Nook HD

The Nook HD and Nook HD+ are the third generation of Nook's line of color tablet e-reader/media players by Barnes & Noble for using their copy restricted (DRM) proprietary files, or other files. They are the successors to the Nook Tablet and both were released on November 8, 2012.
The 7-inch version, the Nook HD (also styled NOOK HD), is available in two internal memory sizes - 8 GB (US$129) with approximately 5 GB available for user content, and 16 GB (US$149) with about 13 GB available for user content. Memory is expandable via a microSD card (up to 64 GB). The Nook HD is available in two colors: Snow (white) and Smoke (black-grey).
A 9-inch version, the Nook HD+ (also styled NOOK HD+), is available with 32 GB ($179) of internal memory. Its memory is also expandable via a microSD card (up to 64 GB). The Nook HD+ is only available in one color, Slate (black-grey).
When the devices were first introduced, purchasers of the Nook HD or Nook HD+ received an incentive of a $30 gift card to the Barnes & Noble shop. This expired in February 2013.
In May 2013, B&N updated the Nook HD and HD+ to provide full access to the Google Play Store, which allowed users to install apps that were unavailable in the Nook Store.
In June 2013, B&N announced they would stop making Nook tablets in-house. Later, B&N changed its mind and said a new Nook tablet would be released. In June 2014, Barnes & Noble announced it would be teaming up with Samsung to develop co-branded color tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook featuring Samsung's hardware with 7-inch and 10.1-inch displays and customized Nook software from Barnes & Noble. The Galaxy Tab 4 Nook began to be sold in the US in August 2014.
History.
On June 25, 2013, Barnes & Noble announced it:
"is abandoning its Nook tablet hardware business and will instead rely on a 'partnership model for manufacturing in the competitive color tablet market' that will seek third-party manufacturers to build eReaders that run Nook software."
"The company plans to significantly reduce losses in the NOOK segment by limiting risks associated with manufacturing,” Barnes & Noble said in a press release. “Going forward, the company intends to continue to design eReading devices and reading platforms, while creating a partnership model for manufacturing in the competitive color tablet market. Thus, the widely popular lines of Simple Touch and Glowlight products will continue to be developed in house, and the company’s tablet line will be co-branded with yet to be announced third party manufacturers of consumer electronics products. At the same time, the company intends to continue to build its digital catalog, adding thousands of eBooks every week, and launching new NOOK Apps."
On August 20, 2013 CNET reports B&N reversing the decision to eliminate the Color Nook devices:
 "The bookseller will continue to design and make Nook color devices, with at least one new Nook set for the holiday season, as its chairman shelves a bid to buy the retail side."
In reporting on Barnes & Noble's June 5, 2014 announcement that the bookseller would be teaming up with Samsung to develop a co-branded tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, which was released in August 2014.
Modifying the Nook tablet.
Rooting.
Developers have found means to root the device, which provides access to hidden files and settings, making it possible to run apps that require deep access to your file system or make dramatic changes to your device.
Alternate operating systems, Android variants and more.
While Nook is a variant of Android (runs the same programs) with a different user interface and bundled software, a more standard variant of Android (CyanogenMod) is available for the Nook and the smartphone/tablet version of Ubuntu operating system to run applications incompatible with Android.
On February 1, 2014, official CyanogenMod 10.2.1 ("Android 4.3 Jelly Bean") was released for the Nook HD and HD+. CyanogenMod versions for Nook HD and Nook HD+ are released for download under the "hummingbird" and "ovation" codenames respectively. CyanogenMod releases monthly M-builds ("rolling release") and no versions marked "stable" are to be expected after version 11.0 M6 Release ("Android 4.4.2 KitKat"). The latest version (4.4.4) is available for the Nook HD/Nook HD+ as a "SNAPSHOT" and "NIGHTLIES" versions.
Since August 2013, a developer preview of Ubuntu Touch 13.10 is also available based on the above "ovation". Ubuntu Touch can be installed along with Android, allowing dual booting.
File transfer.
Transferring a user's files to another computer is possible, provided that the files are not copy restricted by DRM, using the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) in supported operating systems.


Castle Technology

Castle Technology Limited, named after Framlingham Castle, is a British computer company based in Cambridge, England. It began as a producer of ARM computers and manufactured the Acorn-branded range of desktop computers that run RISC OS.
Following the break-up of Acorn in 1998, Castle Technology bought the rights to continue production of the RISC PC and A7000+ computers under the Acorn brand. Castle Technology later released the Iyonix PC in November 2002, the first desktop computer to use the Intel XScale microarchitecture and then bought the rights to the RISC OS Technology from Pace in July 2003.
History.
After Acorn withdrew from the desktop computer industry in 1998, Castle Technology acquired the rights to produce the A7000, A7000+ and RISC PC using the "Acorn" brand.
In 2001, development started on the Iyonix PC (codenamed "Tungsten") as a set-top unit (STU) in secret by engineers at Pace's Shipley campus along with a 32-bit version of RISC OS 4 (known as RISC OS 5). When management discovered the project the campus was closed.
Castle Technology acquired the proposed designs and the original engineers from Pace to further develop the Tungsten into a desktop computer. Robert Sprowson, the original hardware designer, declined to join Castle Technology and so Peter Wild was recruited. The Iyonix PC was released six months later. Although it was well received, it was not designed for long-term production and therefore used some components that were near obsolete when it was released.
A problem for the Iyonix PC was that it used leaded components which were outlawed with the adoption of Directive 2002/95/EC in February 2003 by the European Union. However, by this time Castle Technology was financially troubled and could not afforded to re-engineer the Iyonix PC without the leaded components. The remaining Iyonix stock were passed to Iyonix Limited which stopped distribution on 30 September 2008.
In 2004, Castle Technology acquired Tematic to further development of RISC OS in embedded systems. In December 2005, Castle Technology moved its main office to the former premises of its software development division, following the migration of Tematic to a neighbouring premises in Signet Court, Cambridge.
In 2018 RISC OS Developments acquired Castle Technology Ltd including the Intellectual Property.


Launchpad (macOS)

Launchpad is an application launcher for macOS introduced in Mac OS X Lion. Launchpad is designed to resemble the SpringBoard interface in iOS. The user starts an application by single-clicking its icon. Launchpad provides an alternative way to start applications in macOS, in addition to other options such as the Dock (toolbar launcher), Finder (file manager), Spotlight (desktop search) or Terminal (command-line interface).
Features.
Launchpad is populated with icons corresponding to the applications found in the codice_1 folder as well as in the codice_2, that is, in a folder named "Applications" in user's home directory, and in any subfolders within the two above folders. The user can add application icons to Launchpad. The user can also remove an application's icon, but the application itself might not be deleted if it was not originally downloaded from the Mac App Store. Apps can be arranged in named folders much like iOS. The user can then remove apps downloaded from the Mac App Store. In Mac OS X Lion, Launchpad had eight icons per row; this was changed in OS X Mountain Lion to seven icons per row.However, with proper root permission, by adjusting some settings users can change the number of icon rows and columns in launchpad.
Since Mac OS X Lion, the function key F4 is a keyboard shortcut to Launchpad. If enabled, Apple's gesture recognition software interprets a thumb-and-three-finger pinch on a touchpad as a command to open Launchpad.
The ability to search applications was added in OS X Mountain Lion.
In OS X Mavericks, Launchpad's background became a blurred version of the user's desktop background, and folders departed from the "linen" texture underlay, replaced with a darker translucent background (part of the move away from skeuomorphism).
In OS X Yosemite, folders in Launchpad now closely resemble those of iOS; rounded translucent squares with a 3x3 icon grid preview (of the contained applications) when closed, expanding into larger rectangular variants when opened. Furthermore, folders can now be paginated to accommodate more applications.
In macOS Big Sur, the Launchpad icon changed to a 3x3 grid with icons of different colors, resembling apps. However, the usage of Launchpad remained the same.


Acta (software)

Acta was a software program for creating outlines. It was originally developed for the Apple Macintosh and released in 1986. Acta started as a Desk Accessory, presumably to be used in conjunction with a Word Processor.
In 1987 Version 1.3 was bundled with MORE, which was at the time published by Living Videotext.
Opal, from A Sharp LLC, is the updated Mac OS X version of this software.


Microsoft Ignition

Microsoft Ignition is a music network operated by Microsoft that spans across Windows PCs, Xbox 360 gaming console and Zune music player. Ignition makes available music and music videos across all supported device types and also can be used for promotion of musical artists.


Ullim

Ullim (울림) is a family of Android-based tablet computers sold in North Korea by Pyongyang Informatics Company since 2014.
History.
The Ullim-tablets were first made available in 2014, running a modified version of Android. Among the apps on it, were a few games and a cooking app. It is very popular in North Korea among youth.


Microsoft Press

Microsoft Press is the publishing arm of Microsoft, usually releasing books dealing with various current Microsoft technologies. Microsoft Press' first introduced books were "The Apple Macintosh Book" by Cary Lu and "Exploring the IBM PCjr Home Computer" by Peter Norton in 1984 at the West Coast Computer Faire. The publisher has gone on to release books by other recognizable authors such as Charles Petzold, Steve McConnell, Mark Russinovich and Jeffrey Richter.
Following a deal signed in 2009, O'Reilly Media became the official distributor of Microsoft Press books. In 2014, the distributor was changed to Pearson. In July 2016, Microsoft Press editorial staff was laid off.


