2001 - HAL themed autoexec.bas for ZX Spectrum NEXT

Enhance your ZX Spectrum NEXT's startup process with this customised AUTOEXEC.BAS

*** Latest Update 2024-01-06 ***  Use "2001-HAL 2024-01-06.zip"

- Bug Fix:  Randomness of the HAL or SAL screen is improved, which relies on the on-board Real Time Clock instead of using RND, as RND was not producing the correct results.

- General Housekeeping: Program now allocates an available BANK for the in-app custom palette use and makes that BANK  free on exit.

- Enhancement: Added in a FADE proc to remove the HAL/SAL image from the screen before exiting, instead of just using a CLS.

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***  Update 2023-09-27 ***  

- Additional 3 voice files added.

- Changed project$ to a more common "C:/GAMES" folder instead of the original setting of "D:/PROJECT" . The project$ variable can still be customised.

- A new general voice comment is now added: "Shall I set the browser to look at your preferred folder?", instead of the original variant of "Shall I tell the browser to look at your project folder?"  There are 3 variants of this new voice comment:  "...project folder?", "... designated folder?", and the new default "...preferred folder?". The original variant is still available.   refer to   /2001-HAL/VOICE/folder*.wav

- The app exits at a cleaner C: directory of "C:/", especially if preferred folder is set to a different drive letter.  If your preferred folder is set to a different directory folder, and you have requested the browser is updated to that directory, then the app will exit at that location.

- Palette is reset on exit so that it does not upset BASIC programs that are run after the app has closed and the main menu is activated. 
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Features 26 voice files.

Tested and working on NextZXOS 2.08 (uses new features from 2.08). If you are not running NextZXOS 2.08 or above, then this program will not run correctly.

Based around the movie 2001-A Space Odyssey, this "App" shows a HAL 9000 or SAL 9000 version on your screen while a voice relays information during the boot/startup sequence.
It will access the NEXT's WiFi and attempt to update the Date and Time.  If it finds an error during that process it will bypass that (with a voice message) and continue on. Based on the time detected, it will greet you with a "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon" or "Good Evening" and introduce itself depending on the randomised HAL or SAL interface being used.

Will also tell you your current Joystick port settings, and set your "Project" folder and Browser preferences.

There is only one female voice set used for HAL or SAL, and the user can access the BASIC code and customise things further.  The video is a Preview... additional voice comments are included that are not in the video.

All files and Instructions are included.  Please read the "Readme" file.

If you don't want to upset your personalised Autoexec.bas file, you can just run it manually as "Autoexec2.bas", or tack that on to the end of your Autoexec.bas.

** Note ** If you do not run this as the proper Autoexec.bas, then it will not take you to the main menu system of your Next. It will just erase itself when completed and leave you in the BASIC programming mode. This is not an error, as it is designed to become your Autoexec.bas file for correct use.

I hope you enjoy this software.