Presentation - criticism ZX-Format, Conver Commander v4.5 pro, MS-Pack 01.96, XAS-128, Sample Tracker v2.1.

PRESENTATION

Since its launch the magazine interested in the many. It was
evident that the authors have spent enough time, thinking about
the interface and direction (probably a planned approach can
still produce results). Already the first issue was of such
high level that the authors themselves, the founders were
confident - even the monster in his work as an electronic
journal SPECTROFON not immediately stand - izoydet rave
reviews, will climb to cuddle and recognizes the ZX-FORMAT best
computer magazine of all time peoples. During the first three
editions of XL DESIGN waited , finally, will this momentous
event and sweetly interested in Moscow: "Well, you both are
ripe?". Well, okay, modesty is not in high esteem, but none to
anyone, in fact, not prohibits call himself the best, if only
they tried to somehow the title to prove ...

And they tried. In each room you can find lots of
interesting information, although a few "narrow-action."
Specifically: do not doubt the professionalism of articles on
prostate and iS-DOS'u, because they write their own writers,
developers! But the trouble with the games ... Reviews of new
products are only and only advertising. What is not surprising,
because Firm LOGROS, "Custodian" magazine, these same games and
trades therefore, can not afford any intuitive assessments,
because they can be negative. Category PROSPECTS P / O
"certainly interesting, but do not forget that the country and
so littered with game demos, a" genius "on the other. The fact
that all these demos turn someday into something more than an
exercise novice programmers, it is very doubtful sense of
responsibility is the same moribund concept, as well as
modesty. Analyses of games is not so bad, but I absolutely can
not understand why publish the series "48 IRON" and "Winnie the
Pooh" in a few issues, given the periodicity of the magazine
(several months). Why is it so worried about me? It is no
secret that new items iS-DOS'a, Scorpion, and KAY, excite,
basically, only Petersburg and some other regions (ie, only
those who do uses). The only thing they love almost everything
- this game software (I do not want to say that everyone's
doing that play, but love this activity and, therefore,
interested them most) and difficult to count on the universal
popularity of publication, without considering this factor.

Another one I wanted to mention. In the ZX-FORMAT'e there is
a constant topic for fans of AMIGA. The risk of incurring their
anger will express doubts about its value. None of the articles
I do not found any specific technical information about this
miracle technology, and genuine exclamations such as "... THE
BEST! RULEZ!" I long ceased to believe. By the way, gentlemen
amizhniki why you're behave as if all the fans of Spectrum
chase you out of all gaps? Well RULEZ AMIGA, RULEZ, who argues
something! Why on this occasion to roll hysteria?

In conclusion, mention that the foregoing is only
my subjective opinion (even if based on objective
facts), so I do not claim that the ZX-FORMAT uninteresting,
indeed, say that he was pretty good, though boring for many.
Only here (more there) you can read about KAY, SCORPION, AMIGA,
iS-DOS, that the TR-DOS is dead, and Rodionov sells German
modems ... and lots of other information that you will not find
in other publications!

CONVER-COMMANDER v4.50 PRO
(C) Yuri KOVALEVSKI
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Commander Kowalewski has always been one of the best ...
Despite let traditional, but outdated interface, they have
always been overcrowded for its time, different (from the start
and up) functions. If we talk about version 4.50 (although She
and beta), then CONVER and there does not disappoint: the turbo
mode, the duplication of similar files when copying, the
opportunity to restore the sector, according to the 0-7 sector
zero track a powerful disk-doctor with a calculator, extensive
formatting, opportunity to work with beaten sectors, support
for extended memory PROFI, SCORPION, KAY and PENTAGON 512, call
most functions via hotkeys, only one of its auto sort function
"safety net" directory to 160 track, almost no glitches
(although in beta, and they is), but much still all here ... If
you have added HELP-page the doctor, the opportunity to see the
catalogs of two drives simultaneously (which, of course, have
to make a seal, at least at 42 characters per line, which, in
turn, only would benefit the appearance of the program),
built-in setup with Ability to change colors and fonts, display
mode of calculating the volume of files. So, if all of this and
something else was available, the commander could be called the
best of the best. From glitches in the beta version that is
included in the supplement to the journal ZX-FORMAT, I had seen
only the following: CONVER has not determined there is no disk
in the drive by changing the last, and somehow once he dropped
when copying. Among the shortcomings: despite turbo-mode disk
driver, Commander terribly slow, probably because of the
scan-paths, introduced Kovalevsky to the user, God forbid,
would not CONVER'om copy-protected discs, if it comes it in the
head.

