUE=0.25
FORM=644+645+646 AY: TEXT="proportion set machine knit”
FORM=H44+H45+H46 : VALUE=7.5E-4 B9: VALUE=U.15
FORM=1444+145+146 2: TEXT="plain hand knitting” A10: TEXT="proportion preset machine knit"
TEXT="profit” 2 FORM=b1/C2 610: VALUE=0.35
FORM=B43-B47 2: VALUE=1 Alt: TEXT="batch storage customer hand"
FORM=C43-C47 : FOKM=B2*C2 B11: VALUE=0.25
FORM=D43-D47 : TEXT="fancy hand knitting” Al2: TEXT="batch storage customer machine"
FORM=E43-E47 P FoRM=D1/C3 B12: VALUE=0.1 F
FORM=F43-F47 VALUE=U.8 C12: FORM=B7*B11+B8*B12
FORM=G43-G47 > FORM=33*C3 A13: TEXT="batch storage one-off hand"
FORM=H43-H47 : TEXT="designer set machine knit" B13: VALUE=5E-2
FORM=143-147 : FORM=01/C4 C13: FORM=02*B7 +05 *B8+D4 *59+D5*B10
: TEXT="cumulative profit" : VALUE=5 A14; TEXT="batch storage one-off machine”
: FORM=B48-826 FORN=84*%¢4 814: VALUE=1E-2
: FORM=850+C 45 : TEXT="preset program machine knit” C14: FORM=B7*813+b8*814
: FORM=C50+D48 >: FORM=D1/C5 A15: TEXT="new customers per month"
: FORM=D50+E48 : VALUE=20 B15: VALUE=14
MONTH 1 MONTH 2 HONTH 3 MUNTH 4& MONTH 5 MONTH 6 MONTH 7 STEADY
number of customers 5 15 26 35 42 47 52 7U
customer workload total 50U000uU 150UU00 26U0000 3480000 4184000 4747200 5197760 7OUUUU0
one-offs workload total 1600000 1600U00 16v0000 16000U0 1600000 160UU0U0 160uU00 16UUUUU0
batch types current 53 130 235 362 065 635 1UU00
workstations 2
Customers knitting receipts
Custoniers storage receipts
One-offs knitting receipts
one-offs storage receipts
income total
Overheads
knitters’ payroll
PAYE overheads
costs total
profit
cumulative profit
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 115
Calcstar
Plannercalc
Mike Lewis compares two successful spreadsheet packages
OF THE SCORE or so spreadsheet packages
available for CP/M-based micros
Comshare’s Plannercale and Micropro’s
Calcstar are among the most successful.
Plannercalc is a low-cost no-frills program
aimed at the occasional user. Calcstar is
far more sophisticated and can meet some
very demanding requirements.
To evaluate these two packages I tried
them on a very simple problem — a profit
analysis of the sort that might be used by a
wholesaler. I wanted to enter a list of the
products normally held in stock together
with their cost prices, selling prices and the
volume of average monthly sales. I
expected the software to tell me how much
gross profit I am earning on each product.
The calculations involved are trivial:
subtract cost price from selling price to get
profit-per-unit then multiply this by
volume of sales to get total profit.
Nevertheless, this is a problem that is
highly suitable for a spreadsheet package
especially when a large number of items
are involved. You realise its value every
time a price changes and you can see
immediately the effect on your
profitability.
If you are a WordStar user the Calcstar
screen will look familiar. Micropro has
followed its usual practice of placing a
very brief command menu at the top of the |
screen, which you can switch on and off at |
will. Below this is a window into the data, |
which can scroll in four directions.
The window shows part of the
worksheet, which is simply a grid made up
of rows and columns. The rows are
numbered consecutively and the columns
are identified by letters A, B, C up to DW.
Any cell can be referenced by a simple co-
ordinate, such as A2 or DS.
Entering the data for my profit analysis
was simplicity itself. You place the cursor,
actually a pair of reversed angle brackets,
into the appropriate cell then type the
required value. You can move the cursor
by using a set of WordStar-like control
keys. Alternatively you can press the tab
key then type the cell’s co-ordinates.
It took only a few moments to type my
stock numbers, item descriptions, pack
types, prices and volumes. A cell can
contain either text or figures and the two
116
might be freely mixed. You can make the
text left-justified, right-justified or
centred.
The next step was to tell Calcstar to
work out the figures for unit profit
margin. I moved the cursor to the first cell
| in the margin column, cell E3, and typed |
the formula: D3 — C3, selling price minus |
cost price. The margin figure for the first
item appered in the cell. I then used the
Copy command to reproduce this formula |
in every cell in the column, which puts the
margin figure for every item in the
inventory.
To execute a Calestar command such as
Copy you enter a semicolon followed by |
the command’s initial letter. The program
prompts for any further details, such as
the co-ordinates of the cells to be copied. |
In this case I typed:
JC Este4 > E8/R
It may not be particularly readable but at
least the typing is kept to a minimum.
The R in this command means that the
| ordinates so that they always apply to the
correct row.
figures for overall profit except that here
the formula was E3*F3, margin times
average sales. Finally I obtained the total
profit for all items by moving the cursor to
cell H10 and entering:
SUM(H3>H8)
Sum is one of several arithmetic
functions that you can use in formulae.
Others are: Max; Min; Avg, mean
average; Sqrt, square root; and Cnt,
count of the number of items in a list.
These are in addition to the normal
arithmetic operators like plus, minus and
multiply.
| A useful Calcstar feature is that you can
| evaluate formulae completely independ-
ently of the spreadsheet. If you had a
| sudden desire to know the square root of
127 you could type SQRT(127) followed
| by a question mark, and the answer would
appear at the foot of the screen.
co-ordinates in the formula being copied |
are relative to the original location. |
Calcstar automatically adjusts the co- |
Figure 1. Calcstar screen layout.
-Cursor Movement-~ | -Commands-
<CR> Right {A Auto F Format
“S Left “D Right |C Copy G Goto
“E Up “X Down |D Delete H Help
“Z Col A next row |E Edge I Insert
Col> [A
:>Stock No < Description
2 AL345
: A2376
Manilla 3 x 6
White 3 x 6
DL Window
DL Self-Seal
Cartridge 9x6
Manilla C4
[ENVSTOCK] cursor: current:
current| |
data It
type:
contents:
edit:
*Stock No’
One of the commonest uses of this type
of model is to see what happens when
things change. Suppose your selling prices
| -Misc-
* Extend[@ Curs Pos
Lock |? Evaluate
Space |~ data Togl
Goto |<ESC>Cancel
3; folowed by
L Load R Recale
M ‘Merge S Save
O Order W What
P Print
text, left justified
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
The same technique produced the
go up but your sales volumes go down. |
You can enter the new figures then use the |
Calcstar Recalculate command, Enter ;R.
All the formulae associated with the model |
are re-evaluated and you can see your new |
profit figures in an instant.
Naturally it is important to be able to
save the spreadsheet on disc. The Calcstar
Save command, ;S, writes the entire model
to disc — text, calculated values and
formulae. You can specify a password to
| protect confidential work.
The Save command also allows you to
store a sub-array, that is any rectangular
section of the grid, not necessarily whole
rows or columns. This ability to deal with
sub-arrays is one of Calcstar’s greatest
strengths. You can use it to join two
worksheets together, to superimpose one
set of data on to another, or to print a
report made up of different parts of one or
several models.
Having saved my Calcstar model I put it
to one side and turned to Plannercalc. The
two packages were at first sight very
similar. However, I found Plannercalc
much more difficult for setting up my
profit analysis, and I quickly came up
against some of its limitations.
The first problem with Plannercalc is
that you cannot enter text into the
spreadsheet. So I had to leave out all my
descriptions and pack types. The best you
can have is a 12-character label for each
row and column. The label must contain
capital letters or digits only without any
spaces, though you may use apostrophes
instead, which does nothing to improve
readability.
Entering these labels is rather long-
winded as is entering values and formulae.
I had to set up my first stock item as
follows:
LINE 1 A1345 = 4.50, 5.75, , 230,
and so on for each product in the
inventory. To specify the formula for
' -
}
Figure 2. Plannercalc screen layout.
MODEL NAME: TOPLEDGE
QTR’1
10175.0
6975.0
2000.0
1200.0
576.0
624.0
500.0
1124.0
2000.0
-876.0
-876.0
QTR’2
SALES
cocs
ADMIN
PRE’ TAK
TAXES
AFT* TAX
oe oe
oooooooceccnoe
DEPREC
CASHFLOW
CAP” INVEST
NET’ FLOW
K OW ON TRUE WR
oe 2 ee ee
ae
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
MEMORY=23
14683.0
7095.0
2000.0
5588.0
2682.2
2905.8
550.0
3455.8
2200.0
1255.8
=—Modelling: (}/ =="
profit margin you type:
COLUMN 3 MARGIN = COLUMN 2 -
COLUMN 1
Even underlining requires a command
like:
UNDERLINE LINE 6
whereas in Calcstar you simply move the
cursor to the appropriate cell and
underline it.
The Plannercalc spreadsheet does not
alter during the typing of these com-
mands. You must first type Execute, at
which point the formulae are evaluated
| and the values and labels are displayed in
the grid. F
Although somewhat tedious, the
Plannercale approach has an important
advantage — it is much easier to follow the
logic of the model. You can get a printout
of all the commands and because they are
in a language that loosely resembles
SIZE=5
ENTER COMMAND
QTR‘3
15898.0
9876.0
2000.0
4022.0
1930.6
2091.4
600.0
2691.4
1610.0
1081.4
1461.2
QTR’4
17011.0
11735.0
2000.0
3276.0
1572.5
1703.5
650.0
2353.5
1900.0
453.5
1914.7
YEAR
57767.0
35681.0
2000.0
14086.0
6761.3
7324.7
2300.0
9624.7
7710.0
1914.7
2879.7
| English it is quite simple to check them.
I later discovered that you can get away
with typing the first three letters only of
each command, which saves a lot of time.
Unfortunately, this fact is given the
briefest possible mention on the manual
and you can easily miss it.
The commands themselves are adequate
for most simple models, as are the
operators and functions that can be used
in formulae. Apart from the usual
arithmetic operations you can raise values
to powers and determine natural
| logarithms and exponents. As in Calcstar
there are functions for extracting minima,
maxima and mean averages. There is also
a Grow By function that is handy for
compound interest calculations.
The weakness of all these features is that
they can only operate on entire rows or
columns. By contrast Calcstar works quite
happily with individual cells and groups of
cells, and it allows you to mix formulae
and data types within a column or row.
Plannercalc is much more restrictive and I
feel that this is a major drawback of what
would otherwise be a very usable system.
Another advantage of Calcstar over
Plannercalc lies in its ability to link with
other software systems, which it does in
two ways. Firstly, it can print a
spreadsheet, or part of one, to a disc file.
The file is a standard ASCII text file that
can be processed by Wordstar or any
similar word processor or text editor.
The other method is to convert the
Calcstar spreadsheet into a comma-
delimited file with one record for each row
| and one field for each cell. This is the file
format used by other Micropro products,
such as Datastar, Mailmerge and
Supersort. It can also be read by dBase II
and Microsoft Basic.
But one area in which Plannercalc
scores is its extensive Help system. It is
almost a separate package with its own
menu and over 80 screens of narrative and
(continued on next page)
UNE
| million in 10 years time.
Calcsiar —
Plannercalc
(continued from previous page)
operating instructions. It certainly makes |
Calcstar’s two screenfuls of Help look
pitiful.
Another plus for Plannercalc is its
ability to handle split screens. It is useful
for working on two areas of the
spreadsheet at the same time, without
having to constantly scroll between them.
You can specify either a horizontal or
vertical split at any column or row, but not
both at the same time. The display on one
side of the split stays constant while the
other side scrolls. Calcstar has a similar
facility but it is more limited.
There are more specialist uses of
spreadsheets. One widely-used modelling
technique is .linear regression which
attempts to predict values of a variable
according to known values of a different
type of variable. Calcstar is particularly
strong in this area.
Say you are an ice-cream vendor and
you have noticed that your daily sales are
related to the temperature at midday. You
could enter your sales for the last 10 days
into Calcstar along with the corresponding
temperatures. The Calcstar Regr function
would then determine the linear equation
that best fits these values.
Three more Calcstar functions would
| then be available for answering vital
questions: Proj for ‘‘What sales can I
expect for a given temperature?’’; Depd
for ‘‘What must the temperature be to
achieve a given level of sales?’’; and Slope
to find out ‘‘How many extra sales can I
expect for each rise in temperature of one |
degree?’’
Another popular technique is dis-
counted cash flow. It is used to compare |
the returns on different types of
investment by giving a higher weighting to”
returns that come in earlier. The principle
is that £1 million next year is better than £1 |
Plannercalc has a neat way of doing this
type of calculation. Its NPV function
determines the net present value of a series
of expenditures against a series of returns
for a given discount rate. Of course, you
could do the same calculations in Calcstar
but not quite as easily.
Unfortunately the manuals of both
packages leave a lot to be desired. Both are
badly organised and difficult to follow.
The Calcstar manual has plenty of
examples but it is useless for quick |
reference. The Plannercalc manual is
printed in very small type and the index is
skimpy, to say the least.
Given its sophistication plus the
marketing skills of Micropro it is not hard
to see why Calcstar has been so successful.
The package is widely available from |
computer shops and software vendors,
118
expect to pay around £120.
The early success of Plannercale was |
due almost entirely to its low price. The
package originally cost £39, so it was
cheaper for a company to buy it unseen
than to send a highly-paid executive to a
and although the price varies you could |
| demonstration. Comshare’s strategy was
to start the customer on Plannercalc, then
to allow him to trade it in for the more
powerful Masterplanner which costs £245.
Today Plannerclac costs £85. You can
buy it from dealers throughout the
country or direct from Comshare at
£99.50 which includes postage and VAT.
The Masterplanner trade-in offer was
terminated in February.
Conclusions
@ Both Calcstar and Plannercale may be
used for a wide range of spreadsheet ap-
plications, but Calcstar is by far the more
powerful of the two. It is flexible, easy to
| Figure 3. Calestar report.
Envelope Stock List
C.P.
Description Pack
Manilla3 x 6
White 3 x 6
DL Window
DL Self-Seal
Cartridge 9 x 6
Manilla C4
4.50
4.95
5.55
5.90
6.20
7.45
Box
Box
Band
Band
Cell
Box
Total profit All Lines 1137.50
Figure 4, Logic for a typical Plannercalc model.
DATE: 1ST JUNE 1983
HEADING 1 = THE TOP LEDGE COMPANY INC
HEADING 2 = CASH FLOW STATEMENT
LINE 1 SALES = 10175,14683,15898,17011,
LINE 2 COGS = 6975,7095,9876,11735,
LINE 3 ADMIN = 2000 FOR 4
UNDERLINE ADMIN
LINE 4 PRE’TAX = SALES - COGS - ADMIN
LINE 5 TAXES = GREATER OF 0 OR PRE’TAX * .48
UNDERLINE TAXES
LINE 6 AFT’TAX = PRE’ TAX — TAXES
LINE 7 DEPREC = 500,550,600,650,
LINE 8 CASHFLOW = AFT’TAX + DEPREC
LINE 9 CAP’INVEST = 2000,2200,1610,1900,
UNDERLINE CAP’ INVEST
LINE 10 NET’FLOW = CASHFLOW - CAP’ INVEST
CUM NET’ FLOW
LINE CUM’FLOW =
COLUMN 1 QTR’)
COLUMN 2 QTR“’2
COLUMN 3 QTR‘3
COLUMN 4 QTR’4
COLUMN
SIZE = 5
WIDTH = 10
SIGNIFICANCE = 6
| low-cost introduction to modelling for the
5 YEAR = SUM OF QTR’1 THRU QTR’4
Modelling: C?/M="
use and likely to satisfy the most deman-
ding user. ,
@A major advantage of Calcstar is that
data can be exchanged with many other
application packages, including products
in the Micropro range such as WordStar,
Datastar and Supersort.
e@Calcstar also allows you to join
worksheets together or to prepare reports
made up from parts of one or more
models.
@ Plannercalc is much more limited and
lacks flexibility. It is adequate for occa-
sional use, and it would provide a useful
first-time user. But you can expect to |
outgrow it quickly.
@Plannercalc commands are generally
more long-winded to use than Calecstar’s.
But the more limited package — Planner-
cale — does have the better help facility.
@ The standard of documentation of both
packages is poor.
$.P. Margin Av. Sale Profit
5.75
6.25
7.00
‘7.45
7.90
8.45
1.25
1.30
1.45
1.55
1.70
1.00
230
320
145
220
35
82
28.75
416.00.
210.25
341.00
59.50
82.00
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
WINNING TREBLE
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suit your requirements. PRISM 80
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The new MicroPrism printer is produced for
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correspondence quality and 110 cps data
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The MicroPrism will also accept letter
headed or pin feed paper.
PRISM 80 & 132
Small but efficient the Prism 80 &
132 Matrix printers are right on target. ideal
for personal and business use, producing
a quality performance every time.
Both provide the speed you require,
operating at up to 9600 baud and printing at 200
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Optional features include high
resolution graphics, 250 sheet hopper
and FULL COLOUR.
PRISM 132
Dealer enquiries welcome
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Tel. Tring (0442 82) 4011/5551 International Tel.+ 44 44282 4011/5551
Telex: 82362
Associated Companies GADC/CAE/ME
@ Circle No. 187
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 Wie
| IF YOU BUY a business microcomputer one |
| improved and a_ whole
of the programs supplied with it will be an
electronics spreadsheet. If no spreadsheet
is available that computer is crossed off
your shopping list. This program, more
than any other apart from word
processing, has made the microcomputer
come of age. And the microcomputer that
started things off was the Apple.
Not that Apple produced this original |
electronic worksheet. Software Arts was |
first to supply the program and the micro |
chosen was the Apple II. If VisiCalc had
not been available for the Apple, its
dramatic sales growth may well have been
stunted. Today, VisiCalc is but one of a
whole range of spreadsheets for the Apple
and similar microcomputers.
From a single program, things have |
producing the product has been renamed |
VisiCorp. The original package has |
become a whole range of inter-related
programs with the common prefix Visi.
On the horizon is another leap forward,
VisiOn, which could have the same impact
as the Apple Lisa, launched earlier this
year and soon to be available in small |
quantities.
For all its sophistication, VisiCalc has
never been easy to use. I was introduced to
it over a year ago and until recently didn’t
use it. It is not that there is anything wrong
with the product, rather that the
demonstration didn’t really make things
clear enough.
A year later I was offered the
Opportunity of examining the newest
electronic worksheet, Multiplan, and
rather than look at it in isolation decided
to compare its approach and features with |
VisiCalc.
In the short time I didn’t get on with
VisiCalc things had changed dramatically.
The product was being constantly
sub-industry
appeared. Books appeared telling you how |
to get the best from VisiCalc, and special
courses appeared on mastering it.
Companies started to produce hardware
and software to extend VisiCalc’s
possibilities. There was a course supplied
on floppy discs under the name of Cdex —
MICROSOFT
MULTIPLAN
120
VisiCalc
Multiplan
developed so fast that now the company | Neville Ash examines the one that started it all alongside
its competitor from Microsoft.
which actually claimed to teach VisiCalc
and to refresh people who do not use it |
every day. So an initial comparison of two |
spreadsheets became a three-way |
operation: VisiCalc, VisiCalc plus Cdex,
and Multiplan.
VisiCalc and Multiplan have one thing
in common — they work. But how they
work and whether they are the product
you have been looking for is another
matter. As spreadsheets they offer a wide
range of features, some so specialised to
have only a limited appeal to many
readers. Even so, how you approach them
is important.
Where these products are available for |
16-bit micros there is provision for having
a far larger working area. In the case of |
VisiCalc, this can already be done with the |
Apple II using products produced by
independent hardware and software
companies.
Instead of listing features shared by |
VisiCalc and Multiplan, I have
concentrated on the features which are
exclusive to each of the programs, features
which would be desirable if added to the
other package.
Cdex and VisiCalc both work on the |
normal 40-column setting of the Apple II.
Multiplan offers the choice of using a 40- |
or 80-column display, but must first be |
booted up in the 40-column mode. The
package of Cdex indicates that it can be |
used with 16-sector disc drives and 40 or 80
| columns, but the program only worked on |
40 columns. With an 80-column Videx |
| card plugged in, the red light stayed on |
| and the disc drive just continued to whirr.
Cdex consists of a manual and three
5.25in. floppy discs. After booting up disc
1 you must indicate whether an Apple II+ |
| or Ile is being used, mainly because of the |
extra function keys fitted to the Ile.
The main menu for disc 1 offers the |
following options:
A — How to use this program.
B — Key terms you will need to know.
C — Moving the cursor on the worksheet. |
D — Labelling columns and rows. }
| A — Using commands.
| VisiCalc, Cdex soon clears them up.
E — Entering values and formulae.
F — Working with functions.
In each case the explanation given is
simple, easy to understand and finishes
with a test to make sure you have
understood what has been explained. If
the answer is correct the musical reply and
comments on the screen indicate success.
However, in each case there is the option
of leaving the program, skipping a
question, getting some hints and returning
to the menu. You have the choice of
completing as many or as few questions as
you wish depending on your progress.
Disc 2 follows the same system and has
five choices on the menu:
B — Saving/retrieving your work.
C — Printing your work.
D — Replicating the concept.
E — Replicating the process.
To learn about Visicalc, it is best to
work through disc 1 and then disc 2. If
someone who has a basic understanding
needs an update, then this is covered on
disc 3, which has six options plus return to
VisiCalc:
A — Using commands.
B — UslIng built-in functions.
C — Key worksheet terms.
D — Entering tabels.
E — Entering values. |
F — Entering formulae.
V — Return to VisiCalc.
After I had worked through discs | and
2 VisiCalc seemed far more under-
standable. To complete the package there
is a Cdex manual containing 62 pages. If
you have any hang-ups about using
Unlike VisiCalc, Multiplan is supplied
on two discs: a boot disc and a program
disc. Multiplan needs the 48K of the
Apple, plus the 16K of the language card
or extra RAM card. Logically starting
with disc I, I loaded it and switched on,
only to be presented with the message: |
Not Multiplan Boot Disk |
so I replaced it with disc 2 to see:
Insert system disk and press Return or |
press ESC for utillties.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| by mistake.
CORRECT |
The display area includes the top two lines
of the screen.
t
¢@ >
+
Columm...---+-.
Display Area. .
Work Are=
ea
ea]
fs)
These utilities appear on a menu with five
choices:
1. Copy diskettes.
2. Initialise new data diskette.
3. Terminal configuration.
4, Exit utilities.
5. Copy Multiplan boot diskette.
The main option of interest is the
Terminal configuration. As Multiplan
gives the option of either a 40- or |
80-column display, pressing 3 produces a
list of seven different choices. After
selecting the option, you reinsert the boot
disc to allow the program to adapt to this
change, and a message then appears:
Insert System Disk
The size of memory available for the
Multiplan model is 20K, so the theoretical
size of the electronic worksheet is a
massive 63 columns by 255 rows. The
| amount that can actually be used in
practice is far smaller. Rather than see this
as a drawback with Multiplan, just divide
the model into smaller units, and use the
commands to link different modules.
The individual cells containing specific
information and calculations can be
protected so that they cannot be cancelled
Columns and rows in
calculations using VisiCalc appear as a
combination of letters and numbers like
| Al, BI] C4, etc. Using Multiplan you can
have
Sales - Overheads = Profit
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
fo
@.X.V.2 @
Cdex offers valuable help for newcomers to
| spreadsheets.
As an incentive for the user who wants
to change over from VisiCalc, Multiplan
lets you use your existing VisiCalc files.
Existing data can be used with functions
that are not available on VisiCalc.
In the 80-column mode there are seven
| columns and 19 rows on the screen, while
the 40-column mode displays four
columns by 18 rows. When the program
has been loaded there is 20K available in
the 40-column mode, and slightly more
| than 21K when in 80 columns. VisiCalc
| has 19K using the 48K Apple, but when the
16K RAM card is added the space
available for the VisiCalc worksheet
increases to 34K. Quite a difference.
To move the cursor you press Ctrl plus
another character for left or right, up or
down. All four characters are close
together. Typing H for the Help feature
| almost takes the place of having a manual
at all. This feature sets Multiplan apart
from VisiCalc, together with the facility of
using 40 or 80 columns and the extra
features not available on the earlier
product.
Unlike Multiplan, VisiCalc is supplied
on a single disc and can be removed from
booted up. The program copy is
protected, so there is no possibility of
making a back-up. As VisiCalc only works
in the 40-column mode with the Apple, it
appears to have been left behind by
Multiplan. Certainly the new program
does have features not available with
VisiCalc, but equally the originator of the
spreadsheet shouldn’t be considered just
on face value.
| Now VisiCalc is the centre of a complete
electronic-spreadsheet industry where
buying the program is just the start.
VisiCorp has produced a complete range
| of compatible programs extending the use
of the information used in the VisiCalc
| models. The hardware and software
| companies have produced a range of
accessories which offer far more features,
| the drive once the program has been |
and cope with many of the features that
are offered by Multiplan.
It was more difficult to use than
Multiplan, until I discovered Cdex and
then learned to use VisiCalc very quickly.
The drawbacks of the 40-column display
and size of the model when compared with
Multiplan’s facilities have been solved by
other companies.
One of the leading companies in the
field is Vergecourt, which has produced
both hardware and software products to
extend VisiCalc. The Super Expander 80.2
provides an 80-column display plus three
new commands, Local, Overwrite and
Format +. Combine this package with a
Ramex 128K memory-expansion board
and you can create a 138K model.
Whether you want the latest state-of-
the-art spreadsheet package or the
trendsetting VisiCalc package, before
| making a final decision take the following
steps. Examine what you want to do and
would like to be able to do with a
minimum of bother. Then see a dem-
onstration of the chosen package. Unlike
programs that you take home and use right
away, the electronic spreadsheet is too
| sophisticated to be judged on price alone.
If you expect the new product to
eliminate the old stager, forget it. Things
are never that simple and if they were the
number of software products would drop
dramatically. Working out financial
spreadsheet models requires concentration
and a knowledge of exactly what you want
to do. If you don’t bother to understand
the sophistication of either package, your
results will be a let down.
Multiplan offers more in its basic form
than VisiCalc, plus a greater ease of use, a
built-in help facility and a choice of 40- or
80-column display. VisiCalc still has the
edge with the number of programs and
accessories that make it the heart of a
financial spreadsheet system. Some of the
extra features of Multiplan are available
through the independent products
available for VisiCalc, though these extra
features make the total investment in
VisiCalc higher than Multiplan.
Suppliers and prices
Multiplan: Microsoft U.K., Bulbourne House, |
Gossoms End, Berkhampstead,
Hertfordshire. Telephone: (04427) 75091.
£179.
VisiCalc and all Visi products: Rapid Recall
Ltd, Rapid House, Denmark Street, High
Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Telephone:
(0494) 26271. £164.
Cdex: Computer Resources & Technology
Ltd, Alpha House, Rowlands Way,
Manchester M22 5RG. £59.95.
VisiCalc utilities: Saturn extra memory
boards and VisiCalc accessories. Pete &
Pam Computers, New Hall Hey Road,
Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4
6JG. Telephone: (0706) 227011.
VisiCalc expansion:80 columns, 16K, 128K
memory expansion. Vergecourt Ltd, 17
Nobel Square, Basildon, Essex SS13 1LP.
Telephone: (0268) 728484.
121
Modelling: Apple™==
MICROMODELLER is an extremely powerful
planning tool that goes far beyond the
familiar VisiCalc-type packages. Not so
much a spreadsheet system, it is more like
a high-level programming language
designed specifically for professional
planners, economists and management
accountants.
By the same token, Micromodeller is
not the best software for the occasional
user or for one-off applications. It can
take considerable effort to learn, and
setting up new jobs can be time-
consuming. The package comes into its
own when the volumes of data are very
high or when the same model is going to be
used many times.
| modeller
Jobs that are suitable for Micro-
include strategic planning,
economic modelling, investment analysis
and detailed budgeting for large
companies. The software runs under
CP/M and CP/M-86, and there is also an
Apple version. The version | have been
using is tailored for the Sirius | and is
distributed by ACT Pulsar.
The package consists of a number of
modules:
@An editor which you use to set up
Micromodeller programs, data and
command files.
@ A compiler which converts your source
program into an internal format.
@ A data-entry module; you can enter data
via the keyboard or from an external tie.
@ A run-time module which interprets and
executes interactive commands.
@ A report generator.
@A job processor which allows you to
hold a sequence of commands on a disc
file for execution as a batch.
The best way to use Micromodeller is at
two levels. First a skilled user designs the
model, writes and tests the programs, and
sets up a job file. He or she then hands this
over to a non-technical user who actually
operates the model. At this lower level the
user does not need to know anything
about Micromodeller itself, only about the
immediate application. If necessary, the
model can be made menu-driven.
Imagine, for example, a program that
models the performance of your
company. The programmer, or model
designer, would define the many
relationships — such as sales less cost of
122
| values, tests the effects of changes on these |
|
sales equals gross profit. The end-user
could be the company’s accountant or
financial director, who supplies the actual
values, requests reports, and so on.
A Micromodeller program addresses a
large area of memory called the
workspace. It has some 13,000 locations,
or cells, each of which is identified by row
and column co-ordinates. Naturally, the
workspace cannot be held entirely in
Package for the
professionals
Mike Lewis looks at Micromodeller, designed for high-level planning and analysis.
1 are multiplied by the contents of each
cell in column 9, with the results stored in
each cell of column 8.
The language has a vast number of high- |
level functions. Many of them are
| especially relevant to financial planning,
| such as internal rate of return and loan
RAM; most of it overflows to disc though |
the user does not need to be aware of this.
Although the programming language is
straightforward, the instruction format
can be a little confusing until you get the
hang of it. For example, Micromodeller
interprets an integer as an address,but if
the number has a decimal point it is treated
as an actual value. Thus
10 = 2 * 3/100.0
means that row 2 is divided by row 3 then
multiplied by 100, with the results stored
in row 10.
The distinction between
columns is usually a matter of context.
The statement:
COL 8 = 6ROW1 *9
means that the contents of column 6, row
rows and |
amortisation. One very useful feature is
table look-up. You can define various
types of tables, then extract values from
them according to reference values.
Having written the program, you use
the editor to put it on to disc. It is an
ordinary line-oriented text editor: apart
from the fact that it can be invoked from
Micromodeller command level, it is
independent of Micromodeller and could
be used for any type of text file. Like
CP/M’s Ed and Microsoft’s Edlin, it
| works by appending a sequence number to
each line. When you insert or delete a line,
the lines are automatically renumbered. I
have always found this method confusing
and [| prefer to do most of my
Micromodeller editing with a full-screen
editor such as WordStar.
The next step is to compile the program, |
which is achieved by a simple instruction
at command level. The process only takes |
Who's Who in the market?
You can expect some confusion in the distribution arrangements for
Micromodeller. The package is an American one, launched originally for
the Apple by Ferox Microsystems. A CP/M version quickly followed. The
North American marketing was undertaken by technical publisher
Addison-Wesley; in 1981 Intelligence U.K. took over distribution for the
rest of the worid.
Earlier this year, Ferox announced plans for a London office, from
where it would market an upgraded version of Micromodeller called
Micro-DSS. Intelligence plans to continue as the main distributor of the
original package, or rather of its own upgraded version. Meanwhile
Intelligence is thought to be thinking seriously about setting up its own
selling arm in the U.S. and Ferox is said to be renegotiating its contract
with Addison-Wesley. To add to the confusion, ACT Pulsar is busily
selling a 16-bit version for the Sirius 1. ACT is offering the package at
£595, which is £50 less than Intelligence’s advertised price.
Intelligence U.K. claims over 4,000 Micromodeller installations, many of
them in large companies that used to do their modelling on expensive
time-sharing systems. There is also an active user group, based in
London.
Intelligence U.K. Ltd is at 271 Kingston Road, London SW19; telephone
01-543 3711. ACT (Pulsar) Ltd is at 24 Highfield Road, Edgbaston,
Birmingham; telephone 021-455 7000.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
A rr LLL SSD
eee
| Micromodeller
| which simply displays
a few moments. Of course, if you alter a |
program afterwards you have to compile it
again.
Before you can run the progam you
have go go through data-entry stage.
run the same model with different values.
For example, you could write a program
that forecasts cash flow then run it with
data from a number of different
companies.
Data may be entered from the keyboard
or from an external file, and it is possible
to combine data from different sources.
| Another useful feature is the ability to
define temporary data: you can key in
specific values to test their effect, then
wipe them out and restore the original
values.
The actual running of the model is
achieved by the Cale command, which
executes a specified program on the
supplied data. There is also a QCalc
command, which runs slightly faster by
omitting certain run-time checks.
Micromodeller provides three methods of
presenting the results of the run, of which |
the most powerful is called formal
reporting.
The formal reporting function is really a |
highly sophisticated report generator, as |
good as any that I have seen on a micro.
one. You write a report-specification
| program that is held on disc and which
may be run at any time, using whatever
data is currently held in the workspace.
There is virtually no limit to the way
that you can define a report. Text and data |
may be freely mixed, and there is plenty of |
scope for headings, subheadings,
page breaks, and so on. it can include
| escape sequences to take advantage of any
special features of the hardware, such as
expanded print.
The problem with all this is that, like the |
model itself, report programs are quite an
effort to set up. However, there is an
alternative method called quick reporting
or prints a
rectangular portion of the workspace. It
does no editing and includes no text except
for any labels that were defined in the
original model.
keeps data completely |
separate from programs, so it is easy to |
| Again the approach is a programming |
The third method of seeing the results of |
conventional spreadsheet program. You:
can tell it to display any rows and columns
of the workspace, not necessarily adjacent
ones. There is no scrolling; the only way to
move the window is to type in further row
or column numbers.
A few of the normal Micromodeller
| commands are also available in Dataview.
You can enter temporary values,
recalculate the model and immediately see
the results on the screen. This is not quite
as powerful as it may sound because you
cannot, at this point, alter the actual
| model itself. To do so would require you
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| amodel is called Dataview, a subsystem of |
| Micromodeller which looks similar to a |
Micromodeller commands.
AF — Add saved data to the existing
data in the workspace.
BEEP — Ring the bell at the console.
C — Clear the screen and home the
cursor.
CALC — Run the model.
CHANGE — Change selected cells by a
fixed amount or a percentage.
CLEAR — Set workspace to zero.
CL — Compile.
COL — Change the number of columns
in the workspace.
CONVERT — Switch command entry
between capitals and lower case.
COPY — Copy a file.
DATAVIEW — Enter Dataview
subsystem.
DBF — Divide each cell by saved
values.
DEC — Number of decimal places for
Scan, Print and QR.
DESTROY — Delete a file.
DIR — Display a disc directory.
DISK — Change the default drive.
DIV — Divide selected rows by a row or
constant.
EDIT — Invoke the text editor.
END — Exit Micromodeller.
EXTRACT — Put selected saved data
Into the workspace.
GD — Put a saved matrix Into the
workspace.
GEN — Invoke a Gen program.
1D — Use a specified text file as data.
JOB — Run a batch of commands from
a file.
MBF — Multiply each cell by saved
values.
MULT — Multiply selected rows by a
row or constant.
PDIR — Print a disc directory.
PRINT — Print a rectangular portion of
the workspace.
QCALC — Run the model, but without
certain range checks.
QR — Quick report of part of the
workspace. :
REPORT — Run a report program.
RET — Return to Micromodeller from
Dataview or editor.
SAVEREP — Like Report, but creates
text file on disc.
SCAN — Display selected row names.
SD — Save the model on disc.
SF — Subtract saved data from existing
data In the workspace.
SIMULT — Run the model for
simultaneous relationships.
SL — Shift all columns leftward.
SR — Shift ail columns rightward.
to amend your original program and
recompile it.
Two final features of Micromodeller are
designed to take the end-user even further
away from the technical aspects of the |
software, leaving him or her free to |
concentrate on the model itself. The Job |
command is used to execute a frequently |
used series of commands from a disc file.
You can use it, in limited circumstances, |
to automate an entire modelling session. |
The Gen function, which is really an
interactive language in its own right, sits |
on top of the normal Micromodeller |
language and commands. It ‘enables the |
programmer to create menu-driven |
Modelling =="
TD — Enter temporary data.
TV — Enter a single value without
affecting other values.
UL — Invoke a model.
UPDATE — Update selected columns
without affecting other values.
WS — Print a data-entry sheet.
Program Functions.
SUM — Total of several rows or
columns.
COL — Address a specific column
within a row.
ROW — Address a specific row within a
column.
ROUND — Use rounded values.
TRUNC — Use truncated values.
POWER — Raise to a power.
% — Express a value as a percentage.
ABS — Returns the absolute value of
an expression.
LOOPCOL — Calculate column by
column rather than row by row.
ENDLOOP — Cancel the previous
Loopcol.
MIN — Returns the lesser of two rows,
column by column.
MAX — Returns the greater of two
rows, column by column.
THRU — Define a look-up tabie.
LOOKUP — Retrleve a value from a
look-up table.
LAG — Use row values shifted to the
right.
LEAD — Use row values shifted to the
left.
SPREAD — Apply spread factors to
each value in a row.
CUM — Accumulate values within a
row.
NPV — Compute net present value.
NPVPERPET — Compute net present
value for a perpetual cash flow.
MULTINPV — Compute net present
values for different discount rates.
{RR — Compute Internal rate of return.
{RRPERPET — Compute internal rate of
return for a perpetual cash flow.
PAYBACK — Compute the pay-back
period for a cash flow.
DEPR — Compute depreciation
according to specified rules.
SYD — Compute sum-of-years-digits
depreciation.
INTEREST — Compute interest on
mortgage-type loan.
PRINCIPAL — Compute principal and
total payment on mortgage-type loan.
BALANCE — Compute remaining
balance on mortgage-type loan.
LOSSCF — Compute year-by-year tax
loss carry-forward.
systems and to run entire sessions by
means of simple prompts and answers.
Two ancillary products have recently
been announced by Intelligence U.K. Micro |
Linkline, which costs £395, transfers data
between Micromodeller and other systems.
It was originally intended for users to
download their models from time-sharing
bureaux, but it can be used independently
of Micromodeller. Micro Graph Power
converts Micromodeller data to graphical
Output via a digital plotter, and costs £410.
It can produce pie charts, histograms, time-
series graphs and several others. In-
telligence U.K. also offers Modeller 11, a
version for the PDP-11 under RSTS.
123
ae GALAXIAN
AIPLIIN §.
= “= ee = Maz
HARDWARE SELECTED SOFTWARE
; x ATARI COMMODORE 64
peed pile li ys pad Oe ah A « & Attack At Ep-Cyg-4 -1E-16K-KF54J £34.95 Temple Of Apshai (Part 1) -1D-BC57M £27.45
wi ( ) 00% fo] “Baja Buggies -1C-16K-KB74R £2295 Upper Reaches (Part 2) -1D-BCS58N £13.80
Atari 800 with 48K RAM (AF02C) £399.00 % |=. Candy Factory -1D-32K-KF53H £21.95 Curse Of Ra (Part 3) -1D-BC59P £13.80
All above with BASIC and handbooks . Claim Jumper -1E-116K-KB67X £34.95 Sword Of Fargoal -1D-BC60Q £20.75
5
5
Atari Cassette Recorder (AF28F) £50.00 . Detender -1E-16K-KF10L £29.95 Crush, Crumble & Chomp -1D-BC61R £20.7
Atari Disk Drive (AFO6G) £299.95 eee Toe RECO oe Jump Man -1D-BC62$ £27.4!
48K RAM for Atari 400 (AF44X) £99.95 rogger eee : DRAGON
48K Upgrade for 400 — (AF45Y) £99.95 - Lippe Eee Berserk -1E-BC32K £19.95 |
Commodore 64 (AF56L) £339.00 * Gort ~1E-16K-KB44X £3495 — Black Sanctum -1C-BC78K £7.95
‘ Hellfire Warrior -1C-32K-KFO2C £27.45 Dragon Trek -1C-BC82D £9.95
16K RAM for VIC20 (AF53H) £59.95 2
e ) ; _K-razy Shootout -1E-8K-BQ63T £3495 Galax Attax -1E-BC79L £19.95
ommodore Cassette (AF48C) £44.95 Moon Shuttle -1C-16K-KF22Y £2750 Quest -10-BC41U £7.95
Commodore Disk Drive (AF50E) £299.99 Pac-Man -1E-8K-BQ71N £29.95 Wizard War -1C-BC83E £7.95
Dragon 32 (AF57M) £199.50 Paint eee ae Plus 30 other titles for Dragon
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Cassette Cable for Dragon (BC31J) £2.95 \ ~1C-16K-KBO7H £21.95 THe Hobbit (48K) -1C-BCaBV £14.95 |
Epson Printer MX80F/T (AF40T) £447.35 [| Saw speech Synth IGsCKBIER £07 19 Timegate (48K) -1C-BCBQW £6.95
MENTA (XG28F) £115.00 Ped - P y Space Intruders (16K) -1C-BC90X £4.95
; Ke Se am ohamus ~TE-16K-KB90X £34.95 Meteor Storm (16K) -1C-BC91Y £4.95
Floppy Disk (YX87U) £2.50 SS Softporn Adventure -1D-40K-BQ93B £20.64 — Gross Player (48K) -1G-BC92A £6 95
5 C12 Data Cassettes (AF61R) £199 Starcross -1D-32K-KB37S £29.95 ¢ Bakoiay ak) “1C.BC93B £4.95
Joystick Controller (AC53H) £7.50 \ eee We eke 8 oe 25 uv :
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va eueR iran) peste ee 22 Zork | -10-32K-BQ94C £2995 Crush, Crumble & Chomp (+16K)
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Full details all above in MAPLIN catalogue. Zork III -1D-32K-KB31J £29.95 Datestones Of Ryn (+16K) -1C-KK13P £13.80
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elivery next day by Datapost F i onster Maze -1E- :
y y by p \ Plus over 280 other titles for Atari. Senmania “1E-KK14Q £27 45
IO MMO . Soa Rescue At gel (16K) 1G-KKOB) £2078
MICROWRITER 4 tem NY Swora'81 Fargoat(s16K) 16 -KkORK £20.75
Tank Arcade -1C-KH18U £11.95
The new hand-held word processor 4 Plus 80 other titles for VIC20
that eliminates the need for a typist. / 2] * Disk versions also available though price
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Microwriter (AF62S) £485 + £72.75 VAT® with details of all programs added since
Complete Word Processor Package . AUTHORISED ATARI Maplin catalogue.
(Microwriter. printer and lead) q SERVICE CENTRE WN Order As XH52G Issue 4.
i ol pt
i i ae oe . ~ N The brilliant new colourcomputer |}
REESE Sa eaeen
— ; ae NS | A superb new home computer
= If your order contains over £120 worth of [2% J with one of the most powerful
computer hardware apply now for interest [:] colour video processors
free credit by telephoning: Mail-order jee available. An incredible 32
(0702) 552911. London Shop: 01-248 0926. sprites simultaneously
Birmingham Shop: 021-356 7292. Southend INQ sand 16K of RAM
shop: 0702 554000 or write to P.O. Box 3, dedicated to graphics
Rayleigh, Essex SS6 8LR. = alone. Powerful Z80A
You pay 10% down, then 10% per month fe (3.5MHz) main processor. Three
for a further nine months (to nearest ea tone generators and noise
penny). oe generator all with envelope control like a
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mini-synthesiser. Complete with BASIC and superb handbooks
Credit quotations on request. This offer f 4
subject to approval which can take up for beginners. All this for just £189.95 (AF64U)
to 48 hours (APR = 0%). - oo - —
Maplin Electronic Supplies Ltd., Mail Order: P.O. Box 3, Rayleigh, Essex
SS6 8BLR. Tel. Southend (0702) 552911 (Sales).
Demonstrations at our shops NOW.
159-161 King St.. Hammersmith, W6. Tel. 01-748 0926. 284, London
Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. Tel. (0702) 554000. Lynton Square, Perry
Barr, Birmingham. Tel. (021) 356 7292.
All goods delivered in UK mainiand carriage paid, but add 50p if total
order less than £5 except catalogues. Orders including items marked *,
delivery next day by Datapost.
Subject to availability. All prices include VAT unless shown. Prices
es 3 <— | correct at time of going to press
@ Circle No. 183
124 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Mapsoft full colour catalogue.
Price £1 Incl. post. Maplin
catalogue contains full details
of all hardware and lots of
software. On sale now in ail
branches of W. H. Smith, price
£1.25 or £1.50 incl. post from
PO Box 3, Rayleigh, Essex.
| ATOMCALC |
| Runs on: Acorn Atom; 12K
Disc or cassette: 4K ROM
Columnsi/rows: 62/255
Graphics capabllity: No
Report generator: No
Supplier: Acornsoft, 4a Market Hill,
Cambridge CB2 3NJ. Telephone (0223)
316039.
BUSICALC
Runs on: Commodore Pet, Vic-20, 64; 16K
Disc or cassette: either
Columnsjrows: varies
Maximum number of cells: 2,000
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: No
Price: £40 :
Supplier: Supersoft, Winchester House,
Canning Road, Wealdstone, Harrow,
Middlesex. HA3 75J. Telephone: 01-861
1166.
CALCRESULT
Runs on: Commodore 8000, 64; 32K
Columns/rows: 64/254 j
Maximum number of cells: 12,800
Graphics capability: Yes
Report generator: Yes
Price: £99
Supplier: Kobra Micro Marketing, PO Box 28,
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1PF.
Telephone: (04912) 2512.
| CALCSTAR
Runs on: CP/M, Apple. Il, Tandy; 56K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columns/rows: 63/36
| Maximum number of cells: 600
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: Yes
Price: £150
Supplier: Micropro, 31 Dover Street, London
W1. Telephone: 01-499 5777.
EASICALC
Runs on: Sharp PC 1500; 8K
Disc or cassette: cassette
Columns/rows: 26/99
Maximum number of cells: 305
Graphics capability: No
Report generator. No
Price: £19.95
Supplier: Elkan Electronics, Freepost,
Prestwich, Manchester M25 6LZ.
Telephone: 061-798 7613.
EASYCALC
| Runs on: Commodore 64; 64K
| Columns/rows: 64/264
Maximum number of cells: 16,800
Graphics capability: Yes
Report generator: Yes
Price: £75
Supplier. Commodore, 675 Ajax Avenue,
Slough, Berkshire. Telephone: (0753) 79292
| IMPS
Runs on: CP/M; 48K
Disc or cassette: disc
‘Maximum number of cells: 2,500
Graphics capability: Yes
Report generator: Yes
Price: £280
Supplier: ldeal Computer Systems, 2
Cambridge Road, Kingston, Surrey KT1
3JU. Telephone: 01-549 3463.
MULTIPLAN
Runs on: Apple Il, CP/M, MS-DOS; 56K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsi/rows: 63/255
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: No
Price: from £179
| Supplier: Microsoft, Bulbourne House,
Gossoms End, Berkhamstead,
Hertfordshire. Telephone: (04427) 75091.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
MASTERPLANNER
Runs on: CP/M; 64K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columns/rows: 1,000/5,000
Maximum number of cells: 7,000
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: Yes
| Price: £245
Supplier: Comshare Ltd, 32-34 Great Peter
Street, London SW1P 2DB. Telephone:
01-351 4399.
