One user commented "Personally I would love to see more of the ICQ protocol's functionality added. I would also prefer Grapevine to feel more "RISC OSy" and I think in this respect, as others have suggested, lessons can be learnt from the very elegantly designed "MSNMessenger" by Philip Hardy (http://www.phardy.karoo.net/MSNMess/). The current design and icon set of Grapevine is, quite frankly, ugly."

Other users also commented on the ugly design of the toolbar icons and smileys as-well as the ease of use of the application. Alan Wrigley, developer of Grapevine said that in response to the comments on oversized toolbar icons that duplicate the window's menu, "This is quite normal for RISC OS applications."

Also, Microsofts MSN client has moved on substantionally in terms of features compared to Grapevine.

We got in touch with Andrew Rawnsley from R-Comp who explained that "development is pretty expensive since the author is salaried (probably one of the few remaining salaried RISC OS developers!)"

As most Grapevine users know "R-Comp have an unreleased 2.05
version with a few enhancements", but ICQ problems have prevented this from release. He informed us that although development is currently slow it is not stagnant.

R-Comp are currently deciding what to do next: "Do we add another protocol (eg. AOL or Skype) or do we add bells and whistles to the MSN support. How important really ARE pictures and additional texts? I guess some of it could be added quite quickly."
 

CEO Charles Moir (pictured) said "We're going to a place that Microsoft and Adobe cannot go. The Open Source world is the acknowledged largest threat to established giants such as Microsoft. We felt it was necessary for us to shake up the graphics world a bit, and making one of the most powerful, easiest to use graphics applications Open Source should do the trick."

Xara Xtreme is available now for Windows, and Linux and Mac versions are in the works. In the press release, Moir namechecks Acorn, saying "We used to develop for alternative platforms, such as the Acorn RISC computer in the 1990s, and so fundamentally Xara Xtreme is based on a cross-platform core." Is it time for Xara to return to its roots?

Links
Press release
xaraxtreme.org
 

Apparently, after a deal with Sony Ericsson, ARM have an 80% share of the mobile phone market, and 40% of the digital camera market, and are still looking to expand. 788 million ARM chips were shipped last year, and yet "[y]ou'd be hard pressed to find anyone spouting "ARM is evil! EVIL!!!" in a chat room". The reasons given for ARM's "benign reputation" are apparently due to "the company is British, which tends to give their actions a genteel gloss" and "England is a perennial underdog in the IT world"

If you want to read more about Japanese ARM-powered toilets and the like, give the link below a swift clicking.

Source: C|NET article
 

We start with a new version of the acclaimed ViewXLS, which makes Microsoft Excel files accessible on RISC OS. Toni Reiser's application now offers CSV export, adjustable cell widths and heights, different formats for zero and negative numbers, and some bugs have been fixed in the bargain too.

Iyonix owners can now enjoy the full potential of their input devices thanks to new USB drivers from X-Ample Technology. HID is shareware and provides functionality for scroll wheel mice and special buttons on keyboards and mice. It even allows multiple keyboards and mice to be used.

Director is another of those popular utilities without which a desktop isn't complete. It allows you to customise your desktop by creating menus of useful commands and icons, and allows an alternative directory menu file viewer. The 0.37 stable release includes fixes and features from several developers.

TextSeek, the fast file search program, reaches version 1.43 with the correction of a nasty bug that can cause menu entries to disappear between sessions. Harriet Bazley recommends that all users should upgrade.

Sometimes it can be awkward displaying debugging information when developing a desktop program. Reporter from Martin Avison provides a solution. A debugging window can hold text and variable values from applications and Obey files. Version 2.54 provides several formatting and functional updates, and includes a major new component called ReportTA. This analyses TRACE data from BASIC programs, allowing (for example) heavily used source sections to be identified (and then optimised?).

Finally we come to Httplint from one of the NetSurf developers, James Bursa. It performs various checks on HTTP/1.1 headers returned by a web server, checks the syntax and content, warns about missing headers, and suggests improvements. Webmasters, server admins, and the downright nosey may all find it invaluable. Get it from here.
 

Consider the age of RISC OS 4. Clan members first saw it running at the Wakefield show in 1998 which makes it a similar vintage to Windows 98. (RISC OS 4 was eventually released by RISCOS Ltd for existing Acorn machines within a year.)

