Source: Personal Computer News – Issue Number 93 – January 5th, 1985
Personal Computer News is a weekly publication that was published in the U.K. in the 1980s. It appears to have covered all of the popular computers of the time. The January 5th, 1985 issue includes:
Cover Story
- Spectrum Revisited – A profile in the Sinclair Spectrum with detailed hardware info plus info on the latest software and peripherals.
Output
- Commodore file – A type-in program for the Commodore 64 that provides a series of disk utilities including file delete, undelete, file copy, block editor and much more.
- Memotech machine head – A machine language program to create music on on the Memotech MTX.
- Amstrad fine art – A type-in routine for storing and retrieving pictures on the Amstrad CPC.
- Lock and Key – A routine for the Spectrum that prevents others from seeing your source code.
- BBC Grab Apple – A type-in game for the BBC in which you must save apples from a hurricane.
- Modish Atari – This is the second and final part of a listing for a game for the Atari started in the previous. This part also serves as a tutorial for Atari’s display list.
Peripherals
- PC Pilot – A review of the Penman Plotter for the BBC.
Software
- Office Party – Review of a bargain office package for the BBC that includes a spreadsheet, word processing, database, and graphics (charts).
Regulars
- Monitor – New 3-inch disk drive for the Spectrum that stores 500K, a preview of the Which Computer Show, new games for the Commodore 64, the Enterprise goes on sale, MSX prices dropping, and much more.
- PCN Charts – Charts of 1984’s best selling games. Decathlon for the Spectrum and Commodore 64 takes the top spot overall with the top spots for each machine being Jet Set Willy (Spectrum), Beach-Head (Commodore 64), Elite (BBC B), Wizard & Princess (VIC 20), Cuthbert (Dragon), and Zaxxon (Atari).
- Random Access – Letters from readers regarding Sanyo software support, on disk copy protection, the Brother M100 printer, and more.
- Routine Enquiries – Questions answered about buying a machine for games, a Spectrum disk drive interface, shopping for a Commodore 64 setup, and more.
- Microwaves – Tips and tricks for printing double height characters on the BBC B, interfacing a Brother printer to a Sinclair QL, fixing the MTX screen saver, and more.
- Dungeon – Tips for playing The Runes of Zendos animated adventure for the Spectrum.
- Gameplay – Reviews of various games including Boiler House (Spectrum), Arcadia (Dragon), Ziggurat (Spectrum), Fort Apocalypse (Commodore 64) – this one is a classic, Doomdark’s Revenge (Spectrum), and Roland Ahoy (Amstrad).
- Billboard – A classifieds like section where readers offer up stuff for sale.
- Quit/Datalines – A look at what’s coming next week, upcoming computer shows, and more.
…and more!
