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Home > Archive > Issue 154 Current Issue: No. 260 (28 March 2010)
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Acorn News Service Newsletter

Issue: 154 (21 March 2004)

Featured site this issue: http://www.wakefieldshow.org.uk/

General News

Wakefield Show advance tickets

Advance tickets for this year's Wakefield Show (weekend of 15th and 16th May) will be available from 26th March, so you can start sending advance orders now.

For prices and contact details, or to order online with a credit card, please visit <http://www.wakefieldshow.org.uk/prices.html>. The closing date for advance ticket orders is Friday, 8th May.

Advance Ticket holders and those purchasing a ticket before 12 noon on Saturday 15th will also have the chance to enter a special draw. This will be in addition to the other draws throughout the weekend and a another big prize to be drawn for all visitors over the weekend on the Sunday.

This will be the 9th Wakefield Show and for the past 8 years has been held in the Thornes Park Athletics Stadium in Wakefield.

The show is organised on behalf of the Wakefield RISCOS Computer Club by Chris Hughes and the show is entirely run by the volunteer members of the club, freely giving their time up to provide this show for the RISCOS Community.

Please support the club and its members in this premier event in the RISC OS Calendar.

Serial Networking web site update

A new section has been added to the serial networking web site <http://www.serial-networking.fsnet.co.uk/>, which contains instructions for connecting a RISC OS computer to a Microsoft Windows 2000/XP computer over a serial cable. It includes a customised MS Windows INF file for installing a compatible modem driver on the Microsoft computer.

Commercial News

StrongARM Risc PCs, processors & NICs at knockdown prices

The Fourth Dimension have a number of recent model Risc PCs at low prices. These Risc PCs were fitted with StrongARM processor cards in the factory, have MK3 motherboards, 103W PSUs and RISC OS 3.7.

  • Risc PC (SRP10/20) 20MB, 1MB VRAM & HD no keyboard or mouse GBP160
  • Risc PC (SRP10/20) 20MB, 1MB VRAM, HD, keyboard & mouse GBP175
  • Risc PC (SRP26) 24MB, 2MB VRAM, HD, CD, keyboard & mouse GBP200
  • Risc PC (CTL08) 233MHz Rev T, 24MB, 2MB VRAM, HD, kbd & mouse GBP220
  • Risc PC (CTL08) 233MHz Rev T, 10base2/T network card, 24MB, 2MB VRAM,
    HD, keyboard & mouse GBP240

Other specifications available, refurbished units, 3 month warranty, delivery if required GBP10. Non StrongARM Risc PCs now start at GBP50. Systems that include a mouse can replace it with a PS2MouseMini for GBP10.

Optional Extras for above systems at special bundled pricing (new unless stated otherwise):

  • CD-ROM drive 52speed GBP35; CDRW drive inc CDBurn GBP100
  • S/H AKF60 14" SVGA Monitor GBP25 (GBP15 P&P if required)
  • Upgrade to at least 64MB DRAM GBP35; to at least 128MB DRAM GBP65
  • Upgrade to 2MB VRAM on 1MB models GBP40
  • RISC OS 4.02 GBP78
  • Larger HD - please enquire
  • ViewFinder 32MB GBP162; 128MB GBP197
  • s/h Second Slice & pins but without 4 slot backplane from GBP40
  • s/h Second Slice, pins and 4 slot backplane from GBP75
  • Printed User/Apps Guide GBP10; Printed Welcome Guide GBP15

<http://www.cjemicros.co.uk/4d/>

Dr Fonty 32 bit neutral

iSV products is pleased to announce that their popular font editor, Dr Fonty (GBP14.90), is now 32 bit neutral.

Dr Fonty enables you to produce new fonts or add extra characters and weights to existing ones, and can also repair many fonts which have damaged scaffolding etc. This can enable fonts which work on a Risc PC but which do not render properly (or at all) on the Iyonix to work correctly. For more information see <http://www.apdl.co.uk/isv/drf.htm>.

Dr Fonty is included with the font management program EasyFont Pro, and anyone who has recently purchased the 32 bit version of this program can upgrade their copy of Dr Fonty to the latest version from the EasyFont Pro page at <http://www.apdl.co.uk/isv/efpro.htm>. This upgrade can ONLY be used with the version of Dr Fonty supplied with the 32 bit version of EasyFont Pro, which is marked 'Issue 3' on the CD.

