The Bit At The Front (TBATF)

By Will Watts

Originally published in EUG #03

Another Overdue Issue

Here we are once again with another overdue issue of EUG magazine. I wonder if it's worth apologising for the delay or are you all sick of hearing those words?! It's a pity things haven't worked out as I planned because most of the important work (i.e. the writing of the articles, etc) was done by many of you and sent to me ages ago! Unfortunately, Murphy's law says that, "If something can go wrong it will go wrong!" Want to hear about it? No, I didn't think you would but I'll tell you anyway!

Printing Problems

As some of you know, since the end of August last year I have been without my own printer (an Epson RX80) and have had to borrow a couple of stop-gap machines from long suffering friends. The first was an Epson MXE2F/T (Thanks, Tony!) which just about managed to chugg its way through EUGs #1 and #2 before it blew a fuse and died. (Sorry, Tony!)

The good people of Basildon locked their doors and cowered under kitchen tables as I roamed the night streets head-butting lamp posts and screaming, "Why me, why me?!". All good things must come to an end though, and it was a few days before Christmas when another friend offered to lend me his spare printer (Thanks, Mat!) as long as I could provide the heavy-lifting gear needed to transport it!

This new machine is an Anadex Silent Scribe and it was used to print all the text for this magazine. It's a very old wide-carriage job, with no graphics facilities but a print speed of about six billion characters per second. It's better than nothing I suppose.

For a few weeks I was then without my Electron (more about this in a moment!) so couldn't print a thing! It was during this period that many of you were subjected to the horrors of a hand-written letter. I hope most of you have recovered by now. I'm told the shaking stops after a week or two.

Electron Upgrade

So, where was my Electron during this time?? Away at Slogger's workshop having a Master RAM Board fitted, along with the new Stop Press 64 (SP64) desk-top publishing system! It's a really amazing package. Alas I've been unable to get my Electron RX80 repaired in time so can't show you the results of using it, but...I know a man who can!

Derek Walker of Glasgow recently had SP64 fitted and very kindly sent a review in the form of a sample page. It's printed in this issue! Well, that's quite enough from me for the time being. Enjoy the rest of the mag!!!!!!!!!

Will Watts
February 1992, EUG #3