Re: [Ql-Users] TFS
- Original Message - From: Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 7:48 PM Subject: [Ql-Users] TFS I haven't seen Quanta but I gather it says I have left the QL scene. I haven't! Read QL Today for the true position. The QL Today article does give an accurate description of Tony's situation, but in one way we have contributed to the misunderstanding. The headline TFS bows out does give a misleading impression and Tony's suggestion to me of TFS takes a back seat or similar would have been better. I take full responsibility for this misleading headline and will apologise to Tony in the next issue. Tony's email to QL Today explaining his decision in some detail was very clear and from it I could fully understand his reasons and respect him for it. As a QL trader Tony has a distinguished record of innovation and trustworthiness that probably no other trader, past or present, can rival. It would have been remiss of me not to have paid tribute to him in QL Today, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] New web page
I have now added the promised maps page to the Just Words! website. At the moment it is not really usable. You will have to wait until issue 3 of QL Today - due in the middle of March - to load the data in Hugh Room's mapping program. I have also taken the opportunity to make one or two cosmetic changes. The Downloads page is now called Freeware. I have also changed the position of the page links to minimise problems caused by the pop-up adverts. http://members.lycos.co.uk/geoffwicks/justwords.htm Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Portable computers - experiences
And dare I say it for fear of being expelled from the QL community, the email was perfect in Outlook Express! Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] Deadline approaches
Just a reminder that the QL Today deadline is a week away, 10th February. We have some good, varied and interesting material in, but probably not quite enough to fill an issue. As we have two lengthy articles short contributions would be welcome. At the moment the news section look like being a little sombre, so some more news items to lighten the news pages would be welcome, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Deadline approaches
- Original Message - From: Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 12:13 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Deadline approaches gwicks wrote: At the moment the news section look like being a little sombre, What is sombre? so some more news items to lighten the news pages would be welcome, You are part of the sombre news, although you are not leaving the QL community. There will be a tribute to and a potted history of TF Services. Another is John Mason's last Quanta Magazine editorial that members have not responded to Quanta's pleas for new committee members. (Should there now be better news, please let us know Quanta committee.) There are also one or two more minor stories that are a bit negative. What I am a little concerned about is that we could recreate some of the atmosphere in the first half of the 1990s when DJ Software closed down followed a year later by QL World. The screams that we heard then The end of the QL is nigh were more than a little premature. In fact there is still a lot happening on the QL scene and we need to publicise this. It's just that we need to be flexible in thinking of the future, just as we had to be flexible to survive the early 90s. I am afraid I cannot lighten the scene. I am having to stop any active QL work (and adverts) as I am far too busy. I will still be doing the usual behind the scenes but not promoting it as there are long delays in anything I do QLwise. Actually it will probably not reduce my workload at all as there has been very little QL trading activity in the past few years! Fully understood. In fact we have spoken about this situation many times at shows. Your contribution has been much appreciated and has been far wider that just TF Services, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Windows, Linux and QPC
- Original Message - From: Marcel Kilgus [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 12:10 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Windows, Linux and QPC David McCann wrote: Could your software run under QemuLator? That works fine with Linux and I think it accepts SMSQ now. Since when is there a Linux version of QemuLator? There must be one since Simon Goodwin demonstrated it at the Birmingham Show, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] QL Today apology
The QL Today team would like to apologise to our UK subscribers that we have been unable to keep our promise to deliver issue 2 shortly before Christmas. Although the magazine was ready at the end of November it was not possible to print the UK copies immediately. These are now at the printers and will be shipped to the UK tomorrow. We hope you will receive your copy early in the New Year, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] Short deadline
This is just a reminder that the QL Today deadline is in a week's time, 5th November. We have already started work on the issue as we want to have it out well before Christmas. Please note that the deadline is 5th November and not 15th November as I incorrectly told one or two people some time ago, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Punters
- Original Message - From: Bill Loguidice [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 9:39 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Punters Is there more information somewhere about the QL-on-a-stick? We also hope to have a review in QL Today and I see from another message on the list that the Quanta Magazine are planning a review as well. However that will mean a little patience in both cases, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Punters
- Original Message - From: Arnould [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 7:53 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Punters I don't know, I have a VERY hard time taking this subject seriously at all. Wolfgang Same for me: there definitely must be some differences in the brains on the Island vs continent! (no offense meant: without the big island we would not have the QL!) There is no offence. This really concerns the finer nuances of a word and therefore is of little concern to non-native English speakers. I have a a stock of phrases to completely confuse foreigners about the state of British brains. This one even had the English foxed at the Hove AGM, but not a Welshman at Birmingham: In Bristol they call them Cardiffs. Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Punters
- Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 4:46 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Punters Hi Geoff, Just a word of caution. Please be careful in your assumptions about the person who raised the matter with me. It is someone I have known for many years and for whom I have a good deal of respect. This is the reason I have raised the matter on this list. Well, hopefully I didn't make any assumptions in my assorted rants - I was ranting in general and not at any one person in person. I do not know who the 'objector' was and certainly cannot make any assumptions about that person at all. If, on the other hand, my email(s) were taken to have assumed something about the person, then I apologise unreservedly as that was not my intention. Also on my part there was no intention to accuse you or anyone else of personal critcism of the person in question. I just thought we could be going in a dangerous direction in which some readers might just draw this conclusion. I would repeat yet again. My main purpose is to raise this as a serious matter, and on the whole the discussion has had the right balance of serious comment, humour and passion, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Punters
- Original Message - From: David Tubbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 4:56 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Punters I have been severely rebuked by a gentleman who wishes to be known as an attendee at the Birmingham Workshop. He assures me that his nautical ambitions are zero and that he has never been on a punt in his life. Pity he is not a reader of this list, nor of dictionaries it would seem. There is nothing nautical about a punt, dangerous on the briny. Any grammatical fault is mine - a bad precis of what was written to me. This is a serious matter. Over the years the term punter has been used for the non-traders, non-Quanta committee members who attend workshops. It does have derogatory connotations, but I find attendee far to formal a word. If there is anything deprecatory about the term it is of the traders, suggesting as it does that anything on offer is a bit wager, will it work or not. Good point. I think this is one reason why I have doubts about the term. At 14:16 08/10/2007 +0100, you wrote: An important part of the planning of QL is 21 was a lady's programme. On the website I wanted to use the term partner programme, which I felt was the better modern usage. JM objected to this. Sarah Gilpin held us figuratively apart and tactfully suggested guest programme, which is what we used, Suggests to me she or the guest of indeterminate gender was on their own, a game of patience perhaps ? Or was partner programme a dating game ? What a good idea for a future workshop! In an email last week I described the attendance of the complete Quanta committee as The Full Monty. I was amused to read on the hotel's website today that the room we had can accommodate 15 people for a cabaret performance. BTW a pity you could not make it on Saturday. It is always interesting to meet someone with whom you have occasionally sparred. And thanks to all those people who did attend. You gave both Quanta and myself a huge morale boost, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] QL on a stick
Dilwyn has kindly provided QL Today with a review copy of a QL on a stick. This is just the CD which you have to copy to your own USB memory stick. Would anyone be interested in doing a review for QL Today? Ideally we would like to publish in issue 2, which has a deadline of 15th November, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Punters
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 3:55 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Punters It isn't very often that Quanta agrees with Geoff Wicks: Is this a subtle Quanta plot to destroy my reputation? Actually I am not being facetious about the use of the word punter. I wote in a light-hearted way, but I think the person concerned is making a fair point, and we should be sensitive to it. The problem is I cannot think of a suitable alternative that also conveys the sort of atmosphere we have at shows, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Tea for two?
Good, this will mean 4 traders and 2 semi traders - the best trader attended show for some years. Thanks also all the other people who have responded. The reason I would like this information is that Simon is a perfectionist and would like to know at which level he should pitch his presentation. Simon will be kicking off the presentations at 12.00 and I hope there will be time for them all. It will be very much trading am and presentations pm, Best Wishes, Geoff - Original Message - From: Derek Stewart [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 5:43 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Tea for two? I have not been to QL Show/Workshop for a while, so it will be interesting to see any development if any. I would be interesting in seeing any applications software developments for the QL. I am going to attend the workshop with a selection of low price Black Pentium 4 PCs and small hard drives suitable for the QL. Derek Tony Firshman wrote: -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Richard Kilpatrick wrote: On 4 Oct 2007, at 13:28, gwicks wrote: Just a reminder that the Birmingham workshop is this weekend. We have some distinguished guests: The full Quanta committee (Dare I say the full Monty?) Three traders: Tony Firshman, Roy Wood and Rich Mellor Two semi-traders: Dilwyn Jones and Just Words! Three first rate presenters: Best wishes, Two here planning to attend, Jennifer myself. We'll want to join Quanta if possible there, as I'm useless at remembering otherwise ;) We've met Tony, and I've dealt with Rich before (I can nag about Enterprise membranes!. I think we must own all the ones in the wild though). .. and I challenged him to get to 7500rpm in his Wankel powered car when driving off. Did you get to that, Richard? It sounded very impressive (and quiet). He bought an OPD monitor off me. Derek Stewart and John Hall will also be there. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:257/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFHBOe0M3RzOs8+btoRAgPKAJ9ZUqkmE9EH5XJmoBb5bhTvXUEyPACeJlDT 7hEnxGbcBez4A/uv6slBZg0= =S9m+ -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm -- This email has been verified as Virus free Virus Protection and more available at http://www.plus.net ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] Birmingham Workshop update 2
Dear All, I now have details of Simon Goodwin's presentation. In his own words: Simon's talk will be a demonstration of creating a fast modern Qdos set-up, using entirely free software, and how it works, which others could follow using free or very low-cost 'surplus' hardware; several operating systems and Qdos emulators will be demonstrated in the process, along with familiar applications and perhaps a few more esoteric or obscure ones. There will be a competition with a fully-configured Qdos-compatible system with high-resolution graphics, sound and Internet capability as the 'prize' - and Simon's talk will explain how that works. Simon has asked if he could have the 12.00 noon slot and I intend to honour that request. I think you will agree that Simon's contribution in itself would be a good reason for attending the workshop, but we are also offering a good attendance by traders and other good presenters, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] Quanta Birmingham workshop update
The Quanta Birmingham workshop is now taking its final shape and is looking very promising. We shall have a good attendance of traders Tony Firshman, Roy Wood and Rich Mellor. This will be the first time that Rich has been able to attend a show for some years. The two semi-traders Dilwyn Jones and Just Words! will also be present. We have three presenters booked - Dilwyn Jones, myself and Simon Goodwin. Dilwyn will be demonstrating his QL on a Stick which last week and this week has produced quite a few mailings on this list. If there is time he will also demonstrate Launchpad. I shall present an item Mapping Ancient and Modern. Hugh Rooms has brought us to the brink of a major breakthrough in QL map drawing technology. I shall present a history of QL map drawing programs leading up to a sneak preview of what we can expect in the future. At the moment I can't give any details of Simon's presentation. This is because we are still negotiating and investigating the technical facilities we can offer him. Suffice it to say that he has put a lot of time and effort into his contribution. I hope to tell you more before the show. Simon would like to have an idea who intends to be at the show. If you expect to come perhaps you could let me know via this list or privately. Obviously this is not intended as advance booking or an irrevocable commitment. See you on the 6th October! Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Change of venue for Birmingham Workshop
Quanta members will probably have received their notification of the change of venue by now. There is just a little extra information for public transport users. Unfortunately Solihull station will be closed for engineering maintenance work on 6th October. There is a replacement bus service from Birmingham Snow Hill (but NOT calling at Birmingham Moor Street) leaving 3 times an hour. You should allow an extra half an hour for your journey. The hotel is easy to find from the bus and rail station. Go to the end of the Station Approach, cross over to Homer Road and then follow the signs to the Police Station or the Magistrates Court. The Holiday Inn is just a little further on the right hand side, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] Just a week to go!
