In this installment of CIDS, we will develop six essential routines. The only routine that is not a command is the error report routine. Also, as all programs are prone to revisions and extensions, the error routine may not reflect future versions, since the error routine takes memory that could be used for another command.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The concept of a Completely Interactive Database System (CIDS) that has been implemented on a micro-computer is interesting in that this type of environment Is normally only found on mainframe computers. What I hope to do is cover the various aspects of implementing just such a system in the next few issues.
article, orig pub: 10.27.20, updated: 02.15.26
SOFTWARE LO-RES is a machine-language utility program for the ZX81/TS1000/TS1500, which creates enlarged characters on the screen. This makes it useful for any persons with a visual handicap. Since it also allows fast moving screen displays; it is useful for any number of programs where a flashy screen is desired. You may want to consider…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Thanks to Peter McMullin, we now have a “Print an ASCII character” routine for the Centronics interface from EPROM Services in England.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Product announcements from Chia-Chi Chao, Mike Trivisonno, Jack Dohany, Fred Nachbaur, Tim Worcester, Games to Learn By, Kraig Pritts, John Oliger, Tom Woods, Knighted Computers.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This program embodies a very elegant graphics routine, The program offers you two categories of study: Countries/Islands or Continents/Oceans/Seas; whichever category is chosen, you have the option of Review/Identify. If you choose the Identify option, you are asked to give the names of various geographical entities within the category you chose. If you choose Review,…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This classroom project teaches the students to tell time–assuming that there will still be a need for this archaic skill in the era of digital watches. The student is confronted with a series of clock faces, with the hands at randomly-selected positions. The complexity of the time indicated by the clock depends on the difficulty…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
A programmer I am not, but a knitter I am. One of the routines in knitting has been reduced to a minimum with the help of a knitting machine. Now what takes longer than the actual knitting of an article is figuring out the pattern and adjusting it to the specific measurements of the individual.…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Don’t ask me how to pronounce that word. Don’t ask what it means, either. If you know how my mind works, you won’t have to ask. If you don’t–well, you remember what Louie Armstrong said about jazz: “If you have to ask what it is, you wouldn’t understand the answer,”
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
One of the souvenirs I brought back from the WINTERFEST was a copy of the CATS library of public domain programs. In case you don’t know, CATS is the Capital area (Washington DC) users’ group. The library now consists of 11 volumes, on 5 cassettes. The list is growing.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Let me start out by saying what this program does NOT do. In spite of the title, it does not solve cryptograms, I enjoy working those little fellows far too much to surrender the fun to a computer. This program is designed, rather, to do the clerical jobs for me, while I save the creative…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Have you ever had some tricky or complicated calculations to make, or found yourself over your head with mathematic routines? If you have then this book is for you.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
During one of the organizational meetings of the recent Sunstate Timex/Sinclair Winterfest ’88, the idea of a National organization for the advancement of Sinclair computing came up. It was decided that since we had developed a “core group” that was dedicated to promoting Sinclair computing, we would attempt to lay the groundwork for such an…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Many TS-1000/ZX-81 users drive full size printers with the Memotech Centronics interface due to the wide availability and the ease of use with BASIC programming. However, machine code programs designed to operate the Timex printer have compatibility problems when producing screen copies that are longer or shorter than the standard 22 lines. A notable example…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
That’s right–Basil’s Compendium is going to add the TS2068 to its repertoire. But you ZX81/TS1000 enthusiasts need not lose heart. The two computers use the same microprocessor, the Z80, and are really not awfully different from each other. Sort of like brothers born a year or two apart.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
For some time, we have been considering the publication of an index to back copies of SyncWare News, as well as reprints of material we have published over the years. That is, IF there is enough demand to justify printing them.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This program is an interactive tutorial on random numbers, ways to generate and test them and on uses.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
There was once a time when I had a small touch of envy when I read an ad for a plotter for some computer other than my Sinclairs. I was even able to use a plotter-printer with my old Commodore VIC-20. In fact, I still had my Commodore 1520, but had rarely used it the…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The Winterfest Economists are always being quoted as saying that the best time to buy anything is last year. This year, they were wrong. The prices for QL’s, 2068’s, and a lot of peripherals, software, and literature were lower than I have ever seen them. The weather of Sunny Florida was a bit of a…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Product announcements from Nicholson Nightime Network, John McMichael, Lemke Software, Grey & Clifford Computer Products, Dan Elliot, G. Russell Electronics, Knighted Computers, Larken Electronics, Steven Petrovic, B &G Electronics.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Time Designs Magazine, a TS-oriented periodical that would be a fine addition to your library (AFTER SyneWare News, of course), has also been getting comments that were provoked by our reference to PC’s.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
One of the more provocative ideas emerging during the WINTERFEST was that of a national Users’ Group. The project is still flexible enough so that you can get your own ideas into the hopper.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Hats off to the T/S User Groups of Florida, for their great job in staging the Orlando show. The production was a joint effort by four users’ groups, under the spectacularly able management of Mary Lynn Johnson, with Mel Nathanson as co-pilot. (More detailed comment on succeeding pages.)
