Prestel Reviews

ZX Computing

Ray Elder

ON LINE Ray Elder describes his close encounter with British Telecom. This is an account of how I became one of Prestel's customers, and a description of what the computer information service offers from the point of an interested incompetent. I have always been fascinated by the more practical aspects of computing, you only have to remember my previous project on using a Spectrum for word processing to realise that, and the thought of being able to access the information on British Telecom's computer intrigued me. Early in June I contacted Micronet 800, a computer specialist user group who provide an information service on the Prestel Database, and applied for registration with them. Prestel is very similar to Ceefax and Teletext, services offered by the TV companies, in display and basic functions but with two very important differences. The first is that you can communicate with Prestel by sending messages, replies to questions and quizzes and also download information and programs into your computer or to a printer for a permanent copy. The second is that you have to pay for it! however at off peak times, after 6.00pm weekdays or 12.00 Saturday or all day Sunday the use of the computer is free, but you still have to pay the standard phone charges either at local or national rates depending on which computer you contact. In order to use the Prestel computer you must be a member of one of it's user groups, once you become a member then you have access to all the other information in the database except for some pages which another user group has set up and may want to keep private. Having phoned Micronet, (01-278 3143), a few days later a letter and an application form arrived. I dutifully completed said form and returned it to them the same day. I was starting to become quite excited about it. THE EQUIPMENT Before I continue the saga any further it is worth mentioning the various boxes which will allow you to connect your computer to BT's lines. Note that any equipment attached to the phone needs to be approved by BT, so look for their approval sticker before purchasing anything, A specialist system of a keyboard/keypad and a connection device can be acquired, but for one purposes I'll take a brief look at the modems available to link up the Sinclair computers, both Spectrum and ZX81. By the way, the modem is a MOdulator/DEModulator and is the device which connects the computer to the phone lines and by which the signals to and from the computer are matched to the signal that is sent over the phone lines. This use of a universal standard means that you can communicate with someone who is using a completely different micro and not only another Sinclair user. There are two methods of making the connection, probably the cheapest is by an acoustic coupler. This is a rubber device into which you insert the telephone handset and all signals are sent audibly. The computer is then loaded up with accompanying software and the connection is made as normal. The disadvantage with this system is that in a noisy environment extraneous noise may cause the link to fail. An advantage is that if you own a portable computer then information can be sent from a call box anywhere in the world and collected later on your home (or office) based machine. The other method is by using a direct connection via the detachable telephone socket that is fitted to the latest phones installed. If you have the old type of connection then BT will have to change it, this may cost £25.00, but many "special" offers are around and Micronet were (and may still be) providing this free when I joined. MEANWHILE... A week after I posted my application a large envelope bounced off the doormat and was quickly sat on by the cat. After removing the moggie I tore it open (the envelope, not the cat) and found a nicely produced folder of information, a Prestel contributors directory, a welcome letter and an advertising brochure from a well known credit card organisation. The people who provide and maintain the pages are known as Information Providers or IP's - yet another bit of jargon to remember. The letter proclaimed "WELCOME TO MICRONET 800! YOU ARE NOW ONLINE TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST DATABASES." Except I wasn't. My phone had one of the older type of connectors and I couldn't link up to the phone lines until a BT chappie changed it. I also had another problem. My phone was situated in the small entrance hall at the front of the house, my computer was set up at the back. There was no room to put the machine with the phone and it wasn't practical to have a 20ft lead running through the centre of the living room, not with a cat that attacks anything, a child who eats anything and other members of the family including myself, who'll trip over anything. So the phone would have to be moved. No great problem as the line arrived at the back of the house anyway, all they'd need to do was drop it down, bring it in the window and add the new connector. The other reason that I wasn't online was that all users have their own customer identity and password to prevent someone else from using the service at your expense, this would be forwarded in a separate envelope later. With all this justified security I was expecting Securicor and full escort to arrive and not just the plain brown envelope that eventually was sat on by the cat. Excitement becoming more intense. THE SPECTRUM BOX The unit which I am using is the Prism VTX5000, this is a direct connection device which fits under the Spectrum and is the same length but slightly deeper so that a bit will either stick out in front or at the back. It is compact and has an ON light, a LINE light connected to a toggle switch and a 3 way slide switch marked M/NET, Tx and Rx on the front. A lead comes from the back of the unit and is plugged into the phone socket, the telephone lead is then plugged into the socket provided at the back of the modem. A connector ribbon is supplied