“SPECIAL
"SOFTWARE
FEATURES
The secret of Borland’s success
is “Quality, Speed, Power, & Price”
e’re one of the biggest software
companies in the world—and we got
that way by making “Quality, Speed,
Power, and Price” essential charac-
teristics of every Borland software
program. Look for Borland software
——then look no further.
Turbo Pascal has become the de facto worldwide
Standard in high-speed Pascal compilers. Described
by Jeff Duntemann of PC Magazine as the “Language
deal of the century,” Turbo Pascal is now an even
better deal—because we've included the most
popular options (BCD reals and 8087 support). You
now get a lot more for a lot less: the compiler, a
completely integrated programming environment,
and BCD reals and 8087 support! Minimum
memory: 128K.
The new Turbo Tutor can take you from “What's
a computer?” through complex data structures,
assembly languages, trees, tips on writing long
programs in Turbo Pascal, and a high level of
expertise. Source code for everything is included.
New split screens allow you to put source text’in the
bottom half of the screen and run the examples in the
top half. There are quizzes that ask you, show you,
tell you, teach you. Minimum memory: 192K.
Includes a library of graphics routines for Turbo
Pascal programs. Lets even beginning programmers
create high-resolution graphics with an IBM,°
Hercules,” or compatible graphics adapter. Our Turbo
Graphix
Toolbox in-
cludes all the
tools you'll
ever need for
complex
business
graphics, easy
windowing,
and storing
screen images
to memory. It comes complete with source code,
ready to compile. Minimum memory: 192K.
Quickly Produce Bar Charts and Pie
Charts with the Turbo Graphix Toolbox
A perfect complement to Turbo Pascal, because it
contains a complete library of Pascal procedures that
allows you to search and sort data and build powerful
database applications. It comes with source code for
a free sample database—right on disk. Minimum
memory: 128K.
SUPERKEY'S" PERFECT COMPANION
seNNngse SSB
Desktop Organizer
ry a Keystroke Away.
;
i
Turbo GameWorks is what you think it is: “Games”
and “Works.” Games you can play right away (like
Chess, Bridge
and Go-
Moku), plus
ei ft the Works—
in which is how
: ia computer
bs jel ake be games work.
All the secrets
and strategies
of game theory
are there for you to learn. You can play the games
"as is” or modify them any which way you want.
Source code is included to let you do that.
Minimum memory: 192K.
Turbo Game Works’ Chessboard
Recently released, we call our new Turbo Editor
Toolbox a “construction set to write your own word
processor." Source code is included, and we also
include MicroStar, a full-blown text editor with pull-
down menus and windowing. It interfaces directly with
Turbo Lightning to let you spell-check your MicroStar
files. Minimum memory: 192K.
Powertut desktop management program and the
#1 best seller for the IBM PC. SideKick includes
notepad,
calendar,
calculator,
appointment
scheduler,
telephone
directory,
autodialer, and
ASCIl table.
It's RAM-
resident—
which means SideKick is always there ready to react
when you need to do something, call someone, or
find out something in a hurry. And it does all this
while you run other programs. Minimum memory: 128K.
Notepad and Calculator Window over Lotus 1-2-3
If you use SideKick, you need SuperKey. They're
designed to work together—and work for you.
SuperKey's an amazing keyboard enhancer for your
IBM PC and compatibles. With easy-to-write macros,
you and SuperKey can turn 1000 keystrokes into 1
Minimum memory: 128K.
It's the electronic organizer for this electronic age.
Neither you nor your secretary need to face 1987
with old-fashioned 1887 diaries. Traveling SideKick
has everything they have—and a lot more. (Unlike
dusty old diaries, Traveling SideKick doesn’t “expire”
at the end of ‘87, because it's electronic and good
for ‘88, °89, ‘90 and on and on and on.) It's a pro-
fessional binder, a software program, and a report
generator—a modern business tool that prints your
ever-changing appointments in daily/weekly/monthly/
yearly form. (If your schedule changes hourly
Traveling SideKick handles the changes instantly.)
Whether you use your own personal computer or
have someone's help with that, Traveling SideKick
is the smart new way to take your computer with
you—without taking your computer with you.
Minimum memory: 256K.
While you use SideKick, Reflex, Lotus 1-2-3, and
most other popular programs, Turbo Lightning proof-
reads as you write! lf you misspelt a word, Turbo
Lightning will beep instantly, and suggest a correction
for the word you just misspelled. Press one key, and
the misspelled word is immediately replaced by the
correct word. And if you're stuck for a word, Turbo
Lightning's thesaurus is there with instant alternatives.
Minimum memory: 256K.
No matter what business you're in, if you use Lotus
1-2-3° or dBASE® you need Reflex and the new
Reflex Workshop to give you all the tools and views
to see what your numbers mean. The new Reflex
1.1 with expanded memory support allows you to
manage huge databases of up to 8 megabytes of
RAM, 32,000 records, and 250 fields per record
with “Reflex Lightning Speed.” The Reflex Workshop
gives you a wide range of analytical tools written for
specific applications like Finance/Accounting, Admini-
stration, Sales and Marketing, and Production and
Operations. You can use the tools "as is” or mod-
ify them to suit your business needs. Minimum
memory: 384K.
An important addition to Turbo Lightning, Lightning
Word Wizard includes fascinating and challenging
word games like “Akerue” (try reading that back-
wards), "That's Rite,” “CodeCracker,” “CrossSolver,”
“MixUp,” and “FixUp,” to name some of them.
Lightning Word Wizard introduces you to the “nuts
and bolts” of Turbo Lightning technology, and gives
you more than 20 different calls to the Lightning
engine. Minimum memory: 256K.
= ppopascal
7 . \
me Ultimate P
+
Step-by-step tutorial, demo programs with source code included!
Borland’s new Turbo Prolog is
the powerful, completely natural
introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Protog is probably one of the most
powerful computer programming lan-
guages ever conceived, which is why
we've made it our second language—
and “turbocharged” it to create
Turbo Prolog:
Our new Turbo Prolog, the natural
language of Artificial Intelligence, brings
supercomputer power to your IBM*°PC and
introduces you step-by-step to the fascinating
new world of Artificial Intelligence. And does
all this for an astounding £69.95.
|
Turbo Prolog is to
Prolog what Turbo
Pascal is to Pascal!
Our Turbo Pascal astonished
everyone who thought of Pascal as
“just another language.” We changed
alt that—and now Turbo Pascal is
the de facto worldwide standard, with
hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts
and users in universities, research
centers, schools, and with profes-
sional programmers, students, and
hobbyists.
You can expect at least the same
impact from Turbo Prolog because
while Turbo Prolog is the most
revolutionary and natural program-
ming language, it is also a complete
development environment—just like
Turbo Pascal.
Even if you've never
programmed before,
our free tutorial will
get you started right away
You'll get started right away
because we have included a can-
plete step-by-step tutorial as part
of the 200-page Turbo Prolog
Reference Manual. Our tutorial will
take you by the hand and teach
you everything you're likely to
need to know about Turbo Prolog
and Artificial Intelligence.
For example: once you've com-
pleted the tutorial, you'll be able to
design your own expert systems
utilizing Turbo Prolog’s powerful
problem-solving capabilities.
Think of Turbo Prolog as a high-
speed electonic detective. First you
feed it information and teach it rules.
BORLAND
INTERNATIONAL
Then Turbo Prolog “thinks” the
problem through and comes up
with all the reasonable answers—
almost instantly.
If you think that this is amazing,
you just need to remember that
Turbo Prolog is a 5th-generation
language—and the kind of language
that 21st century computers will use
routinely. In fact, you can compare
Turbo Prolog to Turbo Pascal the
way you could compare Turbo Pascal
to machine language.
Turbo Prolog 1.1
Technical Specifications
Compiler: Six-pass compiler generating
native in-line code and linkable object
modules. Contains a linker that is com-
patible with theePC-DOS linker. Large
memory model support. Compiles over
2500 fines per minule on a standard
IBM PC.
Interactive Editor: The system includes
a powertul interactive text editor. if the
compiler detecis an error, the editor auto-
matically positions the cursor appropriately
in the source code. At run-time, Turbo
Prolog programs can call the editor, and
view the running program's source code.
Type System: A Ilexible object-oriented
type system is supported.
Windowing Support: The system supparts
both graphic and text windows ,
Input/Output: Full 1/0 facilities, includ-
ing formatted 1/0, streams, and random
access files.
Numeric Ranges: Integers: -32767 to
32767; Reals: 1£-307 to 1E+308.
Debugging: Complete built-in trace
debugging capabilites allowing single
stepping of programs.
Memory: 384K required.
DEPT A4
One Great Cumberland Place
London WIH TAL
(01) 258-3797
[ve la yjorere
Borland products include Turbo Basic: Eureka: The Solver; Turbo Pascal Numerical Methods Toolbox, Turbo Prolog, Turbo Pascal; Turbo Pascal
for the Mac, Turbo Tutor, Turbo Editor Toolbox; Turbo Database Toolbox, Turbo Graphix Toolbox; Turbo GarneWorks: Turbo Lightning, Lightning
Word Wizard; Reflex The Analyst, Reflex for the Mac, Reflex Workshop: SideKick, SideKick for The Mac, Traveling SideKick, and SuperKey—all
ol which are trademarks of registered trademarks ol Boriand inlernahonal, inc or Borland/Analytica, Inc Traveling SideKick ts nol in any way
associated with Traveling Software, inc ol Seattle, Washington.
Lotus 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lolus Developmen! Corp. dBASE is a registered Irademark of Ashton-Tate Microsott Word anc MS-DOS
are registered trademarks of Microsott Corp MultiMate is a trademark of Multimate International Corp. Random House 1s a registered lademark of
Random House, Inc. CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research, inc IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines.
Corp. Copyright 1986 Borland International BE-1001
=> circle 101 on enquiry card —
You get the complete
Turbo Prolog
programming system
for only £69.95
You get a complete Turbo Prolog
development system including:
@ The lightning-fast Turbo Prolog
incremental compiler and the inter-
active Turbo Prolog editor.
@ The 200-page reference manual
which includes the step-by-step
Turbo Prolog tutorial.
@ The free GeoBase natural query
language database including com-
mented source code on disk—ready
to compile. GeoBase is a complete
database designed and developed
around U.S. geography. It includes
Cities, mountains, rivers, and high-
ways, and comes complete with
natural query language. Use GeoBase
immediately “as is,” or modify it to
fit your own interests.
So don't delay—don't waste
a second—get Turbo Prolog now.
£69.95 is an amazingly small price
to pay to become an immediate
authority—an instant expert on
Artificial Intelligence!
66 Turbo Prolog is going
| like mad. John Vivian, Softsel, 0K
Borland’s Turbo Prolog has ousted
Lotus 1-23 as the highest volume
product .. .
| MicroScope Magazine IF
{
SRO
Y BS! | want
e the best
Copies Product Price Totals
_ Turbo Prolog £69.95 &
_ Reflex: The Analyst 99.95 &
_ Reflex Workshop 69.95 & _
Rellex & Rellex Workshop °149.95 & —
_ Upgrade to 1.1
& Workshop ** 69.95 & —
_ Upgrade to 1.1°° 10.00 & =
Turbo Pascal
w/8087 & BCD 69.95 &
Turbo Pascal (Amstrad) 59.95 & —___
Turbo Pascal for CPIM-80 49.95 & —___
_ Turbo Database Toolbox 49.95 & —___
Turbo Graphix Toolbox = 49.95 & —___
_ Turbo Tutor 2.0 29.95 &
_. Turbo Editor Toolbox 49.95 &
_. Turbo GameWorks 49.95 &
_ Turbo. Lightning (cS Se
Lightning Word Wizard 49.95 & —__
Turbo Lightning &
Lightning Word Wizard 99.95 & __
. SideKick 69.95 & —_
_ Traveling SideKick 69.95 &
_. SideKick &
Traveling SideKick (2500's 2
_ SuperKey 69.95 £ __
Turbo Jumbo Pack 245.00 &
Outside UK add & 10 per copy
Add VAT &
Amount enclosed &
Prices include shipping to all UK cities.
Carelully describe your computer system
Mine is: — 8-bit — 16-bit
fuse’ —PC-DOS __ CP/M-80
—MS-DOS — CPIM-86
My computer's name and model is:
The disk size fuse iss 03° O3%" O54
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CODs and purchase orders Will NOT be accepted by
Bortand. Outside UK make payment by credit card or
imemational Postal Money Order.
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All peices are suggested list pnces and are subject fo change
without notice.
A4d
BUSINESS WISE PRICE WISE IT HAS TO BE SAGE
TO CLEAR THE CLUTTER
FROM YOUR DESK
IT HAS TO BE SAGE.
make the most of your computer, increase your
own efficiency and clear the paperwork from
your desk.
Open up the possibilities of personal
computing - speed up your business projections,
produce charts with top quality graphics,
organise your data and your time, automate your
records and wordprocess all your reports
and correspondence.
A leading publisher of business software, Sage
has a complete range of products for the IBM
PC, Amstrad PC]512 and other compatibles,
including accounting programs and communica-
tions software - at value for money prices.
Send for details now.
BUSINESS WISE
SAGE
PC BUSINESS SOFTWARE
> circle 102 on enquiry card -
Data storage & management
PC PLANNER
Lotus® |-2-3 compatible spreadsheet
DESK-SET
Desk-top organiser & utilities
PC WRITE
Word processor with spelling checker
Prices shown do not include VAT
Dept. 99, Sagesoft plc, NEI House, Regent Centre,
Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Iyne NE3 3DS
Tel: 091-284 7077 Telex: 53623 SAGESL G
re: SEND ME DETAILS ON PC PRODUCTIVITY AND
OTHER SOFTWARE PRODUCTS.
Name
Position
Address
Postcode _________ Teel
OR TELEPHONE THE SAGE SALES DESK ON: 091-284 7077
DEPT. 99, SAGESOFT PLC, NEI HOUSE, REGENT CENTRE,
GOSFORTH, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE3 3DS
FREE DEMONSTRATION
DISK AVAILABLE
For a free 544" demo disk of all Sage
programs, attach a letterhead or business
card to the coupon.
THE NETWORK
EFFECT
Once again, this is supposed to
be the year in which networks
finally take off. If this time they
really do it will be because a
standard is emerging atlast. We
look at that standard, how it is
built up, and how other
manufacturers are 5
learning to live with it =
Nimbus VX-386 British
80386 micro — page 40.
r =|
AT clones Three cheap IBM
compatibles — page 46.
BEG R ARRAN 2 ee |
8 S08 0R00D00O8 AeA
gee
Husky Hawk — page 53.
‘PRACTICAL
COMPUTING
APRIL1987 CONTENTS
COMPETITION
Your final chance to win one of the many prizes
in our £20,000 competition
MACINTOSH Il
Glyn Moody looks at the machine everyone has
been waiting for, with a 68020 processor,
colour and expansion slots
NIMBUS VX-386
The first British 80386 machine that runs under
DOS. Steve Malonetries out the latest micro
from Research Machines
CHEAP ATs
The low price of AT clones make them a tempting
proposition, even as a first purchase. lan Stobie
tests three of them
HUSKY HAWK
Best known for its rugged Hunter portable, this
British firm has now come out with what may be
the smallest micro ever
WRITE NOW
Easy-to-use Macintosh word-processing
package with powerful formatting features.
Carol Hammond reports on this so-called
document processor
dBASE ADD-ONS
Mike Lewis samples the many packages now
available to enhance the standard database
SMALLTALK AT
Some people think it will be the environment of
the future: Steve Malone gets to grips with more
than a language
LOW-COST WP
The advent of the Amstrad PC has led to a flood
of cheap word processors for it. Susan Curran
tries some out
WHAT DO DEALERS DO?
Carol Hammond reports on what happens when
you approach dealers for advice on buying a
new system
CORPORATE TIE-UPS
Many of the world’s biggest computer and
communications companies are joining forces.
Steve Malone finds out why
PROGRAMMERS AT
WORK
How do you set about writing 1-2-3 or dBase?
The men who did it explain when, how and why
Mac Il & Mac SE Additions to
the Apple family — page 34.
WHICH COMPUTER?
NEWS 10
Show report
HARDWARE NEWS
DEC’s minicomputer ona
desk 14
SOFTWARE NEWS
Borland Sprint word
processor
15
TURBO PASCAL
DOS Menu 105
BASIC UTILITY
Partial screen clear
REGULARS
EDITORIAL
At your work stations.......... 7 |
FEEDBACK
Yourgletters. cc. imocsere me 9
COMMS LINK
Fighting a losing
SOFTWARE
WORKSHOP
A way with words.........++- 21
CHIP-CHAT
Another turn of the
LEGAL STATEMENTS
Lotus goes to war...........5 28
TOP 10
Spreadsheets................. 99
BOOKS
{$< esl
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
World leader in multi-user micro.
=e
=)
J
us
ALTOS COMPUTER SYSTEMS
OFFER YOU THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED
ABSOLUTELY FREE.
tS a proven fact that everyone in business is looking
for success. The question is: How best to achieve it?
In our experience, it is a formula usually derived
from the following: the freedom and flexibility to communicate
speedily and effectively with your fellow workers, customers and
potential customers.
At Altos Computers, we have refined this principle intoa
series of different and tailor-made business solutions. So successful
has this strategy been, that our multi-user systems are now widely
used throughout all areas of industry, across all parts of the globe.
If your company wants the correct tools to achieve similar
success, you too should be talking to
Altos. Cut out the coupon below and ALTOS
welll put you on the road to success.
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
mn EEE aa AO —
To: Altos Computer Systems Limited, Piper House, Hatch Lane, Windsor,
Berks SL4 3QJ. Tel. No: (0753) 850712.
! am seriously interested in a multi-user system formy business. Please put me on
the road to success.
— a iro
Company.
et et x ld ble i 2
(Model Porsche cars will only be sent to business addresses.)
— circle 103 on enquiry card <-
T O R
lr ALS
EDITORIAL 01-661 3633 Telecom Gold 81:RPLOO2 D EDITOR GLYN MOODY DEPUTY EDITOR (Production) JOHN LIEBMANN ART EDITOR HUGH ANDERSON
ASSISTANT EDITOR IAN STOBIE SENIOR REPORTER STEVE MALONE REPORTER/SUB-EDITOR CAROL HAMMOND CONSULTANT JACK SCHOFIELD
ADVERTISING 01-661 3612 D ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER NITIN JOSHI 01-661 3021 ASSISTANT ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER NEIL MARCHANT 01-661 8626
ADVERTISEMENT EXECUTIVES KATE SCALLY 01-661 8425 JANET THORPE 01-661 3468 MIDLANDS AND NORTH 061-872 8861
ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION CONTROL JACKIE PERRY 01-661 8649 BRIAN 8ANNISTER 01-661 8648 ADVERTISEMENT SECRETARY LYNN DAWSON 01-661 3612
CLASSIFIED SUSAN PLATTS 01-661 3033 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR SIMON TIMM
ENTER THE WORK STATION
here will be a new buzz phrase around in 1987: the work
station. The term itself is not new, of course. It has already
been commandeered many times by maufacturers desperate to
gee up their boring terminals or salvage yet another ineffectual
attempt at office automation. But the latest incarnations will
be different and will be more like the highly successful CAD
work-station systems from Sun and Apollo. More important,
the name on the badge will be that of leading players like IBM
and Apple.
The reason for the new phrase is the usual one: linguistic
devaluation. When the term ‘‘personal computer’ was first
coined — by Apple, even though IBM got the most mileage
out of it — it was a concept. It summed up perfectly the leap
the first micro pioneers had made. It implied that this was
your computer — not the company’s, not the DP depart-
ment’s, but your very own. To have one was.to be singled out.
Things have moved since then. An eight-bit 64K personal
computer is not as impressive as it once was; even the IBM PC,
especially in its guise of the Amstrad PC, is beginning to look a
little cheap. It no longer has the cachet which made ambitious
executives fall over themselves to be seen using one. And the
success of the PC has proved its downfall from the viewpoint of
the manufacturers. The more PCs sold, the more competition
there is, the lower the price and the lower the profit margins all
round.
In response to this, micro manufacturers have resorted to a
classic marketing ploy: bring in a whole new range of models
above the old ones. To a certain extent this is what successive
upgrades were meant to be, but they failed because there was
insufficient differentiation between the machines. The
market perceived no radical shift, and so would not tolerate
any great hikes in price. The lack of any radical changes also
ensured that it was simple for the competitors to move in and
undercut the new models just as easily as they undercut the old
ones.
Enter the work station. This is not the result of mere
tinkering with the casing, but signals a genuine change of
approach. The name itself bespeaks the altered climate. None
of the ‘‘personal’’ nonsense; these are work stations and the
emphasis is on work and business. The key to the work-station
concept is the integration of your work with the company’s
business. Correspondingly, at the heart of the work station lies
a new generation of powerful processors like the 80386 or
68020, driving high-resolution colour graphics interfaces
together with extensive communications links to larger
systems.
In the case of IBM’s work stations, it is likely that the-new
micros due out this year will show just such a shift towards
user-friendly power in the form of advanced graphics and
mainframe connectivity. IBM will benefit from this in a
number of ways. Apart from the new emphasis on serious,
high-level, high-cost computing, work stations will allow the
incorporation of proprietary elements like IBM micro-to-
PUBLISHED by Reed Business Publishing Ltd, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2
5AS. Tel: 01-661 3500. Telex/grams 892084 BISPRS G. DISTRIBUTED by Quadrant Subscription
Services, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.K. £19.50
per annum; overseas £36.00 per annum; selling price in Eire subject to currency exchange fluctuations
and VAT;. airmail rates available on application to Subscriptions Manager, Quadrant Subscription
Services, Oakfield House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, Sussex RH16 3DH. Tel: (0444) 459188.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
mainframe comms software, held in ROM as standard. This
would go a long way to shutting out the clone makers. It also
has the enormous plus of moving the micro back into the
domain of the DP manager. The decline in IBM’s dominance
of the computer market has gone hand in hand with a similar
weakening of the traditional DP fortress. It is in both their
interests to fight back, and a work station approach could be
the weapon to do it.
Like IBM, Apple has a lot to gain from the work station
approach of power plus connectivity, and the powerful new
Apple Macintosh II previewed on page 34 of this issue will
help it on its way. Its open architecture will allow third-party
manufacturers to produce a range of communications cards,
making it ideal for hooking up to bigger systems. And already
Apple has announced that an add-on allowing data compati-
bility with MS-DOS disc drives and an Ethernet card are under
development.
The Mac II proclaims Apple’s seriousness. There are still
some executives who see the Macintosh as little more than a
very neat toy: the Mac II work station will dispel this impres-
sion once and for all. It is an interesting coincidence that Hew-
lett-Packard has announced a minicomputer which uses the
same 68020 processor, which runs 50 percent faster, but costs
some 400 percent more. By emphasising links to large systems
Apple will lock the new machines into the grown-up corporate
computing world.
Connectivity to IBM systems will obviously be a vital part of
this. But even mote interesting is the possibility that these
Apple work stations will find their way into DEC installations.
DEC is growing rapidly and broadening its corporate base.
The only thing it lacks is a totally user-friendly image for its
machines. Apple, on the other hand, has user-friendliness in
abundance. But is does lack the deep penetration of major
cofporate accounts achieved by DEC. Put the two together and
you have quite a devastating combination and perhaps the
definitive work-station solution for the 1990s.
FYYEARS AGO...
Commodore Business Machines is about to upset the microcomputer
applecart with the introduction of a ‘‘universal microcomputer’’.
The new machine will be capable of running software originally
written for rival machines.
The universal microcomputer will initially be able to emulate the
Apple, Tandy and IBM microcomputers, thus opening up the
machine to a large sector of the microcomputer software market. It
will feature as an option on the Commodore 64, using plug-in
modules. The beauty of the move is that it means Commodore users
will now be able to implement packages developed by rivals, after
they incurred the expensive development costs. The target price of
this machine will be under $1,000, grossly under-cutting the
opposition.
PC Volume 5 Issue 4
PRINTED in Great Britain for the proprietors Reed Business Publishing Ltd by Ben Johnson & Co. Ltd,
Dunstable. Typeset by Lithotype Design, London EC1. © Reed Business Publishing Ltd 1987. ISSN
0141-5433, Would-be authors are welcome to send articles to the Editor but we cannot undertake to
return them. Submissions should be typed double-spaced, and should REED
include a disc of any program. Every effort is made to check articles and BUSINESS
PUBLISHING
listings but we can accept no responsibility for errors.
‘|i 2D: Ge Se eR ae ae
How to make sure HARDWARE
= 9 Pes)
your Printer doesn't [ites tenenaina meaning
test. A ile ink-jet print
slow your PC ri om ae at stacy, He uasrecbAtly, taken
gor Is on a new lease of life. Can they work with
down. a & _ x ordinary paper, and will they supplant
other technologies? We assess the latest
models.
SOFTWARE
As the boundaries between desk-top
publishing and word processors become
blurred we review Lotus Manuscript, one
of the new breed of document processors.
We also take a look at Foxbase, a low-
cost dBase III clone with additional
features.
aa ;
, aig SOM The ae pour ee etometh,
—— inate your Printer prints. Tuning a5 PROGRAMMI NG
minute print file into half-an-hour. e ™
Which means that the PC can be out of action for long periods. We start a new series presenting a set of
a a out Oo a free utilities for you to use. Over the
finther werk and ihe Printer Mrinte ae its own rate from the coming months we will be offering pop-up
Megabuffer memory: notepads, calculators and a host of other
® Allows you to use your PC more useful prog rams.
e Can emulate special plotter handshake protocols
e Compatible with most Bera printers and plotters: IBM,
OLIVETTI, AMSTRAD, HP, ACT, SHARP and many more
e Data buffer and interface converter in one FEATU RES
e Reported time savings of 2x to 50x y
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Don’t miss the May issue of
“PRACTICAL
COMPUTING
On sale at W H Smith and all good newsagents after 15 April.
| - circle 104 on enquiry card -— | Contents may vary due to circumstances beyond our control and are subject
to change without notice.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Toshiba
THE articles on Toshiba products
published in your January issue
have generated some welcome
enquiries, but unfortunately they
have been directed to the wrong
address. In the feature on lap-top
computers, Toshiba’s address is
given as Frimley. Toshiba has in
fact moved from Frimley, and the
correct address is now: Toshiba
Information Systems (U.K.) Ltd,
International House, Windmill
Road, Sunbury-on-Thames,
Middlesex TW16 7HR.
In the article on 12in. Worm
drives you did give the Sunbury
address, but any enquiries for
these products should in fact be
directed to: Office Electronic
Products Group, Toshiba Europa
(LE.) GmbH, Hammer
Landstrasse 115, D-4040 Neuss 1,
West Germany.
GILES FRASER,
Infopress,
London EC4.
Looking ahead? |
IN CONVERSATION with a
professional using a word
processor I asked how she got on,
staring at a VDU all day. She
replied that she rarely looked at
the display except to make
occasional checks: her eyes were
occupied mainly with her input
source document. I realised that
the case was very similar with me,
as indeed it must be with the
majority of users.
Yet so many system designs
give pride of place to the VDU
by placing it on top of the system
box, a few inches from the
operator’s nose! How much more
sensible it would be to have the
space immediately about the
keyboard available as a repository
for the working document. The
only penalty would be in having
to have the screen a few inches
further away, or slightly angled to
one side.
M J HOSKEN,
Bury St. Edmunds,
Suffolk.
4 oe. .
Portfolio
READ with interest the article on
the Portfolio program in the
February issue of your magazine.
For those readers who are too
lazy to load the program or who
are not using a PCW-8256
compatible machine, but possess
a spreadsheet program, a simpler
and quicker method exists.
I have been using Supercalc 2
and an Apricot Portable to
update my portfolio daily. This,
takes me about 10 minutes and
consists of entering the previous
FE E D B A C K
In our Feedback columns readers have the
opportunity of bringing their computing
experience and problems to the attention of
others, as well as.of seeking our advice or making
suggestions, which we are always happy to
receive. Make sure you use Feedback — it is your
chance to keep in touch.
WRITETO:
Feedback, Practical Computing, Quadrant House,
The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS
KERMIT
WORLDWIDE
IT HAS been gratifying to see the increased awareness of the Kermit
file-transfer system following the various articles and letters in
Practical Computing. However, to avoid disappointment, I would
like to remind people of the distribution position.
We act as the U.K. distribution centre and we are very happy to
supply Kermit on tape and — for a small range of machines — on
disc to people in the U.K. and Eire. However, we do not undertake
to supply it to anyone outside these countries because we just haven’t
the manpower resources to do so. Anyone wanting Kermit in the rest
of the world should contact the main distributors in New York: the
address is Kermit Distribution, Columbia University Centre for
Computing Activities, 612 West 115th Street, New York, NY 10025.
That said, there are two exceptions. Anyone can use our on-line
service by dial-up or network. Also as we originated the Kermit for
the BBC Micro, we'll supply this version only to anyone in the world,
but we have to charge for handling and media. Those interested
should write for details or phone us on (0524) 65201, extension 4881;
no telex messages please.
ALAN PHILLIPS,
Kermit Distribution,
Department of Computing,
Computer Centre,
Lancaster University,
Lancaster LAI 4YW.
day’s closing share prices. For me
this is about 30 entries, the date
and the Financial Times 30
Index, together with the previous
value of my holdings.
The column headings are:
Share
Number
Price each
Cost’
Current Price and Value
Dividend
Yield
Gain or Loss
% Return
This nicely fills an A4 sheet.
The cells contain the formulae
to calculate the new total value of
each holding, or to subtract the
cost from the new value to give
the gain, etc.
My bottom lines tell me how
much I have made or lost in the
24 hours, the total paper value,
my overall percentage return and
some indices showing how I have
performed against the FT 30
Index.
The beauty of a spreadsheet is
that it can be tailored to fit your
needs, throwing up the
parameters that are selected.
Another spreadsheet maintains a
weekly record of the share
movements and also calculates
13-week moving averages. These I
plot manually. A third
spreadsheet contains a record of
all my transactions complete with
gains or losses and running totals.
R L WEAVER,
London N14.
Commissionaire
WE READ with interest your review
of the Comart Quad and
Bromcom QC in the January issue
but were disconcerted to see that
you wrongly attributed
Commissionaire to Digital
Research, when it is a product of
Intelligent Micro Software Ltd.
We do not know when you
previously came into contact with
our product but if your previous
experience was with version 1
then we would draw your
attention to the new facilities |
offered by Commissionaire
version 2, especially the multi-site |
mail facility and the new diary.
D CROCKER,
Intelligent Micro Software,
Byfleet,
Surrey.
A blank line
with Echo
A BLANK line in MS-DOS 3.1 and
3.2 can be obtained with the line
ECHO.
There must not be a space
between the letter O and the full
stop. This works from the console
or with any word processor I have
so far tested.
COLIN BRUNGER,
Brunei.
VP-Info
AS A bespoke software house
specialising in database
applications, ICS has recently
been involved in the evaluation
of a number of database
programming languages. Our
method of evaluation does not
rely on straightforward
benchmarking, but consists of
taking an existing dBase II
application and translating it to
the language under test. We then
make comparisons on the basis of
ease of development and
maintenance, speed of operation,
etc.
Applying this method to VP-
Info, our initial results were in
direct contradiction to your own:
skips forward and backward were
almost instantaneous, as were
amendments, finds and additions
to a 1,000-record file with two
indexes. In particular, the speed
when rewriting the screen was
quite incredible.
We then transferred our test
program from the Future FX-50
on which we had been working
under C-DOS to a North Star
Dimension. The results were
quite the opposite at first, until
we tried the
SET SNOW ON
command. It would appear that
VP-Info detects the presence of a
graphics adaptor and, on the
assumption that it is of the type
which generates snow,
implements its own method for
synchronising video updates. If
you are prepared to live with
video snow, or if your graphics
adaptor does not have this
problem, using the Set Snow
command makes a tremendous
difference to the performance.
ROGER ASH,
Ideal Computer Systems,
Kingston upon Thames,
Surrey. [WO
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
AMIGA A-2000
ONE OF the machines hidden away
from the prying eyes of the general
public was the first of the next
genetation of Amigas. Interest-
ingly enough it still uses 4?68000
rather than a 68020 as its base pro-
cessor; however, the machine ts
designed to be easily upgraded.
There will also be an A-2020
model which will have the 68020 as
standard.
RAM starts at 1Mbyte, and can
be expanded up to 2Mbyte on the
motherboard and S8Mbyte with
cards. There is room for two 3.5in.
drives — floppy or hard — and one
5.25in. drive. The dual Amiga/
IBM approach is further reflected
in the internal slots: there are three
Amiga slots and four eight-bit IBM
slots.
This hybrid approach is clearly
aimed at allaying fears about the
lack of general applicability of the
Amiga A-2000 in business. At the
same time it preserves the
machine’s advanced graphics ae
bilities. Co-processing is very |
much the order of the day, and
Transputers are another possible
future enhancement. Commodore
says that it will be possible to cut
and paste between the Amiga and
IBM environments.
Perhaps the most impressive
feature of the machine is the likely
price. At the time of going to press
this was thought to be about
£2,000 for a system including a
hard disc.
Commodore was also showing a
range of video products. A genlock
device for use with interactive
video was on show from Ariadne |
Software. The cost is £430; a frame
grabber costs £699. Details are
available on 01-960 0203. Also on
show was an Amiga linked up toa
Polaroid Palette presentation
system.
Lasers at lower cost
EPSON is launching its first laser
printer, the GQ-3500, in May. At
the show the machine was hidden
away inside the Epson stand, pro-
bably to prevent it diverting atten-
tion from products that are
immediately available.
Aimed primarily at word-
processing users, the GQ-3500 is a
very compact machine with a maxi-
mum speed of six pages a minute.
The price is still to be announced,
but is likely to be very keen — pos-
sibly under £1,500. For more
information contact Epson U.K.,
Dorland House, 388 High Road,
Wembley, Middlesex, UB8 2XW.
Telephone: 01-902 8892.
Citizen’s Overture 110 goes on
sale in April and costs £1,995. It is
faster than the Epson offering,
with a maximum speed of 10 pages
a minute, and has a 250-sheet
paper tray as standard against the
Epson 150. Further information is
available from Citizen Europe,
Wellington House, 4-10 Cowley
Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8
2XW. Telephone: (0895) 72621.
Among the mote expensive laser
printers at the show were two from |
Texas Instruments, the Omnilaser
2108 and 2115. Both these
machines are Postscript com-
patible so they would be well
suited to desk-top publishing
applications. They also support
HPGL, making them capable of
emulating plotters for CAD/CAM
work.
The Omnilaser 2108 costs
£5,195 and has a maximum speed
of eight pages a minute, while the
£7,195 Omnilaser 2115 can get up
to 15 pages a minute. They come
complete with the appropriate
interfaces to enable you to connect
them to either IBM or Apple
Macintosh systems.
Contact Texas Instruments at
Manton Lane, Bedford MK41
7PA. Telephone: (0234) 270111.
Amstrad PC add-ons
TWO new peripherals from
Amstrad were of particular
interest. The first is the DMP-4000
wide-carriage printer. It claims
200cps in draft mode and 5O0cps
when printing NLQ. It is 136
characters wide, comes with tractor
and friction feed, and uses a
standard parallel Centronics
interface. The cost is £349.
Also launched at the show was
the PC Card Modem which, as its
name suggests, is an internal
modem card. It provides both
V-21 300/300 baud and V-23
1,200/75 baud standards. It has
autodial and auto-answer and is
Hayes compatible.
The software which comes with
it is Datatalk, offering viewdata, a
telephone directory for up to 128
numbers, Xmodem and Kermit
protocols. The modem is fully
approved and costs £149. Details
from Amstrad, Brentwood House,
169 Kings Road, Brentwood, Essex
CM14 4EF. Telephone: (0277)
230222.
Sinclair on the move with Z-88
SIR CLIVE SINCLAIR has bounced
back into the limelight with a
lap-portable computer.
Priced at a few pennies under
£200, the Z-88 measures
approximately 12in. by 8in.
by lin. It is based around a
CMOS Z-80 eight-bit pro-
cessor and contains 128K of
ROM and 32K RAM,
expandable to 3Mbyte.
The display consists of an
eight- by 80-character LCD
featuring the latest supet-twist
technology. The interfaces
provided with the machine
are three cartridge ports, a
Z-80 expansion bus and an
RS-232 port for printer
connection. No disc-drive
option has so far been
announced.
The operating system for
the Z-88 is proprietary to
Cambridge Computer and is
called C-DOS. Also bundled
with the machine is a suite of
applications including
spreadsheet, word processing,
database, diary/calendar and
calculator. BBC Basic is also
built-in. All software is held
in ROM.
The Z-88 is to be sold by
mail order. Cambridge
Computer says that it will
begin shipping machines to,
customers from the beginning
of April.
For further information
contact Cambridge Computer,
Sidney House, Sussex Street,
Cambridge CB1 1PA.
Telephone: (0223) 312216.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
APRICOT has launched its IBM-
compatible 80386-based micro.
The new machine, called the Xen-i
386, is expected to become avail-
able in the early summer.
The new micro will be available
in two versions. The Xen-i 386/30
is fitted with a 30Mbyte hard disc
and 1Mbyte of RAM as standard.
This is the base configuration cost-
ing £2,999. The only other model
-so far announced is the Xen-i
386/45. It has a 45Mbyte hard disc
drive and comes with 2Mbyte of
RAM as standard. The 386/45
model is priced at £3,999.
At first glance, the system unit
looks identical to that of the earlier
Xen-i models. But where the
80286-based Xen-i machines had
an external power supply the new
models have an internally fitted
unit. The keyboard has also been
altered and is now compatible with
the IBM ATE layout. Apricot has
finally abandoned the micro-
screen; its functions are now sup-
ported by a pull-down window on
the main screen. Two floppy-disc
options are available: a 1.44Mbyte
3.5in. unit or an AT-style
1.2Mbyte 5.25in. drive.
The Xen-i 386 series retains the
half-height backplane expansion
configuration pioneered by the
Xen-i. By using its full expansion
capabilities memory can be expan-
ded to 8Mbyte.
APRICOT JOINS
THE 386 CLUB
In order to make use of the extra
memory Apficot is to supply
Microsoft's new expanded memory
manager, known as EMM/ 386. As
well as providing the usual bank-
switching techniques, the system
uses the advanced 80386 memory-
management unit and the chip’s
Virtual 8086 mode to provide an
extended DOS area to 846K. Like
Compaq, Apricot has provided a
utility on its 80386 machine to
copy the BIOS ROM into fast
RAM.
In a bid to move the Apricot
brand name further up-market,
the company has also announced
the Apricot VX — not to be con-
fused with the Research Machines
8036 machine of the same name —
based around the Xen-i 386. An
external sub-system provided with
the VX series supplies either
70Mbyte, 157Mbyte or 268Mbyte
of hard-disc capacity. Up to four
sub-systems can be daisy-chained
together, giving a maximum capa-
city of 1.8Gbyte. The VX sub-
system can also be configured to
support a variety of LANs via the
Apricot Network pack. They
include Xenix-Net, Token Ring
and Ethernet .
Further details are available
from Apricot plc, 111 Hagley
Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
B1G 8LB. Telephone: 021-456
1234.
—_———S S — ee
Compact Compaq
COMPAQ COMPUTER unveiled its new Portable III machine on the first
day of the show. Three versions have been announced. The model 1
has no hard disc and is priced at £3,250, while the model 20 features a
20Mbyte hard disc and costs £3,950. The final version in the range is
the model 40, which has a 40Mbyte hard disc and a £4,395 price tag.
The Portable HI measures 8in. by 10in. by 16in. and weighs 18]b.
The 80286 processor is clocked to run at 12MHz. Compaq has fitted
the machine with 640K of RAM, expandable to 6.6Mbyte on the
motherboard. Also provided as standard across the range is a 5.25in.
floppy-disc drive.
The most striking feature of the Portable III is the built-in plasma
screen. Compatible with the IBM Colour Graphics Adaptor (CGA),
the screen is claimed to be the first to support shading and highlight-
ing of text.
Further details from Compaq Computer Ltd, Ambassador House,
Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SQ. Telephone 01-940 8860.
Software roundup
THIS YEAR'S SHOW was not particulary notable for software launches,
with most of the major packages on display having already received
coverage in the computer press. What activity there was took place
mostly on the spreadsheet front.
Lifetree Software, the company responsible for the Volkswriter word
processors, launched Words & Figures. At £99 this package provides a
SEVERAL new input scannefs were in evidence at the show, designed for
handling both graphic images and text. Hewlett-Packard introduced
its Scanjet, a £2,000 flat-bed A4 scanner intended mainly for desk-top
publishing applications. The flat-bed design means that artwork is
not damaged by being fed past rollers, and also makes it possible to
scan images from bound books.
The HP Scanjet can scan at the same resolution as most laser
printers, 300 dots per inch, and will turn continuous-tone images such
as photographs into 16 levels of grey. The HP stand was decked with
slogans announcing the formation of an HP alliance with Aldus and
Microsoft to attack the IBM desk-top publishing market, and the
Scanjet was in use with Aldus PC Pagemaker. For information on the
Scanjet contact Hewlett-Packard, Enquiry Section, Eskdale Road,
Winnersh Triangle, Wokingham, Berkshire RG11 1DZ. Telephone:
(0734) 696622.
Canon is releasing optical character recognition software for its
existing roller-fed IX-12 scanner. This enables you to read typewritten
documents directly, converting the page placed in the scanner into a
WordStar, Word Perfect or ASCII file for subsequent word processing
ot desk-top publishing use.
With the OCR software the [X-12 will cost around £1,550 when it
goes on sale in March or April; the scanner on its own is £1,100. The
conversion process takes about two or three minutes per page. Small-
size typeset material cannot be fead accurately, but most common
typewriter founts are supported. For details refer to Canon (U.K.),
Canon House, Manor Road, Wallington, Surrey SM6 OAJ.
Telephone: 01-773 3173.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
spreadsheet closely compatible with Lotus 1-2-3 along with a built-in
word processor. Details are available from Lifetree Software (Europe),
Lowndes House, The Bury, Church Street, Chesham, Buckinghamshire
HP5 1HH. Telephone: (0794) 772422.
CSD launched Silk. This £295 spreadsheet is again compatible with
most Lotus 1-2-3 commands, but aims to be easier to use. Formulae
can be specified with keywords rather than cell ranges, for example.
Further information can be obtained from CSD, Unit B11, Armstrong
Mall, Southwood Summit Centre, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14
ONP. Telephone: (0252) 522200.
Integrated 7, a seven-function all-in-one package which itself
incorporates a good Lotus-style spreadsheet, is now being imported by
Neric Automation. Priced at under £80, Integrated 7 offers good
graphics and a powerful database function. Contact Neric Automation,
Gunsell Lodge, Wood Lane, Tugby, Leicester LE7 9WD.
Software Publishing was showing off its new PFS Professional Plan
spteadsheet, along with the latest version of Harvard Project Manager.
PFS Professional Plan costs £299. It can read Lotus files and has things
like keyword formulae and the usual high-grade easy-to-use PFS
interface. Harvard Total Project Manager II costs £475. For further
details contact Software Publishing Europe, 85-87 Jermyn Street,
London SW1Y 6JD. Telephone: 01-839 3864.
Tekware had several CAD and presentation-graphics packages on
display, among them the new Graph Station. This £560 package will
read Lotus files directly, and lets you quickly regraph data when you
make alterations in the underlying spreadsheet. Details from Tekware,
Palladium House,139-141 Worcester Road, Hagley, West Midlands
DY9 ONG. Telephone: (0562) 882125. PC)
Whatever the make of
your computer,
a Fujitsu printer
will
power it up.
Just plug in and begin.
Fujitsu printers are hardware and software compatible with
almost every single computer system on the market today.
Which means that when you buy a Fujitsu printer, all you
need do is plug it into your computer, and then plug it into the
wall. And off you go. Nothing could be simpler.
It’s not so simple with some other makes of printer. So be
careful when you shop.
Fujitsu printers are not only plug-compatible with any
computer you might find, they’re also the highest quality and
most reliable printers you can buy.
That’s because they’re made by Fujitsu, which is the largest
and most respected computer maker in Japan.
To learn more about the surprising quality, reliability — and
variety — of Fujitsu printers, please send in the coupon below. Or
write to: Fujitsu Europe Ltd., Royal Trust House, 54 Jermyn St., London
SW1Y 6NO, England.
p= ae
Japan’s No. 1 computer maker FYUJITSU
eS ||
oes Ses Sep 5 SS SS ee ee 4
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Sanaa |
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DL2400 DX2100 DX2200 SP320 ; DPL24 |
I'd like to know more about Fujitsu printers. |
Please send information on the following: |
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O DL2400 (24 pin dot-matrix) Address: a
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Fujitsu Europe Ltd. Royal Trust House, 54 Jermyn St., London SWTY 6NQ, England. Phone: (44-1) 408-0043
Transputer
for IBM
INMOS, the Transputer-
manufacturing subsidiary of
Thorn EMI, is reported to have
won a $21 million contract from
IBM. The order is said to be for the
G-170 graphics-based version of
the Transputer.
The normal price for these
| devices is in the region of £50 each.
| Translated into the size of the
order, this means that at least
274,000 G-170s would have been
ordered; with the big discounts
IBM is sure to have obtained even
more devices will have been
involved.
Neither IBM or Inmos is willing
to comment on the deal or what it
means for future IBM products.
=_]
Intel
launches
80386
board
INTEL has released the Inboard
386/AT, an accelerator board
which puts the power of an 80386
processor into a standard AT. The
chip runs at 16MHz and _ has
sockets for both the 80287 and
‘80387 maths co-processors.
To boost performance, Intel has
fitted high-speed cache memory
on to the board. The Inboard
386/AT can be fitted with up to
1Mbyte of 32-bit RAM. Up to
3Mbyte can be supported by using
piggybacked RAM boards.
Extra extended memory is util-
ised by MS-DOS via the Intel
Expanded Memory Manager, dev-
eloped by Microsoft. It is essent-
ially an 80386 version of the LIM
EMS specification which has
proved popular for the PC and AT
ranges; it allows additional mem-
ory to be banked into DOS’s
1Mbyte address space.
Also bundled with the card is
control software to allow the user
to take advantage of the chip’s
virtual 386 mode.
Prices for the Inboard start at
£1,740. With the additional
iMbyte memory the price rises to
£2,230. The prices do not include
the necessry cabling to the 80286
socket on the motherboard, which
costs an extra £195. The piggyback
RAM boards cost an additional
£630 for 1Mbyte and £1,110 for
2Mbyte.
For details contact First Soft-
ware, Intec 1, Wade Road, Basing-
stoke, Hampshire RG24 ONE.
Telephone: (0256) 463344.
DEC’S MINI
ON A DESK
IN RESPONSE to the upward mig-
ration of microcomputers to the
minicomputer arena, DEC, the
Minicomputer giant, has fought
back with a four-user version of its
popular Microvax range priced at
under £10,000.
The Microvax 2000 is a reduced-
capacity version of the Microvax II.
It uses the same processor and
floating-point chip set as the
Microvax II but can only support
up to 6Mbyte of RAM and
142Mbyte of disc storage. The
machine has a 5.25in. 1.2Mbyte
HARDWARE
floppy-disc drive and a 71Mbyte
hard disc built-in. Hard-disc cap-
acity can be doubled by the use of a
second external 71Mbyte hard
disc.
The price of the Microvax 2000 is
£7,571 for the hardware. The cost
together with a four-user VMS
licence at £2,080 brings the cost to |
£9,651. The price does not include
terminals. Further details from
Digital Equipment Company,
DEC Park, PO Box 110, Reading,
Berkshire RG2 OTR. Telephone:
(0734) 868711.
IBM increases memory
and speed of RT/PC
IBM HAS announced a series of en-
hancements to its Risc-architecture
machine, the 6150, otherwise
known as the RT/PC. The
company claims that the new feat-
ures double the amount of possible
memory and run the machine two
to three times faster.
There are three models in the
new range: the 115 desk-top and
the 125 and B-25 floor-standing
machines. Each of the new
machines contains the Advanced
Processor Card, which utilises
direct memory access, buffering
and an improved hard-disc format
which speeds transfer between the
disc and main memory. Also in-
cluded is a 20MHz Motorola 68881
maths co-processor and 4Mbyte of
memory. Total memory expansion |
for the new models now goes up to
16Mbyte.
The new systems will also
feature Aix version 2.1, IBM's pro-
ptietary version of Unix. Further
details from IBM (U.K.), PO Box
31, Birmingham Road, Warwick |
CB34 SJL. Telephone: (0926)
HARDWARE
SHORTS
@ Olivetti has reduced the
prices of its range of PCs. At
the top of the range, the
reductions are up to 15.5
percent. Details from 01-785
6666. .
@The first Concurrent DOS
386 products are beginning
to emerge. Among the first in
the field is Technology
Concepts Limited, which is
offering the operating system
with its multi-user systems for
between four and eight users.
Details on (06333) 72611.
@Cambridge Computer
Graphics has claimed a first
by incorporating the new
Texas Instruments 34010
32-bit graphics chip into a PC
card. The card will be known
as the Xcellerator. It has a
resolution of 1,024 by 768
pixels and a palette of 16
million colours. Details on
(0223) 214444.
@ Xitan has begun distribution
of Torrington’s three-button
cordless mouse. The Manager
Mouse uses an infrared link
with a PC and uses small
wheels instead of the
conventional ball. Further
information from (0703)
871211.
@ Pronounce is a voice-input
system which is designed to
replace up to 255 keystrokes
with a single word from a
128-word on-line vocabulary.
Phone Electrone on 01-429
2433.
B22):
Canon AT
compatible
CANON has added an AT com-
patible to its range of products.
The A-200EX HD-40 follows the
valued-added route taken by most
Japanese manufacturers. The
A-200EX is equipped with 640K
of RAM, a 1.2Mbyte floppy-disc
drive and a 4QMbyte hard-disc
drive. The machine has a switch-
able clock speed, enabling the
machine to run at either 6MHz or
8MHz.
Fitted with serial and parallel
ports as standard, the A-200EX
HD-40 has six AT expansion slots
and two PC slots. The computer is
available with either monochrome
or colour monitors, and prices start
at £4,250. For further details con-
tact Canon (U.K.), Canon House,
Manor Road, Wallington, Surrey
SM6 OAJ. Telephone: 01-773
3173.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
w § =
BORLAND SPRINT
BORLAND took the unusual step of
announcing a half-finished pro-
duct during a visit by Philippe
Kahn to steady the nerves of
market analysts. Even more
unusual is the fact that the new
Sprint is a mainstream word-
Processing product. It is notable
for its ability to mimic other pop-
ular word processors like WordStar
and Word Perfect. Although the
interface remains different —
obviously with an eye to avoiding
“look and feel’’ legal battles —
the command structure can be
mimicked.
Sprint also offers some features
of its own. For example, multiple
files, multiple windows and multi-
Digital
Research
first with
80386
DOS
DIGITAL RESEARCH has won the race
to get a version of DOS for the
80386 processor out to the
customers. The new version,
known as Concurrent DOS 386, is
already with some equipment
manufacturers and has been
demonstrated on a number of
80386-based machines. Among
the firms who have adopted the
new operating system are Jarogate
and Comart.
