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R/+RVG2

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_56.ADF
Filename: R/+RVG2
Read OK: ✔
File size: 14DE bytes
Load address: 52204556
Exec address: 56522B2E
Duplicates

There are 2 duplicate copies of this file in the archive:

File contents
           The ACORN ELECTRON: A Feature From RETROGAMES #3
             Compiled with help from 8BS, EUG and SOLINET

   The Plus 3, a huge L-shaped box with a built-in 'ahead of its time'
3.5" disk drive, is regarded now as one of the rarest and most treasured
items to get hold of. Its arrival then was heralded with some enthusiasm
but it is seriously flawed in that it takes a whopping 13k from the 
Elk's memory for its operation. Its "advanced" disk filing system (ADFS)
took it further out of compatibility with the disk filing system of the
BBC (DFS - completely different), it took different sized disks (the BBC
took 5.25" ones!) and, considering Elk + Plus 1 + Plus 3 now cost more
than a BBC B, few people bought one.
   By now, all Electron owners had some compatibility problems to moan
about. There was even a lack of compatibility between third party disk
drives (such as CUMANA's variant and SOLIDISK's variant) and the ACORN
one! The only standardised format was and is tape.
   Just three years after it had been breaking ACORN's records, they 
announced they were dropping support for it to work on enchanced BBCs
and the Archimedes. (Both were dismal failures.) At Christmas 1986, they
flogged out a multitude of machines and interfaces at bargain prices!
   Considering the mess they had made of their market, it was the best
move for buyers they ever made. Where ACORN left off, the new company
PRES took over. Within a few months they had managed to re-design the
Plus 3 into the Advanced Plus 3. Gone forever was the huge L-shaped
monstrosity; in its place a ROM cartridge variant which could be 
connected to a disk drive of ANY size. Then they created the wonderful
Plus 4 ROM chip: a ROM that could be inserted into the Advanced Plus 3
to give compatibility with the BBC's disk filing system (the DFS) with
NO LOSS OF MEMORY.
   Finally compatibility with the BBC was assured. Of course, there was
still the "teletext" mode exclusion and the weird succession of blips
the Elk produced when attempting to play music intended for the BBC, but
games could be written for disk and would work on the Electron. The 
finest commercial results of this hard labour are the TOPOLOGIKA and
HEYLEY disk adventures.
   The market perked up again when third party SLOGGER produced a 64K
Electron; exactly the same as the 32K one apart from a button on its
left which, when pressed, would double the memory size and "turbo" the
execution speed. So the problems of slow BBC games plus those that had
simply been too long to load into 32K were solved. When JAFA and PROJECT
EXPANSIONS made the package complete with a "teletext" extension board
and a four-channel sound ROM cartridge, it was almost possible to see
that small unexpanded beige machine transformed into an all-singing, 
all-dancing, ultra-fast executing, memory-doubled and disk-compatible
piece of kit capable of almost anything!
   Most of these companies, of course, no longer survive. That said, the
Elk has not yet completely had its day. Although the market began to 
drop off in the early 1990s (when the Amiga started making its presence
felt), the Public Domain scene simultaneously went from strength to
strength. The standard of software produced by commercial companies, 
particularly games by SUPERIOR SOFTWARE (who, although they no longer
create new releases, continue to trade in them today) is of a very high
standard; their still-available tape game EXILE is unanimously acknow-
ledged to be a masterpiece of modern programming whilst their disk re-
leases such as CRAZEE RIDER and ELIXIR, although no longer supplied,
showed that they could even cleverly code their programs to fit any disk
system it was put onto.
   ACORN PROGRAMS and ELBUG didn't stay the distance for long but
ELECTRON USER confidently cleared a path through all the years of soft-
ware and hardware developments and was cherished by Elk owners. When it
finally called it a day, it tried to ease its readers into two sister
publications, LET'S COMPUTE and THE MICRO USER but although "For the
Electron" appeared on the covers of each, neither showed the dedication
of ELECTRON USER and both were discontinued after only a year or so.
