PC Magazine (January 8th, 1985)

PC Magazine (January 8th, 1985) PC Magazine was one of the most popular PC magazines in the 1980s and 1990s. The January 8, 1985 issue includes:

Cover Stories

• Computing - Predictions for the future of personal computing including a computer on every desk by the early 1990s, as many computers as TVs in the home by the end of the century, and lots more.


• Other Voices, Other Futures - The opinions of various people on the future of computing. Those surveyed include Ray Bradbury, a theologian, Bob Hope's personal comedy writer, and many others.

_{Table of Contents from the January 8th, 1985 issue of PC Magazine}

Features

• Graphics That Dress for Success - A look at various busines graphics software, mostly for data visualization. Products looked at include VCN ExecuVison, HyperGraphics, and ExecGraphics.


• Charting Your Course on the PC - A look at software specifically for creating charts and graphs including Lotus 1-2-3, SuperCalc, Chart-Master, DR Graph, GrafTalk, and Graphwriter.


• PC Systems for Pie Chart Picassos - A look at three buisness presentation graphics software packages, including PictureIt/VideoShow, Presentation Master, and Genigraphics.


• Samurai Image Processor - A system that uses software, a graphics card, and a film recorder to produce slies of computer graphics. This was before projectors and PowerPoint.


• PC Graphics Challenge the Mighty Cray - Comparing the graphics capabilities of the PC with those of the Cray super computer.

_{Table of Contents from the January 8th, 1985 issue of PC Magazine (continued)}

Pro Columns

• Freehand Graphics - Two art programs for the PC, PC Paintbrush and Dr. Halo, are evaluated and compared to MacPaint.


• For Doctors: Windows in the Office - A look at Doctor's Office Manager, medical software from IBM.


• A PC Helps Fight Class-Action Suits - How PCs, along with an Epson FX-100 printer, Hayes 1200B internal modem, R:base Series 4000 database software, PMate text editing software, Multiplan spreadsheet software, WordStar word processor and FYI 3000 text management software, helped to win class-action lawsuits against Burlington Northern, Western Electric, Motorola, and the Chicago City Council.


• Up in Smoke - Using Halon 1211 instead of water and other traditional to fight fire in order to protect electronic equipment and magnetic media.

Departments

• PC News - Data loss becomes an increasing problem as those new to mass storage systems don't backup their data. Tape backups were the best choice at the time. Infocom releases a database package called Cornerstone. Compaq updates Deskpro line of computers with 10-30 MB hard drives...and more.


• The Market Grows Up - How both PCs and users have matured over recent years.


• More Than Pretty Pictures - The limitations of current PC business graphics packages.


• Letters to PC - Letters from readers about software being sold before it is ready, The Technical Investor, Garland Pathfinder, and mail-order price wars.


• Hard Disk Housekeeping - A look at various programs to help organize and keep your hard drive clean.
  
• Checkerboard Challenge - Reviews of Gramps: The Checker Champion and Sargon III.

_{Back cover of the January 8th, 1985 issue of PC Magazine}

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Science Has a Major Fraud Problem. Here’s Why Government Funding Is the Likely Culprit

President Biden’s 2024 budget includes over $210 billion directed toward federal research and development, an approximately $9 billion increase from 2023 funding. That might not sound particularly bad—after all, who doesn’t like science and innovation?

But, although seemingly noble, the billions pumped into the US government’s National Science Foundation don’t always translate into finding cures for debilitating diseases, or developing groundbreaking technologies.

In recent years, although technology and peer-review techniques have become more widespread, fraud has remained a consistent issue. The problem has gotten so out of hand that world-class researchers and medical ethics analysts believe the public should be aware of the widespread inaccuracies plaguing medicine.