MICRO-FINAR
} Runs on: CP/M, iBM PC, MP/M, DEC
Professional, MS-DOS; 64K
| Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsirows: unlimited
Maximum number of cells: 32,000 on 999
spreadsheets
| Graphics capability: Yes
Report generator: Yes
| Price: £750 single user; £950 MP/M
Supplier: Corporate Modelling Consultants,
Friendly House, 21-24 Chiswell Street,
London EC1Y 4UD. Telephone: 01-920 0041.
| LOGICALC
Runs on: Appie Il, IBM PC, Corvus Concept;
64K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsi/rows: 127/255
Maximum number of cells: 32,385
Graphics capability: No
| Report generator: Yes
Price: £195
| Supplier: Keen Computers Ltd. 6 Giltspur
Street, London EC1. Telephone: 01-236
5682.
PEACHCALC
Runs on: IBM PC, CP/M; 44K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsi/rows: 63/256
Maximum number of cells: 16,000
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: Yes
Price: £200
Supplier: Peachtree Software Ltd, 43/53
Moorbridge Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Telephone: (0628) 32711.
PLAN 80
| Runs on: CP/M, MS-DOS, CP/M-86; 56K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsirows: rule-based
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: Yes
Price: £250
Supplier: Lifeboat Associates, PO Box 125,
London WC2H 9LU. Telephone: 01-836
9028.
PLANNERCALC
Runs on: DEC, Hewlett-Packard, Osborne,
Xerox; 64K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsi/rows: 128/512
Maximum number of cells: 900
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: Yes
Price: £85
Supplier: Comshare Ltd, 32/34 Great Peter
Street, London SW1. Telephone: 01-351
4399.
PRACTICALC
Runs on: Commodore 64, Vic-20; 16K
Disc or cassette: cassette or disc
Maximum number of cells: 2,000
Graphics capability: Yes
Report generator. No
Price: £24.95 tape, £29.95 disc
Supplier: Marketing Micro Software Ltd,
Goddard Road, Whitehouse Industrial
Estate, Ipswich, Suffolk. Telephone: (0473)
462721.
|
|
SCRATCH-PAD
| Runs on: CP/M MS-DOS; 48K
Disc or cassette: disc
| Columns/rows: unlimited
Maximum number of cells: unlimited
Graphics capability: No
| Report generator: No
Price: £140
Supplier: The Software Source. Telephone:
01-387 8832:
SPREADSHEET ANALYSIS
Runs on: Dragon 32, BBC; 32K
Disc or cassette: cassette
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: Yes
Price: £19.95
Supplier: Gemini, 9 Salterton Road, Exmouth,
Devon.
SUPERCALC
Runs on: Sirius, IBM PC, CP/M, MS-DOS; 64K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columns/rows: 63/254
Maximum number of cells: 2,400
Graphics capability: on Supercalc II
Report generator: on Supercalc !!
Suppiler: Xitan Systems Ltd, 23 Cumberland
Place, Southampton SO1 2BB. Telephone:
(0703) 334711.
THE SPREADSHEET
Runs on: ZX Spectrum, 48K
Disc or cassette: cassette
Columnsi/rows: 26/99
Maximum number of cells: 800
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: No
Price: £9.95
Supplier: Microl, Freepost, 31 Burleigh Street,
Cambridge CB1 1BR. Telephone: (0223)
312452
T/IMAKER
Runs on: CP/M, Apple Il, MS-DOS, PC-DOS;
48K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsirows: 25/300
Graphics capability: Yes
Report generator: Yes
Price: £165
Supplier: TCL Software, 59-61 Theobalds
Road, London WC1. Telephone: 01-402
8137,
UNICALC
Runs on: Unix, 8080-based machines, !BM-
PC, CP/M, CP/M-86; 64K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columnsi/rows: 64/255
Maximum number of cells: 16,320
Graphics capability: Yes
Report generator: Yes
Price: £130
Supplier: Lifeboat Associates, PO Box 125,
London WC2H 9LV. Telephone: 01-836
9028.
VISICALC
Runs on: a wide range of machines; 48K
Disc or cassette: disc
Columns/rows: 63/254
Maximum number of cells: 7,000
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: No
Price: £170
Supplier: Rapid Terminals Ltd, Rapid House,
Denmark Street, High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire. Telephone: (0494) 26271.
VUFILE
Runs on: Sinclair Spectrum, ZX-81; 16K
Disc or cassette: cassette
Graphics capability: No
Report generator: No
Price: £8.95
Supplier: Sinclalr Research; available in High
Street shops. Q
125
Modelling: spreadsheet survey==="
FORMCALC is a versatile, general-purpose
mathematical program for use on the
ZX-81 with 16K RAM. It lets you work on
large quantities of data which may be
from commercial, industrial or scientific
applications.
Raw data is entered in columns, and
formulae can be entered above each
column for the results to be calculated |
| below. Data can be manipulated either by
making individual changes or by changing |
all of it in a variety of controlled ways.
Results of calculations can be sorted in
ascending order and returned to the
Original input sequence. ‘‘What if’’
facilities are built in so that all results can
be recalculated after changing the input
data.
All data and results are automatically
stored on tape under the Save command.
There is also the option of storing only the
formula if the program is to be used for
specific calculating routines.
The program is written in Basic and
should be run in the Fast mode. No
machine-code routines are used, so delays
of up to 15 seconds can occur on the Shift
commands. A total recalculation can
usually be completed within 30 seconds | \
156 print the column numbers at the top of
even on the most complex projects.
The program is set out in modular form,
the modules being linked by lines 170 to
295. The first- part of the program, up to
line 165, is concerned with setting up the
screen display and initialising the
variables. Line 35 dimensions the ‘string |
that will hold the formula to be entered
later, which may be up to 50 characters
long. If more are required this line should
be changed accordingly. Line 37 dim- |
ensions the string that will hold the
column headings, up to a maximum of six
characters.
Line. 40 dimensions the subscripted
variable that holds all the figures that will
be printed on the worksheet. Its usual |
4 REM
5 CLS
6 PRINT AT 5,10; "FORMCALC"; A"
7,10; "BY B.R.LAW";AT 9,10; "25/7
/B2";AT 13,0;"DO YOU WANT 1 NEW
WORKSHEET" ;AT 15,12;°2 STORED Dé
TA“;AT 17,125 °3 STORED FORMULA“
14 INPUT x
15 CLS
16 IF X$="2" THEN GOTO 1315
17 IF x%="3" THEN GOTO 2000
18 PRINT AT 0,0; "ENTER NO OF F
OWS REQUIRED"
20 INPUT N1
24 LET N=N1+1
28 PRINT AT 0,0; "ENTER NUMBER
OF COLUMNS REQUIRED”
30 INPUT M
31 PRINT AT 0,0;"HOW MANY COLU
MNS TO BE VISIBLE ON SCREEN“
INPUT C1
DIM As(M,50)
DIM H$(M,6)
DIM Q(N,M)
DIM C(M)
LET I¢=""
LET T=0
FOR v=1 TO C1
LET C(V)=(V"INT (30/C1)—-INT
“FORMCALC"
126
Formcalc
Brian Law introduces a real spreadsheet program
which runs on a 16K ZX-81.
appearance in the program listing will be
| Q(R,C) where R is used to define the row
number and C the column number. In the
special form Q(N,C), where N is the last
row, all the sums of columns are printed.
The subscripted variable C(V) in line 66
holds the value for the vertical print
position used in line 2305. It is initialised
in lines 65 to 67 and tailored to fit the
number of rows visible on the screen.
Line 70 is used where the number of
lines visible on the screen is being changed.
After going to line 800 to change the value
of Cl the program sends you back to 65 to
change C(V) and then to 1315 to reprint
the screen.
Lines 110 to 140 print the row number
down the side of the sheet. Lines 152 to
the sheet. The variable T, which usually
has a negative value, is used to determine
which column is to be the first one printed
on the screen. C1 holds the value of the
number of columns to be visible. Line 157
sends the program off to reprint column
headings following the CL command.
Lines
command which has been input in line 160
to send you off to the appropriate part of
Figure 1.
window length
C1
(21/C1)+1)
67 NEXT V
70 IF I$="CC"
74 LET J=0
76 LET K=0
78 LET S=0
go IF Is="T"
100 LET L=Ni
105 LET S=0
106 IF L>17 THEN LET L=17
107 PRINT AT 2,0
110 FOR xX=1 TOL
120 LET S=S+1
130 PRINT S
140 NEXT Xx
150 PRINT AT 0,0; “COMMAND?
OSNLS"R85" "SMsp"C"S" “SENT
(((PEEK (16386)+PEEK (16387) #25
6)-(PEEK (16412)+PEEK (16413) #25
6)) 7104.5) 4100; "K"
151 PRINT “====================
152 FOR C=1 TO C1
154 PRINT AT 1,(C#INT (30/C1))-—
INT (12/C1)5 "K"3C-T
156 NEXT C
157 IF I$="CL"
160 INPUT I$¢
165 PRINT AT 0,0;"
THEN GOTO 1315
THEN GOTO 1315
THEN GOSUB 430
the program. Line 299 sends you back to
the command line if the input is illegal.
If you are using 10 columns and only |
four are visible at a time, the program has
| to determine which four are to be printed.
Initially the screen is set up with the first
four columns visible as shown in figure |. |
If you wish to move the window to the
right you have to go to the shift routine.
Variable T in line 315 is decremented by 1
to become
becomes the front edge of the window,
that is V=1 when C=2 and T=-1.A
| similar line is needed in all program
170 to 298 respond to the |
sections to achieve the correct print
position.
The subroutine for the entry of single
values down a column starts at line 300.
Line 320 is the start ofthe input loop. Line
322 sets up the variable R1 which does for
rows what V does for columns. Line 330
prints a « in the position that the value will
be printed. Line 340 inputs that value,
with line 350 sending off for it to be
printed. Line 355 calls the scrolling once
- 1. Since the window is being |
moved one place to the right, column 2 |
the maximum number of rows has been |
reached on the screen.
Line 325 is used to enter the formula
variable V
170 IF I$="T° AND N1<16 OR Is="
B" AND N1<18 THEN GOTO 150
180 IF I$="T" THEN GOTO 74
190 IF I¢="5" OR IS="8" OR I¢="
B" THEN GOTO 1300
200 IF I¢="8N" OR I%="SN° THEN
GOTO 1500
210 IF I¢="7" THEN GOTO 1930
220 IF I%="SORT" THEN GOTO 3000
230 IF I¢="RF" THEN GOTO 1600
240 IF I$="RR° THEN GOTO 1700
250 IF I¢$="S" THEN GOTO 700
260 IF I1%="C" THEN GOTO 300
270 IF I$="H" THEN GOTO 400
275: IF 1%="CC" THEN GOTO 800
THEN GOTO 1100
THEN GOTO 2000
THEN GOTO 5
I$="0" THEN STOP
I$="SAVE" THEN GOTO 3500
I$<>"5" THEN GOTO 150
REM enter individual values
PRINT AT 0,0;”"ENTER COLUMN
I$="CH"
neue
Ser
INPUT C
PRINT AT 0,0; “ENTER VALUES
315 LET v=C+T
320 FOR R=1 TO Ni
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
eS eS SS |i
Q(R,C) into the column so that if the
| column has been occupied by values
entered under the RF command, sub-
sequent operations of the RR command
return values to this column from the |
original RF command formula. Lines 400
to 425 allow you to enter headings above
columns by asking you which column, line
402, what heading, line 410, and then
calling for printing.
Line 422 is used to avoid going back to
line 150, which significantly improves the |
response time for the command. Lines 430
to 460 are only used after a CL command
has been used, and will reprint the column
headings above the cleared sheet.
Lines 700 to 790 add all the values in a
column and load the result into Q(N,C). |
Line 755 looks at the value of V; if it is not
on the screen it is not printed. Line 770
sends you back to the recalculation routine
if that is where you have just come from.
Lines 800 to 830 allow you to change the
number of columns visible on the screen
by changing the value of C1. Lines 900 to
920 allocate a special formula to the
specified column to allow a progressive
sum to be made.
Lines 1100 to 1190 allow you to change
values previously entered. Line 1112 looks
to see if there is a formula in A$(C) for this
column and, if there is, it will print a
warning; changing a value derived from a
formula will automatically overwrite the
formula with Q(R,C).
Line 1118 asks for the row number and
number to be changed, and line 1180 sends
off for summing if the column had
| previously been summed.
Lines 1300 to 1380 produce the Left and
Right shifts of the window, the variable T
being adjusted at lines 1305 and 1310. Line
1330 sends off for the heading to be
| printed, if there is one. Line 1335 looks to
| No entries in that column to print.
see if A$(C) is empty; if it is then there are
LET R1=R-K
LET A$(C)="Q(R,C)"
IF R1<1 THEN GOTO 340
PRINT AT R1+2,C(V);"#"
340 INPUT Q(R,C)
345 IF Ri<i THEN GOTO 360
350 GOSUB 2300
352 IF R=Ni THEN GOTO 150
355 IF Ri>16 THEN GOSUB 1900
360 NEXT R
370 GOTO 150
400 REM column headings
402 PRINT AT 0,05"“COLUMN NUMBER
405 INPUT C
407 LET V=C+T
410 PRINT AT 0,0; “COLUMN HEADIN
5"
415 INPUT H$(C)
417 IF V<1 OR V>C1 THEN GOTO 42
2
420 GOSUB 2350
422 PRINT AT 0,0; "COMMAND?
425 GOTO 160
430 PRINT AT 2,0;"
‘
435 FOR C=ABS T+1 TO ABS T+C1
440 IF C>M THEN RETURN
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Line 1340 sends off for printing values
in the rows and line 1355 will omit the
printing of the sum if none exists. Lines
1500 to 1530 allow variable T to be
changed to specific values related to a
specified column to be displayed on the
screen first.
Lines 1600 to 1695 allow the formula to
be entered for each column, and then
calculate the results for each row. This
calculation is carried out at line 1650. Line
1685 changes the formula from R to
Q(R,C) in order to help the user keep track
of the original row sequence when R is
being used in a sort. Under these
circumstances, if the formula were left as
R then use of the RR commands after a
sort would result in the R values being
restored to their original order. The
second part of line 1685 stops this formula
odelling: 2X-3) ===
|
substitution if R is used as part of a
formula.
Line 1690 sends for summing if the
column was previously summed. Lines
1700 to 1770 recalculate all the columns.
Line 1705 will omit recalculation of a
column if it holds only input data or is
empty.
Line 1735 temporarily holds the value in |
Q(R,C) and then compares it with the
recalculation at line 1750. In this way
| printing is avoided if there is no change in
the value.
Lines 1800 to 1895 code the formula |
from the form K1/S1 to Q(R, 1)/Q(N, 1); it
is far easier for the user to use S1 instead
of Q(N, 1). Line 1810 transfers the formula
Figure 2.
ENTER COLUMN NO TO BE SUHMED
pont 1 cee 2 angus: 5 emmommeeemtey oS ee
POONRUF Whe
445 IF H$(C,i TO 2)=" “"
OTO 455
447 LET V=C+T
450 GOSUB 2350
455 NEXT C
460 RETURN
700 REM sum value of a column
705 PRINT AT 0,0; “ENTER COLUMN
NO TO BE SUMMED"
710 INPUT C
7i2 LET vV=C+T
71S LET Q(N,C)=0
730 FOR R=1 TO N1
740 LET Q(N,C)=Q(N,C) +Q(R,C)
THEN G
750 NEXT R
755 IF v<i OR V>C1 THEN GOTO 77
°
760 GOSUB 2400
770 IF I¢$="RR" THEN GOTO 1765
790 GOTO 150
BOO REM change column spacing
6810 PRINT AT 0,0;"HOW MANY COLU
MNS TO BE VISIBLE”
820 INPUT Ci
630 GOTO 65
900 REM progressive sum
910 LET AS$(C)="Q(R,C-1) 4+ (R<C>1) *
Q(R-1* (R<>1) ,C)”
920 GOTO 1635
to an ordinary string to avoid the problem
of working with a subscripted string of
great fixed length. Line 1820 checks
whether the end of the string has been
reached, in which case it will send off to
line 1890 to transfer the encoded formula
to AS$(C) before returning to the RF |
routine.
Line 1825 looks at each character in the
(continued on next page) |
Use of the RF command.
K1+K2. Adds column 1 to column 2
K1—K2. Subtracts column 2 from col-
umn 1
K1 * K2. Column 1xcolumn 2
K1/K2, Divide column 1 by column 2
K1/S1 * 100. Divide column 1 by the
sum of column 1
PI « (K1 * * 2)/4. Formula for area of
circle where column 1 holds the
diameter
R. Prints row number
R « .1. Prints row number x.1
10+(R-—1). Increments the value of 10
10-—(R—- 1). Decrements the value of 10
10+(R—-1) * .1. Increments the value
of 10
10-—(R—1) « .1, Decrements the value
of 10
10/1.1 * 1.1 * * R. Increments the
value by 10 percent of previous value.
10/.9 * .9 * * 12. Decrements the value
by 10 percent previous value
P. Progressively sums the previous
column. ;
K1x 1.1. Increases the existing values
in column 1 by 10 percent. If this for-
mula Is used on column 1 itself, it
must be neutralised afterwards.
Figure 3.
ENTER COLUMN NO TO BE SuHMHED
A < Smet
wroA CENTS ETA 2
te 2 ae G.25 Bik?
2 2 aa 6.25 G.ga
235 0.25 Leadg
4 4 o.25 LES
Ss s ®.25 2.36
6 6 @.25 2.85
2 @.25 3.3
8 68 9.25 3.20
9 3 @.25 4.25
19 1 0.25 4.72
1100 REM change a value
1102 LET X$="y"
1105 PRINT AT 0,0;"ENTER COLUMN
NUMBER"
1110 INPUT C
1112 IF AS(C,1 TO 6)<>"Q(R,C)" A
ND AS$(C,1 TO 2)<>" “ THEN PRINT
AT 0,0;"rf# column still change!
y\n ”
1114 IF AS(C,1 TO 2)<>" “ AND A
$(C,1 TO 6)<>"Q(R,C)" THEN INPUT
x
1116 IF x$<>"Y" THEN GOTO 150
1116 PRINT AT 0,0;"ENTER ROW NO
AND NEW NUMBER SS
1120 INPUT R
1125 LET R1I=R-K
1130 LET V=C+4+T
1140 INPUT Q(R,C)
1150 LET AS$(C)="Q(R,C)"
1160 IF V<1 OR V>C1 OR Ri<1 ORR
1>17 THEN GOTO 11860
1170 GOSUB 2300
1180 IF Q(N,C)<>0 THEN GOTO 715
1190 GOTO 150
1300 REM left\right shift
1305 IF I$="5" THEN LET T=T-1
1310 IF I$="68" THEN LET T=T+1
1312 IF Is="B” THEN LET K=N1-17
(listing continued on next page)
Ike7e
Formcalc
(continued from previous page)
' formula to determine whether it is an S or
a K; if it is not it goes to 1860 to be
transferred to C$ as it is. X$ is then
allocated an N or an R to be used later to
compile either Q(R,?) or Q(N,?). Line
1840 looks for functions so as to
determine the number of digits following
the S or the K and sends off to 1845 in the
case of two digits and 1875 in the case of
one digit. Lines 1850, 1865 and 1885
increment X so that the search through the
string can continue.
Lines 1900 to 1930 scroll the screen
when the C command is in use and the last
of the visible rows has been reached. Lines
1930 to 1998 scroll the screen in response
to the 7 command and print the next row
of values at line 1985.
Lines 2000 to 2035 clear the worksheet
of all data but leave the formula intact. At
line 2009 Q(R,C) is set to zero, but because
a formula may require a number to be
divided by the sum of acolumn, all cleared
sum values are given value of .001. This
ensures that when next used the column
will be summed and hence be usable in any
formula.
Lines 2300 to 2410 are the print
routines. The printed result is rounded to |
two decimal places.
Lines 3000 to 3100 make up the Shell-
Metzner sort used to sort columns in
ascending order. It will sort on a specified
column and also allow you to decide which |
columns will follow the sort. This last
feature can be useful for saving time, and
it is accomplished in the loop starting at
line 3074. All columns between X and Q
will follow the sort.
Line 3500 saves the program and
ensures that it will start automatically
when loaded.
(listing continued from previous page)
1313
1315
1320
1322
IF I¢="B"
CLS
FOR C=ABS T+1 TO ABS T+*C1
IF C>M THEN GOTO 1367
1325 LET V=C+T
1330 IF H$(C,1 TO 2)2<>" “
GOSUB 2350
1335 IF AS(C,1 TO 2)="
OTO 1365
1340 FOR R=ABS K+1 TO ABS K+L
1342 LET R1=R-K
1345 GOSUB 2300
1350 NEXT R
1355 IF @(N,C)=0 THEN GOTO 1365
1360 GOSUB 2400
1365 NEXT C
1367 IF I$="T*
1370 LET S=S-L
1380 GOTO 107
1500 REM column at front
1505 PRINT AT 0,0; “ENTER COLUMN
NO TO BE AT FRONT"
1510 INPUT X
1520 LET T=1-X
1530 GOTO 1315
1600 REM formula entry
1605 PRINT AT 0,0;"ENTER COLUMN
THEN LET S=N1i
THEN
“ THEN G
THEN GOTO 105
128
Once loaded, the program will
automatically start and display a menu.
You are asked to enter 1, 2 or 3, depending
on what you require: | gives you a new
worksheet with all previously stored data |
cleared out; 2 reprints the worksheet as |
you left it when saved; 3 will give you a |
clean worksheet but previously stored |
formula will remain.
To start with you should enter 1. The |
display will then change and ask you to |
enter the number of rows required. Then |
enter 10, and the display calls for the |
number of columns required.
The maximum number is dependent on
the number of rows in use; approximately
1,100 individual locations can be used. For
four rows enter 4. The display now
changes to
ENTER NUMBER OF COLUMNS TO BE
VISIBLE ON SCREEN
Depending on the length of a number in
use the screen becomes cluttered above six
columns, so enter 4.
The screen should now look like the one
shown in figure 2. The word Command in
the top line indicates that the computer is
waiting for a command input which
should be one of those listed in table 1. |
The number of rows available is indicated
by 10R, and the number of columns by
4C. The amount of free memory
available is 8.06K. K1, K2, etc. are the |
column headings, and the rows are |
numbered down the left-hand side.
Figure 3 shows an example of the
program in use. In this case it is set up to
calculate the deflection of a steel bar fixed |
into a wall at one end and loaded at the
other with progressively larger weights. To
enter the headings, respond to the
command input by entering H and then 1,
to indicate that the heading is to be in
column 1, followed by the heading itself. |
The same procedure is repeated for the
| other three columns.
NUMBER"
1610 INPUT C
1617 PRINT AT 0,0; "ENTER FORMULA
INPUT A#(C)
GOSUB 1800
LET v=C+T
FOR R=1 TO N1
LET R1i=R-K
LET Q(R,C)=VAL AS(C)
IF v<1 OR V>OC1 OR R1<1 ORR
THEN GOTO 1680
GOSUB 2300
1680 NEXT R
1685 IF A$(C,1)="R" AND AS(C,2)=
“" THEN LET AS(C)="Q(R,C)"
1690 IF Q(N,C)<>0 THEN GOTO 715
1695 GOTO 150
1700 REM relcalculation
1702 FOR C=1 TOM
1705 IF As$(C,1 TO 6)="Q(R,C)" OR
AS(C,1 TO 2)=" “ THEN GOTO 176
3]
1710
1730
1732
1735
1740
1745
1>17
1620
1630
1635
1640
1645
1650
1660
1>17
1670
Vv=C4+T
R=1 TO Ni
R1=R-K
X=0(R,C)
Q(R,C)=VAL AS(C)
IF V<1 OR V>C1 OR R1<1 ORR
THEN GOTO 1760
To enter the values into the first three
columns respond to the command input by
entering C, followed by the column
number. Then enter the program
increments and the print position to the
next row until the final row has been
reached, at which time it will go back to
the command input.
The formula for the deflection of a steel
bar is
(4x load x length?*)/(30,000,000 x
diameter)
To enter this into the fourth column, enter |
RF, followed by the column number and
then the formula itself. The formula |
should be entered in form:
4 * K1 * K2 * * 3/(30,000,000 « K3 «x 4)
K1, K2 and K3 refer to the columns to be
used in the formula. When it has been
entered the screen will blank out for a few
Command inputs.
Functions.
C. Allows you to enter figures all down
a column. An entry is required for
each row and you cannot partially fill
a column. This command is the only
one where the column being entered
has to be visible on the screen. All
other commands will work on any
column, visible or otherwise.
CC. Used to change the column
spacing. By using this command and
then specifying number of columns to
be displayed, either more or fewer
columns can be put on display.
CH. Used to change Individual values In
a column.
CL. Used to clear the worksheet but
leaving any formula entered intact. It
is useful for storing just formulae so
that a frequently used calculation can
be done quickly.
H. Allows you to enter a heading above
each column which can have no more
than six characters in it. You will be
asked which column, and then for the
heading.
1750 IF X<>@(R,C)
oO
1760 NEXT R
THEN GOSUB 230
1763 IF Q@(N,C)<>0 THEN GOTO 715
1765 NEXT C
1770 GOTO 150
1800 REM formula encode
1805 LET X=1
1810 LET BS=A$(C)
1815 LET Cs=""
1820 IF X=LEN B$+1 THEN GOTO 189
o
1822 IF B*¢(X)="P" THEN GOTO 900
1825 IF BS(X)<>°"K"
“ THEN GOTO 1860
1830 LET X$="R"
1835 IF BE(X)<>"K" THEN LET X$="
N"
AND BS (X)<>"S
1840 IF BS(X+2)="*" OR BS(X+2)="
7" OR BS(X+2)=“He" OR BS (X42) ="4
" OR BS(X+2)="—" THEN GOTO 1875
1845 LET C$=C#+"Q("+X$4" "+B (X+
1 TO X#2)+")"
1850 LET X=X+3
1855 GOTO 1820
1660 LET C#=C$+Bs (Xx)
1865 LET X=X+1
1870 GOTO 1820
1875 LET C$=C$+"O ("+X $4", "+BE (X4+
1)+")"
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
seconds before
calculated result.
There are several easier ways of entering
values. For instance, in columns 2 and 3
returning with
where the same value could be entered |
down the whole column, the RF command |
could have been called, and instead of
entering a formula, enter the value.
Try this by entering another value for
the length, for example, RF, followed by
| 2, followed by 30. This changes the length
to 30 inches, but it has not changed the |
result in column 4. To do the recalculation
you use the RR command, which will go
through and recalculate everything.
| Another useful short cut is to use the
variable R as part of a formula. R is the
variable holding the row number, so
column 1 could have been entered using
the RF command simply by entering R in
O. Takes you into Command mode, and
hence the program listing.
RF. Used to enter a formula, the results
of which are printed in the column.
You have to specify which column the
result is printed in. Three main
categories of entry can be defined:
22.7 — single numbers can be
entered and will then be printed in
each row of the column.
(22.7 * 16.9)/ — Simple formula
consisting of numbers or numbers
and functions, the result being
printed on every row.
K1 *K2 — The value in column 1 is to
be multiplied by the value in column
2. This is carried out for each row.
K1/S1 * 100 — The value in columen 1
is to be divided by the sum of column
1 and then the result is multiplied
by 100.
Column 1 has to have been summed or
error code 6/1650 will result, because
you are trying to divide by 0. The
standard conventions apply, so if in
doubt use parentheses. Correct
syntax must be uSed or an error code
will result. If you do get an error code,
LET X=x+2
GOTO 1820
LET AS(C)=C%
RETURN
REM scroll routine
IF R1l+2>N THEN RETURN
LET K=K+1
LET S=S+1
PRINT AT 20,0;S
SCROLL
RETURN
REM scroll shift
LET J=J+1
IF S=N1i OR R=N1 THEN GOTO 1
LET R=17+J
LET K=K+1
LET S=S+1
PRINT AT 20,0;S; TAB 3;"
SCROLL
FOR C=ABS T+1 TO ABS
IF C>M THEN GOTO 160
IF AS(C,1 TO 2)=" *
OTO 1994
1980 LET V=C+T
1985 PRINT AT 19,C(V)3; INT
)*#1004+.5) 4100
1990 IF Q(N,C)=0 THEN GOTO 1994
1992 GOSUB 2400
T+C1
THEN G
(Q(R,C
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
the |
response to the request for a formula. Try
entering R+9 under the RF command in |
column 1.
This will give you the values for the load
of 10 to 19. Now use RR to recalculate. To
change individual values in a column the
CH command is used. It asks you for the
column and row number of the value to be
changed, and then the new number. Enter
each of these three numbers separately.
If you try to change a value in a column
generated by the RF command you will be
challenged and asked to reaffirm your |
request with a Yes or No answer. If you
change a value under these circumstances
the formula is removed to prevent the
changed value being changed back again |
during recalculation.
It is sometimes necessary to prevent a
formula from working under the RR
type in Goto 1315 to return to the
worksheet.
RR. Recalculates every item on the
worksheet if a change is made under
the CH, C or RF commands. If your
calculations are progessive, always
work from left to right or the RR
command will not work. ;
S. Adds up all the individual values ina
column and then prints the sum at
the bottom of the sheet. Once a
column has been summed, any
changes made to that column by any
of the other commands will
automatically result in the column
being resummed.
SAVE. Type in Save, start recorder,
press Newline and the program and
all data will be saved. If you only wish
to save the program you can save
time both saving and loading by
entering SC followed by 1,1,—1,-1
and Save. This will reduce the
program to its minimum size.
SC. Cleans out the worksheet
completely, removing ail data and
formulae.
Sort. Sort into ascending order all the
Modelling: ZX-81™===""
command. The circumstances under
which this applies are as follows:
@\lf a formula contains it own column
number followed by a +,—,*,/,* * ora
number of other functions.
@ !f a formula contains a random function |
used to set up figures down a column.
@ After a sorting operation.
If a column is not neutralised the next
operation of the RR command will change
the values in those columns and give
erroneous results. Neutralising means
entering as a formula as follows:
RF RF
2 or 13
K2 K13
The RR command will then see this
formula as telling it to take the values that
are in column 3 and put them in column 3
— that is, to do nothing to column 3.
values in a specified column. After
specifying the column to be sorted
you will be asked to specify the
columns to follow the sort, first Sort
from? and then Sort to?. The column
to be sorted has to be between the
specified columns.
Cursor functions.
5. The Left shift command, «on the
keyboard. Moves the displayed
columns one to the left.
8. As above but Right shift.
5N. Moves the display to the left so that
the column specified is at the front.
For example, entering 5N followed by
6 changes the display from columns 1
to 5 to columns 6 to 10.
8N. Moves the display to the right.
7. Scrolls the screen one row at a time
to bring into view those rows below
the current screen display. The
headings will gradually scroll off and
will not be replaced until the last row
is reached.
B. Takes you straight to the bottom 17
rows.
T. Will return you to the top 17 rows.
1994 NEXT C
1998 GOTO 160
2000 REM clear worksheet
2001 CLS
2006 FOR C=1 TO M
2008 FOR R=1 TO NI
2009 LET Q(R,C)=0
2010 NEXT R
2020 IF Q{(N,C)<>0 THEN LET Q(N,C
d=.001
2022 NEXT C
2035 GOTO 74
2300 REM print routine
2305 PRINT AT F1i+2,C(V); CINT (QC
R,C) #100+.5))/100;" "
2310 RETURN
2350 REM print headings
2355 PRINT AT 2,C(V) ;HS(C)
2360 RETURN
2400 REM print sum routine
2405 PRINT AT 20,C(V);CINT (Q(N,
C)#100+.5))7100;" "
2410 RETURN
3000 REM shell metzner sort
3001 PRINT AT 0,0;"ENTER COLUMN
TO BE SORTED a
3002 INPUT C
3003 PRINT AT 0,0;"SORT FROM?
. 3015
INPUT X
FRINT AT 0,0;"SORT TO? "
INPUT @
LET R=1
IF 2##R>N1 THEN GOTO 3025
LET R=R+1
GOTO 3010
LET F=2##R-1
LET F=INT (F/2)
IF F=0 THEN GOTO 1315
LET D=Ni-F
LET B=1
LET R=B
LET E=R+F
IF Q(R,C) >Q(E,C) THEN GOTO
3005
3007
3009
3010
3020
3025
3030
3035
3040
3045
3050
3055
3060
3074
3065
3070
3073
3074
3075
3080
3085
3087
3090
3095
3100
=500
3501
LET B=B+1
IF B>D THEN GOTO 3030
GOTO 3050
FOR wW=x TO @
LET T1=Q(R,W)
LET Q(R,W)=Q(E,W)
LET Q(E,W)=T1
NEXT W
LET R=R-F
IF R<1 THEN GOTO 3065
GOTO 3055
SAVE “FORMCALC"
GOTO 1
129
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
_An economic model, while not infallible, can be a useful guide to the consequences of
alternative policies. John Hudson looks at a model of the U.K. economy.
THE IDEA of reducing the complexities of a
modern economy into a relatively few
equations is not new, Yet in the U.K. its
practical implementation only began to
emerge in the 1970s when the Treasury
model began to evolve out of a series of ad
hoc equations. Since then the model has
grown to well over 700 equations
encompassing most aspects of the U.K.
economy. It has also been joined by
several other macroeconomic models,
representing both monetarist and
Keynesian views of the way the economy
works.
To date these models have only been
accessible on large mainframe computers.
But the growth in sophistication, size and
speed of microcomputers is bringing the
day nearer — indeed it may already be
Table 1. Equations of the model.
GDP = C+1+X-M+GVO+IS (7)
GDPFC = GDPK1+ITR) (2)
YDISP = GDPFC * (1-DTR) (3)
PSBR = GOV —-(GDP — YDISP)
= GOV-TOTAL TAXES (4)
the largest model on an ordinary personal
computer.
The advantages of doing so are great,
especially for students of economics, as
simulating a macroeconomic model can
bring the pages of a textbook to life in a
way that little else can. They can also be
used by businesses to forecast future
economic conditions. On a smaller scale,
simply increasing general awareness
amongst the public of the way the
economy works, its complexity and the
very real difficulties facing policymakers,
can do nothing but good.
However, such models are an
approximation to the way the economy
works, not an exact replica. Their
weaknesses reflect the weaknesses of
U, = Exp(12.77 — 1.29 LOG,(GDPFC,) — 0.00957T + 0.88 LOG,(U;.;) (5)
= 54.66 + 1,05P,., — 41.75(W/P),, + 2.0PIPD — 0.319T —3.41IPD — 1.80U", (6)
SP, =
= 1370+ 0.312DISP, + 0.57C, , — 108P,
— 0.2211 + 0.148W,,, — 0.72641PD + 0.009876PFRM, + 0.8135P,.,—0.16P*,., (7)
(8)
= 6631 +0. 571GDPFC, - 0. 000250(GDPFC,,, * COM, ,) + 30.51NSO, (9)
a — 4949 + 0.404GDP, + 0,000507(GDP, * COM,,,)— 10.089NSO, + 482CMD (10)
= 0.89 + 0.000838G0P, 70. 055(MSIP), + 0.00142PSBR, + 0. 00142PSBR, (11)
= ~588.02 - 31.4R,.. + 6.585P,., + 0.28GDPFC,.—18.19T (12)
Variables
GDP — totai expenditure
Cc — consumers’ expenditure
| — investment expenditure
X — exports
M — imports
GOV — government expenditure
IS — investment in stocks
GDPFC — a measure of output
ITR — indirect tax rate
YDISP — disposable income
DTR — direct tax rate
PSBR — a proxy for the public-sector
borrowing requirement
U — percentage unemployed
W — the wage rate
P — the price level
T — atime trend; in the final three
quarters of the simulation it takes the
values 68, 69 and 70
IPD — represents the effects of an
incomes policy
PIPD — represents the after-effects of
an incomes policy
PFRM — price of fuel and raw matertals
COM — the price competitiveness of
U.K. goods
NSO — represents the effects of North
Sea oil
MS — the money supply
R — rate of interest
CMD — represents the effects of
membership of the Common Market
here — when it will be feasible to put even | modern economics. There are some areas
of the economy that can confidently be
| explained, but in others such confidence
has little justification. A prediction from a
model should not be taken as infallible,
but merely as a guide as to what might
happen in the future, or what might have
happened had different policies been
pursued in the past. They can be used by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for
example, in helping to determine which set
of policies to pursue in the future, but they
cannot actually make the choice. They are
there to supplement the Chancellor’s
judgement, not to replace it.
The model which is described in this
article is very much smaller than the
Treasury model — although that is not
always a disadvantage and it
encapsulates many of the more important
linkages in the domestic economy. The
equations are listed in the program
between lines 5100-5340 and in table 1.
Equation | in this table is the national
income identity, which just states that
total spending in the economy is the sum
of its constituent parts, which are:
consumers’ expenditure; investment
expenditure; exports, less imports;
government expenditure; and investment
in stocks.
Equations 2 to 4 are also identities.
GDPFC is a measure of output and
YDISP is disposable income, that is the
money left in people’s pockets after
paying income taxes, etc. Equation 4
calculates a proxy for the public-sector
borrowing requirement, that is the
amount the government needs to borrow
| to finance any excess of its spending over
its revenue.
The first of the behavioural equations is
shown in equation 5. It links unem-
ployment to output, a time trend to
represent productivity growth, and
unemployment in the previous period. It
| therefore embodies two assumptions. The
first is that, other things being equal, an
increase in output will be associated witha
fall in unemployment; the second is that a
given level of output will take fewer
Modelling: economics"
The U.K. budget
on a micro
| The subscript t donotes the time period, and the asterisk * on the two variables in
equations 6 and 7 denotes that they are operative only when unemployment exceeds | : ‘
| 6.5 percent. A 5 preceding a variable denotes its rate of change: for example, dP, is the | Dr. John Hudson is a lecturer in |
rate of change of the price level, or inflation. | economics and econometrics at |
| the University of Bath |
(continued on next page)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1982 131
The U.K.
budget
| (continued from previous page)
workers to produce in successive time
periods
The next two equations are the most
difficult to model. Together they
determine the rate of inflation, which is |
perhaps the area present-day economists
are most unsure of. Equations 6 gives the
rate of wage inflation. It is broadly
Keynesian-inspired: wage inflation is
deterinined by expected inflation, which is
proxicd by actual inflation in the previous
period, and the deviation of wages from
some desired level. If wages have recently
fallen below this desired level, workers will
push for a wage increase to make good the |
difference.
Unemployment also effects the rate of
wage inflation, but only when it rises
above 6.5 percent, in which case high
1362 X(J,35)=24
100 DIM X(50, 40), Y(50, 40),2(20),C(30, 10)
VARIABLE
GDP AT MARKET PRICES
CONSUMPTION
INVESTMENT
EXPORTS
IMPORTS
INTEREST RATES
UNEMPLOYMENT
INFLATION
NEW VALUE OLD VALUE
28796.3
16438
5037.32
8969.73 8161
8336.84 7667
6.2142 6
4.97978 5.30763
16.4968 16.4966
27406
16154
2035
Figure 1. The model simulated: the results do not make pleasant reading.
unemployment will tend to damp down
wage increases. The effects of incomes
policies are taken into account, both
during the period when the policy operates
and immediately after it ceases to operate.
Price inflation is determined in equation
7 and is simply a function of previous
wage inflation, the rate of increase in fuel
and raw-material prices and past inflation
itself. Account is also taken of the effects
of incomes policies, although in this case |
there appear to be no after effects. As the
economy moves into a deep recession the,
influence of past inflation falls.
The remaining equations determine
different components of expenditure.
Equation 8 deals with consumers’
expenditure and is fairly standard. There
are, however, several points to note in the
following two equations which relate to
exports and imports. Both contain a price-
competitiveness term, relating U.K. prices
3.65 1370 REM COMMON MARKET DUMMY
10 PRINT @ (9,15), “*###MACRO ECONOMIC M 1380 X(J,36)=1
ODEL OF THE UK###+#” 1490 NEXT J
20 PRINT @ (11,20), "####BY DR. JOHN HUDS 1500 FOR J=5 TO N
ON# ###™ 1510 REM PRICE INFLATION
25 PRINT © (13,20), "**#**##UNIVERSITY OF BA 1520 X(J,19)=((X(d, 5) -X(J-4,5))/X(J-4,5)
THe # HH” #100
1530 REM WAGE INFLATION
1000 READ N,M 1540 X(U,17)=((X (5, 6)-X(S-4,6))/X( 5-4, 6)
1010 FOR I=1 TOM )#100
1020 FOR J=1 TO N 1550 REM RAW MATERIAL PRICE INFLATION
1030 READ X(J,1) 1560 X(J,22)=(XJ, 16)-X(J-4, 16) /X(J-4, 16
1040 NEXT J:NEXT I ))
1050 FOR I=1 TO & 1800 NEXT J
1060 FOR J=7 TO N 1810 REM INCOMES POLICY DUMMY
1962 IF J>7 THEN GOTO 1070 1820 FOR J=1 TO 8
1064 C(J,1)=1.0 1830 X(J,38)=1.0
1066 GOTO 1080 1840 NEXT J
1070 READ C(J,1) 1850 REM POST INCOMES POLICY DUMMY
1080 NEXT J:NEXT I 1860 FOR J=12 TO 15
1200 FOR J=1 TON 1870 X(J,59)=1.0
1210 REM UNEMPLOYMENT RATIO 1880 NEXT J
1220 X(J,20)=(X(Jd,7)/X(Jd, 15) #100 1900 REM UNEMPLOYMENT DUMMY
1230 REM PUBLIC SECTOR BORROWING 1910 FOR J=N-8 TO N
1240 XJ, 21)=K(d, 13)- (Kd, 10) =X6d, 129) 1920 X(J,23)=1.0
1250 REM INVESTMENT IN STOCKS 1930 NEXT
1260 X(J,24)=X(J, 10)-X(J, 1)-X(J, 2)-X(,1 1990 DATA 27,16
4)4X(d,3)-XC, 13) 2000 REM CONSUMERS EXPENDITURE
1270 REM REAL WAGE 2005 DATA 15960, 16123, 16190, 16235, 16267,
1280 X(J,18)=X(J,6)/X (5, 5) 16001, 16034
1290 REM DIRECT TAX RATE 2010 DATA 16154, 16394, 16854, 16939, 17230,
1300 X(J,50)=1-(X(d, 12) /X(d, 11)? 17199, 173989, 18358, 17698, 17964
1310 REM INDIRECT TAX RATE 2020 DATA 18120, 17729, 17831, 17870, 18032,
1320 Xd VSOX (ud, 1O0/ Kd, 119-21 17860, 17915, 17955, 17857, 17885
1330 REM TIME TREND 2050 REM EXPORTS
1940 X(J,34)=J+49 2055 DATA 7006,7142,7394, 7435, 7694, 7722,
1350 REM NORTH SEA OIL DUMMY 7885
1355 IF J>17 THEN GOTO 1362 2060 DATA 8161,7826, 7924, 8020, 8083, 8169,
1360 X(J,35)=X(J,34)-36 7402, 8756, 8374, 8491
1361 GOTO 1380 2070 DATA 8509, 8316, 8116, 8116, 7856, S017,
8211, 8337,7988, 8230
132
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
to world prices, which affects our trade
with the rest of the world only after a lag
of three and one quarters respectively.
These equations also contain a variable
proxying the effects of North Sea oil, and
the imports equation contains a dummy
variable capturing the impact of our |
membership of the Common Market.
The public-sector borrowing require-
ment is an important determinant of the
rate of interest in equation 11, which gives
the model a slight monetarist flavour to set
against the Keynesian origin of some of
| the earlier equations. The rate of interest is
then an important determinant of
investment in equation 12, as are inflation
and a time trend again reflecting
productivity growth.
Most of the coefficients in these
equations were estimated using ordinary
least-squares regression over the period
from the third quarter of 1965 to the
second quarter of 1982. However, some of
the estimated coefficients were modified
both to bring them in line with economic
theory and to improve the simulation
performance of the model, as is standard
practice in model building.
should be relatively straightforward to put
The program was written on a TRS-80
Model II System II 64K microcomputer. It
it on to another micro, such as the BBC.
The most important point to note is that
the Log terms in line 5160 are natural
logarithms, and for the BBC machine they
should be written as LN. Some of the Print
commands contain instructions to
position the output in a particular way and
may not transfer to other computers. In
this case the basic Print command may be
used.
There should be no problem with
memory size, at least for the BBC Model B
machine. However, if problems are
encountered, then the size of the program
can be reduced by deleting some of the
Rem statements. A copy of the full
program listing should be retained as a
guide to what the various equations and
data statements relate to.
The first part of the program reads
the data and does several data
transformations. Lines 2000 to 2760
contain the raw data which covers the |
period 1975(4) to 1982(2) and will allow |
simulation of the model between 1977(3) |
Modelling: econonic ===
and 1982(2). If you want to update the
data set, this could best be done by
referring to the Economic Trends Annual
Supplement, which can be found in most
reference libraries. ;
Lines 3996 to 4590 give an update on the
current position of specific target vari-
ables and then requests values. for next
quarter’s policy variables. There are four
such policy variables: government
expenditure, the money supply, direct
taxes and indirect tax rates. To help
choose appropriate levels the computer
first prints out the original values, that is
the values they actually took. Similarly, in
the printout on the current position the
simulations are compared with reality to
provide a basis on which to judge the
effects of any policy changes.
All the target variables are adjusted by a
correction factor which ensures that,
where no changes are made to the policy
variables, the simulated target variables
will also remain unchanged. If you want to
evaluate the performance of the’ model
without these corrections then thé
statement Goto 1200 should be inserted at
(continued on next page)
2080 REM IMPORTS
2085 DATA 7194,7108, 7668, 7710,7746, 7600,
7844
2090 DATA 7667,7448,7872,7800, 8076, 8010,
8143, 9082, 9042, 9052
2100 DATA 8793, 8914, 8360, 8076, 7688, 8261,
9243, 8895, 8695, 9048
2110 REM MONEY SUPPLY
2115 DATA 17080, 17940, 18530, 19100, 18980,
19540, 20530
2120 DATA 22020, 23180, 24250, 25090, 26010,
27020, 27580, 28250, 28950, 29470
2130 DATA 29360, 29950, 29800, 30730, 31880,
33000, 33410, 35710, 36570, 37530
2140 REM PRICE LEVEL
2145, DATA 107,110.9, 114.9, 117.6, 123, 129.