   The Electron, as the SUPERIOR, AUDIOGENIC, 4TH DIMENSION and MICRO
POWER labels proved, is a games machine. Several hundred games made it
to professional release and games such as the REPTON series still get 
ex-owners choked up with nostalgia. Adventures were also increasingly
popular, and made more demanding by their writers, with ELECTRON USER
devoting at least three pages to solving the latest one in each issue
and the last release for the Electron being an adventure (SPY SNATCHER
by TOPOLOGIKA).
   Just as the sun seemed to be setting on at least the Electron's maga-
zine era, the EUG (ELECTRON USER GROUP) fanzine appeared; and PD compan-
ies such as JJF, HEADFIRST, MOSS and ELECTRON began advertising their
collections of disks. A company called PROACTION also took over 
SUPERIOR's licence to keep producing Electron games (although they only
managed one more - in 1997!). By now, all were catering to a market 
where the Electron was no longer the owner's primary machine but the
support was there all the same.

This article continued in R.+RVG3. First published RETROGAMES #3. Repub-
lished with permission in EUG #56.

00000000  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20  20 20 20 54 68 65 20 41  |           The A|
00000010  43 4f 52 4e 20 45 4c 45  43 54 52 4f 4e 3a 20 41  |CORN ELECTRON: A|
00000020  20 46 65 61 74 75 72 65  20 46 72 6f 6d 20 52 45  | Feature From RE|
00000030  54 52 4f 47 41 4d 45 53  20 23 33 0d 20 20 20 20  |TROGAMES #3.    |
00000040  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20  20 43 6f 6d 70 69 6c 65  |         Compile|
00000050  64 20 77 69 74 68 20 68  65 6c 70 20 66 72 6f 6d  |d with help from|
00000060  20 38 42 53 2c 20 45 55  47 20 61 6e 64 20 53 4f  | 8BS, EUG and SO|
00000070  4c 49 4e 45 54 0d 0d 20  20 20 54 68 65 20 50 6c  |LINET..   The Pl|
00000080  75 73 20 33 2c 20 61 20  68 75 67 65 20 4c 2d 73  |us 3, a huge L-s|
00000090  68 61 70 65 64 20 62 6f  78 20 77 69 74 68 20 61  |haped box with a|
000000a0  20 62 75 69 6c 74 2d 69  6e 20 27 61 68 65 61 64  | built-in 'ahead|
000000b0  20 6f 66 20 69 74 73 20  74 69 6d 65 27 0d 33 2e  | of its time'.3.|
000000c0  35 22 20 64 69 73 6b 20  64 72 69 76 65 2c 20 69  |5" disk drive, i|
000000d0  73 20 72 65 67 61 72 64  65 64 20 6e 6f 77 20 61  |s regarded now a|
000000e0  73 20 6f 6e 65 20 6f 66  20 74 68 65 20 72 61 72  |s one of the rar|
000000f0  65 73 74 20 61 6e 64 20  6d 6f 73 74 20 74 72 65  |est and most tre|
00000100  61 73 75 72 65 64 0d 69  74 65 6d 73 20 74 6f 20  |asured.items to |
00000110  67 65 74 20 68 6f 6c 64  20 6f 66 2e 20 49 74 73  |get hold of. Its|
00000120  20 61 72 72 69 76 61 6c  20 74 68 65 6e 20 77 61  | arrival then wa|
00000130  73 20 68 65 72 61 6c 64  65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20  |s heralded with |
00000140  73 6f 6d 65 20 65 6e 74  68 75 73 69 61 73 6d 0d  |some enthusiasm.|
