{"id":35058,"date":"2025-01-28T16:28:20","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T21:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/?p=35058"},"modified":"2025-02-05T11:00:08","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T16:00:08","slug":"personal-computer-news-january-19th-1985","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2025\/01\/28\/personal-computer-news-january-19th-1985\/","title":{"rendered":"Personal Computer News (January 19th, 1985)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"\/magazines\/index.php?twg_album=Computer_Magazines%2FPersonalComputerNews%2FIssue095&amp;twg_show=PersonalComputerNews09500001.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-35059\" src=\"\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001-743x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"743\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001-743x1024.jpg 743w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001-218x300.jpg 218w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001-768x1058.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001-87x120.jpg 87w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001.jpg 969w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Source: <em><a href=\"\/magazines\/index.php?twg_album=Computer_Magazines%2FPersonalComputerNews%2FIssue095&amp;twg_show=PersonalComputerNews09500001.jpg\">Personal Computer News &#8211; Issue Number 95 &#8211; January 19th, 1985<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Personal Computer News was a weekly computer magazine that was published in the U.K. As far as I know, we didn&#8217;t really have anything like this in the U.S. I remember some weekly publications for computers but they were business oriented.<\/p>\n<p>The January 19th, 1985 issue includes:<\/p>\n<h1>Output<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Spectrum Toolkit<\/b> &#8211; A type-in set of programming tools for the Spectrum. They help you renumber, delete lines, delete REMs (comments), create line 0 REM, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>QL Magic<\/b> &#8211; A type-in set of machine language tools that enhance QDOS on the Spectrum QL.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>64 Sprites<\/b> &#8211; A type-in sprite handling program for the Commodore 64.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Bruce to the Rescue, Pt. II<\/b> &#8211; The second part of an arcade style type-in game for the Commodore 64. The first part was provided in the previous issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>BBC Lander<\/b> &#8211; A type-in Lunar Lander style game for the BBC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Hardware<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Canon&#8217;s Contender<\/b> &#8211; A review of the Canon V-20 which was Canon&#8217;s first implementation of an MSX standard computer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Peripherals<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Spectrum Teletex<\/b> &#8211; An adapter for the Spectrum that is essentially a digital modem that allows access to a specific service (Teletext).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Acorn ROM Routines<\/b> &#8211; Two expansion options for the BBC that allows additional ROMs to be added including the Sideways ROM cartridge system and ROM box.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"attachment wp-att-35060\" href=\"\/wordpress\/?attachment_id=35060\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-35060\" src=\"\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001c-743x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"743\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001c-743x1024.jpg 743w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001c-218x300.jpg 218w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001c-768x1058.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001c-87x120.jpg 87w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500001c.jpg 969w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Software<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Beeb Makes Music<\/b> &#8211; Review of The Music System for the BBC. This software consists of five modules including a synthesizer, editor, printer, linker, and keyboard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>IBM Writes&#8230;<\/b> &#8211; A review of Samna Word III, a word processor for the IBM PC.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Regulars<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Monitor<\/b> &#8211; Atari announces XE line of 8-bit computers and the Atari ST; Commodore shows Commodore 128 and Commodore LCD; Commodore 64 and Spectrum top the sales charts for Christmas; and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>PCNCharts<\/b> &#8211; Top 20 games overall, top 10 Spectrum games, top 10 Commodore 64 games, plus top computers. Ghostbusters was at the top of all three software charts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Random Access<\/b> &#8211; Letters from readers about the MSX, Doomdark, the Independent Sinclair User Group, the Sanyo MBC, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Routine Enquiries<\/b> &#8211; Questions answered about choosing between the BBC and Enterprise computers, using a typewriter as a printer, increasing the number of characters displayed on the Dragon 32, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Microwaves<\/b> &#8211; Various tips and tricks for your computer including a machine code routine for blinking the cursor on the Atari 8-bit, creating random access files of less than 16k on the BBC, a program to warn you when you are entering lower case letters on the BBC, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Dungeon<\/b> &#8211; A look at Spider-Man by Scott Adams.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Gameplay<\/b> &#8211; Reviews of The Backpackers Guide to the Universe, Pt. 1 (Spectrum), Jet Boat (BBC), Kami-Kaze (Commodore 64), Ewgeebez (BBC), Henry&#8217;s House (Commodore 64), Firebug (BBC), 3D Starstrike (Spectrum), Black Tower (Spectrum), Impossible Mission (Commodore 64) &#8211; probably by far the best game in this set of reviews but also the only one of them I&#8217;ve played, Maze (BBC), and Match Day (Spectrum).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Billboard<\/b> &#8211; A classifieds style by\/sell\/want section.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-35061\" src=\"\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500050-743x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"743\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500050-743x1024.jpg 743w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500050-218x300.jpg 218w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500050-768x1058.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500050-87x120.jpg 87w, https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/PersonalComputerNews09500050.jpg 969w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&#8230;and more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: Personal Computer News &#8211; Issue Number 95 &#8211; January 19th, 1985 Personal Computer News was a weekly computer magazine that was published in the U.K. As far as I know, we didn&#8217;t really have anything like this in the U.S. I remember some weekly publications for computers but they were business oriented. The January 19th, 1985 issue includes: Output Spectrum Toolkit &#8211; A type-in set of programming tools for the Spectrum. They help you renumber, delete lines, delete REMs (comments), create line 0 REM, and more. QL Magic &#8211; A type-in set of machine language tools that enhance QDOS on the Spectrum QL. 64 Sprites &#8211; A type-in sprite handling program for the Commodore 64. Bruce to the Rescue, Pt. II &#8211; The second part of an arcade style type-in game for the Commodore 64. The first part was provided in the previous issue. BBC Lander &#8211; A type-in Lunar Lander style game for the BBC. Hardware Canon&#8217;s Contender &#8211; A review of the Canon V-20 which was Canon&#8217;s first implementation of an MSX standard computer. Peripherals Spectrum Teletex &#8211; An adapter for the Spectrum that is essentially a digital modem that allows access to a specific service (Teletext). [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[66,486,2835,4131,2362],"class_list":["post-35058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computer-arcana","tag-66","tag-computers","tag-magazine","tag-personal-computer-news","tag-retrocomputing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35058"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35088,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35058\/revisions\/35088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}