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This program is designed to lead students, step by step, through the intricacies of multiplying multi-digit numbers. You are first asked to specify the range of multiplicand (to 999,999) and multiplier (to 999). Then the computer asks your name, and courteously addresses you by that name throughout the program. (I wonder how many students give…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This is another program by the winner of the TS1000 section of our contest. Mr. Sweitzer tells us that his program has been “field tested” in his classroom. He also reports that he has one pupil who is turning into a real computer enthusiast as a result of his work with the good ol’ ZX81.…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
If you’re using tape for mass storage, you may be neglecting a very valuable resource. It’s awfully easy to forget that the tape was designed for audio signals.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This program simulates a blinker signaling device. Nowadays, when radio communicators are constantly trying to use ever-higher ultra frequencies, we tend to forget that blinkers have been using, for centuries, frequencies higher than any radio signal yet generated.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
PRO/FILE TO MSCRIPT When you don’t know any better, anything might be possible, Operating on that theory I said, “Why not?”. I loaded version 5 of Jack Doheny’s Mscript and then stuck a tape in my recorder that contained a file saved by the cartridge version of Tom Wood’s PRO/FILE. Using the BASIC operating system…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
My 2068 serves me as a useful tool to cope with the many demands of semi-retirement. I use it frequently to help me acquire new knowledge and skills, an activity that to me is a prime reason and delight of retirement. As a retiree I get to spend more time on the water sailing than…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
USE THE BEEPER The next time you have a program that takes a long time to run (or to SAVE/LOAD), save your patience by inserting a BEEP message to catch your attention when the job is finished. You can program the BEEP for a single note, a TA-DA!, or even for Beethoven’s Fifth. Then you…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This trainer incorporates the following features:
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
You might at some time have read a story written in round-robin technique. A story that is started by one author, and finished by another, with perhaps one or more other authors contributing “middle” sections, And all working independently. We have something like that this month–a trilogy of programs on related subjects, but done by…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Here are a few tips for any of you who ever wanted to get your name (and your thoughts) before the public.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This is a drum that we are going to beat loud and long. We want to help UGs to survive and prosper. Anyone who has suggestions as to how we can do this, please let us know. We’ve made a couple of offers already. Here are a couple more, that grew out of the Columbus…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Several valuable suggestions for UGs came out of the Columbus meeting. Which proves the value of UGs in general and, even more so, the value of inter-group meetings.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
We also talked abut the term COMPUTERFEST. Gary Ganger pointed out that the term is owned by the Dayton Microcomputer Association, Inc. Owned and protected by copyright. Gary went on to announce that the Association would let other groups use the term occasionally. He did not say how often, or on what terms, but I…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
One of my first opportunities as your Editor was to attend a mass meeting of Users’ Groups in Columbus, Ohio, This was on January 30, a day between (well, sort of) snowstorms. Including your Publisher and your Editor, there were 18 TS enthusiasts there, coming from places as diverse as Columbus (of course), several Indiana…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The ZX81/TS1000 family has traditionally been relegated to the “backwaters” of various BBS’s and communications services. Not any more! We now have a sub-board solely devoted to ZX programs and other files. The SYSOP of the Nicolson Nightime Network has allowed me to set up the “ZX-TERM Exchange” within the framework of his BBS. The…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Product announcements from Frank Lockhart, Robert Hartung, Dan Elliot, Lemke Software, Nicolson Nightime Network, John McMichael, Grey & Clifford Computer Products.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Lawrence (Larry) Chavarie of Ottawa sends us his masterly translation of an article from the French publication “Science et Vie” (Science and Life). The review describes the 288 as embodying technical features that stun (“etonne”), being loaded with gadgets (“l’ensemble est truffe d’astuces”), and incorporating “une memoire d’elephant”.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Writing as Chairman of British MENSA, Sir Clive Sinclair published a very provocative article about Artificial Intelligence. He predicts an assembly of ten-to-the-fourteenth components, each in the order of a tenth of a micron in diameter, yielding an artificial brein with a capacity comparable to that of its human counterpart, in a 10-centimeter cube.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This is the first issue for which Basil wears the mantle, Not, fortunately, the mantel, as issue V:1 reported. (Jocelyn remarked that cleaning and pressing a mantel sounds like something out of the gymnasium.)
