Issue 1
June 1990
| Item | Author | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Menu | Colin MacDonald | |
| Magazine | Colin MacDonald | Introducing FRED disc magazine! |
| Reviews | Colin MacDonald | Samtape, MGT Recievership |
| Piccy | Colin MacDonald | Competition - spot the character |
| Hakit demo | Colin MacDonald | Simple demonstration of hacking basic for ex-ZX Spectrum owners |
| Sam-speccy | Colin MacDonald | Spectrum emulator - needs ZX Spectrum ROM. |
| Palette | Colin MacDonald | Demonstrates use of palette command |
Magazine
1 FRED'S MENU
2 - FRED, SAM’S MATE
3 - FRED, SAM’S MATE
4 - MESSAGES CTD
5 - COMPETITION
6 - MOI?
7 - QUESTIONNAIRE
8 - REVIEWING SYSTEM
9 - CONTINUED
10- SAM'S SOFTWARE
11- SPECCY SOFTWARE
12- SPECCY GAMES CTD
13- SAM, MEET FRED
14- HAKIT DEMO.
15- PROTECTION
16- CONTINUED
17- LETTERS
18- BYE BYE, SNIFF,SNIFF
2 FRED-SAM's MATE
Hi! and welcome to the 1st issue of FRED.FRED has been set up to allow users to be 'in the know' about the COUPÉ, to let you know software is going to be released and to review what already has. FRED should also include tips and games to help you build up your collection. This time you will find a demo from HAKIT which is supposed to simulate easy hacking and also tests your knowledge of computers. HAKIT was written for the COUPÉ owner who had previously owned a Spectrum, although FRED is also catering for the newcomers of the computer world.
3 FRED-SAM's MATE
You could greatly help FRED by sending in your answers to the questionnaire later on-this would allow FRED be modelled around your details and experience. It would also help if you couldsay what you would like FRED to be like eg. corny with fwors and fnars unlimited, technical for all you computer boffs or if you like it as it is(!). Another great reason for entering is that you could win some of the prizes in the multi-compo. Read on for details.
4 MESSAGES CTD.
IT'S NOT QUITE BEEN DECIDED HOW OFTEN FRED WILL BE RELEASED EITHER MONTHLY OR BI-MONTHLY, PERHAPS YOU COULD HELP? BUT FRED ISSUE 2 WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM JULY.TO GET THE NEXT ISSUE EITHERSEND A DISC AND 50p OR £2-WHICHEVER IS MORE SUITABLE. IF YOU COULD WRITE ANYTHING AT ALL FOR FRED YOUR HELP WOULD BEGREATLY APPRECIATED.FRED ALSO DESPERATELY NEEDS LETTERS ETC. SO LET THEM FLOOD IN AND YOU CAN BE GUARENTEED THAT AS LONG AS YOURLETTER IS VAGUELY ABOUT COMPUTERS AND IS NOT X-RATED IT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT ISSUE. IF YOU INTRODUCE A FRIEND TO FRED THEN WHEN THEIR FIRST ORDER IS RECEIVED YOUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE FREE eg. YOU WILL BE EXEMPT FROM PAYING THE 50p BUT YOU MUST STILL SEND A DISC.
Thanks C-YA DA ED.
5 COMPETITION
OK FOLKS, IT’S COMPO TIME! THIS COMPO WILL RUN FOR TWO OR THREEISSUES DEPENDING ON HOW MANY ENTRIES ARE RECEIVED.UP FOR GRABS ARE THREE(YES,3!)T-SHIRTS(US GOLD,THALAMUS AND GREMLIN) AND SOMESPECCY,SAM COMPATABLE GAMES.EACH ISSUE WILL HAVE APPROX. TEN QUESTIONS OR WHATEVER. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET EVERY QUESTION RIGHT, BUT THE MORE YOU DO HAVE RIGHT,THE HIGHER YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING SO YOU CAN STILLSEND IN YOUR ENTRIES EVEN IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE ANSWER! ANYWAY, THIS ISSUE THERE IS A SCREEN FULL OF PICCIES FROM SPECCY GAMES- SIMPLY STATE WHAT'S WHAT eg A=PACMAN BY GOBBLESOFT. etc. ENTRIES MUST BE ACCOMPANIEDBY YOUR NEXT ORDER FOR FRED. YOU WILL ALSO BE ENTERED INTO THE DRAW IF YOU SEND ANY LETTERS, REVIEWS,ARTICLES ETC. OR IF YOU KNOW WHAT FRED STANDS FOR.FUNNY/SERIOUS ENTRIES ACCEPTED EG. FUNNY & READABLE EXITEMENT on DISC.BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT THAT. SELECT PICCY FROM MENU TO SEE THE PICCY.
