%m^y pm^«»*^m'«f|JI Wm %% Cil ^Q you run any < thousands of CP/M-80® programs available. It comes complete with two of the best programs around, Perfect Writer™ and Perfect Calc.™ It's portable. And you can plug it in and start computing the moment you unwrap it. So if you've been interested in an IBM personal computer, now you know where you can get one for $1995. Wherever they sell Chameleons. The Chameleon by 1 SEEO UA a COMPUTER CORPORATION 8305 Telegraph Road Qdenton, MD 21113 For the location of the Seequa dealer nearest you, call (800) 638-6066 or (301) 672-3600. Circle 316 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 GetAHeadStart OnThe Other Guys. HeadStart Features: Size: 15" wide, .11" deep, 10W high. Weight: 25 lbs. Processors: Z80A (8 bit) and 8086 ( 16 bit). Memory: 128K to 1MB depending on model. All models are expandable. Disk Storage: 500K to 1MB (unformatted) on a 3W Micro-Disk. Display: 12" (diagonal) P31 phosphor; non-glare screen, 25 lines x 80 or 132 columns. Keyboard: Detachable with 105 total keys. Also an optional portable version straps onto the front screen area for easy transportability. Disk Operating Software: XP/M 80 for 8 bit **MS DOS for 16 bit LAN DOS for multi-user 8 or 16 bit operation. Networking: Up to 255 HeadStart VPUs may be con- nected via coaxial interface into one of 2 optional data storage systems. Interfaces: One RS449/RS232 compatible serial port One Centronics compatible parallel printer post External data bus. Coaxial communications interface. External disk I/O interface. Optional Data Storage Systems: 2 models available. A 10MB. 5K" system is expandable to 20MB. A 50MB, 8* system (25MB fixed, 25MB removable) is expandable to 200MB. *CP M is a registered trademark of Digital Research. "MS DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Intertec's HeadStart is the smallest, smartest, fastest, most power- ful business computer money can buy. And the most expandable (it's networkable up to 255 user stations.) Great Ideas Come In Small Packages. Instead of three bulky compo- nents, HeadStart needs only two— the keyboard and CRT. There's no need for a cumbersome disk and processor cabinet With HeadStart, it's all in the CRT enclosure. HeadStart's small but powerful 3W disk drive offers as much storage as larger 5M* disks. Its 8 and 16 bit processors make software availability no problem. And HeadStart's small size per- mits easy transportability with no sacrifice in performance. Each Video Processing Unit (VPU) comes with its own easy-canying handle. A portable keyboard option is also available. How Fast Is Fast? HeadStart's RAM Disk, an elec- tronic emulation of the typical second internal drive, responds up to fifty times faster than conventional microcomputers. Depress a key and you get a response within a split second. Liter- ally before your finger leaves the key. And HeadStart is incredibly power- ful, too. Up to one megabyte of internal memory can tackle even the most sophisticated applications. Some Ideas Are Bigger Than Others. Because HeadStart is designed to be both a single and multi-user com- puter; you buy only as much computer as you need today. But as your business grows, it grows with you. Each HeadStart Video Processing Unit comes with its own memory, processors, disk and multi-user interfaces. Just add a 10 or 50 megabyte Data Storage System and up to 255 users can share a common data base in an incredibly powerful, multi- user network HeadStart is available in three different models. All offer full perfor- mance, transportability, and are easily expandable. Unlike conventional, single-user- only computers, HeadStart is here today with the designed-in technology to be here tomorrow. So get a HeadStart on the other guys. For more information, call (803) 798-9100 or write: Intertec, 2300 Broad River Road, Columbia,SC 29210. Intertec. 8 BYTE March 1984 Circle 190 on inquiry card. Staff-written highlights of late developments in the microcomputer industry. SINCLAIR ANNOUNCES 68008-BASED BUSINESS COMPUTER Sinclair Research Ltd. introduced in England a low-priced computer using a 68008 processor. The 68008 is an 8-bit data bus version of Motorola's 16-bit 68000. The QL (for "quantum leap") computer I will include 128K bytes of RAM, two 100K-byte tape drives, two local-area network ports, two RS-232C serial ports, SuperBASIC, and a multitasking concurrent operating system. It will sell for £399 (about $570) through mail order in England. Bundled with the machine will be QL Abacus, a spreadsheet package; Archive, a database manager; Easel, graphics software; and Quill, a word processor. While the company may add a hard-disk interface, it has no plans for a floppy-disk drive. Sinclair hopes to bring the QL to the U.S. late this year. LOTUS ANNOUNCES NEW INTEGRATED SOFTWARE PACKAGE Lotus Development Corp. has introduced an integrated software package including word processing, » database management, telecommunications, spreadsheet, and graphics capabilities. Lotus says the spreadsheet portion is compatible with 1-2-3 and has enhanced graphics and macro capabilities. The program lets you display multiple windows simultaneously, even into a single document. Lotus says the new product will be available in the summer. SEIKO OFFERS WRISTWATCH DISPLAY COMPUTER Seiko Electronics and Instruments Co. of Tokyo has developed a microcomputer that uses a 4-line by 10-character LCD display on a wristwatch. In addition to normal watch and alarm functions, the $85 watch includes 2K bytes of CMOS RAM and 6K bytes of ROM and has four cursor and function keys. A separate 62-key keyboard, which will cost about $26, uses wireless electromagnetic induction to transmit information to the watch. A $127 Z80-based controller can be used with the keyboard and watch to program in BASIC, to interface with a printer, and to use ROM cartridges that Seiko plans to offer. The controller's Microsoft BASIC is not compatible with MSX or any other version of BASIC. With an optional interface adapter, not yet released, the computer can use an RS-232C interface for communications. Seiko began selling the UC-2000 series products in Japan last month and may offer them in the U.S. later this year. KOALA PAD MAKER ADDS LIGHT PEN TO LINE Koala Technologies Corp. announced at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that it will manufacture and distribute the Gibson Light Pen for Apple, IBM, and Commodore microcomputers. The $300 pen can be used to draw high-resolution color animation, shapes, and graphs directly on a CRT screen using the Pentrack Language System and Penpainter software, which are included. RADIO SHACK MODEL WO GETS DISK DRIVE, MONITOR Radio Shack has introduced a disk drive and video interface for its Model 100 notebook-size computer. The Disk/Video Interface includes one 184K-byte 5% -inch floppy-disk drive, with room for an optional second drive, as well as an interface for a standard video monitor or television set. Model TOO disks will not be compatible with other disk formats. The video interface displays 25 lines by 80 characters on a monitor (25 by 40 on a television display) and supports the full Model 100 character set, but it cannot use Model 100 dot graphics. The Disk/Video Interface will sell for $799; an optional second disk drive is $239.95. COLECO'S ADAM TO GET DISK DRIVE, MODEM, AND OTHER ADD-ONS Coleco Industries Inc. announced a variety of add-on products for its Adam computer system at CES. The products, which should all be available by late summer, include a 300/1200-bps modem for less than $250, a second digital data-pack (cassette) drive for under $200, a 64K memory expander for under $200, and a tractor-feed option for the Adam's printer for about $125. Coleco also announced a 5% -inch double-sided, double-density disk drive with a 360K-byte capacity for less than $400. Included with the disk drive— or available separately on a digital data pack— will be Digital Research's Personal CP/M operating system, making Coleco the first U.S. manufacturer to use this home computer version of CP/M. BYTE March 1984 MICROBYTES ^ A TOUCHSCREEN AW NEW COMPUTERS FROM COMMODORE Commodore Business Machines Inc. showed a touch-sensitive screen and supporting software at CES, similar to the Hewlett-Packard Model 150's touchscreen. The screen should be available in late spring at a "not very high" price. Commodore also showed its new 264 series of computers. Features include 64K bytes of RAM, windowing, 128 colors, two tone generators, and a machine-language monitor. The 264 will be available in several versions, each with different ROM-based applications software. Available software includes 264 Magic Desk, a combination calculation and filing program using icons for mode selection; 264 Word Processor; and 264 3-Plus-1, an integrated package including a spreadsheet, word processor, file manager, and graphics. Prices for the 264, which will be available in early summer, were not announced. , NEW ADD-ONS FOR APPLE II AND MACINTOSH Apple Computer Corp. is shipping its new ProDOS operating system with all Apple II disk-drive packages; it is available separately for $40. Apple also unveiled a $700 protocol card to allow Apple II computers to emulate IBM 3270 and 2780 terminals. A $300 terminal-emulation package is also required. Apple is selling modems that connect to the RS-232C serial port of any Apple product except t original Apple II: a 300-bps modem is $225; a 1200-bps version is $495. A number of third-party vendors unveiled products for Apple's new Macintosh computer. Most are translations of software available for the Apple II or IBM PC, including IBM terminal emulation, accounting, game, and business-productivity software. Included are Microsoft's Multiplan, Word, Chart, and File programs, and Lotus Development Corporation's popular 1-2-3 spreadsheet program. As for hardware products, Tecmar Inc. has announced a 5-megabyte removable cartridge hard-disk drive, and Davong Systems Inc. has introduced a line of 5- to 32-megabyte hard-disk systems for the Macintosh. UNIX PRODUCTS ANNOUNCED AT UNIFORUM SHOW The peak of February's Uniforum show in Washington, D.C. was an agreement between AT&T and Digital Research Inc. to publish a library of applications software for UNIX System V in an effort to make that version of UNIX a standard. Software approved by DRI and AT&T will be sold by both companies. According to AT&T, over 90 companies have published over 300 programs for UNIX so far. AT&T also announced enhancements to UNIX System V and demonstrated its Documentors Workbench and a version of BASIC for software developers to run under UNIX. Whitesmiths Ltd. showed a $550 version of IDRIS, its UNIX-like operating system, for the IBM Personal Computer. NANOBYTES Despite strong efforts by a number of microcomputer-based chess programs, this year's World t Computer Chess Championship was led by mainframe-based programs. In winning the title, Cray Blitz, program running on a Cray supercomputer, defeated AT&T Bell Labs' Belle, which is classified as a "master" chess player, and Northwestern University's Nuchess. . . .Harris Semiconductor is sampling the 80C88, a CMOS version of Intel's 8088 microprocessor to be available late this year. Harris already is producing the 80C86. CMOS microprocessors use far less power than NMOS versions, allowing use in I portable computers and industrial and military applications. . . .Sony Corp. is reportedly developing a version of its double-sided 3y2-inch disk drive that can store 5 megabytes of information. . . .Hitachi has reportedly developed a one-megabit memory chip. . . .Select Software has introduced Select Bilingual, a $395 word processor able to give prompts and display text in both Spanish and English. . . .Microsoft and National Semiconductor announced that Microsoft's XENIX, an implementation of UNIX, will be available for National Semiconductor's 16032 processor. . . .Commodore, Coleco, and Epson have signed (agreements with CompuServe, which will provide special information services for owners of those computers. . . .Epson America Inc. will sell a $795 MS-DOS expansion card for its Z80-based QX-10 computer, with 256K bytes of RAM and an 8088 processor. . . .Creative Software has announced three integrated software packages for the Commodore 64 and the IBM PC and PCjr. Priced at $49.95 each are: Joe's Writer, a word processor; Fred's Filer, an index card file; and Jack's Calc, a spreadsheet package IBM is now selling PC/IX, a $900 version of UNIX System III, through its National Accounts and National Marketing divisions. 10 BYTE March 1984 3 •r^te:$"? ^*4' "lip \$~ 'yf' i '" Ai"" .U'" tf W u u y u j" J' Net results are what you get with PerComNet" ... the sophisticated, user-installable Local Area Network from PERCOM DATA CORPORATION. PerComNet IBM" interface cards are available now to provide true networking capabilities for IBM and most IBM compatible personal computers. This includes the sharing of peripheral devices such as printers, modems, floppy disk drives, and all PERCOM DATA High Performance PHD M Hard Disk Drives. PerComNet provides these net results: • Token passing reliability. • Built-in 64K FIFO buffer, to speed data transmissions, • Signal regeneration at each node to eliminate noise, regardless of network size. • User installation simplicity. • Optional NBS encription for data security. • Support for simultaneous voice/data transmissions. •Operating system compatibility for MS-DOS M , CP/M", UNIX'*", and uNETix". uNETix for PerComNet is distri- buted by Percom Data. If you want net results ... PerComNet is the logical, eco- nomical and reliable choice. PERCOM DATA has a PerComNet OEM Evaluation Package* ready for your im- mediate use. The package includes all the hardware, and communications and file transfer utilities you need for con- figuring a network of three IBM PC computers. Package price is only $1695. To order your evaluation package or to get more information contact us today! PERCOM DATA CORPORATION 11220 Pagemill Road • Dallas, Texas 75243 Name: Title: _ . Td like you to send me more information. . I'm very interested, please have your rep call me at _ . I'd like to know more about your PHD Hard Disk. IPEFOCM OATAJ CORPORATION Expanding Your Peripheral Vision DRIVES NETWORKS SOFTWARE PerComNet and PHD are trade CP M is a registered trad 11220 Pagemill Road, Dallas, Texas 75243 (214) 340-5800 1-800-527-1222 'Does not include operating system or application software n Data Corporation • IBM is a registered trademark ot International Business Machines * MS DOS is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. Research • UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories • uNETix is a registered trademark of Lantech Systems Incorporated. HT Percom Data Corporation 1983 • All prices, and descriptions subject to change with notice. Introducing COMPAQ PLUS, the first high-performance portable personal computer. The makers of the COMPAQ™ Portable Computer, the indus- try standard, announce another breakthrough-the COMPAQ PLUS™ Portable Personal Computer. No other personal computer can handle so much information in so many places. The new COMPAQ PLUS offers the power of an integrated ten-megabyte fixed disk drive in a portable. You get problem-solving power that no other personal computer can match. Plus a bigger payload How much is ten megabytes? Enough to tackle jobs that can't be conveniently handled on most personal computers. Information that would fill your company's ledgers can be stored on the fixed disk drive of the COMPAQ PLUS. A mailing list of 100,000 names, addresses, cities, states, and Zip codes A full year of daily prices for every stock on the New York exchange. Inventory records on a quarter mil- lion items. The entire San Francisco phone book. And room left over for Peoria. The fixed disk drive keeps all the information seconds away, ready to be searched, sorted, retrieved, ana- lyzed or updated. Plus better use of your time The integrated fixed disk drive will store programs. That means your most used programs and data can be perma- nently kept in the COMPAQ PLUS, ready to call up and run. With programs permanently stored, the COMPAQ PLUS becomes a well- informed traveling companion, a tool to help you apply your best thinking anytime, anywhere. You could store a complete library of accounting programs on the disk- pay ables, receivables, general ledger, and payroll— with the company's books. You could store an inventory control program with your inventory records and a list management program with your mailing list and a filing program with your personnel files. The COMPAQ PLUS is also equipped with a 360K byte diskette drive for entering new programs, copy- ing data files, and making backup copies. Plus more programs More programs means more versatility. And the COMPAQ PLUS is impressively versatile because it runs all the popular programs written for the IBM* Personal Computer XT, avail- able in computer stores all over *the country. And they run as is, with no modification whatsoever. And the high-capacity portable mul- tiplies the productivity of every pro- gram it runs. Your inventory and its control programs can go with you to the factory. Your books and your accounting programs can go with you to a board meeting. Your building specs and your project management pro- grams can go with you to the construc- tion site. You're buying a computer to solve problems. Why not have more problem-solving programs to choose from? The COMPAQ PLUS runs all the popular pro- grams written for the IBM Personal Computer XT Specially designed shock isolation system protects the fixed disk from jolts. Plus a traveler's toughness Life can be tough on the road. A true portable has got to be tougher. The COMPAQ PLUS is. Its integrated fixed disk drive is unique, designed specifically to travel. Rough roads and hard landings don't bother it because of a specially designed shock isolation system that protects the disk from jolts and vibration. All the working components are surrounded by a uniquely cross- membered aluminum frame. This structure, common in race car design technology, strengthens it side-to-side, front-to-back, and top- to-bottom. The outer case is made of LEXAN*, the same high-impact polycarbonate plastic used to make bulletproof win- dows and faceplates for space suit helmets. Does a portable personal computer really have to be this tough? Take a good look at your briefcase and then decide. 12 BYTE March 1984 Plus ease of use The COMPAQ PLUS is big where it counts. The display screen is big. Nine inches diagonally. Big enough to show a full 25'line-by-80'character page that's easy to read even if you're leaning back in your chair. The keyboard is full-sized and typewriter-style for easy control. With its built-in display, the COMPAQ PLUS makes a smooth, low profile on your desk, not an ob- stacle that you have to talk around. Plus an easy way to get started If you're buying your first personal computer and you're not sure how much capacity you need, your choice is easier now. Start with the COMPAQ Portable with single or double 320K byte disk- ette drives. If you need more capacity later, upgrade to the COMPAQ PLUS A conversion kit is available that turns the COMPAQ Portable into a COMPAQ PLUS, complete in every detail and capability. Plus a lot more The COMPAQ PLUS also works with optional printers, plotters, and com- munications devices designed for IBM's personal computer family. It has two IBM-compatible slots for adding optional expansion boards. With companion programs, they'll let you share information with a network of personal computers in your office, communicate with your headquarters computer files while you're away, or add memory capacity if your needs grow. The COMPAQ Portable, the industry standard in portable personal computers , m The problem-solving power of a high- performance desktop personal computer can now go where you need it. It's got high-resolution graphics and text on the same screen. A detached keyboard. Programmable function keys. Expandable memory. Dozens of other features that simply make it do a better job of personal computing. And when you see all that the COMPAQ PLUS has to offer, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the price. The fact is, it costs hundreds less than comparably equipped desktop personal computers. See the first high-performance porta- ble personal computer. The COMPAQ PLUS— performance, programs, pro- ductivity. Plus problem-solving power. The new COMPAQ PLUS, the first high- performance portable personal computer, w COMPAQ PLUS Specifications Storage □ One integrated 1 0-megabyte fixed disk drive □ One 360K byte diskette drive. Software □ Runs all the popular programs written for the IBM XT. Memory □ 128K bytes RAM, expandable to 640K bytes Display □ 9-inch diagonal monochrome screen D 25 lines by 80 characters D Upper- and lowercase high- resolution text characters □ High-resolution graphics Interfaces D Parallel printer interface D RGB color monitor interface D Composite video monitor interface D RF modulator interface Expansion board slots D Two IBM-compatible slots Physical specifications □ Totally self-contained and portable D20"Wx8V2"Hx 16"D For the name of the Authorized Dealer nearest you, call 1-800-231-0900. ©1983 COMPAQ Computer Corporation COMPAQ™ and COMPAQ PLUS™ are trademarks of COMPAQ Computer Corporation. IBM® is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. LEX AN® is a registered trademark of General Electric Company. comma BYTE March 1984 13 the Hard Tallgrass Clears \ / In today's hard disk v jungle, Tallgrass clears * a path by offering high performance, integrated mass storage solutions for the IBM® PC/XT, the T.L Professional and related computers. TALLGRASS INNOVATIVE FEATURES MASS STORAGE SYSTEMS with formatted HardFile™ capacities of 6, 12, 20, 35 and 70 Mb, all with built-in tape backup. CONVENIENT INTEGRAL TAPE BACKUP SYSTEM allows rapid tape "image" streaming, or incremental file-by-file backup and restore on ANSI standard inexpensive data cartridges, instead of the usual floppies, video cassettes, or low-capacity removable Winchester devices. NETWORK READY and fully compatible with networks such as PCnet®and EtherShare™ HIGH RELIABILITY with dual directory and read-after- write verify options. A dedicated landing zone, where the read/write heads reside when the disk is idle, provides data protection during powerdowns and transportation. EtherSharo IM is a registered trademark of 3Com Corp. Iltwl* is ,i trademark ut Orchid Technology !MM'* is a registered trademark of International Business Mat hint"* Corp Follow the Tallgrass path to your local computer dealer and watch your personal computer transform into a powerful data processing system. From $2,995.00 U.S. including integral tape backup. Available from COMPUTERLAND® Entre® Computer Centers, MicroAge® Computer Stores and other participating computer dealers. New! IBM-XT Cartridge Tape Backup World Headquarters: Tallgrass Technologies Corp, / 11100 West 82nd St. Overland Park, KS 66214 / 9 13-4Q2-6002 /Telex; 215406 TBYT UR Canadian Distributors: Micro-Ware/440 Phillip St. Waterloo, Ontario N21. 5RQ/ 519-884-4541 European Distributor: CPS Computer Group, LTD Birmingham, [ingland B276BH / (021) 7073866 Australian Headquarters: Tallgi Suite 12^50 Great North Road/ Technologies (Australia) (02) 712-2010 Tallgrass Technologies Corporation Common Concern I share the doubts and concerns of your correspondents (Letters, page 12, November 1983) about your use of articles describing new products contributed by employees of the manufacturer involved. I was particularly disappointed by the June 1983 issue on 16-bit designs, which seemed largely composed of such material. However, there are deeper and more disturbing aspects involved than your correspondents have noted. In this country, Hewlett-Packard has been promoting its 68000-based model 9816 computer with mail shots and adver- tisements in trade publications using the slogan "a lion packaged as a housecat," attributing the phrase to BYTE. These words begin and conclude the description of the 9816 authored by an HP employee ('Tight Squeeze: The HP Series 200 Model 16," June 1983, page 110). I telephoned the HP representative in charge of the sales campaign and told him of my misgivings about the use of word- ing that gave the impression that an in- dependent BYTE review had drawn this favorable conclusion. His answers were surprising. He told me that the article was too pro- fessionally written to have been the work of an HP engineer, so that a staff writer must have ghost-written it, and it was thereby a BYTE article regardless of the attribution to HP; that BYTE would not have published it if they had disbelieved it; and that BYTE had been contacted by HP and had given consent for the pro- motion in question. Nevertheless, he apologized if HP had unintentionally ap- peared to mislead. I would like to see your version of this story in print. If HP, one of the most reputable firms in the business, can manipulate BYTE in this way, then you owe it to your readers to prevent less- scrupulous operators from doing the same. You might argue that the independent review of the 9816 ("A Look at the HP Series 200 Model 16" by Berry Kercheval, November 1983, page 328) should tend to verify or counterbalance the manufac- turer-submitted descriptions. I use the HP machines professionally, and I can only remark how disappointing this review is. HP BASIC is one of the best BASICS around and is unusual in having separate subroutines and functions. How can a serious review illustrate this language with a three-page listing of a game program, written as one large rou- tine? Should not potential purchasers be warned of a significant shortcoming in the system, that the file-handling soft- ware can be very slow unless used with care and understanding? Why are inde- pendently compiled modules that borrow much syntax, power, and elegance from Modula-2 and are the core concept of the Pascal implementation, mentioned in just a few lines, whereas several paragraphs are devoted to explaining that you can't play a tune on the bleeper? Perhaps publishing the maker's description is not such a bad idea after all. David Colver 29 Chepstow Place London, England W2 4TT Mr. Colver's letter is representative of several BYTE has received in the past few months. This month's editorial (see page 4) addresses in detail the issues raised by these letters. As to the specifics of Mr. Colver's letter, no BYTE editor had any role in the authorship of the June article on the HP 200-16. John Monahan of Hewlett-Packard wrote the arti- cle, as indicated when the article was pub- lished. The purpose of the theme articles in the ''16-Bit Designs" issue was to show the views and intentions of people who are design- ing today's personal computers, in the hope of starting more direct communication between computer designers and computer users. None of the articles on 16-bit designs was a review or was labeled as a review. (This is not to disclaim BYTE's responsibility; see the editorial for more on this.) Permission for HP's use of the quotation from Mr. Monahan 's article was granted by telephone. BYTE is now developing new pro- cedures to prevent the misleading use of quotations. Praise for Objectivity I bought my first computer in November 1982 and am still pleased with it. I am a writer, not a computer expert. I read everything I can find on computers. My friends, with whom I compare notes frequently, own IBM PC, PC-compatible, Kaypro, Apple, and Zenith computers. We do not put each other down, and we are not fooled by magazine authors who haughtily demean products they consider to be inferior. Almost every article we read in com- puter publications is biased. The author has a prejudice from his or her long ex- perience in computers and selects facts to prove the prejudice. I don't believe that the proponents of Apple, IBM, Kaypro, etc., intentionally misuse their vast knowledge to confuse us. I think, how- ever, that they are lazy about objec- tivity—almost all of them. BYTE is far and away the best of the computer magazines I have read, and I now subscribe to 10. After today, I will subscribe to only three, BYTE included. On such subjects as what computer companies are going to do, magazines should stick with excellent interviews with corporate executives who know what they're talking about, such as your interview with Philip D. Estridge of IBM (November 1983, page 88). Magazines enjoy predicting that many of the hundreds of computer companies are going to go out of business. How many magazines are going to fold as a result of sloppy editing, shallow report- ing, and childish biases? Maintain your dignity. Continue to avoid the prejudicial comparisons that make other magazines look foolish. We all know that all of our computers have good points and weak points. We didn't buy mainframes. Robert R. Jann 3320 Selwyn Ave. Charlotte, NC 28209 Software Design Resources Martin Dean laments the dearth of ar- ticles on "how to design software" ("Simplify, Simplify, Simplify," December 1983, page 161). I'd like to point out some papers that may be helpful: • A case study of how a design evolved iteratively in response to user feed- back is described in "A Communica- tions Package for the IBM PC" by R. Moore and M. Geary (November Circle 340 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 15 Letters. (Or how to add six functions to your IBM PC/XT with just one It's not magic. And it isn't sleight of hand. It's ConsoCard from Consolink. . . the multifunction card for your IBM PC OR PC/XT that performs six tricks from a single slot space. ■ Up to 384K expansion memory for larger in-memory data bases. ■ Printer spooling for computing even when the printer is printing. ■ RAM disk emulator for fast access to frequently used files. ■ TWO asynchronous RS-232 ports for communication with other computers. ■ Battery powered chronograph for accurate time keeping. One Card Six Tricks jess*** CONSOLINK •s; l:, i. .ii.".;.'-' CORPORATION 1983 BYTE, page 199). • The design principles for an office- system user interface are described in "Designing the Star User Interface" by D. Smith et al. (April 1982 BYTE, page 242). • A pattern-directed approach to data- base query language similar to Dean's is described in the paper "Query by Example" by M. Zloof (Proceedings of the National Computer Conference, 1975, page 431). • A general scheme of "filtering templates," with the specific example of an information retrieval program called Findit, is described in the paper "A Metaphor for User Interface Design" by A. Goldberg and D. Rob- son (Proceedings of the 12th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences, 1979, page 148). I agree with Dean that finding useful descriptions of the design process is hard (even harder than finding papers on good designs themselves), but I don't think this is due to a "plot." Many commercial soft- ware developers carefully guard their designs, but there is still a tremendous amount of published literature from academia, research labs, and "enlight- ened" commercial developers. Thorough research of this literature pays off: one ends up either with a body of existing ideas on which to build, or with knowl- edge of the existence of an area in which few have thought (or written). Paul Mcjones Tandem Computers Inc. 2116 Kramer Ln. Austin, TX 78758 A Scalpel Icon? I must commend Tom Houston for his article entitled 'The Allegory of Software" (December 1983, page 210). He brought up a point that is all too frequently glossed over by "user-friendly" software enthusiasts. I believe the main point of his article was that it is better to train people to use software than to write sophisti- cated software that condescends to the level of a 10-year-old. I will agree that much of the software that has been written is not very good from the user's point of view. This is usually because the input and output sec- tions of the program were written by people whose major skill was program- ming and not what is now called human- factors engineering. As a result, the pro- gram could be cumbersome to use. The answer to this problem, however, is pro- grams that are efficient to use, not pro- grams that are easy to use. Systems based on the idea of meta- phors run more slowly and use more memory than systems designed by a stan- dard approach such as menus or com- mands. Moreover, they are only useful for inexperienced users. A person who has had enough experience with any partic- ular program will be able to use it as effi- ciently as a novice with a user-friendly system. No computer system can do the real work that a professional is paid to do. Anyone who spends a good proportion of his life learning what to do with a com- puter should be willing to spend about one-thousandth of that time learning how to use the computer itself. If a program is well designed, learning how to use it will pay off more in the long run than using "metaphorical" software that is almost a type of crutch. One might say that the development of user-friendly software was predicted as early as 1950 in a science-fiction story by Cyril Kornbluth, entitled The Little Black Bag, in which the author described a futuristic surgical kit with which a com- plete idiot can practice medicine (trick: the scalpels do all the work). I would recommend this story to those involved in developing easy-to-use systems be- cause it gives a frightening glimpse at what can happen if the development of technology takes precedence over the development of intelligence in people, a.k.a. "education." Paul B. Callahan 701 Stuart Hall University Park, PA 16802 IBM Drive Door Fixes Had I authored "Buddy, Can You Spare a Door Latch?" (by Jerry Pournelle, December 1983, page 59) about the elusive door latch for the Tandon drive, the article would have been subtitled, "Whence Cometh the Door Latch," My experience with the doors on the drives in my IBM PC has been that the plastic guide pins shift, causing malposi- tioning and jamming of the doors. m-,- ,:,■;■:»; <: --.:■•-..■<•.■:. -1 irrr »"- nnr ei '"VMf -.»c ■: ^ f.r | IjbJH BBfi MicroSpooler* v'ou w-3r»: yfj»jr rorr '^ ,rv.J work nil ■ssi CONSOLINK CORPORATION We'vealwayssaid SuperCak is the world's most useable spreadsheet. At first, all spreadsheets seem to give you about the same things. Until you put them to work. Then you'll find out if they do everything you expected. Or make you do everything the hard way. You know what makes the differ- ence? It's not just having the new- est, whizziest features, but what those features actually do for you in the real world. And that's the whole idea behind SuperCalc and SuperCalc2. Because they've been designed to work with you in a natural, intuitive way. What we're really talking about here is useability. When you get right down to it, it's not any one big thing, but a combination of little things. Like the number of key- strokes it takes to get a job done. Or the effort it takes to switch from one function to another. Maybe a few keystrokes here and there doesn't seem like much of a differ- ence. Or having to change disks to plot a graph. But when you multi- ply those little things by the thou- sands of times you do them, they make all the difference in the world. Even the size of the spreadsheet is important. Some programs promise you a huge area to work with. Unfortunately, they can use so much of the computer's avail- able memory just keeping track of all the blank cells that you're left with only a handful. But we've designed SuperCalc to give you the largest useable spreadsheet. If you look at the printout below, you'll see a lot more examples of what we mean. And we think you'll realize why this is the most use- able spreadsheet in the world. Text can 'spill over" into next column Calendar/ Date calculations Dictionary sort order (not ASCII) User-set decimal pli management capability Floating $ signs Negatives shown in() Individually variable column widths / / \ ^m *' \ / / ^ m ^ HT^.-a V • / / ^^■f ■ / ' '* / tT*/ ^m m\ t ■■ ■< '/".' '" .. - T% ■- / 2 ' - \' 1 ' "" • fli : : --•**•«.-<'' r -* llillgi ^T «* 'A^ ''"?'"/„ Vr* US? /■' ,... . . « *>, ^■r .- \3-JC*? 0t»Jctt*£c * tat* iv i, ts,&00 /■■'.'»■ i f. ■■■■'■ #yW>" ■ -■—'-» / jjjPL, 4~J2f#\ h/Cti Jmnwky 0*S <9& 1 ?,*#*? I St W ';:;; ;:;■ SS 6 , S*tU 1 4 1 103) 5<3V ( St. m ■ £tf?f- r&t* TOTAL mo l*Vi,I42' ltd f& t» 4 , '.-■ J 7 ■'■'■■'~'" ■>« '*'-— -' orriCG wtf&mmr stAt rat test L&**m#t Uti J J zmtJ Ctr> S3X j SOX cost "'Pytr-tfimr ■'■■■ ■■■ i 3? 097+tSOO ■■:.,: Om>7/ar-.'. .-.>■.. '.-jr tBi.OOQ ■ St*ff 2 *4J2.00O jo ■ -. # ■ Nowvoucchi drawyourownconclusions. SuperCalc? Now we're introducing our new- est version, SuperCalc3, which comes complete with the kind of graphics you'd expect to find in a program that does everything else so well. We give you full color And presentation quality. Plus eight different type styles to choose from. And new financial features like internal rate of return. We've even integrated all these functions onto one single disk. Which means you don't have to change disks all the time. Or settle for a weak spreadsheet and low-resolution graphics just for the sake of getting both in the same package. As you might expect, we've made SuperCalc3 100% com- patible with SuperCalc and SuperCalc2. So you can move up to if whenever you're ready You can even convert your VisiCalc files. The SuperCalc family is available for CP/M . CP/M-86, Con- current CP/M-86, MP/M, MS-DOS and PC-DOS operating systems. Right now, SuperCalc3 is available for the IBM PC, PCXTand IBM PC compatibles. It's only $395. And soon it'll be available for a lot more personal computers. SuperCalc3. When you're really serious about spreadsheets, this is the one you'll wind up using. But don't fake our word for it. Go try SuperCalc3 at your computer store today. And draw your own conclusions. CP/M* CP/M-86? Concurrent CP/M-86, and MP/M* are trademarks of Digital Research. MS*-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. IBM* is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. VisiCalc* is a trademark of Visicorp. <0 1983 Sorcim Corporation. Supercedes " 8 SORCIM® 2310 Lundy Avenue San Jose, CA 95131 (408)942-1727 Integrated pl*0S0'lltCn1Oll H quality graphics Prints up to four charts on the same page Components off graph resize to match size of text Prints all plotter colors Eight font Labels print horizontally or vertically, for best fit graphics Exploding pie charts Billingi - To* 3 Kiwloy* SMITH * CO.. CPA« BU\\nq» — Top 3 Emp\oy*«* o Letters. My first "fix" was to reposition the pins and doors and everything worked fine until the next slippage /jam. My second ' fix mimicked the first with the addition of a carefully applied drop of a superglue penetrating adhesive where the plastic pins are held in two slots on either side of the door. Eventually one door itself broke, not the pins. My first try at a replacement part was successful. A visit to my local Com- puterland store, a short discussion with their "Mr. Fixit" a brief rummaging through a box marked "Parts for Tandon Drives" and, voila, a small box marked "IBM Office Products Division, 8529260, 1PCLC 2 83" had just the right part in it. My total investment of time and effort was about 1.5 hours: 10 minutes for the initial phone call to determine the likeli- hood of success if I visited Computer- land, a 1-hour round-trip drive to pick up the part, 20 minutes or so to get into the PC, remove one or two screws, and change the pesky door. I hope that this note will help those with similar problems to (a) try doing it yourself, it's an easy replacement job, and (b) have an easy time getting the part through (I presume) any IBM dealer or Product Center. In a call to the IBM Product Center in Stamford, Connecticut (just before mailing this note), I learned that the part is indeed available, although not in stock at the center. Delivery would be less than two weeks and the company representative with whom I spoke im- plied that IBM could expedite and foreshorten that delivery if the part is critical to the customer. Donald P. Relyea Hoffrel Instruments Inc. POB 825 South Norwalk, CT 06854 Looking Over the Rainbow A note on Rich Malloy's "Reviewer's Notebook" (December 1983, page 282). I was for a brief time a distressed owner of a DEC Rainbow 100. My impression of this machine, after about 50 hours of in- tensive use, was quite the opposite of Mr. Malloy's. It struck me as the handsomest, most expensive smart terminal ever made. I ended up returning the unit for a refund after a DEC support person agreed with my criticisms: 1) The documentation is wretched, though slickly produced. In some in- stances, two documents contradict each other on the same point. No useful information is provided on screen formatting or using the func- tion keys. An additional set of documents is available for about $250 extra. DEC informed me that there was no way I could get a look at these documents without pur- chasing them. 2) There is no high-level language sup- port of screen formatting or function keys. By trial and error I figured out how to simulate PRINT AT and so forth. But why should I have to? Why is there no LOCATE statement in the Microsoft BASIC? I could not figure how to use the function keys at all. DEC's advice was to buy the $250 documents and program the softkeys in machine code. Again, after spending nearly $4000 on a "system," why should I have to code jf % ^ PLOT WARE — Z This ad una drawn entirely by PLOTWARB~z. interfaces to mo s t de ri ces: CRT' S, PLOTTERS, DOT MATRIX PRINTERS (at duxi mam dot resol at i on) , le with w do-i t- youneir* custom at t ac hme nt » . Use with PCDOS, MSD0S, CPM/86, CPU/80, CDOS, etc. (and UNIX in MAT! ) Uakes all charts with PONTS (several text itylei), Greek, italic, Russian, Old English, or different a ha dad, very stjlish ones. Iran Hebrew and math or special symbols - or "Do- it -your sei f " f ont s. Include LOGO'S and digitised figures. Plus - all pictures can he TRANSMITTED to remote stations. Use with electronic " cut -and-pas t e" ', for camera ready cony. . 5 ONTS: //. S0, DON'T BE BOXED II ft* $0 by limited graphi c s ! 3> T p i£ +Sk CLMMMjUL in eetiQtHT F v\ GET PLOTWARE-z : A reliable system with over 3 years of proven usage. C o mp lete with co mp rebensive manual now with user- written application notes & extensive "walk-thru" help DIRECT ACCESS to your data from l.Word Processors (like WORDSTAR) 2. DATA BASE files (like dBASE II) 3. SPREAD SHEETS (Super Cale 2) 4. Co mpi I e r s ( and As s embl e r s -even interpretive BASIC 5 easy ways to use, from : menu driven to command file* to direct library use. try the DEMO at your dealer or contact: THE ENERCOMP CO. 1078 S. Garriion #7 Lake wood, CO. 80226 ( 303) 087-0125 telex: 499-0325 trays*, cra/st t»n f it«t a*»«*r*a rc»et ta IBS. SStsi t » kci«ioft csoi-ctr • — ». woitiTAE- ucstrss Oil I II t» A •■TO* TATS »« M rCil. S t •■«»C I I ^ 20 BYTE March 1984 Circle 149 on inquiry card. FIRST CLASS SOFTWARE ■ I I I TAKES YOU SOMEWHERE AND GIVES YOU SOMETHING SPECIAL mr 2.0 AGENT 2.0 A crisis, real or imagined? A spy, ours or theirs? A file, fact or fiction? You must decide. Portfolio Manager BLU CHIP PORTFOLIO MANAGER Your broker on a disk. Tracks your portfolio. A data base for investors-with spread- sheet capabilities. THCTH Action List Data Base Manager THOTH Advisor to the gods of Ancient Egypt can now be yours. The easy action list data base manager to increase your productivity C TDDLS C TOOLS A collection of our most useful C routines. Add flavor to your C programming and save time too. All Xor products are designed for the IBM' PC and compatibles. 3 registered trademark national Business es Corporation. EDO The game of many strategies where no strategy is sacred. Think fast and remember -- danger often wears a smile. HIFFD- IrY T V* S WHLrL ST HIPPOLYTES WALL The challenge of the wall. Colorful. Ever- changing. Complex. How will YOU do when you're up against THE WALL? CORPORATION Ask for Xor products at fine Computer Stores. 5421 OPPORTUNITY COURT MINNETONKA, MN 55343 (61 2) 938-0005 ircle 388 on inquiry card. Letters. my own routines for such a rudi- mentary function? Obviously, DEC expects the end user only to buy packaged software. 3) DEC advertises that its dual pro- cessors can run "thousands" of ex- tant CP/M and CP/M-86 disks. Not so. Because DEC has chosen a per- verse disk format (single-sided quad- density, 98 tpi) and has shut out third-party vendors by an "authori- zation" program, the only software available for the Rainbow is what DEC approves and sells. This amounts to dozens, not thousands, of programs. When BYTE does a full-bore review of the Rainbow, I hope you will address these points. I am convinced that my criticisms are valid, by my experience, by the concurrence of the DEC support per- son, and by the sudden plummet of DEC's stock after the Rainbow was introduced— attributed by a DEC spokesperson (in The New York Times) almost wholly to the personal computer division. I think DEC rushed into the market with a handsome but immature product. In a year or two the Rainbow may be a good, solid, general-purpose microcom- puter. At the moment it's a collage of im- pressive features with limited utility. Carter Scholz 2110 Acton, #2 Berkeley, CA 94702 A review of the Rainbow is scheduled for April. IBM Screen Displays Many thanks to Tim Field for supply- ing the screen listing (the program for switching of monitors on the IBM PC). Other than some minor comment errors, the listing was bug-free and worked great the first time around ("Enhancing Screen Displays for the IBM PC," November 1983, page 99). This was my first try at assem- bly-language programming and I found this program useful in developing a feel for the power and flexibility this method Powerful Z80 emulation, priced well within your grasp. That's NICE. M NICK may be only 3" square and W thick, but it hands you full speed, real-time emulation for the /SO— over SO emulation functions, software breakpoints, all memory addresses and all I/O ports. Just plug NICE directly into the target ZKO socket and any RS232 terminal for system development, troubleshooting, debugging or testing at home, in the lab or in the field. And NICF hands you all this performance, portability and versatility for only $498 *. . the best emulator price /performance ratio on the market, hands down. her: (800) NICOLET outside CA, or (415) 490-8300 in CA. Or send your check or M money order to NICE, Nicolct Paratronics Corporation, 201 Fourier Avenue, Fre- mont, CA 94539. 'Payment by check, monc) order, VISA or MasterCard. Nicolet of programming offers for functional control. As pointed out by Mr. Field, the default values for initial conditions can be modified to suit the individual user. I find that starting with the monochrome screen rather than the color monitor, and white characters on a black background are more natural initial states. This start- up condition can be achieved by modify- ing three lines in the listing as follows: LINE 0112: CUR_MODE DW MONO_AREA LINE 011A: COL80_AREA S <5019H,000FH,20H,3> LINE 0122: COL40^\REA S <2819H,000FH,10H,1> Line 012A remains unchanged; although the comment indicates the attribute to be reverse video, this is not the case. For re- verse video the OOOTh value should be 0070h. Again, due to its ability to remain ac- tive under all operating modes, and its ease of implementation, this program is far superior to any of the other monitor- switching programs I have seen. Sig Hansen Jr. 6530 Happy Canyon Rd. POB 125 Santa Ynez, CA 93460 Thanks to Tim Field for his article "Enhancing Screen Displays for the IBM PC" (November 1983, page 99). One small detail should be pointed out to readers: the file, after assembling, should be converted to .COM by using the Exe2bin program. I spent a whole day trying to get it to work, and because the last paragraph of the article states that you can buy an installation program, I thought I was ripped off. Many thanks again for an 'It's just what we needed" program. Marvin Konopik American Embassy APO San Francisco, CA 96356 Address Correction The International Association of Com- puter Crime Investigators was mentioned several times in "Computer Crime: A 22 BYTE March 1984 Circle 267 on inquiry card. Three ways to Speed up your Apple II & Apple He for $295 o v -<: / ./ / J y *■"■" irim A TrnrrmfTTr (HUH The SpeeDemon from McT. SpeeDemon • Makes any Apple II, II+, or He run 3 l / 2 times faster. TM SpeeDemon • Makes your Applesoft, Apple Fortran, Word Processing, D.B. Master, Pascal, or Visicalc programs run up to 3 l / 2 times faster. TM SpeeDemon • Costs less than any other speed up card. SpeeDemon • Costs only $295. Please send me _ SpeeDemons by return mail at $295 each. I have enclosed $ I have an: D Apple II D Apple II plus Q Apple He This is for: D Business Use Or charge my: D Visa Q Mastercard D American Express D Personal Use MyAcct.#is .Expires Name . Address _ — . - - . . — City . . State - Signature . Zip _ — _ . Calif. Res. Add 6 l / 2 % Sales Tax. Mail to: McT • 1745 21st Street • Santa Monica • CA • 90404 • Telephone (213) 829-3643 #MtT A PRCCH ' : Circle 225 on inquiry card. Dealer Inquiries Invited Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computers, Inc. VisiCalc is a registered trademark of VisiCorp, Inc. DB Master is a registered trademark of Stoneware, Inc. Circle 172 on inquiry card. € J \JVV H Whai a f ee n ng !» That's just how you'll feel [ just how youl knowing you've purchased an IBM-compatible Personal Computer with full color graphics capability at a price far, far below anyone else. STANDARD FEATURES • Full Graphics capabilities • 128K Ram Ports • One parallel printer port • Color Display Card • Fully detachable, IBM-compatible Keyboard • 8 Expansion (expandable to 256K) • Two RS232 Serial Ports spl VI -com pa Slots • MS-DOS Operating System • Real Time Clock and Calender 'IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines 'CP/M is a registered trademark at Digital Research. Inc. •MS-DOS is a registered trademark ol Microsoft, Inc. For further information call 800-821-3628 Hunilwcllcorp. 4962 El Gamino Real Los Altos, CA 94022 415962-9265 Dealer and OEM inquiries invited Letters. Growing Threat" by Collen Gillard and Jim Smith (October 1983, page 398). We are a newly formed nonprofit public- benefit corporation created to profession- alize and educate the data-processing, legal, and criminal-justice communities in computer-crime investigation. Our ad- dress was incorrectly listed as Bur- lingame, California. Our correct address for anyone who may be interested in more information is: International Association of Computer Crime Investigators 1100 Gough St., Ste. 8F San Francisco, CA 94109 As we indicated in the article, we also collect data on computer crime cases. This type of information is made available to our members on a periodic basis. We are an international organization with members covering several continents. Bruce Goldstein 1100 Gough St., Suite 8F San Francisco, CA 94109 Computer Crime Giving Hackers a Bad Name As a hacker, I feel that the term "hacker" has received a new, derogatory connotation implying illegal computer use. I have been using computers for about 10 years, and the term has always meant "one who is a computer hobbyist." I feel that those who access a computer without permission using false pass- words should be accused of forgery! Granted, it's sometimes easy to hit (ac- cess) a system, but saying "There's no security; it's so easy" does not erase the fact that access was granted under false pretense. It's also easy to write someone else's signature on checks or documents, but that doesn't make it right. Because computers cannot read a person's signa- ture, the password became the computer equivalent of a signature. Those who use a false or forged password should be treated as forgers. The recent article "Computer Crime: A Growing Threat" (October 1983, page 398) that referenced this problem was far from complete and a little misleading. The Los Alamos computer that was accessed was specially designed for easy public access. (See Electronics, September 8, 1983, page 52.) And the last half of the article reads like an ad for the Secure Access Unit (SAU) hardware. The author failed to acknowledge that the same protection can be obtained with a simple software addi- tion. In fact, all the SAU is is a computer and autodial modem. Why use two com- puters when you already have one that will easily handle the job? As a hacker, I feel that the articles about computer theft are giving us a bad name. How about some positive articles on remote bulletin boards, remote systems, and public-domain software? Mike Woodward 606 Kinglet St. Suisun, CA 94585 Kudos to Steve Again, Steve Ciarcia has another ex- cellent construction article, "Build the H- COM Handicapped Communicator," (November 1983, page 36). Although I have no use for the communicator described, the article provided a wealth of information on single-chip microcom- puter solutions to seemingly complex problems. I look forward to more projects like this, especially the well-documented, fun-to-read assembly-language listing. Keep up the good work. Chris Brown FEI/AMSF-EUR APO New York, NY 09086 A Clarification I would like to comment on Mark Haas's review of the TI Professional in the December 1983 issue. On page 320, while comparing the TI and the IBM PC, he claims that the TI "also has a PSET STEP variation" which, in the context, implies that the IBM PC does not. In fact, IBM PC graphics coordinates can be used in the STEP format. There is a description of this in Chapter 3 of the IBM PC BASIC manual, beginning on page 38. Daniel Bernstein 5 Brewster Ln. Bellport, NY 117131 24 BYTE March 1984 When You Turn this Page You 11 be Leaving the World of Ordinary Microcomputers mm theMTX5I2 AWorld Apart from the Ordinary. It begins with the sense of touch. With the sleek black metal housing. Cool to the touch. Cool to the advanced circuitry and components contained within. And the solid feel of people-sized keys set up in a field that gives you toom to work and space in which to think. But the difference only begins with what you see and feel. Where it ends... well, that's really up to you. In a very practical sense, the only limits you'll experience with the MTX512 are those you choose to accept. 64K To 512K RAM - A Look On The Inside Take a close look at the MTX512. We could tell you it offers the greatest performance and versatil- ity of any micro in its price range, but we think you're smart enough to draw your own conclusions. The design is elegant in its simplicity. Remarkable for the power and complexity it represents. 64K RAM built in, with total expan- sion to 512K. And that doesn't include 16K of video RAM con- trolled by its own processor. Speaking of video, keep in mind this is no ordinary monochro- matic, single screen system. The MTX starts off where other micros end up. Delivering vivid screen capabilities with 256 x 192 pixels that crisply define interference-free high resolution graphics. 16 brilliant colors that can be displayed simultaneously. In a format powered by 32 easily movable, user-defined graphics characters. Graphics capabilities you'd find impressive in a system that gives you a single screen to work in. With the MTX, you have eight. Yes, eight. Eight definable windows to operate independently or in tandem. And still maintain full screen capabilities. Thus, you can manipu- late spread sheets on the MTX and see the impact of changing variables in graphics at the same time. Eight separate windows on the world. We call them Virtual Screens. You'll call them extraordinary. Far from ordinary as well are the built-in system outputs that come standard on the MTX. The Centronics parallel printer port. The two industry-standard joystick ports. The uncommitted paral- lel I/O port. The Cassette port with 2400 baud. Separate TV and Video Monitor Ports. The 4-channel sound hifi output. We've even installed a ROM cartridge port for word processing and other dedi- cated programs. Interactive Languages And Routines - A Look At The Way All Micros Will One Day Perform Forget the way all other micros perform. This is the way they should. Interactively. With the MTX, you can create and manipulate programs using four different languages in dynamic interaction, all coordinated through the FRONT PANEL DISPLAY. Interweaving elements as you would in creating a symphony. And take a serious look at the languages housed in the MTX's 24K ROM. MTX BASIC, a more powerful form of BASIC that allows you to use all standard BASIC programs. MTX GRAPH- ICS, with straight forward commands, eliminates the tedium and difficulty of creating complex graphics programs. NODDY, an 11- command "easy learn" language that can transform real world pro- gramming into a child-friendly activity. And MTX ASSEMBLER, which enables sophisticated programming in assembly language. Something else the advanced programmer will appreciate is our ASSEMBLER/DISASSEMBLER, tied to BASIC, which provides unprecedented display and keyboard access to Z80 CPU storage locations, memory and program. If you're hungry for more, PASCAL and FORTH are also availa- ble as add-on ROM packs. On the keyboard side of things, you'll find a number of operator- oriented features that speed up and ease up the operation of the MTX. The separate numeric pad with quadri-directional cursor control and full editing functions. The eight dual function keys. The auto repeat function on all alpha-numeric keys. Add to this such programmer-saving features as the use of abbreviated BASIC commands, a built-in syntax verifier, automatic cursor-honing to errors, auto-line numbering and automatic scrolling, and you begin to see the MTX not only opens a lot of doors that other micros leave closed, but speeds you through them as well. The 160 Megabyte Connection - A Look At The System To build a good system, quality must be designed in at every level. We designed the MTX and its complete line of system periph- erals using proven, standard components. Striking a sttategic bal- ance between power, versatility and dependability. Our Z80A processor, running at 4MHz, gave us the high performance charac- teristics we were striving for, plus the ability to expand into the MTX Hard Disc, MTX Silicon and Floppy Disc CP/M operated systems. Systems that could provide up to 160 megabyte storage capacity. More power than you'll probably ever need, unless you take full advantage of the MTXs impressive system capabilities. Systems hookup is as simple as every other MTX procedure. By merely plugging in the twin RS232C Serial interfaces and the Node software, sold optionally, you're ready to create a disc-driven interactive communications network (OXFORD RING®) that can link up to 255 units. Software/ You'll never worry about software availability with the MTX. Dozens of MTX-dedicated programs have already been created, supplementing the vast landscape of CP/M applications software currently available. And advance word of the MTX's technical capabilities has precipitated an MTX software "push" on the part of many leading software manufacturers. Word Processing For $999 - A Look At A Great Deal Look first at the capabilities, then at the price. This is word processing the way it should be. Quick. Easy. Professional, A package that includes the MTX512; the powerful New Word™ word processing ROM cartridge; and the Memotech DMX80 correspondence quality printer* An exceptional value! And that brings us to the bottom line. A Look At The Price There's a very simple equation that covers the pricing of theMTX512. The more engineering you put in a system, the less it will cost to produce. As you've already seen, the MTX is a pure product of advanced, innovative engineering. Which is why we can sell it for $595* * And why we can confidently back it up with a full one- year warranty. Make no mistake. When you turn this page, you'll be return- ing to a world very different from this one. A world in which all microcomputers will suddenly seem very different. Suddenly very ordinary. For more information about the MTX512, or to find out the location of the MTX dealer nearest you, contact Memotech Corporation, 99 Cabot Street, Needham, MA 02194; or phone (617) 449-6614 MEMOTECH CORPORATION CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research, Inc. New Word™ is a trademark of New Star Software, Inc. *DMX80 correspondence quality printer suggested retail price $395. **Suggested retail price. BYTE March 1984 27 Build a Third-Generation Phonetic Speech Synthesizer The idea for this month's project may seem familiar to many of you, and with good reason: I've done proj- ects on building speech synthesizers five times before. Why? The inte- grated-circuit technology for doing it keeps getting better and better, and I like nothing more than experiment- ing with new chips. The Shadow of the Past The most successful of the past speech-synthesis projects were the Sweet Talker, presented in September 1981 (see reference 3), and the Micro- Copyright © 1984 Steven A. Garcia. All rights reserved. by Steve Ciarcia vox, presented in August and Sept- ember 1982 (see reference 4). Many of you have built and used these as peripheral devices on your personal computers. The original Sweet Talker was a simple, parallel-port-driven pho- neme-based synthesizer. To make it talk, you just sent 6-bit phoneme codes to it. It's still useful; I've used it for broadcasting weather reports, among other things (see reference 1). The Microvox was an enhancement of the same basic design. Both these devices were built around the Votrax SO01A chip, a member of the second generation of commercial speech- synthesis products. (The first genera- tion consisted of hybrid modules containing many discrete com- ponents.) Latest Technology I suppose I would continue to tinker with improving the sound quality from this foundation if I had not been beaten to the punch by the appearance of an enhanced speech- synthesis chip. This month we'll look at the latest development in phonetic speech synthesis: the SSI263 inte- grated circuit from Silicon Systems Inc. Speech-synthesis chips of the new third generation, such as the SSI263, produce much more intelligible 28 BYTE March 1984 The latest development in phonetic speech synthesis is the Silicon Systems SSI263 chip speech than did older devices, such as the SC-01A. The new chips achieve this through more flexible in- tonation, inflection, and filtration. With the SSI263, it is possible to vary these three effects on the fly as well as load new speech phonemes dy- namically When synthesizing in this way from sufficiently detailed data (at about 400 bits per second), the SSI263 generates the most human- sounding synthesized voice I've heard to date. (Systems that reproduce a digitized human voice can still sound better, however.) In its minimal operating mode, which re- quires data at about 50 to 70 bits per second, the quality of sound is com- parable to that produced by the Votrax SC-01A. Sweet Talker II Seeing that the SSI263 could be easily interfaced to many different microprocessor-based systems, I decided to use an Apple II Plus as its host because the Apple's allocation of a separate address space for each ex- pansion slot would eliminate address decoding on the speech card. The board, which contains only two chips, can be adapted for use with many other computers if you don't mind a little extra wiring. Out of sen- timent for my earlier project, I decid- ed to call the new package the "Sweet Talker II." It's shown in photo 1. Programming the Sweet Talker II can be simple, if you'll settle for a monotonic, uninflected voice, or complicated, if you need the highest quality speech. Unlike its prede- cessor, the SC-01A, which used only a 6-bit phoneme input, the SSI263 contains five registers (totalling 40 bits) that influence the emitted sound. With the constant updating of all the registers (at a higher data rate and controlled by a more complex program), the SSI263 can even sing with vibrato. Because the SSI263 is just out on the market, very little has been pub- lished on it. After a review of the basic techniques of computer speech, we'll go through some specific infor- mation about the device. Following that, we'll look at the simplicity of in- terfacing the SSI263 to a personal computer and discuss the software needed to support it. Review of Computer Speech There are three major techniques presently employed to allow com- puters to speak: formant synthesis, linear-predictive coding (LPC), and waveform digitization. The most noticeable difference between these three methods is the amount of data required to construct a word. In formant synthesis, an electronic model of the human vocal tract is constructed. Driven with signals from frequency and noise generators, the model mimics the natural reso- nances of the vocal tract. The output spectrum contains bands of resonant frequencies called formants. The most common variant of the formant technique is called phoneme synthesis, in which the spectral parameters are derived from basic word sounds— the phonemes. In such a circuit, each phoneme is as- signed a digital code; the synthesizer circuit utters phoneme sounds corre- sponding to the codes it receives. Therefore, speech is produced simply by stringing the phoneme codes together. The original electronic voices of this type were intelligible but had a slight- ly mechanical quality. The latest phoneme synthesizers, on the other hand, combine control of pitch, rate, amplitude, and filtration to achieve quite lifelike speech. Continuous speech using phoneme synthesis can generally be obtained with data at a rate of less than 100 bps (bits per sec- ond), using no extra control attri- butes. Even with all the embellish- ments, it never requires a data rate of more than 400 bps. Linear-predictive coding (LPC) is similar to formant synthesis in that both techniques are based on the fre- quencies found in speech and use similar hardware to model the vocal tract. Instead of encoding phonemes, however, LPC uses stored filter coef- ficients, amplifier-gain settings, and excitation frequencies; the name of the method is derived from the pro- grammed activities of the multistage lattice filters that produce the desired formants. Continuous speech can generally be achieved with data rates of 1200 to 2400 bps. LPC has been used in products from Texas Instru- ments (the Speak & Spell and the now-discontinued TI 99/4 Text-to- Speech Translator) and General In- strument (the VSM2032 Voice Syn- thesis Module). The third technique of computer- ized speech is waveform digitization, which reproduces a voice waveform from its stored amplitude character- istics. The simplest form is uncom- pressed digital data recording by pulse-code modulation (PCM). A more complex method involving data compression is called adaptive dif- ferential pulse-code modulation (ADPCM). In digital recording by PCM, the analog waveform from a real human voice is sampled at a frequency twice that of the highest frequency to be preserved from the voice; the samples are sent through an analog- to-digital (A/D) converter and stored. The digital signal is played back through a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter and a low-pass filter. Since it's essentially a recorded voice, the reproduced speech retains the origi- nal inflections and accents. Unfor- tunately, waveform digitization re- quires very high data rates, so the vocabulary is usually limited by the amount of data that can be stored. For more detail on speech digitiza- tion, you can refer to some of my previous articles in BYTE. In June 1978 I published a simple project for digitizing and reproducing speech from uncompressed data; you might call it "brute-force digitization" (see reference 5). The second project, BYTE March 1984 29 8 BITS 3 3 BITS ACKNOWLEDGE/ __ REQUEST NEW DATA v S Vp AO D0-D7 RS0-RS2 A/R DIV/2 XCK R/W CS1 CSO PD/RST GND T -+> AUDIO OUT l*XCK/2 "O-XCK EXTERNAL "CLOCK -READ/WRITE •CHIP SELECT -CHIP SELECT -RESET FLOW DIAGRAM la) AO- AGND- TP1- A/R- TP2- RS2- RS1- RSO- D0- Dl- D2- D6ND- -W 1 24 2 23 3 22 4 21 5 20 6 19 7 18 8 17 9 16 10 15 11 14 12 13 DIV2 XCK R/W CS1 CSO PO/RST D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 SSI263 P1N0UT (TOP VIEW) Figure 1: Pinouts of the Silicon Systems SSI263 speech-synthesizer integrated circuit. 