RISC User Series

Articles by Richard Hallas
Narcissus Edition

Here are the collected RISC User writings of Richard Hallas. The first set of articles (issues 5:1 to 8:10) are as they were submitted to the Editor of the day, and will differ to some extent from the published versions. They are stored in their own individual archive; the later articles are cross-referenced to the main magazine archives. The articles from 9:1 to 11:10 are exactly as printed (as they date from Richard Hallas' editorship), whilst the volume 12 articles were laid out by Richard Hallas, and are as submitted (except for minor corrections).

Click this icon to open a window showing the contents of the archive

RISC User issues 5:1 to 8:10

N/A		Review: PMS (unpublished) This review, written in April 1991, was submitted as a writing sample as a result of Mike Williams' editorial in RISC User 4:5, which invited submissions from new writers
5:1		Review: Render Bender II
5:4		Review: Illusionist
5:6		Review: Notate The archive also contains a Maestro music file that was created in Notate; this was included on the RISC User disc for this issue
5:7		Feature: Penguin Graphics in Ovation and Impression An unpublished earlier version of the article is also included in the archive
5:9		Review: Vector
6:3		Review: Imagery
6:4		Review: Revelation imagePro
6:5		Review: Digital Symphony The archive also contains a sample piece of music in the form of a relocatable module which can be played on any RISC OS machine; it was intended for the RISC User Disc, but was not used
6:6		Review: PMS (Professional Music Scribe) version 2
		Customising the RISC OS 3 desktop, part 1: Giving RISC OS 3 the (multiple) boot
6:7		Customising the RISC OS 3 desktop, part 2: New-look windows and icons
		Book review: Graphics on the ARM Machines
N/A		Review: ART20 (unpublished)
7:1		Review: ProArtisan 2
7:2		Review: Rhapsody 3 The archive contains a couple of musical example files
		Group Survey: Image Processors This version is significantly longer than the one that was published
7:3		Review: Font Directory
		Review: Image Bank
		Book reviews: ArtWorks Made Easy, RISC OS 3 First Steps and First Steps in Programming Acorn RISC OS Computers
7:4		Review: The Tekkie Disc
		Feature: Dots Before Your Eyes Using ProArtisan 2 to create 3D stereograms
7:6		Review: PhotoBase: Landscapes A hint that was published in RISC User 7:7 is also included in the archive
7:7		Review: CDFast
7:8		Group Survey: Compression Systems
		Review: Pioneer DRM-604X CD-ROM Changer
		Review: ImageFS
		Review: ArtWorks 1.5 (CD version) and ArtWorks ClipArt CD
7:10		Review: The Scrabble Player
8:1		Review: Tabby
8:2		In Business with Acorn: KeyNote Music Typesetting The archive also includes a letter that was published in Write-Back in issue 8:2
		Review: Formulix
8:3		DTP Workshop: Font Facts
8:4		Review: EasyFont 3
		Review: ArtWorks Arranger The archive also contains a simple clip-art image of a bicycle
8:5		Review: ArtWorks ClipArt CD 2
		Review: Font Designers Toolkit
8:6		DTP Workshop: Speaking in Tongues: Inter-platform file transfer and conversion
8:7		Review: TechWriter Professional
8:8		Review: DRAW_Changer
8:10		Review: FontTrix Pro
		Review: VersaTile