6 MOI?
AS YOU POSSIBLY NOTICED, UP TO NOW THE WORDS "I, MY,WE & OURS" HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY ELUDED GIVING YOU NO IDEA WHO(OR WHAT!) IS BEHIND FRED. WELL,AT THE MOMENT IT'S AN ALL MALE STAFF AND THEIR NAMES ARE COLIN,EM...COLIN AND ERM.....COLIN.SO IN ACTUAL FACT THERE IS JUST ME!YES,I'M COLIN MACDONALD,I'VE HAD MY COUPÉ SINCE MAY AND MY SPECCY 48K SINCE '83.RIGHT,I CAN STOP USING TRICKY WORDING TOAVOID 'I'.SO YOU SEE WHY I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET, DESPERATELY,RIGHT NOW(WRITE NOW FOR DETAILS). TO PUT ANY AD. IN FRED (BUT BE SENSIBLE ON THE CLASSIFIEDS!) SIMPLY BUNG IT ON YOUR FRED DISC AND SEND IT TO ME WITH 50p AND I WILL PRINT IT.SO YOU WILL BE GETTING A FREE AD. OR A FREE ISSUE! IF YOU SEND ME A NEW GAME FOR REVIEWING(WHICH I WILL RETURN WITHIN A WEEK) WHICH I DON'T HAVE I WILL ENTER YOU IN THE COMPO AND GIVE A FREE ISSUE (THE SAME EFFECT AS INTRODUCING A FRIEND). ON WITH THE MAG.
7 QUESTIONAIRE
1)HOW OLD ARE YOU?
2)HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR COUPÉ?
3)ANY PREVIOUS COMPUTERS? DETAILS PLEASE
4)WHAT ARE YOU FAVOURITE (TYPE OF) GAMES?
5)HAVE YOU PROGRAMMED THE COUPÉ YET?
6)DO YOU READ ANY OTHER MAGS?
7)WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS?
8)WOULD YOU LIKE A SOFTWARE LIBRARY?
9)WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK OF FRED?-GOOD/BAD ETC.
10)CAN YOU SUGGEST ANY IMPROVEMENTS?
ENTER THIS AND ENTER THE DRAW
8 THE REVIEWING SYSTEM
SOUND : W : EG. GOOD TITLE MUSIC, FX ETC.
GRAFIX : % :GOOD GRAPHICS?
DETAIL : % : SCROLLING,DETECTION,CLASH,GRAFIX ETC.
LASTABILITY : % : HOW LONG CAN YOU STICK IT?
TOTAL : % : NOT AN AVERAGE,SIMPLY THE REVIWERS ESTIMATE.
WORTH : W : WHAT'S IT REALLY WORTH.
PLUS THE OVERALL COMMENT AND THE REVIEWER'S NAME.
% = PERCENTAGE W = WRITTEN COMMENT
9 CONTINUED
A TRAFFIC LIGHT AWARD IS ALSO GIVEN
GREEN FOR GO - > 75%
AMBER FOR ALMOST - > 50%
RED FOR RUBBISH - < 50%
10 SAM'S SOFTWARE
A MR. STEVE J NUTTING IS SELLING A PRETTY GOOD ASSEMBLER FOR £10.S NUTTING,7 NARROW CLOSE, HISTON, CAMBRIDGE, CB4 4XX. LERM HAVE ALSO RELEASED AN ASSEMBLER-MODELLED ON THE Z80 TOOLKIT,SAM ASSEMBLER IS £8.99.ALSO BY LERM IS SAMTAPE FOR £9.99WHICH BASICALLY TURNS YOUR COUPÉ INTO A SPECCY+MULTIFACE SO YOU CAN BACK-UP MOST OF YOUR FAVE SPECCY SOFTWARE. US GOLD SEEM TO HAVE SCRAPPED THEIR SAM STRIDER BUT ARE MAKINGA LOT OF GAMES (INC. STRIDER) SAM COMPATABLE-OCEAN HAVE SIMILAR PLANS. D&H GAMES HAVE FOOTBALL DIRECTOR 2 IN THE CARDS AND TASMAN AREBRINGING OUT TASWORD 2 FOR £19.99 INTERCEPTOR ARE BRING OUT THE RACE, SUPER SOCCER AND 3D SNOOKERAND PLAYERS SHOULD ALSO BE BRINGING OUT A TRIO OF GAMES. GOLIATH HAVE A SPECIAL WORLD BOXING MANAGER COMING SOON AND ANCO ARE CONVERTING KICK OFF. PSYCHAEDELIC HEDGEHOG SOFTWARE(PHS) WILL RELEASE GAMES FOR THESAM IF THEY GET ENOUGH RESPNSE SO WRITE TO THEM AT 55 STANLEY STREET, RAMSBOTTOM, BURY, BL0 9JG. MENTION FRED WHEN YOU CONTACT ANYONE ABOVE, PLEASE!
