he^pensiVe Word Procelsors For VIC And 64
COMPUTB^s
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$2.50
October 1983 Issue 4 Vol. 1, No. 4
For Owners And Users Of Commodore VIC-20 And 64' Personal Computers
Speeding Up The VIC-20
A simple programming technique can speed up your games and other programs - without machine language.
Educational Games Aardvarlc Attack & Word Match
Oil Tycoon: An Exciting Game For VIC And Commodore 64
In Aardvark Attack, mutant space creatures are threat- ening your cities with alpha- numeric weapons.... Can you find the right letter-number combinations to defuse the bombs? Or, test your concen- tration skills with Word Match.
1 0
V4470"63380"
So, you think the big oil borons have it made? Wait until you play this strategy gome and hove to cope with the problems
Also In This Issum,,
How To Use 'Files With W Disic And Tape
Horizoits: 64^ |By Charles Brannoii
^ Best-Selling ^^H : Software, Review^w ^; And More *^
of exploration, limited drilling capacity, dyna- mite shortages, shrinking resources - even under- ground devils.
Understanding Sound On The Commodore 64
The 64's sound is the best of any home computer, but It's hard to master. Part I of this new series explains how the built-in synthesizer works and includes programs so you can experiment yourself.
WORD PROCESSING HAS NEVER. BEEN SIMPLER
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Braderbund's Bank Street Writer turns your Apple or Atari computer into a powerful word processor, with many ot the advanced features you'd expect to find only in an expensive business system. Powerful, yet purposefully simple. Bank Street Writer has no complex codes to memorize. The screen guides you every step of the way It's ever^'thing you're ever likely to need in a word proces-
Bank Street
functions with password pro- tection, • Document chaining allows you to print documents of unlimited lenj^th, • Page headers and automatic page numbering— top or bottom. » Highlightingoftext, •Upper and lowercase without additional hardware.
Braderbund's Bank Street Writer comes complete with Tutorial and Utility programs, a comprehensive reference man-
sor at a price you can afford. Here are just a few of its many features: • Add, move, in- sert and erase blocks of text, • Universal search and replace indent, • Automatic word wrap, so you don't have to hy- phenate or "return" at the end of each line, • Potent print format routines all in memory, • Disk storage and retrieve
^'^ ual and a free back-up disk. Student approved, the en-
,^utomatic centering and
tire system has been exten- sively tested by Bank Street College of Education and Intentional Educations.
Bank Street Writer, The ground-breaking, sensible combi- nation of weird processing power, thoughtful design, and exceptional value.
The First Word Processor For The Entire Family.
Hardware requirtjtnents: .Applf version reLluirt-s .Applt licur 4HK Apple
11 Plus ur 48K Apple 11 with Applesoft in RO\f or R.AM, ;Hid .i 16 sector
controller, At:iri 400^800/1200X1 version lequire.s 48K (BASIC c^iruiJue lor use of rutt'tiiil). Horh versions retjuire only one tiisk liri^'e.
^BrodeftundSoftuiare
17 Paul Drive, San Rafact, CA 94903, Telephone (415) 479-1170
Applr i\ ii ri'KistiTfJ [r:iilt-m:i[-k of Appk Compulc'r. Inc. Aiari i* a rL^piUTL-d trnJcmark of Aiari, Inc* CdmmodorL- &4 is a registered tradt'mtirk uf Cnmrnodtirt; hlccirimic^ Ltd.
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Fee] Kke a devil today? Better adjust your halo. Start the
igrution. It's up to you to decide... Okay, hit the accelerator. You can be the ultimate speed demon or put wings on your wheels! There's a pedestrian now... will you go for speed, no matter what pedestrians are in the uay {for the deviish points)— or be an angel in a challenging obstacle course? The heavenly points may get you to heaven, but the devilish points may get you to... well, better make your decision— the time clock is running!
29.95
So your sweet tooth has gotten out of hand ag£un? Well, this time the sheriff is after you and he's no sweetheart. There he is now! Quick! Grab all the candy in sight and dive for the doorway! [>on't look now, the doors are rotating. ..better be good at getting out of sticky situations, 'cause if you hit the wall you're stuck with it! There's plenty of candy here and many more levels to cross, so get on the move, sugar!
Avaiiabie at finer Software Stores everywhere,
OR CALL (213) SOl-5845 FOR THE NAME OF YOUR LOCAL DEALER OR DISTRIBUTOR.
T&F Softu-ar'c Comt>anv 10902 Riverside Drive / North Hollywood, California 91602. (213) 501-5845
* COPYRIGHT 1983 CHRIS WARUNG. SPEED RACER AND CANDY BANDFT ARH TRADEMARKS OF CHRIS WARUNG LICENSED TO T&F SOFTWARE. COMMODORE 64* IS A REGISTERED -mADEMARK OF COMf/ODORE COMPUTER, INC.
SPINNAKEirS UHE OF EARLY LEARMNG GAMES
ISGROWMG
AS FAST AS YOUR
CHILD^MIND.
Watching your kids grow up is a lot of fun. But making sure their minds grow as fast as their bodies is even more rewarding. That's where we can help. With a growing line of Early Learning Programs that are not only lots of fun to play, but also educational.
Some of the games you see on these two pages help exercise your child's creativity. Others help improve vocabulary and spelling skills. While others
improve your child's writing and reading abilities. And all of them help your child understand how to use the connputer.
So if you're looking for computer programs that do more than just "babysit" for your kids, read on. You'll find that our Early Learning Programs are not only compatible with Apple'* Atarif IBM'* and Connnnodore 64'" computers, but also with kids who like to have fun.
HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE™ Poetry In motion. Ages 3 to 10.
Kids love rhymes. And since HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE features 30 classic rhymes with full color graphics and the neatest computer music you've ever heard, it makK rhyme games more fun than ever before. Plus, it makes it fun for kids to read, helps them understand how words and rhymes create poetry and lets them take fragmentKl thoughts and rearrange them to form coherent verse.
Apple. IBM 3TKl Atari arc registered trademarks of AppJc Computer. Inc.. I ntmatimul Business MacWnes Corp. and Atari. Inc. respectivelji Conirriooore 54 is a trademarK of Commodofe Oectrorms Limited.
RHYMES & RIDDLES™ come to life. Ages S to 9.
RHYMES & RIDDLES will delight your child- ren. Because when they successfully com- plete the rhymes, riddles, and famous sayings on the screen .they'll see them come to life-
and colorful pictures. And RHYMES S RIDDLES not only teaches children ttie comect lyrics to nursery [hymes and femous sayings It also helps kids leam to read and spell while they're having fljnl That's v\4iy
■with music parents like RHYMES & RIDDLES, tool
KINDERC0MP7" Numbers, shapes, letters, words and drawings make fun. Ages 3 to 8.
KINDERCOMPis a game that allows very young children to start learning on the computer. It's a collection of learning exercises that ask your children to match shapes and letters, write their names, draw pictures, or fill in missing numbers. And KiNDER- COMP will delight kids with color-
ful rewards, as the screen comes to life when correct answers are given.
Asa parent, you can enjoy the fact that
your children are having
fun while improving their
reading readiness and
counting skills.
PACEMAKERS" makes faces fun. Ages 4 to 12.
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PACEMAKER lets chil- dren create their own funny faces on the screen. Once a face is completed, your children will giggle with delight as they make it do all kinds of neat things: wink, smile. wiggle its ears, or whatever their imagination desires.
Plus. PACEMAKER helps children become com- fortable with computer fundamentals such as: menus, cursors, the return key the space ban simple programs, and graphics. PACEMAKER won't make parents frown because their children will have fun making friends with the computer.
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HSaa, Spinnaktr Software Qirp. All rights reserved.
We make learning fun.
HAT HOrr.V «nd SAVt NEW YORK!'" pr» irddsmdrtis of Cnalive Saliwir*. :;
"Commodo™". "VIC -20", and 'Comnwiduf* 64" Mt irdd«in;»ki a( Cimimixlor* EtMltonkk. t.ld
CREATIVE SOFTWARE
A DIvliltn ol ASCI, lac
230 1 Caribbean Drive * Sunnyvale. CA 940W
October 19&3 Vol. 1, No. 4
The Anatomy Of Computers Tom R. Halfhilt 23 *
Telegaming Today And Tomorrow John Blackford 32 *
The Automatic Proofreader: Banish Typos Forever! Charles Brannon 48 *
Bargain Software For The 64: Commodore's Public Domain Programs John Blackford . 90 64
Oil Tycoon Gordon F. Wheat 52 V/64
Re-Beep Robert L Lykins 58 V/64
Inside View: Programmer Marc Blank Katby Yakal 64 *
K^_REVIEWS
A Survey Of Inexpensive Word Processors For VIC And 64 Larry L Bihimeyer & Kathy Yakal . 94
WordPro 3 Plus/64 Dan Carmicbael 101
Fast Eddie For VIC And 64 Tony Roberts 1 02
V/64
64
V/64
^ EDUCArioii/HOME AMPLICATIONS
Computing For Kids: From Dinosaurs To Freckles Fred D'lgnazi'o 68
Aordvork Attack Todd Heimarck 74
Word Match Andy VanDuyne 80
Computing For Grownups: Giants And Dwarfs Fred D'Ignazio 84
F PROGRAMMING
V
V/64
Hints & Tips: A SHIFTy Solution Steven Darnold 105
The Beginner's Corner: Program Transfer C. Regena 106
Machine Language For Beginners: Windows And Pages Richard Mansfield 112
Power BASIC: Improved Paddle Reader Routine Dan Carmichael & Tom R. Halfhill . . 117
How To Use Tape And Disk Files Richard Mansfield 118
Understanding Sound On The Commodore 64: Port I Gregg Peele 131
Speeding Up The VIC Dan Carmichael 1 34
V/64
V/64
V/64
V/64
V/64
64
V
The Editor's Notes Robert Lack 6
Gazette Feedback Editors & Readers • 10
Simple Answers To Common Questions Tom R. Halfhill 18
HOTWARE: This Month's Best Sellers Kathy Yakal 42
Horizons: 64 Charles Brannon 1 24
VICreations; Keeping Time With The VIC Dan Carmichael 127
News & Products 1 36
64 VIC
ROGRAM LISTING^
Bug-Swatter: Modifications & Corrections 142
A Beginner's Guide To Typing In Programs 143
How To Type In COMPUTEI's Gazette Programs 144
Program Listings 1 45
Product Mart 1 56
Advertisers Index 1 60
* = General, V=VIC-20, 64= Commodore 64.
COMI'llil'.l'^CHKiltfK lUlNislml tivflvv liiiicMMLli vi-.ii I'v COMPUIE! I'iil>lii'.liiiiilh, Itli., I'ii?.t Otfiic I!(h "MOfi, CIt.vimliimi, NC 27-tU1 USA. I'himc ('l|iJ)27S-'W(fl, r-djlnrijl orfk(^.'in^K>r.iU'<i .il S<IFi r'iiw.uJi,i l>rivr. t irti'ii'.lHNni, NC 27'1(^?. r>c)iiu'slu' sijbwTJptioiw: 1? isMr^-s, S2£l. Si'inl siibsrriptfon urticrs Mr I'hdlljjr lif .nitln^s'. (I'.U. I"i)rm 3S79) loCifltjI.llion r)l>[it„ COAII'l/M '% l'„i:.i-lli; I' t), ISrivS-tlVi, Cnrrislmni, NC 27KO Si'iiiiul rl.is?, .i|i|ilii.ilii>il |XTO)mt; .11 Clri'i'lislHiiii'. NC 27III1.iml .ultlililin.ll mniliiij; iiflirt^-i. t^ntinr nmriiiis iu|iyn|;lll >> 1'W.l byOOMPUTfl I'liMit.ilttHis, Itu . All ri);]il-i rt'M'rvvd. ISSN I)7.17-.')7I6. Jk^CKM\
THE EDITOR'S
The acceleration of Commodore
personal computer sales con- tinues. Our roiiding indicates thai VIC-20 sales are not slowing down at all, and Commodore 64 sales are increasing. IJest esti- mates are that by the end of 1983 we'll have an installed base of between 2,(H)0,aUU and 2,5()0,()(K) VICs and 64s. That is a lot of users. What does it mean for you existing owners? Well, first of all, you'll have to balance your feelings about the declining prices of the hardware with the realization that if you'd waited you wouldn't have been this far along in learning to use yt)ur computer. More importantly, for the future, it means you'll see more anci better software and support materials at more reasonable prices. That should be the true benefit t)f this rapid expansion in the installed base. Increasing quality and declining prices... we'll keep our fingers crossed.
By the time you read this, our first two books for the Com- modore 64 will be released, plus our second and third books for the VIC-20. Among the September/October titles being released by COMI'UTI'l liooks are ¥\rs\ Book of VIC Ciimes, Si'cotni Book of VIC. First Hook of the Cont- modore 64, V!C Gnincs For Kid^n, First Book of Couwioiiore 64 Crtnies and Crcatiii^ Arcade Gaiiici^ on
the VIC. They're all of the same level of qualitv you've come to expect from COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. Check your local book or computer store for availability.
Automatic Proofreader, by
Charles Brannon, appears in this issue. Those of you who have experienced problems vvitli typing errors, etc., while en- tering programs will be quite pleased. This program literally checks each line of the program and lets you know if the line has been correctly entered. While the concept is not unique, the most useful part of the process is that it lets you know after each line is entered rather than wait- ing until all lines are entered. Thus, if a line is entered incor- rectly, you can fix it immediately. Read Charles's article for full details.
Within the next few weeks,
many of you will be receiving a reader survey (if you haven't already). Please take the few minutes necessary to fill out and return the questionnaire. It's invaluable to us in profiling you, our active readers.
Horizons: 64, our new col- umn for 64 owners will now begin appearing each month. Horizons will be authored by Charles Brannon on a regular basis, replacing Larry Isaac's column, "64 Explorer." For you
devoted fans of Larry's insight into the inner workings of the 64, don't despair, he's moved the column to COMI'U'if-;! on a monthly basis. We felt that with this move, Larry could turn to the more technical side of the 64 where he excels.
Our growing editorial staff is in need of experienced writers. Our offices are located in Greensboro, NC, an excellent area to live and work. If you have a writing or journalistic background, and experience in the personal computer field, we'd like to see your resume. Please send it along, in complete confidence, to: COMMUTE! F!d>licaSio>iA, Inc. Attn: Personnel Dircetvr Post Office Box 5406 Grecmboro, NC 27403
COMPUTE! has an excellent working environment, currently a staff of 80 -I- , and as a division of American Broadcasting Com- panies (ABC) offers an excellent benefits package as well. We look forward to hearing from you.
Until next issue, enjoy your Gazette.
Editor In Chief
6 COMPUTEI's Gaiette Octoborl983
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COM 64 VIC 20 APPLE ATARI
OWNERS
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BWWil-i'V-i-.v.V--. Sierra On-Llne Building, Coarsegold, CA 93614 (209) 683-6856 |
\J»^ JON-UIME IMC |
COMPUTE! -Publicationsjnc.®
Publbher Gary R. Ingersoll Edtfor in Chiel Robert C. Lock Publisher's Assutant Alice S. Wolfe Senior Editor Ricliard Miinsfield Managing Editor Kathleen E. Martinek Arf/Deslgn Director Georgia Papadopoulos
Editorial
Tom R. I-Ialfhill, Gazette Editor; Orson Scott Card, Editor, COMPUTE! Books Division; Gail Walker, Production Editor; Ottis R. Cowper, Technical Editor; Charles Brannon, Program Editor; Tony Roberts, Assistant Managing Editor
Assfstant Editors
Dan Carmichaei (Publications), Stephen Levy, Gregg Keizer (Books), Lance Elko (Publications), Kathy Yakal, Editorial Assistant (Features)
Programming Assistants
Patrick Parrish, tJrugj; Peek-, Jonathan Byrd, Dale McBane
Copy Editing/Proofreading
Juanita Lewis (Assistant), Becky Hall, Sarah Johnston, Linda Shaw
Administrative Staff
Vicki Jennings, Laura MacFadden, Carol Eddy, Julia Fleming
Associate Editors
Jim BuHerfield (Toronto), Harvey Herman (Greensboro), I- red D'lgnazio (Roanoke), David Thornburg {Los Altos), Bill Wilkinson (Cupertino)
PrtMluction
Irma Swain, Assistant Production Manager; De Potter, Mechanical Art Supervisor; Terry Cash, Typesetting
Altists
Leslie Jessup, Cindy Mitchell (Publications), Janice Fary
(Books); Todd Heimarck, Promotions Assistant;
Harry Blair, Illustrator
OperatioRs/Custemer Service
Carol Lock, Manager; Assistants: Patty Jones, Shannon Meyer; Dealer Coordinator, Fran Lyons; Assistants: Gail Jones, Sharon Minor
Customer Service Staff
Chris Gordon, Dorothy Bogan, Cassandra Robinson, Chris Patty, Rhonda Savage, Lisa Flaharty, Anita Roop, Mary Sprague, Carol Dickerson, Sharon Sebastian, Jim Coward (Warehouse Manager), Larry O'Connor, Chris Cain, Dai Rees, Jack McConnell
Data Processing
Leon Stokes, Manager; Joan Compton, Assistant
W. Jerry Day, Manager; James M. Hurst, Comptroller; Assistants: Linda Miller, Doris HaU; Staff: Ruth Granger, Anna Harris, Emilie Covil, Anne Ferguson
Advertising Sales
Andy Meehan, National Sales Manager; Patti Williams, Proauction Coordinator; Bonnie Valentino, Accounting Coontinator; Rose marie Davis, Sales Assistant
Soles Representatives
Jerry Thompson 415-348-8222
Phoebe Thompson 408-354-5553
JoAnn Sullivan 619-941-2313
Ed Winchell 213-378-8361
Harry Blair 919-275-9809
8 COMPUTEt'tGazBtto October 1983
Jules E. Thompson, Inc.
