8-BIT SOFTWARE ISSUE 22 INTRODUCTION AND NEWS *** IMPORTANT *** It seems that quite a few people have been omitting to read important parts of the disk magazine, in particular the end of the Mailbox article, which contains any messages which have been sent to you personally. I know some parts of the magazine do go on a bit, and are somewhat more technical than many people might like, but please try to at least look through it! *** ALSO IMPORTANT *** Issue 23 is to be edited and distributed by Chris Richardson. Please try to get all submissions, text etc. to Chris by 1st November at the latest. The issue will be distributed around 14th November, and I am told that it will be largely in Teletext format, but with advanced printout and MODE 3 display options. Any software/articles I have received that have not been featured already will be forwarded to Chris, but please send him any new articles, software or other text (comments on programs etc.) if at all possible. Please note that Chris CANNOT supply 3.5" disks, so if this is the only format you are able to use then ask me for a copy of issue 23 when you write to me for issue 24. ISSUE 24 I am distributing issue 24 (the Christmas issue, hopefully), and the arrangements are as usual; 50p + disk + return P&P. Please write as soon as possible after the end of November, as I return from university at the start of December and will not have very much time to get the issue organised. If you wish to write to me between 7th October and 31st November, you can write directly to: Daniel G. Shimmin Please DO NOT ask for issues or back issues or TBI disks while I am at university as I won't have them with me. Also don't expect a quick reply, especially if you don't enclose an SSAE. You can still write to the old address and letters will be forwarded within two weeks. REPTON COMPETITION Right, I know this is now about three years past its sell-by-date, but I forgot to mention it last issue and... For those who don't know, the competition is to design a set of screens for whichever Repton game allows you to do that (!), which will then be published. All members will then vote on which set is best, the winner gets five pounds cash plus two (I think) commercial games, all of which have been contributed by Duncan Webster. The new deadline for anyone to submit their Repton screens (send them to me) is 5th December 1992. All screens will be published in the Christmas issue, everyone will vote, and the prizes will be given before February 1993. That is the final deadline - there are to be NO MORE EXTENSIONS. I promise. MEMBERSHIP ETC. Issue 20 has been distributed to well over forty people, and issue 21 to around twenty-five. This is still a worryingly low membership, despite the fact that BBC Acorn User have finally featured our free ad, and, thanks to the help of one member, 8BS has even been mentioned on local radio. No doubt membership will slowly improve over a long period, and the existing membership seems quite sufficient to generate some excellent issues. However, several people have suggested that if any members have any spare free ad coupons for magazines they should send them in to me - this seems a good idea. ADFS VERSION I am now wishing I had never done an ADFS version of issue 21 as it took up so much time, but it has proved very popular, so I have prepared an ADFS version of issue 22 as well. Please let me know if you have ADFS but want issues in DFS. PROFIT/LOSS Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions for cost-cutting (!) - I am looking into some of these. You don't need to worry though, as 8BS won't be closing down just because of a financial loss. Thanks also to the people who have written in supporting the 50p charge (!). ARTICLE SUGGESTIONS Or rather, suggestion. Steven Flintham has suggested that someone should write some computer-based humour on a regular basis, like the long-dead "Barry Wood's Tailpiece" and "Bob and Trev" in The Micro User. Any offers? APOLOGIES Firstly, for the late delivery of issue 21, which caused some confusion. Hopefully this is all sorted out by now. Secondly, for the fact that recent issues have resembled the Arch Programmer's Ref. Manuals in complexity and the amount of information (if not in price). I would like to make every article accessible to the absolute beginner while remaining short enough not to bore people, but this is not always possible. Finally, 8BS has been a little disorganised over the last month (the old lack of time problem again), so if I have missed anything out please let me know. SOME WORDS COMMONLY MIS-SPELLED weird receive all right thank you grateful definitely original originally (That was my attempt to make this issue educational) MISSING FROM THIS ISSUE I have omitted the various hardware reviews I promised for a variety of reasons - no-one has submitted any comments of their own for a start. If time allows I will write hardware reviews for either issue 23 or issue 24. In addition, I have been promised a very large amount of submissions, especially articles, which have not yet reached me. GENERAL COMMENTS Gareth Moore has written to me and very kindly offered to continue the special-offer prices for 8BS members (see GLM PD catalogue in issue 20) until Summer 1993 or possibly even longer. So get your orders sent off now! I have now purchased a 32016 second processor, with the accompanying system software (C, Pascal etc. etc.) and it looks very impressive. I intend to set up a user-group for 32016-owners, as there is little commercial support available - the user group is to be called 24-bit Software. So far it has two (!) members, as Hugh Williams intends to purchase a 32016 very shortly. If anyone knows anyone else who owns one I would like to get in touch... POWER RAIDER CHEAT Chris Richardson has supplied a cheat for M.T.Farnworth's Power Raider game in issue 20. To gain invincibility, do the following: *LOAD POWCODE ?&2E78=&EA ?&2E79=&EA ?&2E7A=&EA *SA. POWCODE 1800+3FFF