PUBLISHED BY ■■ SCHOLASTIC INC.
DECEMBER 1983
FAMILY
VOLUME I NUMBER 4
SI. 95
A Guide to Word Processing sS"s^^eo T^"^^"^ By Peter McWilliams seidom^-feu you
76956"14008'
1 2
Buyer's Guide to Joysticks, Paddles, and Tf ak-Balls
Specia Christmas for Ma Computer tsrands
AT LAST: THE WHOLE ' TRUTH ABOUT FLOPPIES.
Amazing book reveals - all! -.
How to keep from 3 brainwashing your disk ; so it never loses it's :- memory, :■
How fingerprints can , actually damage disks. Unretouched Kirlian photographs of UFO's (Unidentified Floppy Objects)! The incredible importance of making copies: the Department of Redundancy Depart- ment-and whatgoes on when it goes on! Power- ful secret methods that scientists claim can ac- tually prevent computer amnesia! Alt this, and much more . . .
In short, it's an 80- page plain-English, graphically stunning, pocket-sized definitive guide to the care and feeding of flexible disks.
For The Book, ask your nearest computer store that sells Elephant" disks, and bring alon^ one and one half earth dollars.
For the name of the store, ask us.
ELEPHANT MEMORY SYSTEMS' Morketed exclusive/y by Leading Edge Products, Inc.. Information Systems and Supplies D/Vfsion, 55 Providence Highway, Norwood.MA 02062. Can loll free h800-343-84i3. /n,Massachusetts, calf
collect (617) 769-8150,
Telex 951 -624.
THE SECRETS OF PERFECT MEMORY: ONE AND ONE HALF EARTH DOLLARS
TRUNKS FOR THE
Introducing the most logical place to store Elephant Memory Systems® (or lesser brands of disks): The Trunk.
With its alphabetized library index, you can file or retrieve up to 60 disks, instantly.
The Trunk is made of durable molded plastic with a hinged, one-piece lid, to keep disks safe from dust, dirt, and other detriments which disks despise.
And, it's portable. Because the lid doubles as a carrying handle so your Elephant Memory Systems® disks can go anywhere you do.
There's a model for 5V4" and 8" floppies, as well as a cassette-and-game file and a special Atari® version.
So if you're looking for the best disk storage system on the market . . .
The Trunk is an open-and-shut case.
IHE imiNK. ENDORSED DV ELH>HANTS.
Elephant Memory Systems* Disks
AjvJUine of top-quality floppies, in virtually every 5W and 8' model, for compatibility with virtually every computer on the market. Guaranteed to meet or exceed every industry standard, certified 100% error-free and problem-free, and to maintain its quality for at least
12 million passes hr over a Ife-time of heavy-duty use).
Marketed exclusively by Leading Edge Products, Inc., Information Systems and Supplies Division, 55 Providence Highway, Norwood, Massachusetts 02062. Call: toll-free 1-800-343-8413; or in Massachusetts call collect (6171 769-8150. Telex 951-624.
nUMILY
FEATURES
54
A NO-HASSLE WAY TO
SHOP?
by Jane Wollman
Beat the crowds and save money to boot just by pounding on your computer keys — with the right connection.
58
THE LAYMAN'S GUIDE
TO WORD PROCESSING
by Peter McWilUams
Best-selllng author McWilliams makes even rank beginners understand why word processing has become such a popular computer application for home use.
PLUS: A SURVEY OF POPULAR PROGRAMS FOR POPULAR COMPUTERS
Page 54
66
A YOUNG GIRL'S
FANTASY TURNS TO
FORTUNE
by James Delson
Adventure game designer Roberta Williams turned her talents for storytelling into successful software packages published by the company she heads with her husband, Ken.
70
BUYER'S GUIDE TO JOYSTICKS, PADDLES, AND TRAK-BALLS
All you need to know to choose the right hand controller for you and your computer.
PLUS: 24 ■■ PLAY-TEST" REVIEWS
76
AUTOMATIC PILOT
by Lester Brooks
Four homeowners, who've turned science fiction into fact with easy-to-install home-controlling equipment, maj' be part of a wave of the future.
PLUS: HOME CONTROL PRODUCTS
81
HOW TO MAKE YOUR
OWN COMPUTER COVER
FOR JUST A FEW
DOLLARS
by Elaine Balkman
Latimer, with Joey Latimer
It takes Just a small investment of time and money — and a little sewing skill — to protect your computer.
84
THINGS COMPUTER SALESPEOPLE SELDOM TELL YOU
by Roger Schulman
Asking the right questions when you buy a computer can save you hours of frustration and rage — and a bundle of money.
PLUS: IF YOU'RE BUYING A COMPUTER, HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK AT
96
10 GIFTS YOUR
COMPUTER WANTS FOR
CHRISTMAS
by P. Gregory Springer
If your computer makes life easier for you, don"t forget to return the favor— it's sure to pay off for vou as well.
100
HOW PEOPLE AND MACHINES CAN WORK IN HARMONY
by Jane WoUman
Part two of a special report on ergonomics.
PLUS; A CAPSULE GUIDE TO AN ERCONOMIC WORKSTATION
Page 96
88
WHAT'S A COMPUTER?
California kids have some offbeat answers.
90
GAMES FOR TWO .
TEN
by Phil Wiswell
A selection of games guaranteed to gather crowds of players around the computer,
OR
Page 88
DECEMBER 1983
PUBLISHED BY SCHOLASTIC INC.
VOLUME 1 NUMBER 4
PROGRAMMING
PRODUCTS
DEPARTMENTS
107
THE PRQGRAMMER
For cnihusiasis of all levels.
110
HOLIDAY PROGRAMS
by Joey Latimer
Trim your electronic tree lo music, make your own, personalized wrapping paper, and di\a'y up liollday chores with programs for Apple. Atari. Commodore 64 and VIC- 20, IBM, Tl, Timex, and TRS-80 computers.
140 PUZZLE
Shopper Search: Finding Mom at the department store.
144
READER.WRITTEN
PROGRAM
Writinff letters in code — making your own character set.
158
WHAT'S IN STORE
14 pages of product announcements and reviews.
158
NEW HARDWARE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The latcHl ill the field: Maris 1400XL. Timex's 2000, TRS-80's PC-4, Chalk Board's PowerPad, and more,
162
NOVELTIES AND
NOTIONS
A compendium of computer-related items including disk pouches, coloring books, calendars, computer printout greeting banners, and more.
164
SOFTWARE GUIDE
Quick lakes on two dozen new and noteworthy programs.
170
SOFTWARE REVIEWS
182
BOOK REVIEWS
Page 66
EDITOR'S NOTE
14
BEHIND THE SCREENS
People, News, and Trends
20
HOME.SCHOOL
CONNECTION
Take a lesson from teachers — choose educational software the way they do. by Mindy Pantiel and Becky Petersen
26 GAMES
Giving games as gifts, by James Delson
32
HOME BUSINESS
A successful home accountant.
PLUS: TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN HOME ACCOUNTING BUSINESS.
by Jeremy Schlosberg
38
COMPUTING
CONFIDENTIAL
Addicted to computers. by Sarah Korium
44
COMPUTING CLINIC
Questions from readers.
48
LIGHT TOUCH
The Man Who Bought Too Many Peripherals, by David Kovacs
104
BASIC BOOTH
A monthly cartoon.
186
THE PRIMER
A multipart reference guide that appears each month.
199
ADVERTISER'S INDEX
200 SIGN OFF
Avoiding the "Piano Lesson
Syndrome."
by Barbara Schwartz
Copyright © 1983 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
r^ ^J tj
Computer enthusiast Alan Alda uses the ATABI 800XL Computer System. Alda reports: "It's going all the time!"
:xiinH
^"^
Introducing; the Atari XL Home Computers: We made them smart enough to know you're only human.
'•«»«'<S!:
^Odift^
©1983 Atari. Inc. All rights reser/ed. ^\^ A Warner Communications Company.
he new ATARI XL Home Computers prove that you can blend state-of-the-art technology with good old fashioned friendh- ness. What's a friendly computer? For one thing, it's a computer that speaks your language. Both the new ATARI 600 XL'" and the new ATARI 800 XL'" Computers come with a built-in BASIC language that uses the same simple English you use to converse with the rest of the world.
Press the HELP button, not the panic button.
Every ATARI XL Computer comes with a HELP key. Some- thing you won't find on any other home computer. New programs are becoming available that let you use this key for helpful "prompts" when you're unsure of what to do next. Press another special key and your ATARI XL automatically performs a self-diag-nostic check— a feature that can save you a needless trip to one of our more than 1,000 ATARI Service" Centers.
The ATARI 600XL: It Gets Smarter As You Do.
With 16K of memory, the inexpensive ATARI 600XL can
handle over a thousand programs: including education, home man- agement, word processing and personal development. Like all ATARI Home Computers, it gives you 256 colors, four sound chan- nels and Atari's unsurpassed graphics. But unhke a lot of other computers, the ATARI 600 XL is ready to grow when you're ready to grow. Every ATARI XL Com- puter is fully compatible with every ATARI peripheral ("periph- erals" are added on to expand what your computer can do).
ATARI peripherals include: a low-cost, letter-perfect printer for word processing. A telephone modem that lets you use your tele- phone to connect your computer to other computers thousands of miles away. A disk drive and a cas- sette recorder to store data. And Trak— Balls'" and joysticks to use with Atari's unequalled lineup of great arcade hits. An ATARI 600 XL Computer can be turned into a very brainy 64K computer at a very affordable price.
The ATARI 800XL: Power Enough For Over 2,000
Programs:
With 64K of built-in memory
(as much as the more expensive Apple and IBM computers), the ATARI 800XL can take on any of over 2,000 software programs. That's five times as many as a Commodore 64.
There's VisiCalc^' for elec- tronic spreadsheets— faster than the fastest accountant. The Home Filing Manager™ to help keep track of everything from medical records to phonograph records. Family Finances to keep up with your cash flow. Educational pro- grams hke 'Juggles'Rainbow"2 that helps preschoolers develop skills necessary for recognizing the al- phabet. Even "An Invitation To Programming,™" for learning how to program.
When You've Grot Our
Computer, You've Got
Our Number.
Ifyouever find yourself stuck, or have any questions at all, just give us a call. 800-538-8543. (In California, 800-672-1404.) Feel free to talk it over. Because if there's anything friendlier than an ATARI Home Computer, it's the humans who make them so friendly.
You'll do more with Atari Home Computers.
-«»xy.
^VisiCalc is a registered trademark Dt VisiCorp, trademark o( The learning Company.
1
tl you're all thumbs at the 4afboard, MasterTypewill make you a computer whiz.
MasterType #1 on everybody's list . . . the first step in computer literacy.
MasterType delivers. It is the one and only typing program that dares to be fun without being intimidating. It combines the fast action of video games with the best typing skills develop- ment techniques available. The result? Highly motivated and enjoyable learning.
After each of the 18 action-packed program segments, you'll see how you measure up. And you'll become so caught up in the action that before you know it, you'll become a master at the keyboard, calling all the shots. On disks for
Applet Atari^ Commodore 64^ $39.95 IBM-PC $49.95
New
Atari'' and Commodore 64*
cartridges now available.
TneSaitbonughSYSieni.
gl$earborou(^h Systems, Inc., 25 N. Broadivav. Tarryiown. NX 10591, 1-800-882-8222 |ln NY: 1-9H-332-4545I
730 Broadway. New York. NY 10003 EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEr Claudia Cohi
DESIGN DmECTOR
Vincent Cecl SENIOK EDITOR
Laura Bernstein
FEATURES EDITOR
Nick Sullivan
LlFESl-lfLES EDITOR
Sarah Kortum
TECHNICAL EDITOR
Lance Paavola
REVIEWS EDITOR
John D. Wallace, Jr.
COr^' AND RESEARCH CHIEF
Vamlle Martin Kahn
COIT AND RESEARCH ASSIS'I'ANT
Linda Williams
DESIGN ASSOCIATE
James C. Montalbano
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
Barbara Sevan
TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS
Donald Chin, Taz Cook, Al Drayton, Gary Lee, Alexander Whilaker
ADMINISTRATI\'E ASSISTANT
Megan Van Peebles
CONTRIBUTIN'G EDITORS
James Delson. John Jainschlgg. Joey Latimer, Ben Rubensteln
TECHNICAL AM) EDUCATION CONSULTANT
Walter Koelke PUBLISHING
PUBLISHER
Shlrrel Rhoades
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHEti/ CIRCULATION AND MARKETING
Vince Dema
ClHCUI^TION MANAGER
Harold Shain
C<RCUIJ\TION STAI'I-'
Linda Cucinello, Deirdre McMurray, Mark Mltton
BUSINESS MANAGER
Steven Abromowltz
PRODUCTION MANAGER
David J. Lanfie Advertising Sales Offices
EAST COAST REPRESENTATION
730 Broadway. New York, NY 10003
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Harold L, Leddv
(212)505-3585
ASSOCIATE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Charlene D. LeGrand (212) 505-3586
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Michael H. Tchong (212) 505-3589
NORTHEAST MANAGER
Steve Rosen Tield (212) 505-3587
MinWEST REPRESENTATION 730 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
MIDWEST MANAGER
Lisa Kunin
(212) 505-3588
WEST.SOUT<fWEST REPRESENTATION
385 Sherman Avenue. Suite 1
Palo AJto. CA 94306
(4151327-6090 WESTERN MANAGER
Robert S. Pack (4151327-6090
SOUTHWEST MANAGER
Marty Navarro
4000 MacArthiir Blvd., Suite 3000
Newport Beach. CA 92660
(714)851-1593
TELEMARKETING MANAGER
Lisa Kunln (212)505-3588
Enjoy a world of learning and leisure with the Sakota Model SC-100 Color CRT Monitor
Model SC-100 accepts a composite video signal; has a modem streamlined design; includes an audio speaker and an earphone jack for privacy of operation and is compatible with fine popular personal computers.
Your SAKATA monitor will enhance your pic- ture comparable to the most expensive computers available.
Improve your education and increase your fun with SAKATA CRT DISPLAY MONITORS .... "We Promise Performance",..
Also available: Model SC-200 13" RGB high
resolution COLOR CRT MONITOR. Model SC-300 13" RGB super high resolution COLOR CRT MONITOR. Model SG-1000 12" monochrome high resolution CRT MONITOR (green). Model SA-1000 12" monochrome high resolution CRT MONITOR (amber).
SAKATA CRT MONITORS are available wher- ever personal computers are sold or write for tech- nical and illustrated literature and prices.
SAKATA U.S.A. CORPORATION
651 Bonnie Lane, Elk Grove Village,
niinois 60007/(312)593-3211
800-323-6647 (outside Illinois)
"Serving industry worldwide since 1896"
HowMintoudi
KoalM ToudiTablet
puts the controls atyour
fingertips.
laint the screen with colorful graphics or play lightning- fast games with just a touch of your finger The KoalaPad'Touch Tablet makes using your com- I puter more fun than ever before. ■*d^ Just moving your finger across Jrthe special touch-sensitive surface ^^^controls graphics, game ^^, commands, and much ^ ^ more. It's a great way to get the most out of your computer while you just sit back and
I
V
i
\wlhy()iifcon^uter.
relax. The KoakPad fits comfortably in the. palm of your hand for easy use And once you have it in
Dancing Bear" brings a funny, furry cabaret star right into ynur home ivherc your own programmed per- formances will win applause every lime.
your hands, it's hard to
put down. That's because,
the KoalaPad does C
much more than joysticks,^
paddlecontrollersorthe
"mouse." Each KoalaPad
set is packaged with a KoalaWare'"
graphics program*
for creating beautiiil.
high-resolution
graphics right on the
screen.
spider Eater" the game that attacks musical eilucation with n I'onicious appetite, taking a bite out of the task of teaming Ihe musicai scale.
And that's
just the beginning.
There's a iill line of KoalaWare pro- grams to choose from
with a perfect
Logo Design Master'"
uses computerized graphic design to help children and adults learn the basics of program - tning and prepare for more advanced applications.
combination of entertainment and education. Add a touch of excitement today to your Applef Atari® Commodore® orlBM^computen See the KoalaPad Touch Tablet at the computer store nearest you. To locate the dealer in your area, call toll free 800-227-6703. (In Califomia,
800-612-7979.) (^tioala
Technologies CorpDralion
We make computing more personal'."
SpelUcopter" takes off into the world of spelling with aerial acrobatics to challenge young students.
'Software included wiih Touch Tablet rarlcs vHh computer type.
SoaliiPai KoalaViarf, l^ffj IJcsifyi Mister,
Spider Ealer, 2nd l>ancinR Bwr ar« Irade-
marb of Knala Technologies CflrpnratlDn.
Spellicopler IS a trademark of ik^ifinft'ate. Inc.
KoaiaTechnobgies Corporation,
3100 Patrick Henry Drive.
Santa Clara, Ca. 95050
UNICORN TREASURES
MAKE
LEARNING A
TM
PLEASURE
Ages 5-13
Each Unicorn educational game teaches as it entertains. All of our treasures have been developed at The Computer Learning Center for Children. Written by edu- cational experts who make them fun, our games feature colorful, high re- solution graphics, multiple difficulty levels, beautiful music, and are completely user friendly with simple on-screen instructions. You'll be delighted to use them year after year as your child's educational needs change.
Look for our growing line of
quality educational games.
You won't know what
you're missing until you've.
seen a Unicorn.
Available at your local dealer or call or write Unicorn for our free brochure
App*e- Alafi. Commodore 64 and IB^^■PC are Irademarks of Apple Computer Corp.. Atari Inc.. Commodore Electronics LTD and International Business Machines Corp. rtspectitfely.
Copynghr 1 983 by Unicorn Software Company. All rights reserved.
Available for Apple,
Atari, Commodore 64 and
IBM-PC Computers.
Disk versions only.
UNICORN SOFTWARE"^
1775 East Tropicana Avenue #8
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
<702) 798-2727 or
(702) 798-5990
FAMILY COMPUTING
SCHOLASTIC INC. CORPORATi
Maurice R. Robinson, founder. 1895-1982
I'HESIDENT. CHIEF
EXECUTJVE OFFICiiH
AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOAKD
Richard Robinson
VtCECHAlKMAN OF THE BOARD EMEUITUS
Jack K. Llpperi
NATIOHAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Dr. Sidney P. Marland. Jr.,
Chairman, former
Superintendent of Schools
and U.S. Commissioner
of Education
Dr. Gregor>' Anrig.
President,
Educational Testing Service
Elaine Banks,
Past President.
National Association of
Elementary
School Principals
Brother James Kearney. F.M.S..
Superintendent of Schools.
New York Archdiocesan
School System
Dr, Lola Jane May.
Mathertiailcs Consultant.
Winnetka. Illinois,
Public Schools
Dr. Wilson Riles,
Ibrtner Superlniendcnt of
Public Instruction.
Slate Deparment of
Education, California
Dr. Richard Ruopp. President. Bank Street College of Education
Dr. Robert Scanlon,
former Secretary of
Education. State
Department of
Education, Pennsylvania
FAMILY COMPUTING IISSN 0738-6079) Is pub- lished monthly by Scholastic Inc., 730 Broad- way, NY. m' 10003. Subscriptions: In the U,S, and possessions, 12 Issues for SI 7,97: outside the U,S. add S6 (surface mall) and S24 (air malll- Office of publication. Box 2700. Monroe, Ohio. 45O50-2700, Application to Mall at Sec- ond Class Postage Rates is pending at Monroe, Oh Id. 45050-9998 and additional offices. POST- Mi\STtCR; Send address changes and notice of undelivered copies to FAMILY COMPUTING. P.O. Bo.t 251 1. Boulder, Colorado 80322, Print- ed in U.S.A. Copyright >:: 1983 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
BASF QUALIMETRICFLEXYDISKS^
BUILT FOR ETERNITY-WARRANTED FOR A LIFETIME.
