There were a few different machine specific spin-offs from Compute! over the years but the only one that really seemed to have long term success was Gazette which covered Commodore 8-bit machines (which meant mostly the Commodore 64). The February 1984 issue of Compute!'s Gazette includes:
Features
PBS's New Computer Series - An article on a new PBS series called "Bits and Bytes". It was only around for one season but it was followed up by Bits and Bytes 2 in 1991.
The Inner World of Computers, Part 4: The Inside Story - The fourth part of this tutorial on the inner workings of computers covers binary arithmetic.
Getting Started With A Disk Drive, Part 4: Data Files - A guide to reading and writing files in BASIC.
Games
Haunted Mansion - A type-in action game in which you must rescue cats from ghosts. Versions for both the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
Astro-PANIC! - A type-in arcade style game with a resemblance to games like Galaga for the Commodore 64.
React - An type-in action/strategy game for both the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
Table of Contents from the February 1984 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
Review
Fourth Encounter (VIC-20) - A pretty generic space shoot-em-up.
Suspended (Commodore 64) - One of many classic interactive fiction games from Infocom.
Cassette Interface for VIC/64 - An interface designed to allow any cassette recorder to be used with a VIC-20 or Commodore 64.
Education/Home Applications
Computing For Families: The New King Of The Mountain - A detailed look at the KoalaPad and KoalaPainter.
Speed Reader - A type-in educational program designed to improve reading skills.
Typing Derby - A type-in program designed to improve your typing skills.
VIC Piano - A type-in music program that turns your VIC-20 into a piano.
Programming
Multicolor Character Generator For VIC-20 - A type-in program designed to simplify the task of designing multi-colored characters.
Machine Language For Beginners: Tapping Into BASIC - Looking at BASIC as a collection of machine language programs and tapping into those from your own ML programs.
The Beginner's Corner: String Variables And Functions - An introduction to string variables and functions in BASIC.
Departments
The Editor's Notes - An introduction to a new editor and new things coming up for Gazette.
Gazette Feedback - Letters from readers about pointers to the top of BASIC memory, how DATA statements are stored, abbreviated IF statements, Apple vs. Commodore variations of the GET statement, mixing upper and lower case letters, rounding errors, the RND function, merging programs, and more.
Simple Answers to Common Questions - Questions answered about printer (and other) buffers and the difference between "coldstart" and "warmstart".
HOTWARE: A Lok At THis Month's Best Sellers - A look at the top software in several categories. The number ones include Jumpman (Commodore 64 Entertainment), WordPro 3 Plus/64 with Spell Right (Commodore 64 Home/Business/Utility), Dungeons of the Algebra Dragons (Commodore 64 Educational), Gridrunner (VIC-20 Entertainment), Quick Brown Fox (VIC-20 Home/Business/Utility), Touch Typing Tutor (VIC-20 Educational).
Back cover of the February 1984 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
Compute! was a popular multi-format magazine that covered various computers throughout its long life which started in 1979 and lasted until the 1990s. Throughout its early life, it strictly covered computers based on the 6502 processor. The March 1981 issue includes:
Table of Contents
The Editor's Notes - The editor opines on software piracy vs. the right to back-up software that you buy.
A 6502 Version of the Winter Consumer Electronics Show: January '81 - News related to 6502 based computers at the Winter CES. The biggest product introduced that year was the Commodore VIC-20.
The Beginner's Page - Some beginner information about BASIC, operating systems, ROM, RAM and storage media.
Computers and Society - A look at communications between user and computer via programming languages. LOGO and PILOT are emphasized while BASIC and PASCAL are also mentioned.
Taking the Plunge - Machine Language Programming for Beginners - An introductory guide to machine language on the PET though it is applicable to other machines of the time as well. The differences between BASIC, machine language and assembly code are discussed.
Computer Communications Experiments - An article on building an RS-232C interface which can be used for modems and other things.
The Apple Gazette
Clearing the Apple II Low-Resolution Graphics Screen - Several BASIC methods for clearing the screen.
Fun with Apple and PASCAL - A type-in PASCAL arcade style shooter game for the Apple II (basically shoot at the falling shapes).
Table of Contents from the March 1981 issue of Compute!
The Atari Gazette
Designing Your Own Atari Character Sets - Creating custom character sets on the Atari 8-bit.
Atari Basic: A Line Renumbering Utility - A type-in utility for renumbering the lines of a BASIC program. This was important sometimes because you could run out of line numbers. Every line of code in basic started with a line number. If you needed to add code in between two lines then there would have to be available numbers to do so. If you were unwise enough to make every line number consecutive, that could be problematic. It was common practice to number lines by 10s (first line is 10 second is 20, etc.). However, you never know when you might need more extra line numbers in between.
