Comp.Sys.Acorn FAQ List Posting (Part 3/4) Archive-name: acorn/faq/part3 Frequency: monthly Section 7: Network Resources. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.1) What archives/FTP sites are available? See the regular (fortnightly) posting by Gerben Vos & Peter Naulls. This posting is also available from an email server at MIT. To request it from this server send an email to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu. No subject is needed and the body should contain :- send /pub/usenet/news.answers/acorn/archives Or, alternatively, you could view it on the web at :- http://lucy.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~pnaulls/acorn-archives/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.2) What Acorn related companies are available on the net via email? There are quite a few companies now on the net and reachable via email with more joining as time passes. Here is the list of companies that have given permission to be entered here in the FAQ. If the email address is to a person rather than either an automated system or perhaps a group of people I have placed the name of the person in brackets after the email address description. 3SL Ltd :- sales@sssl.demon.co.uk Information about products and prices. Acorn Computers (Uk) :- customer.services@acorn.co.uk Enquiries and product information. RiscPC.techquery@acorn.co.uk RiscPC information. The Advisory Unit :- info@advunit.demon.co.uk General enquiries. alun@advunit.demon.co.uk (Alun Hinder) Aleph One :- Sales@aleph1.co.uk Information about products and prices. Support@aleph1.co.uk After-sales support. Alpha Programming :- info@alphapro.demon.co.uk General enquiries marc@alphapro.demon.co.uk (Marc Warne) Alsystems :- sales@alsystems.co.uk Sales and general enquiries. tech@alsystems.co.uk Technical support. Alternative Publishing Ltd :- sales@apsoft.co.uk Sales, service and upgrades ANT Ltd :- sales@ant.co.uk Sales and general enquiries. support@ant.co.uk Technical support. Archive magazine :- paul.NCS@paston.co.uk Editor (Paul Beverley) The ARM Club :- info@armclub.org.uk Enquiries etc... ARMage Software :- armage@armage.demon.co.uk Enquiries etc... ARMed Forces Software :- sales@afsoft.demon.co.uk Sales and enquiries. support@afsoft.demon.co.uk Product support. Armstrong Walker Ltd :- Andy@armswalk.demon.co.uk Enquiries etc... (Andy Armstrong) Nigel@armswalk.demon.co.uk Enquiries etc... (Nigel Walker) Atomwide :- Sales@atomwide.co.uk Information about products and prices. Support@atomwide.co.uk After-sales support. Beebug Ltd :- sales@beebug.co.uk Sales. info@beebug.co.uk General enquiries. ruser@beebug.co.uk Email for Risc User. technical@beebug.co.uk Technical enquiries for our products and items purchased from Beebug. Carlton Software :- info@carltsw.demon.co.uk General information. sales@carltsw.demon.co.uk Orders, and sales enquiries. tech@carltsw.demon.co.uk Technical advice, and support for customers. Castle Technology :- Sales@castlet.demon.co.uk Info, Products, Prices, Ordering etc. Support@castlet.demon.co.uk Support issues etc. CD Circle :- cdcircle@ims-bristol.co.uk Enquiries etc... Clares Micro Supplies :- DClare@Clares.demon.co.uk General enquiries. (Dave Clare) DJackson@Clares.demon.co.uk Technical enquiries. (David Jackson) Sales@Clares.demon.co.uk Ordering and sales information. Colton Software :- info@colton.co.uk Automated reply, listing services available. sales@colton.co.uk general sales etc. support@colton.co.uk technical support on existing products. Computer Concepts :- info@cconcepts.co.uk Automated reply, giving information. sales@cconcepts.co.uk For credit card orders of products. support@cconcepts.co.uk Technical support for products. Comspec :- acorn_info@comrad.comspec.com Canadian Acorn dealer. Enquiries about Acorn hardware and products welcome including USA enquiries. (Domenic DeFrancesco) Cumana :- sales@cumana.co.uk Sales and product information. support@cumana.co.uk Product support. Cumbria :- sales@cumsoft.demon.co.uk General sales enquiries. David Pilling Software :- david@pilling.demon.co.uk All enquiries to this address. Datawave Nederland :- sales@datawave.demon.nl Orders. support@datawave.demon.nl Customer support. webmaster@datawave.demon.nl Private Enquiries. Desktop Projects Ltd :- info@desktopp.demon.co.uk General enquiries sales@desktopp.demon.co.uk Sales information and orders support@desktopp.demon.co.uk Customer technical support line DoggySoft :- sales@doggysoft.co.uk Sales information and orders support@doggysoft.co.uk Customer technical