1. appropriate control inputs (R/W, CSO, and CS1) for address mapping with several buses 2. provision for resetting at power-down 3. five 8 -bit internal registers 4. 256 phoneme equivalents (64 different phonemes each with four different dura- tion settings) 5. four modes of handshaking 6. 4096 pitch variations (32 absolute levels with eight different speeds of inflection) 7. 16 speed settings 8. 16 amplitude levels 9. eight rates of articulation 10. 255 settings of the vocal-tract filter fre- quency response Table 1: Operational characteristics of the SSI263. Support for the SSI263 As with many Circuit Cellar projects, the Sweet Talker II is available with the text-to-speech software from a source listed at the end of the article. In true Circuit Cellar tradition, however, many of you will hard-wire the unit as I've detailed. Unfor- tunately, since the program is owned by Silicon Systems Inc., royalties are involved and it cannot be published. In an effort to reward rather than diminish your handi- work, I will pay the royalty and provide the Apple II software to anyone sending me a photograph of his or her custom- assembled Sweet Talker II. This offer ex- tends to noncommercial applications and individual experimenters until June 1, 1984. In the long term, the SSI263 will be sup- ported by Sweet Micro Systems, the com- pany that makes the Mockingboard music- synthesis system for the Apple II. Sweet Micro Systems' latest version of the Mock- ingboard can use two optional SSI263s to provide synthesized voices that can sing along in stereo with the synthesized two- channel music; the chips are plugged right into sockets on the circuit board. Photo 3 on page 40 shows the new Mockingboard, containing one SSI263, plugged into an Apple II Plus. I've made sure that the Sweet Talker II will be software-compatible with the voice software intended for the Mockingboard, and it should be compatible with other SSI263-based products for the Apple II as well. published in June 1981, was for re- producing digitized speech from compressed data (reference 2), and the third article, appearing in June 1983, was a project that used ADPCM (see reference 6.) SSI263 Integrated Circuit The Silicon Systems SSI263 is a self-contained phoneme-based speech synthesizer. It consists of a single 24-pin CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) inte- grated circuit that runs from a 5-V (volt) power source. It provides an analog output for music, sound ef- fects, and continuous speech of unlimited vocabulary at low data rates. The SSI263 is easy to interface with any microprocessor; its prin- cipal characteristics are listed in table 1. Figure 1 contains a pinout diagram; a description of each pin's function is shown in table 2. The SSI263 can use a 3.59-MHz color-burst crystal divided by 2 or 4 as a timebase, or it can run off an external 1- or 2-MHz clock signal. The SSI263 contains five 8-bit inter- nal registers, which allow 256 phoneme-equivalents; 4096 pitch variations; and control of amplitude, rate of articulation, and vocal-tract filter frequency response (useful for sound effects). The individual reg- isters are described in the text box on page 38. A Simple Circuit Connecting the SSI263 to any microcomputer system is not hard, but with the Apple II family of com- puters (II, II Plus, and He) the con- nection is simplicity itself (due largely to the address decoding provided on the Apple's motherboard). As you can see in figure 2 on page 32, the en- tire Sweet Talker II circuitry consists of only two integrated circuits and a few passive components. In figure 2, IC1 is the SSI263, which can be directly connected to the Apple's data and address buses, ope rating on interrupts generated on the IRQ (normal interrupt request) line. The chip is selected when the A6 address line and the R/W and I/O- select status lines are active. Address lines AO, Al, and A2 select the prop- er register for data to be entered through the eight data-bus lines DO through DZ The three low-order ad- dress lines are individually asserted to trigger one of three mutually ex- clusive register-select inputs on the voice-synthesis chip: RS0, RSI, or RS2. When plugged into expansion slot 4 of any Apple II-series computer, the registers are addressed at hexadeci- mal C400 through C404 (decimal ad- dresses 50240 through 50244). The remaining components on the speech-synthesizer board constitute the amplifier and filter sections. 30 BYTE March 1984 Capacitors C4 and C5 and resistors R2 and R3 form a simple low-pass filter. The audio signal is then amplified by an LM386 1-watt opera- tional amplifier (IC2) to directly drive an 8-ohm speaker. Potentiometer R4 controls the volume on the external speaker (connected to the header provided). In addition to the +5-V supply needed by the SSI263, the board requires a + 12-V supply to power the op arnp. Speaking in Phonemes All the words in the English lan- guage can be written using only 26 alphabetic characters, but the lan- guage contains far more than 26 sounds— most letters of the alphabet (or combinations) can represent more than one sound. As a practical mat- ter, English can be considered to con- tain 50 or so distinct sounds, called phonemes. These are listed in table 3 on page 33. It's not as hard to use the phoneme list as it first appears. For example, the phonemes in the word "disk" are written as follows: DISK Simple enough. From the table, the corresponding digital codes (in hexa- decimal) are 25 07 30 29 These are the values fed into the speech synthesizer. Few words are quite that easy, though. For instance, the five distinct phonemes in "hello" are HF EH L O W These are translated into the hexadec- imal codes 2C 0A 20 11 23 It isn't necessary for you to become a linguist to use a phonetic speech synthesizer because many lists of words and their phoneme equiva- lents are available (see reference 3). Programming for Phoneme Synthesis The speech-synthesizer board speaks a word when it receives, in se- Pin 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 Function AO (Audio)— analog output, DC-biased at V DD /2. Requires an external audio amplifier to drive speaker. AG (Analog Ground)— must be connected to a good ground potential to eliminate noise in the output signal. TP1 (Test Point 1) A/R (Acknowledge/Request— Not)— digital open-collector output. When forced low it requests new data. It can respond on a frame_or phoneme boundary condition or be deactivated (see DR0, DR1— page 38— and PD/RST). This signal can also be read on D7 in an inverted state. TP2 (Test Point 2)— normally not used. RS2 (Register Select 2)— used in conjunction with RS1 and RS0, these three register select lines are used to select and write to one of five internal registers. RS1 (Register Select 1) RS0 (Register Select 0) DO— first of data lines, listed in order of increasing significance D1 D2 V ss (ground) D3 D4 D5 D6 D7— most significant bit of 8- bit data bus. D7 is bidirectional. When read, high is an ac- tive request for new data and low is an acknowledgment that data has been received (A/R). PD/RST (Power Down— Not/Reset)— this input is active in the low state. When active, it powers down the SSI 263 and silences the audio output and retains its DCbias without disturbing the internal registers. It also puts the SSI263 in a disabled-A/R mode. CS0 (Chip Select 0)— control input that selects the SSI263 on a microprocessor control/ mapping bus, active high. CSI (Chip Select 1— Not)— active- low state. R/W (Read/Write— Not)— control input, write is an active-low state (writes into DO through D7), read is an active-high state (reads D7 only). XCLK (External Clock Input)— input for externally supplied clock. Normal frequency in- put is in two ranges: 2.0 MHz/1.79 MHz or 1.0 MHz/895 kHz dependent upon level of DIV2 input. DIV2 (External Clock Divide-by-2 Input)— when this input is high, XCLK = 2 or 1 .79 MHz. When this input is low, XCLK = 1 or 0.895 MHz. V DD (Positive Voltage Supply)— V DD operating range is +4.5 V DC to 6.6 V DC. Table 2: Pin functions of the SSI263. quence, the codes for the constituent phonemes. The programming for this can be simple: POKE statements in BASIC suffice. If the synthesizer were plugged into slot 4 of an Apple II, the program of listing 1 would cause it to say "hello" in a monotonic voice. Observe that the program loads the stop phoneme (hexadeci- mal 0) after the end of the word; this makes the synthesizer stop sounding the last phoneme. You'll also note that the first six ex- ecutable statements in listing 1 load constant values into the registers in the speech-synthesis chip; the five at- tribute registers in the SSI263 must be properly initialized; once they have been, a program using this method can cause the chip to emit the sounds of essentially any word or series of words. But an interpreted BASIC program is not fast enough to operate in an interrupt mode or dy- namically change the attribute registers with each phoneme. So a program in BASIC can only scratch the surface of the SSI263's BYTE March 1984 31 APPLE BUS + 12V [5§> +5V [|5> IRQ AS E> R/W [l8> A2 {£> Al |X> AO |T> D7 0|> D6 [4|> D5 0> D4 [4|> D3 [4^> D2 [47> DI [£§> DO [49J> I/O SEL |T> GND [|f> Figure 2: Schematic diagram of the Sweet Talker II circuitry. Listing 1: This BASIC program causes the Sweet Talker II to pronounce the word "hello" by sending it the minimal set of phoneme codes. 10 REM SET UP SSI263 FOR TRANSITIONED INFLECTION 20 POKE 50243,255 :REM CONTROL BIT EQUALS 1 :REM SET PHONEME DURATION :REM CONTROL BIT EQUALS AND SET AMPLITUDE :REM SET FILTER FREQUENCY TO NORMAL :REM SET SPEECH RATE TO NORMAL :REM SET INFLECTION LEVEL 30 POKE 50240,192 40 POKE 50243,116 50 POKE 50244,231 60 POKE 50242,168 70 POKE 50241,127 100 HOME 110 PRINT "HELLO" 120 DATA 44,10,32,17,35,0 130 FOR X=1 TO 6 140 READ A 150 POKE 50240, A :REM LOAD PHONEME INTO INPUT REGISTER 160 FOR T=0 TO 50 : NEXT T :REM DELAY TIL NEXT PHONEME TIME 170 NEXT X 180 END :REM PHONEMES FOR WORD HELLO capabilities. To really appreciate what it can do, you have to exercise the chip with an assembly-language pro- gram that adds inflection and intona- tion. The program in listing 2 on pages 34 and 35 also causes the system to say "hello" but with superior results. For speech applica- tions requiring the most reliable in- telligibility, an assembly-language word-list-to-phoneme output pro- gram is required. But many applications require an essentially unlimited vocabulary, for instance, if you wanted your com- puter to read aloud the stories on the Associated Press newswire. (By the way, that's an acid test for intelligibil- ity of synthesized speech.) In such cases, you'll need a program that can perform its own translation from nor- mal spelling to phoneme codes using a text-to-speech algorithm. Text-to-Speech Algorithm A text-to-speech algorithm is a pro- gram that takes words spelled out in letters encoded in ASCII (American National Standard Code for Informa- tion Interchange) and analyzes them. It determines which characters are silent and which should produce sounds, and what kind of sounds, by following a set of general pronuncia- tion rules. Most research in such syn- thesis by rule has been on English, but text-to-speech algorithms have been written for other languages as well. The amount of program code 32 BYTE March 1984 (3a) Table 3: Elementary speech sounds, or phonemes, that occur in English and a few other languages. Consonants are shown in 3a; vowels are listed in 3b. The four code columns for each phoneme represent spoken sounds of different length. You can choose the length that provides the best intelligibility or most pleasing sound. From left to right, the lengths decrease by about 25 percent in each column from the previous one. The code in column 1 can usually be used as the default value. Phoneme Code ) Examples 1 2 3 4 B 24 64 A4 E4 bat, tab D 25 65 A5 E5 dub, bud F 34 74 B4 F4 fat, ruff, photo, laugh HV 2A 6A AA EA eh HVC 2B 6B AB EB (post-B aspiration as in 'tab') HF 2C 6C AC EC hat, home HFC 2D 6D AD ED (post-P aspiration as in "pad") HN 2E 6E AE EE ba-ba black sheep (voiceless glottal stop) J 31 71 B1 F1 job, rage K 29 69 A9 E9 kit, tick . KV 26 66 A6 E6 big, gag L 20 60 AO EO lab, ball L1 21 61 A1 E1 plan, club, slam LB 3F 7F BF FF il (French) LF 22 62 A2 E2 bottle M 37 77 B7 F7 mad, dam N 38 78 B8 F8 not, ton NG 39 79 B9 F9 ring, rang, drink, drank P 27 67 A7 E7 pat, tap R 1D 5D 9D DD rat R1 1E 5E 9E DE (French) R2 1F 5F 9F DF (German) S 30 70 BO FO sat, lass SCH 32 72 B2 F2 shop, push T 28 68 A8 E8 tap, pat, baked THV 35 75 B5 F5 bathe, the TH 36 76 B6 F6 bath, theory V 33 73 B3 F3 vow, pave W 23 63 A3 E3 why, quake Y 03 43 83 C3 (French) Y 04 44 84 C4 you Z 2F 64 A4 E4 zap, maze (space) 00 40 80 CO (pause) (3b) needed to implement a text-to-speech algorithm varies, with longer pro- grams usually performing better. Typical microprocessor routines are in the 4K- to 8K-byte range, but some of the more sophisticated programs take up to 80K bytes. The main dif- ference between the most common algorithms is the number of pronun- ciation exceptions and the length of word tables. An 80K-byte routine, for example, is often 90 percent look-up tables of words that are pronounced in unpredictable ways. The Sweet Talker II speech synthe- sizer outlined in this article can be made to speak by direct input of in- dividually selected phonemes, as demonstrated above, or through use of a text-to-speech algorithm. While two of my previous Circuit Cellar speech-synthesis projects, the Sweet Talker I and the Microvox, had some form of text-to-speech capability, they were built around the Votrax SC-01A; the software is not compatible with the SSI263 in the Sweet Talker II. At first, I thought I would have to Phoneme Codes Examples Comments 1 2 3 4 A 08 48 88 C8 day A1 09 49 89 C9 care AE OC 4C 8C CC dad, plaid AE1 0D 4D 8D CD ask AH 0E 4E 8E CE top, father AH1 OF 4F 8F CF about AW 10 50 90 DO saw, caught E 01 41 81 C1 beet, be E1 02 42 82 C2 advent EH 0A 4A 8A CA leg, said EH1 0B 4B 8B CB silent ER 1C 5C 9C DC third, urn, heard I 07 47 87 C7 sit, bid O 11 51 91 D1 boat OO 13 53 93 D3 put, pull, look OU 12 52 92 D2 orb U 16 56 96 D6 boot, you U1 17 57 97 D7 poor UH 18 58 98 D8 cup UH1 19 59 99 D9 nation, circus UH2 1A 5A 9A DA nation, circus UH3 1B 5B 9B DB nation, circus Foreign Soun ds AY 05 45 95 C5 frangais French A 3A 7A BA FA etre French, or umlauted a (a) in German E2 3E 7E BE FE schon German IE 06 46 86 C6 il French IU 14 54 94 D4 peut French IU1 15 55 95 D5 Goethe German OH 3B 7B BB FB menu, tu French u 3C 7C BC FC Fuhlen German UH 3D ID BD FD menu, tu French BYTE March 1984 33 Listing 2: An assembly-language program for the 6502 microprocessor that causes the synthesizer to say "hello" with better inflection and intonation by sending more data than the BASIC program. 8000: 3001: BOO 3 s 8006: 8008 : 800B: 800D: 800F : 80 1 1 : 8013: 80 1 5 : 8017: 8019: 80 1 B : 801D: 80 IF: 8022: 8024: 8027: 8029: 802C: 802D: 78 A9 2E 8D FE 03 A9 80 8D FF 03 A9 80 85 FC 85 FE A9 69 85 FB A9 9B 85 FD A9 FF 85 FF A9 80 8D 43 C4 A9 CO 8D 40 C4 A9 70 SD 43 C4 58 60 802E: 8A 802F 48 8030 : 98 8031 • 48 8032 : AO OO 8034 • A2 04 8036 , A5 FB 8038 : C5 FD 803A . DO IB 803C: A5 FC J4 BYTI l March 1984 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 IS 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 SSI -263 COMPOSITE DATA DRIVER ORG $8000 * OLITPTR ENDPTR BUSY IRQL IRQH BASE DURPHON INFLECT RATE INF CTTRAMP FILFREQ * * EQLl EQU EQU EQU EQU EQU EQU EQU EQU EQU EQU $FB *FD $FF *03FE *03FF *C440 BASE BASE+$01 BASE+S02 BASE+*03 BASE+*04 5 POINTER TO START OF DATA ; POINTER TO END OF DATA ;BUSY FLAG ;IRQ VECTOR, LOW BYTE ; IRQ VECTOR, HIGH BYTE ; REGISTER O OF SSI -263 ; REGISTER 1 OF SSI-263 ; REGISTER 2 OF SSI-263 ; REGISTER 3 OF SSI-263 ; REGISTER 4 OF SSI-263 SET-UP ROUTINE * SEI LDA STA LDA STA LDA STA STA LDA STA LDA STA LDA STA LDA STA LDA STA LDA STA CLI RTS 4KINTERR IRQL #>INTERR IRQH #>TABLE OUTPTR+1 ENDPTR+1 #< TABLE OUTPTR # -■■■ ■ T *• . r- * f- f^f? ■"* 5 megabits per second. Minor changes of the on-board com- ponents allow the support of other drive types/sizes and transfer rates up to 15 megabits per second. (Interface to disk drive is defined by software/ Controller communications with the host processor via 2K FIFO at any speed desirable (limited only by RAM access time) for a data block transfer. Thus the controller does not constrain the host processor in any manner. Two 28-pin sockets allowing the use of up to 16K bytes of on-board EPROM and up to 8K bytes of on-board RAM. Individual software reset capability. Conforms to the proposed IEEE-696S-100 standard. Controller can accommodate two rigid-disk drives and one cartridge tape drive. Expansion is made possible with an external card. Teletek's HD/CTC Offers A Hard Disk Controller, Plus Cartridge Tape Controller, All On One Board. TELETEK CA 95838 fo I ex #4991834 Answer back- Next Month: The IBM Personal Computer can run BASIC programs as much as 100 times faster than normal using a coprocessor board. ■ References 1. Ciarcia, Steve. "Build a Computerized Weatherstation." BYTE, February 1982, page 38. 2. Ciarcia, Steve. "Build a Low-Cost Speech- Synthesizer Interface." BYTE, June 1981, page 46. 3. Ciarcia, Steve "Build an Unlimited-Vocabulary Speech Synthesizer." BYTE, September 1981, page 38. 4. Ciarcia, Steve. "Build the Microvox Text-to- Speech Synthesizer" Part 1, BYTE, September 1982, page 64 Part 2, BYTE, Oc- tober 1982, page 40. 5. Ciarcia, Steve. 'Talk to Me: Add a Voice to Your Computer for $35." BYTE, June 1978, page 142. 6. Ciarcia, Steve. "Use ADPCM for Highly In- telligible Speech Synthesis." BYTE, June 1983, page 35. 7. Ciarcia, Steve. "Use Voiceprints to Analyze Speech." BYTE, March 1982, page 50. 8. Elovitz, Honey Sue, Rodney W. Johnson, tCeuxone^ Telepori300 T\irn any Touch-Tone* phone into a remote data entry terminal By combining the capabilities of an intelligent modem with a DTM F to ASCI I converter, Teltone has un- locked countless opportunities for you. With a Teleport 300 on your computer, you can use any Touch- Tbne® phone in the country as a remote data entry terminal, or, if you wish , a control panel. Imagine the possibilities: Branch office order entry, Inventory con- trol, Remote control of environ- mental systems, Data logging, Emergency access to process con- trol systems, Credit card authori- zations, etc. The list goes on and on. It's a full-featured smart modem The Tfeleport 300 is a fully equipped intelligent modem : Bell 103 J com- patible, autoanswer and originate, with tone and pulse repertory dial- ing and call progress indications. It's menu driven and user program- mable. An internal buffer lets the Teleport handle DTE speeds from 75 to 9600 baud. Teleport delivers front end hardware security You can program the Teleport 300 to respond only to a pre-determined seriesof DTM F signals. Unless the correct DTMF tones are detected, callers are not connected to your computer. It's an effective hard- ware barrier in front of any soft - ware security scheme you may be using to protect valuable programs and data. List price is $399.95. To get all the Teleport details, call; 1-800-227 3800 ext 1130 Dealer inquiries are invited. Call the Teltone Telcom Components Division: <206) 827-9626 ext 220. Teltone Corporation 10801 120th Avenue NE P.O. Box 657, Kirkland, WA 98033 TWX 910 449-2862 Touch-Tone* is a registered trademark of AT&T. Astrid McHugh, and John E. Shore. "Automatic Translation of English Text to Phonetics by Means of Letter to Sound Rules." United States Naval Research Laboratory Report 7948, 1976. 9. Kuecken, John A. Talking Computers and Telecommunications. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983. Steve Ciarcia is an electronics engineer and com- puter consultant with experience in process control, digital design, nuclear instrumentation, product development, and marketing. In addition to writing for BYTE, he has published several books. He can be contacted at POB 582, Glastonbury, CT 06033. Special thanks to Rod Nakamotofor his contribu- tions to this project. Technical data on the SSI263 speech synthesizer reprinted by permission of Silicon Systems Inc., 14351 Myford Rd., Tustin, CA 92680, (714) 731-7110. To receive a complete list of Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar project kits available from the Micromint, circle 100 on the reader service inquiry card at the back of the magazine. Editor's Note: Steve often refers to previous Cir- cuit Cellar articles; most of these past articles are available in reprint books from BYTE Books, McGraw-Hill Book Company, POB 400, Hights- town, NJ 08250. Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar, Volume I covers articles that appeared in BYTE from September 1977 through November 1978. Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar, Volume II contains articles from December 1978 through June 1980. Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar, Volume III contains articles from July 1980 through December 1981. Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar, Volume IV, soon to appear, will contain articles from January 1982 through June 1983. The following item is available from: The Micromint Inc. 561 Willow Ave. Cedarhurst, NY 11596 (516) 374-6793 (for information) (800) 645-3479 (for orders) Sweet Talker II: Apple-II-compatible synthesizer board. Assembled and tested with SSI263 speech-synthesis chip, dem- onstration software, user's manual, and text-to-speech algorithm on DOS 33 floppy disk $100 Please include $4 for shipping and han- dling in the continental United States, $12 elsewhere. Residents of New York state please include 7 percent sales tax. 42 BYTE March 1984 Circle 346 on inquiry card. THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS LOTUS 1-2-3 $359 MICROSOFT Multiplan (Apple II) $169 C-ITOH Prowriter 1 8510AP $369 C-ITOH Prowriter 2 1550P $659 COMREX ComRiter I (17 CPS) $409 NEC Spinwriter 2030 (Centronics) $869 TRANSTAR 120 Parallel (14 CPS) $469 TRANSTAR 130 Parallel (18 CPS) $689 U.S. ROBOTICS Password Modem (1200 Baud) $359 OTRONA Attache $2495 BASIS 108 (12BK, 2 Drives, CP/M 3.0). $1795 TANDON Drive (IBM Compatible, 32QK). $239 FOURTH DIMENSION Super Drive (Apple) $219 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES 12 MB Hard Disk $2249 20 MB Hard Disk $2649 RANA ELITE I (Apple Compatible, 163K) . $245 RANA 1000 (For ATARI) $319 HERCULES Graphics Board For IBM-PC . $369 MICROLOG Baby Blue (CP/M For IBM) . $489 PLANTRONICS ColorPlus $429 TECMAR 1st Mate Board For IBM (No RAM) . . $239 2nd Mate Board (2 Serial/2 Parallel) $229 Graphics Master $549 ORANGE MICRO Buffered Grappler+ 16K $179 64K $239 CUSTOMER SERVICE & TECH. SUPPORT 401-273-2420 ORDERS ONLY 800-843-4302 150 Broadway, Suite 2212, N.Y. NY 10038 Money Order, Cashier's Ck, Personal Ck (3 Weeks To Clear). Add 3% MC/VISA, 5% AMEX Charge. Add 2% On COD Orders. APO Orders Add 6%. Add 3% For Net Terms. All Returned Non-Defective Merchandise Are Subject To 20% Restocking Charge. GenTech Reserves the Right to Change Advertised Prices. (MasterCard) V/S4* GenTech COMPUTERS ALTOS All Models SCall COLUMBIA Fully IBM Compatible, 128K, Parallel/ Serial Ports, Color Board, Super Pak (Over $2000 Software) w/ 2 DSOD Drives $Call w/ 10 MB Hard Disk & 1 DSOO Drive . . $Call Portable VP w/Super Pak $Call COMPUPRO All Models $Call CORONA Desktop & Portable PC's $Call EAGLE PC-2 (12BK RAM, 2 Drives <640K)) . . . $Call PC-XL (128K, 10 MB Hard, 1 Floppy) . . . $Call Spirit XL (Portable Version of PC -XL) . . $Call FRANKLIN ACE 1000 w/ Color $799 ACE PRO PLUS System (ACE 1000 w/color, ACE 10 Drive, 80-Column Card, 12" Monitor, ACE Writer II, ACE Calc, Data Perfect, Personal Financer) . . . $Call ACE 1000 PLUS FAMILY PAK $Call ACE 1200 (6502/Z80B, 128K, ACE 10 Drive, 80 Column Card, CBASIC, CP/M 2.2). . $Call ACE Office Management System (ACE 1200 w/ 2 ACE 10 Drives, Parallel/ Serial Card, WordStar, MailMerge, ACE Calc) SCall MORROW DESIGNS MD2 (64K, 2 SSDD Drives, WordStar, Correct-It, LogiCalc, Pesonal Pearl, MBASIC, BaZic $Call MD3 (Same as Above except w/ 2 DSDD Drives & QUEST Accting Software) SCall MD11 (128K, 1 11 MB Hard Disk & 1 DSDD Drive, Same Software as MD3) . . . $2050 MD11 w/ MDT-60 Terminal $2395 Multi-User DECISION Series SCall NEC PC-B201A (w/ 16K RAM) SCall SANYO MBC 550, (IBM -Compatible, 8088, 128K, 1 SSDD Drive, WordStar, CalcStar, EasyWriter) . $849 MBC 555 (550 Plus 1 Add. Drive, MailMerge, SpeilStar, InfoStar). . . . $CaII SWP Micro Computer Products for Kaypro Co -Power -88 Board For Kaypro II & IV (8088 w/ 128K OR 256K, MS-DOS & CP/M 86) SCall FOR IBM PC AST RESEARCH INC. MEGA PLUS II (64K, Serial & Clock/Cal) $295 MEGAPAK 256K Module $299 SIX PACK PLUS (64K, Serial/Par, Clock) $295 COMBO PLUS (64K Serial/Par, Clock) $295 I/O PLUS II (Serial Port, Clock/Cal) $129 "OPTIONS** Each 64K Increment For Expandable AST Boards Are $65. (Price Includes Installation) Serial ..... $45 Parallel .... $45 Game $45 QUADRAM QUARDBOARD (Serial/ Parallel, Clock/Cal) 64K $279 256K $419 QUAD 512+ (Serial Port, Upgradable to 512K) 64K $239 128K $299 256K $399 512K. .... $619 QUADCOLOR I (Video Board) $239 QUAOLINK (6502 w/ 64K) $489 Circle 163 on inquiry card. MICROFAZER Parallel/ Parallel 8K . . $125 16K . $139 64K . $199 128K. $289 256K. $589 51 2K. $899 Serial/Serial, Serial/Par!, Parl/Serial BK . . $145 16K . $159 64K . $219 ** SPECIAL PRICES ON HERCULES, ** ** TECMAR, MICROLOG (BABY BLUE) ** ** & PLANTRONICS PRODUCTS ** FOR APPLE ll/lle, Franklin Ace ALS CP/M Card. S299 Smarterm II (80 Column Card) .... $145 Printer Mate (Printer Card) $59 EPO Surge Protectors $Call FOURTH DIMENSION 16K RAM Card $49 80 Column Card w/ 64K (lie Only) . . $189 INTERACT. STRU. PKASO Universal . $125 Shuffle Buffer $Call KOALA TECH. Koala Pad $95 MICROTEK Dumpling-16 $159 ORANGE MICRO Grappler+ $119 PROMETHEUS Graphitti $89 HARD DISK COMREX ComFiler (FOR OZ-10, 10MB) $1995 CORVUS DAVONG 6MB ... $1695 10MB. , . 11MB. . . $2350 15MB. . . 20MB. . . $3150 21 MB. . . $1645 $2095 $2495 PEGASUS (GREAT LAKES) 10 MB Internal For IBM 23 MB External (w/ Controller) . . . $1075 $1845 CALL FOR PRICES ON DCS, TALLGRASS & XCOMP DOT MATRIX PRINTERS ||' " mm ^ 1 EPSON RX-80 $269 RX-80 F/T. FX-80 .... $515 FX-100 . . MX-100. . . $519 LQ-1500. . . $389 . $709 . $Call MANNESMANN TALLY MT160L. . . $599 MT180L. . Spirit-80. . . $329 1602 .... . $839 . SCall OKIDATA ML 92 ... . $449 ML 93 . . . ML 84(P) . . $979 ML 84(S) . . $729 $1079 STAR MICRONICS Delta 10 . . . $529 Radex 10 . . $659 INFO RUNNER Riteman PANASONIC KX-P1090 TOSHIBA P1350 TRANSTAR T315 Color Printer . $349 . $329 $1579 . $469 LETTER-QUALITY PRINTERS COMREX ComRiter I (17 CPS) ......... ComRiter II (12 CPS, 5K Buffer, P) . ComRiter III . $40 . $Ca . $Ca 9 I I DAISYWRITER 2000 EXP (25 CPS, 48K Buffer) . . . . $999 DIABLO 630 ECS/IBM JUKI 6100 (17 CPS, Diablo Compat.) NEC Spinwriter 2050 (IBM) . SCall . SCall . $Call OUME Sprint 1140 Sprint 1155 SILVER -REED EXP 550(P) . $629 EXP 770(P) EXP 500(P) . $429 EXP 500(S) TRANSTAR T120, T130 & T140 .... $1345 . $Cal . SCal . $45* . SCal AMDEK DXY-100. Amplot II SCall COMREX ComScriber SCall ENTER COMPUTERS Sweet-P SCall HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS DMP 40 $839 DMP 29 (8 COLOR 11x17 PAPER) . . $1945 DMP 41 (SINGLE PEN 22x17 INCH) . $2495 MANNESMANN TALLY Pixy-3 $645 ROLAND, STROBE SCall MONITORS AMDEK Video 300. . $149 Video 300A . $159 Color l+ . . . $Call Color II+ . . $449 COMREX Color, Green, Amber .... SCall GENTECH 9'712" Green $99/$109 PRINCETON GRAPHICS . . HX-12 . . $489 RGB Interface for Apple lie ..... . $159 OUADRAM Quadscreen (17", 968x512) $1595 TAXAN KG-12N(12"Green) $135 RGBvision-l (380 Horiz) $275 RGBvision-III {630 Horiz) $519 TERMINALS LIBERTY Freedom 100 $499 OUME 102/102A $559/$579 103/103A $879/$899 108/108A $729/$749 TELEVIDEO All Models $Call VISUAL All Models SCall WYSE All Models (Inc. Color) SCall IMiMU ANCHOR Mark VI (IBM) $189 Mark XII $279 HAYES Micromodem lie (w/SmartCom I). Smartmodem 300 Smartmodem 1200 Smartmodem 1200B (IBM) .... $249 SCall NOVATION Access 1-2-3 Cat (Acoustic Coupler) J -Cat (Auto Orig/Answer, 300 Baud) . Apple Cat II (300 Baud) 212 Apple Cat II (1200 Baud) 103 Smart Cat (300 Baud) 103/212 Smart Cat (1200 Baud). . . . TRANSEND (Formerly SSM) Modemcard w/ Source (For Apple). . PC Modem Card 300 (For IBM) .... PC Modem Card 1200 (For IBM) . . . U.S. ROBOTICS Password (1200 Baud) VEN-TEL MD212-3E (1200 Baud) . SCall $139 $109 $259 $575 $175 $409 $239 $289 $429 $359 $399 bbm LIFETREE Volkswriter Deluxe SCall LOTUS 1-2-3 $359 MICROPRO WordStar (IBM, CP/M) '. $309 WordStar Pro -Pack $459 WordStar w/ Applicard (For Apple) . . $349 MICROSOFT Word SCall PS WordPlus-PC w/ BOSS $359 SOFTWORD SYSTEMS Multimate . . $329 AMERICA'S HIGH TECH SOFTWARE Ashton-Tate D-Base li Financial Planner Friday Art SCI Magic Calc . Magic Mailer . Magic Memory Magic Window Magic Window II (40 70 80} Magic Words Magic Pack Combo . . . . (Window Mailer Words) BPI Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable . . . General Accounting . . . . Inventory Control Job Costing Payroll Bible Research Systems- "The Word" Broderbund Bank Street Writer Lode Runner Chopltfter Sea Fox Sky Blazer Continental The Home Accountant . . . Property Management . Dow Jones Invest Evaluation EPYX Curse of Ra Star Warrior Temple of Apshai ....... Hay den Software. How to Program in Applesoft B MicroMath for Kids . Pie Writer .'.... Spelter Infocom Deadline Enchanter Planet Fall Starcross Suspended $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $105.95 $ 49.95 $117.95 $ 70.95 $105.95 $ 49.95 $158.95 $419.00 $419.00 $419.00 $ - $ - $419.00 $278.00 $278.00 $278.00 $278.00 $419.00 $278.00 $140.95 $140.95 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 49.95 $ 24.95 $ 24.95 $ 21.95 $ 22.95 $105.95 $349.00 $ 52.95 $349.00 $105.95 $105.95 $ 14.00 $ 21.00 $ 28.00 $ 14.00 $ 21.00 $ 28.00 $ - $ - $140.00 $ 7095 $ 35.95 $ 21.00 $105.95 $ - $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 29.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 29.00 $ 29.00 $ 29.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 29.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 29.00 $ 29.00 $ 29.00 NOTE: This is only a selected sample of our software inventory. If we have not listed your particular need, call and we will get it for you at our fantastic prices. We carry all software for ROCKY M7W. V C ommodore, Atari MICRO IS "^ &TI NOW CENTENNIAL COMPUTER PRODUCTS WEST Intelligent Systems Professional Blackjack Lotus Lotus 1-2-3 MicroPro International Mail Merge Spell Star Wordstar Mai! Merge ... Wordstar Spellstar Wordstar Microsoft Multtplan Applesoft Compiler Flight Simulator Muse Castle Woifenstein Peachtree Software Peachtext 5000 Peachtext (80 Col Card) . . Peachpack (GL AR AP) . . Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable. General Ledger, Inventory Control (each module) Perfect Software Perfect Calc Perfect Filer Perfect Speller Perfect Writer Perfect Writer Speller . . . Perfect Filer Calc "Requires 80 Col Card, 2-80 Sierra On-Line Systems Frogger Ultima (I Sir-Tech Software Wizardry Galactic Attack Knight of Diamonds .... Legacy of Llylgamyn .... Police Artist Star Maze Software Publishing pfs File pfs Graph pfs Report pfs Wrtte Spinnaker Snooper Troops-Case 1 & 2 Alphabet 200 Visicorp Visicalc Visidex , , Visifiles Visilink Visipfot Vtstschedule Vtstterm Visitrend Plot Visicalc w c-Dex $ cat! $175.95 $175.95 $453.95 $489.95 $348.95 $ - $ - $ 35.15 $255.00 $ - $255.95 $115.00 $233.00 $115.00 $194.00 $272.00 $293.00 Card & CP M $ 42.95 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 98.95 $ 98.95 $ 87.95 $ 98.95 $ 31.95 $ 21.00 $189.00 $189.00 $229.00 $189.00 $ - $229.00 $ - $229.00 $189.00 $125.95 $125.95 $351.95 $383.95 $254.95 $193.95 $123.00 $ - $ - $161.00 $255.95 $115.00* $233.00* $115.00* $194.00* $272.00* $293.00* $ 24.95 $ 42.95 $ 35.95 $ 20.95 $ 24.95 $ 27.95 $ 24.95 $ 24.95 $ 87.95 $ 87.95 $ 87.95 $ - $ 31.95 $ 21.00 $189.00 $189.00 $189.00 $189.00 $1 52.00 $229.00 $ 76.00 $229-00 $ - MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS FOR ALL COMPUTERS EPD Lemon ... $ 49.00 EPD Peach ... $ 79.00 EPD Lime $ 74.00 EPD Hawk .... $159.00 EPD Orange . . $115.00 CENTENNIAL Computer Products, m c MODEMS U.S. Robotics-Phone Link . . . $159.00 U.S. Robotics-Micro Link 300 $199.00 I U.S. Robotics-Auto Link 300 $229.00 U.S. Robotics-Micro Link 1200 $379.00 U.S. Robotics-Auto Link 1200 $419.00 U.S. Robotics-Auto Link 21 2A $459.00 U.S. Robotics-Auto Dial 21 2A $499.00 } U.S. Robotics-Password $379.00 \ U.S. Robotics-Courier $435.00 I U.S. Robotics-Tulpac . . $ 69.00 Signalman-Mark I RS232 $ 79.00 Signalman-Mark ll Atari 850 $ 79.00 Signalman-Mark ill T1994/A $105.00 ! Signalman-Mark IV Comm, PET/CBM $126.00 Signatman-Mark V Osborne $ 97.00 j : Signalman-Mark V1IBM PC $209.00 k ^ Signalman-Mark Vtl RS 232 (Auto-Dial) $119.00 ; | Signalman-Mark XII 1200 Baud $279.00 ; ! Novation-Apple Cat II $289.00 j I Novation-Cat $135.00 \ Novatlon-D-Cat $155.00 I I Novation-J-Cat $109.00 ? Novation-212 Auto Cat $499.00 Novation-Smartcat 103 $179.00 Novation-Smartcat 103/212 $429.00 I Novation-Apptecat 212 $549.00 ) Hayes-Smartmodem 300 $219.00 I Hayes-Smartmodem 1200 $499.00 j Hayes-Smartmodem 1 200B $439.00 -, Hayes-Micromodem ME w/Smartcom li $239.00 \ Hayes-Smartcom II $ 85.00 I 'Refunds on modems only If D.O.A. Be sure you know what modem you need before you buy. •*********••••* it Mile High Saver ^k + Star-Micronics ^ i GEMINI 10X + J $289.00 7, **120 CPS Friction Tractor Feed 7 *•••*•••***••* * PRINTERS Dot Matrix Star Micronics Gemini-10X (120CPS) $ 299 ' GeminMSX (120CPS- Wide Carriage) $ 449 Delta-10 (160CPS) $ 479 I Okidata Okidata-^82A $ 389 \ Okidata-83A $ 609 s Okidata-92PAR $ 459 Okidata-93PAR $ 700 : Okidata-84PAR $1049 Tractor Feed (82 + 92) $ 50 : Piay-N-Plug (82 + 83) $30.59 ■ Play-N-Plug (92 + 93) $43.53 Piay-N-Piug (84) $81.18 j Mannesmann Tatly-160L Call j Mannesmann Tally-180L Call I Mannesmann TaUy-Spirit Call \ I C. ITHO Prownter i-PAR $ 379 Prowriter ll-PAR . .'■ . ' $ 659 Gorilla Banana $ 219 Letter Quality ) TTX-1014 $529.00 Transtar-120PAR $ 519.00 \ ■ Transtar-130PAR $ 719.00 Trartstar-315 Color $ 519.00 ; Transtar-Printwheeis $ 15.95 \ i NEC-Spinwrtter $ Call ; \ Juki 6100 PAR (18CPS) $ 549.00 Star-writer F10PAR $1079.00 Starwriter-Tractor Feed $ 219.00 Prtntmaster $1449.00 TERMS AND CONDITIONS • NO CREDIT CARD FEE • Personal checks (allow 10 days to clear). Visa. Master Card, wire transfers, include telephone number • COD. orders accepted — S300 maximum — S10 nonrefundable surcharge • All products factory sealed with manufacturers warranty • PCs accepted from qualified customers • Approval needed on all returns • 10% restocking charge unless defective, plus shipping • Shipping. Handling & Insurance S5.00 minimum. 4% UPS ground: UPS Blue Label rate quoted at time or order • All prices subject to change without notice • Telephone Order Desk Hours: 8 AM to 6PM, Monday through Friday. 10 AM to 4 PM Saturday Appropriate taxes will be completed at time of sale. ■ 44 BYTE March 1984 WAREHOUSE SHOP AND SAVE. COLUMBIA MPC 1600 The enhanced IBM Alternative TRULY IBM COMPATIBLE IBM Hardware & Software compatibility in a Multi- User 16 8K computer. 128K two serial ports, one parallel port and 8 expansion slots. Plus free software. Macro-Assembler. Diagnostics. Basic w colorgraphics PLUS Perfect Writer, Speller, Calc and Files, Fast Graphs, Space Commanders and Home Accountant. CALL FOR FANTASTIC PRICE • COLUMBIA VP PORTABLE CALL NEC APC CALL • NEC 8201 A 699.00 PRODUCTS FOR YOUR IBM PC/XT AND COLUMBIA QUADRAM CORP. Quadboard Multifunction Board Full Expandability From 64K to 256K Par. Printer Port, Ser. Port, c/c Ram Disk Drive $ Call Quadlink-Apple On A Card $ Call Microfazer Printer Spooler Print Buffering From 8K to 51 2K Why Wait For Your Printer $ Call AST 6-Pack Plus 64K-364K One Ser., One Par., c/c $ Call I/O Plus Clock Cal, 1 Ser. Port $ Call STB "Super-Rio" Card 64K-256K, Two Serial, One Par Port, Clock Cal, Ram Disk, Cables Included $ Call TECMAR 1st Mate $ Call Graphics Master Call 2nd Mate $ Call APPARAT Ram Card 64K-512K $ Prom Blaster AMDEK Multiple Adaptor Interface $ USI Vlultidisplay Card IBM Mono And Colorgraphics And Par, Port PLANTRONICS Color Plus $ KEYTRONICS Enhanced Word Processing Keyboard Model KB5150 $ KRAFT Joystick $ 46.00 Paddles $ 35.00 T&G Joystick $ 43.00 Paddles , $ 29.00 KOALA Tablet $1 09.00 Call Call Call SCall Call Call CALL FOR FANTASTIC PRICES ON ALL PRODUCTS FOR YOUR IBM. PRODUCTS FOR YOUR APPLE/FRANKLIN COMPUTER ORANGE MICRO Grappler + $ 119.00 Buffered Grappler $ 189.00 MICROTEK RV-611CPar. Interface $ 63.00 SV-622C Ser. Interface $ Call Apple Dumpling 16K $ Call BAM 16K Ram Expandable $ 73.00 MICROSOFT 16K Ram Expandable $ 75.00 Softcard $ 228.00 Softcard Premium Pak $ 459.00 ALS Smarterm II 80 Col Card $ 129.00 VIDEX Ultraterm $ 251.00 Videoterm 80 Col Card $ 185.00 PSI/O Card $ 152.00 KENSINGTON System Saver $ 72.00 KRAFT Joystick $ 48.00 Game Paddles $ 35.00 T&G Joystick $ 43.00 Game Paddles $ 28.50 Select-A-Port $ 43.00 Trak-Ball $ 47.00 PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS Micro-Buffer tl 16K $ 159.00 INTERACTIVE STRUCTURES Pkaso Printer Interface $ 145.00 KOALA Tablet $ 89.00 STORAGE Library case, 5V* $ 2.50 Disk Bank, 5% " interlock & swivel $ 5.50 RtpnFileSO $21.95 NO CREDIT CARD FEE Minuteman Madness if i Wabash Diskettes . + 5V 4 ' SS/DD $18.95 + + 5V4"DS/DD $25.95 + JL 6 Year Guarantee - 100% error free * *•*•****•*** MONITORS Princeton Graphics HX- 12 RGB $ 499.00 NEC JB-1201 12" Green-Hi Res . $ 165.00 JB-1260 12" Green $ 119.00 JC-1203 RGB $ 519.00 JB-1205 12" Amber $ 169.00 JC-121 5 12" Composite Cofor $ 329.00 AMDEK 300G 12" Green $ 139.00 300A 12" Amber $ 149.00 310A IBM Compatible $ 175.00 Color I Composite $ 299.00 Color I Plus $ 339.00 Color It RGB (IBM Compatible) $ 449.00 BMC 1 2" Green $ 89.00 1 3" Color Composite $ 249.00 FLOPPY DISK DRIVES Amdek-Amdisk I 3" (Apple) . $ 259.00 Amdek-Amdisk 111 $ 475.00 Amdek-Amdisk V 5V*" Half Height $ 249.00 Vista-V120O 6MB Disk Pack System (Apple) $1298.00 CDC-5% " DS/DD 320K $ 249.00 Tandon-TM 100-2 5 1 /* " DS/DD 320K ....... $ 235.00 Tandon-TM 55-2 5% "DS/DD Half Height . . $ 235.00 Qume-142/6MS5'A"Half Height $ 199.00 Rana-Elite I $ 289.00 Rana-Elite II $ 449.00 Rana-Elite III $ 589.00 Rana-Elite Controller $ 99-00 Rana-1000 (Atari) $ 349.00 Micro SC1-A2 $ 219.00 Micro SC1 -Controller $ 75.00 Fourth Dimension-Drive $ 219.00 Fourth Dimension-Controller . $ 50.00 HARD DISK DRIVES Davong-Complete Line $ Call Corvus-Complete Line $ Call DISKETTES Memorex 10 per box 5V4 " SS/DD $25.95 10 per box 5V«" DS/DD $35,95 Elephant 10 per box 5% " SS/DD $19.95 10perbox5 1 /4"DS'DD $26.95 Verbatim 10 per box SV* " SS'DD $25.95 10 per box 5% " DS/DD $36.95 Wabash 10 per box SS/DD $19.95 10 per box DS'DD $26.95 Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc CP'M is a registered trademark of Digital Research IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & CUSTOMER SERVICE NATIONAL ORDER DESKS WEST 1 -800-862-781 9 orders only EAST 1-800-672-7277 orders only Discount on Disk Case Lots (Buy with a group) IN COLORADO CALL (303) 371 -2430 VISIT OUR 10890 E. 47th Ave. (Near I-70 & HAVANA) WAREHOUSE DENVER, COLORADO 80239 SHOWROOMS OPEN 9 am -6 pm M-F 10 am - 4 pm SA T. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CALL (603) 623-1 01 699 E. INDUSTRIAL DRIVE (Near MALL OF NEW HAMP.) MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03103 THE FORTH SOURCE TM MVP-FORTH Stable - Transportable - Public Domain - Tools You need two primary features in a software development package ... a stable operating system and the ability to move programs easily and quickly to a variety of computers. MVP-FORTH gives you both these features and many extras. This public domain product includes an editor, FORTH assembler, tools, utilities and the vocabulary for the best selling book "Starting FORTH". The Programmer's Kit provides a complete FORTH for a number of computers. Other MVP-FORTH products will simplify the development of your applications. MVP Books - A Series □ Volume 1, Ail about FORTH by Haydon. MVP-FORTH glossary with cross references to fig-FORTH, Starting FORTH and FORTH-79 Standard. 2 nd Ed. $25 □ Volume 2, MVP-FORTH Assembly Source Code. Includes CP/M® , IBM-PC® , and APPLE® listing for kernel $20 .£** □ Volume 3, Floating Point Glossary by Springer ^ HH D Volume 4, Expert System with source code by Park $10 $25 ^ D Volume 5, File Management System with interrupt security by * Moreton $25 MVP-FORTH Software - A Transportable FORTH □ MVP-FORTH Programmer's Kit including disk, documen- tation, Volumes 1 & 2 of MVP-FORTH Series (All About FORTH, 2 nd Ed. & Assembly Source Code), and Starting FORTH. Specify D CP/M, D CP/M 86, □ CP/M + , □ APPLE, D IBM PC, D MS-DOS, □ Osborne, □ Kaypro, D H89/Z89, ^ □ Z100, □ TI-PC, □ MicroDecisions, □ Northstar, j D Compupro, D Cromenco, D DEC Rainbow $150 FORTH DISKS FORTH with editor, assembler, and manual. □ APPLE by MM $1 00 q Z80 by LM $1 00 D APPLE by Kuntze $90 Q 8086/88 by LM $1 00 D ATARI® valFORTH $60 Q 68000 by LM $250 D CP/M® by MM $100 Q yiC FORTH by HES, VIC20 □ HP-85 by Lange $90 cartridge $50 jfp Q HP-75 by Cassady $1 50 □ C64 by HES Commodore 64 □ IBM-PC® by LM $100 j* cartridge $60 □ NOVA by CCI 8" DS/DD$1 75 a Tlmex b V HW $25 Enhanced FORTH with: F-Floating Point, G-Graphies, T-Tutorial, S-Stand Alone, M-Math Chip Support, MT-Multi-Tasking, X-Other Extras, 79-FORTH-79, 83-FORTH-83. D APPLE by MM, □ Extensions for LM Specify F, G, &83 $160 IBM, Z80, or 8086 D ATARI by PNS, F,G, & X. $90 a Software Floating □ CP/M by MM, F & 83 $1 60 J^KL o . $1 °° D 8087 Support D Apple, GraFORTH by I $75 (IBM-PC or 8086) $1 00 □ Multi-Tasking FORTH by SL, Q 951 1 Support CP/M, X & 79 $395 (Z80 or 8086) $1 00 □ TRS-80/1 or III by MMS □ Color Graphics F, X.&79 $130 (IBM-PC) $100 D Tlmex by FD, tape G,X, □ Data Base ^ 7 g j 4 5 Management $200 rn w, * «««« l ^r- r> ^ *.,,-« Requires LM FORTH disk. D Victor 9000 by DE.G.X $150 M D fig-FORTH Programming Aids for decompiling, callfinding, and translating. CP/M, IBM-PC, Z80, or Apple $150 CROSS COMPILERS Allow extending, modifying and compiling for speed and memory savings, can also produce ROMable code. ^Requires FORTH disk. □ CP/M $300 □ IBM* $300 □ 8086» $300 □ Z80» $300 D 68000* $300 D Apple II/II+ $300 FORTH COMPUTER D Jupiter Ace $1 50 □ 1 6K RAM Pack $50 □ 48K RAM Pack $1 25 Key to vandors: CCI Capstone Computing Inc. LM Laboratory Microsystems DE Dai-E Systems MM MicroMotion FD Forth Dimension MMS Miller Microcomputer Services HW Hawg Wild Software PNS Pink Noise Studio I insoft SL Shaw Labs □ MVP-FORTH Cross Compiler for CP/M Programmer's Kit. Generates headerless code for ROM or target CPU $300 □ MVP-FORTH Meta Compiler for CP/M Programmer's kit. Use for applicatons on CP/M based computer. Includes public domain source $150 □ MVP-FORTH Fast Floating Point Includes 951 1 math chip on board with disks, documentation and enhanced virtual MVP- FORTH for Apple II, II + , and He. $450 □ MVP-FORTH Programming Aids for CP/M, IBM or APPLE Programmer's Kit. Extremely useful tool for decompiling, callfinding, and translating. $1 50 □ MVP-FORTH by ECS for IBM-PC or ATARI® . Standalone with screen editor. License required. $100 □ MVP-FORTH by ECS for IBM-PC or ATARI. With color animation, multitasking sound, utilities, and license. $175 H MVP-FORTH Professional Application Development System (PADS) for IBM-PC, or APPLE. A three level integrated development system with complete documentation. $500 £*i D MVP-FORTH Expert System for development of knowledge- based programs for Apple, IBM, or CP/M. $80 ^iin MVP-FORTH File Management System (FMS) with interrupt security for IBM, Victor 9000, or CP/M $200 FORTH MANUALS, GUIDES & DOCUMENTS □ ALL ABOUT FORTH by Haydon. See above. $25 □ FORTH Encyclopedia by Derick & Baker $25 ^D The Complete FORTH by Winfield $16 D Understanding FORTH by D 1980 FORML Proc. $25 D 1981 FORML Proc 2 Vol $40 □ 1982 FORML Proc. $25 D 1981 Rochester FORTH Proc. $25 □ 1982 Rochester FORTH Proc. $25 Re V mann $3 a ^O 1983 Rochester FORTH £*□ FORTH Fundamentals, proc. $25 Vol. I by McCabe $16 Q A F0RTH Mm#r $25 # **□ FORTH Fundamentals, Vol. II by McCabe £*D Beginning FORTH by $13 $17 D Threaded Interpretive Languages $23 □ METAFORTH by Cassady $30 D Systems Guide to fig- FORTH $25 D Invitation to FORTH $20 □ PDP-11 User Man. $20 Chirlian D FORTH Encyclopedia Pocket Guide $7 □ And So FORTH by Huang. A college level text. $25 D sS Pr0flrammin9by $17 *P FORTH-83 Standard $15 □ FORTH on the ATARI by E. * G FORTH-79 Standard $1 5 Floegel $8 □ FORTH-79 Standard D Starting FORTH by Brodie Conversion $10 Best instructional manual □ Tiny Pascal fig-FORTH $10 available, (soft cover) $18 D NOVA fig-FORTH by CCI D Starting FORTH (hard Source Listing $25 cover) $23 □ NOVA by CCI User's Manual $25 o£*a 68000 fig-Forth with w assembler $25 ^U Jupiter ACE Manual by #" Vickers !$15 $15 D Installation Manual for fig-FORTH, Source Listings of fig-FORTH, for specific CPU's and computers. The Installation Manual is required for implementation. Each $1 5 □ 1802 □ 6502 D 6800 □ AlphaMicro □ 8080 D 8086/88 □ 9900 □ APPLE II □ PACE □ 6809 DNOVA D PDP-11 /LSI-11 □ 68000 □ Eclipse □ VAX □ Z80 Ordering Information: Check, Money Order (payable to MOUNTAIN VIEW PRESS, INC.), VISA, MasterCard, American Express. COD's $5 extra. Minimum order $15. No billing or unpaid PO's. California residents add sales tax. Shipping costs in US included in price. Foreign orders, pay in US funds on US bank, include for handling and shipping by Air: $5 for each item under $25, $1 for each item between $25 and $99 and $20 for each item over $1 00. All prices and products subject to change or withdrawal without notice. Single system and/or single user license agreement required on some products. MOUNTAIN VIEW PRESS, INC. PO BOX 4656 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040 (415)961-4103 46 BYTE March 1984 Circle 255 on inquiry card. User's Column New Machines, Networks, and Sundry Software Chaos Manor is inundated with new computers We've got three new machines- four if you count the IBM PC, which arrived only a month ago. Alas, the work load at Chaos Manor has come in a flood that threatens to drown us, and we haven't yet been able to get a new editorial assistant on board, so there's not been as much hacking about with the machines as I'd like. Meanwhile, things are happening in micro land. The winds of change are blowing again, and it's a bit hard to look far ahead. Even so, we can spot some trends. First, though, the Corvus. Corvus The Corvus Concept is a fairly rev- olutionary piece of equipment. Cor- vus calls it a "workstation," which is to say that not only is it a full com- puter based on the Motorola 68000 chip, but the company has also paid a lot of attention to making it com- municate with other equipment. The Concept is an 8-MHz machine with 512K bytes of memory, a 720 by 560 bit-mapped display, a well laid out Keytronics keyboard that looks an awful lot like an IBM Selectric, a hard disk, and a bunch of communications ports. The screen is unusual: it's taller than it is wide, or it can be laid on its side so that it's wider than tall. The monitor is a big Ball Brothers that by Jerry Pournelle feels like it weighs a ton; you want hefty furniture, and don't expect to carry a Concept around very much. I'm very fond of the detached key- board, and I like the character set used on the screen. Being bit- mapped, it can show boldface and italics. The machine comes with a text editor called "Edword " The name is a horrid pun, but the editor itself is quite nice, sort of a well-tamed EM ACS with lots of dedicated keys. The editor continuously updates the disk file every 30 seconds or so. That takes less than a second to write to the hard disk; it's not particularly distracting. This means that power failures, or playful kittens, can't lose you more than a few seconds' worth of work. Edword (ye gods I hate that name!) keeps a complete disk file of everything you've done, so that there's a full Undo function; enough presses of Undo will get you right back to a blank screen. The operating system and disk for- mats are Corvus's own, of course, and are going to require more study. So far, I've used UCSD p-System and CP/M-68K on the Sage and CP/M- 68K on the Compupro 68000. 1 think I prefer Corvus's own operating sys- tem to the other two, but that view is based on far too little experience to put any confidence in. One feature I like in the Corvus is a Suspend key; pressing it will let you do other tasks, such as commu- nications through the modem, after which you can resume editing or whatever. We're always concerned about hard-disk systems. Some, like the Kaypro 10, must be shut down in a particular sequence that retracts the disk head to what's called a "landing position." There wasn't any obvious shutdown procedure for the Corvus, so Alex called David Ramsey of Corvus to ask how to turn the ma- chine off. "Set all switches to the 'off posi- tion," was the reply. While we were on the phone the wind came up, and we had two short power failures, with power restora- tion too quick to allow us to turn off the machine, so that the Corvus disk powered down and back up unat- tended. The Corvus never lost a single byte of data and is unharmed. By contrast, there seems to be a newly developed bad area on the Kaypro 10's hard disk; we don't know if this is related to the spate of storms and power failures we've had this month, but it might be. There's a lot to like about the Corvus, and you'll certainly be hear- ing more about it in future columns. BYTE March 1984 47 I confess that until I began playing with its new machinery, I wasn't much impressed with the company; but the Concept has completely changed my view. Alex has done more with the Corvus than I have. His notes open with, "I think the Concept is great!" He's also anxious to see Corvus's Unix for the 68000 Concept, which it claims will be available Real Soon Now. At COMDEX, Corvus showed off its new "gateway" to the IBM SNA (System Network Architecture); that plugs into the Corvus Unix engine, which is a 68000 box something like the Concept but not quite. The com- pany will also be adding an interface to Ethernet. Networking Computer networks are the coming thing. Individual micros are power- ful enough to do most of the work needed by small businesses, but not all of it. In particular, micros can't store and easily retrieve huge gobs of data, and of course they're limited in the number of data sources that can be active. The obvious solution is to connect a bunch of micros together. Network- ing has long been done with big mainframe machines and minicom- puters; it's harder to accomplish for micros than it sounds. Of course, one might use the same kind of network interface for micros that is used on minicomputers. One of the most popular is Ethernet, developed by Xerox. The problem is that an inter- face board to couple any machine to Ethernet will cost about $1000, which is trivial compared to the cost of a big mini but is no small sum for micro users. One of the Concept's strongest fea- tures is communications. The ma- chine comes with an Omninet inter- face; we also have Omninet interface boards for the IBM PC, the Apple, and our S-100 system. Omninet uses a twisted pair of wires and will run up to 2000 feet between workstations. Alex is even now stringing wires through the house. With luck, we'll soon have all the major machines in Chaos Manor connected to the Cor- vus hard disk. Corvus believes in Omninet. Its new headquarters in Silicon Gulch is wired for communications: coaxial cable between buildings, Omninet in- side each. Corvus will use its "SNA gateway" box as an interface between other kinds of computer networks. The "gateway" looks a lot like the bottom part of a Concept. It has big slots for an Ethernet board and small slots for Apple boards. For that mat- ter, the Concept has four Apple-type slots in back. We're told that most Apple boards, including 5V4- and 8- inch disk controllers, will run in those. If you listened in the right places at COMDEX, you could hear rumors of an IBM multiuser machine that would be the big brother of the IBM PC. If that's truly in the works— and it makes sense— then a network offi- cially supported by IBM wouldn't be far behind. With luck, well soon have all the major machines in Chaos Manor connected to the Corvus hard disk. An IBM "big micro" would surely be built around a larger chip than the 8088 used in the PC and PCjr. Since IBM owns some 15+ percent of Intel, it's likely to be one of the new Intel family, possibly the iAPX286, or even the 486, unless the production prob- lems Intel has had lately persist longer than I think they will. What- ever IBM uses, I suspect the "Super PC" will connect downhill to the PC and uphill to IBM mainframes. What net might IBM use? It has several choices. (1) It can go with the fast but relatively expensive Ethernet. If Big Blue does that, Ethernet will be "legitimized," with some drop in prices as a result of increased volume of sales. The most popular IBM PC Ethernet interface is based on one very complicated chip, so hardware prices have the potential to drop. On the other hand, the low-cost net designers won't give up. Omninet will get a fair amount of business, because Omninet can hook into Apple and other machines incompat- ible with Ethernet. Besides, if Ethernet can be put on one (expen- sive) chip, the less expensive nets can be put on a single (cheaper) chip as well. There'll also be a scramble to build gateways to the IBM network. (2) It can go with an existing low- cost net system like Omninet, Arcnet, or some other RS-232C-type net- work. This doesn't seem likely: IBM would be just another competitor in an already crowded market. (3) It can go with its own expensive network. This is certainly consistent with IBM's past actions. It wouldn't be a popular choice among users, but that hasn't concerned IBM in the past. (4) It can devise its own cheap net- working system. This is a nontrivial R&D task even for IBM; but it would certainly have a major effect on the market, causing a big shakeout and cleanup. Alex doesn't think this alter- native is likely, and I'm inclined to agree. Networking Really Is Important Why worry about networks? Busi- nesses and hackers alike will want them. There's so much appeal for business in a network that links in- compatible machinery— such as Ap- ple, IBM, Kaypro, Eagle, Corvus, etc.— that "independent" networks will flourish no matter what IBM does. For example: once we have Omninet set up, 111 be able to transfer files among the Apple, Corvus, Com- pupro, Z-100, and IBM PC machines, neatly solving a number of the disk- format problems that have plagued us for months. Networks will be forced upon the bigger companies just to increase productivity. Some businesses may resist, but that will stop the day the managers of Company A find that all of Company B's employees know of As newest developments before all of As people know. In fact, there's going to be a thriv- ing business in building gateways be- tween various popular networks, and outfits like Corvus are getting a head start. A black box that interconverts all networking protocols will be man- datory when a business wants to con- 48 BYTE March 1984 m i I ■ . * How can your microcomputer to an IBM mainframe? CLEQ The communications features of the CLEO-3270 Software package allows your microprocessor to emulate a cluster of IBM terminal devices. You don't even need to change software on your main- frame computer, because for all it knows, it's communi- cating with a 3271 -1 2, 3275-1 2. or 3276-XX cluster. And the program will accommodate up to 8 terminals. The CLEO software provides the cluster emulation and makes the ASCII devices look like an IBM 3278 CRT and 3287 printer. If your IBM mainframe doesn't support remote 3270 clus- ters, you need remote batch communications. CLEO-3780 Software is your answer. For full details contact Phone 1, Inc., 461 North Mulford Road. Rockford. IL 61 1 07; phone (815) 397-81 1 0. Circle 286 on inquiry card. Standard Ratures-CLEO 3270 • Bisynchronous 3276-2 protocol to 9600 baud • SDLC 3271-12 and 3275-12 protocol • Up to eight line cluster activity • Selectable control unit address • User install program for various CRTs • 3278 emulation for ASCII CRTs • Available for CP/M™, MP/M™. MsDOS™. TurboDOS™. Unix™ and Xenix™. • Coded in C language • 3276-12 protocol, coming soon Standard Peatures-CLEO 3780 Point-to-point and multipoint communications Available for CP/M™. MP/M™, MsDOS™, TurboDOS™ and Xenix™. Supports transparent mode Coded in C language Unix™ CLEO MP/ M is a Trademark of Digital Research. Inc. MsDOS is a Trademark of Microsoft, Inc. TurboDOS is a Trademark of Software 21 Unix is a Trademark of Bell Labs Xenix is a Trademark of Microsoft. Inc nect several "unfriendly" networks. Some years ago, Digital Research sold something called "CP/Net" that allowed CP/M machines to talk to each other. We had a copy here at Chaos Manor, but we never had it running. CP/Net languished within Digital Research, getting little sup- port or sales, and in early 1983 Digital Research quietly removed it from the market, neatly stranding several out- fits who'd signed up for the 16-bit ver- sion. In theory, Digital Research will support CP/Net, although the com- pany no longer sells it. In practice, that support is minimal. At this fall's COMDEX, DR an- nounced "Soft/Net," its new net- work. Unlike hardware manufac- turers who sponsor networks built around one particular kind of net- work hardware, DR plans to support all the major networks, including Omninet, Arcnet, and Ethernet. (In fact, DR had TI Professionals, IBM PCs, and Compupros talking to each other in its booth at COMDEX.) This is a clever move, since there's no clear-cut network leader. If IBM an- nounces a micro network, DR can quickly add it to its stable— always assuming that Digital Research doesn't already know what Big Blue plans. There's some evidence that it does, as we'll see later. Soft/Net is supposed to connect to both 8-bit and 16-bit micros running CP/M, CP/M + , CP/M-86, and Con- current CP/M. The network is sup- posed to look just like any other disk or printer to the computer; current software should run without changes. In theory, that will end disk- format incompatibilities: put your files on the central disk drive and use PIP to move them to another ma- chine. Soft/Net should also be a big boon to bulletin-board operators. DR promises all the usual trim- mings to go with Soft/Net: file shar- ing, password protection, record locking, and file locking. (File lock- ing means that no one else can write to a particular file while you're using it; record locking write-protects only specified records within a file.) If DR can make this work, it will be tre- mendously popular and successful. I believe that Concurrent CP/M will replace PC-DOS in the IBM PC world; add Soft/Net, and DR will have given the micro world a new de facto standard. The computer world desperately needs a software net- work that works with all the other popular networks; we wish Digital Research well in this effort. Operating Systems, Past and Future When microcomputers first came out, there were oodles of different operating systems, and the only way our computers could talk to each other was by (ugh!) paper tape. Then came the CP/M revolution, and sud- denly hackers with machines made by different companies could com- municate simply by swapping disks. CP/M quickly became the de facto standard. For a while, few doubted that CP/M with upgrades to 16-bit systems would continue to be the standard; then came IBM. For some reason, Digital Research didn't sign up IBM, and Microsoft's PC-DOS became the standard for IBM PC systems. CP/M- 86 was available, but few bought it. The original PC-DOS had remark- able similarities to CP/M 1.4. How- ever, the commands for PC-DOS were quite different from CP/M's, in some cases being precisely backward. PC-DOS also suffered from CP/M 1.4's major limitations, and many pro- grammers muttered that it wasn't truly an operating system; it was merely a job-control language. It was obvious to most that vanilla PC-DOS wasn't long for this world. Changes would be made. The inevitable was delayed a bit by embellishments to PC-DOS; inci- dentally, that made PC-DOS less and less like MS-DOS, increasing the babel in 16-bit land. Even so, PC- DOS has too many limits. Some- thing's going to give. There are several possibilities. Unix Unix, for the tiny few who don't know, is a multiuser, multitasking operating system developed at Bell Laboratories. Multitasking means that one user can do several jobs at the same time, with some intercon- nection between the jobs; multiuser allows more than one person to use the computer, not all that useful for a micro: better, I'd think, to have "one user, one computer'' Multitasking, though, is very useful. It seems that Unix System 5 is go- ing to be very different from Xenix. As a result, Microsoft will not be writing a version of System 5 for In- tel for the iAPX286. Instead, Intel has contracted for a version of System 5 from Digital Research. Xenix's posi- tion in the marketplace may now be somewhat less secure than it once seemed. Unix probably would have become commercially popular, but Bell had some legal problems involving anti- trust, so the price tag was kept very high— except for nonprofit users. These latter could buy Unix for trivial bucks, and did, so that a number of computer science students learned to use Unix, and many came to love it. We've heard rumors of Unix for micros since the late 70s. The rumor- mongers are usually very positive. 'T can't wait," and "Wow, will you love Unix!" are typical. A few detractors mutter that users had better be pre- pared to know more than they want to about their computers; Unix lets you do a lot more than CP/M does, but before you can do anything you must learn more about Unix than you'll ever need to know about CP/M. I won't get into that debate here. For one or another reason, a series of "almost Unix" systems were devel- oped, the best known of which was Xenix. Meanwhile, a few outfits, such as Charles River Data, have a real live Unix clone (called Unos) on their MC68000 systems. After the first of the year, when, for reasons never clear to me, we're going to dismantle the world's best-run telephone com- pany (have you ever tried to make a phone call in Paris?), Unix will, we are told, be a lot cheaper for ordinary businesses; some predict a rush to Unix. Others are more skeptical. At the moment, there's no clear "standard" operating system for MC68000 microcomputers. Unix may take over that spot. 50 BYTE March 1984 315-472-3055 Box 150 Brewerton, NX 18020 Circle 94 on inquiry card. We pay UPS shipping charges -TERMINALS- ESPRIT Esprit $489 Esprit II 499 Esprit III 649 LEARSEIGLER ADM3A .