Hey guys!
Look what I found : http://www.demonoid.me/files/details/2576200/002130706434 (http://www.demonoid.me/files/details/2576200/002130706434/?referrer=swamii.com)
From the description:
Quote
Amstrad Action Issues 1-117 complete (October 1985 - June 1995)
Amstrad Action was Future Publishing's first magazine, dedicated to the
CPC range of home computers. And it definitely was NOT an official
Amstrad publication.
These PDFs are the complied collections of page scans available on
public Torrent trackers. They've been OCR'd to allow text searching and
copying - this should prove very useful for the retro archivist who'd
like to have their own local searchable archive. They look great on most
PDF readers, including the iPad.
The OCR software has done it's best, but has struggled with some of the
more unusual fonts and layouts used, and some of the horrendous colour
schemes in the later issues. The relatively low DPI of the source images
doesn't help either, and paragraph formatting is a bit random at best;
again, this is worse in the later issues.
The file size is a bit larger than the combined size of the original JPG
images; I've done my best to make the PDF's as compact as possible
without losing image quality. Be grateful for cheap storage :)
More OCR'd scans will be periodically available - please check
http://retropdfs.wordpress.com (http://retropdfs.wordpress.com) for more information.
Thanks to Martijn van der Heide for the wonderful World Of Spectrum site
(www.worldofspectrum.org (http://www.worldofspectrum.org)), and everyone on the WoS forums for help and
advice.
90's style "greets" to anyone formally or currently involved in the
Amiga scene, especially Pazza, Mic Flair, Violator, Denzil, Tango, Fat
Will, mUb and Maximan, and anyone else who read or wrote for LSD
Grapevine. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be ;)
I'm downloading - start downloading and share, too, I've asked permission to host them here... :)
Aaand, great news, I'll also have Amtix! soon, and ACU is in the works :)
Wow, search-able PDFs and the ability to copy text off AA is really great... sample copy from ish #1:
QuoteThe Showbiz Factor
In keeping with a venerable
tradition, Amstrad launched the
new machines at a showy press
conference > n central London
complete with a 'personality' to
guide the assembled hacks and
dealers through the details They
chose newsreader Richard
Whitmore. perhaps hoping that
someone from the BBC would
make us think we were listening to
the Nine O'Clock News rather
than a PR exercise
Whitmore stood at a lectern at
one side of the stage and started
off by taking us through The
Amstrad Story', or "How a
manufacturer of perspex hi-fi
turntable lids became a company
with a £100 million turnover'. Alan
Sugar was introduced. :o a ripple
of applause. He told us about the
6128, announced the 464 price
cuts, and then left.
Back to Mr Whitmore. who now
engaged in a dialogue with a
succession of actresses
pretending to be Amstrad's
computer competitors in the small
business stakes The first was a
charming, i f rather scatty, young
lady who left the stage with a flea
in her ear when we found out
she'd cost £5.000. Far too
expensive.
On came Charlie Chaplin, a
man who advertises IBM
computers, but who was here
impersonated by a woman. As far
as we could tell. He/she remained
silent, while Richard Whitmore
ruthlessly discovered that IBM
were also a bit pricey Exit
Charlie, speechless.
The next contender was a
cheeky cockney lady who told
some jokes while fluttering her
eyelashes She's always breaking
down, and she doesn't have a
servicing contract. She had to go.
Then on to the stage walked the
embodiment of the efficient
secretary smart business-suit,
hair swept back, owlish specs
She seemed a bit stuck-up at first
but soon melted enough to make
a few jokes - 'Mr Sugar, he's
such a sweetie.' I t quickly
became obvious that she was the
new Amstrad, the PC8256,
nicknamed Joyce - after Alan
Sugar's secretary
As Joyce warmed to the task of
telling us her specifications she
began to relax. First she took off
her glasses. Then she undid her
ribbon. Her long hair, free at last,
tumbled over shoulders. By this
time the audience were on the
edge of their seats. Where would
she stop?
Well, she stopped right there
and was replaced by a video in
which people from all walks of life
explained what they wanted from
a computer. Al l of them had
microphone wires trailing from
their ears. Many seemed to have
French accents, but that didn't
stop them from saying their piece.
Alan Sugar then returned to
give details of the 8256 and to
explain why it's a 'revolutionary
product'. Questions were asked,
answered, and finally the
audience filed out to get their
hands - at last on the 20 or so
machines which had magically
appeared outside.
That make the Type-ins projects sooo much easier :) now why didn't we have that back in 1987 :(
Bryce.
I simply don't understand why they have to throw in the whole kitchen sink with these magazines - you've got to me nuts downloading 3Gb at once! ???
