WWWe have lift off!

We've finally made it onto the World Wide Web!
Our new Online Editor Frank Charlton is here to tell you what you can expect to see when you fire up your web browser...

You'd be hard pressed to see a paper magazine for any computer platform these days that doesn't also have an online presence, thanks to the World Wide Web. Here at Atari Computing, we're no exception either. We've been beavering away for quite a while now to bring you the best Website we possibly can, and now we can let you behind the scenes to see what's happening.

Where's it been?

Yes, we have to own up here. We originally talked about the Atari Computing website last year, when plans for the magazine itself were still in their infancy. So why have you had to wait until now to see something up and running? The main reason is time - the A|C|G team have all been hard at work producing the fine magazine you see before you now, and there simply isn't enough hours in the day to come up with a website as well! I've been lost in the wilderness that is PC and Mac work, so I haven't had time either. Finally, we've managed to wring the juice out of what little free time we have left, to establish an Atari Computing presence on the World Wide Web.

What can we expect?

One thing you won't see is the entire magazine on the web - we're not about to take the entire mag and slap it on a webserver. It wouldn't be practical or cost-effective, and we probably wouldn't sell any of the real thing! What we will be doing is producing an online companion to the magazine. We'll be taking the best from each issue, and providing you with sneak peeks and teasers of what you can expect to see in the printed version. If you're outside of the UK, that means you can drop in to see what's coming in the current issue before it lands on your doormat.

The full-colour nature of the web means we can also let you see some of the screenshots in the magazine as they were originally taken - if we review a new graphics package for example, you can get online and see just how it really looks on-screen. We'll also be able to provide direct links to the sites provided by many Atari companies, so you can jump directly to their web pages and read more about their products.

We intend to present an occasional web-exclusive. We certainly don't want to detract from the magazine itself - the website is a companion, remember - but we'd may just sneak the odd article in there which hasn't seen the light of day. Please don't feel left out if you're not online, though - the choice cuts will always appear in the magazine first.

What do I need?

Simply, an Internet connection and a web browser - the STiK/CAB combination is ideal. In common with other user groups, we might be persuaded to produce an offline version of the pages, ready to read straight from disk. Let us know if you're interested, and we'll see...

Where is it?

Point your browser at this URL:

http://www.tachyon.demon.co.uk/ac/index.html

Make sure you add the address to your hotlist/bookmarks, so you can drop in regularly. There will be a major update with every new issue of Atari Computing to reflect the current magazine, and we'll also sneak in extras whenever we can - even between issues.

Is that it?

Not at all - like any web publication, we'll be relying on your feedback. Tell us what you want to see on the website, and what you don't want to see. Don't be afraid to complain if you think something doesn't look right, or if you want to see more of a particular thing. We'll read every piece of feedback we get and strive to give you the best online addition to Atari Computing we possibly can. You can write to us via the office, or for a faster response (to website related enquiries only) drop an email to:
 

webmaster@tachyon.co.uk
 

Whichever method you choose, please do let us know what you think.