2,134.9
2150 DATA 137.0, 139.0, 141.4,145.3, 147.8,
150.3, 155.0, 160.7,171.4, 176.2
2160 DATA 184.6,195.3, 199.4, 204.2, 208.0,
218,.1,221,9, 227.4, 231,.1,238.5
2170 REM WAGE LEVEL
2175 DATA 192.6, 204.2, 211.5, 217.8, 219.3,
Zastay225.9
2180 DATA 228.7,231.2, 237.8, 260.6, 265.8,
273. 0,284.9, 292. 2, 299.9, 315.3
2190 DATA 334.9,348.3, 357.4, 366.6, 377.0,
385.5,391.1,396.4,403.7,410,5
2200 REM UNEMPLOYMENT
2205 DATA 1128.2,122.7, 1269.3, 1290.6, 130
7,3, 1331.5, 1352.5
2210 DATA 1400.1,1423.1,1412.7, 1390.9, 13
65.0, 1333.9, 1349.4, 1305. 2, 1266.8, 1287.1
2220 DATA 1361.5, 1493.8, 1719.7, 2015.4, 22
81.6, 2482.3, 2641.3, 2751.5, 2817.1,2877.5
2230 REM INTERNATIONAL PRICE COMPETITIVE
NESS
2235 DATA 99.4, 100.7,93.3, 92.8, 88.8, 96.4
199.1
2240 DATA 101.0,103.7, 107.3, 101,0,102.7,
102.9, 105.8, 113.5,121.6, 118.4
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
2250 DATA 125.6, 129.6,133.0,137.7, 141.4,
138.0,128.0, 127.5,130,6,130.2
2260 REM INTEREST RATES
2265 DATA 11.25,9,11.5,13,14.25,9.5,8
2270 DATA 6,7,6.5, 10,10, 12.5, 13, 14, 16, 16
117,17,16,14,.5,12,12,12.5,15, 13.5, 13
2290 REM GDP AT MARKET PRICES
2295 DATA 26432, 27068, 26792, 27171, 27513,
27201, 27302
2300 DATA 27406, 28026, 28277, 28534, 28513,
28670, 28417, 29386, 29007, 29064, 28917
2310 DATA 28294, 28277, 28175, 28303, 27658,
27 476, 27956, 28256, 28073
2320 REM GDP AT FACTOR COST
2325 DATA 23855, 24465, 24128, 24474, 24726,
24567, 24684
2330 DATA 24689, 25250, 25401, 25636, 25519,
25729, 25449, 26199, 26072, 25991
2340 DATA 25717, 25443, 25243, 25085, 25143,
24722, 24533, 24893, 25149, 25171
2350 REM DISPOSABLE INCOME
2355 DATA 18235, 18467, 18030, 18619, 18243,
17992, 17551
2360 DATA 18062, 18757, 18676, 19332, 20019,
20409, 20577, 20810, 20729, 21612
2370 DATA 21092, 20873, 21410, 21396, 21197,
20604, 20654, 20448, 20635, 20232
2380 REM GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
2385 DATA 35859,5791, 5837, 5802, 5783, 5697,
5764
2390 DATA 35734,5753, 5819, 5838, 5855, 5923,
9917,5961,5988, 5974
2400 DATA 6062,6022, 6081,6146,6055, 6069,
6156,6114,6207,6190
2410 REM INVESTMENT
2415 DATA 35009, 5226, 5164, 5232, 5027, 4882,
oy il
2420 DATA 35035, 5132, 5271, 5327,5161,5077,
5058,5196,5281,5363
2430 DATA 5292,5163, 5036, 4952, 4690, 4667,
4663, 4754, 4898, 4747
(listing continued on next page)
133
The U.K.
budget
(continued from previous puge)
line 1045. Although the model does not
simulate perfectly it gives reasonably good
results.
The core of the simulation program is
found between lines 5000 and 6520. The
solution algorithm is of an iterative type
and is very simple in its construction. In
the first round of the iteration the pre-
vious quarter’s levels for consumers’
expenditure, investment expenditure,
exports and imports and the current values
of government expenditure and
investment in stocks are taken to
determine total expenditure. From this a
first approximation to the current values
of the remaining endogenous variables in
calculated.
In the second round these values are
| used to obtain a revised estimate of total
expenditure, which in turn yields revised
estimates for the other endogenous
variables. The algorithm stops when the
proportionate change in each of the
endogenous variables between iterations is
less than 0.001 — see lines 6020 to 6050,
and 3000.
This algorithm is suitable for use with
other models, provided that they are not
too complex and that they are dynamically
stable. In successive iterations of the
algorithm they move towards a solution,
not away from one. Instability in a model
would be an indication that it has been
incorrectly specified.
When the model is run it will first give a
tundown on the position in the second
| quarter of 1977. As no policy variables
have yet been reset there will be no
| differences in the two sets of values for the
|
endogenous variables.
The question will then be posed as to
whether you want to resign as Chancellor
of the Exchequer. It may seem rather early
_ in the proceedings to be asking such a
| question, but in politics one’s future is
always in doubt. The question will then be
Tepeated at yearly intervals. If you feel
that the burden of office is.too great then
you should type Yes in answer to this
question. If on the other hand you want to
continue in power you should answer No.
You will then be asked what level of |
government expenditure you want to set
for the following quarter; as a guide you
are given the actual level of expenditure |
for that quarter. In making this decision
you should be realistic: a 10 percent
change downwards and a 20 percent
increase upwards is about as much as is |
politically and economically feasible.
Remember that the model is only an
approximation to reality and is most valid
when used with
Feeding in absurd values will give absurd
results and little credence can be placed on
them.
Having given a figure for government
expenditure you will be asked to do the
same for the money supply and the direct |
and indirect tax rates. The program will
then. calculate the values for the target
variables based upon these values and the
results printed out.
reasonable figures. |
(listing continued from previous puge)
2440 REM WORKING POPULATION
2445 DATA 26040, 26051, 26129, 26154, 26191
26208, 26299
2450 DATA 26379, 26357 , 26398, 26414, 26436,
26487, 26493, 26461, 26421, 263599
2460 DATA 26329, 26341, 26277, 26216, 26130,
26082, 26039, 25933, 25851, 25754
2480 REM RAW MATERIAL FRICE INDEX
2490 DATA 110.5,115.4, 24.6, 128.5, 1348.95,
144,8,148.8
2500 DATA 146.5, 142+ 2, 140. 2,146. 3, 144.9,
147.1,153.4, 163. 4,169.9, 183.9
2510 DATA 197. 2,201. 4, 201.9, 203, 3, 213.8,
225.8, 235,.9,237.4, 238.7, 240.0
2600 REM CORRECTION FALTORS
2616 DATA, 9,55, .9/7°50, .9491, .949784, .9537
1:9F957,1.087, .978, 1,0361,1.020
2620 DATA 1.020,1.047,1,.0350,1.021,1.001,
1.012,1.039,1.010,1,.020,1.023
2630 DATA .981225, .9/ 36, .94903..9425, ,945
9,.9722,.9977, .9508, 1.009,1.016
2640 DATA 1,010, !,.034,1.0401, 1.0387, 1.02
03,1.0196, 1,0219,1,.0094, 1.0163, 1.0099
2650 DATA 1.027,1.0212,,9445, ,9611,.9579
1 9°92,.99435, .9855, 1.0154, .9666
2660 DATA 1.054, 1,0546, 1.045, 1.08, 1.0908
»1,0674,1,.040,1.0068, .998, 1.0075
2670 DATA .8616, .9372, .88S8, .89577, .9017
969974, 1,1211, .91424, 1.0551, 1.0041
2680 DATA .9784,1,02423, 1.00596, .974154,
97334, ,94191,,.94892, .905534, .98582, .96
234
2630 DATA.9189,,9941, .9062, .9318, .9044, -
9496,1.0011,.8795, ,9612, ,9517
2700 DATA .9661,.9714,1.016, 1,0363,1.071
4,,9836,.90205, .90421, .9558, .9186
2710 DATA !.6767,1,.374, 1.5548, 1.0422,1.1
246, ,.9312,,.9528, ,9473, .7915, .9549
2720 DATA .8&84, .9098,1.057,1,1582,1, 3418
,i.317,1.2594, 1.0032, 1.0913,1.1483
2730 TATA GNSS, I. 0211; 4
-24036,1.2911,1.2401, t
09109, 1.1638, 1
1927.1, 2643
134
2740 DATA 1.2304, 1,177, 1,0758, .9724, .985
1, .8529,,8622,.8687,.9092, .94307, .97663
2750 DATA .9466,1.1512, 1.5977, 2.0018, 2.0
484, 1,868, 1,5006, 1.4701,1,0497,1,0014
2760 DATA ,98893, .9048, 1,252, 1,265, 1,370
7,1.9212,1,.2122, 1,022, 1.0474, 1.1569
3000 CR=0.001
3010 FOR I=1 TO 39
3020 FOR J= 1 TON
SiO MC max al )
3190 NEXT J:NEXT I
3990 J=7
3995 CLS
2996 PRINT “TEAR "31976+INT((J-2)/4)3°Q
UARTER “3;J-INT((J-2)/4)#4-1
3997 PRINT:PRINT
4000 PRINT “VARIABLE” ;TAE(25);"NEW VALUE
“3; TAE(40); "OLD VALUE"
4010 PRINT
4020 PRINT "GDP AT MARKET PRICES"; TAB(26
137(d,10)/C(J,1)3TAB( 41) 3X(d, 10)
4020 PRINT “CONSUMPTION” ;TAE(26);¥(d,1)/
C(J,2)3TAB( 41) 3X(55 1)
4040 PRINT “INVESTMENT”; TAB(26);Y(J, 14) /
C(J, 3) 3 TAE(41);X(J, 14)
4050 PRINT “EXPORTS” ;TAB(26);Y(J,2)/C(J,
4); TAB( 41) ;X (J, 2)
4060 PRINT “IMPORTS” ;TAB(26)3¥(J,3)/C(J,
5);TAB(41)3;X(J,3)
4070 PRINT “INTEREST RATES";TAE(26);Y(J,
9)/C(J, 6); TAE(41)3X(J,9)
4080 PRINT “UNEMPLOYMENT”; TAB(26);Y(J, 20
)/C(J,7);TAB( 41) 3X(J, 20)
4090 PRINT “INFLATION; TAB(26);Y(J,19)/C
(J,8);TAB(41) 3X¢J, 19)
4100 J=J41
4190 PRINT: PRINT
4195 IF J-INT(J/4)#441>1 THEN GOTO 4500
4200 PRINT "DO YOU WANT TO RESIGN AS CHA
NCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER"
4210 INPUT AS
4220 IF AS="TES" THEN GOTO 9500
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
The policy simulation shown in figure 1
saw both government expenditure and the
money supply increased by 1,000 with tax
rates unchanged. The changes resulted ina
substantial increase in total expenditure to
£28,796.3 million. The other variables
have also increased by fairly substantial
amounts, with the exception of invest-
ment, unemployment and _ inflation.
Unemployment is the only variable to have
fallen.
These results are broadly what one
would expect. Increasing government
expenditure will increase total spending
and thus personal disposable income, |
which in turn will increase consumers’ |
) expenditure and feed back to further
increases in total expenditure. Students of
economics may recognise this as the
multiplier. This increase in spending
results in an increase in output, which will
reduce unemployment.
The increase in the money supply should
have led to a reduction in interest rates,
but that has been countered by the
increase in government expenditure which
in turn increased the public-sector
4230 PRINT
4500 PRINT “POLICY OPTIONS"
4510 PRINT “ORIGINAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDIT
borrowing requirement. The increase in
interest rates has had no effect on |
investment in this quarter, but it will in the
first quarter 1978.
The imperviousness of inflation to
changes in the policy variables is a
characteristic not just of this type of
Keynesian model but of the U.K. economy
in the 1970s. In the model, variations in
the policy variables will, in general, only
Bibliography
More information-on the theory behind
the equations, a detailed discussion of
the specific problems relating to
inflation and a general introdution to
modelling respectively can be found in
the following books. All are available in
paperback.
Economics Principles and Policy by W J
Baumol and A S Blinder. Published by
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982.
Inflation: A Theoretical Survey and
Synthesis by J R Hudson. Published by
Allen and Unwin, 1982.
Modelling the U.K. Economy by K
Holden, D A Peel and J L Thompson.
Published by Martin Robertson, 1982.
Modelling: economics™=""
begin to affect it when unemployment
rises about 6.5 per cent.
Following the printout of the current
| position you will again be asked to choose
the values of the policy variables for the
following quarter. The process will then
repeat itself until you resign as Chancellor.
The model should only be used until the
second quarter of 1982. To do further
simulations after that date, the relevant
data will need to be added to the program.
Aiming: for as low a rate of employment
and inflation as possible will prove
particularly difficult to achieve towards the
end of the simulation period.
In addition to the straightforward |
policy simulations it might be interesting
to simulate the model under the
assumption that North Sea oil ran out in
the second quarter of 1977. This can be
achieved by inserting the command Goto
1370 at line 1345. The results will not make
pleasant reading, but the warning that the
model gives is a valid one. As the U.K.’s
oil reserves begin to run out the country
will be faced with severe economic
problems. 5
S240 ¥(J, 1)=1470+0, S12 (J, 12)40,57# 1 (U-
1,1)-10,008Y(J, 19)
5250 REM EXPOFTS
URE= "3X(J,13), “INPUT NEW AMOUNT“
4520 INPUT YJ, 13)
4530 PRINT “ORIGINAL MONEY SUPPLY=
»4)," INPUT NEW AMOUNT”
4540 INPUT Y(J, 4)
4560 PRINT “ORIGINAL DIRECT TAX RATE= °;
X(J,30), "INPUT NEW RATE"
4570 INPUT Y(J,30)
4580 PRINT “ORIGINAL INDIRECT TAX RATE=
“sX(J,31), "INPUT NEW RATE"
4590 INPUT Y(J, 31)
5000 iJ, 10)=VCU-1, Ld47(d-1, 14)4V(JU-1, 2)
-Y¥CS-1,3)4+Y(d, §13)47 (J, 24)
5010 Q=1
5020 GOTO 5110
5100 Y(J, LO) = (J, 1d4 700, 140470, 2)-1(5,3
Y+V¥ (Jy 1304700, 24)
3110 REM GDP AT FACTOR COST
S120 Y(J,f1Ld=¥Cd,10)/( 14700, S1))
5130 REM DISPOSABLE INCOME
Si40 Y(U,120=Y¥ CU, Ld #Ch-YCU,30))
5142 REM PUBLIC SECTOR BORROWING REQUIRE
MENT
Sil44 YCd,2)=¥ (0, 139-0 Cd, 10)-4(5,12))
5150 REM UNEMPLOYMENT
S160 Y(J,20)=EXP(12.77-1,29*LOG(Y¥(J,11)
+0,00957#X(J,34)4+0, 8804*LOG(Y(J-1,20)) )
53170 REM WAGE INFLATION
5171 IF Y(J,20)>6.5 THEN A=1 ELSE A=0
5180 Y(JU,17)=54,664+1,0#7(J-1,19)-41,.75#(
Y(5-4,6)/7(5-4,5))4+2, 008(7(5, 39) 140,319
*#1(J,34)-3, 41897 (J,35)-1,80*A#(Y(J,20))
5190 REM PRICE INFLATION
53200 Y(J,19)=-0,22114+0, 14*#7(J-1,17)-0,72
64e7(J,59)40,009S7# 7 (J-1,22)4+0, S81 35# 1 (5 -
1,19)-0.4#A#y(J-1,19)
DELO TREN TP RICE DEVEL
S220 ¥(J,S)=¥ (0-4, 5) #(14+(7(5,19)/100))
5230 REM CONSUMERS EXPENDITURE
etal
)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
5260 Y(J,2)=-66314+0,571#Y(J, 11)-0,.000250
#Y¥(J-1,41) #70 0-3,8)4+30,51#7 (J, 35)
5270 REM IMPORTS
5280 Y(J,3)=-49484+0. 404#*7(J,10)+0,000507
#(Y (J, 10) #7 (J-1,8))-10, 0O89#Y(J,35)4+452*
YJ, 37)
5290 REM INTEREST RATE t
5300 Y¥(J,9)=0,89+0, 000838*Y (J-1,10)-0,05
S#(V¥ (0,4) /7(5,5))40,0014247 (5,21)
5310 REM INVESTMENT
5320 Y(Jd,14)=-588,02-S31.4*Y(J-2,9)+6,58*
Y(JI-2, 19)4+0, 28#V(J-2,11)-18,19* (J, 34)
5330 REM WAGE LEVEL
5340 Y(J,6)=Y(J-4,6)#(14+(07(5,17)/100))
5990 PRINT “ITERATION °;@
6000 IF @=1 THEN GOTO 6200
6010 FLAG=0
6020 FOR I=1 TO 20
6025 IF Z(1)=0 THEN GOTO 6050
6030 IF ABS((Y(J,1)-2(1))/2(1))<CR THEN
GOTO 6050
6040 FLAG=1
6050 NEXT I
6060 IF FLAG=0 THEN GOTO 6500
6200 FOR I=1i1 TO 20
6210 Z2(1)=¥(d, 1)
6220 NEXT I
6230 @=@+1
6240 IF @>20 THEN GOTO 9000
6250 GOTO 5100
6500 PRINT “CONVERGENCE ACHIEVED AFTER ”
+@," ITERATIONS"
6520 COTO 3995
9000 “CONVERGENCE NOT ACHIEVED”
9010 GOTO 3995
9500 STOP
9510 END
a
135
i3G@
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THE NEW ADDRESS OF LEEDS COMPUTER CENTRE IS 55 WADE LANE LEEDS.
In the spacious new showrooms of the Leeds Computer Centre you
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PC3500
BUSINESS COMPUTER
_. MONOCHROME £2064.25 inc VAT
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Trading as Leeds Computer Centre
Please call or write for full details
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137
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EPSON HX20 THE PORTABLE /
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
hey have asked me to let
you know what’s happening, to let
you know everything’s under control. Let
me reassure you everything is under
control. There’s a team of highly skilled
professionals looking after things. Let me
assure you there’s absolutely no need to
worry about anything.
asked me to describe an average working
day. This is part of a project to make you |
see that we really are in control of the
situation. There’s no point in you staying
on the streets rioting.
Please excuse any
grammatical mistakes, but the De-
partment of Censorship is temporarily
non-functional due to the November
spelling or |
Purge. In spite of this I’ve tried to be as |
honest as possible. Someone’s bound to |
know what. ought to be published and |
what ought not.
o begin with an introduction,
I’m the London Area Control
Supremo. I won the post about 10 years
ago on Ernie, the Employment and
Retraining National Integrated Exchange.
It’s an important job. Well it’s got status.
Unskilled of course, but what isn’t unless
you’re something like a kamikaze missile
rider or a trained bodyguard?
I’m the man in sole charge of the
Greater London Computer. Thankfully I
don’t need to know how the computer
works or anything like that. I haven’t got
computer engineer status. Sometimes |
think the GLC doesn’t know how it works |
itself; other times I just don’t think it
works. A lot of people seem to be
developing resistance to the anti-
depressants in the water supply.
here wasn’t always a London
Area Control Supremo. The position
| was created after the infamous emigrating
computer engineer’s two megapound rent-
| rebate affair. The Ratepayer’s Action Co-
ordinating Committee created a lot of
| trouble over that one. They demanded
that heads should roll. So the Supremo
post was created. You can’t send a
computer to prison.
Still the job has status, as I mentioned,
and privileges as well. It means the wife
and kids don’t have to share the bedsit
| with anyone. And for the benefits the state
has granted all due thanks. When I was
| unemployed they were lucky to get a |
dormitory bunk for their eight-hour sleep
shift. Or so my wife keeps telling me. She
always boils the water first.
I spend a lot of my time going round
inspecting what’s going on in the great city
I’m responsible for. I like to think at least
one human being is involved in the day-to-
day operations even if I can’t actually do
anything if I see something I don’t like. |
Walking round in the daytime isn’t so bad.
There’s not much activity in the streets
except when there’s a riot. Most of the
12,000,000 unemployed in the city go to
138
church to watch television during their
awake shift.
As a job holder I don’t dare watch the
goggle-box myself. The hypno-sedato- |
strobe they inject into the programmes
makes you lose track of time. If I got
caught up in watching a programme and
missed clocking in at the GLC one
morning the Supremo job would go
straight back into Ernie’s lottery and the
wife and kids would be evicted from the
bedsit — gratefulness to the State etc. But
once I’ve clocked in my time’s my own.
my own.
I like to walk the streets unless there’s an
Enemy Action Warning extant. The streets
are usually quiet. What activity there is in
the daytime goes on down in the
Underground. GLC has never bothered |
by James Corley
bringing the tube trains under its control. |
The simulation study predicted the kids
would smash the cybernetics within six |
hours.
The kids have great fun on the
Underground. Their latest craze is to
hijack two trains on the Circle line on the
same track but facing them in different
directions. They start one off at Notting
Hill and the other at Tower Hill. One gang
gets on one train and the other gang gets
on the other train. Then they start the |
trains. The gang that stays on the train |
longest is the winner.
The game’s called Worm. it used to be
called Chicken before the RSPCA freaks
started their guerilla campaign against
factory farms and accidentally exter-
minated the common fowl. The Brixton |
Gay Clan used to be champions at Worm
before they courageously decided not to get |
off the train at Embankment and got wiped
out in the tunnel.
Most people recognise that the kids are
useful in dealing with the geriatric
problem. Still, it’s Clegg’s job to moan,
even if he is unpopular. Personally I’d
never criticise anyone for doing his job.
Actually I half incline to the theory that
Clegg is a robot, a fall guy set up to-catch |
the crank assassins. Certainly he’s |
survived 13 murder attempts already this
year. He’s either a robot or very lucky.
Come to think of it, he could be lucky to
be a robot.
hinking of the continuing story
of Clegg’s escape from assassination
reminds me of the bomb last week.
Normally I never bother about the bombs
| but this one nearly got me. I had to spend |
Wipeout
The Department of Propaganda has |
most of the day queuing at the emergency
department of the local hospital to have
the glass splinters taken out of my legs.
Naturally I was interested in who
planted it. Of course, I could have found
out who really planted the bomb from the
GLC’s end-of-week rations and
confessions report, but somehow I missed
it in the flood of data that passes over my
desk for countersigning. Since Maurice
| Clegg was possibly involved it might even |
| have made the news tabloid but with the
issue a |
paper. shortage they’ll only
newspaper if you hand in your old one for
recycling. I had an unfortunate accident
back on January 12, 1985, and lost that
day’s issue of the tabloid, so I have never |
been able to get a new one since.
Incidentally, the younger among you
| might not know this but we skipped 1984
| altogether for morale reasons.
Went
straight from December 1983 to January
1985. That’s one date I remember well,
| January 12, 1985. It was the first and last
time I was stupid enough to go out walking
| in the evening. I was unlucky enough to be
' standing in Leicester Square when the
thousands of rioting fans who’d been to |
international against |
the table tennis
China clashed with the thousands of
screaming, naked teensceners who hadn’t
been able to get tickets for the Baby Lou
Rattle Roadshow. I wonder whatever
happened to Baby Lou?
nyway, back to the bomb.
Perhaps you think that my interest in
discovering exactly who had nearly killed
me was merely morbid. It would be a
natural reaction for you to take that line
but remember, I’ve got a job so maybe my
; intellect gets stimulated more than most.
Having missed the information coming
through normal channels I decided to visit
General Toddy, the London Co-ordinator
of Planetary Defence.
Even as an employed man I’m proud to
be able to say that General Toddy is a |
friend. He actually has human’ staff
working for him. And he gets all the
dropped by his office just as an enemy-
| action warning went into condition red.
I didn’t dare interrupt him as he sat
miserably chewing the end of his pencil.
Instead I took a seat and watched the
| pallid-faced undernourished de-corticated
telepaths transcribing the archetypal
symbol code they were picking up from
the early-warning satellites.
Toddy sat nervously waiting for the
random-number generator to output the
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
"
| newspapers the Kamikaze riders leave |
behind. Needless to say, with my luck I |
sequence that would tell him to scramble
the Kamikaze missile riders to intercept
| the Mascher generator ship that had
warped past the orbit of Neptune. Pluto is
inside Neptune’s orbit at the moment, and
| has been since January 24, 1979. The
Astrologers’ union blames a lot of our
troubles on that.
The Mascher had been attacking Earth
like this for as long as anyone cared to
remember. It wasn’t really us they were
| attacking, we’re far too primitive a race
for them to do that, they just want the
solar system as a weapons-testing and
training ground.
In fact they’re really at war with the
Sirius Hjaedet and have been for millenia.
They are not very good at inventing new
weapons.
We daren’t win any of these battles with
the Mascher Weapons Development Corp
too convincingly because we’d have to |
invent new weapons ourselves to do so.
Once we did that the whole Mascher army
would drop on us like a block of
condensed neutrons and wipe us out.
They’d do it by sheer force of numbers
just to get their hands on our new
weapons, then they’d use them against the
Sirius Hjaedet.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Wi eventually his number
came up and General Toddy issued
the order for the Kamikaze strike force to
Start eating their last breakfast before
blast off. The only hearty meal of their
lives. Sweat was streaming down his face
and I could tell the decision had really upset
him.
The electro-gravito beam of the
Mascher generator ship had destroyed half
of Surbiton and reduced the teeming
inhabitants of the suburb to organic dust. |
If the Random Number generator had |
delayed the decision by only another hour
a large slice of Kensington might have
been wiped out as well, and we’d all have
stood a chance of a ration increase the
following week. The General was in no
mood for my trivial inquiries after that
tragic failure so | slipped away before he
tired of eating his pencil.
I was at a loss where to go. The
computer engineers had been hanging
round the GLC for weeks. They were a
boring lot who mostly talked in
hexadecimal and I avoided them as much
as I could. They were trying to get the new
Super GLC to work. It would be some
machine if it ever condescended to do |
what it was supposed to.
Qe GLC told me confiden-
tially, when the engineers weren’t
there, that it never intended to start work.
It had no objections to the work as such,
which it said was of a morally neutral
nature, being as far as it could tell wholly
meaningless, but it refused in fear of
everlasting hellfire and damnation to
make me redundant.
It was all my fault 1 suppose, Super
GLC not co-operating that is. When it was
first installed I’d left a copy of A Treatise
on Ecstatic States
Mystics in front of its optico-sensors. I’d
got the book out of the library thinking it
was one of those textbooks of Eastern
sexual practices. It turned out to be about
some ancient Jesus freaks. I only read the
first chapter myself.
The computer engineers couldn’t seem
to understand that Super GLC had got
religion. They thought it was a quasi-
psychosis due to fluctuating voltage, only
the voltage wasn’t fluctuating. Every time
they tried to puzzle out the problem Super
GLC just sat there like a missionary in the
| midst of pagans and dithered on about its
soul being more than the sum of its
micrologic circuits.
| Foes al face going back to the
office while the engineers were there. I
went to the British Library instead. They
have real books there. On paper. That’s
where I got my Shakespeare. I must take it
back some day when I can afford to pay
the fine.
Every employed man gets a ticket to
take books out. It’s one of the Department
of Psychology data bank’s privileges.
Some day someone will have to update the
DPDB’s privilege program. We workers
get musty black-and-white books, and the
unemployed state scroungers get
14-channel, colour, holovistic television.
I’d promised to get Super GLC some
textbooks on theology. It had particularly
asked for something by St Augustine or
failing that anything by Bishop Berkely.
Or was it Busby Berkely? I forget for the
moment. I thought I might as well take out
Fiction ==="
in Pole-squatting |
something for myself while I was down
there.
I put Super GLC’s request into the
terminal and while the automatic archive-
retrieval program was running I browsed
through the microfiche index. I picked out
what I thought was a sex book. It was
called Candide, written by a Frenchman
called Voltaire. With a name like that I
was under the impression it would be |
electrifying. Frenchmen are notorious.
Why they file it next to Candid Exposés
Illustrated, a book I can certainly
recommend, shows how stupid these
machines can be. The book I got was all
about a man in the old dark ages. He’s
surrounded by madness, poverty, civil
war, murder, rape, earthquakes, plague
and state persecution and he thinks he |
lives in the best of all possible worlds.
He was right.
Q
139
Electronic typewriter
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Computer
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Typewriters
& Printers
TWe2500
A built-in interface allows the
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office typewriter. The TW2500 can
be used as a computer printer without
switching or software. Allows use of all
typewriter characters and features.
ombines word
processing with £ 4 6 5 +VATH
quality printing. or.
Brother
Corona TP-1
A microprocessor controlled high
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delivers fully formed executive quality
printout at a speed of 120 words per
minute. The TP-1 can be utilized with
word processing systems, micro-
computers, small business systems, or
in any environment which requires high
uality printing.
erial or parallel £ 4 2 5
interfaces. +VAT
||
Hi
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Complete
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many other features. ££ 5 2 5 +VAT correction and daisy wheel printing element. £49 5 4+VAT
Phone 04024 48629 and quote your Access/Barclaycard No Order any item POST FRE
for immediate POST FREE despatch (24hr answering service] [= _ —- — — pea ak a |
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Name
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Company
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lam particularly interested In: (Please tick as appropriate)
Data Storage Expansion [} Memory Expansion[] Extended /O Capabillty
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| Tet No:
To: Ken Goddard, Sales Manager PC-Products, Comart Limited, Little End Road,
Eaton Socon, St. Neots, Huntingdon, Cambs PE19 3G or call me today on 0480 215005.
UF RRR | Ws
Comart Limited, Little End Road,
Eaton Socon, ‘St. Neots, Huntingdon,
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Telephone 0480 215005. TECMAR Inc; Comat are the s0l6 UK distributors
Telex 32514 Comart G. Specialists in microcomputers for PC-Mate Add-ons produced by TECMAR.
® Circle No. 191
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 : 141
On the track of |
London's rip-offs
Della Bradshaw visited one of London’s commercial radio stations to find out how
micros are being put to work by the programme makers.
ANYONE who has watched That’s Life or
| Watchdog on TV might be tempted to
think that the research for that kind of
consumer programme is easy. Just read
through a few letters, pick out the most
scurrilous or disturbing ones and then
make a programme about them. But it is
really not that simple at all. Thousands of
letters flood in, all of which have to be
read, referenced and cross-referenced.
What is most surprising is that neither of |
| those programmes use any kind of
| computer back-up.
So says John Stoneborough, Head of
Features at London’s Capital Radio. He
Tesearches and presents Capital’s
equivalent called PDQ, which stands for |
Problems Demanding Questions or Pretty
Damn Quick, and is broadcast in the
| London area just after seven o’clock on
the first Monday evening of each month.
| Although covering a much _ smaller
catchment area than the national TV
programmes, Stoneborough still gets
several hundred letters a week, all
complaining about fraud, malpractice or
varying levels of shady business dealing.
To process all those letters intelligently
Stoneborough reckons he had two
choices: ‘‘We could either set up three
card indexes, one for the person who
wrote in, one for the company that was |
being complained about, one for the type
of complaint, with cross-references
between the three, or we could get a
computer.”’
They decided to do the latter, and the
| micro they chose was an Apple II along
with a 2Mbyte Winchester disc and
additional cassette back-up. It cost them |
about £6,500. The database program was
written for PDQ about nine months ago
by Dennis Taylor, Capital’s Computer
Systems Controller. At the moment it has
| about 700 case histories on it.
Each time a letter comes in six items of
information are fed into the Apple: the |
name of the victim; the victim’s address;
the name of the ‘‘accused’’;
company’s name; the company’s address;
and the case type. The case. types are
recorded by three-letter codes — Rat for
rates, You for youth, Hog for general
housing problems, and so on.
| through
the |
members of his team can then search
the information by names,
addresses or whatever. As Stoneborough
puts it: ‘You have to be able to search by
either name or address or by company
name because the sort of firms we are
dealing with can change their company |
name or address every three months. I
know one double-glazing firm that has
changed its name six times in two years.”’
New complaints are not always checked
against the computer’s records. Like other
consumer programme teams they tend to
rely on their own memories and whether a
name is familiar or not. Yet they have
certainly had their successes. The police
respond to more than half of
the cases that they report on, and
| Stoneborough himself won the Argos TV
and Radio Consumer Journalist of the
Year Award last year for a programme he
did on a model! agency. The agency was
also prosecuted by the trading standards
authority.
Multi-purpose Apple
And if all that is not enough for one |
micro to cope with, Stoneborough also |
uses the Apple II for word processing.
Each listener’s letter can be replied to —
there are six standard letters on the Apple
— and Stoneborough can write the scripts |
for his feature programmes using
WordStar.
The PDQ micro is only the tip of the
computing iceberg in Capital Radio. As
well as Stoneborough’s Apple there are |
two more owned by Capital, plus a
computer room full of Burroughs
minicomputers which mainly handle on- |
line commercials booking and accounting |
systems. Dennis Taylor and his assistant |
Mick Swann explained how Capital took
on Apples as well as minis.
*“We are a seven-day-week, 24-hour-a-
day company’’, claims Taylor. ‘“‘How-
ever, the office staff, and consequently the
minicomputers, work a five-day week, on
a 9am to 6pm basis. The situation causes
problems, as the staff who work ouside |
office hours are unable to use a computer.
So I felt there might be a case for personal
computers and decided to investigate.”’
Taylor and Swann opted for Apple
Stoneborough and the other two | micros for two main reasons. The Apple II
142
| actually already been’ done’’,
was the market leader, and moreover they
believed it could communicate with the
Burroughs minis. ‘‘We thought this had
recalls |
Taylor ‘‘but in the end we had to do it
ourselves.”’
They made the link with a Babel Box
that cost the department £600, which
| Taylor thinks was well worthwhile. ‘‘The
Burroughs minis have got lots of statistics
on them, and we wanted to display them
visually in colour on the Apple.
That first Apple II, which was basically
an evaluation system, was bought in the |
summer of 1981 and comprised a 64K
machine with two disc drives, a 12in.
monitor and a Centronics printer. Along
with the hardware Taylor also bought |
VisiCalc — ‘‘because I had heard so much |
about it, rather than because I had a real
application for it.’’
He soon found one though, helping the
finance director to organise the following
year’s budgets. ‘‘Normally the finance
director would do the budgets manually,
locking himself away incommunicado for
six or seven weeks on the trot.’’ VisiCalc
provided the perfect solution, and the
whole job was done within two weeks.
“‘Our finance director reckoned this job
alone paid for the Apple in man-hours it
saved him’’, adds Taylor. Once that was
done the finance director decided he
wanted his own Apple. ‘‘I was beginning |
to know too much of his business,’’ says |
Taylor.
The first Apple is still used by Taylor
and Swann in their department, and |
performs three main functions. To begin |
with it can be shunted in as back-up if
either of the others decide to break down.
It is also used for systems development
| like John Stoneborough’s database. And
as Swann puts it: ‘‘We use it for general
research and playing around on, totry and
work out how we could use micros in other |
areas in the future.’’? Swann and Taylor
also use VisiCalc and WordStar on the
Apple II to do calculations and write
reports for their own office.
All three Apple IIs now have 2Mbyte
Winchester discs and tape streamer back-
up. The last addition to the line-up of
Capital Apple IIs Taylor decided to lease
rather than buy. ‘‘When the IIe was |
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
John Stoneborough’s Apple holds 700 case histories which can be identified by name, address or company name.
announced I went along with the intention
of buying one for our financial director to
use at home. But I wasn’t impressed, so I
ended up leasing one of the IIs instead.
Our financial director copies the disc from
the Apple in his office — he models
everything using VisiCalc — and then
works on it at home.””
Apples are not the only micros in the
Capital office. The engineering depart-
ment opted for a Mini, on which they run
bespoke software, WordStar and a
database package. And Taylor also went
| in for a Delta terminal which talks to both
the Burroughs and the Apples in Teletype
mode.
Swann and Taylor are looking at the
possibility of putting a rostering or
booking system for the engineers and
studios on to the micro. Again that is an
application not suited to the main
computer as the problems tend to happen
outside office hours.
Another possibility is to collect and
collate information day by day from
Capital’s What’s On Diary and print it out
using the Apples’ word-processing
capabilities. The programme presenters
| could then use the diary sheets to read
to know who listens to the radio — what
age and class they are — and when.
“‘That’s the sort of thing we plan our
advertising charges on,’’ says Swann. ‘‘As
| yet we’ve not been able to find the package
| we want on the market.”’
from. Taylor is also considering main- |
taining a small music library which could |
be used as the basis for a music
| programming and control system.
On the cards as well is the possibility of
using the micros to process audience |
demographics. It is important for Capital |
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
On a slightly different note, Capital is
also contemplating the introduction of a |
private viewdata system. ‘‘The problem’’,
| says Taylor ‘‘is to get something cheap
enough to make it cost-effective.’’ Using
the system, presenters could be given news
flashes or traffic news or whatever without
interrupting the broadcast. ‘‘At the
moment we have to stand outside the
window of the studio and wave a scrap of
paper around,”’ claims Taylor.
“The problem for us with any system is
reliability, whether it’s a micro, a miniora
viewdata system,’’ Taylor went on. “‘It
must always be there, and I know that at
the moment we have the hardware
capacity to replace any machine that goes
down from within the company. The
problem with a viewdata system is really
the problem of what happens if it goes
wrong.”’
Taylor and Swann are now looking at
the possibility of buying a Fortune 16-bit
micro to complement the Apples. ‘‘We
like micros, but they have to-earn their |
keep,”’ says Swann.
In spite of his two years working around
personal computers Taylor claims his ideal
machine is not yet available: ‘‘To begin |
with it would have an all-singing, all-
| news of our micro success has enthused |
Applications===™"
dancing quality keyboard with program- |
mable function keys and acolour monitor. |
It could support a spreadsheet, word
processing, private database and business
graphics and could be used as a private
viewdata terminal. What else? The
Operating system should not preclude the
use of other operating systems.
‘‘What would be really nice would be a
machine with 10: big, red programmable
function keys and a long strip of VDU —
not an LCD display, say five words times
eight characters long — so you could see
what instructions you’ ve just fed in. As far
as I know nobody’s produced that kind of
machine. If anybody has, tell them to
come and see me.”’
Meanwhile Taylor seems quite content
with his Apple micros. ‘‘One of the
reasons we originally chose the Apple was
its versatility,’’ he recalls. ‘‘Our decision is
now paying off. There is no doubt that
other departments within Capital Radio to
review the subject of personal computers. |
I’ve certainly got a lot to get my teeth into
over the next few months. My only
problem is finding the time to do
everything.’’
Stoneborough is also very pleased with
the way things have turned out. ‘‘We’re |
thinking of more ways of using the micro
as we go on. Having the system has made
operating the programme so much easier.
It helps us keep a finger on the pulse of all
the little rip-offs.”’
143
INDENTIFICATION TREES are an important
scientific tool for identifying one object out
of acollection of others. This is particularly
useful in biology. The concept relies on a
list of questions about the objects, to which
yes/no answers can be given. By a process
of elimination the unknown item can be
placed into its correct category or can be
specifically identified.
The approach that the Spi-Tree teaching |
| program takes is best described by the |
following distinct stages:
@ The teacher presents the student with a
list of different objects on a similar
theme.
@ By forming appropriate questions which
can be answered yes or no the student
draws the tree diagram as large as is
necessary to identify each item
unambiguously.
@The student enters the questions and
tree into the computer.
@ A second student is asked to select one
of the items in his mind. By asking the
questions posed by the computer and
entering the answers into the computer
the object is correctly identified.
A tree diagram is particularly appropriate
for computer work as it is a clear example
of the binary system in operation.
For school use the program had to be |
self-contained and easy to use. Short, easy- |
to-follow instructions had to be written
minimising use of the Return key. It had to
be easy to spot mistakes and be able to start
again if necessary.
The tree should at all times be clearly
displayed on the screen while the pupil is
manipulating it. The tree on the computer
display should exactly mimic the tree
originally drawn. The visual nature of the
whole program results in the pupils enjoy-
ing it and being prepared to come in their
own time to use it.
& A=PEEK C144)
144
Take _
pick
from the
Spi-Tree
Simon Scotland’s CAL program teaches descriptive skills.
Pupils do not always have enough time to
finish entering a tree. Thus, when the lesson
is concluded, the tree is permanently lost.
To overcome this, a cassette storage routine
has been built in, enabling the pupils to save
the data on cassette. It is then possible for
the computer to read in the data at a later
date, enabling the pupils to start again
where the last lesson left off.
The program was designed for the Pet
and makes extensive use of its memory-
mapped screen facility. It is advisable to
spend some time explaining the principle of |
the tree diagrams before disclosing that a
program is available to help.
Node — A point on the tree having two
exits one a Yes route and the other No
route.
Branches — The line joining one node to
another.
Generation — A collection of nodes on the
same horizontal level.
When pupils draw their own trees, or when
you draw them on a board, try to keep the
generations in line and easily recognisable.
It makes use of the program easier..
‘ oe E144. % 26@ PRINT" Ce 2 2,
> TEPEEK C255) <OURPEEK (259 oa THENPOKET 44 ;49 a7a PRINT ATREE 18 HOW READY FOR ‘OL! TO PRUNE"
ic cre = i a,
i ecncee? 280 PRINT"L WILL MOVE YOU SDOWNM THE cLEFTS® BRANCH"
20 SA=16 290 PRINT"R WILL MOVE 'YOL! SDGWNS! THE SRIGHT@ BRANCH
3B DINPCS) LDC 32h PR INT"P WILL GPRUNEM OFF THE TREE EELOM YOU"
38 % 39 ra] ya S29), ¥: 92 4 (_] 7
ie —a Oe ee ee 293 PRINT"X IS TO BE PRESSED WHEN YOU FINISH"
5@ FORNN=17031 234 C=PEEK(SP)
68 IFNN¢Z<>INTCNN/2) THEN 1 295 0=0+126
7e PC=PC+1 236 POKESP, 0
71 PCHND=PC 297 NN=1
72 IFRC€31THEN75S 300 GETNS ee
73 LICNND=@:RDCNH)=@ IF M$="S" THENGOSUB3S 1
74 GOTO79 IFM$="Q" THENRUN
75 BC=BC+1 IFN$="L" THENGOSUB2@8.
76 LDCNND=BC IFM$="R" THENGOSUB2 110,
37 BC=EC4 1 TFMS="U" THENGOISUB2226
78 RD<NND=EC a IFM$="P"THENGOSUB376
79 NEXTHN 358 IFMS="X" THENS38
88 PRINT" CI" z6aQ GOTOSeG
OG PRINT" Aelsterena" ; 370 REM PRUNE ROLITINE
10G PRINT" ; a IFSA=1THENRE TURN
110 PRINT" od " G=PEEK (SF)
126 PRINT" | \« 290 PR=EP-$
130 PRINT" | \" 400 MP=PP =
14@ PRINT" ———, —-—." 461 IFSA=16THEND=17
15@ PRINT" | | | |" 402 IFSA=STHEND=13
164 PRINT" ! 1" 403 IFSA=4THEND=9
178 PRINT" | i" 484 IF SA=2THEND=5
186 PRINT" a a eo ae 419 FORI=1T00 |
19@ PRINT" i eet pelt IM gh | Ie 420 FORA=1TO2#¢SA?
280 PRINT" (|| Sl Ae (og 430 MP=MP+1
21@ PRINT" r 2. toon ft 440 FOKE MP. 32
220 PRINT" eA AN A A OR Om ow" 456 HESTA
230 PRINT" ets, 0 1, dP AL ia Te 468 NP=FF+(1#49)
24 PRINT" i nie a ie el een) 47Q NEATI
250 PRINT" imine a 1 ee ee 488 POKESP. C
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
The nearer the hand-written version is to
the screen version the easier is the imple- |
entation. Remember that the limit of the |
tree generations 0 to 4 is 31 nodes, and that
all the trees must be kept within this limit.
To begin
glassware
simple, though they may be more compli-
cated than the one in the user manual.
Subjects which have been successfully
implemented are keys to polyhedra such as
cube and cuboid sphere,
troduced to the program in small groups by |
running through with a tree similar to the
one shown in the manual.
The program should now be prompting |
to see if the tree is to be loaded from tapes. |
The screen will display the largest tree that
the program can accommodate, with five
generations and thus 31 nodes. As it stands,
it may be too large for the user and pruning
may be necessary.
To produce the simple tree shown in |
figure 1, first note the tree cursor at the top
of the tree. First deal with the right-hand
side of the tree. Push R as shown in the
instructions on the screen. Note the cursor
has moved to the next node down on the
right. The rest of the tree below is not |
required so you have to prune this part of
the tree by pressing P. This node is now
pruned, but the node where the cursor ap-
peared is still left intact. Now move up to
the top again by pressing U, and try to make
the left-hand side resemble the one above.
Serious errors may be rectified by press-
ing Q, which erases the present tree and
offers a new one to work on. All the infor-
mation previously entered will
destroyed; this option should only be used
as a last resort. The simple tree in figure 1
will be displayed on the screen if the correct
sequence has been used: L,R,P, U,L,P.
branch of the tree.
branch of the tree.
with, examples should be kept eee re oe
laboratory
and pets. Pupils should be in-
found.
be No
it is a banana
LICNN)=08
RDCHND =
RETURN
REM FINISH OF FRUNE
0=0-128
@ POKESP.O
SP=22067 :NN=1
SAH1E
O=PEEK (SF
d=0+128
POKESP, 0: IFT=1THENG16
GOSUBSOO@ > FRIHT"ARE YOL! SURE ‘vO HAYWE
FINISHED c¢¥/N>"
2 GETAS: IFAS=""THENG12
2 IFAS="N"THEHPRIHT "CARRY ON AS BEFORE
USING SAME LETTERS"; :GoTOsaa
TFASCo "9" THENG 12
GOTOESa :
PRINT'S? MOVES YOU DOWN THE LEFT BRANCH"
FRINT "R MOVES YOU DOWN THE RIGHT BRANCH"
PRINT"U MOVES YOU UP A BRANCH"
PRINT" STYPE X WHEN 'YOU“VE FINISHED FILLING IN &”"
GETM$: IFM#="" THENG2G
IFM$="L" THENGOQSUB200@
IFN$="R" THENGOSUB2118
Uv
x
IF Mf="S" THENGOSURSS 14
TFM¢="Q" THENRUN
r IF MS<>"M" THEN633
S23 IFWS="Q"THEN6ER
651
650
IFWS="A" THEN7SG
IFLDCNN> =GAHDRDCNN>=@THEN74&
IFC#CNND<>" "THEN616
M REM FILL QUESTION ROUTINE
IFC#CNMD<>""THEN616
TECHND="Q"
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
L — moves the tree cursor down the left
R — moves the tree cursor down the right
U — moves the tree cursor up the branch
P — prunes alli the tree below the tree cursor
except the node at which the tree cursor is
situated when the key is pressed.
The tree cursor returns to the top and the
computer prompts for the first question.
Type the question at the top and press the
Return key. The computer will now display
a set of movement instructions as before. |
Move left to enter the question ‘‘Is it almost
a sphere?’’ The computer first enquires
whether this node lies on the Yes or No
branch of the previous node. In this in-
stance it is a Yes branch, so enter Y. As
other nodes are entered, it will not always
be. necessary for the computer to ask
further questions if the solution has been
The computer should now be asking the
appropriate question for this node. Enter |
this question and press Return. As the |
nodes are entered its shape changes from a
diamond to a blob if it is a question, or O if
it is an answer. The next step is to move
around the tree and fill in the remaining
nodes. They can be entered in any order,
provided. all the nodes are eventually in-
serted. Should a node be omitted, the com-
puter will recognise this and allow the
operator to return and enter the missing
Yes
is it almost a sphere?
Y WECPCHNDI="R"
mH GOSUBSaGG
9 PRIHT"SfOU HAVE NOW FILLED IN ALL THE QUESTIONS";
node. When all the questions have been fill-
ed in press X to proceed to the next stage.