Dr. Richard Smith, the former editor-in-chief of the BMJ and cofounder of the Committee on Medical Ethics (COPE), details,

Health professionals and journal editors reading the results of a clinical trial assume that the trial happened and that the results were honestly reported. But about 20% of the time, said Ben Mol, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Monash Health, they would be wrong. As I’ve been concerned about research fraud for 40 years, I wasn’t as surprised as many would be by this figure, but it led me to think that the time may have come to stop assuming that research actually happened and is honestly reported, and assume that the research is fraudulent until there is some evidence to support it having happened and been honestly reported.

Independent analysis done by J. B. Carlisle confirms Dr. Smith’s suspicions. As Carlisle analyzed dozens of government-funded control trials, he found a staggering 44% contained false data. These findings are swept under the rug by most mainstream news outlets, which is a problem in itself. If government-funded research produces such sloppy results, the taxpayers funding it at least deserve to know the outcomes of the experiments they paid for.

Getting to the Root of the Problem

To understand why government-funded research tends to be so inaccurate, it's crucial to look at history and remember how government involvement in research started.

It all ties back to the National Science Foundation (NSF), one of the first government agencies built for funding science. In the late 1940s, one of the most outspoken supporters of the NSF was Democratic Senator Harley Kilgore. His motivations were clear: the NSF was to provide the government with a pool of educated researchers that could be used for strategic purposes during the Cold War. Scientific inquisition was never the primary purpose of the NSF.

In addition to this, the system of “checks and balances” in scientific research is completely off-kilter. Private journals risk damage to their reputation if it is revealed that they have published fraudulent research. Privately funded journals compete to be the best among pools of hundreds of other publications. To maintain legitimacy in the eyes of future researchers and funders, publishing high quality research is in the private journal’s self-interest.

Academic institutions funded by governments, on the other hand, are motivated to shield their researchers, as researchers play a crucial role in securing substantial grant funding for the institution, often reaching into the millions of dollars. Government exists in a playing field outside the private sector—they aren’t competing against other specialized journals. Because they aren’t specialized and fund a wide array of projects, they can often afford to let “a few bad apples” through (unfortunately, at the expense of taxpayers).

The source of funding also undoubtedly (at the very least subconsciously) sways the research outcomes. There are several ways the government introduces bias into research. For one, the state often ignores certain scientific queries, forcing researchers to adopt different hypotheses or study different questions to gain any funding. Without any market forces guiding research and development, study objectives start aligning more with the interests of bureaucrats and less with the interests of patients.

Government agencies also don’t want to fund proposals that contradict the agency’s political ideas. If the research’s outcome even slightly threatens the government’s power, funding is likely to be cut off, often for extended periods. These outcomes are clearest when it comes to funding regarding the social sciences and economics, but also occur with life science research. 34% percent of scientists receiving federal funding have acknowledged engaging in research misconduct to align research with their funder’s political and economic agenda. Moreover, a mere 24% of these researchers have disclosed these ethically questionable research practices to their supervisors.

This incentive structure also explains why there is a limited amount of research into the accuracy of government-funded research. Many researchers are simply too afraid of the funding and reputational consequences that come with revealing problems with government funding. When there is research into federal funding bias, it is often concentrated on very specific and politically divisive topics (such as the use of stem cells). A team of researchers at the CATO Institute found just 44 Google Scholar articles from 2010-2014 that dealt with this type of government bias influencing research.

The Private-Sector Alternative

The government’s overpowering role in science simultaneously crowds out private sources of funding. Despite this, there is some good news: the private sector is getting more and more involved in scientific funding by the day.

Globally, 70% of science is financed privately. Charities like the American Cancer Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute collectively contribute billions of dollars to spurring innovation in their respective fields.

For example, renowned neurologist Dr. Helen Mayberg’s research into deep brain stimulation as a depression treatment wasn’t supported by government grants. Instead, private sources funded her research. Yet, her discoveries led to additional trials and eventually breakthroughs in the way depression is treated.

