[{"TitleName":"Tasword Three","Publisher":"Tasman Software","Author":"","YearOfRelease":"1986","ZxDbId":"0008865","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 31, Aug 1986","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1986-07-31","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Publishers: Roger Kean, Oliver Frey, Franco Frey\r\nEditor: Graeme Kidd\r\nStaff Writers: Tony Flanagan, Lloyd Mangram, Hannah Smith\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStrategy Editor: Sean Masterson\r\nTech Tipster: Simon Goodwin\r\nContributing Writers: Jon Bates, Brendon Kavanagh, Rosetta McLeod, John Minson\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Dick Shiner\r\nIllustrators: Ian Craig, Oliver Frey\r\nProduction: Gordon Druce, Tony Lorton, Cameron Pound, Jonathan Rignall, Matthew Uffindell\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Nick Wild\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nBookings [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group.\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH Magazine unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©1986 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"TASWORD 3\r\nProducer: Tasman Software\r\nRetail Price: £16.50 (Microdrive); £19.50 Opus Disk\r\n\r\nThe team at TASMAN SOFWTARE have taken the old favourite Tasword II and moved it onto Microdrive and Opus Disk, adding more commands, more memory and greatly increasing the ease of use. This seemed to me to be a very brave step on the part of TASMAN as they must think that all their prospective customers have Microdrives or disk systems. I can see them getting a bit worried about running out of memory, but all the rest of the latest batch of word processors made it out on cassette in a very useable form .. .\r\n\r\nThe main text editor loads in one chunk, and the only other drive access you need is for dumping the text to other peripherals (printers, backing storage and so on). As with Tasword II, when you load up you go directly into the text editor, which means you can get down to work straight away.\r\n\r\nThe text editor at first glance seems the same as Tasword II, but a closer look shows that table markers or tabs are available. These are shown on the switches panel at the bottom of the screen. A PAGE BREAK switch has been added that can be used to reveal on screen how text will be printed - a handy facility when it comes to producing the final version of a document. During one-screen formatting, a dotted line is displayed where the page breaks will occur on the printer.\r\n\r\nOne of the best features of Tasword III is the impressive HELP menu. This shows you every command available at the press of a key, and a quarter of the HELP page can be shown at the top of the screen while you are typing. This is useful - for instance if you use printer controls regularly, the graphics symbols which Tasword III uses as printer tokens can be shown in the top quarter of the screen, so you don't forget what does what!\r\n\r\nTasword III only features a few brand new commands, but the old commands of the Tasword II era have been expanded considerably. The most important addition to its array of over sixty commands are the TAB commands: very useful for setting out charts or tables. TABs act rather like TAB STOPS on an ordinary typewriter and are little markers on the screen which the cursor can jump between. The user can set up any number of character positions between any number of tab stops a very easy process and a definite plus over any other Spectrum word processor I've come across. The other new addition to Tasword III is the expansion of the screen width from 64 characters to 128, which means you can see exactly what your hard copy will look like on the screen, via the very ingenious scrolling of text across the screen.\r\n\r\nThe cursor movement has been expanded too, and it's possible to jump to the beginning and end of lines, paragraphs and printer pages (via page markers). TASMAN have gone to town on the deleting as well: words, lines, paragraphs, blocks and the plain old character behind the cursor can now be deleted, instead of just the cursor character as in Tasword II. Paragraphs and blocks have to be confirmed before deletion, and lines can be un-deleted, so there's not much chance of you ruining your text accidentally. \r\n\r\nA very useful mode, which is missing from most word processors, is the AUTO INSERT mode. This allows the user to write directly into the middle of a piece of text without overwriting the existing text. Full use is made of the keyboard buffer here, as the existing characters have to be scrolled forward on to the next line.\r\n\r\nTasword III features a very comprehensive printer menu which has all the features of Word Manager and more. With all the headers, footers and page number combinations it would be fairly easy to print a simple magazine using Tasword III.\r\n\r\nThere's a word count in Tasword III; the search and replace option has been speeded up and the cursor speed has also been increased, thus rectifying the main problems with Tasword II. The package offers full value for money, with a word processor, a Tasword A translation program, a Masterfile interpreter, an introduction letter and tutor as well as a simple but very effective data merge file (which can be used instead of Masterfile) included on the cartridge or disk.\r\n\r\nThere is no doubt about it, to my mind TASMAN have now definitely got the top spot as far as word processors go. With the price of printers and disc drives dropping by the month it's almost worth popping out and getting a system to try it out on. One look at Tasword III will take the words out of your mouth.\r\n\r\nFACILITIES\r\nScreen Line (chars): 64\r\nPrinter Line (chars): 128\r\nWord Count: Yes","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"95","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Dominic Handy","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"A TASWORD III text file in preparation, with a quarter of the help page lurking at the top of the screen to jog that lazy memory. Note the status line at the bottom of the screen which shows you how the global commands, such as justification and wordwrap, have been set."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"User Friendliness","Score":"10/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Speed of Operation","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Tab Markers","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Calculator","Score":"N/A","Text":""},{"Header":"Mail-Merge","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Find/Replace","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Peripheral Compatibility","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Printer Options","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 6, Jun 1986","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1986-05-08","Editor":"Kevin Cox","TotalPages":98,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nArt Editor: Martin Dixon\r\nDeputy Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nProduction Editor: Sara Biggs\r\nDesigner: Caroline Clayton\r\nStaff Writer: Phil South\r\nTechnical Consultant: Peter Shaw\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nContributors: Stephen Adams, Luke C, Steve Colwill, Iolo Davidson, Mike Gerrard, Tim Hartnell, Ian Hoare, Gwyn Hughes, Zareh Johannes, Max Phillips, Rick Robson, Rachael Smith, Phil South\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Neil Dyson\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Chris Talbot\r\nPublishing Manager: Roger Munford\r\nPublishing Director: Stephen England\r\n\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England.\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Sinclair ©1986 Felden Productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Sinclair is a monthly publication."},"MainText":"WRITE ON...