• Tag Archives Atari 8-bit

  • ANALOG Computing (May 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – ANALOG Computing – May 1985

    There were a couple of good Atari 8-bit magazines published in the U.S. Overall, I think ANALOG was probably the best. The May 1985 issue includes:

    Features

    • BASIC AUTORUN.SYS File – A type-in BASIC AUTORUN.SYS designed for autobooting BASIC programs.
    • Basic Burger – A type-in game that, from the description, sounds like a clone of Burger Time.
    • Z-Plotter – A type-in program for plotting graphs of formulas that you enter.
    • Boulder Bombers – A type-in game in which you must drop bombs to clear away a landslide that is blocking flood waters from receding.
    • Loan Shark – A type-in payment calculator that allows you to calculate payments based on loan amounts and interest rates.
    • Two-Fifty-Siz – A type-in program that will display 256 colors on screen at once.

    Reviews

    • US Doubler – The US Doubler is a hardware upgrade for the Atari 1050 disk drives that adds the capability to read and write double-density disks. With the included Sparta DOS, it also speeds it up significantly.
    • Tax Command – Tax preparation software for your Atari 8-bit.
    • Panak Strikes! – Reviews of various games including Realm of Impossibility (Electronic Arts), The Scrolls of Abadon (Access Software), Beach-Head (Access Software) – one of my personal favorites but on the Commodore 64, Spy vs. Spy (First Star Software), and The Serpent’s Star (Broderbund).
    • Enhancement to BASIC – An enhancement to BASIC on Atari computers that adds new functions.

    Columns

    • Editorial – An overview of recent changes to the magazine including changes to the format, increase in telecommunications coverage, and more.
    • Reader Comment – Letters from readers about back issues on disk, coverage in the U.K, a modification to Planetary Defense that allows you to use the Atari Touch Tablet, uses of a VCR with Atari 8-bit computers, and more.
    • New Products – A brief look at new products including a new online game service called Games Computer Play, The Atari Computer Workout (book), Castle Cobbler and Subtraction Fair from Mindscape (kids educational software), The Print Shop from Broderbund, Bounty Bob Strikes Back, and more.
    • Griffin’s Lair – A look at recent educational software titles including Tink’s Adventure (Mindscape) and Tuk Goes to Town (Mindscape).
    • Ask Mr. Forth – A demonstration of the differences between FORTH and BASIC via FORTH versions of a couple of previously published BASIC graphics programs.
    • On-Line – An argument against software piracy using unruly kids in a movie theater as an analogy.
    • The End User – How to take the perfect screen shot. At this time, that meant using a film camera and photographing the monitor.

    …and more!


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  • ANALOG Computing (July 1986)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: ANALOG Computing – July 1986

    ANALOG computing was probably the best Atari 8-bit computer magazine published in the U.S. (though I suppose some might make an argument for Antic). They dabbled in Atari ST coverage when it came along but for the most part they stuck with 8-bit coverage. The July 1986 issue includes:

    Features

    • The 810 Flip Switch – It was common practice to punch a hole (really a notch) in the side of a floppy disk in order to make it useable as a double-sided disk. The instructions here are to build a switch for the Atari 810 disk drive that accomplishes the same thing without having to clip your disk.
    • RAMcopy! – A type-in program that will automatically copy specified files to a RAMdisk upon startup.
    • An interview with Russell Smith and Wayne Smith – An interview with the people behind the ATR-8000, an Atari 8-bit expansion that adds CP/M capability.
    • The 8-Bit Parallel Interface – Instructions for building a parallel interface for Atari 8-bits.
    • D:CHECK in Action! – A type-in program designed to correctly typing errors in the Action! development system.
    • Cassette LogWriter – A type-in program for printing labels/inserts for Cassettes.
    • Bits & Pieces – Part of a series on Atari hardware. This part focuses on using the joystick ports to control external devices.
    • ST-Log – An insert for the Atari ST. Included are a type-in program for creating function key templates, a program that helps you use fractions instead of decimals in LOGO, reviews o Personal Pascal, Easy Draw and Typing Tutor, a guide to ST software, a column on keyboard and disk I/O in C, and more.
    • Personal Robots – Robots that can be used with Atari computers.
    • Arm your Atari – Using the Armatron robotic arm with an Atari 8-bit computer.
    • Blast! – A type-in sci-fi themed shoot-em-up game.

