EDITORIAL  ********************************************************************* STOP PRESS!!! NOTE NEW PRICES FOR:  PUBLIC DOMAIN DISKS For current subscribers to Megadisc - $2.50 each! For non-subscribers - $3.50 each! [These prices replace those on the current order form.] We're passing on to you, our users, these greater savings due to slight reductions in disk prices and to encourage the greater spread of Public Domain software through the community at as low a price as we can. The offer of 11 disks for the price of 10 is still available, ie 11 disks for $25 or $35, depending on whether you currently subscribe to Megadisc.  MEGADISC SUBSCRIPTIONS 6-issue subscription to Megadisc - $79 6-issue RE-subscription to Megadisc - $69 [4 free PD disks still included] 3-issue subscription to Megadisc - $45 3-issue RE-subscription to Megadisc - $40 [2 free PD disks still included] This represents great value for money and I hope it results in some people, who haven't taken responsibility for being real computer users (ie they destroy resources like Megadisc by pirating it), realising that Megadisc should be bought if it's going to be used. We're doing the best we can to provide excellent, low-cost information from a large network of expert users - if Megadisc disappears, so will that whole resource, so please buy it if you use it.  40 FREE PD DISKS! The insert with this Megadisc also mentions a Free Draw for 40 free Public Domain disks - this is open to anyone who subscribes, or re-subscribes before the release of MD25, so be in it!  *********************************************************************  2-DISK ISSUE Not only have the prices dropped significantly this issue, but the usually huge contents of Megadisc have doubled as well! Whether we continue with 2 disks or 1 depends on how many people subscribe, and how many contributions come in, though the contributions are looking good already. Buy Megadisc and use our PD Collection and we'll be able to afford to go to 2 disks for all issues. Please let us know what you think about this issue, any suggestions for improvements, etc. This issue is also the first time we've used shrink-wrapping - partly because 2 disks take up more space than our normal plastic bag, and partly because we're trying to leave our imitators behind. No sooner does Megadisc do something than the clones are close behind, whether with the disk-magazine or with the PD service. The latest is a thing called "MaxiDisk" which can't even think for itself, it seems - all the ideas, and even much of the writing is lifted from Megadisc (check out a review of this product in the REVIEWS drawer).  FULLVIEW Jon Potter has allowed us the use of his text and graphics displayer called FullView this issue. Most, our previous displayer which has served us well for a long time, was getting long in the tooth. FullView has many useful features, great ease of use and a nice interface - check out the Doc File for it on MD24_B in the main window. Jon is the author of Directory Opus Professional, an excellent directory utility which can take the place of both Workbench and CLI - you can enquire about it on (08) 293 2788.  ERRATA IN MD23 There was an article on Crunchers (compression utilities) in MD23 which stated that Glen McDiarmid created a "hacked" version of PowerPacker. Glen has rung to tell us that this is not so, so we must have got our facts wrong. Your editor made a couple of dumb mistakes - the Basic Tutorial was missing Part III, so this issue makes up the lack with Parts III & V. And instead of "New_Utility_Disks" in the PD_UPDATE drawer last issue, we doubled up on the new graphics disks, so that file is also in the PUBLIC DOMAIN drawer this issue.  HINTS AND TIPS DISK? There will most likely be a disk compiled and released soon entirely devoted to Hints and Tips for the Amiga in all the areas that Megadisc has covered over the years. We'd like to know if you're interested in being alerted about buying it when it is released - the price will probably be $14.95, or $9.95 if you subscribe to Megadisc. Call or write and let us know if you're interested, and we'll call you when the time comes to release it. In fact, let us know if you'd like to see a bunch of special Theme disks based on all the information in Megadisc - for example, on Hard Disks, on Graphics, on Tutorials, etc.  VOICEBANK ANSWERING SERVICE Megadisc's telephone answering service has made a couple of changes, so that now there's 24-hour human answering when you ring Megadisc - but they know only a limited amount about Megadisc and are just there to take messages, so don't expect to get any detailed info from them. I'd like to know if you have any difficulties in any way getting through, or using the service in any way. And if I (Tim Strachan) am not in, please leave a message, and I'll be sure to get back to you.  ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## FACT SECTION Megadisc was produced on an Amiga A3000 with a Seagate Hard disk and ASDG's Dual Serial Board, and a couple of older Amigas using a 8-Megabyte Ram expansion board from Phoenix MicroTechnologies, 40-Meg hard drive from Hard Disk Technologies in Adelaide, 3.5" and 5.25" disk drives by Paul Chatfield, Acudat disk-drives, Maestro Modem, AST TurboLaser and Epson 500. Software used included "Professional Text Engine" by Zirkonics, TxEd, SuperBase Professional by Precision Software, Deluxe Paint of course, and a great many excellent public domain utilities by numerous talented authors, including local talent such as Nic Wilson, Jon Potter, Craig Fisher, Robert Lang, Mike Fuller, Peter Thompson and others.  DISCLAIMER All Megadiscs are produced with as much care as possible and with the aim of spreading useful information through the Amiga community at low cost. All contents of Megadisc are checked thoroughly, but we hold no responsibility for use of programs or implementation of advice or modifications contained in Megadisc, which are the responsibility of the user. (This legalese can be countered by the fact that to date there has been no report of any mishap from use of Megadisc - on the contrary, all the feedback has been very supportive and positive, and thanks to all you users for that.) What's more, Megadisc is totally independent - and we don't take any ads so we can stay that way. Nor are we connected with Commodore Business Machines except as third-party producers.  COPYRIGHT Commodore, Amiga and Commodore-Amiga are trademarks of Commodore Business Machines. Note that Megadisc is not public domain, nor is any part of it unless expressly stated. If you want to use anything from a Megadisc for either commercial or non-commercial use, both copyright laws and courtesy require that you call and ask permission, and having got it, mention the source of the piece where it's used. Megadisc may not be copied except for the back-up purposes of a particular buyer of the disk. Giving a copy of Megadisc to anyone is illegal, and constitutes theft.  DUD DISKS Should anyone receive a disk from us at any time which does not perform as it should, please send it straight back and it will be immediately replaced - there are always a few dud disks in every bunch, which you'll recognise by "Read/Write Errors" or the disk icon showing as "DFx:BAD" or "DFx:NDOS". Sometimes a disk may appear to be bad, but isn't - the round metal hub in the middle of the disk can sometimes get jammed against the edge of the plastic surround. Simply work it loose with your fingernail and you'll often find it'll come good. Tim Strachan (Editor) October 1991.  ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ## 24 ##