Dear Foundation member, News from RISCOS Ltd No. 10 September 27th 2000 =================== WE'RE BACK !! As some of you may know we have had problems getting bulk emails through certain ISP's such as Argonet. Following the Test Message that went out to everyone on the 21st September it looks like we have finally solved the problem and we are now resuming regular Newsletters. Further changes to RISCOS Ltd Board of Directors ------------------------------------------------ Since the announcements made back in May, Aaron Timbrell, Andrew Rawnsley and Dave Holden have stepped down from the Board of RISCOS Ltd in order to concentrate on their own businesses. RISCOS Ltd First Annual Report ------------------------------ The Annual Report is now available as a PDF download from the RISCOS Ltd Web Site at http://www.riscos.com/news/ Why no news from RISCOS Ltd? ---------------------------- There has been much talk on the newsgroups over the last 6 months about whether RISCOS Ltd is dead and what is the future for RISC OS? The control of PR is a tricky issue, since if you announce products and plans too far in advance, people get annoyed if you don't deliver on time and you also risk sales of current products falling off if people think there is a new super duper product just around the corner. RISCOS Ltd is adapting to different market conditions which are affecting all IT related companies at present i.e that there is too much work to be done, with too few people to do it. We are making a commitment to future versions of RISC OS and are meeting with all the interested parties to take the development of RISC OS forward for the benefit of everyone. New partnerships are being forged to ensure that RISC OS remains the product of choice for ARM based processors. RISC OS is by no means dead, but just because you can't play DVD Movies on a Risc PC at present, doesn't mean that no-one wants to use RISC OS. Pace for example have recently announced the order of 10,000 units of their DSL4000 box which runs RISC OS. Further announcements will be made when appropriate, but just because there is no news, doesn't mean bad news. Ron - RISC OS on netBook ------------------------ There was an entry on the Acorn Cybervillage - Heard on the Net pages - that RISCOS Ltd has dropped Ron due to lack of funds. Please note that this is a News and Rumours page and that only items with links to company Web Sites are official statements. There has been no official statement from RISCOS Ltd on the future of the netBook project as negotiations on certain elements is still under negotiation. If you want to show your support for Ron then please still continue to send your details to mailto:ron@riscos.com Windows 95 crashes every 2.1 days - official Microsoft Statement ---------------------------------------------------------------- Microsoft are pushing Windows 2000 in a big way, but the reason may not be the reason you would have thought. At the Press Launch on February 17th Bill Gates cited independent testing by Ziff-Davis Labs, which showed the specific reliability benefits of Windows 2000 over earlier versions of Windows. According to the test, with constant and intense use in the 90 workdays that Ziff-Davis Labs ran the test, Windows 2000 never failed. In comparison, Windows 95 had to be rebooted every 2.1 days and Windows NT® Workstation 4.0 had to be rebooted every 5.2 days. So there you have it officially from Microsoft, Windows 95 crashes every 2.1 days. If you want to read the full text of his speech surf over to :- http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Feb00/W2Kgatespr.asp You may find that Press pages won't let you straight in, but if you go the Microsoft Home page search for Windows 2000 launch, and then pick the Feb 17th news item it should then display it. Foundation RISC User CD No. 3 ----------------------------- The third CD has recently gone to press and should be with us in the next week. As usual it will take a week or so to send out the 1200+ copies, so please don't chasing for your copy until at least 16th October. This email newsletter is going out to all members, but if you have not renewed your subscription as yet, you will not get sent a copy of CD3. News from other Companies ========================= ESP DMI cards ------------- The latest news from Andy Pierson at ESP is that they have found a fix that enables DMI users to use their cards with RISC OS 4. Details of this fix are on their website at the address below: http://www.ESPMusic.co.uk/acorn/ Andy admits that he still doesn't know exactly why the problem occurs but the fix should suffice for now. Apricote Studios ---------------- Apricote Studios, the developers of Personal Accounts and Prophet have changed