NEWS;via Computer Shopper and E. Arthur Brown….I did not pay a bunch of attention the first time I read the ad for ‘PC Pictascan Graphics Grabber’, page 5, E11 of Brown’s latest catalog until I saw it in Computer Shopper-Jan ’87 issue. This little device is the brainchild of Orrin McGill the inventor of the MMRY-REZ 64K RAM for the TS1000, monitor conversion kits for the TS2068, and the 6502 Cross assembler for the TS1000 /2068 and other programs. The $149 device rides on the printer head of a Epson printer, and reads a photo or document you have on the printer platten. The data goes back to the PC. This little idea could lead to greater and better things for the 2068- yes/no? E. A. Brown Co, 3404 Pawnee Dr., Alexandria, MN 56308 tele:612-762-8847
NEW: Received this rather cryptic message and if it makes any sense to you, good!
Model Rockets
SI-FI Models
SI-FI Computers* contact;
Computer SIGS SLC. Dennis Bishop
Atari, Apple [address omitted]
C=, Timex/Sinclair Ramona, CA 92065
BBS Network
Starnet- 24 HRS. STARNET-02
619-562-0150 619-447-3448
STELLAR WINDS NEWSLETTER YEARLY DUES $2.00
REVIEWS: “Artworx 1.1”, by NovelSoft, Ariel S. Frailich and David C. Ridge. 106 Seventh Street, Toronto, Ontario Canada, brought thru E. A. Brown see address above, for $19.95 plus s&h.
You get your monies worth with this program! First a cassette with a Spectrum version on one side and the TS2068 on the other. In addition to Artworx 1.1, there is ARTGALLERY and five samples of art to be loaded into ARTGALLERY, to give you something to work with and learn how to use it. And second, very well written documentation, as user friendly as it is, you still should read the instructions.
I had two problems, one the orginial cassette is hard to load – apparently a individual problem as other users have not had this problem. Two, a very touchy joystick, in some modes, ZOOM and coloring the paper, I was in the menu more than I was out. But again, an individual problem not noticed by others. I’ll try a new joystick, and if Santee was nice, sooner than later. [Santa was, it does make a BIG difference for the better] The suggested poke for a not so touchy response was so sluggish as to be near impossible to get out of the mode and back to the menu.
Being used to the Orginial Artworx there was a bit of getting used to the new. I miss and still do the x,y coordinates at the lower left of screen. I like the new typesetting arrangement, but have yet to get used to the growing circle. Erase is different, and BETTER -if you can get exactly the shape you misdrew-you can erase arcs and ovals, and with ZOOM you can erase EAXCTLY what you want’ UNDO is great, erase last since menu. RAY is different than I remember it and I think better. FILL is FAST. COPY-BIG-SMALL similiar as before, but BIG acts strange – I get ABORT message some times but not othertimes, with no reason apparent. The BEST and WORSE is the two click on the fire button (on joystick) to get menu. I think a fire button on top of the stick is the better design, other wise, two hands and all thumbs gets the menu when I didnt want it. But it is a GOOD feature. [ A joystick with fire button on top of handle was delivered on 12-25 and all around improvement was noted ] In part of having used both the versions of Artworx, I eventually came up with the idea, intergrated modular software, to be able to mix and match the best of each.
Having talked with others who used both, and in spite of negative opinions of the worth of paying twice for both, I went ahead and got version 1.1. I’m glad I did. (see art work on the ZX-79) This was done with Artworx and Artworx 1.1, and with “Paint”, which I copied out of the Las Vegas TSUG Newsletter, March, and modified slightly. One can also employ other “art” programs on one screen. IF I had disc, I’d have every graphics program on disc, and madly switch back and forth using the best of each to produce a piece of ‘art’.
VIEWS; I have a an idea and no time to go anywhere with it- now with more and more hooking up disc drives to the 2068, is there software that is a DOS ? Menu driven software, that loads functions and files into the RAM to be used, then new data is written back to disc? Is there any software that is intergrated and or modular? Can a graphics program be built around a basic frame work, and then the user adds and subtracts various functions. Say the menu offers, three shades to paint with and 5 type styles to add text with. Your needs call for no painting and 8 typestyles, couldn’t there exsist a way to commercially modify the program, to tape and disc alike, so you could end up with a usable program, and the capacity to change. All the different graphics programs on the market have a couple bright ideas, and lack that one or two items, that cause you to buy another, and switch screen$ back and forth. Buy one, and select from a catalog one or more option packages to be added on at the store or at home. Game programs could have several levels and plateaus of difficulty, and on getting the ‘secret’ answer of level 1, gets you the priviledge of buying level two, and ad nausea. Anyway this gets the programmer to think beyond the one program – add on new ideas in future, develop a market, and sell new ideas without reselling old ideas. Market cost are held down, copy pirating minimized with programmer-user communication.
