ZX News #03 28 февраля 1997

Пресса

Review magazine - On journals: SPECTROFON, ZX-FORMAT, ADVENTURER, SPECCY, FAULTLESS.

       Overview of computer reading.



        If you are plagued by problems

        like: "Why would such a

        read? ", then do not read
        those of this article - it's all
        of a survey with a small
        Shimi comments.



  Each edition of the computer completely
confident in their uniqueness. No more
smug creatures than editors, and
No more smug editors than
editors of computer publications.
Each of them are absolutely confident in the superiority of its 
publications over others, and absolutely does not want to 
notice them. (NOTE HEADS. Ed.)



  What awaits the ordinary reader of the electronic edition? 
Interesting question. Themselves publishers give him a very 
rare. A in vain. Each edition can be evaluated

user's perspective, the programmer
and Hacker (the attitude of some hackers
purely consumer magazines - how to
entu figovinki yes razlomati).


  Therefore, the review, we will build, based on
the needs of those who make and those
who is playing. Let's start with one of the oldest
magazines - with the "Spectrofon'a" (oh, why
always begins with him?):

USER: obviously, this is the best
magazine. In each room, beautifully sort through some kind of 
toy and given a debut to another. Review of new games

There is always the approach to a game purely custom. Think 
especially do not need all already thought out and written down 
"to us." Just enjoy, and sometimes pochityvaya section: "From 
the world of a bat" to listen According to the editorial, why 
this or that subject's / subject's - bad uncle. High

level texts. No typos, syllogism, tautology, speech defects.

Programmer: zero point, shish-tenths.
News hit neobektivnostyu. Assaults on the authors of the game 
for bugs in the cracked and raspotroshennoy game. Discontent 
and grumbling about the monotony of the genre. No information 
about programming. Complete disregard for hackers and 
demomeykerov with periodic claims to them due to the fact that 
discharge the same do not write the game. Relation to other 
journals: no groups except for "STEP" and "Spectrofon" prophet 
her. 

Yes, it's interesting, but, nevertheless, for users
this is the best magazine. What we do next? A
farther from us: the antipode of previous edition, the 
magazine: "ZX-FORMAT": 

USER: No, it's too hard.
The style of presentation is not for ordinary mortals. Many 
novels openly boring. But management! That is for what

worth buying this magazine. Beautiful
intro and interface. News is too ambiguous and vague. Study 
Games either inadequate Self

passage, or redundant, and discourages
interest. Articles are written by illiterate
many typos and tautologies.

Programmer: Oh, yes! All you need a white man! Gorgeous user 
interface, many different views, objectively

(And therefore controversial) assessment programs. Interviews 
with the great world ZX. Articles for beginners, and for the 
pros. Quite a lot of pure St. Petersburg's problems and 
scandals, which is a bit annoying. Overly active advertising 
AMIGA (although it's worth it, believe me, I saw her at work). 

With that finished, criticized in the fluff
and dust. Who will be the next victim of repression? 
"ADVENTURER": 

USER: good magazine about
average. Each issue contains
elaboration of a pair of games. But! Extremely difficult and
illogically placed articles on the topics. To find the 
necessary article, you must view the entire magazine. The 
system of the articles in the section sequentially, 
podzagruzkam brings nothing but trouble. Level of articles and 
materials are constantly increasing. All Articles pretty 
original, all reprints from other publications are showing 
author and edition (get permission to publication if the author 
in England, all the same quite difficult). Not a lot of mistakes

as in "ZX-FORMAT'e.

Programmer: middle, at the half. No
articles for professionals. However, for
Starter magazine provides a solid base.
Well done all of the descriptions of system
programs, although there are inaccuracies and
minor omissions (eg in the description to
program "QUILL" all the examples used the command MESSAGE, but 
she is nowhere was not specified. While this is, of course, 
little things). It would be much better if cited source code and

algorithms described in the journal.

This is followed by: Truth and Lies about the journal
"FAULTLESS":

USER: No! Quite interesting to read about hacker disassembly, 
assaults on anyone or get, at loggerheads, and distorted 
articles from other publications. Pretty good application in 
the early numbers are not compensates for the shortcomings of 
common interface. The first room was awful, not worth read it 
(your eyes will thank you!). Subsequent numbers each time 
promised to change the interface, and each time it turns out to 
be a hoax. Why, then made hidden parts (do not give rest 
laurels INSULT?). News are most likely to simply advertising 
programs from publishers. 


PROGRAMMER: No! Great idea from the source was, for unknown
reasons buried. Though they source'y
largely obviously makes this: taken
someone's old library, the choice of
thence copied files heels and call names all this "help 
beginners to learn programming. Even I could not run some 
files. One of them had a long few Kb, and the whole effect

his work: reset the computer. Like
would suggest a simpler and more rapid implementation of this 
in BASIC: USR 0. Obviously, this effect should have been

built into the magazine instead of a screensaver, but to
Unfortunately, this did not happen.


  In many respects, interesting to read about who
than they are now engaged. Articles about programming to tear 
out old books publishing "VA-PRINT". Too pretenziozno and 
arrogantly. In the latter, the fourth room of the nine articles 
were three (!) Is not torn: an interview with one of the 
authors magazine (they are that, in each room, take

interview each other?), news and ...
advertising.


  Continues to show for our instructive
small magazine perverts "SPECCY":

USER: parody of "Spectrofon", to
Unfortunately that does not have its advantages, and 
disadvantages of adopting only: unintelligible speech, 
teachings and other things that are not inherent in even the 
"Spectrofon'u. At least intrusive advertising package 
Velichutinyh "ANIMATION". By the way, they also publish a 
journal. I do not know how anyone, but I got

impression that the magazine itself was created
just for this purpose. Study Games
measure strange. Terribly clumsy interface
and the viewer only exacerbate the overall impression. But! In 
the 6 rooms have a beautiful idea: comments on articles, which 
eliminates the need to download the article itself to find out 
what it is. 


Programmer: persistent hang, torn effects, no fun.
Effects described in the journal, explain clearly enough for a 
beginner, but for the pros they are too simple to

they are interested. The abundance of scanned
and clumsily painted pictures are not happy
eye, but just nervous. Judging by the commercials, ranks first, 
we can conclude: a roller-winner was only sent to the 
competition, or advertised package "ANIMATION" can not do 
anything steeper. 


  Finally, I would say the distinguished authors of journals: 
do not take everything that was written above, as a private

insult. Remember: not the one who
praises, and whoever curses. But buyers
we give a table - with popularity ratings
nonresident log in Lugansk. (We then
at his home course in the first place,
but this is not an indicator):


           1. SPECTROFON

           2. ZX-FORMAT

           3. ADVENTURER

           4. FAULTLESS

           5. SPECCY



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