Most Americans treat government-funded science as the holy grail of scientific research, but it truly isn’t. Without proper market signals guiding the direction of research, millions of tax dollars are lost, and thousands of hours of scientific research are wasted. As Milton Friedman explained regarding government funding of science, “The scientific ability of really able people is being diverted from the goals they would like to pursue themselves to the goals of government officials.” It's up to the next generation to decide who they trust more: scientists, or the state?

Ulyana Kubini

Ulyana Kubini is a Ukrainian-American entrepreneur and political activist.

This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

Science Has a Major Fraud Problem. Here’s Why Government Funding Is the Likely Culprit

Computer Gaming World (August 1986)

Computer Gaming World (August 1986)

Computer Gaming World was the first major computer games magazine in the U.S. It was published for many years, eventually morphing into Games for Windows and dying not long after that. In its early days, it covered computers of all types. The August 1986 issue includes:

Features

• American Dream - Review of a management simulation in which you are the CEO of a robot manufacturing company.
  
• Phantasie II - Review of this RPG from SSI for the Apple II and Commodore 64. The mechanics of the Phantasie games are a sort of rudimentary predecessor to the AD&D Gold Box games that would come later.
  
• Industry Update - An overview of the June Consumer Electronics Show. Some new products shown and/or announced include Accolade's Ace of Aces, Electronic Art's multiple new titles including Thomas M. Disch's Amnesia, Battlefront, Chessmaster 2000, Murder Party, Ogre, Mind Mirror, Scavenger Hunt, Bard's Tale II, Autoduel, Ultimate Wizard, Business Simulator, Ultima III and others. Plus releases from a new company called Cinemaware and more.

_{Table of Contents from the August 1986 issue of Computer Gaming World}

Departments

• Sports Scoreboard - A look at some of the latest sports games including GBA Championship Basketball, Bop 'N Wrestle, an add-on disk for Leader Board as well as Avalon Hill's Tournament Golf and Micro League Baseball.


• Amiga Preferences - A brief look at new games for the Amiga including Mynd Walker, Mastertype, Rogue, and The Temple of Apshai Trilogy.


• Commodore Key - A brief look at the latest Commodore 64 game related releases including Garry Kitchen's Game Maker, Elite, Colossus, Booty & Cylu, Willow Pattern & Chimera, Gerry the Germ & Microcosm, Runestone & The Helm, Sabre Wulf & Underwurlde, Rasputin & Chicken Chase, Battle of Britain & Battle for Midway, Brian Bloodaxe, Revelation, Quovadis, Spell of Destruction, and lots more. Also noted is the fact that the Commodore 64 has sold more than any other home computer at this point at 3.5 million units.


• Macintosh Window - A look at the latest entertainment releases for the Macintosh including Orbiter from Spectrum Holobyte and Flight Simulator.

_{Back cover of the August 1986 issue of Computer Gaming World}

Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2024/01/22/computer-gaming-world-august-1986/

Compute! (November 1988)

Compute! (November 1988)

Compute! covered popular home computers of the day. In the early days it covered exclusively 6502 based computers. By this time, they were covering all popular computers in the home which included The Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS based machines of all types, Commodore 64, Apple II, and maybe others. The November 1988 issue includes:

Features

• Communicate by Design - An introduction to desktop publishing including info on where to get more training.


• Print That Page - An overview of six printers recommended by Compute! including the Epson LQ-850, Star NB24-10, Okidata Microline 390, NEC Pinwriter P5200, Hewlett-Packard DeskJet, and Apple ImageWriter LQ.


• How Are Computers Made? - A photographic tour of the Tandy Business Products Plant in fort Worth, Texas, specifically following the production of a Tandy 4000.

_{Table of Contents from the November 1988 issue of Compute!}

Reviews

• Fast Looks - A brief look at recent releases including Sports Scheduler (software for organizing sports leagues) for the Apple II and DOS; and Cosmic Relief (an animated puzzle game) for the Amiga, Atari ST and Commodore 64.


• NewsMaster II - A page layout program from Unison World for DOS.