Concurrent DOS 386 retains
many of the features of the earlier
version of Concurrent DOS. It is
compatible with MS-DOS version
2 and Concurrent CP/M formats
and supports multi-tasking and
multi-user activities. It also sup-
ports the LIM EMS expanded-
memory specification.
Beyond that, Concurrent
DOS-386 can directly address
4Gbyte of memory, within which
each 8086 application can be
assigned up to 1Mbyte of RAM.
Digital Research says that use of
the 80386’s internal registers to
keep track of pages of information
leads to no reduction in processor
speed even if the pages are dis-
tributed throughout memory. Up
to 255 tasks can run concurrently in
this way, although for the present
limitations will be imposed by the
hardware.
Further information from
Digital Research, Oxford House,
Oxford Street, Newbury, Berk-
shire RG13 1B. Telephone:
(0635) 35304.
ple rulers can be opened simul-
taneously on-screen. Up to 24 files
can be accessed at once.
Sprint automatically saves doc-
uments as you work on them,
using the periods when you are not
typing. This means that if the
power suddenly fails you lose at
most a few seconds’ work. The pro-
gram also has extensive support for
laser >rinters, including the Post-
script language. Subject indexes,
tables of contents, footnotes and
ctoss references afe all standard
features.
If any of these features sound
familiar it is because Sprint has
been written by the authors of the
venerable Final Word package,
which had a number of similar
abilities. Sprint is expected in the
second half of the year, and will
cost $195. No U.K. price has been
announced.
Borland also gave some details
of its upgraded Sidekick Plus, as
well as releasing a Toolbox for
Turbo Prolog. Other releases
include version 2.0 of Sidekick for
the Macintosh, which now in-
cludes an outline processor and
spreadsheet. Both products cost
£69.95.
For more information on all
Borland products contact Borland
International (U.K.), 1 Great
Cumberland Place, London W1H
dBase Ill Plus add-ons
ASHTON-TATE has announced a
series of add-on products for dBase
III Plus. They are dBase Pro-
grammer’s Utilities, dBase Tools
for C Programmer’s Library, dBase
Tools for C Graphics Library, and
dBase Tools Pascal Programmer’s
Library.
The Programmer's Utilities
include over 35 dBase and DOS
utilities, including programs for
7AL. Telephone: 01-258 3797. |
SOFTWARE
SHORTS
®Version 3:1 of Smart has
been released. It includes
multi-user capabilities. Details
on 01-223 3876.
@A utility called Glue allows
you to transfer graphics
between Mac packages. The
cost is £49.95. More on
(0706) 217744.
@ Adobe Systems has
announced a new range of
downloadable founts, making
a total of 111 typefaces now
available. Details on 031-558
3333.
@dBase I! is available for the
Amstrad PC. The cost is £119,
and it is available from First
Publishing on (07357) 5244.
® RM/Cobol-85 has been
released for MS-DOS. It costs
a mere £1,155. More
information on (0992) 24981.
® Springboard Publisher is a
desk-top publishing program
for the Apple II family. It
costs £129.95, and is
available on (05806) 4278.
@ An interface to link
BOS/Writer with the
Liberator lap portable has
been announced. The price is
£100. Details on 01-831
2926.
dBase database repair, recovery
and analysis. The C programs
allow compiled C functions to be
called and executed, including
those for producing graphical out-
put. The Pascal library performs
similar functions for that
language.
All four products are priced at
£89 each and can be purchased
from Ashton-Tate dealers.
Security software
THREE packages dealing with data
security have been announced.
Maint is a disc organiser with
optional encryption. It also offers
positive file deletion: that is, files
are overwritten, not just removed
from the directory. The cost is
£49.50, or £99.50 with encryption.
More details from Sophos Partners,
20 Hawthorn Way, Kidlington,
Oxford OX5 1EZ. Telephone:
(0865) 853668.
Datalock comgs from Ferranti
and offers passwords, audit trails
and encryption. The cost is £65, or
£145 with encryption. More details
from Ferranti Computer Systems
Limited, Wythenshawe Division,
Simonsway, Wythenshawe, Man-
chester M22 5LA. Telephone:
061-499 3355.
Protec is a similar package
offering access control and
encryption. The cost is £170, and it
is available from IPE Corporation,
37b New Cavendish Street,
London W1M 8jR. Telephone:
01-794 8343.
Ingres
tok PCs
INGRES is one of the most popular
relational databases for minis and
mainframes. A version has now
been released for micros which
allows information to be swapped
across easily between different
levels of systems.
The publisher of the program,
Relational Technology Inter-
national, claims that Ingres
Release 5.0 is the fastest full-
function relational database avail-
able.
To run Ingres on a PC or com-
patible you need at least 640K
RAM and 5Mbyte of non-volatile
storage. The package costs £850.
More details from Relational
Technology International, Anchor
House, 15-19 Britten Street,
London SW3 3TY. Telephone:
01-351 7722.
PCW-8256 Menu Mate
MENU MATE is a keyboard template
which fits over the Amstrad
PCW-8256 keyboard and provides
a list of option abbreviations,
special key combinations and.
copy, cut and paste instructions
The cost is £6.99 including VAT,
plus £1.25 for postage and
packing. More details from
Richman Software, 14-16 Little
Walk, Harlow, Essex CM20 1HY.
Telephone: (0279) 25401. PC
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Manuscript. How to proces
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Laila is Mantiseript
You may be content with your present word
processor. And it’s easy to understand why.
Even the clumsiest word processor is light years
beyond the electric typewriter, the accepted standard
only a decade ago. However, just the term word pro-
cessing conjures up a rather modest expectation. The
ability to process words.
business and technical professionals.
Very often documents require the
mixing of text and graphics on the same
page, for example, graphics from Lotus
1-2-3, Symphony and Freelance Plus. With
Manuscript you can import spreadsheets
and charts, as well as diagrams and
But, the mere processing of words is hardly the scanned images.
challenge today. When you're creating a 20-page report, Another feature that goes beyond
an 80-page proposal, a 200-page specification, or just ee conventional word processing is Manu-
a 2-page letter, you often have to work with graphics, equations, | script’s integrated Outliner. When you reduce the document to a
tables and more. series of headlines, youre able to navigate more easily than wading
That's simply too much to ask of a product designed to | through the entire piece. You can move a page, or even an entire
process words. But, that's exactly what you can expect from Lotus | chapter with just a few keystrokes.
Manuscript, it provides a complete document creation system for Because Manuscript understands the structure of your docu-
IL Lom
gE not just words.
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ment, you can globally format an entire document or format by | compatibles. Its familiar 1-2-3 interface makes it easy to use.
individual sections. Imagine changing all headlines from 14 point | And our Manuscript evaluation kit makes it easy to try. Send us the
plain text to 16 point bold, by a simple menu selection. coupon together with £15 and we'll send you a presentation disk,
Manuscript’s Document Compare feature highlights changes | trial software, and a 100-page tutorial manual.
between revisions for fool proof proof-reading, It won't just impress you. It'll convince you.
Also, Manuscript automatically sizes and generates maths | To. Lotus Development (UK) Ltd., Consort House, Victoria Street, Windsor,
equations as well as upper and lower case Greek symbols, | Berks. SL4 IEX. Tel: (0734) 342875.
diacritical marks and brackets 1 enclose £15” for my Manuscript evaluation kit. C]
; ; Please send me more information on Manuscript. L]
With our powerful Print Formatter you have complete | yame
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AZTECC
For the IBM-PC MS-DOS, Apple lle,
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COMMERCIAL versions also include
library sources and ROM support plus
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DE-SMET C
For Apricot and PCs, this fast small
model compiter includes an
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PHOENIX PRODUCTS
PMATE — the programmable
programmers editor.
PLINK-86 — fast versatile overlay
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PforCe — the C source library with
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PFix 86 Plus — Symbolic Debugger
FORTRAN
Fortran-77 compilers for MS-DOS and
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We also stock Fortran compilers for
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We stock the complete range of
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LATTICEC
THe LATTICE C Compiler, the
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Included are four memory models and
8087 support. also from LATTICE the
C SPRITE gennagels DOB-IIC and DB-
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MICROSOFT C
Supports all Intel memory models
with 8087 support and overlay linker.
Symmetric to the Microsoft XENIX C
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C LIBRARIES
Add-on libraries are available for C for
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ASSEMBLER
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CROSS ASSEMBLERS (Macros,
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Telephone: (0273) 727119
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
BY JACK SCHOFIELD
FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE
BRITISH TELECOM’S PIECEMEAL APPROACH TO DATA COMMUNICATIONS MAY LEAVE THE U.K.
VULNERABLE TO ATTACK BY ITS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS.
Si: privatisation British Telecom has
pushed ahead into computerisation and
data services. This is more than updating its
vast number of ancient mechanical tele-
phone exchanges with System X digital
switches. BT is trying new markets at last.
For example it has bought the inter-
national Dialcom electronic-mail network,
following its success with Telecom Gold. It is
trying to start a value-added services net-
work, Vascom. It has produced a decent
reasonably priced telephone work station,
the Qwertyphone, to supplement the
Tonto, which came out of the Sinclair QL via
ICL’s One Per Desk. It is computerising its
directory-enquiries system. Most recently it
has opened an on-line version of Electronic
Yellow Pages, and launched a Photo Video-
tex system. It is pioneering in both the new
X.400 message-handling systems, and Inte-
grated Services Digital Network. It is going
to pioneer the use of credit-card sized optical
storage using the Drexler Lasercard.
With all these developments BT is mobil-
ising its resources, like an army marching off
to war. This commercial war will be fought
over the international communications
arena. Its foes are AT&T and the Bell
operating companies, Ericsson, ITT, the
European telecomms suppliers, Japan’s
NTT and many more, all competing in
various shifting alliances. All seek world
domination.
From this point of view it isn’t very
important whether BT engineers work a
nine-day fortnight or who pays for the 999
service. These questions seem vital to unions
and politicians whose views stretch little
further than Tower Hamlets, but if this view
prevails then U.K. Ltd really is done for.
International communications, data and
value-added services are the next big thing.
If BT loses the way the Rover Group lost to
Ford and General Motors, or the way ICL
lost to IBM, then you can forget about
Britain holding its position as a nation in the
middle of Division Two.
The problem with marching an army off
to war is that the first batallions are well
down the road before the ones at the back
are even called to attention. BT has just this
problem, which is why certain areas of
apparent inactivity should not bother us
much. What is of more importance is
whether the batallions at the front are
matching in the right direction. I’m not sure
that they are.
While BT is entering new markets,
offering new services and pushing forward
with new ideas, I cannot understand what its
strategy is. Is it simply hoping that lots of
minor successes will somehow add up to a
viable share of the market? Or is it still
working on a grand design?
It seems that the French have a grand
design, expressed through a series of con-
crete aims, and that these aims are right
while BT's are wrong. First, the French
recognise that data communications are the
highways of the future, so France has built
an integrated highway system called
Transpac. Second, people need terminals to
access Transpac, so it is installing them in
homes at a rate of over 1,000,000 a year.
Third, there has to be some sort of applic-
ation to bring the system into use.
The French answer for the general public
is the directory-enquiries service. People
with Teletel terminals can use them to look
up phone numbers. Businesses use the
system for local government and commercial
communications. In some areas you can fill
in financial statements and various applic-
ation forms on-line, instead of using paper.
None of this is as unprofitable as it might
sound. Directory enquiries are free, but
when you use Transpac for other services the
charges appear on your telephone bill. The
calculation is that within four years these pay
for the cost of the terminal.
Of course there are vast savings on the cost
of printed directories, which provide a long-
term benefit even after the system is running
profitably. There are further savings on
directory-enquiries staff. With the gov-
ernment services, the data entered by bus-
iness usefs can go straight into databases,
instead of having to be typed ‘in. Ex-
periments have also shown increased eff-
iciency as fewer forms are filed late or filled
in incorrectly. The exercise is also valuable in
building up computer literacy.
Installing vast numbers of terminals
means they can be produced very cheaply.
Having millions of users creates a huge
market for on-line services: the French
system is growing by an average of three a
day. This is building up a strong group of
information-technology suppliers, hardware
manufacturers and software firms who can
compete on the world market.
By contrast, BT has Prestel, a videotex
system which assumes the user has a mod-
ified television set and a keypad telephone.
Prestel has failed. Second, it has Telecom
Gold, which is an ASCII service licensed
from Dialcom. While this is accessible via
Packet Switch Stream (PSS), the U.K. equiv-
alent of Transpac, the provision of PSS ports
in most parts of the country is lamentable at
best. Third, it has just started the Electronic
Yellow Pages, but this is shackled to the
Prestel format, and although it is free it does
mean phoning a computer in Reading.
Fourth, BT has a range of network services,
but if you know the difference between PSS,
IPSS, Multistream, — Bpad, Epad, Rpad,
Spad, Tpad, Vpad, Kilostream, Mega-
stream, IDA, ISDN and Vascom then you
probably work for BT. Fifth, BT is spending
over £80 million on directory-enquiries com-
puters, complete with data lines from four
main computer centres, but only its own
operators have access so you phone the
operator who asks the computer and then
tells you the answer!
Now the better informed can argue that
the French system is not as simple as I’ve
made out, while BT’s systems are not as con-
fusing. My point is slightly different: the
French present a clear strategy, while BT
does not present anything clearly and does
not appear to have a strategy at all.
Nor am I suggesting that BT should
suddenly start installing millions of free
terminals in people’s homes. My point is
that it is clearly right to put the digital
network at the centre of your com-
munications strategy, and it is wrong to put
a lot of separate computers at the centre of
their own restricted networks, especially if
they cannot even talk toone another. If-both
government and industry are going to have
their own separate networks too, this just
makes it even worse.
If an army has a winning strategy it can
afford to lose some battles along the way.
Not everything the French have done has
been right. However, if an army’s only strat-
egy is to win by winning the minor battles it
is likely to lose in the long run, because every
defeat is a setback.
Looking at BT from this point of view ts
not reassuring. Prestel has been a flop. BT’s
directory-enquiries. installation seems to
have been a shambles. Telecomsoft spent a
lot of money buying other software houses,
like Beyond, without getting much in the
way of saleable product. Hotline has
adopted what I think is the wrong approach
in charging a very high price up front and
offering only a limited range of data. As for
the Electronic Yellow Pages, this is the worst
designed database | have ever accessed.
No doubt there are problems, waking up
a sleepy old giant through privatisation. But
if | knew where BT was going and what it
was trying to do, | would feel more con-
fident about the future. As it ts, 1 fear the
WOTst.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
ies
EVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH
MS-DOS?
Look what was said about Q-Ref, our on-line MS-DOS |
Guide, tutorial and syntax checker:
“Q-Ref should be given away free with every PC
compatible and every copy of MS-DOS”.
Micro Decision Feb ’87 |
STOP!
WE’VE GOT THE
PRICES YOU NEED!
WHY PAY MORE?
CLIPPER NEW RELEASE 399 RRP 595
DBASE II 258 RRP 395
DBASE fll PLUS 344 RRP 595
LOTUS 1-2-3 239 RRP 395
LOTUS MANUSCRIPT 275 = RRP 495
MS WORD 269 = RRP 425
MULTIMATE ADVANTAGE 270 = RRP 495
QUICKSILVER DB COMPILER 335 RRP 460
SMART 3 __ 379 RRP 695
SUPERCALC 4 218 RRP 396
SUPERPROJECT PLUS 299 RRP 495
WORD PERFECT : 255 RRP 425_
WORDSTAR 2000 PLUS 279 RRP 549
WORDSTAR PROFESSIONAL 204 RRP 399
XCHANGE 235 RRP 495
“. .Should find it useful in avoiding ‘DOS-error’
disasters”.
What Micro? Feb ’87
“‘Not only is it very easy to use, but it also fulfills a long
standing need for MS-DOS users.”’
“. .it is virtually impossible to type in an incorrect
MS-DOS commana”,
Micro Decision Feb ’87
NOW Q-REF + at £39.95 including VAT.
— includes help for EDLIN and DEBUG.
— gives you the option of customising your own help
screens.
WHY NOT CIRCLE THE ENQUIRY CARD OR CALL
FOR MORE INFORMATION.
NVS SOLUTIONS LTD,
HOWARD HOUSE, LLOYD ST., ALTRINCHAM,
CHESHIRE, WA14 2DE.
Tel: 061 941 5921 Telex: 668860
* Dealer enquiries welcome.
[HARDWARE SELECTION =] > circle 148 on enquiry card <
AST FLASHPACK 292 RRP 395
. MICROTOMICRO "\
SWAP FILE TRANSFER
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AST SIXPACK PREMIUM 512K 313 RRP 425
BROTHER HR25XL DAISYWHEEL 550 rrp 695
EPSON LQ-—1000 MATRIX 650 = RRP 3835
EPSON LQ—2500 MATRIX 799 — RRP1045
EVEREX 20MB STREAMER EXT 686 RRP 995
EVEREX 20MB STREAMER INT 617 RRP 895
HERCULES COLOUR 99 RRP 129°
HERCULES MONO PLUS 179 RRP 245
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talking toeach other!”
SWAP allows you to transfer any programs and data between 2
computers of different manufacture. SWAP consists of 2 floppy
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are some of the formats available:
IBM PC IBM Compatibles Sirius
Apricot Apple (CP/M) HP150
Televideo Superbrain BBC
Sanyo 555 DEC Rainbow Kaypro
If your format is not in our extensive range we can usually produce it at little
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The price of SWAP is £158 (£135 plus VAT and postage and packing). Please
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MERCATOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS LTD
9 Elmdale Road, Clifton, Bristol] BS8 1SL
Telephone: (0272) 293231
Telex 44220 Comtel Ref 247
Prices shown are for |BM/compatibles. All prices subject to
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20 PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
-SOFTWARE
FEO Se y, i
guise
RATS
4
A WAY WITH WORDS
BORLAND’S TURBO LIGHTNING AND WORD WIZARD PACKAGES CAN BE USED TO SIMPLIFY A LOT OF
WORD-ORIENTATED PROGRAMMING TASKS.
A nybody trying to write a word-based
program faces a major snag. Whether
it is a simple word grid or a: full-blown
Scrabble game, the program needs some way
of knowing if a given combination of letters
makes a legitimate English word. Nobody
has yet come up with a programmable
method of distinguishing meaningless
character strings from genuine vocabulary.
To work properly, word-orientated software
must have access to a dictionary.
Of course, there is nothing unusual about
computer-readable dictionaries. Every spell-
ing checker has one. The trouble is that it is
not usually possible to get at them from
within your own programs. The internal lay-
outs of the dictionaries are not generally
published. Because they come in a highly
compressed form, rather than as straight
ASCII files, there is no way that producers of
third-party software can take advantage of
them.
Recently, however, a number of products
have appeared which aim to overcome this
problem. The best-known is Borland In-
ternational’s Turbo Lightning. As well as a
very respectable dictionary — up to 85,000
words, depending on disc space — this
package also sports a sizeable thesaurus. But
its most interesting feature is its open
architecture.
Turbo Lightning is really three products
in one. First, there is tne software that is seen
by the end-user: the memory-resident
spelling checker and synonym finder. It is
designed to work on top of other
applications and is accessed via a set of pull-
down ‘menus and hot keys. Then there are
the actual reference files — the dictionary
and thesaurus — with hooks for any other
lists chat might be published in the future.
Between these two there is the layer of
software that is of most interest to the
programmer: the Turbo Lightning engine.
This is the gateway through which ordinary
programs can get at the Lightning reference
files. The engine is memory resident and
consists of 16 function calls for interrogating
and searching the dictionary, for finding
synonyms and sound-alike words, for work-
ing with word tokens, and quite a lot more.
Calling the ‘Turbo Lightning engine ts
similar to calling the ROM BIOS. When
Lightning is installed, it takes over interrupt
16 hex, the BIOS keyboard i interrupt. To call
the engine, you issue an Int 16H with a
special signature in the AH and BH
registers, and a function code in BL. To
avoid - interfering with normal keyboard
operation, any calls that do not follow this
WORD FINDER
program WordFinder;
= ae Eee
{Finds all words that can be made from a given word or phrase; needs Turbo
Pascal, Turbo Lightning (TL), and Word Wizard - all published by Borland)
{$I ENGINE. WW
type
Word=stringl32];
const
KeyWord: Word=‘SOFTWARE‘;
KeyLen=85
MinLen=33
var
DictWord: Words
KeyIndx: integer;
DuasyReply: booleany
CurrLetter: char;
the Word Wizard library for TL}
{the starting word - this is just an exaaple)
{length of the key word}
{miniaum length allowed for derived words)
function LettersMatch(test,targetrWord): boolean;
{returns true if the test word can be made from letters of target word)
var
LetPos, j: integery
fails boolean3
chi chary
begin
jisty fails=false;
while (j<elength(test)) and not fail do
begin
ch:=upcase(test(j});
LetPoss=posi(ch,target)y;
if LetPos>0 then
target(LetPos}i=°
else
fails=truey
jrsjely
endy
LettersMatch:=not fail}
ends {of LettersMatch}
begin {main program)
DummyReply:=LightningPresentys
DedicateLightning (truely
for KeyIndxt=t to KeyLen do
begin
CurrLetter!=KeyWord(KeyIndx];
repeat
DictWord: =GetNextWordinRange;
if length(DictWord)>0O then
if LettersMatch(DictWord,KeyWord) then
write(DictWordi:10);
until length (DictWord) =0;
ends
DedicateLightning (false);
end.
pattern are forwarded by the engine to the
BIOS.
For example, if you wanted to look up a
certain word in the dictionary you would cail
the engine with function 01 specified in BL,
and with DS:SI pointing to the word. If
Turbo Lightning finds the word, you will get
back its physical address within the
dictionary and also its unique 24-bit serial
number. These details are passed via an area
(extract the next letter)
(look for it in the target}
(if found, delete it from target}
{otherwise, the test has failed)
(initialise TL work areas)
(stop user getting at TL directly}
{for each letter’ in the keyword)
{extract the letter}
OumayReplyi =InitRangeSearch (CurrLetter,MinLen,KeyLen);
{set parameters for TL search}
(get next dictionary word that conforas
to these parameters)
{print if it can be-made froa keyword?)
{empty TL word means end of search}
{end of current letter}
(release TL for user}
of memory called the Data Interchang:
Table.
Not all programmers, of course, like
working with registers and interrupts, even
if their high-level language allows them to
do so. To help them out, Borland has
published'Word Wizard, containing among
other things a Turbo Pascal toolbox for
calling the Turbo Lightning engine. It
consists of around two dozen Pascal
Leena (continued on next page)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
21
ee a
(continued from previous page)
functions and procedures which roughly
match the tasks performed by the interrupt
calls.
Word Wizard is also the main source of
documentation for the interrupts. But you
do not need to understand these details in
order to use the Pascal routines, nor do you
have to code in Turbo Pascal if you are happy
to call the interrupts yourself.
To illustrate the use of the Turbo Lightn-
ing engine I decided to use the Word
Wizard library to write a simple word-puzzle
solver. The sort of puzzle I had in mind is a
familiar one: given a word or short phrase
you have to see how many words of three or
more letters you can derive from it.
The obvious approach is to generate every
combination of at least three letters that can |
be made from the starting word, then to.
check each of them against the dictionary.
But this would involve some horrific pro-
gramming. Just rearranging the letters in
every possible way would require a complex
iterative or recursive process, even before
you consider the need for strings of different
lengths.
There would also be the problem of
running time. Suppose that you started with
an eight-letter word and you generated every
eight-letter combination; for each of these
you then took the first seven letters, then the
first six, and so on down to three. You would
have ended up with nearly a quarter of a
million words to look up, many of which
would have been duplicated.
Fortunately, there is a better way. Given
that there are around 85,000 words in the
Lightning dictionary, it is faster to look up
every one and to test it against the starting
word than it is to attempt to find all possible
combinations of the letters. It is also a good
deal easier to program.
In fact you can do even better. The Turbo
Lightning engine allows both direct and
sequential access, as well as combinations of
the two. Thus you can go straight to the first
word that begins with a specified letter and
proceed sequentially until this initial letter
changes. You therefore only need to retrieve
those words that start with each different
letter from your starting word.
This is the strategy that I adopted for my
word-finding program, the complete listing
of which appeats on the previous page. It
uses just four of the 16 routines from the
Word Wizard toolbox. The library itself is
contained in a separate Include file named
Engine. WW.
The first routine called is Lightning
Present and simply performs internal
initialisation. Init Range Search is used to
establish the starting letter for subsquent
lookups. The searches can be further refined
by specifying a minimum and maximum
word length. Get Next Word In Range then
returns each word in turn that meets these
criteria. When the search is complete the
function returns a zero-length string.
Remember that Turbo Lightning is
memory resident and is designed to be used
at the same time as other programs. If the
user of my program tried to get at Lightning
directly, via its pull-down menus or hot
keys, there would be a risk of the engine’s
internal pointers going adrift. To prevent
this you have to call Dedicate Lightning to
deny ordinary user access.
To test the program I chose the starting
word ‘‘software.’’ This resulted in 18,140
words being retrieved from the dictionary,
200 of which provided correct solutions to
the puzzle. If any of the letters in my
starting word had been repeated the
program would have needed a test to
prevent the same letter from being used
twice to initialise a search.
Proper nouns are usually disallowed in
these puzzles, but the Lightning dictionary
has over 1,600 of them. My program found
three, as well as quite a few abbreviations.
The dictionary is of course American; words
with British spellings would not be found.
The program certainly ran fast, taking less
than one minute on my Olivetti M-24.
Accessing the dictionary takes about two
milliseconds, and you can do a sequential
pass of the entire file in under three
minutes,
SIMILAR
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22
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
NAME
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THEO NE? 064-3310 653 le: TELEX: 6690925.
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The HR-40 prints faster, at 40 characters per second.
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And because they are an integral part of the printer,
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There are a whole host of typestyles and pitches, and
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Being in a cassette, it’s simply a cinch to change.
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For further information, just fill _ £ EX VAT.
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MORE THAN A
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The Amstrad 8256 offers you
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cl a 7
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Home user] Office userL) (Please tick)
Name
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~ 4/87 /PC/8256
Company-
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Amstrad, PO Box 462, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4EEF.
Telephone: (0277) 230222. =i]
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Qa
ANOTHER SPIN OF THE WHEEL
ALTHOUGH THE JAPANESE ARE CURRENTLY CLEAR LEADERS ON THE WORLD CHIP MARKET
CONDITIONS ARE CHANGING IN A WAY THAT COULD FAVOUR THE EUROPEANS.
J the top three positions in a ranking
based on annual semiconductor sales world-
wide. This is worrying a lot of people in the
U.S., not least those in the Pentagon. Ex-
pected soon is a high-level Defense Depart-
ment task force report, whose findings, in
standard defence industry fashion, have
already been made widely known.
The report will warn that unless the U.S.
semiconductor industry can find a way to
regain its previous position of world leader-
ship in the design and manufacture of
advanced memory and microprocessor
devices, then the whole basis of present U.S.
defence strategy will be threatened. That
strategy has traditionally been based on the
reassuring assumption that the numerical
advantage of certain potential adversaries
can be more than offset by the techni-
cal superiority of U.S. weapons and
equipment, a superiority based largely on
advanced electronics and hence semi-
conductor leadership.
Already a high percentage of the semi-
conductor chips used in new U.S. military
equipment is of overseas origin — mainly
Japanese. Since Japan is now one of the
United States’ closest allies this may not
seem like a particularly worrisome problem
for the Pentagon, but unfortunately it is not
quite as simple as that, as the report reminds
us. Chip technology is the driver for all
electronic design innovation. If American
industry starts to lose revenue from the
leading-edge technologies which it has
dominated since the 1950s, then there will
be a resulting lack of incentive and invest-
ment in vital downstream technology such as
avionics, computers and _ telecommun-
ications. In effect, the U.S. will become a
follower, not a leader.
Over the last two years U.S. chip makers
have sustained huge losses. Japanese manu-
facturers have virtually ousted their
American counterparts from the RAM
memory market and might before long
achieve the same dominance in micropro-
cessors.
The authors of the Pentagon report cert-
ainly have a valid case, but I think they may
be in danger of overstating it. In doing so
they are no doubt egged on by U.S. chip
manufacturers: they have a lot to gain from
any national initiative to regain leadership,
especially one involving a healthy dollop of
government funding.
Leaving aside the worries of the U.S.
defence community, the performance of
Japan’s chip makers ceetainly appears spec-
. }
apanese chip manufacturers now occupy
tacular. According to a recent Dataquest
survey NEC’s turnover increased by 33
percent in 1986, while Toshiba's rose by 54
percent and Mitsubishi’s by 84 percent. By
comparison Intel’s three percent reduction
and Motorola’s 11 percent increase look
decidedly tacky.
But there is a catch. During the year the
value of the Japanese yen rose by about 40
percent against the dollar, which of course
helped to push up the reported turnover
figures for the Japanese companies as
compared to their U.S. competitors. The
rising yen has also triggered off a recession in
Japan, and Japanese chip makers are now
faced with fierce competition from Korea
and Taiwan. Even U.S. and European
manufacturers will find it easier in the
future to sell their chips to Japanese equip-
ment manufacturers if the yen continues to
rise.
Japanese domination of the memory field
over the past two years was achieved
by ferocious price cutting, described as
dumping by many critics. This strategy has
certainly gained the Japanese market share,
but only at a heavy cost in profitability. Now
that the battle is over, the Japanese plan to
make big profits from a monopolistic
position has been thwarted by the dramatic
rise in the value of the yen, and this could
send the seesaw off in the other direction by
encouraging competitors to re-enter the
market.
In Europe there is already a renaissance
underway, although it hardly poses a major
threat to the Japanese at present. In 1986 the
Japanese share of the European chip market
was already beginning to decline, and there
are signs of increasing optimism and deter-
Mination among major European semi-
conductor manufacturers such as Siemens
and Philips. The U.K. company Plessey,
which up to now has been nothing more
than a tiddler in the international semi-
conductor league, has startled many by
opening a new £10 million sub-micron fab-
rication line which is aimed at taking a world
lead in advanced CMOS chip technology.
Plessey has plans to beat the rest of the
world into the use of four-level metal and
trench isolation, coupled with one micron
line geometries. By 1989 it plans to be
manufacturing chips with gate densities of
up to 6,000 gates per square millimetre and
up to 250,000 gates per chip by 1989.
Current CMOS technology manages about
50,000 gates per chip and uses only two
layers of metal interconnect. The new fab-
rication facility at Plessey’s Caswell Research
Centre will be equipped with the latest in
chip manufacturing equipment, including a
£3 million Perkin Elmer Aeble direct-write-
on-wafer E-beam machine, which will
eventually allow geometries down to 0.7
micron to be achieved.
This impressive initiative from Plessey
has, paradoxically perhaps, been made
possible by its long-standing expertise in HF
bipolar technology. While not itself the
stuff of which headlines are made, this éx-
pertise has provided some of the necessary
techniques to build tomorrow’s world-
beating CMOS chips with densities at least
double those of other processes with the
same feature sizes.
With 250,000 gates on a single chip, de-
signing the chips themselves could become a
major problem. The currently accepted
throughput rate for computer-aided design
is about 300 gates per person week, which
would:mean that a chip based on the Plessey
technology could take over 15 person years
to design. In a rare example of timely
industrial and governmental co-operation, a
Project to increase dramatically CAD
throughput to handle the design of to-
morrow’s big chips is soon to be announced
as part of the Alvey Programme.
Plessey will have a part in this project,
along with other major U.K. electronics and
CAD companies. The aim ts to develop a
new computer-based design methodology
called silicon compilation, which will be
able to increase designer productivity co
10,000 gates per person week by 1989 — just
in time, it would appear, to handle the first
designs using Plessey’s new CMOS process.
This is all splendid stuff, and combined with
the increasing acceptance of the Inmos
Transputer as a world-class 32-bit processor
family, it augurs well for a revival in the
U.K.’s semiconductor fortunes.
But the recent opening of a new chip dev-
elopment facility at Caswell and the
impending launch of a new CAD initiative
are not enough in themselves. By 1989 all
sorts of new delights may be available from
Japan, and even the battered U.S. chip pro-
ducers can be assumed to have a trick or two
up their sleeves. The Plessey process may
seem less than révolutionary when pro-
duction wafers finally hit the streets.
Another danger is that the new tech-
nology will find a quick and lucrative market
in advanced U.K. defence programmes, and
this may be pursued to the detriment of any
risky sales drive in the commercial sector
which could put the U.K. back on the world
semiconductor map. _
a SS ES
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
27
‘<5
<7 Ae:
eaN
<a
ee Se ee
BY ANNE STAINES
PAYING THE PRICE
LITIGATION IS SO EXPENSIVE THAT FEW IF ANY CASES CONCERNING SOFTWARE ARE COMING TO
COURT. THE RESULTING UNCERTAINTY IN THE LAW IS BAD FOR SUPPLIERS AND USERS ALIKE.
Florida lawsuit in which the pro-
ducer’s liability for defects in his com-
puter software was to be tested for the first
time has been dropped, leaving users none
the wiser on this important issue. Lotus
Symphony user James Cummings had
claimed that faults in the progam had cost
his business $250,000; he has now with- |
drawn his action in negligence and breach of
contract.
This news is not surprising. It was
generally thought that Cummings had
taken on a steep uphill struggle in suing
Lotus. There appeared to be factual weak-
ness of his own case, and many experts
agreed that Cummings’ problems with the
software stemmed from uneducated use
rather than any intrinsic fault in the
program. In addition, his chosen terrain was
not only rough but totally uncharted.
Cummings had to establish three essential
points. First, he had to establish that com-
puter software is goods rather than services;
the law in the U.S., as in the U.K., imposes
a higher degree of care on providers of the
former than the latter. Lawyers can argue
this point until the cows come home. Then
there was the question of the degree of
perfection a user can reasonably expect of a
software package. The concepts of merchan-
table quality and fitness for purpose are
adopted as yardsticks by the Uniform
Commercial Code in America, and in the
U.K. by the Supply of Goods and Services
Act 1982. They are notoriously difficult to
apply to software.
Finally, Cummings had to rebut Lotus’s
claim that in any event the program was not |
covered by statutory warranties relating to
quality or fitness for purpose, these having
been expressly excluded by a clause in the
shrink-wrap licence. So much doubt
surrounds every one of these issues that it is
small wonder Cummings withdrew.
Lotus’s response to the news was charac-
teristic of the company, which threatens to
become as well known as an international
litigant as it is as a software producer. ‘‘We
spare no effort and never compromise when
defending the quality of our products or
protecting our legal rights.’’ The words of
Lotus’s Vice-President are not just bravado.
With a turnover last year of $225 million
Lotus can arguably afford to treat this self-
defensive legal policy — as well as its
offensive counterpart — as an investment.
In pursuit of the latter, Lotus has just
served one writ against a Vancouver
software-rental company called Softsave
Information Services Inc., alleging infringe-
ment of Lotus’s copyright in 1-2-3, and
Symphony. As reported last month in this
magazine, it is also suing another U.S. soft-
wate developer, Paperback Software. A
significant feature of Lotus’s success in its
offensive legal strategy is its willingness to
establish common cause with other software
producets and trade organisations. For
instance in its action against Softsave, co-
plaintiffs include Ashton-Tate, Microsoft
and Lifetree Associates. In the U.K. Lotus
plays an active role in the Federation Against
Software Theft.
Computers have introduced a completely
new set of problems to the law. The uncer-
tainties surrounding practically every aspect
mean that simple ‘cases are few and far
between. In legal terms, of course, com-
plicated means expensive, and consequently
computer law is increasingly the sole pre-
serve of the big guns. What chance has the
individual or small-business user in this
game?
In theory no user, however small, should
be deterred from commencing or defending
an action at law if they are sure that they are
in the right. But between theory and
practice lie months — or more probably
years — of anxiety and expense. The result is
legal stalemate and an increasing amount of ;
uncertainty that can only be resolved
through litigation.
Within the legal profession a consensus is
growing that both users and smaller
computer businesses need a cheap and
cheerful legal service to conciliate and act as
arbiter when disputes over computer law
arise. In the U.K. the Society of Computers
and Law, comprising mainly solicitors, is
currently trying to organise such a scheme.
But it seems to be attracting less financial
support both from government and the pro-
fessional bodies of the computer industry
than it deserves. Quite independent of these
moves, the Data Protection Registrar is
espousing the same theory by stressing his
role as Ombudsman, which he sees as a way
of helping people resolve their data protec-
tion problems without the daunting and
expensive experience of litigation. These are
hopeful trends for computer law as well as
for users. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope
they continue. Ke
TWN&#O9 II
E SPARE NO EFFORT AND NEVER
COMPROMISE WHEN DEFENDING THE
QUALITY OF OUR PRODUCTS OR
PROTECTING OUR LEGAL RIGHTS
@ Lotus
28
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
“One day, all micros
will be built this way’
The Guardian-26th JUNE 1986 =
9
‘Personal’ Business Computer
Full-size screen, internal modem, dual 312”
mt : disk drives, 640KB RAM, weighs under 12Ibs.
Zenith Data Systems introduces the Z-181, a brilliant, award- “Far more readable than any other LCD screen on
: ; ”
winning lightweight computer with the most readable, full-size screen. the market: Practical Computing October 1986.
To further quote Jack Schofield of the ‘The Guardian’ ...
“ .. the Z-181 will be very attractive to salesmen, journalists, feed
academics and others who want to pack an office powered computer machine: The Times 2 December 1986.
in a briefcase. It should also appeal to top executives who don’t want
their desk dominated by a ton of old metal — the Z-181 can be slipped
into a drawer when not in use.”
Many thousands of Zenith Z-181 computers are already used in
government and major organisations all over the world. Now, Zenith
products are available here, too, through a nationwide network of
authorised computer dealers and systems houses.
Before you go for a portable ~ talk to Zenith!
For a colour brochure, post the coupon or call 0800 444124
The world’s leading manufacturer of PC compatibles
“Not a better portable in its class. . .a superior
L :
ae 5
Ss ~
Ro -
7 oe t
‘th i =<) A425 ©
£45 cs !
the quiet giant / ooo.
Og & A =
NE FF & e °
— circle 115 on enquiry card < | ro ww Ss “eo ‘
30
£20,000 BRITISH TURBO PASCAL
HIRST PRIA
ATP TO CLIFORALA
In conjunction with Altor Ltd, Practical Computing is organising the first
British Turbo Pascal programming competition. The total value of the prizes
will be £20,000, with a first prize of a week-long trip to California.
THE COMPETITION is open to anyone who
has written software using Borland’s Turbo
Pascal language; professional programmers
are not excluded. Any kind of program, old or
new, may be submitted provided the copyright
is owned by the entrant. This applies equally
to commercial, published and unpublished
programs.
The aim of the competition is to find the best
example of programming in the Turbo Pascal
language. A number of criteria will be used in
the judging: the use of Turbo Pascal features;
style of coding; performance and efficiency of
the finished program; user interface; and the
basic idea behind the application. The judges
will also take into account any other aspects
they feel important. Nevertheless, entrants are
encouraged to submit programs of whatever
kind, even if they might appear to be lacking in
some of the above categories.
Programs do not have to be finished appli-
cations; useful routines and utilities are accept-
able provided they can be tested by the judges
on their own. Commercially available third-
party toolboxes may be employed, but their
use must be clearly signalled.
ENTRANTS must own the copyright of any pro-
grams which they submit. As well as a hard-
copy listing, there must be a disc containing
source files, executable programs and other
relevant files. It must be accompanied by a
hard-copy document not more than 500 words
long describing the program, its aims, special
features, etc. and specifying any sections of the
program that are not the entrant’s copyright.
Entrants will be disqualified if their description
exceeds the 500-word limit. Submissions must
be complete Turbo Pascal programs which can
be run as they stand by the judges — with the
assistance of commercially available third-party
toolboxes if necessary, though these must be
clearly signalled by the entrant.
Copyright will remain with original owner,
but it is a condition of entry that Practical Com-
puting will have the right to publish illustrative
portions of the winning entries.
First prize: A trip for the overall winner to
Borland’s headquaters in Scotts Valley, Cali-
fornia. There the winner will meet Philippe
Kahn, head of Borland. All travel and accom-
modation costs for the week will be part of the
prize. The total value is approximately £5,000.
Second prizes: There will be 10 second
prizes, some of which may be awarded by the
judges for those programs which show parti-
cular merits in one or more of the categories
mentioned above. Each second prize will
consist of a complete set of all Borland pro-
ducts, for both the IBM PC and Macintosh.
These are Reflex the Analyst, Reflex Workshop,
Turbo Prolog, Turbo Pascal, Turbo Database
Tutor, Turbo Graphix Toolbox, Turbo Tutor
2.0, Turbo Editor Toolbox, Turbo Gameworks,
Turbo Lightning, Lightning Word Wizard, Side-
kick, Travelling Sidekick and Superkey.
Third prizes: 50 Borland T-shirts and mugs.
£20,000 BRITISH TURBO PASCAL
THE FINAL stage of the judging will be carried out by four judges: Barry Clark, Mike Lewis, Iwan
Williams-and Jan Stobie. In all matters concerning this competition, the editor’s decision is final.
. ae 6H ‘ ¥
oases, bw
Biochemistry at Glasgow University. He has specialist
experience in fast-access multi-user databases, networking
and laboratory-instrument interfacing, with emphasis on
the user interface.
MIKE LEWIS is best-known to Practical Computing
readers for his software reviews and Software Workshop
column. He is also an independent computer consultant
specialising in financial applicotions. He uses Turbo Pascal
for about 30 percent of his work. He has been in computing
since 1964. .
1, The campetitian is open to all readers af Practical
Computing normally resident in the U.K., except for
emplayees of Reed Business Publishing Ltd or Altor Ltd,
the judges, or the families of any of these.
2. Each entry must be accompanied by an official
entry form ar photacopy, completed in ink and must
confarm to the requirements set aut opposite.
3. Completed entry forms should be posted to the ad-
dress shown an the entry form, to arrive not later than
31 May 1987. Envelapes should be clearly marked
“Turbo Pascal Campetition’’ in the top left-hand
corner.
4. The editor of Practical Computing is the final judge
of the competition. Na correspandence can be entered
into regarding the results, and it is a candition of entry
that the decision of the editor is final.
5. The winner will be notified by post and the result of
the competition announced in the first available issue of
Practical Computing. Copyright remains with the holder
but Practical Computing reserves the right to use illus-
trative examples from winning entries withaut payment.
Entries and discs cannot be returned.
6. The first prize is a trip to California for one week
for ane person, including o visit ta Borland’s
headquarters in Scotts Valley. Eoch of the 10
second prizes will consist of all the Borland
International products current on 1 January
1987. Third prizes will cansist of Borland
T-shirts and mugs. Each prize will be
awarded ta the individual named on
the relevant entry form. No cash
substitutes will be offered.
‘allt i'
DR. BARRY CLARK is a lecturer in — IWAN WILLIAMS is an experienced PC user and soft-
ware reviewer. He is in charge of the Special Projects
Division of the Scottish Development Agency, which uses
1BM PC and 3270 PC equipment. His particular interests lie
in business-productivity software, and he has written exten-
sively on such topics as word processing, fi ‘al analysis
and corporate planning. :
IAN STOBIE is Assistant Editor of ical Computing.
Befare joining the magazine he was a professional
computer programmer for five years, with experience of
large DEC and 1BM systems as well as PCs. One of his jobs
‘on the magazine is selecting software packages for review,
as well as regularly writing reviews himself.
FROM CLIVE SIVCLAIR...THE VO-COMPROMISE
__ 288 COMPUTER
IT MEASURES LESS THAN AN A4 PAD.
IT WEIGHS LESS THAN 216.
oa IT COSTS JUST
Ns £199.%
LCIRAM expandable to 3 Mbytes...
[] Word-processing and spreadsheet built in, plus time- and
data-management systems...
C) Revolutionary supertwist LCD display...
CI Completely self-contained - yet talks and listens to your IBM...
There has never been a computer like the Z88.
It’s an extraordinarily powerful
machine which offers word-processing,
spreadsheet, and a set of time- and
data-management tools in a single, highly
portable package.
At £199.95, the Z88 is supplied with
32K resident RAM. Extra 32K costs under £20
- extra 128K under £50!
And heavy users will be able to expand
the RAM to an astonishing 3 Mbytes, using
plug-in RAM cartridges.
For printing text or data, the Z88
connects directly to most popular RS232-
compatible printers, while for permanent
storage the Z88 employs removable solid-state
EPROM cartridges - no tape to break, no
delicate disc to damage.
Though the Z88 is a powerful, full-
facility, self-contained computer, it also acts as
an extension of an office micro, connecting
directly to allow exchange of text or data.
For every personal computer user, the
Z88 offers a comprehensive specification ina
package of unparalleled portability.
LITHE FACILITIES OF THE Z88
RAM Resident 32K, around 15K available
(enough for around 2,000 words). Extra RAM
available in 32K or 128K cartridges, up to three
of which can be plugged into the Z88 to give a
total of 416K (enough for a 200-page novel).
1 Mbyte cartridges available shortly. A built-in
capacitor or the mains adapter preserves data
in RAM while batteries are changed.
Permanent storage Where other machines
tely on cassette recorders or disc drives, the
Z88 uses solid-state EPROM - Erasable
Programmable Read-Only Memory -
cartridges, with very rapid electronic access
and absolute reliability. Up to three EPROM
cartridges can be plugged in: 32K and 128K
cartridges and ultra-violet eraser are available
now. 1 Mbyte cartridges available shortly.
RS232-compatible port offers:
Printing RS232 cable connects the Z88 to
popular printers. Cables can also be made up
for virtually any RS232-compatible printer.
Text- and data-interchange Resident software
formats data for IBM-compatible micros with
51," or 31/2" disc-drives. If your micro can run
such popular programs as Wordstar, Lotus
1-2-3 or WordPerfect, you can exchange text
and data between it and the Z88. Cable and
software available now.
Modem allows text- and data-transmission by
telephone.
Power supply Optional mains adapter, or 4
AA batteries. (CMOS technology allows about
20 hours active computing ~ or about a year of
life for RAM if machine is switched off).
Dimensions 11/2’ x 8'/,” x "4; weight: under 2 Ib.
Full QWERTY keyboard offers ‘silent’, moving short-
travel keys, Foldaway foot raises the Z88 12'/2° for
comfortable viewing and typing.
CUADVANCED INTEGRATED
SOFTWARE PACKAGE
The operating system of the Z88 is unique
to Cambridge Computer Ltd, supporting as
its main in-built software an advanced
software package, adapted by Protechnic
Ltd for the Z88.
The Z88 automatically preserves data
in RAM when switched off.
The software is a set of spreadsheet
and word processing applications, witha
sophisticated help function, designed from
the first as an integrated package which
allows text to be run within a spreadsheet,
or a spreadsheet to be run within text.
Word-processing facilities include
multi-column layout, global search and
replace, and embedded calculations, as well
as all the normal word-processing activities.
The display shows such commands as bold,
italics, underlining, and page breaks.
Spreadsheet includes text-handling and
sorting.
Other built-in software includes
database selection; calculator; free-form
diary, calendar, real-time clock and alarm.
An outstanding feature of the Z88 is
its ability to switch between tasks within an
application, and between applications,
without the need to save, exit the package,
Or restart on return.
While computing a spreadsheet, for
example, it is easy to switch directly to the
diary, and then go straight back to the
spreadsheet - which immediately carries on
from the point it had reached.
CO) STATE-OF-THE-ART SUPERTWIST LCD DISPLAY
Supertwist technology represents the state of the art in liquid crystal display. Its massive
increase in contrast ratio and viewing angle give a dark blue on grey display that
" surpasses CRT screens.
rid
misht even prove actively danserous, and would certainly be
unurse, To understand our Posttion, it may be worth locking
at the costs in the followings
|Site Purchase 8
Site Prer 2
srreadsheet extract:
1989
5»568 |
1 2
1. ‘Topic bar’ - seven general menu options, each supported by function menus.
2. Work area displays 8 lines by a full 80 characters.
3. Unique screen map show's complete page layout, updated automatically as work goes on.
4. Section displays machine status (e.g. battery strength.)
CJHOW TO ORDER
The Z88 is available only by mail order. The
FREEPOST coupon lists the components of
the Z88 system currently available.
The Z88 itself comes supplied with 32K
RAM built in, a comprehensive manual,
sectionalised to suit both novices and
computer experts, and a carrying case.
Your order will be acknowledged with
information on the likely despatch date.
If you’re not happy with any item you
receive, return it in original condition within
10 days of receipt for an immediate refund.
Every item is covered by a one-year
guarantee, and will be repaired or replaced
free of charge if faulty and returned with
proof of purchase date.
[= evele 116 on enquiry care ~ |
iICAMBRIDGE
ICOMPUTERES
Cambridge Computer Ltd, FREEPOST, Cambridge, CB4 1BR.
IBM TM of International Business Machines.
Wordstar TM of MicroPro. Lotus TM of Lotus Development.
WordPerfect TM of WordPerfect.
Poa S aaa aaa
LIORDER
RS232 PRINTER CABLE
to be supplied on tick as applicable
[_] 5” disc (Full instructions included)
(Cable supplied with 25-way D connector, Making up other
cables is simple: full dealer instructions in the manual.)
1/O SOFTWARE/CABLE for IBM transfer. Software
im 31/2" disc (Full instructions included)
32K RAM CARTRIDGE
To: Cambridge Computer Ltd, FREEPOST, Cambridge, CB4 1BR.
Please supply Z88 system components as shown below.
288 COMPUTER a Bs 229.95
MAINS ADAPTER i. |
PRICE
Facus || (Ct
9.95
i al
Se ay
soap |
14.95
=
128K RAM CARTRIDGE
32K EPROM
128K EPROM CARTRIDGE
U/V ERASER FOR EPROM CARTRIDGE
POSTAGE, PACKING AND INSURANCE
All prices include VAT @ 15%
O Tick box if VAT receipt required.
Loi, a a es fe
1 enclose cheque/money order for & ______ payable to Cambridge Computer Ltd.
7.50
ss
PLEASE PRINT
Name
Address.
Postcode
MBPREVIEW
MAC SE & MAC Il
APPLE'S NEXT GENERATION
By Glyn Moody
With the
Macintosh
concept now
securely
established,
Apple is moving
forward with a
further
enhancement to
the original
natelelallat-Melaleme
brand-new
version based on
the powerful
68020 chip.
pple has announced that it will
launch more products this year than
eventually take over as the baseline Macin-
tosh machine. The latter represents the first
Some performance enhancement —
Apple claims around 10 to 25 percent — has
Vs ot
been achieved by the use of gate arrays. In
| all, 19 chips have been squeezed down on to
| one custom chip. The space saved is given
| over to perhaps the most important addition
| of the next generation of Macs.