As time passes, Microsoft release Windows 2000 and XP, and we see several incarnations of RISC OS Select and the 32-bit RISC OS 5. So, with the forthcoming Select ROM release, and with the softloading arguments nullified for emulator machines, is it time to "do a Microsoft" and move on from a five year old OS?
 

"In parallel with our hardware developments we have constantly been assessing the viability of RISC OS software on Intel and AMD powered hardware, and we are delighted with the results. RiscStation Ltd is now able to offer high quality portable and desktop hardware that gives you the power of RISC OS 4, Microsoft Windows XP and Linux running on processors of up to 3Ghz and beyond!"

Yes, Virtual RPC saves the day again.

Many of RiscStation's customers have already paid either a deposit or the full whack (£1500) over two years ago. These receive vouchers worh up to £100 (for deposits) or £200 (for full payment) redeemable against purchases from sister company CTA Direct.

So are we happy now? RiscStation has previously come under fire for their lack of progress and communication. Some RISC OS users still had hopes of seeing some portable ARM hardware, but sadly the RiscStation ARM portable joins the Peanut and Phoebe in never-never land.

RiscStation now become part of the growing crowd of emulator providers - jostling against MicroDigital, who got there first, Advantage 6, and R-Comp. Alan Dawes, a potential customer who retrieved his payment earlier this year, comments "As CJE have been offering 'branded' PC portables with VirtualRPC since the Guildford Show it looks like Roy has once again missed the boat!"

A big shout out to Roger Wylde and Alan Dawes for furnishing us with the info - RiscStation's letter (including laptop specs) can be read here.
 

• Martin Wuerthner hopes to tackle the problem of keeping the RISC OS printer drivers up to date with ROUGPS - RISC OS Universal Graphics Printing System. The project aims to port the open source gimp-print library and build a RISC OS printer driver around it. The idea sprung from a discussion on Usenet. The project will be funded by donations - Martin would rather not take money immediately, he would like users to pledge sums they would be willing to donate once the project is finished and working. Show your support!

• Chris Hughes is gauging interest for the next Wakefield show - see this thread on csa.misc. Suggestions to make the show financially viable include a change of venue. Read our preview and report of the show from earlier this year.

• Subscription rates for Archive magazine will go up in October - editor Paul Beverley urges both new and renewal subscribers to beat the prise rise.

• R-Comp update Grapevine - but how will they respond to Microsoft's third-party MSN client switchoff in October? New features include settings for different users, chat logging, IRC file downloads and more! R-Comp have also released DataPower Home, a flat-file database based on Iota Software's DataPower 1.

• Registered users of Aemulor can obtain a free upgrade to version 2.20. The new release incorporates various compatibility enhancements, bug fixes, and uses less memory when running. Aemulor's comprehensive manual, along with other technical information, can now be read online.

• Castle have appointed a new and exclusive distributor for Oregano 2. Oregano UK will be responsible for all sales, marketing and technical support for the web browser, which will continue to be shipped as a free application on the Iyonix, Risc PC and A7000+.

• Alligata Media have given away copies of DTP Principles to Risc World subscribers. The guide is on sale to the general public with a choice of three CDs (Ovation 1, 75,000 WMF files or 5,000 JPEG photos) for £6 inc. P&P.
  
  
• Drobe have reports that the elusive Alpha and Omega are in users' hands - meanwhile The ARM Club (winners of an Omega at the Wakefield show) have published their own review in Eureka, their club "magazine".

• Iconbar bedfellows ROAST (the RISC OS ASTronomy group) have set up their web site, packed with resources for users interested in all aspects of astronomy, atmospheric and earth sciences.

AMPlay 1.52 - updates include an enhanced interface • Armalyser 0.46 - analyse ARM code • GnuPG 1.2.3 - maintainance release • HolyBible 2.06 - 32-bitted and speech support • Python 2.3 - maintainance release of the popular programming language • SibToDraw - build music scores • Stealth - encryption utility • Teletext - scripting system for teletext receivers • Verma 0.23 - display module information • Webgen2 - create thumbnail web pages • Workspace - bug fixes for multiple desktops

Iconbar news

Apologies for the lack of new news - we're investigating various ways of keeping you up to date with the RISC OS scene. We'll be adding some substantial new content soon! Stay tuned...