RISC User issues 9:1 to 12:10

9:1			Editorial
			Xara Studio The outstanding new successor to ArtWorks, which can be run under the PC card
9:2			Editorial
			Technical Queries (unpublished) Unused Technical Queries page
			What's Cooking at Innovative Media Solutions? There's soon going to be an explosion of exciting new CD-ROMs appearing in the Acorn market. We talk to the company responsible
			Merlin A powerful new ray tracer from Evolution Computer
			Pineapple's Removable Hard Drive A new approach to data security
			ImageFS 2 A filing system for translating graphic images
			The Risc Disc, volume 2
9:3			Editorial
			Pocket Book II software Microsoft's AutoRoute Express has made it to the Pocket Book; and there are some new games to help while away long journeys
			Software MIDI Synthesiser Acorns have long been able to do in software what other machines have to do in hardware. ESP's new MIDI synthesiser follows in this great tradition
			ArtWorks Video Guide
9:4			Editorial
			Fruit and Nut Sensation! Acorn and Apple are about to join forces, and it may mean the end of RISC OS; we consider the announcement
			Sibelius version 3 The world-beating Acorn music package crescendos to new heights
			QuickTime Virtual Reality Viewer QuickTime VR is an Apple innovation, but this RISC OS software makes it easier to use on an Acorn than on a Mac
			Technical Queries
9:5			Editorial
			A Tale of Two Desktops The Mac OS desktop looks set to become a lot more familiar to Acorn users. We look at how it compares with RISC OS
			Apple Matters Transferring files from Apple to Acorn
			Mini Reviews Four CD-ROMs from APDL come under scrutiny
9:6			Editorial
			TopModel It's taken some time to arrive, but TopModel looks set to become the Sibelius of the 3D modelling world
9:7			Editorial
			Editorial (unpublished) An editorial column which was discarded in favour of the published version
			Dalmation fonts Low priced but high quality fonts from Dalmation Publications, some of which blur the distinction between fonts and clip-art
9:8			Editorial
			The Image Factory's GraphPack Are you starting out in DTP? This resource pack offers both clip-art and practical advice
			Montage Bring fractal graphics to artistic life with this fascinating program from the Really Good Software Company
9:9			Editorial
			Dorling Kindersley CD-ROMs Innovative Children's CD-ROMs, converted from the PC market by IMS
			Programmer's Reference Manual volume 5a The essential update for programmers of the Risc PC
9:10			Editorial
			Mega Web Directory Are phone book-style catalogues of the World Wide Web useful? Some more than others
			Eesox CDFast release 2 Turbo-charge your CD-ROM drive with this data-cacheing utility
10:1			Editorial
			Power at your fingertips Richard Hallas recounts his upgrading experiences, and discusses what's new in RISC OS 3.7
			Junior Sibelius! Learn the rudiments of music with this new package aimed at the primary school
10:2			Editorial
			Acorn World '96: The Rumour Mill Find out what Peter Bondar had to say in his exciting theatre presentations
			Acorn World '96: An Overview of the Show What was new? What was exciting? How upbeat was the show? Find out here
			Casio QV-10A digital camera Get snap-happy with this new gadget from Xemplar
			Speed! Clares' cheap new utility claims to make your machine go much faster; can it really work?
			Dinosaurs and Kiyeko We review Innovative Media Solutions' latest pair of CD-ROM conversions from the PC market
			Hints & Tips StrongARM special
10:3			Editorial
			A CD Collection In fact, the latest PD CDs aren't seedy at all
10:4			Editorial
			Keeping Up with the Joneses Virtualise, Disc Rescue, Compo, Forumlix
			Ancient Body Parts We review the latest CD-ROMs from IMS: Ancient Lands and the superb Ultimate Human Body
10:5			Editorial
			Fount of Truth Acorn has licensed Bitstream's TrueDoc font technology for incorporation into its own font manager; we explain all about it
10:6			Editorial
			Smile, Please! We present a major survey of the new digital cameras that are now available to RISC OS users
			Storm in a Teacup? At last a real disc drive is available for the Pocket Book; we check out the Cyclone
10:7			Editorial Note: this is the original version, which is slightly more extensive than the one printed in the magazine
			Jolly Good Show The latest Wakefield Acorn Spring Show was once again extremely well organised, and some exciting new products were previewed
10:8			Editorial Note: this is slightly more extensive than the version printed in the magazine
			Fontophilia Three new CD-ROMs full of fonts have recently been released, but what makes a good font? This article reveals all
10:9			Editorial
			A Common Theme of Fonts If you need specialised fonts for particular occasions, these theme-based font packs from Dalmation and the Datafile may be of interest
10:10			Editorial
			RISC User's Centenary Two Turbulent Years
			The Art of Crystal Ball-Gazing RISC User's editorials often try to predict the future; here we look back at some of the more memorable comments with the benefit of hindsight
11:1			Editorial
			Acorn World '97: Show Report We report on all that was new and exciting at Wembley
			Acorn World '97: New Technologies Read about the exciting new pieces of technology that were being demonstrated on the Acorn stand
11:2			Editorial
			Portable computers In a special review feature, we look at the Psion Series 5 and Apple eMate 300 side by side
			Hints & Tips Labelling pictures in Draw
11:3			Editorial
			Editorial (unpublished) An editorial column which was discarded in favour of the published version
			Reading Between the Lines Neurotron Software's Optical Manuscript is the world's most advanced musical OCR package; see how well it performs
			Sibelius' Final Opus We review the last version of Sibelius 7 to appear before its rebirth as Sibelius VMP
			Playing Softly If you want to play MIDI but can't afford the hardware, ESP's software-only synthesiser provides an ideal budget solution
11:4			Editorial
			Acorn's Future Technologies Dave Walker, Acorn's Engineering Support Manager, talks about the Risc PC II, NCs, operating systems and the future of the company
			Programming Psions and Pocket Books If you have found RISC User's recent series on OPL programming useful, you'll be interested in this book