which has three sockets, one for the back of the unit, one to fit the Spectrum's port and one which provides an extension for the printer etc. This lead was rather short and I would have liked it to have been longer to allow for non standard set ups. I do not have a Microdrive as yet, but I can foresee difficulties in using both together, some unsatisfactory lashing together of leads and the devices would have to be undertaken. I have my Spectrum housed in a DK'Tronics keyboard and there was no chance of the modem fitting beneath it! I solved the problem by putting the modem on top of the keyboard and plugging one socket into a Currah micro slot adapter. The unit hangs over the back and I support it with wooden block legs, this is only satisfactory because the whole lot is permanently housed in a cabinet and the back is not seen. The manual is a work of art, only a genius could make something so simple so confusing! Actually each section of the manual is written in a very clear step by step manner, its just that the sections were put together in a confusing way. The main sections dealing with operating the modem are in two chapters, "The main features" and "User instructions in more detail". Being a 'do it by numbers' type idiot, I found myself trying to operate the system from the first section which does not contain an adequate explanation. It would have been better if all the details of "How to log on" for instance, were not split into the two sections. On Wednesday the BT engineer called, I was out, my wife explained what was required, move phone from front to back of house. "Ummm. Very sorry, that's an 'outside' engineers job. Can't do it, I'll talk to the boss" and away he went. The next week two of them turned up and spent a day drinking tea and climbing ladders. Eventually the phone was repositioned, a very neat job, they even fitted two sockets and also managed to sell us a new phone! Cost £18.00 (the reason I'm quoting prices is so the Taxman will make an allowance). Fine - except that the phone now permanently picks up Radio 4 and this does not seem to be appreciated by Prestel. Excitement reached fever pitch. ZX81 BOX I'm afraid that I haven't been able to test out the ZX81 adaptor as either my letter to them has been lost in the post, or the unit has been delayed on its trip to us. I will quote from the information I have. The unit fits between the ZX81 and the RAM pack and other peripherals such as the printer, and it can be used in conjunction with both acoustic and directly connected modems. With both ZX81 and Spectrum units the screen is changed into a 40 character per line format and the double height and graphic modes are also used. The ZX81 loses the colour, flash and more sophisticated screen controls but the Spectrum unit copes admirably. I have been told that the ZX81 screen does not completely fit onto the TV and that a sideways scroll is provided to allow you to read all the text. Considering the problems it sounds like an ingenious device! THE LAST ROUNDUP Finally all was ready, connected and powered up. Here we go! As soon as the Spectrum was switched on the Micronet 800 logo appeared, on pressing a key a menu of seven options was presented, the last being to go to BASIC. I am using the ZX LPrint III Centronics interface to drive a Shinwa printer, this has to be initialised before use so I pressed seven. The machine then reset, ie cleared out all programs and gave the usual Sinclair copywrite notice. I initialised the interface and then stopped. There was no way of getting back to the Modem program bar turning off and on the power to the machine, and this would mean the interface would need to be reinitialised! After many attempts I discovered that by getting into LOAD or SAVE mode from the modem and pressing BREAK, I could initialise the interface and get back to the modem. Fortunately they had allowed for load/save problems and also you may need to get back after downloading software. Right, option 0, enter my identity, phone number given. When carrier tone (a high pitched whistle) is heard switch on modem, replace phone. I did. It worked! After entering my personal password I was greeted by name and allowed free access to the whole lot, and what a lot there is. I haven't counted but there are hundreds, probably thousands of different companies providing information. I was able to demonstrate its use to four people, none of them interested in computers, by finding a subject they were interested in, wines, photography, camping and money. I was able to save screens on tape or printer for a permanent copy, download software, some free - perhaps not professional quality, but what can you expect - and some charged for. I can order goods through this system by quoting my credit card number (now I understand why American Express sent their brochure) or reply to questionaires. I can send and receive messages to other users on the Micronet mailbox, and by joining Directel, another user group, I can use their mailbox facilities. I also found a "personal" section somewhere in the system which was very amusing, a set of messages to and from users almost like an electronic version of CB. It would take months to just look at all the info, held in the system, but I'm convinced there must be something for everybody and personally I find it the most exciting development that I've encountered. A word of warning, it is easy to become so engrossed in the system that you lose track of time, remember that all the time you are on line you are being charged for your call at the appropriate rate! So far I must have spent enough time logged on to keep Buzby in birdseed for a year or two! I adorn this article with some samples of the Prestel IP pages, and if any readers are using Micronet already or link up in the figure, then I can be contacted through Mailbox and my number is 919993265, whether I will be able to manage to find the time to reply to everyone who writes will depend on how many people make contact. As usual I'll do my best.