I am sending you this text file after suddenly remembering you said you would be prepared to mention 8BS in your magazine.

I have recently acquired a couple of Electrons; one humble Electron, another with a Acorn Plus 1 and another with a Plus 1 and Advanced Plus 3. At least I think that's what they're called.

With great anticipation, I plugged them in and tested them out with the 8BS magazine in the disk drive. I learned quite a lot in a very short space of time.

There were several points I hadn't really realised. The first, the lack of Mode 7. I knew this would be a problem (although I understand it is possible to get Mode 7 for the Electron) as the magazine operates totally in Mode 7. Hence the finest points of 8BS are totally lost on an Electron.

I then tried out the 40 column to 80 column converter available for those that do not like teletext and discovered that the screen flashes horribly as the disk is accessed. This is totally unacceptable.

Finally, I had trouble with almost all of the software on the disk. Almost nothing would work due to too little memory!

As this was only my first trip into the world of the Electron, I was hasty not to draw too many conclusions from this short interval. However, I have subsequently tested many of the 8BS ADFS disks on an Electron setup only to find none would work. The only software that I have that will most certainly work is on tape.

Anyway, enough of this depressing banter. Down to business. Could you publish the following text in your next magazine...?

8 BIT SOFTWARE

"The BBC and Master 128 User Group and Public Domain library. There is still a lot of support left for your BBC and Master. 8-Bit Software is a User Group with a regular disk-based magazine distributed every seven weeks. The magazine is always full of articles, messages and software written by the members and comes in 80 tract double sided DFS or ADFS L format.

"Both 5.25" and 3.5" disk format are supported. Disks are one pound each inclusive of disk, copying and postage. If you supply the formatted disk and postage, the copying charge is just 50p. Membership of the group is free.

"The magazine features a unique messaging system which allows me to collect together individual messages sent in on submission disks. Private messages addressed to individuals are collected together for each individual and placed onto that member's magazine disk before it is sent out. Messages to everyone are collected together and then placed into the magazine.

"8-Bit Software sports a massive collection of Public Domain software. The library has around 850 disks packed full with free software. Charges are as above - with the one pound per disk and formatted disk plus postage costs continued. This is great value considering some of the things available. For instance, the Disk User and Fast Access, to name just two, used to be commercial software. 8BS has acquired the copyright on these items and supplies them at public domain prices.

"Another example: the excellent View Professional package from Colton Software. This combined Word Processor/Spreadsheet used to cost a bomb. You can now get it for a pound. Not only that, I typed in the manual so for one more pound, you get the manual too!

"I have collected software together from all over the place. BBC PD, JJF PD and JG Harston PD are just a few libraries within 8BS' library.

"The 8-Bit Software loft is heaving with BBC spares and software. Second hand commercial software (For example, tapes) are £1.50 each. BBC Bs are £25.00. There are many spare keyboards, power supplies, hardware add-ons (such as Music 5000's Modems, Master co-processors, etc) around and I can supply all sorts of odds and ends such as disk labels, printed function key strips and address labels. The list goes on and on.

"The magazine works to a certain extent on the Electron. Not very satisfactorily at the moment but this is being worked on as I write. Right now, Mode 7 articles can be displayed by the 80 column converter on every magazine disk. The code does require inspection however.

"If you have a BBC or Master 128, then remember that 8BS is a non-profit making User Group that I run in my spare time. (My real job is as a Paramedic with the Humberside Ambulance Trust). I answer 99% of my mail by return, the only exception being huge submissions or sticky problems.

"Anyhow, If you are interested in finding out more about 8BS, please send two formatted disks and return postage to:

Please ask for the introductory package of the latest magazine disk and catalogue/information disk. Please also mention EUG when responding!"

Chris Richardson

No problem publishing the advertisement. EUG, while originally set up for users of Electrons, is subscribed to by users of all the 8-Bit Acorn micros. BBC programmers are in the habit of using Mode 7. It's a shame because, as EUG shows, great software can be written without it. Many Electron-owning readers do have Mode 7 adaptors for their Elks though, including me. I also own a Master but rarely use Mode 7 as I never need to. Teletext characters can be produced quite easily on the Elk.

Hopefully, some readers will contact you. It is only by supporting groups like 8 Bit Software that good software for the 8 bit Acorns can continue to be produced.

Gus Donnachaidh, EUG #23