• Springboard Publisher - A desktop publishing program for the Apple II.


• Street Sports Soccer - Part of Epyx's Street Sports Series. According to this, Streets Sports Soccer is available for the Commodore 64, DOS, and Apple IIgs with an Apple II version coming in the Fall.

_{Table of Contents from the November 1988 issue of Compute! (continued)}

Compute! Specific

• MS-DOS - Extend-a-Name, a memory resident program designed to allow you to use filenames greater than eight character filename plus three letter extension allowed by DOS; Microsoft an IBM announces MS-DOS 4.0; starting programs from batch files and more.


• 64 & 128 - The possible demise of the Commodore 64/128 as software publishers de-emphasize releases for that platform; Bards Tale III by Electronic Arts released for the C64; Reach for the Stars released by SSG/Electronic Arts; Bubble Ghost released by Accolade; Metrocross released by Epyx; and more.


• Apple II - Apple IIgs version of Pirates released by MicroProse; Computer Learning News (a newspaper aimed at kids 8-12) soon to debut as a monthly publication; the Apple IIgs gets a software update (including GS/OS 2.0); and more.


• Amiga - New programming tools released including C.A.P.E. (assembler), MetaScope (debugger), and DSM (disassembler); Commodore introduces high resolution monochrome monitor; V.I.P. anti-virus software released; and more.

Columns

• Editorial License - A criticism of personal computer provincialism.


• News & Notes - Apple released the Apple IIc Plus; DOS 4.0 released; Kyodai and Broderbund join forces to release Japanese games in the U.S.; and more.


• Gameplay - Orson Scott Card examines Romance of the Three Kingdoms.


• Impact - Why paper usage continues to rise in the era of the "paperless" office.


• Discoveries - Resources for using older computers such as the TRS 100/200, Plus/4, Timex Sinclair, VIC-20, and others for various purposes such as education.

_{Back cover from the November 1988 issue of Compute! (continued)}

Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2024/01/15/compute-november-1988/

RUN (October 1986)

RUN (October 1986)

RUN wasn't the first Commodore related magazine I ever bought but it was the last. I was buying and reading it sometime in 1989 until it died off at the end of 1992. I think I started picking it up after Commodore Magazine stopped being published and some of the Commodore 64 coverage they used to have was incorporated into RUN. The October 1986 issue includes:

Features

• Big Software For Small Business - A look at some of the business related software available for the Commodore 128. Software covered here includes Vizawrite and Vizastar (word processing and database), Business Pro-Pak (statistics software that works in CP/M mode), Chartpak 128 (creates charts and graphics), The Consultant (database), Data Manager 128 (database/report writing/label-making), dfile128 (database), Fleet System 3 (word processor), Ghost Writer 128 (word processor), Jane 2.0 (word processor, spreadsheet, and database), Microsoft Multiplan (budgeting software), Paperback Writer/Planner/Filer 128 (word processing/database/spreadsheet), PaperClip II (word processor), Partner 128 (cartridge-based desktop accessory package), Swiftcalc 128 (spreadsheet), WordPro 128 (word processor), Word Writer 128 (word processor), Superbase 128 (database), and CMS General Accounting System (accounting).


• Software to Improve Your Business Picture - A look at available Computer Aided Design packages including Flexidraw, CADPAK, CAD-3D, CAD GEM, GEOS (specifically GeoPaint), and CADPIC 64.


• Computer Creativity - A sort of case study of someone who uses a Commodore 64 for his art related business. Hardware used includes a Commodore 64, 1541 disk drive, Cardco CSD-1 disk drive, 1702 color monitor and Okimate-10 color printer. Software includes Word Writer, Sylvia Porter's Your Financial Planner, Movie Maker, KoalaPainter, and Design Lab.


