★ APPLICATIONS ★ DISQUE ★ ParaDOS on Cartridge by Angela Cook ★ |
| Parados Cartridge ROM | Parados ROM |
I'm not sure if Rob Scott is used to being referred to as a brain, but he is the said organ behind a project making Parados available on cartridge for Plus owners. The pulsating walnut look-a-like has completed the project details and is now keen to find out what support there is. I'LL REMEMBER ParaDos is an excellent operating system for large format 3.5" discs which is vaguely like RomDos on acid. A plus machine is a CPC with wings (or even a GX400) and if you don't know who Rob Scott is you'd better go and look at old issues of CPC Attack, all six of them. WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT? What Rob wants to do is supply ParaDos (what will actually be Parados+) on cartridge for Plus owners. This proposal saves a ROM slot because having ParaDos+ in your cartridge means you don't need it in your rombox, otherwise it's a bit like using both your brakes and hand brake on the car (unless it's my Dentmobile where it's essential - that's why it's called the Dentmobile). This means that you can put your ParaDos ROM in another machine if you're lucky enough to have two; perhaps sell or give it away; or throw it in a draw never to be seen again. It also means you can put an extra ROM in you're box if you were already full up. That all sounds pretty snazzy. ONE GOOD REASON So what is one of these things then and how do they work? Well, I have one plugged in to my Plus at this very moment and it acts just as a usual cartridge does. For anybody without a Plus, the bits to load BASIC (the chip I guess) are on the cartridge instead of in the computer. This means that without the BASIC cartridge sticking out the side of the keyboard, the machine won't work - this was designed by AMSTRAD remember. Alternatively you can put games cartridges in the machine and upon switching on the computer (that's the bit I can handle) your game loads up just like on a MegaDrive or various other games machine that people seem to pay horrendous amounts of money for. ALL FIRED UP So how does Rob conjure this electronic alchemy then? Well, he takes your cartridge, takes the chip out and puts it in his expensive American technical thing, a special type of rom-blower I believe. This puts the program on the chip and he solders it back in to the cartridge. Apparently the soldering is the most horrible part of the whole job because the tracks are so close together. People enjoy some of the most strange things. NEW SENSATION This was to be just an upgrade for current ParaDos owners only but Rob is now offering this service to people who don't currently have the program either. If you are interested and currently have ParaDos all you have to do is send your cartridge (BASIC) and your original ParaDos rom, together with a cheque for £15 to Brian Watson. (Brian Watson will be doing the marketing for this product) The reason for sending the Parados ROM is so that Brian can check it's an original. If you don't already have ParaDos, just send your cartridge and £25 and the deed will be done. RETURN TO SENDER Please send parcels to: Harrowden, 39 High Street, Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2RA. Please make any cheques out to "Brian Watson". I think it's all pretty simple, but any queries can be e-mailed to Rob on: robscott @ tecres.co.uk I think in a few issues time John will be taking a look-proper at the cartridge and letting you know what he thinks (about the cartridge that is, as opposed to anything else John claims he thinks) about it. « Yes, I'll be having a closer look and I will let you all know what I think (yes! Angela I do think) soon -John »
|
