• Tag Archives computers

  • PC World (October 1986)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC World – October 1986

    PC World was perhaps the most popular PC specific magazine from the 1980s through at least the early 2000s. 1980s issues especially had huge page counts with this one coming in at over 450 pages. The October 1986 issue includes:

    Getting Started

    • Up From the Drafting Board – CAD on the PC. Choosing the right software and hardware. Available CAD software at the time included AutoCAD, VersaCAD, ProDesign II, Personal Designer, EasyCAD, ProDesign II, RoboCAD-PC, and others.

    Community

    • World Class PC – Readers pick their favorite hardware and software in over 39 categories. Some winners include: IBM PC AT (best desktop computer), Compaq Portable 286 Model 2 (best transportable computer), Data GeneralOne (best lap-size computer), Hayes Smartmodem 1200 (best modem), SixPakPlus (best memory expansion board), 20MB ST 225 (best hard drive), WordPerfect (best word processor), 1-2-3 (best spreadsheet), Norton Utilities (best utility), Crosstalk XVI (best communications software), Turbo Pascal (best programming language), Microsoft Flight Simulator (best game), and many others.
    • PCs Into Plowshares – Using personal computers to improve farm efficiency.
    • Timothy Leary’s Looking Glass – A look at Mind Mirror, a “mental adventure” game designed by Timothy Leary and published by Electronic Arts.

    Review

    • Andrew Tobias: Right on the Money – A look at the latest version of Managing Your Money, a series of related programs for managing your finances.
    • A Plan for DBASE III – A look at the latest version of dBASE III Plus. The menu driven assistant, greater programming power, and new networking features are a few of the major improvements.
    • Mapping Strategies – A look at mapping software for the PC including Atlas AMP, Map-Master, and Randmap.
    • CD-ROM: The Little Leviathan – CD-ROM didn’t really take off until the early to mid 1990s. However, it had been around a while by that point. This article looks at some of the first CD-ROM releases for the Philips CM 100 CD ROM player. Titles include databases such as Electronic Encyclopedia, Compact Disclosure, Medline, Life Sciences, and ASFA. Costs were extremely high though with prices for these titles ranging from $1500 to $4500.

    State of the Art

    • The PC Prescription – New PC medical programs help doctors administer medicine with greater accuracy.
    • TARGA’s Vision Vision – A look at AT&T’s TARGA 16 image capture and display board which allows the capture of still images from video.

    Hands On

    • Outlining With Style – A look at Microsoft Word 3.0’s outlining capabilities using style sheets.
    • BASICally Better Menus – Creating custom menus with BASIC and batch commands.

    Departments

    • David Bunnell – PC vs. Macintosh.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about desktop publishing on the PC, Volkswriter 3, computer dealers, and more.
    • REMark – The difference between tools and solutions.
    • PC World View – Mitch Kapor leaves Lotus, government PC purchases, Z-Glove input device, and more.
    • From the Hardware Shelf – A look at the PC+ from Thompson, Harriman & Edwards, the Kimtron KT-7/PC, and more.
    • From the Software Shelf – A look at the Traveling SideKick organizer, SmartNotes, The Printing Press, and more.
    • Password: Communicate – A look at the services offered by CMQ, a Canadian online investment service.
    • The Help Screen – Questions answered about BASIC on XT clones, using DOS commands from BASIC, using BASIC BSAVE for saving image arrays to disk, and more.
    • Kevin Strehlo – The exaggerated problem of spreadsheet disasters.

    …and more!


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  • Byte (November 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Byte – November 1985 – – Cover

    Byte was one of the more successful early computer magazines. It’s popularity faded away as coverage moved away from more technical subjects and computer became more of a commodity item. It was definitely going strong in 1985 though. The November 1985 issue has over 500 pages and includes:

    Features

    • Ciarcia’s Circuit Cellar: The World’s Smallest 1200-bps Modem – Customizing a modem to include answering service, speech synthesis, and more.
    • Programming Project: An Assembler For VM2 – Creating an assembler for the VM2 virtual machine presented in the previous issue.
    • Programming Project: Extending Turbo Pascal – Five libraries to extend Turbo Pascal including routines for input/output, integer handling, string replacement, and more.
    • CD-ROMs and Their Kin – Some of the latest developments in optical storage.
    • High and Lows of Parameter Passing – Accessing assembly-language routines from Pascal and FORTRAN programs.
    • Programming Insight: Game-Paddle Control Linearity Test – Testing paddle controllers by measuring resistance with the Apple II.