00000150  62 75 74 20 69 74 20 69  73 20 73 65 72 69 6f 75  |but it is seriou|
00000160  73 6c 79 20 66 6c 61 77  65 64 20 69 6e 20 74 68  |sly flawed in th|
00000170  61 74 20 69 74 20 74 61  6b 65 73 20 61 20 77 68  |at it takes a wh|
00000180  6f 70 70 69 6e 67 20 31  33 6b 20 66 72 6f 6d 20  |opping 13k from |
00000190  74 68 65 20 0d 45 6c 6b  27 73 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72  |the .Elk's memor|
000001a0  79 20 66 6f 72 20 69 74  73 20 6f 70 65 72 61 74  |y for its operat|
000001b0  69 6f 6e 2e 20 49 74 73  20 22 61 64 76 61 6e 63  |ion. Its "advanc|
000001c0  65 64 22 20 64 69 73 6b  20 66 69 6c 69 6e 67 20  |ed" disk filing |
000001d0  73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 28  41 44 46 53 29 0d 74 6f  |system (ADFS).to|
000001e0  6f 6b 20 69 74 20 66 75  72 74 68 65 72 20 6f 75  |ok it further ou|
000001f0  74 20 6f 66 20 63 6f 6d  70 61 74 69 62 69 6c 69  |t of compatibili|
00000200  74 79 20 77 69 74 68 20  74 68 65 20 64 69 73 6b  |ty with the disk|
00000210  20 66 69 6c 69 6e 67 20  73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 6f  | filing system o|
00000220  66 20 74 68 65 0d 42 42  43 20 28 44 46 53 20 2d  |f the.BBC (DFS -|
00000230  20 63 6f 6d 70 6c 65 74  65 6c 79 20 64 69 66 66  | completely diff|
00000240  65 72 65 6e 74 29 2c 20  69 74 20 74 6f 6f 6b 20  |erent), it took |
00000250  64 69 66 66 65 72 65 6e  74 20 73 69 7a 65 64 20  |different sized |
00000260  64 69 73 6b 73 20 28 74  68 65 20 42 42 43 0d 74  |disks (the BBC.t|
00000270  6f 6f 6b 20 35 2e 32 35  22 20 6f 6e 65 73 21 29  |ook 5.25" ones!)|
00000280  20 61 6e 64 2c 20 63 6f  6e 73 69 64 65 72 69 6e  | and, considerin|
00000290  67 20 45 6c 6b 20 2b 20  50 6c 75 73 20 31 20 2b  |g Elk + Plus 1 +|
000002a0  20 50 6c 75 73 20 33 20  6e 6f 77 20 63 6f 73 74  | Plus 3 now cost|
000002b0  20 6d 6f 72 65 0d 74 68  61 6e 20 61 20 42 42 43  | more.than a BBC|
000002c0  20 42 2c 20 66 65 77 20  70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 62  | B, few people b|
000002d0  6f 75 67 68 74 20 6f 6e  65 2e 0d 20 20 20 42 79  |ought one..   By|
000002e0  20 6e 6f 77 2c 20 61 6c  6c 20 45 6c 65 63 74 72  | now, all Electr|
000002f0  6f 6e 20 6f 77 6e 65 72  73 20 68 61 64 20 73 6f  |on owners had so|
00000300  6d 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 61  74 69 62 69 6c 69 74 79  |me compatibility|
00000310  20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d  73 20 74 6f 20 6d 6f 61  | problems to moa|
00000320  6e 0d 61 62 6f 75 74 2e  20 54 68 65 72 65 20 77  |n.about. There w|
00000330  61 73 20 65 76 65 6e 20  61 20 6c 61 63 6b 20 6f  |as even a lack o|
00000340  66 20 63 6f 6d 70 61 74  69 62 69 6c 69 74 79 20  |f compatibility |
00000350  62 65 74 77 65 65 6e 20  74 68 69 72 64 20 70 61  |between third pa|
00000360  72 74 79 20 64 69 73 6b  0d 64 72 69 76 65 73 20  |rty disk.drives |
