![]() ![]() The file management facilities of the ST's Desktop are not available, so creating a folder or formatting a disk is not usually possible, and so you need to quit from the program temporarily only to return later. When you are running a GEM program, you can only access the program's menu bar and the desk accessories. ![]() SEQ etc.) which makes looking for specific files easier. Even with these improved file selectors, for sessions where I will need to manipulate several types of file, I use one of the more complex add-on file selectors which can store several different file suffixes (.MID. In the latest versions of the ST's Operating system (TOS 1.4/1.62) there are improved file selector dialogue boxes which add drive buttons and interpret the 'OK' button as a drive re-read command if no file is selected. Both of these are shareware, so they actually cost about £15 - public domain versions tend to be simpler and less stable. Johnson's Little Green Selector (LGSELECT) features a much larger file list box and comprehensive sorting/finding options, whilst Martin Patzel's shareware FSELECT seems simpler and easier to use. Most public domain libraries will have a good selection of alternatives. I usually use the very stable HiSoft File Selector V1.9 which is available free with most of their software (it adds drive buttons). Pressing the 'OK' button before selecting a file did not cause a re-read of the drive, but instead closed the file selector without selecting a file! Naturally enough, a large number of replacement file selectors have been developed to solve this problem, and these range from enhanced versions offering extras such as dedicated drive buttons, to complex and overgrown creations which do searches, printouts, create folders, and more - more like a replacement for the entire Desktop.Įven for committed Power Users, some of the more powerful commercial versions offer too much. To change the drive you wanted to access, you had to clear the pathname field and then retype the drive name and click in the shaded area at the top of the list box. The versions of the ST's Operating System released before the STE came out about 18 months ago had simple file selector dialogue boxes with one or two problems. Conversely if your ST spends 90% of its time running a sequencer or sample editor, then you can probably find a better use for the money. I do a lot of file management and programming, as well as writing, so I find Turbo ST indispensable. ![]() ![]() Because most quality music (and games) programs already include replacement code to speed up the performance of the graphics, software accelerators usually make almost no difference, and in some cases they may even make the ST unstable and prone to crashing.Īpart from the obvious improvement to the redrawing of windows (when using the ST's Desktop to move files around), some public domain music software and most non-musical/non-games applications should run noticeably faster, so the value of a software accelerator will depend on what you will be doing with your ST. Turbo ST is well worth its £30 or so for the way it speeds up screen updating, and the slightly slower shareware Quick ST is excellent value for money, but only for programs like word processors or text editors. Unlike the hardware accelerators described last month, software accelerators work by optimising the most frequently used parts of the ST's operating system, typically the graphics routines. Musical Environments will be covered next month. Utilities are the equivalent of hardware gadgets - they improve the way that you can use your ST by adding a useful facility. Power User software can be divided into two major categories: Utilities and Musical Environments. With the traumatic 'major surgery' part of upgrading your ST out of the way, we are now free to look at the software. The first part of this series detailed some of the hardware that any prospective Power User should consider purchasing to get the most out of their computer. ![]()
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