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LEARHIN6  STRATEGIES!  POWER  TIPS!  GA 


January  1990 


'H^ 


THE    CHOICEOF    HOME    PC    ENTHUSIASTS    SINCE    1979^ 


WpJIHMin. 


NERS! 


ti 


.-f^'fgSl  ui 


Top  Home  PC  Products 

Readers'  Poll — 
Vote  for 
YourChoiceL 


■I".  IH  li  H.'K1l 


►  Amiga 

►  Apple  11 

►  C64/128 


c-icj,v,|;il.|-|^ 


Learning  to  Write 
Can  Be  Fun! 


■ 


IN  RECOGNITION  OF 

EXCELLENCE  IN  A  HOME 

COMPUTER  PRODUCT 


Desktop  PublishinglGraphics 
PublisWt!  Lire! 


^J^ 


0      71486"Q2193' 


X 


Go  back  through  time  into  mysterious, 

dislntti  lands,  alive  with  conflict,  intrigue 

and  passion.  Koei  products  transport  you  to 

real  countries  zoith  a  real  past.  Your 

survival  and  conquest  will  take  valor  and 

discretion,  battlefield  guts  and  financial 

finesse,  heavy  handed  rule  and 

gentle  diplomacy. 

Huge  databases,  gorgeous  graphics  and  a 

friendly  user  interface  make  Koei  historical 

simulations  a  joy  to  play. 


y    ~. 


:y\ . 


Experience  Japans  Greatest 


Romance  of  the 
Three  Kingdoms 

Live  Second 
Century  China 


^mm^j^ 


"*%5^^ 


I'eatures  Include: 

•  25S  Characters,  each 
ivith  a  distinct 
IKriOimlilif 

•  Military,  economic 
and  diplomatic 
simulation 

•  Five  different 
scenarios 

•  For  one  to  eight  players 

•  Complete  operations 
matiiiatand 
historical  notes 


You  are  a  warlord  in  second  century 
China.  Central  government  has 
collapsed,  creating  a  power  vacuum 
you  long  to  fill.  Success  means 
triumphing  against  other  warlords 
and  the  elements,  to  control  the 
nation. 


Winner: 

1989  Strategy  Game  of  the  Year 

Computer  Gaming  World  Magazine 


IBM  &  Compatibles,  Amiga 


Nobunaga's  Ambition 

The  Struggle  to 
Become  Shogun 


Features  Include; 

•  For  one  to  eight  players 

•  Two  Scenarios,  five 
levels  of  play 

•  Instruction  manual, 
historical  notes  and 
reference  included 

The  Best,  Longest 
Selling  Simulation 
Game  Ever 
Released  in  Japan 


iMaiigftvAmt/tfpn 


Take  the  part  of  a  Daimyo  during 
Japan's  bloody,  sixteenth  century, 
warring  states  period.  Increase  the 
strength  of  your  states  slowly,  or  risk 
everything  in  a  desperate,  all  or 
nothing  grab  for  power. 


I-inalist: 

Software  Publisher's  Association's 

Excellence  in  Software  Awards. 


IBM  &  Compatibles 


Genghis  Khan 

Conquests  Of 
Love  And  War 


KHM-^i^r^ 


Features  Include: 

•  For  one  lofour 

players 

•  Two  separate 
scenarios  with  five 
levels  of  difficulty 

•  A  Quick  Resolution 
Mode  that  resolves 
battles  in  seconds 

•  Advanced  combat 
system 

•  Characters  ivith  dis- 
tinct personalities 


Destroy  your  enemies  in  battle,  or  by 
assassination,  while  you  keep  your 
populace  happy,  your  treasury  full, 
and  your  subordinates  loyal.  A 
seduced  princess  can  produce  heirs  to 
govern  conquered  territories. 


Finalist: 

1989  Strategy  Game  of  the  Year 

Computer  Gaming  World  Magazine 


IBM  &  Compatibles,  Amiga 


KOEI...  We  Supply  The  Past,  You  Make  The  History 


Realistic,  complex  scenarios  and  intelligent 
computer  opponents  make  Koei  simulations 
a  challenge  to  win.  Each  game  offers 
hundreds  of  hours  of  non-repetitious 
playing  time. 

Koei  is  japan's  leading  producer  of 
entertainment  and  educational  software. 
The  simulations  you  see  on  these  pages  are 
Mine  of  the  best,  and  longest  selling  titles 
,;ver  seen  in  Japan.  A  few  moments  with 
any  Koei  product  will  make  it  clear  why. 


Strategy  Simulations 


l^*?»;:,    .'^« 

1 

»* 

:.jfmm\ 

Bandit 
Kings  of 
Ancient 
China 

Features  Include: 

•  Four  separate 
scenarios; 

•  One  to  seven 
players; 

•  Military,  Economic 
and  Diplomatic 
Simulation; 

•  Cast  of  255 
characters  with 
unique  abilities, 
personalities,  and 
social  positions; 

•  Sophisticated  battle 
system  that 
incorporates 
everything  from 
seasonal  terrain 
changes  to  fireballs 
and  magic; 

•  Not  copy  protected. 


IBM  &  Compatibles 


The  newly  appointed  Minister  of  War  has  seized  all 
imperial  authority,  and  rules  the  Empire  with  malicious 
glee.  Those  who  oppose  him  are  branded  and  exiled. 
The  En:\peror,  reduced  to  a  shadow  in  his  own  palace, 
has  one  last  chance  to  restore  order  and  justice... you. 

But  Gao  Qiu,  the  evil  Minister  of  War,  will  use  his 
considerable  power  to  destroy  you  unless  you  get  to  him 
first.  And  if  things  weren't  bad  enough,  the  northern 
border  is  swarming  with  barbarians,  bent  on  taking  the 
Empire's  riches  for  their  own. 


KOEI 


Koei  Corporation,  One  Bay  Plaza,  Suite  540,1350  Bayshore  Highway  Burlingame,  CA  94010,  Tel.  415-348-0500 

IBM  is  a  registered  trademark  of  International  Business  Machines 

Circle  Rasder  Service  NumtMr  IBS 


COMPUTE! 

THE    CHOICE    OF    HOME    PC    ENTHUSIASTS    SINCE     1979 


CONTENTS 


IN  fPCUS:  PRIZEWINNING  SOFTWARE 

1990  COMPUTE!  CHOICE  AWARDS  /22/  the  editors 

OF  COMPUTE! 

We  give  blue  ribbons  to  our  favorite  PC  programs  this  year. 

MY  VIEW  /36/  AMY  NEWMARK 

Learn  to  picl<  the  cream  of  the  educational  crop. 

BEST  OF  THE  REST  /39/ 

Big  Blue  aside,  we  shout  hooray  for  other  winners. 

RESOURCES  /48/  EDITORS 

Find  the  best  software  your  hardware  can  handle, 

COMPUTEi's  JANUARY  SHAREPAK  DISK  /so/ 

A  superb  shell,  a  typing  teacher,  a  puzzling  pastime,  and  a 
math  marvel. 


DEPARTMENTS 


NEWS  &  NOTES  /6/  editors 

SPA  update,  grading  computers  in  school,  Japanese  screen 

pyrotechnics,  and  more  that's  new. 


LETTERS  /ii/  EDITORS 

Faster  pool,  power  clarification,  SharePak  info,  and  finding 
Working  from  Home. 

COMPUTE!  SPECIFIC 

MS-DOS  /12/  CLIFTON  KARNES  AND  JACK  NIMERSHEIM 

COMMODORE  64/128  /14/  neil  randall 

APPLE  II  /14/  GREGG  KEIZER 
AMIGA  /16/  DENNY  ATKIN 
MACINTOSH  /1 6/  HEIDI  E.  H.  AYCOCK 


REVIEWS  /100/ 


NEW  PRODUCTS  /139/  mickey  mclean 


HOTWARE  /144/  SOFTWARE  BESTSELLERS 


Cover  Photo  ®  1989  Mark  Wagoner 


COMPUTE!  The  Choice  of  Home  PC  Enthuilaals  Slhce  1979  (USPS:  53?250)  is  published  montnly  by  COMPUTE'  Publica lions 
Pnc .  ABC  Consumer  Magazines,  Inc  ,  Chilor  Company,  one  al  the  A8C  Puyishing  Companies,  a  part  o1  Capital  Cities  ABC  Inc 
Editorial  Offices  are  located  at  324  IVest  Wtendovet  ^wenua.  Grean$bOfo.  NC  27406  Domestic  Sjt>scncKon&  12  isstjes  Si9  94 
POSTMASTER;  Send  Form  3579  to:  COMPUTE!.  PO  Bo«  3245,  Hajtan.  lA  51 537  SecoM-dass  postage  paid  at  New  Vax  (J¥ 
and  additional  mailmg  oltces.  Enure  contents  cocrynotii  ©  1 990  tw  COMPLITEi  Pucticalwns.  Inc,  All  ndrts  reserved  ISSN  oi  94- 
357X 


I^^SSISSSSIJB3^3 


PRDDUCTIViTY 


COMPUTE!  CHOICE  /52/  steven  anzo/in 

Brag  about  animation  on  your  PC  with  Autodesk  Animator. 

DISK  ANATOMY  /sa/  jack  nimersheim 
Everything  you  need  to  i<now  about  floppies. 

PC  PRIMER  /64/  HINTS  AND  TIPS  FROM  OUR  READERS 

Switch  graphics  modes  for  PC  Paintbrush  IV  and  bypass  text 
editors  in  DOS. 


COMPUTE!  CHOICE  /66/  richard  Sheffield 
Ciimb  into  the  commander's  seat  in  Ml  Tank  Platoon. 

GAMEPLAY  2001  /74/  keith  ferrell 

Grab  your  arcade  armor  and  head  for  the  21st  century. 

GAMESCOPE  /82/  HINTS  and  tips  from  our  readers 
Get  through  Deja  Vu,  dissect  adventure  games,  pian  a  good 
city,  and  choose  the  winning  play. 


M 

PI 
i 

1 

"^^^K^^M 

COMPUTE!  CHOICE  /84/  heidi  e.  h.  aycock 

Ramble  through  a  statistical  dimension  of  the  U.S.  with  PC  USA. 

ONCE  UPON  A  TIME  /90/  Leslie  eiser 

Start  your  kids  off  with  a  good  story  opening,  and  they'll  finish 

with  a  surprise  ending. 


HOMEWORK  /9S/  hints  and  tips  from  our  readers 
Chart  your  child's  progress  and  aim  for  improvement. 


EDITORIAL  LICENSE  /4/  peter  scisco 

We  live  in  a  time  of  growing  pains  and  a  time  for  dreams. 


IMPACT  /5€/  DAVID  D.  THORNBURG 

Think  of  what  you  can  do  with  online  services. 


GAMEPLAY  /to/  orson  scott  card 

Computer  adaptations  should  improve  old  favorites. 


DISCOVERIES  /88/  DAVID  stanton 
Educational  software  speaks  for  itself. 


CONVERSATIONS  /i38/  keith  ferrell 

It's  ali  software  to  Les  Crane  of  Software  Toolworks. 


OFF  LINE  /142/  DAN  GOOKIN 

Get  what  you  want. 

JANUARY  1990  •  VOLUME  12  •  NUMBER  1  •  ISSUE  116 


DITORIAL  LICENSE 


wi^mmmmmmammmmaammMmM 

PETER         SCISCO 


mm^sm^^^sm 


Some  notes  from  the  un- 
derground— Montreal's 
underground,  to  be  exact, 
which  is  located  just  a  few 
blocks  away  from  the  site 
of  the  fifth  annual  Soft- 
ware Publishers  Associa- 
tion conference.  Centu- 
ries old,  Montreal  rises 
from  its  rocky  archipelago 
in  southern  Quebec  to 
flourish  amid  a  rich  French  heritage. 

All  that  history  seemed  lost  on 
the  attendees,  however,  who  were 
more  content  to  cast  their  eyes  on  the 
future.  That's  no  surprise — the  com- 
puter industry  is  a  future-driven  busi- 
ness in  which  advances  in  technology 
define  new  areas  before  older  ones  can 
be  fully  explored. 

Jim  Dezell  of  IBM,  for  example, 
delivered  a  keynote  speech  that  fo- 
cused on  improving  education  in 
America  and  on  the  role  the  computer 
has  to  play  in  furthering  that  goal.  He 
then  treated  us  to  a  fantastic  display  of 
multimedia  wizardry.  From  cusp-of- 
the-century  animation  to  a  full-tilt, 
full-motion  video  newsreel  of  space 
shots,  moon  walking  (the  real  thing, 
not  the  Michael  Jackson  shuffle — 
that's  another  bit  of  history),  and  Wal- 
ter Cronkite,  it  was  enough  to  warm 
the  cockles  of  any  skeptic's  heart. 

But  as  I  walked  out  of  that  huge 
room,  the  graphics  still  a  twinkle  in 
my  eye,  I  began  to  wonder  what 
school  system  could  possibly  afford 
that  kind  of  futuristic  setup.  While  the 
mavens  of  technology  tout  the  amaz- 
ing technicolor  audiodigital  universe, 
schools  across  the  country  depend  on 
the  same  audiovisual  gadgets  they 
used  when  I  was  a  kid.  I  can  stilt  hear 
the  slap,  slap,  slap  of  celluloid  that  ac- 
companied every  broken  film,  still  see 
the  blaze  that  burned  through  the  mo- 
tion picture  frame  and  cast  its  watery 
shadow-fire  upon  the  screen  at  the 
front  of  the  room.  I  think  there  was  a 
lesson  there. 

The  computer-in-education  revo- 
lution notwithstanding,  most  schools 
are  limping  along  with  eight-year-old 
8-bit  computers  while  big  business  rel- 


egates 1 6-bit  systems  to  the  mainte- 
nance staff  The  lesson  here  isn't  too 
hard  to  grasp:  Corporations  generate 
income  and  can  afford  the  best,  while 
schools  generate  nothing  (except  the 
workers  who  are  expected  to  know 
how  to  operate  all  this  new  hardware) 
and  can  barely  afford  to  maintain  the 
equipment  they  have. 

I'm  not  saying  that  American 
business  doesn't  deserve  the  best.  I'm 
just  saying  that  schools  also  deserve 
access  to  the  latest  technology,  and  it's 
going  to  take  more  than  a  handful  of 
companies  like  IBM,  Apple,  Tandy, 
and  Commodore  to  make  sure  they 
get  it.  And  don't  look  to  Uncle  Sam — 
he's  so  broke  he  can't  pay  attention. 


Meanwhile,  at  another  SPA  ses- 
sion, Microsoft  glibly  defined  the 
386SX  with  a  megabyte  of  R.A.M  as  a 
home  computer  and  not  one  person  in 
the  audience  batted  an  eye.  Not  even 
Tandy,  which  continues  to  pursue  the 
8088  and  286-based  home  market 
with  its  jOe^ArMafe  applications.  I 


guess  the  386,  the  286,  and  the  8088 
do  have  a  lot  in  common:  a  huge  in- 
stalled base,  billions  of  invested  dol- 
lars, and  MS-DOS.  No  matter  how 
you  feel  about  it,  the  inertia  of  the  hu- 
mongous  MS-DOS  software  market 
has  given  that  platform  status  as  the 
standardbearer  of  home  computing. 

It  would  be  a  shame,  this  early  in 
the  history  of  home  computing,  to  ral- 
ly behind  any  one  standard.  A  newer, 
better  personal  computer — and  I 
mean  better  than  the  Macintosh,  the 
Amiga,  and  the  PC — may  never  see 
the  light  of  day  if  we're  not  prepared 
to  take  that  technological  leap  of  faith 
that  will  catapult  us  into  the  next 
wave  of  personal  computing. 

The  home  computer  of  the  future 
will  have  more  than  one  face,  and  the 
home  of  the  future  will  have  more 
than  one  computer.  A  dedicated  game 
system  incorporating  the  latest  in 
multimedia  gadgetry  will  reign  as  the 
vehicle  of  choice  for  those  family 
flights  to  fantasia.  A  more  familiar 
system  may  reside  in  the  den  or  office, 
with  terminals  in  bedrooms  (so  Jack 
and  Sally  can  access  the  CD  version  of 
the  family  encyclopedia)  and  the 
kitchen  (so  you  can  do  your  shopping 
online).  In  the  family  office,  the  busi- 
ness of  running  a  dynamic  home 
economy  thrives. 

Idle  dreams?  I  don't  think  so. 
The  basis  for  such  a  scenario  is  al- 
ready here.  With  a  little  luck,  we'll 
look  back  on  this  period  of  personal 
computing  as  a  time  of  immense 
growing  pains,  of  startling  new  tech- 
nological developments,  of  innocence 
in  a  brave  new  world.  We  may  never 
get  in  the  book,  but  we're  history.       a 


'e  were  saddeneoto  hear  of  the 
death  of  John  Anderson  in  the  Bay 
Area  earthquake  in  October.  John  was 
senior  editor  of  features  at  MacUser 
magazine.  He  previously  worked  on 
the  s\a^  oi  Computer  Shopper  Sind,  in 
its  heyday,  Creative  Computing.  John 
was  a  fine  writer  and  editor.  His  fam- 
ily has  our  deepest  sympathy. 


COMPUTE! 


JANUARY       1990 


I  never  thought  I'd  have  so 
much  fun  getting  good  grsldes. 


U 


T 


Davidson  Software  Age  Level  Guide 


PROGRAM 


AGE  LEVEL 


:o       11        12       13       14 


Math  Blaster  Plus! 
Math  Blaster  Mystery 


Alge-BIaster  Plus  I     ^\L 
Word  Attack  Plusl       '' 
Word  Attach  Plus  Spanish 
Word  Attaclt  Plua  French 

Math  and  Me 

Beading  and  Me 


Or  jmniiiT'  nrnmHw 

SpeU  It  Pltut     Jlieit'^ 
Speed  Beader     "' 


Bead  IN  Boll 


Homeworker 


AiiJil:yr.il  djM  disks  extend  llwle^Tl  o(  th«  pfogram. 


trCLA  study*  Verifies  Davidson 
Software  Improves  Grades 


j  .[   ..|   .[   .[ 


English 
Lisd^  OiavKlsan  sottware. 


Math         Readlng.Wrillng       Spelling 
uiiog  Davctun  samara. 


•  Pfts  Ertar.  was  aeSsa  trom  ntomaiw  gaCwBd  in  an  ndepereferJi  i-tuOy  by  U&A  StjOva  at 
UCLA  s  Graouase^  SOvxi  tA  Managemeri 


Call  us  toll  free  TODAY  to  find  out  how  your 
kids  can  have  fun  and  improve  their  grades. 

800/556-6141      213/534-2250  (CA) 


Davidson. 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  197 


To  hear  it  told  at  last  October's  Software 
Publishers  Association  Conference,  defin- 
ing the  cxjnsumer  software  market  is  akin 
to  the  old  story  of  the  blind  beggars 
describing  an  elephant. 
"It's  not  clear,  from  the  development 
standpoint,  how  to  manage  the  process  of 
development  in  fight  of  changing  hardware 
platforms,"  said  Mediagenic's  Bruce 
Davis,  For  instance,  he  noted,  magnetic 
media  can't  sustain  the  complex  products 
that  companies  now  proouce. 

Robert  Garriot  of  Origin  Systems  claimed  that 
consumers  are  looking  for  standards  in  computing. 
Phillip  Adam  of  Spectrum  HoloByte  echoed  that  state- 
ment, saying  that  standards  are  the  only  way  to  in- 
crease the  penetration  of  personal  computers  into  the 
home. 

By  sheer  market  weight,  the  MS-DOS  platform 
holds  the  best  promise  for  a  standard,  a  fact  not  lost 


on  entertainment  software  developers.  Many  of  their 
products  come  out  on  IBM-compatible  systems  before 
being  ported  to  other  platforms. 

But  some  problems  remain  unsolved.  Most 
noticeably,  said  Adam,  the  PC's  poor  sound-and- 
graphics  capability.  The  advent  of  VGA  and  third-party 
sound  cards  may  have  some  influence  in  those  areas. 

Beyond  personal  computers,  the  future  of  the 
home  computer  market  would  seem  to  involve  dedi- 
cated systems  of  one  kind  or  another,  most  likely 
game  systems  such  as  the  Genesis  and  TurboGrafx- 
16,  which  boast  more  powerful  graphics  processors 
than  the  first-generation  Nintendo  Entertainment 
Systems. 
—PETER  SCISCO 


Less  Business,  More  Fun 


Medlagenic  has  divested  two 
product  lines:  the  Apple  11- 
orlented  Activlsion  Presenta- 
tion Tools  and  the  Macintosh- 
oriented  TENpolntO. 

The  company  wants  to 
focus  on  entertainment, 
according  to  spokesperson 
Loretta  Stagnlto. 

Medlagenic  will  continue 
to  sell  and  support  products 


« 


^lilililflflJM 


giti^iiiiwri 


ul^lilifeliiiig 


■•^1 


flfli'li[il#NJf 


In  the  Activlsion  Presentation 
Tools  and  TENpolntO  lines. 
However,  the  company  won't 
release  upgrades  to  such 
programs  as  Palntworks  Go/tf 
and  Reports.  Stagnlto  said 
Medlagenic  will  try  to  sell  the 
two  lines  to  another  com- 
pany. The  Z-Sott  division,  a 
PC  graphics  group,  wlil  re- 
main part  of  Mediagenic's 
family. 

Although  the 
company  will  con- 
tinue to  support 
such  Mac  enter- 
tainment favorites 
as  fhe  Manhole, 
Cosmic  Osmo,  and 
Shanghai,  few  new 
games  will  emerge 
for  the  Apple  il 
line. 
—HEIDI  E.  H.  AYGOCK 


Mediagenic  will  still  release  Mac  games  like  Shanghai, 
but  Apple  productivity  is  over  when  the  stock  runs  out. 


IT'S  A  DATACRIME 

Where  are  the  after-the-fact  horror 
stories  from  the  Datacrime  virus? 
The  much-publicized  virus  was 
supposed  to  wipe  out  hard  drives 
on  October  12,  1989. 

After  all  the  panic,  though,  il 
seems  that  few  people  lost  any  data. 
Most  people  heeded  the  warnings 
and  backed  up  their  drives.  Many 
other  savvy  users  got  copies  of 
Viruscan  or  similar  programs  that 
check  for  this  and  other  nasty  vi- 
ruses. Besides  all  of  the  prevention, 
this  particular  sickness  wasn't  as 
widely  distributed  as  was  pre- 
viously feared. 

Now  that  Datacrime  has  run  its 
course,  we  can  all  wait  anxiously  for 
the  next  virus.  Or  we  can  back  up 
our  hard  disks  regularly  and  use  a 
virus-detection  and  disinfection  pro- 
gram like  Viruscan  (SharewarePlus 
Software,  1 50  South  Magnolia  Ave- 
nue, Suite  248,  Anaheim,  California 
92804;  714-821-5090).  Also,  some 
legislatures  are  fighting  back  by 
making  virus  spreading  illegal. 
—RICHARD  C.  LEINECKER 


i^^^y-^W. 


Teacher's  Pet 

According  to  a  July,  1989  poll  of 
teachers,  the  computer  in  your 
child's  school  may  be  voted  most 
likely  to  succeed.  The  IBM-funded 
survey  showed  that  teachers  give 
computers  an  A-plus  for  their 
contribution  to  education.  Comput- 
ers have  become  a  basic  instruc- 
tional tool,  not  just  a  passing  fad. 

In  a  sample  of  1 100  teachers 
nationwide,  98  percent  of  the  repre- 
sented school  districts  had  access  to 
a  computer.  Teachers  overwhelm- 
ingly supported  computers  in 
education — 87  percent  favored  in- 
creased use  and  85  percent  think 
computers  have  already  had  a  pos- 
itive impact  on  education. 

.4s  a  weapon  in  the  war  on  so- 
cial problems,  computers  also  earn 
high  marks.  Three-quarters  of  the 
teachers  said  that  computers  can 
help  reach  students  with  messages 
about  drugs,  alcohol,  and  sexuality. 
Computers  can  also  help  reduce  the 
illiteracy  rate,  according  to  82  per- 
cent of  the  teachers.  When  it  comes 
to  classroom  problems,  the  re- 
sponse isn't  quite  as  dramatic. 
However,  64  percent  said  comput- 
ers could  fight  the  dropout  rate, 
and  62  percent  said  they  could  help 
reduce  discipline  problems. 

The  downside  is  that  most 


so 


40 


20 


Teachers  overwhelmi 

computers  in  educat 

an 


ngly  support  the  use  of 
ion. 

asx 


tax 


R2X 


Use 

Concuters 
to  Teach 


Favor 

Increased 

Use 


Source:  "The  Computef  Report  Card."  1989, 
The  Wirthlin  Group. 


teachers  believe  a  lack  of  funding 
will  hold  back  developments  in 
educational  computing. 

From  the  teacher's  point  of 
view,  computers  are  important  to 
the  educational  career,  and 
educators  need  to  learn  more  about 
them.  From  the  student's  point  of 
view  (according  to  the  teachers), 
computer  literacy  is  essential  to  be- 
ing prepared  for  college. 
—HEIDI  E.  H.  AYCOCK 


Of  ThQse 
Uith  an 
Qpfnion^ 

Favor 

Introduction 
In  Early 
Grades,  (4U 
Say  No 
Later  Than 
Ffrsc  Grade) 


Think 

Ccnputerft 

Have 

Already 

Had  a 

Positive 

lofject 

on 

Education 


Numbers  Game 

Dataquest,  a  market-research  firm  in  San  Jose,  California,  re- 
leased preliminary  numbers  irom  its  1989  home  computer- 
market  survey  in  October  that  cast  some  light  on  the  population 
of  personal  computer  users  outside  of  big  business. 

Out  of  the  4070  households  interviewed,  18  percent  have 
personal  computers,  up  17  percent  from  1986.  Dedicated  video- 
game systems  were  in  23  percent  of  the  homes. 

Eleven  percent  of  those  interviewed  call  themselves  en- 
trepreneurs, yet  only  23  percent  of  those  use  computers.  The 
three  most  frequently  booted  software  packages  are  word 
processors,  games,  and  spreadsheets,  in  that  order. 

Forty-four  percent  of  the  computer  owners  have  hard  disks, 
and  57  percent  of  them  have  color  monitors,  Surprisingly,  CGA, 
EGA,  and  VGA  divide  almost  evenly  across  three-fourths  of  that 
57  percent. 

Illustrating  the  scope  of  software  piracy,  almost  40  percent  of 
computer  users  get  their  software  through  means  other  than 
computer  dealers,  mall  order,  or  software  stores,  Still,  46  percent 
of  those  computer  users  spent  more  than  S50  on  software  in  the 
six  months  prior  to  the  survey. 

The  survey  did  reveal  one  surprise:  Twenty  percent  of  the 
computer  owners  use  their  systems  for  music  applications,  from 
playing  and  composing  to  sound  editing. 
—PETER  SCISCO 


Screen  Show 

The  age  of  the  color  laptop — 
the  color  everything — has 
arrived. 

Vistora  to  October's  Japan 
Electronics  Show,  held  in 
Osaka,  saw  color  screens 
hlossoming  in  all  shapes  and 
sizes.  At  first  glance,  the  most 
notahle  display  was  the  num- 
ber of  color  laptops.  But  the 
new  generation  of  sleeker,  sex- 
ier HDTV  receivers  stood  out  a 
bit  more  dramatically. 

Closer  examination  re- 
vealed color  wriBtwatch-sized 
TVs;  hrief  case -portable  VCRs 
witli  built-in  screens;  full- 
color,  sleek,  flat  LCD  screens; 
and  more. 

The  show  wasn't  all  im- 
ages— Sony  unveiled  its  new 
Mavioa  digital  camera.  This 
year's  model  digitizes  ten  sec- 
onds' worth  of  sound  along 
with,  the  image  it  captures. 
Looks  like  the  era  of  personal 
sound  bytes  is  here. 
—KEITH  FERRELL  0 


Color-display  technology  from  Japan. 


%■'*'  JANUARY 


199C  COM    PUT. 


'::^^i^^MM^:i>*££^  ^^?;^^^', 


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The  enemy  MiGs  you  encounter  are 
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Multiple  skill  levels,  technically 
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recorder,  and  complete  weapons 
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that  set  FALCON  AT  above  all  other 
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passeii  realism  of  FALCON  AT  it  has 
been  selected  as  the  basis  for  a 
simulator  for  the  military.  Whether 
yoL  are  an  experienced  "top  gun"  or 
a  novice  pilot,  FALCON  AT  is  for  you, 

^jectnun 
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A  Division  of  SPHERE,  INC. 
20B1  Challenger  Drive 
Alameda,  CA  94501 

(415)  522-0107  Clrcla  Reader  Service  Number  142 

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GHTER       5IMULATI0 


M 


Software  Publishers'  Association 
Award  Winner 

•  Best  Simulation 

•  Best  Action/Strategy  Program 

•  Best  Technical  Achievement 


'It's  the  best  flight  simulatar  ye!  > 
an  a  microcomputer ,.."  John  Dvorak  - 
San  Francisco  ExamiriEr. 

FALCON:  "Mt  another  flight  I 
simulator  like  a  Ferrari  is  just  another  c, 
PC  Resource,  July  '88. 


How  to  build  a  high-paying  career, 

even  a  business  of  your  own, 

in  computer  programming. 


CARL  BARONE, 
NRI  PROGRAMMER/ANALYST 

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-at  home  and  at  your  own  pace. 
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astonishing  range  of  business,  profes- 
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with  NRI,  you  can  be  a  computer 
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The  only  programming  course 

that  includes  a  powerful 

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Unlike  any  other  school,  NRI  gives 
you  hands-on  programming  ex- 
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II 


baud  interna!  modem,  512K  RAM, 
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No  matter  what  your  background, 

NRI  gives  you  everything  you 
need  to  succeed  in  programming, 
today's  top-growth 
computer  career  field. 
You  need  no  previous  experience  to 
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with  NRI  training.  Indeed,  your  NRI 
lessons  start  by  walking  you  step  by 
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you  an  expert  understanding  of  the 
programming  design  techniques  used 
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the  fun  really  begins. 


C,  and  COBOL.  Then,  rounding  out 
your  training,  you  use  your  modem  to 
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NRI  students,  even  download  pro- 
grams through  NRI's  exclusive  pro- 
grammers network,  PRONET. 

Your  career  in  computer 

programming  begins  with 

your  FREE  catalog  from  NRI. 

For  all  the  details  about  NRI's  at-home 
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easy  for  you  to  build  that  high-paying 
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You  master  today's  hottest  computer  languages,  gaining  the  skills  you  need  to 
build  programs  for  a  wide  variety  of  real-world  applications. 


With  your  personal  NRI  instructor 
on  call  and  ready  to  help,  you  use  your 
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design,  code,  run, 
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document 
programs  in 
BASIC,  Pascal, 


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If  the  coupon  is  missing,  write  to  us  at 
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NW,  Washington,  DC  20008. 

IBM  is  a  Registered  Trademark  of  the  IBM  Corporation 


School  of  Computer  Programming 

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4401  Connecticut  Avenue,  NW  Slffi 

Washington,  DC  20008  ■*"'■ 

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and  COBOL— all  yours  to  keep! 


NAME 

(please  print} 

AGE 

ADDRESS 

CITY/STATE/ZIP 

Accredited  by  the  National  Home  Study  Council 

5403-010 

\ 


DRainWare 

Your  Protettion  for  Qualify  Shareware 


Our  Difference: 


Interactive  mini-futorials  witti  eodi 

program  (except  games  and 

ianguoges) 

A  menu  of  commands  for  stort/quit 

and  moin  functions 

Multiple  quantity  discounts 

Highest  quality  disks 


As      low      as       $1.20      /      disk! 


Malh/Caliololon 


MCtOZ    Turbo  Cokololord) 

Ihe  ancreen  caStutotM  with  7  frerrasy  ond  9  stienhlic 

fundi™. 
MCI03    CprtpTuMD 

Pirt  {\  mt^  cobbtor  f\  fm  compuTer  witti  this  pfo- 

grorr. 


CommuiiKations 


Pr«oinm{1)V.Z.4.3 

]\]e  'shaemoiK  teuan  ol  Itte  popub  Ptvimm  'CCfnral^ 
nitelwis  ptogram. 
CI  04       B«yanO)V,03 

features  qI  all  Hie  tcp  tDinmuRicfltions  progfcms 
wrgppeii  irte  one. 


Dntabiues/Calalosing 


DtlOl     VidraLlin]ry(1)V.].01 

Ihc  j^firaie  ttioke  to  oig^i?B  ^  video  tope  cojls' 
Im.  SloiK  jp  10  1,000  Irte 
DtnO     ForBosdidlOriblllV.  1.02 

Ba^choD  tans  love  it 


DatotafM/  latl-Fanlurad 


DBIU     PC  File  Pl>ii  (3)  V.  2.0 

30  r-?A  rd  crinofXKJ  (eatires  lo  BtJtTOfrwia'i  po{)ulfl 

PC  File 
D11I5     Won(XRnn)V.3J5 

Support;  dBXSE  III  wrh  Htjd^f  c\i  The  lunciora  you 
w\''  £>■»  Wftj.  iHcil  dTfe  r^iarimended). 


IhitabasM/Mainng  Usts 


DB1T9     MassA«Hl[l]V,3,2 

Ihe  bet  oi^rpose  □!  rrai  rngt.  (xogtirj.  {Hqhj  dsJi 
reccimmenikf). 
DB123     Prd9c(2)V.I.2 

Desi^  ro  itep  rtock  igF  kpoftmi  nistomer^  end  i.vt 
tocts.   (Hfld  (fi^  iKOfurnended} 


Deshtop  Organizars 


BHM15I  l>CD«l[tniii(l)V,2.0) 

Imaae  dks  produdivitv  wth  ttis  dsktop  loot 
BHM1S3  MrDgsli(l)V.2.l 

Hie  pafst  f/otc  f«  ol  your  inSmwikin  (up  to  40  text 

fiW, 


mo       Voiobiitorr  Bolder  (5) 

Help  mill  S«l  ond  HO  utrei,    rliese  ?.500  mid!  idl 
help. 
EI21       Joponne  for  Buiheis  And  Travel  [1] 

A  riLrtI  la  business  traveler  to  rbe  oi^rl. 


EdiKalional/Teachers 


EI22       Grai(eGiii(t«[l)V.100b 

EfliY  woy  to  ilore,  rettiew.  ond  ondyre  studerfs  grwJK. 
E125       KQuliier(l}V.2.1 

(Al  iKsorB  (OFi  be  aMlixl  \jf  ony  dcss.  Cati  iixlude 
cfiKstJoTB  ond  orBwers,  miifiple  choke,  aid  gmphic. 
{C&Ai?quif«fl, 
Et26       Teachers  Twl}  11  [I) 

lloite  lOO  sTudenfs  per  class  (sp]Eod  sheet  faiiiicfiJ. 


Artffldar  Inlelligenie  &  CAI 


EI79  PCCAI(I) 

Alowrt  you  ID  (iMte  youi  own  tutoriob,  tests,  end 
riema's 


rood  &  Nulrilion 


NF101     TlwNiilTiruiiilt(1)V.3.0 

Ttie  program  for  total  fitriess.    {Hotd  diive  re(ottj 
imnw). 


Educational 


El  04 


Tht  World  {1)V.  2.09 

Batter  liiar  :ny  gbbe  fw  con  buy  (CGA,  or  EGA  le- 

quired). 
EI07       Amy's  first  Pnmer(l]V.  17 

Hie  perfect  prc^tam  for  pt&icfxKilen.   ICGJI,  EGA,  a 

VGA  lequifedj. 
EI09       KrDilrpi(UV.3.0l 

A  |yc»grQir  ikit  iiicludfl  typing  tutM  and  ruty  dilH  for 

drfier^l  ikilf  levels.   fCGA  requird). 
EIIO       Whizqulztn 

Tlie  Jiimote  elemeniofy  ralti  tvtof.  (CGA  tefluied). 
E 1 1 1        Sron^n't  LyndilKM  { I ) 

Kjdi  37  m!  bef}e!it  geflflY  fiom  this  lutoiid.    (CGA 


Gamos/Cards 


GI03      V1901  Fio  Vviet  Pokir  |l]  V.  1.0 

lane  to  pb/  pder  wiliv  Hie  best.    (EGA  01  V&i  le 

(jyirod). 
GIU      LimoHiiiid»GeiKrotor|l)V.ll)0 

Con  be  toteed  to  yoji  siotes  lotiu. 
Glin      l^loHo(1)V.2.1 

Hon  >-(i3  cffi  pid  itie  'suetbin^,  bngsbcte  and  bind 

pitts,' 
G1I7      WogStrMtdJ 

This  w3  shew  you  how  the  tnitket  reolY  wois  ftstti 

It*  bjl  to  rhe  tern,  (BASIC  renoiiedl. 
01  If      Owis(l) 

Great  [or  Itte  begrrmef  'tM  six  levels  for  Irrpioveinerd. 

(CGA  requ^ed). 
G12I       SlirTieli(l) 

One  of  ttre  clo^s  t^  tirs  been  updated. 
G137      D[«iiiiTeoiiiE«(bgll|l) 

Yfli  fkk  'fim  md  ploy  tbe  romputer.   (CGA  rei;iired). 
G135      WllyTlMWsniid) 

[iByone  wnB  to  bclp  Wily  nole  it  to  the  top.  [CGA 

teqiRfed). 
6136       Monopoly  11  [1] 

Hard  to  irrip(Me..,[iul  tfirs  orre  has, 
GMO       CoptainCoink(l) 

lop  game  of  1?S?,  yoii  wfll  rtoi  lie  able  to  pot  it  dowrr 

(CGA  leqoieiil 
G141      Sttker  (1) 

You're  the  prkit  of  ths  hekepter,  gonsKps,  onj  nissioTs. 

(CGA  Bioireif) 


GenMlogy 


KP107     EZ  Tree  {I)  V.  1.26 

hoiKJIa  up  to  90  fornk;  ol  <m  tirne. 


Real  Estate 


El  19       HighSdMolMathC) 

Prepare  yocj  higfr  uhool  sludenl  for  (oioge  ivw. 


RE101 


Frinieton  Seal  Ooiil  (1|  V.  3.03 

Ktffli  Kliile  !is!i:ig  dntnlase  tint  nrwi^  oB  itre  dote. 
DEIOS     PropeftyMomgerV.  1.0 

haili  dota  on  rent  ortd  rrantenonre  letoids. 


RE10Z     LoonWovrbrll) 

ilses  both  rued  cod  voiioHe  tale  tnottgoges. 


SIO!        Itiinobgll) 

Pofl  time  [cggei  or  dlsronce  m^.& 
S103       Football  Pool  (1) 

t^onderfLJ  erQoniier  for  lunning  ifie  brol  pools. 


Slo(kf/Tai 


ST104     StodMorlietAinlyierll) 

A  gita;  woy  to  flroV^e  storb  in  graph  form. 
STIOS     PC  Ohm  (2)  V.  1.01 

Dis  menu  lirjeii  tool  helps  y«o  buy  and  sdl  stods  ond 

tommorfities. 
5TI12     PCTnitSd) 

Eeody  to  do  ynjr  1988  toies,  with  ol  sdseduies. 
5TI15     TheSa«Tro<ler(11 

One  ol  me  oil  hme  ilfBsic  inveVn^r^  tocls,   (CGA  re- 

iJiKed). 


CAB/Pninl 


CADIOl   PC  Draft  II  (I)  V. 3.52 

Hie  mcsf  ranpJete  CAD  progrom,  tM  mcny  furxhons  to 
tst. 
CADI 03  PCRigcr  Point  (1) 

Most  smght  ofler  gnpiik  progrom  o(  the  yeoi.   (CCA 


Attounting  Pertonnl 


IHMtOI  Fost>ii(i[iI2) 

Greor  (01  fiome  imikBlg  ond  tudgehns — The  lotesll  (? 

fkifliy  drhre). 
BHMIOSExprestCliedid) 

Design  your  owi  rhetkbooE  program  fiom  EjprBSSimy. 
BHM103  Genesis  t1) 

Home  vE5ion  d  tlie  (ommeickil  chakbook  piogronr. 
BHM1 13  OimUwoIi  Mminenieiit  d)  V.  1.0 

A  'da  iiP"  pioginm  for  ricse  who  hote  to  bokmte  ihea 

(tecUmk.  1192k  tom,  DOS?,!  01  blei.) 


Aiiaunting  BuilneK 


BHM1ISPalnltsiAKiwnttng|3) 

tverythiig  you  need  fur  mpintoining  Genen^  ledger,  Bil- 
iiij,  Acfounts  Ee<eiviblc/Piiriile,  Ikeguires  512k  ori 
hold  (fa  kl, 

BHMIItKGtMrdLedgerdl 

Eosy  tg  use  iaiit  etitty  E^neiol  ledger  system  loi  smd 
busmss. 

BHM135EiiBtsiCiili(2) 

AbiSf^  to  aaie  spieod  sheets  up  10  i1  rolwiiis. 

BHM129  Merdioot  Aiairattag[2] 

System  designed  for  retai  or  wholesale  with  built-in  In- 
ventory monogefncnt 


Aslrolooy  &  Personal 


CADI  06  FbwOwtingll) 

Designed  jut  for  H™  ond  dgowoiiciid  (hods.   ICGA 
required!. 
CAD107  WariPHf«tS,0aipArt(5) 

Lrgest  Wod  Perfect  dp  ir  (orter^ 


Word  Processing/Tools 


WPIOI    PC  Write  (3)  V.  3.02 

Akirosl  IE  good  OS  Word  Paleft  with  spei  <M.  (3S4K 
Kam  leqjiredl. 
WPI05    WotdPeriefl  5.0  Tools  d)V.  2.0 

Eleven  ptogorrs  [o  leoch  you  ev&yitNng  yoo'H  need  re 
know. 
WP113    Word  ProfflsHiM  For  Kids  (11 

Chikfren  from  4  lo  9  yeuR  of  oga  enjoy  Ihis  inlioductkin 
(CGA  re(]utfEd!. 
WP114    PtIStyled) 

A  Bitiomwre  pmgioni  witti  red  styie. 


ABI01 


Asho  (3J 

liic  tore!  EEiToic^irGl  piug-nr  lev  those  who  k)ve  cstn^ 
ogy  (Hold  Disk  rviili  1  o-  7  Rofliiesl. 
ABID2     BloHiyrini(l) 

All  rile  iiJoimDhon  you  need  to  coltukite  bcdtyltms. 

Stress  Tesi 

Ano^re  youi  sfiess  leveb  witli  rtys  easy  to  use  prognm. 

Aslrology  9.5 

Perloims  leqtned  rokiiotbns  to  (onstiutt  0  nittl  dot 

l2Sit  ilooi,  CGA  leiiuiied). 


AB106 
AB10S 


Utililies 


UTIO2     Alio  Mem  (1 1 

for  e-zeryone  wirh  o  hold  disk  wfio  walls  lo  mcke  it 

Eosy. 
UT10S     TdeDoiyOoieiid) 

Yoj  ton  do  ol  sons  of  llfngs..xhDnfle  names,  bod  up, 

screen  s^tvei,  aid  noie. 
Un07     DohtOelendetsd) 

Woke  recoveiy  as  easy  a,  a  smp  vridi  this  one 
UTlOe     Loplop  Bridged  I 

file  Itonsfer  between  3  1/2  and  5  1/4  via  pons 
UrilO      Epson  Mostetd) 

For  all  Epson  iMters  who  wont  ite  cisiom  louh. 
UT112     Banner  Moketd) 

Mokes  megj^ngifi  signs. 
UT114     File  Sqveeie  d) 

Squeezes  files  b^  SO^i,  great  br  bokup, 
urns     ProltuioHlMjiitifKeylll 

Sitndoi  to  Kotot  Urithes  -  giea  Id  fit  Kioieiy  ool 

(tsfloy  mop  ol  dek  space. 


BHMIIO 

BHMI34 

BHMI35 

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BHIH14S 

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Business 


ril) 


Custoniize  youi  own  pcogir]  to  prepore  bis  ad  bep 

{Quip^le  [Bcotds.lhod  (fek  reqiiiedj. 

Slock  (1) 

Fcir  itnse  binmnses  m^  sfonlad  imenlVY  and  t^ 

^Iffitinn  teguirtmefit5. 

Pflyroll  USA  Syifem  (2} 

llii^  QK  dees  ofl  ific  cdojlatiom  kt  up  tD  2,000  eir^ 

plff/eft  (640k  fKpjiried). 

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For  both  nmoteut  end  piole^iioiidl  auctions.  Q  Boppies 

ck]uwkI1. 

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No  need  fo  forgsl  or  oppoinlinerrf  wiili  Butlonwore's 

linesi  ithedulef, 

Mr.  Bill  (2)  V.  3.29 

let  Wi,  Bill  piCpcie  you-  invoitcs — oko  piint^  oidil 

tffflk.    (2  floppies  requrred). 

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Pfiflorjn  mf  toltifchon  Icf  bitsinesi  of  personal  Jooi. 

FoFin  Master  (]) 

A  powfiitl  piograin  fn  genaotsq  mory  types  ci  Fomii 

Tbt  Business  Conloctt  Minoger  |2) 

Keep  Irati:  of  d\  youi  bsw.pA  ([WSjctj  c^  well  os  fijends 

onji  relaliye:s  wiiti  ttn  |N:^Tim.  {Sl^it  required). 


Pricing 

Shipping 

Pbne  Orders 

Bulk  Blank  Disks 

No.   Dislcs        Cost/Disli 

S3.00.  Oriters  over  S50.00  Free 

1-800-441-1458 

5t/4-DSDD:S.35/diskwilhsle<:ves. 

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Available  in  lols  of  50  only! 

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ijmgj^ 

VIS^^ 

Clri:re  Reader  Service  Number  179 


COMPUTE! 

lot    CHOiCE    OF    HOME    PC    If^lHgilAsrs    SJNCI     I«J« 


Editor 

Senior  Aft  Direclor 

Features  EdilOf 

Assistant  Editors 


Manager  Disk  Products 

Assistant  Features  Editor 

Editorial  Assistants 

Copy  Editors 

Contributing  Editor 

ART  DEPARTMEm' 

Assistant  Art  Directcjr 

Mechanical  Art  Supervisor 

Junior  Designers 


Peter  Scisco 
Janice  R.  Fary 
Keith  Ferrell 
Denny  Atkin 
Heidi  e.  K.  Aycock 
Richard  C-  Leinecker 
David  Hensley,  Jr. 
Tom  Netsel 
Elliabelh  Casey 
Mickey  McLean 
Karen  Slepak 
Karen  Uhlendorf 
David  Ttiornburg 

HtMn  L  Strelow 
Robin  Case 
Scotty  Billings 
Meg  McArn 


PRODUCTION 
DEPARTMENT 
Production  Director  Mark  E.  Hillyer 
Assistant  Production  Manager   De  letter 

Production  Assistant   Barbara  Wiiiiams 
Typesetting  Terry  Cash 

Carole  Dunton 
Advertising/Production 

Assistant  Tammie  Taylor 

ADMINISTRATIVE  STAFF 

Executive  Assistant  Sybil  Agee 
Senior  Administrative 

Assistant  Julia  Flemirig 
Administrative  Assistant  Linda  Benson 
Customer  Serv«:e 

Coordinator  Elfreda  Chavis 

COMPUTE!  PUBLICATIONS 

Group  Vice  President, 

Puljlisiier/Ediloria!  Director  William  Tynan 

Assodaie  Publisher/Editorial  Lance  Elko 
Associate  Futjiisfier/ 

Advertsing  Bernard  J.  Tiieobald,  Jr 

Managing  Editor  Kathleen  Martinek 

Editorial  Operations  Director  Tony  Roberts 

Editorial  Marteting  rv^anager  Caroline  D.  hianlon 


ABC  CONSUMER 
MAGAZINES,  INC. 

PresiOent 

Senior  Vice  President 

Director.  Rnancial  Analysis 

Oreelor  of  Circulation 

CIRCULATION 
DEPARTMENT 

Subscriptions 


Gary  n.  Ingeraoll 

Riciiard:  D.  Bay 
Andrew  D.  Lartdia 
Harold  Buckley 


Maureen  Buckley 
Beth  Kealy 
Raynnond  Ward 
Peter  J.  Birmingham 
Jana  Friedman 


ONE  OF  THE  ® 

COMRHNiES  ^ 

Robert  G.  Burton,  President 

825  Seventti  Avenue 

New  York,  NY  10019 


ADVERTISINO  OFFICES 

New  York:  ABC  Ckinsumer  Magazines,  Inc.,  825  Seventh 
Ave-,  New  York,  NY  10019.  Bernard  J.  Theobald,  Jr., 
Assodaie  Publisher/Advertising,  (201)  989-7553. 
(201)989-7554  FAX. 

Greensboro:  COMPUTE)  Publications.  324  West 
Wetidover  Ave.,  Suite  200.  Greensboro,  NC  27408: 
(919)  275-9809.  Kathleen  Ingram,  Mariteting  Manager. 
New  England  *  Mid-Atlantic:  Bernard  J.  Theobald,  Jr. 
(201)  989-7553-  Kathleen  Ingram  (919)  275-9B09. 
Midwest  &  Southwest:  Jerry  Thompson.  Ludlle  Dennis 
(312)  726-6047  [Chicago]:  (713)  731-2605  [Texas]: 
(303)  595-9299  [Colorado]:  (415)  348-8222  [California]. 
West,  Northwest,  &  Brilish  Columbia;  Jerry  TTiompson 
(415)  348-8222:  LucilJe  Dennis  (415)  878-4905. 
Southeast  &  International;  Bernard  J.  Theobald,  Jr. 
(201)  989-7553:  Kathleen  Ingram  (919)  275-9809. 
National  Accounts  Office: 

Midwest:  Slan  Lane,  National  Accounts  Manager  (31 2) 
462-2872,  191  S.  Gary  Ave.,  Carol  Stream,  IL  60166-2089, 
Address  all  advertising  materials  to  Tammie  Taylor, 
(XIMPUTEI  Publications.  Inc.  324  West  Wendover  A/o., 
Surle  200,  Greensboro,  NC  27408. 
Editorial  inquines  shouto  be  addressed  to  T^e  Editor. 
COMPUTE!,  Suite  200.  324  West  Wendover  Ave.. 
Greensbofo,  NC  27408. 


PRINTED  IN  THE  U.S.A. 


^ 


Audit 


A  New  Pool 

Thank  you  for  reviewing  our  Pool  bil- 
liards game  in  the  October  issue  of 
COMPUTE!.  We  were  encouraged  by 
your  observations  that  Pool  offers  a 
variety  of  game  scenarios  including 
competing  against  the  computer,  col- 
orful graphics,  and  easy  playing 
instructions. 

The  version  of  Pool  which  you  re- 
viewed was  limited  in  that  it  required 
a  math  coprocessor  to  run  at  an  excit- 
ing pace.  Recent  modifications  to 
Pool  make  it  50  times  faster  on  ma- 
chines without  coprocessors — fast 
enough  to  run  on  any  PC.  We  feet  that 
this  change  makes  Pool  the  most  ex- 
citing, competitive,  and  fun  billiards 
game  available. 

DAN  CWr' 
AMES.  lA 

Mr.  Coy  is  the  author  o/PooI.  The 
game  is  available  for  $39.95  from 
HeartLand  Software,  234  South 
Franklin,  Ames,  Iowa  50010;  (515) 
292-8216. 

Magic  Disk  Drives 

Imagine  my  astonishment  when  I 
read  in  the  November  issue  of  COjU- 
PUTE!  that  Zenith  has  introduced  a 
2-inch,  720K  disk  drive  that  con- 
sumes 1 50-percent  less  power  com- 
pared to  3 '/2-inch  drives.  If  it 
consumed  100-percent  less  power,  it 
would  of  coune  consume  zero  power. 
Why,  this  is  even  greater  news  than 
the  Utah  superconductor  break- 
through! A  disk  drive  that  not  only 
consumes  no  power,  but  actually  gen- 
erates power  as  it  runs!  With  enough 
Zenith  disk  drives  strategically  scat- 
tered around  the  nation,  we  could  dis- 
pense with  nuclear  power,  coal  and 
oil-fired  power,  and  even  hydroelec- 
tric power  and  wind  generators. 

I'm  having  fiin,  of  course.  Mark 
Twain  once  remarked  that  there  are 
three  levels  of  lies:  Lies,  Damned  Lies, 
and  Statistics.  Rumors  of  existing  sub- 
stantiations of  his  witticism  are  not 
exaggerated. 

CURT  SCOTT 
GLENDALE.  CA 


The  150-percent  figure  Zenith 
claims  comes  from  the  fact  that  its 
MiniDisk  drive  requires  .04  watt  of 
power  in  standby  mode,  compared 
to  .10  watt  for  a  typical  low-power 
3'/2-inch  drive.  Just  to  be  sure,  we 
tested  your  theory  by  hooking  a 
MiniDisk  drive  up  to  the  office  cof- 
fee machine.  The  drive  didn  't  gener- 
ate any  power,  the  coffee  was  cold, 
and  everyone  in  the  office  was  really 
grumpy  that  morning. 

How  to  Share 

We  have  subscribed  to  COMPUTE! 
for  many  years  now,  and  I  only  re- 
cently heard  about  a  disk  version  of 
the  magazine.  Is  this  true?  Does  it 
accompany,  supplement,  or  replace 
the  printed  version  of  the  magazine? 
Is  it  a  special  anniversary  offer  only? 

MiriiAEL  ALLAN 
WESTLAKE,  OH 

COMPUTEI's  SharePak  is  a 
monthly  supplementary  disk  that 
contains  top-quality  shareware  and 
public  domain  software.  It  comple- 
ments the  magazine  but  doesn  't  re- 
place it.  If  you  have  a  favorite 
shareivare  program  that  you  think 
would  make  a  good  addition  to  a 
SharePak  disk,  we'd  like  to  hear 
about  it.  Send  suggestions  to  COM- 
PUTE! Feedback.  P.O.  Bo.x  5406. 
Greensboro,  North  Carolina  27403. 

Where  is  Home? 

In  the  "Letters"  section  of  your  Sep- 
tember issue,  you  referred  to  a  book 
called  Working  from  Home,  by  Paul 
and  Sarah  Edwards.  Could  you  give 
me  the  publisher's  name  or  infor- 
mation on  where  to  order  this  book? 

Thank  you,  and  1  love  your 
magazine. 

TINAMAYDEN 
rfilLLECOTTE,  MO 

Working  from  Home,  by  Paul  and 
Sarah  Edwards,  is  published  by  Jer- 
emy P.  Tarchcr  and  distributed  by 
St.  Martin's  Press.  175  Fifth  Ave- 
nue, New  York,  New  York  lOOIO; 
(800)  221-7945. 


JANUARY       1990 


COMPUTE! 


11 


COMPUTE!  SPECIFIC 


POWER  UP 

PC  Expo  in  Chicago  isn't  just 
the  Second  City's  version  of 
the  PC  Expo  in  New  York;  it's 
different.  IVSidwestern  practical- 
ity atrounds  (where  else  can 
you  find  seminars  on  cabling?), 
and  exhibitors  tend  to  fall  into 
one  of  two  groups:  established 
companies  with  high-end  prod- 
ucts or  up-and-coming  txin- 
cerns  trying  to  get  every  bit  of 
visibility  they  can. 

This  year's  most  excit'ng 
high-end  offerings  were  dem- 
onstrated by  WordPerfect  and 
Borland.  Hot  on  the  heels  of 
version  5-0,  WordPerfect  {1555 
North  Technology  Way,  Orem, 
Utah  84057;  801-222-4437)  has 
developed  WordPerfect  5.1, 
due  to  hit  the  shelves  by  the 
time  you  read  this.  The  new 
WordPerfect  boasts  several  in- 
novative features  topped  off  by 
an  exciting  facelift — pull-down 
menus  and  mouse  suppor?. 
The  retail  price  is  $495,  and  an 
upgrade  will  cost  $85.  The 
menus  looked  great,  but  there 
wasn't  a  mouse  in  sight  at 
WordPerfect's  booth.  Old  hab- 
its must  die  hard. 

Borland  demonstrated  its 
soon-to-be-shipping  Quattro 
Pro  (Borland  International, 
1800  Green  Hills  Road,  P.O. 
Box  660001,  Scotts  Valley,  Cal- 
ifornia 95066;  408-438-5300),  a 
$495  Lofus-killer.  The  new 
Quattro  boasts  full  mouse  sup- 
port; multiple,  resizable  win- 
dows; and  dazzling  graphs. 


One  of  the  new  program's 
most  welcome  features  is  its 
on-board  paint  module,  which 
allows  you  to  customize 
graphs  without  ever  leaving 
Quattro, 

Three  of  the  most  interest- 
ing new  products  were  shown 
at  up-and-comer  Stanvrood's 
booth.  Developier  Shayne  Nel- 
son demonstrated  Simply  In- 
genious, billed  as  the  wodd's 
simplest  database;  Ingenious 
Edit,  proclaimed  as  the  world's 
simplest  editor;  and  Ingenious, 
touted  as  the  world's  fastest 
database  (Stanwood  Asso- 
ciates, 303  East  Ohio,  Chicago, 
Illinois  6061 1 ;  312-828-9734). 

Simply  Ingenious  is  a  $40 
program  with  just  one  com- 
mand: N.  If  you  want  to  add 
something  to  the  database, 
you  type  N  followed  by  the  text. 
If  you  want  to  search,  you  type 
N  followed  by  the  text  you  want 
to  search  for. 

Ingenious  is  due  to  be  re- 
leased soon.  Its  projected  $500 
price  tag  puts  it  in  direct  com- 
petition with  all  of  the  heavy- 
weights. 

I  don't  know  if  Ingenious 
Edit  is  the  simplest  editor 
around,  but  it's  certainly  the 
strangest.  There's  no  cursor; 
you  enter  commands  with  key- 
strokes— definitely  on  the  un- 
usual side. 

The  practical  side  of  PC 
Expo  was  displayed  by  Lehn  & 


Fink's  Glass  Mates  (Sterling 
Drug,  fvlontvale,  New  Jersey 
07645;  212-696-4744;  S2.95), 
moist  towelettes  for  cleaning 
glass  and  other  PC  surfaces 
(like  keytwards,  cases,  and 
printers).  The  Glass  Mates 
booth  struck  a  resonant  chord 
with  Chicago's  Expo  attendees: 
The  company  was  swamped 
with  questions  and  requests 
for  samples. 


Publisher's  Powerpak 


For  the  last  five  years,  desktop 
publishing  (DTP)  has  been  a 
PC  growth  area.  The  DTP  tide 
has  shifted  recently,  however, 
away  from  dedicated  products 
such  as  PageMaker  and  Ventu- 
ra toward  high-powered  word 
processors  with  DTP  features. 
Leading  this  group  are  Word- 
Perfect and  Microsoft  Word. 

Although  t»th  programs 
have  high-end  DTP  features, 
there's  one  other  thing  you'll 
need  to  produce  snappy  memos 
and  newsletters:  fonts. 

Your  printer— whether 
dot-matrix,  ink-jet,  or  laser — 
will  probably  have  some  on- 
board fonts,  but  chances  are 
they're  variations  on  Courier,  a 
typewriterlike  face.  For  DTP 
that's  not  enough:  You  need  at 
least  two  special  typiefaces. 
one  with  serifs,  such  as  Times 
Roman,  and  one  without  serifs, 


PC  EXPO  NEWS 

REDUCED  CHARGES 

C64  REFLECTIONS 

APPLEFEST  UPDATE 

AMIGA  SHUFFLE 

MAC  FONT  ORCHARD 


such  as  Helvetica. 

With  Publisher's  Power- 
pak (Atech  Software,  5962  La 
Place  Court  #245,  Carfsbad, 
California  92008;  619-438- 
6883;  S139.95)  and  either 
WordPerfect  or  Microsoft 
Word,  your  font  problems  are 
over. 

Powerpak  is  an  add-in  for 
WordPerfect  or  Microsoft 
Word  (versions  are  also  avail- 
able for  Ventura  and  PFS:Flrst 
Publisher)  that  turns  either  of 
these  products  into  a  versatile 
DTP  engine. 

The  best  thing  about  Pub- 
lisher's Powerpak  is  that  it's 
completely  transparent.  With 
Microsoft  Word,  the  program 
creates  a  special  printer- 
definition  file.  When  this  file  is 
loaded.  Word's  page  preview 
and  other  output  functions 
work  as  they  always  do. 

The  program  comes  with 
three  typefaces:  Marin  (Times 
Roman),  Dixon  (Helvetica),  and 
Cobb  (Courier).  One  of  the 
package's  most  valuable  as- 
pects is  that  it  lets  you  install 
fonts  in  almost  any  size.  You 
can  add  more  typefaces  with 
optional  Atech  Font  Packs 
($29.95  each)  or  Monotype 
Font  Packs  ($79.95  each). 

I  tested  Powerpak  with 
Microsoft  Word  and  9-pin,  24- 
pin,  and  laser  printers.  It 
worked  flawlessly  with  each 
and  produced  amazingly  good 
output — especially  with  the  la- 
ser printer. 

The  company  offers  a  free 
demo  disk,  which  allows  you  to 
select  your  printer  and  word 
processor — Worcf,  WordPer- 
fect, \^ntura,  or  PFSiFirst  Pub- 
lisher— and  then  prints  a  test 
page.  After  this  live,  in-house 
demonstration,  you'll  probably 
find  Publisher's  Powerpak  hard 
to  resist. 


Save  the  Environment 


Just  like  earthworms  and 
whales,  your  PC's  DOS  has 
an  environment.  It's  a  special 
area  in  memory  that's  set  aside 


12 


COMPUTE 


JANUARY        1990 


for  important  information  the 
operating  system  needs  to 
reference. 

Your  RMH  resides  in  the 
environment  (type  PATH  at  the 
DOS  prompt  to  see  the  current 
setting)  as  do  other  variables. 
Some  variable  names  are  re- 
served, such  as  PROMPT  and 
OOMSPEC;  others  can  be 
freely  created  and  assigned 
with  the  SET  command.  To  see 
all  your  system's  current  vari- 
ables, including  PATH,  enter 
SET  at  ttie  DOS  prompt. 

The  trouble  with  the  DOS 
environment  is  that  in  its  native 
state  it's  too  small— a  scant 
160  bytes.  If  you  have  a  large 
PATH  and  several  variables, 
it's  easy  to  exceed  this  limit. 
There's  a  fix,  however. 

With  the  SHELL  com- 
mand, you  can  tell  DOS  ver- 
sions 3.0  or  higher  you  want  a 
larger  environment,  and  you 
can  specify  just  how  large  to 
make  it.  SHELL  goes  in  your 
CONFIG.SYS  and  has  the  fol- 
lowing syntax  (make  sure  it's 
on  one  line  when  you  type  it  in): 

SHELL= 
ame:path  \  COMMAND.COM 
/E:size  /P 

If  you're  using  DOS  3.0  or 
3.1,  s/'ze  has  to  be  expressed 
in  16-byte  paragraphs,  with  an 
upper  limit  of  62  paragraphs  or 
992  bytes.  With  DOS  3.2  or 
higher,  you  can  specify  size  in 
bytes  with  a  top  end  of  32K. 

Let's  say  that  COM- 
MAND.COM  is  in  the  root  di- 
rectory of  your  hard  disk,  and 
that  you'd  like  to  enlarge  your 
environment  to  51 2  bytes. 
Here's  the  command: 

SHELL=C;  \COMMAND.COM/E:512/P 

The  P  parameter  tells  the 
system  to  run  AUTOEXEC- 
.BAT after  CONFIG.SYS,  which 
you'll  want  to  do,  so  be  sure  to 
inciude  it.  Although  you  can 
make  your  environment  larger, 
512  bytes  is  a  good  upper  limit 
you  probably  won't  exceed. 
There  are  other  limits  you'll 
bump  into  first. 

The  biggest  environmental 
limit  is  the  length  of  a  DOS 
line — 1 27  characters.  This 
means  that  a  variable  and  its 
assignment  are  restricted  to 
1 27  characters.  Chances  are 
this  will  only  be  a  problem  with 
your  Rft,TH  statement,  which 
many  users  would  prefer  to  be 
twice  that  length.  So  keep  in 
mind  that,  while  you  can  make 
your  environment  larger,  vari- 
able assignments,  including 
your  PATH  statement,  can't  ex- 
ceed 127  characters. 
—  Clifton  Karnes 


DOS  PROMPT 

Over  the  past  three  weeks,  I 
spent  a  lot  of  time  accessing 
distant  electronic  bulletin 
boards  (BBSs)  and  various  on- 
line information  services.  My 
bills  reflected  this  activity  and 
were  unusually  high.  As  a  re- 
sult, I'd  like  to  offer  you  a  few 
tips  on  how  to  reduce  your 
own  online  communication 
costs. 

A  PC,  a  communications 
program,  and  a  modem  can  lit- 
erally put  the  whole  world  at 
your  fingertips.  Just  the  other 
night,  I  had  an  opportunity  to 
chat  with  an  award-winning 
science-fiction  writer  when 
Mike  Resnick  and  I  happened 
to  cross  paths  on  Delphi. 
(Mike's  Kirinyaga  vwjn  the  es- 
teemed Hugo  avrard  for  short 
story  of  the  year  at  the  1 989 
World's  Science  Fiction  Con- 
vention.) But  while  telecommu- 
nicating can  tie  a  lot  of  fun,  it 
also  can  quickly  get  expensive. 


On-  and  Offline 


Like  it  or  not,  the  least  efficient 
factor  in  any  online  session  is 
you — or,  more  correctly,  your 
human  limitations.  If  typing  a 
typical  letter  takes  you  several 
minutes,  and  you  compose  all 
your  messages  online,  then 
using  a  commercial  service  or 
distant  BBS  for  regular  corre- 
spondence can  be  an  expen- 
sive proposition,  indeed.  Using 
front-end  access  programs  can 
minimize  the  cost  of  telecom- 
munications by  allowing  you  to 
perform  the  majority  of  your 
online  activities  offline. 

Different  front-end  access 
programs  are  designed  to 
work  with  different  online  infor- 
mation services.  One  such  pro- 
gram is  TAPCIS  (Software 
Group,  P.O.  Box  130,  McHen- 
ry,  Maryland  21541;  800-872- 
4768;  $79.95)  which  allows  you 
to  automate  many  activities 
you'd  normally  perform  on 
CompuServe. 

TAPCIS  includes  a  built-in 
word  processor  that  can  be 
used  to  compose  messages 
destined  for  CompuServe  sub- 
scribers. The  advantage  is  that 
you  compose  messages  off- 
line when  the  clock  isn't  ticking. 
TAPCIS  also  lets  you  create  a 
user  file,  containing  the  names 
and  CompuServe  user  IDs  o( 
people  to  whom  you  regularly 
send  messages.  This  infor- 
mation is  used  to  identify  indi- 
vidual users,  thereby  ensuring 
that  your  messages  get  sent  to 
the  correct  mailing  "address." 
After  a  message  is  written  and 
addressed  properly,  entering  a 
single  command  teils  TAPCIS 


to  call  your  local  CompuServe 
access  numtier,  move  to  Easy- 
Flex  or  any  one  of  the  more 
than  50  user  forums  Compu- 
Serve supports,  send  that 
message  to  the  specified  indi- 
vidual, and  then  end  the  cur- 
rent session  and  disconnect 
your  call.  Since  TAPCIS  per- 
forms all  these  activities  auto- 
matically (that  is,  without  user 
intervention),  your  online — and, 
therefore,  billable— time  is  kept 
to  a  minimum.  Additional  oper- 
ations TAPCIS  automates  in- 
clude downloading  any 
messages  sent  to  you  over 
CompuServe,  monitoring  con- 
versations and  conferences  in 
the  various  CompuServe  user 
forums,  and  simplifying  online 
research  by  quickly  retriev- 
ing threads  of  related  infor- 
mation appearing  in  multiple 
messages. 

Other  front-end  access 
programs  are  available  that 
perform  similar  yeoman's 
duty  with  competing  infor- 
mation services.  Aladdin  (Bret 
Mulvey;  contact  GEnie  user 
BRETMULVEY  for  information; 
$59),  for  example,  is  designed 
to  automate  GEnie  access, 
while  Lotus  Express  (Lotus  De- 
velopment, 55  Cambridge 
Parkway,  Cambridge,  Massa- 
chusetts 02142;  617-577-8500; 
$1 95)  endows  MCI  Mail  sub- 
scribers with  similar  capabili- 
ties. If  you  use  a  specific  online 
service,  it  tiehooves  you  to  in- 
vestigate whether  there's  a 
front-end  access  program  spe- 
cifically available  for  it.  This  is 
one  category  of  software  that 
will  quickly  pay  for  itself  several 
times  over  in  saved  time  and 
reduced  billing  charges. 


Do  It  Yourself 


Even  without  a  front-end  ac- 
cess program,  it's  still  possible 
to  automate  many  of  your  on- 
line activities,  especially  if  your 
communications  program  in- 
cludes a  built-in  macro  feature 
or  script  language. 

A  macro  is  a  group  of 
commands  assigned  to  a  sin- 
gle keystroke  or  key  combina- 
tion. You  could,  for  example, 
design  a  macro  containing  all 
the  commands  your  communi- 
cations program  needs  to  dial 
your  local  CompuServe  access 
number  and  assign  it  to  an  Alt- 
C  key  combination.  Once  this 
macro  is  created,  pressing  Alt- 
C  would  automatically  initiate 
the  steps  required  to  access 
the  log-on  prompt  for  that  com- 
mercial service. 

A  script  resembles  a  mac- 
ro in  that  it  can  contain  compli- 
cated command  sequences 


you  execute  by  running  that 
script.  Scripts  are  generally 
more  flexible  than  macros, 
however,  because  they  can  in- 
clude special  instructions  for 
monitoring  responses  from  a 
remote  computer  and  then  can 
alter  the  command  sequences 
they  execute,  based  on  those 
responses.  TTiis  is  similar  to 
the  branch  feature  supported 
by  many  programming  lan- 
guages. Using  a  script,  for  ex- 
ample, you  can  monitor  an 
online  session  to  determine 
whether  any  messages  are 
waiting  for  you  on  a  given  ser- 
vice. (Most  services  display 
some  special  message  during 
sign-on  if  you  have  electronic 
mail  waiting.)  Should  any  mes- 
sages exist,  you  can  program 
your  script  to  automatically  ac- 
cess the  proper  user  area  and 
download  the  messages  to  a 
file  on  your  system.  If  a  mes- 
sage waiting  (or  some  similar) 
prompt  does  not  appear,  the 
script  can  be  designed  to 
branch  to  a  different  com- 
mand sequence  that  immedi- 
ately ends  the  current  session, 
thus  reducing  your  connect 
charges- 
Creating  scripts  may  re- 
quire some  extra  effort  on  your 
part,  since  vrorking  with  a 
script  language  is  similar  in 
many  ways  to  programming. 
With  minimal  effort  and  some 
determination,  though,  you 
should  t>e  able  to  master 
scripts.  Writing  scripts  for  your 
regular  software  has  one  big 
advantage  over  using  front-end 
access  packages:  A  single 
communications  program  can 
be  used  to  access  multiple 
BBSs  or  commercial  services. 
Popular  MS-DOS  communica- 
tions programs  that  include 
comprehensive  script  lan- 
guages include  ProComm  Plus 
(DataStorm  Technologies, 
1621  Towne  Drive,  Suite  G, 
Columbia,  Michigan  65205; 
314-474-8461;  $89),  fle/ay 
Gold  (Relay  Communications, 
41  Kenosia  Avenue,  Danbury, 
Connecticut  06810;  800-847- 
3529;  $295),  Smartcam  III 
(Hayes  Microcomputer  Prod- 
ucts, P.O.  Box  105203,  Atlanta, 
Georgia  30348;  404-441-1617; 
$24),  and  CrossTalk  (Digital 
Communications  Associates, 
1000  Holcomb  Woods  Park- 
way, Roswell,  Georgia  30076; 
404-998-3998;  $245). 

Now  that  I  have  that  out  of 
my  system,  I'll  render  unto 
Caesar  (or  in  this  case.  Ma  Bell 
and  VISA)  that  which  is  his  and 
get  back  online.  I  hope  that 
these  tips  will  help  you  keep 
your  online  charges  within 
reason. 
—  Jack  Nimersheim 


JANUARY        1990 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


13 


In  the  year  2025,  when  some- 
one writes  ttie  definitive  history 
of  computing,  the  1980s  will 
surely  be  seen  as  the  decade 
in  which  computers  entered 
the  home.  I  hope,  when  it  hap- 
pens, that  the  writer  doesn't 
overtook  the  accomplishments 
of  the  Commodore  64. 

Sure,  it  has  been  techno- 
logically bypassed.  Sure,  it  has 
tieen  ignored  by  the  "serious" 
computer  crowd.  Sure,  it  has 
been  supplanted  by  MS-DOS 
machines  as  ttie  computer  of 
choice  for  the  development  of 
entertainment  software.  And, 
sure,  it's  even  overpriced. 

But,  if  not  for  ttie  64, 
where  would  computer  anima- 
tion and  sound  be?  (Apologies 
to  the  Atari  800,  but  the  64 
made  it  happen.)  If  not  for  the 
64,  where  would  quality  games 
be?  (Same  apologies  to  the 
Apple  II.)  If  not  for  the  64, 
where  would  affordable  word 
processing,  spreadsheet,  and 
database-management  pro- 
grams tie?  (No  apologies  at  all 
to  fvlS-DOS.)  If  not  for  the  64, 
how  many  people  would  have 
computers  in  their  homes? 

Despite  all  of  the  techno- 
logical advances  made  by  oth- 
er platforms,  the  64  is  still  alive. 
Ctommodore  is  expecting  an- 
other good  Christmas  (I'm  writ- 
ing ttiis  in  Octotser)  m\h  a 
product  that  refuses  to  become 
an  orphan.  Software  compa- 
nies continue  to  release  soft- 
ware for  it,  even  if  most  of  it  is 
games.  To  cite  just  one  ex- 
ample. Strategic  Simulations 
{producer  of  the  AD  &  D  series 
of  fantasy  games)  cites  its 
sales  of  C64  software  as  par- 
ticulariy  strong.  The  machine 
just  won't  go  away. 

Not  bad  for  a  high-tech 
product  into  its  eighth  year. 


Starflight 


By  the  time  you  read  this,  Star- 
flight should  be  available  for 
the  64/128.  Distributed  by  Elec- 
tronic Arts,  Starflight  has  be- 


come a  mainstay  of  the  MS- 
DOS  science-fiction  gaming 
community.  A  game  of  pure  ex- 
ploration, Starflight  lets  you 
wander  the  galaxy,  running  into 
alien  races  and  fascinating  arti- 
facts as  you  find  a  way  to  save 
your  star  system. 

It's  Star  Trek-based. 
From  a  variety  of  races,  you 
select  a  captain,  science  offi- 
cer, medical  officer,  communi- 
cations officer,  and  so  on. 
Then  you  equip  your  ship  with 
the  best  your  measly  sum  of 
money  can  buy  and  head  off 
into  the  galaxy. 

The  fascinating  parts  are 
planetary  exploration  and  alien 
communication.  You  meet  all 
kinds  of  creatures  on  the  plan- 
ets, and  you  can  actually  nego- 
tiate with  aliens  as  you  attempt 
to  learn  their  cultures. 

Starflight  is  a  long  game. 
But,  then,  ttie  64  community  is 
used  to  long  games.  And  if  the 
conversion  is  a  good  one,  ttiis 
one  will  he  worth  trying.  For 
more  information,  contact  Elec- 
tronic Arts,  1820  Gateway 
Drive,  San  Mateo,  California 
94404;  (415)  571-7171, 


Might  and  Magic  II 


Speaking  of  long  games.  New 
Wortd  Computing,  through 
Electronic  Arts,  has  released 
M/g/)f  and  Mag/c  //  for  the 
64/128.  The  original  Might  and 
Magic  debuted  on  the  Apple  II, 
then  danced  successfully  over 
to  the  64/128.  MS  M// is  big- 
ger and  actually  better. 

Three  full  disks  are 
needed  to  contain  this  game, 
but  the  size  does  not  impede 
play.  The  interface  is  intelligent- 
ly designed,  the  graphics  are 
striking,  and  the  quest  is  huge 
without  being  frustrating.  The 
reason  is  simple:  You  aren't 
forced  to  slavishly  stick  to  a 
particular  order  of  events. 

As  in  most  fantasy  games, 
you  can  concentrate  on  battle 
expertise  or  on  learning  magic 
spells,  or  you  can  combine  the 
two  by  sacrificing  a  bit  of  each. 
The  game  contains  a  wealth  of 
different  weapons  and  an 
equally  impressive  list  of 
usable  spells. 

And  M  A  M II  thankfully 
solves  role-playing's  traditional 
mapping  problem.  By  paying  a 
few  coins  and  having  one  of 
your  characters  become  a  car- 
tographer, you  have  access  to 
an  overhead  map  at  almost 
any  point  in  the  game.  Ttiis 
vmnderful  feature  makes  the 
game  not  only  easier,  but  posi- 
tively friendly. 

Unlike  some  of  these 
games,  M  &M  II  lets  you  ex- 


plore areas  and  cities  in  what- 
ever order  you  wish.  Portals 
are  available  to  take  you  from 
place  to  place.  Many  events 
are  timed,  however,  with  the 
clues  giving  you  the  game  day 
on  which  they  will  occur,  so 
complete  randomness  isn't 
recommended.  There's  no 
need,  though,  to  go  from  level 
1  to  level  2,  or  for  any  other  ar- 
tificial means  of  advancement. 
For  more  information,  contact 
New  Vtorld  Computing,  14922 
Calvert  Street,  Van  Nuys,  Cali- 
fornia 91 41 1 ;  (81 8)  785-0401 . 
—  Nell  Randall 


AppleFest,  the  largest  Apple  II 
show  around,  is  starting  to  look 
more  and  more  like  a  swap 
meet.  Once  the  national  trade 
and  user  show  for  the  Apple  II, 
AppleFest  is  in  danger  of  either 
disappearing  or  turning  into  a 
local  fair  where  people  shop 
for  software  and  hardware  bar- 
gains, not  news  and  infor- 
mation atxjut  their  computer. 

The  most  recent  Apple- 
Fest, held  in  San  Francisco 
during  September,  sported 
large  booths  filled  with  soft- 
ware mail  mari<eters  and  retail- 
ers. Crowds  jammed  those 
booths  like  no  others.  To  make 
it  even  worse,  many  traditional 
exhibitors  were  absent,  includ- 
ing Claris,  publisher  of  App/e- 
Works,  and  Activision,  a 
longtime  developer  of  Apple  II 
software.  Both  had  been  pre- 
sent at  San  Francisco's  1988 
AppleFest. 

Although  the  number  and 
quality  of  exhibitors  were  off 
from  years  past,  the  numtiers 
of  people  packing  the  hall  v/ere 
not.  And  those  people  were 
just  as  enthusiastic  aboul  their 
computers  as  ever.  Educators 
especially  were  eager  to  find 
out  more  about  how  to  use 
their  own,  and  their  class- 
rooms'. Apples. 