11 SPECCY SOFTWARE
COUPÉ COMPATABLE.48K TAPE
ALCHEMIST - £2 BIG SLEAZE - £1.50 BOOTY - £1 BOULDERDASH 4 - £2.50 CHESS - £2 COLONY - £2 CYBERNOID - £2.50 FEUD - .?t?£2.50 FRANK THE FLEA - £2 FRENCH IS FUN - £3 HACKER 2 - £2 HELLFIRE - £1.50 HUNCHBACK 1 & 2 - £5! INVASION - £1.50 INVINCIBLE ISLAND - £2.50 KNIGHT TYME - £2 LA DRUGS BUST - £3 LORDS OF MIDNIGHT - £5 PSYTRON - £3
19 BOOT CAMP - £2 NINJA SCOOTER SIM. - £1.50 OPERATION GUNSHIP - £2 SHIP OF DOOM - £1 ROGUE TROOPER - £1.50 SNAKE PIT - £1 SOUL OF A ROBOT - £1 TICKET TO RIDE - £1 TRAP DOOR 1&2 - £5!!!! TLL - £2 TREMOR - £1.50 VELNOR'S LAIR - £3 WOLFAN - £2 GAUNTLET - £3 SEGA(4 GAMES) - £5! WINTER GAMES - £3 HEARTLAND - £2 COMBAT SCHOOL - £4 DYNAMITE DAN 2 - £3
12 SPECCY GAMES CTD
YES,ALL THE GAMES ON PAGE ELEVEN ARE MINE AND I'M SELLING THEMAT RIDICULOUS PRICES JUST FOR YOU.ALL THE GAMES ARE ON TAPE FOR THE SPECTRUM 48K BUT CAN OBVIOUSLY BE PLAYED ON THE SAM.SO IF YOU ARE WANTING TO EXPAND YOUR SOFTWARE LIST A BIT TAKE A PEEK AT THE LIST,PICK OUT THE ONES YOU LIKE THE SOUND AND PRICE OF, ASK ME ABOUT IT/THEM AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT SORT OF GAME IT IS ,WHAT SORT OF REVIEW IT GOT IN THE MAJOR MAGS AND WHAT I, PERSONALLY THINK OF IT. BUT DON'T WORRY IF I THINK A GAME IS PATHETIC I'LL SAY JUST THAT AND THE PRICE WILL ONLY BE A FRACTION OF THE ORIGINAL PRICEIF YOU WANT A GAME I'D ADVISE YOU TO CONTACT ME FAST BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE ONE COPY OF EVERYTHING AND THERE'S ALWAYS A SMART ALECWHO CAN SPOT A BARGAIN A MILE OFF AND BEATS EVERYONE ELSE.YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! THANKS
LATEST ADDITION : EXTENDED BASIC(GET MORE FROM YOUR BASIC) ONLY £7 WRITE NOW FOR DETAILS.