$529 ADM II 539 ADM 36 979 New! Televideo Personal Terminal Personal Terminal $399 Personal Terminal 529 w/300 band modem Personal Terminal 849 w/1 200 band modem TELEVIDEO 910 $439 914 579 924 695 925 699 950 865 970 929 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS Tl 703 Printing Terminal Call Tl 707 Print Term, w/modem .... Call WYSE 50 Call 75 (Color) Call ZENITH Z-29 $659 ZTX-10 319 ZTX-11 389 -MODEMS- HAYES Micro Modem 100 $299 Micro Modem II . 249 Smartmodem 300 . 199 Smartmodem 1200 498 Smartmodem 1200B Call NOVATION D-Cat $149 J-Cat 99 AppleCatll 269 103 Smart Cat 179 103/21 2 Smart Cat 399 212 Auto Cat 549 Access 1-2-3 449 SIGNALMAN Mkl $79 MkVII . .$109 Mklll 99 Mkll .79 MkV 89 MkVI Call U.S. ROBOTICS Auto Dial 212A $439 Password .339 IBM PC BOARDS Amdele MAI Graphics Board . $479 AST Sixpak plus 64k 299 AST Megaplus 256k 569 CCS 132 Column Board 589 Microsoft 256k RAM Board ... 399 Plantronics Color + Board .... 399 Quardram New Quadboard . . . Call Quadram Quadlink Board Call Tecmar 1st MATE Board 229 Tecmar Graphics Master Board . 569 64K Chip Kit (9 chips) .Call -SYSTEMS- COLUMBIA VPPortable Call MPC Call MPC w/Hard Disk Call CROMEMCO C-IOSuperPak $1429 C-10MPw/MicroPro software .... 1819 CS-1 3195 CS-2 3755 CS-3 5595 64FDC 475 TUART 255 EAGLE II E Series IIE-1 IIE-2 II E 3 IIE-4 PC Series PC-2 PC-1 + PC-2+ PC-XL + Advertised prices reflect a cash discount on prepaid orders only. Most items are in stock for immediate delivery in factory sealed cartons with full factory warrantees. 1600 Series SPIRIT 1620 1630 Portable — Calf us today for the best prices — INTERTEC Call MORROW New Portable w/2 Drives & Software . Call MD-11 wjHard Disk + Software Call NEC PC-8201 Portable Call PC-8801 A Computer Call PC-8831A Dual 51/4 disk drive. . . .Call NORTHSTAR New! Dimension Call SANYO MBC1100 $1349 MBC1200 1599 MBC550 Call MBC555 Call TELEVIDEO TS-803 $1989 Portable Call ZENITH ZF-100-21 $2319 ZF-120-22 2869 ZF-120-32. 4479 -PRINTERS- ANADEX DP-9501 $1099 DP-9620 1199 DP-9625 . 1299 DP-6500 2399 WP-6000 2159 CENTRONICS 730-1 Parallel $199 739-3 Serial 449 COEX 80 FT parallel . . $219 CITOH Prowriter8510APar . $369 Pro writer 851 OASer, ....... 569 Prowriter II Par. 669 Prowriter II Ser. 739 DIABLO 620RO25CPS $919 630RO40CPS 1769 EPSON RX-80 Call RX-80FT Call FX-80 Call FX-100 Call GEMINI 10X $295 15X . 435 MANNESMAN TALLEY MT-1601 . $529 MT-160L . 579 MT-180L . 859 SPIRIT Call NEC /V£IVNEC2050 $979 3510 . . $1399 3530 . . $1490 3550 . . . 1849 7710 . . . 1899 7715 . . . 1949 8023 . . . .399 OKIDATA ML-82A $299 ML-83A 569 ML-92 Par 449 ML-92Ser. 529 ML-93 Par. 709 Pacemark 2350 Call Pacemark 2410 Call PANASONIC KX-P1090 $319 QUME Sprint 11/40 $1299 Sprint 11/55 1499 SILVER REED EXP500Par. . . . . . $459 EXP550Par. 659 EXP550Ser. .689 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI810Basic $1199 TI810LQ 1919 Tl 850 Par 499 TI855 Call -MONITORS- AM DEK Colorl $275 Color I + .319 Color II (RGB) 399 Color III (RGB) 349 300 G (12" green) 135 300 A<1 2" amber) 145 310AUBMPC) . . .... .169 BMC 1 5 MHZ (12" green) $79 NEC JB- 1260(12" amber). $109 JB-1201 (12" green) .......... 1 35 JC-1212(12"color> 339 JC-1203(i2"RGB) 549 PANASONIC 1 2" Green Monochrome . . . . $ 1 69 12" Amber Monochrome .... 179 13" RGB 389 TAXAN KG 12N (12 green) $129 RGB Vision I M2 color; 299 ZENITH Z- 122 (12" amber) $139 Z- 123 (12" green) 109 -HARD DISKS- CORVUS Model6 $1869 Model 11 2549 Model 20 3399 Omninet6 1695 Omninet 11 . 2375 Omninet 20 3225 Mirror Back-up . 670 -DISKETTES- Maxell 5V4" MD1 $22.95 5V4" MD2 32.95 3M/Scotch 5V4" SSDD $21.95 51/4" DSDD 30.95 Educator Lifetime Warranty 51/4" SSDD. $17.50 51/4" DSDD 23.50 Flip 'n' File/holds so Disks 17.95 N.Y. residents, add appropriate sales tax. We ac- cept VISA and Master Card. Personal and company checks, allow 2 weeks to clear. C.O.D.'s require a 25% deposit. All prices and offers may be with- drawn without notice. Graphics for Zenith Terminals Graphics Plus The GRAPHICS-PLUS enhancement board installs easily into your Zenith Z19 terminal to give you powerful graphics capability as well as expanded user features. For a small investment, your Z19 now rivals the horsepower of very expensive terminals. You get Tektronix 4010 compatibility to run industry standard graphics software. In the text mode, you get DEC VT100 compatible 80 and 132 column formats and 24/49 line Northwest Digital Systems P.O.Box 15288 Seattle, WA 98115 (206) 524-0014 52 BYTE March 1984 displays. Plus seven pages of off- screen scrolling memory. A "plain English" Set-up mode. Sixteen lable function ke\ 3. And many more convenience features. Printer Port Option To capture your graphs and text on hardcopy you will also want our printer interface board for popular dot matrix printers. Specify if you need serial or parallel compatibility * Ask about GRAPHICS-PLUS for the Z-29 D Enter my Order O Send literature only O GRAPH JCS- PLUS ■*& M ^ -- & ;g^ Se^ \> \ ^ \ *08&* **$*> *<&*&* a*! ,N^' Circle 137 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 53 run with any machine with CCPM. In particular, we're getting it going on our Compupro Dual Processor, as well as on the Compupro 8086/8087 and the Eagle 1600. Also, Compupro is developing a PC-compatible video board for the S-100 bus; this will let us use even more PC-DOS software without modification. (That board should be available sometime in the spring of 1984.) CCPM 3.1 will also support the Digital Research GSX graphics pack- age, Soft/Net network communica- tions, the 8087 math chip, and a print spooler. Test versions are being delivered to beta test sites as I write this. CCPM 3.1 is not yet released, and is an OEM product, but it should be released not long after you read this. I expect to like it a lot. Windows, Too One of the big themes of this fall's COMDEX was "windows." Window is a generic term for displaying more than one job (task) on a computer screen at once. Until recently, win- dows were available only on very ex- pensive computers like the Xerox Star; then the Apple Lisa showed up. Since then, many companies have raced to put windows on the IBM PC. There's a difference between win- dows and concurrency. The original Concurrent CP/M will run more than one task at a time, but you can watch only one at a time. This is like a television: you have a number of channels, but you can watch only one at a time. You have to constantly switch channels to see when the commercial is over. With computers, windows let you watch more than one program, or channel if you will. Each window sits on its own portion of the screen; you can move freely between them (usually with a mouse). If, say, you are processing words and get a sud- den urge to draw a graph, you can see both with windows. You can also have windows with- out concurrency: that is, windows can be a screen feature to let you watch different displays, but they're all generated by the same program. Some of the most widely advertised "window" systems are that kind. The newest version of Concurrent CP/M has both: you can start a long assembly, and while that's running, open a new window to start an en- tirely different program, while leav- ing a window open on the assembly. You could then open another win- dow and use it to watch a program running under PC-DOS. CCPM 3.1 supports up to four concurrent tasks, and you can watch them all in opera- tion on the same screen. Deep Silence Many of us have known for almost a year about Concurrent CP/M's abil- ity to run PC-DOS programs. Why, then, has it taken Digital Research so long to announce it? I don't know, but I have a guess. Digital made a serious mistake when IBM brought out the PC. There are a number of rumors about why the PC didn't come out with CP/M- 86. No matter which is true, it was a very serious situation for Digital Re- search. It had been the de facto stan- dard, and suddenly it was only a far- Text continued on page 58 Since 1978 IT'S S IMPLE. . .CALL AND SAVE MONEY! UP TO 20% 1-800-841-0860 GA. INFO 912-377-7120 DISCOUNT NAME BRAND PRODUCTS AT DISCOUNT PRICES WE SELL IBM-PC COMPATIBLES CALL FOR YOUR CHOICE €aGL£ COLUMBIA PC pc TRS-80 MODEL 2000 $CALL DIRECT MARKETING COMPUTERS AND EQUIPMENT TO SAVE YOU MONEY! FREE UPON REQUEST •PRICE LIST AND INFORMATION KIT •COPY OF MFR'S WARRANTY PRICES AND PRODUCTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. TRS-BO COMPUTERS .IL PURE RADIO SHACK EQUIPMENT EPSON SMITH CORONA C.ltoh MANNESMANN TALLY Novation fflHayes* wiiroain.pn COLUMBIA DATA PRODUCTS, INC. Transtar okilwa TOSHIBA n i ■ i :4 1 ®~EAXAI\I FRANKLIN JIQUADRAM CORPORATION TRS-80 COMPUTERS MODEL 100 • CALL MODEL 4 TRANSPORTABLE • CALL MODEL 2000 • CALL WE CARRY THE COMPLETE LINE OF TRS-80 COMPUTERS PURE RADIO SHACK EQUIPMENT $CALL Micro Management Systems, Inc. 2803 Thomasville Road East Cairo, Georgia 31728 TELEMARKET DEPT. ff] 54 BYTE March 1984 Circle 238 on inquiry card. QUADCOLORBY QUADRAM™ The first and only color graphics adapter board your IBM PC or XT will ever need. • Most advanced color graphics board you can buy. • 136 different colors, and expandable memory. • No additional board or modification needed to run existing software— completely PC-compatible. • Serves your graphics needs today. . . ready to meet your expanded needs tomorrow. Start with Quadcolor I Quadcolor I adapts to any color monitor and starts you off with 32K of memory. That means that in text mode you get 16 active video pages with a 40 column format or 8 pages with 80 column. TWice as many as IBM's Color Graphics Adapter offers. When you switch to the graphics mode, Quadcolor Vs 32K memory lets you create two complete pages. You can even modify one page while the other is being displayed, for special effects like animation. Choose 2 true colors for high- resolution displays on RGB monitors. With Quadcolor, there's no reason to limit yourself to black-and-white. Quadcolor I also offers support for a light pen and an RF modulator connector for use with a home television set. Grow with Quadcolor II As your needs change, plug Quadcolor II into Quadcolor I and get a total of 96K of memory combined with higher resolution bit-mapped graphics. Quadcolor II also includes BASICQ, a software package that Display shown on screen produced with Quadcolor II. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. enhances the IBM's own BASIC capabilities. Display graphics like a bar chart, and text like graph labels, together on the same screen. Now that's Quadcolor teamwork. When you're in the mood for fun and games, Quadcolor II has a game port available for your use. The choice is clear Quadcolor is the only graphics board that can offer you all these features and the solid tradition of Quadram Quality. Nobody even comes close. So be sure you choose tomorrow's color graphics board today— Quadcolor by Quadram. With Quadcolor, looking good never looked so good. QUADRAM CORPORATDN An Intelligent Systems Company 4355 International Blvd./Norcross, Ga. 30093 (404) 923-6666/TWX 810-766-4915 (QUADRAM NCRS) Circle 296 on inquiry card. © Copyright 1983 Quadram Corporation All rights reserved "Oasis Systems' software - unquestionably the best" • . . Peter McWilliams, author of the #1 best-selling book on word processing. ^HNHHH WKk ^ ' 1 ■ ■ Spelling ~~ Checker Electronic Dictionary L. ass "Punctuation" Punctuation ~~ Checking and Writing ^provetnent Software The WORD Plus is the standard by which other spelling checkers are measured. Here's why: • Real 45,000 word dictionary. • Shows errors "in-context." • Interactive word look-up finds correct spelling for you and corrects at the push of a button. • Hyphenates words automatically. • Solves crosswords, puzzles, and anagrams. • Works with almost any CP/M®, CP/M-86® or MS/DOS (1.0, 1.1 and 2.0) compatible word processing program (WordStar, Magic Wand (PeachText), Spellbinder, Perfect Writer, Select, Final Word, Volkswriter, . . . and morel). Call or write for 4Z complete information: vf OASIS SYSTEMS CP/M and CP/M-86 are registered trademarks of Digital Research, Inc. QASIS SYSTEMS Punctuation & Style takes the worry out of writing by automatically catching dozens of different punctuation errors, both common and obscure. In addition, P&S catches unpaired format commands (underline, boldface, etc.), doubled words, and more. P&S gives you a "critique" of your writing, suggesting alternatives for commonly misused or over-worked phrases. It also shows where active voice can replace passive voice to add clarity and precision. Punctuation & Style is the perfect companion to The WORD Plus. It works easily with most CP/M word processors. (Available also for CP/M-86 and MS/DOS.) 19-222-1153 2765 Reynard Way San Diego, CA 92103 ^i«i« o-m «« ;«„.,;«, «-rH Dealers contact: Circle 271 on nqury card SOFTWARS WSTRIBUTOBS 1-800-252-4024 (in California) 1-800-421-0814 (outside California) Text continued from page 54: behind Number Two. Concurrent CP/M is a genuine ad- vance over both CP/M + and PC- DOS. When users try it, they don't want to go back to the older systems. Digital got its concurrent system in operation well before anyone else, and I've seen nothing that can touch it. One suspects that IBM recognizes just how valuable Concurrent is; cer- tainly there are many signs of im- pending IBM support for Concur- rent. However, Concurrent 3.1 isn't out of testing yet. It takes a lot of memory, pushing the limits that the PCjr can support. There's still time for IBM to make some sales. It's a pure guess on my part, but I think IBM will announce support of Con- current, but not for a while, and that DR isn't talking about Concurrent CP/M's PC compatibility because IBM doesn't want DR to do that yet. DR isn't about to give IBM any more trouble. If it cooperates with Big Blue, it will be the standard again. If it doesn't, it will have problems. GET UP THE RAMP WITH OUR EE/EEPROM PROGRAMMERS & UV ERASERS R suability A it ordability Maintainability #* rogram i»* GRAMMER $995.00 GANGPRO-e™ allows user to program up to 8 EE/ EPROMS simultaneously using the latest state ot the art programming algorithms It can test and duplicate a wide variety ot devices Irom 16K to 256K, There are no personality modules to buy, 8 digit alphanumeric display prompts user with messages. This unit is ex- tremely easy to operate and is ideally suited for a pro- duction environment QUV-T8™ series UV EPROM ERASERS Q0V-T8/2T (S97.SO) is an industrial quality eraser designed in a steel enclosure with a 5" wide tray. UV in- dicator lens, antistatic pad, 60 minute rugged timer and satety interlock switch are standard Capacity is 24 EPROMS, 15-20 minutes erase time tor 15 EPROMS. OUV-Te / Z ($124.95) Similar to QUV-T8/2T (with 40% taster Erase Time) O0V-T872N ($68.95) Same as the QUV-T8/2T version without the timer and satety interlock switch QUV-T8/1 ($49.95) Economy model in a molded two part plastic case. Erases 15 EPROMS in 15 minutes. "MCS-48 is a registered trademark ot Intel Co. SEE US AT COMDEX SPRING ATLANTA PROMPRO-7™ SERIAL RS-232 STANDALONE $489.00 MCS-48* FAMILY PROGRAMMING WITH PROMPRO-7! PROMPRO-7™ is an intelligent sell-contained unit, ideally suited for enginneering development, or lor Held ser- vice 8t production It can program and verify a wide variety of 8K to 128K EPROMS This unit has a 32K (4K BYTES), internal RAM Butter that could be accessed by the user through a computer or terminal. This unit can also program the micro chips such as the 8478, 8749, 8751, 8741. 8742, 8755 The price includes all modules up to 32K EPROMS 8c The 8748 & 8749H Micros Upload /download is done by either Motorola or Intel Hex lormat PROMPRO-d™ SERIAL RS-232 STAND-ALONE $689.00 This extremely versatile programmer has as much as 128K (16Kx8) of internal RAM dedicated to the EE/ EPROMs This RAM butter can be accessed either through a computer terminal, or by user target system (EPROM emulation), PROMPRO-8 8 digit alphanumeric display prompts user with the system messages A keypad option is available for standalone editing. An impressive range of devices are programmed (as stan dard feature). ORDER TOLL FREE 1-800-EEL-PROM (331 7766) QQQOGQQ Circle 211 on inquiry card. AVAILABLE SOFTWARE DRIVERS 1. IBM PC 2. APPLE II 3.MDS-ISIS 4CPM 5. TEKTRONICS 80O2 6. COMMODORE 64 7. TRS-8Q COLOR 8. FLEX LOGICAL DEVICES. INC. DEFT. 6, I32-E N.W, 65th PLACE . FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA 33309 INFO., TEL (305) 974<#67 DISTRIBUTORS WELCOME FOR QUALIFICATIONS Eagle's Spirit XL I saw a lot of IBM PC look-alikes at COMDEX. None of them were as at- tractive as our Spirit, which we've named Denny Colt. The Spirit has a 10-megabyte plated-media hard disk. Since it folds up into a portable, use of plated media on the disk is important: it makes the disk a lot more resistant to shock. At Spirit demonstrations, the Eagle people will pick up the front of the Eagle, raise it about 6 inches off the table, and drop it while the ma- chine is running. Nothing happens to the disk. We haven't had the nerve to do that to ours, but we did carry it to Las Vegas and back, with nary a glitch to the hard disk. The Eagle people have worked very hard to make the Spirit PC compat- ible. All the PC software— quite a lot— they worked with runs as it comes out of the box. Next month 111 have a more detailed report on that. There are minor differences. For ex- ample, Rogue, the game of the month, runs fine on the Spirit, but some of the graphics symbols it displays are slightly different. One lit- tle gizmo blinks on the Spirit but not on the PC, which is absurd. The Spirit comes with PC-DOS 2.0, so that you can get some real value out of that hard disk. You may remember we had the Eagle 1600 with hard disk running under DOS 1.1, and since 1.1 has no user num- bers or tree structure, it made it very hard to find anything on a 10-mega- byte disk. Hope at Last! DOS 2.0 is also available for the Eagle 1600, and indeed you can be sure it runs on it, because the com- pany used an Eagle 1600 as the de- velopment machine to get 2.0 run- ning for the Spirit. Eagle has some brand-new ROMs and new operat- ing-system software for the 1600; the machine improves constantly. The Spirit documents are incomparably better than the 1600's documents were; and since the 1600 was the de- velopment machine for the Spirit, it should be simple work to revise the Spirit documents to reflect the pecu- I HEUADfl (800 ) RflR-RRRR Limited Time Offer SHARP PC-5000 Revolutionary Portable Computer 12 lb Internal re-chargeable batteries. — no power cord ! 80 char x 8 line hq crystal display' 16-bit 8088 MS-DOS 192KR0M + 128K RAM 128K bubble Disk', runs most pc software, graphics optional built-in STlfoS - " SPECIAL $1,895 f^'V- SPECIAL BMC Color Computer/Printer Built-in punter hi-res color graphics screen dump to printer 2 floppies CP/M BASIC WordStar. SpellStar MailMerge CalcStar ££895$ 1,795 IBM-PC NEC PC-8800 SYSTEM 64K 2 Floppies 5 '-a BASIC CP M WoidSlar . MulliPlan 16-bit card 128K MS-DOS $499 LIST... $1995 $1799 256K. 2 thinline floppies (room(orharddlskl) keyboard $ 125 IBM color card $249 Plantronics Color Plus $379 shipped factory cartons 90-day warranty IBM — XT in stock!!! $ CALL SPECIAL! COLUMBIA 1600 $3000 FREE Software Nationwide Service by Bell & Howell. MP/M-86 Multi-user operating system $595 Columbia VP Portable LIST S2995... SCALL NOW YOU CAN LEASE A COLUMBIA 1600 1 FOR ONLY S83/M0 NEC PC-8201 List U799 Immediate hit! Weighs only 3 8 lbs 1 40 char x 8 line display; 32K ROM + 16K RAM Interfaces printers. £ gQQ bar-code reader, cassette & floppies 16-BIT POWER For Your KAYPRO (or Osborne. Zorba Xerox 820) with 8088 Coprocessor Board Use MS-DOS to read' write IBM-PC diskettes and execute PC Software' PLUS 256K RAMDISK speeds CP M up to 10 times' 90 -day warranty 1 IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY' SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER 256K Coprocessor Board $499 FREE SHIPPING! **% LASER 3000 ONLY $659 APPLE compatibility, fully legal. BASIC in ROM. hi-res. /color (560 x 192) 4 channel sound, paral- lel interface. 40/80 column. 8 function keys. cassette input opt Floppy run APPLE software' FOR APPLE II DISK CONTROLLER 59 Z-80CARD "rc 80 COLUMN CARD "79 80 COL CARD w /Softswitch & reverse ... ' 109 16K RAM CARD '65 PRINTER CARD w /cable "fig EPROM WRITER CARD 79 POWER SUPPLY 5 amp "69 COOLING FAN & surge protector 59 Highest quality ceramic chips throughout' 90 Day Unconditional Warranty! NASHUA FLOPPY DISKETTES First quality, individual envelopes, original factory boxes 0* 10 5 V diskettes have reinforced hubs LIFE TIME WARRANTY! Minimum Order 3 boxes 5V/'S.S. S d. 5 'A" s.s. d.d. SW'ds. d.d. 8"s.d. s.d. 8"d.s. d.d. 1.49 1.84 2.15 1.84 2.69 SIGNALMAN XII MODEM. 300-1200 BAUD. Auto-dial. Auto-answer. List S399 ONLY $299 (All features of other smart modems) PLUS: features you won't find in the competition: Dial-tone detect. Busy detect! ROMAR II Apple-compatible, ideal second computer 469 NEW: BROTHER Electronic Typewriters for Office and Home! T COMPUTERS TAVA fully IBM compatible 2 drives 1699 CORONA-PC LIST 2995 2299 CORONA-PC portable S CALL EAGLE PC-XL Hard disk 3395 EAGLE SPIRIT-XL 3995 EAGLE 1620 3995 EAGLE 1630 4995 ZENITH 7 100 FREE Lotus 1-2-3 Hard disk optional 2239 SOFTWARE COMPARE OUR PRICES SANYO 550 1 di color MS-DOS. W S CalcStar .839 SANYO 5552 di color atlsoftwareaboveptusMailMerge SpellStai. InfoStar BEST BUY 1095 NEC-APC 8" drives FREE SOFTWARE: CP/M 86. W/S. SpellStar MailMerge. SuperCalc. dBASE II. Millionaire HO 2 monochrome 2749 HO-3 color 3249 SEE6TJA MS DOS & CP/M 80 $ CALL INTERTEC Superbiain Compustar He-adstart ... $ CALL MORROW MicroDecision MD 2 w terminal 1469 MORROW MicroDecision MO II in stock S CALL TELEVIDEO Portable $ CALL MOLECULAR $ CALL MODEMS HAYES 1200. . 384 HAYES 1200B w SmartCom II 439 HAYES MrcroModeni lie 239 US ROBOTICS Password 349 TOLL-FREE LINE BUSY? Hard as we try. the heavy demand sometimes results in all our toll-free lines being engaged To place an order all (702 1 451-1361: we will take your order promptly and Credit you double the cosl ot your call'! 1 * WORDSTAR PROPAK (W/S. SpellStar MailMerge. Starlndexj 479 FRIDAY 189 BOTTOM LINE STRATEGIST 288 PFS-FILE 99 CONDOR III w/ReportWriter SCALL IUS G/L. A/R. A/P (per module) 369 * * WORD PROCESSING Final Word lUncoml Footnote (Dig Mrktl PeachPak (Peachtree) Perfect Writer/Speller Punct & Style (Oasis) Spellbinder fLexisott) The Word Plus (Oasis) TRAINING ATI-All LIST 300 125 500 695 125 495 150 75 YOUR PRICE 228 85 330 286 90 264 105 54 SPREAD SHEET/FINANCIAL PLANNING MuttiPlan (Microsoft) 275 ProfitPlan (Chang Labs) 195 SuperCalc II (Sorcim) 295 VisiCalc (VisiCorp) 250 SuperCalc II! DATA BASE MANAGEMENT 1-2-3 (Lotus) dBase-It (Ashton-Tate) dGRAPH (Fox & Geller) OUTIL (Fox & Gellerl InfoStar (MicroPro) Notebook (Dig Mrktg ) PFS FILE (Soft Pub) PES GRAPH (Soft Pub ) PFS REPORT (Soft Pub) 0-PR0-4 (Quick n' Easy) Quickcode (Fox & Gel fen 499 700 295 99 495 150 140 125 125 395 295 190 140 194 199 SCALL 349 390 199 71 327 102 101 285 212 UTILITIES Disk Doctor (Supersoft) Fancy Font (SoftCraft) Smart Key II Super Sort (MicroPro) Supervyz (Epic) LANGUAGES Basic Compiler Basic Interpreter 80 Cobol Compiler (Microsoft) Fortran 80 Compiler Level II Cobol (D/R) Pascal MT/MT+86 PL/HD/R) RM/Cobol full develsys RECREATIONAL Zork 49 95 Deadline Starcross. Planetfall. Witness. Suspended 59 39 (KAYPRO. OSBORNE. 00. MORROW, etc.. add S20) DATA COMMUNICATIONS Crosstalk (Microstuff) 195 139 Move-It (Woolf) 125 89 Smartcom II (Hayes) 119 80 APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE iCyma MBA. Star. Puchtrea Artificial Intelligence, etc.) i CALL 100 180 90 250 90 395 350 750 500 1600 500 500 750 74 159 72 164 65 269 239 499 330 1150 420 468 540 33 PRINTERS n-Talley MT-160L. 559 MT-180L NEW 779 GEMINI-10X List $499 279 Gemini Delta 10. 160 CPS S CALL Epson FX-80 549 Epson RX-80 % CALL Okrdata 92 439 NEC 8023 339 NEC 8025 S CALL Daisy-Wheel Printers: DAISYWRITER 2000 1095 TRANSTAR 130 emulates Diablo 679 BROTHER HR-25 799 DYNAX HR 15 best buy 439 DYNAX KEYBOARD 189 QUME SPRINT II S CALL JUKI 6100 t 489 Silver-Reed EXP 550 $ CALL Mannesmann-Tally Sprint LIST S399 339 NEC SPINWRITER ZolO 869 TERMINALS MONITORS HAZEL TINE Espru I 539 HAZELTINE Esprit III 7)9 QUME 0VM02 529 QUMEQVT-10B 729 WYSE 50 S CALL TELEVIDEO 914 SCALL DYNAX !2 Ainbei 1AXAN RGB TAXAN 460 In ies ZENITH RGB PRINCETON PGS NEC 1216 135 315 499 524 495 419 TELEX ORDERS: Hardware under SI 000 and all Software Please Telex re larger hardware items only if you are eligible for U S Export License) All export orders add 10% TELEX 472 0127 Attn: EMD I For Service Other companies waste time and overhead producing expensive catalogs. Computers and More doesn't. Putting the latest products and best prices in our customers* hands, not catalogs, is our goal. We challenge any catalog company to match our pricing, selection and service. Take the catalog challenge and savet * New Product or Price. i i I 3 § Portable Columbia VP 2349 Corona 1-320K 1989 Panasonic Sr. Partner. . 1995 Kaypro II CALL Kaypro4 1669 Teletole 1 289 Tetevtdeo TPC-2 1 759 Eagle Spirit XL 3495 The Commuter by Sharp NEW! NEC8201A 639 Compaq 1 drive CALL Apple CompataoJe CALL Epson HX-20 CALL Zorba9in 1776 Apple Desk Top IBMP/C2-320K 2195 IBM XT ON SALE! Columbia 1600-1 2289 Co lumbtt 1600-4 3494 Corona 2-320K 2389 Eagle 1620 ...3995 ' Eagle PC XL 3395 'NEC All Models Epson QX-1Q ON SALE* Dec Rainbow 100 CALL 1 Leading Edge P/C 2199 ' TelevkJeo803orl605H CALL Franklin QMS CALL Apple Computers CALL IBM Supervision by CCS ... 679 * Paradise Mutti display . .419 Graphics Card by Hercules 367 STB Video Board 349 Baby Blue by Mtcrofog .459 ' AST Six Pax 289 ' AST PC Net 1279 * Smartmdm 120) B(w/soft) 429 ' Password Modem 339 ' TaodonTM 100-2 219 CDC Dtsk Drive DS7DD ... 227 Disk Controller by Mayrtard 1 57 Half High 320K 199 Quaddisk 6 meg., Fixed 1589 KeytronicNew515Q 198 ' Kraft Joystick 34 ' USICobr/Graphics l /i& Para 359 Corvus* Pegasus* Corona 469 Qua dram Quad link 469 ' Quadram New Quad Brd64K 299 Tecmar 1st Mate .259 * Tecmar Graphics Master. . 559 ' Orchid Technologies CALL Printer Accessories Sooper Spooler 283 Mtcrobuffer (in line 32 K P)219 M Icro Spooler { P to P16K) 189 Microbutter (in line 32 KS) 219 Micro Spooler (P to P 64K) 229 64 K for MB .139 Soundtrap 89 Optimizer by ACT CALL Letter Quality PERS Dot Matrix Rana 8088 CPU CALL Dual Interlace (Par & Ser) . 1 59 80 C0I/64K tor lie 116 PKASOCard 127 Par. Interlace 59 Koala Touch Taptet 84 Wildcat Computer SALE' Premium SftCd He., . . 349 SupflMod 49 Disk Drive 199 Drive Controller 59 Disk Emulator 294K 519 Ultraterm 289 MtcroModemll 269 Smart Modem 1 200 529 D-Cat 149 Kraft Joystick , ... 29 DavongSMeg 1359 Microbutter II 209 80 Col cd 99 BUF Grappler+ CALL Wizard 16K 53 Keytromc KB200 217 Plotters Mann -Tally Pixy 3 . . . 689 Sweet-P 528 Six-Shooter CALL Amdex X-Y . .569 Amdex 6 Pen Auto . .995 Quadjet by Quadram . CALL C. Itoft CX (Par) . 549 C. HOh CS (Ser) .549 Strobe 8 Pen .799 Houston tns Hi-Pad. . ... 759 Terminals Wyse300 1019 Wyse200 1019 Adds - All Models CALL TV. 910+ 569 TV.925C 749 TV. 950 C 969 Qume102A 549 Qumel02G 549 ' OumelOBA 679 Zenith CALL 1 Year Warranty Available TO OROtfl: Phone orders mvtted using Visa. MasterCard, or bank wire transfers Visa, MC, service charge of 2% Mail orders may send charge card number (include expiration date), cashiers check, money order, or personal check (allow 1 business days tor personal or company checks to clear). Please add 3% ($5 00 mimmum) for UPS shipping, handling, and { insurance All equipment is tn factory cartons with manufacturer warranty Opened products not returnable. Restocking fee for returned merchandise Equipment subject to price change and availability Retail prices differ from mail order prices Calif residents add 6% State Tax Company and school P s accepted on approval IBM & Apple are registered trademarks International inquiries welcomed Telex 697120. Datamax Attn Dept 322 NEC 3550 (IBM} . . 1695 C lion 8510 . . ...... . 339 Cannon InkJet 634 C Itoh 1550. - . 645 Juki 6100 489 Epson FX-80 . . . . CALL Silver-Reed 550 . 599 Epson RX-80 . .:. . . . CALL Stiver-Reed 770 . CALL '0KI82A 319 Transtar 130 699 OKI 83A 589 Transtar 140 1089 OK(80 319 NEC 2010 859 0KI92A 449 NEC 2015 859 OKI 93 739 NEC 2050 (IBM) CALL * Rtteman 80 Col .349 F-10Starwriter 1099 Gemini Delta 10 .549 F-iOPnntmaster 1349 * Gemini Radix 10 or 15 CALL Powertype by Star . . . CALL Gemini 10X 259 HR-1 589 Toshiba P-1350 . . . . SALE HR-15 ON SALE' NEC 8025 .699 Diablo 630 CALL IDS Prism 132 1165 Daisywnter48K 1089 Mann-Tally 160L 619 DTC 380 -2 1049 Mann-Tally 1 SOL 849 BrolherHR-25 .769 Transtar 315 . . CALL Coior Monochrome Princeton HX-12 $469 Taxan Amber 129 Princeton SR- 12 649 Taxan Green 129 NewMax-12 199 Zenith 122 A 125 NEC JC 1203 (IBM) 519 Zemth 1 23 G 97 TaxanRG8-3 449 Amdek310 A 169 Quadram Quadcnrome 497 Amdek 300 159 Zenith - New CALL * NewMax-12 .199 SOFTWARE IBM Apple R Base Millionaire Wizardry . Wordstar Easywnter II Volkswriter Visicalc(256K) Multipian Lotus 1 -2 3 PFS Graph PFS File PFS Report PRS Solutions d Base li CDEX ■ Any Program Tax Preparer. GZbyF&G infostaf CALL 39 39 239 259 119 179 189 319 89 89 83 CALL 384 49 169 CALL 259 Tax Preparer Home Accountant Great Plains . . Peachlree. . . PFS Solutions PFS: File. . PFS: Report , . PFS Graph dBase II Visifite . . Versaform TIM List Handler Wordstar Bank Street Writer Screenwriter ll Magic Window .147 49 CALL CALL CALL 84 84 84 397 169 264 CALL 59 249 47 CALL 97 Personal Pearl 199 Magic Call Zork i 99 27 HomeAcct Plus 112 Pearhtroe JjjHfllf CALL Zaxxon 27 Properly Management 329 Choplifter Frogger Wizardry 26 24 39 Digital Research DESQ SALE' NEW Select 299 Jumpman 29 8 The Catalog Challengers! 3620 - 30th Street SAN DIEGO. CA 92104 TO ORDER (619)291-1442 • TRr^ • QUADRAM • DAVONG • CORVUS • liarities of the older machine. I expect Eagle to send some new 1600 docu- ments Real Soon Now, and I'll cer- tainly be glad to get them. One defense Eagle has about the 1600 documentation: it advertised the machine as good for word process- ing and spreadsheets, both of which it does faster and neater than the IBM PC can do them; and those tasks are well documented. It was only the system features that it didn't tell us about. The argument is valid, I suppose, but it doesn't impress me much. The 1600 is too good a machine to have been put out with those lousy docu- ments. Indeed, with proper docu- mentation, the Eagle might be the best PC-compatible software-devel- opment system on the market. For- tunately, Eagle is, at last, getting out manuals worthy of the machines they describe. Rogue Rogue is an Adventure-like com- puter game for the IBM PC. Unlike the original Adventure, the Rogue dungeons are randomly generated each time you play, so that no two games are ever alike. It isn't played entirely like Adven- ture, either. For one thing, you move your character around on the screen with the cursor arrows (or with a mouse; the Logimouse works fine). Commands are menu driven; there are an awful lot of them, things like "q" for quaff a magic potion you may have found, "w" for wield a par- ticular weapon, and such. You can read scrolls, put on rings of power, change weapons, change armor, and like that. I hate to confess it, but the game is a real time trap. I found myself thinking "just one more try" far too often. The object of the game is to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor, but I haven't the faintest clue how one does that; I was killed every time, al- though once I got down to the fif- teenth level and accumulated nearly 4000 gold pieces before a combina- tion of trolls and quaggas got me. Rogue is advertised as the most popular game running on Unix, and Alex says that's probably true. The ■^— Circle 92 on inquiry card. Printers Prowriter 1 20 cps, 4 fonts (includes pro- portional), 8 sizes, 1 60 x 144 dpi, friction & tractor feed. A worthy rival of Epson. The BPI is IBM-PC compatible. Prowriter $399.88 Prowriter BPI (IBMPC) .... 459.88 Starwriter 40 cps, 1 36 columns 1 & 1 2 pitch. The Printmaster is the 55 cps version. The A1 Starwriter (1 8 cps) has the same specs. A1 Starwriter $609.88 Starwriter 1219.88 Printmaster 1 569.88 A1 0/F1 Tractor Feed .... 289.88 A1 0/F1 Sheet Feed 81 9.88 DIABLO 620 $999.88 620 Tractor Feed 1 89.88 630 1979.88 630 Tractor Feed 289.88 620/630 Sheet Feed 61 9.88 EPSON RX/FX Epsons CALL IDS/DATAPRODUCTS P-480 (MicroPrism) $429.88 P-Series 1 32 1 239.88 W/4-color 1669.88 INFORUNNER Riteman $349.88 MANNESMANN TALLY MT-160 L Spirit The MT-1 60 L(1 60 cps) features 8 fonts {including a correspon- dence font), parallel & RS-232C interfaces, friction/tractor feed. The MT-1 80 L is a 1 36 column version. The Spirit (80 cps) features 4 fonts, Italics, dot graphics & friction/tractor feed. MT-1 60 L $649.88 MT-1 80 L ..........849.88 Spirit 329.88 MEMOTECH DMX-80 The DMX-80 printer (80 cps) features 10, 1 2 & 1 7 cpi, sub/ super scripts, underline, friction/ tractor feed & dot graphics. It uses most Epson code, so it's easily installed on software. Service nationally by Panasonic. DMX-80 $369.88 NEC 201 0/2030 $879.88 2050 099.88 3510 1549.88 3530 1639.88 3550 1899.88 2000/3500 Tractor 239.88 2000/3500 Sheet Feed ... 61 9.88 771 0/7730 21 59.88 Roland DG DM-121 Monitors Superior quality & workmanship characterizes the Roland DG DM-1 21 series. A composite video output (NTSC) on a 1 2" diagonal screen, the DM-1 21 features 80 columns by 25 lines, 18MHz bandwidth, 640 dots by 200 lines video resolution. Green or amber screen. Roland DG DM-1 21 G (1 2" green) $1 74.88 Roland DG DM-1 2 1 A (1 2" amber) , $1 79.88 Microline Series The 92/93 printers (160 cps) & the 84 (200 cps) are exceptional. Tough, reliable, they produce superior draft quality, correspon- dence quality & graphics. Features include 10, 12 & 17 cpi, a correspondence font, sub/super scripts, underlining, dot graphics (1 20 x 1 44 dpi) & friction/pin feed (adjustable tractor is optional on the 92, standard on the 93). The PC Plug-n-Play ROMs turn the 92/93/84 into 1 00% IBM-PC compatible printers. Our very best selling printer line. The 84 Step 2 (200 cps) is a high-speed matrix printer with 1 0, 12,17 cpi, plus correspondence modes In all sizes. Dot graphics are standard (120 x 144 dpi). Microline Series SCALL QUADRAM QuadJet $CALL SMITH CORONA Messenger The Memory Correct III Messenger (1 2 cps) features 1 0, 1 2 & 1 5 cpi, variable line spacing, backspace, auto-correction and a dual parallel/RS-232C interface. True daisy wheel printing makes it an exceptional typewriter & printer. Ideal for the home or small office. Memory Correct Ml Messenger 609.88 SILVER REED EXP SSO/SOO The EXP-550 (18 cps) & the EXP- 500 (1 2 cps) features 1 0, 1 2 & 1 5 cpi, variable line spacing, backspace, & Diablo 1 61 0/20 code emulation. Optional tractor feed. EXP-550 (Par.) $669.88 EXP-550 (Ser.) 689.88 550 Tractor 1 39.88 EXP500 (Par.) 439.88 EXP-500 (Ser.) 469.88 500 Tractor 1 29.88 STAR MICRO NtCS Gemini/Delta Radix Series Gemini 1 0X $299.88 W/RS-232C 399.88 Gemini 15X 419.88 Delta 10 529.88 Delta 15 669.88 Radix 10 719.88 Radix 15 839.98 PowerType (18 cps Letter Quality) 399.98 TOSHIBA P1350 $1759.88 CABLES Parallel cables for the Columbia MPC, I8M-PC, Osborne-1, TRS-80 (Model l/ll/lll/IV & 1 6), Standard Centronics (Male-to-Male & Male-to-Female) $39.88 VIC-20/Commodore 64 Parallel Card/Cable 69.88 Apple ll/ll+/lle Parallel Card/Cable 89.88 QUADRAM Microfazer A print buffer with pause, copy & reset controls. It comes with a 9V power supply and cable to printer. There are so many buffer sizes (from 8K to 51 2K), & so many configurations (Parallel/Parallel, Parallel/RS-232C, RS-232C/Par- ailel & RS-232C/RS-232C) that you should call (800) 343-0726 for prices. Monitors JB 1 205M (amber) $1 79.88 JB 1 201 M (green) 1 59.88 AMDEK 300A (1 2' amber) $1 64.88 300G( 12" green) 149.88 31 OA (amber) CALL QUADRAM QuadChrome 690 x 240 resolution, 80 columns x 24 lines, 1 6 colors & exceptional performance. Cable included. QuadChrome(RGB) $509.88 PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX-12 Same spec's & performance as the QuadChrome. PGS HX-1 2 (RGB) $499.88 Modems US ROBOTICS Password PC Modem 0-300/1 200 baud direct-connect modem with auto-dial/answer, full/ half duplex, voice/data. Uses LSI technology. Cables & power supply included (specify type of computer). The PC Modem has all of the above, plus a parallel port, real-time clock & memory to 256K. Password $379.88 PC Modem $CALL ♦Courier 479.88 *Uses Osborne-1 modem port & includes Telepac communica- tions software for the Osborne. DC HAYES Smartmodem 0-300 or 0-300/1 200 baud direct- connect modems with auto dial/ answer, full/half duplex, power supply & modular cable (RS-232C cable optional). 1 200B is an in- board modem for the IBM-PC & includes Smartcom It The MicroModem He is a 300 baud in-board modem for the Apple II series. Includes SmartCom I 300 $219.88 1200 539.88 1 200B (IBM PC) 459.88 Micromodem lie $259.88 Peripherals For the IBM-PC... We carry a variety of peripherals for the IBM-PC, including: Quad- ramQuadboards, Quad 51 2+, Quadlink, QuadDisk, Quad I/O, QuadJet & single-function boards; AST products; Tandon's TM-1 00-2 double-sided drives; QCS's 1 2, 20 & 26 MB Hard Disk Subsystems; a Hard Disk/Tape subsystem; Tecmar's Graphics Master; the Paradise Multi-Display Card; Titan MultiFunction Cards; & the Eagle PC and the Columbia 1600-1 personal computer systems. Call (603)881 -9855 for information; call (800) 343-0726 for prices & orders. For the Apple II... We also carry numerous Apple ll/ ll+/lle peripherals, including: TBL Products Cooling Fan; the Pkaso Printer Cards; Microsoft's Z80 Cards, RamCards A Premium Packs; Videx's Video- Term, Ultra Term & Enhancer II; Rana Elite Disk Drives; AMTs MicroDrive; Saturn Systems Accelerator II & Memory Boards; Quadram's eRAM 80 Column Card; & the Novation Apple Cat II. We also carry the Franklin Ace 1000 & Ace 1 200 OMS personal computer systems. Ca I \(603) 88 1 -9855 for information; call (800) 343-0726 for prices & orders. In formation/Orders: (003) 881-9855 Orders Only: (800) 343-0728 No Hidden Charges: • You get FREE shipping on all orders within the 48 states. • We never charge extra for credit card purchases. • Credit cards are not charged until order is shipped. • We accept CODs up to $1 000 (add $10 handling fee per order) payable with certified check or money order. • Easy payment terms: We accept all major credit cards, certified checks, money orders, company checks or personal checks (allow 21 days for personal checks). • We have a $50 minimum order. • Company Purchase Orders are accepted on a limited basis & upon approval only. Sorry, no APO or foreign orders accepted. • All our equipment is shipped with full manufacturer's warranty. We are an authorized dealer for all products we sell to insure full warranty support, & we're autho- rized for warranty work on a number of printers. We also offer extended warranty plans for many printers. • We prepared this ad in January, & prices do change, so call to verify them. • Our Computer Showroom is now open in Amherst, New Hampshire, five miles west of Nashua (one hour from Boston). • For a catalog, send $1 with your name, address & the type of computer you own. mm HIGH TECHNOLOGY AT AFFORDABLE PRICES THE BOTTOM LINE MILFORD, NH 03055 □ TELEPHONE (603) 881-98551 Circle 46 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 61 Artificial Intelligence Design Systems company has put it onto the IBM PC (requires 128K bytes of memory and a disk drive). It's also added a com- mand called "S," for "Supervisor"; when you press that, the dungeon map vanishes, and a dummy of the PC-DOS operating system appears on the screen. This is intended to fool your boss into thinking you're working. At one time, there were simulta- neous Rogue games going on every PC-compatible machine in this house. It certainly was the game of the month. Recommended, but I won't be responsible if you get fired for wasting too much time with it. Copy Protection Longtime readers of this column will know that I don't much approve of copy-protection schemes. They're all right for games, but businesses must have backups of important software. The argument for copy protection usually goes: "We have a $700 prod- uct here that can be copied in half a minute for five bucks. Of course we protect it." Which is all very well— until you ask the justification for charging $700 for something that can be produced for less than five bucks. The answer to that one often goes, "We put all that effort into software development, and when we sell it, people make illegal copies. We have to get a lot from each sale." Fortunately, competition plus the expanding market base will drive the price of software down to something reasonable, say a small multiple of the price of a good book. Meanwhile, copy protection continues. It's an evil practice. It's also futile. Let me give an example. A number of programs designed to defeat copy protection are available. About the best I know of for the IBM PC is System Backup from Norell Data Systems. System Backup was written by a good friend who thor- oughly understands the IBM PC; the program is revised as new and more clever protection schemes are de- vised. I had a new version of System }i-List ORGANIZED. SYSTEMIZED. LISTWIZE! The "wise" choice in List Information Management. LIST WIZE lets you keep the in- formation you need most in a highly organized system for handy and efficient access to names, addresses, telephone numbers, appointments, clients, business prospects . . . and more! Large data capacity. User-de- signed files and fields. Flexible file-availability. Complete sorting DEC Rainbow 100 is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corp. IBM PC is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. control. Alphabetical and nu- merical listings. Fast and easy printing. Full printer options. File merge capability. Versatile filing uses. The one program "custom-de- signed" for YOUR business needs! For more detailed information and the retailer nearest you write or give us a call: ^SOFTWARE P.O. Box 948, Waterbury, CT 06720 203-621-9361 Get "Wize" to DEC Rainbow 100 & I BM PC 62 BYTE March 1984 Circle 275 on inquiry card. Backup at hand when Rogue arrived. I don't usually run master disks, so we routinely tried to make a copy. Wouldn't work. Rogue is copy pro- tected. It's a game, so that's not so im- portant; but I wanted to test the new System Backup, and Rogue was right there, so why not? System Backup made a copy, but it reported a CRC error. We tested the copy on the IBM PC, and it seemed to work properly. Then we tried it on the Eagle Spirit. It worked there, but it wouldn't save the game. That was interesting enough that we tried the original disk on the Spirit; it worked fine, and indeed the copy can read a saved game; it just won't save one. On the IBM, though, the copy saves and reads and runs fine. I gathered all the data and called System Backup's author. We agreed this was an interesting case. What, for instance, was the CRC error? The problem, you see, is that copy protection involves putting carefully engineered errors into the system. A copy-protected disk has garbaged sectors, improperly formatted sec- tors, and such like; it also has a means for reprogramming the disk controller to allow it to find all, and only, the good sectors on the disk. It's therefore impossible to tell whether an error on a copy-protected disk is a real error, caused by stray magnetic fields or spilled coffee, or a contrived error that's part of the copy-protection scheme. Another problem: have the copy protectors thought everything through? They've reprogrammed your disk controller; do they undo that when you exit the program? If not, you'll have to reset the machine, or perhaps even turn it off and back on again. Every time a publisher devises a new copy-protection scheme, a sys- tems engineer will find a way to defeat it. That's inevitable: if the soft- ware can be made to load into the machine, then it can be copied. There is a class of systems engineer who en- joys defeating copy-protection schemes, much as Yardley enjoyed breaking codes. Any copy-protection scheme, no matter how elaborate, will be defeated— unless, in the effort Text continued on page 66 Circle 19 on inquiry card. I st computing power from your h these excitina Amdek monitors. The COLOR-I accepts composite video input for complete compatibility . . . and it has a built-in speaker and quality resolution. It's the most popular color monitor in the entire world! The VI0EO-3OO with amber or green screen provides 80 column text or graphics display capability . . . and its nylon mesh, non-glare screen eliminates distracting reflections. Both monitors are backed with the best warranty in the business (7 vearsH . . and vou won't have to sh_. . ■ **»■■- ■■■- :*: Epson. For those who need it, simplicity One computer. Two points of view The Epson QX-10 personal computer To many, the Epson represents the ultimate in simplicity. Just press a single key for the func- tion you require: word processing, scheduling, business graphics, address book or file management. One key- stroke produces your program. There are no rigamaroles to remember. No disks to change. The result: you start to work immediately And you start being pro- ductive, immediately. With step-by- step prompts. In plain English, not computerese. Simplicity itself. Or is it ? The plain fact is that the ease of operation the Epson offers today is accomplished with a degree of tech- nological sophistication most other computers can only promise for tomor- row—specifically, Hilly integrated software, operating in an interactive environment. The few other computers offering such "simplicity" cost $5,000 to $15,000 more. And most other computers can't offer it at any price. Which makes one wonder exactly what they do offer, in terms of either simplicity or performance. HOW MUCH CAN YOU DO ON THE EPSON? HOW MUCH ARE YOU READY TO DO? The Epson's ease of operation may spoil you, but it certainly won't limit you. Case in point: every Epson comes complete with an integrated soft- ware system — Valdocs® — to effortlessly provide the basic functions for which most people buy computers. The Epson also comes with CP/M®-80 2.2, so you can choose from the hundreds of programs in the CP/M library And only Epson offers an exciting new collection of seven best -selling pro- grams now specially enhanced to give you every powerful feature, plus Epson one -button simplicity Included are 64 BYTE March 1984 dBase II® Friday/™ Microplan* Graphplan™ WyrdStar® SpellStar® and MailMerge® And the Epson also allows you to add MS m -DOS com- patibility, so you have access to best- sellers like Lotus® 1-2-3? Best of all, you will run the soft- ware of your choice on the computer of choice. The high-performance Epson. With 256K RAM. 128K dedi- cated video memory The breathtakingly sensible HASCI m keyboard. Dual 380K double ^^ density disk drives. 2+2= Graph capabilities unequalled in its price range. A high resolution monitor, 640 by 400 pixels, for clarity few com- puters in any price range can offer. Plus, an RS-232C interface, a parallel printer interface, and internal space for up to five peripheral cards so you can expand your Epson as your needs require. One further point: all these features, and quite a few more, are included in the Epson's $2,995 price. Some com- Epson For those who can handle it, performance puter companies ask you to pay extra for features like these. Most can not offer them at any price. That, too, is performance, The kind of performance that can make choosing a personal computer very simple, indeed. EPSON QUALITY OR, WHY WONDER WHAT TERRIBLE KLUDGES LURK IN WHICH SLEEK BOXES. If you know computers, you know Epson, Epson printers set the industry standard for quality, reliability and value, Rest assured, the same can be said for the Epson personal computer. The satisfy- ing silence of the slim, Epson- designed disk- drives is one way for you to judge or, for an inside-out perspective, here is an excerpt from a review by Jim Hanson in the April, 1983 issue of Microcomputing? "The Epson QX-10 is soundly designed and executed. I looked hard and found no evidence of kludging or shorting out anything in the name of economy. All the connectors have gold on them and are of quality manufacture. The printed circuit boards are heavy, with soldermarks on both sides of double-sided boards. The circuit boards are completely silk- screened with component labels, and the layout is as professional and clean as you will find anywhere." Isn't this what you expect? After all, it's an Epson. A WORD TO THE WISE: GET YOUR HANDS ON THE EPSON. Is the Epson a simple, easy-to-use computer for beginners? Or a sophisticated high-performance computer for the experienced? The answer is "yes." And when you think about it, aren't those two computers the one you need now For technical specifications, and the complete, 3-part Microcomputing review, along with the name of your nearby Epson dealer, call toll- free (800) 421-5426. California resi- dents, call (213) 539-9140. •Excerpt reprinted by permission of Microcomputing Magazine. All rights reserved. CP/M, dBase II, Microplan, WordStar, SpellStar, MailMerge, Lotus, 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Digital Research, AshtonTate, Chang Labs, MicroPro (3), and Lotus Development (2). Valdocs, Graphplan, MS, and HASCI are trademarks of Rising Star, Chang Labs, Microsoft, and Rising Star, respectively. EPSON State-of-the-art. . . simplicity BYTE March 1984 65 Text continued from page 62: to make the software uncopyable, it's made so fragile that it's no longer re- liable. That, alas, is all too common. Programs like System Backup are revised each time a new copy-protec- tion scheme comes out. They're one remedy for the copy-protection disease. Another is simply to stay away from publishers who are more concerned with their own protection than their customers' requirements. Does That Suit You? As I'm writing this, the radio tells me that the space shuttle Columbia will miss her morning landing, due to a glitch in one of the IBM general- purpose computers aboard the spacecraft. I wonder what that will do to IBM's stock? In any event, it reminded me of an- other computer aboard the ship. I was, many and many a year ago, involved in full pressure suit design and testing, and indeed my Experi- mental Stress Laboratory at the Boe- ing Company did some of the crucial Professional Graphics at Practical Prices Add our Imaginator™ graphics upgrade card to your H/Z-19 termi- nal or H/Z-89 computer. Its quick and easy. You gain intelligent, highly efficient graphic display capabilities proven in countless Heath/Zenith terminal and computer updates. Check fmaginator's special features: High resolution 504 x 247 Accessible through any high level language FOR- TRAN. Pascal, BASIC, etc. Onboard microcomputer eliminates processing load on host Source code available Rich graphics instruction Now check Imaginator's low cost: □ Assembled complete $445. C Mix text and graphics Tektronix" 4010-4014 compatibility option with GIN mode Comprehensive documen- tation includes numerous examples Fully buffered for asynchronous operation All original H/Z features remain intact Kits from $215. Also ask us about our Imaginator 2 upgrade for H/Z-29 terminals. Call or write us today for addft?515lmTbrrnatior C CLEVELAND CODON1CS, INC. 18001 Engiewood f Cleveland. OH 44130 (216)243-1198 Your H-19 Can Do This... ^smm Tektronix"* Registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. Codohics and imaginator are trademarks of Cleveland Codi simulations that led to choosing the Goodyear suit for the Apollo mission. Suit design is tricky. One doesn't want too much pressure in them, lest they blow up like balloons and become so stiff that the astronaut can't move. On the other hand, there has to be enough pressure to keep the astronaut alive. Finally, you can't have your astronaut go too quickly from 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch), which is standard atmospheric pressure, down to, say, 3.8 psi, which is about the minimum needed to keep the occupant healthy in a pure oxygen environment. Sudden pres- sure drops can cause lots of prob- lems, including what divers know as "the bends," which is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream. That's another story. In any event, NASA sponsored several suit design efforts, but eventually the shuttle suits were produced by the Hamilton Standard Company. Before it was over, it had put a couple of hundred million dollars into building fewer than 50 suits. The cost overrun for pressure suits was a significant frac- tion of the total overrun for the shut- tle program. One of the features of the shuttle suit is a computer, which is supposed to monitor how well the suit is work- ing. NASA is quite proud of it. In fact, though, it's very primitive com- pared to anything you're likely to be using; it has about IK bytes of pro- gram ROM, Even a Timex has more memory and processing ability. Moreover, it isn't as if the environ- ment is particularly harsh: after all, the astronaut has to endure it as well as the computer. Alas, as far as I can tell, NASA didn't bother with modular design, so that upgrading that computer is going to be hideous- ly expensive. NASA doesn't have the money, so the upgrade probably won't happen. The micro revolution was original- ly driven by the need for on-board computers in missile and space- booster guidance systems; it's a darned shame that the suits are de- signed in a way that makes it tough to retrofit newer technology. With 66 BYTE March 1984 Circle 67 on inquiry card. How to make your Apple ran 3V2 times faster. Just plug in the Accelerator He and watch your Apple® II, II Plus or He take off. Imagine running VisiCalcf DB Master? Applesoft, Apple Fortran or Pascal without long delays. With the Titan Accelerator He, your Apple II, II Plus or lie runs these programs a true 3V2 times faster. The Accelerator He also runs your Franklin, Basis and other Apple II compatibles 3 Viz times faster This faster computer response time means less waiting for you and an increase in your productivity This Titan exclusive has its own fast 6502 processor, 64K of high-speed memory and built-in fast language card. It is transparent to your software and is hardware compatible with most standard peripherals. And you can turn if off from the keyboard to run your Apple at regular speed. Find out how to run faster and increase your productivity without breathing hard. For informa- tion on the Accelerator He and other Titan products, see your computer dealer or contact: y Titan Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc. VisiCalc is a registered trademark of VtsiCorp. TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 3 10 West Ann Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Telephone (313) 662-8542 DB Master is a registered trademark of Stoneware, Inc. Accelerator He is a trademark of Titan Technologies, Inc. Sales and Marketing by The MARKETING RESOURCE GROUP, Fountain Valley, CA. Circle 353 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 67 proper design, the astronaut could have an in-suit computer that would not only monitor suit performance but also be a general-purpose com- puter and alarm clock. Instead, kids have better machines stored unused in their bedroom closet. Sigh. Thanks for the Memory . . . One feature of the IBM PC is mem- ory checking. For each block of eight memory chips in the PC, there's a ninth chip whose purpose is to store the parity bits for the other eight. A parity bit is the logical sum of the Is and Os in a memory cell; if there are an odd number of Is in a "word" of memory, parity is odd; if an even number, it's even. The IBM, along with many other PC-compatible machines like the Zenith Z-100, looks at the parity bit when it accesses a memory cell; if the parity isn't what it should have been, the PC reports a memory error. It also dumps the program. More- over, if there's any memory error on power-up, the IBM PC renders itself useless. This may not be optimum if the flaky memory chip is in an area your program won't be using. The Eagle 1600 doesn't do parity checking, as I found out when I stuffed my Eagle full of memory chips. The Eagle has on-board sockets for 512K bytes of memory. This is eight blocks of 64K bytes, and thus I'd expected it to take eight ad- ditional memory chips for parity checking; but it didn't. The Eagle's chips are arranged in blocks of eight, not nine. I was curious enough about this to ask the Eagle people, who referred me to Gary Kappenman, Eagle's vice- president for R&D. Eagle had considered doing parity checking, he said; but it decided against it. First, parity checking in- troduces new chances for error. There are 12 percent more chips in the sys- tem, and each of those is as likely to fail as is any other memory chip; if it does, it will have the same effect as a real memory error. Second, there's no software to take advantage of parity checking. The parity check doesn't restore your data; it merely notes that there's been some kind of error and dumps your pro- gram. Now if the error was in a pro- gram instruction, that's probably what you wanted; but if it were mere- ly in a data area, so that the effect would be to spell the word "data" as "datq," I think I'd rather not be told if being informed dumps my text and renders my computer useless. If there were software to tell you about memory errors and ask you what to do, Eagle might consider de- signing parity checks into its ma- chine; until then, Eagle thinks it causes more problems than it's worth. Incidentally, the Eagle 1600 has yet another undocumented feature, a memory test on power-up; one mere- ly holds down the "t" key while the system comes up. Thus you can, if you like, test memory each time as the IBM does; but it's your choice. This will hopefully be documented in Eagle's revised systems manuals for the 1600. I wish the IBM PC offered a way of doing without the memory checks. It takes Lucy (for Lucy Van Pelt because she's a fussbudget) one rr SANYO SUPER SYSTEMS \\ $1195 4 s & & PRINTERS ITOH flT -X^ Prowriter 8510 ... $335 W V A10-20 $505 68 MO Serial or Parallel 85 10 SP (Prowriter SP) COMREX CR-2 DIABLO 620 RO $940 $565 $AVE $860 630 RO $1715 S-ll $560 P-ll $560 EPSON RX-80 SAVE RX-80 F/T SAVE FX-80 SAVE FX-100 SAVE LQ1500 SAVE JUKI 6100 $480 NEC 2010 $780 2050 $905 8023A $385 3510 $1370 3550 $1715 BYTE March 1984 SYSTEM #1 SANYO MBC-550 • SANYO GREEN MONITOR • GEMINI 10 X • SOFTWARE • Sanyo MBC-550 Single Drive Computer • Sanyo CRT-36 Monitor • Star Micronics Gemini 10X • Cabling • WordStar • CalcStar • Easywriter • MS-DOS • Sanyo Bask • $1525 SYSTEM #2 SANYO MBC-555 • SANYO GREEN MONITOR • GEMINI 10X • SOFTWARE • Sanyo MBC-555 Dual Drive Computer • Sanyo CRT-36 Monitor • Star Micronics Gemini 10X • Cabling • WordStar • CalcStar • SpellStar • InfoStar • Mail Merge • Easywriter • MS-DOS • Sanyo Basic • OKIDATA 82A $AVE 83A $AVE 84P $AVE 84S $AVE 92 $AVE 93 $AVE QUME 11/40 w/ Interface $1370 11/55 w/ Interface $1570 Letter Pro 20P $609 Letter Pro 20S $609 SILVER REED EXP 500 $390 EXP 550P $580 EXP550S $610 EXP400 $329 STAR MICRONICS Gemini 10X & 15X $AVE Delta 10 $AVE TALLY MT 160L w/tractors $AVE MT 180L w/tractors $AVE Spirit 80 $AVE TOSHIBA 1350 Serial or Parallel ... $1450 TRANSTAR 130P 5675 120P $450 T315 $450 TERMINALS TELEVIDEO 910 + 914 924 925 950 970 ZENITH Z-29 COMPUTERS SANYO MBC-550 System $1 195 MBC-555 System TELEVIDEO 803 ... $1799 ZENITH 2-100 Low Profile .... $2635 Z-100 All-ln-One .... $2815 MODEMS HAYES 1200 $490 1200B $435 300 $205 $555 $540 $670 $705 $905 $980 $649 $1525 DISK DRIVES RANA Elite 1 $215 Elite 2 $345 Elite 3 $410 1000 w/DOS {for Atari) $305 MONITORS BMC 12" Green $89 13" Color $210 TAXAN 12" Amber $125 ZENITH ^ 12" Green $95 AjP 12" Amber . . $120 4(5* £m Prices reflect 3% to 5% cash discount. Product shipped in factory cartons with manufacturer's warranty. #J^^* A^^ Free shipping is on UPS ground flr"^ V^ t only. Prices & availability £2t Cj^ **J subject to change with- A^^^ «V out notice. Send cash- ^^^ £* Ci* ( ier's check or money #^J J\{f ^\/ order. .all other ^J^ «"J* ' _W) checks will ^^ ^ T*'?* delay ship- * t\V ping two # '**"* weeks. V& iSC ST & How to make your IBM run 2V2 to 4 times faster. Just plug in the Accelerator PC™ and watch your IBM * PC or XT take off. Yes, Titan's done it again. The innovators who speeded up the Apple® now bring similar per- formance advantages to IBM users. Imagine running Lotus® 1-2-3™, VisiCalc®, or Multiplan™ without long delays. With the Titan Accelerator PC, your IBM PC or XT can run all your software faster. Data bases, word processors, spreadsheets, graphics, and much more will speed up by a factor of 2V2 to 4 (average around 3). The Accelerator PC has a 10 MHz 8086 processor and 128K of high-speed RAM, expand- able to 640K with the memory upgrade piggyback option. It's compatible with your present hardware and software, and designed to be ready for future enhancements. Get your work done in a third of the usual time. ^^^— ^ ^_ B See your computer dealer today or contact: Titan _^. ^l r J THS 1bhm| mb Technologies, Inc., PO. Box 8050, Ann Arbor, MI ^ — - ?5 1 I LCl I ■ 48107; Telephone (313) 662-8542. ^~~ ^ tkhnolooKi^ FORMERLY SATURN SYSTEMS OF MICHIGAN Sales and Marketing by The MARKETING RESOURCE GROUP, Fountain Valley, CA. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Lotus and 1-2-3 are trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Multiplan is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc. VisiCalc is a registered trademark of VisiCorp, Inc . Accelerator PC is a trademark of Titan Technologies, Inc. Circle 354 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 69 AZTEC C86 8086/8088 new release 2.0 PC DOS /MS DOS CP/M-86 BOTH $249 $249 $399 /PRO extension C Grafx Uni-Tools I PHACT database Z Quick C $249 call $ 99 call $125 $125 AZTEC C II 8080Z80 CP/M-80 $199 / PRO extensions $1 50 AZTEC C80 TRS-80 MODEL III or 4 $199 /PRO III and 4 $349 IZTECC65 6502 APPLE DOS $199 ProDOS call C CROSS DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS C cross compiler, assembler, & linker PDP-11 $2000 other $750 AZTEC C TUTOR APPLE or IBM $99 other systems call Quick C APPLE, CPM,T-80 $125 □ Full C D Fast object code D Basic graphics U 8087 support [~l Large memory model .□ Fast I /'0 l ; Overlays D Relocating assembler □ Linker & library Library has I/O, screen I O, graphics, PC DOS-CP/M/86 i ] Interfaces with DRI and MICROSOFT assemblers i 1 Compatible with AZTEC C for CP M, APPLE, C64, & TRS-80 PRO includes optimizer, C86 debugger, and other tools Comprehensive color graphics for use with C or stand alone Tools I has make, diff, grep,& other UNIX inspired tools Phact is a comprehensive set of C database functions Z is a full screen C editor much like the UNIX Vi editor Quick C compiles C source into interpreted code in a flash Full C compiler, assembler, linker, library utility PRO exten- sions include library source, utilities, ROM libraries, M-80 and RMAC interface The Model 4 system is full AZTEC C II and runs under TRSDOS or DOSPLUS, the Model III system does not support float. / PRO has float for III, Z, library source A complete C development system for the APPLE II and Me with assembler, linker, editor, SHELL, library, and library source. Binary files execute under DOS or SHELL Cross systems generate modules on a HOST system that are downloaded for execution on a target system. HOSTS include PDP-11 UNIX, 8086 UNIX ports, PC DOS, CP/M-86, CP/M, and APPLE. TARGETS include CP M, APPLE, COMMODORE C64, & TRS-80. PRENTICE-HALL and MANX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS joined forces to produce an unmatched "hands on" C tutorial. Includes lessons, text, fast compiling student C compiler, and . . . Quick C compiles C code into extremely compact interpreted code at blinding speed. Run time system has UNIX functions. ® Order phone 800-221-0440 (outside NJ) 201-780-4004 (NJ and outside USA) Shipping: per compiler SOFTWARE SYSTEMS P.O. Box 55 Shrewsbury, N.J. 07701 Telex (ITT): 4995812 Information: 201-530-7997 Tech support: 201-780-8374 next day USA $20, 2 days USA $5, 2 days worldwide $75, Canada $10, airmail outside USA & Canada $20 UNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs. CP/M, CP M-80 and CP/M-86 are trademarks of DRI. PC DOS is a trademark of IBM. MS DOS is a trademark of MICROSOFT. N.J. residents add 6% sales tax. whack of a long time to warm up and be usefuj now that we have big mem- ory boards in her. Don't Use Function 37 Time out for some technical advice to hackers and programmers. Others can listen in, but no apologies if you don't understand. If you're writing software for CP/M 2.2x systems and you use BDOS (basic disk operating system) calls, do not use Function 37, "Reset Drive." Tony has tried to use that "feature" in several programs, and each time he's got into terrible trouble. There's an unrecoverable and undocumented bug in CP/M 2.2; the result is that at- tempts to use Function 37 to tell the program you have changed disks can cause ungodly horrible results. As an example, you can write gar- bage into the directory of a hard disk, losing all the programs on it. (This is one reason that we do not and will not have a hard disk on our experi- mental system: we test a lot of soft- ware from many sources, and some of that software tries to use Function 37. This would be a disaster for us.) You can also with Function 37 dump the user's program and scram- ble up his disk directories. There is no foolproof way to get around the bugs in Function 37. Don't use it. In- stead, use Function 13, "Reset Sys- tem." That's more work, and takes longer, because 13 recomputes the bit maps for all the logical disk devices, then sets logical disk "A" as the logged-on disk; if you started with something else logged on, you'll have to write code to take care of that. Tony says this may not be fixed in CP/M-86, so be very careful about using it there, too. Incidentally, there's no mention of this bug in Andy Johnson-Laird's otherwise excellent The Programmer's CP/M Handbook (Osborne/McGraw- Hill), which I recommend to anyone trying to write programs involving the CP/M operating system. Public Benefactors I like the new IBM and Digital Re- search manuals. They're of a good size to fit onto bookshelves, and the box they come in is a good place- 70 BYTE March 1984 Circle 220 on inquiry card. with by Hitachi *SB#R , s in the heat sink tem- feedback increased the no peaks. I «oiMfRplative intensity Noise F "' 9 - 2 SSus temperatures 1 . «;tir\n laser video disc can n were used to track tn. ,,ne semiconductor laser resulted in noise andserra y inter1eredwithqua,,W aserd^ reproduction Hitachi* | could be solved. Fiq1 Measuring Laser Noise M 9- ■ Beams (a) Without HFsupenrnposition^ r.5rss»sf l . J.sScon«c.o,lase,a j ssssssr i has made sucndy j U,tra tr£rspecli1eatures a reality. Other sp« d e i: vLjJVj. (WWthHF^upenr^osition Thelineinfig2(b),howeve| e fa"eTo e nXnra n stor ?H 2(a) I (high frequency) snusO ar(y rent. These expenmem sh ow that noise can be totally suppressed by nr superimposition. spiral spiim J^X possible before. ' * S -f^e^ d isc"aye a r produced laser viu ««ttdHb C3 KtSS A special eonwouw"""" KlJciUmamta,"^ ; a mirror and an attenua.