Atari Memory Dump and Dissassembler - A type-in program that will both dump the contents of memory locations to disk or disassemble lines of code.
The OSI Gazette
A Small Operating System: OS65D the Kernel - The final part in a series on the OS65D operating system.
A Six-Gun Shootout Game for the OSI C1P - A type-in BASIC game that sounds a bit like Outlaw on the Atari 2600.
The PET Gazette
Learning About Garbage Collection - Garbage collection (memory reclamation) was necessary on PET machines with certain ROM revision in order to reclaim memory used by strings. Here are a couple of short routines to do that.
PET Machine Language Graphics - A machine language graphics subroutine for the PET that provides a variety of graphics functions.
Disk File Recovery Program - A type-in program for the PET that can recover accidentally deleted files.
PET Exec Hello - A type-in program for automatically executing commands when booting from disk.
The SBC Gazette
Experimenting with the 6551 ACIA - Information for interfacing, operating and controlling a 6441 ACIA with a 6502. The 6551 is used primarily for communications.
A Vocal Hex Dump for the KIM-1 - A program designed to work with a speech synthesizer to speak the data in a given memory location.
Expanding KIM Style 6502 Single Board Computers - Part 3 of 3 - The final part in a series on expanding the KIM (and KIM-style) single board computers. Basically a series on how to use the bus expansion connector of these machines.
New Products
New Products - Commodore releases disaster relief software used during the fire at the MGM Grand Hotel on November 22, 1980, Personal Software Inc. releases MicroChess and Checker King for the Atari 400/800, Cimarron Corp. announces Legal Time Accounting (accounts receivable and matter tracking for the legal profession) for the Commodore 8032, Microcomputer Software Inc. releases The Landlord apartment management software for the Apple II, Microware releases Scientific Plotter graph producing software for the Apple II, Axlon announces 32K RAM expansion for the Atari 400/800, and much more.
PC Magazine was among the earliest magazines to cover the IBM PC (and compatibles) exclusively. The July 24th, 1984 features over 380 pages and includes:
Cover Story
Getting the Picture with CAD - An article on the move of CAD software to microcomputers. Some of the software looked at here includes AutoCAD 1.4, VersaCAD 3.0, Drawing Processor 1.01, and CADplan 1.35.
Features
A Sporty Compatible - A look at a (mostly) PC compatible called the MAD-1. It features an 80186 CPU, 256K RAM, and two 5.25" 360K floppy drives for $4195 or a version with a hard drive for $6295. It had a unique high-tech look for the time in various shades of grey.
The First Integrated Printer - A look at the Envision VectorPrinter 430 which combines letter and draft quality printing, color graphics, and plotting capabilities.
Jack2 Sprints to the Fore - An integrated software package that combines word processing, graphs and spreadsheet data in one document.
A Scope for Your Micro - A review of Infoscope, a database management system from Microstuf, Inc.
Stitching Creative Designs by Pixel - Using Laleida Designs to create needlepoint patterns on the PC.
A Casino Puts Its Chips on the PC - How Resorts International Casino Hotel in Atlantic City is using a combination of minicomputers and PCs to manage gaming operations.
Table of Contents from the July 24th, 1984 issue of PC Magazine
Pro Columns
For Crowded Courts: PC Spells Relief - One New York court participates in a pilot project to test how the PC can be used to reduce the paperwork load.
Balancing Act - Using a PC and spreadsheet to determine the appropriate minimum balance for banks.
An Eclectic Program Collection - A review of Science and Engineering Programs for the IBM PC. This is a paperback with a floppy disk that includes various mathematical, engineering and graphics programs.
Beyond Essentials - A look at features needed for a complete medical management system.
Table of Contents from the July 24th, 1984 issue of PC Magazine (continued)
Departments
PC News - A look at COMDEX; Morrow's new 'The Pivot' portable computer; and more.
Year of the Onion - "Onion" here is used as an analogy for multi-function software.
It's Time for a Change in MIS - How a change is needed generally in MIS departments. I guess they ultimate did change becoming IT departments.
Letters to PC - Letters from readers about macros, Lotus 1-2-3 sales, reducing electromagnetic interference, comparing the PC with a super computer, and more.
When DOS Is Not Enough - How not all programs that run on DOS will run on all computers that run DOS.
A Brush with Fun - A look at a few games for the PC including Rollo and the Brush Brothers, B-1 Nuclear Bomber, and Computer Football Strategy.
Back cover of the July 24th, 1984 issue of PC Magazine
I write scientific spine papers and health policy works. Again, I feel called to step out of that lane as the cancel culture religious cult is rising again.
