By: Tina Hackett By: Tina HackettA new product called NetConnect is being released to provide Amiga users with all they need to get connected to the Internet. Priced at around £45, it will be distributed in England by Active Software and by Cross Computer Systems in Germany. It is available as either a CD or floppy disk and contains six main programs which allow even the net novice to get connected quickly. The software is commercially licensed, so the user does not need to register them.
As Active Software explained, the program does all the work for you, so all you need to do is choose your country, choose an ISP, select your local POP and type in your user details. NetConnect will also contain many Internet programs as well which include Voyager v1 Mail, PowerMail v1 FTP, mFTP v2 IRC, AmIRC v11, CLChat News and mNews v1. The CD will also have the enhanced, full version of AmiTCP 4.3 DialUP. There are package options being considered too, such as one which will include a 28.8 modem and cables which would retail at £159, and in Germany for 369DM. The product is scheduled for release mid-July and more details of deals and prices for other countries will be announced nearer to release.
The 19 May saw VIScorp revealing its plans to an eager Amiga community. Everyone from developers, vendors, users and press gathered in Toulouse to hear what had to be said. VIScorp's CEO, Bill Buck, gave an opening speech in which he pledged commitment to the Amiga. He stated: "Éwe think the Amiga computer represents a valuable choice to the market place and we believe it can be a profitable business."
He laid out the companies plans of a twin set-top and desk-top business and praised the Amiga's operating system. "We think it still lives. The only multimedia and multitasking operating system in the world in our opinion." For further coverage of the conference see our report this issue on page 21.
Videomaster relaunchEyetech has announced the relaunch of the Videomaster PCMCIA, which allows motion video and simultaneous sound capturing and editing. The Videomaster can also be used as a stereo sound 8-bit digitiser and a still frame colour digitiser. It first appeared in 1993 courtesy of MicroDeal, and Eyetech has said that the reason for the relaunch is that when the product was first released most people with A600s and A1200s didn't have enough memory or a hard drive, which are essential for multimedia. Now, however, Eyetech believes that the situation has changed and most people have the requirements available for the Videomaster. The complete package includes a sound and video stream editing software and a utility to convert these into Anim-5 format animations. Eyetech also stresses the Videomaster's advantage of being attached via the PCMCIA port, leaving the parallel and serial ports free for the printer and modem. Contact Eyetech on 01642 713185 for more details. |
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Eyetech relaunches the Videomaster PCMCIA |
Star Micronics, one of the world's largest printer manufacturers, is showing off its current range of printers which promise to suit all needs. Included in the range are dot matrix, laser and thermal printers.
One of the printers available is the WinType 4000 which is a low-cost Windows laser printer which produces high quality 600 dpi class output at four pages per minute. PostScript and HP LaserJet II emulation are also available as standard in this small footprint printer, which can also be used with DOS applications running under Windows. It is priced at £319 and has a running cost of 0.94p and £1.98 per page.
The unfortunate (ahem) news this month is that our much loved editor, Ben Vost, has left us for pastures new. He disappeared six weeks ago leaving a note to say that he had gone trainspotting, allegedly, though he had become increasingly concerned about his missing budgie and set out to find it.
Since leaving, we have discovered a large hole under his desk where he had been tunnelling his way out. He was last seen in the Bath area. Police have warned that anyone who sees Vost should not approach him as he is very, very smelly.
New and much better looking editor Tina Hackett commented yesterday on his leaving. She remarked: "Bin Vest will be sadly missed by his colleagues, but not as much as the mangy dog, Scamp, who sat fondly under his desk."
A new Northern Internet Service Provider called Firstnet has announced a service which offers Internet access with a low modem-to-user ratio and wide bandwidth. It has a dial-up rate of £12.50 + VAT per month for unlimited access and customers who already have a subscription with a different ISP can take advantage of the one off set-up fee of £25 +VAT. As well as its Web homepage, Firstnet also offers WWW authoring, LAN and WAN installations and mail-to-desk solutions. Its Web site is at http://www.firstnet.co.uk and you can contact by phone on 0113 294 4224.
EM Computergraphic has announced that it will not be going into full production of the Safari Font CD due to other CD development. Instead it will be releasing a limited addition Gold Disc Safari Font CD which contains the complete set of StarFonts, Mathematical Symbols fonts and two sets of Egyptian Hieroglyphics fonts. It is available now for £39.99 + postage and packing and all the fonts come in Compugraphic, Adobe Type 1, Truetype and Amiga Bitmap formats. Call quickly on 01255 431389 as it's first come, first served!
Hitachi has just launched its new 17 inch monitor, called the 17MVX-V2. This has an on-screen display and a 0.23mm horizontal mask pitch. Priced at £549, it offers flicker free images to at least 75Hz for resolutions from 640x480 up to 1,024x768. There are many controls which include brightness, contrast, side pincushion and RGB colour control.