The Macintosh SE — or System Expansion
— is, as its name implies, a straight upgrade
| of the standard Macintosh Plus. It runs the
in the previous 10. No less than 30
products are currently scheduled for release;
even allowing for some falling by the way-
side this represents a huge shot in the arm
for the company and, more importantly, for
the Macintosh concept.
Some of the new arrivals will be little
more than minor upgrades, like increased-
capacity hard discs; there will also be notable
omissions, such as the portable Macintosh,
which is not likely to be released until at
least 1988. But at the heart of this flurry of
activity will be two key machines, the Macin-
tosh SE and the Macintosh II. The first will
34
| same 68000 at 8MHz. The main external
change, apart from details of styling and the
new platinum colour scheme first used on
the Apple II GS, is the twin disc drives. One
| of the drives can be a 20Mbyte internal Win-
chester. The mono screen size remains a true
9in. measured diagonally. There are two
serial ports, an SCSI port for external hard
discs and a new back-up tape streamer, a
| sound port, and a mouse port.
a ce | em ee
; on the Mac SE: an expansion slot.
When the Macintosh was first launched in
| its impoverished 128K version it turned its
| back on the open architecture which had
made such a big contribution to the success
of the Apple II. Many of the Mac’s early
problems were to do with these inherent
limitations, and much ingenuity was wasted
| on getting over these obstacles rather than
extending the boundaries of the machine’s
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
capabilities. With successive releases Apple
has addressed most of the problems of the |
initial design: disc speed and capacity have
been improved, memory greatly expanded,
a hard disc was eventually launched, and
new expansion ports allowed third-party
manufacturers some scope to add features.
Now Apple has done the decent thing
and gone a long way to helping such |
developments by adding a real expansion
slot. The bus chosen is the Euro DIN bus; it |
uses a three- by 32-pin connector and ties in
}
to the full bus of the 68000. This means that |
add-ons can if necessary take full control of
the machine or carry out functions indepen-
dently of the main processor. Apple justifies
the apparent parsimony of providing only
one slot by pointing out that the SE either
already contains most options needed or has
other means of satisfying them.
For instance, the hard disc plugs straight
into the motherboard, and extra memory
can be inserted into the special single in-line
memory module (SIMM) slots. The machine
comes with 1Mbyte RAM as standard, which
can be upgraded to 4Mbyte once the price of
1Mbit RAM chips falls sufficiently. Memory |
will be increased simply by swapping in the
new chips.
Apple says it will be encouraging third-
party suppliers to produce a wide range of
add-ons using the expansion slot. One
MB PREVIEW
Left to right: Two
generations of
Macintoshes — the Mac
Plus, Mac I] and Mac SE.
The inside of the two
latest micros reveals their
capacity for expansion
slots unlike the closed
architecture of the Mac
Plus.
product it will be bringing out itself is a card
which will support a standard 360K 5.25in.
IBM drive. This is the first tangible evidence
of Apple’s recognition of the opposing
world of Big Blue. It does not intend to go
the whole hog and offer full-blown IBM
compatibility in the way that the Mac
| Charlie add-on attempted to do — see the
| November 1985 issue of Practical Com-
| puting. Instead it will content itself with
data compatibility, where data from an IBM
package can be pulled across and used on the
Mac. Ultimately Apple intends bringing out
a 3.5in. dual-format disc drive which can
handle both Macintosh and IBM discs.
Not that Apple has set its face against full
—————————————— SS ees cairue on page dF)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
35
PROBLEM? How do you transfer your valuable
data filles between PC’s of a different type
and/or drive sizer
SOLUTIONI PLUS-FD: A family of 3”, 3.5” or IMAGINE * A 5.25” IBM drive on your
5.25” external floppy drives that make APRICOT or VICTOR 9000 * A 3.5” APRICOT
transfer of flles between PC’s as simple as drive on your IBM PC or compatible.
Inserting a floppy diskette!
YOUR PC RAM BOARD
FOR THE IBM PC/AT & COMPATIBLES:
PlusCard - 20Mb and 30Mb Plug-in Hard Olsc.
A 3.5" hard disc ona card that is simply
Installed In your PC expansion slot. Integral
Hard Disc - 5.25” hard disc In 1OMb to ISOMb.
Presi frien... leeccccvcessrenccctescesecuvncctensnests £395.00
FIXED DISCS: Our external Fixed
Discs are available in a range of
Capacities from 1OMb to 260Mb.
REMOVABLE HARD DISC CARTRIDGE:
Solve your data integrity problems by
locking your hard disc away at night.
Available in 10Mb or 2OMb options,
the removable hard disc cartridge
uses the same technology as the
fixed disc and can be used both as
fast back-up and additional on-line
storage.
TAPE STREAMERS: Capacttles up to
Y4SMb. Our high speed tape drives wlll
back-up 1OMb In only two minutes.
COMBINATIONS: Fixed Disc units are
available in a combination unit, elther
with a removable hard disc cartridge
Or tape streamer.
PRICES FROM. ..........:cccceseeeee £850.00
Available from:
FOR THE APRICOT RANGE: Single-board RAM running at full processor’
3.5” 20Mb Internal Fixed Disc. Prices from £595.00 speed.
PSK decrease seetmassecitt test csenssttvca Mer ease r uate: £1IS
SUK oscesaccccedavszecsccasetssses catitecatsnccsassnastarttrraeete £130
PlusNet
POWERFUL: PlusNet enables up to 7 PC's of
the same or differing types to access/share
the data on the same hard disc subsystem.
SIMPLE: For existing Users of a PLUS 5S
subsystem, upgrading to PlusNet could not
be easier. PlusNet supports single-user
software and no additional memory Is
necessary.
; an) COMPATIBLE: PlusNet supports most PC's
— running under MS DOS.
- : All PLUS 5 Products are covered by a le
month parts and labour warranty.
Optional ON-SITE MAINTENANCE from PLUS S
ts available. (Prices on application). Prices are
STORAGE subject to VAT.
SUB SYSTEM
PLUS
PLUS 5 ENGINEERING LIMITED P
Crowborough Hill, Crowborough, Sussex TN6 EG. Tel: (08926) 63ell/Telex 95538 PLUS G Cl
es
(continued from page 35)
IBM compatibility. Already there is a third-
party supplier working on an 8086 card
which will plug into the expansion slot. The
only disappointment is that it will take over
the whole Macintosh environment: there
will be no pull-down windows within DOS.
The ability to exchange data with dif-
ferent worlds is one of the key new features
of the Mac SE. In addition to data compati-
bility with DOS and IBM there will be links
available to Ethernet, thus linking up with
the world of Unix and DEC. The seria! ports
now offer synchronous transfers, allowing
very fast comms to a wide range of external
systems.
All these changes and options indicate
that Apple is targeting the corporate market
more than ever. Backing this up will be
additions to the Appletalk focal area
network. For example, a file-server system
and a card to allow IBM PCs to be hooked on
to the network have been announced. To
take account of these developments there
have been a number of additions and modi-
fications to the Mac’s Finder, including an
option to signal the presence of a file server.
Overall, the ROM has been doubled in size
to 256K, and doubtless it contains other
features which we shall learn about in due
course.
Some of the additions surface in the
Control Panel. To allow for the extra
devices, some of the functions have been
grouped together under new icons. Now you
can install things like light-pens simply by
dropping the appropriate item in to the
system folder.
One benefit of this approach is that you
can use different keyboards with the SE. The
basic model is the same as that found on the
Apple II GS. It connects to the Mac via the
Apple Desktop Bus also used on that
machine. The mouse can either be daisy-
chained through the keyboard or plugged in
at the back of the machine. The alternative
keyboard is designed to cater for those who
need something more IBM-like. It is based
on the new RT-type keyboard, which itself is
similar to the standard DEC terminal key-
board. It has 15 function keys, a cursor pad
and a numeric pad.
All in all the Macintosh SE offers few sur-
prises. Even the price is pretty much par for
the course: around £2,400 for the twin-
floppy version, and less than £3,000 for the
20Mbyte hard-disc system are our best
guesses at the time of writing.
To clear some space at the bottom end,
the 512K Mac will be allowed to fade away
and the price of the Mac Plus reduced to
£1,995. It does not take clairvoyance to
predict that the Mac Plus will eventually be
dropped in its turn, leaving the Mac SE as
the entry-level system. Apple expects the SE
to inherit the increasing success of the Mac
Plus, whose sales seem to be gaining in
strength every month.
While this will almost certainly be true for
personal and small-business users, I believe
that in the larger companies its success will
be eclipsed by that of its bigger sibling, the |
Macintosh II. This name was clearly chosen
with care and bestowed with reverence by
Apple. Just as the Apple II for so long
formed the backbone of the company’s
product range and the mainstay of its
finances, Apple must be pinning its hopes
on the Mac II for the next five years.
Unlike the SE, the II is no mere upgrade
but a radical redesign. Gone is the neat,
upright design characteristic of the Mac-
intosh. Instead Apple has produced a
conventional three-box design of monitor,
keyboard and system unit, though the
resemblance to other conventional systems
ends there.
The Mac uses a 68020 running at 16MHz;
the 25MHz version now available was passed
over because of the cost of support chips.
The entry-level system comes with 1Mbyte
of RAM, expandable up to 8Mbyte cur-
rently; larger memory chips will take this up
to a maximum of 128Mbyte. One internal
floppy disc comes as standard. Obviously
with a machine of this power you would be
crazy not to use a hard disc, and Apple offers
20Mbyte, 40Mbyte and 80Mbyte options.
& File Edit View Special
2S = Control Panel
Rate of Insertion
—
= Point Blinking
Desktop Pattern
Keyboard
Menu Blinking | Time Oo
2:43:13 pm
astebashet
Some of the additions to the Mac’s Finder are apparent in the new Control Panel.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
MB PREVIEW
MACINTOSH SE
CPU: 68000 running at 8MHz
RAM: Mbyte, expandable to 4Mbyte
ROM: 256K
Disc storage: one 800K 3.5in. floppy
as standard; second floppy or 20Mbyte
hard disc optional
Display: 9in. 512- by 384-pixel
monochrome screen
Keyboard: choice of Apple II GS style
or 105-key model with 15 function keys
Interfaces: two Apple Desktop Bus
connectors for keyboard, mouse, etc.;
two RS-232 ports; external disc interface;
SCSI interface; sound port; expansion
connector
Size: 345mm. (13.6in.) x 244mm.
(9.6in.) x 277mm. (10.9in.)
Weight: between 7.7 kg. (17lb.) and
9.5kg. (21Ib.), depending on discs
installed
Hardware add-ons: external disc
drives; |BM-compatible 5.25in. floppy-
disc card
Software in price: none
Price: twin-floppy version £2,400;
20Mbyte hard-disc version, under £3,000
Manufacturer: Apple Computer U.K.,
Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead,
Hertfordshire HP2 7HQ. Telephone:
(0442) 60244
Available: now
The entry-level hard-disc version comes with
a 39ms. access 40Mbyte unit. The hard-disc
system will cost around £4,500, and the
single-floppy version £3,500.
Like the SE, the Mac II is notable for its
expansion capabilities. There are six slots,
which perversely use a bus and card design
completely different from the other new
model. The bus is based around the Nubus,
also used by Texas Instruments for one of its
Lisp machines. It has the same edge con-
nector and allows a similarly complete
control over the system as the Euro DIN bus
on the Mac SE. So once more, processes can
be underway in the background without the
Mac II needing to be aware of the fact.
Apple has modified the Nubus standard
slightly, and added what it calls a soft
power-on feature to the power supply. That
is, power to the machine can be switched on
by software running on the machine itself.
For example, with the mains power switched
off a modem catd with its own on-board
battery power could listen along a wire until
a triggering signal was received. When
triggered, the software would switch on the
power supply and then mun the main part of
the program; this might download a file to
(continued on next page)
a7
WI PREVIEW
{continued from previous page)
disc, for example. Once finished, the unit
would power itself down.
To turn the machine off you choose the
Shutdown command from the Special
menu. Once the system has been shut down,
it signals that the power may be removed.
This kind of precaution is particularly
important where hard discs are involved. A
similar soft power on/off system is provided
with the Mac SE.
In another move towards the standard PC-
type design one of the Nubus slots is taken
up with a video board. By slotting in diff-
erent boards, both from Apple and third-
party suppliers, a range of monitors can be
supported, including larger screens and
colour. There will be two standard Apple
options initially: a 12in. monochrome |
screen and a 13in. RGB screen. Both will
have a 640- by 480-pixel resolution com-
pared with the Mac’s current 512 by 384.
This automatically allows more to be dis-
played on-screen, provided that the software
has been written to the standard Macintosh
tules.
The video cards come with their own
video processor and RAM. With 256K of
video RAM it is possible to have 16 colours,
using four bits per pixel to represent the
various combinations; an extra 256K pro-
vides four more bits per pixel and so 256
colours. The colours can be chosen from a
total of over 16 million different shades. On
mono screens the colours appear as the
equivalent number of grey levels. An
updated version of Quickdraw allows the
number of bits per pixel to be set.
At the time of this preview, the only Mac
II in the country was a mono version. How-
ever, judging by the Apple II GS — which is
effectively a low-end colour Mac — the
effect of using colour on a 68020 machine
will be highly effective and totally addictive.
In time, no one will contemplate using
anything else.
Not content with turbocharging the
gtaphical aspects of the Mac, Apple has gone
on to include a new sound chip. For the
present this does not do very much. But its
specifications are such that it could be a key
element of future Macintoshes — the Mac
II and above.
The new custom chip, designed courtesy
of Apple’s shiny new Cray supercomputer,
has four channels, stereo capabilities and an
impressive 44kHz sampling rate. Apple's
chip was made with speech in mind; the
high sampling rate will allow very high-
quality output. Now that the visual mouse
and windows interface is firmly established,
Apple clearly sees voice input and output as
the next hurdle to clear.
More relevant to today’s business users
are the peripheral cards planned by Apple.
Once again, there is an MS-DOS card, along
with an Ethernet card. Apple says that it will
be launching its own version of Unix System
V version 3 to go with it, though the details
of the interface have yet to be settled. Let us
hope that, like Torch with its Triple X
machine, Apple manages to salvage some of
the Mac’s user-friendly approach in the face
SPECIFICATION
MACINTOSH II
CPU: 68020 running at 16MHz; 68881
maths co-processor as standard
RAM: |Mbyte, expandable to 8Mbyte
on board; expandable to 2Gbyte using
expansion slots
ROM: 256K
Disc storage: options include 800K
3.5in. floppy, 20Mbyte, 40Mbyte and
80Mbyte hard discs
Display: 12in. monochrome monitor,
640 by 480 pixels; 13in. colour monitor,
640 by 480 pixels; up to 256 colours or
shades of grey from a total of 16 million
shades
Keyboard: as for Macintosh SE
Interfaces: two RS-2372 serial ports;
SCSI port; two Apple Desktop buses; six
Nubus internal expansion slots
Size: 475mm. (18.7in.) x 366mm.
(14.4in.) x 140mm. (5.5in.)
Weight: 10.9kg. (24lb.) to 11.8kg.
(26lb.) depending on configuration
Hardware expansion: external
drives, Ethernet card, MS-DOS floppy-
disc card
Software in price: none
Price: single-floppy version, around
£3,500; with 40Mbyte hard disc £4,500
Manufacturer: Apple Computer U.K.,
Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead,
Hertfordshire HP2 7HQ. Telephone:
(0442) 60244
Available: July
of the user-hostile Unix. In addition to these
options for connectivity, there are two
RS-232 ports and an SCSI port. This is in
addition to an internal port for a second
floppy disc.
In operation the Macintosh II looks just
like any other Mac, which is just as well. It is
undeniably faster, especially in scrolling
operations. Superficially it did not look
quite as fast as the Prodigy 68020 board
which we reviewed in Febmuary’s issue of
Practical Computing. Where the Mac II
teally scores is in computationally intensive
applications.
A 68881 maths co-processor is included |
on the machine as standard. For packages
which are written according to the Standard
Apple Numerics Environment (SANE) the
maths co-processor will automatically be
invoked. Even greater performance gains
can be achieved by writing specifically for
the 68881, but this does lock the software
into this implementation, whereas SANE is
supposed to guarantee future upgradability.
Apple will also offer the 68851 memory-
management unit chip as an optional extra,
which should also speed certain applications
written specifically for it.
The Macintosh II is an exciting machine
not so much for any technical innovations —
most of it is pretty standard stuff — but
simply because Apple seems to have got
most things right. It is a significantly more
powerful machine than its predecessor, it is
open and it is reasonably priced. In part-
icular, the cost differential between the
Macintosh II and the markedly inferior SE is
sufficiently small to be ignorable for
corporate purchasers. I can therefore see
many Mac IIs being sold to larger com-
panies. The Mac II also overcomes two trad-
itional objections to the earlier Mac range:
that it was grossly underpowered and, less
fairly, that its compact styling made it look
like a toy. The more old-fashioned three-box
approach may paradoxically endear it to the
conservative business community far more
than the earlier Mac’s svelte lines.
Above all, the Mac I is exciting because it
allows Apple to capitalise on its growing
| success with the earlier Mac line and to rein-
force its position as a viable micro alternative
to IBM. This is important not just for Apple
but for the rest of us too. The stronger Apple
becomes, the more fruitful the competition
between the two architectures will be.
As well as offering a powerful work station
with excellent connectivity for the corporate
market the Mac II should prove attractive in
a number of other areas. The Unix option
and the sheer number-crunching abilities of
the machine will make it popular in uni-
versities. It will be interesting to see what ex-
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs produces for
the same market.
Just as important for Apple will be the
whole new world of computer-aided design
and engineering applications. The 68020
with high-quality colour graphics makes it
ideal for drafting work. The current leaders
in this market, Sun and Apollo, both have
machines which have much in common with
the Mac II — except the price. Given the
growth in this sector, there is probably room
for Apple and the others, though Sun and
Apollo will presumably need to move
further up-market in the light of their lack
of competitiveness.
CONCLUSIONS
@ The Macintosh II is the first of the next-
generation Macs. It is built around a 68020,
offers colour, a bigger screen and six ex-
pansion slots.
@ Itis a high-performance work station with a
maths co-processor as standard, and comes in
the conventional three-box format.
@ The Mac SE is an upgraded version of the
Mac Plus, which it is likely to replace in due
course.
@ Apart from offering the facility to install two
internal drives, including one floppy, the SE’s
main advance over the earlier machine is the
provision of one expansion slot.
@ The Mac II is likely to prove popular not
| only with general business users, but also with
universities and those involved in CAD and
| drafting work.
@ For Apple the prices are very reasonable;
in particular, the 40Mbyte hard-disc version of
the Macintosh II is very good value. PC
38
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Were
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MBPREVIEW
NIMBUS VX-386
GRADUATING WITH HONOURS
By Steve Malone
With its 80386-based micro, Research Machines is leaving behind the sheltered safety of the
educational world to fight it out with the leading AT-compatible business machines.
esearch Machines is a company that
is little known outside the realms of
education. Since its inception in
1977 it has developed a series of machines
targeted mostly at academic needs. The kind
of features
graphics, networking and rugged con-
struction — have all been met by Research
Machines products, from the 380Z to the
Nimbus PC.
Until now, none of the machines has been
IBM compatible. With 70 percent of its bus-
iness in the educational sector, Research
Machines has escaped the dictates of the
conventional business market and has still
managed .to sell machines. However, the
IBM standard has now become so universal
and the software base so overwhelming that
it would be foolish not to launch an IBM
compatible. Research Machines has there-
fore introduced the Nimbus X range.
There are currently two models in the
series. The Nimbus AX-286 is an 80286 IBM
PC/AT compatible. The second model,
which we look at here, is the Nimbus
VX-386. Both machines follow the same
pattern of construction; the only difference
between them is in the plug-in expansion
cards on which the processors are situated.
This makes it very easy for users of the AX
model to upgrade to the VX, and pte-
sumably to even more advanced processors
sometime in the future.
The VX machine we looked at for this
preview was a pre-production model. As
such, some of its detailed features may have
altered by the time production versions
become available. However, Research
Machines says that barring any major tech-
nical hitches the current machine will be the
one reaching the dealers in April, although
by then the company expects to have opt-
imised its performance.
THREE-BOX FORMAT
Following the vogue of the moment, the
Nimbus VX-386 is an 80386-based IBM
PC/AT-compatible computer. To the relief
of its existing Nimbus user base, the
company has made sure the X range is also
Nimbus compatible. The Nimbus VX-386 is
in the usual three-box format, with the
system unit measuring 440mm. by 410mm.
by 158mm. The demands of the AT
standard .mean that the VX-386 is con-
siderably larger than the earlier Nimbus, but
required in education — |
careful internal design has allowed it to be
somewhat smaller than the standard AT
clone.
At the back of the machine are the power-
supply socket, the expansion slots and serial
and parallel ports. The front of the machine
sports the diagonal air vents characteristic of
the Nimbus PC. There ate also several
indicator LEDs to signal power, hard-disc
activity and clock speed. Customers will be
offered a choice of disc drives. The VX-386
can be fitted with IBM-standard 5.25in. or
3.5in. half-height floppy drives. Adopting
the 3.5in. drive will enable you to run
Nimbus software and the increasing amount
of 3.5in. IBM software that has been con-
verted for the Toshiba 3100 and the IBM
Convertible.
Because the Nimbus PC conformed to the
MS-DOS disc format the machine is already
data compatible with the Convertible. With
the launch of the new machine, Nimbus
data is directly usable by the new X range in
IBM mode. The preview machine was
equipped with both types of drive in a stack,
at the bottom. of which was a 40Mbyte hard
disc. By stacking all the storage devices
together Research Machines has been able to
reduce the dimensions of the system box.
The keyboard is of the same manufacture
and feel as the earlier Nimbus PC. Research
Machines offers an IBM PC or PC/AT-
compatible keyboard for the VX.
It is striking how empty the inside of the
system unit appeats. Behind the stacked disc
drives is a 135W power supply. This is con-
siderably less beefy than the 190W or 200W
units that have become customary in AT
compatibles. Research Machines says that
the big power supplies are only necessary if
you are using a lot of the expansion buses for
things like the printer port and video circ-
uitry. As most of this is fitted as standard on
the motherboard, the potential drain on the
power supply is that much less.
The left-hand side of the computer is
given over to six full-length expansion slots.
The motherboard, while running almost the
full depth of the system unit, occupies less
than half the width, with most of the circ-
uitry hidden underneath the power supply.
Mounted on the motherboard is the
serial / parallel interface circuitry, the floppy-
disc controller and a Paradise PEGA-2 video
chip, one of seven custom chips fitted to the
computer.
The PEGA-2 chip has been chosen by
Research Machines for quite specific reasons.
It is register programmable, which means
that the programmer can set the resolution
and character size of the chip. This enables it
to emulate the Enhanced Graphics Adaptor
(EGA), Colour Graphics Adaptor (CGA),
Monochrome Display Adaptor (MDA) and
monochrome Hercules graphics card. Just as
important, the PEGA-2 can also be con-
figured to emulate standard Nimbus PC
graphics.
Research Machines. sees computer-aided
design (CAD) as a promising area for the X
series. To exploit this potential it is
intending to offer an ultra high-resolution
display with the systems. It will include a
separate video board and monitor which will
support up to a 1,280- by 1,024-pixel
display with either 16 or 256 colours.
CRAFTY PIGGYBACKING
Five of the six expansion slots currently
provided with the Nimbus VX are of the
16-bit AT type, and one is an eight-bit
slot. The phrase ‘‘currently provided’’is
important because Research Machines has
done something rather crafty with the slots.
At present there is no standard for 32-bit
slots; nor is one likely to emerge until IBM
releases its own 80386-based machine.
Research Machines is acutely aware of the
possibility of getting caught out by pro-
viding a non-standard 32-bit bus, and so
only two of the 16-bit expansion slots are
fitted on the motherboard itself. The re-
maining four are piggybacked on to the
motherboard. This means that when IBM
does release its machine Research Machines
can implement the new standard with the
minimum of fuss. Just as important, it
means that usefs can too, simply by
plugging in a new piggyback bus.
Two of the slots were occupied on the pre-
view machine. One of the slots contained
the hard-disc controller, which can support
two drives. The: other slot held the processor
board. The 80386 processor runs at the
standard 16MHz but can be switched down
to 8MHz from software. The processor board
is among the first to have an extra socket for
the 80387 maths co-processor when it
eventually becomes available in production
quantities.
Four of the Nimbus VX-386’s seven
custom chips are proprietary Research
——— 555 ee coined on page (7)
40
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
(fase tant
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Above: Most of the circuitry is hidden under the power supply.
Right: The motherboard houses a socket for an 80387. Four of
the expansion slots are fitted on the daughter board.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING Aori! 1987
MB PREVIEW
(continued from previous page)
Machines gate arrays; two of the others are
part of Faraday’s IBM chip set. Research
Machines says it chose the Faraday chip set
rather than the more popular Chips & Tech-
nology set because the Faraday set uses fewer
chips and runs at 12MHz rather than
10MHz.
The Nimbus VX-386 is equipped with
2Mbyte of RAM as standard, expandable to
16Mbyte. In the absence of MS-DOS 5.0,
Research Machines has provided firmware
support for the Lotus Intel Microsoft Ex-
panded Memory Specification (LIM EMS).
The memory chips are surface mounted on
to a piggyback board which clips on to the
processor board. Research Machines says it
plans to manufacture 1Mbyte, 2Mbyte,
4Mbyte and 8Mbyte cards for the VX-386; it
will be possible to stack three such boards
sideways on to a single processor board.
Research Machines chose to use standard
dynamic RAM (DRAM) chips in the con-
struction of the Nimbus VX-386, rather
than the faster static-column RAM chips fav-
oured by Compaq. There are several reasons
behind this decision, one of the most
important being the price. Once you start
fitting static-column chips in your computer
you cannot then add ordinary DRAM chips,
and static-column RAM chips are about five
times the price of DRAM.
Using ordinary DRAM chips means intro-
ducing wait states into the system. This is
where the processor is made to hang around
while the memory accesses ate completed.
To operate without wait states access times
need to be 55ns. or better; the Nimbus
VX-386's DRAM, on the other hand, can
only manage an access time of 120ns. In its
defence, Research Machines told us that the
Compaq Deskpro 386 does not run entirely
without wait states either.
2K ROWS OF RAM
The Deskpro 386 achieves no wait states
by holding 2K rows of RAM open to create
faster access. Research Machines says that
this is fine in theory, but in practice memory
accesses are likely to be across the whole
range of memory rather than in simple 2K
rows. The company claimed that tests it has
carried out showed the Compaq Deskpro
386 had a true wait state of about 1.7;
Compaq says the figure is 0.8.
Intel was aware of the nuisance of wait
states when it designed the 80386, and asa
compromise incorporated within the chip
the capacity to handle high-speed external
cache memory. The idea behind cache
memory is that 90 percent of processor time
will be occupied running five percent of the
code. Therefore, if you store that often-used
code in very high-speed static RAM you will
achieve marked increases in performance.
As far as we are aware, Research Machines
is the first company to include the idea of ex-
ternal cache memory into the design of its
80386 computer. A 64K static RAM board
will be interfaced to a 32-bit Research
Machines bus running from the processor
board; this was not available at the time of
the preview, but the company says that the
SPECIFICATION
CPU: Intel 80386 running at 16MHz
RAM: 2Mbyte dynamic RAM
Piggybacked on processor card; 64K
static RAM cache memory
Mass storage: 5.25in. half-height
1.2Mbyte floppy or 3.5in. 720K floppy;
choice of 40Mbyte or 140Mbyte hard
discs
Interfaces: one RS-232C and one
parallel printer port; option for built-in
networking
Display: compatible with Enhanced
Graphics Adaptor, Colour Graphics
Adaptor, Monochrome Display Adaptor,
Hercules graphics card and Nimbus PC
graphics
Price: £4,995 for 40Mbyte version,
£7,995 for 140Mbyte version
Manufacturer: Research Machines,
Mill Street, Oxford OX2 OBW.
Telephone: (0865) 249866
Available: April 1987
cache memory will have an access time of
between 10ns. and 20ns.
If you are going to market an IBM-
compatible computer you need an IBM-
compatible BIOS. The Nimbus X series
BIOS is Research Machines’ own design. It
needed to maintain compatibility not just
with IBM but also with the Nimbus PC. We
were unable to perform a complete set of
software tests on the BIOS, but the com-
puter does appear able to run both IBM and
Nimbus software. Among the IBM packages
we saw running on the VX-386 were
Autocad, Lotus 1-2-3 and Sidekick.
While we were trying Sidekick it threw up
a bug of which Research Machines was pre-
viously unaware. The program could be
invoked by pressing Ctrl and Alt together
but it would not respond to the double-Shift
hot-key combination. This is a minor prob-
lem which Research Machines says will be
fixed before shipments of production
machines begin. Apart from that Sidekick
behaved perfectly normally.
On production machines you will be able
to choose whether you want the machine to
run in IBM or Nimbus PC mode on power-
up. The computer will configure itself to the
mode of your choice under MS-DOS, and in
otder to allow this to happen Research
Machines is having to write its own version of
MS-DOS 3.2. The customised version of
DOS was unfinished at the time of the
preview so we booted the computer using a
version of PC-DOS 3.1 to run some bench-
marks.
The Nimbus VX-386 produced a Norton
Sysinfo figure of 18.0 or 18.7, the two
figures being thrown up at random during
fepeated runs of the program. Research
Machines said this inconsistency was partly
due to PC-DOS and partly because the
machine sometimes encountered a page
boundary which slowed things down. We
wefe reminded once again that the machine
had not yet been fully optimised. But even
taking the lower figure of 18.0, the VX-836
is among the fastest performers we have en-
countered among AT compatibles.
Bearing this in mind we ran the Basic
Benchmarks. They came up with an average
of 2.1 seconds, slightly behind the Compaq
Deskpro 386 time of 1.9 seconds. When the
cache memory is implemented there could
be a dramatic improvement in benchmark
timings too. We were unable to get any
meaningful results from the Bagshaw
Benchmarks as the disc drives had yet to be
optimised.
With the Nimbus X series, Research
Machines has moved away from its previous
policy of only selling direct to customers. At
the time of writing it was actively recruiting
third-party dealers and VARs. This, more
than anything else, indicates a willingness to
move from a niche position in the edu-
cational market towards the sound of
gunfire in the corporate marketplace.
How well Research Machines will do in
this market is as yet unclear. On the day of
the launch we would have predicted the
machine would do very well indeed. The
Nimbus X series maintains Research
Machines’ reputation for quality design and
rugged engineering and is priced £500
below the Deskpro 386. But two days later
Apricot launched its Xen-i 386 at under
£3,000 for the entry-level system. This puts
it some £2,000 below the announced price
of the VX-386 — although without taking
into account Research Machines’ famous 30
percent educational discounts. This ts a
direct threat to RM’s VX-386, as the new
Xen-i is likely to compete for the lucrative
local and national government contracts,
where buying British is encouraged. From
where we stand an all-British battle royal
appears to be just over the horizon.
CONCLUSIONS
@ The Nimbus VX-386 is an 80386-based
micro. It represents Research Machines’ entry
into the IBM-compatible universe while main-
taining Nimbus PC compatibility.
® While incorporating custom chips to keep
costs down in the areas where it sees the
standard surviving, Research Machines has
left its options open concerning future moves
by IBM.
@ Thecard cage idea — shades of he 380Z! —
whereby the processor is fitted on to a remov-
able card, provides an upgrade path for users
and an insurance policy for the manufacturer
in the event of any drastic changes dictated by
IBM.
@ Research Machines is entering the big time.
We wish it well.
4?
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MBREVIEW
CHEAP AT CLONES
WORTH TAKING THE RISK’
By Ian Stobie
AT clones are still a lot more expensive than a basic PC so there is much more at stake when you
are thinking of buying cheap.
ou can easily save £1,000 when
\ on an AT-compatible system.
This is the kind of money you save
by eschewing the big-name suppliers and
going for a lesser-known brand. To find out
whether the cheaper models are up to
scratch we looked at three systems from
Elonex, Bristol Micro Traders and Walters. |
They range in price from £1,295 to £1,790
for a working system with 20Mbyte hard disc
and monochrome display.
Like the IBM PC/AT itself, all AT-com- |
patible systems are basically card cages. By
adding different cards you can get a wide
range of different configurations. This flex-
ibility is one of the advantages of the IBM
standard, but it does make price comparison
difficult. As our price reference point we
decided on a general-purpose business
system with monochrome monitor and
Hercules-compatible display card, 640K of
RAM, one 1.2Mbyte floppy, a 20Mbyte hard
disc and MS-DOS. This setup would cost
£1,790 from Walters, £1,596 from Bristol
Micro Traders and £1,295 from Elonex.
Walters offers several AT clones, in-
cluding a standard-sized desk-top machine
and a transportable model. We looked at
the latest, the Baby AT, whose main claim
to fame is its small size. It is indeed a very
compact unit, measuring 17in. wide by
1Gin. deep, which is a good deal less than
the standard clone or the IBM PC/ AT itself.
Like all the machines we looked, the Baby
AT is assembled largely from Taiwanese
componenets with the main board also from
Taiwan. Build quality on the Walters
seemed good, with the casing fitting
pfoperly round the machine and the disc
drives and other components correctly ass-
embled and working straightaway. Despite
its small size there is room inside the system
box for eight expansion slots and four drives.
The power supply is rated at 192W, so it is
not unreasonable to assume that you could
have two hard-disc units and two floppies in
the box. We had a floppy and one 20Mbyte |
hard disc.
Six of the expansion slots have the full
16-bit AT-standard bus, the other two being
eight-bit PC/XT-style ones. This is also the
case with the Elonex and Bristol Micro
machines: the internal layout of all three AT
clones is very similar. Normally you would
use up two or three slots straightaway for a
disc controller, a display card and output |
ports. All three clone suppliers offer mono-
chrome display cards which are Hercules
compatible, and this is well worth having as
many graphics packages use the Hercules
standard.
The Walters monochrome card has a par-
allel printer port on it too, so you only need
two slots to take care of discs, display and
printer. Of course, if you also need an
RS-232 port for your printer or for a modem
you would need to add another card. On our
‘review system we in fact had an EGA-
compatible colour-display card and a high-
resolution colour monitor, which would
together add £500 to the cost of the system.
The high-resolution colour monitor sup-
plied by Walters with the EGA card is made
WALTERS BABY AT
RAVERDICT "
a Ss
giget 'F
€ + 6 &
Performance Ee fie ;
Ease of use O : Bo OQ
Documentation [] $ OF OF
Value for money: [] O BO
(1) Compact and well built, but the hard
disc is fairly slow. Worth a look.
by TVM in Taiwan. You ¢an switch it
between full colour and amber or green,
which some people prefer for text work.
There was slight barrel distortion at the
edges of the tube, but in general the results
looked very good with the graphics packages
we tried. Rather unusually, there is a cooling
fan inside the monitor which made a slight
hissing sound. The fan inside the main
system box was noisier, and seemed a bit
wotse than on some of the more expensive
machines we see, but it was not unaccept-
able.
Walters and Bristol Micro Traders both
supplied identical keyboards from the same
Taiwanese supplier. The layout is not the
new IBM type with 12 function keys along
the top, but the older AT-style layout with
10 function keys arranged vertically at the
left-hand side. It is a good keyboard, with a
nice positive typing feel. It may not be very
robust though: we managed to knock the
right Shift key off the Walters keyboard
within a few days.
Bristol Micro Traders quotes a price of
£999 for its AT-compatible system, the
Micro 286. However, this is for a single-
floppy system with no display or MS-DOS;
for our hard-disc based reference system the
price would be nearly £600 more. Our initial
impressions of the Micro 286 were not at all
favourable. We were supplied with a unit
with 20Mbyte hard disc and twin floppies.
The two floppy drives were of different
colours, neither of them matching the main
casing, and one of them did not work at all.
We regularly got error messages when using
the other floppy drive, though it would
usually work on the retry.
General build quality did not seem very
good. When we opened up the system box,
the combined parallel printer and Hercules-
compatible monochrome display card
seemed badly bent. However, it did work
and Bristol Micto Traders sent us another
one when we rang up. We had the mono-
chrome display on our system, which pro-
vided satisfactory results. The parallel
printer port, contained on the same board,
also worked without trouble.
The Elonex machine, the PC-286 Turbo,
was the cheapest of the bunch and it gen-
erally struck us as the best value of the three.
The system box is about the same size as the
Bristol machine or the IBM PC/AT itself. It
is quite well styled, and build quality is as
good as on the Walters and better than the
Bristol offering.
The keyboard differs from the other
machines. It has a shallower feel with less
resistance in the keys, but it is not un-
pleasant to type on and seems fairly robust.
The layout is again generally like the older
IBM AT keyboards, but there is an extra set
of cursor keys immediately to the right of the
space bar.
We had a system with an EGA-com-
patible colour display and monitor, which
costs an extra £395. This is less than Walters
charges for the upgrade. In general not only
are basic Elonex system prices lower, but the
options also work out cheaper. On our
system we had an extra 2Mbyte of RAM
installed in order to run Smalltalk, which
would set you back only £275.
The display looked fine. Elonex supplied
an effective but rather bulky Casper high-
erm Oe (continued on page 49)
46
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
BRISTOL MICRO 286
CPU: 80286 running at 6MHz, 8MHz or
10MHz; optional 80287 maths co-
processor
RAM: 512K expandable to 1Mbyte on
motherboard
Expansion slots: six AT-style slots and
two PC-type slots
Dises: one 1.2Mbyte floppy as standard;
system box has enough room to house four
drives
Display: 12in. monochrome monitor with
Hercules-compatible monochrome display
cards costs £189; colour monitor with
CGA-compatible card £368; high-
resolution colour monitor with EGA-
compatible card £648
Keyboard: early AT-style with 10
function keys
Interfaces: one RS-232C serial port and
one parallel printer port
Dimensions: 533mm. (21lin.) x 419mm.
(16.5in.) x 152mm. (6in.)
Price: £999 for base system with 512K
RAM, keyboard and one 1.2Mbyte floppy
drive; MS-DOS 3.2 costs £59
Manufacturer: made in Taiwan
U.K. supplier: Bristol Micro Traders,
Systems Group, Maggs House, 78 Queens
Road, Bristol BS8 1QX. Telephone: (0272)
298228
Available: now
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
SPECIFICATIONS
ELONEX PC-286 TURBO
CPU: 80286 running at 6MHz, 8MHz or
10MHz; optional 80287 maths co-
processor
RAM: 640K expandable to 1Mbyte on
motherboard
Expansion slots: six AT-style slots and
two PC-type slots
Dises: system box can house four drives;
typical configuration is one 1.2Mbyte
floppy drive plus one hard disc of up to
80Mbyte
Display: 14in. monochrome monitor with
Hercules-compatible monochrome display
card; colour monitor with CGA-compatible
card costs extra £175; high-resolution
colour monitor with EGA-compatible card
costs £395 extra
Keyboard: early AT-style with 10
function keys
Interfaces: two RS-232C serial ports and
one parallel printer port
Dimensions: 533mm. (21in.} x 432mm.
(17in.) x 152mm. (6in.)
Software in price: MS-DOS 3.2
Price: £1,295 with keyboard, 640K RAM,
14in. monochrome monitor, one 1.2Mbyte
floppy-disc drive and one 20Mbyte hard
disc
Manufacturer: made in Taiwan
U.K. supplier: Elonex (U.K.), Rays
House, Stonebridge Park, North Circular
Road, London NW10 7XR. Telephone:
01-965 3225
| Available: now
MBREVIEW
WALTERS BABY AT
CPU: 80286 running at 6MHz or 8MHz;
optional 80287 maths co-processor
RAM: 640K expandable to 1Mbyte on
motherboard
Expansion slots: six AT-style slots and
two PC-type slots
Discs: system box can house four drives;
typical configuration is one 1.2Mbyte
floppy plus one hard disc and up to
80Mbyte of hard-disc space
Display: 14in. monochrome monitor with
Hercules-compatible monochrome display
card is fitted as standard; CGA-compatible
card and colour monitor costs extra £200;
EGA-compatible card and high-resolution
colour monitor costs extra £500
Keyboard: early AT-style with 10
function keys
Interfaces: one parallel printer port
Dimensions: 432mm.(17in.) x
406mm.(16in.) x 152mm.{6in.)
Price: £1,280 for base system with 640K
RAM, keyboard, 12in. monochrome
monitor and one 1.2Mbyte floppy drive;
MS-DOS 3.2 with GWBasic £65
Manufacturer: made in Taiwan
U.K. supplier: Walters International,
Matrix House, Lincoln Road, Cressex
Industrial Estate, High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire HP12 3RD. Telephone:
(0494) 32751
Available: now
47
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(continued from page 47)
resolution monitor built in Taiwan. A par-
allel printer port is incorporated into the
EGA board, and we had trouble getting it to
work. But this problem aside, we were
happy with the Elonex.
The Walters Baby AT offers you a choice
of two processor speed settings, 6MHz and
8MHz. Both the Elonex and Bristol Micro
machines offer an even faster 10OMHz. The
standard IBM PC/AT goes at 6MHz, and
this speed is worth having in case of trouble
with the faster speed, for instance when
loading copy-protected software. On the
Walters you switch between speeds using a
button on the front of the machine, which
seems to work even when the machine is
running. We used the faster speed rout-
inely, but did have problems printing. At
8MHz we would lose characters at random;
switching to 6MHz when printing cured the
problem.
The clock rate on the Bristol system can
supposedly be set by the user from the key-
board. You are supposed to have a choice of
6MHz, 8MHz or 10MHz but how you act-
ually achieved this was not documented; in
general documentation was not one of thé
system’s strong points. On ringing Bristol
Micro Traders we were told how to do it, but
were also told that our system was perm-
anently set to L1OMHz.
BENCHMARK RATINGS
All three machines did well on our
standard Basic Benchmarks, which measure
the speed of the system at running inter-
preted Basic programs. The Walters at
8MHz in fact turned in the same timings on
all eight routines as the Bristol running at
10MHz, showing that clock speed is not
everything. The average time for the Bristol
Elonex again proved yet faster, turning in
11S
The PC/AT runs at 6MHz, and if our
clone machines work internally in a similar
way then they too should return the same
Norton Sysinfo figure when set to this
speed. Both the Elonex and Walters did.
In most practical applications the speed of
the discs matters more than the speed of the
processor, so we used the Bagshaw Disc
Benchmarks to check out the hard discs on
the three machines. On this test the Bristol
came out well, its figure of 54.5 seconds
bringing it close to the PC/AT itself and
within striking distance of some of the more
up-market clones. The Elonex returned a
BRISTOL MICRO 286
VERDICT. —s._ «
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Performance el Oo BO
Ease of use Ss | ees)
Boo O
Documentation
Valueformoney () M OF OO.
CA good spec let down by poor build
quality. When you add everything up it
is not all that cheap.
ELONEX PC-286 TURBO
and Walters machines was 3.4 seconds
faster than both the Compaq 286 and the
IBM PC/AT itself. The Elonex was the
quickest at this test, turning in a very fast 2.7
seconds.
With the Elonex you have the option of
6MHz, 8MHz and 10MHz clock rates, but
you can also get the processor to operate with
no wait states at.the top speed for maximum
performance. With most AT systems the
processor periodically has to suspend its act-
ivities to allow the transfer of data to or from
memory to be completed. This is a wait
state. Obviously having zero wait states gives
you better performance, but for this to be
possible the RAM chips used in the system
must be fast enough to keep up. The Elonex
does use fast RAM, and we ran it successfully
at 1OMHz with no wait states with a wide
range of software.
Another measure of speed is provided by
the Sysinfo routine in the Norton Utilities
package. It checks out the speed of registers
and memoty using machine-code routines,
and reduces them to a single feature, scaled
relative to the IBM PC. At their top clock
rates both the Walters and Bristol machines
turned in figures of 10.3, meaning that they
are over 10 times as fast as the IBM PC at per-
forming the Norton routines, and nearly
twice as fast as the IBM PC/AT itself. The
KHVERDICT a
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Performance (G| : O @ DO
Ease of use et I ews
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Value for money O O O @
(Cheap, well built and a good
performer.
respectable 61.9 seconds, while the Walters
Baby AT proved a disappointment with a
slow 116.5 seconds.
We were able to run a wide variety of bus-
iness software on all three machines, though
it is always possible something we did not try
would not run. The key component in
ensuring compatibility is the BIOS software
supplied in ROM, which clone makers
usually buy in from a specialist supplier. On
the Walters machine the BIOS was supplied
by Phoenix, a leading American specialist
which supplies the BIOS used by most up-
market clones and virtually ensures com-
patibility. Bristol’s Micro 286 uses BIOS
chips supplied by Award Software, another
well-known American BIOS maker, which ts
also a good sign.
It was not possible to tell who had written
the Elonex BIOS. The two chips themselves
| were’ anonymous and the copyright state-
ment which comes up when you boot the
system appeared to have had the name
blanked out. This doubtful BIOS is really
MBREVIEW
the only black mark against the machine,
although it should be stressed that in
practice we had no trouble getting software
to fun on it.
The documentation supplied with the
three machines varied widely. Bristol Micro
Traders came off worse: you get slim tech-
nical booklets for the vatious option boards
but no general setting-up guide or
operations manual. Walters comes with a
ring-bound user’s handbook that covers
setting up and DOS. Unfortunately it is
written in bad Taiwanese English and is full
of vague generalities.
However, both Bristol and Walters sell
you MS-DOS separately, and although this
means extra expense it also means you get
Microsoft's professionally written guide for
MS-DOS and Basic with these two systems.
You still lack the hardware information,
but for an experienced user who feels con-
fident setting up the system without docu-
mentation this is not a serious disadvantage.
Elonex’s documentation is probably the
best, Here you get MS-DOS in the price, but
not Basic. The MS-DOS manual is printed
in Taiwan, but it appears to be properly
licensed from Microsoft and includes the
standard text. You also get a fairly sub-
stantial users guide; it wanders off into gen-
eralities sometimes, and describes the wrong
keyboard most of the time, but provides
correct and intelligible information on most
aspects of the system.
If you can afford it you would probably do
best to get your first AT-compatible
machine from a major supplier — if not IBM
then a good-quality clone manufacturer
such as Apricot, Compaq, Epson or Olivetti:
Orice you have general AT experience the
hardware quality of the best of the low-cost
clones seems good enough to be worth
giving them a try.
CONCLUSIONS
@ Walters’ Baby AT is physically the neatest
of the machines and comes from the best-
known supplier. Apart from a problem with
the printer card our machine worked very
well. However, it is the most expensive of the
machines tested, and in performance terms it
was let down by a slow hard disc.
@ Bristol Micro Traders’ Micro 286 was what
we feared a low-cost clone would be like. Our
machine was a mess to look at, it came with in-
adequate documentation and it had a serious
hardware fault. We were not impressed with
the presentation generally. However, the
hardware itself is not bad: it has the fastest
hard disc of the lot and a swift processor. A
little more trouble on the part of the distributor
could turn it into a good product.
@® Elonex’s PC-286 was the best of the bunch,
and the cheapest. It was the quickest, with an
unusually fast processor, and gave acceptable
hard-disc performance. Options such as the
display on our review system are very keenly
priced. Documentation and build quality were
acceptable. Elonex’s machine is worth the
money, despite the problems noted in the text.
@ All these machines were weakest in things
like documentation and their general pres-
entation. Failings in this area could well reflect
a generally poor standard in other aspects of
support — something it is hard for a magazine
to evaluate. PC
ee EEE aE El
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
49
Powertul,
single or multi
user system.
SPECT offers the database builder the facilities to set
up applications quickly and simply using its powerful
Ses erotics AVAILABLE FOR
learn the system, or through direct command entry. TORUS TA PE S l RY
ASPECT can read data from and output data t ; ’
put data to
most Sie nee nc aa g packages, 10 NE T APRICOT
generator otedth oan cn Sieauiiyrorheebnecon ~POINT 32 AND
— ecard number of organisations that are RML NIMBUS
recognising the importance of linking their microcomputers NETWORKS
together ASPECT is available in a multi-user version with
the appropriate file and record locking facilities.
THE ASPECT SYSTEM FEATURES
MULTI FILE: MULTI LEVEL (HIERARCHICAL) FILE STRUCTURE WITH UP TO SEVEN LEVELS -
VARIABLE LENGTH RECORDS : SYSTEM MENUS - USER DESIGNED MENUS: DIRECT
COMMAND MODE: FULL SET OF CONDITIONAL OPERATORS : POWERFUL REPORTING
SYSTEM - LABEL PRINTING - CONTEXT SENSITIVE AND USER WRITTEN HELP FACILITIES -
READING AND WRITING OF FILES FROM OTHER SYSTEMS -
REPORTING DIRECTLY FROM OTHER SYSTEMS
ASPECT costs £400 + VAT for a single user version and £950 + VAT for the
network version*. A limited record version is available for £40 + VAT and this amount
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ASPECT is available from Microft Technology Limited, The Old Powerhouse,
Kew Gardens Station, Kew, Surrey TW9 3PS, or from many dealers. For further
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* This allows up to 5 terminals on the network. A further £100 + VAT is payable for each additional terminal.
The database management system.
ASPECTis a Trade Mark of Microft Technology Limited and is a British Product.
| ‘ ‘
— circle 122 on enquiry card —
(etic oe
50 PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
FOR ALL IBM PC COMPATIBLES INCLUDING THE AMSTRAD PC1512 HD
TAS
TAS Plus Database from only £99
TAS Modifiable Accounting was written in
TAS Plus, the high speed, 4th generation
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Just look at what you get:
Relational Database
Screen Painter
Program Generator
Report Generator
Database Browser
Source Code Editor
4th Generation Language
@ Runtime Compiler
Three versions are available. TAS Plus
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Version at £199 (this is the one that Is
included in the price of Modifiable
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Developer’s Version at £349 for NETBIOS
compatible networks.
Aversion with a different specification is
also available for Concurrent CP/M at £349.
Modifiable Accounting £499
Nominal Ledger.
3 years totals by month. Budgetting by
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Up to 10 Rates of VAT. Post to previous
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writer. Up to 5 bank accounts. Detailed
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Purchase Ledger
Easy to enter invoices. Recail last nominal
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Invoicing and sales analysis. Easy
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Statements, aged debt reports, bad debt
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Advanced Accounting £799
In addition to Modifiable Accounting you get
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Wholesale distribution-type. Regular and
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Multiple selling prices. Easy stock
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Provides for regular and non-stock items.
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No limit sales order entry with invoicing and
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111-113 Wandsworth High Street
London SW18 4HY
Telephone: 01-874 6511. Telex: 21768
Modifiable
Accounting
What the Press say about the
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(Personal Computer World)
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of the most attractive databases on the
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small price. It performed well in our tests and
you can quickly write dense and efficient code
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System Requirements
TAS Modifiable and Advanced Accounting
runs on any IBM XT, AT and true compatible
with a hard disk and at least 384KB RAM.
A version for Concurrent CPIM is also available
with a different specification.
Money Back Guarantee
The package you receive contains a sealed
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operational but can only save a limited number
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Provided the sealed set remains unopened and
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Act Now!