And  though  no  extraordi- 
nary announcements  were 
made  at  AppleFest  this  year, 


though  no  new  groundbreaking 
software  was  introduced,  there 
vvere  some  highlights. 

Broderbund  demonstrated 
its  dedication  to  the  Apple  II  by 
debuting  three  new  products: 
Where  in  Time  Is  Carmen  San- 
diego?,  Prince  of  Persia,  and 
Ancient  Art  of  War.  Beagle 
Bros,  and  Applied  Engineering, 
the  premier  Apple-only  soft- 
ware and  hardware  compa- 
nies, respectively,  used  new 
and  not-so-new  products  to 
show  that  the  Apple  II  is  no- 
where near  the  end  of  the  line. 
And  Roger  Wagner  Publish- 
ing's  HyperStudio  reminded 
AppleFest  attendees  that  new 
software  technology,  in  this 
case  hypermedia,  is  within  their 
reach. 

If  AppleFest  makes  it  back 
to  San  Francisco  next  fall  (not  a 
sure  bet),  look  for  it  to  have 
been  transformed  into  a  teach- 
ers-only show.  That's  the  di- 
rection Apple  likes  to  see  the  II 
line  heading  (even  the  powerful 
and  adaptable  IIgs).  And  often, 
what  Apple  wants,  Apple  gets. 


No  New  llGS 


In  mid-August,  Apple  finally  put 
to  rest  the  rumors  of  a  new  Ap- 
ple IIgs  computer.  Yes,  ttiere 
vvould  be  a  new  gs.  No,  it 
wouldn't  be  a  new  computer. 

The  confusion  is  under- 
standable. The  new  IIgs  is  the 
same  as  the  old  one  with  more 
memory.  TTie  IIgs  now  comes 
witii  1 .125  megabytes  of  RAM 
(up  from  51 2K)  and  256K  of 
ROM(upfrom128K). 

More  memory  means  that 
an  out-of-the-txDx  IIgs  v^II  be 
able  to  run  almost  all  GS  soft- 
ware. That  wasn't  tme  of  the 
weaker  51 2K  machine.  Now, 
rather  than  immediately  spend- 
ing money  for  more  RAM,  a 
IIgs  buyer  can  spend  that  mon- 
ey on  something  else. 


Say  What? 


One  of  the  best  quotes  to 
come  out  of  AppleFest  in  San 
Francisco  was  hidden  in  an  Ap- 
ple press  release.  In  a  section 
dedicated  to  discussing  how 
the  Apple  II  and  the  Macintosh 
can  peaceably  coexist,  Jean- 
Louis  Gassee,  president  of  Ap- 
ple Products,  said,  "We 
recognize  that  our  customers 
have  different  needs  and  re- 
quirements for  the  computers 
they  choose. . . .  Just  tjecause 
the  world  now  has  automatic 
transmissions,  doesn't  mean 
that  we  no  longer  have  stick 
shifts." 

Think  a  moment:  If  you 


14       COMPUTE! 


JANUARY       1990 


-  ^..    i-»^i*-..:TT:«r 


-<=>*tJ^V9^^' 


;^«^^ 


NUMBER0ID5 

from  de&p  space 


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No  computer  knowledge  required. 

+  ,  -,  X  and  -^  playmodes 

with  progressive  levels  of  difficulty  to  base  99. 

Extra  large  easy-to-read  menus. 

Rich  musical  scores  which  include  excerpts  from  The 

Blue  Danube,  Stars  &  Stripes  Forever,  Also  Sprach 

Zarathustra,  and  more. . . . 

The  most  math-fun  possible  without  leaving  the  planet! 

Order  Today  by  calling  I  -800-877-9003 

VISA  and  Ms-.terCird  atcepted  or  send  check/money-ofdef  for  539.95  lo: 
THE  GOPHER  GRAOEWORKS  ■  8640  M  Guilford  Rd.  •  Suite  204  ■  Columbia.  MD 
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Circle  Reader  Service  Number  1SB 


#  #  Open  House .. . 

, . .  and  you're  invited  to  participate  in  a  new  and  extremely  important  program  for  COMPUTE!  readers.  In  order 
to  fully  understand  your  opinions,  attitudes  and  reading  preferences,  we  are  establishing  a  Reader  Research  Panel. 

Scientifically  selected  samples  of  our  panel  members  will  receive  up  to  four  survey  mailings  over  the  next  12 
months.  Survey  results  will  help  us  to  better  design  COMPUTE!  with  your  interests  in  mind. 

Please  apply  to  participate  in  our  Reader  Research  Panel  today  by  completing  the  attached  application  form  and 
mailing  it  back  to  Data  Processing  Firm,  Media  Research  Associates,  no  later  than  January  31,  1990.  All  statis- 
tical information  must  be  provided  in  order  to  select  a  panel  representative  of  our  entire  readership.  All  infor- 
mation will  remain  confidential. 


If  selected,  you  will  be  contacted  accordingly.  Thank  you  for  your  cooperation. 


Ccu/:/^6^ 


William  Tynan 
Publisher 


RSVP 


to  Media  Research  Associates 

230  Park  Avenue,  Suite  1567,  New  York,  NY  10169 


APPLICATION  FORM 
COMPUTE!  Magazine  Reader  Research  Panel 

ALL  INFORMATION  WILL 
REMAIN  CONFIDENTIAL. 

1.  Are  you     Male D 

Female D 

2.  What  is  your  marital  status? 

Married  D 

Single D 

Widowed  n 

Separated  or  Divorced D 

3.  What  is  your  age? 

Under  25 D 

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4.  What  was  your  total  household  income  (from 
all  sources)  in  1989? 

Under  S25.000 D 

S25,000-S34,999 D 

$35,000-$39,999 D 

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S6S,000-S74,99g D 

S75,000-S99,999 D 

$100,000+ n 

5.  What  is  the  highest  level  of  education  ttiat  you 
have  attained  to  date? 

Attended  High  School D 

Graduated  High  School D 

Attended  College D 

Graduated  College D 

Posi-Graduate  Study D 

6.  What  group  t)elov^  best  descrities  your 
occupation? 

Professional/Technical D 

Manager/Administrator D 

Clerical/Sales D 

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Other  Employment D 


Student  D 

Not  Employed  n 

7.    How  did  you  acquire  this  copy  of  COMPUTE!? 

(Please  check  only  one  answer.) 
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and  received  it  through  the  mail D 

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COMPUTC!  Publicationsjnc.® 


A  Cootcil  CiTi»i/ABC  mc  Cnmponv 


wanted  to  really  rip  out  from  a 
standing  stop,  what  would  you 
want  on  your  car?  A  sticit  shift 
you  can  jam  yourself,  or  an 
easy-to-use,  yet  sluggish, 
automatic? 

Slam  your  ancient  Apple 
lie  into  first  gear  and  hit  the 
gas. 
—  Gregg  Keizer 


In  my  youth,  I  used  to  defy 
Mom's  orders  and  frequent  the 
penny  arcades  to  get  in  a  few 
games  of  air  hockey  with  the 
unsavory  characters  who  hung 
out  there.  Today's  kids  can 
stay  home  and  save  their  quar- 
ters by  playing  Broderbund's 
Shufflepuck  Cafe. 

If  you've  ever  played  air 
hockey,  Shufflepuck  will  be  a 
snap  to  learn.  Your  onscreen 
paddle  exactly  mimics  the 
movements  of  your  mouse: 
Slam  the  mouse  forward  and 
your  paddle  hits  the  puck  tiard. 
Shufflepuck  Cafe  has  the  most 
reafislic  control  of  any  game 
I've  ever  played. 

The  effect  is  enhanced  by 
excellent  graphics  and  stereo 
sound.  When  you  ricochet  the 
puck  back  and  forth  across  the 
table,  the  puck  sound  moves 
from  speaker  to  speaker.  Your 
opponents'  unique  personal- 
ities are  reflected  by  their 
gmnts  and  comments,  such  as 
Biff  Raunch  muttering  "Wimp!" 
when  you  miss  a  serve. 

If  you're  looking  for  the 
perfect  computer  sports  game, 
give  Shufflepuck  Cafe  a  try 
Contact  Broderbund,  17  Paul 
Street,  San  Rafael,  California 
94903;  (41 5)  492-3200. 


EA  EA  OH! 


Electronic  Arts  (EA)  and  affiliate 
label  SSI  unleashed  four  new 
Amiga  games  this  month,  three 
of  which  aren't  copy-protected 
and  can  be  installed  on  hard 
drives. 

I  guess  EA  figured  that 


Powerdrome  ($39.95)  was  too 
cool  to  risk  releasing  without 
copy-protection,  and  it  was 
probably  right.  Sort  of  a  hybrid 
of  Ferrari  Formula  One  and 
Jet,  Powerdrome  puts  you  in 
the  cockpit  of  a  futuristic  Ty- 
phoon racing  aircraft. 

Unlike  automobile  racers, 
you  have  to  contend  with 
tracks  that  twist  not  only  left 
and  right,  but  also  up  and 
down.  On  higher-level  tracks, 
strange  atmospheres  and  vary- 
ing gravities  make  the  game 
even  harder.  If  you've  ever 
wondered  what  it  would  be  like 
to  fly  an  F-16  around  a  domed 
stadium,  grab  Powerdrome, 

Swords  of  Twilight 
($49.95)  is  a  new  game  de- 
signed by  Free  Fall  Associates, 
the  folks  who  brought  you  Ar- 
chon.  A  fantasy  role-playing 
game.  Swords  of  Twilight  al- 
lows up  to  three  people  to  play 
at  once. 

There's  more  to  this  game 
than  exploring  mazes  and 
opening  chests.  Your  actions  in 
the  game  can  affect  your  repu- 
tation: Slay  a  group  of  innocent 
commoners  in  the  center  of 
town  and  you'll  have  a  hard 
time  getting  anyone  to  trust 
you.  You  can  talk  or  trade  with 
various  characters,  or,  it  that 
doesn't  virork,  you  can  engage 
in  arcade-style  combat. 

Swords  of  Twilight  actual- 
ly does  a  better  job  of  captur- 
ing the  flavor  of  role-playing 
games  than  does  Hillsfar,  the 
new  Advanced  Dungeons  & 
Dragons  adventure  from  Stra- 
tegic Simulations.  Hillsfar 
($49.95)  is  more  a  collection 
of  arcade  games  and  puzzles 
tied  together  with  an  AD  &  D 
theme. 

Still,  HW/sfar  is  fun.  You'll 
need  to  gain  experience  in  the 
Arena,  atTanna's  Target 
Range,  and  by  picking  locks 
and  breaking  into  various  build- 
ings. Then  you'll  be  ready  for 
more  serious  threats  in  the 
cemetery  and  Maalthiir's  cas- 
tle. Unless  you're  a  diehard 
die-rolling  AD  &  D  player,  you'll 
probably  like  the  arcade  action 
in  Hillsfar. 

Finally,  there's  Star  Com- 
mand ($49.95),  which  could  be 
the  role-playing  sleeper  of  the 
year.  This  is  a  game  sure  to 
fascinate  folks  who've  played 
Traveler,  the  noncompuler  sci- 
ence-fiction role-playing  game. 

In  true  role-playing  style, 
your  characters  gain  expe- 
rience and  skills  as  you  take  on 
a  variety  of  missions  ranging 
from  antipiracy  patrols  to  a  final 
mission  to  save  mankind.  While 
the  graphics  are  barely  up  to 
even  Commodore  64  stan- 
dards, the  number  of  weapons. 


planets,  and  alien  races  in  the 
game  is  impressive.  This  one 
won't  get  repetitive  after  a  few 
hours  of  play, 

For  more  information  on 
these  games,  contact  Electron- 
ic Arts,  1 820  Gateway  Drive, 
San  Mateo,  California  94404; 
(800)  245-4525. 
—  Denny  Atkin 


Along  with  the  Macintosh's 
friendly  interface,  fonts  have 
made  the  machine  what  it  is  to- 
day. But  tomorrow,  a  new  era 
dawns  for  desktop  publishing 
on  the  Mac. 

Adobe,  the  company  that 
brought  us  PostScript,  brings 
us  Adobe  Type  Manager  ($99), 
a  type-enhancement  package 
that  lets  you  use  high-quality 
PostScript  fonts  on  the  screen 
and  on  your  ImageWriter. 
While  the  package  is  intriguing, 
it's  also  a  little  finicky.  It  works 
only  with  the  outline  fonts  that 
Adobe  has  created.  My  beta 
version  included  Helvetica, 
Courier,  Times,  and  Symbol,  if 
you  own  Adobe  fonts  already, 
they'll  vrork  fine  with  Adobe 
Type  l\^anager.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  you  want  to  use  Pala- 
tine and  your  version  of  the 
font  came  from  Apple,  you'll 
need  to  buy  another  group  of 
fonts  for  $198.  The  program 
works  well,  particularly  when 
you  set  aside  a  big  chunk  of 
memory,  print  with  a  good  rib- 
bon, and  use  best  mode.  Al- 
though printing  doesn't  take 
much  longer  than  usual,  draw- 
ing the  screen  when  you  first 
open  a  file  does.  The  worst 
problem  is  that  you  have  to  bal- 
ance-Adobe  Type  Manager's 
memory  needs  against  other 
programs'  requirements.  My 
one-megabyte  Mac  SE 
couldn't  run  SuperPaint  when 
Adobe  Type  Manager  was  run- 
ning with  a  256K  memory 
cache.  A  smaller  cache  means 
worse-quality  printing. 

From  Apple,  we  get  new 
outline  fonts  that  were  an- 


nounced with  System  7.0.  Out- 
line fonts  are  described  by 
mathematical  formulas  instead 
of  patterns  of  pixels.  Besides 
taking  up  less  memory,  they 
are  smoother,  you  only  need 
one  size  to  generate  any  other 
size,  and  the  characters  are 
more  easily  manipulated. 
(PostScript  fonts  are  outline 
fonts.)  In  a  later  development, 
Apple  agreed  to  share  outline- 
font  technology  with  Microsoft 
in  return  for  a  PostScript  clone 
that  Microsoft  has  acquired.  As 
the  first  competitor  (or  Post- 
Script's market,  Apple's  prod- 
uct will  certainly  undermine 
Adobe's  grip  on  the  laser-printer 
market.  On  the  other  hand, 
those  of  us  who  use  the  Macin- 
tosh will  reap  the  benefits  be- 
cause we'll  see  less-expensive 
printers  and  better  output  com- 
patibility between  Macintosh 
and  PC  files. 


Outside  of  the  desktop  publish- 
ing and  graphics  orchard,  there 
are  some  telecommunications 
bushes  and  even  an  ambula- 
tory apple  tree. 

When  you  choose  a  tele- 
communications service,  count 
America  Online  in  the  list  of 
nominees.  Offered  by  Quan- 
tum Computer  Services,  this 
new  telecommunications  ser- 
vice includes  bulletin  boards, 
forums,  and  multiplayer 
games.  Pull-down  menus, 
icons,  and  windows  make  you 
feel  at  home.  Membership 
costs  $5.95  each  month  plus 
an  houriy  charge  of  S5.00. 
Contact  Quantum  Computer 
Services  about  introductory 
rates  at  8619  Westwood  Cen- 
ter Drive,  Vienna,  Virginia 
22182;  (800)  227-6364. 

Finally,  just  so  you  know 
it's  out  there,  the  Macintosh 
portable  has  been  released. 
This  laptop  won't  (it  in  your  lap 
very  well;  it  weighs  between  14 
and  1 6  pounds.  It's  also  more 
expensive  than  most  low-end 
laptops — nearly  $5,800  without 
a  hard  drive  and  $700  more 
with  one.  OK,  so  maybe  it's  not 
aimed  at  the  home  computer 
market,  but  the  Macintosh  por- 
table is  well  equipped  with  a 
beautiful  display,  a  trackball  (In- 
stead of  a  mouse),  and  a 
SuperDrive  (a  high-density  disk 
drive  that  reads  MS-DOS  disks 
and  Mac  disks).  If  you  have  to 
take  your  Macintosh  wherever 
you  go,  this  new  machine  may 
be  v/orth  the  money,  but  most 
of  us  can  function  with  an  MS- 
DOS  laptop  and  some  good 
file-translation  software. 
—  Heidi  £.  H.  Aycock  B 


16 


COMPUTE 


JANUARY       1990 


»."• 


P*i)*."iV*f : 


??^^ 


* 


'■■■y-  fTsg^^^.  ■■^i  :>?:•: 


r-f:--?^' 


;»t^r-r: 


?5-^£^, 


ig^Si^a:' 


-  Circle  Ruder  Service  Number  124 


M       ^L   ccolade's  hot 
^^B^^K   racing  Sim  ula- 
m  ^  tionstake 

M  ^L  you  from  the 

^^^  ^B^  hairpins 

of  Monaco  to  the  breakers  off 
Miami  to  give  you  a  true  taste  of 
life  in  the  fast  lane. 

TJie  Duel— "TTiis  is  <mi  of  the 

highest  quality,  most  entertaining 
computer  games  ever. " 
-PC  Magazine 


The  Duel  Test  Driiv  U"  is  the 
best  selling  driving  game  of  1989, 
Head-to-head  racing  between 
the  Porsche  959'and  Ferrari  F40' 
puts  heat  on  the  street.  And 


now  Accolade  lets  you  duel  itout 
with  4  add-on  car  and  scenery 
disks— The  Supercars^The 
Muscle  Cars™ California  Challenge" 
and  European  ChaUens^c^ 


Grand  Prix  Circuit—". . .  hands 
down  the  fatst  driving  game  we 
tested,  //it  uere  any  more  realistic, 
you'd  need  to  wear  Nomex  under- 
wear to  play  ir."-CAR  St  Driver 

Grand  Prix  Circuit^whlsks 
you  to  the  exclusive  world  of 
Formula  One  Racing.  Slither  and 
slide  through  the  curves  of 
glamorous  Monaco.  Blast  down 
the  straightaways  of  Germany. 
Plunge  into  the  tunnels  of  Japan. 
You'll  race  on  the  legendary 
Grand  Prix  courses, 
driving  for 


the  teams  of  McLaren,  Ferrari 
and  Williams  Honda.  Car  & 
DniCT™ calls  it  "the  best!' 

How  do  you  maintain  a 
proven  track  record?  Kickstart 
The  Cycles:  International  Grand 
Prii  Radng™  No  other  motor- 
cycle simulation  offers  its  realistic, 
first-person  radng  perspective. 
Wrap  yourself  around  the  chassis 
of  the  fastest  bikes  ever  btiilt. 


Race  against  9  of  the  circuits' 
best  riders  on  15  authentic  GP 
courses. 

And  in  the  wake  of  its  racing 
success.  Accolade  launches 
thunder  on  the  water.  Heat  Wave: 
Offihore  Superboat  Racing" 
captures  the  thrills  of  one 


'// 


of  the  fastest  growing  sports  in 
America.  Roostertail  in  four,  3-D 
supcrboats.  Go  full-throttle  at 
100  mph  o\'er  oceans,  rivers  and 
canals  as  you  battle  10  skippers 
for  the  title  of  "US  t"-best 
in  the  world. 


AGBiJNDPRIlf  4a:   ., 
MOTQFCra'    o^ftroj 


fel^  — 


Stop  by  your  software  retailer 
and  take  Accolade's  racing  sim- 
ulations out  for  a  spin.  And  while 
you're  there,  get  the  lowdown 
on  Accolade's  "Life  In  The 
Fast  Lane  Sweepstakes'— your 
chance  to  win  a  weekend  trip 
to  one  of  three  major  racing 
events;  a  Grand  Prix  Motorcycle 
race,  a  Formula  One/Indy  Car 
Grand  Prix  or  an  Offshore 
Powerboat  Race. 

Accolade's  racing  simulations. 
Go  ahead.  Put  'em  in  drive. 

How  toorder:Visityour 

favorite  retailer  or  call 
800-245-7744. 


^4S 


Enter  The  4|P    W      Accolade 
"Life  In  The  Fast  Lane"  Sweepstakes 

YouT  Choice  of  a  "Life  in  The  Fast  Lane"  Fantasy  \Vesl<a\d ' 


ACCOLADE  "LIFE  IN  THE  FAST  LANE"  SWEEPSTAKES 
OFFICIAL  ENTRY  FORM 

To  enter,  complete  this  entry  form  and  mail  it  via  First  Class  maQ  to:  ACCOLADE 
"LIFE  IN  THE  FAST  L^NE" SWEEPSTAKES.  RO.  Box  8973,Wesrport.CT 06888. 
All  entries  must  be  received  by  March  15. 1990  to  be  eligible.  NO  PURCHASE 
NECESSARY  TO  ENTER  OR  WIN  PRIZES, 

My  choice  of  a  "Life  in  The  Fasl  Lane^  faniasy  weei<£nd  is...  (dieck  ONE  please): 
D  A  Grand  Prix  Motorc>'cle  Race  weekend  (US.  International  Grand  Prix  ai 

Laguna  Seca.  CA.-  April  1990) 
D  A  Ibrmula  One  or  Indy  Car  Grand  Prix  weekend  (Race  and  date  to  be 

determined  by  Accolade) 
D  An  Offshore  Powerboat  Race  weekend  (Ebce  ai^d  date  to  be  determined  by 

Accolade) 


KAME  OF  RETAIL  OUTLET  VOU  SHOP  FOR  SOFTWARE 


CtlY  fi  STATE  OF  THAT  STORE  LOCATION 


apfrequirefl) 


Type  of  computer  owned^ 
Q  Macintosh 
D  Apple  II  Series 
Q  Apple  IlGS 


□  IBM/Tandy  &  Compadbles 
D  Commodore  64/128 
D  Commodore  Amiga 


OPFICUU.  RULES 

to  EntonOfi  an  Official  Enliy  Foftn  or  a  plain  piece  d  3'x  S'oapei.  harO  pnni  your  name 

and  Kvrpltte  address.  If>e  name  ind  aOdress  ot  tlw  rela  i  ouPel  where  you  ehoo  'Or  SOftwate. 

and  youT  chosce  of  "L'te  m  Tne  Fast  Lar>e"  fanlaEy  weekend  priit  Wail  you*  ensry  lo;  AccoJade 

"LHe  in  T^e  Fast  Lane"Sweereiates.PO  Box  B973,Vtesl[jojl.CT  OSesaEnlef  as  often  as  you  wish, 

but  each  enifv  fi^sjsi  M  scri  in  a  separate  enviJtope  wia  firs!  Class  Mail  and  recetved  by  Wa^cli  15. 

1990  NO  PURCHASE  NECESSARY  TO  EWTER  OR  VJ\H  Pfii2ES 

Three  13)  diHerenl  'life  m  The  Fas^t  Lane"  lanlasy  weekend  prizes  wll  Be 
awatdM:  a  Grand  Prix  Motoicycie  Race  weeWifid.  a  Fofmuia  One  or  Indy  Cat  Grand  Ptik  weekend 
and  an  Olfshore  Ftw^etboat  Race  weekend  Each  pnze  will  include  such  iransponaion  airanaements 
and  nther  accommodaiions  as  may  be  necessary  (or  iwo  people  traveling  together,  including  Ihe  sports 
even!  ickels.  All  arrangements  shall  do  made  by  JlccoJadeal  Is  deoetKXi^  as  to  place  and  e«:rt 
seiedKin  Applicable  penod  lor  faniasv  weekend  an-angefmenis  shall  be  4/1/90-  i2/3i/90.  Eacft 
winner  wifl  Dc  ottered  Tho  ogiKxi  c*  recetvingi  $t  ,500  ca^Ji  instead  ol  Km  lantasy  weekend  tor  two. 
II  One  winner  wiB  be  selected  lor  each  ol  the  Ihrtjo  Ofleftml  lanlasy 
•Mi^ietyiptiiestr/rnearisdlAmiiesdlfanaorndtatirnQS  to  be  conducted  on  3/l&90bv 
AUA,  Lid,,  an  indeperident  n-tSging  organizatcn  whose  deostorks  are  tinat  Pr  i:*e  winners  witi 
be  rollied  by  ma<f  tv  3/23/90  The  wWs  ol  winning  witl  depend  upon  the  numoer  ol  vaJid 
entries  received  WjnnerswiH  be  required  ID  provide  social  security  number  [fo*  'ji^  purposes), 
and  tosqn  an  atfidavH  ol  e!igii>iiiiy  and  fkj&ticiiv/lability  retease.Tax  liaWiry  on  prize 
winnirngs,  IS  the  icsponsitiiliiy  at  eadi  winner  Prizes  are  not  transteraWe;  however, 
any  prize  won  ty  a  minor  wpII  &e  awarded  m  iho  name  ol  a  patcnl  or  guardian. 
niolbllltyi  Otter  good  only  m  USA  and  US  Governmen!  insiallaiions, 
Employoosot  Accolade, Inc.jis  marketing  a9enccs,lhi.5  program's 
supplfCTs.ondlheir  immediaiefsrniliosaio  notGliQibleio  win,  WjkJ 
wherever  piohitMled  or  restrictsd  DyJaw  To  requesia  lis!  o!  If>e  prce 
winrwrs.  send  a  siafflpeti.sel-addressod  envelopo  belwo  ^15^ 
Lite  in  The  FaS  Lane"  Winners.  PO  Box  9?0. 
V*!Sipon,CT  06881. 


The  best  in  entertainroent  software." 


JOW  THE  MR  FORCE 

JumsEETHEwaojys 

MOSTEXOnCTERMINMS. 

Terminals  that  push  pilots  beyond  their  limits. 
Terminals  where  dogfights  are  played  out 
with  sweaty  realism. 

Terminals  where  futuristic  aircraft  designs 
are  modified  in  just  seconds. 

It's  all  part  of  the  most  sophisticated 
computer  technology  in  the  world. 
And  if  you  have 
the  desire  and  the  aptitude,  you  could  become 
a  part  of  it 

You'll  receive  not  only  the  highest-quality 
technical  training,  but  guaranteed  hands-on 
e}q)erience  Use  equip- 
ment and  technology 
so  advanced,  it  may 
be  years  before  the 
rest  of  the  world  even 
reads  about  it 

But  there's  much 
more  to  the  Air  Force 
than  mainframes  and  megabytes. 

We  offer  equally  exciting  opportunities  in  to- 
day's most  sought-after  fields.  Electronics. 

Medtine.  Aircraft  mechanics.  Communtations.  Over  200  careers  in  all 

Plus  the  chance  to  ptk  up  college  credits  or 
even  an  Associate  of  Applied  Science  degree 
in  the  fully-accredited  CommunityCoUege  ji 
of  the  Air  Force.  -f/// 

Interested?  Give  us  a  call  at  m//,^ 

1-800-423-USAF.  Youll  find  there  are  ^|/# 
some  terminals  where  futures         Mf 
get  off  the  ground.      MMHIGK  //  " 

Circle  Reader  Service  Number  200 


N  FOCUS 


GRAB  YOUR  FUNNY  HATS,  YOUR  CUMMERBUNDS,  AND  YOUR 
SEQUINED  PURSES.  WE'RE  THROWING  A  PARTY  AND  PULLING 
OUT  ALL  THE  STOPS.  THE  NEW  YEAR  IS  A  TIME  FOR 
CELEBRATION,  AND  WE  NEVER  RUN  OUT  OF  EXCUSES  TO 
CHEER.  FIRST,  WE'LL  CHEER  FOR  THE  BEST  AND  THE 
BRIGHTEST— THE  PC  PACKAGES  THAT  WON  THE  1990 
COMPUTE!  CHOICE  AWARDS.  IMAGINE  A  ROOMFUL  OF 
OPINIONATED  EDITORS,  EACH  WITH  A  BUNDLE, OF  FAVORITE 
NEW  PACKAGES,  EACH  CAMPAIGNING  FOR  A  DIFFERENT 
PROGRAM.  WHEN  THE  TUMULT  SUBSIDED,  WE  FOUND  A  LIST  OF 
19  WINNERS.  READ  ABOUT  THEM  ON  PAGE  22.  PC  PACKAGES 

/EREN'T  THE  ONLY  SHINING  STARS  THIS  YEAR.  OUR  SPECIFIC 
SPECIALISTS  CHOSE  FIVE  TOP  PRODUCTS  AND  SOME  RUNNERS- 
UP  FOR  EACH  COMPUTER  WE  COVER.  COMPARE  YOUR  LIST 
TO  THEIRS  ON  PAGE  39.  CHOOSING  AWARD  WINNERS  IN 
EDUCATION  MAY  BE  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  TEST  YOU  TAKE 
THIS  YEAR.  READ  ABOUT  THE  HALLMARKS  OF  GREAT  TEACHING 
TOOLS  IN  ^^MY  VIEW"  ON  PAGE  36.  ON  OUR  DISK,  YOU'LL 
FIND  FIVE  TOPNOTCH  PROGRAMS  THAT  COULD  WIN  TOP 
HONORS  WITH  YOUR  FAMILY. 
YOU  CAN  READ  ABOUT  THEM 
ON  PAGE  50,  ''RESOURCES," 
ON  PAGE  48,  WILL  TELL  YOU 
HOW  TO  FIND  FUTURE  FIRST- 
PRIZE- WORTHY  SOFTWARE.  A 
NEW  YEAR— AND  MANY  NEW 
REASONS  TO  GET  EXCITED 
ABOUT  HOME  COMPUTING 
AND  HOT  NEW  PACKAGES 
COMPETING  FOR  NEXT 
YEAR'S  FIERCELY  COVETED 


JANUARY       1990 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


21 


THE  1990 
GOMPUn! 


ONLY  A  FEW  HOME 

COMPUTING  PRODUCTS 

CAN  BE  THE  BEST. 

HERE'S  WHAT  WE 

THINK  THEY  ARE. 

▲ 

THE  EDITORS  OF  COMPUTE! 


*  ' 


I 


\ 


TW 


* 


\ 


A 


\..^ 


f/' 


-'^       C   b    M    P    U  'T    f 't  JAS^UARY        1990 


/Ai 


w 


Ei  or  the  second  year  in  a  row,  the  editors  of  COMPUTE!  have  dug  out 
^^from  under  an  avalanche  of  software  and  hardware  to  crown  the  year's 
best  home  computer  products.  Not  all  of  them  are  flashy;  not  all  of 
ihem  are  fun.  But  each  one  carries  with  it  certain  qualities  that  lift  it 
I  above  its  peers. 
I  This  year  we've  expanded  our  categories  to  19  and  covered  the 

areas  we  address  every  month — productivity,  entertainment,  and 
education.  .■Across  the  board,  we  found  many  worthy  contenders  and  a 
not  a  few  pretenders  to  the  throne.  Some  especially  strong  products  in 
j--^the  simulation  categories  made  choosing  difficult,  as  did  some  great 
j|  utilities,  word  processors,  and  hardware.  In  the  end,  though,  we  could 
choose  only  19 — 19  out  of  the  multitudes. 

Of  course,  these  awards  don't  encompass  the  entire  computer  spectrum,  as 
we  limited  our  choices  to  MS-DOS-based  products.  The  other  computer  systems 
we  cover  had  their  own  share  of  notable  products  this  year,  and  we  asked  our 
staff  experts  and  contributors  to  fill  us  in.  You  can  read  about  their  choices  in 
"Best  of  the  Rest"  on  page  39. 

Last  of  all,  we  would  never  expect  our  readers  to  take  our  choices  sitting 
down.  To  that  end,  we've  devised  a  ballot  so  that  you  can  vote  for  your  personal 
favorite.  You'll  find  it  on  page  32.  We  look  forward  to  hearing  from  you  and 
getting  your  views  from  the  front  lines  of  personal  computing. 

We  try  to  maintain  a  healthy  perspective  on  home  computing  here,  which 
isn't  always  easy  when  bombarded  with  more  software  in  one  week  than  most 
people  buy  in  a  couple  of  years.  We  know  it  isn't  easy  for  you  to  choose  from 
among  all  the  packages  and  products  at  your  local  computer  dealer's  store  and 
in  the  mail-order  catalogs.  Our  job  is  to  tell  you  which  products  can  enhance 
your  computing  experience  and  which  ones  will  frustrate  you.  The  breadth  and 
depth  of  our  experience  with  these  products  can  help  you  make  up  your  mind 
when  it  comes  time  to  buy.  We  hope  the  COMPUTE!  Choice  Awards  add  to 
your  knowledge  and  help  you  find  the  perfect  packages  for  you. 


SMALL  BUSINESS 

BetterWorking  Eight-in-One 

Integrated  packages  are  a  boon  to 
home-office  workers  and  others  in 
small  businesses  who  have  to  keep  a 
sharp  eye  on  the  bottom  line.  Almost 
anyone  who  buys  a  computer  from  a 
retail  store  will  walk  out  the  door 
with  some  kind  of  integrated  soft- 
ware. By  offering  Ihrfee  or  four  pro- 
grams under  the  umbrella  of  a 
similar  interface,  integrated  packages 
make  a  lot  of  sense  for  both  begin- 
ning and  experienced  users. 

When  it  comes  to  balancing 
price  and  performance,  it's  hard  for 
any  integrated  package  to  compete 
with  Spinnaker's  BetterWorking 
Eighl-in-One.  For  under  $60,  you  get 
a  word  processor  with  a  spelling 
checker  and  a  thesaurus,  a  spread- 
sheet with  a  companion  graphing 
program  for  bringing  presentations  to 
life,  a  database,  a  telecommu- 
nications module,  an  outliner  for 
brainstorming,  and  a  slew  of  desktop 


JANUARY        1990 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


23 


lapura  rnmi  Em 


u 


accessories.  This  is  a  package  you 
can  live  with  for  some  time,  and  one 
that  many  people  may  never  leave. 
Couple  the  program's  features 
with  its  ease  of  use  and  you  have  a 
package  that  can  get  right  to  work  for 
your  home  business  and  your  fam- 
ily's computing  tasks  as  well.  The 


You  also  get  a  cache  program,  a 
hard  disk  optimizer,  a  program  that 
encrypts  and  compresses  your  data, 
and  a  hard  disk  backup  program 
that's  fast  and  easy  to  use. 

Best  of  all,  the  various  compo- 
nent programs  are  well  integrated 
with  a  common  user  interface,  are  of 


key  to  computer  productivity  is  a 
short  learning  curve  and  flexibility 
between  applications.  On  the 
strength  of  its  versatility  alone,  this 
is  one  program  that  can  carrj'  you 
into  home  computing  without  letting 
you  down. 


very  high  quality,  and  represent  an 
excellent  value.  Or,  to  put  it  in  just 
12  words:  PC  Tools  is  the  best  utihty 
you  can  buy  for  your  PC. 


UTILITY 

PC  Tools  Deluxe  5.5 

Describe  PC  Tools  in  200  words? 
Impossible! 

OK,  here  goes.  The  desktop  por- 
tion of  PC  Tools,  which  uses  as  little 
as  40K.,  includes  a  notepad  (you  can 
load  as  many  as  1 5  at  a  time),  an 
appointment  scheduler  (with  mem- 
ory-resident alarms),  a  database 

'. ;  (which  reads  and  writes  dBase  files), 

ti  three  calculators  (algebraic,  financial, 

and  programmer's),  a  telecommu- 
nications program  (with  scripting 
language,  XMODEM,  and  back- 
ground transfers),  a  keyboard  macro 
program,  and  an  outliner. 

The  shell  portion  of  PC  Tools. 
which  uses  as  little  as  1  OK,  can 
launch  your  favorite  applications 
with  a  single  keystroke,  work  with 
two  drives  or  two  paths  simulta- 
neously, locate  lost  files,  undelete 
files,  and  display  a  map  of  your 
computer's  memory. 

24       COMPUTEI  JANUARY       1990 


PERSONAL  ORGANIZER 

Arriba 

This  personal  information  manager 
(PIM)  is  as  speedy  as  its  name,  offer- 
ing a  variety  of  useful  tools  for  keep- 
ing track  of  contacts,  addresses, 
dates,  and  memoranda.  Good  Soft- 
ware has  lived  up  to  its  name  as 
well,  making  sound  choices  about 
features  and  tradeoffs  in  Arriba's 
design. 

Although  a  character-based  pro- 
gram, Arriba  uses  the  file  folder  and 
file  cabinet  as  its  central  metaphors. 
You  store  informational  notes  in 
folders;  you  gather  groups  of  folders 
into  file  cabinets.  You  can  search, 
link,  and  examine  all  of  the  infor- 
mation in  your  folders  and  cabinets 
in  a  variety  of  ways.  Searching  is 
particularly  fast,  and  the  program  in- 
cludes calendar  functions  that  are 
among  the  best  and  most  fiexible 
anywhere.  \  resident  function  lets 
you  keep  Arriba  in  memory  while 
you  run  other  applications. 

While  there  are  some  limita- 
tions— the  size  restrictions  imposed 


on  notes  makes  it  difficult  to  co- 
ordinate large,  text-intensive 
projects — Arriba  nevertheless  brings 
together  a  package  of  surprising 
suppleness  and  variety.  Its  interface 
is  straightforward  and  simple,  and 
the  program  contains  plenty  of  help 
screens. 

More  affordable  and  easier  to 
use  than  most  PIMs,  Arriba  is  the 
kind  of  program  the  personal  com- 
puter was  invented  for. 


WORD  PROCESSING 

Microsoft  Word  5.0 
When  Word  was  introduced  seven 
years  ago,  it  set  new  standards  for 
word  processing.  Microsoft,  not  con- 
tent to  rest  on  its  laurels,  has  contin- 
ued to  improve,  refine,  and  extend 
the  program  with  each  new  release. 

The  latest  version  of  Word  has 
everything  you'd  expect  to  find  in  a 
high-end  word  processor — integrated 
spelling  checker,  thesaurus,  macros, 
online  help,  and  redlining — but 
you'll  also  discover  an  array  of  other 
powerful  features  including  graphics 
import,  math,  style  sheets,  annota- 
tions, bookmarks,  and  a  comprehen- 
sive tutorial. 

Word's  success,  however,  lies  in 
the  way  it  integrates  its  features 
through  easy-to-follow  menus,  speed 
keys,  and  user-defined  macros.  This 
program's  interface  is  also  unusual  in 
that  it  pairs  a  flexible  text  mode  with 
a  WYSIWYG  graphics  display,  both 
powered  by  excellent  mouse  support 
and  extensive  keyboard  control. 

Microsoft  Word  5.0  wins  the 
1990  COMPUTE!  Choice  .-^ward  for 
best  word  processor  because  of  its 
depth  and  its  intelligently  integrated, 
elegant,  and  accessible  interface. 
Microsoft's  continued  dedication  to 
improving  the  program  and  support- 
ing its  user  base  is  a  model  of  in- 
dustry commitment. 


DESKTOP  PRESENTATION/VIDEO 

Perspective  Junior 

Perspective  Junior  earns  its  1990 
COMPUTE!  Choice  Award  by  pack- 
ing so  much  power  into  a  $149  pro- 
gram and  including  features  usually 
found  only  in  packages  costing  sev- 
eral times  more.  With  its  highly  intu- 
itive interface,  you  can  be  creating 
and  printing  presentation-quality 
graphics  within  an  hour  of  installing 
the  program. 

By  using  a  row/column  data- 
entry  format  similar  to  that  of 
spreadsheets,  the  program's  data 
manager  lets  you  easily  enter  the 
information — as  values,  headings, 
legends,  titles,  and  so  forih — that  you 


? 


The  Ad  Lib  Music  Card: 


Openyour  ears  and  blowyour  mind. 


Asteroids  are  hurtling  by.  Enemy  photons  are  de- 
stroying the  rear  deflectors.  Engines  strain  as  they 
reach  critical  mass.  Suddenly  you  hit  the  retros,  loop 
( around,  and  fire  with  everything  you've  got. 

And  what  kind  of  awesome,  breath-taking  music 
is  youf  computer  playing?  "Bleep,  bop,  beep."  Pretty  weak,  eh? 

Well  listen  up.  Because  now  there's  the  Ad  Lib  Music  Card. 
It's  the  digital  music  synthesizer  that's  conquering  the  final  frontier 
of  truly  realistic  game  playing— totally  ear-blasting  sound. 

Confront  the  dark  overlord,  and  Ad  Lib's  11-piece  orchestra 
will  back  you  up  with  gutsy,  heart-sweliing  music.  And  if  you  meet 


an  untimely  death,  rest  assured  that  Ad  Lib's  funeral  dirge  will  bring 
tears  to  the  eyes  of  your  loved  ones. 

In  fact,  the  Ad  Lib  sound  is  so  hot,  major  game  developers  are 
now  designing  dozens  of  new  adventures  with  special  soundtracks 
just  for  the  Ad  Lib  Music  Card. 

Call  us  at  1-800-463-2686  for  the  name  of  your  nearest 
dealer,  for  more  information,  and  for  the  ever-growing  list 
of  major  game  titles  with  spectacular  Ad  Lib  soundtracks. 

Add  the  missing  dimension  to  your  games  with  the 
Ad  Lib  Music  Card.  From  a  solo  to  a  symphony.  Ad  Lib's 
music  makes  the  adventure  come  alive. 


Ad  Lib  Inc.,  SO  Staniford  Street,  Suite  800,  Boston,  MA  D2tM.  1-S00-4S3-2BBB  in  U.S.  or  Canada,  t-m-529-3676  International.  Fax:  1'418-529-rm. 


New 
Compatible 

Games. 

Here  are  just  some  of  the 
hottest  new  computer  games 
designed  for  use  with  the 
Ad  Lib  Music  Card: 


^^^'S^J'^^ISVtS  '■ 


Lucasfilm's  Thcii  Finest  Hour. 
Batlleol  Britain 


Mic[oPfose's 
F-15  Strike  Ea^le  II 


Taiia's  ArhaniQild  I) 
Revenge  of  DOH 


Activision's 
Ghoslbusleis  II 


Sierta's 
Hero's  Quest 


System  requirements:  IBM  PC.  XX  AT,  or  compatible  with  Z&6K  RAM,  \XS  30  pr  higher,  CGA.  EGA.  or  monochrome  gr^hics  edaptor.  and  headset  or  exleriial  ^jealer. 
®  1989  Ad  lib.  Ad  Ub  is  a  registered  trademaric  of  Ad  Lib  Inc.  IBM  is  a  registered  tratJemdrk  of  InternstionjI  Business  Machines  Corporation- 
Circle  Readef  Service  Number  194 


^'^ 


want  to  render  graphically.  Perspec- 
tive Junior  is  compatible  with  other 
popular  PC  programs  including 
Loliis  1-2-3.  Microsoft  Excel,  and 
Miiltiplan  as  well  as  with  ASCII  files. 

Multiple  printer  support,  along 
with  the  ability  to  print  to  disk, 
brings  even  more  flexibility  to  the 
program.  Save  your  graphics  to  disk 
in  either  GEM  or  TIFF  formats  for 
export  into  other  programs. 

Even  if  you're  only  beginning  to 
experiment  with  presentation  graph- 
ics. Perspective  Junior  can  get  you 
out  of  the  lab  and  into  the  real  world 
of  desktop  presentations. 


LANGUAGE/OS 

DOS  4.x 

Big  Blue's  favorite  operating  system 
got  a  shot  in  the  arm  with  this  latest 
version.  Although  DOS  was  tempera- 
mental in  its  first  release,  IBM  and 
Microsoft  have  ironed  out  the  kinks 
and  provided  users  with  an  in- 
cremental step  toward  future  PC- 
compatible  operating  systems. 

Among  this  version's  more  nota- 
ble features  are  its  support  for  mem- 
ory above  the  640K  limit  and  its 
ability  to  work  with  hard  disk  par- 
titions larger  than  32  megabytes. 
Simple  to  install  and  flexible  to  a 
fault,  DOS  4,x  makes  moving  up 
from  DOS  3.3  a  viable  option  for 
many  users. 

Also  distinguishing  this  package 
from  earlier  versions — and  perhaps 
acting  as  a  harbinger  of  the  DOS 
world  to  come — is  its  shell.  If  you've 
grown  weary  of  the  notorious  DOS 
prompt,  you'll  appreciate  how  this 
graphics  interface  simplifies  many  of 
your  computing  tasks.  You  can  per- 
form several  file  operations  in  the 
shell,  including  loading  a  file  and  its 
governing  application  by  means  of 
the  Associate  command. 

With  indications  that  IBM  will 


bundle  Windows  with  DOS  some- 
time this  year,  a  graphics  interface  is 
a  timely  addition  because  it  will 
initiate  people  who  before  opted  for 
the  command  line  or  a  third-party 
menu  system. 

The  shell  in  DOS  4.x  isn't  Win- 
dows, and  it  isn't  Presentation  Man- 
ager as  we'll  see  it  implemented 
under  OS/2,  but  it  is  a  step  in  the 
right  direction. 


ADD  ON/PERIPHERAL 

UltraVision 

It  doesn't  seem  that  long  ago  that 
you  bought  your  state-of-the-art  EGA 
adapter  for  your  PC.  Now  VGA  is 
the  rage  and,  though  you'd  like  to 
keep  up  in  the  graphics  race,  you 
can't  justify  spending  almost  $1,000 
for  a  VGA  adapter  and  a  new 
monitor. 

Enter  UltraVision  from 
Personics.  This  hardware/software 
combination  gives  EGA  users  many 
of  the  capabilities  of  a  VGA  system 
for  only  $120.  This  product  adds  a 
number  of  new  display  modes  to  the 
standard  80  X  24  EGA  display.  You 
can,  for  example,  view  132  columns 
of  text  when  working  with  large 
spreadsheets.  With  a  multisync  mon- 
itor, UltraVision  makes  your  EGA 
card  compatible  with  VGA's  640  X 
480  pixel  1 6-color  graphics  mode. 

With  UltraVision,  you're  no 
longer  limited  to  the  default  EGA 
colors;  you  can  select  any  16  colors 
from  the  64-color  EGA  palette  to  use 
with  your  programs.  The  software 
also  includes  1 7  custom  screen  fonts 
designed  for  better  readability  in  the 
new  high-resolution  text  modes.  And 
best  of  all,  UltraVision  only  occupies 
7K-17Kof  RAM. 

UltraVision  takes  home  a  1990 
COMPUTE!  Choice  Award  for  its 
power,  usefulness,  and  value  in  a 
world  of  high-priced  hardware. 


STAND-ALONE  HARDWARE 

Sharp  Wizard 

The  Sharp  Wizard  can't  compete 
with  a  laptop,  but  then  a  laptop  can't 
fit  in  your  pocket  or  purse.  The  most 
popular  media  phrases  used  to  de- 
scribe the  eight-ounce  Wizard — elec- 
tronic organizer,  information 
manager,  hand-held  productivity  de- 
vice— are  all  on  the  mark.  The  Wiz- 
ard offers  an  impressive  array  of 
features  at  the  push  of  a  button:  cal- 
endar, phone  directory,  notepad,  cal- 
culator, scheduler,  and  two  clocks 
(local  and  world).  It  comes  with  32K 
of  RAM,  a  16  X  8  Hne  display  win- 
dow, and  separate  alphabetic  and  nu- 
meric keyboard  layouts.  The  Wizard 
operates  on  two  lithium  batteries 
with  a  long-life  battery  backup. 

But  what  makes  the  Wizard 
even  more  impressive  is  its  array  of 
support  peripherals.  Sharp  offers  IC 
cards  that  can  be  inserted  into  the 
Wizard's  touch-sensitive  window 
port.  Available  cards  include  32K 
and  64K  R.AM  cards,  Time/Expense 
Manager,  Thesaurus/Dictionary,  and 
8-Language  Translator.  Several  more 
cards  will  be  available  shortly.  An- 
other offering  is  a  cable-and-softwarc 
package  (PC  and  Macintosh  versions 
available)  for  bidirectional  down- 
loading between  the  Wizard  and 
your  computer.  Other  support  prod- 
ucts include  a  small  printer,  a  cas- 
sette data-storage  device,  and  a 
Wizard-to- Wizard  cable  for  exchang- 
ing information  between  units. 

The  Wizard  gamers  a  COM- 
PUTE! Choice  Award  this  year  not 
just  because  of  its  dizzying  array  of 
features,  but  also  because  it  provides 
a  glimpse  of  the  future  of  portable 
computing. 


DESKTOP  PUBLISHING/GRAPHICS 

Publish-lt!  Lite! 

Between  the  worlds  of  desktop 
publishing  and  word  processing  is  a 
nether  region  of  document  proces- 
sors, form  makers,  and  label  gen- 
erators that  offer  specific 
functionality  at  the  cost  of  overall 
fiexibility.  Not  every  user  needs  the 
power  of  PageMaker,  nor  is  every 
user  able  to  get  by  with  a  copy  of 
The  Newsmaster  II.  But  a  lot  of  bud- 
ding publishers  will  find  that  Time- 
works'  Publish-It!  Lite!  fits  the  bill 
with  power  to  spare. 

Essentially  a  slimmed-down  ver- 
sion of  the  company's  Publish-Ii!.  the 
Lite!  version  sacrifices  little  in  its  bid 
for  ease  of  use.  It  nins  under  the 
GEM  graphics  environment,  giving  it 
a  look  similar  lo  Ventura  Publisher. 
Lite!  can  import  formatted  text  from 


26       COMPUTEI 


JANUARY       1990 


The 

Jandy 
1000 

Strength 
in  numbers* 

Whether  you're  balancing  your 

company's  books  or  just 

balancing  your  checkbook,  the 

Tandy  1000  provides  the 

financial  muscle  you  need. 

Figure  and  refigure  at  will. 
Without  the  endless  stream  of 
calculator  tape,  the  worn  out 

erasers  and  the  headaches. 

A  built-in  graphical  user 

interface  frees  you  from  learning 

confusing  computer  jargon. 

DeskMate®  software,  with  its 

spreadsheet,  word  processor  and 

filer,  is  included.  Once  you  use 

it,  you  can  easily  master  any  of 

a  variety  of  programs  designed 

like  DeskMate. 

Need  more  power?  We  offer 
America's  broadest  PC  line. 

Remember;  more  people  use 

Tandy  lOOOs  than  any  other 

PC  compatible.  Now  that's 

strength  in  numbers. 

RadM»  /haelf 

The  Technology  Store"" 

A  DIVISION  OF  TANDY  CORPOflATION 

Circle  Reader  Service  Number  199 


a  number  of  word  processors,  as  well 
as  graphics  in  PCX  and  IMG  file 
formats. 

The  few  shortcuts  LUe!  makes 
are  in  the  areas  of  document  size, 
style  sheets,  and  adjustable  kerning. 
Still,  even  without  those  features, 
this  program  is  all  the  publishing 
power  many  of  us  will  ever  need.  To 
top  it  all  off,  Timeworks  offers  an  in- 
expensive upgrade  path  to  Publish-lt! 
should  you  want  to  do  more.  Few 
publishing  packages  can  deliver  so 
much  for  under  S60. 


^ij-r^ij-rj.\j/jjVJ^jtr 

ADVENTURE  SIMULATION 

SimCity 

So  many  computer  games  take  you 
to  fantastic,  unreal  places — space, 
haunted  dungeons,  early  history. 
SimCity  takes  you  home. 

This  intricate,  absorbing  simula- 
tion will  keep  you  occupied  for 
hours.  When  you  start  with  a  blank 
tract  of  land,  the  possibilities  for 
growth  are  infmite.  Place  a  residen- 
tial zone  over  here  by  the  lake;  drop 
an  industrial  zone  over  there  by  the 
river.  A  commercial  zone  buffers  the 
cozy  cottages  from  the  belching 
smoke  stacks,  and  roads  connect  all 
three.  Add  a  little  patience  and  you 
get  cars  moving  along  the  highways, 
houses  growing  into  apartment  build- 
ings, citizens  complaining  about 
taxes.  Before  long,  you're  building  a 
stadium  to  host  the  Super  Bowl. 

Starting  your  own  city  is 
challenging  fun,  but  you'll  also  enjoy 
playing  the  scenarios  that  Maxis 
Software  has  included  on  the  disk. 
Tackle  the  simple  malaise  of  a  turn- 
of-the-century  Dullsville,  or  solve  the 
baffling  nuclear  meltdown  of  a  futur- 
istic Boston. 

SimCity'i  graphics  are  detailed 


and  translate  well  across  a  variety  of 
computers.  The  designers  have  taken 
great  care  to  use  the  strengths  of  each 
machine.  Sound  also  speaks  well  for 
this  game — a  traffic  reporter  an- 
nounces bottlenecks,  Godzilla  cries 
out  in  triumph,  and  the  bulldozer 
buzzes  across  the  landscape. 

Maxis  Software  has  created  a 
game  unlike  any  other  and  opened  up 
a  new  genre  of  simulations.  That  ef- 
fort alone  is  worthy  of  a  COMPUTE! 
Choice  Award,  but  the  game's  success 
speaks  for  itself  We  hope  a  lot  of 
software  publishers  are  listening. 


SPORTS  GAME 

Kings  of  the  Beach 

Take  it  from  a  volleyball  player  who 
has  been  sidelined  with  an  injury. 
Kings  of  she  Beach  is  an  extremely 
realistic  simulation  of  doubles  in  the 
sand.  One  day  1  was  jumping  up  to 
spike  the  ball;  the  next  day  I  was 
consoling  myself  on  Electronic  Arts' 
software  beach,  my  knee  in  a  brace 
and  my  next  game  postponed 
indefinitely. 

Few  other  sports  simulations  re- 
produce the  real  feel  of  the  game  as 
Kings  of  the  Beach.  Take  spiking,  the 
high  point  in  every  volleyball  junk- 
ie's game.  This  power  hit  is  no  trivial 
press  of  a  joystick  button.  You  have 
to  time  your  double-click  so  that  you 
jump  and  swing  just  right.  One  sec- 
ond off  and  you'll  be  at  the  apex  of 
your  leap  while  the  ball  bounces 
accusingly  across  the  sand.  Real  life 
is  no  different,  just  more  humiliating. 

It's  this  sort  of  attention  that 
makes  Kings  of  the  Beach  a  COM- 
PUTE! Choice  winner.  It's  also 
the  interface,  which  works  very 
smoothly;  the  sound,  which  com- 
plements the  game  with  such  effects 
as  cheering  crowds;  and  the  graphics, 
which  add  detail,  color,  and  humor 
to  the  game. 

If  you  decide  to  play,  a  word  of 


advice:  The  game's  referee  comes 
equipped  with  a  stack  of  penalty 
cards.  Don't  argue  with  him;  he'll 
give  you  a  yellow  card  faster  than  you 
can  shake  the  sand  out  of  your  shorts. 


VEHICLE  SIMULATION 

\*tte! 

For  years,  the  best  computer  vehicle 
simulations  were  over  our  heads — 
literally.  Jet  fighters  and  attack  heli- 
copters ruled  the  roost.  When  it 
came  to  more  pedestrian  pursuits, 
hke  driving,  we  were  left  with  scroll- 
ing screens  and  a  limited  gaming 
universe. 

No  more.  Spectrum  HoloByte 
has  succeeded  in  blending  the  best  of 
night-simulator  technology  (3-D 
solid-modeling  graphics  and  a  wide- 
open  terrain)  with  the  beat  of  city 
streets.  The  result  is  Vette!,  a  driving 
simulation  so  close  to  the  real  thing 
that  GM  could  well  see  a  decline  in 
car  sates. 

In  this  game,  you're  not  limited 
to  a  racetrack  or  a  single  ribbon  of 
road.  The  designers  have  captured 
the  city  of  San  Francisco  and  ren- 
dered it  faithfully  on  your  computer. 
From  the  Golden  Gate  Bridge  to  the 
San  Francisco  Zoo,  the  entire  down- 
town is  your  private  Le  Mans.  Turn 
down  almost  any  cross  street  you 
like  in  this  point-to-point  rat  race 
against  one  of  four  exotic  imports, 

Vettel  garners  the  COMPUTE! 
Choice  .Award  for  vehicle  simulation 
by  taking  a  genre — driving  games — 
into  the  next  generation.  Although 
the  hardware  price  is  high  {you  need 
an  .AT-class  computer  with  512K  of 
RAM  and  EGA  graphics  to  get  real 
satisfaction  from  playing),  this  pack- 
age is  both  a  fine  example  of  what 
the  PC  game  experience  is  all  about 
and  a  harbinger  of  games  to  come. 


ARCADE  GAME 

Archipelagos 

The  strange  worid  of  Archipelagos  is 
so  real  that  you  may  forget  that 
you're  sitting  in  front  of  a  computer. 
Looking  across  the  vast  checkered 
landscape  of  a  desolate  future  Earth, 
it's  easy  to  lose  your  grip. 

Your  goals  in  Archipelagos  are 
to  shut  down  a  network  of  nuclear- 
power  nodes,  clean  up  the  Earth,  and 
make  the  planet  safe  for  humans. 
The  spectacular  graphics  in  EGA  and 
VGA  modes  include  an  eerily  alien 
landscape,  blood-red  toxic  waste,  and 
strange  alien  plant  life.  Your  quest  is 
made  hazardous  by  waste  patches, 
necromancers,  and  malfunctioning 
air  cleaners.  > 


28       COMPUTEI 


JANUARY        1990 


1     ■rJaJklaP 

11  A  H  *i^< 

'  uiiiM 

By  Robert  Weatherby 

"^.■eSs&i^x 


...  With  All  Their 
Signature  Moves 


Jl 


Kareem's  patented  skyhook 


•  Jordan's  air  show 


] 


The  Mailman  delivers  the  jam 


•  Isiah  drives  the  lane 


•  Bird  hits  the  3-pointer 
And  yon  control  all  the  action. 


:-';iC-.^-v-^VO-| 


Full-court.  Five-on-five. 

You  make  the  calls.  You 

make  the  substitutions. 

You  play  offense.  And 

defense.  All  this  in  either 

a  one-  or  two-player 

competitive  mode. 


Play  single  games  or  enter  the  playoff 
tourney.  Real  players.  The  top  teams.  Hope 
for  an  "easy"  first  round  matchup. 


ELECTRONIC  ARTS' 


How  to  Order. 

1.  Visit  your  local  ntaihr. 

2.  Phone  with  VtSA/MC:  USA  or  Canada  800-245-4525,  Mon.-Fri.  8AM-5PM  Pacific  time. 

1  Send  check  or  money  order  (US  S.  US  Bank)  lo  Eiectroaic  Arts  Direct  Sales.  P.O.  Bom  7530.  Son  Mateo  CA  94403.  Add  £7.130  shipping  and 
handling,  CA  orders  gdd7%  sales^  tax.  Allow 2-4  weeks  when  ordering  by  mail. 

IBM  version  S45.35  (5  1/4"  or  3  J/2'  disks  available  j.  Ail  screen  shots  represent  actual  IBM  version.  IBM  is  a  registered  trademark  of 
Intarnaticnat  Business  Machines.  Corp. 

Circle  Readar  Service  Number  190 


r^ni^^^^M^i"^ 


Archipelagos  wins  its  COM- 
PUTE! Choice  Award  for  the  way  it 
combines  great  graphics,  ease  of  con- 
trol, smooth  scrolling,  and  a  fascinat- 
ing and  environmentally  conscious 
scenario.  With  9999  levels  of  play, 
you'll  probably  still  be  at  it  when  the 
1991  awards  are  given  out 


WAR/STRATEGY 

Red  Storm  Rising 

If  you  thought  reading  Tom  Clancy's 

bestseller  Red  Storm  Rising  really 
brought  you  into  the  heat  of  under- 
sea battle,  wait  till  you  play  the  com- 
puter game. 

Red  Storm  Rising  is  a  sub- 
marine simulation  based  on  best-sell- 
ing author  Tom  Clancy's  vision  of 
World  War  III,  and  it  is,  quite  sim- 
ply, a  gaming  tour  deforce.  You 
command  a  modern  submarine  in 
combat  against  Eastern  Bloc  subs 
and  ships  as  the  war  in  Europe 
waxes  and  wanes  according  to  the 
success  or  failure  of  your  actions. 

A  wide  variety  of  torpedoes  and 
missiles  make  a  number  of  combat 
tactics  possible.  Modern  submarine 
combat  is  guided  from  radar  and  so- 
nar screens,  not  from  a  periscope. 
Fast  action  and  realistic  displays  give 
you  the  feeling  that  you're  really  in 
the  heat  of  underwater  combat. 

Red  Storm  Rising  does  take 
time  to  learn.  You  begin  with  a  few 
training  missions,  where  you  learn 
the  ins  and  outs  of  maneuvering 
your  sub  and  firing  at  enemy  ships. 
Then  it's  on  to  the  battle  scenarios, 
where  you  encounter  everything 
from  a  lone  enemy  sub  to  that  great- 
est of  prizes:  a  carrier.  Finally,  you 
reach  World  War  III,  where  your 
sub's  actions  can  have  a  direct  im- 
pact on  the  outcome  of  the  conflict. 

Rich  in  detail  and  surprisingly 
playable,  Red  Storm  Rising  sets  the 
standard  for  submarine  simulations. 


FRP/ADVENTURE 

King's  Quest  IV 

The  ever-popular  King's  Quest  series 
continues  with  King's  Quest  IV,  The 
Perils  ofRosella.  Complete  with  a 
ten-minute  mini-film  introduction 
through  which  you  learn  of  King 
Graham's  impending  death,  the 
Fairy  Queen  Genesta's  missing  magic 
necklace,  and  Rosella's  uncommon 
bravery  as  she  places  her  own  life  in 
jeopardy  and  accepts  the  call  of  duty, 
the  journey  winds  through  the  king- 
dom of  Daventry  and  environs. 
You'll  encounter  strange  characters 
and  creatures,  whether  in  the  light  of 
day  or  in  the  dark  of  night. 

The  program's  nine  5'/t-inch 
disks  contain  an  enormous  amount  of 
outstanding  graphics  and  sound. 
When  viewed  on  an  EGA  monitor, 
the  characters  and  settings  are  as  real 
as  anything  you'll  see  in  a  computer 
game.  Sierra's  3-D  effects  add  an  ex- 
tra dimension  of  enjoyment  during 
your  journey.  The  excellent  audio, 
with  music  composed  by  Sierra's  own 
musicians,  supports  many  popular 
sound  cards,  including  the  Roland 
MT-32,  the  Ad  Lib,  and  IBM  boards. 

We  gave  King's  Quest  IV  a  1990 
COMPUTE!  Choice  .Award  because 
of  its  inventive  story,  three  megabytes 
of  code,  outstanding  3-D  graphics, 
and  unmatched  sound  capabilities. 
The  game  sets  a  standard  others  will 
be  hard-pressed  to  match. 


CHILDREN 

The  Children's  Writing  &  Publishing  Center 

The  Children's  Writing  &  Publishing 
Center  emerged  this  year  from  an  ex- 
cellent list  of  educational  titles.  Tar- 
geted for  ages  8-14,  the  Learning 


Company's  feature-laden  package  is 
not  only  an  excellent  introduction  to 
desktop  publishing,  but  is  also  a  gen- 
tle initiation  to  word  processing. 
Describing  CWPC  as  "easy  to  use"  is 
an  understatement. 

What  really  makes  CU^PC  stand 
out  is  its  ability  to  offer  so  many  fea- 
tures without  bogging  down  the  user. 
Menus  let  you  choose  page  format 
(newsletter,  story,  report,  or  letter), 
heading,  and  font  style  and  size.  All 
of  these  choices  are  graphically  dis- 
played, so  all  you  do  is  view,  decide, 
point,  and  select.  The  clip  art  is 
outstanding:  159  pieces  are  a  couple 
of  keypresses  away.  And  placing  your 
art  is  a  snap;  Move  it  wherever  you 
like  and  the  text  wraps  around 
neatly.  A  good-looking  page  takes  but 
a  few  minutes  of  time.  All  popular 
printers,  including  color  printers,  are 
supported. 

In  its  ads  and  packaging.  The 
Learning  Company  makes  the  point, 
and  rightly  so,  that  CIVPC  is  a  tool 
that  helps  children  to  write  and  think 
clearly.  A  point  not  made,  however 
.Adults  will  enjoy  using  CWPC  as 
much  as  kids  will. 


YOUNG  ADULT 

College  Explorer 

Practically  in  a  class  by  itself  College 
Explorer  eases  the  laborious  process 
of  choosing  which  college  seems 
most  suited  to  the  tastes  of  graduat- 
ing high-school  students  or  other 
young  adults.  The  program's  data- 
base of  2800  colleges,  along  with  its 
400  features  and  preferences  that  you 
can  use  to  narrow  or  broaden  your 
search,  provides  the  enormous 
flexibility  needed  to  find  just  the 
school  that  best  fits  your  goals,  abil- 
ity, and  financial  situation. 

Beginning  with  broad  criteria 
specifications,  the  program  narrows 
your  choices  with  categorical  ques- 
tions about  location,  size,  campus  life, 
fees,  competitive  sports,  majors,  and 
more.  By  matching  your  preferences 
to  its  database,  College  Explorer  lets 
you  take  that  campus  tour  without 
shelling  out  for  airfare  or  spending  all 
your  time  and  money  ordering  cat- 
alogs and  poring  over  facts  in  the 
guidance  counselor's  office. 

The  database,  the  easy-to-use 
manual,  and  the  helpful  menus  make 
College  Explorer  a  simple  pleasure  in 
the  search  for  higher  education. 

By  assembling  such  a  useful 
database  and  then  providing  ease  of 
access.  College  Explorer  makes 
choosing  a  college  less  a  chore  than  a 
challenge.  And  that  makes  our 
choosing  it  for  a  COMPUTE!  Choice 
,Award  all  the  easier.  t> 


30 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


JANUAf?Y       1990 


Electronic  Arts 
introduces  three 
state-of-the-art 
simulations  for  air, 
land  or  sea! 


Prices  are  suggested  retail  prices  f 
5.25"  version;  actual  prices  may  vary 
by  dealer.  3.5  "version  available. 
To  order,  visit  your  retailer  or  call 
800-245-4525  Irom  US  or  Canada 
Sam -5pm  Pacific  Time. 

Available  for  most  IBM,"  Tandy"" 
and  PC-compatible  computers.  Screen 
shots  represent  IBM  version.  IBM  is 
a  registered  trademark  of  International 
Business  Machines,  Tandy  is  a  registered 
trademark  of  Tandy  Corporation. 


CHUCK  YEAGER'S 
Advanced  Flight 
Trainer  2.0^ 

The  hit  is  improved.  New 
realistic  terrain,  Yeager's  Flying 
Insights""  cassette,  Thunderbirds 
formations,  18  aircraft,  and  more! 
White  knucl<le  thrills  with  the 
master  test  pilot.  $49.95. 
By  Ned  Lemer 

ABRAMSr 
BATTLE  TANr 

The  world  looks  hostile  from  an 
MIAI  gunner's  sight.  Feel  the 
blast  of  your  120mm  cannon  in 
tough,  realistic  combat  action. 
$39.95. 
By  Dynamix 


688  ATTACK  SUB" 

Command  the  billion  dollar  high 
tech  US  688  or  Soviet  Atfa  sub. 
Hunt  and  evade  unnervingly 
human  enemies.  Unmatched 
color,  realism,  and  3D 

,      ^         graphics.  $49.95. 

*^*^  By  John  W.  Ratcliff 


circle  Reader  Service  Number  149 


wmm  mm  j^hie 


ADULT 

The  Perfect  Career 

Choosing  a  career  intimidates  so 
many  of  us  because  it  seems  as 
though  the  quality  of  our  lives  de- 
pends on  the  quality  of  our  job 
choice.  The  Perfect  Career  can  help 
take  off  some  of  the  pressure. 

Through  a  series  of  nearly  180 
questions,  the  program  determines 


your  abilities  and  interests  in  re- 
sponse to  your  answers.  It  then  sug- 
gests possible  careers  suited  to  your 
interests  and  skills  and  directs  you  to 
in-depth  profiles  of  those  recom- 
mended careers. 

Easy  to  use.  The  Perfect  Career 
makes  good  use  of  its  menu  inter- 
face. At  each  juncture,  you  choose 
your  next  step  from  a  hst  of  possibil- 
ities. Summon  charts  with  a  key- 


1990  COMPUlt!  READERS' CHOICE  AWARDS 

You've  seen  what  we  had  to  say  about  this  year's  crop  of  home  computer 
packages.  Now  tell  us  what  you  think.  Below  are  the  top  vote  getters  in  each 
of  our  20  categories.  Check  ttie  products  that  won  your  support  this  year  and 
mail  in  your  ballot  by  f^/larch  1,  1990.  Don't  agree  with  whal  you  see?  Use  the 
line  below  each  group  to  write  in  your  pick  and  the  computer  on  which  you 
use  it.  Mail  your  ballot  to  COMPUTE!  Choice,  P.O.  Box  5406,  Greensboro, 
North  Carolina  27403. 

Small  Business                                            FRP/Adventure  Game 

D  BetterWbrking  Eight-in-One                         D  King's  Quest  IV 

n  Lucid  3-D                                                     D  Hillsfar 

D  Quicken  version  3.0                                    n  Space  Quest  III 

Word  Processing 

D  Microsoft  Word  5.0 

DAml 

a  MacWrite  II 

Sports  Game 

D  Kings  of  ttie  Beach 
D  The  Games:  Summer  Edition 
n  Jack  NIcklaus'  Greatest  18  Hdes  of 
Maiof  Championship  Gol! 

Personal  Organiser 

D  Arriba 

D  Instant  Recall 

D  WeatthBuiWer 

War/Strategy 

D  Omega 

D  Red  Storm  Rising 

D  Genghis  Khan 

Language/OS 

D  DOS  4.x 

D  Hyperpad 

D  Topspeed  Modula-2 

Vehicle  Simulation 

D  \*tte! 

D  F-19  Stealth  Fighter 

D  Jet  Rqhter:  The  Adventure 

Utility 

n  PC  Tools  Deluxe  5.5 

□  ViewUnk 

O  Norton  Utilities  4.5 

Adventure  Simulation 

D  SimCtty 

D  Hidden  Agenda 

D  Search  for  the  Titanic 

Desktop  Publishing/Graphics 

D  Pubfish-ltl  Lite! 
D  Go-Script 

Children 

D  T^ie  Children's  Writing  &  Publishing 
Center 

Desktop  Presentation/Video 

D  Perspective  Junior 
n  Studio  1 

D  The  New  Talking  Stickybear  Alphabet 

Young  Adult 

D  College  Explorer 

Stand-Alone  Hardware 

D  Sharp  Wizard 
D  HP  DeskJet  Plus 
D  NEC  Ultralite 

n  Wildlife  Adventures:  Grizzly  Bears 

Adutt 

n  The  Perfect  Career 
D  Mastering  the  LSAT 

Add  On/Pertpheral 

D  UifaVision 
D  VGA-TV 

D  Music  Studio  3,0 

Reference 

D  PC  Globe  3.0 

Arcade  Game 

D  Archipelagos 

n  Hole-in-One  Miniature  Golf 

D  Outrun 

D  UnkWay 

1 

Stroke;  choose  lest  answers  by  hitting 
a  letter. 

The  program's  interest  and  expe- 
rience tests  are  detailed  and  probing. 
By  the  time  you  finish  answering  all 
the  questions,  the  computer  can  tell 
you  which  jobs  would  be  most  in- 
teresting to  you  and  compare  them 
to  the  jobs  for  which  you  are  most 
qualified.  Mindscape's  program  in- 
cludes work  sheets  that  help  you 
identify  your  career  goals  and  gain 
the  qualifications  you  lack  for  land- 
ing the  ideal  job. 

We  gave  The  Perfect  Career  the 
COMPUTE!  Choice  Award  because 
it's  such  a  great  place  to  start  your 
career  search,  whether  you've  just 
graduated  from  school  or  you're  just 
ready  for  a  change.  This  program 
fills  a  need  with  plenty  of  useful 
information.  Armed  with  the  facts, 
looking  for  that  perfect  job  could  be 
a  lot  less  stressful.  Landing  it,  of 
course,  is  up  to  you. 


REFERENCE 

PC  Globe  3.0 

Why  didn't  someone  do  this  sooner? 
Organize  the  information  you'd  find 
in  a  top-flight  world  atlas — maps, 
geography  statistics,  demographics — 
and  put  it  all  together  in  the  form  of 
a  disk-based  interactive  database. 
That's  what  Comwell  Systems  did, 
and  did  right.  In  fact,  it  did  a  great 
job. 

The  premise  of  PC  Globe  3.0  is 
simple:  Present  a  world  map  and  let 
the  user  target  a  continent,  a  region, 
an  international  group  (NATO, 
OPEC,  or  Warsaw  Pact,  for  ex- 
ample), or  a  country.  From  here  you 
can  find  major  cities  or  geographical 
features,  or  even  take  a  look  at  the 
selected  area's  topography.  Beyond 
this,  you  can  get  facts  and  figures — 
presented  as  text  or  graphs — on 
population,  age  distribution,  lan- 
guages, ethnic  groups,  religions, 
health  statistics,  city  information, 
gross  national  product,  agricultural 
and  industrial  resources,  imports  and 
exports,  government,  culture,  and 
tourism  for  any  country  selected. 

Dig  deeper  in,  say,  health  statis- 
tics, and  you  can  get  such  data  as 
pharmacists  per  capita.  Want  to 
compare  this  number  with  those 
from  other  countries?  Select  the 
countries  you  want  from  the  menu 
and  then  press  a  key. 

All  of  these  features  are  but  a 
hint  at  what  PC  Globe  3.0  offers.  The 
program  gets  high  marks  for  design, 
especially  in  case  of  use,  crisp  graph- 
ics, and  speed.  It  cleariy  dem- 
onstrates why  more  people  should 
own  and  use  personal  computers.     Q 


32       COfvlPUTE 


JANUARY       1990 


f^  ^lundr«ls  of  other  Prizes 


New  Orleans.  The  Superdome.The  biggest  game  of  the  year!  All 
as  close  as  your  local  software  dealer!  That's  where  you'll  find  ABC's 
Monday  Night  Footbair-first  in  a  hot  new  series  of  fast-action  games 
from  Data  East  MVP  Sports:" 

Win  the  Grand  Prize!  A  trip  for  four  to  football's  premier  event- 
Super  Bowl  XXIV  Plus  hundreds  of  other  major  prizes!  You  can  win  $5,000 
in  cash,  Sony* entertainment  systems  or  Data  Easfs  ABC's  Monday  Night 
Football  pinball  machines! 

Its  simple.  Just  take  this  ad  to  your  participating  dealer  and  compare 
the  symbol  on  the  game  piece  below  to  those  on  the  back  of  ABC's 
Monday  Night  Football  package.  If  they  match,  you're  an  instant  winner! 


ABC's  Monday  Night  Football  from 
Data  East  MVP  Sports.  Experience  it! 
Up  close  and  personal. 
More  action,  more  color 
and  more  fun.The 
sights  and  sounds  of 
ABC's  Monday  Night 
Football. 
Available  tor 

the  IBMTC/compatibles, 
and  the  Commodore  64." 


un  EMT  MP  ipvti  s«Hpitik»  otrun  ■ 


■mattEHxsuT 


'  DaQ  Eafl  MVP  Sports  is  a  ^aoemarv  (rf  Data  EasI  USA,  Ina 

'  Sof7  IS  a  ffffsterod  tratJemarti  of  Sffiy  CiTPora*jn- 

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Hew  ki  WW:  Sifrpiy  take  ffie  pnffi  synW  '53™  P»»i"n  ta  ad  10  yotf  jbtoq- 
patiogreaiKExaaiyrraldiDspnzEsyTn^nivajii  ;;anc  piece  w^  one  of  the 
prix  syn«{A  Ituid  on  speiiaty  mahnl  packages  D(  Oab  E^  MVP  Sports  A^ 
Monday  MlgM  Rnltal  games  and  fou  win  Ow  ptus  iiKUautt.  Vou  may  also  obtain 
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winning  pnrE  symDoti  by  sen^  asOmped,  s&l-addioscd  Envriope  byDeconber 
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Sports  Stwwahs  Winner  PC.  Box  U%.  B«av«rain.  OB  97C76.  A(l  winning 
diains  musl  ba  i«Hved  by  Jaruary  10. 19$<1  Af7  Dfticd  o^ire  Cibx  cv  P^^ 
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FTiffi  wniers  wtl  each  receive  a  Sony  Sitalainmeni  Cwtei.  ajKH'owmals  retsl 
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Nght  l^octOall  Pinbail  game,  approximate  lelal  value  $3,000  tach  1.OOC  Fmtrth 
Prize  wKifws  win  ea*  recede  w  ABC  Sportt  Monday  Nigm  FogIIbII  20m  Annwrsafy 
Commerwabve  vjdeo.  app(OK>maie  letail  vaiui  $J0  eacii. Total  aopfOKlnaiefaall 
vafue  Ol  all  ptizcs  $49,500.  Odds  of  winning  inslanUyjieGrnndPiua-l;? ,000.000, 
Rrst  Pnff-l:2.0CO.00O,  Second  Priffi- VI, 000.000,  Third  PiUh-I  666.557,  FftjflJi 
Pnffi-t:2.000  SwKOSUiies  open  lo  iBSdenisof  Uie  US  escefll  employees  and 
lamilies  (tf  Data  Eaa  USA  Inc^.  IB  aJPslK  sulBtiian(!s.a*Titsrfl  afil  pfCfra^ 
agefoes  and  pnrters.  AJI  pares  wifl  be  awsdee.  bmil  gne  prtne  pa  fsnih/^KxjSi- 
hold.  Ato  sJatAjbOTB  cr  C3sn  Bqenateots^'bra  ar?  rspcnsebri^ 
aates  vcM  «fm  []rriil)itBd.taud  n  rBstrtSBd  Winners  ruy  t^  rnjuiiBi  ic  sufi 
affidavit  crirtgbRy  and  putttcMy  and  tmcl  reieses  To  obtain  an  ofAcu!  imnefs 
ha.  send  a  lOmped.  sOtdibtsaBS  owclope  by  t*an:t\  1J990 10  CHa  Est  MVP 
Sports  Sweepstaikes  Wmns?  Use.  RQ.  Bct  B49C;.  Beavtfton.  W  9707S 


1st  Prize :  $5,000.  Znd  Prize :  A  complete  enlertainmeni  center 
featuring  big  screen  TV,  stereo  and  CD  (VCR  not  shown).  (2  Winners!) 
3nl  Prize:  ABC's  Monday  Night  Football  pinball  game  from  Data  East 
Pinbail.  (3  Winners!)  4th  Prize:  ABC's  Monday  Night  Rx)tbail  20th 
anniver^ry  videocassette  featuring  the  greatest  plays  from  the  past 
two  decades.  (1.0O0  Winnerel) 


NO  PURCHASE  NECESSARY 

If  the  prize  symbol  shown  here  exactly  matches  one  ot  the  prize 
symtwls  found  on  specially  mari^ed  packages  of  Data  East  MVP  Sports 
ABC's  Monday  Night  FooHmII  Games,  you  win  tiie  prize  indicated. 

If  you  are  a  prize  winner,  claim  your  prize  by  filling  in  the  infomiation 
below  and  sending  via  certified  or  registered  mail  by  Januajy  10, 
1990,  to  Data  East  MVP  Sports  SweepstaltEs  Winner,  RO.  Box  8456, 
Beaverton,  OR  97076. 


