Review: The Microcomputer Index

Review Microcomputer Index

Robert Lock

I was quite impressed with this new index when it arrived in early December. Joseph Ward, President of Microcomputer Information Services, is currently indexing 18 magazines in the microcomputer industry. Below are samples excerpted from the July-September, 1980 edition. Figure 1 shows a portion of the entries under "Atari". Figure 2 shows a portion of the entires for an issue of COMPUTE. The Index appears quarterly and is available through dealers or by direct mail. Cost is $5.95 per issue; $11.00 for July - December 80; $22.00 for an annual subscription. If you're desperate to remember where you saw that "Graphics" Article, this index might be quite useful. Most articles are indexed by up to four descriptors.

Figure 1

ATARI
3-D GRAPHICS PACKAGE SEBREE COMPUTING 8020229 SOFTWARE REVIEW PURSER'S MAGAZINE SUM80 :9 56
ADDING A VOICE TRACK TO ATARI PROGRAMS VICTOR, JOHN 8015061 ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 59-61
ALL STAR BASEBALL (FUN WITH THE 6502: JUL80) IMAGE COMPUTER 8015043 SOFTWARE REVIEW COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 39
ATARI 3 DIMENSIONAL GRAPHICS SEBREES COMPUTING 8020065 SOFTWARE REVIEW COMPUTE SEP80 :6 56
ATARI BASIC ALBRECHT/ ET. AL. 8017219 BOOK REVIEW MICROCOMPUTING SEP80 :45 16
ATARI BASIC VS TRS-80 BASIC (OUTPOST: ATARI: AUG80) BLANK, GEORGE 8016115
        COLUMN CREATIVE COMPUTING AUG80 6:8 154-156
ATARI BASIC--A SELF-TEACHING GUIDE ALBRECHT/ET.AL. 8017025 BOOK REVIEW INTERFACE AGE AUG80 5:8 111
ATARI NOTES COLSHER, WILLIAM 8017153 ARTICLE MICRO AUG80 :27 57-58
ATARI SOFTWARE DIRECTORY (SUM80) PURSER, ROBERT 8020231 SOFTWARE REVIEW PURSER'S MAGAZINE SUM80 :9 57-58
BASICS OF USING "POKE" IN ATARI GRAPHICS FORTNER, CHARLES 8015063 ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 62
CAPUTE (SEP80: CORRECTIONS FOR "INPUT/OUTPUT ON THE ATARI") 8020109 COLUMN COMPUTE SEP80 :6 120
CHOOSE YOUR JOYSTICK LINDSAY, LEN 8015069 ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 64
COLOR WHEEL FOR THE ATARI HARRIS, NEIL 8015067 ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 64
DESIGNING YOUR OWN ATARI GRAPHICS MODES PATCHETT, CRAIG 8020075 ARTICLE COMPUTE SEP80 :6 71-74
EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK (SEP80: ATARI, APPLE IN L.A., COMPUTE GOES MONTHLY) LOCK,
        ROBERT 8020045 COLUMN COMPUTE SEP80 :6 4-5
EDUCATIONAL COURSES, REAL-TIME CLOCK, MEMORY (OUTPOST: ATARI: SEP80) BLANK,
        GEORGE 8018227 COLUMN CREATIVE COMPUTING SEP80 6:9 180-182
GRAPHICS OF POLAR FUNCTIONS VELUDO, HENRIQUE 8020081 ARTICLE COMPUTE SEP80 :6 80-81
GUIDE TO COMPUTERS PURSER, ROBERT 8020167 ARTICLE PURSER'S MAGAZINE SUM80 :9 22-23
HANGMAN ATARI 8020157 SOFTWARE REVIEW PURSER'S MAGAZINE SUM80 :9 15
INPUT/OUTPUT ON THE ATARI ISAACS, LARRY 8015071 ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 65-68
INVITATION TO PROGRAMMING (CASSETTE TAPE) PROGRAM DESIGN 8015059 SOFTWARE REVIEW COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 58
INVITATION TO PROGRAMMING I ATARI 8020193 SOFTWARE REVIEW PURSER'S MAGAZINE SUM80 :9 35
JOYSTICKS AND MENUS (AL BAKER'S PROGRAMMING HINTS FOR ATARI/APPLE: JUL80) BAKER,
        AL 8015039 COLUMN COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 34-36