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Here is a REM generator USR routine that I would like to share with other avid TS2068 fans.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Among the many outstanding things that software writers and hardware developers have provided for T/S users, some have gone unnoticed by potential purchasers who did not happen to subscribe to the newsletters or magazines in which they were reviewed or advertised.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Given the paucity of new software for the ZX81/TS1000, it is indeed heartening to discover that there are still at least a few programmers who, like me, still consider this venerable machine worthy of support. One such programmer is a Mr. S. McDonald, in Scotland. He has written a high resolution game called “ROCK CRUSH,”…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
In reply to the request from Mr. George Cary in the May/June SyncWare News for a big printer driver for the Spectrum mode 2068, the accompanying machine-code program is submitted.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
PC8300 VIDEO FIX One of the most common complaints with the PC8300 is that the characters tend to have a “splayed” look, with horizontal lines sticking out to the right. No, it’s not because the Chinese designers didn’t know how the characters are shaped. It’s simply a matter of overdrive (video level or “contrast” too…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
We leave the wonderful world of true hi-res for a moment, to show you just one of any number of fascinating possibilities that can result from experimenting with the ZX81’s interrupt-driven display routines. Those of you who have played with Wilf Rigter’s “Nova” package already know of some of the neat things you can do…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The program tape-to-disk conversions shown in this article are for use with the Aerco FD-68 Disk Interface. The procedures are presented “cookbook style”, so they should be easy to follow and to modify for other disk interfaces. Just substitute your interface’s commands at the appropriate spots. SyncWare News welcomes articles such as this, and will…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
If you have ever tried converting programs written for other computers to run on the TS 1000 then you are probably aware that the DATA, READ, and RESTORE statements are frequently used commands which are not available in SINCLAIR 8K BASIC. The machine code programs presented in this article can be used to replace these…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This may sound like just another dry ROM article to some 2068 owners, But I promise you it is not. Now to prove this to you, type in and run the short program called “Fun Report Codes” (Listing 1). Instead of the old “0 , OK”, you will see a smiley face in front of…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Letters from Robert Fischer, Sergio Frost, Mel Richardson, Dallas Swindal, Gary Robinson, Kenton Garrett, Tom McHargue, Roy Brann, Joan Kealy, Stan Nagrod, Jack Dohany, D. F. Wagner, Byron DeFries, John Sumpolec, Ed DeBoer, Robert Gray, Arthur Cant, Larry Chavarie.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The management of SYNCWARE NEWS has asked me to take on the post of editor, as of the first issue of 1988. I am both honored and delighted at the prospect. This preliminary announcement is intended to let you know what I am thinking at the moment, and to ask your help in charting the…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
So far, the Z80 chip must impress you as being a singularly inflexible device. It will do what you ask it to, and do that very well–so long as you ask it to tell you the value of B+256*C. And аз long as you include enough information in the program to define В and С.…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Product announcements from Shawn Stamp, Curry Computer, Chia-Chi Chao, Robert Hartung, Larken Electronics, Fred Nachbaur, E. Arthur Brown, TS-2068 Safe Disk Update, Nicolson Nighttime Network, Lemke Software, Grey & Clifford Computer Products, Dan Elliot, John McMichael.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
OS64 Bug I recently discovered a latent catastrophe in my OS64 cartridge version 1.72. The cart. sets RAMTOP at 65255. This is ABOVE the machine stack and RAM-resident code. If a long program overwrites the machine stack, it’s BYE-BYE! The normal place for RAMTOP in double display file modes is 63255, the first byte below…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Most, if not all, of you should have heard about the famous Print Shop program for computers such as Apple and IBM. It is a graphics package which allows you to create cards, signs, and banners for various occasions, Well, how about our Timex Sinclair computers? Zebra Systems came to the rescue by putting out…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
I just received my JLO SAFE Disk Basic V2.11 EPROM and it’s GRR-REAT. Here’s how I changed the BASIC in my A&J Microdrive version of Dohay/MSCRIPT to use it.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Here is where we let the cat out of the bag. Load back the program you saved to tape last issue, and enter the following BASIC lines. You will end up with a completely self-documenting arcade-style game program, For those of you who figured out how the game works, congratulations! For those of you who…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
A system which allows transfer of data between ZX/TS and ТS2068 computers and cassette tape operations in TS2068 format.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
If you have a slight amount of hardware expertise, here is a simple, no-extra-parts-required, modification for the JLO parallel port which provides support for the Centronics port PAPER EMPTY Status bit. This also eliminates the diode-ORed pull-down, which is, theoretically, a marginal technique (although it’s cheap and seems to work finе!). I don’t know if…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Letters from Thomas B. Woods, Mel Richardson, Lou Dooley, Earl Swallow, Petrus Hu.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Product announcements from TS-2068 Safe Disk Update, Charles Stelding, Shawn Stamp, Chia-Chi Chao, Robert Hartung, C. W. Associates, E. Arthur Brown, Larken Electronics, Silicon Mountain Computers.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Tom Woods, the venerable publisher of SyncWare News, will be stepping down from that post іп the near future. An open letter to our readers from Tom appears in this issue’s Forum column (see Changing of the Guard). Current SyncWare News Editor, Jeff Moore, will be assuming the duties of publisher, the keeper of subscriptions,…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The September 1987 issue of Great Britain’s prestigious Personal Computer World magazine contains a very favorable review of the Cambridge Computer Z88 Laptop Computer.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Believe it or not, here we are about to embark on our fifth year of publishing SYNCWARE NEWS. We are committed to the continued technical, hardware, and software support of Timex TS1000/ZX81, TS1500, and TS2068 computers. For the next year, we’re going to guarantee to bring you five more issues packed with ideas, tips, and…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
These two are superb with each other. The speed of the DOS makes a TS2068 file management program practical. They don’t get any better than these two.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
After you have been using your modem for awhile, you notice one thing most, it can be an enjoyable use of your computer. Sending and receiving electronic mail, uploading and downloading programs, and all of the different SIGS (special interest groups) that allow one to share common interests and hobbies with others are just a…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
A current ad for a book about dot-matrix printers states that 80% of the users only make use of about 20% of the features available to them. Whether this is an accurate estimate or not, it is likely that when we unpacked our new printer the most of us did not spend much time on…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
You may have seen ads, or heard about a “Timex 1000 clone” called the PC8300, available from a company in New Jersey doing business as “American Design Components.” The price is certainly attractive ($29.95), as are the claims that are made for this device. A TS1000 clone with music and sound, auto line numbering, moving…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This chapter will treat the machine code equivalent of the FOR…NEXT loop, and introduce the four “packaged loops” whose mnemonics end іп “R”.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The SyncWare News 2nd (sort of) Annual Programmers’ Competition winner. ANIMALSLLL by Larry Liedtke is our first place winner in the TS2068 category. The original submission contained 327 different animals with 15 questions being asked about each. This amounted over 11,000 possible answers.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Do you have any of the following problems with your ZX81 or TS1000?
