ON THE RECORD
Northampton Home Computer Centre has offered a local and national computer hardware, software and repair service for many years on the most popular computers and with regard to repairs on the 48K Spectrum we quote as little as £2.50 while you wait, £10 for a keyboard fault and £19.50 only if we suspect one or more ICs have blown, (normally due to interface damage) with a seven to 14-day turnaround. We could also give away "free software and things too!" if we charged our £2.50 customers £19.50.
    Mr C Pougunas said "WHAT! I can get it done through the post in 24 hours" (and that without any inspection) - well, we know, don't we, that you'd be lucky to see your computer within 72 hours, if ever again. Mr P complains about the £10 express charge. This service is aimed at the business user where downtime can spell disaster, the £10 being paid to the engineer for overtime (is it really too much to ask, Mr P?).
    So what did he do? Leave his computer with "a load of crooks" or have it repaired through the post in 24 hours? You'll never guess. We replaced the cpu soak tested for 48 hours and charged him £19.95 and that was in April. Well Phil, we can't win them all but we'll keep trying.
KP Lower
Northampton Home
Computer Centre,
Northampton

You may not win them all but you've certainly won Mr C Pougunas... Ed

HAPPY CUSTOMER
I was very pleased to see my letter re computer repairs in the July issue, but after further dealings with the Home Computer Centre, I'd like to add a postscript.
    About three weeks after the original repair was completed my Speccy went on the blink again. I rapidly departed to said shop to complain and was met by the nicest reaction possible. They politely pointed out that I was suffering from 'interface damage' and asked to see my receipt for the previous repair. I was unable to produce the receipt and insisted that my interface was okay. Anyway I rushed home, got my interface (joystick) and returned, whereupon they proved the interface was faulty and the damage was a result of its use, ie my own fault.
    From my previous experience I would have expected to be told 'Tough' - another £19.95 please and a two-week wait. But there was none of it. While I was getting my Interface they had repaired my Speccy and said that because they hadn't warned me of the dodgy interface they would only charge me cost price - £5. I departed very happily as you can imagine.
C Pougunas
Northampton

Well that says it all really! Ed

SORRY SAGA
In October 1986 I bought one of your magazines and was very impressed with the content. Shortly after, I decided to upgrade my Spectrum by getting a Saga Elite keyboard, having seen the Saga advert in YS. With the order I enclosed a bank draft and allowed extra to cover return postage by air, and specifically asked for this as I wanted the keyboard before Christmas. In mid February, when I still had no reply, I wrote to Saga asking what the holdup was. It's now June and I have not had a reply even to that letter. Last week I attempted to ring Saga but after 15 minutes of trying I was told by the London operator that the number was no longer in use. They could give me no alternative number to try.
    Has Saga Systems gone bankrupt? The Bank of NZ here has informed me that the bank draft I sent was cashed in mid-November. How can I go about getting my money back?
A L Storm
South Dunedin, New
Zealand

I'm afraid Saga Systems has gone bankrupt and is now in the hands of the liquidators. I agree it's very unfair when a customer has to suffer this way. The only thing I can suggest is to get in contact with Saga's liquidators, Latham Crossley and Davies, giving them details of your purchase. Hope you have some luck. Incidently two other companies, Empire Software and Specialist Computer Repairs have also gone bust so please do not send any more orders to them. Ed

TESTY TESTY
Name: Philip Gargin
    Paper: A level General Studies
    Centre Number: 12839
    Candidate's Number: 007
    Question 1: Imagine you are feeling a bit down and could really do with an ego boost by seeing your name in print. You decide to write a typical letter to Your Sinclair. Marks are given for:
    * Writing in a humorous style without ever actually being funny.
    * Complaining about something.
    * Pointing out how ugly/beautiful or how stupid/clever a member of the YS team is.
    * Using the word mega, adding at least one PS and signing yourself with a silly name.
Philip Gargin
Romford, Essex
PS The July cover was mega, and sums up the 'Up yours you scummy aliens' feeling of what playing games is all about.