support line i-cubed Ltd :- advice@i-cubed.co.uk Pre sales advice / general queries support@i-cubed.co.uk After sales support / technical queries sales@i-cubed.co.uk Pricing / Availability / Dealers etc. The Image Factory :- imagfact@ozemail.com.au Sales and support. Innovative Media Solutions Ltd :- sales@ims-bristol.co.uk Enquiries etc... Iota Software :- support@iota.co.uk Enquires & support for Iota products. Jaffa Software :- a.j.flegg@warwick.ac.uk Enquiries, etc... Le Computer :- info@lecomp.demon.co.uk General enquiries. sales@lecomp.demon.co.uk Sales enquiries and orders. vanessa@lecomp.demon.co.uk Special needs enquiries. Longman Logotron :- info@logo.com General product information. sales@logo.com Sales enquiries and orders. support@logo.com Product support enquiries. Meu Cymru :- info@meucymru.demon.co.uk Enquiries etc... Micro Laser Designs :- info@microlas.demon.co.uk General Enquiries sales@microlas.demon.co.uk Sales Enquiries users@microlas.demon.co.uk User Group Enquiries Millipede Electronic Graphics :- info@milliped.demon.co.uk Product information. sales@milliped.demon.co.uk Orders and current prices. support@milliped.demon.co.uk Technical support. richard@milliped.demon.co.uk If all else fails! (Richard Jozefowski) Minerva Software :- minerva@zynet.co.uk Enquiries etc... Mirage Enterprises :- Sales@spark.demon.co.uk Sales Enquiries Support@spark.demon.co.uk Product Support Moray Micro Computing :- sales@m-micro.demon.co.uk Sales Enquiries. Navaho Internet Servers :- info@navaho.co.uk General information (automated reply). sales@navaho.co.uk Product sales. support@navaho.co.uk Customer support. Norwich Computer Services :- sales.NCS@paston.co.uk Sales tech.NCS@paston.co.uk Technical help Octopus Systems :- sales@octosys.co.uk Enquiries etc... (Paul Skirrow) Old Mother Software :- main@oldmothr.demon.co.uk General enquiries info@oldmothr.demon.co.uk Product information tech@oldmothr.demon.co.uk Technical support Oregan Developments Ltd :- sales@oregan.demon.co.uk Product info, and general enquiries support@oregan.demon.co.uk Support for registered customers Paradise :- info@paradise1.compulink.co.uk Product Information support@paradise1.compulink.co.uk Support/feedback. PEP Associates :- info@pep-assoc.co.uk Product information. support@pep-assoc.co.uk Product support. Pineapple Software :- sales@pineaple.demon.co.uk Sales enquiries. support@pineaple.demon.co.uk Info about products, support and enquiries. Quantum Software :- Info@quantumsoft.co.uk Info about products, version numbers, etc. Support@quantumsoft.co.uk Technical support for customers. Sales@quantumsoft.co.uk General info about products and prices, etc. RiscNet International :- riscnet@datawave.demon.nl RiscNet International Information. Resource :- Info@Resourcekt.co.uk General information etc... Sales@Resourcekt.co.uk Credit card orders. Support@Resourcekt.co.uk Technical support. The Serial Port :- altman@cryton.demon.co.uk Software support. bob@cryton.demon.co.uk Retail enquiries. jim@cryton.demon.co.uk To reach Jim Nagel, author of the Acorn column in Computer Shopper magazine. pcats@cryton.demon.co.uk Hardware support Sherston Software :- sales@sherston.co.uk Sales and Product information. support@sherston.co.uk Technical support/queries etc. Simtec Electronics :- sales@simtec.demon.co.uk Sales and order enquiries. info@simtec.demon.co.uk General enquiries and support. thread@simtec.demon.co.uk Multi-threading/Hydra enquiries. Soft Rock Software :- softrock@argonet.co.uk Enquires, Sales and Product information. Spacetech Imaging Technology :- sales@spacetec.demon.co.uk Sales and Product information. support@spacetec.demon.co.uk Technical Support. Stuart Tyrell Developments :- Info@STDevel.demon.co.uk General Enquiries etc. Supreme Software Systems Ltd :- info@supreme.demon.co.uk All Enquiries. TBA Software :- tba@tbalond.demon.co.uk All enquiries. Thinx Solutions :- Thinx@spark.demon.co.uk Sales Enquiries and Product Support Tower Electronics Ltd :- tower@enterprise.net All enquiries. Uffenkamp Computer Systeme :- ucsinfo@ucs.de Product information, events et al. usupport@ucs.de After sales support, technical queries. ucsorder@ucs.de Sales enquiries. Uniqueway :- info@uniqueway.co.uk General queries, product related or otherwise. support@uniqueway.co.uk Support for products. (Serial number should be quoted where relevant.) sales@uniqueway.co.uk For credit card orders. Vertical Twist :- sales@equinoxe.demon.co.uk Enquiries, orders etc. techsup@equinoxe.demon.co.uk Technical support. Warm