BASF Qualimetrk FlexyDisks* offer you more... an extraordinary new lifetime warranty.* The BASF Quaii- metric standard is a dramatic new international standard of quality in magnetic media. ..insurance that your most vital information will be secure for tomorrow when you enter it on BASF FlexyDisks today.
We can offer this warranty with complete confidence because the Qualimetric standard reflects a con- tinuing BASF commitment to perfec- tion... a process which begins with materials selection and inspection, and continues through coating, pol- ishing, lubricating, testing, and 100% error-free certification. Built into our FlexyDisk jacket is a unique two-piece liner This BASF feature traps damaging debris away from the media surface, and creates extra space in the head access area, insur- ing optimum media-to-head align- ment. The result is a lifetime of outstanding performance.
When your information must be secure for the future, look for the distinctive BASF package with the Qualimetric seal. Call 800-343- 4600 for the name of your nearest supplier.
trv' v-t^a't-t' j-'a ..x
ENTER TOMORROW ON BASF TODAY
•Conrdff BAif lor wiri^nty details. © !Sai. BASF Systems Corporslion, Bedlord.MA
SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE OF AMERICA- PRESENTS
GRAFIX - ARTIST"
(Commodore 64' version)
THE LATEST IN EDUCATIONAL
GRAPHICS SOFTWARE DESIGNED
WITH THE CONSUMER IN MIND
CREATE EXTRAORD[N/\RY
COLOR - GRAPHICS
USING THE:
• Joystick Mode • Program Mode
• Program lo Picture Utility |for your basic or mactiine-language programs)
GRAFIX- ARTIST" provides comprehensive
• Reference Card
• Introduction
• Help Screen
• Demo's
NO COMPUTER EXPERIENCE
IS NECESSARY
Children, parents, artists, educators will enjoy the ease-of-use and options GRAFK-ARTIST* provides,
- COMING SOON - GRAFK-PRINTER- and GRAFIX-DESIGNER" Dealer and Distributor Inquiries Inuitcd
Kins cj( Prulsls. PA 1'406 (2151265-2277
m
Rri^tctitd TTtdffnAriu oi Cammodtiir Buimvu Hachinn. [nc
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 99/4A
FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Learn to fly with the Dow— 3 Gazelle, a real- istic IFR simulation of a typical 4-place pri- vate plane* It is not a game. A manual with 30 pages of text plus 7 figures helps the novice learn to fly. Experienced pilots will enjoy flying the ILS approach. Response time under I sec average. Display shows full panel (10 dials and II light^si and indi- cates position of runway for landing. Real- istic sound effects. See reviews in Jan 83 99'er and Jun 83 .AOPA Pilot. Requires joy- stick. Cassette, $30.
EDITOR/ASSEMBLER
The Dow E/A turns your Tl into an assem- bly language machine. For use with Tl's Mini Memory Module. Fast and convenient. Allows use of entire R.A.M. Manual includes sample program with detailed explanations. See review in Aug 83 99'er- Cassette. S25.
ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PRIMER Teaches Tl assembly language in step by step fashion for Basic programmers. Explains con- cepts In detail with many enamples. This is what you have been waiting for if you haven't been able to understand the Tl Edlt- or/Assetnbler manual. S20
(Dow E/A and PRIMER S40)
For a<fdltional information, wriEe or call 412-521-9385. To order, send check or MO U.S. funds:
JOHN T. DOW
6360 Rosemoor Street
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15217
Postage to U.S. and Canada included. (If
foreign, add U.S. S2.1 Pa, residents add 5%
12 FAMILY COMPUTING
EDITOR'S NOTE
LET US HELP YOU PROGRAM SOME FUN INTO YOUR HOLIDAYS
Each Christmas season brings mul- titudes of new computers into Amer- ican homes. And with the computer comes a lot ofjoy — and a lot of con- fusion and frustration. After the boxes are opened and the system as- sembled, a chorus of voices can be heard saying, "Now what?"
in every issue of family computing we tr\' to say "Here's what!" We fea- ture stories of families using their computers in countless ways, but our special gifts to our readers — ev- ery month — arc our programs. Be- cause we've chosen to focus all our attention on how families use com- puters at home, we're able to tie In our programs with popular activities that are taking place each month. Joey Latimer, who writes many of our holiday programs, is busy in his California mountain cabin writing fall programs In the spring and spring programs in the fall.
Aware that many of our readers are just starting out. we try to keep most of our programs short enough so they don't try even a novice's pa- tience. And, to make it as easy as possible lo key in our program list- ings, we include versions for all of the most popular computer brands sold for home use.
Our computer lab is always busy, filled with programmers working un- der the direction of Lance Paavola,
our technical editor. Each program goes through several rewrites until it's as concise as possible. Lance's standards for excellent programming never falter, which means that as our readers start tr>'ing their hand at programming themselves, they start with excellent models to emulate.
So, as you try our Christmas Tree program (p. 1 10 ), create your own wrapping paper (p. 128 }, or ponder over our puzzle (p. 140), remember that as early as last summer pro- grammers were humming the back- ground music that goes with our tree, testing the paper programs, and trj'ing their hand at the puzzle.
Another gift to you is this month's cover by renowned cartoonist George Booth. Each month his special hu- mor will be found in the pages of FAMILY COMPUTING, under ihe heading "BASIC Booth."
We hope you're smiling at your computer this holiday season, and at some of the fun and success we'll be bringing you issue after issue. Meanwhile, all of us at family complt- IN'G wish all of you a wonderful time computing.
CLAUDIA COHL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
This Christmas,
Atari and Commodore* owners
will go out of their minds.
It'll take about 30 seconds.
Because once you boot a Datamost game on your Atari home computer, or your Commodore 64, you'll come face to screen with the most mind-blasting games ever.
And what better time to go out of your mind than Christmas? Our Music Will Have You Hearing Things. Going out of your mind never sounded so good.
Because now our games have music. You heard right. Music. Original Music. Through out. And scored just for our newest releases. You'll go nuts over it.
Our Graphics Will Have You Seeing
Things.
You and everybody else.
Because our games are so great- how great are they? -they're so great you'll want to play them again and again and again. And then your friends will go bonkers over them.
THE TAIL OF BETA LYRAE.^"* Changes as yaupiay. Unpredict- able. Impossible to master, (No one hasJ)
DATAMOSl
And they'll want to play. And then your family will want to play. And then total strangers off the street will want to play and . . .
Mind-blowing arcade-quality action like this makes it one mad world, pal. We'll Torment You Right From The Start. No time to settle down and get comfy
The tension begins building the moment you boot the game.
Terrific screen titles tease you with the game's objective, scenario, characters.
And while you wait, hand twitch- ing over the Joystick, you'll find out what planet you're on. What the fuss is all about. Why you're involved. And perhaps of singular importance to you personally, how to keep from being obliterated. So get ready to get the most out of your mind.
The most out of our minds:
By getting the most out of ours.
Datamosl. Inc. . 8tH3 Fullbrijjht Ave. . Chatsworlh. CA 91311. (213) 709-1202 Atari is n trariemark of Atari Computer. *Comm()dure 64 is ii I rii(k'm.irk cif Conimtxlore Bus: ness Machires. Inc. TM Reffstered Trademark of DalamosS
cosmic tl.\m-:l^.
Four games in one. Four times the challenge! Incredible graphics.
.MO.\'STER SMASH. "' Deathly strategy, \fa$h the tttonsiers.' Let the visitors tive^
NIGHTRAIDERS.'^ Straff a city under siege tcilh 3D angler! selective firing'
rovndabovt:"
Sharpens your shoot 'em up skills. 24 different game screens. Ha b it-fortni ngJ
COHEf^'S TOWERS." You 're the ma ilboy in a big city skyscraper. Work your way to the top.
MR, ROBOT.'' Screens scream uith color, action and sound! Design your own screen St too-
BEHIND THE SCREENS
PEOPLE, NEWS, ANP TRENPS
EDITED BY JOHN WALLACE
Everybody, On-Line!
Computer Educalitn Assistance Act sponstr Frank Laulenberg.
The so-called computer revolution has taken the country by storm, and while many sectors of our society have managed to stay afloat and arc Indeed prospering because of it. oth- ers have been left behind and arc somewhat adrift. Recognizing this "accessibility gap," Senator Frank R. Lautcnbcrg (D-NJI introduced a bill in September to ensure that every- one tias proper and equal exposure to the new technologies.
Titled the Computer Education As- sistance Act, the bill calls for Si 50 million to be spent annually over the next four years, for the purpose of helping schools plan and implement computer use. Lautenberg says that "half the bill's funds are designated for poorer districts." This would bal- ance what he sees as an inequity of access between schools in suburbs and those in cities, such as his own Newark, Paterson, and Camden.
If you've got a good bite-sized piece of computer-related news involving people, trends, or innovations, let's hear it. We will pay S25Jor each itern we publish. Write to Behind the Screens, c/o family coHPi.TiNG. 730 Broadway. New York. NY 10003.
Lautenberg emphasized the impor- tance of the planning stage in schools' introduction of computers in the curriculum. "Clearly, comput- er education is not a substitute for the three Rs," he said. "Computers are more like pencils than books. As educators come to view computers... as tools, they will begin using them in exciting and mind-expanding ways, which is their true promise."
Lautenberg can appreciate the ad- vantage of being well informed of and well adjusted to the computer age. Thirty years ago he and two col- leagues started a basic bookkeeping firm. By the time he left the compa- ny last year, it had grown into a multimillion dollar computer-based data-processing firm employing over 16.000 people in offices across America and In four other countries.
The Senator is concerned chiefly with the issue of exposure to the po- tential of computers. "A report in The New York Times said that in Westfield, Nevv Jersey, 50 percent of the students had contact with com- puters," Lautenberg said. "But when you get lo poorer districts, you see that kids don't have them at home, they don't have them at sciiools. We're hoping that this bill will show people who don't have the exposure, that there's nothing to fear, and that there's more to computers than just games." The bill requires that schools make their facilities avail- able for adult education during nonschool hours. "There are very few jobs that won't have some sort of computer interface," he says.
As for his own family, Lautenberg says that all of his three children have put the computer to extensive use. "My youngest son is 15. His sis- ters use computers a great deal at work, but he's still at the stage where he spends too much time playing games." he told family
COMPUTING.
Says Lautenberg, "We're just try- ing to show that this isn't like a slide rule arithmetic device. The computer's not a fancy engineering tool. A lot of people in the work force are afraid that you have to have a college degree to work these things. That's just not true."
IWo-Computer Households
The two-computer household may
become the latest trend in {he rapid- ly changing world of consumer elec- tronics. Like autos before them, computers are proving invaluable for many families. And for many, even computers in tandem are becoming a necessity, according to the results of an 1 1.000-family survey conduct- ed by the Illinois-based research iirm, Talmis.
"It's not only that these families arc moving up to better computers," reports Talmis researcher Jeanne Dictsch. "In many cases, families arc buying the same computer again." As many as one out of six computer- using families plans to purchase a second one within the next year.
The reasons var\'. according to Dictsch. For one thing, it seems that use of computers has increased dra- matically among preteens. They're frequently using the family comput- er for school work. And they're find- ing that more and more software is becoming available for them to choose from. Teens are discovering the advantages of word processing and. according to Talmis Marketing Research Director Hank Butler, fam- ily-managing mothers arc drawn to the home-accounting possibilities in numbers larger than analysts had initially anticipated.
Many families arc clearly still test- ing the limits and potential of their new machines. But before long, if Mom. Dad. and the kids all continue to itch for a turn, the two-computer household may be as common as the two-car garage. »
14 FAMILY COMPUrrNC
WHILE OTHER COMPUTER COMPANIES
ARE BUSY SETTING NEW PRICES,
SPECTRAVIDEO IS BUSY SETTING
NEW STANDARDS.
MSX"* and LOCO™: TWO more reasons why Spectravideo is leading the way in Personal Computers.
White price wars and confusion reign ail around us. Spectravideo goes about its business, setting stan- dards by whicti oil other personai computers will soon be judged. MSX and LOGO are the two latest ex- amples of tiow Spectravideo is rocking-ard restioping -ttie personai computer industry.
MSX AND LOGO.
It is now history that, on June 15 1983. Spectra- video. Inc. joined with most ol Japan's largest electronics firms to launch MSX: The most far-reaching personal computer standard in history. MSX is the name given to a specific hardware./software corv (iguration that mokes product Interchangeability possible. While Spectravideo is proud to p>ar1icipate In MSX, we are even prouder of this fact; It was our own SV-3 18 computer that was used as a prototype (or the MSX design! There are two important ospecfs to this.
First, all future MSX hardware-i.e. computers, peripherals, appliances-will be based on several key design elements o( the SV-318. What does this mean to you. the consumer? A great deal, because when you buy an SV-3 1 8. you will not only be able to use all o( Spectravideo s own software and hard- wore-you'll also be able to take advantage of all the remorkoble new equipment that will be coming from other MSX participants.
In addition, ttie softwore aspect of MSX wos largety inspired by the software built into the SV-3t8. From the outset. Spectravideo offered built-in Micro- soft BASIC as its resident interpreter. Now. Microsoft also makes a LOGO program compatible with the SV.318. It was Spectravideos Microsoft BASIC LOGO that fwlped to make MSX possible.
Another standard ttiat Spectravideo con take credit for is the built-in Joystick Cursor Control Built right into ttie SV console, this control is alwoys at fingertips and is much easier and (aster to use ttxin extemol joysticks or conventional editing controls.
Certain engineering elements that helped to make this built-in control possible have also been incor- porated into MSX
OTHER STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE.
While these are the computer standardizations that Spectravideo helped to initiate, they by no means represent the whole SV-3 1 8 story. This remorkoble computer has also established many standards of excellence that other personal com- puters now aspire to:
■ Bultt-ln Super txtended Mlerotott BASIC-Makes the $V-3 18 the Hist truly programmable atfordable compuleri
m txtrooramarY MemorY-32K ROM expandable to 96K. arx} 32K HAM expandable (via bank switctiing)to an amoBng 2S6K.
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m More Available SoHware-Buill-in CPM compatibility gives you immediate access to over 3000 existing so/t. ware programs. Plus, you can utilUe Spectravideo's own fine sottwaie iibrory-
m Advanced Grxipliics Capablllties-n>e SV-3IB otters W colors in higti resolution, and more importantty. 32 pro- grammable sprites ttKil allow tremendous control of movable screen objects.
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Computer systems you'll grow into, not out of.
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BEHIND THE SCREENS
Computer Intruders, Under Thumisi
The Finx 401 may help reduce criminal csfflpvler capers.
Computer raiders are the scourge of the information age. But hackers who gain unauthorized access to computerized files may have finally met their match. The developer of an extraordinary "fingerprint scanning device" claims that he has a solution that will allow institutions relying on computerized files and networking to put a lid on the electronic intru- sions wreaking havoc with their sys- tems. The manufacturer is a compa- ny based In White Plains, New York, called Fingermatrix. The product is a small peripheral that hooks up to the computer and electronically scans fingerprints. The would-be user places a finger into the device and keys in a personal identification code. Only those whose fingerprints and ID codes have been registered with a particular computerized net- work would be permitted access to its information or services.
It all sounds like something out of a James Bond movie or an episode of "Get Smart," but, in fact, the Fin.x 401, as it's called, has been in devel- opment since 1976. It's been tested and approved for use by the U.S. Air Force to prevent trespass into a com- puter used for controlling strategic aircraft command. Also, at First In- terstate Bank of California and Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City, they have been installed to pre- vent thefts in their electi-onic funds transmission services.
The device was originated to han- dle large systems — for in.stance. "(banking) situations in which the average transaction involves from a half million to a million dollars," ex- plains Fingermatrix Product Man- ager Rich Kjeldson. But this sum- mers widely publicized penetration of important computer records at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York and a
nuclear weapons lab in New Mexico have dramatized the importance of expanding its application to prevent "raiding" taking place from the home. With computerized home banking on the rise and the use of popular telecommunications net- works such as The Source growing steadily, home computer users will want to secure their own records and information against roving elec- tronic intruders.
At about 87,000 a piece, the de- vices are still prohibitively expensive. Kjeldson says that a home version is likely "to develop when the need dic- tates that increased volume of sales would enable us to reduce costs for the unit."
There has to be some way to pre- vent curious computerniks from roaming at large in records where they don't belong. Finx 401 prom- ises to be one way for the computer industry' to put the troublesome raider under its thumb.
Apples and Oranges Don^'t Mix
Apple Computer Company has been waging war against a different kind of alien invader — Apple-like comput- ers advertised to run with most Ap- ple software, imported primarily from Taiwan, and selling at half, sometimes a third, the price. (The company has already put its foot down regarding the native-born, Philadelphia-manufactured Franklin. A federal appeals court ruled in Sep- tember that the makers of Franklin computers breached sensitive copy- right laws by copying part of Apple's operating system into their comput- er's built-in memory.)
Now with the help of U.S. Cus- toms, the company is attempting to halt the proliferation of incoming Apple "work-alikes." which go by such curious names as the Apollo, the Orange Plus Two. the Golden II, and (ironically) the Lemon, Accord- ing to Karen Robinson, a superviso- ry Import specialist with the U.S. Customs Service in Los Angeles, fakes frequently filter into the coun- try via the mails or Europe, or are carried in directly from the Far East, by unsuspecting business people and tourists deceived by fast-talking dealers. An attorney for Apple esti- mated that more than 1,500 imita- tions have been confiscated so far.
"Typically, what happens is that someone who is traveling abroad will
spend time shopping around for goods commonly known to be sold cheaper in the East," Robinson ex- plains. "In little back alleys there are entire rows of shops selling these counterfeit computers." With the taste of a bargain on their lips, un- informed travelers purchase the cheaper Apple work-alike, only to re- turn home either to have their mer- chandise confiscated by customs of- ficials, or finding that damaged parts are irreplaceable and unser- viceable.
"Counterfeit dealers are mislead- ing buyers," says one attorney repre- senting Apple. "Dealers are saying that no, there's no problem with U.S. Customs." On the contrary, be- cause Apple has registered its com- puter with the Customs Service, any reproductions are confiscated when detected by officials. Carriers of the counterfeits are not reimbursed, "The penalty is the confiscation," re- ports Robinson.
Taiwan, where most of the fakes originate, is trying to prevent expor- tation of these bad Apples. But ac- cording to Robinson, attempts to stem the tide of computers flowing out of the country have been largely unsuccessful,
Robinson explained that counter- feits do not necessarily resemble the original machines. It's Just that they use the same operating system and machine code.
As for whether or not IBM PC, Atari, or Commodore computers also have their counterfeit counterparts, Robinson says: "There are other computers being counterfeited, but we can only enforce valid U.S. copy- rights which have been registered with U.S. Customs.
"I believe the IBM PC is being counterfeited, " she speculates, "be- cause of Its huge market. Anything that popular would be counterfeited."
1 6 FAMILY COMPUTING
FAMILY COMPUTING is a highly practical and en- joyable gift— that keeps on bringing pleasure throughout the year.
Within 1 0 years, the number of American i^ouseholdswith home computers is expected to reach 30 million! That's why we created Family Computing.
Month after month, Family Com- puting offers useful features and articles like these...
Rating the Software • Building Your Computer Console for $25
• The Little ComputerThat Could
• Computer Baseball • Keeping Up with Your Children • Two Weeks at Computer Camp • Visicalc Helps You Pick a College, Plan a Trip
• Care and Feeding of Your Com- puter • PLUS, everything you need to know about home computers.
You will receive handsome greet- ing cards so you can personally announce your gifts. (After De- cember 1 St, cards will be sent in your name).
IT'S THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANYONE WITH A HOME COMPUTER. FamilyComputing, the timelynew maga- zine from Scholastic, provides plenty of new, practical, educational, recreational, and fun ideas for using the home computer.
irSTHEPERFEaGIFTFORANYONETHINKlNGOFBUY ING A HOME COMPUTER FOR HOME USE. Written in plain English, this non-technical magazine will take the confusion out of the widearray of hardware and softw/are that's available Lots of hard-hitting detail on what's new . , . what's best . . . what it cost3 ... and how people use it.
