This year’s London Show, which marks the end of the Long Gap in the main shows in the RISC OS calendar, takes place on Saturday, 27th October. So with today being the last day of September, it is now just 27 days away.
Since the show takes place after the Long Gap, developers of both hardware and software have had a lengthy period in which they can concentrate more on their products and projects than show-based, in-person promotion. That means it is almost always an event with new products being unveiled and significant updates being released – if not from all exhibitors, certainly from many.
With that in mind, as always, the growing list of exhibitors – which currently stands at 25 – means there are things to see and experience that cover not just the modern RISC OS era and Acorn’s legacy, but which also allow you to see what came before, with a wealth of retro material.
The future is covered by companies like RISC OS Open Ltd (ROOL), who look after the operating system itself on behalf of its owners – and on behalf of you, its users. As well as showing off the latest developments, updated documentation, and developer tools, they will be able to outline the roadmap for where RISC OS needs to go, with details of the bounty scheme to help fund those plans, and other ways people can help.
It’s not just ROOL that has the future of the OS at the heart of its operations, though – companies like R-Comp and CJE Micro’s, both of whom produce and sell hardware platforms that use the latest OS releases, will be present to show off their latest innovations, such as the PiTopRO 2 from CJE Micro’s and the mini.m from R-Comp. And, of course, both also offer a range of other products – between them covering all manner of software, hardware, peripherals, and components.
Smaller exhibitors offering software and hardware for the modern era include RISCOSbits, who will have the smallest ever RISC OS computer – the si.zeRO. There will be yet another new game from AMCOG, along with the ever growing selection so far.
8-bit computer enthusiasts shouldn’t feel left out when it comes to games, though, because one of the retro exhibitors is Tricky Gaming, where Richard Broadhurst will be showing off newer games for that older hardware, along with a few old favourites. Elswhere in the hall, the Retro Software stand will also be worth a visit to see the latest works-in-progress from Jason Nicholls.
There will also be older games to play on the Soft Rock Software stand, though all running on more modern kit, and available to buy as part of the Soft Rock Collection. A small number of RiscPiC-mini cases will also be available – likely to be the final batch produced based around the current design. However, the latest prototype, slightly larger ‘standard’ case (which should be available to buy at the 2019 Southwest Show) will also be on display.
Chris Hall will be demonstrating the latest versions of his Pi-based GPS units running SatNav, and his other various pieces of software – with FamTree, which turns data held in a directory structure into a family tree, available to buy.
And if you want to support a good cause, you could do worse than pay a visit to Steve Fryatt‘s stand, where you will find the latest versions of his various pieces of software, including CashBook and PrintPDF. These are available to buy on CD, with the proceeds going to the Wakefield Hospice – the favoured charity of Steve’s home user group, WROCC.
The charity supported by the London Show itself is Combat Stress – so another way to support a good cause is to pay a visit to the show’s charity stand, and either give something a good home in exchange for some money for the cause, or donate something for which someone else might provide a good home in return for some cash for the charity.
The show will also feature a range of talks from some of the exhibitors. Details are still to be decided about who will be speaking, and at what times – but at the very least you can almost certainly expect there to be talks by R-Comp, CJE Micro’s, and ROOL.
If any of that appeals to you, the place to be is:
St Giles Hotel,
Hounslow Road,
Feltham,
TW14 9AD.
The hotel is ideally located for any and all visitors, with easy access by car (just a short trip from the M4 motorway), by train (Feltham Station is just over the road), by bus (there are stops right outside), and by plane (Heathrow terminals 1 to 5 are only a bus ride away). For more details on any of these, refer to the Venue page on the show website.
The show will be open to the public from 11:00am until 5:00pm, with an entry fee of £5.00 per person for adults – but free for under-16s.
I look forward to seeing you there!