• Commodore Power - Another case study in the use of Commodore computers. In this case, a power plant in Fort Pierce, Florida is using Commodore 64s for word processing, recording in plant meter readings, and generating summaries, calculations and reports for plant activities. Software used includes Multiplan, VizaStar, Superbase64, Speedscript and The Print Shop. The VIC-20 is also being used as a data collection instrument that reads gas and watt meters then generates various calculations.
  
• 64 Personal Ledger - A type-in book keeping program for the Commodore 64 to help with things like home business or club finances.


• High-Resolution Revolution - A type-in hi-res drawing application for the Commodore 64.

_{Table of Contents from the October 1986 issue of RUN
Table of Contens from the October 1986 issue of RUN (continued)}

Departments

• RUNning Ruminations - A summary of the results of a recent reader survey.


• Magic - Short programs that perform various "magic". Included this month are some tips for using function keys, a program that highlights REM statements, a graph paper generator, sound effects when printing, a simple hi-res sketch program, a tip to append programs, a two-line Basic 4.5 quick loader, and more.
  
• Mega-Magic - Like Magic above but slightly longer programs. This month are some routines for scrolling text in various directions.


• Software Gallery - Reviews of The Music Studio (music composer from Activision), Gato (World War II submarine sim), Your Financial Planner (finance program for the C128), Fleet System 3 (C128 word processor), Infiltrator (action game from Mindscape), Jet (combat flights sim), Personal Inventory/Personal Account/Time Manager (CP/M based software for the C128), Solo Flight (flight sim from MicroProse), GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two (basketball game from Activision), Super Boulder Dash (arcade sequel from Electronic Arts), and more.


• Basically Speaking - A technique in BASIC for loading one program from another.


• Telecomputing Workshop - Questions answered about modems and online services for the Plus/4, recommendations for modems and terminal programs, terminal software for the Commodore 128, and PunterNet.


• Q-Link Happenings - Q-Link was a Commodore specific online service. Eventually, it became AOL. Updates noted here include improved Free Software Library, new casino games, music news and more.

_{Back cover of the October 1986 issue of RUN}

Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2024/01/10/run-october-1986/

Economists Are Roasting Biden’s ‘Incoherent’ Inflation Tweet—and for Good Reason

President Joe Biden’s approval rating is tanking, and he’s now trailing former President Donald Trump in national polls, as well as in some key swing states .

Vox blames the economy for Biden’s plunging popularity — or at least voters’ perception of the economy. A new Gallup poll shows that just 32% of people approve of Biden’s handling of the economy.

To combat the narrative that Biden’s policies are to blame, the White House has gone on the offensive, attacking billionaires and blaming corporations for the economic pain the public is experiencing.

“Let me be clear to any corporation that hasn’t brought their prices back down even as inflation has come down: It’s time to stop the price gouging,” Biden tweeted . “Give American consumers a break.”

It’s a strange line of attack for several reasons, but the most glaring one is that it’s entirely devoid of economic sense, something University of Michigan economics professor Justin Wolfers observed on X.

“This is not only incoherent; it’s unhelpful,” Wolfers, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Brookings Institution, said of Biden’s tweet. “It’s incoherent because lower inflation is cause for firms to moderate their price hikes, rather than cut prices. It’s unhelpful because the only path back to earlier price levels is deflation, which comes with massive economic pain.”

Melissa S. Kearney, an economics professor at the University of Maryland, responded with a face-palm emoji.

“I’m guessing the economists weren’t consulted on this one,” Kearney deadpanned.

The obvious fact the Biden White House missed is that while inflation might be slowing, it’s still positive, which means prices are still increasing — and at a clip much faster than the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%. That companies would cut prices amid a general rise in consumer prices defies economic sense.

A second problem with Biden’s tweet is that he points the finger at companies for inflation that stems from the government’s policies. In one of his most famous lectures, the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises pointed out that inflation is just that: a policy .

And if we look at recent U.S. monetary policy, it’s clear why people are suffering from inflation.