Silence Software :- Robin.Watts@prg.ox.ac.uk Enquiries etc. (Robin Watts) Werewolf Software :- info@werewlf.demon.co.uk General information (Dane Koekoek) sales@werewlf.demon.co.uk Orders, sales and enquiries (Dane Koekoek) CDTsupport@werewlf.demon.co.uk Support for CDtracker and CDtracker Plus (Malcolm Knight) support@werewlf.demon.co.uk Support for any other products (Dane Koekoek) Wyddfa Software :- gwilliams@cix.compulink.co.uk Enquiries etc. (Gwyn Williams) Xavier Software :- xavier@bangor.ac.uk Enquiries etc... Zynet Ltd :- zynet@zynet.co.uk Enquiries etc... If you are a company and you would like to included in this list please send me an email, to the address specified at the bottom of the FAQ, detailing the email addresses and their general function. I will then include them into the FAQ. However as a matter of policy I will only include an address if I receive email from the owner, or a representative for the owner, of that address. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.3) What are the submission addresses for comp.{binaries,sources}.acorn groups? There are four addresses involved here. To submit files for the groups send your email to :- csa@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.sources.acorn. cba@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.binaries.acorn. For requests, comments and suggestions send email to :- csa-request@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.sources.acorn. cba-request@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.binaries.acorn. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.4) How to retrieve the FAQ from the source... As I frequently update the FAQ between postings you may wish to get the latest and most up-to-date copy of the FAQ before it next gets posted. There are two ways to do this. Firstly read it off the web at http://wn.planet.gen.nz/~banksie/Archives/FAQ/FaqHTML.html. Secondly I maintain an email server on my personal machine for people to use. Due to the various complications at my end, and a distinct desire to minimise email charges incurred to myself, the email server shares my email address with me. To use the server send an email message looking something like this :- To: banksie@khantazi.wn.planet.gen.nz Subject: ServerMail ---message text begins--- Help: In this case it will send a help file to you detailing how to use the server. Be aware that the spelling and case of the subject line is very important. My software searches for email with exactly this subject line automatically once a day and it is case & spelling sensitive. Failure to type this correctly will result in your message appearing in my normal email list and depending on my mood may, or may not, be adjusted to reach the email server. The server understands and uses Reply-To: headers but has distinct problems sending material to bang path addressed sites. (Well to be more accurate it has problems sending to any site that has an ! in the email address.) If you are using a site with such addressing then I am afraid the email server will be unable to help you. Also please ensure that your From: header, or your Reply-To: header if you using that, is valid. Email file requests that bounce due to this tend to annoy me and repeat offenders will be placed on the server's 'to be ignored' list. As well as the FAQ and it's related files I store a small collection of technical documents, 'special' data files and other generally useful data on the server. To obtain a listing of all the sections available to you, and the contents of those sections, send a message as detailed above but instead of help put :- Section: index in the body of the message. Please be aware that this server is at the tail end of a modem link so while you are most welcome to use it I must ask that you try to source any files from other sites before using this server and to strictly follow the guidelines outlined above. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.5) What WWW pages are out there for Acorn topics? Web pages are popping up all over the place these days, especially now that Web client software exists for Acorn machines. This list of Web pages is checked periodically by myself for validity but I make no claims that URL's present here are currently valid. A more comprehensive list is contained in the fortnightly FTP servers list maintained by Gerben Vos. * http://www.acorn.co.uk/ Acorn Computers WWW pages. * http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/ The Acorn CyberVillage pages - dealers, developers, information, software and low cost web rental. * http://www.poppyfields.oaktree.co.uk/acorn/ The Acorn computer user WWW Server. - contains pointers to other Acorn Web pages. * http://www.a-e-g.demon.co.uk/ The Acorn Enthusiasts Group pages. * http://www.stir.ac.uk/~rhh01/Main.html "Acorn On The Net" list page - contains pointers to other Acorn Web pages. * http://www.alphapro.demon.co.uk/ Alpha Programming WWW Pages - Acorn/Psion software, Jokes+Reviews. * http://www.alsystems.co.uk/ Alsystems' web pages. * http://www.ant.co.uk/ ANT Ltd web pages. * http://www.armclub.org.uk/ The ARM Club home page. * http://www.armage.demon.co.uk ARMage Software WWW pages. * http://www.afsoft.demon.co.uk/ ARMed Forces Software WWW pages. * http://www.geko.com.au/riscman/ Australian Acorn Enthusiast Web site. * http://www.carltsw.demon.co.uk/ Carlton Software's WWW pages. * http://www.stcoll.ac.uk/clares/ Clares Micro Supplies' WWW pages. * http://www.ims-cdc.demon.co.uk/cdcircle/ The CD Circle's WWW pages. * http://www.cumana.demon.co.uk/ Cumana's WWW pages. * http://www.datawave.demon.nl/ Datawave Nederland's pages. * http://www.doggysoft.co.uk/ Doggysoft's WWW pages. * http://www.ozemail.com.au/~imagfact/index.html the image factory, DTP supplies for Acorn Computers. * http://www.ims-cdc.demon.co.uk/ Innovative Media Solution's WWW pages. * http://www.iota.co.uk/ Iota Software's pages. * http://www.warwick.ac.uk/~csube Jaffa Software's pages. * http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/users/u1smt/u1smt.html "The Jungle" Simon Truss's web page containing pointers to a variety of other web pages. * http://www.hebbron.demon.co.uk/LEG/ Liverpool Enthusiasts Group (LEG) home page - information on the group, previous meetings, and connected links. * http://www.logo.com/ The Longman Logotron web pages. * http://www.interpages.co.uk/acorn/ Mike Enderby's pages - including PC Card information, a mirror of the FAQ and the Acorn games pages. * http://www.zynet.co.uk/minerva/ Minerva Software's home page. * http://www.octosys.co.uk/ Octopus Systems. * http://www.demon.co.uk/oldmothr/ Old Mother Software. * http://www.oregan.demon.co.uk Oregan Developments Ltd. * http://www.pineaple.demon.co.uk/ Pineapple Software. * http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/pccard/ Risc PC x86 Cards Information Pages - wide variety of info on PC cards, including compatibility of games and other software. * http://www.pobox.com/~netline RISC User netline pages. * http://www.datawave.demon.nl/~datawave RiscNet International. * http://www.simtec.demon.co.uk/ Simtec Electronics. * http://www.argonet.co.uk/softrock Soft Rock Software. * http://www.stdevel.demon.co.uk Stuart Tyrell Developments. * http://www.octosys.co.uk/sarc.html Suffolk Acorn Risc Club's pages. * http://www.enterprise.net/tower-risc Tower Electronics Ltd. * http://www.uniqueway.co.uk Uniqueway Ltd's home pages. * http://www.wss.co.uk/ Warm Silence Software. * http://xavier.bangor.ac.uk/cgi-bin/xavier Xavier Software Ltd's home page. * http://www.zynet.co.uk/ Zynet Ltd's home page. Note that, as with email addresses, I require either the owner of the pages, or a representative of the owner, to email me if they wish to be included in the list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.6) What Acorn BBS's are there? Is there a good Acorn BBS to call near me? The following are all good Acorn Bulletin Boards to call. This list is now maintained by me (Dane Koekoek), it is by no means complete and some items of information may be missing. I will do my best to keep it up-to-date with all changes. If you spot any errors in the list, or have an addition to make to the list, then please send an email to dane@werewlf.demon.co.uk , Fidonet#2:254/310 or online The Werewolf BBS (+44-181-289 6003). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBS name Phone number Times Speeds Location ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acorn BBS +852 25477992 24 hour 300-21600 Hong Kong Arcade * 0181 654 2212 24 hour 300-33600 Croydon, London * 0181 655 4412 24 hour 300-33600 Archiboard Central * 01603 744231 24 hour 300-14400 Norwich Archimedes BBS +31 35 6026500 24 hour 300-14400 Soest NL Arctic * 0181 903 1308 24 hour 300-33600 West London * 0181 903 1309 24 hour 300-33600 ARMature II +61 2 580-9938 24 hour 330-19200 Oatley,NSW ARM Pit BBS * 01962 880003 22-08hr 330-14400 Malton, N.Yorks The ARMpit +45 31675110 24 hour 330-14400 Denmark The 23rd Hour * 01202 692394 24 hour 300-14400 Poole,Dorset Digital Databank * 01707 323531 