National and Canadian Sales Representatives 1290 Howard Avenue, Suite 303 Burlingame, CA 94010
Address all advertising materials to:
Patti Williams, COMrUTL'.'s Gazette,
505 Edwardia Drive, Greensboro, NC 27409
Sales Offices, The Thompson Company
617-720-1888
212-772-0933
919-275-9809
312-726-6047
713-731-2605
408-354-5553
4 15-348-8222 or 408-354-5553
619-941 -231 3 or 2 1 3-378-836 1
619-941-2313
213-378-8361
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New England
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COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. publishes
COMPUTE! COMPUTE! Books COMPUTEfs Gazette
Corporate Office:
505 Edwardia Drive, Green.sboro, NC 27409 Mailing Address
Post Office Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403
Telephone: 919-275-9809
Office Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday-Friday
Chief Executive Officer Robert C. Lock Prestdetit Gary R. Ingersoll Vice President of Finance W. Jerry Day Comptroller James M. Hurst Executive A»istantSonja Whitesell AsdstanI Debi Nash
Subscription Information COWUHITCi's Goxefte CiKukrtien Depf. P.O. Box S406, Greensboro, NC 27403
TOUrHEE
Subscription Order line
800-334-0868
to HC 9T0-37S-9S09
COMPUTEI's Goxette Subscription Rotes (13 issue Year): US (one year) $20. Canada, Mexico
and Foreign Surface Mail $25. Foreign Air Mail $45.
Authors of manuscripls warrant that all matiTUils suhmittcd lo COMI'UTE!'s Gazelle ate original materials with full owtuTshin rifjhls rosidi/nt in said authors. Ry .submit tinj; artiik-s to COMl'UTLl's Guzi'th', autht>rs aL'kni>wlfdgi^ that .soi'h ruati^rials, upon *u'i\*ptaiicc for publication, become the exclusive property of COMPUTEI I'ulili- calions. Inc. No portion of Ibis maf;azmc may W reprotlitced in any form without written permis.sion from the publisher, l-nlire conlenls copyright (0 iy«3, COMPUIEj riiblicalions. Inc. Kights to prognims dfveloped and submitted by authors are explaiiifd in our author contract. Unsolicited materials not accepted for publication will be retumtti if author provides a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Where programs are included in an article submission, a tape or disk must accompany the submission. I'rinled listings are oplional, but helpful. ArticU's should be fiimishrd as tv[>fd I'opy (upj>er anti lowercase, please) with double spacing, f-ach artick- pagi- should bear the title of the .irliclu, dale, and name of the author. COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., assumes no liability for errors in arlitles or adver- tisements, {^pinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those ofCOMPUTE! Publications, Inc.
PRT, CBM, ViC-20, and Commodore 64 are trademarks of Commo- dore Business Machines, Inc., and/or Commodore Electronics Limited. Other than as an independent supplier of quality informa- tion and services to owners and users of Ctnnmodtire products, COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., is in no way associated with Commo- dore Dusiness Machines, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries.
WordPro 3 Plus/64™
The Best Word Processor for your Commodore 64
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When choosing a Word Processor for your Commodore 64 com- puter, there's no reason to settle for anything but the best— in a word.... WordPro™.
With over 30,000 happy WordPro clients churning out letters and documents all over the world, the WordPro Plus™ Series is un- questionably the #1 selling software package on Commodore computers! So when you choose WordPro, you know you're in- vesting in a trial-tested program that's a real winner. And Word- Pro 3 Plus/64 is NOW available for your Commodore 64 com- puter at prices as low as $89.95,
Designed for the novice user with no computer or word process- ing experience whatsoever, WordPro 3 Plus/64 brings a whole new dimension to the term "user-friendly." More than just easy to use, WordPro 3 Plus/64 is a commercial level word processor loaded with powerful features including: Auto Page Numbering,
Headers and Footers, ft^ath Functions, Global Search and Replace, the Ability to Create Multiple Personalized Letters and Documents, Underlining, Boldface, Super and Subscripts and much, much, more.
Best of all, WordPro 3 Plus/64's powerful arsenal of features can be put to use almost immediately— by even the novice user. So whether you're a writer, in business, education, or just a hob- byist, you'll quickly become a WordPro Pro!
Invest in the best. . .WordPro Plus. In a class by itself.
Call us today for the name of the WordPro 3 Plus/64 dealer nearest you.
Professional Software Inc.
51 Fremont Street Needham, MA 02194
(617) 444-5224 Telex: 951579
WordPro 3 Plus/64™ Is a trademark of Professional Software Inc.
The WordPro Plus Series was designed and written by Steve Punter of Pro-Micro Software Ltd.
Some printers may not support certain WordPro 3 Plus/64 functions and/or require an interface. Please check with your dealer
Commodore 64™ is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Ltd.
Dealer and Distributor inquiries are invited.
GAZETTE FEEDBACK
5^
EDITORS AND READERS
Do you have a question or ii problem? Or have i/ou discoverat aorncfhin^ that couhi help other VIC-2Q mid Commodore 64 user:>? Do you have a comment about something you've read in COMPUTEI's Gazette for Commodore? "Gazette Feedback" wants to hear from you.
Pinning Down A Problem
1 recently purchased a Commodore Video Monitor mode! 1701 to use with my Commodore 64 com- puter. The monitor came with a connecting cable that runs from the audio/video connector at the back of the computer to the audio/video terminals on the front of the monitor. The monitor user's manual mentions a three-jack cable that interfaces with the three terminals (audio, luma, chroma) on the back of the monitor. The interface is sup- posed to provide better screen resolution than the front connections.
The manual mentions that the computer must have an eight-pin audio/video connector to do this, and my computer has a five-pin arrangement. My question: Is there a cable available that will permit connecting a five-pin 64 to the monitor's three rear terminals, thereby improving the moni- tor's resolution? 1 have heard that such a device exists, but I have not seen it advertised anywhere. Can you provide any information on this subject?
Bruce D. Ferine
We're glad you asked this question, because the answer is one of the hest hints we've run across in some time. The folknving was conveyed to us by Associate Editor Jim Butterfield. Yes, you can connect your five-pin 64 to the Commodore 1701 colof monitor while greatly improving the picture quality. And it can be done with- out an external interface. But first, a brief explanation of the 1701 monitor and what the i>arious connections are for.
Vie tioo inputs on the front of the monitor (VIDEO and AUDIO) are easily connected to the Commodore 64 loith the cables Commodore includes with the pur- chase of the monitor. The problem with these connections is that they do not allow you to get the best picture avail- able from your 64. Without being too technical, this is because tfie VIDEO plug mixes tioo signals together, tJte chrominance and luminance. Briefly, the chromi-
10 COMPUTll'i Gazette Odoberl983
nance is the "color" in the color signal, and the "lumi- nance" is the brightness. When tltese signals are mixed together, it causes a slight degradation of both which produces a less than optimal picture.
However, the 1701 color monitor has three con- nections in the rear: CHROMINANCE, LUMI- NANCE, and AUDIO. This allows you to perform the hookup without mixing signals. The hookup can be made without an interface, but you toill have to buy a new cable, or make one yourself.
Here's hozi? to hook it up. First, turn off and unplug the computer and monitor. Second, flip the switch on the back of your monitor labeled "Signal Select" to the "Rear" position. When this switch is set for "Rear Select," the ctmnectors on the front of the monitor are disabled and vice versa.
Notv purchase an alt-purpose "octopus" type com- puter hookup cable at your local computer or electronics dealer. Tliis cable should have the standard five-pin DIN plug (see your Commodore 64 User's Manual) on one end, and four RCA-type plugs at the other. Connect three of the plugs to the CHROMA, LUMA, and AUDIO connectors at the rear of the monitor. The fourth is left unconnected. Although your cable color coding may be different, the ones we have here at COM- PUTEI's Gazette hook up as follows: white to CHROMA, red to LUMA, and black to AUDIO. If the connector colors on your cable are different, you can experimeni with different hookup patterns untd the best picture/ audio combination is achieved. Sivitching plugs around shouldn't be harmful to the computer or monitor, but don't touch the center pin of any connector to any ground source or to any metal surface.
If you cannot find a general-piufwse connecting cable at i/our local store, you can make one yourself or have your local Commodore dealer do it for you. Check the Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference Guide for complete details. Briefly, you need to wire three RCA-type plugs to the DIN connector at pins 1 (lumi- nance), 3 (audio output), and 4 (video out). Pin 2 is your ground. The plug from pin 1 willconnect toLUMA on the monitor, pin 3 to AUDIO, and pin 4 to CHROMA. No interface is required between the 64 and the 1701 monitor. After you have successfully com- pleted all the connections, readjust the settings on your monitor for the best picture.
It can be well worth the time and cost to perform these new connections. Buying the pre-wired all-purpose
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The Commodore 64'" is one of the most exciting home com- puters in memory.
But memory isn't the only thing that's exciting about the 64.
Because Tronix is here. Class act. The people who have been bringing out the best in the VIC 20'" (and Atarif too) have graduated to the Commodore 64.
Which means that now you can enjoy fast action, complex strategies, interesting characters, superior sound effects and chal- lenging, play patterns.
Just like VIC 20 and Atari owners. Only faster, more com- plex, and more challenging, too.
More memorable, in other words. In a class by ourselves. Of course, if you'd rather not take our word for it, you don't have to. The experts at Electronic Games have called K/d Qn6 for Atari "one of the most compui- sive, utterly addictive contests in the world of computer gaming,"
They haven't seen any- thing yet.
By Arti Haroutuninn.
Edison, the kinetic android, leads a frustrating life.
All he wants to do is build his circuit boards and go with the flow. But things keep getting in the way.
Nohms — a negative influence — bug him constantly. Flash, the lightning dolt, disconnects every- thing in his path.
And the cunning Killerwatt is out to fry poor Edison's brains.
You'll get a charge out of this one. And a few jolts, too!
■(Suggested relail S34.95)
\
Connecting the :.- dots on our colorful
grid should be easy, right?
Wrong. Because the bullies are in hot pursuit!
Squashface, Thuggy, Muggy and Moose are their names. And you are their game. And what's more, they're faster than you are.
But you're smarter. And you control the stun button.
So keep your eyes peeled for the mysterious question mark and don't slow down at corners!
(Suggested retail: S34 95)
By Graham McKay,
Your agents f'- risked their lives
to find the enemy's secret headquarters,
Now you're risking yours to destroy it.
And they know you're coming.
As you fly over water and across hundreds of miles of unfriendly territory, the action is thick, fast and three-dimensional.
Fighter aircraft. Surface-to-air missiles. Helicopter gunships. The attacks come from every direction.
Even from behind,
(Suggested retatl: S34.95)
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cable or amstruciifr^ if i/ourself should cost you uo more than $10, am! believe us, it's well ivor'th it. The improvements in picture sharpness, clarity, and color are magnificent. For nwre information on Commodore 64 video, seethe new column "Horizons: 64" premicring this month.
Partial Screen Clears
I have a new Commodore 64. I have used a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III for three years. I have three programs which use tlie split screen, con- taining calculated data at the top which is updated by questions on the bottom of the screen, is there any way to change the HOMH/CLR address on the Commodore 64 so that the lower part of the screen can be cleared without changing the upper section? Tandy Microsoft BASIC allows CHR$(30) to clear to end of line and CHR$(31) to clear to end of screen. It also allows up to seven lines to be reserved from the CLS (clear screen) operation.
John R. Land
Commodore 2.0 BASIC (as found in the VIC-20 and 64) does not support partial clearing of the screen. How- ever, you can loritc this optio)i into [/our program with one FOR/NEXT loop and a POKE. Tlie way to do this IS to POKE blanks (screen disphiy code 32) to the area of screen memory you want to clear. If, for instance, you would like to clear only the bottom half of your screen, include this line in your program:
600(10 FOR A = 1544 TO 2047; POKE A,32: NEXT A
Following is a short, simple machine language routi)U' thai you can add to your programs. When you want to clear tlie bottom tliree-quarters of your screen, include SyS49152 in your program; to clear the last half, SYS491.62; and to clear only the last quarter, SYS49172. The machine language routine xoill LOAD into memory at 49152 and toil I not interfere with your BASIC program.
60000 FORA=49152T049183:READB:POKEA,B!KIEX T : rem 53
60010 DATA 162,0,169,32,157, 24, 5, 232
srem 226 60020 DATA 208,250,162,0,169,32,157, 8
:rem 26 60030 DATA 6,232,208,250,162,0, 169, 32
; rem 19 60040 DATA 157,248,6,232,208,250, 96, 0
: rem 32
DOS Woes
When I first bought my VIC-20, 1 was very im- pressed with it, and I still am. But the more I work with the Disk Operating System (DOS), the less impressed 1 am. i have had some problems with the system, and I would appreciate your help. When I use the "save and replace" (SAVE "@0:filename") as outlined on page 13 of the 1543 User's Manual, more than three times it has started replacing the programs saved immediately before
14 COMPUWsGaana October 1983
it without changing the names in the directory. So eventually I have the same program under several different names, and I lose the original programs. I think this is a ROM problem. Because I purchased the disk drive by mail order, no local authorized service center is willing to work on it (because 1 did not purchase the drive from them). Can you help?
Stephen Johnson
First, don't have your drive repaired. The cause for the errors while using the "save and replace" command is in Connnodore's DOS, not your drive.
Some of Connnodore's disk drives through the years have had some problems with this option. The first drizvs to exlubil this problem were the dual 2040' s. Although the updated DOS found in the VlC-1540 and 1541 disk drives was supposed to correct this problem, it has not. Problems with the save and replace command still occur )ww and then.
The best solution is simply to stay aivay from this cotnmand. Instead, sa'oe i/our programs with "getwra- tion" identifiers. For instance, use names sucli as "program. gl" or " program. g2". When you look at your directory, you 'will be able to tell which is the most recent update by the generation numbers. Erase earlier generations with the SCRATCH command.
It may be a bit more inconvenient this way to keep your disks clea)t of unwanted, outdated revisions, but it's a lot better than losing that favorite program of yours altogether.
WordPro Colors
I have recently purchased a word processor (WordPro 3 Plus/64) for my Commodore 64. I find that the software automatically chooses white text on light blue background rather than light blue text on a dark blue background as programmed by the manufacturer. Is there any way of choosing light blue text rather than white? The resolution on my set seems to work better with light blue text on a dark blue background.
Also, is it possible to make a backup disk of this program, or is it made not to be copied?
Robert A. Konkol
Yes, if is possible to change the color combinations while working with WordPro, and the color change options are part of the WordPro program. Instructions can be found on pages 2-1 7 of your Word Pro 3 Plus/64 User's Manual. Briefly, it's done zvith the special function keys (F-keys). Press CTRL, then f-1, to change the text colors, press CTRL - F-3 to change the screen colors, and press CTRL - F-5 to change the border colors. (For more information on the WordPro 3 Plus/64 word processor, sec the reviexo in this issue.)
As to your second question, WordPro cannot be copied. This program, as well as the majority of other commercial programs available on disk, is engineered to be copy-proof. This is how companies protect their copyrights. Q
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SIMPLE ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS
TOM R. HALFHILL, EDITOR
Etjcli mouth, COMPUTEI's Gazette for Coirimodore will tackle some questions commonly asked by tiriv VlC-201 Commodore 64 users ami by people slwppin^ for their first lunue computer.
Q.
Some of the programs published in COMPUTE'.'s Gazette and other magazines are in separate parts. I mean, you have to save the pro- grams one after the other on tape and then load them separately. The first part will load and show a screen message telling you to ^'PRESS PLAY ON TAPE" and then load the second part. But what happens if you have a disk drive? Can you use these programs on disk?
la Yes, you certainly can use these nwltistage programs on disk as well as tape. In most cases, you won't even need to modify the programs. Try this:
First, type in the programs and SAVE them on the same disk with filenames that clearly indi- cate the order in which they should be loaded. For instance, "SPACE GAME 1" and "SPACE GAME 2". Then LOAD and RUN the first stage of the program as instructed in the article. When you see a screen message that says something like "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE," press the RUN/ STOP key instead (do not press RUN/STOP- RESTORE). You should see a BREAK message and the READY prompt.
