• Tag Archives 1980s

  • PC World (January 1987)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC World – January 1987

    If you had a PC (meaning an IBM PC or compatible) or were thinking of getting one in the 1980s or 1990s, then PC World would probably have been a magazine you would have wanted. The January 1987 issue includes:

    Getting Started

    • PC to PC – A guide to using a modem and terminal software to communicate between PCs.

    Community

    • PC Users Unite! – A guide to PC user groups.

    Review

    • Compaq Deskpro 386: Dare to Be Great – At the time, this was probably one of the best computers you could by, though it wasn’t cheap with a starting price of $6499. Compaq was the first major PC maker to use the 386 chip, beating IBM to the punch.
    • Fast-Talking Modems – A look at a couple of modems that use proprietary protocols to achieve speeds of 12000bps. They are very expensive though with a cost of up to $2395 and not compatible with other modems above 9600bps.
    • Mainframe Copycats – A look at five different terminal programs that emulate VT100 on the PC. These include Persoft SmarTerm 240 Version 1.1, KEA Systems Zstempc-VT100 Version 2.6, Polygon poly-COM/240 Version 1.12, Coefficient Systems Vterm III Version 1.4, and General Micro Systems PC4010 Version 2.0. VT100 emulation would become common across all terminal software.
    • PCs Teach the VAX New Tricks – A look at Datability’s Remote Access Vacility which is software that goes beyond basic terminal functions when used to access a VAX system from a PC.
    • A Bold New Fact – A look at the AST TurboLaser printer which has the ability to emulate a variety of other printers.
    • Alpha/three: Simple, Powerful, Compatible – A review of the Alpha/three DBMS which is compatible with and cheaper (if somewhat slower) than dBASE.

    Hands On

    • The Tailored Tabloid – Using Microsoft Access scripting to create personalized newspapers.
    • 1-2-3 Budget Tune-Up – A look at a 1-2-3 based app for incorporating sales and cost figures into your budget forecasts.

    Departments

    • David Bunnell – A look at some of the most influential people in the PC World. Some of the names here include John Sculley, Bill Gates, Gary Kildall, Michael Dell, and Trip Hawkins among others.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about legal attempts to prevent renting software, tape backup systems, offshore support, The Mist (game from Mindscape), PCs in Czechoslovakia, and more.
    • Harry Miler – A look at the evolution of desktop publishing.
    • PC World View – Bill Gross talks about HAL (Human Access Language), a English language front end for 1-2-3; results of a survey of PC users; Ashton-Tate seeks to become world’s leading source of software; and more.
    • Product Outlook – A look at recent and upcoming products including RapidFile, Wang LapTop, Crosstalk Mark 4, HAL, Ontio 259, and more.
    • From the Software Shelf – First impressions of recent software releases including WordPerfect Library, The Norton Commander, Webster’s New World Writer, BitCom, and more.
    • From the Hardware Shelf – First impressions of recent hardware releases including the Multitech Accel 900 286 based computer, the Sharp PC-7000 “portable” computer, the Core XT26 (26 MB hard drive), Orchid TurboEGA video accelerator, and more.
    • Password: Communicate – A guide to choosing the right 9600bps modem for your application; comparing time and cost on various online services with 300bps vs. 1200bps modems; phone companies having issues with automatic redial; and more.
    • The Help Screen – Questions answered about dealing with the lack of an 8-bit communications protocol when sending documents with 8-bit characters, serial port configuration, and recording computer images to a VCR.
    • *.* – A BASIC program for generating banners, quicksort routines, and more.
    • Kevin Strehlo – Addressing concerns about the IBM PC standard fragmenting.

    …and more!


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  • PC Magazine (March 20th, 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC Magazine – March 20th, 1984

    PC Magazine was one of the two biggest magazines dedicated to IBM PCs and compatibles from the early 1980s into the 2000s (the other being PC World). The March 20, 1984 issue of PC Magazine includes:

    Cover Stories

    • Getting Your C-Legs – An introduction to programming in C with some simple program examples.
    • The MWC-86 C Compiler – A C compiler for the PC offering enhancements such as new data types, structure passing, nested comments, and longer identifiers.
    • The Whitesmiths C Native Compiler – A professional C compiler with idiosyncracies.
    • New Improved Lattice C – Version 2.0 of this compiler adds more memory, functions to the C library, and faster procedures.
    • C Into The Future – An interview with Tom Plum about the future of the C programming language.