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i TAS
More information:
TAS Plus @ £99: 2
a TAS Plus Developer @ £199:
TAS Plus Modifiable Accounts @ £499:
TAS Plus Advanced Accounting @ £799: []
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company letterhead if Invoice name and address need
to be different from card name and address.
— circie 123 on enquiry card
COMPUTER
DOT MATRIX PRINTERS
Epson LX86-The Best Seller in the World. £195.00
Star NL10-The Number Two Seller—Best Spec £210.00
Star NX15-The New Wide-body NL101.... £291.00
Panasonic 1080 100cps & 80 col—A Hot Seller £145.00
Epson FX105+-—The Old Favourite... £38900
Epson FX85+ -IBM Made This One Famous. £289.00
Epson LQ800 Letter Quality—24 Pin Printhead.. £42800
Epson LQ1000 Letter Quality- 24 Pins...... £571.00
Epson LQ2500-This one is really good! £725.00
Epson SQ2500-Ink your jet with this one!. £999.00
Epson FX800-—Brand New!. : £324.00
Epson FX1000-Brand New!. £415.00
Epson EX800 300cps & 80 column—Super Fast £38500
Epson EX1000 300cps & 136 column- Super Fast. £51700
Star NB15—-The big, up-market Star 24-pin. £699.00
Juki 5510-A Best Seller £270.00
Star SR15 200cps wide carriage-Good Buy. £375.00
Seiko-sha MP1300AI -300cps! (EX800 clone). £302.00
MP 165-Cheap Fast and Good Quality... £170.00
MP 200-132 Column 200cps!...... £260.00
MP 201-132 column 200cps £29500
NEC P5-Heavy-Duty Office Favourite! £780.00
NEC P6-Good Buy. £411.00
NEC P7-Worth a Look.. £449.00
Oki Microline 182-The Number 2 Brand. £20500
Oki Microline 192—Perenntal Favourite £299.00
Oki Microline 193—Worth A Look £369.00
OkI Microline 293—Worth A Look, £60800
Citizen MSP-15 160cps & 80 column. £329.00
Citizen MSP-25 200cps & 132 column-Try It £289.00
DAISY WHEEL PRINTERS
Quendata OWP1120-The Best Seller-20cps.. £145.00
Juki 6100—20cpS....... cece £227.00
Juki 6200-30cps... £407.00
Juki 6300—40cps £660.00
Juki 6500-60cps. £899.00
Brother HR35....... £739.00
COLOUR PRINTERS
Okimate 20 Thermal Printer £15900
Juki 5520-The Market Leader—Fast!. £34000
Epson JX80..... £350.00
Epson EX-Series Colour Upgrade Option £55.00
PLOTTERS, DIGITIZERS & LASERS
New Oki Laser £1700.00
HP Laserjet Plus £2299.00
Cherry A3 Digitizer £47500
Roland 880A Plotter—Best Value A3 Plotter. £649.00
Epson Hi-80 Plotter—Best A4 Plotter. £309.00
QMS K8 Laser £1695.00
PRINTER ACCESSORIES
IBM -Compatible Centronics Parallel Cable (Round). £11.50
BBC Centronics Parallel Cable (Ribbon) £7.50
Serial cables Made to Order £2000
Two-Way Printer T-Switch. i £35.00
Fan-Fold White Paper, 11in long, 1000 sheets.......... . £6.99
80 Col Printer Stands £21.75
132 Column Printer Stands.... £29.00
Adjustable Floor-Standing Printer Stands..... £80.00
Epson Taxi PC, 256k RAM, Single Floppy......... £46600
Epson Taxi PC, 256k RAM, Double Floppy. £539.00
Epson Taxi PC, 256k RAM, 20mb Hard Disk £870.00
Epson Taxi PC, 256k RAM Upgrade......... i £99.00
Epson PC + 640k RAM, Single Floppy, Video Card, £899 00
Epson PC+ 640k RAM, Double Floppy, Video Card....... £100500
Epson PC + 640k RAM, 20mb Hard Disk, Video Card..... £1199.00
Epson AX-20 AT 640k RAM, 1.2mb Floppy, 20mb HD..... £1799.00
Epson AX-40 AT 640k RAM, 1.2mb Floppy, 40mb HD €224900
All Epson PC's and PC+'s require monitors and all PC's require
Monitor Adaptor Cards.
COMPAQ
Compag Portable II Model 1 €1872.00
Compag Portable It Model 2. £194700
Compag Portable Il Model 3.... €254700
Compag Portable I] Model 4.... £2772.00
Compaq Deskpro 286 Model 2. £253600
Compaq Deskpro 286 Model 3. £3019.00
Compaq Deskpro 286 Model 4..... €4185.00
Compag Deskpro 286 Model 20/640k/1 FD/20 MB. £2161.00
Compaq Deskpro 386 Model 40 £4050.00
Compaq Deskpro 386 Model 70. £4499.00
Compag Deskpro 386 Model 130......... £5622.00
Compaq 286 Dual-Mode Adaptor £150.00
Compaq 286 EGA Colour Adaptor £372.00
Compaq 286 Mono Dual-Mode Adaptor, £162.00
Compaq 286 EGA Monitor... £413.00
Compaq 10MB Tape Back-Up Option €436.00
Compaq 40MB Tape Back-Up Option £516.00
Our trained staff
are always ready
to serve you!
Amstrad 1512 Single Floppy, Mono Monitor £436.00
Amstrad 1512 Double Floppy, Mono Monitor....... £539.00
Amstrad 1512 Single Floppy, Colour Monitor. £601.00
Amstrad 1512 Double Floppy, Colour Monitor £693.00
Amstrad 1512 10mb Hard Disk, Mono Monitor. £77600
Amstrad 1512 20mb Hard Disk, Mono Monitor £87300
Amstrad 1512 10mb Hard Disk, Colour Monitor £94000
Amstrad 1512 20mb Hard Disk, Colour Monitor £1037.00
Amstrad 1512 SD Mono with 20mb Upgrade £799.00
Amstrad 1512 SD Colour with 20mb Upgrade £969.00
Upgrade any 1512 to 640k {including labour). £26.00
Amstrad PCW 8256.
Amstrad PCW 8512
MacDOUGALL PC’s
MacDougall 286 AT 640k/AT Clock/8mz/Single
360k Floppy/Mono........... £699.00
MacDougall 286 AT 640k/RT Clock/8mz/Double
360k Fioppies/Mono........ £799.00
MacDougall 286 AT 640k/RT Clock/8mz/20mb
HD Mono Monitor/Port.. £99900
OLIVETTI PC
Olivetti M24 Single Floppy Base Unit/640k... £106000
Olivetti M24 Double Floppy Base Unit/640k.. £1148.00
Olivetti M24SP 20mb/Single Floppy Base Unit/640k....... £1618.00
Olivetti Monochrome Monitor £16900
Olivettl 83 or 102-key Keyboard....... £120.00
Olivetti MS-DOS/GW- Basic Pack.. £51.00
Olivetti Colour Monitor... £40000
Olivetti M28 512k/20mb Hard Disk. £1884.00
Olivetti M28 512k/40mb Hard Disk £2392.00
Special Offer:
Olivetti M24 with 640k, 7-siot Bus Converter Monitor,
MS-DOS/GW-Basic, Keyboard, NEC or Seagate 20mb
Hard Disk £1635.00
M24SP Complete System (Monitor/Keyboard/DOW)....... £193400
KAYPRO PC
Kaypro 286i AT 640k, 20mb HD, Mono Monitor, Dos 3.2.. £1549,.00
Kaypro 286i AT 640k, 20mb HD, Colour Monitor, Dos 3.2. £1749.00
Kaypro 2000 Portable 768k RAM, 3.5in td £80000
Kaypro 2000 as above, but with larger screen... £1018.00
Optional Base Unit for Kaypro 2000 £498.00
TOSHIBA
Toshiba T3100 Lap Top. £275000
Toshiba T2100 Lap Top...........-..0+-++ £1800 00
Toshiba External 5.25 Disc Drive. £33500
RI HARDWA
Atari S20STFM 500k RAM, disk drive, TV Modulator. +. £318
Atari 1040STF with Mono Monitor, imb RAM, disk drive... £55000
Alan 1040STF with Thomson Colour Monitor £775.00
Atari 1040STF with Atari SC1224 Colour Monitor.. £775.00
Atari SF314 1mb Floppy Disk Drive £15500
Atari SH204 20mb Hard Disk Drive £557.00
Cumana CS354 1mb Floppy Disk Drive....... £12900
Cumana CS358 double mb Disk Drive Unit £234.00
Atari 520STM, 500k RAM, no Disk Drive, TV Modulator... £21500
Atari SM125 High Resolution Monochrome Monitor.. .. £115.00
Thomson CM36512AR Colour Monitor (ex demo) £25000
Atan SH1224 Colour Monitor £30700
Rainbird Starglider.... £19.00
Computer Concepts Fast Basic. £7700
Flight Simulator Il £3700
Arena Sports Simulation £23.00
Modula-2 Development System. £69.00
Modula-2 ST Toolbox £36.00
Prospero Pro Fortran 77 £106.00
VIP Professional (Lotus Cione) £139.00
Metacomco Lattice C Compiler £71.00
Metacomco Macro Assembler £36.00
Metacomco Pascal Compiler £64.00
Migraph Inc Easy Draw £107.00
Rainbird Soft The Pawn. - £18.00
Microdeal Time Bandit. £2100
Chipsoft ST Accounts £107.00
Cashlink Accounts. £242.00
Mark Williams C Compiler £128.00
Atari Fastcom... £3700
World Games Simulation £29.00
Megamix C Compiler £113.00
DISKETTES :
SKC 5.25in DS/DD 4étpi (IBM-Compatible) Diskettes... £100 each
SKC 5.25in DS/DD 96tpi (AT-Compatible) Oiskettes...... £180 each
Computer Express Branded 5.25in DS/DD Diskettes... £100 each
TDK 35in DS/DD Diskettes........ srensessanress S299 ACN
Computer Express Branded 3.5in DS/DD Diskettes..... £2.25 each
Olvetti 5 25 DS/DD 481pi Demo Diskettes... £1.70 each
COMMUNICATIONS
Micracle WS4000 V21-V23 Modem
Da-Com DSL 2123 AD/Hayes.
Sage Chitchat Comms Pack (Modem/Sottware/Cable)..... £299.00
Crosstalk IV Comms Software..... : £99.00
Sage Chitchat Comms Software £85.00
One-To-One Electronic Mail Subscription . £2000
RS232 Serial Modem Cable £15.00
HARD DISKS, ADD-ON BOARDS,
CHIPS
64k dRAM chips (nine to make 64k). £1.15 each
256k dRAM chips (nine to make 256k) 150 Ns... £3.00 each
8087 5mz Maths Co-Processor. . £120.00
8087 8mz Maths Co-Processor.. . £175.00
80287 Maths Co-Processor. £229.00
AST Six Pack Plus 64k memory Multitunction Card £197.00
Qubre Six Shooter Multifunction Card 64k memory .. £150.00
Intel Aboveboard with Ok installed £325.00
Plus Hardcard 10mb... £35000
Pius Hardcard 20mb.... £595.00
Quble 20mb Hard Pack £450.00
Mountain 20mb Mountain Card. £659.00
Seagate 20mb Hard Disk with WD Controller & Cables. ... £350.00
Hercules Colour Card.. £100.00
Ram Cards Ok, 256k, 384k, 512k Calt
Hercules Mono Graphics Card. £179,00
Hercules Mono Plus Graphics Card..... £189.00
Clone Hercules Card £85.00
Mouse Systems Mouse with Pop-Up Menus & PC Paint... £125.00
Microsoft Bus Mouse. £135.00
Summa Mouse with Gem Collection. £189.00
MONITORS
Oyneer 12in 12MHI Mono Monitor with Tilt/Swivel Stand... £10000
Taxon Ki6SV860 16in Ultra High EGA Colour Monitor...... £699.00
Taxon K12SV3 Supervision Hl Colour Monitor. £35900
Eizo ER8030M 14in High-Resolution Colour Monitor........ £319.00
Eizo ER8042S 14in Ultra-High Res EGA Colour Monitor.. £465.00
ADI 14in Mono Monitor with Tilt/Swivel Stand.... £120,00
IBM-COMPATIBLE SOFTWARE
TOP 20
Wordstar 2000 Release 2... £230.00
Delta 4. £295.00
Obase Ill Plus... £330.00
Framework II Ver 1.1 £316.00
Lotus 1-2-3 Ver 2.1 £229,00
Supercatc Ver 4. £197.00
Smart System,. £365.00
Word Perfect Ver 4.2. £257.00
Microsoft Word Ver 3. £28000
Multimate Ver 3.31 £20700
Multisoft Accounts Per Module... £280.00
Open Access £265.00
Pegasus Account Per Module. £175.00
Psion Chess. £30.00
Quaid Software Copywrite (Back up Protected Software)... £39.00
Robo-Com Cad-Cam..... £100000
Lotus Symphony Ver 1.1 £339.00
Javelin £350.00
Psion Xchange..... £260.00
ALTERNATIVE LOW-COST IBM-
COMPATIBLE AMSTRAD SOFTWARE
VP Planner by Paperback Software. £63.00
VP Into... ... £6400
Borland Sidekick. £4900
Gem Collection... Pepe 22)9,0)
Sage Bookeeper £85.00
Sage Retrieve Database £85.00
Sage PC Planner Spreadsheet {Lotus Clone)... £8500
Sage Desk-Set. £59.00
Sage PC-Write Word Processor. : £8500
Sage Accountant........ £127.00
Sage Accountant Plus. £16000
Sage Payroll........ £85.00
Sage Financial Controller £250.00
Personal Word Perfect.. £149.00
Word Perfect Junior £80.00
Microsoft Word Junior £62.00
Wordstar 1512....... £62.00
Multiplan Junior. £62.00
Supercaic 3. £62.00
Amstrad Retlex £62.00
Migent Abllity (integrated package). £85
All prices exclude VAT and delivery. Prices are correct at the time of going to press although they are subject to change without
notification. Official purchase orders welcome. Full back up and support. Open Monday to Friday 9am-6pm. Open Saturday 10am-4pm.
FOR FULL PRICE LIST
PLEASE CALL
0727-72190 =
TELEPHONE ORDERS
WELCOME
SINGLE AND MULTI-USER MICRO-COMPUTER AND SOFTWARE SALES AND SUPPORT
99 PARK STREET LANE e BRICKET WOOD ¢ HERTFORDSHIRE ¢ AL2 2JA ST ALBANS (0727) 72790
Telex: 8950511 ONE ONE G (Quote Ref: 15412001)
> circle 124 on enquiry card
HUSKY HAWK
THE FIRST PICOCOMPUTER?
By Glyn Moody
MBREVIEW
4
é
GQRAARARARBARAAE ae e
Ooww Rew Rr ey fu foley Bi ick)
BORA Ref
108 &
0 kw
2 &
HES
£
This ultra-light hand-held
portable packs a lot of power
into a very small space.
usky Computers might almost be the
Ei paradigm of a moderately successful
high-tech British company. It is
content to remain small, and to produce
specialist products which serve its niche
market well — in this case that of lap port-
ables for use in hostile environments.
But even companies with well-established
successes need follow-ups. Apart from con- |
tinuing tweaks to its long-standing Hunter
range, Husky has been conspicuous by its
absence from the.ranks of those who have
brought out new computers in recent years.
No longer: the Husky Hawk has arrived.
The machine is an ultra-light CP/ M-type
lap portable. It weighs in at just 750g., and
costs a rather heavier £895. The Hawk's
dimensions are 8.25in. by 5.75in. by 1.4in.
Inevitably there are penalties for such ex-
treme miniaturisation. The display is a
KAVERDICT &
& a
& oa low se
Ol se G
L e S &
Performance O O @ O
| Ease of use Oo ens :
Documentation [J] [] HF O
Valueformoney () BM OF OU
Expensive unless you really need a
tiny micro.
reasonable eight lines by 40 columns but the
keyboard is tiny and cramped.
Husky has gone some way to avoiding the
problems of small keyboards by no longer
using the square grid pattern of keys found
on the Hunter. It adopts a more con- |
ventional QWERTY layout, though on a
scale suitable for a five-year-old. Asa result,
t
4
touch-typing is out of the question, and
even two-finger typing requires con-
centration. The keys are square with small
dimples, and in use they got stuck
sometimes.
One reason the keyboard is so-small is that
there is a separate numeric keypad. This
doubles as a cursor pad as on the IBM PC.
Husky has made some effort to follow the
overall layout of the IBM keyboard as far as
| the auxiliary keys are concerned. None-
theless, some of the positions are not
obvious. Most serious is the placing of the
Return key where you expect the Shift key;
on several occasions I pressed the wrong one.
There are three ports: one for genera] add-
ons, another for a modem and comms, and
the third which ts principally for an external
floppy-disc drive but can also be used for
comms. Internal storage is provided by 352K
of battery-backed RAM. Husky advises re-
charging the internal battery at least once
every month when the machine ts not in use.
The LCD has backlighting as an option,
but to conserve batteries the default is to use
ea
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
53
MBREVIEW
{continued from previous page)
ambient lighting. Also to save power, the
screen switches itself off after a preset
interval if no input has occurred. With the
battery-backed RAM to store the last state of
the machine, the Hawk is designed to be
switched on and off as and when it is
needed. Switching it on returns you to your
previous working position.
Most of the inside of the machine is taken
up by RAM and ROM. The ROM holds
the Disc Emulation Operating System
(DEMOS), which is based on CP/M 2.2, to-
gether with Locomotive Basic and a few
other system files. There are a few jumper
leads on the board, suggesting the design is
not quite finalised.
When you switch the machine on you are
presented with a Husky welcome screen
followed by the usual CP/M-type A>
prompt. There are two internal RAM discs,
A and B, and the external floppy which is
addressed as drive C. The battery-operated
external drive, which costs €295, is made by
Brother and uses 3.5in. discs. Unusually the
capacity is only 100K: this ts the price paid
for extra ruggedness.
Unfortunately when we were copying a |
file across from the RAM disc to this drive,
the Hawk hung up completely and resisted
all attempts to reboot. There ts a Reset
button, accessed by poking a paperclip or
substitute through a small hole in the base
of the unit, but this failed to work. In the
end it was necessary to use a system
command invoked by pressing X and P
SPECIFICATION
CPU: Z-80 work-alike
RAM: 352K
ROM: 128K
Display: eight lines by 40 columns
Keyboard: miniature QWERTY with
numeric keypad
Ports: two comms ports and external
disc-drive port; optical link
Software in price: DEMOS,
Locomotive Basic, text editor
Hardware add-ons: modem,
external disc drive, Homebase unit
Size: 210mm. (8.25in.) x 146mm.
(5.75in.) x 36mm. (1.4in.)
Weight: 750g. (1.65lb.)
Price: £895
Manvfacturer: Husky Computers
Supplier: Husky Computers Ltd, PO
Box 135, 345 Foleshill Road, Coventry,
West Midlands CV6 5RW. Telephone:
(0203) 680612
Available: now
simultaneously, and then switching the
machine on and off to clear the problem.
Running the standard Basic benchmarks
produced an impressive average time of 7.2
seconds — twice as fast as the IBM PC which
isa 16-bit machine against the Hawk’s eight
bits. Partly this is due to the excellent Loco-
motive Basic, which is based on that
supplied with the Amstrad PCW-8256.
The Hawk comes equipped with function
keys, invoked using the Control key with the
appropriate number. The functions on offer
are displayed on the bottom line of the
screen. In Basic you get the usual assign-
ments; in DEMOS, they handle the comms
settings, the clock and so on.
Husky is offering a number of add-ons to
go with the Hawk, including a modem and
battery-powered thermal printer. A Home-
base is also planned which will allow you to
download information without having to
plug in a modem. Instead, optical con-
nections are made from the Homebase unit
to the underside of the Hawk.
The Hawk emerges as a well though-out
product. It is easy to use apart from the
problem with the disc, and packs a lot of
processing power into its compact form. But
like all lap portables, the Hawk remains a
specialist machine. Indeed, vertical markets
promise to be one of its main areas of
application. The truly personal computer
| which can be taken home, to the office or to
the shops, remains a dream. These ultra-
light machines — the so-called picocom-
puters — are still waiting for the dev-
elopment of several new technologies,
notably in screens and input.
CONCLUSIONS
M The Husky Hawk is probably the smallest
CP/M-type portable around.
B Although its screen has good legibility, the
keyboard is very cramped and not suitable for
touch-typing.
BB if you require a very lightweight compact
machine, the Hawk will meet most needs,
although there are cheaper solutions. [kW
Vile. MICRO-RENT
MICRO-RENT DO MORE!
MAC-PLUS
£45
PER WEEK *
H-P
LASERJET
£58 PER WEEK *
[ TANDON |
— ee:
Tin
Fe]
| IBM PC AT |
problems fast.
MicroRent do more than offer you the best
rental deals on microcomputers. They rent
printers, hard-disk systems, monitors - even some
software! They offer impartial advice on the best
machines for your purposes, and provide training
for both beginners and specialists, to help you
make the most of your micro.
MicroRent - the complete rental service -
saves you time and money, and solves your
Buying? Ex-rental machines often
available at reduced prices.
*Prices quoted are based on 3-month rental. excluding VAT.
01-700 4848 [Vike
MICRO-RENT
St. Marks Studios. Chillingworth Road. London. N7
APPLE - APRICOT - IBM PC & XT - OLIVETTI
MACINTOSH - TANDON - SIRIUS - COMPAQ
LASER PRINTERS - DESK-TOP PUBLISHING
54
> circle 125 on enquiry card -
PRACTICAL COMPUTING Apri! 1987
FREE SOFTWARE?
SPECIAL SELECTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
(0344) 86 3020
Well, almost free. We don’t charge for the
public domain and user-supported software
but there is a smail service charge of £12 per
disk to cover promotion costs, selection,
testing, copying, etc. We have disks for MS-
DOS, and CP/M. Mail and telephone order
only.
Out of thousands of programmes we
have collected we bring you a SELECTION OF
THE BEST that have been carefully tested
and documented, They'll run on a wide
varlety of computers that will accept 5%”
disks ©
MS-DOS programmes are aimed at the
IBM-PC and close compatibles, Documenta-
tion is incladed on the disks where required
— often It is very extensive.
MS-DOS
Disk No, GAMES
M1020+: MORE GREAT TRIVIA - Two
disks with categories for science and nature,
entertainment, sports and recreation, and
general. £20.
M1021+: EAMON ADVENTURES - Atwo
disk sophisticated adventure with a menu
driven facility to design your own games.
Requires Basic, £20.
M1022: SUPER COMPILED GAMES (2)
Good arcade-type games, including Kong,
Striker, Spacevade, Life2 and Frog.
M1023: GREAT BASIC GAMES More than
a dozen, including Wizard, Xwing, Combot,
Mars, Racecar, CIA.
M1024: PHRASE CRAZE - An entertaining
quiz-type game. Asks you part of a phrase
and requires you to complete it.
M1025: AMULET OF YENDOR - Adven-
ture with graphics. 20 levels of play against
many monsters and powerful magic.
M1026: 5 TEXT ADVENTURE GAMES - of
different types, including a murder mystery,
horror, plrate, etc.
M1027: SUPER HANGMAN - Highly
acclaimed. Large vocabulary and includes
quotations, riddles and music.
M1028: SUPER COMPILED GAMES (3)
Another excellent selection. Includes Flight-
mare, Solitare, Jumpjoe and more.
M1030: PROVOCATIVE PICTURES (1) - A
collection of naughty pin-ups.
M1031: WILLY THE WORM A high quality
game which allows you to build your own
game board.
M1036: MAHJONG An_ outstanding
Australian programme of the Chinese card
game with good graphics.
UTILITIES
M2016: MENU SYSTEMS — Some of the
best menu generating programmes we could
find. Run programmes from YOUR menus.
M2017: DVORAK KEYBOARD - The
DVORAK layout offers greater efficiency in
place of the standard keyboard.
M2018: MEMORY PROMPT A memory-
resident utility that prompts you with the cor-
rect syntax for DOS commands, BASIC A,
Turbo Pascal, Debug and Edlin.
M2019: EXTENDED DOS UTILITIES Substi-
tute utilities with more features.
M2020: PC-TOOLS Utilities to browse,
darken, dump, compare, merge, page, print,
delete, format text, with C source.
M2021: UNIX COMMAND SHELL- Control
your programmes with commands similar to
these available in Unix.
M2022: DOS MANAGEMENT - An effi-
cient environment for managing your opera-
ting system, with help screens.
M2023: BATCH LANGUAGE ENHANCE-
MENT More features and control when
creating bat files and modifying them.
M2024: CODE BREAKER for those with an
interest in deciphering codes/ciphers.
M2025+: DOS EXTENSIONS — A two disk
set of enhancements for Dos. £20.
M2026: CALTECH UTILITIES — A special
collection with printer commands, pop-up
tables, graphics characters, bad sector fix,
hex file editor, directory utilities, ansi.sys &
echo replacement.
M2027+: EXECEPTIONAL FILE & DOS
UTILITIES A two disk collection of many
powerful tools — such as fast format, alarm
clock, disk wipe, display colour as shades of
grey, file sorter, text reader, line counter,
read squeezed library files, create files from
memory, digital clock display, dos syntax
reference, cursor speed-up, create secret
directories, etc. £20.
M2028: ENHANCED CONSOLE DRIVER
Many time saving and convenience features
by controlling keyboard and screen.
WORD PROCESSING AND
PRINTING
M3013: PRINT QUALITY ENHANCER Use a
standard dot matrix printer for high quality
printing and formatting.
M3014: SIDEWRITER prints output
sideways to fit wide reports onto a page.
M3015: SUPER KEY-DEFINERS Create
macros that can insert blocks of text with a
single keystroke. Two top programmes.
M3016+: WORDSTAR UTILITIES Utllities
that expand the power of Wordstar and make
it easier for you to use. £20. Two disks. Well
worthwhile,
M3017: PRINTING PREVIEW See what
you'll be getting before you print.
M3018: DIAGRAM AND TEXT EDITOR
Combine text with diagrams.
GRAPHICS
M4009+: GRAPHICS FOR LOTUS/SYM-
PHONY Two disks with special display
features to improve the presentation of 123/
Symphony datagraphs, slide shows. £20.
M4011: GRAPHICS-ICON CREATOR
Especially suits creation of symbols and logo-
type characters.
M4012: TALK ILLUSTRATOR An easy-to-
use programme providing bold lettering and
uther features for slide presentation.
M4013: PAINT-TYPE GRAPHICS Uses slabs
of colour, shading etc, for its effects. Re-
quires coloured monitor.
LANGUAGES
(For tutorials, see Education Section)
M84: PROLOG NEW VERSION 1.8 is now
available.
M5017: SPRITES AND ANIMATION FOR
TURBO PASCAL Source code and instruction
for programming with animation/sprites.
M5018: BASIC AIDS (3) Has special pro-
grammes to remove numbers from your Basic
programmes and to restore them.
M5019: TURBO TOOLS Numerous small
Turbo Pascal programmes that illustrated the
book ‘’Complete Turbo Pascal’’.
M5021: SCREEN GENERATOR A new aid
for designing screens in Basic.
M5022: WINDOWS FOR BASIC AND ‘C’ -
A collection of functions that give window-
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M5023: CROSS ASSEMBLER - Xasm lets
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M5024: TOOLS FOR TURBO PASCAL -
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and validate data entry fields.
M5025: TURBO PASCAL DEBUGGER - An
Interactive debugger with pop-up help, for-
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M5026: MACRO-ASSEMBLER - Many
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M5028+: ASSEMBLER ROUTINES/UTIL-
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M5029: BASIC SUBROUTINES LIBRARY.
COMMUNICATION
M108: QMODEM 2.2 latest update is now
available.
M6010: PROCOMM ver.2.3. A many-
featured Modem Comms programme that is
receiving wide critical acclaim overseas.
M6011: COMMUNICATION UTILITIES -
Supplementary tools useful for Qmodem Pro-
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BUSINESS/CALCULATION
M122: SPREADSHEET - Up-graded.vérsion
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M126: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS A very
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tests and analyses included.
M128+: INTEGRATED PACKAGE A fast
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M7019: RETAIL POINT OF SALE Control of
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M7020+: STATISTICAL TOOLS Utilities to
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vals, perform randomisation tests, generate
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M7025+: LOTUS UTILITIES/WORK-
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M7028: MANAGING MONEY - Assists in
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of personal finances.
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT
M143+: FAMILY TREE New version - 4 -
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Two disks £20. Charts family relationships.
M8012: LABEL PRINTING Print labels for all
sorts of uses, as*well as control mailing lists.
M8013: FREE FILE A menu-driven, easy to
use relational data base that allows 100 fields
and up to 2 billion records. Does calculations
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M8014: INSTANT RECALL Memory-
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M8015: INVENTORY/STOCK CONTROL A
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M8016: MAIL MANAGER FOR MULTIMATE
Menu-driven label producer. Lists created can
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M9012; ANSWER CHECKER Compares
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M9501: DIETERS FRIEND Provides details
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M9502: SPORTING ADMINISTRATION —
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M9503+: BIBLICAL QUOTES - A two disk
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verses of the new Testament. £20.
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MB SOFTWARE REVIEW
WRITE NOW
DOCUMENT PROCESSOR
By Carol Hammond
As easy to use as Macwrite, but with plenty of formatting
features, this package could do the job of a DTP program for
simple documents.
claims that it is ‘‘the next step in word
processing’. It is certainly one of a
new breed of packages that lie somewhere
between a conventional word processor and
a desk-top publishing (DTP) package in the
tasks they set out to perform. Write Now is a
sophisticated word processor which allows
you to copy text or pictures from other
applications, insert footnotes and divide the
page into multiple columns. It is facilities
like these that make it suitable for pro-
ducing simple presentation documents, and
allow it to encroach into the realms of DTP.
T/Maker calls Write Now a ‘‘document
processor’, but the label you attach to a
package of this kind is probably irrelevant.
As word processors become more soph-
isticated the concept of DTP may become a
thing of the past. What is interesting about
Write Now is that it is a powerful word
processor with many of the features you
might wish were in Macwrite. It has a
number of other capabilities which make it
suitable for producing reports and suchlike
without recourse to a full-blown DTP
package, which you may not have the ex-
pertise or time to use to its best effect.
Write Now comes on two discs. One con-
tains the Write Now application, dictionary,
a Mac System Folder and three example
files. The other contains a System Folder, a
restricted version of Write Now, an example
file and the Translator utility which you use
to transfer files into Write Now from other
applications.
When you open Write Now it looks
similar to Macwrite. There is a menu bar, a
ruler and a title bar at the top of your text
window and a scroll bar down the side.
Unlike Macwrite it has a horizontal scroll
bar, allowing you to type in a document that
is wider than the window. Write Now has
seven pull-down menus, compared to
Macwrite’s six.
Write Now’s text
positioned so that the ruler peeps out above
the document window just enough for you
to see the tab and margin settings. To act-
ivate the ruler you click on it to reveal four
text-alignment boxes and a box to set the
spacing between lines; you adjust line
spacing to a specified number of points,
which gives you finer control than Macwrite.
Each paragraph has its own ruler settings,
T:: publisher of Write Now, T/Maker,
window can be |
which means that ruler changes only apply
to selected paragraphs, not necessarily to an
entire document. I found using the ruler
rather fiddly, as I did adding headers and
footers.
To set up headers and footers you go to
the View menu, which allows you to view
the page, headers and footers, and foot-
notes. When you are working on a page you
are usually in the View Page option. You
put page numbers into headers and footers
by choosing Insert Page # from the Format
menu. You can choose different arrange-
ments for even- and odd-numbered pages
by clicking on the two buttons marked Even
and Odd.
EAVERDICT F
& =
& oa fon i
oS ¢ S
Be) z S e
Performance O oO 8B O
Ease of use eos ae!
Documentation [J] $B OF O
Valueformoney [] © @ O
Something more than a plain word
processor but without the features of a
full DTP program.
You can choose exactly where to position
headers and footers by selecting Show Space
from the View menu. Non-printing char-
acters in a document, plus other items which
would normally be invisible, such as hard
Returns, tabs, the bottom and top of the
header and footer regions, are shown by a
combination of dots and arrows. This is part-
icularly useful when setting up forms, for
example, as it allows you to see exactly how
much space is where.
Show Markers will show where headers,
footers, time, dates and so on are, rep-
resenting them with symbols. You may want
to use Show Markers to see where things are
on the page to make your document easier to
read.
Footnotes can consist of pictures or text,
and can be numbered automatically if you
wish, according to where they appear in text.
If you move, copy or delete a footnote the
SPECIFICATION
Description: word-processing program
suitable for producing simple documents;
incorporates 50,000-word spelling
checker
Hardware required: 128K
Macintosh upwards
Copy protection: none
Price: £165
Publisher: T/Maker of Mountain View,
California
U.K. supplier: Mac Serious Software,
17 Park Circus Place, Glasgow G3 6AH.
Telephone: 041-332 5622
Available: now
(os ee ee
remaining footnotes will automatically be
renumbered. Footnotes appear at the
bottom of the page separated from the body
of text by a line.
As supplied, the Write Now disc contains
only the Calculator desk accessory and the
Chicago, Monaco and Geneva founts in a
very limited selection of sizes; there is simply
not room on the disc for anything more.
This can prove a problem if you are using
only a single-disc system. However, we did
find that we could delete the system folder
from the Write Now disc and run it in con-
junction with a separate startup disc.
The Font Size menu lists eight sizes from
nine point to 48 point; using the Smaller
and Larger options you can increase and
decrease sizes one point at a time to achieve
fount sizes from four to 127 point.
The Style menu offers eight text styles
plus Subscript and Superscript to move text
up or down. Using the corresponding
keyboard commands allows you to make fine
adjustments to text or pictures by moving
them up or down one point at a time. One
welcome feature of Write Now is that it
offers a large number of command-key
combinations which duplicate options from
the pull-down menus.
Sn
56
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
& file Edit View Format Font FontSize Style
1 2. 3 4 5,
HR SOFTWARE REVIEW
6 File Edit View Format
Font FontSize Style
* =
SSS w/user group
bulletin-board systems (BBS) particularly if they
Programming tanguege for example.
Tae = Ser
It is refinements such as these that make
Write Now a pleasure to use. Obviously a lot
of thought has gone into providing extra
features. For example, you can have as many
documents open as the amount of memory
available will allow, and Cut, Copy and
Paste between them. To flip between doc-
uments you just select Send Behind from the
View menu.
To change the fount of an entire
document you just choose Select All from
the Edit menu. You can insert soft hyphens
using the Hyphenate command from the
Format menu. Write Now follows sensible
tules when it comes to hyphenation, and
will break words where there are hyphens,
soft hyphens and dashes, but not at minus
signs. The Format menu also offers you the
option of normal or hanging indents at the
beginning of a paragraph, and allows you to
insert the time and date within a document.
When you save a document you can
choose to Save or Save/Compact to conserve
disc space. The Compact option is certainly
worth choosing: we found that saving a disc
compactly reduced the size of a 23K
document down to 15K. The only draw-
backs are that saving takes slightly longer
and you lose the backup copy that Write
Now otherwise makes automatically.
To access the backup copy you choose
Revert to Backup from the File menu. This is
a handy option if you have saved a doc-
ument by mistake or under the wrong name.
You can also choose Revert to Saved, which
takes you back to what your document was
like before it was last saved.
FIND AND REPLACE
Write Now’s Find and Replace command
is also fairly sophisticated. You can search
the whole document or restrict the search to
the areas before or after the insertion point.
You can choose to search only for entire
words that match the specified text, or for
words that only match the exact appearance
of a word that includes accents, upper-case
characters, quotation marks and so on. The ?
symbol is available as a wild-card character,
but you have to insert a ? for every missing
character — a fairly cumbersome procedure
that is hardly worth the effort required to
use it.
The inclusion of a 50,000-word spelling
th.13Tue, Feb 24, 1987 You can look through magazines and
e dedicated to your
machine as sometimes they list user groups or at Jeast mention them. It
is also worth trying the Association of Computer Clubs which holds the
addresses of the various groups which contact it, not all of which are
software or hardwere specific groups but could be dedicated toa
Show Space will show items that would normal
pcaprit
ClPage 3 | 2] S
checker within Write Now would also seem
to make it an attractive option. The version
we had was an American one, though the
British distributor, Mac Serious, said that an
English dictionary would be available in
March. Meanwhile it is possible to customise
the dictionary as you require. The spelling
checker offers the facility to Find, Ignore,
Guess, Learn and Forget words. It is dis-
apointing in its handling of plurals and
possessives. For example, it rejected
“‘group’s’’ and ‘‘clones’’ giving ‘‘groups’’
' and ‘‘clone’’ as its guesses.
You can import files from other applic-
ations using the Translator, which converts
Macwrite and Microsoft Word documents to
Write Now format. It will also convert Write
Now documents to text-only files, and vice
versa. We found importing Macwrite doc-
uments no problem, though the position of
some features such as decimal tabs are not
exactly the same.
GRAPHICS
You can transfer graphics into Write Now
via the Clipboard. We imported a chart
from Cricket Graph, and by printing out on
an Imagewriter 2.3 with a colour ribbon we
were able to incorporate a coloured chart
into the Write Now document. Pictures can
be cut, copied or pasted and positioned just
like text. Inserting extra line spacing or
Returns before or after a picture will adjust
its position vertically. To resize a picture you
double-click on it and then use the mouse to
expand or contract it. You can also make a
picture fatter or thinner than the original,
using the Option key.
Before printing you will probably want to
go to the Page Setup command on the File
menu. It is here that you specify the number
of columns you want to print in; up to four
columns per page are allowed. You can also
specify the width of the binder margins and
whether they should alternate, which is
useful when printing double-sided docu-
ments. You can specify the starting page
number; by setting it to zero you can have
an unnumbered title page.
It is also from the Page Setup dialogue
box that you can set the mysterious Page
Wrap factor. The manual describes the Page
Wrap factor as ‘‘The height of the tallest
line that may continue from one page to the
OS -You-can.look-through.magazines-and.
bulletin-board.systems(BBS)-particularly-if.they-are-dedicated-to-your.
mochine-as-sometimes-they-lfst-user groups-or-at-least-mention.them..It.
is-olso-.worth-trying-the-Associetion-of Computer.Clubs.which-holds-the.
addresses.of-the-various .groups-which-contact.it,.not-all.of .which-are-
sof tware.or-nordwere-specific-groups-but could.be-dedicated-to.a.
programming-lenguage-for-exampte. 2
ly be invisible, and Show Markers will represent
dates and times by symbols.
next . . . If, in any paragraph that may cross
a page boundary, you increase the line
spacing beyond 24 points, or insert text or a
picture taller than 24 points, you should
probably increase the Page Wrap factor
accordingly.’’ This means if you have some
text in 48 point then it may well be cut in
half if it comes at the bottom of a page
unless you adjust the Page Wrap factor
appropriately.
I found the reasoning behind the Page
Wrap factor rather hard to grasp, and felt
the program should do the job auto-
matically. Write Now offers the facility to
keep all the lines of a paragraph on the same
page, or allow them to cross a page — which
you may need when setting up a form, for
example. Perhaps that has something to do
with it. In any case, I did not find that the
manual cast much light on why the Page
Wrap factor is needed.
The Write Now documentation takes the
form of a single 178-page spiral-bound
manual. A lot of the material was scattered
about rather unsystematically; it could have
been better organised, It includes notes and
tips to use as you go along, which is useful,
but it is a pity they could not also be
summarised in one place. Most of the infor-
mation I required was there, but often the
explanations read like an Act of Parliament
and required several readings before I could
get the gist of what was going on. However,
on the whole this is not a problem since you
can use most of the package’s features
without referring to the manual, which
sometimes makes things sound more
difficult than they really are.
CONCLUSIONS
@ Write Now is certainly an advance on a
conventional word processor. It provides a lot
of useful features and is very suitable for pro-
ducing presentation documents.
@ The package could do with some honing
and refining to make it even easier to use, and
the spelling checker and wild-card facilities
need improvement.
Write Now could well prove adequate for
simple DTP applications. !t may not have the
detailed features of a full-blown DTP package,
but it is much easier to use, and by giving the
inexperienced less rope to hang themselves it
could well produce a more attractive
document.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
57
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dBASE Ill & Add ons
dBASE lll+ £369
CLIPPER Compiler
€399 |
LIBRARIES v4
DEVELOPMENT AIDS
The following libraries provi SE Programs.
They allroe faces utich are nceaible nde the || Programmers Utilities £89
standard dBASE package. They are all RAM resident and are
accessed via the dBASE CALL function.
Corrupt data,recovery * Program cross-referencing
¢ Communications’ Save & restore screens » Screen clock
e + many more.
TAOS 1 £59 @ || davanced
Programmers Guide £25.95
For dBASE Il, dBASE Ill & dBASE Il! PLUS.
No serious programmer should be without this valuable reference
Pull down Menus ® Window Scrolling « Password Protection material. Includes many details on internal dBASE structures and
* Phonetic Coding ® Environment Testing * Cursor Control. many programming tips.
Our own Suite of powerful addons for both dBASE and CLIPPER.
Functions available in the areas of:-
Programmers Library £89
From Ashton-Tate with Source Code in C or PASCAL CON SULTAN CY SE RVICES
Functions available for:
Array Handling * Financial Statistical * Mathematical We can offer dBASE programming services for IBM and
compatible users, AMSTRAD 1512 & AMSTRAD 8256.
Graphics Library , ¢s9 We are also prepared to write special functions in 'C’ which may be
accessed by dBASE or CLIPPER.
: : On site training is available at £275 per day for up to six people.
From Ashton: Tate with Source Code in C. We will tailor a course to your requirements.
Functions available for:-
Technical support is available for £320 per annum. Valuable
Bar Chart ® Line Chart * Pie Chart * Arcs ® Circles Polygons insurance against program disruptions. 1987-1988 subscriptions
* Lines close on the 31st May 1987.
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— circle 128 on enquiry card <
MB SOFTWARE SURVEY
dBASE Ill ADD-ONS
BEES ROUND THE HONEYPOT
By Mike Lewis
With Ashton-Tate’s
established database-
management package
thriving, the market for
products to make life easier for
its users continues to expand.
ith Ashton-Tate now claiming
over 1,000,000 users of dBase II
and III, it is not surprising that
the market for dBase add-ons continues to
boom. Since we last surveyed this scene in
April 1985, scores of new third-party prod-
ucts have appeared, all aimed at making life
easier and more productive for users of
dBase in general, and dBase III in particular.
For many of the makers of these packages
the most fruitful area has been in trying to
reduce the drudgery of typing dBase III
programs. One of the more successful
offerings in this category is Salamanca Soft-
ware’s Expressbase III, a sort of shorthand
version of dBase III and III Plus. You write a
program in the Expressbase language, type it
in with your usual editor, run it through a
translator, and end up with normal dBase
code.
At its simplest, Expressbase lets you
abbreviate common verbs and keywords: for
example, AB for Append Blank. But you
can also use it to pull in chunks of program
text from a library, generate Say/Get
commands from a screen image and transfer
code from other programs. It has a built-in
cross-reference lister, and it can expand and
contract dBase keywords and produce auto-
matic indentation. Used to the full it could
well cut the number of keystrokes needed to
type the program by 70 percent or mote.
Apart from the need to learn the abbrev:
iations, its main drawback is the extra trans-
lation stage.
Of course, a top-quality editor or WP
package can provide at least some of the
features of Expressbase, especially if it
supports keyboard macros. One of the better
programmers’ editors is Brief. This has a
macro facility that is so powerful that it is
like a programming language in its own
right. With some effort you can use the
macros to turn Brief into what is, in effect,
your own personally designed editor.
Brief’s authors at Solution Systems have |
written a set of macros that convert Brief into
a highly intelligent editor geared specifically
for dBase III and III Plus. The product is
called dBrief and, like Expressbase, it can
generate whole chunks of program code |
dBCHART
1.Column
Fak
os
Select Chart No. :(I]
( Graph Package for dBASE )
2.$tacked Column 3, Deviation
FILE NAME = CiSAMPLE ASC
4, Line
7, Donut 8, Pictograph
f,cDraw f,2:Window f.3=Previous {.4=Pict. Symbol f,d=Help f.6=Print f,?=Color
Select chart number fron 1 to 8 and then press CReturn]
Wordtech’s dBChart supports eight
standard charts, which you select from a
pictorial menu.
from abbreviated commands. It also lets you
type repetitive statements through a sort of
template, so that you only have to enter the
elements that are different in each line.
If you already have Brief and you do a lot
of dBase work, dBrief will be an excellent
investment. It is not as liberating as Express-
base, but it does not need the intermediate
translation stage. In fact you can run your
edited program — and most other software
too — from within Brief without quitting
your current document.
Some of the features of dBrief and
Expressbase can also be found in dAnalyst, a
dBase II file tidier and pretty printer.
Among other things, it will indent a
program, expand or contract dBase key-
wotds, change their case, remove excess
spaces, and output a cross-reference list.
| One of dAnalyst’s useful tricks is its ability
to print lines down the left edge of a listing,
so emphasising the program’s block
structure. This can also highlight any struc-
tural errors, such as a Do- While without an
End-Do. Another of its outputs shows the
tree structure of all the program files and
procedures within an application.
Running dAnalyst is straightforward, all
its options being driven from pull-down
menus. These are self-explanatory, which is
just as well because the manual is very
skimpy. My biggest problem was that the
options that were supposed to run external
programs and display file directories did not
work.
If using even an Expressbase style of short-
hand is too much for you, perhaps you
should consider an application generator.
Several have been published for dBase
II/III, but Bytel’s Genifer is probably the
most powerful. It is centred around its own
set of databases, which hold details of all
your files, fields, menus, help screens,
forms, and report layouts. Thus you can
specify a field’s default value and its val-
idation details, and Genifer will use this
information wherever necessary in the gen-
erated system.
Unlike most ~packages of this type,
Genifer is not restricted to flat-file appli-
cations: You can use it to set up relational
systems, including those whose databases
have parent-child relationships. You also
have control over such issues as whether
duplicate keys are allowed, or whether
searches on partial keys will succeed.
However, Genifer can ultimately only
produce standard filing applications, con-
sisting of file updating, enquiries and
reports. It cammot generate, say, an
accounting system which involves posting
transactions to a master file. But given that
almost every dBase application involves
some form of database maintenance, it does
provide a good starting point.
a So
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
6)
BESOFTWARE SURVEY
(continued from previous page)
Another popular area for dBase add-ons is
graphics. Wordtech’s dBchart is a program
that creates eight different types of chart
from dBase II and III databases. It outputs to
the screen, so you need a colour/graphics
adaptor. It can also print the charts on an
Epson-compatible printer.
Running the program is a two-stage affair.
First, you go into dBase and use a -Pr¢g file
supplied to extract the relevant figures from
the database. Then you invoke dBchart itself
to generate the charts. You can customise
the output by selecting colours, hatching
styles, etc. dBchart can also be used in-
dependently of dBase, since the inter-
mediate data file is straight ASCII and can
therefore be typed with a text editor.
One of dBchart’s more _ interesting
outputs is a histogram in which the bars are
made up of little pictures. You can choose
from a library of 26 of these. Six are pre-
defined and include symbols for a car, house
and phone. For the rest, you use a built-in
picture editor to create your own designs,
each of which is built on a 16-by-32 grid.
An alternative approach to graphics ts
taken by dGE, from Bits per Second. This is
a set of machine-language routines that can
be called directly by a dBase III program.
There are 28 functions in all, ranging from
low-level primitives like drawing lines and
arcs, to complete pie charts and histograms.
Although dGE is not as easy to use as
dBchart, it does allow a developer to in-
tegrate graphics into an application. It also
gives you more control over the finished pro-
duct. dBchart is fine for the oceasional chart,
but its two-stage approach could be a
nuisance.
Another product that is based on callable
machine-language routines is Taos Tools
from The Art of Software. This is a mixed
bag of functions, including routines to turn
the cursor on and off, generate Soundex
codes, set up scrollable windows, test pass-
words, and find such details as the size of the
machine and the amount of free RAM. Its
biggest module allows you to add pull-down
menus to a dBase program.
The package does have some rough edges.
The pull-down menu routine does not
restore the screen after the menus are closed,
and the cursor function does not work
properly with a monochrome adaptor. There
is No proper manual, just a text file of hastily
written instructions. But the product still
represents excellent value. Given its low
price, it would probably be worth buying
even if you only needed one of its functions.
Finally, there is a new compiler for dBase
III Plus, from Wordtech Systems. Quick-
silver has all the features of Wordtech’s
existing dBIII Compiler, plus an optimiser
that produces Microsoft-style object mod-
ules; they can be linked with either a
standard linker or an overlay linker like |
Plink-86.
The result is an .Exe file that runs notice-
ably faster than one compiled by the dBIII
Compiler alone, and an order of magnitude
faster than under dBase III Plus. In one in-
formal test I obtained a speed-up factor of
six to one. This probably puts Quicksilver
ahead of Clipper in terms of execution
speed, although both products suffer from
lengthy compile-link times.
Quicksilver is highly compatible with the
dBase III Plus language, but it also sports
many new features. The best of these is its
extensive windowing commands. It also has
DOS interrupts and user-defined functions.
A compiler switch lets you hide the Quick-
silver-specific commands in comments so
that the program will run under dBase.
Expressbase III £125, Salamanca
Software Ltd, 64 More Close, St. Paul's
Court, London W14 9BN. Telephone:
01-741 8632
Brief/dBrief £275, dAnalyst £79.95,
In Touch, Fairfield House, Brynhyfryd,
Caerphilly, Mid-Glamorgan CF8 2QQ.
Telephone: (0222) 882334
Genifer £295, Bytel Corporation, 32
Broad Street, Wokingham, Berkshire
RG11 JAB. Telephone: (0734) 791737
dBchart £99, Quicksilver £599,
Micro Minder Consultants, 68 Upper
Richmond Road, London SW15 2RP.
Telephone: 01-870 7431
dGE £120, Bits Per Second, 17 Guildford
Road, Brighton, Sussex BN] 3LU.
Telephone: (0273) 727119
Taos Tools £49, The Art of Software,
262 Hayling Road, South Oxhey,
Watford, Hertfordshire WS1 6QA.
Telephone: 01-421 4206
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HB SOFTWARE REVIEW
SMALLTALK AT
THE DADDY OF “EM ALL
By Steve Malone
Smalltalk gave rise to the mouse and icon interfaces of the Mac, Windows and Gem. Now itis
commercially available to run on an AT as a programming language in its own right.
ost people have heard of Small-
talk. Since the launch of the
Apple Lisa and Macintosh |
machines in 1983 and 1984, Smalltalk has
been a byword among the microcomputer
cognoscenti. Despite this, few people
actually know what Smalltalk is, and even
fewer have seen it working.
The origins of the language, like many
other developments in computing, lie in the
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (Parc).
Research into human learning processes led
to Smalltalk as the ultimate in easy-to-learn
languages. It introduced the concept of the
object-orientated program and included the
first mouse and icon user interface. As such,
it is the ancestor of the Macintosh,
Windows, Gem and the rest.
