Letters to the Editor

Supporting Scorpio News

Dear Sir

When Scorpio News hadn’t come by the third week of February, I began to suffer withdrawal symptoms, and to think “Paul must have made off with the subscriptions”. Then a tiny envelope postmarked “Aylesbury” arrived. They are returning my cheque, I thought. Imagine my thoughts when I opened the envelope and found it contained the new issue ! But if we do not support the magazine, it will get so small that it will only exist in our imagination, which I for one would consider a great pity.

Despite the limitations of 64K, a Gemini/​MAP/​Nascom CP/M system is very adequate for most home use. The hardware is first class in quality, there is still plenty of hardware support (consider the new Z180, Z280 and 80286 cards for example), and one can “get at” the software and hardware in a way that is much more difficult with the newer PC compatibles.

With the “swing” to PCs and compatibles though, many of us probably have dealings with both systems, and it is inevitable that the magazine has to give support in this direction too. The recent very interesting articles on DRH on attaching various drive formats to an AT-compatible is a typical example of the way that we can continue to help each other. We should also remember that Gemini are now producing an AT-compatible series of machines, as well as the 8088 and 80286 cards for the 80-BUS, to say nothing of their Challenger and Transputer machines.

Ever since my first machine, I found all of the various Nasbus/80-BUS magazines invaluable as a source of learning and information. More recently I have felt able to contribute some ideas of my own. As the Editor said in the last issue, contributors don’t get paid (boo-hoo). My reasons for sending in stuff is that it may help someone with a similar problem, and it helps to keep Scorpio News afloat.

There are two things that you, the readers can do to keep the magazine alive. The first is to send in articles. The second is to publicise the magazine to friends and get them to subscribe.

Yours, Clive Bowden, Nr. Truro, Cornwall.