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The SyncWare News 2nd (sort of) Annual Programmers’ Competition winner. MULTSTEPS is a multiplication tutor written for the TS1000/1500 by Alex Switzer of Fayette City, PA. The program epitomizes how computers can be used as teaching tools in the classroom or on the job. The program takes the student step-by-step through the process of multiplying…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The SyncWare News 2nd (sort of) Annual Programmers’ Competition 1st Prize winner. Paul Holmgren got the that appeared in idea for this program from one “Sync” Vol. 3 No. 1 by Ronald Duguid. The program was originally written for the TS1000, which was the machine Paul first owned. After obtaining a T2068, Paul used UPLOAD…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
OK, already I can hear you ask, “Why are you writing about the IBM PC in a Timex publication?” The short answer is that we are trying a little experiment to see what your reaction will be. The long answer is that for the past couple years, we have witnessed a slow but steady decline…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Novel Soft, 35 Candle Liteway, Willowdale, Ontario, M2R 3J5, Canada, (416)665-0290, has announced that their long time associate, David Ridge, will no longer be with the company. Unfortunately for us TS Users, Mr. Ridge has been made a better offer that he feels he can ill afford to pass up. Both SyncWare News and Novel…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Letters from G. W. Goegelein, Robert Hartung, Frances Jackson.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Product announcements from Shawn Stamp, Chia-Chi Chao, Robert Hartung, Weymil Corporation, Fred Nachbaur, E. A. Brown, G. Russell Electronics, Cuyahoga Valley Software Works, TS-2068 Safe Disk Update, AN-TO Productions, Larken Electronics, RMG Enterprises, Charles Stelding.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
After much deliberation, the winners of The SyncWare News 2nd (sort of) Annual Programmers’ Competition have been decided. The winning programs are presented in this issue for your use and amusement, First place in the TS1000/1500 category goes to Alex R. Sweitzer for his program “Multsteps” which teaches students to multiply a 3 digit X…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Our favorite computers are getting harder and harder to find. TS1000’s are no longer being offered except from an occasional surplus dealer. The 2068’s can still be found, but not without some difficulty. My trusty 2068 gave up the ghost during the assembly of this issue. After calling almost every vendor in my files, I…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Yahtzee is a poker-style dice game where each player tries to roll combinations to match the categories on the scorecard, The program is set up for 4 players, There are 5 dice. All are automatically rolled on each first roll, Each player is allowed 3 rolls per category. There are 13 categories.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
One day as I was drumming my fingers on the desktop while waiting for my Tasword tape to load, I began thinking how ridiculous it was to be loading the whole program just to print out one page of a form or letter. All that I really needed was a printer driver and a short…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Here is an answer to Robert Haley’s letter in FORUM, SWN 4/2. I suspect the chief problem is understanding the PR2300 User Guide. It seems to have been written in Italian and translated into UK English (rather than American English) by someone whose first tongue was NOT English. Awkward User’s Guide notwithstanding, the PR2300 has…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
After seeing some of the new software available for the ZX81/TS1000, specifically “Dungeon of Ymir” and “SRAM HI*RES Extended BASIC,” something has occurred to me about the TS1000 lacking color and sound. Color and sound is nice, and it can even be spectacular in a good game or whatever. However, I have noticed that after…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
But annoying none-the-less. Our printer got the listings for “ABC/123” nice and dark, but pushed the inverse graphics into the mud. Since some of these are crucial to proper program operation, here are these lines in a different format. Significant spaces are indicated with a crosshatch “#”, and inverse video is underlined.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
PRO/FILE, the popular data base program for ZX/TS computers has been refitted for use on PC compatible machines, says Tom Woods, PRO/FILE’s creator. The new program, called FINDEX, is a much upgraded version which makes uses of the PC’s disk drives, 80 column video, and greater memory capacity. New features include the ability to merge…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Letters from Gerd Breunung, Arthur Gindin, Bill Heberlein, David Barrow, Basil Wentworth, Robert Hartung, William Frank, T. G. Morley, Lyle Luzum, John Constantine, George Cary.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Product announcements from AN-TO Productions, Bill Bell, Chia-Chi Chao, David Hill, Fred Nachbaur/Silicon Mountain Computers, Knighted Computers, C. W. Associates, RMG Enterprises, Weymil Corporation, Grey & Clifford Computer Products, Rockfort Products, Charles Stelding, John McMichael, G. Russell Electronics.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
The Second Sort-of-Annual Programmer’s Contest officially closed April 15th. Soon judging of the entries will be complete, the winners announced, and the prizes awarded. Be watching the July/August issue for the winning programs to be published!
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
By the time you’re reading this, Cambridge Computer Ltd., Sir Clive Sinclair’s new company, is expecting to be making deliveries of the Z88 Computer, according to Personal Computer World, Great Britian’s prestigious microcomputer magazine. This new entry into the laptop computer market sports integrated software, a LCD display, tips the scales at 2 lbs., and…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Mix 500 plus people who share a like interest with 52 vendors and displays, a superior hotel, service, and banquet, add over 116 door prizes and gifts, sprinkle in some terrific software and hardware bargains, plus some excellent speakers, and what do you get? The Second Annual Mid West Timex Computer Fest! If you missed…
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
These are the best of times for those of us who have Sinclair and Timex computers. There is so much more activity and excitement than we have seen up until now. I’ll try to let you know about some of the good news crossing my desk right now.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
This month, let us first personalize our program. Clear the screen and ask your student to type his name. The name is ENTERed into a string variable and can be used any place in the program by calling the string variable.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Here it is just one month before income tax filing time and, if you are like me, you could use a little (or a lot) of help preparing your tax forms. For those with TS 2068s there is help available in the form of SPECTAX85 from Poretsky and Poretsky.