Although originally confined to a handful
of single-user minicomputers, Smalltalk is
now available for the masses in the form of
Smalltalk AT. This is a Xerox-licensed
version of the language for the IBM PC/ AT
and compatibles. The possibility of porting
Smalltalk to the AT has been around for |
some time, but it is only in the last year orso |
that it has become commercially feasible.
AT INSUFFICIENT
A simple AT is not enough to support
Smalltalk AT. To run the system you need at
least 1Mbyte, or preferably 2Mbyte of RAM.
When we received the package, we made the
mistake of trying to install the program on
an AT clone with a mere 640K. It informed
us there was not enough room on the disc,
which was rather confusing as there was
12Mbyte free on the hard disc. It was only a
call to Smalltalk Express that put us right. |
We eventually installed Smalltalk on
Elonex’s PC-286 Turbo — reviewed on page
46 of this issue — fitted with 2.64Mbyte of
RAM.
You run Smalltalk from the DOS prompt
but the program takes over from DOS and
runs the 80286 CPU in Protected mode. Asa
result it is able to whizz about a lot faster |
than it would if kept to 8086 Real mode.
As well as the megabyte of RAM you need
several other bits of hardware. First, you
need an EGA card or equivalent to be able to
cope with the bit-mapped graphics sup-
ported by Smalltalk. You also need a
Logitech three-button Genius Mouse or
equivalent; a simple two-button Microsoft
mouse will not do.
Finally, your AT needs to be equipped
with a printer port. Smalltalk discs are not
copy protected but you will be unable to run
the program without a special device, known
as a software sentinel, which plugs into the
printer port. It has a female end to it so that
you can still plug in your printer cable in the
normal way.
When running, Smalltalk presents the
windows, icons and pull-down menus made
familiar by its progeny. If you are used to
Gem or the Mac you should have no
problem using the scroll bars, windows and
selections. Each of the three mouse buttons
— called, from left to right, Red, Yellow
and Blue in Smalltalk nomenclature — has a
different function. In general, the Red
button performs the usual window and item
select, while the Yellow and Blue buttons
produce pop-up windows with additional
global features, like Close Window, Cut and
Paste. In addition, the three keys perform
different tasks while manipulating the scroll
bar which appears whenever the mouse
pointer moves into a window.
The opening screen is dominated by the
System Browser window. It is through this
window that the user can access any of the
files resident in Smalltalk, and at this point
you begin to realise why you need 1.5Mbyte
of disc space and 1Mbyte of RAM. There are
literally dozens of files making up the
Smalltalk environment.
SPECIFICATION |
Description: object-orientated
programming environment with mouse
and icon user interface
Hardware required: IBM PC/AT
compatible with at least ]Mbyte of RAM,
EGA display card or equivalent, Logitech
three-button mouse or equivalent and
printer port.
Copy protection: discs can be copied
but security sentinel must be in place in
the printer port before the software will
run
Price: £995 for commercial customers,
“£395 for academic customers
Publisher: Softsmarts Inc. of
Woodside, California
U.K. distributor: Artificial Intelligence
Ltd, Intelligence House, Merton Road,
Watford, Hertfordshire WD1 7BY.
Telephone: (0923) 47707
Available: now
One of the best things about the system is
that the kernel, windowing and graphics
commands are all available as source code,
allowing you to tinker with the system.
Letting a naive user loose on the source code
sounds alarming, but Smalltalk provides
backup files in a separate window, so most
effors afe recoverable. While we were
playing about with the kernel it seemed
remarkably robust.
SIMILAR TO LOGO
The only features of the language you
cannot play about with are a set of primitives
which provide the machine-level interface,
and are the foundation on which all other
parts of the system are built. Most of these
files are constructed in terms of other files,
which provides a clue to the philosophy
behind Smalltalk. In many ways, the use of
recursion and primitives to build up pro-
cedures which can be used to create other
procedures is very similar to Logo, the
language from which Smalltalk was derived.
Smalltalk files are organised via a set
of sub-windows within the System
Browser. The main window is divided into
| six smaller windows. There are four windows
across the top, with a smaller window in the
second box and a large window covering the
bottom half of the System Browser. You
select a file from the System Browser by
moving the mouse pointer to the top left-
hand window containing the Class Cat-
egories, and selecting one of the categories.
This will cause a list of Class Names to
appear in the second window. Once again
you select an item, causing another set of
| items to appear in the third window,
Message Categories, and so on.
When you have selected an item in the
| fourth window, the Message Selectors, the
source code for that file appears on the lower
half of the screen. This is the Edit window,
where you can examine and, if necessary,
alter the contents of the file.
Execution of a file is performed by
selecting the Do It option on the Yellow
| button’s pop-up menu. Sometimes it may
be necessary to type in other parameters, or
to view the output of a program. All this is
done within the System Transcript window,
which lies behind the System Browser on
entry to Smalltalk.
One of the nice things about Smalltalk,
which we have seen adopted by other
64
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
taraphics-Editors
‘Sraphics-Support
fromUserAspectRatio: aspectPomt
“Answer an instance of Rectangle that Is determined by having the user designate the
top left and bottom right corners, constrained so the aspect ratio is determined by
aspectPoint.”
| rectangle extent ratio |
Cursor origin show While:
[rectangle * Sensor waitButton extent: 121).
ratio * aspectPoint y/aspectPoint x.
Sursor corner showWhile:
ys cursorPaints rectangle epiner.
language developets like Metacomco, is that
once you have typed in a command there is
no need to do so again. To re-execute the
command all you have to do is highlight the
command recorded in the System Transcript
and select Do It. The technique can be
extended to the source code itself. You can
embed the execution commands as
comments in the source code; simply by
highlighting the comment and selecting Do
It the program will run.
Object-orientated programming, the
basis of Smalltalk, is conceptually very
different from the likes of C and Pascal.
Each of the files within Smalltalk can be con-
sidered as a procedure — known as a method
in Smalltalk — and performs a specified
function. In order to get output from the
method you do not have to define the data
structures. Rather, you pass a message to it,
telling the method — an ‘‘object’’ if you are
talking in theoretical terms — what it needs
to do. In many cases it is unnecessary even to
give Smalltalk a set of default parameters, as
it will try and work out a sensible set of
defaults while it is processing.
HIERARCHICAL FILING
The object is much more powerful than its
source code suggests because of the hier-
archical nature of the filing system. An
object has at its disposal all the information
about the nature of its class. For example, an
object on a branch from the root class
Graphics has all the necessary information
concerned with drawing pixels on a screen
without it needing to be defined by the pro-
grammer. All the user has to do is, for
example, tell the object to draw a window
and the object will use the knowledge of its
class’ to create the desired effect on the
screen.
A message consists of a number of ex-
pfessions: the receiver, the selector and the
arguments. The receiver is the object to
which the message is targeted, while the
selector is the command directed at the
receiver. The arguments are parameters used
by the selector.
There are three basic types of message
which can be passed to an object. A unary
message is one without an argument; it con-
sists of a receiver and a selector and can be
considered as a simple command to an
object. The second type of message is the
Surtem Tranzcrpt
2
Ate
é
Snapshot st itl
February 1927
12:00:14 pm
Left: You enter commands in the System
Transcript window. Right: The System
Workspace window catalogues what you
have done.
3 VERDICT &
& €
$ ¥§ S &
O & O'
fs & &
Performance o © Bee
Ease of use O OF 8 QO
Documentation [J] [| OF O
Valueformoney []) [] HM O
O The language of the gods comes to
the masses.
binary message. Here the message has a
single argument and a selector. In this type
of message, a particular type of selector,
known as a binary selector, is used. Typically
it will be an arithmetic operator and is used
to associate the receiver with its argument.
The final type of message is the keyword
message. As you might guess, it consists of a
number of keywords. The keyword message
is made up of a selector and one or more
arguments. Using these basic message types
any Smalltalk program can be constructed.
Although all of this might sound a bit
complicated, Smalltalk AT is very easy to use
once you get the hang of it. The concept of
the object-orientated language came about
by research into the ways humans think, not
on the whim of the Parc development team.
While programmers used to conventional
languages might find it hard to grasp at first,
the beginner will probably find its syntax
easier to pick up than most other languages.
The environment is remarkably flexible,
and supports powerful debugging tools such
as step-through operations and the ability to
execute sections of code independently of
the rest. The Smalltalk compiler works on
the basis of interpreting lines of semi-
compiled pseudo-code, rather like Pascal p-
code.
The fact that it is basically an interpreted
language gives Smalltalk AT both its
greatest strengths and its biggest weakness.
On the one hand, Smalltalk code is very easy
‘Dollections-Seqhes
MB SOFTWARE REVIEW
All rights reserved.
Create Fike System
Set variableSubclal pig « DOSFileDirectory new.
instanceVariab
ClassVariableN! SourceFiies + Array new: 2.
pooiDictionariel} SourceFilas at: 1 put:
category: ‘Coll
(FileStream oldFiieNamed: '/ib/st80v2.st’).
SourceFiles at: 2 put:
(FileStream fileNamed: 'st80v2.cha’).
(SourceFiles at: 1) readOnly.
SourceFiles * Disk * nil,
Files
(FileStream oldFiieNamed: “fileName.st’) fain
and very quick to write, run, debug and
rerun; you do not have the long and
involved compilation process characteristic
of Pascal or C. On the other hand, the whole
system seemed to us a bit on the slow side,
even though it was running in Protected
mode. This is due in part to the hardware.
Despite the improvements made over the
past couple of years, the EGA card is still
too sluggish to support fast bit-mapped
graphics.
The other reason for the lack of speed lies
within Smalltalk itself. Because the entire
basis of the language is to pass messages
from one object to another, it is possible to
write some very roundabout code to achieve
a goal. A Smalltalk programmer we spoke to
admitted that this was true, but pointed out
that the idea is to get a working program
running quickly. When the program is
running properly you can then turn your
attention to optimising the code by looking
at the possibility of short cuts.
So who is Smalltalk aimed at? Obviously
it has a place in academic institutions as a
teaching aid. The U.K. distributor, Artifical
Intelligence, recognises this and provides
vefy generous discounts for academic
customers. Out in the business community
Smalltalk is probably of less use. The
language is not good for developing low-
‘level code as it lacks C’s pointer structures or
even an equivalent of Basic’s Peek and Poke.
What Smalltalk is very good at is developing
fast, usable source code from the methods
already provided, and it is an excellent
systems-development or modelling tool.
CONCLUSIONS
i Smalltalk AT is a fully licensed version of the
Xerox programming language.
The sheer size and performance require-
ments of the environment makes heavy
demands on the hardware: an AT with 1Mbyte
of RAM, a hard disc and an EGA card is really
the minimum you can get away with.
@ The size of the system also affects the user.
Although Smalltalk is intended as an easy-to-
use language you need to absorb a lot of
information before you can start pro-
gramming effectively.
B Smalltalk is conceptually different from
most other languages in its approach to
problem solving. Yet once understood, it pro-
vides a fast method of developing large
systems programs.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
65.
Pull your finger out.
Buy an
pson SQ2500 printer.
The new Epson SQ2500 is so quiet, you can use it in your office
and you won't know it’s there.
This is because it doesn’t whack the characters onto the paper;
instead, it softly shoots on astonishingly accurate microdots of ink.
The SQ2500 will improve the efficiency of your office in other
ways too.
It can print an amazing 540 characters per second in draft (at
12 c.p.i.), and even whizzes along at 180 c.p.s. in correspondence-
quality mode (also at 12 c.p.i.).
Changing between the five letter-quality fonts takes virtually no
time at all. You simply press one or two buttons on the LCD ‘Selectype’
panel on the front of the machine.
And of course, it comes with a powerful 8K buffer as standard
to free your computer for other tasks even more quickly.
Furthermore, the SQ2500 is exceptionally reliable — even for
an Epson. In fact, each of the 24 nozzles on the print head will shoot
2,000 million dots before it needs replacing.
It is also extremely flexible. It can produce graphics as well as
text, has an IBM character set and a range of paper feed options available
in case you have a large volume of printing to do.
The price of the near-silent SQ2500 is £1345.00 (RRP exc. VAT).
This may be more than an ordinary printer costs — but then, silence
is golden.
So for a peaceful office, fill out the piece below and return it to
us today.
——-
Anything for a quiet life. Go on, pull your own finger out and tell me
more about your new SQ2500 printer.
Name Position
Company
Address —
SPC2
Telephone
To: Epson (U.K.) Limited, Freepost, Birmingham B37 5BR.
(Alternatively, call up Prestel *280# or phone
0800 289622 free of charge.)
“Doral
4
P Va
> circle 132 on enquiry card —
BB SOFTWARE REVIEW
CHEAP IBM WP
HOW LOW CAN YOU GET?
By Susan Curran
There are some gems to be
found in this batch of low-
priced software, but you have
to watch out for the rubbish.
software field in which superficially |
T here has to be something crazy about a
similar programs are sold for prices
that vary 20 times or more. But it’s true:
while the top IBM WP packages are still
selling for over £450 some of their newest
rivals come in at under £25. Here we look at
five of the cheaper competitors in an over-
crowded field: Tasword PC, Trustwriter, PC
Write, Microsoft Word Junior and Business
Writer.
Once upon a time, Tasword was a rather
nice, cheap program for the Spectrum. Now
it is also a nice, cheap program for the IBM
PC and compatibles — just £24.95
including VAT. This price includes a mail-
merge feature; a
buy a demo disc for £2, half of which is
refundable if you decide to buy the full
program.
Tasword is supplied on a single floppy |
disc with a neat and comprehensive 63-page
A5 manual in a plastic folder. The manual
includes a short tutorial on the mail-
merging; there is a long general tutorial
document on disc. An index would have
been a help, but there are help facilities on-
screen which you can switch on and off.
With the help off, Tasword uses just two
lines at the bottom of the screen for system
information, including a ruler. It scrolls
smoothly both vertically and hosizontally,
and will accommodate documents up to 256
characters wide, Margins can be changed at
any time, and the program will remember
up to 10 rulers, which can be recalled
instantly. Margin settings are not, however,
saved within the text, nor is text auto-
matically reformatted to new settings.
Reformatting to narrower margins must
be done with care. There are several form-
Tasword’s justification can be eccentric.
the second space after full
spaces elsewhere in the line.
remove
apeud eet)
support
full
wubeceape and
for
on Epsan type printers.
spelling checker is |
promised but is not available yet. You can |
extra characters like &@ and 6
range of printer enhancements including
enlarqed proaimt
atting commands, and choosing the wrong
one may corrupt text. Formats also have a
tendency to destroy indents at the start of
paragraphs. Like earlier Taswords, this one
allows you to type notes, numbers, etc.
within the margins. There are a variety of
insert commands, including a push-forward
insert mode, but this is recommended only
for occasional use, and not as the default
mode.
Printer control codes, including under-
line, are reproduced in the text and are not
executed on-screen. Otherwise, the program
has a clean-scteen display. Justification is
echoed on-screen. Line spacing is handled
only through the print menu, so it would be
tricky to alter it within a document.
Only one document can be edited at
once, though it is possible to view a second
document without exiting from the one
being edited. Text is held in RAM only; the
program will use all available RAM and will
handle quite long documents. Documents
can be merged together, and there are four
six-line notepads which can be used for
additional text; the contents of the notepads
are saved with the program. There is also a
good macro facility.
All the usual commands are there, though
sometimes in rather limited forms. There are
variable tabs but not decimal ones; block
move, copy and delete, but only on
complete lines of text; and single-line
headers and footers. Search and replace will
search for a single word only, though the
replacement can be longer; it has a case-
sensitive option. There is also a rather
selective undelete. Most commands are
accessed from function keys, sometimes in
conjunction with Shift, Control and Alt. I
found them reasonably easy to use.
Tasword is a very customisable program,
and it is possible to alter and save many of
the default settings. Though the program
comes up with an editing screen, a single
command gives access to a main menu with
its Load, Save and other file-handling
options. This automatically displays a
directory; it is also possible to log on to a
It tends to
and inserts
it scores in
and it has a
tal ve
stops,
But
Tasword supports extra characters and a full range of printer enhancements.
different drive or directory. Tasword also
makes WordStar-type .Bak backups.
The program will automatically paginate,
but it advises you not to combine auto-
pagination with manually forced page
breaks. Printer support is largely of the do-
it-yourself type, with the program preset
with Epson codes. It is very versatile, and
you can set it up to send a wide variety of
control codes and alternative characters to a
printer.
The mail-merge routine is sophisticated.
It uses named record fields, can handle key-
board input, and also provides conditional
printing on greater than or less than, and
And/Or criteria. Alas, it does not reformat
text, so inclusion of variable fields in con-
tinuous text is at the user’s risk.
TASWORD PC
EAVERDICT M é
~~
& £ J £ &
Performance O BOO
Ease of use O O @ O
Documentation O oO @ fe
Valueformoney L) OF OF
(Impressive at the price
Error trapping is not all it might be, and
very occasionally the program dumped me
back in DOS, losing all my text. But:ail in
all, this is an impressive little program which
can be recommended to the hard-up or to
very occasional users of WP. Tasword is part-
icularly suitable for those prepared to dabble
with printer controls and the like in order to
extract Maximum performance.
Trustwriter costs £49.95 including VAT
and is very obviously designed for existing
WordStar users looking for a cheap program
for their home-based Amstrad. But what is
one to make of a WordStar-type word pro-
cessor that comes with just 45 A5 pages of
manual, most of them barely half full of
text? It sounds depressing even before you
load it.
Though there is a learning file on disc, the
Trustwriter manual is lamentably in-
adequate for teaching anyone WordStar-
type word processing from scratch. The
learning file, though quite well designed,
far from fills the gap. Trust Software offers
mm
68
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
TASWORD PC
Description: word processor with
mail-merge
Hardware requlred: |BM PC or
compatible with at least 128K RAM
Copy protection: none
Price: £21.70
Publisher: Tasman Software,
Springfield House, Hyde Terrace, Leeds
LS2 9LN. Telephone: (0532) 438301
Available: now
TRUSTWRITER
Description: word processor with mail-
merge
Hardware required: |BM PC or
compatible with at least 128K RAM
Copy protection: none
Price: £43.40
Publisher: Trust Software, Unit B11,
Armstrong Mall, Southwood Summit
Centre, Southwood, Farnborough,
Hampshire GU13 ONP. Telephone:
(0252) 522200
Available: now
limited 90-day support; for more hand-
holding you have to pay £25 a year.
There are few good reasons for picking |
Trustwriter unless you know WordStar
already, so I’ll concentrate on the differ-
ences. Trustwriter looks much like an old
WordStar in which the underlining is not
echoed on-screen. The usual top-of-screen
menus afe absent, but mdimentary help
facilities are provided in a superimposed
window. There is no on-screen ruler, just a
note of the margin positions. These are
adaptable, but the tabs are fixed at eight-
column intervals. In the old WordStar
fashion, matgin positions are not saved with
SPECIFICATIONS
MICROSOFT WORD JUNIOR
Description: word processor with mail-
merge
Hardware required: |BM PC or
compatible with at least 192K RAM; two
disc drives
Copy protection: yes; one backup
disc is provided; program can be
installed once only on to a hard disc
Price: £60.80
Publisher: Microsoft, Excel House, 49
De Montfort Road, Reading, Berkshire
RG1 BLP. Telephone: (0734) 500741
Available: now
files, so you must check your margin every
time you reformat text.
Cursor movement uses the good old
WordStar diamond, with the IBM cursor
keys installed as an alternative. The general
editing commands are fairly WordStar
standard. Trustwriter has a proper Insert
mode, but does not automatically reformat
text. It effectively combines WordStar’s
document and non-document modes.
The program works fast in normal
editing, but like its original it becomes very
slow when moving around large files. It can
handle files too large to fit into RAM.
There are no numeric text markers. There
HB SOFTWARE REVIEW
SAGE |
‘ 4
Bs SOF] Wale
PC WRITE
Description: word processor with mail-
merge and spelling checker
Hardware required: IBM PC or
compatible with at least 256K RAM
Copy protection: none
Price: £99
Publisher: Quicksoft of Seattle
U.K. distributor: Sagesoft, NEI
House, Regent Centre, Gosforth,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3DS.
Telephone: 091-284 7077
Available: now
BUSINESS WRITER
Description: text editor/word
processor
Hardware required: IBM PC or
compatible; 256K RAM recommended
Copy protection: none
Price: £20
Publisher: S&S Enterprises, 31 Hollow
Way Lane, Amersham, Buckinghamshire
HP6 6DJ. Telephone: (02403) 4201
Available: now
is no way at all to get a disc directory on-
screen, even on the initial non-document
screen. There is no way to log on to an alter-
nate directory or disc. There is no way to
hide control symbols in the text. There is no
indication of page breaks on screen.
A very few of the standard WordStar
failings have been circumvented. The awful
“OG indent command has been replaced by
a bizarre but reasonably effective indenting
arrangement. Its main limitation is that you
cannot automatically indent numbered
paragraphs. There is an Undelete buffer.
Another oddity is an Adjust command that
shifts lines or blocks of text to the left or
SS oninued on nexi page)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
69
HI SOFTWARE REVIEW
(continued from previous page)
right; it can only be used on whole lines, not
to make up for the tab limitations.
Trustwriter includes a fairly ambitious
merge facility with named fields, and the
opportunity for user input during a run.
Printer support is abysmal. For the FX-80
and the IBM Graphics Printer it is poor; for
anything else it is non-existent. There is
some scope for defining your own driver,
but as Trustwriter is totally non-custom-
isable this is a poor option. In all, this
program is as far below WordStar as New
Word was above it.
PC Write originated in America from
Quicksoft as a shareware program: try it
first, buy for $75 if you like ir. When you
know that, Sage Software’s price of £99
looks less than generous. The price includes
90-day support; for longer support you must
pay out another £30.
PC Write comes on two floppies and
consists of separate editing and print-
formatting programs, both divided between
the two discs. It is always necessary to save a
file to disc before printing it, but otherwise
they are quite well linked.
PC Write is a heavy kind of program: full
of commands, with a hefty manual that is all
small print and serious technical infor-
mation, I found it rather daunting. There is
so much to remember, and the on-screen
guidance tends to be confusing rather than
helpful. Though the manual has an index it
is poorly arranged and it is difficult to find
the information you need quickly.
The initial menu/system line can list any
of nine different keyboard statuses and 17
edit statuses. It is full of little symbols which
drastically affect the way the program
behaves on-screen. It is entirely unclear how
to get to menus with, for example, the
spelling checker on them, and all too easy to
land up in menus which deal with Highbits
and other technical stuff. I found it hard to
remember even the basic sequences which
save files or exit without saving. With long-
term regular use these problems would
partly disappear, but PC Write certainly is
not a program for the occasional user.
To start the editor, you must specify an
old or new file to be edited. It is not easy to
access a directory at this stage, though the
program does offer two different directory
features.
PC Write’s text formatting is defined by
commands in three different files: the text
file, the edit format file and the print format
file. Some types of format commands,
similar to WordStar dot commands, can
appear in any one of them, as you choose.
This gives great flexibility to experienced
and confident users, but is very confusing to
the newcomer. Rulers seem to appear and
disappear when you try to change them; for-
matting instructions in one file may be over-
tidden by those in another, so what you see
is not necessarily what you get.
All this should not detract from PC
Write’s merits. It has a proper push-forward
Insert mode, for example, with Overwrite
available as an alternative. Justification is
echoed on-screen and there is an option to
reformat automatically. Care is needed here
since PC Write does not distinguish forced
from natural line breaks, so reformatting can
cause havoc with tables unless precautions
are taken. Reformatting is not instan-
taneous, though it is reasonably fast.
The screen can be split vertically into two
windows, and either two parts of the same
document shown, or two different doc-
KAVERDICT
Performance
Ease of use
g
a
a
|
Documentation
Valueformoney [.]} # OC CO
© Even WardStar aficianadas shauld
nat have to put up with this.
T
Documentation
Value for money (Glas) ae fc)
CA great pragram far hackers, but
impenetrable far casual users.
VERDIC ge
a <—
| +e se s
O Rn?)
. Cou Wk
Performance ODO OF @ - ie
Ease of use BO 18) O
ame) es
uments edited. Only one document is held
in memory at any one time, so switching
between windows is rather slow.
All the usual editing commands are
there, plus macros, detailed sequences for
accessing alternate characters and print
enhancements, including colours on colour
printers and different fount sizes. The
program measures margins in inches, not in
characters. There are indexing and foot-
noting, and excellent headers and footers
which can be multi-line, and _ left/
centre/right justified on the same line.
The rather complicated arrangement for
mail-merging involves input and output
template files as well as data files. It will
accept keyboard output, and will reformat
text on request. There is also a spelling
checker, which will do an automatic check
during text input, or check whole doc-
uments or single words. Its procedure for
working through a document doing a check
entirely defeated me. I still have no idea how
you afe supposed to make corrections other
than the suggested one, and there seemed to
be no way to tell it to ignore a word for the
rest of the check.
What isn’t there? Not much, though
there is no background printing, no maths
features, no columnar features. Page breaks
are not echoed on-screen, and though the
status line indicates how far through the file
you are, as a percentage of the total, page,
line or column positions are only shown if
you specifically request them. New pages,
when forced, generate only a confusing little
symbol, and nota clear page line. Lines with
tabs are not justified, so you have to start
paragraphs with spaces instead.
PC Write is enormously customisable and
has excellent support for a huge range of
printers, including a wide range of cartridge
and downloadable founts on Laserjets. All in
all, this is the perfect hacker’s program. Its
power and flexibility are unquestionable,
but secretaries and occasional users may find
that too many of the powerful features are
beyond their reach.
After the flakiness of the real cheapies,
Microsoft Word Junior has a comforting so}-
idity about it. This is the kind of program
you just know will not crash or corrupt your
text. It comes on two protected discs and it is
recommended for use only on dual-disc
machines. Considering the price of the big
Word, £69.95 is a snip for this version,
which is very recognisably the same. Corners
have been cut with the packaging but the
PC Write calculates its margins in widths, riot.
character positions, so changing the fant
means that.
tab indents align perfectly.
A very wide range of fonts are available
and ready defined for supported printers,
Bete ool tm oe ser ea to eee edt fonts
fue ee Ss ee Ene SS Se ees
roe tier tis be SS oma Ss.
merencensoetet
width
PC Write offers a wide range of founts in variable widths, though its formatting proved to be unreliable.
eS 9S EEE
70 PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Microsoft Word
Junior will
format cleanly
even when your
Word Junior
wneluding 7
eS
program itself has most of Word’s normal
features.
Word’s hallmark has always been its high-
tech orientation, and this version too works
much better with a mouse than without one.
It will display 43 lines of text with a suitable
graphics board. Printer support has been
slashed, though it is still adequate for cheap
printers. There is a rough approximation to
background printing but no queueing
facilities.
The program will support up to eight
windows, edit documents simultaneously,
and handle footnotes, multiple columns of
text and decimal tabs. The screen ts
profligate on system space, with a border all
round every window and a full menu at the
bottom which Word Junior does not let you
hide, leaving only 19 lines for text.
Word is the very opposite of a do-it-your-
self program. It does your formatting for
you, in response to instructions you give.
Ask for a line between paragraphs and it will
do it; ask for a particular margin size and it
will calculate it. The only annoyance is when
the command structure proves to have gaps,
and there is no DIY way to circumvent
them. The program persistently double
spaced on my printer, for instance, which
always adds its own linefeed to a Carriage
Return unless sent an initialising code.
There proved to be no way within Word to
send such a code.
The formatting is outstanding. Measure-
ments can be given with great precision, in
inches, centimetres, character positions or
points. Text in different sized founts is per-
fectly aligned, and all varieties of indent-
ation are fully supported. There is micro-
space justification on a few supported
printers, and there is even automatic hyphen
help. Finished document layout with this
program can be extremely professional.
Adapting layout is much easier than with
most other programs, whatever their price.
There is also a glossary feature for
standard paragraphs. The big Word extends
this approach into style sheets which summ-
arise detailed formatting instructions for
different types of document. They are
horrendously complicated, and it is no great
loss that they are missing from Junior.
Junior will not compile an index or a table
of contents, and it is lacking Word’s fancy
outliner. A more serious omission is the
spelling checker. It has, however, retained
the mail-merge feature, which includes If
and Else commands. All in all, Word Junior
is outstanding value. LAN and laser-printer
users should stick with the biggie, but for
offers a
talre
possible to send other codes to the printer, however,
i ee ee ee a oc
the program’s ahility to justify text
printer-oriented display shows
document ies Saliba
containsa bi re
mixture of
ani: 1 A special
they
MB SOFTWARE REVIEW
good range
type, SMALL CAPS ancl
a
wild
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Documentation
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[No speller, but otherwise a great
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BUSINESS WRITER
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Too little, too cheap.
most of the rest, a mouse, Word Junioranda
speller package will beat the opposition
hollow.
Business Writer is the kind of word pro-
cessor that powers up with wordwrap
toggled off. The kind that never auto-
matically reformats text; that’ beeps in mid-
indent when the line of text is full; that
never, ever lets you access a disc directory;
that has no printer driver at all, not even a
default FX-80 one. It would have looked un-
impressive even in the days of Dragon 32
word processors; for the IBM/ Amstrad and
compatibles it is beneath consideration.
The program comes on a single unpro-
tected floppy disc. The text of the manual is
also held on the disc ina document field and |
you print it out yourself. When loaded the
program comes up with a totally blank
screen: no ruler, no system information, no
note of the help key, no nothing. Just a
cursor, and text if you are loading an old file.
It is possible to see a ruler or rudimentary
system information, but only when you are
not actively editing. The few help screens
available are not context sensitive.
The program is not directly customisable,
but you can determine initial settings for
different types of document via a template
file. There are no menus, only direct
commands, using a mixture of function keys
and alphanumeric keys. Some functions are
duplicated to provide a rudimentary echo of
the WordStar command structure.
Commands which require user input are
handled by blanking the line containing the
cursor, and producing a little double-arrow
prompt. There is no verbal prompt, no
confirmation of which command you have
designated, and when a command cannot be
carried out there is no explanatory message,
just a rude little beep.
The precautions against accidental
deletions are rudimentary, and there is no
Undelete facility. It is possible to find and
replace text in a very basic way with no case
sensitivity or wild cards. Documents can be
paginated, but once only. If you edit the
document afterwards you must remove all
the page-end symbols by hand before re-
paginating.
On the plus side, Business Writer does
have variable tabs, decimal tabs and some
arithmetic facilities. It will justify and centre
text and range it right, and will cope with
documents up to 255 columns wide. Screen
responses are speedy, and vertical scrolling is
smooth. Horizontally it doesn’t scroll: it
jumps.
Printer support is virtually non-existent.
It is possible to print either designated
blocks of text, or paginated documents.
There is no way within the program to
specify the printer port. Text is sent, as it 1s
saved on disc, in a basic ASCII string. There
are no print-control codes built into Business
Writer at all — not even underline codes. To
send codes to a printer you have to insert the
full Escape codes every time they are used,
which destroys the formatting.
CONCLUSIONS
@ Prices really have dropped drastically, and
it is now possible to get a good word processor
for under £100. But none of these is as good
all round as Word 3.0 or Word Perfect 4.2.
Serious users can still justify paying the extra
for a top-class program.
@ Price is still only a very rough guide to per-
formance. As far as performance goes, I’d
rate these word processors in ascending
order: Business Writer, Trustwriter, Tasword,
PC Write, Word Junior.
@ When, oh when are the top-end prices
going to drop to match the fall at the bottom
end of the market?
| EEE ee
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
7)
DEALERS
D the one hand they have to provide
J the customers with what they want;
on the other they have to sell what the man-
ufacturers give them to stock. Along the
way the dealer tries to make a profit and
keep both parties happy. But what a
customer needs is not always what a dealer
has to sell. The most the customer can hope
for is a fair deal.
We decided to test out how different
dealers would handle the same customer
with the same problem. The firms we chose
were picked from advertisements in the
computing press and cover a broad spectrum
of dealerships, from High Street stores to the
more opulent showrooms of
the West End. We app-
roached them incognito,
and for that reason we have
not named any of them
since they were not told that
their responses might later
be reported in Practical
Computing.
Each dealer was asked to
recommend a system to
computerise a solicitor’s
office in which 10 people
would want to use the
system: three secretaries
would be using their micros
most of the time for word
} processing; a receptionist
and a cashier would be
doing some word pro-
cessing; and five lawyers would from time to
time want to use spreadsheets and access
clients’ files, which would be transferred on
to the computer. We did not want to
transfer our accounts on to computer, but
we wanted the ability to link up our accounts
to the setup at a later date.
I posed as someone sent out by the boss to
find out what hardware and software would
be needed, and how much it would cost. As
well as wanting to see what the dealers
would try to sell us we were interested in
finding out how they would react to such a
far-reaching request from an individual with
no apparent experience of computing and
no immediate purchasing power.
‘My first stop was at a smal! High Street
store which sold a variety of micros,
including IBM, Compaq, Olivetti and
Amstrad machines. The salesman I spoke to
spent about 10 minutes explaining what we
could do. His story was that the price of the
setup would be dictated by the software. He
suggested buying a special package for
solicitors which could cost up to £10,000,
depending on how many modules of the
package we might need. He pointed out
that it would be cheaper if we bought more
general packages and then customised them
ourselves or got the dealer to do it. Training
would be available at an extra cost.
For the hardware he recommended that
we buy a network. He said that this would
discount what he called the
not be used in a network. Instead he rec-
ommended IBM-compatible equipment,
Amstrad
solution; he claimed that Amstrads could |
ealers are stuck in the middle. On |
which would mean we could have a network
that would allow us to interchange data and
keep prices down by sharing printers and so
on. He was non-commital about which
machines to plump for, saying there was
about £50 difference between the machines
on offer.
The next stop was at a slightly larger
dealer where, once again, a salesman recom-
mended a network and extolled the merits
of IBM. He recommended the G/Net
Gateway LAN, IBM PC/ATs with an IBM
PC/ ATX as a file server, a Hewlett-Packard
Laserjet printer and on the software side
Ashton-Tate’s Multimate with a Qed 2
appointment manager. The bill could come
AN
INNOCENT
ABROAD
Carol Hammond recounts her experiences when
she approached a number of dealers for advice on
how to computerise a typical professional office.
to £25,000, depending on how easy it was to
install the network and whether we opted
for extras like training and tape streamers.
The salesman spent around half an hour
explaining exactly what a network was. He
recommended a network solution on the
grounds that a series of stand-alone
machines would prove more expensive and
would not allow us to share printers and so
on. He also suggested that there were ways
of sharing software like Lotus 1-2-3,
although you were not really meant to and
that whether you actually did so was a matter
of conscience.
These two dealers were typical of the more
up-market outfits I visited insofar as they
tried to sell me networks. It could be that the
advent of low-cost clones has forced dealers
to push IBM as the ideal network solution.
Nobody explained to me that you could
catty a disc across to another micro and have
all your printout done at once, and only two
of the more up-market dealers explained
that you only really need a network if
pom more opulent the
showrooms | visited, the
slicker the salesmen
became and the more
elaborate and expensive
their solutions to my
problem. if
everyone has to access the same files at more >
or less the same time. The IBM was being
sold very much on the strength of its proven
reliability and success, though one dealer
did admit that he thought Compags were
better because you got more bells and
whistles for the same price or less.
The mote opulent the showrooms I visited
the slicker the salesmen became and more
expensive their solutions to my problem. I
found that we could soon be expected to
spend over £30,000, including training and
maintenance. The idea of Big Blue as a
professional outfit was projected well by
the persuasive, besuited though slightly
anonymous-looking salesmen trying to sell
me its products.
The message from those
selling less expensive clones
was somewhat different. In
the tackier surroundings of
the busy stores I visited the
story was much more along
the line: ‘‘Why pay two to
three times as much for an
IBM when you could buy a
cheaper and faster IBM
compatible.’’ These outlets
did not sport the designer
lighting and elegant fittings
of the more up-market
firms, nor would I be off-
ered a seat and a cup of
coffee. But neither were
the price tags of the
machines on offer quite
so high. Of course, such dealers cannot offer
the support of the large outfits.
One salesman did try to sell me an Atari
520ST complete with K-Spread spreadsheet,
Trimbase database and First Word word pro-
cessor. I was told the Atari’s Gem operating
environment would make it easier to use
than an IBM PC and I would not need any
training. Since the shop’s business-
computer section proffered only Ataris and
the Commodore Amiga — which he said
was good for simple word processing,
graphics and sound, but not business —
there was little else he could do.
In fact one salesman went so far as to
suggest I try a couple of other dealers which,
unlike his store, offered networking, so that
I could at least consider it. He was also
careful to point out that with some of the
larger dealers we could end up paying out a
lot of money without knowing quite what it
was for. He recommended Word Perfect as a
word processor but thought it also worth
thinking about the Framework integrated
package. As far as hardware was concerned
he cited Epson and Olivetti as producing
good-quality, reliable machines, and the
Toshiba T-3100 as a fast and powerful
portable.
One thing I was disappointed by was the
salesmanship of the two Apple dealers I
visited. The physical surroundings were
trendy enough, but the Apple salesmen
were casually dressed and even more casual
in manner compared with the smart IBM
types. In one shop I had to wait about five
| minutes for anyone to appear, which left me
72
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
FIONA MACVICAR
wondering whether they ever lost any Mac
Pluses or software to the voluminous rain-
coats of passers-by. When I was eventually
served I was told to be careful of the wire
chair I was about to sit on in case it snapped
on me.
In the other shop the salesman could not
demonstrate the computer he was using
because it had been configured to work with
an Arabic keyboard and now he could not
get it to recognise English, so we had to
move to another machine. Neither of these
points is vital, but I sensed that no IBM
dealer would use dodgy chairs, and that an
IBM salesperson would have a slick excuse
with which to whisk me off to another
machine. It is just such trivial considerations
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
that help to inspire confidence and create a
mood of professionalism. Could this explain
why there are not more Macs on corporate
desks?
When it came to explaining the technical
merits of the Mac the salesmen also fell short
of my expectations. I asked what the differ-
ences betwen IBM and Mac machines were,
and why I should choose the Mac universe. I
was told that the machines were based on
different operating systems, that the Mac
was easier to use and required no training,
and that it was also a matter of preference.
When I enquired why the screen was black-
and-white not colour I was told that the
high-resolution screen would be much more
restful on the eyes for people doing a lot of
word processing, and that they would not
want colour because that would cause
flicker. I wonder how they are going to sell
the new colour Mac.
Something most of the dealers I spoke to
had in common was an apparently poor
| regard for the Amstrad, which they dis-
missed as only good for word processing and
best suited for home use. They all claimed to
be wary of it, and all said they had heard
tales of machines being returned to the dis-
tributors. One cited problems with the hard
disc and others criticised the keyboard; one
even held up a keyboard and bent it around
to show how flimsy it was.
Most of them thought the lack of after-
sales support provided by Amstrad was sus-
Picious. One said his firm would never stock
an Amstrad machine as it was destined to go
the way of the Sinclair QL. It is hard to resist
*the thought that these objections are a case
of sour grapes on the part of the dealers. The
dealer’s profit margin on an Amstrad will
not be high, and the dealer is also going
to be in the front line when it comes
to handling customers’ complaints and
queties.
One thing that impressed me about most
of the dealers was that they took the trouble
to speak to me and give me some advice.
Only in one of the flashiest dealers was I told
that no one was available to speak to me.
The assistant pressed a leaflet in my hand
and said that I would have to make an
appointment.
Another up-market dealer was rather
abrupt when I refused to give the telephone
number or address of the firm I was meant to
be working for — my stock excuse was that
my boss did not want salespeople ringing
him. The treatment I got after this was much
frostier. The salesman told me he could not
work with such vague information and that
my boss would have to come down himself
or pay a consultancy fee of £50 an hour for
the saleman to visit him.
One dealer I had chosen proved elusive
until a phone call revealed that the supposed
dealer was in fact a computer-equipment
broker of price monger. The man I spoke to
said he was unable to give advice or demon-
strations but suggested I went round a few
dealers, get them to demonstrate some
systems, and then come back to him for a
good price on the setup which I eventually
chose. He also cited the Amstrad as being
good value for money.
However questionable the morality of the
broker’s advice may be, it certainly does pay
to shop around. What sort of dealer you
choose will depend as much on the size of
your bank balance as on what you need. Up-
market dealers may offer more in the way of
backup services that will give you peace of
mind, but they may also be better equipped
to convince you that you need it.
It is worth remembering that dealers are
out to sell you what is in their showrooms —
people do not go to a Volvo dealer and come
out with a BL car. But comparing what diff-
erent dealers have to say is a good way of
helping to make up your mind. It will cost
you nothing as long as you remember to
leave your cheque book at home. PC}
73
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TRISOFT LTO Uebes-
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PROFESSIONAL ADVICE » LOWPRICES » HOTLINE SUPPORT » FAST SERVICE
Whether you are seeking specialist
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Apart from offering around 300 soft-
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dealers for APRICOT, OLIVETTI, BAW SS -@ibierecno@es a ce £1995 OLIVETTI M28, 2 MB RAM, 4-WAY
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
INDUSTRY TRENDS
While good ideas count, marketing clout is worth more. Steve
Malone reports on how companies are joining forces to
HANGING
TOGETHER
Ithough it might be difficult to
believe at times, manufacturers in
the data-processing industry are
willing to form alliances with other com-
panies to each other’s mutual benefit. The
reasons why they do this are manifold, yet in
the past few years some patterns have
emerged.
The companies involved are hardly ever in
direct competition with each other. For
example, it would be hard to imagine IBM
and DEC forming an alliance. Rather, these
agreements usually involve two or three
different companies with their own spec-
ialities joining together where their interests
overlap. Deals are sometimes struck as
companies close ranks in the face of fierce
competition.
One of the earliest and most successful
combinations was formed in 1983 between
the U.S. communications giant AT&T and
European office-equipment manufacturer
Olivetti. Both companies were in pretty poor
shape in terms of success in the micro
market. The IBM PC was sweeping the
board, and non-compatible micros such as
the Olivetti M-20 and AT&T’s 7300 were
being trampled in the rush.
In Europe, Olivetti was among the first to
bow to the inevitable and introduce a
compatible micro, in the form of the M-24.
Yet for the machine to be a success, Olivetti
also needed a bridgehead into the U.S.
martket. AT&T, on the other hand, badly
needed an IBM-compatible micro to offer
along with its, established minicomputers
and data-communication services. As a
result of the Olivetti linkup AT&T is selling
the M-24 as the 6300 series.
Bob Garrett, Marketing Manager of
Olivetti U.K., takes up the story. ‘‘The
agreement was signed in December 1983
and came into effect in January 1984. The
agreement covered not just products; there
were also financial arrangements and collab-
ofation in the development of micros, minis
and systems. The M-28 came about by com-
bined developments and so did Starlan.”’
The results of the collaboration have been
impressive. Garrett went on: ‘‘The 1985
figures show that just under 200,000
under the AT&T name, while the figures are
just over 200,000 under the Olivetti name
for the rest of the world.
the alliances which have been formed over |
Olivetti machines have been sold in the U.S. |
improve their position.
“The development of PC _ products
require greater and greater resources, so it is
preferable if costs are shared. We also have
access to Bell Laboratories, which is
important for theoretical research — for
chips and so on.”’
Although the tactical decisions to form
such linkups may vary, the strategic purpose
behind the deals can be summed up in three
letters: 1 B M. Compared with IBM, almost
every other company is a minnow. With the
cost of new launches rising all the time,
many businesses feel they have to get bigger
to compete with IBM’s multi-billion dollar
research budget.
The most striking recent example of this
thinking led to the formation of Unisys from
the union of Burroughs and Sperry. The new
| company is now reckoned to be the second
biggest computer company in the world —
much to the chagrin of DEC.
Lotus Development is another company
which has made a series of arrangements
with other organisations. One of the best
known has resulted in a memory-expansion
technique to allow additional data storage
within a Lotus spreadsheet. This became
known as the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Ex-
panded Memory Specification (LIM EMS).
Lotus spokesman Phil Peters told us: ‘We
were looking to introduce a new version of
Lotus 1-2-3, which the world now knows as
version 2. We wanted the new version to
contain a bigger matrix, and rather than
develop our own we decided to co-operate
with the chip manufacturer and the
operating-system vendor to make the spec-
ification. We seem to have made the right |
decision. The LIM specification is now the
best known of all the expanded-memory
formats.’’
Ir is in the U.S. where the majority of such
alliances are made. Over the past year or so
24, We do on-going _
reviews and talk to lots of
different companies about
lots of different things.
What becomes fruitful is
only the tip of the
iceberg. Fi;
there has been a distinct move towards com-
puter companies forming loose alliances
with communications businesses. A pointer
to the way things are going can be seen in
the development of the U.S. market. People
thinking about upgrading their computers
do not just look at the software base; they
also look at what is available in the way of
public databases and communications.
Lotus in its guise of a service company, has
recently concluded a deal with U.S. elec-
tronic-mail carrier MCI]-Mail. The two com-
panies signed an agreement to work together
on a product called Lotus Express. The idea
is that Lotus users can log into their MCI
mailboxes, download information and log
out again. All this goes on in the back-
ground so that the user can be carrying on
with something else.
While manufacturers ate conscious of
what the market wants, there are even
bigger stakes to play for. It has been recog-
nised for some time that developments have
led to the convergence of data and commun-
ications technologies. The ISDN systems
appearing would seem to confirm this.
Apple made a statement of intent last
September when it announced a joint
venture with Northern Telecom, one of
America’s largest digital-communications
corporations. The agreement provides for
the support and development of products
which will allow Apple’s Macintoshes to run
on Northern Telecom’s private branch
exchange (PBX) systems. The Northern
Telecom PBXs work with the Mac to support
local area networking and email.
This move provides Apple with an
opening into the American corporate
market. Perhaps more importantly, it allows
the Mac to communicate with machines
from a number of other manufacturers, in-
including IBM and DEC. Mary Ainsworth of
Apple told us: ‘‘This is the only deal of this
kind, but we do on-going reviews and talk to
lots of different companies about lots of
different things. What gets underway and
becomes fruitful is only the tip of the
iceberg.”’
While IBM has, at least temporarily, lost
its command of the corporate micro sector,
there is a window of opportunity for other
manufacturers. But in order to have any
impact even the largest companies will need
to join forces. Alliances will be a feature of
the industry for many years to come.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
77
PROGRAMMERS
AT
WORK
Microsoft has just brought out a book called
Programmers at Work in which Susan Lammers
interviews 19 leading programmers — people
responsible for such programs as Lotus 1-2-3,
dBase and the Postscript PDL.
We have arranged to publish some extracts
from the book, which is nearly 400 pages long
and a fascinating read. The interviewees talk
about program design, the companies they have
worked for or set up, and developments in the
software industry generally.
Here we concentrate on the act of program-
ming itself — how the guys actually write the
code. We have edited some of the replies to fit
the more compressed format of a magazine.
HE
PE] [ev afeslee
li
=
Bi
Gary Kildall’s sketch of the menu tree
design of the Knowledge Retrieval System.
78
GARY KILDALL
ONE OF the best-known personalities in the
bersonal-computer industry, Kildall dev-
eloped the CP/M operating system and
founded Digital Research. He was the main
programmer/designer of DR Logo, and
recently he has been working on software
connected with CD-ROM.
On working method: \ follow very definite
procedures which work for me, though they
may not work for other people. I start with
drawing the data structures, and I spend a
lot of time thinking about them. I also think
about what the program has to go through
before I start writing code.
Once the data structures are developed, |
start wfiting small chunks of code that I
improve and monitor along the way.
Checking them as I go assures me that the
changes I make are localised; and if I have
problems, I discover them immediately.
This whole process of iterative improvement
requires speed, so for me at least, it’s very
important to have fast edit, execute, and
debug cycles. This method doesn’t work as
well on a mainframe or a card-batch system
because you can’t make small changes and
check them out.
I rarely use comments, except at the
beginning of procedures, and then I only
comment on the data structure. I don’t
comment on the code itself because I feel
that properly written code is very much self-
documented. Once I get the algorithms
down, I start writing code directly on the
machine. I don’t even write it on a piece of
paper before it goes into the computer; it
just doesn’t seem necessary.
The actual coding process has always been
a little scary for me because I don’t know if
I’m writing the right code, nor do I know
what I'll write next. It just seems to come
out. Sometimes I realise the code’s not
exactly right, but I also realise intuitively
that it will relate to something else — it will
factor out and become right even if I don’t
know exactly how at the time I’m writing it.
The magical part is that, at some point, all at
once the whole thing comes together.
On working routine: My pace vaties during
the development of the program. At some
points, the code gets explosive and I have
everything inside my brain at one time; all
the variable names and how they relate to
one another; where the pointers start and
where they end, disc access, et cetera. All
sorts of things go on in my brain that I can’t
put on paper simply because I’m always
changing them. I’d spend more time writing
than I would coding, and I'd never get the
project done in a reasonable amount of
time.
When the data structures are so new, they
require intense concentration to keep them
organised in your head. So at this point in
the process, I'll usually start at 3a.m. and
work until maybe 6p.m. Then I'll have
dinner, go to bed early, get up again pretty
early in the morning, and keep banging on
until things are calmer.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
NTERVIEWS |
During the calm times, when my pace is
more relaxed, I come up with solutions for
the next phase. When I’m trying to solve a
problem that has a series of steps, I take
them in order; one at a time — step A, step
B, then step C. I’ve tried, but I just can’t
work on C until B has been completed.
——. ———~
Extract from John Warnock’s notebook on
Postscript characters.
JOHN WARNOCK
TOGETHER with Chuck Geshchke, John
Warnock developed Postscript, the page-
description language used in the Apple
Laserwriter and other powerful output
devices. Postscript is at the heart of the desk-
top publishing boom. Before that Warnock
twas at Xerox Parc, like many of the people
Susan Lammers interviewed.
On working method: | think a lot before Ido
anything, and once I do something I’m not
afraid to throw it away. It’s very important
that a programmer be able to look at a piece
of code like a bad chapter of a book and
scrap it without looking back. Never get too
enamoured with one idea, never hang on to
anything tenaciously without being able to
throw it away when necessary; that should
be the programmer’s attitude.
I don’t know if there’s a single set of
things. Don’t bind early; don’t ever make
decisions earlier than you have to. Stay an
order of magnitude more general than you
think you need, because you will end up
needing it in the long term. Get something |
working very quickly and then be able to
throw it away.
Learn from small experiments rather than
large ones. Don’t go into a two-year dey-
elopment with nothing coming out in the
middle. Have something come out every two
months, so you can evaluate, regroup, and
restart.
Also, never make an assumption that you
know something somebody else doesn’t
know. There will always be some smart guy
who will come along and figure out a better
algorithm, or figure out an easier way of per-
forming some task. One of the tricks of the
ttade is to recognise this early, adopt it
quickly, and exploit it without having a
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Bu
“‘not-invented-here’’ hangup about doing
it your way.
I once heard that any programs you write
reflect the organisation in which you work.