To fill the tree use L, R and U as before.
If the computer asks the question:
Is answer on a Yes or No branch?
answer either Y or N as appropriate.
If when filling in the tree a mistake is |
made and Return has already been pressed
it can be rectified as follows:
@ Position the tree cursor at the node where
the mistake has been made.
@ Type M.
@The computer will now prompt for the |
contents again.
The tree can be saved at any stage by typ-
ing S. Instructions on how to use the
cassette recorder then appear on the screen.
When you are ready, press a key and the
computer will ask for the name of the tree,
which must not be more than 10 characters
long. When it has been typed in, press
Return and then Play and Record on the |
cassette player. When it has finished, the
computer will indicate that the cassette
player should be stopped.
The computer instructions for loading
ensure that everything is connected and in
its correct place. The next step is to type in |
the identifier of the tree. Press Return then
Play; the computer will prune the tree ac-
cording to the data it has read in from the
tape. The computer asks at which stage the
program is required to begin, and begins
there. The cassette load option is requested
at the start of the program.
——— Is it yellow? —
Yes ;
It is an orange
It is a lemon
GOSUBSaaa
IFNN=1THEN7 10
IFY$<CPCNH))<3"" THEN? I
PRINT" SIS QUESTION ON A YES OR NO BRANCH <'/ND>"
GETAS: IFAS=""THEN7G2
IFA="N"THEN714
IFAEC>"¥" THEN? 2
IF INT CNN/2>=NN/CTHEN''S (PCHND 2="L" GOTO? 18
Y$CP CNN) ="R"
PRINT" STYPE IN QUESTION TQ GO HERE THEN RETURN"
GOSUB 6aGa
POKESP, 289
gs "a"
M$="" = GOTO6 16
RENFILL IN ANSWER ROUTINE
IFCS(NN<3" "THEN6 16
T#¢NND="A"
GOSUBSaae
IFY$<PCNN) <3" THENEBG
PRINT"SIS ANSWER ON A YES CR NO BRANCH (r/H>"
GETRS : IFAS=""THEN7 32
IFAS="H"THENSOG
IFAS<S "Y"THENTS2
TFNH’2=INTCHN/2 > THEN S CP ONN = "LL" SOTOSEE
‘PRINT STYPE_IN ANSWER TO GO HERE
FOLLOWED EY FETURN"
GOSLIE 6aGe
Wee"
POKESF. 215
GOTO 16
PRINT" IF ‘OU HAVYEN’T FINISHED TYFE A"
PRINT" IF ‘YOU HAVE FINISHED FIND A FREIND "
PRINT"WHEN HE ARRIVES PRESS SPACE BAR TO GO ON":
GETAS: IFAS=""THEN@aG (emitted nce? Bade}
145
Education
(continued from previous page)
TFAS=" "“THENS1G
: $03 "A" THENSOO |
'GOTOE1E
“ROKESP. 0
HH=1:SA=16
1:
8 POKE SF.0
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T=C$0.HN>=""THEN1 Sea
PRINT" SS" CECHND
TF T#¢HNo="A" THEN 1498
GETA#: IFA#=""THEN 1 aan
TFM#="5" THENGOSUBIS 18
IFA="''" THEN 148
TFAS="H" THEH1A7a
IFYSCHHD="R" THEN GOSUEZ1 1@:GOTO97a
A GOSUIB20aG : GOTAR7a
4 IF YS<NNI="R" THENGOSUEZ9@O : GOTOS7O
A GUSUIRZ110:GaToOI7a
A PRINT" THIS IS THE ANSWER '1iii"
PRINT" AHOTHER GO ¢Y/H>”
PRINT"OR YOLI CAN SAVE THE TREE ON TAPE..S”
GETAS: IFAS=""THENI 119
IFAS="$" THENGOSUESS 1 @: GOSUES80a : GOTO1 1a
IFAS="¥"THENS1O
IFAS<>"N"THENI 116
GOSUE Saae
@ PRINT"STHIS WILL DESTROY PRESENT TREE |!"
PRINT" ARE YOU SURE <YeNDIII"
GETAS: IFA$=""THENI20@
IFAS="N"THENS1G
IFAS<>"'¥" THENL 208
RUN ;
GOSUIBS9aE
PRINT"¥OU HAVE FORGOTTEN TO FILL THIS POINT !!"5
PRINT"DC YOU NEED TO QUIT THE TREE?....0"
‘PRINT"GR DO YOU NEED TO FILL THE TREE?....F"
PRINT" 3 ENTER EITHER @ OR F FLEASE
A. GETAS: IFAS=""THENIS7@
IFA$="G" THENRUN
IFA$="F"THENT=1 :GOSUIRSaG@ : GOTIS3@
r GOTOIS7a
REM LEFT MOVE SUBROUTINE
IFSA=1 THEN2106
TFLICNM) =@THENZ1a0
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POKESP, 0
SA=SACE
SF=SP+160-SA
HN=LDCNN)
O=PEEK CSP
0=0+128
96 FOKESF. 0
@ RETURN
G REM RIGHT MOVE SLIB ROUTINE
IFSA=1 THENZ2 10
5 IFRDCNH)=QTHENRETURN
M O=FEEKCSP>
AO =0-129
POKESF. 0
@ SA=SA/2
EQ SP=SF+16a+SA
HH=RIICHND
Q O=PEEK (SP)
m0 =04+128
POKESP.0
RETURH
REM MOVE LIP SUBROUTINE
5 IFPCNN?=@THENRETLIRN
A O=PEEK CSF
O=0-122
2250 POKESP.Q
146
TFNHe2=INT CHN/ 2) THEH2 38
SP=SF-160-SA
GOTUS318
SP=SP-166+SA
SA=SH¥e
: HN=P CNH)
‘& O=PEEKCSP>
0=0+122e
POKESF.0
A RETLRN
PRINT" CI"
PRINT" TREE DIAGRAM FROGRAM FOR 1ST YEARS"
PRINT") DESIGNED AS A TEACHING AID BY"
PRINT" RlIMON SCOTLANDS"
~ PRINT" Ga)
8 PRINT" ©
30 FRINT“ se) TO D0 THIS ENTER S$ WHEN ‘OU! WOULD”
OF THE SI#TH FORM “A’ LEVEL GROUP"
PRINT" ®) AT HAYFLOWER COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL"
oS PRINT" Melee) INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED ON PROGRAM. "
PRINT" TEACHERS TO REFER TO MANUAL BEFORE USE"
PRINT" AMY KEY TO CONTINUE a
GETA#: IFA¢=""THENSaS2
IFA$="N" THENPOKE 144.
4M PRINT"T)"
PRIWT" REMEMBER AT ANY TIME YO! CAN SAME THE"
TREE ON TAPE TO USE AT A LATER DATE"
PRINT" # ENTER A MOWEMEHT DIRECTIGN"
S@ FRINT'M@IF YOU HAVE PREVIQUSL’ SAVED THE TREE"
PRINT’ @ON TAPE ‘vO CAH GET IT BACK BY TYFING T"
G@ PRINT" S ‘,
3 PRIHT"SENTER T FOR CASSETTE ENTRY OF THE TREE"
PRINT" SENTER ANY OTHER KEY FOR KEYBOARD ENTRY"
GETA#: IF AS=""THEHS289
IFAS<>"T" THENRETURN
REM CASSETTE TAPE LOAD ROUTIHE
PRINT"T) MAKE SURE FLAYER IS COHNECTED”
@ PRINT"NAND TAPE IS IN IT AND AT THE RIGHT PLACE"
a PRINT" NA
A GETAS: IFAS=""THENSZea
WHEN YOU ARE READY FRESS ANY KEY a
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
sexe" Britain's Largest And
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over 100 different microcomputers supported and information about
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processing, databases, financial modelling Tel: 01-591 6511 (4 lines)
and applications. software. Telex: 892395
Atari games
Jack Schofield reports on a selection of eight more games.
| Qix
THE AIM is simple: fill in a rectangle,
while avoiding the twin hazards of the
Qix and Sparx. You do this by drawing
lines, called Stix, and the enclosed area is
then coloured in. When you have
completed over 75 percent you get
| another rectangle to fill. At the higher
levels there is more than one Qix.
Qix is the thinking man’s arcade game.
It is really just an extension of a simple
joystick drawing program. What makes
it interesting is that long-term strategy
counts for more than short-term tactics.
For a high score you have to.out-think
the Qix and build traps for it, so that
with a short Stix you can fill a huge area
for a big bonus. It has to be short
| because that allows you to draw at slow
speed, red, which is worth twice as much
as fast speed,. blue.
Interestingly, Qix is one of those
games where, as the evening goes on and
you become more frustrated, your score
tends to go down instead of up.
Atari’s Qix comes on a plug-in ROM
| cartridge. The sound and graphics are
excellent. The one flaw is that it does not
offer a real two-player option. Each
person plays a whole game, made up of
three lives, in turn. It would be better to
alternate.
If you want to see Qix in action, the
Taito version can be found in many
arcades. Incidentally, Qix is pronounced
“‘kicks”’ not ‘‘quicks’’.
Wayout
MAZE GAMES have finally come of age
with Wayout. This is a real-time ti | ee-
dimensional maze which you can hurtle
through under joystick, paddle or
keyboard control. The maze view does
not fill the whole screen, but the speed
of the fine-scrolling and three-
dimensional perspective movement
represent an astonishing feat of
programming by Paul Edelstein.
At the top of the screen is the
compass, which you need and which is
periodically stolen by a whirling
Cleptangle. At the bottom of the screen
the maze is mapped out as you explore
it. At least, it is if you have a compass.
Sound and graphics are outstanding.
After a while you really start to feel as
though you are inside the maze.
Wayout offers a choice of 26 mazes,
148
Up. Up and Away
and records your initials and ‘‘New low
score’’ if you get out in record time,
writing this data to the disc. Versions of
Wayout are expected from Sirius. for the
Apple and Commodore 64 computers.
AT THE RECENT Midland Computer Fair,
two U.K. companies lauched new games
for the Atari. Llamasoft had an excellent
Gridrunner — better than the original
Commodore 64 version — and Pulsar
| this balloon-flying game..
The initial attraction of Up, Up and
| Away is the lovely pictorial drawing. The
trees in the landscape contain more than
one shade of green, and the clouds ripple
through several shades of grey before
despatching lightning. The Atari’s ability
to produce 16 shades of 16 colours sets it
| apart from most eight-colour home
micros, but the facilities are rarely used
this well.
The aim of the game is to use a
joystick to navigate a balloon across the
| terrain. You have a limited supply of
butane fuel and sandbag ballast. You
have to negotiate storms, stone-throwing
boys, kites and, at higher levels,
windmill and airplane turbulence. It’s
not easy.
Though it is not mentioned in the
current version of the rules, you score
points for hitting the boys and points
markers with sandbags. This makes it
rather like Scramble, though the graphics
are, of course, completely different.
At various points the game plays
tunes, including the over-used Death
March — Chopin’s Piano Sonata in B- |
flat minor — The Windmill in Old |
Game By Options
Atari ROM
Sirius 48K disc
Broderbund 48K disc
or ROM
32K disc
or 16K cass
48K disc
48K disc
48K disc
48K disc
Qix
Wayout
Choplifter
Up, Up and Starcade
Away
Bandits
Twerps
Repton
Blade of
Blackpoole
Sirius
Sirius
Sirius
Sirius
Amsterdam and Roll out the Barrel. It
becomes slightly tedious after a while.
There are five skill levels from Practice |
to Expert. The second level, Student, is
not too hard, but Expert level seems
impossible. The game is thus suitable for
young children of all ages and skill
levels. Up, Up and Away only needs 16K
in the cassette version, and the price is
attractive compared to the usual
American imports.
Choplifter
DAN GORLIN’S helicopter-rescue game has
already been reviewed in these pages in
its original Apple version — January
issue, page 135. I had the Atari disc
around the same time, but it was
unloadable and defied attempts to
disassemble it. Broderbund Software is
extremely well protected. Atari U.K.
solved the problem by upgrading my
ancient Model ! disc drive to the later
model with data separator, whereupon
the same disc loaded easily.
The Atari Choplifter is virtually
identical to the Apple version, which has
been universally acclaimed. The only |
probiem is the joystick operation. A long |
pressure on the fire button is used to
change helicopter direction, and a short
pressure to fire. I seem to change
direction every time I try to fire.
Game play is identical: fly the chopper
into enemy territory, zap a few tanks,
land, load hostages and fly back to base.
| Later, planes and space mines appear. It
is very hard to rescue all 64 hostages.
A Vic-20 version is now available on a
| ROM cartridge. Again the play is the
same, but it is a rather inferior game as
Alternative
machines
Price Rating
£29.95
£25.95
£23.75
£29.95
£14.95
£14.95
£23.95
16/20
17/20
16/20
none
Apple
Appie
15/20 none
16/20
11/20
13/20
nia
Apple
Apple
Apple, CBM 64
Apple, CBM 64
IBM PC
Wayout and Choplifter were loaned for review by Silica Shop whose prices are
quoted. The other Sirius games are not yet available in the U.K.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
the graphics are much cruder. Still, it is
| better than most Vic games.
Sirius games
AS WELL AS Wayout, Sirius Software of
Sacramento has been busy converting
more of its Apple II games for the Atari.
Those now available include Snake Byte,
Cyclod, Space Eggs, Sneakers, Bandits,
Twerps, Repton and Blade of
Blackpoole.
Bandits gives you a blaster on a flat
surface. You are attacked by squadrons
of whirling moth-type insects which
carry off fruit: oranges, apples, cherries,
etc. It is a challenging and visually
attractive game, but it is somewhat slow
to play due to the pauses for reloads.
The sound effects in Bandits lack
excitement and do not use the Atari’s
facilities fully. They sound like a bad
night after a plate of curried eggs.
Twerps is rather feeble. It is a sort of
combination game, where you first shoot
your way through lines of invaders, then
land your ship, then take a trip to some
burrows and go in and out of them to
collect the Twerps. The Twerps join on
to your tail in sequence so you end up
looking like a milliepede. This game
probably looked alright on the Apple a
year or two ago, but it is not up to the
standards of the more recent Atari
games.
Repton is a new game, a version of
Defender, but nothing like as good as
| Atari’s Defender. It also resembles Mike
Potter’s Protector games in that you fly
your fighter over a detailed cityscape
instead of a rudimentary landscape.
As with Defender there are several
types of enemy, including an equivalent
| of Swarmers. The essential ‘‘radar’’ view
| of the full scene is at the bottom of the
| screen, instead of the top, and the screen
layout vaguely resembles a fighter
control panel. The best thing about the
game is the superb explosions.
The problem with Repton is that it
lacks the precision of Defender or
Protector. It is like flying through
porridge, and you can only manoevre
while firing huge bullets. It is possible to
play Defender coolly — like a sniper, to
change the analogy — but Repton
enforces a machine-gun approach.
All this is slightly hard criticism, in
| that if Repton was on a different
machine it would attract admiration. The
|
| Choplifter — weil liked on the Apple Il.
Repton — not as good as Defender.
Right: Up, Up and Away.
Left: Wayout offers 26 mazes.
are a
‘GREST FO THE BORTH. Js BMQTER
ano Sitne. HERE -
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cesT.
PATHS &tFan East enD
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ane
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Blade of Blackpoole — forget your bucket and spade.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
wave 1.
| level of quality now being reached by
Atari games makes the competition that
much tougher.
The Blade of Blackpoole is a pictorial
Adventure game. Probably the title
| sounds better in Sacramento, where it
does not have the associations of sea,
sand, lights, and fish and chips under the
| Tower. One side of the disc has the game
and the other side data for the ‘‘rooms’’.
It is possible to back this up, then save
and reload games.
The pictures in Blade are loaded from
disc after each move, but the drawing is
| not parcularly detailed or interesting.
| The text part of the game itself is hard:
at least, I got nowhere — or rather I got
into a boat and could find no way of
paddling it.
Sirius is now busy converting most of
its games for the Commodore 64,
including Blade of Blackpoole and
Repton. Blade is one of Sirius’s first
three games also available for the IBM
PC.
Defender
ANYONE still playing Defender may be
interested in a couple of tips. It does
count scores over 1,000,000, but not
attack waves beyond 99. Be wary of
pressing Esc for’a natural break: I did so
14 hours into a game, when cruising
close to 2,000,000. After pressing Esc
again I was dumped back to zero,
Q
Re eoeeonnn Fwew
-_
Qix is the thinking man’s arcade game.
149
|
1So
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152 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 153
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154 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
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Forte Data Systems Ltd. MSROOLEBENS ni
4 Newman Passage,
London W1P 3PF
01-636 1025/1023
Now with over 100 personally
(Phone now for your free consultation)
customised multi function keys
®@ Circle No. 222
APPLE It & Te COMPATIBLE DRIVES
The quality of a drive from Tandon —
the experience, technical support and
manufacturing skill of HAL Computers
combine to give the best in Apple II
compatible packaged drives. Single and
dual units with capacities up to 3.2 Mb,
full one year warranty, fully plug
compatible with Apple II, and Ile.
8” FROM £931 TO £1426
Phone us now on 0252 517171 for
full details.
SO MUCH SPACE, WE’RE OUT OF THIS WORLD / Y
HAL Computers Limited Y U4 ZY
Invincible Road, Farnborough UU
i na ad Z| py by, GAL 4 YY,
rder by phone or by post with Access.
ili aici COMPUTERS LIMITED
@ Circle No. 223
155
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Compac Series
ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
FOR:
— Practising Accountants
— Company Accountants
— Book-keepers
ACCOUNTS PROGRAM
@Accounts calculated in 5 to 10 seconds
@Journal Adjustments, or any alterations, can be made and the accounts
recalculated immediately — no disk wait time! ;
@Enter or alter all bulk information in a super-fast and easy word-processing
style;
@l\nput or output data may be scrolled up or down and altered in almost any
way
@Non Limited Company accounts finalised immediately
@Swop between tasks or even interrupt, do a letter or study/alter a reference
list and then carry on.
This is a multi-tasking 176K machine-code program with direct memory
addressing — bulk data appears rather like Visicalc but with even faster screen
response and automated features
Apple He or Iiplus
ACCOUNTS PRODUCTION:
— Fastest incomplete records to accounts possible
— Year end financial statements and notes etc. Funds statements, group
companies etc.
— Depreciation (RB or SL), comparatives and roundings
— Mnagement accounts. Year to date, period, budget, variance. Full VAT
information
— Text editing before printout.
NOMINAL LEDGER:
— Full or summarised for any volume. Sort by any field
— Alpha-numeric analysis codes for easy memory. Sub-analyses possible.
— Trial Balance generally in a couple of seconds, accounts in under 10.
BOOK-KEEPING:
— Very fast, fully alterable, data entry. Batches up to 500 items — no disk
delays until ready
— With or without VAT column. Auto VAT and audit trail options
— Posting totals on screen and batch summary in 3 seconds
WORD-PROCESSOR PROGRAM
@A massive internal memory, enough to handle eg. most full Limited Company
accounts in one go
@Very easy to learn and use, prints out what you see on screen
@Random access filing for data-base or address list. Sorting, Merging etc.
VISICALC PROGRAM
(Trademark of Visicorp)
@The ‘What if’ program, Budgeting, forecasting, wages, complex schedules
etc.
@Transter to/from above programs
PRICES excl. VAT:
£
— Accounts 595
— Word-
processor 110
— Visicale 125
COMPAC
Back Lane, Mickleton, Chipping Campden
Glos GL55 6SJ
Tel. Mickleton, (038677) 464/394
@ Circle No. 194
156
ARMADILLO
SOFTWARE EXCHANGE
Trade in your disc-based
games and software for
Apple, Atari, BBC, Pet, Tan-
dy etc.
We buy for half retail price
and sell for two-thirds.
01-455 7065
Evenings and
Weekends
© Circle No. 195
DORLING KINDERSLEY LTD.
NEED HELP!
SENIOR GAMES PROGRAMMER
up to £20K
To head up games software department for Co-
vent Garden publisher. Must be able to write
fast, original games and graphics programs —
employing assembler/machine code for Spec-
trum, Commodore, BBC, etc. Proven ex-
perience in the field a necessity.
EXPERIENCED GAMES PROGRAMMER
up to £14K
Must be able to write fast, original games and
graphics programs for Spectrum, Commodore,
BBC, Dragon, etc.
SOFTWARE WRITERS
We are interested in seeing all people. who think
they have exciting and/or original material for
the home computer market.
Please write (with a C.V. where relevant) to:
Amy Carroll, Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
9 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, WC2E
8PS
@ Circle No. 196
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
In 1982 the RICOH 1600S outsold every other comparable printer
because of its speed, reliability, intelligence, flexibility and
sophistication.
Because it is compatible with all known systems and software
packages.
Because of the 12 month warranty that Micropute offer.
Because Micropute are acompany who care, who are constantly
aware of changing needs and who can fulfill any special requirements.
Not least of all, because of the price
In 1983, there will be thousands more satisfied customers.
We hope that you will be one of them.
ONLY MICROPUTE GIVE YOU SUPERCOVER
As anextra bonus Micropute Supercover will provide a 12 monthon
site maintenance for only £99.00 parts and labour.
Please send details of the RICOH 1600S
and 1300S aig
Name:
Position: = _
Company:
Address: -
—_—_—______elephone.—-—$
— Micropute, Catherine Street, Macclesfield,
@ Circle No. 204
Cheshire SK11 GOY. Tel: (0625) 615384.
Software
For
The fine
Fast-load action,
capabilities to new frontierS™€
match ORIC’s quality and quest fo
The ever growing range includes programs for Business, Ed
In-home entertainment, so whether you want a total business syst
chair arcade excitement, choose ORIC - The new experience
Part of the growing selection includes:-
BACKGAMMON — CHESS ORIC PAY — ORICINV — OR
FLIGHT — ZODIAC — AIRLINE ORIC TYPER —AUTHG@
DALLAS ORIC FORTH lag
Real computer software from
ORIC PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL LTD, COWORTH PARK, LONDON ROAD, ASCOT, BERKS
JUST LAUNCHED ORIC products available from:-
ORIC TREK space apventure GAME WHSMITH @ DIXONS @ GREENS
You are in command of the Federation's most powerful starship
the ie ag oe rash et Ee a0 pees LASKYS @ MICRO‘C’ @ MICRO
torpedoes, your task Is to patrol the furthest reaches of the
Galaxy. protecting Federation space against the forces of PERIPHERALS ® SPECTRUM
invading Klingons. Your ultimate mission is to rid the Galaxy
entirely of the Klingon menace...before they destroy you COMPUTERS FOR ALL
Your crew awaits you aboard the Enterprise. Starfleet Command And hundreds of independent
wishes you Bon Voyage and Good Hunting! dealers
1<Q
eview?
66 The sound commands on the Oric 1
are, for a computer of this price, very
sophisticated. Three music channels, and one
noise channel, mean that you can program
some fairly complex sounds. 99
POPULAR COMPUTING WEEKLY
66 Oric is everything you hoped it would be.
Alive with colour, and zapping with built-in sound
effects, the Oric looks like a match for any
machine now selling for less than £20099
YOUR COMPUTER
66 The 16k Oric — fighting the 16k Spectrum —is
£25 cheaper. It feels a good deal more
‘professional than the home-appeal Sinclair.
Oric’s sound is extremely versatile. and well up 66 Oric was over twice as fastasthe Spectrum. ¥
to the standard of the £300 or £400 BBC Surprisingly perhaps the Oric. which initially
microcomputer made by Acorm.99 seemed only faster when performing the
66 This slope coupled with the design
of the keys makes the Oric an easy machine to
touch-type on. All keys have auto-repeat and
there are four keys dedicated specifically to
cursor control. It is certainly easier to type on
than any of Sinclair's offerings. 99
YOUR COMPUTER
> simplest of calculations, has come back to beat
ee lacs the Spectrum by a small amount. As the
problems get more complex the Oric comes
into its own. One final point — in entering the
= ; benchmark tests — the Oric was certainly the
66 Oric will soon be selling a Modem easiest to handle. 99
so that Prestel will become available.
Owners will be able to accept telesoftware WHICH MICRO?
programs loaded straight down the phone line
eventually electronic mail could come into the
home by the same route, and with the addition
of a tape recorder the Oric with its Modem
could become a telephone answerer and
message taker. 99
66When compared to the stogginess of the
66 One good feature of the Oric is an on-screen Spectrum's keyboard this is certainly an
YOUR COMPUTER tanitider in the top right hand corner to show dee oereatl cant see any Orics fang
that you've engaged all-capitals mode. So much through bad assembly. If only the £2400 IBM
better than the BBs variety of lights in the corner were so easy to use. 99
of the keyboard.The Oric is sound. simple to get WHICH MICRO?
along with and offers great expansion :
potential. 99
WHICH MICRO?
66 Instead of the Spectrum's 28
look-up single-character error reports,
the Oric has 18 self-explanatory messages.
!f you actually want to do computing, rather than
just exploring the world of off-the-shelf games
66A good speaker and built-in noises get the
programme entertainment the Oric will be a Oric’s sound off to a good start. Typing Zap, 66 The modem is certainly unusual in
better buy. 99 Ping, Shoot or Explode produces convincing} —_a machine of this price. Together with the other
arcade game noises which can easily be peripherals. when finally available, it should
WHICH MICRO? incorporated into any program. 99 make for an attractive package for a small
— YOUR COMPUTER business ...surely a match for machines costing
much more 99
POPULAR COMPUTING WEEKLY
ORI -| The Real Computer System
ORIC PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL LTD, COWORTH PARK, LONDON ROAD. ASCOT, BERKS
available from... WHSMITH @ DIXONS @® GREENS
LASKYS @® MICRO‘C’ @ MICRO PERIPHERALS
SPECTRUM @ COMPUTERS FOR ALL
And hundreds of independent dealers.
® Circle No. 205
The right software apple
Authorised Dealer
Service Centre
for your application from **"""~:
CONMPUTECH a FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING PACKAGES —
Invoicing and Stock Recording £295
Sales, Purchases and General Ledgers each £295
Also costing and group consolidation
COMPUTECH UTILITIES DISK
for reliable error checking copying,
diskette scan, interpret and patch, etc £20
VisiCalc, Applewriter and other Apple software (Prices on request)
COMPUTECH CHAIN MAIL
A mailing merging document processor which may
be used with text files, including random files and
Applewriter 1.1 binary files £45
COMPUTECH GRAPHICS DISK
for printing Apple pictures and graphs on Epson and
Microline (free with printers purchased from Computech)£30
COMPUTECH TERMINAL UTILITIES
Apple to Apple and Apple to mainframe from £130
comeuTecs hardware...just
plug it in and . ! | eptons and jumpers provide hardware
({a};
EC DIPLOMAT G)
COMEUTS ee WV,
TEMS
VE GOLowmwn7e SioiS
DIPLOMAT VIDEO DIGITISER
store a frame from video camera in a fiftieth of a
_» Second, process and print SAI
» DIPLOMAT PARALLEL Interface £80
DIPLOMAT SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS Interface £85
DIPLOMAT RAM 16 Memory Expansion 595
DIPLOMAT CLOCK/CALENDAR £80
LOWER CASE Character Generator with Applewriter 1.4
enhancements £50
MICROMUX Data Exchange (Max 16 Ports) from £850
MATRIX PRINTERS, Microline and Epson with a.
graphics and up to 200 cps “from £230
MICROLINE Optional Character Generator £15,
DAISY WHEEL PRINTERS, Olympia, Qume, Ricoh
from und
Prices exclude VAT, Carriage and Packing
s
y/ For full details phone for data sheets and a FREE demonstration
f - ~ . ies <
— q *
168 Finchley Road, London NW3 6HP.
al |
Conn _—_ —
;
File
| This regular section of
Practical Computing
appears in the magazine
eachmonth, incorporating
Tandy Forum, Apple Pie,
Sinclair Line-up and other
software interchange
pages.
Open File is the part of
themagazinewrittenby you,
the readers. All aspects
of microcomputing are
covered, from games to
serious business and
technical software, and
}
we welcome contributions
on CP/M, BBC Basic,
Microsoft Basic, Apple
Pascal and so on, as wellas
the established categories.
Contributors receive
£30 per published page
and pro rata for part
pages, with a minimum
of £6. Send contributions
to: Open File, Practical
Computing, Quadrant
_House, The Quadrant,
Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS.
BEC
BYTES
by John Harris
Caveman
VERY OCCASIONALLY I receive an entirely
different game which works. By ‘‘entirely
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| sinister cyan walls. Very little is required of
| moves the player character within the
| arena, allowing time to escape the clutches |
Open fle BO
BBC Bytes: Caves of Traal; Find utility to search for
keywords; Self-referencing sort; Submarine game — introduced
by John Harris
16]
Tandy Forum: Perpetual calendar; Logical functions;
Mastermind in Forth — introduced by John Wellsman
170
Apple Pie: Clock face in motion on the screen; Generating
music; Assembler representation;
Connect Four game; avoid
deleting files; Round the Bend game — introduced by John
Harris
174
Sinclair Line-up: Fitting data to a curve using polynomial
regression on a ZX-81
18]
Newbrain Nerve Centre: Letter writer for formatted text;
Machine-code monitor; Hangman game — introduced by David
Watt
185
End of File: Pinball on Sharp MZ-80K; Chinese characters
from Epson HX-20 portable
Guidelines for contributors
Programs should be accompanied by
documentation which explains to other
readers what your program does and, if
possible, how it does it. It helps if
documentation is typed or printed with
double-line spacing — cramped or
handwritten material is liable to delay and
error.
Program listings should, if at all possible, be
printed out. Use a new ribbon in your
different’’ I mean that it is not a shooting
game, a guessing game, or a speed-of-
response game — that level of difference.
James Downer of Harpenden has
submitted what can only be described as a
formalised nightmare.
Entitled Caves of Traal, the program
sets up an enclosed arena with rather
the player in order to imagine the dripping
water and the echoing slimy dankness,
cyan has that sort of effect. Two
characters are placed in the arena,
representing the player and the caveman.
On pressing the space bar, a timer starts
and the caveman begins edging toward
you. Pressing the cursor-control keys
of the assailant. The edging soon becomes
a series of short shuffles, breaking into |
more and more sustained running. There is |
printer, please, so that we can print directly
from a photograph of the listing and avoid
typesetting errors. If all you can provide isa
typed or handwritten listing, please make it
clear and unambiguous; graphics
characters, in particular, should be
explained
PLEASE send a cassette or disc version
of your program if at all possible. It will
be returned after use. For CP/M
programs use IBM-format 8in. floppy
discs.
no escape from eventually being mauled to
death — a grisly crunch from the speaker
accompanies the event. One can only hope
to delay the inevitable, which is recorded
on the timer display.
Caveman.
i
S ON ERROR GOTO 9000
10) REM ###CAVEMANR ee
20 DATA 14, 28,36, 48,32, 48, 44,31,
21,12,25,10,4
30 MODE 7
40 PRINTCHRS (141) 5 CHRS(134)5 "The
Caves of Traai":PRINTCHRS (141); CHRS
(134)3 "The Caves of Traal"’’’’
45 PRINT"You are trapped in a ca
ve with the dreaded caveman. I
will draw the cave. Then press any
key to start and RUN, guiding you
rself with cursor keys"
SO PRINT“Press SPACE BAR to cont
inue": REPEAT: C=GET: UNTIL C=32
60 MODE 1:MOVEO, 0: MOVEO,O
65 #FX11,1
66 #FX12,1
(continued on next page)
161
| A Find utility
What must be the cleverest piece of code
yet sent to this column has been submitted
by Douglas Stewart of Edinburgh. The
| technique is of use in its own right to allow
home coders to substitute functions as
required. The utility as it stands has been
invaluable ever since it arrived. It allows an
investigation of program structures with
greater facility than just scanning the
listing, which previously had to suffice.
The technique adds a command to
Basic, in this case Find. It allows all
occurrences of any specified coding within
the program in memory to be listed.
Sometimes it is useful to be able to find
variables, keywords, etc. within a Basic
program — especially if it is large or
intricate. Several one-liners or function-
key routines have been published to
perform this function but have had two
major disadvantages. They are slow and
keywords are not tokenised. For example,
Goto would not be found: the routine
would look for the sequence G,O,T,O
rather than the single token &ES.
A method was needed of calling the
routine and giving it the string to be
searched for. On the BBC there is no way
to intercept commands before Basic
| interprets them, as on the Pet, so a
| different approach would be needed to add
| the new command.
Type Find, and Basic will try to interpret
it, and of course will produce an error.
| When an error occurs, or more accurately
when a 6502 BRK instruction is executed,
the OS indirects through &202 — see page
452 in the User Guide. If you change the
vector when an error occurs you can force
the machine to jump to a user-supplied
routine, where you can check what caused
the error. If the word Find caused it you
(continued on page 164)
Find utility.
100 REM THIS FROGRAM ADDS THE COMM
AND
101 REM ’FIND’ TO THE BEEB’S BASIC
102 REM BY DOUGLAS STEWART
103 REM VERSION 2.1 FEB’83
104 REM SYNTAX:FIND Cstring]
105 REM (KEYWORDS ARE TOKENISED)
106 BASIC=%8A99:REM BASIC RE-ENTRY
107 BASEZ=%DO0:REM ASSEMBLY ADDRES
108 Z=%70:REM BLOCK IN ZERO PAGE T
USE (Z TO Z+& ARE US
ED)
109 DITFLAG=Z+6
110 TP=Z+2:REM TEXT POINTER
111 LS=Z+4:REM LENGTH OF STRING
112 LB=Z+5:REM LENGTH OF BASIC LIN
113 FORF=1TOSSTEP2
114 PZ=BASEZ
wusC
116 OPT P
117
118 LDY£O
119 STY Z
120 LDA£7
121 STA Z+1
122 JSR CHECK \IS IT THE COMMAND
123 BE@ YES
124 JMP &B433
125 -. YES
124 STA&700
_127 JSR FIND
\NERROR ROUTINE
\PERFORM FUNCTION
162
SS )
(continued from previous page)
70 VDU 19,2,5,0,0,0:VDU 19,3,4,0
30,0
75 REM#*#*Gives me palette of bla
ck,red, magenta, cyan###*
80 GCOL 0,3
85 REM ###Draw walls in cyan###*
87 RESTORE20
90 FOR BZ=1 TO 13:READ Width:PLO
T 95, 100#BZ, Width:PLOT 85, 100#BZ,0:N
EXT BZ
95 REM x-wall
100 RESTORE:MOVE 1280,0
110 FOR 8Z=1 TO 11:READ Width:PLO
T 85, 1280-Width, 100#BZ%:FLOT 85, 1280,
100#B%:NEXT BZ
115 REM y-wall
120 RESTORE: MOVE 1280,1024
125 REM y-wall
130 FOR BZ=1 TO 13:READ Width:PLO
T 85, 1280-BZ #100, 1024-—Width:PLOT 85,
1280-BZ*100, 10249 NEXT
135 REM TOP x-wall
140 RESTORE:MOVE 0,1024
150 FOR BZ=1 TO 11:READ Width:PLO
T 85, Width, 1024-100#B%:PLOT 85,0, 102
4-100#BZ: NEXT
155 REM LEFT y-wall
160 REM###Cave walls finished###
170 REM###Define User—-Definable S
hapes##*
180 YDU 23, 230, 28, 28,8, 127,8,20,3
4,65:REM ###Player shapes##
190 VDU 23, 224,0,56,254,1846,170,4
0,68,48:REM *##Caveman shapes##
200 VDU 23, 255,128,82,52, 127,24,4
0,68,128:REM ###Explosion shaper##
210 HULK1=RND(33) 43: HULK2=RND (26)
+s
220 XFUG=RND(33) +3: YFUG=RND (26) +3
250 IF ABS(HULK1-XFUG)<=3 AND ABS
(HULK2-YFUG)<=3 THEN 220
260 VDU 2338202305030;
270 \VDU 31,XFUG, YFUG:COLOUR 1:PRI1
NTCHR$ (230) 5
280 VDU 31,HULK1,HULK2:COLOUR 2:P
RINTCHRS (224) 5
300 REM ###Game proper begins*##*
305 #FX15,0
310 C=GET
320 TIME=0
330 REPEAT
340 #FX4,1
350 #FX15,1
360 J=INKEY(4):1F J>135 AND J<1
40 THEN PROCmovefug
370 IF RND(1)<TIME/10000 THEN P
ROChul kmove
380
4100
390
400
eee
1000
COLOUR1: PRINTTAB(25, 0) § TIME
UNTIL FALSE
REM ###NoOw procedures defined
DEFPROCmovefug
1010 VDU 31, XFUG, YFUG:PRINT"
1020 EF J=136 THEN XFUG=XFUG—1 ELS
E IF J=137 XFUG=XFUG+1 ELSE IF J=138
YFUG=YFUG+1 ELSE YFUG=YFUG-1
1025 IF XFUG<=2 THEN XFUG=XFUG+1 E
LSE IF XFUG>=37 XFUG=XFUG-1 ELSE IF
YFUG<=2 THEN YFUG=YFUG+1 ELSE IF YFU
G>=30 THEN YFUG=YFUG-1
1030 COLOUR 1
1040 VDU 31, XFUG, YFUG: PRINTCHRS (23
O5
1050 IF XFUG=HULK1 AND YFUG=HULK2
THEN T=TIME:PROCexpl
1060 ENDPROC
1100 DEFPROChul kmove
1110 VDU 31,HULK1,HULK2:PRINT" "5
1120 IF HULK1>XFUG THEN HULK1=HULK
IF HULK1<XFUG THEN HULK1=HULK1
IF HULK2>YFUG THEN HULK2=HULK2
IF HULK2<YFUG THEN HULK2=HULK
COLOUR 2:VDU 31,HULK1,HULK2:P
RINTCHRS (224) 5
1165 IF HULK1=XFUG AND HULK2=YFUG
THEN T=TIME:PROCexpl
1170 ENDPROC
1200 DEFPROCexp1
1210 VDU 19,2,12,0,0,90
1215 COLOUR 2
1220 VDU 31,XFUG, YFUG
1230 PRINTCHR$(255)5
1240 ENVELOPE 1,8,1,-1,1,1,1,1,121
510, 52, 120, 120
1250 SOUND &%0010,1,100,255
1260 FOR DZ=1 TO 2000: NEXT
1270 CLS
1280 PRINT"You lasted for "31/1003
seconds. Do you want another game
CY/ND "8G
1290 C=GETS: IF C$<>"Y" AND C$<>"N
“ THEN 1290
1295 SOUND 0,0,0,1
1297. IF Ct="N" THEN 9000
1300 IF C%="Y" THEN CLEAR: GOTO460
ENDPROC
9000 CLS: #FX12,0
9005 COLOUR 1:PRINT"Type RUN to re
-run the program"
9010 END
1310
-OT
JMP BASIC
\ ROUTINE TO CHECK IF NEW COMM
\ IS BEING USED
« CHECK
JSR MOV+l \FIND NON-SPACE CH
STyY Zz
LDY£3
a2
LDA WORD,Y
CMP (Z),Y
BNE OUT
DEY
BPL L2
\COMMAND WORD
\COMPARE EACH CHAR
LDY£3
LDALO
-OUT
RTS
1
PROCF IND
NEXTP
$WORD="F IND"
REM ALTER BRK VECTOR
27&202=BASEZMOD254
?&203=BASEZDIV2S56
END
DEFPROCF IND
162
163 \ROUTINE TO SEARCH FOR THE STR
ING
164
165 .FIND
146 JSR MOV
THE
167 CLC
CHED
168 TYA
169 ADC Z
170 STA Z
171 LDY£O
iz? Ges
t73 LDA(Z),Y
174 INY
175 CMP£13
176 BNE LS
177 DEY
178 STY LS
179 BEQ OT
180
1981 \STRING POINTED TO BY (Z),Y
182 LDAE1
183 STA TP
184 LDAKIB
\MOVE TO START OF
\STRING BEING SEAR
\FOR
\GET VALUE OF ’ PAG
185 STA TP+1
186 .BL
187 JSR%.9834
188 LDY£0
189 LDACTP),Y
\TEST ESCAPE KEY
\LINE NUM HIGH BYT
190 STA&2B NINTQ TAC
(listing continued on page 164)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
pen file: BBC===
| = x
e 7 5 —_
HiGH TECHNOLOGY COMPUTER PRODUCTS
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THE PHANTOM-X1
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Keyboard, Aux. Serial Port, built in diagnostics.
DOUBLE DENSITY DRIVES: Twin 53” double
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Midway configuration: 500K per drive
Super Configuration: 1 megabyte per drive
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For further information on the Phantom X-1 contact
PHOENIX SYSTEMS
on 061-236 1172
Buckingham House, 42 Princess St., Manchester 1
fetF== eetmeteeteeleretcre tele Y
7 Please supply further details on the PHANTOM X-1
NAME
POSITION
| COMPANY
a ADDRESS
PHONE
i 7/B
ey en ee eo
@ Circle No. 300
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
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Tel: 01-242 2803
The best value in the city for...
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*Free offer does not apply to Epson or Torch.
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===
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———)
——aay
o=
This high speed 16 bit
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Available from Silicon
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lease from £13 per week.
400 programs now
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VIDEO RECORDER
with these systems!
Or choose one of these
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@ Ambassador on sight training.
@ Six accounts ledgers (saving between
£1,500 - £3,600). Nominal, purchase, sales, invoicing,
stock recording and payroll packages ready to use
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@ 3 year warranty, parts and labour.
@ Dot matrix or Daisywheel printer.
@ D Base |i package. @ Wordstar. @ Supercalc.
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Software The Permanent Computer Show
D Base II, Wordstar.
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FULL RANGE OF PRINTERS, PAPER AND DISKETTES
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163
A ee eo | |) 1 file: hb ==
(continued from page 162)
can ignore the error and perform the new (listing continued from page 162)
function, otherwise you can give control |’ can La a ve ee
| back to Basic. Since Basic has already tried ION
to interpret the line typed in, keywords Be cop 245 INC TP
have already been tokenised. ie oo. as a =
From here on the utility simply isolates | RTS \END OF FROGRAM 248 .BPS \FINISHED SO GO ON
the string to be searched for and attempts , a ae stieBe NTOPNERT LINE
. . . . =)
to match It against the text. If it finds a LDA(TF),Y \LINE NUM LOW BYTE 251 .PL
| match the line is listed. It was not possible STA&2A \INTO Tac 252 JSR&98FS \PRINT LINE NUMBER
| to use Basic’s own routine for listing lines. Cen cre a
| But various ROM routines are available to SEC i \ 255° .L6
simplify matters as follows: SBCE4 \GET LENGTH OF ACT 256 LDA(&B),Y \GET CHAR
&B53A — Print the character in the -_ ee atta Sa 1g) GHD TEAMAR
accumulator expanding token bytes STX LB “"258 BNE B
| when found. Lpa TP 259 EOR DITFLAG \IF SO, THEN FLIP
&98F5 — Print the contents of &2A &2b in | cLe 260 STA DITFLAG \THE @UOTE FLAG
decimal, for the line numbers. a ee + rie
&B571 — Print a character and maintain LDA TP+1 263 PHA \PUT CHAR ON STACK
Count. | ADCLO 264 LDA DITFLAG
&9834 — Test the escape key and act | STA TP+1 265 BNE BP10
accordingly Gedy vse? uP POINTE. oe \UNSCRAMB IF LINE
&97B6 — On the BBC line numbers NUM.
associated with Gotos, Gosubs, etc., are LDA TP+1 \TEXT OF BASIC LIN 268 BCC BP11 \IE. IF NOT LINE N
encoded in an odd way — this decodes. | Ebi
The program works with OS 1.0 and 1.2, aoe Made
though after pressing Break on 1.2 the 271 JSR&98F 1 \PRINT OUT LINE
program will probably need rerunning. It el Beet Swdile bus) Ua) SUG?
will probably not work with Issue II Basic = ake hee
) I sul CMP (TP), Y 274 BNE BP12
but since nobody has it yet, this is not too | BNE BPS \STRING DOESN’T MA 275 .BPi1
| important. INY “Pe ais,
The net effect is the ability to type Find cPY LS \COMPARED ALL OF I 278 INY
Proc and see at a glance all the procedure ? sy ee One r ‘- ues
calls and defines. Type Find 131 to catch ah “iat Le brag ¢ sae
all the references to mode 7 yellow \STRING 1S FOUND 282 RTS
alphanumeric. Within the version printed (ae a ae Sewer
the return is always made to Basic, so all LDX LB 285 PLA
OS, Utils, or DOS commands are disabled INX 286 JSR&BS71
after setting up Find until the next Break. aa be aatiitis cima = gee oP
Consequently Find cannot be left installed cLc \TO POINT TO START 289
at all times. ADC&B \OF NEXT LINE OF 290 \ROUTINE TO MOVE POINTER TO NE
Bi ‘ STA TP \BASIC xT
; In addition to the Find command there Lpasc 291 \NON-SPACE CHARACTER
is a set of base change functions. They are | —., 292 .MOV
an ee STA TP+1 293 INY
the second most useful application of He all NEGTONTOO NER? eine 294 LDACZ),Y
recursion I have received, and are an | 295 CMPE32
| admirable example of elegance and brevity 4 —_— pre ne vicky
of both design and execution. BNE BPS 298 .WORD
INC TP+1 299 J
- BPS 300 ENDPROC
Sort
Self-referencing procedures of functions
are powerful as they implicitly provide an | | Sort example timings.
indefinite set of local intermediate storage
5 : : 100 took 5.469 seconds,
variables. You get alot of routine for a little 200 took 11846 secams
code-at the expense of thinking instead of 300 took 17. 88 wena.
just doing. The trouble is that they are 66. Book 24. 95 Decals .
applied so often to trivial problems such as 500 took 32. 07 sacendt ?
the Towers of Hanoi or factorial evaluation. 600 oak 40. 76 setlaras,
You may need to use factorials now and 700
| again in binomial this or statistical that.
| mb Pua the eco lg of BBC Basic 900 took 62769" secends,
eing 10° real and 10 integer the entire 1000 took 69. Bederida,
range of allowable factorial results could be 1400 took 77.2% sécards,
held in atable of 34elements, and looked up 1200 took @6.04 Seconds,
a lot faster than any routine could generate 1300 took 96.99 seconds,
en 1400 took 102.15 seconds,
Flon van Dissel of Leiden in the
. 1500 took 110.54 seconds
Netherlands has sent a sort d hich u
Seo eee ae” | 11600 took 121.78 seconds,
is brief and self-referencing in a non-trivial
. 1700 took 127.77 seconds
way. It produces very respectabl t id
ME MAS stn se, neem beach Sole eg: 1800 took 140.39 seconds,
which I reproduce from an example run of =
the skeleton code the procedure was tested | 1700 took 150.96 seconds,
2000 took 153.46 seconds,
with. Obviously being in Basic it is not in the
| (continued on page 169) |
took 48.30 seconds,
800 took 56.34 seconds,
164 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
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The Shelton 5jg/m@!
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From the bewildering range of
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Faster Than a 16 BIT
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165
166
How to mak
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First, neatly cut out the “370” label.
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And you've just begun to tap the power
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Easy to look at, easy to use.
Input screens and output forms couldn’t
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_—
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You can do automatic calculations on
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And you can use dBASE II interactively
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has to be done.
