In the current climate of uncertainty, we would like to add our name to the list of companies and dealerships that have committed themselves to continue supporting Acorn users for the foreseeable future.
Although it remains to be seen whether any new designs of RISC OS-equipped computer are released, we intend to maintain the supply of existing models to those who wish to buy them for as long as we are able to obtain them. Should new products come on stream, we very much hope to be part of the supply chain, providing our customary high level of service to purchasers.
For those Acorn users looking for hardware, software, repairs and advice, we will continue to serve you from our shop in Bromley, either by mail/telephone/email or over the counter. Your current computers may last you for many years yet, and we will do our best to ensure that you can make full use of their abilities thoughout their life.
We shall also continue to develop our in-house software titles in response to customer demand. A new version of FontFX (version 6.02) with a clutch of new facilities was due for release at Acorn World. We will post a separate message in due course about the release date of this product, which has been completed and will therefore be distributed ahead of our intended schedule. A complete revision of ShapeFX was also intended for release at Acorn World, but we have to admit that we were very close to missing the deadline when it was announced that the show had been cancelled, and we will therefore delay its release to allow a more relaxed period of development!
On a sadder, or more realistic, note, we feel that we are no longer able to maintain an Acorn-only environment in our showroom. Despite the enormous commercial pressures, we have succeeded for nearly 14 years in avoiding the need to stock our shop with non-Acorn-compatible hardware and software (in our early years, we also stocked Sinclair, Dragon, Oric and Atari computers) but for a number of reasons, we hope you will understand that this can no longer be the case. It is in the interests of all our Acorn customers that we survive and flourish within the new circumstances in which we find ourselves, and since a large proportion of our business has been the supply of Sibelius-equipped systems, we will naturally be promoting the new Sibelius-for-Windows software, and suitable hardware on which to run it, *alongside the existing version and systems*. A spitoon will be provided for customers whose sensibilities are uncontrollably affected by this!
Our best wishes go to everyone who has suffered from the recent changes, particularly our many friends who have lost their jobs. We would also like to thank the host of customers who have phoned us during the past week to express their concern for us, and hope that they, and all readers of this statement, will feel at least partly reassured.