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
Its been out for three months now, its easy to use, and its fast! The A & J Microdrive has been a long awaited peripheral which is the best thing to come along since the 2068 itself!
article, orig pub: 02.15.26, updated: 02.15.26
ANDREW KOSIOREK, 2192 Glenbury Ave., Lakewood, OH would like to contact other TS modem users on COMPUServe.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.15.26
This month I finish up my series on the printer interface with the circuit board layout and simple print driver software. In reconfiguring the layout to include the ROM interface, I had to rearrange things a bit, so here is the final version of the schematic showing the new pin configuration. The schematic to the…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Timex computer’s Little Rock repair center has turned over all Operations to TS Connection at 3832 Watterson, Cincinatti, OH 45227.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
l recently made a discovery while considering the alteration of the terminal code, so | could have a carriage return placed in a macrostring in QCODE. Hayes compatible modems require a CR (carriage return) at the end of each command to modem. If you press the ENTER key while editing your macrostrings in QCODE, you…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
This is the last issue of the QL Report. We started this publication in February 1985, offering it for free to get people interested in the QL. The QL had not even been released in the States yet but we were so impressed with the machine we wanted to “drum up” interest in the machine…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
We have a tip that may help some of you who are just starting to create dbf files with ARCHIVE. Suppose, for example, you have typed in 50 some odd records and then discover you have forgotten a field you need. The usual method of correcting this is to write a short procedure from Within…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
We haven’t mentioned much about QLSS or Abacus. We want to draw your attention to some of the nicer features of this excellent spreadsheet. First, buried deep in the back of the QL User Guide, in the information section, is a description of how to change typestyles. For example, suppose you want to have your…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
A number of one line program or procedures have been showing up in QL publications lately. I think THE QL REPORT should have one too. The one in the listing that follows sets up the default windous of the QL. First it checks for whether F1 or F2 was pressed, then it sets up windous…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
We received the following letter from James Cook about two new programs written by him: “Enclosed is the copy and docs For PRINCOM and BLANKER. It is not copy protected. You can List the lloader program, and VIEW or EDITOR the main programs to get am idea of what is done. It is compiled with…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
A Plus Computer Response, the U.S. distributor of the QL, is now out of machines. Mark Steuber of Sharps purchased the remaining units and promptly raised even his price to $149. A Pius was selling the QL for $59.95. A lot of people are grumbling over this increase. We hear through the grapevine that A…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
A reader wrote this month with a problem that is certainly not unique to programmers who are trying to learn Pascal. His problem was how to do I/O. While I went over his sample code, I found a number of other basic errors, again of a type that are not uncommon to novices to this…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
A new version of SIDEWINDER has been released which will make it more compatible with more printers. The initial version was only intended for printers which were fully compatible with the Epson RX80.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
We have some items we want to mention. Brett Lidstone in Canada is having problems connecting a Hayes 300/1200 baud modem to his QL. He cannot get it to work either with the modapter or just with a straight cable. If anyone out there has been successful in hooking up a Hayes, write us and…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
ARCHIVE, as everyone knows, is a very powerful database. Unfortunately, it is only as powerful as you are a programmer. Anyone con create a mailing list file, or a customer file or a stock file. It is the ability to write procedures which utilize the information in the records that makes ARCHIVE one of the…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
You have no doubt seen some computer generated landscapes or other objects. If you saw any of the Star Trek movies, you did see a computer representation of an object on the screen amde up of repetetive squares, triangles, circles or curving lines. Unless the geometric objects making up the surfaces are filled in or…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
We lead off this issue by apologising for jumping the gun about the battery clocks. We knew they were coming and would be here shortly after we went to press and “assumed” that they would work fine, coming from a reliable source. As it turned out, that batch would not work at all. Every time…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Sidewinder is basically a screen dump program with a difference. It is a set of utilities that not only allows you to dump a screen from any graphic program, but also gives you the facilities to alter your graphic, as in a drawing program.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Networking a Trump QL to Thor has proved to be a very nice combination.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
We received the following letter from Carl Kuchte of Lewisville, NC.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
For those of you who would like more information on a comparison between the two desktop programs for the QL, the August issue of QL World also has an article on similarities and differences between the two.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Digital Precision has just recently released Desktop Publisher Special Edition version 2.0. This new version requires a minimum of 512K RAM and the use of at least a single disk drive.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
One of the biggest growth areas in microcomputer applications today is DESKTOP PUBLISHING. A key requirement of such programs is the effective combination of text and graphics on a multi-page basis. Several commercial programs of this type, such as Ventura Publisher and Pagemaker, are available for the Macintosh, IBM, Atari ST, and Amiga lines of…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
This is the second and final part in a listing we received from Digital Precision that we started in last month’s issue. We hope you find it useful.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
The QL has several ways of accepting SuperBASIC commands. The most often thought of method is a program with the characteristic line number followed by a command (Example: 100 print “hello!”). The other method is more or less taken for granted. The immediate mode for entering code, loading programs (example: PRINT “hello!” <ENTER>) is usually…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