- a ,Z»d the feedback light # HITACHI ^< A v Wn ,d Leader in Technology ot America , ,290 Wall Streets ni WeslArteslaBlvc Semiconductor Laser Video D.sc Player PROFESSIONAL USE- Circle 175 on inquiry card. L H1 90220 Phone. w Your computer's telephone. What will counteract NDC 74-0054-60? Gary: The pedigrees for next week's auction are as follows,,. Sold 1000 shares at 53 for net profit of 6000. Richard. Wouldn't it be great if you could use your IBM®PC to tap into vast resource libraries across the country? To transfer files to your partner, upstate? Or from your broker, down the street? If s possible. All you need is a modem, to connect your computer to others. Down the hall. Or thou- sands of miles away Hayes Smartmodem. Think of it as your computer's telephone. Hayes Smartmodem 3 00,™ and the faster Smartmodem 1200,™ allow you to com- municate over ordinary phone lines. But any modem will send and receive data. Smartmodems also 72 BYTE March 1984 dial, answer and disconnect calls. Automatically. And without going through the telephone receiver, making them far superior to acoustic coupler modems. Choose your speed; choose your price. The lower-priced Smartmodem 300 is ideal for local data swaps and communicates at 300 bps. For longer distance and larger volumes, Smart- modem 1200 operates at baud rates of 300 or 1200, with a built-in selector that automatically detects transmis- sion speeds. Both work with rotary dials, Touch-Tone® and key-set systems-, connect to most time- sharing systems; and feature an audio speaker. Smartmodem 1200B™ is also avail- able as a plug-in board. Developed specifically for the PC, it comes packaged with Hayes' own communications soft- ware, Smartcom IIT M Smartcom II. We spent a lot of time developing it, so you can spend less time using it Smartcom II prompts you in the simple steps required to create, send, receive, display list, name and re-name files. It even receives data completely unattended— especially helpful when you're sending work from home to the office, or vice versa. If you need it, there's always "help!' This feature explains prompts, mes- sages, etc. to make communicating extra easy. With Smartcom II, it is. Case in point: Before you communicate with another system, you need to "set up" your computer to match the way the remote system transmits data. With Smartcom II, you do this only once. After that, parameters for 25 dif- ferent remote systems are stored in a directory on Smartcom II. Calling or answering a system listed in the directory requires just a few quick keystrokes. You can store lengthy log-on sequences the same way. Press one key, and Smartcom II automati- cally connects you to a utility or infor- mation service. QD Hayes Smartmodem 300, 1200 and 1200Bare FCC approved in the U.S. and DOC approved in Canada. AH require an IBM PC with minimum 96K bytes of memory; IBM DOS 1.10 or 1.00; one disk drive; and 80-column display. Smartmodem 1200B. (Includes telephone cable. No serial card or separate power source is needed .) Smartcom II communications software. NOTE: Smartmodem 1200B may also be installed in the IBM Personal Computer XT or the Expansion Unit. In those units, another board installed in the slot to the immediate right of the Smartmodem 1200B may not clear the modem; also, the brackets may not fit properly If this occurs, the slot to the right of the modem should be left empty. And, in addition to the IBM PC, Smartcom II is also available for the DEC Rainbow™ 100, Xerox 820-11™ and Kaypro II™ personal computers. Backed by the experience and reputation of Hayes. A solid leader in the microcomputer in- dustry, Hayes provides excellent documentation for all products. A limited two-year warranty on all hardware. And full support from us to your dealer. So see him today. Break out of isolation. Get a telephone for your personal computer. From Hayes. Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc., 5923 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross, GA 30092. 404/441-1617. Smartmodem 300. Smartmodem 1200, Smartmodem 1200B and Smartcom II are trademarks of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of Interna- tional Business Machines, Corp Touch-Tone is a registered service mark of American Telephone and Telegraph. Rainbow is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation. Xerox 820-11 is a trademark of Xerox Corporation. Kaypro II is a registered trademark of Non-Linear Systems. Inc. ©1983 Hayes Microcomputer Products. Inc. Circle 174 on inquiry card. holder to remind you where to put the manual away when you're finished using it. However, there's a problem. Much of Digital Research's software comes with a READ. ME file of errata and additions. It's formatted so that any simpleminded line printer can make a hard copy, and the line sizes are right for inserting the corrections in- to your document. Alas, how do you do that? You need tractor-feed fanfold paper, and I've not found anyone who'll sell it in the proper size. The result is a long bout with scissors or paper cutter if you use formfeed, or standing there pretending to be a sheet-feeding machine if you use prepunched note- book paper (assuming you can find the proper size and hole arrangement of that). Worry no more. William Simmonds of Anthropomorphic Systems has sent me a box of paper of proper size. He says, "I couldn't find anyone who made or carried this paper, so I sim- ply had a large supply made up." He'll sell you a carton of 1000 for $20 or a case of 2500 for $40. May be a stiff price, but he's not getting rich on it— and Lord knows it's a needed service. Thanks, Mr. Simmonds. One Way Out Another public benefactor is Micro- solutions and its Uniform program. Regular readers will know that we've had our problems with disk formats. A few have written to ask why we don't use some kind of trans- fer program. The answer to that is simple: it's blooming slow. As a last resort we can always use serial trans- fer, but consider the situation where the machines are in locations sepa- rated by several miles, and both are in constant use. Much better to trans- fer disks. As my late mad friend MacLean used to say, "Parallel is faster than serial." Microsolutions has a program called Uniform that reads many and many a 5V4-inch format; about 40 so far. There's also a MS-DOS/PC-DOS < — >CP/M bidirectional file-copy program. The company's added the Epson QX-10 and is coming up with a version to run on the Otrona Attache. If there's ever the slightest chance that you'll have to deal with several different kinds of micros, get Uni- form; the savings in nervous energy and frustration are more than worth the price of the program. Microsolu- tions keeps revising it, too. Strongly recommended. Graphics and the Z-29 My son Alex is very interested in graphics, and I ought to have him work on this, but he's delivering the new WRITE manual to Compupro in Hay ward. There's a story that goes with that, but this isn't the place to tell it. One graphics product that im- pressed him mightily was the Imag- inator 2 from Cleveland Codonics. This is an add-on board for the Heath/Zenith Z-29 terminals; with that add-on, the Z-29 becomes one heck of a bargain graphics terminal. The monochrome add-on board is about $900, with 672 by 500 pixels (dots) shown on the screen. The upgraded Z-29 keeps all its old features, and the graphics mode can be commanded either from the ter- minal keyboard or from the com- puter. The graphics mode emulates the popular Tektronix 4010/4014 ter- minal, with a number of additional commands that can be called in from BASIC or Pascal, etc. The Imaginator 2 uses the NEC 7220 graphics chip for some of its functions, but for speed reasons it doesn't rely on it alone. There's also a color Imaginator that requires more modification to the Z-29. The Imaginator 2 plus a Z-29 ter- minal costs less than many dedicated graphics terminals, and still it acts as a superb text terminal. Alex thinks Zenith ought to offer the terminal with this board in it and won't be sur- prised if it decides to do this. Alex asked a lot of questions at COMDEX and is satisfied. (That's an understatement; he was impressed.) Still, fair warning: I haven't actually installed one of these boards in our Z-29, so I don't know how easy that is to do, or how good the documents are. Maybe in the future. BYTE March 1984 73 o "Thoughtware, °\HowGoodoo A Manager A ml?'' Thoughtware is new, easy-to-use software that will help you see and understand how to become a better manager It's a unique series of personal, computer-based management diagnostic and training programs. ® Thoughtware is a registered trademark of the Institute for Management Improvement. How good a manager are you? Thoughtware Module 1.1 'Assessing Personal Management Skills" will tell you. This program is a three-part, comprehensive self-assessment of your personal attitudes, behavior and under- standing as they relate to your effectiveness as a manager. Unit 1 assesses your leader- ship style by examining the degree to which you are task- or people-oriented and how you use communication, teamwork, par- ticipation, initiative and support to get results. It also assesses your understanding of what moti- vates employees, promotes team- work, and the extent to which you provide feedback. Unit 2 assesses your atti- tudes about setting goals and objectives, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and delegating. It also assesses the methods you use to improve employee per- formance and the ways you con- duct performance evaluations. Unit 3 assesses your per- sonal effectiveness by looking at how you manage time and stress, how you conduct meetings and solve problems. The programs conclude with specific recom- mendations designed to address the weaknesses identified. Expanding The Universe Of Learning. To introduce you to Thoughtware, we'll send you 4 Assessing Personal Management Skills" (which normally sells for $350), for only $150. (See adjacent column for details.) Offer expires April 30, 1984. Thoughtware programs run on the following: IBM® PC, PC XT, PCjr and compatible PC's. Apple® II Plus and He. 74 BYTE March 1984 Thoughtware Is The Future. It's a new way to learn, a logical and innovative approach to management training. It will revolutionize management train- ing now, and in the future. Thoughtware utilizes the latest research in management development from leaders in the field, and has been tested nationally. The benefits of Thoughtware's computer-based Learning Programs are enormous. Educationally, Thoughtware is self-paced and continuously interactive. Real situations are simulated. The animation and color graphics motivate and hold your interest. Skills are practiced until they're mastered. There's consistent quality of instruction and increased training effective- ness. And even the capability to test yourself. Economically, Thoughtware reduces training time and cuts the cost of training dramatically. And the more it is used by you and those who work with you, the more cost-effective it becomes. It also eliminates travel, living and instructor costs. Operationally, training fits the schedule of the student, not the trainer, thus facilitating increased usage. There's minimal job interruption as training can take place on or off site, during or after regular hours. Other Thoughtware Programs include: 12 Evaluating Organizational Effectiveness 2.1 Leading Effectively 2.2 Motivating To Achieve Results 2.3 Defining Goals And Objectives Become a better manager by visiting your local computer dealer or call us at our toll-free number, 1-800-THT-WARE, or write: Thoughtware Inc. Suite S, 2699 So. Bayshore Dr. Coconut Grove, Florida 33133. Zorro's Hidden Capabilities Computer companies have a long tradition of hiding features of their new products. Zenith, for example/ has yet to send me updates to its soft- ware to tell me how to format single- sided disks on Zorro the Z-100. It claims it will do that Real Soon Now. Well see. Zenith has also brought out CP/M- 86 for the Z-100. It has been through beta testing and is out in the marketplace. We don't have our own copy yet, but Jim Ransom has had problems getting Logitech's Modula-2 compiler for CP/M-86 running with his Z-100. I don't know the details; perhaps when I get a copy of CP/M- 86 here I can find out. I find among my notes another: CP/M-85 cannot find a directory on the CP/M-86 disks that came from Logitech, but the IBM PC reads them fine under Concurrent CP/M-86. I suspect some format problems. More when I know more. Meanwhile, there's a hidden feature to Zenith's CP/M-86: it can run CP/M-80 software without modifica- tion. Bringing up the Z-100 under CP/M-86 and then running normal CP/M-80 software with it gives you a much larger temporary program area (TPA: the "usable" memory for a pro- gram). At COMDEX Alex was unable to find any Zenith employees or dealers who knew about this feature. It ought to trumpet it, though, because it's an important selling point. Currently, DEC's Rainbow, the Compupro CP/M-8/16 systems, and the Fujitsu Micro 16 are the only ma- chines I can think of that can do this. With WRITE, for example, our text memory area is about 35K bytes under CP/M-85; but under CP/M-86 it's well over 40K bytes. WRITE works fine, and since Tony used some very complex BIOS (basic input/output system) calls in that program, it's a pretty good test. Upgrading Zorro Don't buy Zenith 8-inch drives. They're overpriced, and they don't work any better than anyone else's. Zenith's current software supports only two 5V4-inch and two 8-inch drives anyway, and it has no plans to upgrade to more. For that matter, there isn't enough power in the Z-100 case to run four full-power 5V4-inch drives anyway. We've been using our Compupro 8- inch drives disconnected from the ex- perimental box as a way to transfer files from the Zenith to our Compu- pro systems. Alas, for reasons I haven't had time to analyze, the only completely reliable way to do that is to use old-fashioned single-sided single-density IBM 3740/1-format disks. Sometimes the Z-100 will read double-density and sometimes it won't, and sometimes the Compupro doesn't seem to understand the Zenith's double-density disks. One day I'll do a systematic investigation; until then, we use Old Reliable slow 241K SSSD. HELP! I love to get mail. As I've said before, it's as if I have my own intel- ligence network out there; it makes writing this column no end easier, and obviously I can't do the User to User column at all without reader letters. However. Please help simplify my life. For ex- ample: there's no point in sending me long press releases about promo- tions within your company. Most of those are accompanied by photo- graphs of nervous people with strange smiles. Sometimes we use the photos: we tack them to the walls with captions like "Hi! I'm not wear- ing any underwear!" or "I know a secret! I'm nude from the waist down!," which is what those grins suggest they're thinking. We also use them as targets for our Beeman Hurricane air pistol. (I can recommend air pistol shooting at pic- tures of computer company presi- dents as a means for computer col- umnists to relax.) Second, before you write asking me how to make contact with some company whose products I have reviewed, please look at the big box that always accompanies the column. If you read the October BYTE and want to make contact with Larry Weed's Problem-Knowledge Coupler company, look in the box in the Oc- Circle 349 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 75 Items Reviewed Concept $3995 Imaginator 2 Corvus Systems Cleveland Codonics 2029 OToole Ave. 18001 Englewood Dr. San Jose, CA 95131 Cleveland, OH 44130 (408) 946-7700 (216) 243-1198 Concurrent CP/M-86 $350 Rogue Soft/Net Not yet released Artificial Intelligence Desig Digital Research POB 3685 POB579 Santa Clara, CA 95055 Pacific Grove, CA 93950 (408) 649-3896 System Backup Norell Data Systems POB 70127 DR Manual-Sized Paper 1000 sheets $20 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Anthropomorphic Systems Ltd. 2500 sheets $40 (213) 257-2026 POB 819 Addison, IL 80101 Uniform (312) 629-5160 Microsolutions 125 South Fourth St. Eagle Spirit XL $4795 DeKalb, IL 60115 Eagle 1600 Series 1620 $4495 (815) 756-3421 Eagle Computer 1630 $6995 983 University Ave. 1640 $8995 Zenith Z-100 Computer Los Gatos, CA 95030 Zenith Data Systems (408) 395-5005 1000 Milwaukee Ave. Glenview, IL 60025 (312) 391-8865 Not available $49.95 $49.95 $2899 tober issue rather than writing me to ask for the address. Third, please do not send me form letters. If you're a dealer for products I've reviewed favorably, God bless you; but I don't need flyers describ- ing stuff I've already written about, and I particularly don't need solicita- tions to buy a Sage computer. I already have one, for Heaven's sake! Finally, there's a letter from Jonathan Sachs of Sand River Soft- ware to the managing editor of BYTE. Sachs says, "Several weeks ago I wrote to Jerry Pournelle asking how I could get a copy of a program he mentioned. To date he has not replied." Mr. Sachs says he is upset because "I pay money to read Jerry's column because I think I can profit from the information in it. Now it appears that he's got a program that would make my business more efficient— but I can't get it, or even find out for sure what it is, because he doesn't answer mail. "From my point of view, this is no different from the behavior of a soft- ware producer that refuses to sup- port the product it sells. Jerry regular- ly (and justifiably) rails against such practices. Does he realize he's guilty of them himself?" Both the original letter inquiring about some of Tony Pietsch's ex- perimental work and this letter to BYTE's managing editor were unac- companied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. I try to answer mail. I really do, and I apologize to all those whose letters I just can't get to; but darn it all, I don't like addressing envelopes and while I'm willing to pay postage if someone forgets, I don't like having it demanded of me. No, Mr. Sachs; I do not believe a columnist has the same obligations to provide individual support as does a software company, nor do I believe BYTE's managing editor has the obligation to drop what he's doing and answer your letter. I'm sorry you're going to cancel your subscrip- tion, but I guess I'm just going to have to live with the situation. In other words: I'll try to answer letters. I can't guarantee an individual reply even if you send a self-ad- dressed stamped envelope, although I'll do my best. I certainly am not ac- cepting heavy guilt trips because one or another letter didn't get answered. I do feel pretty bad when someone sends me a really neat program and I don't get to it quickly. I'm Really Trying . . . As I write this, Dr. Allan Trimpi, who's way overqualified for the job, is off in the next room cataloging about seven cubic feet of software. Well then assign the most promising stuff to assistants. Maybe we'll get caught up. It isn't likely, but we can try. Micro land expands at a frantic pace. Trying to stay current can wear you to a frazzle. I love it.B Jerry Pournelle welcomes readers' com- ments and opinions. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Jerry Pournelle, do BYTE Publications, POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449. Please put your address on the letter as well as on the envelope. Due to the high volume of letters, Jerry cannot guarantee a personal reply. Jerry Pournelle is a former aerospace engineer and current science-fiction writer who loves to play with computers. 76 BYTE March 1984 THE COUIMBIA IBM-PC COMPATIBLES. THEYREWARDTWO BUSINESS VIRTUES: FORESIGHT AND CUNNING. Trust your Instincts. While others rushed out to buy an IBM™PC, you waited and watched. You knew prices would come down and software would get better. Now we have a reward for your patience: the Columbia family of IBM-PC compatible computers. It's a choice of systems and software no one else can match. The Columbia line includes the VP Portable which lets you work any- place, any time. There's also the MPC, our desktop model, available in dual floppy disk or 10MB hard disk drive. Compatible with each other and the IBM-PC, as well. Foresight led you to our IBM-PC compatibility. We start you with more operating systems than IBM, even more than other IBM-PC compatibles (MS-DOS*and CP/M?86). Which means you have immediate access to all the latest business and financial software. Free software that's a steal. Thousands of dollars worth of free software come with every Columbia computer. Columbia Tutor gives you a fast, comfortable start. Perfect Software™ covers your word processing, spreadsheeting, and filing needs. Fast Graphs* turns facts and figures into graphs and charts. And asyn- chronous communications lets you share information with other computers. For your sense of self, we give you Home Accountant Plus^games, and two programming languages so you'll feel like an eleven year old genius. Responsive service. Above and beyond. 175 local Bell & Howell service centers stand ready to maintain your Columbia computer at a moment's notice. Prices start at $2995. The phone call is free. Now, while you're feeling shrewd, call toll free for the Columbia dealer nearest you. Then, see for yourself how the Columbia Compatibles can reward your business virtues. 800-638-7866 COLUMBIA DATA PRODUCTS, INC. Columbia Data Products, Inc. 9150 Rumsey Road, Columbia, MD 21045 (301) 992-3400, TWX 710-8624891. Trademarks: IBM — International Kimness M;i< limes Corp.: MS DOS — Microsoft, Ir Software on greens not included. ;CP/M- 86 — Digital Research, Inc.. Perfect Software— Perfect Software. Inc.; Fast Graphs ■ Innovative Software; Hume Accountant Plus— Continental Software Company. Circle 70 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 77 EmBH Chronograph: NEW EXPANDED QUADBOARD Game Port: I/O Bracket: THF WORI D'\ Ail of these features 1 nC ¥Vk/nUUuJ arestan dardonthe RFs frequently THEPACK Now more than ever Quadboard is the first and only board your IBM PC or XT may ever need. No other board even comes close. Because Quadboard is designed Ch 1j=*_> for Performance. Engineered ^^^OiC^W^ for dependability. Compare. See why more Quadboards aie bought than any other multifunction board . . ■ Memory H Available v 0-384K 0-384K I :'-. Parallel & - Wt Yes Yes ■ Clock/ ■ Calendar Yes -ms I 1/0 Standard . H :ePort Standard Clonal H Diagnostic ■ Testing Yes Yes |jl Advanced i Spooler Yes No ■ j Setup Yes No H DiskCache Yes No SixPakPlus is a trademark of A QUADRAM CORPORATION An intetltgent Systems Company 4355 International Blvd./Norcross, Ga. 30093 (404) 923-6666/TWX 810-766-4915 (QUADRAM NQRS) Circle 297 on inquiry card. BY QUADRAM TM Copyright 1983 Quadram Corporation All rights reserved IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. :*Pf When you're late for the dance, feiP' youti better have a very good reason. The party started about three years ago for the personal computer. And there was dancing. But there wasn't much talking. Because as more and more computer companies arrived, there were some very real compatibility problems. Until one latecomer arrived. Sperry. With a remarkably simple solution. The Sperry PC. It was able to run all IBM compatible software. It was able to run all this software with stunningly more SPERRY PERSONAL COMPUTER SPECIFICATIONS OPERATING AUXILIARY SYSTEM MEMORY MS DOS Version 1.25 Up to two internal or 2.0 with G. W. BASIC 514" diskettes MICROPROCESSOR 10MB internal High-Speed 16-bit 8088 fixed disk when DISPLAY SCREENS configured with High Definition single diskette monochrome display. USER MEMORY High resolution color Standard 128K display. IBM bytes, expandable compatible graphics. to640K COMMUNICATIONS DIAGNOSTICS Built-in Asynchronous Power-on self test KEYBOARD CLOCK 84 keys. 6 ft. cord Time-of-day with battery _ dramatic graphics and from a sub- stantially more comfortable keyboard than IBM's. And, with the flick of a special "turbo" switch, the Sperry PC could even run 50% faster than IBM. Enough for one night? Not for the people from Sperry. For the Sperry PC had the additional ability to plug into the real brains of an organization— the main computer. Whether that system was IBM or Sperry. Or both. The Sperry PC. An admittedly attractive arrival. But when you get there late, you'd better have something important to bring to the party. lb see how the Sperry PC can work for you and for your free copy of the Micro Software Catalogue, write Sperry Corporation, Computer Systems, Dept. 100, P.O. Box 500, Blue Bell, PA 19424. Or call 800-547-8362. © SPERRY Corporation, 1983 ^SPERW The Sperry PC. What the personal computer should have been in the first place/"*^ 80 BYTE March 1984 Circle 332 on inquiry card. BYTE West Coast A First Look at Dayflo A free-form database gets you closer to your ideas by Ezra Shapiro Dayflo, a program announced at COMDEX in November and released during the first quarter of 1984, is rep- resentative of the new wave of "idea processing" software. Dubbed "a per- sonal information-management sys- tem" by its creators, the program is a free-form, text-oriented data- base-management package, de- signed—at least initially— to run on the IBM PC XT. The central principle behind the structure of Dayflo stems from the realization that note scrawling and the constant organization and reor- ganization of small scraps of paper into larger documents are a major part of what goes on in the world. A program that answers the demands of a typical office environment would have to be able to move quickly from one kind of note to another and allow for the impulsive entry or retrieval of information at the time of thought, without the traditional delays of pro- gram start-up and data entry. Dayflo Software of Irvine, Califor- nia, states that the average office per- sonal computer is used only half an hour a day. Dayflo represents an at- tempt to create a flexible tool that can be used throughout the day. It allows variable-length text records to be tagged and recalled in much the same way that a standard database manager handles fixed-length records. However, Dayflo's form de- sign is only as structured as the user wants it to be. The program seeks to accommodate itself to the ebb and flow of the workplace, hence its name and guiding philosophy. For a look at Dayflo in use, see the se- quence of operations in photos 1 through 15. The Metaphor Dayflo is structured around the metaphor of the executive desktop— a fairly standard theme these days— but this version adds a number of perceptive twists. The program be- gins by assuming that you have an open file folder on your desk, one containing a collection of information that relates to your current project. Up to 19 other folders are piled off to one side, as if they had been gathered from a nearby filing cabinet. These folders may or may not pertain to the task at hand. You're also equipped with a trash basket, a pair of scissors, a tray in Dayflo adjusts to the ebb and flow of the workplace. which to drop pieces of paper, and a scratch pad, all of which are con- stantly available. During the course of the day, you pull the scraps in your folder into presentable form, some- times using items from the other folders on the desk, sometimes dig- ging new material out of the filing cabinet. If you're interrupted, simply jot a note on your pad— even if you happen to be in the middle of a para- graph. When the opportunity pre- sents itself, you can make a copy of the note and file it in the appropri- ate location. When a task is com- pleted, you close the folder and move on to the next, or you refile it in the filing cabinet and begin gathering material for the next job. At the end of the day, you can leave your folders as they are or stuff them back into the cabinet. With a few additional permuta- tions, this is Dayflo. An Evolutionary Step Text management has always been a primary concern of software devel- opers. From the earliest line editors to the sophisticated screen-oriented word-processing systems of today, programmers have struggled to ac- complish two goals: to apply the power of the computer to the relative- ly straightforward tasks involved in word-by-word data entry; and to aid the writer by easing the creative pro- cess of transferring ideas to paper. While the first goal has largely been met, the second has proved more elusive. For obvious reasons, the focus in the computer industry has been on tailoring features to the needs of the business world. The first true word processors were aimed at the sec- retarial arena— a major selling point was (and still is, in many cases) not how much easier a program could make the process of creating a rough draft, but how much easier it could make the final presentation of an error-free business letter. Recent efforts have concentrated on a more advanced problem, the busi- ness report. Spreadsheet-based text processors are good examples of the current approach, as are many of the integrated business packages now appearing on the market— programs that incorporate ledger computation, graphics, and data retrieval with text handling. But until the past year or so, very little has been done to ex- pedite the storage, retrieval, and manipulation of ideas as opposed to data. BYTE March 1984 81 Photo 1: Dayflo's basic entry mode, the "wait state." Text is entered and forms are designed much as they are with any word-processing program. Just press the Fl function key for a screen full of guidance. Photo 2: A touch of the *(PrtSc) key puts you in command mode. Single-key choices let you select from a menu of word-processing op- tions; moving the cursor to the bottom line gives access to overall Dayflo instructions. 11 ta\}±lt i4*m . >>1 traM Tmrt I . .ldLitsIlii-ttfktUir •*!« • !•£■ i* klgft|t«M*l • >• tfjii* far 24^ Photo 5: TTie Statas command provides a means to check the con- figuration of any aspect of Dayflo, and it's a good way to keep track of what you're doing. Photo 6: The Work Area Status screen—a map of the Dayflo desktop. Only one record has been entered in the first stack; although some of the other stacks have been named, they're empty until records are either created or pulled from the main database. Most word-processing programs provide relatively simple block moves; they transfer chunks of text within an individual document or among a small group of documents stored in on-line buffers. When data transfers must occur outside the limits of a work in progress, things become unpleasant. The mechanisms pro- vided by the typical text processor for, first, labeling and storing, and second, locating and recalling blocks of information, are cumbersome at best. In most cases, the writer must both name the block and remember the name in order to have a prayer of finding and reusing the information. On the other hand, most database- management software, while adept at storage and retrieval of punch card- style chunks of data, is miserable at text processing, and the restrictions of fixed entry forms and precisely limited entry length would drive a creative writer up the walls. And it's almost impossible to combine a mix- ture of data types and formats into a cohesive whole without retreating to the use of a word processor. Dayflo is a philosophical combina- tion of text manager and database manager intended to provide the user with a quick method of linking labels to idea units, thus adding a degree of control and organization to a normally haphazard process. How It Works When you first enter the Dayflo en- vironment, you are presented with an almost blank screen, representing the Dayflo "wait state." You can begin 82 BYTE March 1984 Photo 3: The Work Area menu manipulates individual records and whole stacks; it's the route you take to move around on your "desk- top." Once you tire of rereading the menu, commands can he activated by pressing a function key followed by a single letter. Photo 4: A database-style form under construction. The INS and NAME flags appearing on the status line at the lower left of the screen indicate that you're in insert mode and that a field name is being entered. Once this record has been completed, it can be retrieved by searching for the contents of any single field name (or group of names). Photo 7: The Profile Status screen shows how the system has been set to respond to errors and dangerous commands. You can change the response settings and some of the major video attributes. Photo 8: The System Configuration Status screen allows changes to major system features. Dayflo can be used with more than one data- base—to switch to a different database, simply overtype the Database Storage Tile name with the new information. typing immediately, as the blank screen is essentially a word proces- sor. You are working on the equiva- lent of a sheet of paper on a scratch pad resting in an open folder on your desk. (In Dayflo terminology, this "folder" is called a "stack," and that term will be used from here on.) Pressing the *(PrtSc) key displays a line of menu options close to the bottom of the screen; these provide such standard functions as format changes, search and replace, block moves, and toggling between insert- ing and overwriting. A second list of menu choices, accessed by punching the down cursor key, shows the pos- sibilities for accomplishing functions that deal with overall Dayflo opera- tions. The document you're creating is a single record in a text database. It and other records like it have been orga- nized into 20 stacks. The current stack can contain a large number of records, which can be flipped through one by one. When you begin work in a new stack, the "bottom" of the stack is always the scratch-pad area, but as you flip through your records, you tuck them under the scratch pad; thus, while each stack contains a scratch pad, it won't always be the bottom record. A status line indicates your position in the stack as you move around. Block moves of text can be per- formed by marking the beginning and the end of the section and press- ing one of the PC's function keys. Selecting the "Cut" option moves the block into a buffer called the "cutout BYTE March 1984 83 Photo 9: Page layout options are limited but sufficiently complete to generate professional reports. More sophisticated layouts can be produced using Report flo, an optional companion program. Photo 10: The Item Dictionary lists all field names that Dayflo "knows" and their attributes. If you enter data that does not con- form to the dictionary specifications, the program will request verifica- tion before accepting the information. Nonindexed items can be re- trieved only as part of entire records; indexed items can be retrieved independently. Photo 13: Blocks are stored in the Dayflo "cutout holder" and pasted in where needed. Once a block has been placed in the holder, it re- mains available for reuse until an active decision is made to throw it away. Photo 14: The holder itself is much like a stack; blocks can be stored as if they were scraps of paper. The only real difference is that the cutout holder cannot be used to update the main database. holder." Positioning the cursor at the new location and choosing "Paste" completes the transfer. The holder itself is much like a stack, although the fragments it contains can neither be edited nor stored until reunited with actual stack records. It will ac- cumulate snippets of text until it is told to clear itself, which is ideal for gathering a series of segments and then relocating them. Moves can be accomplished within a record or from one record to another, regardless of stack boundaries. However, Dayflo is more than a text editor with advanced buffering capa- bilities: it is a full-fledged database manager. Once a record has been completed, it can be stored in a cen- tral database for future use. Although stacks can be created entirely from scratch, a more typical event would be to extract the contents of a stack from the database by searching for single or multiple relationships. In a finished record, all entries must be tagged with a field name, or "item name," as defined in a user- generated name dictionary. A one- or two-keystroke toggle command acti- vates the switch from text entry to name entry. "Indexed" names can be used for eventual retrieval of the item or its record; "nonindexed" names merely identify items and cannot be used as keys for searching. Free-form blocks of text can be entered on the scratch pad or in the middle of a preexisting document, as with any simple word processor. However, Dayflo will not allow you to end an editing session until you have included at least one indexed field name (the default is "&RECORD NAME"). Such a precaution is de- signed to save the unwitting from themselves; if it were possible to store raw text in the main database 84 BYTE March 1984 Photo 11: Dayflo demands at least one indexed item name per record before it will allow the record to be saved. This is not a frivolous restriction. Photo 12: Using Dayflo's Cut and Paste commands, a block of text can be moved from one record to another. Photo 15: Cleanup time. You can either leave your metaphorical desk as it is or put everything back in the main database. If you elect to refile materials, remember that you'll have to rebuild all your stacks when you begin working again. without a field name from which to begin a search (and theoretically it is possible), retrieval would necessitate searching every record under every field name in order to match a char- acter string. With a large database, this could take a disturbingly long time. Maneuvering on the Desktop The Dayflo "Status" command pro- vides access to a number of screens of configuration information that can be altered to suit the needs of the mo- ment, including database in use, printer assignment, page layout, video attributes, warning messages, and text format. The most frequent- ly consulted status screen is probably that for Work Area Status. The Work Area is your desktop. The status screen shows the titles of all the stacks in use, the number of records in each stack, the number of records in the trash, the number of blocks in the cutout holder, the cur- rent stack, and your position within the current stack as measured in dis- tance from the scratch pad. Work Area commands let you build new stacks, move between stacks, print records, sort records within the stack, extract new records from the database, duplicate records, and ini- tiate cleanup procedures. You can ac- cess command mode either by mov- ing to the Work Area command menu and making your choice or by typing one function key followed by a mnemonic initial. In either case, maneuvers rarely require more than two or three keystrokes. Weak Points As is the case with all new pro- grams, Dayflo is not without its weaknesses. To Dayflo Software's credit, however, it does not view the initial release as an end to the devel- opment process. Dayflo will be en- hanced as the product evolves. At the time this report was written, Dayflo had some drawbacks, par- ticularly in the user-interface portions of the program. Shortly before its re- lease to the buying public, Dayflo staff members were still debating whether the program should come up showing the Work Area Status screen (to provide an overview of work in progress) or return to the point at which the user had been working. The general opinion was that the latter solution would be best for users who had learned the sys- tem, and that opening with the status screen was an interim step in the training process that would prove an- noying within several days of use. BYTE March 1984 85 Accounting Business g Systems l easytabs ) If your Computer Store doesn't have this . . . Software for the small business & first time user i sail '•^m £ 1 « &®a#es ask them where you can get it! EASYTABS EASY TABS family consists of Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Word Processor and Data Manager. • EASY TO USE simply insert your disks and switch on! SELF INSTALLING no need for expensive professional installation fees. TUTORIAL MANUALS ensure an easy further dealer/distributor introduction to running your system. HELP facilities in the program to prompt the user. tf» ; %^R LOW COST economic entry into office automation. SILICON! INTERNATIONAL SOFTWARE INC. 990 Hillside Ave. Unit I, 2521 Palma Drive, Victoria, B.C. VST 2A1 Ventura, CA., 93003 Telex 049-7102 However, as the prerelease versions lacked both provisions for field con- figurability and any sort of macro-key command capacity, either option would be irritating to a certain per- centage of users. The problem was solved at Dayflo offices by the wide- spread use of Pro-Key, a keyboard re- configuration program for the IBM PC— the solution is an admitted patch, well below the overall high standards of the operation. A conscious effort has been made to imitate the Wordstar approach to menus and help screens (the experi- enced user can circumvent these screens with quick function-key com- mands), but a number of the screens could easily entrap and confuse a novice, and the language used, while concise, is intimidating. For example, the initial Dayflo work screen is labeled "wait state"— terse and to the point, but useless to the uninitiated. Dayflo does not interact well with other software packages on the mar- ket. Although it can accommodate text output from other packages, Dayflo can't handle raw data files. The user must wait until the other packages spit out information in a form that Dayflo can digest. Al- though designers are working on a solution, it's not a simple problem; building in all the translation algorithms for the varied universe of available data structures is no small task. Finally, Dayflo may suffer as a re- sult of its massive size. The basic pro- gram is more than 75,000 lines of pro- gram code written in C, which com- piles down to 1 megabyte. And that's without the object database or data- bases, Reportflo (a companion pro- gram for fancier output), or spread- sheeting capabilities (one of the first of a projected series of enhancement packages). To say that Dayflo is de- signed for a hard-disk environment is something of an understatement; it absolutely requires a hard disk. Conclusions The more you work with Dayflo and become accustomed to its idio- syncrasies, the more you become conscious of its power. It is possible to design simulated fixed-length l—m Circle 322 on inquiry card. 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I AST SJxftikPlus™/$229 includes: Clock/calendar with battery back-up Asynchronous communications port, {RS232C serial, C0M1 or 2) Memory sockets for up to 384k Parallel Printer Port (LPT1 or 2) SuperDrive & SuperSpooler software One year Parts & Labor warranty riS^tttt* Options: 64k memory $5E Game Option $3E o SA THE EIGHT PRICE ^^ INSTITUTIONS - AST MegaPfus HV$229 includes Options: Clock/calendar with battery back-up 64k memory $55 Asynchronous communications 2nd async port $35 port, (RS232C serial, C0M1 or 2) Printer port $35 Memory sockets for up to 256k GamePak $40 SuperDrive & SuperSpooler software MegaPak 256k $299 One year Parts & Labor warranty MegaPak 1 28k $1 99 Circle 300 on inquiry card . QUBi mo, Ca Ho, CA 93010 Tempo House, 1 5 Falcon Road, London SW1 1, United Kingdom Circle 406 on Inquiry card. „ ii ii hi Ml ". ii n in mi H 1 III! 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Accounts for up to 999 departments. Automatically consolidates reports. Complete Audit Trail. Detects out-of-balance transactions. For PC-DOS, MS-DOS and CP/M Systems. $475 per module. /V" y JP *£* __ %\\# nM"\^ 5 ^e< w# *?sri*.*r <£* s ^° u ve uce5 ; SS> *Sf& 10 Circle 224 on inquiry card. •IBM is a trademark of the International Business Machines Corporation "COMPAQ is a trademark of the COMPAQ Computer Corporation. Master SNE%i!%*?N* \ \ I ■Hi Now you can buy the flexible disk drives preferred by major computer manufacturers, Introducing the perfect partner to the IBM PC-Storage- Master 400 Series 5.25 inch flex- ible disk drives. They're com- pletely compatible with IBM PCs. Now; for the first time you can own the whisper quiet flexible disk drive that's only been avail- able to computer manufacturers. From Control Data, the leading independent supplier of periph- erals. Which means that Storage- Master drives come to you user- tested in the toughest laboratory around-on the job, in hundreds of thousands of computer sys- tems worldwide. That's one good reason to buy StorageMaster products. There are others. Control Data's been in the computer business for over 25 years. WeVe earned a solid reputation for quality and reliability-at prices that mean real value. Look to StorageMaster dis- kettes for the best in flexible media too! Control Data StorageMaster brand diskettes are known for their high quality and consis- tency. Each diskette is 100% certified and backed with a full 5-year warranty. Now with StorageMaster, you can use the top of the Control Data line in flexible diskettes-made to the same exacting standards as the StorageMaster disk drives. Look for StorageMaster products in your local computer store or for more information call toll-free 1-800/232-6789. In Minnesota call 612/921-4400 ext 41. CONTRpL Circle 417 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 91 , wm ' /y^ ,-CCo h 'ar^ I )irect - D I don't need the Translator at this time, but please send your Software Directory. □ Please have a salesperson call. with ready-made software compati- bility between the '/HO device : T ...the complete professional solution at an unbeatable price. Base System Price 1 Serial Port (RS232) Parallel Port Bit-Mapped Graphics Word Processing Software , Spreadsheet Software Business Graphics Software Communications Software Complete Solution The VISUAL 1050 is an advanced personal computer system designed especially for managers and professionals. It comes complete with top-rated software and high-performance hardware ... all fully config- ured for easy set-up and simple operation. The VISUAL 1050 costs much less than other full-feature personal computers and comes with everything you need to tackle important professional jobs, right out of the box. Words, Numbers and Graphics The VISUAL 1050 solves more professional problems than any other computer in its class. Whether you work with words, numbers, or graphics, the VISUAL 1050 speaks your language. You get WordStar;* MailMerge,* Muftiplari* and Digital Research's DR Graph" . . . leading software packages for word processing, spreadsheet and graphics. And all have been specially adapted to share data and perform as an inte- grated software family. Communications, BASIC and More . . .You get Terminal Emulation software which turns your VISUAL 1050 into a powerful ASCII terminal for dial-up access to remote computer resources. And you get CBASIC for custom programming applications. CP/M Plus* a new and improved release of CP/M, allows your VISUAL 1050 ^^^r^^^^^^^^w to support hundreds of popular third-party packages. wk ji ^jH I *4 ^ Unbeatable Value $2,695 is the total retail price for the mi. ^ „ M VISUAL 1050. You get the best and most popular software packages, ready to run on hardware which offers the features and quality you should demand. Two high capacity disc drives. 128K memory standard. Fast, bit-mapped graphics. Full size green screen. Circle 373 on inquiry card. VISUAL 1050 IBM' PC Apple' lie TRS-80' Model 12 DEC Rainbow' $2,695 $2,750 $2,390 $3,999 $3,495 STANDARD $119 $195 2 STANDARD 2 STANDARD 2 STANDARD $119 $180 2 STANDARD STANDARD STANDARD $240 STANDARD $499 $845 STANDARD $200-$500 $200-$500 $399 $200-$500 STANDARD $200-$300 $200-$300 $299 $200-$300 $200-$400 STANDARD STANDARD $200-$400 $200-$400 $100-$200 $200 $100 STANDARD $100-$200 COMPLETE SOLUTION PRICE $2,695 $3,928 W, 628 $3,465 $4,165 $5,496 $4,940 $5,540 Dual Drive Capacity 800 KB 640 KB 280 KB 2 5 MB 800 KB Graphics Resolution 640x300 640x200 280 x 192 640x240 800x240 feys on Keyboard 93 YES YES 83 63 82 105 ixpandable Memory YES YES YES YES YES Dptional Winchester YES YES YES NO Hit and Swivel Display YES NO NO NO ard 1 - Includes CPU . 64K User Memory. Keyboard Display. Two Disc Drives, and Operating System Based on manufacturers information available August. 19&3 VISUAL 1050 includes 128K User Memory stand Standard printer and communication ports. Rugged 93-key keyboard with special WordStar engravings. You can't buy a more complete hardware and software solution at anywhere near the price. See for yourself® Visual Technology Incorporated 540 Main Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876 Telephone (617) 851-5000. Telex 951-539 "Registered trademark of Visual Technology Incorporated BYTE March 1984 version, GPSS/H, which runs on a wider variety of mainframes and minicomputers, is supported by Wol- verine Software of Annandale, Vir- ginia. SIMSCRIPT is a product of CACI of Los Angeles, California, and requires its own compiler. Both GASP and SLAM are supported by Pritsker & Associates of West Lafay- ette, Indiana, and are compatible with many FORTRAN compilers. SIMSCRIPT and GASP are event- oriented simulation languages, which means that they are a set of subrou- tines for file creation, file manipula- tion, scheduling, and statistical analysis that the modeler combines in the way that best replicates the sys- tem under study A completely coded model consists essentially of calls to subroutines and assignment state- ments for updating files associated with individual customers. GPSS is a process-oriented simula- tion language in which the modeler stipulates the processes involved in the system, such as creating custom- ers, seizing servers, queuing in lines, and collecting statistics. Once this delineation is complete, the simula- tion language automatically creates, manipulates, and updates the neces- sary files. Process-oriented languages are conceptually easier to understand and easier to code than event- oriented languages, but the latter are more flexible and give modelers a wider range of options for represent- ing systems. SLAM is a relatively new language and potentially the most versatile of all. It allows for both event-oriented and process-oriented simulations as well as continuous simulation for those segments of a model requiring it. Figure 1 is the main portion of a SLAM program in its process- oriented mode for a one-person bar- ber shop. The first and last lines simply frame the process being modeled. Line 2 creates customers with times between arrivals governed by an exponential distribution having mean 25. Line 3 directs each arriving customer into queue #1 to await the barber. Line 4 of the code states there is only one barber whose service times are normally distributed with a mean of 20 and a standard devia- NETWORK; CREATE, EXPON(25); QUEUE(1); ACTIVITY/1, RNORM(20,5); TERMINATE.100; END; Figure 1: The main portion of a queuing- system simulation written in the language SLAM. $D1 BAL = 0.05*BAL $M10 END BAL=1000 TMAX = 25 END LIST BAL PLOT BAL END Figure 2: The main portion of a bank balance simulation written in the con- tinuous-simulation language DARE. tion of 5. This activity is designated as activity #1. Line 5 instructs SLAM to terminate a customer upon com- pletion of service and to terminate the simulation after 100 customers have been processed. SLAM does the rest including taking the first cus- tomer in the queue and placing that person in service when the barber is free, reporting statistics on each queue and each activity designated by a number, and sampling from stipulated probability distributions. SLAM automatically creates and up- dates a calendar of service comple- tion times for all customers in service coupled with the time of the next customer arrival, and at each time in chronological order, SLAM creates, manipulates, and terminates all nec- essary files for replicating the queu- ing system as stipulated in the code. Continuous-Simulation Languages All continuous-simulation lan- guages are based on numerical-inte- gration routines for solving sets of first-order differential equations, both linear and nonlinear. Many adhere to standards established by the Society for Computer Simulation (SCS) of La Jolla, California. Such languages pro- vide modelers with a choice of inte- gration algorithms including vari- able-step Runge-Kutte routines and routines for solving stiff differential equations, they allow inclusion of user-written subroutines in the host language of the source code, and they provide options for graphic out- put with internal scaling of axes. A continuous-simulation language can be mastered in under five hours. The forerunner of most continu- ous-simulation languages is the IBM product CSMP, but there are now many others that run on a greater variety of computers. Some of these languages include CSSL-IV from Simulation Services of Chatsworth, California, ACSL from Mitchell and Gauthier Associates of Concord, Massachusetts, EASY5 from Boeing Computer Services of Tukwila, Washington, and DARE from the De- partment of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arizona. Figure 2 is the main portion of a DARE program for solving a bank balance problem modeled by the dif- ferential equation: dBAL/dt - 0.05BAL; BAL(O) = 1000 The code is separated into sections, each terminating with an END state- ment. First, derivatives are denoted by periods following variable labels. The first section headed by $D1 is the operational segment and contains all the differential equations in the model. It also includes the $Mnn line that instructs DARE as to which of ten different integration routines it should employ The second section is the specification segment including both the initial conditions and TMAX, the length of time the simula- tion should run. The last section specifies output, LIST for a table, PLOT for a graph. DARE does the rest, including solving the differen- tial equations (here there is only one), and providing appropriately scaled graphs for all output variables. DYNAMO, supported by Pugh Roberts Inc. of Cambridge, Massa- chusetts, differs from other contin- uous-simulation languages in that it is designed expressly for social scien- tists using the system-dynamics ap- proach to modeling. DYNAMO con- 100 BYTE March 1984 Number One Add- On Products for IBM PC The Multifunction Cards that let you get the most out of your IBM PC AST Research Number One Add-Ons let you realize the full potential of your I BM PC or PC- XT without wasting valuable slot space. By combining your memory and input/output requirements on a single card, you can take advantage of more of the capabilities IBM designed into the PC, while leaving space for future enhancements as they are introduced. AST Research multifunction boards can add user memory from 64K to 51 2 K to your PC bringing your PC memory to its maximum of 640 K. You also receive the added features of serial ports, parallel ports, a clock calendar, game adapter port, and SuperPak™ — the utility diskette with the most powerful disk emulator and print spooler software available. SixPakPlus™ — Up to 384K memory, serial port, printer port, optional game port, and clock calendar on a single card. I/O Plus IT — Up to 2 serial ports, optional printer port, optional game port, clock cal- endar on a single card. No memory. MegaPlus II™ — Up to 51 2 K memory, up to2 serial ports, optional printer port, optional game port, and clock calendar on a single card. ComboPlus™ — Up to 256K memory, serial port, printer port, and clock calendar on a single card. Communication Products— Other AST Re- search N umber One products include system enhancements and mainframe communica- tions products such as 3270 SNA and 5251 terminal emulation, 3780 RJE support and AST-PCnet™ — the Local Area Network spe- cifically designed for the IBM PC. AESCQuality All AST Research multifunction boards come with the AST "Plus" — our unsurpassed repu- tation for quality, reliability, after-the-sales support, and overall design excellence — which give our products the best price/per- formance ratio in the industry. AST Research Number One Add-On Products are available at Computerland, Entre, Busi- nessland and other computer stores world- wide. Contact AST Research, Inc. for the dealer nearest you. (714) 540-1333/863- 1333 TELEX: 295370ASTR UR PCnet is a registered trademark of Orchid Technology, Inc. Circle 4 on inquiry card. tains simple integration algorithms rendering it unsuitable for engineer- ing simulations and does not allow easy inclusion of user-written sub- routines. Its main appeal is that modelers need not know calculus or differential equations to use the lan- guage. DYNAMO only requires modelers to code rates of change, and then it composes and solves the re- sulting differential equations inter- nally. The language, therefore, is par- ticularly attractive to modelers of social systems. Simulation and the Personal Computer The exciting news in computer sim- ulation is the same story sweeping the entire computer world: micropro- cessors. Some languages are already available, including micro-DYNAMO for both the Apple II and the IBM PC from Addison-Wesley; SIMAN, a discrete-simulation language for the IBM PC from System Modeling Cor- poration of State College, Pennsyl- vania; MicroNET, a discrete-simula- tion language for a variety of personal GET REAL 16 BIT POWER ER ' JHSBBb^*"'"' i A SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER FEATURING THE INTEL 801 86 (see Byte magazine April '83) THE SLICER Full 8MH2 16-bit microprocessor having complete software compatibility with the 8086 and 8088 256K Bytes of RAM plus 32K Bytes of EPROM memory capacity on board floppy disk controller can run the combination of 8", 5-1/4", 3-1/2" drives simultaneously SASI port for hard disk controller Two full function RS232C serial ports with individually controlled baud rates from 50 to 38 .4K baud 8K Of EPROM contains drivers for peripherals, commands for hardware checkout and software testing ■ Source for moni tor and bios i ncl uded on disk * Bios for CP/M 86* supports 8", 5-1 /4", 3-1/2" drives and the Xebec 1410 controller for hard disks ■ Board size 6" x 12" power requirements +5 % 3A, +12V @ 60mA, -12V @ 50mA ■ Complete documentation included. 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Choose 8 MHz CPU for speed 6 MHz CPU for speedy delivery SLICER" SLICER COMPUTERS INC. 2543 Marshall St. i Minneapolis, MN 55418 ($12) 788-9481 ■;' " ' • '• " ' "" . ■■■=s=a==^-— ■■; *CM»*t«d»m«rtfdfOtC(latR«»e»rch, Inc. N j~ Mastercard, Visa, check, money order or CO .D. orders accepted. Please allow 4 weeks : computers from Pritsker & Associ- ates; ACES, a continuous-simulation language for the Apple II from Modulo 2 Company of Tukwila, Washington; and SDvISCRIPT for the IBM PC, and many others are sure to follow. Conferences, such as the 1982 Modeling and Simulation on Micro- computers Conference (sponsored by SCS), have encouraged further par- ticipation. ■ Richard Bwnson is a professor of computer science at Fairleigh-Dickenson University in Teaneck, N] 07666. Bibliography For in-depth discussions of the various topics covered in this article, consult the following: Emshoff, J.R. and R.L. Sisson. Design and Use of Computer Simulation Models. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1970. Forrester, J.W. Industrial Dynamics. Cambridge, MA: Wright-Allen Press Inc., 1961. Forrester, J.W. Urban Dynamics. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1969. Forrester, J.W. World Dynamics. Cambridge, MA: Wright-Allen Press Inc., 1971. Forrester, J.W. 'Counterintuitive Behavior of Social Systems." Technology Review, 1971. Gordon, G. The Application of GPSS V to Discrete System Simulation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1975. Korn, G.A. and J.V Wait. Digital Continuous- System Simulation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1975. Lave, C.A. and J.G. March. An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences. New York: Harper & Row, 1975. Levin, G. and E.B. Roberts. The Dynamics of Human Service Delivery. Cambridge, MA: Balinger Publishing Co., 1976. Meadows, D.L. and D.H. Meadows. Toward Global Equilibrium: Collected Papers. Cam- bridge, MA: Wright-Allen Press Inc., 1973. Pritsker, A.A.B. The GASP IV Simulation Language. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1974. Pritsker, A.A.B. and CD. Pegden. Introduction to Simulation and SLAM. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1979. Richardson, G.R and A. L. P ugh III. Introduction to System Dynamics Modeling with DYNAMO. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1981. Roberts, N., D. Andersen, et al. Introduction to Computer Simulation. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1983. Schriber, T.J. Simulation Using GPSS. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1974. Shannon, R.E. Systems Simulation: The Art and Science. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall Inc., 1975. Speckhart, F.H. and W.L. Green. A Guide to Using CSMP Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall Inc., 1976. 102 BYTE March 1984 Circle 323 on inquiry card. tW(8$BMm&. A l < f •'Mlt •»/ i S AFT STANDBY POWER SYSTEMS FOR SMALL BUSINESS COMPUTERS ATA SMALL BUSINESS PRICE. Now there's a standby power system designed especially for the small business computer. At a price the small businessman can deal with. It's from SAFT, the hottest name in the battery business today. 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BYTE March 1984 103 CLOCK CALENDAR for IBM PC or XT • DOS compatible • 3 /r Uh( um battery backup ^rt No. 21050 $74.95 V r //_ rt vt "*''on % Connect any sartat device such as a printer, modem plotter, moute term in at, to your IBM 1IC or XT PC Ware, Inc. Dept. 2 4883 Ton i no Dr. San Jose, CA 95136 (408) 978-8626 In USA shipping paid by us for orders prepaid We accept COD. orders (U.S. onlyh Par VISA ot MASTERCARD shipping charges wilt be added CA residents mM 6.5% hn tax. Outside USA add 15% for shipping and handling. Pavment must be in U.S Kinds, Dealer mqu tries invited. One year warranty. - Display 80 char aciers across and add 64 K of memory. This board|g for the Apple //• oaR- set your Apple ] to a paraiiet HI-RES GRAPHIC PRINTER INTERFACE for Apple H and //e tfassRSBwar :as5SKS?s- • Cable included Part NO. 22080 SU9.95 Use your dot matrix punter to print high resolution graphics with your Apple ][ or //e. See us in California at the NO*TH WIST CO*P*TI« SWAP JANUARY 28, 29, If* San Mateo Fairgrour MAY 5,6. 