| 5 |
Editorial [Article]
Jack Schofield Can communication survive the proliferation of languages and different kinds of Basic?
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| 7 |
Feedback [Article]
Your letters; Opinions, corrections and admonitions.
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| 9 |
When it's time to stop playing games and get down to business...Rair Business Computer [Advert]
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| 10 |
Three out of every four computers going into schools are BBC Micros. Is there a lesson to be learned by every user? [Advert]
Double-page, colour advert.
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| 18 |
Samurai means to serve. The new 16 bit Samurai is built to serve today's executive. [Advert]
Double-page, colour advert.
|
| 21 |
Three from Texas [News Item]
Texas Instruments has entered the competitive desk-top business market with the TI Professional (TI-P) microcomputer. It is a 16-bit machine using the popular Intel 8088 CPU like the IBM Personal Computer. Meanwhile TI has also launched two further microcomputers, the TI-99/2 and CC-40. |
| 21 |
ICL plumps for the Intel 8085 [News Item]
ICL has announced four new models of its micro, the Personal Computer, Model 15, Model 35 and Model 26.
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| 21 |
Canon's desk-top [News Item]
The famous Japanese camera and copier company, Canon, has launched a new 16-bit micro, the AS-100. The AS-100 uses the Intel 8088 as its CPU and has 128K of RAM as standard, expandable to 512K.
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| 21 |
Robot arm for the price of a toy [News Item]
If you would like to sincerely like to get into robotics you could do a lot worse than invest in the Tomy Armatron at £30. The arm traverses through 360 degrees, as well as doing a 180 degree horizon-to-horizon swing. Tomy, a Japanese company, markets the Armatron as a toy. At the Earls Court Toy Fair, Tomy engineers admitted that is could quite easily be refabricated into something stronger and more durable. They also agreed it could be adapted to function under microprocessor control, especially a Z-80, for little more than the cost of the machine itself.
|
| 23 |
IBM profits near $4.5 billion [News Item]
IBM has declared a profit for 1982 of $4.409 billion on sales of over $34 billion.
|
| 23 |
Three-function card saves space [News Item]
One problem with the IBM PC is that it only has five expansion slots, which are quickly filled. Multifunction cards are therefore a useful development. Data Translation is offering the Ziatech 448 compatible card which fills one slot but has three complete separate functions. |
| 23 |
CPS to import Winchesters [News Item]
Authorised IBM PC dealers CPS Data Systems are now importing PC-compatible Winchester hard discs from Tallgrass Technologies in the US. The TG-3012 is a 12Mb disc with integral tape back-up. |
| 23 |
Nominal ledger UK-style from Peachtree [News Item]
U.K. versions of Peachtree's accounting systems and office-productivity systems packages are already available for the IBM PC. Now Peachtree has added the nominal ledger, which has been Britished by Peachtree International in Maidenhead, under contract to IBM. |
| 23 |
Best-selling database manager for PC [News Item]
A top-selling Apple program, DB Master, has been rewritten and expanded for the IBM PC. The new version has a 3,000-character record instead of 1,020. |
| 23 |
Mellow out the Easy way [News Item]
The easy series of programs from Information Unlimited Software of Sausalito, California is now available from Pete & Pam Computers. The best-known offering is Easywriter II, which costs £225.
|
| 23 |
Comart peripherals [News Item]
Comart Ltd the microcomputer manufacturer and distributor, has signed an exclusive marketing agreement with Tecmar Inc to distribute the PC-Mate range of IBM PC compatible peripherals. They include Winchester hard-disc subsystems, memory and communications interfaces, analogue/digital convertors and industrial control modules. |
| 24 |
Berol disc pen [News Item]
Ordinary pens can damage discs and, even worse, cause loss of data which may be priceless and irreplaceable. Now Berol has launched a specially designed pen which is suitable for writing on floppy disc labels. It has a unique safety tip that will bend before the floppy is damaged if the user presses too heavily.
|
| 24 |
Midland Fair [News Item]
The Computer Fair has been a great success in London and Manchester. Now it is paying its first visit to the Midlands. It will be held at Bingley Hall in Birmingham on April 28-30.
|
| 24 |
Rair's 3/60S runs MP/M-86 [News Item]
Rair has launched another 16-bit micro to accompany the recent Rair 16. It is a new version of the old Black Box, designated the 3/60S.
|
| 25 |
ZX Spectrum [Advert]
Four-page, colour advert.
|
| 29 |
Computer of the Year, 1982 [News Item]
Practical Computing has recently participated with Chip magazine in Germany in voting for the 1982 Computer of the Year, along with other magazines from around the world. The results were: Home Computer of the year - the VIC-20, Personal Computer of the year - the Sirius 1. |
| 29 |
London Computer Festival [News Item]
The Association of London Computer Clubs is holding its annual Fair at the Central Hall, Westminster, from April 14 to 16.
|
| 29 |
Vertical Marketing [News Item]
Vertical marketing is the name of the current micro sales game with packages for accountants, solicitors, doctors, race-horse trainers, vets, butchers, bakers, and so on.
|
| 29 |
Texet TX-8000 colour micro [News Item]
When we reviewed the Oric 1 for this issue, there was only one colour computer for under £100. Soon there will be two. Texet has announced the Texet TX-8000 Colour Computer.