ThinkPad 8

The ThinkPad 8 is a business-oriented tablet computer with an eight-inch touchscreen, released by Lenovo in January 2014. It is one of the Lenovo's first Windows-based small-screen tablet devices, along with the Lenovo Miix 2, and also one of the first with a high-resolution full HD display. Along with the first-generation ThinkPad 10, it is part of the third generation of ThinkPad-branded tablets, succeeding the ThinkPad Tablet 2.
Specifications.
The ThinkPad 8 has an 8.3-inch multi-touch IPS display with a 1920×1200 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio. It is powered by Intel's "Bay Trail" quad-core mobile Atom Z3770 CPU, has two gigabytes of RAM, and comes with up to 128 gigabytes of internal flash storage. Micro-HDMI and USB ports allow use with an external display, and a keyboard or mouse. A microSD card slot allows storage upgrades. Models with Wi-Fi only and units with additional 4G cellular data connectivity are both available. Stereo sound is delivered through a pair of speakers placed on the device's back side.
The ThinkPad 8 weighs , and it is thick. Its back is made from machine-cut aluminum and the front is all black. The rear eight-megapixel camera is surrounded by a red accent, while the two-megapixel front-facing camera blends into the face. An optional so-called "quickshot cover" magnetically attaches to the device and wakes it upon opening, and also has a small flap covering the rear camera that automatically starts the camera application when lifted.
The ThinkPad 8 runs the Microsoft Windows 8 operating system and comes standard with Microsoft Office.
History.
The ThinkPad 8 was launched in the United States in late January 2014, at a starting price of $449.
, it has been discontinued on the Lenovo's online store in the United States.


MacFormat

MacFormat is the UK's biggest computer magazine aimed at Macintosh users. It published 13 issues per year. It is published by Future plc, and has been since 1993.
Content.
The main content of this magazine includes news from major Apple events such as the WWDC or the Macworld Expo, features, detailed tutorials and reviews of the latest accessories and apps. Until 2012, the magazine included a free cover disc filled with Mac software mentioned in the magazine. In previous years, MacFormat came with programs on a free 3½-inch (88.9 mm) Floppy disk, CD or CD/DVD option as reflected the state of cheap removable media in that era.


Awesome (video game)

Awesome is a science fiction action video game released by Psygnosis for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1990. It features a variety of gameplay styles, from overhead shooting to "Asteroids"-esque sequences, and a pre-rendered ray-traced intro. The objective is to traverse the galaxy despite not having funds or fuel to do it.
The theme music was composed by Tim Wright. The box art for "Awesome" was painted by science fiction artist John Harris.
Reception.
ACE Magazine wrote that the game was very visually attractive. The One felt the game lacked in originality, but that this was compensated by its long-term playability. Computer and Video Games deemed the title "a little disappointing" by Psygnosis standards. Zzap! described the title as a "hotch-potch of game styles", with none of the subgames being particularly strong. Amiga Joker thought "Awesome" was a very mediocre game.
Legacy.
The game has been referenced in other titles. Graphics and music from the game were featured in Psygnosis's later game "Lemmings" as in-jokes, in a Taxing-rated level called "What an AWESOME Level". These references were supported by cameo versions of the title music, arranged by the composer Tim Wright.


Object (IBM i)

On many computing platforms everything is a file, but in contrast in IBM i everything is an object.
Overview.
IBM i objects share similarities with objects in object-oriented programming, but there are differences as well. There are similarities in that when storage is allocated for something, that something is of a specific type, and only a specific set of programs are allowed to act upon that object. There are differences in that even though IBM i supports Java and C++, IBM i objects cannot be inherited like the classes in those languages. Another difference is that the set of object types is fixed by IBM, and only IBM has the ability to create new ones.
The number of object types is huge and a small subset of them are available to users. The human readable form of the object type is always a three to six character mnemonic preceded by an asterisk. What follows is a short list of the more commonly used objects and their mnemonics:
Creating an object usually (but not always) involves a command that begins with the mnemonic "CRT". So, to create a job description you would prompt the CRTJOBD command. User profiles would be created with the CRTUSRPRF command. Similarly changing objects is done by prompting commands preceded by "CHG" (CHGJOBD, CHGUSRPRF, etc.), deleting an object uses "DLT" (DLTJOBD, DLTUSRPRF, etc.), displaying an object uses "DSP" (DSPJOBD, DSPUSRPRF, etc.), and working with a set of objects uses "WRK" (WRKJOBD, WRKUSRPRF, etc.). To view a generic set of objects in a library use the DSPOBJD command. WRKOBJ can be used to view objects in multiple libraries.
The IBM i command structure focuses on ease of use. In order to view all the objects that the verb portion of an IBM i command can work ("WRK") upon the "go cmdWRK" where "WRK" may be any of the verbs current and future "CHG","DLT","DSP","EDT","INZ","PRT" etc. Parameters for the command can be displayed by simply typing the command name and pressing F4 or by typing the command name on an IBM i command line. This will prompt a standard SAA panel providing prompt information for each parameter the command can accept. The command string can be displayed at any point during prompting by pressing F1u2, which if used to exit from the command prompting can be utilized by the F9=Retrieve previous command. A help summary for the command and its parameters can be obtained by pressing F1.
This command structure and strict adherence to the S.A.A. standards make the IBM i extremely easy to use from at command level and also to develop source files containing commands. Commands may be executed interactively or placed in text files and executed in sequence or can be compiled into an IBM i object of type *PGM, with a type-attribute of CLP.


Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface is a series of touchscreen-based personal computers and interactive whiteboards designed and developed by Microsoft, running the Microsoft Windows operating system, apart from the Surface Duo, which runs on Android. The devices are manufactured by original equipment manufacturers, including Pegatron, and are designed to be premium devices that set examples to Windows OEMs. It comprises 7 generations of hybrid tablets, 2-in-1 detachable notebooks, a convertible desktop all-in-one, an interactive whiteboard, and various accessories all with unique form factors. The majority of the Surface lineup features Intel processors and are compatible with Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.
Devices.
The Surface family features ten main lines of devices:
History.
Microsoft first announced Surface at an event on June 18, 2012, presented by former CEO Steve Ballmer in Milk Studios Los Angeles. Surface was the first major initiative by Microsoft to integrate its Windows operating system with its own hardware, and is the first PC designed and distributed solely by Microsoft.
The first Surface device in the Surface line, was marketed as "Surface for Windows RT" at the time was and was announced by Steven Sinofsky, former President of Windows and Windows Live. The second Surface line, based on the Intel architecture was spearheaded with Surface Pro, marketed as "Surface for Windows 8 Pro" at the time, and was demoed by Michael Angiulo, a corporate VP.
Sinofsky initially stated that pricing for the first Surface would be comparable to other ARM devices and pricing for Surface Pro would be comparable to current ultrabooks. Later, Ballmer noted the "sweet spot" for the bulk of the PC market was $300 to $800. Microsoft revealed the pricing and began accepting preorders for the 2012 Surface tablet, on October 16, 2012 "for delivery by 10/26". The device was launched alongside the general availability of Windows 8 on October 26, 2012. Surface Pro became available the following year on February 9, 2013. The devices were initially available only at Microsoft Stores retail and online, but availability was later expanded into other vendors.
In November 2012, Ballmer described the distribution approach to Surface as "modest" and on November 29 of that year, Microsoft revealed the pricing for the 64 GB and 128 GB versions of Surface with Windows 8 Pro. The tablet would go on sale on February 9, 2013, in the United States and Canada. A launch event was set to be held on February 8, 2013, but was cancelled at the last minute due to the February 2013 nor'easter. The 128GB version of the tablet sold out on the same day as its release. Though there was less demand for the 64GB version because of the much smaller available storage capacity, supplies of the lower cost unit were almost as tight.
On September 23, 2013, Microsoft announced the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, which feature hardware and software updates from the original. The Surface 2 launched October 22, 2013, alongside the Surface Pro 2, four days after the general availability of Windows 8.1. Later, Microsoft launched a variation of the Surface 2 with LTE connectivity for the AT&T network on March 18, 2014. Microsoft then announced the redesigned Surface Pro 3 on May 20, 2014, which went on sale on June 20, 2014.
The following year, on March 30, 2015, it announced the Surface 3, a more compact version of the Surface Pro 3. On September 8, 2015, Microsoft announced the "Surface Enterprise Initiative", a partnership between Accenture, Avanade, Dell Inc., and HP, to "enable more customers to enjoy the benefits of Windows 10." As part of the partnership, Dell will resell Surface Pro products through its business and enterprise channels, and offer its existing enterprise services (including Pro Support, warranty, and Configuration and Deployment) for Surface Pro devices it sells.
Microsoft announced the next generation Surface Pro 4 and the all new Surface Book, a hybrid laptop, at Microsoft October 2015 Event in New York on October 10, 2015. Microsoft began shipping Surface Hub devices on March 25, 2016. In June 2016, Microsoft confirmed production of the Surface 3 would stop in December of that year. No replacement product has been announced. Reports suggest this may be a consequence of Intel discontinuing the Broxton iteration of the Atom processor. On October 26, 2016 at Microsoft's event, a Surface Studio and Surface Book with Performance Base was announced. A wheel accessory, the Surface Dial, was announced as well, and became available on November 10, 2016.
Immediately following the announcement of the Surface Laptop at the #MicrosoftEDU event on May 2, 2017, and the Microsoft Build 2017 developer conference, Microsoft announced the fifth-generation Surface Pro at a special event in Shanghai on May 23, 2017.
On October 17, 2017, Microsoft announced Surface Book 2 adding a 15 in model to the line, and updating internal components.
On May 15, 2018, Microsoft announced the Surface Hub 2, featuring a new rotating hinge and the ability to link multiple Hubs together.
In June 2018, Microsoft announced the Surface Go, a $400 Surface tablet with a 10-inch screen and 64 or 128 GB of storage.
On October 2, 2019, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 7, the Surface Laptop 3, and the Surface Pro X. Both the Surface Pro 7 and the Surface Laptop 3 come with a USB-C port. The Surface Pro X comes with the Microsoft SQ1 ARM processor. Microsoft also teased upcoming products: the Surface Neo, a dual screen tablet that runs Windows 10X; and the Surface Duo, a dual screen mobile phone that runs Android. Both products were initially announced to be released in 2020, though reports suggest the release of the Surface Neo will be delayed until 2021. The Surface Duo was released on September 10, 2020.
Hardware.
Screen and input.
The first two generations of both Surface lines feature ClearType Full HD display with 16:9 aspect ratio. With the release of the third generation Surface and Surface Pro, Microsoft increased the screen sizes to and respectively, each with a 3:2 aspect ratio, designed for a comfort use in a portrait orientation. The fourth generation increased the screen further to . The screens feature a multi-touch technology with 10 touch-points and scratch-resistance Gorilla Glass. All generations of the Surface Pro and third generation of the Surface also features an active pen, but it is not included in the box with all models.
The display responds to other sensors: an ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness and a 3-axis accelerometer to sense Surface orientation and switch between portrait and landscape orientation modes. The Surface's built-in applications support screen rotation in all four directions, including upside-down.
There are three buttons on the first three generation of Surface, including a capacitive Windows button near the display that opens the Start Screen, and two physical buttons on the sides: power and volume. The fourth generation removed the capacitive windows button on the screen.
All Surfaces and Surface Pros have front and rear cameras as well as microphones.
Processor.
The first generation Surface uses a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 of the ARM architecture, as opposed to the Intel x64 architecture and therefore shipped with Windows RT, which was written for the ARM architecture. The second generation Surface 2 added an Nvidia Tegra 4. The architecture limited Surface and Surface 2 to only apps from the Windows Store recompiled for ARM. With the release of the Surface 3, Microsoft switched the Surface line to the Intel x64 architecture, the same architecture found in the Surface Pro line. Surface 3 uses the Braswell Atom X7 processor.
With the Surface Pro line, Microsoft uses the Intel x64 architecture which can run most software designed for Microsoft Windows. Both Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 had one processor variant, the Core i5, though the Surface Pro runs the Ivy Bridge iteration, and the Surface Pro 2 runs the Haswell iteration. The Surface Pro 3 added the Haswell Core i3 and Core i7 variants.
The 2019 Surface Pro X uses a custom ARM64 SOC, the Microsoft SQ1.
Storage.
The Surface devices are released in six internal storage capacities: 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 GB and 1 TB. With the release of the third generation, the 32 GB model was discontinued. All models except the Surface Pro X also feature a microSDXC card slot, located behind the kickstand, which allow for the use of memory cards up to 200 GB.
Surface devices have a different amount of non-replaceable RAM, ranging from 2 to 32 GB, attached to the motherboard.
Microsoft's Surface/Storage site revealed that the 32 GB Surface RT has approximately 16 GB of user-available storage and the 64 GB Surface RT has roughly 45 GB.
External ports.
On the left or right side of most Surface tablet, there is a full-size USB Type A port (except the Surface Pro X and Surface Go), and a 3.5 mm headphone/microphone jack (except the Surface Pro X). Older devices commonly had a Mini DisplayPort (or a micro-HDMI port on even older models), however these ports have been replaced with USB C ports since the 7th Surface Pro generation and Surface Go. All surface devices except the Surface 3 have Microsoft's magnetic Surface Connect port, for charging and data, and come with Surface Connect power cables, although devices that have them can also be charged over their USB C ports. All the devices have an accessory spine/Cover Port along the bottom that has not changed in dimensions. The ports have been moved in different locations throughout the various generations of Surface Pros/Surfaces, and beginning with the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft moved to a fin-style Surface Connect port.
Cellular connectivity.
While all Surface devices come in the Wi-Fi only models, some generations also feature the Wi-Fi with a cellular support. The cellular variants, however, do not support circuit-switched voice calls and texts, allowing only data connectivity. The cellular models have a micro-SIM slot at the bottom of the device, next to the Type Cover connecting pins.
External color and kickstand.
The exterior of the earlier generations of Surface (2012 tablet, Pro, and Pro 2) is made of "VaporMg" magnesium alloy giving a semi-glossy black durable finish that Microsoft calls "dark titanium". Originally, the design of Surface was to feature a full "VaporMg" design, but the production models ditched this and went with a "VaporMg" coating. Later devices moved towards a matte gray finish showing the actual magnesium color through the semi-transparent top coating. The Surface Laptop is available in four colors: platinum, graphite gold, burgundy, and cobalt blue.
The Surface and Surface Pro lines feature a kickstand which flips out from the back of the device to prop it up, allowing the device to be stood up at an angle hands-free. According to Microsoft, this is great for watching movies, video chatting, and typing documents. According to some reviewers, this kickstand is uncomfortable to use in one's lap and means the device won't fit on shallow desks. The first generation has a kickstand that can be set to a 22 degrees angle position. The second generation added a 55 degrees angle position which according to Microsoft makes the device more comfortable to type on the lap. The Surface 3 features three angle positions: 22, 44, and 60 degrees. The Surface Pro 3 is the first device to have a continuous kickstand that can be set at any angles between 22 and 150 degrees. With the fifth-generation Surface Pro, Microsoft added an additional 15 degrees of rotation to the hinge bringing the widest possible angle to 165 degrees, or what Microsoft calls "Studio Mode".
Surface Book.
On October 6, 2015, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book, a 2-in-1 detachable with a mechanically attached, durable hardware keyboard. It became the first Surface device to be marketed as a laptop instead of a tablet. The device has a teardrop design.
The Surface Book has what Microsoft calls a "dynamic fulcrum hinge" which allows the device to support the heavier notebook/screen portion.
Another unique aspect of the Surface Book is an available discrete graphics adapter, contained in the keyboard module. This module can then be detached while the Surface Book is running, in which case the system automatically switches to the integrated graphics in the tablet unit.
On October 26, 2016, Microsoft unveiled an additional configuration, called the Surface Book with Performance Base, which has an upgraded processor and a longer battery life.
The second generation Surface Book 2 was announced on October 17, 2017, introducing an upgraded ceramic hinge for stability, and lighter overall weight distribution. A 15-inch model was added to the line.
On May 6, 2020, the third generation Surface Book 3 was announced, featuring 10th-generation Intel processors, improved battery life, and faster SSD storage.
Surface Laptop.
On May 3, 2017, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Laptop, a non-detachable version of the Surface Book claiming to have the thinnest touch-enabled LCD panel of its kind. Its permanently attached hardware keyboard comes in four colors and uses the same kind of fabric as the Type Cover accessories for the tablets. The device comes with the newly announced Windows 10 S operating system, which enables faster boot times at the expense of the ability to download and install programs from the web instead of the Microsoft Store. Users can switch to a fully enabled version of Windows 10 for free.
Surface Studio.
On October 26, 2016, Microsoft announced a 28-inch all-in-one desktop PC, the Surface Studio. The device claims to have the thinnest LCD ever made in an all-in-one PC. All its components, including the processor and a surround-sound system, are located in a compact base on which the screen is mounted upon via a flexible, four-point hinge. The design allows the screen to fold down to a 20-degree angle for physical interaction with the user. It comes with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update preinstalled, but is optimized for the Windows 10 Creators Update released in April 2017.
Surface Hub.
On January 21, 2015, Microsoft introduced a new device category under the Surface family: the Surface Hub. It is an 84-inch 120 Hz 4K or 55-inch 1080p multi-touch, multi-pen, wall-mounted all-in-one device, aimed for collaboration and videoconferencing use of businesses. The device runs a variant of the Windows 10 operating system.
Surface Neo.
On October 2, 2019, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Neo, an upcoming dual-screen tablet. The device is a folio with two 9-inch displays that can be used in various configurations ("postures"), including a laptop-like form where a Bluetooth keyboard is attached to the bottom screen. Depending on its position, the remainder of the touchscreen can be used for different features; the keyboard can be attached at the top to use the bottom as a touchpad, or at the bottom to display a special area above the keyboard (the "wonderbar"), which can house tools such as emojis. The device will run a new Windows 10 edition known as Windows 10X, which is designed specifically for this class of devices.
Surface Duo.
Alongside the Surface Neo, Microsoft also unveiled the Surface Duo, a dual-screen Android smartphone with a similar design.
Software.
Surface devices sold since July 29, 2015 ship with the Windows 10 operating system. Also, up to July 2016, older models which shipped with Windows 8.1 were eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10.
The original Surface and Surface 2 models use Windows RT, a special version of Windows 8 designed for devices with ARM processors and cannot be upgraded to Windows 10. However, there were several major updates made available after its initial release that include Windows RT 8.1, RT 8.1 Update 1, RT 8.1 August update, and RT 8.1 Update 3. These older, ARM-based models of Surface are not compatible with Windows 10, but received several new features including a new Start menu similar to that found in early preview builds of Windows 10.
From Surface Pro 4 and onward, all Surface devices support Windows Hello facial biometric authentication out of the box through its cameras and IR-sensors. The Surface Pro 3 can utilize the Surface Pro 4 Type Cover with Fingerprint ID to gain Windows Hello support.
The Surface Duo runs Android, which is not developed by Microsoft.
Tablet mode.
The Windows 10 user interface has two modes: desktop mode and tablet mode. When a keyboard is connected to the Surface, Windows 10 runs in desktop mode; when it is removed or folded around the back, Windows 10 runs in tablet mode.
When running in tablet mode, the start menu and all the apps run in full screen. All running apps are hidden from the taskbar and a back button appears. Swiping from the top closes the app while swiping from the left evokes the Task View and swiping from the right evokes the Action Center.
Apps.