For those who prefer direct download:
AmstradAction_OCR_retropdfs (2.5gb)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZVVV8566
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QMBUQ88G
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=482WDNBC
Quote from: CP/M User on 10:18, 16 March 11
I simply don't understand why they have to throw in the whole kitchen sink with these magazines - you've got to me nuts downloading 3Gb at once! ???
Fair enough - but each issue is an individual PDF within the torrent, why not just pick and choose which ones you want?
http://www.ehow.com/how_5146452_download-individual-files-torrent.html (http://www.ehow.com/how_5146452_download-individual-files-torrent.html)
Quote from: KenD on 15:03, 16 March 11
Fair enough - but each issue is an individual PDF within the torrent, why not just pick and choose which ones you want?
http://www.ehow.com/how_5146452_download-individual-files-torrent.html (http://www.ehow.com/how_5146452_download-individual-files-torrent.html)
Sounds like a marverous idea if it would only let me do that!
Quote from: CP/M User on 07:44, 17 March 11
Sounds like a marverous idea if it would only let me do that!
Well, I use μTorrent and when I add a torrent I have the chance to choose the files I want to download... which program do you use?
Quote from: Gryzor on 09:23, 17 March 11
Well, I use μTorrent and when I add a torrent I have the chance to choose the files I want to download... which program do you use?
It gives me some stupid Maintenance rubbish which lets me do nothing! >:(
What give you "some maintenance rubbish" and what exactly is that maintenance rubbish?
Clicked on this link (http://www.demonoid.me/files/details/2576200/002130706434) earlier which gave me the maintenance message which wouldn't let me do anything but view their maintenance message! ??? I just tried it again now which work, so I copied and pasted the URL (in unlinked form) from the message body into my web browser, which got me to the links with all the magazines in them, and clicked on Torrent which gave me this file (which failed to be attached in here) which I've got no idea what to do with it, are all the 3Gb of PDF files within this small 40k file?
Ahhh you obviously never used torrents before. Well, welcome to a wonderful world then. And of course no, this little file does not contain acutal data of the magazines.
What it does contain is , simplistically (very much so), how to download this archive from other users who are have it in its entirety or parts of it. At the same time you'll be downloading from other users, you'll also be uploading to others the parts of the archive that you got.
Since it's a big archive I think it took me a day or two for it to finish downloading, but since then I've uploaded it over two times (and the Amtix! one some five times I think).
Quote from: Gryzor on 18:56, 19 March 11
Ahhh you obviously never used torrents before. Well, welcome to a wonderful world then. And of course no, this little file does not contain acutal data of the magazines.
What it does contain is , simplistically (very much so), how to download this archive from other users who are have it in its entirety or parts of it. At the same time you'll be downloading from other users, you'll also be uploading to others the parts of the archive that you got.
Since it's a big archive I think it took me a day or two for it to finish downloading, but since then I've uploaded it over two times (and the Amtix! one some five times I think).
Unfortunately yes I've never touched this stuff before. I'm still confused what the file I downloaded means. I opened it in Notepad which gave me garbadge, opened it in Open Office Writer which appeared to be a bunch of links, is there some specific program I can download which takes that torrent file and allows you to select the Individual Files. I had a read of Downloading Individual Files, but I'm not understanding it and it doesn't seem to be relating back to the Torrent File I've got or any program which makes downloading seem easy - I tried what I thought might of worked and copied the link from the torrent file into my web-browser, but it doesn't work! (Not sure if it's because I'm downloading Adobe Reader 55Mb in size as I'm writing this! :( )
Quote from: CP/M User on 08:27, 18 March 11
Clicked on this link (http://www.demonoid.me/files/details/2576200/002130706434) earlier which gave me the maintenance message which wouldn't let me do anything but view their maintenance message! ???
Here the same. I think they like maintenance messages :D
Man, you didn't even read what I wrote earlier on :D
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+use+torrents
Try downloading μtorrent (utorrent.com I think?). Of *course* you need a special program to handle .torrent files...
Btw, by now I've shared AA 3 times and Amtix! 9 times... Also Zzap!64 5 times :D
Quote from: CP/M User on 10:34, 20 March 11
Unfortunately yes I've never touched this stuff before. I'm still confused what the file I downloaded means. I opened it in Notepad which gave me garbadge, opened it in Open Office Writer which appeared to be a bunch of links, is there some specific program I can download which takes that torrent file and allows you to select the Individual Files. I had a read of Downloading Individual Files, but I'm not understanding it and it doesn't seem to be relating back to the Torrent File I've got or any program which makes downloading seem easy - I tried what I thought might of worked and copied the link from the torrent file into my web-browser, but it doesn't work! (Not sure if it's because I'm downloading Adobe Reader 55Mb in size as I'm writing this! :( )
Quote from: Gryzor on 11:58, 20 March 11
Man, you didn't even read what I wrote earlier on :D
Not really, but then I haven't read anything helpful, unless it's encoded. Quotes which weren't written by you shouldn't be credited as being written by you, unless you want to be busted or something! ;)
Quotehttp://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+use+torrents (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+use+torrents)
Try downloading μtorrent (utorrent.com I think?). Of *course* you need a special program to handle .torrent files...