Over a four-year period, the Fed increased the M2 money supply from $14 trillion to $22 trillion at its height in the summer of 2022, an increase of more than 50% in just four years.

The M2 money supply has fallen slightly, to $21 trillion, due to tighter Fed policy, but it is still significantly above pre-pandemic levels.

This is the cause of price inflation, and one need only look at the Fed’s description of what causes inflation to confirm this.

“Inflation is caused when the money supply in an economy grows at a faster rate than the economy’s ability to produce goods and services,” the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis states on its “ Money and Inflation ” resource page.

The obvious question is: If printing money causes inflation, why are we doing it?

The Fed has long claimed that inflation is just the price we must pay to keep unemployment low, but using monetary policy to fight unemployment has always been problematic. It’s true that there is, generally, an inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation, as demonstrated by the Phillips curve . When inflation rises, unemployment falls and vice versa — at first.

This relationship weakens over time , however, which is why some astute economists, including the Nobel Prize-winner F. A. Hayek , believed that using monetary policy to curb unemployment would inevitably result in higher and higher inflation, as central banks would have to print more and more money to maintain low unemployment.

We’ve seen this phenomenon play out in numerous countries in recent history, including Argentina , where inflation is above 140%. Despite Argentina’s high inflation, its unemployment rate has averaged about 8.5% over the last decade. In other words, Argentina has high inflation and high unemployment, just as the United States did in the 1970s.

Managing unemployment might be the stated reason for inflationary policy, but the actual reason seems to be something else: It facilitates government spending. As the Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman and others have pointed out, inflation is a tax.

Taxes are what facilitate government spending, and once one grasps that inflation is a tax, the inflation picture becomes clear. Inflation is caused by expanding the money supply, but the impetus behind the money printing is government spending.

Politicians can’t admit this, of course. So they concoct ridiculous economic arguments that blame companies for the very inflation their policies cause.

This article originally appeared on The Washington Examiner. 

Jon Miltimore

Jonathan Miltimore is the Editor at Large of FEE.org at FEE.

This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

Economists Are Roasting Biden’s ‘Incoherent’ Inflation Tweet—and for Good Reason

Vintage Photos - Oestreicher (1261-1264)

See the previous post in this series here.

I had the opportunity to pick up a huge batch of slides a while back. These pictures span from as early as the late 1940s to as late as the early 1990s. These came to me second hand but the original source was a combination of estate sales and Goodwill. There are many thousands of these slides. I will be scanning some from time to time and posting them here for posterity.

Getting your pictures processed as slides used to be pretty common but it was a phenomenon I missed out on. However, my Grandfather had a few dozen slides from the late 1950s that I acquired after he died. That along with having some negatives I wanted to scan is what prompted me to buy a flatbed scanner that could handle slides and negatives, an Epson V600. It can scan up to four slides at a time with various post-processing options and does a decent enough job.

This set continues a large batch of slides that originally came from an estate sale and appear to have belonged to a locally well known photographer (or perhaps a friend or family member) from the Spokane Washington area and later Northern Idaho named Leo Oestreicher. He was known for his portrait and landscape photography and especially for post cards. His career started in the 1930s and he died in 1990. These slides contain a lot of landscape and portrait photos but also a lot of photos from day to day life and various vacations around the world. Here's an article on him from 1997 which is the only info I have found on him: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/jan/04/photos-of-a-lifetime-museum-acquisition-of-leo/

Many of these slides had the date they were processed stamped or printed on them. I've found that in cases where I could verify the date, that this date has typically been the same month the photos were taken. In other words, I expect that in MOST cases these photos were taken relatively near the processing date.

Click the link below to also see versions processed with color restoration and Digital ICE which is a hardware based dust and scratch remover, a feature of the Epson V600 scanner I am using. There are also versions processed with the simpler dust removal option along with color restoration.

Each of the photos in this set are labeled with names of people in the photos. No dates are included but they are likely from the late 1950s and at least the first one was taken around Christmas time based on the decorations you can see in the photo.

