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 can be connected for up to 1.44 mb of storage. We shall do an in-depth review of the @-Disk system and tell you what drives are best in the June Report.
We also have a Spectrum microdrive connected to our AL. For inexpensive yet fast storage this is definitely the way to go. We have heard only three external drives are reliable and we will try and check this for you by next month. We will have in stock shortly 8″ cables so you do not have to hook up the microdrive backwards. More on this subject alsa next month.
We are evaluating and stocking an incredible amount of new software and hardware. BL Chess we have seen and is absolutely stunning! Not only are the graphics superb, it is the world champion of computer chess games. Try using a joystick with it and it makes for a much more enjoyable qame.Also in stock are Typing Tutor, Pascal, Forth, and an Assembler, all by Computer One. Write for our QL catalog for a list of all software currently in stock or on order.
For a great little utility program, try WD Utility. This program does everything from multiple formatting of cartridges (which Sinclair recommends) to making back-up copies of all files or indiviual files on a cartridge or disk.When you first boot the program, it asks you for the correct date and time and then goes on to load the utility which first displays the sectors Jleft/sectors total count on your cartridge or disk anda list of all files with an alpha or numeric character before it. One can in this way load or delete files with one key. You can switch to the directory of the next microdrive easily , delete individual files with one keystroke-do all those time-consuming chores very fast and very efficiently.
One of the nicer features is that one can order the cartridge with a program entitled QLRef which is an Archive datafile. If, for example, one wanted to find information on QL disk drives, one simply has to type–FIND “disk” and all magazine, book, newsletter, etc. references to disks for the QL will be found. Each record shows author, number of pages of article, magazine issue number and month, etc. Over all, this is a very useful utility and one you will be using a lot. Write far a complete list of what it does.
Another new program is GraphiQL by Talent Computer Systems. A lot of you have seen the xerox of the actual screen dump to an FX-80 of the hand drawing with a light pen. This is one of the demo pictures that comes with GraphiQL. You actually receive 2 cartridges. One with the Master program and another with three demonstration pictures.
GraphiQL is a very user friendly graphics package capable of some very detailed graphics applications. One can use either the keyboard or a joystick. Obviously a joystick is a lot easier to draw with. The’ on screen help facilities are excellent; you do not have to constantly flip through the manual when first learning the program.
Most of the commands are very straight forward. One can draw lines, circles, boxes, change cursor color, even add text to your pictures. One can enlarge any portion of the screen for detailed pixel work. Fictures can be drawn on the screen measuring 256 by 256 pixels. There is even the ability to define up to 26 “textures” which can be reproduced on the screen in any combination of colors.
The printer dump utility enables you to print your saved picture on your printer. The program is pre-configured for an FX-80 but Talent states in the manual it will help develop suitable dump programs for other printers. Write us for the current list available. Also write us for more information on this great program. It is a lot of fun and can be put to many practical and educational applications.
CR=8 I saw an ad in the Fhoenix Sunday paper by Sears Business Centers, offering Microsoft’s Word, File, and Multiplan (spreadsheet) on sale for only $156.00 each instead of $194.99 each and Microsoft’s Chart for $100.00 instead of $124.99. All this for the Macintosh, another 128k, 32 bit computer. That is over $500.00 for just the software, more than the cost of the QL with all 4 programs included. And the Psion programs are just as good.
And you are still wondering whether or not to buy a QL? How many computers has Sinclair Research abandoned? The ZX-80 grew into the ZX¥-81 which is still in production. The Spectrum has been upgraded to the Spectrum Flus which outsells Commodore practically everywhere. And then there is the QL. You may know a Timex orphan or an IBM (FCjr) orphan, or a Coleco or T1I-99 or Franklin orphan, but not a Sinclair one. Make sure your friends are aware of this. The QL is Sinclair’s reentry into the American market. At least tell your friends who are looking at Apples, and Commodores, and maybe even Atari machines, to compare these computers with the QL . Dollar for dollar you cannot get more value for your money anywhere.
I know we said last issue we would have graphs from Easel to show you but we just do not have room in this issue. The five new books in the OL series listed in our catalogs, should be in this month so write if you are interested in any of them. New programs on order include a Sprite Generator, Backgammon, Aircraft Controller Simulation, appointment calenders, home accounting packages, and more utility type software.
Sinclair has changed the serial port connectors to a standard db 25 and the joystick ports to a standard Atari type and that is about the only changes between the American and the British versions. We have a cable that will allow you to go out the RGB port of the computer and hook up to any green or amber monochrome monitor for those of you who do not need or cannot afford an RGB color monitor right away.
In the next issue we will review the Q-Disk interface, and discuss what programming languages are available on the QL . We also will increase the size of this Report to three pages. We hear a “mouse” is in the works and will try and get more information on that too.