Ok.
QuoteBtw, by now I've shared AA 3 times and Amtix! 9 times... Also Zzap!64 5 times :D
I still don't know what that means! If it's on the Wiki that would be good! ;D (saves messing around with usless Torrent files).
Quote from: CP/M User on 01:51, 21 March 11
I still don't know what that means! If it's on the Wiki that would be good! ;D (saves messing around with usless Torrent files).
...yeah, and it takes up gigs of space and tons of bandwidth.
And, torrents useless? Ohhhh man..>!
Quote from: Gryzor on 10:09, 21 March 11
...yeah, and it takes up gigs of space and tons of bandwidth.
And, torrents useless? Ohhhh man..>!
Sorry I keep forgetting this isn't the Yahoo Mail Servers! ???
Well with the µTorrent program in play torrent files make a lot of sense! ;D It just seems to dump a few temporary files where the downloaded PDFs are going! ??? Not a serious problem I guess!
Yes it's straightforward to selectively download files in a torrent. Almost any client allows you to do that.
Whoever did this work should be directly sent to heaven. This is more than enough stuff to read in the bathroom :) Thanks for sharing.
Actually the mags themselves have been available for quite some time now (hey, CPCWiki is credited for the Amtix! issues in the relevant torrent package). It's the OCR that makes the difference here.
But, hey, indeed that's an awful lot of WC material :D God bless company printers - I've printed all of them, one time or the other... Most of them I re-read when I was in the army, bored out of my effin' mind.
If anyone interested they can download the OCR'ed PDF versions of Amstrad Action, one by one at http://www.cpcoxygen.net (http://www.cpcoxygen.net/)
How much traffic are you getting from it?
Btw, you can add your link to the relevant pages of the wiki :)
I'm going to have to download this as I have a few letters in those letter pages!
:) Mark
Still seeding....
13,4xAA
23xAmtix! :)
Some mirrors:
AmstradAction_OCR_retropdfs (2.5gb)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZVVV8566
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QMBUQ88G
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=482WDNBC
MicroHobby_OCR_retropdfs (2.56GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KLO623L9
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1Q670DHP
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5ALU78AN
MicroHobbyEspecial_OCR_retropdfs (150mb)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M3J5UBP2
Computer and Video Games issues 001-126 (complete) plus 1984-1985 "Yearbooks" OCR_retropdfs (4.6GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=44E0NOLO
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8TG1TRFK
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T5J7Y6A9
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RS9AWS4X
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TB7E2WP2
Amtix_OCR_retropdfs (541MB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9IALHFER
Sinclair User Magazine Issues 01-134 (April 1992 - April 1993)_OCR_retropdfs (3.74GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZT4PA17G
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GU1WT4YR
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9AW33K6O
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=96H6S6IR
Zzap! 64 Magazine Issues 01-107 complete (May 1985 - February 1994)_OCR_retropdfs (3.32GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KVSEFX34
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SKVZAPPS
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=O33SXL9F
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EQ1EZDWA
Your Sinclair Magazine Issues 01-94 (January 1986 - September 1993)_OCR_retropdfs (2.57GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=77GBX0RI
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I8FFMSWD
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZDENG95S
Crash Magazine Issues 01-98 (February 1984 - April 1992)_OCR_retropdfs (2.90GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UI1YZ3OY
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6F4ESTHZ
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=K10ZK0X7
The Games Machine Issues 01-34 (complete) OctNov '87 - Sep '90_OCR_retropdfs (1.03GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3EDLQ0JK
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZJ0W2VX5
ZX Computing Magazine Issues 01-38 (Summer 1992 - May 1987)_OCR_retropdfs (1.29GB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RHBTVDU7
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1KSEFH36
BigK Magazine Issues 01-12 (Summer 1992 - May 1987)_OCR_retropdfs.rar (377MB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SBZWKEV1
Your Spectrum Issues 01-21 (Jan 1984 - Dec 1985)_OCR_retropdfs.rar (513MB)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N1OB3MEA
There are many other downloads/mirrors in the Spanish forum: [/size]http://amstradcpc.mforos.com/305097/8279569-material-amstrad-en-descarga-directa-ftp-s-enteros-recopilaciones-etc/ (http://amstradcpc.mforos.com/305097/8279569-material-amstrad-en-descarga-directa-ftp-s-enteros-recopilaciones-etc/)
Ooh - C&VG! :)
Oh man, just about 50% the way through this torrent and it's all flooding back!