XAS editor-assembler 128k
(C) 1996 Maxim Petrov
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

In my opinion, very promising assembler. Just even
I do not know what to say bad about him. Wait I'm full version
and then ... The only thing I would like to wish for - is to
implement search and replace, and must - support for multiple
drives, and extended memory, not only the Pentagon's 512, but
other machines with a separate port for this purpose.

MS-PACK v01.96
(C) MICROSPACE
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Just a very good compressor files. Window interface,
controlled not only the cursor, but the hot keys (but
Some of these keys puzzling ...); loads and
upload files of any type, long handle files up to 42,240
(All 48'ya memory than the screen); sufficient installation
unpacker, very cool compresses (not dabbled much, but, for
example, text ON-LINE, he squeezed a ten percent greater than
LZPAC), moreover, the process of compression is not too long,
and unpacking occurs at normal speed, ie fast, built-HELP.

A perplexing defense program name (in my opinion,
this is too much ...). Bug: when changing a disk or drive does
not work CANCEL.

SAMPLE TRACKER v 2.1
(C) CBM 'OLDMAN
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

An interesting question I was asked - "A little present its
program, or just strangers can" stomp "?". And I said - "A
Easy! ".

Must immediately confess that this was not music editor
written in close collaboration with the CBM, I did this
gentleman (God) to know I do not know, though, of course,
immensely grateful him for the original version 2.0. Since the
player I was re-written (company option was a 4-bit, brake, and
not was suspended on interrupt), editor of the composition
significantly, and everything else out there did not have in
stock, I thought it fair to increase the version number by 0.1
and put your full copyright. This practice may not be quite
legitimate, but in any case not trivial, and most importantly,
brings excellent results for users.

Despite the fact that DR.SAMPLER (GALAXY), in his article
"Music editors, which we choose" (ZX-FORMAT N4) does not
mentioned SAMPLE TRACKER, the latter is a complete digital
music editor (or editor of digital music, as who like to). For
those who do not know, said that all the sampling in the
demonstrations that came to us "from abroad), written just in
it, rather, in its original version. The main advantage is
support for multiple devices audio output. In version 2.0, it
was - the beeper, AY, and three-channel chetyrehbitny kovoks
(but may kovoks was and 8-Beaten, but Editor thrown only 4
bits), in version 2.1 I had a choice expanded - beeper, AY, and
three eight-kovoksa - Single Channel LPT, dual-and four-PROFI
SOUND DRIVE 2. Since I managed to write a player for AY, in
real time converting 8 bits into 4, all of digitizing retain
their 8-bit format and changing the player, you can print them
on kovoks without loss of quality (prakticheski. .. some impact
on the quality play provides the conversion of 3 channels on
the composition 1, 2 or 4 channel D / A converter).

Another of the advantages SAMPLE TRACKER v2.1 can be
mentioned: 6 octaves perfectly appropriate IBM standard, 16
tools; design of a popular SOUND TRACKER'a; really handy disk
interface and the best of the existing quality of play (the
ones who understand this, let him compare the frequency table
samples); quite comfortable editor tracks (at least not worse
than the DIGITAL STUDIO) and ... perhaps all.

Among the shortcomings: the lack of inclusion in the
composition effects (DMM here out of competition) and a small
amount of free memory for the tools (about 28 kb). Well what
can I say in my defense ... Poles because somehow managed to
write music to such an extent ... Although, of course, thanks
to this, the editor faces the fate of become a "dead" program
on the Russian open spaces. Despite the fact that music written
in the SAMPLE TRACKER v2.1 can be play and a 48-s machines,
where the latter is the relevant output device (although I
understand that this is a dubious advantage ...).

As for glitches: on computers SCORPION not always "finds"
the disk in the drive ...

Dmitry (OLDMAN)
MDM 496-8508; 12:00 / 21:00
E-mail: zxnet@mastak.msk.su
dmitry_g@deol.ru
ZXNet: 095/100.1