Amiga Arena Interview
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  Developer: Richard Smedley

  Software: UltraAccounts

  Homepage: http://www.richardsmedley.co.uk/

  Mail: amiga@richardsmedley.co.uk




 *Please introduce yourself to the readers!*

 My name is Richard Smedley, and I'm a 28 year old software developer
 from Notts (England).

 *When did you start working with the Amiga?*

 I bought my first Amiga in 1992, so I was a bit of a latecomer to the
 Amiga scene.

 *Which Amiga model do you own*

 A1200, with 50MHz 68030/68882 and 10 meg ram. A bit basic by today's
 standards, but it is more than adequate for my needs.

 *Which version of the operating system is running on your computer?*

 OS3.0.

 *Which software are you developing?*

 UltraAccounts

 *Can you tell us what your software is about?*

 UltraAccounts is a home accounts program for the Amiga, based upon the
 philosophy of being as flexible and easy-to-use as possible. It has all
 the features you need and none you don't need, and it uses a GUI that is
 so easy to learn that even people with no computer experience can use
 it. Most of the windows within the program are fully multi-tasking,
 allowing you to open and use several different windows simultaneously.

 *What has created the idea in you to continue developing your 
  software?*

 At the time when I first started writing UltraAccounts, most accounts
 programs were very hard to use and often contained what I thought were
 unnecessary limitations, like only being able to create one cash
 account, or only being able to set-up debit standing orders but not
 credit ones. UltraAccounts was one of the first programs to remove these
 limitations. At the same time, UltraAccounts was designed to be so easy
 to use that even someone who has never used a computer before can sit
 down and use it. I think that I have largely succeeded in achieving
 these aims!

 *How long has the development taken so far?*

 I started writing UltraAccounts in 1993, and the first public release
 was in 1994. It is hard to believe that I have now spent *nine years*
 working on this program! It is amazing how time flies.

 *Which software are you using for developing?*

 Blitz Basic 2.1, with Triton for the GUI.

 *For which system (AmigaOS, AmigaDE, MorphOS) are you developing?*

 I'm developing for the traditional AmigaOS-based systems. UltraAccounts
 should run on any Amiga with Kickstart 2.0 or better, providing you've
 got a hard drive and at least 3 meg of memory.

 *Which OS will you support in the future?*

 I'm not planning to rewrite the program for the "next gen" Amiga
 systems, mainly because I haven't got enough spare time to do it! But I
 am confident that it should run under emulation on the new systems.

 *What can we expect of future versions?*

 I have recently released "UaCurrency", a new tool to convert your data
 files from one currency to another. As you know, on 1st Jan 2002 several
 European countries abandoned their national currency and changed to the
 new Euro currency. This tool automates the process of converting your
 files from the old currency to the new one.

 *Don't you lose the fun and the interest in programming if you see the 
 small amount of feedback you get from the small Amiga market?*

 Absolutely. Feedback is very important for developers. It gives you an
 idea of how many people are still using the program, and what they do or
 don't like about it. When an author receives little or no feedback, it
 can give the impression that people are no longer interested in using
 that program - and if the author thinks nobody is using a program, then
 there is no incentive to continue supporting it.

 So folks, if you are using a program then please send some feedback to
 the author, even if only to say that you are still using it. Of course,
 if you can tell the author what you do or don't like about the program,
 then that is even better.

 *Do you receive enough feedback for your software?*

 No. These days, very few people send feedback about my programs.

 *When did you last use your Amiga?*

 Yesterday. I do a lot of things on my PC now, but I still use my Amiga
 almost every day.

 *Which software did you last buy for your Amiga?*

 Paul Burkey's Foundation. I was one of the characters in the game!

 *Which software do you still use?*

 Clichéd as it might sound, I use UltraAccounts on a daily basis. My home
 page is also designed on the Amiga.

 *Which hard/software are you planning to buy?*

 My Amiga already does everything that I need, so I'm not planning to buy
 any more software/hardware at the moment.

 *Do you believe in a comeback of Amiga?*

 It would be nice to see the Amiga make a comeback, but I do not know if
 it will actually happen. The market has changed a lot since Commodore
 went bankrupt, and I'm not sure that there is a big enough niche market
 for a new Amiga model to be a commercial success.

 *Your final words for the readers?*

 Please do not use warez or pirated software. They kill the market, and
 destroy what little income Amiga developers still get. If a program is
 worth using, then buy it and help the author to continue supporting it.

 © Amiga Arena 1/2002