• Category Archives Macintosh
  • Computer Arcana » Macintosh
  • Compute!’s Apple (Spring 1986)


    Source: Compute!’s Apple – Volume 2, Number 1 (Issue 3) – Spring 1986



    While Compute! was a multiformat computer magazine, there were also a number of spin-offs that were dedicated to particular machines. Compute!’s Gazette covering Commodore 8-bit computers like the Commodore 64 was the only really successful one. Compute!’s Apple, covering the Apple II and Macintosh, only lasted a few issues. The Spring 1986 issue of Compute!’s Apple includes:

    • Editor’s Notes

    Business Applications

    • ’86 Apple: An Interview with John Sculley
    • Buyer’s Guide to Business Software
    • The Expanding Macintosh

    The Ultimate Apple

    • It’s New II
    • Off the Beaten Software Path
    • MacAdds: More for the Macintosh
    • Apple Users Groups

    Reviews

    • Andrew Tobias’ Managing Your Money
    • Balance of Power
    • Fantavision

    Recreation

    • Lexitron
    • Backgammon
    • New Products
    • Ad Index

    Education

    • Apple Rules the Schools
    • Computers in the Humanities: Liberal Arts Enter the Computer Age
    • Buyer’s Guide to Educational Software

    Utilities and Tutorials

    • Windows
    • MouseCursor
    • Your Personal Ledger
    • Keynote
    • Personal Publishing with Your Macintosh
    • Apple Automatic Proofreader

    …and more!


  • MacAddict (February 1998)

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    Source: MacAddict – Issue Number 18 – February 1998

    The years MacAddict was around before becoming MacLife overlap with the best years of the Macintosh. Early 1998 was before the iBook and iMac were introduced and things were still a bit of a mess but big changes were on the horizon. The February 1998 issue of MacAddict includes:

    Highlights

    • Zine Zen – Ever wonder how we put MacAddict together? What genius lies behind this mag? We’ll let you in on our top secrets and show you how you, too, can make your own magazine.
    • How’d They Do That? – We rounded up a couple of leading artists and asked them to create a compelling, complex image using four top graphics programs. Here’s what they created and the details on how they did it.
    • Become a Graphics Guru – Don’t let terms like alpha channels and masking intimidate you. Master these concepts, and churn out award-winning art in no time.

    How To

    • Use Pop-Up Windows – Learn how to use Mac OS 8’s pop-up windows to create a powerful file-storage and access system.
    • Create Frames, Part 2 – Frames, frames, every Web site has frames. Here’s how to make ’em.
    • Know It All – Our newest column provides tips, hints, and help with everything Macintosh. This month we highlight Mac OS 8’s contextual menus.

    Every Month

    • Editor’s Note – Annual predictions from MacAddict editors.
    • Letters – No, we won’t give you a new G3 Mac. Stop asking!
    • Get Info – We’re not the only ones ganging up on Microsoft – find out who else is and why. Plus the best of Mac OS 8 books, a really hard contest, and a bunch of great ideas for filling your PCI slots.
    • Cravings – Gasp, pant, wheeze. We’re not ill, just excited about these products.
    • Reviews – A fistful of great games plus some practical stuff, too.
    • Ask Us – Zip drive questions, calculating folder sizes in Mac OS 8, and more.
    • PowerPlay – A sneak peek at MDK and its host of wackoid aliens.
    • Shut Down – Straight from our twisted minds into your hands.

    The Disk

    • A graphic fan’s dream come true. The Disk features demos of the best commercial graphics products out there as well as a host of graphics shareware. Plus games, sound, interface, and text goodies. And don’t forget to check out It’s a Wonderful Mac – Jimmy Stewart would cry!

    …and more!


  • Arazok’s Tomb (Macintosh)


    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/181816420651/retrocgads-usa-1986-arazoks-tomb-macintosh

    Arazok’s Tomb is a relatively obscure adventure for the Amiga and Macintosh that was published by Aegis Development in 1987. Aegis Development was a relatively obscure publisher that only published a handful of mostly equally obscure games. Arazok’s Tomb is basically a text adventure game with some static and animated graphics, a drop down menu, and even some basic speech synthesis tacked on.

    It seems odd to me that a game like this was limited to the Macintosh and Amiga as it is something that 8-bit computers with a larger market share like the Commodore 64 could have easily handled. While on the surface, the addition of graphics and a drop down menu make it seem more sophisticated than traditional text adventure games like Infocom’s Zork, in reality Arazok’s Tomb’s text parser was less sophisticated with a smaller vocabulary. I suppose they were trying to capitalize on the popularity of these newer machines by being among the first publishers. It doesn’t seem to have worked out too well for them.

    Arazok’s Tomb is a sort of horror mystery game. You play the role of an investigative reporter whose Uncle and archaeologist friend have gone missing while excavating a tomb in Scotland. Your job is to find out what happened to them. It’s only a medicore game when it comes to text adventures but for fans of the genre it’s a at least something a little different.

    The ad above from 1986 is for the Macintosh version of the game while the screen shots are from the Amiga version. The Macintosh version would have been limited to black and white graphics. If you want to play this game you’ll have to track down some original hardware and software. Otherwise, emulation is your friend.