It's been a while since Archive 25.3 landed and I was waiting with much anticipation for the next issue to arrive. Happily, it did so in the middle of last week so, having written little about my favourite non-mainstream OS for a while, thought it worth giving the latest issue a review.
Well packaged as usual, the first thing you notice is the rather lovely photograph of a sunset that occupies the cover alongside the contents page. As you can see from the image above, there is a lot in the latest issue which is well worth reading. The range and breadth of contributions really do make this a fantastic example of a user-generated publication and one that is great at informing, educating and entertaining the reader. Hmmm, that has a certain ring to it.
The article on graphical coding with Python is well worth your time if you're getting to grips with this language in RISC OS, the introduction to UCDebug is a good intro into debugging tools, and the Bookmarks piece has links to three very interesting dev videos. Andy Marks (of RISCOSbits fame) demonstrates three different virtual desktop apps, USB audio gets an informative piece and there is even a small letters page. The regular sections are also up to their usual high standard.
However, there are a couple of articles I do want to comment on, as well as the future plans the editor has revealed.
Firstly, the brace of hardware pieces. There's one on the TiX Duet from RISC OS Computers and then a comparison review between the FOURtress from RISCOSbits and the 4te from RISC OS Computers. It's especially heartening to see two budget machines in the RISC OS market that can cater for both new and existing users as well as a more bespoke machine that offers maximum flexibility.
The Duet (you'll need to scroll down that page) is a truly niche machine, a combination of a Titanium board and the PC motherboard of your choice. You decide the spec and the price, but the end result is one that can provide a RISC OS and Windows system in one desktop. This is not a machine for everyone, but that it exists is a good thing. It offers flexibility and freedom, as well as a simple space saving solution for those who don't have acres for a computer set up. The piece on the Duet in Archive does a very good job of explaining how the system works and its benefits, as well as detailing the process of actually obtaining one. Very interesting and highly informative.
The comparison review between the FOURtress and the 4te was of equal, if not greater, interest to me as these computers occupy the lower end of the RISC OS hardware market. Short of building your own desktop using a Raspberry Pi and suitable case, these are two of the simplest and most straight forward ways of getting your hands on a RISC OS system. The piece includes a benchmarks table, price breakdowns, and pros and cons of each system. In a sense, neither is "better" than the other - they both meet the same market requirement but from different companies. I don't "need" a new RISC OS machine at the moment, though I do "want" one (damn my adult sensibilities!) and either machine would fit the bill. What was great to see were the screenshots of the supplied software, something that neither company seems to list on their websites. Knowing what ships with the machine could make it easier for potential buyers to decide upon a purchase. As it stands, either machine will get you started out of the box, though there are add-on packs for (various unlisted) commercial software and AMCOG games from RISCOSbits. The 4te website has a section set aside for software but that's currently empty.
Kudos then for having the review piece for each machine. I do hope there will be a Pinebok (formerly known as Armbok) review because if the hardware is still available, I would like to see how it works as a RISC OS machine. Yep, still hankering after a portable RISC OS computer...
Also of note in this issue are the thoughts and plans of Gavin, the editor. You'll find these starting on page 36 and I do like where he wants to take the magazine. The two points he discusses in this issue are the change in software used to produce the mag (although still keeping it RISC OS based) and a planned increase in size. He notes that he had three more articles that could have been included in this issue so wants to move away from the stapled format (which limits the page count to 56) and move to a bound format, thus permitting an increase in page count. This is great news and shows that even though RISC OS remains a relatively niche operating system, it still has a vibrant user base. Couple that with readily available hardware and "good-to-go" software bundles, and it feels to me that there is a great deal of life in RISC OS yet. There are two more ideas on the way, alongside a survey, to be announced in the next issue.
All in all, Archive remains a great magazine and one that any RISC OS user will benefit from reading. It's also extremely promising that improvements and expansion are planned. I know I will be re-subscribing when the time comes.
Check out the Archive magazine website here if you'd like to know more about this essential RISC OS-based publication.
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