¢ABOUT THE EDITOR, BY THE EDITOR!¢¢¢ Well, one thing that you usually find in the first issue of a newsletter, is the editor's history. So here's mine!¢¢¢ Back in 1985 some family friends won an 800XL. They knew very little about computers, and so asked me to sort a few things out for them (I was using a TI-99/4A then!) So, I kindly agreed. I started reading the manuals and was pretty amazed at what the thing was capable of. I wanted one!¢¢ A few days later, I was in the local newsagents and noticed a copy of ATARI USER on the shelf. I had a quick look through, and found a company selling 800XLs for 100quid each. I bought the magazine and wrote off to the company. They wrote back telling me 800XLs had gone out of production, but I could have a 130XE for 130quid. I just couldn't afford it. I gave up hope!¢¢ About a week later I saw a newspaper advert from Dixons advertiing 800XLs with a data recorder, joystick and a load of games for 99.95. I couldn't believe it! I phoned and reserved one, and was able to collect it a week later (they'd run out!)¢¢ It took me a while to get the hang of things (after using a TI-99/4A everything else seems weird!) I spent a while getting more into the machine, and did quite a bit of programming on it.¢¢ It wasn't until the summer of 1988 that I thought it might be a good idea to sell some of the stuff I'd written. So I placed an advert in MicroMart advertising Atari PD software. Responses were poor. But I sold some stuff. I didn't give up hope, though! I kept plodding on, placing adverts from time-to-time, getting a few more customers each time. At this stage I was only selling PD software which I had written, so there was a very limited range (as some of my old customers will no-doubt remember!)¢¢ In November of that year I wrote DSIL, a program for using digitized sounds. I decided to sell it commercially myself. Unfortunately, it flopped! (DSIL can now be found in my PD library) However, I knew it was a good idea, and continued developing it.¢¢ Early in 1989 I came up with DMS 1.75 (rev. 1.00 and 1.50 failed to work!) I thought I'd finally got it right! I placed a display advert in MicroMart (50quid) and hoped! What a disaster! I sold quite a few copies, but not enough to even cover costs. None-the-less, I still continued selling it up until November of that year, when I'd finished DMS 2.¢¢ Also in November of that year, I exhibited at my first computer show - AMS3. So there I was with my ready-duplicated PD and DMS. And, suprisingly, things went well!¢¢ It was in early 1990 that I made the break into selling other people's PD software. This is probably the best decision I ever took! I kept advertisng, and getting new customers all the time, and this time I advertised in BaPAUG's 8:16 for the first time. Another good move!¢¢ It was in the summer of this year that somebody said it might be a good idea to start a newsletter. I agreed, and all these monthes later, here it is!¢¢ In November of this year, I exhibited at AMS4. People knew me now, and things went well!¢¢ So there we have it! That's how things began.¢¢ For your information, here is the hardware I currently own:¢¢computers: 800¢ 800XL¢ 130XE¢¢drives: 1050 (happy modified)¢ 1050 (standard)¢ 810¢¢printers: XMM801¢ 1029¢¢recorders: 1010¢ XC12¢¢other: "Replay" sound digitizer¢ ICD printer interface¢¢¢ And for those who want to know, my qualifications are: 10 "O" levels (including computer studies at grade A), and a B/TEC National Diploma in computer studies (with 5 distinctions). I am currently reading for a degree in computer science.¢¢¢Dean Garraghty.¢
