john13@garfield.UUCP (08/20/87)
--
There is a new disk-only magazine out, called AMnews. It's done in Canada,
and is of excellent quality. They have put out 2 issues to date; the first
was 2 disks, and the second 3 disks with many improvements to the software.
Before I go any farther, I'll give subscription info so I can get at the main
menu section (I have it running right back here):
You include - Name, Address, City, State/Province, and Zip/Postal Code.
Options are - 1 issue at $9.95 US, $12.95 Canadian or 12 issues at $83.49 US,
$108.95 Canadian.
You send to - AMnews subscriptions, 415 Trenton Ave., Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
H3P 2A1 (514) 739-3301
It is also available through dealers, at the single-issue price given above.
To start with, it's really good. A very well-designed and colourful interface,
written in Modula-2, allows you to access the various sections (Departments,
Features, Columns, Programs, Tutorials, Reviews, and Advertisements) by
selecting gadgets, and then access individual articles through more gadgets.
Or, you can bring up a double-menu requestor and go directly to any item or
section from any other.
Articles are entered with Prowrite, and the viewer (a modified form of Blitz)
displays it in the original fonts and colours for desktop publishing without
paper. If a picture or chart is needed from within an article, you are asked
to "refer to figure XX"; you select the figure number from a menu and can
view the picture. You can scroll through the article with several keyboard/
mouse options, or can set it to auto-scroll at a selected speed. You can also
set the colours for article reading, and save them as "article preferences".
The articles are well written, and there are seemingly endless reviews, new
product announcements, bug reports, and tutorials (tutorials on everything
tutoriable). Net readers will appreciate this month's editorial and letters-
to-the-editor about copy-protection from several points of view.
A number of utility programs are included, with source in a variety of
languages. The executables are there, and a short write-up accessible within
the magazine on each one. Particularly noteworthy in the current issue is a
beta version of a terminal program that goes a long way towards having the
functionality of Diga with a few extras thrown in (eg movable/killable DPaint-
style gadget bar for common functions). All issues contain a gadget-oriented
timesetter program, and there is an ongoing discussion about building and
programming a homebrew clock (with 50 bytes of ram).
All articles and pictures can be printed from within AMnews. The graphic
printer is in itself a nice utility which allows control of the picture
before printing.
There are, of course, many pictures, sounds, and animations (both Animator and
DVideo format are acceptable); these alone set it apart from the usual magazine
fare.
What really makes it nice are all the extra touches that I haven't got the
time or space to go into here. Things like the time display as a pull-down
menu item, or the artistic gadget work. I can guarantee that (unless you are
an incorrigible Amiga-hater) you will love this magazine. Especially for the
price, which is only a few dollars more than the cost of the blank disks here.
<See earlier for subscription info.>
I don't know if this has gotten any exposure south of the border yet, unless
they have been active on BIX. They are seeking author contributions as well
as readership, and there are author's guidelines set out inside AMnews.
Disclaimer: I don't work for them or anything. I'm just trying to get them a
little publicity because I'm very impressed with the quality (and amount!) of
what they've done.
John
--
"She's sort of a 'pit baby', with interlocking jaws. We feed her on chicken
parts."
"But baby-fighting has been outlawed, hasn't it?"
-- Tracy Ullman describing her infant daughter to David Lettermanpeter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (08/23/87)
I, for one, will not buy a magazine I can't flip through in the store. Almost by definition you can't flip through these. -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!seismo!soma!uhnix1!sugar!peter (I said, NO PHOTOS!)
peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (08/23/87)
When is one of these magazines going to team up with a real magazine? There is a strong resistance to buying a magazine you can't flip through. I'd buy a lot more diskazettes and more Amazing Computings if I could get machine readable source with the articles. Wouldn't you love the disk for the Sachs issue of Amiga World? -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!seismo!soma!uhnix1!sugar!peter (I said, NO PHOTOS!)
spietrow@atlas.UUCP (Steve Pietrowicz) (08/26/87)
in article <547@sugar.UUCP>, peter@sugar.UUCP says:
]
] When is one of these magazines going to team up with a real magazine? There
] is a strong resistance to buying a magazine you can't flip through. I'd buy
] a lot more diskazettes and more Amazing Computings if I could get machine
] readable source with the articles. Wouldn't you love the disk for the Sachs
] issue of Amiga World?
]
]--
]-- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!seismo!soma!uhnix1!sugar!peter (I said, NO PHOTOS!)
Amazing Computing source (and the executable) is available on PeopleLink's
Amiga Zone (sometimes before the issue comes out). If it isn't there, you
can generally send one of the chairmen of the club mail and it'll be up
within a day or two. If you haven't signed up for PeopleLink, you have to
wait a while for it to reach the BBSs. (Anyone wanting more info about
PeopleLink and the Amiga Zone can send me mail).
---
// Steve Pietrowicz UUCP: ...!{seismo,sun,pur-ee}!gould!spietrow
\X/ PeopleLink: CBM*STEVE
Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of my employer.peter@sugar.UUCP (08/29/87)
In article <583@atlas.UUCP>, spietrow@atlas.UUCP (Steve Pietrowicz) writes: > in article <547@sugar.UUCP>, peter@sugar.UUCP says: > ] When is one of these magazines going to team up with a real magazine? There > Amazing Computing source (and the executable) is available on PeopleLink's > Amiga Zone (sometimes before the issue comes out). If it isn't there, you 1) That doesn't make me more likely to buy AMnews or AmigaZine or whatever. 2) I don't now nor am I ever likely to have an account on Plink. 3) I'd pay quite a bit more to get the disk and magazine in one place. Like, $10 per issue with the disk included. -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!seismo!soma!uhnix1!sugar!peter -- U <--- not a copyrighted cartoon :->