As we head into autumn, we start this issue with some newsworthy items. Freddy Vacha of Digital Precision has informed us that “Eidersoft is kaput (the Atari ST did it, NOT the QL) and their QL business will either be taken over by Transform or ourselves.” All of Eidersoft’s QL products are still readily available,…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Zitasoft has some new titles out we want to draw your attention to. A lot of you have heard of 4MATTER ond LOCKSMITHE. LOCKSMITHE will allow you to make on identical copy of practically any microdrive original cartridge. You would, in a lot of cases, still need to first make a backup and have an…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
We are very much indebted to Joe Morris for his simple but overlooked advice on making it easier to import QUILL documents into DESKTOP PUBLISHER. All you have to do is to run your”install_bas” program from QUILL and set up a printer driver that only has a carriage return, not a carriage return and a…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Since on interest had been expressed in a lower priced replacement keyboard for the QL, I determined to attempt to build one. The following will relate my experience.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
RLE stands for Run-time encoded grophics and we first did an article on it in an issue of QLR last year. We printed a listing by Norm Lehfeldt which enabled you to download pictures from Compuserve (they have a whole section for screen pictures of all types) onto your monitor. With one of many of…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
When we received a recent order from Digital Precision, Freddy Vacha had scribbled on the bottom of the invoice, “Friendly tip-Eidersoft in trouble.” Eidersoft was one of the first companies to support the QL and has produced some excellent QL software and hardware- I.C.E., Aspell, Karate, ICICLE, their Mouse System, and were listed as the…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Digital Precision has a sheet with the above-mentioned name that lists most known bugs and what the “fix” is for each, if any. We will list some of them in this Report and finish the list either next month or the month after. We hope it proves beneficial.
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
In the news department, we keep hearing rumours that Amstrad “may” want to do something with the QL but officially they say “no decision has been made.’
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
This is our second Report using Digital Precision’s DESKTOP PUBLISHER (DP) only this time we are actually writing the Report from within DP with the help of SPELLBOUND. The two so far seem to work find together. As we have said before, we dislike the fact that DP will not word-wrap but that is the…
article, orig pub: 02.14.26, updated: 02.14.26
Pascal is a language that was designed to work with files, rather than channels (as BASIC does). In general terms, this should make no difference in most cases, but it does when we want to send output to different location.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Every now and then it is a good idea to explore or review a command in detail. The listing of spin_ring_bas is included below in order to demonstrate some of the aspects of the Superbasic command CIRCLE.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
There are many toolkits in the market for the QL. All of them offer some amount of extensions dedicated to graphics. The Ultrasoft Graphic Construction Kit (GCK) is a newcomer that is entirely dedicated to graphics and offers several unique features compared to the others.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
The Trump Card and certain other boards have a very neat little method of loading files from microdrive called “Microdrive Imaging”. It produces a microdrive image in your ramdisk. To do this, a ramdisk is formatted with the name of the microdrive required.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
We received the following letter and although have mentioned this tip in a previous issue of QLR, feel it should be stated again because it is useful.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Vell, here we are in another summer. This is traditionally the time when it slows doun for computer-related businesses. We remember past summers when the doldrums set in and there just wasn’t a lot to talk about. With the QL, however, there is a lot happening, both old and new. We are using SPELLBOUND now…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
The SCHON replacement keyboard is supplied in two parts, the keyboard-circuit board, and a new case top that fits directly onto a standard QL base. A one page set of instructions is provided that are very clear and easy to follow, and it should not take more than 19 minutes to complete the exchange of…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
“What are local variables, anyway?” This was one of the questions I asked myself when I first read my QL USER GUIDE. Of course, I didn’t know what a PROCedure was either. Soon I discovered that I had been using global variables all along and didn’t even know it. Local variables are used within a…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
We have a lot of new material to cover in this issue. TRUMP CARD by Miracle Systems is here and is excellent. We had a few “teething” problems with disk drives but everything now is working fine. On Mitsubishi drives, the drive light will stay on when using TRUMP. It is a minor inconvenience and…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Have you ever wondered what was in a file on the microdrive? I guess I must be the curious type! I just had to find out, but it took me awhile to discover a method for doing so. In the past I had always opened a channel for input and then used the INPUT keyword…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Well, we’re back from the Computerfest! It was a long way to go but it was certainly worth it to meet a lot of you face to face. We hope next year to see even more of you. For those of you who were unable to attend, sit back and relax and we’ll tell you…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
The graphics commands in Superbasic provide a very convenient tool for the screen designer because they automatically look after the X:Y scaling, but this can be a problem if you mix them with pixel based commands like BLOCK, or text positioned with the AT or CURSOR keywords. I had been looking into how one can…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Basic-Ally is a program no user of Superbasic should be without.It is a debug and trace utility which makes finding and correcting mistakes in Superbasic programs both fast and easy. The output is presented in a manner very similar to Talent’s Assembler Workbench, since both programs were written by the same author, Eddy Yeung.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Happy Tax Day again. We hope you all have your taxes done for Uncle Sam. If not, you’d better buy TAXIUL and get to it: We have finally received THOR and it is now up and running. All we ordered was a barebones one, without QL circuit board or drives. As THOR comes now, the…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