    Features

    • PC Program Editors: The Next Generation – IDE’s weren’t really a thing yet but this article looks at the next genreation of editors including SPF/PC 1.6, micro/SPF 2.0, Professional Editor, and TED 1.2.
    • The Decision Makers – A look at two program, Decision and Decision-Analyst, designed to help make business decisions such as who to hire and what office equipment to buy.
    • PC-Powered Manufacturing – A look at MAX, a PC powered manufacturing system.
    • Packet Switching Puts You In Touch – An overview of packet switching networks and their advantage over other types of networks.
    • PC’s Powerful Cousin: The IBM CS9000 – A computer designed for the laboratory featuring a 68000 processor and an OS called CSOS.
    • When One PC Is Not Enough – A look at PC GT, an expansion card for the PC that turns it into a multi-user system.
    • Assembly Language: The Nature of DOS – An excerpt from “Assembly Language Primer for the IBM PC”.
    • An Illustrated History of The Chip, Part 2 – An excerpt from the book “State of the Art: A Photographic History of the Integrated Circuit”.
    • Office Writing: Word Processing for Business – A look at two word processors for business use, OfficeWriter and Form Writer Version 1.1.
    • A Gallery of Computer Art – A look at the Tech Graphics 2, a $50,000 machine (including various peripherals) for creating computer based art.
    • Taking The PC To The Cleaners – How laundries are making use of personal computers.
    • Checking Inns With The PC – Ramada Inn installs 635 PC’s, each equipped with 128K RAM, monochrome monitor, two 320K drives, printer, and Hayes 1200B modem, along with a centralized mainframe system for reservations.
    • MIT Goes On The 5-Year Plan – MIT is paying millions for PCs to help design bridges.
    • Waking Up To Computer Education – Wake County, North Carolina installs 135 IBM PCs across middle schools to help with computer literacy.
    • Beating The System – A look at an inexpensive kit that allows you to use a single expansion slot for two cards.
    • Exploring A Nonmanual Alternative – A look at IBM’s “Exploring the IBM Personal Computer”, a program designed as an alternative to manuals.

    Pro Columns

    • Getting Organized On Your PC – Using a database along with a word processor to help organize notes for writing.
    • Exploring Electronic Estimating – How PCs are being used to help contractors calculate estimates to outbid their competitors.
    • MUMPS Fever – MUMPS was originally a programming language for medical applications on mainframes. This article looks at some microcomputer version.
    • Two Boards In One – A look at Amdek’s Multiple Interface Adapter, a PC display card.
    • Educating The Individual – How the computers are making instruction more individual.
    • MUMPS: A Cure For Swollen Programs – A new medical oriented programming language, now available for PCs, offers more efficient programming.
    • Going By The Board – The keys to being a good BBS sysop.

    Departments

    • PC News – IBM introduces PC/IX, a UNIX OS for PC; PC Bartendr, a bartending app with 101 alcoholic beverage recipes; Commodore cuts prices; Atari launches AtariSoft software label; and much more.
    • Pitfalls Of Corporate Copying – Illegal “sharing” of programs within corporations and the trouble with copy protection.
    • Letters To PC – Letters from readers about the Palantir word processor, Word Proof, computer furniture, MicroAstrology, Telex, Memex, assigning strings to keys, and more.
    • Phantom Ruling From The IRS – IRS may deny tax-exempt status to PC user groups.
    • Unearthing The PCjr’s Secrets – A look through the PCjr’s technical manual with Peter Norton.
    • The PC Compatibility Test – A guide to figuring out how compatible your computer is to the IBM PC.
    • Greed And Egyptian Adventures – A look at two new adventure games including Infidel from Infocom and Ulysses and the Golden Fleece from Sierra On-Line.
    • Help For Experts And Novices – A review of the book “dBase II in English I”, a book that is supposed to make dBASE II easier to learn.
    • New On The Market – The Sweet-P Six Shooter (a multiple-pen plotter), ENVAX 600 (an intelligent communications processor), DTC Style Writer (a daisy wheel printer), DXY-800 Plotter, SNA Encryptor 305 (a data encryption board for communicating between a PC and an IBM mainframe), HP Digital Wand (bar code reader), PLP-8 Matrix Printers (a series of 80 and 132 columnt dot-matrix printers), QumeTrak 142 (320K 5.25″ floppy drive), and much more.
    • User-To-User – A way to keep track of files on floppies in DOS 2.0, a BASICA bug, a simple way to view and delete unwanted text files, and more.
    • PC Tutor – An automated way to use DISKCOPY, using single and double precision numbers, power converters, friction feed with the Epson MX-80 F/T printer, and more.
    • Software Licensing Questions – How the courts might distinguish between licensed and sold software.

    …and more!


