The Icon Bar Message Updates (Atom 0.3 feed) Richard Goodwin http://www.houseofmabel.com/ Technology news and views http://www.iconbar.com/forums/rss-atom03.php (c) The Icon Bar Message Updates 2008. All rights reserved. 2008-08-30T00:04:18Z What's your next computer? Jeffrey Lee (Phlamethrower) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=9790&page=2#108193 2008-08-29T21:45:25Z 2008-08-29T21:45:25Z 2008-08-29T21:45:25Z Another successful procedure... Another successful procedure:

New Radeon 4870 + PSU that won't melt when I turn the computer on = Crysis @ 30-40fps, 1920x1200, everything on High. Hurrah! (Although the real reason for the new card was that STALKER Clear Sky is out next week, and my old card only manages ~20fps in STALKER:SoC and stutters horribly whenever there are lightning effects. Plus I just received my bonus.)

The only downside to the 4870 seems to be that the fan is capable of being monstorously loud. So far the only time I've heard it at full-tilt is for the few seconds after turning the computer on; for the rest of the time it's at a much more manageable level. During regular desktop use it spends most of the time silent, only occasionally speeding up a bit (which is probably more annoying than if it were to constantly stay at the slightly-faster speed). Playing ETQW with headphones I didn't notice any extra noise in the background, but during the quiet bits of Crysis I did - so hopefully it won't annoy me too much for most of the games I'll be playing. The noise during Crysis was also nowhere near the noise it makes when you turn it on, so hopefully it will never reach full fan speed during actual use.

Also the current drivers seem to break GLQuake unhappy

[Edited by Phlamethrower at 22:46, 29/8/2008]

Posted by Jeffrey Lee (Phlamethrower) in General
53 comments in forum

]]> New Red Dwarf?! Andrew C. Poole (andypoole) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10921&page=1#108192 2008-08-29T16:48:36Z 2008-08-29T16:48:36Z 2008-08-29T16:48:36Z Isn't it Mark Williams, who played Olaf Petersen? Looks about right..
Who's that on the right?

[Edited by rich at 08:08, 29/8/2008. embedding images from other people's sites is bad]


Isn't it Mark Williams, who played Olaf Petersen? Looks about right..

Andy.

Posted by Andrew C. Poole (andypoole) in The Playpen
5 comments in forum

]]> Starfighter Peter Howkins (flibble) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10919&page=1#108191 2008-08-29T10:06:52Z 2008-08-29T10:06:52Z 2008-08-29T10:06:52Z Hmm, sounds like I'll give TNG a miss too. I already have the PC and PS1 versions, and they both use the rubbish crystal collection (rather than the shop) system of upgrades that TNG has Hmm, sounds like I'll give TNG a miss too. I already have the PC and PS1 versions, and they both use the rubbish crystal collection (rather than the shop) system of upgrades that TNG has unhappy

And now you say it's performance is crap and save game doesn't work ...

Posted by Peter Howkins (flibble) in Games
16 comments in forum

]]> Version control for home projects Peter van der Vos (peterv) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10912&page=1#108190 2008-08-29T08:11:06Z 2008-08-29T08:11:06Z 2008-08-29T08:11:06Z On a Risc PC the problem is the filesize of SVN (4M), this takes about a second to load from harddisk. On an Iyonix I found it workable.
SVN is *really* slow on RISC OS. I tried putting my local working copy in a ramdisk to see if it would be quicker, and it is, but it's still way slower than on my relatively sluggish Linux box.


On a Risc PC the problem is the filesize of SVN (4M), this takes about a second to load from harddisk. On an Iyonix I found it workable.

Posted by Peter van der Vos (peterv) in Programming
15 comments in forum

]]> A test for the film buffs VinceH (VincceH) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10864&page=1#108189 2008-08-28T23:34:37Z 2008-08-28T23:34:37Z 2008-08-28T23:34:37Z And the answer is... And the answer is...

The scene in the film doesn't quite match what I remember from seeing it as a kid, but that's more than likely because I was a kid a very long time ago. I am therefore positive that I have, at long last, filled in the hole in my mind.