00000370  28 73 75 63 68 20 61 73  20 43 55 4d 41 4e 41 27  |(such as CUMANA'|
00000380  73 20 76 61 72 69 61 6e  74 20 61 6e 64 20 53 4f  |s variant and SO|
00000390  4c 49 44 49 53 4b 27 73  20 76 61 72 69 61 6e 74  |LIDISK's variant|
000003a0  29 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68  65 20 41 43 4f 52 4e 0d  |) and the ACORN.|
000003b0  6f 6e 65 21 20 54 68 65  20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 73 74  |one! The only st|
000003c0  61 6e 64 61 72 64 69 73  65 64 20 66 6f 72 6d 61  |andardised forma|
000003d0  74 20 77 61 73 20 61 6e  64 20 69 73 20 74 61 70  |t was and is tap|
000003e0  65 2e 0d 20 20 20 4a 75  73 74 20 74 68 72 65 65  |e..   Just three|
000003f0  20 79 65 61 72 73 20 61  66 74 65 72 20 69 74 20  | years after it |
00000400  68 61 64 20 62 65 65 6e  20 62 72 65 61 6b 69 6e  |had been breakin|
00000410  67 20 41 43 4f 52 4e 27  73 20 72 65 63 6f 72 64  |g ACORN's record|
00000420  73 2c 20 74 68 65 79 20  0d 61 6e 6e 6f 75 6e 63  |s, they .announc|
00000430  65 64 20 74 68 65 79 20  77 65 72 65 20 64 72 6f  |ed they were dro|
00000440  70 70 69 6e 67 20 73 75  70 70 6f 72 74 20 66 6f  |pping support fo|
00000450  72 20 69 74 20 74 6f 20  77 6f 72 6b 20 6f 6e 20  |r it to work on |
00000460  65 6e 63 68 61 6e 63 65  64 20 42 42 43 73 0d 61  |enchanced BBCs.a|
00000470  6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 41  72 63 68 69 6d 65 64 65  |nd the Archimede|
00000480  73 2e 20 28 42 6f 74 68  20 77 65 72 65 20 64 69  |s. (Both were di|
00000490  73 6d 61 6c 20 66 61 69  6c 75 72 65 73 2e 29 20  |smal failures.) |
000004a0  41 74 20 43 68 72 69 73  74 6d 61 73 20 31 39 38  |At Christmas 198|
000004b0  36 2c 20 74 68 65 79 0d  66 6c 6f 67 67 65 64 20  |6, they.flogged |
000004c0  6f 75 74 20 61 20 6d 75  6c 74 69 74 75 64 65 20  |out a multitude |
000004d0  6f 66 20 6d 61 63 68 69  6e 65 73 20 61 6e 64 20  |of machines and |
000004e0  69 6e 74 65 72 66 61 63  65 73 20 61 74 20 62 61  |interfaces at ba|
000004f0  72 67 61 69 6e 20 70 72  69 63 65 73 21 0d 20 20  |rgain prices!.  |
00000500  20 43 6f 6e 73 69 64 65  72 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65  | Considering the|
00000510  20 6d 65 73 73 20 74 68  65 79 20 68 61 64 20 6d  | mess they had m|
00000520  61 64 65 20 6f 66 20 74  68 65 69 72 20 6d 61 72  |ade of their mar|
00000530  6b 65 74 2c 20 69 74 20  77 61 73 20 74 68 65 20  |ket, it was the |
00000540  62 65 73 74 0d 6d 6f 76  65 20 66 6f 72 20 62 75  |best.move for bu|
00000550  79 65 72 73 20 74 68 65  79 20 65 76 65 72 20 6d  |yers they ever m|
00000560  61 64 65 2e 20 57 68 65  72 65 20 41 43 4f 52 4e  |ade. Where ACORN|
00000570  20 6c 65 66 74 20 6f 66  66 2c 20 74 68 65 20 6e  | left off, the n|
00000580  65 77 20 63 6f 6d 70 61  6e 79 0d 50 52 45 53 20  |ew company.PRES |
00000590  74 6f 6f 6b 20 6f 76 65  72 2e 20 57 69 74 68 69  |took over. Withi|
000005a0  6e 20 61 20 66 65 77 20  6d 6f 6e 74 68 73 20 74  |n a few months t|
