********************
QL
CLUB
INTERNATIONAL
********************
ISSUE 116
OCTOBER 1998
MIKE KENNEALLY
E-MAIL MIKEKENNEALLY1@COMPUSERVE.COM
ANY AND ALL SOFTWARE SENT TO THE CLUB/NEWSLETTER WILL BE TREATED
AS PUBLIC DOMAIN UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.
DEAR ALL,
HERE I AM BACK IN THE WORLD OF THE QL USER AT LAST,BASIC THOUGH IT
MAY BE.THANKS TO BILL WAUGH I HAVE MANAGED TO GET THE QXL WORKING IN A
FASHION.I HAVE TO ACCESS IT FROM THE C PROMPT AND ONCE IN I CANNOT GET
TO WINDOWS WITHOUT A RESET,THIS IS BUT A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR THE USE
OF MY QL.
I CANNOT GET MY ACP WORKING THOUGH,DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO USE THE
CONFIG PROG SO I CAN CONFIGURE IT TO WORK,FOR SOME REASON IT LOST IT
AND I HAVE TRIED A NUMBER OF WAYS TO SEE IF IT WILL WORK BUT IT WONT!
MARTIN WHEATLEY,AS YOU WILL READ IN HIS LETTER BELOW SUGGESTED I
GET MORE OF YOU TO WRITE,PERSONALLY I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.IT
WILL GIVE THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE WRITTEN FROM DAY ONE A REST FROM
(BEATING YOUR CHOPS)WRITING.NOT THAT I WANT THEM TO DRY UP ALTOGETHER
AS THAT WOULD BE A GREAT SHAME AND WASTE OF VALUABLE INFORMATION.IT
WOULD BE NICE TO GET SOME FRESH IDEAS,INSIGHTS,NEWS AND LITERARY ABUSE
FROM OTHERS,MARTIN IS RUNNING OUT OF THINGS TO CALL ME!
SO TO THOSE OF YOU OUT THERE AND YOU ARE OUT THERE,WELL NONE OF
THE E-MAILS COME BACK,SO YOU MUST BE!SEND US A FEW LINES OR EVEN A LOT
OF LINES,BUT COME ON PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO THINK I MAKE YOU ALL UP TO
BOOST THE FIGURES!
I AM SOORY I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO BYFLEET AND MEET SOME OF YOU
THERE,BUT NEEDS MUST I'M AFRAID.I HAD TO WORK AND EARN A CRUST.MAYBE
ONE DAY IT WILL BE POSSIBLE.
*!
Martin Wheatley
martinw@ndirect.co.uk
PC running PC Xchange and Q-Emulator
Hi everyone,
Another newsletter with not so many letters in it which makes it
difficult for those of us that do write to find anything to
write about.
This newsletter is composed just of our letters and doesn't have
articles like Ql Today or Ql World used to.
DO ANY OF YOU WANT TO SEND ARTICLES IN,WHAT ABOUT THE DEALERS?I KNOW A
LOT OF THE DEALERS ALREADY ADVERTISE ON THE NET,BUT HOW ABOUT A
WRITE-UP OF A PARTICULAR PROGRAM,YOU COULD SING THE PRAISES OF A
PROGRAM OR PIECE OF HARDWARE IN DETAIL,SOMETHING PERHAPS YOU COULD NOT
DO IN AN ADVERT,HOW ABOUT IT?
If it falls away to a small nucleus of writers as it has been the
last couple of months (no doubt for very good reasons but the
recovery must start here!) it won't last long. So can I encourage
everyone reading this to just write something to get us going again
It doesn't have to much - just something. Ask a question, make a
comment about something in the newsletter or in the QL world
generally - tell us about what you use your Ql for - anything. It's
not so difficult once you get into the habit of it
IT CAN BE QUITE ENJOYABLE REALLY,I HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED MY TIME WITH
THE NEWSLETTER,INCLUDING THE NAMES! AM I WEIRD OR WHAT?