\n\nIn the beginning was Tasword. Somewhere in the middle was YS issue 1 with news of The Writer and Word Manager. Now, not quite at the end, Max Phillips looks at the new Tasword 3...\n\nFAX BOX\nPackage: Tasword 3\nPublisher: Tasman Software\nSystem: Microdrive Only\nPrice: £16.50\nReviewer: Max Phillips\n\nThere are poor demented people with posh computers who think you can't do anything 'serious' with a Speccy. As if playing games wasn't a serious business. They even take pity on it and call it 'the humble Spectrum'. Since when has anything Sinclair been humble, huh? And they laugh if you say you can wordprocess on it.\n\nThe cure for these people is to get them a copy of Tasword 3 and tell 'em where they can load it. Not that the new Tasword cures all the problems of the Spectrum. It doesn't make keyboards grow or microdrives quicker or... Nor does it do anything that hasn't been done before. Like 64 characters across the screen or fancy page formatting.\n\nWhat it does do though, is turn your Spectrum into a very usable, modern wordprocessor. And in particular, it incorporates most of what Tasword II users have been asking for and casually does the kind of thing newer programs such as SofTechnic's The Writer do - you know, those little extras like word counts, free space indicators and so on.\n\nWEIRD!\n\nThe new program has a lot of its predecessor in it - it looks the same and has the same weird habits like letting you drive the cursor through thin air past the end of your text. But the real hassles with the old program are all long gone. It's also pretty radical in that it only works with microdrives; there is no cassette version.\n\nThere's around 17K free for documents - about 3000 characters less than alternatives but no great loss. Tasword is pretty speedy even with long documents (it scrolls better than some arcade games) and the only real time-sink as waiting for those 'drives when it goes for the main menu.\n\nHanding blocks of text is still done by marking their start and end with two special characters. Like its rivals, Tasword is a bit sloppy here because you can put lots of markers in at once. It can get a bit slow as well because Tasword doesn't keep an eye on where they are and has to go and look for them whenever you do a block operation.\n\nMOVIN' AND MERGIN'\n\nMoving stuff between files is also a pain - you have to do Word Manager-style contortions of merging text and then block moving. A saving grace is the new extend-Z which does a copy but leaves the markers in place so you can repeat the copy several times.\n\nThe vast array of editing commands (mostly extended key sequences) covers everything you can think of. Some of the stuff that's appeared since Tasword II, like 'ignore case' and manual or automatic search and replace is all there as well.\n\nPRINT OUT\n\nPrint formatting is greatly improved over the old Tasword though not as versatile as The Writer. You can specify a header and footer at the top and bottom of each page, page numbers likewise, and either in the middle or on alternate sides of the paper so that they look right when you staple the printout into a leaflet.\n\nThere are up to 32 printer control codes for your printer's special features - more than enough methinks. You can print just a section of text, ask for several copies of a document and, sensibly, combine any number of files on a tape together to form a long document.\n\nTasword III also has a mail-merge facility so that you can do tricks like automatically addressing letters to the members of your club and so on. It isn't as completely comprehensive as The Writer but it's probably sufficient for the few of us that'll use it.\n\nYou can set merge-fields in the text from a datafile (created with Tasword or preferably MasterFile - details included in the manual). You can prompt for variables at print time so, for example, you'd only enter the date once to get it stuck on every letter. And you can do limited conditional printing (only print this bit if this guy hasn't paid has subs yet and so on).\n\nHowever, the text is not reformatted after fields have been merged and merge-printing can mess up both the margins and the page-breaks! Well, if it can't be good, you can at least be careful...\n\nCUSTOM MADE\n\nBut the best bit of all is customisation menu. These go beyond the normal setting up for your printer interface (which is a bit iffy - you might need to type in some - shock, horror - lines of Basic). You can save versions of the program with your own margin and tab settings, help screens, printer control codes, screen colours and so on. So everything's just how you like it when you RUN the cartridge. Neat!\n\nAnd I shouldn't forget to mention the great 64-page manual, on-screen tutorial program. Tas II to Tas III document converter and... All in all, Tasword III is good enough to be a strong alternative to The Writer, Word Manager or anything else knocking about on the Speccy. And it's out now, works reliably and does a good job.\n\nSo it hasn't quite got the same fabled - oops, fabulous - list of goodies as The Writer. But it's close enough to give you a hard time choosing one or the other. Someone we know was a bit miffed when YS called Tasword the \"undisputed King of Speccy wordpros\". Sorry... It was a touch unthinking. We should have realised that it's far from undisputed. But King? Yep, possibly so....","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"39","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Max Phillips","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"THE WRITE STUFF\r\n\r\nYou can turn the copious help screens off for a bigger screen once you know what you're doing.\r\n\r\nTRUE and INVERSE VIDEO step all the help pages through the window in turn. You can even alter two of the pages to show the particular special effects you've set up on your printer!\r\n\r\n64 columns of quite readable text. Or 32 if your TV's naff. And watch it slick-scroll sideways if your document is anything up to 128 characters wide.\r\n\r\nTasword II has no tabs... the new version lets you set up to 10 tabs across your document. The Writer has right, centre and decimal stops as well but with Tasword's ability to slide text left and right on a line you can manage...\r\n\r\nHit EDIT for a full screen (and more) of help.\r\n\r\nTasword III shows on-screen where pages will break on the printer. But, sadly, if you put your own page-breaks in, it doesn't get it right.\r\n\r\nNever one for inserting text, Tasword is still a little strange. The new auto-insert mode works like most wordprocessors - you type and it automatically reformats the paragraph for you. The old insert on/off keys are there and are quicker...\r\n\r\nWhat's all this then? A second character set with all sorts of funny foreign fings and dingbats to stick in your document. You may not be able to print all of these (trivial detail) but you can adopt the 2nd set so that it does produce the unusual characters your printer does..."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 50, May 1986","Price":"£0.98","ReleaseDate":"1986-04-17","Editor":"Bill Scolding","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bill Scolding\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nStaff Writers: Chris Bourne, Clare Edgeley\r\nDesigner: Gareth Jones\r\nEditorial Secretary: Norisah Fenn\r\nAdventure Writers: Richard Price, Gordo Greatbelly\r\nHelpline: Andrew Hewson\r\nHardware Correspondent: John Lambert\r\nBusiness Correspondent: Mike Wright\r\nContributors: Nicole Segre, Jerry Muir\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Kathy McLennan\r\nProduction Assistant: Jim McClure\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Linda Everest\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: David Rowe\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs or articles to:\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nOriginal programs should be on cassette and articles should be typed. Please write Program Printout on the envelopes of all cassettes submitted. We cannot undertake to return cassettes unless an SAE is enclosed. We pay £20 for each program printed and £50 for star programs.