USE CURSOR KEYS TO SCROLL TEXT. USE CURSOR KEYS TO SCROLL TEXT. OK YOU WIN OK YOU WIN 25.11.93 Crumbs. Nobody seems to want their BBCs any more. These last few weeks I have been overrun with people trying to flog off their BBCs and Masters. What is going on? Right, I had been avoiding the subject of a quick list of what is on an issue. The reason for this has been that it would have been more work for me each time with more chance of errors. What tipped the scales for me was a carefully typed out sheet from K2H. He had put down exactly what he wanted, using issue 31 as an example. This made my tiny brain click into gear because what was on the paper was exactly what had been in the menu itself. This made me realise that the job was quite simple really. The beauty of the program "MenRead" is that it will work for any of the Steven Flintham 8BS menus. This includes menus used on some of the TBI discs (TBI-00, TBI-47 and TBI-48). Any complaints??? 28.11.93 K2F answered my queries from issue 30. Thanks John. Apparently a BBC and monitor consume approximately 67 Watts. which is almost exactly .5p an hour so K2F says. This means that for the last 6 months my setup has cost me #56,925.23 to run. (Don't tell my wife though). I give in! No, not really. Do you remember me asking about how to join two computers together using an RS423 lead? K2B obliged me with some info on how to do just this. It ran something like this: Join the two machines with the RS423, then run this program in one: 10*FX7,6 20*FX8,6 30*FX4,1 40REPEAT 50VDU GET 60UNTIL FALSE Run this program in the second 10*FX7,6 20*FX8,6 30*FX3,7 40REP. 50P."Hello" 60UNTIL FALSE The trouble is, I know in theory that this should work, but it doesn't on my Master and BBC. What am I doing wrong? 1.12.93 For those of you that are a little fed up of the menu of issue 31 doing odd things due to the seasonal effect, you have three options: OPTION 1: Change the !BOOT file. Change the reference to C% to 0 OPTION 2: LOAD"Menu" 0 C%=0 SAVE"Menu" OPTION 3: Let it snow all year round. Apologies to Steven Flintham for ruining a perfectly good menu program. 2.12.93 Today I have received the third package this week containing discs that are hopelessly corrupted. The first package was from a non-member. It contained 13 formatted discs. 5 of them were hopelessly corrupted and would not re-format. The second contained two discs which were corrupted and would not re-format. The third contained one disc which was again corrupted. One point to note is that the discs affected were in envelopes NOT marked: MAGNETIC MEDIA. MAGNETIC MEDIA. All members please take note and remember to mark your envelopes accordingly. 5.12.93 It now transpires that one of the packages of faulty discs had been left adjacent to a microwave for a time before posting. Could it have been this?!! 7.12.93 0E7 Had a few problems/suggestions with the hints and tips that I put onto the ADFS version of issues 30 and 31. (DFS users may order these from me as BBC-24). I have written a short program that should meet 0E7s requirements. The program will printout/view the help files consecutively or selectively. This program will also work on the original DFS disc, BBC-24. For ADFS users, before the program is of any use you will need to prepare an ADFS disc: 1. Type: *CDIR $.0 2. Type: *CDIR $.2 3. Copy files 001 to 099 and INDEX0 to INDEX5 into DIR $.0 4. Copy files 100 to 206 into DIR $.2 5. Type *OPT 4 3 6. Type: *DIR $ *BUILD !BOOT *BASIC *DIR $ CHAIN"Reed" Then Press ESCAPE 7. Copy REED into DIR $ of the disc You may now use SHIFT+BREAK to run the program. DFS users. Simply load the program "Reed" Insert BBC-24 and type RUN. If anyone would rather just send off for an ADFS version of the above, I have kept a copy of the ADFS version that I made up to test out the theory. Send an ADFS formatted disc with return p+p and I shall do the honours. 20.12.93 Please note that now I can supply the PD software in the pool on 3.5" discs. Details in the catalogue. Anyone that has TBI-00 should send it to me for updating when submitting a disc for issue 23. Anyone that has not yet got a copy of TBI-00. Please send me a DFS formatted disc extra next time for your free copy. The disc contains things like the messaging system, catalogue and 8BS info. 23.12.93 K1Z has sent me this on a piece of paper, I thought that I would copy this astute observation in for you to ponder: Picked in Brazil and Colombia and then shipped to Nestle in Switzerland for roasting, then shipped back to the USA for processing in the one and only plant owned by general foods, yes Maxwell House. Here the beans are ground, freeze dried, packed in airtight jars and returned to Switzerland where the jars are labelled, packed in boxes and distributed around Europe. Quite a journey for the little coffee bean, no wonder coffee is so expensive. PLEASE NOTE THAT ELK PD HAS CLOSED PLEASE NOTE THAT ELK PD HAS CLOSED DOWN! DOWN! RIP 5.1.94 Back after the festivities. Happy new year everyone. A big thank you to Steven Flintham for your work on the messaging system. Word wrap has been added. This should keep most members happy now. There are also a few other subtle changes to the programs which allow for future updates more easily. I have given the system as much welly as I could and have found no problems. Everyone should keep their