• Tag Archives PC Magazine

  • 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!


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  • PC Magazine (August 7, 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC Magazine – August 7, 1984

    Cover Stories

    • Framework: An Outline for Thought – A windowing software package that provides outlining functions.
    • Symphony: A Community of Information – An integrated software package from Lotus that provides spreadsheet, telecommunications, word processing and more.

    Features

    • The Sharp PC-5000 – A “lap-size” portable computer. For about $2000 you get a DOS compatible machine with 128KB of RAM and an 8-line 80-column display. Options include 3.5″ disk drives, 5.25″ disk drives, built-in printer, 128K bubble memory cartridge, 64K RAM cartridges and more.
    • CP/M and DOS: At Home in the Kaypro 4 Plus 88 – Kaypro’s latest portable Z-80 based computer. This one featured a co-processor board with an additional 256K that could be used to run DOS programs. All for $2500.
    • Project: Database, Part 5 – The 5th in a seven part series on database packages. This part covers Formula II, Manager Version 4.0, Dataease, The Sensible Solution, probase, Metafile Version 7.0, and Pro-Matic.
    • Inventory Management for Retailers – A look at GPS’s Inventory Management with Point of sale Invoicing system.
    • NewWord: A WordStar Double at Less than Half the Price – NewWord is a word processor that basically functioned as a WordStar clone. It’s big advantage was price at “only” $249.
    • New Power for Constructing Financial Models – A review of the Encore! financial modeling language package from Ferox Microsystems. It was sort of a more complex spreadsheet system.
    • Better Business BASIC – A look at two different BASIC packages including Applications BASIC from Soft Gold and Thoroughbred Operating System from SMC Software Systems.
    • The BASIC for Professionals – A review of Professional BASIC (PBASIC). It was mostly compatible with GWBASIC but added visual programming and debugging tools.

    Pro Columns

    • Micro-Biology – A programs that functions as a database designed to keep track of patient specimens and results.
    • Trainerless Training: Drifting Off Course – A interactive PC training course from Cdex that isn’t very interactive.
    • The PC Remedy for a Hospital’s Ills – A case study of a Texas health-care center transitioned to an in-house computer system.
    • Micro Insurance – A look at various types of computer insurance that are available.
    • Get SET for Speed – A tutorial on using the SET command and the environment feature of DOS to speed up DOS commands.
    • A Publisher’s Circulation File – How one publisher uses a database to build a circulation management file compatible wit the requirements of the Postal Service.

    Departments

    • PC News – Compaq’s new PC compatible machine, IBM cuts prices, Canon introduces PC compatible machine, Atari discusses 1090XL expansion system, and much more.
    • A Satisfying Way to Deal with Bugs – Convincing manufacturers to fix buggy programs.
    • A Modest Proposal on Compatibility – Using an install program and customized screen drivers to improve software compatibility.
    • PC Arcade: Hardhats and Bows – Reviews of Hard Hat Mack and Ms. Pac-Man.
    • New on the Market – A look at new products including the BUSSter A64R Digital Input Module, Plan 2000 network system, the DP-9725B Color Printer, Word-Jr word processor for the IBM PCjr, Windows for C programming tool for writing windowed programs, and much more.
    • User-to-User – Questions and answers about date processing algorithms, including a couple of calendar programs written in BASIC.
    • PC Tutor – Questions answered about shifting characters on startup, controlling keyboard modes, using different kinds of monitors, printing with the Displaywriter 5218 daisy wheel printer, and more.

    …and more!


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  • PC Magazine (July 24th, 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC Magazine – July 24th, 1984

    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.

    • On the Road to Africa – One user’s experience using a PC in the challenging environment of Gaborone, Botswana, Africa.

    • Project: Database, Part 4 – The fourth part in a six part series on database software. This part covers InfosStar, TIM IV, Aladin, R:BASE Series 4000, PC-File ‘N Report, ASAP Five, 10 Base, Keep It, and KeyBase.

    • An Automatic Approach to Networks – Using PFS:ACCESS to automate retrieval of data from remote informational databases.

    • Tailoring DOS to Fit – An excerpt from chapters 15 and 16 of the book Running MS-DOS.

    • COBOL with a Personal Touch – A review of Personal COBOL from Micro Focus, Inc.

    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.

    • Enhancing PC-DOS – Modifying the PC-DOS environment with the “SET” command to create custom abbreviations.

    • Looking It Up on Knowledge Index – A review of The Knowledge Index, an online service that provided access to hundreds of computer publications at a rate of $35 + $24/hour.

    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.

    • Where to Turn – Reviews of computer reference books including The Reader’s Guide to Microcomputer Books, The Addison-Wesley Book of IBM Software, 1984 Microprocessor Market Place: A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Microcomputer Industry, and Word Processing on the IBM.

    • New on the Market – A brief look at new products including new 3.25″ floppy disk drives with 500K to 1MB capacity, DataTalker II terminal emulator processor, STRATA:G strategic financial planning software, PLOT88 FORTRAN graphics library, Jury Trial II courtroom strategy game, Docuwriter jr word processor for the IBM PCjr, and much more.

    • User-to-User – A routine for selectively scrolling a rectangular window.

    • PC Tutor – Questions answered about getting an updated 8088 chip, printing graphics screens, graphics on the TRS-80 Model III, and more.

    …and more!


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