NEWS

DTP IS HERE

Spring seems to be the time for desktop publishing packages. Firstly, Acorn's long awaited system is now available. It is unimaginatively called Desktop Publisher, and is in fact a modified version of the Timeworks package for the Atari ST. The package includes the ability to use a wide range of text sizes and styles, and also allows pictures to be incorporated. Desktop Publisher costs £171.35 (inc. VAT) and will be available from all Acorn dealers.

Another DTP package is Pixel Perfect from AVP, which was originally launched some time ago, but has now been rewritten to take advantage of RISC OS. Unlike Acorn's system, Pixel Perfect is aimed mainly at the educational market. More details can be obtained from AVP Computing, School Hill Centre, Chepstow, Gwent NP6 5PH, tel. (0291) 625439.

Meanwhile BEEBUG has developed its own DTP package, and details can be found on the following page, and in the current retail catalogue.

MACH PRODUCTS

MACH Technology, a new company on the Archimedes scene, promises a wide range of quality, low cost products for the Archimedes. Among their first offerings are a 20Mb hard disc upgrade for the 300 series at £249 (all prices inc. VAT), and an 80286 based PC card for £300. This latter device will allow PC software to run many times faster than it can be under the PC emulator. Also promised is a hardware floating point co-processor which will rival Acorn's own unit, which is due for release very soon. On the software front, Mach are offering a full desktop publishing package for £89.95, a Basic compiler for £39.95, Hyperbase, a graphical database, for £49.95, and a Modula 2 compiler for £89.95. More details, and information on availability, can be obtained from Mach Technology, 75 Hydewood Road, Little Yeldham, Essex CO9 4QX, tel. (0787) 238125.

THE PIPEDREAM GROWS

Colton Software has totally rewritten their popular integrated word processor Pipedream to make it fully RISC OS compatible. Pipedream 3 is fully multi-tasking and has a number of new features, including the ability to import View and Viewsheet files directly. New spreadsheet features allow for multiple sheets with cross references, together with several new functions. There is a macro recording facility to enable sequences of actions to be remembered, and files can be exported directly into Acorn's Desktop Publisher. Pipedream 3 includes an in-built spelling checker, and costs £169.05 (inc. VAT). The package will be on sale at the BBC Acorn User Show in July.

SCSI HARD DISCS

Oak Computers, best know for the Oak PDT design package, have developed a Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) podule for the Archimedes. SCSI is an intelligent interface designed mainly for connecting mass-storage peripherals to computers. The Oak unit will allow up to four hard disc drives to be connected, each with a capacity of up to 512Mb. One use of the new board will be for owners of model B hard discs, who wish to connect them to the Archimedes. Price and availability are not yet known, though Oak say that the interface will be on display at the BBC Acorn User Show in July.

I SPY A BIRD

Birdlog is a public domain database specially tailored to the needs of bird watchers. The package allows you to keep track of the comings and goings of different species, in a number of places, on a day-by-day basis. Facilities exist for statistical analysis of the data, which can subsequently be exported to a word processor. Birdlog is supplied with a 9600-word user guide on disc, and can be obtained by sending £5.99 (to cover disc and costs) to David Pilling, PO Box 22, Thornton Cleveleys, Blackpool, FY5 1LR.

RISC OS SUPPLY

RISC User members who feel that they have been waiting for ages for RISC OS upgrades will be pleased to know that Acorn believe the supply problem to be over. By the time you read this, all outstanding orders from BEEBUG should have been satisfied, and RISC OS will be available from stock. Acorn say that the problem has been equally bad for all dealers, and is a result of the time taken by Japanese companies to produce the required quantities of ROM chips.

BEEBUG NEWS

On this page we take a look at some of the exciting new products and developments at BEEBUG which will shortly be available to RISC User members.

NEW ARCHIMEDES PRODUCTS

BEEBUG has been busy developing a number of new products for the Archimedes. First and foremost is a full-feature desktop publishing and word processing package. It is fully WIMP based and makes extensive use of 'fancy fonts'. As well as entering and laying out text in many styles and sizes, sprites and draw files can be included in the document. There is also a fast built-in spelling checker.

A perfect companion to this is our new 200 dot-per-inch handheld scanner and interface podule. This allows photographs and pages of text to be read in as sprites, and then incorporated into documents or used in other packages. The scanner will be available in A6 and A4 widths, with an optional sheet-feeder for the A4 model.

The BEEBUG Hard Disc Backup will be of particular interest to all hard disc users. This WIMP driven package allows either full or incremental backup of files, and uses a compression technique to reduce the number of floppies needed. Also included is a multi-file archiver and de-archiver, and a utility to locate files on your hard disc.

All of these products can be seen at the BBC Acorn User Show (see below), and more details are given in the current retail catalogue.

BEEBUG EXPANDS PREMISES AND PRODUCT RANGE

BEEBUG and RISC User are moving to new and larger premises in St. Albans in early August. This long awaited move will enable us to offer a number of new and improved services.

The new showroom is about double the size of the existing one, enabling us to have more equipment on display. It will also allow us to offer Aries and Amstrad PC's for customers who have requirements in this area. We have now employed a full-time engineer and can offer a faster turnaround on repairs. Additionally, in response to requests from members, we now have a training facility, and will shortly be offering competitively priced courses on a variety of subjects.

Please see the enclosed leaflet for more details of our new premises, and an invitation to our open day to see our new facilities and meet the staff.

ORDER AND SUBSCRIPTION PROCESSING

We have recently installed a major networked computer system to handle order processing and subscriptions. This means that whether you phone in with an order or subscription, we will have all your details to hand. Our telesales staff, Julie and Debbie, will key your order straight into the computer, which now enables us to despatch over 80% of orders on the day they are received. On subscription processing, Mandy and Sarah can similarly renew your subscription or change your address etc., instantly over the phone.

The new system also keeps control of our large stock of hardware and software, thereby ensuring that we can re-order items before running out. As a consequence of this new system, your personal membership number is now more important than ever, and should always be quoted over the phone, or in correspondence.

BBC ACORN USER SHOW

The BBC Acorn User show at Alexandra Palace from 21st - 23rd July is the only Acorn-specific show this year. BEEBUG and RISC User will be there on stand 55. We will be demonstrating all the new products mentioned above, along with many other items including the new Acorn A3000 computer (currently on demonstration in our showroom). The magazine and technical staff will be on hand to chat with members and try and help with any problems. Alternatively, why not take the opportunity to meet the faces behind the names seen on the pages of BEEBUG and RISC User.

NEW CATALOGUE

With this issue of RISC User you will have received a much larger retail catalogue than normal. This new format catalogue allows us to give more details, and pictures of products. Included in this new catalogue is the full range of Amstrad and Aries PCs which we stock.