• Tag Archives atari

  • Compute! (August 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute! was one of the more popular home computer magazines of its time. It wasn’t as technical as something like Byte and it concentrated on the machines most potential users would be buying for their home. The August 1984 issue includes:

    Features

    • Software Power!: The Summer Consumer Electronics Show – While some new computers and other hardware were introduced at the Summer CES, there was also a lot of new software. Some machines made debuts privately like the Amiga Lorraine prototype, a new advanced 8-bit computer from Atari, and MSX based computers due to hit the U.S. Commodore also introduced the Plus/4 and C-16 (both of which went nowhere). Coleco was also pushing the Adam which was introduced 6 months earlier. There were also tons of games and other software for the Commodore 64, Atari, and Apple II among others.
    • The COMPUTE! Interview: Gerald K. O’Neill – The head of a company called Geostar Corporation which was a computer-based satellite positioning and communications company.

    Education and Recreation

    • Devastator – A type-in game in which you must destroy an alien invasion force before it destroys Earth. Originally written for the VIC-20 with versions included for the Commodore 64, Color Computer, TI-99/4A, Apple II, and PC.

    • Jackpot – A type-in slot machine simulator for the Ti-99/4A, Commodore 64, VIC-20, Atari, and PC.

    Reviews

    • The Complete Personal Accountant For The Commodore 64 – A sophisticated accounting package for the Commodore 64 that includes ten separate programs.
    • Star League Baseball – An excellent baseball sim for its time for the Commodore 64.

    Columns and Departments

    • The Editor’s Notes – An editorial on the Summer Consumer Electronics Show.
    • Readers’ Feedback – Readers write in about Commodore 64 memory, Pascal for the Apple II, Atari checksum errors, using the stack, slowing screen output on the Commodore 64, and more.
    • Computers and Society: Computer-Assisted Explorations With Music – Teaching people to compose music with computers. This article concentrates on a software product called Musicland for the Apple II.
    • The Beginner’s Page: Printing And Asking – Printing special control codes (e.g. cursor movement) in BASIC by using CHR$ and ASCII values.
    • INSIGHT: Atari – Using the Atari 1050 disk drive enhanced density mode.
    • Programming The TI: The Singing Computer – Using the TI Speech Synthesizer to make the TI-99/4A sing.
    • Machine Language: Decimal Mode, Part 2 – Some of the bugs and pitfalls with using decimal mode in machine language on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.
    • 64 Explorer – Printing characters to a bitmapped display by drawing it.
    • On The Road With Fred D’Ignazio: Are Computers A Home Appliance? – I don’t think computers have really ever been an “appliance”. More like a personal device similar to a mobile phone.
    • Questions Beginners Ask – Questions answered about plugging all computer peripherals into the same wall socket via a power strip and transporting a computer by plane.

    The Journal

    • ML Tracer – A type-in program for the Atari, Apple II, and Commodore computers that allows you to step through machine language programs.
    • 64 Searcher – A type-in program that allows you to search through you BASIC program for the string of your choice.
    • 64 Error Suppression – Avoiding error messages and system freezes when an error occurs on the Commodore 64.
    • Hi-Res VIC Drawing – A guide to drawing hi-res images on the VIC-20.
    • ML Applesort – A type-in machine language program for the Apple II that will sort an array of any length.
    • News & Products – The Drum-Key music interface board for the Apple II, an RS-232 modem adapter for Atari, Graphics Master for the Commodore 64, the Networker communications package for the Apple II, the Creative Electronics lighte pen for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20, and more.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Apple ][ Atari 8-bit Commodore 64 Computer Arcana DOS 📎and tagged

  • Compute! (December 1981)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute! was one of the earliest home computer magazines. Early in its history, it focused on 6502 based machines. In 1981 that meant the Commodore CBM/PET, Apple II, Atari and OSI. The December 1981 issue includes:

    • The Editor’s Notes – The conflict between brick and mortar computer dealers and mail order.
    • Ask The Readers – Automatic line numbers, a Pet/CBM bug, the Atari BASIC COM command, and more.
    • Computers and Society – Using the computer as a tool for creativity.
    • Guest Commentary: The World Computer Revisisted – Why computer standardization would be a good thing.
    • The Beginner’s Page – How computers use checksums to ensure data is saved correctly.
    • Basically Useful BASIC: A Quick-Fix Approach To Calculating Tables – A simple program for generating conversion tables.
    • Window Analysis: Saving Fuel $$ With Your Computer – A type-in program to calculate how much energy you will save by shading windows in the summer.
    • Subscript Heap Sort – A BASIC type-in one-level-deep, ascending, alphanumeric subscript heap sort for the PET/CBM.
    • Review: SYZYGY RS-232 Condition Testers – A look at a couple of RS-232 line condition testers from SYZYGY.
    • Unscramble – A type-in game in which you must unscramble the words.

    • Maze Generator – A type-in BASIC program for randomly generating mazings on the Commodore PET and Atari 400/800.
    • Part Two: An Introduction To Binary Numbers – The second part in a seven part series on basic computer arithemetic.
    • Book Review: Microprocessors For Measurement and Control – A book on real-time control applications.
    • Console Input/Output – Non-serial console input and output on the KIM.
    • MTU-130: A New 6502 Microcomputer – A look at a new 6502 based computer from Micro Technology Unlimited.
    • Animating Applesoft Graphics – A method for animating high-resolution and low-resolution graphics in Applesoft BASIC.
    • Programming The Reset Key The Easy Way – Making the RESET key do anything you want on an Apple II+.
    • A Simple Printer Interface For The Apple II – A guide to building a simple printer interface for the Apple II along with a driver program that works in DOS 3.3.
    • INSIGHT: Atari – A look at extended disk operations on the Atari and a disk file manager.
    • Discovering Atari’s Hidden Graphics – Experiments in undocumented graphics commands on the Atari 400/800.
    • String Art – A type-in BASIC program that will generate art based on mathematical patterns using basic characters.
    • Billiard Bounce – A type-in program that generates patterns by simulating the movement of a billiard ball.
    • Blinking Characters – A more efficient way to produce blinking characters and other text effects on the Atari 400/800.
    • Make Your Atari Keyboard A Little Friendlier – Some tips and tricks to help prevent you from accidentally entering inverse video mode, locking the keyboard into character graphics mode, clearing the screen, etc. while typing on the Atari keyboard.
    • Adding High Speed Vertical Positioning to P/M Graphics – A small gneral purpose vertical positioning routine written in 6502 assembly which can be called via BASIC’s USR instruction on the Atari 400/800.
    • A Poor Programmer’s Word Processor – A very simple word processor written in BASIC for the Atari 400/800.
    • Super Cursor V1.3 – A type-in program to give you more advanced editing functions on the Ohio Scientific Superboard II.
    • Memory Recall Test – A type-in program for the OSI to help test your memory.
    • A Look At SuperPET – A look at Commodore’s latest and last major entry in the PET lineup of computers. This interation included both a 6502 and 6809 CPU, 96KB RAM, a variety of programming languages, and more.
    • Supermon: A Primary Tool For Machine Language Programming – A machine lanugage monitor for later PET machines.
    • PET To PET Communication Over The User Port – A guide to creating a simple interface between two PETs using the parallel user port, 12 wires, and BASIC.
    • Replacing The INPUT # Command – A machine language routine to replace the built-in INPUT# command to allow all characters and improve performance.
    • Typing Foreign Language Text With The Commodore Printer – Printing special characters with the CBM series 2022 and 2023 printers.
    • Three Reviews: Superchip, Spacemaker, Sort – Superchip: new firmware that adds 18 new functions to the PET; Spacemaker II: a device that plugs into an empty ROM socket on the PET and allows you to switch between up to four different ROMs; Sort: A sort routine on EPROM for the PET.
    • Machine Language Jumbo Numbers – Techniques for handling large numbers on the PET by using multiple bytes.
    • File Recovery – Recovering deleted files on the 2040 or 8050 disk drives.
    • Looney Line Numbers – A guide to fixing bad line numbers in program on the PET.
    • Mine Maze – A two player maze game for the PET. One player tries to make it through the maze while the ohter controls a minse that is trying to stop them.
    • COMAL: Another Language? – A look at this public domain programming language.
    • New Products – A collection of 10 programs from Advance Operating Systems; TSMART terminal program for the Atari; TRW opens 38 service centers for Commodore computer repair; Okidata offers IEEE 488 and current loop interfaces for its printers; EduWare releases Counting Bee for kids 3-6; new educational software for the PET; and more.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana 📎and tagged