NFL kicker Harrison Butker, a traditionalist Catholic, recently gave an invited commencement address at a traditionalist Catholic private liberal arts college where he expressed traditional Catholic viewpoints. This includes views on the current state of the Catholic Church, Covid-19, President Biden, abortion, homosexuality, birth control, and gender roles.
The media is crafting a narrative that fits their ideology to cancel him. It’s as if, somehow, his religion matters in regard to his ability and right to kick a football.
I stumbled upon this organically. Previously, I had only heard of Butker, again, for his ability to kick the ball through goalposts during football games. I was absorbing my typical news content, and the headlines were brutal.
I didn’t think all of that could possibly be true. So, I did something unique for most of us in 2024: I watched the original content so that I could make up my own mind.
My distinct conclusion is that the cancel cult either hasn’t seen the video or they are being completely intellectually dishonest.
It’s a typical play from the cancel culture playbook.
Quote out of context, use labels, assume moral superiority, focus on strawman argumentation, and, after that is achieved, use pure ad hominem to split debate into a black-or-white scenario allowing everyone to jump on the bandwagon. It’s kind of like reading one of those “common logical fallacies” posters that often hang on an undergraduate philosophy professor’s office door.
Some 220,000 people have signed a petition to dismiss the kicker from the Kansas City Chiefs. How many people actually watched or read the address?
If one watches the video, even though one may agree or disagree strongly, it’s clear that Butkerloves and respects his wife and his family. He’s not the best public speaker, and he becomes emotional and teary-eyed delivering comments about his family. He states to the Catholic women in the crowd at a Catholic college that:
Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world… And, it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.
He describes “homemaker,” in the context of his own wife, as one of the most important titles, but not the only title, for women. He also turns around then immediately to state that his first priorities are as a husband and father, not a football player or entrepreneur. For sure, it’s controversial and highly disagreeable to some or most, but it’s not dehumanizing.
He also spent a large amount of time criticizing the leadership of his own church. He conjured up a Theodore Roosevelt-type mantra to “do hard things.” He attacked the culture of violence only then to be criticized for not properly attacking the culture of violence. He criticized DEI only then to be told that he should be grateful for DEI because Patrick Mahomes is his quarterback.
The trial is over, and he has been declared guilty of a thought crime.
A major challenge for this jury of the virtue signaling mob is that the NFL has actual criminals who actually hurt women. Where is the outrage and where are the hit pieces?
In March, Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, crashed his Lamborghini while drag racing at over 100 miles per hour. He crashed into a car with a mother and young child. He left the scene before making sure everyone was okay. He’s charged with aggravated assault and eight criminal charges.
But that doesn’t fit the narrative.
Last season, twenty different NFL players were arrested.
Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Kareem Hunt, Jerry Jeudy, Damien Wilson, Mario Edwards, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Xavien Howard, and Johnny Manziel, to name a very select few, have actually hurt women or, in certain circumstances, children.
There is a question whether they were wearing their official pink NFL merchandise at the time of the abuse or not.
Butker was an invited traditionalist Catholic speaker for a small traditional Catholic college graduation speaking to a Catholic audience. If you don’t like what he has to say, it’s okay just to disagree with him.
The critical question is: Why is the mob so angry?
It means he’s poking at something real, something threatening, and something that is making them uncomfortable. That’s exactly where we should be having the greatest discussion, debate, and competition for ideas. Betsy Stevenson and Justin Wolfers noted the paradox in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy that as objective measures of accomplishment increased for women over the past 35 years, subjective happiness declined absolutely and relatively to men. As a father of three young daughters, that’s alarming. The cause certainly has debate; let’s have those hard discussions to make things better.
The other problem is that Butker infiltrated the inner circle. The Chiefs are primetime. They won the Super Bowl, and their star player is dating the world’s most popular person. Butker has ideas, and those ideas have been deemed so dangerous that they must never see the light of day. In the cancel culture religious cult, thou shalt not tip the sacred cows. Best to shut down and not to engage.
This is a typical totalitarian zero-sum game.
To be very clear, I am not arguing for or against his viewpoints. I’m asking, based on the evidence, who are the actual narrow zealots intent on mandating that everyone worship at the one true altar that can never be questioned?
A quick look at the instant replay of this story makes the answer abundantly clear.
One thing that remains positive is that this saga will end with a whimper. The market will win. I refer to this Milton Friedman quote often: “The great virtue of a free market system is that it does not care what color people are; it does not care what their religion is; it only cares whether they can produce something you want to buy.”
And Harrison Butker can still kick a football better and longer than anyone.