This is one of Frank's pet peeves so maybe I'll preempt him this
time. If you are going to send programs to go with the newsletter
we are all very grateful but we are not neccesarily as informed as
you are as to what all the progs are. So if anyone sends in a file
can they include in their letter the following to make it a bit
easier.
SOME OF YOU MAY BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I TEST THE PROGS YOU SEND
IN,I DON'T ALL I CAN DO IS HOPE THEY WORK WHEN I PASS THEM ON,I DON'T
HAVE THE TIME TO CHECK ALL THE PROGS AND WRITE ABOUT THEM,SO AS MARTIN
SAYS,IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF ANY PROGS SENT IN ARE GIVEN A WRITE-UP IN
YOUR LETTERS SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO.
A description of what the prog does, a list of the files that make it
up (so that we know what goes with what if there are several progs),
what you have to do to run it and whether there are any special
requirements (it's nice to know that it needs SMSQ before you start
it if you happen to be SMSQ-deprived!) Some of the people who read
this newsletter are not in the mainstream of QL events as some of you
are so do need telling about these things.
Mike wrote
>THE PROBLEM IS FRANK,LIKE QUANTA WE ARE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND
THEREFORE
HAVE NO CONTROL OVER COPYRIGHT.ANYBODY CAN USE AND REPRODUCE ANY AND
ALL MATERIAL IN THE NEWSLETTER.AS COLIN SAID NO-ONE GETS PAID FOR THE
WORK THEY DO AND NO-ONE GETS PAID FOR THE PROGS THEY WRITE THEREFORE WE
CANNOT CLAIM COPYRIGHT.<
I don't think this is quite right Mike. Whether someone is paid for
writing something has no bearing on whether it is in the public domain.
The contents of the Quanta mag (and their software library) are not
public domain. They are sent in to be read or used by the members -
that is all.
The same is true of the letters in this newsletter. They are sent to
you to be put in this newsletter and they are neither in fact or by
implication in the public domain unless the writer specifically says
so. By sending in a letter I am giving you permission to reproduce
my words not giving away all ownership of them
You could of course include a sentence at the top saying any written
contributions are assumed to be public domain (like the one you have
about progs) but I don't see why you would want to do that and it
would probably mean some current writers would no longer wish to
contribute.
SEE WHAT I MEAN EVEN AFTER 116 ISSUES I STILL PUT MY FOOT IN IT AND
MARTIN IS THERE WITH HIS SPADE TO DIG ME OUT!
On the couple of occasions that I have included direct quotes from
posts to the Internet Ql Users news group I have specifically
asked the writer for permission first and I would expect anyone using
my words in this newsletter for other purposes to do the same (not that
anyone is likely to want to!). Paraphrasing the sense (or lack of it)
of the words is another matter. Quoting from previous newsletters is
also ok as permission for those words to be in the newsletter is
implicit.
Because someone allows free use of their property does not mean they
have given away the rights to it.
The distinction can be seen in the permission that Amstrad have given
for the use of their QL ROMS. They have written to Tony Firshman that
they are quite happy for the copies of the ROMs to be made to be used
with emulators but they are not in the public domain - they are still
(or probably - see later!) Amstrad's property and they can change their
mind anytime they want to. The same is true of Psion and the Xchange
suite - that is not public domain either - they have just given
permission for it to be used or modified by anyone but they can stop
that tomorrow if they wished. Putting something in the public domain
on the other hand is giving away ownership of it permanently
Back to the QL ROMs. There is some confusion over this now since
there has been a suggestion that rights might have reverted to
Sinclair. In addition Amstrad do not have the rights to the QL ROMs
for North America and the owner of these rights has rather
aggressively declined to make them available (as Spike can confirm!)
Not that he can do anything about non-Americans downloading them
from European sites. Possibly as a consequence of this turning
down of permission Tony Firshman has made the 1.89 version of Aurora
freely downloadable from his Web stage so Americans can use that in
emulators and be legal.
Nice to see Graham Lutz, Dilwyn and Darren at Byfleet!