Name 

Address 

City 

State 

Zip 

Telephone 

Signature 

See  Official  Rules 
for  details. 


prize  symbol 


©  Copyright  19B9, 
Data  East  USA,  Inc. 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  13S 


MONEYCOUNTS6.0 

FROM  PRICE  Jo  PERFORMANCE . . .  THERES  SIMPLY  NO  COMPARISON! 


MonkyColint.s- 
sman  aceouni 
biilancer  makes  fast 
work  of  even  the 
toughest  bank 
siaienienis. 


MONEVCOLINrS' 

Tax  Estimator 
helps  you 
quickly  size 
up  your  federal  tax 
slluaiion. 


All  reports  can  be 
displayed  to  screen 
and  easily  viewed 
using  vertical 
and  horizontal  title 
locking. 


.1-D  pie  chans 
let  yuu  quickly 
visualize  your 
complete  financial 
picture. 


.1-1)  h.ir  ciiiiii-- 
let  you  easily 
compare  your 
actual  and 
budgeted  resuhs. 


Version 
Manufacturer 
Suggested  Retail  Price 

Account  Balancer 

Automatic  Error  Finder 

Accounts  Can  Be  Added 

When  Entering  Transactions  (Data) 

Financial  Reports 

Actual  Financial  Results 
Month  and  Year  to  Date 
All  Months  On  One  Report 
Budgeted  Financial  Results 
Acltial  Compared  to  Budget 
Actual  Compared  to  Prior  Month 
General  Ledger  Report 
Accountant'.s  Trial  Balance 
Net  Worth  Computation 

Inquiry  Reports 

Check  and/or  Deposit  Register 

Account  Analysis 
All  Transactions  with  Party 
Cash  Requirements  Forecast 
Aged  Invoices  Payable 

Reports  Kxport  to  Lotus  or  Quattro 

Graphics 

Bar  Charts 
Pie  Charts 

Optional  Password  Protection 

Financial  Calculator 

Prints  Amortization  Schedules 
Prints  Accumulation  Schedules 

Mail  List  Manager 

Prints  Address  Labels  and  Index  Cards 
Prints  Telephone  Directory 
Mail  Merge  with  Word  Processor 

Check  Writer 

Prints  Laser  Checks 
Prints  Any  Pin-Feed  Check 

Personal  Income  Tax  Estimator 
Pop-up  Note  Pad 
Pop-up  Math  Calculator 

Optional  Canadian  Features 

International  Dating 
International  Terminology 

Capacity 

Total  Number  of  Accounts  Per  File 
Total  Number  of  Open  Transactions 


MoheyCounts* 

QUICKEN* 

MANAGING 
YOUR  MONEY* 

UULLAH 
SENSE 

6.0 

Parsons 
Technology 

3.0 
Intuit,  Inc. 

5.0 
MECA 

Ventures,  Inc. 

3.1 
Monogr 
Software, 

$35.00 

$59.95 

$219.98 

$179.< 

YES 
YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

NO 

YES 
NO 

YES 


YES 


YES 


NO 


YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

NO 

NO 

YES 

YES 

NO 

NO 

YES 

NO 

NO 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

NO 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

YES 

NO 

NO 

YES 

NO 

NO 

NO 

999 

255 

** 

120 

00,000 

65,535 

** 

4,000 

•Trademarks  of  their  respective  manufacturers.  *'Varie,s  based  on  RAM  memory  and  disk  space  available. 


ANNOUNCING  THE  NEW  $35 
MONEY  MANAGEMENT  SOLUTION... 


■Comes  with  perhaps  the 
1'riendliest  user  interface 
of  any  financial 
program  ...  an 
excellent  value." 
—Compute!  Magazine 


"One  of  1he  best 
personal  finance 
managers  published." 
—PC  Computing 
Magazine 


GUARANTEED. 

"MoneyCounts  is  one  of  the  finest _ 
examples  of  just  liow  good  ^ 
inexpensive  software  can  be." 

— Leonard  Hyre,  PCM  Magazine 


Ve  invite  you  to  examine  MONEYCOUNTS.  It's  the 
clear  choice  for  home  and  business.  MoneyCounts  is 
CPA  designed,  easy-to-use,  menu-driven  with  on-line 
help,  and  requires  no  accounting  experience.  Youll 
appreciate  the  ease  with  which  MONEYCOUNTS  . . . 


Manages  your  cash,  checking,  savings  &  credit  cards. 

Prepares  your  budget  and  compares  it  against  your 

actual  results. 

Quickly  balances  your  checkbook. 

Prints  eight  types  of  financial  statements  (including  net 

worth)  and  six  types  of  inquiry  reports:- 

Prints  general  ledger  and  accountant's  trial  balance. 

Lets  you  optionally  save  any  report  to  disk  or  display  it 

on  screen.  You  can  even  export  tiimctty  to  t^tus  1-2T,  or  Quattro' 

Prints  any  type  of  pin  feed  (or  laser)  check. 

Handles  up  to  999  accounts  and  100,000  transactions  a  year. 

Estimates  your  personal  income  tax. 

Links  directly  with  the  Personal  Tax  Preparer  software. 

Analyzes  financing  options  &  savings  programs  —  computes 

interest  rates  &:  loan  payments  —  prints  amortization  and 

accumulation  schedules. 

Manages  maU  lists  —  prints  labels  and  index  cards. 

Displays  and  prints  three  dimensional  graphics  (both  pie 

charts  and  bar  charts). 

Provides  password  protection,  fiscal  year  support,  pop-up 

notepad,  pop-up  calculator,  DOS  shell,  automatically  backs 

up  your  data  files  and  much  more. 


375  Collins  Road  NE 
Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa  52402 


<^2i> 


Hard  to  believe  the  low  price?  Don't  worry!  There's  no  catch. 
ff  you're  not  100¥o  satisfied,  return  MONEYCOUNTS  within  30 
days  far  a  full  refund  (excluding  shipping). 

Over  120,000  users  have  decided  in  favor  of  MoneyCounts! 
Order  today  and  see  for  yourself! 

For  Same  Day  Sftipping 

VISA,  MASTERCARD  &  C.O.D.  ORDERS  CALL 

1-800-223-6925 

(In  Canada  call  319-395-7300.) 
Mon.  -  Fri.  8:30  a.m.  to  9:00  p.m.. 
Sat.  9:00  a.m.  to  5:00  p.m.  CST 
Or  send  check  or  money  order 
payable  to  Parsons  Technology 

"^  ^^  MONEYCOUNTS'' 6.0 

$35  +  $5  shipping 

NOT  COPY  PROTECTED 

INCLUDES  PRINTED  MANUAL  AND 

F«££  TECHNICAL  SUPPORT 


Dept  COM 

375  Collins  Road  NE 

Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa  52402 

NAME 


ADDRESS . 

CITY 


STATE/ZIP . 


_  PHONE . 


CHECK  □  MONEY  ORDER  D  VISA  D  MASTERCARD  Q 


CARD  # . 


.  EXR  DATE . 


Cirele  Raader  Service  Number  167 


MONEYCOUNTS  6.0  requires  an  IBM'^Tandy'/Compaq*  or  compatible  computer, 
3(MK  or  more  RAM,  DOS  2.0or  higher.  2  disk  drives  (or  a  hard  disk).  Works  ivilh 
,iU  prmtere  and  monitor.  Add  SIG  shipping/handjing  outside  North  America.  Io\*-a 
residents,  please  add  4%  sales  tax. 

'I,o(us  i-2-!},  Qujitra  IBM. Tandy 3ndCi)mp«]jrrjlln,)^L^rnMtlTddeiTurksafL(ilLisDe\¥tapm«nt 
Cofp.  tkiTljnd  Intcmjiianji.  Inc.  Jrbti.'m*t»[injlbusin*isMjcliiiv,s Corp., Tandy  (.  nrp^ndCwnp^ 
Cwnpulcf  Curp  respt.,clivcly-  [ 


I 


MY  VIEW 


AMY 


N     E     W     M     A     R     K 


FOR  GREAT 

EDUCATIONAL 

SOFTWARE, 

MATCH 

THE 

LESSON 

TO  THE  CHILD 


Kathy,  age  9,  looks  intently 
at  her  computer  screen, 
her  mouth  set  in  concen- 
tration. "Eight  times  sev- 
en is ...  "  She  raises  her 
eyes  to  the  ceiling  for  in- 
spiration. "Sixty-eight?" 
She  types  it  on  the  key- 
board and  wails,  BUZZ! 
"Sorry,  that's  not  right, 
Kathy,"  a  robotlike  voice 
responds.  "Try  again."  Her  father, 
hearing  the  buzz,  peeks  in.  Kathy's 
certainly  deahng  with  educational  ma- 
terial, but  is  she  really  having  any  fun? 

Down  the  street  at  the  Peterson 
house,  Timmy  and  Mike  laugh  out 
loud  as  they  zap  an  intergalactic  glob 
with  their  space  ray.  "Wow!  Did  you 
see  the  colors  on  that  one?"  exclaims 
Mike.  "Yeah,  let's  get  another  one  like 
that!"  Timmy  agrees.  His  mother, 
hearing  their  laughter,  looks  in. 
Wasn't  this  supposed  to  be  an  educa- 
tional game? 

When  you  buy  educational  soft- 
ware for  your  children,  the  choices 
can  be  overwhelming.  It's  not  simple. 


but  here  are  a  few  guidelines  for  peo- 
ple who  don't  know  where  to  begin 
and  for  people  who  want  to  get  the 
most  value  for  their  money. 

First,  remember  that  your  chil- 
dren's abilities  and  interests  change 
often.  What's  appropriate  for  them 
now  might  not  be  in  a  year  or  even  six 
months.  Look  for  programs  that  are 
open-ended,  programs  that  can  grow 
with  your  children.  Another  option  is 
to  look  for  programs  that  have  multi- 
ple skill  levels;  your  children  can  start 
at  an  appropriate  level  and  still  be 
challenged  for  some  time  to  come. 
But  be  critical  of  software  claiming  to 
be  for  age  4  through  adult— chances 
are  the  folks  on  either  end  of  the  scale 
won't  find  the  program  appropriate. 

Second,  consider  your  goals  and 
your  children's  preferences.  You  may 
want  your  children  to  use  educational 
software  as  reinforcement  or  remedia- 
tion. They  may  want  to  create  and  ex- 
plore artistically  or  musically. 
Examine  carefully  the  software's  con- 
tent. Make  sure  you  match  your  chil- 
dren's needs  and  interests  to  what  a 
program  offers. 

The  more  you  know  about  a 
package  before  you  buy  it,  the  better. 
If  it's  a  package  your  children  use  at 
school,  ask  a  teacher  for  a  demonstra- 
tion. Some  public  libraries  also  have 
educational  software  you  can  use. 
Read  package  descriptions  and  pro- 
motional material  carefully — skip 
over  the  high-sounding  claims  and  get 
down  to  what  activities  are  actually  in 
the  program.  Don't  forget  to  look  at 
the  hardware  requirements  of  the  pro- 
gram. If  you  don't  have  the  requisite 
computer  memory,  joystick,  and  so 
on,  the  program  could  be  useless. 

Third,  pay  attention  to  the  style 
of  the  program.  Is  it  an  arcade  game? 
A  tutorial?  Is  it  a  tool  your  children 
can  use  for  writing,  experimenting,  or 
analyzing?  Consider  the  method  the 
program  employs  to  get  across  educa- 
tional information.  Programs  that  are 
little  more  than  electronic  workbooks, 
even  if  they  have  interesting  pictures 
and  sounds,  aren't  any  better  than  tra- 
ditional teaching  materials.  Look  for 


programs  that  take  advantage  of  the 
computer  as  a  unique  medium.  Your 
children  should  have  some  control 
over  what  level  to  start  at,  how  fast  to 
go,  and  when  to  exit  a  particular 
activity. 

Match  your  children's  learning 
styles  to  the  program.  If  they  need  to 
work  with  long  division,  a  program 
without  any  help  features  or  visual  tu- 
torials won't  be  much  good.  If  your 
children  need  a  slower  pace  and  get 
confused  by  too  much  information, 
look  for  programs  that  don't  clutter  the 
screen  with  a  lot  of  text,  moving  ob- 
jects, and  arcade-style  score  counters. 
Are  there  any  negative  themes  or 
representations  in  the  software?  If 
you're  critical  of  the  TV  programs  and 
movies  your  children  watch,  you 
should  be  just  as  critical  of  the  soft- 
ware they  use.  Programs  with  subtle 
sexist,  racist,  or  violent  themes  should 
be  ruled  out. 

Finally,  educational  software 
should  be  fun.  but  fun  in  a  broad 
sense.  It  should  intrigue.  It  should 
motivate.  Educational  software 
should  let  children  create  things  and 
solve  problems  they  make  themselves, 
not  just  the  problems  given  by  others. 

Educational  software  is  never  a 
substitute  for  good  teaching  or  parental 
involvement  in  children's  education.  It 
can  supplement  experiences  in  school, 
but  it  can't  provide  a  cure-all  for  learn- 
ing problems.  Good  programs  are 
worth  finding — they  get  children  excit- 
ed about  learning,  they  make  certain 
tasks  much  easier,  and  they  take  ad- 
vantage of  a  computer's  power  to  do 
things  creatively  and  uniquely.  Parents 
who  take  the  time  to  investigate  educa- 
tional software  for  their  children  will 
find  it  is  time  well  spent. 

Amy  Ne^vmark  is 
director  of  the 
Compiiler  Center 
at  Lesley  College. 
The  college,  locat- 
ed in  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts, 
offers  advanced 
degrees  in 
Computers  in  Education.  q 


36       COMPUTE 


JANUARY       1990 


I 


Bn- 


■ji'-v  .  ■  •• 


ACTUAL  256  COLOR 
VGA  SCREENS 


^ 


A  powerful  crime 

syndicate  has  taken  l 

over  large  areas  of  our 

major  cities  turning  ttiem    " 

into  vast  criminal  wastelands.  •' 

Arson,  extortion,  drug  distribution,  ,i 

murder  and  now. ..terrorist  abduction!  You 

have  just  learned  that  they  have  taken  the  U.S.  President's 

daughter  and  are  holding  her  and  our  country  tiostage. 

YOU'VE  HAD  A  GUT  FULL! . . .  YOUR  PURPOSE:  To  wipe  out  this 
criminal  organization  and  rescue  the  president's  daughter.  Even 
w/ith  the  most  sophisticated  Assault  Technology  available,  it  w/on't 
be  easy.  You  are  the  only  one  thai  can  save  the  country  from  this 
sinister  infestation  .  .  . 

Bring  arcade  action  home  like  never  before! 

Crime  Wave,  vtfith    RtAl  you^hJ-     and  256  color  digitized  VGA 
grapfiics,  puts  you  on  the  streets  for  real! 

Circle  Reader  Service  Number  133 


SOFTWARE    INCORPORATED 

545  WEST 500  SOUTH,  BOUNTIFUL  UTAH  84010 
(801)298-9077     '-800-824-2549 


FOUR  COMPUTER  HACKERS  ARE  ABOUT  TO 

RAID  YOUR  DISK  DRIVE. 


No  computer  will  go  unscathed,  as 
Ultra's  version  of  Teenage  Mutant  Ninja 
Turtles  storms  into  your  disk  drive  to  duke 
it  out  with  Shredder -a  maniac  more 
menacing  than  an  army  of  mind-altered 
Bruce  Lees. 

But  if  they're  to  survive,  you  must 
command  the  role  of  each  turtle,  rumbling 
through  a  maze  of  Mouser"  infested 
sewers,  criminally  polluted  rivers  and  alleys 
patrolled  by  the  fanatical  Foot  Clan" 

Along  the  way,  search  for  bonus 
weapons  like  the  Triple  Shuriken.  You'll 
have  to  also  think  fast,  switching  turtle 
identities  in  order  to  match  their  karate 
skills  with  those  of  the  enemy 

So  grab  your  joystick  and  nunchukus, 
then  control  every  leap,  chop,  slice  and 
dice,  until  you  splatter  Shredder  senseless 
or  get  yourself  hacked  into  turtle  soup. 

Now  featuring  the  ULTRA   "GAME 
SAVE"  command. 


G  A  At  e  s 


tffiage  Miflant  Ninja  XjntesT  Shredder r  Foot  Ctm^  and  Mouser'  are  registered  tr^Jerrwrks  ot  Mirsge  Sludcs.  USA_  Alt  Pi^cs  ffeservrd  Lhed  wirh  perrmssjon. 
Bawd  on  charaaers  and  comic  t»oks  created  Cy  Kevin  Eastrrwn^rvj  Peter  Uiird  &  1969  Mrage^Tixiios.  USA.  ExcljsrveV  licensed  bySurge  Licensing.  Inc  IBM' 
IS  it  regislered  trademark  of  International  Busirwss  Machines,  fnc  Commodore'  is  a  registered  trademark  of  Canvnodorettectrooics  Ltd-Amjga'ts  a  registered 
trademark  nf  Commodore-Amrga,  IrK.  tJLTRAGAMES'  is  a  registered  trademark  of  Uitra  SoFrw-are  CorporaDon.  ©  1989  Ultra  Software  Corporatjon 
Teenage  Mutant  NInJa  Tlrrtles  is  avatJabfe  for  IBM,  Commodore  and  Amiga. 

Circle  Reader  Service  NumlKr  130 


Not  everyone  uses  a  PC.  We  know  that  because  our 
staff  is  as  diversified  as  our  readers.  So,  while  we're 
blowing  the  horns  of  this  MS-DOS  word  processor 
and  that  MS-DOS  game,  we'll  take  some  time  out 
for  the  Macintosh,  the  Amiga,  the  Apple,  and  the 
Commodore  64/128. 
We  asked  our  columnists  and  editors  to  choose  the  five 
best  packages  released  this  year  for  their  computers  of  choice. 
Besides  listing  the  top  five,  we  also  included  some  runners- 
up.  None  of  the  COMPUTE!  Choice  winners  were  eligible 
for  the  Best  of  the  Rest  list.  A  product  box  that  accompanies 
each  hst  will  help  you  find  these  packages  easily. 

When  it  comes  to  good  software,  1989  was  a  very  good 
year.  You'll  find  some  of  your  favorites  in  the  lists  that 
follow.  Some  may  be  predictable;  some  may  be  surprising, 
We  found  all  of  them  worthy  of  our  attention— and  yours.  > 


77W 


77V 


77V 


JANUARY       1990         COMPUTEI      39 


Best  of  the  Rest 


HEIDI  E.  H.  AVCOCK 


MacWrite  II  and  WriteNow  2.0. 

These  two  packages  run  neck  and  neck 
for  the  best  word  processor.  They're 
less  expensive  than  the  excellent  new 
version  of  Microsoft  Word,  but  you 
still  get  a  good  assortment  of  features. 
Unless  you  need  a  Goliath  of  a  word 
processor,  one  of  these  Davids  makes 
a  great  buy.  Each  includes  footnotes, 
mail  merge,  spelling  checkers,  and 
other  features  you  would  expect,  and 
you  don't  pay  for  features  you  might 
never  use. 

Studio  1,  This  new  package  is 
Electronic  Arts'  entry  into  the  Mac- 
intosh graphics  category,  and  I  have  to 
place  it  among  this  year's  best  releases 
because  it's  significantly  different  and 
innovative.  I'd  call  Studio  I  a  new  ap- 
proach to  graphics,  but  it's  really  a 
close  relative  of  the  DeluxePaint  pack- 
ages available  for  other  computen.  Be- 
yond the  excellent  painting  tools, 
Studio  I 's  real  advantage  is  its  easily 
learned  animation  module, 

SuperPaint  2.0.  Silicon  Beach  has 
developed  an  excellent  upgrade  to  a 
package  that  was  already  best  in  its 
class.  Custom  painting  tools,  Auto- 
Trace,  and  Bezier  curves  are  just  a  few 
of  the  new  features  in  this  hybrid  of 
drawing  and  painting  packages. 

MacScuba.  This  game  took  a  long 
time  to  master — I  had  to  break  down 
and  call  Paradise  Software  for  lips — 
but  it  was  well  worth  the  effort.  You 
won't  find  the  game  in  a  shck,  shrink- 
wrapped  box,  but  you  will  find  it  fas- 
cinating. Besides  simulating  scuba 
diving,  the  game  challenges  you  to  ex- 
plore a  sunken  ship  and  to  negotiate 
with  some  of  the  carnivorous  fish  that 
swim  around  the  wreck. 

Just  Enough  Pascal.  This  educa- 
tional package  is  a  companion  to 


THINK's  Lightspeed  Pascal  from 
Symantec.  Stored  under  the  Apple 
Menu,  the  tutorial  leaches  you  how  to 
program  in  Pascal  while  you  build  an 
application  you  can  be  proud  of  The 
program  is  easy  to  use:  Just  click  on 
buttons  to  get  from  your  lesson  to 
more  help;  click  another  button  and 
you're  in  the  program-tinkering  ses- 
sions. Adults  and  children  alike  will 
enjoy  this  program.  By  its  nature, 
programming  is  hard  to  learn  for  most 
of  us,  but  Just  Enough  Pascal  makes  it 
a  little  easier. 

Notable  Nominations 

Gather  your  kids  around  you  and  take 
a  trip  into  the  entertaining  fantasy 
world  of  Mediagenic's  the  Manhole. 
It's  a  journey  through  teacups,  into 
rabbit  holes,  and  up  beanstalks. 

The  fiin's  not  as  sophisticated  as  a 
simulation,  but  if  you  want  an  enter- 
taining arcade  game  that  runs  ahead  of 
the  pack,  try  Broderbund's  Shufflepuck 
Cafe. 

Priced  well  and  full  of  good  fea- 
tures, Brederbund's  Drawing  Table 
offers  something  other  midrange 
graphics  packages  don't  offer:  the  abil- 
ity to  wrap  text  around  objects. 

Add-on  spelling  checkers  face  a  big 
challenge  from  most  word  processors. 
But  the  other  features  in  Electronic 
Arts'  Thunder  II,  particularly  the 
glossaries  and  the  search-and-replace 
macros,  are  well  worth  the  money. 

Figuring  out  fonts  can  be  tough, 
but  Erfert  Fenton  has  taken  much  of 
the  work  out  of  it  with  the  book  The 
Macintosh  Font  Book.  Published  by 
Peachpit  Press,  the  book  explains  how 
fonts  work,  how  the  Macintosh  keeps 
track  of  them,  and  how  you  can  take 
control  of  them. 


Where  to  Rick 
Up  These  Riclcs 

Drawing  Table— $129.95 
Shufflepuck  Cate— $49.95 

Broderbund 

17  Paul  Dr. 

San  Rafael,  CA  94903-2101 

(415)492-3200 

Just  Enough  Pascal— $75.00 

Symantec 
135  South  Rd. 
Bedford,  MA  01730 
(617)  274-4800 

The  Macintosh  Font  Book— $23.95 

Peachpit  Press 
1085  Keith  Ave. 
Berkeley,  CA  94708 
(415)  527-8555 

MacScuba — $49.95 

Paradise  Software 
PO.  Box  50996 
Phoenix,  AZ  85076 
(602)  893-8324 

MacWrite  II— $249.00 

Claris 

5201  Patrick  Henry  Dr. 

Box  58168 

Santa  Clara,  CA  95052-8168 

(408)  987-7000 

the  Manhole— $49.95 

Mediagenic 
3885  Bohannon  Dr. 
Menio  Pari<,  CA  94025 
(415)  329-0500 

Studio  1— $149.95 
Thunder  II— $79.95 

Electronic  Arts 
1820  Gateway  Dr. 
San  Mateo,  CA  94404 
(415)  571-7171 

SuperPaint  2.0— $199.00 

Silicon  Beach  Software 
9580  Black  Mountain  Rd. 
Suite  E 

San  Diego,  CA  92126 
(619)  695-6956 

WriteNow  2.0— $195.00 

T/Maker 
1390  Villa  St. 
Mountain  View,  CA  94041 
(415)  962-0195 


DENNY  ATKIN 


Populous.  Within  days  of  first  booting 
Populous,  I  had  shelved  my  Great 
American  Novel,  friends  had  reported 
me  missing,  and  my  cat  had  taught 
himself  how  to  open  a  can  of  9-Lives. 
In  what  must  be  the  most  intriguing 
game  scenario  of  the  year.  Populous 
makes  you  a  god.  Your  goal  is  to 
make  the  world  livable  for  your 
followers.  This  would  be  a  lot  easier  if 
there  weren't  another  god  on  your 
worid  with  the  same  plan.  You  have 
to  increase  the  size  and  strength  of 


your  population  by  leveling  out  moun- 
tains and  creating  new  land  for  your 
people  to  build  homes  and  fortresses 
on.  At  the  same  time,  use  your  divine 
powers  to  create  volcanoes,  earth- 
quakes, swamps,  and  other  disasters  to 
make  life  miserable  for  the  followers 
of  your  evil  nemesis.  If  you  do  man- 
age to  conquer  the  world,  there  are 
499  others  wailing.  Fascinating  as  a 
solo  war  game,  Populous  also  lets  you 
play  against  a  human  opponent  using 
a  modem. 


40 


COMPUTE 


JANUARY       1990 


Falcon.  Takeoff,  eh?  Spectrum  Ho- 
loByte's  F-16  flight  simulator  hit  the 
Amiga  with  a  sonic  boom  this  year  and 
came  back  at  Mach  2  with  an  upgraded 
version  and  the  Operation:  Counter- 
strike  mission  disk  a  few  months  ago. 
With  five  ranks  (difficulty  levels)  from 
First  Lieutenant  to  Colonel  and  a  vari- 
ety of  air-to-air  and  air-to-ground  mis- 
sions, Falcon  should  satisfy  both  casual 
and  dedicated  flight-simulator  fans.  Is 
this  game  realistic?  Well,  after  seeing 
Falcon,  the  Pentagon  asked  Spectrum 
HoloByte  to  help  develop  simulators 
for  military  pilots. 

Dungeon  Master.  I  don't  know 
how  they  managed  to  cram  a  dungeon 


is 


MllWIKPUTOOtliThBnnly 
tank  combal  game  that  lets 
yuu  perlorm  real-lile  combal 
mariBiivers!  You'  II  leai  not 
one ,  but  four  tanks  anij  sliteen 
men— a  whole  tank  jj lalMui— 
Into  battle  wIttiltieSovlDtil 


For  combat  simulation  as  real  as  it  gets,  no  one 
beats  MicroProse.  We  constantly  blaze  new 
trails  with  Super  3-D  Graphics,  heart-racing 
action  and  real-life  situations  that  put  you  in 
the  hot  seat  of  actual  combat.  And  you  call  the 
shots.  For  hours  and  hours  of  thriUing  play, 
choose  the  name  that's  always  one  step  ahead. 
MicroProse.  The  first,  last  and  best  name  in 
combat  simulations. 


Rlsl 


F-1 9  STEALTH  FIGHtEH;  Pilot 
the  Air  Fortes  (Dp  settet,  ra- 
dar-elusive jet.  Strike  snd  roar 
away  before  they  know  you're 
ttiere!  Ttiis  ooe  revQlutionizeil 
computer  game  tecbnologv 
wittt  new  iieiipectives  ant) 
dazztlrtg  Super  3-D  Giaphlcs. 


F-1S  STRIKE  EA6LE II;  The  ac- 
tion-packeil  sequel  lo  Hie  clas' 
sic  jet  combat  game  thai  sold 
a  million  copies!  Hundreds  ol 
real-world  combat  missions, 
incredible  snitnati  on  and  new 
breakthroughs  in  game  {l&sign 
promise  hour^  and  h{)uis  of 
thrill-packed  playl 


CUN5HIP 


GUNSHtP.  You  control  the 
world's  most  sophisticated  at- 
tack helicopter  with  awesome 
firepower  at  yoar  lingerlips. 
Grace  unfler  pressure  required 
lo  survive  intense  aerial 
combati 


RED  STDfllA  RISING:  War 
eru  pts  between  NATO  and  thfl 
Warsaw  Pacll  Trouble  runs 
deep  as  you  lead  an  American 
luclear  attack  submarine  inio 
battle  against  a  barrage  ol 
Soviet  ships,  subs  and 
helicoptersi 


MicroProse  Makes  Cieat  Holiday  Gifts! 


can't  tind  these  gamM?  WWrt?1^115f  raffifSdiys  8:3D  am  Id  6:30  pm  Eastein  Time  ami  orte,  "^  «C,V,sa'A™or  Ask  tor  '^'^j''?^^ 
nrnet  order  pniStases.  Aftow  2-4  weeks  lor  U.S.  delivc-iY.  IHIcroPrt.se  SoUware,  lnc.;,180  Ukfiirtrt  Dnve;  Hirnl  WIe,,  IVID  21030.  m-PC/XTiATIPSlI 
TanilylComiialiiil^si'fipo/tMCllA/veA.  SOA.  CGAanilHemilesgispDics. 


PR06E 


Just  For  Fun. 


i:  i3Ba,  MicroProse  Somvare.  liiL. 


Circle  Reader  Service  NumDer  192 


Best  of  the  Rest 


into  my  Amiga,  but  there's  no  way 
that  Dungeon  Master  could  be  just  a 
computer  game.  It's  too  realistic.  Your 
parly  of  adventurers  must  descend  1 4 
levels  into  a  subterranean  hell  filled 
with  monsters  and  traps  to  recover  the 
stolen  Fire  Staff.  The  graphics  down 
there  are  fantastic,  and  the  sound  has 
to  be  heard  to  be  believed.  Make  sure 
you  have  stereo  speakers  hooked  up 
when  you  play — hearing  which  direc- 
tion the  monsters  are  approaching 
from  can  save  your  neck.  There  are 
numerous  puzzles  to  solve  (the  de- 
mand for  Dungeon  Master  maps  and 
hint  books  has  spawned  a  cottage  in- 
dustry), and  you  also  have  to  find 
food  and  water.  Don't  forget  that  you 
need  such  sustenance  in  real  life, 
too — soon  after  Dungeon  Master'^  re- 
lease, a  number  of  Amigans  were 
found  draped  over  their  computers, 
suffering  from  malnutrition  and 
dehydration,  mumbling  "But  I  was  al- 
most down  to  Level  12. . . ." 

DeluxePaint  III.  Just  when  we 
wondered  how  DeluxePaint  could  pos- 
sibly get  better,  the  program  re- 
appeared with  a  bang  this  year  when 
ace  programmer  Dan  Silva  added 
animation  capability.  The  new  version 
is  faster  and  supports  the  Extra  Half- 
Brite  mode,  ColorFonts,  and  overscan 
drawing.  Once  you've  created  a  static 
masterpiece,  adding  motion  is  a  snap 
with  the  help  of  the  new  Move  re- 
quester. Add  that  to  the  already 
impressive  repertoire  of  features, 
including  custom  brush  wraps, 
perspective,  and  palette  remapping, 
and  you  have  an  immensely  powerful 
art  tool.  This  is  the  first  Amiga  anima- 
tion program  so  easy  to  use  that  even 
/  am  able  to  create  a  decent  sequence. 

A-Max.  This  Macintosh  emulator 
from  ReadySoft  really  does  turn  your 
Amiga  into  a  Macintosh  (and  in  some 
ways  it's  better  than  the  real  thing). 
Because  the  Mac  and  the  Amiga  use 
the  same  68000  microprocessor,  A- 
Max  doesn't  suffer  from  slowdowns 
associated  with  software  emulators 
such  as  the  Transformer  or  64  Emu- 
lator U.  Benchmarks  show  that,  except 
for  disk  access,  an  /l-A/iOX-equipped 
Amiga  runs  slightly  faster  than  a  Mac- 
intosh SE.  Plus,  you  can  take  advan- 
tage of  the  Amiga's  higher  screen 
resolution  when  running  the  emulator. 
Software  compatibility  is  excellent. 
The  only  negative  aspect  is  that  the 
emulator  doesn't  support  hard  disks 
yet.  However,  there's  a  shareware 
driver  for  the  IVS  Trumpcard  hard 
disk  controller,  and  ReadySoft  has 
promised  hard  disk  support  in  a  fiiture 
A-Max  software  upgrade. 


Where  to  Pick 

Up  These  Picks 

A-Max— $199.95 

Hole-in-One  Miniature  Golf— $39.95 

ReadySoft 

DigiTek 

30  Wertheim  Ct. 

8910  N.  Dale  Mabry 

Unit  2 

Executive  Center 

Richmond  Hill,  Ont. 

Suite  37 

Canada  L4B1B9 

Tampa,  FL  33614 

(416)  731-4175 

(813)  933-8023 

DataStorm— $39.95 

MSSprint— $385.00 

Visionary  Design  Technoiogies 

M2S 

45  Wh'rtehorn  Cres. 

P.O.  Box  550279 

North  York,  Ont. 

Dallas,  TX  75335 

Canada  IW2J  3B1 

(214)  340-5256 

(416)  497-0833 

PageStream— $1 99.95 

DeluxePaint  lll~-$1 49.95 

Soft-Logik  Publishing 

Populous— $49.95 

11131FS.  TowneSq. 

Electronic  Arts 

St.  Louis,  MO  63123 

1820  Gateway  Dr. 

(314)  894-8608 

San  Mateo,  CA  94404 

ProWrite  2.5— $124.95 

Dungeon  Master — $39.95 

New  Horizons 

Software  Heaven 

206  Wild  Basin  Rd. 

6160  Lusk  Bivd. 

Suite  109 

Suite  C-206 

Austin,  TX  78746 

San  Diego,  CA  92121 

(512)  328-6650 

(619)453-5711 

Falcon— $49.95 

Operation  CounterStrike — $24.95 

Spectrum  HoloByte 

2061  Chailengsr  Dr. 

Alameda,  CA  94501 

(415)  522-3584 

Notable  Nominations 

New  Horizons  has  done  it  again  with 
the  latest  upgrade  to  ProWrite  2.5,  a 
WYSIWYG  word  processor  that  lets 
you  combine  graphics  and  native 
printer  fonts  on  the  same  page. 

The  programming  category  award 
has  to  go  to  M2S's  M2Sprint  Modula- 
2  compiler.  This  wonderful  integrated 
development  system  includes  tons 
of  "easy"  modules  for  novice  pro- 
grammers. It's  the  sure  cure  if  you 
can't  C. 

SoftLogik's  PageStream  brings 
quality  desktop  publishing  output  to 


the  dot-matrix  masses.  Although  the 
first  releases  have  been  a  bit  buggy, 
you  can't  beat  this  package  for  desktop 
publishing  on  a  nonlaser  budget. 

DigiTek's  Hole-in-One  Miniature 
Golf  may  not  be  a  graphics  dazzler, 
but  it's  a  great  game  to  play  with  fam- 
ily and  friends. 

Remember  the  days  when  people 
were  impressed  if  the  computer 
adaptation  of  a  game  looked  as  good 
as  the  arcade  version?  Visionary  De- 
sign Technologies'  DataStorm,  a  sort 
of  Defender  1990,  puts  the  original 
Defender  to  shame. 


GREGG  KEIZER 


AppleWorks  3.0.  Big  and  bold.  That's 
the  best  way  to  describe  AppleWorks 
3.0,  the  best  thing  to  hit  the  Apple  II 
all  year.  As  an  integrated  word  proces- 
sor, spreadsheet,  and  database,  this 
brand-new  version  of  the  1 984  classic 
brings  powerful  applications  to  any 
128K-equipped  .Apple  11.  Created  by  a 
programming  team  from  Beagle  Bros., 
this  version  includes  enough  new  fea- 
tures to  satisfy  even  the  most  accom- 
plished AppleWorks  hound.  The  word 
processor  boasts  a  spelling  checker  and 
true  tabs,  the  spreadsheet  tallies  addi- 
tional functions,  and  the  database 
fields  multiple  sorting  levels.  And  with 


42 


COMPUTE! 


Claris's  generous  upgrade  offer  ($79), 
the  new  AppleWorks  is  a  real  steal. 

Transwarp  GS.  This  accelerator 
board  from  Applied  Engineering  was 
the  Apple  II  hardware  highlight  of  the 
year.  Although  critics  pounce  on  the 
snaillike  pace  of  Apple  IlGS-specific 
software,  the  fault  is  almost  always 
hardware-related.  Stick  a  Transwarp 
GS  board  into  one  of  your  GS's  slots 
and  your  machine  suddenly  takes  on  a 
new  (and  more  pleasing)  personality. 
AppleWorks  GS  quickens  enough  to 
use  comfortably  and  DeluxePaint  II 
moves  brushes  effortlessly.  The  7- 
MHz  Transwarp  GS  makes  the  IlGS 


JANUARY        1990 


LUCASFILM  ON  THE  ArT  AND  SCIENCE  OF  ENTERTAINMENT 


The  Battle  of  Britain.  Up  Close  and  Personal 


One  pilot  described  a  World  War  II 
dogfight  "like  being  on  the  inside  of  a 
beehive."  And  that's  just  what  it  feels  like  to 
play  Their  Finest  Hour: 
The  Bank  of  Britain" 
The  new  air  combat  sim- 
ulator from  Lucasfilm 
Games  that's  keeping  sim- 
ulation buffs  and  action 
gamers  alike  on  the  edge 
of  their  seats. 

Their  Finest  Hour 
includes  all  the  acclaimed 
features  of  our  Battle- 
hawtis,  1942.  Plus  a  few 
new  twists. 


A  Luftwaffe  gunner  position  is  the 

quickest  way  to  get  acquaimed  with 

■  the  RAF. 


How's  That  Again? 

Want  to  show  your 
friends  how  you  erased  that 

Flying  Pencil  with 
fancy  deflection  shooting? 
Their  Finest  Hour  lets  you 
save  your  proudest  com- 
bat performances  to  disk. 
And  relive  them  in  real 
time,  fast  forward,  or 
frame  by  frame. 


breathe  easier  tomor- 
row. Who  knows— 
you  might  even  change 
history.  And  if  you  don't  like 
the  odds,  Their  Finest  Hour 
lets  you  change  sides. 

lUCASFILM 


Replay  combat  action  sequences 

from  any  angle,  even  from  the  nose 

of  a  bomb! 


The  Realism  Is  Unreal. 

From  the  moment 
you  pull  back  on  the  throt- 
tle, TIteir  Finest  Hour 
grips  you  with  near- 
photographic  realism  of 
aircraft,  smoke,  terrain,  and  flying  debris. 
To  really  get  your 
adrenalin  pump- 
ing, we've  added 
a  cacophony  of 
roaring  engines, 
chattering  machine 
guns,  and  thundering 
explosions. 

IBM  KrtW!  ilio»n.  AvliliHt  for  IBM  linclidti  Adl.ib"  loooil  cinl supporll,  Aniji.  lad  AUri ST. 

TM  ani  £  IIW  Liicunin  Ud.  All  riglits  rtsintd.  Luciifilm  Gimti  >nd  Ittir  FIohI  Hour:  Tin  Billk  of  Brtliiu  tn  Indcniirki  of 
Uiunin  l.ld.  I B  M  i>  I  [ridtmirii  oMmrniiiMEHl  Buslntss  Mirtlors.  I  irc.  Conmigdiiit  64  is  i  Indcairii  of  CoBSOdort  FJcclrolici. 
Lid.  Aniii  h  I  Iftdtmirk  of  Conmodore.'Aini ji  Inc.  Aliri  md  ST  irt  tridcmlriu  of  Allri  Coip.  AiUb  is  i  Iradtmrk  of  AdLib.  Inc. 

Circle  Reader  Service  Number  103 


Look  At  Life 

FVom 
Both  Sides  Now. 

Take  on  the  Luft- 
waffe in  a  tough  little 
RAF  Hurricane  or  fabled 
Spitfire.  Or  test  your 
skills  at  the  controls  of 
the  Spitfire's  nemesis, 
the  formidable  Messer- 
schmitt  109.  Pulverize  ground  installa- 
tions from  your  Messerschmitt  110 
fighter/bomber  or  your  screaming 
Stuka.  Or  fly  as  pilot,  bombardier 
or  gunner  in  a  Junkers  88,  Domier 
Flying  Pencil,  or  Heinkel  Spade. 

Your  success  in  each  mission 
impacts  the  next  one:  knock  out  a 
radar  installation  today,  and  you'll 


Best  of  the  Rest 

the  computer  it  should  have  been 

from  the  beginning. 

Arkanoid  II.  Fast  action  has  never 
been  one  of  the  IlGS's  strongest  suits, 
but  Taito's  Arkanoid  II:  Revenge  of 
DoH  is  a  stellar  sequel  to  a  proven  ar- 
cade performer.  Essentially  a  hyper- 
active variation  on  Breakout,  Revenge 
of  DoH  includes  another  33  screens  of 
brick  patterns  that  you  clear  by  bounc- 
ing balls  off  walls,  squirming  aliens, 
and  bricks  that  may  ne\'er  disappear. 
Best  of  all,  though,  is  the  package's 
Arkanoid  Construction  Set.  It's  rel- 
atively simple  to  change  the  existing 
screens  or  make  up  entirely  new  ones 
to  test  your  mouse  skills.  Revenge  of 
DoH  may  be  a  repeat,  but  with  its 
,3         construction  set,  you  might  never  see 
'n         the  same  screen  twice.  And  it's  still  the 
best  Apple  lies  arcade  out  there. 

System  5.0.  Faster  performance 
and  more  developer  tools  are  the  hall- 
marks of  5.0.  The  first  real  operating 
system  for  the  .Apple  IIgs,  this  system 
is  a  Mac-like  OS  that  should  make  a 
big  difference  in  the  year(s)  to  come. 
Although  it  had  some  bugs  in  the 
beginning  (what  doesn't?),  Apple 
quickly  started  stamping  them  out. 
And  professional  programmers  are 
flocking  to  the  5.0  standard  for  power 
software.  Is  this  a  vision  of  things  to 
come?  Will  the  Apple  IlGS  and  Mac- 
intosh computers  meet  in  a  mutation 
known  only  to  those  in  Cupertino? 
Anything's  possible. 

The  New  Talking  Stickybear  Alpha- 
bet. Like  most  of  the  best  Apple  soft- 
ware, The  New  Stickybear  Talking 
Alphabet  requires  a  IIgs.  As  befits  its 
audience,  the  program  is  simple  to  use 
and  as  colorful  as  all  get-out.  It's  also 
equipped  with  human-quality  speech. 
Pressing  the  right  key  animates  the  su- 


WKere  to  Pick: 

Up  These  Ricks 

Apple  IIgs— $1,149.00 

Jigsaw— $39.95 

System  5.0— S49.00 

Brittanica  Software 

Apple  Computer 

345  Fourth  St. 

20525  Mariani  Ave. 

San  Francisco,  CA  941 07 

Cupertino,  CA  95014 

(415)  546-1866 

(408)  996-1010 

The  New  Talking  Stickybear 

AppleWorks  3.0— $249.00 

Alphabet— $49.95 

Claris 

Optimum  Resource 

5201  Patrick  Henry  Dr. 

10  Station  Pi. 

Box  58168 

Norfoli<,  CT  06058 

Santa  Clara,  CA  95052 

(203)  592-5553 

(408)  987-7000 

Slide-On— $9.95 

Arkanoid  II:  Revenge  of  DoH — 

Night  Owl  Productions 

$34.95 

5734  Lamar  Ave. 

Taito 

Mission,  KS  66202 

267  W.  Esplanade 

(913)  362-9890 

North  Vancouver,  B.C. 
Canada  V7M  1A5 
(604)  984-3344 

Transwarp  GS— $399.00 

Applied  Engineering 
P.O.  Box  5100 

DB  Master  Professional— $295.00 

Carroliton,  TX  75011 

Stone  Edge  Technoiogies 

(214)  241-6060 

P.O.  Box  3200 

Maple  Glen,  PA  19002 

(215)  641-1825 

Flodd,  the  Bad  Guy— $44.95 

Jack  and  the  Beanstalk— $44.95 

Tom  Snyder  Productions 

90  Sherman  St. 

Cambridge,  MA  02140 

(617)  876-4433 

per-hi-res  graphic  (two  different  pic- 
tures for  each  letter)  and  starts  the  IIgs 
saying  the  letter  and  word.  Three  activi- 
ties keep  the  kids  coming  back  for 
more.  The  New  Stickybear  Talking  Al- 
phabet puts  the  capabilities  of  the  pow- 
erhouse IIgs  to  work  for  kids  and 
parents  alike. 

Notable  Nominations 

The  mid-August  1989  lies.  Different? 

Not  really.  It  just  has  the  memory  the 
computer  should  have  had  from  the 
start — 1. 125  megabytes  of  RAM.  Too 
bad  it  had  to  be  so  long  in  coming. 
Brittanica  Software's  Jigsaw 


scrambles  Apple  IlGS  graphics  for  you 
to  reassemble. 

When  your  IlGS's  battery  goes 
dead,  don't  despair.  Put  an  inexpen- 
sive replacement  battery  on  the 
motherboard  yourself  with  the  Slide- 
On. 

Database  users  rejoiced  with  the 
release  of  DB  Master  Professional,  a 
relational  database  for  the  Apple  II 
family. 

Put  your  kid  on  your  lap  and 
boot  up  Jack  and  the  Beanstalk  or 
Flodd,  the  Bad  Guy,  computerized  sto- 
ries from  Tom  Snyder  Productions' 
Reading  Magic  series. 


COMMODORE  f 
64/128 


NEIL  RANDALL 


IVord  Writer  IK  The  latest  incarnation 
of  Timeworks'  well-established  Word 
Writer  series  is  full-featured,  attractive, 
and  fairly  easy  to  use.  Sacrificing  a 
WYSIWYG  display  in  favor  of  greater 
speed.  Word  Writer  IV  ofTersei^t 
fonts,  ranging  in  size  from  9  points  to 
72  points.  A  macro  and  some  book- 
marks automate  your  work.  Add  an 
85,(X)0-word  spelling  checker,  a  60,000- 
word  thesaurus,  and  a  simplified  out- 
liner,  and  you  can  get  down  to  a  good 
writing  session. 

Curse  of  the  Azure  Bonds.  With 
incredible  success,  SSI's  new  Ad- 


vanced Dungeons  and  Dragons  series 
tackles  the  challenge  to  squeeze  a  full- 
blooded  fantasy  role-playing  game  into 
the  Commodore  64's  limited  memory. 
Pool  of  Radiance,  first  in  the  series, 
was  big,  bold,  and — on  the  Com- 
modore 64 — almost  unplayable.  Curse 
of  the  Azure  Bonds  streamlines  the  sys- 
tem even  as  it  adds  strong  new  fea- 
tures. The  result  is  a  playable 
adventure  with  fast  disk  access,  no 
mean  feat  on  our  favorite  machine. 
GEOS  128  2.0.  With  the  Com- 
modore I28's  80-column  display  and 
fast  disk  access,  the  upgraded  GEOS 


shines.  Sporting  a  graphical  interface, 
GEOS  lets  you  forget  the  unwieldy 
commands  of  the  Commodore  64 
BASIC,  and  it  offers  desk  accessories 
such  as  a  calculator,  an  alarm  clock, 
and  a  notepad.  Add  full-featured  ver- 
sions of  geoWrite  and  geoPaint,  and 
you  have  an  impressive  collection. 
Among  the  new  additions  are  geoSpell, 
geoLaser  (a  laser-printer  driver),  and 
full  support  for  the  1571  and  1581 
disk  drives.  GEOS  128  is  now  a  true 
alternative  to  other  stand-alone 
programs. 

Neuromancer.  Based  on  William 
Gibson's  groundbreaking  cyberpunk 
novel.  Interplay's  unusual  game 
emphasizes  the  seedy,  the  high-tech, 
and  the  downright  disorienting.  Given 
the  unrelenting  smoothness  of  the 
novel,  such  an  adaptation  is  a  major 


44       COMPUTE!  JANUARY        1990 


Welcome  to 
the  Fight  Palace. 


"Humaits  come  apart  so  easily  in  the  pit.  Especially 
when  you  pull  on  their  arms'.'  — Mondu  the  Fat 

Two  creatures  in  a  pit,  strange  moves,  magical  weapons,  wild 
betting  and  your  host,  Mondu  the  Fat.  Pick  your  lifeform, 
load  up  on  bio-weapons,  then  punish  or  perish  in  the  most 
outrageous  game  ever  created  — Tongue  of  the  Fatman. 


n 


Pick  Your  Lifeform 

Control  and  combat  a  variety  of 
aliens,  each  with  different  moves 
and  special  animations,  Ten 
beings  to  master. 


Visit  Dr.  Kadaver 

The  Muttimax  764Steroids 
pumped  you  up.  Grasfur  Slug  Eggs 
might  slow  the  Cryoplast  long 
enough  to  nail  him. 


AcliyiTiOK 

See  your  local  retailer,  or  call  1-800-227-6900  to  order. 

e  19S9  .■\CTIViS10N   All  brsrvd  nimcs  and  trademark,  are  :he  ptoptTtv  ol  their  respective  Soldcn. 

CirtI*  Reader  Service  Number  108 


Best  of  the  Rest 

achievement.  You  learn  to  ride  data 
links  into  high-security  areas.  If  you're 
good,  you'll  not  only  become  a 
successful  "cowboy,"  you'll  also  find  a 
way  to  save  yourself 

Storm  Across  Europe.  Last  year 
marked  the  50th  anniversary  of  the  start 
of  World  War  11,  and  SSI  was  the  only 
computer-game  company  to  mark  the 
event  properly.  This  game  attempts 
nothing  less  than  a  simulation  of  the  en- 
tire six  years  of  the  war,  on  a  glorious 
and  grand  strategic  level.  Best  of  all,  the 
game  has  a  three-player  mode.  You  and 
two  friends,  in  a  single  evening,  can  try 
to  change  the  course  of  the  largest  war  in 
history. 

Notable  Nominations 

With  two  separate  days  of  Gettysbui^ 
and  four  other  well-chosen  battles,  De- 
cisive Battles  of  the  American  Civil 
War  (Volume  2)  represents  war  gam- 
ing at  its  finest. 

Until  now.  Commodore  128  own- 
ers have  waited  in  vain  for  128-spe- 
cific  software.  Spectrum  128,  a  paint 
program,  takes  full  advantage  of  the 
machine. 

Might  and  Magic  II,  a  fantasy 
role-playing  game,  gives  Bard's  Tale 


Where  to  Riok  Up  These  Picks 


Arkanoid  11— $29.95 

Taito 

267  W.  Esplanade 
North  Vancouver,  B.C. 
Canada  V7M  1A5 
(604)  984-3344 

Curse  of  the  Azure  Bonds— $39.95 
Storm  Across  Europe — S59.95 
SSI 

Distributed  by  Electronic  Arts 
1820  Gateway  Dr. 
San  Mateo,  CA  94404 
(415)571-7171 

Decisive  Battles  of  tfie  Civil  War 
(\A>1ume  2)— $39.95 

Strategic  Studies  Group 
1 747  Orleans  Ct. 
Walnut  Creek,  CA  94598 
(415)  932-3019 

Destroyer  Escort — $39.95 

Epyx 

P.O.  Box  8020 

600  Galveston  Dr. 
Redwood  City,  CA  94063 
(415)  366-0606 


GEOS  128  2.0—369.95 

Berl^eley  Softworks 
2150  Shattuck  Ave. 
Berkeley,  CA  94704 
(415)  644-0883 

Might  and  iViagic  11— $39.95 

New  World  Computing 
14922  Calvert  St. 
Van  Nuys,  CA  91411 
(818)  785-0401 

Neuromancer — $39.95 

Interplay 

1575  Corporate  Dr. 
Costa  Mesa,  CA  92626 
(714)  545-9001 

Spectrum  128— $39.95 

Free  Spirit  Software 
P.O.  Box  128 
58  Noble  St. 
Kutztown,  R<\  19530 
(215)  683-5609 

WordWriter  IV— $49.95 

Timeworks 

444  N.  Lake  Cook  Rd, 
Deerfieid,  IL  60015 
(312)  948-9200 


and  Wizardry  a  run  for  their  money. 
Arkanoid  was  so  popular,  it's  no 
wonder  Taito  released  a  new  version 
called  Arkanoid  II.  Breakout  was 


never  like  this. 

Strong  graphics  and  an  interesting 
theme  make  Destroyer  Escort  a  superb 
blend  of  action  and  strategy.  □ 


THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  GAME 
THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  GAME 


GUAl^ANTEED  NONMNOMINATIONAL 
3  Game  Levels  make  learning  Fun  for  all  ages! 


m  111  f  i 

iiilliiiiii  Fii  iiiif  i 

Nearly  300  Bible  Passages  per  game 


iLiiFilLi  ^"-"*— ^'^"^'^ 


For  fastest  service,  send  check  or 

money  order  for    $29.95  eacil 

plus  $3.00  shipping/handling  to: 

The  Family  Jewels 

5631  Kent  Place 
Santa  Barbara,  CA    93117 


IBM  3  1/2"  disks  available 
for  an  additixmal  $2.00  per  game. 


Latter— day  Saints:  Please  request 
a  copy  of  our  brochure  detailing 
our  special  LPS  product  line. 


NOT  TK[t;;iiH  -  HQ  PRIOR  KNlQiy^lLEDSE  NEEDED 
Hardware  Systems  Supported: 
100%  IBM  Compatible  Commodore  64/128 


MS-DOS  2.1  or  higher 

Color  monitor  preferred, 

Monochrome  monitor  also  aupport&d 


CB4  or  C128  with  color  TV  or  monitor 

C128  with  80  colomn  monitor 

1541  or  1571  (5  1/4")  disk  drive  only 


For  more  information,  or  to  order  by  phone 

Call  (805)  683-4568  EC.  O.  D.  orders  only] 

California  residents,  please  add  6%  sales  tax 


COLOR  RIBBONS  &  PAPER 

RIBBONS:  Red,  Blue,  Grn.,  Brwn.,  Purple,  Yel. 

Ribbons            Price  Each 

Black 

Color 

Heat 
Transfer 

Apple  Image  l/ll 

3.76 

4,50 

6.60 

Apple  Image  II  -  4-Color 

- 

7.60 

10.50 

Brother  M1109 

4.35 

5.95 

7.00 

C.  l!oh  Prowriter  Jr. 

7.00 

9.00 

_ 

Citizen  120D,:180D 

5.O0 

6.00 

7.95 

Commodpre  MPS  302,1526 

6,25 

7.26 

_ 

-  MPS  803 

4.95 

5.95 

7.00 

•  MPS  1000 

3.95 

4.95 

6.75 

■  MPS  1200/1250 

5.00 

6.Q0 

7.95 

Epson  MX80:LX800 

3.75 

4.25 

6.75 

IBM  Proprinter 

5.76 

8.00 

12,00 

Okidaia  82  92 

1.75 

2.25 

4.50 

Okidata  182192 

6.50 

7.50 

6.00 

Panasonic  KXP  1080 

6.75 

7.75 

_ 

Seikosha  SP  800.1000 

5.25 

8.50 

7,95 

Star  WXTO'NLIO 

5.00 

6,00 

7.95 

Star  N XI 000 

4.50 

5.50 

6,75 

Star  MX100D  -  4  Color 

- 

8,75 

- 

T-SHIRT  RiBBONS  (Heal  Transfer)  - 

Red,  Blue,  Grn„ 

Brwr,,  Purple,  Yel.,  BIk.  Call  For  Pri 

e  &  Availability 

COLOR  PAPER 

BRIGHT  PACK -200  Sheets.'SO  each  r;olOr;  Red, 
Blue,  Green,  Yellow.  9  1.'2  k  11        ^  S11.90/pk 

PASTEL  PACK-200  Sheets/SO  each  color:  Pink, 
Yellow,  Blue,  Ivory.  9  1,'2  ic  11         -  S11.90,'pk. 


COLOR  BANNER  BAND  PAPER  -  45  ft.,TDll-S9.95,ea. 


For  nbbans  &  paper  rot  iFSted  above,  call  for  price  h 
avatl.  Price  &  spec-  subject  to  change  w/0  notice.  Min 
order  S25.00.  Mm.  S&H  S3. 50  min.  Visa,  MC,  COD. 

RAMCO  COMPUTER  SUPPLIES 

P.O.  Box  475,  Manteno,  IL  60950   U.S.A. 

(U.S. A, I  800-522-6922 
ICanadal  800-621-5444  •  815-468-8081 


46 


COMPUTE 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  137 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  189 


Guaranteed 
Window  Seat 


You've  got  the  best  seat  at 

the  air  show  —  the  cockpit  of  your 
F/A-I8.  And  you're  about  to  fly 
where  only  angels  dare. 


Then  dance  with  danger  in 
one  of  four  Blue  Angel  F/A-18s- 
a  jet  that  can  Rvist  500  knots 
into  a  5g  vertical  climb, 

Pierce  the  clouds  on  a  wing 
and  a  prayer.  Engage  your 
formation  in  delta  rolls,  left 

rf  tw  ei'n*  Oin*' «n«3«i  may  **v 


You  can  watch  all  of  your 
maneuvers  from  a  variety  of 
camera  angles,  review  the 
performance  on  Instant  Replay  — 
even  take  a  bird's-eye  tour 
of  the  entire  airfield  in  "Free 
Flight"  mode. 

If  you're  a  blue  chip  Blue 
Angel,  they'll  induct  you  into  the 
"Pilots  Hall  Of  Fame!' Because 
only  the  best  and  the  brightest 
can  take  32,000  pounds  of 
military  thrust  and  mm  it  on 
a  dime. 

Blue  Angels  Formation  Fligfit 
SiinuiaiioTi.  Everything  you've 
ever  experienced  in  flight  sim- 
ulation is  about  to  take  a  360- 
degree  diamond  roll. 

How  to  order;  Visit  your  favor- 
ite letailer  or  call  800-245-7  744. 

The  best  in  entertainment  software." 

Circle  Header  Service  Number  123 


W  ^'  -: 


RESOURCES 


CHOOSE  YOUR  SOFTWARE  CAREFULLY 


REVIEWS 
AND  BOOKS 

Read  as  many  reviews  as  you  can  get 
your  hands  on.  Reviews  are  subjec- 
tive, and  they  reflect  ihe  audience 
they're  written  for.  If  you're  looking 
for  home  computing  software,  don't 
read  reviews  in  a  magazine  for  high- 
powered  business  users;  check  reviews 
in  a  home  computer  magazine. 

Reviews  are  usually  published 
anywhere  from  one  to  six  months 
after  the  release  of  a  title.  If  it's  an  old- 
er package  that  you're  considering, 
you  should  look  at  old  magazine  is- 
sues in  a  local  library. 

Make  sure  that  you  pick  up  the 
December  and  January  issues  of  your 
favorite  magazines  and  save  them.  Al- 
most every  consumer-oriented  com- 
puter periodical  will  publish  its 
annual  picks  and  recommendations. 
You  can  refer  to  these  issues  through 
the  next  year,  even  longer  for  some 
products. 

There  are  a  number  of  books  that 
will  prove  valuable  when  you're 
searching  the  software  ranks.  We've 
included  a  list  along  with  the  publish- 
er's name,  address,  and  phone  number. 

Connimer  Product  Guide — S26.95 
Simon  &  Schuster 
Guir+  Wcsiern  Building 
One  Gulf  +  Western  Plara 
NcwYarl<,NY!0O23 
(800)  624-0023 

The  Computer  Blue  Book—%  15.95 
National  Association  of  Computer  Dealers 
14925  Memorial  Dr. 
Building  ,'\ 
Houston.  TX  77079 
(8CX))  223-5264 

Online  Communications  Software — S24.95 
McGraw  Hiil 
Princeton  Rd. 
Highlstown.  NJ  08520 
(800)  262-4729 

The  .MKNU  Sofi-.mre  Guide  for  IBM  & 

Compatible  Personal  Computers — S29  95 
MENU 

P.O.  Box  Menu 
Pittsburgh.  PA  15241 
(800) 843-6368 

The  Conneclion — free 
7249  Whipple  .■\vc.NW 
North  Canton.  OH  44720 
(800)336-1166 


Before  You  Go  Looking 


Know  exactly  what  you  want,  and  you'll  find  the  best  software  for  you.  If  you 
answer  several  questions  in  advance,  chances  are  you'll  match  the  best  features 
with  the  best  price. 

Decide  what  you  want  the  package  to  do;  then  list  specific  features  that 
you'll  need.  Assess  your  equipment's  limitations  and  assets — which  features  are 
necessary  and  which  could  be  traded  for  other  capabilities?  Last,  determine  how 
much  you're  willing  to  spend. 

With  those  preliminaries  decided,  and  this  resource  page  as  your  guide, 
you'll  have  a  much  better  chance  at  getting  the  most  from  your  software  dollar. 


STORE  DEMOS 

Most  stores  have  trial  copies  of  soft- 
ware, or  the  salespeople  will  take  a 
package  offof  the  shelf  so  that  you  can 
try  it.  If  the  sales  staff  isn't  very  ac- 
commodating, try  another  store. 

Make  sure  that  you  try  titles  from 
different  companies.  Unless  you  al- 
ready know  what  you  want,  you'll 
need  to  see  a  variety  of  products  to 
make  an  adequate  comparison. 

Many  retail  stores,  especially 
chains  like  Babbages^  post  listings  of 
what  is  currently  the  best-selling  soft- 
ware. (COMPUTE!  publishes  its  own 
Hotware  list,  supplied  by  Egghead 
Discount  Software,  at  the  back  of  each 
issue.)  While  you're  in  one  of  these 
stores,  be  sure  to  check  for  the  titles 
that  you've  been  looking  at.  Populari- 
ty doesn't  necessarily  indicate  the  best 
product,  however,  so  don't  base  your 
decision  solely  on  these  top-seller  hsts. 


Find  Out 

from  the  Source 

Every  software  vendor  will  answer 
questions  over  the  phone.  Vendors 
won't  be  totally  objective  since  they 
want  you  to  buy  their  product,  but  the 
information  will  be  accurate.  If  you 
don't  know  the  name  of  the  manufac- 
turer, your  local  computer  store  will 
be  able  to  help.  .4  salesperson  can  tell 
you  the  names,  addresses,  and  phone 
numbers  of  software  publishers. 
COMPUTE!  lists  that  information 
with  its  reviews. 


Online  Answers 

Most  online  services  have  vendor- 
support  areas,  CompuServe  {P,0.  Box 
20212,  Columbus,  Ohio  43220;  800- 
848-8 1 99)  and  GEnie  (40 1  North 
Washington  Street,  Rockville,  Mary- 
land 20850;  800-638-9636)  are  two  ex- 
amples. For  specific  publishers  on 
CompuServe,  trv  entering  GO  BOR- 
LAND, GO  ASH-1  (Ashton-Tate), 
GO  WPSG  (WordPerfect),  or  GO 
WORDSTAR.  These  are  just  a  few  of 
the  specific  vendor  SIGs.  You  can 
find  smaller  companies  by  entering 
GO  PCVENA  or  GO  PCVENB.  It's 
simpler  on  GEnie  (and  less  compre- 
hensive): Just  type  FCSUPPORT  and 
you'll  see  a  menu  of  vendor-support 
areas. 

User  Groups 

Often,  user  groups  can  answer  your 
questions,  too.  Most  meetings  include 
demonstrations  of  newly  released  soft- 
ware. Whoever  demonstrates  the  pro- 
gram can  tell  you  how  easy  it  is  to  use 
and  can  discuss  its  features. 

User  groups  usually  meet  once  a 
month.  You  can  find  out  when  and 
where  they  meet  by  calling  a  local 
computer  retail  store. 

Some  groups  support  local  elec- 
tronic bulletin  boards  and  telephone 
information  lines.  .Almost  everj'  group 
publishes  a  newsletter  that  will  tell  you 
about  meetings  and  list  contact  num- 
bers; sometimes  the  newsletters  will 
even  review  new  software.  Local  deal- 
ers may  have  the  newsletters  on  hand.H 


48 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


JANUARY       1990 


NeuraTCybertank  Design  and  Simulation 

Cybertank  engineers  control  the  destiny  of  the  Organization  for  Strategic  Intelligence,  They're  the 
heart  of  the  OMEGA  Project,  a  classified  military  contract  that's  shaping  combat's  future.  Employing    , 
tomorrow's  technology,  OSI  cybertank  engineers  design  the  ch'assis  and  artificial  intelligence  (Ai)    / 
for  the  next  generation  of  neurai  armored  warriors — and  they  gauge  their  success  on  asimulaled     '- 
■  field  of  battte.  Join  these  elite  ranks,  and  pil  your  designs  against  the  world's  best. 


wmmmmm 

r     We  create  worldsr^' 


IBM/COMPATfBLE  VERS10M  ""  '    !m/C0MPAT!8LE  VERSION 


APPLE  VERSION 


Avaibbte  lof:  IBMflafldy  coirfjatibles,  C-64f128.  Apple  li  series,  Alari  ST  and  Amiga,  coming  som  lor.  Macinlosh  and  Apple  llgs;  actual 
screefls  may  vary. 

Cam  IM  OMEGA  31  your  tocal  reJa;fer?Cal!  1  -SOO-SSMSas  (Bam  to Spm  ES71  tor  VisafMC  outers:  or  mai!  check  or  money  order  (U  S  S| 
ID  ORIGIN.  All  versions  $49.95,  sWpping  is  FREE  va  UPS  Allow  1  -2  weeks  for  deSvery.  ORIGIN,  P.O.  Box  1 61750,  Austin,  Texas  76716. 


COMPUTE!'s  SHAREPAK 

for  IBM  PC  and  Compatibles 


Compiled  by  the  Editors 


Get  top-quality  software — handpicked  from  the  best  of  shareware — and  all  the  documentation  you  need  on  one 
easy-to-use  disk.  You  pay  just  one  low  price  for  the  complete  package  and  sample  some  of  the  best  noncommer- 
cial software  available, 

COMPUTEI's  January  disk  offers  four  different  faces  of  software:  a  flexible  mask  for  DOS,  a  mirthful  math 
teacher,  an  adventure  shrouded  in  mystery,  and  a  terrific  typing  tutor. 


Directory  Master 

Customize  your  inierface  wiih  the  30  programmable  keys  in  ihis  full" 
featured  DOS  shelL  Access  commands  such  as  copy,  move,  and  deleie 
with  a  sin^e  kcyslroke.  or  program  hot  keys  to  peiform  complex  and 
multiple  operations.  Dircciory  Maslcr  replaces  the  standard  IX)S  prompt 
with  an  iniuittvc  inicrfacc,  yet  il  occupies  only  I04K.  Requires  256K 
and  DOS  3.1  or  higher. 


1*w  <n  *i  <  rrEracil  vetw 

l\\\  li  a  ca-.r4Ki  in  4  Iww  rvl 
Inl  Ic  Lk  jtli  tken'f  ■  il*^ 
■■•«e4M  ULk  feu      B  an  rW 
lr«4t  w;  Id  L)K  Mflkat, 
tW  Ieu  f4le  i\  ^c%.   iMllliq  ^  u 
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Skullduggery 

Search  for  clues  in  the  tcxi-bascd  maps  and  diagrams  in  this  Iricky  game 
of  mystery-.  Vou'il  get  hours  of  cntcriainment — and  anxieiv — as  you 
sglve  ihe  counilcss  puzzles  and  enigmas  thai  reveal  the  secret  of 
Skutlduggen:  Requires  256K  and  DOS  2.1  or  higher. 


MathMagic 

Test  your  mathematical  skills  with  these  four  educational  games:  Math 
Catch,  Math  Run,  Math  Lander,  and  Math  Shoot.  Master  all  four  levels 
in  a  game  before  advancing  to  ihc  next  game.  Choose  the  addition, 
subtraction,  multiplication,  or  division  problems,  or  lei  the  computer  se- 
lect for  you.  Game  features  include  high-score  save,  custom  key  defi- 
nitions, onscreen  help,  and  difficulty-level  settings.  Requires  256K,  EX3S 
2.1  or  higher,  and  any  monitor  except  Hercuics. 


Quick  Type 

When  it  comes  to  typing,  are  you  all  thumbs?  Practice  makes  perfect 
with  this  tool  designed  10  improve  your  typing  skills.  Unique  graphics 
entertain  you  as  you  hone  your  technique.  Varying  skill  levels  provide  a 
challenge  for  all  typists.  Requires  256K,  DOS  2. 1  or  higher,  and  Hercu- 
les. CGA,  or  higher. 


YES!  Send  me  the  January  1990  COMPUTE!  SHAREPAK  for  my  IBM  PC  or  corttpaiiblc.  1 
pay  $7.95  for  each  S'/j-inch  disk  attd  S8.95  for  each  SVj-inch  disk  plus  $2.00  shipping  and  han- 
dling per  disk. 

Please  indicate  how  many  disks  of  each  format  you'd  like: 
5'/j-ingh  disk  3'/2-inch  disk 

Name 

Address 

City 


,  Slate/Province . 


.  ZIP/Postal  Code. 


Shipping  and  handling  $2.00  per  disk 
Total  amount  enclosed  % 


Mail  coupon  with  payment  to 

COMPUTEI's  SHAREPAK 

P.O.  Box  5188 

Greensboro,  NC  27403 
Payments  must  be  in  U.S.  dollars  by  a  cheek  drawn  on  a  U.S.  banSt. 
Please  allow  4-6  weeks  tor  delivery.  Fof  delivery  outskie  the  U.S.  or  Canada,  add  St  for  surjace  mail  or  S3  (or  airmail. 


.Available  on  5'A-inch  disk  for  $7.95  or  3i/!-inch 
disk  for  $8.95  (plus  $2.00  shipping  and  handling 
per  disk). 

Disks  available  only  for  IBM  PC  and  compat- 
ible computers.  Offer  gcKid  while  supplies  last 

Shareware  Agreements 

COMPUmrs  SHAREPAK  is  a  collection  of 
shareware  and  public  domain  programs.  Public 
domain  programs  are  free;  you  can  use  ihcm  and 
pass  ihem  around  as  much  as  you  like.  On  the 
other  hand,  shareware  isn't  free;  you  pay  the 
shareware  author  if  you  decide  to  use  the  pro- 
gram. Here's  how  shareware  works. 

If  you  like  a  program  on  the  disk,  vou  should 
register  yourself  directly  with  the  shareware  pub- 
lisher (not  with  COMPUTE!).  Each  program  in- 
cludes a  license  agreement  that  explains  whom  to 
contact  and  how  much  the  program  costs.  Share- 
ware prices  are  very  low  compared  with  similar 
commercial  programs. 

Registering  means  you  pay  the  software  au- 
thor for  a  program  he  or  she  developed,  plus  it 
entitles  you  (O  technical  support  and  information 
about  upgrades.  You'll  find  shareware  publishers 
are  easy  to  work  with  and  eager  to  help. 


Will  he  make  a 
out  of  you? 


Original  music    •  A  cartoon  on  a  disk! 


IIMiliil^ 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  151 


D 


ROD 


ftr  jgH'-ur  ja-a  PC  u'  9f*  rs^fwpKiWf  ecv**^  •*•  W*^  f"^  o^W^t 


coMPuni 

CHOICE 


LOADED  WITH 
FEATURES,  THIS 
PROGRAM  OFFERS 
PC  ANIMATION 
THAT'S  WORTH 
BRAGGING  ABOUT 


STEVEN  ANZOVIN 


S2       COMPUTEI  JANUARY       19    90 


For  years,  PC  users  had  to 
suffer  in  silence  when 
tiresome  Amiga  and  Mac- 
intosh owners  boasted 
about  the  amazing  ani- 
mation and  presentation 
capabilities  of  their  ma- 
chines. As  ever>'  artist 
knew,  PCs  were  great  for 
spreadsheets  and  data- 
bases, but,  without  add- 
ing expensive  custom  graphics  boards 
and  software,  MS-DOS  just  couldn't 
cut  it  in  the  animation  arena.  Even 
with  the  advent  of  the  VGA  display 
standard,  you  couldn't  find  PC  ani- 
mation software  that  matched  what 
was  out  for  the  Amiga  and  the  Macin- 
tosh. So,  serious  animators  and  desk- 
top presenters  shunned  the  PC  for 
other  platforms.  A  new  program, 
Autodesk  Animator  from  .Autodesk, 
may  change  all  that,  luring  the  dedi- 
cated  computer  animator  into  the  PC 
studio. 

Autodesk  Animator  is  a  complex, 
professional-level  program  that  in- 
cludes full-color  paint  tools,  image- 
processing  effects,  several  types  of 
animation,  and  a  flexible  text  editor 
with  video-style  titling  effects.  The 
program  runs  on  any  IBM  PS/2,  AT, 
386.  or  compatible  with  MCGA  or 
VGA  graphics  and  a  hard  disk  (the 
program  writes  temporary  files  that 
can  overwhelm  a  floppy's  storage  ca- 
pacity). Currently  the  program  works 
only  in  the  320  X  200  pixel,  256-color 
MCGA  mode,  which  keeps  animation 
files  down  to  a  manageable  size.  You'll 
also  need  a  Microsoft-compatible 
pointing  device  for  drawing  and  ani- 
mation, though  you  can  select  most 
program  options  from  the  keyboard. 
Two  thorough,  well-written  manuals 
and  a  demonstration  videotape  guide 
you  through  the  labyrinth  of  program 
features. 

You  access  Autodesk  Animator's 
cornucopia  of  features  through  a  se- 


ries  of  panels.  The  Home  panel,  which 
appears  whenever  you  open  the  pro- 
gram, conlains  a  basic  subset  of  paint- 
ing and  animation  options:  drawing 
and  magnifying  tools;  a  small  color 
palette;  buttons  that  control  playback 
of  animations;  a  selection  of  ink  types, 
including  glass  and  smoothing  inks; 
and  buttons  to  call  up  other  panels.  As 
with  most  graphics  applications,  you 
select  options  from  drop-down  menus, 
clicking  on  buttons  (called  slots),  typ- 
ing text  into  dialog  boxes,  and  drag- 
ging things  around  the  screen. 

From  the  Drawing  panel,  you  se- 
lect any  of  the  more  than  20  drawing 
and  painting  tools,  as  well  as  color  ef- 
fects like  drizzle  (a  dripping  brush  ef- 
fect) and  gel  (translucent  overlays). 
From  the  Ink  Types  panel,  you  choose 
painting/image-processing  effects, 
such  as  embossing,  smearing,  soften- 
ing colors,  sparkles,  tiling,  and  antia- 
liasing (a  technique  that  softens  the 
jagged  edges  of  images  to  make  them 
appear  smoother). 

The  Color  Palette  panel  offers  full 
control  of  all  256  onscreen  colors  in 
RGB  (Red,  Green,  and  Blue)  and 
HLS  (Hue,  Luminance,  and  Satura- 
tion) scales,  plus  extensive  color  re- 
mapping and  arranging  tools.  Using 
options  in  the  Titling  panel,  you  speci- 
fy and  edit  color  text  in  a  full  spec- 
trum of  fonts,  styles,  and  inks.  (One 
nice  feature  imports  ASCII  text  files 


The  videotape  uses  examples  like  this  to 
guide  you  through  Animator's  features. 


into  the  program  and  lets  you  edit 
them;  this  is  a  good  tool  for  turning  an 
outline  created  with  a  word  processor 
into  titles  for  a  slide  show.) 

The  tools  in  these  panels,  with 
their  context-sensitive  menu  options, 
make  Autodesk  Animator  the  most 
complete  color-graphics  program  yet 
for  the  PC.  The  selection  of  special- 
effects  inks  and  brush  types  alone  is 
worth  the  program's  price  because  the 
choices  aren't  available  on  any  other 
microcomputer  graphics  program.  If 
all  you  needed  was  a  high-end  paint 
program,  Autodesk  Animator  would 
do  the  job,  even  though  some  artists 
might  wish  for  MacPaint-siyls  icons 
and  a  point-and-click  interface.  The 
320  X  200  resolution  might  also  be  a 
point  of  complaint  for  artists  wanting 
the  increased  detail  of  a  higher  resolu- 
tion, especially  for  onscreen  text. 

Still,  as  wonderful  as  color  paint 
may  be,  animation  is  where  the  action 
is,  and  this  program  can  act.  Autodesk 
Animator  creates  five  types  of  anima- 
tion: traditional  eel-type,  frame-by- 
frame  animation;  optical  effects; 


polymorphic  tweening;  titling  effects; 
and  color  cycling. 

Cel  animation,  the  kind  that  is 
traditionally  used  in  cartoons,  in- 
volves painting  successive  images  on 
a  series  of  frames  and  playing  the 
frames  back  quickly  enough  to  create 
the  illusion  of  motion.  This  type  of 
animation  is  easy  to  understand.  If 
you've  ever  buzzed  through  an  anima- 
tion flip  book,  you  know  how  eel  ani- 
mation works.  But  all  that  drawing 
and  animating  adds  up  to  extensive 
manual  effort.  Autodesk  Animator's 
blue-framing  feature  thankfully  re- 
duces the  work.  This  feature  shows  a 
temporary  silhouette  of  preceding 
frames  on  each  new  frame,  allowing 
you  to  line  up  a  succession  of  pictures 
quickly  and  accurately. 

Optical  and  polymorphic  tween- 
ing animation  take  even  more  of  the 
load  off  of  you.  With  optical  anima- 
tion, you  select  an  area  of  a  picture 
and  tell  Autodesk  Animator  to  move 
or  rotate  it  along  one  of  the  screen's 
Cartesian  axes— horizontally  on  the 
X-axis,  vertically  on  the  y-axis,  or  into 


JANUARY       1990  COMPUtEl       53 


#  PRODUCTIVITY 


and  out  of  the  screen  on  the  z-axis — 
across  a  specified  number  of  frames. 
Once  you  get  the  hang  of  navigating  in 
illusory  three-dimensional  space  with 
two-dimensional  pictures,  you  can 
create  spectacular  spinning  and  tum- 
bling effects.  Titling  animation  works 
much  the  same  way  (you  can  spin  and 
tumble  text  as  easily  as  pictures)  but 
adds  slow  and  fast  scrolling  for  sub- 
titles and  end-of-program  credits. 

Polymorphic  tweening  automati- 
cally transforms  the  shapes  of  special 
polygons  available  from  the  Draw 
panel.  Say  you  want  to  transform  a 
star  polygon  in  one  frame  to  a  square 
polygon  in  the  next.  You  draw  the  star 
on  the  first  frame,  copy  it  to  the  next, 
and  drag  the  points  of  the  star  until  it 
looks  like  a  square.  Autodesk  Anima- 
tor gencmes  the  in-between  images  of 
the  shape  change  for  a  smooth,  fin- 
ished animation. 

Color  cycling  is  a  simple  form  of 
animation  in  which  a  selected  area  cy- 
cles through  a  range  of  colors  at  a  set 
speed.  This  feature  creates  glowing 
and  flashing  effects. 

All  the  varieties  of  animation 
that  I  tested  played  with  impressive 
smoothness,  although  I  did  notice 
some  staticlike  artifacts  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  screen  during  animation 
playback.  I'm  not  sure  whether  these 
were  a  product  of  the  program  or  of 
my  display  hardware.  Otherwise, 
Autodesk  Animator  is  quite  robust. 

