I have found the new Oliger Disc IF ROM V2.52 defaults to single sided for FORMAT, and only discovered it after FORMATting and MOVEing a double sided disc to a new single sided disc! Surprise, surprise! Right on the chip it says “sides=1”, I guess I shoulda known.
Knighted Computers has a new address: Knighted Computers, 803 S. 4th Street, Fulton, NY 13069.
Gary Lessenberry is dropping Chicago’s TS BBS “North Shore” and he had the class to leave messages around the country stating this. A couple of our local members had the pleasure of getting on his BBS and he will also be missed. Thanks Gary.
As noted in the last issue of SN, I had problems with PixelPrint, and wrote a letter to Stan Lemke, the author. Stan wrote back very quickly, and while most of the problems I was having were cleared up, the printer gets an extra line feed. After many tries, I could not get any effective printout with PixelPrint. This software is for a specific type printer, and you must be sure of what your printer can do, and what the software can do. The advertising for this product should be very clear in this, otherwise several buyers are going to be disenchanted with the software. In the last issue of Time Designs Magazine, Stan’s ad on the back page states this printer requirement, but the vendor’s ad (on which I made my decision to buy) is not clear on the printer restrictions. In my case, I wrote the vendor, Knighted Computers, explained the situation, and requested an exchange. They have allowed me to do so.
Time Designs Magazine has in the latest issue, a list of all user groups in North America, and all known vendors, and all newsletters. A section was devoted to the newsletters. A panel of three people ranked the letters, giving virtually all some recognition. I figure I may as well throw in my two cents worth, and this is strictly my opinion.
Almost every newsletter has its good issues and not so good. LISTing had for a long time a very, VERY GOOD letter, tied with early Triangle UG Newsletter. CATS, the Capital Area TS NL has been up and away the BEST for almost every issue. ZX-Appeal and Sync – Link of Canada have been high quality in content and eye appeal since we have been fortunate enough to swap with them. Others, such as QZX, Chicago, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Indiana, Timelinez, SMUG, SLUG, PLOTTER, Ottawa and Mile High have been regular, consistant, informative and orginial, the blood and guts of North American TS users. It is nice to have been told you are number one, but in my book, all of the above are tied for first place, and any not mentioned a very close second. The real judges of each and every newsletter are the subscribers, they vote for real, with their checkbooks.
Well, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, how should I rate Time Designs Magazine? What’s the competition? Syncware News? I have not subscribed, so I dont know anything about them. Updates?, one year and four issues old, virtually a one man show, and it is full of interesting articles and programs for my favorite machine, the 2068. Bill Jones reports near 100% renewals plus lotsa new subscribers. Compare Time Designs Magazine to SYNC or TS User? SYNC- I remember getting each issue and pouring over it, til each page was covered with finger smudges. TS User -, not quite up to the quality, but lots of articles and ideas. Time Designs Magazine- just about the only one left, and it has had some excellent informative articles on ALL of the TS/Sinclair computers but wont be around forever if it isn’t supported with subscriptions and writers! YOU vote for your favorite TODAY- Subscribe!
The cause of the best or better newsletters is the amount of support received from the members of the user group. If no one writes articles, the only thing an editor can do is reprint or fold. Or write his fingers off. No articles, no newsletter.
“Folks, this is where SINCUS NEWS is at; I can not print what I don’t have in hand. I can SOAP BOX, I can review what I have, and I can babble on. None of which is going to increase or maintain our current membership. YOU read this, YOU use a TS or Sinclair computer, YOU use software, and YOU have opinions. And You are the U in User Groups. You can help, paying dues and getting a newsletter is half of the deal. Putting on demos, writing an occasional article, asking questions or just putting in your two cents worth will help me help all.”
The TS community has been sharing for 5 – 6 years through newsletter swaps. With this Time Designs Magazine issue we became aware of a couple user groups for the first time, and have sent out our latest issue in hopes of establishing new swaps.