Byte covered a wide variety of systems over the course of its live form the 1970s until the 1990s. In 1982, the IBM PC was still new and it wasn't yet clear that IBM PC compatibility would come to dominate both home and business. Issues were generally pretty massive at this time with the October 1982 issue containing well over 500 pages. It includes:
Features
Beyond the Peaks of Visicalc - A look at more complex financial planning applications than a spreadsheet (of which Visicalc was the main representative at this point). Packages looked at here include Desktop Plan II, Microfinesse, and Plan80.
Build the Microvox Text-to-Speech Synthesizer, Part 2: Software - The second in a series on building your own speech synthesizer. This part concentrates on creating the software to make it work.
What Makes Business Programming Hard? - A case study in writing software for a bank.
Adapting Microcomputers to Wall Street - Microcomputers as a tool for financial investors. At this point, it's hard to imagine NOT having computers as tools.
Putting Real-World Interfaces to Work, Part 1 - Part one of a two-part series on monitoring the physical environment (things like temperature, water level, light level, pressure, etc.) with a TRS-80 Model I, TRS-80 Model III, and TRS-80 Color Computer.
The State of Industrial Robotics - A look at how robots were currently being used in industry, still a relatively new thing at this time.
Marketplace - A type-in BASIC telecomputing game for two TRS-80 Model IIIs in which you compete in marketing a product with another person.
Ringquest - A type-in adventure game for the Apple II that originated on the Commodore PET.
Table of Contents from the October 1982 issue of Byte
Reviews
Radio Shack Compiler BASIC - A BASIC compiler for the TRS-80 Model I and Model III.
Wyse Technology's WY-100 Terminal - At the time, standalone terminals were still a thing but they would soon be replaced by IBM PCs and other personal/small business computers with terminal emulation software.
EduWare's Statistics 3.0 - The latest update to a statistical package for the Apple II.
Nucleus
Editorial - Answers to frequently asked questions such as what's the best computer to buy, buy now or wait, which OS will be the standard, which processor will be the leader in five years, etc.
Letters - Letters from readers about a standard BASIC, RSCOBOL, IBM, alternate repair services, double density disks on the Osborne 1, and more.
Programming Quickies - A BASIC program for generating Mohr's Circle (a way to find the principal stresses due to combined loads).
Book Reviews - A of VisiCalc: Home and Office Companion by David M. Castiewitz, Lawrence J. Chisausky, Patricia Kronberg, and L. D. Chukman.
Byte covered a wide variety of systems over the course of its live form the 1970s until the 1990s. In 1982, the IBM PC was still new and it wasn't yet clear that IBM PC compatibility would come to dominate both home and business. The July 1982 issue of Byte is an impressive 500 pages plus and includes:
Features
The Input/Output Primer, Part 6: Interrupts, Buffers, Grounds, and Signal Degradation - The concluding part of a series on computer interfacing with an emphasis on building your own.
Computer, Fiction, and Poetry - An article on "computer assisted literature". This concept has come a long way in the days of AI.
Add Programmable Sound Effects to Your Computer - Building a device to create sound effects with your computer. In this project, the SN76489A sound-generator circuit from Texas Instruments is used as the primary component.
Breaking the Jargon Barrier: Designing Programs for Humanists - Computer jargon is blamed for the lack of computers in the field of archaeology.
Microcomputers in the Study of Politics, Predicting Wars with the Richardson Arms-Race Model - How political scientists are using computer. Here, a Pascal program provides insight into two-party conflicts including arms races.
Software Tools for Writers - Software tools for improving you writing. One advantage using a word processor adds is the ability to easily experiment.
The Historian and the Microcomputer, A Student of the Past Meets the Machine of the Future - How computers have changed historical research methods.
Simulating Neighborhood Segregation - Using computers in social sciences by creating models.
Table of Contents from the July 1982 issue of Byte
Reviews
Scion Color System - A graphics system for the S-100 bus that uses multiple boards to achieve color. I guess in a way this could be though of as a very early version of SLI.
Mediamix's ETI^2 - Review of a device that allows you to use an IBM Electronic Typewriter as a printer. The cost is $495 for a parallel version and $595 for a serial version.
Color Computer Disk System - A 5.25" disk drive system for the TRS-80 Color Computer. It cost $599 for the first drive and $399 for each additional drive for up to four total drives.
Nucleus
Editorial: The Briefcase Computer Market Heats Up - Not yet small enough to really be called "laptops" or "notebooks", here we have a look at new "briefcase" computers. Some recent models include the Epson HX-20, Toshiba T100, Panasonic Link, the Grid Compass, and there are lots more.
