Compute! (March 1982)

Compute! (March 1982)

Compute! was an early multi-format computer magazine that prospered from the early 1980s until the early 1990s. In 1982, computers such as the Commodore PET, VIC-20, Atari 400/800 and Apple II were covered among others. The March 1982 issue includes:

Features

• The Winter of Our Content: A Report on the January Consumer Electronics Show - There was an impressive line-up of new products revealed at this CES including the Commodore Ultimax, Commodore 64, Bally Astrocade plus the official home version of Pac-Man was released among many other items.


• Twenty Questions Revisited - A type-in program for a computerized version of twenty questions.


• Energy Workbook - A type-in program to help you determine the best improvements you can make to your home to increase energy efficiency.


• Two Short Programs of CAI for Teaching BASIC - I was trying to work out what CAI even stands for. Computer Aided Intelligence maybe?


• Infinite Precision Multiply - Normally, the Commodore PET has 9 digits of precision for mathematical operations. This program gets around that limitation.

Education and Recreation

• Family: A Simulation in Genetics - A type-in program for the PET that demonstrates heredity with a hypothetical Martian couple.


• Large Alphabet for the VIC - Generating a double size character set on the VIC-20.


• Concentration - A type-in game based on the classic card game, Concentration.


• Comment Your Catalog - A program to add comments to disk directory listings on you Atari 8-bit computer.


• Starfight3 - Involves Klingons and the Enterprise. Sounds suspiciously like Star Trek to me? For the VIC-20.

_{Table of Contents from the March 1982 issue of Compute!}

Reviews

• Votrax Type 'N Talk: TNT - A simple to program speech synthesizer that works with various computers via an RS-232 interface...for $375.


• Olympia's ES 100 KRO Typewriter/Printer - An typewriter that also works as a printer (or is it the other way around?). It isn't cheap though at $1680.


• RPL: A FORTH Sequel? - RPL is a FORTH-like computer programming language. Versions for PET/CBM machines are looked at here.


• Ricochet - An odd combo of checkers and pool by Automated Simulations (which would later become Epyx) for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit and TRS-80.

Columns/Departments

• The Editor's Notes - Editorial commentary on the new format of the magazine, the importance of reader feedback, and more.


• Ask The Readers - Various question and answers about Atari BASIC, support for the 6502 processor, programming, and more.


• Computers And Society - The merging of technology and art from lasers, to cameras to computers.


• The Beginner's Page: How Computers Remember - A discussion of computer memory and how it works.


• Basically Useful BASIC: Tabulation - A subroutine for justifying text the way you want in BASIC.


• Learning With Computers: Word Processing In The Classroom - Even as early as 1982 computers were being used in the classroom and word processing was one of the first truly useful applications. This article discusses using word processors to make the physical act of writing easier so more attention can be paid to the creative aspects.


• Friends Of The Turtle - Drawing using Atari PILOT.

The Journal

• Disk Checkout For 2040, 4040, and 8050 Disks - Part 1 of 2. This part discusses manipulating disks/disk drives via machine language.


• Organizing Data Storage - Sequential vs. Random files.


• Machine Language Sort Utility - An efficient, machine language sorting routine. Why machine language? The fastest BASIC sort of 200 records in this test was 8 minutes but only 3 seconds for Machine Language.


• Dynamic Renumber - A program to renumber your BASIC programs.


• Disk Data Structures: An Interactive Tutorial - The details on how data is structured on a disk.


• Apple Addresses - Addressing memory in machine language, BASIC floating point and BASIC integer on Apple II computers.


• More VIC Maps - A discussion on VIC-20 memory maps continued from the previous issue.


• EPROM Reliability - A detailed analysis for determining EPROM reliability focusing on the 2708 EPROM.


• Random Music Composition On The PET - A type-in program for generating random music on the PET with various parameters that can be easily changed.


• Ghost Programming - A method for running many BASIC programs that normally require 24 or 32K of RAM on an Atari with only 16K.

_{Back cover of the March 1982 issue of Compute!}

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Commander (January 1983)

Commander (January 1983)

Subtitled "The Monthly Journal for Commodore Computer Users", this was one of the early magazine for Commodore related computers. In 1983 the Commodore 64, VIC-20, and PET/CBM were being covered. The January 1983 issue includes:

VIC-20

• Enterprise - A type-in Star Trek themed game. It was supposed to be in the previous issue but the code listing was left out.


• Ravings of a Madman - An overview of where to get games for the VIC-20 and what is available.


• Gobble - A type in program that generates random mazes that you must navigate while eating dots and avoiding the enemy.

64

• Peek & Poke - Programming the SID, the Commodore 64's sound chip.

_{Table of Contents from the January 1983 issue of Commander}

PET/CBM

• Review: A ROM for the PET "COMMANDER" - A ROM chip for the PET that could be added to provide additional high level commands that can be used from BASIC. Some examples include RE-DIMENSION which resizes arrays and COMPUTED GOTO which allows a GOTO statement based on a variable.

Special Features

• Single Drive Copy - A type-in program for making disk copies with a single disk drive.


• RADIX-50: Pack & Unpack - A program for packing ASCII bits (24-bits to 16-bits) in order to save memory and disk space. Originally developed for the PDP-8.


• COMAL: A Closer look - A look at the COMAL programming language and a sample program.


• Assembly Language Programming on the VIC - Part II - Part 2 of a multipart series on using assembly language on the VIC-20. This part covers assemblers and monitors.

Departments

• Letters to Editor - One reader's opinion of various VIC-20 games plus praise for the new magazine.