Martin Wheatley
Andrew Halliwell
E-mail: u5a77@teach.cs.keele.ac.uk
u5a77@potter.uga.keele.ac.uk
spike1@cyberspace.org
Gear. Oh... The usual. QL/Supergold Card/QubIDE/Minerva 1.97/24 pin
DMP/Loads of nice downloaded freeware & shareware off the internet/256 Meg
Hard Disk/Twin Floppies...
Well, after a little break and a long delay, it's back! And now, the
news.... Qubbsoft have announced an update to the QubIDE interface. Unlike
previous ROM updates, this one isn't free. It's a major enhancement, and
will cost 10 pounds to upgrade. I Don't know if the price for a new one
has changed though.
The enhanced features include:-
+ ATAPI compliance. You can now read ZIP drives!!! CD ROMS will also be
readable, but a little bit more software will be required unless you want
to read them via direct sector access. (The file-system of the CD-ROM is
currently unreadable, that's where the software that hasn't been written
yet will come in.)
+ A "Trashcan". Deleting files from the normal parts of the hard disk can
be forced to actually move the files into a trashcan area as a safeguard.
(We've all deleted things accidentally. Now that deletion will be
retrievable, until the trashcan itself is "emptied".)
I think there're other additions as well, but that's enough to get most
peoples interest. (I'll probably get it soonish). Maybe when the CD-ROM file
system is available. [I don't have ZIP drives].
And now.... On to the letters.
Mike again suffered a massive HD crash, [this time resulting in the
postponement of 114]).
There has been some discussion privately between several members of the
list, and we've been plotting and conspiring behind your back Mike. :)
We've been talking about breaking in to your house and installing Linux and
uQLx. Then your Potential Catastrophy/Piece of Crap would become a
rehabilitated, useful member of society.
LET ME KNOW AND I'LL GO AWAY ON HOLIDAY!
Seriously though, if you're going to continue using the PC for QL emulation,
I REALLY think it might be an idea to dump the QXL and install a software
emulator like Q-Emulator. (which works with Windows 95 >*spit*<).
I noticed your talking about QPC2. GOOD! Q-Emulator is free, but it's still
relatively new for windoze. [It's been around for quite a while on the
Apple, and in it's uQLx incarnation on UNIX/LINUX.]
I AM WAITING FOR MORE INFO ON THE QPC AND A PRICE AS WELL,BUT IT IS SOUNDING
MORE AND MORE ATTRACTIVE.
Dilwyn: You mentioned the Amstrad rights last month. As everyone on the
ql-users list knows, the rights to the QL ROMS in America are owned
by a rather irritable and unfriendly chap called Frank. He said he
would NOT release those rights to american users unless the emulator
writers asked him nicely. [When asked why not just release them, he
REALLY threw a wobbler.] Then, after much argument and insults
exchanged, he mentioned in passing that Amstrad may no longer own
the rights to the ROMS after all, because he read somewhere that
Amstrads rights had lapsed after 10 years and returned to Uncle
Clive. I'm not too confident about this due to the fact that Amstrad
(as far as they're concerned on comp.sys.sinclair) DO still own the
rights, and the fact that he read this "news" in an american
publication.
Errrrm.... Can't think of much else to add right now....
So, I'll sign off....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email: torm1358@aol.com
Dear All,
After a far too long absence, I am contributing again.
Unfortunately, I cannot use a QL (or emulator) at present because 90%
of my belongings are stored away in the loft.
NOT TO WORRY ANDREW WELCOME BACK TO THE FOLD,IT'S NICE TO HEAR
FROM YOU AFTER ALL THIS TIME.
For those who know me (and for those who don't Hi-Ya!), here is
a quick resume as to my activities over the last couple of years. I
went to Korea in 1995. I took a QXL with me and had it installed in a
PC I bought out there.
The QXL worked first time and all the software and files (over 10
disks worth) all installed correctly. However, it appears that the
local university that I attended did not quite understand the concept
of the internet. Messages sent to the UK all bounced with an 'address
not found' error. The only way I could send email was to route messages
via the US. Worse, long messages, such as ClubQL letters, were
routinely garbled with bits missing (even after encoding!). Therefore,
I was forced into a frustrated silence.(I think it was a conspiracy by
the Korean CIA/MI6 to silence me).