000005b0  68 65 79 20 68 61 64 20  6d 61 6e 61 67 65 64 20  |hey had managed |
000005c0  74 6f 20 72 65 2d 64 65  73 69 67 6e 20 74 68 65  |to re-design the|
000005d0  0d 50 6c 75 73 20 33 20  69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65  |.Plus 3 into the|
000005e0  20 41 64 76 61 6e 63 65  64 20 50 6c 75 73 20 33  | Advanced Plus 3|
000005f0  2e 20 47 6f 6e 65 20 66  6f 72 65 76 65 72 20 77  |. Gone forever w|
00000600  61 73 20 74 68 65 20 68  75 67 65 20 4c 2d 73 68  |as the huge L-sh|
00000610  61 70 65 64 0d 6d 6f 6e  73 74 72 6f 73 69 74 79  |aped.monstrosity|
00000620  3b 20 69 6e 20 69 74 73  20 70 6c 61 63 65 20 61  |; in its place a|
00000630  20 52 4f 4d 20 63 61 72  74 72 69 64 67 65 20 76  | ROM cartridge v|
00000640  61 72 69 61 6e 74 20 77  68 69 63 68 20 63 6f 75  |ariant which cou|
00000650  6c 64 20 62 65 20 0d 63  6f 6e 6e 65 63 74 65 64  |ld be .connected|
00000660  20 74 6f 20 61 20 64 69  73 6b 20 64 72 69 76 65  | to a disk drive|
00000670  20 6f 66 20 41 4e 59 20  73 69 7a 65 2e 20 54 68  | of ANY size. Th|
00000680  65 6e 20 74 68 65 79 20  63 72 65 61 74 65 64 20  |en they created |
00000690  74 68 65 20 77 6f 6e 64  65 72 66 75 6c 0d 50 6c  |the wonderful.Pl|
000006a0  75 73 20 34 20 52 4f 4d  20 63 68 69 70 3a 20 61  |us 4 ROM chip: a|
000006b0  20 52 4f 4d 20 74 68 61  74 20 63 6f 75 6c 64 20  | ROM that could |
000006c0  62 65 20 69 6e 73 65 72  74 65 64 20 69 6e 74 6f  |be inserted into|
000006d0  20 74 68 65 20 41 64 76  61 6e 63 65 64 20 50 6c  | the Advanced Pl|
000006e0  75 73 20 33 0d 74 6f 20  67 69 76 65 20 63 6f 6d  |us 3.to give com|
000006f0  70 61 74 69 62 69 6c 69  74 79 20 77 69 74 68 20  |patibility with |
00000700  74 68 65 20 42 42 43 27  73 20 64 69 73 6b 20 66  |the BBC's disk f|
00000710  69 6c 69 6e 67 20 73 79  73 74 65 6d 20 28 74 68  |iling system (th|
00000720  65 20 44 46 53 29 20 77  69 74 68 0d 4e 4f 20 4c  |e DFS) with.NO L|
00000730  4f 53 53 20 4f 46 20 4d  45 4d 4f 52 59 2e 0d 20  |OSS OF MEMORY.. |
00000740  20 20 46 69 6e 61 6c 6c  79 20 63 6f 6d 70 61 74  |  Finally compat|
00000750  69 62 69 6c 69 74 79 20  77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65  |ibility with the|
00000760  20 42 42 43 20 77 61 73  20 61 73 73 75 72 65 64  | BBC was assured|
00000770  2e 20 4f 66 20 63 6f 75  72 73 65 2c 20 74 68 65  |. Of course, the|
00000780  72 65 20 77 61 73 0d 73  74 69 6c 6c 20 74 68 65  |re was.still the|
00000790  20 22 74 65 6c 65 74 65  78 74 22 20 6d 6f 64 65  | "teletext" mode|
000007a0  20 65 78 63 6c 75 73 69  6f 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 74  | exclusion and t|
000007b0  68 65 20 77 65 69 72 64  20 73 75 63 63 65 73 73  |he weird success|
000007c0  69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 62  6c 69 70 73 0d 74 68 65  |ion of blips.the|
000007d0  20 45 6c 6b 20 70 72 6f  64 75 63 65 64 20 77 68  | Elk produced wh|