You  can  play  animation  files, 
called ///cs  in  Autodesk  Animator  lin- 
go, backward  and  forward  or  one 
frame  at  a  time  at  any  speed  up  to  30 
frames  per  second.  You  can  also  edit 
these  files  by  splicing,  dicing,  cutting, 
pasting,  merging,  superimposing,  and 
underlaying.  You  edit  the  flics  with 
tools  from  the  Frames  and  Time  Se- 
lect panels.  Through  the  Player  utility 
included  in  the  package,  you  can  run 
flics  outside  of  Autodesk  Animator. 
You  can,  for  example,  set  up  an  ani- 
mated presentation  on  a  single  disk 
and  play  it  automatically  when  it's 
loaded  into  any  compatible  computer. 
You  can  also  set  up  a  presentation  to 
respond  to  mouse  or  keyboard  com- 
mands as  you  narrate  the  show.  Using 
Autodesk  Animator's  scripting  tools, 
you  can  chain  together  a  series  of  ani- 
mations and  play  them  in  sequence. 
In  essence,  the  length  of  an  Autodesk 
Animator  presentation  is  limited  only 
by  the  capacity  of  your  hard  disk. 
Chaining  animations  is  helpful  when 
you  transfer  animation  to  video,  elim- 
inating much  of  the  splicing  that 
would  otherwise  have  to  be  done  in 
video  postproduction. 


What  can  you  do  with  Autodesk 
Ammator?Basica[\y,  the  program  is 
best  suited  as  an  engine  for  desktop 
presentations  and  desktop  videos. 
The  typical  animated  bar  graph  or  pie 
chart,  the  meat-and-potatoes  of  desk- 
top presentations,  is  easy  to  create 
with  Autodesk  Animator's  polymor- 
phic graphics.  Just  create  a  flic,  paint  a 
background,  create  the  foreground 
polygons — the  bare  of  a  bar  chart,  for 
example — and  move  them  over  the 
background  across  a  series  of  frames. 

Teachers  can  apply  the  same 
principles  to  school  and  training  pre- 
sentations. Imagine  demonstrating 
the  difference  between  the  Ptolemaic 
and  Copernican  models  of  the  solar 
system  with  a  simple  animation.  Or 
try  showing  the  exact  assembly  meth- 
od for  your  company's  new  widget 
with  a  moving  presentation. 

A  skilled  animator  can  draw 


NT-'j^TCR  PUC  PIE  QEl.  TRHCE  gftcr  EyTRft 


Animator  tweens  the  frames  between 
your  first  image  and  your  last  one. 

Disney-style  (if  not  Disney-quality) 
eel  animations  for  commercials,  pre- 
sentations, and  art  animations  in  re- 
cord time  using  the  blue-framing 
feature.  Autodesk  Animator's  titling 
and  optical  effects  offer  some  of  the 
same  features  that  video-graphics  pro- 
fessionals play  with  on  their  big  guns, 
the  ADOs  and  the  Quantels;  the  pro- 
gram is  perfect  for  creating  the  type  of 
flying  text  and  logos  that  are  so  popu- 
lar on  broadcast  television.  And,  be- 
cause Autodesk  Animator  imports  pic- 
ture files  from  AutoCAD  and  other 
Autodesk  CAD  products,  you  can  use 
it  to  create  technical  presentations, 
such  as  a  fly-through  of  a  three- 
dimensional  architectural  model  cre- 
ated with  AutoCAD  and  AutoShade. 

.Animation  is  a  highly  specialized 
application,  and  most  computer  ani- 
mators choose  a  particular  computer 
platform  based  on  whether  it  offers  a 
program  that  creates  the  effects  they 
need.  Many  artists  and  designers  run 
their  business  on  a  PC  but  buy  an 
Amiga  500  or  a  Macintosh  II  just  to 
create  animations.  So  Autodesk  Ani- 
mator's software  rivals  are  not  in  the 


PC  world  but  in  the  Amiga  and  Mac- 
intosh worlds. 

Holding  its  own  against  such 
competitors  as  DeluxePaint  HI  for  the 
Amiga  and  Macromind  Director  for 
the  Macintosh,  Autodesk  Animator 
stands  up  quite  respectably.  It  offers 
animation  capabilities  that  are  more 
flexible  than  those  of  DeluxePaint  III. 
Polymorphic  tweening,  blue-frame  sil- 
houetting, and  color  and  ink  effects 
are  impossible  to  create  with  the  Ami- 
ga's venerable  graphics  and  animation 
standby.  Autodesk  Animator  lacks  De- 
luxePaint Ill's  custom-brush  and  per- 
spective tools,  however,  and  its  tool 
set  is  not  as  easy  to  use.  You  could  get 
the  best  of  both  worlds  if  you  created 
graphics  in  the  PC  version  of  Deluxe- 
Paint  II  and  imported  them  io  Auto- 
desk Animator  for  image  tweaking  and 
animation.  Under  the  Pic  and  Ric 
menus,  you'll  find  options  for  import- 
ing still-image  files  from  other  PC 
graphics-file  formats.  You  can  also 
import  graphics  files  from  the  Mac,  the 
Amiga,  and  the  Atari  ST,  plus  anima- 
tion files  from  the  Amiga  and  the  ST. 

As  for  Macromind  Director, 
Autodesk  Animator  offers  similar 
color  paint  and  animation  features — 
albeit  with  a  less  polished  interface, 
no  integration  of  digitized  sounds 
with  animation,  and  a  lower  screen 
resolution  {Macromind  Director  uses 
the  standard  Mac  II  screen  format  of 
640  X  480  pixels  and  256  colors). 
Still,  just  about  any  presentation  or 
animation  effect  you  can  create  with 
Macromind  Director  can  be  duplicat- 
ed with  Autodesk  Animator,  and  this 
PC  program  can  do  some  things,  such 
as  image  processing,  that  Macromind 
Director  can't  handle.  Both  programs 
have  a  sharp  learning  curve  and  take 
some  study  to  master,  but  you  can  ex- 
pect this  with  any  full-featured  anima- 
tion program.  Given  that  Macromind 
Director  lists  for  more  than  twice  the 
price  of  Autodesk  Animator  and  has  to 
run  on  a  $7,000-plus  color  Macintosh, 
the  .Autodesk  program  is  a  steal. 

In  short,  with  Autodesk  Anima- 
tor, cartoon  jockeys  can  boast  boldly 
about  animations  created  on  a  PC. 
Autodesk  Animator  is  one  of  the  pro- 
grams that  will  help  usher  in  a  second 
golden  age  of  animation. 


54 


COMPUTEl  JANUARY       1990 


Autodesk  Animator 

IBM  PCs  and  compatibles  with  640K,  a 
hard  disk.  VGA/MCGA,  and  a  Microsofl- 
compadble  pointing  device — $295 

AUTODESK 

2320  Marinship  Way 
Sausalilo,  CA  94965 
(415)332-2344  c 


AM     @  F     A  a  € 


^By^B  ou  are  the  young  Dauphin,  Charles  VII,  bom  to  be 
JM    I  king  of  France.  The  yearis  A.D.  1429  and  your 
^H    ■  country  is  torn  by  warfare.  The  hated  English  and 
^^kI  Burgundians  have  already  occupied  much  of  fair 
\~__W  France.  But  now  the  tide  is  turning. 

Leading  your  armies  is  Joan,  a  17-year-old  maiden  from  the 
tiny  \Tllage  of  Arc.  A  vdsionary,  she  is  intensely  dedicated  to 
serving  you  in  your  struggle  to  unite  all  of  France. 

Before  victory  can  be  yours,  however,  you  will  face  dozens  of 
crucial  battlesand  decisions,  any  of  which  couldmean  freedom 
for  your  people ...  or  cruel  slavery.  You'll  need  the  wisdom  of 
a  king ...  the  \'alor  of  a  soldier . . .  and  the  spirit  of  a  saint. 

hi  tfiis  stirring  advenhire,  you  have  the  opporhmit)'  not 
simply  to  relive  history  but  to  rewrite  it! 


'f'  5  t\'pes  of  realistic  medieval 
action  sequences,  and  you  control 
them  all. 

'Tf  73  authentic  pro\'inces  and  towns. 

X  31  Kistorically  accurate  charac- 
ters, each  with  different  strengths 
and  weaknesses. 

4*  Lip  to  20  options  on  each  turn . 


Braderbund' 


Call  (800)  521-6263 

or  see  your  BrSderbund  dealer      Joan  bravely  rallies  your  armies! 


Fight  English  soldiers  hand-to-hand. 


r,  ol  Aic  II •  lr.4tm.rk.  ina  Brt*rrbmd  i,.  i.gJdK.d u.imatk ol  Dodobuod  Sollwit.,  Ire.  &  Cl>pyrl,hL  1989  Bmd.rb.nd  Soilv.r..  l.c. 


15XAJ 


Aprddbctivity 


MPACT 


DAVID 


T     H 


O     R     N     B 


U     R     G 


Jane  Miller,  a  semiretired 
school  teacher  in  north- 
ern Cahfomia,  is  a  grand- 
mother whose  life  has 
changed  in  the  past  six 
months.  As  a  computer 
resource  teacher,  Jane 
learned  the  ins  and  outs 
of  educational  computing 
at  a  point  in  her  career 
when  many  teachers  are 
looking  forward  to  retirement. 

Not  content  to  leave  computers 
at  school,  she  brought  the  revolution 
home  in  a  box  when,  to  her  surprise, 
she  won  a  complete  IBM  PS/2  Model 
25  system  in  a  drawing.  Jane  also  re- 
ceived a  modem  and  a  free  subscrip- 
tion to  Prodigy,  the  dial-up  informa- 
tion service  created  by  IBM  and  Sears. 

As  a  grandmother,  Jane  is  a 
member  of  a  growing  segment  of  our 
computer-using  society,  so  I  was  inter- 
ested in  her  perspectives  on  Prodigy. 
Her  first  response  was  that  working 
with  Prodigy  is  like  creating  a  maga- 
zine. You  can  explore  any  topic  from 
stocks  to  recipes  and  examine  specific 
subjects  in  depth.  All  this  with  just  the 
press  of  a  key. 

While  browsing  one  day,  she 
came  across  an  online  version  of  the 
Los  Angeles  Times  Cookbook  and  has 
since  found  some  good  recipes  that 
her  family  enjoys.  Through  a  connec- 
tion to  the  Grocery  Express,  she  has 
been  able  to  create  a  master  shopping 
list  from  which  she  can  then  order 
food.  Orders  placed  by  noon  are  deliv- 
ered that  day.  While  she  isn't  able  to 
order  frozen  foods  through  this  ser- 
vice, she  thinks  it  will  be  a  boon  to 
those  who  are  shut  in  and  unable  to 
make  trips  to  the  market. 

Jane's  grandchildren,  Brian  (8) 
and  Jill  (4),  have  found  their  own 
worlds  to  explore  through  her  com- 
puter and  Prodigy.  Among  their  fa- 
vorite computer  pastimes  are  the 
Storyteller's  Corner,  where  each  day 
brings  a  new  chapter  from  a  story. 
Previous  chapters  can  be  seen  as  well 
for  those  who  missed  a  day. 

One  of  the  more  interesting  ser- 
vices is  called  Punch  Line.  A  cartoon 


is  shown  on  the  screen  and  users  are 
invited  to  submit  their  own  punch 
lines.  Winning  entries  are  made  avail- 
able in  a  file,  along  with  the  names  of 
the  contributors.  Another  interactive 
exercise  allows  children  to  write  their 
own  stories  and  have  them  judged. 
For  a  service  that  costs  only  a  few  dol- 
lars per  month  (plus  local  phone 
charges),  Prodigy  has  a  lot  of  special- 
ized capabilities. 

Jane  hasn't  had  the  time  to  chat 
with  other  users  through  the  electron- 
ic mail  service,  but  she  did  address  a 
software  question  to  Broderbund 
through  the  program  and  received  a 
response  in  one  day. 

.As  she  puts  it,  "With  services  like 
this,  you  never  have  to  be  bored; 
there's  always  something  to  do." 

Her  only  complaint  was  that  she 
gets  tired  sitting  in  front  of  the  screen 
for  long  periods  of  time. 

Jane's  enthusiastic  response  to 
computer-based  information  services 
is  quite  heartening.  Services  of  this 


type  have  been  available  since  the  late 
1 970s,  and  many  fiiturists  have  had  to 
eat  their  words  as  they  predicted  the 
revolution  that  such  services  would 
bring. 

In  their  landmark  book  on  the 
subject.  The  Network  Nation,  authors 
Starr  Hiltz  and  Murray  Turoff  pre- 
dicted that  the  use  of  such  services 


would  be  commonplace  by  the  mid- 
1980s.  This  prediction  (made  in  1978) 
has  not  come  true.  Even  with  govern- 
ment support,  countries  like  Canada 
and  England  have  failed  to  bring  the 
power  of  this  technology  to  the  citi- 
zenry in  other  than  small  ways. 

While  the  technologists  were  de- 
bating the  relative  merits  of  Telidon, 
Viewdata,  and  other  formats,  the  pub- 
lic was  unconvinced.  Shortly  after  the 
introduction  of  the  Color  Computer, 
Tandy  marketed  a  nifty  low-cost  tele- 
communications terminal  in  the  same 
compact  box.  1  am  one  of  maybe  ten 
people  who  bought  one. 

The  capabilities  of  the  infor- 
mation services  have  always  been  im- 
pressive, even  in  the  late  1970s,  yet 
the  use  of  such  services  has  always 
been  limited  among  personal  com- 
puter users. 

The  argument  used  to  be  that  of 
"tying  up  the  telephone,"  yet  the  rapid 
rise  of  home-based  fax  machines 
seems  to  weaken  that  one.  Another 
argument  relates  to  Jane's  fatigue  after 
sitting  in  front  of  the  CRT  for  a  long 
time.  However,  many  avid  home 
computer  users  gladly  spend  hours 
mastering  a  new  adventure  game,  so 
this  can't  be  the  critical  factor. 

Expense  may  be  a  factor,  al- 
though Prodigy  seems  to  have  ad- 
dressed that  issue  by  offering  its 
service  for  a  low  monthly  fee  and  then 
selling  advertising  space  on  the 
network. 

Perhaps  the  hesitancy  has  noth- 
ing to  do  with  any  of  these  factors. 
Perhaps  the  limitations  are  not  tech- 
nological or  financial.  The  only  limi- 
tation to  the  use  of  these  services  is 
that  provided  by  the  mind  of  the  user. 
Perhaps,  just  perhaps,  the  reluctance 
of  the  vast  majority  of  home  com- 
puter owners  to  take  advantage  of 
such  services  is  that  they  can't  think 
of  any  interesting  ways  to  use  the  sys- 
tem. If  this  is  the  case,  we  need  to 
work  on  increasing  our  collective 
imagination.  We  need  to  think  about 
what  can  be,  not  about  what  has  been. 
We,  like  Jane  Miller,  need  to  create 
our  future,  not  just  live  it.  3 


56 


COMPUTE! 


JANUARY       1990 


His  mummy  doif  t  dance 
and  his  daddy  don't  rocic  and  roll. 


Horns  isn't  a  happy  guy.  ^  You  see,  his  father,  Osiris,  was  murdered.  His  mother, 
Isis,  just  lays  around  the  pyramid,  grieving.  And  evil  Uncle  Set  —  who's  caused  all 
the  problems  —  has  challenged  him  to  a  fight  to  the  death.  4  '1^'s  the  original 
family  feud  —  Egyptian  style.  ')i  And  it's  all  in  The  Eye  of  Horus™.  A  brand  new 
game  from  Fanfare™  —  based  on  Gods  and  legends  as  described  in  ancient  Egyptian  mythology, 
i  Set  has  ripped  Osiris's  corpse  into  seven  pieces  and  hid  them  in  a  dark  forbidden  tomb  deep  below  the  scorching  Sahara 
sands.  Your  tasl<  is  to  Iielp  Horus  find  the  remains,  and  avenge  his  father's  death,  ii  But  first  Horus  must  search  the 
dark  catacombs  for  weapons  and  sacred  amulets  to  aid  him  in  battle  And  he'll  need  all  the  help  he  can  get.  Because  in 
the  final  confrontation,  Set  will  turn  into  a  dragon  to  destroy  him.  j  Self  mapping  arcade  adventura  ^  State-of-the- 
art  animation,  j  High  resolution  graphics.  '^  The  Eye  of  Horus.  An  exciting  new  game  for  the  MS-DOS,  Amip,  and 
Atari  ST  systems.  Look  for  it  at  your  local  software  store.  Or,  call  us  at  800/572-2272  (in  CA:  415/546-1866). 
j  It's  no  cruise  down  the  Nile.  In  faa,  it's  downright  ungodly. 


LOGOTRON 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  112 


FANFARE" 


An  Encyclopnlia 


FW«- iJ  indfmjrtof  BriUr»Kj«  Sotam  ©  1?S9  B<iui>iuSo(»m  «  1«9  l«Diron  Uiarcl  Df^ 


YOU  USE  FLOPPY  DISKS  EVERY  DAY 


BUT  HOW  MUCH  DO  YOU  REALLY 
' KNOW  ABOUT  THEM? 


58       COMPUTE 


JANUARY        TV90 


cspilc all  iTiegee-whiV.  tiigli-tcdi 
storage  media  noatiiigaioiiiKl  out 
tlii'iv  in  iIk-  PC  inarkL-lplaiv — .130- 
nu'giil>\lc  hard  disks,  stroaining  tape 
drives.  WORM  drives.  CD-ROM 
drives — it  will  lie  a  long  time  before 
we  abandon  the  good  old  depend- 
able lloppy  disk  as  the  medium  of 
choice  lor  many  day-io-da\  ojiera- 
lions  such  as  software  disiribiitiun 


floppies  are  as  common  as  white  bread,  how 
much  do  you  really  know  about  them?  Ntnicc 
eonipmcr  users  can  always  Ix-nefit  from  a  basic 
understanding  ofliow  their  eiiuipment  works — 
even  the  tloppx  disks  the\'  bu\  at  the  drugstore. 
.\nd  if  you're  an  experienced  computer  user  who 
has  been  taking  the  iried-and-lrue  floppy  disk  for 
granted,  here's  a  chance  to  get  reacquainted. 

Floppy  Autopsy 

Floppy  disks  come  in  two  basic  sizes:  5'A-  and 
3'/:-inch.  (Recently.  Zenith  introduced  a  2-inch 
floppy  disk  for  its  newest  laptop.  It's  still  loo 
early  to  predict,  however,  how  much  of  an  im- 
pact this  new  si/e  will  ha\c  on  personal  comput- 
ing, or  even  what  success  that  particular  laptop 
can  expect.)  You  might  think  that  only  the  .S'i- 
inch  model  warrants  being  called  a  llopp) 
disk,  based  on  its  pliable  construction.  But  the 
basic  design  of  a  lloppy 
disk  is  fairly  straightfor- 
ward, regardless  of  its 
size.  Inside  both  the 
soft,  protective  shell  of 
a  5V4-inch  disk  and  the 
solid  plastic  case  of  the 
3'/2-inch  version  rests  a 
circular  piece  of  oxide-coated,  flexible  mylar  or 
polyvin\l  chloride  (PVCl— the  true  source  of 
ihal  endearing  sobriquet:  /'/();?/;r  disk. 

The  ni\  lar  or  PVC  disk  (called  a  awkie 
within  the  disk  industry-)  lies  between  two  layers 
of  nonwovcn  cloth  or  synthetic  fabric,  called  a 
Una:  This  liner  ser\'es  a  dual  purpose.  First,  it  re- 
duces the  friction  of  the  cookie  spinning  against 
the  disk's  outer  shell.  The  liner  also  sweeps  away 
dust  and  other  panicles  as  the  cookie  rotates, 
thus  preventing  these  minuscule  objects  from 
contaminating  the  disk.  Once  this  "cookie  sand- 
wich" is  prepared,  it's  enclosed  within  an  addi- 
tional protective  covering,  the  outer  shell  that 
you  associate  with  the  \c^m  floppy  disk. 

.A  3'/:-inch  disk  (also  called  a  microfloppy) 
has  an  outer  shell  of  molded  plastic,  a  much    , 
more  rigid  material  than  the  flexible  sheet  of  i 
plastic  used  to  manufacture  the  protective  sleeve 
on  5'/4-inch  disks.  The  microfloppy  disk  also 


|Sn- i^T  >iir.i 


SINGLE-  AND  DOUBLE-SIDED 

DISKS  ARE  MADE  OF 

IDENTICAL  MATERIALS 


sports  a  sjx'cial  tncial  shutter  thai  covers  its  head 
aperduv — the  opening  through  wtiich  a  disk 
drive's  rcad/v\'rite  heads  access  (he  disk's  record- 
ing surface — when  the  disk  isn't  in  use.  This 
shutter  slides  back  each  time  you  insert  the 
microfloppy  disk  into  a  dri\e  to  allow  read/write 
operations.  Because  of  the  rigid  shell  and  the  spe- 
cial shutter  device,  a  3'  >inch  disk  is  luore  dura- 
ble than  its  .S'  j-inch  coiuiierpart.  I've  sometimes 
lieard  3'  .■-inch  disks  called  sliin-pik'kct  floppies. 
since  they  can  be  carried  easily  in  a  shirt  pocket 
without  much  risk  of  damage.  .  j 

Both  si/es  of  lloppy  disks  include  some 
form  of  w  rite-protect  de\  ice.  On  a  .S' j-inch  disk, 
it's  a  small  notch  cut  into  one  corner  of  the  disk 
sleeve.  Coxering  this  notch  with  a  piece  of  tape 
(orihe  special  tab  included  with  most  ?''j-inch 


)  prevents  data  from  bemg  wituen  to  a  disk. 
Microfloppies,  on  the  other  hand,  use  a  plastic 
slide  tab  built  right  into  the  disk's  outer  shell  for 
write  protection.  Slide  this  lab  back  so  you  can 
sec  tlirnugh  the  disk's  wriic-protecl  hole,  and  you 
can't  write  to  ihat  disk.  These  two  opposite  tcch- 
nitjues  can  lead  to  confusion  for  new  users,  but 
ttie  simple  rule  is  this:  Cover  the  notch  of  a  5'/-t- 
inch  disk  to  protect  its  data:  uncover  the  write- 
protect  hole  on  a  3V:-inch  disk  to  do  the  same 
thing. 

Floppy  disks  store  data  by  recording  mag- 
netic fluxes  on  an  oxide  coaling  lltat's  applied  to 
the  mylar  or  PVC  cook- 
ie. One  type  of  flux  cor- 
responds to  a  binary  0, 
while  a  diilerenl  mag- 
netic llux  is  associated 
with  a  binarv'  1 .  The 
pattern  of  these  fluxes 
are  then  correlated  to 
specific  data  values  in  much  the  same  way  that 
the  binary  notation  00000101  represents  a  nu- 
meric value  of  5.  Three  factors  come  into  play 
when  determining  how  much  data  (that  is,  how 
man\  magnetic  tluxcs)  a  specific  floppy  disk  can 
store:  number  of  sides,  density,  and  formatting. 

Taking  Sides 

A  floppy  disk  can  be  single-sided  or  double- 
sided,  meaning  data  can  be  stored  on  either  one 
or  both  surfaces  of  its  cookie.  Both  single-sided 
and  double-sided  disks  arc  made  using  identical 
methods  and  materials  and  may  even  come  from 
the  same  production  lot.  Whether  a  disk  is  certi- 
fied as  being  single-  or  double-sided,  however, 
depends  enlireh  on  how  well  it  passes  a  series  of 
quality-control  tests.  If  both  sides  of  a  disk  pass 
these  tests,  the  manufacturer  certifies  the  disk  for 
use  in  a  double-sided  disk  drive.  Should  only  one 
side  of  the  cookie  pass  musicr,  the  manufacturer 


JANUARY 


COMPUTE! 


iV>  ;i-'>-:-JH!  :■:• : 


Si; 
7Tnv?iT;^^v?3i3  ■■:',: 


HUIDMY 


Nine  Steps  to  Floppy  Awareness 


A  circular  piece  o(  oxide-coated,  tiex- 
ibie  mylar  or  polyvinyl  chlonde, 
called  the  cookie,  lies  between  two 
layers  of  nanwoven  cloth  or  synthet- 
ic fabric,  called  a  liner. 


Density  depends 
type  of  oxide 
coating  applied  to 
that  disk's  cookie. 


Both  sizes  of  floppy  diste  have  a 

write-pfotect  device.  On  a  5M-inch 

disk,  it's  a  smalt  notch  cut  into  one 

corner  of  the  disk  sleeve;  on  a  3'A- 

inch  disk,  it's  a  plastic  slide  tab. 


Tracks  are  concentric  circles  that  radiate 
outward  from  the  center  of  a  disk;  sectors 
are  sections  of  those  tracks. 

Whether  a  disk  is  certified  as 
being  single-  or  double- 
sided  depends  on  how 
well  it  passes  a  series  of 
quality-ointrol  tests. 


A  3^-inch  disk 

has  an  outer  shell 

molded  plastic,  unlike 

the  flexible  sheet  of  plastic 

that's  cut  to  nsiake 

5M-inch  disk  sleeves. 


Don't  set  your  floppy  disks  near  magnetic  sources,  expose  them  to 
extreme  temperatures,  or  use  them  as  beverage  coasters. 


Once  the  "cookie  sandwich" 
is  prepared,  it's  enclosed 
within  an  additional  protective 
covering. 


60 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


is  expected  to  sell  that  disk  for  use  with  single- 
sided  disk  drives. 

Double-sided  disks  work  perfectly  well  in  a 
single-sided  disk  drive.  I  don't  recommend,  how- 
ever, that  you  use  single-sided  disks  for  double- 
sided  operations.  Attempting  lo  store  data  on  an 
unreliable  disk  surface  can  result  in  the  loss  of 
that  data — always,  in  accordance  with  Murphy's 
Law,  when  you  least  expect  or  can  afford  it. 

Density 

Density  refers  to  how  tightly  magnetic  signals  can 
be  reliably  packed  onto  a  disk.  And  this,  in  turn, 
depends  on  the  type  of  oxide  coating  applied  to 
that  disk's  cookie.  Rather  than  having  a  standard 
oxide  coating,  high-density  disks  use  special  al- 
loys that  allow  more  information  to  be  packed 
onto  a  smaller  space. 

There  are  three  types  of  density  ratings  for 
floppy  disks:  single  density,  double  density,  and 
hi^  density.  Single-density  disks  are  a  leftover 

JANUARY        1990 


from  the  early  days  of  PCs,  when  floppy  drive 
technology  was  relatively  primitive.  Such  disks 
have  become  pretty  much  obsolete  in  recent 
years.  You  generally  need  only  concern  yourself 
with  double-density  or  high-density  (sometimes 
called  quad-density)  data  storage.  In  the  5 '/4-inch 
formal,  you  need  a  high-density  disk  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  1.2-megabyte  drives  installed  on 
many  AT-class  machines.  Similarly,  high-density 
disks  allow  you  lo  store  up  to  1 .44  megabytes  of 
data  on  a  3'/2-inch  floppy  disk  (provided  you 
have  a  high-density  drive  in  your  computer),  as 
compared  with  720K  of  storage  on  a  3V2-inch 
double-density  disk. 

Density  ratings  on  disks  are  backward- 
compatible.  That  is,  a  high-density  floppy  disk 
can  be  used  in  a  double-density  disk  drive.  You 
should  refrain,  however,  from  formatting  a 
double-density  disk  for  high-density  operations. 
It  might  do  in  a  pinch,  but  you  can  never  be  sure 
that  your  data  won't  be  lost  or  damaged.   > 


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62 


Formatting 

Before  you  can  use  a 
floppy  disk  to  store 
data,  you  have  to  for- 
mat the  disk.  Format- 
ting a  disk  is  com- 
parable to  laying  the 
foundation  of  a  build- 
ing. How  you  lay  a 
foundation  greatly  influ- 
ences a  building's  final 
appearance.  Similarly, 
how  you  format  a  disk 
determines  its  ultimate 
data-storage  capabilities. 
(Some  systems,  like  the 
Macintosh,  refer  to  for- 
matting as  initializing.) 

Prior  to  being  for- 
matted for  the  first  time, 
a  floppy  disk  resembles  a  blank  sheet  of  paper  in 
that  its  oxide  or  alloy  coating  is  distributed  even- 
ly across  the  cookie's  entire  surface.  During  for- 
matting, two  critical  items  are  magnetically 
encoded  into  this  featureless  surface:  tracks  and 
sectors. 

Tracks  are  concentric  circles  that  radiate 
outward  from  the  center  of  a  disk,  much  like  the 
individual  lanes  delineated  on  a  running  track. 
Tracks  allow  a  disk  drive's  read/write  heads  to 
position  themselves  properly  as  they  move  back 
and  forth  across  the  recording  surface  of  a  floppy 
disk,  searching  for  the  specific  data  you  have  re- 
quested. How  many  tracks  a  floppy  disk  contains 
after  formatting  depends  on  your  disk  operating 
system  and  the  type  of  format  you  specify.  On  a 
high-density  5'/4-inch  disk  formatted  to  1.2  mega- 
bytes with  MS-DOS  3.0  or  later,  for  example,  80 
tracks  are  encoded  onto  the  disk. 

Tracks  are  broken  down  into  sectors.  Think 
of  a  sector  identifier  as  resembling  the  wooden 
barriers  placed  across  the  lanes  of  a  running  track 
during  the  high-hurdle  event.  Individual  sectors 
are  analogous  to  that  portion  of  the  lane  situated 
between  each  of  the  barriers.  And,  the  number  of 
sectors  dividing  a  track,  much  like  the  number  of 
tracks  created  on  a  disk,  depends  on  your  version 
of  DOS  and  the  type  of  format  you  specify. 

Once  you  have  created  tracks  and  sectors  on 
a  disk,  that  disk  is  ready  for  data  storage.  But 
how  does  your  disk  drive  know  the  specific  track 
and  sector  on  which  it  should  save  a  particular 
piece  of  information?  And  how  does  it  know  how 
to  retrieve  that  data  once  it's  stored?  To  coordi- 
nate these  activities,  a  disk  requires  a  road  map. 

The  File  Allocation  Table 

In  addition  to  tracks  and  sectors,  a  third  critical 
item  is  encoded  on  a  floppy  disk  during  format- 
ting: the  file  allocation  table  (FAT).  The  FAT 
stores  important  information  about  each  disk 
sector. 

Most  important,  the  FAT  is  used  to  record 
which  areas  of  a  disk  are  already  in  use  and 
which  ones  are  still  available  for  data  storage. 
Each  time  you  create  or  erase  a  file,  a  disk's  FAT 
is  updated  to  reflect  this  activity.  The  FAT  also 
keeps  track  of  the  specific  sectors  allocated  to 

COMPUTEI  JANUARY       1990 


each  file  a  disk  contains. 
For  example,  the  FAT 
for  a  floppy  disk  contain- 
ing your  word  processing 
program  might  specify 
that  the  beginning  of  its 
built-in  dictionary  is  lo- 
cated in  sector  3  of  track 
1 0.  Each  time  you  go  to 
look  up  the  spelling  of  a 
word,  the  program  looks 
to  the  FAT — its  road 
map — for  directions  on 
how  to  get  to  the 
dictionary. 

Floppy  Care 
and  Feeding 

By  now  you've  probably 
picked  up  some  usefiil 
information  about  how  floppy  disks  work.  But 
you  need  to  know  how  to  keep  your  floppies 
working  or  you  could  be  in  for  a  nasty  surprise. 
Though  not  as  fragile  as  some  people  believe, 
floppy  disks  can  fall  victim  to  a  variety  of  poten- 
tial hazards. 

First  and  foremost,  there's  magnetism.  Since 
data  on  a  disk  is  stored  magnetically,  the  pres- 
ence of  a  magnetic  field  can  send  that  data  off  to 
never-never  land.  I  once  had  a  client  who  en- 
countered problems  retrieving  an  important  data 
file  from  one  of  his  floppy  disks.  I  traced  his  dif- 
ficulties to  the  fact  that  he  kept  track  of  his  disk 
by  attaching  it  to  a  metal  filing  cabinet  next  to 
his  desk  with  a  magnet.  Other,  less  obvious 
sources  of  magnetic  fields  include  ringing  tele- 
phone bells  (real  bells,  not  electronic  tones),  tele- 
vision picture  tubes,  and  even  small  motors  such 
as  those  used  in  electric  pencil  sharpeners. 

Floppy  disks,  especially  the  5'/4-inch  variety, 
are  also  susceptible  to  extreme  temperatures.  As 
a  rule,  you  should  store  your  disks  where  the 
temperature  is  fairly  constant,  ideally  between  50 
and  125  degrees  Fahrenheit.  Heat  from  direct 
sunlight  can  also  damage  a  floppy  disk.  Leave  a 
disk  on  the  front  seat  of  your  parked  car  in  the 
noonday  sun,  and  it  will  warp  faster  than  a  re- 
cord album  on  a  radiator. 

Finally,  don't  use  a  floppy  disk  as  a  beverage 
coaster.  This  may  sound  obvious,  but  the  obvi- 
ous is  what  you're  most  prone  to  overlook. 

Floppies  Forever,  Redux 

Despite  the  emergence  of  megasize  hard  disks, 
CD-ROMs,  WORMS,  RAM  cards,  and  a  pletho- 
ra of  other  exotic  offline  storage  devices,  floppy 
disks  are  going  to  be  around  a  long  time,  and 
with  just  cause.  Rarely  has  so  simple  and  elegant 
an  object  found  such  success  in  the  PC  market- 
place. With  your  newfound  knowledge  of  this 
durable  medium,  you  can  make  the  right  choice 
when  it  comes  to  choosing,  using,  and  treating 
the  floppies  in  your  life.  q 

Jack  Nimersheim  is  an  independent  computer  consul- 
tant in  Covington,  Kentucky,  You  can  read  his  news  and 
views  for  beginning  and  intermediate  DOS  users  in 
"DOS  Prompt,"  part  of  tfie  MS-DOS  section  of  COM- 
PUTEf  Specific. 


How  to  tell  if  an  integrated  software 
package  is  righi  for  you. 


Look  How 
Things  Have  Changed. 

When  integrated  software  first  appeared, 
it  had  limited  functionality,  was  difficult  to 
leam,  cumbersome  to  use,  and  cost 
between  $300  and  $500.  Today  most 
integrated  pnxiucLs  have  a  more  complete 
set  of  features,  are  easier  to  leam,  and  are 
priced  between  $149  and  $259. 

Amazingly,  critics  say  Eight-in-One™ ,  a 
product  costing  only  $60,  is  the  easiest 
to  leam,  easiest  to  use,  yet  has  the 
highest  perfomiance.  Who  needs  an 
integrated  package  the  most?  And  what 
can  you  do  with  them? 

Home  Office  and  Small 

Business  People  Have 

Discovered  a  Secret. 

Woridng  in  a  home  office  or  small 
business  usually  means  that  you  do  a  little 
bit  of  everything  -  write  reports,  do 
financial  analysis,  schedule  appointments, 
track  customer  information,  and  anything 
else  it  takes  to  run  a  business  without  lots 
of  jKople.  If  you  have  all  of  the  tools  you 
need  in  one  integrated  software  package 
you  get  several  immediate  advantages. 

Imagine  having  a  collection  of  robust 
applications,  poised  in  a  single  program, 
ready  to  tackle  all  of  those  tasks  you 
always  thought  that  a  computer  should  be 
good  for . . .  to  put  a  graph  into  a  letter 
and  have  it  finished  three  minutes  later . . . 
to  instantly  check  your  next  appointment, 
or  automatically  dial  a  customer  on  the 
telephone  while  you're  in  the  middle  of 
working  on  a  spreadsheet 

W^ith  integrated  packages  you  can  save 
a  lot  of  time.  Since  you  probably  teach 
yourself  how  to  use  software  (unlike 
working  in  a  large  corporation  where 
you'd  get  training  and  support  from  the 
department  down  the  hall)  you'l! 
appreciate  how  much  more  quickly 
you'd  become  productive  using  one 
integrated  package  rather  than  many 
separate  programs.  Because  when  you 
le£un  one  tool,  you've  learned  them  all. 


A  nd  you  can  save  a  lot  of  money  too- 
over  Si  000.  Because  you  won't  have  to 
buy  many  separate  packages  like  a 
word  processor,  spreadsheet,  database, 
graphics,  and  communications  program, 
just  to  get  all  of  the  tools  you  could  find 
in  one  complete,  affordably  priced, 
integrated  package. 

What  Do  You  Get  In  The 

Best  Integrated 

Packages? 

1  he  best  integrated  packages  put  a 
complete  solution  at  your  fingertips. 
They  provide  you  with  all  of  the  useful 
tools  that  you  need  to  do  your  job-  a 
word  processor,  spreadsheet,  database, 
outliner,  desktop  organizer, 
communications  module,  graphics 
program  and  powerful  spell  checker 
and  thesaurus. 

Well  designed  integrated  packages  are 
obvious-to-use.  All  of  the  options  are 
right  there  on  the  screen.  And  each  tool 
should  work  in  the  same  way,  so  that 
after  spending  a  few  minutes  working 
with  one  of  the 
applications, 
you've  virtually 
mastered  the 
entire  program. 

What's  more, 
the  best 
integrated 
packages  are 
lightening  fast. 
Doing  things  like 
recalculating  a 
large  spreadsheet 
or  spell  checking 


Compute!  Ecftcx's  Choice 

a  letter  should  never  slow  you  down.  So 
with  a  high  quality  integrated  package 
you  take  full  advantage  of  the  power  of 
your  computer.  Many  users  say  they  gel 
their  work  done  in  half  the  time. 


With  Eight-in-Cftie  you  get  more  useful 
tools  than  you  find  in  other  integrated 
packages.  You  not  only  get  a  powerfiil 
spreadsheet,  word  processor,  database, 
graphics,  and  communications  program, 
but  also  a  desktop  organizer,  outliner, 
spell  checker,  thesaurus  and  pop-up 
calculator 

Y  ou  might  expect  the  most  expensive 
packages  to  have  the  highest  perfomiance. 
But  Eight-in-One  actually  outperformed 
Microsoft  Works®  and  PES:  First 
Choice™,  costing  more  than  twice  as 
much,  in  a  recent  test  conducted  by  a 
nationally  recognized  independent 
software  testing  laboratory. 

iLight-in-One  is  the  only  program 
that's  truly  obvious-to-use.  Knowing 
what  to  do  next  is  always  apparent  ftom 
the  on-screen  prompts  and  drop  down 
menus.  According  to  Eight-in-One 
users,  this  experience  goes  beyond 
"easy  learning".  They  say  it's  more  like 
not  having  to  leam  at  all,  because 
everything  is  so  obvious  on  the  screen. 

The  Experts  Agree  . . . 

"...  the  best  inlegraied  package  I've 
ever  seen ..." 

-Home  Office  Computing 

'You  don't  need  lo  open  the  manual  at 
all  lo  use  BeiterWorking  Eight-in-One" 
-PC  Magazine 

"Eighl-in-One  may  be  the  only 
computer  program  you  'II  ever  need ..." 
-New  Yorit  Times 

"...  PFS:  First  Choice  and  Microsoft 
Works,  move  over'." 

-PC  Magazine 


A  nd,  amazingly,  Eight-in-One  costs 
only  $59.95-  a  fraction  of  the  price  of 
other  integrated  programs! 


Surprises  in  Eight-in-One. 

Here's  why  over  150,000  people  in  home 
offices  and  small  businesses  have  switched 
to  Eight-in-One  in  the  last  two  years. 


V  isit  your  local  software  dealer  today, 
or  call  Spinnaker  at  1-800-826-0706, 
lo  leam  more  about  why  Eight-in-One 
is  the  right  integrated 
software  package  for  you. 


A 


CircFe  Reader  Service  Number  1SS 


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PC  PRIMER 


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Every  time  you  want  to 
change  graphics  modes  in 
PC  Paintbrush  IV.  you 
must  run  PBSETUP  and 
install  new  graphics  driv- 
ers. Luckily,  you  can  use 
DOS  batch  files  to  get 
around  this  unfriendly 
requirement. 
After  deciding  which 
graphics  modes  you  want 
to  use,  install  the  program  using 
PBSETUP  for  each  mode.  Rename 
PAINT.BAT  to  something  that's  rep- 
resentative of  the  mode  you  selected, 
such  as  CGA4.BAT,  EGAI6.BAT,  or 
VGA256.BAT.  Now,  instead  of  typing 
PA  I  NT  10  run  PC  Paintbrush,  type  the 
filename  that  puts  you  in  the  desired 
mode. 

A  more  elegant  solution  is  a 
batch  file  that  gives  you  a  menu  for 
different  video  modes.  Before  creating 
the  batch  file,  you'll  need  to  create  a 
special  program  using  DEBUG.  The 
following  example  is  simple  for  the 
sake  of  clarity,  but  you  can  add  your 
own  enhancements. 

Let's  start  by  making  a  file  called 
KP.CXDM.  Make  sure  that  you're  in 
the  PC  Paintbrush  /f^  subdirectory 
(usually  called  PBRUSH)  and  enter 
the  following.  The  computer's 
prompts  are  in  plain  text;  you  should 
type  the  characters  listed  in  boldface. 

C>PBRUSH>DEBUG  KP.COM 

File  not  found 

-  E  100  2B  CO  CD  16  34  4C  CD  21  C3 

-RCX 

CX  0000 

:9 

-W 

-Q 

Now  you'll  have  to  write  the 
menu  batch  file  using  a  text  editor  or 
EDLIN.  Keep  it  simple  until  you  get  it 
working.  You  can  embellish  it  once 
it's  functional.  The  following  example 
allows  you  to  choose  from  one  of 
three  batch  files  named  CGA4.BAT, 
EGA16.BAT,  and  VGA256.BAT. 
You  can  have  as  many  choices  as  will 
fit  on  your  screen. 


@ECHO  OFF 

CLS 

ECH01)CGA 

ECHO  2)  EGA 

ECHO  3)  VGA 

ECHO  4)  Quit 

:GETKEY 

KP 

IF  ERRORLEVEL  52  GOTO  END 

IF  ERRORLEVEL  51  GOTO 

MODE3 
IF  ERRORLEVEL  50  GCTTO 

MODE2 
IF  ERRORLEVEL  49  GOTO 

MODEl 
GOTO  GETKEY 
iMODEl 
CGA4 
:MODE2 
EGA16 
:MODE3 
VGA256 
:END 

The  ERRORLEVEL  numbers 
are  ASCII  codes  for  the  keys;  your 
DOS  manual  will  contain  a  table  of 
these  if  you  want  to  use  different  ones. 
The  IF  ERRORLEVEL  statements 
must  be  in  descending  order  with  re- 
spect to  the  ASCII  codes. 


1 

i 

b 

)\ 

1 

1 

L 

1 

I 

V 

1^ 

1 
1 

AND  INVISIBLE 
EDITOR 


Power  users  may  want  to  add 
some  additional  features.  Instead  of 
invoking  a  batch  file  with  only  its  file- 
name, enter  CALL  RLENAME  and 
control  will  pass  back  to  your  menu 
batch  program.  You  might  then  want 
to  put  a  label  before  the  CLS  called 
:BEGIN.  After  calling  each  batch  file, 
add  a  line  that  says  GOTO  BEGIN. 
Then  you  can  select  another  graphics 
mode  without  having  to  retype  the 
menu  batch  file. 

One  last  thing.  If  you  want  to 
make  sure  that  only  the  specified  key- 
presses are  honored  by  the  batch-file 
processor,  you'll  have  to  add  to  the  IF 
ERRORLEVEL  statements.  Instead 
of  IF  ERRORLEVEL  8 1  GOTO 
END,  make  the  line  read  IF  ERROR- 
LEVEL  8 1  IF  NOT  ERRORLEVEL 
82  GOTO  END. 
Richard  C.  Leinecker 
Winston-Salem.  NC 

Free  Text  Editor 

You  can  easily  add  a  few  lines  (such  as 
DEVICE = ANSIS YS)  to  your  CON- 
FIG.SYS file  without  using  a  text  edi- 
tor or  a  word  processor.  The  DOS 
COPY  command  is  all  you  need.  If 
you  enter 

COPY  CONFIG.SYS  +  CON 

at  the  DOS  prompt,  the  computer 
copies  the  current  contents  of  the 
CONHG.SYS  file  back  to  CON- 
FIG.SYS. Then  it  displays  the  file- 
name (CONFIG.SYS)  and  CON  and 
waits  for  you  to  add  as  many  lines  as 
you  want  to  the  file.  Type  the  line  you 
wish  to  add  and  press  Enter  to  contin- 
ue on  to  the  next  line.  When  you've 
finished,  press  F6  or  Ctrl-Z  to  write 
the  amended  file  to  the  drive. 
Tony  Roberts 
Greensboro.  NC 

Do  you  have  advice  that  makes  a  PC 
more  productive?  If  so.  we  'd  like  to 
hear  from  you.  Send  your  tip.  no  mat- 
ter how  brief  to  COMPUTE!  Feed- 
back. P.O.  Box 5406,  Greensboro, 
North  Carolina  27403.  If  we  publish 
your  suggestion,  we  'II  send  you  a  gift.  B 


64 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


Spock!  —  aren't 
you  supposed  to 


I  rebooted! 


Actual  IBM®  Screen 


[lii 


hese  arethe  continuing  voyages 
of  the  starship  Enterprise ", 
brilliantly  rendered  with  ultra- 
realistic  graphics,  digitized  film 
footage,  and  spectacular  sound. 
This  is  your  chance  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  ship— and  embark  on 
an  adventure  of  strategy,  action, 
and  excitement  unlike  any  you've 
experienced. 

I 
Boldly  go  where  njp  man 

has  gone  before.. If 


Actual  IBM®  Screen 


•SSsJO^Ss^ 


sspas 


circle  Reader  Service  Number  120  } 


NTERTA 


COMPUTE! 
CHOICE 


COMMAND  A 
PLATOON  OF 

TANKS  IN  THIS 
INCREDIBLY 
REALISTIC  WAR 
SIMULATION 


RICHARD  SHEFFIELD 


You  scramble  to  button  up 
the  Tank  Commander's 
hatch  as  whistling  Soviet 
artillery  shells  rain  down 
on  your  position.  They'll 
be  coming  now.  Your  pla- 
toon of  four  Ml  Main 
Battle  Tanks  is  tucked  in 
neatly  behind  a  ridge  line 
with  just  their  gun  turrets 
exposed.  You  wait,  the 
sound  of  approaching  thunder  grow- 
ing ever  nearer. 

Off  to  the  east,  a  wave  of  Soviet 
armored  vehicles  roll  forward,  toward 
the  hill  you've  been  commanded  to 
defend.  The  enemy  consists  of  T-72 
and  T-80  Main  Battle  Tanks,  BMPs, 
BTRs,  missile  launchers — everything 
but  Sputnik. 

A  quick  scan  of  the  battlefield 
shows  more  enemy  activity  off  to  the 
northeast.  More  T-72s — bad  news. 
They  start  to  move  toward  your  flank. 
Luckily,  you've  planned  for  such  con- 
tingencies. The  two  Bradley  Fighting 
Vehicles  you  have  on  overwatch  duty 
spot  them  from  the  big  hill  behind 
you.  A  flash  and  a  puff  of  smoke  let 
you  know  that  they're  engaging  the 
tanks  with  TOW  antitank  missiles. 
That  should  keep  them  busy  for  a 
while. 

You  turn  your  attention  back  to 
the  advancing  swarm.  The  valley  be- 
low you  looks  like  Red  Square  on 
May  Day.  To  keep  from  wasting 
ammo  on  long-range  shots,  you  let  the 
range  close  before  giving  the  order  to 
fire.  When  the  laser  beam  you're 
bouncing  off  the  lead  tank  gives  a 
range  reading  of  about  3000  meters, 
you  figure  that  should  do.  Over  the  ra- 
dio net  you  give  the  fire-at-will  order 
and  each  of  your  tanks  starts  to  oper- 
ate on  its  own. 

"Gunner,  HEAT!" 
The  loader  slides  a  HEAT  round 
into  the  gun  breech  and  jumps  back 
out  of  the  way. 


COMPUTE!  JANUARY       199    0 


"Up!"  comes  the  reply. 

"Engage  front!"  you  cry.  Your 
gunner  is  way  ahead  of  you.  The  ene 
my  T-72  is  square  in  the  gun  sights 
and  the  big  gun  is  laid  on. 

"Fire!" 

"On  the  way!" 

Sounds  like  war,  but  war  was 
never  this  fun.  And  this  is  only  half  of 
the  simulated  combat  experience 
MicroProse  brings  to  you  in  Ml  Tank 
Platoon.  This  fantastic  game  is  really 
two  games  in  one.  On  one  level,  it's 
like  a  miniature  war  between  toy  sol- 
diers that  have  come  alive.  You  order 
your  tanks  and  support  vehicles  to 
move,  and  off  they  go,  firing  when 
they  spot  an  opponent.  At  the  same 
time,  you  have  to  react  to  a  rapidly 
changing  tactical  situation.  Your  units 
will  respond  to  your  orders  and  en- 
gage the  enemy  as  best  as  they  can. 

Once  you  get  the  battle  going, 
however,  you  don't  have  to  just  sit 
back,  give  orders,  and  watch.  Not  in 
this  war.  Shrink  yourself,  jump  into 
one  of  your  tanks,  and  do  your  best  to 
affect  the  battle's  outcome.  You  get 
the  best  of  both  worlds  in  this  game: 
the  tactics  and  unit  placement  of  a 
strategic  board  game  and  the  driving, 
shooting,  and  first-person  views  of  a 
pure  simulation. 

The  action  takes  place  over  the 
roUing  hills  and  valleys  of  West  Ger- 


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As  platoon  commander,  you  must  guide 
your  troops  into  battle. 


many,  and  with  good  reason.  There 
are  only  two  places  in  the  world  with 
any  concentrations  of  Mis:  Germany 
and  Texas.  .As  co-designer  Arnold 
Hendrick  puts  it.  "In  Texas,  all  there 
is  to  fight  against  are  other  Americans 
and  various  armadillos." 

You  won't  find  the  large,  full- 
color  maps  you  see  in  other  Micro- 
Prose  games.  "New  terrain  is 
generated  for  every  mission  to  keep 
the  game  from  being  repetitive,"  ex- 
plains designer/programmer  Scott 
Spanburg,  who  has  been  working  on 
Ml  Tank  Platoon  since  1987.  The  ter- 
rain takes  on  strategic  importance  be- 
cause the  gently  sloped  hills  allow  you 
to  place  your  tanks  in  realistic  "hull 
down"  positions. 

One  of  the  first  orders  of  business 
after  you  load  the  game  is  to  receive 
your  platoon  and  give  it  a  macho 
name.  I  called  mine  Rich's  Rogues. 
(After  getting  plastered  in  my  first 
couple  of  missions,  a  more  fitting 
name  would  have  been  the  Reeing 
59lh.)  Then  you  must  select  your  as- 
signment. When  you  first  start  out,  it's 
best  to  spend  a  good  bit  of  time  in  the 
two  training  assignments:  Static  Gun- 
nery, where  you  shoot  at  stationary 
targets,  and  Moving  Gunnery. 

Operating  the  gun  is  only  one  of 
many  things  you  need  to  learn  on  the 


live- fire  range.  Take  this  time  to  mas- 
ter the  somewhat  complicated  process 
of  giving  orders  and  moving  your 
troops.  Learning  to  split  and  reform 
your  platoon,  to  give  platoon  and  in- 
dividual vehicle  orders,  to  jump  from 
one  vehicle  to  the  next,  and  to  call  in 
accurate  mortar  fire  is  extremely  ben- 
eficial to  your  health.  Fortunately,  Ml 
Tank  Platoon 's  keyboard  overlay,  op- 
tional joystick  commands,  and  clear 
interface  make  it  easy  to  learn  your 
way  around.  But  once  the  metal  starts 
to  fly,  it's  easy  to  get  flustered  and  give 
an  order  to  the  wrong  group.  The 
manual  provides  two  well-written  tu- 
torials that  lead  you,  step  by  step, 
through  your  first  two  training 
sessions. 

When  you're  ready  for  the  real 
thing,  you  can  hone  your  combat 
skills  by  choosing  Single  Engagement. 
These  battles  vary  in  difficulty  and  let 
you  experience  all  of  the  classic  armor- 
battle  types:  Break  Throughs,  Meeting 
Engagements,  Hasty  Attack,  .A.ssault, 
Defend  Position,  and  Rearguard 
Action. 

Once  you're  comfortable  with  the 
rigors  of  combat,  you  can  select  Cam- 
paign to  start  a  series  of  connected 
battles.  Your  performance  during 
each  battle  determines  your  next  as-_ 
signment.  If  you  stop  the  initial  Soviet 

T    E    I       67 


JANUARY       1990  COMPU 


#ENTER1AINMENT 


advance,  your  next  mission  will  prob- 
ably put  you  on  the  offensive,  and  you 
can  try  to  pound  the  Reds  back  into 
East  Germany.  The  campaign  contin- 
ues until  one  side  or  the  other  can  put 
together  a  string  of  victories.  If  you 
lose  all  four  of  your  tanks  in  any  one 
battle,  or  lose  an  entire  campaign,  the 
history  of  your  platoon  will  end  and 
you  will  have  to  start  a  new  one. 

The  level  of  difficulty  is  set  by 
choosing  the  experience  level  of  the 
troops  you  will  be  fighting.  You  can 
start  off  by  beating  up  on  green  Sec- 
ond-Line troops,  then  move  up  to 
First-Line,  Veteran,  and  finally  Elite 
opponents.  Each  time  you  move  up  a 
level,  you  affect  three  battle  compo- 
nents: The  enemy  troops  have  higher 
skill  levels  and  better  command,  the 
enemy  has  newer  and  better  equip- 
ment, and  the  operation  of  your 
equipment  changes  from  optimistic 
(Department  of  Defense-advertised 
specifications — in  other  words,  propa- 
ganda) to  pessimistic  (the  way  it  is  in 
the  real  world). 

Your  last  stop  before  rolling  into 
battle  is  the  Bivouac  Area,  where  you 
outfit  your  platoon  and  get  your  brief- 
ing. The  Outfitting  area  gives  you 
your  first  look  at  your  All-Volunteer 
Army  troops.  You  have  16  men  under 
your  command,  4  to  a  tank:  Tank 
Commander,  Gunner,  Driver,  and 
Loader.  Each  has  a  skill  rating  from 
Inept  to  Excellent.  They'll  be  poorly 
trained  at  first,  but  if  they  live  long 
enough,  you  can  improve  their  skills 
through  promotions  and  decorations. 
Think  of  managing  your  troops  as  a 
kind  of  game  within  a  game,  and 
you'll  increase  the  complexity  of  this 
simulation  even  further. 

At  the  Briefing  Area,  you'll  get 
your  orders  for  the  day  and  find  out  if 
you  have  any  support  in  the  form  of 
Bradleys,  APCs  with  Infantry  Squads, 
M90IA2  Missile  Carriers,  or  even  an- 
other platoon  of  M60  tanks.  On  some 
missions,  a  little  artillery  and  air  sup- 
port are  thrown  your  way.  Scout  and 
attack  helicopters  ("helos")  may  be 
called  in,  but  they  last  about  as  long  as 
blue  jeans  in  a  Moscow  department 
store.  Air  Force  A- 10s  ("Warthogs") 
are  much  more  useful.  They  can 
punch  portholes  in  enemy  tanks  as 
well  as  scare  off  Soviet  Su-22  attack 
aircraft.  Unfortunately,  the  Warthogs 
are  rarely  available. 

When  you  issue  the  Go  to  Battle 
command,  the  balloon  goes  up  and 
the  battle  is  on.  This  is  no  place  for 
the  meek  or  the  faint  of  heart.  The 
battlefield  is  all  rock  and  roll,  so  you'd 
better  get  your  platoon  on  the  move 


and  be  prepared  for  losses.  Even  at  the 
easiest  levels,  you'll  likely  come  home 
with  a  bloody  nose  your  first  few 
times  out.  But  while  the  learning 
curve  is  steep,  your  command  deci- 
sions will  improve  quickly  with  expe- 
rience— so  jump  right  in  and  take 
your  licks.  You'll  quickly  learn  that 
it's  much  easier  to  keep  up  with  the 
action  from  the  Map  Board  screen.  If 
you  try  to  "micromanage"  and  do 
everything  at  the  vehicle  level,  the  sit- 
uation can  quickly  get  out  of  hand. 

The  3-D  graphics  in  this  game  are 
some  of  the  best  I've  seen.  Everything 
scrolls  very  smoothly,  even  on  my 
mediocre  10-MHz  AT.  By  using  the 
lower  level  of  detail,  you'll  get  very 
good  results  even  at  4.77  MHz,  As 
you  would  expect,  the  game  supports 


A  direct  hit  gets  you  out  of  a  jam. 

CGA,  EGA,  MCGA/VGA,  Hercules 
monochrome,  and  Tandy  1 000  graph- 
ics modes.  Tandy  sound  is  also  sup- 
ported, as  is  the  Ad  Lib  sound  card. 

Borrowing  from  its  flight-simula- 
tor technology.  Micro  Prose  has  not 
only  painstakingly  reproduced  the 
tank  interiors,  but  also  included  supe- 
rior external  views.  Using  Outside 
View,  for  example,  you  can  hover 
above  your  platoon  as  it  moves  into 
contact  with  the  enemy.  Watching 
your  four  tanks  respond  to  your  or- 
ders for  formation  changes  and  swing 
their  gun  turrets  to  engage  the  enemy 
is  a  new  and  truly  awesome  sight  in 
simulation  gaming. 

Once  the  battle  is  over  and  the 
dust  settles,  your  evaluation  takes 
place  at  the  Bivouac  Area.  The  screens 
describe  how  well  you  did  in  attempt- 
ing to  accomplish  your  mission  and 
how  effective  you  were  in  stopping  the 
enemy  from  accomplishing  his.  Your 
performance  is  measured  in  two  ways 
and.  just  as  in  a  real  conflict,  there 
may  not  always  be  a  clear  winner. 
You  get  a  numerical  rating  based  on 
the  combat  power  of  the  enemy  vehi- 
cles destroyed,  the  enemy  quality  lev- 
el, and  how  well  you  accomplished 
your  mission.  You  also  get  an  efficien- 


cy score,  which  tells  you  how  close 

your  rating  was  to  the  maximum 
score  available  for  that  mission. 

Depending  on  how  well  you  do, 
you  get  a  certain  number  of  promo- 
tions and  decorations  to  hand  out  to 
your  platoon  members.  Each  time  sol- 
diers are  promoted  or  decorated,  they 
improve  one  skill  level.  This  is  really 
the  only  part  of  the  game  I  have  a 
gripe  with.  Unlike  other  MicroProse 
games,  there  is  ver>'  little  fanfare  or 
feeling  of  accomplishment  associated 
with  promotions  and  decorations. 
And  since  you  never  know  what  med- 
al you  are  awarding  until  after  it  has 
been  given,  you  don't  have  that  series 
of  short-term  goals  to  shoot  for.  I  miss 
the  chance  to  win  the  Bronze  Star  and 
then  the  Silver  Star — all  the  way  up  to 
the  Congressional  Medal  of  Honor. 
The  totals  of  Average,  Good,  and 
Outstanding  career  points  are  listed  in 
the  manual,  but  they  only  apply  to  a 
completed  career  of  99  missions.  Be- 
lieve me,  that's  a  long  way  off. 

Ml  Tank  Platoon  uses  Micro- 
Prose's  standard  dual  copy-protection 
scheme:  identifications  embedded  in 
the  manual  and  a  key  disk.  If  you  hat- 
ed it  before,  you'll  hate  it  again. 

Still,  these  obstacles  and  objec- 
tions are  minuscule  in  comparison 
with  the  superb  gameplay  and  graph- 
ics. All  things  considered,  this  may  be 
MicroProse's  best  release  yet.  The 
bottom  line  is  that  good  tactics  work 
and  bad  ones  don't — that's  as  it 
should  be.  Ml  Tank  Platoon  is  fast- 
moving,  exhilarating,  and  probably  as 
close  as  most  of  us  will  ever  come  to 
the  experiences  of  the  young  tank 
commanders  Harold  Coyle  described 
so  well  in  his  book  Team  Yankee: 

As  his  tank  raced  along  behind 
66.  Garger  realized  that  he  was  thor- 
oughly enjoying  himself.  At  first  it  was 
frightening.  Men  were  dying  there  in 
the  valley.  But  there  was  no  denying 
the  feeling.  He  had  never  feh  so  alive. 
Standing  in  the  turret  of  3}  as  it  raced 
along,  the  image  of  the  U.S.  Cavalry 
riding  out  to  the  rescue  flashed  through 
his  mind.  The  only  things  missing 
from  the  scene  were  the  troop's  guidon 
and  a  bugler  sounding  the  charge.  This 
was  his  moment.  This  was  why  he  had 
Joined  the  Army.  "To  hell  with  it, " 
Garger  thought,  "This  is  great!  Too 
bad  it  can't  last." 


Ml  Tank  Platoon 

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MICROPflOSE 
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C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


JANUARY       1990 


A  Fools 

Errand- 


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the  enchanting  story  of  the  fool  in  his  search  for  wisdom, 

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ClKle  Reader  Service  Numtwr  177 


Aenteriainment 


GAMEPLAY 


ORSOK         SCOTT         CARD 


Believe  me,  I  am  not  afraid 
to  fly.  1  like  airplanes.  I 
especially  like  big  air- 
planes, the  kind  that  look 
like  office  buildings  lying 
on  their  side. 
It's  takeoffs  and 
landings  that  bother  me 
just  the  teeniest  bit.  My 
first  hint  that  maybe  I 
had  a  problem  was  when 
I  was  reading  Time  magazine  right 
through  a  bumpy  descent  and  landing. 
When  we  finally  got  safely  on  the 
ground,  I  realized  that  I  couldn't  re- 
member a  single  word  that  I  had  read. 
And  then,  when  I  tried  to  turn  the 
page,  I  found  that  my  sweat  had  glued 
several  pages  together  so  thoroughly 
that  they  couldn't  be  separated  with- 
out tearing. 

I  needed  help. 

It  happened  that  on  one  trip  I 
bought  a  pack  of  playing  cards  with  a 
different  piece  of  Japanese  art  on  each 
one.  Waiting  for  takeoff  on  the  return 
flight,  I  pulled  the  cards  out  of  my 
carry-on  bag  and  began  to  look 
through  them.  It  was  then  that  I  re- 
membered a  solitaire  game  that  my 
Aunt  Delpha  had  taught  me  when  I 
was  a  kid.  A  game  that  didn't  require 
a  spread — I  could  play  it  with  two 
piles  of  cards  in  my  lap. 

I  lost  five  straight  games  (you 
can't  actually  win  this  game,  you  un- 
derstand), and  then  I  noticed  that  we 
were  in  the  air.  Solitaire  was  the  dis- 
traction I  needed! 

I've  been  a  solitaire  junkie  ever 
since.  I  guess  this  is  the  phase  you 
come  to  when  you're  too  old  and  slow 
to  get  your  name  on  the  vanity  board 
in  the  arcades. 

But  much  as  I  enjoy  playing,  I 
was  appalled  when  I  saw  that  Spec- 
trum HoloByte  had  actually  gone  to 
the  trouble  of  creating  a  computer 
version,  Solitaire  Royale.  I  mean,  are 
there  people  so  stupid  and  lonely  that 
they  need  a  computer  to  help  them 
play  solitaire? 

Then  one  day  I  was  waiting  for 
an  endless  printout  on  my  386  ma- 
chine, and  there  was  the  Amiga  and 


there  was  Solitaire  Royale.  I  fired  it 
up  and  discovered  that  the  game  de- 
signers had  done  everything  right — 
and  in  some  ways  solitaire  could  be 
significantly  better  on  the  computer 
than  with  a  real  deck. 

For  one  thing,  spreads  take  al- 
most no  time;  gone  is  the  tedious 
gathering,  shuffling,  and  dealing  be- 
tween games.  (Yes,  I'm  that  lazy.) 
There  are  several  different  decks  of 
cards,  and  you  can  customize  the 
background  color  so  you  don't  get 
bored  staring  at  the  same  screen.  The 
interface  is  obvious  and  intuitive  with 
plenty  of  help.  There  are  a  lot  of  dif- 
ferent solitaire  games;  if  you  cycle 
through  them,  you  can  compete  with 
yourself  or  someone  else  and  put 
points  up  on  a  vanity  board. 

One  good  thing  about  Solitaire 
Royale  is  also  a  bad  thing;  You  can't 
cheat.  Or,  rather,  you  can't  "impro- 
vise new  rules"  when  you  get  stuck. 
The  only  fudge  factor  is  that  you're 
able  to  peek  into  a  pile  or  back  up  one 
move — not  enough  for  serious  soli- 
taire cheaters. 

But  the  sheer  pleasure  of  playing 
with  such  a  beautiful,  weU-designed 
computer  game  makes  up  for  the  en- 
forced discipline. 

I  wish  I  could  say  the  same  for 
the  Leisure  Genius's  (Virgin  Master- 
tronic)  Monopoly.  In  some  ways  it's  a 
fine  adaptation  of  the  venerable  board 
game — the  screen  looks  terrific,  and 
the  game  has  been  transferred  without 
modification.  This  is  real  Monopoly, 
without  compromises  to  computer 
limitations. 

That  makes  it  all  the  more  frus- 
trating to  find  mistakes  arising  from 
sheer  carelessness.  For  instance,  I 
couldn't  find  a  way  to  back  out  of  a 
trade  when  I'd  mistakenly  pressed  Y 
instead  of  N.  The  only  way  out  was  to 
make  an  outrageous  proposal  to  the 
computer  opponent.  More  annoying 
was  the  computer's  failure  to  display 
how  much  money  you  had  when  you 
had  to  make  financial  decisions.  Why 
should  I  have  to  write  down  my  cash 
total  on  paper  when  there's  plenty  of 
room  on  the  screen? 


In  all,  I  found  the  annoyances  in 
Monopoly  grsvj  more  vexing  the  long- 
er I  played.  Why  shouldn't  the  escape 
key  back  me  out  of  a  procedure? 
When  it's  my  turn,  why  don't  all  the 
properties  I  own  flash  slightly?  Why 
are  we  forced  to  use  forgettable  num- 
bers to  refer  to  players  instead  of 
choosing  from  a  menu  of  memorable 
names?  Why  can't  I  make  immediate 
counteroffers  when  the  computer  pro- 
poses a  trade? 

Don't  get  me  wrong,  Monopoly  is 
fun,  and  the  computer  adaptation 
didn't  completely  kill  that.  But  for  me, 
the  advantages  of  playing  the  game  on 


computer  (you  can  play  alone,  you 
can  save  a  game,  and  setup  time  is 
neariy  0)  just  doesn't  make  up  for  the 
annoyances. 

I  think  computer  adaptations 
should  make  board  games  more  fun — 
without  adding  any  annoyances. 
Without  more  control,  more  varia- 
tions, a  more  pleasurable  experience, 
you  might  as  well  get  the  real  game  off 
the  closet  shelf  and  start  shuffling 
cards  and  rolling  dice.  H 


TO       COMPUTE 


JANUARY        1990 


(Airline  Transport  Pilot) 


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Circle  Reader  Service  Number  1 10 


jgjiM 

1 989  Softmf 

Ce/Vg 


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for 


<*sco, 


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r.B  MM*  m^" 


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-  SlfBUH  F\&>-\\tK 

Cf~-;:"''«              r.'r:--  y»-". r^ir."- 

11.  ...  .«^ 

■ITTIEJI 

.-•:,.'■''•<'''.'.-■ '"""  ^        -■  -  1 '--gia^^^^^^Bi^^W 

-- CCrl^mj^HIJ^^^^^^^I 

1  B[  ^py     ^^ 

^--•^ 

"  r  !i     T^r^ 

UOHN^AOOeN 

•^ 

1                                                         .,*5Sa  -»»•  a«i      S 

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Activiston          nggggaBsgafr  HeM 

A-TO  Tank  Killer  SWKe«aBSS.  gij^ 

Take  crammanci  ol  the  ugliest.  Sp 

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Thundefbolt  II.  Exol 

Beyond  Dark  Castle  Alii 

Penetrate  deep  into  Dark  Castle  wh 

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Black  Knight  himself.  gal 

Die  Hard  Nelti 

Terrorists  have  kidnapped  your  Yoi 

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Electronic  Arts  Th 

Abrams  Battle  Tank  at* 

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Choose  your  weapons?  Ml  1 

Buokan:  The  Martial  Spirit  Wil 

Your  senses  will  train  you  to  arii 

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Chuck  Yeager's  Advanced  Flight  "'*=' 

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Every  pilot's  dream-Hying  BG's  ^  ' 

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Deluxe  Paint  II  Enhanced  °^\ 

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creative  expression  on  the  PC.  ™ 

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The  winningest  manager  in  "^' 

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Hewson 
Eliminator 

Space  highway  arcade  action 
which  will  challenge  your  [oystick 
skills. 

Exoton 
Alien.  laser  action  adventure 
which  liansports  you  not  just  to 
another  world  but  another 
galaxy. 

Nelherworid 
You're  on  a  stunning  mystical 
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MiCfOProse 
Airborne  Ranger 

Parachute  deep  into  hostile  terri- 
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Iwice. 

F-15  Strike  Eagle  II 
Doglighting  is  the  name  of  the 
game.  The  sky  swarms  with 
bogies. 

F-19  Stealth  Fighter 
The  Air  Force  vwjn't  even  talk 
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detect.  '" 

Ml  Tank  Platoon 
With  a  lull  platoon  o(  (our 
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whole  shooting  mate*"' 

MicroPlay 

Carrier  Commar 

You're  <n  a  f  ' 
tie  at  sea )' 
devastatin 
Pro  Soccer 
Whether  yi 
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Origin 

Knights  ot  Legend 

Embark  on  a  thnlling  journey 
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Omega 
Your  mission  is  to  create  artificial 
intelligence  as  you  build  the 
world's  supreme  cytjertank. 

Space  Rogue 
Dare  to  solve  the  mysteries  of 
the  universe  as  you  zip  through 
space  and  seek  your  fortune. 

WIndwalker 
Discover  a  worfd  ol  magic,  con- 
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Paragon  Software 

Dr.  Doom's  Revenge 
The  evil  genius  Dr,  Doom  has 
stolen  a  US  nuclear  missile  and 
threatens  to  tjtow  up  New  York. 
Now  it's  |—  • 

X-Men 
The' 


Sierra  On-Line 
Code  Name:  Ice  Man 

Crack  the  deadly  security  of  a 
terrorist  base  and  rescue  a  hos- 
tage ambassador. 

The  Colonel's  Bequest 
Colonel  Dijon  has  called  his  rival- 
rous  relations  to  his  isolated 
mansion.  V\flio  will  inherit  his 
millions?! 

Hero's  Quest 
You  construct  the  character  from 
the  ground  up.  Can  you  free  the 
land  of  Spielburg  and  earn  the  ti- 
tle -hero "?! 

Hoyles  Book  of  Games 
If  you're  looking  for  cut  throat 
card  games,  or  just  plain  (un. 
you've  come  to  the  right  place. 
Fun  for  the  whole  family. 

Leisure  Suit  Larry  III 
Are  you  goodlime  guy.  Larry 
Lalfer?  Or  nightclub  singer 
extraordinaire.  Passionate  Patti? 
Wait— now  you're  troth. 

Manhunter:  San  Francisco 
-  "fidercover 

*3?  alien 


*M;iny  programs  previewed  available  in  MS-DOS  formal;  others 
avaikihic  for  niiiltiple  miichines.  VCR  with  VI  IS  i'omiiu  rcquiretl; 
conipiilcr  nccdal  m  run  aclmil  iumpatihic  siiflwaiv  niter  ptireliiise 


I  want  to  preview  some  of  ttie  latest  software  available  from  many  of  the  fciest  commercial  software 
houses— all  on  one  convenient  video  cassette.  I've  enclosed  $14.95  for  the  COMPUTE!  PC  Softwars  Demo  Videocassette 
along  with  $2.00  postage  and  handling. 


MasterCard  or  VISA  accepted. 
Credit  Card  # 


Expiration  Date  . 


.  Signature  . 


Amount 

Sales  Tax" 

.  Add  $2.00  shipping  and  handling 
lor  each  cassette  ordered 

.  Total 


Send  your  order  to;    COMPUTE!  PC  Software  Demo  Video 
P.O.  Box  68666 
Indianapolis,  IN  46268 


C01D 


■RosmonB  ol  mn  fai-.  Pennsylvana  and  North  Carolina  a*)  appropnals  sales  la«  lof  your  slaW.  Al  onters  musl  bo  paid  m  U.S.  funds  Drawn  on  a  US  banli  MaswCard  or  VIS*.  Please  alio* 
4-6  weeks  lor  delivof  y.  For  OoUvwy  outsOe  Ihe  U.S.  of  Canada,  add  S1  -00  loi  surface  man  or  $3  00  lor  airmail.  Offer  oxpiras  January  31 .  1990. 


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1 


2 

74       COMPUTE 


keft££ 


;  ELECTRONIC 
ENTERTAINMENT 
HAS  COME 
X  A  LONG  WAY 
|lN  TEN  YEARS. 
N  ANOTHER  TEN 
^  YEARS  IT  WILL  GO 
EVEN  FURTHER. 

KEITH  FERRELL 


irst:  Tomorrow's  games  look  great,  sound  great,  play  even 
greater. 
Second,  they're  everytvhere. 

By  the  turn  of  the  century,  the  interactive  electronic  en- 
tertainment revolution  that  began  with  1970s  videogames 
has  become  one  of  the  cornerstones  of  an  increasingly  elec- 
tronic global  culture.  Everyone's  plugged  in,  everyone 
plays  games. 

As  the  new  millennium  opens,  interactive  electronics  ex- 
ceed both  motion  pictures  and  television  in  revenues. 
Before  another  decade  passes,  electronic  games  will  be  larger  than 
all  other  entertainment  media  combined. 
It's  easy  to  understand  why. 

After  half  a  century  of  sitting  passively  and  spoon-feeding 
from  television  images,  the  audience  is  ready  for  the  interactive 
revolution.  The  more  interactive,  the  better. 

And  in  2001,  interactive  entertainment  is  better  than  ever  before.  ► 


JANUARY       1990  COMPUTE 


GAMEPIAY 
20D1 


PlayTV 

Game  consoles  are  no  longer  simply  discrete 
pieces  of  equipment,  although  the  giant  game 
manufacturers  still  produce  plenty  of  stand-alone 
decks  that  can  be  moved  from  place  to  place. 

For  the  discriminating,  aflluenl  consumer, 
sophisticated  gaming  is  built  into  the  smart  TV 
that's  the  center  of  household  entertainment 

More  than  slightly  intelligent,  able  to  tailor 
its  output  to  its  owners'  tastes,  these  televisions 
represent  the  pinnacle  of  consumer  electronics, 
and  supergames  are  the  flags  planted  on  the  peak. 
The  flat  screen  is  mounted  directly  on  the  wall, 
an  electronic  window  into  worlds  real  and  imag- 
ined, a  high-definition  window  that  responds  in 
an  instant  to  its  owner's  entertainment  whims. 

Superb  sound  augments  gorgeous  images.  A 
serious  electronic  game  room  has  speakers  scat- 
tered throughout,  tomorrow's  version  of  sur- 
round sound,  aurally  enhancing  gamcplay  by 
adding  symphonic  scores  to  heroic  sections,  sub- 
tle sounds  to  suspensefti!  scenes.  Whole  studios 
have  sprung  up  to  provide  digital  scores  and  ef- 
fects for  interactive  entertainment. 

Multiple  Media 

The  most  visually  and  aurally  realistic  games  ar- 
rive via  disk,  disc,  or  fiber. 

Laserdisc  games  deliver  motion-picture- 
quality  video  and  sound.  With  gigabytes  of  stor- 
age capacity,  the  laserdisc  has  become  the 
preferred  publishing  medium  for  interactive  sto- 
ries, games  in  which  narrative  plays  as  large  a 
part  as  strategy  or  reflexes.  Stories  unfold  against 
photographic-quality  backgrounds. 

Compact  discs,  with  storage  more  limited 


than  laserdiscs,  nevertheless  serve  a  large  seg- 
ment of  the  game  market.  Strategy  games  are 
particularly  popular  on  CD,  where  icons  and 
maps  achieve  stunning  levels  of  detail. 

There  are  still  plenty  of  personal  computer 
around,  and  plenty  of  people  who  play  games  on 
them.  New  personal  computers  take  this  into  ac- 
count; they're  virtually  multimedia  machines 
with  hi-res  graphics,  stereo  sound,  and  fast  game- 
play.  Most  personal  computers  include  a  CD 
drive,  as  well  as  ports  for  other  peripherals,  input 
devices,  and  dedicated  game  controllers. 

Game  control  has  evolved  along  with  game 
quality  and  style.  The  traditional  joystick  has 
long  since  given  way  to  more  sensitive  devices, 
many  of  them  adapted  to  specific  pursuits.  The 
basic  controller  owes  much  to  cartridge  game  de- 
vices of  the  late  1980s,  with  directional  input, 
menu-selection  buttons,  and  fire/action  toggles. 

Flight  simulator  yokes  give  flyers  a  complete 
instrument  panel;  sports  car  drivers  and  space- 
craft pilots  use  similarly  designed  consoles, 
shaped  for  the  games  they  play.  Electronic  golfers 
swing  electronic  clubs  that  deliver  data  to  the 
computer  and  then  to  the  TV;  a  living-room  slice 
slices  onscreen  as  well.  There  are  interactive  ten- 
nis rackets,  fishing  rods,  exercise  mats,  boxing 
gloves,  and  more. 

For  many  game  players,  though,  the  most 
exciting  peripheral  of  all  may  be  the  telephone 
line. 

Play  Phone 

As  optical  fibers  replace  traditional  telephone 
wires,  they  ehminate  many  of  the  technical  diffi- 
culties that  have  plagued  telecommunications 


The  Ethics  of  Entertainment 


(n  2001 ,  some  problems  remain  unsolved. 

Questions  of  excessive  violence  still  plague  the 
interactive  entertainment  industry,  questions  that 
have  grown  more  serious  as  the  games  grow  ever 
more  realistic. 

Taking  a  cue  from  the  film  industry,  arcade 
games  have  added  slow-motion  death,  flying  body 
parts,  and  gore.  One  of  the  year's  big  hits  is  a  tiody 
suit  equipped  with  blood  squibs:  One  wrong  move 
and  the  game  draws  fake  blood. 

Sex,  too,  rears  its  head.  Both  erotic  and  overtly 
pornographic  software  find  a  ready  market— and  a 
ready  cadre  of  protestors.  Interactivity  makes  possi- 
ble degrees  of  pornography  exceeding  even  the 
worst  of  the  smut-film  boom.  Statutes  against  por- 
nographic softvrare  appear  in  several  states,  but  the 
portability  of  pornographic  code  makes  enforcement 
neariy  impossible. 

