Devices that speed up the 1541 disk drive are invariably fiddly to install. Remember 1541 Flash!, reviewed last month? Now American software house Epyx has come up with a no-fuss cartridge that simply plugs into the C64. It's easy to use but how well does it justify the £50 price tag?

The main problem with hardware devices that make the 1541 disk drive do its job a little more quickly is that they're invariably a little difficult to install.

The Epyx Fast Load Cartridge is the third of these types of devices now available and looks to be the easiest to set up. You merely plug the cartridge into the C64's cartridge port and you're up and running. No fuss, no wires.

So let's take a short look at the other two. 1541 Express is also a cartridge costing £50, but it requires two wires to be installed inside the C64. That may discourage the faint-hearted and may invalidate your warranty. Unlike the Epyx device, though, 1541 Flash! also speeds up the saving of data.

More complex is 1541 Flash! which involves prising out and installing alternative chips in both the C64 and 1541. There's a few wires to contend with too. Unlike the Epyx device, it saves data at speed, offers extra facilities and since it's not a cartridge, it frees the cartridge port for other uses. It costs more at £80.

The Epyx Fast Load device is simple, but is it effective? Loading speed is, quite simply, impressive and reliable. For example, a 182 block program file, which would usually take about 120 seconds to load, actually loads in 25 seconds. That's around five times the normal speed.

Unfortunately, as its name suggests, the cartridge saves files only at the normal speed. But, if like me, you spend most of your time loading software, the savings on time and frustration are appreciable.

Although the cartridge isn't guaranteed to load every type of protected disk, it certainly handles a lot of them. Vizawrite, for example, makes the device revert to normal loading speed. So if the cartridge won't work with a program, you simply use the built-in disable facility. No need to switch off and unplug the thing.

A lot more than just increases in loading speed is offered, the device is also easy to use. To do the equivalent of LOAD "0:*", 8,1 you simply hold down the CBM key and hit RUN/STOP. To load the disk directory, simply type "$" and press Return.

The "@" can be used to send any command to the disk, or by itself to tell you the status of the drive. Yes, now you'll know why the red light is flashing!

Obviously, you can use the standard load/save commands provided but there are some useful single-key commands offered as alternatives:

%PROG replaces LOAD"PROG",8,1
/PROG replaces LOAD"PROG",8
→PROG replaces SAVE"PROG",8

Also provided on Epyx Fast Load is a machine-code monitor, which can be entered by simply typing "!" and pressing Return. The monitor allows you to get to grips with all of the 64K of RAM.

If that weren't enough, the cartridge has a built-in disk and file copy facility which can be accessed via two menus. Although these are quite simple in operation they are nevertheless a useful addition. There's also a simple track editor which allows you to read any sector on the disk, edit it on screen and then write it back to the disk.

The documentation supplied with the cartridge consists of a single sheet of glossy paper folded in half, with all the commands and facilities listed in a comprehensible way. It's not brilliant, but it tells you all you need to know.

On the whole, the Epyx Fast Load Cartridge does its job extremely well and offers a load of other facilities into the bargain. Unlike most other 1541 speed utilities, it's child's play to install Must be good value at £49.95.