TECHNITORIAL Dave's bit. Hello again... I will start with a BIG apology to all the readers who tried to use EMUTILITY from the last issue... SORRY! I'm hoping that this issue is a little better and that I won't have to apologise again next time. The truth is .. that the missing "Util Code" got lost between BACKUPs, and I was really shocked when Dave Ledbury told me about it, but I had to act cool, "Oh yes, I know all about it", I lied. I then quickly changed the subject... You will find "Util Code" on this disk. Some readers have been complaining about the QUIT option on the text pager. Only two, but two complaints are two too many. I've not had a chance to ask Nigel how I can alter the option, but I've installed a 'botch' this issue to help the readers who find it a pain to reach over to the Q key, only to find that they have to move their finger five keys right to the Y key! MORE >>>> I hope this doesn't seem too sarcastic but... If you press F1 then this will act as the Q key and F3 will emulate the Y key.... I'll probably have even more complaints about this! Top of the list on this issue's roll of honour must go to Albert Olivera. Albert sent me a disk with the PAW ON SAM article, and I must say that this is yet another reason for me to recommend SPECMAKER. The article tells, in perfect detail how to get PAW running on SAM and I can tell you that it works! The only thing that Albert didn't mention is that a finished adventure should be saved to tape. This is no great problem, as you can then load it back into any decent emulator and save the game as a SNAP. SPECLONE REVISITED - some tips Phil passed an interesting letter from David Munden on to me. David mentions that after reading my bit about saving only the BASIC part of memory in issue 1, that he went on to do some further experiments... MORE >>>> If you have MasterBASIC, even more disk space can be saved if you use SAVE MODE 3 when saving Spectrum memory. The file should be loaded back to high memory to allow de-compression, and then you can POKE the code to 81920. David has provided a patch for Speclone that you may find useful:- 1, add SAVE NODE 3 to line 10 2, add extra option in menu 3, Then add these extra lines 650 IF INKEY$ <> "(menu number)" THEN GOTO 100 660 IF INKEY$ = "(menu number)" THEN GOTO 670 670 DIR 1 680 INPUT "Name of file ";name$ 690 LOAD name$ CODE 150000 700 POKE 81920,MEM$(150000 TO 199152) 710 GOTO 10 Thanks David. MORE >>>> Recently, I have been doing something with Speclone SNAPs that goes right to the other extreme. If you exit from SPECTRUM mode and break to SAM BASIC, you can save a full working copy of your game (or whatever?), by typing direct: SAVE "name" CODE 65500,65572,65500 This will copy your file as an auto running code file, so to load your file - LOAD "name" CODE or LOAD filenumber. You can still get a fair number of games on one disk. If, when you load a PAWed adventure into Speclone, and you find that the game has stopped in Spectrum BASIC, you will be aware that if you cause an error, then the game will start. What I usually do in this situation is enter NEW : PRINT x .. This will take you back to the menu where you can re-save the Spectrum memory, and when you load it again, or return to Spectrum then an error message will appear. When a key is pressed the game will run OK. MORE >>>> After TECHNOPHOBIA last issue, I'm proud to present TECHNOJOY ! Little Rachel Whitmore was born twenty five days early, at twelve minutes past eight, on the Fifteenth of March 1992 (yesterday). Although she was a bit premature she still weighed in at a healthy 5lb 14.5 oz (I mention this in case any ladies are reading - they always ask this?) Mother and baby are both fine and I'm pleased as punch - even if I'm a lousy technical editor, it shows I can do at least something right! It's sorted me out, good and proper, I'm usually into the heavier side of music, while now, from our house slushy tunes by SIMPLY RED can be heard. I'm turning into a right old softy! MORE >>>> Phil has come across a very good new disk mag and he showed it to me the other day. It's called SAM AMATEUR PROGRAMMING AND ELECTRONICS. I like to see magazines like this as they step away from the general interest media and close in on areas that perhaps the people who like the general bit of this and a bit of that, flashy screen, mega scroller stuff, won't like. MORE >>>> If you like the pages on SAM NEWSDISK that deal with all kinds of techie stuff, like articles on how to build your own interfaces etc, and want to know about processors and assembly language, then this is the mag for you. Although this mag doesn't fill the disk, I imagine that once it is established and it has a few more contributors then this will be a really good magazine. It has the potential to blow away magazines that have dissapointed their readers many times - FORMAT for instance, and it is good enough for me now, and once my cashflow problems have been seen off, I'll be subscribing for the longest option. I like the idea of specialist magazines, and in future, when and if SAM's ever get sold in massive quantities, then I'd also love to see many magazines that cover interests that are not even computer-related (I hope that will include gardening! - Phil.) I'd also like to see more women getting involved. Don't you think? My wife, and even my mother-in-law are already hooked on SAM, they play the adventures that I have converted to use the DISK option with ease. MORE >>>> On the subject of the conversions that I did for ZENOBI, some people have been asking if I'd ask John Wilson if I could also put PLUS D versions on the disks for Spectrum users. I will ask. The only thing is, I don't really want to. I bought my SAM with a view that I could put my Spectrum away - forever. I have many, many things to do. I'll go now, thanks to you all. I love Adventures, I hope that soon, and it looks very likely, that we will have a few more Adventures to play on our SAM. God bless you all, and most of all my beautiful Rachel. Bye David Whitmore *** --- ***