Scor­pio News

The David Hunt Pages

Farewell 80-BUS News – Hello Scorpio News

May 1986

So it’s the end of an era. 80-BUS News is coming to an end. That’s about seven years of continuous (if erratic) publication under different guises; a far better record than some computer mags that I could name.

As has been remarked to me by more than one 80-BUS News subscriber, “Is this the end of Geminis support for the home user?”. Well I fear that it might appear so, although the facts could be different. But then again, I don’t know! My hesitation could be that I’m feeling distinctly uninformed and more than a bit miffed by the way the decision to pull the plug was taken. Certainly I wasn’t consulted, and the first I heard of it was by earwigging to a conversation over lunch at a recent Gemini dealer meeting. Sketchy details were then announced to the dealers at that meeting in the afternoon. It wasn’t until I started receiving phone calls from subscribers that I learned about the letter (which of course no-one had thought to send me), announcing the demise, after the publication of volume 4.

So what course now, well certainly I shall subscribe to the CP/M Users’ Group, and if asked, may be pen the odd word or two (knowing me, the odd word or 6000), for them. As to keeping informed on Gemini products, updates, bugs and other interesting snippets, I’ve no doubt that as a dealer I shall find out What’s going on anyway. But I suspect that for the general reader, their proposed Gemini Newsletter will not have the same irresistible tendency to remain stuck in ones hand until every word has been read (twice) and then lovingly kept for future reference. A brief scan end then chucked in the bin will, guess, be more like it.

As for support of the existing user base for Gemini and Nascom products, Gemini insist that the existing 80-BUS product range will continue well into the 1990’s with a vigorous process of development of new hardware, some being new products, some being redesigns of earlier products to take advantage of newer technology. However, the trend has been progressively up market of late, and although the pockets of the more serious ‘computerphile’ are pretty lengthy, and provided the product is the right product then price is of little consequence, there must come a time when the bottom of the most lengthy pockets has been reached for one consider the current Gemini developments to be in the wrong direction, profitable for Gemini possibly, interesting for me – I doubt it......

This file was found unfinished on my 80-BUS disk, and today, the 12th December I’ve decided to finish it.

December 1986

Six months on and how things have changed I have been in a new and different job for five months, still loosely attached to Gemini by merit of a small Gemini dealership in the Amersham area, although that isn’t my main concern. My new job has widened my perspective of the ‘serious’ computer world and what is more they pay me more money!

Then a few days ago a green leaflet dropped through the letter box together with a request for any unpublished 80-BUS material I might have. So I’ve blown the dust off the incomplete 80-BUS material I’ve got lying around and have come up with this amongst other things. As Scorpio sounded much like that other well known sign of the Zodiac, I decided to investigate. A bit of digging soon revealed its independence and that they have gone out and bought a blue pencil of their very own. Just to test their independence I’ll write something really contentious for the next issue and see if they print it – Watch this space. I hasten to add that I have nothing to do with Scorpio except in the respect that I hope to become a contributor. Perhaps after my forthcoming effort they won’t print anything from me ever again.