    Themes

    • The Amiga’s Custom Graphics Chips – An interview with Jay Miner, designer of the Amiga’s custom graphics chips.
    • Raster Operations – Methods for combining text and graphics, specifically using the PMR 96016 chip.
    • Moving Pictures – System design for rea-time graphics performance using double buffering.
    • High-Resolution Printer Graphics – Creating high-res printer output by addressing the individual dots used to generate characters.
    • The PD7281 Processor – A detailed look at a chip designed for high-speed parallel processing of images.

    Reviews

    • The Data GeneralOne – A portable computer featuring a 80C88 CPU, 256KB of RAM (expandable to 512K), one or two 720K 3.5″ disk drives, MS-DOS 2.11 and more starting at $2995.
    • Sanyo MBC-775 – A portable PC compatible computer featuring a 8 MHz 8088 CPU, 256K (expandable to 640K) RAM, two 360K 5.25″ disk drives, and more for $2599.
    • Five C Compilers for the Macintosh – An overview of C Compilers for the Macintosh including Aztec C, Hippo-C, Mac C, Megamax C, and Software Macintosh C.
    • Magic/L – A review of this development system that is a descendant of FORTH.
    • IBM’s Professional Graphics System – A high-resolution 12-inch color monitor (640×480) and matched graphics controller card capable of 256 colors, and various software for the low price of $1295 (display) + $2995 (graphics card).
    • Juki’s 6300 Daisy-Wheel Printer – Daisy wheel printers worked like typewriters so they produced high quality output but they were slow and couldn’t really do graphics. This one would cost you $995.

    Kernel

    • Computing at Chaos Manor: Old Favorites and New Ones – Discussion of the ARPANET, BIX, Zeke, SideKick, SuperKey, the Kaypro 286i, and more.
    • According to Webster: Memories – Discussion of Megamax C, future Macintosh computers, the Amiga, the Atari ST, optical disks, and more.
    • BYTE U.K.: Living C-Personal – A look at this real-time C debugging environment.
    • BYTE Japan: Comparing Fujitsus – A look at the Fujitsu FM-16B, a sort of update to the Fujitsu FM-11BS, as well as the NEC PC-9801M2.
    • Editorial: A Tale of Four Covers – This issue was available with four covers meant to emphasize computer graphics capabilities.
    • Microbytes – Apple introduces a RAM expansion card for the Apple II, 3.5″ disk drive for the Apple II, ImageWriter II printer, Hard Disk 20 for the Mac, and Apple Personal Modem and more; Intel starts selling samples of 80386 processors; and more.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about computing probabilities, parallel computing, star maps, Dvorak keyboards, and more.
    • What’s New – A look at new products including new tools for building expert systems, A FORTH development system for the Atari ST, Paradox database, a 256K expansion for the TRS-80 Color Computer, SideKick for the Macintosh, a bubble memory subsystem from Intel, and more.
    • Ask BYTE – Questions answered about monitor problems, books on business systems, PC-DOS on the Zenith Z-150, XT compatibility on the IBM PC, upgrading RAM on a Macintosh, and more.
    • Book Reviews – Books reviewed here include Macintosh Revealed Volume One: Unlocking The Toolbox, Advanced Programmer’s Guide Featuring dBASE III, 16-Bit Modern Microcomputers: The Intel i8086 Family, and Statistical Programs in BASIC.

    …and more!


