BARUG NewsFebruary 2003The newsletter is early again this month, but unlike last month's, let's hope that it gets through first time and before the next meeting... :-) It's early (a) because the SW Show is before the meeting, and (b) I'm travelling in Europe this week on business and cannot hit my usual target date for the newsletter. The guest speaker at the February meeting is to be Paul Middleton, MD of RISCOS Ltd, who was due to have visited us last month but had to postpone his visit at the last moment for family reasons. On his visit last year Paul demonstrated the new issue of the 'Select' development of RISC OS 4. There has been one further issue since then, and various additions such as USB cards have become available. No doubt Paul will have lots to say about the state of the RISC OS market, and may even be able to enlighten us further on the 'road map' for RISC OS, which the advent of the new IYONIX computer from Castle seems to have shaken up, claiming the title 'RISC OS 5' for their version. Paul will be giving his talk until about 2045. After that we will be conducting the AGM. I have distributed nomination papers for Committee places on a previous emailing, and paper copies at the last meeting, so if you haven't already let me have yours back, don't forget to bring them to the February meeting. Previously completed nomination forms help to keep the AGM short! We will only have about 30 minutes in any case before we have to leave the building at the end of the evening. Very regrettably, Peter Cox is not standing for re-election as Chairman for personal reasons. He has indicated to the Committee that for some months he is unlikely to be in a position to fulfil his role as he would wish to do, and so he feels that it would be wrong to offer to retain the Chair under those circumstances. So at least one new Committee member is required: we hope that others will not be shy to offer their services to the Group. No-one with an Iyonix turned up looking smug at the January meeting, so 'first bragging rights' are still available. But he/she'll have to be quick, 'cos Jack Lillingstone of Castle is due to bring his IYONIX roadshow to BARUG in March! Still no news to date of the Omega or of the portable from Riscstation.... :-( The RISC OS South West Show is to be held on Saturday, 22nd February at the usual location of the Webbington Hotel. Doors open at 1000 and close at 1630. At the January meeting we discussed with John Stonier, the show organiser, how BARUG could assist him. John would be very grateful for offers of help from 0800 that morning, to help set up the Show, to marshal and collect entrance monies, and to assist in the various Theatre presentations. If you are able to help - and several members offered their services at the January meeting - please use the hotel's entrance to the hall before the Show starts and ask for John Stonier if you don't know him personally. Some details of the Show can be found at http://users.argonet.co.uk/acornshow/ John Stonier gave a verbal list of the RISC OS companies who were expected to attend the Show, and it includes most of the usual suspects, but at the time of the January meeting it did not sem to include either Riscstation or Microdigital. Perhaps these companies will have made late entries - we live in hope. Significant software issues in the past month include 32-bit compatible versions of !Pluto and !Organizer, both of which also contain bug-fixes and enhancements. The !Pluto is a chargeable upgrade - £10 to the author, Jonathan Duddington, will secure it for you. Plenty of other 32-bit upgardes are being made available, but not all of these actually enhance the program, so are not necessary unless you actually have a 32-bit machine. So, please, support the SW Show, come to the February meeting to hear what the future for RISC OS may hold, and support the AGM! See you soon Steve |