IT DELIVERS THE BENEFIT OF SCHOLASTIC. For over 60 years. Scholastic has madelearning easy and fun. Today it is a major force in teaching computer literacy. Now Scholastic closes the "computer gap" with this new magazine.
IT'S A GIFT OF THE FUTURE. Family Computing helps everyone developtheskiilsvitalforthis new computer age. Each issue brings new challenges and suggestions on subjects such as improving school performance . . . careers . . . home use . . . businesses, plus games, puzzles and fun for the whole family
YOU'LL GET SPECIAL SAVINGS, TOO. A perfect gift--and at a perfect price. The first gift, or your own subscription is just $1 5. 97, a savings of $7.43 offthe cover price. Each additional gift is just $ 1 3.97— so the more gifts you give, the more you save. And we'll even bill you next year if you prefer!
PLUS AN EXTRA FREE GIFT!
Give a gift and get a gift! With your order, you'll also receive a copy of our COMPUTER DICTIONARY This illustrated, easy-to-understand reference guide contains over 500 terms and explanations, written to help everyone develop a working knowledge of the computer.
Available only from Scholastic, the COMPUTER DiaiONARY is ship- ped directly to you upon receipt of payment.
If order card is missing, please mail your holiday gift order to: FAMILY COMPUTING • P.O. Box 2512 • Boulder, Colorado 80321
Can a computer make you cry?
Right now, no one knows. This is partly because many would consider the very idea trivolous. But it's also because whoever successfully ans- wers this question must first have answered several others.
Why do we cry? Why do we laugh, or love, or smile? What are the touchstones of our emotions?
Until now, the people who asked such questions tended not to be the same people who ran software companies. Instead, they were writers, filmmakers, painters, musi- cians.They were, in the traditional sense, artists.
4f Were about to change that tradition, The name of our company is Electronic Arts.
Software WORTHY
OF THE MINDS THAT
U oE IT. We are a new association of electronic artists united by a com- mon goal — to fulfill the enormous potential of the personal computer
In the short term, this means transcending its present use as a facili- tator of unimaginative tasks and a medium for blasting aliens. In the long term, hov/ever, we can expect a great deal more.
These are wondrous machines we have created, and in them can be seen a bit of their makers. It is as if we had invested them with the image of our minds. And through them, we are learning more and more about ourselves.
We learn, for instance, that we are more entertained by the involve- ment of our imaginations than by passive viewing and listening.We learn that we are better taught by experience than by memorization. And we learn that the traditional
distinctions — the ones that are made between art and entertainment and education — don't always apply.
TOWARD A LANGUAGE
OF DREAMS. In short, we are finding that the computer can be more than just a processor of data.
It is a communications medium: an interactive tool that can bring peoples thoughts and feelings closer together, perhaps closer than ever before. And while fifty years from now, its creation may seem no more important than the advent of motion pictures or television, there is a chance it wiU mean something more.
Something along the lines of a universal language of ideas and emotions. Something like a smile. "^ 'The first publications of Electronic Arts are now available. We suspect you'll be hearing a lot about them. Some of them are games like you've never seen before, that get more out of your computer than other games ever have. Others are harder to categorize — and we like that.
Watch us. WeVe providing a special environment for talented, independent software artists. It's a supportive environment, in which big ideas are given room to grow. And some of America's most re- spected software artists are beginning to take notice.
We think our current work reflects this very special commitment. And though we are few in number today and apart from the main- stream of the mass software market- place, we are confident that both time and vision are on our side.
Join us. We see farther Electronic Arts
TOLEARNMOREofnuoBTpoumg numhfTofada-arKitonceii'eafrte
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izlxtnmcATudiakrniaretyixw. writs ii\iii ^."i Campus Drive. San Malett, I :,iJi/tmir WDJor cailfWJ OT7J?I.
Software artists? "im not so'^^
sure there ate any software artists yet!' says Bill Budge ."We've got to earn that dtle." Picmtcd here are a few people who have cotnc as dose to earning it as anyone we know,
That's Mr. Budge hitnself, creator of PINBALL CONSTRUCTION SET, at the upper right.To his left are Anne Westiall and Jon Freeman who, along with their colleagues at Free Fail Associates, cnrated ARCHON and MURDER ON THEZINDERNEUF
Left of them is Dan Bunten of Ozark Softscape, the firm that witjte M.U.LETo Dan's left are Mike Abbot (top) and Matt Alexander (bottom), authors of HARD HAT MACK. In the center is John Field, creator of AXIS ASSASSIN and THE LAST GLAD- IATOR, David Maynard, lower right, is the man responsible for WORMS?
When you see what they've accom- plished, we think youll agree with us that they can call themselves whatever they want.
HOME-SCHOOL CONNECTION
TAKE A LESSON FROM TEACHERS
Choose Educational Software the Way They Do
BY MINDY PANTIEL AND BECKY PETERSEN
Can a computer in the home live up to all the boasts of manufacturers? Can a microcomputer serve as a storehouse of knowledge? Can it really enable families to discover new solutions to old problems and educa- tional opportunities they hadn't imagined? Can it help children get better grades, provide a wonderful tool for helping with homework and writing term papers, and make it easy to pick up a foreign language or even write home-grown computer programs?
IT ALL DEPENDS ON SOFTWARE
You bet! Don't doubt those adver- tising claims. A computer in your home can be transformed into a valuable educational tool for anyone from preschoolers to grandparents — when outfitted with high-quality educational software. But, where does the family with a toddler ready to identify colors, a six-year-old be- ginning reader, a junior high math nut, or a college-bound high school student find the best cdui;ational software? Good educational software for all ages and abilities does exist, but you'll have to do some home- work to find it.
Most local computer stores carry only five or six different lines of edu- cational software at most, but a
MINDV PANTLEL and BECKY PETERSEN, HOW
partners in a communications company, haue between them experience In Journalism, education, and computers. They are contributors to Teaching and Computers and Etecironic Learning (both published by Scholastic Inc.).
quick examination of the most re- cent School Microtoare Directory re- veals that as many as 200 manufac- turers now have 2,000 educational software packages currently on the market. In order to effectively dis- cern the good from the bad, take a lesson from the teachers in your schools. Follow their example in finding and then judging the merits of educational software packages.
WHERE TO LEARN ABOUT eOOD SOFTWARE
Begin by looking at in-depth re- views of educational software written by objective reviewers, preferably in- dividuals with educational creden-
tials and computer classroom experi- ence. If you want to go beyond reviews in a consumer publication (such as FAMILY COMPUTING), your school district reference book collec- tion should include such education- al publications as School Microware Revieiv. Courseware Report Card. MicwSlFT Revteivs, or EPIE Micro- Courseiuare PRO/FILES. Or you could encourage your public library or local computer dealer to place a subscription to at least one of them. You might also want to consult an educational computing magazine, such as Electronic Learning or Teaching and Computers (both pub- lished by Scholastic Inc.).
20 FAMILY COMPUTING
THE BEST REASON FOR HAVING A HOME COMPUTER.
Your children . , ,to give them a headstart with computers. That's why we created the Early Games series for them. We're educators as well as computer specialists. We create games that teach children important skills.
There are five programs in the Early Games series Early Games for Young Children is a set of nine entertaining activities for children ZVz to 6. They can work with numbers and letters and create colorful pictures. MatchmaKer uses shapes, sizes, directions and
colors to help children develop reading readiness skills. Children ages 5 to 12 can learn to play melodies with Early Games Music Piece of Cake turns math problems into, well, a piece of cake. And Fraction Factory takes the work out of fractions.
Early Games feature multiple activities, easy to use picture menus, and colorful graphics. The games are fun, children love to play them I Thafs why they learn from them.
And that's the best reason for having a home computer
for the name of your nearest dealer call 800-328-1225
counterpoint software, inc.
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HOME-SCHOOL CONNECTION
If computers are used for Instruc- tion in j'Our local schools, don't over- look the teachers as a good resource for locating appropriate educational software. At the elementary level, the teacher can tell you what Is being used in the classroom and what to look for to best help your child, be it reinforcing or enriching the school curriculum or remediating weak- nesses.
In junior high school, tracking down this type of information be- comes more difficult because com- puter applications vary widely de- pending on the subject area. Get teenagers to narrow down their in- terests or weak areas first; then ask teachers of those subjects for their recommendations.
Whether your source of informa- tion is a local computer store, a pub- lished review, or a teacher, the next step is to determine if the package is worth the dollar investment. Just like teachers, parents need to be- come informed educational software cvaluators. They face the same situa- tion in judging the merits of educa- tional software, the bottom line al- ways being whether or not the program provides children with a
valuable, well-designed learning ex- perience that utilizes the power of the computer.
EDUCATORS' STANDARDS
Most educational software is de- signed for one of the foHowing major purposes: to provide drill-and-prac- tice of basic skills; to introduce a subject to a learner through a tutori- al program: or to model real-life situ- ations through simulations. A fairly new category, referred to as "fun learning" software, allows students more freedom to explore and learn at the same time and is generally less formal. In all cases, the important issue is whether learning is en- hanced by use of the computer.
Lets take a look at some stan- dards used by educators to deter- mine if a software package being considered is of high quality. Par- ents can apply these standards effec- tively with a few modifications for home use.
Hardware Requirements. Ef the software you arc about to consider has not been designed for the com- puter you have, keep looking. A pro- gram written for the Atari 800 wiU not work on the Apple lie unless the
EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE TEST
Directions
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the question.
Hardware Requirements
Will this software run on our computer?
DecumenfotSen
1. Is each program option summarized?
2. Are step-by-step instructions included for each option?
3. Are sample screens and commands used to illustrate how the program works?
4. Is a troubleshooting section Included?
Educational Validity
Has the program been tested and validated widely?
Content
1 . Is the program written for the age and grade level of my youngster?
2. Is it challenging without being too difficult?
3. Does it blend with the school curriculum?
Presentation
1 . Are the beginning instructions clear?
2. Arc additional instructions included on each screen?
3. Is a cursor used to tell when and where to answer?
4. Are the computer responses nonjudgmental and patient?
5. Can the child get help if needed?
Motivation
1. Arc the graphics fun?
2. Do they motivate rather than distract?
3. Is sound used only in a positive way?
4. Are games nonviolent?
publisher has developed two differ- ent versions, one for each machine. Programs that work on the school's computers will not necessarily work on your computer at home and vice versa. You may decide to purchase the same type of hardware the school is using, especially if your lo- cal district has made provisions for a lending library of software.
Documentation. For home use. check to make sure the written ma- terials have a summary of the vari- ous program options and an instruc- tion section that takes you step-by-step through each one. Com- plete documentation should also in- clude sample screens and com- mands, as well as a troubleshooting section. Teachers will go one step further, looking for more complete educational goals and objectives, a technical section, and support mate- rials in the form of worksheets and suggested classroom activities.
Educational Validity. You will find that most educational software packages come complete with a sales pitch, claiming how much children love the program. That's not enough. Check to see how well the program has been tested. This infor- mation, if it exists, usually appears in the documentation. Test data from an entire school district or sev- eral districts is much better than rave reviews from a single teacher or, worse yet. a computer program- mer who very likely has no back- ground in education.
Content. In some ways, buying software for children is similar to choosing a game or a book. First and foremost, you need to make cer- tain that the software is written at an appropriate age and grade level for your youngster. For example, software for young children that pre- sents a large amount of printed in- struction on the screen would be In- appropriate for that age level. And some educational packages claim to meet the needs of an extremely wide range of ages. Be skeptical of soft- ware that says it can be used from first grade through high school. A program that is too difficult or a reading level that is too advanced for young children will only lead to frus- tration and confusion. And with an older child, a program that offers no challenge or that progresses too slowly will bring about boredom, and chances are it won't be used.
Presentation. Good educational programs should have clear instruc- tions both at the beginning of the
22 FAMILY COMPUTING
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"Math Maze is neat because vou do more than just add and subtract numbers all tiie time. You've got to find them first. And then get there before you get caught.
"It's got real good graphics. I can even change the background color. And make the math as diallengmg as I want.
"There's lots of mazes, too. But the best thing is, I can make up my own. So when my fiiends come over, I've always got some- thmg new."
DESIGNWARE ON CREATIVITY.
Children learn the most through creative problem solving. That's why Math Maze, like so many DesigiWare games, is an open-ended exercise that challenges and nourishes young minds. In a way thaf s a lot of fun.
DesignWare programs encourage kids to draw on something they just happen to have an unlimited supply of- imagination!
ApjjlellinrtiMtetedtradcmjAof Apple Computn. inc.
IBM is a regiittred tndtmaik of Interoatioial Biuineu MKhmM.
Atari is a rtgiBteitd ttademiik oE Atan, lac
SPELLING, MATH, OR LANGUAGE
Games like Math Maze, Spellicopter^ and Creature Creator^ inspire youngsters to tap into that fertile idea-field. To actively become part of the program, in effect aeating "new" games as they go along. And all the while building up sohd skills in the basics. And all the while having a lot of plain old fun.
DesignWare. We make learning come alive. On Apple nf IBM® and Atari® computers.
Ask for DesignWare products at your local software retailer. Or call us at 800-572-7767 (in California, 415-546-1866) and ask for our free catalog.
As Jason Gans says, "Hey —they don't caU me 'Numbers' for nothing, you know!"
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LEARNING COMES ALIVE
HOME-SCHdOL CONNECTION
program and along the v/ay. Young- sters do not always assume that they should "press the space bar to con- tinue" and they easily forget how to exit a program or select a different option unless reminded frequently. A cursor should be used to indicate when the computer is waiting for a response and where it should ap- pear. Instructions should also be simple, yet complete enough for a child to be able to run the program alone once parents have helped witK an introduction and a practice run through or two.
When it is the computer's turn to give a response, that message should always be nonjudgmental, friendly, and patient. A ehild should have the option to seek help if he or she is struggling with a question, and rewards for correct answers should be exciting, though not dis- tracting.
Motivation. This is the fun part. Educational software is filled with captivating graphics, bells and whis- tles, and flashing colors and re- wards. Just make sure that such de- vices, besides being fun, serve some educational value. Graphics and col- ors should appear on the screen quickly so that they motivate rather
SOURCES OF EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Courseware Report Card
150 West Carob St. Compton, CA 90220
Eiecironic Learning
730 Broadway New York, NY 10003
EPIE Micro>Cowrseware PRO/ FILES
EPIE Institute P.O. Box 839 Water Mill, NY 11976 MicreSlFT Reviews
Northwest Regional Educational
Laboratory
300 S.W. Sixth Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
Sclieel Micreware Reviews
Dresden Associates
Box 246
Dresden, ME 04342
Teaclting and Computers
730 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
than distract, and sound, if used at all, should not be used to signal an incorrect answer. Calling attention to a wrong answer is upsetting to children, especially if others are lis- tening.
Well-designed game formats serve as great motivators for children, pro- viding opportunities to improve speed and accuracy through drill- and-pracllce and to solve problems through simulations. Parents may want to make sure, though, that the games are nonviolent and that they foster individual self-improvement rather than competition.
Because many of the software packages that provide good comput- er-learning experiences for children at home are the same as those being used in classrooms, these education- al standards developed by teachers can be put to good use by parents. Remember that good educational software should be easy for children to understand and operate without a great deal of adult supervision and. of course, be well matched to the child's age and grade level. It should be well tested and validated, but fun and challenging, too. Use the check- list on p. 22 to see if your choices make the grade. S
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BOX 274 KINGSBRIDGE STN., RIVERDALE, NY 1 0463 (21 2) 796-6200
24 FAMILY COMPUTING
• ATARI
• APPLE
• COM 64
• <OLE<0
J^
FROM THE FIRSrMAN THE LAST WOR^ IN VIDEO CAMEI
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TM designates a trademark of Sierra On-Line. Inc. i8 1983 Sierra On-Une. Inc. or Sydne/ Devefopment Corp. B.C. characters © FleW Entarprises, Inc. 1983. Manufaclured under license from Coleco Industries. Inc.
GAMES
MORE POPULAR THAN THE PUNCH BOWL Computer Gomes and the Spirit of Christmas
BY JAMES DELSOH
"Tis the Season to Be On-Line"*
Tis the season to be on-line. Get computerized, you won't be sad.
Boot a game up, you'll dojustjine. Learn about it now, and you'll be glad.
Timex-Sinclair or Atari IBM, Commodore. Apple, too, Texas Instruments and others Get a bunch oj bytes, you won't be blue!
It's always a real challenge waiting up all night for Santa. Christmas af- ter Christmas there is the same old stuff on TV: movies you've seen a dozen times, sitcom repeats you nev- er really wanted to watch the first time around.
No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you eventually nod off before Senor Kringle arrives. And in the morning you wake up to discover that he did eat the milk and cookies you left for him. but never bothered to wake you up and say thanks. He just left the loot and took off. Well, here's the foolproof plan to make old St. Nick stick around: boot up a classic computer game like Temple oJApshai on your Apple, Atari, or IBM PC and leave a note saying he'll have to wake you to learn the rules. No doubt, when Christmas day breaks, you'll both still be glued to the screen, fending off beetles and ghostly wraiths.
And how about Christmas morn- ing? If Santa brings a brand-new computer, be sure to read all the in- structions before trying to play with it. This isn't a windup toy, you know. Take the time to learn its ba- sic setup, then expand your gray matter. Parents note: It's Christ- mas— if all they can think of is rip- ping open those boxes and getting their hands on the computer, let your kids skip breakfast for once. Look at it this way: if they set the whole thing up the right way, maybe you'll be able to grab a second cup of coffee before you're pressed into computer game competition.
JAMES DELSON IS KAMILY COMPlTriNGSgamcS
critic. Next month, he'ti open the new year with a rundown ojhisjavontes.
•Sung ro the tune of 'Deck the Halls."
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BRINGING DISTANT RELATIVES CLOSER
Christmas is family time — perhaps more than any other time of the year. If they're properly used, com- puters can help make this a memo- rable holiday involving all members of the clan. Regular playing sessions conducted at my house on weekends and lesser holidays are always collec- tive, compelling affairs.
Playing games, especially Interac- tive games in which players and spectators alike pitch in their two cents worth of ideas and sugges- tions, is the perfect icebreaker in multiple family-member situations. People who were strangers one mo- ment wouldn't think twice about clapping each other on the back af-
ter having put their wits together to construct a set of wings from seem- ingly unrelated objects, as players do in the graphic adventure game for Apple. Atari, and IBM PC computers, Ulysses and the Golden Fleece. Dis- tant cousins, with whom you've rarely conversed, much less compet- ed, but who always show up for the holidays, could be candidates for a rousing game o( River Raid for the Atari. Invite them to join you in pi- loting a jet fighter in close combat, nailing enemy ships, and shooting down attacking tanks and helicop- ters. You'll find it more popular than the punch bowl.
The squirms that accompany Great-Aunt Esme's fifteenth annual retelling of an old family tale might
26 FAMILY CO.MPUTING
WOULD YOU SHELL OUT $1000 TO MATCH WITS WITH THIS?.
Meet your match. Meet Infocom games: perhaps the best reason in software for owning a personal computer.
In fact, people have been known to purchase computers and disk drives solely for the purpose of playing our games. And they haven't been disap- pointed. Because Infocom 's prose stim- ulates your imagination to a degree nothing else in software approaches. Instead of putting funny little creatures on your screen, we put you inside our stories. And we confront you with start- lingly realistic environments alive with situations, personalities, and logical puzzles the like of which you won't find elsewhere. The secret? We've found the way to plug our prose right into your imagination, and catapult you into a whole new dimension.
If you think such an extraordinary experience is worth having, you're not alone. Everything we've ever written-ZORK" I, II, and III, DEADLINEr' STARCROSSr'
suspended:' The wit- ness;" planetfall;'
ENCHANTERr' and INFIDEU- has become an instant best- seller. For the simple reason that Infocom offers you something as rare and valu- able as anything in software— real entertainment.
At last, you can fritter away your eve- nings playing a computer game without feeling like you're frittering away your computer investment.