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  • Byte (January 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Byte – January 1985

    Byte covered a wide variety of systems and tended to be more technically oriented than most PC specific magazines. It has some very large issues in the 1980s including this one from January 1985 weighing it at more than 500 pages. Contents include:

    Features

    • Ciarcia’s Circuit Cellar: Understanding Linear Power Supplies – How poor power supply design wrecked a project as well as info on how to properly design a linear power supply.
    • The Visual Mind and the Macintosh – Using MacPaint as a tool for thinking and the easy to use nature of the Macintosh.
    • A Glimpse Into Future Television – HDTV was being discussed at least as far back as the early 1980s. In this article it is mentioned that the next generation of television receivers would most likely have a large display area with a wider aspect ratio (5.33:3 is discussed as a proposal here), flexibility and interactivity, approximately twice the perceived horizontal resolution and vertical resolution of NTSC TV (which would only put it at about DVD resolution…not what is considered hi-def today), no artifacts, and more.
    • Microsoft Macintosh BASIC Version 2.0 – A preview of the features of the latest version of Microsoft BASIC for the Macintosh.
    • The Apple Story, Part 2: More history and the Apple III – Part 2 of an interview with Steve Wozniac on the history of Apple (which was only about 10 years old at this time). The Apple III and the Apple II disk drive are discussed here among other things.
    • Uninterruptible Power Supplies – A comparison of uninterruptible power supplies including those from Cuesta Systems, Electronic Protections Devices, General Power Systems, Kalglo Electronics Co., Meirick Inc., and PTI Inc.
    • An Introduction to Fiber Optics, part 2: Connections and Networks – How this relatively new technology is being used in computer communication.
    • Algorithms For A Variable-Precision Calculator – This article provides pseudocode for creating a variable-precision calculator.
    • Audio-Frequency Analyzer – A guide to building accessories for your IBM PC that will allow you to analyze your stereo or other audio input.
    • Font Design For Personal Workstations – Better font design for increased legibility and productivity.
    • Expert Systems – Myth Or Reality? – As far back as 1984 at least, the Department of Defense identified AI as one of the 10 most critical technologies to pursue. Expert Systems were among the first types of AI implementation.

    Reviews

    • The HP 110 Portable Computer – This small portable machine includes an 80C86 CPU @ 5.33MHz, 272KB static RAM, a 300 bps modem, an 80-column by 12 or 16 LCD, and more. All for $2995…plus another $795 if you want a disk drive.
    • Gifford’s MP/M 8-16 – A typical MP/M 8-16 system includes a 20-slot mainframe cabinet, dual Qume 842 double-density double-sided 8-inch floppy-disk drives, and a Winchester hard-disk drive (a 21 MB drive in this review). The test configuration is a four user system (plus modem line) with 448K RAM. Depending on the exact configuration, prices can range from $5330 to $19925.
    • Lotus’s Symphony – Basically this is Lotus’s sequel to Lotus 1-2-3. However, it adds database functionality in addition to spreadsheet functions.
    • MagicPrint – Software that allows printing with true proportional spacing.
    • The Hewlett-Packard ThinkJet Printer – An early and popular inkjet printer. This one would have set you back $495.
    • The TI Omni 800/Model 855 Printer – The most unique aspect of this printer is that you could plug in different cartridges for different fonts.

    Kernel

    • Computing At Chaos Manor: The Fast Lane – Discussion of numerous products including Aris, the CompuPro 8/16 System, dBASE III, Elsinore, Safari, Magic Keyboard, MI-286 Processor Board, PCTurbo 186 Expansion Board, and more.
    • Byte U.K.: The Amstrad CPC 464 – A look at this Z80 based computer that was popular in the U.K.
    • Byte West Coast: Light Touches – Details on the proposed Macintosh network at Reed College. Plus higher resolution mice and using laser discs for databases.
    • Mathematical Recreations: The Fundamental Counting Principle – Math shortcuts. Includes BASIC listings for generating nonsquare numbers, factoring a number into products of primes, and more.
    • Byte Japan: The New And The Old – Mitsubishi develops smaller transistors, a new 68000 handheld computer from NEC, a look at the Fujitsu FM-11BS computer, and more.
    • Editorial: Autonomous Weapons and Human Responsibility – The ethics of AI based warfare.
    • Microbytes – Information Storage Inc. plans optical drive with 100 megabyte cartridges, several companies announce products using a standard CD as a read-only memory device for computer, new notebooks from Mitsubishi (Tredia) and Quadram (DataVue), Sony announces new multicolor display tech called Currentron, and more.
    • What’s New – TI introduces Pro-Lite briefcase sized computer, Okidata introduces $286 color computer, new Seequa Cobra computer featuring 8086 CPU @ 8 MHz, Juki announces $299 daisy-wheel printer, and more.
    • Ask Byte – Questions answered about using 80-column cards in the Apple IIe, creating high resolution graphics, using Shugart SA400 drives with Apple computers, screen modes on the PCjr, the 80186 and 80286 CPUs, and more.
    • Book Reviews – Reviews of The SEcond Self: Computers and the Human Spirit by Sherry Turkle, Information Systems Security by Royal P. Fisher, and Microprocessors: Hardware, Software, and Design Applications by Wunnava V. Subbarao.

    …and more!


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