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The Memotech MTX Series |
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The Memotech User Group
- Genpat
Despite their relatively small following, Memotech computers did have
their own user group called Genpat - the name of
the command in MTX BASIC used to generate
patterns, i.e., to define the shape of a movable
graphical element called a sprite. The club magazine was called
Memopad.
Much to my surprise, I have rediscovered my old copies of
Memopad ! I thought that I had made a big mistake and disposed
of them during a house move a few years ago, but no, they are
still here. Anyone who has grown up accustomed to the
availability of high quality, low cost, Word Processing and Desk
Top Publishing tools may be rather surprised to see what we had
to put up with in the early eighties, so, with apologies for the
quality, scanned copies of most of the Memopad editions are
available here. I kept the magazines in A4 ring binders, which
means that they have stood the test of time pretty well, the
downside is that there are some holes in the pages at sometimes
inconvenient places, i.e., in program listings, but they are still
very useable.
I have every copy from the first issue until Volume 3 Issue
10. I'm not sure how long Memopad continued after that, I'm
pretty sure that my subscription expired around then. The quality of the articles had fallen
off and I think that I had decided that I wasn't getting
anything new from it at that point. The User Group probably did
continue for at least a little while after that and there may be
additional copies of Memopad available from other sources. If you can provide copies of
any missing
editions I'd really appreciate it.
In addition to the "highlights" that I have noted in the
table below, many of the magazines, particularly the early ones,
contain handy hints and tips to explain the nuances of the MTX
computer hardware to allow programmers to get the most out of
the machine. Indexing all of these topics without a reliable OCR
package is too much like hard work, so I'm afraid you will just
have to read them for yourself :-)
Going through these old editions in preparation for scanning
them to PDF, it was interesting to see the change in tone in the
editorials from strong support for the Memotech company to
becoming highly critical of the management style. You can almost
read see company's decline from the change in tone of the words
of the editorial leaders.
Feel free to download as many of these as you like, but
if you post them elsewhere, please give me a mention for
scanning and making them available online.
Paul Daniels
has kindly sent me scanned copies of a number of editions of the
magazine.
Including those from Paul, Issues 1 (September 1984) to 23/24
(August
1986) - the first two years worth of the magazine, are now available.
I am continuing with the
additional copies that I have, the ones that I am currently
doing
are awkward to scan, they were printed on A3, folded to A4
size for the magazine.
Arpad Virag has kindly sent me scanned copies of a number of
editions of the magazine.
The editorial from
the Memotech Owners Club magazine of June 1988 advised its
readers that the last edition of Memopad, the magazine from the
Memotech User's Group had just been sent out. Genpat closed down
at that point, taking any outstanding subscription monies with
it !
|
Volume 1 - 1984/85 |
|
Click to open |
Edition |
Highlights |
|
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Premier September
1984 (24
pages) |
"Premier
Edition" - that's Issue 1 to you and me!
Connect 4 game written in BASIC
BASIC for
Beginners
Teach yourself
MTX Assembly Language - Part 1
Software reviews, including "Maxima", "Obloids",
"Contact" (CP/M) |
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2 October
1984 (40) |
Programming
in Pascal - MTX Graphics Extension Package
Programming the VDP & VRAM
- 13 page technical guide
MTX Keyboard
scanning
Assembly Language - Part 2
Software reviews, including "Brunword", "Qogo",
"Pothole Pete, Colossal Adventure" |
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3 November
1984 (41) |
Taking the
PLOD out of NODDY (NODDY Programming example)
Assembly Language - Part 3
Program
examples: Sound routine, Screen formatting, Sprite
detection
MTX Graphics
Memory Block Load & Save. Programming the VDP
Part 2
Software reviews, including "Turbo, First Letters", "The
Zoo" |
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4 December
1984
(27) |
Programming in Pascal
- MTX Graphics Extension Package Part II
Using the MTX Front Panel
Assembly Language - Part 4
How to utilise MTX Interrupts
Software reviews, including "3D Tachyon Fighter",
"Agrovator", "Snowball" |
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5
January
1985
(38) |
Assembly Language - Part 5
3D Graphics
Tutorial - Part 1
Hardware Project - How to automate your cassette
player/recorder
Programming Technique - Using Z80 Interrupts,
continuation of last months article on interrupts
Software reviews, including "Agrovator", "Snowball",
"Spelli-Copter", "Heli-Maths", "Return to Eden" |
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6
February
1985
(30) |
Hardware
Project - Using the Cartridge Port, a simple program
showing how to use it
Assembly Language - Part 6
Hardware
Review - Monitors
Data Save &
Load - Assembly Language Program Software
reviews, including "Lords of Time", "Firehouse
Freddie", "Bouncing Bill", "Pontoon&Blackjack"
|
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7 March
1985
(36) |
Hardware
Review - "Speakeasy"
Converting Connect 4 (Issue 1) to machine code
3D
Graphics - Part 2, "Type-in" BASIC utilities in Assembly
Language
Assembly Language - Part 7
Software reviews, including "Qogo2", "Hunchy", "Man From
Granny", "Brunning Datafile", "Miner Dick" |
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8
April
1985
(34) |
Assembly Language - Part 8
Utilities Part 2 - BASIC "type-ins" incl. RENUMBER etc.