Now, LOAD and RUN the next stage of the program. If there is a third stage^ repeat the pro- cess. In almost all cases, this should do the trick.
If you know something about BASIC pro- gramming, you can modify the programs so they automatically load the following stages from disk. Locate the lines which tell the computer to load the next stage from tape (usually found near the end of the program). Delete these lines and add a statement such as:
LOAD"SPACE GAME2",8
18 COMPUTEi's Gazette October 1983
Of course, this statement must be preceded by a line number, and you'll want to substitute your own filename for the example given. Also, make sure a disk with the subsequent stages is in the disk drive, or you'll get a FILE NOT FOUND error.
Multistage programs may seem inconvenient to use, especially with tape, but there's a good reason why programmers resort to this technique. By separating a long program into stages, it's pos- sible to make it run on computers with limited memory, such as the unexpanded VIC. Commo- dore 64 users would almost never encounter a multistage program. But it's hard to write a com- plex game or other type of involved program to fit the VIC-20's 3.5K of available Random Access Memory (RAM). Such frills as screen instructions, which are viewed only once, do not need to occupy valuable memory while the main program is running. By dividing instructions and other setup functions into stages which are loaded first and then replaced, memory is conserved for more important tasks.
€L,
Is there any way to salvage a cassette that gets jammed?
There's at least a chance. Radio Shack stores sell "cassette repair kits" that include an empty cassette shell and instructions. You'll have to take apart the jammed cassette, transfer the tape to the new shell, and assemble the new cassette with the screws provided. If the tape itself was not severely twisted or creased, everything may be okay.
If the program still refuses to load properly, the tape was probably damaged. To fix it, locate the length of creased tape. Tr}' to flatten out the crease so it will make good contact with the recor- der's read/write head. If this doesn't work, the tape is probably ruined.
If a jammed cassette causes the tape to actually
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can't beat Gridmnner.
Gridrunner'" is the toughest, fastest, arcade quality game ever to challenge a Commodore"" or Atari* computer owner.
How tough is Gridrunner? So tough that He^are"' is offering $5 just for takingthe Gridrunner challenge. And you don't even have to beat the game to get the greenbacks. There's a check right inside every Gridrunner box, good for $5 off your next HesWare purchase. You spend your check right in the store, on your choice of exciting HesWare action, education, and computer utility programs. Even HesWare peripherals.
No one, not even the author, has ever reached even the 14th level of Gridrunner, But maybe you've got what it takes to go all the v^ay to the 31st W$ level (20 levels on VIC 20™ version). Maybe you ■■^ can master the patterns of the X/Y Zappers. And stop the Gridsearch Droids before they mutate into lethal Pods.
The Gridrunner challenge. Just one of the ways that HesWare is expanding the computer experience. Look for all the HesWare products at your favorite software retailer
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break, we're sorry to say the situation isn't too hopeful. Although tape can be spliced, an "inau- dible" splice for audio purposes will almost nev'er be good enough for the computer; the data is re- corded too densely. It's worth a try, though, espe- cially if the tape holds the only copy of an impor- tant program. Before discarding a tape that has snapped, check to make sure that the leader hasn't simply been pulled off the hub - this can nearly always be fixed.
These kinds of problems are good reasons for backing up all important programs and data. You should have at least two copies, on separate cassettes or disks, of everything you can't afford to lose. To be even safer, you should store the backups in a different place than tlie originals. @
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For only S12.95 each, our CURSOR 64 tapes are your best buy (or the Commodore 64. They take advantage of ttie color, sounci. and sprites that make the 64 such a delight to use. Most of our packages include Itiree excellent Basic programs on one cas- sette tape. The programs are not copy protected, so you can look at the source code, and learn how to make the 64 do its tricks.
We don't tiave room to describe all 25 of our CU RSOR 64 programs here. As a sample, you may want to order tape 64-S with the exciting Godzilla program. You'll be challenged as you try to save Tokyo from from the ram- paging Godzilla. Or try tape 64-3 with the popular Miser text adventure that will take you hours to solve (even If you cheat and read ttie program source).
We have super programs tor the VIC 20. such as Dungeon ($12.95). a visual adventure for 16K VICs. Our VIXEL programs are also popular with VIC owners. And. we still sell all 30 o( the original CURSOR cassettes (or the original PET and CBM.
Call or write for a catalog today Be sure and tell us whether you have a 64. a VIC, or a PET. We welcome credit cards, and ship most orders the same day they are received. Dealer inquiries invited.
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Send today or call toll free to order your HAWS package.
Ordering Information Send $199.95 in check or money order payable to Vaisala. Inc. Include name, address, telephone num- ber, your computer model (VIC 20 or Commodore 64), and program preference (tape cassedeorfloppy disc). Or call toll free to place your order. Major credit cards accepted. Dealer inquiries invited.
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\
PLATE I
L
The Anatomy Of Computeis
Tom R. Halfhill, Editor
Computers are easier to understand when you know what makes them tick. Here's how the parts of a computer work together - often in- visibly- to create the results you see on the screen.
You don't have to be a mechanic or auto- motive engineer to drive a car. And you certainly don't have to be an electrical engineer or programmer to use a per- sonal computer.
But a little knowledge about what's going on beneath the hood of your VlC-20 or Commodore 64 can go a long way when you're trying to fathom how a certain program works - or why it doesn't work. A cryptic error message such as "? DEVICE NOT PRESENT ERROR" makes a lot more sense when you understand how a computer interacts with its various devices. And even if you aren't interested in programming, a basic understanding of computers can make it clear why you have to type certain commands at certain times, or do other things just because the manual says so.
£n many ways, computers are remarkably similar to the human brain, at least in terms of organiza- tion. Like the brain - which we call an "organ,"
although it is really several closely related struc- tures - a computer is a system of interconnected subsystems.
Unlike the brain, however, which can perform many operations at once, most computers can do only one thing at a time. This might seem hard to believe, especially if you've ever played a fast- action computer game in which dozens of objects seein to be darting around the screen simultane- ously. But it's true. Computers only sccni to per- form many operations at once because they work so quickly. Even the slowest home computer can easily carry out hundreds of thousands of instruc- tions per second. Simultaneity is an illusion.
The main "brain" of a computer is the Central Proccssiti;^ Unit, commonly abbreviated CPU. The CPU performs or supervises all the major func- tions of a computer. One by one, it fetches the instructions written by human programmers, works the math, stores the results, and looks for the next instruction.
CPU size once determined computer size. Even today, the CPU of very large computers ETiight occupy a box the size of a refrigerator. In early computers, those built in the 1950s and 1960s, the CPU sometimes occupied a whole room, or even a building. The breakthrough which made possible today's personal computers came in 1971, when engineers managed to squeeze an entire CPU onto a single "chip" of silicon smaller than a
October 1983 COMPUWi Gazette 73
fingernail. From this microprocessor was born the microcomputer. Generally speaking, a microcom- puter is defined as a computer which uses a microprocessor CPU, is small enough to fit on a tabletop, and costs less than about $20,000.
There are many types of microprocessors. The VIC-20's CPU is a microprocessor designated the 6502. It was designed in the early 1970s by MOS Technology, now a subsidiary of Commo- dore. The 6502 is an extremely popular chip be- cause of its high speed and low cost (under $5 in quantity). The Commodore PET, SuperPET, and 8032 models, as well as Apple and Atari com- puters, all use the 6502. The Commodore 64 uses a newer version of the 6502 called the 6510, iden- tical in all important respects to its predecessor.
Dut a CPU alone does not make a computer. By itself, a CPU is like a disembodied brain - a small package of functioniess "intelligence." The CPU must be connected to a few other subsystems before it can qualify as a computer.
The next most important part is memory. The CPU already includes a very small amount of memory, but not enough to make it useful. So, the CPU is wired to a set of mepiory chips.
Memory followed the same evolution as CPUs - starting out as roomfuls of bulky vacuum tubes, then passing through the stages of transis- tors, integrated circuits, and finally silicon chips. In personal computers, there are two general types of memory chips: Riuidom Access Memon/ (RAM), and Read Onlif Memory/ (ROM), There's a vital dif- ference to remember between RAM and ROM - RAM needs a constant florv of electricity to maintain its memory, while ROM holds its information even when the power is turned off.
Whenever your computer is switched off or "powered down," even for a split second, all the information held in RAM is instantly erased. Turning the power on again does not restore it. What's more, RAM happens to be where your programs are run. That's why, every time you switch on the computer, you must load in the program you want to use from a cassette tape or floppy disk, or else plug in a cartridge. The pro- gram, a series of instructions for the CPU, is per- manently stored on the tape, disk, or cartridge. Typing the LOAD command copies the program from the tape or disk into RAM.
ROM, however, is quite different. Informa- tion is permanently "burned" into ROM chips by the manufacturer. You cannot change or erase the information in ROM. ROM chips are used inside computers to store information which the computer always needs and must never forget. ROM chips also are found inside plug-in program cartridges. Some manufacturers prefer to store
24 COMPUTEl'sGoietfe October 19 B3
frequently used programs - such as games - on cartridges instead of on tapes or disks, which are more easily damaged or worn out. Cartridges are also more convenient. When you plug in a car- tridge, its ROM chips (and the information they hold) become part of the computer, so there is no waiting for a tape or disk to load.
The amount of memory in a computer de- pends on the number and type of memory chips it has. When people compare memory between computers, almost always they are referring to RAM. Computers with more RAM can hold larger programs and more information, which generally makes them more powerful.
For easy comparisons, memory is measured in kilobytes, abbreviated K. A kilobyte is 1024 bytes. A byte consists of eight bits, or binary digits. If you're unfamiliar with the binary number system, it's best to think of a byte as one character- a letter, a number, or a symbol. A kilobyte of memory can hold roughly a thousand characters.
Comparing kilobytes of RAM is one way of estimating the relative power of various com- puters - but not the only way. The VIC-20 comes with 5K of RAM, expandable to 32K, and the Commodore 64 has 64K of RAM. Does this mean a Commodore 64 is more than 12 times as powerful as an unexpanded VIC? It's not that simple. When comparing computers, remember that many other features besides memory must be taken into con- sideration, and that some features may be more important to some people than to others.
11 quipped with a CPU and memory, a computer is roughly equivalent to a human brain. But to make a computer (or a brain) really useful, several more parts are required.
Asa body has appendages, a computer has peripherals. These are devices attached to the CPU which enable it to communicate with the outside world, and especially with humans. Peripherals come in two types: input devices and output devices (some do both).
You may be so familiar with some of these devices that you might not even think of them as peripherals. For instance, the keyboard. The CPU constantly scans this input device and checks if any keys are pressed. When you press a key, a keycode number is stored in a certain place in memory. The CPU reads this memory location and acts accordingly. Among the things it might do is display the character you typed on one of its output devices, the TV screen. The keyboard and the screen are the most basic input and output devices of the computer.
One of the most important keys is RETURN, It derives its name from the carriage return key or lever on typewriters, and it returns the cursor
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Figure I : The Parts Of A Computer
VIC chip
Video Output to TV
ROM
Chips
t
Read Only Memory
■>
RAM
Chips
Central Processing Unit
Random Access Memory
Miscellaneous
Support Chips
(the moving while block) to the left screen margin when pressed. But it has an added function not found on typewriters - it tells the CPU to interpret whatever was just typed as a command.
For example, type the command LOAD, with- out pressing RETURN. The word appears on the screen, but the computer just sits there. The CPU knows you typed the letters L-O-A-D - after all, it read them from the keyboard and displayed them on the screen - but the letters are meaningless. The CPU ignores them.
Now press RETURN. Immediately, the com- puter displays the message, "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE."
By pressing RETURN, you told the CPU to accept the letters on that screen line as a com- mand - specifically, a command to load a program from the cassette recorder. The CPU checked the recorder- similar to the way it checks the key- board - and discovered the PLAY button was not depressed. Then it displayed the appropriate prompt. Until you press RETURN, the computer ignores what you type, allowing you to correct typing errors or change your mind.
The cassette recorder, of course, is another famiHar peripheral ~ an input/output device.
2d COMPUTEI'iGaiatte October 1983
When loading a program from tape, it acts as an input device (remember that input/output is al- ways from the computer's point of view). When you save a program on tape, the recorder becomes an output device.
You may have other peripherals in your com- puter system. A printer is an output device. A joystick or game paddle is input, A disk drive is both input/output. So is a modem. It's easy to see that without peripherals, the most powerful CPU and memory would be utterly helpless - the com- puter would be blind, deaf, and mute.
Mo far, we've confined this discussion to hardware, the parts of a computer that we can actually see and touch. But the hardware is just a collection of silicon chips, circuit boards, wires, metal, and plastic. It's like a human brain and body without life; it needs something more to make it work. What it needs is software .
Software is the programming which tells the CPU what to do and how to do it. Software is to hardware what the human mind is to the brain. If the software is poor, the computer may appear stupid, but the problem is really unexploited
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Cassette Recorder
(Input/Output)
Modem (Input/OuEput)
Joystick (Input)
Game Paddle (Input)
potential. It's like an intelligent human with no knowledge. No matter how good a computer is, it won't appear much better than its best software.
That's why software is such a critical issue in computing. In fact, if someone shopping for a computer has a certain application in mind, it often makes more sense to find the proper soft- ware first, and then buy whatever computer it takes to run it. Unfortunately, some people take the opposite approach and wind up disappointed.
There are two main types of software for com- puters - and one of them is almost invisible to most users. Computer professionals, those who work with the big machines, refer to these two types as application software and system software.
You're probably very familiar with application software. This includes virtually any kind of pro- gram you can run on a computer: games, word
28 COMPUTEI's GozoHa October 198^
processors, educarional programs, spreadsheets, graphics and sound demos, you name it. Diverse as they appear, they share one characteristic in common ~ they allow the user to do something with the computer, to accomplish some purpose, whatever that purpose may be.
On the other hand, you might be somewhat less familiar with system software. You might not even know it exists at all. That's because system software runs "in the background," so to speak, performing housekeeping and other chores with little or no attention from the user. Without system software, the computer could not function.
Returning again to our brain analogy, system software is roughly equivalent to the human in- voluntary nervous system. Every moment of your life, your brain supervises routine housekeeping tasks that keep you alive: it regulates your heart
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and lungs, oversees the functioning of every organ from the pituitary gland to the kidneys, and even keeps its own house in order by allocating brain cells for memories and other purposes. Yet, ail of these very sophisticated operations - operations that require a roomful of our best machines to duplicate artificially - occur without a single con- scious thought. If we had to consciously direct all these operations, we could do nothing else. By regulating these functions in the background, the brain preserves our conscious minds for virtually anything else we care to think about or do.
A computer works almost exactly the same way. System software - in particular, a program called the oiwmtiug sifstau - performs all the small but significant tasks required to keep the computer functioning. Without any conscious effort or per- haps even awareness on your part, the operating system program runs constantly in the back- ground, even when other programs are running. Fortunately, this saves you a lot of tedious work.
For instance, when you save or recall a pro- gram from disk or tape, the operating system takes care of the messy details involved in trans- ferring the data to or from the external device. Typing SAVE or LOAD seems simple enough, but only because the operating system is doing all the dirty work. It's sort of like your brain com- municating with your arm. You can move your arm with a casual thought, and subconscious areas of your brain handle all the complicated details of coordinating dozens of muscles and tendons. Because we aren't consciously aware of this going on, we take it for granted. So it is with the operating system.
Also like the brain, the operating system allo- cates memory to maintain order. When you type in a program, what keeps the last line you typed from being stored in the same memory space as the previous line? The operating system. Actually, in this case the operating system is working to- gether with another piece of system software, BASIC. Yes, the BASIC language is a program just like any other, except that it runs in the back- ground. There are other "invisible" programs, too. If you have a disk drive, it requires a disk opcmtiu;^ si/s/t';», usually abbreviated DOS. To keep things working smoothly, DOS works hand in hand with the computer's own operating sys- tem for input/output operations.
System software, of course, is nt)t written in BASIC (after all, BASIC itself is one of these pro- grams). Instead, system software is written in madunc hiii;^imge- literally, the language of the machine. Machine language consists of binary coded commands recognized by the CPU. Each type of CPU chip has its own machine language, usually incompatible with others. The CPU does not understand BASIC any more than it under-
30 COMPUm's Gazette October 1983
Stands English. When you run a program written in BASIC, BASIC translates or interprets each com- mand for the CPU, converting it into machine language. Usually this happens much faster than we can notice. However, very complex programs - such as fast-action games with lots of animation - can run very slowly if written in BASIC. That's why practically all commercial games and other programs are written directly in machine lan- guage. This is harder than programming in BASIC, but since the computer doesn't have to interpret each command, execution is hundreds or even thousands of times faster.
If you are interested in learning more about machine language, see "Machine Language For Beginners," a regular column in COMPUTiil's Gazette.