\r\n\r\nTypeset by Saffron Graphics Ltd, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Peterboro' Web, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1986 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nABC 90,215 July-Dec 1985"},"MainText":"Publisher: Tasman Software\r\nPrice: £16.50\r\nMemory: 48K\r\n\r\nSince its launch in 1983, Tasword Two has been the acknowledged word processor for the Spectrum. Now, after three long years, and in the face of serious competition from The Writer and The Last Word, Tasword Three has been released.\r\n\r\nUnlike its predecessor, Tasword Three is available only on microdrive, although a disc version? running on the Opus Discovery - is planned.\r\n\r\nAny new version of an existing program must contain improvements and additions in either performance or ease of use. Tasman has made improvements in both. For a start, the manual is easy to understand and you can quickly get to any information you need.\r\n\r\nMost Spectrum word processors are limited to a maximum of 32 columns across the screen - even Tasword Two offers only 64 columns. Most printers, however, can cope with 80 columns. The Tasword Three screen is a window over which you can scroll up to 128 character lines across the display. The only problem with this screen format is that you cannot see all of the text all of the time, but if you want to see how the text will look when printed there is no way around the problem.\r\n\r\nAt the bottom of the screen a status line gives information on how the program is dealing with the text and how your text is being split into pages - called page breaks. The information, which you must set up for Tasword, is necessary because the printer will have to know when to ask for a new sheet of paper or where to put extra spaces in at the end of a page.\r\n\r\nFurther information is provided on two pull down Help pages, which include details of how to move the block cursor - which does all the writing - around the screen. Those Help pages are useful but I relied more heavily on the contents page of the instruction manual.\r\n\r\nMany word processors will fail to meet your requirements, simply because the computer hardware - the keyboard - cannot cope with your typing style and speed. If I hold a character key down for too long you may several copies of that character up on the screen. Alternatively, if you don't hold it down for long enough the character may not be picked up at all.\r\n\r\nTasword Three, however, has an option which will change the amount of time the computer takes before it repeats a character. If you are a slow typist you may want to increase the interval before a repeat and if you are fast you will want to make the repeat faster.\r\n\r\nYou may have noticed that some word processors cannot cope with the speed at which you are typing. The computer is taking the characters and putting them straight on the screen. When it comes back to get another character you are already on a new sentence and it has missed several words.\r\n\r\nTo combat this problem of losing text Tasman has incorporated a text buffer into its program. The buffer continually takes in text at one end and is continually putting text onto the screen at the other. A quick typist will notice that text is still appearing on screen after typing is finished. Despite the buffer, however, I found it difficult to get ahead of the word processor's display.\r\n\r\nThe flashing block cursor, similar to the one used to edit Basic programs, posed a problem in Tasword Two because it obliterated the character you were typing.\r\n\r\nThe same type of cursor is used in Tasword Three but the program gives you the opportunity to change the rectangular block to another shape - such as an underline mark. Unfortunately, whatever character you use, the cursor still flashes and obscures any text beneath it. The cursor can also be changed to print characters in different pen colours, although with the television display text legibility is not increased by much.\r\n\r\nAll the usual word processor functions are included. You can set and clear margins - making the text any width across the screen. There is also a facility to search for words and phrases which can be changed to other words if required. If you want to change large chunks of your text you can insert blocks of text - sections made up of a varying number of lines - and copy blocks from one area of a document to another.\r\n\r\nIn addition to those commands, which are also included in Tasword Two, Tasman has added instructions which will copy blocks, lines and paragraphs. Also, you can unjustify text which is already justified, so that some lines are short and some long.\r\n\r\nAn unusual, but useful, feature calls back the last line you deleted into the line in which the cursor stands. For instance, you could have deleted 'I Love' but you could recall it into the phrase 'The Work movement' making it 'The I Love Work movement'.\r\n\r\nAnother major innovation is the introduction of tabulation markers. Those are set at various points along the line and the cursor will be automatically positioned at the first when the tabulation key is pressed. Pressing that key again will send the cursor along to the next mark.\r\n\r\nThe Tasword tabulation settings are only left justified, so you cannot centre text on a tabulation mark.\r\n\r\nFor those of you who already have Tasword Two and Masterfile but want to upgrade, a program to convert Tasword Two text files to Tasword Three format, and a replacement for the Masterfile basic program, are included on the cartridge. On our copies the conversion program would not load, and apparently the first couple of hundred copies left out the address to load the code. If you find you have one of these Tasman can either tell you how to correct it or will replace it.\r\n\r\nIf there is a fault with Tasword Three it is that is has too many commands, especially for cursor movement. But that is unimportant when set against its features. With The Writer now on the market it is difficult to say it is the best available but what is clear is that it offers a highly professional word processor which more than holds its own.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"89,92","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mike Wright","Score":"5","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Tasword Three displays text across a scrolling window."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"Mail Merge: Yes\r\nWord Wrap: Yes\r\nStandard Phrases: No\r\nAccess to Basic: No\r\nFile chaining: Yes\r\nOnscreen Help: Yes\r\nTabulation: Yes\r\nScroll text window: No\r\nUndelete: Yes\r\nText file size (words): 3,000"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"5/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Computer Issue 5, May 1986","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1986-04-17","Editor":"Gary Evans","TotalPages":87,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Gary Evans\r\nSoftware Editor: Lee Paddon\r\nProduction Editor: Jim McClure\r\nSub Editor: Harold Mayes MBE\r\nEditorial Secretary: Sheila Baker\r\nDesigner: Chris Winch\r\nEditorial: [redacted]\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: David Lake\r\nAdvertisement Executives: Steve Coles, Ian Faux, Jeremy Kite\r\nClassified: Paul Monaf\r\nAdvertising Production: Nick Fry\r\nAdvertising: [redacted]\r\nMagazine Services Manager: Carole Fancourt\r\nPublisher: Paul Coster\r\nFinancial Director: Brendan McGrath\r\nManaging Director: Richard Hease\r\n\r\nCover by Mark Taylor\r\n\r\nISS 0263 0885\r\n\r\nYour Computer, [redacted]\r\n©1986 Focus Investments Ltd\r\n\r\nPrinted by The Riverside Press Ltd, England.\r\nTypeset by Time Graphics Ltd, [redacted]\r\nMember of the Audit Bureau of Circulation.