Structured
Programming - Part 1
| Hardware Reviews : |
250K Single Disk Drive |
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Jaro
"Speed Splitter" Board (1200/75 speeds for Viewdata)
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Converting Connect 4 (Issue 1) to machine code - Part
2 Software
reviews, including "Emerald Isle", "Fathoms Deep", "EDASM",
"SpeakEasy" (Hardware) |
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9
May
1985
(36) |
3D Graphics - Part 3
All About Basic - Part 1
Starting Forth
Structured Programming - Part 2
Disc Mania
(All about floppy disks) [Memotech had just released the
250K SDX]
Basic Graphics - Part 1
Music Type-in - "Music Box Dancer"
Software reviews, including "Quantum", "Memo-sketch",
"Miner Dick", "Jack Flash", "Target Zone" |
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10
June
1985
(40) |
Basic Graphics - Part 2
Disc Mania
(How to use Disk Drives from CP/M), Structured
Programming - Part 3, Starting Forth
Hardware
Project - Making a Track-ball for the MTX
Converting Connect 4
(Issue 1) to machine code - Part 3
Software
reviews, including "Dr. Frankie", "Escape
From Zarcos", "Chamberoids", "Surface
Scanner" |
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11
July
1985
(28) |
Basic Graphics - Part 3
Disc Mania
(How CP/M works on your computer)
Structured
Programming - Part 4, Starting Forth - Part 2
40 Column Graphics
Software review, "Purchase Ledger & Payroll" |
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12
August
1985
(40) |
Hardware
reviews - FDX, DMX80 Printer
Using the Assembler. Starting Forth - Part 2
RST28 - The Facts
Speedy-3D
(Assembler Routines)
Basic Graphics - Part 4, 3D Graphics - Part 4
plus listing for the program in Issue 9
Hardware
Project - An Easy Interface : The User I/O Port
Sound
Generator BASIC program
Software
reviews, including "MBASIC", "Fig Forth", "Son of Pete",
"Manic Miner" plus map of "Alice" |
|
Volume 0010 - 1985/86 |
|
Click to open |
Edition |
Highlights |
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1
September
1985
(32) |
Keyboard Capers - Peeking the Keyboard
Starting Forth - Part 3, Forth - Another View
Speedy-3D -
Part 2, Take a Note
- Sound Tutorial, Basic Graphics - Part 5
Assembler
subroutines including Bubble-sort, ASCII to Hex, Hex to
ASCII
An Easy Interface - The User I/O Port - Part 2,
RST28 - Floating Point Functions
Software reviews, including "Downstream Danger", "SMG",
"Quazzia", "Crystal", "User BASIC" |
|
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2
October
1985
(28) |
EDASM Patch -
Load/Save Programs without EDASM being present
Take a Note - Sound Tutorial - Part 2, Sound Input
from Cassette (ASM program)
Hardware
Review - Fidelity CTM1400 TV/Monitor
Starting Forth - Part 4, 3D Graphics - Conclusion
Chainsaw Mania - "Type-in" BASIC Game by Andy Southgate
Software reviews, including "Quantum", "Ghostly Castle",
"Surface Scanner", "Combat", "Jack Flash" |
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3
November
1985 (30) |
CP/M - Using the Dynamic Debugger
Take a Note -
Sound Tutorial - Part 3
Basic Graphics - Part 6,
Pascal - Some MTX Graphics Procedures
"Shared Bank Account" - "Type-in" BASIC Utility
Software reviews, including "Karate King", "Supa Coder",
The Wall", "Paintbox" |
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4
December
1985
(37) |
40 Column Graphics
(Z80 Assembler)
"Shared Bank
Account" - Part 2 (BASIC)
Disc Mania
(Disc Storage from Assembly)
Going Forth
(Tutorial), "Picking Pears" (BASIC game), "Fruit
Machine" (BASIC game)
Software
reviews, including "Purchase Ledger" |
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5
January
1986
(31) |
The History
of Computing - Part 1 by P. Knaggs (Really the history
of numbers and counting)
Assembly Line
- Creating Sprites, Printer Driver & a Fill command
extension to PANEL
Disc
Adaptation for EDASM
Assembler -
Keyboard de-bounce and adaptation of the cassette
version of EDASM to use disk
"Shared Bank
Account" - Part 3 (BASIC), Sound Editor (BASIC)
Clash of the
Robots - "Type-in" BASIC Game |
|
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6 February
1986
(28) |
Confirmation that
"Memotech"
will close on 31st March and is to be re-launched as
"Memotech Computers Limited" by
Geoff Boyd
Basic Graphics - Part 7
The History
of Computing - Part 2
CP/M - The ED Text Editor
A Simple Disc Database - "Type-in" BASIC Utility
Light Riders - Like "Light Cycles" in the
Tron
video game, "Type-in" Assembler |
|
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7 March
1986 (29) |
News that the Memotech factory closed in mid February, 6
weeks before Geoff Boyd
will take over.