REVIEWS: “TiMachine”, also out of NovelSoft, is a basic to machine code complier I promise to review beyond the initial comments I had time for two newsletters ago. Time has not slowed down for me. The newsletter takes so much of my spare time, for me to figure out how to use a piece of software, use it and then write about it, I would be several weeks behind in getting our newsletter out anywhere near on time. I copied the “Paint” program, modified it somewhat in the hopes of putting it thru the Timachine. Then I read the can and cannot do part of the documentation. “ON ERR” statements are NOT supported, and Paint’s author Mike Rhees uses it quite a bit. So back to the “drawing” board. But TiMachine is one way to go if you want to get into MC with little or no sweat’
NEW: “SMART-TEXT”, by Bill Jones, Gulf Micro Electronics, 1317 Stratford Ave, Panama City, FL 32404. Cost $39.95 and available on cassette, 32 col. and OS 64 Versions, the Aerco and Oliger Disc drive, A&J Micro Drive, and the Tasman, Aerco, Oliger and A&J printer IF supported, specify version. This software reviewed in the Nov/Dec ’86 Time Designs Magazine. TDM gets better and better as time goes by, if you enjoy your Sinclair machine, you’ll enjoy Time Designs, for only $15 a year/ 6 issues. Write to TDM, 29722 Hult Rd., Colton, OR 97017 Tel:503-824-2658
NEWS: SCLD every 2068 gotta have one- if yours goes then what ? The folks at the Capital Area TS Users Group ( CATS ) PO Box 725, Bladensburg, Md 20710 brought a whole bunch from Timex Portugal. and for $20 each will sell you one. Discounts for larger or group purchases. Write for details.
NEWS:-“Radio Computing Digest (RCD)”- is devoted to low-cost, license-free, wireless computer communications. Public Digital Radio Service (PDRS) coverage, and more. PDRS baud rate in excess of one million bps. RCD will show you how to set up a Digital Radio Station, BBSs and LANs. Both local and long distance links possible without Ma Bell. For a copy of the premier issue of RCD send three dollars to: R.L. Christensen, Box 916, Oroville, WA 98844.
NEWS:-“2nd Annual Timex Sinclair Computerfest”-for details on this EVENT of the TS year! Write to Frank Davis, 513 East Main St., Peru IN 46970-sending a SASE probably wont hurt his feelings any. Any SINCUS people planning on attending let me know, maybe we can all meet at one location- as most of us havent meet-YET!
CLONE – – – -CLONE- – – -CLONE – – – -CLONE – – – -CLONE- – – -CLONE- –
Over a year after the release of CLONE to the public, we have received very few complaints regarding the operation of CLONE. Either a whole lot of people gave up and didn’t believe we would try to help out any purchaser of CLONE, or there weren’t any problems. One complaint was the CLONEd program wouldn’t load, and all the user got was the Tape Error Report. It was determined that it is was too low a recorder level. Other recorders were tried and success! Not all recorders are created equal. And some wear out after several hundred hours of use. The second problem, was the user couldn’t get the CLONE to transfer to disc or micro drive. It has NEVER been advertised as such. It takes hardware and software-see a NMI switch-to do that. CLONE has always been advertised as a tape back up utility. The Header Reader function, gives you the data necessary to make the switch from tape to drive. I use my copy of CLONE to copy tape swaps for members and from other groups. LOAD CLONE in the 2068, put the blank tape in one recorder and the program tape in the other, go to Last Resort option, turn on both recorders and let it go. With multi-jacks on the plugs a couple recordings can be made at the same time.
For your copy of CLONE, send $6, to ‘SINCUS’, 1229 Rhodes Rd., Johnson City, NY 13790. Postpaid.
Hi and welcome to new member Don Lambert, Cedar Rapids, IA, he writes looking for HELP for a ZX80 that has loose wires, cut traces and gives garbage on the screen, he needs a ZX80 schematic, photos or drawings so he can tell what he’s got. He has the Operating manual. and was told it has both the 4K and 8K ROMs. Also on the outlook for instructions for the Memotech High Resolution Graphics module. Any help would be welcomed- I’ll forward any and all help to Don as received. Thanks.