Adobe was started as a very small company
with about a half dozen people. The code
was written by a half dozen people and the
structure shows it. Certain parts belong.to
person X and certain parts belong to person
Y, and they all have their own character and
their own interfaces.
On the other hand, IBM is a huge organ-
isation and their code is convoluted, with
self feedbacks and different strategies that
reflect separate divisions of the company. A
fairly standard rule is that if you want to
keep something simple, then the organ-
isation that develops it has to be simple.
CHARLES SIMONYI
CHARLES SIMONYI is the man responsible
for Multiplan, and the main pro-
| grammer/designer on Microsoft Word and
Excel. Before joining Microsoft Simonyi
worked at Xerox Parc, where he developed
an innovative text editor called Bravo.
Simonyi is by origin a Hungarian.
On working method: The first step in pro-
gramming is imagining. Just making it
crystal clear in my mind what is going to
happen. In this initial stage 1 use paper and
pencil. I just doodle, I don’t write code. I
might draw a few boxes or a few atrows, but
it’s just mostly doodles, because the real
picture is in my mind. I like to imagine the
structures that are being maintained, the
structures that represent the reality I want to
code.
Once I have the structure fairly firm and
clear in my mind, then I write the code. I sit
down at my terminal — or with a piece of
paper in the old days — and write it. It’s
fairly easy. I just write the different trans-
formations and I know what the results
should be. The code for the most part writes
itself, but it’s the data structures I maintain
that are the key. They come first and I keep
them in my mind throughout the entire
process.
The knowledge of the best algorithms is
the science, and the imagining of the struc-
ture is the art:
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nn EEE
“Hungarian” code written by Charles Simonyi for Microsoft Word.
On readability: All the code that I have
written since about 1972 has been written
with certain naming conventions that are
popularly called ‘‘Hungarian’’. You can
immediately recognise all the code that has
been written under my influence, including
Microsoft Word and Multiplan, Bravo, and
many others written with those conventions.
It’s called ‘‘Hungarian’’ as a joke. The
joke is that the program looks so unread-
able, it might as well be written in
Hungarian. But it’s a set of conventions that
controls the naming of all quantities in the
program.
If you were to break up a program, put it
into a grinder, and then sort the pieces, you
would find that the bulk of the program is in
names. If you just write, ‘‘apples +
oranges’, the name ‘‘apples’’ is six char-
acters, the operation ‘‘ + ’’ is one character,
the name ‘‘oranges’’ is seven characters, for
a total of 14 characters. Only one character,
the plus sign, had to do with the operation.
So to me it seemed logical that to make an
impact or improve things, I would try to
improve the greatest bulk — and that was
the names. ‘‘Hungarian’’ is a way of almost
automatically creating a name from the pro-
perties of the named quantity. So if you
have a structure with certain properties,
instead of giving it some arbitrary name and
then having everybody learn the association,
between the name and the properties, you’
use the properties themselves as the name.
On clean listings: \ think the listing gives the
same sort of pleasure that you get from a
clean home. You can just tell with a glance if
things are messy — if garbage and unwashed
dishes are lying about — or if things are
teally clean. It may not mean much. Just
because a house is clean, it might still be a
den of iniquity! But it is an important first
impression and it does say something about
the program. I'll bet you that from 10 feet
away I can tell if a program is bad. I might
not guarantee that it is good, but if it looks
bad from 10 feet, Ican guarantee you that it
wasn’t written with care. And if it wasn’t
written with care, it’s probably not beautiful
in the logical sense.
But suppose it looks good. You then pick
deeper. To understand the structure of a
(continued on next page)
k
El*evngrochr)(vbchrFac)
79
| INTERVIEWS
(continued from previous page)
program is much, much harder: some
people have different opinions about what
makes the structure beautiful. There are
purists who think only structured pro-
gramming with certain very simple con-
structions, used in a very strict mathematical
fashion, is beautiful. That was a very reason-
able reaction to the situation before the
sixties, when programmers were unaware of
the notion of structuring.
PAGE 1s the only one of Susan Lammers’
interviewees who 1s British, although he is
now based in the U.S. Page wrote PFS File
and was one of the founders of Software
Publishing Corporation.
On working method: \ sit down and work
out what I want the program to do. Then I
mentally map out the components. I tend to
zoom in first on the pieces where I think I’ve
got problems and try to understand them.
This looks hard, that looks hard and these
other pieces are just normal files and old
hash tables. Once I’ve dealt with the hard
parts in isolation — maybe by writing a little
program just to prove out some theory — I
have a level of confidence about the whole
program. I have pieces that are either a piece
of cake or very difficult, but I know how I’m
going to handle them all. Then I can go
about structuring the program before I start
implementing it.
I have to believe that what I want to do is
achievable, otherwise I can be very dis-
tracted. I’ve seen some immature pro-
grammers who are so frightened about
reaching the end goal, they just zoom in on
some piece of the program and just start
writing. They back into the program from a
telatively minor position.
Once I've sketched the structure, I work
on each piece in turn and define the inter-
faces between them. I don’t like to have a
nagging feeling that I’m designing some-
thing but don’t know if a crucial component
can be built. It gives me the willies, stops me
from having the confidence level to proceed
vigorously on the project.
When I went back to programming [after
a period in management at Hewlett-
Packard] I was forced to rely purely on
myself. That was a shocker. It was kind of
frightening — I wondered if I could still
write programs. But it’s like riding a bike —
you don’t ever forget; you just pedal off into
the sunset.
On working routine: You have to say to all
your relatives, ‘Look, I’m going to be gone
from six to nine months. I’ll be here phys-
ically, but ] might as well not be. I’m going
to be working on this thing and I'll be
absent-minded. I want you to understand
and tolerate that and I promise to make it up
to you when I get to the other end.”’ If you
have loved ones it’s important to come
through on that promise. Working so hard
can be devastating to your marriage and to
other relationships.
On concentration: You constantly try to
hold the state of the entire system you’re
working on in your head. If you lose the
mental image, it takes a long time to get
back into that state. It’s like being an air-
traffic controller who has nine planes in his
mind and knows exactly where they’re all
going. Distract him by asking him when his
shift is over and he loses those planes. In
programming, a big complicated model is
very efficient once you're in the groove. If
you get out of it, you've got to work on it
quite a while to get back in.
C WAYNE RATLIFF
RATLIFF wrote dBase Il, which was orig-
inally called Vulcan. At first Ratliff sold the
program by mail order on his own, but he
later came to a marketing agreement with
George Tate and joined Ashton-Tate.
Ratliff was the main programmer/designer
on dBase Ill.
On working method: \ do a \ot of changing.
I like to make an analogy between writing
code and sculpting a clay figure. You start
with a lump of clay and then you scrape
away, add more clay, then sctape away
again. And every now and then you decide
that a leg doesn’t look right, so you tear it
off and put a new one on. There’s a lot of
interaction.
The ideal module should be a page long.
If it grows beyond a page, I have to decide,
now what is it I’m doing here? How many
| separate things am I working on? Should
they be broken down into separate modules?
Part of the elegance, and the balance, is that
at a certain level, in this layer-cake hierarchy
of a program, all the modules should be
about the same weight, same size, same
duty, and same functionality.
When you have a good balance the
program becomes maintainable. It’s as
though you’ve discovered some basic
physical underlying principle and im-
plemented it. When things get really out of
balance, you know something is wrong.
There’s probably some inherent fault that
makes it out of balance. Generally, when I
get this feeling that something’s out of
whack when one module is just too big, I
think about what I’m doing, and I reorient
or rejuggle the pieces.
On the appeal of programming: A program
is a lot of fun at the very beginning, when
you first have ideas about what it can do.
Those ideas grow very rapidly. You have
some little spark, and then you keep tacking
other capabilities on to it. When that
euphoria fades and you have to start coding,
it gets tough.
The moment of programming I enjoy the
very most ts when I get something almost
complete. I try it for the first time, it fails
miserably, and it continues to fail until
about the 100th time, when it does pretty
good. There’s a peak experience there,
because then I know I've got it. I just have to
apply a little more elbow grease to weed out
the rest of the bugs.
JONATHAN SACHS
SACHS is the man who wrote Lotus 1-2-3.
Together with Mitch Kapor, who was more
on the marketing side, he set up Lotus, now
the biggest micro software house — by a
hair’s breadth ahead of Microsoft. In 1984
he left Lotus to develop software independ:
ently. Manuscript, which we review next
month, ts his first major product under the
new setup.
On working method: First, | start out with a
basic framework, which I keep adding to.
Also, I try not to use many fancy features in a
language or a program. For example, the
text editor I use is a derivative of one I wrote
at MIT 15 years ago. It has only a few simple
commands, but it has everything that I
need. It’s written in C now, so I take it with
me on every new machine. I don’t like using
any tools or programs I didn’t write myself
or that I don’t have some control over. That
way if I don’t like some part, I can change it.
Some people are very good at optimising
every instruction. They can make one little
piece of code extremely tight. At the other
end, some people think only about the algo-
rithm and the actual implementation. I’m
somewhere in the middle. I’m not that good
at writing extremely tight code. I’ve found
over the years that if you write that way,
every time you have to make a change, you
have to unravel the whole program and write
it over again. But if you back off just a bit,
and code very tightly only in a few spots
where it’s important, it’s a lot easier to
maintain the program once you've finished
it.
The methodology we used to develop
1-2-3 had a lot to do with the success of the
product. For instance, 1-2-3 began with a
working program, and it continued to be a
working program throughout its dey-
elopment. I worked largely in isolation at
the time. I had an office in Hopkinton,
where I lived at the time, and I came to the
office about once a week and brought in a
new version. I fixed any bugs immediately in
the next version.
This was the exact opposite of the
| standard method for developing a big
program, where you spend a lot of time and
work up a functional spec, do a modular
decomposition, give each piece to a bunch
of people, and integrate the pieces when
they're all done. The problem with that
method is you don’t get a working program
until the very end. If you know exactly what
you want to do, that method is fine. But
when you’ re doing something new, all kinds
of problems crop up that you just don’t
anticipate. In any case, our method meant
that once we had reached a certain point in
the development, we could ship if we
wanted to. The program may not have had
all the features, but we knew it would work.
These extracts have been taken from
Programmers at Work dy Susan Lammers,
published by Microsoft Press,
ISBN 0 914845 71 3. It 1s distributed in the
U.K. by Penguin Books, price £12.95.
PC
80
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
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PRACTICAL COMPUTING March 1987
TECHNOLOGY SO ADVANCED...
bus
© 8x32-bit data & address registers
a ls of interrupts
pie aacressing ices en ohio
*5 data é ‘ . J —
"DI Me Fay + j af
= Dita (Biract pacaenee ==) . © AW fon en ae OPERATING SYSTEM
= * TOS with GEM environment in ROM
* hierarchical file structure with
sub-directories and path names
* user interface via GEM, with self
explanatory Command functions
* multiple windows + icons
* window resizing. re-positioning and erasing
* drop down menus (selected by mousa)
* GEM virtual device Interface
GRAPHICS
* full bit-mapped display
° palette of 512 colours
Using Atari Monitors (on 520 & 1040):
* 640x400 high resolution - monochrome
* 640x200 medium resolution - 4 colours
* 320x200 low resolution ~ 16 colours
* 80 column text display (40 col low res)
Using Domestic TV (on 520): COMMUNICATIONS
wee pe a +4 colours arenes: ries modem port
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*40 Eeolcnnen «25 tine ise display 4 Boe Boston” ‘ ° MIDI port (Ge br hemoming use)
lon con: VTS52 terminal emulati
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° programmabie attack, decay, sustain, release STANDARD SOFTWARE
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with every ST computer purchased at our normal retail prices, This kit is available ONLY FROM SILICA j y _ 1O40ST-F Keyboerd + Med res colmoritor _= £899 linc VA
and is aimed at providing users with a valuabie introduction to the world of computing. We are continually cae ; The 1040ST-F comes with a mouse controller and includes tMbyte
upgrading the ST Starter Kit, which contains public domain and other licensed software, as well as books, of RAM. It has a IMbyte double sided disk drive and mains trans-
magazines and accessories all relevant to ST computing. Return the coupon below for full details. former, both built into the keyboard to give @ compact and stylish
The 520ST-FM with 512K RAM and free mouse, represents a further
breakthrough by Atari Corporation in the world of high power, low
DEDICATED SERVICING - Only From Silica | ggg
cost personal computing. This model is the latest addition to the ST
At Silica Shop, we have a dedicated service department of five full time Atari trained technical staff. This
team is totally dedicated to servicing Atari computer products. Their accumulated knowledge, skill and
experience makes them second to none in their field. You can be sure that any work carried out by them
is of the highest standard. A standard of servicing which we believe you will find ONLY FROM SILICA. In
addilion to providing full servicing facilities for Atari ST computers {both in and out of warranty), our
team ig also able to offer memory and modulator upgrades to ST computers
1Mb RAM UPGRADE: Our upgrade on the standard Atari S20ST-M or 520ST-FM keyboard will
increase the memory from 512K to a massive 1024K. It has a full 1 year warranty and is available from family, and is not only powerful, but compact. It is priced at only
Silica at an additional retail price of only £86.96 (+VAT * £100). £399 fine VAT) a level watch brings it within the reach of a whole
TY MODULATOR UPGRADE: Silica can upgrade the 1040ST-F to include a TV modulator so new generation of computer enthusiasts. When purchased from us.
that you can then use it with your TV set. This is an internal upgrade and does not involve any untidy it comes with the FREE Silica ‘S¥ Starter Kit’ see paragraph on the
external boxes. A cable to connect your ST to any domestic TV is included in the price of the upgrade left. To make the 520ST-FM ready for use straight away, Atari have
which js only £49 (inc VAT). The upgrade is also available for early S20ST computers at the same price. built into the keyboard a 4 megabyte disk drive for information
storage and retrieval, allowing you easy access to the massive range
of disk based software which is available for the ST. This new
computer comes with ali the correct cables and connections you will
need to plug it straight into any standard domestic television set
You do not therelore have to purchase an Atari monitor. if you do
require a monitor however, these are available with the S20ST in the
lollowing money saving packages:
THE FULL STOCK RANGE - Only From Silica
S520ST-FM Keyboard Without Monitor - £399 (inc VAT,
We aim to keep stocks of all Atari related products and our waretiouse carries a stock of £% million. We
import many software tilles direct from the USA and you will find that we have new releases in advance of
many of our competitors, Unlike dealers who may only stock selected tities, we have the tull range in
addition, we carry a complete lne of all books which have been wriiten about the Alari ST. A range as
wide as ours ks something you will find is availabie ONLY FROM SILICA.
520ST-FM Keyboard + High res mono monitor - £499 (inc ay
520ST-FM Keyboard + Low res colour monitor + £599 (inc VA Wy
520ST-FM Keyboard + Med res colour monitor - £699 (inc VA
Because the 520ST-FM has its own power transformer built Into the
keyboard, there are no messy external adaptors to clutter up your
AFTER SALES SUPPORT - Only From Silica
desk space. You are left with only one mains lead, serving both the
Rest assured that when you buy your ST from Silica Shop, you Will be fully supported. Our tree mailings
give news of releases and developments. This will help to keep you fully up to date with what's happening
disk drive and the computer. You couldn't ask for a more styliah and
compact unit,
For the businessman and the more serious home user, Atari have
their most powerlul model, the 1040ST-F with 1028K RAM. This iow
cos! powerhouse can be introduced into a business environment as
The affordability of Atari compulers is reflected in-the price of the
520ST-M keyboard, which Is a mere £259 (inc VAT). This version of
the ST comes with 512K RAM, as well as a modulator and lead for
direct connection to any domestic TV. The price does not include a @ stand-alone system, of can support @ mainframe computer as a
mouse. In addition, when you buy your 520ST-M from Silica, you terminal. The 1040ST-F not only features twice as much memory as
will also receive the FREE Silica ‘ST Starter Kit’. During 1987, many the 520ST-FM, bul also includes a more powerful built-in disk drive,
software houses will be producing games sottware on ROM cart- The drive leatured on the 1040ST-F is a one megebyte double sided
ridges, which will plug directly into the cartridge slot on the S20ST- model. The extra Memory facility of the 1040ST-F makes it ideal for
M keyboard, giving instant loading Without the expense of purchasing applications such as large databases of spreadsheets. Like the
a disk drive. With the enormous power of the ST, you can expect 520ST-FM. the 1040ST-F hi: mains transformer built into the
some excellent titles to be produced, making this the ultimate games Console to give a compact and styfish unit with only one mains lead.
machine! If your requirement is for a terminal, then the 520ST-M can The 1040ST-F is aiso supplied from Silica Shop with a tree software
fulfill this roia too. Leads are available to connect the ST to a variety package end 'ST STARTER KIT’. In the USA, the 1040ST-F has been
of monitors. and with the imminent introduction of terminal sottware sold with a TV modulator like the 520ST-FM, However, for the UK
on ROM cartridge, the ST provides s low price terminal for business market, Atari are manufacturing the 1040ST-F solety with business
use. If you wish to lake advantage of the massive range of disk use in mind and it does not currently include an RF modulator, this
software available for the ST range, you will need to purchase a disk means that you cannot use Mt with 4 domestic TV (Silica Shop do
drive. Atari have two floppy disk drives available, a’ Mbyte model offer 8 modulator upgrade for only £49), The 1040ST-F keyboard
£149 and a 1Mbyte model £199. Full details o! these drives, as well coats only £599 (inc VAT) and, unisss a modulator
as the Atari 20Mbyte hard disk are available on request If required upd! 8 fitted, will require en Atari or third party monitor. There
at a later date, the mouse may be purchased separately. srenoine Nett able and the prices for the 1040 with
3 a
in the Atari market. And in addition. our sales staff are at the end of a telephone line to service all of your
Atari requirements. If you purchase an ST from Silica and would like any programming or technical
advice, we have a full time technical support team to help you get the best from your computer. Because
we have both the atatt and the systems specifically dedicated to providing after sales service on Atari ST
computers, we are confident that our users enjoy an exceptionally high level of support. This can be
received ONLY FROM SILICA.
FREE CATALOGUES - Only From Silica
At Silica Shop, we recognise that serious users require an in-depth information service, which is why we
mail free newsletters and price lists to our ST owners. These are up to 48 pages Jong and are crammed
with technical detalis as well as special offers and product descriptions. If you have aieady purchased an
ST and would like to have your name added to our maiiing list. please complete the coupon & return it to
us. The information service is available ONLY FROM SILICA.
FREE OVERNIGHT DELIVERY - From Silica
Most orders are processed through our computer within 24 hours of receiving them. Most hardware
orders are sent by the overnight METRO courier service FREE OF CHARGE to customers within the UK.
This method helps to ensure minimum delay and maximum protection.
PRICE MATCH - Only From Silica :
We hope that the combination of our low prices, FREE UK delivery service. FREE Starter Kit and FREE
after sales support, will be enough to make you buy your Atari equipment from Silica Shop. If however, To: Silica Shop Ltd, Dept PC 0487, +4 The Mews, Hatherley Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4DX
there ig something you wish to purchase, and you find one of our competitors offering it at a lower price,
then please contact our sales department, providing us with our competitor's name, address and PLEASE SEND Mw FREE LITERATURE ON TH A |
telephone number. If our competitor has the goods in stock, we will normally match the offer (on a ‘same I
product - same price’ basis) and still provide yau with our normai free delivery. We realise that we are not
the only company who will match a competitor's price. However, if you come to us for a price match, you ‘ = a
will also be entitled to our after sales service, including free newsletters and technical support. This Mr/Mrs/Ms- a 5 Initials: Sumame:
makes our price match promise rather special, something you will receive ONLY FROM SILICA. We don’t
want you to go anywhere else for your Atari products. So shop at Silica, the UK's Not Atari Specialist. Address: 7, , ; Reece,
PORES Pha ¢
SIDCUP (& Mail Order) ..... 01-309 1111
1-4 Al Mews, oat Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4DX
LONDON .. — uw. 01-580 4839
Lion House (Ist floo: Tottenham Court Rd, London, -W1
LONDON ..... — 01-629 1234 ext 3677
Selfridges (1st floor] treet, London, WIA 1AB
on a
'
If 90, which one do youown? =...
eT Tt le tk =
PC-SIG LIBRARY
Now over 700 Disks a Only £6 per disk
Finally software you don’t have
to be rich to own
We're ISD, UK’s Sole Authorised Distributor for PC-SIG.
We offer the world’s largest library of public domain and
user supported software, (whose authors request a dona-
tion from satisfied users) For £6 per disk, you buy soft-
ware that has been selected from leading authors,
thoroughly analysed and professionally supported.
UTILITIES
] 6 GINACO 54 polished routines writ-
ten in basic for any beginner or experts.
O 133 ULTRA-UTILITIES 4.0 recover
lost files, modify sectors, etc.
O 245 ULTRA-UTILITIES FILES UNS-
QUEEZED.
O 405 PC-DESKMATES Better than all
of the rest of the memory resident
desktop utilities.
© 273 BEST UTILITIES All of the most
requested utilities on one disk.
1 478 HARD DISK UTILITIES A collec-
tion of the best in the library.
414 UNPROTECT Various routines to
disconnect protection schemes.
O 376 PATCHES make back up copies
of some of the most popular commercial
progranimes with this collection.
© 507 PC-SPRINT Software -and_ in-
struction on how to cheaply speed up
your system 2-3 times.
EDUCATION
© 403 PC-TUTORIAL A great introduc-
tion to DOS.
) 105 PC-PROFESSOR Learn Basic the
easy way. One of the best tutorials on
BASIC.
[1 254 PC-DOS HELP type ‘‘help’’ for
the DOS-command you forgot.
© 320 TOUCH-TYPE Advanced type
tutor.
WORD PROCESSORS
78 PC-Write 2.4 a fully featured word
plocessor.
1 415 W-ED LETTERWRITER Word
Processor -editor. Controls letter processing
©) 480 PC-OUTLINE Outline and organise
information, much like Thinktank
DATABASE PROGRAMMES
-) 5 PC FILE Itt most popular database
program.
OC 398 ESIE EXPERT SYSTEM Artificial
intelligence shell to build a custom knowledge-
base.
1) 503 RELIANCE MAILING LIST Keeps
track of multiple lists, sorts and prints by
specific group - good for custom mailing.
FINANCIAL PROGRAMMES
[) 423 PROJECT MANAGEMENT handles
over 1,000 tasks with CPM
‘() 430-431-432 ANALYTICALC DISKS (3)
Complete spreadsheet, database, graphics,
word processor- fast!
COMMUNICATIONS
}212-334-621-622 RBBS 14.1 A bulletin
board classic. (4 disks)
310 QMODEM the fastest
communications programs you can buy at any
price.
0 499 PROCOMM Communications with
XMODEM, KERMIT, ASCH protocols,
supports, IBM-3101, DEC VT82/100, ADM-3
_ond ANSI.
MANY GAMES AVAILABLE
AUT ELOREZED
DEALER
ISO INTERNATIONAL
Wesg Midlands. B75 6UP
Telephone: 027-378 2229
DEALER ENQUIRIES WELCOME
SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTORS Lira.
P.O. Box 872, Sutton Coldfreic
GRAPHICS
0 34345 PCKEY DRAW A Colour
Graphics system. Lots of demonstration files.
L] 418 PC-GRAPH Allows user to create
graphics from PC-File report files.
MATHS AND STATISTICS
_) 88 EPISTAT 3.0 Statistical analysis of
small to medium-sized data samples.
508-509 STATISTICS TOOLS Factor
experiments, ‘'FORGET-IT"’ plots,
simultaneous confidence intervals,
randomisation tests, expected mean squares.
LANGUAGES
-] 148 XUSP 1.4 Lisp language interpreter.
) 417 PROLOG VERSION 1.7 Compete
with editor and documentation.
(1 408, 410 SNOCREST BASIC two disk
set. Real basic interpreter. Can be used with a
multi-user system.
( 424 PASCAL COMPILER Written in
Turbo Pascal.
( 510 VISIBLE PASCAL COMPILER
Learn to programme PASCAL
SPREADSHEETS
1) 199 PC-CALC Fabulous 123 work-a-like
from the author of PC — File.
© 406 FINANCIAL PROGRAM Lotus
worksheet
) 301-308 Lotus financial and budgeting
applications (3 disk set)
LATEST ADDITIONS
-] 522 INSTANT RECALL memory resi-
dent programme that stores and retrieves
a wealth of information.
“) 523 SIDE WRITER Print your large
spreadsheets sideways on the printer.
828 NEW YORK WORD The most
powerful wordprocessor we have; ali the
standard features plus automatic index-
ing, table of contents and foot-noting.
2 558 PC-PROMPT Memory resident
helper for DOS command and syntax.
0 576 PC-TICKLE The perfect reminder
for appointments and ‘thing to do’ list.
[| 577, 578 C TUTOR Perfect for those
wanting to programme in C.
(579, 580 PASCAL TUTOR Leam to
programme in PASCAL in the convenien-
cy of your own home.
O 598 DISKTOOL Like Norton's;
recover erased files, or fix damadged files.
[ 608 AUTOMENU Create professional
menus, without all the hassle.
4 611 BLACKBEARD The
programmers editor for writing code in
PASCAL, C, or FORTRAN.
O QUICK START EVERYTHING
FOR THE NEW USER, includes
CATALOGUE LISTING OVER 600 DISKS
4G COMPUTER TUTOR 5 PC FILE It
78PC WRITE 273 BEST UTILITIES
IS99PC CALC 47% ~=PATRICK’S BEST
405 DESK TEAM GAMES
“£70 VALUE — ONLY £40
10 DISKS - £50
USER GROUP ENQUIRIES
WELCOME
MEMBERSHIP. AVAILABLE
0007
> circle 139 on enquiry card =
New MULTI-USER
INTEGRATED ACCOUNTS PROGRAM
Just £99.00 + vat
MULTI-USER MICROLEDGER II
Written by accountants!
For Amstrad PC1512, IBM PC, IBM AT, Apricot, Apple, Jarogate Sprite, Ferranti,
most IBM compatibles 16 bit, MS-DOS/PC-DOS computers in fact most multi-
user, single user and networked systems including 8 bit CPM+ machines.
Nota cheap cutdown. But an extremely powerful British accounts program tried and proven in 100’s
of sites and used as a teaching standard by leading computer training establishments. Built in file and
record locking. Easy to use and configure. Menu driven throughout. 80 column printer only required.
Plain or headed paper.
[ ] Sales and Purchase Ledgers: Up to 1000 accounts each; open item, auto and manual cash
matching with balance forward; printed batch numbered audit trail. Auto vat. Any time reports
include statements, remittance advices, debtor & creditor year to date. Rapid screen enquiry. Auto
updates nominal ledger.
[ ] Nominal ledger: Analyse the business completely. Up to 250 accounts; Powerful analysis of user
selected accounts such as job number, sales area etc. Anytime reports (with optional accruals and
prepayments) include trial balance, profit & loss, balance sheet, vat, individual nominal accounts.
Data to disk capability for spreadsheet, wp or database analysis.
[] Complete cash book and analysis including petty cash program!
An extra £47.00 + vat buys Multi-User Microledger I+ Sales invoicer and stock control.
{ ] Multi-User Sales invoicer & Separate uncosted delivery notes: A must for telesales!
Immaculately produced on piain or headed paper linked to sales ledger and stock control ius free non
stock items. Gress profit per invoice; optional invoice discount, carriage and variable vat rates.
Separate delivery.
[ ] Stock control: Automatic adjustment. Up to 1000 items. Management & valuation reports show,
sales pricing, umit year to date and period sales with individual item movements and gross profit
contributions. 2 sale prices allowed.
{ ] Demonstration Disk £10.00 + vat (refundable against order). Try before you buy! Please send cheque with computer
system details.
(] A full length training video is available of the entire program as an additional aid to the comprehensive manual. £15.00
MULTI-USER MICROLEDGER II
From: Data Marketing Limited
18 Cardiff Road, Luton, Beds. LUI IPP, UK
Tel: (0582) 458806. Telex: 946240 (Quoting Ref: 19011700)
Dealer & Export Enquiries Welcomed
Available soon in Arabic and other languages.
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
All software and hardware mentioned are covered by
trademarks of the companies of origin.
| > circle 150 on enquiry card + |
MANUAL & AUTOMATIC DATASWITCHES AND BUFFERS
FULL TWELVE MONTHS GUARANTEE
‘PRINTERSHARER”™ Several Micros to one Printer
PRINTERCHANGER™ one Micro to. several Printers
“PRINTERCROSSOVER" Two Micros to two Printers
PARALLEL PRINTERSHARER SERIAL PRINTERCROSSOVER
SOLID STATE MANUAL SR23X Serial RS232-250 £70
Model Pins Ways Price R432Xx Serial 5 pin DIN £45
BPS3 26 3 £60 SR29X 9 Pin D, (Mac) £62
BPS3C WITH INTERLINKS £75 SR2CX 5 Pin DIN (ic) £45
BPS6 26 6 £110
BPS6C WITH INTERLINKS £140 PARALLEL PRINTER BUFFER/SHARER
APS2 36 2 £75 input Output
APS3 36 3 £85 PB64 Parallel Parallel 64K £140
IPS2 250(i1BM) 2 £70 PB64-2 Above with 2 way switch £185
(PS3 25D0(1BM) 3 £80 BF64U_ _—Universal-64K expandable £220
BF64D Parallel Parallel 64K
PARALLEL PRINTERCHARGER expandable with 2 printerports £249
SOLID STATE MANUAL PB256 Parallel Parallel 256K £190
8PC3 26 3 £60 PB256-2 Parallel Parallel 256K
APC2 36 2 £75 witn 2 way switch £235
APC3 36 3 £85
IPC2 250(1BM) 2 £70 MULTIPORT BUFFERS
1PC3 250(iBM) 3 £80 6F6E4MD-PP 4 Parallel input
2 parallel output
SERIAL PRINTERSHARER/CHANGER with 256K buffer £345
SR232 25D 2 way £55 BF64MD.-4S 4 Serial Input
SR233 250 3 way £65 2 Serial output
SR234 250 4 way £75 with 256k buffer £415
SR43. SDIN(BBC) 3way £40
SR292 90(Mac) 2 way £52 ACCESSORIES
SR293 9D(Mac) 3 way £59 KSM101 Serial to Parallel
SR2C SOIN(IC) 3 way £40 Converter with PSU 6§
KSM104_ Parailel to Serial
AUTOMATIC PRINTERSHARER Converter with PSU £70
APS2A Parallel 36 pin 2 way £110 KSM108 Dataflow Booster
APS3A Parallel 36 pin 3 way £115 Centronics withPUS £40
IPS2A Parallel} 25D(IBM) 2 way £95 KSM109 Dataflow Booster
IPS3A = Parallel 25D(IBM) 3 way £110 Serial RS232-V24 with PSU £50
SR234A Serial 250 4 way £245 KSM110 = Mullti-Link Serial
Switch Selectable Cable £24
PARALLEL PRINTERCROSSOVER
SOLID STATE MANUAL CABLES (6ft. Long)
BPX 26 2x2. «£70 KPC104R Ribbon cable 36 pin-36 pin £12
APX 36 2x2. «£95 KPC104F Flex cable 36 pin-36 pin £16
IPX 250(18M) 2X2. «£85 KPC105 Flex tor 1BM 25 pin-36 pin £15
KPC106 Flex (25 lines) 25 pin-25 pin £14
KPC101 Flex (12 lines) 25 pin-25 pin £12
Add postage: Switches & Buffer £3.00 each. & cable £0.75p each + 15% VAT
KEYZONE LIMITED
14. Acton Business Centre
School Road, London NW10 6TD
Telephone: 01 965 1684/1804
Telex; 881 13271 GECOM
.
lai circle 151 on enquiry card —
NETWORKING
SYSTEMS HAVE
HITHERTO
BEEN A FREE-
FOR-ALL OF
INCOMPATIBLE
COMPETING
‘| PRODUCTS,
ae BUT
, pales of networks are booming. Large STANDARDS
“* corporations are connecting their PCs ARE NOW
Dm. together at a great rate, making this one of
the major growth areas in information- BEGINNING
technology investment. Much of the TO EMERGE.
“ee occurrent interest in networking is un-
doubtedly due to the City’s Big Bang last year. STEVE
Businesses needed to be able to connect with the Stock MALONE
Exchange databases and were prepared to spend money EXPLAINS
on the terminals and cabling required.
Investment in this kind of technology has been a WHAT THEY
decisive step in the development of networking systems. ARE AND
Not so long ago, the prime reason given for office HOW THEY
networking was resource sharing, but this is no longer
the case. Now the prime consideration when buying a
network is for fast and efficient communication
between employees and information sources outside the
company.
The explosion in the popularity of LANs is also a
result of the gradual, albeit piecemeal, emergence of a
credible standard. This has allowed software houses to
develop programs to a single network configuration,
rather than having to write drivers for a dozen different
networks. Meanwhile, purchasers have developed
sufficient confidence in the nascent standards to invest
in the technology.
The principle behind current standardisation
movements is the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
model. It has been adopted by the majority of national
standards governing bodies, and is backed by the
International Standards Organisation (ISO). Countries
throughout Western Europe, as well as the U.S. and
Japan, have all adopted the OSI model as the basis
for network communications. While a complete
implementation of the OSI model is some way off, it is
the eventual goal worldwide.
The second major advance towards a networking
standard occurred in 1984 when IBM and Microsoft
unveiled the first components of their joint strategy.
The two legs on which IBM PC networks are constructed
were MS-DOS 3.0 and the Net BIOS: hardware
interface.
DOS 3.0 was the first version of the operating system
to contain networking primitives, and as it was released
IBM announced the PC-Network Program — a
proprietary version of MS-Net — which contained Net
BIOS. IBM has declared.Net BIOS to be the basis
around which all future PC networking systems will be
developed. It is fitting Net BIOS in ROM within the
PC-Network, and has subsequently adopted Net BIOS
emulation for its Token Ring network.
The emergence of these standards has not come a
moment too soon. Corporations with an eye to the
future are having their new office blocks built with
network cabling and access points built-in. The systems
are there and increasingly the user base is there. All that
is requited is for the software houses to come up with the
applications. ’
WORK.
We
networks
THE
SEVEN-LAYER
MODEL
The OSI model does not attempt to define what the
components of a network should be, It simply sets out
the way the various parts of the network should fit
together. It divides a network into seven layers. The top-
most layer — the one the end-user sees — is layer 7,
called the Application layer. It is connected in turn to
the Presentation layer, the Session layer, the Transport
layer, the Network layer, the Data Link layer, and
finally, at the deepest level to layer 1, the Physical layer.
The OSI model defines a standard interface between
each layer and the layers above and below it. The model
does not much care what goes on within the layer as long
as it presents the right face to its neighbours. This allows
software and hardware manufacturers to develop
competing products within a layer. Customers can
choose which of the products on offer is most suitable
for them and can mix and match them accordingly, with
implementations of the different layers coming from
different suppliers.
Level 7. The Application layer. This is the top-most
layer of the model and is the one with which the user
interacts. It contains the application software and
operating-system shell. It also provides some common
services such as file transer and terminal support.
Level 6. The Presentation layer. This is the interface
between the application and the network. It provides
any data conversion that may be necessary from a local
application into a form which is suitable for
transmission through the network.
Level 5. The Session layer. This level handles the
feception and transmission from a local station on to the
network itself, and controls the synchronisation of
traffic on the network. It will monitor for collisions on
the network and deals with recovery from any collisions
that occur.
Level 4. The Transport layer. This layer is concerned
with addressing the nodes on the network. It also checks
data integrity and the protocols required to transmit
information over the network.
Level 3. The Network layer. This layer provides the
THE OS! MODEL
LAYER
FUNCTION
7: APPLICATION COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
6: PRESENTATION APPLICATION-TO-NETWORK INTERFACE
MESSAGE DELIVERY AND RECEPTION
3: NETWORK INTER-NETWORK CONNECTIONS
4: TRANSPORT NETWORK ADDRESSING
2: DATA LINK HARDWARE INTERFACE
1: PHYSICAL HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS
ao
6
interface which enables different networks to
communicate with each other. It manages switching
and routeing between different networks to provide
gateway functions.
Level 2. The Data Link layer. This is the
hardware/software interface which also maintains the
transfer and control of the data over the communication
lines and provides error correction. Attributes such as
whether the system will be of the token-passing or
collision-detection format are defined here.
Level 1. The Physical layer. The deepest layer is the
network hardware itself.
The concept of the OSI model has been accepted for
almost a decade, but until recently it has been more
honoured in the breach than the observance. Part of the
trouble has been that OSI standards so far adopted
have been market-led. The only hard-and-fast
standardisation has been for layets 1 and 2. Here the
standards committees have simply adopted existing
products as the standards.
With no such standardisation at the higher layers, the
OSI model is still in some disorder. Much of the trouble
occurs in layers 3, 4 and 5 where different manufacturers
have made their own interpretation of the model and
have supplied non-compatible systems. This situation is
changing, with the emergence of the IBM Net BIOS as a
de facto standard for the middle layers.
Life is not made any easier by the fact that some
functions are not restricted to a particular layer but can
be achieved by several layers. An example here is in
network-to-network communication. Although it is
strictly the preserve of layer 3, the Network layer, this
only really applies if the networks use dissimilar software
as, for example, in communications between MS-Net
and Ethernet. If the two communicating networks are
identical the Data Link layer (layer 2) can be used, as no
conversions or high-level data checking needs to be
performed. Data can be transmitted across the network
by the Data Link repeating the message until it is
accepted by the server. On the other hand, if the two
networks use different hardware some kind of protocol
conversion is required, and this is performed by layer 4.
The Reference Model for OSI is published as ISO
7498. It is available in the U.K. as BS 6568 from The
British Standards Institution, Sales Department,
Lindford Wood, Milton Keynes. Telephone: (0908)
320066.
FILE SERVERS
When introduced, networks were principally used as
a method of sharing disc resources. The quick and dirty
method of doing this was to convince the computer that
any hard disc it had access to was local rather than a
shared resource. The trouble with this method, known
as the disc-server environment, becomes apparent when
you have a number of users on the network. Each user
can access the hard disc directly and at any time. Because
the network ends up as a free-for-all, data integrity and
multi-user file management are very difficult to
maintain,
The file-server concept was introduced to sort out this
problem, and has been an important factor in the
development of networks. With a file-server system, a
management program is placed between the work
stations and the shared hard disc. The file-server
software can regulate the traffic and manage the files to
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
provide an efficient service both to the users and the
hard disc.
Networks are full of potential bottlenecks. To take
one example: in order to send information from a PC
work station to a file server, the local PC has to construct
a packet of information in a form in which it can be
transmitted and understood by the file server. The time
this takes depends on the speed and type of the
processor used by the work station itself. It is also
dependent on the efficiency of the operating system in
creating the information it sends to the network. Other
factors are the width of the network interface bus and
the speed of transfer to the NIC.
The NIC provides the physical link between the PC
and the network cabling. A wide variety of types of card
are available, each with its own characteristic cable
support, cable-access type, etc. Features that can
impfove performance include the provision of an on-
board processor to handle the 1/O, a wider bus to
increase the transfer bandwidth to the PC, and shared
memory access. Under this last system the NIC and the
PC set aside an area of memory accessible to both, which
has the effect of avoiding the delays which occur when
transferring data from NIC buffers to main memory and
vice versa.
Another obvious improvement to an NIC is to
provide a large on-board buffer. Commonly 512K is
provided and there are also 1Mbyte and 2Mbyte systems
available.
Another of the bottlenecks is in cable access. While
maintaining MS-DOS and Net BIOS as standard, IBM is
currently offering two solutions which represent very
different philosophies in dealing with the problem.
They are enshrined in the PC-LAN.program and Token
Ring.
PC-LAN is a contention cable-access scheme, often
referred to as a carrier sense multiple access with
collision detection (CSMA/CD) system. It works by
monitoring the network for activity, and transmitting
its message if the NIC detects no traffic. If another
message happens to have been transmitted at exactly the
same moment the two data streams will collide and
destroy each other. The collision is detected by the work
stations, which will instantly cease transmission. Each
NIC will then listen to the network and wait for a
cessation of traffic before trying again. Most networks
build algorithms into each work station to delay
transmissions by varying amounts so that two stations
which have already collided will not attempt to re-
transmit simultaneously.
Under PC-LAN, once the server NIC has received the
information it sends an acknowledgement to the
transmitting work station. If the station receives no
acknowledgement it transmits the information again.
Because they have no central organisation CSMA/CD
sysems are unsuitable for big networks. The number of
collisions and subsequent retransmissions on the net
increases with the number of stations, so the system very
soon becomes overloaded.
In the Token Ring system a packet is passed from
station to station. If a station wishes to transmit
information, it changes a bit on the token to give it
control of the network. The station is then able to
transmit the data along the cable. The amount of data
that can be transmitted in a single token round is
limited to prevent stations with large amounts of data to
transmit from hogging the system. Token Ring is
discussed further on page 88 of this issue.
When it comes to the practical installation of a
network, much is dependent on the Physical layer.
Cabling can make up half the cost of installing a
network, so it is important to get it right. When
deciding to install a network, the customer must
consider how long the cables are going to need to be,
how many users will be involved and how heavy the
traffic will be. It is also important to consider the extent
to which the network is expected to expand in the
lifetime of the system. For example, twisted-pair
cabling is cheap, but can only support a limited amount
of traffic. If major expansion is envisaged for the
network it is worth buying a more expensive layout with
temporary slack in the system, rather than having to pull
the whole lot out and start again in a couple of years.
There are three major classes of networking cable.
The cheapest cable is the twisted-pair type, commonly
used in telephone leads. Twisted-pair cabling is very
flexible and therefore easy to install. On the minus side,
it is unsuitable for transmission rates above 1Mbit/s.
and is restricted to a cable length of 500 metres unless
you fit boosters.
The second class of cable is the co-axial cable, which
comes in two major types. Baseband systems use a
simple transmission of data down the line, while the
more advanced broadband system transmits data
S3W.1I0Mj]0U
‘superimposed on a carrier frequency. The broadband
system is more efficient and can support longer cable
runs than the baseband type,, although it is more
expensive and requires more maintenance.
The final type of cable is fibre-optic. It is a very fast,
highly efficient system, which will not decay like the
metal-based cables. The major drawback with fibre-
optic systems at present is that they are wildly expensive,
and much of the technology is still in the development
stage. You might also have difficulty in interfacing it
with existing networks.
MS-DOS & NET BIOS
Order was brought to networking when IBM and Microsoft unveiled the PC-
Network program and DOS 3.0. The foundation of the PC-Network program is
the Net BIOS software held in ROM on the IBM Network Interface Card (NIC).
Net BIOS covers layers 3, 4 and 5, and became the de facto standard for PC
networks as other manufacturers stated that they would support it.
Like the PC ROM BIOS, Net BIOS is IBM copyright. Third-party
manufacturers therefore have the task of emulating the operation of Net BIOS.
Emulation is usually provided in software, with third-party NICs providing the
necessaty hardware hooks to the Net BIOS emulation program.
Further standardisation was provided by the realease of MS-DOS 3.0, which
effectively implements layer 6 by supplying the interface between application
programs running on a work station and the network itself in the form of the
NIC board installed in the computer.
Versions 3.0 and higher of MS-DOS contain a number of functions designed
to allow communications with a network. They are called via interrupt 21 hex.
‘Once this interrupt has been invoked by the network it can issue calls to the
operating system to lock and unlock records, open shared files and redirect
devices to the network.
Interrupt 21 is the gateway between MS-DOS and Net BIOS, and provides
standardisation at the Presentation layer. This layer is supported by MS-Net,
with the use of the Microsoft Redirector to provide the interface between the
two programs. When an application wishes to access a file on the server it issues
interrupt 21; this is received by DOS, which recognises the information as
being intended for the network and passes it to the Redirectar
The Redirector then builds a Server Message Block (SMB), which is passed to
Net BIOS and thence to the server. The SMB can only communicate with Net
BIOS, so third-party manufacturers have had to emulate the Redirector. There
are a number of programs on the market which emulate the procedures
outlined here. One of them, Novell’s Netware, is examined in detail on page
95 of this issue.
a ee ss: (continued on next page)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
87
networks
LOOKING
TO THE
FUTURE
IBM’S TOKEN RING IS BECOMING
THE STANDARD LAN SOLUTION.
STEVE MALONE REPORTS ON
HOW IT WORKS.
oken Ring is seen by IBM as its flagship
LAN product to take it into the 1990s. As
such, Token Ring is designed with
sufficient flexibility, speed and power to
prevent it becoming obsolete in the 10 to 15
years that the cables themselves are ex-
pected to last. The transmission speed of the system is
4Mbit/s, and up to 260 work stations, or nodes, can be
connected to the network, although this is not an
absolute limit. ;
The layout of Token Ring is a star ring as shown in the
diagram below. The logical structure of the system is of
a uni-directional ring with information passing from
one work station to another down one wire and out
again on another. The wires to connect one work station
to the network go via a central box known as an access
unit. In this way, the input and output leads can be
bundled together in a single cable.
The hub of the Token ring is the 8228 multi-station
access unit. This is a box with eight interfaces fitted,
each supporting one work station. Two plug sockets are
also fitted to each 8228 unit, enabling them to be daisy-
chained together. The units are designed to be mounted
together on a 19in. rack. Configuring the network is
simply a matter of patching the cables to whatever
layout is required.
The components inside the access unit are almost all
relays and capacitors. IBM says this — dare we say — old
technology has been fitted to the units because it is well
understood, easy to maintain and extremely reliable.
An IBM spokesman said that as far as he knew only two
TOKEN RING NETWORK LAYOUT
88
The multi-station access unit of the Token Ring network
provides a central control point for maintenance.
access units had failed in the world — both of them in
the U.K.
The type of cable used with Token Ring does not
matter a great deal. The network is a baseband system,
and can use anything from a simple twisted-pair cable
—as used in telephones — up to high-performance
fibre-optic cable. It is even possible to use a
combination of cables to optimise installation and
performance.
Apart from the cables and the access unit, you also
need adaptor cards which plug into your PC or other
device. When Token Ring was launched, it was crit-
icised in some quarters for being limited to the PC
family. Since then IBM has produced adaptor cards for a
range of its equipment, including the RT/PC,
industrial computers, and minicomputers such as the
System 36 and the newly announced 9370 range, as well
as linking systems to giant IBM mainframes.
Details of the adaptor card have been published to
allow other manufacturers to produce compatible
systems. The chip set providing the Token Ring inter-
face is available from Texas Instruments. This means
that adaptors can be provided for other manufacturers’
computers which will enable them to hook into a Token
Ring network. ,
The operation of Token Ring differs considerably
from Ethernet-type CSMA/CD networks which have
dominated the office environment so far. Rather than
the free-for-all permitted by CSMA/CD_ networks,
order is brought to the Token Ring system by the trans-
mission of a token, which is a 24-bit packet of
information that is passed from work station to work
station on the network. Data can only be sent through
the network via the token.
The Token Ring network is managed by a work
station known as the monitor. This machine will gen-
erate the token, ensure that it is circuiting the network
correctly and retransmit a new token if necessary. Any
machine can act as monitor as all the circuitry and soft-
ware required is built into every Token Ring network
interface card. Typically, the role of monitor will be
assumed by the first machine switched on to the
network. As there will be no token on the network, after
a period of time the machine will begin to generate its
own automatically.
The monitor technique is important in maintaining
the integrity of the system. Token Ring is designed to
suit large corporate users; they would be unhappy if the
entire system crashed if the monitor NIC went off-line.
If the monitor does go out of action, this will be recog-
nised by the network and another machine can auto-
(continued on page 90)
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For Generations to Come
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networks
{continued from page 88)
matically issue a new token and take over as the
monitor.
The drawback with the retransmission solution is that
it introduces a delay into the system. IBM says that this
will be typically 2.5 bits. To compensate for this, IBM
has added three bits on either end of the token so that
the monitor can rectify the problem by shifting the bits
as they arrive from the network. This makes the token
30 bits long, although only 24 of them are significant.
The delay is the factor which governs the size of the
ring. With each work station introducing a delay to the
system, more than 260 stations may produce a delay
longer than three bits, which makes it impossible for the
monitor to recover the data stream. IBM says it is poss-
ible to add more machines to the network but cannot
guarantee its performance.
One of the prime requirements of Token Ring is that
faults can be isolated and recognised swiftly and effic-
iently. Fault diagnostics start before a work station logs
on to the network. The work station checks whether the
line to the access unit is performing properly by sending
1,500 2K frames down the line. ;
Because the work station interfaces on the 8228 unit
have closed relays, the frames will be sent back down to
the work station. If the registered error rate is within a
specified limit the station sends a 5V burst down the
line, opening the relay and connecting the station to the
ring. Otherwise a local error message will report that log
on failed.
The work station NAC will then send a message to the
next station along the ring. The frame contains the
address of the NAC. This address will be logged by the
receiving work station as being the address of the nearest
active upsteam neighbour (NAUN).
If a work station begins to malfunction, or a break
occufs in the line, the first station to recognise this will
be the next one downstream from the token. It will
register a fault because a token either comes in garbled
or not at all. When this occurs the station will issue a
beacon frame which consists of the work station’s own
address and that of its NAUN. The information will
travel around the network until it arrives at the NAUN,
which will recognise the address at fault as its own and
will remove itself from the network without interfering
with the working of the system.
The suspected node will then perform self-testing
routines similar to those performed prior to logging on.
If it finds all is well, the work station will reinsert itself
back into the system. Meanwhile, if the downstream
station continues to receive faulty data, it will conclude
that its own receiving equipment is at fault and will log
off the system.
This method allows faults to be located precisely, so
that you do not have to inspect the entire system to find
out where a breakdown has occurred. You can take
advantage of this when there are two rings going
between the access units. The second ring is part of the
built-in redundancy of the unit. If one of the cables
becomes severed the other will come into play, allowing
the network to continue functioning while the fault is
repaired.
Although 260 nodes is an awful lot of work stations,
this may not be enough for the 1990s where IBM fore-
sees network nodes numbering in thousands. To cater
for the demand, IBM has introduced the Network
HOW TOKEN RING WORKS
If one work station wishes to send information to
another it waits until the token arrives from its neigh-
bour on the LAN. The adaptor card changes a bit on the
token, giving it command of the network so that no
other work station can transmit during the operation.
Each network adaptor ‘card has an address number
built in which is licensed from IEEE. This means that
each adaptor card can be addressed specifically by
another. IBM claims to have licensed around 14 million
of these addresses. When a node wishes to transmit
information to another work station, it includes the
target machine’s network interface card (NIC) address
and its own into the token.
The token is then retransmitted over the network
followed by a stream of data from the soutce machine
and a check sum, which is part of the token, at the end.
The token travels to the next machine, which checks
whether the target address corresponds to its own. If it
does not, the token and data stream is retransmitted by
the work station to the next machine downstream. The
information does not simply pass through the work
station but is retransmitted so that the token and its
information is repeated at each work station. When the.
token and data stream arrive at the target work station,
the receiving machine buffers the information following
the token, adds a check sum and passes it on to the
network along with the data stream.