|
| 29 |
Trade Show '83 [News Item]
Practical Computing is sponsoring The Computer Trade Show '83, to be held at the Wembley Conference Centre from April 26-28.
|
| 31 |
Stained-glass graphics [Article]
Boris Allan Boris Allan goes back to the Middle Ages to separate seeing and believing from lies, damned lies and statistics.
|
| 33 |
NEC turns 28 years of computer experience to your personal advantage - PC-8000 [Advert]
|
| 35 |
HP joins High Street gang [News Item]
Ian Stobie A new 16-bit micro, new integrated software, and a new attitude from Hewlett-Packard.
|
| 37 |
Chip Chat: Make way for the "People's Winchester" [Article]
Ray Coles [Roy Coles] In this new monthly column, Ray Coles takes a close-up look at microprocessors.
|
| 66 |
New from ACT - The 10 Megabyte Winchester Sirius - £3995 [Advert]
Double-page, colour advert.
|
| 77 |
Olivetti M-20 Business Machine [Review]
Jack Schofield Some £450,000-worth of TV advertising suggests Olivetti is serious, but is the M-20 a sound choice for you?
|
| 82 |
ORIC-1 - The Computer Challenge [Advert]
Double-page, colour advert.
|
| 84 |
Oric 1 Home Micro [Review]
Bill Bennett Bill Bennett takes a look at the £99.95 home colour micro.
|
| 86 |
Cifer Series 1 Business Micro [Review]
Chris Bidmead Chris Bidmead reviews a high-class British-made micro.
|
| 89 |
Apple IIe [Review]
Richard Cullis Not so much a retread, more a case of the "Apple II meets new technology". Roger Cullis investigates.
|
| 95 |
BBC Word Processor on a Chip [Review]
John Harris John Harris tests Acornsoft's View, which could be the answer to your word-processing problems.
|
| 98 |
Programming the Z-80 microprocessor [Article]
Robert Simson, Trevor Terrell Robert Simson and Trevor Terrell explain how to converse with the Spectrum's Z-80A.
|
| 102 |
Big fish caught in small pond [Article]
William Green When William Green was sold a faulty micro he demanded his money back. The supplier refused, so he took him to court.
|
| 107 |
An Introduction to Languages [Article]
In a special 22-page section, we look at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers. Languages discussed include APL, Basic, C, Cobol, Forth, Lisp, Logo, Pascal, Prolog, and Smalltalk.
|
| 107 |
An Introduction to Languages: APL [Article]
Adrian Smith Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 109 |
An Introduction to Languages: Basic [Article]
Chris Bidmead Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 111 |
An Introduction to Languages: C [Article]
Mike Lewis Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 114 |
An Introduction to Languages: Cobol [Article]
Alistair Jacks Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 114 |
An Introduction to Languages: Forth [Article]
Gil Filbey Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 117 |
An Introduction to Languages: Lisp [Article]
Michael Gardener Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 118 |
An Introduction to Languages: Logo [Article]
Christopher Roper Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 119 |
An Introduction to Languages: Pascal [Article]
Boris Allan Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 121 |
An Introduction to Languages: Prolog [Article]
Jon Young, Jenny Lam Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 122 |
An Introduction to Languages: Smalltalk [Article]
Christopher Roper Part of the 22-page special looking at the 10 most common or most important languages for microcomputers.
|
| 124 |
Buyers' Guide - Languages [Article]
A listing of some of the languages available for the more popular brands of microcomputer.
|
| 126 |
Basic Language Reserved Words [Article]
A table of reserved words reveals how different implementations of Basic vary.
|
| 132 |
Game Without Rules [Article]
Angela Cotton Fiction.
|
| 135 |
Two Micro Computers in One - LSI System M-Four [Advert]
|
| 136 |
Programming Know Your Sort 2 [Article]
Andrew Featherstone Andrew Featherstone completes his description of sorting methods, and how to optimise them with an account of the shell sort.
|
| 139 |
TRS-80 Model 16 - The Multi-user Microcomputer [Advert]
|
| 141 |
Recursive Kalman Filters [Article]
Bill Hill Recursive Kalman filtering is a way of smoothing out a noisy signal. Bill Hill explains how to implement this useful technique on a micro.
|
| 146 |
Flights of Fancy [Review]
Jack Schofield Flight simulators for the Spectrum (Nightflight), Atari (Jumbo Jet Pilot), and IBM micros (Flight Simulator), a superb Defender for the Atari, and the Hobbit for the Spectrum. |
| 148 |
Computerise without compromise - Quantum QM 2000 [Advert]
|
| 151 |
Open File [Type-In Listing]
More programs for Commodore, BBC, Apple, Research Machines, Tandy and other popular micros.
|
| 153 |
You were impressed by the unique portable Epson Computer that fits into your briefcase, Now take a look at the one that sits on your desk - Epson QX-10 [Advert]
|
| 154 |
I'm happy and proud to present: Your Friendly IBM Personal Computer [Advert]
Double-page, colour advert.
|
| 169 |
Galaxy 2 Computer System >/ Whatever Requirements You Have [Advert]
|
| 183 |
Book Reviews: Spectrum Machine Code [Review]
Bill Bennett Bill Bennett checks out some of the books for would-be machine-code programmers. Books reviewed include 'Spectrum Machine Languages for the Absolute Beginner' ed. by William Tang, 'Understanding Your Spectrum' by Ian Logan, and 'Introducing Spectrum Machine Code' by Ian Sinclair.
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