\r\n\r\nReasonable care is taken to avoid errors in this magazine but no liability is accepted for any errors which may occur. No material in this publication may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the publishers. The publishers will not accept responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, listings, data tapes or discs.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately we are unable to answer lengthy enquiries by telephone. Any written query requiring a personal answer MUST be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope; please allow up to 28 days for a reply.\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: UK £14 for 12 issues. Overseas (surface mail) £22.50 - Airmail rates on request. Please make a cheque/postal orders payable to Focus Investments. (Please allow 5 weeks from order receipt of first subscription copy). Send orders to Your Computer Subscriptions, [redacted].\r\n\r\nThe following back issues of the magazine are available for £1.50 from the Back Issues Department, [redacted].\r\n\r\nDistributed by Business Press International, [redacted]."},"MainText":"Spectrum\r\nTasman Software\r\nWord Processor\r\n£16.50\r\n\r\nOne of the reasons that professional disc-based packages like Wordstar can offer so many features is that they use a system of program overlays, so that all of the programs need not be resident in memory at the same time; if that was so there would be no room for the text file. It was impossible to implement on Tasword Two, since it was written before Microdrives were available and had to be loaded from cassette. Tasword Three will not work from cassette, and the program cartridge has to be resident in drive one at all times to enable the overlays to be loaded as needed.\r\n\r\nTasword Three retains all the features of Tasword Two and has a number of additional ones. It is also faster. It can print 128 columns of text, with the screen window scrolling smoothly sideways to accommodate the extra width. Two comprehensive help pages are available, with the top third of the screen being set up for a resident help menu. That feature can be turned on or off. After an hour or so of practice, the help menu can be removed to show a full screen of text.\r\n\r\nThe delete menu is comprehensive, allowing the user to delete to the left of the cursor in the normal way, or to delete the character under the cursor. Whole words, lines, paragraphs, blocks or even the entire text file may be deleted. A pleasant feature is the way the program remembers the last line you have just deleted, enabling it to be recalled in case it was done in error.\r\n\r\nInserting text is simple, with a choice of three insert modes - character insert, line insert and full automatic insert - with re-justify if automatic right justification is \"on\". When using search and replace, Tasword is told the text to be found and with what it is to be replaced. Replacement may be defined as selective, in which case the program stops at each \"find\", enabling the user to decide whether to replace or not. Tasword will re-form each paragraph automatically during all replacements.\r\n\r\nTasword Three supports Tasprint, a utility permitting a variety of interesting fonts to be printed using a dot matrix printer. The most impressive new feature is that Data Merge files may be set up using Tasword Three, or the Masterfile database program by Campbell. A standard letter or document may be printed any number of times, each copy addressed individually from a list of names and addresses held in Masterfile.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the program files, the Tasword Three cartridge is complete with seven tutor/text files for practice and education, a program for converting Tasword Two text files to Tasword Three format and a program called \"MF\" to utilise Masterfile. The 64-page manual accompanying the program is very extensive and clearly-written, with many examples to demonstrate the new Data Merge features.\r\n\r\nFortunately there are only two grumbles. Tasword Three is all machine code and so those with discs must rely on Microdrive. The other moan is that a 128K Spectrum owner will be annoyed that the program overlays could not be stored inside the machine and paged in and out, instead of relying on the program cartridge.\r\n\r\nTasword Three is a very impressive package and obviously well worth £16.50 price, even if you already have Tasword Two.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"41","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Computer Issue 2, Feb 1988","Price":"£1.35","ReleaseDate":"1988-01-21","Editor":"Francis Jago","TotalPages":76,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Executive Editor: Francis Jago\r\nAssistant Editors: Amon Cohen, Jim McClure\r\nSub Editor: Harold Mayes MBE\r\nProduction Manager: Nick Fry\r\nCopy Department: Serena Hadley, James Pyle\r\nArt Editor: Neil Tookey\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Ian Faux\r\nEditorial Secretary: Sheila Baker\r\nManaging Editor: Brendon Gore\r\nMerchandising Executive: Ann Arnold\r\nPublisher: Trish Phillips\r\nGroup Publisher: Paul Coster BSc\r\nFinancial Director: Brendan McGrath\r\nChief Executive: Richard Hease\r\n\r\nCover Photograph by The Image Bank.\r\n\r\nYour Computer, [redacted]\r\nISSN 0263 0885\r\n\r\n©1988 Focus Magazines Limited\r\nPrinted by Cradley Print, England.\r\nTypeset by Time Graphics Ltd, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Quadrant Publishing Services, [redacted]\r\n\r\nReasonable care is taken to avoid errors in this magazine but no liability for any errors which may occur. No material in this publication may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the publishers. The publishers will not accept responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, listings, data tapes or discs.\r\n\r\nWe will assume permission to publish all unsolicited material unless otherwise stated. We cannot be held responsible for the safe return of any material submitted for publication. Please keep a copy of all your work and do not send us original artwork.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately we are unable to answer lengthy enquiries by telephone. Any written query requiring a personal answer MUST be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope; please allow up to 28 days for a reply.\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: UK £15 for 12 issues. Overseas (surface mail) £30 - airmail rates on request. Please make cheques/postal orders payable to Focus Magazines (allow 5 weeks from receipt of order to delivery of first subscription copy). Send orders to Your Computer Subscriptions, [redacted].\r\n\r\nBack issues of the magazine from January 1986 are available for £2.00 (UK), £2.75 (Overseas) from the Back Issues Department, [redacted]."},"MainText":"A WORD IN YOUR SPECTRUM\r\n\r\nThe Spectrum is under-estimated as a word processing machine, says John Wase. Here he reviews eight programs in support of his argument.\r\n\r\nWord processing does not require much computer power. PipeDream on the new Z-88 uses exactly the same Z-80 chip as all versions of the venerable Spectrum. Thus the Spectrum, too, should, in theory, provide good word processing facilities, although in practice there are limitations like memory. A 48K Spectrum has around 41K for both program and text file, around 110K for the 128K version, and the screen display at only 32 columns.\r\n\r\nNevertheless, I found eight readily-available packages, plus variants for various models, of assorted prices, features, sophistication and complexity. Each has been written with some particular purpose in mind and all have virtues and vices associated with what is, after all, a compromise, for no word processing program suits everyone or all applications.