A small Forth
utility to speed up the start-up of FIG Forth
Hardware
Project : The MTX EPROM Programmer
BASIC
"Type-in" - "Twonky" - converted from the Creative
Computing TRS-80 version
BASIC
"Type-ins" - "Planetarium", "Label Designer", "Sprite
Designer",
Software
reviews, including "Sales Ledger" |
|
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8
April
1986 (30) |
Using the Assembler - MTX Screen Dump
Disc Mania - CP/M BDOS Calls Hardware
Project : The MTX EPROM Programmer - Part II, (assembler
program)
Forth - String Handling
BASIC "Type-in" - Disk File Handling Routines
Assembler - MTX Screen Dump Utility, later printed in
PCW Short
letter from Geoff Boyd
upon starting up Memotech Computers Limited |
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9 May
1986 (28) |
The editorial
had a breakdown of the Syntaxsoft company structure
Prices for
Memotech's new products were included (3.5" drive, 80
column card etc.)
Disc Mania -
Part 2 - Assembler program to count the number of words
in a CP/M file
Hardware
Project : Minor corrections to the PROM programmer
software from issue 8
BASIC
"Type-in" : "Mastermind"
MTX Tokens - How BASIC lines are stored in memory
Introduction to using MTX ROM routines from HiSoft Pascal
Software review, "Highway Encounter" (reprinted from
another magazine) |
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10 June
1986 (28) |
Introduction to
NODDY - 6 Page Article
BASIC "Type-in" : "Disc based Spreadsheet"
Disc Mania - Part 3 - Auto-backup utility for SDX
Hardware : Article on Laser Printers
Pascal "Type-in" : "Mandlebrot's
Function"
Software review, "Tournament Snooker", "Zork
III" (CP/M), |
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11 & 12
August
1986 (50) |
Faster Forth
: Speeding up MTX Forth using Assembler
Hardware : Monitor Selection Advice
Disc Mania -
Part 4 - Detecting changed disks when using an SDX
Using the MTX VDP in Bit Mapped mode
Floating Point maths in Forth
BASIC "Type-ins" - Trek (Game), Annuities (Financial),
Graphic Plotter
Assembly "Type-ins" - Inverse characters, Play music
while a program loads
Software review, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"
This edition is missing
a number of pages
(sides), but I think it's a Genpat
numbering "quirk", rather than actual missing pages
- unless you have a copy and know better? |
|
Volume 0011 - 1986/87 |
|
Click to open |
Edition |
Highlights |
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New
1
September1986 (34) |
Forth Language - Written in Assembler
Disc Mania - Part 5 - Set/Get
file attributes with SDX
VDP Bit
Mapping - Part 2 Software review :
"Cobra" BASIC "Type-in" -
"Snakes & Ladders" Using the MTX VDP in Bit Mapped mode
- Part 2 |
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New
2
October 1986
(37) |
Assembler : Tidy up program
listings
BASIC "Type-in" : "Hangman"
BASIC "Type-in" : "Fish Tank"
BASIC "Type-in" : Station Master
The Z80 Counter Timer Circuit (CTC)
Hardware : Smart EPROM
Decoder
NewWord Tips
Memopad Index 1984/1985 |
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3 & 4
December1986
(54) |
Using CP/M - Part 1 Using the Assembler - MTX
Recover
Machine Code Conversion Routines
Screen Dump Routine |
| Vol. 3
5 |
February 1987 ? |
Using CP/M - Part 2 Using the Assembler - Sprites
Connect 4 game written in BASIC - Deja Vu from Edition
1 ! |
| Vol. 0011
6 |
April 1987 ? |
Using the Assembler - System Reset Modification Converting Connect 4 (Vol.
