A lot of micro-related companies are going under nowadays. You need to be good to survive, and you need good products - unless you are Sinclair Research.

Why is it that in this competitive business 80 per cent or more of computer books are trash. After paying £6-£8 for a book, you return home to find out it is almost an exact copy of the manual you got with your machine. True, interesting bits are added to disguise the breach of copyright. Like the 50 pages on how to tune in your TV and fit a plug. Fascinating.

Or, if you bought a bargain book of 53.5 programs, they are riddled with bugs and wouldn't know a UDG if it hit them in the face.

In this sea of junk literature, however, there is a welcome little island. It's called PAN/PCN. I have had several of these large, thick books including the Oric and Electron ones. They are the best computer books on the market.

Neil Olner, Doncaster, South Yorks

Unfortunately we can't take credit for this one; the editorial teams of PCN magazine and PAN/PCN books are independent. - Ed