Several of the included apps updated with Windows 10 are: Mail, People, Calendar, Camera, Microsoft Edge, Xbox app, OneNote, Photos, Voice Recorder, Phone Companion, Calculator, Scan, Alarms & Clock, and the Microsoft Store. Other apps include Maps, Movies & TV, Groove Music, Microsoft Solitaire Collection and the MSN apps: Money, News, Weather, and Sports.
Surface devices come preinstalled with the OneNote app for taking handwritten notes. Windows 10 also features a text input panel with handwriting recognition which automatically converts handwriting to text.
The Microsoft Edge browser features an inking function which allows handwritten annotations directly on webpages.
Microsoft has ported its Office suite for use on Windows 10 devices, including the Surface devices running Windows 10. As the screen size on these devices exceed 10 inches, the apps require an Office 365 subscription to edit documents, although it is not needed to view and print them.
Surface devices have an internal microphone and speakers optimized for the Cortana personal assistant feature included on Windows 10 devices.
Third-party applications that have been designed with the pen and touch interaction of Surface in mind include Drawboard PDF and Sketchable.
Specialized software.
Prior to the release of Windows 10, on Surface Pro 3 Microsoft made the Surface Hub app available, which allowed the adjustment of Pen pressure sensitivity and button functions. The Surface Hub app was renamed "Surface" following the launch of the Surface Hub device. Additionally, toggles to control sound quality and to disable the capacitive Windows button on the Surface 3 and Pro 3 devices were included.
With Surface Pro 3 and the Surface Pen based on N-Trig technology, Microsoft added the capability to launch OneNote from the lock screen without logging in by pressing the purple button at the top of the pen. Microsoft added sections to Windows 10 settings that have the ability to control the functions of the buttons on the Surface Pen. One such function is to launch OneNote with the press of the top button of the Surface Pro 4 pen. With the introduction of the Surface Dial, Microsoft added a Wheel settings section to the Settings app in Windows 10 under Devices. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update added the ability to adjust the shortcuts of each of the Pen's buttons performed.
Accessories.
Microsoft offer several Surface accessories, most of which are Bluetooth connected devices. Among these are the Surface Pen, the keyboard covers, and the Surface Dial.
There are two main versions of the keyboard covers that connect via the Accessory Spine on the Surface tablets. The now discontinued Touch Cover, and the ever-evolving Type Cover. They feature a multi-touch trackpad, and a full QWERTY keyboard (with pre-defined action keys in place of the function row, though the function row is still accessible via the function button). The covers are made of various soft-touch materials and connect to the Surface with a polycarbonate spine with pogo pins.
Microsoft sells the Surface Pen, an active-digitzer pen, separate of Surface, but included it in all Surface tablets until the fifth-generation Surface Pro where it was removed. The Surface Pen is designed to integrate with inking capabilities on Windows including OneNote and Windows Ink Workspace.
The Surface Dial was introduced alongside the Surface Studio, and is a computer wheel designed to work on-screen with the Surface Studio and fifth-generation Surface Pro. Previous Surface Pro devices were updated to support it as well.
Remix project.
In 2013, Microsoft announced that they were going to design other covers for the Surface accessory spine (code named "blades") based on the Touch Cover 2's sensors. The only product that was shipped was the Surface Music Cover and the Surface Music Kit app.
Promotion.
Television commercial.
In October 2012, Microsoft aired its first commercial, directed by Jon Chu, for the Surface product line. The first 30-second commercial is the Surface Movement which focus on Windows RT version of the first generation of Surface with detachable keyboard and kickstand. It first aired during Dancing with the Stars commercial break.
Partnership with NFL.
In 2014, Microsoft announced a five-year, $400 million deal with the National Football League, in which Surface became the official tablet computer brand of the NFL. As part of the partnership, special, ruggedized Surface Pro 2 devices were issued to teams for use on the sidelines, allowing coaches and players view and annotate footage of previous plays. The partnership was initially hampered by television commentators, who erroneously referred to the devices as being an "iPad" on several occasions. Microsoft has since stated that it "coached" commentators on properly referring to the devices on-air.
Designed on Surface.
On January 11, 2016, Microsoft announced a collaboration with POW! WOW!. It includes a group of artists from around the world that utilizes various Surface devices, such as the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book, to create a total of 17 murals. The artists are filmed using their Surface devices and explain how they integrate Surface into their workflow. The final products are then posted to YouTube that accompanies a post on the Microsoft Devices blog.
United States Department of Defense.
On February 17, 2016, Microsoft announced that alongside the US Department of Defense's plans to upgrade to Windows 10, that it has approved Surface devices and certified them for use through the Defense Information Systems Agency Unified Capabilities Approved Products List. Surface Book, Surface Pro 4, Surface Pro 3, and Surface 3 have all been approved as Multifunction Mobile Devices, thus meeting the necessary requirements for security and compatibility with other systems.
Reception.
Reviews of the first-generation Surface RT by critics have ranged broadly. The hardware received mostly positive reviews, while the software and overall experience were mixed. "Wired" reviewer Mathew Honan stated that while "This is one of the most exciting pieces of hardware I’ve ever used. It is extremely well-designed; meticulous even," the tablets are "likely to confuse many of Microsoft’s longtime customers". "TechCrunch", Matt Buchanan at "BuzzFeed", and "Gizmodo" recommended against purchasing the tablet. "Gizmodo" mentioned issues such as the high price tag and described it as similar but inferior to the iPad, but also praised the hardware saying, "You'll appreciate it every time you pick it up and turn it on. It's a simple, joyful experience." David Pogue at "The New York Times" praised the hardware but criticized the software. "The Verge" described the technology as fulfilling the role of a laptop or tablet "half as well as other devices on the market," adding "the whole thing is honestly perplexing." Warner Crocker from Gotta Be Mobile described it as "frustratingly confusing." Farhad Manjoo of "Slate" noted that the "shortcomings are puzzling" given how much time Microsoft spent developing the device. Neil McAllister has noted the lack of a compelling case to switch from the iPad to a Windows RT device at the same price point, because Apple already has a strong network effect from their app developers and few Windows developers have ported their offerings over to the ARM processor. The Surface RT had worse battery life than similar devices. The first-generation Surface Pro has shorter battery life than the original ARM-based Surface due in part to its full HD screen and Intel Core i5 processor.
The Surface Pro 3 has received positive reviewers. David Pogue suggested "The upshot is that, with hardly any thickness or weight penalty, the kickstand and the Type Cover let you transform your 1.8-pound tablet into an actual, fast, luxury laptop". Pogue said that the Surface Pro 3's form factor works well as a tablet, in contrast to the Surface Pro 2, whose bulk and weight limited its appeal as a tablet. Pogue also stated that the new multi-stage kickstand, 3:2 screen aspect ratio, and new Type Cover 3 detachable keyboard made it a competent laptop. Another advantage of the Surface Pro 3 is that it is considered a tablet by the FAA and TSA, despite its hardware which makes it capable of running all x86 Windows programs. This is advantageous in air travel, since a tablet can be used during takeoff or landing, and a tablet can be left in a bag when going through a TSA scanner machine, neither of which apply to a laptop. It has been suggested that the Surface Pro 3 comes closest to the Microsoft Tablet PC concept that company founder Bill Gates announced in 2001, being the first Surface to become a credible laptop replacement. Time magazine included Microsoft Surface Pro 3 in the list of the 25 best inventions of 2014.
The Surface 3 (non-Pro) has received generally positive reviews from computer critics. They praised Microsoft's shift from ARM architecture toward x86, and therefore from Windows RT to a regular Windows OS. Most noted a well designed chassis and accessories produced of quality materials, and overall premium feeling of use. While less powerful, the Surface 3 was a lighter and cheaper alternative to the Surface Pro 3. More importantly, the Surface 3 could compete at the high-end of Android and iPad tablets, with the advantage of being a device running a full desktop OS instead of a mobile OS for a similar price. Reviewers also note that 37 GB of the total storage space in the low-end Surface 3 is available to the user, while its close competitor, the low-end iPad Air 2, has only 12.5 GB of user-available storage space for the same price. The most common downsides are relatively low battery life, slower performance compared to devices with Intel Core processors and a high price since accessories like Surface Pen and Type Cover are not included.
Industry response.
When Surface was first announced, critics noted that the device represented a significant departure for Microsoft, as the company had previously relied exclusively on third-party OEMs to produce devices running Windows, and began shifting towards a first-party hardware model with similarities to that of Apple. Steve Ballmer said that like Xbox, Surface was an example of the sort of hardware products Microsoft will release in the future.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), whose products have traditionally run Microsoft operating systems, have had positive responses to the release of Surface. HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Dell applauded Microsoft's decision to create its own Tablet PC and said that relationships with Microsoft have not changed. John Solomon, senior vice president of HP, said that "Microsoft was basically making a leadership statement and showing what's possible in the tablet space". Acer founder Stan Shih said that he believed Microsoft only introduced its own hardware in order to establish the market and would then withdraw in favor of its OEMs.
However, others believe that OEMs were left sidelined by the perception that Microsoft's new tablet would replace their products. Acer chairman JT Wang advised Microsoft to "please think twice". Microsoft has acknowledged that Surface may "affect their commitment" of partners to the Windows platform.
The need for the Surface to market an ARM-compatible version of Windows was questioned by analysts because of recent developments in the PC industry; both Intel and AMD introduced x86-based system-on-chip designs for Windows 8, Atom "Clover Trail" and "Temash" respectively, in response to the growing competition from ARM licensees. In particular, Intel claimed that Clover Trail-based tablets could provide battery life rivaling that of ARM devices; in a test by "PC World", Samsung's Clover Trail-based Ativ Smart PC was shown to have battery life exceeding that of the first gen ARM-based Surface. Peter Bright of "Ars Technica" argued that Windows RT had no clear purpose, since the power advantage of ARM-based devices was "nowhere near as clear-cut as it was two years ago", and that users would be better off purchasing Office 2013 themselves because of the removed features and licensing restrictions of Office RT.
Sales.
Sales of the first generation Surface did not meet Microsoft's expectations, which led to price reductions and other sales incentives.
In March 2013, Bloomberg reported from inside sources that Surface sales were behind expectations, particularly of the ARM-based Surface model. Microsoft had originally projected sales of 2 million Surface units during the final quarter of 2012, a total of 1.5 million Surface devices had been sold since launch with Surface Pro accounting for 400,000 of these sales. The more expensive Surface Pro, with its Intel CPU that makes it a full-fledged Windows laptop PC, despite its compromises, was successful compared to other OEMs' first-generation Windows 8 Ultrabook hybrids which were larger and/or more expensive.
In July 2013, Steve Ballmer revealed that the Surface hasn't sold as well as he hoped. He reported that Microsoft had made a loss of due to the lackluster Surface sales. Concurrently, Microsoft cut the price of first-gen Surface RT worldwide by 30%, with its U.S. price falling to . This was followed by a further price cut in August after it was revealed that even the marketing costs had exceed the sales. On August 4, 2013, the cost of Surface Pro was cut by $100 giving it an entry price of $799. Several law firms sued Microsoft, accusing the company of misleading shareholders about sales of the first-gen ARM based Surface tablet, calling it an "unmitigated disaster". In the first two years of sales, Microsoft lost almost two billion dollars.
The poor sales of the ARM-based Surface tablet had been credited to the continuing market dominance of Microsoft's competitors in the tablet market. Particularly, Apple's iPad retained its dominance due its App store offering the most tablet-optimized applications. Most OEMs opted to produce tablets running Google Android, which came in a wide variety of sizes and prices (albeit with mixed success among most OEMs), and Google Play had the second-largest selection of tablet applications. By contrast there was a limited amount of software designed specifically for Surface's operating system, Windows RT, the selection which was even weaker than Windows Phone. Indeed, OEMs reported that most customers felt Intel-based tablets were more appropriate for use in business environments, as they were compatible with the much more widely available x86 programs while Windows RT was not. Microsoft's subsequent efforts have been focused upon refining the Surface Pro and making it a viable competitor in the premium ultra-mobile PC category, against other Ultrabooks and the MacBook Air, while discontinuing development of ARM-powered Surface devices as the Surface 3 (non-Pro) had an Intel x86 CPU (albeit with lower performance than the Surface Pro 3).
The resultant Surface Pro 3 succeeded in garnering a great interest in the Surface line, making Surface business profitable for the first time in fiscal year Q1 2015. Later in Q2, the Surface division's sales topped $1 billion. Surface division scored $888 million for Q4 2015 despite an overall loss of $2.1 billion for Microsoft, a 117% year-over-year growth thanks to the steady commercial performance of Surface Pro 3 and the launch of mainstream model Surface 3. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2018 the Surface division posted its best earnings performance to date.
Reported issues.
Users on Microsoft's support forum reported that some Touch Covers were splitting at the seam where it connects to the tablet, exposing its wiring. A Microsoft spokesperson stated that the company was aware of the issue, and would offer free replacements for those who have been affected by the defect. Other users reported issues with audio randomly stuttering or muting on the Surface tablet while in use. Wi-Fi connectivity issues were also reported. Firmware updates that attempted to fix the problem were released, but some users still reported problems like blue screen errors while watching video and crash of display driver. Microsoft has acknowledged a bug in the Windows key that does not always work, but has promised a fix. The latest update, which promised to fix the issue, was not able to fix it.
With the original Surface Pro, Microsoft acknowledged issues encountered by some users with its stylus pen, including intermittent pen failures, and with older applications that do not have complete pen support due to the different APIs used by Surface Pro's stylus drivers. In the latter case, Microsoft has indicated that it is working with software vendors to ensure better compatibility. As for later models beginning with the Surface Pro 3, the N-Trig digital pen digitizer system has attained high pen compatibility with older applications thanks to a regularly updated, optional WinTab driver. Issues had also been experienced with slow Wi-Fi connectivity, and the device not properly returning from standby.
iFixit has awarded the Surface Pro its worst ever repairability rating, but CEO Kyle Wiens claims that it is due to incompetence rather than deliberate design choices.