3 Issue 6) to machine code - Again !
|
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New
7 & 8
June
1987 (60) |
Converting Connect 4 (Vol. 3 Issue 6) to machine code
- Part 2 & 3
Assembler : "SLVCODE" (Save &
Load Data to Taape)
MTX Tokens - Again !
NODDY Commands - Usage Example
BASIC "Type-ins" : "Drawing Routine", "Least Squares"
BASIC "Type-in" : "Football Pools Predictor" (Part 1)
Assembler : "Memotext" - formatted text to screen (Parts
1 & 2) Assembler : Pascal Source
Code Indenter Assembler : "That's
Life" (Game of Life) |
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New
9
August
1987 (33) |
"C" Compiler Reviews - Hi-Soft
C++ and Aztec C
Using the Assembler - Sound Routines
BASIC "Type-in" : "Football Pools
Predictor" (Part 2)
"Speed it up" - Structured
programming in BASIC
Converting
Connect 4 (Vol. 3 Issue 6) to machine code - Part 3
Assembler : "Memotext" - formatted text to screen (Part
3) |
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New
10
September1987 () |
BASIC "Type-in" : Adding Artificial Intelligence to
Connect 4
Pascal "Type-in" - That's Life (Issue 8)
Converted to Pascal for 80 Column CP/M
Converting Connect 4 (Vol. 3 Issue 6) to machine code
- Part 4
Assembler : Trace break point of a BASIC
program
BASIC "Type-in" : Use of SPK$ and DSI
BASIC "Type-in" : "Football Pools Predictor" (Parts 3 &
4) |
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The End ? - wrong!
I thought that Genpat must have folded after Volume 3
Number 10, I have my original receipt, paying for 12
Issues from Volume 3 Number 1, but I did not receive any
copies after Volume 3 Issue 10.
Jim Wills has obtained the final editions of the
magazine which went up to Volume 4, Issue 7, in May/June
1988. |
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11
October
1987 (30) |
Now advertising itself as "The Official User
Magazine of M.C.L"
Extending
Your BASIC - adding "User" Commands. ROM Calls,
including RST 30:
Continuation
of Random Number discussion from Vol.3 Issue 10
BASIC
"Type-ins" : Database program and "Football Pools Predictor"
- Part 4
BASIC "Type-in"
: "Measure", a conversion program (length,
area, volume, etc.)
ASM "Type-in" :
"Explode", no description, but it runs to 4
pages - get typing!
Converting
Connect 4 (Vol. 3 Issue 6) to machine code - Part 5
Software
reviews : "Football Manager" |
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12
November
1987 (28) |
ASM "Type-in" :
"Video Display Panel", debug VDP graphics by copying to
RAM
NewWord :
Graphics on NewWord ( in 'C' )
Floating
Point Numbers
BASIC "Type-in"
: Database program - Part 2
ASM "Type-in" :
"Explode" - Part 2, smaller board size than last
month's version
Converting
Connect 4 (Vol. 3 Issue 6) to machine code - Part 6
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Volume 4 - 1987/88 |
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1 & 2
December
1987 (46) |
A slightly
less than glowing review of the Atari ST
Errata for
Football Pools Predictor, Writing a strtok()
function ( for 'C' )
BASIC
"Type-ins", Database program - Part 3 and "Minuet in B
Flat" (music)
ASM
"Type-ins" : "Video Display Panel" - Part 2 and "Space
Mission"
ASM/BASIC
"Type-in" : "D.I.Y Invoicing"
Converting
Connect 4 (Vol. 3 Issue 6) to machine code - Parts 7 & 8
Software
reviews, Contact 3 |
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| Miscellaneous
User Club Documents |
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Date |
Description |
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September
1984 |
Letter sent to Memotech owners announcing the formation
of the User's Group (Genpat) and inviting subscriptions at £16 p.a.
(Courtesy of Paul Daniels) |
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1984 |
"Compliments" Slip sent out by the User's Group with
Memopad (Courtesy of Paul Daniels) |
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1984 |
Order form for Back Numbers of Memopad I suspect that
you might not get a reply if you send this in :-)
(Courtesy of Paul Daniels) |
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1984/85 |
A later, undated, Genpat subscription application form Courtesy of Claus Baekkel |
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1985 |
Syntax Software (The Uses Group's own software label)
Order Form Including "Arcadians" & "Missile Command"
on one tape, "Little Devils" and "Bouncing Bill"
(Courtesy of Paul Daniels) |
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July
1985 |
Memotech User Club change of address from Burnley to
Nelson, notice sent out by Memotech Limited. Courtesy of Claus Baekkel |
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