Just a reminder that the QL Today copy date is 15th August, a week today. We already have some good and varied copy for what looks like a promising issue, but as always more is welcome. We also already have a good news section, but again more is always welcome, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] West Midlands workshop
- Original Message - From: Tony Church [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 1:44 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] [ql-users] Repeat message Geoff, Thank you for the invite, yes I would be interested in coming. If you would let me know the venue. Tony Church Tele 01707662791 Fax 01707662791 Mob 07886567786 Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks for the message. We shall all be pleased to see you on 6th October. All the details we have at the moment are in John Gilpin's email under the above subject heading. And now a couple of messages for John Gilpin: At the moment there is no mention of the show on the Quanta website. If I can do anything to help West Midlands organising the show, bearing in mind my experience, I shall be pleased to do so. As I mentioned this will be the first show in the Midlands for about 10 years and I would like to see it be a success, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] West Midlands workshop
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 3:48 PM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] West Midlands workshop The Shows page on my website has a modest map showing how to get to Steelhouse lane - look spretty straightforward from the M6, though I've never actually driven in central Birmingham. www.dilwyn.uk6.net/gen/shows/shows.html Looks like A38(M) from M6 to the junction with A34 and a couple of local streets thereon. Anyone know what parking's like there, and any train stations nearby? Really a question for the Birmingham people, but I suspect parking will be a nightmare. Snow Hill station is just up the road. New Street and Moor Street stations are about 10 - 15 minutes walk away. Snow Hill is also the end station of the Birmingham Metro. Public Transport could not be better. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] West Midlands Workshop
- Original Message -
From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 7:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] [ql-users] Repeat message
The reason for holding our Summer Workshop in October is that due to the
fixed date of the AGM, we were unable to hold the Summer during that
fortnight in April which we all agree was as near to Summer as we're
likely
to get this year. This is an OFFICIAL Quanta Policy Decision unless we
start
to name our Workshops after the event then study the weather/climatic
conditions in order to satisfy some purists (mole or otherwise!!) {;-)
Seriously this time John. Why not just Spring and Autumn. Quite a lot of
people like to forget their QLs in the Summer. (Although one enthusiast
takes his QL with him in a camper van so that he can still write for QL
Today!)
Even more seriously I hope everyone will pencil in 6th October in their
diaries. As far as I know this is the first Midlands show for about 10 years
and that one was in the East Midlands not the West Midlands. From all
accounts the West Midlands has an active sub-group although we know little
about them. 6th October is a good chance to get to know them better.
Can you let us have more details, such as times etc., ASAP? E.g. post on
this list if the information comes in long before the publication date of
the Quanta Magazine. (Not forgetting that QL Today will need the details for
an issue coming out in mid September.)
At last a show that is easy to get to from the Derby sin bin!
Best Wishes,
Geoff
___
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Re: [Ql-Users] [ql-users] Repeat message
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 1:31 AM Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] [ql-users] Repeat message Hi Tony, You, along with any others who have an interest in the QL would be very welcome at the Quanta Summer Workshop being organised by the West Midlands QL User Group in Birmingham on Saturday October 6th. I'm certain that they would welcome you all in support of their efforts. Summer in October? Do we take it that Quanta has some secret information that Autumn and Summer have been swopped over this year? Those damn moles have let me down again! Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Testing (new email system) please ignore.
- Original Message - From: David Tubbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 2:56 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Testing (new email system) please ignore. BT are very cavalier, they buggered me around when Orange stopped my BBand through incompetance. Led to five weeks without coutesy of BT incompetance. I had lots of problems with BT when I went over to broadband in April. First they disconnected my telephone line when they enabled it for broadband. Then they (or the courier company) sent the router to the wrong address. Then when I ordered a wireless router they typed in the wrong code and said it was out of stock. Before it was all finally sorted out they sent me two of everything. However I now have a faultless and fast system. A quick word with customer services I never had a quick one of those till I got through to high level complaints, number from OFCOM. My experience of customer services throughout this saga was very good. They were very sympathetic and helpful whenever I had to contact them. (Partly the reason I got two routers and two wireless routers.) Technical help was 50/50. One very thorough Indian girl who was a bit schocked when I asked to speak to her supervisor so that I could praise her good work. One idiot Indian man whose technical knowledge was less than mine. My problem is not BT but Royal Mail. Out of 5 recorded delivery and 1 special delivery letters sent this year they can prove delivery in only one case. Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] QL compatible printer
I am currently doing a little upgrading and have a few goodies on offer free of charge. I am making them available to the QL community in the first instance: CANON BJ-200ex bubble jet printer. I normally would not offer this as it is very elderly and the cartridges are getting pricey, but the advantage is that it is fully QL, including black box with parallel cable, compatible. PLUSTEK SCANNER: This is a good scanner for anyone still using Windows98, but it is not XP compatible. Comes with OCR and graphics software. PARALLEL PRINT SWITCH: Allows you to use 2 parallel printers from one computer. Comes with special computer to switch box cable. As I mentioned each of the items is completely free. The big snag is that you need to be within easy travelling distance of the Derby sin bin. Too heavy and costly to use post. Please email privately if you are interested, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Any old iron.
