Source: Byte – November 1982
Byte was probably the best general computer magazine of the 1980s. Many of the early issues could be huge with this one coming in at over 600 pages. The IBM PC had only been introduced the previous year and it was not yet clear that it would set the standard for personal computers. The November 1982 issue includes:
Features
- The Third NCGA and the Future of Computer Graphics – A look at the then current state of computer graphics. NCGA stands for National Computer Graphics Association. At the time, even things like color output were a novelty for the average user.
- Tronic Imagery – A behind the scenes look at computer graphics in Tron. Tron was one of the first movies to make extensive use of computer graphics and it was extremely impressive for its time.
- Build the Circuit Cellar MPX-16 Computer System, Part 1 – The MPX-16 is a single board computer that you could build yourself from scratch with the information provided in this series of articles. It includes an 8088 processor and IBM PC compatible bus and is capable of running CP/M-86. This was definitely an advanced project. It would be interesting to know how many people actually built these (vs. buying one which was also an option).
- Problem Solving with Logo – Converting a PL/I graphics design to an Apple II using Apple Logo.
- Build a Video Digitizer – Instructions for building a $50 interface that allows you to capture video still images in three colors (black, white and gray).
- Computer Animation with Color Registers – An animation tutorial using BASIC on the Atari 400/800.
- Victor Victorious: The Victor 9000 – A review of the Victor 9000. It features an 8088 processor, 128K of RAM, two 612K floppy drives, and high resolution monochrome monitor for $4995. It came with both CP/M-86 and MS-DOS. Expansion was expensive. Another 128K of RAM would set you back $800. A 10 MB hard drive cost $4495.
- An Interview with Chuck Peddle – Chuck Peddle is a legend in early computer design. Not only was he the chief designer of the Victor 9000, but he also worked on the design of the Motorola 6800 and was the chief architect of the MOS 6502 family of chips which were used in the Commodore 64, VIC-20, Apple II, Atari 400/800, and other computers. He also designed the PET.
- JETSET – A type-in flight simulator written in TRS-80 Model II BASIC.
- The Game of Rat and Dragon – Control a rat trying to reach a piece of cheese in a maze while avoiding two dragons. This BASIC type-in game also serves as a game design tutorial.
- An Introduction to the Human Applications Standard Computer Interface, Part 2: Implementing the HASCI Concept – HASCI was a standard with the intent of making computers more useful and usable.
- A Short History of the Keyboard – A history of keyboard standards and how they developed.
- User’s Column: Terminals, Keyboards, and How Software Piracy Will Bring Profits to Its Victims – A second look at the Televideo 950 terminal plus reviews of the Heath/Zenith Z-19CN, Compupro Systems 8085/8088 Dual Processor system, Disk Doctor, and more.
- Inexpensive Transducers for the TRS-80 – The second part in a series on devices that can be used to monitor the real world on the TRS-80.
- A Graphics Primer – An introduction to graphics on microcomputers.
- Interactive 3-D Graphics for the Apple II – A tutorial for creating 3D graphics on the Apple II.
- Microvec: The Other Type of Video – A look at vector displays and a comparison with the more common raster displays. Most people will be familiar with vector displays from certain arcade games (like Asteroids).
Reviews
- The Graphics Magician – Animation software for the Apple II.
- Cambridge Development Lab’s High Resolution Video Graphics System – A high resolution display system for S-100 based computers. High resolution in this case meant 640×482.
- Executive Briefing System – You could think of this as PowerPoint for the Apple II. It’s designed to create charts and graphics for presentation purposes.
- Colonial Data Services’ SB-80 – A single board Z80 based CP/M computer. The price with 64K of RAM and two double density drives was $2995.
Nucleus
- Editorial: Deus ex Machina of the Technological Age – A look at the fast growing field of microcomputers and portable computers.
- Letters – Letters from readers about Digital Research’s licensing policies, computers in social sciences, archaeology and microcomputers, and more.
- Ask BYTE – Questions answered about running the Apple II+ on battery power, the TRS-80 Pocket Computer, leaving computers on, CP/M User’s Groups, using cassettes with computers, and more.
- BYTELINES – Commodore introduces five new machines, Apple to announce Apple IIE, Z80 sales still strong, Tandy expands distribution, bubble memory growing in popularity, production of illegal copies of the Apple II, and more.
- What’s New? – A brief look at new products including the NUC-M1401 series of graphics terminals, Plotstar graphics software for CP/M machines, the Peachtree Graphics Language, The Business Graphics System, Graftalk graphics package, an RGB graphics board for the Apple II, Polaroid Videoprinter that turns video signals into instant photos, Teleram3000 portable computer with 128K of bubble memory, and much more.
…and more!
