Subject: REVIEW: Amiga Computing, Issue 73, May 1994
From: [email-masked] (Eyal Teler)
Date: 17 May 1994 17:15:39 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAME

	Amiga Computing, Issue 73, May 1994

	[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Apologies for the lateness of this review.
	Eyal and I apparently had some e-mail difficulty.  - Dan]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

	A British Amiga magazine with a brand new look.  This article
introduces the changed features and lists the articles and coverdisk
programs available with the issue.  Reviews of some of the programs on the
coverdisks may be posted separately.

AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

	Name:		Europress Enterprise Ltd.
	Address:	Europa House
			Adlington Park
			Macclesfield SK10 4NP
			UK

	E-mail:		[email-masked] (Editorial)

LIST PRICE

	#3.99 (British Pounds)
	Overseas price #4.25.  ($10 in the US, to my knowledge.)
	Hfl 18.95

REVIEW

	Amiga Computing has change its look!  While this review is not
intended to be a review of Amiga Computing itself, but rather to inform
about the May issue, this change is significant enough to warrant a short
discussion.  (A full review of Amiga Computing may come in the future, but
I'm not promising anything).  Here's what's new:

	- A new, "futuristic" look with a more "computerised" font for
	headlines, and a "circuit diagram" look for the pages, which means
	that the boxes of text are linked with lines which have electronic
	component symbols on them.

	- A change in layout for the main sections of the magazine.  (The
	Amiga Insight and Amiga Market sections look the same as before.)
	Apart from the "futuristic" look mentioned above, the text itself is
	now printed in three columns plus a small gap, where small text
	clips or pictures appear.  If you've read Format, you'll know the
	style.  That's instead of the four columns AC had previously.  The
	font is slightly larger, too.

	- All new games section.  It's bigger than ever, but that's not
	because there are more game reviews.  It's quite innovative, with
	small boxes of text dedicated to the different aspects of the game -
	Storyline, Graphics, Sound, Opinion (of the reviewer), Flashback
	(comparison with similar games), and Additional Info (related
	trivia).  An average game receives 50% (that's a new one).  The
	section also includes a significant number of features, and not only
	game reviews.

	The May issue is 188 pages long, including covers, and includes two
coverdisks.

COVERDISK PROGRAMS

	The programs now use the Commodore Installer program, but only on
AmigaDOS 2.0 or higher). It still does the same old thing of decompressing
the program onto a diskette, as far as I know, but I only have AmigaDOS 1.3,
so I haven't really tried it.  Amiga Computing promises to make the installer
compatible with AmigaDOS 1.3.  In the meantime, a special decompressing
script was created for AmigaDOS 1.3 users.

Disk 1:

Personal Fonts Maker - create bitmapped fonts, and also download them to
your printer.  This is the major application on the disk (with an upgrade
offer in the mag).  Works on all Amigas.  Decompressing this program took
a lot of time (around 10 minutes, I estimate).
DTree - display a directory tree (like a PC ;-).  Not for AmigaDOS 1.3.
Spooler - an easy to use (so they say) spooler for text files.  Not 1.3.
Epoch Master V1.1 - database, calendar and address book.  Not 1.3.
Program for ARexx tutorial

Disk 2:

Legend of Sorasil demo - a diskette dedicated to a game demo!  And in AC!
I'm shocked!  (Why all the exclamation marks???!!!)

CONTENTS OF MAGAZINE

News (highlights):
	New A1200 and CD32 packs
	DPS's Personal Animation Recorder available in Britain
	ImageFX tutorial video
	IV24-A4000 card
	Distant Suns 5.0
	ImageMaster R/T 1.5

Features:
	The present and future of Commodore and the Amigas (for those who do
	like to be optimistic).
	Video-CD - what is it, and what we can expect to see on it.
	Computer pornography - can't get enough of it. :)
	Premier Vision seminar on Amiga and multimedia - and you thought no
	one advertises the Amiga. :)
	ELSPA game regulations rules - interview with Roger Bennet of ELSPA.
	Read about a subject which is no longer relevant.

Reviews:
	Wordworth 3.0 - the buggiest word processor around.
	Multiframe - DVE automation for ADPro.
	VideoStage Pro (preview) - cheap but powerful titling and multimedia.
	Personal Paint 4.0 - know what you get with the new A1200 pack. :)
	TBCPlus - TBC with colour processing and frame grabbing.
	Books for Amiga beginners.
	ADI GCSE educational programs - Maths, English, French.

Tutorials (most are ongoing):
	AmigaDOS 3.0 - creating an auto-booting disk.
	ARexx - building ARexx interfaces - the passing of messages.
	Video - video standards.
	Music - using MIDI clocks.
	Comms - encryption, and why you can't export it from the US.
	AMOS - SpriteX v3.
	Publishing - pictures in letters (well, you have to see it). :)
	Assembler - let's start writing a game (over the next 6 months).

Competitions:
	Win some Psygnosis games and varied Microcosm clothing.
	Win a CD32 and Zool 2 (and T-shirt).

Games section - this brand new and expended section deserves to be detailed
separately:
	News - new games expected, Ishar for cheap (BP5), new consoles
	expected (not from C=).
	Selection - the best games of the past months.
	Reviews - Microcosm, K240, Innocent until Caught, Legend of Sorasil,
	Maelstrom, Ryder Cup Golf.
	Budget games - Railroad Tycoon, Fly Harder (CD32).
	Previews - TFX, Benefactor.
	Features:
	Advertising in games.
	Football games.
	Core Design - interview and games to wait for.
	Cheats - Simon the Sorcerer solution; tips for Zool 2, Goal,
	Cannon Fodder, Alien Breed 2.

LIKES AND DISLIKES

	Amiga Computing promises further changes until the end of the year,
affected by reader responses.  There are a few things I don't like about the
style, but check it out for yourself.  If there's anything really bad about
the issue, it is that there are many more pages dedicated to the games
section, and fewer pages dedicated to other things, as compared with
previous issues.  The game demo was also something I could do without. 

	On the plus side, the games section is better in many respects.  They
didn't review any arcade games, and there are no more of the silly puns so
common in game reviews.

BUGS

	I could find two quite annoying things.  The first is the fact that
'V' and 'U' look almost the same in the headlines, due to the new font.  Ever
heard of "GUP"?  The second was the fact that game details (company, price,
etc.) are printed sideways, so you have to turn the magazine around to read
them.

CONCLUSION

	You could do worse than to buy this issue (by buying Format, for
example).  I hope they manage to get rid of the bugs in the design in the
future.  This issue is recommended mainly for people who are looking for a
change.  The coverdisks are not too useful for me, because most programs are
for AmigaDOS 2.0 and above.  The magazine itself still has some interesting
features.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

      Copyright 1994 Eyal Teler.  All rights reserved.

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