Figure 2

8015059 INVITATION TO PROGRAMMING (CASSETTE TAPE) PROGRAM DESIGN SOFTWARE REVIEW COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 58
A FAVORABLE REVIEW FOR SIX TUTORIAL PROGRAMS ON LEARNING HOW TO PROGRAM IN BASIC
        ON THE ATARI 400/800 COMPUTER. THESE LESSONS USE THE ATARI FEATURE THAT ALLOWS A PROGRAM TO BE
        RECORDED ALONG WITH A NARRATION.
DESCRIPTORS: SOFTWARE REVIEW / PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTION / ATARI / COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION
8015061 ADDING A VOICE TRACK TO ATARI PROGRAMS VICTOR, JOHN ARTICLE COMPUTE
        JUL80 1:5 59-61 PROGRAM LISTING IN BASIC
A DESCRIPTION OF HOW TO PROGRAM THE ATARI COMPUTER TO HAVE A STUDENT HEAR
        INSTRUCTIONS AT THE SAME TIME HE IS SEEING THEM ON THE SCREEN. INCLUDES THREE PROGRAMMING
        EXAMPLES TO AID IN THE EXPLANATION OF THE TECHNIQUE, DESCRIPTORS: ATARI / PROGRAMMING
        INSTRUCTION / EDUCATION
8015063 BASICS OF USING "POKE" IN ATARI GARPHICS FORTNER,
        CHARLES ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 62 PROGRAM LISTING IN BASIC
DESCRIBES HOW TO LOOK AT THE DISPLAY LIST FOR EACH GRAPHICS MODE TO SEE HOW THE
        MEMORY IS DISPLAYED ON THE SCREEN. INCLUDES A TABLE THAT GIVES THE STARTING ADDRESSES
        FOR EACH GRAPHICS MODE PLUS OTHER INFORMATION. DESCRIPTORS: ATARI / GRAPHICS /
        COLOR GRAPHICS
8015065 NOTE ON "THE BASICS OF USING "POKE"...." LOCK, ROBERT
        ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 63 PROGRAM LISTING IN BASIC
GIVES A PROGRAM WHICH ALLOWS THE PROGRAM GIVEN IN "THE BASICS OF USING "POKE"
        IN ATARI GRAPHICS" TO ADJUST ITSELF TO THE MEMORY SIZE OF AN ATARI COMPUTER.
DESCRIPTORS: ATARI / COLOR GRAPHICS / GRAPHICS
8015067 COLOR WHEEL FOR THE ATARI
HARRIS, NEIL ARTICLE COMPUTE JUL80 1:5 64 PROGRAM LISTING IN BASIC
A DEMONSTRATION OF THE COLOR GRAPHICS CAPABILITIES OF THE ATARI COMPUTER. IN THIS PROGRAM
        THE SCREEN CLEARS AND A SERIES OF LINES RADIATE FROM THE CENTER OF THE SCREEN IN RANDOM COLORS.
DESCRIPTORS: ATARI / COLORS GRAPHICS
8015069 CHOOSE YOUR JOYSTICK
LINDSAY, LEN ARTICLE COMPUTE
JUL80 1:5 64 PROGRAM LISTING IN BASIC
PRESENTS A PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUE THAT ELIMINATES THE NEED OF CONTINUALLY CHANGING THE PLUG
        YOUR JOYSTICK IS IN WHEN PLAYING A GAME WITH A FRIEND.
DESCRIPTORS: ATARI / JOYSTICK / PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTION
8015071 INPUT/OUTPUT ON THE ATARI
ISAACS, LARRY ARTICLE COMPUTE
JUL80 1:5 65-68 PROGRAM LISTING IN BASIC
REVIEWS THE ATARI'S BASIC COMMANDS THAT COMMUNICATE WITH PERIPHERAL DEVICES LIKE: DISK DRIVES,
        PRINTER, SCREEN EDITOR, KEYBOARD AND CASSETTE. COMMANDS DISCUSSED INCLUDE: PUT, GET, PRINT
        AND INPUT. SEE CORRECTION IN SEP80, P. 120.
DESCRIPTORS: ATARI / INPUT / OUTPUT / PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTION

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