Letters - Letters from readers about a new file structure ('skip sequential'), the Base 2 Printer, computer documentation, VEDIT, the Epson MX-70 printer, RSCOBOL (COBOL for the TRS-80 Model III), and more.
Book Review: Computer Power and Human Reason - A book that looks at the impact of computers on society.
Technical Forum: INS8070 Series Instruction Set Summary - A table featuring the instruction set of National Semiconductor's SC/MP processor.
Ask Byte - Questions answered about computer controlled irrigation, using the ZX81 for home control, an overheating TRS-80 Color Computer, redefining characters on the Atari 800, and more.
BYTELINES - Recent computer related news: IBM expected to be shipping 1000 personal computers per day by the third quarter of 1982, TRS-80 Model 16 hits the streets, Apple donates computers to schools, Concurrent CP/M-86 released, Smalltalk for more computers coming soon, TI cuts prices, and more.
Info was a magazine that covered Commodore computers, primarily the Commodore 64, Commodore 128 and Amiga. It wasn't as popular as a few others but still had a significant presence. The November/December 1989 issue includes:
Features
Info Top Ten - Info's first annual top ten game list. The top 10 games of all time as selected by the editors of Info in a variety of categories. Top Arcade Games: Arkanoid (Amiga), The Sentry (C64). Top Simulations Games: Starglider II (Amiga), Pinball Construction Set (C64). Top Adventure Games: Dungeon Master (Amiga), Zork Series (C64). Top Traditional Games: Blockout (Amiga), Risk (C64). Plus each of the editors pick their own personal top 10.
Interview: Chris Crawford - Chris Crawford developed a number of influential games such as Balance of Power. It's interesting to read some of his predictions here. Some were spot on while others were way off.
Departments
INFOtorial - A look at European game development philosophy vs. U.S. game development philosophy.
Reader Mail - Readers write in about the C64 vs. NES, reviews of application software, Amiga sales, rumors of the "64GS", Project: Firestart, QLink and Club Caribe, and more.
New Products - A brief look at 5100 C128 Questions: Answered (book), The Diamond Text and Diamond BASIC Editors, Fortran-80 (C-128 CP/M), MIDI Delay Processor, Digitalker 128, Fractal Navigator, Icon Magic 1.0, and lots more.
News & Views - Software sales for the Commodore 64 drop 26% in the second quarter of 1989 from the previous year (to $15 million), Commodore adds more dealers for MS-DOS machines and Amigas, Epyx reorganizes to become software developer an will no longer be a publisher and will concentrate on games for the NES and Lynx, Apple opens television studio called Apple TV, and more.
Table of Contents from the November/December 1989 issue of Info
Reviews
SFX Sound Expander - A plug-in cartridge for the Commodore 64 than includes a nine-voice FM synthesizer chip and an interface for an optional 61-key keyboard from Philips.
The Write Stuff 128 - An excellent word processor for the Commodore 128.
The Amiga Companion - A book with tons of useful information on the Amiga.
Toshiba ExpressWriter 301 - A portable thermal printer for $489.
Etc.
INFO Update - A look at recent software (and other) updates including Sim City 1.1, Muscle Cars and European Challenge add-ons for Test Drive II, an updated version of Pen Pal, an updated support disk for the Super Snapshot cartridge, Professional page 1.3, PixelScript 1.1, and more.
BRYCE - Bryce's 3D Adventure comic.
INFO Mania - Tips from readers for tons of games including Batman, Robbeary, Aaargh!, Sinbad, Double Dragon, Crystal Hammer, Mindroll, Marble Madness, Dragon's Lair, Pacmania, Karnov, Neuromancer, Ghosts 'N Goblins, Guerrilla War, Heavy Metal, Robocop, John Elway's Quarterback, Pirates, and Zak McKracken.
Back cover of the November/December 1989 issue of Info
A bombshell report from WIRED reveals that two days after the U.S. Congress renewed and expanded the mass-surveillance authority Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Paul Abbate, sent an email imploring agents to “use” Section 702 to search the communications of Americans collected under this authority “to demonstrate why tools like this are essential” to the FBI’s mission.
In other words, an agency that has repeatedlyabusedthisexact authority—with 3.4 million warrantless searches of Americans’ communications in 2021 alone, thinks that the answer to its misuse of mass surveillance of Americans is to do more of it, not less. And it signals that the FBI believes it should do more surveillance–not because of any pressing national security threat—but because the FBI has an image problem.
Now, immediately after extracting this expanded power and fighting off sensible reforms, the FBI’s leadership is urging the agency to “continue to look for ways” to make more use of this controversial authority to surveil Americans, albeit with the fig leaf that it must be “legal.” And not because of an identifiable, pressing threat to national security, but to “demonstrate” the importance of domestic law enforcement accessing the pool of data collected via mass surveillance. This is an insult to everyone who cares about accountability, civil liberties, and our ability to have a private conversation online. It also raises the question of whether the FBI is interested in keeping us safe or in merely justifying its own increased powers.