000007e0  65 6e 20 61 74 74 65 6d  70 74 69 6e 67 20 74 6f  |en attempting to|
000007f0  20 70 6c 61 79 20 6d 75  73 69 63 20 69 6e 74 65  | play music inte|
00000800  6e 64 65 64 20 66 6f 72  20 74 68 65 20 42 42 43  |nded for the BBC|
00000810  2c 20 62 75 74 0d 67 61  6d 65 73 20 63 6f 75 6c  |, but.games coul|
00000820  64 20 62 65 20 77 72 69  74 74 65 6e 20 66 6f 72  |d be written for|
00000830  20 64 69 73 6b 20 61 6e  64 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20  | disk and would |
00000840  77 6f 72 6b 20 6f 6e 20  74 68 65 20 45 6c 65 63  |work on the Elec|
00000850  74 72 6f 6e 2e 20 54 68  65 20 0d 66 69 6e 65 73  |tron. The .fines|
00000860  74 20 63 6f 6d 6d 65 72  63 69 61 6c 20 72 65 73  |t commercial res|
00000870  75 6c 74 73 20 6f 66 20  74 68 69 73 20 68 61 72  |ults of this har|
00000880  64 20 6c 61 62 6f 75 72  20 61 72 65 20 74 68 65  |d labour are the|
00000890  20 54 4f 50 4f 4c 4f 47  49 4b 41 20 61 6e 64 0d  | TOPOLOGIKA and.|
000008a0  48 45 59 4c 45 59 20 64  69 73 6b 20 61 64 76 65  |HEYLEY disk adve|
000008b0  6e 74 75 72 65 73 2e 0d  20 20 20 54 68 65 20 6d  |ntures..   The m|
000008c0  61 72 6b 65 74 20 70 65  72 6b 65 64 20 75 70 20  |arket perked up |
000008d0  61 67 61 69 6e 20 77 68  65 6e 20 74 68 69 72 64  |again when third|
000008e0  20 70 61 72 74 79 20 53  4c 4f 47 47 45 52 20 70  | party SLOGGER p|
000008f0  72 6f 64 75 63 65 64 20  61 20 36 34 4b 0d 45 6c  |roduced a 64K.El|
00000900  65 63 74 72 6f 6e 3b 20  65 78 61 63 74 6c 79 20  |ectron; exactly |
00000910  74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65  20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20  |the same as the |
00000920  33 32 4b 20 6f 6e 65 20  61 70 61 72 74 20 66 72  |32K one apart fr|
00000930  6f 6d 20 61 20 62 75 74  74 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 20 69  |om a button on i|
00000940  74 73 0d 6c 65 66 74 20  77 68 69 63 68 2c 20 77  |ts.left which, w|
00000950  68 65 6e 20 70 72 65 73  73 65 64 2c 20 77 6f 75  |hen pressed, wou|
00000960  6c 64 20 64 6f 75 62 6c  65 20 74 68 65 20 6d 65  |ld double the me|
00000970  6d 6f 72 79 20 73 69 7a  65 20 61 6e 64 20 22 74  |mory size and "t|
00000980  75 72 62 6f 22 20 74 68  65 0d 65 78 65 63 75 74  |urbo" the.execut|
00000990  69 6f 6e 20 73 70 65 65  64 2e 20 53 6f 20 74 68  |ion speed. So th|
000009a0  65 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65  6d 73 20 6f 66 20 73 6c  |e problems of sl|
000009b0  6f 77 20 42 42 43 20 67  61 6d 65 73 20 70 6c 75  |ow BBC games plu|
000009c0  73 20 74 68 6f 73 65 20  74 68 61 74 20 68 61 64  |s those that had|
000009d0  0d 73 69 6d 70 6c 79 20  62 65 65 6e 20 74 6f 6f  |.simply been too|
000009e0  20 6c 6f 6e 67 20 74 6f  20 6c 6f 61 64 20 69 6e  | long to load in|
000009f0  74 6f 20 33 32 4b 20 77  65 72 65 20 73 6f 6c 76  |to 32K were solv|