I returned in 1996 and got stuck into passing my final year
exams. Having disposed of my BA course with sufficient aplomb, I went
to Oxford to do a short masters course. I found about the chat group on
the internet and joined.
Much of the conversation was at a pleasantly high level (or is
talking about hardware and developing new channels for standards such
as SCSI low level?),but a bit beyond me. The exciting things were that
both software and hardware was continuing to be developed. Principally
replacements for the SuperGoldCard and Text87.
I also had my QL reboxed, a hard disk and Aurora board added. I
also bought an Apple Powerbook 165 and installed the excellent
Q-emuLator. Although I had problems getting a working Minerva ROM, the
JS ROM was just fast enough when used with a simple editor (QD8) to
make the whole thing practical.
The Masters course was, of course, very hard and I had literally
no time to do anything other than study. Thus, I again received and
read ClubQL, but didn't communicate. My QL did a sterling service and I
wrote both my BA dissertations (yes that is a plural) and my 15,000
word Masters disseration with it, as well as numerous shorter essays
throughout the year.
I have now graduated, but am unemployed. (Anyone know of any
good jobs going?? ;-). I returned to Korea for a couple of months in
the summer, but as you must know, things are pretty bad out there.
I returned at the end of September, and just managed to find out
about the Byfleet workshop, from a passing comment by Dilwyn. It was
good to see some familiar faces, and meet again the people I had been
talking to via the chat list. However, none of the new products that
are in development had appeared.
I did, though, update various programmes, importantly including
Qshang(!).
However, I have found that the latest version of PE doesn't quite
work as well with the Apple emulator as my older versions, and I will
probably revert back when I can retrieve my QL from the loft.
I haven't done any programming for a couple of years and I am
looking forward to doing some. I have planned a couple of programmes to
use DataDesign. But everything is now dependent on finding employment,
finding a place to live,and some free time.
Well, I think that's enough now. It's good to be back (if you
will let me contribute again ;-).
Yours,
Andrew Pratt
OF COURSE YOU CAN MATE,NOW YOU HAVE SOME FREE TIME WE EXPECT LOADS
OF INPUT.
Terry Williams 27/09/98
QL 115
Hi! Mike and Friends
MIKE: What happened to QL 114?. I have not as yet received my disc
back!! Has your 'Pee Zee' expired or did you not receive it? If this
was the case I have appended my last months contribution at the end of
this doc.
I DID SEND OUT QL114,BUT AS QL114/115 AND THE PROGS TO THOSE OF
YOU WHO SENT DISCS,SO YOU MUST HAVE HAD IT.IF NOT LET ME KNOW.
I went mad this month and sent Tony Firshman my hard unearned cash
for a 2MB ROMDISK .
It arrived within a week so I read the instructions and tried it
in my GOLD CARD machine, switched on, without a disk in FLP1, and
waited and waited for the screen to light up with something!!!
NOTHING!!
The instructions were not to clear on what to expect and I
wondered, as it was supposed to support all the basic commands
'Format, Dir Load, etc.' it might be that I should have to Format it
like an ordinary disc?.
Luckily I decided against this rather drastic step and got out my
spare QL and swapped my GOLDCARD and ROMDISK to this and tried again.
LO & BEHOLD up came the version message I was able to 'ROM1 Dir_' and
found there were a number of items on it. I then loaded a QPAC boot
program and it works fine!!!!!
It would appear that using a ROMISK would turn a basic QL into a
useful laptop as there is no need for a disc drive, just a power unit
and a lead to the TV
I investigated the other QL's rom slot slot and found that the
locater piece was quite thick compared with the other machine and even
though the ROMDISK appeared to be fitted OK, and in as hard as
possible, I was still able to rock it slightly.
I must try fitting a thinner locater to the rom slot!!