Section 702 allows the government to conduct surveillance inside the United States by vacuuming up digital communications so long as the surveillance is directed at foreigners currently located outside the United States. Section 702 prohibits the government from intentionally targeting Americans. But, because we live in a globalized world where Americans constantly communicate with people (andservices) outside the United States, the government routinely acquires millions of innocent Americans’ communications “incidentally” under Section 702 surveillance. Not only does the government acquire these communications without a probable cause warrant, so long as the government can make out some connection to FISA’s very broad definition of “foreign intelligence,” the government can then conduct warrantless “backdoor searches” of individual Americans’ incidentally collected communications. 702 creates an end run around the Constitution for the FBI and, with the Abbate memo, they are being urged to use it as much as they can.
The recent reauthorization of Section 702 also expanded this mass surveillance authority still further, expanding in turn the FBI’s ability to exploit it. To start, it substantially increased the scope of entities who the government could require to turn over Americans’ data in mass under Section 702. This provision is written so broadly that it potentially reaches any person or company with “access” to “equipment” on which electronic communications travel or are stored, regardless of whether they are a direct provider, which could include landlords, maintenance people, and many others who routinely have access to your communications.
The reauthorization of Section 702 also expanded FISA’s already very broad definition of “foreign intelligence” to include counternarcotics: an unacceptable expansion of a national security authority to ordinary crime. Further, it allows the government to use Section 702 powers to vet hopeful immigrants and asylum seekers—a particularly dangerous authority which opens up this or future administrations to deny entry to individuals based on their private communications about politics, religion, sexuality, or gender identity.
Americans who care about privacy in the United States are essentially fighting a political battle in which the other side gets to make up the rules, the terrain…and even rewrite the laws of gravity if they want to. Politicians can tell us they want to keep people in the U.S. safe without doing anything to prevent that power from being abused, even if they know it will be. It’s about optics, politics, and security theater; not realistic and balanced claims of safety and privacy. The Abbate memo signals that the FBI is going to work hard to create better optics for itself so that it can continue spying in the future.
Compute! (May 1985)
Compute! was a popular magazine in the 1980s and very early 1990s that covered all of the home computers popular at the time. In 1985 that included the IBM PC (and compatibles), Commodore 64, VIC-20, Atari 8-bit, TI-99/4A, Apple II, and Macintosh. The May 1985 issue includes:
Features
GEM: A New Look for IBM and Atari - GEM was an operating system interface. Basically it was a GUI shell over DOS. It was available for both PCs and the Atari ST. However, while it was the main interface on the Atari ST, it had a fairly small market share on the PC.
Home Financial Calculator - A type in home budget program for the Commodore 64, VIC-20, Atari 8-bit, and Apple II.
Space Dodger - A type in action game for the TI-99/4A, Commodore 64, VIC-20, Atari 8-bit, and Apple II.
Reviews
Relax Stress Reduction System - Relax, is a software product that uses biofeedback and computer generated graphics to help you reduce stress. It was available for the Commodore 64, PC, Apple II, and Atari 8-bit.
Sidekick for PC and PCjr - Sidekick provided a series of tools, including a calculator, notepad, calendar with diary, and ASCII table, that could be accessed via a keystroke even while running other software in DOS.
Gateway to Apshai - This was an action/adventure game that was available for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, and Coleco Adam. I had a lot of fun with this one on the Commodore 64.
Table of Contents from the May 1985 issue of Compute!
Columns and Departments
The Editor's Notes - How there tends to be resistance to new technologies. The focus here is the typewriter vs. word processor.
Readers' Feedback - Readers write in to discuss baud, reading the PC keyboard from BASIC, Commodore 64s in the classroom, chaining programs on the Commodore 64, help with Deadline by Infocom, analog vs. digital joysticks, and more.
The Beginner's Page - Using loops in BASIC.
Telecomputing Today - A tutorial on uploading and downloading files. Trivial today but not quite as much so in 1985.
Computers and Society: Visual Computing, Part 2 - The second part in a series on graphical operating environments.
The Journal
ScriptSave: Automatic Disk Saves for Commodore 64 Speedscript 3.0 - A type-in utility that works with Speedscript 3.0 on the Commodore 64 to automatically save your work every 10 minutes.
Dynamic Function Keys for VIC & 64 - A type-in program that assigns useful functions for programmers to the function keys on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
IBM Disk Rx - A type-in program for DOS machines designed for file recovery of accidentally deleted files.