00000a00  65 64 2e 20 57 68 65 6e  20 4a 41 46 41 20 61 6e  |ed. When JAFA an|
00000a10  64 20 50 52 4f 4a 45 43  54 0d 45 58 50 41 4e 53  |d PROJECT.EXPANS|
00000a20  49 4f 4e 53 20 6d 61 64  65 20 74 68 65 20 70 61  |IONS made the pa|
00000a30  63 6b 61 67 65 20 63 6f  6d 70 6c 65 74 65 20 77  |ckage complete w|
00000a40  69 74 68 20 61 20 22 74  65 6c 65 74 65 78 74 22  |ith a "teletext"|
00000a50  20 65 78 74 65 6e 73 69  6f 6e 20 62 6f 61 72 64  | extension board|
00000a60  0d 61 6e 64 20 61 20 66  6f 75 72 2d 63 68 61 6e  |.and a four-chan|
00000a70  6e 65 6c 20 73 6f 75 6e  64 20 52 4f 4d 20 63 61  |nel sound ROM ca|
00000a80  72 74 72 69 64 67 65 2c  20 69 74 20 77 61 73 20  |rtridge, it was |
00000a90  61 6c 6d 6f 73 74 20 70  6f 73 73 69 62 6c 65 20  |almost possible |
00000aa0  74 6f 20 73 65 65 0d 74  68 61 74 20 73 6d 61 6c  |to see.that smal|
00000ab0  6c 20 75 6e 65 78 70 61  6e 64 65 64 20 62 65 69  |l unexpanded bei|
00000ac0  67 65 20 6d 61 63 68 69  6e 65 20 74 72 61 6e 73  |ge machine trans|
00000ad0  66 6f 72 6d 65 64 20 69  6e 74 6f 20 61 6e 20 61  |formed into an a|
00000ae0  6c 6c 2d 73 69 6e 67 69  6e 67 2c 20 0d 61 6c 6c  |ll-singing, .all|
00000af0  2d 64 61 6e 63 69 6e 67  2c 20 75 6c 74 72 61 2d  |-dancing, ultra-|
00000b00  66 61 73 74 20 65 78 65  63 75 74 69 6e 67 2c 20  |fast executing, |
00000b10  6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 2d 64  6f 75 62 6c 65 64 20 61  |memory-doubled a|
00000b20  6e 64 20 64 69 73 6b 2d  63 6f 6d 70 61 74 69 62  |nd disk-compatib|
00000b30  6c 65 0d 70 69 65 63 65  20 6f 66 20 6b 69 74 20  |le.piece of kit |
00000b40  63 61 70 61 62 6c 65 20  6f 66 20 61 6c 6d 6f 73  |capable of almos|
00000b50  74 20 61 6e 79 74 68 69  6e 67 21 0d 20 20 20 4d  |t anything!.   M|
00000b60  6f 73 74 20 6f 66 20 74  68 65 73 65 20 63 6f 6d  |ost of these com|
00000b70  70 61 6e 69 65 73 2c 20  6f 66 20 63 6f 75 72 73  |panies, of cours|
00000b80  65 2c 20 6e 6f 20 6c 6f  6e 67 65 72 20 73 75 72  |e, no longer sur|
00000b90  76 69 76 65 2e 20 54 68  61 74 20 73 61 69 64 2c  |vive. That said,|
00000ba0  20 74 68 65 0d 45 6c 6b  20 68 61 73 20 6e 6f 74  | the.Elk has not|
00000bb0  20 79 65 74 20 63 6f 6d  70 6c 65 74 65 6c 79 20  | yet completely |
00000bc0  68 61 64 20 69 74 73 20  64 61 79 2e 20 41 6c 74  |had its day. Alt|
00000bd0  68 6f 75 67 68 20 74 68  65 20 6d 61 72 6b 65 74  |hough the market|
00000be0  20 62 65 67 61 6e 20 74  6f 20 0d 64 72 6f 70 20  | began to .drop |
00000bf0  6f 66 66 20 69 6e 20 74  68 65 20 65 61 72 6c 79  |off in the early|
00000c00  20 31 39 39 30 73 20 28  77 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65  | 1990s (when the|
00000c10  20 41 6d 69 67 61 20 73  74 61 72 74 65 64 20 6d  | Amiga started m|
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000014c0  64 20 77 69 74 68 20 70  65 72 6d 69 73 73 69 6f  |d with permissio|
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