Step up to Infocom. AH words. No pictures. The secret reaches of your mind are beckoning. A whole new dimension is in there waiting for you.
(For more information on Infocom games contact: Infocom, Inc., P.O. Box 855, Garden City, NY 11530.)
inFocom
The next dimension.
For\-(Hir: Apple [1. Atari. Commodore 64. CPJM S:W,C Rainbuu-. DEC BT-U. I BNf . MS-DOS 2.(1. NEC APC. NEC PC-8000, Osborne. T[ I'rofessional. Tl S»»1A. TRS-8C Model 1. TRS-80 Model III.
GAMES
finally subside as you engage the old storyteiler in an enthralling text ad- venture. Just ease her down in front of your computer screen and intro- duce her to Wizardry. She may balk at the idea of creating her own game character. She may pooh-pooh the prospect of reasoning her way through a whimsical riddle. But once she's hooked, as eveiyone is who tries these superb programs, giggles of delight will certainly re- place stifled yawns as the family be- comes involved in the achievement of a shared goal. Togetherness and comradcry arc natural by-products of adventure gaming.
The only complaint you may run up against is going to come from the kids, who'll complain that the old folks are monopolizing the family machine. Give them their due. even if Great-Aunt Esme has just made sixth level as a mage. Surely they'll let her play along when they descend into the dungeons of The Sword of Fargoal for the Commodore 64 and VIC'20. climb the world's greatest mountains in Alpiner for the Tl-99/ 4-A, or run for office in President. Elect for the Apple. And instead of having to sit through the same old song and dance about how much they've grown, by example of their expanding powers of reasoning, ihcy can show the relatives just how much they've learned.
SIX OR EIGHT CHAIRS, A POLICEMAN, AND NO SODA
In preparing the house for Christ- mas season gaming, its a good idea to set aside a room with space for six or eight chairs, with a table or other surface nearby for food and drinks. Anything edible or potable in the vicinity of the computer is strict- ly verboten. Nothing demolishes the fun as quickly as the dread "Soda syndrome." "Oops. I'm sorry" doesn't make up for wrecked equipment. Make sure that whoever is responsi- ble for the care of the computer acts as a police officer. No matter how of- ten people swear they'll be good, someone is going to forget and bring along that half-filled can of soda or half-catcn morsel of fruitcake. Al- though unpopular at first, the family Scrooge will minimize the risk of ca- tastrophe.
The extra chairs in your holiday computer room may be empty when the gaming begins, but they'll be filled in short order as strangers to this phenomenon realize what they've been missing. Computer
FAMILY COMPUTING CHRISTMAS SHOPPING LIST
FOR BEGINNERS AND BEYOND:
Alpiner, Ages 4 + ; available tor Tl- 99/4A; /see Software Guide, p. 166!. Crush, Crumble and Chomp! Ages 10 -H : available for Apple 11/11 plus/lie; Atari 400/800/1200; Commodore 64; TRS-80 Model 1 (level 2)/ni; Epyx. 1043 Kiel Ct.. Sunnyvale, CA 94089: (408) 745-0700.
Pinball Censtruclien Set, Ages 12-1- ; available for Apple 11/11 plus/lie; Atari 400/800/1200; Electronic Arts, 2755 Campus Dr., San Mateo. CA 94403; (415)571-7171. President Elect, Ages 12+.; avail- able for Apple 11/11 plus/llc/lll: Strate- gic Simulations, 883 Sticrlin Rd,, BIdg. A-200, Mountain View. CA 94043; (415) 964-1353. River Raid, Ages 6+ ; available for Atari 400/800/1200; Isee Software Guide, p. 1661
Sword of Fargoal, Ages 10+ ; available for Commodore 64/ VlC-20; [see Software Reviews, p. 1 78]. Ulysses and the Golden Fleece, Ages 12+; available for Apple II/II plus/lie; Atari 400/800/1200: IBM- PC; [see Software Reviews, p. 180}. Wizardry, Ages 10+ : available for Apple 11/11 plus/lie; IBM-PC: Sir-tech, 6 Main St., Ogdensburg, IVY 13669; (315)393-6633.
FOR INTERMEDIATE
AND ADVANCED PLAYERS:
Archon, Ages 12+ : available for Ap- ple lyil plus/lie: Atari 400/800/1200; Commodore 64: Electronic Arts. The Road to Gettysburg, Ages 12 + , available for Apple 11/11 plus/lie: {see Software Reviews, p. 1 78j. Sammy Lighlfoot, Ages 10 + ; available for Apple 11/11 plus/lie; Com- modore 64/VIC-20; Sierra On-Line. Sierra On-Line Bldg, . Coarsegold, CA 93614. (209) 683-6858. Temple of Apshai, Upper Reaches of ApshaS, Ages 10+ ; available for Apple II/Il plus/lie; Atari 400/800: IBM PC: [see Software Re- views p. 1801.
Zerk I, II, and III, Ages 12 + ; avail- able for most machines: (see Soft- ware Guide, pp. 1661.
FOR THE ADVANCED
AND MORE ADVENTUROUS:
Flight Simulator, Ages 12+ ; avail- able for IBM PC: Microsoft, 10700 Northup Wav, Bellevue. WA 98004 : (206) 828-8080.
Knight of Diamonds and Lega* cy of Llylgamyn, Ages 12 + ; avail- able for Apple 11/11 plus/lie; IBM PC; Sir-tech.
sales figures are going to rise before Christmas — that's expected. But the potential for new converts during the holiday season is wailing to be tapped. Wait to sec the January sales figures.
'TIS THE SEASON TO BE ON-LINE
Unlike television, computers make reasonably good companions. They offer the chance for kids (and adults) to exercise the cerebral cortex, not just send it out for lunch. Show me a kid who won't choose Santmy Lightfoot or Archon over reruns of "Mission Impossible," and I'll cat my disk drive. Of course, computers make terrific parent sitters, as well. Sisters, cousins, and aunts are all guaranteed to fall for the highly play- able and constantly entertaining Crush. Crumble and Chomp!, in which players assume the role of a famous movie monster, or Pinball Construction Set. in which you de- sign, build, and modify your own electronic pinball table.
If you're giving games, by all means, don't guess which ones your loved ones will want. That point can't be emphasized enough. Sur- prises are nice, but this is a very specialized market. Each gamer has his or her druthers, just as each game has its own flavor and feel. It's too easy to go wrong when there are more useless games out there than good ones.
Often, you'll be able to match a close one's interests or hobbies with a suitable game. Greek mytholog>' buffs will enjoy Ulysses and the Golden Fleece, while aspiring avia- tors and dreamers will get a kick out of Microsoi't's Fliglit Simulator for the IBM PC. Would-be seafarers will love to set sail with Strategic Simu- lations' new Broadside, a complex game for the Apple in which players select or build a vi^arship of their own and set sail in 18th-cen(ury seas.
If you're a computer game giver or taker and you don't know where to turn, this list of tried and true games may help you out. Many have been reviewed in this and previous issues of FAMILY coMi'uriNG. You may be able to try out some of them at your local computer store. Not every shop owner will let you. but it's worth a tr\' and it may save you some money and hurt feelings.
A parting wish: May your mind be lucid and bright, and may all your programs boot Just right! IH
28 FAMILY COMPUTING
GIVE YOUR KIDS A LESSON THEY'LL NEVER FORGEl
When kids have fun and leam at the same time, they're more hkely to remember more of what they've learned. What's more, when they associate the two together— learning becomes an enjoyable activity. So they'll do more of it.
That's the basic principle behind the Learning Fun Series from EPYX.
FUN WITH MUSIC. PARENTS TAKE NOTE.
Fun with Music™ is designed to appeal to both you and your children. It comes with a songbook and has two modes of play. In the first mode, you can enter songs from the songbook— or compose your own. Then
play the songs back, adding or removing notes and changing tempo or key. Your com- puter is like a musical instrument with memory, and you see every note of it dis- played on your screen.
The second mode lets you play your song in a fun-filled action game. You control a drum major trying to touch the notes before a small but pesky poodle catches up to him and slows down the parade.
Either way, Fun with Music gives you and your whole family the perfect mix of learning and play.
FUN WITH ART. JUST PICTURE IT.
Creating art on the video screen is one of the newest forms of "high-tech" play for kids. And adults, for that matter Plus there's nothing to clean up afterwards.
Fun with Art'" uses the computer and joystick to transform your TV screen into an artist's canvas with astonishing results. 128 colors, numerous brush strokes, all kinds of geometric shapes, and special fill-in and magnifying options are some of the 24 different modes and features available to create works of art never before possible.
Fun with Art brings out the artist in you, no matter what your age!
MORE LEARNING FUN ON THE WAY.
These two are the first of an extensive series of Learning Fun games we have planned. Look for these, as well as other EPYX titles, wherever computer software is sold.
LEARNING FUN SERIES.
|
■w.^ |
R. ffl
River Raid "and Kaboom! ' are here. And your Atari" home computer just became more fun than ever.
Because River Raid and Kaboom! have been re-designed to take full advantage of home com- puter capabilities.
Far beyond anything you've ever experienced before in video games.
Unique gi'aphics, aisp detail and brilliant sound all come together with spectacular impact.
River Raid^ the battle adventure up the "River of No Return."
The realism of Carol Shaw's River Raid is utterly amazing.
It challenges your reflexes, stamina and sti'ategic savvy as you battle yoLu* way up the winding river.
Enemy choppers. Jets. Tanks. Hot-air balloons. Ships. All out to blow you to smithereens. But you stiike back. Keeping one eye on the ever- changing terrain.
Bridges. Mountains. Canyon walls. Islands.
One false move and it's curtains. And if you're up to it, now you can skip easier sections of the river and get right to the heart of the battle.
— gins-n
Everything that made River Raid such a smashing hit is here. And tons more.
Kaboom!", the award- winning game of catch with buckets and bombs.
Lany Kaplan's Mad Bomber is back. The buckets ai'e back.
But now, in Paul Willson's adaptation, you can di'op the bombs, while someone else tiies to catch them.
Imagine dropping bombs. Faster and faster.
T) the ever- quickening pace of the 1812 Overture.
You shift right. Left. Back again. All the way right.
He misses! You win!
Now it's yom- turn to catch. The pressure mounts.
The bombs start flying. You dash to catch them.
And so it goes on into the night.
And eveiytime 3^ou hit a new high score, it's displayed after the game, just lilce at the arcade.
Kaboom! and River Raid for your Atari home computer.
They're here.
Just for the fun of it.
Acti\-tsion is a registered trademark of Acrivision. [nc. Atari is a iVRistered ti'ademark <if Atari. Inc. c 1983 Activisiim, Inc.
AcnVisioH
HOME BUSINESS
GIVING UP the 9-to-5 SHIFT
For a Successful Home Accountant Business
BY JEREMY SCHLOSBERG
A shiny blue '57 T-Bird cruises down the main road in Spencer. New YorH: it seems to be the street's newest ob- ject. Planted in the midst of Tioga County farmland. Spencer — with its worn storefronts and idiosyncratic wood'frame houses — appears to a visitor as a town lost in time. Never mind Spencer's one supermarket and solitary bank: were you to dis- cover that residents here were still pumping their water out back and reading by gaslight, you might not be too surprised.
Follow the T-Bird till the road ends, then take a left. See the saw mill on the right? Across from that is the Wild house. Has been since 1905. Inside is a curious mixture of the expected — a wood-burning stove that heats the house In the winter, antique family heirlooms on dis- play— and the unexpected. There. In a chamber off the dining room, sits Donna Wild's TRS-80 Model II com- puter, dot-matrix printer, and Xerox copier.
Since October of 1982. Donna has been running an accounting busi- ness from that little room. Calling her operation Computer Connection. Donna specializes in bookkeeping for small local businesses. She start- ed Computer Connection with one client and a bank loan for a comput- er. A year later, the business is bursting out of its original office, with the demands of more than 25 clients — ranging from a chain saw sales and repair shop to a small local heating oil company. For iivcr three quarters of her clients. Donna does all the bookkeeping — from balancing checkbooks to generating income statements that tell businesses whether they arc making or losing money. The rest of her clients use Donna for specific serv'ices. such as
JERENnrscHLOSBiiKG is ajree-lancc writer living in Ithaca, New York. He is edilor ofQ magay.ine, a small alternative biweekly in Rochester. New York, and is a regular contributor to Upstate magazine.
payroll or income tax returns.
Not bad for a woman whose prior attempt to launch an accounting business ended Ui failure eight months later. That was in 1980. Donna had just received an account- ing degree from a local community college. Confident, personable, and dedicated to her skills, she estab- lished a home business, only to find it painfully frustrating. "I was so limited by the number of people I could serve," she remembers, "that I decided I might better go to work for someone else." And in the spring of 1981 she did. getting a job as a full- time bookkeeper for one of her cli- ents.
THE COMPUTER DIFFERENCE
Still confident, personable, and dedicated. Donna now commands a
thriving business. The difference be- tween her current business and her old one? The number of clients she can handle at once. The reason? That anachronistic addition to the
Wild household — Donna's personal computer.
As a full-time bookkeeper Donna discovered the machine that would free her to work for herself. In Feb- ruary of 1982, when her boss pur- chased a TRS'80 to handle the of- fice's pajToll chores. Donna became excited by the possibilities she saw in computerized accounting.
"The computer." says Donna, "is the most fantastic thing that has ever happened to accounting." Ac- counting, for the uninitiated, in- volves the perpetual entering and manipulating of numbers in an ar- ray of different bookkeeping docu- ments. Sales are recorded into a led- ger, expenses into a journal: together, the figures proceed to a general ledger, from which the ac- countant calculates a trial balance. This done, income statements and balance sheets can be drawn up. "Each one of those times," says Don- na, alluding to traditional pencil- and-paper accounting, "you're re-
32 FAMILY COMPUTING
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HOME BUSINESS
writing those numbers by hand. With a computer, you put them in once — the income statement is gen- erated aulomatically once the Indi- vidual statistics are entered." Just by pressing a button,
"Even on a small company's books, the computer cuts out two or three hours of work," Donna says. Days, she says, can be saved on a big job.
Beyond sheer speed, accounting by computer offers unparalleled ac- curacy. Paper ledgers can conceal one mistaken figure in a sea of num- bers. A computer ledger, on the oth- er hand, demands balance with ev- ery single entry; a user can never proceed when the debit and credit columns arc not equal.
Having had little previous comput- er experience. Donna is a testament to the power of mind over matter. "1 am not a technical person," she free- ly admits. "The computer is nothing but a glorified tool," she si resses."You can do whatever you want with it."
What Donna wanted was her own business: In the computer, she knew she had found a valuable associate.
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
By the summer of 1982, Donna had handed in her resignation, giv- ing herself ample time to buy her computer and software before leav- ing her job for good at the end of September, Her experience with and good feelings about the TRS-80 led her to choose it as the machine for her own office.
A Radio Shack computer center in Binghamton, 45 miles away, provid- ed Donna with the ideal computer- shopping environment. "I would go in there and sit down with them," she recalls, "and they would spend hours with me. They'd put a pro- gram up on the screen and say, 'Here, play with it for a while,' In a couple of hours you can't really find out a lot, but you can see whether or not it's going to run for you."
As Donna spent the end of the summer of 1982 familiarizing her- self with her new equipment, she also began to lay the personal groundwork for her new business.
Since large, established business- es usually already have accountants. Donna set her sights on new, small businesses. She knew that most people who start new businesses are bound to visit bankers, for capital, and lawyers, for logistical particu- lars. Donna's course was clear.
"I got a large supply of business
cards and gave them to bankers and lawyers in the area. I said. 'Look, you all know me. You know that 1 do a good job. I'd appreciate it if you recommended me.' And they did." It pays to use connections, and in a town like Spencer (population about 2.500). Donna Wild, a resident since 1960. had a lot of them.
To promote her new business to the public. Donna took out adver- tisements— both in the '^'ellow Pages and in a couple of small local papers. Those and an initial two-week period spent talking in person to anyone and everyone she could, have been all the self-promotion she's had to do.
SUCCESS FROM THE START
Computer Connection got off to a nice, steady start, averaging two new clients a month from October of 1982 through April of 1983. After that, says Donna. "It Just started snowballing." Since this spring, she's been averaging four to five new clients a month. Business grew so
terrifically that she found herself un- able to handle everything alone, computer or no computer. This past summer, she hired someone part time to input data.
From the beginning. Donna has been buying her software one pro- gram at a time, in response to grow- ing needs. She uses the TRS-80 business programs: beginning with Genera! Ledger, she now has Pay- roll and Accounts Receivable, each purchased to handle specific tasks for specific clients of hers.
Even as an accountant, however. Donna finds that her most utilized piece of software is not any of the business packages but her Profile 11+ data-base program. She com- pares it to a blank piece of paper "Ihal you can write on, and add. subtract, divide, and multiply on." Donna uses Profile for inventory and for municipal accounting, as an ex- pandable filing cabinet for client data and as an endlessly manipuia- blc mailing list. To her, the possibili- ties are limitless. — ^
TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN HOME ACCOUNTING BUSINESS
You cannot start a computerized bookkeeping business without an accounting background. But you can get one going with little or no experience with computers. Here are seven steps to guide you:
1. Brusk up en your account- ing— all of il. "You've got to know how to do everything up through the tax return." says Donna Wild. 'Take courses if ncccssar>' to strengthen any of your weaker areas.
2. Don't be intimidated by expense. Sure, these machines cost a lot; a bank, however, might be interested in helping you out. Tell your banker what you want to do. explain how much you'll need, and demonstrate how you'll pay it back — on paper. "If you've got good credit," says Donna, "it can be started on a shoestring."
3. Equipment first, clients sec- ond. You have to be familiar with what your computer and software can do, because it's the first thing potential clients will ask you. Donna suggests having your computer and your programs for at least a month before you go public.
4. Don't expect to master your software quickly. Most ac- counting programs will take a solid
40 to 80 hours to learn. Don't cut corners — take one step, read it, do what it says, and understand it he- fore you go to the next step.
5. Advertise. Get your name out there consistently. Donna advertises in the Yellow Pages, and weekly in local papers. If people see your name week in and week out. says Donna, "they'll get the idea that your busi- ness isn't a Oy-by-nighl operation."
6. Be as thorough with your own plans as you are with your clients' books. Continually re- search software for advancements and developments. Nearly evei-y ma- jor brand of personal computer has its own magazine these days; this is the best place to start your research. Maintain a working relationship with the store in which you pur- chased j'our computer — the salespeo- ple there can often keep you in- formed about new and improved software.
7. Your machine's a ma- chine— you are a person. Keep it that way. A good deal of what an individual accountant can offer is personalized service; in the end. peo- ple will hire \'ou not for your silicon chips but for your skills and quality of service. — jekemy schlosberg
34 FAMILY COMPUTING
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With her software, her knowledge, and her professional approach, Don- na can take the most chaotic box of receipts and turn It into a polished, balanced ledger. As an independent, home-based accountant. Donna can either travel to her client's office, or have her client come to her, "which- ever is more convenient," she says. "It's a very relaxed atmosphere
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"THE COMPUTER IS THE MOST FANTASTIC THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ACCOUNTING."
old. even has a plan. "He keeps tell- ing me he's going to go to college, come back, take my business over, and make me a millionaire," she chuckles. "He doesn't think account- ing, he thinks computing."
As for husband, John, he"s "very interested and supportive," though Donna admits that he doesn't ex- press that much direct curiosity about her computerized business. What does he do? "He's in quality control at IBM," reports Donna.
Oh, so he's already familiar with computers.
"No," laughs Donna, shaking her head. "He's never used one." As it turns out, he works on IBM's federal projects, and has little to do with computers per se.
Unlike his ambitious wife, who is planning some big things for the next few years. "I have very strongly been thinking about franchising," she says. She's already been helping people informally: "I have probably had a hundred phone calls from peo- ple in the surrounding areas who have seen my advertising, and have said 'How did you do this?"