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: QL Users List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 8:18 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Any old iron. In a similar vein, if USB ever becomes a reality for us, USB pen drives are getting dirt cheap at the moment. cclonline.com advertised 1GB ones for just £5.99 in Micro Mart fairly recently, for example (a very effective advert, showing the little pen drive alongside a big pile of 711 equivalent floppies!). Time to revive the idea of QL On A Stick again perhaps! A forlorn hope. The last time this idea came up everyone was super-enthusiastic, but equally everyone had good reasons why they were the person not to do it. Things only get done when someone is prepared to get their hands dirty. Obviously, if USB hardware came along, things like this would need software drivers. I'd probably go as far as to suggest that these pen drives should get the first QL drivers! After all, many QLers did without hard disks and quite happily used an 8MB RomDisq! Incidentally there was some discussion about this at the Quanta AGM, both in the formal meeting and in informal discussions. If someone comes with a good reason for funding (a) USB software driver(s) and a good plan, I suspect they would get a sympathetic hearing from Quanta. We have people in the QL community who have the skills to write to driver, but the programming challenge seems to be a greater motivator than financial rewards. Another surprise announcement at the AGM was that Quanta has financed, by means of a loan, the manufacture of 200 keyboard membranes available from RWAP. I extracted a promise from the chairman that this would be publicised to non-members, but so far it has not been done. Remember QL Today told you it first! Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] New QUANTA web site launched
- Original Message - From: Tony Firshman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 10:48 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] New QUANTA web site launched Looks very good. I though would *never* use mailto: on any site I run - invites spam. CGI link to form is infinitely better. Spammers *will* harvest the emails and you cannot change to different email addresses, ever. Indeed a good site and well worth a look. Quanta has used mailto for years without too many problems. When I was on the Quanta committee I received very little spam via my Quanta tag. The funny thing was I not only got my own spam, but also that for the chairman, but I only once got his genuine emails. (Pity it would have saved me a lot of time and expense training moles!), Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] QL wiki review
We are still short of general copy for the next issue of QL Today. Would some kind person like to do a review during the next seven days of Rich's wiki site? Or even of Quanta's new website. Both items are in our news section, but it would be nice to have a more detailed account of both, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Deadline looming
- Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 8:03 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Deadline looming Not sure if I'll have much for you - still in the process of moving house and most of my 'life' is currently residing in cardboard boxes all over the place. :o( You do have a small update to the last article on conversion to long from Ascii, and I might have an answer to George's comments (I have his email here at work) and Simon N Goodwin has contacted me also with an email (as yet unread) on the subject too. Thanks for the message. Your house move is more important. At the moment we still have your update plus two articles and a letter from George. What we are short of is more general articles, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Deadline looming
Just a reminder that the QL Today deadline is just a week away. We have quite a bit of copy over from the last issue, but not enough for a full magazine. More welcome. We would like to have issue 5 ready for the Eindhoven show, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Workshop and Quanta AGM - 15th April 2007
- Original Message - From: Malcolm Cadman [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2007 10:27 PM Subject: [ql-users] Hove Workshop and Quanta AGM - 15th April 2007 Hi, Enjoyable event ... :-) What made it especially enjoyable was the degree of interactiveness, especially on the website and in the AGM. Let's hope Quanta learns from this. We now have an interesting committee. Probably for the first time in years we have a full committee of hard workers, which promises well for Quanta's future. Just a pity they still have to learn the word sorry, so in my book they remain on probation. As you can see I am back on line, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Show
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 9:16 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Hove Show ...demonstrating programs written by other people, but well worth seeing some of the progress made in QL garphics (that's a typo, but what a nice word!). Corrupted graphics, eh! But then I'm very corruptable. Used tenners in a brown envelope under the toilet door in Hove very welcome. Although I can't be there, I'd suggest a demo of the pictures on my wallpapers CD to show what is possible. You should be able to use the BMP program as a viewer to show what the pictures will be like and perhaps demonstrate their use as simple wallpaper with just a BGIMAGE command. I seem to remember my background images generating a lot of interest when I was demonstrating Launchpad at some shows. I can see what I can do, but I don't seem to have saved the disc I made up for Byfleet. Curiouser and curiouser. Must reprogram the moles. QL Terrorist Wicks strikes again. Must remember to include more pictures of him in QaLendar 2008 so people know exactly who to watch out for ;-) Corrupt and a terrorist. I could be organising the first QL show in Cuba before long, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Show
- Original Message - From: P Witte [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 4:16 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Hove Show Just tried to check the details for this show but most of the websites (Quanta, JMS, QLT) only refer to last year's one or mention this year's dates as provisional and give no detail. Since Quanta's doesnt even show the year, I was initially confused into thinking the next Hove show would be on 28th May! I have to plead guilty. I believe I am the provisional one. I had forgotten to update, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Show
- Original Message - From: Roy wood To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 6:31 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Hove Show Geoff Wicks' talk - he has not really told me what that will be (if he has changed it from before) Since no one has suggested anything else, it will be a live version of the Perfect Partners article from QL Today volume 11 issue 2. I am really demonstrating programs written by other people, but well worth seeing some of the progress made in QL garphics (that's a typo, but what a nice word!). Quanta's website demo (I don't recall and can find no email telling me this would happen) Curiouser and curiouser. Must reprogram the moles. Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Show
Thanks John. Always a good idea to publicise things like this beforehand, even if it took you 10 days to reply to my message. No doubt all the committee were away attending a mole hunting course ;-). Also good to see that it will be an interactive session. - Original Message - From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 10:44 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Hove Show Did you think of this one yourself, or did your mole tell you that it was already planned? Roy has been asked to add it to the presentations list. I understand that there are a number of alternatives to choose from and the Web Master would value the membership's preferences. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Show
- Original Message - From: Derek Stewart To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 7:20 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Hove Show Why all this mole business at the heart of Quanta, have you got a vendetta against them Derek Don't forget that it was a member of the committee who described me as a terrorist on this list. And the mole is not who everyone thinks it is. First law of spying. Confuse the opposition. Yours subversively, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Show
I have had another idea about the activities at the Hove show. For some time now we have been promised an all new, whistles, bells and ribbons, updated Quanta website. This is near to fruition as Quanta has found a webmaster, although he will only officially take up his duties at the AGM. However I understand from my mole in the heart of Quanta that work on the site is well advanced. Surely Hove is a good opportunity to give us a live preview. Much more interesting to see the thing in practice than having to listen to promises during the AGM. It is also a good chance for Quanta to show off some real gains that are being made. Quanta's publicity for the electronic version of its magazine has been abysmal - QL Today has given better coverage - and let's not repeat poor publicity with the website. MESSAGE FOR ROY: Could we please have more details over the Saturday night dinner? Starting time, for example. Thanks in anticipation, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hove Show
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 2:34 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Hove Show Obviously price will be a consideration to all those intending to stop overnight for this year's AGM. Quanta have found that the Travelodge Super Savers at £15 per night at Gatwick Airport (within easy striking distance of Hove) to be the best deal so far. (Google search for Travelodge will take you to their booking site.) Is that the one south of Gatwick? If so, Quanta members could be personae non grata. That was the place where I profusely bled over the reception desk on my way to the last Hove AGM, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Request for speakers
- Original Message - From: Roy wood To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 12:19 PM Subject: [ql-users] Request for speakers A slight change of subject. I have a big problem, which is a big mouth. When Roy asked me to give a talk at the Hove show I said yes. Even worse, my moles deep in the heart of Quanta tell me that I am advertised as a star performer in the next Quanta Magazine. In general I have been working on an idea of giving a live presentation of articles that have appeared in QL Today. Not necessarily my own work, but for example demonstrating other people's software. We have a good issue of QL Today coming up for publication at Hove, but unfortunately it does not have any suitable material for a live presentation. I can fall back on the presentation I had prepared but did not give at Byfleet, but if anyone has anything they would like presented at Hove - or other ideas, please let me know. I can't promise, but I shall look at all suggestions, Best wishes Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] This list: Rrepeat postings
- Original Message - From: hitchies To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 4:16 PM Subject: [ql-users] This list: Rrepeat postings Hi everyone! Anyone else getting duplicate/triplicate copies of some list mailings lately, please? John in Wales I had this problem some time ago, but that was because of problems at my server. Do the duplicates come in at the same time or at different times? Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
- Original Message - From: Rich Mellor To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 6:10 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:03:19 -, Jan Palenicek [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ah, but if Quanta made all this free, what reason would there be for Quanta to exist? It would offer no different benefits to its members than the general public (apart from the magazine). Some authors placed their programs in the Quanta library on the condition that they were only to be available to Quanta members, and so cannot be more widely distributed. Even Quanta can be naughty at times. Some authors, including myself, have put material in the library on the strict condition that only a nominal copying fee can be charged. I, tongue in cheek, threatened to sue Quanta for £15,000, their then capital for charging £10 for a CD that cost about 50p to produce. However, if someone wants to scan in the QDOS Reference Guide (with permission from Tony Tebby of course) and the Jan Jones handbook (with permission from Jan Jones), then feel free. Both Tony Tebby and Jan Jones are around and contactible, therefore feel free to ask for their permission. I doubt you will get it, but you never know. Just in case the Jan Jones debate starts again I understand that she is very reluctant to see further publication of her work. It was only with a great deal of diplomacy and patience that Quanta was able to get her permission for their two reprints. As to motivation - what greater motivation do you need - the QL has a very small user base and you would get the undying thanks of every one of them. The main problem is that even when software does come out, so few copies are actually sold (even at £5 a copy) that both traders and software authors lose interest and the feedback is nil - this is all due to the size of the market which is ever diminishing. Total sales (in order of publication - see how the market has got smaller): Solvit-Plus84 QL-Thesaurus97 Style-Check85 QL-2-PC Transfer53 QL-Rhymes10 Auto-Graph10 Vocabulary Database3 Pindown1 Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] This list: Rrepeat postings
- Original Message - From: Roy wood To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 6:26 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] This list: Rrepeat postings Since this thread is about this list can someone tell me the current method for subscribing? I have a new user who wants to sign on but the list has changed many times since I subscribed and I have no idea what to tell him. Tut, tut Roy. This was published in the last QL Today, page 4 QL NEWS LIST Closure. [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word 'subscribe' in the body of the text, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee
- Original Message - From: Wolfgang Lenerz To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 7:16 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee gwicks wrote : Sorry, John, but you are missing the point. In this case Quanta should not have needed a request. There are times when Quanta needs to take an initiative, Best wishes, Geoff I'm not so sure I agree with you there. You can't expect Quanta to contact all those with potential projects. Surely it would be more reasonable for that person to contact Quanta? Sorry, this is going to be a long email. Can we go back to first principles? It the last few weeks there has been an enormous amount of criticism of Quanta for its failure or unwillingness to fund the Goldfire project. Quanta has been told, sometimes by non-members, that it is its duty, if necessary, to use up all of its capital on the Goldfire project. Quanta has been unfairly and unjustly maligned. In 2004 a group of us were prepared to present a business case to Quanta for funding of the project. This never happened for the simple reason that Nasta himself was not enthusiastic about Quanta involvement. I do not know what Nasta's present attitude is, but I have no reason to believe it has changed. I can also see good reasons, partly because of the links between his work situation and Goldfire, why he took this attitude. In the circumstances Quanta cannot have any involvement in the Goldfire project. For all that muchof the criticism of Quanta over its capital is justified. Nevertheless I believe Quanta has changed a lot of the last two years. The huge protest we had on this list at the end of 2004 when Quanta chairman John Mason threatened to close it down, not realising that it was not his to close down, was an enormous shock to Quanta and changed a lot of attitudes. Among other things I think Quanta is now more willing to make use of its capital than it was three years ago. Unfortunately some of the old thinking tends to persist and Quanta still gives the impression of being a bureaucratic body resisting change and expenditure. Even more unfortunately this has been combined with a tendency for this committee to give more power to itself and less to the members. I have had a lot of experience of constitutions and I have never seen one which gives the executive so much power and the members so little as the Quanta Constitution. It is a most unhealthy situation when that executive is safeguarding £12,000 of members' money. (Please note I am talking structures, not people here. I am not implying a lack of integrity by the committee.) Other worrying features of Quanta are that it has lost 86 members in two years, and that it is proving more and more difficult to service the vast majority of members. Frankly, if I did not have QL Today responsibilities and attend shows, I would not be a member of Quanta. Quanta means very little to me. I don't read the most of the magazine, the website hasn't been updated in over a year and I use download libraries, not Quanta. I hear many people saying similar things, but who remain in Quanta as a form of loyalty. Quanta more than anything else needs to look at its image and in particular at the bad financial reputation it has. I am not suggesting that Quanta embraces every harebrained scheme that appears on this list, and I also fully agree that a detailed business plan is necessary for major investments. At the same time it is also important Quanta keeps an eye out for projects for which it could be involved, and itself takes an initiative, because this will show a great willingness to be an active partner in the QL community. The USB project was a good example of this. It concerns a major need of the QL community, it was not expensive and it involves an established trader with a proven track record. As it happens Tony Firshman has intervened effectively, but now he will rightly get the kudos and not Quanta. This next bit is going to hurt. John Gilpin is being dishonest and disingenuous in his financial and other objections. In 1995 Quanta made an expenditure of £576 of members' money after just 3 telephone calls to 4 of the 6 committee members. (The other two were on holiday.) One of the four, me, said no, but it was a democratic decision. If the committee want to do it the machinery is in place for quick decision making. Within 24 hours its is possible for an email exchange to take place between all committee members. We did it several times when I was on the committee. Quanta also has an efficient secretary and Sarah Gilpin has ensured that telephone decisions are confirmed by email and the emails recorded in the minutes, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee
- Original Message -
From: John Gilpin
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 7:29 PM
Subject: Re: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee
{The point as I see it is that NO ONE who wanted some QUANTA money bothered
to pick up the phone!! You are absolutely correct that following such a
phone call, all that is needed is a couple of emails (to get the approval of
the majority of the committee), a cheque, a receipt for the goods purchased
and a record of the email committee decision by the secretary.}
Sorry, John, but you are missing the point. In this case Quanta should not
have needed a request. There are times when Quanta needs to take an
initiative,
Best wishes,
Geoff
___
QL-Users Mailing List
http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin To: ql-users [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 9:32 PM Subject: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee What my Audited Accounts do tell me is that QUANTA still has an Accumulated Fund of over £12,000 (all will be disclosed in the next issue of QUANTA Magazine) and we have a committee who are prepared to listen to specific requests for loans or grants for QL Development. This has been the situation since I joined the Committee in 2000 (just at the end of a very successful arrangement with D D and their work in supplying Q40/60s). We have extended our offer on a number of occasions but have had no takers to date. Let me repeat, on behalf of the QUANTA Committee, If you have a project which you think would be valuable to the QL fraternity but which needs some development support, PLEASE write to us with as much detail as you can give, including your business plan, to enable us to consider your request. Bye the Bye, don't expect a chat line comment like If QUANTA were to sponsor someone to the tune of $100 US + postage to produce immediate financial support. Come on you guys, tickle the keyboard ivories and ask us properly for what you think you need!! The worst you can expect is for this traditionalist committee to say Not this time. I have returned to this mailing, because I realised overnight that you have unwittingly defined the difference between a radical and a traditionalist. The last time a Goldfire type expansion card was seriously discussed by the QL community was in 2004. This radical was not sitting on his backside waiting for a piece of paper. He was out there in the field talking to the potential developer (and other developers) at QL2004. He was also talking to the trader who would have marketed the card about preparing a business plan. (Now what were the Quanta team at QL2004 doing? - oh sorry, I forgot - Quanta boycotted the first international QL show for 4 years.) We know the Dear Leader is never happier that when he has a few pieces of paper to play with, but surely you can see the difference between a Goldfire project with an investment of £5,000 and a USB project with an investment of about £100. That is a fifth of the cost of the AA signposting at QLis21, less than the cost of the beads for the natives Phone Trees and less that the cost of the Gay T-shirts. Do we really have to wait for the great Quanta beast to arise from its hibernation and slowly creak into bureaucratic action? This is something that could have been settled over a weekend with a few telephone calls or emails. The only paperwork that was necessary was a receipt for the cost of the boards and a record in the Quanta minute book, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin To: ql-users [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 9:32 PM Subject: [ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee Over the past few months officers of the QUANTA Committee have monitored the ql-users list (as they do) and, from time to time have discussed its content. They have recently been referred to by a known radical terrorist as traditionalists (Which was what the membership voted for) but that doesn't mean we are sitting on our backsides doing nothing. Just because I described the committee as traditional, it does not mean that I say you are not working hard. In your particular case your work has lead to considerable improvements in Quanta. Since I am now being described as a terrorist, perhaps I should tell you that one of my slogans is: If I assassinate John Gilpin tonight, Quanta will cease to exist tomorrow. Someone wanted to know why a number of past members had resigned. I, as Membership Secretary know why a number of them resigned because they politely wrote and informed me of their decision and their reason(s). Thanks for the effort. I shall be interested to hear the full results. You have to accept that 86 people in two years is not just natural wastage. It is not happening elsewhere, and the alarm bells sounded at QL Today when people thought that if things are going badly for Quanta, then they must also be going badly for QL Today. In fact our loss of circulation last year was well under double figures. Another thread I've noticed recently has been the suggested need for QUANTA to finance development of this or that bit of Hardware or software or driver or snip What my Audited Accounts do tell me is that QUANTA still has an Accumulated Fund of over £12,000 (all will be disclosed in the next issue of QUANTA Magazine) and we have a committee who are prepared to listen to specific requests for loans or grants for QL Development. This terrorist is on record as saying this committee has show a greater willingness to make use of Quanta's capital Bye the Bye, don't expect a chat line comment like If QUANTA were to sponsor someone to the tune of $100 US + postage to produce immediate financial support. Come on you guys, tickle the keyboard ivories and ask us properly for what you think you need!! The worst you can expect is for this traditionalist committee to say Not this time. I can't agree with you on this one. The specific proposal was for a miniscule amount of money for a project that, if successful, could vastly improve QL possibilities. Quanta did not have to wait for a request, it could have responded straight away. You have taken money from traders who are making a substantial loss for years, while you are sitting on £12,000 in the bank. Surely a little something in return is not too much to ask. Returning to the traditionalist theme. Quanta's great weakness is that it remains much the same in organisation, structure, finance and thinking as it did when it had 2,000 members. It is time to adapt to being a much smaller organisation. Indeed within 12 to 18 months Quanta could become totally paralysed by its own constitution, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
- Original Message - From: Roy wood To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 6:07 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff In message [EMAIL PROTECTED], Phil Kett [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes I think we have to face the fact that the QL is a dying breed - we're not going to get any new hardware due to costs, and new software is only going to be developed by those already developing software. Partly because of the cost of getting a 'modern' QL system and partly because learning how to program such a system seems to be very, very difficult due to a lack of tutorials or available documentation. snip Roy Wood's reply: True, many articles in QL Today which demonstrate programming techniques etc. are scattered throughout it's 11 volumes. I believe that all of these still exist in electronic form so maybe there is some possible mileage in gathering all of the articles of each series together and either printing them off as a single volume or putting them on a CD as PDF files. I have no idea how much work this would be but it would be work so there would have to be a charge. Nevertheless it would be worthwhile if it got some people writing software again. -- It is also worthwhile getting hold of Dilwyn's Documentation CD. Some old QL Today material is on it and apaer from that it is a useful reference document, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
- Original Message - From: George Gwilt To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:32 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff On 19 Feb 2007, at 19:08, Malcolm Cadman wrote: Can someone write an article for one of the magazines - Quanta or QL Today - around how to use Turbo and TurboPTR ? Beginning from the easy to the expert level of use. Sounds a good idea. Any volunteers apart from me? Easier said than done. You could not describe how to use EasyPtr or QPTR in one article. I have had more experience of TurboPTR than most people on this list as I was a, not very good, beta tester. All I can say that George coped with almost every challenge that I threw back at him. But even I would baulk at the idea of writing articles on how to use it. Good to know, however, that someone else is prepared to try. In the meantime I don't think I am giving too too many secrets away by saying that George has just written an interesting article for QL Today over how he adapted the QPTR demo program for compilation with Turbo, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] USBwiz USB to serial device
- Original Message - From: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:11 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] USBwiz USB to serial device If you Tony would help with the connectors the list would like to club together or dare I say Quanta to sponsor someone the $100 US dollars + postage we could find out if it will work when driven through a serial port. Good suggestion, Duncan. This is just the sort of thing where Quanta could take an initiative even if it means losing the money. Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hardware and software - new horizons
- Original Message - From: Roy wood To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 11:56 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Hardware and software - new horizons But just a provocative thought. Have you ever tried to connect a USB only laptop to a parallel printer? PC World don't know the answer to that one, but I do mainly because of my QL experience of looking for solutions to problems, That is easy - there is a specific bale to do it or a USB port replicator. I have both even though my laptop has a parallel port. I mentioned this to raise the point that it is not only in the QL world that you sometimes have unusable hardware. The largest PC company in the country is not interested in solving problems like that as they would rather sell you a new printer. More usable products being dumped in landfill. At least we QL-ers have been good recyclers. I just reasoned that if SH could produce a serial to parallel interface with all the electronics in the cable, then some bright spark could do something similar for a potentially bigger market. On the specific point of USB to parallel interfaces, Maplin's are currently selling these as a special offer. They are obviously old stock as the installation information is for Windows98, but they work perfectly with XP once you have figured out how to install, Best Wishes, Geoff. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Quanta membership
- Original Message - From: Malcolm Cadman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 12:05 PM Subject: [ql-users] Quanta membership Yes, it obviously very difficult to get a response back from members who have left. Quanta is small enough for most of the departed to be known names. If I were chairman I would be wanting a list of those names for clues to why they have left. Unfortunately Quanta has never really made the effort to find out anything about its members. The only people to do it in recent years have been John Southern and myself. I was on the committee at the time and neither of our surveys were discussed in any detail. (Mine was totally ignored, John's was just the reporting of the results.) A smaller Quanta is not necessarily a bad thing. If it was more homogenous it would be easier for the committee to serve the members. A Quanta of just 50 people could contribute greatly to the QL community provided they were active members. (And there are probably at least 50 people who attend shows and/or are active in subgroups.) Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hardware and software - new horizons
- Original Message - From: David McCann [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 4:53 PM Subject: [ql-users] Hardware and software - new horizons To keep an old computer going you need a reasonable user-base and a perceived function. The Spectrum gets continued support because it had masses of users to start with and it's easy and fun to write games for it. Indeed. The Spectrum was a success right from the start, but the QL was seen by the experts as a failed computer practically from day one. It was the peripherals industry that turned it into a practical computer. In other words the QL has only survived for 23 years because people developed new hardware at an early stage in its life. Those of us who went to the Sinclair show in Norwich a couple of years ago had a very strong impression that the Spectrum has not moved on to the same extent as the QL. We saw stall after stall selling Spectrum hardware and software that we remembered using in our Spectrum days. The only QL stall selling similar vintage QL software was Simon Goodwins. The QL no longer has enough users to make commercial products viable, Just as Quanta has to change if it wants to survive, so too have the traders. Then there's the lack of USB and printer support. But just a provocative thought. Have you ever tried to connect a USB only laptop to a parallel printer? PC World don't know the answer to that one, but I do mainly because of my QL experience of looking for solutions to problems, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC?