\r\n\r\nThe constraints of the 32-column screen are overcome in a variety of ways. In some programs text lines continue along a second or third display line and end with some recognisable symbol, while in others the screen is re-defined to up to 80 characters per line, further augmented by multiple lines or sideways scrolling, giving as many as 148 characters per printer line.\r\n\r\nWhile it is possible to provide a good deal of the information about the packages in tabular form, it really gives little feeling for the strong and weak points, the aims and the overall success of each package. Therefore I have chosen a combination of tables and comment to provide sufficient information to guide you in choosing packages suitable for your needs. The packages are Mini-Office, a suite of programs for younger children; Ramprint, an add-on printer interface with integral word processor; Spectral Writer, bundled with Wafadrive; WordMaster; Word Manager; The Last Word; The Writer and finally, the Tasword family. They are listed in table one, along with the outstanding features of each package, the cost and supplier.\r\n\r\nThe easiest thing to do is to take them in groups. First, Mini-Office, which has a very simple set of instructions on a cassette-sized book; interpretation by an adult will be necessary. There is a simple test piece to be typed-in; it appeared in big letters an inch or more high in yellow on a black background on my old TV; it is very easy for a child to write a simple letter but with very little more scope.\r\n\r\nThe normal mode is insert and there is also a crude copy, so letters or lines can be added or deleted; crude tabs complete the features. The main menu offers the usual save, verify, load or options with a further choice of double height, double width, margin setting and characters per line.\r\n\r\nIt could have been an excellent program to introduce a child to an integrated suite had it been revamped but there are no facilities to use a printer other than the obsolete Sinclair gadget or compatibles, and the other options integrate badly into the word processor. You would need a suitable printer for your child to make the most of it.\r\n\r\nThe next pair are proper programs, both intended for the serious user, and both released relatively early. Tasword 2, a development of Tasword on the ZX-81, provides a 64-character line, a fixed text length of 320 lines - 10-and-a-bit pages of double-spaced A4. Spectral Writer is similar but with squarer letters some say much more legible. In both programs insertion is by opening a word or a line and then re-justifying; there is no auto insert mode.\r\n\r\nLINE AND COLUMN\r\n\r\nLine and column are given on-screen but there is no word count. The cursor will move by line, character, or to the start or finish of the text; in Tasword 2 it is very slow. Word wrap is automatic, characters and lines can be deleted, blocks can be moved and copied and there is a crude search and replace.\r\n\r\nText can be justified with smooth or ragged right margin and centred and margins can be set for tables but there are no tabs in Tasword 2 and no headers, footers or auto-page numbering, no mail-merge, conditional printing or macros; just start and finish lines, one copy only. You can put eight printer codes in the program at once and change them whenever you like.\r\n\r\nBoth programs are good, straightforward, very simple word processors. You can achieve professional results very quickly Spectral Writer scores by having tabs, a line-end bell and is a little slicker but it normally is only bundled with Wafadrive, Tasword 2 is ubiquitous and bundled with Microdrives.\r\n\r\nThe chief advantage of both programs is that they are very simple; much is in Basic and is easily user-adapted. The major disadvantage is that printer control codes in the text destroys WYSIWYG concept unless you adopt low cunning or a patch. For simple letters of only a few pages they are easy and adequate.\r\n\r\nThe other processors are, in general, more sophisticated and it is probably easier to deal with their main features in a large table and just comment briefly on their strengths and weaknesses. The simplest is probably Ramprint, a printer interface and joystick port with a built-in word processor on ROM. I found the documentation brief but the gadget easy to use.\r\n\r\nAlthough it contains most features one needs, there are disadvantages. It will work only with tape or Microdrives, for instance, and it will display only 32 columns when you are entering text, making complex work almost impossible, although it will display a 64-column screen to show you what the work will be like at the end.\r\n\r\nThat apart, having the works in an EPROM means that there is no software to load; plug it in, type one command and go. For straightforward documents, also those needing underlining, italics and other such fancy bits, even page numbering, it works and works well.\r\n\r\nWord-Master again is for the Spectrum owner who has no discs. It works well with tape or Microdrive and an EPROM-driven interface. Within limitations I found a program which was specifically aimed at crude desk-top publishing. The documentation could be improved and I did not particularly like its 64-column character set. A further problem is that right justification could not be implemented on-screen, although was satisfactory when printed; that does not help DTP layout.\r\n\r\nAgainst that, several files can be held in memory at once, page numbers, headers and footers are catered for and printer control codes are handled beautifully, either in a command line which does not print but affects the text below or as special characters for the more common sorts, so that H2O can be printed readily without upsetting justification.\r\n\r\nPICTURES\r\n\r\nPictures can be incorporated with the graphic commands and text can be printed either to the right or to the left of it; again, instructions are a little sparse. Graphmate, a separate, stand-alone program, produces bar charts or pie charts easily but with provision for labelling axes left to Word-Master. The programs are independent and the products of Graphmate have to be saved before incorporation.\r\n\r\nCardex also supplied Headliner on a separate tape. It will produce headlines in a variety of styles for subsequent incorporation. This is a useful suite as it stands; further development and the production of disc/128K versions using more interfaces would make it still better.\r\n\r\nWord Manager 4 is aimed at a different end-user, evident from its being bundled with Mail and Address Manager II. The review version 4.2 has a number of improvements over earlier issues, including a completely re-written Address Manager II. All saves and loads are in Basic and I liked particularly the single keypress to modify and transfer everything to disc. The 64-column character set looked almost like script, unlike any of the others; I liked it. The normal screen is bright. Lines longer than 64 characters are wrapped round and shown on the line below - not bright.\r\n\r\nThe instruction book was adequate. Some features were easy to use but I did not like the constant switching between modes to use cursors and delete, the lack of on-screen prompts - particularly caps - or the way in which paragraphs were completed before on-screen justification took place.\r\n\r\nPage numbering is there but not headers or footers. Address Manager II is a database specific for Word Manager; Mail Manager takes the text from Word Manager and the names and addresses from Mail Manager and integrates them. There are conditional indices for Mr. Mrs. M/s or Miss but no real conditional printing is available.\r\n\r\nFor circulation of simple club letters or even, at a pinch, a short club magazine, this would do the trick satisfactorily if you get used to the vagaries involved in editing and, at the price which includes all three programs, it is unbeatable.\r\n\r\nIn contrast, The Last Word has a very well-produced and extensive manual. I found it very easy to use. Again, all the loads and saves are in Basic but you will have to type-in some new lines - supplied - to get it working from Microdrive or disc; a novice might not like this.