The only downside is I can almost recall the day I chucked them all out when I had to have a clear out. :( They were mostly all knackered anyway, but makes me cringe when I think back. Bah! :'( :'(
Perhaps some people might be interested for a Rapidshare mirror,
so here it is.. You can find all links for Amstrad Action OCRed here:
https://www.rapidshare.com/files/459134365/AA_PDFs_OCRed.txt (https://www.rapidshare.com/files/459134365/AA_PDFs_OCRed.txt)
All these links now seem to be dead... Also the links on the wiki are down too, does anyone know if the full collection is still online anywhere. I am happy to also create a mirror as it would be a shame to lose these as a resource. Best wishes
They're on https://archive.org/details/amstrad-action-magazine (along with many other magazines)and they offer downloads including the OCR'd pdfs.
I do have them offline somewhere, but, um... Got to find a recorder to make a copy or two 😄
Thanks guys - the only problem with Archive.org though is I'm not sure if there is a way to download the complete collection/set? Do you have to go through each one at a time downloading? Would be nice to have them back up on the wiki here too for an easy complete download along with the cover tapes too :)
Nice, sure, also quite expensive in terms of space and bandwidth 😉
Quote from: simulant on 12:46, 18 April 20
Thanks guys - the only problem with Archive.org though is I'm not sure if there is a way to download the complete collection/set? :)
Try this (https://www.malfunct.net/2017/04/07/archive-org-collection-downloader/), it's a great tool.
Quote from: arkive on 18:48, 18 April 20
Try this (https://www.malfunct.net/2017/04/07/archive-org-collection-downloader/), it's a great tool.
Oh, that works! Never heard of it before but it seems it does its job. Strange that the Archive doesn't offer a torrent.
jDownloader also seems to be fetching links fine and with the correct structure, but it needs a little cleanup. On the other hand you can control the downloads -pause them limit their speed, resume...
Ok, after trying the tool suggested above, I'd recommend NOT using it; use jDownloader instead. Been using the Archive downloader since yesterday morning during work hours and it only went up to #17, whereas jDownloader needs a couple of hours on my 100Mb line (only uses one third of the bandwidth though). Of course the Archive downloader tool gives you one neat zip for each issue with everything inside, so if you feel strongly about it maybe it's the best way; jDownloader puts the files in a folder structure like this:
\Amstrad Action 001
__ia_thumb.jpg
amstrad-action-001_archive.torrent
Amstrad_Action_001.djvu
Amstrad_Action_001.gif
Amstrad_Action_001.pdf
Amstrad_Action_001_abbyy.gz
Amstrad_Action_001_abbyy.xml
Amstrad_Action_001_djvu.txt
Amstrad_Action_001_djvu.xml
Amstrad_Action_001_jp2.zip
Amstrad_Action_001_scandata.xml
Could be a coincidence. I've used it many times for big archives and it was always pretty fast.
jDownloader is good, but you have to be careful which version you install because there lots of spyware/malware ones circulating.
Well there's the official web page, I don't know why you would download it elsewhere...
One problem with the Archive Downloader (depending on how you view it) is that it requests and gets complete zips, which takes lots of extra time; whereas jDownloader just forces its way through it at full speed :D
In any case, I'm uploading here a full collection of torrent files for all the issues. This should help.
Quote from: arkive on 18:48, 18 April 20
Try this (https://www.malfunct.net/2017/04/07/archive-org-collection-downloader/), it's a great tool.
Herr what.... I'm linked to DualOS, which is objectively not the good link...
I'm quite sure the link was good before, as i had bookmarked the page for later.
https://www.malfunct.net/2017/04/07/archive-org-collection-downloader/ ??
Quote from: Gryzor on 05:19, 04 May 20
https://www.malfunct.net/2017/04/07/archive-org-collection-downloader/ (https://www.malfunct.net/2017/04/07/archive-org-collection-downloader/) ??
yeah ! did you change the link or was it a database malfunction ? (i checked on 2 different computer and my phone to be sure)....
That's funny, now it goes to some USB tool... even funnier, I actually copied the link myself from the previous page (though on mobile)! Probably some bug indeed...
malfunct.net ...says it all ;D
But I could open it no problem, now too.
Quote from: arkive on 18:48, 18 April 20
Try this (https://www.malfunct.net/2017/04/07/archive-org-collection-downloader/), it's a great tool.
wow thanks that is an amazing tool :) great stuff, finally got them all saved somewhere on my computer :)