Krasnogorsk (computer)


Sigma SD9

The Sigma SD9 is a digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) produced by the Sigma Corporation of Japan. The camera was launched at the Photo Marketing Association Annual Show on February 18, 2002. It was Sigma's first digital camera, and was the first production camera to use the unique Foveon X3 image sensor, which reads full color at each pixel site. Other sensors detect only one color at each site and interpolate to produce a full-color image.
The SD9 had two separate power systems; one set of CR-123A lithium batteries in the handgrip powered the camera functions, while another pair of CR-V3 batteries or four AA size rechargeable batteries in a battery tray in the base powered the digital functions. This split power system showed that the camera functions (inherited from Sigma's SA-9 film SLR) were not integrated at all with the digital half.
Another unusual feature of the SD9 was its "dust cover" filter right behind the lens mount, to prevent dust getting into the chamber and onto the sensor when changing lenses.
Reviewers and users reported good results in good lighting, but poorer ones in low light using either high ISO sensitivity or longer exposures.
The SD9 was succeeded by an updated model, the SD10, which addressed the power and low-light issues.
Software.
Sigma Photo Pro.
Postprocessing of raw X3F and JPEG of all digital SIGMA cameras
Version 6.x is free Download for Windows 7+ und Mac OS ab Version 10.7 (6.3.x).Actual Versions are 6.5.4 (Win 7+) and 6.5.5 (MacOSX 10.9+).


AppleWorks User Group

The AppleWorks User Group is a group formed in 1991 to support users of Apple Inc's AppleWorks software suite. The group is often referred to as "AWUG". AWUG publishes a monthly newsletter, the "AppleWorks Journal", that provides hints, tips, and techniques for AppleWorks. It also provides its members with telephone and email support, as well as access to a "Members Helping Members" database (actually distributed as a PDF) and the "AppleWorks News Service" website, which provides timely news and information about AppleWorks. Membership also includes access to the AWUG Public Domain Library, a repository of AppleWorks utilities, templates, fonts, enhancements, and updates. AWUG members also get discounts on various software titles. AWUG also supports developers of AppleWorks-related software.


Zcat


SDS Sigma 2


Tmux

tmux is an open-source terminal multiplexer for Unix-like operating systems. It allows multiple terminal sessions to be accessed simultaneously in a single window. It is useful for running more than one command-line program at the same time. It can also be used to detach processes from their controlling terminals, allowing remote sessions to remain active without being visible.
Features.
tmux includes most features of GNU Screen. It allows users to start a terminal session with clients that are not bound to a specific physical or virtual console; multiple terminal sessions can be created within a single terminal session and then freely rebound from one virtual console to another, and each session can have several connected clients.
Some notable tmux features are:
Adoption.
tmux is included in the OpenBSD base system, and is available as a package for many other Unix-like operating systems.


Wordwise

Wordwise is a word processor program published in 1981. It was the best selling word processor in the UK for the BBC Microcomputer during the 1980–1990 time period (~50,000 copies sold as of January 1985).
The program was supplied on an 8K ROM, and was published by Computer Concepts.<ref name="Computer Concepts / Xara history"></ref> The use of ROM allowed the entire RAM of the host machine to be used for storing and manipulating the text, and providing printer-buffer functionality.
Features.
The program was not a WYSIWYG text editor. Printer codes, controlling the formatting of the text when printed, had to be defined via the command. followed by the exact string of Escape-sequence characters for the specific printer that you were using, to enable bold, italic, line-length, font-pitch, font size etc.
Many companies such as Watford Electronics provided utility-ROMS that allowed customers to use 'macro-commands' to call pre-programmed escape-sequences for their printers, vs. having to memorize / refer to cheat-sheets every time they wished to enable a font-change.
The program offered a rudimentary Print-preview mode, using the 80-column 'Mode 3' mode on the BBC Model B (ordinary text editing used the 'Mode 7' 40-column mode). However, this print preview mode could not display printer-specific effects such as Bold, underlining or Italic. (The BBC computer did not natively support the display of these font effects on-screen)
Expansion hardware (paged RAM) tools were also manufactured by companies such as Watford Electronics, to enable larger printer-buffers, and print-previewing of large documents in the 80-column screen modes.
More complete WYSIWYG functionality was only introduced later (again, subject to the same limitations of the font-display on the BBC), with the company's 'Inter Word' ROM in 1986. Due to these limitations, from an end user experience perspective, Wordwise was often thought of as not being as advanced as the competing 'View' word processor from Acornsoft.
Wordwise menu:
Wordwise Plus.
The program was upgraded in 1984 with the introduction of 'Wordwise Plus', on a 16K ROM. This introduced new features such as 'contiguous files', which used the entire space on an attached disk-drive as virtual memory. (The original Wordwise program limited the document size to 27K - the amount of usable RAM on a 32K BBC Micro Model B), up to 11 documents in memory simultaneously (1x main text document, and 10x 'Segments'), and a Macro-programming language, along with compatibility with the 6502 Second Processor.
Wordwise Plus features.
Wordwise Plus main menu:
InterWord.
In 1986 Computer Concepts published InterWord as a successor to Wordwise Plus. InterWord was shipped on a 32k ROM with a custom carrier board allowing specific memory accesses to page different parts of that ROM in and out of the 16k address space that the BBC Micro reserves for user ROMs. This approach was later expanded on by Computer Concepts for their 1987 ROM SpellMaster, which paged 128k into the 16k address space and acted as a spelling checker for InterWord, Wordwise and View.
InterWord was a menu-driven WYSIWYG wordprocessor which allowed 80-column editing (screen modes 0 or 3, with the latter taking less screen memory but displaying fewer lines on the screen), as well as a non-standard 106-column view using custom fonts. 40- and 53-column views were also available if a larger font was required or to reduce screen memory footprint, and the display would scroll horizontally when narrower than the printed page. InterWord could not use the extra-low-memory teletext mode except for its main menu, and recommended that the machine have Shadow RAM (like the BBC Master) so that screen memory would not be an issue.
Computer Concepts also published a spreadsheet (InterSheet) and graphing package (InterChart), and a database (InterBase). These ROMs could co-operate via their "ROM-Link", together holding up to 16 documents (word, sheet or database) simultaneously in RAM and switching between these on command, provided there was sufficient RAM for the documents. Using data from one document in another (such as mail-merging a database into a letter) was also possible.
Current BBC Micro emulators cannot run InterWord because they lack emulation of the custom carrier board that bank-switches its 32k ROM.
Version history.
Wordwise was upgraded multiple times during the lifetime of the product, as listed below:
Main ROMs - Computer Concepts
Ancillary programs and utilities (multiple vendors)


Future Knight

Future Knight is a 2D, flip screen platform game released by Gremlin Graphics in 1986 for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, and ZX Spectrum. The player must guide Randolph through twenty levels of hostile robots and aliens before defeating Spegbott and rescuing Amelia.
Plot.
The space cruiser S.S. "Rustbucket" has crashed on Planet 2749 of the Zragg System, and its passengers been taken hostage by Spegbott the Terrible and his minions. Among them is the Princess Amelia, beloved of the Future Knight Randolph, who has now teleported into the wreck of the "Rustbucket" to defeat Spegbott and rescue her.
Gameplay.
An undocumented level editor is included in the Spectrum version which can be accessed from the main menu by pressing the key combination EDIT-F-K.
Reviews.
"Sinclair User":
The game was reviewed in 1990 in "Dragon" #158 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column, as part of the Mastertronic MEGA Pack of 10 games previously released in Europe. The reviewers gave the game 1 out of 5 stars, stating "You’re inside a spaceship trying to find a princess in distress; a really dumb game".