13 SAM, MEET FRED
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH OTHER COUPÉ USERS - SIMPLY SAY IN YOUR NEXT ORDER 'YES,I'D LURVE TO HAVE MY NAME ANDADDRESS IN THE NEXT ISSUE SO THAT I CAN MAKE LOADSA SAM PALS' AND I'LL DO JUST THAT AND THEN ALL THE FRED READERS CAN WRITE TOEACH OTHER,OR TO ME IF YOU'RE REALLY DESPERATE. IF I DO YOU A FAVOUR IN ANY WAY EG.PRINT NAME, LET YOU ENTER COMPO ETC. IT MUST COME WITH YOUR NEXT ORDER.AND IF YOU DO ME A FAVOUR EG. INTRODUCE MATE,SEND ARTICLE ETC. I'LL GIVE YOU 50p OFFYOUR NEXT ISSUE. ANYONE OUT THERE INTERESTED IN SWAPPING GAMES, SAM OR SPECCY THROUGH FRED?OR HOW ABOUT IF I SET UP A PROGRAMMING CLUB EG. EACH MONTH EVERYONE SUBMITS A PROGRAM AND SAY 50p AND THE WINNERGETS FAME (HIS/HER NAME PRINTED) AND FORTUNE(ALL THE 50p's)? INCIDENTLY,YOU CAN ALSO ENTER THE PRIZE DRAW BY SUBMITTING A PICTURE TO THE LORD FLASHART COMPO-JUST BUNG IT ON YOUR DISC. ANY PROBS ABOUT THE COUPÉ?ASK!AND I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO TO REPLY PERSONALLY OR FREDALLY.
14 HAKIT DEMO BY HYSTERIA SOFT
AS I ALREADY SAID THIS IS A GAME AIMED AT YOU ALREADY WITH EXPERIENCE OF THE SPECTRUM.TO START WITH THE SCREEN DISPLAYS 'NEWSFIELD PUBLICATIONS LTD' SO WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM, TYPE IT IN! HINT 'PUBLICATIONS' MEANS THEY PRODUCE BOOKS OR MAGAZINESSO TRY THE NAMES OF ANY COMPUTER RELATED MAGS OR BOOKS. PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS IN. ALSO ON THE DISC IS 'SAMSPEC' WHICH BASICALLY LOADS THE SPECCYROM INTO THE COUP‚ SO IT ACTS JUST LIKE THE RUBBER KEY SPECTRUM EG SHIFT ZERO IS DELETE,SYMBOL P IS QUOTES AND ALL THE KEYWORDS ARE ACTIVE EG R FOR RUN,J FOR LOAD,A FOR NEW ETC.EXPERIMENT AND ENJOY!.USING THIS TECHNIQUE MOST IF NOT ALL OF YOUR SPECCY GAMESWILL LOAD.THE RESET BUTTON IS STILL THE SAME BUT PRESSING THE BREAK BUTTON WILL RETURN YOU TO THE SINCLAIR RESEARCH SCREEN. NEXT MONTH THERE SHOULD BE A LITTLE PROGGIE WHICH SIMULATES A CALCULATOR(WOW!WOT A GAME!)IT'S NOTHING SPECIAL BUT IT'S A GAME INNIT?.ACTUALLY IF ANYONE HAS WRITTEN ANY LITTLE ROUTINES THEY WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED,NO MATTER HOW BRILLIANT OR PATHETIC THEY ARE.
15 PROTECTION?
PROTECTION, A HACKER'S NIGHTMARE.BUT HOW'S IT DONE? WELL HERE'S HOW YOU CAN PUT AMPLE PROTECTION ON YOUR BASIC SAM PROGRAM. THE TWO WAYS INTO A BASIC PROGRAM ONCE IT HAS LOADED ARE USINGESCAPE AND BREAK BUTTON.BY USING ON ERROR (SEE PAGES 129,130 OF USER'S GUIDE) BREAK IS EFFECTIVELY PUT OUT OF ACTION.SAY A LINE 10 ON ERROR GOTO 10 IS ENTERED THEN WHENEVER AN ERROR OCCURS (PRESSING BREAK IS AN ERROR) THE PROGRAM JUMPS TO LINE 10 AS COMMANDED. TO DISABLE ESCAPE SIMPLY INSERT A SINGLE POKE AT THE START OF YOUR PROGRAM - POKE 23613,82 WILL DO THE TRICK.THIS MEANS THAT WHEN ESCAPE IS PRESSED THE GAME CRASHES AND THE COMPUTER IS RESET.HOWEVER IF THIS IS TOO RISKY THE ONLY TIME I DISCOVERED WHEN ESCAPE WAS OUT OF ACTION IS DURING AN INPUT COMMAND,WHICH HELPS SOLVE PROBLEMS IN A PASSWORD SYSTEM AT LEAST. THE LAST PROBLEM IS MERGE,MERGING A FILE MERGES IN THE FILE AND STOPS,SO MERGING WITH NO LISTING IN WOULD GIVE THE PROGRAM LISTING.ON A SPECCY POKE 23757,255 ON A 1 LINE LOADER DID THE TRICK BUT I'M AFRAID I HAVEN'T CRACKED HOW TO STOP IT ON THE COUPÉ YET.
