Optron #31 28 сентября 1999

ZXNet

ZX-Net - ZX-Net network for Spektrumistov.

                  ZXNet



        Let's start ragovor of ZXNet ...

{} Gena Busher, rasp, 1999


  There lived quietly spektrumist yourself, no one touched, 
played in his little world (this is his little world looked

as a certain number of tapes or diskettes -
between ten and up to ... maybe two hundred pieces
- Who have both) and sorrow knew, gradually
passing game for the game, level by level.
And so all my life! ..

  And he did not know, the poor, that somewhere
Nearby there is something big - no,
tremendous! - But rather, a global
planetary gathering of all the exciting software and 
information software. 

  Well, interestno? Then continue.

  Not so long ago we had a chance to witness a conversation 
between an inexperienced Lviv spektrumistom (called User)

and experienced computer warrior, fairly
shabby in virtual worlds and digital
threads (called the Guru, and it will also be
guide in our little virtual
travel).


  User:

  - Once I knew the band running on the curb waiting for the 
monitor download some games from the tape. And now the game 
finally loaded, but as it pass through? Of course, I appeal for 
help friends, but they are not gods, and also looking for any 
information on the ZX-Spectrum and software. From them that I 
learned that there is device, allowing at least ten

times speed up the loading programs into memory
Spectrum. More precisely, the two devices:
drive controller and the drive itself.

  Guru:

  - Yes, indeed, the disk system
TR-DOS made a breakthrough in software for spektrumistov former 
Soviet Union. This increased the productivity of Speccy in all 
parameters: the speed of data access (which is the most 
important thing in our case), reliability, ease of work. In 
addition, it opened the possibility of establishing a 
professional package (to example of, iS-DOS), as well as 
handbooks, dictionaries muzredaktorov with a full set of tools, 
electronic newspapers and magazines and, of course, games. 
Incidentally, this everything, including the same controller

drive with a floppy drive can be purchased at
Lviv radio market in the Striysky park -
read the advertising section "OPTRON!

  User:

  - Of course, with the software was better ...
Now with floppy disks carried a great variety of programs from 
St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev and many other cities. Programmers 
write steeper soft, pleasing us as masterpieces as "Black 
Crow", "Prnce of Persia "," Star Heritage "... In 
spektrumistskom world began to walk a lot of interesting 
electronic magazines and newspapers ... It's certainly nice, 
but something I still do not have enough. Alive

communication with peers.

  I caught a glimpse of a friend at work, as
He literally "bathed" in Internet'e and
easily jump to different countries and cultures. Are we, 
spektrumistam not happen to feel on the Speccy at least one 
percentage of the benefits enjoyed by pisyushniki? 

  Guru:

  - And here you have touched a chord with me! Try to explain. 
Fortunately, we now have spektrumistov a whole new way to 
communicate with each other, much better than the little white 
envelope that was sent by mail, or through suffering box of 
floppy disks, arrive by train from the famous

Kharkov hackers. And then, you know, is this too: walking six 
times at the station for the parcel, and there you'll get a 
fig. 

  User:

  - A new way? What is it? I do not
heard about it.

  Guru:

  - Do spektrumistov have a unique
able to connect to a computer
Network ZXNet, specially created for lovers of Speccy. This 
allows them to get access to such networks, known as Fido and

Internet, in mail mode.

  User:

  - Wow! And looks like a network? And as to the
it connect?

  Guru:

  - Network - two or more computers,
connected to a common backbone for information exchange. There 
are several ways access (connection) to the network.


  The simplest - direct connection
computer wires. The quality of
perfect communication. But it's expensive, and sometimes
impossible for computers, standing in different parts of the 
city and, especially, in different cities and countries. So 
this way acceptable only for local area networks within a room 
or building. 

  You can access other computers via satellite (Direct-PC)
or radio communications (Ethernet, GSM), but this
very expensive and unrealistic Speccy.

  User:

  - Uh-huh! I and three hryvnia - a luxury for
pocket, and sometimes that is not.

  Guru:

  - So, there is another, more affordable, way to connect to 
the network - using the telephone line and modem. 

  User:

  - Hmm ... And what is that thing - the modem?

  Guru:

  - Modem (for spektrumistov - CDOS-modem)
- A little magic box, which makes the mysterious connection
to the network. She connects with one side to
computer and on the other - to a telephone line.

  The connection is very simple:
turn on your computer, download the latest
version of the communication package EMS and dial using the 
modem's phone number some lucky owner of another modem.


  Thus, through a telephone line
You can share data among themselves
of your Speccy. For example, send a friend who lives across 
town, his favorite game or play with him at chess. And all this 
- not getting out of his favorite chair. No need to push a 
trolley or climb through the dark alleys, at the risk of 
running into Gopnik, only in order to show a friend the next 
beautiful picture. 

  User:

  - But so what if I start playing "for the
telephone "game of chess or ordinary share anecdotes" about 
Stirlitz? "It's very quickly get bored!


  Guru:

  - Of course - if limited
this. But the fact of the matter is that with
BBS users form a network komyuternuyu
- A kind of virtual community.

  User:

  - BBS?

  Guru:

  - It's - reducing the English term
"Bulletin board". So we call a computer with a modem and the 
necessary software. BBS automatically monitors incoming

calls and makes the user file sharing. A person who is 
responsible for its serviceability and maintenance, called 
"sysop" - System Operator. 

  The fact that someone posted on the BBS, then
same becomes available and other users of the station - is only 
a phone call. 

  For example, dial


                72-82-80,

You can connect to our Lviv
spektrumistskoy station


           -= Lion News BBS =

  She works every day to c 23:00
3:00. At other times this number will
meet people. With a good connection, you enter the server of 
Lviv ZXNet and you can be congratulated for first victory.


  User:

  - And where to buy this magic modem?

  Guru:

  - The modem can be purchased, again at
radio market.

  And at the station you need to register to become a full of 
its users, as well - points (member) Network ZXNet.


  User:

  - And what I find at this station
for yourself?

  Guru:

  - Software is available at this time on it,
and - the most recent issue of "Optron 'order
any of its previous number, and any other
new software.

  User:

  - And how do you find the BBS files I need?

  Guru:

  - Well, at the first communication session BBS you dumped a 
bunch of "clues". 

  Then you can get a list of files accessible area called 
"Common" and, selecting from it the name that you requested, 
"download" it. 

  You can also "travel" for such
areas of BBS, such as:

  - Progs - System program;

  - Humor - naturally, various
humor;

  - E-Soft - Network software;

  - 4Users - games and demos.
As well as many others.

  All these actions are displayed on the screen
Monitor BBS, and if at that time for all
monitors sysop, it shall, if necessary, will respond to you.

  User:

  - Well, if I needed a file I did not find it?