Vulcan FlipStart

The Vulcan FlipStart was a super compact PC, weighing 1.5 pounds (with standard high capacity battery) and the size of a paperback novel (4.5 by 5.9 by 1.6 inches with high capacity battery). FlipStart was the release name for the concept PC Paul Allen showed at CES 2003 and 2004, specifically FlipStart V1.0. The original concept name was Mini-PC.
Its main competition at the time of release was the OQO Model 02. OQO had released the Model 01 at the time the FlipStart was announced 4 years earlier. They were both equipped with QWERTY keyboards and wireless capabilities but the FlipStart was a clamshell (flipped open) versus the OQO which slid up to reveal the keyboard.
Specifications.
The FlipStart has a folding 5.9-inch screen with 1024×700 resolution, a 30GB hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and batteries capable of running one to three on a charge with extended battery life offering up to four hours. The CPU is a Pentium M ULV processor running at 1.1 GHz, and it has a non-expandable memory of 512MiB. The chipset is the Intel GMA915. A VGA resolution (640 x 480) camera is built in below the screen. The FlipStart also has built in speakers and a microphone.
The devices run the Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems and as such can run standard PC applications such as Microsoft Office.
It also has a small secondary color display in the lid similar to, but not, Windows SideShow. This is only compatible with Office/Outlook 2003 currently. Its small QWERTY keyboard has backlit buttons, and additional input devices are provided in the form of a trackpad and thumbstick located above the keyboard, a scrollwheel and media navigation buttons on the right side of the unit.
Expansion is possible via a dock connector which connects to a port replicator, offering two USB ports (blocking the single port on the unit), VGA, audio, AC power and Ethernet. A sliding cover on the lid provides access to a "snap on" expansion system. There is one expansion option provided for this, a 3.2Mp (5Mp marketed) add-on camera. The expansion cover also provides access to the built in SIM socket.
Launch.
The FlipStart was launched in the US on March 27, 2007 at the FlipStart web page for a price of $1999.
The FlipStart (CE marked version) was launched in the UK via distributor Blazepoint on September 10, 2007 for £1449 (excluding VAT).
The US price was reduced to $1499 in September 2007. On January 16, 2008 this price was reduced to $699 (£339.00 ex. VAT in the UK).
In the US the FlipStart primarily shipped with Sierra Sprint Broadband EVDO communications.
In Spring of 2008, FlipStart sold out and no new units were manufactured. The company provided support for one year after that, stopping on March 31, 2009 "due to the low volume of support request and expiration of all warranties."


Commodore Educator 64

The Educator 64, also known as the PET 64 and Model 4064, was a microcomputer made by Commodore Business Machines in 1983. It was sold to schools as a replacement for aging Commodore PET systems. Schools were reluctant to adopt the Commodore 64 "breadbox" design due to theft or vandalism of the smaller, more exposed components. The 4064 designation followed in line with the PET's 4008, 4016 and 4032 models as a 64 KB 40-column model.
The internals of the Educator 64 were refurbished Commodore 64 motherboards and monochromatic green monitors. The area above the keyboard contained a quick reference card for BASIC 2.0 and Commodore DOS commands. The only differences between the Educator 64 and the other 64 models were the graphics capabilities, the built-in speaker, the sound amplifier with volume control, the 3.5 mm mini-jack for mono sound output to headphones, the internal power supply, and the keyboard which is missing the color abbreviations imprinted on the front edge of the number keys. The Educator 64 retained the ability to display shades of green, while the PET 64 and 4064 were monochrome-only. Though the PET 4008/4016/4032 computers had cases made entirely of metal, only the Educator 64's base was metal—the upper case was made of thick plastic.
The Educator 64 was not sold in great numbers. It suffered from its monochrome display most Commodore 64 software assumed the availability of color. And, by that time, the US education market was firmly in Apple's grasp.


SQ (program)

SQ ("squeeze") is a computer program, devised by Richard (Dick) Greenlaw circa 1981, which was used in the early 1980s on both DOS and CP/M computer systems to compress files so they use less space.
Files compressed by SQ are identified by changing the middle initial of the extension to "Q", so that text files ended with the extension .TQT, executable files ended with the extension .CQM or .EQE, documents with .DQC, etc. SQ used static Huffman coding as the compression algorithm.
Groups of files were often combined into an archive using the LU program, which created .LBR files containing all the files needed for a particular group, such as all the files needed to install an application. Typically such files were either individually compressed (because LU did not compress files) or the LBR archive was itself compressed with SQ (similarly to the use of tar and gzip together in more modern times).
With the development of the ARC program (which combined both compression and archiving into one program) and its ARC archive file format, SQ essentially became obsolete on most systems, except CP/M, which lacked an ARC port for several years. On CP/M systems, the CRUNCH compression program was written to implement the LZW algorithm (as ARC did) and plug the gap.


Parallel Computers, Inc.

Parallel Computers, Inc. was an American computer manufacturing company, based in Santa Cruz, California, that made fault-tolerant computer systems based around the Unix operating system and various processors in the Motorola 68000 series.
History.
The company was founded in 1983 and was premised on the idea of providing a less expensive alternative to existing fault-tolerant solutions, one that would be attractive to smaller businesses. Over time it received some $21 million of venture capital funding. Parallel Computers was part of a wave of technology companies that were based in that area during the 1980s, the Santa Cruz Operation being the most well-known of them. Parallel Computers was also one of a number of new companies focusing on fault-tolerant solutions that were inspired by the success of Tandem Computers. Other such companies included Stratus Computer, Tolerant Systems, Sequoia Systems, Synapse Computer, Auragen Systems, No Halt Computers, Corinthian Systems, Enmasse, and Computer Consoles Inc.
Parallel Computers made systems that featured redundant hardware elements from processors and storage to power supplies, and that self-detected error situations. Their systems fit into the supermicrocomputer to minicomputer ranges in size. The difficulties of building fault-tolerant systems were considerable, however, including the unsuitability of Unix in that era for that purpose, and Parallel Systems like the other new companies in the space severely underestimated the engineering tasks involved. Significant product delays resulted as a consequence, as did layoffs, and Parallel Computers changed its chief executive during 1984.
By 1986 Parallel had some $6 million in annual sales and employed 40 people. However it had made fewer than a hundred sales, and one industry analyst surmised that the small business marketplace Parallel was targeting was often not sophisticated enough to recognize the value of fault-tolerant solutions. Moreover, the company's sales force was too small to scale up and its manufacturing capabilities were limited. Parallel had OEM agreements with the likes of Scientific Games Corporation, and used resellers in the United Kingdom such as Systime Computers Ltd, but sales were few through these channels as well.
Accordingly, Parallel's management decided the company was not viable on its own, and Parallel Computers was sold to General Automation in 1987, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary. It was then sold again in 1988, to the British computer manufacturing firm Integrated Micro Products (IMP), following disappointing sales of the Parallel product. Following that, the Parallel Computers production facility in Los Gatos, California was shut down and all manufacturing was moved to the north of England. IMP, by then focusing on telecommunications equipment, was eventually acquired by Sun Microsystems in March 1996 for $96 million.


Pentax *ist DL

The Pentax *ist DL is a 2005 entry-level digital single lens-reflex camera manufactured by Pentax.
Pentax *ist DL2.
Introduced in 2006, the Pentax *ist DL2 is a minor upgrade to the original model Pentax *ist DL. It was available only in selected markets. This camera was co-developed with Samsung, which sold a rebadged version as the Samsung GX 1L, which was bundled with a Schneider Kreutznach-branded Pentax DA 18-55mm lens.


Crazy Climber

 is a vertical scrolling arcade climbing game produced by Nichibutsu in 1980, and released in North America by Taito America. It was later released by UA Ltd. in 1982 for the Emerson Arcadia 2001 and other video game consoles. It is one of the most acclaimed games in Nichibutsu's library. A precursor to the platform game genre, "Crazy Climber" was the first climbing-themed video game—specifically, climbing buildings—before Nintendo's 1981 release "Donkey Kong".
The game was ported to the Atari 2600, Arcadia 2001, PC-8801 (released in December 1981), MZ-80B (released in January 1982), Famicom, Super Famicom and Sharp X68000. A sequel, "Crazy Climber 2", was released for arcades in 1988.
Description.
The player assumes the role of a climber attempting to reach the top of four skyscrapers. The climber is controlled via two joysticks.
Obstacles.
Some of these dangers appear at every level of the game; others make appearances only in later stages. Should the climber succumb to any one of these dangers, a new climber takes his place at the exact point where he fell; the last major danger is eliminated.
One ally the climber has is a pink "Lucky Balloon"; if he is able to grab it, the climber is transported up 8 stories to a window. The window onto which it drops the climber may be about to close. If the window that the climber is dropped onto is fully closed, the balloon pauses there until the window opens up again. The player does not actually earn bonus points for catching the balloon, but he is awarded the normal 'step value' for each of the eight floors that he passes while holding the balloon.
If the climber is able to ascend to the top of a skyscraper and grabs the runner of a waiting helicopter, he earns a bonus and is transported to another skyscraper, which presents more dangers than the past. The helicopter only waits about 30 seconds before flying off.
If the player completes all four skyscrapers, he is taken back to the first skyscraper and the game restarts from the beginning, but the player keeps his score.
The difficulty level of any game was modified to take into account the skill of previous players. Hence if a player pushed the high score up to 250,000 any novice player following would get thoroughly wiped out for several games, due to the increased difficulty level, and have to play until it dropped back down.
Musical cues used throughout the game include "Baby Elephant Walk", "The Pink Panther Theme", and "The Entertainer".
If the climber is not moved for several seconds, a voice says "Go for it!"
The Family Computer version had a special controller that could be used with it.
Reception.
In Japan, "Crazy Climber" was the third highest-grossing arcade game of 1980, just below "Pac-Man" and "Galaxian". "Crazy Climber" was also Japan's eighth highest-grossing arcade game of 1981.
In North America, "Crazy Climber" was among the top ten highest-earning arcade games in the summer of 1982.