old copies of the messaging system safe somewhere until the new one has proved itself. If problems arise with the new one, revert to the old one as my collection software can handle both message file formats (for the present anyway). A request. Does anyone know of a program that will sort strings from Wordwise+ faster than Norwich Computer Services' ADRSORT? I have now wasted quite a lot of time trying to join my Master to my BBC. Several people have sent suggestions/software that should in theory do the job, but I have failed miserably. This question has been asked of me. I have a bit of knowledge but not enough to answer it myself: Does anyone know how to send data files (ASCII text generally) from the BBC to other PC and IBM CPM users. Has anyone written a program to read or format output for other disc systems? 7.1.94 John Ilsley has given me some info about how to join computers together. He reckons it is probably my lead (RS423) that needs adapting. When I get this issue into the post box I shall attack my machines with a soldering iron and a pair of pliers. This could of course be the end of 8BS! No worries. There is always my Compact. K2C has sent me a letter urging me to increase my charges. This on top of what seems like a deluge of requests from members to increase my charges. K2C has sent me two user group mags for the PC as examples of the superiority of 8BS (I think). I must admit that I do put a large amount of time into 8BS. So do most members. We all do this for no profit and I do not wish to make money out of it. I have paid for most of the hardware that I now use. Today I make 8BS 11.58p down with 280 blank 5.25" discs and 150 3.5" discs in stock. This month I have backed up the entire collection of 232 PD discs that I have (well 20 of them I hope to be PD soon) collected since last May. All this is paid for by moneys taken. I have a good 3500 sheets of fanfold paper. A bottle of endorsing ink for re-inking printer ribbons and 2 spare ribbons. Thanks to K2L there is enough headed writing paper to last until the year 2000. There is a large amount of commercial software which is for sale. Any monies received from sales goes into the 8BS account. You cannot value the pleasure that I get from communicating with members and enquirers. As I write this item this afternoon the telephone is hot with enquiries prompted by a free ad that I placed in the Micro Mart. Thanks to K2B for giving me the prompt and supplying the form (any more out there? Forms that is). I would like to propose raising charges for software from the pool. At present members can obtain software for 10p per disc. This is obviously an area where charges could be increased quite substantially without hurting too many pockets. How does ten bob a chuck sound? Please let me know what you all think. A lot of members ask for one or two discs extra with each issue. If I were to raise this charge to 50p per disc (if disc and return p+p supplied) this would in fact make the charge the same as the charge to non-members. I would particularly like comments from members that order software regularly (I know who you are, so no excuses!) Another simple way that members could boost the funds would be to order software from the pool with me supplying the disc and postage at the usual PD price, ie #1.00 per disc. Some members have already "Auto Boosted" and sent wads of cash. Where's the library.... Ahhhh! Everybody all together now! Money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money. Money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money. Aieeev got forty thousand pounds in my pyjamas, I've got fifty thousand French Francs in my fridge. I've got lots of loverly Lira now the Deutchmark's getting dearer and my Dollar bills could buy the Brooklyn bridge. Chorus..... (That was Monty Python for the uninitiated.) My wife wants to know if 2 ROMs make a right. I don't think so. Destroyed Realities Destroyed Realities Write to David Lowless Destroyed Realities 82 Main Street Pembroke Dyfed Wales SA71 4HH His disc based mag is receiving the finishing touches (should be finished by the time you read this). I have a sample copy of the mag and it is well worth a look. 8.1.94 That is it! Never again. Forget joining computers together. I tried out John Ilsley's idea and got nowhere again. Just as a matter of interest, I have worked out roughly when all the issues will fall this year. The issue 39 deadline will be on the 1st of December with issue on the 15th of December. This should beat the Christmas rush and put the deadline for issue 40 in a bit better position than this issue was. 9.1.94 Before I end this article I must thank you all for the support that you have given me and 8BS in 1993. Keep it up! Thanks also for the Christmas cards. Extra special thanks to the following members: 105 For Starting 8BS in the first place 483 For rescuing 8BS when it closed down. 15A For helping substantially to bring 8BS around to what it is today by writing the messaging system and the menu system. In the pipeline a new questionnaire. One of the most popular items in 8BS issues is now the messaging system. Thanks to the following members for contributions and help beyond the call of duty: 0E7 19F 1J1 1K1 1V5 204 20G 27N 3MK 3PM 3SQ 3TR 3WU 4B2 6EE 8J4 L1J L1L L1M YJ2 K1H K1Q K1R K1Z K2B K2C K2D K2H K2J K2K K2L