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MBench - the new multitasking replacement for workbench |
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BenchmarkA new replacement for workbench has been released this month. Called MBench, it has the advantage over workbench in that it can do everything workbench can do, but also means you don't have to wait around for icon loading or copying files. Compatible with all Amigas running OS2.04+, it includes a full ARexx port which allows easy expansion and progress requesters, which means you can cancel or see the progress of copy and delete processes. Contact Mark Hewitt for more details M.A.Hewitt@exeter.ac.uk |
Legendary Design Technologies, the American company behind the program Link It!, has a solution available if your Amiga mouse packs in. Called the AmiPC Power Mouse, it allows a standard PC serial mouse to be used on an Amiga. The AmiPC Power Mouse requires AmigaDOS 2.0 or higher and works with almost every Amiga application. It also provides an emergency program which you can use if your mouse breaks.
You can buy either the software which retails at $14.95 or the AmiPC Power Mouse with a standard serial mouse and adapter for $24.95. Also on offer is the Microsoft "J" mouse and adapter for $49.95. For more information e-mail the company at legend@io.org
World Construction Set, the terrain modelling and animation software, looks set to astound once again with its Version 2 follow-up.
Questar, the company behind World Construction Set, has told us that Version 2 is now available. The pre-release included a coupon for a free upgrade to the final version.
The company has pledged continued support to the Amiga and it says that although World Construction Set is being converted to other platforms, Amiga users get it first and cheaper than other platforms.
Version 2 has plenty of new features including 3D evolving clouds, 3D shaded bitmap trees, and highly realistic ground textures. More water options have also been developed such as accurate reflections. Check out its Web site for the latest at: http://www.dimensional.com/~questar
Final Writer 5 is almost ready for release courtesy of SoftWood. The latest version will feature many enhancements which are intended to create a more useful and user-friendly program. There are 23 new features which include a useful HTML export, Datatype support for imported graphics, AutoCorrect and tables.
Also from SoftWood is its new Web page service which offers users the chance to publish their own Web page on SoftWood's server. SoftWood will put your site up for 12 months and all you need to do is give them a Final Writer Document and any graphics or links you want to use. You can also modify your site once a year and post your e-mail address on the site.
Prices vary and to buy Final Writer on its own will cost £74.95. However, for owners of other SoftWood products it is priced at £39.95 and upgrading from Final Writer 4 is £22.95. For the personal Web Site subscription you will need to add £35.
Contact SoftWood Products Europe on 001 773 836 781 for more information.
Apologies to Parth Galen for a mistake we made in our review of its SofTalk speech synthesis programs. The SofTalk product itself sells for $7.50 and not $35 which we quoted. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
The commercial version of Electrics Digital Designer Version 1.1 is now available. The original Electrics Version 1.0 was released as Shareware and is still available from PD houses and AmiNet in the misc/sci directory. Electrics allow you to design and simulate digital electronic circuits. The user can draw the circuit to be tested using simple and complex gates. According to Chris Sterne, author of the program, multiple logic levels and drive strengths permit realistic circuit behaviour during simulation. The program costs £19.95 and requires Workbench 2.0 or greater. It is available from Chris Sterne, 1111 West 7th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6H 1B5.
The recent news from the Amiga Technologies UK headquarters is that the last remaining employee has resigned. The last few months has seen the six-strong UK team dwindle with the departure of Jonathan Anderson and other staff during the move from the Maidenhead offices to the Escom HQ in Stanstead.
John Smith has solely kept the UK operation running but leaves the company on 10 June. This casts doubts on the future of the UK offices which now look likely to close completely. Smith leaves AT to become UK general manager for PIOS Computer, a company whose team includes several personnel who have strong links with the Amiga (see US News for more details).
May 21 saw Miller Freeman Inc purchase the publications and conferences of AMG Media, Inc. whose properties include the three magazines Video Toaster User, LIGHTWAVEPRO, and Alpha Visual FX, as well as the Video Toaster User Expo and Video Toaster and LightWave 3D training conferences.
Pat Cameron, the Vice President of Miller Freeman's newly formed Entertainment Technology Group said: "These magazines are high quality, targeted editorial products and represent a unique opportunity to increase our presence in the rapidly expanding digital video and 3D animation markets."
AMG Media founder and CEO, Jim Plant, has been kept on by Miller Freeman as a consultant. The rest of the AMG Media staff will join Miller Freeman's Entertainment Technology Group which now includes nine publications.
A recent survey by London company, Consumer Surveys, has disproved the myth at long last that not all Net users are nerds. After carrying out a survey on more than one million people in the UK, they have found that 4 per cent of the population are connected, with a further 8 per cent considering going online soon. It also stated that those online are more likely to be high-earning company directors than the stereotypical spotty teenager. It found that 69 per cent of users are male and 31 per cent female, and that 57 per cent are in the age range of 31-50. It was also revealed that there are a wide range of interests from science to art and the National Lottery.
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According to new research carried out by Consumer Surveys, those online are more likely to be high-earning company directors than spotty, pizza and lager guzzling teenagers |
If you want to see what the future has in store then pop along to Granada Studio's latest attraction, Futurevision. Down amongst the shrines to Coronation Street such as the Rovers Return, you can explore the home of the future such as home shopping and surfing the Internet. Sponsored by IDG and ICL, you can try out live video-conferencing and visit the CyberCafe.
If you have any news of interest and want the publicity, then contact
our newsdesk:
Newsdesk, Amiga Computing, Media House, Adlington Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire
UK SK10 4NP or mail us at:acnews@idg.co.uk
© 1996 IDG Media