1984 Oakland Convention Center iftfc- CENTRONICS PRINTER INTERFACE for Apple H and //e J2BSSBB2S ScwB Compatjble 4 status lines (select*, Busy, r«^ connector Part No. 22010 $5935 • With cable ^included Part No. 22011 $79.90 - onnect any p to your Apple j This ta a general Connect any serial device jch a* a primer, mouse, plotter, modem, ate. to your Applet If w / PARALLEL I/O INTERFACE for Apple U and //e • Multiple drivers onboard in EPHOM rrSKSS &CP/M Compatible I S^KSAS- parallel ports • Four handshake lines ^•Conveniently located ribbon connector part No 22020 $89.95 Circle 337 on Inquiry card. Simulating Reality with Computer Graphics by Peter R. S^rensen Since daguerreotypes became popular in the last century we have assumed that "the camera doesn't lie." We still assume that the photos we see are ac- curate representations of reality But before the invention of the camera, pic- tures were not taken at face value because they were hand-drawn and sub- ject to the artist's interpretation. The trust we place in photographs has had a profound impact on commu- nications. It is already possible to create the appearance of metal, plastic, and glass so effectively with computers that the average viewer can't tell if the image is real or not. If techniques continue to improve at the current rate, by the 1990s it will be possible to conjure up almost any kind of scene from a digital description. The implications for entertainment, education, art, and even propaganda are worthy of note. Computer graphics is already one of the most exciting branches of computer science, and it promises to get only more exciting in the future. Image Generation You must accomplish two essential tasks very accurately to create believ- able pictures: perfect perspective and smooth, uniform shading. There are many other factors, of course, but if either one of these two is incorrect, nothing else matters. Any artist trying to paint realistically can attest to the accuracy required to fool the human eye. Although it's extremely difficult to execute flawless perspective with shadows and highlights by hand, the task can be done efficiently by computer. To generate a picture, you must give the computer the measurements, col- ors, and reflective properties of the objects in the environment, the point of view of the imaginary camera, the type of imaginary lens (close-up, wide- angle, etc.), and the locations of any light sources. You give the locations in terms of X, Y, and Z coordinates, with X being the width (horizontal), Y the height (vertical), and Z the depth. Many people refer to this process and its products as 3-D because this is a three-dimensional description of the scene. In reality the images are two-dimensional, which is confusing because you can also create true three-dimensional stereo image pairs with parallax on a computer. If you want to animate the scene, you must also specify the motions of the camera and the objects. There are still two quite different software approaches to creating an image: boundary representa- tion (B-rep), the most popular, and ray tracing. With B-rep, the computer needs to determine first the distance of all the objects from the viewpoint and their orientation. Knowing where and how big the objects are (things appear smaller the farther away they are), the sys- tem projects a frame of view out into the scene and ignores everything else (called clipping). Next, the computer needs to decide which surfaces are Photo 1: Jumping Skeleton, created by David Zeltzer of Ohio State University and done at Cranston /Csuri Productions. An artificial-intelligence program automatically animates the skeleton with realistic motion. 106 BYTE March 1984 jj^p^p I " ;.-" HE '"& "% Hl iH HUbi - '~^"4iM^«W'5Si p-'-T' "1 i^^^^^H BYTE March 1984 107 visible and which are hidden behind other objects. This is necessary be- cause the computer has an x-ray view, seeing everything at once. To discover how brightly lit the visible surfaces are, the computer must determine their orientation toward the light source. The computer then creates the picture with lines (like a television picture) made up of dots called pixels. Ray tracing is less frequently used but is currently gaining in populari- ty. In ray tracing, the computer cal- culates the paths taken by the light rays. This is a more natural process, except that the computer performs the process backwards: from camera to object to light source. The im- aginary film plane is divided like a pixel grid— each pixel is the origin of a ray. The ray emanates into the scene until it strikes an object while the computer traces its path. The angle at which the ray strikes the object determines the angle at which it bounces off and continues on its way. The ray may go on to strike another object or go off into space. The system can now determine pix- el color and brightness from how close the ray came to the light source and how many and what other ob- jects it struck. Everything is calcu- lated strictly according to the rules of physics— how light reflects off differ- ent materials or passes through trans- parent ones— except that things are figured in reverse. If you started trac- ing the rays from the light source, you'd find that very, very few of them wind up going into the camera, and a lot of effort would be wasted. A major advantage of ray tracing is that it takes care of hidden surfaces and clipping automatically, just as in real life: you see only what's in your line of sight. This technique saves a lot of computer time; however, ray tracing is still generally slower than B-rep. It's faster to find out which sur- faces you can see, calculate their col- or and intensity, and assign that col- or/intensity to the appropriate pixels (perhaps hundreds at a time) than it is to calculate each pixel separately with the ray-tracing method. For this reason, most computer-graphics peo- ple shy away from ray tracing. How- Computer Graphics in Japan As with all things technical and artistic, the Japanese have become passionate devel- opers of computer graphics. Just a few years ago, their first hesitant steps into scene simulation reached the West and appeared rather naive. At second glance, however, it became obvious that they were making progress at an astounding rate. Indeed, at this year's SIGGRAPH, some of Japan's animation was among the best, in terms of both technical innovation and haunting beauty. What follows is a brief overview of some of the major people and companies involved. Yoichiro Kawaguchi, a programmer and professor of art at Nippon Electronics Col- lege, is perhaps best known in the West. His fascination with plant-growth patterns has led him to develop a "morphological foundation algorithm" that literally grows bizarre and beautiful computer-graphics patterns, branching and spiralling with astonishing complexity. His short film, Growth, Mysterious Galaxy, brings his art to life. He points out that Dr. James Blinn (see the interview on page 120) helped him with the animation software. Another important force, Seibu Digital Communications (SEDIC), used a Cray computer to generate the ultimate (for the moment) ray-tracing film, Mandala 1983 (see the photo at right). It represents the hierarchy of cosmic forces as a pattern of crystal spheres in a traditional meditation design, changing colors and rotating in space. Richard Hampton, an American programmer working at SEDIC, reports, "With computers coming of age, the heads of SEDIC realized that information would soon become a tangible product. They were interested in the new media. The Buddhists created the Mandala as a means of visual- ly communicating the true essence of the spiritual world to their followers. In the same way we are trying to communicate through the visual/' Another force in computer graphics is NHK, the huge and progressive state-run television network, responsible for several developments in computer animation in- cluding real-time video. The network's talented producer/director, Mayumi Yoshi- nari, has created several lovely animations, including Origami, which simulates folding an elegant paper bird in space. Dr. Kouchi Ohmura of Osaka Univer- sity assembled a remarkable experimental parallel-processing computer, LINKS, that in many ways outperforms the Cray. LINKS uses dozens ofZ8000 microproces- sors, each working on a different aspect of the image, producing all kinds of computer graphics including cartoon animation and ray tracing. LINKS was recently used for some special effects in a movie called Gogol 13. Keep your fingers crossed that it is shown in the United States. The Japanese Computer Graphics Lab is mainly a cartoon-animation facility using several New York Institute of Technology systems for painting hand-drawn charac- ters, but they are becoming involved in simulation. Texnai, a design firm, special- izes in computer graphics. Far East Labs uses a system built in Dallas by Acmecar- toon as well as a trusty old Scanimate analog computer. ever, if you want the superb realism of reflection and transparency, you'll have to spend a little extra time. (This article is not an exhaustive compar- ison of software; there are exceptions to all the rules, and the intent here is to present only an overview.) Picture generation with a computer is extremely time-consuming, no matter what method you use. Most of the animation in Tron took an average of 15 minutes per frame; some took considerably longer. The degree of resolution (the clarity) that you want a picture to have, deter- mined by the number of lines and pixels used to make it, is an impor- tant factor in computation time. If you double the number of lines used to get a higher-quality picture, you quadruple the number of pixels used and the amount of time needed. Video pictures have 512 lines, or a quarter of a million pixels. That's very low resolution by the standards of motion pictures; the lowest resolu- tion used in Tron was 1,200 lines. When the resolution is very low, you can see the pixels as little squares, which result in diagonal and curved lines having a stair-stepping appear- ance that's technically known as alias- ing, commonly called the jaggies. Even at rather high resolutions where 108 BYTE March 1984 Mandate 1983, a remarkable ray-tracing image done on a Cray in Japan by SEDIC Inc. Musaki Fujihata was the creative director; Kenetsu Hanabusa and Masataka Ohta were the technical directors. With reflections of reflections clearly visible, the picture took the Cray eight minutes to compute at 1024 by 1024 resolution. the pixels aren't obvious, aliasing can cause edges to "crawl" as objects move, and very small details to flicker on and off. There are two approaches to the aliasing problem: use very high res- olution (tests show, however, that even at 6000 lines there is room for improvement) or try anti-aliasing (average the pixels out with their neighbors so the j aggies are blurred and less noticeable). Anti-aliasing tends to soften the whole picture, so you should attack only the offending pixels, which is a pretty tricky pro- cess. This smoothing process can save time but it requires some time itself. The decision to use anti- aliasing or high resolution is another point of disagreement among people involved in computer graphics. Another graphics aspect that is far from being standardized is how a computer models objects. The ap- proach usually used with B-rep is to describe objects in terms of polygons or patches, with front, side, top, and other views. This concept is relative- ly straightforward and makes even the oddest shapes definable. There are also more sophisticated methods of defining surfaces that rely on higher orders of mathematics, such as quadratics. Another approach, combinatorial geometry, is like building with blocks— "primitive" geometric shapes such as cubes and spheres that are known to a computer— that you can add to or subtract from each other to make compound shapes. You can stretch and distort these shapes (creating an egg from a sphere, for example). You enter the instructions on the keyboard after you sketch the desired shape and think through the construction pro- cess. It's not nearly as natural a pro- cess as the B-rep method; in fact, you may need to input additional infor- mation on a data tablet to create com- plicated shapes such as type fonts. However, it has advantages: it re- quires very little memory space, and you get perfectly smooth surfaces without having to take a step to blend the edges of polygons. A sphere is defined by its center point and radius; the B-rep method requires a great many polygons to define a sphere. Computing the way light reflects off things or passes through them is a subject in itself. The methods have been evolving and becoming more like a study of physics every year. It is now routine to define the subtle differences between the optical prop- erties of plastic and glass, chrome and pewter, ceramic and plastic, and many subtleties in between. In the early days, all surfaces were con- sidered mirrors, bouncing light off themselves and diffusing it equally in all directions according to Lambert's Law. Then Bui-Thong Phong created a more realistic formula that intro- duced more light-control variables. Now we have the Torrence- Sparrow model, which considers the object's surface to be covered with randomly oriented microscopic mirrors; this comes remarkably close to approx- imating real life. What if you want to create a wooden or patterned object? You can scan a photograph or painting with a digital TV camera and project the image onto the surface of your object. This process is called mapping; it's the reverse of making a flat world map from the earth's curved surface. With a curved surface like a planet's, the BYTE March 1984 109 Photo 2: Point Reyes, perhaps the most complex simulated picture to date, was done by the digital magicians at Lucasfilm. "The piece is very much a team effort, a one- frame movie/' with mountains, rocks, and lake created using fractal programs written by Loren Carpenter, plants by Alvy Ray Smith and Bill Reeves, and textures by Tom Porter. All of the art was directed by Rob Cook, who created many of the details, including the rainbow. picture wraps around the object and gives it a natural-looking perspective as it moves about. You can also map certain kinds of textures onto sur- faces, like the bumpiness of an orange, with each bump having its own shadow (a process known as perturbed normal texture mapping, de- veloped by Dr. James Blinn of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory). So far I have focused on generating a single realistic image. There are a few additional considerations if you want to animate a scene. You must choreograph the motion desired and describe it to the computer. You can trace it out on a data tablet or type in commands, like a movie director telling the actors what to do: "Go from point A to point B taking three seconds and accelerating as you move." Directions must be given in the language of the software. The motion becomes rather complicated when you have moving parts on moving objects in a scene observed by a moving camera. A classic exam- ple is a flea walking around on an elephant's head while the elephant nervously paces back and forth on a raft floating down a river. The camera's view is called the world space, the raft is a parent space, the elephant is a daughter space of the raft, and all the elephant's appen- dages, to say nothing of the flea, are daughter spaces of the elephant. All this is handled by a tree structure showing these various relationships. Motion is an important element in making or breaking the believability of an image. When a ball bounces, its acceleration and trajectory tell a lot about it; a Super-Ball behaves one way, a Nurf Ball another. To more precisely portray motion, some com- puter-graphics designers are begin- ning to incorporate artificial-intel- ligence routines into their software. The last step involves turning the millions of bytes into a picture on a monitor or a piece of film. Essential- ly it's a straightforward process of converting digital data to analog form. You can then record the signal on videotape or display it on a moni- tor. In the case of movie film, the sig- nal paints the picture on a high-res- olution monochrome video display mounted beneath a movie camera that shoots one frame at a time. The camera's shutter stays open while the computer generates three con- secutive images, using color filters for each of the three primaries. Some people ask, "Why bother? HO BYTE March 1984 has a lock on multiuser CIVM 816 It's 11:00 P.M. Do you know where your files are? It's great when multiple local and off site users can run any 8- or 16-bit CP/M or MP/M™ program. It's even better when they can share expensive resources like printers, hard disks, and tape drives. Best of all is when they can share your most precious resource— data. Gifford has been delivering systems with all these features for over two years. But sometimes data is sensitive. How do you keep people from taking more than their fair share? Gifford adds a new dimension to CP/M security. 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You could look up an address in dBASE II,™ jump over to SuperCalc™ to make some projections, then switch instantly to WordStar® to use this infor- mation to update a letter. If you forget what's on a screen, just touch a key to refresh your memory. You won't need to go through the distracting process of loading and unloading programs. And since your Virtual Terminal can run any 8- or 16- bit CP/M or MP/M pro- gram, you can choose the best programs for your job from the biggest software library in the world. It's easier than 1, 2, 3! The Gifford Security Blanket: Total Solutions. Gifford delivers solutions. This means professional pre-sale consultation, expert system integration with 200 hour system burn-in, complete training, and full after sale support. For example, our three user CompuPro® based system with a 21- megabyte hard disk costs just $9,990, and can be easily expanded for $500 per user. This includes MP/M 8-16, SuperCalc, and dBASE II. Other Gifford solutions include systems with hard disks that range from 5 to 300 megabytes, 4 and 9 track tape backup, printers, plotters, and modems. Single- and multiuser 8086, 68000, and Z-80 based systems are available for immediate delivery, with 80286 and 16032 systems on the way. Two year warranty protection. In the unlikely event that you encoun- ter a hardware related problem, we'll replace any defective S-100 part within 24 hours FREE for two full years. But chances are, it can be solved on the Gifford service hotline or diagnosed via modem. All at no cost to you. Lock in on Gifford Security today. If total support, training, on site service, obsolescence-proof upgradeable S-100 bus architecture, and complete system security sound appealing, cut the coupon or give us a call. We'll send you a free brochure that tells the whole story. Once you get it you'll see why Gifford has a lock on multiuser CP/M 8-16. Gifford Computer Systems is a Full Service CompuPro 01 Systems Center. The powerful Gifford System 321 shown with optional GCS-80 Virtual Terminals. 1 As. I 1 I ■M:-} 2446 Verna Court, San Leandro, CA 94577 (415) 895-0798 A division of G&G Engineering I'D LIKE THE WHOLE STORY. Please send me your brochure. Name Title Organization M/S . Address City.. .State, ~^z Phone. _Zip„ D Please have a representative call me. BY-S GIFFORD COMPUTER SYSTEMS □ San Leandro, CA ( 415) 895-0798 D Los Angeles, CA ( 213 ) 477-392 1 □ Houston, TO ( 713) 680- 1944 Amherst, NY (716) 833-4758 □ Telex: 704521 Circle 166 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 111 Photo 3: Alvy Ray Smith, with the help of colleagues at Lucasfilm, created this deceptively simple-looking work of art entitled White Sands. The flowering plants are grown in three dimen- sions from a single "cell" using an algorithm written by the artist, based upon mathematics by Paulien Hogeweg. The grass is done with a procedural modeling technique developed by Bill Reeves. The oriental characters form the artist's name. Why not just take a camera and film the real thing?" Obviously, if you can film the real thing, you should. But if you want to film a Model T turn- ing into a Thunderbird, in an improb- able but believable organic metamor- phosis, scene simulation is the only answer. Or, if you want impossible camera angles, like an atom's-eye view of a molecule, or a tour around the inside of a computer chip (any- thing that defies the physically possi- ble), image synthesis is often the only way to go. Frequently used in TV commercials, this technique promises to become in the near future an economical alternative to construc- ting movie sets and to some kinds of location shooting. Image synthesis is important in other fields too, such as medical CAT-scan imagery, product design, and flight simulation. As miniaturization progresses, we can look forward to many of the capabil- ities now available on mainframes be- coming possible on microcomputers. There are obviously a great many doors opening in computer graphics today. I interviewed several major figures in the field, including John Whitney Sr., generally regarded as the "Father of Computer Animation," and Dr. Alvy Ray Smith, who is working on George Lucas's remark- able computer-graphics research and development project. The insights and advice from these experts cover all aspects of the field. They occa- sionally even contradict one another, which doesn't mean one is right and the other wrong, but rather indicates that this business is still very much in its formative years. Alvy Ray Smith (Lucasfilm) The work being done at Lucasfilm is revolutionary and almost certain to have a profound impact on the entire entertainment industry. George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars saga, became interested in the possibilities of computers several years ago, hired a team of the best software and hard- ware people he could get, and gave them a mandate to develop a system that would bring motion-picture spe- cial effects into the 21st century. He actually wanted several different sys- tems to provide different capabilities: computer imagery, digital matting, sound synthesis and mixing, a laser scanner to print the final product onto film with first-generation qual- ity, and a totally computerized edit- ing studio called EditDroid, with all the footage shot for a film on video- discs, enabling totally interactive editing. The team developing the Pixar im- age generator included Rodney Stock, Adam Levinthal, Mark Lea- ther, Glenn Sharp, and Tom Porter on hardware; Alvy Ray Smith, Rob Cook, Bill Reeves, Sam Leffler, and Loren Carpenter on software; both groups were directed by Dr. Ed Cat- mull. They set a three-year goal and put their noses to the grindstone, pausing only briefly to create film footage— the "Genesis Demo" for Star Trek II and the display of the force field around the moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi. The work pro- gressed on schedule despite the in- evitable difficulties, but rumors of failure began to circulate among the competition. My first question to Smith con- cerned whether the project was doomed. "These rumors probably came about because people have been expecting us to do all this in three weeks. All prototype devices have difficulties— that's normal. We said it would take about three years; the three years are just about up, and the system is just about to roll out the door. We're very pleased. The boards for our Pixar are starting to come in, our laser scanner is now making col- or moving pictures, software systems are up, and we're doing a little in- house film with motion blur and all to demonstrate the system's capabil- ities." (Motion blur, sometimes called temporal anti-aliasing, is very diffi- cult to simulate, but it adds a great deal to the natural quality of an ob- ject's motion.) Why did Lucasfilm decide to build their own hardware from scratch, with all the time and risk involved, instead of buying a system off the shelf? "You can't just buy something like that," Smith said. "True, there are supercomputers that we would be glad to use, but even they are a little slow for what we want to do. So while we are waiting for the price of these machines to drop, we are build- ing a machine especially designed to implement graphics algorithms— one that costs significantly less. "You know, we are not limited to scene simulation, so I much prefer 112 BYTE March 1984 WORDS , FORTHEWHY5. When you're ready to learn more about computers, you're ready for AshtonTate books. We've assembled a rapidly-growing library of micro computer-related books that cover the why's and wherefores of computing, not just thehow-to's. Whether you're a novice or a techie, you'll find that Ashton-Tate books are a quick, eco- nomical way to help you get the most from your computer. Through The Micromaze, by Wayne Creekmore Micros made simple. 64 pages of colorful and helpful illustrations, diagrams and visual aids, all designed to make computers less intimidating. Suggested retail price $9.95. Reference Encyclopedia fir the IBM® Personal Computer , by Gary and Karen Phillips Now in its second edition, this 2-volume set gives PC owners the meaning behind the manuals. Plus current infor- mation on compatible hardware and software for the IBM PC and XT.™ 1,000 pages. Suggested retail price $69.95. Data Management for Professionals , by Bryan Lewis How data management can be applied to different fields— medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy. Suggested retail price $15.95. Everyman's Database Primer , by Robert A. Byers Concise. Witty. Ranges from how to turn on a computer to how to design a relational database system. Suggested retail price $19.95. dBASE II® for Every Business , by Robert A, Byers Information-filled follow-up to "Everyman's Database Primer." Includes dBASE II applications development, debugging, documentation. Suggested retail price $19!95. Application Junction A unique reference guide to specialized dBASE II applications— 14 different fields, including insurance, legal, medical and financial. Suggested retail price $19.95. dBASE II for the First Time User * by Alan Freedman A highly visual introduction to data management for computer novices. Suggested retail price $19.95. Circle 367 on inquiry card. System Design Guide, Featuring dBASE II ) by Ron Freshman Provides a step-by-step c^roach to the design of data management systems. Suggested retail price $18.50. dBASE II Guide for Small Business * by Robert T Schadewald A host of practical dBASE II programs to help run a small business. Hints on customizing particular applications. Suggested retail price $24.95. IBM PC Public Domain Software , Vol IT by Gary Phillips Guide to public domain software currently available for the IBM PC. Selected program reviews. Suggested retail price $24.95. Advanced Programmer's Guide T by Jay Hanson, Thomas Rettigand Luis Castro Culmination of problem- solving experiences as well as latest developments in dBASE II language. Suggested retail price $28.95. Ashton-Tate books are available at computer and software stores and at many bookstores. For the name and location of your nearest Ashton-Tate dealer, contact Ashton-Tate, 10150 West Jefferson Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230. (213) 204-5570. ASHTON -WE *Early 1984 release. Ask your dealer or Ashton-Tate for details on availability. dBASE II is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate. IBM and XT are trademarks of International Business Machines. © Ashton-Tate 1984 TM BYTE March 1984 113 Photo 4: Using the manufacturer's blueprints, the Cray at Digital Productions simulated this Pontiac Fiero, which assembles itself from pieces that fly in from all directions. Mario Kamberg and Jim Rygiel were the creative and technical directors, respectively. (Digital Scene Simulation (sm) by Digital Productions, Los Angeles, CA. ©1983, all rights reserved.) the term computer imagery. Reality is only a measure, not a goal." Advice? "It's not easy to get into computer graphics, but I suspect it's going to get easier. People will be making pictures with computers from now on, and anyone who knows how will be in demand. Go to school and learn how to program; find out how graphics algorithms work." Photos 2 and 3 are examples of Lucasfilm's work. Patricia Cole (Atari) The people at Atari's advanced graphics research and development division are interested in both games and motion-picture special effects and work at times with Lucasfilm. Pat Cole is in charge of the division and was previously with Lucasfilm, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and NASA. The creation of the computer-gen- erated visuals for Superman III in 1982 was one of her first jobs. "Superman needed the immediate visual impact of a video game, but with better than current game technology. We decided to do a two-and-one-half-dimension computer animation. [Flat images with some spatial aspects are called 2V2-D.] We built a software system for this on top of an existing system we use to develop our games, program- ming in LISP on a Symbolics LM2 under Paul Hughett's leadership. In the meantime we have also been establishing a full-blown three- dimension image synthesis anima- tion facility— technology which is literally right around the corner for us. This is primarily oriented toward developing videodisc games, but we aren't drawing too many boundaries. As the facility grows and develops a personality of its own, we want to be able to do other types of projects." Cole offered some advice. "The first decision a person has to make is whether they're more interested in the creation aspect or the technical aspect. This isn't necessarily an either/or situation, but the ideal is to have some people who are primarily creative and others who are primari- ly technical, knowing that talents overlap and merge. I don't encourage artists to go back to school and get a degree in math, but you should get as much experience, even working on a home computer, and exposure- going to conferences and seminars, like SIGGRAPH— as you can. Be- come familiar with the jargon and with the capabilities and boundaries of the technology. Similarly, people with a technical background would benefit greatly from a basic course in design and from visiting art mu- seums and getting an appreciation of the artistic world. The ideal goal is a common visual vocabulary, a com- mon communication, so that this overlapping knowledge can in- crease." John Whitney Jr. (Digital Productions) The world's most powerful produc- tion computer, according to The Guin- ness Book of World Records, is the Cray XMP. The first of these magnificent beasts belongs to Digital Productions, a company founded by John Whitney Jr. and his associate Gary Demos. (Photo 4 was created by Digital Pro- ductions.) Growing up immersed in state-of- the-art movie technology, Whitney did the first computer graphics for Hollywood movies, WestWorld and FutureWorld, at Information Interna- tional Inc. (Triple-I), working with Demos. They coined the term Digital Scene Simulation* In 1982, Whitney and Demos got the funding they needed to lease their first Cray 1/S. It had about one-third the power of the current model, but it was the most powerful machine available at the time. Soon after they opened shop, Lorimar Productions brought them their first job: to do about 40 minutes worth of simulation for The Last Starfighter. "Getting the XMP is a major devel- opment. The combination of the new hardware and continued improve- ments in software will give Digital Productions a major thrust forward. Databases of 1 million polygons on the 1/S computer began to require an unacceptable amount of time per frame. We hope to compute scenes with the XMP on the order of 1 million polygons plus and still main- tain a speed of 200 seconds per *Digital Scene Simulation is a service mark (sm) of Digital Productions. 114 BYTE March 1984 Taxan monito _ engineered for styles and performance* lime Styled to compliment Apple, IBM and most other personal computers, and designed to fit in any office or home. ®TAXAI\I offers a complete line of monitors including green and amber, ultra-high resolution monochrome, plus medium and high resolution RGB monitors ^TAX/AIM features the 410-80, 80 column and RGB Card to interface with the Apple He. ® TAXAN monitors stand alone Circle 390 for Dealer inquiries. Circle 391 for End-User inquiries. Ttv%* Sec your local dealer, or call us for details ( A «H /4H J? \ Photo 5: Low Tide, by Peter Oppenheimer. These seashells with the patterns mapped onto their surfaces were generated by a spiral growth-simulating algorithm. (© New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab.) frame, where we like to be. Even so, our appetite for greater scene com- plexity never seems to end." To talk to the Cray, Whitney ex- plained, "Digital Productions uses a VAX 11/782, which is a user-friendly, interactive front-end processor. The VAX provides a programming en- vironment for software development and handles front-end operations for productions that are not practical on the Cray, We also have the Cray I/O [input/output] subsystem (a buffer memory and multiple-processor computer that provides access to the XMP high-speed channel) in opera- tion at this time. The high-speed channel is required to optimize high- bandwidth data transfer, desirable for film recording and scanning opera- tions, and to more efficiently utilize color-monitor workstations. "Many organizations today claim to use computers for special effects, but the claims are often exaggerated. Using an Apple, for example, in a process- or numerical-control instal- lation [i.e., a small computer running a mechanical process such as a motion-control rig] hardly constitutes computer graphics. Also, many cre- ative and talented art directors are working with computer graphics where the computer output is only a small part of the end product. I would advise art directors not to become used to this sort of interim, transition-level computer graphics. Simulation implies an ability to create live action with a high-performance computer. In special-effects produc- tion, this means that the struggle to combine a half-dozen different tech- niques is as passe as a turn-of-the- century sweatshop. The challenge to the art director who wants to create something unique and refreshing is to remain open-minded in exploring mature simulation opportunities." Whitney's advice: "A background in computer science oriented toward graphics is certainly a basic require- ment. Beyond that, if someone is serious about pioneering in the field, then numerical analysis and very high-level mathematics are manda- tory. There are a few institutions, MIT, Cornell, and the University of Utah, that offer graduate educational opportunities in computer graphics." Howard Gutstadt (General Electronic Systems Inc.) Of course, graphics can be done on microcomputers. General Electronic Systems Inc. (GESI) is doing that very intensively. The company is building systems for industrial video applications capable of doing two- dimensional and some three-dimen- sional animation with the new Sony microcomputer. The system is a natural for a videodisc arcade game that overlays real-time graphics on top of the disc images. I asked Howard Gutstadt, GESTs vice president, why the company uses the Sony instead of a more popular machine. He responded, "One strong rationale is that the Sony is designed to interface more effec- tively with video-type applications than other micros. It combines an in- expensive approach to computer graphics with a reasonable color palette and a sophisticated approach to machine control of videodiscs. It contains all the necessary I/O to con- trol the associated machines. In ad- dition it has two other very important features: genlockable input for video (the computer can be on line between the source materials and resulting video materials and still give you video that meets the standards of the National Television System Commit- tee; for microcomputers that's a real pain to achieve) and specialized cir- cuits (you can integrate the graphics you generate with the disc material, avoiding the need to buy a post-pro- duction switcher). In addition, you can write any interactive scenario in software and run it with graphics from a floppy. And it's all relatively inexpensive— the central processor is less than a thousand dollars." Lance Williams (New York Institute of Technology) People in the field consider the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) to be one of the foremost cen- ters for computer-graphics research and development. (See photo 5.) NYIT is also a hardware producer and a production facility for all kinds of state-of-the-art animation. The Computer Graphics Lab was founded in 1974 with Ed Catmull (now with Lucasfilm) in charge. Many greats in computer graphics, including Jim Blinn and Alvy Ray Smith, have passed through its doors and contributed to the evolution of 116 BYTE March 1984 e are going tor Peopl Friday! like mere's no tomorrow Friday! is the new electronic file handling system that has become an instant best-seller because it's so revolutionary Within two weeks, it broke into the Top 20 on the sales chart of Softsel, one of the country's leading computer software distributors. And it's now well on its way to the top. The Friday! phenomenon is simple. Friday! uses simple menus and talks to you in plain English, so almost anybody can use it. It's great for sales and commissions, clients and portfolios, mailing lists and labels, invoices, inventories, paychecks, reports and more. And it works with other microcomputer software like 1-2-3™ and dBASE II® (our own advanced database management system). It comes with a complete, step-by-step tutorial, but you can set up an "electronic file" without even looking at the manual, then use it at the touch of a few keys. Friday! finds any filed information in seconds. Computes totals, subtotals, com- missions, etc. Prints form letters and mailing labels. Gives you quick reports from all or part of a file with a few key- strokes. Or if you need a special report for your bank or board of directors, just "paint" the format on your screen, then have Friday! do all the work. And while Friday! does more than file handling systems selling for as much as $495, it's yours for just $295 (suggested retail price)! For more information, contact Ashton-Tate, 10150 West Jefferson Boule- vard, Culver City, CA 90230. (800) 437-4329 ext. 202. In Colorado, (303) 799-4900. In the U.K., call (0908)568866. Or for the name of your nearest dealer, just call 1-800-4-FRIDAY, ext. 202. ASHTON -TOE s Ashton-Tate 1983 Friday! is a trademark and dBASE II is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate. 1-2-3 is a trademark of Lotus Development Corp. Circle 34 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 117 Photo 6: An X-Wing fighter done by Art Durinski at Information International Inc.'s now closed motion-picture division. (This image was created for the cover of IEEE Computer.) The successful simulation of the Star Wars spacecraft convinced George Lucas that scene simula- tion is an important special-effects tool. the systems there. Today, Lance Williams spearheads development. He is working on, among other things, a system called 3-DV. It will be composed of off-the-shelf com- ponents including a 68000 micropro- cessor and an Adage high-per- formance bit-slice processor, running scene-simulation software. Williams said he expects the system "to be two or three times as fast as a VAX." At the time of this writing NYIT has eight \AXes, two DeAnza array processors, two floating-point array processors, many frame buffers, and three Ikonas processors with a lot of frame-buffer memory on them. Much of the Institute's work is done on video, both 2-inch and 1-inch, and film recording is done with a Dico- med or one of two Dunn Boxes. NYIT has a computer-graphics course taught by Robert McDermott In addition, there are computer painting facilities in the design department, computer special-effects facilities in the TV department, and an Evans & Sutherland Picture Sys- tem with three-dimensional model- ing capabilities in the architecture department. NYIT's main facility, however, is an independent research and development department that is not part of the school proper. "We have hired students here to work as computer operators," said Williams, "but there are not enough people in- volved to recommend this as an en- try into a career. "Usually I recommend that you get a technical background; even if your major interest is design, it will help a lot to have technical skills. You'll be able to do more with the machine and to get jobs. You have to acquire some technical expertise. The first • thing is to learn a trade, a basis you can build a career on, developing some sound, expensive skill. You want to become a good programmer and a good animator. Animation is a dying art. There aren't many places that teach it anymore. [Exceptions in- clude the California Institute for the Arts and the Rhode Island School of Design.] Also learn as much as you can about photography. Computer graphics is an exploding field. The opportunities are springing up every- where, although the competition is stiff." Art Durinski (Freelance Designer) Tron, unfortunately, wasn't a block- buster movie. Consequently, the moguls of motion pictures threw the baby out with the bath water and as- sumed that the public wasn't inter- ested in computer graphics. That was very unfortunate for many computer- animation companies. The firms were expecting a lot of business after Tron and some of them went out of business instead. Triple-I, which had done the Solar Sailer and the MCP for Tron, closed its motion-picture division within a year of the movie's release, putting some of the most talented engineers and designers out on the street. This included designer/ director Art Durinski. For a while he worked with Digital Productions, but eventually he decided to go indepen- dent as a freelance consultant. "The popularity of computer graphics in entertainment," he said, "isn't rising as quickly as expected. It's going to take a major successful movie. Hopefully, Starfighter or Gogol 13 will be nicely stylized and have a good story. That could do it. In four or five years, people will accept the computer look as a new kind of reali- ty. (See photo 6.) I don't agree with the philosophy that everything must look photographically real. Com- puter graphics should have its own unique and exciting look, and not necessarily try to pass itself off as real. Tron and Fantasia were never 118 BYTE March 1984 PIECE OF MIND CompuPro's System 816. The fastest, most cooperative computer you can buy. OEMs and systems integrators are busy people. Too busy to waste time with an uncooperative computer system. That's why every System 816 from CompuPro is built to work long and hard without a whine or a whimper. More Dependable. With ten years of pioneering successes built into it, the System 816 is backed by the industry's longest warranty coverage. Depending on your needs, our warranties range from 12 to 36 months. Most other computer manufacturers expect you to be satisfied with 90 days, which typically covers parts only. You can also depend on complete hardware and software support, flexible configurations and upgrades, and system training. More Powerful. The System 816 squeezes more performance out of the IEEE-696/S-100 bus than any other system you can buy. A choice of CPUs— and up to 4 Mbytes of our exclusive M-Drive/H™ RAM disk— give multiple workstations all the speed and power they can ask for. Standard RAM memory is expandable to one megabyte or more. Disk storage capacity ranges up to 4.8 Mbytes on floppy drives and as much as 320 Mbytes per controller on hard disk. (ompu Pro, A GODBOUT COMPANY 3506 Breakwater Court, Hayward, CA 94545 CP/M and CP/M-86 are registered trademarks and CP/M-66K, MP/M-86, Concurrent CP/M-86 and FORTRAN 77 are trademarks of Digital Research Inc. CP/M 8-16 and MP/M 8-16 are compound trademarks of Digital Research Inc. and CompuPro. More Versatile. All family members share a common modular architecture. So its a simple matter to upgrade or reconfigure any of them to keep up with your needs. All the while maintaining complete software compatibility up and down the line. And the S-100 bus allows you the flexibility to plug in any compatible board to add graphics capabilities or boards for your own unique applications. You also get your choice of operating environments, including CP/M® CP/M-86® Concurrent CP/M-86™, MP/M-86™ and CP/M-68K™. and our own CP/M®8-16™ and MP/M™8-16™. At the programming level the System 816 family supports Pascal, C. FORTH, BASIC, COBOL PL/1, FORTRAN 77™ and more. More Information. Your customer's satisfaction is important to both of us, so don't get stuck with a system that's more of a hindrance than a help. Send in the coupon and find out what peace of mind is all about. For business, scientific and industrial computing solutions, call (415) 786-0909 ext. 506 for the location of our dealers worldwide, or the Full Service CompuPro System Center nearest you. Q Send me your OEM/Systems Integrator information package. Q Send me your free catalog with warranty informatioa NAME TITLE ADDRESS crry state zip TELEPHONE ________„________ ____ Mail to: CompuPro. Attn: Sales Dept. 3506 Breakwater Court, Hayward, CA 94545 Prices and specifications subject to change without notice, System 816 front panel design shown is available from Full Service CompuPro System Centers only. x 1983 COMPUPRO Circle 78 on inquiry card. For dealer locations see page 461. BYTE March 1984 119 Photo 7: Saturn seen from her moon, Rhea, as rendered by James R Blinn at Cal Tech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's computer- generated film about the flight of the Voyager spacecraft. The surfaces are painted flat and mapped onto the spheres. meant to look real, but they hold together beautifully." Durinski's advice: "If you are ex- cited about this field, just coming out of school, changing careers or what- ever, I don't think that there is an easy way into three-dimensional computer graphics in entertainment yet. You might get a job at an analog house first and then migrate into three-dimensional animation when a job opens up. The situation in TV is much better than in films right now, but the opportunities are not really there yet." James E Blinn (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) One of the foremost innovators in scene-simulation software, Dr. James E Blinn, studied at the University of Utah in the early 1970s. Dr. Ivan Sutherland was teaching there then and it was a mecca at the time for people interested in computer graph- ics. Since then, Blinn has worked at a number of places including NYIT, Triple-I, and Lucasfilm, but mostly at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Cal Tech. There he combines his three loves: computer graphics, astronomy, and teaching. His animations of the Voyager missions to Jupiter and Saturn are very well known, having been broadcast by all the national networks when the spacecraft was passing those planets (see photo 7). The imagery was so realistic that many people were puzzled as to which were the synthesized pictures and which were the real ones sent back by the ship's cameras. Blinn is currently doing animations illustrating the laws of physics for Community College Television's series, "The Mechanical Universe." He is working with Cal Tech profes- sor David Goodstein, the writer/de- signer of the series. One program, for instance, shows how the movement of the planets is a natural conse- quence of Newton's laws of motion, arid why the planets have elliptical orbits. The animation is done on a VAX 11/780 with a DeAnza frame buf- fer and is recorded on 1-inch tape using a Lyon/Lamb controller. When asked about the poor perfor- mance of Tron at the box office despite the beautiful special effects, Blinn pointed out, "A human being makes a good movie— not a commit- tee. Powerful figures like a George Lucas or an Alfred Hitchcock make a good movie because it's their movie, their creative energy. They don't have a group of bankers telling them what to do." Although many people in com- puter graphics demand state-of-the- art systems, Blinn's reaction to that approach was, "State-of-the-art 120 BYTE March 1984 Circle 294 on inquiry card. im o d e lyifllETM &£S8*m J "(coup *°*ATr^ MtooaS %\m Time for your computer to make the telephone con- nection - with an intelligent, full 21 2 A 300/1200 baud modem - with a real time clock/calendar - and with the capability to expand into a com- plete telecommunications system. It's time for PRO-MODEM 1 200. Much more than just a phone modem. When you're on-line, time is money. PRO-MODEM telecommunication systems help you save. By monitoring the duration and cost of your phone calls. And by sending and receiving messages, unattended, at preset times when the rates are lower. . .with or without your computer. Compare the $495 PRO-MODEM 1 200 with any other modem on the market. For example, you'd have to buy both the Hayes Smartmodem 1200 plus their Chronograph for about $950 to get a modem with time base. PRO-MODEM 1 200 is easy to use. A convenient "Help" command displays the Menu of operating command choices for quick reference whenever there's a question about what to do next. Extensive internal and remote self-diagnostics assure that the system is operating properly. Some of the other standard features include Auto Answer, Touch Tone and Pulse Dialing, and Programmable Intelli- gent Dialing. PRO-MODEM does more. It lets you build a full tele- communications system with features like Auto Dialer, Incoming and Outgoing Message Buffering, Business/Personal Phone Directory, Program- mable Operating Instructions, a 12-Character Alpha-Numeric Time and Message Display, and versatile PRO-COM Software. PRO-MODEM com- mands are Hayes compatible so you can use most existing telecommunications software without modification. There's much more to the PRO-MODEM story. See your local dealer for complete details. He'll show you how to save time. And money. Prometheus Products, Inc., 45277 Fremont Blvd., Fremont CA 94538, (415) 490-2370 SPfT! V V Photo 8: Suma, a digital creation by David Em, was done at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory using software written by James E Blinn. The artist uses the computer so that much of his art is like painted sculpture. This is a result of the mapping technique that permits him to take an image, distort it, and use images inside of images, resulting in a staggering complexity. (© David Em, 1979, artist.) means that it doesn't work 90 percent of the time! You can use state-of-the- art equipment and do pictures very quickly for half an hour, and then your computer is down for the rest of the day. I'm not interested in using exotic hardware. I want absolutely plain-vanilla, off-the-shelf hardware that works consistently and is readi- ly serviced." Blinn recommended a formal edu- cation as the best way to get into the field. "I went to school and studied computer science." David Em (Artist) Probably the foremost computer- graphics artist in the world today is David Em, an eclectic whose interests include painting, theater, and dance. His fantastically complex digital crea- tions (see photo 8) rely heavily on the computer's capability to take an ex- isting image and work with it, mak- ing it three-dimensional, mapping it onto a cylinder or some other com- plex geometrical shape. Much of his work has been done at the Jet Propul- sion Laboratory, using James Blinn's software. He builds gem-like en- vironments of staggering complexity with a technique of repetition (pic- tures inside of pictures inside of pic- tures). Em's artistic talent first bloomed as a child in Colombia. He gained a reputation as a painter and sculptor many years before becoming in- volved in electronic media. "It's been 10 years since I decided to go into the electronic side of things. But before I had even heard of computers I was making sculptures in factory environ- ments. To do that I had to work with complex machines and establish re- lationships with the company presi- dent, the supervisor, and the worker who operated the machine. I didn't realize at the time that I was learn- ing the skills that would enable me to work with programmers, man- agers, and high-tech scientists later on. "You must learn to interface with personalities as well as with ma- chines. There are three fronts that all have to be kept up: you have to have your machine act, your people act, and your creative act all working in parallel. 122 BYTE March 1984 r*/* \n eetsYour N \ ial hpi\/ArTKp\/ ArA LvVUI 11 KS^JHIC" * "T#« lS + /ui A \ «oer %HtV*£rZg& Large Multi-user Capability \ A truly professional, reliable solution -the NEufwork 8816 has been specifically designed for installation in demanding multi-user applications, The low starting price allows you to start with two users and grov^ter^ to many thousands without the expenja^-ot'feplacing existing equipment or software -as you grow. We offer three types of Local Area Networking, including Ethernet, with full shared multi-system resources. AND IT WORKS. Gone are the bottlenecks that make shared-processor multi-user systems too sluggish for real time applications. What's more, we offer an unbeatable combination in a video terminal with our NET/worker. You get styling, operating comfort, value and reliability. All MuSYS systems utilize TurboDOS, the Industry Standard Multi-user Operating System. Mainframe - capability at microcomputer prices, cpti-et^patible with virtually all CP/M Soft\$a*«r^^ systems give you advancg£UeattIres such as 8MHZ processors, highspeeeHl^irddisk drives with storage capacities ^^-^lplo280MB, and 16 bit future upgrade path. This system meets your needs... WHATEVER THEY ARE. Call or write, MuSYS Corporation, 1752-B Langley, Irvine, California 92714. (714) 662-7387 toll free out- side California 1-800-852-5362. TWX 910-595-1967 Cable MUSYSIRIN. Dealer and OEM inquiries welcome. We design the future MET/work is a trademark of MuSYS Corporation. TurboDOS is a rademark of Software 2000. Inc. CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research, Inc Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corporation. "The first computer I actually worked with was at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in January of 1975. It had that first frame buffer that Dick Shoup got up and running. At that time Alvy Ray Smith was there with David DiFrancisco, and they had written one of the early Super Paint programs. I made my first pic- ture about an hour after my introduc- tion to the computer system. You don't need two years of technical study to make a picture. True, the more you know about the medium, the better off you are, but since the programs were fairly interactive, I was able to create a picture practical- ly from scratch. I kind of discovered this new medium that I knew had to exist. The frame buffer was like a mystical revelation— I'd actually been looking for this specific instrument. Everyone said it didn't exist but there it was! Then the whole operation there shut down later in 1975 and eventually I came back to Los Angeles. "Then I was at Triple-I for about a year after they did their historic simulation of Peter Fonda's head for the movie FutureWorld. That was a very different experience than I had with Xerox. The Triple-I system wasn't interactive at all. Even though it was a much more powerful system (high resolution and all), it was not a viable creative tool for me. I didn't know what a picture would look like until it came back from the film lab three days later. A frame buffer gives you instant, interactive control over what you're doing. When you make a picture, whether you're a designer or a filmmaker, you make millions of little decisions that you don't think about until you have to start specify- ing them." During this time Em established a relationship with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Working late at night when the equipment was available, Em began using digital paint, texture mapping, and other leading-edge processes that had synthesized the solar system for NASA, to create his own fanciful universe. "If you're pushing the state of the art, the process is more important than the parts. You have to get every- thing working and talking together. Some of these processes are as old as the hills, like storyboarding, and some of them are the latest capabili- ties that civilization has brought us. The computer is just one of these elements." Em offered some advice. "You might be surprised at how quickly you can apply your existing knowl- edge, expand it, and do the things that are peculiar to the high-tech medium. You don't need five years of programming or math. Those fears that creative people have are a psy- chological block more than anything. Just start doing computer graphics on any level, whether it's in a class or on your own. The actual action of doing it is very important even if it's in a very rough way. Once you start, one thing leads to another. Oddly enough, computer graphics is a scene, so go to things like SIGGRAPH in your town. Find out what's going on and who's doing it. Find out who the personalities are." John Whitney Sr. (Filmmaker) John Whitney Sr., with his brother James, and his three sons, Mark, Michael, and John, literally pioneered the craft of computer ani- mation. Today he teaches at UCLA and lectures widely on the subject. (See photo 9.) Whitney recalled the early days. "I started in the 1950s using the high- quality analog computer systems that came out of World War II. They were designed to solve the complex ballis- tics equations of fire control for the anti-aircraft gun batteries, and here I was making design machines out of them! I didn't have any engineering background at all when I began to adapt this kind of equipment. I didn't realize how significant it was that they represented the beginnings of the advanced problem-solving com- puters. In a sense, I stepped back- ward into computer graphics. Only after I became competent with the equipment did I begin to realize that I was really trying to build my own computer. By the 1960s, industrial computer graphics was underway and being used extensively in scien- tific circles. I applied to IBM for a re- search grant in 1965 and benefited from it until 1970. "I would never claim to have fore- seen the coming of computer graph- ics as it is now. It was the other way around— I could see that my vision of abstract design and color, in com- pletely pure, fluid motion, was going to be quite possible with computer systems. In fact, a year or two after I started, I made a film showing the tedium involved in making com- puter-graphics films! But I expected that the systems would become smaller, cheaper, and faster, and that one day I would have one, the size of a television set, in my home. Ten years later, that's exactly what I have. "I am confident that we will be able, in a single system, to compose music and color design, bringing a brand new world of rhythm and ac- tion ready for a brand new breed of artists and composers. There's no question that it will start the same kind of cultural and social phenom- ena that has always been true in music. The only reason we have out- standing rock singers and pop-music composers is because for every one that makes it to the top, there are hundreds of thousands of youngsters teaching themselves to play musical instruments and to sing, aspiring to succeed in music. It's important to have in the composer's hands the power to compose both sound and image in a totally interwoven and in- tegrated relationship." Carl Rosendahl (Pacific Data Images) If you have a difficult time getting a job in computer graphics, you might consider Carl Rosendahl's ap- proach. Fresh from school with a degree in electrical engineering, he started his own company on a shoe- string. In a short time his company has grown to where it is doing work for national and international clients, including the opening animation for "Entertainment Tonight" (see photo 10). "I started the company three years ago, and the first year and a half I was alone, trying to figure out computer graphics. I knew computers pretty well, and I knew film, because I grew 124 BYTE March 1984 THE BUFFER DID IT. Who Stole The 1500 Letters From The Computer? Let's just say you've got to send a letter to 1500 different people. Would you like to spend 22.5 hours* or 60 seconds of ^ ^ ^ sV- *#• ^ 9 9 IF *& ^ sP' 0P e< & & *P computer time? With a garden- variety buffer, the computer has to mix, merge and send 1500 addresses and 1500 letters to the buffer. Trouble is, most buffers only store about 32 letters. So after 32 letters, the computer's down until the printer's done. Altogether, you're talking 22.5 hours. In the case of our new (not to mention amazing) 8 "t there $ u ShuffleBuffer, '$ tum^ 1 computer time ^mir* tomea ^ Qonuh „ u is 60 seconds <**>t nb I ^ l0 *e my w flat. ' c *"- Just give ShuffleBuffer one form letter and your address list, and it takes care of the mixing, the merging, and the printing. But that's not all ShuffleBuffer's stolen from the computer. Oh, no. Who Changed and Rearranged The Facts? Again, ShuffleBuffer's the culprit. You want to move para- graph #1 down where #3 is? Want to add a chart or picture? No problem. No mystery, either. Any buffer can give you FIFO, basic first-in, first-out printing. And some Circle 188 on inquiry card. buffers offer By-Pass; the ability to interrupt long jobs for short ones. But only ShuffleBuffer has what we call Random Access Printing — the brains to move stored information around on its way to the printer. Something only a computer could do before. Comes in especially handy if you do lots of printing. Or lengthy manuscripts. Or voluminous green and white spread sheets. And by the way, ShuffleBuffer does store up to 128K of information and gives you a By-Pass mode, too. Who Wants You To Catch A ShuffleBuffer In Action? You guessed it. We do. Just go to your local computer dealer and ask him to show you a ShuffleBuffer at work. Or, you can call us at (215) 667-1713, and we'll clue you in on all the facts directly. ^ \* & v> *i. <&® 6® f*P *& v «?fc And Who Spilled The Beans 239 Times? Most buffers can't tell the printer to duplicate. If they can, they only offer a start/stop switch, which means you're the one who has to count to 239. Turn your back on your buffer, and your printer might shoot out a room full of copies. ShuffleBuffer, however, does control quantity. Tell it the amount, and it counts the copies. By itself. So, What's The Catch? There isn't any Sleuth around. You won't find another buffer that's as slick a character as this one. You also won't find one that's friendly with any parallel or serial computer/printer combination. This is the world's only universal buffer. With a brain. &> * Based on an average 4000 character letter & 128K buffer. e *rut ftartf*»- , mm. urtl save * rt&eQSt a* a compfc** 1 ^ShuffleBuffer Th The Buffer with a Brain Interactive Structures Inc. 146 Montgomery Avenue Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 BYTE March 1984 125 up in Los Angeles and made movies all through high school. I spent that first year with a little Cromemco com- puter, reading the SIGGRAPH pro- ceedings and figuring things out. Then I got a PDP 1134. That's when Glenn Estes and Richard Chong joined me, and we spent the next year developing software. Six months later we got the VAX 11/750, and al- though it took three weeks to get the VAX running, it only took about 36 hours to load all the software and have it up and running. Then in May of 1983 we opened our doors for production." "We do everything in video resolu- tion, 512 by 486, 24 bits per pixel, so it's full color and it's all anti-aliased so you don't get any jaggies. Each pic- ture takes a quarter of a megabyte, so a 10-second spot generates about 225 megabytes of picture data. When you get into 60-second commercials, there are gigabytes of data. All our ma- chines are running Unix, and all our Photo 9: Pioneer computer animator John Whitney Sr. in 1959, operating one of the first computer-graphics engines, a mechanical analog computer built largely from surplus World War II anti-aircraft guidance hardware. The camera is in the upper left, aiming down through the apparatus that "paints" the film with light. (Photo by Charles Eames.) code is written in C. There is no assembly language or microcode that allows us to develop code on one machine and run it on all the others." Rosendahl's advice: "An under- standing of the geometry and math involved and good three-dimensional visualization are really important be- cause the modeling and motion de- sign must happen in your head be- fore they can happen in the com- puter. Being able to visualize what you're building is very necessary. If you want to work closely with the clients on production, you have to be able to communicate with them ar- tistically rather than technically. There is also a big need for people doing development— creating the tools to use in production— where ar- tistic ability isn't as necessary." Bill Kovacs (Robert Abel & Associates) Bill Kovacs is a software designer and vice president of Robert Abel & Associates. He came to Hollywood to work with Robert Abel on the special effects for Star Trek, The Motion Pic- ture. He devised a way to use an Evans & Sutherland Picture System to preview choreography that would ultimately be filmed with models on a motion-control rig. Although poli- tics and production problems even- tually took the Star Trek work else- where, the computer-graphics work proved so successful that it became a mainstay of Abel's special-effects business. Recently, Kovacs used the new IRIS computer from Silicon Graphics to assemble a raster system capable of scene previewing, which is a formid- able tool in the hands of the com- pany's designers. "It's the first unit shipped in the U.S.," he said, "and it's wonderful. It can do real-time shaded graphics of limited complex- ity, or it can do nonreal-time graphics of very high complexity. And it's totally compatible with our Unix sys- tem. It runs on Ethernet, the in way to connect one computer to another" In addition to commercials for Cor- vette, 7-Up, and TRW, Kovacs and the Abel team recently did the animation for a videodisc arcade game, Cube 126 BYTE March 1984 A PC for PEANUTS jq Why settle for o limited home system when Scottsdale Systems will sell you a complete business system for less? Our PC Plus features an 6066 CPU, one 1 60K drive, 256K RAM with Ramdisk and Spooler software, MS-DOS, Wordstar, Calcsrar, Color Graphics Basic, o printer port, and your choice of on amber or green 1 2" monitor for $1 099. The PC Deluxe has 2 160K drives plus Mailmerge, Spellstar and Infosfar. Doth systems run many programs written for the IBM-PC ®, and the computer boards are warrantled for a full year by over 70 nationwide Sanyo Service Centers. Don't settle for less, give us a call. PC PLUStm S1 099 PC DELUXE tm Call Hard disks, networking systems - Call y SANYO TELEVIDEO ALTOS ZENITH COLUMBIA Single user systems now include Word processing, spreadsheet ond graphics software (along with CP/M or CP/M-66). Local installation of multi-user systems available via TRW. TPC ;. Call 803 $1849 1603 $2289 802H $4319 806/20 mb $4859 616/40 mb $9275 From the lowest-priced dual-floppy multi- user systems to true 1 6-bit 1 Mhz, mulri user systems. Local service available via TRW. We will configure, rest ond install your systems for an additional charge (call for prices). 