Has the idea of a single TS publication entered anyone’s mind? Could Updates, Time Designs Magazine anc Syncware exist together under one name, putting out a monthly or bi-monthly issue? Production and distribution costs would be cut, and advertising could be concentrated in one magazine. Could all the newsletters submit their articles to this one magazine, and leave the newsletters to meeting notes and swaps? Some newsletters cost almost as much as just one magazine, and contain no where near the info. With 1200 baud modems, late night or weekend transmission rates, all copy could be sent to ONE publisher or ONE of three editors, with some cost effectiveness. If the publisher allowed three sections each under independant editorial control, could something like this exist. If done before economics forces it, the magazine may well develop a strong readership, good ad rates and develop what is left of the North American Sinclair market. The submitting parties could make small change off of providing tape or disc copies of articles and or programs.
Loaning copies of your favorite magazine around will also help kill off a good thing. There are a very limited number of people who want to read anything related to TS computers, and it is further shrunk by part of the reader base “sharing” an issue. I also realize most TS users probably don’t rank high in the Fortune 500, and most, if the money were available would have brought a more expensive machine, so individuals look for cost effective measures. If you can support one or more publications that you enjoy, please do, for your own future enjoyment of computer publications. Pass around one issue to show your friends what they are missing by not subscribing, and then let them decide.
SINCUS will support Time Designs Magazine and Syncware News and Updates with this offer- send in a orginial mailing label from either Time Designs Magazine or Syncware or Updates(showing your name/ address and expiration date of JUNE 1989 or later and a check for $8.00 to SINCUS NEWS) and we will extend NEW or RENEWAL subscriptions of SINCUS NEWS by one more issue. (Seven issues of SINCUS NEWS for $8 and a Time Designs Magazine or SYNCWARE or UPDATES label). This offer expires December 31, 1988.
To date Sept 4, only Updates has responded to our letter informing the above publications to our offer and request for free ad space.
UPDATES TIME DESIGNS SYNCWARE 1317 Stratford Ave. 29722 Hult Rd 602 S. Mill St. Panama City, FL 32404 Colton, OR 97017 Louisville, OH 44641
I have been able to get my own system back up and running, still using John’s borrowed monitor. As it is a tape system, it is difficult to use (with the speed of discs sitting right next to me), and once the club gets a modem unit, I’m going to explore the possibility of a RS232 connection. All I need is lot’s help. Well, with input from Wes and Dave, RS232 connection is ok for data transfer but little else. Back to the drawing board.
As a personal note, my time is going to become more limited in the upcoming months. I am going to night school at SUNY Binghamton, taking the computer science courses. I arranged my schudule around SINCUS meets. As for the newsletter, I will continue as editor and as group secretary unless the work load dictates otherwise. I’ll need your support in articles, and submitting the articles in tape or disc. Any typing will have to been done by volunteers and resubmitted to the author for proofing.
John Colonna and I have been working these past few weeks on old newsletter files of SINCUS NEWS, after getting the Computus Interruptus files together, we decide to try to bring out the rest of the taped files of SN. Working with disc drives it makes a big project managable. Now that fall is approaching time is not on our side. Most of the material is on disc for 1984 to 1986, 1987 is mostly hardcopy. The material on the discs are PART of each newsletter, as some parts were already typed, I just photocopied them. The material some or most of which is done on MScript V5.0, some might be on Tasword. Printer controls maybe still on some of the files. I you want to view them, use PRINTSCRN (on the disc), if you want a rough printout use -MS-TAS- (on the disc). See ad following for details.
News on the August 1988 NW Mini Fair from the Hacker and the Plotter newsletters.
Congradulations to The Hacker on First Place in the TDM newsletter contest.
Staff from the Hacker attended the Mini FAIR and apparently enjoyed themselves, got to see and meet many of the TS community. New software and hardware still coming out for the TS1000 and 2068.
The folks from the Clackamus County Area TSUG, who helped put on the FAIR, were a little disappointed in the small turn out and the speakers who did not show. Those delinquent speakers make life harder for the people who try next time, and make themselves look rather immature. Three cheers and a scroll of the screen to all who took part in the NW Mini Fair of 1988.