- Original Message - From: Malcolm Cadman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 12:02 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC? Well ... 2 years is a long time in computing ... :-) ... so may be some optimism that new ideas can take seed. And in those 2 years 86 members (28% of the membership) have said goodbye to Quanta. I would love to know who they were and why they did. What have the officers done to find out? Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC?
- Original Message - From: P Witte To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 9:20 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC? As a final thought Quanta could stimulate this by making a prize (£s X-prize) for the first team to say design and make a prototype processor upgrade add on board or USB driver or whatever, Id vote for Quanta to fund hardware developments, that would be good for the general ambience, even though Im unlikely to buy another piece of QL hardware kit myself. Much as I would like to see Quanta using its capital to fund QL development, I think you have to remain realistic. At QL2004 I spoke to Nasta over how you could finance a new expansion card with the possibility of Quanta financing in mind. His reply was not encouraging. Basically you are in an all or nothing situation. You have to first of design your board on paper and try very hard to make sure it will be a working board. Once you start to actually build the hardware, then you cannot talk in terms of an initial prototype and then later full production. This is, among other things, because the availability and price of chips in in constant flux. If your paper design proves to work in practice, fine. If it doesn't you may be able to get it to work by a bit of tweaking. You can also be in a situation in which you get now return whatsoever on the capital. In other words Quanta could give £5,000 of members' money to develop a card and see no return on that money whatsoever. It would be a very brave committee who would be prepared to take that risk. It certainly would be grossly unfair to expect a committee of just 4 people to take such an important and risky decision, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] PC to QL transfer
- Original Message - From: Dave Walker To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 4:59 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] PC to QL transfer Strange - all my PC's running XP have no problem using DD disks. Running is not the problem. Formatting is impossible - try it and you will see why. Formatting still works with QPC however, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] PC to QL transfer
- Original Message - From: David McCann To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 4:23 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] PC to QL transfer On Fri, 2007-02-09 at 10:59 +, Dave Walker wrote: There is also some software (cannot remember the name off-hand) that can be run on a PC to handle QDOS format floppy disks. That's qltool: http://www.zen35309.zen.co.uk/misc/qxltool.zip The only catch for some QL users might be if the QL only accepts DD disks and the PC (like mine) HD ones. There is a little known PE program by Wolfgang Lenerz - QLIBM - which if I remember correctly can handle both DD and HD disks. (Most of the other QL/PC disk transfer utilities cannot. It is in the Quanta library and probably elsewhere, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QSpread problem
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2007 8:11 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] QSpread problem Are there any people on this list who use the latest versions of these (PTRGEN 2.02, WMAN 2.05, HOT_REXT 2.29) and, if so, what are the experiences? Never been able to get v2.02 to work with any degree of reliability. On QDOS systems, I've always used the v2.01 set. Thanks to everyone who helped with this problem. I have followed Dilwyn's advice and tried QSpread with the v 2.01 set. It now loads and works without difficulty, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] QSpread problem
This is an unusual request but is there anyone who has experience of running a recent version of QSpread (v. 4.04) under QDOS? The background is that one of our loyal QL Today readers has asked for help on this problem. He has a simple, but business QL use. His systems are the original mother boards and dual floppies built into cases. Tony has recently serviced his hardware and has everything in working order. His software use over 20+ years has been restricted to the Psion programs, but about a year ago he thought he should learn more about the pointer environment and bought QSpread. He has been unable to get it working. I asked him to send me a copy of his working disk. This works perfectly on QPC2 and Minerva and JM systems using SMSQ-E, but crashes under QDOS. On both of my black boxes either the machine freezes showing the padlock icon or resets. I have checked all the PE files and they are the latest versions. This man is a loyal QL-er and a faithful QL Today reader and I am anxious to help him. Any suggestions welcomed, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] All free now, folks!
As of midnight last night Just Words! ended all commercial activities. Full versions of the last remaining commercial programs, QL-2-PC, QL- Rhymes, Auto-Graph and Pindown can now be downloaded from the website software page. (These programs are now freeware and not public domain.) I have also added a simple data base of UK dialling codes to the page. Please note the difference between ending commercial activities and closing down. The change is in line with current QL developments. In the last few years the commercial sector has become less important and internet support increasingly important. This was one reason I rewrote the Just Words! website last year. Just Words! will still continue to set up a stall at QL shows, where the programs will be available at nominal cost. The main visible difference will be the disappearance of advertising in QL Today at the end of the present contract. http://members.lycos.co.uk/geoffwicks/justwords.htm best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Copy for QUANTA Magazine.
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2006 10:39 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Copy for QUANTA Magazine At least that will leave the rest of the year free for other activities like PC Hurling - must challenge Dilwyns Gold medal next year! and Wine glass smashing, anyone want to take on the chairman?, Napkin stealing surely noone can beat the Other Editor and finally Vegitarian Duck Breeding - any guesses which Branch holds this gong? Oh dear, John, how very dull. The Other Editor lives a far more exciting life. After the Byfleet show at the beginning of November I ate in a Japanese restaurant in Piccadilly, and we all now know what happens in those establishments! This day also had its strange happenings. I noticed the manager and my waitress having a whispered conversation and looking conspiratorially in my direction. She then asked me if I was happy to eat raw fish, and if so would I kindly test a new menu item for them. Even more bizarre when I left the restaurant I noticed there was an extra stamp on my loyalty card. This was not the usual smiley, but the japanese character meaning the power to command respect. Am I just paranoid or do I detect a link with the fact that the Chairman attended the show disguised in a false beard and accompanied by an aide carrying the Quanta nuclear case? MI6, the KGB and the CIA are rank amateurs compared with the intrigues of the QL world, Best Wishes 007¼ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Copy for QUANTA Magazine.
- Original Message - From: Marcel Kilgus [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2006 1:09 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Copy for QUANTA Magazine. John Gilpin wrote: Prompted by a short news item from David McCann, can I remind anyone who has anything to go into the December 2006/January 2007 Issue of QUANTA Magazine that the closure date for copy is Tuesday December 5th. 2006 - less than a week away. December 5th is less than a week away? Hmm, what date is it currently in England? Simple explanation. When you edit a magazine, time goes a lot quicker that it does for other people ;-) As it happens John not only edits the magazine, but also lays it out. If I was in his shoes I would probably be saying that the deadline was only 3½ days away! Under his management the Quanta Magazine is probably the best it has been in about 10 years, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Byfleet 5th November
Sorry I missed Tony's mailing about Byfleet, and thanks to Tony for including my details. Just Words! will be at the show, although about an hour late as I shall be travelling directly from the Sin Bin. We have a special offer at the show. All Just Words! products, including the commercial ones, will be available for just £1 each. However stocks will be small, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Back to normal - I hope
Apologies to anyone who has attempted to email me over the last two weeks and found I either did not reply or the email bounced back. About a fortnight ago the email service on my server collapsed under the volume of spam. Emails were coming in days late and then in multiple copies. At times the email service was closed down completely and it was impossible to send out emails on my main address. Even worse 10 days ago the server refused to give me an estimate of how long the problems would last. I was about to go over to another server this weekend, when suddenly normal service was resumed. Beeb.net has now done what it should have done years ago and set up effective spam filtering. Yesterday I received just 3 spams instead of the normal 70 - 90. Mind you I shall miss the occasional mailing from Christmas Island addressed to Godlike gwicks and telling me that 900 Japanese women are waiting with longing in their hearts for contact with me. Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Serious email problems
Apologies to anyone attempting to email me privately. There are serious problems on my server at the moment. Incoming post is subject to a delay of up to 48 hours, and that means that some messages could bounce back. When they do come in they often come in in triplicate at different times. I am not sure if there is any effect on outgoing post, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] I'm back (to stay)
- Original Message - From: Phoebus R. Dokos To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 9:13 AM Subject: [ql-users] I'm back (to stay) A few messages to QLers individually... Geoff: My articles will resume shortly (once I unearth them from my 116 boxes ;-) Thanks. Jochen and I were just debating which of the two of us would remind you ;-) Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QLer ages - Membership numbers
- Original Message - From: Alex Wells To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 11:16 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] QLer ages - Membership numbers On Thursday 14 September 2006 20:43, John Gilpin wrote: You are quite correct (as usual) Geoff. Volume 23 Issue 2 April/May 2006 page 15 shows the updated total figure as 219. Hi John, I am delighted you are not letting G Wickes rattle you. AND There is no justification in extrapolations, or nasty shocks. More members would still be good, however! Never forget one thing. Three or four years ago, when I was warning about the way shows were deteriorating, everyone ridiculed me including the traders and Quanta. I was the person who got my hands dirty and did something about it. Without me there would have been no QL2004 and no QL is 21. They certainly would not have been held if it had been left to Quanta. If people had listened to me three or four years ago we would have a larger and stronger Quanta today. So Alex don't just say you want more members. Go out and get your hands dirty! Best Wishes (and I mean that) Geoff PS. I know you don't do this Alex, but others in NEMQLUG have done. Don't think you can fob me off by invoking the ghost of Phil Jones. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Updated web site - postscript
- Original Message - From: Malcolm Cadman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 11:17 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Updated web site PS ... Are you able to make to the Byfleet Show on 5th November 2006 ? This question was asked to Marcel, but could apply to most of us. What are the chances of some lectures/activities at Byfleet? Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Updated web site
- Original Message - From: Marcel Kilgus To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 10:02 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Updated web site Malcolm Cadman wrote: So ... what in particular is painful about IE ? Mainly it's inherently unsafe to use it on the internet. No IE user should be surprised if they catch some virus, worm or whatever. Apart form that it's usually slower, it doesn't have proper keyboard navigation, it lacks browser tabs, it doesn't recognize mouse gestures, the bookmarks are inferior, it doesn't allow site specific settings, the popup blocker is lacking, it doesn't have an ad filter, it doesn't include an RSS client, it doesn't maintain state (opened URLs) between sessions, when it crashes you cannot just continue to work where you left off, there is no proper cookie management, it renders pages wrongly and doesn't comply to most standards, it's not very customizable. Okay, those were just the things that I could immediately come up with. I guess with some effort the list would be longer ;-) You missed out the most important one. Opera can pretend to be IE, but IE cannot pretend to be Opera! ;-) I use both IE ver6 and Opera ver6, and usually IE is much the quicker at finding sites and downloading ... despite Opera's claim to be the fastest thing in West . Opera 6 is how old? 5 years? Unlike IE, Opera HAS been improved in the meantime. They're at version 9 now. I should perhaps have mentioned my statistics were for 2005. There is some evidence that there are now about 4% Opera users. There were a surprising number of different versions in use: Opera 5 0.1% Opera 7.1 0.5% Opera 7.4 0.2% Opera 8.0 1.0% Opera 8.5 0.4% Best Wishes Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Updated web site