\r\n\r\nThe screen display is changeable from 40, 48, 60 or 80 characters per line - not too good on a monitor, better on a large television set where the slight fuzz causes the eye to assume a good deal. It has most of the features one might expect, like headers, footers, page numbers, selected printing from Basic and mail-merge, with its own data files.\r\n\r\nBecause lines are terminated by a carriage return symbol there is no insert mode; you have to split a line to insert letters or words. Screen refresh is a trifle slow and the program is 48K, although the author says that there is the possibility of a 128K program in the future.\r\n\r\nThat said, everything else is good. Control codes do not disturb justification; by screen wrap-around you can get up to 148 characters per line; formatting is very flexible, exiting into Basic to insert your own routines is encouraged and examples given.\r\n\r\nTutor files loaded from tape help you to learn to manipulate text and load and save mail-merge information. Although I had never used it previously and am very familiar with another processor, I found the keys logical and liked the program.\r\n\r\nNO COLOURS\r\n\r\nThe Writer is in two versions, 48K and 128K. Although Softek was very helpful on the telephone and promised to send both programs, plus The Artist, plus a pre-release version of The Filer, they did not arrive in time for this review. Fortunately I was able to borrow a 48K version of The Writer. It is well-presented with a good instruction book. No colours are used; the screen is uniformly white letters on a black background and looks very smart.\r\n\r\nThe 64 characters a line lettering is clear, square rather like Spectral Writer - and easy to read. The normal text manipulations are on symbol or extended mode and the program starts in insert mode. Press \"Edit\" and move the arrow over the top-line menu; up comes an overlay menu with obvious choices for all the things like file handling, saving and so on.\r\n\r\nPrinting includes mail-merge, conditional printing and can include calculations. All in all, a very impressive package. I found it easy to use, too, and liked it. The 128K version contains a pagemaker facility which imports pictures from The Artist. I had hoped to be able to look at this, too, and compare it to the Word-Master DTP facilities.\r\n\r\nFinally, the Tasword series. Tasword 3 uses the same black on white character set as Tasword 2 - adequate and readable but scarcely exciting - but there the similarity ends. Because, unlike several of the other programs, all loads and saves are in machine code, there are a number of versions to fit various machines and devices, including Microdrive. Opus and Disciple discs, but there is no tape version, because to fit in all the features and still keep a respectable length file, the main menu is fed in as an overlay; it is frustrating to have to wait seven seconds for it to load from Microdrive or Opus.\r\n\r\nAll the standard features are present; mail-merge from Masterfile or from its own address lists produced from within the program, headers, footers, pagination, plenty of control codes to send, print several text files sequentially, print multiple copies, customise program, overtype - standard - or insert mode, word count, space remaining - do not fill it too tightly, though.\r\n\r\nThe main menu is, like all the Spectrum Taswords, accessed by symbol shift and A; the rest is easy. The manual is well-printed and laid-out and a tutor file is included. The 128K versions are almost exactly the same, except for the control key for insertion and some tidying as the Amstrad Spectrums no longer have symbols on the keys.\r\n\r\nThe main menu appears instantly and the text file is large, between 40 and 50 pages of double-spaced A4, which is a tremendous advantage if you write complicated documents and need to keep referring to what has gone before. The new +3 version appears similar to the user but contains code enabling a spellchecker to work and the extended mode bug which locks the main menu has been fixed.\r\n\r\nThe biggest disadvantage is the lack of justification when control codes are inserted - redeemed by a patch from Seven Stars Software; against this is the ease of use and the fact that Tasword and Masterfile are both available on a range of machines, even PC compatibles. Again, I liked Tasword; it works well and is good value.\r\n\r\nCompared to most other machines, the choice of word processors on the Spectrum is wide and some are technically very good. There is no need to buy that new Amstrad or PC-compatible if all you want is a word processor, particularly if you have a +2 or a +3 with their good keyboards. After all, Tasword is very similar on the PC. Moreover, the PC will not play budget games as well when you are not using it.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"38,39,42,43","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"John Wase","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"\"There is no need to buy that new Amstrad or PC-compatible if all you want is a word-processor.\""},{"Text":"\"Word-Master is for the Spectrum owner who has no discs. It works well with tape or Microdrive...\""},{"Text":"Table 1. General Features and sources of programs.\r\n\r\nProgram: Mini-Office\r\nVersion:\r\nAvailability: Cassette.\r\nPrice: £6.95\r\nIntent: Children's suite (5-9 years).\r\nSource: Database Software, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: Ramprint\r\nVersion:\r\nAvailability: Printer Interface with built-in processor.\r\nPrice: £34.95\r\nIntent: Simple program, adequate for letters.\r\nSource: Ram Electronics (Fleet) Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: Spectral Writer\r\nVersion:\r\nAvailability: Wafer - bundled with the Wafadrive - still available from some dealers.\r\nPrice:\r\nIntent: Simple program, rather like a slightly improved Tasword 2 with squarer characters. Adequate for letters and short documents.\r\nSource: Logic Mail Order, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: WordMaster (incorporating Graphmate)\r\nVersion: 1.03\r\nAvailability: Cassette - built-in transfer to Microdrive.\r\nPrice: £14.95\r\nIntent: Sophisticated program. Strength in the room left for add-in programs with simple desk-top publishing in mind.\r\nSource: Cardex, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: Word Manager +80 (incorporating Mail and Address Managers II)\r\nVersion: 4.2\r\nAvailability: Cassette - transfer with one keypress to Microdrive and popular disc systems.\r\nPrice: £12.95 Complete package.\r\nIntent: Sophisticated 48K program - strong on records and mail merge - designed with the Club secretary in mind.\r\nSource: W.N. Richardson, EEC Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: The Last Word\r\nVersion: SP2 1.0, SP3 1.0\r\nAvailability: Cassette, instructions provided to modify Basic for Microdrive or any popular disc system. Spectrum +3 disc.\r\nPrice: £13.95 (SP2 1.0), £19.95 (SP3 1.0)\r\nIntent: Straightforward sophisticated 48K word-processor, 80-column screen, user-friendliness and clever interaction with Basic particular features.\r\nSource: Trojan Products, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: The Writer 48K, The Writer 128K, The Artist 48K, The Artist 128K, The Filer (pre-issue issue review copy)\r\nVersion:\r\nAvailability: Cassette. Will convert to most popular disc system. No +3 version yet.\r\nPrice: £14.95 (The Writer )48K, £17.95 (The Writer 128K), £14.95 (The Artist 48K), £17.95 (The Artist 128K)\r\nIntent: Straightforward sophisticated word processor. Will combine graphics like pictures or plans with text. 128k Pagemaker facility better for this.\r\nSource: Softek International Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: Tasword 2\r\nVersion:\r\nAvailability: Cassette - Basic can be converted to any other system.