24 hour 300-28800 Welwyn Garden City * 01707 329306 24 hour 300-14400 Digital Exposure * 01264 361212 24 hour 300-33600 Andover, Hampshire Equinox * 01705 871531 24 hour 300-14400 Portsmouth Galaxy * 01617 079306 24 hour 300-14400 Manchester InterComm Central * 01819 598868 24 hour 300-14400 Mill Hill, London Icarus Allsorts &&* 01977 620702 18-22hr 300-14400 Pontefract Kameleon BBS +31 38 3319295 24 hour 1200-33600 Kampen NL Mage Online * 01812 526112 24 hour 300-28800 London Northern ARM * 01274 530831 24 hour 300-28800 Bradford * 01274 530841 24 hour 300-14400 PanGill * 01723 581460 21-07hr 300-14400 Scarborough Plasma Sphere * 01925 757920 24 hour 300-33600 Cheshire * 01925 757921 24 hour 300-33600 Prestonet * 01772 612462 22-07hr 300-28800 Preston SchoolNet UK * 01603 507216 24 hour 300-28800 Norwich Thunderbolt BBS * 01689 603608 24 hour 300-28800 SE London The Sidings BBS * 0115 956 3481 24 hour 300-14400 Nottingham The Werewolf BBS * 0181 289 6003 24 hour 300-33600 London Western Schools +61 86 491384 24 hour 300-14400 Whyalla, SA Wombat BBS +49 9286 97211 18-7hr 300-28800 Germany World of Cryton * 01749 679794 24 hour 300-2400 Somerset * 01749 670030 24 hour 300-28800 Yeti BBS +49 461 23272 24 hour 300-64000 Flensburg, Germany ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * BBS in the UK. If calling from outside the UK, prefix 44 and remove the 0 in front of EVERY UK number. && Ring voice first A second list is maintained by Steve Pursey who can be reached via email at steve@arcticbb.demon.co.uk or via Fidonet#2:254/86. Polite requests for the list to him may well yield a copy of the list. Alternatively, for those of you with WWW access a copy of this second list can be found at http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/bbs.htm. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.7) Where can I advertise second hand Acorn kit? There are various web sites available now that list second hand adverts without charge. If you are wanting to sell some equipment it may well be worth your time trying them. They are :- * http://www.armature.net.au/forsale/ * http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/small.htm * http://www.dircon.co.uk/dialprop/acornurl.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 8: Compatibility with other Machines. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.1) How compatible with other systems is an Acorn machine? PC :- The Archimedes can handle DOS discs (720k; the A5000 and later models can also handle 1.44M floppies). In RO3, this is built in, under RO2 you have to use one of the (PD) utilities. There are two PC (software) emulators that can handle most PC software, three if you count the fact that Acorn's offering is split into two emulator programs. There are also PC cards, containing an 80x86 processor and other PC hardware, which uses the Archimedes' disc and video. All emulators are multitasking (and not PD). RiscPC machines, by adding a 486 processor card, can fully emulate a PC. Unix :- Unix software can be ported (and in fact many packages already have been) with the help of UnixLib, which is PD. Memory-hungry ports, such as gcc, can be run with the aid of !Virtual (also PD). Of course if you are really desperate to run Unix software it might be advisable to buy RISCiX, the Acorn flavour of Unix (suitable only for A5000 or older machines), or perhaps use linux (suitable for older machines and SA equipped RiscPCs) & RiscBSD (for RiscPC machines). Mac :- Commercial software is available that can read HFS format discs, including hard drives and CDROMs. For floppy discs this generally encompasses high density discs (1.44 MB format) and a limited subset of double density (720 kb) discs. Essentially the software can read the disc if the tracks have been laid down with constant angular velocity, rather than constant linear velocity - which requires a variable speed drive to work. Most Macintoshes default to CLV format discs when formatting double density discs but some Mac software exists to override this and, in theory, such discs are readable using the Acorn software. To be sure that the double density disc is a CAV format disc, then formatting it first in your Acorn machine is a good step and the disc will then work with Macintosh machines. Also most modern Macintoshes can, like Acorn machines, read and write PC format discs so transfer is possible via that medium as well. There is no Mac emulator available natively. However if you have a PC card in your RiscPC it is possible to run Executor 