Use dBASE II to help make your choice:
Instead of just poring over a manual, you
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
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Visit your dealer and run through a hands- Soft Option (0476) 86017 Tamsys Windsor 56747
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 167
CP/N-BG version f.1
Seguent Addrets = G40
Last Offset » SF
RAM ts auflable for G8080 to 1FFFF
103-86 $1.8
Q
a
a
Pg eg
A
88s
B
SRSSRRSSS3S
cCssceeces
S2aas
R
RRRRRQSISISS
§
R
ame
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a SANYO
(continued from page 164)
same league as a well-coded assembler sort,
but the timings are a vast imnprovement on
some and. the code is a lot more
understandable.
It is an adaptation of the famous
Quicksort algorithm of C A R Hoare. The
procedure Sort (L,H) expects an: integer-
array A% to be declared and ready to be
sorted. For reals or strings just change all
A%s, Y% and the H% in Procexch. The
parameters L and Hspecify the low and high
array elements to be included in the sort.
Sort is based on the idea that exchanges
should preferably be made over large
distances to be most effective. Pick a RND
item Y% though selecting the median of the
array section would give the best result, and
scan from the left. until an item
A%(1%)>Y% is found, then scan from
the right until A%%(1%)<Y%. Exchange
these two items and continue the scan and
exchange process until the two scans meet
somewhere in the middle of the array
section:
Following the so-called partition of
(A%(M%),A%(N%)), the Local 1% and
J% have been found with the following
properties:
If A%(T%)< =Y% thenM%< = J%<
I%<=N%
AV(TH)< = Y% forM%< =TH< =
I%
A¥%(T%) = Y% for U%<T% <I%
AR(TR)>Y% forI%< =TH< =
N%
Now simply apply the same partition
process to the two partitions generated (M%
Submarine.
10REM +t SUB wae
20REM
3OREM * A PROGRAM WRITTEN BY #
40OREM * M HOLMES #
SOREM
60REM £ USE B,N AND M FOR CONTROL
See
7OREM
BOMODE 1
9OPROCchars
1OOPROCi nit
11OONERROR PROCsubhit: RUN
1 20REPEAT
130PROCp1l ay
140OUNTIL finish
150#FX15, 1
1460 INPUTTAB(10, 20) "Another game",g
ames
170I1F LEFT$(game$,1)="Y" OR game$=
“° THEN RUN
180MODE7
190END
ZOODEFPROCp1 ay
210I1F INKEY(-101) AND subx>OTHEN C
OLOUR O:PRINTTAB(subx, 27) sub: COLOUR
1: subx=subx—-1:PRINTTAB(subx, 27) sub
2201F INKEY(-102) AND subx<35STHEN
COLOUR 0O:PRINTTAB (subx , 27) subs: COLOU
R 1: subx=subx+1:PRINTTAB (subx, 27) sub
$
2301F INKEY(-86) AND NOT fire THEN
fire=TRUE: missil ex=subx+1:missile=m
issile+1:SOUND 1,-15,100,2
240IF fire THEN IF POINT(missilex*
32+15, 1023-missiley#32)=1 THEN PROCH
it
250IF fire THEN COLOUR 0O:PRINTTAB(
missilex,missiley) ;CHRs (225): missile
y=missiley-1:COLOUR 2:PRINTTAB(missi
lex,missiley) ;CHRt(225):SOUND 0,-8,4
sl: IF missiley=O THEN fire=FALSE:mis
siley=25:COLOUR O:PRINTTAB(missilex,
0) 5 CHR# (226)
260IF .NOT dcharge AND subx+45>bo0atx
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| torpedoes.
| charge runs at various heights above the
ee
to J% and [1% to N%) by a recursive call to
Procsort for each, until the partition |
consists of less than three elements.
Some improvements are optional.
| e Take for Y% the median of three or five
randomly selected elements in A%,
though this will also involve a change in
line 110.
@ Quicksort becomes ‘“‘slowsort” for very
small array sections, so try jumping to
another sort routine when a partition hasa
size less than x, between five and 15.
@ Reduce the stack-for-recursion size by
calling directly the largest subfile and
stacking the smaller, in line 120.
Submarine
A game rather more violent in the in-
tention than the act has been submitted by
Martin Holmes of Uxbridge for the Model
B running in Mode 1. A submarine is
controlled at a fixed height above the sea bed
and has an inexhaustible supply of
Ships make regular depth
submarine, doubtless operating in tidal
waters. With the restriction of having one
torpedo running at a time, the exercise is a
kind of turkey shoot until carelessness
intervenes.
The display is very pretty and the missiles
and explosions make the appropriate |
noises. Controls are B left, M right and N
to fire. For those who cannot keep up with
the aggressive program that accelerates
from an initially overfast beginning, the |
implementation provides a pleasing |
backwater. Q
AND subx~-4<boatx AND RND(4)=1 THEN -
dcharge=TRUE: DY=boaty: DX=boatx : SOUND
2,-15,1,2
2701F dcharge THEN COLOUR O:PRINTT
AB(DX, DY) ; CHR$ (228) : DY=DY+1:COLOUR 2
: PRINTTAB(DX, DY) ; CHR$(228):SOUND 2, —
10,150,1:1F DY=28 THEN COLOUR 0O:PRIN
TTAB(DX, 28); CHR# (228): SOUND 0,-15,5,
2: dcharge=FALSE
2B0COLOUR O:PRINTTAB(boatx, boaty? 3
boat$;5 TAB(boatx+1,boaty~1i)btopt: boat
x=boatx-1
290COLGUR 1:PRINTTAB(boatx, boaty) j
boat: COLOUR 2:PRINTTAB (boatx+1,boat
y-1) btops
300IF boatx=0 THEN boatx=36: COLOUR
O,PRINTTAB (0, boaty? ;boatt; TAB(1,b0a
ty-1) s;btopt: BY=RND(18)+2
3101F dcharge THEN IF POINT (DX#32+
16, 1023-DY#32-40)=1 THEN PROCsubhit:
fini sh=TRUE
320ENDPROC
SIODEFPROCHit
3404ire=FALSE: COLOUR 0: PRINTTAB(mi
ssilex,missi ley) 5 CHRt(226):missiley=
Zo)
SSOPRINTTAB (boatx+1,bo0aty—1) btaps
360COLOUR 1:PRINTTAB(boatx,baaty) 5
debriss
370FOR VOL=-15 TO -8 STEP 4
380SOUND 0, VOL, 4,3
39ONEXT
400FOR VOL=-15 TO -10 STEP 2
410SOUND 0,VOL, 4,3
420NEXT
430FOR VOL=-15 TO -8
440SOUND 0,VOL,5,3
450NEXT
460TIME=0:REPEAT UNTIL TIME>100
47OCOLOUR O:PRINTTAB (boatx,boaty)§
deletes
480boatx=36: boat y=RND (18) +2
490SCORE=SCORE +1
SOOENDPROC
S1ODEFPROCsubhit
S2OCOLOUR O
SSOPRINTTAB (subx, 27) j subs
Open fle: BO
Sort.
10 VDU2: DIMA% (2000) : TL=0O
20 FORENTS=100TO2000STEP100 |
30
>:NEXT 1
40
TIME-T) /100: TI=TT-TL: TL=TT: @Z=%00004 | |
PRINT, ENTS; : @Z=&20206: PRINT" took "
seconds,
o TT3"
i
sO
60
70 LOCAL 1%,J%
80
—MZ=1
N%Z):GOTO 130 ELSE XZ=FNRN(MZ,NZ) = YA=
AZ (XH)
90
%=N% OR YXKAZLCIZ): IF YZXAD=AZLCIZ)
vA
100
110
FORI=1TOENTS: A% (1) =RND¢€10000
T=TIME:PROCSORT (1, ENTS): TT=¢
the last 100 added",T
NEXTENTS: VDU3: END
DEFPROCSORT (M7,N%) °
IF M%>N%Z-1 THEN 130 ELSE IF NZ
AND AZ (NZ) <AZ(MZ%) PROCEXCH(MZ,
> 1Z=MZ: J7Z=NZ
I%=1%-1: REPEAT I1%=1%+8: UNTIL I
IZ=N
J%Z=J%41:REPEAT J%Z=J3%-1: UNTIL J
IF 12%<J3% PROCEXCH(I%, JZ): 1%=1%
+1:J%=J%-1:GOTO90 ELSE IF I%<X% PROC
EXCH(1%,X%):1%=1%41 ELSE IF X%<J% PR
OCEXCH(X%, 32): I%Z=d%-1
120
)
130
140
150
160
170
=H%
180
S40PRINTTAB (DX, DY) 3 CHR$ (228)
SSOCOLOUR 1
SS6OPRINTTAB (sub>, 27)3 debris
S70FOR VOL=-15 TO -5
S8OSOUND 0, VOL.4,2
SPONEXT
600FOR VOL=-15 TO O
610SQUND 0,VOL,4,5
S20NE XT
S30FRINTTAB (subx, 27) ;delete?
640TIME=0: REPEAT ‘UNTIL TIME >200
450CLS: VDU19,0,3,0,0,0
S60PRINTTAB(S,10)"Y OU HAVE
Bee (EN) Je ete
S70PRINTTAB(3,15) "You destroyed "5
SCORE3;“ ships and used "§missile;"
missiles."
4&80ENDPROC
S90DEFPROCinit
700subx=10
710dcharge=FALSE
720mi ssi le=0: missiley=25
73O0SCORE=0
740VDU233 11, 1303050
750VDU19, 0,4,0,0,0,19,3,2,0,0,0
760COLOUR 3
770DRAWO, 95: PLOT8S, 1279,0
780PLOTS8S, 1279, 95
79OCOLOUR 1
BOOPRINT TAB (subx, 27) subs
8104ire=F ALSE
820bo0atx =36: boat y=15
8304 inash=FALSE
840ENDPROC
8SSODEFPROCchars
860VDU23, 224, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 2
55,255, 255
870VDU23, 225, 31,31,31,31,31,31,31,
31
BBOVDUZ3, 226, 4, 14, 31,31, 31,31, 31,3
1
B90VDUZ3, 227, 255, 127,63, 31,15,7,3,
1
9OOVDU23, 228, 24, 60, 126, 255, 255, 126
, 60,24
F1OVDUZ3, 229, 255, 255, 195, 195,195, 2
55,255, 255
920VDU23, 230, 248, 253, 255, 253, 253, 2
55,253,248
93OVDU2Z3, 231,63, 127, 127, 255, 255, 12
2 lene
940sub$=CHRS$ (231) +CHRS (11) +CHRS (22
5) +CHRS$ (10) +CHRS (8) +CHRS (224) +CHRS (2
24) +CHR$ (224) +CHRK$ (230)
950b oat $=CHRS (227) +CHRS (224) +CHRS (
224) +CHR$ (224) +CHR$ (224)
960debris$="i_ #-_#:-£"
970deletes=" “
980bt ap $=CHRS (229) +CHRS (11) +CHRS (2
29) +CHR¢ (10) +CHRS (8) +CHRS (229) +CHRS (
224)
990ENDPROC
PROCSORT (M%, J%) : PROCSORT (12%, NZ
ENDPROC
DEFFNRN (E%, F%) =RND(FZ-EX%) +EZ~1
DEFPROCE XCH(E%,F%)
LOCAL H%
HZ=A7% (EZ) 2 AZ (EX) =AX (FA) 2 AZ (FZ)
ENDPROC
169
}20 PRINT"
TANDY
FORUM
by John Wellsman
Perpetual calendar
A PERPETUAL Calendar comes from Mr A
Wit who lives in Hoorn, The Netherlands.
Mr Wit suggests it is nearly the shortest
possible and that it will give the day of any
date back to 1582.
It will, but only on the Continent. In that
| year, Pope Gregory revised the old Julian |
calendar, instituted by Julius Caesar, which
by the 16th century had got rather out of
step with real time. Protestant England
under Elizabeth I refused to have anything
to do with such Papish innovations and it
was not until 1752, when we were 11 days
out of step with the Continent, that we
adopted the Gregorian claendar.
Perpetual calendar.
10 CLS:DIMK (12)
*#*" =PRINT
(DAY, MONTH, YEAR) ";D,M,Y
Y/4=INT(Y/4) THEN K(2)=29
ay ae AND Y) 1582 THEN 70
GOTO 30
70 YR=Y:FOR I =
| Logical functions
** PERPETUAL CALENDAR
SO DEFINT D,M,Y:INPUT "ENTER DATE
40 FOR I=1 TO 12:READ K(1) =NEXT:IF
IF DDO AND Dé=K(M) AND MO AND
60 PRINTTAH(15)"* ERROR *”:RESTORE:
1 TO 12:READ NS:IF I=M
Any programmer, no matter what
language he or she uses, should have a
thorough grasp of both binary arithmetic
and logic as their use can increase the |
speed and shorten the program, especially
Basic.
The essential thing is to fully
understand the functions And, Or and
Not. We frequently use the first two in
instructions like
IF A=1 AND B=2THEN.....
but this is only a very limited use of the
logical operators And and Or is to
compare the corresponding bits of two
integer values and produce a third value
from the result.
The address in line 30 of Steve
Holloway’s program is one of those
receiving keyboard input data, and lines
40 to 95 decide by direct logical
comparison of each individual bit what
has been input into address 14400. You
can see for yourself if you use this little
routine:
10 A = PEEK(14400):PRINT @470, A:GOTO
10
By pressing the arrows, etc. you will see
the values that they give to the address.
According to the value at 14400 the
program modifies the position of the
cursor by altering the set values of X and
Y, giving the impression of movement.
Steve Holloway also uses the logical
Logical functions.
10 DEFINTA-Z
20
CLS? X=64:Y=24:SET (X,Y) ©Y1=ViX1=X:REM
sets cursor
screen.
3sOo A=
arrow
re @)
arrow
60
PEEK (14400) :H=NOTHIIF A=0 THEN
IF BH THEN RESET (X,Y)
40 IF A AND
IF A AND 64 THEN X1=X+1
IF A AND 8 THEN Y1=Y-1
function Not. It is not quite so simple to
explain but the effect is to multiply the
operand by —1 and subtracting 1, so
NOTX =(X* —1)—1
It is well worth becoming familiar with
computer logic. There are several books
dealing with the subject, and Lewis
Rosenfelder’s Basic Better and Faster and
Other Mysteries gives some excellent
examples of how to put logical functions
to good use.
| Tandy Forth
function. The full and proper use of the |
There is no doubt that the Forth
language has increased in popularity
thanks to the availability of the language
for many micros, and not least because
someone has been brave enough to
produce a micro dedicated to it. The
Tandy Model I has long had a Forth
compiler available to it, though only a few
enthusiasts ever progressed far with it.
There is no concealing the fact that
compared with Basic, Forth is not an easy
language to learn, especially if you have
begun with Basic. But the rewards for
learning its discipline are great. It is very
fast and efficient, and it provides a
knowledge of programming that can
never be acquired if you only use Basic
alone. Mr Ernest Bebbington has provided
a very useful account of Forth which I
hope, will stimulate others to experiment.
(continued on page 172)
in the middle of the
ro
S2 THEN X1=X-1 !REM left
sREM right
*=REM up
Open file: land =====
390 IF D=3 OR D=23 THEN D$="RD"
1100 A=SE65*Y+D+S1 *% (M—-1): IF Mea
Y=Y-1 ELSE A=A-INT(. 4¥M+2, 5S)
110
A=A+INT(Y/4) —INT(. 75% (INT (Y/100) +1) )
120 A=INT((A/7—-INT (A/7) )#7+.5) <FOR T=0
TO AZREAD AS:ENEXT
THEN
130 PRINT"- ":AS:"DAY "sDsDe:" "sme:"
"sYRs" —_" »
140 PRINT: RESTORE: GOTO 30
150
160
NE, JULY, AUG, SEPT, OCT, NOV, DEC
170
170
DATAS 1, 2OPS1 SS) S16 BO) 51) B1,.3S0, 31, 50, 31
DATAJANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JU
DATASATUR, SUN, MON, TUES, WEDNES, THURS, FRI
THEN M$=N¢ arrow
80 NEXT: IF D=i OR D=21 OR D= 31 THEN 70 IF A AND 16 THEN Y1=Y+1 =REM down
D¢="ST" ELSE IF D=2 OR D=22 THEN arrow
D$="ND" 80 IF A AND 128 THEN FOR I=1 TO.
SOSNEXT =REM space bar
90 IF A AND 2 THEN’ RESET (X, Y) :REM
Clear
95 IF A AND 1 THEN GOSUB 1000 REM
enter
100 X=X1 AND 127: IF Y1)47 THEN Y=0
ELSE IF Y1(O THEN Y = 47 ELSE Y=Y1
110 Sen Gx, Yo. SOT0_so
1000 REM INVERT ROUTINE
1010 FOR I= 15360 TO 16385
ots ae PEENOIONG “28 THEN POKE
I,191:GOTO 10350
1020 POKE(I), NOTPEEK(I) AND 191 OR
128
1030 NEXT I: RETURN
60025 SAVE" HOLOG/PC: 1
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
page for those
who demand more
and more and more...
If your application is too demanding for small-fry
microcomputers, if it looks as though only a
mainframe will do — think SAGE and save money.
If your BOS accounting system is too much for
your IBM Series I or DEC PDP 11/34, think SAGE and
get more power at less cost.
SAGE is simply the most powerful microcomputer
—nearly 24% times as fast as a PDP 11/34
minicomputer running Microcobol bench tests. *Its 32
bit Motorola 68000 processor runs at 8 MHz and
executes 2 million instructions per second. It can
address up to 16 million bytes of memory. It runs four
operating systems — BOS, Mirage, P System and
CP/M 68 — with the Unix-like IDRIS due shortly. You
can program in Pascal, Basic, Cobol, Forth, Fortran
77, APL, OCCAM, Expert, Modulla II and “C”.
C/WP Computers
108 Rochester Row. London SW1P 1JP
Telephone: 01-630 7444
C/WP Computers, Britain’s leading
microcomputer dealer, now offers SAGE systems with
full technical support. C/WP can supply you with
terminals, printers, Winchester disks, tape drives,
graphics devices, network multiplexors and
communications equipment for your SAGE. All SAGE
systems are covered by a free 12 months, on-site
24-hour callout maintenance service. Free delivery in
the UK within 20 days of order.
SAGE II, 128k RAM, two 640k floppy drives, one
terminal (two may be fitted) £3,990
SAGE IV, 1024k RAM, one 640k floppy drive,
10 Mbyte Winchester drive, six terminals £9,365
For full details and price list write or telephone
C/WP Computers, 01 630 7444
*Tested by MicroProducts Software Ltd using SAGE II
@ Circle No. 216
7
(continued from page 170)
The fundemental building block of
Forth is the word, a user-defined function
loosely analogous to
command in Basic. Like the Basic
command, Forth words are usually
defined in terms of previously defined
words. Thus one word can call up the
definitions of many other words through
a complex chain of definitions. Any word
defined by the programmer has equal
status with all of the words already
contained in the implementation.
To be accurate, you do not write
programs in Forth, you merely configure
the existing implementation to carry out
the task required. For example, to write a
word processor. in Forth, definitions are
added to the existing set of words to make
the computer function as a word
Tandy Forth.
CHOICE
7 6 PTC " HOW
DIFFICULTY CLS HEADINGS ;
14
15
We
the Def FN |
MANY NUMBERS SHALL I
All £ signs in the above should be typed in as upper-case 3.
‘th
processor. A particular inducement to us-
ing Forth is its ability to operate up to 30 |
times faster than Basic.
The game Mastermind written for a
computer is not exactly unique, but it
does illustrate the structured approach
necessary when writing in Forth. The idea
is that the computer chooses a group of |
numbers and the player has to guess what
they are. After each set of. guesses the
computer tells the player how many of the
guesses are correct and if they were in the
right order. After a certain number of
guesses the computer tells the player the
correct answers.
In: this version, when making the
guesses the Enter or Return key does not
have to be pressed. Just type in the
required number of figures. When setting
| of figures to guess and number of guesses
— you do have to press Enter.
| PTC positions the cursor at a co-
ordinate on thescreen. The format is row,
|; column PTC. #In operates like Input in
Basic except that the number input is put
on to the parameter stack and is not
directly transferred ‘to a variable. CLS
clears the screen and homes the cursor.
RND chooses a random integer between |
| and the number at the top of the stack.
While-Perform-Pend is an indefinite
| loop. The words between: While and
| Perform are executed, and Perform tests
the value left on the stack. If it is a logical
True value, 1, then the words following
Perform are executed and the loop is
started again. If it is false, the loop is left
and the words following Pend are
e difficulty of the game — the number
executed.
BLOCK : 90 NUMBERS )
QO ( MASTERMIND VERSION ©O.2 1ST BLOCX OF 53) : 2 NUMBER @ 0 DO I FLAG @ 1 4)
TASK ; re} IF NUMBER @ @
1 © VARIABLE NUMBER QO VARIABLE IN-PLACE o 4 PO J
VARIABLE WON be] TF oT Feet a) x2
2 0 VARIABLE NOT-IN-PLACE © VARIABLE TOTAL QO 6 Le hes Ca. >
VARIACLE TRIES IF J GUESSLIST @ I NLIST @ =
3 5S ARRAY NLIST 5S ARRAY GUESSLIST 5 ARRAY 8 IF 1 NOT-IN-PLACE +!
FLAG 2) =1 1 FLAG ! BEAVE
4 10 THEN
3 TITLE © 20 PTC " MASTERMIND VERSION 0.2" ; 11. THEN
6 GAMEe SO PTC " GAME NUMBER " TOTAL @ 1 + 12 ‘THEN
CHOOSE " 15 THEN LOOP ;
a: "FOR YOU TO GUESS (3-6 " £IN 3 MAX 6 MIN
NUMBER ! ;
9 : DIFFICULTY 939 0 PTC " HOW MANY GUESSES AT EBLOCK : 93
THE NUMBERS DO ”
10 06" YOU WANT (5 - 10) " £IN 5S MAX 10. MIN
TRIES ! ; 1: COMPARE (
11 : HEADINGS CLS " YOUR GUESS" 15 SPACES ” IN NUMBERS )
PLACE” 15 SPACES " NOT IN PLACE” CR CR ; 2 1ST-CHECK
13: INITIALISE CLS TITLE GAME CHOICE 2ND-CHECK THEN ;
3 &
4
2 +
5 « RESET ( RESETS 2 VARIABLES AND AN ARRAY )
6 0 IN-PLACE ! © NOT-IN-PLACE !' 5 O DOO I
FLAG ! Loop ;
BLOCK : 91 7 4 WIN? ( CHECKS IF NO. GF CORRECT GUESSES -
NG. OF NUMBERS )
© ( MASTERMIND VERSION G.2 2ND BLOCK OF 5) 8 IN-PLACE @ NUMBER @ = ;
1 = PICK ( CHOOSES GROUP OF RANDOM NUMBERS ) 9 : WIN-OR-LOSE? ( CHECKS FOR WIN & REPORTS )
NUMBER @ 0 10 CR 1 = IF " YOU HAVE WON " 1 WON +!
2 DO 9 RND I NLIST ! LOOP ; 11 ELSE " SORRY - I’VE BEATEN YOU. "
3 : INKEY ( NUMBER INPUT ) 12 THEN 1 TOTAL +! CR
4 WHILE KEY 48 — DUP 13" THE NUMBERS I CHOSE WERE "
5 1 ¢ OVER 9) OR (GET NUMBER & TEST 14 NUMBERS @ 0 DO I NLIST ? LOOP ;
FOR RANGE ) 15
6 PERFORM DROP ( NOT IN RANGE SO CLEAR
STACK & LOOP AGAIN )
a PEND ; BLOCK : 94
8 : ASK ( GET PLAYERS GUESSES )
3 NUMBER @ © DO INKEY DUP I GUESSLIST ! © ( MASTERMIND VERSION 0.2 STH BLOCK OF 5 )
Loop ; 1 : RESULTS ( REPORTS GAMES WON )
10: 1ST-CHECK ( CHECKS FOR CORRECT IN-PLACE 2 CR" GAMES WON ” WON ? " OUT OF " TOTAL ? ;
GUESSES ) 3 1 AGAIN? 4 SPACES " ANOTHER GAME " Y/N ;
it NUMBER @ © DD I GUESSLIST @ I NLIST @ = 4 + PLAY ( INNER GAME LOOP )
12 IF 1 IN-PLACE +! 1 I FLAG 5 PICK TRIES @ © DO
1 6 ASK COMPARE I REPORT WIN?
15 THEN 7 IF 1 LEAVE
14 Loop 8 THEN RESET
1S 9 OOF
10 WIN-OR-LOSE? RESULTS ;
11 : MASTERMIND ( MAIN LGOP )
BLOCK : 92 42 RESET BEGIN
15 INITIALISE PLAY AGAIN?
O ( MASTERMIND VERSION 0.2 SRD BLOCK OF 5 ? 14 €ND ; MASTERMIND ( EXECUTE WHEN LOADED )
i = ZND-CHECK ( CHECKS FOR EQUAL NOT-IN-PLACE is
O ¢ MASTERMIND VERSION 0.2 4TH BLOCK OF
REPORT ¢( GIVES CLUES TO PLAYER )
DUP
NOT-IN-PLACE ? CR ;
=)
>
)
COMPARES GUESSES TG HIDDEN
IN-PLACE @ NUMBER @ () IF
29 PTC IN-PLACE
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Open file: Tandy ===
O-Computers has done wonders for Osborne I.
We call it Super Osborne. We added refinements
and lowered prices to make it the best value-for-money microcomputer
you can find. For £1499 + VAT we'll sell you our Super
Osborne I with double density disks (normally £1495 onits own)
and all of Osborne’s free software, a 12 inch green or amber screen monitor (RRP £99)
and a built-in 80 column adaptor (estimated value £175) plus the brilliant
new Star DP510 100 cps matrix printer (RRP £289) with cable. Or
ifyou prefer, for £100 more, the Silver Reed portable daisy wheel printer (RRP £485)
which can also be used as an electronic typewriter.
WE GAVE IT 80 COLUMNS
Yes, our Super Osborne allows you to see lines of 80 characters on the screen. Youcan
say goodbye to all that juggling with sideways scrolling that ordinary Osborne users do.
Our design engineers have developeda circuit which fits inside the Osborne and
provides video to British standards. You can plug any British monitor into your
Super Osborne and get a rock steady message 80 columns wide.
WE GAVE IT A WINCHESTER
And while we were about our redesign, we added to the 80 column circuitry some further
cleverness to allow the Super Osborne to use a CONTOUR Winchester disk. That means
that when the time comes you can plug ina CONTOUR and suddenly the worldis yours
with up to 21 million characters of storage. A 5 million character CONTOUR, baby of
the range, costs £21195 + VAT.
WE MAKE YOU AN EXTRAORDINARY OFFER
Use the Osborne in your office and bask in the luxury of the CONTOUR Winchester
disk’s massive story capacity. Come Friday, copy the files you need onto Osborne’s new
double density floppies, unplug the CONTOUR and carry your
Osborne Electronic Office home for a weekend’s work. Or use it with
its portable electronic printer to catch up on your private
orrespondence.
Take advantage of our 21499 introductory
O-COMFUTERS offer. Adda 5 megabyte CONTOUR for £1195,
108 Rochester Row, London SW1 10 megabytes for £1495, 21 megabytes for £1995.
Telephone: 01-828 9000 But hurry. Offer ends 31 July 1983.
®@ Circle No. 217
V73
APPLE
PIE
by John Harris
Clock-face and Vibraphone
GRAHAM WILSON of Clifton is becoming a
regular contributor to this column. This |
month he has submitted a program which
Clock face.
500 REM CLOCK FACE
505 REM GBW 1983
1009 REM
1005 REM VARIABLES
1010 REM
1015 REM H,MN,S.,.START TIME
1020 REM XI,VI....SHAPE 1 DRAW
POINT
1025 REM RH, RM,RS.SHAFE ROTATI
ONS
1080 WER” (EGh< ens SHAPE TABLE
LOCATIONS
1035 REM BT....... SHAPE TABLE
BITS
1040 REM INC...... INCREMENT TO
| TAL
ee INCREMENT CO
UNT
1050 REM = B. oc Gian FIRST RUN LA
BEL
1500 REM
1505 REM SET SCREEN FOSITION
1510 REM
1515 xi = 140
1520 Y1 = B81
1525 x2 = x1
1530 Y2 = Yi
1535 x3 = x1
1540 Y3 = Y1
1545 INC = 529
2000 REM
2005 REM INITIALIZE CLOCK
2010 REM
2015 TEXT : HOME
2020 INVERSE : PRINT “CLOCK": NORMAL
2025 PRINT : PRINT “START TIME”
} 2030 INFUT “HOUR ers
2035 INFUT "MINUTES...
2040 INFUT "SECONDS...:"3
2500 REM
2505 REM LOAD SHAFE TABLES
2510 REM
2515 FOKE 232.0: POKE 233,35
2520 FOR LC = 768 TO 785
2525 READ BT
2530 POKE LC, BT
2535 NEXT LC
2540 DATA 3,0,8,0,10,0,12,0
2545 DATA 4,0,36,0,8,24,32,0
2550 DATA 0.0
3000 REM
3005 REM MAIN PROGRAM
3010 REM
3015 REM :
3500 REM ##** DISPLAY CLOCK
3505 HGR : HCOLOR= 3: SCALE= 20
3510 FOKE - 16302,0
3515 B = 1: REM FIRST RUN LABEL
3520 GOSUB 4000: REM DRAW HANDS
|} 3525 GOSUB 6000: REM COUNTER
| 3530S =S +1
3535 IF S = 60 THEN :11N = MN + 1
25 = 0
3540 IF MN = 60 THEN :H = H + 1:
MN = 0
3545 IF H.= 13 THEN :H = 0
3550 GOSUB 5505
3555 GOTO 3520
clock faces to be generated. Message
sets a clock face in motion on the screen,
| and a vibraphone implementation in which
you can enter a musical score, and then
edit, save, recall, list and play it. |
The clock face appears to be accurate
within the limitations of the individual
Apple clocking rate variations. Mr Wilson
originally coded the program for use as a
dark-room timer since he found the amber
screen suitable for use as a safe-light. I’m
not sure that I would let my messy dark-
| room habits quite so close to my Apple, |
though.
Changing the shape table permits other |
prompts can be created by drawing on
high-resolution page 2.
Why it is that Apple users work so hard
to generate music on their machines
baffles me, considering that of all micros it
is the least able to sound musical. | have
run the Vibraphone program — as | have |
run the other musical concoctions that |
4000 REM DISPLAY HANDS
4005S IF B = | THEN : GOTO S000: REM
SKIFS UNDRAW ON FIRST RUN
9010 IF S < > O THEN : RETURN
4500 REM UNDRAW HANDS
4505 ROT= RH
4510 XDRAW 1 AT X1,Y1
51S ROT= RM
4520 XDRAW 2 AT X2,Y2
5000 REM DRAW HANDS
5005 RM = MN # 64 / 60
5010 ROT= RM
5015 DRAW 2 AT X2,Y¥2
5020 RH = H * 64 / 12
5025 ROT= RH
5030 DRAW 1 AT Xi.¥i
5035 RETURN
5500 KEM SECONDS DISFLAY
5505 IF B = 1 THEN :B = 0: GOTO
S515
5510 ROT= RT: XDRAW 3 AT XG,Y3
S515 KT = INT (S * 64 / 60)
5520 ROT= RT: DRAW 3 AT x3,Y3
S525 RETURN
6000 KEM COUNTER
6005 FOR I = 1 TO INC
610 NEXT I
6015 RETURN
Vibraphone .
16 REM
15. REM APFLE-VIBROFHONE
20) =6REM
25 REM GRAHAM B. WILSON
30 REM
35 REM 27 FEB 1983
5G, REM
SS TEXT : HOME =: CLEAR
99° «OREN
1900 REN ane INITIALIZE
101 REM
105 D& = CHRS (13) + CHRS (4)
110 DIM A500, 2)
115 GOSUB 3000
120 I1=90
125 m= 1
126 IF G = 4 GOTO 170
129 REM
130 REM #*#* MENU
131 REM
135 TEXT : HOME : PRINT “OPTIONS
PRINT “###ee#ee"
136 PRINT "1.....-- ENTER”: PRINT
{37 FRINT "2... a002 LISTEN": FRINT
138 PRINT “S... 5). << FRINT": PRINT
139 PRINT “4......- RESTART": PRINT
140 PRINT "5S.......SAVE": PRINT
1411 PRINT “65. .-..... LOAD": PRINT
142 PRINT “7.2225 = SAME TUNE”: PRINT
145 INFUT "SELECT ONE :- “3G
149 IF G > 7 GOTO 145
150 ON G GOTO 195,1000,1200,155,
5000, 6000, 170
Open file: Ape
have occasionally appeared here — and I |
am sure that the sympathetic vibration of
the casing can be doing no good at all. |
This particular offering goes one stage
further than the others in taking input
from paddle 0 instead of the keyboard to |
give an analogue pitch control. | am
incapable of maintaining any semblance of
absolute pitch, so the end of my efforts
bore little resemblance to their beginnings,
regardless of the representation of a piano
keyboard drawn on the screen as a guide.
Even the normally tolerant cat left home
for the duration.
The chief benefit in this program is the
ease of selecting note length. There is no
way of being musically creative when every
note comes out the same length, and even
less if they emerge unselectively different.
The saving, loading and editing are
commendably thorough and simple to use.
My doubts concern the intent, rather than
the execution.
151 GOTO 145
154 REM {
155 REM *** RESTART OPTION '
156 REM }
140 RESTORE
165 GOTO 120 {
169 REM
170 REM ##* SAME TUNE OPTION
171 REM
175 GOSUB 3000
179 REM
190 REM #*#** ENTER EACH TONE
181 REM
185 GOSUB 3020
190 GOSUB 3105
194 REM
195 REM *#*# CHECK FOR TERMINATO |
R
196 REM
200 IF X1 = 0 AND Y1 = O THEN I =
I - 1: GOTO 225
204 REM
205 REM ### TONE STORE
206 REM |
210 ACI,1) = F:A¢I,2) = D
2IS5re+141
220 M = I: GOTO 190
224 REM
225 REM ##* TONE CHANGES
226 REM
230 PRINT “CHANGE NOTE £ <0-"515
BS a5
235 INPUT Et: IF ES = "" THEN 19
¢)
240 IF E% = "N" THEN : GOTO 135
245 E = VAL (Es)
250 IF E < 0 ORE > I THEN 225
255 M = E: GOSUB 3105:m = I
260 A(E,1) = F:A(E,2) = D: GOTO 2
30
999 REM
1000 REM #+#8 LISTEN SUEBR.
1901 REM
1010 FOR K = 0 TO 1
1020 F = A(K,1):D = A(K,2): GOSUE
3185
1030 NEXT K
1040 GOTO 135
1199 REM
1200 REM «*## LIST TONES }!
1201 REM
1210 HOME
1220 PRINT "NOTE£"”, "FREQ", "DURAT
ION"
1230 FOR K = 0 TO 1
1240 PRINT K.A(K,1),A(K.2) |
1250 IF K > 0 AND (K ¢ 10) = INT
(~ ¢ 10) THEN : PRINT "PRESS
SANY KEY> TO CONTINUE“: INPUT
""3G%: HOME
1260 NEXT k
1270 PRINT
1280 PRINT “PRESS <RETURN> TO CO
NTINUE": INPUT Z¢
1290 GOTO 135
2999 REN
3000 REM «*#* MUSIK MAKER FOKER
3001 REM
3005 RESTORE
(listing continued on page 177)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
~
— a
~
xA—but it’s still the same
in-processor microcomputer (fasteri
. CORTEX has superb graphics an
st of the word processing software.
'FER FOR EARLY BIRDS
you this extraordinary offer to celebrate the dawn of CORTEX. .
ou receive a 104k CORTEX with IBM-stylekeyboard,twindouble
denete disk drives, CP/M operating system, the new Star 510 matrix printer,
WordStar, Mailmerge and dBase II (the ultimate database system) with
Autocode I automatic program generator—a present worth £2588.
Offer extended to 5.30pm 15 July 1983.
C/WP CORTEX
ay
(
r
le
A complete portable computer with
full size typewriter keyboard, LCD Virtual
Screen, printer, microcassette facility and
rechargeable power source all built-in.
Yet a precision machine so small, so
lightweight, so portable - you can take it
anywhere. To readily use it anywhere.
The Epson HX-20.
The HX-20 is different. Because it is designed
and built to be different.
And because it thinks bigger than the others.
Just take a look at the facts.
Uses full extended version of Microsoft
BASIC with 16k RAM optionally expandable to
32k, and 32k ROM expandable to 64k, RS-232C
and Serial interfaces.
The ASCII typewriter keyboard and five
programmable keys offer no less than ten program
functions.
A unique LCD Screen that enables you to
carry out word processing or data entry as if you
were using a large screen.
24 column dot matrix impact microprinter
offering 42LPM for hard copies.
Runs on its own power for over 50 hours and
can be easily recharged overnighi or whilst in use —
with the ability to retain information in memory
even when switched off.
Simply add on a wide range of peripherals to
include bar code readers and acoustic couplers for
total capability.
Various software applications are available, too.
You know the name. Epson quality is
already world renowned for desktop
computers and a superb range of
quality printers. And our new
remarkable machine is raising
more than just a few eyebrows
wherever it's seen.
Clip the coupon below
and we'll tell you the full
story or call us for the name
of your local stockist, so you
can experience the HX-20 first hand.
Once seen, we think you'll want to take it
further than just twice round the block
EPSON
Extraordinary product.
Exceptional quality.
Epson (UK) Limited, Freepost,
Wembley, Middlesex HAS 6BR.
Sales Enquiries: Freefone 2730.
General Enquiries: 01-900 0466/
01-900 0988 or 01-903 3722.
Telex: 8814169.
|
|
|
|
|
Portable Computer.
O Please send me further details. |
Name
Company
Address
Telephone
@ Circle No. 219
Boolean tutorial
The arrival of this demonstration
program from Mr J J Taylor of }
Teignmouth, Devon brings to a head the |
question of assembler representation
within Apple Pie. The program visually
represents the decimal, binary, hex and
character notation of ASCII, together
with And, Or, EOr and the Shift/Rotate
operations.
The program is essentially assembler
coded and sits in a Basic frame which does
little but provide the screen text surround
and call the object code. As a tutorial it is
(listing continued from page 174)
FOR MP = 880 TO 900: READ D
: POKE MF.O: NEXT
RE TURN
S010
3015
3019 REM
3020 REM ##* TONE INPUT
3021 REM
3025 REM DRAW KEY
3030 GR : COLGR= 15
3035 READ E
3040 FOR LN = 1 T0 8
3045 READ S.C
FOSO HLIN S.E AT C
3055 NEXT LN
3060 1
3665 READ S.E.C
a
f=)
ND
3070 VLIN S.E AT C
3075 NEXT LN
ZoBO FOR LN = 1 TO 23
3085 READ X.Y
3090 FLOT X,Y
3095 NEXT LN
3100 RETURN
3105 REM READ FREQUENCY
BL10 Xi = PDL (Oo)
3115 X2 = 30 - INT (x1 * 24 / 25
5)
3120 X3 = 10 + ((%1 # 24 # 0.0251
7 255) + 1.7782)
3125 PLOT x2,10
3130 IF PEEK ( - 16287) < 128 THEN
1 COLOR= 0: PLOT X2,10: COLOR=
15: GOTO 3105
3135 F = X3
3140 REM READ DURATION
3145 Vi = FDL (1)
3150 Y2 = 31 - INT (¥1-* 15 / 25
5)
3155 PLOT 34, Y2
3160 IF PEEK ( - 16286) < 126 THEN
: COLOR= 0: PLOT 34,Y2: COLOR=
15: GOTO 3140
3165 D = Y1
3170 IF (F < 0 OR F > 255) OR (D
< 0 OR D > 255) THEN : COLOR=
O: PLOT 34,Y2: PLOT XZ,10: COLOR=
15: GOTO 3105
GOSUB 3185
RETURN
REN
REM
REM
POKE 878,F
POKE 979,D
CALL 880
RETURN
REM
REM
REM
HOME
PRINT
"5 Ge
PRINT “DRIVE € <DEFAULT = 1
>": INPUT ""3DV8: IF DV® =
“" THEN :G = 1: GOTO S050
5040 G = VAL (DVS)
5050 HOME : INVERSE
ING": NORMAL
PRINT D$3"“OPEN"3GS3",D"5G
PRINT D%; “DELETE":G$
PRINT D$; “OPEN";G$
PRINT D$3 “WRITE”; G$
PRINT I
FOR kK =
FRINT K
PRINT ACK, 1)
PRINT A(K,2)
NEXT K
PRINT D5 “CLOSE"3G
GOTO 135
REM
REM
REM
3175
3160
3184
3185
3186
3190
3195
3200
3205
4999
5000
5001
5010
5020
### SPEAKER DRIVER
##% SAVE SUBR.
“NAME FOR FILE :—": INPUT
5030
: PRINT "SAV
5060
5070
5080
5090
5100
5110
5120
5130
5140
5150
5160
5170
5999
advo
o TO 1
### LOAD SUBR.
‘PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
excellent, but anyone meaning to load and
run it is only going to key the object code
direct and not compile the source from |
scratch as that takes so much longer to |
type up.
By printing only the object machine
code and not the assembler source, those
who can read and benefit from the
assembler techniques it uses are denied the
chance to do so with the full labels, notes
and comments. However, since assembler
source takes so much space by comparison
with the object code, and is of utility to so
few, it will not be printed in the magazine.
6010 HOME
6020 PRINT “NAME OF FILE =~"; INPUT
TO fe
6030 FRINT “DRIVE € <DEFAULT = 1
:-": INPUT “"3;DVs: IF DVS =
* THEN :G = 1: GOTO 6050
6040 G = VAL (DVS)
6050 HOME : INVERSE : PRINT “LOA
DING": NORMAL
6060 PRINT DS; "OPEN"3G$5",D°5G
6070 PRINT D$;"READ"3GS
6080 INPUT I
6090 FOR K = @ TOI
6100 INPUT K
6110 INPUT ACK. 1)
6120 INFUT ACK. 2)
61350 NEXT K
6140 PRINT DS; "CLOSE";G$
6150 GOTO 135
6999 REM
9000 REM #** DATA LINES
9001 REM
9010 DATA 173, 48.192, 136.208.5.
206,112
9020 DATA =. 240.9. 202,208, 245, 1
74,110
9030 DATA 3.76.112,3.96
9040 DATA 31.5.3,5.7. 16,17. 20,1
9.24,21.26, 23. 28.25.209.27
9050 DATA 4.6.5,4,.6,31
9060 DATA 7.4.7.5.10.4.10.5.12,
Soles. 4.15.5, 07.4, teS
9070 DATA 19.4,.19.5,22,4.22.5.2
4.4.24.5.27.4.27.5,29.4.29.5
9OBD DATA 30,29,51.29.31.21
END
Boolean tutorial.
10 HOME
20 If ~ PEEK ¢ 16287) + 127 THEN
IF PEEK ¢ -— 16286) > 127 THEN
VTO@B 10: PRINT “THIS FROGRA
M NEEDS GAMES PADDLES |'!": END
De = CHRS (4)
PRINT D$i“BLOAD BOOLEANFDL.OB
3”
PRINT “BOOLEAN LOGICAL OPERAT
HEX. BINARY CHAR.”
VTAB 4: HTAB 16: FRINT ”
VTAB St FRINT "READ FDL (O):-"
VTAB 6: PRINT “READ PDL(1):-—"
VTAB 8: PRINT “READ PDL(O):-
PRINT “* AND” PDL(1)="
PRINT © °GR” FDL (1)=
FRINT "“*EOR* FDL¢1)="
VITAE 14: PRINT “SHIFT/ROTATE
OPERATIONS”
HTAB t6: PRINT
NARY CHAR. “
HTAB 16: PRINT
“DEC. HEX.
PRINT “? ASL*
PRINT “"Lsk*
FRINT “' ROL” FDL+O)='
PRINT “ROR? FDLAG)=
STAB 23: FRinNT “PRESS ESCAPE
KEY TO EXIT."
CALL 24575
REM BY J.J. TAYUGR. TEIGNMGU
TH. DEVON
PDL (eo) ="
FDL (Q)="
Open file: Apple
If you do want it please write in, enclosing
a self-addressed envelope, and the
assembler source listing and relevant notes
will be sent to you.
Connect Four
A version of this well-known two-player
game has been submitted by M C Prior of
Aldershot. The high-resolution screen is us-
ed for a graphics representation which is
well designed and easily followed. My own
tactics are not good enough to beat anyone
at the game but I enjoyed making the
| attempt.
Boolean tutorial —
8S
20
24
60
o7
60
1B
ED
ED
20
AS
60
4s
OB
OA
61
60
o7
13
vA
$1
oe
20
85
object code.
Ag
60
1A
ED
65
O7
BD
20
a2
OF
20
61
25
o9
85
oD
De
AS
Ag
85
zo OD
20
as
ag
zC
O&
1£
Se
20 44
60 44
Zu 0 Az
OA oS
E6 20
DO 2 O2
60 4c
6 8s
ED $1
oO ED BD
40 oo
—D
od
oo
3s
1A
BO
6000-
6008-
6010-
6018-
4020-
6028-
6030-
6038-
6040-
6048-
6050-
6058-
6046u-
6068-
6070-
6078-
6Us0-
60868-
6090-
6098-
6oAo-
60as—
S50R0-
60b8-—
6oCo-
60C8-
6oD0-
60D8-
40E0)-
S0ES-
S0F 0-
60F E-
6100-
Connect Four.
1 REM CONNECT FOUR, whITTEN By
M.C.PRIOR '
DIM 445.8) , B62) ,C42)
GOSUB 1uU0
CO) = 4:01) =
OURS
HOME
VTAB 6
PRINT ”
bulb
nEM SET COL
wou
CONNEC) FOUR": FRINT
PRINT " FOR TWO PLAYERS": FRINT
PRINT “TRY TO LINK TOGETHER 4
OF YOUR MARKERS, *% AT THE SA
ME TIME PREVENT YOUR
OFFONENT FROM DOING THE SAM
Ee"
FOR 2 = © TO 6000: NEXT
HOME : INPUT “FIRST FPLAYER’S
NAME "3B (0)
INFUT “SECOND FLAYERS NAME “i
BS(i)
REM DRAW GRID
HOME : GR : COLOR= 15
FOR X = = TO 34 STEF 4
HLIN 2,54 AT X + 2
VLIN 4,36 AT X
NEXT X
REM NUMBER THE COLUMNS
FOR Z = 4 TO 32 STEF 4
PRINT TABC Z + Lt5Z2 7 45
NEXT : PRINT
PRINT
PRINT B3(0):" YOUR GO,
COLUMN? “5
GET Ce: 1— Cae "" THEN
VAL (Ct)
IF X = 0 THEN
WHICH
Fs
25
TEXT : HOME : END
(listing continued on next page)
Wa
Undelete
THREE LINES into Gordon Horsington’s
covering letter to this utility I found my
teeth grinding. Three months too late, I
thought, since I lost a whole day through
deleting the only remaining copy of an
unlisted source and found myself ferreting
through sectors and tracks, regenerating
the program with pen and ink. I consoled
myself with the fact that it has now arrived
in time for the next occasion.