their name to Accountz.com Ltd Their address and telephone numbers remain the same. Telephone 01354 680808 Address 2 Purls Bridge Farm Manea Cambridge PE15 0ND One thing that we all have in common is the need to account for our personal and business life - whether it is in the form of software or information or help. Apricote studios have change their name to clarify that focus and address those needs. eesox ----- Following their recent marriage, Neil and Helen Critchell have moved their office to 12 Station Road, Swavesey, Cambridge, CB4 5QJ The telephone number and fax number remains unchanged 01954 208208 Tau Press --------- They have moved a couple of times this year and are now based at 26 Stockport Village, Hooper Street, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 1DQ Telephone 0161 429 8902 Fax 0161 429 0685 Howard Laurence Ward Communications ----------------------------------- HLWC have recently installed what they believe are the first Risc PC's in Moscow. Apparently the Russians have only ever wanted 'Acorn' technology and find it hard to believe the 'West's' involvement with Microsoft. This is part of a long term plan to take British technology to Russia. It was first approved by Douglas Hurd in '91. However, when he stood down as foreign secretary his successor cancelled all funding - then standing at US$ 1 million. The aim of HLWC is to install 50 RPCs into the State University and then to set up a 'small business' (as defined by the ODA) where the computers can be sold to graduating students and the businesses they enter or are already running. For further details contact Professor Howard Laurence Ward mailto:hlwc@cwcom.net OFFERS FROM RISCOS Ltd ====================== RISCOS second user copy ----------------------- We know that many of you have got more than one RISC OS computer. If you have already upgraded one of them to RISC OS 4 then now is the chance to upgrade the second at a greatly reduced price. Until 30th November we are offering you the chance to buy a second copy of RISC OS 4 for just £75 + VAT + postage/packing. The cost of despatch will vary according to the destination, but for UK users will be £1. To qualify for this offer you must have already returned your registration card for the first copy. If you have not already purchased RISC OS 4, but you have two or more machines, then you may still participate in this offer. The first copy will be charged at the normal price and the second will be charged at the £75 price. Please note that all you will receive with the second copy will be the ROM's. You will NOT get an Installation CD nor the Installation manual. To take advantage of this offer, send orders into mailto:ro4orders@riscos.com and quote the serial number of your first set of RISC OS 4 ROM's RISC OS Manuals CD ------------------ We are continuing the incentive to buy RISC OS 4 by continuing to offer a free copy of the Manuals CD with all RISC OS 4 purchases until 30th November, so place your order now if you are still undecided about buying RISC OS 4. Survey of Users --------------- We would like to find out more about the demographics of RISC OS users. To that end we are compiling an on-line survey that we would very much like everyone to spend a few minutes completing. The survey page is not completed yet, but a link from the RISCOS Ltd Home page should appear later next week. The information collected will only be used on a general basis, and hence you will not have to fill in name and address details, only your Foundation Number, so that we can ensure that entries are not accidentally duplicated. The main information we want to find out is what the age spread is of RISC OS users, and what type of machines you are using. Technical Support Help Line --------------------------- A reminder that times of the support line to 5.00 p.m until 8.30 p.m The RISC OS 4 Helpline is on 029 2049 2326 or email you query to mailto:support@riscos.com Enquiries for the Foundation and General Sales 029 2049 2324 from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday - Saturday. Fax for all enquiries 029 2044 0071 Please quote your Foundation Membership Number on all enquiries Replying to queries from this Newsletter ---------------------------------------- If you are responding to a specific query in this newsletter please use the appropriate mailto: address to reply rather than replying to the sender of this email. Also don't reply to the general foundation or admin email addresses as your enquiry may not get dealt with promptly. We try to reply to all enquiries within 5 days. But at peak times it may take longer to reply. regards -- Paul Middleton RISCOS Ltd -----------------------------------------------------------------------