• Tag Archives 1980s

  • Digital Archaeology: Floppy Disk #14 – SEP84.DOC

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    A summary for those that haven’t been keeping up with this series:

    I found a number of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago (sometime in the late 1990s to the best of my recollection). I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a several years back. Since then, I have been occasionally posting the content here.

    Based on the contents, most or all of these disks were apparently once owned by someone named Connie who used to run the “Close Encounters” Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s.

    The following description of this SIG was found in a document on one of the disks: “This SIG, known as ‘Close Encounters’, is a forum for the discussion of relationships that develop via computer services like the Source, CompuServe, and Delphi. Our primary emphasis is on the sexual aspects of those relationships.”

    This service was text based and was accessed via a modem and whatever terminal program you had available for your computer to dial in with. Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I am not aware of any archives in existence today that contain what was on Delphi in the 1980s.

    This post includes the contents of SEP84.DOC. This appears to be a report that gives details on the usage of the SIG (how many hours each user spent in the SIG, etc.). This is in the from of an e-mail from someone named KELLY who was presumably an employee of Delphi. The e-mail is dated October 4th, 1984.

    There are two SIGs (Special Interest Groups) that have been mentioned repeatedly in these files. One is the “Close Encounters” SIG and the other is the “Friendship Circle” SIG though I’m not entirely sure they were different. “Close Encounters” may have evolved from “Friendship Circle”. In any case “Closed Circle” is mentioned in this report but maybe this is an alias or the name changed again at some point. This report has a much larger number of users than the previous one from August.

    One thing to note is how it lists “PRIME” minutes separately from “OFFPRIME” minutes. Off prime minutes would have cheaper than prime minutes or even free (outside of the monthly Delphi subscription fee anyway). These would typically be from some time later in the evening until some time in the morning. Prime minutes would be the busiest time or at least the time when business customers were online. If you were online during prime minutes than you were paying a per minute access fee in addition to your subscription. This is kind of how things worked in the early days of cell phones too.

    This file is dated September 2nd, 1985 and was in a subdirectory titled “SIGUSAGE”.


    =-=
    SEP84.DOC
    =-=


    —

     
From:   KELLY           4-OCT-1984 15:20  
To:     CABUYS
Subj:   Usage Report

Usage report, by time, for Closed Circle Sig
============================================
                                       PRIME     OFFPRIME 
     USERNAME             SESSIONS    Minutes   Minutes 
     --------             --------    -------   --------
     ACE                        31         30        371
     ADAMM                       3          0        143
     AKEITH                      1          0          1
     AMANDA                      4          0         26
     ANNETTE                     1          0         25
     APOLLO                      1          0         33
     ATLAS                      10          0        302
     BEEP739                     1          0          1
     BELISARIUS                  2          0         20
     BIALI1                      1          0         13
     BRH                         2          0         14
     BRIGHT                      2          0         52
     BRODGE                      1          0          9
     BUSSIGMGR                   3          0         12
     BWARMSTRONG                 1         15          0
     BZ                          4          0        129
     CABUYS                    132          0       4139
     CBS                         3          0         81
     CDSVP                       1          0         14
     CHARLESREIS                 1          0          1
     CHRISC                      1          0          5
     CLC                         1          0          4
     CONDOR                      6          0         69
     CREATE                      1          0         14
     DANA                        5          2        130
     DANTOM                      2          0         15
     DAVEWARKER                  1          0         17
     DEOGBURN                    2          0          3
     DMANDELL                    1          0          1
     DMILLER                     1          0         21
     DONELAN                     1          0          1
     DOUGLEVY                    1          0         49
     ELFAN                       6          0         48
     ELT                         2          0         33
     EUGENEROSEN                 2          0         70
     FRIED                      31          0        797
     FURD                        1          0         10
     GENJI                       1          0         45
     GES                         3          0         47
     GFTJR                       1          0          2
     GOODGUY                     1          0         14
     GORKY                       1          0          1
     GRENDEL                     2          0         89
     HANSOLO                    16          0        569
     HAPPYPEPPER                 1          0          7
     HELENH                      5         31         57
     INTER                       2          0         18
     JCG                         3          0        186
     JDCLYDE                     1          0          9
     JERRYP                      1          0          3
     JHERNANDEZ                  1          0          6
     JOHNGALT                    1          0         10
     JOHNMYSELF                 34          0       1269
     JPM                         2          0         28
     JSARAS                      2          0         14
     KAPROTYRO                   4          0        134
     KASSIMALEX00                1          0         16
     LARRYV                      1          0          1
     LBALK                       1          0         38
     LESHY                       1          0          1
     MARLON                      1          0         16
     MAVEN                       1          0         27
     MIDDLETON                   1          0          3
     MIKE                        1          0         38
     MLUKENS                     1          0          1
     MRHAPPY                     3          0         31
     MSG                         2          0         19
     NINJA                       1          0         10
     NYCSHRINK                   4          0        188
     PEACEMAKER                  1          0         36
     PETERBOLSON                 3          0        308
     PG                          1          0         11
     PHILO                       1         10          0
     PLAZA                       1          0         20
     PRINCESS                    2          0         30
     QUICKRODNEY                38          9        700
     RDM                         1          0         35
     RDM001                      1          0         29
     RJMCGRATH                   1          4         27
     SCOHEN                      3         64         30
     SEB7                        2         12         34
     SFAIDSFOUND                 1         18          0
     SHADOW                      3          0         95
     SKOEGLER                    1          0         21
     SMILE                       3          0        176
     SPARKY                     17         40        676
     SUMMER                     17          0        200
     SUZIE                       1          0         27
     TROPICAL                    4          2         73
     UAP0M                       5          1        108
     WALI                        1          0          1
     WOMBLE                      5          0         84
     WTM                         1          0          5
     WULFE                       1         32          0
     YN2514                      1          0         20
     YOSHI                       4          0        264
------------------------------------------------------------
     Totals in minutes         491        270      12580
     Totals in hours                      4.50    209.67

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  • Popular Computing Weekly (December 18, 1986)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    As the name suggest, Popular Computing Weekly is a weekly publication about computers. It was published in the U.K. in the 1980s. The December 18th, 1986 issue includes:

    Games

    • Adventure Corner – A look at The Colour of Magic game based on the Terry Pratchett book of the same name.
    • Arcade Action – Tips for finding you own cheats in games that run on Z80 based machines, tips for Firelord on the Spectrum, and more.
    • Reviews – Reviews of SAS: Operation Thunderflash (Spectrum), Sky Runner (Commodore 64), Terra Cresta (Commodore 64), Defcom (Spectrum), Top Gun (Amstrad CPC), and Scalextric (Spectrum).

    Hardware

    • Amstrad – A look at the new Amstrad PCW 8256. This computer was designed specifically with word processing in mind.

    Software

    • Forth – A look at an implementation of Forth for the Amstrad PCW.

    Programming

    • Commodore – A type-in program called Toolkit that adds 21 new commands to the Commodore 64’s BASIC.
    • Spectrum – A type in text editor for the Spectrum.
    • Amstrad CPC – A type-in arcade adventure game called Khandal for the Amstrad CPC.
    • BBC – A type-in game called Hurles for up to four players where you must specify various parameters to try and throw you ball closest to a line.
    • Bytes and Pieces – Short type in programs for changing text color on the Commodore 64, clear the last Gosub address on the Spectrum, and create a revolving text effect on the Spectrum.
    • Peek and Poke – Questions answered about converting VIC-20 programs to the Commodore 64, using both sides of a floppy disk, and Atari ST pricing.

    Regulars

    • News Desk – The new Atari 520STFM on sale before Christmas, Amstrad to launch PC 1512 in the U.S. in January, Microprose ends relationship with U.S. Gold, Atari revenue increases, tape release of Marble Madness for the Commodore 64 delayed, and more.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about copyrighted game names, improved BASIC, RAM disks, upgrading to a 1541 disk drive, and more.
    • Soundcheck – A look at music software and hardware for the Spectrum including Micon, Casio CZ Editor, Ram Music Machine, and more.
    • Communications – A look at the latest features of Compunet, an online service for Commodore 64 users.
    • New Releases – A look at the latest releases including Top Gun (Amstrad CPC), Jail Break (Amstrad CPC), One (Amstrad CPC), Golf (Amstrad CPC), Super Soccer (Amstrad CPC), Electric Lantern Show (Amstrad CPC), Timelink (Atari ST), Rhythm (Atari ST), Power Pack (BBC B, Electron), Colossus 4 Chess (BBC), Back to Reality (Commodore 64), Assault Machine (Commodore 64), Legend of the Apache Gold (Commodore 64), Avenger – Way of the Tiger 2 (Commodore 64), Micro Rhythm (Commodore 64), The Prince (Commodore 64), Firelord (Commodore 64), Top Gun (Commodore 64), Howard the Duck (Commodore 64), Moonmist (Commodore 64), Graham Gooch’s Test Cricket (Commodore 128), The Dam Busters (MSX), Spitfire 40 (MSX), Wizard’s Lair (MSX), Battlefield Germany (Spectrum), and much more.
    • Ziggurat – Programs that help you solve crossword puzzles.