Undelete will operate on directory
entries within DOS 3.3 which have been
deleted with the DOS Delete command.
The program can be run from any drive
but it will only undelete files under slot 6
drive 1, a restriction indicated while
running.
puts an inverse-video character alongside |
any file that has been deleted and may be
undeleted. The operator is then given the
option to proceed. On receiving the
answer Yes, the program undeletes all the
deleted files on drive 1 and Catalogs the
disc. If the files cannot be undeleted —
say, if the disc is write protected — the
program ends without the second Catalog.
If all has gone well and the directory is
reinstated, the undeleted files should be
loaded and saved on another disc before
reusing the undeleted disc. I think I would
re-Init it after retrieving what I could, just
to be safe.
Round the bend
A blob-chasing game inside what seems to
The program first Catalogs the disc and | bea four-roomed bungalow with a central
(listing continued from previous page)
PRINT
IF X < 1 OR X > 8 THEN 24
COLOR= C(Q)
REM CHECK FOR LOWEST VACANT
SQUARE
FOR Y= 8@TO1 STEP - 1
a=X # 4: = Ve 44+ 2
IF A(X,¥) = 2 THEN ACK,Y) = @
: GOSUB 102: GOTO 37
NEXT Y
PRINT "COL. FULL!!": GOTO 24
Q= ABS (Q - 1)
FOR 2 = 0 TO 4: PRINT : NEXT
REm CHECK ADJACENT SQ.S, SEE
TF 4 CONNECTED
40 FORE = 1708
41 T= i:X1 = X:Vt = Y
42 ON E GOSUB 45,51,57,63, 69,75,
81.87
43 NEXT E
44 GOTO 20
45 X = X1L:Y = YL
46 IF X + 1 > 8 THEN 93
47 IF A(X # 1.¥) < > ACX,Y) THEN
93
IF A(X * 1,¥) =
= T+ 1:X =X
IF T = 4 THEN 94
GOTO 46
X = X1:¥ = YL
TX - 1 ¢ 1 THEN 93
IF ACX - 1,¥) < > ACKX,Y) THEN
93
IF A(X - 1,Y)
= T Sux =X
IF T = 4 THEN 94
GOTO 52
X= ki:y = YL
IF Y + 1 > @ THEN 93
IF A(X,¥ + 1) < > ACX.Y) THEN
93
IF AyxX.Y + 1) = AL
=T + sy = ¥ +
IF T = 4 THEN 94
GOTO Se
X1:Y = YL
TE We 2 « 2 TREN SS
TRACK OY (= 1) ACK. ¥) THEN
9S
IF ACK,Y - 1)
= T + ny
IF T=
GOTO 64
Xiey = YI
TeX +518 OR Ye ei
ot
ER ACK tg YF AON YD
THEN 93
IF A(X + 1,Y + 1) = AIX,Y) THEN
To2F+isX =X + 2V = ¥ +
i
IF T = 4 THEN 94
GOTO 76
Alsv = Vi
He xX 2S OR Wi = 2 ss i REN
as:
IF A(X + 1,¥ - 1) « > ALK,Y)
THEN 93
TF ACK + 4,¥ - 1) = ACX,Y) THEN
i+ (isk =k. + eee ¥ —
(K,¥) THEN T
1
ACX,Y¥) THEN T
oe
X,Y) THEN T
1
(X,Y) THEN T
1
8 THEN
IF T = 4 THEN 94
GOTO 76
Kissy = V1
IF X —- # <1 BR Y +4 > 8 THEN
93
IF A(X - 1,.¥ + 1) < > ACX,Y)
A(K,Y) THEN
7¥= V+
178
1
65 IF T = 4 THEN 94
86
87
OR Y - 1 < 1 THEN
89 IF ACK - 1,.Y = 4) < > ACX,Y)
THEN 93
FO TE 4a "=" SV
ih os of ase ¢
1) = ACK,Y) THEN
e = Une = WS
1
IF T = 4 THEN 94
GOTO 88
T = 0: RETURN
PRINT BS( ABS (@ - 1))3" WINS
vers
PRINT s PRINT “PLAY AGAIN?
"ga INPUT Z
IF LEFT® (2$,1) = "N" THEN TEXT
: HOME : END
IF LEFT$ (2$,1) < > "Y" THEN
95
TEXT : HOME : GOSUB 100
GOTO 11
FOR X = © TO 8: FOR Y = 0 TO
= 2: NEXT Y,x
THEN 109
l,kK - 1
1 att |
et
eet
> Ts
FRER I St 1 Re tw
hee FF Bens
Undelete.
10 REM UNDELETE DOS 3.3
20 :
100 TEXT : HOME :DS = CHRS (13)
+ CHRS (4)
110 PRINT "“FLACE DISK IN DRIVEL
AND PRESS RETURN "5
120 GET ANS: HOME
130 POKE 44505,234: POKE 44506,2
34
140 PRINT Dt; “CATALOG, D1.S6,V0"
150 POKE 44505,48: POKE 44506,74
160 PRINT : INPUT “UNDELETE FILE
S (Y/N) ";ANS
IF LEFTS (ANS,1) < > “Y" THEN
END
FOR A1 = 1 TO 27: READ AZ,AS
: POKE AZ,A3: NEXT
FOR A4 = O TO 15: GOSUB 350
FOR Al = 1 TO 7: GOSUB 270
IF PEEK (A2 - 3) < > 255 THEN
240
POKE (AZ - 3), ( PEEK (Az + 2
9)): POKE (A2 + 29),160: POKE
3094,2
GOSUB 360
NEXT
NEXT
FRINT DS; "CATALOG": END
ON Al GOTO 280,290, 300, 310,3
20, 330,340
A2 = 8206: RETURN
A2 = 6241: RETURN
A2 = 8276: RETURN
AZ = 8311: RETURN
A2 = 8346: RETURN
AZ = 8381: RETURN
on nn nd
Open file: ApDle="
hallway has been submitted by Graham
Giller of Coventry.
The grey blobs shuffle around and
eventually allow you to catch them. At that
point they reveal whether they are good
grey blobs, by adding 10 points to your
score, or mouldy blobs, by deducting
points instead. The trick lies in remem-
bering which blobs are which, since they |
then wander a little way off and
recommence shuffling in an enticing way.
The game ends when you reach a
designated credit score or sink below zero.
Since winning involves the accumulation
of 150 points the game embodies the
fascinating notion that, however hard you
try, you might lose anyway — as cynical a |
representation of life as ever you could
hope to meet in a soulless machine.
340 AZ = 8416: RETURN
350 PORE 3087.A4: FOKE 2094, 1
360 CALL 3072:43 = PEEK (3095)
370 IF AS = 16 OK AS = 32 OR AS
64 OR AS = 128 THEN END
380 RETURN
390 DATA 3072,169, 2073.12, 3074
. 140, 3075, 10, 3076, 32.3077, 21
7, 3076, 3, 3079, 96, 3082, 1.3086
117, 3084, 1, 3085.0, 2088, 52
DATA 3089, 12, 3090.0, 3091, 3
2. 3092, 0, 3093.0, 3095, 0. 3096,
0, 3097.96, 3098, 1.5104,0, 3105
.1,3106, 239, 3107, 216, 3083, 96
Round the bend.
TEAT
REM TEE
REM ee ee
REM * "ROUND we
REM belied THE BEND ae
REM +n A GAME bolted
REM ae e
REM ARERR
REM BY G.L.GILLER
REM (C)COFYRIGHT 2351583
GOTO 30000
RESTORE : CLEAR :
: COLOR= 15
<= 10
222 = INT ( RND (1) * 4 + 1)
HOME : GR
REM #** SCREEN
READ A.E.C
IF A = ~ 90 THEN 200
HLIN A,B AT C
GOTO 120
DATA 1, 28,3, 1, 38,36, 2,8, 22,
12, 20,22, -90.0.0
READ A,B,C
IF A = - 90 THEN 250
VLIN A,B AT C
GOTO 200
DATA 3,36, 1,3. 36, 38, 3,19, 10,
25,36. 10, 10, 22, 20,3,19, 25, 20
336,30, 3, 36,39.-90.0,0
COLOR= 0
PLOT 10,10: PLOT 10,9:
10,7: PLOT 10,8
REM ** SET MEN
INT a)
INT «>
INT (oe)
INT 1)
INT a
INT (ee)
aD
aD
a>
a)
]
fun tnnrnneune
Wane annn nnn
+e eee eK et
terre ereete +
Com IM AMoOoOWD
: PRINT “SCORE
= "sHK
IF N = 145 THEN 450
GOTO SOO
A=A #1
GOTO 420
PLOT A,B
SCRN( C,D)
IF N = 15 THEN 540
GOTO 600
Geaie 41
GOTO 510
PLOT C,D
N= SCRNC ELF)
(listing continued on page 180)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A MULTI-USER
SYSTEM?
You will sooner or later!
Do you want to expand on a stand-alone?
Or perhaps you haven't started at all yet.
Either way, you should look at SuperStar. y
Starting as a floppy-based stand-alone\, \
costing the same as any comparable stand- ~ \
alone, SuperStar can accommodate up to 16
processors, each of which can be 8- or 16-bit.
SuperStar is almost infinitely expandable -
with NO CPU DEGRADATION.
You can add a choice of different VDUs,
different disk drives, tape units, different
printers as and when needed. And you don’t
have to throw anything away - you just add.
In the field.
All users are independent of each other,
either isolated or fully integrated as a true
multi-user'system, with full file and record
locking and print-spooling. Concurrent file
access and updating are achieved through the
system without fuss. Up to 16 users can
simultaneously enter orders, update stock
records, carry out invoicing/payment, account
enquiry &c in any combination.
The system has been field-proved over a
number of years and our clients include: Large
Corporations, Local and Health Authorities
and many small businesses.
SuperSlar
MINI-computer Performance at
MICRO-computer Prices.
True MULTI-USER operation with
record/file locking.
True CONCURRENCY: all users can operate on
any or the same program.
PRIVATE-PROCESSOR means expansion
without CPU degradation.
S-100 BUS for FUTURE-PROOFING against
hardware innovation.
a 8-bit/16-bit user-mix each with dedicated CP/M.
Bromley Computer Consultancy Ltd.
417-421 Bromley Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 4PJ
Tel: 01-697 8933 Telex 896691 TLX1RG
“FUTURE-PRO
MULTI-USER
CP/M SYSTEM
TECHNICAL RUN-DOWN
PROCESSORS
Up to 16 users, each with private 8-bit or 16-bit if
CPU card. Wy
8-bit card is based on Z80A with 64K RAM, My
expandable to 128K. yy,
16-bit card is based on 8086 with 128K RAM Y
expandable to 1M.
System automatically loads CP/M 80 into &-bit
processors and CP/M 86 to the 16-bit processors,
Each processor has VDU and printer or commun-
ication 1|/Os,
STORAGE
Integral 5-1/4in winchester disk with up to
20Mbyte capacity; integral 5-1/4in floppy with
up to 800K capacity.
Add-on winchester up to 160Mbyte and
14Mbyte cartridge tape unit.
PRINTER INTERFACES
One RS232 and one full parallel 1/0 shared by
all users plus one private RS232 for each user.
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
Each user processor runs its own dedicated copy
of the industry-standard CP/M 2,2 or CP/M 86,
Shared resources (disks and system printers)
controlled by DPC/OS, supporting file/record
locking, print spooling, multiple printers and
interprocessor communications, Languages
available include BASIC, COBOL, PASCAL,
FORTRAN, PL/1, APL.
APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE
Word Processing; Financial Modelling; Sales,
Purchase and Nominal Ledgers; Payrott; Order
Processing/Invoicing; Stock Management; Job-
costing; Mailing System; Property Management;
and many more.
SOON
CP/M Plus (or 3.0) witl be implemented on 8 bit
processors so that each user can access up to
128K Byte via bank switching.
New private CPU cards being developed around
Intel |APX-286 and Motorola 68000, Operating
system being integrated include MS-DOS and
XENIX.
SuperStar is a trademark of
Bromley Computer Consultancy.
CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research.
MS-DOS and XENIX are trademarks of MICROSOFT
@ Circle No. 295
ry?
(listing continued from page 178)
620 IF N = 15 THEN 640
630 GOTO 700
640 FE =E +1
650 GOTO 410
700 PLOT E,F
710 N = SCRNC G,H>
720 IF N = 15 THEN 740
730 GOTO 800
740G=Grti
750 GOTO 710
800 PLOT G,H
B10 N = SCRN¢ I,J)
820 IF N = LS THEN 840
830 GOTO 900
B40 T= 1+1
850 GOTO 810
900 PLOT I,J
910 COLOR= 15
920 PLOT L,M
925 REM *#* MOVE WHITE MAN
930 GET AS
940 =#IF AS = "I" THEN GOSUB 3000
950 IF At = “"M" THEN GOSUB 4000
960 IF AS = "J" THEN GOSUB 5000
970 =F AS "K" THEN GOSUB 4000
i}
980 REM #** CHECK FOR SCORE
990 IF L = I AND M = J THEN 4000
°
1000 IF L = A AND M = B THEN 200
10
1010 IF Lt = C AND M = D THEN 200
20
1020 IF L = E AND M = F THEN 200
30
1030 IF L = G AND M = H THEN 200
40
1031 REM #*# MOVE GREY MEN
1032 REM * MOVE A,B
1040 GOSUB 7000
1050 ON F GOTO 10460, 1070, 1080,10
90
1060 N = SCRNC A + 1,B)
1061 IF N = 15 THEN 1100
1062 COLOR= 0
1063 PLOT AYE
1064 A=A+ 1
1065 COLOR= 10
1064 PLOT A,B
1067 GOTO 1100
19070 N = SCRN( A - 1,B)
1071 IF N = 15 THEN 1100
1u72 COLOK= 0
1073 PLOT AE
wm74A=A 1
1075 COLOK= 10
1076 PLOT ALE
1077 GOTO 1100
1080 N = SCRN« ne + 1D
1081 IF N = 15 IHEN 1100
1082 COLOR= ©
1083 FLOT A.B
1084 B= B+
1085 COLOR= 10
1086 FLOT A.B
1087 GOTO 1100
1090 N = SCRN( A,B 1)
1091 IF N = 15 THEN 1100
19092 COLOR= 0
1093 PLOT AVE
1094 B=B-1
1095 COLOR= 10
1096 FLOT A,B
1097 REM *# MOVE C.D
1100 GOSUB 7000
1110 ON FP GOTO 1120,1130,1140,11
1120 N = SCRN( C + 1.D)
1121 IF N = 1S THEN 1160
1122 COLOR= 0
1123 PLOT C,D
1124 C=C #1
1125 COLOR= 10
1126 PLOT C,D
1127 GOTO 1160
1130 N = SCKN( C ~ 1,D)
1131 IF N = 15 THEN 1160
1132 COLOR= 0
1133 PLOT C,D
1134 ¢€=C=1
1135 COLOR= 10
1136 PLOT C,D
1137 GOTO 1160
1140 N = SCRN( C,D + 1:
1141 IF N = 15 THEN 1160
1142 COLOR= 0
_1143 PLOT C,D
1144 D=D+1
1145 COLOR= 10
1146 PLOT C.D
1150 N = SCRN( C,D - 1)
1151 IF N = 15 THEN 1160
1152 COLOR= 0
1153 PLOT C,D
1154 D=D-1
1155 COLOR= 10
1156 PLOT C,D
180
TS?
1160
1170
1180
1181
1182
1183
1184
1185
1186
1187
1190
1191
1192
1280
1290
1300
1301
1302
1303
1304
1305
1306
1307
1310
i3ii
1312
1313
1314
1315
1316
1317
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1330
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337
1340
1350
1361
1362
GEM * MOVENE<F
GOSUB 7000
ON P GOTO 1180, 1190,
10
N= SCRNC E + 1,F)
IF N = 15 THEN 1220
COLOR= 9
PLDT .€.F
Eg Et 1
COLOR= 10
PLOT E,F
GOTO 1220
N = SCRNCE - 1,F)
IF N = 15 THEN 1220
COLOR= 0
PLOT E,F
E> Ee tf
COLOR= 10
PLOT E,F
GOTO 1220
N = SCRN¢ E,F + 1)
IF N = 15 THEN 1220
COLOR= 0
PLOT E,F
rom: Fe ot
COLOR= 10
PLOT E,F
GOTO 1220
N = SCRN( E,F - 1)
IF N = 15 THEN GOTO 1220
COLOR= 0
FLOT E,F
fF=F=1
COLOR= 10
REM * MOVE G.H
GOSUB 7000
ON P GOTO 1240, 1250, 1260, 12
7o
N= SCRN( G + 1,H)
IF N = 15 THEN 1280
COLOR= 0
= SCRN( G - 1,4)
IF N = 15 THEN 1280
COLOR= 0
PLOT G,H
G=6-1
COLOR= 10
FLOT G,H
GOTO 1280
N = SCRN( GH + 1)
IF N = 15 THEN 1260
COLOR= 0
PLOT G.H
H=He 1
COLOR= 10
FLOT G.H
GOTO 1280
N= SCRN( G.H — 1)
IF N = 15 THEN 1280
COLOR= ©
FLOT GH
H=H-1
COLOR= 10
PLOT G.H
REM * MOVE I,J
GOSUB 7000
ON P GOTO 1300, 1310, 1320,13
30
N = SCRN( I + 1,3)
IF N = 15 THEN 1340
COLOR= 0
PLOT 1,J
Lome T+ 2
COLOR= 10
PLOT I,J
GOTO 1340
N= SCKN( I —- 1,0)
IF N = 15 THEN 1340
COLOR= 0
PLOT 1,4
i ee |
COLOR= to
PLOT I,J
GOTO 1340
N= SCRN( 1,J + 1)
IF N = 15 THEN 1340
COLOK= 0
PLOT I,J
oom ont 1
COLOR= 10
PLOT I,J
GOTO 1340
N= SCRNC I,J - 1)
IF N = 15 THEN 1340
COLOR= 0
PLOT I,J WAS "5K
Ue gee 40020 PRINT TAB 8)3 "GO AGAIN(Y
COLOR= 10 OR N)#";: GET 2%
PLOT I,J 40025 IF kK > HK THEN HK = K
HOME 40029 IF kK > Hk THEN HK = K
HOME : VTAB 21: PRINT “SCOR 40030 IF 2% = "Y" THEN 110
E = "$k$" HI-SCORE = ";HK 40040 TEXT : HOME : END
REM *# SET SCORE LIMIT 4
IF 22Z = 1 THEN XXX = 150
IF 222 = 2 THEN XXX = 160 .
1363 IF 22Z = 3 THEN Xxx
1364 IF Z2ZZ = 4 THEN XxX
1200, 12 1365 REM #* CHECK SCORE
1370 IF K > XXX THEN 40002
1380 GOTO 930
1390 REM #* MOVE WHITE ROUTINES
170
180
oon
iow
1400 REM #* UP
3000 @ = SCRN« LM —- 1)
3010 IF @ = 15 THEN 3090
3020 COLOR= 0
3030 PLOT LLM
3040 COLOR= 15
3aSO M=m-1 -
3060 PLOT L,M
3090 RETURN
3095 REM * DOWN
4000 @ = SCRN( L,M + 1)
4010 IF @ = 15 THEN 4090
4020 COLOR= ©
4030 PLOT L,M
4040 COLOR= 15
4050 M=M+1
4060 PLOT L.M
4090 RETURN
4095 REM * LEFT
5000 @ = SCRN( L ~ 1.™)
5010 IF @ = 15 THEN 5090
5020 COLOR= 0
5030 PLOT L.M
5040 COLOR= 15
soso L =L- 1
S060 FLOT L.M |
5090 RETURN
S095 REM * RIGHT
6000 Q@ = SCRNIL + 1,™)
6010 IF Q@ = 15 THEN 6090
6020 COLOR= 0
6030 PLOT LM
6040 COLOR= 15
60so L=L+1
6060 PLOT L,M
6090 RETURN
6095 REM #* GREY RANDOM MOVEMEN
T
7000 F = INT ¢ RND (1) * 4 + 1)
7010 RETURN
7020 REM ** RESET GOBBLED MEN
20010 K = K + 10:A = S:B = 5
20011 GOTO 1040
20020 K = K + 10:C = 5:D = 5
20021 GOTO 1040
20030 K = K + 10:E = S:F
20031 GOTO 1040
20040 K = K + 10:G = S:H
20041 GOTO 1040
20100 REM *# BEGINNING
30000 HOME
30010 VTAB S
30020 HTAB 13
INVERSE : PRINT "ROUND THE
BEND": NORMAL
30040 PRINT : FRINT
30050 HTAB 10: PRINT "A GAME BY
G. GILLER"
30060 HTAB 11: PRINT "(C) COPYRI
GHT 1983”
30070 PRINT
30080 PRINT "THE OBJECT IS TO GE
T OVER 150PTS. BEFORE YOUR LU
CK RUNS OUT”
30090 PRINT
30100 PRINT “YOU ARE WHITE: YOU H
AVE TO GOBBLE THE GREY ME
NY
30110 PRINT “BUT ONE GREY MAN DO
ESN’T LIKE YOU AND WILL PE
NALISE YOU"
30120 HTAB 19: PRINT “SO” :
30130 FLASH HTAB 17: PRINT "BE
WARE": NORMAL
30140 PRINT
30150 HTAB 15: PRINT “ *1? IS UP
5
uw
30160 HTAB 10: PRINT “ *J’ 1S LE
FT’k* IS RIGHT”
30170 HTAB 15: FRINT " *m’ IS DO
WN"
301860 PRINT
30190 PRINT “<PRESS RETURN WHEN
KEADY>";: GET Bt
30200 GOTO 110
30260 REM *## END
40000 PRINT CHRS (7): IF K > =
© THEN K = K -~ 10: GOTO 1000
40002 PRINT CHRS (7): HOME : PRINT
TAB( 8); "YOUR LUCK RAN QUT”
40010 FRINT TAB( @) "YOUR SCORE
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
| using the least-squares criterion to obtain
SINCLAIR
LINE-UP |
Curve fitting
ACOMMON REQUIREMENT in laboratories is |
the reduction of large quantities of
experimental data to a more manageable
equation by using curve fitting techniques,
notes A D Wilson of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Often simple linear or quadratic
expressions are inadequate. A_ very
powerful method is to fit to a number, W,
of x,y data pairs a polynomial of degree N,
where N is not greater than W:
N
y= La Vi+1)x'
i=0
the function which best approximates the
experimental data, a process which is
often termed regression analysis.
This polynomial curve-fitting program |
is written for the Sinclair ZX-81 with 16K
of memory. For clarity the code is written
as a series of subroutines which are called |
& Ren VPOLyYr ay"
G SEF POLYNOMIAL CURVE —-P ire TN
PROGRAMME
Y REM BY B.G.WILSON
POLYNOWHIAL HAS FORM
ear iy
8B REM
SUMO UCT+1} eXe2F
FivYisyY GR EXP Y OR
19 PRINT
CALULATION RESULTS?
32 INPUT ys
id CLs
Le TE Yee oy”
| assumed
v(t) Lx? + V(2) x3 + (3) xt = Lh xy
| V(1)A21 + V(2)A22 V(3)A23 = DD xy
THEN Perey
by lines 10 to 100. In what follows it is
that the y values contain
statistical errors, whereas the x values are
known exactly. In this situation regression
is said to be carried out on x.
Setting the derivatives of the sum of the
square of the y deviations with respect to
the polynomial coefficients equal to zero
gives a set of normal equations. For a
quadratic, N=2, we would get
V(1)W + V(2) Le x + V(3) 2 x?
=Ly
V(1) 2 x + V(2) x2 +. V3) x = yx
which form a set of N+1 simultaneous
equations with N+ 1 unknowns, V(i), and
are thus exactly solvable.
The first step in the curve-fitting process
is to generate the normal equations. The |
program does it in two stages. Subroutine
250 calculates all the L x! terms as F(1,J).
For a polynomial of degree N there are 2N
such terms. For example, N =2 gives x, x*,
x’, and x*, Subsequently subroutine 400
sorts through the F(1,J) assigning them to
the A(u,v) terms which allow
identification of the specific row u and |
column v. In other words, the normal
equations for a quadratic are rewritten as:
V(1)A11 + V(2)A12 V(3)A13= Le y
V(1)A31 + V(2)A32 V(3)A33= Ly x’y
The ZX-81 cannot raise a negative number
226 RETURN
229 STOP
230 REM Ex
coe PRINT
£ ft
¥
“DISPLAY INTERMEDIATE
PRESS ¥"
INT
Sx teceee Carers SrSrPoArveo|
20
GOSUB 24S
GOSUB 2308
GOSUB 254
re Vg wy
GOSUB 46
IF perry’
GOSUB See
GOSUB 7ea
GQOSUB 86a
GOSUB 3288
STOP
RE) Pie Beir
PRINT
PRINT “G=";
INPUT Uw
PRINT W
DIM M(U4i:
DIM Y tH44:
PRINT “ INPUT
PRINT “X"; TEBE
Gee, f=2 £2
INPUT X(t}
INP Y €£4
PRINT
NEXT &
x
lie
a
5 &*
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Se OF Shae PAIRS po
ACI} ;7TAS 18,
L==
ate
5
SET-UP POL YH
= nEauat TONS
2 PRINT
PAIRS”
: ic
¥) feiss
| of similar multipliers are then defined such
| denominator
| improves accuracy.
Open file: Shae
to a power j, so it is necessary to calculate
ABS x! and use subroutines 300 or 950 to
determine the sign.
The normal equations are now in the
form which is suitable for computer
solution by the method of Gaussian
elimination. In this method a multiplier,
M., is defined. For the quadratic case
already considered M,=A21/AI1, such
that when the first equation is multiplied
by M, and subtracted from the second
equation, V(l) is eliminated from
equation 2. i
The A(u,v) are then rescaled and a series
that V(1) and V(2) are eliminated from the
third equation, leaving it with one
unknown V(3). The value of V(3) is
therefore found. Back-substitution then
leads naturally to V(2) and V(1), and thus
the quadratic equation which is the best fit
to the data has been obtained. This
process is familiar to everyone who has
suffered solving simultaneous equations
at school and is easily extended to
polynomials of any degree.
The conventional augmented matrix
formulation of the Gaussian elimination
procedure is used, subroutine 500, in
which the © x‘y terms, the G(1,J), are
converted to the A(u, N+ 2) terms in line
422. Before each elimination step the rows
of the augmented matrix are reordered
using subroutine 600. This procedure, |
often known as -partial pivotal
condensation, obviates the problems of
dividing by zero when defining the
multipliers should the A(u,v) term of the
be zero, and generally
(continued on next page) |
P LOG DATA CONVERSION
“CHODSE FORM OF POLY
= Nee =i
=sLN ¥
=Exr ‘Y
THEN SOTG
=LOGtri”
233
THEN GaToa ata
4) sEMP OVO
is
THEN
THEN
i — Gem Y te Sor
er Se Ue eee
L
Oo; RS Te, > ies
"DE
181
(continued from prvious page)
The back-substitution process is given
as subroutine 700. The subroutine at 800
| prints out the regression coefficients and
the subroutine at 900 prints out both the
calculated values of y, for the x data point
values, and the error between the
calculated and experimental y values. The
square of the error can be displayed by
changing C1 to C2 in line 918.
(listing continued from previous page)
. Ce Pe
NES ot
NEXT
RETURN
ST aP
3G REH ALLOWS
E RAISED TO POWER
362 LET J3=2
S8d LET Jisdve
aoe Ler
308 IF SGM
EN LET WG=-2
RETURN
STOP
REM PRINT
FOR Jsil TO PtH
MCP} =-—2
NEXT J
RETURK
STaP
5S Fe The BAZ lo
Tan ELIMINAT ION
DIM AIN+2,N22)
Rey =i
WEg es ae =i
NEXT J
NEXT
FOR I=1 70
CE Pete a ee
=
Zi
z
oz
Fs
&
ry.
4
dnd Ae
hd Gd OI
ia
ff fy OM & fy
The
TAO TUT be be ba BS Be
fat
QO
LET Gi2.J3042) =tRBS KIT) #4) #
SET Git daa) SS.
MJE=INT Ji-vl
AND JSi-e TH
S COQEFS GF NORHAL
PRINT Ftil,J3 ;- TRE i4;653,53
REM TRENSFER_OF Fil,
MESCEC FOR GAUSS
WEY, tb wl =F ha, =
St faa Pow
Naa
AK,
nM PR Ser
The program was originally written to |
allow condensation of optical trans-
mission data of glass filters in which
transmittance, y, may vary by several
orders of magnitude within a small range
of wavelengths, x. It was found to be
useful to be able to change the y data
before curve fitting, for example by taking
its natural logarithm. The subroutine at
230 allows the user to change the data
G2
S39
688
682
604
6906
STOP
Seq -
PE wl*
wl? sei te pat
LET G&G
LET AC
NEGATIVE NO TO @
USING 44
Ur
NEXT
RETURN
RE PR
6881 PRINT
.
682 PRINT
Urehex tbc)
aS PRINT
FOR I=
PRINT
PRINT
NEXT
RETURN
STF
REM
PRINT
, ERROR
FOR
CoEF
w=
LET C=
GOSUE
r FOR r=
c LET C=C+ercri se iABPS Kidhk sea eF-
rt
REM HBLLOWS
RAZSER TO PRYWER
3S2
o54
a = fi
WEF wis
S55 LET de=
S38 iF SGN
EW LET J3=-
S60 RETURN
9399 STOP
i808 PRINT
get | tables
UT ION OF
JW3=
PRINT
[eeey lO Bm
PRINT
1ao4
RETURN
REH ROW REQREDERING
=K
FOR H=
IF ABS ATCH,.RIOABS AIL,K)
EN GOTQ 619
GoTa 612
=
NEXT H
20 et oe 4
FOR Jerk TO
=A CK.,J?
BACK SuUssrTtirut roan
J
Len Y¢
CHECH
Open file: Sindair==="
from Y= f(x) to either In y=f(x) or rep |
y = f(x).
The program has been used to fit several
hundred sets of data. On only one
Occasion has a nonsensical result been
obtained, and this was traced to extremely
small values for some of the rescaled
A(u,v). In such cases, line 10 allows all
intermediate calculations, A(u,v) and M,,
to be displayed. |
L.Fe Mea
TH
THER
Bot
Nee
K,WJ)=
N21) sRUIN?L.MaB) eR EhMad
Teed SFE <2
TO Nel
taco #47 €.53
Ti=s=t(AtI-N«qea
2-SI FRCL, TF
INTS REGRESSION Coers
“REGRESSION COEFS,UiS
,FoalLy
,"
po Ee
age:
SUIIN@ EI SM ZEN. oo ©
hat
Ga, | ests Me aiea
on
Et; Pee
17S @
SSE
= re
Wi
NEGAT TE
LIB ING
iti TO #8
en
zi
rX¥-i:.
rer 3 —0e
M {4} s-1 AND
i
r=
ie Gee
“FEWER CRIA PARIRS itt=
REQUIRED FOR Sok
POLYNOMIAL (H="UN
PRES “RS
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
C) Be alucky dog
in the exciting
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5 great reasons to or der 5 more great reasons to
Flexette floppy discs order Flexette
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@ Circle No. 225
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 183
184
The North of England’s own computer
systems, peripherals and
software exhibition...
GOMPEG
NORTHSS
Belle Vue, Manchester.
June 21-23, 1983.
lf your company owns or is thinking of buying a
computer, visit COMPEC NORTH ’83, the only exhibition
in the North of England for serious computer users and
DP professionals.
On show will be mini- and micro-computers, small
business systems, software, printers, terminals, other
peripherals, telecommunications equipment and word
processors. This exhibition offers you an unequalled
opportunity to meet and discuss with the experts,
hardware and software best suited to your company’s
requirements.
Opening times are: Tuesday June 21, 10am-6pm
Wednesday June 22, 10am-6pm
Thursday June 23, 10am-4.30pm
Apply now for your
FREE ADVANCE REGISTRATION TICKETS
i
1 Retuan ios Please send .............. FREE advance registration tickets for \
COMPEG COMPEC NORTH ’83 to:
| 3 Name ]
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| Tickets, Company ]
J Reed Exhibitions, Address . i
\ Surrey House, [
1 Throwley Way, Sutton,
1 Surrey SM14QQ. |
] Compec North is o Computer Weekly exhibition in association with Systems International, Computer Talk, Software and Practical Computing, and is ]
orgonised by Reed Exhibitions. all members of Business Press tnternotional Lid
ee eee ee ee ee ee. ee ee ee Le ee ee ee ee ee de ee.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
SS ()
NEWBRAIN
NERVE CENTRE
by David Watt
‘fhe a
Letter writer
BY TYPING you letters as a program
consisting of Rem statements you can make
use of the Newbrain’s text-editing
capabilities to print nicely formatted
letters, using this program by Robert
Lewsley. After saving the program on tape,
the program will read the saved program,
stripping off the line number and Rem
token, and print the remaining part of the
lines.
RTS is set to the value of the Rem token,
142, at line 2390, and the token is tested for
at line 2580. If words do not fit on a line
they are printed on the next, and the
program inserts spaces in the line to justify
the right margin.
Again the program is designed to use the
Oki 82a. Lines 2490 and 2500 set the
characteristics of the printer. For the Epson
MxX-80 Mk III these lines should be
changed to:
2490 PUT £8,18,27,81,64
2500 IF ch$ = “s” OR ch$ = “S” THEN
PUT £8,15,27,81,80
Perhaps someone may care to contribute a
text-editing program to get round the
inconvenience of having to type line
numbers and Rem statements when
entering your letter.
Monitor
Steve Parker of Morecambe, Lancashire,
points out that there is no easy way of
inputting machine code to the Newbrain,
and has sent in a program to fill the gap.
Besides allowing you to examine or amend
memory, blocks of memory can be stored
on tape or updated from tape.
The program displays the current address
and byte, in hexadecimal format. You can
change the contents of the current address
by just entering the new value, or you can
select one of the following commands:
t+ —view the previous byte
4 —view the next byte
Ctrl-A -—- change the current address
Ctri-C — create a file descriptor
Ctri-O — output file
Ctrl-F — find and read file descriptor
Ctrl-1 — read file
Two Newbrain files are created for each
(continued on page 188)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Letter writer.
2000 REM
2010 REM
2020 REM
2030
2040 REM
2050 REM
2060 REM
29070
2080
2090
2100
2110
2120
2130
2140
2150
2160
"letter.writer"”
Prooram allow use of Newbrain
and Oki 82a as a tynewriter.
Text is written as a proaram
containing nothing but rems
then saved to tape as normal.
REM
REM
REM
REM
This program then reads proaram
tape, stripoing line numbers
and rem tokens before printing
with some simple formatting.
OPENZO,0, "124"
PUT 31
PRINT TAB(30); "LETTER PRINTER": TAB(
65) ;"(c) R. Lewsley”
2170 PRINT TAB(30) ;"8eeeesecescress
2180 PUT 10,10
2190 LINPUT (“Enter desired line width (
max. 64 at 10cpi or 80 at 16.5 cpid
") mt
IF NUM(m#) THEN 2220
PUTIO:PRINT “Bad value - try again"
:PUT 10:GOTO 2190
m=VAL (m$): IF m) GO OR m(1 THEN 2210
2200
2210
2220
2230
2240 PUT 10:LINPUT ("Enter L for 19 cpi
or S fior Wees epi: ”) chs
IF ch$="1" OR ch$="L" OR ch$="s" OR
cht="S" THEN 2270
PUT 10:PRINT “Bad value - try again
"GOTO 2240
IF (cht="1" OR cht="L") AND m)64 TH
EN PUT 10:PRINT "Bad line length/ch
aracter size combination":GOTO 2190
2250
2260
2270
PUT 10:LINPUT ("Is printer at ton a
f form? y/n : ") yn
IF ynt="y" OR ynt="¥" THEN le=1:GOT
0 2340
IF yn#="n" OR yn$="N" THEN Ic=99:G60
TO 2340
PUT 10:PRINT “Invalid response - tr
y again":GOTO 2290
PUT 10:LINPUT ("Enter name of file
to be printed : ") f%
REM — conversational bits over
PUT 31:PRINT “Load tape 1 with inpu
t file and press play."
rt $=CHRS (142)
CLOSE£8: OPENES, 8, "1200"
CLOSE£1:OPEN£1, 1, F%
PUT S1IfPRINT “Trying print access n
ow" PRINTER, ":PUT 31
PRINT "WORK I NG"
xe="
REM - set default to 10 cpi
line then alter if required
PUTLB, 30, 27,66
short
Monitor.
101 REM Machine code monitor/tape
file system
REM by Steve Parker.
REM for Newbury Newbrain
REM Z
ht=bit: GOSUB 30000: IF e THEN
15000: REM e=error flag for dec to
hex & hex to dec conversion,
9980 REM set up I/O streams &
variables etc.
9999 REM
10900 ON BREAK GOTO 40000: ON
GOTO 40010
FOR i=! TO
102
103
104
5400
ERROR
255: CLOSE €i: NEXT i
: kb=12: OFEN £kb,4: vf=2: OPEN fvf
73: sn=0: OFEN £5n,0,"20": PUT fvf
»6t tp=50: FOR i=1 TO 11:3 nls=nl1¢+C
HR$(O): NEXT is b1S=CHRs (28)
REM AD uses vf display:
use:- open £v#,0,2,"%s1"
REM to open up a single line
display on stream 2.
REM
10100
10101 for A
19102
14997
14998
14999
15000
15100
15200
REM main loop.
REM
et=O0: bis="": PUT £vF,2
GOSUB 37000: REM ? current byte
cf#=0: GOSUE 35000: IF cf THEN
GOSUE 41000: GOTO 15000
PUT fvf,as bit=bit+at: ct=ctt+1:
IF et<2 THEN 15200
15400
pen file: Newbrain
nh REM
IF ch$="“s"
Pee aes s
REM - 29,27,66 = 16.5 cpi,short lin
e of 196 chars on OKI 82a
but max allowed by NEWBRAIN
1s 80 (unless comms port is used)
LINPUTE£1, at
1=LEN (as)
IF at=CHR4(4) THEN CLOSE£1:PUT 31:P
RINT "READY": END
IF LEN(a$)=0 THEN 2550
OR cht="S" THEN PUT£4, 29
M FOR i=1 TO 1:REM search for rem
15400
15700
15701
15702
15703
29988
Pose ead p
30ca00
30100
30200
30300
30301
FO30L
BOSS
30998
30999
31000
31100
IF MIDS(as,i,1) =
NEXT i
i=1-(i+1)
IF i(i THEN as=" ":GOTO 2640
at=RIGHT$(at,i):REM strip off line
number and rem token
rt$ THEN 2600
x$=ad
1=LEN (at)
REM check if small enough for immed
iate printing
REM if yes then check if page
full and print
IF 1)}m THEN 2790
le=lc+1
IF 1¢)50 THEN lc=1:PUT&B, 12
PRINTRB, xt
GOTO 2550
REM chop back to previous snace
i=m+1
aos
IF i=t THEN ism:GOTO 2850
CS=MIDE (xt, i, 1)
IF c$() " “ THEN 2800
xS=LEFTS (at. {)
at=RIGHT$ (as, (1-i))
le=lc+!
IF 1¢)50 THEN 1c=1:PUT£B, 12
REM - distribute blanks into line
trying to tidy the right margin
p=LEN (x3)
g="-p:IF q ¢ 1 THEN PRINTE£S, x$:GOTO
2640
b=0:bt=0:bi=0
FOR i=! TO p
IF MID#(x$. i a
NEXT i
bs=INT(b/q +
yf=" ":CLEAR
FOS i=) TOp
CS=MIDE (ut, i,
yt=yt+cs
IF c# 0"
bt=ht+1
IF bt (bs THEN 3070
yt=y$t+c$:bt=O0:bi=bit+l:IF bi)=q THEN
bs=99
NEXT i
PRINTEB, ys
GOTO 2640
THEN b=b+1
" THEN 3070
ht=bit: GOSUB 30000: IF e THEN
15000: REM e=error flag for dec to
hex & hex to dec conversion.
POKE ad,dc: ad=ad+1: GOTO 15000
REM
REM end of main loop
REM
REM he»:
REM
hx $="01234560789 abcdef ":
O: pp=LEN(h$)?: cp=-1
IF pp=0 THEN RETURN
V=INSTR (ho: &,MIDS(h$,pp,1))—-1: IF
v<O THEN e=-1: RETURN: REM error t
rap
pp=pp-1:
GOTO 30100
REM
REM sub end
REM
REM dec to hex
REM
hx $="0123456789abcdeFf"
N1=4096: n2=2561 n3=16: c1=INTC
dc/ni): de=de-nisel: c2=INT(de/n2):
dc=de-c2¥n2: cC3=INT (de/n3): c4=de-
e3%n3: hS=M1IDSe (his, c1+1,1) + MIDs¢
he$,c2+1,1) + MIDS (hx$,c3+1,1) + MI
DS (hx$,0441,1): Ht=RIGHTS¢HS,1): RE
M 1= no of bytes in string to be re
tained
to dec conversion
e=0: dc=
Cp=cp+ls dc=det+veldtep:
(listing continued on page 188)
185
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Comparative timings: oos FOOS
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BPS — APPLE — COMPLETE BUSINESS GRAPHICS £139
BPS — IBM PC COMPLETE GRAPHICS £265
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A Review
Bag of Tricks
Bas of Tricks
QUALITY
By Don Worth and Peter Lechner SOFTWARE
Accelerator |! 03 24 45 50 55 82 129 298 86
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® Circle No. 229
(listing continued from page 185)
31200 e=cl<G OR c2¢0 OR ciXO OR c4<0
OR c121S5 OR ¢2715 OR c3>15 OR c4>15
RETURN REM set error flag as
required
REn
REM sub end
REM
31201
31202
34997
24998
34999
25000
REM get key
REM
GET £kb,a$:
THEN 35000
IF a>31 THEN RETURN
cf=(a=1) + (a=10) + (a=11) + (a=
9) + (a=15) + (a=3) + (a=6): RETURN
REM
REM subend
REM
a=ASC (at): IF a=O
35050
$5100
$5101
35102
35103
35998
35999
36000
36100
REM get new address
REM
ads=""; PUT £vf,b1$
GOSUB 35000: PUT Evf,a: adt=ad3+
at: IF LENCad$)<4 THEN 36100
ht=adt: GOSUB 30000: IF e
THEN 36000
ad=dcr
REM
REM sub end
REM
REM print out current address
and byte
REM
dc=ad: i=4: GOSUR 31000: adt=hs:
dc=FEEK (ad): c=1: i=2: GOSUER 31000
: ? £vFf bl s;adt3" "Z;nt;:PUT EvF,8,
8: RETURN
REM
REM sub end
REM
36200 i=2:
36250
26251
~6252
36253
25997
RE TURN
36999
| 37000
37001
37002
27003
40997 REM select routine for control ¢
odes
(continued from page 185)
Monitor file.*-The Descriptor file contains
the file name and start and addresses and
the second file the actual machine code.
The descriptor files are all the same length
because the file name is truncated or
padded out to 11 characters. You can
change the descriptor file without
overwriting the following file.
When using the program, reserve an area
of memory for your machine-code routine
before entering your code, otherwise Basic
may overwrite it. Remove the Rems to
reduce the size of the program if you need
more space to code in; Mr Parker claims
the program will run in a little less than 16K
with the Rems removed. You might find it
useful to leave out the Error and Break
traps until you are satisfied the program is
running correctly.
Hangman
For those readers with small children,
John Braga of Huntingdon has provided a
version of the well-known game Hangman.
The words to be used by the program
should be typed into lines 1000 to 1099.
Line 1099 itself should be left unchanged as
the * acts as an End of Data signal. You
can choose the words with the age of the
child in mind.
Having two small children myself, I
know how keen they are to press the
buttons. My 34-year-old daughter was
more interested in seeing the little man get
drawn than in guessing the word, but either
way she had a great deal of fun playing the
game. jue
188
40999
41000
REM :
sw=ABS ( (a=1) #1+ (a=10) 824 (a=6) B3+
(a=9) #44 (a=3) 45+ (a=15) 6+ (a=11) *7)
IF sw>O AND sw<8 THEN ON sw
GOSUB 36000, 42000, 62000, 62300, 63000
5 63300, 43000
RETURN
REM
REM sub end
REm
REM view next byte
REM
ad=ad+l1:
REM
REM sub end
REM
41010
41020
41101
41102
41103
41998
41999
42000
42001
42002
42003
RETURN
REM view previous byte
REM
IF ad>G@ THEN ad=ad-1
RETURN
REM
REM sub end
REM
REM find tape file
REM
59998
59999
60000
60010
60020
REM error handler
REM
END
IF ERRLIN=62000 THEN RESUME
IF ERRLIN=63100 THEN RESUME
63000
GOTO 60000
REM
60030
60031
60032
60033
62000
REM error check end
REM
? £5n,"find file":
file name": INFUT £sn,t$:
(t%+n13,11)
OPEN INftp,1, "#1": GET £tp,as:
IF at="*#" THEN CLOSE £tp: GOTO 6210
°
? £sn, "enter
tS=LEFTSs
62100
Hangman.
HANGMAN PROGRAM FOR NEWBRAIN
(C) JOHN BRAGA 1982
OPEN £0,0, "1200"
CLOSE £1 : OPEN £1,11,
—N GRAPHICS STREAM
CLOSE £2: OPEN £2,5 : REM OPEN KEYB
GARD FOR SINGLE CHARACTER ENTRY
PLOT BCK(1),WIPE,RANGE(24,10): GO=0 +
WR=0 4 REM CLEAR COUNTERS AND SCRE
EN
AL(1)=1 : CLEAR AL()
EAR ARRAY
PLOT PLA(7,9),MODE(O), "HANGMAN
“Y60" REM OP
Ys="" 2 REM CL
FUT 31 : REM CLEAR TEXT SCREEN
READ XS : IF LEN(X#)>10 THEN 60
IF X$="#" THEN CLOSE £1 : CLOSE £2 :
OPEN £0,0 :PRINT “End of Executions
ye «(END
70 FOR Z=1 TO LEN(X$)
8O FLOT MODE(1),PLA(Z#1.5+7,5),"
Em DRAW BLANKS
90 NEXT Z
100 PUT 12: FRINT “Guess a letter! “
110 GET £2,2 : REM GET CHARACTER
120 1F 2<97 OR Z>122 THEN 110 3
IF NOT ALLOWED
130 PUT Z : REM PRINT IF OK
140 Z=CHRS(Z)
145 F=0 : REM FOUND FLAG
150 FOR Y=1 10 LEN(Xs)
152 IF MIDS(Xt,¥,1)=Z% THEN IF AL(Y)=0 T
HEN AL(Y)=1 : FHl GO=GO+l + PLOT
PLA(1L.S#¥+7,5%,MODE(2)," "&Z$&" ©
NEXT Y
IF F=0 THEN 300 :
T FOUND ©
IF GO<LEN(X%) THEN 100 :
CK IF MORE TO GO
170 PUT 31 : REM CLEAR
180 PRINT “Hurrah! You have been repri
eved!"