EXAM RESULTS
    Name: Philip Gargin
    Paper: General Studies
    Centre number: 12839
    Candidate Number: 007
    Result: FAlL (with distinction!) Ed

A DOG'S LIFE
I bet this is your first letter from a dog (woof). Anyway who is the prat with the name of Phil! Are you male, female, canine or just an excuse of a human who pulverises people's letters to bits? (Howl woof bark growl.) Speak up Phil, what are you?
Rover
Winstanley, Wigan

Snuffle, squeal...oink, oink... snuffle... sniff, grunt, grunt! Phil. I think what Phil is trying to say is, 'I am not an accountant, I am a human being!' Ed

STAR LETTER WELL SPOTTED Please find enclosed the very first genuine photo of a trainspotter. Although of tender years, this specimen is already showing clearly all the traditional features of such beings - (from the top) tousled hair, NHS specs, furry blue cardigan with hood, army surplus rucksack, Star Wars sleeping bag, crumpled corduroy trousers and battered plimsolls. He also had a squeaky voice, but this can't be determined from the photo (obviously).     I hope that this material is useful to you in your campaign to convince the general public of the existence of the trainspotter phenomenon. Jeff Tupholme Arnold, Notts It's the crumply corduroy trousers that really give the game away - he's obviously in the advanced stages of trainspotting - poor chap. It's actually quite early in the season for these elusive weirdos to appear in this part of the country so you've actually been very lucky to get a glimpse. If anybody else out there has any photographic evidence of the existance of the Very-spotted trainspotter please write in and let us know. Ed

HIDE AND SEEK
In the November issue of YS there was an article concerning 3D Game Maker by CRL. I read this with interest and waited for its arrival in the shops.
    It is now the end of May (Not any longer it isn't. Ed) and I haven't seen any sign of this game at all. Would it be possible to inform me of the situation and if not could you tell me CRL's address so I can get in touch with them.
Mark Eyre
Burscough, Lancs

It's true! 3D Game Maker has indeed been unavoidably delayed, probably due to lemmings on the line at Surbiton. But seriously, CRL says it should be appearing very soon. But, then again that's what Firebird said about Star Trek. Ed

ALPHABETTI SPAGHETTI
Recently I did a survey of the first letters of games reviewed in YS, 375 of them in all. This may sound very boring (Yes. Ed) but I uncovered a conspiracy of software houses in favour of the letters B and S, at the expense of the letter X. Only one program reviewed out of all 375 started with X: Xcel.
    The rest of the results: A=19, B=37, C=23, D=26, E=8, F=20, G=21, H=11, I=7, J=4, K=7, L=4, M=25, N=7, O=4, P=18, Q=5, R=20, S=56, T=22, U=3, V=4, W=14, X=I, Y=4, Z=5.
R Blackie
London SW1

I can understand why eight out of ten software companies, who expressed a preference, should be biased towards the letter S, I'm very fond of it myself. But why, oh why, do they shun the letter Y? Come on software houses, let's have some games beginning with Y and even more starting with S. They've just got to be the best letters in the world. Ed

PIMMS NO. 1
I have a problem. I've still got that old rubber keyboard computer called the Spectrum 48K. I want to get a new computer and I was almost certainly going to get the +2. That was until the July YS edition previewed the new computer to come - the +3. The +3 looks brilliant but it's £100 more than the +2. So I now have the problem of which to buy - the +2 or the +3. Please, please, please could you give me some advice. I use my computer for playing games and nothing else.
Daniel Pimm
Northwood, Middlesex

Well, the only major difference between the +2 and the +3 is that the +3 has a built-in disk drive. Since you only use your computer to play games you'd probably find the Speccy +2 adequate, though you obviously wouldn't be able to take advantage of any of the disk-based software that should soon be available. It's really a matter of what you can afford. Ed