The first of the two printed circuit board designers by Talent has arrived, and it was worth the wait. PCB1 is billed as a single sided circuit board designer with camera ready output and an auto-routing function. The program does not require any extra memory and works with most printers and interfaces. We used both…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Mme day while doing some chores on the QL I saved a file, but I actually made a mistake, In haste I forgot to include the name of my file. When I realized this, I had already pressed the ENTER key. To my amazement, the computer went right on and saved my file. My curiosity…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
It looks like we will be going to the Computerfest in Indianapolis this year. The dates for the show are May 2nd and 3rd. We will be taking our whole point of sale system and doing invoices on it in the booth so stop on by and say hello. We are tentatively scheduled to give…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
This is the first issue of the QL Report printed with Front Page by Gap Software. We probably will do the front page of the QLR every month using this format but the rest of the Report will be in our old-style format.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Gap Software has recently released FRONT PAGE, the first desk top publishing program available for use on the Sinclair QL. The program, while not as comprehensive as Pagemaker or Desk Top Publishing on the Macintosh or IBM, does provide the basic tools needed to quickly generate full-page column-oriented text and graphics suitable for advertising flyers,…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Happy New Year! We hope 1987 is a good year for you. The year starts with QL “clones” being in the news. Both CST’s THOR and Sandy’s new FUTURA are causing a lot of interest in the UK. We think it is a good sign that companies are so very interested in further developing QL…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Although we are living in the “digital age”, sometimes it’s fun to measure something the old fashioned way. Everything seems to have a digital display attached to it now days. Just take a look at the dash board of a new car. What happened to the needles, gauges, hands and clock faces? They’re all digital…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Happy Holidays to all of you out there. It’s hard te believe this issue marks the end of almost two full years of publishing the QLR. The January issue will mark the beginning of our third rear as the oldest QL periodical in the States. We thank all of you for subscribing and hope you…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
I have seen a number of programs using a microdrive file containing a directory listing. The problem is copying, deleting, etc. as using the file means that the file must be accessed for each task and slows operations down to a crawl. Utilizing the follawing listing af PROCedure’s can allow you to write utilities in…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
We lead off this issue with the news that Pyramide has released two mew titles for the GL. The first is GRAPHIC TOOLKIT which we will review later. The second is MORTVILLE’S MANOR which had to be converted for U.S. machines. MM is the first graphic text adventure game for the GL and is excellent.…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
This latest software package from the French company Pyramide, renowned for such favorites as Wanderer and Vroom, provides a wealth of SuperBASIC extensions aimed at extending the graphic and screen-handling capabilities of the QL. While a few of the some 70+ extensions are duplicated in other toolkits, many are new and quite innovative.
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
I guess that if you enjoy programming like I do you produce a lot of programs. Unfortunately, many of them you almost never use and others you probably should use more often, but you just don’t get around to it. Then there is that rare program that becomes a part of your regular routine when…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Greetings from London! This issue we are “on the road” attending the PCW Show at the Olympia in London. We will be giving a full report on the show, on the status of the QL, and on new hardware and software, later in this issue. First, though, some news of interest. We have been experimenting…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Fall is here and with it comes a lot of new software £ and some hardware) for the QL. As we mentioned in the August issue, PC TALKER is now available for immediate shipment. This is probably the most interesting and exciting new piece of hardware to come along for the QL in quite awhile.…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
There was a QL meeting of sorts held on June 23rd in England. Most of the third party companies sent representatives. John Tweedy of Talent told us not much seemed to be accomplished except a committment by all to continue to support the machine, come what may. Amstrad has not sold the rights to anyone…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Well, here comes the summer. The QL has now been out one year in the U.S. We have gone from an unexpanded machine with four business programs and a few “Vic-20” type games to a 640k powerhouse with programs like QSPELL, GRAPHIQL, CONCEPT 3D, and WANDERER. Now available, as we stated last issue, is CONCEPT…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
We lead off this issue with a note of optimism. The following is a news squib we received from Mark Fendrick who got it from a news publication in the U.K. It is dated April 29th so it is reasonably current. Last Monday saw several ex-members of Sinclair Research starting work at Amstrad’s HQ at…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Well, Happy Tax Day. We hope you all have your returns going out on this date–at the latest. Let’s hope by this time next year there will be a good tax program available for the QL. The machine has finally been out long enough in this country so that “American” software is being introduced. War…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
We are seeing a very large increase in the number of QL sales which began last month. Word of mouth from satisfied owners is probably doing more to generate sales than a glossy ad in a nation-wide magazine, although that wouldn’t hurt. Sinclair Research launched the Spectrum 128k in England last month, as most of…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
We lead off this issue with the exciting news that finally you can use your QL for telecommunications. We have successfully connected a modem using a special piece of hardware. This adapter plugs into serial 2 and can be set for either 300 or 1200 baud. The other end has a standard DB-25 male connecter.…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Happy New Year to all of you. We want to start 1986 by thanking all of you for subscribing to our Report. Monthly you will be kept up to date on all the latest software and hardware for the QL. In addition, we will keep you informed on the latest news pertaining to Sinclair Research…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Well, Merry Christmas! We hope you all had a Happy 1985 and that 1986 will be an even better year for all of you. A lot has happened in this year- in February of 1985 when we started this Report, we had our British QL and were patiently waiting for the release of the QL…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Effective today, the price of the QL drops to $299.95 and is available from Curry Computer. Our first order is pending. All Sinclair brand QL software will only be available through dealers such as Curry Computer. We also will be stocking the Sinclair Flat Screen TV which will retail for $99.95 and can be used…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Finally the GL is shipping. These last few months have been chaotic to say the least. In the August Report we stated that Robert Maxwell had purchased a controlling interest in Sinclair Research. In early August Maxwell withdrew his offer which was to have been finalized in September. Although still suffering from acute cash flow…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