Some  people  even  protest  the  nonviolent,  non- 
obscene  software.  Literacy  dropped  sharply  during 
the  latter  halt  of  the  1990s.  While  passive  television 
takes  much  of  the  blame,  interactive  entertainment 
carries  its  share  of  responsibility  as  wrell.  Kids  can't 
read,  but  they  can  play.  A  few  ambitious  adoles- 
cents have  gone  so  far  as  to  file  suit  against  school 
systems  that  impose  traditional  reading,  writing,  and 
arithmetic  requirements,  arguing  that  education 
should  have  more  relevance  to  their  electronic  en- 
tertainment environment. 

Educational  software  remains  the  poor  cousin 
of  the  entertainment  industry,  forced  to  adopt  game- 


style  techniques  and  approaches  lo  academic  content 

Organized  lobbying  efforts  in  the  mid-1990s 
failed  to  achieve  legislated  restrictions  on  game  con- 
tent, but  the  handwriting  is  on  the  electronic  wall. 
Much  as  the  comic-book  and  motion-picture  indus- 
tries have  done  in  earlier  decades,  entertainment 
software  developers  and  publishers  impose  certain 
restrictions  and  standards  upon  themselves. 

Conferences  are  held  and  aimmittees  calied  to 
order.  These  groups  develop  and  implement  a  sys- 
tem of  rabng  codes.  Game  packaging  now  ttears 
clear  statements  of  content  and  suggested  age 
restrictions. 

Some  developers  think  the  industry's  self- 
regulation  is  still  too  lenient.  Their  concerns  extend 
beyond  the  well-being  of  their  audience.  They  see 
themselves  as  engaged  in  the  creation  of  an  artificial 
reality,  one  that  bears  certain  obligations. 

For  these  developers,  as  well  as  for  many  dedi- 
cated players,  the  electronic  playground  is  as  real 
as,  if  not  more  real  than,  the  actual  worfd.  Because 
of  that,  the  ethics  of  artificial  reality  carry  a  very  real 
weight 

The  Association  of  Ethical  Game  Developers 
gathers  strength  and  influence.  Its  credo  states: 
"Our  games  enhance  and  enrich  players'  lives.  Our 
products  treat  their  electronic  characters  with  re- 
spect and  dignity." 

As  yet,  no  one  has  sued  to  protect  the  rights  of 
a  wholly  electronic  character.  But  the  lawyers  are 
talking 


76       COMPUTEI 


JANUARY        1990 


k/Stttdk 


i  I 


Voiume  I 


ii- 


. 


19S9 

Role-Playing  Game 
of  the  Year. 


COMMOCTORE  64 


IBM 


IBM 


—  Computer  Gaming  World 

"Bottom  line:  Definitely  recommended." 

—  Scorpla,  Computer  Gaming  World 

"Countless  original  touches  and 
innovations. . ." 

—  Shay  Addams,  Quest  Busters 

"The  Magic  Candle  is  an  addictive 
game. .  .weeks  of  exciting  entertainment." 

—  Lesser,  Dragon  Magazine 

"A  fresh  challenge. .  .breaks  new 

grounds.  .  ."  —  Scott  Mace,  inCider 

"Such  skill,  thoroughness,  and  attention  to 
detail, .  .an  entire  new  class  of  fantasy 
games."  —  William  R.  Trotter,  Game  Players 

"The  Magic  Candle  is  one  of  the  best  RPG's 
to  come  along."  —  Guy  Wright,  PC  Games 

"Incredible,  Absolutely  Incredible!  At  last,  a 
software  company  that  really  cares  after  the 
purchase  has  been  made.  Vou  are  an 
outstanding  company  and  PLEASE  continue 
your  marvelous  policy(ies)." 
-  Gail  Ponthier,  Palo  Cedro,  CA 

For  direct  orders  call 

(800)  525-4933 

Technical  Support 

(213)  320-5215 

The  Magic  Candle  Volume 
I  is  currently  available  for: 
Apple  II  (64K  required),  IBM 
and  Compatibles  (in  CGA, 
EGA  and  Tandy  1000 16-color 
mode),  Commodore  64/128. 


.RAFT 


Mlndcraft  Software,  Inc. 

2341  205th  Street,  Suite  102,  Torrance,  CA  90501 


der  Service  Number  178 


GAMEPLAY 
2001 


games.  Clear  phone  signals  and  high-speed  mo- 
dems make  possible  high-quality  group  games 
between  dozens  or  even  hundreds  of  players.  Es- 
pecially popular  are  the  online  electronic  wars  in 
which  players  choose  vehicles,  ordnance,  and  al- 
liances, wreaking  artificial  destruction  on  each 
other. 

Telephone  games  also  find  a  ready  audience 
among  role-playing  enthusiasts.  For  the  most 
dedicated  role  players,  a  group  electronic  reality 
has  come  to  exist,  an  alternate  place  whose  ap- 
peal is  limited  only  by  the  player's  time  and  abil- 
ity to  pay  his  or  her  phone  bill. 

.Athletics  and  board  games  are  also  building 
large  long-distance  followings.  Organized  leagues 
exist  for  computer  sports  enthusiasts,  while  chess 
end  other  board  games  have  spawned  telephonic 
tournaments  avidly  followed  by  both  players  and 
spectators. 

Body  Play 

Fast-action,  reflex-driven  arcade  scenarios  re- 
main the  hottest  game  medium  for  kids  and 
teenagers.  To  play  the  best,  you  need  a  body  suit: 
neuroelectronic  arcade  armor,  softwired  for  flexi- 
bility, able  to  detect  even  the  subtlest  physical  re- 
sponse to  visual  input.  These  "living"  arcade 
suits  come  close  to  dumping  the  player  into  the 
game  world — too  close,  some  parents  say. 

But  parental  disapproval  hasn't  hurt  game- 
suit  sales.  Some  parents  find  themselves  joining 
in,  eager  to  prove  that  they  can  be  as  adept  in  a 
game  suit  as  they  once  were  with  joysticks.  (Chi- 
ropractors have  enjoyed  a  booming  business  as  a 


consequence  of  middle-age  arcade  enthusiasm.) 
Of  all  the  game  categories,  though,  athletics 
remains  the  industry  leader.  It's  a  sports-minded 
world,  and  electronic  sports  are  on  almost  every- 
body's mind. 

Play  Ball 

A  typical  setup  for  an  electronic-sports  enthusi- 
ast consists  of  a  huge  wall  screen  that  has  win- 
dows for  the  scoreboard  and  for  closeups  of 
various  parts  of  the  field.  Game  control  is  exe- 
cuted via  dedicated  controllers  that  vary  with 
each  sport. 

Our  athletic  gamer  partakes  of  both  real  and 
imaginary  contests.  If  baseball  is  your  particular 
enthusiasm,  you  can  put  together  a  setup  that 
gives  you  a  multimedia  diamond  in  your  living 
room.  When  playing  defense,  use  the  top  half  of 
your  controller,  where  a  nine-button  layout  sim- 
ulates field  positions,  a  separate  control  area 
gives  you  access  to  an  array  of  pitching  styles  and 
strategies.  For  offense,  you  can  can  swing  from 
the  controller  or  with  a  Smart  Bat,  which  trans- 
mits your  body  language  to  the  machine.  (Prac- 
tice batting  sessions  are  available  on  disk.) 

Every  major  league  stadium,  present  and 
past,  is  stored  on  optical  disk,  as  are  player  and 
game  statistics.  Extending  a  trend  begun  in  the 
earliest  days  of  interactive  electronic  sports,  play- 
ers can  build  their  own  dream  teams  and  pit 
them  against  the  best  players  in  history.  For  a 
fee,  you  can  download  the  day's  games  and  re- 
play them  to  prove  your  superiority  to  that  of 
your  favorite  team's  manager. 


Everyday  People  on  CompuServe 
Sit  Down  and  Shop. 

No  matter  how  close  you  live  to  the  local  mall, 
it'll  never  be  as  convenient  as  CompuSei^'e.  Because 
Tlie  Electronic  Mall®  is  as  close  as  your  keyboard, 
and  it's  open  24 


"Prices  in  the  Mall  are  very 
good  for  comparison  shopping 
especially  for  someone  like  me 
who  lives  in  a  small  town  where 
there's  only  one  store,  and  no 


-  Greg  Thtter,  College  Student 


hours  a  day. 

You'll  find  a 
wide  variety  of 
shops  you  might 
not  normally  find 
locally  Like  Spiegel  software. 
or  Walden  Computer 
Books.  There's  a 
discount  shopping  club  c<illed  Shopper's  Advimtage.**' 
You  can  talk  directly  to  merchants.  And  you  can  make 
informed  shopping  decisions  with  Comumer  Reports 
online. 

Call  800  848-8199  or  see  your  computer  dealer. 
Then,  instead  of  shopping  till  you  drop,  you  can  just 
pull  up  a  chair. 


CompuServe 


Even  better,  players  can  exercise  a  degree  of 
control  over  on-field  action  that  should  satisfy 
even  the  most  ardent  armchair  manager.  Instant 
replay  is  available  at  the  touch  of  a  button.  Ques^ 
tion  the  umpire's  calls.  Indulge  in  strategy.  Insti- 
gate a  fight. 

And  that's  just  baseball.  You  should  see 
boxing. 

On  the  Road 

Leaving  home?  This  much  fun  can't  be  left 
behind. 

Portable  games  have  been  a  growth  market 
for  more  than  a  decade,  and  the  growth  shows 
little  sign  of  letting  up.  Twenty-first-century 
portable  games  provide  high-quality,  if  not  high- 
definition,  color  images,  fast  screen  movement 
and  animation,  and  stereo  sound  (delivered 
through  headsets,  eliminating  the  boom-box  di- 
lemma). Most  game  manufacturers  release  their 
products  in  formats  compatible  with  the  most 
popular  portable  decks,  as  well  as  for  stationary 
home  units. 

But  you  don't  have  to  have  a  portable  con- 
sole to  play  while  away  from  home.  The  newest 
airliners  offer  passengers,  for  a  fee,  the  opportu- 
nity to  play  games  on  consoles  built  into  the  seat- 
back  trays.  (First-class  passengers  play  for  free.) 
Interactive  games  are  built  into  the  TV  sets  in 
better  hotels,  and  concierges  are  more  than  will- 
ing to  put  you  in  touch  with  other  guests  who 
share  your  gaming  tastes. 

Electronic  gaming  has  become  a  destination, 
as  well  as  a  way  to  pass  time  while  en  route.  In- 


teractive game  resorts  provide  places  where  like- 
minded  gamers  can  get  together  to  compete 
against  each  other,  hobnob  with  top  designers, 
and  acquire  tips  and  hints  to  improve  their  play. 

The  best  of  the  players  are  in  it  for  more 
than  play.  Both  Las  Vegas  and  Atlantic  City  offer 
an  increasingly  wide  range  of  interactive  games 
in  which  you  pit  your  skills  against  the  house. 

The  motto  for  gambling  pmers:  Pul  your 
money  where  your  mouse  is. 

Brave  New  Game  World 

It's  a  strange  and  interesting  place,  this  global 
game  culture.  Philosophers  and  pundits  argue 
the  deficits  and  profits  of  a  society  that  spends 
so  much  of  its  time  responding  to  electronic 
entertainment. 

For  the  players,  and  that  includes  most  of 
us,  it's  simpler. 

Interactive  entertainment  transports  us  to 
worlds  not  entirely  of  our  own  making,  but  ones 
which  we  make,  through  our  actions,  our  own. 
That's  something  TV  could  never  do. 

And  in  those  electronic  worlds — half  imag- 
ined, half  real — we're  able  to  exert  a  degree  of 
control  perhaps  denied  us  in  the  real  world.  We 
can  take  charge  of  our  destinies,  whether  athletic, 
strategic,  simulated,  or  arcade,  and  guide  an  elec- 
tronic counterpart  to  glorious  triumph  or  in- 
structive defeat. 

That's  the  fancy  explanation.  There's  a  sim- 
pler one. 

Electronic  games  are  fun. 

And  the  fun  has  only  j  ust  begun .  s 


Everyday  People  on  CompuServe 

Communicate. 

When  it  comes  to  getting  your  message  through, 
nothing  delivers  like  CoinpuSer\'e  Mail.  Businesses, 
families,  aiid  friends  can  communicate  across  the  coun- 
try and  around 

"/bought  my  son  in  New 
York  a  CompuServe  package 
and  modem,  and  we  often  keep 
in  touch  that  way.  It's  nice  to  be 
able  to  send  messages  or  share 
files  when  we  need  to. " 

—  David  Babb,  Attorney 
— James  Babb,  Physicist 


the  world.  Mem- 
bers can  also  send 
messages  to  postal 
addresses,  MCI 
Mail,®  Telex,® 
Internet,  and  fex 
users  directly  from 
their  computers. 
There  are  hun- 


dreds of  discussion  forums  and  the  original  CB  Simula- 
tor, where  you  can  "talk"  to  other  members  from  all 
ages,  professions,  interests,  and  even  cultures.  Call  800 
848-8199,  or  see  your  dealer.  Then  the  next  time  you 
want  to  drop  someone  a  line,  simply  go  online. 


CompuServe' 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  119 


Blood,  Sw( 


Enter  the  present. Tense. 

Accolade  has  crafted  two  con- 
temporary role  playing  games 
that  are  guaranteed  to  raise  your 
heart  rate  and  send  shivers 
down  your  spine. 


Your  mission  ?  Track  down 
the  Third  Gjurier— a  ruthless 
assassin  hiding  out  in  modern- 
day  Berlin  with  hijacked  NATO 
defense  plans.  He  murdered 
two  couriers  to  get  them.  Now 


Or  maybe  you'd  like  to  go 
some  place  scary?  Really  scary? 

Journey  to  the  haunted  house 
on  the  hiil  in  Don't  Go  Alone" 
Your  Grandfather  went  mad 


Contemporary  themes. 
Mystery.  Depth.  Non-stop  action. 
If  you're  looking  for  adventure, 
Accolade  has  the  perfect  role 
models. 

How  to  order :  Visit  your  favor- 
ite retailer  or  call  800-245-7744. 

r-KKJLS^  L7~\l_/l_ 

The  best  in  entertainment  software.'" 


Ciicle  Reader  Service  Numiier  133 


I  im 


M 


GAMESCOPE 


HINTS 


AND 


P     S 


FROM 


OUR 


READERS 


Here  are  some  tips  for  mak- 
ing it  through  Mind- 
Scape's /Je/a  Vu. 
To  get  a  lot  of  quarters 
for  cab  fare  and  ammo, 
go  to  the  casino  in  the 
basement  of  Joe's  Bar  by 
taking  the  elevator  from 
the  Weird  Room  and 
pressing  the  second  but- 
ton from  the  bottom. 
Once  there,  start  taking  your  quarters 
one-by-one  from  your  wallet  and  put- 
ting ihem  into  the  shorter  slot  ma- 
.  chine  on  the  right. 

The  machine  will  happily  eat  the 
first  5  or  so  quarters  you  insert,  but 
with  the  next,  your  persistence  will  be 
paid  off  by  hitting  the  jackpot!  Now 
you  have  24  more  quarters. 

To  get  rid  of  the  mugger,  simply 
give  him  a  quarter.  He'll  leave  you 
alone  for  the  rest  of  the  game. 

To  get  confessions  from  Marsh 
Vickers  and  John  Sternwood,  get  the 
vials  of  sodium  pentothol  from  Dr. 
Brody's  office  and  take  a  cab  to  626 
Auburd  Road.  Once  there,  punch  out 
the  butler  at  the  door,  go  upstairs  to 
the  bedrooms,  and  inject  each  sleep- 
ing subject  with  the  truth  serum. 
Kevin  Jiang 
Balhhurst,  N.B.,  Canada 

Adventure-Game  Peeking 

If  you've  ever  played  an  adventure 
game  and  wished  you  could  look 
through  all  of  the  clues  and  keywords 
in  the  program,  this  tip  is  for  you.  All 
you  need  is  some  patience,  persever- 
ance, and  the  DEBUG  program  in- 
cluded with  MS-DOS. 

Start  by  running  the  adventure 
game  you  want  to  eavesdrop  on.  Quit 
back  to  the  DOS  prompt  and  type 
DEBUG.  When  you  see  the  hyphen 
prompt,  type  D  0000:0000  and  hit  En- 
ter. What  it's  doing  is  showing  you  the 
contents  of  memory  at  segment  0,  off- 
set 0.  Pressing  D  and  Enter  shows  you 
the  next  set  of  locations.  Pressing  D 
and  Enter  enough  times  will  get  you  to 
the  end  of  your  computer's  memory. 

You  won't  see  much  that  has  to 
do  with  the  game  at  first.  The  lower 


part  of  memory  is  dedicated  to  system 
stuff  and  device  drivers.  Once  past 
this,  you  will  begin  to  see  what  you're 
looking  for.  If  you  happen  to  see 
something  that  you  want  to  come 
back  to,  write  down  the  eight  numbers 
that  are  separated  by  colons — for  ex- 
ample, 1236:0012.  To  get  back  here 
later,  you  would  type  D  1236:0012  at 
the  hyphen  prompt.  To  quit,  type  Q 
and  press  Enter. 

You  might  discover  some  inter- 
esting clues  that  you  could  send  into 
"GameScope,"  such  as  the  purpose  of 
the  mysterious  leaf  in  Space  Quest. 
Richard  C.  Leinecker 
Winston-Salem,  NC 

Sim  Time,  Sim  Cliannel 

Creating  a  town  in  Maxis's  SimCity  is 
a  lot  of  fun,  but  keeping  a  growing 
population  happy  isn't  easy.  Here  are 
some  tips  to  make  your  mayoral  term 
easier. 

Set  aside  a  remote  area  for  indus- 
trial zones.  Factories  breed  crime  and 


pollution.  If  you  put  all  of  the  fac- 
tories in  one  distant  area,  you'll  keep 
these  slum-level  factories  from  bring- 
ing down  residential  property  values. 

Build  a  town  with  no  roads.  If 
you  only  have  a  rail  system,  you'll 
never  have  to  worry  about  lraff"ic 
problems  and  automobile  pollution. 
The  citizens  will  complain  about  a 


lack  of  roads,  but  it  won't  affect  your 
rating. 

If  all  else  fails  and  you  run  out  of 
money,  type  the  word  FUND  on  the 
main  screen  and  you'll  find  yourself 
with  an  extra  $10,000.  Be  careful, 
though:  If  you  embezzle  often,  you're 
likely  to  be  caught. 
Denny  Atkin 
Greensboro,  NC 

Tlie  Whole  Ten  Yards 

The  Sufjer  Bowl  will  be  upon  us  short- 
ly, and  if  you've  been  getting  into  the 
spirit  by  playing  Accolade's  4th  and 
Inches,  I  have  a  few  pointers  that  will 
turn  you  into  a  living-room  Lombardi. 

First,  you  have  to  establish  your 
running  game.  My  two  favorite  plays 
are  the  sweep  and  the  screen  pass.  Be- 
cause the  computer's  defense  is  so 
heavily  weighted  against  the  pass,  you 
can  usually  spring  a  runner  around 
the  end  for  a  good  20-40  yards. 

Use  a  halfback  or  fiillback  for 
both  of  these  plays  because  they're 
quick  and  big,  making  them  hard  to 
tackle.  For  a  screen  pass,  which  works 
great  on  a  first-down  situation,  let 
your  quarterback  stand  in  the  pocket 
for  as  long  as  possible,  fooling  the  de- 
fense into  thinking  you're  going  long; 
then  toss  the  ball  to  the  runner  and 
watch  him  go. 

Running  a  sweep  is  a  little  tricki- 
er. The  key  here  is  learning  how  to  run 
with  the  ball.  As  the  defenders  come 
at  you,  you'll  notice  that  they  tend  to 
line  up  as  a  group.  When  they  get 
close,  move  quickly  to  either  side  and 
then  straight  ahead.  If  two  ranks  of  de- 
fenders are  after  you,  step  into  the 
space  between  them — many  times 
you  can  get  past  before  the  computer 
can  react. 
Peter  Scisco 
High  Point.  NC 

If  you  have  game  tips  and  shortcuts  of 
your  own,  we'd  like  to  hear  from  you. 
Send  vour  tip,  no  matter  how  brief,  to 
COMPUTE!  Feedback,  P.O.  Box 
5406,  Greensboro.  North  Carolina 
27403.  If  we  publish  your  suggestion, 
we  'II  send  you  a  gift.  h 


82       COMPUTEI 


JANUARY       1990 


Rocket  into  the  striking  realism  and  spectacular  visuals  of  SPACE  ROGUE,  the  phenomenal  3D  space  flight 
simulation.  You'll  discover  authentic  flight  dynamics,  precision  navigational  aids  and  sophisticated  weapons 
technology  as  you  maneuver  through  turbulent  ion  storms  and  confront  alien  foes.  You  11  visit  space  stations 
and  mining  outposts— swapping  tales  with  pirates,  drinks  with  friends  and  goods  with  merchants.  It's  the 
seamless  integration  of  space  flight  and  role  playing  that  makes  SPACE  ROGUE  the  first  ORIGIN 
Cinematic  Experience™. 

/      We  create  worlds'" 

IBM/COMPATIBLE  VERSION  IBM/COMPATIBLE  VERSION  APPLE  VERSION 

Available  tor:  IBM/Tandy/con?>atibles,  C-&V128,  Apple  II  series,  coming  soon  for,  Amiga  and  Macintosh;  actual  screens  may  vaiy. 

Cani  find  SPACE  ROGUE al your  kxal  retailer?  Call  1-800-999-4939  (Sam  to  Spm  EST)  for  VisayMC  orders;  or  mall  check  or  money  order  (U.S  J)  to  ORIGIN. 
All  versions  $43.95;  shipping  Is  FREE  via  UPS.  Allow  1-2  weel<s  for  delivery.  ORIGIN,  P.O.  Box  161750,  Austin,  Texas  78716. 

Circle  Reader  Service  Numbsr  13S 


PC  USA 


HIKE  ACROSS 
THE  U.S.A. 
WITHOUT  LEAVING 
HOME 


COMPUTE! 
CHOICE 


mlftt■ST'^tlrO^^»^^»k%^:^^-fIa*fp^m^t04^H^Pal)M'^. 


^asc" 


HEIDI  E.  H.  AYCOCK 


Stricken  with  a  case  of 
wanderlust,  I  grabbed  my 
walking  stick  and  booted 
PC  USA.  Oh  sure,  I  could 
have  played  same  fantasy 
role-playing  game  and  ex- 
plored the  depths  of  dark- 
est Mordor.  Or  I  could 
have  chosen  a  military 
game  and  cut  a  path  of  si- 
lent but  dangerous  in- 
trigue through  the  sea.  But  there  are  so 
many  interesting  things  about  the 
United  States  that  I  decided  to  gather 
treasures  and  encounter  strange  crea- 
tures in  a  land  that  is  both  familiar 
and  unusual.  With  PC  USA  as  my 
guide,  I  was  on  my  way  to  new  knowl- 
edge and  understanding — as  long  as 


my  hiking  boots  would 
hold  out. 

PC  USA  is  an  educa- 
tional program  for  people 
of  all  ages.  It  presents  sta- 
tistics and  charts  about  the 
United  States  in  a  manner 
that  makes  the  information 
clear  and  useful.  Besides 
the  numbers  and  graphs, 
you  get  maps  of  the  coun- 
try, broken  up  into  states 
and  regions. 

At  first,  1  simply  ram- 
bled across  the  countryside, 
traveling  from  state  to  state 
on  PC  US4  's  map.  I  started 
by  calling  up  the  USA 
menu  and  choosing  a  re- 
gion. The  map  magnified  a 
view  of  the  Southeast,  In- 
terested in  which  states 
were  bought  in  the  Louisi- 
ana Purchase,  I  chose  the 
Group  command  and 
asked  to  see  those  states. 
Again  the  map  zoomed  to 
another  view  of  the  coun- 
try, with  the  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase marked  in  green.  To 
find  the  city  of  Bluefield, 
West  Virginia,  I  went  to  the  menu 
again  and  asked  where  the  city  was.  A 
green  square  marked  my  destination. 
From  other  menus,  I  could  choose  re- 
gions by  the  states  or  cities  that  1 
knew.  State  maps  show  rivers,  major 
cities,  and  geographical  features.  A 
special  utility  figures  distances  be- 
tween cities,  and  another  draws  a  top- 
ographical map  for  you. 

If  the  maps  had  been  the  featured 
players  in  PC  USA,  the  program 
wouldn't  be  exceptional.  But  there's 
more. 

Like  a  demographic  compass, 
this  program  points  you  to  population 
statistics,  crime  rates,  industrial  pro- 
files, and  other  facts  and  figures. 
You'll  also  hike  through  historical 


B4       COMPUTEI  JANUARY       1990 


Like  a  demographic  compass, 
this  program  points  you  to  population 
statistics,  crime  rates,  industrial  pro- 
files, and  other  facts  and  figures. 
You'll  also  hike  through  historical 
sketches,  information  on  distances  be- 
tween cities,  and  other  trivia  that 
make  each  state  a  little  more  interest- 
ing. You  can  compare  states  by  asking 
the  program  to  represent  the  statistics 
on  a  map.  You  can  also  look  at  a  pro- 
file of  a  state,  flipping  through  screen 
after  screen  of  average  pay  scales,  av- 
erage migration,  and  so  on.  Think  of 
something  you  want  to  know;  PC 
USA  will  probably  be  able  to  tell  you. 

The  program  designen  have 
gathered  statistics  on  150  topics. 
Some  are  measured  per  capita;  others 
are  presented  as  raw  figures,  unrelated 
to  a  population  or  other  base  figure. 
All  are  based  on  data  from  such  gov- 
ernment agencies  as  the  U.S.  Bureau 
of  the  Census,  the  U.S.  Department  of 
Energy,  and  the  National  Education 
Association.  To  keep  the  information 
current,  the  program  will  be  updated 
yearly.  The  updates  will  cost  between 
S20  and  $30. 

Not  interested  in  statistics? 
Choose  another  trail  and  discover 
concise  state  histories.  PC  USA  has 
listed  the  important  names  and  dates 
in  each  state's  past.  For  example,  you 
may  discover  that  in  1 820  both  Mis- 
souri and  Maine  joined  the  United 
States — Maine  as  a  free  state,  Missou- 
ri as  a  slave  state.  Stick  this  tidbit  in 
your  knapsack  for  any  number  of  pro- 


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State  maps  show  rivers,  forests,  major 
cities,  and  other  geographical  features. 


jects,  from  trivia  contests  to  research 
papers. 

Maybe  you're  graduating  from 
nursing  school,  and  you  must  decide 
where  to  go  to  find  a  job.  So  you  com- 
pare the  number  of  people  per  nurse 
in  the  United  States,  calling  up  a 
mapped  representation  of  the  statistic. 
PC  USA  color-codes  states  by  the  ra- 
tio of  people  to  nurses. 

You  can  ask  for  the  figures  to  be 
represented  in  five  or  nine  ranges.  The 
nine-range  map  is  more  detailed  and 
therefore  more  precise.  When  I 
checked  North  Carolina's  traffic  fatal- 
ities in  five  ranges,  the  map  showed 
between  800  and  2000  incidents  in 
1987.  So  I  asked  to  see  the  map  in 
nine  ranges;  North  Carolina  was  in 
the  1300-2000  range.  For  still  more 
precision,  1  called  up  North  Carolina's 
database  profile  and  found  that  the 
exact  number  was  1598.  You  can  get 
as  much  or  as  little  precision  as  you 
want  from  PC  USA. 

You  can  also  ask  for  a  bar  graph 
that  compares  several  states.  Try  lin- 
ing up  teachers'  salaries  in  Alaska, 
Colorado,  North  Carolina,  and  Utah. 
You'll  find  that  Alaska  is  the  place  to 
go  if  you  want  to  make  a  lot  of  money 
teaching;  $40,000  is  the  average  teach- 
er's salary  there.  But,  after  you  check 
the  climates  of  the  four  states,  you 
may  decide  that  you'd  rather  live  in 
North  Carolina. 

Often  you  want  to  compare  sev- 
eral characteristics  of  several  states. 


This  is  possible  to  some  extent  with 
PC  USA.  For  instance,  you  can  ask  for 
data  on  crime  statistics,  average  life 
span,  and  climate  for  New  York, 
Washington,  and  Texas.  PC  USA 
won't  show  you  a  compiled  graph  of 
all  of  the  information,  but  it  will  cycle 
through  the  individual  graphs  and 
charts  of  this  data  so  that  you  can 
draw  your  own  conclusions. 

If  you  can  believe  the  standard 
tests  you  read  about  or  that  you  hear 
about  on  television,  not  many  Ameri- 
cans have  studied  geography.  Myself, 
I  always  think  Illinois  is  much  farther 
west  than  it  really  is.  (Sort  of  makes 
you  thankful  that  you're  not  hiking 
across  the  country  with  me,  doesn't 
it?)  Using  PC-USA 's  Point  and  Shoot 
command,  you  can  move  the  pointer 
to  any  state  and  see  what  its  name  is. 
You  can  also  label  states  with  their 
postal  abbreviations.  I'm  getting  bet- 
ter at  naming  the  states  every  day. 

For  homes  across  America,  and 
even  for  those  outside  our  country, 
PC  USA  will  prove  to  be  an  extremely 
valuable  resource.  It's  easy  enough  for 
the  youngest  information  hunters  in 
your  family  and  meaty  enough  for  the 
most  diligent  researcher. 

The  program's  menu  interface  is 
simple  to  operate;  you  travel  through 
clearly  marked  lists  that  branch  from 
one  choice  to  the  next.  Hitting  any 
key  summons  the  menus,  but  no  one 
key  is  dedicated  to  one  menu.  Which- 
ever menu  was  last  called  is  the  menu 


JANUARY   1990 


COMPUTE 


85 


#  LEARNING 


that  pops  up  the  next  time  you  hit  a 
key.  Once  you've  activated  a  menu, 
though,  choosing  a  command  is  a  sim- 
ple matter  of  moving  the  cursor  with 
either  the  cursor  keys  or  the  mouse 
and  then  hitting  Return  or  the  mouse 
button.  You  could  also  select  menus 
and  commands  by  a  code  letter  or 
number. 

Some  commands  branch  out  to 
lists  of  items  you  must  choose  from. 
For  example,  when  you  issue  the  State 
Comparison  command  from  the 
Database  menu,  you  must  then 
choose  which  stales  to  compare  on 
which  topics.  Again,  this  is  a  simple 
process:  Move  the  cursor  to  the  items 
you  want  to  choose  and  hit  Return; 
then  move  the  cursor  to  the  Done 
command  and  hit  Return  again. 

1  found  the  interface  a  little  con- 
fiising  at  first.  Not  because  it  was  hard 
to  accomplish  anything,  but  because  it 
was  so  easy  that  I  kept  issuing  com- 
mands when  I  thought  I  was  just 
browsing.  No  problem,  though.  It's 
easy  to  get  back  to  where  you  started, 
DO  matter  how  far  afield  your  explora- 
tions take  you. 

Exploration  is,  in  fact,  the  name 
of  the  game  with  PC  US.4.  To  get  the 
most  out  of  this  program,  you  must  be 
prepared  to  wander  around  the  menus 
and  experiment  with  the  commands. 
The  manual  is  short  and  concise  be- 
cause it  can't  really  tell  you  much  be- 
yond the  mechanical  operations  of  the 
program.  You  have  to  discover  the 
most  useful  ways  to  find  information. 
It's  up  to  you  to  figure  out  whether  the 
map  is  more  helpful  than  the  bar 
graph,  whether  nine  ranges  of  frequen- 
cy are  more  helpful  or  more  compli- 
cated than  five,  whether  to  compare 
three  or  seven  states  at  a  time.  For 
children,  this  exploration  is  a  wonder- 
fiil  way  to  learn  how  to  read  and  ana- 
lyze graphs  and  numbers. 

Most  important,  you  have  to 
catch  the  unusual  numbers.  Would 
you  be  surprised,  for  example,  to  find 
that  Alaska  has  the  highest  per  capita 
number  of  sexual  assaults?  Less  sur- 
prising, but  equally  fascinating,  was  a 
comparison  of  violent-crime  rates, 
property-crime  rates,  and  unemploy- 
ment. Louisiana  is  one  of  the  top  two 
states  for  unemployment  and  one  of 
the  top  states  for  violent  crimes.  The 
three  states  at  the  northeastern  tip  of 
the  country  are  low  in  unemployment 
and  violent  crime.  Property  crime  is 
more  middle-range  for  Louisiana  and 
the  upper  New  England  states  alike. 
But  here's  a  conundrum:  West  Virgin- 
ia is  the  other  state  with  the  highest 
unemployment  rate,  according  to  PC 

86       COWPUTEI  JANU 


USA.  So  you'd  expect  that  state  to 
have  a  high  violent-crime  rate  also,  in 
keeping  with  the  pattern  I  had  discov- 
ered earlier.  In  fact,  West  Virginia  has 
one  of  the  lowest  violent-crime  rates 
in  the  country  and  a  very  low  property- 
crime  rate.  If  this  sort  of  riddle  is  in- 
teresting to  you,  then  you'll  love  this 
program. 

But  even  if  you're  not  fascinated 
by  such  inconsistencies,  you'll  get  a  lot 
of  value  out  of  PC  USA.  Offering  the 
same  reference  qualities  as  an  alma- 
nac, this  program  is  packed  with  easy- 
to-access  data  that  will  add  detail  and 
precision  to  reports,  speeches,  and  de- 
bates. Children  will  be  particularly 
pleased  with  how  helpful  this  program 
can  be  when  they  write  papers  for 
school.  They  can  find  interesting  triv- 
ia to  add  color  to  their  reports,  and 


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This  U.S.  map  shows  which  states  have 
the  highest  average  teachers'  salaries. 

they  can  learn  to  uncover  trends  sug- 
gested by  statistics. 

To  use  PC  USA,  you  need  a  PC 
or  compatible  with  512K  of  RAM.  It 
runs  best  from  a  hard  disk  but  can  run 
off  one  floppy  drive.  PC  USA  takes 
advantage  of  most  graphics  adapters, 
but  it  doesn't  support  Tandy  1 6-color 
graphics.  Although  the  program  does 
offer  printing,  it  only  supports  a  few 
output  devices  so  fan  the  HP  Laserjet, 
the  IBM  Proprinter,  and  IBM  color 
printers.  Other  printer  drivers  will  be 
available  later. 

Printing  may  be  the  most  impres- 
sive feature  of  PC  USA.  -As  long  as 
you  have  a  compatible  printer,  you 
can  reproduce  any  of  the  screens  on 
paper.  You  could  print  individual  pic- 
tures of  each  state  to  create  a  set  of 
flash  cards  to  teach  your  kids  to  recog- 
nize states  by  their  shapes.  You  can 
also  print  any  of  the  graphs.  For  re- 
search projects,  these  graphics  could 
be  very  useful,  but  you  should  check 
on  how  to  document  PC  USA  as  a 
source. 

I  can  highly  recommend  this  pro- 
gram because  it  does  everything  it  sets 

A    R    Y       19    9    0 


out  to  do.  On  the  other  hand,  there 
are  some  weaknesses,  and  the  primary 
one  is  the  hardest  to  solve.  PC  USA  is 
filled  with  numbers,  but  they  are  static 
numbers,  statistics  that  don't  lead  to 
new  statistics.  The  numbers  are  repre- 
sented on  charts  and  graphs,  and  the 
program  makes  only  the  simplest  cal- 
culations on  the  data.  You  can't  take 
several  variables  and  measure  them 
against  several  other  variables.  What 
I'm  asking  for  is  more  than  PC  USA 
intends  to  be.  However,  as  a  newly 
blazed  trail  calls  out  to  your  traveling 
shoes,  this  program  practically  begs 
you  to  go  further  than  it's  willing  or 
able  to  take  you. 

There  are  a  few  easily  implement- 
ed improvements  that  would  make 
PC  USA  a  much  better  program.  First 
and  foremost,  if  the  program  won't 
make  new  comparisons  from  the  data, 
it  should  include  a  memory-resident 
calculator  so  you  can  do  your  own  fig- 
uring. I'd  like  to  be  able  to  calculate 
traffic  fatalities  per  registered  automo- 
bile when  the  program  provides  only 
raw  numbers,  for  example. 

I  wish  PC  USA  would  let  me 
bounce  one  statistic  off  another,  for 
example,  cross-tabulating  data  on  the 
average  life  span  for  men  against  the 
top  industry  in  the  state.  Lacking  that 
feature,  the  program  should  let  you 
split  screens,  perhaps  offer  multiple 
windows,  so  you  can  see  data  for  one 
state  side  by  side  with  that  for  anoth- 
er. You  could  also  look  at  several  dif- 
ferent topics  at  one  time  for  one  stale. 
As  it  stands  now,  not  only  must  you 
understand  how  to  make  some  com- 
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also  remember  the  data  from  screen  to 
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ual assaults  in  the  country,  why  the 
Joe  Everyman  in  North  Carolina  lives 
to  be  68  and  Jane  Everywoman  lives 
to  be  76.  You  can't  find  the  answers  in 
PC  USA,  but  maybe  finding  the  ques- 
tions is  enough. 


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CircJfl  Read«r  Service  Number  136 


m 


-Leisure 
Genius 


#  LEARNING 


DISCOVERIES 


DAVID 


STANTON 


A  voice  cried  out  from  Ma- 
tilda Maxima,  my  broth- 
er's constant  travel 
companion,  "Left  door  is 
oi)en!  Left  door  is  open!" 
"Fuel  level  is  low,"  inter- 
jected her  Parsec  friend 
just  as  a  new  onslaught  of 
space  aliens  began  their 
attack.  "Fuel  level  is  low. 
Fuel  level  is  low,"  repeat- 
ed Matilda  as  if  mocking  our  inevita- 
ble demise.  "A — apple.  B — bicycle. 
C — cat,"  babbled  Stickybear,  obvious- 
ly overcome  with  fear. 

Cousin  Mac,  forever  imperturb- 
able, began  quoting  profound  words 
of  wisdom  from  the  ancient  sages: 
"Why  not  start  your  own  BBS?  Par- 
ents can  even  include  their  own  word 
lists  in  custom  lessons.  Every  year 
readers  eagerly  await . . .  the  basic  fail- 
ing of  Ma  Bell,"  he  advised.  The 
vaguely  familiar  words  didn't  make 
much  sense,  but  they  provided  a  feel- 
ing of  comfort,  and  we  imagined  there 
must  be  deep  and  eternal  truths  hid- 
den within  them  somewhere. 

All  these  utterances  came  not 
from  human  friends  but  from  micro- 
chips and  computer  software.  Some  of 
it,  many  of  us  would  rather  not  hear. 
Do  we  really  need  automobiles  that 
nag?  Or  talking  refrigerators?  In  day- 
to-day  experience,  talking  appliances 
seem  to  add  little  to  the  quality  of  life. 
Still,  the  ability  to  simulate  human 
conversation  can  prove  useful  in 
many  educational  applications. 

Consider  Listening  to  Learn.  De- 
veloped about  four  years  ago  for  the 
ill-fated  IBM  PCjr,  the  program  is  ac- 
tually a  beginner-level  word  proces- 
sor. With  it,  children  can  write  short 
essays,  save  them,  and  print  them. 
What  made  Listening  to  Learn  unique 
in  its  day  was  its  ability  to  speak.  The 
program  uses  a  Street  Electronics 
Echo  voice  synthesizer  to  sound  out 
whatever  is  typed  into  it.  Type  A  and 
the  computer  speaks  the  letter.  Enter 
any  word,  real  or  imagined,  and  the 
machine  attempts  to  pronounce  it 
The  program  even  reads  an  entire  text 
if  you  wish. 


I  first  encountered  Listening  to 
Learn  at  Houghton  College's  Buffalo 
Campus.  A  professor  there  vras  study- 
ing its  effectiveness  with  preschoolers 
from  three  to  five  years  old.  Could 
children  learn  something  about  the  re- 
lationship between  written  and  spo- 
ken language  through  a  process  of 
relatively  unstructured  discovery? 
The  results  were  encouraging,  but  sev- 
eral factors  kept  the  program  from 
achieving  the  success  it  deserved. 

Scholastic's  Talking  Text  Writer 
offers  comparable  features  and  is 
more  widely  known.  In  addition. 
Scholastic  publishes  two  other  note- 
worthy "talkies,"  Talking  Text  Li- 
braries, a  series  of  talking  classics  on 
disk,  and  a  spelling  tutor  called  Talk- 
ing Text  Spelling.  All  three  require  a 
compatible  speech  synthesizer. 

Several  other  publishers  have 
also  recognized  the  advantages  of  in- 
corporating speech  into  their  software 
for  nonreaders.  Children  as  young  as  3 
can  work  independently  with  Opti- 
mum Resources'  Talking  Stickybear 
Alphabet,  Talking  Stickybear  Oppo- 
sites,  and  Talking  Stickybear  Shapes. 
The  company  also  has  talking  soft- 
ware for  IBMs  and  Apple  IPs.  The 
Learning  Company's  Talking  Reader 
Rabbit  uses  digitized  speech  to  help 
kindergarten  to  second-grade  students 
improve  their  reading,  spelling,  and 
vocabulary  skills. 

Talking  software  can  help  older 
students  with  language-related  learn- 
ing problems,  too.  According  to  a  re- 
cent press  release.  Optimum 
Resources  has  been  awarded  a  grant 


FOR  ITSELF 


to  develop  software  that  uses  voice 
synthesis  and  voice  recognition  capa- 
bilities to  help  8-  to  1 3-year-old  dys- 
lexics  learn  to  read.  When  released, 
the  programs  will  run  on  IBMs  and 
compatibles  connected  to  additional 
hardware  from  Street  Electronics. 

Laureate  Learning  Systems 
specializes  in  talking  language- 
development  software  for  students 
with  special  needs.  Many  support  spe- 
cial input  devices  for  the  handi- 
capped: Touch  Window,  The  Power 
Pad  (a  touch  tablet),  and  left/right 
rocker  switches.  Laureate's  products 
are  widely  known  and  highly  praised. 
They're  good,  and  they  come  with  a 
30-day  satisfaction  guarantee. 

Even  2fenith  has  recognized  the 
value  of  communicating  by  voice  with 
a  computer.  It  has  introduced  two  sys- 
tems that  convert  spoken  commands 
into  traditional  keystrokes  for  operat- 
ing all  of  the  system's  standard  PC- 
compatible  components,  making  it 
possible  for  quadriplegics  and  other 
disabled  people  to  perform  a  wide 
range  of  tasks.  Voice  commands  con- 
trol a  telephone-management  system 
where  calls  can  be  placed  and  re- 
ceived, notes  can  be  taken,  and  phone 
indexes  and  directories  can  be  created. 
A  special  computer  arm  picks  up 
heavy  books  and  retrieves  documents 
from  the  printer. 

A  home  computer  with  speech 
capabiUties  can  also  assist  those  with 
impaired  vision.  A  few  months  ago, 
this  column  mentioned  two  public  do- 
main programs  for  Macintoshes — 
Macintalk  and  CNSay.  The  first  is  a 
CDEV  that  gives  the  Mac  a  male 
voice.  The  second  is  a  simplified  word 
processor  that  can  read  any  ASCII 
text  file  aloud  through  Macintalk.  Of 
course,  the  process  only  works  with 
documents  stored  on  Mac-readable 
magnetic  media.  Add  a  scanner  and 
the  right  OCR  software,  though,  and 
your  Mac  could  read  written  docu- 
ments much  like  some  very  expensive 
specialized  hardware  you  may  have 
seen  advertised  lately. 

Increasingly,  educational  soft- 
ware speaks  for  itself!  a 


COMPUTE! 


hildren's  Writmg  &  Publishing 


,  ^     For  childrenragesTto  14"  ? 


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This  Is  Clearly  Writing. 


This  Is  Writing  And 
Thinking  More  Clearly. 


Now  there's  a  tool  that  encourages  children  to  write  down  what  they  think:  The  Children's 
Writing  &  Publishing  Center  This  new  fun  and  easy-to-use  software  program  picks  up  where 
pencil  and  paper  leave  off.  The  Children's  Writing  &  Publishing  Center  stimulates  the 
natural  creativity  of  young  people  and  makes  the  process  of  writing  both  fun  and  rewarding,  It 
combines  powerful  features  in  word  processing,  picture  selection,  and  page  design  to  help 
children,  families  and  schools  produce  first-class  illustrated  reports,  letters,  stories,  newsletters, 
and  more.  Now  children  can  write  more  freely  and  creatively. .  .and  explore  more  possibilities! 
The  Children's  Writing  &  Publishing  Center:  an  easy,  powerful  way  to 
^^^^^^^^^^^—^^^^'^^^—^^^   get  it  in  writing. 

Call  for  information  and  your  free 
Parent/Teacher  Software  Selection  Guide 
mi  free:  1-800-852-2255 

Suggested  retail  price:  $69.95 
(IBM/Thndy  &  compatibles), 
$59.95  (Apple  II/IIGS) 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  169 


The  Learning  Company' 


HELP  YOUR  KIDS  MAKE  FRIENDS 
WITH  THE  WRITING  PROCESS 


90       COMPUTE!  JANUARY       1990 


upon  A  Time 


LESLIE  EISER 

Hunched  over  the  blank  sheet  of 
paper,  his  mind  churned  with  a 
hodgepodge  of  misshapen  ideas 
and  incomplete  thoughts.  His 
palms  itched  and  his  fingertips 
hurt  from  scrunching  up  pieces  of 
paper.  As  he  wiped  the  sweat  off 
of  his  hands  onto  his  jeans,  he 
muttered  angrily,  "Three  whole 
paragraphs  on  my  summer  vaca- 
tion! ril  never  be  able  to  do  it." 
Your   kids    never   feel    this 
way,  right?  Wrong.  From  a  quick 
letter  of  thanks  to  a  formal  book 
report  or  a  term  paper,  free  com- 
position can  be  a  painful  process.  As  parents,  we 
want  our  children  to  be  part  of  that  rare  minority 
that  actually  enjoys  writing.  To  help  your  child 
develop  a  taste  for  writing,  read  on.  By  using 
some  smart  strategies  and  your  home  computer, 
you  can  help  your  child  develop  a  taste  for  writ- 
ing that  will  last  a  lifetime. 

Communication  First 

Start  helping  your  children  write  by  encouraging 
them  to  talk.  Ask  your  children  to  summarize 
the  stories  of  books  they've  read,  to  describe 
movies  they've  seen,  and  to  tell  stories  about 
what  happens  at  school.  Let  them  know  that  they 
have  something  of  value  to  share,  something 
worth  communicating.  The  more  descriptive 
they  are  in  their  verbal  summaries,  the  easier  it 
will  be  to  encourage  them  to  be  descriptive  in 
their  writing. 

Try  to  give  your  kids  reasons  for  writing  that 
are  unrelated  to  school.  Use  letters  to  friends  or 
grandparents,  handmade  birthday  cards,  and 
even  shopping  lists  to  teach  children  that  writing 
is  something  you  do  every  day.  Have  your  kids 
label  the  photographs  of  a  family  trip,  make  up 
movie  reviews  for  a  friend,  or  just  make  up  bed- 


/oo=cooccoc  \ 


time  stories  for  a  younger  brother 
or  sister.  If  your  kids  have  trouble 
writing  bedtime  stories,  you 
could  tape  them  telling  a  story 
and  then  write  it  up  yourself 
Sometimes  kids  are  very  sur- 
prised that  they  can  tell  a  good 
story. 

If  you're  really  serious  about 
improving  the  writing  skills  of 
your  children,  the  very  best  ad- 
vice is  this:  Take  the  time  to  read 
to  them.  Studies  have  shown  a 
definite  relationship  in  children 
between  hearing  stories  read 


aloud,  reading  independently,  and  writing. 

A  Good  Start 

When  faced  with  a  specific  writing  task,  just  get- 
ting started  can  be  the  hardest  part.  We've  all 
seen  our  children  gather  their  notebooks,  sharp*- 
en  their  pencils,  and  then  stare  at  the  ceiling  for 
hours  while  they  work  up  the  nerve  to  actually 
write  something  down.  Help  your  children  develop 
good  prewriiing  skills  by  encouraging  them  to 
spend  constructive  time  thinking  about  their  sto- 
ries before  they  start  to  write. 

Begin  by  moving  your  kids  away  from  the 
paper.  Let  them  talk  about  some  of  the  specific 
events  in  their  stories.  Once  they've  thought  of 
what  they  want  to  say,  getting  it  down  on  paper 
is  much  less  difficult.  Ask  leading  questions. 
"Will  anything  funny  happen?"  "Is  this  going  to 
be  a  scary  story?"  "What  are  some  words  you 
can  use  to  describe  how  the  character  felt  at  the 
beginning,  in  the  middle,  at  the  end?"  Encourage 
them  to  think  about  a  story  as  a  series  of  events 
leading  to  a  climax.  The  trick  is  not  to  offer  spe- 
cific answers,  but  to  encourage  your  youngsters 
to  think  about  the  questions,  to  generate  their 
own  ideas.  Try  brainstorming  for  vocabulary 


JANUARY       1990 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


91 


nee  Upon  ATime 


Bssufimi 

The  Three 


words  or  helping  your  young  writers  think  up  a 
good  opening  sentence  that  will  quickly  capture 
the  reader's  interest. 

Another  way  to  start  is  by  describing  the 
characters  in  detail.  Allow  your  youngsters  time 
to  picture  the  characters,  to  imagine  exactly  what 
they  will  be  like.  Giving  the  char- 
acters names  and  describing  the 
clothes  they  will  be  wearing  also 
helps  complete  the  image.  For 
many  children,  drawing  a  picture 
at  this  point  is  an  excellent  way  to 
solidify  their  ideas. 

Some  writers  like  to  make 
notes  or  jot  down  an  outline. 
Taking  notes  helps  them  deter- 
mine exactly  what  to  communi- 
cate at  each  point  in  the  story, 
and  it  reminds  them  to  keep  a  vi- 
sion of  the  audience  they  are  ad- 
dressing in  their  minds  as  they  write.  Later,  these 
notes  will  form  the  backbone  of  the  story. 

So  where  does  a  computer  fit  in?  It  fits  very 
well  in  two  places.  First,  a  word  processor  alone 
will  encourage  children  to  write  more  oi\en  and 


Little 

Pigs 

I^SJI^ 

Stone 


Explore-a-ClassIc 

starts  kids  off 

with  an  established 

story  line  they 

can  modify. 


in  greater  quantity.  And,  while 
Q\  the  need  for  skillful  editing  hasn't 

NQllTI       changed,  a  word  processor  defi- 
L         nitely  makes  that  task  far  less 

painful.  As  an  additional  benefit, 
the  printed  results  look  reassur- 
ingly professional. 

Second,  story-starting  mate- 
rials, like  those  you'll  find  in  the 
software  discussed  below,  can 
add  important  structure  to  a 
child's  work.  Since  the  pressure 
to  think  of  something  to  say  is  re- 
duced through  the  leading  ques- 
tions and  interesting  graphics,  frustrated  writers 
can  relax.  Once  they  stop  worrj'ing  about  what 
they'll  say,  ideas  will  flow  unimpeded.  You  prob- 
ably won't  turn  your  youngsters  into  great  writ- 
ers this  way,  but  you'll  show  them  that  they  can 
communicate  effectively. 

In  the  last  few  years,  com- 
puter programs  have  attempted 
to  develop  writing  skills  by  spe- 
cifically encouraging  the  prewrit- 
ing  techniques  described  above. 
Unlike  word  processors  that  start 
you  off  with  a  blank  page,  these 
programs  provide  a  structure  for 
the  young  writer.  Despite  their 
differences  in  interface  and  de- 
sign, they  share  one  thing  in  com- 
mon: their  purpose.  All  of  these 
word  processors  are  specifically 
designed  to  encourage  your  children  to  write,  to 
inspire  them  to  be  narrators. 

Kid-Friendly  Word  Processors 

Fill-in-the-blank  stories,  like  those  found  in  Di- 
nosaur Discovery  Kit,  from  First  Byte,  can  help 
young  readers  bridge  the  gap  between  writing 
and  reading.  First,  a  simple  story  with  several  in- 
complete sentences  appears  on  the  screen.  After 
displaying  each  sentence,  the  program  prompts 


msBanm 
The  Princess 
and  the  Pea 


your  child  to  select  an  appropriate  word  or 
phrase  for  the  blank.  The  program  modifies  the 
picture  above  the  text  so  that  it  represents  the 
new  sentence,  and  then  a  computer  voice  reads 
the  entire  sentence  out  loud.  When  your  child 
finishes  the  story,  you  can  read  it  again  or  print  it 
as  a  bedtime  story.  Combining  oral  and  visual  ef- 
fects is  a  very  effective  way  of  reinforcing  the 
connections  between  what  you  see,  what  you 
hear,  and  what  you  write  down. 

Writing  the  story  down  is  easier  with  a  word 
processor  designed  specifically  for  young  users, 
such  as  Muppet  Slate,  from  Sunburst  Communi- 
cations; Children's  Writing  &  Publishing  Center, 
from  The  Learning  Company;  and  Cotton  Tales, 
from  MindPlay.  All  three  sport  oversized  letters, 
easy-to-use  interfaces,  and  attractive  graphics  de- 
signed to  inspire  frustrated  writers. 

Real  beginners  often  find  it  easier  to  use  a 
picture  in  place  of  a  word.  Both  Muppet  Slate 
and  Cotton  Tales  have  anticipated  this  need — 
pictures  and  words  are  interchangeable  in  these 
programs.  They  also  offer  hidden  control  options 
so  that  you  can  modify  the  word  lists  and  limit 
the  choices. 

In  addition  to  its  graphics  capabilities,  Mup- 
pet Slate  also  contains  a  sophisticated  word  pro- 
cessor. There  is  a  powerful  fill-in-the-blank  mode 
and  an  insert/typeover  toggle.  As  in  grown-up 
word  processors,  the  text  can  be  edited  interacti- 
vely anywhere  on  the  screen.  Muppet  Slate  also 
features  attractive  printouts,  complete  with  a 
choice  of  several  different  border  designs. 

Children 's  Writing  &  Publishing  Center  is 
one  giant  step  closer  to  desktop  publishing  for 
kids.  It  offers  a  choice  of  fonts  in  several  differ- 
ent sizes,  automatically  wraps  text  around  pieces 
of  art,  and  supports  either  one-  or  two-column 
layouts.  The  final  results  look  surprisingly  pro- 
fessional for  such  an  easy-to-use  program.  You 
can't  exchange  pictures  for  words,  but  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  interface  and  the  colorfiil  graphics 
make  this  program  such  fun  to  use  that  your 
youngsters  will  actually  want  to  write  more 
often. 

Picture-Perfect  Software 

With  all  the  fuss  being  made  about  right-brained 
versus  left-brained  learners,  it's  not  surprising  to 
find  a  lot  of  software  specifically  designed  for 
visually  oriented  children.  In  these  programs, 
children  create  individualized  pictures  with  a 
modified  art  program  before  writing  the  story. 
Examples  of  this  kind  of  software  are  Puzzle  Sto- 
rybook, from  First  Byte;  Kidwriter  Golden  Edi- 
tion, from  Spinnaker;  and  Transportation 
Transformation,  Dinosaur  Days,  and  either 
package  in  the  Story  Starters  series,  from  Pelican 
Software.  In  all  of  these  programs,  writers  start 
by  selecting  a  background;  then  they  choose  clip- 
art  props  and  familiar  characters  to  complete  the 
picture.  Finally,  young  authors  use  an  indepen- 
dent part  of  the  program  to  write  a  description  of 
the  picture  or  to  tell  a  story. 

The  programs  from  Pelican  provide  the 
most  intricate  artwork  and  printing  routines.  On 
the  other  hand.  Puzzle  Storybook  and  Kidwriter 
Golden  Edition  offer  more  sophisticated  word 


92       COMPUTE 


JANUARY       1990 


Sorry  Spot 


'  C.«iP«? 


Everyone  but  the  family  dog  will 
find  something  to  love  in  The  Family 
Software  Library.  Each  of  the  three 
programs  is  designed  for  use  by 
adults  as  well  as  children. 

Individually,  the  programs  have 
won  11  awards  of  merit,  including 
Outstanding  Software  Award  and 
Best  Learning  Product. 

We've  also  included  a  special  Par- 
ent's Guide  packed  with  ideas  on  how 
to  get  the  most  out  of  each  program . 

With  a  new  family  computer, 
the  Library  is  an  ideal  starter  kit.  Bu  t 
ifs  definitely  not  just  for  begiimers. 


Each  program  is  a  proven  favorite 
you  can  use  for  years.  And  you'll 
save  $50  off  the  combined  prices  of 
the  three  individual  programs. 

So  give  our  "farrily"  to  your 
family.  And  give  Spot  an  extra 
scratch  behind  the  ears. 

Bank  Street  Writer  Plus'*  is  an 
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I«  rSSf?!^-™*  '^T'l i"^  lf2.°™  IT-^"™"^  isCamen  Sandiago?  are  trsdomarks,  andType!  and  Brwfertiund  afB  fogisfered  tradomarks  of  BrodKbund  Softwara,  inc.  Bank  Stroel Writor and  Bank  Slfoal Wriwr  Plus 
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ice  upon  Afime 


Body  -  Page  1 


Kelp  j    File     |    Font     ,   Picture       Next       Print 


The   Story    of 
Our   Move 

by  Mary  Benson 


One  night   my   father  came  home  with 
Ibig   news.     He   said,    "Guess   mhat,   me   are 

going   to   Jeawe    our    little   house   for   the 
Imuch   nicer   one   lue    haye   been   hoping   for. 

I   got   a   raise   and   noiu   lue   can   afford   iti" 


m}  for  Help 


Young  writers  get  professional  results  with  Children's 
Writing  and  Publishing  Center. 


processing  tools.  Most  importantly,  they  keep 
the  text  and  graphics  visually  paired.  In  Kid- 
writer  Golden  Edition,  you  can  place  clip  an  or 
text  anywhere  on  the  screen  at  any  time  and  edit 
it  at  will.  Puzzle  Storybook  shows  the  graphics 
and  text  in  separate  boxes  on  the  same  screen. 
When  the  story  is  finished,  Puzzle  Storybook's 
speech  synthesizer  reads  each  sentence  aloud,  a 
decided  plus. 

If  your  children  really  have  trouble  thinking 
of  something  to  say,  you  can  start  them  out  mod- 
ifying an  existing  story  line.  In  the  Explore-a- 
Story  and  Explore-a-Classic  series,  students  begin 
by  reading  the  original  story,  which  is  shown  on 
the  screen  in  a  cartoonfike  format  with  animated 
characters.  Next,  you  encourage  your  children  to 
change  the  actors,  move  the  props,  and  even  add 
text.  These  programs  are  very  entertaining,  but 
it's  easy  to  spend  more  time  playing  with  the  ani- 
mated actors  than  writing  about  them. 

Structured  Writing  Exercises 

The  Writing  Adventure,  from  DLM,  and  The 
Railway  Snoop,  from  Sunburst  Communica- 
tions, provide  highly  structured  writing 
environments. 

The  Writing  Adventure  is  an  older  program 
that  effectively  uses  graphic  storyboards.  As 
young  writers  explore  a  large  cave,  they  take 
notes  on  what  they  observe.  The  program  actual- 
ly checks  a  notepad  to  be  sure  that  they  are  tak- 


GOOD  Hap 

WiVIMffi. 


^'^e  with  edi 


ai  IS 


^fese^  on  dp.L  , 


^0  spon- 


^mws — 

,^2'?'  Ol.  Program 


Jam& 


live 

J5V/  roon- 


iP^  Carl 


^1^  ?a%^#a  ^2 

^Odern.^^r^P'5f. 


ing  adequate  notes.  Il  checks  the  quantity,  not 
the  quality,  of  the  recorded  observations.  The 
program  provides  structured  questions  to  make 
this  task  easier,  and  children  choose  from  a 
menu  of  branches  to  get  around. 

After  your  young  writers  visit  between  5  and 
15  sections  of  the  cave,  the  program  instructs 
them  to  write  a  story  using  their  notes  as  a  guide. 

Although  the  random  nature  of  the  branch- 
ing makes  the  stories  sound  disorganized,  the 
concept  itself  is  interesting.  The  cave  is  fun  to  ex- 
plore, and  your  children's  notes  can  be  quite  in- 
volved. Even  weak  writers  will  spend  significant 
amounts  of  time  creating  the  notes  and  then 
writing  and  rewriting  each  adventure. 

The  Railway  Snoop  is  a  companion  to  Mag- 
ic Slate  II.  a  word  processor  specifically  designed 
for  children.  The  Railway  Snoop  stands  out  from 
similar  programs  because  it  carefully  focuses  and 
directs  young  writers  while  it  leaves  room  for  free 
composition.  It  sacrifices  neither  structure  nor 
creativity,  so  your  child  gets  the  advantage  of  both. 

Through  prompt  boxes  that  appear  only  on- 
screen, children  write  multichapter  adventure 
stories.  Extensive  teaching  materials  include  cut- 
out models  of  railway  stations  and  instructions 
for  building  an  entire  railway  yard.  The  Railway 
Snoop  encourages  youngsters  to  write  more  de- 
scriptively, to  include  personalised  elements  that 
add  interest  to  a  narrative,  and  to  think  about  a 
long  story  as  a  sequence  of  related  events,  o 


You  discover  the  entrance  to  a  cave. 
You  enter  the  cave  hoping  to  find 
adventure  and  excitement. 
PRESS  SPACE  BAR 


Children  learn  about  gathering  notes  and  writing 
stories  in  The  Writing  Adventure. 


PRODIGY 


i 


■^. 


The  little  yellow  box  brings  you 
hundreds  of  features  for  just  $995  a  month. 


Who  says  good  help  is  hard  to  find? 

The  PRODIGY®  Service  Start-up  Kit  is  your 
key  to  a  world  of  helpful  services  at  a  price 
that  won't  eat  you  out  of  house  and  home. 

After  you  purchase  your  Start-up  Kit,  all  it 
takes  is  a  flat  S9.95  a  month,  with  no  on-line 
charges,  to  bring  you  and  your  family 
hundreds  of  featuresf  Now,  shopping  is 
easy,  banking  is  a  breeze,  plus  you  can  get 
the  latest  news,  send  messages,  book  your 
own  flight,  play  games  that  are  fun  and 


educational,  and  that's  just  the  beginning. 

Up  to  six  family  members  can  choose 
their  own  personal  password  and  then 
customize  the  PRODIGY  service  to  fit  the 
way  they  want  to  use  it.  Weather  forecasts, 
member  clubs,  stock  quotes,  plus  the 
features  you  like  are  all  waiting  for  you. 

The  PRODIGY  Service  Start-up  Kit 
comes  complete  with  everything  you 
need  to  get  on-line  easily  There  is  also 
a  Start-up  Kit  with  a  Hayes®  Personal 


Modem  2400  at  a  great  price. 

To  find  out  where  to  get  your  Start-up 
Kit,  just  call  1-800-822-6922,  ext.  591- 
Once  you're  on-line,  you'll  find  that  good 
help  is  not 
only  easy  to 
find,  it's 
affordable. 


Finally,  What  The  PC  Was  Invented  For:" 

c.c,e  Reader  s«rv,c,  Numur  t63       Call  1-800-822-6922,  cxt.  591,  for  3  dcoler  near  you.  'SSl^KrpS' 

'TVPBODIGYsrmai$iv«U]icUiKtoda(Kiilinw|bikKiLptaooe^^  nOOlOr  iiirefistrredxrner  iDvfcuidtnkoutaiFYodi^  SmxHCbCB^ 

mUliiRgUurtdindcmiADriBICCorponiion  HvpbijhlJirtpnendlndniiuiolAppteCDtnpiiur.Inc 


nee  upon  ATime 


From  Cartoons  to  Branching  Stories 

Sometimes  the  best  way  to  convince  youngsters 
to  write  is  lo  make  them  think  that  they  aren't 
writing  at  all.  Several  writing  programs  disguise 
themselves  as  art  programs:  Cartooners.  from 
Electronic  Arts;  Create  with  Garfield.  Deluxe 
Edition,  from  DLM;  and  Story  Tree  or  Super 
Story  Tree,  from  Scholastic. 

In  Create  with  Garfield,  your  children  place 
Odic,  Jon,  and  Garfield  in  difFerenl  poses  and 
different  situations.  Students  practice  their  writ- 
ing skills  by  adding  text  balloons  to  each  frame, 
composing  short  stories  similar  to  those  they  see 
every  day  in  the  newspaper. 

Cartooners  effectivly  uses  the  Apple  lies  by 
letting  kids  design  animated  cartoons  from  a  se- 
lection of  actors,  backgrounds,  and  special  ef- 
fects. The  results  can  be  very  attractive,  and,  in 
designing  a  cartoon,  the  young  author  is  practic- 
ing important  communication  skills  that  can  lat- 
er be  transferred  to  paper. 

Super  Story  Tree  provides  writers  with  the 


structured  framework  of  a  branching  story.  Tre- 
mendously open-ended,  the  combination  of 
graphics  and  sound  capabilities  make  this  pro- 
gram an  attractive  alternative  for  older  children 
who  still  can't  commit  more  than  the  minimum 
effort  to  their  writing. 

The  End 

Is  a  computer  necessary  for  encouraging  kids  to 
write?  No,  but  there  are  many  good  reasons  to 
introduce  a  young  writer  to  a  word  processor  and 
some  story-starting  ideas.  Whatever  we  can  do  as 
parents  to  relieve  the  anxiety  of  our  children,  to 
encourage  them  to  communicate  both  orally  and 
in  writing,  is  going  to  help  them  be  more  success- 
ful in  the  future.  To  accomplish  that  goal,  let's 
get  writing.  e 


Leslie  Eiser  has  three  children  and  lives  in  Montreal. 
She  has  many  years  of  experience  as  an  educator,  a 
computer  user,  a  writer,  and  a  mom. 


Cures  for  Writer's  Block 


Cartooners 

(Ages  5-14) 

Apple  llGS  1  MB— S59.95 

Beclronic  Arts 

1820  Gateway  Dr. 

San  Mateo,  CA  94404 

(800)245-4525 

(415)571-7171 

Children's  Writing  &  Publishing  Center 

(Grades  8-14) 

Apple  II  with128K—S59.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles  with  384K— 

$69.95 
The  Learning  Company 
6493  Kaiser  Dr. 
Fremont,  CA  94555 
(800)852-2255 
(415)792-2101 

Cotton  Tales 

(Ages  4-8) 

Apple  II— $49.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles— $49.95 

Mind  PI  ay 

3130  N.Dodge  Blvd. 

Tucson,  AZ  85716-1726 

(800)221-7911 

(602)322-6365 

Create  with  Garfield,  Deluxe  Edition 

Apple  II— $39.95 

Commodore  64/1 28— $39.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles- $39.95 

The  Writing  Adventure 

Appie  IS— $59.95 

Commodore  64/128— $59.95 

DLM 

PO.  Box  4000 

One  DLM  ParK 

Allan,  TX  75002 

(800)  527-4747 

(800)442-4711  (in  Texas) 

Dinosaur  Days 

Apple  II— $39.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles — $39.95 

Macintosh— $39.95 


Dinosaur  Days  Plus 
Apple  M  wrth  128K— $49.95 
Story  Starters:  Science 

(Ages  5-14) 

Apple  II  with  12SK— $49.95 

Story  Starters:  Social  Studies 

(Ages  5-14) 

Apple  II  with  128K— $49.95 

Transportation  Transformation 

(Ages  6-12) 

Appie  II— $39.95 

Pelican  Software 

21000  Nordhott  St. 

Chatsworth.CA  91311 

(800)  247-4641 

(800)  222-7026  (in  California) 

(818)341-9611 

Dinosaur  Discovery  Kit 

(Ages  3-8) 

Amiga— $39.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles  with  512K  and 

cdor  monitor— $39.95 
Macintosh— $39.95 
Puzzle  Storybook 
(Ages  3-8) 
Amiga— &39.95 
IBM  PC  and  compatibles  with  51 2K  and 

color  monitor— $39.95 
Macintosh- $39.95 
First  Byte 

3100  S.  Harbor  Blvd. 
Suite  150 

Santa  Ana,  CA  92704 
(800)523-8070 
(714)432-1740 

Exp  lore-a-C  lassie 

Appie  II  with  12BK— $49.95 

IBM  PC  andcompatibtes— $49.96 

Explore-a-Story 

Apple  II  with  128K— $39.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles— $39.95 

William  K.  Bradford 

594  Marretl  Rd, 

Lexington.  MA  02173 

(800)421-2009 

(617)  862-2570  (in  Massachusetts) 


Kidwriter  Golden  Edition 

(Ages  6-10) 

Apple  lies  with  768K— $49.95 

IBlirt  PC  and  compatibles  with  514-(nch 

drive— $49.95 
IBM  PC  and  compatibles  with  SViMnch 

drive— $54.95 
IBM  PC  and  compatibles  (combination 

package  with  5Va-  and  3Vi-inch  disks) — 

$59.95 
Spinnaker  Software 
One  Kendall  Sq. 
Cambridge,  MA  021 39 
(800)  826-0706 
(617)494-1200 

Muppet  Slate 

(Ages  5-7) 

Apple  II— $75.00 

The  Railway  Snoop 

(Ages  11-13) 

Apple  II  with:12eK—$S9.00 

Sunburst  Communications 

39  Washington  Ave. 

Pieasantville,  NY10S70 

(800)  431-1 934  (in  the  Untied  States) 

(800)  247-6756  (in  Canada) 

Story  Tree 

(Ages  12-17) 

Apple  II— $32.95 

Commodore  64/128— $32.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles— M2.95 

Super  Story  Tree 

(Ages  12-17) 

Apple  II  with  128K— $72.95 

)BM  PC  and  compatibles— $72.95 

Scholastic  Software 

730  Broadway 

NewYork,  NY  10003 

(800)541-5513 


96       COMPUTE! 


JANUARY       l<?90 


WRnEHOME 


tlie  cliaiice. 


six  Missions:  Knock  out  the  terrorists' 
comnrantGation  postconnnamla-  style. 


Locate  the  heavliif-guarded  enetny 
ammo  dump  and  blow  it  sKy-tiigh. 


Master  The  World's  #1  Arcade  Game 

Situation  critical.  l\flurderous  extrem- 
ists have  taken  innocent  Americans 
hostage  in  a  jungle  stronghold.The  valleys 
echo  with  salvos  of  gunfire  and  the  whir 
of  chopper  blades. 

As  leader  of  Operation  Wolf",  you  are 
ttie  hostages'  only  hope  for  freedom.  You've 
got  to  blast  your  way  in,  hit  the  terrorists 
hard,  and  get  out-fast.  The  enemy  forces 
have  you  outarmed  and  outnumbered. 
To  survive,  you'll  have  to  outfox  them. 

Expect  howling  action  and  arcade- 
quality  realism.  In  Operation  Wolf.  Where 
you've  got  a  fighting  chance  in  hell.  But 
thafs  all  you've  goL  FromTaitof 


Blitz  well-armBd  guerrillas  lurking 
deep  in  the  hot  jungle— it's  do-or-die. 


Strafe  your  way  through  harnmring 
anrimsbes  to  tlie  terrorist-hehl  fiOage. 


Hnally.  airifft  the  rescued  capliii es  to 
safety— and  escape  with  your  life. 


Penetrate  the  prison  camp,  pin  down 
tlw  terrorists.and  tree  the  hostages. 

TAITO 

Look  for  thisTaito  hit  at  your  local  retailer,  or  call  1-800-663-8067  for  further  information. 

Actual  IBM  VGA  screens  shown,  other  computer  formats  may  vary. 
Taito '  and  Operation  Wolf  ^  are  registered  trademarks  of  Taito  America  Corporation.  Copyright  ©  19B9.  All  rights  reserved.  IBM  is  a  registered  trademark 

of  International  Business  Machines,  Inc. 

circle  Reader  Service  Number  195 


*  LEARNING 


HOMEWORK 


HINTS 


AND 


I     P     S 


FROM 


OUR 


READERS 


Nothing  encourages  success 
as  much  as  success  ilself. 
This  is  as  true  for  some 
school  children  as  it  is  for 
most  entrepreneurs,  so 
tr>-  using  the  spreadsheet, 
an  old  favorite  of  the 
business  world,  to  get 
your  kids  motivated  in 
the  education  world. 
Start  by  setting  up  a 
spreadsheet  to  keep  track  of  grades.  If 
you  have  more  than  one  child,  you 
can  set  up  their  scores  on  the  same 
spreadsheet.  However,  don't  try  to 
compare  the  kids'  scores  against  each 
other:  The  assignments  won't  be  com- 
parable and  the  subsequent  rivalry 
wouldn't  be  constructive. 

For  each  child,  name  the  spread- 
sheet columns  after  the  assignments 
you're  tracking.  For  example,  call 
them  .Addition  Test,  Subtraction  Test, 
Fractions  Project,  and  so  on.  You 
may  not  know  how  many  tests  your 
children  will  take,  but  you  can  always 
add  new  columns  as  you  go.  Make 
sure  to  name  the  row  after  the  child 
being  tracked. 

To  get  a  graph  for  the  per- 
formance of  each  child,  follow  the 
charting  instructions  included  with 
your  spreadsheet.  Use  the  line  graph, 
as  it  presents  a  history'  of  your  child's 
performance,  showing  improvements 
and  declines. 

Before  you  start  this  project,  con- 
sider whether  your  child  would  re- 
spond well  to  this  kind  of  motivation. 
Troubled  students — those  with  learn- 
ing disabilities  or  emotional  stress — 
might  not  benefit  from  this  kind  of 
evaluation. 

Aiming  High 

For  more  motivation,  try  calculating 
what  test  score  your  child  needs  to 
earn  in  order  to  jump  into  the  next 
grade  range.  For  example,  if  I  have  an 
87  average  after  three  tests,  what 
would  I  need  to  make  on  my  fourth 
test  in  order  to  have  an  A  average? 
You  can  use  the  same  spread- 
sheet you  set  up  to  chart  your  child's 
progress.  Just  below  the  row  of  test 


scores  (mine  are  80,  100,  and  81),  set 
up  a  cell  to  hold  the  child's  average.  I 
used  cell  C5.  Select  the  cell  that  will 
hold  the  average  (C5,  in  our  example), 
and  type  =  AVG(C3:Z3).  In  this  case, 
C3  is  the  cell  that  holds  my  first  score, 
Z3  is  the  cell  that  will  hold  my  last 
score,  and  the  colon  instructs  the 
spreadsheet  to  average  the  infor- 
mation in  any  filled  cell  between  those 
two  points.  The  cell,  Z3,  is  an  arbi- 
trary choice  for  the  last  cell;  I'm  just 
assuming  that  I  won't  have  more  than 
24  grades.  It's  easy  enough  to  change 
this  by  going  into  the  formula  and 
adding  more  cells  to  the  range.  The 
spreadsheet  will  count  the  filled  cells 
in  that  range  (that  is,  only  the  cells 
that  hold  grades)  and  use  that  number 
in  the  averaging  function. 


of  the  equation  figures  out  what  total 
score  I  need  to  bring  up  my  average  to 
90.  The  second  half  totals  my  current 
test  scores.  In  short,  I'm  subtracting 
what  it  took  to  make  my  current  aver- 
age from  what  it  would  take  to  make 
the  higher  average,  and  the  answer  is 
the  score  I  must  aim  for  (99  in  this 
example). 

Check  the  documentation  for 
your  spreadsheet  to  see  if  the  AVG 
and  COUNT  functions  are  available 
to  you.  If  they're  not,  you'll  have  to 
write  your  own  functions.  That's  not 
too  hard:  Simply  type  =SUM(C3: 
E3)/3  for  the  average,  where  C3  is  the 
first  cell  that  holds  a  grade,  E3  is  the 
last,  and  3  is  the  number  of  cells.  For 
the  score  that  would  improve  your  let- 
ter-grade average,  type  =C8*4-SUM 


Fitu    Mil    Print    .Sulccl    Fopn,il    Options    Chart    USikIdu 
ft  B  C  D  E  F 


Test  1  Test  2       Test  3       lest  4       Tests 

Heidi  88  IBB 

fluerage        Grade  Heedetl 


Desired  fliwrage 


lie 


A  simple  spreadsheet  formula  figures  the  score  you  need  on  your  next  test. 


Now  my  average  shows  in  cell 
C5.  In  this  example,  my  average  is  87 
after  three  tests.  I  want  my  average  to 
be  90  or  better,  so  I  select  cell  C8  and 
type  90.  If  I  needed  to  move  from  a  C 
average  to  a  B,  or  if  my  teacher's  scale 
put  an  A  at  94, 1  could  move  to  cell 
C8  and  change  the  number  to  fit  those 
needs.  To  figure  what  score  is  needed 
to  move  from  an  87  to  a  90  average 
(which  would  move  my  grade  from  a 
B  to  an  A),  select  cell  D5  and  type 
=  C8*(COUNT(C3:Z3)+  1)-SUM 
(C3:Z3).  In  this  case,  C8  holds  the 
grade  point  average  I  need  to  earn  an 
A.  The  COUNT  function  counts  all 
filled  cells  in  the  range  (C3:Z3),  much 
as  the  AVG  function  did.  We  added  1 
to  account  for  my  next  test.  That  half 


(C3:E3),  where  C8  refers  to  the  desired 
average,  4  is  the  number  of  tests 
you've  taken  plus  the  one  you're 
about  to  take,  and  (C3:E3)  refers  to 
the  scores  for  the  tests  you've  already 
taken.  The  only  drawback  to  this 
method  is  that  you'll  have  to  change 
the  formula  each  time  your  child  takes 
another  test. 
Heidi  E.  H.  Aycock 
Chapel  Hill,  NC 

Do  you  have  advice  that  makes  a  bet- 
ter teacher  out  of  your  PC?  If  so,  we'd 
like  to  hear  from  you.  Send  vour  tip, 
no  matter  how  brief  to  COMPUTE! 
Feedback.  P.O.  Box  5406.  Greensboro, 
North  Carolina  27403.  If  we  publish 
your  suggestion,  we'll  send  you  a  gift.B 


98       COMPUTEI 


JANUARY        1990 


EAT  SWORD, 
LIZARD  UPS! 


Employ  all  of  your  cunning  to 
cannuer  the  CastJe  Guardians. 


NOW, 


DRIV'EA 


#1  ARCADE 


HIT  TO 


THE  HILT. 


The  Time:  Many  centuries  ago,  I^^^^HI^'as  clear. 
The  Place:  Lograth.  the  mythical  land  of  perdition  and  doom. 

You  are  Rastan;  the  bravest  warrior  lord  in  Lograth.The  male 
olent  Castle  King  holds  the  world  in  his  deadly  reign  of  darkness] 
A  life-or-death  confrontation  is  vour  destiny.  i 

s 

Endowed  with  iron  strength  and  lightning  reflexes,  you  set 
forth.  Your  perilous  quest  to  save  the  land  takes  you  over  raging 
■•  ■    '  .:  -s-fj-        rivers  and  volcanic  gorges.  Horrid 

'^       gargoyles,  demonic  dragons,  and  the 
/retched  servants  of  the  Castie  King ; 
uiust  taste  the  fire  of  your  sword,     j 

:  So  summon  your  courage  and  call; 


>M^X\jJ«4V>I^Vjjtaif>t  i^^  > 


'  •/-#  ','1  tju  •>'»  tj',  I,', »,',  I 

tr  *.  ir  *J ,',  ♦.  .'r  «<  ;/*,  ,•-'«,  ,•/», ,'. 


miglitYFirBSwa. 