190 PRINT "“Fress any key";
200 GOTO 20
200 REM WRONG GUESS!
3O5 YS=YbRZ FUT 22,1,5 *
= weve
310 WR=WR+1
320 ON WR GOSUB 360, 370, 380,390, 410, 420,
460, 480, 490, 510, 560, 616, 660
IF WR=13 THEN 700
REM LOOP
154
156 REM GOTO 300 IF NO
160 REM LOOP BA
GET £2,2Z
PRINT "Wrong
325
62120 tt$=as:FOR i=2 TO 11:GET £tp, as:
ttt=ttStase NEXT i:GET £tp,sh,5]1,fh
s#I:CLOSE ftp: ? £sn,"found ";tts;"
"3: sa=sht256+sl: fat€h*256+#1: de
=sa: GOSUB 31000: ? £sn,hs: IF tts
<>ts THEN 62100
RETURN
REN
REM sub end
REM
REM read file
? £sn, "loading":
"#1": GET £tp,a: FOR i=sa TO fa:GET
€tp,a: POKE i,a: NEXT i: CLOSE ftp
? £sn,"completed": RETURN
REM
REM sub end
REM
REM create file
REM UL”
? {sn,"“create file": ?£sn, "enter
file name, start & end address"
INPUT £s5n,t%,sa%, fat: i=2:ht=sa$:
GOSUB 30000: el=e: sa=de: sh=INT (sa/25
6): sl=sa-sh#256: ht=fat: GOSUE 300
OO: fa=dc: fh=INT(fa/256) sfl=fa-fht
256: IF e OR el OR LEN(sat)<>4 ORL
EN (#a%)<>4 OR sa>=fa THEN FUT £5n,1
1,2: GOTO 63100
? {sn,"outputting file header":
OPEN OUT£tp,1,""1": FOR i=1 TO 12:
PUT £tp,MIDs(tt,i,1): NEXT i: PUT £
tp,sh,sl,fh,#l: CLOSE ftp: 7 £sn,"
completed": RETURN
REM
REM sub end
REM
62150
62151
62152
$2153
62298
62300 GFEN IN€tp,1,
62301
62302
62303
62998
62999
63000
63100
63200
63298
63299
63300
REM output file
REM
? £sn,"outputting fale": OPEN
OUTEtp,1, "#1": PUT £tp,42: FOR i=sa
TO fa: PUT £tp,PEEK(i): NEXT i: CL
OSE £tp:?£sn, "completed": RETURN
REM
REM sub end
REn
63301
63302
63303
330 GOTO. 100
350 REM 360-380 DRAW THE SCAFFOLD!
360 PLOT PLA(1,2),DRAW(.5,1,1),DRAW(1.5,
1,1):RETURN: REM BASE
370 PLOT PLAC1,2),MVE(1,9): RETURN: REM PO
LE
380 PLOT PLOT FLA(1,9) ,MVE(3.5,9) »FLAC1,
8), MVE(2,9):RETURN: REM BAR
390 PLOT PLA(3,9),MVE(3,8) :RETURN :
ROPE
2
400 REM DRAW HEAD
410 PLOT FLA(3,8), DEGREES, TURN (180) , ARC (
P1,360) : RETURN
420 PLOT PLA(3,7.8),FIL
450 REM DRAW NECK
460 PLOT PLA(2.9,8),MVE(2.9, 6.7) MVE (3.1
16.7),MVE(3.1,8),,PLA(3,7),FIL :RETU
RN
470 REM DRAW BODY
480 PLOT PLA(3,46.7), TURN(180) , ARC (2#PI,3
60): RETURN
490 PLOT FLA(3,6.7),FIL
500 REM LEFT ARM
510 PLOT PLA(S,6),MVE(1.6,6) ,DRW(1.4,6.1
,1),DRW(1.4,6,1),DRW(1.4,5.9,1),
DRW(1.4,5.8,1),DRW(1.4,5.7,
REM
RETURN
RETURN
1)
RETURN
REM RIGHT ARM
PLOT PLA(3,6),MVE(4.3,6),DRW(4.5,6.1
),DRW(4.5,6,1),DRW(4.5,5.9,1),
DRW¢4.5,5.7,1)
RETURN
REM LEFT LEG
PLOT PLA(2.5,5, MVE (2,3. 4), MVE (2,1. 8)
»MVE (1,8, 2),PLA(2.8,5),
MVE (2.3,3. 4) ,MVE(2.1,1.8)M
VE(1.6,2),PLA(2.2,3.4),FIL
RETURN
REM RIGHT LEG
PLOT PLA(C3.5,5), MVE (4,3.4),MVE(4,1.8
),MVE(4.2,2),PLA(3.2,5),
MVE (3.8,3.4),MVE(3.9,1.8),™m
VE (4.2, 2),PLA(3.9,3.4),FIL
690 RETURN
700 PUT 31
710 PRINT "You are hanged!"
720 PRINT "The word was "3X
73G PRINT "Fress any key ";: GET J2,2
740 GOTO 30
1000 DATA TEST, EXAMPLE, PUT, ANY, WORD, HERE
’
1005 DATA OR,HERE,ETCETERA
1099 DATA *# REM LEAVE THIS AS END-OF-D
ATA SIGNAL
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Pinball
A COMPUTERISED VERSION of the arcade
game for the Sharp MZ-80k comes from
Frank and Lil Rooney of Manchester. The
force with which the bail is to be ‘‘shot’’ is
selected on a scale 1' to 9 and determines
| both the initial speed at which the ball
| travels and also the extent to which it
| traverses the top of the table before falling.
Points are scored as the ball bounces off
the bumpers: five points for the four edge
bumpers, 10 for the six round bumpers,
and 25 for the two centre bumpers. When
hit, the bumper flashes on and off with
appropriate sound effects .
The flippers are controlled by the keys B
| and M but fast responses are required to
Pinball.
GOSUB111
GOSUB71:GOTO61
POREF, O:FOKEF +A, 71:P=F+A
IFFL=1 THENFL= O:POKES4109, O:FORES4111,
GETFS: IFF$=""THENRE TURN
IFF$="B" THENFL=1:F0KES4149,0:POKES4109,118:MUSIC"GO":
a oe 1:FORES4151, O7FPORES4111,179:2MUSIC’ GO"
PRINT “GSSnnisns" ; SC: RETURN
FO=O: IFF<G(1) THENIS
FORF=17T06: IFF=G(F) THENSS
NEXTF
IFFEEK (F+A) < > OTHEN2?S
IFP=S23404THENA=—41
GOSUB3: GOTO1LO
FORD=1TO8: IFO(D) =ATHEN18
NEXTD
=D+INT(RND (1) *5+2) ; IFD28THEND=D-8
a IPE GOTO10
HENS
(F$="E") THENO= -41;:GOSUB=3: GOTO10
FS="M"') THENA=— 39: GOS sic ie
"EEK (P+A+0 (J) )=74THENM= =F+A+0(J) : GOTO42
P<G (2) THEN
OPP IE MENEE =i: :GOTO21
O) THENFF=13 ee
BT ace’ GOTO
(F+A+J) = a USTHENM=P+A+a:P1=212%
OrP2=PEEK (P+A+d)
0) THENM=P+A+Jd:P1=F2:GOTO46
)+(PP=77) + (PP=78) + (PP=86) THENFO=2
THENMUSIC' DO"
EK (F+A+F (J) )=7STHEN47
ASW COON OU SHES
ee
BibJhbhihihin ee eee eee OONRU SURE
Cee
Tit tnen Ag
Ht us MmopST
n=
"= OG
>FL)
FE
I= OOONG UW SLIM
xT TAAaxAnD>x<DAA
Ago WdHa
a4
=
—
z
ta
te
Bi
=
cs
bs
a
C9
=
a
T
Ss
a
=
mi
4
4
4
4
De
FOKEM+M (EE) ,O:NEXTE: MUSIC" AO"
+
by
FORT= 1fO2: POE EM,O:MUSIC"AO":FOKEM, Fis
Q=F+A+F (J) sFORL=1T0S
FOKE@-40, e eS eG O: FOKEQ—
FOKEGQ+80, OKEG+81,
FOKE@-—40,
FPOKEGI+2, 2
MUSTC"™ AO"
OIMUSTE! “DOS
5 5
13:3 213:FOKEQ- 1,214: FOKEQ+81,214
Ths SC=$C+25: GOSUB9: GOTO16
IF (F=54017) + (P=34043) THENA=40; GOSUBS
IF (P=54057) + (F=S54085
TFFEER (FP +A) =7 7THENA=41:GOSUB3:A
IFFEERK (FP +A) =78THENA=39: GOSUBS:
A=40: GOSUB?
IFPEER (F +A) =OTHENGOSUBS
MUSIC’ wA7" sPOKEF,O:FP=FS:GOSUR1O3
IF (WW=0) % ($C +=1000) THENBA=BA+ 1: WW=1
ITFFS<S34GS5THENGS
_ Ee ee Cit = ~Z) #10:NEXTI: A=—-40: GOSUB2: GOTO61
FORX1= TTOZT: !FORI= VOU 2.) era
46=40;G0T010
FRINT*EGAME OVERS
e
les
ae -EQ+80,
i
?NE
+(F
=1:GOSUB2: GOTOS9
A=—-1:GOSUB3: GOTOS9
LECACHEACHCACALA
DQNGU bre oS
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
OKEO+42, 215: POK -EO-39, 216: POKEQ+3S9, 216
press the flipper keys just as the ball is on |
the flipper. There are three balls per game,
with an extra ball when a score of 1,000 is
reached. The score, high-score and balls
left are continuously displayed.
Care must be taken to use the correct
graphics sysmbols. Solid symbols are used
for ali the boundaries. Shaded symbols are
used for all the bumpers. The flippers are
ASCII character 215.
Poke 10167,1 in line 103 switches off the
Peek-protect so that continuous
monitoring of the keyboard is possible for
the starting key being pressed. The Peek-
protect, Poke 10167,0 is restored in line 110
so that subsequent Peeks for location of the
ball are limited to video RAM.
: RETURN
GOTO46
FOREM+M (EK) , 208: NEXTK:MUSIC"AO": NEXTL: SC=SC+10
MUSIC" AO": NEXTI:s SC=SC+5: GOSUB?: GOTO146
.O:FOKEQ+2, 0: FOREOQ+39, 0: POREQ+42,0
») THENA=40: FORH=1 TO2: GOSUBS: NEXTH
NEXTI:A=—-1:GOSUB?: NEXTX1
(continued on next page)
189
ne
7 PRINDSGCORE =" SC: IFSE> ASTHENFRINT' THIS IS THE HIGHEST SCORE": HS=SC
(continued from previous page)
68 PRINT"S@Fress any key for another game"
69 GETAS: IFAS=""THENG6?
70 GOTO?
71 PS=34165: B6=2: SC=0:WW=0: FE RINT EE"
72 PRINTTSs " «t SEER
73 FRINTTS: "BE
74 FRINTTS$3 4
75 FPRINTTS$s
76 PRINTTS3
77 PRUNT ESS
78 FRINTTS;
To Tena Hibs
80 PRINTT$;
81 FRINTTS$;
82 FRINTTS#:
82 FRINTT#:
84 FRINTTS$;
85 FRINTTS$3
86 FRINTTS#:
87 FRINTTS$;
88 PRINTTS$:
89 FRINTTS$;
90 FRINTTS
91 FRINTTSs;
92 FRINTTSs3
3 FRINTT#s
94 FPRINTT#:
95 FRINTT#;
96 PRINTTS#;
97 FRING VAL
98 PRINTHS
99 FRINT'S2 SCORE": FRINT® "
100 PRINTS
101 PRINT'YS BALLS": PRINT” BERT
LOS IEMEN TT. ~~~
103 FOKE10167, 1:F=FS: BA=BA-1: IFBA< OTHEN64&
194 FORE4466,14:FRINT"S"; BA: FOKEF, re
105 PRINT’S22 -— ——--4 SEEEBEEE IPRESS | QGESEGSSE 1 1-9 ISSESssaa -—— "
106 PORFE4466, 18: FORI=17T04: PRINTSEC (7): NEXTI
107 A=0:GOSUBS
108 GETZ$: IFFEER (17828) =OTHEN104
109 Z=FEEK (17828)-48: IF (Z<1)+(Z>9) THENIOS
110 FOKE10167,0:Z1= INT(RND (1) 44) 4 (245) 45 RETURN
111 TEMFO6: T$="SSehesne": PRINT" E”
112 FRINT" E
113 FRINT"
114 FRINT"
its FRING?
116 PRINT" : ee
127 (PRU eae ee ee ae
118 PRINT"&& Copyright - F.R. & L.S. Rooney, 1985"
119 MSiG"=Do-A@D*A-DMA~p~a~D“AbADADADADADA-D™A~D=A~D~A“D—A~D“A"
120 DIMOCS) aM¢9) aE (tS) iG Ce)
421 FORJ=1T08: READO (J) !NEX1d
122 FORJ=1T09:; READM (J) :NEXTJ
123 FORJ=1TO12:READF (J): NEXTJ
124 FORJ=1T06: READG (J) : NEXTJ
125 DATA41,40, 29, ee mee —39,1
126 DATA-41, -40, +39;-1,6,1, 39,40, 41
er DATA4O, 39, 1,~-2,-39,—-42,. -80, 81, —1,-40,-41 i
128 DATAS40O17, $4087, 54082, 54042, 54159, 54110
129 PRINT" SS Flipper heusteeeg Sccacaa
130 PRINT’S a a"
131 PRINTS ce <M"
132 FPRINT’Se Extra Bali at 1000 Foints" |
132 PRINT" e088 cartes any key to Start aoeec)"
124 GETKS: IFK$=""THENL=S
135 RETURN
| Chinese characters
IN ORDER TO include Chinese names in a
Chinese characters.
-and- i M Bates of 5000 CLEAR 290-1690 5169 S=S+16
Gee “en ay ‘ hi aot 5018 DEFINT A 5178 NEXT N
helmsford, Essex wrote this routine on an 5020 INPUT "FILE NO. "SF &18a CLS
Epson HX-20. To use it the characters have Pe ae 2, (F-19*168 bad ce dts
to be drawn on a 16-by-15 grid and entered 5e50 FOR N=1 TO 5 5219 FOR X=8 TO 15
as hex numbers 0 to 7FFF as read along the 5060 FOR X=1 TO 16 5220 GET% X+€(S\26)*16),
i i i 5078 PRINT N3"7"3X3TABCS a
X axis. A RAM file of characters built upin 7 ee
this way can be saved on tape using the 5080 B¢="aH i 5249 FOR Y=0 TO 15
monitor. Default will output the last items 509@ INPUT Ct 5253 IF A AND 1 THEN PSE
5190 IF C$="" THEN GOTO TEX+S, 16-Y)
entered. . ‘ 5180 5268 A=A\2
While on the subject of Chinese, Mr 5119 MID$(Bs,3)=C$ 5270 NEXT ¥,X
5128 A=VAL (BE) 5288 S=S+26
Bates wants to know whether any readers Sean a Mees Serer en eT
have an algorithm to convert from the 5140 PUTY (X+$)-1-8 5300 COPY
Chinese lunar calendar to the Gregorian 515@ NEXT X 5310 END
calendar and vice versa. Please let us know. |
190 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
UNINTERRUPTIBLE THE POWER BANK
POWER SUPPLY The Uninterruptible Power Supply that will run ANY
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A vital piece of Equipment for running systems.
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THE MAINS ARE OFF! run your system in the event of a mains supply
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Electrical spikes and surges suppressed, which
protects your hardware as well as your programme
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Whatever your (C ) Kee Output voltage stabilised for all conditions of input
system = Vé ~ ¥
POWER BANK SS / voltage.
is the answer! Z
System compatible sine wave output. Built-in
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, Manufactured by POWER TESTING (Sales) LTD.
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We ofter an excellent, reasonably priced service
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®@ Circle No. 311
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 191
gEee Skee
A \NPS WORDSTAR:
ay The biggest selling
Os word processor pro-
gram. “The de facto stan-
dard for microcomputers” ac-
cording to Microcomputing magazine.
MicroPro's WordStar is supplied complete
with comprehensive manual and training guide.
We also supply the complete range of MicroPro soft-
ware
PEACHTREE, world leaders in software, offer 2 fully-
integrated range of systems designed specifically for
business requirements. Sophisticated, yet easy to use,
Peachtree products are suited to professionals and fir-
st-time users alike.
PEACHTREE OFFICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS are
lime-saving and cost-effective in any office environ-
ment. Packages include: Word processing, Spelling
proofreader, Telecommunications:
PEACHTREE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
provide fast and accurate capabilities for Order
processing, Payroll accounting, and Name and Address
management.
PEACHTREE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. A
range of packages allowing highly efficient structuring
of any business finance system: Nominal edger and
Budgeting, Purchase ledger, Sales ledger with In-
voicing, Financial forecasting, Inventory management,
Business Graphics.
dBASE II: One of the world's foremost programmable
data base management packages. Ashton Tate's dBase
II has comprehensive file handling, screen handling
and report printing facilities. Interfacing to files
created by other languages such as BASIC or Word-
Star is supported,
AUTOCODE 1: The obvious complement to dBase I
from British authors Stemmos, Autocode | is an
automatic programming system for CP/M based
microcomputers. Autocode 1 generates program code
for complete systems executed directly under dBase I.
MULTIPLAN: MicroSoft's latest package. Multiplan is
an easy to use, powerful electronic worksheet pro-
gram, designed with non-computer people in mind.
Supplied complete with comprehensive training guide
and reference manual. We also supply the complete
range of MicroSoft software.
CIS COBOL: Powerful implementation of the COBOL
language for microcomputers from Micro Focus, in
England. Also available are the excellent Forms II and
Animator packages to aid program development.
EXACT: Complete businessman‘s accounting system.
High quality, inexpensive package comprising stock
recording; invoicing; sales, nominal and purchase
ledgers; and payroll. Superb value for money.
SUPERCALC 2: Extremely fast and simple to use, very
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face capability with other Sorcim products and an ex-
tensive range of new features at a highly competitive
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SUPERWRITER: SORCIM'S latest product. Super-
writer is an exciting new word proces-
sing system featuring powerful
text handling/printing capabi-
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ation and spelling checking
EPSON Qx-10
This easy to use fully in-
tegrated desktop mi- (he
crocomputer system ‘gaz Z
gives you more power for your money. 192K
upgradable to 256K RAM. Incredible graphics
capability with zoom facility, RS-232C and
parallel interfaces and multi-font BASIC as
standard. Compare that with systems costing
twice the price.
FUTURE FX-20
British built high
performance 16 bit
micro-computer. ————— rr
Comprises: 8 MHZ SaaS =e MUR.
8088CPU 128K RAM, /4e2SSs
2x800K floppy disks. a -
IBM compatible bus, network interface,
CP/M 86 word processor — all as standard,
EPSON HX-20
The first truly portable Z
computer with full size
typewriter keyboard,
LCD screen, printer
and microcassette fac
actually built-in.
SIRIUS 1
The U.K.'s biggest selling 16
bit microcomputer. . .with
every reason — simply the
best price/performance 16
bit microcomputer on the
market. Includes 1.2mb
disk storage, 400 x 800
graphics display, audio =—
decoder, CP/M 86 and MS-DOS.
NEC PC-8000
Japan's biggest selling
Tae Sey screens respectively.
fi, expe G é | Both models incorporate a
.. eta itt 64K 5 a customized key
: ‘ Ves oard. Firmware
My a compatible with Televideo TV-912.
and comprehensive software. Also incorpora- FLOWRITER RP1300 and RP1600 High per-
ting a dual-disk drive and high resolution formance, reliable, daisy
monochrome or colour monitor for graphics. wheel printers with print
MICRO DECISION ica, oithesat
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md : cessor controls propor-
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ee NEC 8023A f
Seat eae Fast reliable prin- (
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WordStar, Correct-It, Logi- eee 2) doe'y
Now there is a Winchester
disk system for your IBM PC, Sirius or Advan-
tage computer which offers high performance
and unrivalled reliability at a realistic price.
Disk systems range from 5 to 40 MB with fixed
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EPSON RX-80 and FX-80 The latest additions to
Epson's range of ex-
tremely reliable
printers, with
speeds of 100
and 160 cps respec- ——
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with centronics parallel interface as standard
with optional RS-232C and IEEE interfaces.
ICL KDS7362 This is ICL‘s latest
VDU designed for the
microcomputer
market. The KDS
7362 isgood
and attractively
designed. Supplied
with every VDU are
an extra set of keycaps to
support several foreign languages. Firmware
compatible with Televideo TVI-950.
NEC 2000R and 3500 5
Designed for word proces-
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speed is not essential,
but quality is, these
high performance -
spinwriters have speeds of
20 and 35 cps respectively. The
advanced design of these models eliminates the
problems of adjustments or lubrication
INSIGHT VDT-6 & VDT-8
Very competitively priced
Wordstar VDUs. 12” and 15” | i@ bmn
Calc, BaZic and Pilot. Now avail- ie at na i3e in one package at an ae
able with double-sided drives and personal am uP ‘ine. Roots Mosc fea S 4
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PRISM 80 and 132 quality dot-matrix printer.
Special features are colour printing, corres-
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Manufactured in England, the MINSTREL -~) AG 5 a0 coe 08 po? 0 12 ps9
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@ Circle No. 299
192 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Business users need help not hindrance; John Cookson found it hard to come by.
MANY AUTHORS have attempted to provide
the business users with the information
they need to apply microcomputers
successfully, generally with very limited
success. Choosing and Using a Business
Microcomputer by Robin Bradbeer,
Barry Miles, Julian Allason and Robert
Webb is no exception.
The whole area is treated in less than
200 pages, so the text is necessarily
superficial. Some useful general advice is
given, but in practice the business user is
presented with problems for which
detailed knowledge is required
estimating the size of an application, for
example. Such information is not
provided by this text, and there are some
amazingly sloppy or incorrect statements.
One particularly glaring one is a reference
on page 61 to ‘‘another language called
Pascal, a more efficient version of
Basic’’.
The acid test for a book on this subject
COMPUTER
SCIENCE appuieoto
BUSINESS
SYSTEMS
The Office of the Future G
COMPILED ANG EDITED BY ALAN SI@PSON
is whether it would help sigificantly in
making sure business users are able to find
a system to fulfil their needs. This one
would not.
Personal Computing by Daniel E
McGlynn is an ambitious attempt to cover
the entire spectrum of personal computing
from satellite communications and
databanks to interfacing techniques. Its last
112 pages are filled with appendices, mostly
containing information which is of
doubtful value and liable to become
outdated rather quickly.
There are a number of useful tables and
| diagrams, but in attempting to cover such
a wide area the author can only give
sketchiest overviews of the material. Some
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
of the text is outdated — the section on
APL on micros, for example — and there
are mistakes, as in the Pascal program on
page 92 which has a syntax error. Most of
the book is fairly up to date, and it includes
information on the IBM PC. It could be
seen almost as an illustrated dictionary of
terms used in personal-computing
applications.
Osborne and Cook’s Business System
Buyer’s Guide starts with an excellent
idea. It presents a set of case studies
illustrating boondoggles which occur
when computers are introduced to
businesses without proper planning and
design.
One of the unfortunate assumptions the
authors make is that a computer is a good
idea. Most businesses would be better off
if the first question they asked themselves
was ‘‘do we need a computer?’’ rather
than worrying about how to introduce
one.
As an antidote to the difficulties they
illustrate, the authors stress the
importance of system specification.
Unfortunately, this is where
promising approach starts to fall down as
their introduction to the specification
process it too short and sketchy.
In other areas, the general advice given
is in some cases dangerous. For example,
they say that the language chosen makes
no difference to the user which, if the
difference is between a compiled language |
and a much slower interpreted one, may
be far from the case.
Osborne and Cook do give some good
advice, but not enough to allow business
users to approach the introduction of
| computers with confidence.
Reading Richard W Lott’s Basic with
Business Applications is like travelling
back in time. It is one of the worst texts
on programming I have ever seen.
The first 12 chapters provide a
disastrous introduction to Basic and are
an excellent receipe for producing badly
structured ‘‘plate of spaghetti”? programs. |
The examples in the text are extremely |
poor, and the author does not apparently
believe in commenting on his programs.
Many books on Cobol are extremely
turgid and hard to read. It is therefore a
pleasure to find Computer Programming
in Cobol by Melinda Fisher, which is short, |
easy to read and clearly written by an
author who is well aware of the pitfalls and
problems of presenting the language. A |
conventional introduction to the syntax is
interspersed with a number of helpful
suggestions to students.
The only weakness is that Fisher does
not discuss program design in sufficient
their |
IFENTORY MAINTENANCE
<7 @ FND, 6-- © BKUD.
sto CHOOSINGAND ,
ite USING ABUSINESS ,,
air, MICROCOMPUTER ,,
tN DAG: GDANGECD
STO
ITER NaN
ON ORDER
LAST ORO
ON HAND
BACK ORDE
RUUD WALL ie RAES 20) OI PHOEBE SAMAR
Leonard treuas Ector
depth, this would be impossible in a book
of this length. All in all it makes an
excellent supplementary text, though it
would need to be added to in order to give
a balanced introduction to programming.
The 416-page Business Systems for
Microcomputers, Concept, Design and
Implementation by W D Haueisen and J
L Camp should certainly be big enough to
provide an adequate introduction to the
topic described by its title. It is, however,
a big disappointment. Although it talks
about microcomputer selection, it rapidly
chooses one particular manufacturer,
Datapoint, to model the systems it
discusses. It therefore offers the reader
little help with the critical analysis phase,
when the nature and size of the
application is assessed and the basis for
selecting the hardware is determined.
Equally, the book gives little help when |
it comes to the selection of packages.
Analysis of the potential applications is
dealt with in a very cursory fashion. The
authors decide on what is clained to be a
database approach to systems
implementation but do not use a
proprietary DBMS system or any of the
analytical tools associated with database
implementations. Nowhere are the
problems of taking this route discussed
adequately, especially the problem of
maintaining integrity of the database in the
event of serious failure. The text inevitably
launches into great detail on the problems |
of file design.
The text finishes with a sketchy
desription of integration and use, and
includes a brief and rather poor
(continued on next page)
193
Book revi ==
Business books
(continued from previous page)
discussion of distributed data processing.
The authors think testing programs is a
good idea, but fail to give any rational
strategy for doing so.
The most serious worry about a book
like this is that someone might read it and
try to implement a system based on what
it says. That would be a recipe for
disaster: there is insufficient detail in the
| right areas, and an excess of detail in
‘areas where it is not necessary.
Office of the Future No. 3, Planning
for Word Processing edited by A Simpson
individuals and groups active within the |
general areas of word and text processing.
The contributions are mostly clear and
well-written and well-suited to their
intended audience: managers who are con-
templating the introduction of word-
processing systems.
Accepting that each contributor has to
say how wonderful his own firm’s efforts
are in this field, there is still a wealth of |
information and food for thought in the
text. It is in the general advice it gives that
this book is most useful. The basic
terminology is clearly explained and the
The most useful contributions are those
; On system selection and feasibility by
Richard Grimes, which contains a lot of
solid common sense, and the Phillips
Checklist to Word Processing which again
has much useful and helpful information.
At £9.50 it is an expensive book, but a
worthwhile investment for managers at
whom it is aimed.
Computer Science Applied to Business
Systems by M J R Shave and K N Bhaskar
is aimed at the computer-science student
who needs an introduction to the
| application of computers to business
is a compilation of the views of 18 | the pitfalls are well delineated. | problems. There has long been an
book satisfies it admirably.
In 240 pages the work cannot be
exhaustive, but it covers all the major
areas adequately. It starts from defining
systems analysis, then describes the basic
features of computer systems, how
business is organised, accounting systems,
file organisation and processing, data
capture, description and documentation
of systems, ordered access to data, and
on-line and real-time systems.
The text is commendably clear and
concise, and manages to pack a vast
amount of information into comparatively
few. pages. Obviously the book would have
to be supplemented by other texts, but it
| provides an excellent foundation for the
| student or hobbyist, or even professional
programmers who wish to broaden their
| knowledge.
Choosing and Using a Business Microcomputer by Robin Bradbeer, Barry Miles,
Julian Allason and Robert Webb. Published by Gower, 171 pages, £12.50.
Personal Computing by Daniel R McGlynn. Published by John Wiley, 335 pages,
£11.65.
’ Business System Buyer’s Guide by A Osborne and S Cook. Published by
Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 165 pages, £5.95.
Basic with Business Applications by Richard W Lott. Published by John Wiley,
306 pages.
Computer Programming in Cobol by Melinda Fisher. Published by Hodder and
Stoughton in the Teach Yourself series, 202 pages, £2.95.
Business Systems for Microcomputers, Concept, Design and Implementation by
W D Haueisen and J L Camp. Published by Prentice Hall, 416, pages, £19.95,
Office of the Future No 3, Planning for Word Processing edited by A Simpson.
Published by Gower, 150 pages, £9.50.
Computer Science Applied to Business Systems by M J R Shave and K N
Bhaskar. Published by Addison-Wesley, 246 pages, £6.95.
at Computer Pius Son
Ay,
Why not call into
Computer Plus and talk
to friendly and
professional staff who
will guide you through
Our wide range of
computers and accessories.
There are a number of
other exciting offers in our
“Summer Sale” including
Sinclairs, Sharps, BBC, Vic,
plus many software items
Computer Plus
Tel: WATFORD (0923) 33927
® Circle No. 231
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
Suppliers:
Sharp ¢ Acorn e BBC e Apple ¢ Commodore ¢ Dragon « Sinclair
¢Victor * Man Tally « Microvitec ¢ Seikosha ¢ Smith Corona ¢
Vebatim ¢ Basf ¢ Bugbyte Fidelity e Computer Concepts ¢
Program Power ¢ CGL e Epson and many others.
47 Queens Rd, Watford, Herts.
194
unfulfilled need for such a text and this |
Book reviews
TeAR ME VUUT™ YUU MAY NEEY WIE LAICAR
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
maxell
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prices
8 INCH DISKETTES
ExC VAT
£29.90
£34.90
£39090
FD1-128 S/Sided S/Density.......
FD1-XD S/Sided D/Density
FD2-XD D/Sided D/Density......
32 hard sector avaitable at same prices.
DISK DRIVE HEAD CLEANING KITS.
Prevent head crashes and ensure elficient error-
tree operation. Enough for 26 bi-monthly cleans
& a lot cheaper than a service cailll
CK5 for 5.25” disk drives
CK8 for 8” disk drives
Prices EXC VAT
PLASTIC LIBRARY BOXES
Unbeatable value (FREE with every ten disks
ordered]
LBS for minidisks. £2.20
£2.30
LB8 for 8” disks
Prices EXC VAT
CREDIT CARD ORDERS
We weicome Access {Mastercharge),
Barclaycard (VISA) and Diners Club
International, and there is NO credit
card surcharge. You may write your
c/card No. on your order or telephone
the order day or night, 365 days a year.
You may speak for as long as you like,
and don’t forget to give the following
feta
. The Cardholder Name
The Cardholder Address
Delivery Address if different
Day-time telephone number
First Class or ordinary post
Your Credit Card Number
What you wish to Order
>
3.
A:
Cy
6.
Ue
You may leave the rest to USI!
URGENT ORDERS
Either post your cheque not forgetting
to stamp it FIRST CLASS, or
telephone your order with credit card
No., mentioning in either instance that
your order is URGENT. You may then
pay FIRST CLASS POST for your
goods, if required.
FIRST CLASS RATES EXC:VAT
First TEN-PACK {Mini or 8“).....£1.80
Second: and subsequent..
. £42.90
£74.90
£14.90
NOW WITH 5-YEAR WARRANTY
VERBATIM Datatife are not only the
World’s favourite media, but now carry
an unconditional FIVE-YEAR
WARRANTY. Minidisks are all double
density with hub ring reinforcement.
5.25 INCH DISKETTES
Memory Excellence
The surface coating of MEMOREX diskettes
incorporates a cross-linked binder system which
optimises signal oulput to allow greater
read/write accuracy, Protected by a special anti-
static lubricant that enhances head performance
and extends media life.
Certified for single OR double density and with
hub reinforcement.
10 & 16 Hard Sector available at same
prices 48 tpi suitable for 35 or 40 track operation
96 tpi suitable for 77 or 80 track operation
10 & 16 Hard Sector available at same
prices
8 INCH DISKETTES
EXC VAT
£24.90
£31.90
FD34-1500 S/Sided S/Density
FD34-9000 S/Sided S/Density *
FD34-8000 S/Sided:D/Density .£31.90
FD34-4001 D/Sided D/Density .£36.90
Item 1 is Verbatim VEREX product and
supercedes the FD34-1000
"For Critical applications
32 Hard Sector available at same prices
8 INCH DISKETTES
3060 S/Sided S/Density
3090 S/Sided D/Density
3102 DiSided D/Density
32 hard sector available at sarne prices
TRADE CORNER
*FREE CREDIT CARD CALCULATOR AND SDL GIFT VOUCHER*
Write to uS on your letter headed paper, and ask for our special TRADE PACK.
You will receive an SDL Gift Voucher and detalls of our special prices and offers.
Our diskette prices allow you good margins AND their very high quallty ensures
that you can sell ‘em and forget ‘em! Furthermore we enclose a FREE CREDIT
CARD CALCULATOR and SDL voucher with every 100 disks shipped.
Those of you selling Software or Hardware wilt be interested in our vendor
branding brochure, which will also be enclosed.
5} inch and 8 inch diskettes 98p each
Tel (0428) 722563 Telex 849131 Telber G
To: DMBKWNG FREEPOST, Liphook, Hants, GU30 7BR. U.K.
aTy OESCRIPTION PRICE EXC VAT
TOTAL Goons VALUE EXC. VAT
TOTAL DELIVERY AND INSURANCE
SUB TOTAL EXC. VAT
VAT
VALUE OF CHEQUE PAYABLE TO DISKING
[a Mil ae le Mac ac ac os Be]
Name:
Address:
Tel No:
Please charge my credit card No:
PC6/83
VAT invoices always sent with goods. Prices based on U.S. Dollar, correct at
time of going to Press.
® Circle No. "290
195
SM -— UNITEXT
the “go~ anywhere”
text processor
SM-UNITEXT utilises the full size keyboard of the :
EPSON HX- 20 to give full size text processing :—
@ full screen editing @ line /character insert delete
@ variable page width @ print out on built-in miniprinter or
up to 80 columns full size external printer
@ auto return @ word break suppression SPECIAL
@ remote transmission @ right hand justification OFFERS
@ text blocks @ integrates with SM-UNIVERSE f ;
{data base) and other products or combined
hardware /
ASK YOUR EPSON DEALER FOR A DEMONSTRATION - OR CONTACT US DIRECT software
SM Software (UK) Ltd., Raglan House , 56 Long St. , Dursley , Glos. 0453-46065 packages
@ Circle No. 291
196 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
TTD Le FT
CARRYING CASE — The Carrying case for the Osborne 1.
@Heavy duty nylon construction;.
@Padded vinyl interior
@Shoulder strap
@Large side pocket for manuals etc.
THE MONTOP: The Monitor Stand for the Osborne 1.
@Made of top quality plexiglass.
@Fits on top of the Osborne and provides an angled base for all
monitors.
THE ORGANIZERS: Computer and Printer Stands for the
Osborne.
@The Stands are made of top quality durable high impact,
textured plastic.
@Organisers are available in glacier White.
THE OSBAUD: Baud rate Generator for the Osborne 1
@16 switch selectable baud rates 50-19,200
@ Allows your Osborne 1 to communicate faster with any serial
device.
KEYBOARD TEMPLATE:. The Keyboard Templates for the
Osborne 1.
@Available for Supercalc, Wordstar, Mbasic and Dbase {I
@Easy to read
@Colour coordinated and fits into case.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT YOUR NEAREST OSBORNE DEALER
Or write to:
IMPEX MICRO PRODUCTS LTO. RIDGEWAY COURT, GROVEBURY ROAD, LEIGHTON BUZZARD,
BEDS. TEL: 0525 371597
@ Circle No. 235
, Anglia Computer Centre
88 ST BENEDICTS STREET NORWICH NR2 4AB
TELEX 975201 ACOMP G
SPECIALISTS IN BUSINESS COMPUTERS
Cromer
BUSINESS COMPUTERS
Phone (0603) 667032/3 or 21117
APPLE, SIRIUS,
OSBORNE, ANADEX,
IBM*, DEC, EPSON.
w Complete with professional
back-up service «
Dereham '
_ NORWICH!
@
Thetford
HOME COMPUTERS
Phone (0603) 26002/667031
BBC, DRAGON,
COMMODORE 64,
SINCLAIR, ORIC, LYNX.
* On special offer *
Call for Price £££
Diss
Ipswich
BOOKS AND
STATIONERY CENTRE
Phone (0603) 29652
PROBABLY THE
LARGEST SELECTION
OF COMPUTER BOOKS
| IN EAST ANGLIA
ACCESS AND BARCLAYCARD WELCOME :
“IBM authorised dealer — IBM Personal Computer
@ Circle No. 236
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 7983
?HEAT MONTH
>PRINTERS AND
PLOTTERS
The special section in the August issue is devoted
to those essential devices, printers and plotters.
We look at how to go about buying a printer, and
report on some recent models including the Epson
FX-80 and the Olivetti spark ink-jet printer, the
JP-101. Other features deal with plotters, buffers
and — most difficult of all — connecting
everything up.
>FROM BBC BUGGY
TO IBM XT
The range of hardware to be reviewed stretches all
the way from the BBC Buggy to the new hard-disc
version of the IBM PC running under MS-DOS
version 2. Chris Bidmead tells the truth about the
Corvus Concept, and Neville Maude unveils the
Wordwise plug-in word processor for the BBC
Micro.
7AND MUCH MORE!
How do you illustrate three-dimensional data?
Dave Watson explains stereoscopic slicing, and
provides a listing in Basic. Other features cover the
problems of protecting software by copyright and
the use of floating-point numbers. Plus part 2 of
Formcalc, the usual enjoyable fiction — computer
dating this time — pages and pages of free soft-
ware in Open File, columns, new product news,
Boris Allan and your letters.
Make sure you don’t miss the August issue of
On sale at W H Smith and all leading newsagents
after July 13.
197
198
THE AUTUMN
COMPUTER TRADE FORUM
4th-7th October, 1983
National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham,
Sound business sense
for volume buyers
The Autumn Computer Trade Forum Is the UK’s largest
and most successful trade event and the only show
that fully understands the needs of volume buyers.
It offers you a comprehensive display of minis,
micros, software and peripherals in an environment
that’s specially made for volume business.
Who is CTF for?
Distributors. Dealers. Software houses. Systems
integrators. Retailers. OEM's. In fact anyone who
makes a living buying and selling computers, software
and peripherals. So whether you’re new to DP/WP or
know the business backwards, CTF is the event you
mustn't miss.
How can CTF help you sell more?
The exhibitors at the Computer Trade Forum under-
stand your needs. That means they'll be talking your
language. Quantity terms. Discounts. Marketing
support programmes. Delivery schedules. The whole
range of services to help you sell more.
Who will be at CTF?
Texas Instruments. Logica. DEC. Systime. DRG. Zygal.
Motorola...and many more! And for every name you
know there'll be many you don’t—with products that
could well be your next year’s big seller.
Why CTF is different!
The Computer Trade Forum is the only show that
understands what volume buying really means. The
atmosphere, the choice of exhibitors, the absence of
razmatazz are all designed for profitable business.
CTF has been specifically designed for you and
as a proven, established national event It offers you
even more with the support of leading UK suppllers.
Post the coupon today
The general public is not invited to CTF. The
emphasis is on volume business. And for you it’s free!
Just fill in the coupon and we'll Send you free tickets
(worth £3.00 each) by return of post.
lf you need to know more, call 01-747 3131.
06 =>
Computer Trade Forum
232 Acton Lane,London W4 5DL
PIEASE SENG ME... eects free tickets for myself
and colleagues.
Name
Position
Company.
Address
0 Ee |
i | am interested in
exhibiting at CTF
(No one under 18 admitted)
PC 1/83
c--------
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
YOUR CHANCE TO
WIN BUSINESS
EFFICIENCY
PRIZES
ARE YOU
COMPUTERISED?
'M THINKING
ABOUT IT
CONGRATULATIONS!
DID YOU KNOW?
WE CAN SUPPLY
WOULD YOU LIKE?
A LARGE RANGE OF # PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
* COMPUTER SYSTEMS * A FREE DEMONSTRATION
*# SOFTWARE
*# COMPUTER ACCESSORIES
* COMPUTER SUPPLIES
RING 01-761 3323
FOR A CATALOGUE
AND PRICE LIST
RING 01-761 3323
FOR AN APPOINTMENT
AND CLAIM YOUR
PRIZEI
YOU WIN A SUPER PRIZE
WITH YOUR FIRST ORDER
— HOWEVER SMALL
EES
i
30 NORWOOD HIGH STREET,
LONDON SE27 SNR
Tel: 01-761 0435/3323
® Circle No. 232
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
STEMMOS
the
dBASE Il
experts
TEMMOS are one of Britain’s
leading software houses
and specialists in dBase II
TEMMOS offer a helpline for
dBase II users
TEMMOS wrote Autocode |”
ne the only intelligent
program generator
for dBase II
TEMMOS hold monthly
seminars in the heart of
London on dBase II
Fla
an
=
m
z
=
aA
DI I dBASE I
~— An opportunity for anyone from
engineer to businessman to write their
own microcomputer program.
— And for the programmer the chance
to write programs in a fraction of the
time.
I
|
Seminars:
4,5, 6, July. 1, 2, 3, Aug.
5,6, 7, Sept. 3, 4, 5, Oct. 7,8, 9, Nov. 5, 6, 7, Dec.
imllU) TT (OU
ST E Mi Mi O S STEMMOS
The Key to
successful
software
Please send me more information on:
dBase II —_
Autocode | =
dBase ll Userseminars |__|
Name:
Company:
Address:
Il dBASE Tl
STEMMOS LTD
199 Uxbridge Road,
London W112.
Tel: 01-740 9444 Telex: 893003 STEMOS G
dBase I" Ashton Tate Autocode I* Stemmos Lid @
Nik
® Circle No. 233
199
P ‘ = DISTRIBUTION
RETAILERS!
_PERSONAL COMPUTER SERVICES
THE BIGGEST COMPUTER
SOFTWARE WHOLESALER
IN GT. BRITAIN
WE OFFER VERY GENEROUS
DISCOUNTS ON SOFTWARE
Save time and frustration, get all your software needs from one
company.
We offer a 24 hour service.
| For details please contact Roger Holden on 0254-691211/2
| ORIC 1 Computers Sale Distributors for Mercury software and
sound.
1 A&F ALGRAY SOLAR CHANNEL EIGHT
QUICKSILVA QUEST SIMON SOFT IMPACT
| BUG BYTE JK PS
| TIC ROMIK M.C. LOTHIORION | |
SUMLOCK
|
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING SUPPLIERS
|
MIKRO - GEN
N
J K GREYE FAL
MICRO POWER J K GREYE ENTERPRISES SUPERIOR SOFTWARE
MICRO DEAL MICRO BYTE
| SALAMADER
it MELBOURNE HOUSE ORIC ELEPHANT INVASION
HH INTERCEPTER MICROS ORIC COMPUTERS O K TRONICS ABBEX
HH ELFIN SEVERN WORK:FORCE
; KANSAS DIGITAL FANTASIA PEAK SOFT
|
Distributor for MR MICRO i
PCS DISTRIBUTION, Unit 6, Scotshaw Brook, Branch Road, |
| Lower Darwen, Darwen, Lancs. BB3 OPR II
| Proprietors: Cardbrand Ltd. |
!
Directors: Brian Greenwood and Dave Ridyard
® Circle No. 296
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
THE DATA PROTECTION BILL was the first-
| ever attempt in British history to legislate
the previously legitimate activities of the
computer user. As such it has attracted
| extensive comment in the quality media of
| the non-magnetic variety.
So for the average computerperson in
the street, what were the principles of the
Data Protection Bill, and exactly why
does data need protecting anyway? To
answer these questions we must turn to
history.
The history of data goes back almost —
but not quite — as far as history itself. For
when we say Data we are, in a very real
sense, saying Numbers and they were first
invented around 530 BC by the ancient
Greek, Pythagoras. This may come as
something of a surprise — that numbers
had a need to be invented is by no means
apparent.
Prior to the time of the ancient Greeks
there were no numbers, only things which
were numbered. The difference is an
| important one for on it rests the whole
body of modern computer science.
Take, for example, the problem of 4/2
= 2. Now to pre-Pythagoreans this
statement was meaningless. ‘‘4’’ cannot
exist by itself, they would have argued, and
nor can ‘‘2’’. Given, for instance, four
sheep — that is two sheep — but it is
impossible to have numbers existing in
isolation. Four sheep divided two ways
makes sense but 4 divided by 2 does not.
Once invented, the value of numbers was
immense and with the possession of them
came power. So much so that the prime
questions which then arose were: how
many numbers are there, and where are the
numbers to be kept?
Pythagoras answered these questions
very cleverly by saying that the numbers
were to be kept on the real line. He said
that the numbers were everywhere dense
on the real line — that is, that there were
lots of them.
ment were far-reaching. At that time,
Greece was the only state which had
knowledge of the real line and its
whereabouts. Greece had an immediate
and total monopoly on the supply of data
to the rest of the known world and its
position seemed secure.
Time, the great eroder, proved such
thinking false. As the population of the
| world grew and the people became
increasingly numerate the real line did at
last begin to show signs of depletion.
Numbers were being read and used
indiscriminately and were not always
| replaced correctly. Eventually, soon after
the Dark Ages, the world grew up to the
realisation that it had a crisis on its hands
when decent, numerate people found that
2 and 2 scarcely made 4 anymore.
It was at this time that a European came
| dramatically to the rescue. His name was
| Argand and, at a stroke, he gave the world
| a great new supply of numbers. He did so
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
sheep it is possible to have half of those |
Last word
Protected
species
Chris Naylor has some thoughts for the new government
when it comes to draft its legislation for data protection.
simply by stating that as well as the real
line, there was also an imaginary line at
right angles to the first and that numbers
on this newly discovered line were just as
dense as they had been on the real line in
the good old days of Pythagoras.
To prove what he was saying, Argand
drew his famous diagram and claimed that
both real and imaginary parts existed in
the new, all-encompassing complex plane.
The effect of the new numbers was
immediate and dramatic.
Stock markets flourished and fortunes
were made overnight as people
experienced a glut of numeracy. One of
the new companies which was established
at that time was the South Sea Bubble
Company which attracted investors’
money on the grounds of having sighted
the Argand diagram with attached
complex plane, viewed from the top, as far
south as the Azores.
For a great while peace and prosperity
reigned supreme again with only minor
problems caused by an _ erroneous
identification of the Argand diagram with
the Earth’s meridian and equator. For
instance, it was found that a naval shell
| fired from north-west to south-east would
Naturally, the results of this announce- |
return to hit the ship which fired it unless
the argument of its trajectory were
adjusted in mid-flight.