"I see the market for a lot of these businesses," she says. "Maybe 1 would start by offering classes, and grow from there." Ultimatety. she en- visions Computer Connections all over: independent accounting busi- nesses that she sets up, provides equipment for, services when neces- sary'— in return for a percentage of monthly sales.
"There are franchises that are big corporations, yet the name says quality. That's the one thing 1 would preserve. If you give people the per- sona] service and the respect they deserve, then your services are going to be in demand.
"1 want to get big," says Donna Wild. "But I'm never going to lose that personal touch. That's an atti- tude more than anything else." And that attitude can't be taught. S
36 FAMILY CO.MI'UTINC
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COMPUTING CONFIDENTIAL
ADDiaED TO COMPUTERS
BY SARAH KORTUM
Jonathan Franklin first saw the school computer room on a tour with his math class. Only weeks be- fore the 14-year-old freshman had left family and friends 3,000 miles away in San Francisco for boarding school in New Hampshire. "! don't think the computer room caught my eye at first," recalls Jonathan, now 17. "1 didn't say. 'Gosh, this is where 1 want to spend the rest of my life!" " But it was where he ended up spending most of his winter.
Only 5'1" and 98 pounds at the time. "I really looked like .some sort of young, new person thei-e," recalls Jonathan, who has since shot up to 5'1 1". "I wore glasses — they weren't wires, they were sort of gray plastic. I was the only ninth grader on a [dormi floor of all seniors and ju- niors. They all liked to abuse me be- cause 'Here's this little guy.'
"I wasn't shy and embarrassed." Jonathan continues. "I was very loud on the outside, 1 did a lot of wandering through the dorm, mak- ing a nuisance out of myself I al- ways tried to make bad jokes. I lacked the ability to communicate with people, the ability to really sym- pathize with people. I just wasn't very personable. I was solitary in the sharing of my feelings and under- standing how other people felt.
"Often in a new environment, you don't have much confidence," ex- plains Jonathan of his first year at Phillips Exeter Academy- "The com- puter room was an easy place to go and hide. It's the ideal escape.
"It was something that was in my lifestyle at home." continues Jona- than, who first learned to program in 1979 when his family bought an Apple II computer. "It was familiar in the sense that I knew what I was doing. So 1 turned to it."
Seeing a computer, "I just got ex- cited," says Jonathan. "Here's this thing that would do things with me, that wouldn't cut me down. It would never say, 'No,' or 'I have to go eat
SARAH KORTUM Is UJestyles editor oj
FAMII-Y COMPUTING.
Jonathan Franklin, with San Francisco Bay in the background.
lunch, see you later." It never Judged me or made criticisms. It was some- thing you could control. You tell it what to do, and it does it. it was al- ways there. It was so dependable."
Was the computer his friend? "Oh no — what a horrible idea!" responds Jonathan. "The computer was there, it wasn't my friend! In the same way that it couldn't be mean to you, it couldn't be nice to you. It was a one- sided affair, so to speak!
"But the computer gave me confi- dence because I was good at some- thing. People would come to me with their homework, and 1 would be ex- cited because someone was actually relying on me."
GROWING APDICTION
The growth of his addiction "was very subtle," recalls Jonathan. "1 didn't realize what was going on. All of a sudden I was spending eight hours a day in the computer room.
"1 would often get up at 6:30 and skip breakfast and trudge across the barren, winter wasteland to the com- puter room, and wait for it to open at 7:00 so I could gel some time in before my first class."
Heading to the computer room. Jonathan would feel "excited" as he
contemplated some new solution to a programming problem, such as how to move the ship in a game he was writing. He was spending more and more time working on projects that weren't assigned. And though he never cut his classes. Jonathan wasn't devoting the time he should have been to homework.
At night he could still be found in the computer room. When it came time to leave, "1 was frantic! 'Oh no! I gotta cram Just one more idea in!" " He would log off with only three minutes to go before last call at the dorm, "and run off into the snow and into the dorm, huffing and puff- ing. Often I'd bring a printout and put aside my French books and start scribbling." His grades started slip- ping.
Computer addiction is "more ac- ceptable than drugs or alcohol." says Jonathan. "Most of the other addic- tions are passive, or fun. But with computers the rationale is that you're actually producing something. But it's basically the same as other addictions in how It influences your actions.
"The main sign is when you start skipping things that you used to en- Joy. "When you lose the sense of re-
38 FAMILY COMPUTING
BabylsFiist SoftHaie
What software does the well- educated toddler prefer?
Ask Adam. He plays with the full line of PDI interactive story- book software.
Why? Because Adam's mother knows children from 3-6 don't have to read to have fun learning with PDI software.
Each storybook package includes a voice-based cassette ynchronized for the Atari com- uter. The cassette combines a earning game and a story read aloud by a profes- sional actor.
While listening to the story, your child is asked to direct the action on screen by mov- ing the joystick. 1^^ As the story progresses, your child becomes part of the
action, while acquiring new skills.
Best of all, the voice track helps children use PDI programs with- out assistance.
When PDI programs talk, chil- dren listen. And learn.
Parents will listen, too. And what they'll hear is the sound of children developing pre-reading skills, including letter recognition and number concepts.
But more than talk, we've got action, too. From Sammy the Sea Serpent to the Adventures of Oswald, all PDI Pre-School pro- grams include bright colors, charming music and friendly characters children warm up to quickly.
If alf that's not enough to seil you on PDI software, this should. PDI has commissioned a study to measure the effects of our soft- ware on pre-school children.
The study, a first of its kind, was supervised by educators special- izing in pre-school development. We'll be glad to send you the results, if you'll send us a post- card with your name and address tO: "The PDI Pre-Schooi Study" c/o Program Design, Inc. 95 East Putnam Avenue Greenwich, Conn. 06830
Program Design, Inc.
•Atari is a trademark of Atari, Inc.
COMPUTING CONFIDENTIAL
sponslbllity to others and to your- self. I was skipping meals. 1 was staying up later than my bedtime to run through programs in my mind. 1 started losing a sense of what's right and what's wrong."
NONSTOP PROGRAMMING
Most of Jonathan's lime at the computer was spent programming games, "mainly space games and shoot-'em-up games," he says. "One of the crucial things in using a com- puter, as in everything else, is know- ing when to stop. 1 was never good at that! I'd write one program and put it down and write another, and then I'd join the two. And then I'd write a third one and make it a tril- ogy! The longest program I ever wrote was the one where I lumped all my programs together!
"It came to about 1,700 lines (of BASIC). It's sort of like a clay sculp- ture that you keep on adding to but you never fire or glaze it, you just keep glopping more and more clay on until it becomes unmanageable!"
■What absorbed Jonathan the most was the process. "I didn't really care that much about the finished prod- uct. 1 never sat and played the game, c.\ccpt to test it. After 1 was satisfied that it worked the way 1 wanted it to, it was on to the next one. "
Jonathan never shared his work with others during that period, though he would fantasize about how someone might enjoy it. "There was no feedback. It was more self- satisfaction because 1 wasn't really involved with people at that point."
Even in the computer room, "I was never very social," recalls Jonathan. "1 was the person who was sort of Jelling with the machine, not watch- ing the time.
"I wouldn't say that what I learned from the computer during that peri- od has helped me that much." con- cludes Jonathan. "1 was already computer literate, on (my family's! Apple. When you're addicted, things come out so crazy and crooked. Looking back, 1 think that what's most important is to write a pro- gram cleanly and logically. That's when you really start learning. You can write five hundred dumb, boring programs, but if you have one good idea, and you execute it well, that one is much more worthwhile. It cer- tainly is quality not quantity.
"But seeing that I never got away. I never got an aerial view of my pro- gramming and what 1 was actually doing. Computers are so involving, if
you get obsessed with them, you of- ten don't realize it.
"Nothing alarmed me. I was going along on my own mern' way think- ing that computers are great, com- puters are going to save the world. Everybody is going to have to use them. I'll get a head start.
"1 would have been infuriated if somebody had come along and said. 'Stop it. You won't do that anymore.' I probably would have said, 'I'm sor- ry, no, 1 have to keep doing this, for the good of mankind!' That driven sort of reaction.
"When I wrote home, which wasn't very often, a lot of the time it was about how great computers are. I've recently seen some of the letters. and they're just fanatical! My mother would write and ask if fwas making friends. I'd just sort of shrug [her queries) off.
THE TURNING POINT
"The turning point was spring va- cation." Jonathan flew back home to San Francisco, leaving his programs behind. "1 left school thinking, "Oh no, what am 1 going to do without
the [school's] computer?' But the va- cation was good in that it forced me to step back and look at that one conglomeration of programs I'd been working on al! winter. 1 realized it was not that worthwhile.
"When I left there was snow on the ground and gray skies. 1 came back to a new world. People were playing Frisbee, the sim was out. School was going to be over in two months. Evcrj'body is happier in the spring. And that positive attitude really changes the way you think. I real- ized I didn't have to hide."
Jonathan is now a senior al Exe- ter, and was recently voted proctor of his dorm, making him a liaison between the students and the facul- ty. He is on the board of WPEA, the student radio station. And he has developed a number of close friends, though he hasn't Jorsaken his old companion: the computer. Jonathan spends about an hour a day writing programs and papers on his Kaypro II portable computer. "But it's like a part-time Job now." he says. He is the author of this month's Puzzle program. [R]
IS YOUR CHILD BECOMING A COMPUIER ADDICT?
Here are some words of advice from one who has been there and back.
1 . DON'T MAKE EXCUSES
"Parents like to think that their children are special and really smart," says Jonathan Franklin, a 17-year-old reformed computer ad- dict. Often when parents look at a child who is overdoing it on the computer, they tend to think. " 'Oh well, at least he's getting something done, and he's exercising his mind.' " Don't turn your back to "how obses- sive a computer can become."
2. TRY AND TALK
"Once I saw addiction coming along. I'd bring it up," says Jona- than. "I'd say, 'Look, I'm aware that you're spending an awful tot of time at the computer.' It's worth learning what your son or daughter is think- ing about." But don't push them to talk. "Acknowledge the problem but don't overemphasize It. It may be just a stage."
3. DON'T FORCE ABSTENTION
Jonathan advises that except with young children, "something you
shouldn't do is make solid rules: 'You cannot use the computer be- tween the hours X and Y. You can- not use disks B and C without my permission.' Because if you say, 'Don't eat the cookies, don't cat the cookies,' the one thing a kid is going to do is eat the cookies. You don't want to police the situation. Because freedom is part of learning,"
4. ENCOURAGE INTERACTION
"If 1 knew my kid was getting too involved in the computer, 1 would try to underhandcdly get him or her in- volved in other things," says Jona- than. "1 wouldn't blatantly say. 'You gotta go out and make friends,' but I would say, "Why don't you invite one of your friends over who uses the computer?' With friends over, they're bound to digress,"
5. LEARN ABOUT COMPUTERS YOURSELF
"If parents involve themselves, it makes the computer less of a soli- tary activity." says Jonathan, "It's good to have a friend to talk things over with. A computer Is just one way to bring a family closer together. "
40 FAMILY COMPUTING
GET THE JUMP ON MATH
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Frog Jump is a great way for your children to learn to work with numbers. Or they can take a Space Journey to learn how to work with percents. Pyramid Puzzler, Star Maze, Picture Parts, and Number Bowling help with multiplication. . . division. . . basic facts. . . decimals and fractions.
Math Action Games get youngsters deeply involved in the excitement of discovering and mastering fundamental mathematics. Children have fun and learn at the same time.
There's a Math Action Game for every age group. Exciting formats challenge participants, moving them through three levels of difficulty. Games can be competitive or non-competitive, so children play them again and again. Each game uses color, music, animation, and sound effects to trigger quick thinking and accurate response.
Math Action Games can give your youngster the incentives and the satisfaction he needs to master math. It's an ideal supplement to any school mathematics program. Games are available for most popular microcomputers.
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We just made
owning an Atari computer
a lot more logical.
Introducing the Rana 1000 disk drive. It's a whole new game for Atari computers.
This two digit LED readout displays a code that tells you everything you need to know.
This beeping button tells you your write protect feature is keeping your information safe.
When Rana Systems introduced the Elite Series of Apple' cotnpatible disk drives, we didn't know what a tremendous impact they would make, It turned out to be a tine so outstanding in perfor- mance, styling, capacity and price, that it instan- taneously made us a major force in the market. Well, needless to say the response was so great that we were forced to create the same highly ad- vanced disk drive for Atari." A disk drive that when coupled with Atari's computer could perform everything from accounting, financial planning, and stock charting, to word processing, business management, and letting you write your own pro- grams. Plus, we made it simple enough for a child to use, for learning anything from the alphabet to a foreign language.
Working with a diskette versus plaiying with a cassette.
Let's face it. The only reason Atari made a cassette option to their computer was to make it affordable. But now you don't have to settle for less. Because now you can get a diskette for your Atari computer which outperforms their cassette and costs Va less than their disk drive. With Atari's cas- sette you only get half the functions of a com- puter compared to what our floppy disk can give you. Their cassette is not only limited in the soft- ware available, but it also takes 20 times longer to get the information you need. And Rana's disk
The remaining buttons beep when touched, and provide readouts on density storage, error status, and drive number,
This button beeps when you touch it, and the LED readout tells you what track you're on.
drive offers twice the storage capacity of either their cassette or disk drive.
Why even sfylewise our new low profile design not only looks 100 times more spectacular, but it occupies 3 times less space. And our new Rana 1000 also gives you a piece of its mind every time you use it, because our disk drive gives you informa- tion as well as takes it. And we think that says a lot.
The disk drive that has all the answers.
Rana offers you a myriad of features Atari couldn't even conceive of. Like five eiectronic func- tions on the front panel that actually beep and give you a LED readout when touched. Our disk drive tells you what track you're on, and what density and how much information you're storing. It lets you switch from a single density of 90,000 letters to a double density of 180,000 letters, on a single diskette. And. we have a write protect feature which protects your diskette from being erased. In fact, no other disk drive can offer you that.
As you can see, it was easy to build a disk drive superior to Atari's. Because for every reason you buy a disk drive, Rana has superior technology.
The Rana 1000 disk drive. It brings your Atari computer to a higher level of sophistication for a price one third lower than Atari's. So your choice shouldn't even be a matter of logic.
Just common sense.
RHnfloySIGnnS Always a step ahead of the originals.
21300 Superior SIreel Chatsworlh. CA 9131t 213.709.S484 For deal Br information call loll Iree: I-B00-421-Z207. In Calitorniaonly call, 1-800-262-1221. Sourer; Number: TCT-654
»Apple is a registered Irademark of Apple Compuler. Inc r Atari is a registered Irademartc of Alaii. Inc.. a Warner Communications Company
COMPUTING CLINIC
PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE/
SAVING TO TAPE/
CRT EMISSIONS CONTROVERSY
BY WAUER KOETKE
What is "public domain" soft- ware and wiiere do I find it?
Software that can be legally copied by everyone is called public domain software. No one has a copyright on public domain software.
Since some hardware manufactur- ers (Atari and Commodore in partic- ular) make public domain software available through their dealers, start looking for it at your local computer stores. In addition, many stores have their own collection of public domain programs. All of this is usu- ally available for the cost of a tape or disk, plus a small handling fee.
Local user groups arc also a good source. Bring some blank tapes or disks to a meeting and you should be able to obtain some public do- main material. You might also check with your local school system. If there's a good source of inexpensive software, the students or teachers are almost sure to know about it. One of the largest collections of high-quality public domain educa- tional software is available from the SOFTSWAP Microcomputer Center (San Mateo County Office of Educa- tion; 333 Main Street: Redwood City. CA 94063). Send them a stamped, self-addressed envelope and ask for their disk order form.
While 1 encourage your search for public domain material, I also sug- gest that there is truth in the old saying, "You get what you pay for." Most authors of good original mate-
WAl.TF.H KOKTKl-; inlrotluced computers into U.S. public schools, linking the Lexington. Massachusetts, system to a mainframe in W64. In 1969 he worked ivilh Seymour Papert. inventor of LOGO, who brought that programming language to the same school system. He has Liirit(efi/or Creative Computing and Microcomputing magaxines, and frequently lectures about computers to parents and educators.
rial are interested in being pub- lished commercially, and under the protection offered by copyright.
Several major microcomputer malcers are losing hundreds of millions of dollars this year. Are these companies Itiieiy to survive? Should I buy from one of them and risk the loss of ser- vice/support in the future? If I could accurately predict the fu- ture of just two or three companies I'd own a magazine instead of work- ing for one. When a company such as the Osborne Computer Corp., which makes just a few products for a single marketplace, loses lots of money, survival is unlikely. When a company such as Texas Instruments or Warner Communications [maker of Atari computers), with many products in many markets, loses money in one market, corporate sur- vival is quite likely.
Your concern, however, is justi- fied. 1 do not recommend purchas- ing a microcomputer if you aren't reasonably confident that it can be supported — with software, peripher- als, and service — for the next five years. This means that the manufac- turer and your local dealer who pro- vides the service must remain in business. I wouldn't worry beyond five years because at that time you will probably be able to purchase a more capable system for less than the cost of repairing an old one.
I'm a freelance writer who uses a word processor — which means I spend several hours a day in front of a monitor. Should I be concerned about harmful emis- sions or other potential health hazards?
You've asked what has been, and I expect will remain, a controversial question for a long time. Bell Tele-
phone of Canada, for instance, is aware of the controversy, and per- mits pregnant operators of video dis- play terminals to transfer to other jobs during their pregnancies. On the other hand, a two-year study by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences re- cently concluded that the regular use of video display terminals will not impair vision. Meanwhile, 9-to- 5, a national association of office workers, uses a hot line to collect proof of the need for federal safety regulations for workers using video display terminals. And on goes the controversy.
Video display terminals, including TVs, do emit very small amounts of X-rays, ultraviolet light, and positive ions. For about SI 25 you can pur- chase a Somashicid that will block almost all of the low-level radiation. Check with your local computer store for availability.
If you're worried about the prob- lem, you can take a few steps on your own. Be sure to use a mono- chrome display rather than a color display for word processing, or any application that requires reading text or numbers for long stretches of time. The resolution is much better. Amber on black displays arc best for the eyes. Green on black is your sec- ond-best choice.
Also check your lighting. The opti- mum lighting for work with pencil and paper is brighter than the opti- mum lighting for work with a video display. Tilt and turn your screen to eliminate glare; to do so, you may have to rearrange your work area.
Can you clean heads on disk drives as you can on tape re- corders?
Yes, it's possible, but 1 advise you not to do it yourself. There are just too many pitfalls, since you must
44 FAMILY COMPUTING
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Because on top of all the fun and excitement, our games have something more. True educational value. They help develop a child's learning skills, in all kinds of fun ways.
5o Spinnaker games aren'tjust computer games. They're Learning Games.
They're written by top educators who know how to make learning fun. And by expert game programmers, who use colorful graphics, animation and sound to make our games so exciting, your kids may not even realize they're learning, They're having too good a time!
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019B5, 5pinnaher Software Cofp All rigtits reserved Apoie.ibH and Atafiane tegi^te'ea uaaemarha of Appie Computer. Inc. intetnalional Business Machines Corp and fttarj, inc . tcspecliveiy Commodore fefl isa trademarh of CorrmodoreElectlonlcsLi'milea
X
COMPUTING CLINIC
open the disk drive, perhaps tempo- rarily disconnect some components, and then clean a relatively fragile, finely adjusted readywrite head.
Under normal circumstances. I suggest having your local dealer or service center clean, demagnetize. and realign your disk heads on an
annual basis. The dealer can also adjust the speed of the drive. If there have been any factory-suggested modilications. these should also be completed. The annual checkup should be reasonably priced and will contribute significantly to reliable use. There arc several head-cleaning
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Ask us about Kraft's complete line of computer
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t^^FT
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'All of the above have registered trademarKs.
disks available. But, in my experi- ence, they have made no identifiable difference in disk performance, re- duced maintenance requirements, or cleared up an existing problem. Fur- thermore, they can actually wear down the heads if used too often.
Does it matter if you leave your disit drive door open wiien net in use?
