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  • PC Magazine (May 29, 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC Magazine – Volume 3, Number 10 – May 29, 1984

    PC Magazine was one of the most popular PC magazines around from the early to mid 1980s through the early 2000s. Along with PC World, you could find it at pretty much every bookstore and newsstand as well as most other places that sold magazines. The May 29, 1984 issue includes:

    Cover Stories

    • Inside the PC Portable – A detailed look at IBM’s new portable. This was a suitcase sized luggable that had to be plugged in similar to the Compaq Portable which beat it to market, not to be confused with later laptops. It does have an amber screen which I like better than the green screen of the Compaq.
    • IBM Joins the Suitcase Set – More about the IBM portable and the marketing decisions that went into produce a competitor to Compaq’s luggable vs. focusing on more portable options.

    Features

    • All the President’s PC’s – An article on EOPNET, a network of IBM PC XTs and supporting hardware (such as a couple IBM 3083 mainframes) in the Whitehouse used to keep Presidential aids up to date.
    • The MLA Learns a New Language – How the Modern Language Association is using computers.
    • PC’s and Social Scientists: The Chemistry is Right – While mainframes had long been used in social sciences, the personal computer was starting to shake things up.
    • The PC Goes to Bat – How Dave Johnson, the manager at the time of the New York Metz, was using a PC-XT and dBASE II to create computer-aided batting lineups.
    • Farm Workers Get a PC of the Action – How the PC was being used in two new educational programs designed to help migrant and seasonal farm workers.
    • Live Free with UNIX – Instead of assuming hardware time was expensive and programmer time was cheap, UNIX assumes the opposite is true. A short history and description of the UNIX operating system.
    • Understanding UNIX – An introduction to the world of UNIX and a brief tutorial.
    • Taking the Cue from UNIX – A look at the QNX operating system for the IBM PC.
    • A UNIX to be Proud of – A look at the XENIX operating system, Microsoft’s version of UNIX.
    • A Classy Idris in the UNIX Neighborhood – A look at the Co-Idris operating system which is a multi-user UNIX lookalike for 8086/8088 based machines.
    • A Daisy Wheel Printer with Extra Petals – A look at Diablo’s 630 ECS letter quality printer. Daisy wheel printers worked like a typewriter so they were very high quality but could not generally print graphics.
    • Offbeat Solutions to Common Problems – A look at various unique products including the Rolltop Disk File and Disk Jockey disk storage devices, various lamps designed for cutting down monitor glare, tractor feed paper with less obvious perforations, and much more.
    • Assembly Language: Putting the Macro Assembler to Work – An excerpt from the book Assembly Language Primer for the IBM PC by Robert Lafore which includes three programs.
    • Electronic Writing: The PC Tapping at the Chamber Door – How word processing has changed the art of writing.
    • Putting Your Correspondence in Good Form – A look at two software products, Gold Letters and Letterform 1000, that provide a variety of form letters.
    • Mainframe to Manager: Accessing Corporate Information – The advantages of using a DBMS to allow access to corporate data from a PC.

    Columns

    • On the Road: Writing in Transit – A look at some options for travelling with a computer. Truly portable computers were not yet particularly common nor were they cheap. A couple of machines looked at here include the Anderson-Jacobson Passport, Compaq Portable, and Radio Shack Model 100.
    • Author, Author – A look at the state of computer aided instruction and courseware development systems.
    • Building a Medical Database: A Case History – Using DataEase, a menu driven database management system, to build a medical database.
    • Developing an Electronic Survey – Using a PC to collect data and analyze survey results.
    • A Well-Fed Printer – Choosing the correct paper-feed mechanism in the context of law documents.
    • A PC Pen Plotter – How to use a dot matrix printer as a low cost pen plotter.
    • Put Your PC on Automatic Pilot – Software to automate online activities such as downloading e-mail.

    Departments

    • PC News – A new color monitor for the PCjr, new 32-bit UNIX machine from AT&T, DisplayWrite 1 & 2, and more.
    • Fact of Fiction? – Clearing up the facts about UNIX.
    • The Hidden Costs of Software – The advantages and disadvantages of writing your own software vs. purchasing a commercial package.
    • Letters to PC – Letters from readers on poor documentation, copying software, the TI Professional Computer, a PC energy management system, and much more.
    • Shells: A New Face for DOS? – A look at the demand for Shells, software that wraps the operating system in an easier to use interface driven by menus.
    • The Future State of the Art: Computer Sight – A look at ways we will have to give computers sight in the future.
    • The Thrill is Gone – A look at classic arcade conversions for the PC such as Pac-Man, Defender, Stargate, and more.
    • Deciphering the Life of Turing – A book review of Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges.
    • New on the Market – A brief look at new products including the PC/STD Link, Micro7400 Protocol Converter, LetterPro 20 daisy wheel printer, 5MB SX410 Cartridge Drive, PC Eye Video Capture System, and more.
    • User-To-User – A how-to for assigning function keys in DOS.
    • PC Tutor – Questions answerd about upgraded a 64K PC and installing a hard drive in early PC models.

    …and more!


    Computer Arcana DOS 📎and tagged

  • PC World (July 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC World – July 1985
    PC World was one of two PC magazines that really dominated in the 1980s and 1990s (the other being PC Magazine). The July 1985 issue includes:

    Community

    • The DOS Drivers – DOS 3.10 had just recently been released and this article takes a look at Microsoft’s future plans for DOS including new networking features and more.
    • PC World Advanced Users Quiz – If you know things such as what the default disk drive is, which CPU the PC AT uses, and what a bootstrap loader is then you might be a PC expert.