»f the operating system, BASIC, and DOS are programs, you may be wondering why you can't recall ever loading these programs into your computer.
Remember RAM and ROM? System software is usually permanently burned into the ROM chips - the ones that never forget. Whenever you switch on the computer, these programs are up and running automatically. But this is only for convenience. It's important to realize that the computer's memory could consist entirely of RAM, in which case you'd have to manually load the operating system and BASIC from disk or tape each time you switched on the computer, just as you do with any other program.
In fact, this configuration is possible with the Commodore 64. It has 64K of RAM, and some of this RAM space is normally overlaid with ROM (which is why there is only about 39K of RAM free for programming). A few POKEs can disable the ROM and give you the full 64K of RAM to play with - but your program will have to take care of all the complex housekeeping once handled by the now-absent operating system. And since BASIC is gone, too, your program must be written entirely in machine language. Only the most ad- vanced programmer can handle this.
So, if system software is analogous to the human involuntary nervous system, it's easy to see why application software is comparable to the brain's conscious thinking. Freed by the operahng system and other background programs, the com- puter can focus the remainder of its power on execudng whatever application program you care to run - anything from the most sophisticated data base to Space bwiuiers. The bra in -computer analogy shouldn't be carried too far, but it's safe to conclude that, like a brain, a computer will appear only as "intelligent" as whatever is on its mind. CB
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TELEGAMING Today And Tomorrow
John Blackford
"Telegaming" means playing computer games with two or more computers linked electroni- cally, usually over phone lines with modems. Already, there are telegames which dozens of enthusiasts can play at the same time, ex- changing moves across the country. But as home computers grow ever more powerful, and as data communications speed up, whaf s in store? The immediate prospect: improved versions of existing games. On the horizon: wholly new concepts in telegaming.
Jommy's tendrils twitched in irritation ~ someone was trying to interft're with him, someone who knew his true identity. His irritation grew to worry, then fear. He'd been in the underground for three years without discovery. Ihnv could ... who could have leaked the secret that he was a member of the telepathic super race of Slans, part human, part mutant?
Jommy's worry grew intolerable. When he could stand no more, he uttered the words that he somehow knew had saved him before. He whispered: GAME END.
He felt the familiar blackness, the diz/ying sense of dislocation. As his eyes cleared, he rec- ognized tlie small room piled with baseball gear and the yellowing paper copies of his father's old computer magazines. A familiar voice was calling: "John, John Cross, you take off those vidphoncs and get in here for dinner this minute."
32 COMPUTEI'sGaietta October T 983
X ou probably won't see a game such as Stan anytime this side of 2001, but advanced telegaming is definitely on its way. With the number of home computers in the United States at four million and rising fast, there's a growing pool of com- puterists who are searching for new uses for their equipment. Telegaming could attract many of them because it allows people to communicate with t)thers over great distances - through the medium of their computers.
A game such as Slati would be the ultimate in videogaming - a convincing simulation of reality, with a complete town or even nation in high- resolution graphics as the playfield. Each character in the game would have a unique personality created by artificial intelligence programs. Some would be computer-generated automatons. Others would be game players who, within the bounds permitted by the character, would be free to act as they pleased in the game world.
Computers linked via high-speed data lines could display the game action to your eyes through special "vidphoncs." Sound exciting, or kind of scary? Let's hope there'll always be an OFF switch in case the illusion gets too real.
But telegaming today is ages from anything like that - it's still in the horse and buggy stage. Today's game designers are thinking not so much of what can be done someday as what can be done tomorrow.
Despite all the recent advances in computer technology, we are still only a few years past the times when the first computer games were fur- tively played late at night on university and cor-
COMPUTEi's
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The VIC- 20 IS a versatile computer. Its pro- grammable color, graphics, and sound can add a lot to game programs.
Over the past fevi/ years, COMPUTE! Magazine has published a wide variety of games for the VIC. But some back issues are hard to find or unavailable.
That's why the editors of COMPUTEI have chosen the best games, revised them, and added previously unpublished games, put- ting them together into COMPUTEi's First Book of VIC Games. Each game has been tested and debugged and is ready to type into a VIC-20.
First Book of VIC Games contains fast- action arcade games that require quick reflexes, as well as strategy games that test logical skills For SI 2. 95 you get two dozen games, including;
Time Bomb — You hear the time bomb tick- ing, and you have to find your way through the maze to defuse it. But the maze is larger than the screen, and you can't always see where the dead ends are. Closeoiit — The local department store is having a sale, You try to snatch as many sale items as possible, while avoiding the horde of 'bargain hunters who are trying to thwart you.
CryptlE Numbers — A good logic game. The computer picks a pattern of numbers that you have to guess. After each turn you learn how close you were.
Air Defense — Missiles are falling out of the sky onto your city. Aim carefully; you get only one shot at each missile.
Thunderblrd — Your goal is to break out of the playing field by using the thunderbird that controls the satellite.
Sky Diver — Put on your parachute, jump out of the plane, and try to land on one of the targets. Watch out for wind currents that may blow you off course.
Deflector — A ball is bouncing around the screen. You can aim it toward targets by strategically placing deflectors that change its direction. Hidden Maze — Lost in a maze, you're trying to get out. But it is dark, and you can see only a few spaces in front of you. Outpost — Your small fortress is under siege. You have two types of lasers and some torpedoes. Unfortunately, the energy supply is dwindling and the computer is on the blink. The supply ship may (or may not) show up in time to make repairs.
First Book of VIC Games is more than just a book of program listings. Each program is annotated and explained; you can modify the games if you like or use the many programming techniques in your own games. Also included is a useful program you can use to draw mazes for games you write. Three chapters show you how to develop a game program. Another tells you how to take advantage of the ViC's sound, graphics, and color capabilities. The index lists references where you can learn more about programming. And First Book of VIC Games is spiral bound to lie flat while you are typing <n programs.
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Table of Contents
Foreword
^%ic r^^'"^ 9^""" ^'f'' '^"r VIC ]
Wniing tour First Came " ^
Rtchanl Msnsfield Writing A SimuLitiim Came '
Kir/utnJ MansfitM IVnting An Anradf ciimV «
Kicton/ MamfirU _
^ 2: Maze Cimes
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Available at computer dealers and bookstores nationwide. Or send a check or money order to COMPUTEI Books, P. O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403.
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ful, it makes any picture that's ever come out of a screen look like graffiti by comparison. And nobody knows how to unleash your imagination like Infocom. Through our l^rose, \'0iu- imagination makes you part of our stories, in control of what you do and where you go— yet unable to predict or con trol the course of events. You're confronted with situations and log- ical puzzles the like of ^-^ which \'ou won't find elsewhere. ^H And you're immersed in rich envi- ^^ ronments alive with personalities as real as any you'll meet in the flesh- yet all the more vivid because they're perceived directly by your mind's eye, not through your exter- nal senses. The method to this magic? We've found the way to plug our prose right into your psyche, and catajjult you into a whole new dimension.
Take some tough critics' words al:)out {)ur words. SOFTALK, for example, called ZORK® Ill's prose
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poratc mainframes. At first, even TV-type moni- tors were rare; the early text-only games were played out on terminals which used paper print- outs instead of screens.
Later, minicomputers began to find their way into small businesses, and enterprising people - who may once have played Stnr Trek on campus - began selling computer time to eager game players. Some of these games were the ancestors of telega mes, and they worked like this:
You would order a game by mail or purcliase it in a store. The package included a rule book and
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a mailing address. By a certain date, you mailed in your move. The game company collected the moves made by players around the country and ran the game program on their computer with all the new moves added. The computer printed out the results, and the results were mailed back to all the players - who then sent in the next move.
And so the game would proceed, in ponder- ous two- week or monthly steps, a remarkable combination of high-tech and old-tech.
Jl hese kinds of games still have their adherents, and a company by the name of Flying Ikiffalo has been running them for 13 years, growing all the while. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Flying Buffalo now has several thousand players around the United States engaged in an increasing number of games. Star Web, a space game, is currently quite popular, though Slur koni, with its color printouts of each move, is starting to catch on.
Founder Rick Loomis hopes to speed up the games by adding a bit more high-tech. Right now, a small percentage of players send in their moves via "electronic mail," by hooking their personal computers or communications terminals over phone lines into The Source. Loomis wants to increase the percentage and improve the games. "We're looking at a way to call in moves by phone and get updates on moves already made/' he says.
Even with electronic mail, games such as
3fi COMPUTEI't Gazette Ociober 1983
those offered by Flying Buffalo proceed slowly. Interest is generated by the strategy involved and the overall concept of playing against scores of opponents. What you miss in action on the screen, you can make up for by getting deeply into the game. Mastering the strategy gives a feel for the game's scope.
However, a game of this type could evolve into a more realistic simulation with the addition of sophisticated screen graphics. Players could study an expanded game area (much larger than a single screen), even though the positions of the game pieces would change, say, only once weekly or monthly.
Altogether different is the arcade-type game; it is played in "realtime" (with instant response), typically by one or two players against the com- puter. The telega me version could be played on a host computer, such as the mainframes operated by CompuServe, or in concert with another per- sonal computer at a remote location.
A he most exciting possibility is where you get multiplayer games," says Bernie DeKoven, a games designer for the Children's Television Workshop.
At present, the most established games of this type are to be found on CompuServe. In ad- dition to the company's list of single-player games are Mei^aWars and SpaccWurs, two space games that permit many players at once to interact in realtime. The host computer has a vast 3-D map of space on which it tracks the players. Each player sees only a local sector, but when two or more players come within range of each other, the host computer signals them. They can radio each other, fight, or run.
SpaceWars is better for beginners, because of its streamlined command structure. Me^^aWnrs, with extensive commands and complex rules, is nearly impossible to master in one sitting. Still, it attracts regulars who become so familiar with the game that they can instantly recognize the user ID of many other players (each CompuServe sub- scriber has a unique user ID).
"We have a guy who works for us who loves MegaWars," says Larry Shelley, CompuServe's manager of entertainment technology. "But every time he would sign on, the other players would recognize his ID as someone who was in-house from CompuServe - and they would gang up on him. If someone got in trouble, he would call in the coordinates of our guy's planet, and people would come in and blow it away."
Shelley thinks this sort of thing is actually one of the reasons for the popularity of mulriplayer telegames. Arcade games have instantaneous response and fast action, but are usually played
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Every ni^t on the CompuServe Information Service, professional and social groups discuss a wide range of sufjjects. From what's new in medical technology to what's nouvelle in continental cuisine.
And every day more computer owners who share a common interest are discovering this exciting new way to exchange ideas and even transfer hard copy data.
And besides electronic fomms, they leave mess^iges for each other on our national bulletin board, "talk" informally on our CB simulator, and communicate via CompuServe's electronic mail.
Bui best of all, in most cases, CompuServe subscribers get all of these state of the art communications options, plus a world of on-line information and entertainment for the cost of a local phone call plus connect time.
To become part of this flexible communications network, all you
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in isolation by a single person. "The advantage of multiplayer games is the people-to-people inter- action," he says.
Software designer Greg McNickle of Uni- tronics believes telcgaming can support "love relationships, friendships, everything." I le says, "imagine you've drawn something on the screen that you like - and it goes into a network where others can draw and add to the original image. So you have two or more individuals who are relating to each other's art and thus are invited toward each other- maybe to get in touch in person."
The main hindrance to telega mes now isn't a lack of willing players, biita lack of money. Equip- ment is expensive. An information service must purchase powerful computers, defraying the cost with subscriptions and connect fees. Creating new types of games may require new equipment, improved communications lines, or expensive high-resolution screens for home users. Il might even require upgrading the entire telephone system, which wasn't designed for high data volume. "The concept is there," says DeKoven. "But I guess it takes awhile for the technology to catch up."
Another problem is the lack of standardiza- tion between computer types. "Software should be compatible between machines," says Terry Bradley, a vice president and-co-founder of Sirius Software. He hopes the next generation tif home computers will have standard voice and graphics chips to aid the transfer of games between machines. "Right now it is a tiny market," says Bradley. Sirius will write software for telegaming once the market develops, he says, but the com- pany isn't out to create the market.
V^ accompany that is already selling telegaming software is Adventure International. 'J'he game, Coniniimt is a tank battle that's played between two home computers equipped with modems. The unique thing about it is that people with dif- ferent computer types can still play one another. Each player loads a version of Coitinibal designed for the particular computer. Because the com- mands are standardized, different versions can communicate via phone, allowing the players to engage in a realtime battle with simple graphics.
To get around the limitation of slow data transfer over phone lines, designers are searching for fresh ideas that won't require exorbitant cash outlays. CompuServe recently announced an improved type of multiplayer game that has color graphics and true perspective. If the enemy's ship flies across your bow, you'll see it flash across your screen - but his view will show your ship moving away on the left side of his screen. If you
38 COMPUTE!': Gazette Oclobef 1983
accelerate, objects will begin to pass by more rapidly. CompuServe's Shelley says all this takes place at a leisurely transmission rate of 3t)() baud. The secret, he adds, has to do witii getting objects to move on the various screens vvitiiout sending graphics information over the phone lines- which would slow the pace to a crawl.
Simutron, of Vista, California, plans to get around the telephone bottleneck by eliminating it from their system. Instead, the company has de- signed a franchise system to distribute such games as Star Trek, licensed to them by Paramcumt. liach franchise would contain 16 to 32 intelligent termi- nals tied to an on-site computer. Action would he fast, arcade-quality, and completely shared among the terminals. High-quality computer graphics backed by special effects from videodiscs would combine to form a multiscreen presentation at each player's station. There's even a provision for voice and video ct)mmunication among stations. You can call up your Klingon enemies in the heat of battle (and see their ugly faces) to discuss sur- render terms.
"We feel we are taking one of the first steps toward the electronics of tlie future," says Simu- tron marketing director Dave Jenkins, The system is essentiallv complete, the interior design of the franchise outlets is finished, and the final touches are being added to the computer graphics. The holdup, again, is capital. People are excited by the idea, but are reluctant to put up money for such a new concept. Right now, Simutron is negotiating to combine the centers with the res- taurants of a large chain.
If the effort docs get off the ground, Jenkins says Simutron could hold national tournaments, using special high-speed communicaticms links between centers. The cost of this would rule out a permanent hook-up, and besides, Jenkins thinks people would rather play with their friends than a stranger in another city.
Another way to get around the expense of topnolch telegames is to open them up to audience participation. DeKoven envisions a sports analogy where some game players would become expert, or even go professional. Viewers around the coun- try could tune in for a fee to watch their favorite videogame stars do battle in high-resolution graphics. "People could follow the games on their screens, perhaps even interact in some way - possibly inform a player of da tiger," be says.
At the expert level, players could control the game on many levels- heart rate, alpha brain waves, and eye movement might each control different aspects. "People will become extremely agile in interfacing in hundreds of ways with games," says DeKoven, achieving "total physical involvement."
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^"'^*'' i „f tho citHrshiD Columbia.
You. the c«P^'" °! '^ffflm^
attempt to save Eartli trom > ^^
your ship '^il' ^y/"rt des foy ^^^'" ttiB enemy ships ano oesi.vy
^ game save feature.
— YOU have beer, hominated for the OfUce
CwiU start with S2500,000tosup^o" your campaign af*'^'';i^,,\°n"d where you
y ™be the next Commander-in-Chiei .
WALL STREET
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Presidential CampaigP
I
Tim€UJCR|CS
Challenges
YOU with these
4 GREAT
STRATEGf
GAMES
For your Commodore 64
If you're looking for more out of your
personal computer than shooting at a
bunch of space bugs, look to
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Timeworks, masters in the development
of "strategy" programs, v^^ill challenge
your gaming skills to their maximum!
You can stay alive if you don't think, but
. . . you won't stay alive long!
Can you accept our challenge?
Write for the FREE illustrated TIMEWORKS catalog.
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(312)291-9200
TIMEWORKS provides software for Commodore 64 Computers in five categories: Entertainment, Education, Programming. Home Management and Business Systems.
Your favorite dealer should be stocking TIMEWORKS programs by now. but if he doesn't have what you want, just let us know.
Downloading Games:
A Step Toward Telegaming
* hone lines can be used to distribute games as wetl as play them. Games and other pro- grams can be ilow)ilmih'd from a remote com- puter to the user's personal machine. This has some advantages. When you play the game on a host computer, you pay an hourly fee for connect time, the time actually spent on-line. But if the game is downloaded, you can play it at your leisure.
Establishing (his two-way link for dis- tribuhng software may be an intermediate step toward full-fledged telegaming. For although it will be some time before sophisti- cated realtime telegaming is pracHcal in the average home, downloading software on a mass scale is possible today.
"What the consumer will experience most readily is downloaded software," says Bernie DeKovcn, games designer for the Children's Television Workshop. DeKoven feels that many of the possibilities in tele- gaming require too much expensive tech- nology to be likely to succeed in the im- mediate future.