\r\nPrice: £13.90\r\nIntent: Simple 48K program - adequate for letters, short reports.\r\nSource: Tasman Software, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: Tasword 3\r\nVersion:\r\nAvailability: No cassette - Microdrive or Opus disc. Patch available for Disciple*\r\nPrice: ££16.50, £19.50, £5.95 cass, £7.95 disc\r\nIntent: Sophisticated 48K program, good for general-purpose use. Makes own files or compatible with Campbells* Masterfile.\r\nSource: Tasman Software, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: Tasword 128; Tasword +2\r\nVersion: 1.02 (Tasword +2)\r\nAvailability: Cassette can be transferred to Microdrive. Opus disc. Patch available for Disciple*\r\nPrice: ££13.90, £13.95, £19.50, £5.95 cass, £7.95 disc\r\nIntent: Same features as Tasword 3 but greatly-enlarged text file.\r\nSource: Tasman Software, [redacted]\r\n\r\nProgram: Tasword +3\r\nVersion: 1.00\r\nAvailability: Disc\r\nPrice: £19.95\r\nIntent: Same features as Tasword +2 but modified for spellchecker - extra cost, available about now.\r\nSource: Tasman Software, [redacted]\r\n\r\n*From the Micro Shop, [redacted]"},{"Text":"Table 2. The pros and cons.\r\n\r\nRAMPRINT\r\nText length (words): 6,556\r\nMaximum line width: 64 chars\r\nMode: Overwrite (insert available)\r\nHelp in program: No\r\nWord count: No\r\nPage break display: No\r\nWord wrap: Yes\r\nOn-screen justification: Only on display screen\r\nBlock move: Yes\r\nBlock delete: Yes\r\nBlock copy: Yes\r\nBlock save: No\r\nAutonumber: Yes\r\nPrint header: No\r\nPrint footer: No\r\nMultiple copies: No\r\nMail merge: No\r\nConditional printing: No\r\n\r\nWORD MASTER\r\nText length (words): 4,800\r\nMaximum line width: 255 chars\r\nMode: Overwrite (insert available)\r\nHelp in program: On-screen\r\nWord count: Yes\r\nPage break display: No\r\nWord wrap: Yes\r\nOn-screen justification: Ragged right only but will print right-justified\r\nBlock move: Yes\r\nBlock delete: Yes\r\nBlock copy: Yes\r\nBlock save: Yes\r\nAutonumber: Yes\r\nPrint header: Yes\r\nPrint footer: Yes\r\nMultiple copies: No\r\nMail merge: No\r\nConditional printing: No\r\n\r\nWORD MANAGER\r\nText length (words): 3,750\r\nMaximum line width: 128 chars\r\nMode: Overwrite (insert available)\r\nHelp in program: On separate screen\r\nWord count: Yes\r\nPage break display: No\r\nWord wrap: Yes\r\nOn-screen justification: Only after completion of paragraph\r\nBlock move: Yes\r\nBlock delete: Yes\r\nBlock copy: Yes\r\nBlock save: No\r\nAutonumber: Yes\r\nPrint header: No\r\nPrint footer: No\r\nMultiple copies: Yes\r\nMail merge: Yes\r\nConditional printing: Very limited\r\n\r\nTHE LAST WORD\r\nText length (words): 4,000\r\nMaximum line width: 148 chars\r\nMode: Overwrite (split word or line, then insert)\r\nHelp in program: On-screen\r\nWord count: No\r\nPage break display: No\r\nWord wrap: Yes\r\nOn-screen justification: Yes\r\nBlock move: No\r\nBlock delete: Yes\r\nBlock copy: Yes\r\nBlock save: Yes\r\nAutonumber: Yes\r\nPrint header: Yes\r\nPrint footer: Yes\r\nMultiple copies: Yes\r\nMail merge: Yes\r\nConditional printing: From Basic\r\n\r\nTHE WRITER\r\nText length (words): 3,760 (48K), 5,500 (128K)\r\nMaximum line width: 127 chars\r\nMode: Insert (overwrite available)\r\nHelp in program: On-screen\r\nWord count: No\r\nPage break display: (In menu)\r\nWord wrap: Yes\r\nOn-screen justification: Yes\r\nBlock move: No\r\nBlock delete: Yes\r\nBlock copy: Yes\r\nBlock save: Yes\r\nAutonumber: Yes\r\nPrint header: Yes\r\nPrint footer: Yes\r\nMultiple copies: Yes\r\nMail merge: Yes\r\nConditional printing: Yes\r\n\r\nTASWORD\r\nText length (words): \r\nMaximum line width: \r\nMode: \r\nHelp in program: \r\nWord count: \r\nPage break display: \r\nWord wrap: \r\nOn-screen justification: \r\nBlock move: \r\nBlock delete: \r\nBlock copy: \r\nBlock save: \r\nAutonumber: \r\nPrint header: \r\nPrint footer: \r\nMultiple copies: \r\nMail merge: \r\nConditional printing:"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 24, Apr 1986","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1986-03-20","Editor":"Bryan Ralph","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bryan Ralph\r\nAssistant Editor: Cliff Joseph\r\nConsultant Editor: Ray Elder\r\nAdvertising Managers: Mike Segrue and John McGarry\r\nDesign: Argus Design\r\nA.S.P. Advertising and Editorial [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Argus Specialist Publications Ltd 1986"},"MainText":"SON OF TASWORD\r\n\r\nThe recent arrival of The Writer and Word Manager have threatened Tasword II's reputation as the best Spectrum word processor, but now Tasman are fighting back with Tasword III.\r\n\r\nTasman Software\r\n£16.50\r\n\r\nTasword 2 has long been the definitive word processor for the Spectrum, so the arrival of Tasword 3 is quite an event.\r\n\r\nTasword 3 is only supplied, and can only be run, on Microdrive. The reason is that it now has many extra features and in order to accommodate them the program is stored on the microdrive cartridge in sections. When loaded, it goes straight into the text entering mode. When, as with Tasword 2, you use the STOP key to go to the main menu, another section of the program is loaded from the cartridge. This handles text file saving loading and printing, and program customizing and saving. When you return to the text file, the other section of the program is fetched from the cartridge.\r\n\r\nNEW FEATURES\r\n\r\nThe new Tasword has been given its extra features without sacrificing any of the existing ones. In text entering mode part of the 'help' page is displayed at the top of the screen and the TRUE VIDEO and INV VIDEO keys are used to scroll this, so that the whole of the function key index is available to you as you write your text. If the presence of this prompt window annoys you you can switch it off, or the full help\" page can be accessed.\r\n\r\nThere are now 15 ways of moving the cursor: one letter or word in either direction; to the end of the line; to the start or end of the paragraph or page; up or down line by line; to the start or end of the text; fast or slow scrolling through the text. The speed of the cursor movement, which I found painfully slow in Tasword 2, has been speeded up and is much better.\r\n\r\nIn addition to adjustable margins, Tasword now has full user-definable tabulation and you can move to the next tab in either direction. Deletion options have been extended, so that letter, word, paragraph or block may be deleted. Spaces and blank lines may be inserted into the text, and there is still an insert mode for insertions without over-writing existing text. The useful search and replace mode, which allows you to replace every occurrence of a word with another word or phrase remains, but now you also have the option of stopping at each occurrence and indicating whether or not it is to be replaced. The text formatting and block handling commands are the same as those in Tasword 2.\r\n\r\nA useful new feature is the page switch. When this is on, a line is drawn across the screen at the end of each page, so that you can see the page layout as you write the document. Justification and word wrap may be turned on and off as before.\r\n\r\nText capacity is now measured by the number of characters used, rather than by the number of pages. You can produce 1000 pages or more with only a couple of words on each, but less than 300 if you fill up every line. A word and character count is now included, and displayed on the main menu, but it is a pity that this is not displayed in text entering mode, since going to the menu and back, involving two program loads from the cartridge, is a chore if all you want is to check the word count.\r\n\r\nSome of the major improvements are in the printing. Multiple copies are now available, and the program will number pages, print the number at the top or bottom. In the centre or at the side of the page, and provide a page header or footer as required. The printing margin, which is used to centre the text on the page, is specified at print time.