Open or closed — 1 don't believe it makes any difference at all. If it does, then at least one of the hard- ware makers should have mentioned the subject in a manual. None did.
I've iiad trouble storing pro- grams on tape. Some get saved and seme den't, but there's no identifiable pattern. Any
ideas?
Look at the tape heads. They should be smooth and spotless. If you can .sec dark streaks, the heads are very dirty and should have been cleaned some time ago. Since even minute particles on the read/write heads will degrade the performance of your cas- sette recorder, you should clean the heads every couple of weeks. I sug- gest using cotton swabs and a head- cleaning solution available at most record stores. You can also purchase special head-cleaning cassettes, but I believe that a swab in the hand does a much better job.
Whenever you clean your recorder, I also suggest demagnetizing the heads. This can be done with a hand-held demagnetizer (available for less than SlO] or a battery- powered demagnetizer (available for less than S25). which looks like a cassette. The batterj'-powcrcd device should give more consistent results.
If cleaning and demagnetizing don't eliminate your problem, try us- ing a higher quality tape. Average- quality audio tape should be suffi- cient. Lower grades can give inconsistent results with computer data.
If problems persist, the computer or recorder will most likely require service. Be sure to get an estiinate before having your recorder re- paired. The cost of parts and labor may make purchasing a new record- er a better choice, g;
Send your questions, general or tna- chine specific, to: kamilv comi'iitiko, Com- puting Clinic. 730 Broadway. New York. NY 10003. Please include name, ad- dress, and phone number.
46 FAMILY coirfPirriNC
FiSiR!
Computer
21 28 Route 38 ■ Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08002 Telephone: 609/482-5900 • Telex: 837-385
Franklm ACE 6 a trademark ol FranWm Computef Corp. Apple ts a tegslered IrademartiOf Apple Coinpuler Inc.
LIGHT TOUCH
THE AAAN WHO
BOUGHT TOO AAANY PERIPHERALS
BY DAVID KOVACS
^^ne morning last week was ex- ceptional!)' beautiful, so 1 unplugged myself from my micro for a stroll along a nearby beach in search of creative inspiration. There, among the driftwood, was a verj' strange looking bottle, with a piece of paper inside.
Hmm, I thought. Either I've been playing too many games of Zork, or this is real. Oddly. 1 was almost hop- ing for something in the way of a real-life adventure as I pulled out the cork. There, folded inside, was a very long document on tractor-feed paper. The printing was dot-matrix, and the message was a strange one indeed.
THANK YOU FOR OPENING THIS MESSAGE!" it began enthusiastical- ly. "PLEASE DONT IGNORE IT! I AM COUNTING ON YOU FOR HELP!" Any doubts I had about its authen- ticity were dispelled. This wasn't fan mail from some flounders. This was a real message.
The letter's tone became calmer. 'I am writing this from a deserted is- land, light years from civilization, where 1 am now living until my san- ity returns. Please realize that I was not shipwrecked. 1 chose to come here. I like it. There is peace, and se- renity. What made me come here? What was it that almost drove me out of my mind? I can sum it up in one word: peripherals.
"I still remember the day 1 brought my computer home from the store. Like a kid on Christmas morning, 1 lore through the packing material, placed it on my desk, plugged it in, and turned to the first page of the
DAVID KOVACS is a Chicago-based freelance wrUer who occasionalkj finds his computer amusing. He would gladly consider paying "a couple hundred dollars" jor a progrant that writesjokes.
manual, eager to begin processing my words, balancing my checks, and 'Vising' my Gale. 1 couldn't wait to start living my lifelong fantasies of fighting pirates and goblins, manag- ing a big-league baseball team, and defending the planet from certain destruction.
"But these pleasures were not to be. Little did 1 know that buying a computer was like walking into the front gate of an amusement park. There before your eyes await endless varieties of fun and excitement. But if you want to get on the rides, it's going to cost you.
"First there were the disk drives. One wasn't enough — the well- equipped system should have at least two. And you couldn't just buy the drives, of course. There was also the matter of an interface card — one of a series of many-chipped crea-
tures I was to encounter. I found that the going rale for these inter- face cards, whatever their function, always seemed to be 'a couple hun- dred dollars.' I gulped, realizing that I could be spending dozens of 'cou- ple hundred dollars. '
"1 began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my budget. What about our family's vacation plans? How could 1 explain to them that we couldn't afford to go away this year because we had to buy an eight-inch hard disk drive instead?"
I noticed that the pages of the let- ter began to be more and more tear- stained. 1 read on.
"Oh. the peripherals were inge- nious, all right. They could do just about everything. One turned a 40- eolumn screen display into 80 col- umns. Another gave you extra mem- ory. There was another with the
48 KAMIl.Y COMMUTING
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At last ... a computer magazine
that talks to the kids who are talking the new language
Right now, your kids are talking a new language:
COMPUTER LANGUAGE. They're trying out new programs. Crossing new boundaries of com- munication. And experimenting with their computers' memory-the power oi K.
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Because it's packed with the same energy and excitement that makes pre-teens and teens want to learn all there is to know about comput- ers. With articles that teach them by asking them to take part-and be part of the future.
Your kids will learn about exciting new programs-and ways to write their own. About the problems
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And K-POWER'" is kids. With input from its own K-NET-an elec- tronic network of computing kids. Plus jokes, tips, book and software reviews, interviews, games and contests. K-POWER™ is where your computer-age kids will turn to learn.
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The magazine for the computer generation.
LIGHT TOUCH
exotic name of Z-80 that was not a turbocharged sports car, but anoth- er smorgasbord of chips that my friends said I really just had to have. There was even a "peripheral periph- eral"— a little fan that kept things from overheating with all those tur- bocharged cards back there.
m^ks I got on the phone to or- der them all, 1 had to gasp for air several times. I distinctly remember the face of my VISA card turning into a hideous, satanic face that seemed to be saying, 'You'll be sorry!'
"And these interfaces were only the beginning. Did I want to use my own TV set to see what my computer was saying? I couid. Ail I needed was an RF modulator — an item that worked fine, except that the screen display wasn't clear enough to u.sc with my word-processing program. No protilem. though. All I needed to buy was a monitor — a mere couple hundred more dollars (unless I want- ed color). As 1 clutched my month's paycheck in hand and left the house for the computer store, my wife and children looked at me with tears in thejr eyes. My four-year-old asked, 'Mommy, docs Daddy love the com- puter more than me?'
"But still I forged ahead. Of course, I wanted to have printed copy, so all 1 needed was a printer. This little item (and, of course, its accompanying interface card) would only run me a couple thousand dol- lars, I cringed as I signed over my family's livelihood, wondering if Computer Hackers Anonymous might be opening a chapter in my community soon.
"I did notice that the computer was helping me to balance my checkbook. After signing away a couple hundred dollars at a time, there wasn't much left to balance. What was left quickly went toward the printer memory buffer card (so 1 could print and work at the same time), a set of matching joysticks, and the endless varieties of software that seemed marvelous, yet which seemed to call for just one more pe- ripheral to make them work.
"Finally, I said to my family, 'Enough! No more! Daddy isn't going to buy any more peripherals!' My children cheered. My wife wiped away a tear from her eye. With a new feeling of hope and excitement, I grabbed all of the wires from my sys- tem, and plugged them into the wall. I slid on the ON button, and watched in horror as the lights in
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my house flickered and then blacked
out. One last trip to the store to spend my last couple hundred dol- lars on a voltagc-rcgulator-powcr- shortagc-prcvcnter peripheral, and 1
IF THIS POOR FELLOW CHUCKED IT ALL ANDWENTTOUVEON AN ISLAND, THEN WHY IS THIS LETTER ON TRACTOR-FEED PAPER?
was at last ready to start using my computer."
Here, my correspondent evidently went insane. All kinds of the most unprintable language filled the next eight sheets, which he had scratched out with huge red Xs. On the last page, it read:
"My system never did work. Some- thing in the system was down. And if you have ever tried to check which one of a dozen little peripherals aren't working, you'll know my frus- tration. I won't describe what hap- pened. A young child might be read- ing this letter. Suffice to say that it was not pretty. I don't think my neighbors will ever forget the sounds they heard from my house that night.
But now all is fine. I have escaped the stresses of my former life. 1 have regained a calm, inner peace on this island paradise. "
■0ut wait a minute, 1 thought to myself. If this poor fellow chucked it all and went lo live on an island, then why is this letter on tractor- feed paper? Why the dot-matri.x printing? What kind of a system did he use to write it?
There at the end of the letter it said: "Even though [ knew 1 was go- ing lo live on an island, I still want- ed to have a computer. So I traded in my whole system and bought a little portable thing with no peri- pherals. It computes, displays, and prints, all by ilsclf. 1 love it. The problem is, I'd like to find a modem that would be compatible with it, so I don't have to keep sending letters in bottles. '
I looked in the bottle, and there in the bottom were two crumpled up Si 00 bills. "I've enclosed my last couple hundred dollars to buy the modem," read the tearstained last sentence."! hope it covers the cost."iWi
50 KAMtl.Y COMI'irriNO
^UKl tsiche&tool
d^cjo k
i I GO
That's an easy one: HesWare™ educational software.
The children with the most answers in school are usually the children who enjoy learning. HesWare helps develop your child's interest in learning by making it fun. And along the way, develop familiarity and proficiency with computers — a skill that is becoming more and more essential to success.
HesWare educational software combines enjoyment with a creative learning experience. Unlike video games, HesWare educational programs involve Vour child — and that keeps their interest. Whether it's creating colorful and artistic pictures with Turtle Graphics, making up funny faces with Pacemaker;™ or helping America's favorite canine, Benji, save kidnapped scientists (and learn about the solar system in the process,) or any of the programs in our education library, HesWare gives your children a positive attitude toward learning and technology
It's not expensive to give your child a headstart on the future. HesWare programs are available for most popular home computers, including the Commodore VIC 20r Commodore 64]" Atari® and IBM?
HesWare educational software. Just one of the ways HesWare is expanding the computer experience. And mm mmg expanding your child's horizons. Look for them at your Jw^CMSlfVI favorite software retailer. KKC^WmoK WS.
Human Engineered Software, 150 North Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005 800-227-6703 (in California 800-632-7979) Dept. C20
Pleases the
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HesWare is a trsdernark of Human Enjineered Software. Facemakei is a tudemark of Spinnaker Software- VIC 20 and Comirodme 6* are trailematks of Comnrodore riectronics Ltd Atari is a registered trademark &f Atari, Inc ISM is a regrstered trademark of tniernalionat Business Machines.
Ct983
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Now the excitement of original arcade graphics and sound effects comes home to your computer
introducing ATARISOFI™ A new source for computer software.
If you own a Commodore VIC 20 or B4, a Texas Instruments 99/4A, an IBM or an Apple II, you can play the original arcade hits.
DONKEY KONG by Nintendo, CENTIPEDE™ PAC-MAN, DEFENDER, ROBOTRON: 2084, STARGATE and DIG DUG. [On the 11 9g/4A you can also play Protector II, Shamus, Picnic Paranoia and Super Storm. 3
So, start playing the original hits on your computer
Only from ATARISOFT
Some games also available on Coleco Vision and Intelfivision.
Now your computer fits the arcade hits.
DONKEY KOMG, Mano and NINTENDO are trademarks and © Nintendo 1381, 1983. PAC-MAN and characters are trademarks nf Baliy Midway Mfg. Co. sublicensed to Atari, Ire by Namcn- America. Inc.DEFENDEFIisa tradeTOirk of Willrams Electronics. Inc.. manufactured under license from WiHiams Electronics. Inc flOBOTHON: 20B4 is a trademark and O of Wlliams 1983. manu- factured under license from Williams Electronics, Inc STARGATE is a trademark and ® of Williams 19S1 . manufactured under license from Williams Electronics. Inc DIG DUG is created and designed by Namco Ltd. manufactured under license by Atan Inc Trade- marks and O Namco 1982. PROTECT DPI II is a trademark of Syn- apse Software Corporation, manufactured under license by Atari. Inc. SHAMUS IS a trademark of Synapse Software CarpDration, manufactured under license by Atari. Inc PICNIC PARAMOIA is a trademark of Synapse Software Corporation, manufactured by Atari, Inc SUPER STORM is engineered and designed by Synapse Software CorporatiDn. manufactured under license by Atan. Inc. ATARISOFT '" products are manufactured dy Atan. Inc. for use on the above referenced machines and are not made, licensed or approved by the manufacturers of these machines, COfi^MODDRE B4. VIC 30, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 99/4A. IBM. APPLE, COLE- CO VISION and INTELLI VISION are respectively trademarks nf Commodore Electronics Limited, Texas Instruments. International Business Machines Co^. , Apple Computer Inc. . Coieco industries. Inc. and Mattel. Inc A © Warner Communications Company 0 19H3 Atan, Inc All nghts reserved
I 1
CompleCe this coupon and we'd keep you up to date on the newest hits from ATARISOFT™
City
State
Zip
Telephone
PRODUCT OWNED: (Check one)
□ T 1-99/4 A □ Commodore ViC 20
n IBM PC □ Inteiti vision
I 1 Commodore 64 Q] Apple il
I I ColecoVisEon Q Other
Mail to:
Atari. Inc., P.O. Box 2943,
So. San Francisco, CA 94080. asms
DiMeasiouM, iu.usTR.tTto.1 by brookte maxu'ell
PHOTOGRAPHED BY AVTHOXV LOEW
54 FAMILY COMPUTING
Way to Shop?
BATTLING HOLIDAY CROWDS , /ONE'S FAVORITE WAY TO SHOP. NOW, THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ALTERNATIVE.
BY JANE WOLLMAN
here are two kinds of people.
Those who begin their Christmas shopping
well ahead of the season's first jingle bell.
And those who wait until nearly Christmas Eve.
DECEMBER I9B3 55
'ELECTRONIC SHOPPING HAS BEEN AN
EASY WAY TO ACQUAINT
THE FAMILY WITH COMPUTING."
JANE WOLLMAN IS alSO tile
author oj "How People and Machines Can Work in Harmony." Pan one was published in last month's issue; Part two appears in this issue.
56 FAMILY COMPUTING
Dave Dolsen had always belonged to the second group. That's because shopping was one of his least favorite activities. And bucking holiday crowds made the chore even more of a hassle.
But this year things are different. Dave started to gift shop early — and leisurely — from the comfort of his own home. This year. Dave is Christmas shopping by computer, and so are his wife. Jo Pat. and their two children, Wendy, 15. and Doug. 14.
The Dolsens. who live in Pueblo. Colorado, are members of Comp-U-Store, a 24-hour shop- at-home service that offers a variety of brand- name products at substantial discounts. Comp-U-Store. the country's leading home shopping service, specializes in appliances and electronic devices, but you're likely to find al- most anything — from diamond earrings to box springs and mattresses — in its extensive list- ings that can appear on your computer's video display. The service, which offers as many as 50.000 different products at discounts ranging from 10 to 40 percent off retail list price, can be accessed from virtually any microcomputer or data terminal using a modem, a peripheral de- vice thai allows communication over phone lines.
HOW TO SHOP
There are several ways to find bargains on the Comp-U-Store data base: by browsing through its categories, such as video equip- ment, sporting goods, and cameras: by seeking price and feature information about particular models; by discovering what's available in a particular product area according to your fea- ture and price specifications; and by bidding on products in a nationwide weekly auction. Many people use Comp-U-Store — which was launched in 1981 under the name Comp-U- Star — mainly for comparison shopping to help negotiate low prices with local retailers.
Products and prices on the big data base are updated daily. At the time of this writing, members could spend as little as S20 i'or a pen- and-pcncil set or as much as $4,000 for a pro- jection television system. A special section called the "Databascment" has super-duper bargains — such as a 25-inch console color TV for $399 or a 35mm automatic focus camera priced at Si 39. Right now. Comp-U-Store 's big- gest sellers arc videocassette recorders, dis- counted about 30 to 35 percent.
Given Comp-U-Storc"s steep reductions, the money saved by buying even one major product each year could well be worth the S25 annual membership fee and time charges you're billed to hook into the system. Connect rates, ranging from eight and a third cents to 30 cents a minute. var>' according to time of
day, your modem speed, and the way you enter the system — cither directly or through Compu- Serve, Dow Jones, or The Source information services. (You must join Comp-U-Store to buy. but you may use these networks to access the data base and browse around.)
When you Ijccome a member of Comp-U- Store and sign up for direct access, instead of going through an Information service, you're issued an ID number and password, plus a membership number and an access code.
To shop, you make sure your modem is properly hooked up, then dial a local number. When you hear a "connect" signal, you press co.N'TROL c on the keyboard, and the system will ask you to tvpe in your numbers and password, which links you to the Comp-U-Store comput- er. A screen will appear, saying welcome to COMP-U-STORE and your shopping can now begin. The whole process takes Just a couple of minutes.
If you use an information service like The Source to gain access, the sign on procedure Is slightly altered, but it doesn't take much more time.
Shopping is easy. To find the product you're looking for. you type in brief responses
WHAT YOU CAN BUY
Comp-U-Store now offers more than 50,000 name-brand products, and it continues to expand. At the moment, its offerings Include choices in the following categories:
1. Appliances. Air conditioners, dish- washers, refrigerators, sewing machines, and more.
2. Cameras and Optical Equipment. In- cluding special lenses, movie and slide pro- jectors, and binoculars.
3. Cars and Car Stereos. Everything
from cassette decks to Corvettes.
4. Flatware and Crystal.
5. Luggage.
6. Sporting Goods. Bowling balls, golf clubs, tennis racquets, and tents and other camping equipment.
7. Stereos and Audio Equipment. Clock
radios, turntables, receivers, etc.
8. TV and Video Equipment.
9. Other Electronics. Use your computer to buy another computer! Or a phone an- swering machine, radar detector, and com- puter accessories and software.
10. Miscellaneous. The most varied list of
all: beds and box springs, power tools, lamps, string instruments, pianos, typewrit- ers, watches, and more.
THE MONCr SAVED BY BUYING EVEN ONE
MAJOR PRODUCT EACH YEAR COULD BE WELL WORTH
THE $25 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE.
to a series of on-scrccn menus. All ordering is also handled on-line, again by punching in ihc appropriate requested information; and mer- chandise may be either charged to your VISA or MasterCard account or paid by check. Pur- chases can be delivered amT.vherc in the U.S.
Comp-U-Store. a division of the Stamfoi'd- bascd Comp-U-Card International, Inc.. has some 10,000 members nationwide. It carries no inventor}', but lists products from manufac- turers, wholesalers, and retailers, who ship or- ders directly to customers by United Parcel Ser- vice or by truck. Thus, the electronic service is able to keep prices low because it bears no overhead costs from stocking goods. (Comp-U- Storc gets a five percent commission on each order it processes.)
INCREASING THE INVENTORY
13ave Dolsen, who has bought video game cartridges reduced by 30 percent as gifts, and crystal stemware at 25 percent below retail price, says he'd routinely purchase more from Comp-U-Store if it had a wider product selec- tion. Dave — and other armchair browsers — may be doing a lot more shopping since the service plans to add new categories soon and is also expanding its selection of computers and software programs.
This year Comp-U-Slorc plans to add some special Christmas-time items to its merchan- dise mix, including gourmet food, wines and spirits, books, and bed and bath fashions.
Comp-U-Storc says it offers 50 to 90 per- cent of products on the market within its 10 categories (see box). In addition, it regularly schedules specials on such items as women's and men's clothing — merchandise it does not maintain on the fixed roster.
THE DRAWBACKS
if there arc areas where Comp-U-Store falls short, they may lie in its product descriptions and delivery procedure. Some members, like Don Mahoncy of El Cajon, California, say the descriptive text accompanying some products tends lo be somewhat stingy. Since there are no illustrations, Mahoney complains, "this means you have to go out to a store to look at an item before ordering." Mahoney has used the service to buy sophisticated audio gear as gifts for friends and clients of his financial consulting firm. He occasionally buys equip- ment for the stereo store he owns, because Comp-U-Store 's prices beat other suppliers.
