Hello, dear friends!
This is not a joke, you are indeed reading the first Samara Electronic Journal (or perhaps a Newspaper?), distributed by our Samara "ZX-Club". If you regularly (at least once a year) buy programs in the "ZX-Club" stores, then you already know us by correspondence. We are the author-hacker group STARS OF KELADAN. Our members are: Evgeny Milun (known in the world as PAUL ATRIDES) and Alexander Korolev (also known as ALK). Previously, we "worked" under our own roofs - "KeladabSoft" and "StarsSoft, Ibc." respectively, but now we have decided to tackle something new for us, and necessary for our homeland.
Q - page up, A - page down. Now about our journal. No, no. No need for crooked smirks at it. It is conceived as an alternative to the widely distributed magazine in our country (and still respected by us, you will understand why "still" later) called "SPECTROFON". We ask you not to compare the design of "SPECTROFON" and our "OBERON" too critically, we are not artists or musicians, we are simple professional programmers.
By the way, this is exactly what prompted us to publish the Journal - "SPECTROFON" approaches the problems of copyright (and not only copyright) programs from the perspective of a layman far removed from computers (what else can we call the naive theories they preach?), while we come from the position of professionals mentioned above, despite this, our Journal is aimed at ordinary users, just like "SPECTROFON".
Why "OBERON"? Oberon is the fifth largest moon of Uranus, known among astronomy and science fiction enthusiasts as the "thunder moon" (thanks to Stanislaw Lem). We believe this is quite suitable for a name. Thunder - you will see why. Moon, i.e. a satellite - by the original idea it was supposed to "dock" to the diskette with "SPECTROFON" (the editors of the latter have copyright on the software product - "SPECTROFON", but have no rights to the medium - the disk), and "OBERON" aims to convey to the reader what the "SPECTROFON" editorial cannot (or does not want?) to figure out itself. But due to the volume of text and programs, we had to start its release on our "own" diskette (and unlike "SPECTROFON", all our texts are compressed - this increases the amount of material in the issue).
So, here is our first issue, and we hope not the last, which, perhaps, like everything for the first time, turned out to be a mess. It's up to you to decide.
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A little about navigation:
Q, 9, arrow "up" - page up:
A, 8, arrow "down" - page down:
ENTER - next page:
SPACE, 0, E - exit to menu:
M - toggle AY music on/off:
S - expand music stereo base:
C - switch color mode.
Additionally, you can use a KEMPSTON joystick if you have one in your computer.
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AY-MUSIC by CodeBusters Group (Ukraine),
& Dream Makers Software (Belorussia).
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Contents of the publication: Oberon #01
- Introduction
Introduction to the first issue of Oberon, a Samara electronic magazine by the STARS OF KELADAN group, intended as an alternative to SPECTROFON, focusing on programming professionalism.
- Scroll
Analysis of software issues in ZX Spectrum games featured in 'SPECTROFON', specifically 'SPACE CRUSADE' and 'REBEL STAR'. Discussion on the programs' faults, hacking attempts, and lack of testing. Critique of 'SPECTROFON' magazine's handling of software quality.
- Scroll
Description of the ZX/IBM Editor v1.0 with detailed analysis of its features, such as menu navigation, file operations, and text compression. Discusses compatibility with multiple disk drives and adaptation for 128K machines. Provides insights into limitations and updates made in version 1.5D.
- Review
The article discusses software available at ZX-Club, including detailed reviews of Animation 2.0, a package for creating simple commercials, and the game 'Country of Myths', a Dungeons & Dragons genre game. 'Insult Megademo' by Code Busters is highlighted for its music and video effects, with warnings about compatibility issues for certain computers. The piece stresses the importance of purchasing only properly tested software to avoid problems.
- Review
Analysis of software distributed by 'INFORCOM' highlights issues in programs like STS, TASM128, and VIRUS, criticizing their technical flaws and marketing claims. The article questions the quality and legality of these programs while offering alternative solutions. It reflects on the challenges in software development and distribution for ZX Spectrum.
- About Everything
Discussion of ZX Spectrum programs' tricks and bugs, mentioning user experiences and feedback, with special focus on games and technical challenges.
- Educational Program - Paul Atrides
Discussion on programming etiquette and the need for comprehensive knowledge beyond coding skills, with historical insights into computing.
- Hardware - Александр Королёв
The article discusses the attribute port #FF on Russian ZX Spectrum clones, its quirks, and potential issues with using Gromov's schematic. The author provides a revised version of the schematic, offering improvements for better compatibility. This technical note is aimed at enthusiasts who want to enhance their systems.
