Look — some people are actually working! These ladies are putting a disk-drive together. Better than DOSsing around. DOSing?! Haw Haw!
Look — some people are actually working! These ladies are putting a disk-drive together. Better than DOSsing around. DOSing?! Haw Haw!
They’re all working at the MGT office, busily making more SAM Coupés — it’s the computer sensation they’re shipping to the nation! Indeed. Let’s take a closer look (Cor! This is just like Wildlife On One! — Ed).
(Adopts soft Jackanory storytelling voice) ‘Hullo everyone I’m Alan Miles, one of MGT’s directors. I’m practising for the How Many Coupés Can You Lift At Once? competition — I’ve got four in this box! And the jumper? Oh, I’m just wearing that for a bet. Ho hum.’
It turns out I’m not getting any extra money for this son-of-forum column. So don’t expect much (Oi! — Ed). Witty and intelligent replies everytime! Just write a letter about your SAM Coupé and the tricks and treats it gets up to and send them to: NEWSFIELD, LLOYD’S SAM FORUM, CRASH.
I was one of the first people to get a SAM COUPÉ, then had to wait over a month for the DOS for the disk drive. I think it’s a great machine with potential to be a major competitor in the home computer market.
One way to help its succees is for loads of people to support it. Now is
the time to get a plug in (Kerrrlunk! — Ed). I run a monthly fanzine
which has been running since January called TURBO. It’s devoted to the
SAM Coupé and has its own software library where subscribers can get
original SAM software at low costs, as we are not profit making. The magazine
includes interviews with people like Tartan, Zenobi, and MGT
themselves. We had an in-depth interview with Bruce Gordon in issue
three. There’s a section for adventures, news, serious software,
previews, reviews, and a letters page. Although we can’t have colour and
high production qualities like what CRASH achieves, you’re still
guaranteed a good read. If you want more info then send an SAE to
Turbo.
Adrian Betts
Good news! A Public Domain library is a great way to start a
user club that gives value to everyone. More power to your programming
power.
LM
I’ve been dabbling about with Spectrums for six years now and was beginning to find them a bit limited with cheapo colour and all that. So when MGT announced their Sam Coupé I was a bit chuffed to say the least, as I’d been considering an ST for quite a while (and at their price I would have been considering for a few years to come). So I sold my dear old Speccy and ordered a Coupé.
When it arrived I discovered I could not only program in machine code on it but in BASIC too, since ZX BASIC is almost exactly the same as SAM BASIC, and on top of that it had windows, scrolling, masking and all the comments you never wanted off the BBC. I eventually thought to load up the demo tape and was pretty impressed with its graphics and the sound was pretty neat too. With this sort of power I’ve been able to write 3D games in BASIC, though I must admit to getting a bit cheesed off about the bugs in the ROM, about which I wrote to MGT and received a letter dated 5th January telling me they would be creating a new ROM and that they would contact me when it was available. I suspect that new Coupés will contain this ROM. I must say, MGT have been very helpful to me, and there’s no chance Amstrad offering the sort of service. (Congratulations MGT).
Nice to see you’ve gone Coupé compatible. Does this mean
Powertapes in future will include Coupé specific games, or just
Coupé compatible? Also, I’m sure you get plenty of people writing
in asking for programming pages, so one more can’t hurt can it?
P Hackett
If you’ve written a program for the SAM why not send it
here — we’d love to take a look and maybe share it with other
users. The Coupé Compatible flash on the cover is actually a swish way
of saying ‘There’s stuff in this mag about the SAM
Coupé’. However we are trying to make all cover games compatible
and will be advising you in the reviews which games are compatible.
LM
We would like to bring to your attention the opening of a new
SAM Coupé User Group and PD library. As this is a New
Machine (of enormous potential) there is very little software for the PD market
around for it. We would be very grateful if you could appeal to your readers
for suitable software, particularly demos on sound (not BEEP progs please!) and
an interrupt scroller. Users can join the group by sending a SAE for
details.
Duncan Stewart, C Duggan
Maybe you should join forces with Adrian Betts and create a
complete user club! Whatever happens — best of luck!
LM
I am writing to you because I’m celebrating a birthday. Whose birthday? SAM’s of course! Exactly a month ago, I spent £170 on a new machine. I was so eager to get my hands on it the shop hadn’t even unpacked them, when I arrived. And what’s my reaction to the Sam Coupé? Wow! Amazing! Basically it’s got all the best features of the 16 bit machines — great graphics and sound, decent interfaces... etc: combined with a low initial price and an easy and sophisticated BASIC. Added to this, I can use most of my existing software.
Not all my old Speccy games work: but who cares?! If I’d wanted to play Spectrum games all the time. I wouldn’t have bought a Coupé.
Recently, I’ve been comparing my Coupé with
friend’s STs and Amigas. OK, so the ST may have
slightly better graphics, and the Amiga’s sound is a bit better:
but who’d want to have to pay £25 for a game? And have you ever
tried doing anything other than loading a game on these machines? I tell you:
It’s a nightmare! So sucks to those snobby 16 bitters. The Sam
Coupé’s a pleasure to use and a pleawre to own. There’s
a great future ahead for it — so join in the celebration!
Juan Potts
Party? Who mentioned party?!
LM