\r\n\r\nThere is also a mail merge facility, with graphics printer controls entered into the text in the same way as those which indicate underlining or type face change, to indicate where in a document information from the data file is to be inserted. Unfortunately the review copy of Tasword 3 was so hot off the press that the handbooks had not been printed, so I was unable to discover how this feature works or test it. I suspect that, like Tasmerge with Tasword 2, it makes use of Campbell Masterfile files (actually, a quick call to Tasman confirmed that this is the case, but Tasword 3 is also capable of creating its own free-standing files - Ed).\r\n\r\nWithout the handbook, I could not customize the program to run with the Kempston interface - the method used with Tasword 2 did not work. Having written this review with Tasword 3, I tried to load it into Tasword 2 to print it, only to find that the two programs are not compatible, and all I got was a 'wrong file type' error report. Where Tasword 2 saved the text as a block of code Tasword 3 saves it as a Microdrive data file.\r\n\r\nBeing unable to get the printer to work with Tasword 3 meant that I could not test another valuable facility, the alternative character set. These are a useful set of signs, symbols, fractions, diphthongs and foreign letter forms, and they are re-definable if required.\r\n\r\nTasword 3 can rival any word processor, and with it the Spectrum is a serious word processing machine. It is difficult to see where further improvements could be made. Certainly it now has all the features that I ever felt were lacking in Tasword 2. Now all I want is a Wafadrive version - with a handbook! (the handbook's on its way, honest! - Ed.)","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"19","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Carol Brooksbank","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 29, Sep 1986","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1986-08-21","Editor":"Bryan Ralph","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bryan Ralph\r\nAssistant Editor: Cliff Joseph\r\nConsultant Editor: Ray Elder\r\nAdvertising Manager: John McGarry\r\nDesign: Argus Design\r\nA.S.P. Advertising and Editorial [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted by Alabaster Passmore and Sons Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nAdvertisement Copy Controller: Lynn Collis\r\n\r\nDistributed by: Argus Press Sales and Distribution Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nZX Computing Monthly is published on the fourth Friday of each month. Subscription rates can be obtained from ZX Subscriptions, [redacted]\r\n\r\nThe contents of this publication, including all articles, designs plans, drawings and other intellectual property rights herein belong to Argus Specialist Publications Limited. All rights conferred by the law of Copyright and other intellectual property rights and by virtue of international copyright conventions are specifically reserved to Argus Specialist Publications Limited and any reproduction requires the prior written consent of the company.\r\n\r\nArgus Specialist Publications Limited. ©1986"},"MainText":"TASWORD IN THE ROUND\r\n\r\nJohn Wase examines the Tasword Three Opus disc conversion.\r\n\r\nBack in April (the first ZX Computer Monthly, p.19) Carol Brooksbank reviewed the new Tasword Three. Following the excellent review. I eagerly awaited the disc version. Tasman stated at the time, \"Tasword Three is supplied on, and will only run on microdrives.\" Discovery is not compatible with microdrives and Tasword Three has only a short basic loader; conversion was beyond my capabilities. However, Tasman assured me that an Opus version was on the way and eventually it has arrived.\r\n\r\nNEW FEATURES\r\n\r\nJust to recap on Carol's review. Tasword Three includes virtually everything Tasword Two omits: plenty of printer options, lots of control codes, fast cursor movement with every conceivable variant, multiple copies, headers, footers, pagination, printing sequential files (for large documents).\r\n\r\nSo what's new about the Opus version? Firstly there's the added reliability. Secondly, as was mentioned, every time STOP is pressed for the main menu, this is pulled from the disc. I did some timings on this: as near as I could get it, it took 7.8 seconds - just acceptable. I suspect microdrives took longer.\r\n\r\nThirdly, there are some essential differences to the program. When the disc is catalogued, the catalogue fills the top half of the screen in three columns, and then asks for a scroll if there are still more files: this permits the extra disc capacity to be used. And. of course, the number of permissible drives is cut to two. Finally, a label in the front of the manual gives information on using the Opus Centronics port (I would have preferred hash to pound) and, naively, tells you to read disc for microdrive (what about cartridge?).\r\n\r\nBUGS FIXED\r\n\r\nIn the original microdrive version, there were a few bugs. The first few copies omitted the loading address for the Tasword Two/Tasword Three file conversion program; more obscurely, there were one or two copies where font changing in Tasprint was difficult, where the last print line from a Masterfile merge was too low, or with a few minor problems in Malilmerge. These have all been fixed in the disc version, which is essentially bug-free, as far as I could find.\r\n\r\nIMPRESSIONS\r\n\r\nMy initial impression was one of complexity. One of the big advantages of Tasword Two was its simplicity, and in comparison, Tasword Three looked formidable. However, it didn't take long to get used to it; the tutor is so good and the instruction book so comprehensive that most of the features are readily explained. My first task was to print 50 copies of a letter, and although I used the form-feed option, it wouldn't! (This is because there are so many options; the one I chose applied to page breaks, but not to the end of text). I couldn't find the force form feed option, either - I was looking at the wrong page of the manual. So all in all, I started up by fouling it up pretty well. Nevertheless, I got it to work within 20 minutes and printed out my fifty letters.\r\n\r\nREPLACES\r\n\r\nWhen I got a note from our Ed, about this page, I thought I'd better check all the goodies. Tasword Two's \"Search and Replace\" was glacier-like, so I tried Tasword Three's version with the following (I must have got Ed, on the brain):\r\n\r\nEd is a little boy, just like ed, Ed's dad; uncle ed; cousin Ed and ed. They are like ed: like ed's dad, Ed, ed is a suitable sort of word to edit.\r\n\r\nIt happily and rapidly replaced Ed ed Ed, ed. ed: ed; with Edward, but ignored Ed's or ed's or Edit (that is it allowed for most punctuation marks). Pretty good.\r\n\r\nT2/T3\r\n\r\nFinally, the Tasword Two to Tasword Three conversion program. The instruction manual (p.63) asks you to ensure that your Tasword Two text files are in drive 1. Mine are all on five and a quarter discs in drive 2. and not interchangeable. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to edit lines 110 and 180 of this program to drive 2, and that solves the problem.\r\n\r\nBITS AND PIECES\r\n\r\nThere are still a few irritating features. Control codes (even including spaces) can still spoil justification. Fortunately, there is a version of \"Taspro\" for Tasword Three giving equal justification and overcoming this problem. The Tab feature is left justified only. You can't save sections of a file, (although deleting is much easier than with Tasword Two). These, however, are small gripes: all in all it's a superb program, excellently documented and easy to use. I'm a convert already - pass me T2T3!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"30","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"John Wase","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]