Several companies are readying plans to distribute games and possibly other software over the phone system. Control Video Cor- poration recently announced plans to sell a modem that plugs into the Atari 2600 video game machine (of which there are about 1 1 million in American homes). The service, called Gameline, would transmit popular games for a fee. The game programs have built-in counters limiting their use to a certain number of plays. After the allotment is used up, the game stops working. This keeps the retailers happy, because people who like the game can still purchase a permanent version locally.
A^ownloaded software could be distributed in other ways, too. Cable TV makes a good medium for transmitting games because coaxial cable carries a tremendous amount of data - making possible games yv^ith superior graphics. Since game graphics eat up so much memory, a delivery system employing low baud rates (transmission speeds) would take much too long to download extended
graphics. Not so with cable.
Starting December 1, some cable TV customers will be able to subscribe to the Games Network, a new system for down- loading computer games into homes. For $14.95 a month, subscribers will lease an Apple-compatible terminal with 64K of mem- ory. A menu of 20 to 40 games displayed continuously on the TV screen will show what's available. Each month, the selection is updated with new games.
To receive a game, you type a choice on the terminal, and the Games Network trans- mits the program through the cable. The program is sent in coded form during the vertical blanking interval, the split-second that elapses between frames on the TV set (visible as a black horizontal bar that rolls up or down your screen when the vertical hold is out of adjustment). By sending the game during the blanking interval, the broadcaster avoids disrupting the menu display. As the signal comes in, the terminal decodes it, and the game is ready to play. It cannot be stored permanently, however - it must be down- loaded for each playing session.
This kind of two-way cable has many possible applications. Several power com- panies are even looking at the technique as a means of reading meters without having to send anyone out to a customer's house. Since the power companies could save considerable sums this way, there's more incentive for two-way cable. And that could spread such offerings as the Games Network.
#^nother possible means of distributing games is over FM radio. "The FCC has re- leased so many new bands for FM, it's now possible to devote stations to the continuous broadcast of games," says Terry Bradley, a vice president and co-founder of Sirius Soft- ware. The station could repeatedly broadcast its entire selectit)n of games, day and night. Using a "radio modem" and decoder, the computer could locale the desired program, decode it, and store it in memory for later use.
But Bradley suspects this type of mass distribution would be vulnerable to airwave piracy. If the radio modem/decoder could be copied fairly easily, anyone could receive the signals, not just subscribers. "There's no way to control it," he says. "It's like satellite TV,"
Bradley thinks one solution would be to program commercials into the games - perhaps during the intermissions between levels.
40 COMPUTEI's Gazette October 1983
B
► ut none of this will take place - according to scientist and futurist Robert Jastrow - "until fiber optics gel into the home."
Why fiber optics? Fiber optics are bundles of glass fibers t It rough which lig!it can be tT ashed, transmitting massive amounts of data at stupen- dous rates. In some cities, slender fiber t)ptics are replacing bulky copper cables for telephone trunk lines, thoLigli it could be the end of the century or beyond before fiber optics enter the home. When they do, dnln transfer will jump from hundreds of bits per second to megabits.
At that point, audio communication changes to video all over the country," says Jastrow. "People will be able to communicate by video in realHme, which will have a really decentralizing effect on our country. We'll return to the old idea of the cottage."
Thus, we may be headed for an era when work, shopping, information gathering, and rec- reation will all be centered around the home - borne on flickering threads of light. "Pretty soon our society is going to get on a real information high," says Sirius's Bradley. "Now, man is so mobile. We ju.st hop around this planet. But we are using up our resources. The home is going to be designed more for pleasure, and people will spend more time at home."
Such an era would be conducive to tele- gaming. With powerful computers in every home and communications lines capable of flashing photo-c]uality images and grapliics around the world, massive nationwide or worldwide tourna- ments could flourish. If y^ou wished, you could follow the action around the globe, watching, as hour by hour new players awoke fre-sh from a night's sleep and signed on to play. @
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The slide out software tray has room for 14 cartridges or cassettes
and up to 30 diskettes. Most brands of software will Et between the
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Stand fits Atari 100 & 800. Commodore 64 & VIC 20, Ti 99/4A
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Cabinet dimensions overall 36" high x 33-7/8" wide x 16" deep.
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HOTWARE
A Look At This Month's Best SeUers And The Software Industry ■
Kathy Yakal, Editorial Assisiant
|
fp |
This |
Last |
This |
Last |
||
|
Month |
Month |
Month Month |
||||
|
Commodore 64 Entertainment |
VIC-20 Entertainment |
|||||
|
1 |
Itimpman (Epyx) |
1 |
1 |
Clioplifter (Creative) |
1 |
|
|
2 |
Zor^ / (Infocom) |
2 |
2 |
Graverobbers (Victory) |
- |
|
|
3 |
Frogger (Sierra On-Line) |
— |
3 |
Gridrunner (HesWare) |
3 |
|
|
4 |
Temple ofApshai (Epyx) |
3 |
4 |
Shamus (HesWare) |
2 |
|
|
5 |
Zork II (Infocom) |
— |
5 |
Adventure Pncfc/ (Victory) |
- |
|
|
6 |
Rcpttm (Sirius) |
— |
6 |
Anniliilator (Victory) |
- |
|
|
7 |
Gridrunner (HcsWare) |
- |
||||
|
8 |
Turmoil [Smns] |
- |
||||
|
9 |
Zork III {Iniocom) |
10 |
VIC-20 Home/Buslness/Utlliiy |
|||
|
10 |
Deadline (Infocom) |
1 2 |
Household Finance (Creative Software) HES Writer (HesV^ are) |
5 3 |
||
|
Commodore 64 Home/BuslnessA7tlllty |
3 4 5 |
HESMon (HesWare) Home Office (Creative) Turtle Graphics (HesWare) |
2 1 |
|||
|
1 |
WordPro 3 Plus/64 (Professional) |
1 |
6 |
TOTL. Label (TOTL) |
- |
|
|
2 |
HESMDH(HesWare) |
- |
7 |
6502 Professional Development Kit |
||
|
3 |
Data Manager (Timeworks) |
2 |
(HesWare) |
7 |
||
|
4 |
Money Manager (Timeworks) |
2 |
8 |
Quick Broion Fox (Quick Brown Fox) |
— |
|
|
5 |
6502 Professional Developmcni Kit (HesWare) |
|
||||
|
6 |
Personal Finance Assistant (Rainbow) |
_ |
||||
|
7 |
HES Writer (HesW are) |
6 |
VIC-20 Educational |
|||
|
8 |
Household Finance (Creative) |
- |
tie |
Computer Coach (BEST) |
- |
|
|
9 |
Inventory 64 (Computhings) |
— |
tie |
Type Attack (Sirius) |
- |
|
|
10 |
TOTL.Text (TOTL) |
5 |
2 3 |
Touch Typing Tutor (Taylormade) Flash 'n Spell (Qumax) |
3 5 |
|
|
Commodore 64 Educational |
4 |
Flash 'n Math/Multiplication (Qumax) |
- |
|||
|
1 |
Kinder Comp (Spinnaker) |
2 |
||||
|
2 |
Pacemaker (Spinnaker) |
3 |
||||
|
3 |
Hey Diddle Diddle (Spinnaker) |
4 |
||||
|
4 |
Touch Typing Tutor (Taylormade) |
5 |
||||
|
5 |
Coco (HesWare) |
1 |
||||
|
-..- ..-..- |
MK. ^-ffB-.j! |
42 COMPUTEI'sGazBrtB October 1983
Software for the V»C 20 and Commodore 64
This month we examine some of the factors that either make a software product a best seller or banish it to the bargain bins. We're also continuing to look at some of the trends that have emerged over the summer.
You've probably seen numerous best seller lists for books, movies, records, TV shows, and other forms of entertainment. Usually they stay almost the same tor weeks or even months on end as you look in vain for any significant changes. "Gecz, when is that Wayne New Ion album going to move up from No. 39? It's been there for weeks!" Or, "Why doesn't someone knock that Richard Simmons book out of first place?"
Not so with home computer software. For a number of reasons, a game that was on top of the list one month can fall right off the charts the next. And vice versa. What are the reasons?
AvailabilitylV isibilitif . Say there's this great game made by a small company with very little funds for marketing and even less for advertising. The company could try to get some local stores to sell it or make it available by mail order. Both of these metht)ds work, but chances are not good that it would get the exposure necessary to really make it move.
Now let's say the game is bought by someone who works for a major distributor. The distributor sees it, starts to carry il, recommends it to his retailers, and (if it's truly a great program) sud- denly it starts selling. The effectiveness of mar- keting and distributing, especially in a still- maturing market such as home computer soft- ware, is tremendously important. Visibility and availability are absolutely essential to success.
Technical Problems. Again, because this is still a very young industry, there are a number of technical problems related to both hardware and software that affect the market. If a computer undergoes a series of upgrades that subtly change certain operating characteristics - as the Commo- dore 64 has - a game programmed for one model may not work properly on another. Technical problems can also affect supply of software. One distributor complained last month that he could not get a single copy of one of the current best sellers because the manufacturer was having trouble with cartridge production. This had a definite impact on the HOTWARE list.
Other FiKiors. Various other things may influ- ence a program's market performance: whether its visual impact leads individual retailers to run demo copies on computers in the store; the quality of the program's packaging; the reputation of the software publisher; "word of mouth" adver- tising, especially through user groups; pricing; and even, to some extent, best seller lists such
A 4 COM PUTEi'sGozeife O cto b e r 1 983
as HOTWARE.
Sophisticated Packaging
We're beginning to see a higher level of sophisti- cation in the way software, particularly game software, is being packaged. A good example is hifocom, which was singled out by one distributor we contact every month. Electronic Arts, a new company whose games have not yet appeared on the HOTWARE list, is another.
Educational Software
Educational software is beginning to pick up. In spite of all the computers being used in classrooms these days, and for educational purposes in the home, educational software does not seem to move as well as games or business/utility pro- grams. For one thing, there has been much less to choose from, especially compared to entertain- ment software.
Companies such as Spinnaker are changing that. Programs like faccmaker and Kinder Comp (both of which appear on this month's HOTWARE list) are often praised by our sources. In the first week that one of our sources stocked Spinnaker programs, they outsold all his other educational software combined.
Trend To Strategy Games
Racking up 100,000 points or gobbling up all the little dots or saving Earth is a heroic accomplish- ment, but based on the sales trends we're seeing, gamers are looking for challenges that involve more brains and strategy. This is not to say that action games are out; they will always have a following. But strategy games are definitely moving in.
Commodore 64 HOTWARE
jumpman and Zork 1 continue to hold first and second place in the entertainment category. Temple ofApshai slipped to fourth place, and its former third-place position was snapped up by a new entry this month: Sierra On-Line's Fro^i^er.
Sirius Software is creating some competition for Epyx and Infocom, which have been domi- nating our HOTWARE list. Last month's fast Eddy and Squish 'em dropped off the list this month, but were replaced by Repton and Tiinnoil. Hes- Ware's Gridrunner is back on the list again, taking the No. 7 position.
In the home/business/utility category, V^ordPro 3 PlusISi retains its No. 1 position, in spite of all the competition coming into play. New Commodore 64 owners are hungry for home/ business-oriented programs, and there are plenty of software companies willing to supply them. Timeworks, which had two best-selling games last month, stays on the charts with Data Manager
maze
■i<>"(>"-ffaigfft'a,'r
Telengard: How low can you go?
We've created a subterranean monster. Fifty stories low.
That's the number of levels in the TELEhQARD dungeon.
Eacli labyrinthine level holds hundreds of dark chambers atitl tomb-like corridors for the mighty adventurer to ex- plore. It goes without saying that a shifting collection o( liidcous monsters with unpredictable behavior patterns can make life in the TELfinQAKD maze quite interesting— and frequently quite short!
Using wits, magic and true grit, your character delves deeper and deeper into the dcptlis of TELfiriGARD in this realtime fantasy role-playing game. Available on cassette for Commodore" 64. Atari" Home Computers {40K), TF<S-80"' Mods. l/IIl (52W) and I'CT" 2001 (32 K) for a ghoulish $23.00. 481^ diskettes for Apple'" M, Atari® , Com- modore* 64 and TRS-80^' available also, for $28.00.
AND FOR TMOSE WHO DON'T DIG UNDERGROUnD GAMES . . . Then-'s B-i nuCLEAR BOMBER, a nail-biting solitaire simulation of a mnnM;;(l li-l on a mission ovur the .Soviet Union. Your plane is equipped with si\ Phoenix Missiles, ;i one irieiiiitor) warhead iirul orders to retaliate! Cassette for Commodore 64, Atari Home Com- puters (321^), ■riU9/4&4A(lfik), VIC-:iO{IGk).TImex/Sjticlair KXJO (I6K), and TKS-80 Mods. 1/llt (16k) are availahle lor an explosive $l6.O0, Diskette versions for A|)ple (4Bk), TKS-BO (32K), Atari (24K) and I [in 14RK) just $21.00.
nUKCWAR: Defend your country by massive espionage efforts, or
by building jet fighter bombers, missiles, submarines and AliM's.
Your cold and calculating computer will choose its own strategy!
Cassette for Commodore 64, V1C-20(I6K), TRS-80 Mods. 1/111 (16k)
im<! Atari Nome Computers just felfi.OO.
FOOTBALL STRATEGY: Animated action on a scrolling field. A head-to-hcad challenge or solitaire as you select the best offensive or defensive plays in response to your opponent. Commodore 64, Atari Home Computers (32l\) and TK5-80 Models I/ill/lV (I6K) cassette for SI 6.00. Atari (32 K), I KM (64K) and TKS-80 Models 1/lll/lV |32k) diskettes available at $2I.OO,
T.G.I.f.: Thank Goodness It's Friday! Avalon Hills new party game for one to four players recreating an often-nol-so-typical week in tire lives ol tlie working class. Half the lun is Just making it from Monday to Sun<lay, Commodore 64, Atari dome Computers [40K) cassette for a meager $20.00. Atari diskette (48K) for S25.(K). AVAILABLE WHEREVER GOOD COMPUTER GAI^IES ARE SOLD or call Toll-rree: I (800) 638-9292' for the name of a store near you. Ask for Operator C.
i I IbwI w^Mg's^Mwwi ^l^lllww
®
a Division of the
Avalon Hill Game Company
4517 harUird F<oad, tialtimorc, MD2I2U U.S.A. Earth
■ Triidcm-iiks uf 1 jndy Corp., Appk CompuLcrs. Cainnindorc business Machhios, iW.irntT CmiirTiLinication?» and lntcrndllDn4il Htjsiiii-ss MirichlTics.
Q-l NUCLEAR BQMBER
i Nukewoi
aUALITV
|
pi"' |
^^% |
|
|
S-.- |
t.-^^T?' ;jTf |
|
and Money Manager in third and fourth place. HesWare is still a strong competitor in this cate- gory; it takes second, fifth, and seventh places with HES Mon, the 6502 Professional Development Kit, and HES Writer. Compu things, which had a best seller in its Dome Business last month, appears again with a program called Invculory 64. Rainbow Software debuts this month with Personal Finance Assistafit in sixth place.
Spinnaker is still producing the best educa- tional software, according to our HOTWARE sources; Kinder Comp, Pacemaker, and I icy Diddle Diddle claim the top three spots this-month. It appears, though, that Scholastic may be stiff com- petition for Spinnaker. One of our sources says that Scholastic's packaging is phenomenal, and the programs themselves are excellent.
VIC-20 HOTWARE
It's almost as difficult to get information about best-selling VIC-20 software as it was to get the same information a few months ago about Com- modore 64 software. Not for the same reason, though: VIC-20 software is available, but people don' I seem to be buying as much of It at the same places anymore. Most of our sources are specialty retailers and distributors, and the bulk of VIC-20 software sales seems to be shifting to the discount stores (as discussed in last month's HOTWARE). Q
When it saves you Time, it saves you Money... it all adds up to a great addition!
Simply hiQok up ADDON
to your Commodore 64.
Then forget it. \
ADDON mokes it easy for \
you to worl^ with numbers.
To odd, subtioct, muitipiy and
divide them.
it even has omnidirectionoi
cursor iieys for eosy maneuverability,
ADDON. Because Time is Money.
And that's whot counts.
From
■ out
wvm 801 S, Victoria Ave., Suite 105
Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 656-1 330
Your VIC 20" Complete?
wjmmniu.umm
Icro-Ware D,l. offers a full line of unique hardware and softwrare products for the VIC 20* and Commodore 64",
Universal Tape Inlertace and Duplicator - A Tymac Product for the VIC 20* and Conrniodore 64». Easily load, save and even duplicate tapes with s standard recorder. Full 3 LEO Indication ol data transfer. Note: OupllGation
requires 2 standard recorders $49.50
Eipand-0-Flam - 16K expansion board for the VIC 20*. Contains reset, full ' memory allocation, 2 switch selectable slots, plus write protect area lor cartridge
simulation and investigation $119.00
Tymac Buffered Printer Cahle - Far VIC 20® and Commodore 64®. An Inexpensive way to connect a parallel printer titrough the user port. Extensive manual with driver
Included..... $29.95
The "Connection" - A fully intelligent parallel Interlace lor the VIC 20'" and Commodore 64<* that will make your printer operate lllte the Commodore printer Including ALL GRAPHICS, and virtually every other printer function.