A flip through the data base shows that specifics do vaiy, depending on the product. For instance, a generous amount of informa- tion is given about refrigerators, while nothing more than pattern names are supplied with
listings of sterling silverware.
One obvious solution, of course, is to pro- vide pictures as well as text. Although Comp-U- Store does plan to add photographs or possibly even video movies, this enhancement is at least five years away because of the difficulty of de- veloping a technology' ihat's'cconomically feasi- ble, according to E. Kirk Shclton. president of Comp-U-Card's electronic service division.
When it comes to deliver>'. Comp-U-Store*s system is, in theory, commendable. You're sent an order confirmation indicating when to ex- pect the product— on average, within three weeks — and the name of the vendor supplying it. Frequently, though, delivery dates are missed and items arrive months after they've been ordered — and paid for. When there's a snafu, you arc given the option of wailing for the item, requesting a sub.stitutc, or canceling the order and receiving the refund.
"The biggest problem is getting the ven- dors to have what Comp-U-Store says they have. " says Deborah Dellinger, of Stewarts- town. Pennsylvania, a member who had to wait months for some of the items she ordered. Nonetheless, she hopes to buy a grand piano through the service and is planning lo use Comp-U-Store for all her major Christmas pur- chases.
According to Shclton, delivery glitches usually are caused by manufacturer product shortages, situations that surface some time after the companies have specified availability dates. "Often manufacturers lie or say they ex- pect to have the product." he says. "But what it boils down to is suppliers really not knowing how their production schedules will shape up."
Another area of potential annoyance is re- turning products, since Comp-U-Store emphat- ically discourages exchanges. Therefore, it's a good idea to be sure the item you order is exactly what you want. "If there's a real prob- lem, we'll make a swap or refund your money," says Shelton, "but if you use a TV set for three months and then decide you don't want it. we won't take it back."
Two of the best things about subscribing to Comp-U-Store: there's no minimum pur- chase obligation, and if you're not happy with the service, you can drop it any time and your S25 fee will be refunded.
Dave Dolsen says that because of its practi- cal application, electronic shopping has been "an easy way to acquaint the family with com- puting." He now even refers to shopping — an activity that used to Irritate him — as "enter- taining and enjoyable."
Not to mention convenient. 'Where else but "on line" can you go to buy a bowling ball at 8:00 in the morning? Bi
WHERE ELSE CAN YOU BUY A BOWLING BALL AT 8:00 IN THE MORNING?
DECEMBER 1983 57
The
Layman's Guide to
Word Processing
THE ABCs OF WP, AND WHAT YOU NEED TO START.
BY PETER McWILLIAMS
PETER McWILLIAMS IS the
author of The VJord Processing Book, Questions & Answers on Word Processing, and Word Processing on the IBM, all published by Prelude Press.
58 FAMILY COMI'UTING
ILLLSTILWiOX BY GEORGE BOOTH
I
n business, the typing pool has been re- placed with the WP Department. "WP," of course, stands for Word Processing. Two short years ago. when I started writing about word processing, even many publishers didn't know what it was. "What's word processing?" they asked. We've all leatned a lot.
Today, almost everyone knows that word processing has something to do with using a machine to write, just as food processing has something to do with using a machine to chop.
But word processing, really, has nothing to do with machines. Word processing takes place in the human mind. Selecting words to fit a concept, then arranging and rearranging those words until they form a sentence, is what word processing is all about. The machines — from wax tablet and stylus, to pen and ink. to type- writer, to computer — are simply there to help us remember what's already been processed.
Personal computers offer the best method yet for recording the processing of the mind. They allow change so easily. Take the composi- tion of a simple note to accompany your son to the store: "Give one pound of hamburger to Billy."
You look at the sentence and decide you'd like to start off the note with "Please," and add the word "lean" before hamburger. If using pen and paper, you might be able to sneak in the "Please," but the "lean" is more troublesome. Most people don't want to rewrite the note (Bil- ly already has his coat on and is waiting as patiently as Billy can), so the butcher is treated to:
"Please
Give one pound of hamburger to Billy. (Lean.)"
With a computer and a word-processing program, the note appears on the computer's screen before it's printed. Adding I'i.ease, mak- ing the "G" in GIV'K lowercase, and adding lean before ha-Mburger is an easy task. When it looks right on the screen, you can print it and Billy is on his way.
Now, I'm not suggesting you use a comput- er to correspond with your grocer. Notepads and pencils will be around well into the 21 si century. But how about correspondence to friends, relatives, members of Congress, and teachers? Wouldn't the ability to change things around come in handy?
SECOND DRAFTS A BREEZE
As any professional writer will tell you. clarity in writing comes from rewriting. Few authors are satisfied with their "first draft." Similarly, most people are not satisfied with the first draft of a letter, but they send it any- way: recopying is such a chore. And because they're not satisfied with first drafts, many people postpone important letters — sometimes indefinitely.
With a word processor, second, third, cind fourth drafts are easy. Words, sentences, and paragraphs can be removed, rearranged, or
added with ease. When it looks right, you can even run a program that will cheek your spell- ing and punctuation, and point out possible grammatical errors, before printing the final copy.
Kids, loving computers as they do, are far more likely to learn the fundamentals of good writing with a word processor than with pencil and paper.
GERSHWIN'S PIANO
When the specter of a teacher saying. "This paper is messy with all these crosscuts — copy it over," is removed, kids can experiment with style, alteration, editing. In short, they can be creative. Who knows what budding geniuses are just waiting for a tool that removes all the paperwork from writing. I often wonder what might have happened to George Gershwin if his brother Ira had not been given a piano.
For young children, computerized word processing is particularly appealing. Generally, a child's ability to grasp a language develops faster than his or her ability to hold a pencil and make the intricate symbols of our alpha- bet. Pushing the button marked "A" on a key- board takes far less manual dexterity than forming the letter "a" on a piece of paper. With a computer, a child's mind is not held back by the still-developing physical coordination.
Further, word processing teaches kids (and parents) the fundamentals of a computer and keyboard far better than, say, BASIC pro- gramming. Most kids will need to write letters and reports far more frequently than they'll need to write programs.
Not only is writing made easier (and better] with a word processor, but writing the same thing to several people is a breeze, The next time you return from vacation, you'll need to write about your adventures only once. After printing Aunt Fanny's letter, all you need do is change dear aunt fanny, to dear uncle louie, and Uncle Louie gets a personalized letter of his own. For those not in Ihc letter-writing habit, and for those who have as many rela- tives as I do. this feature alone will save you a year or two over a lifetime.
Some programs will change the name and address automatically. If you're politically ac- tive, you can send a letter expressing your views to evcrv'one in Congress in the lime it once look you to write only four or five letters. On a smaller scale, with a mailing list of your friends on a computer, you can send out per- sonalized invitations, thank you notes, and Christmas letters in less time than it once took you to address the envelopes.
THE SIX BASIC ELEMENTS OF WORD PROCESSING
Now don't let the dozens (sometimes) of features some word-processing programs offer intimidate you. To successfully and happily do word processing on a computer, you need to know only six things:
WHO KNOWS WHAT BUDDING GENIUSES ARE JUST WAITING FOR A TOOL THAT REMOVES ALL THE PAPER- WORK FROM WRITING.
DECEMBER 1983 59
ANY HOME COM- PUTER IS A MORE POWERFUL WRITING MA. CHINE THAN EVEN THE MOST EXPENSIVE ELEC- TRIC TYPE- WRITER.
1. How to open (start) a file.
2. How to insert text.
3. How to delete text.
4. How to move the cursor around.
5. How to close (end) a file.
6. How to print a file.
Everything else in word processing comes under the heading of Extra Added Features — which you may want, but you do not need.
Knowing how to do these six things will make your home computer more powerful than even the most expensive electric typewriters. Why? Opening a file on a typewriter means putting in a sheet of paper. That's not so hard. Then, the text entered is tjped directly onto that sheet. So far, so good. But. deleting text from a sheet of paper is hard. It often means starting from scratch again. Deleting text on a computer is easy; you just type over the text you want to delete, or move the cursor around to erase. Therein lies the advantage of comput- erized word processing over typewriting: Change on computers is effortless.
Furthermore, on most typewriters, if you want a second copy printed, you insert another sheet of paper and start typing it all over again. If you want a second copy printed on a comput- er, you push a button,
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS
In addition to all the other bits of computer Jargon, here arc a few terms you're likely to stumble across on the path from typewriting to word processing:
File> A file is the method the computer uses to store a collection of words. It can be anything from a shopping list to The Great American Novel. Think of it as an empty Hie folder into which you can put as many (up to the amount limited by the computer's memory) or as few words as you like.
Word Wrap. This sounds like something you put around your words to keep them fresh — sort of a Saran Wrap for writers. In fact, word wrap refers to the ability of most word- processing programs to begin new lines auto- matically. Anyone who has used a typewriter knows that as the end of each typewritten line approaches, a bell dings and you must manual- ly indicate when and where the next line be- gins. With word wrap, the computer listens for its own internal bell and starts a new line with- out troubling you.
Chpracters. A character is any number, letter, or punctuation mark.
Justification. No, this is not a set of good reasons why you need a word processor. It re- fers to the margins and whether they are straight (justified) or not straight (ragged). Most typewriters produce justified left margins and ragged right. Some word-processing pro- grams can produce both justified left and right margins, making the printed text more resem- ble a book. Most people turn off the right justi-
fication for correspondence: it's a dead give- away that you're using a computer.
Block. Any group of words in your file that you select. Once a block is marked, you can move it, copy it, add it to another file, or get rid of it altogether.
Insertion. This allows you to insert a word, sentence, or paragraph anywhere In the text. It also allows you to read another file into the file you are currently working on. Your va- cation, for example, might be in a file named 1NDIA.\'A. While writing a letter, when you got to the point where you wanted to tell Aunt Harriet about your glorious two weeks in Grand Bend, you could add Indiana. (The original file Indiana remains intact for future letters, memoirs, and National Geographic articles.)
Search and Replace. This feature allows you to find any word or phrase in the file and replace it with any other word or phrase. If this year's vacation was very much like last, yosem- ITE could be replaced by disneylakd in your an- nual vacation letter in a matter of seconds.
Printer Controls. These arc various in- structions ("controls" or "commands") sent to the printer by the computer while a file is printing. It tells the printer to underline, bold- face, do subscripts [the 2 in H2O), superscripts (the 2 in E = mc2). or carry out other special print functions. In other words, these com- mands format the words on your screen so they are printed out the way you want. That is, assuming your printer can do the things you want.
WHAT YOU NEED TO START
To do word processing at home, you'll need a computer, a word-processing program, and some kind of printer. In putting together your writing machine, there are a few other details to consider.
Keyboard. The most important part of a computer for word processing is the keyboard. The easiest keyboards to use are real key- boards, such as the ones found on electric typewriters. Flat keyboards, such as those found on the Timcx Sinclair 1000 or the Atari 400, make processing more difficult — although not impossible.
Some computers have little rubber keys, known as chiclet keys, because they look and feel like Chiclets chewing gum. Although word processing with chiclet keys is possible, regular keyboards (with what are sometimes known as "full travel" keys) are preferable.
Screens. Screens are also important, Your TV will provide an acceptable canvas for your prose if you write only a few letters a week. If, however, you're planning a magnum opus, you might want to invest in a monochrome moni- tor. Not only is monochrome (green-and-white, say, rather than color) easier on the eyes, the characters tend to be sharper, thus easier to read and work with.
On some computers, the screen displays only 16 lines, and for some people this is
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enough. Those who write frequenlly might pre- fer lo ssec 24 lines (about half a typewritten page) displayed at once.
Printers. There are two basic types of printers most commonly used for word pro- cessing at home: dot-matrix and letter-quality. Dot-matrix printers form letters and numbers using little dots, like the signs at banks dis- playing the time and temperature. Letter-quaJi- ty printers print fully formed characters, one after another, like an electric tiTDewriter does.
Dot-matrLx printers are fairly inexpensive, print fast, and produce acceptable but far from elegant, results. Letter-quality printers cost more, print more slowly, but produce better results.
Storage. Also necessary is some kind of storage device — either a cassette tape recorder or a disk drive (or two). Disk drives are certain- ly preferable, but thousands of people word process on cassettes every day.
Disks generally hold more information, and can access that Information faster. Disks also lend to be more reliable than cassettes.
The amount of storage capacity is mea- sured in kilobytes, or Ks. One double-spaced, typewritten page of text, with generous mar- gins, equals about 2K. If a disk holds lOOK, for example, it will store about 50 pages of text.
WORD-PROCESSING
PROGRAMS—
A CADILLAC OR A CHEVY?
Word-processing programs are available for almost every personal computer made. They range in power from "it-might-be-easier-if-you-
did-this-by-hand" types to those with more fea- tures than you'd need to run an office.
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If you arc a professional vifriter, or plan lo do business correspondence from home, you should consider the purchase of a full-feature computer with word processing. These pack- ages run — complete with letter-quality print- er—from S2.300 to more than $5,000. In this category you might want to investigate either the Morrow or the Kaypro. These are fine ma- chines, readily available, and great values — es- pecially when you consider that the purchase price includes enough free software to open your own store. Both machines come with WordStar, a program that has become the standard for high-powered word processing on personal computers.
If, on the other hand, you write a few let- ters a month, and the kids do fewer than one report for school each week, a simple program on whatever general family computer you've chosen (or arc thinking of choosing) will be fine. If you already have a printer, a basic word- processing program should add no more than S200 to the price of your computer.
Almost every word-processing program — even the ones costing S29.95 — will offer you the six functions necessary for word process- ing. AH other features are luxury' options, but some find certain luxury options — such as air- conditioning — invaluable.
Word processing may or may not change your life. It will almost certainly change your correspondence (probably for the better). For some, word processing is the central use of a home computer. For others, it's just another helpful task the personal computer can per- form. If you write more than a letter or school report a week, you'll be glad word processings entered your life.
1. The HAN'K -STREET
w'Ttnrji guides (he user through any one of its wriiing. editing, or priming modes with questions above the text. Here, you merely type "Y" or "N" (o tell the computer whether you want the highlighted text erased. If you make a mistake, you can then "undelete" the erasure. Bank Street Writer. /or Atari 800 and Apples, has a 40-columri screen display.
2. .APPLE WRITER II. /or
Apple U plus and lie. also has a 40-column screen display, which can be expanded to 80 with an 80-column card installed. It has a rare split-screen Jeature, which allows you to show two parts of one textJUc on screen at once, To ansiver the questions sliown here, a student can "scroll" through the text of Moby Dick on the top half of the screen tojind the answers.
3. FiKWRnr.K. for Apples and the IBM PC. has an 80-column screen display. S/!oii>n here is a HELP menu. If you're ivriting aJUe andjorget how to set a margin tab. or how to scroll the cursor down, you can switch to the HELP menu tojind the proper command.
4p paperclip. /or the Commodore 64. has a 40-column screen display, but lacks the sophisticated word- wrap capability of most ivord-processing programs. Notice that words are broken unnaturally at the end of a fine instead of carried over injull. For instance, the is broken into th on one line, and E on the next. Paperclip as shown here is In the "search and replace" mode: At the top oj the screen it asks, search STRING? You can answer with any word, and the program will then ask, REPLACE string? To give an example, you can change the word i to me throughout the text.
DECEMBER 1983 61
Features to Look for in a Word- Processing Program
While all word-processing programs allow the six main functions noted In the main article — opening and closing files, inserting and deleting text, moving text around, and printing out — some implement these functions more con- veniently and faster than others. The realistic approach is to test as many word-processing programs as possible before buying, and to do so with some knowledge of what the state of the art in word processing can provide.
Remember that no program will overcome entirely the limitations of your computer, such as lack of lowercase letters, lack of shift key, or a small screen display. To change these things, the hardware must be modified.
Outlined below is a list of what we feel are desirable features in a word processor. Few, if any. of the word- processing programs available for microcomputers Imple- ment all these features, though some come very close lo, or actually surpass, all our standards.
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET:
The best word processors display on-scrccn what will ultimately appear in the final printed document. Thus, underlined text appears underlined, centered text appears centered, screen margins duplicate print margins, etc.
ONE MODE OPERATION:
For maximum convenience, all writing and editing func- tions of a word-processing program should be accessible within a single "write-edit" mode. Having to switch into a special "edit" mode to make simple corrections is time consuming.
COMMANDS:
All but the most complex functions of a word processor should be accessible through simple (preferably one- or two-keystroke! commands. When CTRL/key combinations are used (pressing the control key in combination with one other key), the combinations should be chosen sensi- bly. For example, pressing CTRL/I for "insert" and CTRL/D for "delete" makes more sense than pressing CTRL/Q and CTRL/: for these same functions.
HELP MENUS:
Explanations of functions and the commands needed to implement them should be available to the user when editing a file. Some programs require that you exit the file and go to a main menu, or consult the manual.
IDIOT PROOFING:
The user should be required to verify, with a "yes" or "no," before any potentially destructive functions (block delete, file delete, clear buffers, etc.) are carried out.
FILE COMPATIBILITY:
Text files created by a word-processing program should be stored to disk in a format normally readable by the computer. For example, it is convenient to be able to edit BASIC programs with the word processor, then store these files to disk and be able to load them directly for running.
MOVING THE CURSOR:
Cursor-control keys serve to move the cursor by a single
space or line. Simple commands should allow "scrolling" of text up and down, and fast movement to the beginning or end of text.
ADDING TEXT:
Its possible to insert or add text anywhere in the docu- ment in two ways. The preferable method is by overstrik- ing existing text, which automatically deletes it. The sec- ond choice is to insert new text, then delete the old text.
DELETING TEXT:
All word processors can delete single letters to the left and right of the cursor by a single keystroke. Additional and praiseworthy features on some programs include: de- letion of single word, sentence, paragraph, or block with one or two keystrokes maiximum.
MOVING TEXT:
This amounts to "cut and paste" editing. It should be possible to move a fair-sized block of text from one section of a document lo another by a simple process of highlight- ing the block using the cursor and Issuing a "cut" com- mand: then moving the cursor to the point of insertion and issuing a "paste" command. Ideally, both "cut" and "paste" commands should be supported by dedicated function keys. A similar highlighting procedure should allow block deletion and block copying. A verj' advanced feature is the ability to take a block of text from one document file and Insert it in another.
FILE-MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS:
A word-processing program should be able to provide the user with an index of the files contained on the cur- rent document disk. It should be possible to rename files, wrlte-protcct them (preventing accidental erasure), as well as delete them after verification, The word processor should also be able to initialize and format diskettes as required by the operating system.
PRINTING FUNCTIONS:
All programs allow you to print out a file document after you've finished writing, editing, and storing it. Some pro- grams allow you to do much more. On these, It's possible to configure the program to support a variety of printers. Simple print functions such as boldface and underlining should be supported cither by on-screen formatting or by codes imbedded in text. It should be possible to alter margins, linespacing, pilch, and justification of the print- ed document, as well as to add headers and foolers, from within the word processor. Special features of a particular printer should be made accessible by allowing printer con- trol codes to be embedded in text.
DOCUMENTATION:
The bottom line. Even a great word-processing program can be undermined by poor documentation. If possible, don't let the salesperson walk you through the demonstra- tion. Pick up the manual and try to figure things out for yourself. While it's true that any word processing will lake a week or so to get used to. you want to know that you'll be able to use it again easily after a long layoff.
62 FAMILY COMPUTING
POPULAR WP PROGRAMS BY COMPUTER
The following summary reviews cover the most popular word-processing programs for the various computers listed here. For Apple, IBM, Commodore, and the CP//\A format there are many more programs available. But, when shopping around, you may want to look at the standards first.
APPLE WP PROGRAMS
As in most software categories, a long line of word- processing programs Is available for Apple computers. Ap* pie Wriler II, Screenwriter 11, and Bank Street Writ- er arc the most popular made- for- Apple programs, and with the addition of an 80-column card and aCP/M disk, high-powered packages (such as WordStar) will run.
