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  •  Commodore World – Volume 1, Number 4

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Commodore World – Volume 1, Number 4

    I think that Commodore World was the last professional Commodore 8-bit magazine published in the U.S. It was published bi-monthly in the mid to late 1990s. This issue isn’t dated that I see but I believe it would have been from near the end of 1994. Issue number four of Commodore World includes:

    Features

    • Telecommunications – A guide to getting online with your Commodore 64.
    • A Glossary of Telecommunications Terms – Definitions for terms such as “baud”, “BBS”, and “echo”, as well as modem communications standards and much more.
    • Bad File Names – How to fix various file problems on Commodore 64 disks.
    • Copyrights: Who Owns The Right To Copy? – A discussion of copyright law, especially how it applies to computer software.
    • Hard Tips: Build A Simple RS-232 Interface – A guide to building your own modem interface.

    Reviews

    • Software: Fun Graphics Machine – A review of this high-resolution graphics editor that can be used for desktop publishing and to create everything from video titles to business cards and much more.
    • Games: Miniviews – Brief reviews of Menace (Psygnosis), The Amazing Spider-Man (Paragon), Marble Madness (Electronic Arts), Laser Squad (MicroIllusions), and Skate or Die (Electronic Arts).
    • Hardware: Boca 144EW Fax/Data Modem – A detailed review of this 14.4Kbps modem.
    • Hardware: The Boca 2400 – I review of this 2400bps modem. This was about as fast as you could go on the Commodore 64 with a basic RS-232 interface. You had to get fancier interfaces if you wanted faster speeds.

    Columns

    • Just For Starters – A guide for computer beginners on the types of software available for the Commodore 64 and what they can be used for.
    • Foreign Exchange – A look at the Flash 8, an add-on for the Commodore 64 that provides a 65C816 CPU and up to 8 MHz speeds.
    • Graphic Interpretation – A guide to importing and exporting graphics to and from GEOS.
    • geoProgrammist – Using macros and managing memory in GEOS.
    • BASIC Instincts – The third installment of a five part series on building a large game called Starship Combat.
    • Advanced Techniques – A type-in program that will let you autoboot your own programs.
    • Peripheral Vision – Identifying and handling SCSI errors on CMD’s HD.
    • Carrier Detect – A guide to offline BBS mail reading. I never did much of this with the Commodore 64 but I do remember doing a lot with Bluewave on the PC.

    Departments

    • From The Editor – Planned obsolescence in the computer world.
    • BackTalk – Letters from readers about the first issue of the magazine.
    • Just Asking – Questions answered about the CBM 8032 printer and GEOS, gamepads for the C64, using larger disks under CP/M, and more.
    • On The Horizon – Disposition of Commodore’s assets after bankruptcy still undetermined; Grapevine Group ceases operations; CMD releases GeoCable II which can be used to connect printers to The C64’s parallel port for high speed printing; Commodore RoundTable on GEnie offers gifts to new members; and more.
    • The Connection – News about file compression from Loadstar, dieHard, Fun Graphics Machine, and more.
    • Top Tips – Tips about switch settings for printer interfaces, better video via the Commodore 128 composite video port, and more.

    …and more!


    Commodore 64 Computer Arcana 📎and tagged

  • RUN: The Home User’s Guide to Commodore Computing (January 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: RUN: The Home User’s Guide to Commodore Computing – Issue Number 13 – January 1985

    RUN was one of the most popular Commodore 8-bit computer magazines, mostly covering the Commodore 64. It was also one of the magazines I bought the most growing up. The January 1985 issue includes:

    Features

    • Trapped in the Maze – Creating a maze game in BASIC on the VIC-20.
    • Writing Word Games – A guide to creating word games (like Hangman).
    • Smoking Joe – Some tips and a program for creating sprites.
    • Quatro – A type-in tic-tac-toe game for the Commodore 64 with the twist that you have to get four in a row instead of three.
    • Don’t Forget! – A type-in program for the Commodore 64 that gives you a calendar and the ability to create appointments.
    • Selecting The Right Printer – A guide to choosing the best printer for you. Some models mentioned here include the 1520 Plotter, 1525e, MPS-801, Prowriter, Okidata 82 and 92 series, Epson MX, RX, and FX series, Gemini 10X/15X, and more.
    • Three Printers From Commodore – Reviews of the Commodore DPS-1101 Daisy Whee printer, and the Commodore 1526 and MPS-803 Dot Matrix printers.
    • Disk Tips For Beginner – A guide to managing your floppy disks.
    • Let There Be Light Pens – At one point in time, before the mouse took over for good, light pens seemed to be the up and coming input device. This article is an introductory guide to light pens.

    Departments

    • RUNning Ruminations – A look ahead to what is in this issue and a request for articles on the new Plus/4 and Commodore 16.
    • Magic – Short programs for recovering an erased program, extracting lines from an existing program, tracing the execution of BASIC programs, reading raw data from tape, using a voice synthesizer for debugging, and more.
    • Software Gallery – Reviews of Questprobe: The Hulk, Kidwriter, Saucer Attack!, Space Taxi (one of my all time favorites though it only gets a ‘B’ rating here), abd Word Processor – Professional.
    • Clubs – A list of Commodore computer related clubs and user groups.
    • Commodore Clinic – Questions answered about documentation for the Commodore B128, compiling BASIC programs, word processing programs on cassette, CP/M on the Commodore 64, 1541 disk drivr problems, blowing fuses on the VIC-20, keypads for the Commodore 64, and much more.
    • Mail RUN – Letters from readers about CP/M problems on the Commodore 64, Commodore in South Africa, Panasonic printers, and more.
    • RUN’s 1984 Index – An index of articles and reviews from RUN covering all of 1984.
    • New Products RUNdown – A look at new producs including Suspect from Infocom, Breakdance from Epyx, President Elect from SSI, F-15 Strike Eagle from MicroProse, The Operating System from Hacker’s Hardware, The Professor from Progressive Peripherals, and more.


    Back cover of the January 1985 issue of RUN
    …and more!


    Commodore 64 Computer Arcana 📎and tagged