• Editorial - As some computer makers suffer huge loses (Atari lost $1 billion in 1982), they turn to distributing the product in retail chains such as Sears and K-Mart. Just don't expect to get your technical questions answered there...


• News Releases - A list of companies and retail establishments supporting the VIC-20.

_{Back cover of the January 1983 issue of Commander}

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Compute! (August 1981)

Compute! (August 1981)

If you happened to be a computer owner in 1981 then Compute! would have definitely been a magazine that you would have wanted to subscribe to. The magazine lasted for more than a decade and in these early days it was exclusively covering 8-bit computers based on the 6502 processor. There were more of these than you might think. The August 1981 issue includes:

• The Editor's Notes
• Ask The Readers
• Computers And Society: Some Speculations On The Well-Played Game, Part II
• The Beginner's Page
• Basically Useful Basic: Checking Randomness Of Random Number Generators
• Trenton: The Original Computer Festival
• Basic Oneliners: Minimize Code And Maximize Speed
• Computer Assisted Instruction - Worth The Effort?
• Wolves, Caribou, And Other Problems
• Add A Programmable Sound Generator
• The Carry Bit - What It Is And How It Works
• The Floating-Point Division Routine
• Practical Aspects Of Assembly Language: Part II


• The Apple Gazette
• Apple Disk Motor Control
• Interfacing The Apple To 6500 Family Peripherals
• A Cassette Tape Monitor For The Apple
• Diskette Sector Space In A Greeting Program


• The Atari Gazette
• Restoring And Updating Data On The Atari
• Easy Reading Of The Atari Joystick
• Poem Writer
• Supercube Update
• Atari Sound Utility
• Blockade For The Atari
• Define A Line On The Atari


• The OSI Gazette
• The OSI RS232 Port And The High Speed Printer Interface


• The Pet Gazette
• The CBM "Fat 40" - Boon Or Bane?
• Digital Arrayment
• Keyword
• CBM/PET Loading, Chaining And Overlaying
• Converting Pet Basic Programs To ASCII Files


• The Single Board Computer Gazette
• The Single Board 6502
• Nuts And Volts: Build Your Own Controllers Part II


• New Products
• Advertiser's Index

...and more!

Ahoy! (April 1984)

Ahoy! is a magazine dedicated to Commodore computers and covered most of them throughout the years. In 1984 it was primarily the Commodore 64 with some VIC-20 and a little bit of PET thrown in for good measure. The Commodore 128 and Amiga would come the following year and later the C-16/Plus 4 though its life would be short. The April 1984 issue includes:

Departments

• A View from the Bridge - A look at how the magazine has improved in its short existence thus far and an overview of what's in the issue.

• Scuttlebutt - The latest Commodore related news including More on Tramiel's resignation; delays in the proposed 264 and 364 models; Leonard Nimoy to appear in Hes-Ware ads; a variety of educational software including one of my all time favorite games, Agent USA; a music synthesizer system for the Commodore 64 called "When I'm 64"; a bunch of new games including Sorcerer, Slamball and and much more.

• Book Reviews - Reviews of new Commodore 64 books including Sprite Graphics For The Commodore 64 by Sally Greenwood Larson and The Commodore 64 Music Book: A Guide To Programming And Sound by James Vogel and Nevin B. Scrimshaw.

• The Rupert Report - A short guide to math on the Commodore 64 and how you may not always get the results you expect.

• Reviews - Reviews of Dino Eggs (Micro Fun, Commodore 64), Oil's Well (Sierra On-Line, Commodore 64), Blue Max (Synapse, Commodore 64), Lunar Leeper (Sierra On-Line, Commodore 64), Learning With Leeper (Sierra On-Line, Commodore 64), Final Orbit/Bumper Bash (Sirius, VIC-20), Cross Fire (Sierra On-line, Commodore 64 and VIC-20), Jumpman Junior (Epyx, Commodore 64), Purple Turtles (Quicksilva, Commodore 64), Beach-Head (Access, Commodore 64), The Search Series (T & F, Commodore 64), and Gateway to Apshai (Epyx, Commodore 64). Of the games in this list, there are several I played extensively including Blue Max, Jumpman Junior, Beach-Head, and Gateway to Apshai. Those were all outstanding games.

• Commodares - Problems for the reader to solve by writing (or fixing) small programs.

• Glossary - A glossary of computer terms.

Features

• Easy Script and Easy Spell - A review of this relatively inexpensive, full featured word processor (and spell checker) for the Commodore 64.

• Printer Interfacing, Part II - The results of a series of tests on a couple of printer interfaces for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20, including the Tymac Connection and the Cardco Cart?/+G.

• Introduction to Petspeed - Review of Petspeed, a BASIC Compiler for the Commodore PET/CBM.

• Playing the Light Fantastic - A look at lasedisc technology including laserdisc games.

• Who Programmed J.R.? - A detailed look at The Dallas Quest, based on the extraordinarily popular prime time soap opera. Includes a conversation with the creators.

• Educational Software, Part II - Part 2 of a guide to educational software for parents.

Programs

• Lunar Lander - A type-in game for the Commodore 64 in which you attempt to land you spacecraft on the Moon.

• Apple Pie - A type-in educational game for the Commodore 64 that lets you practice multiplication.

• Commodore 64 Bug Repellent - A proofreading program for type-in programs published in Ahoy!

• Lower Case Descenders - A program for creating a custom, and much improved, character set for the Commodore 1525 printer.

...and more!

Commodore & Amiga Horizons, Issue 28, April 1986

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The April 1986 issue of Commodore & Amiga Horizons - http://d6003dd0.tinylinks.co