Apple IIc RAM Disk Mover, Part I - A type-in utility to quickly move the contents of a floppy disk to a RAM disk.
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.
All of the photos in this set are unlabeled and undated. However, I believe that they were taken in Mexico because in previous sets from the same event depicted in the first picture there was a Mariachi band playing. These were likely taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Normally I post raw scans but this time I posted versions processed by the scanner/software with color correction and Digital ICE because the color was so badly faded.
The entire collection that has been scanned and uploaded so far can also be found here.
PC Magazine was one of the most popular computer magazines in the 1980s and 1990s. At that time, I'm not sure if PC World or PC Magazine had the bigger circulation numbers. There were plenty of other magazines for other (non-PC compatible) systems but even this early, it was pretty clear that the PC was winning. If nothing else, that can be seen my the size of the magazines. The July 10, 1984 issue of PC Magazine weighs in at over 400 pages and includes:
Cover Stories
Taking Stock in Market Analysis Software - A look at three software packages meant for analyzing the stock market. These include The Brandon Stock System, Market Trend Analysis System, and Buy/Sell Trend Analysis. Generally, these required a subscription service to get the needed data (via disk or via modem).
Sticking to Fundamentals - A guide to analyzing the fundamentals of a company (income statement and balance sheet statistics) and the software to help you do it.
From Wall Street to Your Street - A look at Investment Manager, software designed to help you manage your investment portfolio.
Features
Project: Database, Part 3 - The third and final part of a review of available database software. The concentration is on simple databases. Software reviewed here includes Super Database Management, PFS:File and PFS:Report, Query!, Beast Data Manager, Data Design, and Rank and File
Stress Tests for Floppies - A series of tests to determine how fragile (or durable) floppy disks really are.
The 3270 PC Connection - The IBM 3270 is an expanded version of the PC-XT with rudimentary multitasking capabilities designed to interface with a mainframe.
Mix and Match Your Own PC - A guide to building your own PC compatible computer. It starts with a look at the relatively few PC motherboards available at the time, the Display Telecommunication's MegaBoard, Electro Design's IMP-12, Micromint's MPX-16 or Super Computer's Super PC.
Cloning Your Own PC - This takes the above concept, which is similar to building a PC today, a step further. This article is an introduction to building your own PC Clone starting from a bare circuit board.
Table of Contents from the July 10th, 1984 issue of PC Magazine
Pro Columns
The Complete M.D. Office Package - A doctor discusses what features should be included in any medical office management system. These include payment entry, libraries, reports, and more.
ASCII to Printer Code: A Postprocessor - A type-in BASIC program that will translate ASCII codes for specialized symbols from your word processor into a language your printer can understand.
Law Review - A review of two books written for lawyers who are planning to computerize their practice. These books are Microcomputers for Lawyers by J. Stewart Schneider and Charles E. Bown and Computer Power for Your Law Office by Daniel Remer.
PC Flight Planner - A guide to using the on-line version of the Official Airline Guide, Electronic Edition. Anybody can plan a flight today on the internet but doing so with online information in 1984 was much more novel.
Table of Contents from the July 10th, 1984 issue of PC Magazine (continued)
Departments
PC News - STM Portable PC released for $3449, PFS software released for IBM PCjr, upcoming UNIX software, new PC compatibles from ITT and Otrona, new integrated software package (Electric Desk) for the PCjr, new networking technology from IBM, Phoenix develops IBM compatible BIOS, new KB515 keyboard from Key Tronic, and much more.
On the Road Again - When to create new software version and the future of micro-to-mainframe communications.
What's in a Name - The art of naming software.
Letters to PC - Letters from readers about Proportional Spacing on WordStar (book), using ProKey with wordSTar, bugs in Microsoft Word 1.0, a potential bug in KnowledgeMan (DBMS), WordVision, and more.
Lessons from Software Veterans - Peter Norton writes about lessons to be learned in the realm of small software entrepreneurs.
Educational Quest - A look at two new educational games: Run for the Money from Scarborough Systems and In Search of the Most amazing Thing from Spinnaker Software.
Back cover of the July 10th, 1984 issue of PC Magazine
Antic was one of the major 8-bit Atari magazines published in the U.S. It also covered the Atari ST though it is better known for its 8-bit coverage. The May 1985 issue includes:
Features
Antic Bookshelf - Revews of Atari related books including Book of Adventure Games, Atari Graphics & Arcade Game Design, Atari Color Graphics, and 1 2 3 My Computer & Me! A Logo Funbook for Kids, Logo Fun.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - A review of this classic interactive fiction game from Infocom based on the Douglas Adams book of the same name.
