Alternative Reading

===================

This month we have another tape magazine, 'Spectrum User'. This one is special since it is FREE! Send a cassette & SAE (or 50p to cover tape & postage) to Spectrum User, 58 Beacons View Rd, Morriston, Swansea SA6 7HU.

After loading (a single BIG block of Basic) comtrol is by keyboard or Kempston/Sinclair/Cursor joystick - B (or left) and F (or right) page back & forward, M (or up) gives the menu and S (or down) prompts for a particular page number. Presentation is good, in the style of screen pages of text - there were no screenshots of other pictures.

The magazine offers reviews (issue 2 had PACLAND, OGRE and the Kobrahsoft tape-copier utility SC5 amongst others), useful pokes (not infinite life ones - for example PRINT 65536-USR 7962 which gives the amount of free memory) and Full Price & Budget Top Tens (no hint as to how they are compiled).

On side B each tape offers a game & a utility. Issue 2 had a 3D game, Ultimate Warrior, offering 250 rooms and worth a budget #1.99 on its own! The utility is a questionable Spectrum Sound Sampler - though issue 1 offered a Renumber & issue 3 promised Double Height character printing as well as a review of Basic compilers.

This magazine is extremely good value for money - if the authors can keep up with demand!

Also available still is NETWORK, on tape for Plus D/Disciple users (#1 per issue from 38 Kings Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BJ) and OUTLET from Chezron Software. The Beta Basic newsletter seems to have died out (due to MGTs SAM project, maybe).