Too little of what you fancy..
MY first feeling on being given the Companion was pleasure at
receiving what promised to be a fascinating book, not just another
"Basic, how to" manual.
Sadly, disappointment soon followed. Not, I hasten to add, because
it is a bad book.
No, what there is of it is informative and well written. The
trouble is that there isn't that much of it.
The major part of the book consists of 92 pages. These are augmented
with 11 appendices consisting mostly of example programs which
add little to the book.
The main text is more rewarding, beginning with a concise but
illuminating history of the BBC Micro and going on to explore
its innards.
The author then goes off on an idiosyncratic tour of seemingly
unrelated subjects which gives some idea of the scope of the BBC
Micro, but without any real depth of treatment.
Word processing, computer games, printers and Econet are covered,
as are alternative languages, science and the "storage story".
All that is said is interesting and accurate. But when you consider
the wide range of subjects attempted in the small number of pages
it becomes evident that the treatment of each is fairly limited.
Certainly the book is worth reading. I couldn't put it down
until I'd finished it. I just wish I hadn't finished it so quickly.
The question is, is it worth buying? As a bedside book for Beeb
enthusiasts it might be. But it's certainly not the "Complete
Reference Companion for all BBC users" the blurb on the back
would have you believe.
Nigel Peters