The token will eventually arrive back at the source
machine, where it will be reset to allow another work-
IF ALLIS station to control the network. The source device will
DATA RECEIVED ee Eales also remove the data stream and verify the check sum. If
AND CHECKED agg ny pees ;
BY SOURCE RETRARSIRITTED it is incorrect, the data will be retransmitted.
TOKEN
TRANSMITTED
FROM STATION
WITH DATA
STREAM
TARGET BUFFERS
EN AND DATA AND
TOK
DATA ARRIVE AT
RETRANSMITS
TARGET WITH CHECK SUM
TOKEN AND
90 PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Adaptor II, an NIC capable of acting as a bridge
between two rings. To create an effective bridge
between two rings you need a dedicated PC/XT or
PC/AT. This might seem an expensive solution, but
when you are talking about hundreds of PC work
stations perhaps one more here or there does not matter
much.
Addressing stations across a bridge is a variation of
ofdinary ring addressing. A station sends a token and
data stream out around a ring. If the message is not
picked up by one of the stations on the ring, the
message is retransmitted, picked up by the bridge and
passed over to the second ring. It is transmitted around
the second ring as normal until it reaches the destination
work station. This method of addressing obviates the
need for large address tables to be held in each machine
which constantly need to be updated.
If there is a lot of traffic on both rings it might be
advisable to have two bridging stations connecting the
rings. The reason for this is that one or other of the
bridging stations might be busy with something else.
When the source machine gets its token back it will log
which bridge was used for the transfer. From then on it
will send the information directly to the target station
via the station which is the quickest route.
Token Ring can operate with up to seven such
bridges. However, with careful planning this obstacle
need not arise. One of the best implementations of
multiple rings is to use a backbone. This is a ring con-
sisting entirely of bridging machines. A typical imp-
lementation might be where you have a large office
building. The backbone would transmit data between
floors while there might be smaller rings to service each
department or office. Using suitable gateways, it is poss-
ible to us a high-speed Token Ring backbone connected
to low-cost or existing Ethernet-type departmental
networks. :
In designing Token Ring, IBM appears to have gone
to some lengths to ensure the system will survive to the
21st century. The provision for extension, patching and
failure all while the system is running shows a long-term
commitment to the LAN market. For everybody's sake
fet’s hope IBM has got it right.
SPECIFICATION
Network speed: 4Mbit/s
Maximum number of nodes; 260
Hardware prices: PC Adaptor | £568; PC Adaptor II
£653; 8228 access unit £621
Software prices: Net BIOS £33; Network Manager
£1,229; PC-Local Area Network £108; Token Ring
Bridge Program £1,229
Manvfacturer: IBM U.K. Ltd, 389 Chiswick High
Road, London W4 4AL. Telephone: 01-995 1441
Available: now
WORKING
WITFIN
THE IBM
STANDARD
JUST AS MICRO MANUFACTURERS
CAME UP WITH CLONES TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE IBM PC
STANDARD, SO THEY ARE HAVING
TO MIMIC IBM WHEN THEY
PRODUCE NETWORKS. GLYN
MOODY REVIEWS THE CURRENT
STATE OF PLAY.
here are parallels between the dev-
elopment of the local area network and the
personal computer itself. In the early days
of micros, confusion reigned as each
manufacturer offered its own usually
incompatible solution. Purchasing dec-
isions could lock you into what subsequently turned out
to be a complete cul-de-sac, so although sales pro-
liferated, there was a general feeling of unease through-
out the industry and among users.
The appearance of IBM PC changed all that.
Whatever the pros and cons of product itself, its pricing
and the way it was sold, it did bring the microcomputer
industry to its senses. Today’s huge software base and
aggressive pricing are largely due to the creation of the
IBM PC standard.
It is still early days for local area networks. Different
manufacturers trumpet the virtues of their own systems,
and until recently it has been hard to gain an impression
of where the market is heading.
The OSI model explained on page 86 offers hope
of some interchangeability of products between
competing systems. At the moment it remains little
more than a hope: some of the layers of the model have
yet to be defined, and not all of the industry has
committed itself to adhering to standards when they
emerge.
In the meantime some standards are beginning to
come through. The dominance of MS-DOS means that
any future networking standard will have to be able to
work with it. In practice this means working with MS-
Net and Net BIOS. Furthermore, as Steve Malone
explains in the preceding article, the appearance IBM’s
Token Ring network looks like creating another de facto
standard like the PC itself; it should in turn bring about
a similar rationalisation of the marketplace.
This can only be good news for the user. But it poses a
problem for manufacturers competing with IBM: how
do they work within the new standards without
submitting to them completely? A case in point is
(continued on page 74)
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70Mb Disk + 40mb Tape Backup) £4247.00
Deskpro Mode! 286 20:(640k RAM 1.2Mb + :
20Mb Disk) £2357.00
Deskpro Model 286 40:(640k RAM 1.2Mb +
40Mb Disk) 2705.00
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70Mb Disk + 40Mb Tape Backup) £4245.00
Deskpro Model 386 40:(1 Mb RAM 1.2Mb + ;
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70Mb Disk + 40Mb Tape Backup) £5186.00
All prices include Keyboard, Dual-Mode Monitor & DOS
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640k, 2x 720k Disks, DOS 3.2 and inclusive of
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networks
(continued from page 91)
Olivetti, which has established itself as one of the most
successful clone makers, and is evolving a comparable
strategy to deal with what it sees as a key new atea.
In one sense working with the MS-Net and Token
Ring standard is simply an extension of ordinary IBM
compatibility. True compatibility means being able to
accept and use add-ons such as LAN cards, for instance.
But since the whole area of networks is in such a state of
flux, companies need to take a pragmatic approach. For
example, network products could come through which
throw up small incompatibilities in what had hitherto
appeared to be an completely compatible clone.
Such problems can usally be sorted out by making
modifications to the ROM BIOS. However, depending
on compatibility to cater for networking is clearly only
half a solution because companies would still be relying
on IBM for the LAN hardware. Fortunately the existence
of the Net BIOS standard allows different network
solutions to be adopted while still remaining within the
mainstream LAN universe.
Starlan clusters work stations round local hubs. Up
to 1,000 stations can be linked.
Net BIOS is to networks what ROM
BIOS is to PCs.
PC
HARDWARE
94
System software has to emulate
IBM’s Net BIOS standard.
NETWORKED SOFTWARE
A A
Vv Vv
NET BIOS
IBM
NET BIOS
OLIVETTI
DRIVERS
TOKEN RING
HARDWARE
STARLAN
HARDWARE
LAN
HARDWARE
The similarity between cloning the IBM PC and
cloning IBM’s network is illustrated in the diagram
below. Just as the ROM BIOS allows MS-DOS software
to run on non-IBM machines by emulating the
behaviour of IBM hardware, so a suitable Net BIOS will
allow software to run on networks other than the
standard Token ‘Ring.
This is the approach Olivetti has adopted for its
Starlan network. It is based on a proprietary system
developed by AT&T, with which Olivetti has close
links. As its mame suggests, it uses a star topology.
Individual work stations are connected to a central hub;
the spokes of the hub can also connect to other hubs,
allowing for a maximum of around 1,000 users. One
advantage of the star topology is that if one system goes
down, it does not take the whole network with it. The
approach used for sending data over the network is the
CSMA/CD technique. :
Clearly, Starlan’s approach to networking is different
from that on the IBM Token Ring. However, by writing
a version of the Net BIOS with drivers to cope with
Starlan, the same software can be run on both networks
without the user ever being aware of the difference. In
addition to the greater resilience of Starlan Olivetti
claims that it is cheaper than many rival solutions —
typically £700 to £750 per node. However, it is slower,
running at 1Mbit/s. against IBM’s 4Mbit/s.
Olivetti also has an earlier network product, 10-Net,
which was designed before Net BIOS was released, so it
was completely incompatible in its ‘initial form.
However, compatibility with MS-Net has now been
added, and there are plans to introduce Net BIOS
compatibility at a later date.
The ‘progression from simple MS-Net to full Net
BIOS compatibility will probably closely map a similar
shift in programming techniques. At the moment,
programmers writing network software are content to
work directly with MS-Net. This is equivalent to writing
programs which work with MS-DOS but avoid making
calls direct to the ROM BIOS. But for some purposes it is
necessary to move below the MS-Net layer and make
direct calls to the Net BIOS. This allows certain
functions to be cafried out more easily, just as programs
which go directly to the PC’s ROM are often faster. The
penalty you pay is that such quick and dirty
programming locks you into the specifics of the Net
BIOS; any upgrades will require recoding. Sticking with
the insulating layer of MS-Net ensures that your
programs afe protected from all such details.
The existence of such strategies of progressive com-
patibility indicates the growing maturity of the LAN
market. The success of the clone approach in the
pefsonal-computer sector holds out hope that networks
could evolve in a similar way, with corresponding
reductions in cost and advances in technology. Once a
fully fledged standard has evolved, people can then
begin to consider whether that solution offers any real
benefits.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
NOVELL NETWARE
FOR STAND-ALONE MICROS THE CHOICE OF OPERATING
SYSTEM IS ALL BUT AUTOMATIC, BUT FOR NETWORK
SYSTEMS THE CHOICE IS LESS CLEAR. STEVE MALONE
LOOKS AT ONE OF THE LEADING CONTENDERS.
ithout doubt, one of the
biggest-selling network
operating-system programs is
Novell’s Netware. The range
of machines it caters for spans
the IBM PC and Apricot
families, with systems for the Wang PC and Apple
Macintosh promised soon. Netware has also been con-
figured to run a wide range of third-party networks,
including Arcnet and Omninet. While Novell’s claims
of setting a de facto industry standard are perhaps a
little premature, Netware as a hardware-independent
system is certainly the one the rest are chasing.
The program can be configured for both main kinds
of office LAN configurations — that is, token-passing
rings and CSMA/CD systems. The version of Netware
we. looked at was based on a CSMA/CA network;
although there are differences between the two formats,
for most practical purposes they can be considered
identical.
The configuration consisted of a dedicated PC/ AT
file server connected to several IBM PCs and Amstrad
PC-1512 work stations on a linear bus system. The
cables used were the standard co-axial variety. The
transmission rate on the review layout was 3Mbit/s.
One problem arising with Netware is the hardware
integrity. If a spur cable is pulled from the back of a
work station or the co-axial cable is cut in any way, the
entire network will hang up. This should not be a
problem in the normal course of events, providing the
hardware installaton has been performed sensibly.
However, it does leave the system vulnerable to the
proverbial electrician’s drill.
Care needs to be taken when installing a new work
station on the network while it is running. The spur has
to be fitted to the computer network interface card
Left: The Supervisor can alter the privileges of each
user. Right: The electronic-mail command menu.
NetWare System Configuration 2.88 ‘
i User SUPERVISOR On File Server DEM
User Names = ;
vailable Topics
nye Current Ser
le Server Infors
up Information
Login Script
Password
tea Login Scrip
Information
SUPERVISOR ————S| |Iser 1D
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Thursday February 5, 1987 4:36pm
User Information e
{ N i
Se boop F
Security Equivalences|
Trustee Assignments
before being attached to the main bus. Doing things the
other way round wil! hang up the network.
No more than 100 users can be attached to a single
file server. This is partly the fault of Novell Data, which
considers that if you are fitting more than 100 work
stations together you ought to pay for a second Netware
licence. But for most customers, it is more of a theor-
etical rather than practical limit as the amount of traffic
would quickly overwhelm the current generation of PC-
based file servers. Novell Data also says that up to five
shared printers can be hooked into the network.
Part of the continuing success of Netware has been
that while it pre-dated the introduction of MS-DOS 3.1
and Net BIOS, Novell was one of the first companies to
introduce Net BIOS emulation into its network soft-
wate, including the range of network calls available
through interrupt 21h. In addition, Novell has main-
tained its earlier Extended Function Call Set, which
includes peer-to-peer communications and printing.
The result is that the current generation of Netware is
compatible with earlier versions and with software
written to run on Net BIOS.
Another example of how Netware extends the
features available under MS-DOS 3.1 is the number of
logical drives supported by the program. While main-
taining drives A-E as local in accordance with MS-DOS
practice, Netware can support a further 21 drives, up to
drive Z. This is in contrast to MS-DOS, which supports a
total of only 16.
Network security and data integrity are of paramount
importance when developing network ‘software.
Netware has a host of features intended to prevent un-
authorised access to sensitive files. The most important
element is the security of the server. One of the major
problems with MS-Net is that you can boot the server
using an ordinary floppy-disc version of DOS. Once the
system is booted, it is possible to investigate the
sensitive files on the hard disc simply by examining the
directories. Netware gets round this by formatting the
EMS Concepts Help Explanation EMS Editor
(continued on next page)
| ELECTRONIC MATL SYSTEM COMMANDS _
REMOVE Mail
For further information, position the selection bar on one of the topics below
and press the ENTER key, press the BACKSPACE key to view the previous screen,
:
©
g
-
- 7
0)
95
%
networks
(continued from previaus page)
hard disc to its own configuration, so that the operating
system will be unable to recognise the fixed disc even if
you boot the server with a floppy- based version of DOS.
This technique provides an insight on how Netware
arranges itself. On power-up, DOS is downloaded into
the local work station, where it resides for the remainder
of the session. DOS is interfaced to Netware’s Net BIOS
emulator, which in turn passes information to and from
the Novell nerwork manager on the file server. MS-DOS
therefore remains local to the work station while the
network is run entirely by Netware.
For the ordinary user, security begins when a work
station is booted. Before any access to files is permitted
you have to log on with the option of passwords.
Normally this will log you on to the local file server. If
your system has a number of file servers linked together
it is possible to log on to one of those. This is achieved
by adding the name of the file server into the log-on
sequence, in a variation of the directory Path format.
For example, to enter a remote file server the entry
would be
LOGIN SALES/FRED
where Sales is the name of the file server and Fred is the
usef name you wish to log into.
The 26 possible drive names are used as forms of
directories which provide pointers to files on the hard
disc. Thus logging into one drive letter will allow you
access to a number of files, together with associated
privileges, while another drive letter will give you a
different set.
One of the major features of Netware is its ability to
send a file to two file servers simultaneously. This allows
records held on different servers to be updated simul-
taneously. More importantly, if you have the cash to do
so, you can have mirrored servers, each performing the
same task. If one goes down, for whatever reason, the
other will continue functioning.
Governing the entire system is the Supervisor. This is
a default user name which has full access to all the files,
passwords and other information on the system. One of
the most powerful commands available to Supervisor is
Syscon. This allows the Supervisor to alter the privileges
of each user and the names and passwords.
One of the best features of Netware is the no-non-
sense way in which this is done. The utility is entirely
menu driven, with on-line help constantly available
from the f1 key. This enables someone who is not part-
icularly familiar with computers to operate the system.
Each user has access to a number of files. Access to
files is supplied to users via Syscon in the form of so-
called trustee rights. There are eight such rights avail-
able on each file, including such things as the ability to
read or write to a file, open new files and search direct-
ories. There are other rights allowing the user to permit
others access to directories, or to modify attributes such
as setting files to be sharable or non-sharable.
The Supervisor can allocate privileges to a group of
users. For example, each member of the sales depart-
ment could have the same access to all relevant files, and
when a new member enters the department all the
required files and trustee rights will then be assigned
automatically.
Within your own afea it is possible to organise your
own files. As well as logging on to two servers at once,
you can map files locally from one logical drive to
another or set up paths to and from directories.
Though Netware had been configured to run on a
variety of network interface cards Novell Data Sysems
has also introduced its own network interface card
(NIC). Introduced at the beginning of March, the Elite
card is a clean NIC in that none of the software protocols
have been built-in. Novell will supply you with the
ROMs which allow the card to run at a variety of baud
rates for either a token-passing or CSMA/CA format.
Novell says the advantage becomes apparent when a
business wishes to upgrade its network system. Instead
of having to throw the network cards out and start all
over again, the customer can simply fit the new ROMs to
the cards at a fraction of the price. The Elite card also has
support for Gateway operations, either synchronous,
asynchronous or X-25. This will allow you to hook on to
a network and communicate with a mainframe through
a single card. The basic Elite card costs £395; the ROMs
are extra.
SPECIFICATION
Description: non hardware specific local area
network program
Copy protection: key card required for system to
operate
Number of users: 100
Price: £2,100 for Netware operating system, including
print utility and comms software
Publisher: Novell Inc. of Orem, Utah
U.K. distributor: Novell Data Systems, 78-82 St.
John’s Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9PH.
Telephone: (0892) 37833
Available: now
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
TORUS
TAPESTRY
WITH THE NETWORKING SYSTEM
TAKEN CARE OF THERE IS STILL
THE PROBLEM OF THE TOP-LEVEL
OPERATING SOFTWARE THAT THE
ORDINARY USER SEES. IAN
STOBIE LOOKS AT AN EASY-TO-
USE SOLUTION.
espite regular reports of booming
network sales, it is still difficult to
believe that everyone is furiously
cabling up their offices. LANs are really
quite hard to understand, let alone to
set up and use. In the IBM world, Torus
is the company which has most obviously set out to
tackle this issue. Torus now has over 10 percent of
network sales through U.K. dealers, according to
market research company Romtec. It is regularly in
Romtec’s top four LAN suppliers, and in December
1986 — the last month for which figures are available
— it got to second place behind Novell. Torus is one of
the few successful British network companies. It was set
up in 1983 with the aim of producing office-orientated
network products for the IBM PC. It now employs 60
people at its U.K. headquarters in Cambridge.
There are three main Torus products. Torus Tapestry
is network software that runs on top of Token Ring, PC
LAN or other hardware compatible with Net BIOS. IBM
(U.K.) is among the distributors for Tapestry. Torus
Icon is a hardware/software combination which puts
Tapestry software together with Torus’s own Ethernet-
based interface cards and cabling. Finally, Torus
Netware is software licensed from Novell put together
with Icon hardware.
With the IBM Token Ring bandwagon starting to
toll, Tapestry looks like becoming the most important
product. It is a network operating system, the key
system component responsible for controlling users’
access to resources on a network. Compared to other
IBM network software, Tapestry is very user friendly,
with a graphics-based interface and plenty of context-
sensitive help. It comes with sevetal office-productivity
functions built-in, including electronic mail.
Torus Icon is aimed at people who prefer one-stop
shopping, with less opportunity for finger-pointing
between different suppliers if things go wrong. From
the outside it looks identical to Tapestry, but
underneath is Torus’s own hardware. Torus Netware is
aimed at more experienced system builders. The
combination of the Icon Ethernet hardware — which at
10Mbit/s. is faster than Token Ring — and Novell’s
software gives a very high-performance network.
However, you have to do without the friendly interface
provided by Torus Tapestry or Icon software.
According to Torus marketing director Bernie
Allenstein network users divide up into two broad
groups. Those in the first group know from the outset
that they need to nun multi-user software. They want to
use a shared database or multi-user accounting software,
__ Ee SS == = (continued on next poge)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
for instance. For these users it is a straight choice
between a network of PCs or a dedicated multi-user
system. The networked PC option is attractive because it
lets you run up-to-the-minute MS-DOS software. By
comparison, much of the software available for
dedicated multi-user systems is old-fashioned and
expensive, and the choice is much more restricted.
The second group of users are looking for less easily
defined productivity gains. These people may already
have many PCs in their organisation. By linking them
together they are hoping to get better value from them,
sharing physical resources such as printers and discs, and
perhaps also gradually integrating tasks that are
currently worked on separately.
Allenstein sees the second group as eventually having
the most potential. ‘‘The best growth prospects are in
office productivity. Multi-user is really a specialist
application appropriate to perhaps five or 10 percent of
administrative workers.’’ But for the office-productivity
market to take off, LANs must be made easier to use.
And the benefits must be made much clearer to users.
Allenstein sees the market as too technology driven.
“Manufacturers have still not properly turned the
technology into products. It still requires a clever user to
see the opportunities of using the things.’’
This is where Tapestry and Icon come in. They aim to
tackle the ease-of-use issue with a straightforward
menu-driven approach concealed behind a Mac- or
Gem-like system of icons. So that the user can at least
see one obvious benefit of a network straight away they
bundle in good electronic-mail facilities.
Both systems, in fact, look identical to the user.
When you turn on a machine connected to the network
you are asked to enter your name and password. That
done, up comes the main menu of the system, which in
Torus terms is called the home screen.
The home screen contains eight icons. You select by
cursoring over the icon and hitting Return, or by typing
in the initial letter. At the top left are In Tray and Out
Tray, used by the local electronic-mail system. Next to
them is the Communications icon used for linking to
the outside world through services like Telecom Gold or
Prestel, or through a gateway to a remote mainframe or
mini. The Telephone icon activates a telephone book,
which you can use for looking up phone numbers, or for
direct dialling if you have an autodial modem attached
to your machine.
File Manager gives you access to the sort of
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8:41am
4:42pm
File Manager lets you do housekeeping tasks normally done by MS-DOS.
97
networks
98
{continued from previous page}
housekeeping tasks normally done with MS-DOS:
backing up a file, copying discs and so on. The shared
Cabinets icon gives you access to whichever disc drives
on the network your password entitles you to; Cabinet is
the Torus word for file server. One of the strengths of
Tapestry and Icon is that you can have any number of
file servers on the network.
Network Printers obviously lets you print. If your
application software does not let you choose printers
easily it is necessary to make a copy for each printer type
you wish to support: for example, laser printer with
70-line A4 page length, or matrix printer with 66-line
page length.
Application contains all your other MS-DOS
software, which can be single- or multi-user. It generally
runs in the normal way. Multi-user software such as
Smart, Open Access II or Rbase System V provides
whatever level of file or record locking the application
package itself supports. Net BIOS is the part of the
network which handles file and record locking, so
Tapestry just passes on the applications requests to the
network layer beneath.
When several people are running single-user software
at the same time there is obviously the danger of more
than one user trying to get at the same file. When this
happens Tapestry detects the clash, locks the second
user out, and displays a message on your screen telling
you who is already working on the file. But there are
some problems. Most memory-resident pop-up
programs like Sidekick do not work with Icon or
Tapestry; you lose some functionality.
Mail is the most obvious gain. To send a message you
select the Out Tray and hit Return. The standard Torus
text editor -comes up, and you type in your text. The
editor supports the basic word-processing functions,
including block moves. You can enclose an ASCII text
file directly into your message as you type. Other sorts of
file — for example, spreadsheets or program files — you
can send attached to the message.
Your recipient knows they have an incoming message
because their machine will bleep and a one-line alert
message will appear briefly on their screen, whatever
application they are in. If they are away then they will be
alerted next time they sign on to their machine: the In
Tray icon on their home screen will now contain an
envelope.
The mail function will also show you whether your
message out has been read yet. Recipients get the choice
of discarding messages they have read, leaving them in
their In Tray or copying them to a file. Pretty much the
same system, with the on-screen editor, is used for
Telex. One machine functions as the telex server for
every user on the network. However, Telex is an option;
it is not included in the basic price of the system.
To make a network easy to use involves simplifying
the task of the network manager as well as of the
ordinary users. The network manager has the job of
running the network, and with some systems this can be
a tedious task. Tapestry/Icon management utilities
generally use the same screen-based approach as the
more public side of the system. The network manager
allocates users to machines, sets up libraries of common
software and generally tunes the system. If messages pile
up on the mail server, for example, the network
manager can sort and view the messages and set the
system up to discard by date or other criteria.
Security is based on the same combination of user
name and password. When the system is first set up you
specify which machine is to run the network-
4 Mey 19B4
=
Out Tray
Shared Cabinets Network Printers Applications
Lock Uc 3 Logout 4 Preferences S Set Pessword 6 Server Manager
Torus Tapestry’s home screen. The Gem-like user
interface makes Tapestry easy to use.
management tasks which are the most critical. You cai
then physically secure the system.
The Torus approach allows you to distribute the
burden of running the network across several machines.
You can set up any machine with a hard disc as a file
server, and connect printers or modems to any machine
to make them printer or comms servers. Server tasks run
in the background, so you can use the machines for
running normal applications when you are not actually
tinkering with the server settings. This is important for
small networks of three or four machines, where you
would not want to lose the use of a PC. On a bigger
network it might make sense, for performance reasons,
to take a heavily used disc server out of routine use.
Torus Tapestry, the software-only system, costs £495
for the network manager and £300 for each additional
user. To this, of course, you have to add the cost of the
cabling and the network hardware, which can be any
system compatible with Net BIOS. Icon, the ail-Torus
solution, costs £1,490 for the network manager pack,
and £895 per additional machine. Each pack contains an
adaptor card, documentation and a copyable system
disc; the manager pack comes with an additional system
disc and utilities.
To this you also need to add the cost of cabling.
Ethernet-based systems have a rather undeserved
reputation for high cabling costs. For most small
networks, with cable runs between machines of under
100 metres, you can use the cheaper 502 thin Ethernet
cable. It costs 60 pence per metre for the cable itself or
£18.50 fora 10 metre length with connectors. The cable
is quite flexible, so it should not be expensive to install.
For a typical office network of four or five users cabling
costs are negligible — probably under £100. Longer
cable runs up to 500 metres require more expensive
thick Ethernet cable. With yet longer runs things really
do get expensive, as you need to put repeaters on the
cable at about £1,000 a throw.
Is this all cheap enough? The traditional multi-user
market does not appear to be particularly price sensitive.
But the supposed market of people interested in
networks for productivity reasons surely is. If users are to
be tempted down the network path for hard-to-
quantify productivity gains, the price must be
reasonable. With all costs considered, it cannot be much
more than the cost per user of a good up-market
software package, say £650 maximum. After all, to the
user the supposed productivity benefits of networking
afe on a par with the supposed gains of using a
spreadsheet. Looked at this way, networks are just
another application, and still a rather expensive one.
Torus may well have cracked the IBM usability barrier,
but the price barrier remains. PC)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
espite the many recent advances in
D more specialised types of application
software there must be very few users
around who do not use a spreadsheet at
some time or another. This rather humble
breed of software has been with us since the
first days of microcomputing. Yet it con-
tinues to go from strength to strength, with
na sign of its popularity waning.
The spreadsheet’s best-known application
is in the world of financial modelling. Its |
ability to try out a variety of solutions to
impending financial problems safely off-
line using the What-If? facility has un-
doubtedly contributed most to its success.
But there have been other useful appli-
cations too. It has proved useful in scientific
and engineering environments, where
fepetitive calculations can be solved simply
be entering data into preset boxes, and then
printed out straightaway in a professional
format.
The advanced cell-formatting techniques
offered by spreadsheets for text as well as
numbers also make it an ideal choice for pro-
ducing large text-based tables. Setting up
the table and incorporating later changes
can be done far more quickly on a spread-
sheet than they can on even the most power-
ful word processor.
BUDGET CONSCIOUS
As far as advances in spreadsheet tech-
nology are concerned, the last year has been
relatively quiet. As with other areas of
applications software, the biggest waves
were caused by the launch of the Amstrad
PC-1512 and the consequent round of price
cutting, to provide a budget-conscious
market with suitably priced packages.
This has given Supercalc 3 and Multiplan,
two rather dated spreadsheets, a new lease of
life. Multiplan was upgraded a few months
ago, but rather than ditch the old package
altogether Microsoft had the brilliant idea of
repackaging it, adding a ‘‘Junior’’ tag to the
title to distinguish it from its up-market big
brother, and promoting it as the answer to
an Amstrad ownet’s prayers.
Much the same can be said about Super-
calc 3.1. It is now no less than two issues out
of date, having been superseded by both 3.2
and 4. All the best bits have been cut out,
such as the large matrix and sideways
printing, but unlike Multiplan Junior tt is
good value judged on its graphics cap-
abilities alone.
The Amstrad has also brought about some
more innovative spreadsheets. Kuma’s
Kspread 2 is the first spreadsheet to use the
SPREADSHEETS
TGP
“lt _ It was spreadsheets that gave
micros their initial boost
into the business world. David
Barlow looks at the survivors
from the old days, and at the _
newer products that have
brought with them some new
ideas.
Gem Desktop environment to good effect.
It has a very similar feel to Macintosh
packages like Excel and Mindsight, but
suffers from documentation of a quality
more suitable for home computers. Cracker
III], an upwardly mobile package that
actually originates from the home-computer
market, is one of the first spreadsheets to
make use of the Amstrad’s 16-colour high-
resolution mode. It is distributed by
Newstar Software. Ironically, Newstar also
looks after the U.K. distribution of VP-
Planner, an immensely powerful Lotus 1-2-3
work-alike which, from a business user’s
point of view, puts Cracker well into the
shade though it retails at a mere £30 more.
There is something of a question mark
hanging over the future of 1-2-3 work-
alikes, as Lotus is currently dragging soft-
ware houses Paperback Software and Mosaic
— originators of VP-Planner and Twin res-
peetively — through the U.S. courts for
being just that little bit too similar to 1-2-3.
Some informed opinion suggests that Lotus
may be wasting its time, as there is no
question of piracy of program code. The
similarities are confined to data-file compat-
ibility and the command structure, not the
user interface.
POWERFUL REPORTING
One rather unusual spreadsheet also
stands to get a new lease of life from the
Amstrad. FT Moneywise, having now lost its
backing from the Financial Times, has been
renamed Moneypower. It uses a system of
pages to enable users to find their way round
the overall model, and also includes one of
the most powerful feporting facilities
around. At its new price of £99 including
VAT it should provide real competition to
some of the big names in the Amstrad
spreadsheet camp.
At the top end of the market both Lotus |
and Supercalc continue to ask silly prices for
their flagship products. In the States, Lotus
has just announced a $40 version for the
educational market, and this act is sure to
have worldwide implications. When the
price of Lotus moves so will that of Supercale
4, as these packages are in a head-to-head
battle for the corporate customers,
Although hardware specifications con-
tinue to improve, there are still only a few
spreadsheets that can make use of memory
over the limit of 640K imposed by MS-DOS.
Such a facility is still regarded as somewhat
exotic, even though it is impossible for most
spreadsheets to get anywhere near their
theoretical maximum size within 640K of
memoty.
The Macintosh now has two of the best
spreadsheets within its stable. Excel and
Mindsight both make full use of the still un-
surpassed Macintosh interface. The one
standard PC operating system that until
recently did not have a truly modern spread-
sheet to its name was Digital Research’s
Concurrent DOS. However, Grafox has
recently announced Quintet, an integrated
software suite featuring pull-down menus
and full-colour graphics.
Excel, Multiplan Microsoft, Excel
House, 49 De Montfort Road, Reading,
Berkshire RG] 8LP. Telephone: (0734)
500741
Farsighnt SK Micro Systems; St. Michaels
House, Norton Way South, Letchworth,
Hertfordshire SG6 1PB. Telephone:
(0462) 679331
Javelin Ashton-Tate (U.K.), 1 Bath
Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1UH.
Telephone: (0628) 33123
Logistix Grafox, South Bank Techno
Park Building, 90 London Road, London
SE] 6LN. Telephone: 01-922 8807
Lotus 1-2-3 Lotus Development (U.K.),
Consort House, Victoria Street, Windsor,
Berkshire SL4 1EX. Telephone: (0753)
840281
Mindsight Package Programs, 91
Blackfriars Road, London SE] 8BHW.
Telephone: 01-633 0121
Smart Spreadsheet Innovative
Software, Southampton House, 192 York
Road, London SW11 3SA. Telephone:
01-223 5008
Supercale 4 Computer Associates,
Edinburgh House, 43-51 Windsor Road,
Slough, Berkshire SL] 2EQ. Telephone:
(0753) 77733
VP-Planner Newstar Software, 200
North Service Road, Brentwood, Essex
CM14 4SG. Telephone: (0277) 220573
| eee
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
99
EXCEL
SOMETIMES referred to, some-
what unkindly, as the 1-2-3 of
the Macintosh world, Excel is at
least similar in offering a
powerful spreadsheet, a bus-
iness-graphics module and a
database. Of course, Excel gets
a head start over 1-2-3 by being
able to reap the full benefit from
the Macintosh user interface
and mouse. But even judged on
its own technical merits it is an
impressive package. Maximum
matrix size is 16,384 rows by
256 columns with over 80 pre-
programmed functions covering
arithmetic, statistical and fin-
ancial applications. The macro
facility is particularly impressive,
with its own procedural lang-
vage. There are 42 different
types of pre-designed business
charts available and final
presentations can be enhanced
by the multi-fount lettering
capability of the Macintosh.
Excel also includes support for
laser printers.
PRICE: £395
FOR: Macintosh interface.
Ease of use. Graphics.
AGAINST: NoIBM version
yet. Expensive.
FARSIGHT
TO ALL intents and purposes
Farsight is a 1-2-3 work-alike,
but in common with most
examples of this software breed
it has a personality of its own. In
this case the spreadsheet is aug-
MICROSOFT
ae
mented by a simple but effective
word processor, which supports
headers, footers and various
type styles, and has a rudi-
mentary mail-merge facility. The
user interface is substantially
more advanced than 1-2-3,
using pull-down menus and
windowing facilities to the full.
Cut-and-paste operations within
the windows allow a file to be
moved or copied from one sub-
directory to another. Files
created under 1-2-3 load and
run normally under Farsight.
Maximum spreadsheet size is a
useful 256 rows by 2,048
columns. The only area where
Farsight falls down is its lack of
any graphics facilities.
PRICE: £99
FOR: Pull-down menus.
Handy built-in word pro-
cessor. Windows.
AGAINST: No graphics.
Documentation.
6 file Edit Formule Format Data Options Bitar Wincow
eld |
| Run...
Loan amortil Set Rec order
Stort Recarder *
Relative Record
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| Ll
a ee)
el
») ia
Microsoft’s Excel benefits from the easy-to-use Mac interface.
JAVELIN
THIS IS a spreadsheet with a
difference, being something of
a compromise between the
powerful procedural modellers
popular in the minicomputer
world and the simple, easy-to-
use PC spreadsheet. Javelin
does not restrict you to rows and
columns as it relies on the user
naming all the variables and
then defining the relationships
between them. Javelin applies
time periods such as days,
weeks or months to each
variable and works intelligently:
for example it knows that Feb-
ruary comes after January.
Completed models can be
analysed through 10 different
views, including the diagram,
formula, table, chart, quick
graph, notes, errors, macro and
graph view; there is also a work-
sheet view, which is the closest
you get to the conventional
rows and columns spreadsheet.
]
Javelin is an advanced package
that rewards users prepared to
spend alittle time getting used to
its unusal approach.
PRICE: £595
FOR: Powerful multi-view
analysis tool. Error-checking
capabilities.
AGAINST:
Takes a while to learn.
Expensive.
LOGISTIX
ANOTHER package that offers
similar facilities to 1-2-3, though
it uses a different command
structure. But it is easier to use,
has better graphics and includes
a handy sideways-printing utility
similar to the one provided in
later versions of Supercalc.
Maximum spreadsheet size is
1,024 columns by 2,048 rows |
coupled to a database that can
handle 1,023 records with a
maximum of 64 fields. Logistix
also includes a_ time-man-
agement facility covering
resource allocation, task
scheduling, critical-path project
planning and Gantt charts.
Graphics facilities are up to
presentation standard and the
package makes excellent use of
colour-display systems.
PRICE: £100
FOR: Powerful spreadsheet.
Time-management facilities.
Graphics.
AGAINST: Needs power-
ful hardware. Less well:
established than some of the
competition.
LOTUS 1-2-3
NOW a microcomputer legend
of WordStar proportions, 1-2-3
continues to sell in huge
numbers mainly like
WordStar — on the strength of
its reputation rather than on its
100
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April (987
——
absolute technical merits. It has
now been bettered in almost
every area by cheaper pack-
ages, but none can match its
massive user base or the cottage
industry that has grown up to
supply useful add-ons. Version 2
of 1-2-3 supports the LIM
extended-memory standard,
enabling much larger spread-
sheets to be built, and has a
vastly improved range of func-
tions. It has, however, found it
difficult to maintain data-file
compatibility with the earlier
version la.
PRICE: £395
FOR: An accepted industry
standard. Availability of
useful third-party add-ons.
AGAINST: Poor value
when compared with 1-2-3
work-alikes.
MINDSIGHT
LIKE Excel, this package is only
available to run on a Macintosh
fitted with a minimum of 512K
and a second disc drive. In
many ways similar to Javelin,
Mindsight is no ordinary spread-
sheet. First, variables are
named and then the relation-
ships between them are spec-
ified in a simple English formula
representation. The spread-
sheet does not appear until all
the relationships are solved, and
even then data cannot be
changed directly in the cells but
only in the formulae. As you
would expect of a Macintosh
program, graphics are well inte-
grated; it is possible to split the
screen to display the formula,
the spreadsheet and a graph
simultaneously. The number of
different types of chart that can
be displayed is not up to Excel’s
standard.
PRICE: £150
FOR: Novel approach to
modelling. Use of Macintosh
display.
AGAINST: Copy pro-
tected. Limited graphics.
MULTIPLAN
MULTIPLAN version 2 is the full-
power version featuring a
maximum spreadsheet size of
4,095 rows by 255 columns. It is
also considerably faster than the
earlier version, now designated
Multiplan Junior. Macros have
also been added to bring it into
line with the likes of 1-2-3 but it
still lacks any form of graphics.
Unchanged is the reliable and
consistent Microsoft command
line and the extensive and
SPREADSHEETS TOP 10
MICRGSOFT «
powerful use of windows.
Despite all these improvements
Multiplan only requires 128K of
memory to run. Multiplan Junior
has asmaller spreadsheet of just
255 rows by 63 columns but still
supports colour and allows you
to have up to eight windows
open ata time.
PRICE: £150;
Multiplan junior £70
FOR: Use of windows.
Consistent user interface.
AGAINST: No graphics.
Junior now looks dated.
SMART
SPREADSHEET
BOTH the spreadsheet and
database modules of the Smart
integrated suite are good
enough in their own right to take
on many dedicated packages.
The spreadsheet can accomm-
odate up to 9,999 rows by 999
columns and uses the sparse-
matrix technique to make the
most economical possible use of
memory. Cells can contain up to
15 digits or 99 characters; a
special screen can be called up
to enter formulae, which can be
up to 1,000 characters long. Up
to 32 different spreadsheets can
be active at a time. Transferring
data from the spreadsheet to the
integrated graphics module is
easy, and datacan be displayed
in any one of six graphical
formats. Completed graphs can
be annotated with suitable titles,
axis names and notes.
PRICE: £395
FOR: Powerful spreadsheet.
Well-integrated graphics.
Can be expanded by buying
further modules.
AGAINST: Expensive.
SUPERCALC 4
SUPERCALC 4 and Lotus 1-2-3
are now battling it out for sup-
remacy in the corporate spread-
sheet market. On technical merit
Supercalc must be judged com-
fortably ahead, but as yet it has
not built up such an impressive
record of sales. Maximum
spreadsheet size is 9,999 rows
by 255 columns and, as in
Smart, data-compaction tech-
niques optimise its use of
memory. The user interface is
compatible with earlier versions
but has recently been modified
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
to look more like 1-2-3.
further attempts to woo 1-2-3
users comprehensive data-file
transfer utilities are provided to
convert Lotus format to Super-
calc 4 format and vice versa. Its
graphics facilities are easier to
use than Lotus’s as it is not
necessary to exit the main
program. A handy sideways-
print utility is included.
PRICE: £396
FOR: Easy to use. Good
graphics. Excellent docu-
mentation and support.
AGAINST: Expensive. Not
as many third-party add-ons
as,|-2-3
VP-PLANNER
A MOST impressive 1-2-3 work-
alike that offers full file and
command-line compatibility
with Lotus. The user interface
does not look the same, how-
ever, as the command line has
been moved to a more suitable
place at the foot of the screen.
What sets VP-Planner apart are
its powerful database facilities,
which include a traditional flat-
file system as well as an
immensely powerful three-
dimensional database cap-
ability. Both systems offer a high
degree of compatibility with
dBase Ill. VP-Planner also
boasts a powerful macro facil-
ity and a_Lotus-compatible
graphics module.
PRICE: £86
FOR: 1-2-3 work-alike
spreadsheet. Powerful dBase
file-compatible database.
Superb value.
AGAINST: No direct U.K.
support.
101
ADVERTISEMENT
MPORTANT NOTICE
TO ALL PROSPECTIVE USERS
OF LOCAL AREA NETWORKS
Following increasing use of the
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Requiring no special expertise, the
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STILL
A LOT
TO
LEARN
Glyn Moody
samples some of the
current offerings
on Al.
Most books on artificial intel-
ligence afe based on the premise
that a computer could, at least in
theory, be intelligent. As the title
of Is Man a Robot? suggests, the
author Geoff Simons is tackling
the problem from the other end.
He wishes to show that looking at
humans as cybernetic systems with
a central, programmed control,
unit provides us not only with
interesting explanations for many
human traits but even insights into
some deeper questions.
This is not a book for theists. At
one point the author opines: ‘‘the
teligious view is a superstitious
irrelevance.’’ The basic threads
which run throughout are
humanism, materialism and deter-
minism. For example, the first
chapter presents an exhaustive —
and rather exhausting — list of
robots down through the ages.
This is followed by achapter on the
Models of Man which eventually
suggests that humans are machines
— and more specifically, that they
are robots.
The next chapter marshals some
supporting evidence by looking at
the physical aspects of the body.
Most of the points have been made
before. For example, that the body
is programmed by its genes, just
like a computer, and that the cells
and the body itself exist in a stable
state of balance or homeostasis,
just like cybernetic systems.
A chapter on programming
examines in more detail how
aspects of human life could be
understood as a result of pro-
gramming. In addition to the
working out of the genetic
material, mentioned both at the
cellular level and in terms of the
ultimate physical characteristics of
the body, there is some consider-
ation to how we are programmed:
by our environment. Many basic
psychological theories can be
framed in a program-like form.
The author suggests that sleep, still
largely a mystery to researchers, isa
rovot
Geoff Simons
form of program clearance. Just as
mainframes need maintenance
and updating, so might the brain.
Few people would object to such
an approach if it was happy to re-
main at this level, offering a few
lateral thoughts on how the body
works. Unfortunately Simons has
bigger fish to fry. He suggests that
humans are not only like robots in
the way they function but that
they are robots. From this, he takes
it as axiomatic that any notion of
soul goes straight out of the win-
dow. However, that does leave a
ON MACHINE
INTELLIGENCE
Second Edition
DOPLALD MC HIE
DICTIONARY OF
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
& ROBOTICS
JERRY M. ROSENBERG
number of thorny questions which
form the bulk of the remainder of
the book.
For example, if we are deter-
ministic machines, what happens
to free will? That went with the
soul, according to Simons. How-
ever, he attempts to console any:
robots out there who might feel a
little bereft by pointing out that
the concept of choice is pretty
woolly anyway. By free choice we
mean something like: ‘‘I would
have chosen differently if I had
wanted to.’’ But this begs the
question whether you can choose
what you want.
Simons also points out that
according to his robotic theory,
humans are still making choices.
But instead of appealing to some
high-falutin’ will, decisions are
made by virtue of the deep-coded
programs within us which ate
partly genetic and partly environ-
mental. These are so deep that we
are unaware of any cogs grinding at
all; it just feels as if we made a
decision. As Simons puts it:
“*Choice occurs when a system dis-
cfiminates between competing
informational pressures.”’
What about creativity — how
can machines write symphonies?
This argument against a machine’s |
Creativity is normally applied to |
Intelligent
Machinery
THEORY AND PRACTICE
Edited by lan Benson
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
applications in the future of
software engineering
BOOK
computers which fail to write Beet-
hoven string quartets. As Simons
points out, since most humans
never write them either, they too
fail the creativity test. Emotions,
too, can be found in machines —
provided you see them as feedback
loops and homeostatic states. For
Simons, emotions are simply deci-
sions about broad objectives which
are then attained using logistics
developed by the tactical decision-
making of reason. Similarly,
personality can be thought of as a
behavioural matrix.
The most interesting part of
Simons’ argument is in relation to
ethics. If we are just machines sub-
ject to deterministic laws, how can
we be held responsible for our
actions and, more importantly,
why should we be punished? It is
at this point that Simons’ argu-
ment seems weak. Accepting that
there is no point in punishing a
machine which was only obeying
orders, he then goes on to espouse
an extremely liberal prison policy.
He would do away with prison
altogether and rejoices in this un-
expected bonus from his theory,
though he concedes that such a
policy makes society difficult.
What he fails to accept is that his
earlier stated position on the dual
influence of genes and environ-
ment, along with his general
cybernetic theory, do in fact pro-
vide a justification for some form
of restraint, if only to provide a
little deterring input to those
robots with anti-social tendencies.
It is a pity that at this point Simons
seems uninterested in examining
the consequences of his theory in
greater and more practical depth.
Whether or not you subscribe to
his central thesis this is a fascin-
ating book. Its maverick viewpoint
makes it thoroughly thought
provoking as well as amusing.
A far more conventional romp
through the highways and byways
of artificial intelligence is provided
by James Brulé’s book Artiftcra/
Intelligence: Theory, Logic and
Application. Its introduction
states that it is for the ‘‘open-
minded, but as yet uninformed
(continued on next page)
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
103
BOOK
(continued from previous page)
business person.’’ It offers a very
down-to-earth and _ practical
approach to what is going on in the
Al world.
First there is the obligatory tour
of landmarks like the Turing Test,
Eliza the psychiatrising computer,
Parry the psychotic computer, and
expert systems like Prospector and
Mycin, The next chapter is called
Theoretical Foundations, and tells
you everything you wanted to
know about undivided middles |
and syllogisms. Thereafter, the
book looks at specific areas of Al
such as knowledge representation,
graph searching and pattern recog-
nition. It offers simple examples,
complete with Basic programs
implementing the principles.
There is a good chapter on the
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
THEORY, LOGIC AND
APPLICATION
he ~
‘ ’ “ae 4,
;
{
three most popular AI languages,
Lisp, Prolog and Pop-11. Overall,
the book is sometimes a little too
specific, and lacks the more
general details. But what it does, it
does well.
A different approach again is
offered in Donald Michie’s Ox
Machine Intelligence. Written by
one of the founding fathers of AI
in this country it is at once authori-
tative and accessible. Its approach
is quite some way from the popu-
list journalism of the previous two
books, and follows closely the con-
cerns of the academic world. Thus
there are three main sections,
one on computer game-playing,
another on intelligent robots, and
one on the mechanics of cognition.
At the end thete is a brief section |
on Al and society. The book is well
written, and although slighly
heavy-going at times it is well |
worth the effort for the insights it
gives into how the professionals in
Al are tackling the problems.
Another book in the same series
from Ellis Horwood, Artificial
Intelligence: Applications in the
future of software engineering, is
aimed at fellow practitioners and is
of less general interest. It also |
begins to dip its toe in the murky
waters of Al jargon and in-crowd |
talk.
Such opaque academese reaches
new depths in Intelligent
Machinery: Theory and Practice
which is a reworking of a series of
papers presented at a conference
held at Cambridge. Apart from
STILL A LOT TO LEARN
is Man a Robot? by Geoff
Simons. Published by John Wiley,
£14.95. ISBN 0 471 91106 2
Artificial Intelligence:
Theory, Logic and
Application by James F Brule.
Published by Tab Books Inc.,
£11.50. ISBN 0 8306 0471 5
On Machine Intelligence by
Donald Michie. Published by Ellis
Horwood, £29.95. ISBN 0 7458
0084 X
Artificial Intelligence:
Applications in the future of
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pee
4,
oe
some general articles by Richard
Ennals it has little to recommend
it. |
After all the jargon, the Dict-
tonary of Artificial Intelligence
and Robotics might seem just the
job. But I find it hard to see who
this book is aimed at. Experts will
find its content obvious, and
hardly anyone else is going to be
looking up phrases like ‘'incre-
mental integrator’’. Sadly, there
are not even many amusing words
for the casual browser. Among its
4,000 entries only ‘‘bang-bang
robot’’ caught my attention. It is
also expensive at £14.75 for a
200-page paperback. Unfor-
tunately this kind of pricing and
this kind of book seems to be
generally indicative of the Al
world, which has a lot to learn. [a0
software engineering by D
Partridge. Published by Ellis
Horwood, £25. ISBN 0 85312 753 0
Intelligent Machinery:
Theory and Practice edited by
lan Benson. Published by
Cambridge University Press,
£17.50. ISBN 0 521 30836 4
Dictionary of Artificial
Intelligence and Robotics by
Jerry M Rosenberg. Published by
John Wiley, £14.75 paperback,
£31.85 hardback. ISBN 0 471
84981 2
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Computer Type (PCDOS/MSDOS only)
Ge eee es ae eee is iii i lel
104
|
— circle 154 on enquiry card —
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
"© P E N Fikes
O pen File offers programming tips and software to | Submissions should include a brief description which
key in. We welcome submissions from readers. We explains what your program does and how it does it. This
are interested in business programs for any of the main should be typed with lines double-spaced. The program
machinés such as IBM, Apple, Amiga, Atari 520ST, BBC should be printed with a new ribbon or at double-
and Amstrad PCW-8256. We are also interested in intensity; the width should be between 75mm. and
applications written in dBase, or for standard spread- 90mm., or between 105mm. and 135mm. Also include a
sheets like 1-2-3. Utilities are also welcomed. disc of your program.
Please send your contributions to
Open File, Practical Computing, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS.
DOS
MENU
A routine that sets up
an option menu within
MS-DOS, presented
by Harvey
Thomas.
THE batch commands of PC-DOS
and MS-DOS provide a number of
useful and powerful features,
but there are some annoying
omissions. Among them is the
ability to perform conditional
branching dependent on the
response made by a user to a
question asked in the middle of a
batch file. With such a facility you
could, for example, write simple
menu-selection routines entirely as
a series of batch commands within
MS-DOS itself.
The Choose program presented
here aims to provide just such a
facility. It is invoked by a
command line of the form
choose prompt to user resp] resp2
resp3....
where ‘“‘prompt to user’ is a
delimited string; any printable
delimiter may be used. The
elements respl, etc., are the
allowable responses that the user
may make; upper- and lower-
case alphabetic characters are
consideted by the program to be
equivalent.
(continued on next page)
LISTING 3
echo off
els
type choose.opt
CHOOSE ° Choose an
option ‘abcd
if errorlevel 4 goto label4
if errorlevel 3 goto label3
44 errorlevel 2 goto label2
if errorlevel 1 goto labell
echo SOMETHING NASTY HAPPENED
ENDBATCH
tlabell
ECHO OPTION A SELECTED
ENDBATCH
tlabel2
ECHO OPTION B SELECTED
ENDBATCH
tlabelS
ECHO OPTION C SELECTED
ENDBATCH
tlabel4 ,
ECHO OPTION D SELECTED
ENDBATCH
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
LISTING 2. CHOOSE.OPT
DEMONSTRATION OF MS-
- Choose option A
Select option B
- Require option C
- Desire option D
vuowD
!