Gem of Atari - A look at the OS of the new 16-bit Atari ST.
Paper Clip - A detailed look at what turned out to be one of the best word processors for the Atari 8-bit.
Meet the 68000 - A look at the 68000 CPU which was at the heart of the Atari ST and its effect on assembler and BASIC programming.
Manipulating Strings - A tutorial on manipulating strings in Atari BASIC.
Table of contents from the May 1985 issue of Antic
Departments
Communications: TScope Autodialer - A type-in add-on for the public domain communications program TScope that allow automatically dialing and logging in to a BBS.
Game of the Month: Area Racer - A type-in game in which you race your "Huntercraft" through caverns while avoiding laser fire.
Toolbox: Handy USR Routines - A collection of short machine language routines that you can use in your own programs. Functions range from evaluating boolean expressions to playing music and much more.
Bonus Game: Amazing - This type-in maze chase game requires the Action! cartridge.
Assembly Language: Fader II - A type-in program that implements a dot-by-dot picture dissolve effect.
In 2016, Michelle Obama told Pennsylvanian university students that “[i]f you vote for someone other than Hillary… you are helping to elect Hillary’s opponent.” Her appeal to third-party voters is a common one: third-party candidates will certainly not win, and thus supporting them is an utter waste. Why not, as she says, vote for a candidate with a chance of winning? At least then your preference will be captured in some way, right?
This argument has been around for decades, and I imagine politicians play no small part in propagating it. They want you to think that elections are winner-takes-all—that being a part of the winning coalition is what makes your vote matter. But it isn’t.
Enter George Stigler, Chicago-school economist and Nobel laureate. In a 1972 paper, Stigler investigated whether some political activities—such as parties and elections—actually have elements of competition that we observe in markets. He notes that because policies are mutually exclusive (you can’t have both a 10 percent and 20 percent tax rate), political outcomes appear as if one side explicitly loses:
As a result of exclusivity in policies, there is a strong tendency to label the winning of 51 percent of legislative seats a victory and 49 percent a defeat. In economic life the firm which sells 49 percent of a product is no failure, and indeed may be more profitable than a rival selling 51 percent of the product.
From here, Stigler argues that “victory” in the political market is not binary—“political outcomes range continuously from failure to success.” When one side loses an election, they don’t cease to exist; they try again next time. Political “victories” last for short amounts of time, only until the next election. This restrains successful politicians from exploiting the powers of their office. Newly elected representatives may not find success in a second election if they do not maintain a winning coalition of votes; for example, a Democrat congressman from a moderate district cannot act on the opinion of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—even if he wholeheartedly agrees—lest he lose re-election.
Why does all this matter? Well, the logical conclusion is that politicians are constrained by their political adversaries, even after victory. People hardly ever vote with a specific policy schedule in mind; that is, they do not vote for John Doe on the premise that taxes will specifically decrease by 27 percent, but rather on the platform of decreasing taxes in general. So victorious politicians are constrained by the level of support for their platform, which is gauged easily by glancing at their election results.
In a district where everybody is homogeneously Republican, support for a Republican representative’s platform will afford him much leeway in voting for highly conservative social policies. But introduce a Democrat minority, and suddenly the representative can’t be that conservative, or he’ll lose a winning coalition of votes. Introduce a third party, and the same logic applies: the politician becomes more constrained, and his platform leans more towards the positions of the other parties. In sum, voting for underdogs doesn’t promise the victory of a candidate, but it does influence the victory of a platform.
The incentive to vote is also elucidated with Stigler’s argument. Voting is often seen as almost useless, save for the small chance that your vote decides the election. There’s a low probability of a large reward. But, per Stigler, the opposite is true: there’s actually a high probability you’re affecting policy marginally. This explains why constantly-losing minorities persist, rather than disband from losses: the benefit from voting isn’t from winning the election, but from pulling all candidates’ platforms towards yours.
On this point, Stigler wrote:
Minority parties often persist for long periods—for example, the Federalists lost power in 1801 but survived for a quarter century. One explanation (the simple Downsian version) would be that these parties incorrectly predicted voter preferences in a long sequence of elections. It seems much more reasonable to interpret these periods differently: the minority is more effective in achieving its ends as a homogeneous minority than as a more heterogeneous majority.
Stigler is saying that, despite the Federalists miserably losing all the time, they did advance their goal of shifting party platforms. This is in stark contrast to the standard “wasting your vote” rhetoric mentioned above. Ultimately, that such a wide disparity exists between pre-election polling and post-election results suggests that many voters don’t realize the effect of their vote. They may be seduced by the likes of Michelle Obama, but perhaps they should be persuaded by the likes of Stigler.