Available lor most graphic printers , $119.00
Plus! Game Cartridges, Cassettes, Educational, Word Processors, Business Applications and nior8!II!II!!!ll!!millllimiHn!l!ll!!!!l!!!n!!!tIlll
Osa/sr and Distributor Inqulrhs Invitod
VjS^ii'^^'tA:MM£^M STH.'SlEa
NOTE We solicit haritwafe wA sottwar* items fw th« Vit eu- ww tBM b4- myanies, iicwwa lew, « i purchases can be negotiate! CBM 64* & VIC 20* ate Reglsteted Tradeniarks ot Comnodwe Business Machines Inc;
D!STRiBUT)iViG INC. 1342 BRt. 23, Butler, NJ 07405 201-838-9027
New VIC-ZO"^ Releases!
More fun than humans should be alloiAfed.
^5;«sS5^-l..
ri^^Jzl
• Introducing two new red hot releases from the Game Brains'" at Boone: Cyclon"^' and Crater Raider!''^' Uke all Boone games they feature: Rapid action • Super smooth animation • Intense sound and color • Multiple levels of difficulty And professional Hi-Res graphics. And when you buy a Boone produa you get more than just a game. We have poster offers. Memberships to Captain Fargo's Fan Club. And updates on all new releases • Cyclon"" and Crater Raider''^' are at your dealers now) Demand the best. Demand Boone.
VII.JV rt ji rrgisttM (iMcmwii of CarmtnUQiF titaionKt. Umtni
2900-A Bristol Street, Suite 102, Costa Mesa, California 92626 U.S.A.
r
The Automatic Poof reader
A
BANISH TYPOS FOREVER!
Charles Brannon, Program Editor
The vast majority of letters and telephone calls we receive from readers concern our program listings. Many readers have trouble getting the programs to work. All listings are generated with a computer and a printer directly from fully tested, working versions of the programs, yet many readers continue to experience prob- lems. To solve a lot of frustrations on both ends, coMPUTi-!'s Gazette introduces "The Auto- matic Proofreader" - a revolutionary new way of entering programs that alerts you instantly if you've made a typing error.
We all know it's hard to type in a program correctly the first time. Seemingly trivial typing errors can cause dreaded ERROR messages, or even a system crasJi (the kcyLioard will not respond to RUN/STOP-RESTORE). Usually the only way to recover from such a crash is to reset the computer by turning it off, then on again - wiping out the memory and all your ^yping in the process.
Even when you locate and correct the mistyped lines, there always seem to be more errors lurking in the hundred-odd lines of the program. Sometimes you feel like giving up.
Elusive Errors
Some errors are almost impossible to spot, espe-
48 COMFUJEVs Gazette Oi:)Dber19B3
cially for beginners who know little or nothing about programming. For instance, can you spot the mistake in this line?
too PRINT RIGHT$("00" + MID$(STR$(V),2,3)
Here's how it should read:
100 PRINT RIGHT$rO0" + MIDS(STRS(V),2),3)
Did you catch the difference? A right paren- thesis was missing after the number 2. (A left parenthesis must always have a matching right parenthesis. If you add up all the parentheses in a statement, you should get an even number.)
An Impossible Dream?
The strong point of computers is that they excel at tedious, exacting tasks. So why not get your com- puter to check your typing for you? An impossible dream?
Not with "The Automatic Proofreader." Nestled within your VIC-20 or Commodore 64, the Proofreader automatically checks ever)' line you type in. It displays a number at the top of your .screen. This number, called i\\e du'cksiim , corre- sponds to the line you've just typed. U represents every character in the line summed together. A matching number in the program listing lets you compare it to the checksum that the Proofreader displays. A glance is all it takes to confirm that you've typed the line right.
MffiATMAGAZiNE
(^AMliy GROWS UP
. WITHTHE
, XVCao'ANDS^T?
^COMPUTEI
Our newest magazine, COMPUTE'/ a Gax.ette for ComincKlore, is written for the beginning consumer of personal computing. Each monthly issue will bring you interesting features, exciting news, intriguing new products, and more.
You'll find software news, best seller rankings in the recreational and educa- tional areas, and interviews, overviews, and industry views.
Tutorials for beginners, advanced games for non-programmers, and intro- ductory help for fledgling computer users.
And best of all you 11 still find COMPUTES, our monthly resource and appli- cations magazine for intermediate and advanced users.
COMPUTEl's Gazette for Commodore and COMPUTE!. We won't out- grow you.. . we'll grow with you.
Use the attached post card or call Toll Free 800-334-0868 today to start your subscription to COMPUTEl's Gazette for Commodore.
12 monthly issues, Subscription Price $20 US, $25 US in Canada, else- where, Air Mail, $45 US.
t'HIii.T tlvin at nil itiilcptmltiit supplier rif qiialii-j- ptihiuct* tce.itJmi; ihcCimiiiu\l<irL> j->cr«Jnsl LumpuiLTsvxt'ms. COMPUTII !'iihtit;iiiiht« IS III CIO wnv .iSittiain! with OuTirmiJiiTi; Bustm-s* MulIiiiu'*.. Iik .
(;ipjiimi>iiiiri-, VIC'^O. atiLlQitnm(v1(in.-64.uf iradrauifki of
(.iimiiUKJcirt- Hiisircw M.n.'liinr-- 1 ■ 1 1 if t.nmiiuxlDro
KlcCiTtirlits LmiitcrJ.
The Automatic Proofreader is a small machine language program thai resides in a relatively safe area of memor)', the cassette buffer. It will remain there until you turn off your machine, or run another program that uses the cassette buffer. Loading or saving BASIC programs from tape or disk will not affect it.
Entering The Automatic Proofreader
If you liave a VIC, type in Program I . Program 2 is for Commodore 64 users. Tliere's only one small catch- the Proofreader can't check itself, so be extra careful to type it in correctly in the first place. Since it is a machine language program, be espe- cially diligent. Watch out for t)''ping extra commas, a letter O for a zero, and check every number carefully. Fortunately, the Proofreader is a short program, so you should have no trouble.
When you've typed in The Automatic Proof- reader, SAVE it on tape or disk at least twice before rumiing it for the first time. If you mistype the Proof- reader, it may cause a system crash when you first run it. By SAVEing a copy beforehand, you can re-LOAD it and hunt for your error. Also, you'll want a backup copy of the Proofreader be- cause you'll use it again and again - every time you enter a program from COMPUTES'sGazotte.
When you RUN the Proofreader, the program will be POKEd safelv into memory. Then press RETURN on the line the cursor is sitting on to activate the Proofreader. If you ever need to reac- tivate it, just enter the command SYS 828 and press RETURN.
Using The Proofreader
Now, let's see how it works. LIST the Proofreader program, move the cursor up to one of the lines, and press RETURN. If you've entered the Proof- reader correctly, a number will appear at the top- left of your screen.
10 A = 1:B = 72:PRINT"SCORE = ";SC ^rem 199»
Checksum
Don't type this
Try making a change in the line, hit RETURN, and notice that the number has changed. All VIC and 64 listings in COMPUTE!'s Gazette now have a number appended to the end of each line, for example ":rem 123". Dan't enter this stalemeut. It is just for your information. The "rem" is used to make the number harmless if someone does type it in. It will, however, use up memory if you enter it, and it will cause the checksum displayed at the top of the screen to be different, even if you en- tered the rest of the line correctly.
Just type in each line {without the printed
50 COMPUTEI'l Gazette Odob8rl9B3
'05 FORI=OT02 : P0KE5427G+I*?, 8 : HEXT : POKESl
I 10 fOKE54284,8:P0KE54285.24e:P0KE54277,l
1215 P0KE532t2,21tpRIHT"ll;H",T," $"mD$(I iSTR5CZ»lflE)>.2)",00E:" >2a PRIHTTflB(8)"lll LEUEi HIGH SCORE
225 F0Rfl=lT08:PRIHT,fl," S"HH>$(STR$(BJ;(| A)«10O),2>".GO":PRIHT:HEXT .^„„„™l
236 PRlftT"ll] DIFFICULTY LEUEL? 12345678n"|
^35SoKE5G194tT,e:Ti=T:T=T+(PEE!C(JS)ftHJ)'< iifc)/4-<PEEK{JS)AM68)/8:T=(7flNDT-l)+l ■246 IFTC>TiTHEHP0KE:5G194+Tl,6 ,.._i.„,
■b45 P0KE561S4tT,l:L=3:rFT/2=IHT(T/2>THE(»|
■258 s=2b: ift=30rt=40rt>6thens=38 ■break
^READV .
"Automatic Proofreader" displat/s a dieclcstim u umber in the upper-lcfi corner of flic screen flmt tells you immediately if you've typed a pnmam line incorrectly, jus^t compare the checksuin to the REM number in the printed listing.
checksum), and check the number displayed at the top of the screen against the checksum number in the listing. If they match, go on to the next line. If they don't, there's a mistake. You can correct the line immediately, instead of waiting to find the error when you RUN the program.
The Proofreader is not picky with spaces. It will not notice extra spaces or missing ones. This is for your convenience, since spacing is generally not important. But occasionally proper spacing is important, so be extra careful with spaces, since the Proofreader will catch practically everything else that can go wrong.
There's another thing to watch out for: if you enter the line by using abbreviations for com- mands, the checksum will not match up. But there is a way to make the Proofreader check it. After entering the line, LIST it. This eliminates the ab- breviations. Then move the cursor up to the line and press RETURN. It should now match the checksum. You can check whole groups of lines this way.
When you're done with the Proofreader, disable it by pressing RUN/STOP-RESTORE (hold down the RUN/STOP key and press RESTORE). If you need it again, enter SYS 828. It will then be ready once again to act as your personal typing aid.
Checksum programs are not new in computer magazines. But until now, there was nothing like The Automatic Proofreader - it shows you in- stantly, as soon as you've entered the line, if you've made a typo. We hope that the proofreader makes your program entry both faster and easier, and that you'll never have to face another frustrating ERROR message.
See program listings on page 145. ®
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OIL TYCOON
Gordon F. Wheat /
-J-
-A.
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"Oil Tycoon" is a fascinating strategy game with multiple difficulty levels and hundreds of play possibilities. For the unexpanded VIC and the Commodore 64. \\ requires one joystick.
You are P. j. Uing and you are about to make big money in the petroletmi business, but drilling for oil is not as easy as it sounds. There are obstacles you must overcome in order to make a profit. There are shale formations that grind away your pipe. You can blast through them, but your dyna- mite is limited. Pockets of natural gas sometimes collect where yt>u have previously pumped out the oil. Hit one of these and your oil rig goes up with a bang. There are also "devils" that live in the oil. They take a dim view of your draining their caverns. But you won't give up - because you are the Oil Tycoon.
52 COMPUTEl'i Gazette Ocfober1983
I designed "Oil Tycoon" to be as much fun for parents as it will be for children. Since the game is not based on reaction time but rather on strategy, it helps even the score fur the "arcade dropouts." Your strategy will slowly build, and before long you will be rolling in cash or attaining high scores, however you wish to look at it.
Loading Procedure
Oil Tycoon will run on an unexpanded VIC, and there's another version for the 64. The VIC version fits in 5K of memory because it is actually two sepa- rate programs. The first program displays a brief review of the control features and a few simple warnings, along with the message "PLEASE WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS." At this point it POKEs into memory the custom character informadon and the machine language porfion of the game used for reading the joystick position. It protects this area of memory from BASIC, then
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DrtUhii^ into au underground reservoir of oil in the VIC zvrsioii of "Oil T\fcoon." Note the lit He red devils lurking in the pimped-oul awcrns.
LOADs and RUNs the second program, erasing itself in the process. When this is completed, the message "PRESS STOP ON TAPE" appears at the bottom of the screen and the program waits until you comply.
Because of the Commodore 64' s much larger memory, the 64 version is one completely self- contained program.
Difficulty Levels
The next screen displays the high scores attained for each of the eight difficulty levels. The program will return to this screen after each game. Your score and the difficulty level of the game you have just completed are displayed at the top of the screen.
At the bottom of the screen you will sec "DIFF. LEVEL 12345678." Choose the difficulty level by moving the joystick left and right and pressing the fire button when the number of the difficulty level you want is blinking. Level one is primarily for small children. 1 would recommend that seasoned gamers begin with level two. The higher the difficulty level, the more difficult the game becomes. The various conditions for the eight difficulty levels are as follows:
|
;vel |
Slicks of |
Pieces |
lnvi»ibEe |
|
Dynamite per |
of Shale |
Shale |
|
|
Oil Rig |
|||
|
1 |
3 |
20 |
No |
|
2 |
2 |
20 |
No |
|
3 |
3 |
30 |
No |
|
4 |
2 |
30 |
No |
|
5 |
4 |
20 |
Yes |
|
6 |
3 |
20 |
Yes |
|
7 |
4 |
30 |
Yes |
|
8 |
3 |
30 |
Yes |
Playing Oil Tycoon
After you choose the level, the oil field is drawn on the screen. It will be different for each game;
54 COMPUTSi'i Gazette October 19B3
you should never see the same screen twice. For each game, you receive five oil rigs, each of which has 20 lengths of pipe and a number of sticks of dynamite, depending on the difficulty level you choose.
In the upper-left corner of the screen are the oil rigs you have remaining. In the upper-right corner is your score. Between these are the slicks of dynamite you have remaining for the oil rig now in play. The second line displays the unused lengths of pipe for the oil rig now in play. As you drill, this pipe will be used one length at a time and will be replaced as you withdraw your drill. The lower portion of the screen is the playing field. Yellow squares are dirt, black squares are oil, and the irregular squares are shale.
Move the joystick left and right to position your oil rig over the column you want to drill through. To drill, pull the joystick down. To with- draw the drill, push the joystick up. You cannot move the oil rig while there is drilling pipe in the ground. You cannot bore through shale, devils, or off the bottom of the screen. If you try, your drill will be ground up, and you will lose that length of pipe for the oil rig in play. This becomes very important in difficulty levels above four, for the shale is invisible and looks like dirt. At these levels, it is very easy to lose most of your drilling pipe before you realize that you are trying to drill through shale.
Also try to avoid drilling through empty spaces from which you have previously pumped oil. Natural gas can collect in these empty spaces and may cause an explosion when you try to drill through them again.
Controlling the fire button takes some getting used to, because it does three things. As you bore, if the end of the drilling pipe is in oil or an empty space, pressing the fire button causes your oil rig to start pumping. If the end of the pipe is in dirt, pressing fire drops a stick of dynamite down the pipe. If you are not drilling, or if you have fully withdrawn the pipe, pressing fire replaces your current oil rig with one of your remaining rigs. Be careful - it is easy to lose valuable rigs. Replacing your oil rig with a new one is useful mainly when you have used up your allotted dynamite for the rig in play, or if you do not have enough pipe remaining to reach pools of oil near the bottom of the screen.
Use your dynamite to blow up shale, devils, or dirt. Note that when you drop dynamite down the pipe, it will continue to fall until it hits one of these three obstacles. This means that if there is oil or empty space directly below the tip of the drill, the dynamite will fall out of the bottom of the pipe and through this space unfil it hits shale, a devil, or dirt.
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ICKSILVA
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Exf ending the drillitig pipe toward deep a'scmes of oil ui "Oil Tycoon ,"64 version .
Pumping Oil
When you pump, all of the oil in adjacent spaces to the sides and above the level of the drill bit will be pumped out. In other words, all squares of oil connected to the one you are pumping will also be pumped out only if they lie directly above or to the sides of the oil being pumped. Any squares of oil belozv those which are being pumped out will remain where they are.
If you uncover a devil while pumping, it will blow up your oil rig. If you try to pump a pool of oil which is at or below the level of an uncovered devil, and which is directly connected to the devil's space, it will also blow up your rig.
The deeper the oil, the more it is worth when you pump it out. An extra oil rig is awarded for each $100,000 you acquire. In addition, if you pump out all the oil on the screen and then retract your pipe, you will be awarded an exhra oil rig and a new screen is drawn.
Entering The Progrom — VIC Version
REM (REMark) statements were excluded in Pro- gram 2 to conserve memory. For those who are interested in studying the routines, a summary is presented at the end of this article.
If you do not want to go through the trouble of typing the entire game into your computer, simply send $3 and a blank tape in a stamped, self-addressed cassette mailer to:
Gordon Wheat 200 S. 7th St. Denton, MD 21629
To enter the VIC version of Oil Tycoon into your computer, type in Program 1. SAVE the pro- gram on tape and VERIFY it. Now remove that tape, without rewinding it, and place a second tape in the cassette, SAVE and VERIFY the pro- gram on this tape. As before, do not rewind this
56 COMPUTEfiGozatla October 1983
tape and do not RUN the first program. Type NEW to erase the first program and type in Program 2.
