Compute! (March 1986)

Source: Compute! – Issue Number 70 – March 1986

Compute! was an excellent magazine that covered most popular computers of the time. I was partial to the spin-off Gazette because I had a Commodore 64 but this one was excellent as well. It was a little less technical that Byte but all magazines at the time were technical compared to today. The March 1986 issue includes:

Features

The Future of Mass Storage – The future was bright for mass storage. 3.5″ floppies were replacing 5.25″ floppies, Hard drives were becoming affordable, and optical storage for the average user was on the horizon.

The Computerized Home – Computerized home automation was a thing long before Alexa. The X-10 interface was the de-facto standard and X-10 modules were available for pretty much any platform.

Switchbox – A type-in puzzle game with versions specifically for the Commodore 128, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, PC, and Amiga.

SpeedCalc for Atari – A type-in professional quality spreadsheet program for the Atari 8-bit.

Reviews

The Works! – A software package for the Commodore 64 and Apple II that includes 13 programs in the categories of tools, organizers, arts, and learning.

Under Fire – A World War II strategy game for the Apple II.

M-Disk – Software for creating a RAM Disk on the Atari ST.

Atari XM301 Modem – A 300bps direct connect modem for Atari 8-bit computers.

EduCalc and NoteCard Maker – A combination of a simplified spreadsheet program and simplified database manager with versions for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and PC (Apple II version reviewed here).

Hex – A puzzle/strategy game for the Atari ST.

Sylvia Porter’s Personal Financial Planner – This software package includes six programs including Transaction Manager, Budget Manager, Asset/Liability Manager, Balance Sheet, and Financial Planner. The Commodore 64 version is reviewed here with versions also available for the PC and Apple II.

Columns and Departments

The Editor’s Notes – A comparison of the new Amiga and Atari ST.

Readers’ Feedback – Letters from readers about code comments, computers for charity, recording music on the Amiga, and more.

HOTWARE – The top five selling software titles in three different categories. In the top places were F-15 Strike Eagle (Entertainment), Typing Tutor III (Education), and Print Shop (Home Management).

INSIGHT: Atari – A look at Atari character codes. Atari 8-bit computers used a variant of ASCII called ATASCII.

The Beginner’s Page: Cutting Strings Without Scissors – How to split strings in BASIC.

Computers and Society: Humanizing the User Interface, Part 1 – Exploring ways to make the user interface easier to use and more intuitive.

The World Inside the Computer: Snowflakes, Quilts, and Stained Glass Windows – Art on the Amiga.

Telecomputing Today Games Modern People Play – A look at online multiplayer gaming. At the time, that typically meant turn based gaming on BBS systems or services like CompuServe.

IBM Personal Computing: The Ultimate Entertainment Center – A guide for using your PC or PCjr with a TV.

Programming the TI: IF-THEN Statements – Using IF-THEN statements including examples for simulating AN/OR, doing Algebra, and more.

News & Products – Valhalla announced for the Commodore 64; MIDI Ensemble for the PC; AtariWriter and AtariWriter Plus word processors for the Atari ST; What’s Our Worth? home inventory package for the Commodore 64; and more.

The Journal

IBM Fractal Graphics – Three type-in programs for creating fractals on the IBM PC and PCjr.

Commodore ML Saver – A type-in program for saving machine language programs directly from memory to disk on the Commodore 64.

Loading and Linking Commodore Programs, Part 1 – The first in a series of article on loading, chaining, and overlaying programs on Commodore computers.

Atari P/M Graphics Toolkit – Atari Player/Missile graphics is the Atari 8-bit version of sprites. This type-in toolkit makes it easier to develop and use P/M graphics on the Atari.

MultiMemory for Commodore 64 and Apple – Short type-in programs for the Commodore 64 and Apple II that allow you to segment memory for loading multiple BASIC programs.

Experimenting with SID Sound – Some examples for controlling the Commodore 64’s SID sound chip.

Mousify Your Applesoft Programs, Part 1 – The first of a two-part guide to using a mouse (or joystick or paddles) with your own programs.

Atari BootStuffer – This short type-in program for the Atari 8-bit allows you to create a menu system to load up to 8 different programs with one key press.