Home Computing Weekly (June 21-27, 1983)

Source: Home Computing Weekly – Issue Number 16 – June 21-27, 1983

Home Computing Weekly was, as the title suggests, a weekly computer publication that was published in the U.K. Basically this was a weekly magazine for home computer users available weekly for the equivalent of about 50 cents. It would have been nice to have something like this in the U.S. but as far as I know, there weren’t any weekly computer publications here, at least not oriented towards home computers. Having said that, this one only lasted about two and a half years. The June 21-27, 1983 issue includes:

News – An interview with lawyer Anne Staines regarding software piracy; Clive Sinclair knighted; book publishers Longman and Ladybird release educational software; Fourth Encounter and Submarine Commander released for the VIC-20; River Rescue and Oric Attack released for the Atari 400/800; new 3-inch disk drive released for the BBC; Sharp MZ711 computer coming soon; and more.

One Man’s View – The Genesis of home computers.

U.S. Scene – How the emphasis on low price is impacting the computer market in the U.K. Basically, the author complains that while a computer might be cheap, chances are that other needed accessories won’t be.

Commodore show – A look at Commodore’s fourth annual show. There were 74 exhibitors along with 16,500 visitors. Lots of new Commodore software and hardware was on display including new printers, new monitors, the portable Commodore SX64, The Educator 64, and lots more.

Spectrum software reviews – Reviews of new games for the Spectrum including Horace and Spiders, ETX, Road Toad, and Jet Pac.

TI-99/4A program – A type-in game for the TI-99/4A in which you must tunnel through rock on a rescue mission.

Profile: Superior Software – Includes an interview with founders John Dyson and Richard Hanson.

Software reviews – Reviews of Graphics System (Dragon 32), Design Aid (Oric-1), Easy Sprite (Commodore 64), and Draftmate (BBC B).

Oric-1 program – A type-in game for the Oric-1. From the description, it sounds a lot like Berzerk.

Software reviews – Reviews of Smiler (a hangman type game for the BBC B), Map of UK (Spectrum), At the Circus (an educational math game for the VIC-20), Forensic (a game in which you are a forensic scientist for the BBC B), Personal Bank Account Management System (Spectrum), Home Budget (Spectrum), Vu-Calc (spreadsheet for the BBC), and Comp-U-Tax (Spectrum).

Atari program – Type in Tron/light cycle type game for the Atari 400/800 (with 32K).

Spectrum software reviews – Reviews of various Spectrum games including The Black Hole, Spectrum Safari, Panic, and Galakzions.

Sharp MZ-80A program – A type-in game for the Sharp MZ-80A in which you control a spaceship that must escape a corridor filled with obstacles. The description reminds me of a game I used to play on the Apple II in school (also type-in I believe) though I’ve forgotten the name.

Micro tips – Tips to reduce screen shaking on the Oric-1, defining custom characters on the Spectrum, disable the RUN/STOP key on the VIC-20, and more.