5-80-2 $1998 5-80-10 $3629 5-86-10 $5795 5-66-40 $7995 8000-10 $4679 8000-14 ._ $8118 Low prices on the systems that are 5- 100, 16 bit/8 bit, MS-DOS and CP/M compatible. Plus, they're backed by Zenith service virtually everywhere. The Z-100's feature two built-in 5'/4 drives, 128K RAM, graphics and 3 ports. Free software ond specials on additional software. ZF-1 10-22 $2699 ZF-1 20-22 $2799 ZV-1 10-32 $4249 Each Columbia now comes with MS-DOS, CP/M-66, Dasico (with IDM-PC® compa- tible color graphics), Perfect Writer TM, Perfect Speller TM, Perfect Cole TM, Perfect Filer TM, Fast Graphs. Home Acer Plus. Space Commanders, Diagnostics, and The Columbia Tutor. The VP is 36 lbs. portable with a built-in 9" monitor. The 1 601 is the desktop unit. Both computers come with dual 320K drives, and are backed by Bell and Howell. VP $2349 1600-1 $2589 1600-4 (I0mb) $3545 TERMINALS Adds Viewpoint 3A+-Emuiares rhe ADM-3A. detached keyboard, keypad, 12" green display, nationwide Adds servke ' $457 Viewpoint 60 $589 Wyse 50 $508 Wyse 100 $694 Televideo9l4 Call Televideo924 $689 Televideo 970 $1044 Altos II $724 Zenith Z-29 $656 Zenith ZT-1 $469 Qume 102 $544 HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS DMP-29 $1795 DMP-40 $745 DMP-41 $2340 Sanyo 8-bit Systems new lower prices. \ V • / \ |Scottsdole System Sud 61 7 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite D, Scottsdale, Arizona 65257 3(602)941-5856 I MatterCoid j^ Call 8-5 Mon.-Fri. - -jjM'Wk We participate in arbitration for business and customers through the Derter Business Bureau of Maricopa County. SERVICE/ORDERING INTEGRATION: Prices listed ore for new equipment in factory seoled boxes with manufacturer's 1 warranty. We will pretest your equipment, integrate your system, configure your software, provide special cobles, ere, for an additional charge. Call for prices. ORDERING: MAIL ORDER ONLY. Prices listed are for cosh. Ho C.O.D.'s. We sell on a Net 30 I basis to Fortune 1 000 companies and Universities with good credit. P.O.'s add 2%, charge cards add 3%. Az. residents add 6%. Prices subject to change, product subject to availability. Personal checks take 3 weeks to clear. 0-20% restocking fee for returned merchandise. Shipping extra -products are F.O.B. point of shipment. CP/M and MP/M are registered rrademarks of Digital Research. Wordstar is a registered trademark of MicroPro International. IBM and IBM PC are registered trademarks of | International Business Machines Corporation. TeleVIdeo® is a registered trademark of TeleVideo f Systems, Inc..'' SOFTWARE: Sold only w/systems, nor warrantied for suitability. PRINTERS Gemini 10X $11 5 off Gemini 15, 15X Coll Delta 10s Call Tally 160L/trac $584 Tally l80L/trac $799 Tally Spirit $298 Anadex Call IDS Prisms Call OKI DATA PTC LETTER QUALITY Silver Reed 500 $409 Silver Reed 550 ... $619 Sanyo PR5500 Less Silver Reed 770 ... Call NEC 7710 $1965 NEC 2000s ColL 380Z The new Microline 92s and 93s feature 160 C.P.S. draff mode, 40 C.P.S. correspondence mode. Standard parallel, serial card add $91 . Microline 92 $175 off Microline 93 $290 off Microline 82 $134 off Pocemark 2350P Call Replaces the Daisywriter 2000. Uses the same printwheel, ribbons, and tractor feed. Will run serial, parallel, or IEEE 486. 46K buffer standard, uses Diablo codes. $1044 Photo 10: The opening title animation for the television show "Entertainment Tonight/' done by Carl Rosendahl of Pacific Data Images. The sequence is created using smooth-shaded polygons and anti-aliasing. Quest, for Simutrek. Kovacs ex- plained, "The game uses laser video- disc technology overlaid with — and this is the key— very sophisticated, real-time, three-dimensional, shaded computer graphics. This is new for the industry. "Business people still don't appre- ciate the value of software. They go out and buy expensive hardware but don't hire a good software person to go with it. It's so stupid! It's like rac- ing formula cars when you can afford the cars but not the high-priced mechanics. If you can't afford both, you shouldn't be in the racing game. Some companies are so intimidated by the computer that when it arrives, they step around it, always staying five feet away. They're afraid that it might break if they touch it and they might have to pay a couple hundred dollars for maintenance." Vibeke S0rensen (Artist and Educator) Director of the computer-graphics program at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, Vibeke S0rensen (not related to the author) teaches a computer-graphics course for graphic designers, industrial designers, and illustrators. "The concept is to give them access to sophisticated programs that will teach them the fundamentals of two- and three-dimensional computer im- age generation. We are using soft- ware especially designed for this course and written for the school's Atari computers by Jim Blinn and Bob Schaff . The students are not learning programming, they are learning use. Until now, most computer-graphics courses have been in engineering schools because that's where the tools were. As a result, most people in computer graphics tend to be engineers. But computers have been liberated from the domain of the engineers and put in the hands of all kinds of people, including artists, with the advent of the personal com- puter. "I believe that you should have an education in the process; you should learn about elementary program- ming—even if you're an artist. That doesn't mean you're going to be a programmer; it means you should be able to talk to programmers. What- ever industry you want to work in, people want to hire trained people. It's much more expensive to train people on the job, so it makes sense to go to a school where you can learn computer graphics. The question is, what is your background, and what do you want to do? "The other way to get into the busi- ness (if you're not going to go through an organized program or the course doesn't exist) is to beg, borrow, or buy a small computer (an Apple or Atari being the low end) and teach yourself. There are a lot of books and tutorials on how to do it. Basically, it's a question of technique. That's the way to get started and find out if it's for you— because it's not for every- body." Charles Csuri (Cranston/Csuri) For over a decade, Charles Csuri has taught computer graphics at Ohio State University. He and his students wrote a lot of highly interac- tive software that has advanced the state of the art. Recently he formed a company, Cranston/Csuri, that quickly caught everyone's attention for its attractive ray tracing and sophisticated medical imagery. The firm's demo reel won several prizes, including grand prizes at the Tokyo International Computer Animation Competition and the London Com- petition. Cranston/Csuri is talking with several personal computer manufacturers about putting together a three-dimensional, key-frame ani- mation system. The company cur- rently uses \AXes but is "sticking to our guns and working on a multipro- cessor system of our own design." Csuri, interested in artificial intel- ligence, said, "I have several excellent graduate students trying to put together an expert system for three- dimensional character animation that will control a figure so that it moves very smoothly. (See photo 1.) There is a lot of exciting discussion going on— what sorts of tasks does an ani- mator do that could be automated in an expert system to facilitate decision making? As far as I am concerned, this is the future of character anima- tion, but the problems are very diffi- cult. The easy problems have been solved, but there are a whole bunch of nasty, difficult things that are still out there." Csuri advised, "It's really impor- tant to have a tutor or mentor, to be 128 BYTE March 1984 We dorit care which computer you own, Well help you get the most out of it. 1 jir . if 4* m:rS CompuSei CompuServe is t service designed for the personal computer user and managed by the com- munications professionals who provide business information services to over one fourth of the FORTUNE 500 companies, Subscribers get a wealth of useful, profitable, or just plain interesting infor- mation like national news wires, electronic banking and shop at home services, and Circle 80 on inquiry card. communications network for electronic mail, a bulletin board for selling, swap- ping, and personal notices and a multi- channel CB simulator, You get games on CompuServe, too. Classic puzzlers, educational, sports and adventure games and fantastic space games featuring MegaWars, the "ultimate computer conflict!' fingertips. nore about CompuServe, call toll-free, 800-848-8199, for an illustrated guide to the CompuServe Information Service. The videotex service for you, no matter which computer you own. CompuServe Consumer Information Service, P. O. Box 20212 5000 Arlington Centre Blvd., Columbus, OH 43220 800-848-8199 lnOhioCall614-457-0802 An H&R Block Company Photo 11: Chrome Dog, created by Gene Miller. A new mapping process being developed at MAGI by Miller is dramatically demonstrated here, along with the capability to digitally compose a synthetic image on a real background. First, an object is modeled from ellipsoids, the primitives are blended together using Miller's Fuse Body program and then surrealistically combined with a shot of MAGI's parking lot scanned in video digitizing. Then, to get a wide-angle view of the parking lot, MAGI photographed a silver Christmas tree ball and scanned it in. Finally, the reflected image is mapped onto the object and voila/— instant chrome dog. (The author is grateful to MAGI for the use of this experimental image.) around someone who has a lot of ex- perience. That means getting access to this kind of person by joining a lab or company or by getting into an aca- demic setting. In a recent meeting of 150 college deans in Dallas, we asked who would have jobs for our gradu- ates, and over two-thirds of them raised their hands! It's very clear that there is a need for trained people in the field." Phillip Mittelman (Mathematical Applications Group Inc./ Synthavision) The first company to do computer scene simulation was MAGI (Math- ematical Applications Group Inc.), which produced a shaded picture for the cover of Computer World maga- zine's first issue, in 1967. (An example of MAGI's work is shown in photo 11.) Actually, MAGI sort of backed in- to its role as filmmaker because it originally conceived its ray-tracing software programs for civil and governmental studies of nuclear par- ticles and radiation. Dr. Phillip Mit- telman, the founder of MAGI, re- called, "The technique we had devel- oped was one where you describe the world as made of three-dimensional objects, and you trace radiation- neutrons and gamma rays— around through this three-dimensional en- vironment. We observed that if we traced light rays around instead, we had, in effect, simulated photo- graphy. That's the basis of our whole idea: you track the light rays and find out what the color and intensity would be at each point on the film. Bob Goldstein was the person who adapted our radiation programs for picture making, working on it alone for a long time. So, MAGI's Synthavi- sion process, which today is very fast and efficient for moviemaking, rests 130 BYTE March 1984 WHY PAY MORE FOR LESS? SCINOL SYSTEMS announces Winchester storage break-through Totally Corvus Compatible • Over 20 Host Adapters Available S-100 Apple II, III IBM P.C. North Star Altos Victor DEC TRS-80 Models I, II, Osborne Zenith Z89/90/100 Xerox 820 Texas Instruments Atari 800 NEC PC-8000 Plus Many More • Up to 60% More Useable Storage Using Run Length Limited Coding 8, 16, 25, 35, and 51 Megabytes/Drive of useable storage capacity (up to 4 drives per controller for a total of 204 Mega- bytes.) Local Area Network OmninetTM Compatible Multiplexer Up to 64 users Integral Removable Back-Up Optional 32 Megabtye Removable Tape Cartridge High Reliability Error Correction Code and Off-Line Diagnostics. Comprehensive Display Dynamic display of the Drive, Status, Track, Head, Sector and much more High Performance 50% Faster data transfer Rate 7.5 Mega- bits/Second Large 16K Byte Data Buffer Major Pricing Break-through, starting at $1,995. Visit your local dealer for complete information or call or write. Dealer inquiries welcome. Sunol Systems, 1072 Serpentine Lane, P.O. Box 1777, Pleasanton, CA, 94566, (415) 484-3322. International Distributors. HONG KONG: Convergent Microsystems Unit 713 Hunghom Com. Ctr. TWA Ma Tau Wei Rd Kowloon, Hong Kong Telephone: (3) 636397 CANADA: McKenzie Brown Ltd 267 Richmond St. West Toronto. Ontario M5V1W9 Telephone: (416) 593-6880 Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computers Inc ; IBM is a registered trademark of Inter- BELGIUM: Ditex Diffusion national Business Machines Corp Xerox is a registered trademark and Xerox 820-II are trade- Rue Grisar 46 marks of the Xerox Corp Atari is a registered trademark and Atari 800 is a trademark of Atari 1070 Brussels Inc Osborne is a trademark of the Osborne Corp North Star is a trademark of North Star Corn- Telephone: 524-01-53 puters Inc, Corvus Systems and Omnmet are trademarks of Corvus Systems Inc. Circle 338 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 131 on a bedrock of radiation transport technology. "We were totally independent and out of touch with the picture making that was going on at the University of Utah and places like that in the early days. At one time we showed some of our work to some IBM people and they said, 'My gosh, you've solved the hidden line prob- lem!' We were really quite naive. We said, 'What's a hidden line problem?' With ray tracing, since you follow the ray until it hits something and then bounce it off, you don't concern your- self with what's behind that surface. There could be a thousand objects behind it; we didn't care. The first animation we did, probably the first shaded computer animation ever done on a commercial basis, involved three-dimensional lettering for IBM's Office Products Division. That was at least 12 years ago." MAGI recently got a new com- puter, a Gould SEL 3287, "a real num- ber cruncher," roughly one-third the speed of a Cray for a small fraction The Best Modem Is Now The Best Buy! Is the Hayes® 1200 Smartmodem™ a smart buy? We say its not. Our Bytcom® 212AD sells for a hundred dollars less and it needs no software! Bytcom® 212AD Best buy! Hayes® 1200 Not smart! Use w/dumb terminal or PC NOT SMART Disconnect mode NOT SMART Bootstrap mode NOT SMART , Help Menu NOT SMART Full bell diagnostics NOT SMART That's why we say the Bytcom® 212AD is a best buy. And Hayes' Smartmodem? It's a good 'bye! Dealer inquiries welcome "^^VTT^T^K A (415) 48W7(X) Call toll free out- ID 1 1\AJ.V1 side California: (800) 227-3254 2169 Francisco Boulevard Suite H; San Rafael CA 94901 of what a Cray costs. "It's literally eight times faster than the computer we used for Tron" said Larry Elin, an art director for 10 years with the com- pany. "We find that we wind up mak- ing pictures that are eight times more complicated. It's interesting that when you get a faster computer, you don't make faster pictures— you make better pictures!" MAGI is also work- ing on a system called Synthamation for rapidly combining computer ani- mation with hand-drawn animation for large-scale productions. It gives the animator unprecedented freedom to move around in the scenes and gives the characters an airbrushed, three-dimensional look. Richard Moszkowski Having discussed the state of the art with so many movers and shakers in the computer-graphics business, it seems appropriate to wrap up the story with a young man in the trenches. He is a self-described hacker/survivor/dreamer whose tal- ent in programming graphics has led him to some enviable jobs. In just a few years he has gained experience and an excellent overall vision of the field. Richard Moszkowski, a student at UCLA in the late 1970s, started as a progammer for John Whitney Sr. He then worked for some game com- panies (designing a game built into a watch) and Digital Productions (where he worked around the Cray). Now back to games again, he is de- signing a light pen and stereo three- dimensional glasses for the Vectrex machine. A free agent and therefore uncom- mitted to plugging the virtues of any particular system, Moszkowski was a likely candidate to offer an unbiased assessment of where things are and where they're going. "One indicator of how things are now is that the equivalent of Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad program is running on microcomputers. That software marked the beginning of computer graphics for mainframe machines in the 1960s at MIT. On the other hand, we now have the use of supercomputers for motion-picture animation. And this year we have the 32-bit computer-on-a-chip, such as 132 BYTE March 1984 Circle 51 on inquiry card. COMPUTER HUT J, OMPAR OUR VICE & PR SPECIAL OF THE MONTH IBM-PC & XT CALL FOR PRICE ' ~"~™ ; ~~ r ~ < ; : HARDWARE FOR IBM-PC DISK DRIVES landan TM1Q0-2DS/DD PANASONIC J A 551 SHUGART SA-455 half-high TEACFD-55B Slimline $229 $199 $199 $219 MAYNARD ELECTRONICS Floppy Disk Controller FDC w/Rar. Port FDC w/Ser Port $169 $219 $239 SANDSTAR SERIES CALL OJADRAM Quadboard-PP, SP, C/C,Mem + s/w 64K... ...$279 384K... . . $549 OK ..............$235 Quad 512 + SP,Mem with s/w 64K. .. . $249 512K $639 Quadboard II-2SP, C/C, Mem + s/w 64K $279 256K , $439 Quadcolor . . . CALL RESEARCH MegaPlusll4-Funct64K + s/w $279 &Pack5-Funct64K + s/w $279 I/O Plus ... $135 TECMAR Graphics 720x400 16 colors $550 HERCULES Hi Res Graphics 720 x 384, PP,+s/w. . . ....... ......... $359 FREDRICKS ELECTRONICS COLORPLUS 640 x 200, i&Color +s/w. . . ., ........ $399 AMDEK MAI Graphics 640 x 400 $479 MICROLOG Baby Blue ... . .......... $359 Baby Talk. . , . . . 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NOVATION, $499 $429 CALL COMPUTERS IBM Compatible eaGiB COLUMBIA 0ATA PAOpyCTS, INC. CORONA TAVAPC B9' CALL n CALL CALL ■■ ■ ■ M \ DEC RAINBOW .... .CALL MONITORS AMDEK Video 300G . . . $139 300A... . $149 Video 310 A Color II .... PGS HX12 Hi Res RGB monitor. ... BEST PRICES $189 $429 Color 11+ CALL SOFTWARE FOR IBM-PC LOTUS123 . ... . . . .-. ... $329 Word Perfect$309 WordStar CALL DBaSe II... $399 VisCalc, . . . $18S Multipian. . .$195 Multimate. . .$329 MICROSOFT WORD. ...... :. $279 AND MORE COMPUTER HUT CANADIAN AUTHORIZED DEALER M1CROCONTEXT INC. 5253 AVE DU PARC MONTREAL QUE H2V4P2. (514)27^5114 Published Prices are for U.S.A. Only Please call for Canadian Prices ANY PRODUCT HOT LISTED? CALL COMPUTER HUT orders & information (603)889-0666 OF NEW ENGLAND INC. 101 Elm St., Nashua, NH 03060 ORDER-LINE ONLY PLEASE (800)525-5012 I AH products usually in stock for immediate shipment and carry full manufacturers' warranty. Price subject to change — this ad prepared two months in advance. You get the lowest price. We honor personal checks — allow 10 days to ciear. COD m dd 3%, Visa, MasterCard add 3% For shipping & insurance add 3% or $5.00 min. for small items and $8 min for monitors, printers, etc. APO & FPO orders add 12%: Include phone number. Calf {603} 889-0666 for a return authorization : number prior to returning any material. :_ _..-. y A6 Apple is a trademark of Apple Computers inc. IBM is a trademark of IBM Corp. Circle 85 on inquiry card. ^^ the 68020. DEC [Digital Equipment Corporation] is coming out with their Micro-\S\X, National is introducing their 32032, and there are 256K RAMs coming out. Finally, the Weitek array-processor chip has hit the scene, capable of doing 10 million floating-point instructions per sec- ond—for 600 bucks! Weitek is devel- oping what we want: supercomputers on VLSI [very-large-scale integration] technology." "There are two ways that the super graphics machines of the future will be built," Moszkowski said. "One is bigger and faster computers, single- instruction, hundred-megahertz ma- chines. In this case you're limited by the heat dissipation. As you go faster and faster, the heat rises incredibly, and so does the cost. The other, what we're going to witness in the next three or four years, is micrographics engines one-tenth the speed of a Cray, 10-megahertz machines made of off-the-shelf components. They will consist of a 32-bit VLSI chip, about 8 megabytes of RAM [random- access read/ write memory], some kind of floating-point coprocessor, a floating-point array processor, and possibly also some cheap little z- buffer. All this will fit onto one or two boards and will cost a few thousand dollars. That's great— a real number- crunching microcomputer as op- posed to just a data-processing micro. The next thing they will do is put a couple of these together, and then another and another. Pretty soon there'll be scores of them together in racks. Each of them will process in- dividual frames of film, and working together they'll crank out film faster than a supercomputer. So, when you walk into the room, it will be like walking into the Disney studios where you see a lot of little bald- headed guys with glasses, each do- ing their own frame, only you'll see rows and rows of little blinking LEDs [light-emitting diodes] instead. "I grew up on micros, I've seen them grow, and they are really going to take over. When you can put a hundred thousand gates on a single integrated circuit and sell it for under 50 dollars a chip, there's no way to stop it. That's just what the future is For More Information Papers and Articles Atherton, P., K, Weiler, and D. Greenberg. "Polygon Shadow Genera- tion." Computer Graphics, 12, August 1978. Baer, A., C. Eastman, and M. Henrion. "A Survey of Geometric Modeling/' Institute for Physical Plan- ning Report, 66, March 1977 Published by Carnegie-Mellon University, Pitts- burgh, PA. Blinn, James E "Simulation of Wrin- kled Surfaces" Computer Graphics, 12, August 1978, page 286. Blinn, James E, and M. E. Newell. "Texture and Reflection in Computer- Generated Images ." Communications of the ACM, 19, October 1976, page 542. Catmull, Ed. "A Hidden Surface Algorithm with Anti-Aliasing." Com- puter Graphics, 12, August 1978, page 6, Phong, Bui-Thong. "Illumination for Computer-Generated Images" Com- munications of the ACM, 18, June 1975, page 311. Smith, Alvy Ray. "Spline Tutorial Notes." Introduction to Computer Anima- tion (SIGGRAPH Tutorial Book 7), July 1983. S^rensen, Peter. "An Apple for the Dreamsmiths." Cinefex, 6, October 1981. S0rensen, Peter. "Tronic Imagery." BYTE, November 1982, page 48. Sutherland, Ivan, R. Sproull, and R. Schumacker. "A Characterization of Ten Hidden Surface Algorithms." ACM Computing Surveys, 6, March 1974, page 1. Whitted, Turner. 'An Improved Illumi- nation Model for Shaded Display." Communications of the ACM, 23, June 1980, page 343. Books Beatty, John C, and Kellog Booth. Tutorial: Computer Graphics, 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press, 1982. Foley, James, and Adries van Dam. Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley, 1982. Newman, W., and R. Sproull. Prin- ciples of Interactive Computer Graphics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1979. Schacter, B.J. Computer Image Genera- tion. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1983. Periodicals Computer Graphics, ACM/SIGGRAPH, 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 Computer Gmphics and Image Processing, Academic Press Inc., Ill Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10003 Computer Graphics World, 54 Mint Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 IEEE Computer Graphics and Applica- tions, IEEE Computer Society, 10662 Los Vasqueros Circle, Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Organizations Eurographics Association, POB 199, CH-1211, Geneva 16, Switzerland IEEE Computer Society, POB 80452, World Way Postal Center, Los Angeles, CA 90080 NCGA (National Computer Graphics Association), 8401 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax, VA 22031 SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group for Graphics of the Association for Computing Machinery), 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 going to be. We are taking grains of sand, which are common and cheap, produced with more efficiency than anything in our society. When you start putting them together, they be- come an entity that is more than the sum of its parts. I don't think the day is too far away when you will be able to make your own computer-ani- mated movies at home/'B Peter S0rensen (Second Genesis, 6867-1/2 Foun- tain Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028) is a freelance author and computer-graphics consultant who has designed and directed special effects for film and video. 134 BYTE March 1984 Accounting For Tho Serious Business User The IBM PC and XT, the Apple LISA and Apple III, the DEC Rainbow, the Victor 9000, the Wang Personal, the Tl Pro- fessional, the Zenith Z-1 00. . . What do these top-selling business computers have in common? All of these popular products plus over 30 other micro- computers run the Software Fitness Program™ accounting applications plus the Team Manager™ report writer. You can choose Open Systems' accounting applications in COBOL or BASIC on single- or multi-user com- puters running on every popular oper- ating system including CP/M, CP/M- 86, MP/M, MP/M-86, MS-DOS, PC- DOS, OASIS, RM/COS or XENIX. 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SYSTEMS ^^^£0^ 430 Oak Grove Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 870-3515 TWX 910 576 1743 , Jto — u^ ZjIKv •I (vBrTWni ^"^•a. iffj^ (**C copyright CO 1983, Philip A. Schrodt *) uses ap p 1 est uf f ; <* Two procedures used -from applestuff: randomize: randomly set seed of random number generator randoms -function generating random numbers with a UniformCO, ID distribution *) const maxvot=200; (* maximum number o-f partys allowed *) var votes: arrayC 1- . maxvotl o-f integer; (tvotes by party*) ncex,totpivots,nid,np,mwcvote: integer; (* number o-f coalitions evaluated; total pivots, number o-f id lines, number o-f parties, votes required for mwc*) numpivots: arrayCl- . maxvotl of integer ; (tnumber of pivots*) name: arrayCl - -max vot3 of string; C* party names *) id: arrayCl- -103 of string; (* run identification information*) mem: arrayCl - .201 3 of boolean; (tcoalition membership*) (* Warning: change 201 to maxvot+1 if maxvot is changed *) bi: arrayCl- -maxvotl of real; (* Banzhaf indices*) pr i ntf 1 ag : bool ean ; totvot,nex,kz,ka,kb,nppl: integer; (* assorted counters *) inf,pr: text; <*input f i le, printer*) st a: string; procedure banzprint; forward; function answer ' ) ;read (C) ; writeln; if C^Chr«27) then Exit (program) ; answer:=(47) then i:=i*10 + (p-48) else if p=45 then neg:=true; end; if neg then iconv:= -i else iconv:=i; end; procedure sortfile; (* bubble sort 'name' and 'votes* by votes *) var ka,kb,kc: integer; sta: string; begin writeC'Sorting data'); for kas=l to np-1 do begin Listing 1 continued on page 144 142 BYTE March 1984 A Stickler for Profit. 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Listing 1 continued: «rite('.')| for kb:=ka to np do if votesCkbDvotesCka] then begin sta:=nameCka];na»e[ka3:»naii»eCkb];namcCkb3:=5ta; kc I =votesCka3 | votesCkal i =vot es C kb 1 1 votesCkb 3 i =kc | end ; end; writeln; •ndj procedure readstr i ng (si str i ng ; var n: string; var v: integer); (» breaks out the party nam* and votes from input string *) var ka: integer; begin kai»pos(* i ' | s> | if ka=0 then begin ni « p error * ;v:=0; exit (readstring) ;end; n: =copy (s, 1 , ka-1 ) ; if ka=length ) | end} procedure readdata; Oread vote data *) var ka, kb: integer; staistring; procedure readfile; (* read from a file *) begin wnte( 'Enter file name — >' ) ;readln (sta) ; if (po5(\text',sta)=0) and nidi=0j repeat nidi*nid+l; read 1 n ( i nf , i d C n i d 3 ) ; writeln0) and (ka<=maxvot) do begin ka:=ka+l ; writeln (sta) | readstring (sta, nameCka] , votesCka3 ) ; readln (inf , sta) ; end; if ka>=maxvot then writeln ( 'Read stopped at ',maxvot,' parties'); close (inf) ; end; procedure read2; (* tail-end of READDATA procedure, which is otherwise too long ») begin nex:-0; for ka:=l to np do nexs=nex+votesCkal; Listing 1 continued on page 146 144 BYTE March 1984 DON'T COMPROMISE: ., ■ ■■: ■■>.>: J K1 J i I ^ l ' m^^^L^ / t * »l P if ■ coapare C ccmpar^ COMBE OURS. .31 mm dot pitch, 80 column iaxt. *s 1; THWRSl .43 mm.dotpitch r 80 column text. THE PRINCETON HX-1 2 WiGH RBS&Ui ION RGB COtOR MONITOR for the Imagt your ©ye* de$erve &jfifiJJJJJ ym//Mf&;w Listing 1 continued: writeln ('Total votes entered: ' , nex ) ; writeCEnter number of votes o-f minimum winning coalition:'); read 1 n (mwc vote) ; sortf ile; end; begin if answer ('Is vote data on a .TEXT file') then readf ile else begin <* read from keyboard *) writeln ('Enter identification info (null to stop):'); nid:=0; repeat nid:=nid+l; readln(idCnid]) until (length (idCnid J )=0) or (nid=10) ; if nid=10 then wr i tel n (' Sorry, maximum of ten lines allowed...*) else nidx»nid-l; writeln ('Enter party id and number of votes separated* ) | writelnC by i for each party; null record to finish'); kai=0; repeat readln (sta) ; if length (sta) >0 then begin ka:=ka+l; readstring (sta, nameCkaD , votesCka] ) ; if votesCkaKO then begin kai »ka-2| writeln ('Backspace — next entry will replace'); writelnC * ,nameCka], * i ' , votesCka] ) ; end | end; until (length (sta) =0) or (ka=maxvot); if ka=maxvot then writeln ('Maximum of ',maxvot,' parties allowed* )| end | np:=ka; npp 1 : =np+l ; read2; end; procedure init; (t initializes assorted parameters *) begin randomize; for ka: = l to maxvot do numpi votsCka] : =0; end; procedure randcoal ; (t creates a random coalition and counts pivots*) var pr, ka: integer; begin pr:=random; for ka:=l to np do memCka3 x = = mwcvote then begin for ka: =1 to np do if memtkaJ then if (totvot— votesCka]) < mwcvote then numpi votsCka] : =numpi vatsCka3+l else ka:=np; (tnote: this shortcut assumes sorted votes...*) end; end; procedure exhaust; (* evaluation of Banzhaf indices by computing all coalitions *) var ka: integer; begin ncex:=0; for ka:=l to nppl do memCka3:=f alse; repeat ncex : =ncex + 1 ; al Icoal ; countpi vots; if (ncex mod 20=0 then write ('.'); until memCnppll; <* stop when np+1 element of mem is 'true' *) end; procedure randcomp; (t evaluates Banzhaf indices using Monte— Carlo methods *) var ka: integer; begin writeCEnter number of random coalitions to generate:'); readln(sta) ; nex : =iconv (sta) ; writelnCA " ." is printed for each 20 coalitions'); for ka:=l to nex do begin randcoal ; countpi vots; if (ka mod 20)=0 then begin write ('.'); if (ka mod 500=0 then writelnC Total coalitions: ' , ka) ; end; end; ncex : =nex ; end; procedure banzcomp; (* computes Banzhaf indices*) var ka: integer; begin totpi vots: =0; for ka:=l to np do totpi vots :=tot pi vots+numpi vots Ckal; if totpi vots=0 then begin writeln (' Error — no pivots recorded'); ex i t (banzpri nt ) ; end; for ka:=l to np do bi Cka3:=numpi votstkaD /totpi vots; end; procedure print (st: string) ; begin writeln (st ) ; if print flag then writeln (pr,st) ; end; Listing 1 continued on page 150 148 BYTE March 1984 THE PERSONAL COMPUTER NETWORK Buy Hardware/Software at Wholesale, And Save On Software Rentals, As A NETWORK Member Only! 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No._ _ZIP Telephone{ ) My computer(s) is: DIBM PC O Apple II QTRS-80 D Atari □ Commodore Other Signature v — (Signature required to validate membership) Listing 1 continued: procedure banzprint; <» computes and prints results *> var kas integer; st a, stb , sty: str i ng ; procedure printres; it prints individual results *) var rato,dif, prop; real ; begin -for kas = l to np do begin prop s =vot est ka 3 /tot vot ; di f : =bi C k a 3 -pr op ;rato:=biCka3 /prop ; stb:=copy (concat ' ) ; read In (sta) ; wri teln (sty) ;end; if print-flag then begin write (pr, stb, * * ,votesCka3:5, ' 9 , prop: 8: 5, ' ' , bi Cka3 s 8s 5) ; writeln(pr,' ',dif:8:5,' ',rato:Bs5,' ',stb);end; end; end; begin wri teln; printf lag:= answer ('Do you want hard copy*); if printflag then rewrite(pr, 'printers ') ; print C* *); for ka:=l to nid do print (idCkal ) ; printC '); str (mwc vote, sta) ; print (concat ( 'Votes for minimum winning coalition= ',sta)); str (ncex , sta) ; print (concat ('Total Experiments- ',sta)); banzcomp; str (tot pi vots, sta) ; print (concat ( 'Total Pivots= ',sta)); print (* '); totvot s=0;f or kas=l to np do totvot :=totvot+votes£ka3; stys='NAME VOTES PROP VT BANZHAF DIFF RATIO NAME'; print (sty) ; printres; if printflag then close(pr); end; <* main program t) begin write(chr (12) ) ; (* clear screen *) writelnC BANZHAF INDEX DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM'); writelnC (c) 1983, Philip A- Schrodt'); writeln; repeat init; readdata; writeln; writeln ( 'Enter Y for exhaustive evaluation,'); if answer (' N for Monte— Carlo evaluation') then exhaust else randcomp; banzprint; writeln; until (not answer ('Do you wish to compute additional indices')) end. 150 BYTE March 1984 HIGH PERFORMANCE NOW AVAILABLE IN A THREE-SPEED INTRODUCING THE NEW DS 220 MUITI- First there was the Datasouth DS1 80. 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X P R I N Datasouth Computer Corporation Box 240947 • Charlotte, NC 28224 704/523-8500 • Telex 6843018 DASOU UW BYTE March 1984 151 Text continued from page 140: (read as a string of length zero). The vote input consists of a party name and the appropriate number of votes separated by a colon (:). For example, Communist: 290 Republican: 40 Liberal: 30 Christian Democrats: 320 The system truncates names to 10 characters in the final index printout but they may be any length on input. The vote entry is "bullet-proofed," so if you accidentally enter a letter in the vote count, the program doesn't crash— it ignores the error. The entry #$%3$#%5' '") ($6 is read as 356. Terminate the vote in- formation with a null record as before. If you enter data directly from the keyboard and find a mistake after pressing Return, enter a negative vote in the next entry to void the error. Then you can retype the previous en- try. For example, Liberal: X: Liberal: 35 - 1 30 changes the Liberal entry to 30 votes. You may enter a maximum of 200 parties. You can probably expand this by increasing the dimensions in the program's array declarations, but 200 is close to the maximum possible on an Apple II. The system sorts the par- ties by the total number of votes, so the output is not in the same order as the input. The sorting reduces the running time by not evaluating par- ties without enough votes to be pivotal. After you enter the null record, the program displays the total number of votes entered and asks for the num- ber of votes needed to win. Usually, this is the number of votes needed for a simple majority, but sometimes it is for a two-thirds majority or some other amount. Then the program asks you whether you want to eval- uate the coalitions with the ex- haustive method or the Monte Carlo method. If you choose the latter, it asks you how many random coali- tions to generate. This number depends on how patient you are but should probably be at least 1000. On the Apple II 32,767 is the maximum. In either mode, the system prints a period after it evaluates every 20 coalitions so you can tell if the pro- gram is still running. After evaluating the indexes, the program prints the results. It first asks if you want hard copy. If you re- spond "yes" to this prompt, the out- put is routed to both a printer and the screen. If you ask for hard copy and don't have a printer, the program crashes. If you do not ask for hard copy, the program pauses and waits for a Return after sending each screen of information. Six items are printed: NAME party name, truncated to 10 characters VOTES the number of votes for the party PROP VT the proportion of the total vote that this party has IBM PC-8087SUPPORT FROM MICROWARE 87FORTRAN/RTOS™ is a MicroWare adaptation of the Intel Fortran-86 compiler a full ANSI-77 subset with 8087 extensions and overlays It generates in line 8087 code allowing use of all 8087 data types, including 80 bit reals and 64 bit integers The complete subset I/O is supported including Internal and External Files and List Directed I/O. 87FORTRAN/RTOS uses the Intel large memory model, allowing data/code structures which utilize the full megabyte The compiler provides direct access to 8088 ports and supports logical operations on 8 and 16 bit operands normally treated in assembly language. It is ideal for large applications which are number intensive or control hardware. 87PASCAURTOS™ is Intel's ISO- Standard Pascal with 8087-8088 exceptions. These make it possible to use all the 8087 data types directly, while generating modules in one of the three Intel Memory Models 87FORTRAN/RTOSand 87PASCALyRTOS include RTOS and support for one year. each $1 350 PC TECH JOURNAL REVIEW: "The MicroWare package Is preferable ... it executes the basic operations more rapidly and MicroWare provides a free update service." 87 BASIC™ includes patches to the IBM Basic Compiler and both runtime libraries for USER TRANSPARENT and COMPLETE 8087 support Provides super fast performance for all numeric operations including trigonometries, transcendentals, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division $1 50 87 MACRO™ - our complete 8087 software development package. It contains a "Pre- processor" which converts 8087 instructions into 8088 escape codes, source code for a set of 8087 macros, and an object library of 8087 functions which include transcendentals, trigonometries hyperbolics, encoding, decoding and conversions $1 50 PLM-86 with RTOS $1 100 RTOS™ — Real Time Multi-Tasking Operating System RTOS is a MicroWare configured version of iRMX-86, Intel's legendary operating system. It in- cludes the Intel Assembler, ASM-86, which supports the 8086, 8087, 8088 and 80186. All mod- ules produced by the compilers or ASM-86 are combined, loaded and managed with the Utilities LINK-86, LOC-86 and LIB-86. These products make it possible to load modules anywhere in RAM, and resolve external references between runtime modules Overlays with a single root job are supported by the linker. RTOS/ASM-86/LINK-86/LOC-86/LIB-86 $600 iRMX-86, LINK-86, ASM-86, LOC-86 and LIB-86 are trademarks of Intel Corp. IBM PC is a trademark of IBM Corp. Micro Ware P.O. Box 79 Kingston, MA You Can TalkToUs! MICROWARE BESTSELLERS! 8087-3 CHIP in stock with 180 day warranty and 8088 <£ 4 "7 C exchange vj> 1 # O FASTPAK™+8087 includes one runtime library (87BASIC, 87 MACRO or 87 PASCAL), the 8087 chip, the 87/88GUIDE, and installation instructions $325 MATRIXPAK™ manages a MEGABYTE! Written in assembly language, our runtime package accurately manipulates large matrices at very fast speeds Includes matrix inversion and the solution of simultaneous linear equations Callable from MS Fortran 3.13, MS Pascal 3.13, SSS Fortran, and MicroWare 87MACRO, 87BASIC, and RTOS compilers each $1 50 87/88GUIDE - an excellent tutorial on writing 8087 code and interfacing it with compilers Full of code that runs! $30 MICROSOFT FORTRAN 3.13 MICROSOFT PASCAL 3.1 3 These new IEEE compatible compilers support both double precision and the 8087. . , . each $259 MICROSOFT C COMPILER includes Lattice C and the MS Librarian. .$350 Float 87 for MS C $1 25 64K RAM Upgrade 64 SuperSoft Fortran 340 SSS 8087 Support 50 SuperSoft Voice Drive 895 87BASIC+ 75 TRACE86 Utility 1 25 Microsoft Business Basic Compiler 495 Computer Innovations C86 345 STSC APL*PLUS/PC 545 64K QUADRAM 31 9 Sandstar WS2 Hard Disk System 1 355 Multitool Word MW. 269 Multitool Word W/Mouse 329 SANDSTAR 64K Card 275 152 BYTE March 1984 Circle 252 on inquiry card. SUPER SIX 9*4HC (*• I •mini ""''"«/W^ /(/ Hit* '"'"««»///„„ SUPER SIX, THE FIRST 6MHz S-100 SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER TO SUPPORT BANKED CP/M™ 3 IX FEATURES: 128 KB of Hank - selectable HAM 6 MHz, Z-80B CPU DMA Controller 6 MHz, Z-80B DART (2 Serial RS-2S2 Ports) 6 MHz, Z-80B PIG (2 Parallel Ports) 6 MHz, Z-80B CTC (Clock Timer) Double/Single Density Floppy Disk Controller — Supports 8" and 5-1/4" Drives Simultaneously 2/4 KB of Monitor EPROM S-100, IEEE 696 Compatible ■:K SIX and SUP need Digital Corp lark of Soft ER SLAVE SUPER SIX & CP/M™ 3,0 A PERFECT MATCH Advanced Digital has found the perfect match to its powerful, high-speed SUPER SIX single board computer. It's Digital Research's new CP/M 3.0. Because of SUPER SiX's 128 KB of RAM, it is the only S-100 board to support CP/M 3,0 in the banked mode; or run CP/M 2.2 with 64 KB of extra buffer. SUPER SIX & TurboDOS 1 * 1 ANOTHER PERFECT MATCH When you combine the TurboDOS multi-user operating system with the 6 MHz SUPER SIX, you'll find your system running 1-1/2 times faster than TurboDOS SSmi before. Add the 4 MHz or 6 MHz SUPER SLAVE™ processor board(s) and you will have the fastest multi-user, multi-processor system available today, See the SUPEH SIX at yo quality computer dealer or ADVANCED* DIGITAL CORPORATION 5432 Production Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92649 Phone:{714)891-4004 Telex: 183210 ADVANCED HTBH BANZHAF DIFF RATIO the Banzhaf index the difference between the Banzhaf index and the proportion of votes (B-P) the ratio of the Banzhaf index to the proportion of votes (B/P) The system also prints file-identifica- tion information, the total number of coalitions evaluated, and the number of votes needed for a minimum win- ning coalition. It formats the output for an 80-column screen; if you have only 40 columns, press control-A to get the DIFF and RATIO information. Final Remarks I have not included any procedures for leaving out impossible coalitions, but they are easy to add. For exam- ple, to run the Italian system without the DC-PCI coalition, simply change "countpivots;" to if not (mem[l] and mem[2]) then countpivots; in the "exhaust" procedure. You can use this to check through a list of pro- hibited coalition partners before counting the pivots. Banzhaf indexes are not a perfect measure of voting power; they are only an approximation. Their chief weakness is assuming that all coali- tions are equally probable. In reality, coalitions are more likely to form along ideological lines. (The indexes can be recomputed easily with this restriction.) Second, the Banzhaf in- dex does not take into account poli- tical maneuvering based on past favors or future promises among potential coalition partners. A skilled politician can have influence despite a weak Banzhaf position. Finally, the difficulty in computing Banzhaf in- dexes means that most negotiators have only a vague notion of their true power. Nevertheless, the Banzhaf in- dex probably measures influence more accurately than the simple pro- portion of votes. The upcoming presidential nomin- ating conventions in the United States provide opportunities for parliamentary-style weighted voting, though this has not happened for a number of years, But if, for example, the Democratic party is unable to nominate a candidate on the first ballot, and if the various candidates can keep their delegates under con- trol, then some interesting bargain- ing could occur to assemble a win- ning coalition. Jesse Jackson could easily be in a pivotal position. As these various examples illustrate, it is not the individual number of votes but the number of pivots that is im- portant. It is misleading to look at vote totals alone. The use of Banzhaf indexes casts a light on political power that makes the unexpected a little less of a surprise. ■ Philip A. Schrodt (Dept. of Political Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201) is an associate professor in the political science depart- ment at Northwestern University, He also teaches mathematical methods in the social sciences pro- gram. His book, Microcomputer Methods in Social Science Research, has just been published by Sage Publications. Dr. Schrodt, who holds an M.A. in mathematics and a Ph.D. in political science, is the originator of the generic word- processor concept (April 1982 BYTE). REFERENCES 1 . Brams, Steven J. Paradoxes in Politics, New York: Free Press, 1976. 2. Brams, Steven J. Game Theory and Politics. New York: Free Press, 1975. 3. Riker, William H. The Theory of Political Coali- tions. New Haven, CI: Yale University Press, 1962. 4. Riker, William H M and Peter C. Ordeshook. An Introduction to Positive Political Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hal I, 1973. Program Availability The program in listing 1 is available as part of a set of three mathematical political science programs. The other two programs cover the Richardson arms race model (July 1982 BYTE, page 108) and alternative vot- ing methods. The set is available for $25 postpaid in either Apple or IBM format and includes additional documentation. It is available from the author at Polymath Associates Software, Route 1, Box 380, Clinton, NY 13323. Your HP Computer Deserves the -flf^ _ _ Jk^^ _JL Give your HP computer a high- drives: 3V 2 ;' SV-tf 8!' And local performance disk drive like our back-up too. Best! new Series 3000 Winchester subsystem. Transferring data at 174 kbytes/s...It's the fastest micro-Winchester disk around! You can choose from storage Our Multi-port Option allows two or three HP computers to share one disk drive. Every- thing is 100% HP compatible. No software or hardware capacities of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 MB. changes needed. Three sizes of optional floppy For complete specifications, please call 415/651-3300, or write today. BERING The Specialist in HP Compatible Disk Products. 1400 Fulton Place, Fremont California 94539 TELEX 171596 154 BYTE March 1984 Circle 42 on inquiry card. Anyone who pays $2395 for a tenninal ought to have his head examined. Some people think our prices are mind-blowing. Until they learn more about our terminals, and how much sense they make for profes- sional users. Take the Ann Arbor Guru™, for example. It's simply a well-consid- ered investment in your own talent. To help you get ahead in your work, the Guru features an unpre- cedented 28K of memory. Imagine. Enough memory to fill 15 pages of an 80x24 display. Or six full pages of 8 1 /2x11 text. All locally resident for editing, printing, trans- mission, or just for context. The Guru display also shows a lot of thought for your needs. You can display up to 66 lines of up to 170 characters. Then zoom and scroll— horizontally and vertically— to view any portion of the memory, displaying as much or as little data as you like. Of course, all this is in addition to Ann Arbor's standard 15-inch screen, portrait or landscape. Doz- ens of programmable keys. ANSI- standard coding. Pause and Meta functions. And incomparable data line monitoring. Now, we'd be the last people to say that an Ann Arbor Guru is for just anyone. But if you think you're worth it, it would be crazy to settle for anything less. For more information, write to Ann Arbor Terminals, Inc. at 6175 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103. Or call 313/663-8000. Circle 27 on inquiry card. nnn arbor TERMINALS Once you've worked with them, you won't work without them. I Efficient f. 1 ,,* Meta key KHSVtfate^ V Pause key C r^ — o-o- rs \j \j \j LJ r-O-O- ► o d d r\ -o-o- r\ ^J kJ ^J kJ = TD(Z) - T THEN A 2130 NEXT 2300 T = T + A 2310 QT = QT + QL% * A 2400 FOR Z = 1 TO SX 2410 IF S%(Z) = 1 THEN ST(Z) = ST(Z) + A 2420 NEXT 2500 IF N = 1 THEN 4000 TD(Z) - T:N = 1:S 3LIST3000,3999 ARRIVAL MODULE - LOG (1 - R): GOTO 3130 3000 C1% = CU + 1 3050 IF P < 3 THEN R = RND (1):F 3100 R = RND (1):X = 3110 IF R > FA(X,1) THEN X = X + 1: GOTO 3110 3120 F = FA(X - 1,2) + (R - FA(X - 1,1)) * CFA(X,2) - FA(X - 1,2)) / (FA(X,1) - FA(X - 1,1)) 3130 TA = T + F * AI 3200 FOR Z = 1 TO S% 3210 IF SX(Z) = THEN S = Z:CO% = C0% + 1 : GOTO 4250 3220 NEXT 3230 QL% = QL% + 1 3240 IF QM% < QL% THEN QM% = QLX 3250 GOTO 2000 DLIST400Q,4249 DEPARTURE MODULE 4000 S%CS) = 4010 CS%(S) = CSX(S) + 1 4050 C2% = C2% + 1 4100 IF C2% = > CX THEN 5000 4150 IF QLX = THEN 2000 4200 QLX = QLX - 1 ]LIST4250,4999 SEIZE MODULE 4250 SXCS) = 1 4300 IF P = 2 THEN 4400 4310 IF P = 4 THEN 4400 4320 IF P = 5 THEN 4400 4340 R = RND (1):F = - LOG (1 - R) : GOTO 4430 4400 R = RND (1):X = 4410 IF R > FS(X,1) THEN X = X + 1: GOTO 4410 4420 F = FS(X - 1,2) + CR - FS(X - 1,1)) * (FS(X,2) - ■ FSCX ■ - 1,2)) 4430 TD(S) = T + F * SI • (FS(X,1) - FSCX - 1,1)) HLIST500Q,5199 5000 FOR Z = 1 TO SX: 5010 TSCZ) = INT (100 * 5020 US(Z) » INT (10000 5030 NEXT 5040 QO = INT (10000 5050 Q1 = INT (100 * 5060 IF C1X = COX THEN Q2 5070 Q2 * INT (100 * QT / 5080 QA = INT (100 CALCULATE AVERAGES AND PERCENTAGES IF CSX(Z) = THEN 5030 * ST(Z) / CSX(Z) + .5) / 100 STCZ) / T + .5) / 100 * COX / C1X + .5) / 100 QT / C1X + .5) / 100 = 0: GOTO 5080 (C1X - COX) + .5) / 100 QT / T + .5) / 100 Listing 1 continued on page 164 162 BYTE March 1984 D B M ? DBMS, ft*, A buzzword for Data Base Management System. A structure in which to collect information on a given subject in one or more files. A software program enabling you to store, manipulate and retrieve your information contained in those files. V8 Fully relational data base management ^% -Multiple file and disk access. IB Fully menu driven - Presented in ? I "English" 3 simple and automatic program generators - A complete package. Calculates and compares figures -Quickly generates valuable reports. n . m by the PROBASE Group Probase® y F Fully Relational Data Base Management System (DBMS) Probase's'Qu/cJk Cen "tells" your computer how to enter, find, sort, calculate, analyze and present information. Easily add, change, delete, or browse through your data. Probase'sab/7 ity to combine and collect data on a given subject from many separate files allows you im- mediate access to all of your information - Bookkeeping, Cost Accounting, Inventory, Personnel, Portfolio Analysis, Sales, etc. Menu Gen joins files together in an easy-to-use selection list. Report Gen compiles virtually any comparative reports you need, including projec- tions and forecasts. And prints them in any format you choose. Probase®Requires No Training Press a 'function' key for help Concise documentation with samples on-screen assists you with your current task. And returns where you left off. Complete documentation includes a handy 2-part tutorial manual. Easy Enough For Non-Technical Users Probase's three program generators (Quick, Menu, Report) create data base management applications according to your direction -automatically. Enter your requests using simple selections and fili-in- the-blank menus. 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Probase® Another Solution® from Data Technology IndustriesTM 701 A Whitney Street San Leandro, CA 94577 800- 258- 70 71 (415) 638-1 206 Listing 1 continued: 3LIST5200,5399 SELECT OUTPUT DEVICE 5200 HOME 5210 PRINT 5220 PRINT 5230 PRINT 5240 PRINT 5250 PRINT 5260 IF A$ 5270 IF AS 5280 PRINT PRINT CHRS (7): PRINT CHR$ (7): VTAB (7) TABC 10) "SIMULATION COMPLETED" : PRINT TABC 13)"READY TO REPORT" : PRINT TAB( 11)"ShaU Report go to" : PRINT TAB( 7) "SCREEN (S) or PRINTER (P) $ : PRINT TABC 19)" ";: GET A$ = "S" THEN 5700 = "P" THEN 5400 CHRS (7): PRINT Please answer 'S' or 'P'": GOTO 5250 ]LIST5400,5699 OUTPUT TO PRINTER 5400 5410 5420 5430 5440 5450 5460 5470 5480 5490 5500 5510 5520 5530 5540 5550 5560 5570 5580 5590 5600 5610 5615 5620 5625 5630 5640 5650 5660 5670 5680 5690 HOME : PRINT PRINT PRINT PR# 1 PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT FOR Z PRINT : INPUT "What is Date of Report? ";D$ : PRINT "What is Project Identification?" : INPUT 1$ : PRINT "Press RETURN when PRINTER is ready GET A$ PRINT TABC 12)D$: PRINT TABC 40 - LEN CIS) / 2)1$ TABC 32)"QUEUE SIMULATION" PRINT : PRINT TABC 12)"1 CONE) QUEUE SERVED BY ";S%;" PARALLEL SERVICE STATIONS TABC 12)"AVERAGE ARRIVAL INTERVAL WAS SPECIFIED AS ";AI;" TIME UNITS" TABC 12)"AVERAGE SERVICE TIME WAS SPECIFIED AS ";SI;" TIME UNITS" TABC 12)"QUEUE LENGTH AT START OF SIMULATION WAS ";QL PRINT TABC 12)"STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT START WAS:*' PRINT TABC 20)"STATI0N"; TABC 36)"STATUS": PRINT 1 TO S%: IF A$CZ) = "Y" THEN S$CZ) = "USED" IF A$(Z) < > "Y M THEN S$CZ) = "OPEN" PRINT TABC 23)Z; TABC 37)S$CZ): NEXT PRINT TABC 12)"SAMPLE SIZE IS ";C%;" DEPARTURES" PRINT TABC 12)"TIME ELAPSED FOR SIMULATION IS "; INT CT + .5);" TIME UNITS" PRINT TABC 12)"STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT END IS:" AVERAGE TIME STATUS" TABC 12)" DEPARTURES % PER SERVICE" FOR Z = 1 TO S%: IF S%U) = THEN S$CZ) = "OPEN" IF S%CZ) = 1 THEN S$CZ) = "USED" PRINT TABC 15>Z; TABC 24)CS%CZ); TABC 35)USCZ); TABC 49)TSCZ); TABC 22)S$CZ): NEXT PRINT : PRINT TABC 18)"QUEUE CONTENT"; TABC 42)"ENTRIES ZERO" TABC 12)"CURRENT MAXIMUM AVERAGE"; TABC 40) M T0TAL ZEROS %" TABC 15)QL%; TABC 24)QM%; TABC 32)QA; TABC 4DCU; TABC 8)C0%; TABC 16)Q0 PRINT TABC 12)"AVERAGE WAIT TIME"; TABC 42)"AVERAGE WAIT TIME": PRINT TABC 15) M ALL ENTRIES"; TABC 40)' UNITS ENTERING QUEUE" PRINT TABC 18)Q1; TABC 48)Q2 IF P > 1 THEN 6500 PR# 0: GOTO 6000 PRINT : PRINT : PRINT : IZATION PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT : PRINT TABC 12) "STATION NUMBER OF UTIL PRINT 3LIST5700,5999 OUTPUT TO SCREEN 5700 5710 5720 5730 5740 5750 5760 5770 5780 5790 5800 5810 5820 5830 5840 5850 5860 5870 HOME : PRINT PRINT " QUEUE SIMULATION" PRINT : PRINT TABC 2)"MEAN ARRV T"; TABC 15)AI; TABC 24)"MEAN SERV T"; TABC 36)SI PRINT TABC 2)"QUEUE START"; TABC 15)QL; TABC 24)"STATI0NS"; TABC 36)S% PRINT TABC 2)"SAMPLE SIZE"; TABC 15)C%; TABC 24)"T0T TIME"; TABC 35) INT CT + .5) PRINT : PRINT " STAT DEPART UTILIZ AVG TIME STATUS": PRINT FOR Z = 1 TO S% IF S%CZ) = THEN SSCZ) = "OPEN" IF S%CZ) = 1 THEN S$CZ) = "USED" PRINT TABC 4)Z; TABC 9)CS%CZ); TABC 17)USCZ); TABC 25)TSCZ); TABC 35)S$CZ) NEXT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT %" PRINT " QUEUE CONTENT ENTRIES CURR MAXI AVERAGE TOTAL ZEROS ZERO" TABC 2)QLX; TABC 8)QM%; TABC 14)QA; TABC 23)C1%; TABC 29)C0%; TABC 35)Q0 TABC 2)"AVG WAIT A"; TABC 13)Q1; TABC 22)"AVG WAIT Z"; TABC 33)Q2 PRINT "Do you want printed copy? Then press ' Y 1 " PRINT "Otherwise press RETURN when ready ";: GET A$ IF AS = "Y" THEN 5400 :LIST6000,6499 SELECT MORE SIMULATIONS OR END 6000 HOME : PRINT : PRINT 6010 PRINT "Want to do another Simulation CY/N) ?" 6020 PRINT : PRINT TABC 19)" ";: GET AS 6030 IF AS = "Y" THEN CLEAR : DIM FAC25,2),FSC25,2) : RESTORE : GOTO 7200 6040 IF AS = "N" THEN END 6050 PRINT : PRINT CHRS C7) : PRINT "Please answer 'Y» or 'N f ": GOTO 6020 Listing 1 continued on page 166 164 BYTE March 1984 Einstein had every gift a great thinker needs. Except one. The FinalWord. With it, he would Ve been able to make sure every one of his great ideas ended up where it belonged. On paper. Because The FinalWord offers great thinkers an arsenal of word processing commands so powerful, they're free at last to concentrate solely on having great ideas. While the FinalWord con- centrates on making them look good on \\ paper. You never format. You only think In fact, one reviewer called The FinalWord "the thinking person^ word processor." Einstein wouldVe liked that And, here's something else to think about With The FinalWord, you never have to worry about losing your big idea to a system crash or power failure. Because The FinalWord continuously saves it in back-up. Put The FinalWord to the test at your local computer store. It may not make you an Einstein. But then again, everything is relative. TheFmalWoid Finally, word processing becomes thought processing, Circle 221 on inquiry card. £1 Mark of the Unicom 222 Third Street Cambridge, MA 02142 (617) 576-2760 Listing 1 continued: 3LIST6500,6999 AUXILIARY PRINTER OUTPUT 6500 PRINT : PRINT : PRINT TABC 12)"N0TE:" 6510 ON P GOTO 5690,6520,6550,6580,6610 6520 PRINT TABC 12) M SERVICE TIME HAD PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION:": PRINT 6530 GOSUB 6750 6540 PRINT : GOTO 5690 6550 PRINT TABC 12)"ARRIVAL TIME HAD PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION:": PRINT 6560 GOSUB 6700 6570 PRINT : GOTO 5690 6580 PRINT TABC 12)"ARRIVAL AND SERVICE HAD IDENTICAL NON-POISSON DISTRIBUTION:' 6590 GOSUB 6700 6600 PRINT : GOTO 5690 6610 PRINT TABC 12)"ARRIVAL TIME HAD PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION:": PRINT 6620 GOSUB 6700 6630 PRINT : PRINT 6640 PRINT TABC 12>"SERVICE TIME HAD PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION:": PRINT 6650 GOSUB 6750 6660 PRINT : GOTO 5690 6700 X = 6710 PRINT TABC 12)FACX,1);'* "fMCX^Z);" "; 6720 IF FACX,1) = 1 THEN RETURN 6730 X = X + 1: GOTO 6710 6750 X = 6760 PRINT TABC 12)FSCX,1);" ";FSCX,2);" "; 6770 IF FSCX,1) = 1 THEN RETURN 6780 X = X + 1: GOTO 6760 PRINT ]LIST7000,7199 OPENING SCREEN 7000 HOME 7010 PRINT : PRINT : PRINT : PRINT 7020 PRINT " ****************************" 7030 PRINT " * *' 7040 PRINT " * QUEUE SIMULATION *'' 7050 PRINT " * *" 7060 PRINT " * BY *" 7070 PRINT " • *" 7080 PRINT " * E HART RASMUSSEN *" 7090 PRINT " * P M S *" 7100 PRINT " * *" 7110 PRINT " •it**************************" 7120 PRINT : PRINT : PRINT 7130 PRINT " Press RETURN to start" 7140 PRINT : PRINT TABC 19): GET A$ ]LIST7200,7599 ESTABLISH PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS 7200 7210 7220 7230 7240 7250 7260 7270 7280 7290 7300 7310 7320 7330 7360 7370 7380 7390 7400 7410 7420 7430 7440 7500 7510 7520 7530 7550 7560 7570 7580 HOME PRINT PRINT IF A$ " ShalL ARRIVAL and SERVICE have" : PRINT " identical Distributions CY/N) ";: INPUT A$ = "Y" THEN P = 1: GOTO 7260 IF A$ = "N" THEN P = 2: GOTO 7300 PRINT CHR$ C7): PRINT " Please answer 'Y' or 'N' " : PRINT " Are they both Poisson ";: INPUT A$ = "Y" THEN 7600 IF A$ = "N" THEN P = 4: GOTO 7400 PRINT CHR$ C7): PRINT " Please answer 'Y' or 'N' " PRINT " Does ARRIVAL have Poisson ";: INPUT A$ "Y" THEN 7400 "N" THEN P = 3: GOTO 7360 CHR$ C7): PRINT " Please answer *Y 9 or 'N' PRINT " Does SERVICE have Poisson ";: INPUT A$ "Y" THEN 7400 "N" THEN P = 5: GOTO 7400 CHR$ C7): PRINT " Please answer 'Y 1 or »N» ON P GOTO 7600,7410,7420,7430,7440 GOSUB 7550: GOTO 7600 GOTO 7600 RESTORE : GOSUB 7550: GOTO 7600 GOSUB 7550: GOTO 7600 PRINT IF A$ PRINT IF A$ IF A$ PRINT PRINT IF A$ IF A$ PRINT INPUT A$: GOTO 7230 INPUT A$: GOTO 7270 INPUT A$: GOTO 7310 INPUT A$: GOTO 7370 GOSUB 7500 GOSUB 7500 GOSUB 7500 X = - 1 X = X + 1: READ FACX,1 ),FACX,2) IF FACX,1) < 1 THEN 7510 RETURN X = - 1 X = X + 1: READ FSCX,1),FSCX,2) IF FSCX,1) < 1 THEN 7560 RETURN Listing 1 continued on page 168 166 BYTE March 1984 ■■ -itjit liigm 1 1 m fl. % f# I ! 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Green's popular dBASE II seminar in your own home or office. You receive everything but the lunch! dBASEIIDemo $ 25.00 dBASE II Fundamentals (VHS or BETA) $295. 