    Christmas Features

    • The Readers’ Poll Awards – A look at the best products of the year as voted by readers including Starglider (Program of the Year), Uridium (Arcade Game of the Year), Leaderboard (Simulation of the Year), The Pawn (Adventure of the Year), Mini Office II (Business Program of the Year), Graphic Adventure Creator (Utility of the Year), the Commodore Amiga (Most Exciting New Computer), and more.
    • Now That’s What I Call Software – The staff of HCW picks their favorite software of the year. Some choices include Leaderboard, Dan Dare, On-Field Football, Leaderboard, Microsoft Basic on the Mac, The Bard’s Tale, and more.
    • Review of the Year – A look back at all the Amstrad news of the last year.
    • Program Blues – Struggles with programming on an Amstrad 464.
    • In The Money – A guide to getting into commercial programming.

    Special Supplement

    • Computer Graphics – Animator 1 for the Spectrum from Softcat, Degas Elite for the Atari ST, Artscribe for the Atari ST, Electronic Studio’s Amstrad video digitiser, and more.

    …and more!


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  • PC World (November 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    As far as mainstream PC specific magazines go, PC World was probably the best. I preferred Maximum PC but that one was a little more specialized. Plus it came along more than 20 years after this issue. 1984 was still early days for the PC and PC magazines. The November 1984 issue includes:

    Getting Started

    • Of Spreadsheets and Models – A look at financial modeling programs that started life in mainframes including Micro/Prophit and Encore! Micro!

    Community

    • World Class PC – Readers pick their favorite PC software and hardware. Some items here include the Compaq-Plus Portable Computer, Lotus 1-2-3, Peachtree Accounting, Tallgrass TG-3012 12MB hard disk and 20MB tape backup combo, Hayes Smartmodem 1200, Tandon TM 100-2 floppy drive, SixPakPlus, Wordstar, Smartcom II, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PC-DOS 2.10, and lots more.
    • In Quest of True BASIC – The creators of BASIC discuss the past and future of the language.

    Review

    • Framework: Simplicity and Synergy – Framework is an integrated software package from Ashton-Tate that includes word processing, spreadsheet, data management, graphics, communications, and more.
    • Planning for Profit – A review of Micro/Prophit, a financial modeling and analysis program.
    • Follow the Yellow Brick Road – A review of Oz, a financial modeling package that helps analyze budgets, create org charts, and more.
    • The PC’s Space Program – A review of Spacemaker, a program designed to reduce wasted disk space.

    PCjr World

    • PCjr Gets Bigger and Better – The latest iteration of the PCjr includes an improved keyboard and 128K more RAM. However, the PCjr was never a good deal as far as low end computers go.
    • Two Word Processors in Search of a Home – A look at Bank Street Writer and WordPlus-Jr.

    State of the Art

    • 80286: Intel’s Multitask Master – Details of Intel’s new 286 processor and how it may eventually give the PC the power to run four programs simultaneously, act as a server in a 16 PC network, and more.
    • Toward a Graphics Standard – A look at the NAPLPS standard for graphics communication and display.

    Hands On

    • Frame by Frame – A hands on example using Framework.
    • Personal Macro Economics – Using Lotus 1-2-3’s Macro feature to help keep track of your budget.

    Departments

    • David Bunnell – A history of MITS and the Altair.
    • Harry Miller – A look at recent changes in PC World with the goal of making information more accessible.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about warranties, copyrights and trademarks, repair costs, and more.
    • PC World View – A look at a company called Namelab that helps companies figure out how to name themselves.
    • The Help Screen – Advice about switching printers, software for managing apartments, changing cursor shape, and more.
    • Compatibles Update – Using PCs as workstations, Wang improves PC compatibility, the TI Professional Computer, sluggish sales of the DEC Rainbow, and more.

    …and more!


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