    Reviews

    • Panak Strikes! – Reviews of various games including Spy vs. Spy Volume II: The Island Caper (First Star Software), The Mask of the Sun (Broderbund), and Ankh (Datamost).
    • Critical Connection – A software/hardware combo designed to allow you to use CP/M devices wth your Atari.
    • RAM Upgrade Kits – Reviews of RAM upgrade kits including the 256K XL RAM Upgrade Kit and the ICD Rambo XL Upgrade Kit (also 256K).

    Columns

    • Editorial – Recent updates to the magazine.
    • Reader Comment – Letters from readers about the Gemini SG-10 printer, Atari ST monitors, sound capabilities of the Atari ST, and more.
    • 8-Bit News – Super BoulderDash released along with a re-release of the original, Microflyte ATC joystick released made especially for Flight Simulator, Star Fleet I released, new Atari 8-bit hardware announced, and more.
    • BASIC Editor – A new type-in program designed to help you accurately type-in BASIC listings from ANALOG.
    • The End User – Financial Cookbook from Electronic Arts for the Atari ST, a real-time clock add-on for the Atari ST, a new Supra hard drive for the Atari ST, CHAT – a new telecommunications software package for the Atari ST, and more.
    • Boot Camp – Graphics programming in machine language.

    …and more!


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  • B Key 400 Keyboard (Atari 400)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Compute! – Issue Number 35 – April 1983



    The Atari 400 and Atari 800 were Atari’s first computers. They were similar in capability to the Commodore 64 which came out a little latar. Ultimately, they were not as popular as the Commodore 64 but that was due more to price than capability. Atari’s 8-bit computers were far more expensive than the Commodore 64. By the time they were able to match prices with Commodore, it was really too late.

    Partly because of their expense, there were initially two models of the Atari 8-bit. The Atari 800 and the Atari 400. They were software compatible with each other but there were some subtle and not so subtle differences between the cheaper 400 and the more expensive 800. Other than price, the main differences were less RAM in the Atari 400 and a membrane keyboard. A membrane keyboard is tolerable if you are just going to play games but if you are going to be doing any substantial typing…programming, word processing, whatever…then it is completely impractical.

    One type of upgrade that was common for a while for the Atari 400 were keyboard upgrades. These replaced the membrane keyboard with something closer to a ‘real’ keyboard that could actually be used for touch typing. These upgrades weren’t cheap for the time but I guess an Atari 400 plus keyboard upgrade was cheaper than an Atari 800 and if you already had a 400 anyway, it was substantially cheaper than buying a whole new computer. Even the much cheaper VIC-20 had a real keyboard but I guess the thing to keep in mind is that the Atari 400 was out several years before the VIC-20 and technology was moving fast and prices were falling faster.

    The ad above is for one of several keyboard upgrades available for the Atari 400. This one is called the “B Key 400” and was produced by Inhome Software. This appears to have been a company based in Canada and the ad also mentions memory upgrades for the Atari 400. The ad itself is from the April 1983 issue of Compute!. Later in 1983 the Atari 800XL (replacement for the Atari 800) and Atari 600XL (replacement for the Atari 400) would be released, both with real keyboards and at lower price points so such upgrades were probably not practical for very long after this.

    I owned both an Atari 800 and Atari 400 briefly in the late 1990s. My Atari 400 just had the original membrane keyboard so I don’t know how good these replacements really were. Like most things, I imagine some were better than others.


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