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RISC OS Computing Computers Software Websites ProCAD+ drawing software (incl. Windows) ProCAM engineering software Free software

RISC OS computers

RISC OS is the brilliant 'Windows' operating system originally devised by Acorn Computers in the UK. It predates MicroSoft's version by several years yet boasts features which are still missing from that system. It is inherently faster, much more stable, and most users find it more intuitive to use.

RISC OS computers are easy to use, flexible and very powerful. They are built to industrial standards and are often used in demanding situations where failure cannot be tolerated (for example, they run several UK television shows like 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'). They cost a little more to buy than ordinary PCs but are very much cheaper to run since they don't need upgrading every year. (A compatibility policy means that, unlike ordinary PCs, the software you bought yesterday will continue to work on tomorrow's computers.)

A dedicated RISC OS computer is a quiet, cool, energy-efficient machine. The operating system can never be attacked by viruses because it is safely tucked away in a chip instead of the vulnerable hard-disc; this also means that everything starts up quickly when you switch on since nothing has to be transfered into memory. Or you can run Virtual RISC OS on a Windows PC if you prefer. In either case you will then be able to run any of the wide range of RISC OS software...

RISC OS software

At Highpath Engineering, we use RISC OS software for every aspect of our business. All the usual software applications are available:

It all works together in a true multi-tasking environment (unlike certain aspects of Windows) and tends to be user-friendly, fast and stable. Many users have observed that RISC OS applications are of a higher quality than ordinary PC software, despite costing about the same, and that after-sales support by their authors is considerably better.

There is also a large amount of excellent 'Freeware' and 'Shareware' ready for downloading from the Internet (another benefit of RISC OS is that it is much easier to program than Windows). The only thing for which you might prefer an ordinary PC is playing games; however many excellent educational games do exist.

Even though Highpath is a 100% MicroSoft-free zone, we regularly exchange data with both Windows and Mac users via industry-standard file formats. But Internet viruses are something which don't affect us! On the next pages we describe the CAD-CAM software that we use everyday and some of our own freeware for you to download and use.

General RISC OS links

© Chris Bell, 2004

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HIGHPATH ENGINEERING Cornant, Cribyn, Lampeter, Ceredigion, SA48 7QW, Wales, UK phone / fax:  +44 (0)1570 470035  (UK office hours only) email: