• Tag Archives Commodore 128

  • Compute! (March 1986)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    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.
    • Requester Windows in Amiga BASIC – A guide to adding requester windows (dialog boxes) to Amiga BASIC programs.
    • Softkeys for Atari BASIC – This type-in program gives you automatic line numbering and various hotkeys when writing your own BASIC programs.
    • BASIC Sound on the Atari ST – A guide to getting started with creating basic sound effects on your Atari ST.

    …and more!


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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!


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