■:m  wmm 


Whitewater  and  chasms  of  fi 


leeLs  Goyle  arcade  epic.  From  Taito? 


and  the  reign  of  terror. 


Lookfor  thisTaito  iiit  at  your  local  retailer,  orcall  1-800-663-8067  for  further  information. 

Acwal  IBM  va*  and  .*ppfe  n  GS  serpens  shorn.  i>[hfr  computer  forraasmavmn.  Taiio'  and  Raslan"  ire  rcRbtered  trademnrtv  nf 'laito  Ameriia  CorporaUon.  CopvtiBhi  (5 1*189.  AL  rights  resemd 

IBM  and  Apple  are  resisiered  Iradcmarlcs  iw(i«iiv-el>  of  iniiThaiional  Business  Madiines.  Inc.  and  AppleComputer.  Inc. 

CIrcIa  Reader  Svndce  Number  19t 


REVIEWS 


WRITE  WELL,  PRINT  POSTSCRIPT,  FLUSH  FLOOZ,  TELL  TALES, 
TALK  THROUGH  WINDOWS,  ZAP  ALIENS,  MAIM  MATH 
MARTIANS,  SPIN  SPELLS,  CRAFT  WORDS,  AND  MORE. 


VOLKSWRITER  4 

Try  weighing  Volkswriter 
4's  good  points  against  its 
bad  points  and  the  scale 
balances  evenly.  The  ad- 
vantages simply  don'l 
cancel  the  disadvantages. 
On  the  good-points  side 
of  the  scale,  you  have 
speed.  You  can't  outtype 
Volkswriter  4  and,  though 
it  doesn't  reformat  text  at 
the  speed  of  light,  your  pages  take 
shape  pretty  quickly.  Finding  and  re- 
placing is,  in  fact,  lightning-fast. 

Also  on  the  good  side  of  the  scale 
is  Volkswriter  4'i  list  of  features.  This 
package  boasts  file  merging  that  is  as 
simple  and  elegant  as  you'll  find  in 
any  other  word  processor.  You  have 
plenty  of  formatting  choices — regular 
tabs,  decimal  tabs,  indented  para- 
graphs for  long  quotations,  and  so  on. 
Style  sheets  transfer  layouts  from  file 
to  file,  but  they  aren't  as  powerful  as 
those  in  some  of  the  more  popular 
packages.  As  you  find  in  much  more 
loudly  praised  word  processors, 
there's  an  option  for  sorting  column 
information,  and  there's  a  function 
that  performs  mathematical  opera- 
tions on  columns  of  numbers. 

Most  writers  would  demand  that 
a  word  processor  include  a  spelling 
checker,  and  Volkswriter  4  answers 
that  demand  more  than  sufficiently. 
One  of  its  most  significant  strengths — 
and  biggest  selling  points — is  its  gram- 
mar and  spelling  checker. 

Correct  Grammar  is  a  very  apt 
grammar  checker.  But,  although  I  ap- 
preciated its  thoroughness,  some 
people  may  find  this  computer  gram- 
marian a  little  overcautious. 

The  checker  stops  very  often, 
sometimes  on  sentences  that  you've 


written  with  a  particular  style  in 
mind — perhaps  on  a  sentence  frag- 
ment, included  for  poetic  reasons. 
And  it  stops  on  every  single  sentence 
that  you  start  with  a  conjunction,  pa- 
tronistically  telling  you,  "It  is  prefera- 
ble to  avoid  starting  a  sentence  with  a 
conjunction."  (If  you  ask  me,  it's  pref- 
erable to  be  more  direct  and  simply 
say,  "Don't  stan  a  sentence  with  a 
conjunction  unless  you  have  a  good 
reason.")  Sentences  that  are  written  in 
passive  voice,  however,  aren't  flagged. 
I  confess  that  I  shook  my  fist  at  the 
computer  a  few  times. 


Verify  and  change  spelling  mistakes 
with  VolkswrltBt's  spelling  checker. 

Correct  Grammar  finds  most  er- 
rors but,  because  it  has  to  follow  rules, 
you  can  trick  it  into  thinking  you've 
written  grammatically  graceful  prose 
even  when  you've  really  written  non- 
sense. It  didn't,  for  example,  catch  the 
word  taught  used  in  a  place  where  taut 
would  have  been  the  right  choice. 

AH  in  all,  Correct  Grammar  is  a 
good  utility,  but  if  you  get  too  frustrat- 
ed, turn  off  the  grammar  checker  and 
simply  check  spelling. 

Volkswriter  4'i  negative  points 
aren't  as  numerous,  but  each  one 
weighs  heavily  against  the  program 
and  is  linked  to  the  program's  inter- 
face. It  simply  isn't  intuitive  enough. 
You  can't  guess  at  anything,  and  even 
the  help  screen  takes  some  decipher- 


ing. Thank  goodness  the  manual  is  so 
well  written  or  you'd  be  in  real 
trouble. 

Volkswriter  4  isn't  menu-driven, 
and  there's  no  mouse  support  either; 
it's  function-key  driven.  Until  you 
learn  which  key  controls  which  opera- 
tion, the  interface  can  be  very  hard  to 
figure  out. 

For  example,  the  escape  key 
closes  your  file  unexpectedly  and  un- 
saved. Finding  text  is  equally  clumsy. 
Hit  F7  to  find  text,  hit  it  again  to  keep 
finding  that  same  text  string,  Volks- 
writer 4  searches  through  your  docu- 
ment, looping  from  end  to  beginning 
until  you  stop  hitting  F7.  It  never  tells 
you  that  you're  at  the  end  of  the  docu- 
ment. You  must  hit  FIO  and  then  F7 
to  change  the  text  string.  If  thai 
doesn't  sound  like  a  bother,  you  prob- 
ably won't  mind  the  interface.  Word- 
Perfect users  have  lived  with  this 
function-key  style  of  movement  for 
years — but  even  they  are  getting 
menus  and  mouse  support  in  the  lat- 
est version  of  that  package. 

If  you  can  live  with  the  quirki- 
ness  and  obscurity  of  the  commands, 
then  you  might  get  a  lot  out  of 
Volkswriter  4.  And,  actually  if  Volks- 
writer 4  \^  your  first  word  processor, 
you  might  not  be  as  critical  of  the  pro- 
gram's interface  as  I  was. 

However,  if  you  need  a  smooth 
and  simple  interface  as  much  as  you 
need  power  and  variety  in  features, 
this  word  processor  is  out  of  balance.  > 

HEIDIE.  H.  AYCOCK 


IBM  PCs  and  compatibles  with  384K— 
SI  95 

Requires  hard  drive  and  512K  for  Gram- 
mar Checker 

VOLKSWRITER 
P.O.  Box  1429 
Monterey,  CA  93942 
(408)373^718 


100 


COMPUTE! 


JANUARY       1990 


COHFUUBFB&^yOi 


M^^"* 


Fool  of  Radiaike  uses  the  legendary 
ADVAnCED  DUHQEOriS  fif  DRAQOMS'  role- 
playing  system  to  make  all  your  computer 
gaming  fantasies  come  true.  Embark  on  dan- 
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stricUy  to  AD&D'  game  standards.  Prepare 
yourself  for  the  ultimate  fantasy  role-playing 

experiencel 

MAcrprrosH 

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IBM 
APPLE n 

ConrHC  Soon: 
AMIGA 
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APPLE  11  OS 


'M'ilrpi 


Heroes  of  im  Lai\(x  gives  you  non-stop 
excitement  and  fully  animated  action  in 
the  mystical  DRAQORLANCE'  game  world. 
Guide  eight  Companions,  each  with  different 
skills,  deep  into  the  treacherous  ruins  of  the 
temple  Xak  Tsaroth.  They'll  need  all  your 
skills  to  help  them  survive  the  attaci^  of 
giant  spiders,  demons,  dragons  and  count- 
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Disks  of 
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if  you  dare! 


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■^ 


ADVANCED  DUNGEONS  i  DRAGONS,  AD&D,  FORGOnEN 
RMLMS,  DRAGONLANCE  snS  Ihc  TSfl  logo  are  Irademsrks 
owned:  by  and  used  under  license  frcm  TSR,  Inc.  ©1969 TSR.  Ire. 
EI19S9  Slralegic  Simulations,  Inc.  Ml  rtghts  leurved. 


1 


HiiLSFAR  is  the  training  grounds  for  your 
heroes.  Transfer  your  characters  from 
Pool  of  Radiance  or  Curse  of  the  Azure 
Bonds  and  increase  their  skills  through 
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characters'  statistics  will  actually  improve. 
They  will  emerge  from  Hillsfar  more  pre- 
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ing. 

AHIGA 
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IBM 

To  Order:  Visit  your  retalier  or  call  1-800-245-4525 
to  charge  on  VISA  or  MasterCard.  To  receive  SSI's 
complete  product  catalog,  send  Sl.OO  to;  SSI, 
675  Almanor  Avenue,  Sunnyvale,  CA  94086. 


GOSGRIPT 


Professional-quality  desk- 
top publishing  output 
doesn't  come  cheap,  with 
PostScript  laser  printers 
costing  over  $3,000. 
LaserGo's  GoScript  soft- 
ware is  an  inexpensive  al- 
ternative to  purchasing  a 
laser  printer.  With  Go 
Script,  you  can  print  files 
intended  for  a  PostScript 
printer  on  inexpensive  dot-matrix, 
ink-jet,  and  low-end  laser  printers. 
GoScript  translates  PostScript 
code  into  bitmaps  that  can  be  printed 
on  non-PostScript  printers.  PostScript 
is  a  page-description  language  that's 
used  to  describe  complex  formatting 
information  to  laser  printers.  One  of 
its  most  usefiil  features  is  that  it  al- 
lows you  to  scale  fonts  to  any  size. 
Unlike  most  other  printers,  which 
only  print  in  a  few  type  sizes,  Post- 
Script printers  can  produce  type  in 
sizes  ranging  from  minuscule  to  gar- 
gantuan. They  can  also  print  reversed 
and  rotated  text,  a  feat  unmanageable 
by  simpler  laser  printers. 

With  GoScripi,  a  LaserJet,  Etesk- 
Jet,  or  dot-matrix  printer  can  print 
many  of  the  same  files  you  could  print 
to  an  expensive  PostScript  printer, 
complete  with  high-quality  fonts  and 
EPS  (Encapsulated  PostScript)  graph- 
ics. I  say  many  because  I  encountered 
files  that  were  too  complex  for  the 
program  to  print. 

While  it's  obvious  why  a  DeskJet 
or  dot-matrix  user  would  use  Go- 
Script,  LaserJet  or  compatible  owners 
will  also  benefit.  For  example,  the 
LaserJet  can  print  neither  reversed 
nor  rotated  type.  GoScript  can  give 
you  both  these  effects. 

Printing  with  GoScript  is  a  two- 
step  process.  First  you  create  a  Post- 
Script file,  and  then  you  print  it  using 
GoScript.  PostScript  files  can  be  creat- 
ed two  ways:  You  can  create  page  lay- 
outs using  a  desktop  publishing,  word 
processing,  or  graphics  program  and 
print  to  disk  in  PostScript  format;  or, 
because  PostScript  is  a  computer  lan- 
guage, you  can  write  programs  to  pro- 
duce graphics  files.  To  print,  you 
simply  type  GS  followed  by  the  name 
of  the  PostScript  file. 

Print  times  vary  with  the  com- 
plexity of  the  files  and  the  speed  of 
your  hardware.  Without  at  least  I 
megabyte  of  memory,  GoScript  is 
forced  to  do  all  of  its  computations  on 
your  hard  disk,  which  makes  the  pro- 
gram extremely  slow  and  inefficient. 
On  an  8-MHz  AT-compatible  with 
1.25  megabytes  of  EMS  memory,  a 


page  with  mostly  text  with  three  small 
line-art  files  took  approximately  2'/i 
minutes  to  print  on  a  LaserJet  at  300 
dpi.  On  the  same  computer  without 
EMS,  the  same  page  took  almost  20 
minutes  to  print.  An  actual  PostScript 
laser  printer  took  only  !  minute  to 
print  the  page,  so  2 'A  minutes  is  a 
reasonable  amount  of  time,  but  20 
minutes  is  simply  not  practical.  Files 
with  bitmapped  images  from  paint 
programs  or  scanners  will  take  sub- 
stantially more  time,  with  or  with- 
out EMS. 


GoScript  gives  you  taser-printer-quality 
output  from  your  dot-matrix  printer. 

Having  EMS  memory  also  helps 
dot-matrix  and  ink-jet  print  times. 
Printing  the  same  file  on  an  Epson  9- 
pin  without  EMS  took  22  minutes  and 
42  seconds;  with  EMS,  it  look  9  min- 
utes and  26  seconds.  The  HP  DeskJet 
showed  a  similar  improvement,  print- 
ing the  page  in  25  minutes  and  49  sec- 
onds without  EMS,  and  5  minutes 
and  35  seconds  with  it.  (All  print 
times  are  for  the  printer's  highest 
resolution.) 

I  tested  GoScript  with  files  creat- 
ed by  WordPerfect  5.0,  GEM  Ariline, 
and  Ventura  Publisher.  In  most  cases 
the  files  printed  perfectly.  However, 
using  WordPerfect,  a  page  with  one 
graphic  would  only  print  if  the  body 
text  was  unjustified.  When  1  justified 
the  text,  GoScript  could  not  print  the 
file,  even  with  580K  of  available 
memory.  LaserGo  suggests  you  re- 
move all  TSRs  and  device  drivers  to 
ensure  that  you  have  as  much  memo- 
ry as  possible,  but  even  then  there 
were  files  that  wouldn't  print.  This 
can  be  especially  frustrating  because 
you  can  waste  several  minutes  before 
GoScript  announces  that  it  can't  print 
the  file. 

GoScript  also  had  problems  with 
some  Corel  Draw  files.  Pages  with 
fountains  (continuous  tones  of  gray 


progressing  from  light  to  dark)  took  so 
long  to  print  that  I  thought  the  pro- 
gram was  frozen.  A  LaserGo  represen- 
tative said  that  even  with  EMS,  Corel 
Draw's  fountains  can  take  up  to  an 
hour  and  a  half  to  create  on  an  80386 
PC  or  four  hours  on  an  80286  setup. 
Also,  you  must  manually  add  a  Show- 
page  command  to  some  Corel  Draw 
files  with  a  text  editor  before  you  can 
print  them  with  GoScripi. 

GoScript  includes  the  same  1 3 
typefaces  that  are  built  into  basic 
PostScript  printers.  The  fonts  are 
sharp,  well  designed,  and  look  good 
even  at  small  point  sizes.  The  Roman 
font  looked  odd  when  printed  at  12 
points,  however.  Because  all  of  the  in- 
cluded fonts  are  PostScript-width- 
compatible,  you  can  use  GoScript  to 
accurately  proof  pages  that  will  even- 
tually go  to  a  PostScript  printer  or 
typesetter. 

GoScript  can  add  more  desktop 
publishing  power  to  your  printer.  If 
you  can  work  around  the  occasional 
incompatible  file  and  you  have  plenty 
of  time  or  memory,  this  program 
gives  you  PostScript  power  without  a 
PostScript  price. 

DANIEL  WILL-HARRIS 


IBM  PC  and  compatibles  with  DOS  3.0  or 
later,  640K,  and  a  hard  disk;  ofie  mega- 
byte of  EMS  merrory  recommended — 
$195 
A  version  with  35  PostScript  (onts— $395 

LASERGO 

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Suite  A 

San  Diego,  CA  92126 

(619)530-2400 


PIPE  DREAM 

To  be  a  plumber,  you've 
got  to  learn  the  basics. 
And  the  first  basic  is  this: 
It  takes  more  than  a  new 
leather  tool  belt  and  a 
shiny  wrench.  It  takes 
experience,  common 
sense,  and,  most  of  all,  a 
feel  for  the  odds.  What 
are  the  odds  that  you're 
going  to  pick  the  right 
pipe  joint  from  the  box  when  all  the 
li^ts  are  out  and  all  the  flooz  is 
flowing? 

The  odds  are  better  if  you  stick 
with  me.  I'll  show  you  the  ins  and 
outs  of  the  flooz,  the  twists  and  turns 
of  the  pipes.  I'll  show  you  how  to  win 
in  the  plumbing  war,  the  game  we  hke 
to  call  Pipe  Dream. 

First  off",  you've  got  to  learn 
about  the  flooz.  Now  water — hot 
water,  cold  water,  clean  water,  rusty 


102       COMPUTEI 


JANUARY       1990 


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J 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  146 


water — it's  no  big  thing.  We  can  easily 
deal  with  water.  But  flooz,  flooz  is  an- 
other story  altogether.  When  the  green 
flooz  flows  onto  the  floor,  you  don't 
get  a  puddle,  you  get  a  monster.  You 
get  lost.  It's  fast-moving  goo  that 
moves  sure  and  steady  through  all  the 
trouble  spots  in  your  pipes.  So  just 
keep  adding  pipe  segments  to  that  tan- 
gled nest  of  copper  snakes,  and  hope 
that  the  flooz  doesn't  pick  up  speed. 

Now  that  you  understand  the 
flooz,  let's  move  on  to  the  tools.  You 
get  around  the  web  of  pipes  with  a 
mouse  or  a  keyboard.  (No  sense  wear- 
ing holes  in  the  knees  of  your  cover- 
alls.) There's  a  frame  that  you  move 
around  in  your  work  area,  and  when 
you  find  a  place  where  you  want  to 
put  the  next  pipe,  just  click  that 
mouse  button  or  the  space  bar  and  the 
segment  hooks  up  to  the  others,  as 
simple  as  that. 

Well,  not  quite  as  simple  as  that. 
See,  when  that  flooz  is  flowing,  you 
don't  have  an  extra  second  to  rifle 
through  the  box  of  pipe  segments  to 
find  the  straight  one  for  that  spot  or 
the  elbow  joint  for  this  spot.  You  just 
take  what's  closest  to  you,  use  that 
pipe,  then  move  on  to  the  next  spot. 
Sometimes,  when  the  flooz  is  really 
flying,  you'll  be  tossing  pipe  parts  this 
way  and  that  way  all  over  the  place. 


Then  you'll  get  to  a  spot  where  you'd 
give  your  best  pair  of  shoes  for  that 
cross  pii>e  you  tossed  aside  a  few  min- 
utes ago,  and  who  knows  when  the 
next  one  will  turn  up? 


Quickly  connect  sections  of  pipe  and 
keep  the  flooz  flowing  in  Pipe  Dream. 

As  you  get  better  at  the  work, 
you'll  come  up  against  tougher  snags. 
Why,  just  the  other  day,  I  was  work- 
ing on  a  place  with  gaps  big  as  your 
boot.  Couldn't  place  a  pipe  there,  no 
way.  Just  had  to  go  around  those  spots. 
A  friend  of  mine  got  a  box  full  of  one- 
way pipes,  and  I  mean  to  tell  you  he 
was  hopping  mad.  Nothing  like  facing 
a  gullet-full  of  green  goo  and  not  hav- 
ing the  right  pipe  to  hold  it. 

When  you  get  into  a  nest  of  pipes, 
you'll  see  some  strange  colors.  Some- 


times you  go  into  a  VGA-equipped 
place  and  you'll  see  bright,  neon  col- 
ors— vibrant  blues,  blinding  green, 
and  glowing  yellow.  Nothing  like  it. 
EGA-type  basements  look  nearly  as 
good.  Other  times  you'll  have  to  go  to 
the  CG.A  side  of  the  tracks,  where  ev- 
erything's pretty  much  rust-colored  or 
black.  Except  tlie  flooz.  The  flooz  is 
always  green. 

Besides  the  colors,  there's  the 
sounds.  The  flooz  has  a  song  all  its 
own.  Sounds  like  a  waterfall  of  lava  or 
a  whirlpool  of  jello.  Not  quite  what 
you'd  call  a  pretty  tune,  but  it's  a 
warning  that  the  flooz  is  flowing. 
Some  folks  say  they  can  hear  some 
other  songs,  too.  I  think  they're  just 
getting  plumb-drunk.  I've  heard  the 
music,  but  I  didn't  really  like  it.  I 
tuned  it  out  pretty  easily,  just  a  simple 
click  of  a  button. 

Getting  into  each  job  isn't  so  sim- 
ple, though.  There's  some  newfangled 
lock  on  ail  the  doors,  something  they 
used  to  call  copy  protection.  Now,  you 
just  have  to  know  the  right  combina- 
tion to  get  in.  Your  boss  will  give  you 
one  of  these  paper  dials,  see.  Just 
match  up  the  picture  on  the  front 
door  with  the  color  and  you'll  see  the 
combination  in  this  slot  right  here. 
Seems  mighty  troublesome,  but  it 
keeps  crooks  out. 


WHEN  REALITY  JUST  ISN'T  ENOUGH. . . 


Take  one  giant  step  beyond  reality!  UFO  puts  you  at  the  conltois  ulan  advanced 
spacecraft  capable  of  aerodynamic  and  quantum  flight.  Yjour  mission;  scour 
planet  Earth  lor  the  fuel  needed  to  power  your  galactic  ships,  then  return  to 
the  orbiting  mother  ship  to  trade  raw  fuel  lor  supplies.  You  Am  al.so  explore 

KbLOClC  Scenery  Disks  in  an  entirely  new  way  wilh  this  easy-to-lly  simula- 
n.  Available  ibr  IBM/compatibles,  Amiga,  and  Atari  ST  compulers  for  the 
suggested  retail  price  of  $49.95.  See  your  dealer,  or  call  SubLOGIC  for  direct 
order  infbr — "' — "'  -  ^ »?      ^ 

UFO  is  a  tradi 
IBM  screen  sh< 


Bin 

lyl!l 

lOGIC 

Corporation 

501  Kenyon  Road 

Champaign,  1L61S20 

TELEPHOrjL    .;"7,  sVlhiV^ 
ORDER  IINE  (8001637-4983 


104       COMPUTEI 


JANUARY        1990 


Circle  Rea<)er  Service  Number  ISO 


On  the  other  hand,  the  people 
who  run  this  business  made  it  pretty 
easy  to  get  in — once  you  have  that 
dial.  The  company  gives  you  a  S'A- 
inch  and  a  3'/4-inch  disk,  so  you  don't 
have  to  worry  about  getting  to  a  job 
and  finding  that  you've  got  the  wrong- 
size  disk. 

Next  job  we  go  to,  I'll  show  you 
how  we  have  some  fun.  We  fight  the 
flooz  together.  The  two  of  us,  hooking 
up  pipes  all  over  the  place,  at  the  same 
time.  When  the  flooz  flows  through, 
we  can  tell  who  laid  the  most  useful 
pipes.  It's  pretty  confusing  at  first,  but 
it's  my  favorite  part  of  the  job. 

Plumbing's  a  tough  job,  and  lots 
of  folks  who  try  it  don't  stick  around 
to  see  what  it  takes  to  clean  up  a  pile 
of  flooz.  But  then  there's  others  who 
can  spell  their  names  in  pipe  joints 
and  never  spill  a  drop  of  the  green 
goo.  They'll  tell  you  that  the  job  has 
got  its  rewards. 

They'll  tell  you  that  even  though 
you  never  win  the  war,  there's  those 
glorious  battles  where  you  take  on  the 
flooz  and  emerge  victorious.  They'll 
tell  you  how  your  blood  races  faster 
than  the  green  goo.  And  how  each  lev- 
el of  the  battle  is — at  the  same  time — 
more  wearing  and  more  challenging, 
more  complicated  and  more  fun. 

If  you've  got  it  in  you  to  fight  the 
flooz,  you  can  get  that  feeling,  too. 

HEIDI  E.  H.  .ttCOCK. 


Amiga— $39.95 
Apple  II— $29.95 
Atari  ST— $39.95 
Commodore  64/t28— $29.95 
IBM  PC  and  compatitiles- $39.95 
Macintosh— $39,95 

LUCASFILM  GAMES 
Distributed  by  Electronic  Arts 
1820  Gateway  Dr. 
San  Mateo.  CA  94404 
(415)571-7171 


A  custom  house  design  is 
the  dream  of  any  home- 
owner, but  the  costs  asso- 
ciated with  that  dream 
have  been,  until  recently, 
pretty  prohibitive.  Design 
Your  Own  Home  bills  it- 
self as  a  tool  with  which 
homeowners  can  produce 
professional  floor  plans 
and  construction  prints  or 
drawings.  To  get  things  started,  sever- 
al standard  floor  plans  come  with  the 
package.  You  can  modify  these  pre- 
drawn plans  or  develop  your  own 
from  scratch. 


To  start  your  home-designing  ca- 
reer, choose  an  option  from  the  main 
menu  or  from  one  of  the  drawing-tool 
icons.  Although  Design  Your  Own 
Home  works  without  a  mouse,  I 
strongly  recommend  using  one.  Menu 
choices,  commands,  and  cursor 
movements  are  clumsy  without  a 
mouse. 

One  of  the  program's  nicer  fea- 
tures is  its  capability  to  make  as  many 
as  four  image  screens  available  at  one 
time.  Although  you  can't  view  the 
screens  simultaneously,  you  can 
switch  among  them  with  a  function 
key  or  the  mouse.  As  you  work,  first 
and  second  floors  lake  shape  along 
with  front  and  side  views  of  your 
dream  house. 

You  can  merge  or  add  previously 
saved  floor  plans  to  new  plans,  and 
you  can  also  compare  an  existing  floor 
plan  with  one  on  disk.  For  drawing, 
there  are  four  difTerent  line  types,  five 
different  line  thicknesses,  and  up  to  16 
different  colors. 

Three  more  items  worth  men- 
tioning are  a  symbols  library,  a  di- 
mensioning box,  and  text  capabilities. 
The  symbols  library'  consists  of  pre- 
drawn architectural  shapes  that  are 
commonly  used  in  floor  plans;  sinks, 
lavatories,  tubs,  wiring,  and  lights,  to 
name  a  few.  You  can  modify  these 


shapes  or  create  your  own. 

Whenever  you  draw  geometric 
shapes  such  as  boxes,  lines,  circles,  or 
arcs,  a  dimensioning  box  at  the  lower 
right  comer  of  the  screen  displays  the 
width,  height,  length,  area,  or  degrees 
of  the  shape,  whichever  measurement 
is  appropriate. 

For  labeling,  you  can  place  two 
sizes  of  text  either  horizontally  or  ver- 
tically. After  selecting  the  text  tool, 
position  the  cursor,  type  the  text,  and 
then  press  the  Enter  key. 

Design  Your  Own  Home  meets 
two  important  software  criteria:  It 
does  what  it's  advertised  to  do,  and 
it's  easy  to  use.  Anybody  who  has 
worked  with  an  object-drawing  pro- 
gram will  easily  pick  up  the  com- 
mands and  menu  structure. 

The  program  does  have  some 
limitations,  however,  especially  when 
you  compare  its  capabilities  to  CAD 
packages  in  the  same  price  range.  For 
example,  the  program  doesn't  let  you 
easily  erase,  move,  or  copy  different 
objects  (unless  they  are  tightly 
grouped),  or  undo  individual  mis- 
takes. You  also  can't  rescale  objects 
that  are  already  drawn  or  change  the 
size  of  text. 

Another  problem  is  the  pro- 
gram's grid  function.  Traditionally,  a 
grid  is  used  to  align  objects  or  drawn 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  175 
JANUARY        1990  COMPUTEI        105 


items  at  regular  intervals.  Eight-fool 
grid  setting  means  that  an  object  (such 
as  a  rectangle,  a  circle,  an  arc,  or  a 
line)  will  only  be  placed  or  started  at 
eight-foot  increments.  With  the  typi- 
cal grid  function,  if  you  locate  the 
mouse  at  less  than  an  eight-foot  dis- 
tance, the  object  automatically  moves 
to  the  closest  eight-foot  interval.  Un- 
fortunately, Design  Your  Own  Home's 
grid  system  cannot  do  this.  Abraca- 
data  is  aware  of  this  problem  and  says 
it  hopes  to  remedy  it  in  the  next 
release. 

If  your  desire  is  to  daydream 
about  what  your  dream  house  could 
be,  this  package  can  assist  you  in  your 
reverie.  But  if  you're  serious  about 
producing  floor  plans  or  construction 
prints,  a  fiiU-featured  C.4D  package 
may  be  more  in  order.  Several  other 
drawing  or  paint  packages  offer  the 
same  capabilities  as  Design  Your  Own 
Home,  excluding  the  symbols  and 
predrawn  floor  plans,  and  come  with 
a  similar  price  tag. 

BRUCE  HAASE 


Apple  il  with  64K— S69.95 

Apple  lias  with  one  megabyte — $89.95 

IBM  PCs  and  compatbles  with  640K  and 

CGA  Of  EGA— S99.95 

Macintosh— S99.95 

ABRACADATA 
P.O.  Box  2440 
Eugene,  OR  97402 
(503)  342-3030 

CROSSIAIK  FOR 
WINDOWS 

Communications  is  proba- 
bly not  high  on  the  list  of 
applications  you'd  think 
would  benefit  from  a 
graphical  user  interface. 
After  using  CrossTalkfor 
Windows,  though,  you'll 
wonder  how  you  ever  got 
by  with  a  text-based  pro- 
gram. Windows'  mtn\x%. 
scroll  bars,  and  poinl- 
and-click  interface  are  a  natural  for 
working  with  such  esoteric  functions 
as  capture  buffers  and  log-on  scripts. 
You'll  need  Microsoft  Windows 
2.03  or  higher  to  use  the  program — a 
runtime  version  of  Windows  isn't  in- 
cluded. Using  the  multitasking  abili- 
ties of  Windows,  you  can  up-  or 
download  files  in  the  background 
while  working  with  other  Windoyvs- 
based  software  such  as  Ami,  Arts  & 
Letters,  or  Excel.  For  instance,  you 
could  enter  E.vce/.  have  a  macro  call 
up  Crosstalk  for  Windows,  and  down- 
load stock  information  from  Compu- 


Serve using  Windows' Dynamic  Data 
Exchange  facility  to  place  the  infor- 
mation directly  into  the  worksheet. 

Crosstalk  for  Windows  emulates 
a  number  of  popular  terminals,  in- 
cluding VT52/ 1 02,  IBM  3101,  and 
VIDTEX.  The  program  also  supports 
IBM  ANSI  graphics,  so  you  can  view 
all  of  the  neat  graphics  on  your  local 
bulletin  board  system. 


The  file-transfer  status  is  portrayed 
graphically  in  Crosstalk  for  Windows. 

Crosstalk  for  W-^^^^ok'j' powerful 
script  language  allows  you  to  auto- 
mate online  sessions.  This  BASIC-like 
language  can  access  all  of  the  program's 
functions.  However,  most  users  won't 
have  to  learn  the  script  language,  since 
sample  log-on  scripts  for  various  on- 
line sendees  are  included  with  the 
package. 

The  program  supports  a  variety 
of  file-transfer  protocols,  including 
XMODEM,  YMODEM,  2M0DEM, 
Crosstalk,  DART,  CompuServe  B. 
and  Kermit.  You  can  also  do  .ASCII 
text  transfers.  Crosstalk  for  Windows 
handles  baud  rates  up  to  19,200. 

The  powerful  text-management 
system  lets  you  capture,  edit,  and  send 
text  without  leaving  the  program  or 
breaking  off  communications.  A  large 
scroll  buffer  captures  text  as  it  appears 
on  the  screen.  You  can  set  the  size  of 
the  buffer  up  to  64K.  You  can  edit 
text  in  this  buffer  by  clicking  on  the 
menu  bar  to  activate  the  scroll  system. 
When  you've  finished  making  your 
changes,  double-clicking  on  the  menu 
bar  returns  you  to  the  communica- 
tions program. 

You  can  use  the  mouse  to  initiate 
any  Crosstalk  for  Windows  command 
or  function.  Double-clicking  the 
mouse  on  an  empty  space  on  the 
screen  will  send  a  carriage  return, 
while  double-clicking  on  the  first  char- 
acter of  a  word  will  transmit  that 
word  as  if  you'd  typed  it. 

You  can  create  up  to  48  separate 
macros,  which  are  displayed  by  key- 
word at  the  bottom  of  the  screen. 
Clicking  on  the  keyword  sends  the 
macro.  Macro  assignments  are  saved 
along  with  the  instructions  and  de- 


faults for  each  system  you  want  to  use. 
Whether  you  are  calling  MCI  Mail  or 
CompuServe,  Crosstalk  for  Windows 
comes  up  customized  for  that 
environment. 

Even  if  you  don't  already  know 
how  to  use  Windows,  you'll  be  im- 
pressed by  how  easy  Crosstalk  for 
Windows  is  to  use.  All  features  are  ac- 
cessed through  four  pull-down  menus. 
Each  menu  has  submenus  that  will 
pop  up  dialog  boxes  with  examples, 
information,  items  to  type  in,  or  but- 
tons to  click  on. 

I  told  Crosstalk  for  Windows  that 
I  had  a  Hayes-compatible  2400-baud 
modem,  and  it  automatically  set  all  of 
the  parameters  for  communicating 
with  the  modem.  About  the  only  thing 
you'll  need  to  type  is  your  name,  your 
user  ID  for  each  of  the  services  you 
use,  your  passwords,  and  the  phone 
number  you  use  to  reach  those 
services. 

I  couldn't  find  anything  I  disliked 
about  Crosstalk  for  Windows.  It's  the 
best  communications  program  I've 
ever  used. 

WOODVLISWOOD 


IBM  PC  and  conrpalibles  vjiV\  Microsoft 
Windows— $^9S 


CROSSTALK  CCiMMUNiCATIONS 
1000  Holcomb  Wbods  Pkwy. 
Rosweil.  GA  30076-2575 
(404)  998-3998 


You've  just  entered 
strange  worid  of  Psygno- 
sis's  Menace.  You're  fly- 
ing a  short-range  fighter 
through  a  vast  array  of 
guardians,  creatures,  and 
weapons  that  will  try  to 
foil  your  mission.  They 
all  have  different 
strengths  and  attack 
methods.  Defeating  them 
requires  quick  decisions,  split-second 
reactions,  and  the  proper  method  of 
attack. 

The  gameplay  takes  some  getting 
used  to.  You  must  use  both  hands  and 
five  keys  to  control  your  ship.  Once 
you  get  accustomed  to  flying  the  ship, 
the  game  gets  good.  Wiping  out  the 
entire  Draconian  sortie  on  the  screen 
leaves  matter  that  can  be  converted 
into  new  weapons  for  your  ship. 
You'll  develop  new  strategies  to  anni- 
hilate enemies,  and  as  you  pick  up 
new  weapons  you'll  find  the  Dracon- 
ians  become  mincemeat  under  your 
improved  laser  and  cannon  fire. 

In  typical  Psygnosis  fashion,  the 
graphics  are  superb.  Animated  mon- 


106       COMPUTE 


JANUARY        1990 


sters  maneuver  over  horizontally 
scrolling  scenery.  Everything  is 
smooth  and  flicker-free. 

The  sounds  are  typical  shoot- 
'em-up  effects.  Shots,  collisions,  ex- 
plosions, and  lasers  add  energy  to  the 
game.  Even  on  the  IBM  speaker,  the 
well-done  sound  effects  keep  players 
on  the  edge  of  their  chairs. 

Be  forewarned  that  this  is  an  ad- 
dictive game  and  you  probably  won't 
have  any  short  play  sessions.  If  fast- 
paced  enemy  blasting  appeals  to  you 
and  you  appreciate  smoothly  animat- 
ed graphics,  give  Menace  a  try. 

RICHARDC.  LEINECKER 


Amiga  ~$a9.9S 
Atari  ST— S29.95 
Commodore  64/1 28— $24.95 
IBM  PC  and  compatibles-.S39.95 

PSYGNOSIS 

1  St  Floor,  Port  of  Liverpool  Bidg. 
Pier  Head 
„„,UvBrpool,UKL31BY 

MATH  CASTLE 

There's  trouble  in  the  Land 
of  Given,  and  it's  up  to 
your  child  to  save  the 
day.  Welcome  to  Math 
Castle,  a  new  educational 
program  from  Envision. 
Alien  spacecraft  are 
headed  toward  your  cas- 
tle. You  have  just  one 
chance  to  stop  them:  the 
Super  Energy  Beam, 
which  zaps  them  with  pure  brain  pow- 
er and  uses  math  problems  as  the  cat- 
alyst to  make  it  happen. 

A  steady  stream  of  invaders  is 
raining  from  the  skies,  and  whenever 
one  appears,  a  math  problem  appears, 
loo.  Answer  the  problem  correctly 
and  you  activate  the  castle's  Super  En- 
eiTgy  Beam  and  zap  the  invader.  If 
your  answer  is  wrong,  the  aliens  blast 
the  castle's  protective  force  field.  If 
you  miss  loo  many  problems,  the 
force  field  fails,  the  aliens  bring  in  the 
Ultimate  Castle  Destroyer,  and  your 
castle  is  history. 

Math  Castle's  main  menu  offers 
addition,  subtraction,  multiplication, 
and  division  problems  and  1 2  play 
levels.  The  levels  don't  directly  relate 
to  difficulty  but  instead  determine 
which  numbers  are  emphasized  in  the 
problems.  For  instance,  selecting  level 
7  and  addition  presents  addition 
problems  that  involve  the  number  7 
(7  +  1,  5  -F  7,  or  3  -I-  4,  for  example). 
Additional  levels  up  to  40  are  avail- 
able through  a  user  options  screen. 

The  learning  mode,  which  con- 
sists of  target  practice  at  the  Weapons 


Training  Center,  is  great  for  getting 
the  feel  of  the  game,  but  the  real  ac- 
tion is  in  the  regular  play  mode. 
There,  onscreen  monitors  track  your 
remaining  shield  energy  and  your  to- 
tal score.  Correct  answers  zap  invad- 
ers, but  if  you  make  a  mistake,  the 
invaders  let  you  have  it.  A  warning 
appears  on  the  screen,  followed  by  the 
correct  answer,  and  you  gel  to  try 
again  with  the  same  problem.  This 
continues  until  you  blast  all  the  aliens 
or  run  out  of  shield  energy. 

Math  Castle's  problems  come  in 
predefined  sets,  and  all  problem  sets 
are  listed  in  the  manual.  You  can  also 
create  your  own  custom  problem 
sets — a  feature  that  teachers  and  par- 
ents are  sure  to  appreciate.  Math  Cas- 
tle will  store  as  many  as  1 2  custom 
sets,  each  with  up  to  76  individual 
problems. 

Math  Castle  is  designed  to  rein- 
force general  math  skills  rather  than 
to  teach  a  specific  operation  such  as 
carrying.  It  accepts  multidigit  answers 
in  tens/ones  format.  That  is,  the  cor- 
rect answer  to  7  -h  8  would  be  entered 
by  typing  a  1  and  then  a  5  ( 1 5).  There 
is  no  need  to  press  Return.  This  ap- 
proach lets  the  program  quickly  detect 
wrong  answers. 

Math  Castle  is  a  positive  pro- 
gram, even  when  problems  are 


missed.  If  your  child's  defense  wasn't 
perfect,  the  program  transports  him  or 
her  to  the  Weapons  Training  Center 
for  practice  with  the  missed  problems. 
Practice  sessions  continue  until  the 
child  correctly  answers  each  problem 
that  was  missed.  These  review  ses- 
sions can  be  bypassed,  although  you'll 
probably  want  to  leave  them  in  place. 


You  have  to  answer  this  problem  quickly 
to  protect  the  Math  Castle  from  aliens. 

Recognizing  that  children  love  to 
see  their  names  in  lights,  Math  Castle 
maintains  a  tally  of  the  top  ten  scores 
for  each  level.  Even  when  playing 
alone,  children  may  find  the  Hall  of 
Fame  to  be  a  great  incentive.  In  fact, 
my  daughter  wouldn't  rest  until  she 
had  placed  her  name  in  all  ten  posi- 
tions— and  by  the  time  she  was 


Episode  One...    " 

Jetting  a*air  hum  i^tif'l 
island,  the  Qiteit  teon  is  off  tH 
inltiguing  myslftYin^^lC  jmigledaikn^Ji^' 
of  Gualcmolo.  .WJio  is  siBoIing  the  ^M^'y' 
Moyon/'Diliftrcli?  Wlint  le^regji^'lr 
Ac  liifeclT  Temple  ol  Tit  "" ""' 
splinter  of  licoven?    "J 

ionny  Ouesf  Qi\i\e  ^Hiilicof 
Heovcn  possesses  u!l  'tSe  Adidi^  dud^ 
suspense  of  llie  gnimated  series.  Plus  yrni 
tlioose  lliB  loufsi!  of  ndvcnlurt  witlt 
inlcriKtivc  dialogue  and  hands  on  tiglilln| 
sequenres.  Itre  world  Is  yours  la  exploieX 
-  Olid  yo'UiWiirfecl  lilie  you'ic  in  it  os  you  ^^ 
,.  salve  ppnles  ond  lomljoi  ervemies  s ' " 
oltcmpiing  to  solve  the  myslciy;    ' ,  , 

Episode  One  is  just  the  begintiii 
Slay  luncfl  for  further  Jnslallolionsint 
ongoing  series  ol  stand  olonc  r-*— —■ 


PRODUCTIONS,  INt  /' 

AWsifsrA    :    - 

ImJjWWjJ^inS  l)»fuil!t»'IM;S!!!Ml 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  160 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    1 


107 


through,  1  could  see  a  noticeable  im- 
provement in  her  ability  to  answer 
that  particular  set  of  problems. 

According  to  the  packaging,  Math 
Castle  is  designed  for  children  in 
grades  3-12;  however,  it  doesn't  seem 
sophisticated  enough  to  hold  the  at- 
tention of  the  usual  action-oriented 
teen.  But  with  most  elementary- 
school  children,  it's  sure  to  be  a  hit. 
It's  definitely  worth  checking  out  if 
you're  looking  for  a  package  to  help 
your  kids  build  math  skills. 

STEVE  HUDSON 


Apple  It— $34.95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles— $39.95 

ENVISION  SOFTWARE 

720  S.  333  St. 

Suite  203 

Federal  Way.  WA  98003 

(800)468-6555 


FAERY  1ALE 
ADVENTURE 

Dne  of  the  best-animated, 
role-playing  games  ever 
seen  on  the  Amiga  has 
ventured  into  the  realm 
of  MS-DOS  ore-slayers. 
But  Faery  Tale  Adventure 
is  far  more  than  just  an- 
other clone  of  Ultima  or 
Bard's  Tale.  This  is  the 
story  of  Julian,  his  broth- 
er Phillip,  and  his  other 
brother  Kevin,  who  lived  peacefully 
in  the  land  of  Holm  until  an  evil 
necromancer  hit  town.  Up  to  seven 
quests  are  involved  in  your  struggle  to 
eliminate  the  villain,  each  netting  you 
a  different  artifact. 

This  one-player  game  starts  with 
you  playing  the  part  of  brother  Julian. 
Leaving  the  village  of  Hambry  to  seek 
keys,  weapons,  magical  tokens,  and 
other  objects,  you'll  wander  through 
brilliant  wheat  fields,  between  narrow 
mountain  passes,  and  into  labyrinths, 
towns,  and  castles.  Nightfall  is  subtly 
reflected  in  the  way  the  light  slowly 
ebbs  away,  eventually  leaving  you  in 
the  dark  unless  you  have  a  torch.  Sun- 
rise creeps  in  just  as  effectively.  You 
can  teleport  long  distances  to  save 
time  by  using  Stonehenge-like  circles 
of  stone  that  are  scattered  about  the 
land.  This  is  an  imaginative  mecha- 
nism for  a  universal  game  element. 

The  landscape  encompasses 
more  than  14,000  screens.  That's  144 
screens  high  by  100  wide,  so  I  hope 
you  like  drawing  maps.  All  scenes  are 
depicted  with  an  aerial  view  of  the 
surroundings,  with  characters  seen  in 


profile.  And  though  it's  a  big,  big 
world,  the  designer  paid  extra  atten- 
tion to  the  fine  points.  You'll  notice 
one  such  detail  when  your  character's 
head  slowly  sinks  lower  in  the  water 
as  he  crosses  a  stream:  All  the  lakes, 
rivers,  and  creeks  vary  in  depth,  a  dis- 
crete yet  significant  display  of  detail. 

Battles  unfold  in  the  open  field  or 
dungeon  hall  where  you  meet  the 
monsters,  not  in  a  special  combat  are- 
na as  in  many  such  games.  Crisply  an- 
imated, your  character  and  the 
monsters  swing  maces,  shoot  arrows, 
and  hack  at  each  other  with  long 
swords.  Long-range  weapons  are  use- 
ful, for  magic  is  limited  to  a  few  kinds 
of  stones,  jewels,  and  such.  One  spell 
will  blast  every  monster  on  the  screen 
into  atoms,  but  most  serve  noncom- 
bative  purposes,  such  as  curing 
wounds. 

The  fint  few  times  Julian  gets 
killed,  a  wimpy  fairy  godmother  flits 
across  the  screen  and  revives  him.  But 
after  a  while  this  tactic  no  longer 
works,  and  at  this  point  something 
novel  happens:  His  brother  Phillip 
materializes  in  their  home  town,  en- 
abling you  to  carry  on  the  mission  in 
his  shoes.  And  if  Phil  gets  killed,  his 
other  brother,  Kevin,  picks  up  the 
quest.  Usually  when  your  character 
dies,  you  must  either  restart  with  a 
fresh  character  or  load  a  saved  game. 
Both  of  those  options,  with  up  to  eight 
saved  games,  are  available. 


Faery  Tale  Adventure  requires  you  to 
perform  a  little  magic  of  your  own. 

An  inventive  interface  imparts 
information  such  as  combat  results 
and  conversation  in  the  form  of  text 
on  a  parchment  scroll.  A  variety  of 
push-button  menus  lead  to  submenus 
where  you  pick  spells,  use  items,  talk 
to  people,  and  so  on.  Mouse,  numeric- 
keypad,  and  joystick  control  are  sup- 
ported on  all  systems  (even  the 
Commodore  64),  and  you  can  switch 
among  them  at  any  time.  Your  char- 
acter is  exceptionally  responsive  to 
the  mouse,  and  keyboard  commands 
offer  a  handy  way  to  manipulate 
objects. 

Tandy  and  EGA  adventurers  will 


enjoy  all  1 6  colors  but  will  miss  the 
startlingly  authentic  sound  effects 
found  on  the  Amiga  and  C64  ver- 
sions, since  the  MS-DOS  version 
doesn't  support  any  third-party  sound 
boards. 

While  I  enjoyed  and  highly  rec- 
ommend Faery  Tale,  I  must  point  out 
some  minor  blemishes  on  an  other- 
wise picture-perfect  complexion.  Be- 
cause the  landscape  is  so  extensive 
and  there  aren't  enough  clues  to  steer 
you  in  the  general  direction  for  each 
quest,  it's  too  easy  to  just  wander 
around  until  you  die — and  we've  all 
been  there  before.  A  few  more  clues 
from  tovraspeople  would  have  made  a 
big  difference. 

And  of  the  seven  artifacts  to  be 
found,  you  can  complete  the  game 
rather  easily  with  just  three,  and,  with 
extra  effort,  you  can  even  finish  off 
the  necromancer  with  just  one  of 
them.  Even  so,  Faery  Tale  Adventure 
is  a  smooth-playing,  rewarding  quest. 

SHAY  ADDAMS 


Amiga— $49,95 

Commodore  64/1 28- $49,95 

IBM  PC  and  compatibles— $39,95  for  Hie 

5V*-inch  version,  $49,95  for  the  version 

includir>g  both  disk  sizes 

MICROILLUSIONS 
17408  Chatswonh  St, 
Granada  Mills,  CA  91344 
(818)360^715 

HOfflEWDRD  R 

Tandy  has  lined  up  devel- 
opers around  the  block  to 
support  its  DeskMate 
graphics  interface,  which 
it  hopes  will  become  the 
environment  of  choice  for 
8088  and  8086  comput- 
ers. HomeWordll,  from 
Sierra,  newly  released  in  a 
DeskMale-compa.VLh\e. 
version,  offers  usen  a  ser- 
viceable word  processor  with  a  dic- 
tionary and  thesaurus. 

Installing  the  program  on  the 
DeskMate  desktop  is  relatively  sim- 
ple, and  anyone  familar  with  that  en- 
vironment will  recognize  the  title  bar 
at  the  top  of  the  screen  when  the  pro- 
gram loads.  Drop-down  menus  titled 
File,  Edit,  Layout,  Text,  Options, 
Word  Check,  and  Help  augment 
Home  Word  H's  word  processing 
attributes. 

Under  File,  you  may  perform  the 
normal  DeskMate  fiinctions  such  as 
save,  delete,  and  print,  as  well  as  save 
documents  as  ASCII  files,  turn  on 
automatic  backup,  and  merge  a  creat- 
ed logo.  > 


108       COMPUTE 


JANUARY        1990 


Home  Word  II  really  shines,  how- 
ever, in  its  use  of  the  Desfc^afe  envi- 
ronment. You  can  view  a  graphic  rep- 
resentation of  your  page,  for  example, 
and  show  underlined  and  bold  text 
onscreen  as  they  would  appear  on  the 
page.  To  define  text  for  editing,  you 
use  the  Shift-cursor  key  combinations 
standard  on  DeskMate applicalions. 

The  program's  main  problems  lie 
in  its  snaillike  pace  (it's  easy  to  outrun 
the  cursor  while  typing)  and  its  sparse 
documentation.  Sierra  would  like  to 
think  that  the  program  is  so  easy  to 
use  that  you  don't  need  the  documen- 
tation, and  that's  laudable;  however, 
some  of  the  program's  functions 
aren't  explained  in  the  manual,  which 
could  be  disconcerting  for  new  users. 

If  you're  a  DeskMate  user  who 
has  grown  tired  of  the  word  processor 
that  comes  with  that  package.  Home- 
Word  II  is  worth  a  look.  But  before 
you  make  the  leap,  check  out  some  of 
the  higher-end  word  processing  pack- 
ages coming  out  under  that  interface. 
You  may  want  a  little  more  power  for 
your  prose. 
PETER  scisco 


IBM  PC  and  compatibles,  DeskMate  envi- 
ronment encouraged — $69.95 
Upgrade  from  HomeWord  or  HomeWord 
Plus— $25.00 

SIERRA 
P.O.  Box  485 
Coarsegold,CA  93614 
(209)  683-6856 


MURDER  CLUR 

Does  watching  "Murder, 
She  Wrote"  make  you 
wonder  if  you  could  solve 
mysteries?  If  the  answer  is 
Yes,  then  Murder  Club, 
from  Kyodai  might  be  for 
you. 
Game  control  is  ex- 
tremely easy:  The  arrow 
and  enter  keys  do  it  all. 
Using  a  joystick  or  mouse 
may  make  things  even  easier  for  you. 
This  game  requires  no  special  knowl- 
edge of  computers,  so  it's  ideal  for  a 
beginner.  For  those  of  us  who  prefer 
relaxing  to  blowing  out  our  minds  at 
the  arcades,  this  thoughtful  strategy 
game  offers  an  alternative  to  high- 
speed, quick-reaction  games. 

The  playability,  unfortunately, 
became  a  drawback  as  I  got  more 
deeply  involved  in  the  game.  I  had  to 
follow  the  computer's  lead  rather  than 
my  own  imagination.  I'm  an  armchair 
detective  who  never  misses  "Co- 
lumbo"  and  has  always  longed  to  di- 
rect her  own  investigation.  A  lack  of 


options  frustrated  my  attempts.  When 
I  read  a  mystery  novel  or  watch  a 
mystery  show,  I  know  in  the  back  of 
my  mind  that  the  author  has  every- 
thing under  control,  and  all  will  be 
known  if  I'm  patient  and  allow  the 
story  to  unfold.  I  found  I  needed  the 
same  kind  of  patience  with  Murder 
Club. 


-IiUitlieaiKlliKHxdtiidoilbiEainlRiUaK* 


Carefully  Interrogate  the  likely  suspects 
to  solve  the  mystery  in  Murder  Club. 

You  begin  with  a  basic  rundown 
of  the  victim  and  the  circumstances  of 
the  murder.  A  menu  allows  you  to  in- 
vestigate; check  with  the  lab,  the  li- 
brary, or  the  prosecutor;  or  select  from 
several  other  options.  When  you  in- 
vestigate, another  menu  asks  you  to 
choose  one  of  three  geographical  loca- 
tions. Within  those  three  general  loca- 


tions, there  are  one  or  two  specific 
businesses  or  homes  you  can  go  to. 
Once  at  your  destination,  you're  con- 
fronted with  a  witness  that  you  can  in- 
terview. What  I  wanted  at  that  point 
was  the  freedom  to  phrase  my  own 
questions  or  to  ask  follow-up  ques- 
tions if  I  knew  the  witness  was  lying 
or  being  evasive.  What  I  actually  got 
was  a  lot  of  menus  with  preplanned 
questions  that  elicited  canned  an- 
swers. As  you  get  more  dieply  in- 
volved in  the  mystery,  this  becomes 
increasingly  annoying.  I  felt  as  though 
I  were  reading  a  choppily  written  nov- 
el rather  than  playing  a  game.  The 
only  real  control  was  choosing  the  or- 
der in  which  locations  and  witnesses 
were  investigated. 

To  compensate  for  the  tedium, 
Murder  Club  provides  a  nifty  note- 
book with  pictures  of  all  the  witnesses 
and  suspects.  I  enjoyed  making  notes 
as  I  went  along — just  like  a  real  detec- 
tive! Eventually,  after  a  great  deal  of 
tedious  interviewing,  there  came  a 
point  at  which  I  felt  more  in  control. 
Even  though  many  witnesses  had  told 
lies  or  were  not  what  they  wanted  to 
seem,  I  was  unable  to  obtain  search 
warrants  or  arrest  warrants  for  quite  a 
long  time.  But  once  I  did  obtain  my 
first  couple  of  search  warrants,  1  was 
able  to  locate  some  clues  and  ask  a 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  174 
JANUARY        1990  COMPUTEI        109 


mmmmmmmmBi 


ESTABLISHED  1968 


OUTSIDE  USA  &  CANADA...,  _C ALL 

(718)692-0790 

FOR  CUSTOMER  SERVICE 
Call:  Mon-Thurs,9:30am-4:30pm 
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AMIGA  500 

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•  Mouse  •  FREE  Software  ^-m  m 

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RGB  COLOR  PACKAGE 

■Amiga  500  w/512K'BuiWn3.5"  Disk  Dflve-MousB 
■RGBColOfMonlto;   •  FreaSoltwars 


«749 


AMIGA  50a  With  10W '829 

AMiaA  500  With  1034 

i  10103.5"  Drka -..'999 

C    AMIGA  2500.....$3t99~~^ 

AMIGA  1010  Disk  Drive. ...'179 

A-20BaD  Bridge  Card '499 

A-2286D  Bridge  Board. „ '1 1 49 

A-501  Memory  Expansion '149 

ALL  on^H  AMIGA  PEmPHEMl^  & 
HARD  DRIVES  m  STOCK 


COMMODORE  C64-C 
STARTER  PACKAGE 

■a64-Cwiih  Exes  iarator  Plus 

■Disk  Drive  •  Two  Games  Sotlwa  re 

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■FREE  Gift  oiler 


$229 


I54ttl  Disk  Drive 

Indudes  FREE  Game 
lA$l995Velue) 

95 


COMMODORE  C  64-0 
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Commodore  Color  Primer 
■12"  Monitor    •    GEOS  Program 
■Quaraum  Link  Software  i  Membership 
2 Games  -Box of Oisits 


*295 


AMIGA  2000  COMMODORE  C64-C 
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Com  modore  C-64iC  Computer 
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2  Games  •  Box  ol  Disks 


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1571  Disk  Drive 


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Drive 

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(ASI9.9SVali>sl 

95 


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AMIGA  2000 

HGB COLOR  PACKAGE 

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1750  RAM 
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CALL 


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$28995 


1802  Monitor 

«1«9»5 


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•  eO^ae  Ucroptauxa  -  r  QkfHi  ■  5 1  a< 
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tits  DOS  3.3  tGW  Basic  •  Wmij 
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COMMODORE  128D 
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•Commodore  C/128-DComputerwilti 
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w/SEASArEXlUa  HARD  DRIVE. Jirrs 

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COMMODORE  128D 

DELUXE  PACKAGE 

•Commodore  C/12aO  Corrpuiar  with 
Buill'ln  Disk  Drive 

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WECAH  KECOHfiGUIlEANyOFOll  COHFIITHPKGS.H)  YOUR  SPECIFICATlONi.  UliliMi  iWmUkHK  EGA, 

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SamBPkg.w/Seagate20MBHafdDdi/e..S779 
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EPSON  EQUITY  11+ 
IBM  AT  COMPATIBLE 
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•Worcprssssing,  Datat»seA  Spreadshee^Soltware 


$969 


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AMIQ  A  20DO  Vf/1  OM  Monitor 

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Model  286e 

mm  AT  COMPATIBLE 

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STAB  PRINTERS 

NX-1000 $154.95 

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P220O $309.95 

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P5300 5649.95 


OHDATA  PRINTERS 

OKiMATE20 $139.95 

180 5219.95 

320 5279.95 

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321 $439.95 

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PAHASOMCPHNTERS 

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KXP-1191 $224.95 

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KXP-1524 5519,95 

KXP-4450  Laser $131995 

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EGA  Monitor. $31995 

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few  follow-up  questions.  Witnesses  who  had  lied  finally 
had  to  explain  discrepancies  in  their  statements.  But 
again,  it  was  all  done  through  menus.  I  had  to  be  satisfied 
with  what  the  game  was  willing  to  feed  me.  1  couldn't  pull 
a  Jessica  Fletcher-style  wide-eyed  look,  a  Columbo-like, 
"Pardon  me,  ma'am,  but ..."  comeback,  or  even  a  Ko- 
jak-ian  strong-arm  tactic  to  get  more  out  of  my  witnesses. 
In  negotiating  with  the  prosecutor  for  a  search  warrant,  I 
couldn't  show  him  all  the  evidence  I  had  to  justify  a 
search.  All  I  could  do  was  call  up  his  menu,  select  search 
warrant,  hope  that  my  suspect  was  included  on  the  list, 
and  then  hope  that  I  would  be  granted  a  warrant. 

Of  course,  I'm  just  an  armchair  detective — maybe 
that's  what  it  feels  like  in  real  life,  too! 

Murder  Club  supports  all  of  the  PC  graphics  modes 
and  requiresjust  384K  of  RAM.  The  graphics  are  fairly 
static  and  aren't  particularly  relevant  to  the  mystery;  don't 
feel  like  you're  missing  out  on  anything  if  you  don't  have 
state-of-the-art  equipment.  The  game  uses  two  disks,  so 
two  drives  or  a  hard  disk  are  handy. 

This  is  a  good  game  for  beginners  who  like  slow,  cere- 
bral games.  For  about  the  price  of  a  hardcover  book,  it's 
more  challenging  than  simply  turning  pages  and  waiting 
for  a  fictional  detective  who  is  smarter  than  you  to  hand 
you  the  solution  on  a  platter. 

BETH  ANN  MURRAY 


IBM  PC  and  compatibles— S39.95 

KVODAI 

5S  Mitchell  Blvd. 

San  Rafael,  CA  94903-2101 

(415)492-3590 


SWORD  0^  mm 

CAUTION:  BOOT  UP  THIS  GAME  AT 
YOUR  OWN  RISK!  These  words  should  be 
stamped  in  bold  red  letters  on  every  copy  of 
Sword  ofAragon  that  hits  the  shelves.  I'm  not 
exaggerating.  This  game  is,  in  a  word,  addic- 
tive. And  like  any  other  addiction  worth  its 
salt,  it  will  take  firm  control  of  your  life. 
You'll  realize  it's  time  for  bed  only  when  the 
sun  appears  above  the  horizon.  Though  you 
may  be  trying  like  the  devil  to  concentrate  at 
work,  it  Wl  seep  into  your  thoughts.  New 
strategies  and  tactics  will  occupy  your  mind. 

This  one-player  game  has  a  simple  premise:  The 
Duke  of  Aladda  has  launched  a  campaign  to  unify  several 
different  townships  and  kingdoms  under  one  flag.  You  be- 
gin the  game  with  one  city,  the  duke,  and  a  small  army. 
These  forces  expand  through  conquest  and  experience  un- 
til you  capture  the  entire  region. 

Along  the  way  you  encounter  your  standard  fare  of 
fantasy  monsters — ores,  goblins,  giants,  minotaurs,  and  ti- 
tans. You  have  to  successfully  administer  the  cities  cur- 
rently under  your  control,  balancing  urban  development 
and  city  defense  with  taxation  and  conscription.  If  all  goes 
well,  you  ultimately  achieve  final  victory. 

You  start  the  game  by  choosing  a  character  class  for 
your  duke — either  warrior,  knight,  priest,  ranger,  or  mage. 
To  a  large  degree,  the  class  you  choose  will  determine  the 
kind  of  army  with  which  you  will  campaign.  A  warrior 
will  fight  primarily  with  infantry.  .A  knight  will  concen- 


YouVe  played  fiH^^^i^ff- 

Now  the  REAL  CHALLENGE! 


Adventure  of  the  CRYSTAL  KEEP 

jantasy  role  playing  climbs  lo  new  heights  of  challenge  and  excitement 
as  you  descend  into  the  depths  o!  the  CITADEL.  Your  quest  is  to  free  the 
Lady  Synd,  cruelly  imprisoned  by  the  evil  Wizard  Ncquilar.  You  must 
rely  on  your  skill  and  cunning  to  merely  SURVIVE. 

3vea  hires: 
•  Create  your  own  heros  using  the  complete, 
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^t'-^   ^       •  Select  from  over  200  weapons  and  items, 
•  Over  60  spells/scrolls  at  your  command. 
•  Most  graphically  realistic, 
three  dimensional  maze 
exploration 
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'•    •  Hundreds  '• 

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multiple  levels.  ,    .. 

I      •  A  constant 
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T.  provided  from  over  ; 

">  animated  monsters  | 

I  must  be  overcome. 
•  The  sound  and 


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you  to 
the  edge 
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Now  avaikitile  for 

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DEMO  DISK  DIRECTORY  •  DEMO  DISK  DIRECTORY  •  DE 


DEMO  DISK  DIRECTORY 


Based  on  the  overwhelming  response  to  COMPUTERS  1st 
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THE  CX)IjONEL'S 
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Why  has  the  reclusive 

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Get  an  authentic  Indiana  Jones  and  the 

Last  Crusade  movie  poster  free  with 

the  purchase  of  either  game.  See  your 

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liSL'M 


™  and  ©  1989  Uicasfilm  Games  Ltd.  All  rights  reserved. 


WIDE  OPEN.    FULL  TILT. 


IT'S  PURE  PRO 
CYCLEACTION. 


Zipupyourleathersand 
rev  up  thai  engine.  It's 
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/\n  i 


I  ancient 
land  is  in 
tuimoil  since 
the  king  and 
his  young  child 
disappeared  20 
years  ago, 
leaving  various 
warlords  to 
battle  for 
control. 


Preview  the  outstanding  graphics,  ihc  rich 
detail  and  the  easy-lo-use  menu  and  icon 
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From  ORIGIN.  (IBM-PC  Vh"  &  S'A",  Apple, 


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omciAL 

Advanced 
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COMPUTER  PRODUCT 


QkSE  OF  THE  ytZlKE  BOfTOS 

The  exciting  sequel  to  Pool  of  Radiance,  the 
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of  the  Azure  Bonds  demo  disk(s)  and  the 

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your  game  purchase  receipt  and  we'll  send 

you  a  free  ftill  color  limited  edition  AD&D 

"Real  Stuff  computer  products  poster.  Send 

your  receipt  to: 

Fiee  Poster  Offer 

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675  Almanor  Avenue 

Sunnyvale.  CA  94086 

^ffer  good  while  posters  last. 


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0  DISK  DIRECTORY  •  DEMO  DISK  DIRECTORY  •  DEMO  I 


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Airborne  Ranger 

Dr.  Doom's  Revenge 

F-19 

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BUYS 

DISKS 

SAVE  $3 

SPECIAL  NOTE 

The  totlowir>g  Demo  DisKs  have  special  require- 
ments: Al  and  A2  requira  512K  and  CGA;  B1, 
B2,  B5,  and  B6  require  DOS  3.3  and  EGA;  B3 
and  B4  require  256K.  CQA,  and  [X)S  3.3.  El,  E2, 
E7,  and  Ea  require  EGA  and  512K;  LI  requires 
512K:  R1.  R2.  and  R3  require  S12K;  81  requires 
a  highKiensity  drive;  S3  requires  51 2K  (640  tor 
Tandy  1 6-color)  and  tv«  disk  dnves  or  a  hard 
dnve;  and  84  requires  512K  (640  (or  Tandy  16- 
color|.  E7  and  S3  are  WvtKfisk  packages.  M3. 
M10,  and  M13  are  no  longer  available. 


HilW 


// 


// 


"...the  concept  alone  is  worth 
the  five  star  rating."  INFO 

"Graphically,  this  game  is 
stunning,  perhaps  even  shocking," 
-  Computer  Gaming  World 

Archipelagos  is  the  universally 
acclaimed  Alien  World  Simulator. 
Come  visit  Earth,  now  haunted  by 
strange  life  forms  and  lost  souls. 

Order  the  Demo,  and  enter  our 
contest  for  a  free  trip  to  a 
different  archipelago  -  Hawaii. 


Electronic  Arts  Presents 

^  F-16  COMBAT  PILOT™ 

Squadron  strategy  and  modem 
piay! 

1  KEEP  THE  THIEF  TM 

Ttiieves  have  more  fun,.. 
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New  terrain,  formation  fiying, 
more! 

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Tougti,  realistic  combat  action! 

^    ^1    ■*  V 

ELEtTRONR   ART** 

How  to  Order  Your  Demo  Disks 


Demo  Disk  Order  List 

ACnVISION 

Al       Tongue  ol  me  Fatman  MS-DOS  5V4 

A2       Tongue  of  the  Fatman  MS-DOS  3W 

BRITTANICA  SOFTWARE 

B1       Archipelagos  MS-DOS  5'A 

B2       Archipelagos  MS-DOS  3'/j 

B3       Designasaurus  MS-DOS  5'A 

B4       Dflsignasaurus  MS-DOS  3'/! 

B5       Jigsaw!  (MCGA/EGA  only)  MS-DOS  SVi 

B6      Jigsaw!  (MCGA/EGA  only)  MS-DOS  SVi 

DATA  EAST 

01        Heavy  Ban-el  MS-DOS  5V» 

02       Heavy  Barrel  MS-DOS  3'/i 

03        Super  Hang-On  MS-DOS  5V4 

D4       Super  Hang-On  MS-DOS  3Vi 

ELECTRONIC  ARTS 

El        Abrams  Battle  Tank  MS-OOS  5V* 

E2       Abrams  Battle  Tank  MS-[X3S  3Vi 

E3       Chuck  Yeager  2,0  MS-DOS  5V» 

E4       Chuck  Yeager  2,0  MS-DOS  3'^ 

E5       F-16  Combat  Pilot  MS-DOS  5y4 

E6        F-16  Combat  Pilot  MS-DOS  3'A 

E7        Keel  the  Thief  MS-DOS  5'A  (2  disks) 

E8      Keel  the  Thief  MS-DOS  3'/z 

LUCAS  FILM 

LI        Indy— The  Graphic  Adventure  MS-DOS  SVi. 

MICR0PR05E 

Ml       Airtxjrne  Ranger  MS-DOS  5V4 

M2      Airborne  Ranger  MS-DOS  SVz 


M3 

M4 

MS 

M6 

M7 

MS 

M9 

MID 

Mil 

M12 

M13 

M14 

M15 

M16 

ORIOIN 

01 

02 

03 

04 


Airtxxne  Ranger  Commodore  64 

(No  longer  availatite) 
Dr.  Doojn's  Revenge  MS-DOS  iVt 
Dr.  Dooms  Revenge  MS-DOS  3W 
F-19  MS-DOS  5'A 
F-19  MS-DOS  3'/! 
Gunship  MS-OOS  5'A 
Gunship  MS-DOS  SVi 

Gunship  Commodore  64  (No  kjngaf  availablel 
Pirates!  MS-e»S  5'A 
Pirates!  MS-DOS  y.'i 

Pirates!  Cofnmodore  64  (No  longer  availablo) 
Red  Storm  Rising  MS-DOS  5'/« 
Red  Storm  Rising  MS-DOS  3'/! 
Red  Storm  Risng  Commodore  64 


Tmes  of  Lore  MS-DOS  5'A 
Tmes  of  Lore  Apple  5'A 
Times  of  Lore  Commodore  64/128 
Times  of  Lore  MS-DOS  3'/; 

RADIO  SHACK 

R1       DeskMate  MS-DOS  5V4  CGA 

, R2        DeskMate  MS-DOS  5y4  EGA,  VGA 

R3       DeskMate  MS-DOS  3',^ 

SIERRA  ON-LINE 

SI       Colonels  Bequest  MS-DOS  514 

S2       Colonel  s  Bequest  (sIS-OOS  3'/i 

STRATEGIC  SIMULATIONS 

S3       Curse  o(  the  Azure  Bonds  MS-OOS  S'A 

(2  disks! 

S4       Curse  ol  the  Aiura  Bonds  MS-DOS  3'/z 


Select  the  demo  disks  you  wish  to  receive  and  check  ttiem  off  on  the  aitactied  ofdef  list.  Be  sure  to  order  the  correct  disk  formal. 
Encbse  S3.95  (S4.95  for  SVi-inch  disks)  for  each  disk  ordered  and  return  your  payment  in  this  postage-paid  envelope. 

•  5-Disk  Discount:  Take  S3.00  off  for  every  5  disks  you  order. 

•  MasterCard  or  VISA  accepted  for  orders  over  S20.00. 

•  V^'ll  pay  tt>e  postage  and  handling. 


Name 

Address  . 
City  


.  ZIP  . 


Disks  ordered  , 


C01 


Amount 

Subtract  $3.00  for  every  5  disks 

Subtotal 

Sales  Tax' 

Delivery  Outside  U.S.  or  Canada 

Total 


MasterCard  or  VISA  accepted  for  orders  over  520.00. 

Credit  Card  #: 

Expiration  Date: Signature: 

Send  your  order  to:      Demo  Disks 
P.O.  Box  5188 
Greensboro,  HC  27403 

■HesxSenis  of  New  Yorx.  Pennsyjvania,  and  North  Cardpna  add  appropriate  saws  tax  for  your  sute.  All  orders  most  tie  paid  m  u  S-  funds  drawn  on 
a  US.  bank.  MasterCard  or  VISA  aseplsd  tor  orOera  ovsc  S2O.0O.  F=lea5e  alksv  i-i  ytm^s  lor  dakvsry.  For  delivery  outside  the  US.  or  Canada, 
add  51  00  for  surface  mall  or  $3,00  for  ainnail.  Otter  expires  January  31.  1990 


JANUARY       1990 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


113 


trate  on  cavalry.  A  ranger  will  have 
mostly  bow  units.  Priests  and  mages 
will  have  a  variety  of  the  three. 

Each  of  these  military  strategies 
has  advantages  and  disadvantages 
that  are  clearly  defined,  allowing  you 
10  play  several  times  before  you  tire  of 
the  game.  You  journey  through  the 
realm,  gaining  experience  for  both 
your  characters  and  yourself  until  you 
are  ready  to  tackle  your  first  major 
challenge,  a  nearby  city. 

Maintaining  a  working  budget 
with  your  city's  taxation  income  and 
building  a  powerful  army  are  the 
hardest  parts  of  this  phase.  .After  a 
lime,  money  will  start  to  flow;  then 
the  game  becomes  an  exercise  in  de- 
stroying and  conquering  tougher  and 
tougher  adversaries.  Eventually  you 
steamroll  through  the  final  few  cities 
standing  between  you  and  the  throne. 


View  the  landscape  from  overhead  and 
pfan  strategies  in  Sword  of  Aragon, 

There  are  just  a  few  problems 
with  the  game.  For  example,  the  battle 
sequence,  at  limes,  moves  very  slow- 
ly. The  computer  can  take  up  to  15 
minutes  deciding  just  where  it  wants 
to  put  those  goblin  armies.  Some  bat- 
tles can  take  up  to  an  hour  and  a  half 

Another  problem  is  that  toward 
the  end  of  the  game  your  armies  be- 
come so  skilled  that  nothing  can  stand 
up  to  them.  Much  of  the  finesse  that 
made  the  game  so  challenging  in  its 
early  parts  is  lost.  There  is  also  very 
little  problem  solving  of  the  type  that 
makes  D  &  D  games  so  enjoyable. 

Lastly,  the  documentation  is  oc- 
casionally in  error  or  incomplete.  The 
rules  intimate  that  you  can  train  char- 
acters to  gain  experience  without 
fighting  battles,  but  I  found  this  not  to 
be  the  case.  You  can  only  train  ar- 
mies. There  is  also  no  information  in 
the  documentation  concerning  some 
of  the  unit  information  that  appears 
on  the  screen  during  the  battle  se- 
quence. You  can  eventually  figure  this 
out  while  playing,  but  it  would  be 
helpful  to  have  it  spelled  out  in  the 
rules. 

Those  objections  aside,  to  pass 
up  Sword  of  Aragon  could  be  a  great 


mistake.  Ifcommanding  armies  and 

characters  and  managing  cities  inter- 
ests you,  if  becoming  a  computer  Na- 
poleon gets  your  blood  going,  then 
Sword  of  Aragon  is  for  you. 

ADAM  STARKWEATHER 


IBM  PCs  and  compatibles  with  CGA, 
EGA,  Hercules,  or  Tandy  16-cotor  graph- 
ics—$39,95 

SSI 

Distributed  by  Electronic  Arts 

1820  Gateway  Dr. 

San  Mateo,  CA  94404 

(415)571-7171 


STAR  SAGA: 
TWO-THE 


INAGE 


Challenge  and  suspense 
await  you  in  Star  Saga: 
Two — The  Claihran 
Menace.  This  second  in- 
stallment of  a  three-part 
adventure  from  Master- 
Play  has  an  engrossing 
story  line  and  superior 
writing. 
As  a  sprawling 
science-fiction  epic,  it's 
equal  parts  interactive  novel  and 
computer-moderated  role-playing,  a 
self-contained  scenario  that  picks  up 
where  Star  Saga:  One — Be)vndthe 
Boundary  left  off.  Opening  moves 
summarize  the  action  that  took  place 
in  the  first  game  in  case  you  missed  it 
or  forgot  some  of  the  details. 

The  Clathran  are  an  alien  race, 
bent  on  conquering  the  universe  and 
extinguishing  all  human  life.  Their 
vast  armada  of  warships  form  the  Sur- 
vey Line,  which  is  sweeping  inexora- 
bly toward  the  Nine  Worlds  and 
which,  incidentally,  cuts  off  segments 
of  the  game  as  it  advances.  Why  the 
Claihran  possess  such  an  obsessive 
hatred  of  humans  and  how  they  can 
be  slopped  are  only  two  of  the  myster- 
ies that  you  must  solve.  Flay  the  role 
of  one  of  six  characters  who  set  out  lo 
discover  what  they  can  about  the  in- 
vading aliens. 

The  heart  of  the  game  is  a  set  of 
14  booklets,  which  contain  more  than 
970  entries  spread  over  approximately 
560  pages.  Dozens  of  cultures,  hundreds 
of  encounters,  and  a  multitude  of  deci- 
sions permeate  the  entries  and  pro- 
vide you  with  a  pulsating  adventure. 
This  nongraphic  computer  pro- 


gram serves  as  an  electronic  dungeon 
keeper  that  moderates  each  turn  and 
handles  all  the  essential  bookkeeping. 
Each  participating  player  selects 
moves  and  actions  from  the  onscreen 
choices  via  the  keyboard  or  mouse, 
and  the  computer  responds  to  the 
player's  choices  by  directing  him  or 
her  to  the  appropriate  text  entries.  If 
combat  or  a  transaction  take  place, 
the  computer  logs  the  transactions 
and  reports  the  results  of  combat. 

Trade  and  combat  are  essential 
elements  of  the  game.  The  strong  eco- 
nomic segment  is  based  upon  a  pseu- 
dobarter  system.  Much  of  the  early 
and  middle  segments  consist  of  trad- 
ing in  order  to  obtain  offensive  and 
defensive  weapons  needed  to  upgrade 
your  ship  for  the  inevitable  encoun- 
ters with  the  Clathran  Survey  Line. 

Combat  occurs  frequently.  While 
this  adds  to  the  excitement  and  pace 
of  the  story,  the  fact  that  combat  is  to- 
tally controlled  by  the  computer  di- 
lutes its  impact  as  a  gaming  element. 
When  a  battle  occurs,  the  computer 
selects  an  offense  and  a  defense  for 
you  and  matches  it  against  the  ene- 
my's offense  and  defense,  applying  all 
ratings  to  an  internal  combat  matrix. 
It  then  displays  its  choices  and  the 
results. 


Plan  strategies  carefully  as  you  play 
Star  Saga:  Two — The  Clathran  Menace. 

Although  you  can  improve  your 

offensive  and  defensive  options 
through  trades,  purchases,  and  train- 
ing, you  have  no  input  once  combat 
ensues. 

Star  Saga:  Two  can  be  played 
solo  without  losing  any  of  the  story's 
punch.  However,  more  than  any  other 
computer  adventure  game,  this  prod- 
uct is  designed  to  be  played  by  a  group 
of  people,  each  taking  on  the  role  of 
one  of  the  well-developed,  multidi- 
mensional characters.  Engage  in  meet- 
ings, trades,  and  the  cooperative 
exchange  of  information  with  one  an- 


114      c   o   M   p   u   T    E    I 


JANUAI?¥       1990 


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BUSINESS/ 

ACCOUNTING/FINANCE 


D  Finance  Manager  II  (1601)  Complete 
double-entry  bookkeeping. 

D  Form  t-etters  (1607)  1 00  business  and 
legal  forms  (contracts,  employment 
applications,  filings,  etc.). 

DBIakbook  (1603)  Great  for  keeping 
track  of  addresses  and  phone  num- 
bers. Prints  an  address  book. 

D  Stock  Charting  (1612)  A  complete 
portfolio  system  to  track,  analyze,  and 
chart  your  slocks. 

n Small  Business  Accounting  (1617)  A 
must  for  all  small  business  ownersi 

DSoive-lt!  (1618)  Does  over  20  vital 
financial  calculations  including  amor- 
tization, PV,  FV,  and  IRR. 

D  PC-Books  (1621)  A  complete,  easy  to 
use  bookkeeping  system. 

DPC-lJ)ans  (1628)  This  package  sup- 
ports all  common  loan  methods. 

DEasy  Project  (1629)  A  powerful 
project  manager  software  package. 