- Original Message - From: Rich Mellor To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 9:09 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Updated web site Geoff - just for any newbies who read this list, maybe you should have included a link :-) Oh shame! Oh shame! I am always rebuking other people for not putting their links in their emails and now I have done it myself! http://members.lycos.co.uk/geoffwicks/justwords.htm Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Updated web site
The Just Words! web site has been completely rewritten and is available for your inspection. When you enter the site you are given a choice of 4 pages: Downloads speaks for itself. Dictionaries allows you to download any of the Just Words! range of QTYP dictionaries. Help and advice covers some of the most frequent questions I have been asked over the years. QL shows gives the latest details and links I have for workshops. This is a start of a reshaping of Just Words! to bring it into line with present QL trends, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Byfleet '06
- Original Message - From: Ken Bain To: ql-users list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 12:31 AM Subject: [ql-users] Byfleet '06 Remember remember There will be a QUANTA Workshop on Sunday 5th of November,in Byfleet Village Hall,presented by the London Group and Surrey Group. This is a date to be put into your diary. The last two Byfleet shows were badly attended by both traders and punters. One or two of us had to do a bit of arm twisting at Hove to persuade Ken to try another show this year. It is likely to be the only autumn UK show this year and the chances are that if you miss this you will have to wait until March/April next year. Please advise us if you are descended from Guy Fawkes. As it happens there were fireworks at a Byfleet show two years ago, but for commitee members only. ;-) Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] BMP second release
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 9:17 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] BMP second release Like a PIC, but with a 14 byte header instead of 10 bytes. The extra long word is usually a zero before the $4AFC flag. Just out of interest, why did TT think it necessary to have both _psa and _pic formats? Most of us had never heard of the former until George Gwilt released SVSCR, although both are documented in the QPTR manual. Officially the extra bytes are for the programmer's own use, but has anyone actually done this? In what circumstances would you make use of the extra bytes? Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Easel graphics
- Original Message - From: Rich Mellor To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2006 7:53 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Easel graphics Start QPC2 in QL colour mode. Start Xchange and Easel. Press F3 D(efault) and 4 for a 40 column display. This is then mode 8, Yes it is MODE 8 - but it still only handles 4 colours does it not?? Try it for yourself. Set up a bar graph in Easel, which in my case gave a default colour of green. Now modify that colour and one of the choices is yellow. If I remember rightly not all the mode 8 colours are used, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Programs using colour themes
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: QL Users List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 1:42 PM Subject: [ql-users] Programs using colour themes I'm preparing an article about colour themes and intend to try to build a list of programs available which use System Palette colour themes. I'd appreciate any input from authors and suppliers if anyone is aware of programs other than these which can use system palette colour themes: Hi Dilwyn, Just Words! are strictly house style so use GD2 colours, but not system palette, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL Today v10
Thanks Dilwyn,and also Brian Kemmett. I wondered what would happen after the change of editor. Good to see that Brian is loyal. This is a strange experience replying from an internet cafe on machine that has a badly working space key. Hope to be back in full action at the end of next week, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QStripper
- Original Message - From: David McCann To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 5:58 PM Subject: [ql-users] QStripper Implementing T87 support would be a nightmare. QL2PC tries to convert T91 files to rtf, but the process is very uncertain. For fonts, T87 just puts a NUL wherever a font change occurs, and then lists the changes at the different offsets in the formatting information. Unfortunately, when you alter a file, stray NULs get left behind: T87 ignores them, but they confuse QL2PC terribly. When I converted my T91 files to OpenOffice, I had to take them over as plain text and reformat. And that's just fonts -- heaven knows what T87 does with its paragraph and page information. And don't bother to ask Fred! Indeed a good explanation of the problem and exactly the reason that QL2PC has limited functionality with Text87 files. Basically the file formatting of Quill and Perfection are very similar. There are control codes for Bold On, Bold Off etc. etc. These are very easy to find in a file. Text87 works more like a PC word processor. When it comes to a font change (and things like Bold On and Bold Off are regarded as font changes), a little flag goes up to say there has been a font change. This must then be recorded somehow in all the formatting information at the end of the file. Dave Walker wrote an extensive guide to the fomatting of all types of QL files, but even he appealed for help on Text87 formatting. BTW Norman, I assume you have the accented characters translation codes, but, if not, I can let you have the ones QL2PC uses, Best wishes Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] get back on topic
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 11:41 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] get back on topic I can't understand your comment about Manchester always being a difficult location for a show. It has a brilliant transport network of motorways, long and short distance bus routes and a high speed tram service. It is the very hub of the rail network and the International Airport is well within striking distance of the chosen venue.. I am sorry but you are looking at this from the point of view of a Manchurian and not an outsider. But before I continue let me make it clear that I fully support shows in Manchester and if you can think back 3 years when were talking of a prestigious international event (QL2004) I was highly in favour of Manchester for the event and practically everyone else against. I have been to the last four shows in Manchester and as far as both accommodation and transport are concerned all have been on a scale that started with difficult and ended with total nightmare. The nearest hotels to the venue are usually fully booked and two years ago I was quoted £60 for 2 star accommodation. I know other people who abandoned plans to go to Manchester that year for just that reason. I know this is not NEMQLUG's fault, but it is a handicap for you in organising the show. Perhaps the best you can do is try to pick away game weekends. Remember is practically the only venue for the regular shows where more people need overnight accommodation than don't need it. I will concede that you have good motorway connections both to Manchester in general and the Endeavour in particular. Probably the best with the exception of Byfleet. However for some travellers the presence of those wonderful hills in the Peak District stuck on the west of Manchester can lengthen some journeys. Public transport is not as rosy as you say. Manchester may be a major rail head, but the long distance operator is Virgin, notorious for its high fares and unreliability. Don't forget the two Scottish attendees abandoned plans to come by train and came by air instead. People coming via Sheffield soon find that both Central and Northern Trains only run 3 coach trains and often just 2. Last time I couldn't even get on the first train and only managed the second by sitting in the vestibule. Public transport within Manchester is also good, but not to the Endeavour. If you don't agree with that, how come you have never been able to tell me how to get to the scout hut by public transport? I stress again this is not a reason to stop holding shows in Manchester. Indeed I would insist that you continue to do so, but I think you should realise it is not just a case of apathy --- although that plays a part in the poor attendance --- it is also a matter of people having to make an extra effort to get there, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Wkshop locations
- Original Message - From: David Tubbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 12:49 PM Subject: [ql-users] Wkshop locations Where is the centre of gravity of members or possible attendees ? Certainly Manchester is not as peripheral as Portsmouth or Hove, but from outside the only useful spots would be London or Brum. The difference between you and I, Mr. Tubbs, is that you are a theorist and I am a pragmatist. The thing that determines the actual location of shows is that some poor bugger has to organise them. and present shows are where people are prepared to do the work. Running a show is much more complicated than people think and a good deal more than just a hall with tea and coffee. Look at the requirements of a hall alone: 1: It should be within easy access of a motorway. 2: It should be accessible by public transport. 3: It has to be a reasonable price. 4: It has to have adequate parking facilities. 5: It has to have easy access for loading and unloading. (The last three of these rule out many inner city locations - you should talk to Malcolm Cadman about the problems he has had trying to find suitable halls in London.) 6. There have to be at least two rooms - one for the main event and the other for lectures. 7: There has to be an adequate number of electrical sockets to avoid irresponsible daisy chaining. 8: There have to be adequate catering and toilet facilities. 9: There has to be an adequate supply of tables and seating. All the above means that it is very difficult for Quanta to organise shows centrally as they need people with local knowledge and enthusiasm to find suitable locations. After the hall there are numerous other logistical problems including the catering provision and insurance. Personally I would love to see a show in the Midlands, but it is up to the people in the Midlands to make the first moves, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] get back on topic
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 8:37 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] get back on topic I still don't understand the caption about 'hanging two dwarves' - could one of you enlighten me? Neither do I! How did the Hove show go on the 28th May? Quite a good show. Attendance about 30 with a good deal of mixing. Two welcome faces were Bill Richardson and Roger Godley. Bill has practically sold all his stock and half his stall was dedicated to anti-EEC propaganda. Roger didn't give the promised talk, but was kept quite busy with informal groups looking at his work. Hugh Rooms gave an interesting talk on GSP via the QL with a practical demonstration and Roy was able to demonstrate the QDT file manager. This lead to an informal discussion on who wants to use QDT and who not and a suggestion that it could have the potential to take over from QPAC2. Catering up to the usual high standards. We also discussed with Ken Bain the possibility of a London/Byfleet show in the Autumn, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] get back on topic
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: QL Users List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 7:47 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] get back on topic must... Having just got back and seen the latest QL today, who have I upset, seeing as Roy and Geoff seem to have taken every opportunity possible to have a go at me??? Actually I thought you got off rather lightly. The Senior Statesman was meant seriously and was a compliment. The other title took me a good half hour's research in Chesterfield Library. I was more worried about upsetting others. The first paragraph must have lost us all our Manchester readers. I thought Roy would object to being described as an ANCIENT rocker. Sarah is not yet back from holiday, but she will remind me once again that she is a southerner and not a northerner. The one person who did complain, although he assured me that an apology was not necessary was Tony. He tells me that he always sings innocently, but this time it was in a chamber orchestra and not the church choir. BTW there is still time to subscribe to QL Today to get the gripping account of the Hove Show, Best Wishes, Geoff PS Those of you who are members of Quanta will notice that the last QL Today advert was months out of date. This was a mistake by Quanta and not Roy who prepares the advert. He had sent a new one, and received an acknowledgement, but Quanta still used the old one. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Jochen - Private Message
Sorry to use the list to convey this private message. For some reason emails to Jochen are bouncing back, in my case with messages that I am on a database as a spammer. I have replied to your email about Quanta with a copy to Roy. Perhaps Roy could forward this, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Quill to PDF convertor ?