00 dBASE II Fundamentals (U-MATIC) $395.00 SoftwareBanc 661 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02174 Take stock in SoftwareBanc! Call or write for the free catalogs which include our complete product line, seminar curriculum and unique services. At SoftwareBanc, a wise investor is our best customer. To order, call (800) 451-2502 or (617) 641-1241 in Mass. Hours are 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. EST Monday - Friday and 9 a. m. - 5 p. m. EST on Saturday. Payment may be made by: MC/V1SA, MO, check or COD. Terms available to qualified customers. MA residents add 5% sales tax. Add $5 for S&H. Prices subject to change without notice. Dealer Inquiries Invited. Ask about our Discount Savings Plan. £ dBASE II is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corp. WordStar is a registered trademark of MicroPro UNIX is a registered trademark of Bell Laboratories Circle 327 on inquiry card. (800)451-2502 (617)641-1241 in MA Listing 1 continued: ]LIST7600,7999 INPUT SIMULATION DATA 7600 7610 7620 7630 7640 7650 7660 7670 7680 7690 7700 7710 7720 7730 7740 7750 7900 HOME ; PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT IF A$ IF A$ PRINT PRINT IF A$ IF A$ IF S% PRINT FOR X PRINT NEXT PRINT PRINT : INPUT "What is AVERAGE Arrival Interval? ";AI : INPUT "What is AVERAGE Service Time? ";SI : INPUT "How many Service Stations are used? ";S% ; PRINT "Is there a waiting Queue at Start ";: INPUT A$ = "N" THEN PRINT : GOTO 7680 < > "Y" THEN PRINT CHR$ (7): PRINT "Please answer 'Y* or 'N' ";: INPUT A$: GOTO 7650 : INPUT "How many are waiting? ";QL%:QL = QL%:QM% = QL%: PRINT "Are any Service Stations in Use ";: INPUT A$ = "N" THEN 7900 < > "Y" THEN PRINT CHR$ (7): PRINT "Please answer 'Y* or 'N' ";: INPUT A$: GOTO 7690 = 1 THEN A$(1) = "Y": GOTO 7900 : PRINT " Service Station U In Use (Y/N)": PRINT = 1 TO S% ";X;: INPUT " ";A$(X) PRINT : INPUT "Size of Simulation Sample: ';C% ]LIST8000,8799 CALCULATE FIRST ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE(S) TIMES PRINT : PRINT : PRINT : PRINT TAB( 15)"PLEASE WAIT" TAB( 10)" ";: FLASH : PRINT "SIMULATION RUNNING" GOTO 8130 FACX - 1,2)) / FA(X,1) THEN X = X + 1: GOTO 8110 8120 F = FACX - 1,2) + CR - FA(X - 1,1)) * (FACX, 2) - 8130 TA = F * AI 8150' FOR Z = 1 TO S% IF A$CZ) = "Y" THEN S%(Z) = 1 IF SX(Z) = THEN TDCZ) = S% * 100 * AI: GOTO 8300 IF P = 4 THEN 8240 IF P = 5 THEN 8240 R = RND C1):F = - LOG (1 - R): GOTO 8270 8240 R = RND (1):X = 8250 IF R > FSCX,1) THEN X = X + 1: GOTO 8250 8260 F = FSCX - 1,2) + (R - FSCX - 1,1)) * CFS(X,2) - FS(X ~ 1,2)) / CFS(X,1) - FSCX - 1,1)) 8160 8170 8180 8190 8200 8270 TDCZ) = F * 8300 NEXT 8500 GOTO 2000 SI HLIST880G, ERRORS IN DATA STATEMENTS 8800 HOME : PRINT : PRINT : 8810 FOR X = 1 TO 3: PRINT CHR$ C7) : NEXT 8820 PRINT " PLEASE CORRECT THE DATA STATEMENTS" 8830 PRINT : PRINT : PRINT : PRINT " N0N-P0ISSON DISTRIBUTIONS" 8840 PRINT : PRINT " SHOULD BE IN DATA STATEMENTS" 8850 PRINT : PRINT " STARTING AT LINE 9000" 8860 PRINT : LIST 9000, 8870 END Text continued from page 160: 9000DATA0, .25, .1, .25, .35, .5, .65,1.5, .9,1.75,1,1.75 9010DATA0, .75,1,1.25 assigns a distribution according to curve 3 to arrival intervals but dis- tributes service times according to curve 2. Make sure that the defined distribution averages a value of 1. Some Sample Problems Parts a through f of figure 4 show examples of printed output from sim- ulations done by the program. Notice that all input data is repeated on the printed report. Parts e and f of the figure show simulations using non- Poisson distributions. This is noted at the bottom of the report; and the coordinates for the specified distribu- tion curve(s) are shown. Part c of the figure shows a simulation of three parallel service stations. Notice that station 1 has been used most often. This is because of the way the pro- gram chooses open stations. The average utilization factor of 91.6 per- cent for all three stations is close to the theoretical, overall utilization fac- tor of 90.9 percent. The results of the simulation are summarized in table 4 and compared with the theoretical values (where this is possible), which can be calcu- lated using the formulas listed in table 1. Notice that even with 5000 simulations there is up to*20 percent difference between the analytical and the simulated results. This does not 168 BYTE March 1984 Variable A Al A$ A$(Z) cm co% C1% C2% CS%(Z) D$ F FA(a,2) FS(b,2) l$ N P QO Q1 Q2 QA QL QL% QM°/o QT R S S°/o S°/o(Z) S$(Z) ST(Z) SI T TA TD(Z) TS(Z) US(Z) X Z Description Time advance Mean arrival interval Answer to yes/no question Station status at start Sample size Number of arrivals with no wait time Total number of arrivals Total number of departures Number of departures from Station Z Date of report Simulation factor, a function of random Probability distribution for arrival intervals Probability distribution for service intervals Project identification Switch for next event (0 = arrival; 1 = departure) Switch (or type of probability distributions Percent of arrivals with no wait time Average wait time, all arrivals Average wait time, arrivals entering queue Average length of queue Length of queue at start Length of queue Maximum length of queue Cumulative queue time (i.e., SUM GL°/o*T) Random number = RND(1) Station number with earliest departure Number of service stations Station status; = open, 1 = used Station status Total time Station Z has been in use Mean service time, all stations Time, cumulative from start Time for next arrival Time for departure from Station Z Average service time at Station Z Percent of utilization of Station Z General counter Counter for stations Input yes yes yes Output yes yes yes yes yes Table 2: Queue simulation variables. Printer Screen yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes indicate any flaw in the program but merely illustrates the possible dif- ferences between a finite and an in- finite population. A comparison of lines 1, 2, and 3 in table 4 shows that multiple service channels with identical total capaci- ty provide slightly improved service as more channels are used. A com- parison of lines 1 and 4 shows the dramatic reduction in queue length and waiting time when a second ser- Text continued on page 174 Arrival Interval Poisson Poisson Non-Poisson Non-Poisson Non-Poisson Service Interval Poisson Non-Poisson Poisson Same non-Poisson function as in Arrival Interval column Different non-Poisson function than in Arrival Interval column Value of P 1 2 3 4 Table 3: P values. BYTE March 1984 169 ERG/68000 MINI-SYSTEMS □ Full IEEE 696/S100 Compatibility □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ D □ □ □ □ □ □ HARDWARE OPTIONS 8MHz, 10 MHz, or 12 MHz 68000/68010 CPU 68451 Memory Management Hardware Floating Point Multiple Port Intelligent I/O 64K/128K Static RAM (70 nsec) 256K/512K/1MB Dynamic RAM (150 nsec) Graphics-Digital Graphics CAT-1600 DMA Disk Interface SMD Disk Interface V*" or W Tape Backup 5 1 A" or 8" Floppy Disk Drives 5MB-474MB Hard Disk Drives 7/10/20 Slot Back Plane 20 or 30A Power Supply Desk Top or Rack Mount End. SOFTWARE OPTIONS 68KFORTH 1 Systems Language CP/M-68K 2 0/S with C, 68K-BASIC\ 68KFORTH 1 , FORTRAN 77, Z80 Emulator, Whitesmiths 1 C, PASCAL IDRiS 3 O/S with C, PASCAL, FORTRAN 77, 68K-BAS1C 1 , CIS COBOL 4 , INFORMIX 5 Relational DBMS UNIX* SYS V O/S with C, PASCAL, FORTRAN 77, BASIC, RM COBOL 7 , ADA', INFORMIX 5 Relational DBMS VED 68K Screen Editor Motorola's MACSBUG and FFP Package Trademark 'ERG, 2 Digital Research, Whitesmiths, *Micro Focus, 5 RDS f Inc., "Bell Labs, HRyan McFartand, •U.S. DoD 30 Day Delivery - OEM Discounts since 1974 S^oirical Research Group, Inc. P.O. Box 1176 Mifton, WA 98354 206-872-7655 170 BYTE March 1984 Figure 4: Simulation results with (4a) one service station, (4b) two service stations, (4c) three service stations, (4d) doubled service capacity, (4e) service time has probability function from curve 2 of figure 2, and (4f) both service and arrival times have probability functions from curve 2 of figure 2. (4a) 1 (ONE) QUEUE SERVED BY 1 PARALLEL SERVICE STATIONS AVERAGE ARRIVAL INTERVAL WAS SPECIFIED AS 11 TIME UNITS AVERAGE SERVICE TIME WAS SPECIFIED AS 10 TIME UNITS QUEUE LENGTH AT START OF SIMULATION WAS 8 STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT START WAS: STATION STATUS 1 USED SAMPLE SIZE IS 5000 DEPARTURES TIME ELAPSED FOR SIMULATION IS 55470 TIME UNITS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT END IS: STATION NUMBER OF UTILIZATION AVERAGE TIME STATUS DEPARTURES % PER SERVICE 5000 91.98 10.2 OPEN QUEUE CONTENT CURRENT MAXIMUM AVERAGE 36 46 10.81 AVERAGE WAIT TIME ALL ENTRIES 119.25 ENTRIES TOTAL ZEROS 5027 370 ZERO % 7.36 AVERAGE WAIT TIME UNITS ENTERING QUEUE 128.73 (4b) 1 (ONE) QUEUE SERVED BY 2 PARALLEL SERVICE STATIONS AVERAGE ARRIVAL INTERVAL WAS SPECIFIED AS 11 TIME UNITS AVERAGE SERVICE TIME WAS SPECIFIED AS 20 TIME UNITS QUEUE LENGTH AT START OF SIMULATION WAS 8 STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT START WAS: STATION 1 2 STATUS USED USED SAMPLE SIZE IS 5000 DEPARTURES TIME ELAPSED FOR SIMULATION IS 55025 TIME UNITS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT END IS: STATION NUMBER OF UTILIZATION AVERAGE TIME STATUS DEPARTURES % PER SERVICE 1 2531 92.05 20.01 OPEN 2 2469 88.93 19.82 USED QUEUE CONTENT CURRENT MAXIMUM AVERAGE 2 38 7.12 AVERAGE WAIT TIME ALL ENTRIES 78.42 ENTRIES ZERO TOTAL ZEROS % 4993 718 14.38 AVERAGE WAIT TIME UNITS ENTERING QUEUE 91.59 Circle 57 on inquiry card. (4c) 1 (ONE) QUEUE SERVED BY 3 PARALLEL SERVICE STATIONS AVERAGE ARRIVAL INTERVAL WAS SPECIFIED AS 11 TIME UNITS AVERAGE SERVICE TIME WAS SPECIFIED AS 30 TIME UNITS QUEUE LENGTH AT START OF SIMULATION WAS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT START WAS: STATION STATUS 1 USED 2 USED 3 OPEN SAMPLE SIZE IS 5000 DEPARTURES TIME ELAPSED FOR SIMULATION IS 55615 TIME UNITS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT END IS: STATION NUMBER OF UTILIZATION AVERAGE TIME STATUS DEPARTURES % PER SERVICE 1 1709 93.9 30.56 OPEN 2 1646 91.71 30.99 OPEN 3 1645 39.11 30.13 OPEN QUEUE CONTENT CURRENT MAXIMUM AVERAGE 33 6.06 AVERAGE WAIT TIME ALL ENTRIES 67.47 ENTRIES ZERO TOTAL ZEROS % 4998 774 15.49 AVERAGE WAIT TIME UNITS ENTERING QUEUE 79.83 Wd) 1 (ONE) QUEUE SERVED BY 2 PARALLEL SERVICE STATIONS AVERAGE ARRIVAL INTERVAL WAS SPECIFIED AS 11 TIME UNITS AVERAGE SERVICE TIME WAS SPECIFIED AS 10 TIME UNITS QUEUE LENGTH AT START OF SIMULATION WAS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT START WAS: STATION STATUS USED OPEN SAMPLE SIZE IS 5000 DEPARTURES TIME ELAPSED FOR SIMULATION IS 55796 TIME UNITS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT END IS: STATION NUMBER OF UTILIZATION AVERAGE TIME STATUS DEPARTURES % PER SERVICE 1 2973 54.6 10.25 USED 2 2027 36.27 9.98 OPEN QUEUE CONTENT CURRENT MAXIMUM AVERAGE 9 .24 AVERAGE WAIT TIME ALL ENTRIES 2.72 ENTRIES ZERO TOTAL ZEROS % 5000 3556 71.12 AVERAGE WAIT TIME UNITS ENTERING QUEUE 9.42 IBM-PC/XT or PC compatible IEEE-488 INTERFACE BOARD EEE-488 • Implements the entire IEEE-488 standard - system controller or device, transfer commands and data, perform serial and parallel polling. • A resident firmware interpreter accepts Tektronix Standard Codes and Formats, IEEE-488 command mnemonics, and any ASCII string or code. The interpreter routines may be called from assembly language, BASIC, Pascal, and other languages. • Supports the PrtSc (print screen) key, and all BASIC print statements for IEEE-488 printers Small size - see BYTE 11/83 p.314 • Uses only 16 bytes of RAM - leav- ing the entire 640K memory address space open. • A 116 page Reference Manual provides a tutorial and programming examples for digitizing, interactive bus control, bus diagnostics, and many other applications. • $395 complete. There are no extra software or cabling charges. MasterCard or Visa telephone orders accepted. Eea CAPITAL EQUIPMENT CORP 10 Evergreen Ave . Burlington. MA 018G3 Call (617)273-1818 BYTE March 1984 171 Circle 377 on inquiry card. Less forTbttr Money If you do word processing on your personal computer, you probably know that there are many programs for sale to help you with your spelling. But the biggest spelling error you'll ever make is paying too much for your spelling correction software. The Random House ProofReader gives you less for your money - less trouble, that is, and fewer spelling errors. The Random House ProofReader is based on the world famous Random House Dictionary. It contains up to 80,000 words, depending on your disk capacity. You can add new words with the touch of a key. It shows you the error and the sentence it's in. It instantly suggests corrections. It even re- checks your corrections. And it costs half as much as other programs with far less power. The Random House ProofReader is compatible with all CP/M 2.2®, MS-DOS® and IBM Personal Computer® systems. MNDOM r The Random House Proof Reader *50 For orders or information, see your local dealer or call 505-281-3371. Master card and VISA accepted. Or write Random House ProofReader, Box 339- B, Tijeras, NM 87059. Please enclose $50 and specify your computer model, disk size and memory. Random House and the House design are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. CP/M is a regis- tered trademark of Digital Research, Inc. IBM and IBM Personal Computer are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft, Inc. 172 BYTE March 1984 (4e) 1 (ONE) QUEUE SERVED BY 1 PARALLEL SERVICE STATIONS AVERAGE ARRIVAL INTERVAL WAS SPECIFIED AS 11 TIME UNITS AVERAGE SERVICE TIME WAS SPECIFIED AS 10 TIME UNITS QUEUE LENGTH AT START OF SIMULATION WAS 5 STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT START WAS: STATION STATUS 1 USED SAMPLE SIZE IS 5000 DEPARTURES TIME ELAPSED FOR SIMULATION IS 55556 TIME UNITS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT END IS: STATION NUMBER OF UTILIZATION AVERAGE TIME STATUS DEPARTURES % PER SERVICE 1 5000 89.66 QUEUE CONTENT CURRENT MAXIMUM AVERAGE 1 24 3.11 AVERAGE WAIT TIME ALL ENTRIES 34.59 9.96 ENTRIES ZERO TOTAL ZEROS % 4995 533 10.67 AVERAGE WAIT TIME UNITS ENTERING QUEUE 38.72 OPEN NOTE: SERVICE TIME HAD PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION: .75 1 1.25 (4f) 1 (ONE) QUEUE SERVED BY 1 PARALLEL SERVICE STATIONS AVERAGE ARRIVAL INTERVAL WAS SPECIFIED AS 11 TIME UNITS AVERAGE SERVICE TIME WAS SPECIFIED AS 10 TIME UNITS QUEUE LENGTH AT START OF SIMULATION WAS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT START WAS: STATION STATUS 1 OPEN SAMPLE SIZE IS 5000 DEPARTURES TIME ELAPSED FOR SIMULATION IS 55109 TIME UNITS STATUS OF SERVICE STATIONS AT END IS: STATION NUMBER OF UTILIZATION DEPARTURES % AVERAGE TIME STATUS PER SERVICE 5000 90.64 9.99 OPEN QUEUE CONTENT CURRENT MAXIMUM AVERAGE 1 2 .12 AVERAGE WAIT TIME ALL ENTRIES 1.34 ZERO ENTRIES TOTAL ZEROS % 5001 2496 49.91 AVERAGE WAIT TIME UNITS ENTERING QUEUE 2.67 NOTE: ARRIVAL AND SERVICE HAD IDENTICAL N0N-P0ISS0N DISTRIBUTION: .75 1 1.25 It's perfect because you can change it. Which is one thing you can't do with canned account- ing programs. Instead, you're stuck doing bookkeeping their way Well, rather than let your accounting soft- ware run your business, we suggest you run our business accounting software: Sensible Solu- tion Management. Straight out of the box, it's ready to get down to business with single-entry general ledger, accounts payable and receiv- able, payroll, inventory control and order entry. Canned Accounting vs. The Sensible Solution The Typical Sensible Accounting Solution Package Management Can the program be changed to suit special needs? No Yes Can you use your business s existing foims? No Yes Is source code included in the programs price? No Yes Can you easily transfer your data when you buy a new computer? No Yes But instead of locking you in to our way of accounting, we also supply you with source code and The Sensible Solution Language so you can modify the program to take into account your needs. You can change it to use your business forms and checks. Work in your company's com- mission rates. Add space for your product codes. Or do just about anything else your way So if you've got accounting software you can't change, change to the Sensible Solution. And kick the canned forever. The Sensible Solution™ The Sensible Solution Programming Language for most single and multi-user operating systems is $695 (single-user) or $995 (multi-user) with Accounting Modules at $250 each. For more information, write or call: O'Hanlon Computer Systems, 11058 Main Street, Bellevue.WA 98004. Phone (206) 454-2261. Telex 152974. Dealer and distributor inquiries welcome. Circle 270 on inquiry card. byte March 1984 173 Text continued from page 169: Number of Stations 1 2 3 2 1 1 Mean Interval Arrival Service 11 10 11 20 11 30 11 10 11 101 112 102 Percent of Utilization Analytical 90.9 Simuiated 92.0 90.9 90.5 90.9 91.6 45.5 47.2 90.9 89.7 90.9 90.6 Queue Length Analytical 9.1 Simulated 10.8 8.7 7.1 8.3 6.1 .24 .24 n.a. 3.1 n.a. .12 Average Waiting Time Analytical 100.0 Simulated 119.3 95.2 78.4 91.6 67.5 2.6 2.7 n.a. 34.6 n.a. 1.3 Table 4: Analytical and simulated solutions of queuing problems. The superscript 1 indicates that the service interval had linear prob- ability distribution. The superscript 2 indicates that both the arrival and the service interval had linear probability distribution. vice line is opened. (I hope the man- ager of my local supermarket reads this.) The significance of the probability distribution is clearly demonstrated by comparing lines 1, 5, and 6. The average waiting time is reduced by 60 percent or more when the service in- terval follows a narrow, linear distri- bution rather than the Poisson distri- bution, and waiting is all but elimin- ated when both arrival and service intervals fall in a narrow range. This shows that good scheduling reduces wasteful waiting time without having to change the service capacity. Conclusion The program I have presented can- not compete with the very powerful, special-purpose simulation lan- guages that are commercially avail- able. But it does give you the ability to analyze queuing situations with your own probability distributions. My program only simulates single- phase service. But with the program's modular structure, you should be able to expand it to include other queuing models. A second Depar- ture module with a second Seize module can be added for simulation of multiphased service. Or a switch can be inserted in the Arrival module to activate an additional service sta- tion whenever the queue length ex- ceeds a specified value. Other possible variations include putting a limitation on the queue length (limited parking space, for ex- ample) and counting the number of customers lost because they leave without joining the queue. You could use this information to justify more parking space. In short, the program is flexible; you should be able to adapt it to many queuing situa- tions. ■ Bibliography 1. Buffa, E.S. Operations Management. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1972. 2. Churchman, C.W.R., R.L. Ackoff, and E.L. Ar- noff. introduction to Operations Research. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1957 3. Emshoff, J.R., and R.L. Sisson. Design and Use of Computer Simulation Models. New York, NY: Macmillan, 1970. 4. Gorney, L. "Queuing Theory." Part 1, BYTE, April 1979, page 132. Part 2, BYTE, May 1979, page 176. 5. Morris, R.C. "Simulating Batch Processes." Chemical Engineering, May 16, 1983, page 77 6. Morse, P.M. Queues, Inventories and Maintenance. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1958. 7. Pritsker, A.A.B. The GASP IV Simulation Language. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1974. 8. Pritsker, A.A.B. , and R.E. Young. Simulation with GASP-PUi. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1975. 9. Pritsker, A.A.B., and CD. Pegden. Introduc- tion to Simulation and SLAM. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1979. 10. Satty, TL. Elements of Queuing Theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1961. 11. Schriber, T Simulation Using GPSS. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1974. 12. Whitehouse, G.E., and B.L. Wechsler. Applied Operations Research: A Survey. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1976. E. Hart Rasmussen is a professional engineer and the president of Project Management Services, 81 Fawn Hill Rd., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. ULTRA-RES IEEE-696 S-100 TM - 1 X 512 X 512 $495 -3X512X512 $1250 - 1 X 1024 X 1024 $995 GRAPHICS IBM-PC -1X512X512 $495 - 1 X 1024 X 1024 $995 FEATURES Starting Prices - CONSOLE EMULATOR $50 - PLOT 10 $150 Software drivers, Hardware zoom. Programmable Display Resolution, Windowing, Multi-Controller Capability, NEC UPD7220 Graphic Controller ULTRA-RES Trademark CSD Inc. P.O. IBM-PC Trademark IBM C.S.D. Incorporated BOX 253 Sudbury, MA 01776 (617) 443-2750 174 BYTE March 1984 Circle 55 on inquiry card. Now there's a real-time video image acquisition and display module that plugs directly into the IBM PC and PC-XT. It's called the PCVISION" Frame Grabber. From Imaging Technology —the leading OEM supplier of low cost, board level image processors. The PCVISION Frame Grabber converts a standard analog video signal (RS-170) from a camera to digi- tal data at 30 frames per second, and stores the resulting 6-bit pixel data in a 512 x 512 frame memory. It allows your IBM PC or PC-XT to access stored images for process- ing or manipulation, and features up to 64 gray scales per pixel, full color support, low cost, easy installation and high reliability. The PCVISION Frame Grabber turns your IBM PC into a low cost, multi- featured image processing system for teleconferencing, robotic vision, factory inspection, medical imag- ing, microscopy, X-ray analysis and many other applications in business, industry, medicine and research. The PCVISION Frame Grabber comes complete with demonstration software, cables and full document- ation for fast, easy installation and integration. All for just $2995 (camera and display monitor not included). To find out how the PCVISION Frame Grabber can provide your IBM PC with the high performance, multi- featured image processing capabilities of systems costing much more, call our Sales Department at (617) 938-8444. Or write to the address below. IMAGING Imaging Technology Incorporated 600 West Cummings Park, Woburn, MA 01801 Telex: 948263 JL ^L^ T JLkJ^^L^^A ^ Circle 183 on inquiry card. THE IBM PC PLUG-COMPATIBLE BOARD THAT TURNS TOUR PC INTO A REAL-TIME IMAGE PROCESSOR RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES. Visual introduces the Commuter: it can take your business places its never been before. ^Wi^^X^^' Heavyweight power, memory, and true IBM® PC compatibility in a portable 16 pound computer. The portable computer can be a very powerful business ally. But I ike any good business partner, the right one can be very hard to find. Some portables are powerful. Some are IBM compatible. Some are affordable. And some are actually portable. However, there's never been one portable computer that could gracefully combine all of the above. Until now. Put the power of a desk-top computer in your hands. Introducing Commuter" the powerful portable computer. When you carry it, you're carrying all the capacity, capabilities, and featuresofa desk-top computer. Yet you're carryingonly 16 pounds. Commuter comes with a 16-bit 8088 processor. 128K of memory, expandable to 51 2K. Single or dual floppy disk drives, each with 360K bytes of storage. A large 80 column by 1 6 line optional flat panel display, designed to be easily removed when Commuter is used with an external monitor. A full 83 key keyboard with an IBM PC layout, including numeric pad and ten function keys. And IBM compatible color graphics and monochrome support. 176 BYTE March 1984 VISUAL Visual Computer Incorporated While Commuter is powerful enough to stand alone, it can really grow on you. Because Commuter also features built-in ports for adding printers, hard disk, communications, external monitors, and yourtelevision set. Even a built-in port for adding the IBM expansion chassis. IBM" PC compatible. And downright sociable. Many portable computers today call themselves IBM compatible. But before you buy one, ask if it can run IBM PC software. Business programs like Lotus®! -2-3,™ VisiCalc™ or WordPlus-PC.™ Exciting games like Flight Simulator™ Or educational games from Spinnaker.™ You'd be surprised atthe answers. But not with Commuter. In fact, think of it as an IBM PC to go. The IBM PC styled keyboard is only the start. Commuter comes bundled with the MS-DOS ™ operating system and GW Basic.™ And at 5 W, Commuter's double-sided double-density diskettes are directly transferable to and from the IBM PC. So you can take advantage of the hundreds of business accounting, word processing, financial planning and other software packages available for the IBM PC Without havingto modify a thing. At $1,995 and 16 pounds, it's never been easier to pick up a portable computer. At 15"x18"x3 1 /2" with built-in handle and carrying case, the Commuter can go anywhere a briefcase can. It fits easily under an airplane seat. Because it weighs just 16 pounds (about half the weight of other portables in its class), Commuter is very easy to handle. And its $1 995 price can save your business a small fortune even before you pick it up. For more information on Commuter, the portable computer, call ustodayatl-800-847-8252 (in Massachusetts, call 1-800-462-5554), or write Visual Computer Incorporated, 135 Maple St., Marlboro, MA 01 752. Or visit your local Commuter dealer and weigh the differences for yourself. But hurry. At only 1 6 pounds and $1995, Commuters are definitely going to be picked up fast. Commuter. It can take your business piaCCS ll S flGVGr OGGUm Circle 372 on inquiry card. Visual Computer Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of Visual Technology Incorporated. COMMUTER is a trademark of Visual Computer Incorporated, IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Lotus and 1-2-3 are trade- marksof Lotus Development Corp. VisiCalc is a trademark of VisiCorp. WordPlus-PC is a trademark of Professional Software Inc. Spinnaker is a trademarkof Spinnaker SoftwareCorp. MS-DOS, GW Basic and Flight Simulator are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. [SlmufER THE PORTRBUE DUTIPUTER VisiCalc? Lotus" 1-2-3™ and Multiplan* users endorse Dow Jones Spreadsheet Link™. . "The analysis I do with Spreadsheet Link would be impossible any other way. I track more than 200 securities. This soft- ware really gives me a handle on my invest- ments. I can download stock quotes and funda- mental information from Dow Jones News/Retrieval® directly into my spread- sheets, and analyze it using my own formulas " Ronald Eldredge Lockhart Financial Services "The speed of collect- ing and entering data is invaluable. Spreadsheet Link does exactly what I want it to do. It's a tremendous help in manipulating data. I think anyone who does spreadsheet analysis will find this an important addition to their software library" Anne Freilieh Wensley Management Corporation "The comprehensive information I get from Dow Jones News/Retrieval is a real plus. Without Spreadsheet Link, Fd have to enter data keystroke by key- stroke into my tem- plates. This software makes spreadsheet analysis much easier and more useful to me. I'm getting very satis- factory results, and Fm still exploring the possibilities ." Douglas Gill Grayson Gill, Inc. Dew Iones Software . . . Plan on it. Compatible with Apple II and IBM personal computers. For a free brochure, call 1-800-345-8500 ext. 165 (Alaska, Hawaii and foreign call 1-215-789-7008 ext. 165) Copyright © Dow Jones & Co., Inc., 1983. All rights reserved. VmCak is a regturred trademark of VisiCorp. Lotus ami 1-2-3 art trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Multiplan is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. 178 BYTE March 1984 Circle 132 on inquiry card. A Risky Business— An Introduction to Monte Carlo Venture Analysis A simple method for analyzing business risks A business enterprise is aptly named a venture. It is a ship launched on a sea of uncertainty. The business of business is the taking of intelligent risks. Precious resources are committed to what can only be a hope of future gain. To reduce the risk, it would be helpful and profit- able to have some insight as to pos- sible future events. It turns out that future prospects, elusive as they are, can be estimated in a way that is surprisingly useful for business purposes. The method in- volves four steps: (1) formulate a model of the venture; (2) distribute appropriate data in the model; (3) sample from the model data; (4) analyze the sample. The Monte Carlo Method Aside from an investor's knowl- edge of a proposed venture, the Monte Carlo method requires nothing more than a personal com- puter and a program that is almost trivial in its simplicity. I'll use an ex- ample to illustrate how it works. We take at random a possible selling price, a possible sales volume, and so on. The selections are made from a range of possible values in each case by Pat Macaluso according to the estimated prob- ability of their occurrence. From this sample data, a corresponding out- come is calculated. This process is repeated for the entire range of pos- sibilities. The resulting collection of outcomes is then arranged in sorted order. Examination of this distributed result yields information on the range of future outcomes and the relative chance of their occurrence. We'll see how this is done in detail later on, but the analysis might run something like this: in this business venture there is a 10 percent chance you will lose your shirt; a 65 percent chance you will achieve a 15 percent return on invest- ment after taxes; a 5 percent chance you will really clean up, and so forth. Such a formulation, even if stated less colorfully or dressed up in graphs and tables, may sound strange or even unsettling. Wouldn't it be simpler and more understand- able to take the most likely selling price, sales volume, etc., and come up with a most likely result? Unfor- tunately that is not the case. Such an approach tends to underestimate the risks. It also throws away most of the information we have that bears on future possibilities. In projecting sales figures for a product, sales managers can say that a realistic sales level will be 50,000 units. They can also say that there's little chance of 80,000 and no chance of more than 90,000 units being sold. Further, they might add that it is very likely that at least 15,000 units and quite certain that 5000 units will be sold. The manager is expressing a wealth of hard information along with his uncertainty. He is weighing the size of the total market, the effect of competition, replacement rates, captive markets, limits on plant capa- city, and so on. In other words, esti- mates by an informed person, though couched in uncertainty, con- tain valuable information that bears on future outcomes. Faced with an investment decision, would you throw such information away, especially if it is easily ex- pressed in a form suited to quantita- tive analysis? The most likely value or single-point methods do just that. They are quite inferior to the Monte Carlo sampling approach that allows us to use the extra information. The most likely value method of risk analysis has tended to persist since calculations could be made by BYTE March 1984 179 hand and managers felt they under- stood the result. It certainly seemed more definite and less threatening than a distribution that told of pos- sible bad outcomes as well as the desired profitable ones. Times have changed. Many executives, aided by easier access to computers, have responded with increased sophisti- cation as the safety of investments has become harder to gauge. We can better understand the nature of the Monte Carlo method with the aid of a simple example. Suppose we wanted to determine the chance of getting "snake eyes," or two ones, in the roll of dice. We can calculate this precisely from prob- ability theory as being one out of 36 tosses on the average. But what if we had no theoretical solution, as is the case with business ventures? There is another way to estimate the chance of snake eyes. We can tally the result of thousands of rolls of the dice. Even better, we can simulate it on a com- puter. The result will, in general, not be exactly 1 in 36 but it will tend to approach it more and more closely as the size of the sample increases. We will have performed a random-sam- pling experiment. It is easy, it works, and it is more than adequate when applied to business situations. How Do I Get Started? We present here three useful items for anyone who wishes to explore this method of risk analysis: (1) a simple technique for building a model of the venture; (2) a way to construct a sample from a distribu- tion that is universal in its applica- tion; (3) a complete but elementary venture-analysis program to carry out the calculations. The program (see listing 1) can serve as a core upon which a more sophisticated or customized system can be built. More details are supplied in the author's book (see text box at the end of this article) but all the essentials are pro- vided in this article. A word of caution is in order. Com- pared to the sometimes mind-bog- gling complexity of actual business ventures, the model shown here will appear quite simplistic. Perhaps crude would be a better description. Listing 1: Monte Carlo Venture Analysis program, written in Microsoft BASIC, can be modified for your own use by programming your own model equation and changing the numbers in the DATA statements accordingly. 'MONTE CARLO VENTURE ANALYSIS 'Specify runs, samples, etc. 'Carry out NR runs (10 max.) 'of NS samples each (200 max. ) 'for a model with NV variables 'Generate a random probability 'Find its posn. in a distrbn. of values 'Find correspg. posn. of variable value 'Calc a sample value V -for a variable 'Calc a sample outcome from the model 'Sort outcomes in ascending order "Calc statistics for each run 'Calc 11 cum distrbn points for each run 'Avg Sc std devn over all samples 'Std devn of avg of NR run averages 'Cum distn of outcomes over all samples 'Display statistics for each run 'Display distn of outcomes over all samples ooo 0O5 ' 010 CLEAR 020 GOSUB 11 OOO 030 ' 040 FOR L=l TO NR 045 PRINT L 050 FOR J^=l TO NS 060 ' 070 FOR K=l TO NV 080 P=RND 090 GOSUB 21 OOO lOO GOSUB 22000 HO GOSUB 23000 120 NEXT K 130* ' 140 GOSUB 31 OOO 150 NEXT J 160 ' 170 GOSUB 41 OOO 190 GOSUB 42000 190 GOSUB 43000 2O0 NEXT L 210 * 220 GOSUB 44000 230 GOSUB 45000 240 GOSUB 460O0 250 * 260 GOSUB 51 OOO 270 GOSUB 52000 280 ' 290 END 300 ' 1000 ' Initiate the simulation 1010 ' 1020 NV=4 1030 DIM 0U(200),CD(10, 10) , ST < 10, 2> , FD < 10) 1035 PR I NT "PATIENCE PLEASE. RUN NUMBER WILL DISPLAY WHILE COMPUTING." 1040 INPUT" NUMBER OF RUNS";NR 1050 INPUT "SAMPLES PER RUN";NS 1060 INPUT "ENTER RANDOM SEED < -32768 TO 32767>";RS 1070 RANDOMIZE RS 108O IF NR<2 THEN NR=2: IF NR>10 THEN NR=10 1090 IF NS<10 THEN NS=10: IF NS>2O0 THEN NS-20O 1100 RETURN lllO ' 2000 ' Sum of squared deviations 2010 ' 2020 SS#=0:F0R 1=1 TO T 2030 SS#=SS#+P2 AND P<=P1 THEN I 1=1 : PA=P1 = PB=P2 21040 P1=P2:NEXT I: READ X*: RETURN 21050 * 22000 ' Find the corresponding value interval 22010 ' 22020 FOR 1=1 TO 5: READ V2 22030 IF 1=1 I THEN VA=V1:VB=V2 22040 V1=V2:NEXT I : READ X*: RETURN 2205O ' 23000 ' Calc. a sample value V; assign to model variable 23010 ' 23020 V= ( ( P A-P ) / ( P A-PB ) ) * ( VB- VA ) + V A 23030 IF K=l THEN SP=V 23040 IF K=2 THEN UC=V 2305O IF K=3 THEN SV=V 23060 IF K=4 THEN FC=V 2307O RETURN 23080 ' 31000 ' Calc. a sample outcome and running sum for model 31010 ' 3 1 020 SO= < ( SP -UC ) *S V ) -FC 3 1 030 OU ( J ) =SO : S#=S#+S0 31040 RESTORE: RETURN 31050 * 41000 ' Sort sample outcomes in ascending order 41010 ' Listing 1 continued on page 181 180 BYTE March 1984 What good then is such an approach, aside from tutorial use? The answer may be somewhat surprising unless you are already well into this subject. Simple models work remarkably well to the extent that they embody the essentials of the enterprise they represent. There are advantages to stripping away nonessentials. At the very least, the act of analysis sharpens our understanding of the venture. It reveals what weaknesses may exist in the data, which factors are most critical, and so on. The outcome of a simulation is a way to integrate the complexity of distributed values in a model. It is a tool that helps the entrepreneur make the actual decision. That deci- sion will weigh factors that the model did not or could not include. The user must also decide exactly what the problem is and frame the model accordingly. For example, is a product to be made in new, expanded, or shared facilities? If the latter, how will the effect of displaced products and production turnaround be handled in the model? Is the venture analyzed on its own merits or in comparison with other projects? It is clear that the real work is done both before and after the simulation. The program is just a convenient calculation tool. Building a Model The example we will use here is an estimate of the gain (or loss) to be ex- pected in the production and sale of an item with a small-to-modest mar- ket. The model we will use is a simple one. Our purpose is to illus- trate the technique without getting lost in the details. This will make it easier to highlight the possible weak- nesses, as well as the strengths, of this approach. As a starter, we need a model in the form of an equation that represents the venture. How do we develop such an equation? We can start at the top by noting that our objective, ex- pected gain, can be taken as the dif- ference between total income and total expense before taxes. Thus: Gain = Income - Expense. We pro- ceed with our top-down design by detailing income as: Income = Sell- ing Price x Sales Volume, or SP*SV Listing 41 020 41030 41040 41050 41060 41070 41080 41090 41 IOO 41 HO 4 2000 42010 42020 42030 42040 42050 42060 43000 43010 43020 43030 43040 43050 43060 44000 44010 44020 44030 44040 44050 44060 45000 45010 45020 45030 45040 45050 45060 46000 46010 46020 46030 46040 46050 46060 46070 5 lOOO 51010 51015 5 1020 51030 51040 51050 51060 51070 51080 51090 51 IOO 51110 51120 511 30 51140 52000 52010 52015 52O20 52030 52040 52050 52060 52070 52080 52090 52100 52110 52120 521 30 62000 62010 62020 62030 62040 62050 62060 62070 62080 62090 62100 62110 1 continued: D=NS IF D<=1 THEN RETURN D=INT(D/2):R=NS-D:EX=0 FOR 1=1 TO r:di=d+i IF OU THEN GOTO 41080 OT=OU ( I > : OU ( I ) =0U (DI ) : OU (DI > =0T: EX=1 NEXT I IF EX=0 THEN GOTO 41030 EX=O:G0TO 41O50 ' Avg, sum of sq devns, std devn for each run T=NS: AV=S#/T: ST (L,0) =AV GOSUB 1 2000 : ST ( L , 1 ) =SS# GOSUB 13000:ST(L,2)=SD S#=0: RETURN 9 Extract and store cum. distn in steps of 10% PF=INT(NS/10+-5) FOR 1=0 TO 10:CDCL,I)=OU(I*PF> NEXT I:CD(L,0)=OUU) RETURN * Avg and std devn over all samples and runs S#=0:SS#=0:FOR 1=1 TO NR s#=s#+st < 1 , o) : ss#=ss#+st < I f 1 > : next i AV=S#/NR: AD= (SS#/ TV Figure 5: Microcomputer systems keep an image of the graphics screen in memory. In raster graphics the television displays a sec- tion of the computer's memory that the com- puter can change easily at high speed. • Their operating systems do not re- quire administrative procedures such as acquiring charge numbers, estab- lishing user identification numbers, allocating disk space, or unlocking data security systems. Users just turn microcomputers on and use them. • The operating systems are simple and easy to use. Thus the learning curve is short. • All graphics hardware and soft- ware are integrated into one unit. This improves both reliability and re- producibility. • Graphics is part of the built-in pro- gramming language (usually BASIC). Thus, the programmer can add graphics to his or her toolkit by sim- ply learning a few extra statements or commands. • Color graphics is usually built in. No additional translation process is required. • The built-in character set is easy to change to a set that is relevant to the simulation. This allows the program- mer to relate the graphics to the sys- tem being simulated. • Built-in raster graphics makes pic- tures easy to change because the tele- vision picture is being redrawn many times per second. Changing a picture is fast and cheap. Animation is possible. • The plotting capability of low-cost dot matrix printers allows one to readily obtain hard copies of the graphics screen. The user can have compact high resolution plots at the touch of a button. The direct driving of displays (see figure 5) is what makes micros such powerful graphics machines. Direct drive means part of the computer's memory is devoted to maintaining the display. There is a mapping of memory onto the video display. Dot matrix printers with graphics capabil- ity can also access this section of computer memory to produce a hard copy of the display. What you see on the display is what you see on the printer, dot for dot. The contents of memory can also be stored on disk or transmitted over telephone lines. This means pictures can be stored, transmitted, and retrieved just like any other data. Micros Do Have Limitations Micros cannot replace expensive graphics systems costing over $20,000 because of limitations in speed, memory size, and display resolution. Typical microcomputers address be- tween 64K bytes and 256K bytes of memory and have a maximum graphics resolution of 200 by 300 dots using one color. A typical minicom- puter-based graphics system has more than two megabytes of memory and a graphics resolution of 1024 by 1024 dots using eight colors. Micro- computers have no graphics stan- dards, and graphics is normally not transportable between micros, par- ticularly ones from different manu- facturers. Many small applications, however, do not need more capabil- ity than the micros provide and most applications require only an hour or two of programming time to produce pictures. Since the investment in pro- gramming time is small, users who switch computers are generally will- ing to rewrite graphics programs from scratch. Users can learn about microcom- puter graphics easily from hobby- level magazine articles and books. These articles and books give simple explanations and nice comparisons between graphics methods and sys- tems. However, these sources do not help the user determine whether micros are suitable for a given ap- plication. The best approach is to employ common sense. Even if an application turns out to be unsuitable for microcomputers, the education gained will be valuable in software design for a larger system. 196 BYTE March 1984 Better Business BASIC. Finally! A BASIC compiler that means business* Microsoft® Business BASIC Compiler allows you to create pro- fessional applications for MS-DOS systems that are so fast your users will never know they were written in BASIC. Because the compiler produces native code, your software will run three to ten times faster than the same interpreted programs. But speed isn't everything. Micro- soft's Business BASIC also has busi- MICROSOFT. s ess f™*. The High Performance Software Based On the de facto standard Microsoft BASIC, it includes a rich set of extensions: Decimal floating point arithmetic (14-digit precision- BCD format) for extremely accurate dollars and cents calculations. Two types of arrays provide maximum program flexibility: static arrays for speed, dynamic arrays for expandability Over twenty string handling functions provide sophisticated character manipulation capa- bilities. Strings can be up to 32K bytes. Multi-line functions and subprograms allow you to define routines with local or globally defined variables. Separate module compilation means complex programs can be broken down into smaller units. Coupling multiple modules together permits creation of very large programs, up to one megabyte. Get the better Business BASIC Call 800-426-9400 to order. In Washington State, call 206- 828-8088. Ask for operator A3 who will rush you your order, send you more information, or give you the name of your nearest dealer to see Microsoft Business BASIC in action. Microsoft is a registered trademark and MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Some Very Graphic Examples The following examples demon- strate the kinds of graphics that micros can produce. One obvious ap- plication for this capability is in education where small-scale prob- lems are studied in detail. However, any simulation that fits on a micro 79 □ GASOLINE USAGE KILO GALLONS JAN FEB MAR MAY Figure 6: Bar chart representation of simula- tion output. Conventional bar charts can be generated easily on a video-display terminal and reproduced on a dot matrix printer. USA BANK RUSH HOUR SERVICE 3 TELLERS ON DUTY 11:30 Figure 7: Time plot of the state of a queuing system. The fine resolution of the graphics screen allows compact summaries of the results of a simulation. L7 ftftA$ft$$$A$A$ft$$ fc USA BANK STATUS TIME 12:39 Figure 8: Graphical representation of the cur- rent state of a queuing system. The ability to redefine the computer's character set simplifies the graphic representation of objects involved in a simulation. can use these graphic techniques. Figure 6 shows a conventional bar chart. The resolution of this picture is 61 dots/in horizontally and 76 dots/in vertically. The maximum res- olution of the printer is 120 dots/in horizontally and 216 dots/in vertical- ly. It takes about 30 BASIC program- ming statements to produce this plot, representing about 30 minutes of pro- gramming effort. Queuing problems are perfect tar- gets for graphical output. It is much more informative to see queues evolve in time than to have only peak and average statistics as outputs. A good enhancement to the plot of Figure 9: Dot plot representation of simula- tion output. The dot plot capability of dot matrix printers allows printing of simulated displays from test equipment such as a spec- trum analyzer. figure 7 would be to place the results of many simulation runs on the same graph. This plot was produced with about 30 BASIC statements repre- senting about 30 minutes of program- ming time. Figure 8 is a snapshot of the state of a small bank simulation. Snap- shots provide information in a form that is easy to understand. Snapshots can even be changed 60 times per second to produce real-time output. The user could then watch customers arrive at the bank and be served. If the waiting line gets too long, the user can easily add another teller and rerun the simulation. This kind of Figure 10: Bit density plot of wave propagation. Two-dimensional wave propagation can be displayed using bit density plots on a grid of over 60,000 discrete points. I^^^Hl^ Figure 11: Contour plot using varied dot densities. Some computer output is not numerical and only has meaning when displayed graphically as in this moire. 198 BYTE March 1984 Capable COBOL. For over twenty years, COBOL has proved it can handle the most awesome data handling require- ments of the business world. And Microsoft® COBOL brings this power to the MS-DOS environment in an even more flexible version that's the ideal choice for transporting and adapt- ing the thousands of mainframe and minicomputer programs now on the market. Microsoft COBOL was de- signed after the ANSI COBOL standard. Its quality and perform- ance has been fully certified by the GSA. Microsoft COBOL includes a complete set of file handling MICROSOFT, facilities includ- The High Performance Software mg SUppOlt tOr sequential, line sequential, relative and B+ tree indexed sequential (ISAM) files. The advanced screen handling features, compatible with Data General® make it easy to create forms and menus for interactive user programs. Direct cursor posi- tioning, highlighting, automatic format conversion, projected fields, and automatic field skip are just some of the capabilities. An interactive source code debugging tool is included which allows you to step through your program in symbolic form. There is no need to wade through object code and addresses in memory to see what is going on. Its a com- plete development package. Like all Microsoft Languages, the standard linking interface makes it easy to combine assembly language subroutines. And applications developed with the compiler can be dis- tributed without a runtime support charge. Get the capable COBOL. Call 800-426-9400 to order. In Washington State, call 206- 828-8088. Ask for operator A3 who will rush you your order, send you more information, or give you the name of your nearest dealer to see Microsoft COBOL in action. Microsoft is a registered trademark and MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation Data General is a registered trademark of Data General Corporation. *& *~? Fim Figure 12: Cylindrical equatorial projection. Geographic maps make good backgrounds for plotting results of demographic, economic, political or meteorological simulations. Figure 13: Cylindrical projection of North America. Geographic maps can be manipulated to produce the appropriate background for plotting simulation results. simulation has high credibility since anyone can observe and understand the behavior of the model. In the analysis or simulation of electronic circuits, we could present results in the form that test equip- ment displays would produce for real circuits. This makes it easy to com- pare theoretical and actual circuit per- formance. Figure 9 shows an exam- ple derived from a spectrum anal- yzer. Simulation of test equipment displays is also useful in com- puter-aided instruction. The resolution of raster displays is good enough to generate plots using dot densities to represent a third di- mension. The entire plot in figure 10 was produced with the single state- ment PLOT XX This plot is a good example of the fine resolution avail- able on a $600 dot matrix printer. This plot took 2 hours to generate and 45 seconds to print. One exciting idea is to generate plots using red and blue dots and print them using color sepa- ration and color carbon paper. The plots would appear to be three- dimensional when viewed through red-green glasses. The plot in figure 11 looks complex, but was generated by about 30 BASIC statements. It shows the effect on the eye of varying dot densities. In col- or, this plot is spectacular because of the blending that occurs when colors are plotted next to each other on a television. Even in black and white, one sometimes sees brown bands in the dot patterns. This kind of plot would be useful in producing con- tours or surface maps. It is another way to produce the illusion of three dimensions. Figure 12 was produced with 100 BASIC statements that access a file of 8800 coordinates representing the surface of Earth. The program plotted this map in 12 minutes and printed it in 45 seconds. This program with data costs about $21. Figures 12 and 13 were produced by the same program. Figure 13 dem- onstrates zooming in on a selected part of Earth's surface. Once these maps are plotted, they can be saved on disk and used repeatedly. It takes about 60 seconds to save or retrieve a map from disk.B References Belie, R.G., N.L. Rapagnani, "Color Computer Graphics." Aeronautics and Astronautics (June 1981). Brannon, C. "Character Generation on the Atari." Compute. Volume 3, Number 2 (1981). Grappel, R,D, "Color Graphics Techniques Say It with Pictures." EDN. Volume 26, Number 11 (1981): 131-137. In man, D. Introduction to TRS-80 Graphics. Forest Grove, Oregon: Dilithium Press, 1979. Koons, H.C. MAPWARE. Sunnyvale, California: Atari Program Exchange. Mini Micro Systems. December 1979. Poole, L. et al. Your Atari Computer: A Guide to Personal Computers. Berkeley, California: Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1981. Watson, A. Ill: "A Simplified Theory of Video Graphics, Part 1." BYTE, November 1980, page 180. This article was reprinted from the June 1982 Simulation—a. publication of the Society for Computer Simulation, La Jolla, CA. 200 BYTE March 1984 Potent Pascal* Microsoft® Pascal may be the most powerful software develop- ment environment available for the MS-DOS system. It com- bines the programming advan- tages of a structured high-level language with the fast execution speed of native code compilation. And it exceeds the proposed ISO and ANSI standards with logical extensions that make the language more powerful and ver- satile. For example, programming capabilities even allow you to manipulate data at the system and machine level. It gives you single and double MICROSOFT. P re, ; ision mE f The High Performance Software llOating pOUlt arithmetic. Numeric operations take advantage of the 8087. Or automatic software emulation is provided if the coprocessor is not installed. Support for long heap alloca- tion and separate module compi- lation gives you the flexibility to create large programs up to one megabyte. And the standard linking inter- face makes it easy to combine Microsoft FORTRAN or assem- bly language subroutines. Get the potent Pascal* Call 800-426-9400 to order* In Washington State, call 206- 828-8088. Ask for operator A3 who will rush you your order, send you more information, or give you the name of your nearest dealer to see Microsoft Pascal in action. Microsoft is a registered trademark and MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. It Paints in 3-D, Keeps and Talks to -"^O&a*^ Its called "OPEN ACCESS;' and it's the result of 60 man-years of effort to create a truly do-it-all, super-program- one that can perform virtually every task you're ever likely to encounter. The beauty of it is, all that capability resides on a single program. You don't have to re-enter data. Or spend time trying to get unmatched programs to work together. OPEN ACCESS takes its name from the source of its power-a relational data-base manager that gives you access to more data in more ways than any comparable software. OPEN ACCESS includes an electronic spreadsheet, 3-D graphics, word processor, appointment scheduler and telecommunications module— all revolving around the powerful information manager. sn spi spi \ An Integral Sy& INFORMATION MANAGEMENT-THE MASTERMIND. This advanced data-base manager stores and retrieves multiple files quickly, easily and reliably. What's more, it shares all information with the other programs, so you never have to re-enter the same data twice. 202 BYTE March 1984 ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEET-NUMBER CRUNCHING AND GOAL SEEKING. It helps you produce forecasts, cost estimates and "break-even" points— in seconds, instead of hours or days. Best of all, It allows "goal seeking." Ask, for example, "What sales must I have the rest of the year to net $1 million?" and OPEN ACCESS will figure it out! 3-D GRAPHICS-NOT JUST PRETTY PICTURES. These graphics distill raw data into trends that can be instantly visualized, helping you discern the Important (acts from a wealth of Information. does Arithmetic. the World. Because they do not have a dedicated relational data-base manager that can quickly direct massive amounts of data, other programs simply can't do what OPEN ACCESS can. Some don't have a communications program, others no dedicated word processor. None have a time management program. Twi€ ^r&kfckeefr CoMH4umoa.tim$ \ m4 There's just one conclusion: At $S C )S, OPEN ACCESS can do more for you thai any other comparable business prograr on the market. Bar none. But the only way for you to be convinced is for you to see OPEN ACCESS work its magic on your work load. So call your local software dealer today, or call us at SPI, at 619-450-1526. * Introductory price 4M* SOFTWARE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL 10240 Sorrento Valley Road San Diego, CA 92121 WORD PROCESSING-EDITOR EXTRAORDINAIRE! Superior word processors make It easy to correct typos, change words, shuffle paragraphs and format documents. This Is one of that breed. Use it to write efficient memos, letters, proposals and reports. Circle 328 on inquiry card. 5 TELECOMMUNICATIONS- YOUR LINK WITH THE WORLD. This program gives you access to virtually any other computer system In the world. Not only can you transmit and receive reports from your colleagues, you can also subscribe to special data banks that know everything from GM's stock price to the relative humidity In Genoa. Now that's power! TIME MANAGEMENT-CONSERVING YOUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE. This module helps you keep track of all your appointments, hour by hour, day In and day out. It alerts you to standing obligations, automatically coordinates meeting times with other busy professionals, and lists all your associates on a Rolodex™ -like file. BYTE March 1984 203 Going Further A compendium of conferences, organizations, books, and software for simulationists by Charles A. Pratt Simulation is one of the oldest and best established applications for computers. Engineers in the aerospace field began work on simulation with analog computers in the early 1950s. As a result of this relatively long history, in computer terms, simula- tion has developed a body of literature and a methodology shared by few other application areas. The conferences, organizations, books, and software list that follows should get you off to a good start on the subject. Conferences Until recently, simulationists were just not interested in any- thing except very large computers, because the size of their programs was far beyond the capacity of the first microcomputers. This senti- ment has changed radically in the last few years due to the increased capacity of microcomputers. The first real sign of this accep- tance was the conference called Modeling and Simulation on Microcomputers, held in San Diego by the Society for Computer Simulation (SCS) in January of 1982. Initiated by Dr. Lance A. Leventhal (at the time the technical editor for SCS's monthly journal, Simulation) and me to encourage communication between the expe- rienced simulationist and people working with microcomputers, it remains the only existing confer- ence on this specialized subject. Dr. David M. Chereb responded to the need by becoming chairman of that first conference. At that meet- ing, he presented an econometric model of the U.S. that ran on a 48K-byte TRS-80. The variety of applications presented in 1982 as- tounded all of us. Some of those applications involved computa- tional fluid dynamics, a model of the educational system in Mexico, a weather-impact model, a physio- logical model, a model of army mobilization, and robot kine- matics. The second year of the confer- ence, 1983, continued with the presentation of several serious engineering simulations on micro- computers. Several languages spe- cifically designed for modeling on microcomputers were introduced: Micro-Sim, Micro-Passim, Table- top Simscript, Tutsim, and Micro- Rsmm. The titles of some of the papers planned for the 1984 conference further demonstrate the diversity of uses for simulation: •Microplan: A Microcomputer- Based Traffic Control Plan Gener- ator •Can an Early Retirement Incen- tive Program Pay for Itself? •Transit: Route Scheduling and Performance Optimization •Microcomputer Modeling and Simulation in Government Tax Revenue Estimation •Microcomputer Seismic Signal Simulation •M-CUPS: A Chemical Process Simulation Written in UCSD Pascal •Consistency of Price Cycles in the Dow Jones Industrial Average Two other conferences covering simulation on both microcom- puters and larger machines are the Summer Computer Simulation Conference (Boston, July 23-25, 1984) and the Winter Simulation Conference (Dallas, November 28-30, 1984). Contact the Society for Computer Simulation, POB 2228, La Jolla, CA 92038, (619) 459-3888 for more information on these conferences. 204 BYTE March 1984 Organizations The Society for Computer Simu- lation is the only organization made up exclusively of people in- terested in computer simulation. The SGS has several active re- gional councils that have one or more meetings each year. The IEEE Computer Society has a simulation technical committee that publishes the quarterly jour- nal, Modeling. The society can be contacted at 1109 Spring St., Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 589-8142. The SIGSM group (Spe- cial Interest Group— Simulation) of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) can be con- tacted at 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036, (212) 869-7440. There are several international simulation organizations: International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (IMACS) (has representatives in many countries) c/o Prof. A. W. Bennett Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering Clemson University Clemson, SC 29632 U.S.A. Scandinavian Simulation Society (SIMS) Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT/Sah, 02150 Espoo, Finland Japan Society for Simulation Technology (JSST) c/o Dr, Michio Nakano Dept, of Control Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology 2-12-1 Oh-okayama, Meguroku Tokyo 152, Japan Association Francaise d'lntelli gence Artificielle et des Systemes de Simulation (AFIAS) 211, Rue Saint-Honore' 75001 Paris France Dutch Benelux Simulation Society (DBSS) E. G. H. Kerckhoffs Delft University of Technology Dept. Of Mathematics/ Informatics Julianalaan 132 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Simulation (ASIM) Prof. Dr. -Ing. W. Ameling Lehrstuhl fur Allgemeine Elektrotechnik und Datenverarbeitungssysteme RWTH Aachen Schinkerstrasse 2 D-5100 Aachen, West Germany Microcomputer Software Operating System/ Other Software Peripherals Item Name Brief Description Contact Computer Required Required Cost ACES: Ail-Purpose Graphics solution to Jay Wilson Apple II DOS 3.3 disk drive $199.95 Continuous Equa- over 100 coupled Modulo 2 Company work-alike tion Simulator first-order nonlinear differential equa- tions using powerful fourth-order integra- tion routine. Over 100-page manual. POB 58781 Tukwila, WA 98188 (206) 271-9258 ASSE: Ada Simu- Package system for Dr. Heimo H. Adelsberger CP/M 64K bytes, $5000 lation Support combined discrete- Institut fur Statistik screen, printer Environment event activity scan- ning and process interaction (trans- action flow) model- ing in Ada. Augasse 2-6 Vienna, Austria A-1090 347541, ext. 757 EZQ Differential Solve differential, Acme Software Arts Apple II DOS 3.3 64K bytes of $79.95 Equation Solver difference, and algebraic equations on an Apple II with graphical and tabular output. Box 6126 Evanston, IL 60204 (312) 942-6412 memory, one disk, printer optional Table 1: The Society for Computer Simulation's latest list of simulation software available for microcomputers, originally published in the SCS journal Simulation. Contact the manufacturer for definitive data. BYTE March 1984 205 Operating System/ Other Software Peripherals Item Name Brief Description Contact Computer Required Required Cost H-Champ Helmsman's appli- Helmsman Systems Inc. Z80, 8080, CP/M 8-bit, CP/M $695 cation environment Mr. Silverstein 8085, 8088, 16-bit, MS-DOS software package, 1030 S. Winchester #205 8086, 68000, 2.0, and Unix supporting users of San Jose, CA 95128 Z8000, etc. hard disk, multiuser (408) 246-8300 micros, and Unix minis. ISG: Interactive Package of UCSD Thomas H. Bleakney Apple II, II Plus Pascal 1.1 language card $95 Scientific Pascal procedures, 18537 Arrow Hwy. or other 16K- Graphics with interactive fea- tures, plots sets of functions with full labeling. Suite D-105 Covina, CA 91722 (213) 339-8716 byte RAM card ISL-Apple Ideal for educators. R. D. Benham Any Apple II Apple DOS version disk drive available Solves nonlinear 5312 W. Tucannon with 48K bytes 3.3 upon differential equa- Kennewick, WA 99336 of memory request tions up to 10 times (509) 783-3829 faster than Apple BASIC. Uses game paddles and graphics. m-CPS: Chemical m-CPS is a hydro- Ofelt and Associates Apple II Plus/lie, Pascal two disk $250 Process carbon simulation 8007 Oak Moss Dr. 64K drives, op- Simulation using the SRK equation of state. Includes a data- Spring, TX 77379 (713) 376-3614 tional printer base of over 60 compounds. Free format input file. ^«^.,«w« Micro-Dynamo Micro-Dynamo Software Sales Apple II, IBM Pascal operating two disk $245 System Dynamics compiles and simu- Ad di son-Wesley Publish- PC system drives, color Modeling lates complex ing Company Inc. or b/w monitor, Language models of cause- and-effect relation- ships over time. It lets you create your model and specify what variables are printed and plotted —without compli- cated format state- ments. Interprets model internally to produce both tab- ular and plotted re- sults. Jacob Way Reading, MA 01867 (617) 944-3700 printer recommended Micronet A network-based discrete-event lan- guage that oper- ates as a simulation system for micro- computers. Pritsker & Associates Inc. POB 2413 A West Lafayette, IN 47906 (317) 463-5557 Apple II Plus, Apple lie, IBM PC, IBM PC XT various $2500 Micro-Passim A simulation sup- port package for combined discrete- event and continu- ous models in UCSD Pascal. Both process interaction and event schedul- ing world views are implemented. Ex- ample models in- cluded in the docu- mentation. Dr. Claude C Barnett Physics Dept. Walla Walla College College Place, WA 99324 (509) 527-2881 Apple II and III, PDP 11/23, IBM PC, etc. UCSD Pascal disk drive $125 206 BYTE March 1984 Operating System/ Other Software Peripherals Item Name Brief Description Contact Computer Required Required Cost Micro-Sim Simulation package for simulating queu- ing networks. Has graphics and is in- teractive. Stewart Hoover 36 Evergreen Rd. Sudbury MA 01776 (617) 443-9023 Terak, Apple UCSD Pascal some graphics capability $50 Scheduling A system especially Lionel Poizner Apple II and DOS 3.3 four disk $535 Simulator designed to simu- late the orders be- ing processed in a job shop environ- ment such that trial schedules may be run and analyzed. 81 Millwick Dr. Weston, Ontario Canada M9L 2R4 (416) 781-F.A.S.T other such microcomputers drives, printer SIMAN simulation General-purpose Dennis Pegden MS-DOS micro- Standard 190K bytes of $900 package simulation language with special manu- facturing systems features. Three modeling orienta- tions available, graphical and statistical output. System Modeling Corporation 226 Highland Ave. Suite B State College, PA 16801 (814) 238-5919 computers FORTRAN RAM Sim-By-Int "Simulation- By- Inter- view" . . . Program examples of code for user-interactive definitions of dynamic systems. G. R. Marr Jr. POB 143 Little Silver, NJ 07739 (201) 747-2606 various CP/M, UCSD Pascal, dBASE II KB/CRT/printer $5 Simscript 11.5 Language for com- puter modeling. C.A.C.L 12011 San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049 (213) 476-6511 IBM PC SMP: System A continuous-time Dr. Steven E. Reyer Apple II Plus, DOS 3.3 optional Modeling Program system simulation language with direct equation in- put for the Apple computer. 8664 N. Pelham Pkwy. Bayside, Wl 53217 (414) 351-2087 48K printer TDKIN: Three- Computer program Harry W. Townes Microcomputers FORTRAN com- optional variable; Dimensional that assembles and 514 North 10th Ave. or mainframes piler or CP/M printer depends Kinematics solves the equa- Bozeman, MT 59715 written in on pur- tions resulting in (406) 994-6297 FORTRAN 66 chase of the solution of source kinematics of three- code or ■ dimensional CP/M 1 mechanisms. relocat- able files Transit Estimates and Y. J. Stephanedes IBM PC, Apple UCSD Pascal screen for $100 traces future perfor- 500 Pillsbury Dr. SE II graphics mance of transport Minneapolis, MN 55455 systems. Tutsi m Interactive simula- Applied i Apple, CP/M- variable according graphical $350- tion program for 200 California Ave. based, PDP-11, to computer used output $2000 continuous Palo Alto, CA 94306 LSI-11, IBM PC dynamic systems (415) 325-4800 on mini- and micro- computer systems with block diagram and bondgraph model input. " BYTE March 1984 207 LOOK NO FURTHER! we'll get you low prices and fast service, or else! ALPHA OMEGA COHPUTER PRODUCTS COMPUTERS CORONA Desktop, 128K, 2-320K Drives, Monitor $2645 CORONA Portable {same as above) .... 