From our reliable news source in East Livermoreshirehampton, England a photo of then Mr. Clive Sinclair and several prototypes of his future inventions. Note his digital watch on his wrist from his earlier watch kit days. While the photo is dated 1979, there is the fore runner of Flat Screen TV in the background, a working model of the ZX79 with a plug in .5K RAM pack in the fore. The spinner-beanie hat is a wind to dc power pack for the electic power skates (forerunner of the electric car) Skates on Clive’s feet not in photo. The reason for his hand over his face is to prove hands in screen are not his, and the ZX79 works!!! We of course were not aware of many of Clive’s earliest efforts but we do appreciate them!
VIEWS:Just got a postcard from a user who heard of us, wants assurances that we wont disappear in the night, and a free sample to help make up his mind. I can understand some of what this guy must think, but sometimes I wish he and all others could realize that there are no guarantees in Life, so how can I give him one? And does the money we pay for stamps or paper grow on trees up here?? I haven’t seen any. I suppose since once in awhile we get mention in national publications, we oughta expect it, but we’re gona have to raise dues to cover the freebies, maybe not this year but maybe soon. As for assurances or guarantees, if we do have to pull the plug, all members will be refunded any monies due, less the cost of refunding, ie stamps, m.o.’s and envelops etc. I hope we are here next year and for years to come, but we need some feedback from all of you reading this.
Late News Arrivals
NEWS: From the newsletter of the Indiana Sinclair-Timex Users Group, hosts of the 2nd Annual Midwest Timex-Sinclair Computerfest.(2ndAMTSC)
WHEN ? MAY 2nd & 3rd - Saturday & Sunday
WHERE ? LOCATION: Holiday Inn-North, Indianaoplis, Indiana 46268 Tele: 317-872-9790 or
1-800-HOLIDAY for reservations. COST-special flat rate of $52 for a room,
regardless of the number of people in the party. You MUST mention you are
attending the Midwest Timex-Sinclair Computerfest.
WHAT GOES? Friday May 1 at 8pm - a special Banquet for 2ndAMTSC workers. Invites to
volunteer workers, workers for users groups with a table, or to Vendors
displaying at the Fest. There is a seperate charge for the banquet.
Saturday, May 2nd at 9am, doors to the FEST open until 6pm. Seminars and
Lectures schedule will run from 10am until 5pm.
Sunday, May 3rd at 9am, doors open and remain open until 5pm. Lectures and
seminars will run from 10am until 4pm.
On both days, a seperate area will be maintained for a swap/flea market.
Please no copyrighted material, no pirating, and non-vendors only. No charge
for this, but it is asked that no one hog the area.
HOW MUCH? Admission cost is: PRE-Register before March 30 1987 is $4 per individual, or
$7 per family.
Register after March 30, 1987 the price is $6 for an
individual, $9 per family (at door price also).
Make checks payable to "Midwest Timex-Sinclair Computer Fest". WRITE
legibly-use a typewriter or printer! When writing, tell us how many to expect
in a family group, and if you wish a pre-registration confirmed, then enclose a
SASE. Send your check to Midwest Timex-Sinclair Computer Fest, c/o Frank Davis,
513 East Main Street, Peru IN 46970
OTHER NOTES: CAB FARE from airport is $13 to $15. Holiday Inn has free transport to
Airport, call them on arrival.
OTHER INNS: Dillon Inn 1-800-253-7305, 317-875-7676
Dollar Inn 1-317-872-0500
Drury Inn 1-800-325-8300, 317-876-9777
Red Roof Inn 1-800-848-7878, 317-872-3030
Signature Inn 1-800-822-5252, 317-875-5656
Embassy Suites 1-800-362-2779, 317-872-7700
Leave message for Frank Davis on ISTUG BBS at 1-317-898-3903
if you have more questions.
MORE NEWS: Hold on to your hats with this one, from Frank Davis, ISTUG, from Tom Bent, Tom will be offering through Tom Woods, a Non-volatile RAM cartridge in kit form for about $40. Initially it will be for 64K, but with piggybacking, you could have up to 128K NV RAM.
STILL MORE NEWS: From ISTUG, good source of support for ZX81s and TS1000 is ARCTAN COMPUTER VENTURES, 1 Foxwell Square, Southfields, Northhampton, NN3 5AT-write for prices, send a international reply coupon-only good reports on service.
WRAP UP Thanks to John and Wes, the info from ISTUG, TDM, and others this filled more pages than I figure-maybe I should reduced the type next time, hmmm I wonder. Best to all of you in 1987, it looks like a great year already, and I haven’t seen the new W4 yet! PH