			FontFX 6 The Data Store's veteran utility, FontFX, has just been given a new lease of life; see how it fares
11:5			Editorial
11:6			Editorial
			Recreating RISC User Richard Hallas talks about what was involved in recreating RISC User entirely on Acorn equipment using Ovation Pro
			Wakefield Show Report Find out what was new and exciting at the third Wakefield show
11:7			Editorial
			TrueType Translator Access the myriad TrueType fonts from PCs and Macs on your Acorn using the Electronic Font Foundry's new translation utility
11:8			Cover
			Editorial
			Interesting Times Richard Hallas summarises the events which followed Acorn's closure of its Workstations division, and presents a personal view of the current situation
			The Big Rescue Plan We talk to Peter Bondar about his plan to restart Applied Risc Technologies and rescue the Workstations division
			Future Ideas Various possible ways of moving the RISC OS platform forward exist. We take a look at some of the ones that are already in development
11:9			Editorial
			DTP Workshop Richard Hallas explains what's involved in putting together an issue of RISC User
			King of the Castle We talk to Jack Lillingston about Castle Technology's new rôle as the worldwide distributor of Acorn computers
			Portable Parley eMate connectivity software
11:10			Editorial
			RISC OS: The Future RISC User contributor Andrew Rawnsley is in charge of the technical aspects of the Steering Group's bid to take over the development of RISC OS in the future. Here he talks about the background to his involvement, and his plans for the future
			DTP Workshop More desktop publishing hints and tips from Richard Hallas, this time covering the use of images to illuminate articles
			The Digital Darkroom We look at two brand new digital cameras, together with some software that helps you to make the most of digital photos
			Hints & Tips
12:1			Text for All Seasons Richard Hallas takes the lid off the latest version of Softease's all-singing, all-dancing word processor, TextEase Multimedia 4, and is suitably impressed with its new web-site creation tools, repelling objects and speed
			DTP Workshop: Basic Layout Richard Hallas returns to the basic principles of desktop publishing with a look at ways of laying out different kinds of pages
12:2			World Factbook Packed with information about 267 countries and geographical regions, is the latest CD from Interconnex worth it? Richard Hallas finds out
			DTP Workshop: Understanding Text Setting Richard Hallas examines the importance of using the correct textual layout techniques, from paragraphs to font size to those old favourites, orphans and widows
			The Foundation of RISCOS Ltd With the formation of RISCOS Ltd the 'Acorn' market has taken a leap forward. Richard Hallas talks to the man behind RISCOS Ltd, Paul Middleton, on the future of the OS
12:3			DTP Workshop: Headings and Drop-Caps In his continuing look at the basics of DTP Richard Hallas considers heading styles and the pros and cons of the dropped capital
			The Imago Risc PC Richard Hallas chats to Richard Jozefowski of Millipede about his plans for a new, state-of-the-art Risc PC motherboard upgrade
12:4			DrawWORKS Millennium iSV's newest vector package has had the Y2K treatment, and Richard Hallas is highly impressed with what he sees
			DTP Workshop: Handling Hyphenation Richard Hallas gives some good advice on how to avoid embarrassing mistakes brought on by poor hyphenation
			Focus on Four The fourth Wakefield Show was the first test of the optimism in the new-look RISC OS market since Acorn's demise, but was it a celebration of the future or a look back in anger? Richard Hallas was there and sent us this report
12:5			DTP Workshop: Font Classifications Richard Hallas begins his look at fonts and classifications of type design
			SibToDraw Richard Hallas examines a new utility which attempts to breathe new life into the RISC OS platform for users of Sibelius 7
			CDROMFS Richard Hallas checks out a new replacement for the ageing CD-ROM filing system from Warm Silence Software
12:6			DTP Workshop: Font Anatomy Richard Hallas finishes off his in-depth examination of the anatomy of fonts
12:7			Irlam's i16 Richard Hallas lifts the lid off the i16, the new sound sampler from Irlam that claims to create better-than-CD-quality samples, perfect for anyone who wants to burn their own CDs
			DTP Workshop: Choosing the Right Font Richard Hallas considers how to choose the right typeface for the right situation
			RISC OS 4 It's finally here! At long last RISC OS 4 has arrived as an upgrade for A7000(+) and Risc PC users, and in an in-depth five-page look Richard Hallas reviews the new operating system and finds out whether it was really worth the wait
12:8			Icon Do It! Richard Hallas examines the art of designing eye-catching but functional icons, and presents a collection of hints for all budding icon artists
			DTP Workshop: Understanding Punctuation Richard Hallas discusses the use of punctuation and other special characters that can enhance your text, and explains once and for all the difference between "its" and "it's"
			C-2000 Zoom Camera When Richard Hallas went on holiday he took along the latest top-of-the-range compact camera from Olympus, and found that the quality of pictures possible with modern digital cameras is simply fantastic
12:9			DTP Workshop: Printing Your Work Richard Hallas steps back from the design aspects of DTP, and considers the question of getting the finished job printed out
			Psion Series 7 Richard Hallas managed to get his hands on one of the very first models of the brand new ARM-powered machine from Psion, the Series 7, and was very impressed with what he saw
			Apple Talk Using RISC OS machines alongside Mac OS ones
12:10			DTP Workshop: The Golden Section Richard Hallas reveals one of the great secrets of the universe: the Golden Section, and how it is relevant to desktop publishing
			Requiem Aeternam Richard Hallas gets all misty-eyed over twelve years of RISC User magazine

The above list excludes news pages (issues 9:2 to 11:6 inclusive), disc contributions and minor items such as individual hints and replies to readers' letters and technical queries.