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B/FEA4
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
Tape/disk: | Home » Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Electron_User_Group » EUG_15.ADF |
Filename: | B/FEA4 |
Read OK: | ✔ |
File size: | 0748 bytes |
Load address: | 34204556 |
Exec address: | 69765A4E |
File contents
Home Computer News Mar (Aug) 1994 4. Versatile ComputeResearch (NZ) unLtd. F4/177 Shirley rd. Papatoetoe, Auckland Ph.278-1150(EVNGS). Which Processor?:- The difference between a home computer & a so-called personal computer is that 1 is a simple, easy-2-use 8-bit machine with usually a Z-80 or a 6502 cpu & the other is a 16-bit or larger IBM compatable computer which often uses MS-DOS ect with a price tag of several thousand $$$$. A report which appeared in NZH recently stated that American computer users r demanding Pentium chips 4 their home computers although they r not sure y Apparently the americans have been brain washed by the madison Avenue advertising agencies into believing that they need ever more powerful industrila business computers 4 home use but who will write the software for these immensely powerful machines?; anothe report from the same newspaper suggests that software companies r fast running out of options. The NZ operator is faced with the same delemma; he is like a car buyer who, on enquiring at the local dealers yard is told that "We only sell trucks, delivery vans and light (?) commercial vehicles." A new or used car-dealer who tried 2 sell his vehicles in the same way that computer-manufactures sell their machines would soon go bust; most computer systems sold in NZ and overseas are totally unsuitable, being far 2 powerful 4 the tasks they r to be used 4 but no executive or sales manager will ever admit that. The owner of a 286 yearns for a 386 & the 386 user longs 4 a 486 machine but the greatest drawback of these powerful new machines is the incompatability with previous models & anyway as the perfect computer doesn't exist no aftersales backup need be provided. Whatever hapened to the 8/16-bit W65sc816 & Z-800 chips that the Western Design centre and Zilog announced in 1984??
00000000 48 6f 6d 65 20 43 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 4e 65 |Home Computer Ne| 00000010 77 73 20 4d 61 72 20 28 41 75 67 29 20 31 39 39 |ws Mar (Aug) 199| 00000020 34 0d 34 2e 0d 56 65 72 73 61 74 69 6c 65 20 43 |4.4..Versatile C| 00000030 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 52 65 73 65 61 72 63 68 20 28 |omputeResearch (| 00000040 4e 5a 29 20 75 6e 4c 74 64 2e 20 46 34 2f 31 37 |NZ) unLtd. F4/17| 00000050 37 20 53 68 69 72 6c 65 79 20 72 64 2e 0d 50 61 |7 Shirley rd..Pa| 00000060 70 61 74 6f 65 74 6f 65 2c 20 41 75 63 6b 6c 61 |patoetoe, Auckla| 00000070 6e 64 20 50 68 2e 32 37 38 2d 31 31 35 30 28 45 |nd Ph.278-1150(E| 00000080 56 4e 47 53 29 2e 0d 57 68 69 63 68 20 50 72 6f |VNGS)..Which Pro| 00000090 63 65 73 73 6f 72 3f 3a 2d 0d 54 68 65 20 64 69 |cessor?:-.The di| 000000a0 66 66 65 72 65 6e 63 65 20 62 65 74 77 65 65 6e |fference between| 000000b0 20 61 20 68 6f 6d 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 | a home computer| 000000c0 20 26 20 61 20 73 6f 2d 63 61 6c 6c 65 64 20 70 | & a so-called p| 000000d0 65 72 73 6f 6e 61 6c 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 |ersonal computer| 000000e0 20 69 73 20 0d 74 68 61 74 20 10 31 20 10 69 73 | is .that .1 .is| 000000f0 20 10 61 20 10 73 69 6d 70 6c 65 2c 20 65 61 73 | .a .simple, eas| 00000100 79 2d 32 2d 75 73 65 20 38 2d 62 69 74 20 6d 61 |y-2-use 8-bit ma| 00000110 63 68 69 6e 65 20 77 69 74 68 20 75 73 75 61 6c |chine with usual| 00000120 6c 79 20 61 20 5a 2d 38 30 20 6f 72 20 61 20 0d |ly a Z-80 or a .