It is very important that all BASIC statements be abbreviated when entering the second program or you will quickly run out of memory. Look in your manual to see how BASIC statements are abbreviated. SAVE and VERIFY this program on both tapes. You should now be ready to play Oil Tycoon.
After LOADing the first program, do not press STOP on the cassette recorder; it will stop by itself. When the first program is RUN, it will LOAD and RUN the second program.
This is the first game program I have written, and I have been programming for only nine months, so any comments or ideas would be welcome.
Special thanks to Rick Capacio for his many hours of testing.
Breakdown of Routines- Program 2 (VIC Version) Lines Routine
|
1-4 |
Game iniHalization. |
|
5-23 |
H igh score screen, difficu Hy selection |
|
24-25 |
New oil rig. |
|
26-29 |
Drill, |
|
30-33 |
Secondary loop. |
|
34-39 |
Primary loop. |
|
40-45 |
Withdraw pipe. |
|
46-60 |
Pump, |
|
61-68 |
Upper screen update. |
|
69-77 |
Drop dynamite. |
|
78 |
Natural gas. |
|
79-81 |
Exploding pipe and rig. |
|
82 |
Bell sound. |
|
83-84 |
Explosion sound. |
|
85-86 |
Devil. |
|
87-92 |
Screen setup. |
|
93 |
Explosion picture. |
|
99 |
Drilling sound. |
See program listings on page 145. i
FOXg^IFir'" p,e,en,s JpryieByter'-
For ttie Commodore 64" The user afteciionale sprite development program. Menu- driven, mono/mulLicolor sprites, joy slick/ keyboard, tape/disk. 20K w/FAST machine language routines. Over 60 commands: ROTATE (any angle 0-360). INVERT/OBVERT, SHIFT. SYM- METRY, AND/OR, REVERSE, REVIEW, MOVIE (animation). Create and edit up to 1 28 sprites per file. For programming efiiciencyandFUN! IncludestheGame Maker- automaticaHy prepares a base (or game developmei\1, Casselle $29,95 ^^J^ ^^^^^^
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Re-Beep
For VIC And 64
Robert L. Lykins
"Re-Beep" is a Simon-type game written origi- nally for the unexpanded VIC-20. We've added a translation for the Commodore 64.
"Re-Beep" is a game for the VIC-20 and Commo- dore 64 that will truly keep you on your toes. An increasing amount of concentration is required to keep your score rising. You must duplicate the ever-lengthening tone sequence the computer gives you by pressing the special function keys in the correct order.
If you correctly duplicate the sequence, your score will increase by one. (You receive one point for each beep in the pattern.) The computer will then add a note to the old pattern, and you must then attempt the longer sequence. The computer starts with une note, which is easy enough. Soon, however, you will be hearing a befuddling series of beeps. Can you hold out for the maximum 127 notes the computer can play? Probably not. I feel lucky if I manage to score 20 points. For the mem- ory experts, however, there is a way to increase the note capacity to 255. We'll discuss lliis later.
When your memory fails, all is not lost. The computer will sound a buzzer, tell you to try again, and then replay the sequence for you. Who says a computer can't be humane? If, despite the trauma of blowing your first try, you regain your concen- tration and properly play the sequence, the game
58 COMPUTEI'lCalette October 1983
continues. If you can't do it the second time either, you get the raspberry and the computer starts a new sequence.
Advanced Features
Several features incorporated into this Simon-type game make it better than many. First, it remembers your high score until you erase the program or turn off the computer. Some patterns are easier to remember than others, and you may find that you do not score nearly as high on one game as on another. The ctnnputer keeps and displays your high score so you will have a goal to shoot for in succeeding games.
A second feature is difficulty selection. You may select from three levels which determine the speed at which (he notes will be soiuidcd. Begin- ners and young children will probably do best on level one. Level three requires a quick wit, so level two is a good compromise. It is not slow enough to become boring, nor so fast that it will make you blink and say, "What was that?"
Perhaps this game's best feature is that it has a two-player option. Most computer games seem designed for only one player. With Re-Beep, you may elect to play with another person. If so, the computer will ask the name of each player and provide a separate scoreboard for each. The high scores are also displayed separately.
Player one begins, and his scoreboard number
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In this VIC game of "Re-Beq)," player CT has just been tripped up M/ n tiine-toiie pallern - but he gets a second chance.
(1) is lit until he loses. The computer then lights the second scoreboard number (2) and begins a new sequence for player two. When player two's concentration fails, play is switched back to player one and his scoreboard. Play thus alternates be- tween the two scoreboards.
If only one person wishes to play, the com- puter will skip the name request, display only the top scoreboard, and will not light a scoreboard number. This allows maximum concentration on the task at hand.
Opposing teams could be formed if more than two wish to play. Each scoreboard will hold 12 characters for the name or names, but if two are used, they should not be separated by a comma due to the computer's INPUT characteristic of disregarding anything after a comma. A slash (/) should work fine, however.
How It Works - VIC Version
This program employs a technique known as string conctiletmtion - the addition of two strings, (A "string" is a group of characters.) In this case, STR$(R) is added to S$, the string containing the information the computer uses to play the series of notes. R is a random number from one to four, inclusive, corresponding to one of the four func- tion keys, and is selected by line 230. It must be converted into a string by STRS(R) so that it can be used in a sequence of numbers.
For example, if S = 0, SS = " ", first R = 3, then R = 4, then:
Numeric Addition String Concatenation
S = S + R SS = S$ + STR$(R>
S = 0 + 3 = 3 S$ = "" + "3" = "3"
S = 3+4 = 7 SS = "3" + "4" = "34"
In this example, R first corresponds to func- tion key F5 (3), then to F7 (4). Adding three and four numerically results in the number seven, only one numeral which has no corresponding
60 COMPUTEI'sCa7ette October 1?83
"Re- Beep" for the Commodore 64 uses the built-in synthesizer to generate tones.
key. But concatenating the strings as in line 240 provides a sequence of selected R values which do have a corresponding function key and tone.
Using lines 260 to 300, the computer plays a series of tones and lights up the green rectangles corresponding to the function keys. It does this by converting each number in SS into a numeric value (Q) in line 270. Line 290 sends the program to one of four note-playing and rectangle-lighting subroutines, depending on the value of Q. The handy ON-GOSUB statement replaces four IF... THEN statements. If Q=l, the program GOSUBs to the first line number, 480. If Q = 2, it GOSUBs to the second, etc.
The NEXT statement in line 300 repeats the process if line 260 indicates there is more (de- pending on the LENgth of S$). Perhaps you noticed in the string concatenation example that the numerals were preceded by spaces. This is because STR$(R) puts a blank space in front of the numeral, and a LENgth check will bear this out: LEN(STRS(4)) = 2. Of necessity, then, the FOR- NEXT loop beginning in line 260 starts with 2 and STEPs 2 so that line 270 won't read a blank. If you wish to slow the game, you can start the loop with 1 and ehminatc the STEP portion of the state- ment. This will result in Q having a value of 0 every other time, which will not play a note. Leav- ing in the STEP portion will result in line 270 read- ing blanks only, and line 290 will never execute a tone subroutine.
After all the notes in 5$ have played, lines 310-350 get the player's response on the function keys, play the appropriate notes with the same subroutines, and build F$. Line 370 compares the LENgth of the player's string (F$) and the com- puter's string (S$). If they are the same LENgth, it means the player has played as many notes as the computer and further comparisons are made. If not, the program returns to line 310 for more player input.
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Line 380 determines whether or not the player's sequence is correct. If not, it allows the player to try again if E = 0, then changes the value of E to 1. This causes the program to skip the "Try Again" routine if the player fails the second time.
Line 400 catches this and sends the program to the end-of-gnnie routine. If tiie program can get by line.s 38t) and 400 without being diverted, the player has played the sequence correctly, and the program enters the scoring routine. The pro- gram then adds another numeral to S$ and the tone sequence lengthens. The process repeats.
For Mnemonists
Allowing STR$ to put blank spaces in S$ and F$ actually wastes half the memory available for the tone sequence, limiting it to 127 notes, though this quantity should prove to be more than ade- quate for most players. Perhaps a few readers have really extraordinary memory capabilities. If so, the following will increase the challenge of the game. If not, at [east it illustrates what can be done to solve the waste problem and may be useful in other applications.
To fill SS and F$ with useful numbers (and obtain 255-note capacity), only the numeral and not the blank space in STR$ should be added. This is accomplished by using the RIGHTS func- tion as illustrated in lines 240 and 320-350 below. In this instance, the farthest right character from STR$, the numeral, is added to the tone string instead of the whole of STR$.
Change the following lines for 255 notes;
240 S?=S$+RIGHT?{STR$(R) , 1)
260 F0RL=1T0LEN{S?}
320 IF Z5="[f1] "THENGOSUB480:F$=f'$+RIGHT$
(STR$(1),1) 330 IF Z$="tF3l"THENGOSUB540:F$=FS+RIGHT$
(STR$(2),1) 340 IF Z$="(F5}"TliENGOSUB600:F$=F5 + RIGHT$
(STR$(3),1) 350 IF Z$="£F71"THENGOSUB660:F$=F$+RIGHT?
{STR?(4),1}
green rectangles. Using this technique can be a memory saver.
Note that line 130 uses a WAIT statement rather than the more familiar 130 GETA$:IF A$ = " " TMEN 130. You should experiment with this before putting it in your own programs, however, because the results are somewhat unpredictable. (See "Hints and Tips" in this issue.) Memory lo- cation 197 contains keyboard information. Using WAIT 197,64 will cause the program to wait until any key is pressed, including the RETURN key, which may still be down from INPUTing in line 60 or line 80. This problem is solved by using number 32 instead of 64. Now, about half the keys will cause the program to continue, including the space bar. The RETURN key will have no ef- fect. Using another number may cut out more keys or may be ineffective in stopping the program at all.
You may have noticed that some PRINT state- ments do not have ending quotation marks. They are unnece.s.sary on the VIC and 64 at the end of a line, unless used to define the length of a series of blank spaces.
Also unnecessary many times is the REVERSE OFF command. If the PRINT statement is not followed by a semicolon, REVERSE is automati- cally switched OFF when the statement ends. Line 769 is a REMark, but without the REM. It is unnecessary because the program never reaches this line, and so never delects the syntax error. The lines following it are subroutines, and line 760 sends the program to a line above it. These techniques can also save memory.
Readers who would like a tape copy of this program (VIC version only) may send $5 for a copy returned postpaid or $3 with a blank tape and a self-addressed, stamped mailer to:
Robert L. Lykifis P.O. Bo.xSl4() Aitclwra^c, AK 9950S
See program listings on page 148. H
Other Techniques
Level of play is determined by tlie value of LV (1- 3), INPUT early in the program (line 50). Certain lines in the program employ delay loops that in- corporate LV. LV is squared and is then used to divide the loop length number. On lev^el one, the number is divided by one - no change. If LV = 2, the number is tiivided by four (LV^), substantially reducing the delay. And on level three, the number is divided by nine.
Loops are also employed to print multiple items on the screen. The title display is created in this manner by line 40. Different print colors are obtained by POKIZing 646, L. Lines 150 and 160 print the function keys' F numbers and matching
63 COMPUTEI'iGoiatte October 1983
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Marc Blank
The Programmer Behind Zork
Kathy Yakal, Editorial Assisfant
Don't call Infocom a "softwarr- publisher." Or its creative staf t "game programmers." Thi^ month's "Inside View" looks ai the rather unusual evolution oi' a staff of game designers ana the unique products they are creating.
Take a look at any software best- seller list. Chances arc you will see a great number of games that involve gobbling up little dots, or shooting at something that's try- ing to annihilate you, or working your way through mazes, ^^ - •'—
There is another kind of com- ^'"''^ S'""'^'- puter game that has developed quite a following over the last few years: the ad- venture game. "We're the onlv people committed to that sort of game," says Marc Blank, 28, vice- president of Infocom and thi.' programmer behind Zork. "I'm happy to be doing something that no one else is doing."
To date, Infocom has seven products on the market: Zork I, 11, and ///, Starcross, Deadline, Sus- pended and Witness. All adventure games. And all successful. "Our adventures are more like books than games." says Blank. "They are a valid form
64 COMPUTEI's Gazette October 19B3
or entertainment, a new kind of fiction."
Early Inspiraf ion
Blank's personal interest in ad- venture games goes back to when he was an vmdergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the mid-1970s. He, along with people all over the country, played the original Adventure {written by Don Woods and Willie Crowther, who were then at Stanford) on huge main- frame computers. Adventure re- quired a tremendous amount of memory - about one megabyte. This original adventure game was based loosely on the Dungeons and Dragons theme -a fantasy that requires its players to take on the personas of other characters as they engage in an imaginary trek through a castle, seeking treasure and warding off monsters.
The major interaction in this large-scale fan- tasy game was two-word commands typed in by the players on their own terminals at home and transmitted through a modem over the phone lines. The computer played the role of the dun- geon master; it knew where all the treasure was
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hidden and all the danger lurked, and would ex- ecute the players' commands and tell them the results of their actions.
One of the problems with this initial version, according to Blank, was the computer's lack of vocabulary, liecause it would accept only two- word commands, the computer made some deci- sions that would have made the game more chal- lenging had they been left up to the player. For example, you could enter the command, "Open door," and if there was more than one door near you, the computer would decide which one you meant.
The Birth Of Zork
Marc Blank believes that one of the motivations for programming is to see if you can do something better than what's already been done. So he started to work on an adventure game of his own.
Using MDL, a computer language invented at MIT, Blank and some of his acquaintances wrote the original version of ZorA' on a l'DP-10 (a main- frame). Blank had by this time finished his under- graduate studies and was attending medical school at Albert !■ instein in New York.
The mainframe version of Zork first became available in June 1977.
Blank graduated from medical school in 1979 but decided not to pursue thai profession, opting for what he considered a more creative field. He and a few other people spent the next year de- veloping a language that they could use to pro- gram adventure games like ZorA" on the new microcomputers.
Memory limitations of micros forced them to cut the original version of Zork in half. But, says Blank, the new game was actually more complex. It took up about 70K (which docs not mean that you need a computer with that much memory to play ZorA; the program is set up so it calls on dif- ferent sections at different times).
Blank believes an important element of ad- venture games is making the players feel like there's no computer there - that they're actually participating in the fantasy. One of the ways this was accomplished was by developing an English language parser that would allow the computer to respond to more than two-word commands.
"An adventure game is only as good as its parser, that part of the program through which the player communicates with the game's envi- ronment," says Blank. "If the parser gets in the way of the player's creative expression, even the best-plotted game can become slow, tedious, and frustrating."
The original ZorA', programmed for the Apple and the Radio Shack TRS-80, had a 600-word vo- cabular)', which helped accomplish Blank's goal of communicating with the game itself. Later In-
66 COMPUTEI'tGaietlB October 1 983
focom adventures have even larger vocabularies.
Providing An Alternative
In a market as volatile as the microcomputer software industry, it's highly unusual for one publisher to dominate the best-seller lists. Info- com has managed to do that. In its four years of existence, the company that Marc Blank helped create has yet to produce an unsuccessful pro- duct. Why?
"They're got)d. Very entertaining," says Blank. "After all, the classics stay in print, don't lliey? Besides, peoples' imaginations don't go out of style."
Blank doesn't .see adventure games as a re- placement for arcade games - merely an alterna- tive. "I like arcade games as well as anyone, but a computer can handle much more than games," says Blank. "People like to see themselves as characters in a story. We're committed to giving them those stories."
Ihouse. fl -table seens to have been used Irecentiy for the preparation of food. A ■passage leads to the west and a dark Istaircase can be seen leading upward. A ■dark chiMney leads down and to the east lis a SHall window which is open, Ifl bottle is sitting on the table. |The glass bottle contains: ft quantity of water
|>drink water
11 'd like to, but I can't get to it.
popcn bottle lOpened.
l>Get the bottle and drink the water. ITaken.
IThank you very Much- 1 was rather Ithirsty CfroM all this talking, ■probably).
Patiiiii;^ for refreshments in u ^^anic of Zork on the ComntOitore M. Nole the proi^rani's umtisiit^ rL-syonsc to the comfMiiiid sen tcncf "Get the k>ttle and drtnk the water. " S
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/^^.
pflOGRflm nom
:ci 1983 THE PROGRAM STORE Wastilngton, 0.0. 20016
FRED D'IGNAZIO, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
COMPUTING
A "dhwsiutr" conipiilcr of tlir 1940s. When the IBM Mark I began tvorkhig in 1944, it sounded like a roomful of knitters using metal needles. It went "clicket}/-clicket}/-cUckett/."
Courtesy of IBM.
From Dinosaurs To Freckles
Have you ever seen a dinosaur spit out numbers?
Forty years ago, dinosaurs inhabited Earth, just like in prehistoric times. The dinosaurs were enormous. Some were the size of your living room . Others were even bigger. They filled warehouses, laboratories, and entire city blocks. And when they were well fed, they spit out numbers.
