Previous Next

THE FlRST of Flexibase's police programs aims to promote crime prevention to all age ranges. Each time the program is used, the computer selects five questions from a bank of over forty, each with a choice of three answers. The user might be asked: What can attract a burglar?

1 Window Lock 2 Burglar Alarm 3 Newspapers In Letter Box

Or another question might be...

When leaving your car even for a few minutes, should you...

1 Lock The Doors 2 Shut The Windows 3 Both?

If the correct answer is chosen, a picture of a thieving magpie slow generates onscreen. At the end, a total score is given together with the message LOCK OUT CRIME. Although laudable in its aim, I felt that this program needs to provide much more of an incentive for the user to be correct than the creation of a picture (the content of which can be quickly guessed).

Magpie is priced at £5 on cassette or microdrive, or as one of four programs including Police Patrol Quiz on a compilation disk for £10.