| 00000130 36 35 30 32 20 63 70 75 20 26 20 74 68 65 20 6f |6502 cpu & the o| 00000140 74 68 65 72 20 69 73 20 61 20 31 36 2d 62 69 74 |ther is a 16-bit| 00000150 20 6f 72 20 6c 61 72 67 65 72 20 49 42 4d 20 63 | or larger IBM c| 00000160 6f 6d 70 61 74 61 62 6c 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 |ompatable comput| 00000170 65 72 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 0d 6f 66 74 65 6e 20 |er which .often | 00000180 75 73 65 73 20 4d 53 2d 44 4f 53 20 65 63 74 20 |uses MS-DOS ect | 00000190 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 70 72 69 63 65 20 74 61 67 |with a price tag| 000001a0 20 6f 66 20 73 65 76 65 72 61 6c 20 74 68 6f 75 | of several thou| 000001b0 73 61 6e 64 20 24 24 24 24 2e 20 41 20 72 65 70 |sand $$$$. A rep| 000001c0 6f 72 74 20 0d 77 68 69 63 68 20 61 70 70 65 61 |ort .which appea| 000001d0 72 65 64 20 69 6e 20 4e 5a 48 20 72 65 63 65 6e |red in NZH recen| 000001e0 74 6c 79 20 73 74 61 74 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 |tly stated that | 000001f0 41 6d 65 72 69 63 61 6e 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 |American compute| 00000200 72 20 75 73 65 72 73 20 72 20 0d 64 65 6d 61 6e |r users r .deman| 00000210 64 69 6e 67 20 50 65 6e 74 69 75 6d 20 63 68 69 |ding Pentium chi| 00000220 70 73 20 34 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 68 6f 6d 65 20 |ps 4 their home | 00000230 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 73 20 61 6c 74 68 6f 75 |computers althou| 00000240 67 68 20 74 68 65 79 20 72 20 6e 6f 74 20 73 75 |gh they r not su| 00000250 72 65 20 79 0d 41 70 70 61 72 65 6e 74 6c 79 20 |re y.Apparently | 00000260 74 68 65 20 61 6d 65 72 69 63 61 6e 73 20 68 61 |the americans ha| 00000270 76 65 20 62 65 65 6e 20 62 72 61 69 6e 20 77 61 |ve been brain wa| 00000280 73 68 65 64 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 64 69 |shed by the madi| 00000290 73 6f 6e 20 41 76 65 6e 75 65 20 0d 61 64 76 65 |son Avenue .adve| 000002a0 72 74 69 73 69 6e 67 20 61 67 65 6e 63 69 65 73 |rtising agencies| 000002b0 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 62 65 6c 69 65 76 69 6e 67 20 | into believing | 000002c0 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 79 20 6e 65 65 64 20 65 |that they need e| 000002d0 76 65 72 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 70 6f 77 65 72 66 75 |ver more powerfu| 000002e0 6c 20 0d 69 6e 64 75 73 74 72 69 6c 61 20 62 75 |l .industrila bu| 000002f0 73 69 6e 65 73 73 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 73 |siness computers| 00000300 20 34 20 68 6f 6d 65 20 75 73 65 20 62 75 74 20 | 4 home use but | 00000310 77 68 6f 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 77 72 69 74 65 20 74 |who will write t| 00000320 68 65 20 73 6f 66 74 77 61 72 65 20 0d 66 6f 72 |he software .for| 00000330 20 74 68 65 73 65 20 69 6d 6d 65 6e 73 65 6c 79 | these immensely| 00000340 20 70 6f 77 65 72 66 75 6c 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e | powerful machin| 00000350 65 73 3f 3b 20 61 6e 6f 74 68 65 20 72 65 70 6f |es?; anothe repo| 00000360 72 74 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65 |rt from the same| 00000370 20 0d 6e 65 77 73 70 61 70 65 72 20 73 75 67 67 | .newspaper sugg| 00000380 65 73 74 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 73 6f 66 74 77 61 |ests that softwa| 00000390 72 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 61 6e 69 65 73 20 72 20 66 |re companies r f| 000003a0 61 73 74 20 72 75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 20 6f 75 74 20 |ast running out | 000003b0 6f 66 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 73 2e 20 0d 54 68 65 |of options. .The| 000003c0 20 4e 5a 20 6f 70 65 72 61 74 6f 72 20 69 73 20 | NZ operator is | 000003d0 66 61 63 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 73 |faced with the s| 000003e0 61 6d 65 20 64 65 6c 65 6d 6d 61 3b 20 68 65 20 |ame delemma; he | 000003f0 69 73 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 61 20 63 61 72 20 62 75 |is like a car bu| 00000400 79 65 72 20 0d 77 68 6f 2c 20 6f 6e 20 65 6e 71 |yer .who, on enq| 00000410 75 69 72 69 6e 67 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 6c 6f |uiring at the lo| 00000420 63 61 6c 20 64 65 61 6c 65 72 73 20 79 61 72 64 |cal dealers yard| 00000430 20 69 73 20 74 6f 6c 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 22 57 | is told that "W| 00000440 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 73 65 6c 6c 20 0d 74 72 75 |e only sell .tru| 00000450 63 6b 73 2c 20 64 65 6c 69 76 65 72 79 20 76 61 |cks, delivery va| 00000460 6e 73 20 61 6e 64 20 6c 69 67 68 74 20 28 3f 29 |ns and light (?)