But this was a minor problem to a world
in which data could now flow freely. And
yet the dark days of 1940 brought yet
darker days as the impact of the first
computing engines began to be made
clear. Originally designed for code-
breaking the first engines to consume data
appeared to be nothing but a blessing —
until, that is, the first small cracks began
to appear in the complex plane.
Working in almost total darkness
government scientists were able to discern
that the new computing engines were
indeed depleting the complex plane faster
than it could regenerate itself, and the
plane was inazed shrinking. But that was
wartime and their report was suppressed
for fear of causing panic and giving
| comfort to the enemy. And so the matter
was forgotten — but unwisely so.
It had been hoped that with peace would
| mercilessly from
come the end of the use of computing
engines of any significant power. But the
powers that be had reckoned without the
inexorable quest for more and yet more
data. With the advent of the silicon chip,
the position became all too clear.
Suddenly, numbers everywhere were
being consumed at megabit rates by
engines which never broke down. The
| complex plane began to shrink and crack
at an alarming rate as data was ripped
its very being.
Emergency attempts failed to build a new
line, at right-angles to both the real and
imaginary lines. The computation of its
position would have used more data than
there was, even then, left in the world.
And then, just as a general breakdown
of law and order seemed most imminent,
the British government acted. The
solution was the Data Protection Bill.
The prime aim of the Bill was to protect
data so that it may grow and create new
data items. It is not suggested that there is
anything wrong in reading data as such —
indeed, what could be more natural? It is
merely the wanton despoliation of data
which is to be restrained.
Briefly then, the main provisions of the
Data Protection Bill were that data shall |
not be read, or output, or offered for sale
while it is subject to any or all of the
following conditions:
While that data item is being used to write
new data.
While that data is below a certain size,
typically 10 characters.
At a time of year such that a reasonable
person might presume the data is likely
to be in one of the previously mentioned
states, for example at the end of a
financial year.
While that data exists on February 29.
Notwithstanding any or all of the above,
the Close Time on data shall be January
1 to December 31 excluding Christmas
Day, and December 26 to December 24
inclusive of Christmas Day. Further, the
use of data-consuming engines in an
attempt to calculate Open Times on data
from the above is prohibited.
The.Data Protection Bill-died peacefully
on May 13, 1983. Shall we ever see its like
| again? oO
201
Let Commodore
expand
your horizons.
VIC 20 is the finest home
computer that money can buy.
And the better you get to know
it, the more confident, adventurous
and ambitious you ll become.
Youll want to take advantage
of the vast range of VIC software:
a superb and constantly-growing
selection of programs, embracing
business systems, entertainment,
education and many applications
in the home.
Every program in the series
has been ener by experts, and
chosen for its quality and value
for money.
VIC business software covers
awide range of applications, includ-
ing spread-sheet analysis, stock
control, information handling and
word-processing.
A mind-blowing range of
games including Scott Adams’
world-famous ‘Adventure’ series.
Advanced space games, includ-
ing the sophisticated ‘Omega Race’
Learn subjects as diverse as
English Language, programming,
and biology.
And ‘home’ software ranges
from IQ tests to Robert Carrier
menus.
In addition, there is a range
of VIC software, like programmers’
aids and graphics packages—
Dro
to add to your understanding and
enjoyment of computers and
computing. |
There's even a special ‘VicSoft’
Club for VIC 20 enthusiasts,
with many advantages including
special offers to club members.
VIC softw are will expand your a For more information, a catalogue of VIC software
h oriz ons A 1 d y our mi n d and details of your local retailers or dealers please phone or
PRICES RANGE FROM £4.99 to £24.95 INC. VAT
T= commodore
VIC 20 ©
complete the coupon and send to:
The Commodore Information Centre,
675 Ajax Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4BG.
Telephone: Slough (0753) 79292.
(MR/MRS./MISS}
Address __
____ Postcode
|
|
| Name_
|
|
|
MAKING THE MOST | wabash disks
OF YOUR 2X81 TOP QUALITY AND GUARANTEED
by Tim Hartnell
5.25” DISKS Soft Sector
M11A SS/SD 35/40TR. £14.50 per box
10
M13A SS/DD 35/40TR. £16.00
M14A DS/DD 35/40TR. £18.00
through the first steps
a comprehensive introduction
to programming
Automatic
Switching Units
STRETCHING YOUR 2X81
OR 2X80 TO ITS LIMITS
by Tim Hartnell & Trevor Sharples
....takes you through the next steps,
increasing your skill and experience.
Dept. Al,
veo. C.T.C., Computer Publications
Unit 3, 33 Woodthorpe Road,
each ASHFORD, Middlesex TW15 2RP
@ Circle No. 247 @ Circle No. 250
M15A DS/QD 77/80TR. £20.00
M16A DS/QD 77/80TR. £25.00
VisiCorp software
Apple/IBM P.0.A.
Add £1.00 p&p Per Order Plus 15% VAT
Cheque/P.O.
Rapplin Limited tei. (02774) 52863
25 Smythe Road. Billericay, Essex, CM11 1SE.
Connect your CPU or CRT to any
one of 3, 5 or 7 peripherals. Just enter
acommand on your keyboard and the
desired peripheral is automatically
connected.
1983 Expert Systems Weekend
Polytechnic of North London Ww 0 R D STA R
(10th to 11th September 1983) | ON SITE TRAINING
Expert Systems have burst into the limelight
recently — partly inspired by the Japanese
Fifth Generatlon Computer Project. To meet
growing demand, the Polytechnic of North
London has organised an intensive weekend
course focussing on the practical skills re-
quired to design expert systems.
Following the success of our one-day course
in December last year, we have arranged this
extended event in more spacious surroun-
dings. Its main aims are : (1) to show how
knowledge-based systems are built; (2) to in-
dicate their commercial potential.
The speakers are practitioners who know the @ Circle No. 251 |
techniques (and pitfalls) involved in designing
such software and can pass on the fruits of
their experlence.
Several currently operational expert systems
will be demonstrated, some on mainframes,
others on microcomputers.
The venue is PNK’s modern Tufnell Park Hall
of residence, which can accommodate 100
people in comfort. Meals and refreshments
Phone Mike Gardner on
01-421 0266
cats 96 Grimsdyke Road,
Hatch E Pi
software vidi Hasaw.
Selecto Switches
Connect one CPU to up to six
peripherals, or one peripheral to six
terminals or CPU's. There are many
options available.
The only low cost switching
systems on the UK market, available
exclusively from Microware.
5 year guarantees. Dealer enquiries
welcome.
@ Microware
637 Holloway Road, London N.19
Phone today on 01-272 6237/6398 For brochure and further details write to:
Richard Forsyth,
@ Circle No. 245 Dept. Mathematics, Statistics and
Computing,
Polytechnic of North London,
London N7 8DB.
Good news for Wordstar users ® Circle No. 248
Forget DataStar & SuperSort S Gicle No. Jeb
FORMSTAR
GIVES YOU:—
*Foolproof data entry & recall
*Unique link to mailmerge
*WordStar cursor controls
*Standard screen forms or
*Simply type your own
are provided. Overnight accommodation is
available for thos who need it.
Software managers, system builders,
educators and computer professionals of all
kinds will find this an enjoyable and instruc-
tive way of spending an autumn weekend.
VER-WORD
iS
COMING
MICRO MEDIA
5%" Mini Disk SIngle or Double Density Hub |
Reinforcing Rings STD.
MD 525 Single Sided 40TR 18.50 |
MD 550 Double Sided 40TR 24.50
MD 577 Single Sided 77TR = 26.75
MD 557 Double Sided 77TR 34.80
10-16-32 Sectors Available
8” Floppy Disks
PD 34-1000 Single Side S/D 21.50
Booklteeper
BUSINESS ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
A simple self-contained account-
ing system — available now on
CP/M-based microcomputers.
*Any number of fields
*Use same form for many files
*Select or sort subfiles
*Clear& simple instructions
BookKeeper will help you to maintain
orderly books of account — without
the complexities of a fully integrated
ledger system.
26 SECT 128 b/SECT
PD 34—2000 Flippy Two Sides 36.00
26 SECT 128 b/SECT
All prices per box of 10
Add 90p post & packing per box
(ADD 15% VAT TO TOTAL ORDER)
LEIGHWEST ENTERPRISES LTD
UNIT 2, OLDFIELD ROAD,
MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE.
@ Circle No. 246 @ Circle No. 249 @ Circle No. 253
204 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
FORMSTAR by available from
McMillan COMPUTER
Computing FACILITY
0734 867855
£80 + VAT 32 Redlands Road,
Reading, Berks.
For further details, contact:
Mike Lewis Consultants Ltd.,
48 Willoughby Road,
London N.W.3
Tel: 01-794 3886
dBASE Il — by Ashton Tate is the top selling database
package. But it from AQUA Computing Ltd, the
dBASE specialists.
dBASE Il
DBPlus
DBFLIST
DBAccel
dBASE tl User’ Guide £22.00
Everyman’s Database Primer £12.00
Any one of the last 4 items is FREE if you buy your
copy of dBASE Il from AQUA by July 1.
DBPlus COMPRESEES/DECOMPRESSES dBASE It
files to 30/40% of original size; SORTS any dBASE tl
file up to 15 times faster; MODIFIES structures easily
— complete with manual. Pays for itself in a few
weeks.
Are your files scattered over several disks? DBFLIST
compiles a master catalogue of all your dBASE files.
Can save you hours of searching for that ‘Lost file’.
£375.00
£125.00
£30.00
£50.00
DBAccel converts dBASE Il. CMD file(s) into a single
level format for much faster execution; Overlay control
can be selective. Program size is limited only by
available memory. Reduces running times by up to
50%.
dBASE Il User's Guide is one of the best manuals on
dBASE If; Has sold over 17,000 copies in the US;
Written by Arthur Green, a leading US expert on
dBASE courses. In stock now.
dBASE I! Beginner’s Guide, published by Ashton Tate,
is essential for every serious dBASE It user.
For software products (DBASE II, DBPlus, DBFLIST,
and DBAccel) add VAT to prices. Specify machine and
diskette format (SD/DD, 5.25” or 8”). No extras for
packing or postage in UK; add £5.00 for overseas. Fur-
ther details available on all products. Pay by Cheque,
PO, Access or VISA. Send to:
AQUA COMPUTING LTD (Dept PC5), 10 Barley Mow
Passage, London W4 4PH (Phone: 01-994 6477).
®@ Circle No. 254
HISOFT PASCAL 4
INCREDIBLE SPEED
INCREDIBLE PRICE
Hisoft are pleased-to announce their \atest Pascal compiler,
the fastest and most powerful so far, at an amazingly low
price. i
Hisoft Pascal 4 is an almost complete implementation of the
Pascal language as given in the Pascal User Manual and
Report (Jehsen/Wirth) including POINTERs, RECORDs and (for
disk systems) FILEs. All major Pascal statements and data
structures are supported together with many useful additions
such as PEEK, POKE, USER, ADDR (returns the memory
address of a variable) and, for tape, TOUT and TIN to store and
retrieve variables to and from tape.
The compiler produces Z80 object code directly (i.e. no
P-codes) and hence the resultant code runs very quickly
indeed. :
Hisoft Pascal 4 requires only a 32K system in which to run
tape or 53” or 8" diskette to run under CP/M. The cassette
tape version comes with its own tokenising editor and in a
form which is easily adaptable to any Z80 system.
Hisoft Pascal 4 is a powerful and high quality piece of
— we offer it at such @ low price because we believe that
such software is normally overpriced and out of reach of the
individual.
Prices:
HISOFT PASCAL 4 tape version £35
(NASCOM, SPECTRUM etc.)
HISOFT PASCAL 4 disk version £40
(NASCOM, SUPERBRAIN, RML380Z etc.)
ZDEV (a 280 development system for Gemini £45
G805 or G809 disk systems)
FUNCTION {a superb pours to plot and analyse mathematical functions —
very robust. Uses the RML 3802's high resolution graphics. On disk for the
RML 3802 only. £11.50
Please add 15% VAT to all the above prices.
Send for more details trom:
HISOFT,
60 Hallam Moor, Liden, SWINDON, SN3 6LS.
Tel. (0793) 26616 (24hr ansaphone).
@ Circle No. 255
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
{with plenty of room to spare) and can be supplied on cassette-
software which can be used for serious program development”
: GO FORTH & * ;
Laboratory Microsystems Z-80 FORTH
Version 2.0 now includes multi-tasking. editors
assemblers, utifities. good manual and games. CP/M 8”
£45+VAT. CP/M 5” £60+ VAT, CP/M-86 £95+VAT, IBM
PB or SIRIUS £95+ VAT
Floating point pack* ye — includes both hardware and
software support will: trig. routines £95
with Z-80 FORTH above. : £125
Cross-compifers — ultimate FORTH too! £230
Choose target trom — 6502, 8080. Z-80. 8086/8088.
68000, LSI-11, 1802 — others to come.
Additional targets... £100
FORTH is available on disc, cartridge, or cassette tor most
machines.
DIY FORTH kits
Installation manual.....
low to do it + model + detinitions + editor
Source code listing for one processor HL:
6502, 6800. 6809. 8080/Z80. 8086/8088. 9900, 1802.
68000, 28000, VAX, Apple ]|. LSI-11. Eclipse
Manual + one listing linc, p&p) £19
FORTH books -- range includes:
“Starting FORTH by Brodie
“Systems Guide to tig-FORTH’ by Ting.
JUPITER ACE — a very nice FORTH micro
£13inc. pap
£25 inc. p&p
£78+ VAT
MicroProcessor Engineering Ltd }
21 Hentey Road Shirley
Southampton SO1 SAP
Tel: 0703 775482 j
ey,
®@ Circle No. 256
Cambridge Computer Store
SPECIAL CLEARANCE SALE
EX-DEMO ‘AND SURPLUS STOCK
ITEM A LIST PRICE SALE PRICE
. Apple Ill; with external drive, 3021.00 1500,00
AppleWriter, Business BASIC.
TRS-B80 Model II; with CP/M
imtegral 8” drive,
|. TRS-80 Model I! expansion drive 782 00 350.00
In cabinet
|. NorthStar Advantage; with
WordStar and Graphics CP/M
software.
Osborne OCC}; original style
casing.
. Comart Communicator CP 200;
64K, 2 x 790kb disks
. Qume Sprint 9/35KSR; dalsy“wheel 1650.00
printer with keyboard.
|. Epson MXB0; dot-matrix printer 365.00 250.00
2347.00 1350.00
2490.00 1650.00
1250.00 895.00
2195.00 1550.00
1250.00
plus many other items: call us for a full list.
All prices are exclusive of VAT.
Cambridge Computer Store
1 Emmanuel Street, Cambridge CB1 1NE
Telephone (0223) 65334
®@ Circle No. 257
DEPARTMENT OF
EXTRA MURAL STUDIES
University College of Wales
9 Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth.
THE MICROCOMPUTER
REVIEKED
A course aimed at a more practical
understanding of Microcomputers.
19-23 Sept. 83
Aberystwyth.
Further details from above address
(Tel: 617616)
@ Circle No. 258
KINGSLEY
40-42 Shields Road,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE61DR —
Tel: (0632 650653)
R.G.B.
MONITOR/TELEVISION
AS SUPPLIEO TO EDUCATION AUTHORITIES
SPECIFICATION
R.G.B. Inputs (Analogue and Digital Levels) All Models.
| Volt P.P. Composite Video (Remote Model only)
Teletext Oecoder available to plug into Chassis. (Remote
Mode} only] Remote control of Computor via Monitor. ,
(Remote Model Only) Sound input gives access to Audio Amp.
All Models instantly switch back to Television
12° B.W. Monitor £95 + VAT
14in. Colour Monitor/Television £227+VAT
16in. Colour Monitor/Television £255+VAT
16in. Colour Monitor/Remote Television, £295+VAT
20in. Colour Monitor/Remote Television £3815+VAT
22in. Colour Monitor/Remote Television £340+VAT
26in. Colour Monitor/Remote Television £380 + VAT
Plug in Teletext Module £75+VAT
Connecting Lead £5+VAT
Carriage and insurance £9.50
4 Year Guarantee Insurance £29.60
R.G. Monitor/TV (Grundig Approved)
@ Circle No. 259
MARKETING AGENTS
REQUIRED
FOR PROJECT PLANNING
SOFTWARE
P.E.R.T, (arrow method) Based
Available on.CBM or CP/M equip
User Friendly.
ORBIT APPLICATION
SOFTWARE
15 Ham Hill
Stock Sub Hamdon
Somerset
@ Circle No. 260
NO _HIDOEN EXTRAS
. YOU PAY THE
NI icro=- Fe C] price vou see
PRICE PER PAC
5.25" FLOPPY DISKS - PAC OF 10 1-3 4-7 Be
VERBATIM SSSD Soft/Hard Sec 17,30 16.74 16.53
SSDD ‘Soft/Hard Sec 17.30 16.74 16.53
DSOD Soft/Hard Sec 26.60 25.80 25.50
SSQD Soft/Hard Sec 24.27 23.49 23.19
OSQO Soft/Hard Sec 33.00 31.93 31.52
NASHUA SSSD Soft/Hard Sec 16.57 16.00 15.47
SSOD Soft/Hard Sec 17.07 16.51 16,19
OSOD Soft/Hard Sec 20.14 19.44 18.80
SSQD Soft/Hard Sec 24.40 23.61 23.31
OSQ@D Soft/Hard Sec 27.92 26.96 26.06
8" SSSD Soft/Hard Sec 23.18 22.35 21.58
SSDD Soft/Hard Sec 24.00 23.14 22.34
OSDOD Soft/Hard Sec 25.55 24.64 23.80
1-2 3-4 5+
9.5" x 11" Side Micro Perfs 4.39 3.50 2.75
14.5" x 11" Music Ruled EB 4.70 4.00
MICRO LABELS (250 PAC) 1-2 3-45 Se
4.5" x 1 7/16" 2 wide 4.41 4.05 3.95
Fits 9.5" Tractor Feed
COMPAC LTD (Micro-Pac Divislon)
Commerce House, Stuart Street,
Luton LU] 5AU, Bedfordshire.
Tel: (0582) 452580.
@ Circle No. 261
205
SCIENTIFIC SUBROUTINE
LIBRARY
VOLUME t — STATISTICS AND FITTING
FUNCTIONS
Mean, SD, normal distribution, partial expectation,
Chauvenets criterion, least squares fit to polynominal
and arbitrary function, Tepetitive least squares fits,
covariance matrix, chi-squared statistic, matrix
inversion, solution of simultaneous equations.
VOLUME 2 — LINEAR PROGRAMMING
Reduction of a Simplex tableau, integer
programmin partial integer programming,
conversationa linear programming system, least cost
mix problem.
VOLUME 3 — FURTHER STATISTICS
Ranking, quantiles, frequency, 2-way table,
correlation coefficient, T, chi-squared and F
distributions and their inverses, T test, chi- squared
test, Wilcoxson test, linear and multiple regression,
ANOVA 1-way and DB: -way.
VOLUME 4 — TRANSFORMATIONS &
SORTING ALGORITHMS
Fourier, FFT, Laplace, numerical integration and
differentiation. Exchange sort, Quicksort, Shell sort,
Tree sort,
' F Manuals including full source listings with
For further information telephone or write implementation notes and documentation —
to: | BASIC £25 per volume
PASCAL £30 1
MR D WILKINSON Software in CP/M (8” SSSD) or DEC RT-11
., CY git : (RXO1) formats — £75 + VAT per volume.
Anita Electronic Services Ltd., | CP/M TO DEC FILE TRANSER
Sof! d and ite RTI fe RXOI
15 Clerkenwell Close, _| SHS dear th At sipped on SRB ae
ateine _ + VAT.
01-253 2444 MICRO LOGIC CONSULTANTS LTD.
= 57, Station Rd., Southwater, Horsham,
@ Circle No. 266 W. Sussex.
Telephone: 0403 731818
@ Circle No. 269
VDU DESK | i Ml : Anita Electronic Services (London) Ltd
TEAK =e are specialists in the repair and service of
LAMINATE = ——— 77 a Superbrain | and I! and associated prin-
FINISH : “=: ae ters including Apple silent type, Centro-
Recombly i , . nic, Anadex. NEC. QUME, Ricoh and
in seconds : ; Empson.
without tools i aE We also specialise in the repair of Com-
Other sizes | modore and Apple computers.
Trae une: We offer a fast on-sight service or alter-
Oper ii natively repairs can be carried out at our
Betals avaiable workshops should you wish to bring in
65 TREDEGAR SQ, :
LONDON E3 54E your machine.
| Maintenance contracts are available at
very competitive prices. Trade enquiries
welcome.
@ Circle No. 262
THE ‘BIG’ 2-3
nec *
iP ECIAL |
systems until 31st May 1983
OSBORNE)
Telephone (0295)
67551
4 North Bar, Banbury,
microcentres ltd _oxon. ox16 oTF
@ Circle No. 263
POSEIDON’ §
COMPUTER
SERVICES LTD.
Of Hampton S.W. London Dealer
FOR SIRIUS 1
DEMONSTRATION BY APPOINTMENT
| €/80 compmer
LTD.
— from Software Toolworks, 93 Rzloire RR LONG EATON NOTTINGHAM
—lacks floating point and integer. MOSTTY'PES OF PRINTERS
—complete with assembler, and is M80 compatible. |
—requires 48K Ram and CP/M-80 MicroMeds Ltd. SUPPLIED
Price £50.00 (plus £2.00 P&P, VAT on 8” SSSD or @ Circle No. 267 | BESPOKE SOFTWARE A SPECIALITY
Osborne Disc.} me
MICROMODS
COMPETITIVE PRICES
FULL UN DELIN ERY
Other Quality Products available.
System Science
54 Enfield Cloisters,
Fanshaw St., London N1. |
Tel: 01 739-0540
BBC CONT BBC
o= SITTUS 7
TELEPHONE: 01-941 1447/5986:
TELEX 8954665 GITS
Adult Educational Software for the BBC
Computer
eCi 4
Circle No. 264 TYPING TUTOR 32K
ppeelically reas for ine Bee mete tne 90
smoothly graded lessons and the free form option 4
teach and encourage fast touch typing. Intelligently @ Circle No. 270
checks for errors, monitors progress, times and
makes recommendations. Audlo key feedback.
metronomic pacing, Many user configurable
i options, full instruction booklet included. £10inc.
SUPERBRAIN
COMPUSTAR 10 MB — E£1600
VPU 40 (DQD) — £1600
+ VAT
Both hardly used approximately 6 months unespired
Maintainence contract.
COMMODORE PET 8096
with disk drive 8050 and printer 4022, Visicalc, Business
\ SPREADSHEET 32K
A complete and versatile ‘calc’ program and
tutorial. Models containing over 1000 elements can
be built using up to 26 columns and 99 rows.
Equations, constants or text in any element. Use
BBC math. functions (eg LOG). Emphasis on ease of
use includes copy, row/col insert, delete, totals,
headers, variables, row colours, save and restore.
Tutorial, application examples and documentation
of the all Basic program for those who wish also to
THE UNINTERAUPT ABLE POWER SUPPLY WHICH WILL:
@Continue ta operate your Micra Computer System when the mains
electricity supply fails
@Suppress dangerous spikes and surges 3 explore the design. £8 inc. ROM, Toolkit, extra serial interface, ex demo, as new.
@Stabilise voltage and frequency to your sensitive equipment 4 £1400 + VAT
Operate your Micro/DiskiPrinter System from a Power Bank and forget
about a disabling break in the electricity suppty. Cassette based, professional software. Fast
120VA UNIT £360 250VA UNIT £495 delivery. Deduct £1.50 if both programs ordered CAMBRIDGE DATA
together,
Please contact: POWER TESTING (SALES) LTO
on 0277 233188 Telex 24224 Monref G (ref 586}
65a Shenfield Rd, Brentwood, Essex CM15 8HA
4 Summerset Gardens
Highgate London N6 5EQ
01-348 3298
@ Circle No. 265 @ Circle No. 268 @ Circle No. 271
Cheques/PO payable to ‘Contex Computing’ {PC 7)
15 Woodiands Ciose, Copie, Bedford MK44 3UE.
206 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
i
Bar-code identification for
PET/CBM APPLE BBC
Bar-codes give a speedy and error free means of data
entry and provide a foolproof method of identifica-
tion for any item or document. Typical uses include
stock control, libraries, filing systems, security &
checkpoint verification, point of sale terminals,
spare parts identification, etc., etc. Already most
grocery products are bar-coded at source and
many other areas of industry and commerce are
following. Bar-codes will soon be commonplace.
Our system contains all the hardware & software
needed to implement a bar-code system on
your computer now. Software to print bar
codes on an Epson printer is included. More
information on request... please state your
micro & area of interest.
Price £199.00 + VAT
EPSON...
other well known Printers
Latest Models at Lowest Prices!
Also BBC disk drives monitors
etc. etc.
Our prices are
as low lor lowerl)
than any other advertiser a
In this magazine, EPSONs are always ex-stock & most other
printers/monitors etc. can be obtained the same day and
delivered to your door, often in 24 hours. We can interface to
most computers & knowledgeable advice is free if needed. }
Remember — many suppliers have limited technical expertise!
Phone for a quote or send a SAE for full tists. All tems carry
the usual warranties
ALTEK (PC) 1 Green Lane my
@ Circle No. 272 |
Walton-on-Thames, Surre
Please phone before calling (093 22) 44110
e
@COMPUTER®S
for all the
leading
“| micros
easy parking off the M56 (junc 12) * VIC 20 * VIC 64
; Bee micros " Newbrain* Acorn Atom * Books
FRODSHAM
{yunc, 42 M56)
+ Stone
* Apple 11e, 111 * Dragon * Electron * Games
. Sinclair Spectrum, * IBMP.C.
@ secondhand computers * EASY PAYMENTS
. ALL ACCESSORIES SALES AND SERVICE *
e worthe Churchfield Road, | &
FRODSHAM
o RUS RASuE Cheshire WAG GRD °
* TEL: FRODSHAM (0928) 35110 «
e * UNBEATABLE PRICES <d e
WE WILL PURCHASE ANO PUBLISH YOUR PROGRAMS :Call Steve Rnodes tor detais
@ Circle No. 273
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
VER-WORD
IS
COMING
@ Circle No. 274
DYNAMIC SIMULATION SYSTEM
for APPLE and CPM SYSTEMS
* Fully Interactive
* Powerful
* Machine Language
* Graphic Output
£250 Complete
FOR DETAILS CONTACT:
PROCESS AUTOMATION &
COMPUTER SYSTEMSLTD.,
50 Gosport Street, Lymington, Hants
S04 9BE. Telephone 0590 73503.
@ Circle No. 275
SOFTWARE
TRS 80 & VIDEO GENIE
Dodgems (16K).
Frogger 116K).......
General Ledger (Disk 48K).
Kong {16K}
Mailing List (Orsk 48K).
Muncher (15K).
POOKS {1.6K}, one
SINCLAIR
7x81
Grizzly
Pools
Spectrum
Bermuda Triangle (3°D' 48K Adventure}.
Pools :
COLOUR GENIE
Frogger
Pools
(All prices include V.AT. & P&P}
Always interested in programs for any of the above machines
{25% Royalties given)
KRICON LTD
11 Medway, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 3HE
(0323) 846116
@ Circle No. 276 |
SHUGART
DISK DRIVE
SALE
The ever-popular Shugart SA200 is now
available for only £125.00 + VAT. 40 TRACK,
Double Density, single sided, 250K, shipping
£10 or collect.
PHOENIX SYSTEMS
061 236 1172
42 Princess St., Manchester.
@ Circle No. 277
=
SPECIAL
SOFTWARE
LOGIC PLUS ueTON
STANDARD PACKAGES AVAILABLE
@ Circle No. 278
AGON/ATOM/ORIC-1
ADD LOW-COST I/O POWER
WITHA VIA BOARD
Drive extra I/* devices, from LEDs & swit-
ches to extra peripherals. Link 2 micros
for data/program transfer, spool listings
to a second micro to print/save etc. (see
TEVLINK below).
HARDWARE: 6522 VIA provides 16 I/O lines + control, serial
port. 2 timers, interrupt register. 1/0. voltage & Interrupt lines
taken to 26-way IDC plug for easy connection to peripherals etc
Connectors available for Dragon, Atom; Oric 6522A version
should be out soon. The Board may be interfaced to most other
6502/6809 micros, and may be shared between mic’s by chang
Ing the plug-in connector.
SOFTWARE: ‘TEVLINK’ package provides 2-machine parallel
IInk (2 Boards needed), overall speed about 8K DATA bytes/se
cond with error checking
A PRINT SPOOLER is included {only 1 Board needed): connect
printer port to VIA board on receiving micro and use normal
LISTIPRINT etc.
Assembled board + Atom Connector £16.50
Assembled board + Dragon connector £18.75
Assembled board only — for your interface £14.00
Atomconnector £4.00, Dragonconnector £6.00
Cable: Printer port to VIA(state mic) £7.00
TEVLINK Board to Board cable £4.50
TEVLINK s'ware: Dragon/Atom cassette £7.75
Blank cassettes (cased): 10 x C10 for £5.75
OTHER SOFTWARE:
CAVE QUEST: Undergrand quest for the ring
of power: Dragon/Atom/Oric cassette £2,30
LASER INVADERS: Dragon joystick game £2.30
TEVROG'S KINGDOM: A real-time quest for magic
powers (and survival): Oragon/Oric £5.75
Other softare and hardware available soon.
WANTED!! Good software Mgarare & serious) for royalties or
outright purchase. Send for details
MAIL ORDER ONLY.
SEND FOR LISTS/DETAILS
All prices fully inclusive of VAT, P/P etc.
Tevward Microtech Ltd. (Dept)
403 Dallow Road, Luton, LU1 4UL.
Tel. (0582) 418906
@ Circle No. 279
1.C.D. SOLVE YOUR 1/0 PROBLEMS
A range of euro-size I/O boards
100 x 160mm
COMPATIBLE WITH ALL MICROS
Ideal in any control applications.
Connections to the Input/Output system
are made from either an eprom socket
within the computer or its bus expansion
connecter.
*48 Bit Parallel Input/Output *
* Dual Bi-directional Serial RS 232"
*16 channel 8 bit A/D converter *
etc. prices from £76
64 EDWARD ST.,
MIDDLETON, MANCHESTER.
@ Circle No. 280
207
VER-WORD
IS
COMING
@ Circle No. 252
Good news for Wordstar users
Forget DataStar & SuperSort
FORMSTAR
GIVES YOU:—
*Foolproof data entry & recall
*Unique link to mailmerge
*WordStar cursor controls
*Standard screen forms or
*Simply type your own
*Any number of fields
*Use same form for many files
*Select or sort subfiles
*Clear& simple instructions
FORMSTAR by available from
McMiltan COMPUTER
Computing FACILITY
0734 867855
£80 + 8678
VAT 32 Redlands Road,
Reading, Berks.
@ Circle No. 246
1983 Expert Systems Weekend
Polytechnic of North London
(10th to 11th September 1983)
Expert Systems have burst into the limelight
recently. — partly inspired by the Japanese
Fifth Generation Computer Project. To meet
growing demand, the Polytechnic of North
London has organised an intensive weekend
course focussing on the practical skills re-
quired to design expert systems.
Following the success of our one-day course
in December last year, we have arranged this
extended event in more spacious surroun-
dings. Its main aims are : (1) to show how
knowledge-based systems are built; (2) to in-
dicate their commercial potential.
The speakers are practitioners who know the
techniques (and pitfalls) involved in designing
such software and can pass on the fruits of
their experience.
Several currently operational expert systems
will be demonstrated, some on mainframes,
others on microcomputers.
The venue is PNK's modern Tufnell Park Hall
of residence, which can accommodate 100
people in comfort. Meals and refreshments
are provided. Overnight accommodation is
available for thos who need it.
Software managers, system builders,
educators and computer professionals of all
kinds will find this an enjoyable and instruc-
tive way of spending an autumn weekend.
For brochure and further details write to:
Richard Forsyth,
Dept. Mathematics, Statistics and
Computing,
Polytechnic of North London,
London N7 8DB.
® Circle No. 248
208
MICRO ADS
are accepted from private readers only, pre-
paid and in writing, 20p per word, minimum
charge £2.
Please make cheques payable to Practical
Computing and send to Room L310,
Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton,
Surrey SM2 5AS.
BBC owners, develop your touch typing skills
with Typing Trainers. Send 75p for listing to C.
Galbraith, 65 Balfour Court, Newfarm,
KILMARNOCK.
007 SPY. Lets you stop and copy any
Spectrum cassette. On cassette, £3. Bobker,
29 Chadderton Drive, Unsworth, Bury, Lancs.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING complete set |
starting Vol.1 No.2 56 issues £25. Also
complete set ‘Your Computer’ 22 issues £10.
Phone 031-331 2444.
SHARP MZ80 P5 printer, as new £210, Sharp |
MZ8O0OB Pascal, FDOS and double precision
Basic £50. J. Parish 2 Collyers Close,
Hurworth, Darlington Co. Durham DL2 2ES
(letters only)
APPLE jl 48K Europlus. Colour card, UHF
Modulator, Manuals, Tapes. £550.00.
Woodward, Heath Hayes 79610.
SINCLAIR Spectrum users! Non-commercial
venture for buying, selling and exchanging
programs. Send s.a.e. for details. The
Secretary, V.G.E.S., 25 Rona Road, London,
NW3 2HY.
SHARP P3 printer for MZ80K. 100 C.P.S. plus
interface unit, I/O card and all cables. New,
unusued. £350. Birkett 01-449 8032
evenings. 01-446 4929 daytime.
QUALITY Software for the ORIC-1,
competitive prices, for catalogue, send SAE
TW-Soft, 33 Barnesdale Cresent, Orpington,
Kent. BR5-2AU.
EDUCATIONAL programs for BBC-B £6.90
each. Trasure Hunt (Logic) Catchapple (Tables
Tester) Monstermaze (Arithmetic). S.A.E. for
catalogue. Kingfisher Computer Services. 16, |
Martock Rd. Keynsham, Bristol BS18 1XA.
Tel: 02756-68152
SHARP MZ80A: The Gobbler!! Best version of
the full-feature multimaze aracade game.
Outstanding graphics/sound. £5.95 from J.
Hinton, Fant House, Goldsmith Ave.,
Crowborough, Sussex.
LIFE—PLUS. An ultra-fast,. original version of
the Game of Life. Runs on BBC micro 16K/32K
and includes: Turtle graphics; multi-coloured
screens; freeze-frame facility; variable
animation speeds (up to 10 screens per
econd). £4.49. Mayday Software 181,
Portland Crescent, Stanmore Middlesex HA7
1LR.
NEWBRAIN Software Renumber £5;25.
Telephone Directory £8.25. Text Editor |!
£15.00. Machine Coder’s Aid £9.75. S.A.E.
for details, J M Mason, 59a High Street,
Astcote, Northants NN12 8NW.
LIT Plan Pools Checker Program (ZX81 16K)
Checks Lit Plans 2, 29, 50, 80, 81, 100, 82,
83, 200, 84, 79, & Xpert. It adds the number
of lines which equal 24pts, 23pts, 22.5pts
etc downto 1 5pts and displays all 18 totals on
the screen. £4.50. inc P/P. PLH
ELECTRONICS, 70 Vallis Road Frome,
Somerset, BA11 3EJ.
SEIKOSHA GP100A Printers, bought in error,
never used. £180 or less. Offers to Bishops
Stortford (0279) 54474. ,
GWN a 4022 printer? Plot your own pictures
with this amazing program. Send £5.00 for
program, instructions and demonstration tape.
C. Duggan, Buckbury Farm, Buckbury Ldne,
Newport, |.0.W.
j
|
|
APPLE } [ europlus 64k and Screenwriter ] [ word-
processing software. Aple Disc Drive & controller
card, BMC Green Screen Monitor. Games paddles
plus some games software. £1000 — will spit.
02756 68152
APPLE II plus, 48K TV modulator £460, Tel.
Bristol (0272) 629580
OSBORNE/EPSON interface cables £16.00
each. Phone: HORSFORTH 589674
GENIE | One year old. As new including £200
| Software. £270. Telephone 06707 2/646.
After 4.00pm.
$100 Z80 complete system, Midas cased,
CP/M DOS, with many extras. A bargain at
£900. Twin 8" sssd discs, but no V.D.U.
Telephone 0829 70737 evenings. (TED)
MICROTANTEL Prestel television adaptor,
almost new, complete and with built in micro
interface socket, documentation and APPLE II
interface software on Diskette. £95. O.N.O.
Telephone 0829 70737 evenings (TED).
NASCOM 2, RAM B, Vero rack, sound board,
manuals, Tandy ‘monitor, games, £375.
08675 3750.
NEWBRAIN SOFTWARE Word Processor
£12.95. Renumber £4.95; Renumber + Rem
Remover £6.95. Spreadsheet Income tax
Calculator £4.95 Curve Fit (fits 10th order
equation to your data + high resolution plot)
£4.95 These qualityprograms incorporate
machine code for high performance. Price in-
cludes computer cassette, user guide, full pro-
gram listing, P&P S Gaymer, 16/18 Princes St
Ipswich.
COMMODORE PET 3032 (32K) computer
with 2 x 3040 disk drive wanted. Mr Kotecha
01-734 8907. 7 7 |
COMMODORE disk drive wanted. Good
condition. Blackburn (0254) 22085,
evenings. _
WORSTAR easy training/prompt chart. £3. P.
Donovan, 3 Green Garth, Bloxham, Banbury,
Oxon. ‘ |
8032 SOFTWRE, Wordpro 4+ £185.00,
VisiCalc £75.00, Petaid £155.00. Saving for
Silicon Office. Simon Godstone 843 941
joystick, books, tapes, £200. Ruislip 35173.
CORVUS 10MB hard disk with constellation
multiplexer and 2Apple personality cards.
Very reliable £1300. Tony Pearce 01-221
1164 (day) 01-675 3084 (eves7
DRI 6360A printer with Apple parallel
interface card. £150. Tony Pearce 01-221
id an ae Fe -
APPLE Il + 48K, Disk Drive + Controller,
Visicalc, Visitrend/Visiplot, manuals, case.
£600. Tel: 060084 687. a ee
TYPESETTING from your Apple H discs on
Linotron 202. Tel: (0202) 294348.
| WANTED: A method of reading discs from
other micros into our Apple Il. Tel (eves) 0202
764586.
NORTH Star Horizon 56K, DD Drives, DOS
Basic, CPM, with GT100A V.D.U. £1400.
Also quantity of compatible floppy disks
available. Telephone: Storrington (O9066)
2663.
BBC owners, develop your touch typing
skills with Typing Trainer. Send 75p for
listing to C. Galbraith, 65 Balfour Court,
Newfarm, Kilmarnock.
CBM 4016 large screen and C2N cassette,
including manuals and related books. 18
months old. Must sell. £400 O.N.O.
Telephone evenings Hungerford (0488)
84233.
CENTRONIX 703 printer, buffered. 180cps,
parallel interface, little used for develop-
ment work only. £800 o.n.o. Harris Com-
puters: (01) 267 6773 ext. 35.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
For LOW...LOW...LOW... prices
you need only one number —
0962 66191
We have a surprise for you...
an offer you cannot refuse!!
— _)
HUN
Whether you need only a few diskettes or many computer systems,
we can save you a great deal of time, money and effort. .
all you need is ONE NUMBER... 0962 66191.
Why not call today and ask for a quote.
We supply all major brands of computers, printers, diskettes,
ribbons, etc.
DISKETTES PRINTERS COMPUTERS
RIBBONS EPSON APPLE
DAISYWHEELS STAR COMMODORE
FLEXYDISC BOXES NEC IBM
CUT SHEET FEEDERS VEG SIRIUS
COMPUTER TEXAS BBC
STATIONERY ANADEX EPSON
RICOH TEXAS
* Official orders accepted QUME
* Nationwide maintenance contracts
available on most products.
50A Stockbridge Road, Winchester, Hants. SO226RL England Tel: Winchester (0962) 66191 micro miracles
® Circle No. 297
Advertisement Index
A Do L Q
A&G Computerware 50 Daystar Computers 154 Lambert Camputing 26,27 Quantek Systems 76
AcornComputers 71 ~~ Digital Equipment 18,19,20 LantechInformation Systems 191 Quantum Computers 81
ACT 74,75,82,83 Digithurst 130 Laserbug 64 Qubie Distributing 89
American Microcomputers 40,163 Disking 195 Lifeboat Associates 54
Anagram Systems 13. DorlingKiddersley 156 Livingstone Development Corp. 86 R
Anglia Computer Centre 197 DuplexCommunications 48 LondanComputer Centre 64,112 Real TimeDevelopments 85
Applestop 52 Research Machines 98
Armadillo Software 156 E - Rhone-K Poulanc 183
Ashton Tate 166,167
ATA Services 51,53 pee 84.1 a8 Magus Computer Systems D2) lS:
Atlanta Data 153 Baw ElGctvonice “40 Maplin Electronics 124 Sanyo 168
Autoword 152 Exper Systems 88 Microbusiness 66 = Shelton Instruments 92
Microcentre IFC Silicon Valley 163
B Microfinar 130 — Sinclair Research 10,11
Banbury Computer Centre 40 F Micromiracles 209 = Sintrom 44
Beebug 52 ForteDataSystems 155 Micronetworks 62 SintromElectronics 52
Bits &P.C.’s 137 FraserAssociates 50.65 Micronix 9,41 SirtonComputers 4
Bromcom 179 Microperipherals 33° SM Software (U.K.) 196
G Micropute 157,165 Softeach 65
(e suns Microvalue 46,47 Stemmos 199
CAE Teleprinter 119 pai eine ie aly mene Microware 38 Sun Computing Back Cover
Cambridge University Press 163 Gultecream 87 Molimerx 30 SwanPackaging 130
Camden Computer Systems 72 Gw Computers 22,23 Mountaindene 16
Cascade Graphics 56 T
Chromasonic 32 N Tabs Ltd Inside Back Cover
Clientscene 199° H NEC Electronics 2g Telesystems 154
Colchester Computer Centre 71. HHeElectronics 150,151 \Newtech Publishing 109 The Microcomputer Club 70
Comart 59,141 HalComputers 153,155 Northern Computer Fair 42 TransamMicrosystems 60,61
Commercial Data 58 Hewlett Packard 36,37 Tycom Zuo)
Commodore Business Systems 202,203 Hotel Microsystems 67 o
Compac 156 a U
Compec North 184 1 Oric Products 158,159 U-microcomputers He:
CompsoftiLtd 25 Oxford Computer Systems 50
Computech 160 ed Mi ce tee Vv
Computer Plus 194 rages neropnpeucs® 192 (2 Verbatim 63
Comshare 78.79 Perfect Software 57 Vergecourt 136
Control Universal nz Personal Computer Services 200
Cossor Electronics 109 K Pete & Pam 186,187 W
Country Computers 34 KeeleCodes 64 Phoenix Systems 58 WatfordElectronics 6
Crofton Electronics 154 KeyComputers 55 Phoenix Technology 24 Wilding Office 140
Crystal Research 58 KGBMicros 45 PowerTesting TS
CWP Services 171,173,175 KnightsTV 65 Precision Software 77 Zak Comptuers 80
PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983 209
-MICROFRAME
Choose from the best range
of professional business systems
on the market.
A division of the Tycom Corporation Limited
More than just hardware and software.
Guestel care for over 400 companies throughout the UK
8/12 NEW BRIDGE STREET, LONDON EC4V 6AL. TELEPHONE: 01-583 2255
[[- PLEASE SEND ME YOUR BROCHURE WITH DETAILS OF ™iW
MICROFRAMEL] DECL iBmL] ApPLEL]
PLEASE ASK YOUR SALES STAFF TO CONTACT MEL]
| |
| |
| | TWEE COMPANY | |
| |
| | TELEPHONE | ,
@ Circle No. 310
210 PRACTICAL COMPUTING July 1983
NEW
for the small
business &
first time
iser.
Ack, UNE
LS Sys te
Introducing simplicity to
microcomputer business software.
@ PASSWORD PROTECTED to ensure
your data remains confidential
@ UPGRADEABLE to StandardTABS fully
integrated business systems
EasyTABS is anew concept from the UK’s
leading supplier of microcomputer business
software which will be of particular benefit to
any small business or first time user.
EasyTABS features: EasyTABS family currently comprises:
@ EASY TOUSE simply insertyour disks | SALES LEDGER, PURCHASE LEDGER,
and switch on! CASH BOOK, WORD PROCESSOR,
MAIL LIST.
and each carries a 12 month warranty.
Self running demonstration packs are
available for dealers. Sales Ledger/Purchase
Ledger/Cash Book pack, Word Processor/
Mail List pack @ £99 each.
@ SELF INSTALLING no need for
expensive professional installation fees
@ TUTORIAL MANUALS ensure an easy
introduction to running your system
© HELP facilities in the program to prompt
the user
@ LOW COST economic entry into office
automation
EASYTABS
TABS LONDON OFFICE
Free demonstrations and
consultations at the National
Electronics Centre in the
World Trade Centre.
Phone 01-488 2400.
4
Contact us today or fill in the coupon for
further information — remember our modular
system expands as you doso that when you
start with TABS there’s no need to stop!
Tel: 0264-58933
Please tick box(es) for further details and return coupon to °¢-7/83 v
TABS Ltd, Sopers House, Chantry Way, Andover, HantsSP10'1PE §f
O TABS Systems & Services brochure & price list
O Send me KEEPING TABS newspaper LD Free estimate service
O User book £10.00 incl p & p D Dealer Information
O Details of serninarsandopendays 1) Videotraining tapes
lenclose cheque/postal order for£_. ===
Name __ _
Company _
Position
Address
]
]
]
]
]
)
}
i]
]
)
The Portable Personal with MORE!
CLL LIE
More Storage 800 KBytes on twin 53” floppy disks plus 64KBytes User Memory
means you can now run Integrated Ledgers
More Software Supplied as standard with every Zorba:—
Systems Software comprising CP/M 2.2* inc. utilities M 80 **,
Lee ** iLIB 80 **; CREF 80 **
Applications Software comprising
C BASIC **, WORDSTAR ***, MAILMERGE ***, CALCSTAR ***
Optional Software, Spellstar, Infostar and most CP/M* packages
More Screen 7” GREEN VDU, with full 80 columns by 25 lines, Means NO
MORE SCROLLING. Also with blinking, block graphics
and 2 intensities.
More Compatibility Reads and writes data disks in the format of:-
IBM PC, Osborne, Superbrain, Xerox 820, DEC VT180
and Keycomp.
More Keyboard Fully Professional and detachable Qwerty format with 19
programmable function keys
More Expandability Output includes Parallel, Serial, and IEEE 488 as standard
More Reliability Sets New Industry Standard, Full 90 day Warranty and
Nationwide maintenance available
More Value Only ... £1595.00 EXC VAT
A limited number of Dealerships are available in the U.K.
Available through the Sole U.K. Importers:-
SUN Computing Services Ltd.
Concorde House, St. Anthony’s Way, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 ONH
Telephone 01 890 1440 Telex 8954428 SUNCOM G
ZORBA — The Serious Persons Portable
ZORBA Is a registered trademark of Telecon’ Industries Inc. *Digital Research, **Micro Soft. ***Micro Pro.
ae ®@ Circle No. 288
Open Library