    Review

    • Inside Modems – A look at internal 1200bps modems for the PC. Models reviewed here include the Qubic PC212A 1200, Cermetek Info-Mate 212PC, Microcom Era 2, Bizcomp Intellimodem XL, IDEA-Comm 1200, Novation Smart-Cat Plus, AST Reach!, and Hayes 1200B. Prices range from $149 to $549, however, lower priced models often had difficulty interoperating with other brands at high speeds.
    • Corona at the Speed of Light – A review of the Corona LP-300 laser printer.
    • Better and True BASICs – A look at two new BASIC implementations, including TrueBASIC and True BASIC.
    • COBOL Comeback – An evaluation of four COBOL compilers for the PC, including Level II Cobol, mhp COBOL, IBM COBOL, and Professional COBOL.

    PCjr World

    • The PCjr Survival Kit – IBM announced and end to the production of the PCjr in March 1985. This article provides advice for finding PCjr software, peripherals, service and support.

    State of the Art

    • Advanced Screening – A look at the latest in flat screen technology including LCDs, plasma, EL, and flat CRT technology.

    Hands On

    • Fraternizing With Framework – A detailed look at Framework, widely considered to be the first all-in-one office suite for the PC.
    • Transfer of Power – A look at creating menuing systems with Keyworks.
    • The Fully Powered PC – A guide to creating DOS batch files with DOS 2.00 and up.

    Departments

    • David Bunnell -How to become an advanced PC user.
    • REMark – The rise and fall of the PC’s founder, Don Estridge. He was responsible for bringing IBM into the consumer world with the PC but also responsible for disasters such as the PCjr.
    • John C. Dvorak – Large companies vs. small in the PC world.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about IBM advertising, parking hard drives in portable computers, accounting software, data management, and more.
    • PC World View – Compaq competes with AT&T to compete with IBM in the corporate space.
    • The Help Screen – Help with fixing the “ANSI.SYSSI.SYS” error, handling multiple open BASIC files, patching WordStar for COM2 and linear programming packages.
    • From the Software Shelf – A brief look at recent software releases including Personal Income Tax, ProType, Draw-It, and Starplus.

    …and more!


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  • Computer Gaming World (December 1987)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer Gaming World – Issue Number 42 – December 1987

    Computer Gaming World was really the best computer gaming magazine available for most of its life. In its earlier days it covered multiple platforms but eventually became a PC only magazine. The December 1987 issue includes:

    Features

    • Plundered Hearts – A run-through of Plundered Hearts, an adventure game from Infocom which is sort of a spoof on pirate romance.
    • The Electronic Gridiron – A survey of the various computerized football games available at the time. Games covered here include 4th & Inches, GFL Championship Football, Gridiron, Football, Head Coach, Mac Pro Football, Super Bowl Sunday, 3-in-1 Football, Instant Replay, Computer Quarterback, and NFL Challenge.
    • 1987 CGW Game of the Year Awards – The 1987 Computer Gaming World Game of the Year awards were presented at DragonCon where there was also discussion of the future of computer gaming and a gaming tournament. Award winners include The Bard’s Tale II (Electronic Arts), Starflight (Electronic Arts), Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Infocom), Trinity (Infocom), Might and Magic (New World Computing), Hardball (Accolade), Marble Madness (Electronic Arts), Earl Weaver Baseball (Electronic Arts), Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon (Cinemaware), Gunship (Microprose), Defender of the Crown (Cinemaware), Under Fire! (Avalon Hill), Balance of Power (Mindscape), BattleCruiser (SSI), Gettysburg (SSI), Battlefront (SSG), and the overall winner, Ultima IV (Origin).
    • Project: Stealth Fighter – A review of this combat flight simulator for the Commodore 64/128.
    • Beyond Zork – Review of this classic adventure game from Infocom for a variety of systems. This was one of the last games in the long running Zork series of interactive fiction games.
    • Secret Agents, Man! – A look at The Spy’s Adventures in Europe and The Spy’s Adventures in North America. These are two games in a series of educational adventure games for the Apple II.
    • Victory At Sea – The second part of a strategy guide for SSI’s Warship, a naval strategy game.
    • Battles In Normandy – A review of this World War II strategy game from SSG for the Commodore 64 and Apple II.
    • Firepower – Review of this arcade tank game from MicroIllusions for the Amiga (coming soon for the Commodore 64, Apple IIgs, and Dos).

    Departments

    • Editorial – An overview of recent changes to the magazine including both content and layout changes as CGW moved to an IBM AT and desktop publishing.
    • Taking A Peek – Previews of new and upcoming games including Thunderchopper (Apple II, Commodore 64), Wings of Fury (Apple II), California Dreams (Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari ST, Amiga), Vegas Gambler (Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari ST, Amiga, Apple IIgs, DOS), Shirley Muldowney’s Top Fuel Challenge (Commodore 64), Dark Lord (Apple II, Commodore 64), Force 7 (Commodore 64), Tomahawk (Atari, Commodore 64), Street Sports Basketball (Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS), Heartland (Commodore 64), Silicon Dreams (Apple II, Atari, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, DOS), Solar Star (Atari), Plutos (Amiga), Terrorpods (Amiga, Atari ST), 3D Helicopter Simulator (Dos), Thexder (DOS), Connect (DOS), and Halls of Montezuma (Apple II, Commodore 64).
    • Game Ratings – A list of the top 50 strategy and top 50 action/adventure games as rated by CGW.

    …and more!


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