TTFN Terry
----------------------------------
Terry Williams 26/08/98
QL 114
Hi! Mike and Friends
QPAC2: Further to my comments last month I have persevered using
QPAC2 without a mouse and find it much easier than I first thought!
I find that to reset the mouse defaults, instead of playing
Russian Rollette with the cursor keys, to get on the button required,
it is better to press < ALT . > which shows the buttons with the
arrow on PICK,
then if < ENTER > is pressed again the PICK LIST is shown
complete with HOT KEYS .
If < 2 >< ENTER > is pressed then it shows the EXEC menu .
IF < S > is pressed, for Sysdef, it then it shows the default
screen.
Then it is only necessary to press < A >< 0 > & < ENTER > and
the the ARROW moves at a reasonable speed! The other defaults can also
be altered similarly.
I now do not miss the mouse!!
Needless to say, the reason I did this changeover of gear, seems
to have more or less disappeared! the fault has only occurred about
twice in the last 6 weeks!!!.
TTFN Terry
BUT IT IS QUICKER USING A MOUSE MATE OR EVEN A MOUSE MAT!
P. McPHERSON,
5th OCTOBER 1998.
Fraternal Greetings Everybody,
Current equipment: One BORROWED AH QL complete with Gold Card,
Cumana disk drives, Amstrad DMP3160 printer and a TV.
For some unexplained reason I did not receive the #114 issue of
the magazine until today 5th October, and only the progs, not the
nesletter fof issue 115 so I assume this is too far too late for
inclusion and will have to wait for the next issue. This was
despite the fact that I sent my last contribution in on time, the
jiffy bag arrived damaged and i suspect that this may have been
the reason for the delay rather than Mike. Over to you Mike....
IT APPEARS AS IF A LOT OF YOU HAVE HAD PROBLEMS RECEIVING THE LAST
ISSUE,IT WAS HEADED QL114/115.I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED BUT
IF IT IS NOT THERE THEN LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SORT IT.
For some reason or another that I have not been able to work out,
I am still unable to get this QL to read QLCI-111, and I bet it
was full of goodies and information too! So, Mike can you please
try again with the enclosed discs and let me have #111, the #115
newsletter and 116 if it's ready.
NO PROBLEM.
I don't know about other members, but up here in sunny Sheffield
it is becoming increasingly more and more difficult to get hold of
simple DSDD discs, and the price of those available is going
through the roof whilst the price of higher densiity discs has
dropped through the floor, less than 10p each in many cases. I
know the cut out can be taped over so that they can be used on my
disc drives, but it's a real pain in the proverbial (just south of
the spine) and there is always the chance that this bodge fails
and vital data lost as a consequence. Has anyone devised a more
risk-free method of dealing with this problem short of actually
upgrading my drives?
As I metioned in my last contribution, I am seriously considering
swapping my Sanyo 8mm camcorder, lens, batteries, chargers tapes
and slide copier (value circa `1000 when new) for a decent QL rig,
so if anybody is interested, just let me know before I stick a
"for sale" ad in my local papers. Any takers? Contact me at the
above address or via
macattack ent@ hotmail.com
and Bob will take any messages destined for me on his Puny
Computer.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA ON YOUR MINIMUM SPECS YOU WANT IN YOUR
QL?COS I COULD BE INTERESTED.
With reference to Norman Dunbar's Idiots Guide to QPAC2 I actually
understood it all in the first time of reading (Is there something
wrong with me doc?). My only real problem now is writing my own
boot files which take a lot of initial thinking about. Chipping my
own tuppence worth, all I can say that anyone who is new to Qpac2
or having any trouble with it should get hold of a brilliant piece
of Pubic Domain software called "QPACER" as quickly as possible.
This menu driven software will help understand how to understand
Qpac2 without your requiring a degree in computer science. If it
made sense to a computer illiterate like me, I sure that it will
make sense to the rest of you!
ONCE AGAIN A NEWSLETTER PROG COMES TO THE RESCUE,IT WAS WRITTEN BY
AN OLD FRIEND OF OURS JEREMY DAVIES A WHILE AGO,DOES ANYONE KNOW
WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?