16 CONTINUED
ALSO ON THIS DISC IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SECURITY/PASSWORD SYSTEM I BRIEFLY EXPLAINED.PRESS 9 ON THE MENU-IT'S NOT LISTED BUT THAT'S FOR SAFETY.THIS SYSTEM PREVENTS THE USE OF BREAK AND ESCAPE BUT CAN BE MERGED.ON LOADING A PROMPT APPEARS AND THE USER HAS TO INPUT A CODE TO GAIN FURTHER ACCESS.IN THIS CASE THECODE IS ENTERED USING THE FUNCTION KEYS. THE CODE IS f2 FOLLOWED BY f5 ,IN BASIC THIS TRANSLATES TO 'PRINT CONTINUE <RETURN>' SO THAT RETURN NEED NOT BE PRESSED. WHEN THE KEYS ARE PRESSED JUST A 'MESS' APPEARS IN THE QUOTES, THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN-IT HIDES THE CODE.EVEN ON LISTING THECODE CANNOT BE WORKED OUT USING A STAIGHT FORWARD METHOD.AFTER YOU HAVE PRACTISED USING THE SYSTEM AND HAVE MEMORISED THE CODE,YOU CAN SELECT FOR IT TO BE INSERTED SO THAT THE CODE WILL HAVE TO BE ENTERED TO READ FRED. SO DON'T FORGET, IT'S f2 then f5 AND SIMPLY FOLLOW THE ON-SCREEN PROMPTS.
17 LETTERS
'IS THERE MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUPÉ AND A 16 BIT MACHINE EG AN AMIGA?' ANDY KEILLOR,KELLAS
'WELL ANDY,THE GRAPHICS ARE PRETTY SIMILAR - BOTH HIGH RESOLUTION.THE COUP‚S SOUND IS SLIGHTLY BETTER(6 CHANNEL COMPARED TO 4).THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE TO A GAMES PLAYER IS THAT THE AMIGA HAS BIULT IN DIGITISED SPEECH.THE AMIGA ITSELF COST £150 MORE THAN THE COUPÉ+DRIVE AND THE SOFTWARE IS ALSO CONSIDERABLY MORE.THANKS FOR WRITING' FRED
'YOU KNOW THE 64 PIN EDGE CONNECTOR?WELL,HOW COME IT'S GOT 96 HOLES,NOT 64 AND SO ISN'T CALLED A 96 PIN CONNECTER.' JOE BLOGGS
SIMPLE,ONLY 64 HOLES HAVE CONNECTERS IN THEM - THE MIDDLE ROW IS USELESS I THINK - WELL IT DOESN'T CONNECT' FRED
'HOW DOES THE MOVE COMMAND WORK?(P.115)' ANN EXAMPLE
'SORRY ANN,I CAN'T HELP.CAN ANYONE?' FRED
'WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF THE LOGARITHM OF PI TO 7 SIGNIFICANTFIGURES MULTIPLIED BY THE HEAT PRODUCED BY INTERNAL COMBUSTION SQUARED CONVERTED TO A FLOATING POINT INTEGER IN SIEVERTS COMPARED TO THE MASTER ASSEMBLY MEMORY OF THE COUP‚' A.EINSTEIN 'OK ALBY BOY,HERE GOES - NONE IN THE SLIGHTEST.' FRED
18 BYE BYE,SNIFF SNIFF
SADLY THIS IS THE END OF THIS ISSUE BUT I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE FREE GAMES ON THIS DISC AND THAT YOU WILL ORDER FRED2
I COULD BORE YOU WITH CREDITS BUT AS I DID EVERYTHING ON THIS DISC I WON'T BOTHER.
BYE.SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
COLIN -M-