Printout (magazine)


Razer Blade Stealth Series

The Razer Blade Stealth Series is a laptop lineup from Razer Inc. It was first launched 6 January 2016 during the Consumer Electronics Show alongside the Razer Core, the external graphics box. The product won the CES 2016 Best Laptop Award for its unique design choice of detaching the powerful GPU from the main device and connecting the two via Thunderbolt 3, thus allowing users to choose either power or portability. The current lineup consists of 5 versions of this laptop - 2016, early 2017, late 2017, 2019, and 2020 models - and 3 versions of the Razer Core - Razer Core V1, Razer Core V2, and Razer Core X.
History.
Razer started with developing gaming mouse, then 2012, they started their first step toward gaming laptop with Razer blade (2012), which contains game oriented graphics, macro programmable keyboards and touchscreen touchpad. Razer refreshed the product in 2014 with a similar design to ordinary laptops. In 2016, the company launched Razer blade stealth. The device was no longer following a trend of installing gaming graphic cards, but instead, attach a mobile Intel U processor and amplify the graphics performance by the external graphic box.
Razer Blade Stealth (2016).
Launch.
Launched in CES 2016, got a design award. Launched with a price of US$999, for a QHD model.
Hardware.
Thunderbolt 3 support.
Razer blade stealth's power plug supports Thunderbolt 3 supports with 4 lanes of PCI Express. It is like a USB, but with much quicker respond speed. Therefore, it is capable of receiving 10gpbs of speed with external hardware that is connected with the laptop such as external graphics card box. The concept of external graphics was started from dell Alienware series. However, it required specific hardware called Alienware graphics amplifying box, which doesn't use Thunderbolt 3. Hence, many tech reviews and CES teams are suggesting that this is not versatile compared to Razer's solution.
Razer Chroma and Synapse software support.
Razer blade stealth supports full Chroma lightning with Razer Synapse software. Chroma lighting is a unique show light features on mouse and keyboard of all the Razer products. The keyboard in Razer blade also features identical experience with other Razer Chroma devices. The device comes with pre-installed Razer Synapse software and the software supports key clicks, Macro creating and other features that are supported within other Razer Keyboards.
Reception.
Razer blade got a Best of CES 2016 winner title. According to the article, it is due to their work with Razer Chroma lighting, Thunderbolt 3 support and unique design compare to other competitors like dell Dell XPS 13 and LG Gram.
PC mag editor's choice for 2016. PC mag editor Matthew Buzzi gave 4.5 out of 5 ratings for Razer Blade Stealth. "Sleek design" with "premium material", "high-resolution touch display was the advantages" and "shallow key travel" was the only disadvantage.
Razer Blade Stealth (Early 2017, Late 2017).
Launch.
Early 2017 variants were launched during CES and late 2017 was launched online only.
Hardware.
Early 2017.
Updated with Intel 7th gen CPU. Another Variant with core i5 to reduce the price. Core i5 version retails at around US$900 and still have the same specification with another model, except the CPU processor. Also, the touchpad was improved by supporting windows precision driver setting as a default. Therefore, it supports windows touchpad gestures.
Late 2017.
Refreshed with 13-inch screen from 12.5, by reducing the side bezel. Late 2017 comes with two colors, which is gunmetal color and black with green Razer logo.
Late 2017 comes with same form factors with Early 2017 and CPU upgrade from 7th gen Intel i7 CPU to 8th get Intel i7 CPU.
Razer Blade Stealth (2019).
Launch.
The 2019 model of Razer Blade Stealth was announced on CES 2019, which was held on 8 January 2019.
Hardware.
Razer refreshed the design of Razer Blade stealth toward more unique design then before. Also, the design language now fits with their Razer Blade 15 lineup. There is no longer a glowing green LED Razer logo behind the laptop led and does not support Razer Chroma, but instead single light zone keyboard. The display bezel was shrunk down to have a 14 inch screen on a 13 inch form factor. The touchpad was updated from plastic finish to glass finish.
Blade Stealth's camera now supports IR bio-metrics. Hence, it will support windows hello functionality.
One of the variant is using MX150 graphics card, which can perform about 30% better than the 8th gen Intel's internal graphics. Thus, 2019 model can play light game and show better video editing performance without the external Razer Core.
Razer Core.
Razer Core is Thunderbolt 3 powered External graphics card container. This box can be directly connected to the computer and supports lacking graphics power of the laptop. Razer Blade Stealth does not have a dedicated GPU (Intel U series). However, the device can be connected to Razer Core to play the game.
The core is a GPU mounter. Therefore, it does not come with the graphics card itself. The variation of GPU that can be mounted to the core is as following.
Razer Core V1.
Razer core V1 was introduced in CES 2016 and launched month after the event. It was retailed at $499 USD. Device can store full length double wide PCle desktop graphics card, including AMD and Nvidia graphic cards.
Razer core contains 4 USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet port and thunderbolt connection to connect with laptop.
Razer Core V2.
Razer core V2 introduced with Late 2017 version of Razer Blade Stealth. The V2 fixed one of the major issue of the V1, which is USB 3.0 does not work well when they use GPU intensive program. It is because V1 was using one PCle line for both of the connection (USB and thunderbolt). From the V2, they are using separate Pcle line for the two connections. Thus, it performs much more reliably.
Furthermore, now the box can handle bigger size GPU by enlarging the size of the enclosure to improve the future upgradability.
Razer Core X.
Razer Core X was launched to the market at the end of 2018. Retailed at price of $299 USD. The specification of product is unchanged from the Core V2. However, Razer Chroma Lightning is gone to reduce the price, as well as the 4 USB 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet.
Razer Core X Chroma.
Razer Core X Chroma was launched to the market on April 16th, 2019. Retailed at price of $399 USD. Comes with 4x USB 3.1 and a Gigabit Ethernet port.


The Lords (demogroup)

The Lords was a Dutch ZX Spectrum group from Roosendaal known as one of the earliest dedicated demogroups. The Lords released several demos for the ZX Spectrum home computer between the years 1986 and 1990. Groups such as The Lords are regarded as early pioneers of what came to be known as the demoscene. They were especially noted for their sound-chip skills.
In some respects they mirrored The Judges, a "rivaling" Commodore 64 group also from Roosendaal, to the extent that concepts, artwork and even titles were identical between the two groups.
Their demo "Quinquagesima" was given a review of 78% in the September 1992 issue of Your Sinclair - three years after it was released in 1989. Some of their productions was put as covermounts, for instance The Apple Movie on Outlet issue 107 and Quinquagesima on Outlet issue 070.
In later years, they released some of their demos for the SAM Coupé and two games: a freeware version of "Tetris" in 1990 (also published as a covermount on Fred issue 3) and an "Arkanoid" clone named "Batz 'n Balls" in 1992, both to very good reviews.
In 1994 two of the members, Lord Insanity and Scrunk, did a series of articles about demos for the paper-based magazine ZAT.


Sony Alpha 65

Announced by Sony on August 24, 2011 and launched alongside its brother the Sony Alpha 77, the Sony Alpha 65 is the top-tier for Sony's midrange Alpha SLT camera line.
The Sony Alpha 65 does not have a direct predecessor like the Sony Alpha 77 however is still considered a replacement for the Sony Alpha 700 with less high-end specifications than its brother. The A65 lacks the A77's magnesium alloy construction in favor of a polycarbonate resin (plastic) resulting in a lighter frame and slightly smaller dimensions and lacking weather-proofing capability. The A65 uses the USB 2.0 transfer interface of 480 Mbit/s, has HDMI type C for connectivity and remote capabilities using the RM-S1 accessory.
The camera enters the market with its own tier entry into the range, boasting features such as a 24.3Mpx APS-C HD CMOS sensor using a single-lens translucent mirror and features full HD 1080p recording capabilities using H.264 compression. It hosts a variable burst-shooting mode up to 10fps, stereo audio recording capabilities and like others in the Sony Alpha range it has high sensitivity with ISO 100 to 16000, several noise reduction features, 8 white balance presets including custom balance and exposure control systems. The battery capacity is rated for 510 shots using the electronic viewfinder or 560 shots using the LCD. The capture format for images in raw format uses the .ARW extension, Sony's extension for raw.
The rear panel has the same layout as the Sony Alpha 55 and whilst the LCD hosts a 4:3 aspect ratio compared to the A55's 16:9 it has the same resolution and adjustability. With a few minor layout changes one easily noted oddity is the reversal direction of the power switch compared with the A55 believed to result in an easier operation.
Model variants.
Model variants of the Alpha 65 camera body:
Depending on country/market, the Alpha 65 camera is also available in different kits:
Firmware updates.
On 5 February 2013, Sony released a new firmware "V1.07", with the following enhancements:


Thursby DAVE

DAVE was a commercial grade Microsoft Windows file and print sharing SMB/CIFS software for Apple Macs from Thursby Software Systems.
DAVE was first introduced in 1996. Microsoft DFS support was added in 2002.
Thursby co-wrote the Mac SMB/CIFS standards with Microsoft in 2002.
Although it is true that Mac OS X does have Samba support, the built-in SMB support with early OS X versions had limitations that DAVE attempted to overcome, offering better compatibility & performance for enterprise environments and specifically in networked use of Mac apps such as Final Cut Pro, Creative Suite, Avid and Office.
The ADmitMac and ADmitMac PKI products build on DAVE, adding enhanced support for Microsoft Active Directory and US government Public-key infrastructure systems.
In 2017, Thursby announced that DAVE and ADmitMac were now end-of-life products, writing:Thursday, July 27, 2017 (Arlington, TX) - Today Thursby Software Systems, Inc. (Thursby) announced the end-of-life for both their legacy DAVE® and ADmitMac® products for the Apple Macintosh.DAVE was first introduced in 1996, 21 years ago, as the first Microsoft SMB file-sharing client on the Mac. In 2003, Thursby introduced ADmitMac as the first Active Directory solution for the Mac.Since that time, Apple has continued to improve their operating system by inclusion of their own SMB and Active Directory technology, in part with the help of Thursby. With the recent announcement of the High Sierra operating system, Thursby believes that Apple has finally culminated a total Microsoft file systems to the quality that eliminates the need for either DAVE or ADmitMac.Thursby will continue to support customers under contract, but does not expect any enhancements for the next operating system release. Legacy licenses with 30-day configuration support will continue to be available to all customers.The final versions were DAVE v13 and ADmitMac v10.


