In the December issue of RISC User (Volume 2 Issue 2) I noticed with interest a letter from Barbara Wilson pointing out that the magazine was too technically oriented. With this I agree. For every computer boffin among your readers there must be many others at various levels of knowledge down to absolute beginners.
With RISC User I would like to see many more short (or rather short) utility routines which could be incorporated into one's own programs. The Hints & Tips section I would like to see enlarged. In general I would like to see more space devoted to simpler matters.
Arthur Cantrill
Thanks for a great magazine in RISC User. I am currently experimenting with the PC Emulator, but find the manual a little short on instructions, especially where PC DOS commands are concerned. Would you please run an article on these commands?
Bill Tottle
As a new computer user (the Archimedes is our first), we are especially interested in articles which introduce us to the available software, any new software in the pipeline, and general articles to give us some idea of the wide range of things which can be performed on this computer. I am well aware that at the moment we are just scratching the surface.
In view of this, we find the majority of your articles almost incomprehensible, and would appreciate it if you could begin some articles with an "idiot's guide", to be skipped by those already in the know. Or perhaps you could have a section of the magazine especially for people like us with limited knowledge of programming.
Pamela Price
Most of the recent correspondence, as above, has been from RISC User members seeking more introductory and explanatory articles in the magazine. We are already trying to respond to the needs of these readers through a greater emphasis on applications, and by including more introductory articles on the Archimedes, but it should be remembered that this is a highly sophisticated, and thus sometimes complex system.
We would also welcome comment from our more technically minded readers (the boffins as Mr Cantrill phrases it). What do they think about RISC User content? We feel that we have an obligation, which we try to meet, of catering for the needs of all Archimedes users, and all comment from readers in this respect is welcome.
If you are looking for subject matter, may I make a plea on behalf of video camera owners like myself. So far the majority of software available for video titling has been written for the Amiga, and I have been waiting for someone to port it over to the Arc. Alas this has not happened.
I have used the splendid 'Fancy Font' scroller (Volume 1 Issue 7) written by Barry Christie. Good as it is, it is not that easy to use, especially for non-programmers. I wonder if the program could be enlarged and made more comprehensive. Additional items might be:
1. Menu driven
2. Four way scrolling, possibly 3D
3. Coloured titles (for an Arc with a PAL colour encoder module) and B/W titles
4. The two Acorn fancy fonts at different point sizes.
5. Extra fonts, fancy or otherwise
6. To be used with or without genlock
7. Wipe patterns and fades
It seems that I am asking a lot and by its complexity too long for the magazine, but if it were available as saleable software I am sure that there would be a ready market. I feel that there is about to be an explosion in the sale of video cameras, but unfortunately there is very little post production software, and none for the Archimedes.
R.Follett
Can anyone help? This seems like a good opportunity for someone with the necessary time and expertise.