Byte (June 1981)

Byte (June 1981)

Byte, subtitled 'The Small Systems Journal', initially covered 'small systems'. Generally small business computer and what could be considered home computers though I think they started before that term really existed. The original IBM PC was first introduced in 1981 though I believe that was after this issue was published. The June 1981 issue of Byte includes:

Features

• Logo for Personal Computers - A preview of two upcoming implementations of the Logo language for personal computers, including TI Logo for the TI-99/4 and Apple Logo for the Apple II. Logo was developed by the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT.


• Build a Low-Cost Speech Synthesizer Interface - Instructions for building a speech synthesizer. These seemed to be all the rage in the early to mid 1980s.


• Mathematical Modeling: A BASIC Program to Simulate Real-World Systems - Simulating systems by solving a system of differential equations. This article includes lots of math along with some code.


• A Computer-Based Laboratory - This article focuses on creating accurate digital timers.


• CP/M: A Family of 8- and 16-bit Operating Systems - CP/M was the closest thing to a standard operating system that existed for personal computers before the IBM PC and DOS came along. DOS was largely based on CP/M.


• The UNIX Operating System and the XENIX Standard Operating System - UNIX was the other operating system standard but at the time, this was for larger systems. Xenix was essentially Microsoft's implementation with enhancements.

_{Table of Contents from the June 1981 issue of Byte}

Reviews

• RAMCRAM Memory Module for the Atari - A 32K RAM expansion module for the Atari 400 for $320 (that's the equivalent of roughly $1100 today).


• Information Unlimited: The Dialog Information Retrieval Service - An online service accessible via modem and terminal software that offered millions of references and abstracts for searching.


• Four Word Processors for the Apple II - Reviews of Super-Text II, Write-On! I and II, Datacope Scribe, and EasyWriter and EasyWriter Professional.

Nucleus

• Editorial - Commentary on 16-bit computers and user friendliness.


• Letters - Letters from readers about OSI, Adventure and The Colossal Cave, GOTO vs. FOR...NEXT, CMOS, Panasonic and Quasar handheld computers, and much more.


• Technical Forums - LISP vs. FORTRAN, Interrupts, Votrax voice synthesizer vocabulary, and more.


• Education Forum - An approach for using microcomputers in education.


• Programming Quickie: Z80 Table Lookup - Machine language table lookup on the Z80.


• BYTELINES - Outstanding growth for Tandy sales, first computers with built-in Winchester-disk drives (hard drives), Tandy sues competitors, IBM to build Josephson computer, warranties for TRS-80 computers, and more.

_{Back cover of the June 1981 issue of Byte}

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