D  FormGen  (1630)  Design  and  print  any 
office  form,  easilyl 


DATABASE/MAIL  LIST 


HlFlle  Express  (1700,1701)  A  powerful, 
easy  to  use  database  (2  disks). 

ID  Doctor  Data  labels  (1703,1704)  Com- 
plete and  powerful!  A  professional 
mail  list  manager.  (2  disks)  HD 

[I]PC-File:dB  (1705-1707)  The  most 
powerful  dBASE  compatible  program 
available!  (3  disks)  HD  5i2K. 

n  Label  Master  (1715)  A  great  mail  list 
manager  and  label  printing  utility. 


SPREADSHEETS 


[I]PC-Calc■^  (1800-1802)  Tfie  most 
powerful  spreadsheet  package. 
(3  disks)  512K 

DQubeCalc  (1806)  Take  your  spread- 
sheets 3-D!  Highly  recommended. 

D  Lotus  Macros  (1807)  A  large  collec- 
tion of  Lotus  macros  and  templates. 

[E  Lotus  Learning  System  (1810.1811) 
-l^aster  Lotus  1-2-3!  (2  disks) 


WORD  PROCESSING 


[a  PC-Write  3.03  (1851-1853)  The  BEST 
word  processor  for  under  $200!  Has 
spell  checking  and  hundreds  of  other 
features  (3  disks)  5i2K 

D  PC-Stylist  (1855)  Analyzes  and  helps 
you  to  improve  your  writing  skills. 

□  PC-Outline  (1860)  An  excellent  idea 
organizer  and  free  form  database. 

SWP  S.O  Learning  Sys.  (1863,1864) 
Helps  you  learn  and  master  Word 
Perfect  5.0.  (If  you  have  WP  4.2,  select 
disks  #1861  &  #1862.)  (2  disks) 

ilWP  5,0  Macros  (1857)  Several 
macros  for  Word  Perfect  5.0.  (If  you 
have  WP  4.2,  select  disk  #1856.) 

a  PC-iype-i-  (1870-1872)  Complete 
word  processor  with  100,000  word 
dictionary  and  mail  merge.  (3  disks) 


BIBLE/RELIGION 


DBIble-Q  (1551)  Test  your  Btbtlcat  IQ! 

□  BIBLE  Men  (1570)  A  fun  quiz  on  the 
people  in  the  BIBLE. 

lilSeedMaster  (1555-1567)  The  com- 
plete King  James  version  of  the 
BIBLE  on  disk!  (13  disks)  HO- 


3  FREE  DISKS 


Limited  Time!! 


HOME  BUDGETS/ 
FAMILY  APPLICATIONS 


□  Fast  Bucks  (1100,1101)  Keeps  track  o( 
all  your  personal  finances  and  prints 
great  financial  reports  (2  disks). 

□  Home  Budget  Manager  (1103)  Tracks 
all  your  household  expenses  and 
helps  you  to  set  budgets  and  goals. 

□  Express  Check  (1104)  Excellent 
checkbook  program  with  reconcilia- 
tion and  great  screen  displays.  512K. 

□  Home  Inventory  (1105)  Keeps  (rack  of 
all  your  personal  property. 

□  MealMate  (1115)  Helps  you  to  plan 
nutritionally  balanced  meals. 

[U  Ednafs  Cookbook  (1115,1119)  An  easy 
to  use  computerized  cookbook. 
Comes  with  several  great  recipes- 
add  your  own  favorites.  (2  disks) 

EBrather's  Keeper  (1120,1121)  A  great 
genealogy  program  that  allows  you  to 
trace  your  family  history  (2  disks). 


EDUCATION 


d]  French  I  &  II  (1200,1201)  Learn  and 
practice  French  vocabulary  (3  disks). 

E]  Spanish  I  &  II  (1205,1206)  Test  and 
train  with  these  excellent  Spanish 
vocabulary  drills  (2  disks). 

□  Geography  (1215)  Learning  is  fun 
with  this  great  geography  trivia  game. 

□  PC-Gradebook  (1217)  Record  and 
monitor  your  students'  grades. 

□  World  (1221)  A  computer  encyciope- 
dia  of  global  information.  CGA 

□  Typing  Tutor  (1224)  Helps  you 
improve  your  speed  and  skill.  CGA 

□  PC-Professor  (1229)  This  program 
teaches  BASIC  programming. 

□  Balloon  Speller  (1230)  An  introduc- 
tion to  spelling  for  children.  CGA 

□  Math  Lessons  (1233)  A  great  pro- 
gram that  teaches  algebra.  CGA 

□  Facts  SO  (1234)  A  graphic  geography 
lesson  of  the  U.S.  CGA 

□  Computer  Tutor  (1235)  Become  a 
more  effective  computer  user. 

□  Play  'n'  Learn  (1236)  A  set  of  6  team- 
ing games  for  preschoolers.  CGA. 


UTILITIES 


□  MasterKeys  (1400)  Like  Norton  Utili- 
ties (recover  deleted  files,  disk  edit- 
ing, change  file  attributes,  etc.). 

□  SImCGA  (1404)  Allows  monochrome 
PCs  to  run  many  CGA  programs. 

□  PC-DeskTeam  (1406)  Several  useful 
desktop  accessories  (clock,  calendar, 
calculator,  notepad,  etc.). 

□  Automenu  (1 409)  A  very  professional 
hard  disk  menu  system.  Run  any  of 
your  programs  from  a  custom  menu. 

□  SideWrlter  (1410)  Prints  your  spread- 
sheet print  files  sideways. 

□  Baker's  Doien  (1411)  A  set  of  13 
utilities  that  everyone  needs! 

□  Space  Maker  (1412)  Ttiis  utility  allows 
you  to  fit  more  data  on  any  disk. 

□  alt  (1413)  It's  like  Norton  Utilities,  the 
Sidekick  desktop  accessories,  and  a 
menu  program  all  In  one! 

□  still  River  Shell  (1414)  A  superb  file 
and  directory  management  utility. 

□  HD  Backup  (1415)  Allows  you  to 
backup/restore  all  the  data  on  your 
hard  drive  with  floppy  disks.  HD 

□  NewKey  (1416)  Save  time  and 
increase  efficiency  by  using  this  (the 
BEST)  keyboard  macro  program 


GRAPHICS/PRINTING 


□  Express  Graph  (1106)  Turns  raw  data 
into  great  business  graphics. 

□  DlskOver  (1320)  Prints  informative 
disk  sleeves  for  all  your  disks. 

□  Banner  Maker  (1502)  Prints  banners 
in  various  sizes,  styles,  and  fonts. 

□  PrintShop  Graphics  (1503)  A  large 
collection  of  Printshop  clip  art. 

□  EDraw  (1508)  Design  tool  for  creating 
flow  charts  and  schematics.  CGA. 

□  PC-Art  (1509)  A  color  graphics  paint- 
ing/drawing package.  CGA 

[H  Epson  Utilities  (1514,1515)  Enhance 
the  prim  quality  of  your  Epson- 
compatible  printer  (2  disks) 

□  PC-Key  Draw  (1520-1523)  Powerful 
CAD  design  system.  Works  with 
mouse  or  keyboard.  (4  disks)  CGA 

□  City  Desk  (1525)  Simple  desktop  pub- 
lishing for  aewsletters. 


MISC.  APPLICATIONS 


□  Weight  Control  (1302)  Let  this  pro- 
gram help  you  get  fit. 

□  Personal  Blorhythm  (1310)  Will  dis- 
play or  print  a  personal  chart 

□  KwikStat  (1314,1315)  A  professional 
statistics  package.  (2  disks) 

□  Wisdom  of  the  Ages  (1316-1319) 
Great  quotes  from  the  greatest  minds 
of  history.  Quick  access  to  6000  quo- 
tations in  several  categories.  (4  disks). 

□  Make  My  Day  (1627)  Puts  you  in  con- 
trol by  organizing  your  time!  Keeps 
track  of  appointments  and  deadlines. 

□  Piano  Man  (1901)  Compose  and  edit 
music  or  play  the  keyboard. 


GAMES 


□  AdventureWars  (1934)  Five  excellent 
adventure  games. 

□  Armchair  Quarterback  (1905)  A  fun 
football  strategy  game. 

□  Baseball  (1916)  Great  arcade  action 
and  baseball  strategy.  CGA. 

□  Trivia!  by  PAS  (1953)  Test  your  knowl- 
edge in  several  categories. 

□  Checkers  (1954)  See  if  you  are  good 
enough  to  beat  the  computer.  CGA 

□  Crime  Lab  |1955)  Play  this  exciting 
graphic  murder  mystery  game.  CGA 

□  Flightmare  (1923)  Futuristic  fighter 
pilot  arcade  game.  CGA. 

□  Ford  Simulator  (1956)  A  great  driving 
simulation  game  from  Ford.  CGA, 

□  Hopper  (1902)  Frogger  clone.  CGA. 

□  Kid  Games  (1938)  These  games  are 
both  fun  and  educational.  CGA. 

□  Kingdom  ot  Kroz  (1952)  An  excellent, 
award-winning  adventure  game. 

□  ijs  Vegas  Style  Craps  (1914)  Play 
and  improve  your  skill.  CGA 

□  PAC-Man  &  More!  (1930)  PAC-Man 
and  l^s.  PAC-N/lan  clones.  CGA. 

□  PC-Gammon  (1907)  Play  a  tough 
computer  opponent,  anytime.  CGA 

□  PC-Pro  Golf  II  (1975)  Choose  your 
club  and  swing  away  at  one  of  the 
world's  most  beautiful  country  clubs 
(Amherst).  Excellent  graphics!  CGA. 

□  Pearl  Harbor  (1959)  Save  your  fleel 
from  the  invading  planes.  CGA 

□  Risk  (1946)  Play  the  famous  board 
game  on  your  computer.  CGA 

□  Scrabble  (1957)  Test  your  word  power 
with  this  always  fun  game.  CGA, 

□  l8-Hole  Miniature  Golf  (1915)  Kids 
really  love  this  one!  CGA, 


GAMES  coNT 


□  Sleuth  (1903)  Play  detective  in  this 
"Who  done  it?"  adventure. 

□  Solitaire  (1940)  The  computer  makes 
sure  you  don't  cheat!  CGA. 

□  Space  War  (1958)  Battle  it  out  In  outer 
space— ship  vs  ship.  CGA 

□  Sports  Games  (19Z7)  Bowling,  arch- 
ery, and  pool.  CGA. 

□  Star  Trek  (1948)  Two  versions  for  all 
you  TREKies  out  there. 

□  strategic  Games  (1926)  Fight  on  land 
and  sea  in  this  war  simulation. 

□  striker  (1904)  Helicopter  attack  and 
rescue  arcade  game.  CGA, 

□  PInball  (1941)  Great  sound  and  fast 
play  on  5  different  "machines."  CGA 

□  Video  Poker/Ultima  21  (1945)  The 
BEST  poker  and  blackjack  gamesl. 

□  Wheel  of  Misfortune  (1935)  Like  TVs 
Wheel  of  Fortune  game. 


IMPORTANT 

CGA  =  Requires  Color  Computer 
HD  =  Requlre5  Hard  Drive 
512K  =  Requires  512K  RAM 

For  multi-disk  sets, 
count  all  disks  In  set. 


*  With  your  order  of  5  or  more 
disks,  select  an  additional  3  disks 
FREE  (limit  3  free  disks  per 
order). 


Name 

Address 

City 

State Zi  p 

Phone  ( )  I 

Vlsa/fi/IC  #  : 

Exp.  Data  / 

Signature 

Disks  Ordered 

XS2.49  or  S1.99  63 $ 

□  Need  SVa'  disks? 

Add  SI  per  ea. 

(include  free  disks) $ 

Shipping S     3.00 

Foreign  add  $2 $ 

D  COD  (U.S.  only) 

add  S4  if  you  require  CODS 

D  UPS  2nd  Day  or 

Priority  (U.S.  only) 

add  $2 $ 

T0TAL  $ 

n  ChBCk/MO        D  Visa/MC        D  CO.D. 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  172 


other,  while  at  the  same  time  pursuing 
clearly  defined  individual  goals. 

In  spite  of  the  weakness  of  the 
combat  module.  Star  Saga:  Two  rates 
high  marks.  The  writing  contains  all 
the  elements  of  topnotch  science  fic- 
tion, and  the  game,  though  quite  lin- 
ear, is  so  rich  in  detail,  puzzles,  and 
surprises  that  you'll  have  a  hard  time 
ending  each  play  session.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  now  might  be  a  good  time  to 
start  Sfar  Saga:  Two;  after  all,  the  Sur- 
vey Line  is  moving  closer  and  closer! 

JAMES  TRUNZO 


IBM  PC  and  compatiMes— S79.95 
Apple  IlGS— S79.95 
Apple  lie— $79.95 

MASTERPLAY  PUBLISHINQ 
t)417  Sun  State  St. 
Tampa,  FL  33634 
(8131 888-7773 


SUPERBASE  2 

Now  you  can  add  database 
management  to  the  grow- 
ing list  of  compelling  ap- 
plications that  make 
Microsoft  Windows  worth 
looking  into.  Superbase  2, 
from  Precision  Software,  is 
a  Windows-hdiStd.  rela- 
tional database  manager. 
As  is  common  with  Win- 
i^ovra-based  applications, 
Superbase  2  includes  a  runtime  ver- 
sion of  Windows  2.0,  handy  for  users 
who  don't  already  own  the  stand- 
alone version  of  thai  graphical  operat- 
ing environment. 

In  addition  to  the  standard  Win- 
dows menu  bar,  Superbase  2  uses  a 
second  row  of  icons  positioned  across 
the  bottom  of  its  display  screen  to 
simplify  the  process  of  retrieving  re- 
cords in  a  database.  To  view  the  next 
record  in  a  file,  for  example,  you  sim- 
ply click  on  an  icon  showing  a  single 
arrow  pointing  to  the  right — reminis- 
cent of  the  play  button  on  a  VCR, 
Conversely,  a  single-arrow  icon  point- 
ing left  calls  up  the  previous  record  in 
the  current  database.  Double  arrows 
pointing  right  and  left  (fast  forward 
and  rewind)  allow  you  to  scan  records 
in  ascending  or  descending  order,  re- 
spectively. Other  icons  let  you  quickly 
access  the  first  or  last  record  in  a  file, 
pause  a  database  scan,  and  even  enter 
SQL-like  queries  to  extract  records 
matching  specific  search  criteria.  Su- 
perbase 2's  implementation  of  this 
VCR-based  icon  structure  noticeably 
decreases  the  program's  learning 
curve  for  any  new  user  already  famil- 
iar with  operating  a  home  video 
recorder. 


Another  area  in  which  the  Win- 
dows interface  elevates  Superbase  2 
above  traditional  DOS  database  pro- 
grams is  in  the  flexibility  it  allows 
while  examining  individual  records. 
Character-based  database  programs 
tend  to  present  your  records  in  a  rela- 
tively static  manner;  once  you  create  a 
report  or  display  screen,  there's  no 
easy  way  to  alter  its  original  design. 
.Analyzing  data  with  Superbase  2,  on 
the  other  hand,  is  a  much  more  dy- 
namic process.  To  change  the  position 
of  a  data  field  on  a  Superbase  2  dis- 
play screen,  for  example,  you  simply 
use  the  mouse  to  drag  that  field  to  its 
new  location.  As  a  result,  you're  more 
likely  to  examine  the  records  in  your 
Superbase  2  file  from  several  different 
angles.  This  enhances  your  under- 
standing of  the  relationships  between 
the  data  that  files  contain. 


Super/base  2's  graphics  interface  lets 
you  integrate  graphics  with  your  data. 

Of  course,  simplicity  and  flexibil- 
ity mean  little  if  a  program  doesn't 
possess  enough  power  to  make  it 
worth  using.  But  Superbase  2  has 
power  to  spare.  Record  size  is  limited 
only  by  the  amount  of  memory  in- 
stalled on  your  system.  Theoretically, 
a  single  file  can  contain  up  to  16  mil- 
lion individual  records.  How  many 
records  your  databases  will  hold  de- 
pends on  the  available  disk  space. 
You  can  assign  up  to  999  index  fields 
to  a  single  database  file.  Superbase  2 
supports  limited  relational  capabili- 
ties by  including  a  special  lookup 
function,  which  allows  you  to  access 
data  stored  in  multiple  files  from 
within  the  current  database.  Because 
it's  a  graphics-based  program,  Super- 
base  2  even  lets  you  incorporate 
graphics  into  your  database  records. 
You  could,  for  example,  include 
scanned  images  of  employee  photo- 
graphs in  a  personnel  file.  As  an  added 
attraction,  Superbase  2  can  read  dBase 
data  files  in  their  native  format.  This 
feature  alone  should  alleviate  some  of 
the  pain  commonly  associated  with 
switching  from  standard  DOS  to  the 
Windows  environment. 


Power  comes  at  a  price,  of  course. 
In  the  case  o{  Superbase  2,  you'll  have 
to  contend  with  increased  hardware 
demands  and  decreased  speed.  Graph- 
ics programs  inevitably  perform  more 
slowly  than  their  text-based  counter- 
parts, so  if  blinding  speed  is  an  over- 
riding concern  in  your  database  oper- 
ations, then  Superbase  2  mi^l  not  be 
right  for  you. 

Superbase  2  operations  are  fully 
explained  in  the  program's  compre- 
hensive user's  manual.  It  includes  a 
Windows  primer  for  those  unfamiliar 
with  that  graphical  environment. 
Though  not  context-sensitive,  an  in- 
dexed online  help  system  is  available 
to  answer  most  questions. 

Superbase  2  adds  a  new  dimen- 
sion to  DOS  database  management 
and  is  a  must  for  any  Windows  user. 
Even  if  you  don't  run  Windows,  you 
may  still  consider  switching  to  Super- 
base  2.  It's  definitely  a  harbinger  of 
things  to  come. 

JACKNIMERSHEIM 


IBM  PC  and  corrpatibles  with  640K,  a 
hard  disk.  DOS  3.0  or  later,  Winctows  2.0 
(runtime  version  included),  graphics  dis- 
play required,  mouse  recommended — 
$295 

PRESTIGE  SOFTWARE 
8404  Sterling  St.  A 
Irving,  TX  75063 
(214)929-4888 


counteupdint 

Running  applications  occu- 
pies your  computer  most 
of  the  time.  Faced  with 
the  dreary  DOS  prompt, 
you  must  remember  what 
directory  holds  your  pro- 
gram and  what  command 
starts  it.  If  you're  tired  of 
that  routine,  consider  an 
alternative:  a  graphical 
user  interface  (GUI).  The 
term  is  applied  to  a  wide  variety  of 
programs  that  differ  greatly  in  cost, 
complexity,  and  system  requirements. 
The  common  element  is  that  menus 
and  icons  replace  the  DOS  command 
line.  Just  point  and  click  and  the  com- 
puter does  the  rest. 

Busarow's  Counterpoint  is  a  sim- 
ple, easy-to-install  GUI,  although  it 
calls  itself  a  Graphical  Menu  System. 
While  it  doesn't  have  all  the  bells  and 
whistles  of  Windows,  it  takes  you 
quickly  to  your  program  from  a  menu 
and  an  icon  screen. 

Counterpoint  requires  a  hard 
disk.  Once  you've  installed  the  pro- 
gram, type  CP  from  your  root  directo- 
ry and  the  program's  screen  will  appear. 


116 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


JANUARY       1990 


ONLY 


$]65 


PER  DISK 

FOR  OVER  10  DISKS 


GAMES 

STRIKER  (110)  Fly  hBlicop- 
ter  against  enemy  (CGA) 
TWO  BIT  POKER  ¥2.0  (172) 
Just  like  the  casino  poker 
mactiines  in  Vegas  (CQA) 
STARL0nD(GAM9S)Play 
Star  Trek  on  your  PC  (CGA) 
DRACULA    IN    LONDON 
(GAMS4)    Great    graptilcs 
game  based  on  novel  (CGA) 
DND  »1.2  (119)   Like   Dun- 
geons and  Dragons. 
ROUND  42  (120)  Like  Space 
Invaders.  42  levels  (CGA) 
MONOPOLY    (169)    Great 
color  and  sound  (CGA) 
BRIDGEPAL  (171)  Contract 
or  rubber  bridge,  w/tutorial. 
SPACEWAR    (158)    Using 
phasers,  photon  torpedoes. 
WHEEL  OF  MISFORTUNE 
(181)  Spin  wheel  and  watch 
out! 

PC-JIGSAW  v1.1(GAM71) 
Beautiful  computer  jigsaw 
puzzles.  Color  or  mono. 
EAT  -EM  II  (GAM  74)  Like 
Pac  Man  but  with  a  bigger 
Held. 

KID-GAMES  (GAMS)  Math, 
clock,  alphabet,  etc.  (CGA) 
KINGDOM  OF  KROZ  (GAMS) 
Arcade,  adventure,  and  stra- 
tegy game  with  25  levels. 
CHESS  (GAM9)  Incredible. 
2D  and  3D.  Playback  moves, 
store  games,  etc.  (CGA) 


g  c 

A. 

t»i 

"    - 

^ 

LJ 

hpl_; 

■__ 

■^pi 

Th 

TjH 

rn 

IJ 

u 

n^ 

Hprv 

wr 

am 

u 

u 

UMmt^A-m 

EGA  RISK  (GAM11)   World 
domination  in  great  color. 
With  EGA  Asteroids  (EGA) 
NETHACK  (QAM20)  Adven- 
ture game.  Many  dangerous 
levels,  rooms,  corridors. 
PC-GAMMON  (GAM33)  Easy 
to  learn,  yet  challenging. 
BLACKJACK!  vl.S  (GAM47) 
Professional.  Superb  gra- 
phics (Mono  or  EGA) 
MORAFPS  REVENGE (GAM 
86)  Adventure  with  castles, 
dungeons,  maps,  monsters! 
SCRABBLE  (GAM72)  Exact 
rendition  of  the  all  time  favor- 
ite (EGA) 

CRIBBAGE  PARTNER  (GAM 
9B).The  complete  board 
game! 

CADDIEHACK  EGAGOLF 
(GAM100)  8esl1B-hole  share- 
ware golf  game  around!  CGA 
ver.  is  GAM101  (EGA) 
MAH  JONGG(GAM103)  High 
tech  simulation,  CGA  and 
VGA  version  included. 
SOLICARD  (GAM106)  Eight 
great  solitaire  card  games. 
PAS  TRIVIA  V3.02  (GAM  11 4) 
Family  oriented  trivia  game 
tor  up  to  6  players, 


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CROSSWORD  CREATOR 
(GAM  108)  Shareware's  lin- 
est  crossword  pu22le  gen- 
erator! 

SHARP  SHOOTER  (GAM84) 
Tank  vs.  lank  warfare  game. 
Up  to  eight  players  (CGA) 

PROGRAMMING 

WINDOW  PRO  (1613, 1614/2 

dliki)  Create  windows  and 
titles  for  menus,  etc. 
PC-BASIC  PRIMER  (1625) 
Learn  BASIC  in  a  very  color- 
ful way  (CGA,  BASIC). 
PERSONAL  C  COMPILER 
¥l.2  (1627)  Learn  the  C  lan- 
guage (2  FDor  HD) 
A8S-D8e  (1707, 1709/2  ditkt) 
World's  best  assembler,  dis- 
assembler program. 

WORD 
PROCESSING 

WORDS   &   EDITS  (TXT2) 

Full-screen  text  editor  (or 
ASCII. 

PC-WRITE  V3.02  (434-436/3 
ditkl)  Very  popular.  With 
spell  checker  (2  FDor  HD| 
GALAXV  v2.4a  (407)  Easy  to 
use.  Mouse,  EGA  support. 
PC-WRITE  MACROS  »1.2 
(458)  100  commands  tor 
PC-Write. 

GRAPHICS 

SIMCGA/HGCIBM  (1027, 
1062/2  disks)  Use  with  Her- 
cules graphics  card/compat- 
ible to  run  CGA  programs  on 
your  monochrome. 
IMAGE-3D  (1048)  Create, 
edit  3-D  objects.  Move,  scale, 
rotate  image  (CGA). 
FINGER  PAINT  v2.00  (1050) 
Use  keyboard  or  mouse  to 
draw.  Like  MacPAINT  (CGA) 


DRAFT    CHOICE    (GRA6) 

Excellent  menu-driven  CAD 
program.  Mouse  support. 
CHARTS  UNLIMITED  (GRA 
16)  Complete  system  for  flow 
charts:  organizational,  elec- 
trical, etc.,  with  symbols. 


i,j.iaHii»jgj;;»!.^, 


SPREADSHEETS 

AS-EASY-AS    (505)    Has 

screen  help  menus.  A  Lotus 
clone  that  reads  Lotus  hies 
PC-CALC+vl.O  (512-514/3 
dUks)  Jim  Button's  famous 
Lotus  clone  (2  FD  or  HD) 
PIVOT  vl.01  (516)  Prints 
Lotus  or  As-Easy-As  tiles 
sideways. 

EDUCATION 

GOOGOL  MATH  (EDU15) 

Math  learning  system.  Many 
levels  of  difficulty.  (CGA) 
MATH  CASTLE  (EDU  18) 
Save  castle  from  aliens  by 
solving  math  riddles!  Fun! 
FUNNELS  AND  BUCKETS 
(201)  A  (un  way  to  learn 
math.  For  ages  5  through  8. 
THE  WORLD  (235)   Shows 
and  prints  maps  in  all  loca- 
tions of  the  world! 
FACTS  50  (239)  Geography 
lessonsfor  U.S.  (BASIC), 
PC  FASTYPE  V3.01   (241) 
Touch   typing    instruction 
with  WPM,  accuracy,  etc. 
(CGA| 

AMY'S  FIRST  PRIMER  (248) 
Game  that  teaches  letters, 
numbers,  keyboard  (CGA) 


-¥ 

•.    lb   a 

g  A  ^N    •■<:  soK 

Wj  a  I  c     tun  run  irnat 

V    a  I  c     Binn  Lnrnts 

M  i  2  3     BtAjn  njH  cHinttHC 

tfff  hIzflP     "^"  '"^  nwccii 

MIND  CHART  (GRA37-GRA 
38/2  disks)  Menu  charting 
and  drawing  programs. 

Circle  Reader  Service  Number  fa2 


AHV't    niST   ?RIKD 

SPANISH  I  &  II  (211,  232/2 
disks)  Great  tutorial  (BASIC) 

UTILITIES 

SCREENSAVER  vl.05  (UTL 

21)  Save  monitor  from  iDurn- 
tn.  For  all  video  displays, 
DBS-KAT  (UTL  30)  Catalog 
your  floppy  disks  (HD) 
PAS  MASTER  MENU  v1.Q2 
{UTL33)  Interface  for  multi- 
ple user  passwords.  (HD) 
BRADFORD  v2.0  (2729)  Beau- 
tiful fonts  for  your  dot  matrix. 
PROFESSIONAL  MASTER- 
KEY  v3.0  (2805)   L.ke  Nor- 
ton's. Retrieve  deleted  files. 
Alitesaver  (2  FD  or  HD) 
TECHSTAFF  TOOLS  (3068- 
3069/2  disks)  13  utilities  no 
computer  should  be  without! 

DOS 

TUTOR.COM    V4.4    (1301) 

Interactive  DOS  tutorial. 
STILL  RIVER  SHELL  V2.58 
(1304)  Run  DOS  commands 
from  menu.  Makes  DOS  easy. 
HELPDOS  v2,0  (1326)  On- 
line DOS  help  with  menus. 
Includes  DOS  dictionary  of 
terms  and  a  hints  menu. 
HARD  DISK  MENU  IV  (1332) 
Organize  HD  tor  speed,  ease 
of  use.  Password  protection. 

RELIGION 

BIBLEMEN  (3330)  Excellent 
Bible  quiz  program. 


BIBLEWORKS  (3356-3361/6 
disks)  Bible  with  concord- 
ance, allows  editing.  Old  and 
new  testaments  (2  FD  or  HD) 

MUSIC 

CHRISTMAS  SONGS  (311) 

Collection  of  your  favorites. 
COMPOSER  (313)  Create, 
edit  and  play  music.  (CGA) 

ACCOUNTING/ 
FINANCE 

MARKETCGA  »2.2  (BUS17) 

Analysis  on  stocks,  funds, 
etc.  EGA  ver,  is  BUS  16 
(CGA) 

TICKLEX  (BUS62)  Appoint- 
ment calendar  with  reminder, 
alarm,  timetable,  etc.  (HD) 
AMORTIZE  (BUS113)  Calcu- 
late, print  loan  amortization 
schedules. 

FINANCE  MANAGER  II  G/L 
vl.3  (751)  Personal  or  small 
business  (2  FDor  HD) 
MEDLIN  ACCOUNTING 
(757)  G/L,  A/P,  A/R  and 
payroll. 

EXPRESS  CHECK  V2.06  (786) 
Checking  account  with  run- 
ning balance,  monthly  re- 
ports, etc.  Prints  checks. 

APPLICATIONS 

FOOTBALL  FUN  (MISI)  Man- 
age an  office  football  pool. 
LOGITI  (UTL27)   RAM   resi- 
dent computer  logging  pro- 
gram. 

EZ-FORMS  (1909)  Make 
forms  to  meet  different  needs. 
CATALIST  (2059,  2064/2 
disks)  Mailing  list  manager. 
Prints  labels,  reports. 


FAMILY  THEE  (2201)  Create 
files,  genealogical  reports, 
THE  NUTRITIONIST  (2334) 
Evaluates  foods,  meals  and 
recipes  for  nutrition,  etc. 
LOTTO  PROPHET  ¥2.7 
(2364)  Best  lotto  program 
around. 

PC-DESKTEAM  (2603)  Desk- 
top organizer.  Many  features! 

TELE- 
COMMUNICATIONS 

TELIX  V3.11   (1161-1162/2 

disks)  Total  package.  Sup- 
ports baud  rate  to  115,200 
(modem,  2FDor  HD) 
WILDCATl¥l.03  (1141, 1143/ 
2  disks)  Flexible  bulletin 
board  system  (modem,  HD| 
PROCOMM  V2.43  (11S9)  Out- 
standing modem  software. 

SECURITY 
HACKING 

VIRUS  STOPPER  ¥2.0  (1223) 

Protect  your  system  from 
viruses  and  trojan  horses. 
FLU  SHOT+  ¥l.5  (1225)  Pro- 
tection against  viruses! 
COPY  PROTECTION  IV 
(1226)  Latest  release.  For 
advanced  programmers  (2 
FDorHD) 

DATABASE 
PROGRAMS 

FILE  EXPRESS  (S03-B04/2 

disks)    Powerful   system. 
Allows  3Z,(J00  records.  Sorts 
up  to  10  fields  (2  FDorHD) 
PC-FILEiDB    (853-855/3 

disks)  Report-writer,  dBASE 
III*  compatible.  (HD) 


ORDER  FORM 

PLEASE  PfiiNT  DISK  NUMBERS 


. STATE . 


i  ADDFIESS  . 

E  CITY   

■   PHOI^E  ( 

I  NUIulBER  Of  DISKS    

H    Nota:2-DI«kMlii  2x  t1.6S.  AK.) 


). 


XS1.B5  = 


CALIF  RESIDENTS  ADD  6%  TAX  =    

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E    We  also  accept  COD  orders  (add  $4.00)  Call  Dr  writa  lor  tree  calalog. 
I  Phone  orders  shipped  within  24  hours 

■  UPS  Next  Day  and  Second  Day  Air  available 


(You  can  load  the  program  automati- 
cally from  yourAUTOEXEC.BAT 
file,  loo.)  Designed  for  use  with  a 
mouse,  the  program  also  operates 
well  with  keystrokes. 

Icons  are  the  heart  of  the  pro- 
gram. Selecting  Icons  from  the  main 
screen  brings  up  a  submenu  from 
which  you  can  create,  edit,  or  delete 
icons,  as  well  as  edit  commands. 
When  creating  an  icon,  you're  allowed 
three  Hnes  of  1 1  characters  each. 

I  use  Quicken  often,  so  I  decided 
to  install  it  first.  You  can  specify  the 
installation  as  an  application  or  a  sub- 
menu. I  wanted  to  go  directly  to 
Quicken,  so  application  was  my 


choice.  You'll  have  to  decide  whether 
to  leave  Counterpoint  resident  while 
your  application  runs.  The  program 
isn't  as  hungry  for  memory  as  many 
other  GUIs  are,  but  it  does  swallow 
between  70K  and  lOOK. 

Quicken  isn't  large,  so  I  let 
Counterpoint  stay  resident.  I  entered 
the  lines  so  that  the  program  could  be 
found  and  run  {CD  1Q2  and  Q),  and 
was  back  at  the  main  Counterpoint 
screen.  I  moved  the  cursor  over  the 
icon  labeled  Quicken,  clicked  twice, 
and  up  came  the  main  menu  of 
Quicken.  Exit  returned  me  to  the 
main  Counterpoint  menu. 

I  also  use  WordPerfect  often,  so  I 


«s^^^^ 


Available  tor  ttie  IBM  PC 
and  the  Apple  Macintosh 


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collegiate  basketball  action,  play  tfie  top  twenty  favorites  in  Basketball  Challenge. 
Tackle  the  Bermuda  Square  puzzle  for  a  less  "physical'  challenge.  Use  pattern  recognition 
to  solve  the  puzzle.  You  might  win  S5,000!  If  money  gets  you  moving,  become  the  richest 
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1-800-NFL-CHAL 


Circle  Reader  Service  Number  141 


created  another  icon  and  labeled  it 
WP  5.0.  Because  I  keep  my  WordPer- 
fect files  in  several  subdirectories,  this 
time  I  specified  a  submenu.  I  created 
several  new  subicons,  labeling  them 
and  making  their  command  sequence 
appropriate  for  my  subdirectories. 
Since  my  WordPerfect  program  is 
quite  large,  Counterpoint  couldn't  stay 
resident. 


Get  organized  and  navigate  easily  with 
the  Counterpoint  graphics  interface. 

Now  when  I  clicked  on  the  WP 
5.0  icon  in  the  main  menu,  a  new 
screen  offered  the  icons  of  my  sub- 
directories. When  I  clicked  on  one  of 
those,  there  I  was,  promptly,  in  Word- 
Perfect with  the  files  I  needed. 

Additional  features  of  the  pro- 
gram include  a  screen-saver  and  a 
logo  editor  (it  lets  you  replace  the 
Counterpoint  logo  on  the  screen  with 
one  of  your  choice). 

Busarow's  documentation  is 
terse,  but  adequate.  No  mention  is 
made  of  technical  support  to  the  user. 

GLJIs  are  acclaimed  as  the  wave 
of  the  future.  If  you  want  a  fast,  rela- 
tively simple,  inexpensive  vehicle  for 
your  first  ride  on  that  wave,  Counter- 
point is  an  attractive  choice. 

CHARLES  IDOL  H 


IBM  PC  and  compatibles— $69.95 

BUSAROW  SOFTWARE 
282  Kenderlofi 
Beavercreek.  OH  45430 
(513)429-9876 


Use  the  handy 
Reader  Service  Card 

in  the  back  of  the 

magazine  to  receive 

additional  information 

on  our  advertisers. 


118       C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


JANUARY       1990 


Easy  to  use 

software  for  all 

IBM  PC's 

and  compatibles 


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or  by  request  ■  Airborne  Express  over- 
night service  only  $5.00 

BUSINESS/HOME 

n  Eifireti  Checli  3JI7  (1117) -A  great  program  to  manage 
your  checking  accounts!  Even  prints  ctieclts! 

O  Home  Invsntory  3.4  (3137)  -  Helps  yflu  keep  track  of  every- 
thing yau  own.  Great  for  insurance. 

□  Painless  Accounting  AS  (3  disks)  (1120) -Easy  to  use  and 
loaded  with  features.  General  Ledger.  Accounts  Receivable/ 
Payable,  invoicing,  check  printing  and  more.  (HD) 

DATABASE/SPREADSHEET/ 
WORD  PROCESSING 

D  PC-Calc-i-  (3  disks)  (3410) -A  very  powerful  spreadsheet. 

D  PC-Flle:dB  (3  disks)  (133D)  -An  excellent  dBase  compati- 
ble data  base  program.  Very  pewerful!  (HD) 

D  PC-Outll  no  3J4  (3915)  -An  e«;ellent  ttiaught  oulliner!  Can 
also  be  used  as  a  free-form  database.  (Resident  and  non- 
fesident  versions  included!) 

D  PC-Stylist  1.2  (3917) -Improve  your  writing  style. 

D  PC-Write  3.02  (3  disks)  (3820) -One  of  the  best  mrd 
processors  available  anywtiere.  Easy  to  use  and  loaded  with 
features  including  spell  ctiecker. 

EDUCATION 

D  Amy^  First  Primer  (1717)-Six  different  learning  programs 

for  cfiildren  ages  4-8.  (CGA) 
a  CompulerfDOS  Tutor  4.4  (1415)-Learn  how  to  use  your 

computer  and  DOS  easily  with  this  educational  program. 

A  must  for  anybody  trying  to  learn  aliout  computers' 
O  The  DOS  Liarnlng  System  (1417)  -  l^arn  how  to  use  DOS 

with  this  great  tutorial.  All  versions  of  DOS  2.0-3,3. 
D  Funnels  and  Buckets  (1727)-A  tun  way  to  teach  children 

basic  math  skills!  (CGA| 
n  Lotus  Learning  System  (2  disks)  (1420)-Learn  Lotus2.0 

easily  and  quickly. 
D  Play  'n'  Learn  2.03  (1735) -A  collection  of  six  programs 

for  children  18  months  to  4  years.  ICGA) 
O  Typing  Teacfier  (1425) -This  disk  contains  3  program 

designed  to  i  mprove  the  speed  and  accuracy  of  your  typing! 
D  World  2.S3  (1849) -The  ultimate  globe!  Learn  about  cities, 

countries  with  this  computerized  globe.  (CGA) 


GAMES 

n  Arcade  Games  1  (1811)-f^c-man  (3  versions!),  Hopper. 

Space  Invaders,  Janitor  Joe  and  others.  (CGA) 
D  Arcade  Gamas2  (1B12)-Q-Ben,  Donkey  Kong.  Breakout, 

Beast  and  others.  (CGA) 

□  Artade  Games  3  (1813) -Striker,  Space  War  &  more.  (CGA) 
D  Ed's  Chess  (2425) -The  best  chess  game  available  any- 
where. (It  beat  Chessmaster  2(X)0) 

D  EGA  Cunning  Football  Z3  (1327)  -The  best  football  simu- 
lation anyvBhere.  EGA  or  VGA  Graphics  required, 

n  EGA  Games  1  (1911)  -A  collection  of  the  best  EGA  games 
including  EGAroids.  RetleK.  Aldo,  Flees  and  others.  EGA  or 
VGA  Graphics  required. 

D  Graplilc-Less  Games  (2111) -A  collection  of  games  that 
don't  require  color  or  graphics.  (Will  work  on  ANY  system!) 

n  Great  Adventures  1  (2531) -Five  exciting  games. 

a  Kids'  Games  (2317) -Fun  for  the  under-f2  set. 

D  Master  the  Market  (2435)-3  great  stock  market  simu- 
lators! 

Q  Mind  Puzzles  (2439)-  3  programs  that  challenge  the  mind! 
(CGA) 

n  Miramar  Fliglit  Simulator  (2319)-Go  to  Top  Gun  flight 
school  and  pilot  an  F-18  into  combat.  (CGA) 

D  Monopoly  (2445) -A  great  rendition  of  the  classic  game. 
Great  color  and  sound!  (CGA) 

D  PC-Pro-Gol(4.2  (2327) -Tee  it  up,  and  play  f8  holes!  (CGA) 

D  Pinball  1  (1821) -Five  great  pinball  games.  (CGA) 

□  Strategy  Games  (2461) -Risk,  Othello,  Chess,  Nyet(Tetris 
clone),  and  others.  (CGA) 

n  Star  TVek  Games  (2341) -Three  games:  an  arcade  game, 
standard  Star  Trek  game,  and  a  trivia  game. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

G  Banner  S  Slfln  Malieis  (321S)  -  Make  banners  or  signs  for 
any  occasion.  Works  with  any  printer 

O  Brotlier^  Keeper  4.3  (2  disks)  (3120) -Excellent,  full- 
featured  genealogy  program  that's  easy  to  use. 

□  Calendar  Maker  (3129)-Create  calendars  for  any  month 
or  year 

n  Express  Graph  1J)5  (2815)-Create  regular  and  3-0  graphs, 

easily  (CGA) 
D  FormgenSJI  (3227) -A  very  versatile  form  generator  fiiake 

any  kind  of  form  for  business  or  home  on  any  printer! 
D  Kwlkstat  2.0  (2  disks)  (3130) -A  complete,  easy-to-use 

statistics  package. 
D  PC-Key-Draw  3.65  (4  disks)  (2780) -An  exceptionally 

powerful  graphics  program.  Comes  with  a  large  coHection 

of  ready-made  graphics.  (CGA)  (HO) 


Order:  800-876-3475  Information:  503-776-5777  Fax:  503-773-7803 


D  Planoman  4J)  (3147)-Creale  and  play  music  on  your  PC! 
Lots  of  fun! 

□  SpeedRead  (1846) -Learn  to  speed  read! 

n  Wiltklt  (3157)  -  Prepare  a  will  that  is  valid  in  all  SO  states. 

UTILITIES 

□  Aulomenu  4.5  (3515)  -Latest  version  of  the  most  popular 
menuing  program  of  all  time! 

□  Backup  Whiz  2.1  (3517) -Back  up  your  hard  disk  quickly 
and  safely  with  this  easy-to-use  program. 

a  Best  DOS  Utilities  (3S25)- Essential  utilities  for  DOS.  File 
tinders,  listers  and  numerous  other  handy  utilities  that  will 
save  you  time.  Very  easy  to  use! 

G  Epson  Utilities  (2  disks)  (3210)-A  collection  of  utilities 
for  Epson  and  Epson-compatible  printers. 

D  Hercules  Util  Itles  (3625)  -A  collection  of  utilities  tor  Her- 
cules graphics  cards.  Includes  SIMCGA. 

D  Mr  Label  4.1  (3235)  -  Powerful  &  versatile  label  maker 

G  PC-Deskteam  2.01  (3549) -A  Sidekick-like  program  with 
even  more  features! 

D  Professional  Master  Key  (3S55)-A  collection  of  utilities 
like  Nortotts.  Recover  erased  files  easily! 

□  Vaccines  and  Virus  Kll  lets  (3627)  -A  collection  of  utilities 
designed  to  protect  your  system  from  viruses!  This  disk 
includes  Flu-Shot -f  1.S2. 

WORDPERFECT  5.0 

G  PC-Draft  II  (2  disks)  (3T60)-Create  clip  art  graphic  files 

(in  .WPG  format)  for  WP  5.0.  Includes  dozens  of  images 

to  help  get  you  started.  (CGA)  (HD| 
D  WordPertect  5.D  Art/Grapli)cs  (2  disks)  (3710)  -Dozens  of 

clipart  images  and  clip  art  viewer. 
D  WordPertect  S.0  Learning  System  (2  disks)  (3730) -Learn 

WP  5.0  easily  and  quickly  with  this  great  tutorial  (WP  50 

is  NOT  required). 

□  WordPerfect  5.0  Macros  (2  disks)  (3720)-Hundreds  of 
helpful  macros  tor  WP  5,0, 

D  WordPerfect  5.0  Menu/Mice  (2 disks)  (3740)-Menu  sys- 
tems, mouse  drivers. 

□  WortPertect  5.0  Tools  (2  disks)  (37S0)-A  collection  of  ^7+ 
utilities  for  WP  5.0. 

(CGA)  RsQuires  Color  Graphic  Adapter 

<HD)  Requires  Hard  Disit 

Some  of  the  programs  we  sell  are  "shareware.'  Stiateware  prograirvs  sn 

copyrighled  and  require  additional  payment  to  the  auttiors  it  found  useful. 


Business/Company  |i(  applicable) 


Disk  size:    D  5V.-    D  3'A'  (add  St  pet  Oisk  it  you  require  3'*') 

No.  Disks xS -S 

,  n  Shipping  S $3;00 


U.S. 


D  Airborne  Expiess.  48  states  (add  S5)  S_ 


Cily/Siate/2ip 


Ptione 

lilethod  ol  Payment:    D  Check/Money  Order   G  Visa/HdasterCard    D  COD 

All  checks  musl  be  payable  in  US  funds.  We  cannot  accept  Eurocliecks. 


Only  \  □  UPS  2nd  Day  Air  (add  S3.00)  S_ 

(  D  COD  (aiJd  S4)  S_ 

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Reasonable  Solutions 

2101  West  Main,  Medford,  Oregon  97501 


circle  Reader  Service  Numbei  170 


CMP  1/90 


Merry  Diskmas  from  SDof  A 

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List  $59,95  Discount  Price  $39 


ACCESS 

Mean  Streets  |w/Eound) .  .539 

ACCOLADE 

Bar  Games  (R-Raied) ...  .525 
Blue  Angels  Flight  Sim.   .  .S29 

Bubble  Ghost  ,.$14 

Don't  Go  Alone S3Z 

Frighlmare S98e 

<lth  S  Inches  FcxJtball    -.$14 

Grand  Prrx  Circuit 124 

Hardball S9.88 

Hardball  2  S26 

Harnef  7 S9.88 

Heatwave  Boat  Racing  . . .  S2S 

Jack  Nicidaus  Golt S32 

J.N.  Goll  Champ  Courses. $14 

Mental  Blocks S9-8S 

Sleei  Thundef S25 

Test  Drive  2.  The  Duel . .  .S29 
T.D  2  Caltf  Scenery  . . .  ,$14 
T.D  2.  Europe  Scenery      $14 

T.D.  2:  Muscle  Cars $14 

T-D-  2;  Super  Cars $14 

Ttie  Cycles $25 

The  Third  Courier $32 

ACT1VISI0N 

A-10.  TankKiller $32 

Apache  Stnke $9  S8 

Battle  Ctiess  $32 

David  Won  Secret  Agent    $32 

Dealh  Track $29 

Die  Hard $29 

F-14  Tomcat $29 

GhosI  Busters  2   $29 

Grave  Yardage  ........ .523 

USI  f^tinja $9.66 

Manhole S23 

Mech  Warrior $32 

Music  Studio  3  0 565 

NeurorriarKer  $29 

Rampage $24 

The  Manhole $32 

Tongue  ot  the  Falman  . .  .525 


ARTWORX 

Bridge  6.0 $25 

Centerfold  Squares $19 

Kateidokubes $19 

Linkword  Languages  . . .  Call 
Stnp  Poker  Data  Disk  . . .  Call 

StnpPoker2 $25 

BETHESOA 

Wayne  Gretzky  Hockey     $35 

BLUE  UON 

Ticket  to  Hollywood $25 

Tickei  to  Wash.  D.C 523 

BRrTANNICA/DESIGI^WARE 
Archipelagos  .......... .525 

Desjgnasaurus $25 

BRODERBUND 

Acieni  Art  of  War  at  Sea  . ,  $29 

Acieni  Land  o1  Vs 532 

Banner  Mania 523 

l^rmen  S.D  -  Europe  . .  .529 

Carmen  S  D  -  Time 529 

Carmen  S,  D  -  US  A   $29 

Carmen  S.D- -  World  ..  ..S25 
Jet  Fighter  Adventure  ...  $32 

Licence  to  Kill 529 

Murder  Club 525 

Omni-Play  Horse  Racing   $32 

New  Ptintshop S39 

PS  Sampler  Graphics  . .  .$23 

P  S- Party  Graphics S23 

P-S.  School/Business  GR  .$23 

Sim  City $32 

Star  Wars 525 

VCR  Companion $32 

Wibami   _ $25 

CENTRAL  POINT 

Copy  2 $» 

PC  Tools  Deluxe  5.5 $79 

CINEMAWARE 

Krystal   $32 

Three  Stooges 532 

TV  Sports  Foottiall S32 


DATA  EAST 

Bad  Dudes $25 

Batman  $25 

Guerilla  War $25 

Heavy  Barrel 525 

Ikari  Warnors $9  88 

ABC  Monday  Nite  Foott)all532 

Platoon 59.aa 

Rotjocop $25 

Super  Hang-On $25 

DATA  SOFT 

Hunt  lor  Red  October 532 

Time  &  Magik $26 

DAVIDSON 

Aigeblaster 529 

Math  Blaster  Plus 529 

Reading  4  Me 524 

Word  Attack  Plus $29 

ELECTRONIC  ARtS 

Abrams  Battle  Tank 526 

Bards  Tale2 $32 

BattlehaiMis  1942  532 

Beyond  Black  Hole 532 

Bruce  Lee  Lives  ........  .$32 

Caveman  Ugti-Lympics  . ,  521 

Chessmasler  2100 $32 

Cnbbage/Gin  King $39 

C  Veagers  AFT20 $32 

Deluxe  Pjinr  2  saS 


Mind-Holl $14  88 

Project  Neptune $16.88 

Purple  Saturn  Day 514,88 

Revenge  of  Defender . .  $16,83 

Snova  Strike $1688 

Summer  Games  2 $7,88 

World  Games  $7,88 

World  Karate  Champ  . .  $988 

FREE  SPIRrr 

Sex  Vixens  from  Space  , , ,  $25 

GAMESTAR 

Face  Off  Hockey .529 

Take  Down  Wrestling  . . .  .523 
GAMETB< 

Chutes  4  Udders $988 

Double  Dare  $9  88 

Hollywood  Squares    ...  59  88 

Super  Password $9  B8 

HI-TECH 

Fun  Mouse 58.88 

Muppet  Print  Kit $3-86 

Remote  Control $8  88 

Ses-  St.  First  Writer 59.88 

Ses.  St.  Print  Kit S9.B8 

Swim  Wear  56.88 

INFOCOM 

Battletech 532 

Beyond  Zork $9  83 

Hitchhikers  GuJde $9  83 


DATA 
EAST 

Awesome  gut  wrenching 

football  action  w/the  best 

digitized  sound,  graphics  & 

DJiliRe  anTmations  ever! 

This  is  the  game  you've 

been  waiting  for. 

ABC    MONDAY    NITE 

FOOTBALL  gDA 

List  $49.95  Discount  Price  S32 


Electronic  Arts  * 
stocking  stuffers 

Deinon  Slalkers 
Legacy  of  the  Ancients  •  Modem  Wars 
Pinball  Conslaiction  Set  •  Skate  or  Die 
Sky  Fox  2  •  Super  Boulder  Dash 
Wasteland  •  WorldTour  Goll  •  Zany  Golf 

5,fi^ONLY  $9.88  ea   ^^ 


d 


opeedy  Delivery 
T\eep  Discounts 


Double  Dragon $26 

Earl  Weaver  Baseball $26 

Empire $32 

F/16  Combat  Pilot $32 

Ferrari  Formula  One  . . ; .  .$26 

Fools  Errand  .$32 

Indy  Jones:  Crusade 

Action  Game $26 

Indy  Jones,  Crusade 

Graphic  Adventure  ....  $32 

Jordan  vs  Bird   $26 

Keef  the  Thief Call 

Lakers  vs,  Celtics $32 

Madden  Football 532 

Magie  Candle  $32 

Maniac  Mansion  (Hi-Fiesl  ,529 
Might  &  Mage  1  or  2  .  $32  Ea 

Rpe  Dream $32 

Puzzle  Storybook  $25 

Scavengers $32 

Sentinel  Worlds $32 

688  Attack  Sub $32 

Star  Fleel2 539 

Slarfligni $32 

Zak  McKracken . , $29 

EPYX 

Axe  of  Rage S24.88 

California  Games 517.63 

Destroyer $7  88 

Games   Summer  Edit,   524,88 
Cannes   Winter  Edit       .524  88 


Journey 532 

King  Arthur 525 

Leather  Goddesses 59.88 

Mines  of  Titan 529 

Shogun  539 

Zork  Trilogy S16 

Zork  Zero 539 

LEARNING  COMPANY 

Reader  Rabbil $25 

Think  Quick $32 

Wriler  Rabbit $32 

LEISUREATIRGIN 

Doubte  Dragon  2  Call 

Monopoly ..526 

Scrabble $26 

Scnjples $26 

MELBOURNE  HOUSE 

Hershiser  Strike  Zone 525 

John  Elway'sOB $19 

Magic  Johnson  B-Ball  .  .  .$25 

War  in  Middle  earth $32 

World  Trophy  Soccer $25 

MICHOPOSE 

Airtx>rr>e  Ranger $25 

F-15  Strike  Eagle  2  535 

F-19  Stealth  Fighter $44 

Gunship $32 

Mi  Tank  Platoon $44 

Pirates  $29 

Red  Storm  Rising  $35 

Sv«jrd  of  the  Sarnurai . . . .  $35 


Astronomical  Selections 
L  Kymi  can't  find  what  >(ju'rc  lo<ikin|ifririnourad,  call  us. 

Send  check  or  money  orders  to: 

P.O.Box  ni327-Dept.  CP 
Blawnox,  PA  15238 


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in  eontinental  USA. 

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Our  Largest  Selection  ever 
for  your  IBM  or  Compatable 


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REauw 

T  E  c  H  N  o  (.  o  a  I  e  s 
Ttie  auttiors  of  Money  Mag. 
help  you  create  personal 
financial  objeclives  &  ttien 
matcties  those  objectives  to 
a  specific  investment  strat- 
egy whichi  includes  real 
products.  WEALTH 
BUILDER  SDA 

List  $249.95  Discount  Price  S1 59 


MINDSCAPE 

Alter  Burner $25 

Balance  ot  Power  1 990 ...  $32 

Captain  Blood $25 

Combat  Course $23 

Fiendish  Freddy's  Bigtop   529 

Gauntlet  1  or  2   $25  Ea. 

Inn  Team  Sports  , $23 

Out  Run $25 

Paperbcr/ $25 

Shinobi $23 

Space  Harrier ...$25 

star  Trek  5  Final  Frontier    $32 
Super  Star  Ice  Hockey  , . .  525 

Super  Star  Soccer VS 

ORIGIN 

Omega 532 

Quest  For  Clues  Book  2   .$19 

Space  Rogue $32 

Tangled  Tales ...519 

Times  ot  Ijxe 525 

Ultima  4  or  5 $39  Ea, 

Ultima  Tntogy 539 

POLARWARE 

All  Dogs  go  to  Heaven  . . .  $25 

Tracon  w/'Sound  .......  S29 

PSYGNOSIS 

Baal 525 

BallistiK $25 

SHARE  DATA 

All  New  Family  Feud.  .  .  $8.88 

Avod  the  t*)id  59.88 

Concentration  1  or  2  . . .  $9.88 

Jeopardy $8.88 

Jeopardy  2  or  JR    . .  $9  88  Ea. 
Nightmare  on  Elm  St     ...  S23 

Sports  Jeopardy 58.88 

Wheel  of  Fortune  ....  $8,88 
Wheel  of  Fortune  2  or  3  $9.88 

Wipe  Out 59.83 

SIERRA 

Black  Cauldron $25 

Colonels  Bequest $39 

Gold  Rush SS 

Heco's  Quest $39 

Hoyle's  Book  of  Games     523 
Kings  Quest  1 ,2.3 or  4. $32  Ea, 

Leisure  Suit  Larry .525 

Leisure  Soil  Larry  2 532 

Leisure  Suit  Larry  3 $39 

Ma  nhunter  S  F  or  N  y  S32  £a 

Mother  Goose- 519 

Polce  Quest  1  or  2       532  Ea 

Silpheed $23 

Space  Quest  1  or  2  , ,  $32  Ea. 

Space  Quests $39 

Thexder $23 

SIR  TECH 

Heart  ot  tvtaelstroni 532 

Retjrn  of  Werdna $39 


Wizardry  Trilogy .532 

SOFrWARE  PUBLISHING 
PFS  IstCh /Quicken...  $115 
PFS  Ist  Publisher  2  1  ...  .$89 

Prolessronal  File  2.0 $207 

Prolessioral  Wnte  21  , ,  .$149 
SPECTRUM  HOLOBYTE 

Falcon   532 

Solitaire  Royale 523 

Telris $23 

Veite , $32 

Welllris 523 

SPOTUGHT 

Darlisidc $25 

Deathbnnger $25 

Speedball $25 

Total  Eclipse $25 

SPRINGBOARD 

Cortilicale  Maker 524 

CM  Library'  u  1   519 

SSI 

Curse  ol  Azure  Borrds  , .  .532 

Demon  s  Winter $23 

Dragon  s  of  Flame $25 

Gettysburg $39 

Heroes  ot  the  Lance $26 

Hiiistar  $32 

Pool  of  Radiance $32 

Red  Lightning $39 

Stellar  Cnjsade 532 

Sword  ol  Aragon 526 

SUBLOGIC 

Hawaii  Scenery $19 

UFQ $32 

TArro 

Arkanoid   5988 

ArkanOJd  2,  Rever^  .  ,  ,  .  523 

Bubble  Boblile $23 

Operaiion  Wolf $23 

Qix $23 

Rambo3  $23 

Rasion ,.S23 

Renegade.  - $23 

Sky  Shark  $23 

MISC.  UTIUTIES 
Dac  Easy  Accounting  30  $65 
Superbase  2  w/Window5.$173 
Timeworks  Publish  l|i  . .  .$129 
Timcworks  Word  Writer  $32 
Tobias    Mgl-Money  .  . .  .5139 

Word  Perfect  50 $235 

ACCESSORIES 

Analog  &  Joystick 525 

Disk  Case  5' ;  or  3'.   $688  Ea, 
Dnve  Cleaner 

Sv.orS..   $6e8Ea. 

Epyx  500XJ  Joystick $25 

SonyS'.  DSOD...  516  90  Bk 
SonyS.DSOD 56,99  Bx 


Software 
Discounters 

ofQ^ 

America 


tmmm  ^^      Biawnox,  f  A  l3.iJS  •  Vbur  card  is  not  charged  until  we  ship. 

■3™  ^®^  'Purchase  orders  accepted. 

Order  Line  Hours:  Mon.-Thurs.  9:00  AIV1-9:00  PM,  l-ri.  9:00  AM-7:00  PM,  Sat.  10:00  AIV1-4:00  PM  Kastern  Time 

•Please  Read  The  Following  OrcJering  Terms  &  Condiliofis  Carefully  Belore  Placing  Your  Order:  Orders  with  cashiers  check  or  money  order  shipped  immediately  on  in-stock  ilemsi 
PefSonal&Companychecks.ailowSweeksclearance.  rJoCODs'  Shipping:  Continental  U.S,A,-OrdersunderS100add  S3,  freeshippingonordersover$100  AK  HI  FPO  APO-add 
$5  on  all  orders  Canada  a  Puerto  Hico  add  S7  50  on  all  orders  Sorry,  no  other  international  orders  accepted'  PA  residents  add  6%  sales  tax  on  the  total  amount  of  order  includino 
Shipping  charges  CUSTOMER  SERVICE  HOURS  Won -Fn  9  AM.5:30  Plvl  Eastern  Time  REASONS  FOR  CALLING  CUSTOMER  SERVICE-412-361-5291  (1)  Status  of  order  o> 
tjack  oriler  (2)  i(  any  merchandise  purchased  within  60days  from  SDof  A  is  detective,  please  call  for  a  return  authorization  number.  We  will  not  proces  a  return  without  a  return  aulh  #i 
Defective  merchandise  will  be  replaced  with  the  same  merchandise  only.  Other  retums  subject  to  a  2Wo  restocking  charge!  After  60  days  from  vour  purchase  date  please  refer  to  the 
warranty  included  with  the  product  purchased  4  return  directly  to  the  manufacturer  Customer  service  will  not  accept  collect  calls  or  calls  on  SD  of  As  800  #  order  linesi  Prices  & 
availability  are  subject  to  changei  New  titles  are  arriving  dailyi  Please  call  lor  more  information  j.i,j.|g  Rejtjgr  Service  Number  102 

MODEIVI  OWNERS  You  can  orijer  on-line  from  our  [BM  shop  via  the  CompuServe,  GEnie  and  Q-Link  electronic  malls 


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EZ'FORMS  (119)  Create  cuslom  forms. 
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MR.  LABEL  (124^  Most  versalite  &  powerlul 
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IMAGEPR1NT  (128)  Remarkable  letter  quali' 
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BANNER  MAKER  <130)  Create  signs  and 
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CAPTAIN  COMIC  (260)  CommerciaJ  quel  ity 
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DRACUU^  IN  LONDON  (271)  Super  graphics 
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NtNJA  (201)  Corr^mercial  quality  karate 
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PGA  GOLF  (202)  18  hale  course.  Great 
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3-D  CHESS  (2051  Superb  3-D  game.  Loaded 
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PC-RAtLROAO  (210)  Trams  run  on  ready- 
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tiavc  total  control  CGA  required. 

CARD  GAMES  (214)  Draw  Poker,  Hearts. 
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ARCADE  GAMES  #5  (220)  Rockets,  Snake. 
Xonix.  Nemon.  Spacewar.  Needs  CGA. 

FAVORITE  GAMES  (221)  Pango,  Qbert. 
Frogger,  Packman,  3-Demon,  CGA. 

CLASSIC  GAMES  ^222)  Pinball,  Breakout. 
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ADVENTURE  GAMES  fli  (22S)  Sam  Spade, 
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GAMBLING  GAMES (229)  Blackjack.  Poker. 
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BOARD  GAMES  FI1  (230)  Monopoly  and 
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MONOCHROME  ARCADE  GAMES  (243) 
Horserace.  Beast.  Sknng.  Fire  Fighter. 

EGA  ARCADE  GAMES  t>\  (251)  Aldo, 
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EGA  ARCADE  GAMES  #2  (252)  Snarfs  and 
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BOARD  GAM  ES  A3  (245)  Scrabble,  Concen- 
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MAJOR  LEAGltE  BASEBALL  (203)  Super 
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F0RDSIMULAT0R(2t1)  New.  exciting  driv- 
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EGA  GOLF  (250)  \B  holes  of  tt^e  best 
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BASS  TOUR  {258)  New!  Feature -packed 
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BOARD  GAMES  #2  (231)  Checkers,  Chess, 
Dominoes.  Backgammon  Needs  CGA. 

ADVENTURE  GAMES  Hi  (2461  Empire  & 
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STRATEGIC  WAR  GAMES  (226)  War  on  the 
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KINGDOM  OF  KROZ  (244)  Unique  arcade- 
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ARCADE  SPORTS  GAMES  (223)  PC-Pool. 
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ARCADE  GAMES  #1  (21G)  Spider^.  Tank 
Wars  &.  Disk  Crash.  Requires  CGA. 

PINBALL  GAMES  (225)  10  pinball  games  for 
1-4  players.  Requires  CGA  or  EGA. 

EGA  FOOTBALL  (257)  New!  You  control  all 
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QUICKCACHE{443,  444)  (2  disks)  Dish  cadg- 
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BAKER'S  DOZEN  (406)  Powerful  package 
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FLU-SHOT  +  (411)  New!  Effective  protec- 
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CGA  SIMULATOR  (433)  Run  most  CGA  pro- 
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HARD  DISK  UTILITIES  (437)  Very  useful  set 
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EGA  FONTS  (441)  More  than  SO  fonts  to 
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CATDISK  (452)  Easy,  menudrlven  disk 
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SPACE  MAKER  (467)  Data  compression 
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BEST  BATCH  UTILITIES  (473)  25  programs 
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MENUS  and  DfSKTOf 


POWER  MENU  (702)  Excellent,  easy  menu- 
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HOMEBASE  (601-602)  (2  disks)  Desktop 
organiser  puts  SidGkick  to  Shame, 

THEEVIEW  (706)  Newf  Our  favorite  DOS 

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WORDPERFECT  5j0  TOOLS  (Ml)  ASCSI  lo 
WPS  format  ronvefler  ptus  other  super 
utilities  to  improve  pertormance. 

PC-WBITE  3.02  (809-811)  (3  disks)  New!  Top 
rated  w/spell  checker. 

WORDPERFECT  CLIPART  (843.  Ml  12 
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PRO'SCRIBE  (822)  New!  Really  improves 
impact  and  clarity  of  your  writing, 

WORDPERFECT  MACROS  (831)  for  6.0, 
(837)  for  4.2.  Over  70  great  macros  & 
templates. 


OBAPMCS 


GRASP  <1&05)   Create  and  run   fabulous 

graptiic  dr^mos  Any  graptlics  card. 
PC-KEY  DRAW  (1607-1609)  (3  disks)  Power- 

lul  drawing!CAD  program  witfi  clip  art. 

CGA,  EGA,  or  HERC  w/CGA  emulation. 
OPTIKS  (16191   Edit,  merge,  conven  files 

Itom  over  24  different  graphic  formats. 
FINGER  PAINT  (l«20)  Like  PC-Paint  brush. 

Requires  gratJfiics  card. 
VGA  PAINT  (1622)  Nevj!  Grapfilcs/drawing 

in  248  colors.  Requires  VGA,  450K 
PRINTMASTER  GRAPHICS  (1602,  1603)  (2 

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graptiics,  ReOuires  Printmasler. 
PRINT   SHOP   GRAPHICS   (1663.   1664)   (2 

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IJLITE  (1031)  Amazing  dBASE  multi-utility 
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FILE  EXPRESS  4.ix  (1002-1003)  (2  disks) 
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dPROG  (1022)  Fantastic  dBASE  III  auto- 
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WAMPUM  (1006, 1007)  (2  disks)  Superb,  lull- 
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PC-FILE  J.  2.D  I1009-1D11)(3  dislts)  New  ver- 
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CREATIVITY  PACKAGE  (3000-3002)  (3 
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brainstorming  unleashes  youi  creativity. 

IDEA  TREE  (3003)  Unique  thinking  too!  &  mfo 
manager.  Gajn  contfol  of  thoughts  with 
graphic  display  of  ideas,  Topbpnors. 


MOeRAMMMO 


ABE   and   086  (1403-1404)  (2  disks)   Finest 

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fast.  Rave  reviews. 
EBL  It  OPAL  (1407)  Two  lantastic  batch 

language  processors.  Super-charge  your 

batch  files. 
SCREEN   DESIGNER  (1431)  Hew!  Sidting 

feature-packed  screen  designer  lor  batch 

files  &  most  programming  languages. 

Needs  364K. 

Ij 

AS  EASV  AS  (902)  Great  Lotus  123  clone. 
Latest  with  256x1024  grid.  Does  atmosi 
*-vety  Lotus  function. 

OUBECALC  f9fl3)  Unique,  powerful  3-0 
spreadsheet.  View  data  as  riever  before. 

LOTUS  TEMPLATES  (907)  Ready  to  run.  Re- 
quires Lotus  123. 

LOTUS  MACROS  (908)  Saves  loads  ot  t  ime. 
Requires  Lotus  123. 

123  POWER  WORKSHEETS  (911-912)  (2 
disks)  13  great  worksheets  for  Lotus 


PC-BARTENDER  (1823)  Professionally  mix 

almost  any  Orink. 
GAROERNER'S  ASSISTANT  (1309)  Plan  your 

garden  rn  every  detail. 
VIDEO    LIBRARIAN   (1812)   Catalogs   your 

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SHOPPERS  ASSISTANT  (1816)  Easy  grocery 

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CPUtao 


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COMMIMICAIIONS 


PROCOMM  (1700,  1701)  (2  disks)  Newest. 

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diskette  Into  a  compressed   file  (or 

faster  transmission. 


EDUCAnONftfUTOIIIALS 


WOROPERFECT  LEARNING  SYSTEM  (353, 

3M)  for  4.2  (355,  356)  lor  5.0, 
BASIC  PRIMER  (3301  Great  Basic  tutor.  Fle- 

quires  CGA,  cotor  monitor. 
TUTOR  1302)  Complete  inlEractive  DOS  and 

computer  tutorial. 
EASY  DOS  (305)  Two  g  real  programs  make 

using  DOS  very  easy. 
PC-FASTYPE(311)  The  very  best  interactive 

typing  instructor.  Needs  CGA  or  EGA. 
THE  PRESIDENTS  (341-342)  (2  disks)  Super 

biograpf^y  &  quiz  on  all  US.  presidents. 
SPANISH  TUTOR  (3S1)  3  powerful  pro- 
grams to  tielp  you  learn  Spanish. 


lUSINiSS  ft  FINANCE 


LABEL  MASTER  (1974)  Mair  list  manager. 

PC  MAG  Editor's  Choice. 
YEAR  PLANNER  1508)  Powerful  organizer 

prints  wall  calendars.  Needs  520K. 
AREA  CODE  FINDER  tt962>  Quickly  finds 

US  &  foreign  area  codes. 
RENTALS  (1951)  Fasi.  powerful  property 

management.  Men  u-driven.  easy  to  use. 

Requires 42QK,  2  fioppes  or  fiard  disK 
BUSINESS  ACCOUNTING  (1902)  Complete 

A;P.  A/R,  G(L  Payroll. 
ZIP  CODE  FINDER  (19001  New!  Compuleriz- 

ed  zip  code  book.  Ultra  last  searcf^. 
UPS  RATE  MASTER  (1955)  Complete  UPS 

shipping  program.  A  real  time  saver, 
FASTBUCKS  (1903)  Fast,  easy,  complete 

home    finance    package.    Requires 

graphics  card. 
FLQDRAW  (1904*19051  (2  disks)  Total  flow- 
charting sysiem.  CGA  or  EGA,  320K. 
SOLVE-IT!  ^,^^^9\  29  menu'driven  financial 

calculations. 
EXPRESS  CHECK  (19ZZI  Newl  Great  check 

book  mgr.  Menii-driven.  prints  checks 

and  reports. 
TfCKLEX    (1926)    Most    powerful    Tickler- 
Calendar-Scheduler  for  one  person  or 

entire  office.  Needs  512K.  hard  disk. 
EASY    PROJECT    it932l    Total    project 

manager.  Ganlt  charts,  reports. 
ASC   IN-CONTROL  (1952,   1953)  (2  DiSksl 

Nei^!  Sales  prospecmgaracking,  billing 

&  activity  scheduling,  autc^dial,  mail 

labels,  much  more. 
FONE  (1954)  Newl  Price  your  phone  calls 

while  you're  on  the  line  &  save  money. 
BUSINESS    FORM    LETTERS    (1936)    100 

common  business  letters.  Fill  in  bl^anks. 

-iiii;iJ.( 

HANDWRITING  AMAUYST  l2l32)  Produces 
detailed,  stcuraie  personality  analysis, 

MICRO  WORLD  DATA  BANK <2608-2612) <5 
disks)  Ultra  detailed  world  mapping. 
Producefl  by  the  CIA.  Needs  C6A  or 
EGA.  Features  2  types  of  mapping. 

PIANOMAN  4.0  (2202)  Play  and  compose 
music.  New  update  is  better  than  ever. 

SCICALC  (2304)  250  menu  driven  math  & 
pf>ysics  tools  with  unit  conversions. 
Need  CGA  or  EGA. 

WORLD  (2600)  Stunning!  Feature-packed 
wortd  map  w/zoom.  Needs  CGA  or  EGA. 

ASTROLOGY  9.5  (27Ql)  Complete,  accurate 
chart  calculation, 

LOTTO  BUSTER  (2130)  Lottery  program 
i-eaHy  works  on  any  plck-a/pick-7  lottery. 

WISDOM  OF  THE  AGES  (1216-1218^  (3 
disks)  Newl  6500  quotes  on  81  subjects 
Irorn  history  s  greatest  minds. 

ELECTRON  (2321)  Electrical/electronics 
tables,  drawings,  performes  calcula- 
tions &  designs.  For  hobbyist,  student, 
technician,  etc.  Needs  CGA. 


Circle  Reader  Sefvice  Number  121 


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$169 


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EPSON      LQ510 

•  24-P1n  letter  quality  printer 

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NX-IOOO $149.95" 

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Lasers $1729.95 

'  with  cabit  purehtsm 

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321  SL    $499.95 

351  SX  400  cps $999.99 

P311  Portable $379.95 


M170B $34S.9S 

M1724L $519,95 

HB20 $319.95 

HR40 $639.95 

1809 $349.95 

1B24L $469.95 

HL8ps  (Post  Script)  .  .  .$CALU 
ML8b $1799.95 


Rfbbons,  cables  and 

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Citizen 

120  D $138.95 

120  D  Serial $164,95 

180  D $154.95 

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HSP-550 $445. EI5 

Premiere  35 $499.95 

Tribute  124 ,$382,95 

Tribute  224 $559.95 

OSX-1 40 $31 9,95 


Drives 


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Okidata 

172 $195.95 

182  TurtlO $229.95 

183   $219.95 

320  $329.95 

321    $459,95 

390 $459.95 

391 $629.95 

393 $979.95 

393C  (color) $1069.95 

LassrB $1299,95 


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«  ifou  lie  not  cunmily  using  onr  educillonsl 

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^pteienlilivcs  lar  dclails. 


(^Seagate 


5.25"  Hall  Heights: 

ST225  20Meg  65  MSEC  MPM      .  SI  94. 

ST  225N  20  meg  SCSI    S263. 

ST  23eR  30  meg  RLL    $204. 

ST  251  40  meg  40  MSEC  MFM  .$309. 
ST  251-1  40meg  28  MSEC  l*FM  .$319, 
ST-277R  65  meg  40  msec  RUL  .    $349. 

ST  277N  64  meg  SCSI   $415. 

ST  296N  B4  meg  SCSI    $465, 

3.5'-: 

ST  125  20  meg  40  MSEC  MFM     $225. 

ST  125N  20  meg  SCSI    5274. 

ST  ISBR  30  meg  RLL .$239.1 

ST  1 38N  30  meg  SCSI   $305 

Monitors  i 


NEC 

Multisync  GS $249.95 

Multisync  XL $2099,95 

Multisync  30 $649.95 


BM75S2  Mon.  Comp $84  95 

BM7e22  Mon,  Comp $84,95 

7BM623TTL $94.95 

CMe702  Color  Comp $169  95 

CMB762  RGB $234.95 

SCM.51 5  RGB $259.95 

9CM-043  EGA $319  95 

9CMM53  EGA   $329  95 

9CM-0B2  VGA $399  95 


Hard  Drives 

ST  157H  49  meg  RLL   $299.95 

ST  157N  48  meg  SCSI  $329.96 

5.25"  Full  HelQhls; 

ST-4096  80  mag  ZrMSEC  MFM. $559.95 

ST-4144R  122  meg 

28  MSEC  HIL $809.95 

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22SP  20  meg  MFM $239.95 

ST  225  RP  20  meg  RLL $225.95 

ST  236  RP  30  meg  RLL $249.95 

95     ST  250  BP  40  meg  RLL $255.95 

gS     ST  138  RP  30  meg  RLL  .,..,.  .  .$289.95 

95     ST  157  RP  49  meg  RLL $339.95 

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Seagate 
hard 

drive's 


Toshiba 
floppy 
drive's 


TOSHIBA  Floppy  Drives 

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Modems 


GoldStar 

21 05  A  Composite $74.95 

1410  CGA  14" S214.9S 

1420  EGA  14" $314.95 

1430  VGA  14" $349.95 

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Everex  E«ergrapttlcs $54.95 

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Everex  MicroEnhencer 

Deluxe   $99.95 

Everex  Viewpoint  VGA  ....,,,  .$199.95 

Cardinal  Video  Cards 

Cardinal  VGA  200 $159.95 

Cardinal  VGA  256 $189.95 


A  vatex: 

12008 $69.95: 

1200I1C $99,95 

2400 $129.95 

Everex: 

Evofcom  1 2  tlNTl $54.95 

Evercom  24  (INT| $119,95 

Evercom  24  +  MNP $1 49.9S 

Evercom  246+  MNP $109.95 

Cardirral: 

MB2400EX  EXT $109  95 

MB2450  INT $88  9S 

MB1  200EX  EXT $69  85 

MB12S0tNT $55.95 

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■VEREX- 

IWODEIVIS 


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has  lust  the  modem  for  YOU! 


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idi^ 

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Standard  Features  IncEude 

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95 


Starter  SyBtem 


FSf  Ifitin            VIDEO  OPTIONS 

r/\     IV^U             jincludinQ  moriiloi  and  display  card! 

DRIVE  OPTIONS 

MONO 

12" 

CGA 

Id" 

EGA 

VGA 

1  FLOPPY  3,5 

S629 

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5695 

S8S9 

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1  FLOPPY  30MB 

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supply 

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•  2&«K  VIdM  RAM 

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t^   VGA  manilor  with  VGA  color  adaplef         1999  VALUE 


*^  32,1MB  Hard  diuQ 

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w^(h  (Jrlvers  and  utlllliss 

t^  \m  RAM 

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•  Hund^inM  AdvdMGDd  Opomtlng  En- 

flronmonl  •  Floppy  Drivar  ■  r 

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cod  Oporntliig  En- 

t  Drivar  ■  Frumnwoik  | 

i  StHiiit  '  f'ublliihll  -  \ 

aas  ■  Monay  uvliig  1 


iW  VALUE 
S149  VALUE 

sue  VALUE 
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SS9  VALUE 
.  INCLUDED 


FREE 


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Loaded  SfStdm 


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aa^iB^ '  'i 


IfflLASER  Turbo  ||  aosa/io  mz         f  LASER  2afi/2 


ZB6/121VIZ 


...t^e/'yrnmjT  you  expect  from  an  8088  CPU  plus 
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Standard  Features  Include 

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(4.77/10  MHz}  *  1  3G0K  S.2S"  lloppy  drive 

•  Sockal  loi  809  r-l  *  3  oitpanslo^  slots 
C[>-pFOce5sor  *  ParalFal.  sorliil.  game  porlfi 

■  FULL  6dOK  RAM  standat'd  •  CGAfMDA.  Comp.  video  adaptor 

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•  4  drive  baysfexposed  *  VLSI  gale  array  lochnology 

EXTRA  FEATURES  FREE!!! 

(^  CGAIMDA.  ComposilB  ililaa  nbplai--  S99  VALUE 

1^  S40KRAMInDt|usi:i2K)  SJO  VALUE 

(^  MS-DOS)GW  BASIC  3.3-  199  VALUE 

)>'  PC  TOOLS  DELUXE  |>1  iilM  OoU  top  ogininf l  S1»  VALUE 

t^    Joysllekpofi   ,        .  INCLUDED 

t^    One-Year  worranly  (pjris  and  labor)  INCLUDED 


$599 


95 


Startct  System 


TIIDPn   II        VIDEO  OPTIONS 
1  UnDIJ   II        imcludinQ  rsonilor  And  display  card) 

DRIVE  OPTIONS 

MONO 

CGA 

EGA 

VGA 

1  FLOPPY 

Sfie9 

SB29 

S999 

sn49 

•DUAL  FLOPPY 

S739 

S899 

$1059 

S1199 

'3DMB  SEAGATE 

S939 

S-,099 

SI  249 

51399 

*40NB  SEAGATE 

$969 

S1129 

St279 

tt429 

'   Second  dr  ie  Toshiba  J.  S  oi  S.25  floppy  tSfive 


^VEREJ^AGI  3000G  386SX/16MZ 

<MADE  IN   THE   USAJ 

The  ACI  3000G  by  Evbfbx  represents  the  perfect 
combination  of  performance  and  value  tor  users 
wanting  the  power  of  a  386  bated  system. 