SIMON SAYS
I wish to enquire about the whereabouts of a copy of Arcade Dream by Generation 4 reviewed in the April 1986 YS issue. I desperately need a copy so please could you locate me one or at least a shop able to sell me a copy.
Simon Hall
Harrow, Middlesex

Where on earth have you been for the last year and a bit? Arcade Dream was an April Fool. There is no company called Generation 4 and the only shop you're likely to get a copy is a joke shop. Sorry, but I think you've made yourself look a bit of a plonker. Then again, you do live in Harrow! Ed

TRAINSPOTTER AWARD FLIPPING 'ECK I hereby claim a trainspotter award for spotting a mistake on the very first page of your marvelous mag. There on the contents page in the top left-hand corner in the cover game. Thing has lost his flippers. You can even see where they were meant to be. Send me the award and I might keep quiet about it. David Fraser Port Glasgow For heavens sake keep your voice down or everybody will hear about it. It's true we made a mega boob, or rather Peter our new Art Editor did. He just can't help himself. Once he gets a scalpel in his hand he gets this overwhelming desire to slice off people's bodily members and unfortunately there's no known cure. All we can do is keep him away from cutting implements which does prove a bit difficult in his line of work. Aoaaaargh! Sounds like he's just scalped Phil for the tenth time this week. Ed. A OVER T Well, you really messed up this time. I mean, one or two pictures is okay. But the whole mag! I'd change printers if I were you. Frontlines managed to get through alright but the rest - even the covers were printed upside down!     Yours TRAINSPOTTINGLY Suzi Yann Dudley, West Midlands Caught again! We really thought that we could get away with it 'cos we reckoned you'd all assume Frontlines was the only thing that had been printed upside down. Well, you're obviously too clever for us so expect a trainspotter award fairly soon and we'll promise we won't do it again. Ed

MALE MAIL
Hello! It's me again! Don't worry, I'm not going to rave on about how much I love Martin Dixon. I've decided that since he doesn't work at YS any more I'm going to have to find somebody else in the mag to rave on about. So what I want you to do is print the pictures (or just one picture) of all the males at YS who want some fan mail. Then I'll pick the one who I think is the most handsome, and he'll be guaranteed fan mail for life! Oh come on lads! Don't tell me you don't want fan mail every month from an attractive young lady who tells you how much she loves you, and how handsome you are, and what a wonderful body you've got, and how every time she sees your picture she goes WILD with desire?
    I'm so desperate to find a new idol. I would even consider Phil South.
Claire Terry
Southampton, Hants

You must be desperate if you'll consider Phil 'Gis a sandwich' South. I'll hate you to resort to such a low level so here, just for you, is a line-up of the chunks who work on YS. Take your pick! Ed
    

HARD FACTS
I am writing to comment on the Hard Facts Special on the +3 in the July issue. I feel that it didn't give enough information on the machine, so here are some questions I would like answering.
    1. Although you said the disk took 15-20 seconds to LOAD the demo games, what about SAVE, VERIFY etc? How about doing some speed trials like you did in Your Spectrum issues 14 and 16 for Microdrives, Wafadrives etc?
    2. What K storage do the disks have per side?
    3. What syntax do the disks use?
    4. How much are they?
    5. Can Multiface transfer to the disk or is there an internal method?
    6. Although there is a tape/sound socket can it record and LOAD from tape?
    7. Is there any improved 48K software compatibility?
    8. What on earth is Peritel which shares the RGB output?
    9. How exactly is the COPY command improved?
    10. How do the standard and shaded screen dumps get activated? How good are they?
Mark Weston
Melton Mowbray, Leics

In answer to your barrage of questions:
    1. The same. 2. 350K. 3. LOAD "device: filename" 4. Approx £5. 5. No to both questions, but Romantic Robot won't hang about. 6. Yes. 7. Eh? 8. I suspect it's a kind of special Philips video standard. 9. COPY EXP gives you an expanded grey scale dump. 10. See above and dunno, in that order. Technical Phil

