Horizons

Horizons is a large introductory software cassette which contains many programs.It has been designed to introduce you to the Spectrum, to describe some of the hardware and systems features of the Spectrum, to teach you how to use keyboard of the Spectrum and to entertain, amuse and enlighten you to the possibilities of the use of your personal microcomputer.Side A includes a sample interactive description of the Spectrum and an interesting sequence of lessons to enable you to get used to the complex features of the Spectrum's keyboard. Side B contains a range of interactive programs including games, numerical experiments, the use of the Spectrum for draughtsmanship, programs to illustrate sorting and filing and utility routines which you may find useful later in writing your own programs.

Side A

Load and run by typing LOAD "sidea"

1.INTRODUCTION and simple explanation of the hardware components of the ZX Spectrum.

2.KEYBOARD TRAINER - LESSON 1.The typewriter mode of the Spectrum illustrating lower case and upper case letters and including tests.

3.KEYBOARD TRAINER - LESSON 2.Describes the use of Sinclair keywords whereby commands are entered with one key stroke.

4.KEYBOARD TRAINER - LESSON 3.The cursor modes of the Spectrum keyboard are demonstrated.Shows how to obtain different modes and apply them for different purposes.

5.KEYBOARD TRAINER - LESSON 4.Extended memory entry is illustrated followed by a comprehensive overall text.

6.KEYWORD DICTIONARY.A small call - up database containing all the Spectrum keywords, their meanings and applications.

Side B

Load and run by typing LOAD "sideb"

1.THRO' THE WALL The classic game using bat and ball. Try and knock the coloured bricks out of the wall to gain maximum points.An interactive real - time program which demonstrates the speed, colour and graphics capability of the Spectrum.This program is written in simple BASIC and illustrates how you can write your own games.

2.BUBBLESORT This program illustrates how a computer can sequence or sort a randomly ordered set of objects.In this interesting and amusing example a bridge hand of 13 playing cards is dealt on to a green blaise table.The program demonstrates how, by considering pairs of cards, it gradually orders the hands according to number and suit.

3.EVOLUTION or Foxes and Rabbits This program shows in simple BASIC how complex mathematical differential equations can be solved on even a microcomputer like the Spectrum.Such non - linear equations apply to many problems in science and engineering.In this example equations are introduced for an ecological balance between two species of animals in the same environment.Numerical solutions are obtained and shown graphically demonstrating the high resolution of the Spectrum.

4.LIFE A machine code program giving fascinating and amusing patterns in time and describing the growth and evolution of an imaginary colony of beings.

5.DRAW A substantial program which shows the graphics capability of the Spectrum.With the aid of a cursor and a simple set of commands this program allows you to draw and paint complicated diagrams and figures in different colours.

6.MONTE CARLO illustrates the study of how stochastic or statistical events can be recorded and demonstrated on a computer.The program builds a bar chart or histogram for the distribution of throws of a pair of dice.What are your chances of throwing a 12 or a 7 ?

7.CHARACTER GENERATOR One of the unusual and powerful features of the Spectrum is to allow the user to define his own characters or symbols.This small program sets up a large grid of pixels on the screen and with the aid of a cursor allows the user to easily generate his own characters.

8.WAVES Demonstrates the phenomena of "beating" in music and elsewhere.