Talking of Public Domain software, it's a great shame that Steve
Johnson is closing down his PD and Shareware library, SJPD. I for
one, will greatly miss his contribution to my, albeit extremely
limited, understanding of the QL and it's software and wish him
all that he would wish for himself in the future!
In issue #112 Frank Merrison discussed the difficulty he was
having regarding trawling through magazine back-issues for adverts
and information regarding QL harware and software, what it can do
and how much it costs etc. This is an even greater problem for
late arrivals to the Wonderful World of the QL (great title for a
TV programe) like myself. So, can I be provocaative for a moment
and open a can of worms (at the same time?) and suggest that the
producers of QL related software and hardware be invited to
contribute short descriptive articles on their products. This
could either be as ocassional inclusions to the normal newsletters
or, form the basis of a separate "updatable" disc included with
newsletters on an ocassional basis or upon request to Mike.
Instead of charging an advertising fee, the advertiser provides
the disc of information or demo. The postage of two discs, is the
same as one so ther will be no increase in costs to QLCI members,
and I am sure that increased sales, to a dedicated audience would
make it worthwhile for the advertisers in the long term given that
the reducing numer of QL users. However, it would mean yet more
work for Mike, and I would be the last to volunteer him for that!
However, it is one way we would all be fully aware of what is
available, from whom and at what cost.
AS YOU WILL SEE ABOVE I HAVE ALREADY SUGGESTED JUST THAT IDEA.
As a development of the above theme and going off at tangents as I
invariably do: I have in my possession, a very old Betamax video
tape that explains how to programe a Spectrum. I don't know about
the rest of you, but I really fancy the idea of someone producing
a video on the QL, and advice on how to make the best of it's
hardware and software from the experts. I for one would actually
pay a reasonable price for such a video, or series of videos which
could be made quite cheaply, if industry standard quality is not
the criteria, but the information contained within the video. It
would be so much easier to actually DEMONSTRATE the complexities
and advantages of say, just for example, QPAC2 or Aurora via a
video tape rather than an incomprehensible manual.
To actually SEE and HEAR how and why a thing is done on a standard
VHS videotape, rather than read about it - the advantages are
tremendous, so why has nobody thought of it before? The cost of a
reasonable quality 3 hour video tape is around #3, UK postage say
another `1, the production costs would be quite small, although
travelling, filming and multi-copying would be time consuming. But
I guess a 3 hour video, which could be used to explain quite a few
items of QL software and hardware at a time, could cost as little
as #4-5 and save a great deal of head scratching.
Now, as you may have noticed, I have an 8mm camcorder sitting at
home doing absolutely nothing, this is primarily because my
preferred medium is medium format and 35mm still photography via
my darkroom. My equipment would be sufficient to make, and copy
the originals it produces, although the quality would hardly match
a commercial production. However, such a series of videos would
make life considerably easier for all QL users to see what
something looks like when used by an expert, it would also help
producers of software and hardware shift more in the way of
product.
Some people might scream blue murder about copyright
infringements, others might take a more pragmatic view and even
help produce such videos to demonstrate their products. But I
think this may be the acorn of an idea that could benefit us all,
with a bit of cooperation from all concerned. If there is
sufficient interest amongst QL users, I would be prepared to
withdraw my camcorder from sale or exchange and use it to do the
production and copying work necessary on a voluntary, non-profit
making basis. Are there any "experts", manufacturers and
distributers out there who are willing to rise to the challenge
and demonstrate or review QL Software, hardware and techniques for
such a series of videos? Or, am I whistling in the wind again? Let
me know what YOU think!
