Ql on the internet

Things are quiet on the ql-users list at the moment. Things are hot on ebay with more and more QLs and microdrive based software on sale and some, especially black box QLs in good condition going for good money. If only I had a stash of them.

Quanta Magazine

The latest Quanta magazine dropped through the mail box. Again full of content. The quality seems to have picked up significantly of late. Disappointingly there were two articles from Geoff Wicks, showing off his Janus faced attitude to Quanta. In one he praised black box QL users as he seemed to think a previously published article had been an attack on them because the author suggested that the key future of Quanta sustainability lay on the internet. Why he should think that black box users are internet-lite? Many black box owners use the internet. I have one. I will post a picture later. Geoff should have a closer look at the ebay sinclair QL site. Microdrive programs and black box QLs abound.

The trouble with the "Quanta debate about the future" is that the high profile protagonists positions are entrenched in cliches. That destroys all opportunity for original thinking. Thats what Quanta needs of course, not perpetual niggles.

Amusingly his article was followed by one from a "black box QL user" who uses the internet.

Shrinking Memory

100 a=RESPR(100)
110 POKE_W a,$287C
120 POKE_L a+2,$800000
130 POKE_L a+6,$70254E41
140 POKE_L a+10,$4EF80900
150 CALL a

In the beginning there were a number of memory reducing programs. Some commercial. They were needed to enable older software to run with expanded memory systems. Some can still be down loaded from Dilwyn Jones site. But they dont work on QPC2 or the Q60.

This little bit of SBASIC from Marcel Kilgus does the job. Line 120 sets the amount of memory to remain when the system is rebooted. $8000000 gives 8MB, for 4MB use $4000000 and so on.

Interest in the QL?

Who thinks there is no interest in the 25 year old QL computer. Rich Mellor has sold this week a boxed and working QL system for £155-00 on ebay as sold for £199 by Dixons 20 years ago (plus 4 blank microdrive cartridges) !!





Note the dust, not cleaned for 25 years but someone has parted with £155 hard cash for a working QL.