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Alpha Notebooks

On one side it's a completely new soft RISC OS computer design, running RISC OS 4 and delivering StrongARM-class performance, whilst on the other it's a PC notebook running Windows XP Home (Alpha) or Professional (Alpha Pro), bringing together the best featurs of both platforms.

Together these two operating systems give the user access to the widest range of software titles ever.

To help PC users to evaluate this amazing operating system we have provided a bundle of representative software titles that will whet the appetite and leave you wanting to know more. Plus, we have included a whole host of free and shareware software, together with a number of games, that should give a great deal of enjoyment to the first time user.

Existing RISC OS users who have been waiting a long time for a modern portable will know only too well the productivity achieved by this system. They now have the opportunity, and of course the convenience, of taking their systems with them wherever they go. This is a great step forward for the RISC OS market, and we know they will get great enjoyment from this unique product.

Alpha technical specifications

Announcing the Omega

Omega with standard case	Inside the Omega	Midi tower case

Omega brings the world-class technologies of ARM and Intel together with our own in-house developments. Omega unleashes the raw computing power of the StrongARM processor, signalling a new age in European computing.

The importance of the Omega computer to the RISC OS world is immense, as it addresses the twin issues of hardware independence and 26-/32-bit operating system. Developments used in the Omega have unlocked ARM RISC desktop computers from the straitjacket which has for too long held back this exciting market.

Omega is a dual-processor design, powered by the Intel StrongARM SA110 processor with provision for second processors such as the 733MHz to 1GHz Intel 80200 XScale or ARM 9 processors.

Our engineers have designed a new RISC OS 4-compliant chip-set which provides a memory controller, graphics controller and I/O subsystem. The graphics chip is an enhanced version of the Lightning graphics chip, which is capable of both 2D and 3D acceleration with resolutions of at least 1600×1200×24-bit colour at 72Hz.

Omega has a smart silver-and-grey tower case; larger cases and power supplies are available for power users as optional extras.

[Editorial note: Omegas are now being supplied to customers in limited quantities, but not all of the features as described in the following specifications are available or in working order. Prospective buyers should contact MicroDigital for further details.]

Technical specifications

Omega prices and optional extras

The Mico range

• Simple, yet elegant
• High-tech, yet easy to use
• Sophisticated, yet practical
• The simple things done well

These high standards are set and maintained by everyone involved to ensure that Mico computers reach you in perfect working order ready for a long working life.

Mico computers are available in two styles, the desktop and the mini-tower. Which to choose depends entirely on you. From a cost point of view it doesn't matter; they both cost the same. It really boils down to how much space you have available. The mini-tower can be placed on the floor or on a shelf, whilst the desktop needs a work-height surface.

Mico is a true multimedia computer with the power to run flicker-free Replay movies. It has an on-board 16-bit sound and WaveTable synthesiser system; an extra on most other platforms. The Mico sound system is SoundBlaster and SoundBlaster Pro compatible, has an advanced MPC-3 compliant mixer on input and output, full duplex operation with enhanced 3D stereo, WaveTable synthesiser, MIDI controller (General MIDI compliant) with 32-note polyphony and independent reverb and chorus levels for each channel.

At the heart of Mico's blistering performance is a fully implemented 56MHz, ARM 7500FE, 32-bit Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) processor with built-in floating point maths co-processor and DMA. To this we have matched a 32-bit Ultra EIDE controller and filing system capable of transferring up to 23Mb of data on burst.

Mico's processing power is matched by the equally powerful ROM-based, fully featured multitasking operating system, RISC OS 4. This is full of features ideal for the complete beginner or the seasoned RISC OS user. The convert from Windows or Apple Macintosh Systems will find RISC OS 4 a breath of fresh air: fast, intuitive and easy to use.

With RISC OS 4 being ROM-based, further advantage is gained: RISC OS 4 does not require huge amounts of disc storage to be available for its use. This completely new version has many new features, and this gives Mico access to a vast array of powerful RISC OS applications from word processors to spreadsheets, CAD to computer control and games to multimedia, plus a huge library of educational software.

The base Mico has 16Mb of memory, upgradeable to 256Mb, a hard disc drive (with size options), dual USB ports, internal MIDI/games port, a high density floppy disc drive, CD-ROM drive (optional), 16-bit stereo sound/MIDI system with built-in sound digitiser with microphone, and SoundWave synthesiser. Expansion: Mico has three internal microbus expansion slots with external access and one ISA slot to add cards with additional functionality.

Finally there's the issue of support. You hit a problem; what do you do? Simply telephone or email the support hotline and real help will be at hand. Like the Mico, nothing could be simpler.

Mico computers

Key: @ models include a modem and Internet software; L models include a Lightning video card (graphics of up to 1600×1200 in 16 million colours); Media models include a 48×-speed CD-ROM drive.

In addition to all the usual applications bundled with RISC OS 4, Mico computers include the following software:

• Sound Editor
• Fireworkz spreadsheet
• DOOM game

Mico add-ins

Technical specifications