- Original Message - From: Malcolm Cadman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 10:15 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Quill to PDF convertor ? It can't be that difficult ... I have a freeware program on RISC OS called appropriately enough AntiWord. Which takes any M$ Word file and converts it in to plain text or HTML. Very useful it has proved to be. It seems to cope with any version of a Word.doc too. Anyway, with QPC2 it is easy to copy over a Quill_doc into a Quill.doc or a plain text file to the DOS C: Drive, and import it in to M$ Word. The version of M$ Word that I have, dated 2002, has a file converter that requests how to treat imported formats. It is fairly easy to transfer text between different word processors including between PC and QL ones. However not everyone is disciplined and a lot of PC users just assume that everyone can read Word files and import them into other programs. If a Word.doc contains graphics or unusual formatting such as columns, these can be quite difficult to import into other (even PC) programs. Dare I say it, but one of the worst offenders was Quanta who seem to have a love affair with MS Word - the committee must sleep with a copy of it under their pillows. We have embarked on a program of re-education, some of us by gentle persuasion and others by brute force, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] printer problem (OT)
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 10:36 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] printer problem - Original Message - From: Robert Newson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 8:52 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] printer problem According to the bottle I have it contains the following: Virgin Caster Oil BP 2.5%v/v, methyl salicylate BP 0.5%v/v, Diethyl Phthalate BP 2.0%v/v, industrial methylated spirit BP 95%v/v. So it's mainly Industrial Methylated Spirit. Actually you can also drink it (but don't try that at home!) One of the first jobs I ever had was in an experimental residential project for skid row drunkeness offenders. It was a crazy job. One moment you were dealing with a violent drunk and the next helping a government minister with a speech. I even got a mention in an official House of Commons report. I was the most junior member of the team that mainly consisted of top psychiatrists and other experts. I learnt a lot in 18 months in that job that was valuable in later life. I still remember coming back from holiday to find my colleagues had placed all the confiscated bottles of jack, as it was known, by my bedside, Best Wishes, Geoff PS Try diluting it with water - then it looks just like milk. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Tut! Tut! Quanta
Could we have a little consistency over the Manchester workshop and AGM please? In your last Quanta Magazine advert and in your next QL-Today advert the show times are: Sat: 10.00 - 5.00 Sun: 10.00 - 5.00 In your advert in Tony's Eindhoven email and on the Quanta website the times are: Sat: 12.00 - 5.00 Sun: 10.00 - 4.00 I assume the latter is correct, but it's a bit hard on the members and non-members who have no email or internet contact, Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL disk transfer
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: QL Users List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 10:28 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] QL disk transfer 4. Once you've transferred the archived QDOS Unzip to QL system, how to unpack it when you don't have an unzip (the Chicken and Egg situation)! (i.e. explain Jonathan's self-extract routines in simpler terms and what to do when it stops halfway through self-extraction when you have to type in commands to get it going again) Just another point on this discussion. No disrespect to Jonathan intended, but his is the last site I would send someone to who knows nothing about QL unzipping. It is just too technical for most of us. That is why I prefer the old fashioned method of just sending the enquirer a disk. Once he has that unzipping is usually no problem at all - just a couple of commands to learn. The big problems come, as Dilwyn says, when the enquirer has a system that cannot read and write to PC disks. This is a nightmare situation and you almost have to tailor your advice to the individual according to technical knowledge, apparatus and available software. Fortunately most people who download have upgraded to QPC2 and this is much less a problem than it was formerly, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL disk transfer
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: QL Users List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 8:18 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] QL disk transfer In terms of the sort of query I was raising, most people in this situation seem to manage handling Unzip reasonably well, where people seem to get stuck seems to be: 1. Getting the downloaded software to a QL, whether it be via floppy disk, serial link or whatever. 2. Having downloaded Unzip onto a PC, how to get it onto a QL, unpacked (without an existing copy of Unzip, the catch 22 situation) even before you get to the point of unzipping something! Jonathan Hudson has documented how to self-extract Unzip, even to the point of explaining what to do when it stops half done as it does on some systems. There is quite a simple solution to the chicken and egg problem with unzip. Just send the enquirer a disk with it on. Most of us have a stock of old DD disks we no longer use. Just wrap one in bubble foam, put in a cheap envelope with a second class stamp. I've done it many times. I have also successfully sold many copies of QPC2. When someone asks for my help in transferring files to a PC because they are abandoning the QL, I send them a copy of the QPC2 demo disk. Often the next stop for them is Roy or Jochen. Sometimes the old fashioned solutions work best, Best wishes, Geoff PS What about a nice little challenge for Quanta? Investigate the possibility of a telephone line at all shows and then offer a download facility for those members who cannot access the internet! ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Nightmare scenario
- Original Message - From: P Witte [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 8:46 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Nightmare scenario How about making the program and toolkit available somewhere so we could take a look at it? Id be willing to have a go, and so may others. Thanks to all of you for your offers of help. I may come back to you at a later stage. I think the best way of helping the person is to steer him towards other more modern programs. The big problem is whether I can convert his files into a readable form for other programs. In theory I think this is possible, but until I get a few sample files to try I can't be sure in practice. Also at this stage I am not sure of the extent of his QL and PC knowledge, but I can enquire into this when I have seen if the above is possible, Best Wishes, Geoff Wicks ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Nightmare scenario
- Original Message - From: Malcolm Cadman [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 4:07 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Nightmare scenario Supercharge was the early version of Turbo, I believe. The user probably needs to ensure that a version of the relevant Toolkit is also installed and present which may be the one supplied at the time the program was charged or compiled. A kind suggestion, but unfortunately it does not help. Supercharge had its own extensions rather like the Turbo Toolkit, but when you attempt to load these you get an error message not found. Strange but if you then type CONTINUE, the program appears to work, but you cannot load, save or print. The person concerned is a black box user who has made the effort to upgrade to QPC2 so you make the extra effort to try to help him, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Software versions was Sedit 2.26
- Original Message - From: François Van Emelen [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 11:42 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Software versions was Sedit 2.26 Here is my list of most used programs: Qspread v. 4.03 QD v.b.01 QPAC1 v. 1.00 QPAC2 v. 1.42 Easyptr 4.09 Agenda v. 1.09 Basic Linker v. 2.07 QPC2 v. 3.30 Wined v. 1.26 Fifi v. 4.30 Suqcess v. 2.03 Qtyp2 v. 2.04 QDT v.1.00r DataDesign LineDesign QL2PC and STIJL check Multi sprite viewer and Menu viewer P. Witte ProwesS/Proforma QLDBAS v 1.11 This could be the start of a very long list. I think this could apply to all of us. Frankly I would find it very difficult to decide which are the 10 programs I use most - it all depends on whether my main activity at any one time is writing articles or program development. Now that nice Mr. Gates gives us this information in Windows XP. My most used PC program is called QPC2. Is there anyone out there who also uses it? 5: Don't be naive enough to think that you will get replies to emails if you send them out. Tony Firshman has been doing email shots advertising shows for almost 6 years and I have been doing snail mails for 2 years. Some traders, including software traders, have never given us a single reply to our emails asking for their copy. (Quanta used to be one of the worse offenders until you came along, John. For your efficiency we are very grateful.), I didn't know we (users) were supposed to comment react or reply to those. Users are not necessarily expected to reply to emails, but traders are. Before QL is 21 Tony Firshman sent out his usual email and Quanta fully funded a snailmail to the rest. In other words traders had the opportunity of free advertising to every known QL-er in the UK. We got a better response than usual, but still not all traders replied, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Software versions was Sedit 2.26
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 9:54 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Software versions was Sedit 2.26 We are all aware of the failings of the various QUANTA committees, Geoff. Why not send me a list of your popular software (showing latest versions of each package, whether there are different versions for differing QL platforms, where they can be obtained and how much etc.) and see if this will start off my new feature. I note what you say regarding the changes of topics/subjects on this list. I had hoped to be in contact with the authors or tinkerers themselves rather than have to extract confused info off the list. 1: I am not going to send you the details, but here are the statistics. On my hard disk I have 46 programs installed. 31 of these are used regularly. 14 are commercial programs. This is the easy bit as there are only two traders involved. (Actually 3 but Jochen and Roy sell the same range.) 6 of the programs are technically commercial, but now no longer available. 8 are Just Words! programs, either commercial or freeware. 5 are my own programs, of which 2 are in PD libraries. 19 are freeware/ public domain programs with 14 different authors. That is a total of 17 people you would have to contact in my case. 2: I doubt if I am a typical QL user. There are many more commercial and freeware programs in common use. 3: The tendency in the last few years has been a move away from commercial software into public domain/freeware. This is especially so of much GD2, sprite and PE development software. In other words it would not be a matter of contacting a few traders, but instead a lot of individuals. Realistically we are talking of a full time QL task for someone. 4: Suppose we restrict our choice to only popular software. Try a little test. Ask 20 people to send you a list of their 10 most popular programs and see what the final total comes to. Even better let people on this list give their 10 most popular programs. 5: Don't be naive enough to think that you will get replies to emails if you send them out. Tony Firshman has been doing email shots advertising shows for almost 6 years and I have been doing snail mails for 2 years. Some traders, including software traders, have never given us a single reply to our emails asking for their copy. (Quanta used to be one of the worse offenders until you came along, John. For your efficiency we are very grateful.), Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Software versions was Sedit 2.26