Remote Shell

The remote shell (rsh) is a command line computer program that can execute shell commands as another user, and on another computer across a computer network.
The remote system to which "rsh" connects runs the "rsh" daemon (rshd). The daemon typically uses the well-known Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port number 514.
History.
"Rsh" originated as part of the BSD Unix operating system, along with rcp, as part of the rlogin package on 4.2BSD in 1983. rsh has since been ported to other operating systems.
The codice_1 command has the same name as another common UNIX utility, the restricted shell, which first appeared in PWB/UNIX; in System V Release 4, the restricted shell is often located at /usr/bin/rsh.
Limitations.
As described in the rlogin article, the rsh protocol is not secure for network use, because it sends unencrypted information over the network, among other reasons. Some implementations also authenticate by sending unencrypted passwords over the network. rsh has largely been replaced with the secure shell (ssh) program, even on local networks.
Example.
As an example of rsh use, the following executes the command "mkdir testdir" as user "remoteuser" on the computer "host.example.com" running a UNIX-like system:
$ rsh -l remoteuser host.example.com "mkdir testdir"
After the command has finished rsh terminates. If no command is specified then rsh will log in on the remote system using rlogin. The network location of the remote computer is looked up using the Domain Name System.


Archipelagos (video game)

Archipelagos is a 1989 first person action and strategy video game developed by Astral Software and playable on Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS.
Plot.
The game takes place on a series of islands (the titular archipelagos). These islands were created by a mysterious race known only as the Ancients. The Ancients also created another race, the Visitors, who ended up being their downfall, as the Visitors rebelled against their creators, ultimately killing them. As the blood of the slaughtered Ancients soaked into the land, the worlds they had created became twisted and poisoned. This is the world the player now finds themselves in, with the task of restoring the islands to their former, uncorrupted glory.
Gameplay.
The game is played from a first person 3D view. The player is not a specific character, but rather a kind of disembodied consciousness. Each level consists of a landscape made up of one or more lost islands. Each level has a stone obelisk, a number of egg shaped boulders, and various hazards, such as animated trees, souls, or other enemies. The aim of each level is to destroy all of the boulders. Once all of the boulders are destroyed a timer starts. The player then has 90 seconds to reach the obelisk and destroy it.
Various obstacles stand in the player's way. There are animated trees which spread the blood of the ancients from their roots as they move around. Moving into an area contaminated by the blood damages the player. Also, once the timer has been started by destroying all of the boulders the trees become enraged, and swarm towards the player. Later levels introduce other creatures and hazards, but the essential gameplay remains the same throughout the game. As the game levels are procedurally generated from seed numbers there are 9999 levels in total.
Reception.
"Archipelagos" received largely positive reviews upon release. The Atari ST version received review scores of 92%, 84% and 9/10 respectively from "The One magazine" (issue 7, Apr 89), "ST/Amiga Format" magazine (issue 11, May 89), and "Atari ST User" (unknown issue, Jun 89). The Amiga version scored 79% from "CU Amiga" (Jun 89) and 90% in "Zzap" (Issue 51, Jul 89). Elements of the game highlighted in reviews included the 3D graphics, which were seen as very advanced for the time, the atmospheric nature of the game, and its originality.
"Computer Gaming World" stated that "graphically, this game is stunning, perhaps even shocking ... the game concept is innovative and the play becomes increasingly engrossing". It concluded: ""Archipelagos" is a distinctive product that well deserves to be imported". "Compute!" described it as "unusual and addictive", recommending the game to those seeking "challenging logic puzzles with first-rate graphics animation". "STart" described "Archipelagos" as "one of the most original games I've seen, both in gameplay and in original concept", with an "odd and eerie setting that works despite an eminently forgettable scenario". The magazine recommended it to those who enjoyed puzzles or "truly weird challenges". The game was reviewed in 1991 in "Dragon" #169 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.
Legacy.
A remake of "Archipelagos", called "Archipelagos 2000" and developed by Anthill Studios was released for Windows in 1999.


Heavy Nova (video game)

 is a 1991 video game for the Sega CD/Mega-CD, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and X68000 that combines elements of fighting games with platform games and mission elements. Players assume the role of a robot operator destined to earn the highest operator rank. To do so, the robot – known in the game as a Heavy DOLL – must complete a combat training camp which prompts the 2D Platformer stages. The player then must combat other Heavy DOLLs as the end-level bosses which prompts the 2D fighting elements. A sequel, "Black Hole Assault", was released in 1992.
Story.
Sometime in Earth's future, it came to mankind's realization that the Earth's natural resources were starting to decline, but despite every nation's attempts, the Earth's environment and resources continued thin. Suddenly, an alien race appeared in the Solar System. Hailing from the planet Akirov, the aliens had been observing Earth for centuries and arrived in order to save it. With their technological help, Earth's environment was replenished and Human's were able to travel deeper into space. By the year 2102, mankind was finally at peace thanks to the Akirovians.
Ten years later, a plot to enslave mankind was discovered to be a part of the Akirovian's plans and a war waged between the two. Eight years later, the Akirovians lost and left the Solar System. The primary machines for Earth's victory came from original Akirovian designed machines: giant remote controlled robots first used to design and repair Earth's satellite and colony structures. The robots were favored as Earth's primary line of defense and were dubbed the Heavy D.O.L.L's (Defensive Offensive Lethal Liberator).
Now taking place in 2120, the prospect of earning the highest combat ranking for a Heavy D.O.L.L, the rank of Heavy Nova, has become a long desired military rank. The player assumes the role of such a person attempting to earn that rank who must go through training and combat situations to prove their abilities.
Gameplay.
"Heavy Nova"'s Single Player game play is separated into two sections: a Platformer section and a Fighting Game section. The player has to destroy every possible enemy robot in the Platformer sections and make it to the end in order to fight the boss awaiting them. The player has various attacks at their disposal with the Idar, most of which they were able to use during combat with the bosses in the Fighting Game stages. During the Fighting Game Stages/Boss Fights, the player had to defeat the boss using various Fighting Game attacks such as a button command that allowed missiles to launch from the Idar's hand. However, both Heavy D.O.L.L robots, player and enemy, has an energy bar under their health meter; the energy bar measures how much strength the player or enemy has in order to move their robot. Taking too much damage results in energy depletion. When the player's energy was depleted to two bars, the player robot cannot move, leaving the player completely vulnerable to enemy attacks.
Alternatively, the 2 Player mode pitches two players against each other using all of the enemy robot models encountered in the game.
Reception.
"Heavy Nova" received very poor reviews. "Mega" said that "badly animated robots, appalling music and terribly unresponsive controls as much fun as colouring in each square on a piece of graph paper with a different pen... with a headache... listening to Max Bygraves." Classic Game Room's Mark Bussler praised its intro cutscene, but called it "possibly the worst video game I've ever played", criticizing the clumsy controls, uninspired level design, and flawed collision detection that turns the boss fights into a matter of "simply mashing buttons and hoping for the best".
"Entertainment Weekly" gave the game a D+ and wrote that ""Heavy Nova"'s high-stepping, stainless-steel robot hero may have a certain wacky appeal — if Michael Jackson were the Terminator, this is what his skeleton would look like — but it also has the most ponderous, difficult-to-master moves this side of a t'ai chi tournament. Identically languid opponents and shamelessly minimal action sequences make this game the perfect corrective to acute caffeine poisoning."


Super Pitfall

 is a 1986 side-scrolling platform video game for the Nintendo Famicom / Nintendo Entertainment System, NEC PC-8801, and TRS-80 Color Computer 3 published under Activision's license. Despite stating in its title screen that it was developed by Pony Inc, the NES version was not developed by Pony Inc., but by Micronics, with the PC-8801 version being developed by Pony Inc. while the CoCo version is credited as being "Programmed by Steve Bjork of SRB Software". The PC-8801 version released in November 1986, two months after the original release in September 1986, although this variant of the game was limited to single-screen platforming rather than side-scrolling.
In addition to being a new entry in Activision's Pitfall! series for the Atari 2600, "Super Pitfall" was the first game that Activision published as a third-party developer. A sequel titled "Super Pitfall II" — the localized version of Sunsoft's Famicom title, "Atlantis no Nazo" – was planned, but was cancelled a short time later.
Gameplay.
"Super Pitfall" is a loose remake of "", in that the object is to move Harry through the mazes to find the Raj diamond, and rescue his niece Rhonda and sidekick Quickclaw, both of whom have become lost in the caverns. However, Pitfall Harry's quest becomes tougher when he sees that the faithful Quickclaw is imprisoned in a cage and a key must be found – at which point Pitfall Harry finds that Rhonda has been turned to stone; it is here where he must locate a magic potion that will turn her back into a normal girl.
The difference in "Super Pitfall", however, is that Harry must also return to his starting point after accomplishing these objectives. Like the original Pitfall, but unlike "", Harry has a limited number of lives. This time, Harry is also equipped with a gun with which he can shoot the various deadly creatures that inhabit the caverns, but he has limited ammunition and must find additional bullets scattered throughout the game. Arguably the most difficult enemies to beat are the three cavemen – which require more than one bullet to eliminate. Gathering gold bars results in extra points and nothing else. Completion of this game requires the memorization (or mapping) of numerous hidden keys and warp zones to progress – the likes of which can only be reached by jumping at secret hidden spots in the game's levels.
Critical reception.
The NES version was negatively received. A review in "Computer Gaming World" derided the game as "a [Super Mario Bros.] rehash that most NES users will be able to play in their sleep. Certainly, there is nothing in the game itself to keep them awake." Further complaints were directed at the lack of any credit given to David Crane, the original designer of "Pitfall". Brett Alan Weiss of the game database Allgame gave the game a rating of one star out of five, stating that ""Pitfall" is one of the best Atari 2600 games; "Super Pitfall" is one of the worst NES games".
Gamasutra criticized it for being "vague to the point of infuriating" and "a pure trial-and-error expedition of the underground", but noted that it had some early sandbox elements and could have been better if it had "a loose goal that couples true exploration with graphics and physics that are actually good" like its contemporary, "Metroid", and the 2004 indie game "Cave Story".