Rev. Jery Nelson + Leo

Lillian Shannon, Grace Russell

Olive Harrison

Leo + Marie

The entire collection that has been scanned and uploaded so far can also be found here.

Compute! (October 1981)

Compute! (October 1981)

Compute! is a home computer magazine that got its start all the way back in 1979. Later on, it tended to be less technical than something like Byte but by today's standards, all computer magazines were somewhat technical when this issue was published in October 1981. At the time, Compute! covered computers based on the 6502 processors such as the Commodore PET, Apple II, Atari 400/800, VIC-20 and others. This issue includes:

Columns

• The Editor's Notes - Atari reduces prices in the wake of the introduction of the VIC-20 (they would ultimately lose the price war later on vs. the Commodore 64), IBM enters the personal computer market, Atari wins school contract in Minnesota, and more.


• Computers and Society - Appropriate applications for home computers.


• Readers Feedback - A commentary on the maturing of the computer industry and Computer Aided Instruction.


• Ask the Readers - A question answered about the Apple II and TV interference and questions asked about video terminal options for an OSI computer, the 3040 Floppy Disk Unit for the PET, and more.


• Basically Useful BASIC: Automatic DATA Statements For CBM and Atari - A type-in program that converts machine language code into BASIC DATA statements.


• The Beginner's Page - Organizing and processing data with computers.


• VIC-20 News - The latest released for the new VIC-20 including the VIC Graphics Printer from Axiom, a new disk drive (this would become the 1540), various memory expansion cartridges, an RS-232 adapter for connecting a modem, plus lots of software including Blackjack, Slither/Superslither, Biorhythm Compatibility, Space Math, Car Chase, Blue Meanies from outer Space, Programmer's Aid (adds new BASIC commands), and more.

The Apple Gazette

• Budgeting On the Apple - A type in program for the Apple II that helps with budgeting tasks.


• Named GOSUBs - A machine language routine that allows you to use named GOSUBs (instead of just line numbers) in BASIC programs.


• A Tape "EXEC" For Applesoft: Loading Machine Language Programs Part II - A program that allows you to load both a BASIC program and ML routines it uses from tape.

_{Table of Contents from the October 1981 issue of Compute!}

The Atari Gazette

• Cassette Boot-Tape Generation From DOS 2.0S Binary Load File - A technique for creating a bootable tape on the Atari 400/800.


• Beware The RAMTOP Dragon - A technique for creating protected memory areas...especially from Atari's memory management.


• Documented Atari Bugs - A detailed description of bugs in Atari OS and BASIC software.


• Graph It On The Atari - A type in program for creating plots and graphs.


• Extending Player Missile Graphics - A machine language program for enhancing the capabilities of Atari's Player Missile Graphics (sprites).


• Atari 400/800 Variable Name Utility - A type in program that will display the contents of the variable name table which lets you know which variable names are already in use.

The Pet Gazette

• Practical Pet Printing Primer for Perplexed Programmers - A type-in program that helps you to print out program listings in a reasonable format.


• Odds And Ends: A Fat Forty Bug - Illustration of a bug that sometimes occurs when running BASIC 4.0 programs on a PET with 12-inch screens that was originally written for 4-inch screens.


• Machine Language: What's Your Sign? - Using signed vs. unsigned numbers.


• Train Your Pet To Run VIC Programs - A technique for getting VIC BASIC programs to run on the PET.


• Converting To Fat-40 - A tutorial for converting programs written for 9/10-inch PET 4032 to the 12-inch 40-column PET 4032.


• High Resolution Bar Graphs For The Pet - A type-in program for creating bar graphs on the PET

The SBC Gazette

• AIM 65 BASIC Floating Point Arithmetic From Machine Language - How to use floating point numbers on the SBC.


• A General Purpose BCD-To-Binary Routine - A type-in program that will convert a BCD number with any number of digits to a binary number.