Standard  Features  Include 

•  Notion  SI  17.6 

•  Intel  80386SX  0  wait  siaio 


16MK1 

•  1MB  RAM  siandaFd 

•  1.ZMB  5.25"  lloppy  drive 

»  tiard  diskJfloppy  con1.(1:l  knl.) 

■  6  expansion  stDt5|4I16  tMt.2fB 
bi\) 

•  Socket  lor  e03e7$!t 
coprocessor 

■  101  Key  antianctd  k«ybo*<d 


EXTRA  FEATURES  FREE!!! 

t^    48  hour  lactory  bum-in  .   INCLUDED 

P^  2  Proprietary  eipan^ton  £|qIs  Iq  up^'ado  to  1&MB  flAM 
*^    One  year  warrsTily  Iparls  *  littwr)  -       INCLUDED 


■•  Hard  drive  ael-ups  In 

ROM  (45  hard  drive 

comt>lnati'Ons) 

■  200  Wall  powe«  tuppiv 

{U0I220) 

•  LED  readouts  lor  power 

and  dlftk  access 

•  CkKklCalendar  WlballarY 

•  Ftor^l  parcel  keylock  and! 
ipaakfii  or\}otl  ivn'iich 


$1299 


95 


SrarfOii'  System 


tnnnr           ^'"^0  OPTIONS                            | 

OUUUIJ                (including  monUor  and  display  card) 

ORIVE  OPTIONS 

MONO 

VGA 
mono 

EGA 

VGA 
color 

30MB  Seagate 

S1739 

S1B99 

S2029 

S2149 

40MB  Seagate 

S1779 

S1939 

S2069 

52189 

50MB  Seagate 

S2D29 

S2169 

S2299 

S2419 

TOSHIBA  T-1000  Laptop  TOSHIBA T-3200  Laptop 


Pick  up  on  ttia  T'lODD  and  you'll  go  far.  Give  yoursall 

desktop  PC  powar  whsravar 

you  need  it.  Toshiba's 

T-IOOQ  includes  Sl2K 

RAM.  ana  buillifi  720KB 

3,5"  disk  drive  supen- 

wist  LCO  display  MJIh 

CGA  capabiltly. 


$639^ 


|95 

Tostiiba  T-1200F 


For  a  desktop  computer  that 
won't  leave  you  desk  bound, 
ctioose  ttie  Tostiiba  T-3200. 
Ful!  desktop  (eatures  include: 
^2MHz  clock  speed.  A0W3 
hard  dJsk.  EGA  video  card,  in- 
leFnal  ejcpansion  slots  and 
t»th  Centronics/RS  232  intei 
lace  pods.  Experience  the 
power  of  Ihe  T.JZOO-      >-<3 


...Here's  proof  that  power  does  not  have  to  be 
expensive,  nor  do  you  have  to  sacritice  brand 
name  quality  for  'generic'  prices." 

Standard  Featuras  Include 


•  B02B6  Microprocossor 
J6il2  MHf) 

'  Socket  for  90287 
co-processor 
'  640K  RAM 
iQxpandablo  to  1MB] 

•  1.2M&  5.25"  lioppv 
disk  driuQ 

•  Seagals  ST02  SCSI  Ftosl 
adapter 


•  I  drive  bays  (2  eip^sedj 

•  B  Expanslcn  stats  (9MB  t^tl) 

•  107  key  entiancad  koybaord 

•  1  P^rallai  antt  2  serial  pOfll 
■  Front  panel  LED  lurbo 
readout 

•  From  panel  reset  and 
keylock 

•  Clock/ calendaf  Wlbaitary 


EXTRA  FEATURES  FREE!!! 

SBO  VALUE 

$89  VALUE 

S129  VALUE 

INCLUDED 


Full  S40K  RAM  mot  just  512K» 

MS^DOS/GW  Basic 

PC  TOOLS  DELUXE  i-l  dest^I)p  wgniil*] 

One-Year  warranty  (parts  antj  latnr) 


$799'^ 


SIsrter  Sjrstem 


ODCn                             VIDEO  OPTIONS                     1 
20ol2                   (including  monilO' and  dispJay  card}         | 

DRIVE  OPTIONS 

MONO 

EGA 

VGA 

30  MB  Seagate 

S1199 

S1499 

S1649 

48  MB  Seagate 

S1299 

S1599 

S1749 

84  MB  Seagate 

S1499 

S1799 

S1949 

Osicom  MORE      386/25  mz 

"When  MORE  speed,  MORE  performance  and 
compact  size  are  on  order/' 

Standarct  Features  Include 


■  8038B  Microprocessor 
2SMHZ{D  waiti6MH; 
swiichabia 

•  AMI  glOS  wilh  ints^ratad 
$atup  £  Diagnostics. 

•  I  MB  RAM  Standard  (expan- 
dable to  IGMB) 

•  8  Eipargsion  siois  {1  32  bit, 
6  16  bJi.  1  e  bill 


■  1.2MB  S.2S*' floppy  drive 

•  iDi  key  enhanced  keyboard 

•  64K  SRAM  Cachie  msfnory 
»  S  Drive  bays 

•  1  Parailfil  and  2  Serial  poirlfl 

•  Clock/calendar  Wfbattery 

•  150  Watt  power  supply 

■  aOJ^a?  Coprocessor 


EXTRA  FEATURES  FREE! ! ! 

1^    FREE  ONE-YEAR  ON  SIGHT  VIARBANH 

THUOUGH  DOW-JONES  INCLUOEB 

i^    AM!  BIDS  witli  Inlsgratad  Setup  md 

Diagnostics  INCLUDED 

1^    5  OrliB  beys  (not  just  31  INCLUDED 


$1599 


95 


starter  System 


iQcnc              VIDEO  OPTIONS       ^     ,                1 
Jobr^O                 (includmo  mo5l!or  and  display)              \ 

DRIVE  OPTIONS 

MONO 

VGA 
mono 

EGA 

VGA 
coler 

48  MB  Seagate 

S2139 

S2299 

t2429 

S2S99 

84  MB  Seagate 

$2259 

S2399 

S2549 

S2749 

120  MB  Seagat! 

S2S99 

S2679 

S2799 

S2999 

VW MITSUBISHI  MP  286L  Laptop 

•  80286  Processor  Runnirvg  at  12  MHi  or  d  MHi  ■  cA  KB 

RAM  *  tt"  OiAganoi  B£W  Display  *  Color  Graphic»_ 

Adapter  ■  1.44  MB  capacity 

3-5"  Disk  Drive  •  Centronics 

ParaiEel  Port  •  2  RS-232C 

Setiai  Ports  ■  4  Eispanslon 

Card  SiOtS  •  MS-DOS  3,30  • 

GW  Basic  3,20  •  inlernal 

Spaalter  *  t-Yeer  Manu'lac- 

turer's  LimileC  Warranty 


$3439 


LAPTOPS   TO  GO!! 


$1939 


95 


Circlet  Roader  Service  Number  1U 


MIBRO  CO. 

64  WEST  36th  STREET,  NEW  YORK  CITY,  N.Y.  10018 


ORDERS  ONLY 


^t^      l^ 


COMMODORE  64 
25  PC.  DREAM  OUTFIT 

OUTFIT  INCLUDES:  Commodoie  6-1  Keyboard 
•1541  Disc  Drive  •Commodoie  Primer 
•12"  MonocliromB  Monilor 
•10  Disiielles 


O 


$348 


com 


COMMODORE  COLT 
i'tef  25  PC.  PACKAGE 
''~-  IBM  XT 

COMPATIBLE- 
OUTFIT  INCLUDES:  ComuiodorB  Coll  'aual  Drive 
•Keyboard       •12"       Computer       Monitor 
•10  Disketies  •Software  Bundle     $  COft 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITMl 

IX"  COLOn  HONITOR S748 

10  MEGABYTE  HARO  ORIWE S79» 

40  MEGABYTE  HARP  QHIVE .5890 


1 

c 

■J^^k^A, 

I  ■800"4S  I  "9780  **'^'  RESIDENTS  (111)  695-7 

U|    C^f°"^"^°^°C2,    all  |HL LEADING  EDGE     [B 


COMMODORE  64 

25  PC  PROFESSIONAL  OUTFtT 

DUTFIT  INCLUDES:  CDrrmdofe  64  Keyboard  -ISIl 
Disc  Drive  •Commodore  Printer 
•13"  Color  Monitor 
•10  Diskciies 


$398 


Tiodore 

COMMODORE 

PC-40 

25  PC.  PACKAGE 
IBM  AT 
COMPATIBLE- 
PACKAGE  INCLUDES:  CommodoTTITSO  -O"  VGA 
Monnchrome  Monitor  *40  MB  Hard  Drive  'S'l" 
Floppy  Drive  •Keybooril  S  I  *%  A  A 

•10  Oiskettes  •Sottware  Bundle    I  XV" 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

VGA  COLOR  MONITOR SI4«» 


MODEL  D 

25  PC  PACKAGE 

IBH  XT  COHPATIBLr 

PACKAGE  INCLUDES:  Model  D  CPU  &  Keyboard  •12' 
Compuiei  Mnnttoi  'X]  Qiskelii^s  "Ward  Processor  *Spiead 
Sheel  *DaTa  Base  S  f  >i  O 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITHi 

10  MEGABYTE   HARD  DRIVE £748 

30  MEGABYTE   HARD  DRJVE .  S7«a 

40  MEGABYTE   HARD  DRIVE  .........  £846 


MODEL  D2 

IS  PC.  PACKAGE 

IBM  AT  COMPATIBLE^ 

?fiCUGi  INCLUDES:  Modtl  02  CPU  &  Keyboard  'l?" 
Compurer  Moniwr  *10  Diskeiies  •Word  Processor  •Spread 
Sheei  •Ds!3  Base  S  Q  A  O 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITHl 

20  HEGABTTE  HARD  DRIVi,  > |IOM 

10   HICABYTE    HARD    DRIVE.  ......  .SI  1411 

40MECAaYTE   HARD   PRIVI SUM 


EPSON 


VENDEX* 


HEADSTART  II 

25  PC.  PACKAGE 
IBM  XT 
COMPATIBLE- 
FEATURES  WCIUDE:  Headslart  II  -Dual  Drive 
1514"  ■  Sfi"!  •640K  Ram  '12"  Compuler  Monilor 
•Original  Sotlware  Bundle 
•ID  Diskettes 

SAME  PACKACE  WITHl 

IS  HECABYTE  HARD  DRIVE S»4B 

VEHDEX  EXPLORER  IN  n'OCKII 


*748 


HEADSTART  III 
25  PC.  PACKAGE 

IBM  AT 

COMPATIBLE'         £«ri£KL__ 

PACKAGE  INCLOOES:  Headstan  III  'Dual  Drive 

I5'-."  •  aVi"!  -1  MB  Memory  •I?  Megahertz  •SO 

MB  Hard  Drive  '12"  VGA  Monochrome  Monitor 

•Original  Sottware  Bundle 

•  ID  Diskettes 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITHr 

VGA  COLOn  MONITOR. SIOSB 


EQUITY  II  + 

25  PC.  PACKAGE 

IBM  AT  COMPATIBLE 

■PACKAliE  INCLUDES:  Equity  II  +  CPU  8  KtjbDarfl  •!2' 
Computei  Monitoi  •!)  Dijkettw  .Won!  Processor  .Spread 
Sh«el  .Qals  SDse  SOOO 

SAME  PACKACE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

10  MEGABTTE  HARD  DRIVE Sll>« 

30  MEGABYTE  HARD  DRIVE SII4B 

40  MIGABYTE   HARD   DRIVE Sll«> 


POWERMATE 
386-SX 

,Y    15  PC.  PACKACE 

it,  IBM  AT 


EQUITY  386      ^ 

25  PC.  PACKAGE      ~ 
IBM  AT 
COMPATIBLE^ 

PACKAGE  WaiiDES:  3B6  Pmctsio  '20  MtgMrti  •!  MB 
Memoiv  •5ii"    Fh}ppY   Drive   .12'"  Canifluler   MqrilDr 

■10  Distelres  ^1998 

SAME  PACKACE  AVAIUBLE  WITH! 

20   MEGABTTE   HARD   DRIVE S1I98 

10   MECABTTtrECA  COLOR  STTTEM  .  .  S1498 


SEC 


af»^Bwm\ 


COMPATIBLE- 


M888 


PACKAGE  INCLUDES;  386  Processor  •»  Megahertz 
"5'.4"  Floppy  Orive  •IZ"  Computer  Monitor 
•Software  Bundle  S  I  f  O  O 

•10  Diskettes  ^l>00 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITHl 

10  HECABYTE  HARD  DRIVE SI7a> 

10   MEGABYTE/ECA  COLOR   SYSTEM.  .  SlOBfl 


EPSOivr 


~7^. 


'^'if 


EQUITY  I  + 

.y^^Mi^"-   IS  PC.  PACKAGE 
^^^  -  -    IBM  XT  COMPATIBLE' 


PACKAGE  INCLUDES:  Equily  !  4  CPU  »  Keyboanl  -12' 
Compulflr  MDi>rl(ir  ^ID  Uisltettes  •Woid 
Pii>»ssDr  .SpieBd  Sheet  •Data  Base     ^  ^  jm  ^ 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITHl 

10  MEGABYTE   HARD  DRIVE $798 

XO  MEGABYTE   HARD  DRIVE.  ........  SB48 

40HECABTTE  HARD  DRIVE St9a 


Panasonic 


EQUITY  IE 

25  PC.  PACKAGE    ,^, 

IBM  XT  COMPATIBLE      3fl 

PACKAGE  IftCLUDES:  Eqiilv  IE  CPU  i  Keyboard  'U" 
Computsi  Monjtoi  •10  Disksttes  •WonI  Processor  •Spi&act 
Sheet  •Data  Bau  $  f  OQ 

SAME  PACKACE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

10  MEGABTTE  HARD  DRIVE $(48 

10  MEGABYTE  HARD  DRIVE $696 

40  MEGABTTC  HARD  DRIVE S«4B 


•Si3/  is  PC-  PACKAGE 

^^i^^iiO/  IBM  XT  COMPATIBLE' 

PACKAGE  INCLUDES:  Panasonic  fXlSSD  CPU  S 
Keyboard  ^12"  Computer  Monitor  •lO  Diskettes 
•Word  Processor  £^AO 

•Spread  Sheet 'Data  Base  ^O9o 

SAME  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

10  HECABYTE  HARD  DRIVE t99a 

10  MEGABYTE   HARD  DRIVE 1IS»« 

40  MEGABYTI  HABO  DRIVE >l  198 


COMPUTERS 

IBM  AT 
COMPATIBLE' 


•PANASONIC  FX1750    'PANASONIC  FX185D 

•PANASONIC  FX1900    'PANASONIC  FKIOSO 

AVAILABLE  WITHr 

20-30-40  MEGABYTE  HAHD  DRIVES 

AVAILABLE  WITH: 

HCA-CGA-ECA-VGA  MONITORS 


POWERMATE 
386 


25  PC.  PACKAGE 
IBM  AT 
COMPATIBLE' 

PACKAGE    INCLUDES:    38d    Priii:essor 


'20 


Megaherlj  'Sli"  Floppy  Drive  •12"  Computer 
Monitor  'Sottware  Bunrtle        * 
•10  Diskettes  •2MB  Ram        *  _ 

SAME  PACKACE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

40  MEGABYTE  HAHD  DRIVE.  .  .  S1T«« 

IP   MEGABTTE/VCA    COLOR  SYSTEM.  .tliSi 


^2488 


IBM 


ORIGINAL  IBM 

IBM  XT 
25  PC.  PACKAGE 

PACKAGE  INCLUDES:  IBM  XT  CPU  &  Keyhoaid 
•12"  Computer  Monilor  •lO  Diskettes  'Word 
Processor  •Spread  Sheet  SitOO 

•  Data  Base  *OVo 

SAME  PACKACE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

10  HECABYTE  HARD  DRIVE SaOB 

30  MEGABYTE  HARD  DRIVE. S94B 

40  MEGABYTE  HARD  DRIVE St«B 


ORIGINAL  IBM 

IBM  AT 

15  PC.  PACKAGE 

PACKAGE  INCLUDES:  IBM  AT  CPU  &  Kcyhoard 
•12"  Compulei  Monitoi  •ID  Diskettes  •Word 
Processor  'SprearJ  Sheet  S  I  ■  A  O 

•Data  Base  I  I  7  O 

SAHE  PACKAGE  AVAILABLE  WITH 

10  MEGABYTE  HARD  DRIVE SII9B 

SO  MEGABYTE  HARD  DRIVE.  ......  .SI44B 

40  HECABYTE  HARD  DRIVE .  .SU9B 


15  PC.  PACKAGE 

>l  IBM  XT 

COMPATIBLE' 

768  Ram  'lO  Megaheiij 
•5%"     Floppy     Drive 


Premier 


PACKAGE  INCLUDES: 

•  aOaa     ProcBssar 

*12"  Computer  Monitor  STOQ 

•Softwarp  Bundle  #  TfO 

SAME  PACKACE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

DUAL  DRIVE  (f."  -  1    i") .  .S94I 

10   MEGABYTE   HAHD  DRIVE $|0«B 

40   MEGABYTE   HAHD   DRIVE jllflj 


Y<^naaT^T>-TnTiY  V, 


25  PC.  PACKAGE 

IBM  AT 

COMPATIBLE-  . 

PACKAGE  IN'CLUDES:  286  Processor  '\i  Mesahertr 
•1  ME  Memorf  •12"  Computer  Monitor  'Software 
Bundle  •lO  Diskettes  S  I  i^  AO 

•0  Wait  Slate  '  I  Z90 

SAME  PACKACE  AVAILABLE  WITH: 

10  MECABVTt   HAHD  DRIVE 3IS9B 

10  MEGABYTE  HARD  DRIVE SIA9B 

40  HICABYTE  HARD  DRIVE tl?9B 


PANASONIC  PRINTERS 

•KXP-IIBQi         •KXP1124 
•KXP1191i  •KXPT524 

.KXP1092I  -KXPTSaZ 

FULL  LINE  OF 
PANASONIC  PRINTERS 
GREATLY  DISCOUNTED 


EPSON  PRINTERS 

.  LXBID  •LQ-850 

•  LD-510  •LQ-950 

•FX-1D50  •LQ105D 

FULL  LINE  OF 

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■  HEWLETT  PACKARD  Laser  IIP 
•HEWinr  PACKARD-HP  Laser  Shks  II 
■HEWLEn  PACKAflDDesk  Jet 
•PANASQWC  KXP445D  Laser 
FULL  UNE  OF 
LASER  PRINTERS 
GREATLY  DISCOUNTEP 


•Tosliiba  moo 
•Toshiba  1200 
•Toshrba  iSflfl 
•Toshiba  32D0 


LAPTOP 
COMPUTERS 


■NEC  Multispeeil 
•NEC  Ultra  Lite 
•Zenith  Superspori 
•Toshitia  5200 


^commacdcsre     SOFTWARE 

FOR  IBH 
HARDWARE 
SOFTWARE 


•S4  C  COMPUTER 
■1280  COMPUTER 
•1541  DISC  DRIVE 
•1581  DISC  DRIVE 
•  I7QQ  EXPANDEIt 
•1660  MODEM 
•1G70  MODEM 
•1084  MONITOR 
•IDS')  S  MQNITDP 


•WordPerfei:!     •Q  8  A 
•LOTUS  1-2-3    •DAC  Easy 
•OUATTflO        •WINDOWS 
•WordStar         'D  BASE  III 
•Ventura 
•BUSINESS  WORKS  PC 


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ALL  SYSTEMS  AVAILABLE  WITH:  10/30/40/60/80  HARD  DRIVES 

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Use  Mi'C,  Visa.  AMEX  or  send  morwy  order,  cerlitied  dllecia  Ail  merclianilise  brand  new  Ijclor^  fresti,  Sb<p0ing 
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Circle  Reader  Service  Number  161 


Advertisers  Index 


Reader  Service  Number/Advertiser        Page 

193  Access  Software,  Inc 37 

124  Accolade    17-19 

123  Accolade    47 

133  Accolade    80-81 

108  Activislon    45 

194  Ad  Lib    25 

200  Air  Force    20 

Broderbund    55 

Broderbund   93 

131  Compsult   132 

119  CompuServe    78-79 

114  Computer  Direct    124-125 

144  CO/OX  Inc 122 

162  DAC  Easy    121 

184  Damark  International,  Inc.    ...  134 

135  Data  East 33 

197  Davidson   5 

1 90  Electronic  Arts   29 

149  Electronic  Arts  31 

1 1 2  FANFARE/Britannica    57 

145  Fas-Track 122 

182  Freew/are  Unlimited    117 

118  Gemini  Marketing, 

Incorporated    130-131 

172  Gold  Hill  Software    115 

183  Golem  Computers    134 

122  Gosselin  Computer 

Consultants    132 

188KOEI     IFC-1 

103  Lucasfilm  Games 43 

143  Lyco  Computer    126-127 

161  MibroCo 128 

175  Micro  Illusions    105 

180  Micro  Illusions 107 

174  Micro  Illusions    109 

187  Micro  Star    133 

192  MicroProse    41 

177  Miles  Computing    69 

178Mindcraft   77 

151  Mindscape  51 

120  Mindscape  65 

Montgomery  Grant    110 

NRI  Schools     9 

198  ORIGIN     49 

138  ORIGIN    83 

1 36  Parsons  Technology    IBC 

157  Parsons  Technology    34-35 

166  Parsons  Technology    61 

146  Parsons  Technology    103 

181  Postcraft  International,  Inc.     .  .111 
117  Precision  Images  132 

163  Prodigy    94-95 

199  Radio  Shack    27 

179  Rainware    10 

189  Ramco  Computer  Supplies    .  .467 
170  Reasonable  Solutions    119 

164  SIERRA    BC 

102  Software  Discounters 

of  America  120 

159  Software  Excitement!  .  .  .  136-137 
142  Spectrum  HoloByte    8 

185  Spinnaker 63 

Strategic  Simulations,  Inc.   ...  101 

IIOSubUDGIC    71 

leOSubljOGIC    104 


Reader  Service  Number/Advertiser        Page 

195TAITO 97 

191  TAITO 99 

1 37  The  Family  Jewels  46 

168  The  Gopher  Gradeworks   15 

169  The  Learning  Company 89 

121  The  Software  Labs    123 

148  The  Software  Labs    141 

140Toyogo,  Inc 132 

130  ULTRA/Konami    38 

196  Virgin  Leisure  Genius 87 

144  XOR  Corporation 118 


Classified  Ads 

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COMPUTE!  Back  Issues  

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COMPUTE!  Readership  Survey 

..  15 

COMPUTEI's  Demo  Disk 

Directory  112-113  1 

COMPUTE'S  PC  Demo  Video 

Cassette   

72-73 

COMPUTEI's  SHAREF%K  for 

IBM  PC  &  Compatibles 

...50 

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297 


JANUARY       1990  COfVIPUTEl       129 


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JANUARY       199    0 


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NOTE:  rvlinimum  progrom  requirements  ore  In  parentheses  at 
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CGA  at  least  CGA  or  better  (for  example.  EGA  or  VGA) 


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SECURITY/HACKING 


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PC-FILE:DB  (853-655/3  disks) 

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Send  Cash,  Check  or  Money  Order  to; 

AIOA  SYSTEMS  INC. 
P.O.  Box  66-C,  Parlin,  New  Jersey  08859 


FREE  DISCOUNT  SOFTWARE  CATALOG- 
Amiga  Apple,  Comm.,  IBM  &  Mac.  Disk- 
Count  Software,  P.O.  Box  3,  Carteret,  NJ 
07008  Call:  (800)  448-6658 

[■REE  PD  &  SHAREWARE.  IBM  OR  C-64  (SPECI- 
FY). Send  1  stamp  for  catalog  or  $1  for 
Sample  disk  k  Catalog.  RVH  Publications, 
4291  Holland  Rd.,  Suite  562-A,  VA  Beach 
VA  23452.  Approved  Vendor  ASP. 

IBM  -  COMMODORE  64  &  128  -  AMIGA. 
lOOO's  of  PD/Shareware  programs  on  100s 
of  disks.  Free  listing  or  $1  for  large 
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DISKS  OTLENTY  INC.,  7958  Pines  Blvd., 
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IBM  PD  &  SHAREWARE  only  90  cents  per  5W 
disk!  Send  $1  for  5 'A  disk  catalog  and 
sample  software,  3V3  disk  add  $1.  Finto 
Software,  Rt  2,  Box  44,  Rosebud,  TX  76570 

ABC  LOTTO.  Let  your  IBM  PC  select  the 
winning  combination.  Histories  files,  3 
play  strategies,  unlimited  wheeling.  Any 
game  up  to  80  with  5,6  or  7  draw  set. 
5,25  DOS  disc  $24. 95 +  1.95  HfaS  5%  FL  tax. 
CTSOfT  CO,  PO  Box  691384  ORLANDO,  PL  32869 

Numerology — Get  a  10  page  report  about 
j'our  strengths,  weaknesses,  and  destiny. 
Send  your  full  name  at  birth,  birthdate, 
current  name,  and  S9.95  to  The  Network, 
P.O.  Box  1102,  Westboro,  MA  01581. 


COMPUTE!  Classified  is  a  low-cost  way  to  tell  over  250,000 
microcomputer  owners  about  your  product  or  service. 

Rates:  $25  per  line,  tninimum  of  four  lines.  Any  or  all  of  the  first  line  set  in  capi- 
tal letters  at  no  charge.  Add  $15  per  line  for  boldface  worcis,  or  $50  for  the  entire 
ad  set  in  boldface  (any  number  of  lines.)  Inquire  about  display  rates. 

Terms:  Prepayment  is  required.  Check,  money  order,  American  Express,  Visa,  or 
MasterCard  is  accepted.  Make  checks  payable  to  COMPUTE!  Publications, 

Form:  Ads  are  subject  to  publisher's  approval  and  must  be  either  typed  or  legibly 
printed.  One  hne  equals  40  letters  and  spaces  between  words.  Please  underBne 
words  to  be  set  in  boldface. 

General'  Information:  Advertisers  using  post  office  box  numbers  in  their  ads  must 
supply  permanent  address  and  telephone  numbers.  Ad  will  appear  in  next  avail- 
able issue  after  receipt. 

Closing:  10th  of  the  third  month  preceding  cover  date  (e.g.,  June  issue  closes 
March  10th).  Send  order  and  remittance  to:  Kathleen  Ingram,  Classified  Manager, 
COMPUTE!,  P.O.  Box  5406,  Greensboro,  NC  27403.  To  place  an  ad  by  phone, 
call  Kathleen  Irtgram  at  (919)  275-9809. 

Notice:  COMPUTE!  Publications  cannot  be  responsible  for  offers  or  claims  of 
advertisers,  but  will  attempt  to  screen  out  misleading  or  questionable  copy. 

Classified  Display  Rates:  Classified  display  ads  measure  IVt"  wide  and  are  priced 
according  to  height.  1"  =  $250;  V/i'  -  $375;  2"  =  $500;  3"  =  $600;  ($100  for 
each  additional  inch,  e.g.  4"  =  $700,  etc.)  Preferred  supplied  material  is  Velox  or 
PMT. 


FREE  G\TALOG— OVER  1000  PUBLIC  DOMAIN 
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LINCAD,  CALCAD,  CONVOLV,  EFT  SPECTRA. 
Design,  analyze  analog  &  logic  circuits. 
Call  (614)  488-3400  or  send  for  info. 
SOFCAD,  1609  Essex  Rd,  Columbus,  OH  43221 

BIBLE  TEXT.  GREAT  CHRISTMAS  GIFT  $50 
Ascii  files  load  in  your  Apple  II  w.p.  or 
40K  AW  Desktop  K.J.V.  or  N.I.V.  3.5  or  5.25 
or  IBM  K]  5.25  ascii  text  disk.  Use  own  wp. 
to:  Four  His  Church,  Box  13141,  OP,  KS  66212 

"MAIN  MENU-  for  IBM  PC  and  COMPATIBLES! 
Organize  your  programs  on  menu  screens. 
Select  them  with  just  a  single  key.  Send 
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FREE  CATAUOG  OF  DISCOUNT  SOFTWARE. 
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TAX  RUCKAGE  FOR  ATARI,  APPLE,  IBM,  C64  128 

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BUSINESS    OPPORTUNITIES 


$97,500  'HIDDEN'  IN  YOUR  COMPUTER?  YESI 

(Free)  Report.  Write:  Simpson,  Dept.  CP 
Battle  Ground,  WA  98604-0771 

HOW  TO  MOONLIGHT  WITH  COMPUTER 
Free  information.  Must  reading  for 
everyone  wanting  their  own  business. 
AlCrC,  Box  2615,  Pasadena,  CA  91102 


DISCOUNT  COMPUTER  BOOKS.  Thousands  of 

titles  available.  Please  call  or  write 

for  your  free  catalog  today.  BOOKWARE 

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HARDWARE 


EDUCATION 


B.Sc.  &  M.S.  In  COMPUTER  SCIENCE 

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The  World's  Best  IBM-PC  Compatible 


BUSINESS 

Form  Master (4177^  —  Designand create 
any  business  form  quickly  and  easily. 
Stock  Charting  (4121)— A  very  compre- 
hensive stock  charting,  analysis,  and 
portfolio  management  package. 
PC-Calc+     (4130-4132)-The    most 
powerful  spreadsheet  package  available 
for  under  S200!  (3  Disks)  512K 
As-Easy-As  (4138)  -A  fantastic,  easy  to 
use  Lotus  1-2-3  spreadsheet  clone. 
Small  Business  Accounting  (4141)- A 
must  for  all  small  business  owners! 
Solve-lt!  (4143)-A  complete  financial 
formulas  package.  Great  for  bond,  mort- 
gage, and  investment  calculations. 
Itour  Financial  Consultant  (4146)-An 
effective  money  management  system  for 
individuals  and  small  businesses. 


Programs  as  low  as 
$1.49  per  disk! 


PC-Books  (414e)-A  complete  easy  to 
use  bookkeeping  system.  Comes  with 
on-screen  help  and  a  tutorial. 
Manager's  Planner  (4162)- Become  a 
more  effective  manager.  This  excellent 
package  helps  you  with  planning,  organi- 
zation, and  time  management. 
PC-Project  Manger  (4165)-Ttiis  excel- 
lent menu-driven  project  manager  does 
job  scheduling,  critical  path  analysis, 
Ganit  charts,  and  more. 
Mr.  Bill  (4171,  4172)-Complet6  billing 
system.  Keeps  track  ot  your  accounts 
receivable  and  payments.  Prints  invoices 
and  statements  (2  Disks) 
PC-Lxtans  (4144) -A  complete  package 
that  supports  most  loan  methods.  Prints 
monthly  payments  and  balances. 
Legal  Form  Letters  (41 75) -Dozens  of 
form  letters  for  contracts,  employment 
applications,  filings,  etc, 

PC-Payroll  (417B,  4179)-A  complete 
and  powerful  payroll  system!  (2  Disks) 
Blaktiook  (4185)-Great  for  keeping 
track  of  important  addresses  and  ptione 
numbers.  Prints  an  address  book. 

HOME  MANAGEMENT 

Fast  Bucks  (4099,  4100)  -Tracks  all  your 
personal  and  family  finances  (2  Disks) 

Home  Budget  Manager  (4103)— Helps 
you  to  design  and  stick  to  a  budget. 
Checkmate  (4101)-A  fantastic  check- 
book program  with  reconciliation  fea- 
tures and  great  screen  displays. 
Home  Inventory  (4180)- Keeps  a  per- 
manent record  of  all  your  property. 
Edna's    Cookbook    (4217,    4218) -A 
handy  electronic  cookbook  with  several 
great  recipes— add  your  own  (2  Disks) 
Family  History  System  (4852,  4853)- 
Helps  you  trace  your  family  roots  and 
prints  genealogical  reports  (2  Disks) 

WORD  PROCESSING 

Letter  Writer  (4603) -Simplifies  letter 
wriling  and  mail-merge.  Maintains  a  file 
of  names  and  addresses. 
PC-Write  3.03  (4510-4612)-AII  Ihe  fea- 
tures you  need  including  spell-checking. 
The  BEST  word  processor  under  S200! 
(3  Disks)  512K. 

Writer's  Heaven  (4620) -A  great  add-on 
far  PC-Write  users.  This  package 
extends  and  supercharges  the  features 
of  PC-Write.  Highly  recommended! 
PC-Write  Macros  (4621) -A  collection  of 
too  practical,  time-saving  macros. 


DATABASE/MAIL  LIST 

File  Express  (4202,  4203)-An  easy  to 
use,  yet  powerlul  database.  Highly  rated 
by  PC-Magazine.  (2  Disks) 
Mail  List  (4205) -Keeps  track  of  your 
mailing  list  and  prints  mailing  labels. 
Doctor  Data  Labels  (4209, 4210) -Has 
the  features  otherwise  found  in  only  the 
most  expensive  mail  list  software.  Power- 
ful and  complete.  (2  Disks)  512K 
PC-FiIe:dB  (4213-4215) -This  database 
package   is   complete,   powerful,   and 
dBASE  compatible!  (3  Disks)  512K  HD 

Idea  Tree  (4225)-An  AfVlAZING,  FAN- 
TASTIC, WONDERFUL  program  that 
lakes  your  ideas  and  thoughts  and 
organizes  them  into  a  hierarchy  which 
you  can  display  on  your  screen  or  print. 

EDUCATION 
French  I  &  II   (4500,  4501)- French 
vocabulary  for  students.  (2  Disks) 
Spanish  I  &  II  (4505,  450B)-Spanish 
vocabulary  and  verb  drills  for  beginning- 
intermediate  students.  (2  Disks) 
Spanisti    Hangman   (4507) -What    a 
great  idea— make  Spanish  vocabulary 
tun  by  turning  it  into  a  game  of  hangman! 
Japanese   (4510)- Designed   for   the 
business  traveler  and  language  student. 
German  I  &  II  (4512,  4513)-German 
vocabulary  instruction.  (2  Disks) 
Algebrax    (4524) -Excellent    algebra 
tutor  which  has  different  levels  lor  the 
basic  to  advanced  student.  CGA 

Facts  50  (4525)— A  graphic  geography 
lesson  of  the  United  States,  CGA 


FREE 
Disk  Drive 
Cleaning  Kit 
With  your  order 
of  7   or   more 
disks  from  this 
ad,  receive  this 
vital  mainten- 
ance kit,  FREE! 
(a  S9.95valuB!).  Additional  kits  may  be 
purchased  for  a  special  price  of  only 
S5.95  each.  Both  ZVi" and  SVt"  sizes 
available.  (Limit  one  free  kit  per  order) 


Geograplry  (4526)— Make  learning  fun 
with  this  geograpliy  trivia  game. 
Math  Tutor  (4529)-A  !un  approach  to 
learning  math.  For  kids  ages  5-13. 
Are  %u  Ready  for  Calculus?  (4534)- 
This  is  an  excellent  pre-calc  tutor  which 
reviews  algebra  and  trigonometry. 
Funnels   &    Buckets   (4535)-A   fun, 
more  effective  way  to  leach  kids  math. 
It's  a  fun  math  learning  game! 
World  (4537)— A  fascinating  electronic 
globe/database  at  your  fingertips.  CGA 
Puzzle  Search  (4538)-An  educational 
game  with  questions  on  American  his- 
tory, world  history,  and  geography. 
Balloon  Speller  (4541) -An  Introduction 
to  spelling  tor  children.  Games  to  make 
learning  fun  for  pre-schoolers.  CGA 
The  Presidents  (4542,  4543) -A  very 
comprehensive  tutor  and  quiz  of  the 
presidents  and  their  terms.  (2  Disks) 
Flags  of  the  World  (4544)-See  and 
learn  the  flags  of  115  countries.  This 
great  program  even  plays  the  national 
anthem  of  several  of  the  countries.  CGA 
Typing  Tutor  (4SS0)-Quickly  improve 
your  typing  skills  and  speed  with  this 
friendly  typing  teacher.  CGA 
Play  'n'  Learn  (4555)-A  set  of  six  learn- 
ing games  for  pre-schoolers.  CGA 


Lotus  Learning  System  (4556,  4557) 
-A  very  complete  package  that  makes 
Lolus  1-2-3  easier  to  use.  (2  Disks) 
DOS-a-matic  (4559)-A  menu-driven 
program  that  makes  using  DOS  easy! 
PC-Professor  (4560)-An  easy  to  use 
programming  tutorial  which  teaches  you 
to  write  or  modify  BASIC  programs. 
Computer  Tutor  (4562)- If  you  are  a 
new  user  or  computer  novice,  THIS  IS 
WHAT  YOU  NEED!  Learn  in  a  fun, 
pressure-free  environment.  Highly 
recommended! 

UTILITIES 

Masterkeys  (4300)- Uke  the  popular 
Norton  Disk  Ulilities,  only  better! 

SimCCSA  (4305) -Utilities  which  allow 
you  to  run  many  programs  that  require 
CGA  on  your  monochrome  system. 

Grabber  (4342)-A  memory-resident 
program  that  will  save  to  disk  any  screen 
image.  You  can  then  run  a  slide-show  of 
saved  images.  CGA 

PC-DeskTeam  (4375) -Large  collection 
of  Sidekick-like  desktop  accessories 
(clock,  calendar,  phone  book,  etc.) 
Master  Menu  (4386) -Puts  all  the  pro- 
grams on  your  hard  disk  onto  an  auto- 
booting,  one-touch  selection  menu. 
Q-Modem  SST  (4715-4717) -A  modem 
telecommunications  package  which  is 
powerful  and  versatile.  (3  Disks) 

GRAPHICS/PRINTING 

Epson  Utilities  (4333,  4334) -A  set  of 

fonts  and  utilities  to  enhance  your 
printer's  print  quality.  (2  Disks) 

LaserJet  II  Fonts (4335,  4336)-Several 
new  soft  fonts  for  the  HP-LaserJet  II  and 
compatible  printers.  (2  Disks) 
City  Desk  (4340)— A  simple  desktop 
publishing  program  for  newsletters. 
Charts  Unlimited  (4343)-A  fantastic 
design  tool  for  creating  almost  any  type 
of  chart,  schematic  or  diagram.  Excellent 
priming  capabilities.  CGA 
PC-Draft  (4344,  4345) -A  high-qualily 
drawing/painting  program.  (2  Disks)  CGA 
Express  Graph  (4161)-Turns  raw  data 
into  great  graphs  and  charts.  A  picture 
is  worth  a  thousand  words! 
Insta-Calendar  (4835) -This  calendar 
design  tool  and  printer  is  easy  to  use. 

Banner  Maker  (4801)  —  Make  banners  of 
various  styles  and  sizes.  Requires  an 
Epson  or  compatible  printer. 


CFREE 
Disk  Holder 
In  addition  to 
yourFREEdisk 
drive  cleaning 
kit  with  your 
order  of  20  or 
more  disks  from 
this  ad,  receive 
your  choice  of  a  5'A"  (holds  75  disks) 
or  S'A"  (holds  40  disks)  disk  holder, 
FREE!  (a  S12.95  value!).  Additional 
disk  holders  may  be  purchased  for  a 
special  price  of  only  S9  95  each.  (Limit 
one  free  holder  per  order,) 


PC-Key  Draw  (4391-4394) -Powerful 
CAD  design  software  system.  Works 
w/keyboard  or  mouse.  (4  Disks)  HD 

PrintShop  Graphics  (4397)-A  large 
collection  ot  PrintShop  clip  art, 
PrIntMaster  Graphics  (439a)-Lot3  of 
clip  art  for  Printfjlaster  users. 
On-Slde  (4387) -Prints  your  spread- 
sheets (or  anything)  sideways! 


RELIGION/BIBLE 

BIBLE-O  (4552)-Test  your  Biblical  IQ! 
A  very  fun  to  play  BIBLE  knowledge  quiz. 
Church  dBASE  (4812) -Automates 
membership  record  keeping  for  church 
congregations  and  other  organizations. 
SeedMaster  (4837-484  9) -The  com- 
plete King  James  BIBLE  on  disk!  Allows 
quick  access  to  any  word,  phrase,  topic. 
Requires  hard  disk.  (13  Disks)  HD 

MISC.  APPLICATIONS 

ELISA  (4805)- Let  the  famous  com- 
puter psychiatrist  analyze  you.  It's  fun! 
Lotto!   (4823) -Complete   system   for 
most  states'  lotteries.  (Requires  printer) 
Biorhythm  (4826)-Generales  a  chart 
for  any  month  and  prints  the  results. 
The  Diet  Disk  (4827)  -  Provides  the 
tools  for  successful  weight  loss. 
Astrology  (4831)-Let  the  computer  tell 
you  what  lies  ahead  in  your  stars! 
Baseball  Cards  (4859) -A  custom  base- 
ball card  inventory  database  program  for 
collectors  and  baseball  card  stores. 
PC-Musician  (4900)- Compose,  record, 
and  play  back  music  on  your  computer. 
Piano  Man  (4902)- Record,  edit,  and 
then  play  back  your  favorite  tunes.  Also 
lets  you  turn  your  computer's  keyboard 
into  a  musical  instrument! 

GAMES 

Striker  (4400)-Arcade  helicopter  attacl< 
game.  Bomb  and  shoot  enemy  targets. 
(CGA-Will  ncl  ivof';  .vilh  EGA/VGA] 
Q-Bert  (4403)-  Play  the  famous  arcade 
hit  on  your  computer.  CGA 
Backgammon  (4404)  — Play  against  a 
challenging  computer  opponent.  CGA 
Monopoly  (4405)- Really  fun!  Great 
color  graphics  and  sound.  CGA 
JetSet  (4407) -A  jet  flight  simulator  that 
teaches  airplane  navigation. 


Programs  as  low  as 
$1.49  per  disk! 


TRON  (4409)-Race  your  lightcycle  but 
don't  hit  your  opponent's  trail!  CGA 

Bridge  Pal  (4412) -Play  bridge  anylimel 
Includes  a  bridge  tutorial. 
18-Hole  Miniature  Golf  (4414)-Kids 
really  love  this  one!  CGA 
Baseball  (4415)- Pick  your  team  and 
swing  for  the  fences!  A  game  of  base- 
ball strategy  and  arcade  play.  CGA 
D  &  D  (4418)-lmmerse  yourself  in  the 
ultimate  adventure,  anytime! 
AdventureWare  (4420) -Five  challeng- 
ing text  adventure  games  sure  to  keep 
you  intrigued  for  several  enjoyable  hours. 
PAC-MAN    &    More!    (4421)- Several 
realiy  lun  arcade  hits.  CGA 

Wheel  of  Misfortune  (4422)-A  really 
fun  version  of  the  popular  TV  show. 
Master  the  Market  (4425) -A  challeng- 
ng  stoci(  market  simulation  game,  More 
realistic  and  all-around  better  play  than 
the  popular  "Millionaire"  game. 
Kid  Games  (4426) -A  set  of  educational 
games  for  kids  2-7  years,  CGA 
Ed's  Chess  (4427) -Challenge  a  lough 
computer  opponent.  Beats  the  expen- 
sive games  like  ChessMaster  2000! 
Solitaire  (4428)-The  computer  deals 
and  makes  sure  you  don't  cheat.  CGA 
Super  Pinball  (4429) -A  collection  of 
five  great  video  pinball  games.  CGA    . 


Software-    Alld  MOR     ! 


video  Poker/UHima21  (4435) -The  very 
best  poker  and  blackjack  games. 

RISK  (4436)  — For  all  of  us  who  love  this 
great  board  game.  Conquer  the  world. 

(CGA-Will  not  work  with  EGA/VGA) 


COLOR  DISKETTES 

We  now  use  these  excellent,  brand- 
name,  color  diskettes  lor  all  our 
duplication.  (One  ^^a 

TTiore  way  that  SE!  ^^B 

stands  apart  from  ^^r 

the  competition  -whichuses  second- 
rate,  black  generic  diskettes) 


Star  Trek  (4439)  -You  are  captain  as  you 
lead  the  Enterprise  into  space  battlel 
PC-Pro  Golf  (4442) -Choose  your  club 
and  swing  away  at  the  Amherst  Country 
Club  in  this  excellent  golf  game.  CGA 

NINJA  (4445)-Use  your  fists,  feet, 
sword,  and  throwing  stars  as  you  battle 
the  evil  Ninja  warriors.  CGA 
Round42  (4446)— It's  like  a  new  and 
improved  version  of  the  all-time  favorite, 
"Space  Invaders."  CGA 
Sam  Spade  (4448)-Play  detective  and 
solve  the  case  in  this  adventure  game. 


For  Our  Customers 
Who  Need  3Vi"  Disks 

If  you  need  the  SVa"  disk  size,  we 
have  good  news  for  you!  3V2"  disks 
are  only  50e  extra!  {Others  charge 
S1 .00  extra  or  more!) 


Trivia!  (4455) -Have  hours  of  fun  test- 
ing your  trivia  IQ.  For  1-6  players. 
Marooned    Again    (4456)— A    great 
adventure  game  set  in  outer  space. 
McMurphy's  Mansion  (4457)-You  have 
inherited  a  fortune,  now  all  you  have  to 
do  is  find  it!  A  fun  adventure  game. 
PC-JIgSavK  (4458)-A  beautiful  picture 
s   displayed   and   then   jumbled   into 
several  pieces.  See  if  you  can  put  it 
together  again.  FANTASTIC!  CGA 
Checkers  (4459) -Think  you're  good? 
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i  GOHVERSniONS 

SOFTWARE  IS  A  MIND  TOOL  BY 
y   WHICH  WE  UNLOCK  ALL  OF  THE 
CREATIVITY  AND  INTELLECTUAL 
ENERGIES  WE  POSSESS, 


KEITH 


F     E     R      R     E     L     L 


TO  Les  Crane,  chairman 
and  CEO  of  The  Soft- 
ware Toolworks,  it's  all 
software. 
"I've  been  in  the 
software  business  all  my 
professional  life,"  Crane 
says  emphatically.  This 
despite  a  career  that  in- 
cludes Slims  as  a  contract 
actor  for  Universal,  pio- 
neering radio  and  network  television 
talk  shows  in  the  sixties,  and  a  Gram- 
my for  his  recording  of  The  Desidera- 
ta in  the  seventies. 
Software? 

Sure — since  college,  even.  In 
1952.  while  attending  Tulane  Univer- 
sity, Crane  landed  a  job  as  a  disc  jock- 
ey for  a  commercial  radio  station. 
"The  first  time  I  picked  up  a  copy  of 
Nat  'King'  Cole's  'Mona  Lisa'  and  put 
it  on  the  turntable,"  he  explains,  "I 
was  programming  entertainment 
software." 

He  goes  on.  "In  television,  when 
I  was  making  videotapes  for  broadcast 
on  .A.BC,  we  were  certainly  producing 
entenainment  software.  When  I  was 
making  movies,  the  film  was  enter- 
tainment software.  In  1972, 1  pro- 
duced and  recorded  The  Desiderata; 
certainly  that  was  entertainment 
software." 

The  lure  of  interactivity  is  noth- 
ing new  for  Crane.  "That  has  always 
been  the  appeal  for  me  in  all  electron- 
ic media.  I  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
two-way  talk  radio."  He  made  a  name 
for  himself  with  an  innovative  call-in 
program  in  San  Francisco. 

He  pursued  interactivity  in  new 
media,  as  well.  '"We  invented  two-way 
television.  At  KGO-television  we  dis- 
covered that  you  could  delay  video- 
tape. 1  did  a  show  where  people  could 
call  in  and  interact  live  with  what  was 
going  on  in  our  studios." 

It's  all  software,  it's  all  interac- 
tive. "The  focus  of  my  interests  and 
activities  has  not  changed  at  all  over 
the  years.  The  hardware  has  changed  a 
bit.  But  the  software  itself  still  looks 
like  records,  a  little  different  size  and 
shape  maybe,  but  it  looks  like  records. 


So  I've  always  been  in  what  I  like  to 
think  of  as  the  interactive  software 
business.  Interactivity  has  always 
been  the  leitmotif  of  what  I've  done." 

Computers  were  a  natural  for 
Crane.  "1  bought  mv  first  computer,  a 
TRS-80,  back  in  1977  or  1978.  It  had 
a  gigantic  4K  RAM  and  4K  ROM.  I 
saw  the  interactive  potential  and  got 
tremendously  excited.  That's  when  I 
began  programming  my  first  com- 
puter software  venture,  a  computer- 
ized version  of  the  /  Ching"  The 
program  still  sells  by  mail. 

Hooked.  Crane  expanded  his 
software  business,  releasing  Software 
Golden  Oldies,  a  collection  that  in- 
cludes Eliza.  Pong,  Adventure,  and 
Life.  The  anthology  did  well,  but  The 
Software  Toolworks  really  look  off" 
with  the  1986  release  of  Chessmaster 
2000.  Crane  followed  that  smash  with 
Mavis  Beacon  Teaches  Typing,  a  so- 
phisticated typing  instructor;  Twist  & 
Shout,  a  spreadsheet  utility;  and,  more 
recently.  Life  and  Death,  an  interac- 
tive medical  movie. 

With  sales  measured  in  the  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  and  products  that 
are  respected  by  peers  as  well  as  con- 
sumers. Crane  and  The  Software 
Toolworks  have  become  an  important 
part  of  the  software  firmament. 

The  range  of  products,  as  well  as 
the  name  of  Crane's  company,  says 
something  about  his  attitudes  and 
goals,  "Software  is  a  mind  tool  by 
which  we  unlock  all  of  the  creativity 
and  intellectual  energies  we  possess 
and  unleash  them  through  the  powers 
that  are  made  available  to  us  by  the 
computer.  A  computer  engages  you 
even  more  effectively  than  a  book  or  a 
movie  because  you  are  changing  the 
programmatic  material  and  interact- 
ing with  the  media  in  ways  you've 
never  been  able  to  before." 

How  does  Crane  decide  which 
products  to  release?  His  years  in  the 
entertainment  industry  help.  "Com- 
ing from  a  show-business  background, 
I've  never  wanted  to  be  subject  to  the 
vagaries  of  the  faddish  entertainment 
marketplace.  I  like  to  think  about  mu- 
sic publishing.  There  are  hits,  and 


then  there  are  standards.  I'd  much 
rather  have  the  rights  to  White  Christ- 
mas than  to  Madonna's  next  single. 
When  we  look  at  a  product — Chess- 
master,  say,  or  Mavis — we  want  to 
make  sure  it  becomes  the  standard  in 
its  area." 

A  man  of  enormous  personal 
charm  and  persuasiveness,  naturally 
enthusiastic  about  his  company  and 
the  software  industry,  Crane  is  not  un- 
aware of  the  large  social  risks  that 
electronic  media  may  bear:  People  in- 
teracting with  machines  may  have  less 
time  to  interact  with  other  people. 

"We  may  see."  he  says,  "a  social 
devolution,  in  that  people  are  going  to 
be  spending  much  more  time  cocoon- 
ing,  if  you  will.  Having  an  interactive 
home  entertainment  center  might  see 
us  move  toward  a  reemcrgcncc  of  nu- 
clear types  of  families  and  family 
groups." 

That's  not  necessarily  negative, 
but  extensions  of  the  trend  could  be. 
"As  electronic  media  become  more 
appealing,  people  arc  going  to  spend 
less  and  less  time  with  literature,  say. 
and  more  with  electronic  amusement 
devices.  I  think  that  would  be  a  terri- 
ble Hobson's  choice.  It's  not  a  great 
tradeoff." 

But  it  is  a  tradeoff  that's  taking 
place.  People  are  reading  less.  Despite 
his  enthusiasm  for  computers.  Crane 
remains  a  committed  reader,  pepper- 
ing his  conversation  with  references  to 
books. 

He's  concerned  that,  thanks  again 
to  electronics,  the  shift  from  book  to 
electronics  may  take  place  rapidly. 
"Because  of  television,  because  of 
game  machines,  computers  and  Nin- 
tendo, and  so  on.  we  are  raising  a  gen- 
eration of  illiterates — and  that's  scary 
as  hell." 

Crane  isn't  running  scared, 
though.  He's  confident  that  the  com- 
bination of  interactive  electronics  and 
human  imagination  will  ultimately 
produce  a  new  synthesis — new  enter- 
tainment, new  tools.  It  doesn't  matter 
what  form  it  takes,  what  platforms  or 
media  they  require.  To  Les  Crane,  it 
will  all  be  software.  13 


138       COMPUTE 


JANUARY        1990 


NEW  PRODUCTS 


1 


Star  Boosts  Speed 

The  Star  Micronics  NX-1000  II 
Multi-Font  printer  is  25-percent  faster 
than  the  original  NX-1000  Multi-Font 
model.  This  nine-pin  dot-matrix 
printer  offers  near-letter-quality  text 
at  45  characters  per  second  (cps)  ver- 
sus 36  cps  for  the  previous  model. 
The  draft  output  is  180  cps  compared 
with  144  cps  vifith  the  older  model. 


Star's  NX-1000  II  Multi-Font  printer  is 
now  a  full  25-percent  faster  than  before. 

Features  include  four  internal 
fonts,  a  4K  buffer,  and  a  paper- 
parking  feature  that  lets  you  feed  sin- 
gle sheets  without  removing  tractor- 
fed  paper.  The  four  internal  fonts — 
Courier,  Sans  Serif,  Orator  I,  and  Ora- 
tor II — can  be  selected  from  the  front 
control  panel.  Italic  printing  is  also 
available  in  draft  and  NLQ  print 
modes. 

A  parallel  interface  with  Epson 
LX-800  and  IBM  Proprinter  II  emula- 
tions enable  you  to  run  almost  all  ex- 
isting software.  Other  features  include 
automatic  paper  loading  and  an  ad- 
justable push-style  tractor  feed. 

The  retail  price  for  the  NX-1000 
II  Multi-Font  is  $299. 
Star  Micronics,  200  Park  A'e..  Suite  3510, 
New  York,  NY  10166 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  200. 


The  Great  One 

The  award-winning  Amiga  sports  sim- 
ulation, Wayne  Gretzky  Hockey,  by 
Bethesda  Soft  works,  has  now  been  re- 
leased for  IBM  PCs  and  compatibles. 
Endorsed  by  the  Canadian  Amateur 


Hockey  Association,  the  game  fea- 
tures many  realistic  aspects  including 
penalties,  power  plays,  sudden-death 
overtime,  instant  replays  and  fights  on 
the  ice,  in  addition  to  the  chance  for 
you  to  play  with  The  Great  One.  You 
can  assume  the  role  of  player  and/or 
coach  or  let  the  computer  play  both 
teams. 

Hand-pick  your  own  team  and 
set  each  player's  skill  level,  or  choose 
from  four  classic  Stanley  Cup  teams — 
the  1970  Boston  Bruins,  the  1970  St. 
Louis  Blues,  the  1971  Montreal  Cana- 
diens,  or  the  1971  Chicago  Black- 
hawks,  If  you  want  to  join  Wayne  on 
the  front  line,  select  either  the  1988 
Edmonton  Oilers  or  the  1989  Los  .A.n- 
geles  Kings.  Additional  International 
and  NHL  Team  DataDisks  are  also 
available  separately. 

Wayne  Greizky  Hockey  for  the 
IBM  PC  and  compatibles  carries  a 
suggested  retail  price  of  $54.95.  The 
Amiga  version  sells  for  $49.95. 
Bethesda  Softworks,  15235  Shady  Grove 
Rd,  Rockville.  MP  20850 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  201. 


Taxing  Times  Ahead 

Chipsoft's  1989  TurboTax  Personal/ 
1040  package  features  pull-down 
menus  and  increased  mouse  support. 
Online  help,  including  IRS  instruc- 
tions, is  available,  as  is  enhanced  tele- 
phone support  with  a  toll-free  fax 
number  and  an  IRS  bulletin  board. 

TurboTax  offers  the  Visual  1040 
system  for  graphics-based  machines. 
New  forms  offered  this  year  include 
Schedule  Dl ,  a  second  copy  of  Sched- 
ule F,  Schedule  2  (Form  I040A),  and 
Forms  4952,  8283,  8808,  and  8814. 
An  automatic  interview  function  asks 
you  appropriate  questions  to  deter- 
mine which  forms  you'll  need. 

The  program  will  print  IRS- 
approved  forms,  including  the  1040, 
on  dot-matrix  and  laser  printers.  It 
also  prints  out  all  worksheets  and 
schedules. 

The  TurboTax  Personal/ 1040 
sells  for  $75,  while  updates  are  half  off 
the  current  year's  price.  Each  state 


version  retails  for  $40,  and  individual 

state  updates  are  $25. 

ChipSofi.  5045  Shoreham  Pi.  San  Diego. 

CA  92122-3954 

Circle  Reader  Service  Number  202. 


Pigskins,  Pits,  and  Playoffs 

Electronic  Arts  has  extended  its  sports 
offerings  for  the  IBM  PC  and  compa- 
tibles with  John  Madden  Football, 
Ferrari  Formula  One.  and  Lakers  vs. 
Celtics  and  the  NBA  Playoffs. 

John  Madden  Football  v/as  previ- 
ously released  for  the  Apple  II  series 
and  features  three  levels  of  difficulty 
to  ease  you  into  the  fray.  QuickPlay, 
with  a  reduced  playbook,  gets  the 
game  going  within  a  minute  of  boot- 
ing. The  Standard  Game  can  be 
played  in  Strategy  or  in  Action  mode. 
The  strategic  game  runs  the  plays  you 
call  as  you  watch  the  action  from  the 
sidelines.  The  action  game  lets  you 
make  the  coaching  decisions  and  run 
the  plays  by  controlling  the  key  player. 

The  game  retails  for  $49.95  on 
the  IBM  PC  and  compatibles  and  the 
Apple  11. 


Race  your  way  to  first  place  and  become 
driving  champion  In  Ferrari  Formula  One. 

With  Ferrari  Formula  One,  you 
can  live  out  your  fantasy  of  racing  a 
Ferrari  Fl/88.  This  detailed  driving 
simulation  puts  you  behind  the  wheel 
on  famous  racecourses  such  as  Mona- 
co, Detroit,  Monza,  and  Brands 
Hatch.  You  can  race  on  a  favorite 
course  at  any  time  or  take  on  the  chal- 
lenge of  recreating  an  entire  Formula 
One  season.  The  IBM  PC  and  compa- 
tibles version  has  a  retail  price  of 


JANUARY       1990  COMPUTEI 


139 


$39,95.  A  previously  released  Amiga 
version  sells  for  S49.95. 

Lakers  vs.  Celtics  features  the 
classic  rivalry  between  two  of  the 
NBA's  most  successful  franchises. 
This  NBA-licensed,  five-on-five  game 
also  features  six  other  1989  playoff 
teams  along  with  the  1989  East  and 
West  All-Star  teams.  The  teams'  sta- 
tistics are  taken  from  the  1989  season. 
You  can  choose  any  two  teams  to  play 
a  scrimmage  game,  or  you  can  select 
one  team  to  enter  the  playoffs  and  try 
to  win  the  World  Championship. 

Players  are  faithfully  modeled 
after  real-life  NB.A  stars.  The  game  in- 
corporates true-to-life  rules  including 
ten-second  backcourt,  three-second 
lane,  and  five-second  inbounds  viola- 
tions; team-penalty  situations;  and 
five-minute  overtimes.  Lakers  vs. 
Celtics  retails  for  $49.95. 
Eteclronic  Arts.  1820  Gate^vay  Dr..  San 
Mateo.  CA  94404 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  203. 


Accolade  Assumes  New  Role 

With  the  release  of  The  Third  Courier. 
Accolade  enters  the  role-player  game 
segment  of  the  market.  The  game 
takes  you  to  the  city  of  Berlin,  where 
you'll  assume  the  role  of  Moondancer, 
the  free  world's  best  secret  agent.  Your 
assignment  is  to  recover  N.ATO's  sto- 
len nuclear  defense  plans  and  iheir 
components  from  an  elusive  courier 
before  they  are  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  the  Eastern  Bloc. 

In  this  realtime  role-playing  game. 
you  can  tailor  Moondancer's  back- 
ground and  character  traits.  You  also 
have  at  your  disposal  several  high- 
tech  devices.  All  of  the  action  takes 
place  on  a  first-person-perspective 
view  screen  surrounded  by  onscreen 
informational  files  you  can  access  at 
any  time.  ,A  status  box  briefs  you  on 
your  current  location  and  explains  to 
you  through  icons  what  kind  of  estab- 
lishments are  on  your  path  such  as  ho- 
tels, bars,  shops,  and  cash  machines. 

The  IBM  PC  and  compatibles 
version  is  hard  disk-installable  and 
has  a  suggested  retail  price  of  $49.95. 
An  .Apple  IIgs  version  will  be  avail- 
able soon  and  will  retail  for  S49.95  as 
well.  .Accolade  also  plans  to  release  a 
clue  book. 

Accolade.  550  S.  Winchester  Blvd..  Suite 
200.  San  Jose.  CA95128 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  204. 


Laptop  Light 

The  Tandy  1  iOO  FD  laptop  weighs  in 
at  less  than  6'/:  pounds  and  features 
the  DeskMate  graphical  user  interface 
and  MS-DOS  3.3  built  in.  DeskMate 


includes  DeskMate  Desktop,  Desk- 
Mate's  Text  application,  and  Desk- 
Mate's  90,000-word  spelling  checker 
in  ROM.  The  computer  comes 
equipped  with  one  3'/3-inch  720K  disk 
drive. 

Also  included  with  the  computer 
is  a  removable,  rechargeable  battery 
that  lasts  for  more  than  five  hours  and 
an  AC  adapter/recharger.  Other  fea- 
tures include  an  80  X  25  high-con- 
trast liquid-crystal  display  with  640  X 
200  resolution,  an  NEC  V-20  micro- 
processor with  a  clock  speed  of  8 
MHz,  640K  of  available  memory,  a 
full-size  84-key  keyboard  with  en- 
hanced keypad  emulation,  a  low- 
battery  indicator,  a  battery-saving 
standby  mode,  a  built-in  realtime 
clock,  a  parallel  printer  port,  a  serial 
communications  port,  and  one  dedi- 
cated internal  modem  slot. 

The  Tandy  1 100  FD  has  a  retail 
price  of  $999.00.  Options  include  an 
internal  modem  for  $199.95,  a  re- 
placement battery  for  $29.95,  and  a 
choice  of  carrying  cases. 
Tandy.  1 700  One  Tandy  Center,  Fort 
Worth.  TX  76102 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  205. 


Tangled  Up  in  Tales 

Origin  has  released  the  IBM  PC  and 
compatibles  version  of  TangledTaies, 
a  fantasy  role-playing  adventure.  Sub- 
titled The  Misadventures  of  a  Wiz- 
ard's Apprentice,  the  game,  which 
casts  you  in  the  role  of  the  wizard's 
apprentice,  offers  a  lighthearted,  witty 
approach  rather  than  the  typical  dark 
and  heavy  themes  of  role-playing 
adventures. 

As  the  wizard's  apprentice,  you 
must  complete  three  progressively  dif- 
ficult tasks  as  proof  of  your  worthi- 
ness. On  your  quest,  you'll  visit 
haunted  houses,  medieval  fortresses, 
and  contemporary'  countrv'  farms. 
There  are  over  50  odd  characters  to 
meet  including  a  medieval  knight,  a 
California  surfer,  and  a  Shakespeare- 
spouting  elf  maiden. 

TangledTaies  features  a  menu- 
and-icon  interface  along  with  state-of- 
the-art  graphics.  The  suggested  retail 
price  $29.95. 

Origin.  136  Harvey  Rd..  Bldg.  B.  London- 
derr}:.\'H0305S 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  206. 


Software  to  Sneeze  At 

Positech's  WellAvare  traces  food- 
allergy  and  -intolerance  symptoms  to 
the  foods  that  trigger  them.  It  analyzes 
what  you  eat  to  relate  ingredients  to 
symptom  patterns  and  then  identifies 
the  foods  and  additives  most  likelv  to 


cause  the  symptoms. 

Designed  for  both  home  and  pro- 
fessional health  care,  WelL^iwe  lets 
you  conduct  your  own  food-sensitivity 
studies.  It  provides  a  diary  to  record 
what  was  eaten  and  when  and  the  se- 
verity of  symptoms.  The  diary  can  be 
printed  out  for  reference.  The  pro- 
gram's Food  Sensitivity  Report  ranks 
suspected  ingredients  or  food  groups 
in  order  of  probable  cause.  WellAware 
also  provides  an  Ingredient/Diet  Cat- 
egorization Report  that  helps  you  plan 
meals  by  showing  what  foods  you  eat 
that  involve  the  suspected  ingredients 
or  food  groups. 

The  program  contains  a  database 
of  hundreds  of  meats,  seafoods,  fruits, 
vegetables,  and  grains  and  the  ingredi- 
ents and  additives  in  over  3000 
brand-name  processed  foods,  popular 
fast  foods,  and  commonly  prepared 
dishes.  You  can  also  add  your  own 
recipes  to  the  database.  It  sells  for  $99. 
Posiiech.  484B  Washington  St..  Suite  350, 
.Moniere}',  C-l  93940 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  207. 


Playtime 

Broderbund's  Playroom  is  built 
around  the  theme  of  a  child's  play- 
room filled  with  games,  toys,  and  sur- 
prises. It  includes  seven  games  that 
introduce  children  to  early  math, 
reading,  telling  time,  beginning  key- 
boarding,  art  and  creativity,  logical 
thinking,  and  spelling. 

In  the  first  game,  called  The  Play- 
room, children  can  explore  the  room 
and  select  from  more  than  20  toys  and 
objects.  The  first  game  teaches  chil- 
dren to  recognize  or  read  key  safety 
words.  Six  of  the  objects  in  the  room 
lead  to  the  other  six  games.  The  cuck- 
oo-clock game  teaches  children  how 
to  tell  time  to  the  nearest  hour  while 
the  computer  focuses  on  reading 
readiness,  spelling,  and  computer  key- 
boarding  skills.  The  mixed-up  toy  en- 
courages creativity  and  helps  develop 
analytical  skills.  The  mousehole,  a 
three-level  counting  game,  introduces 
addition  and  subtraction.  With  the 
.ABC  book,  children  can  learn  some 
creativity  and  basic  reading  skills. 
The  spinner  toy  can  help  teach  kids 
how  to  count  and  recognize  the  nu- 
merals 1-12. 

The  Playroom  has  a  retail  price  of 
$44.95  for  the  IBM  PC  and  compati- 
bles. $49.95  for  the  Macintosh,  and 
$39.95  for  the  Apple  II.  Included  in 
each  package  is  a  small  stuffed  toy 
(Pepper  the  Mouse)  and  a  Parent's 
Guide. 

Broderbund.  1 7  Paul  Dr..  San  Rafael,  CA 
94903-2101 
Circle  Reader  Service  Number  208.  b 


140 


COMPUTE! 


JANUARY        1990 


ABSOLUTELY  \ 


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for  the  IBM  and  compatibles 


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Scroll  your  screen  backwards  —  One  by  one  review  every  screen  that  scrolled  by 

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Cut  information  out  of  any  program  —  at  any  time  —  paste  it  into  any  other  program 

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Easily  create  interesting  and  powerful  batch  files 

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Circle  Reader  Service  Number  14S 


OFF  LINE 


OBBSm 


DAN 


Q     O     O     K 


N 


l^lS^t 


The  winter  holidays  are 
over.  Garish  paper  lies 
spread  upon  the  floor, 
and  the  eggnog  stain  on 
the  carpet  is  but  a  memo- 
ry and  a  faint  ring.  It's 
only  January  5  and  al- 
ready the  excitement  pro- 
voked by  those  delight- 
fully wrapped,  heavy 
dBase  I  V-size  boxes  that 
once  were  nestled  beneath  the  tannen- 
baum  has  given  way  to  gloom  and  de- 
spair. They  say  it's  the  thought  that 
counts,  but  whoever  folded  those  flop- 
py disks  so  that  they'd  fit  in  your 
Stocking  couldn't  have  been  thinking 
very  hard. 

Every  year,  it  boils  down  to  the 
same  thing.  You  hint,  suggest,  and 
beg.  You  hold  aloft  copies  of  your  fa- 
vorite computer  journals  and  point 
frenetically  at  the  ads.  You  drag  your 
loved  ones  through  Software-O-Rama 
and  deliberately  pick  up  software 
packages,  nervously  flip  through 
books,  and  joyfully  behold  hardware 
add-ons  that  anyone  with  one  good 
eye  could  see  you  wanted.  But  it  does 
no  good. 

Why?  Because  your  friends  and 
loved  ones  have  no  idea  what  you're 
talking  about.  Forget  about  the  com- 
puter gibberish  you  spout  every  day; 
during  the  holidays  it's  about  as  intel- 
ligible to  them  as  Sanskrit.  Even 
though  they  have  the  best  intentions, 
they  always  buy  something  that 
doesn't  work  with  your  equipment. 
And  if  they  do  figure  out  what  you 
want,  and  they're  willing  to  surprise 
you  with  it,  the  cost  of  the  thing  blows 
them  away.  Four-hundred-eighly  dol- 
lars for  a  memory  chip!  Why  can 't  yvu 
raise  finches  like  your  brother? 

To  educate  potential  gift-givers,  it 
helps  to  remember  all  the  many 
months  of  training  you  underwent 
before  you  could  remember  what  size 
disk  your  PC  likes  to  mangle.  It  pays 
to  look  back  on  how  hard  it  was  to 
memorize  what  type  of  three-letter- 
acronym  graphics  adapter  you  have  in 
your  machine.  And  remember  how 
you  used  that  valuable  knowledge  to 


systematically  drain  your  bank 
account? 

My  first  high-tech  holiday,  I  was 
really  stupid.  I  thought:  They  know 
I'm  into  computers.  All  I  need  to  do  is 
sit  there  and  be  surprised  when  1  open 
up  the  complete  C  library  and  unwrap 
all  the  books  I've  ever  wanted — and 
that  lO-meg  hard  drive.  After  all. 
Uncle  Jack  didn't  have  to  ask  for  his 
hula-hoe,  did  he?  Everyone  knows 
he's  into  gardening — his  nickname  is 
Ortho. 

.All  I  did  was  set  myself  up  for 
disappointment.  Instead  of  the  C 
compiler,  I  got  a  mug  that  said  / 
Pulled  an  All-nighter  with  Dave.  I 
didn't  fair  any  better  the  next  year, 
even  though  I  had  left  magazine  ads 


all  over  the  place  and  bought  a  poster 
that  pictured  the  software  I  wanted. 
Spare  yourself  a  holiday  depression: 
Noncomputer  people  don't  read  com- 
puter ads.  They  took  one  look  at  my 
poster  and  said,  "Gee,  Dan,  I  guess 
you're  over  your  naked-lady  stage." 


The  following  year,  I  handed  out 
a  suggestion  list.  I  knew  by  then  that  I 
wasn't  going  to  get  anything  unless  I 
asked  for  it.  Then  I  discovered  how 
little  that  noncomputer  people  know 
about  computers.  The  phrase  C  pro- 
gramming language  means  something 
to  me,  but,  to  my  relatives,  it  means 
something  completely  different,  some- 
thing possibly  to  do  with  the  ocean. 

Only  one  relative  bothered  to 
look  at  my  suggestion  list.  She  got  me 
a  real  neat  shoot-at-the-orange-blob 
game.  At  least  I  think  it's  neat.  It 
didn't  run  on  any  computer  I'd  ever 
heard  of 

Finally,  last  year,  1  told  my  Mom 
exactly  what  I  wanted.  I  even  told  her 
how  to  get  it  mail-order.  Well,  I  got 
what  1  wanted,  but  1  sacrificed  totally 
the  element  of  surprise.  1  also  sparked 
my  mother's  peculiar  sense  of  sibling 
fairness.  My  brother  and  sister  each 
got  a  semitrailer  full  of  clothes  and  a 
trip  to  the  Bahamas. 

The  moral  of  the  story  is  this:  To 
have  a  happy  holiday,  you  have  to  be 
direct.  Come  right  out  and  say  what 
you  want.  I've  even  prepared  a  script. 

Say,  [name  of  loved  one],  I  want 
[name  of  program].  It's  a  [type  of  pro- 
gram]. I  need  the  [size  of  disks]  disk 
format  for  my  [name  of  your  com- 
puter). Buy  it  at  [name  of  the  computer 
store  where  you  go  all  the  time].  Tell 
them  you  're  my  [potential  gift-giver's 
relationship  to  you}. 

Once  you've  delivered  your 
speech,  you  need  only  worry  about  in- 
significant things  like  the  ambulance 
and  triage  unit  your  loved  ones  will 
need  when  they  see  the  price  tag. 

Finally,  remember  to  feign  sur- 
prise next  year  when  it  comes  time  to 
open  your  goodies.  Face  it,  those 
Microsoft-size  boxes  are  hard  to 
conceal. 

It's  too  late  for  gift  suggestions 
this  year,  but  at  least  you  now  know 
why  you  didn't  get  all  that  you  expect- 
ed. So,  put  this  column  away  till  next 
Thanksgiving,  when  it  can  do  you 
some  good.  But  for  right  now.  pick  up 
all  that  paper,  for  crying  out  loud,  and 
take  out  that  tree  before  it  rots.  H 


142 


C    O    M    P    U    T    E    I 


JANUARY        1990 


See    The    World 


£  hit  fc:   ^.'.r.f   -s; 

JSJi. 

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And   Never   Leave   Home 


Discover  a  world  beyond 

word  processing  and  spread 

sheets.  Let  your  computer  take 

you  to  new  lands.  Take  flight! 

Spread  your  wings  and  travel  to 

exotic  places.  Let  your  computer 

thrill  you  with  new  experiences. 

1 


Software  Publishers  Association 

1101  Connecticut  Ave.  NW,  Suite  901 

Washington,  DC  20036 


f 


FREE  BROCHURE! 


t  1-800-333-3944  J 


To  learn  more  about 

home  software,  call 

for  our  free  colorful 

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It  describes  the  variety  of  software 

you  can  use  on  your  computer. 

Let  your  computer  entertain  and 

educate  you! 


S  U  M  E  R 
SOFTWARE 
SECTION 


Circle  Reader  Servlcfl  Number  162 


HOTWARE 


HOME  PRODUCTIVITY 

1.  Quicken 

Manage  your  finances. 

Intuit 

IBM.  Macintosh 

2.  The  Print  Shop 

Make  banners  and  more. 

Broderbund 

Apple  II.  Apple  llss,  Commodore  64/128,  IBM, 

Macintosti 

3.  PC  USA 

Explore  the  United  States. 

PC  Globe 
IBM 

4.  IManaging  Your  Money 
2.0 

Allocate  your  income. 

MECA 

Apple  II.  IBM.  Macintosh 

5.  BatinerMania 

Print  banners,  pennants,  and  more, 

Broderbund 

IBM 

6.  Bank  Street  Writer  Pius 

Word  processing  for  the  whole 

family. 

Brederbund 

Apple,  IBM 

7.  Print  Shop  Graphics 
Library 

Add  variety  to  your  Print  Shop 

creations. 

Broderbund 

Apple  II,  Apple  llss.  Commodore  64/128,  IBM 

8.  Resume  Kit 

Help  for  landing  the  right  job. 

Spinnaker 

IBM 

9.  PC  Globe + 

Explore  world  demographics. 

Comwell  Systems 
IBM 

10.  WillMaker 

Gel  help  in  writing  a  will. 

Nolo  Press 

Apple  II.  IBM.  Macintosh 


HOME  ENTERTAINMENT 

1.  Flight  Simulator 

Head  for  the  wild  blue  yonder. 

Microsoft 

IBM.  Macintosh 

2.  SimCity 

Run  the  world's  first  simulated  city. 

Maxis 

Amiga,  Commodore  64/128.  IBM.  Macinlosh 

3.  The  Duel:  Test  Drive  ii 

Fast-paced  car  racing. 

Accolade 

Amiga,  Apple  IIgs,  Commodore  64/128,  IBM, 

Macintosh 

4.  Operation  Wolf 

Lead  a  hostage  rescue  mission. 

Taito 

Amiga.  Apple  II.  Commodore  64/128.  IBM 

5.  ChessMaster  2100 

Board  strategy  that  isn't  boring. 

Electronic  Arts 

Apple  II,  Apple  IIgs.  Commodore  64/128.  IBM 

6.  688  Attack  Sub 

Command  a  prowling  sub. 

Electronic  Arts 
IBM 

7.  Falcon 

.Air  combat  at  its  best. 

Spectmm  HoloByte 
Amiga,  IBM,  Macintosh 

8.  Tetris 

Deceptively  addicting  falling-block 
game. 

Spectrum  HoloByte 

Amiga.  Apple  lies.  Commodore  64/128. 

Macintosh 

9.  F-15  Strike  Eagle  II 

Fly  the  Air  Force's  hottest  fighter. 

Electronic  Arts 

IBM 

10.  King's  Guest  IV 

Rosella  must  save  her  father. 

Sierra 

Amiga,  Apple  II.  Apple  lies.  IBM 


HOME  LEARNING 

1 .  Mavis  Beacon  Teaches 
Typing 

Learn  to  touch-type. 
Electronic  Arts 
Apple  11.  Apple  lies. 
Commodore  64/128,  IBM.  Macintosh 

2.  Where  in  the  World  Is 
Carmen  Sandiego? 

Chase  Carmen  around  the  world. 

Broderbund 

Amiga,  Apple  II,  Commodore  64/128,  IBM. 

Macintosh 

3.  Math  Blaster  Plus! 

Teaches  basic  math  concepts. 
Davidson  &  Associates 
Apple  II.  Apple  IIgs.  IBM 

4.  Where  in  the  USA  Is 
Carmen  Sandiego? 

The  chase  moves  to  the  USA. 

Broderbund 

Amiga.  Ajjple  II.  Commodore  64/128,  IBM, 

Macintosh 

5.  Reader  Rabbit 

Helps  children  learn  to  read. 

The  Learning  Company 

Apple  II,  Commodore  64/128,  IBM,  Macintosh 

6.  Where  in  Time  Is 
Carmen  Sandiego? 

Can  you  find  Carmen  in  time? 

Brederbund 
IBM 

7.  Learning  DOS 

Learn  the  ins  and  outs  of  DOS, 

Microsoft 

IBM 

8.  The  Children's  Writing  & 
Publishing  Center 

.A  desktop  publisher  for  kids. 
The  Learning  Company 
Apple  II.  Apple  IIgs,  IBM 

9.  Think  Quick 

Children  learn  problem  solving. 
The  LEarninQ  Company 
Apple  II,  Apple  IIgs,  IBM 

10.  Magic  Spells 

Sharpen  spelling  skills. 

The  Learning  Company 
Apple  II,  Apple  IIgs,  IBM 


COMPUTE!  s  Holware  lists  were  prepared  by  Egghead  Discount  Software  and  are  based  on  retail  sales  of 
Apple  IL  Macintosh,  and  IBM  software  from  September  17  through  October  14   1989  at  206  Egghead 
stores  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  ' 


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