Your selection letter must be followed by the Enter key
LISTING 3. CHOOSE
{#c-} {disable ctrl/break}
Program Choose};
A program to assist decision making in PC/MS-DOS Batch files
Syntax is i-
CHOOSE ‘PROMPT TO USER’ Resp1i Resp2 Resp3S ...
where the delimited string (° is used as an example) is used to
prompt the user, and Respi, Resp2 etc are the allowable responses
the user can make (no distinction is made between upper and lower
case letters). The program sets the MS-DOS ERRORLEVEL on program
termination to either O (which means an ERROR in specifying the
parameters to CHOOSE), or the number of the response selected
(Respi=1, Resp2=2 etc).
Current restrictions: 25 responses, maximum length of each response
is 6 characters. At least two responses specified on command line.
Harvey Thomas. July 1986
MAXRESPLENGTH=4;
MAXRESPONSES=25)
type
respstr=string(MAXRESPLENGTH);
var
i,j sx, yrintegers
cmdlinerstringl127] absolute csegs $80;
prompt ,word: stringl127]3
resp:array (1..MAXRESPONSES] of respstry
anstrespstr3
delim:char;
procedure uprespstr (var strespstr);
{convert string § to upper case}
ver
itintegers
begin
for i:=1 to length(s) do slils=upcase(slil);
ends
begin
if paramcount<3 then halt(O); {must be 3+ DOS parameters}
i:"l;
prompts=cmdlines {copy DOS command line}
while promptlil=" ‘© do delete(prompt,1,1)3 Cremove leading blanks}
delim:=prompt(1];
prompt:=copy (prompt,2,length (prompt )~1)3 {remove ist delimiter}
isspos(delim,prompt) 3 {seek 2nd delimiter}
if i=O then halt (O)3 €error exit if not found}
prompts=copy (prompt,1,i-1); {remove 2nd delimiter?
{now look for the DOS parameter that ends with the delimiter}
word1:=paramstr (1);
delete(word,1,1)3
i:el)
while (wordflength(word) ]J<>delim) and (i<=paramcount) do
begin
iseitly
words =paramstr (i) 5
ends
(listing continued on next page)
105
(continued from previous page)
When the user selects a valid
option the Choose program
terminates, setting the DOS
LISTING 3. CHOOSE
(listing continued from previous page)
{remaining DOS parameters are the allowed user responses}
Errorlevel to the number of the if i>(paramcount-2) then halt (0) {user must have 2+ choices)
response. The first option after the te .
prompt string is 1, the second ir=i+13
2, etc. The program will not ose 7 —
rmin R resp t=paramstr ;
ke ate until a correct ES OES uprespstr(resp(iJ)3 {convert to u/case}
is entered unless the command line
was entered incorrectly, in which
case the program terminates with
Errorlevel set to zero.
For effective use, it is of course
necessary to know how to test
the DOS Errorlevel. The DOS
until (i=paramcount) or (j=MAXRESPONSES)-;
{put the prompt up}
write (prompt);
xiewherens
yiewherey) {save screen position for response}
{loop until we get a valid response}
while TRUE do
command Oma ae
o
IF ERRORLEVEL 8 GOTO ALABEL fre (ellesrisny. crevicueErne=ponee?
will cause control to transfer to the-
line following the label Alabel,
if the immediately preceding
pfogram terminated with an exit
buflens =MAXRESPLENGTH}
read(ans);
uprespstr (ans)}3 {set response to u/case}
{see if response is valid}
for isi to j do if ans=resplij then
code or Errorlevel of 8 or greater. It er etek
is therefore sensible to test the exit halt (ids {sets DOS ERRORLEVEL}
code from the highest possible endy :
value -down to the lowest, rather a G) 5 {beep on invalid response}
than from the lowest to the ade
highest.
Listing 1 shows Select.Bat, a
batch file used to control simple | processing of a particular option; it | very complex batch jobs could be For those who do not possess
menu selection. The routine uses | is much faster than jumping to a | set up in this way. Turbo Pascal or who do not wish to
Type to display the body of the | label at the end of the batch file. Choose is written in Turbo | have to key in the program, copies
menu as this is much faster than | Endbatch.Bat is simply a single | Pascal and is shown in listing 3. It | of Choose for 5.25in. MS-DOS
repeated Echo commands. The file | blank line. should be easy to follow as it takes | discs can be obtained by sending
Choose.Opt is shown in listing 2. The response to Choose could be | advantage of some of the built-in | £5 to Harvey Thomas, 1 Westlecot
The dummy batch procedure | input redirected from a file gen- | functions and procedures provided | Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1
Endbatch is used to terminate | erated by an earlier program. Some | by Turbo Pascal. 4EZ. PC)
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Forthcoming Features
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May June July
COMMUNICATIONS IBM UNIX AND ITS RIVALS
Comms are assuming an ever- Will IBM remain king of the We look at the multi-user
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L E =
PARTIAL SCREEN CLEAR
of your screen from within a Basic program.
Neil Booth explains how to clear an area
OnE of the problems facing anyone
who programs in Basic on an IBM
and who wants their programs to
interact with the user by means of
friendly and uncluttered screen
displays is screen clearance. Not
whole screen clearance, which is
achieved by use of the CLS
command, but partial screen clear-
ance. This is clearance to the end of
a row, or to the end of the screen,
ot of a designated window within
the screen.
Basic provides no commands
which will achieve these ends
directly. To clear to the end of a
particular row, for example, you
must use a command such as
PRINT SPACES (X)
where X is 80 minus the value of
the current cursor column. To clear
to the end of the screen from a
particular screen location, you use
this command followed by a
command such as
-FOR 1=1 TO J: PRINT
SPACES (80): NEXT |
where J is the number of whole
rows to be cleared, Likewise, to
clear a window in the screen from,
say, column 14 of row 6 to column
34 of row 15 you must use a routine
such as
FOR |=0 TO 9:LOCATE 6+1,
14:PRINT SPACES(21) :NEXT |
This is all unnecessary, for there
are at least two fast and effective
ways of carrying out the desired
operations from within a Basic
program. One solution lies in the
use of the alternative screen and
keyboard driver, ANSI.Sys, which
is provided as a file on the standard
DOS disc. When DOS is first
called on booting up the system,
standard drivers governing screen,
keyboard, disc drives, etc., are
automatically loaded. But if a
Config.Sys file containing the
command
DEVICE=ANSI.SYS
is placed on the disc from which
bootup takes place, data sent from
the keyboard to the screen is
passed through the ANSI.Sys
driver instead of the standard
console driver.
Data is handled in much the
same way as it would be handled
by the standard driver, except that
additional commands in the form
of Escape sequences may be given,
20 KEY OFF:DEFINT A~-2
LISTING 1. ANSI.SYS METHOD
10 REM SWITCH OFF SOFT KEYS AND DEFINE INTEGERS
including the set of screen-
handling commands listed in table
1. These commands may be com-
bined to produce within a Basic
Program, a whole series of screen-
clearing routines which may be
invoked from within the program
as required.
The necessary steps are as
follows. First, the VDU screen is
opened as an output device from
within the program. For this
purpose it must be given the name
Con as illustrated in line 40 of the
Basic program listed in listing 1.
Next a number of string vari-
ables must be defined in terms of
the commands listed in table 1.
CR$ may, for instance, be chosen
as the variable signifying the
command to clear to the end of the
current row and return the cursor
to the clearing start position; it
might be defined as illustrated in |
line 60 of listing 1. Then whenever
the operation signified by CR$ is
fequired within the program, all
that is necessary is to insert a line
such as line 180. That line, when
executed, will instantly clear row 8
of the screen from column 10 to
the end before returning the cursor
to the start-clearing position.
Another variable might be set to
clear the screen from a particular
cursor position to the end of the
screen, and return the cursor to the
clearing start position. CS$ might
‘be defined as illustrated in lines 80
to 100 of listing 1. To clear the
screen from, say, column 35 of row
12, it then becomes necessary
merely to insert a line such as the
illustrated line 220.
Unfortunately, the additional
commands available under
ANSI.Sys do not lend themselves
to the defining of variables to clear
a window, except where the
(continued on next page)
LISTING 2. BIOS METHOD
20 KEY OFF:DEFINT A-Z
WORKAREA
40 DEF SEG=&H1700
SPECIFIED LOCATION
10 REM SWITCH OFF SOFT KEYS AND DEFINE INTEGERS
30 REM LOCATE MACHINE CODE SUBROUTINE OUTSIDE BASIC
50 REM READ CODE FROM DATA STATEMENTS AND POKE INTO
60 FOR I=0 TO 41:READ J:POKE I,J:NEXT I
30 REM OPEN CONSOLE AS OUTPUT FILE
40 OPEN°O",£1, CON”
50 REM DEFINE CR$ FOR END-OF-ROW CLEARANCE ROUTINE
60 CRS=CHRS(27)+°[s°+CHRS(27)+°[K*+CHRS$(27)+"[u’
70 REM DEFINE CS$ FOR END-OF-SCREEN CLEARANCE ROUTINE
80 CSS=CHRS(27)4°[s"+CHRS(27)+°[K"+CHR8(27)+°[B°+
CHR$(27)+°[79D°
90 FOR I=1 TO 23:CS$=CSS+CHRS$(27)+"[K°+CHRS(27)+°[B":
NEXT I
CS$=CS$4CHRS(27)4"[u*
REM DEFINE CWS FOR 8-DEEP-WINDOW CLEARANCE ROUTINE
CWS=CHRS(27)+°[s°
FOR I=1 TO 8:CWS=CWS4+CHRS(27)+°[K°+CHRS(27)+'°([B8':
NEXT I
CWS=CWS+CHRS(27)4+"[u"
REN FILL SCREEN
GOSUB 300
REM CLEAR ROW 8 FROM COLUMN 10 TO END
LOCATE 8,10:PRINT £1,CR$
REM PAUSE AND FILL SCREEN
GOSUB 340:GOSUB 300
REM CLEAR FROM ROW 12 COLUMN 35 TO END OF SCREEN
LOCATE 12,35:PRINT £1,CS$
REM PAUSE AND FILL SCREEN
GOSUB 340:GOSUB 300
REM CLEAR WINDOW IN SCREEN FROM ROW 8 COLUMN 60 TO
ROW 16 COLUMN 80
LOCATE 8,60:PRINT £1,CWS
REM END DEMONSTRATION
LOCATE 22,80:END
REM CLEAR SCREEN THEN FILL WITH CHARACTERS
SUBROUTINE
LOCATE 1,1:PRINT £1,CS$
FOR I=1 TO 23:FOR J=1 TO 79:PRINT CHRS(1+64); :NEXT
J:PRINT: NEXT I
320 RETURN
330 REM CREATE SHORT PAUSE SUBROUTINE
340 FOR I=1 TO 4000:NEXT I:RETURN
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
120
130
200
210
250
260
270
280
290
300
310
320
330
340
350
DATA &H55, &H8B, &HEC, &HB4, &HO6, HBO, &HO0, &HB7, &HOD,
&HBB, &H76, &HO6, &HBA, &H14, &H8B, &H76, GHO8, HBA, GH34,
&H8B, &H76, &HOA, &HBA, SHOC, GH8B, &H76, &HOC, GHBA, BH2C,
&HFE,&HCO, &HFE, &HC9,&HFE, &HCE,&HFE, &HCA, GHCD, GH10,
&HSD, SHCA, &HO8
REM NAME SUBROUTINE AND SET VALUE TO ENTRY ADDRESS
OF SPECIFIED SEGMENT
$=0
REM FILL SCREEN
GOSUB 250
REM CLEAR ROW 8 FROM COLUMN 10 TO END
W=8:X=10:GOSUB 290
REM PAUSE AND FILL SCREEN
GOSUB 270:GOSUB 250
REM CLEAR FROM ROW 12 COLUMN 35 TO END OF SCREEN
W=12:X=35:GOSUB 310
REM PAUSE THEN FILL SCREEN
GOSUB 270:GOSUB 250
REM CLEAR WINDOW IN SCREEN FROM ROW & COLUMN 30 TO
ROW 15 COLUMN 50
W=8:X=30:Y=15:2=50:GOSUB 350
REM END DEMONSTRATION
0 LOCATE 22,80:END
REM CLEAR SCREEN THEN FILL WITH CHARACTERS
SUBROUTINE
GOSUB 330:FOR A=i TO 23:FOR B=1 TO 79:PRINT CHRS(A+
64);:NEXT B:PRINT:NEXT A: RETURN
REM CREATE SHORT PAUSE SUBROUTINE
FOR I=1 TO 4000:NEXT I
REM CLEAR TO END OF ROW SUBROUTINE
Y=W:2=80:CALL S(W,X,Y¥,2):LOCATE W,X:RETURN
REM CLEAR TO END OF SCREEN SUBROUTINE
GOSUB 290:W=W+i:X=1:Y=26:2=80:CALL S(W,X,Y,2):
LOCATE W,X:RETURN
REM CLEAR WHOLE SCREEN SUBROUTINE
W=1:X=1:Y=26:2=80:CALL S(W,X,Y,2):LOCATE W,X:RETURN
REM CLEAR WINDOW IN SCREEN SUBROUTINE
CALL S(W,X,Y,2):LOCATE W,X:RETURN
109
® © P E N
F ik eEes
LISTING 3. ASSEMBLY-LANGUAGE SUBROUTINE
(continued from previous page)
desired windows have column 80
as their right-hand parameter.
However, for such windows the
variable CW$ might be defined as
illustrated by lines 120 to 140 of
listing 1. The variable shown is for
a window eight rows high, but any
number between 1 and 25 may be
substituted so as to obtain
windows of different heights. Line
260 illustrates how a blanked
window beginning at row 8 of
column 60, and ending on row 16
of column 80, may be obtained.
A faster method of performing
screen clearance, including the
clearance of a window anywhere in
the screen, is by accessing the ROM
BIOS and issuing direct screen
commands by means of an
assembly-language routine which
can be called from a Basic
program. Access to the BIOS video
I/O routines is through the 8088
software interrupt 10 hex.
There are numerous methods of
interfacing an assembly-language
subroutine from Basic, but the
method described here is to make
the subroutine part of the Basic
program by placing the relevant
machine code in Data statements
which are then Poked into memory
locations lying outside Basic’s 64K
work area. The subroutine is given
an integer variable name and may
then then be Called whenever
necessary. This method does not
require the use of an assembler,
and all code is contained in the one
Basic program file.
The assembly-language screen-
clearing routine illustrated here
must be supplied with four par-
ameters in the form of four integer
variables if it is to perform the
clearing operations discussed.
They may be contained in the
Basic program in the form of
declared variables, or may be ob-
tained from the user in response to
55
8BEC
B406
B000
B700
8B7606
8A14
8B7608
8A34
8B7608
8A0C
8B7608
8A2C
FECD
PUSH BP
MOV BP,SP
MOV AH,6
MOV AL,O
MOV BH,O
MOV
MOV
MOV
MOV
MOV
MOV
MOV
MOV
DEC
DL, [ST]
DH, [ST]
CL, (ST)
CH, [ST]
CH
FEC9 DEC CL
FECE
FECA
CD10
5D
CA08
DEC
DEC
INT 10H
POP BP
RET 8
DH
DL
input commands. In listing 2,
these variables are named W, X, Y
and Z; W and X represent, res-
pectively, the row and column
from which clearance is to begin,
while Y and Z represent, respect-
ively, the row and column at which
clearance is to end.
The parameters supplied are
TABLE 1. SCREEN CONTROL COMMANDS
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[?A’? — Move
cursor up ? rows without
changing columns. Default is
1. Command cancelled if row
1 reached.
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[?B’? — Move
cursor down ? rows without
changing columns. Default is
1. Command cancelled if row
24 reached.
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[?C’’ — Move
cursor forward ? columns
without changing rows.
Default is 1. Command
cancelled if column 80
reached.
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[?D’’ — Move
cursor back ? columns without
changing rows. Default is 1.
Command cancelled if
110
column 1 reached.
CHR$(27) + “‘[?;?H”? — Move
cursor to position specified by
?;? (tow number; column
number). Default is 1;1.
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[?2J’” — Clear
entire screen and place cursor
at 1,1.
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[K’’ — Clear to
end of row from and
including cursor position.
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[s’’ — Save
current cursor position.
CHR$(27) + ‘‘[u’’ — Return
cursor to saved position.
All the letters used in these
Sequences are case sensitive; A
to K must be in upper case, s
and u must be in lower case.
SI, [BP] +6
SI, [BP] +8
SI, [BP]+10
SI, [BP]+12
;SAVE BASE POINTER
3SET
3SET
7SET
7 SET
;GET
7GET
3GET
7GET
7GET
7GET
7GET
;GET
ATTRIBUTE AS
ADDRESS OF "Z"
VALUE OF "Z"
ADDRESS OF "Y"
VALUE OF "Y"
ADDRESS OF "X"
VALUE OF "X"
ADDRESS OF "WwW"
VALUE OF "W"
;DECREMENT VALUE OF
70-24 SYSTEM)
7DECREMENT VALUE OF
70-79 SYSTEM)
;DECREMENT VALUE OF
;DECREMENT VALUE OF
BASE POINTER FOR ADDRESSING STACK
SCROLL INSTRUCTION AS “UP"
SCROLL LENGTH AS "ALL"
"BLACK"
"w" BY 1 (1-25 VDU
"X" BY 1 (1-80 VDU
my" BY 1
oi7ae BY 1
7CALL BIOS VIDEO INTERRUPT
7RESTORE BASE POINTER
;RETURN AND DISCARD
4 ARGUMENTS
passed to the assembly-language
subroutine by separating them by
commas and placing them in
parentheses after the subroutine’s
variable name in the Call
command. In listing 2 the
assembly-language subroutine has
been named § and, accordingly,
the Call is to S(W,X,Y,Z), as ill-
ustrated by lines 290, 310, 330 and
350.
The code for the assembly-
language subroutine itself is as set
out in the first column of listing 3.
It may be contained in a single
Data statement as illustrated by
line 70 of listing 2.
If the machine code comprising
the Data statement is to be Poked
into an area of memory outside the
Basic work area, the system must
have a memory capacity of at least
96K so as to leave such an area free
after accommodating DOS, Basic
and the Basic work area. It is
sensible to set aside the highest 4K
or so of memory for assembly-
language subroutines, in which
case the starting address for the
Poke routine will be the hexa-
decimal equivalent of the memory
capacity of the system, expressed in
Kbyte, minus 4K.
For example, in a 96K system
the starting address will be 92K,
which equals 94208 decimal or
17000 hexadecimal. The final zero
is removed to arrive at the figure
required by the Def Seg state-
ment. Thus, in line 40 of listing 2
the memory segment is defined as
that beginning at &H1700. If the
system has less than 96K of
memory it will be necessary to
locate the assembly-language
routine within the highest area of
the Basic work area by issuing a
Clear command within the Basic
program.
CLEAR, &HFO0O
will reserve the top 4K for
assembly-language subroutines;
starting Basic with the DOS
command
BASIC/M:&HF000
will have the same effect.
Once the starting address has
been defined, the data is Poked
into successive memory locations,
beginning with that address, by
means of Read and Poke com-
mands as illustrated in line 60. The
Basic program in listing 2 will fill
the screen with characters and then
perform various screen-clear
operations. PC
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
Authors
Dreier
IBM 6150 Micts
Computer System
Worldwide House, Quicks Road,
Wimbledon, London $W19 1EX
Telex: 8955888 Fax: 01-543 7812
01 543 2211
IBM PC 256kb 1x360kbDD+K/B+VDU+Dos 1150.00
1BM PC-XTS 9 640kb 2x360kb DD 1245.00
IBM PC-XTS 640kb 1x360kb DD + 20mb HD = 1599.00
IBM PC-XT286 640kb Ix1.2mb DD + 20mb HD =: 2050.00
IBM PC-ATX $12kb 1x1.2mbDD¢30mbHD 2900.00
IBM PC PC-XT Keyboard/Enhanced 140/150.00
[BM PC PC-AT Keyboard Enhanced 150.00
IBM Mono Display 140.00
IBM Colour Display 375.00
IBM Enhanced Display 475.00
1BM Colour Display/Graphics Adaptor 130.00
IBM Mono Display/Printer Adaptor 140.00
IBM Enhanced Display Adaptor 256kb $15.00
1BM Asyoc Comms Adaptor (RS232) 65.00
Olivetti
Olivetti M19 256k 1x360k+K/B Mono/Colour 699/825.00
Ollvett! M19 256k 1x360k¢K/B Mono+20mb 1099.00
Olivetti M24 640kb 1x360kb 11$$.00
Olivetti M24 640kb 2x360kb 1260.00
Olivett!M24 640kb Ix360kb + 10mb HD 1375.00
OlivettiM24 640kb 1x360kb + 20mb HD 1600.00
Ollvetti M24SP 640kb 1x360kb + 20mb HD 1799.00
Olivett! Mono Display Green/White/Amber 169.00
Olivettl Colour Display 395.00
Olivetth Enhanced Colour Adaptor 425.00
Olivetti M24 Keyboard Extended/IBM 120.00
Compaq Plus 256kb 1x360kb 10mb HD Please
Compaq Port I} M3 640kb 1x360kb 10mb HD Call for
Compaq Port 286 640kb 1x1.2mb 20mb¢Stream details
Compaq Deskpro 286 640kb Jx1.2mb 30mb HD
Compaq Deskpro 386 M40 Imb 1x1.2mb 40mb
Mono/Colour
PCIS12 1x360kb+$12kb K/B 449/619.00
PC1S512 2x360kb+S12kb K/B $$9/729.00
PCIS12 1x360kb+512kb 10mb HD K/B 799/969.00
PC1$12 1x360kb+512kb 20mb HD K/B 899/1069.00
Epson PC 286kb 2x360 kb + K/B 729.00
Epson PC + 640kb 2x360 kb + K/B 1399.00
Epson PC + 640kb 1x360 kb ¢ 20mb HD + K/B_ ‘1699.00
Daisywheel Printers
Brother HR20D 22cps 335.00
Brother HR25XL 28eps $15.00
Brother HR35S 3S$cps 745.00
1BM Wheelprinter 2Scps 795.00
1BM Quletwriter Mod 2 Graphics 45cps 1078.00
WORLDWIDE PRICE LIST
ALSO AVAILABLE -
EPSON COMPAQ AMSTRAD
All prices excluding VAT and DELIVERY MAR. {A}
OLIVETTI
PERSONAL
COMPUTER
BRIGHTON
Regent House, 2 North Road,
Brighton, Sussex BN1 1YA
Telex: 877649 Fax: 0273 671513
0273 609331
Juki 6100
Olivetti DY 300
Olivett] DY800
Qume 11/55
Laser Printers
18cps 265.00
30cps $99.00
80cps 1175.00
5Scps 1275.00
Oki Laser Line 6 128kb 8ppm 1645.00
Cavoo Laser LBP-8Al 128kb 8ppm 1899.00
Canon Laser LBP-8A2 1024kb 8ppm 2799.00
Hewlett Packard Laser 128kbd 8ppm 1999.00
Hewlett Packard Laser + $12kb 8ppm 2650.00
Hewlett Packard Laser $00 S12kb 8ppm 3400.00
Qume Ten Laser 128kb 10ppm 2300.00
Qume Ten Laser + Plus $12kb © «=10ppm = 2900.00
Network Systems Available
Please call for details
Plotters
Epson Hi 80 A4 4pen 349.00
Hitach! 672 A3 4pen 499.00
Hewlett Packard 7440 A4 B8pen 999.00
Hewlett Packard 747$ A3 6pen 1475.00
Hewlett Packard 7550A AJ B8pen 3415.00
Roland DXY 980A Plotter A3 8pen 930.00
Roland DXY 880A Plotter AJ 8pen 655.00
Roland DPX A2 Bpen 3540.00
Sekonick 430 AJ 8pen 925.00
Terminals
Qume QVT101 ASCII 294.00
Qume QVTIOI+ ASCil 340.00
Qume QVT103 ANSI $05.00
Wyse 60 IBM $10.00
Televideo 905 ASCII 315.00
Tape Backup
Everex 20mb Internal 620.00
Everex 60mb Internal 850.00
Taligrass 60mb External 111$.00
Christy 20mb External 670.00
Displays and Adaptors
Hercules Mono Graphics # Adaptor 180.00
Hercules Colour Graphics Adaptor 100.00
Orchid EGA C/“ 286hb¢Printer Adaptor 220.00
Ast 3/3-G EGA C/W 256kb 220.00
Interquadram Quad EGA + 280.00
Tatung EGA Monitor¢Adaptor 640.00
NEC Multisyne Monitor CGA /EGA/PGA $50.00
Displaywrlte 3 308 Crosstalk XVII 110 Autocad 2¢EX123 2150
Multimate Ady 298 Flight Simulator 45 Autocad 2 Base 300
Muitimate 214 Gem Collection 94 MS Chart 184
Samoa Ill 358 Gem Desktop 47° ~Domino 365
Samna Plus 435 Nortoo Utilitles $9 Energraphics 205
Word Perfect 270 Sidekick (NCP) $5 Execuvision 205 Bromcom 20mb
MS Word 3 280 MS Wiodows 78 Gem Draw/Graph 99/155
Wordstar 170 Top View 115 Gem Wordchart 89 4 User System
Wordstar Prof 218 80186 running at 10mhz
Wordstar 2000 R2 263) Gargbox Plus 244 Reflex 60 econcur renin OS Imb
Wordstar 2000 + 285 Hacamaster 440 Wordstar 1512 60 208 Tee
Writing Assistant th dBase Il 270) Delta 41512 87 4 Terminals + Keyboards
Wordcraft Nova L dBase Hl plus 357 Domino 1$12 87 DR/ARC-net Supplied as
Mordcralt 360 Nantucket dB3 Supercalc 3 60 tandard
Wordcraft Elite 600 Compiler 480 Sage PC Write gq Free New Word Processing
Putco ase x2. as saat Deskset 69
Framework II 345 Maser AvCi tren 390 Sage Retrieve (DB) 84 é Atsae ae
Open Accers 290 pegasus ACs from 175 : OO ee ae
Smart Sulte v3.0 388 cat Bockeeper ss Hard Disk £3250
Symphony 387) Sage Accountant 125 se Ss ial *
Javelin 4 He Sage Accountant + 155 pecials
eas fo. : 850
Multiplan u2.0 169. Sate Fie. Coot. = 880 Erom 260.00
1BM Teamwork from 305
SCOTLAND
11-14 Maritime Street,
Edinburgh EH6 6SB
Telex: 728298 Fax: 031-554 2581,
031 554 4361
EGCM/EGA 256KB 650.00
Persyst EMS-LIM Compat Ram !.5mb 399.00
Qubie Sixshooter 384kb Multlfuaction 190.00
AST SixPac Plus 384kb Multifunction 275.00
AST SIxPac Premlum 2mb EMS LIM 430.00
AST Advantage 1.5mb 275.00
AST Rampage }.5mb EMS LIM 290 /525.00
AST Flashpack 9.54mhz NEC V30 295.00
Sony !3" Colour VDU 499.00
Dataflex Excelorator 8086 9.54mhz/640kb 425.00
Everex Ram 3000 3mb 399.00
Procom 20 Internal 699.00
Orchid Tiny Turbo 80286 8mhz 399.00
Orchid EGA 256kb 264.00
Orchid Turbo EGA 256kb 585.00
Orchid PC Turbo 286-e !mb Memory 8mhz 778.00
Sage Chit-Chat 299.00
All Breakout Modems with Crosstalk XV1
Breakout Int or Ext Modem 300 1200/75 450.00
Breakout Int or Ext Modem 300 1200/75 1200 599.00
Breakout Modem 300 1200/75 1200 2400 799.00
Summa Graphics Mouse 99.00
Microsoft Mouse 143.00
Mouse Systems Mouse 145.00
10mb to 20mb Hard Disk Exchange 350.00
360kb to 10mb Hard Disk Exchange 260.00
360kb to 20mb Hard Disk Exchange 375.00
360kb to 30mb Hard Disk Exchange 445.00
40mb Hard Disk Voice Coil 177.00
Fitting on the above 15.00
Bernoulli Box 10+10mb 1600.00
Bernoulli Box 20¢20mb 2155.00
Printers Dot Matrix
Brother M1109 2$/100ceps 175.00
Brother M1409 45/180cps 295.00
Brother M1S09 45/180cps 380.00
Brother TwioWrlter § 40/160cps 975.00
Epson LX86 16/120cps 210.00
Epson FX800 32/200cps 322.00
Epson FX1000 32/200cps 413.00
Epson EX800 opt Colour 8391 $0/300cps 415.00
Epson EX1!000 opt Colour 8391 $0/300cps $59.00
Epson LQ800 60/180cps 469.00
Epson LQ1000 60/180cps 625.00
Epson LQ2500 opt Colour 90/270cps 785.00
Epson Colour Options 8391 $$.00
IBM Proprinter 40/200cps 363.00
IBM Proprinter XL 40/200cps 425.00
NEC PS XL 88/264ceps 915.00
NEC P6 77/216cps 410.00
NEC P7 77/216cps 490.00
Olivett] DM100 25/120cps 199.00
OTC OT700 350/700cps 1780.00
Panasonic KP 1080 20/100cps 175.00
Panasonic KP 1091 29/120cps 245.00
Panasontc KP 1092 33/180cps 320.00
Panasonle KP 1595 $1/260cps $20.00
Hoveywell 4/21 40/200cps 415.00
Special Offe
20mb Olivetti
M24 Base Unit 640kb Ram
1 x 360kb Disk Dos 3.1
Olivetti Monitor
7 Slot Bus Convertor
Olivetti or IBM Keyboard
Clock Calendar
Serial + Parallel Port
£1420
20mb Hard Disk
As above 1 x 360kb Disk infemaiH/H 20M6 Streamer £600 Extra
Compat 20mb Hard Disk
£1675
intemal H/H 20M8 Streamer £650 Extra
Cotnu Monitor £220 Extra
20MB IBM
IBM XTS-FD Base Unit
20MB Hard Disk
360K Floppy Disk
640K RAM
Hi-res SRE Graphics
Adaptor
20mb IBM XT/286
IBM XT/286 640kb Ram
1 x 1.2mb Disk Dos 3.2
IBM Monitor
Mono Display + Printer
Adaptor
IBM 20mb Hard Disk
IBM Enhanced Keyboard
Clock Calendar
Serial + 2nd Parallel Port
£2440
Mooo Display
IBM XTS Enhanced K/B
Parallel aad Serial Port
DOS 3.2
£1899
Internal H/H 20MB Streamer £600 Extra
Colour Monitor £270 Extra
All pnces are correct at the time of gong
to press and Subject to stocks beng avaiable
Colouw Montor £210 Extra
> circle 159 on enquiry card —
“PRACTICAL COMPUTING
SSS oo S05 wincoy——
Telephone Susan Platts 01-661 3033
ADVERTISEMENT RATES
Rates quoted below are subject to the addition of 15% VAT.
Display Rates £20.00 per single Column Centimetre Minifhum 5cm x 1 col
Micro Ads. Linage 50p per word minimum of 20 words. Prepayable.
Shopwindow advertisements for the Mav issue will be accep
Post to Practical Computin
68 Hills Road - Cambridge CB2 ILA
~ | Telephone (0223) 68622 - Telex 81623
IT REALLY IS MAGIC!
Tandon
(st i.
EP:
momen ATARI
Lint Canon & Opus.
Thinking of buying a
Computer, Accessories,
Printers or Software?
Why not save up to 40%
Contact Rocketfield,
PRC1, 86 Birch Hall
Lane, Manchester 13.
Tel. 061-224 4032
Don’t forget to ask for your
‘Magic’ Order form
ROCKETFIELD
computer systems
w } a
5 T =
% wrod oO
- fox
- — =
< For the BBC (B, B+, Master) 2|
w)
=| OVERLAY BASIC: =
> mm
Transparent, easy touse. Lets your BBC BASIC oa
>| programs call procedures from disk, use them, then
444! forget themuntil next needed. Programs now needing | =
=| 64K RAM may only need SK RAM. Runtime module |
<C| allows other BBC users to run the programs from ls
disk without the chip.
S| £29.95 inc. VAT + p&p =
©} Available only from: =
ut °
| Elsevier— BIOSOFT >
U wn
COPY DATE
CYB COMPUTERS
01-542 7662
Are you the harassed businessman
embarking on purchasing a computer
system?
Do you require a professional advice
and reliable after services? Then read
on:
Our qualified technical support team provide
office systems for word processing, data
management, accounting, networking etc.,
tailored to your immediate and future needs.
Our services include on site training,
installation, maintenance and of course
helpful advice.
We offer flexible payment schemes to
reduce capital expenditure, thus eae you
the system that is best suited to your
business and spending power.
If you are this harassed business man,
Please contact us.
9, Crown Parade, Crown Lane, Morden, Surrey, SM4 SDA
DISK
COPYING/FORMATTING/
FILE TRANSFER
WE CAN TRANSFER YOUR DATA
BETWEEN OVER 1,000 DIFFERENT
MIGROS, MINIS AND MAINFRAMES VIA
FLOPPY DISC OR MAGNETIC TAPE.
FORMATS INCLUDE: CPM, CPM 86,
MSDOS, PCDOS, UNIX, XENIX, IDRIS,
TAR, RT11, MDOS, !BM BEF, ISIS, FLEX,
OS9, VICTOR-SIRIUS, APPLE, TORCH,
ACORN, AMSTRAD, MISC.
TYPESETTING/WORD PROCESSING.
“OVERNIGHT SERVICE — most formats retumed by
next day’s Post
From: *£10.00 + VAT per
copy
(Blank discs not included)
“DISCOUNT for BULK
USUAL TERMS C.W.0.
A.L. DOWNLOADING
SERVICES
166 PORTOBELLO ROAD
LONDON W114 28
TELEPHONE 01-727 8722
TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE FOR SHOPWINDOW,
MICRO ADS AND RECRUITMENT. PHONE:
01-661 3033
112
ted up to Ist April subiect to space being available.
, Classified Department, Room H211, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton Surrey SM2 5AS.
| SoftOscilloscope ]
Turn your BBC B, B+ or Master intoa
powertul tool for fast real-time data
| collection, display and analysis. Free
PCB to create a cheap A/D converter
included; also works with other
standard converters.
i "Education Version (EPROM, disk, |
| manual) £49.95 inc. VAT & Postage.
Professional Version : open access
system (2 EPROMs, 3 disks, 2 manuals)
£199 inclusive.
Individuals send chequelAmexVisalAccess with =a
Fisevier - BIOSOFT
68 Hills Road, Cambridge, |
i _ CB2ILA,U.K.
AL ATARI-ST AK
PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE
We probably have the most extensive collection
of ATARI-ST public domain software In the U.K.
Over 100 disks are packed with Desk Accessories,
Comms software, Games, Utilities, Music and
Languages. And the listis growing daily!
Send anSAE for our most recent list to:
THE SOFT OPTION
5 Barn Owl Way, Stoke Gifford,
Bristol, Avon BS12 6RZ
DESKTOP PUBLISHING
A Seminar
organised by the RM User Group
See the best. in action with Aldus
Pagemaker, Microsoft Word and
MicroSoft Windows
at The Bordesley Centre in Birmingham on
April 4th from Ilam to 4pm
Contact Steve Burrows on 051-639 8237
or Telecom Gold on 72:MAG90380
Free to RM User Group Members
Membership of the RM User Group is £15 pa
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
SM SOFTWARE
SU
Contact House, Church Lane, Bristol
COMMODORE “PET”
8000 USERS
Your system still supported!
No need to change to a PC!
Contact SM (UK) Ltd on
0272-24991
New and Reconditioned
Equipment, Maintenance, Repairs,
Software
APEX HOUSE
18 HOCKERILL ST.
BISHOPS STORTFORD
HERTFORDSHIRE CM23 2DW
TEL. (0279) 59343
TELEX 817547
AMSTRAD PC AND PCW
MICROS WITH VT100
TRANSFER AND
NETWORKING
ALSO VT52, ADDS, TELEVIDEO,
ADM, etc, etc
CUSTOMISED KEYBOARDS AND
TERMINAL EMULATIONS
When replying to
Classified advertisements,
readers are recommended
to take steps to protect
their interests before
sending money.
APRICOT F1 and portable technical
reference manual. £20 each or £35 pair. Also
racing forecasting program £30. State
format CWO Box No. 429m.
WINDOW MANUFACTORS software
package for the AMSTRAD PCW8512, IBM
or compatibles now available. Will produce
cutting lists for any design of window in
aluminium or p.v.c. Send for sample print-
outs or enclose £10 for demo-disks.
SWIFTSOFT Computers, Ballindmallard,
County Fermanagh, N. IRELAND.
SIRIUS 128K, 2x600k didrives Smith Corona
Daisy Wheel Printer with Tractor Feed,
Wordstar, Pulsar Sales and Purchase
Ledgers. £250. Phone 0524 792101.
SIRIUS/IBM & Compatibles Public Domain
software incl. Transfer pack send large sae
to M. Palaci 122 Kilburn High Road, London
NW6 4HY.
SCREENWISE
TERMINAL EMULATION, FILE
PRESTEL and COMMUNICATIONS Southern sales: (0279) 59343.
Northern sales: (0606) 553433 SERVICE & MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS
VIS2 ant VIII ane wade arts of Oxgtal Equipment Conporston
SEX PROBLEMS?
Solve all your RS232 sex problems with our universal cable.
Plug and socket at both ends of the one metre cable. prieg £25
PRINTER CONNECTION PROBLEMS?
SOLUTION 1
CONVERTER: SERIAL TO PARALLEL
£60.83 (inc p&p, ex VAT)
For owners of computers with RS232 outputs who wish to drive
centronics printers. Add £25 for additional ways
SOLUTION 2
DATA SWITCH: 4-WAY SERIAL
£60.83 (inc p&p, ex VAT)
For owners of computers with RS232 outputs who wish to talk
to four different devices without swapping leads
SOLUTION 3
DATA SWITCH: 2-WAY PARALLEL |
£60.83 (inc p&p, ex VAT)
For computer owners who wish to drive more than one
centronics printer. Add £25 for additional ways. Reverse also
possible at same price.
SOLUTION 5
CONVERTER: PARALLEL TO SERIAL
£60.83 (Inc p&p, ex VAT)
For owners of computers with centronics outputs who wish to
drive seria! printers. Add £25 for additional ways
Please enquire about our range of software for the New8rain
and also our low-cost Computes, Cables. All the above prices
include postage and packing, but exclude VAT.
For other solutions watch this space, or contact us at:
TYEPRO LIMITED %
30 Campkin Road, CAMBRIDGE CB4 2NG
Tel: 0223 322394
FULL TECHNICAL SUPPORT & ADVICE
COPY DEADLINE
APRIL 1st
FOR MAY ISSUE
COMPUTER FLOOR 450 2Fx2F Tiles, Jacks,
Aluminium Grids, Complete Floor, £1000
(offers) can deliver 0737 67915 day time
answerphone or evenings.
XEROX 16/8 C.P.U. 10Meg drive black
screen V.D.U. W.P. Keyboard 620 Diablo
Printer C.P.M. and D.O.S. Systems all boxed
unused £1500 01-852 5161.
MICROWRITER £140; Tandy 100/8K
Forgetful £120; Crunch (Mac) Overlarge
£120. Aysgarth (09693) 345.
APRICOT PC Monitor 9” brand new £100
also ten Tandy model III’s complete with
basic training course manuals suitable for
Computer Club. £500 the lot Gosport (0705)
587862 office hours.
EPSON LQ1500 with Tractor Feed and Font
Board £550.000 .DIABLO 630 KSR with
Keyboard and Tractor £650.00 SPRINTER
Interface Convertor £100.00 all domestic
use only 0296 88122 day 641666 evening.
arene Sea fe eee
DISK COPYING SERVICE |
'
i Moving data and program files from
one machine to another is often made
difficult because different.
manufacturers have adopted different
disk format standards.
We can copy your files to and from
over 250 disk formats including
CP/M, CP/M-86, MS-DOS, PC-DOS, ISIS,
APPLE, SIRIUS, TORCH, APRICOT, HP150,
DEC RT-11, and IBM BEF.
Disks are normally despatched on the
day they are received.
Our charge is £10.00 + disk + VAT.
Special prices for quantities.
| For more information call us.
“7 WA ATTIRE
GREY Y MALLE
4 Prigg Meadow, Ashburton Daten TOI37DF, |
TEL. (0364) 53499 10}
<= es
MAKE YOUR OWN
Create screen menus to drive all your
software. Whether you are ina
business, a home-user or even an
experienced programmer, if you use
an IBM Peal eet poring MS-DOS,
you need MAKMEN
Features:
EASY TO USE. SYNTAX CHECKING.
SECURITY. ERROR REPORTING.
FLEXIBILITY. AUTOLOADING. 20
OPTIONS PER SCREEN. ANY
NUMBER OF SCREENS. WRITTEN IN
‘Cc’ — IT’S FAST!
£49.95
Mole Systems Ltd
111 Manor Green Road
Epsom
Surrey KT19 8LW Tel: 03727 21217
COMPUTER OPTICS
DATA COMMUNICATIONS
AIR CONDITIONING
MAINS SUPPLIES
INSTALLATIONS, MAINTENANCE, BREAKDOWN
We offer a complete service at very com-
petitive prices. Specialists in all types of
computer cabling installations.
for a free quotation; Tel: (0442) 216235
COMPUTER OPTICS
16 Chardins Close,
Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP1 2QN.
FOR SALE Ricoh RP1600 Centronics Daily
Whee! Letter quality printer. Cost £1200,
surplus to requirements £595 ono. Siemens
PT88 Whisper Jet Serial Printer cost
£650-£295 ono, never used, view
Chippenham 720984.
TELEVIDEO 800A workstations £200.
TS806/20MG Computer £750. ICL KQ
Terminals £90. Tet: Day 061-832 2816 or
Evenings 061 445 5650. _
RAIR BLACK BOX and ICL PCs (8 bit).
Bought sold exchange repaired advice
given. Ring 0734 668951 (Reading). 267M
dBASE li/IIl custom software development.
Library of programs in dBase available and
modifiable. EaslyLink 6290 9922. KN
Associates, 114-8th Street, Ann Arbor.
Michigan 48103.
SIRIUS expansion boards, high quality, low
cost. Send for details. Issue 18, Norfolk
Road, Brighton BN13AA.
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
113
Gm PC FORUM =7!
dClock-2 is the
latest in the
unique range
of real-time
clock-
calendars for
use in
personal
computers.
On startup
dClock-2
automatically
enters the time
& date into
your
computer.
Through the
use of an internal battery, dClock-2 maintains the precise time
and date even when the system is shut down.
Due to it’s unique design dCLOCK-2 does not take up a
valuable expansion slot in your computer, it simply plugs into
the back of the floppy disk drive or disk controller board.
dCLOCK-2 can be installed by the user in less than 5 minutes.
The unit measures 60mm x 42mm x 18mm and forms an
unobtrusive part of the system.
dClock-2 is suitable for most PC’s ie: PC, AT, & Turbo types,
so long as they have at least one standard 360k disk drive and
run DOS 2 or later.
—ONLY £69.95—
Telephone or credit card orders phone (03526)
61991 or write: Bentley (Computers) Limited
Unit 23, Manor Industrial Estate, Flint, Clwyd
CH6 5UY. Te! 03526 61991
For postal orders please add £1.50 p&p
All prices exclude VAT
*If dCLOCK-2 proves unsuitable for use with your
Gala you may return it within 14 days for a full
retun
OC Gescacsccessesega’
Cer On He's @ Bas 60 0.0/0 §
* Actual size
PC/AT COMPATIBLES
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
USING HIGHEST QUALITY JAPANESE PRODUCTS
PC/XT £365
*8088/V 20-8MH
“640K
*1 FLOPPY DRIVE
“PRINTER PORT
“GRAPHICS DISPLAY ADAPTER, AT STYLE CASE
*AT KEYBOARD NUMS + CAPS LOCK
WITH 20MB HARD DISK MONITOR £780
AT/TURBO £995
*80286 6/8/10MHZ
*512K RAM EXPANDABLE TO 1M
*LEGAL BIOS DYNAMIC SPEED CONTROL
“FLOPPY DRIVE 1.2M
*PRINTER PORT
*GRAPHICS DISPLAY ADAPTER
“AT STYLE KEYBOARD WITH SEPARATE CURSOR PAD
WITH 20MB HARD DISK + MONITOR £1,280
Hi REST TTL MONITOR £69
20MB HARD DISK £229
BILINGUAL SYSTEMS EXPORT ORDERS WELCOME
12 MONTHS WARRANTY AND SUPPORT INCLUDED
PRICES EXCLUDING VAT
FOR ORDERS AND ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT
C.A.S. COMPUTER POINT LTD
TEL 01-708 2734
TLX 8952387 ANSWER G
> circle 142 on enquiry card + |
|= circle 143 on enquiry card =
“PRACTICAL
COMPUTING
Advertisement Index
A E
Altos Computer Systems 6 Electroplan Computers 107
AMA 92 Elite Computer Systems 20
Amstrad Consumer Electronics Elonex UK Ltd {BC
24/25 Epson (UK) Ltd 66/67
Art of Software (The) 60
Aston Technology 89.
Aztech Computer Systems 26 fF
Flute Software Ltd 62
Fraser Associates 26
B Fujitsu 12/13
Bentley Computer Ltd 114
Bits Per Second 18
Borland International 1EGTS H
British Telecom a, Sea Homesbedibadk re@icts 26
Brother Industries 23 HM System cag
Bhatty Computers (My) {inc
Amson Computing) 106
I
Interface Systems 82
Cc Ines Gmbh 62
CAS Computer Point 114 {SD Interface 84
Computer Express 52
Computer Network &
Communications 18 K
Compumart 93 Keying 84
D
Data Marketing (Mill Computer) L
84 Lotus Development (UK) Ltd
Data Plus PSI (Sales) 22. 16/17
114
M Ss
Mercator Computer System Ltd Sagesoft plc 4
20 Sellec Computer Products Ltd55
Mekom Computer Products Ltd Sentinel Software Ltd 43
74 ~~ Silica Shop 83
Micronix Computers Ltd 58/59 Star Micronix (UK) Ltd 81
Micro Peripherals Back Cover System Science 18
Microft Technology Ltd 60
Micro-Rent 54° OT
Microcosm Research 104 Tandy Corporation 48
. Teamwork UK Ltd (Cambridge
Computers) SZ o5
Trisoft Ltd 76
N
Newtons Laboratories 51 w
NVS Solution Ltd 20 Worldwide Computers 111
z
re Zenith Data Systems 29
Omicron Management Ltd 39
P
Pace Micro Technology 63
Plus 5 T 36
Practical Computing Filler 108
R
Realtime Development Ltd 102
Ringdale Peripherals 8
PRACTICAL COMPUTING April 1987
XT-Compatible
20 Megabytes
4.77/18 MHz
The PC88 Turbo
Legal BIOS
NEC V-20 Super Processor
Switchable 4.77/8 MHz Clock
640K RAM
20MB Half Height Hard Disk
360K Half Height Floppy
Parallel Printer + RS232 Serial ports
Clock/Calendar with Battery
Back-up.
AT-Compatible
20 Megabytes
6/8/10 MHz
0 or 1 Wait States
The PC-286 Turbo
Legal Bios
Switchable 6/8/10 MHz
640K RAM
20 MB Half Height Hard Disk
1.2 MB Half Height Floppy
Parallel Printer + Two RS232 Serial Ports
Clock/Calendar with Battery Back- up
OPTIONS @ 30 MB Hard Disk Drive
Upgrade £265
@ 40MB Hard Disk Drive
Upgrade £365
£795
Monographic/Printer card
130W Power Supply
Professional Keyboard
**Hi-Res 12”’? Green Monitor
MS-DOS 3.2
Full Set of Manuals
8 Expansion Slots
12 Months Warranty
1295
Monographic/Printer card
200W Power Supply
Professional Keyboard
‘*Hi Res 14””’ Green Monitor
MS-DOS 3.2
Full Set of Manuals
8 Expansion Slots
12 Months Warranty
@ 14” Hi Res Colour Monitor
and EGA Card Upgrade £395
@ EGA Card £165
@ 14” Colour Monitor Upgrade
£175
‘ON SITE MAINTENANCE AVAILABLE’
*ELONEX wwtta.
Please feel free to visit our showroom for demonstration
RAYS HOUSE, NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD, STONEBRIDGE PARK,
LONDON NW10 7XB TELEPHONE: 01-965 3225
| > circle 144 on enquiry card —
7200 NLQ MATRIX
The world's first multi-function, multi-
wire, flat-bed printer. It allows you to
print virtually any kind of businessform. It
gives quality print as well as colour and
plotting facilities.
Speed: 324cps (Draft). 108cps (LQ).
Columns: 136. Compatibility: IBM,
Epson, or Diablo 630.
Price: £1395.
5510/5520 NLQ MATRIX
High speed, NLQ with full graphics mode
and 3K memory. 5520 is the colour
version.
Speed: 180cps (Draft). 30cps (NLQ).
Columns: 80. Compatibility: IBM &
Epson,
Price: 5510 £329, 5520 £449.
6500 DAISYWHEEL
This new dalsywheel Is designed for heavy
duty office use. It’s very fast and includes
parallel and serial interfaces.
Speed: 60cps. Columns: 132.
Compatibility: IBM & Diablo 630.
Price: £1299.
6300 DAISYWHEEL
Our best selling general purpose
dalsywheel printer. It’s fast speed andlow
noise level make it ideal for the office.
Speed: 40cps. Columns: 132.
Compatibility: IBM & Diablo 630.
Price: £899,
6200 DAISY WHEEL
A popular wide bodied letter quality
printer, perfect for the smaller office.
Parallel or serial interface.
Speed: 30cps. Columns: 132
Compatibility: IBM & Diablo 630.
Price: £579.
Zee
6100 DAISY WHEEL
TheU.K.’s bestselling daisy wheel printer.
100 character wheel. 2K memory
expandable to 8K.
Speed: 20cps Columns: 110.
Compatibility: 1BM & Diablo 630.
Price: £399.
6000 DAISY WHEEL
A letter quality printer designed for home
use. 100 character wheel and either
parallel or serial interface.
Speed: 10cps. Columns: 90.
Compatibility: IBM graphics printer.
Price: £199.
Ze ” Y Ve } ff a Ca a cd &
Pye / tis Ln
Essential hardware if you
don’t buy a Juki.
Mind you, if you do buy a Juki Printer you can put your tools away, because we're
HiFi
now giving a full 2 year warranty” on the entire Juki range.
Whatever your needs, whether for home use, small business or busy office, Juki
have a machine that's ideal.
Juki printers are compatible with virtually all computer systems and with prices
ranging from just £199* to £1395* they're compatible with your pocket too.
For more detailed information and brochures on Juki printers phone us now
for free on 0800 521111.
— circle 145 on enquiry card <—
Intec 2, Unit 3, Wade Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 ONE. Telephone: 0256 473232.
Telex: 859669 MICRO P G Facsimile: 0256 461570.
Units 5 & 6, Newhallhey Works, Newhallhey Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire
BB4 6HL. Telephone: 0706 211526 Facsimile: 0706 228166.
* Excludes printhead, ribbon and daisywheel. + All prices ate RRP Ex. VAT. iBM, EPSON & DIABLO are trade marks and are recognised.
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