So it is August and within the last month the 68000 market has really heated up! Commodore unveiled the highly touted (and highly priced) Amiga on July 23rd in Lincoln Center, but probably will not begin shipping until September. Atari shipped a couple of thousand 520 ST’s to distributers last week and promised to ship…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
On Monday, June 17th, the Wall Street Journal reported that controlling interest in Sinclair Research was purchased by Robert Maxwell, owner of Pergamon Press • Ltd. Mr. Maxwell injected about 12 million pounds sterling into the company. Sir Clive’s stake in the company will drop from 85% to 15% ; Mr. Maxwell will take over…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
The big news this month, as most of you by now should know, is that you can order the QL from American Express. That is the good news. The bad news is, of course, you have to have an American Express card. The cost is $ 499 plus $ 8 shipping plus the applicable sales…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
May is here and hopefully the QL will be too sometime soon . We have seen a lot of new product come into our offices this past month. We have the Computamate Q-Disk interface connected to our machine and are running a double-sided single drive capable of storing 700k worth of data! Two such drives…
article, orig pub: 02.13.26, updated: 02.13.26
Here in Chicago we enjoy hearing that there are still other Sinclair groups still meeting all around North America sixteen years after it all started. Four Sinclair Platforms have held our interest, the ZX81/TS1000, Spectrum/TS2068, QL and Z88. We have improved and grown accustomed to the now mature Software we have available for these machines.…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
Several months ago, I got the UPS (uninterruptable power supply) and TAPE BACKUP that I had previously contemplated. Unless you only play games, the UPS is a good idea no matter what computer you are using. It seems like a particularly good investment to protect a QXL card from any jeopardy.
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
The first CATUG meeting I attended was in November of 1988 at the invitation of Butch Weinberg. At that time Steve Cooper was the meeting coordinator seeing to it that there was always a room available to us at the Downers Grove Public Library. In April of 1989 Steve invited us to his home near…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
LarKen users who have not yet tried LogiCall have told me that ads and articles had not clearly explained how the LogiCall Ensemble could help them. They had, therefore, not taken the opportunity to buy and use it. After sending them a copy of LogiCall, however, they were pleased with not only the speed but…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
The FALKENBERG keyboard interface has been around for several years now, but it is worth “looking at” in light of the fact that the latest version of the HERMES “chip” is supposed to incorporate a PC-AT KB interface, too; but, the new HERMES “chip” appears to have a price which is similar to the price…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
As of the beginning of July, the QKL’s operating system (SMSQ) is at v2.57. The enclosure noted that the SDATE function now returns the proper date if input by the user. In previous versions, I observed that some Strings were prematurely truncated; and, though this is not mentioned as being corrected, it has been.
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
As of the beginning of July, the QKL’s operating system (SMSQ) is at v2.57. The enclosure noted that the SDATE function now returns the proper date if input by the user. In previous versions, I observed that some Strings were prematurely truncated; and, though this is not mentioned as being corrected, it has been.
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
Don Lambert, Chairman of the Timex Sinclair NorthAmerican User Groups, wrote recently to say that he wanted to make word processor files of LarKen disk CATalogs. On only a few disks, he had trouble doing this using some sort of utility available in MSCRIPT. I reminded him of a simple program available with the LogiCall…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
There are computer shows and then there are computer shows. What is that supposed to mean? Well, let’s begin with what I expect at a show. I expect dealers to figuratively grab me by the lapels and say something like, “Come here and see what I have that you simply can’t do without” or “You…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
I have noted as the years pass that Computer Fests are taking on an atmosphere of a “family reunion”. I LIKE THAT! Tim Swenson and his wife add to the Dayton ComputerFest each year by providing a nice quiet place in their back yard with good food to eat and plenty of Sinclair users to…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
Marie Kendall asked how to completely save a TS2068 program. Some programs in to LogiCall collection of drives have such saves. VU-CALC, VUFILE come to mind when one thinks of programs that has start up screens to contend with. Let us take VU-CALC for example. What this program has to save all at one moment…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
In his June issue of QL Corner, Bob Gilder wrote about Ruth Fegley having “oxidation problems on the interface pins and by pressing the interface towards the QL body tends to remove the oxidation.” He also said Bob Malloy four computers with the same symptoms – one or more of the socketed IC’s had to…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
Jeff DeCourtney joined CATUG in the Spring of 1994 while he lived in Elmhurst. In all that time he only missed one meeting! Though his interest at the time was in the ZX81/TS1000, a TS2068 was presented to him by the club. His present main activity with the TS2068 is exploring every program he can…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
OLuMSi/QL.using.M’cr~S~ft.inter face (yes, it’s pronounced “clumsy”) is a front-end program, an MS-DOS simulation, and a learning tool. QLuMSi is a TURBO-compiled program that can be EXEC(_W)’d on any QL which has TK2_EXTensions.
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
My wife was given a free IBM (that’s the right price). Not much later a young man, Mark, asked me the now favorite question of all those people sold on IBM, “Why do you prefer Sinclair over IBM?”. After struggling with the IBM for weeks, I knew why. Not being a patient man (you have…
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26
article, orig pub: 02.12.26, updated: 02.12.26