2.0 under the PC Emulation to then emulate a Mac. However this approach is likely to be fairly slow. Atari ST :- Like PC floppies, the Archimedes can read, write and format ST-format floppies. No emulator for the ST is known. Amiga :- The amiga uses an unusual disc format that is not easily read by other machines. Accordingly there is currently no Amiga format disc reader available. But Amiga's can read PC discs, so again transfers can occur via that medium. There is one Amiga emulator available, a port of the Unix Amiga Emulator, but it is somewhat CPU intensive and really requires a StrongARM to be useful. Spectrum :- There are emulators around for this and Amstrad, the owners of the Sinclair copyright, have released permission for the ROM images, needed to run these emulators, to be copied and released with the emulators. Apple][ :- Again emulators are available for this. However they, like the Spectrum emulators, require a copy of the ROM image to work. The copyright of the ROM image for these machines, as far as I am aware, prevents them being distributed, so you have to source your own copy of them. BBC B :- Once again emulators exist, including Acorn's own effort of 6502Host. The emulators are fairly good, offering a high level of compatibility. See question 8.3 for more details about two commercially available emulators. Also various programs do exist that allow the newer Acorn machines to read BBC B format floppy discs. GameBoy :- An emulator exists for this, capable of loading and using most snapshots with sound correctly emulated. Snapshots seem to be fairly freely available on the Internet and a search in any of the more capable search engines should quickly turn up a set of sites with downloadable snapshot images. Amstrad CPC :- Emulators exist for these machines and Amstrad & Locomotive Software have given their permission for the ROM images, needed to make them work, to be freely distributable with the emulators. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.2) Is there a BBC BASIC for other machines? The short answer is, yes. Macintosh :- A BBC BASIC environment was released some years back as a commercial product featuring compatibility with a limited subset of OS_Bytes and other features for limited compatibility with a BBC Model B. IBM Compats :- A version of BBC BASIC exists for these machines. Older versions have provided an inbuilt BASIC editor, limited OS_Byte support, some OSCLI commands and CGA standard graphics. Exactly what the latest version supports I don't know, but to find out (and obtain a version of the software) contact :- M-Tec Computer Services, The Market Place, REEPHAM, Norfolk, NR10 4JJ, United Kingdom. Tel. (+44) 1603 870620 Fax. (+44) 1603 870436 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.3) Can I run 65Host on the Risc PC? Officially, no. Unofficially there is a patch that enables the Emulator to run fairly well. Unfortunately the patch does not correctly enable the break key; however, it does substitute the Scroll Lock key, so you can reset the emulator easily from inside the emulator. Furthermore the emulator seems incompatible with the StrongARM, so even the patched copy will not work if you have one fitted. Here is the patch :- REM >HostPatch REM RISC PC !65Host patch REM Obtained from comp.sys.acorn.games REM Provided by tim@spodnet.org (Tim Gladding) REM of Cambridge, England REM Tweaked to substitute ScrollLock for Break REM by arcsalt@spuddy.mew.co.uk (Darren Salt) SYS "OS_File",5,"<65Host$Dir>.!RunImage" TO t,,,,len DIM data len SYS "OS_File",255,"<65Host$Dir>.!RunImage",data FOR ptr=0 TO len-4 STEP 4 word=data!ptr CASE word OF WHEN &E3520402, &E2600402, &E3510402: data?ptr=&05 WHEN &13A0000F: data?ptr=&0E: REM key code for ScrollLock ENDCASE NEXT ptr SYS "OS_File",10,"<65Host$Dir>.!RunImage",&FFA,,data,data+len It is a BASIC program - simply enter it into the BASIC editor of your choice, let the filer see the copy of 65Host that is to be patched and run it. A copy of the 65Host emulator can be found on the Acorn FTP site. There is also a commercially available BBC emulator, called 6502Em, available that works on the RiscPC range and boasts improved compatibility, mostly with games, over the Acorn effort. It also is StrongARM compatible. Contact Warm Silence Software for details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.4) Can I read Acorn format discs on a PC? Yes, a utility called BeebDos exists which claims to provide reading and writing of BBC B format discs. It is a commercial program and was sold