AFFIDAVID
I am just writing a quick note to congratulate Victor Bell on his great Doodlebug cartoon featuring Magic Knight (July issue). The humour appealed to me and I imagine Magic Knight, if he were in total control of his own destiny, would be inclined to take the same attitude. (Unfortunately for MK I am in total control of his destiny and if it was as easy as the cartoon made it sound I would not be able to write a decent game and make a living!)
    Yours in a multitude of interesting ways,
David Jones
Enfield, Middlesex

Glad you liked it. It's the 'Yours in a multitude of interesting ways' that I'd like to know more about. Ed

WELL RED
Well done you clever boffins at YS, you've enticed yet another amazed disciple away from an Iron Curtain magazine. Yes, you've guessed, after picking the May issue of YS from the shelves, instead of my usual communistic Soviet User, which is rather tedious and boring, I have now defected and waken up to rejoin the rest of the free world. It was the free game though that swayed the swingometer truly in your favour. Road Race was brill (Not carp, dace or perch? Fishy Ed), just what the doctor ordered for my poor fatigued Speccy. But there was only one problem - it was a little on the easy side. My best go gave me 25th place.
    I can't understand why Ocean didn't put it in the shops - it could've been a mega excellent budget title. I suppose they heard about YS from a reliable source (Thatcher, the Queen, God).
Darren Mitchell
Northfleet, Kent

Well what do you expect from a magazine by appointment to HRH the Queen. Glad you liked the tape, keep reading and we may well put another one on. Ed

MISSING THE BALLPOINT
I was going to write this letter to you in my old biro, but I thought this unfit for the Editor of such a mega publication. So I wrote it in my new biro.
Ian "Quite a guy"
Wormwell
Keighley, W Yorks
PS Sam (wahay!) Fox! Just had to get it in!

Get what in? No, don't answer that. Loved the new biro - have you ever thought of becoming a Pen Pal? Ed
    

SMALL PRINT      Paul Gunn Hurstpierpoint, Sussex Lucky I had my superpowerful laser magnifying glass on me or I would never have been able to read your small print. Ed Are brackets an inherited disease by Editors? Jane Stevens Sevenoaks, Kent [[[(((No, no.))) [Whatever gives you that idea?]]]] Ed Tell Ed I think he's really cool. Andrew Kirk Dresden, Stoke-On-Trent Well, thanks a lot. Only one problem, I'm a woman! Ed I have nothing of interest to say. John Watts, Reading, Berkshire That makes two of us. Ed Anybody that gets printed in Small Print must be a complete idiot. Sam Brown Birmingham You said it! Ed

    

DESERT ISLAND DISKS Here's a likely looking chap who goes by the name of Mark Franks. Here he is, happy as a sand boy, on his desert island with his eight favourite games. Off you go, Mark...     Turbo Esprit/Durell     Brrrmmm! Screeeech! I love the detail on this game - walking people, road works, zebra crossings. In fact, I love the whole game.     Trap Door/Piranha     It's ace watching Berk plod around the screens, doing naughty things like crushing Boney under a ten ton weight (Splat!)     Back To Skool/Microsphere     Just like my school, but completely different! Water pistols, catapults and stink bombs make a triff game.     Quazatron/HewsonM     KLP20 - the droid with everything, and what he hasn't got he grapples off the nasties. Ace graphics, ace sound, ace game!     BMX Simulator/Players     Drivers ready, pedals ready, GO! Great graphics, great sound and great fun, especially with a friend. (Yes, but what about the game? Ed)     Football Manager/Addictive     An oldie, but a goldie. Ancient graphics and sound, but I still love it.     Starquake/Bubble Bus     The ultimate Ultimate clone. Mega graphics as Blob blasts all those nasties.     Cobra/Ocean     Cor! Worra hero, worra man, worra brainless twit and worra game! Head butt the heavies, knife the nasties and blast the baddies. Complete and utter violence. It's ace!

Doodlebugs

Doodlebugs

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