Computing Today (March 1984)

Computing Today - March 1984
Computing today was one of a multitude of computer magazines published in the U.K. in the 1980s. The March 1984 issue includes:

• Consumer News - A bumper bundle of items about the latest products for the consumer.
• Soft Wares - A round-up of commercial software packages for home and business.
• Easycode Part 1 - By stimulating the action of a microprocessor using a BASIC program, this series hopes to teach the machine code novice what it's all about.
• Book Page - Our usual in-depth comparative book review, plus a number of quickies to clear the backlog on our bookshelves.
• BBC Poker - You won't lose your shirt playing Poker against this simulation - all the money is stored in variables. But just try to read your opponent's expression!
• SCOPE Review - Several languages other than BASIC have been released for the ZX Spectrum, but this one is a bit different. Simple Compilation of Plain English is designed to allow machine code speed in graphics routines, for programmers who want to write their own arcade games.
• Genie Utilities - Here are some useful machine code routines (only 334 bytes in total) that provide USR calls from BASIC with some enhancements such as multiple parameters. There's also a number base converter and a VDU statement.
• Learning Forth part 5 - This month we turn our attention to the I/O possibilites in Abersoft FORTH on the Spectrum. The memory map of the language is discussed, together with some versatile use of the RAM disc.
• PROCopinion - More ravings from the editor, who's seen the competition at the low end of the computer marketplace hotting up again. Sinclair, Oric, Memotech, Acorn, Elan - which of them is likely to come out on top?
• Spectrum Centronics Interface - With no RS-232 Centronics port on the Spectrum, you're very much at teh mercy of Sir Uncle's ZX Printer. Here's the hardware and software details necessary to use any parallel printer and improve the quality of your printouts.
• Club Call - Another round-up of User Groups around the world, for a veritable plethora of machines.

...and more!