Acorn News Service Newsletter

Issue: 143 (19 October 2003)

Featured site this issue: http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact851.html

Commercial News

Castle offer free 19" monitors for IYONIX pcs

Castle has announced the immediate availability of its Christmas offer. Normally released in November, Castle decided to launch this FREE 19" Monitor offer to coincide with the RISC OS South-East Show.

This special offer means that if you buy certain IYONIX pcs before the end of February 2004, you will receive a top quality 19" Iiyama CRT monitor absolutely free of charge. In addition, for all orders placed before the 12th December 2003, Castle will give you a FREE USB memory card reader as well!

The IYONIX pc RISC OS computer from Castle features XScale processor technology with ultra fast 200MHz DDR RAM, UDMA100 hard drives, Gigabit networking, PC style graphics card, USB connectivity, a full software suite etc.

Full details can be found on the IYONIX pc web site at <http://www.iyonix.com/>.

APDL updates: StarFighter 3000, Desktop Repton, EasyFont Pro, DrawWorks

• StarFighter 3000 Other Worlds
  An updated version of iSV Products' StarFighter 3000 Other Worlds games CD will shortly be available. This CD contains Air Supremacy, Elite, SunBurst and, of course, StarFighter 3000. The new version of StarFighter 3000 is now 32 bit safe and is currently being tested on the Iyonix. It has various improvements over earlier versions. It is now supplied in a DVD case with printed manual. This new version will cost GBP19.90 including VAT and UK carriage. An upgrade from the earlier APDL iSV Products versions is available for GBP11.50.
  <http://www.apdl.co.uk/isv/games/>
• Desktop Repton
  An updated version will soon be available from APDL-ProAction. This new version comprises the original Repton, Repton 2, Repton 3, Around the World in 40 Screens, Life of Repton and Repton Thru Time. The main difference from the last release is that this new version is now 32 bit safe and Iyonix compatible. Desktop Repton is supplied on CD with colour printed manual and normally costs GBP19.90. Upgrades from earlier APDL ProAction versions are available. - From the original version in CD jewel case - GBP12 - From the later version supplied in DVD case - GBP6
• DrawWorks
  Version 4.10 of DrawWorks Select is now available. DrawWorks Select is the latest and best version of the highly acclaimed DrawWorks package and costs GBP39. Existing users of DrawWorks Select will shortly be able to download a FREE upgrade from the iSV Products section of the APDL web site. Also an Iyonix compatible version of the entry level version, DrawWorks SE, is now available for download from the iSV Products section of the APDL web site. As with earlier versions of DrawWorks SE this can be used without charge.
  <http://www.apdl.co.uk/isv/dworks.htm>
• EasyFont Pro
  This is now 32 bit neutral and has been tested on the Iyonix. The EasyFont Pro CD package comes with over 2400 professional fonts and costs GBP19.90 including VAT and UK carriage. Please add GBP1.50 carriage outside the UK. Users who already have the latest version of EasyFont Pro, supplied in a DVD case with printed manual, can upgrade for just GBP5 inclusive. Users who have an earlier version of EasyFont Pro from iSV Products can upgrade for GBP10 inclusive.
  <http://www.apdl.co.uk/isv/efpro.htm>

New Canon Printers with RISC OS drivers and CDR printing facility

Inkjet printers with parallel ports are getting rare! CJE Micro's now have available the new Canon Bubblejet printers i560 and i865 with RISC OS drivers.

The i865 has built in the facility to print onto CDRs. Full specifications and pictures will available from <http://www.cjemicros.co.uk/>.

• i560 is GBP170 inc VAT & UK Delivery (Exceptions apply)
  
• i865 is GBP212 inc VAT & UK Delivery (Exceptions apply)
  

54g Wireless networking for RISC OS

CJE Micro's are now able to supply 54g Wireless Network Access Points Suitable for RISC OS computers. Connects to a Risc PC/A7000 etc via an Ethernet interface to a wireless network. No USB interface required.

54g technology is backward-compatible with the 802.11b Wi-Fi networking standard, so it allows you to implement faster wireless technologies in combination with existing 802.11b Wi-Fi networks.

Use two 54g WAPs and connect two Network interfaced RISC OS computers or one RISC OS computer to another wired network or two wired networks.

• 54g Wireless Network Access Point GBP140 inc VAT & UK Delivery
  (exceptions apply)

<http://www.cjemicros.co.uk/>

Cino - DVD comes to RISC OS!

Spellings Computer Services Ltd, the team who brought you Aemulor, the 26-bit emulator for Iyonix PC, are pleased to announce details of their next project - "Cino".

The project itself consists of three major parts. * Software DVD Player * DVD filing system * Digital surround sound output

Using some of the advanced hardware features only present in the Iyonix PC, Cino can playback the high resolution video and digital sound found on DVD Videos within your RISC OS desktop, or "full screen" in movie-mode.