On the Apple II plus, all these programs work much more efficiently with a shift-key modification, though it's a S50 operation that voids the Apple warranty. Without the modification, making capital letters is an arduous, annoying process. The Apple He comes factory-built with a regular typewriter-style shift key.
Apple Writer 11 Is a satisfactory program, and relative- ly easy to use, though it is not particularly powerful. You cannot "overwrite" text, but must first delete the error and then insert new text. And, when working on one file, you cannot get a disk directory of other files without rebooting the master disk. However, it does have a good HELP menu, with a list of commands. With an 80-column board installed, it provides 80 columns of text. And it has a rare split-screen feature, which allows you to display two por- tions of one file (the beginning and the end, say) on the screen at one time.
Screenwriter 11 is somewhat more powerful, and offers a 70-column screen display without an 80-column board. This is a major plus. It also permits intricate print for- mats, including underlining, and footnotes. In some cases, however, the same function, such as inserting text, has two different control commands, depending on the mode you're writing in. This takes some getting used to, and can be annoying. So can the slow process of loading and saving a file, and the slow response time to keyboard commands. Nonetheless, many users consider Screen- writer II to be the best word-processing program written specifically for the Apple. It will do almost anything the average user could want.
Bank Street Writer, developed for children but power- ful enough for adults, is probably the easiest word-pro- cessing program on the market to learn and use. Five or 10 minutes and you'll be off. There's a command directory at the top of the screen above the text, so you always know what "mode" you're in (erase, delete, move. etc.). Its ques- tion-and-answer routines make giving print commands a snap, and it adapts automatically to most printers. The drawbacks: a 40-column screen display, and the need to shift into different modes every time you want to move the cursor. This can slow down the fleet-fingered. But, all in all, it's a snappy program that establishes a new standard in its price range.
At the opposite extreme is Pie Writer, a very powerful package with a lot of functions and commands — too many, probably, for the average user. But many of the commands are quite simple — "E" for edit, "C" for catalog, etc. — and if you want to go further you can. With an 80- column card. Pie Writer permits display of 128 charac- ters; the screen scrolls to the right to let you see more than 80. This is most useful if you need to make charts. At its price (S149), it's a lot of power for the dollar. Pf S: Write, part of the PFS family of business programs, is also at- tractively priced at SI 25.
APPLE WRITER II: Apple Computer Inc., 20525 Mariani Ave., Cupertino,, CA 95004; $150; S195 for Apple lie ver- sion.
BANK STREET WRITER: Broderbund. 1938 Fourth St.. San Rafael. CA 94901; S95: available for Apple and Atari.
SCREENWRITER II; Sierra On-Line, 36575 Mudge Ranch Rd., Coarsegold, CA; 93614; SI 25.
PIE WRITER: Hayden Software Co., 600 Suffolk St.. Lowell, MA 01853: $150.
PFS: WRITE; Software Publishing Corp.. 1901 Landings Dr., Mountain View, CA 94043; $125; lie only.
ATARI WP
Although comparable in raw power to the Apple 11 plus, the Atari computer is not widely supported with word- processing software. Yet the few Atari word-processing packages that exist are all fairly complete, friendly, full- functioned tools.
Of these, the best is Letter Perfect. Driven largely by CTRL/Kcy combinations, Letter Perfect has a full range of block-move and copy commands, as well as global search and replace, screen justification, tabbing, insert and overstrike modes, and a variety of delete functions. Epson, Atari, Diablo, and Qume printers are supported on-line, and the software can easily be configured to work with others. Letter Perfect comes in both disk and car- tridge format, the disk format in two versions, one sup- porting the Bit-3 80-column card.
The program is compatible with a range of powerful subsidiary software for data-base management and list- processing applications. Its only weaknesses are the poor quality of its documentation and the fact that its files are incompatible with those of Atari DOS. However, publisher LJK sells an Inexpensive disk-utility program allowing the transfer of files from LJK DOS to Atari DOS and the reverse, as well as file merging.
PROGRAMS
The Atari Word Processor is also a fairly powerful program, though less economical of memory than Letter Perfect. Disk-based, it demands a minimum of 48K memory. Command menus appear on-screen with text. The editor has a full range of cursor-move, block-move, search, and replace commands, plus a variety of insert and delete options and an "undo-dclctc" function. In edit- ing, text Is formatted to 80 columns: the Atari's 40-col- umn screen scrolls over it horizontally. This prevents the user from seeing entire lines of text, but allows reliable "what you see is what you get" print formatting from within the edit mode.
Documentation is excellent, and a disk tutorial is in- cluded, along with a narrative audio cassette. Unfortu- nately, Word Processor supports only the Atari dot-ma- trix and letter-quality printers; owners of other printers buy at their own risk.
AtariWriter, also by Atari, is a cartridge-based proces- sor. Within its editor, AtariWriter is largely command- driven via CTRL/Key combinations. There are no HELP menus. AtariWriter formats text in 40 columns, but aside from this limitation, preserves most of the editing functions of the Atari Word Processor, including the
DECEMBER 1983 63
handy "undo-delete" function. AlnriWriter supports both Atari and Epson printers (and compatibles), and has some exotic print features, including a double-column printing format. Text files may be saved either on disk or tape, and transferred freely from one to the other. Docu- mentation is quite good.
Text Wixard. by Datasoft, is comparable In some re- spects to Letter Perfect — it is a high-quality, full-func- tion word processor at an attractive price. Disk-based, the program is entirely compatible with Atari DOS, and can be used as a program text editor. Text Wizard is largely command-driven, both within the editor and in other function areas. Menus are conspicuously sparse in this program, though command structures are logical and can be memorized easily. Text Wizard formats text on-screen in 40 columns. Files may be merged, and portions of text moved from one file to another quite conveniently — an
advanced feature. Output formatting is very powerful, ac- complished by imbedding control characters in text. Print margins can be set with unusual precision, and double- column printing is possible. Documentation is clear, con- cise, and gives full explanations of all commands, along with examples.
ATARIWRITER; Atari. P.O. Box 61657. Sunnyvale, CA 94086: S99,95,
ATARI WORD PROCESSOR; Atari, address above; S149.95.
LETTER PERFECT; LJK Enterprises, P,0, Box 10827. St. Louis. MO 63129: S99; Atari 400/800 (Apple II plus/lie version SI 49.95).
TEXT WIZARD; Datasoft. 9421 Wtnnetka Ave.. Chats- worth. CA 91311; S49.95; Atari 400/800.
CQMMODORE 64 and
The Commodore 64 is a powerful and popular computer with sophisticated graphics capabilities. It is not surpris- ing, therefore, that quite a few word-processing packages are available for it. What is surprising is the almost uni- formly mediocre quality of these products. Some seem to have been adapted more or less directly from software designed for the older, less capacious VlC-20 — and most have weaknesses that make them inappropriate tools for the serious writer.
An important point to note when shopping for a C-64 or VIC word-processing package is whether or not the soft- ware supports the Commodore RS-232 port. Use of this port is required for most letter-quality printers. Many of the word-processing programs for the Commodore com- puters support only the Commodore serial port as a device driver. In effect, this means that only Commodore print- ers, or others compatible with the Commodore serial pro- tocols, may work with these programs.
Quicit Brown Fox is a cartridge-based word processor available for VIC-20, Commodore 64, and a variety of other computers. QBF allows use of the RS-232 port with a few minor restrictions. There are separate modes for text en- try and editing; moreover, editing is line-based and some- what clumsy. However, all common editing functions are available, and the program includes some advanced text- management functions, such as the inclusion of standard "boilerplate" paragraphs from common disk files. Print formatting is by imbedded control characters, and overall print control is menu-driven.
Unusually powerful in some respects and surprisingly weak in others. Paper Clip, available in disk format for the Commodore 64, is among the most expensive [SI 25) of the C-64 word processors. Its producers have adopted an unusual form of copy-protection; Unauthorized copies of the program will not run without the insertion of a special device — included in the package — into the front joystick port of the computer.
Paper Clip allows text entry in a variety of "virtual" screen widths, ranging from 40 to 124 columns. It allows full-screen editing; however, text breaks unevenly at the ends of screen lines, and attempts to manually reformat this text to improve on-screen readability will ruin the
VIC'20 WP PROGRAMS
appearance of the text as it is printed out. Among Paper Clip's more advanced features are column editing (allow- ing definition of a mid-screen column of text or figures as an edit block), the ability to add columns of figures imbed- ded in text, and insertion of boilerplate text from common disk files. Text may be stored on disk or cassette tapes.
Easy Script 64. by Commodore, is available in both disk and cartridge formats for the C-64. The program suffers from the same lack of true word-wrapping as does Paper Clip — but otherwise seems to be marginally supe- rior to the more expensive program in ease of use and versatility, particularly in formatting printed output. Easy Script's editor allows the usual cursor-move, block- move, and copy. Insert, and delete functions. Subsidiaiy programs for file-management applications, such as merges and mailing lists, are available to the user on the program disk, and may be selected from the main Easy Script menu. A wide variety of printers, including RS- 232C systems, work with Easy Script. Its documentation is unusually comprehensive,
HESWriter is available In formats for both VlC-20 and Commodore 64. The program is cartridge -based, and does not support the RS-232 interface in its current version. Least expensive of the word processors reviewed here. HESWriter nevertheless supports a full range of func- tions, including word wrap, copying and block moves, string search, and a variety of deletes — and allows full- screen editing. HESWriter files may be freely merged, and may be stored to disk or tape. Print formatting is accom- plished via control characters embedded in text, and the range of print control functions is extensive. A best-seller.
EASYSCRIPT 64; Commodore Inc.. 1200 Wilson Dr.. West Chester, PA 19380; $80; Commodore 64.
HESWRITER; Human Engineered Software, 71 Park Lane. Brisbane. CA 94005; S39 (VIC-20); $49 (Commo- dore 64).
PAPERCLIP: Batteries Included. 71 McCaul St., Toron- to, Ontario, Canada M5T2X1: SI 25: Commodore 64.
QUICK BROWN FOX; 548 Broadway. Suite 4F, New York. NY 10012; S65; VIC-20. Commodore 64.
CP/M WP
To take care of basic business, such as transmitting information to the screen and memory, a computer de- pends upon its operating system program. Most home computers run their own, proprietary operating systems, making one brand of computer functionally incompatible with others. Over the past several years, however, several microcomputer operating system standards have
PROGRAMS
emerged. Of these, the most widely used is the CP/M oper- ating system (Control Program for Microcomputers), avail- able on a wide variety of machines that use the Z-80 microprocessor. Computers designed primarily for busi- ness, such as Osborne. Kaypro. and North Star, were built around CP/M, But. many general-purpose computers can operate in the CP/M mode with the addition of a Z-80
64 FAMILY COMPUTING
circuit board and a CP/M program on disk. And, if you want a professional word-processing program, you'll prob- ably have to turn to a CP/M program.
WordStar is one of the best word processing programs around. Put simply, WordStar can do almost anything any other word-processing program can do and has be- come the standard by which others are measured. Ifs not cheap ($495), it's not particularly easy to learn, and It's certainly not for everyone — but if you're considering any serious and ongoing writing, printing, and/or mailing, look here first. One particularly nice feature is that you can display the command menus on-screen with the text when in the training-wheel stage, and banish them to the nether world of the computer's memory when you're in second gear. They're still only a button away. WordStar requires two disk drives.
Perfect Writer's not far behind, and it's cheaper. Though it can do almost anything, some people find it a
cumbersome program to learn, and to print out from. It's recommended only for those who know their way around a CP/M system.
Peachlext may be a compromise between WordStar and Perfect Writer. Its functions satisfy the needs of both semi-ocassional and professional users, and it's rela- tively easy to learn and use. But it has several configura- tions, and a specific 80-column card and printer must be specified for the dealer's special installations.
PERFECT WRITER: Computer Services Corp. of Ameri- ca, 1400 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709; CP/M, IBM PC; S395.
WORDSTAR: MicroPro International, 33 San Pablo Ave., San Rafael, CA 94903; S494; CP/M: two disk drives re- quired.
PEACHTEXT: Peachtree Software, 3 Corporate Square #700, Atlanta, GA 30329: S500: CP/M.
IBM PC WP
There's no shortage of word-processing programs for the IBM PC. Both WordStar and Pie Writer, mentioned above, are configured to run on the IBM. IBM's own word- processing program, Easy Writer 1. is an improved ver- sion of Easy Writer, which was originally published for the Apple. Better than both of these is Easy Writer 11. It's great for screen formatting (with tabs, margin sets), and the hard copy printout is identical.
PFS: Write, a companion package to the popular PFS: File data-base program and other PFS programs, can merge data from these programs. It requires an IBM PC with 128K RAM, and two disk drives are recommended. One nice feature: What you see on the screen is what you get when you print.
The new word-processing program from Microsoft, the company that provided IBM's MS DOS operating program. is called Microsoft: Word. It's already considered one of the best around. You can work in eight different screen
PROGRAMS
"windows" at one time, allowing you to write from notes. And you can write in three columns.
One of the more popular PC programs, especially for those who don't need to merge mailing lists with their word-processing flics, is Volkswriter. Since a lot of peo- ple use it, it's not hard to find help at a PC users group. And in the low-cost category there's Wordvislen, a $50 package.
EASY WRITER II; Information Unlimited Software; 281 Arlington Ave., Berkeley, CA 94707
VOLKSWRITER; Lifetree Software, Inc., 177 Webster St. #342, Monterey. CA 93940; $195.
PFS WRITE; Software Publishing Corp., 1901 Landings Dr.. Mountain View. CA 94043: S140.
WORDVISION; Bruce & James. 4500 Tuller Rd„ Dublin. OH 43017; S50.
MICROSOFT WORD; Microsoft. 10700 Northup Way, Bellevue, WA 98004: S395.
Tl WP PROGRAMS
Shopping for a TI word-processing program Is easy — ^you have only one choice. Tl Writer, a program in plug-in cartridge form, is published by Te.\as Instruments. Be- sides the cartridge, you need a disk to store text flies. Peripheral expansion box, disk drive, and 32K RAM card
(S550) required.
Tl WRITER: Texas Instruments, P.O. Box 10508, Lub- bock. TX 74908: S99
MINI Ti WRITER: Texas Instruments; SI 9.95: on cas- sette; 4K mini-memory required.
TRS-80 WP
When TRS-80 users talk about word processing, the program most often mentioned is Scripsit. This Is mostly because the Radio Shack program has been around longer than most others, and has satisfied most everyone. It runs on the Model I, III. and 4, and. in the Color Scripsit version, on the Color Computer. It's not a fancy word- processing program — it has no HELP menus, cannot move a block of text, and is not particularly good on print formatting — -but it's competent and dependable.
SuperScripsit, however, the newer, upgraded version, takes care of most of these drawbacks, and it has a HELP menu. Ditto for Daisy, a "patch" program designed to be used in conjunction with Scripsit. Palsy can handle very complex print formats, and is a must for those who want to create technical reports of any kind.
A more powerful program than Scripsit, and a great value at SI 25, is Newscrlpt. Among other things, it has a built-in spelling-checker program, and allows you to print files in special character fonts. Underlining, boldface and other print formats are also available. Newscrlpt's power is easily harnessed, with its Primary Options Menu and various HELP menus. It's a well thought-out pro,gram.
PROGRAMS
Electric Pencil, one of the first word-processing pro- grams ever published, is also good value for the money (S79). It's been refined several times to keep tip with the market, and can be thought of as TRS-80 users' answer to Bank Street Writer. Like Scripsit, it comes up in con- versation, and don't overlook little Zorlof . which is slower than Scripsit but excells at print formatting.
DAISY: Med Systems Software. P.O. Box 3558, Chapel Hill, NC 27514; $75: TRS-80 Model I, III, and 4.
ELECTRIC PENCIL; IJG Inc.. 1953 W. 11th St., Upland, CA 91786: $89; TRS-80 I. III. 4; available in cassette ver- sion for 16K machines.
NEWSCRIPT 7.0; Prosoft Software; Box 839: North Hol- lywood, CA 91603; S125; 48K Model 1, III and 4.
SCRIPSIT: Tandy Corp., 1800 One Tandy Center, Ft. Worth, TX 76102; $99: TRS-80 Model 1, III. 4: Color Scrip- sit for Color Computer: $39.95.
SUPERSCRIPSIT; Tandy Corp: $199; TRS-80 Models I. III. and 4.
ZORLOF: Anitek, Box 361136, Melbourne, FL 32936: $69.
DECEMSER 1BB3 65
A Young Girl's Fantasy Turns to Fortune
AS A CHILD, ROBERTA WILLIAMS WAS SCOLDED FOR CREATING STORIES. NOW HER IMAGINATION PAYS OFF IN COMPUTER ADVENTURES.
BY JAMES DELSON
#Mo
"WHAT'S FUNNY
ABOUT MY
SUCCESS IS THAT
I USEP TO GET
INTO TROUBLE
FOR TELLING
STORIES. NOW I
MAKE A LIVING
AT IT."
JAMES DELSON, the gaiues
critic Jor FAMILY
COMPUTING, has written for Psychology Today and Film Commenl. and is currently working on his eleventh screenplay.
66 FAMILY COMPUTING
lany of us dream of designing a hit com- puter game— Just one in our UJetime. Thirty- year-old Roberta Williams has Jive games to her credit — all written in the past three years. Amazingly, bettveen the time she ivas 10 and 26. she didn't even play, much less Invent, any gam.es.
"Myjirst games career began and ended by age 10 with the playing of Candy Land." the designer told family computing contributing editor James Delson when they met recently. But Williams has risen like a phoenix out of the ashes of her 16-year hiatus from game playing to become one of the country's leading game designers, creating such adventures as Time Zone, The Dark Crystal, and Mystery House.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Williams recalls that the high spots oj her childhood were those times she would spin tall tales Jor her friends and relatives about her experiences playing Candy Land, the board game that leads children along a trail of gumdrops. lollipops, and other sweets lo a gingerbread house. "If you really look at it. Candy Land is like an adventure ganie." says Williams. "You're going through this little Jantasyland. When I told my friends and cousins these wild stories about my adven- tures there, they'd tell their parents, who would then call my parents to get them to slop me from making up such lies."
As Williams reached puberty, her interest in storytelling gave way to miniskirts and boy
chasing. She soon married, had two children, and worked brlejly in various computer-relat- ed Jobs, tier imagination took a rest for more than a decade, to be aroused when, at age 26, she discovered computer games. In the next three years she designed five trend-set- ting computer adventure programs.
Her credits read like a brief history of ad- venture games, beginning with herjirsl pro- gram. Mystery House, which broke ground as the first illustrated adventure scenario. Wiz- ard and the Princess, the first color graphics adventure game, led lo the simpler Mission Asteroid. Time Zone, which fills six double- sided disks and more than 1 .500 screens with 39 interlocking scenarios, is the biggest game ever manufactured, while The Dark Crystal was the first "advenlurization" of a motion picture into a game. Now she has two new projects: Family Circus, based on the popular comic strip, and a new adventure program so lop secret that she can't even disclose its title, although she will discuss some of its innova- tive elements. Williams and her husband. Ken. continue to revolutionize the Jield with programs from Sierra On-Line. the California- based software company they founded in 1980. "What's funny about my success now llsj I used to get into trouble for telling stories." Williams said. "Now I make a living at it."
FCj Why are adventure games so appealing to
VOIl"?
you?
Williams; Most computer games offer a way
of
escaping life, but adventures go further. They offer me the chance to tell stories.
FCs How old are kids who play adventure games?
Williams: Most kids from about nine and up enjoy them, but the puzzles require a thought process kids don't develop until they are about 11 or 12. Even my son, who's nine and has lived with adventure games since he was six, can't play alone. By about sixth grade, age level doesn't matter. It's the experience one's had in playing that counts,
FC: Computer games tend to be regarded as male-oriented activities. How can more girls and women get acquainted with them? How can you get someone to play who's simply not interested?
Williams: Well, I was that way until about four years ago. My husband used to bring home a computer terminal for his work.