As I wrote and told Darren, he has absolutely nothing to feel so
terrible about when my two QLs gave up the ghost when I connected
his monitor to them. We all know just how tempremental computers
can be at the best of times and that there is no allowing for what
is going to happen when we plug something new into them. This is
not the first time this has happened to me, I had several OPD
monitors (remember them?) I bought from Bull Electrical give me
similar problems a couple of years ago. I guess they just get
bounced about too much in the postal system, no matter how well
they are packed, and they were all well packed and protected. I
certainly do not blame Darren in any way for what has happened in
any way at all, he even sent me a new CPU to see if that would get
me up and running - unfortunately it didn't! My brother in law
seems to think the problem might be with the ULAs, something I
have yet to check out. It's all been a bit of a pain in the
backside, but it will get sorted eventually so, "no blame-no
guilt" Darren, were all mates together in QLCI.
To end on a lighter note:
In his most infinite wisdom, God decided that he was going to end
the world next week and called the most three important people on
earth to his side to tell them. First he sent for Bill Clinton and
told him to go and tell his people that the world would end next
week which he duly did on CNN; God then sent for Boris Yeltsin and
instructed him to prepare to meet their maker which he duly did
through Pravda; God then sent for Bill Gates and gave him similar
instructions.
So Bill Gates appeared on his Internet site and pleasantly
announced "Good news, I am the third most important man in the
world! Even better news! I now know of a cure for the Millenium
Bug!"
BEST WISHES
PAUL & BOB
#! Martin Burke,
7th October, 1998.
Dear Mike and Friends,
JM version + Trump 768 + HermesLite + twin 3.5" disks, JS +
Gold Card, Philips CM8833 colour monitor (under repair) and its
Tandy twin, 8056 printer, Epson RX80 F/T, and Brother HR10
daisy-wheel printer; PSION3a, Z88.
Got to the Byfleet Quanta Workshop in the late afternoon.
Treated myself to a brand new JS from Bill Richardson. Plugged in
the Super Gold Card I bought last year at Byfleet. It works!
Plugged it into the old JM and still failed (I haven't got the
monitor lead identified as a problem earlier this year). Tried to
switch the Hermes to the JS but I could not get the JS to work at
all. May not have been able to push it all the way in but I did
not fancy trying any harder. Put it back in the JM. That was
alright and so was the JS with its own keyboard. Perhaps I'll take
both down to the October London Quanta meeting: there's plug-in
talent down there.
Thanks to Spike for repeating the Qascade material: glad he
does not have to do it again: we could have had a flood. Using -
learning about - this and QPAC2 is still in the future for me. My
use of the system is fairly simple, which matches me. Perhaps I'll
have to arrange a tutorial where someone can not only show the
benefits for me nut how to obtain them.
Yours,
Martin Burke.
#!
#!
Colin Baskett
30 September 1998
EQUIPMENT: QL FITTED WITH SUPERGOLD CARD; MkI MINERVA - version
1.82;
SUPERHERMES; 170 MB HARD DISK; SINGLE 3.5" HD DISC DRIVE; ED
DRIVES; PHILIPS COLOUR MONITOR; SERIAL MOUSE; PRINTER BJ10sx; XCHANGE
3.90L, etc..
Dear Mike,
Sorry to read about all your problems. I don't have a PC but a
year ago, just after I had started as Editor, my super new tower system
died on me in mid-issue. Fortunately, Ron Dunnett was able to repair it
the next day because he happened to have a spare case available (it was
the power supply that had blown) but I was very glad that I still had a
black box to hand and back-ups to floppy disc. A black box QL takes up
very little space and Quanta often has advertisements for second-hand
ones often with disc drives and interfaces. I would feel very
vulnerable without my standby set-up. Admittedly, you still need a
display; and monitors do take up a lot of space although I believe some
of us use a TV successfully. Is that so ??
What I am getting round to is this: Everyone should keep at least
one spare QL !!!
I DID HAVE 4 MATE,BUT OVER TIME THEY HAVE ALL GONE TO THE BIG
QL SCRAPYARD IN THE SKY!
DILWYN writes:
"A couple of issues ago, I sent in my Graphics Viewer
program. Well, I've been working on it since then, and have now
added screen dump facilities, mostly using SDUMP, but enhanced to
work with HP Deskjet (not yet colour) and Canon Bubblejet
printers."