_{Back cover of the October 1981 issue of Compute!}

Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2024/01/03/compute-october-1981/

PC World (July 1988)

PC World (July 1988)

Computer magazines were pretty bulky back in the day. This issue of PC World, one of the more popular magazines at the time, from July 1988 weighs in at nearly 300 pages. It includes:

Data Management

• Omnis Quartz 1.13 - This was the first relational database manager for Windows.


• Q&A 3.0 - The features included in the latest update for this database manager include better performance, overlapping windows, and better backup capabilities.


• DataEase 2.5 release 3 - This database manager includes the use of forms and menus for all functions as well as its own command language.

Word Processing

• DisplayWrite 4/2 - A version of the DisplayWrite word processor for OS/2.


• XyWrite III Plus 3.53 - This version of Xywrite adds desktop publishing features, a thesaurus and spell checker.


• Nota Bene 3.0 - A word processor that was once popular in academic settings, it includes fast indexing, lots of style and formatting commands, and foreign language processing.


• Q&A Write 1.03 - A relatively inexpensive (which at the time meant $199) and easy to use word processor that still has lots of features.

_{Table of Contents from the July 1988 issue of PC World}

Spreadsheet Add-Ins

• Lucid 3-D 1.0 - A pop-up spreadsheet that includes file linking, auditing functions, and more.


• SQZ Plus - Helps you to save disk space and secure your data.


• 3-2-1 Bastoff 1.0 - Speeds up recalculations in Lotus 1-2-3.


• 4Views 1.0 - Adds better sorting, easier data entry features, and reporting features to Lotus 1-2-3.

Desktop Publishing

• PagePerfect - Combines the features of a word processor and page-layout program.


• Publisher's Type Foundry 1.02 - A font editor that works with LaserJet and PostScript.


• Corel Tabin 1.00, Table Manners 2.2, VP/Tabs 1.0 - A collection of programs that help import Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets into Ventura Publisher.

Business Graphics

• Business Graphics Roundup - A category of software that was mostly consumed by Power Point. Products looked at here include Freelance Plus 2.0, GEM Presentation Team 1.0, Microsoft Chart 3.0, 35mm Express 4.1, and Windows Graph 1.0.

_{Table of Contents from the July 1988 issue of PC World (continued)}

Departments

• In This Issue - A preview of this special "Software Update" issue.


• Top of the News - The latest PC related news including: a new IBM Model 5535 laptop featuring a 10 MHz 286, 1 MB RAM, 1.44MB floppy, and 20MB hard drive for $4000; Ashton-Tate creates new dCAL language for dBASE; the debut of SuperCalc 5; new Full Impact spreadsheet program for Macintosh; new 2400bps and 9600bps Smartmodems from Hayes; new 286 based laptop from Mitsubishi; and more.


• David Bunnell - The potential threat that Apple's lawsuits against Microsoft and HP pose to creativity and innovation in the computer industry.


• Letters - Letters from readers about the recent format change in PC World, a review of SmartKey, VP-Planner, Quattro vs. 1-2-3 benchmarks, public e-mail services, faxing vs. e-mail, and more.


• Richard Landry - Vendors and proprietary "standards".


• Next In PC World - The next issue of PC World focusses on "low-cost computing".


• Stewart Alsop - IBM's marketing hype for their Micro Channel bus included on PS/2 computers.


• On IBM - A look at IBM's strategy vs. Compaq's strategy and how Compaq in winning.


• Industry Outlook - The first Micro Channel clones arrive including machines from Tandy and Dell; Lotus 1-2-3 still leads spreadsheet sales; sales of DOS based spreadsheet programs expected to increase through 1989; Intel introduces lower cost 386SX CPU; Tandy introduces THOR, an erasable optical technology; memory prices rise dramatically; and more.


• Preview - A preview of dBASE IV which includes a built-in compiler, 240 new commands, and support for SQL.

_{Back cover of the July 1988 issue of PC World}

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