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 9:40 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Software versions was Sedit 2.26 I don't routinely keep a list of what versions of all programs I'm at, but I'm sure given a day off I could come up with a list of my software versions. I don't either and it would take me quite a time to compile a list of the latest JW versions. Now think of the problem traders like Jochen and Roy would have. This makes it even more likely that you wold not get replies to emails. This is a suggestion that crops up quite often, but it has never happened in practice, perhaps with good reason. Of course, Quanta could set a good example by publishing in the magazine the version numbers of every program in the Quanta library ;-). Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Nightmare scenario
This is a very long shot. I have been contacted by a Quanta member who has just upgraded to QPC2 and he asked for help in running a very old program. The program is so old that it was compiled using Supercharge and the author tells me the source code is no longer available. The problem seems to be that QPC2 does not recognise the Supercharge extensions. As I wrote this really is a long shot, but has anyone experience of running Supercharged programs on QPC2? Best Wishes, Geoff Wicks ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Software versions was Sedit 2.26
- Original Message - From: John Gilpin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 10:03 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Sedit 2.26 I am getting hopelessly lost and confused regarding what the current version of which programme is the latest and which platform(s) it runs on. Would it be an idea to include a Software Updates Page in the QUANTA Magazine listing all the popular applications, what their latest version is, the platform(s) it runs on, where it's available from and how much it costs? Clearly this will mean some regular correspondence between the tinkerer(s) and the editor but may help a number of people who do not have www.access from their Black box QLs and therefore rely on hard written publications to keep their interests alive. A fine idea in theory, but I suspect it will not work in practice. I am now writing my third news section for QL Today, and have discovered there are only a handful of people who send their news items to the magazine. At one stage I thought I would have to make up the news for the last issue: Bill Gates ate my hamster (Sorry an in-joke few will understand) In practice most of QL Today news is gleaned from this list, but I also have to do a little spying at shows etc. Given that many discussions on this list are rambling and off topic or the topic changes it can be quite difficult to decide what is relevant and what not. I wonder how well Quanta can learn to sniff out the important news. I stopped sending Just Words! news to Quanta some time ago because it just did not get printed. I also never send review copies of programs to Quanta. Of my last four new products Quanta has produced a review of only one. And that was an initiative from someone who had bought it at a show. I don't waste my time on unproductive work, Best Wishes Geoff PS If any one is wondering if the above is personal or official, it is neither. I resigned from all my Quanta duties a fortnight ago. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Today 20 years ago...
- Original Message - From: Ralf Reköndt To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 6:49 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Today 20 years ago... Hi Geoff, This raises the point that I raised in my last personal statement. Two members of the present committee are retiring and unless Quanta gets new blood on the committee - and there are only 10 nomination days left - then it could be too small to be viable. Seems to be the most important point to me, isn't it? I think, QUANTA is too much overloaded with jobs and election jobs. I am not sure what you mean by election jobs. When you handle almost £5,000 of members' money per year, you have to have official things like elections, reports and auditors. Otherwise you have hit the nail on the head. Quanta has to get down to determining its core tasks and stop indulging in fantasy schemes for which it has neither the skills nor the resources to implement. When I read the chairman's report last year, I was shocked by the number of things he promised that Quanta couldn't deliver and hasn't delivered. To be quite honest I was relieved not to be elected chairman, and when I congratulated the winner I had the hypocritical politician's smile on my face, but underneath I was smugly thinking You silly bugger - now you've got to implement your promises. I have not enjoyed sitting on the committee and hearing all the wild ideas about a revamped website, with passwords and restricted areas and ideas for a chat room for Quanta members only, knowing the committee were unable to do a simple thing like keeping the site up to date, Best Wishes, Geoff (privately) ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QPC Print - Document CD
- Original Message - From: Malcolm Cadman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 8:24 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Perfection, QPC2 and QPC Print Could be worth collating all this information that is coming through about printer drivers for publication in the Quanta magazine ... it is an issue that seems to exercise everyone. This is a good way of raising a matter that Jochen and I had already decided to sound out in the group. We have had a request from a QL Today reader for a QPC Print troubleshooting article. We would really like to do this, but we have a problem that neither us have had much experience of QPC Print problems. Jochen has had just two requests for help and I have received only one via Quanta. I also offered to organise troubleshooting sessions at both the Eindhoven International and the Portsmouth QL is 21 shows last year, but not a single person reacted. In general I have the impression that QPC Print has been a remarkably trouble free program. We would like to hear from anyone who has had a comment to make, either over installation or use. Have people who used to use HP codes had problems switching over to Epson? Also we would like to hear about any modifications you have had to make to printer drivers to get then to run under QPC Print. Obviously one area that needs attention is printing from Archive, but I don't know of any others. Please send any comments direct to QL Today using the email address inside the front cover. On the separate matter, Dilwyn need not apologise for faults in the QL Documentation CD. It has been very much appreciated by the readers and there is so much information on it that it was inevitable there would be a few faults. Can I just add that there was no work for me in producing the CD? All the hard work was done by Dilwyn, Jochen and Roy. (Just think of how much time it took to copy a CD for every reader!) As far as Roy is concerned I don't think people always realise how much work there is for him on the distribution side of QL Today. Also thanks to Bruce Nicholls who proof reads every issue, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] sudoku
- Original Message - From: Norman Dunbar To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 8:33 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] screenshoots SNIP In addition, Geoff, I have *almost* got a working Sudoku generator giving the options of easy, medium, hard and bloody hell - I even generate an unsolvable grid with only 4 blank spaces :o) Watch this space . I warn you I am a very harsh taskmaster when it comes to Sudoku generating programs. There is one on the current issue of Computer Active which uses Excel. I have had a look at it and am not impressed. It uses techniques for generating grids that I had experimented with for the QL and rejected as not be true Sudoku. It also determines difficulty level by the number of numbers left in the grid although this is only one of the factors. Most Sudoku puzzles I have seen have between 25 and 35 numbers on the grid. The Computer Active one had 45 Easy; 36 Medium ; 27 Difficult. I shall look forward to receiving your Sudoku generating article before the deadline date 19th February 2006 ;-) Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] QL Today Sudoku
I have had a complaint from a reader that the last line of Ian Pine's sample input file is missing. For those who need it, it is: 010407030, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] screenshoots
- Original Message - From: Michael Grunditz [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2006 12:25 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] screenshoots - Original Message - From: Michael Grunditz To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 30, 2005 6:24 PM Subject: [ql-users] screenshoots Hi Is there a way to convert q40 screenfiles to any other format, jpeg,bmp,etc either on linux or on qdos ? To answer this we really need more information on the type of files, but I am assuming they are mode 4 or mode 8 screens in _pic format. It is truecolor hires snapshots taken with the launchpad util. Thanks. If you are a QL-Today reader, you will find some help on the Insider Disk that came with the last issue. Go to the folder gd2conv for a basic program to convert mode 32 screens to bmp. In the text are suggested, but untested, changes you can make to the program to convert mode 33 screens to bmp. Just a word of warning. There is an error in line 270. Amend this to: 270 GET #3, temp% : ql_bpl=temp% Best wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Enhanced Pop
Even better news. We have another article from Per coming up in issue 4 on using digital sound in your programs. Please let me know of there are other topics on some of the newer programming possibilities you would like covered. Then I can start twisting a few arms, Best wishes, Geoff - Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, December 26, 2005 11:15 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Enhanced Pop The Hinting article was excellent. Thank you very much for that. I hope to use hinting in my programs next year, now that I know how to! Where hinting excells is in programs which make heavy use of icons (e.g. QD) which you don't use often enough to get to know what they do. Rest the pointer over the icon for a little while and the 'help' bubble (or 'hint') magically appears to tell you in *words* what that icon does. -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] [RE] Psion PC Four (XChange on PC)
- Original Message - From: P Witte To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 8:17 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] [RE] Psion PC Four (XChange on PC) Sadly, they dont appear to be entirely file-compatible with the QL versions, so rather pointless to have them.. There was a way of transferring files between Xchange for different systems rather like a simple form of RTF. In Quill you could save or load a file via F3 F3 (for the second command screen) T for Transfer and then either save or load. The extension for transferred files was _qlt. Has anyone any experience of using it? I first heard of this some years ago when someone suggested it as a way of transferring files from a PC to a QL. It is one of the many things on my to do list that has long been forgotten. If you knew the format of a _qlt file it might be possible to write a filter to convert rtf or html files into _qlt and then load them via Quill into any QL word processor. IIRC conversion of rtf or html commands into _qlt would probably have been fairly simple, but that the main problem was that a _qlt file had information about the file size that was only applicable to the Psion programs, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