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  • Compute!’s Gazette (November 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: ompute!’s Gazette – Issue Number 17 – November 1984

    Compute!’s Gazette was one of a few popular Commodore 64 magazines that were published in the U.S. Though it covered other 8-bit Commodore computers at times like the VIC-20, Commodore 128 and Plus/4, the bulk of its coverage through the years was for the Commodore 64. The November 1984 issue includes:

    Features

    • Bulletin Board Fever – An introduction to BBSing. BBS systems had been around for a while at this point but Commodore specific ones were rapidly gaining in popularity. This article guides you through your first call to a BBS.
    • A Buyer’s Guide to Modems – A comparison of more than 20 different modems ranging in price from $49 (Commodore VICmodem) to $289 (Hayes Smartmodem 300). All are only 300bps.
    • GAZETTE Telecommunications Software, Part 1: C/G Term – A type-in terminal program for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • Inside View: Freefall Associates – An interview with Jon Freeman and Anne Westfall, designers of Archon and Archon II: Adept.

    Reviews

    • EasyDisk – A utility designed to make managing disks (formatting, renaming files, etc.) easier.
    • MusiCalc – A difficult to use but powerful music program for the Commodore 64 and SID.
    • Adventure Creator – A cartridge-based program for the Commodore 64 that allows you to design your own adventure games.
    • Drol And Spare Change for the Commodore 64 – Two arcade style games from Broderbund for the Commodore 64. I’m not familiar with these two games specifically but Broderbund made some outstanding games (like Spelunker and Raid on Bungeling Bay).
    • Also Worth Noting – Briefer reviews of Raid on Bungeling Bay, PuzzlePanic, Gumball, 64-Accounting, Montezuma’s Revenge, and Satan’s Hollow.

    Games

    • Bagdad – This type-in game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 reminds me a bit of games like Joust.
    • Jump – This type-in game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 is sort of a cross between Space Invaders and Missile Command.
    • Supertank – In this type-in game for the Commodore 64 you must destroy other tanks before they destroy you.
    • Descent to Kaylon – In this type-in game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20, you must land your ship for resupply while avoiding asteroids and other obstacles.

    Education/Home Applications

    • Computing For Families: A Look At New Books From “Reggie” D’Ignazio – A brief look at various new books including The Commodore 64 Home Companion, Computer FUNdamentals, The Beginner’s Computer Dictionary, The Computer Alphabet Book, The Commodore Puzzle Book: BASIC Brainteasers, At the Heart of the Mountain: A BASIC Adventure for the Commodore 64, and more.
    • Budgeteer – A type-in program for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 that helps you balance your budget.

    Programming

    • BASIC Magic: The Four Most Important BASIC Commands – A look at four commands that can help you get started quickly with BASIC: PRINT, GOTO, FOR-NEXT, and INPUT.
    • Machine Language for Beginners: Getting Started – An introduction to machine language including a type-in assembler.
    • Power BASIC: Slowpoke – A short machine language program that allows you to control the speed of the PRINT command.
    • Hints & Tips – Tips for adding comments to machine language programs, LISTing BASIC programs to a file, and more.
    • Programming Sound and Graphics With The Super Expander 64 – The Super Expander 64 is a cartridge from Commodore for the C64 that adds a variety of powerful graphics and sound commands to BASIC.
    • Function Key – A type-in utility for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 that lets you define the function keys.
    • Disk Auto Load – A type-in utility for the Commodore 64 that lets you modify your programs so that they will automatically run when loaded.

    Departments

    • The Editor’s Notes – A commentary on the new Amiga which had just been shown in prototype form at the June CES.
    • Gazette Feedback – Letters from readers on the purpose of DATA statements, reading joystick movements, turning off the disk drive when not in use, implementing cursor control, connecting a printer to the SX-64, and more.
    • Simple Answers To Common Questions – A discussion on troubleshooting modem connections.
    • Horizons: 64 – An in-depth look at the new Commodore Plus/4.
    • VICreations: VIC Mailbag – Letters from readers about adjusting the speed of the 1541 disk drive for the VIC-20, converting BASIC programs from the C64 to VIC-20, using VIC-20 sound with a BMC monitor, using a Commodore 1526 printer with the VIC-20, and more.

    …and more!


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