When I use SDUMP with my BJ10sx I use the Printer 6 (Epson
LQ2500 24 pin option) which seems generally to work very well
except that on the "scale 3" setting (which gives a full width
print out) I lose the right hand margin in my print out. Is there
a better SDUMP alternative for the BJ10sx or does Dilwyn have
something that will do the trick? It would be very nice to get
better screen dumps.
Screen dumps are normally about as close as I get to printing
graphics apart from occasionally using LineDesign, where again
there seem to be problems in getting the best results with my
BJ10sx. What I would REALLY APPRECIATE would be for some of you
out there to write a few pieces for Quanta about printing
graphics. I have in fact already put out one feeler and hope to
have something for the Nov or Dec issues but experience shows
there is usually quite a lot to say from different points of view
about any QL subject.
HAVE YOU GOT YOUR DIP SWITCHES SET RIGHT,IF I REMEMBER
RIGHTLY GOING BACK IN THE DEPTHS OF TIME,1 AND 11 ARE ON AND THE
REST ARE OFF,BUT I COULD BE WRONG.BOTH I AND GRAHAM LUTZ BOTH HAD
ONE OF THESE PRINTERS IN THE PAST AND GRAHAM SUSSED IT OUT,MAYBE
HE CAN REMEMBER?
One specific query "Just what are raster gaphics ??
DON'T THESE COME FROM JAMAICA,MAN?SORRY THATS RASTA.NO
IDEA,ANYONE?
Dilwyn goes on to talk about printing with his Canon Colour
printer in BJ mode. Now one of my daughters has a BJC 4200 and she
is happily using it in LQ mode (and printing text in colour) but
we have found no means of switching the printer into BJ mode
without buying a PC. The instructions tell you to use the
supplied DOS and WINDOZE discs if you want to change emulation
mode and the expensive Programmers Manual, which Wendy has, tells
you how to do everything else but not how to change mode. Is
there a printer command for instructing the BJC 4200 (or other
similar printer) to change mode. Does anyone know ??
I THINK THIS GOES BACK TO MANY YEARS AGO,IF I AGAIN REMEMBER
RIGHTLY,THE CODES HAVE TO BE INSERTED IN THE DOC YOU ARE
PRINTING.YOU CAN SEE THEM ON THE SCREEN BUT WHEN PRINTING OUT THEY
ARE PICKED UP AND THE PRINTING ALTERS,BUT AS USUAL I COULD BE
WRONG!
Andrew Halliwell writes:
"Well, it happened again last month. I posted my explaination of
Qascade and what a linked list was in a carefully formatted manner and
all the formatting was lost when Mike imported it into the main ClubQL
doc. I know now exactly what's happening..... "
Quanta receives a considerable number of ASCI text files. Some
load into QUILL perfectly with the IMPORT by PARAGRAPH option. For
others I have to use IMPORT by LINE (as Andrew goes on to recommend)
and then of course they have to be reformatted to fit into a Quanta
page (Quanta follows Procrustean logic). I have used all sorts of
dodges to streamline this operation but whenever I think I have at last
got a paradigm that works, a piece crops up that doesn't conform.
Listings seem to present particular problems. I finish up working
through it line by line. A bit tedious perhaps but it keeps me out of
the pub. Of course, if the author hasn't submitted hardcopy (and one
of the problems with email is that you don't get hardcopy), I have to
guess how to indent and where to put the spaces. I only hope these
things aren't too critical in some of the languages I don't understand.
MAYBE ALL PERSONS SENDING IN LETTERS SHOULD HAVE A GO AT
EDITORSHIP MATE,I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN,SOME DO SOME DON'T.
Suggestions welcome. Better still a piece for Quanta explaining
how best to use the IMPORT command !!! Cadge, cadge.
Thanks to Andrew for his very lucid explanation of "Linked"
Lists". I can vaguely visualise how Linked Lists might be used with
THINGs but can someone give an example, please ?? Are the QPAC2
"things" linked ?
Best wishes
Colin B
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