| 00000470 20 63 6f 6d 6d 65 72 63 69 61 6c 20 76 65 68 69 | commercial vehi| 00000480 63 6c 65 73 2e 22 0d 0d 41 20 6e 65 77 20 6f 72 |cles."..A new or| 00000490 20 75 73 65 64 20 63 61 72 2d 64 65 61 6c 65 72 | used car-dealer| 000004a0 20 77 68 6f 20 74 72 69 65 64 20 32 20 73 65 6c | who tried 2 sel| 000004b0 6c 20 68 69 73 20 76 65 68 69 63 6c 65 73 20 69 |l his vehicles i| 000004c0 6e 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65 20 77 61 79 20 0d |n the same way .| 000004d0 74 68 61 74 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 2d 6d 61 |that computer-ma| 000004e0 6e 75 66 61 63 74 75 72 65 73 20 73 65 6c 6c 20 |nufactures sell | 000004f0 74 68 65 69 72 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e 65 73 20 77 |their machines w| 00000500 6f 75 6c 64 20 73 6f 6f 6e 20 67 6f 20 62 75 73 |ould soon go bus| 00000510 74 3b 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 0d 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 |t; most .compute| 00000520 72 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 73 20 73 6f 6c 64 20 69 |r systems sold i| 00000530 6e 20 4e 5a 20 61 6e 64 20 6f 76 65 72 73 65 61 |n NZ and oversea| 00000540 73 20 61 72 65 20 74 6f 74 61 6c 6c 79 20 75 6e |s are totally un| 00000550 73 75 69 74 61 62 6c 65 2c 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 |suitable, being | 00000560 0d 66 61 72 20 32 20 70 6f 77 65 72 66 75 6c 20 |.far 2 powerful | 00000570 34 20 74 68 65 20 74 61 73 6b 73 20 74 68 65 79 |4 the tasks they| 00000580 20 72 20 74 6f 20 62 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 34 20 | r to be used 4 | 00000590 62 75 74 20 6e 6f 20 65 78 65 63 75 74 69 76 65 |but no executive| 000005a0 20 6f 72 20 73 61 6c 65 73 20 0d 6d 61 6e 61 67 | or sales .manag| 000005b0 65 72 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 65 76 65 72 20 61 64 6d |er will ever adm| 000005c0 69 74 20 74 68 61 74 2e 20 54 68 65 20 6f 77 6e |it that. The own| 000005d0 65 72 20 6f 66 20 61 20 32 38 36 20 79 65 61 72 |er of a 286 year| 000005e0 6e 73 20 66 6f 72 20 61 20 33 38 36 20 26 20 74 |ns for a 386 & t| 000005f0 68 65 20 0d 33 38 36 20 75 73 65 72 20 6c 6f 6e |he .386 user lon| 00000600 67 73 20 34 20 61 20 34 38 36 20 6d 61 63 68 69 |gs 4 a 486 machi| 00000610 6e 65 20 62 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 67 72 65 61 74 |ne but the great| 00000620 65 73 74 20 64 72 61 77 62 61 63 6b 20 6f 66 20 |est drawback of | 00000630 74 68 65 73 65 20 0d 70 6f 77 65 72 66 75 6c 20 |these .powerful | 00000640 6e 65 77 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e 65 73 20 69 73 20 |new machines is | 00000650 74 68 65 20 69 6e 63 6f 6d 70 61 74 61 62 69 6c |the incompatabil| 00000660 69 74 79 20 77 69 74 68 20 70 72 65 76 69 6f 75 |ity with previou| 00000670 73 20 6d 6f 64 65 6c 73 20 26 20 0d 61 6e 79 77 |s models & .anyw| 00000680 61 79 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 65 72 66 65 63 |ay as the perfec| 00000690 74 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 64 6f 65 73 6e |t computer doesn| 000006a0 27 74 20 65 78 69 73 74 20 6e 6f 20 61 66 74 65 |'t exist no afte| 000006b0 72 73 61 6c 65 73 20 62 61 63 6b 75 70 20 6e 65 |rsales backup ne| 000006c0 65 64 20 62 65 20 0d 70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 64 2e |ed be .provided.| 000006d0 0d 57 68 61 74 65 76 65 72 20 68 61 70 65 6e 65 |.Whatever hapene| 000006e0 64 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 38 2f 31 36 2d 62 69 |d to the 8/16-bi| 000006f0 74 20 57 36 35 73 63 38 31 36 20 26 20 5a 2d 38 |t W65sc816 & Z-8| 00000700 30 30 20 63 68 69 70 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 |00 chips that th| 00000710 65 20 57 65 73 74 65 72 6e 20 0d 44 65 73 69 67 |e Western .Desig| 00000720 6e 20 63 65 6e 74 72 65 20 61 6e 64 20 5a 69 6c |n centre and Zil| 00000730 6f 67 20 61 6e 6e 6f 75 6e 63 65 64 20 69 6e 20 |og announced in | 00000740 31 39 38 34 3f 3f 0d 0d |1984??..| 00000748