Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 21, 1986, Winnipeg, Manitoba 20 wih Flieg ffe6 Micro world disk rescues Basic data by David Stoddart Microsoft didst invent but it spread the language around More than anyone and its responsible for making Basic the Lingua Franca of popular Basic suffered a setback a Cou ple of years ago when Borland Turbo Pascal came on the Turbo Pascal was highly structured so programming teachers liked it and it came with a interact Ive at the High end of the c was taking it is like but has the advantage of programs written in c for one kind of microcomputer will run with minor adjustments on a completely incompatible a machine specific com Piler looks after All the Transl All in it looked like the end for the Novice program mers but lately Microsoft has introduced Quick Basic for the ism pc a Basic compiler that As easy to use and convenient As Turbo it will run most of the old Basic programs you wrote with your original Basic it May even perk up your programming since Quick a sic can be used with or without line go sub is support but so Are labels so program subroutines can be labelled and As you can build up a Library of favorite then either use them in Basic or link them when interface Quick basics inter face is a Joy compared to most programming languages even Turbo it borrows drop Down menus from the macintosh and it also can be configured to run with a but several things were lost in the you can Point and sort using cursor but most choices must be con firmed with we got the sense after awhile that Quick a sic needs hotter keys so that simply typing the first letter of an available command executes As in base and file handling Quick Basic loads Asci files so Standard Basic programs must be loaded into an interpreter and repaved in Asci form save but the interface Falls just Short of the for when you opt to Load a a window opens and a list of files is cursor keys can be used to choose a but first you must Tab to the right screen no big but its not As intuitive As it could have if you choose to Type the name of the file you want to the backspace key can be used to Correct typing but strange now with Builtin full screen review for the ism from Microsoft the delete key fails to function at editor Quick basics Builtin editor takes some getting used you can delete and so using function keys or a Nono Redstar combination of control the editor int tidy and but it and you get used to it after an hour or compiling the Point of the pro is to compile and it does the Job we loaded the ism Sample program about 270 lines and compiled it in 22 Microsoft claims a Speed of up to lines a minute Short data we most old Basic programs we tried required Only minor changes to meet Quick basics the manual gives a thorough listing and explanation of the commands supported and the ones that differ slightly from Basic interpreters such As a Basic and Quick Basic can create object files for either of two kinds of executable one will require that a run time module be Avail Able to it when it is the run time is supplied on a second Utility the other kind of object files will produce executable the main difference lies in the size of the Mort compiled to a fairly lean bytes using the first it came to a fat bytes using the because it incorporates a Library of routines borrowed from an ancillary pro Gram called the compiler produces an object file reflecting the contents of your program in machine readable you then exit to a link pro Gram to connect one or More object files into a executable the compiler also can be set up right from with files and options specified in extensions to therb As Quick a sic has a Shell which lets you return to Dos temporarily without really losing your you can return instantly to Quick Basic by just typing exit from the Dos help a onscreen help is the paperback Man on the other is extremely Quick Basic is a wondrous improvement on a Fine old programming Lan Guage for the common David Stoddart is a Winnipeg freelance new Chip quickly changes its function by John Markoff san Francisco examiner san Francisco the dividing line Between computer hardware and software has Xiling a san Jose High technology Startup has just completed its first year Selling a revolutionary new Type of semiconductor Chip that acts like an elec tronic it can effortlessly change its function on a moments software has been viewed As a Cookbook like set of instructions that control the function of computers and electronic control while electronic circuit or has been Perma nent and now hardware has become this Means that in the future it will be simple to recon figure the actual hardware functions of an electronic system by simply loading a new unlike conventional semiconductor whose circuitry is permanently and inflexibly engraved on the surface of a tiny Silicon i links referred to As a logic cell is configured each time the Chip is turned on by a custom software alter the pro Gram and the circuit changes in in the Only computer memory chips have been its a very impressive the la gives you All the advantages of custom chips and at the same time incredible says Drew an analyst at Gartner there is a screaming demand for something out there like this Peck says that while today the Xiling technology is Only applicable to the lower end of the sem custom Chip a new version of the Xiling la that will be introduced in 1987 will compete directly with the More Complex custom he says that while a custom Chip May require an initial non recurring engineering Cost to la can be designed for a fraction of that and More interactively redesigned if a prob Lem is one of the most dramatic uses of the new technology May be by an aggressive ism pc clone pcs limited of clones Are personal computers that function almost exactly like ibis own pcs limited plans to build its next generation computer based on the powerful 80386 32bit microprocessor with the help of the Xiling when ism introduces its own version of the pcs limited Sim ply will ship its customers a disk and the machine will be transformed into a copy of the ism the new technology is so useful As a design and so interactive and that Stanford University is planning to use the Xiling Chip for teaching its undergraduate elec tronic engineering publishing program offers sophistication Al Xerox Kas released Ventura publish Tift major desktop publishing pro Gram of the ism it and Prim re at Ventura usher will produce Lal Dout pages of and graphics on a pc then Send them