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pcw dsk images

Started by caver99, 18:24, 23 August 20

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caver99

Hi all


long time since ive had a pcw and ive just picked up an 8512, no system disks or anything so ive popped in a gotek and have locoscript and cpm up and running
is there anywhere that has any dsk files of the software for the pcw.

P5ychoFox

Please see the PCW 8256 games archive thread lower down on page 1.

PCWPIP

#2
I will be making a large post soon with CPM images, manuals, games, productivity software, Start of Day disks etc.


https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/nc100-nc200-pcw-pda600/a-glut-of-software-manuals-etc-for-new-pcw-or-gotek-owners-enjoy-)/


See the post by Jevicac, a great source of games & productivity software.

PCWPIP

Unfortunately I have around 1.8-2GB of manuals, magazines, games and software to post but a lot of which is too large to attach here.


I did add CP/M boot disk images to my thread.  I'm quite happy with my CP/M start of day disks.

Jomac

Which Gotec did you install?

simulant

Hi guys, hopefully a PCW owner may be able to help with some lost Amstrad-specific dBase II disks? I've set up another thread here to see if someone has them or if they can be recovered:

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/applications/the-missing-amstrad-dbase-ii-discs-can-you-solve-the-mystery-of-do-menu/msg237222/

Basically the Amstrad version mentioned in Amstrad Action has an extra command and GUI menu that none of the standard CPM versions seem to have. This got me really intrigued from reading the article and I hoped that we may be able to track down the disc somewhere... Thanks if anyone here can also help.
Amstrad BBS - https://amstrad.simulant.uk

Amstrad Hardware & Software: https://www.simulant.uk/shop/

robcfg

Do you know anyone with the disks for that version? I can dump them with Kryoflux.

simulant

Quote from: robcfg on 15:19, 18 March 24Do you know anyone with the disks for that version? I can dump them with Kryoflux.
No, unfortunately not. I am looking for someone that can hopefully find this version and save it. That DO MENU command seems to have only been available on the Amstrad which is very cool.
Amstrad BBS - https://amstrad.simulant.uk

Amstrad Hardware & Software: https://www.simulant.uk/shop/

GeoffB17

Hello,

I will prob have these files, certainly on disks, maybe on an image (for Joyce), but I'll need to dig a little.

NB.

When dBase II was released for the PCW way back, I bought a copy, this came with a full manual (photocopied) and supplied disks both 3" and 8".   The package was supplied bu 'First Software' as I assume the distributor.   The version supplied was 2.41 of dBase II.   The manual specifically refers to DBASE MENU to operate the MENU utility (this would be the same as entering DBASE first, and then, from the dot prompt, running DO MENU.   There is also a 'WELCOME process detailed, which seems to be something fairly similar (maybe a bit simpler than MENU) but also aimed to help beginners.

I confess that I have done nothing with either, as by that time I was using dbase III+, and then Clipper, professionally.

Not too long after starting to use dBASE II on the PCW, I discovered a download copy of dBASE II, labelled as version 2.43*, and proceeded to use this instead of the supplied 2.41 as it was supplosed to be a later version   I don't know by how much.   However 2.43* has always worked fine for me on the PCW (and Joyce).   I need to check what the differences are, and also if MENU and WELCOME are also in 2.43*.

Geoff

GeoffB17

Just to update my earlier message, this system was NOT originally supplied with an 8" disk - that was something else.   I got the system on one DS 3" disk, and I suspect that some files for the complete set were not included.

The files for 2.43* are on 2 @ DS 40 t 5.25" disks, although neither disk is full.   I don't know the sizes of the original files I downloaded.

Both disk sets include the files for MENU.   The Amstrad disk does NOT include the file for WELCOME (even though it is detailed in the manual) while the disks for 2.43* DO include WELCOME.

I still intend to check file sizes of the main progs to get a hint of what might have changes between 2.41 and 2,43*, but I suspect that it will not be much.

Geoff

GeoffB17

Further to earlier messages, I've had a look at the two sets of files.

Versions 2.41 and 2.43* are certainly different, all three system files have slightly different file sizes.

The DBASE.COM files contail the version number are a date.  The later sat are just over 8 months later date-wise, so there will be differences, but not too much.   The later DBASE.COM file is about 1 k larger, the later .OVR (overlay) file is about 2 k larger.   The later .MSG (text messages) file is actually about 2 k smaller!  Maybw some repeated messages could be tidied up to reduce space?

By the way, with the files I have, the 2.41 DBASE.COM file has been configured with the screen codes so can be used on the PCW immed.   The same file within 2.43* has NOT been configured, but there is a copy of the file called DBASEPCW which HAS been configured, I may have done this when I downloaded the files.

The MENU utility comprises quite a number of files, and the disk capacity may cause problems.  Cannot put the system AND MENU onto a CF2 side, so would need to run the system, then swap disk, then DO MENU, but this will still need to access the OVR and MSG files.   No problems with a CF2DD disk/image.

Geoff

GeoffB17

While I was playing with MENU to check the process, I was thinking about the software.   I didn't go that far into it, but I noted that it appeared rather slow, this was on my PCW running off floppy disk (it would be a bit faster if I set it up to run off RamDisk or even the uIDE).

Once the main prog has run, the process is swapping repeatedly through a number (20 or more) small sub-progs, so disk access is part of the problem.   The system has been 'professionally' written (I believe) and it shows in the screen design, but this means there's a LOT of box drawing and text positioning, and this is slow as well.   Extra prompts aimed at 'beginners' adds to the pedestrian pace of operation.   I was just a few screens into the process and I was thinking . 'Will you PLEASE get a move on!'.   More questions on the same screen would be a help, or draw a fancy box and leave the box alone while using the same screen for multiple questions, rather that redraw the box each time.

So it's visually quite fancy, but operationally quite clumsy?  Repeated use would get very irritating.

Hmm, I do have a dBASE II compiler prog.   Supposedly.   I do NOT have full info of the cmd line options.   I did get the prog to produce a stand-alone .COM file, which was supposed to be compiled.  But I could not get it to appear to be any faster than the interpreted version to be worth the extra trouble.  Maybe my test prog was not big enough?

Geoff

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