NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW ON-LINE

This is a nice idea, but it carries a fundamental flaw. This is not so much the electronic version of a magazine, as the electronic version of a bunch of loose-leaf sheets of paper. All the contents are here, poems, stories, reviews, midi music files, artwork and graphics files. Trouble is there is no program to link them all together in any way. You have to view each individual file by opening them one at a time, using whatever programs you have on your computer. At the least, one file coded as HTML with hyperlinks to all the varying contents, would allow readers to move between the pieces, without resorting to direct access via File Manager, Window's Explorer or whatever. Even so, there is no doubting that the generous helping of content is good value at little more than the price of a blank disc + postage.

First off it has to be said. This 'zine on a floppy is very good value for money. With a sitcom script, a novel, midi-songs, reviews, a screensaver and lots of poetry this bit of plastic is a bargain in anyone's eyes, including mine.

This second copy, produced by Andy Savage has been presented with the Internet in mind. Although you can simply stick it in your hard drive and pick away at the bits you want it does work better using the Internet Browser links included, giving it a rather slick feel.

The sitcom script included, SPACE DENTISTS, is rather good and kind of comes off like an alternative version of The Monkees but with Dentists. Unfortunately though, as with most comedy scripts it tends to work better when it's being acted out and not when it’s read out. But it is worth a read nonetheless. And with all the midi-files included you can have some background music whilst reading it too.

The novel, ICE AGE, is a weird one, reminding me of a sort of ice-age Mad Max. The prose is good and descriptive though and the author obviously has some talent. Where it falls down though is in its setting on screen. You have to scroll across the page as well as down. And when you're reading off the screen, (or even printing) this is a big unnecessary pain in the arse.

All niggles aside, for your £1 (or $5 for our Yank buddies!) you get more than your money's worth. Some of the content seems like no more than padding, (the movies) and some of the midi songs do irritate. But you can always turn them off.