Hello everyone!

Although we've posted some individual announcements, Steph encouraged me
to post a more comprehensive list of "what to look out for on the R-Comp
stand at the show" so here we are...

Software
=-=-=-=-

Obviously we'll have the new PhotoDesk 3.24 with over 80 improvements and enhancements since the last release. If you've not investigated PhotoDesk before, come and check it out now that it is receiving regular updates
again. Getting to grips with it has never been easier thanks to the new
manual produced a year or two back, with loads of tutorials and worked examples.

Monitor Tools provides lots of facilities to get the most out of your
screen / display no matter what RISC OS computer you're running - Pi, CM4, i.MX6, Titanium even VirtualAcorn. There's support for higher refresh
rates, external USB screens, bad-mode-recovery, super-wide and
multi-monitor setups.

ClockSave is a cheap but super-useful program which will save and restore
the date and time to ensure your Pi (or other board) always has a sensible
time at power-on. Once running, it can regularly sync with the internet,
no matter when you connect the cable, avoiding the various foibles of the NetTime module. It's just a fiver, but in an era where web pages break horribly if your clock isn't right (thankyou SSL/TLS certificates!),
ClockSave will Save your bacon :)

Latest NetFetch (5.56) and Messenger Pro (9.03).

Games like Heretic and Hexen updated for modern platforms.


NVMe
-=-=

NVMe storage is at the heart of R-Comp Interactive's Project N.Ex.T (NVMe Extreme Technology) underpinning our latest full range of computers. From
the mini.Pi to N.Ex.T Boxes, Hydra to Pinebook Pro, our NVMe technology is
very much "best of breed".

Project N.Ex.T goes beyond just an NVMe driver, creating a whole new
storage ecosystem that is easily expandable and flexible for next
generation solutions, complete with 64bit support and much more.

Over the winter we've been making many improvements and adding new
functions and features:

Turbo performance - we're now (more or less) at the hardware
limit of raw performance, approaching or even matching RAM disc
levels depending on the test. Dramatically faster than other
RISC OS storage methods, Project N.Ex.T wears its go-faster
stripes with pride, and is fast when you need it - at bootup,
when running applications like Iris, or processing big files or
email databases.

Filecore and FAT32 disc partitons - the drivers will recognise
industry standard GPT partitioned discs even beyond the 2TB
32bit limit thanks to its 64bit-aware architecture. These can
be partitioned into Filecore or FAT32 partitions and handled
transparently by our software.

Since this is implemented as a plugin for our open-souce
BlockDevices technology, any BlockDevices filesystem can benefit
from this.

Since FAT32 partitions can be read on other platforms, and
handled transparently by our Filer, you can store cross-platform
files like pictures or music on such partitions, safe in the
knowledge that that data can be read on other computers if
needed.

4Kn disc support - this allows RISC OS to have discs (or
partitions) of up to 2TB in size. The downside is that it
breaks compatibility with FAT32FS and DOSFS, so you can choose
what's more important to you - raw capacity or cross-plaform
partitions.

Multi-device support - Compute Module 4 or Pinebook Pro and
other RK3399 boards, the same driver works just fine.

Wide drive compatibility - we bought a whole range of samples of
affordable NVMe drives on Amazon, and had success with all of
them on our N.Ex.T box computers. Whilst there may be some
drives out that are less friendly (eg. not CM4-safe), most of
these drives didn't work with "other" NVMe solutions.

Choice of classic Acorn-style desktop Filer, or enhanced one
with baked in understanding of FAT32FS, better disc sharing and
other extended features.

Project N.Ex.T is based on the open source BlockDrivers technology, and
works with any RISC OS 5.28+ ROMs including nightly builds from ROOL.
5.30+ is obviously recommended.

N.Ex.T Boxes and Hydra
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Obviously all the progress in NVMe enhances all our range of computers,
from mini.Pi upwards. Screamingly fast, yet quiet as a mouse, these
represent the pinnacle of 32bit RISC OS computing.

We have standardised things across our range to allow upgradability and flexibility, allowing our systems to grow with our users. For example,
one customer bought an entry level N.Ex.T box at the October show, but has
just upgraded it to a many-headed Hydra for "difference in cost" upgrade pricing.

At the show we'll have a lovely silver aluminium N.Ex.T box with CD/DVD
drive (we spent the afternoon watching a movie on it with !KinoAmp). This lovely case is now super-rare, as finding such stunning cases with optical drive bays is now unheard of really.

CM5, 64bit and... eh... RISC OS?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Raspberry Pi 5 (and by extension Compute Module 5) is known to be
64bit, and not suitable for running RISC OS. It's all very frustrating.

We'll be showing the CM5 running in a Hydra, showing how N.Ex.T boxes and Hydrae can be upgraded to the latest tech without buying a new machine.
That reminds me of a RiscPC! Of course, it'll have to be running Linux,
but it makes Linux apps much faster in RISC OS....

Or does it... Wait what? Is that RISC OS Direct running on that CM5 in a window on my RISC OS desktop? With RISCOSmarks higher than pretty-much anything on Chris Hall's HowFast pages? Is it April 1st? Almost, but not quite yet.


Yep, it's probably worth dropping by and having a chat on the R-Comp
stand.

Oh, and Allan will (hopefully) be putting in an appearance in the
afternoon. After a number of trials/tribulations this year, he's said
he's keen to see his RISC OS friends after a number of years of absence.
Why not come along and say hello :)

Best wishes to all,

Andrew

--
R-Comp
22 Robert Moffat, High Legh, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6PS
Tel: 01925 755043 Fax: 01925 757377 http://www.rcomp.co.uk

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