to a Dot matrix or laser the program works with a Moike and a run time version of oem it is Able to store called that define paragraph formats with a single Click of the it also will perform sophisticated typesetting adjustments such As and Hyphen As does the new version of Valduss Ventura publisher reads files directly from major word prices when a file is changed in the its original also will be new views sales grow Toronto favourable notices in two successive issues of pc Maga Zine have the phones ringing off the Hook at Page and makers of the program takes a multidimensional approach to double entry accounting procedures by setting up the books As nested spread it has been around for about a promoted by seminars in Canadian a spokesman for the company said sales Are now Between two and three times new views was introduced to the Market in will hold information seminars in 40 cities this Winter and new views uses Lotus 123like slash commands and supports words Crstyle cursor and Block it also has drop Down menus that can be operated with a the program was written in As it Sells for in in the easy Page makeup White sciences has released a desktop publishing program for the ism pc aimed at people with Little design or computer experience who want to create goo looking publications features include graphic Cap Abili redesigned onscreen and the ability to mix text Layouts with line drawings or scan Ner clip Price is computer trial set two men have been ordered to stand trial on 32 charges of illegally entering the computer systems of several Canadian the Case is believed to be the first since the criminal code was Amend on uni de last year to prevent unauthorized Access to computer Syvain a Zartet and Betzolt Desro Siers Are accused of using a com Puter to enter the systems of about 10 including the atomic Energy commission of the preliminary hearing for the two is set for outline runs on c64 san Broder bund software has introduced thinking an outlining program for the Commodore thinking Cap handles up to seven different Levels of information with 16 subtopics at text can be added under each the pro Gram automatically will create a numbering format for an outline up to six pages Price in the is multilingual writer Santa Multi Lingual version a full Multi language word processing has been introduced by Gamma productions according to the the program is for students and business people who need for eign language word processing on an ism pc or multilingual scribe allows the user to write and edit in dozens of languages and includes in one pack age support for and scandinavian he and a font Generator Utility included with the package customizes the supplied fonts and keyboard or can create whole new fonts or Price is Multi faced programs incline the author of Ashton tates original base Wayne is working with Migendt on something new in software multiple user inter who has since left Ashton May have a solution for users who Are tired of learning a new Way of dealing with a program every time they take on something new for their a software package of this sort would use its own language internal but each surface would resemble the operation of another popular in if you were a Lotus 123 you could choose the Lotus 123 style of commands and menus while using this new and avoid relearning the use of a different Migendt also makes a Small pocket and Sells an integrated pro Gram called proven popular payroll software for micros from 1 to 1000 amp Loyous 6670167 rent it portables by week or month with rent applicable to we configure our equipment to your prompt a National typewriter office equipment 272 main Street o1 i1 my ill user groups Here a a list of borne computer user groups in Winnipeg d Adam users meats Contact Andre 1510 Alexander at d Manitoba Adam users meets every second time and location May Contact Eric Brennan at or Geprge major at d atari St users meets at 7 the second thursday of each month in the Winnipeg Centennial for users of the 520 St and 1040 Contact Len Stokes at or Call the stud bus at d atari users meets first thursday of each month in the Grant Par Harrow recreation 550 Harrow Contact Rick d Commodore users meets at 7 in the its room the first monday of the d Manitoba users group Commodore meets at 7 on the second thursday each month in Patricks 625 Spruce Contact John Sarvis at u Epson user meets at 7 on the last thursday of each month at the inf tech 1970 Ness d in pc users group of meets at on the third thursday of each month in the Black lecture red River Community Contact Michael Pinchbeck at 9343486 or 6334637 or write to Box r3c 4e6 d macintosh meets at on the second wednesday of the in theatre b or Basic medical sciences William d about macintosh a users meets at on the second tuesday of each month in the Centennial Contact Zhiren Fonseca at d Muddy water Osborne user meets at the last monday of most months in theatre Basic sciences Emily Street at Bannatyne at enquiries to Vic Roberts at 14826259 d to users full to Call or write to National users group 759 6th r7a 3p3 d Winnipeg Apple users meets at on the first wednesday of each month in the Basic medical science 730 William with free parking in lot membership first family membership Contact Florence Tokar at or Tim Evans at d Winnipeg meets at on the second and fourth sundays of the month in room red River d Winnipeg Micro 80 users meets at 9 every second saturday in Tec voc High for users of radio also operates a bulletin Contact Robert Black at 6337196 after 6 d Winnipeg 994a users meets time and location May Call Paul Roegner at or Call the 9900boaro bus at d meets at the fourth thursday of each month at 1970 Ness Contact Don this list will be published new listings and updated information Are please Send to Micro world Vern Winnipeg free 300 Carlton r3c just in time for Christmas its Here starting at under introducing the Apple pigs now the worlds Favourite personal computer is one of the worlds most the new Apple will run virtually every program in the vast Apple ii software Library at lightning fast add fabulous graphics in 4096 colours and a 15 voice synthesizer and you have a system that is Ideal for both business and learning at plus the new Apple pigs is compatible with the Apple ii your children Are using at the new Apple pigs at professional computer Centre today but act quantities Are limited professional computer Centre 185 Carlton Street 9499100 thu Apple and Apple pigs Are trademarks of Apple computer authorized dealer ;