Now I just need to dig another one... wink

Posted by VinceH (VincceH) in The Playpen
24 comments in forum

]]> A test for the film buffs VinceH (VincceH) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10864&page=1#108188 2008-08-28T21:35:34Z 2008-08-28T21:35:34Z 2008-08-28T21:35:34Z But I now have, and I'm about to watch it.
I couldn't find the DVD when I searched yesterday. unhappy


But I now have, and I'm about to watch it.

So, judging by the length, I'll know shortly after midnight if I really have finally identified the film I've been looking for all these years. My remote control finger is positively wobbling with excitement...

Posted by VinceH (VincceH) in The Playpen
24 comments in forum

]]> Pandora Jeffrey Lee (Phlamethrower) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10889&page=1#108187 2008-08-28T21:16:30Z 2008-08-28T21:16:30Z 2008-08-28T21:16:30Z Hmm, I've just spotted that the latest ROOL code dump contains the RO kernel & HAL source. So apart from the fact that the USB and video source hasn't been released yet, it looks like it's game on for anyone brave/insane enough to try porting RISC OS to new hardware. Hmm, I've just spotted that the latest ROOL code dump contains the RO kernel & HAL source. So apart from the fact that the USB and video source hasn't been released yet, it looks like it's game on for anyone brave/insane enough to try porting RISC OS to new hardware. (Or game on for someone to try poking the SoundDMA source until sound plays nice with IOP DMA transfers, or to see if the Iyonix can be coaxed into supporting Wake on Lan, or ... etc.)

Now if only someone would hurry up and invent a Spare Time machine unhappy

Posted by Jeffrey Lee (Phlamethrower) in The Playpen
7 comments in forum

]]> Right On Commander! Andrew (andrew) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10907&page=1#108186 2008-08-28T20:19:03Z 2008-08-28T20:19:03Z 2008-08-28T20:19:03Z There was a 3D Elite logo on the MAster Executive Edition (Tube) apparently. But the one on the show ISTR did seem post-8-bit by the colours and resolution.
Battlezone was 2D with a 3D perspective display.
So was that monster maze game they also showed.

I'd have said there were other proper 3d games around though; flight sims and the like. There was Aviator on the BBC for example; I'm not sure whether this came out before Elite or not. However if what they really meant was full 6 degrees of freedom 3D, maybe not.

I don't remember the advertising making a big thing of that in any case. Program makers do seem to get fixated on emphasising a particular part of the story sometimes, even if it wasn't the real focus at the time.

Did anyone else think that they were showing images from non-BBC versions of Elite sometimes? They kept on showing this huge spinny elite logo, which ... well, maybe my memory is fallible, but how many colours was it in, anyway? Maybe it was the tube version, and used dithering I suppose.


There was a 3D Elite logo on the MAster Executive Edition (Tube) apparently. But the one on the show ISTR did seem post-8-bit by the colours and resolution.

Posted by Andrew (andrew) in News and features
12 comments in forum

]]> Right On Commander! Andrew (andrew) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10907&page=1#108185 2008-08-28T20:07:58Z 2008-08-28T20:07:58Z 2008-08-28T20:07:58Z The year 1983 seems to associate with Aviator.
Battlezone was 2D with a 3D perspective display.
So was that monster maze game they also showed.

I'd have said there were other proper 3d games around though; flight sims and the like. There was Aviator on the BBC for example; I'm not sure whether this came out before Elite or not. However if what they really meant was full 6 degrees of freedom 3D, maybe not.

I don't remember the advertising making a big thing of that in any case. Program makers do seem to get fixated on emphasising a particular part of the story sometimes, even if it wasn't the real focus at the time.

Did anyone else think that they were showing images from non-BBC versions of Elite sometimes? They kept on showing this huge spinny elite logo, which ... well, maybe my memory is fallible, but how many colours was it in, anyway? Maybe it was the tube version, and used dithering I suppose.


The year 1983 seems to associate with Aviator.
So it is!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Crammond

[Edited by andrew at 21:08, 28/8/2008]

Posted by Andrew (andrew) in News and features
12 comments in forum

]]> Right On Commander! Andrew (andrew) http://www.iconbar.co.uk/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10907&page=1#108184 2008-08-28T20:05:42Z 2008-08-28T20:05:42Z 2008-08-28T20:05:42Z Remember now Remember now smile

Posted by Andrew (andrew) in News and features
12 comments in forum

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