Source: Home Computer Magazine Volume 4, Number 1 (1985)

Home Computer Magazine started life as TI99er which exclusively covered the the Texas Instruments TI-99 line of computers. With this issue (Volume 4, Number 1) it was re-branded and started covering the Commodore 64 and VIC-20, Apple II, and IBM PC (DOS) in addition to the TI-99. This issue was published some time in 1984 and includes:

Features

• Uncle Larry’s Fiddle Tunes – Type-in folk songs for the Commodore 64, TI-99/4A and PCjr.

• Pocket Canon – More type-in music, this time for the TI-99/4A.

• TI-Writer Tutorial – The third part of a tutorial TI-Writer, a word processor for the TI-99/4A.

• I Write the Songs: Electronic Sheet Music – A type-in BASIC program for the TI-99/4A called Music Magic that lets you play, display, and save music.

• Just Assemble Melody: Music in Mini Memory – A type-in program that makes writing music on the TI-99/4A easier.

• PCjr: A Detailed Look Inside the Peanut’s Shell – An overview of IBM’s new PCjr. It was doomed to failure for a variety of reasons, including a terrible keyboard, incompatibility with PC parts, limited expansion ability, software compatibility issues, a relatively high price, and probably other reasons.

• 66 Keys to Graphics Success: A Primer for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 – A beginner’s guide to the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.

• Have No Fear: Assembly Language Won’t Byte, Part 3 – The third part in a beginner’s assembly language tutorial for the TI-99/4A.

• Porsches and Other Pipedreams: Computer Assisted Savings – A type-in program for the Apple II, PCjr, Commodore 64 and VIC-20 that does things like calculating compound interest, payment plans, future value, and more.

• 3D-IIe: Apple Graphics in Three Dimensions – A type-in program for creating 3D line drawing on the Apple II.

• The Future Is Now in Apple Graphics – A look at new graphics products for the Apple II including the Supersprite board and StarSprite software, plus an interview with Don Fudge.

• Biting Into Your Apple – A guide to customizing and expanding your Apple II.

• Movable Feasts – A type-in meal planner for the VIC-20.

• Don’t Be a SlowPOKE – A type-in machine language routine to help you animated your sprites on the Commodore 64.

• Down Memory Lane – A guide to rearranging the memory map of your Commodore 64 to squeeze out more memory.

• Easy as Apple Pie – A guide to creating simple graphics on the Apple II.

• Microcomputer Accuracy – A guide to testing the mathematical accuracy of your computer. Typically, home computers were not as precise as scientific calculators, at least not with built in math functions.

LOGO Times

• What Is LOGO – It’s a programming language.

• Lyrical LOGO – Recursion using LOGO.

• LOGO Shoots for the Moon – Structured programming using LOGO.

Product Reviews

• Henpecked – A cartridge based Joust clone for the TI-99/4A featuring chickens.

• Hopper – A cartridge based Pengo clone for the TI-99/4A in which you control a kangaroo on a cargo ship trying to avoid capture.

• Zeus – A game inspired by Space Invaders for the Commodore 64 in which you must avoid lightning bolts from Zeus.

• Beach Head – This classic for the Commodore 64 plays kind of like a series of mini-games with a World War II theme. It is definitely among the best early games for the commodore 64.

• Gruds in Space – A sci-fi themed graphic adventure for the Apple II.

• Jumpman Junior – A cartridge version of this screen based platform game. The graphics were definitely simple but this game was a lot of fun (and also hard).

• Stellar Seven – A wireframe space combat sim for the Apple II.

• Coveted Mirror – A graphics adventure game for the Apple II with the somewhat unique feature for the time that the screens were animated.

• Fly Snuffer – An action game on cartridge for the TI-99/4A in which you have to spray flies to kill them.

• Homeword Bound – A review of HomeWord, a word processor from Sierra Online for the Apple II.

• Bank Street Writer – A popular 1980s word processor for the Apple II (and later other machines).

• Bigger Better Basic – Reviews of The Super Expander 64 and Simon’s Basic 64, both of which are extensions to Commodore 64’s BASIC that add things like graphics commands among others.

• Getting it Out of Your System – A look at the Buffered Grappler and PSIO interface cards for the Apple II.

• Facemaker – A educational/art game in which you create and must remember faces for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and TI-99/4A.

• Art at Your Fingertips – A color graphics system for the Apple II consisting of a Koala Pad drawing pad, Microillustrator art program, Transtar 315 printer, and a PICS Interface card which can transfer color screen dumps to the printer.

Gameware Buffet

• Flak Attack – A type in game for the Apple II, Commodore 64, VIC-20, PCjr and TI-99/4A in which you must shoot down enemy aircraft.

• Slots – A type-in slot game simulator for the TI-99/4A.

• Meltdown – A type-in game in which you must prevent a nuclear power plant from melting down for the TI-99/4A.

• Challenging the Tower of Hanoi – A type-in implementation of the Tower of Hanoi for the Apple II, Commodore 64, VIC-20, PCjr, and TI-99/4A.

Departments

• On Screen – TI exits the personal computer market and all about the changes in the magazine.

• Group Grapevine – News and upcoming events related to computer users groups.

• Letters to the Editor – Letters from readers including converting programs for the TI Editor/Assembler, the IBM PC vs. the IBM PCjr, and more comments on articles from previous issues.

• HCM Product News – TI announces two new games for the TI-99/4A (Symoids and Pirate’s Isle); the Super Stik from Personal Peripherals; Persuasion, a strategy game from Orion Games for the PC; new printing service for TI users; Flight Simulator II from subLogic for the Commodore 64 and Atari; a new TI BASIC compiler; and much more.

• Tech Notes: TI – A guide to setting up data files on cassette for the TI-99/4A.

• Tech Notes: IBM – Demonstrating mathematical accuracy on the IBM PC.

• Tech Notes: Commodore – Restoring DATA pointers on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.

• Tech Notes: Apple – Modifying, inserting, and deleting from existing programs on the Apple II.

…and more!