The project is still in the early stages, and pricing and availability of all components are yet to be determined. Users will have the option of purchasing the Cino player, which will include DVDFS, or just DVDFS. A more detailed FAQ is now available on the Cino web site at: <http://www.cinodvd.com/>

New RISC OS system from Stuart Tyrrell Developments

Stuart Tyrrell Developments are pleased to announce the immediate availability of a new RISC OS machine, the A6.

The A6 is a Microsoft x86 system running the VirtualRPC-SE emulator, housed in a novel miniature case, measuring 32x21x18cm (12.6 x 8.3 x 7" approx).

Under VirtualRPC-SE, users can expect performance which meets or exceeds that of the fastest traditional StrongARM RiscPC machines (287MHz), and applications requiring disk access can exceed the speeds of this machine significantly.

Available in three variants, all machines come with DVD or DVD/CDRW drive, fast hard drive, floppy disk, 400MHz dual-channel DDR memory, Geforce 4MX graphics, 56K internal modem, 10/100BaseT networking, 4xUSB ports, Microsoft Windows XP Home and VirtualRPC-SE. Keyboard and mouse are of course included, along with speakers for those machines where they are not part of the monitor.

The machine variants are: A6B : Base unit/DVD/40G hard drive/256MB memory: GBP599 ex VAT A6 : 15" LCD monitor/DVD/CDRW/80GB HDD/512MB memory: GBP899 ex VAT A6DB: 17" LCD monitor/DVD/CDRW/120GB HDD/512MB memory: GBP999 ex VAT (Carriage: GBP25+VAT)

For more information see <http://www.thea6.com/>. Stuart Tyrrell Developments is a trading name of Advantage Six Ltd. <http://www.stdevel.co.uk/>

R-Comp Interactive announce RISCube computer systems

R-Comp Interactive are pleased to announce the availability of RISCube computer systems. RISCubes are small-form-factor computers, capable of running RISC OS and Microsoft software. When you boot up your RISCube, you are given the choice of RISC OS or Microsoft Windows, and can then run whatever software you wish.

RISCubes are also being supplied with RCI's UniPrintVA software which allows RISC OS to print to almost any printer with WindowsXP drivers. This includes USB, parallel, or even Microsoft-only printers.

An entry level RISCube provides circa StrongARM level performance. Despite being classed as "entry level" it is a speedy machine with a CD re-writer, DVD player, mid-sized hard drive, USB, PS2 keyboard/mouse ports, printer port, floppy drive and so on. All machines ship with RISC OS 4.02 and Microsoft WindowsXP Home. An entry level machine comes with 256MB of RAM with 16MB for graphics. Networking and UniPrintVA are also included.

RCI also offer a special "customise your RISCube online" facility which allows you to specify exactly what components you want in your RISCube.

• A standard spec RISCube costs GBP699 including VAT and carriage
  
• A high spec RISCube costs 899ukp including VAT and carriage
  

For more information visit <http://www.rcomp.co.uk/>.

PD/Shareware News

New software summary

• Sunfish, NFS client
  An excellent NFS client for RISC OS, implemented as an image filing system. It has flexible configuration options and full source code is provided under the GPL. 32bit compatible.
  <http://www.alexwaugh.com/internet/>

Updated software summary

• BookMaker v2.00
  A freeware hotlist/address book manager for all major RISC OS browsers, as well as many e-mail, FTP and Telnet clients. This version provides native support for the Oregano2 favourites file, and also supports Justin Fletcher's NettleSSH.
  <http://www.bookmaker.riscos.org.uk/>
• GraphDraw v2.66
  GraphDraw allows the entry, and editing, of x,y values, and the data may then be fit to best straight line (lin or log), best parabola, cubic spline curve, polynomial of order up to six. 26/32 bit neutral, and runs on the Iyonix, Select, and any RISC OS >= 3.1.
  <http://www.chris-johnson.org.uk/software/graphdraw.html>
• KinoAMP v0.28
  An MPEG movie player. This version should clear most of the outstanding requests: desktop/full-screen switch whilst playing; playlists; a directory of MPEGs will be queued; player window scroll bars optional; control panel can be repositioned; interactive help. 26/32 bit neutral.
  <http://www.everett9981.freeserve.co.uk/pete.htm>

Club News

Upcoming meetings

• ROUGOL (London), 20th October - Networking
  <http://rougol.jellybaby.net/>
• BARUG (Bristol), 29th October - David Snell: web design, ProCAD+ update
  <http://www.barug.co.uk/>
• ICENI (Suffolk), 5th November
  <http://www.archipel.demon.co.uk/ICENI/>
• WROCC (Wakefield), 5th November
  <http://www.wrocc.org.uk/>
• WAUG (Wessex), 8th November
  <http://www.mfraz.freeserve.co.uk/waug/>
• DARC (Derbyshire), 10th November - David Ruck: DiskKnight
  <http://www.darc-comp.org.uk/>
• EAUG (Essex), 11th November
  <http://www.wattys.fsnet.co.uk/eaug/>
• LAUG (Liverpool), 11th November
  <http://www.italia.co.uk/laug/>
• NKACC (Kent), 13th November - AGM / Open Evening / Quiz Night
  <http://nkacc.roundel.net/>

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