It's fair to say that, when EUG #62 bowed out fifteen months ago, it did so with a degree of both pessimism and optimism. Pessimism because we were saying goodbye to the only regular publication for the BBC machines. But optimism that sometime in the future, the EUG magazine would return, presumably if and when there was enough to put in it to warrant such. In the meantime though, so signed off the Ed, its readers could look forward to an increased EUG presence in cyberspace - "The Acorn Electron Haven".
The Haven project, a colossal database of facts and information on everyone's favourite beige machine, was actually envisaged by EUG's Dave Edwards, before that erstwhile contributor to the mag took it over, almost five years ago now. But as Will Watts, founder of EUG, once said, everything worthwhile takes time. This was particularly the case when juggling the struggling Electron User Group magazine with the large amounts of discwork that establishing the Acorn Electron Haven required. Indeed, throughout 2002, and my call to 'look to cyberspace' for updates regarding both, if you did, little was to be seen. The work involved was undertaken on the 'real' machines.
So just what has happened outwardly in the intervening period? Well, the uninspiring prototype grey-screen web page designed by my ex (who, quite unbelievably, went to work for a company specialising in web page design) was almost immediately pulled down and replaced with my own, far superior, one that chronicled the reviews in the later EUG issues. We also saw the creation on www.8bs.com of a whole section devoted to Elk documentation, including instructions for practically every game ever released. The Horny Elk released a second triple X rated slideshow, this time in the guise of AYANA THE YELLOW STAR, then promptly disappeared.
www.stairwaytohell.com saw itself copied to CD and flogged at ridiculously low prices on eBay (to the consternation of Dave M) but at the same time went upmarket with scrolling routines and logos on the introductory page galore! We lost www.keepitretro.com, several hundred long-thought-lost BBC Music Demos originally downloaded from Bulletin Boards swelled the archives of www.8bs.com and EUG released another 'special' disc of images to rival The Joseph Lavery Collection, this one named Animeworld. James Watson remains hard at work on a BBC machine code extravaganza that he intends to release on the BBC community when we least expect it, Superior thundered onto the PC scene under the new name Superior Interactive and the contents of EUG discs #0 to #62 were indexed in a handy "Find It Fast Catalogue".
Those are just some of the major developments. However, this article isn't just about regurgitating the "New" columns of the various websites. As you'll be aware from that rundown, all that happened over in EUG's corner of cyberspace was that an experimental review database replaced the older one. Much more work was going on behind the scenes however, the majority of it involving new ADFS 1D00 and DFS disc versions of Acorn Electron games.
Haven discs contain not only the files of the original game itself but also instructions, reviews, cheats and solutions in View format. As with all developing projects too, when the opportunity for improvement was realised, it meant altering code on a great number of discs. Not until the beginning of 2003 were all the discs completed and ready to upload to the internet. At that point, the limits of a website hosted at geocities became painfully apparent. Fortunately, in stepped Dave M with the offer to house the Haven on the same servers as StH.
Happily enough, this introduction to EUG #63 is now my long deserved break from two long weeks of scanning, uploading and graphics designing that has culminated in the Acorn Electron Haven finally becoming reality. From now on, pointing your web browser at www.acornelectron.co.uk gives pure Electron indulgence - quite apart from the massive Haven disc archive, www.acornelectron.co.uk is a landmine of Electron information which will only grow with time.
The time is therefore ripe for the return of EUG, now not as the magazine of the Electron User Group but instead as the magazine of the Acorn Electron Haven. The move from insular 8-bit solidarity to worldwide accessibility via emulation has not been without intrigue and this issue begins a series of some of the benefits emulation brings us, particularly in regard to users who use both PCs and the original Acorn machines for their hobbying.
The rest of the contents of the disc version of EUG #63 I have to confess have been metaphorically gathering dust after narrowly missing the deadline for inclusion in EUG #62 last year. I know some readers have missed their regular dose of EUG and pondered over whether their final words or contributions would get an audience through its 'pages'. To them I apologise for the delay in publishing EUG #63, which is by no means destined to be the final issue, and encroach them, and all of you reading this, to email any thoughts, questions, articles, requests or queries on anything BBC/Elk-related to the new address: dave_a_e@hotmail.com.
And so, what now for the future of EUG? Well, barring the fact that the physical discs will now no longer be sent out by post, the contents of each issue will follow the 'tried and tested' formula that EUG #63 remains adhered to. Each issue you can expect the usual four reviews of new software/hardware plus articles on programming and news mixed with public domain software and interesting letters. All text will also appear on the website, along with tantalising screenshots of the disc itself. Oh, and of course, you no longer have to pay for your EUG fix as it's only 'a click and an unzip' away!
Delay in appearance aside, the only other sacrifice regarding EUG is that as yet, no regularity of publication is proposed. A new EUG will simply appear when it is ready. Moral: Check the website regularly. For now though, please enjoy the remainder of EUG #63 and add this website to your bookmarks!