Publishers: Century Communications, 62-65 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4NW
Price: £8.95

Following his success with 30 Hour Basic Clive Prigmore has appeared again to torment us with his 30 Hour Useful Home Computing book.

Prigmore starts by introducing the components of a computer system, including disc drive, printer, monitor and - unlikely as we are to forget it - micro. The perennial subject of ROM and RAM is brought up but the author has kept excitement down with the use of only one simile in that section - and no, he does not use the pigeon hole analogy.

The most informative sections of the book are those on word processing, spreadsheets and databases. Using a non-committal approach Prigmore docs his best to show you how to choose software which will suit your needs and provides shallow explanation of how typical packages work. His advice is basic but it is the sort of information which a businessman who does not want to know about computers will need to know.

Interspersed between the general information chapters are sections for those of you who want to know what goes on behind the keyboard. Prigmore distinguishes between the types of data involved in data processing, the types of operating system you can purchase and what type of hardware is available for business computing.

The checklists at the end of each chapter will help you remember what was covered in the proceeding text but if you expect the book to be as useful as Prigmore's 30 Hour Basic you will be disappointed.

Publisher: Century Communications
Softback - 182pp
Price: £8.95

At last an answer to the bored micro blues. Having learned the many useless things a home computer can do, you can now make the hours of concentration pay. No longer will you be beaten at every game, or continue those records of defunct stamp collections, Clive Prigmore has the solution in 30 Hour Useful Home Computing.

As the sequel to his first book, 30 Hour Basic which has sold over 150,000 copies, Useful Home Computing is designed to take the enthusiast into areas where, dare I say it, work is involved.

Most home computers are bought for purposes other than games playing alone, yet many owners never get further than Pacman and when they do it's only into the seat of a flight simulator. The thought of buying word processors, disc drives and a printer is daunting and expensive, particularly if you are unsure of their usefulness to you.

The book demonstrates the serious uses of the home computer, particularly directed towards small businesses, clubs, shops and societies. Using a number of excellent diagrams the book covers the basic hardware requirements and its respective applications - Word Processing, Data Processing and Spreadsheets - indicating which software would be most appropriate for you and your machine.

Concentrating on the BBC micro, Sinclair QL, Amstrad and Commodore 64, the book will prove useful to anyone with serious intentions for their micro. Each chapter ends with a few questions to check your understanding of the book, and although it is not dedicated to one micro, it has time to cover such details as pressure pad input devices, bar codes and digital tracers.

While Clive Prigmore's second book may not have such a readership as the first, any home computer owner with a redundant or seldom used micro will find this book an inspiration, if only in its revelation of the possibilities open to you.