Acorn Arcade forums: November News round-up

Posted by Mark Stephens on 06:36, 27/11/2020 | News

Some things we noticed this month. What did you see?

Sargasso RSS reader updated to 2.07.

There is a new Raspberry Pi in town... Wi-Fi Sheep has a youtube review and guide to setting up with RISC OS.

Cloverleaf Kickstarter has a page.

Apple switches to ARM chips in its new machine. It seems they are pretty quick

Watch Youtube videos with the Sargasso RSS reader

Cloverleaf launches its Kickstarter

November News round-up

markee174 (08:25 27/11/2020)
  arawnsley (11:40 27/11/2020)
    riscosbits (17:05 27/11/2020)
      riscosbits (14:03 26/11/2021)

Mark Stephens

Message #125009, posted by markee174 at 08:25, 27/11/2020

Does all the
work around here
Posts: 154

RISCOSbits also have a pretty good black friday deal at http://www.pihard.co.uk/blackfriday.htm

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Andrew Rawnsley

Message #125010, posted by arawnsley at 11:40, 27/11/2020, in reply to message #125009

R-Comp chap
Posts: 600

4te computers are also now shipping to customers, and we're trying to work through our order backlog to ensure everyone gets one ASAP. We aren't offering Black Friday deals, though, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I don't think it is fair to people who have bought recently to do massive price cutting. This is doubly true as we still have quite a few back orders that need to be dispatched (probably next couple of weeks or so, if I work my socks off!), which would make offering discounts rather messy and awkward for everyone.

Also, there isn't a lot of scope in the pricing for cuts like that anyway, as there's a lot of parts/value in a 4te.

Since the initial announcement I have also expanded the custom software further, with 4teBrowse JS/HTML5 browser and new 4teTools software. This is an expanded/modified edition of PineTools from the ARMbook, allowing control over hardware features of the 4te, and allowing you to tailor and fine-tune your experience.

New features include firmware control, performance vs heat trade-offs, enhanced 4k support, improved BigMode, optimisations for playing legacy games, improved keyboard / mouse functionality and better LockScreen facilities including DPMS support.

It's been a huge project, but we're nearly there.

Although new orders will have to wait a couple of weeks, we should still be able to supply a few more before Christmas, so there's still time.

[Edited by arawnsley at 11:42, 27/11/2020]

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RISCOS Bits

Message #125012, posted by riscosbits at 17:05, 27/11/2020, in reply to message #125010

Member
Posts: 31

We aren't offering Black Friday deals, though, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I don't think it is fair to people who have bought recently to do massive price cutting. This is doubly true as we still have quite a few back orders that need to be dispatched (probably next couple of weeks or so, if I work my socks off!), which would make offering discounts rather messy and awkward for everyone.

Also, there isn't a lot of scope in the pricing for cuts like that anyway, as there's a lot of parts/value in a 4te.

I wholeheartedly agree with that, Andrew. As you say, it would be harsh on those customers that recently purchased, hence this is a completely new product. In a way, it's a bit of a recognition of all those RISC OS users who may be struggling, during the pandemic and all that brings, to rub as many brass farthings together as they normally would.

And when they do get a few more brass farthings together in the New Year, the FOURtress Lite is easy to expand up to a full off-the-shelf FOURtress system for around the same price, with a bit of simple DIY, which most RISC OS users will be used to. Not dissimilar in some ways to the RiscPC slices - remove four screws, add the new slice, screw back together.

So it could be considered a sort of "buy half now, buy half later" offer where they don't have to wait for the initial Christmas Present - they still have something to unwrap on Christmas morning (or the day it arrives, whichever their willpower allows). Just like I did with that RiscPC and Strong ARM card a few months later. They may end up paying a few quid more in postage and packing, but the price of a pint when you can't go to the pub this Christmas isn't that big a deal.

Since the initial announcement I have also expanded the custom software further, with 4teBrowse JS/HTML5 browser and new 4teTools software. This is an expanded/modified edition of PineTools from the ARMbook, allowing control over hardware features of the 4te, and allowing you to tailor and fine-tune your experience.

I'm a big fan of the configuration front ends that you do, they've been a real boon on the PineBook - is there scope to offer a support scheme for purchasers of other systems using the same base Pi? People could then factor in what to do with future brass farthings. A software support scheme may be preferable to the hardware add-ons, especially for those that don't need all the bells and whistles?

New features include firmware control, performance vs heat trade-offs, enhanced 4k support, improved BigMode, optimisations for playing legacy games, improved keyboard / mouse functionality and better LockScreen facilities including DPMS support.

That all sounds great! I'm sure some FOURtress owners would happily buy into that. Some like it simple too, though, in my experience, and like being able to tinker to set things up how their other machines are - room for both, as I see it. That said, having received the alpha of the fan control software earlier today, it surpassed my expectations. The fine control of the fan is great (although I have to run something very intensive to get it to kick in anyway - the case is so cool in so many ways!), and the soft power off (no need to press the switch on the back to power down) is a real bonus. Obviously once it's complete, existing customers will get the upgrade for their systems.

I just think it's great that there's now room for more than just a single budget system in the slightly expanding RISC OS marketplace.

That said, we may both be trumped by the Pi400 as the machine of choice.

And on that keyboard-based computer bombshell... Bah humbug!

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RISCOS Bits

Message #125256, posted by riscosbits at 14:03, 26/11/2021, in reply to message #125012

Member
Posts: 31

Black Friday is back in 2021 at RISCOSbits!

Just go to https://www.pihard.co.uk/blackfriday.htm

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