  • Compute! (September 1987)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute! was one of the most popular multi-format computer magazines of the 1980s. In 1987 it was covering the Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, PC, Amiga, and maybe others. The September 1987 issue includes:

    Features

    • Computers in the Classroom: Ten Years and Counting – A look back at the history of computers in the classroom and what lies ahead.
    • Computer Learning Month: An Enthusiastic Start – October 1987 was to be the first computer learnig month featuring a wide variety of contests, meetings, and other events across the country highlighting computers in education.
    • Monte Carlo – A type-in solitaire card game in BASIC for the Commodore 64, IBM PC, Apple II, Amiga, Atari ST, and Atari 8-bit computers.
    • I Didn’t Know You Could Do That with a Computer! – A look at what computers can do and the software available to do it that goes beyond typical wordprocessing and spreadsheet tasks. Software is mentioned here for genealogy, career management, designing houses, gaming, health and fitness, and more.

    Reviews

    • ProWrite for the Amiga – A word processing application with graphics capabilities.
    • Tornado Notes – A memory resident note taking program for the IBM PC.
    • Warship – A naval combat strategy game from SSI for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and Atari 8-bit.
    • PHM Pegasus – A game in which you command a NATO hydrofoil for the Apple II and Commodore 64.
    • Create a Calendar – A calendar creation program from Epyx for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and IBM PC.

    Columns and Departments

    • The Editor’s Notes – Results of a recent survey indicate that the most popular programming languages among programmers are BASIC, Fortran, C, and Pascal.
    • Readers’ Feedback – Letters from readers about text color on the PC, printing with a serial printer using SpeedScript on the Commodore 64, creating an adventure game on the Atari 800XL, programming reference books for the Atari ST, and more.
    • The Beginner’s Page: Interactive Programming – Creating programs in BASIC that rely on user input.
    • The World Inside the Computer: Music, Video, and FOR-NEXT Loops – A look at the classroom of the future.
    • Microscope: The Micros Market Gets Serious – The disappearing distinction betweeh “home computers” and “business computers”.
    • Telecomputing Today: Just When You Though It Was Safe – The FCC adds surcharges for phone line computer use, Worldport display prototype of 2400bps pocket sized modem, Tymnet increases prices, and more.
    • Computers and Society: The Classroom Computer – A Tool For Teachers – Computers as a tool for teachers.
    • INSIGHT: Atari – Machine Langauge Graphics – A tutorial for creating graphics using machine language on Atari 8-bit machines.
    • ST Outlook: One Last Bug – A look at one of the worst BASIC bugs of all time.
    • IBM Personal Computing: Create a Blues Symphony – A look at The Music Feature, a high quality music synthesizer on a full-lenth expansion card for the IBM PC XT, AT, and PS/2 Model 30.
    • AmigaView: The Great Amiga Reboot – Commodore releases the new and lower cost Amiga 500.

    The Journal

    • Smart Alec – A machine language program for the Commodore 64 that simulates human thinking.
    • QuickChange: Easy Color Setting for the IBM PC/jr – A program for the PC and PCjr that allows you to easily customize border, background, and forground colors.
    • Atari BASIC Search and Destroy – A type-in program for the Atari 8-bit that will allow you to search a BASIC program for any string of characters.
    • Audio Recorder for Apple II – A type-in program for the Apple II that will allow you to add digitally recorded sound and music to your own programs.
    • Amiga SuperMenus – A type-in program that enhances Amiga BASIC’s MENU command.
    • Atari XL/XE Hidden RAM – A way to access the 8K of RAM under BASIC ROMs on Atari XL and XE computers.
    • Amiga and 64 Ramdisk Files – Examples for creating RAMdisks on the Amiga and the Commodore 64 with 1764 RAM expansion module.
    • Applesoft Line Lister – A short type-in utility that simplifies BASIC program listings on the Apple II.
    • 64+ – A type-in utility for the Commodore 64 that adds new commands that make editing and programming easier.

    …and more!


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