New DrawWorks releases

APDL have been working on the new version of DrawWorks and this is on track for release at the Wakefield show later this year. As part of this development program APDL are now able to announce the availability of two new DrawWorks releases.

The first is DrawWorks XE. This is the new FREE entry level DrawWorks. It is intended as a replacement for DrawWorks SE, and will work on any version of RISC OS from 3.1 upwards, including Select and the Iyonix.

DrawWorks XE can be downloaded from the iSV Products section of the APDL web site at <http://www.apdl.co.uk/isv/freeapp.htm>.

Because of the urgent need for a full version of DrawWorks to work on the Iyonix, APDL have decided to make an interim 32 bit version available. This will upgrade DrawWorks Select to the equivalent of the current version, 4.11, and make it 32 bit neutral. This is only available as an upgrade disc for DrawWorks Select users.

The cost of this upgrade is just GBP8.50 inclusive of VAT and post, with no additional cost outside the UK. To obtain the upgrade you must have previously returned your DrawWorks Select Registration Card to APDL, and you must quote your program serial number when you order. This is printed on the CD, and can also be seen in the 'Info' window.

PD/Shareware News

New software summary

  • TTXeditor, teletext editor
    Development version of a new multitasking teletext frame editor with on-screen grid, on-screen display of control codes, etc.
    <http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/ttx/>

Updated software summary

  • Csave v0.2
    A utility to save various CMOS settings. Now 32bit/Iyonix compatible.
    <http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/riscos/soft.html>
  • FSI_Batch v3.5
    Allows you to batch process any number of files while still giving you complete access to the ChangeFSI command line. Bug fixes.
    <http://www.jochenlueg.freeuk.com/english/sharewar.htm>
  • FTPs v0.18
    A basic FTP server module/application which permits sharing of some, or all of a hard disc via FTP. Login accounts can be given read only access or read/write access as desired.
    <http://www.rosery.net/riscos/>
  • FYEO2 v2.05e
    A fast image viewer (JPEG, GIF, PPM/PGM, Targa, and BMP) with lots of options for how you want the picture to appear. Now 26/32bit neutral, can use jpegtran to show progressive JPEGs, and can show BMP images.
    <http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/fyeo2/>
  • IscaFS v0.11
    Image filing system for reading ext2 image files and partitions from RISC OS. This version copes with large partitions, all three block sizes and the standard ext2 filesystem features "sparse_super" and "filetype". Apart from that, some minor bugs were fixed and more entry points supported. Not 32bit clean.
    <http://splodge.fluff.org/~phil/linux-arm.html#iscafs>
    <http://home.pages.de/~mac_bacon/smorbrod/IscaFS/>
  • NurseW v2.2b
    A macro-inserter for the Dr Wimp programming library. 32 bit compatible.
    <http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/riscos/soft.html>
  • PtrIIC v0.04
    Module allows you to use the parallel lead natively on a RISC OS machine (requires combi-IO style hardware, ie A5000 and later). Provides a number of SWIs, one of which is a complete replacement for IIC_Control.
    <http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/ttx/>
  • SideDiff v2.20
    A programmer's tool which allows you to view the differences between two versions of the same text or BASIC file, in the form of a scrolling side by side display. Major changes include: extra key shortcuts; miniature 'Compare' window pops up when a single file is dragged to iconbar, to avoid obscuring the screen; added ability to scroll up/down to next changed line/changed 'chunk'; machine code bugfix when detokenising BASIC files containing GOTO token; 'Discard data' option allows user to reclaim memory.
    <http://www.bigfoot.com/~chrisbazley/utilities.htm#sidediff>
  • SimpWeb v1.42
    A simple text to HTML converter, will also convert lists to HTML. Now 32 bit compatible.
    <http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/riscos/soft.html>
  • SiteMatch v1.13
    Synchronise your uploaded web site with a local copy (from your filing system). The latest version includes a fix for the BST problem.
    <http://www.dave-edwards.com/riscos/software/>
  • Teletext v1.57
    Software for people using a Ground Control (or compatible) teletext receiver. Features include a powerful script interpreter.
    <http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/ttx/>
  • TTXHelper v0.02
    This module provides facilities that may be of use to people writing teletext software. Things like converting teletext frames to ASCII (with automatic character set handling) can be achieved with a couple of SWI calls. TTXHelper can also try to autodetect the type of teletext hardware connected, and also view teletext frames (in MODE 7).
    <http://www.heyrick.co.uk/software/ttx/>

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