Earliest QL software advert?

A place to discuss general QL issues.
Post Reply
Jeff$
ROM Dongle
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:26 pm

Earliest QL software advert?

Post by Jeff$ »

While looking around the loft I came across a stack of my old Computer magazines, sorry no QL ones. But a few mentions of it in the run up to December 1984. But thumbing through a copy of Personal Computing Today for December 1984, I spotted a QL ad in the classified section at the back.
Made me laugh as it was for four utilities, one of which is to correct the overflow of the QL directory listing. I think anyone who as ever used the standard QL would have hated the directory listing overflow within the first few minutes of using one. It boggles the mind that they let even a basic fault like this through.

So is this the earliest Ad for QL software ?

QL Software Ad
QL Software Ad
Personal Computing Today December 1984
Personal Computing Today December 1984


ones' complement
Over Heated PSU
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2021 1:19 am

Re: Earliest QL software advert?

Post by ones' complement »

AFAIK the key combination CTRL F5 was implemented in at least the JS ROM (to freeze window output until another key was pressed). Though you had to be quick sometimes :lol:


User avatar
ql_freak
Gold Card
Posts: 354
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:29 am

Re: Earliest QL software advert?

Post by ql_freak »

It was (AT LEAST) implemented in the JM ROM!

CTRL-F5 stopped the output on screen, ALWAYS!

It was (is?) very difficult to suppress this keystroke (at least for console windows [CON_...]).


http://peter-sulzer.bplaced.net
GERMAN! QL-Download page also available in English: GETLINE$() function, UNIX-like "ls" command, improved DIY-Toolkit function EDLINE$ - All with source. AND a good Python 3 Tutorial (German) for Win/UNIX :-)
User avatar
dilwyn
Mr QL
Posts: 2761
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:39 pm

Re: Earliest QL software advert?

Post by dilwyn »

The point I think was that CTRL F5 is too hit and miss with a DIR listing - too fast to gauge accurately even on BBQL.

At least the Toolkit 2 commands (assuming it was a TK2 feature) automatically pauses after a window full of filenames.

Before the auto-CTRL F5 this spawned a number of directory utilities software (such as the one mentioned and later my own The Cat).


Post Reply