The dinosaurs had metal skin. Inside their bodies were millions of wires, some the size of jungle pythons. The dinosaurs were controlled by thousands of hot, glowing vacuum tubes the size of big dill pickles. The vacuum tubes acted like traffic cops and routed the flow of electricity through the dinosaurs' wires.
The dinosaurs spit out numbers. They also ate them. The dinosaurs liked only two kinds of numbers: ones and zeros. Dozens of human beings fed them ones and zeros in long, caterpillar-like strings.
The humans hoped that after the dinosaurs
68 COMPUTBI's Gazette Odobarl^BS
finished eating, they would say something wise. They hoped the dinosaurs would solve their prob- lems. But the dinosaurs were slow. After weeks of eating bucket loads of numbers, the dinosaurs finally answered. Unfortunately, they were often wrong.
In some ways, these recent dinosaurs were unlike their ancestors. For example, the old pre- historic dinosaurs were mostly brawn. They had tiny brains, the size of a pea or a walnut. Like the old dinosaurs, the new dinosaurs were big. But their bigness was all brain.
The new dinosaurs were different in another way, too. The first dinosaurs were living creatures. They were reptiles. Their descendants include alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and lizards. These creatures are alive today.
But the new dinosaurs were not alive. They weren't even creatures at all. They were machines. They were the world's first computersl
• I •
\UY- (^'''Ifn & commodore
^Z"'" COMPUTER °
S99 HARDWARE SSS9
m:
1525 80 Column Printer S2 19.00
1600 VIC Modem S59.00
1610 VIC Term 40 S49.00
1650 AD/AA Modem S89.00
1701 14" Color Monitor S24 9,00
1311 Joysticks (each) $5.99
1312 Paddles SI 1.99
1110 VIC SK ..$42.00
1111 VIC 16K S69.00
1011 RS-232 Interface S42.00
1211 Super Expander S53.00
1541 SINSLE OISK ORIVE
sa49
1520
COLOPI PRIIMTER/PLOTTEH
^69
1530 QATABETTE
69
SOFT\A/ARE
commodore
1906 Super Alien ..SI 4-00
1910 Radar Rat Race S14.00
1917 VooDdo CssMe 419. OO
1922 Cotmic Cruncher ..J 14. 00
1923 OOP) St7.00
1914 Omogs B>e» $17.00
1 10 VIC Reference Guide .. ,*1S 00 CBM 64 Relerence Gurde .. . S1S-00
EASY BUSINESS SERIES
C 64 Disks
EasiCa1c64 .S59.0O
EasyFinancBe4 SI 9 00
EasyMail 64.. -. I1B 00
EasjSciipl64 »S9 00
Word Name Machine $16 00
PROQRAIVIIVIER SERIES
C &4 Dltkt
AS5«mDler. 11 6,00
(jogo S39-0O
Kiot S39.00
Pet Enrulator *16.0O
Screen Eddoi S16 00
Vider?/Muiic SuppoH . S15 00
ART& MUSIC SERIES
C-e4 Dimkt.
Music Machrne S16.00
Music Cornpo&ef. .SI 6.00
Hsts Music t S39,O0
FLOPPY DISKS
Ma.eit »32.00
Veibaluni »26.00
Elepfianl H8.9S
CAROCO.
Light Pen $32.00
Cassette tnterface , $29.00
ParaEEel Printer interlace .$€9.00
3-Slcrt Eipansion intedscefViCI . . . $32.00 6-S(at Evanbon Interface (VICI ... S79.00
ARTVtfORX
C-64 Casseltas
Bridge 3 0 $14. 9S
C.64/VIC 20 Cassettes Teachef'i Pet $M.95
BRaDSRBUND
VIC 20 Casselte^ Martian dllO $18 00
Shark Trap $16.00
Mullir.uurld SynlhesiFer . S16.00
COMMERCIAL DATA
VIC 20Casseltes
Molu. Mouse S23.O0
Centipede MS.OO
Froggee $33.00
C.64 Catt«1tl*» rio^jgeo S23 00
CREATIVE BOFTVUAHE
VIC 20 Cassetles
Homo Finance $)6.O0
Home Inventory $16.00
VIC lO Cartridges
Astro aim $2fl.oo
Black Hol« $19.00
Tiashman 129,00
Cftopliftai * J9.00
EPYX
V]C 20 Cassettes
Sword of Fargoal $24.00
Rescue at f^igel $24,00
QUICK Bno^w^l fox
VIC 20 Cartndgei
Word Processor ,. $49.00
UMI
VIC 30 Cartridges
Amok $30.O0
Meteor nun $4O.O0
Alien Blitz $30.00
VIC 20 Cassettes
Viterm A $18 00
The Alien $?G.OO
HES
VIC 20 Cassettes
Torg $14.00
Skier «14,95
Tank Wan $14.95
Pak Bomber 112.9$
Oani Bomber,,.,.,......- t13.9&
Maze ut Mikor 114.9$
Laser Bhlr ,. t14.96
Pirball $12.95
Tank Trap $14.95
VIC 20 Cartridges
VIC Forlh ..$47.95
HES Won »J9O0
HES Writer $29 00
Aggressor $31 .9$
SynthesDund $47 9$
Shamut $29,00
Proleelor $32,00
Turtle Graphics $31 -9S
C'64 Cartridges
HES Won S29 00
HES Writer S3S.00
NLtFEKOP
VIC 20 Cassettes
Allen Panic ,,.$10.00
Race Fun-Drag Race... ... ..$1 6.00
The Catup..,. .,.,,. ....St 0.00
EntermmatOf ..................$19.00
C.64 Cassettes 3 O Man $1B.OO
ROMOX
Princess and Frog (20) ..$24.00
Anteater (20J64| $26.00
Type (20/64) ....$36.00
Whii K>dl20/e4) $30.00
RAINBa\A/
C 64 Disks Personal Finance ..,...,,.,,.,$46.00 Writer's Aasistint $96 00
MICR08PEC VIC 20 Cassettes
Spelling Be>-Gn>des 2. 3.4 .Sot 6. $8 00
Math Drill $6 00
Porttolio Menagar $1$.00
Date Manager $16.00
VIC 20 OtikI
General Ledger $69.00
Mailing List Msnagai $3J.OO
invenlery Package $69.00
Payroll $69.00
Data Base ,.......,..,. $49.00
C^64 Catseties
Black Boi $13.00
Color Sketch $3O.O0
Match Makai (1 6.00
C.64 Disks
Mailing List Managar $41.00
Invanlory Package $79.00
General Ledger $79.00
Data Base $69. tX)
Btack Boi $16 00
Color Sketch $22.00
Match Mekar $20.00
TRONIX VtC 30 Ceseeltee
Galactic suit $IS,9S
Swarm $33,95
Sidewinder $33, 9S
VICTORY
C.64fVtC 20 Cassettes
Adventure Pack 1)3 games). .. $13.00
AdxnIurePeck II 13 games).. .$t 2.00
Annihilation $16.00
Grave notobsr $11.00
Kongo Kong .......... ....$16.O0
Trek , $11.00
PROFESS I OIMAL
SOFTWARE
IMord Pro 64 16$. 00
tt computer mail order S
east: SOO-S33-BSSO
Dept,100eA IN PA call (7t7)327-9575 477 E. Third St, Williamsport. PA 1 7701
Mo rifk, no cTeposil on CO.D. u'dera. Prepaid urdfiis receive free shipping withm ihc U^S dantinental United Snails wjth no waning per tod Eor certified checks or money orders, Add 3'\i (mmiinniiin S3. 00) shipping and handling on dii C O.D and credit card orders. Larger shipmer»1i may reQuire additional charges. NV and PA residents add ^alcsiAK Air Items sub|Bct to availability and p^icechanQo, Cah today tot our new caiatofi.
west; BOO-eaS-331 1
Dept.loaSA IN NV call (702)588-5654 P.O. Box 66B9, Statellne. NV SS44g
Engineer Mike Grieco at Bell Labs holds a wafer with 64 tiny chips. Behind him you can Air a 'I'V picture of the transistors on jusl one chip nihgn ificd 400 titncs.
Courtesy of Bell L.ibonitDries.
The conipulers were nlmosl as rare as di- nosaurs. For several years after they were in- vented, there u'ere only half a dozen computers scattered across the whole world. And, though they were big, they were sensitive and fussy crea- tures. Hvery time you turned them on, one or two of their vacuum tubes would explode from the surge of electrical power. Then ilsometimes tt)ok people several days to find the bad tubes among the thousands of good ones.
Almost as soon as computers were invented, scientists, business people, and military generals realized that computers, one day, could become important nnichiries. Computers could help people conduct experiments, solve mathematical problems, process a company's records, and guide missiles, satellites, and spaceships. But, some-
" Brain" chips arc lined up like soldiers on parade. A human factory worker uses tweezers to pick up tite chips and place them in a protective metal package. The packages resemble spiders with 28 gold legs, so they are known as "bugs. "
Courtesy of Texas Instruments Inc.
70 COMPUTBI'sGazeMe October 1983
how, they had to become smaller, faster, cheaper, and more reliable.
No More Tubes
Then a breakthrough occurred. Two days before Christmas in 1947, scientists at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey invented the fransisior. Transistors could funchon just like a computer's vacuum tubes. They could act Okc "magnifying glasses" and create a big electrical charge from a small charge. They could act like "traffic cops" and route charges through a computer's thousands of wires. And they could act like "light switches" and turn charges on and off.
Transistors could do every tiling vacuum tubes could do. They were also cheaper, smaller, faster, and more reliable.
The first transistors, u.sed in computers in the late 1950s, were about the size of paper clips or small Tootsie Rolls. This was small, but it wasn't small enough. Scientists kept searching for new ways to make the transistors even smaller.
This is what a chip would look like iiuder a microscope. Its thousands of tiny transis- tors and pathways iesend)le huildings and streets in a large city.
Courtesy of Motorola Inc.
In the early 196()s, scientists invented the integrated circuit (or IC). The integrated circuit could squeeze up to a hundred transistors onto a round surface the size of a small sugar cookie.
To make an IC, scientists grew a large silicon crystal in their laboratory. Silicon is an element - one of the basic building blocks of the universe, like oxygen, mercury, and iron. When you go to the beach, you see silicon everywhere, mixed in with the sand. It is the silicon that sparkles up at you when you run across the beach on a sunny day.
The silicon crystals in the scientists' labs re- sembled long, fat Italian sausages. The scientists sliced the crystals into thin wafers using an ex- tremely sharp buzz saw. They took a photograph of lots of transistors' wires, then reduced (or shrank) the photograph until it was the size of one of the wafers. They placed the photograph on top of the wafer and dropped the wafer in a strong chemical bath. The chemical dug tiny "trenches" across the surface of the wafer. The trenches followed the wires in the photograph. When the chemical evaporated, the trenches were filled with metal. They had become transistors and incredibly tiny pathways for electricity.
r
urTibreiSa soitLuare
inCORPORATED
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MATH FUN!
whole
MATHMAGIC\% a line of tutorial- style software that teaches your children the basics of mathematics. Working at their own pace, they '^
can team addition, subtraction multiplication, and division of numbers and fractions.
Each program starts with examples that show how to perform the particular math function. The examples continue until your child feels comfortable with the lesson and moves on to the quiz. Then the quiz section tests and reinforces the concepts learned in the examples.
Mi examples and quiz questions are different every time the program is run, so you have a whole new program each time!
MATH MAGIC is constructive enter- tainment. Its use of color, graphics, music, and movement keep your children entertained — and learning.
For the VIC-20, 5K and 16K versions are available on the same cassette. Both disk and cassette are available for the Commodore 64.
UmbrQlla software is caiiied in software and depanmert stores, H you can't find it In a store near you. order direct from USI by sending a cheque or monoy order for $39,95 (J45 CDN) to 53 Jill Creacont, Brarnaioa, Ontario, Canada L6S 3 J 1. Add $2 for shipping and handling and allow 6 weeks (or delivery. Ontario residents please add 7% sales tax. wrien ordering, specify program number, VIC-20 cassetle, orcassetloor disk for the Commodore 64.
^;pfO(i'ani 1 1. Level 3W Aildilion 8, sublracliiin ■ wtiola numticrs
2. Le^tft ah A0dilton s siUTIraclion - wtwle numtws
3. Levai 5U MulltpHcallon >l duumn . wfiow numbera 4 LaWjU/S Hull Iplical ton t. Olylilort . wnom numtwre
S. LoKBl JjaMdlflDn S subKjistWn ■ tiacttons
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ADVERTISKMENT
Growing computer industry expands authors' choices
The rapidly expanding personal computer industry offers greater cipport unities for tlie software pro- graiiinier and autlior in .'jcarch of a publislier.
Yet the growth poses its own problem - the choice of a publisher.
Here is a list of questions to consider when looking far the publisher best-suited for your proditct: -How large i,s the publisher's distribution network? A publisher with international connections can offer more exposure than companies limited to regional or national sales. -How will your product be marketed and advertised? No matter how good the program is, if people don't know about it, it won't sell. Look for a publisher with a marketing budget large enough to give individual attention to the program. -Does the publisher market programs for more than one computer? The days of limited .selection in hardware are long gone. Limiting programs to one or two computers can litnit sales and profits. Authors can increase their share of the marketplace by looking for a publisher devoted to converting programs to a variety of popular computers. -Does the publishing house lend technical support to authors? Sotiie publishers only accept programs ready for the marketplace. .A lot of good ideas arc lost in the long run. The publisher that offers assistance invests a greater stake in the product, the author and the success of the product. -Does the publisher offer complete product support to consumers? In these limes of consumer awareness, the company that has established a network to answer customer questions about its products fares better tlian those who do not offer this support.
Each of these services leads to greater sales which in turn lead to greater profits for the individual programmer.
Sierra On-I inc. Inc. is committed to paving the way for an author's success.
Sierra On-Line's product line is distributed worldwide with production facilities in the United States, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and South Africa,
Sierra On-Line employs a well- financed, in-house marketing aitd advertising staff with a knack for creating tailor-made campaigns for products.
tach program is evaluated by experts, who may suggest enhancements to improve the product and to increase its appeal to customers.
Further, Sierra On-Line isn't limited to a single computer. The company closely monitors computer trends and makes existing products available for the most popular lines - all to the author's benefit.
A packet for authors with more information about tlie software submission process and our company is available by writing Sierra On-Line, inc., Sierra On- Line Building, Coarsegold, CA 93614, or by contacting David Siri or Howard Luthy by phone at (209) 683-6858.
MOS MICROCOMPUTER
1 READ ONIY MEMORY ma
1 RAKOOM ACCESS ■i"| MEMORY
3 CONTROL DECODE
4 ARITHMETIC LOGEC UNIT
5 CLOCK
6 INPUT/OUTPUT DECODE
E: 0.2 inch
An average chip is only .2 inches (1/5 of an inch) on a side. Yet it is tnude up of several compUcalai parts including apart that does arithmetic (#4 - Arithmetic Logic Unit), a "clock" (#5J, a "brain" (#3, #4, #5, and #6 working together), and two kinds of memory (#7 and #2).
Courtesy of Texas Instruments Inc.
connect them to typewriters, TV screens, and tape recorders, they become personal computersl
Kids use personal computers to draw pictures, make music, do their schoolwork, and play games. Personal computers fit on top of a kitchen tabic.
Personal computers are small and easy to use. They use less power than a simple light bulb. Yet they are a million times more powerful than the dinosaur- sized computers of forty years ago.
The early computers weighed more than a basketball team of elephants. They were powered by up to 20,000 vacuum tubes and cost miliioiis of dollars.
A persona] computer might weigh less than five pounds. It might cost less than $100. And its "brain" is a chip the size of a freckle.
The scientists cut the round silicon wafer into little squares the size of a bread crumb. Each little square was called a chip. On its surface were doz- ens of transistors. The transistors criss-crossed the chip's surface, like a maze of tiny roads.
Computers On A Chip
During the 1960s and 1970s, scientists found ways to pack more and more transistors onto a single chip. Today, in the mid-1980s, scientists are able to build a chip with more than a million transistors.
The first chips were primitive. With only a couple of transistors, all they could do was turn lights off and on, or remember a couple of num- bers, like 5 and 14.
Today's chips are completely different. They can do almost anythingt A single chip can act as a computer "brain" and add a million numbers in only one second. It can act as a computer "mem- ory" and remember a hundred thousand kids' birthdays. It can tell the time, control a car, guide a robot, or act as your opponent in an electronic game.
An entire computer can fit on a single chip. But chip-sized computers are too small and deli- cate for us to carry around in our pockets. To use them, we must connect them to something larger. We can wear them on our wrists inside digital watches. Or we can hide them inside dishwashers, arcade games, and microwave ovens. Or, if we
72 COMFUm-iGoiette October 1983
Chips are so small they could hide under your tongue, behind your ear, in your sock, or ride on the back of a ladybug.
Courtesy of Intel. Q
KONGO KONG $19.95
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EXTENDED TIME CONTROL PROGRAM FOR CBM 64 . . . *9^^
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