by :- MicroBoss Ltd, Business Orientated Software Systems Telephone: 01255 671095 (Uk number) 3 Hadleigh Road, Frinton on Sea, Essex, CO13 9HG. Unfortunately I am unaware if they currently still sell the program or not. For the more recent ADFS format discs the shareware disc editor ANADISK will cope with ADFS format discs, up to F format. This does not provide a filing system, but rather allows sectors to be pulled off the disc and saved as a file. Disc map and root directory information is stored at the middle of the disc, on track 40. Generally this is useful only for emergency measures when you really need that data stored on an ADFS format disc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.5) What software handles files with this extension? This depends on the extension. Presented below is a list of common file extensions and the software that, in some way, handles the file. It is recommended, especially for commercial software, that you verify that software will indeed perform the functions you require on the file format. This list is intended as a starting point to give the reader a pointer towards suitable software, nothing more. N.B. This list is primarily for programs that convert foreign file formats into Acorn usable data - not the other way round. Some programs listed will export as well as import but this is by no means guaranteed. * AVI (.avi) , &FB2, Audio Visual file. * CineWorks, commercial. * MovieFS, commercial. * BMP (.bmp) , &69C, Bitmap file (Windows). * BMPSprite, freeware. * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. * ImageFS, commercial. * ImageMaster, commercial. * Translator, shareware. * CGM (.cgm) ,, Computer Graphics Metafile. * CGM->Draw, careware. * DXF-CGM, careware. * DXF (.dxf) , &DEA, Drawing eXchange Format file. * Draw, commercial - supplied with all versions of RISC OS. * GIF (.gif) , &695, Graphics Interchange Format picture. * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. * FYEO2, shareware. * ImageMaster, commercial. * ProArtisan24, commercial. * Spr_2_Gif, freeware. * Translator, shareware. * WebGif2, freeware. * HTML (.htm, .html) , &FAF, Hyper Text Markup Language document. * ArcWeb, freeware. * Fresco, commercial. * Webite, commercial. * Webster, freeware. * JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) , &C85, JPEG format picture. * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. * FYEO2, shareware. * ProArtisan24, commercial. * RapidJPEG, freeware. * SwiftJPEG, freeware. * Translator, shareware. * Metafile (.met) ,, OS/2 Metafile. * Draw-Met, careware. * MIDI (.mid, .midi) , &FD4, Musical Instrument Digital Interface file. * MIDIWorks, commercial. * ESPSynth, commercial. * MelIDI, commercial. * ReMidi, shareware. * Timidity, freeware. * MPEG (.mpg, .mpeg) , &BF8, Motion Picture Experts Group movie file. * CineWorks, commercial. * MPEG, freeware. * PDF (.pdf) , &ADF, Adobe's Portable Document Format. * Pdf, freeware. * Perl (.pl) , &A06, Practical Extraction and Report Language file. * Perl, freeware. * PostScript (.eps, .ps) ,, Adobe's printer graphics language. * AiEps-Drw, careware. * GhostScript, freeware. * RiScript, freeware. * RiScript Pro, commercial. * Quicktime (.mov) , &FB2, Macintosh movie file. * CineWorks, commercial. * MovieFS, commercial. * SoundTracker (.mod) , &CB6, Sound Tracker file. * AMFTracker, freeware. * BASTracker, freeware. * Digital Symphony, commercial. * Harmony, freeware. * MPlayer, freeware. * ProTrack, freeware. * ProTracker, freeware. * S/Tracker, freeware. * Tar (.tar) , &C46, Tape Archive. * Spark, commercial. * SparkFS, commercial. * SparkPlug, freeware. * Tar, freeware. * Text (.txt, .text) , &FFF, text file. * ChangeTxt, shareware. * Edit, commercial - supplied with all versions of RISC OS. * StrongEd, shareware. * Uemacs, freeware. * Zap, freeware. * TIFF (.tif, .tiff) , &FF0, Tagged Image File Format. * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. * Tiffin, freeware. * Translator, shareware. * Wave (.wav) , &FB1, Chunk based sound file. * AudioWorks, commercial. * MovieFS, commercial. * Player, commercial. * ProSound, commercial. * StudioSound, commercial. * SoundCon, freeware. * WMF (.wmf) ,, Windows Meta File. * WMF->Draw, public domain. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.6) Is there a version of Draw for Windows? Yes. Oak released a program called Oak-Draw for Windows. This program can load, save and manipulate Acorn Draw format files in the Windows environment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------