I wonder if there are any other Electron owners who, like myself, have noticed the amount of space devoted to printers and printing in the EUG newsletters? While I am grateful for any information which can help me get the most from my own printer, it seems that others have a fascination for the subject which borders on the obsessive.
Do Electron owners do anything else with their computers other than print out reams of text all day? I find it hard to believe that I am alone in being a keen amateur programmer, but a lack of correspondence on this subject would seem to provide proof. When I bought my Electron many years ago, it was as an alternative to the various other machines available which were available then: Sinclair and all the rest; all of which came with either no ready to use language or else some appalling dialect of BASIC.
Having experienced the pleasure of using BBC Basic on a friend's machine, I knew the affordable Electron was the conoyter for me. Even now you will not find a better version of this highly underrated language, even on 16 bit machines where it masquerades under the names of AMOS or STOS. The one possible exception to the above sweeping statement could be the version of BASIC which comes with the Sam Coupe, which also supports procedures.
Perhaps if you were to provide more encouragement through articles etc, others would come to recognise that they have a powerful programming language at their disposal and that they don't have to be a genius to use it.
The 16 bitters are fond of saying that the 8 bit format is dead due to a lack of new software, and is it any wonder, especially in the case of the Electron? Home-grown software may be the only and ultimate hope for Electron, but without programmers happy to take on the task we may as well start mourning now.
T. Claydon Reading, Berks
It's true that programmers are thinner on the ground that they used to be but some are still around (See SUPPORT NEEDED FOR PD)! A lot of space has been devoted to printers and printing because letters and articles on this subject have been the most numerous submissions. If anyone wants to send articles on other subjects please do! How's about submitting some of your work, Trevor?
1st June 1992