Computer + Video Games - Commodore Is Awesome

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BETTER THAN
CHEAP
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If you're lucky enough to have a
new Amstrad PC-1512, how d'yo
fancy lots of free software for it? In
America, where the IBM PC has
been a popular home computer
for around 5 years, there ore
literally thousands of programs
thot have been placed in Public
Domain, as it's called.
Public Domain programs are
usually found on bulletin boards
for downloading, and it's perfectly
legal to copy them and even make
copies for your friends.
Some public domain software is
known as freeware, which means
that no one is charging any money
for it.
Some, though, is known as
shareware. Like freewore, you are
allowed to copy shareware
programs but, if you decide that
you like the program and want to
carry on using it, you are asked to
send a contribution to the author
(usually between $10 and $20).
Compulink is an IBM PC user
group which imports just about
every decent Public Domain
program from the States. If you're
a member, you get a full catalogue
of ovoiloble software, and you can
order it through the post.
They charge E3 per disk, to
cover the cost of the disk plus
postage. Included in the public
domain library are arcade games,
adventures, business programs like
word processors and
spreadsheets, and some very useful
MS-DOS utilities.
Write to Compulink at 67
Woodbridge Rood, Guildford,
Surrey for details, or call them on
0483 65895. If you have a
modem (1200/75 baud or 300/
300), call their bulletin board on
0483 573337. By the way, did
you know that the Amstrad PC is
known within Amstrad circles as
the AIRO? It stands for Amstrod
IBM Rip-Off!
CASSETTE TO
DISK
If you have on Amstrod 464,664
or 61 28 machine, there's little
point in trying to copy cassette
software onto disc when there's a
company that will do it for you.
Arnbyte are a moil order software
company that copy games from
cassette onto disk for you, so that
you receive the game on a 3 inch
disk, ready to use. Any inlay cord
or other bits and pieces that would
normally come with the cassette
are supplied with the disk and,
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here's the good news, the disk costs
the some as the tape. Mastertronic
games that cost E1.99 on tape are
also c1_99 on disk.
If you order lots of game, they
are all supplied on the some disk,
with a special menu program
available when you boot, that
allows you to select the game you
want to play.
Cassette games that are
normally copy-protected are also
protected on the disk to prevent
you giving copies away.
Naturally the software
companies whose games are
being sold this way are fully aware
of what's happening, and have
agreed to the idea. Currently, the
list of houses include Activision,
Alligata, Mostertronic, US
Gold, Firebird and
Mirrorsoft. Details, and an
order form, from 0277 229684.
MORE AMSTRAD
INTERFACES
Here's news of another load of
goodies for Amstrad owners_ I
know this page is looking rather
like an Amstrad column this month,
but most of the recent launches
have been for Amstrad hardware_
First, there's on auto-fire joystick
interface for the 464,664 and
61 28 mochines. It allows any autofire
joystick to be used with the
machine.
According to the piece of paper
I hove here, using auto-fire
joysticks in the machine without a
special interface like this one can
damage the computer's sound
chip, though I can't understand
why this should be.
If you do understand, and want
to keep your sound chip happy,
peace of mind costs c8_95. And
you'll be guoronteed no screams of
horror from your sound chip.
•
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S.
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• REPAIRS
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1
%
A Illtimer
•••••••••• 4E 0
If your micro's been playing up
recently, here are two companies
that will fix computers. Express
Repairs ore in Manchester. You
can post your machine to them or,
if you're in the area, take it in for a
while-you-wait checkup.
Mancomp is the name, and they're
on 061 224 1888.
Next comes the Computer
Repair Centre in Worcester.
Like Mancomp, they offer a whileyou-wait
service for all popular
home micros. Call 0905 611072.
I haven't tried either of these
companies myself, but if you've
had your machine repaired
recently, why not write in and tell
everyone whether the company
who repaired it was worth telling
other readers about.
A Progromoble joystick controiter
0
4MP
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'MORE FROM DKT
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I mentioned the TV Tuner from
DK'Ironics a while bock but,
having had a chance to see it in
action, I'm mentioning it again. It's
a E69.95 device that turns an
Amstrad colour CPC monitor into a
colour TV. I sow the device in
action at the recent Amstrad show
and was truly impressed.
Although the tuner is quite
expensive, it's a lot cheaper than a
colour TV and the pictures were
generally much better, too_ At the
moment, the tuner is only available
for CPC monitors but a version for
the PC-1512 colour monitor may
be along soon. Also, DKT ore
working on additions to the tuner
that will provide Teletext (Ceefax
and Oracle), preset tuning buttons
and remote control.
New products from DKT for
Christmas include a programmable
joystick interface with a 3-channel
sound unit built in, for an additional
El 5.
Finally, a real time clock unit so
that the computer always knows
the correct date and time, which
will cost E34,95_
There are 50 spore bytes of
RAM on the clock, which are
backed up by a built-in battery. You
can use these for storing your own
data, by POKEing the values into
the special memory. More details
horn DKT on 0493 602926_