• Tag Archives Byte

  • Byte (May 1982)

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    In the early 1980s, there was probably no better computer magazine than Byte. In 1982, the PC had only recently been introduced and there were a variety of mostly incompatible machines to chose from. Earlier issues of Byte could also be quite huge. This issue weighs in at close to 600 pages. The May 1982 issue of Byte includes:

    Features

    • Everyone Can Know the Real Time – In the early days of personal computing, you would have to set the time and date every time you turned on the machine. This article describes how to install an increasingly affordable real-time clock chip into your computer.
    • Six Personal Computers from Japan – A comparison of new computers from Japan including the BMC if800, Canon CX-1, Hitachi MB-6890, NEC PC-8001A, Fujitsu FM-8, and Systems Formulate Corporation Bubcom80.
    • Japan Update – A look at new computers from Japan introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show, including the Casio FX-9000P, NEC PC-6000 and PC-6001, and more.
    • The Machines Behind the Machines – A look at the Japanese computer market and some of the Japanese companies producing computers, including Canon, Oki, Fujitsu, Hitachi, NEC, and Systems Formulate Corporation.
    • The Japanese Manufacturers – How Successful Will They Be? – Speculation on the potential success of Japanese companies producing computers, particularly in the American market.
    • Japan Maps Computer Domination – Japan aims to leapfrog the U.S. in terms of computer technology in terms of computer technology with fifth-generation computers.
    • The Atari Tutorial, part 9: Even More Colors! – Displaying more colors on Atari 8-bit computers with the new GTIA chip.
    • Ports of Entry and Soft Breezes for the Color Computer and Model III – Using the Cassette Interface of the TRS-80 Model III or Color Computer as input for remote sensing projects such as an anemometer.
    • The Input/Output Primer, Part 4: The BCD and Serial Interfaces – The fourth in a six-part series on computer input/output. This part concentrates on the RS-232C interface (commonly used with modems).
    • The User’s Column: Supercalc, Spelling Programs, BASIC Compilers, and Home-Grown Accounting – A look at recent software, including Supercalc CP/M, Microproof, Spellstar, BASCOM, CB80 compiler for CBASIC, CBASIC Accounting for Non-Accountants, and Quickscreen.
    • More Maze Building – A Pascal program for generating and printing out mazes via a printer.
    • TRS-80 BASIC Program Hang-ups: The Reasons and Some Solutions – Understanding and preventing crashes in TRS-80 BASIC programs.
    • Anatomy and Development of a Batch-Processing System – Batch processing refers to running a series of programs without human intervention. This article looks at its history and methods.
    • CHEDIT: A Graphics-Character Editor – A program for defining your own character sets in Apple Pascal.
    • Give Your Apple a Voice: A Speech-Development System Using the Radio Shack Speech Synthesizer – A project to get your Apple II to talk.
    • Programming PERT in BASIC – Implementing a Performance Evaluation and Review Technique in BASIC.
    • CP/M, Your Time Has Come: A Real-Time Clock for the Most Popular Microcomputer Operating System – Building a real-time clock for CP/M based systems.

    Reviews

    • Alien Typhoon – An arcade style game inspired by Space Invaders for the Apple II.
    • PL/I for Microcomputers – PL/I-80 is a PL/I implementation for CP/M. This language was originally intended to be the primarly language used for the System 360.
    • Apple II 80-Column Video Boards – A look at five different 80-Column video boards for the Apple II including the Full-View 80, Omnivision, SupRTerminal, Vidterm, Wizard-80, and others.
    • Colne Robotics Armdroid, The Small-Systems Robot – A robot arm designed for the TRS-80 Model I.
    • Super FORTH – A version of FORTH designed for the Apple II.

    Nucleus

    • Editorial – How much competition will Japan offer in the personal computer industry?
    • Letters – Readers write in about the IBM PC, warranties, the Intertec Superbrain, and more.
    • Book Reviews – Reviews of Fifty BASIC Exercises, Programmer’s Guide to the 180s, and TRS-80 Color Computer Technical Reference Manual.
    • Programming Quickies – A general purpose BASIC routine for creating structured strings which could be used to sequence vents in control programs.
    • BYTELINES – IBM looks to expand IBM PC distribution (at the time, Sears and Computerland were the only retailers), more computers using the Motorola 68000 CPU including thr TRS-80 Model 16, IBM expects to have sold 200,000 PCs by the end of the year, new slimline 8-inch floppy drives, Intel introduces the 80286, and much more.
    • Ask BYTE – Questions answered about using the TRS-80 Color Computer for farm control applications, display problems with the Color Computer and a new TV, building a digital speedometer, and more.
    • Hierarchical Interrupts – Using daisy-chained peripheral devices.
    • What’s New? – A look at new products including the Ace 100 Apple II compatible computer, the Model PC-2 TRS-80 Pocket Computer, the Wicat System 150 68000 based computer, the ACI-2 Z80-based computer with two 8-inch floppy drives, Understanding Your VIC, Volume I (book), 8088 User’s Manual, an 80-column adapter for the PET, and much more.

    …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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  • Byte (September 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Byte – September 1984

    This issue of Byte was a special issue emphasizing IBM. The IBM PC had been released a few years earlier and even in 1984, it wasn’t a given that the PC and DOS were going to take over the world. CP/M was still around with CP/M 86 having been introduced as well and even “compatible” PCs were not always that compatible yet. I think Byte did one of these IBM special issues (which also covered IBM’s larger systems as well) for a few years at least. The September 1984 issue of Byte includes:

    Introduction

    • IBM and its PCs – How IBM stepped into a void in a crowded market to provide the ability to address a lot of memory (for the time), an 80 column display, an open system architectures, and a good keyboard/word processing combo…a combination of features lacking in other systems. I find it interesting that this editorial calls the IBM PC the third major standard behind CP/M and the Apple II. Not sure how the Apple II gets that label as there were other machines nearly or in some cases more popular. The Apple II line (including the IIgs) sold 5-6 million machines, the TRS-80 line sold 2.5 million, Atari sold 4-5 million Atari 8-bit computers and the Commodore 64 sold 17-20 million Commodore 64s and I don’t think that number includes the compatible Commodore 128 that sold around 4 million. Granted, all of these systems were still in production when this issue was published so these numbers had not yet been reached.
    • IBM Personal Computers at a Glance – While there were a number of upgrades available, a basic IBM PC in 1984 included an Intel 8088 4.77MHz CPU, 256K RAM (max 640K), 360K 5.25-inch floppy drive, and five expansion slots for $1995. The IBM PC XT was very similar but included a 10 MB hard drive and eight expansion slots and cost $4395. The PCjr was IBMs attempt at a purely “home computer” and included only 64K (max 128K) and a terrible chicklet keyboard but included a built-in color adapter and cartridge slots (but no standard expansion slots). Finally, there was the IBM Portable PC which basically had the same specs as the IBM PC in a luggable form factor and built-in 9-inch amber monitor. Then there were specialized configurations designed for use with IBMs mainframes and other specialized machines.
    • Forecast: Market Dominance – IBM shipped 600,000 IBM PCs and XTs in 1983 and all signs were pointing to dominance by IBM in the personal computer market. It would take almost another decade before the IBM PC standard was essentially the only standard. Ironically, in another 10 years IBM would be exiting the personal computer business.

    Stalwarts

    • A Tale of Two Operating Systems – A comparison of Microsoft’s PC-DOS (which was at version 2.0 at this point) and IBM’s XT/370 OS.
    • The Future of UNIX on the IBM PC – A look at UNIX on the IBM PC (which was already available at the time).
    • Five Window Managers for the IBM PC – Before Microsoft Windows came to dominate, there were numerous other window managers that ran on top of DOS. This article includes a preview of five of them including DesQ, WindowMaster, VisiOn, Concurrent DOS, and of course Windows itself.
    • Two Logos for the IBM PC – A comparison of two implementations of Logo including one by Digital Research (DR Logo) and one by IBM (IBM Personal Computer Logo).
    • The Logical Record Keeper: PROLOG on the IBM PC – A look at a PROLOG implementation for the IBM PC based on DEC-10 PROLOG.
    • An Introduction to PC Assembly Language – A beginner’s guide to assembly language on the 8088. The only assembly language programming I ever did was on a 68000 in college. I understand that the 68000 is much nicer to program for in assembly than 8086/8088 CPUs and their derivatives.
    • Technical and Business Graphics on the IBM PC – Business graphics meant things like charts, graphs and presentation software. While most things are PowerPoint today, such “business graphics” were done with a combination of spreadsheet software, graphing software, and presentation software. Some of the software looked at here includes SuperCalc3, Lotus 1-2-3, GrafTalk, Business Graphics System, DR Graph and ChartMaster.
    • Word Processing Revisited – Reviews of the latest versions of WordStar, Word, pfs:Write, MultiMate, and FinalWord.
    • Six Database-Management Systems for the IBM PC – A comparison of six popular DBMSs for the PC including Condor 3 2.11, dBASE II 2.4A, R:base 4000 1.10, KnowledgeMan 1.06, C.I.P 1A, and pfs:file/pfs:report.
    • Evaluating 8087 Performance on the IBM PC – The 8087 is the optional math co-processor that works with the IBM PC and IBM PC XT (as well as some clones). This article evaluates its performance and even compares some functions on a Cray super computer (which was “only” 180 times faster in some cases).

    Extra Power for Special Needs

    • The IBM XT/370 Personal Computer – The XT/370 was a special version of the IBM PC XT that could operate as an XT personal computer, an interactive full screen terminal to a mainframe, or in a mode that can actually run System/370 programs.
    • Number Crunching on IBM’s New S9000 – The S9000 was based on the Motorola 68000 CPU and could use large amounts of RAM (2 MB or more). It was designed for scientific uses and this article evaluates its performance for use in nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry.
    • The Mainframe Connection: IBM’s 3270 PC – The 3270 PC was a special version of the PC that included the high speed terminal interface for mainframes and could simultaneously run DOS programs.
    • Modems: The Next Generation – A comparison of some of the latest modems including the Prentice X100 POPCOM ($475), Hayes Smartmodem 1200B ($599), Bizcomp PC-Intellimodem ($499), Novation ACCESS 1-2-3 ($595), Cermetek INFO-MATE 212PC ($480), and Microcom ERA2 ($499). All support 1200bps.
    • Moving Data Between PCs and Mainframes – Today, moving data around is trivial. In the olden days, moving data between mainframes and personal computers could be more of a pain.
    • Testing for IBM PC Compatibility – There were many PC “compatible” machines by 1984. However, in the early days, compatibility could vary. Some machines were more compatible than others. This article presents two programs that can test for compatibility issues.
    • What’s New – CallText 5000 text-to-speech converter and telephone interface, Micro-Design hard drives (5 to 22 MB), RAM+6 multifunction card with real-time clock, Multi-Tech MultiModem, AST MPII 64K memory expansion and clock/calendar, Spellbinder, PortaAPL, Metafile 8.0, and much more.

    …and more!


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