2625 ROM AR 64K Apple compatible SAVE IBM PC Systems SAVE KAYPRO II Portable SAVE DISKETTES SCOTCH 3M SSDD $23 MAXELL MD2 DSDD 39 PRINTERS C. ITOH 8510 P. 1 20 cps SAVE EPSON FX80 160 cps SAVE EPSON FX100 160 cps SAVE OKIDATA Microline 92 160 cps 469 OKIDATA Microline 84 200 cps 1035 DELTA 10 160 cps SAVE GEMINI 10X 120cps 279 NEC 3550 35 cps UQ SAVE JUKI L/Q 18 cps 489 DYNAX DX1 5 UQ 13 cps 475 PRINTER Pal 24 HAYES Smartmodem 300 $205 HAYES Smartmodem 1200 489 HAYES Smartmodem 1 200B 442 HAYES Micromodem II 265 ANCHOR A. Mark 1 81 MONITORS TAXAN 12" Amber $125 GORILLA 12" Green 85 USI P13 12" Amber 145 AMDEK300G 12" Green 135 AMDEK 300A 12" Amber 145 AMDEK Color 1 13" 269 AMDEK Color I1 13" RGB 419 BMC 13" Color 219 APPLE PERIPHERALS & SOFTWARE VIDEX Videoterm 80C $219 VIDEX Ultraterm 279 MICROSOFT 16K RAMcard 69 MICROSOFT 280 Softcard 245 MICROSOFT Premium Pack 479 MICROSOFT Premium Softcard HE 345 KRAFT & TG Joystick 45 HAYES Mach II Joystick 33 QUENTIN Applemate Drives 233 LAZER V2 Height Drives 229 WIZARD BPO 1 6K Buffer Int 139 PROMETHIUS Versacard 149 EPS Keyboard 289 KENSINGTON Systemsaver 68 KOALA Pad 93 PFS Filing System 86 PFS Report 86 DBase II 389 Wordstar 249 Home Accountant 65 Multiplan 172 DB Master Version 4 249 DB Utility 1 or 2 95 Magic Window II 109 Zaxxon 29 Choplifter 25 Zork l/ll/lll 28 Wizardry 39 Subloqic Pinball 27 IBM PERIPHERALS & SOFTWARE TANDON TM55-2 Thin Line $235 TANDON TM100-2 235 SHUGART V 2 Height 235 MICROSOFT Mouse 145 QUADRAM Quadboard W/64K 269 QUADRAM Quadlink SAVE QUADRAM Quadcolor I 215 64K RAM Kit 200 ns 55 KRAFT &TG Joysticks 46 HAYES Mach II Joystick 35 CORONA Int. 5MB Hard Disk 1545 Property Management 335 Home Accountant + 99 Volkswriter 119 PFS Filing System 93 PFS Report 86 Lotus 1,2,3 SAVE DBase II 389 Friday 189 Wordstar 279 Multiplan 169 Flight Simulator 33 Deadline 38 Zork l/ll/lll 28 Hundreds of available items. Call for complete pricing information. We do not charge for VISA or MASTERCARD. (818)345-4422 WS4* 18612 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA 91356 All products are in factory sealed packages. We guarantee all items lor 30 days. Within this period, detective merchandise returns must be accompanied by RMA number. All other returns will be subject to a 10% restocking fee. For prepaid orders there will be a 3% shipping charge; 5% for UPS Blue Label; $5.00 minimum; all orders outside U.S. at 1 5% shipping. There will be an additional $4.00 surcharge on COD orders. Cash or Cashiers Check is required on COD. orders. Calif, residents add 6.5% sales tax. Prices subject to change without notice Books Although many good books on simulation are available, few cover microcomputers. Tab Books Inc. (Blue Ridge Summit, PA) pub- lished two in 1983 that can be very helpful. A good introduction is Learning Simulation Techniques on a Microcomputer Playing Blackjack & Other Monte Carlo Games by Pat Macaluso, for $10.95. It covers a good deal of the terminology and concepts used in designing models. The title may mislead you; black- jack is used as an example, but the other program is a simulation that can be applied to business ven- tures. (See Mr. Macaluso's article on page 179.) The other Tab Book, Forecasting on Your Microcomputer by Daniel B. Nickell ($14.95), con- centrates on forecasting and uses modeling as one of several tech- niques. A chapter on the mathe- matical principles involved is writ- ten in a way that makes them clear even to one without a math back- ground. For further study of simulation, one of the best textbooks I've seen is Simulation Modeling and Analysis by Averill M. Law and David W. Kelton (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982). It provides a good under- standing of simulation as art and science and can start the beginner on an established methodology. A list of books in this specialty would be incomplete without mentioning the publications that result each year from the SCS con- ference mentioned above. Both the conference and the books are titled Modeling and Simulation on Micro- computers. A new book is pub- lished each year and is available for $20 from the Society for Com- puter Simulation. Each contains a description of a variety of models, usually without code.* Charles Pratt has served as executive director of the Society for Computer Simulation (POB 2228, La ]olla f CA 92038) since August of 1980. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Guilford Col- lege in North Carolina. 208 BYTE March 1984 Circle 18 on inquiry card. One of Japan's leaders would like to go to work for you. Fujitsu Japan's largest computer company, sends you their best. The new Micro 16s personal business computer A combination of thoughtful planning, innovative thinking and quality craftsmanship. Just what youd expect from a Japanese company that s been making computers for three decades. The Micro 16s is a complete computer system. The options of other computers are our standards. For example, its price includes the CiyM-86 @ operating system, SuperCalc 2 ™ elec- tronic spreadsheet, WordStar® word processing, a high resolution color graphics monitor, and two microprocessors, the Z80 @ A 8-bit and 8086 16-bit. The Micro 16s will run any of the more than 3,000 CP/M® software programs on the market today. Optional operating systems for the Micro 16s include MS-DOS and the multi-tasking Concurrent CP/M-86™ The Micro 16s also comes with a detachable keyboard, dual built-in 5 l A" floppy disk drives, 128 kilobytes of internal memory expandable to over one megabyte, and expansion slots for future growth. The unique and flexible design of the Micro 16s makes it easy to add advanced micro- processors of tomorrow, hard disks, mainframe communications or local area networking when the time is right. Put a Japanese leader to work for you. Fujitsu's Micro 16s. For more information or the name of your nearest dealer call toll free 1-800- MICRO 16. Or write Fujitsu Microelectronics, Inc., Professional Microsystems ■■■■■■■ Division, 3320 Scott Blvd., FUJITSU Santa Clara, C A 95051. Fujitsu's Micro 16s: SuperCalc ?w is a trademark of Sorcim Corp WordStar* is a trademark of MicroPro international. CP/M-86* and Concurrent CP/M-86™ are trademarks of Digital Research, inc. MS* is a trademark of Microsoft'* Z80* is a trademark of Zilog. Inc. Circle 162 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 209 terrain at 300 rpm. Only one disk guarantees safe passage through the torrid zone of drive heat. Maxell. A lifetime warranty. And manufacturing standards that make it almost unnecessary. Today and in the long run ; you'll be glad you chose Maxell. Consider this: Every time you take your disk for a little spin, you expose it to hazardous drive conditions. Temperature build-up can sidetrack data. Worse, take it to the point of no return. Maxell's unique jacket construction defies heat of 140°E And keeps your information on track. And Maxell runs clean. A unique process impregnates lubricants throughout the oxide layer. Extend- ing media and head life. How good is Gold? Maxell's the disk that many drive manufacturers trust to put new equipment through its paces. It's that bug-free. So you can drive a bargain. But in accelerated tests, Maxell floppys lead the industry in error-free performance and durability. Proving that if you can't stand the heat you don't stand a chance. maxell IT'S WORTH IT Maxell Corporation of America 60 Oxford Drive, Moonachie, NJ. 07074 201-440-8020 Circle 223 on inquiry card. W",i ./.vo y 3fc?. Old Ironsides™ is a registered trade- mark of Optimum Resource, Inc. Apple and Apple II. II + , lie and III are registered trade- marks of Apple Computer. Inc. A/M33-I4 Certificate of Merit For Outstanding Achievement 1. V You're at the helm of the awesome warship — Old Ironsides™ ,Y out arch enemy is armed to the teeth with deadly firepower! The fate of 100 crew members is in your hands, Any miscalculation in strategy or tactics and your bloodthirsty opponent could blast you out of the water! Use paddles or keyboard to play this NEW two-player game. Special Freeze Frame feature stops and starts the action at any point Developed by Optimum Resource, Inc. by Richard Hefter and Jack Rice. Apple II or Apple II + with 48K and one disk drive, 33 DOS; and Apple lie or Apple III. Look for 07cf Ironsides in finer com- puter stores everywhere. Or, order by calling toll-free 1-800-852-5000, Dept. AD-4. Only $39.95 each. 212 BYTE March 1984 Circle 387 on inquiry card. Reviewer's Notebook The really big item this month is the Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000, which is described in an article on page 306 of this issue. From the brief ex- perience I've had with the 2000, I have been much impressed. Let's hope that Radio Shack makes available a good technical reference manual so that the hackers can turn it into an even better machine. Wang's Professional Lately, we've received a few systems that are obviously not meant for hackers. Most prominent among them is a hard-disk version of the Wang Professional Computer (see Elaine Long's review of the floppy- disk version on page 360 of the December 1983 BYTE). This is a fair- ly well designed system. In fact, I used it to write this month's column, but not without some difficulty. This machine takes some getting used to. The keyboard, in particular, has a touch that is a little too light. Also, it's hard to make the machine work correctly with a non-Wang printer. But overall the system is pretty good. I particularly like the monitor sup- port arm, which allows the monitor to hover a few inches over your desk. This should be great for people like me whose desks are already covered with a few inches of various materials. Again, although it is a fairly power- ful machine (it has an 8-MHz 8086 microprocessor), the Wang PC is not meant for hackers. It is clearly designed for the office. And although it is disk-compatible with the IBM PC, you will probably have to buy all your software and accessories from Wang itself. The software selection is of good quality. We have Multiplan, 1-2-3, TK Solver, and version 2.0 of Wang's word processor, which is sup- posed to be identical to Wang's by Rich Malloy dedicated word processors. But the number of packages available is rather small. Also, the user-friendly menu system that leads you through MS-DOS version 2.0 can drive ex- perienced computerists batty. The Wang PC is probably a good machine for your cousin the lawyer. DEC's Rainbow In response to a previous column, Digital Equipment Corporation has sent us a new version of its Rainbow, this one called the Rainbow 100 Plus. I can tell because it came with a little plastic sticker saying "100 Plus" that we're supposed to stick onto the front of the machine. Also, we've finally received a copy of MS-DOS for the Rainbow, with a Format program included. Now we can format our own disks, but few other MS-DOS machines can read them. The Rainbow uses single- sided, quad-density disks. Fortunate- ly, the Rainbow can read other MS- DOS disks, but only if they're single- sided. And in my experience, it can't read all the files on a single-sided PC- DOS disk all the time. As for software compatibility, this machine cannot run many of the IBM PC programs. You will probably have to buy most of your software from DEC. And as for expansion slots, after you install a hard-disk drive, some extra memory, and a color graphics board, there are no slots left. The Rainbow is a slick, good- looking office computer with a number of nice features. But, like the Wang PC, this is not a hacker's machine. In time, however, the Rain- bow will probably evolve into a very impressive system. The Compaq Plus Another recent entry into our com- puter room is the Compaq Plus, the 10-megabyte version of the original IBM PC clone. This machine sports a 3V2-inch hard disk, which reported- ly is surrounded by a sizable cushion- ing system. This, too, is an office machine, but it is built to travel. Unlike the Wang and the Rainbow, the Compaq should have no prob- lems with any IBM PC software. The Compaq has traditionally scored very high in most IBM PC-compatibility tests, and at $4995 it represents a serious alternative to the IBM PC XT. The Tava We also received the Tava com- puter, another IBM PC clone, but with Asian roots. The Tava has been raising a few eyebrows by advertising a price of $995. But before you sell your shares of Big Blue, you should note that that price doesn't include any disk drives or a monitor. Two double-sided disk drives with a con- troller will set you back an additional $670. As for performance, our Tava was not completely without problems. First, we couldn't get it to turn on because its fan was stuck. Then we didn't have an operating system, or a serial port or parallel port for that matter. We tried PC-DOS, and most IBM programs ran without a prob- lem. Some programs, however, didn't recognize the Tava's color graphics adapter as a bona fide board. Tava sent us a parallel port (just a connec- tor that plugs into the motherboard), and the serial ports (there are two) should arrive any day. I really like the Tava's documenta- tion—a single piece of paper saying, in effect, that you should insert a disk into one of the drives and turn the machine on.i Rich Malloy is BYTE's product -review editor. BYTE March 1984 213 Hardware Review Compupro's System 816/C and System 68K— the Two and Only Take a look at Compupro's new reversibles— they're 8085/8088 on one side and 68000 on the other by Ed Compupro's two new computer systems, the System 816/C and the System 68K, are based on the same S-100 bus enclosure, and they both use the same memory and I/O (input/output) boards. When loaded with the same options, they differ only in their microprocessors. The System 816/C uses an 8-bit, 6-MHz 8085 microprocessor and a 16-bit, 8-MHz 8088 microprocessor. The System 68K, on the other hand, uses a 16-bit, 4- or 8-MHz 68000 microprocessor. The systems come with different ver- sions of CP/M. Both systems feature two solidly built metal enclo- sures, the Desktop Enclosure 2 and the disk-drive enclosure. The Desktop Enclosure 2 houses a 20-slot motherboard, the central processing unit, memory, I/O boards, a constant-voltage power supply, a line filter, and a large fan. The disk enclosure contains the disk drives Teja and another fan. Photos 1 and 2 show the front and back of the enclosures, respectively. Each system costs $8995— not expensive as business systems go, but definitely not economical enough for most hobbyists. Besides the hardware and software, though, you also get repair service under Xerox's Americare program. This program gives you free on-site service for one year if you are within a 100-mile radius of one of Xerox's 82 service centers. Outside that radius, you either pay a service charge for on-site work or you can take the system into a service center. This bundled- in service program beats any other available form of tech- nical support hands down and makes the package a bet- ter risk for businesses. That is, it's a better risk if these are the right computers. Let's take a closer look at the machines and see. Photo 1: The front of Compupro's System 816/C computer. The System 68 K looks the same, (All photos were taken by Carey Hillhouse.) Photo 2: The rear of the System 816/C. The system operator (user 0) plugs into the bottom right connector. The wide connector at the top center connects to the disk drives. 214 BYTE March 1984 System 816/C Hardware The heart of the System 816/C is the 8085/8088 central processing unit, shown in photo 3. This board allows the computer to run either 8-bit or 16-bit CP/M programs at high execution speeds. Most of the System 816/C's I/O functions are handled by the System Support 1 and Interfacer 3 boards. The System Support 1 board provides an RS-232C port and most of the I/O support features, such as the clock/calen- dar, dual-interrupt controllers, and triple interrupt timers. The Interfacer 3 board furnishes eight fully pro- grammable asynchronous serial channels to which the user's terminals are connected. The System 816/C comes configured to support three users; however, you can ex- pand it to handle 15 users. There are two parallel ports: one handles the endless variety of Centronics/Epson- type printers, while the other is an untyped port to use as you will. The system comes with 512K bytes of CMOS (comple- mentary metal oxide semiconductor) RAM (random- access read/write memory) dwelling on two of Compu- pro's RAM 22 cards. These cards act as a byte-wide mem- ory for 8-bit systems and then switch automatically to a word-wide configuration for 16-bit operation by reading the state of the SXTRQ signal on the S-100 bus. A single DIP (dual in-line package) switch assigns each memory board a starting address that is a multiple of 256K bytes, within the 16 megabyte address space specified by the IEEE-696 standard. If you want to add memory, simply buy additional RAM 22 cards ($2495 each), set the switch, and plug the boards in. You don't have to recon- figure the system— an autoconfiguration routine takes care of that. Compupro designed its RAM 22 cards especially for use with 8086/8088 processors at speeds exceeding 10 MHz. In particular, the RAM 22 is suitable for DMA (direct memory access) operations. DMA is critical in multiuser systems, because you can't expect a processor to handle multiple users and I/O as well. For more permanent storage, the System 816/C comes with two 8-inch, double-sided, double-density floppy disks in a separate cabinet. The system I used came with Qume Trak 842 drives. Together, the floppy disks give you 2.4 megabytes of storage, formatted in 1024-byte sec- tors. These drives also read single-sided, single-density disks. Compupro's Disk 1 board handles the disk operations and houses the phantom boot EPROM (erasable pro- grammable read-only memory) that can handle eight dif- ferent processors or boot routines. The board furnishes fully arbitrated DMA data transfers that can cross 64K- byte boundaries. An Intel 8272 floppy-disk-controller chip is the heart of the disk-controller board. According to the manual, this lets the controller format disks with a true IBM 3740/System 34 disk format. But this presents a problem if you try to use the controller with a disk that was for- matted using a 1791 disk-controller chip, because the 1791 inserts a byte of zeros immediately after the header CRC (cyclic redundancy check) bytes. The zeros can confuse the 8272. 1 didn't have a 1791-formatted disk with which to test this, and it isn't clear what the confusion ultimate- ly does. But this could lead to some interesting service calls for the Americare folks. One of the System 816/C's most powerful features is its optional M-DRIVE/H solid-state disk emulator, shown in photo 4. A solid-state disk emulator configures and uses RAM as if it were a disk drive, but without the slow access times inherent in a disk drive. Even the 30- to 65-millisecond average access times offered by many Winchesters seem slow next to solid-state disk access times. The system I used came equipped with a single 512K- byte M-DRIVE/H board. You can add 4 megabytes worth of RAM disk (on eight boards) if you need it. Compu- pro's software recognizes the presence of the RAM disk Photo 3: The 8085/8088 central processing unit of the System 816/C. Photo 4: The M-DRIVE/H solid-state disk emulator. At a Glance Name System 816/C Manufacturer Compupro 3506 Breakwater Court Hayward, CA 94545 (415) 786-0909 Price S8995 Processors 8085 and 8088 Memory 512K bytes of RAM Data storage Two double-sided, double-density 8-inch floppy drives furnishing up to 2.4 megabytes of storage Hardware needed Terminal, printer Software supplied CP/M-80, CP/M-86, MP/M 8-16, SupercaIc-86, dBASE 11 Options 512K bytes of solid-state disk (S1895) Audience System developers and professional users At a Glance Name System 68 K Manufacturer Compupro 3506 Breakwater Court Hayward, CA 94545 (415) 786-0909 Price $8995 Processors 68000 Memory 5I2K bytes of RAM, 1.5 megabytes of solid-state disk Data storage Two double-sided, double-density 8-inch floppy drives furnishing up to 2.4 megabytes of storage Hardware needed Terminal, printer Software supplied CP/M-68K, C Compiler, MAPFORTH Audience System developers and professional users and treats it as drive M when you boot the system. Ad- dressed as two I/O ports, the board takes up none of the system's 16 megabytes of address space. The board formats as 504K bytes of disk space. Although not cheap ($1895 per 512K-byte board), this is one of the few system- performance options that carries its own weight. The RAM disk can make the difference in whether the Sys- tem 816/C, or any other computer, works fast enough for your application. It's hard to imagine using a power- ful computer system such as the 816/C without a solid- state disk of some sort. The disk-access bottlenecks that naturally occur when several users share the same resources would eliminate any advantage that the system offers. You'd be better advised to buy individual desktop computers for each user than one powerful system that doesn't offer a solid-state disk. System 816/C Software Each System 816/C comes with CP/M-80, CP/M-86, MP/M 8-16, Supercalc-86, and dBASE II. These programs should prove adequate for the business that is just becoming computerized. If they aren't, other applica- tions programs are available from many sources. To take full advantage of the System 816/C, you'll want to use the multiuser MP/M 8-16 operating system. This is Compupro's proprietary implementation of Digital Research's MP/M-86. MP/M 8-16 lets you run 8-bit and 16-bit programs simultaneously, and it is compatible with all CP/M and MP/M operating environments. To make the user interface— called the Terminal Mes- sage Process (TMP)-more useful, Compupro has mod- ified it as a system shell. This shell has six functions: 1. It makes terminal, printer, user, and drive assignments during log-in. 2. It lets the system operator make changes in printer default assignments. 3. It lets the system operator make changes in the user default number. 4. It lets the system operator make changes in the default drive for each user. 5. It accepts and executes user command lines. 6. It handles user log-in and log-out. The system operator (user 0) can reset any of these characteristics every time the system is booted. In this way, the system operator controls which users have ac- cess to which system resources. You can give every user access to every resource if you want, but you might want to protect certain files or other resources. Unfortunately, MP/M isn't the answer for all multiuser applications. If you are running a manufacturing pro- gram that requires every operator to have access to files on a record-by-record basis, MP/M can't handle the job, because it has no record-locking feature. On a file-by- file basis, however, it performs well. MP/M 8-16, in par- ticular, is convenient because it allows one user to run an 8-bit program at the same time that another user is running a 16-bit program. 216 BYTE March 1984 Introducing the Most Powerful Business Software Ever! TRS-80™ (Model I, II, III, or 16) • APPLE™ • IBM" • OSBORNE™ • CP/M™ • XEROX™ „«*£?§£ *&£%%%% Tired Cfrrur i»-45ag The VersaBusiness™ Series Each VERSABUSINESS module can be purchased and used independently, or can be linked in any combination to form a complete, coordinated business system. VERSARECEIVABLES™ $99.95 VERSA RECEIVABLES™ is a complete menu-driven accounts receivable, invoicing, and monthly statement-generating system. It keeps track of all information related to who owes you or your company money, and can provide automatic billing for past due ac- counts. VERSA RECEIVABLES'" prints all necessary statements, invoices, and summary reports and can be linked with VERSALEDGER II™ and VERSA INVENTORY™. VeRSAPAYABLES™ $99.95 VERSA PAYABLES™ is designed to keep track of current and aged payables, keeping you in touch with all information regarding how much money your company owes, and to whom. VERSA PAYABLES™ maintains a complete record on each vendor, prints checks, check registers, vouchers, transaction reports, aged payables reports, vendor reports, and more. With VERSA PAYABLES™, you can even let your computer automatically select which vouchers are to be paid. VERSAPAYROLL " $99.95 VERSA PAYROLL™ is a powerful and sophisticated, but easy to use payroll system that keeps track of all government-required payroll information. Complete employee records are maintained, and all necessary payroll calculations are performed automatically, with totals displayed on screen for operator approval. A payroll can be run totally, automati- cally, or the operator can intervene to prevent a check from being printed, or to alter information on it. If desired, totals may be posted to the VERSALEDGER IP" system. VERSAlNVENTORY™ $99.95 VERSA INVENTORY™ is a complete inventory control system that gives you instant access to data on any item. VERSA INVENTORY™ keeps track of all information related to what items are in stock, out of stock, on backorder, etc., stores sales and pricing data, alerts you when an item falls below a preset reorder point, and allows you to enter and print invoices directly or to link with the VERSA RECEIVABLES™ system. V^rsa INVENTORY™ prints all needed inventory listings, reports of items below reorder point, inventory value re- ports, period and year-to-date sales reports, price lists, inventory checklists, etc. 'CQiriPUTRaNics; 50 N. PASCACK ROAD, SPRING VALLEY, NY. 10977 VERSALEDGER II™ $149.95 VERSA LEDGER II™ is a complete accounting system that grows as your business grows. VERSALEDGER II™ can be used as a simple personal checkbook register, expanded to a small business bookkeeping system or developed into a large corporate general ledger system without any additional software. • VersaLedger II™ gives you almost unlimited storage capacity (300 to 10,000 entries per month, depending on the system), • stores all check and general ledger information forever, • prints tractor-feed checks, • handles multiple checkbooks and general ledgers, • prints 17 customized accounting reports including check registers, balance sheets, income statements, transaction reports, account listings, etc. VersaLedger II™ comes with a professionally- writ ten 160 page manual de- signed for first-time users. The VersaLedger II™ manual will help you become quickly familiar with VersaLedger II™, using complete sample data files supplied on diskette and more than 50 pages of sample printouts. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! Every VERSABUSINESS™ module is guaranteed to outperform ail other competitive systems, and at a fraction of their cost. If you are not satisfied with any VERSABUSINESS'" module, you may return it within 30 days for a refund. Manuals for any VERSABUSINESS'" module may be purchased for $25 each, credited toward a later purchase of that module. To Order: Write or call Toll-free (800) 43 1-28 18 (N.Y.S. residents call 914-425-1535) * add $5 to CANADA or MEXICO ^^^^ * add proper postage elsewhere * add $3 for shipping in UPS areas * add $4 for CO. D. or non-UPS areas DEALER INQUIRIES WELCOME All prices and specifications subject to change / Delivery subject to availability. * TRS-80 is a trademark of the Radio Shack Division of Tandy Corp. - * APPLE is a trademark of Apple Corp. - *IBM is a trademark of IBM Corp. - *OSBORNE is a trademark of Osborne Corp. *CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research - *XEROX is a trademark of Xerox Corp. Photo 5: The System 68K's central processing unit's 68K-byte board. The only problem with this software package is that you'll have to format and copy all of your disks under CP/M. For some unexplained reason, the Diskcopy util- ity doesn't run under MP/M, but that is a minor incon- venience. System 68K Hardware The only real difference between the System 816/C and the System 68K is the central processing unit's 68K-byte board, shown in photo 5. As the name implies, this board is an S-100 processor card that uses the 68000 pro- cessor. It upgrades any IEEE-696/S-100 computer system from 8 to 16 bits. The 68000 runs at either 4 or 8 MHz (standard at 8 MHz) and works with a variety of 8- and 16-bit memory and peripheral devices. Another version that runs at 5 or 10 MHz is available. The board furnishes two sockets for up to 16K bytes of ROM (read-only mem- ory), a jump-on-reset feature, and it even has provisions for an optional memory-management unit. A 24-bit ad- dressing scheme accommodates up to 16 megabytes of memory, including a 64K-byte block of I/O addresses. For $695, you can add the central processing unit's 68K bytes to your System 816/C. You simply unplug the old processor board, plug in the new board and change a few DIP switch positions, and change a jumper on the Disk 1 card. Once you've made these changes, you've turned your System 816/C into a System 68K. Buying the System 68K does have one advantage over upgrading a System 816/C, however— it already comes with 1.5 megabytes of M- DRIVE/H. System 68K Software Compupro's version of CP/M-68K comes on two disks. The first disk contains CP/M-68K and its C compiler con- figured for the System 68K. The second disk gives you everything you need to create a customized system, in- cluding the source, library, and submit files needed to modify the BIOS (basic input/output system) to meet your system requirements. Thus, one System 68K can act as a development system for other CP/M-68K sys- tems. The CP/M-68K operating system that Compupro pro- vides requires at least 256K bytes of RAM addressed at 0; a floppy-disk drive connected to the Disk 1 board (ad- dressed at hexadecimal CO); a terminal set for 9600 bps (bits per second) with an 8-bit word length, no parity, two stop bits, and, to accommodate system I/O, Compu- pro's System Support 1 board with its I/O address set to hexadecimal 50. You also get a third disk containing another stand- alone system, MAPFORTH. The system includes the operating system, a FORTH compiler and interpreter, and a variety of precompiled utilities written in FORTH. You can't use FORTH and CP/M-68K together, but at least for the moment you can write FORTH programs. Later, these should port over to other operating systems with little problem. Using CP/M-68K proved straightforward. The only bug appears in the Diskcopy utility. You can only Diskcopy a single-sided disk to a single-sided disk. You can copy individual files to a larger disk with PIP (peripheral- interchange program), but you cannot use the Diskcopy routine. This problem occurs with the System 816/C ver- sion of CP/M, too. Performance "A High-Level Language Benchmark" (September 1981 BYTE, page 180) and "Eratosthenes Revisited: Once More through the Sieve" (January 1983 BYTE, page 283) com- pared the computational speed of a variety of 8- and 16-bit computer systems. The benchmarks with which the comparisons were performed were all written in high-level languages, such as FORTRAN, FORTH, Pascal, and C. Digital Research's CP/M-68K operating system comes with a C compiler, so I was able to make a direct comparison with the machines already reviewed. In the September 1981 article, the fastest execution time recorded was logged by a 68000 programmed in assem- bly language. It executed the program in 1.12 seconds. A PDP-11/70 running C came in second place, executing the benchmark in 1.52 seconds. Also in the 4.00 seconds- and-under category was an 8086 (assembly language), a PDP-11/70 running NBS Pascal, a Z8000 running Onyx C (Unix), and a 5-MHz 8088 programmed in assembly language. According to my testing, the System 68K should fit in next, because it ran the benchmark in 4.5 seconds, tying for seventh place with a PDP-11/60 run- ning NBS Pascal. A PDP-11/40 running C placed ninth with an execution speed of 6.1 seconds. This puts Com- pupro in the top third of the 26 16-bit machines tested (25 reported in the article, plus the Compupro). The much more comprehensive 1983 survey tested 17 different 68000-based machines, with the same bench- mark used earlier. Four of these executed the program in less than 4.5 seconds, the fastest being an 8-MHz machine programmed in assembly code. Only one other 68000-based machine ran faster than 4.0 seconds— a ma- chine programmed in SMPL that ran in 2.6 seconds. In short, the Compupro System 68K compares favor- ably with other systems. It isn't the fastest or most effi- cient, but it is competitive. 218 BYTE March 1984 INTERFACE IT PUT IT IN PRINT /• J0J, THE LETTER QUALITY DAISYWHEEL PRINTER HAS PC COMPATIBILITY $599 If word processing has become increasingly important in considering the growth of your personal computer system, then your choice in selecting a printer should be a major decision, not a major investment. If PERFOR- MANCE, COMPATIBILITY and PRICE are significant fac- tors in determining your decision, then the Juki Model 6100 Letter Quality, Daisywheel Printer will benefit you. Here's why,.. mimi vTIBILITY uki Letter Quality, Daisywheel Printer is compatible with all major personal computers and is equipped with Centronics Parallel interface as standard equipment and is available with the RS-232C Serial con- nection as well. It conveniently uses IBM Selectric™ rib- bons and 1 00 character Royal/Adler™ daisywheels with a variety of type styles to choose from. Engineered for precision performance, the Juki Model 6100 has been field tested and proven for accuracy, reliability and versatility. It prints bi-directionally at 18 cps, has proportional spacing, 10/12/15 pitch and per- forms the latest word processing functions including superscript, subscript, bold/shadow printing, double strike, underlining and graphics. It houses over 40 built-in control commands, has a buffer memory expandable to 8k, and operates on a linear induction motor ensuring accurate positioning. Also, the Juki Printer is lightweight and conventional in design, has a low noise level and is available with a Tractor Feed. With all the advanced features of a higher priced unit combined with convenience and dependability, the low cost of the Juki Model 6100 adds up to one thing... hard copy at a soft pn< At $599.00 the Juki Model 6100 Letter Quality, Daisy- wheel Printer will complement your personal computer system with a minimum investment. Contact your local Juki Distributor for further detail 1 .DUSTRIES imt LG/- ACORN DATA PRODUCTS 7304-1 South Alton Way Englewood. CO 80112 303/779-0644 Serving MT.WYCO UT NM SOUTHERN MICRO DISTRIBUTORS 8700 Royal Lane Irvine , TX 75063 214/258-6636 Serving . TX. OK, AR. LA BUTLER ASSOCIATES. INC 82A Winchester Street Newton, MA 02161 617/964-5270 Serving: ME NH.VT CT.RIMA COMPUTER SERVICES INTERNATIONAL CORP 560 Sylvan Avenue EnglewoodClifts.N 107632 201/569-6300 Serving: METRO NY.E PA.NJ 6ENTRY ASSOCIATES. INC 7665 Currency Drive Orlando, FL 32809 305/859-7450 Serving: TN.NC.SC.MS.LA.AL.GA.FL INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC 2420 E anion Street. Unit K Arlington Heights, IL 60005 312/228 5480 Serving Wl.IL.MN. IA.M0.NE.N0. KS.S0 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SYSTEMS CENTER 7023 Little River Turnpike Annandale. VA 22003 703/750 3885 Serving MD.0E DC VA 0SSMANN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES, INC 6666 Old Collamer Road E Syracuse. NY 13057 315/437-6666 Serving: UPSTATE NY SI6MA DISTRIBUTING 2110 T 16th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98005 206/454.6307 Serving: WA, OR, ID Ah STAR-TRONIC DISTRIBUTOR CO 23976 Freeway Park Orive Farmington Hills. Ml 48024 313/477-7566 Serving Ml. IN.0H.KY.W. PA, WV TECHNOLOGY MARKETING CORP 2300 Valley View Lane Suite 109 Dallas. TX 75234 214/243-7994 Serving TX.0K.AR.LA VITEK 930-G Boardwalk Avenue San Marcos. CA 92069 619/744-8305 Serving SCA WESTERN MICRO TECHNOLOGY 10040 Bubb Road Cupertino. CA 95014 408/725 1660 Serving N CANV.A2 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS WEST COAST JUKI INDUSTRIES OF AMERICA, INC JUKI INDUSTRIES OF AMERICA. INC. 0A DIVISION CALIFORNIA DIVISION 299 Market Street 3555 Lomita Boulevard Saddle Brook NJ 07662 Torrance, CA 9Q505 201/368-3666 213/325 3093 Circle 199 on inquiry card. Photo 6: The stack of manuals thai you get with either computer. Documentation Compupro's documentation is aimed at system inte- grators, not users. As a result, the system does not come with one system manual, but with a manual for each board and software program, as photo 6 shows. This miasmatic approach to system documentation produces literature that is both thorough and thoroughly confus- ing. It isn't always clear which manual you should be reading. Individual manuals should not be eliminated, but a system manual should be added. It would also be a great help if there were at least a user's cross reference that pointed to the proper manual for answers to questions. tt'0& duality! NDC SERIES 100/200 5 V DISK CONTROLLER KEY FEATURES • Full sector buffering • Logical sector addressing • Multiple sector, cylinder operation • 11 bit burst ECC • Self-diagnostic capability • Automatic sector alternation for the diffective sectors • Automatic Error Retry • Industry Standurd SASI l/F National Computer Ltd. UASON OFFICE IN CALIFORNIA PHONE:(408}734-1006 FAX: (408)744-0709 AKEBONO BLDG. 2-6-12 IWAMOTO-CHO CHIYODA-KU TOKYO, JAPAN PHONE: (03)863-6705 TLXJ27542 FAX:(03)864-4581 Using the System In spite of the documentation problem, the system proved simple to configure and begin using. There really isn't much to know, and there is plenty of information in the MP/M 8-16 Technical Manual and Installation Pro- cedures to get you up and running in half an hour. The system doesn't come with a terminal, but I pressed an Adds Viewpoint terminal into service and it worked well. Playing with a new system with no regard for the con- sequences can uncover some interesting anomalies. By trying thousands of things that didn't work, I discovered a minor problem with the shell program; it is possible to create a user interface that doesn't allow any users to sign on. All passwords become invalid, but the system insists on a password. The situation produces the kind of frustration experienced by Wordstar users who have just been told the disk is full. You know what you want to do, but there's no way to tell the system. There is one other trap that is easy to fall into. Using the M-DRIVE/H is so much like using a fast disk drive, it is hard to remember that, when you turn off the power, the files on the M-DRIVE/H go away. Rebooting is no problem, because the boot routine doesn't reformat the M-DRIVE/H; but turning the power off without first put- ting the files you want to keep on a real disk is a definite mistake. There seems to be no safeguard against making that error. A provision in MP/M 8-16 allows the system to automatically back up working files to the hard disk if you have one, but it has nothing that will rescue a user from the folly of turning off the power with data on the M drive. You could use the Sched (schedule) utility to cause the system to PIP all of the files from drive M to one of the floppy disks periodically, but that might prove disconcerting to unsuspecting users. Conclusions Although the System 816/ C has a fairly high price tag ($10,890 with M-DRIVE/H), in a multiuser application it provides high performance at only about $3600 per user. Converting the System 816/C to a System 68K is simple and takes but a few minutes. And the System 68K's performance compares favorably to that of other 68000-based computers and PDP-11/60 minicomputers. The M-DRIVE/H solid-state disk emulator eliminates disk-access bottlenecks and the dual processor scheme of the System 816/C works well and is totally transparent to the user. The Americare program makes either com- puter a good bet for business and professional users. On the minus side, the System 816/C needs a Diskcopy rou- tine that will run under MP/M. But the MP/M 8-16 shell will let you create exactly the system you want for each user. Well designed and executed, both computers are easy to love.H Ed Teja (238 Swift St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060) writes extensively about computers and peripherals. His latest book, A Designer's Guide to Disk Drives, will soon be published by Reston Publishing Company Inc. 220 BYTE March 1984 Circle 260 on inquiry card. Circle 264 on inquiry card. Release Yi With the p-System ™ from ^* . For: IBM PC & XT CORONA COLUMBIA EAGLE COMPAQ COLBY DOT HYPERION Do you feel stifled by your operating system? The p- System from NCI will release you. It is the complete program development environment for the IBM Personal Computer and compatibles. This is the fast p-System with the special p- machine emulator developed by NCI. The p-System from NCI gives you everything you need in one system at far less than the cost to add similar utilities to any other OS. It includes a powerful screen editor, a multi-function file manager and RAMdisk support for fast access to files. Dynamic memory allocation lets you create programs larger than 64K and a print buffer frees your computer to perform other tasks while printing. This operating system is stable, friendly and easy to use. Command options are presented on a menu requiring only a single keystroke. The 8087 Numeric Coprocessor Support allows extremely fast floating point calculations and the asynchronous I/O lets you use serial printer and communications routines. With the p-System you can choose either UCSD Pascal, Fortran 77 or Basic as your programming language. NCI also offers hard disk support for the IBM XT, Corona, Columbia, Corvus, Tallgrass, Davong, Genie 5+5, QCS, Datamac, SPEED. PORTABILITY. RELIABILITY. Microdisk and Santa Clara. Corvus OMNINET support can easily be added as well as memory cards from AST Research and Tall Tree Syste Colorplus card and the Hercui^ 5 card. When you buy the p-System from NCI you get technical support and complete documentation. For full details call or write: Network Consulting Inc. Discovery Park, Suite 110 - 3700 Gilmore Way Burnaby, B.C. Canada V5G 4M1 (604) 430-3466 sonal Computer XT are trade marks of International Business Machines Corporation. The p-Systi ity of California. OMNINET is a trade mark of Corvus Systems Inc. 5 + 5 is a trade mark of Genie Cor s a trade mark of Softech Microsystems. I er Corooration. ColorDlus is a trade marl c. UCSD I ._ of Frederick Eli CHICAGO NEW YORK FORMERLY APPLEFEST &PC83 THE PERSONAL COMPUTER USERFEST Plan now to attend the Personal Computer Userfests, the largest events ever ... for Apple and IBM PC users. Userfest brings together two of the largest, most successful shows ever conceived for per- sonal computer users: Applefest and PC'83. Now that Apple and IBM can run each other's soft- ware, and with so many products adapted for both systems, the two shows merged beautifully. At Userfest you'll see—and try out— all of the newest state-of- the-art products for your Apple, IBM PC or work-alike. Each Show has hundreds of displays and exhibits, and thousands and thousands of products including innovative new software, power peripherals, accessories, sup- port services, books and publi- cations. Products to help you explore the full potential of your computer for office, home and school applications. Userfest features all the major makes of Apple and IBM com- puter compatibles. In fact, it's the largest display of these products, and biggest gathering of IBM and Apple experts, ever assem- bled in either city. Hence, you can learn more in two days at Userfest than you could in months of visiting computer stores or reading trade journals. And best of all, everything on dis- play at Userfest is for sale, usu- ally at special show prices, so you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars by making your purchases at the Sho\^ So don't miss the Personal Com puter Userfest when it comes to Chicago and New York in 1984. It's a once-only opportunity. Order your tickets in advance and avoid long lines. Admission is $1 0.00 for a one-day ticket, or $20.00 for four days. Children's tickets (under 10 years of age) are $4.00 and $8.00. If you need hotel accommodations and/or airline reservations, check the line on the Advance Ticket form. 222 BYTE March 1984 FEATURING IBM, APPLE & WORK-ALIKE COMPUTERS & COMPATIBLES the PERSONAL COMPUTER USERFEST USERFEST/ CHICAGO Thursday-Sunday May 3-6, 1984 10:00AM to 5:00PM daily O'Hare Exposition Center 9291 West Bryn Mawr Rosemont, Illinois (next to Chicago's O'Hare Airport) USERFEST/ NEW YORK Thursday-Sunday September 20-23, 1984 Madison Square Garden 10:00AM to 5:00PM daily For information about exhibiting at the Personal Computer User- fests, call or write Northeast Expositions, 822 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, Mass 02167. Tel: 617-739-2000. For hotel information call or write Trade Show Department, Fox Travel, P.O. Box 498, Waltham, Mass 02254. Tel: 617-890-1770 or 800-225-8410 ext.314. Userfest (formerly known as Applefest and PC'83) is pro- duced by Northeast Expositions, 822 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, Mass 02167. ADVANCE TICKET ORDER FORM Mail this form (or a facsimile) with full payment to Northeast Expositions, 822 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, Mass 02167. Tel: 617-739-2000. No ticket orders accepted 14 days or nearer to each Show. Your tick- ets will be mailed one month prior to the Show. Sorry, no tele- phone or credit card orders please. Name:. Company (if any):. Address: City: Tel: Day (_ )_ Enclosed is full payment for: __ adult one-day tickets® $10.00 each quantity State:- .Evening (_ -Zip:_ quantity adult four-day tickets @ $20.00 each use this line for children's ticket orders □ Check here if you need hotel and/or airline information Circle 404 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 223 Software Review Microsoft Flight Simulator Even experienced pilots will find this program useful and challenging by Stan Miastkowski As any programmer knows, simulations are one of the toughest programs to write. The seemingly endless list of interacting variables that comprise events that hap- pen in the "real world" makes for a programmer's night- mare. That's why simulations used by serious research- ers are often run on mainframe computers or even super- computers like the Cray-1. Their incredible speeds and megamemories make them capable of processing the numerous variables and the endless streams of data used in such advanced fields as weapons and weather re- search—not to mention that the government is often the only entity capable of laying down the substantial bucks required for systems like these. Despite the inherent roadblocks, programmers of mini- computers and microcomputers are forging new ground in simulations. Not all of the work is being done in esoteric scientific fields. In fact, microcomputer-based simulations are becoming increasingly common in the entertainment arena. Some of the most advanced work has been done by Atari's Chris Crawford (see "Chris Crawford: Artist as Game Designer," June 1982 Popular Computing, page 55), who's responsible for such ground- breaking games as Eastern Front. Flight simulators for microcomputers have been around almost since the beginning. Most have been rather crude, relying on slowly updated primitive graph- ics or an instrument panel only. Although fun for the nonpilot, they haven't had enough features for an expe- rienced pilot to find them useful or challenging. The Microsoft Flight Simulator is a refreshing exception, a fast-moving, realistic package that makes you consider all the variables and make the fast decisions that a pilot must make. Flight Although highly experienced pilots with tens of thou- sands of hours "behind the stick" often tell you that fly- ing becomes boring, don't be deceived. Flying an air- plane, be it a Cessna trainer or a Boeing 747, is an ex- hilarating experience that requires complete concentra- tion on the numerous visual and sensory cues (sound, movement, etc.) that assail the senses from the instru- ments, radios, and outside world. It truly uses the brain's ability to parallel-process large amounts of data. But how do you develop a flight simulator? The complete-environment simulators used by the air- lines for training pilots are one extreme. Sometimes cost- ing nearly as much as a real airplane, these closed-cock- pit simulators are mounted on hydraulic legs to simu- late movement and utilize high-resolution computer- generated graphics projected onto a large screen that sits in front of the pilots. The mind-boggling array of in- struments in a modern jet cockpit are all there, and the whole thing is usually controlled by a superminicom- puter such as a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX. So realistic are these simulators that the FA A (Federal Avia- tion Administration) recognizes them as equal to flying a real aircraft for part of a pilot's training program. Obviously, more than a couple of compromises are in order for a flight simulator that uses a personal com- puter. Movement must be simulated on the screen only, and computer-generated representations of the instru- ments also must be on the screen. In addition, the pro- grammer must be well aware of the limitations of the processor, memory, and graphics capability of the com- puter used. The Microsoft Simulator The Microsoft Flight Simulator runs on the IBM Per- sonal Computer (along with the Corona [with graphics board], the Chameleon, the Compaq, and several other PC clones), a logical choice because of its 16-bit processor and high-resolution graphics. It comes on a single 5V4-inch floppy disk, so it can be used on a single-drive 224 BYTE March 1984 Photo 1: The view forward while waiting for takeoff clearance is shown in la. Note the instrument status. Photo lb shows the situation just after lift-off, banking to the right. Instrument indications correspond to control settings and aircraft speed and attitude. system. The disk's built-in copy-protection scheme allows you to make a single backup copy, a wise thing to do because the simulator quickly can become habit form- ing and the disk will get heavy use. It requires only the minimum memory (64K bytes), although you'll need the color/graphics card. A word about the video display: although when you boot the disk the flight simulator asks you which type of display you're using (color TV/composite monitor, black-and-white TV/monitor, or RGB monitor), the realism of the simulator depends highly on the use of color. It will work in full color only with a color TV or composite monitor; an RGB (red-green-blue) display will display black and white. Although a color composite monitor is by far preferred, I found a color TV adequate (though a bit tiring on the eyes). You need color for one good reason: a pilot uses color to sort out the visual cues, both from the instruments and the view out the win- dow. The one exception is night flying (available in the simulator) where, in real conditions, instruments are red- lighted to ensure that night vision isn't affected. In the simulator's night-flying mode, the instruments remain the same color they are in the "daylight," not exactly realistic but still quite usable. I strongly recommend staying away from this package if you don't have access to a color video display. Al- though you can still use it, it will soon become frustrat- ing. Lack of color takes away a large degree of its realism. Besides, if you're color blind, the real world denies you the medical certificate needed to fly as pilot in command. The simulator comes with a complete 93-page manual that includes several charts used for both VFR (visual flight rules) and IFR (instrument flight rules) flying. These are partial versions of actual government maps, the ones used by pilots during real flights. The manual, though a complete step-by-step run-through of the simulator, is a bit difficult to use as a reference guide. I found I had to make up my own place markers for areas I'd be referencing often. When you first boot the disk and select the video-dis- play type, you're given the option of entering demo mode or regular flight mode. The demo mode is a good place to start, taking you through a short flight and letting you get a feel for the features. The video display is divided horizontally into two parts (see photo 1). The top part is the view out the "wind- shield" of the airplane. This high-resolution view is up- graded about three times a second, resulting in a some- times-uncanny degree of realism. The resolution is ex- cellent, and objects on the ground are clearly discern- ible for what they are, rather than just a hazy intersec- tion of jagged lines. However, don't expect to see intimate details of the cities and towns you're "flying" over. Because of obvious memory limitations, three-dimen- , sional objects are outlines, without details filled in. The lower part of the display contains the instrument cluster, including the standard airspeed indicator, ar- tificial horizon, altimeter, turn coordinator, heading in- dicator, and rate-of-climb indicator found in every air- plane. In addition, youll find an Omni-Bearing Indicator with glide slope (for landings during instrument condi- tions), a clock, magnetic compass, and various annun- ciator lights that monitor lights, landing gear, carburetor heat, and outer/middle/inner markers (also used for in- strument landings). There's also a full complement of instruments that monitor the engine, including a ta- chometer, oil temperature and pressure gauges, and, most important, dual fuel gauges for left and right tanks. A single NAV/COM (navigation/communication) radio is provided, as is a radar transponder that sends a coded signal every time a pulse from tracking radar hits the airplane. All in all, the plane is very well outfitted. About the only things missing are an ADF (automatic direction BYTE March 1984 225 SETS HEADING INDICATOR (DIRECTIONAL GYRO> Figure 1: Aircraft controls for the flight simulator. The British Ace mode adds a declare-war key (W) along with bomb-drop (X) and machine- gun burst (space bar). finder) and a second (or even third) NAV/COM radio. The many frequency changes needed during instrument flight and during a departure from or approach to a moderately busy airport can be maddening with only a single radio. The Microsoft Flight Simulator was designed by its author, Bruce Artwick of Sublogic Corporation, to simulate a Cessna 182. This single-engine aircraft— called the Skylane— delivers relatively high performance. Because an airplane like the Skylane has enough power and controls to get you into trouble, it's not normally used for student training. The simulator acts surprisingly close to the Skylane, the major difference being that the simulator can climb a bit faster than the "real thing." An- other difference between the simulator and the Skylane is that the simulator has a retractable landing gear in- stead of the Skylane's fixed landing gear. Flight Controls In an actual airplane, you control it using four major controls: 1. Yoke. This is the "steering wheel" of the airplane. Turn- ing it right or left controls the ailerons on the tips of the wings and banks the aircraft right or left. Pushing it in and pulling it out controls the elevator, the large horizontal wing on the back of the airplane. Pushing it forward tilts the nose down; pulling it backward tilts the nose up. 2. Rudder. This is the vertical wing on the back of the airplane, which is controlled by two pedals on the floor. It controls the left to right axis of the airplane. Maneuvers such as turns actually cause the airplane to slip sideways unless the turn is coordinated with the rudder. On the ground, most airplanes have the front- wheel steering connected to the rudder pedals. 3. Throttle. The amount of power in an airplane controls its rate of climb and descent as well as its airspeed. In fact, proper use of the throttle is one of the most difficult aspects of flight to learn. Landing an airplane properly is a fine art of controlling descent using power and the yoke so that the airplane stalls (stops flying) several inches above the runway. Trim. Depending on the power and airspeed, as well as conditions such as passenger and equipment load and quantity and location of fuel, the force needed on the yoke to make the airplane perform a maneuver can vary greatly. The trim is a fine adjustment that equalizes the forces on the airplane. Obviously, there's no yoke, throttle, trim lever, or rud- der pedals on the IBM PC. Therefore, these variables are controlled by the keyboard (see figure 1). The primary controls are clustered on the numeric keypad located on the right side of the IBM keyboard. The primary yoke controls are in a standard cross configuration, with 2(1) and 8 (f ) controlling the nose attitude (elevator) and 4 (<-) and 6 (-+) controlling left and right banking (ailerons). The (left) and + (right) keys are your "rud- der pedals" and throttle position is controlled by the even-numbered F2 through F10 function keys on the left side of the keyboard. In all cases, pressing key 5 on the keypad centers the yoke. Because you don't have that "seat of the pants" feel, indicators on the panel show you the position of your controls. You do, of course, also get visual cues, such as when the ground is rushing up on you and your airspeed is increasing dramatically. The odd-numbered function keys (Fl through F9) control the flaps, which are used to increase lift, primarily during a descent to the runway, when you're flying comparative- ly slowly Other keys on the main keyboard control functions such as turning the lights or carburetor heat on and off and setting the frequency on the radios. The most im- portant one is P, for pause. It lets you take a break dur- ing a difficult instrument approach— something you ob- viously can't do in real life. 226 BYTE March 1984 Compute and print client tax returns J in minutes a on your microcomputer with MICRO-TAX That's right, in just minutes you can have a client's completed tax return in your hand. Think about it. . .you increase client volume, you increase your pi Plus, you save the cost of your computer service bureau --and you have complete client security. FEDERAL AND STATE PACKAGES TO MEET EVERY NEED. MICRO-TAX* offers four Federal tax packages and 25 state packages (fully integrated with the Level II Program), so you can select the programs that best meet your needs: Level I— Federal Individual Package: for individuals preparing their own taxes Level II— Federal Professional Individual Package: for accountants, registered agents, tax attorneys, and other tax professionals. Level III— Federal Partnership/Corporate Package: for those who pre- pare Federal Partnership, Corporate, and Subchapter S returns. Level IV— Overseas Tax Package: addresses the unique tax situations of United States Expatriates. Levels II, III, and IV have a depreciation module and automatically com- pute underpayment penalties and minimum tax. In addition, Levels II and III automatically compute self-employment taxes, and Level II computes income averaging. FLEXIBLE DATA ENTRY. With MICRO-TAX* you can organize data entry in a sequence similar to that of manual tax preparation, or you can choose another sequence. The menu driven system makes data entry simple. MULTIPLE PRINTING OP- TIONS. You can input client tax information at the time of inter- view and produce forms imme- diately, or enter data during the day and batch print returns at night. MICRO-TAX* prints your returns on IRS forms, IRS ap- proved substitute forms, or with transparent overlays. TAXNET* —TELETEXT SUP- PORT NETWORK. MICRO-TAX* customers can now have access to an electronic mailbox and instantaneous memoboard through the TAXNET* teletext support network. With TAXNET,* you can send information, ask questions, get answers and updates— directly through your computer and a modem. TAX ORGANIZER. Now MICRO-TAX* offers a Tax Organizer. You get both the software and the forms, so each year, you can send your clients an organizer with the prior year's client data printed on it. HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY. MICRO-TAX* is compatible with your IBM PC/XT,* DEC Rainbow,* Radio Shack,* or any other personal computer with CP/M-80,* PC DOS,* or MS DOS*— from Apple* to Zenith.* So. take the tedium out of tax preparation— save time and money- Call Micro-Tax* for complete details, ^ . or call your local dealer. FULL FEDERAL MICRO-TAX* PERSONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS P 1 Level I, Individual S195. Level II. Professional individual $1000. Level III, Partnership Corporate $1000. Level IV, Overseas $2000. 1983 FEDERAL FORMS AND SCHEDULES INCLUDED i^^e^et LOjOO co|co|r- ,-!f-~|m,CM|CV|llT3.T— [O 3!co \un ito icm Ico \cn lorn \r-~- cnun ivn I r ""3- ""3" Lr^itDiolcni^tjCO PRINTS oil 1^1 • All forms and schedules subject to final IRS changes lor 1983 tax year. • 25 Integrated state returns available • Orders taken for yearly update packages - Transparencies: Level I, $150; Levels It, III, IV, $250 each. "C/P.M — trademark of Digital Research. Inc.: DEC Rainbow- trademark of Digital Equipment Corp.. MICRO-TAX and TAXNET -■-trademarks of Microcomputer Taxsystems. Inc.. MS DOS- trademark of Microsoft Corp.; PC DOS. IBM PC. and IBM XT- trademarks of IBM; Apple —trademark of Apple Computers: Zenith --trademark of Heath Company and Zenith Radio Corp.; Radio Shack— -trademark ot Tandy Corp MICRO-TAX* MICROCOMPUTER TAXSYSTEMS, INC. 6203 Variel Avenue, Suite A Woodland Hills, CA 91367, Dept. 1B Phone (213) 704-7800 (Area code changes to (818), effective January 1984) Circle 241 on inquiry card. (2a) ulAtiof) Control s#r mom - - 2 " ooorii nation tali fy twonsfr uroif>© j Oil M0d# - ion rate -oraft Position oi»tli position - - itch ank - Heaaing i - - Ailerons - flays ------ Elevators — — — — *1|?? hiyt Photo 2: Pages 7 (2#J and 2 (2b) of Editor screens. As you can see, many variables can be changed to vary flight conditions. The Editor One of the keys to any good simulator is to make sure it doesn't repeat itself. This is where the Microsoft Flight Simulator shines. The Editor (see photo 2) lets you set up an almost infinite variety of flight conditions, in- cluding the time of season, time of day cloud layers, wind, turbulence, and, most important, the location. The simulator is a real-time program, and you can ac- tually fly between Seattle and Los Angeles, although it will take several hours. The simulator has geographic detail and airport information for four areas: Seattle, Los At a Glance Name Microsoft Flight Simulator Use Simulates VFR/IFR flight in a Cessna 182 single-engine aircraft Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation 10700 Northup Way Bellevue, WA 98004 Price S50 Features High-resolution real-time graphics display, full VFR/IFR instrumen- tation, 10 preset flight modes, 20 customizable flight modes, parameters can be stored in RAM to restore position, British Ace World War I game, pause key and ability to make single backup Format 5/4 -inch floppy disk for IBM Personal Computer; requires 64K . bytes of RAM, a single floppy-disk drive, and a color-graphics board Documentation 93-page tutorial manual Audience Student pilots, experienced pilots, prospective pilots, and anyone interested in a full-featured simulation of what flying an airplane is like Angeles, Chicago, and New York/Boston. Each area com- prises about 10,000 square miles. For convenience sake, you'll probably want to limit your flights to airports within these areas, which include plenty of variety. You tell the simulator the latitude and longitude of where you want to start (normally on the ground at the airport). You can also start off in the middle of a flight if you wish. In addition to the 10 preset modes, you can set up and store up to 20 more modes. Ten preset flight modes are included on the disk, rang- ing from easy flight to advanced instrument conditions in bad weather. One of the modes is British Ace (see photo 3), where you're a World War I ace flying against Germany. When you get sick of normal flying, you can enter this mode and have machine guns and bombs at your disposal over the terrain of France and Germany. It's a pleasant diversion that still requires a good deal of flying skill, and you won't succeed if you haven't spent some time using the easy flight mode. In addition to the 10 preset modes, you can set up and store up to 20 more modes. This gives you a large vari- ety of flights that you can make. A Sample Flight To give you an idea of how the simulator works, let's take a quick flight. When you choose the easy flight mode (which is automatically entered from the first menu), you're lined up on the active runway of Meigs Field, a small airport located next to Lake Michigan near Chicago. Because it's an uncontrolled airport (no con- trol tower), you're all set to take off. You can, if you wish, "taxi" around the airfield using a unique "radar" feature (see photo 4) that you don't find in a real airplane. Press- ing Num Lock gives you a view of the airport from above, 228 BYTE March 1984 PC PEACOCK ™ Brings Living Color to Your. JBM.P.C ™ 11 1 ■W"K":. Computing is dull in black and white. But it doesn't have to be. PC PEACOCK brings the excitement of color to your IBM computer. Pictures, charts and graphs "come alive" in multicolor brilliance. PC PEACOCK works with all color and composite mono- chrome displays to produce crisp, detailed images. You'll see your favorite programs in the splendor of color. PC PEACOCK is fully compatible with all software for your IBM PC — including the wide variety of graphics programs. The medium multicolor mode and high resolution monochrome mode enhance your display capabilities for business, home and education. And PC PEACOCK is convenient. Its parallel port allows you to connect a printer to your com- puter without wasting an additional expansion slot. Connections for all displays (RGB, composite, monochrome and televisions) are included. PC PEACOCK is designed to provide years of worry free performance and is backed with an outstanding TWO YEAR warranty. So bring living color to your IBM PC, with the PC PEACOCK Color Graphics Adapter. PC PEACOCK is available now at your local IBM dealer. For more information on all of MA Systems IBM and Apple products, please call or write. mn svsTems I NCORPORATED 2015 O'Toole Ave., San Jose, CA 95131 (408) 943-0596 Circle 216 on inquiry card. IBM PC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp PC PEACOCK is a trademark of MA Systems Inc I w^j f^J-^ d cm ^x BOflBS : Photo 3: The view forward in the British Ace mode selected by the Europe 1917 option in photo 2b. Note the addition of a sighting device in the windshield and an armament indicator and attack radar at the lower right. with your aircraft in the middle. You can taxi around the airfield using your throttle, and zoom the view in or out using the + or - keys. If only real airplanes had this. The taxiways at large airports are confusing masses of intersections and branches going off in many directions. They can be murder if you're not familiar with the air- port. I well remember flying a small Piper aircraft into Logan Airport in Boston and being told by ground con- trol to taxi "using the inner delta." Absolute gibberish! Once you're lined up on the runway (see photo la), you can hear the engine sounds coming from the speaker. (It can be turned off.) After a standard pretake- off check, you apply full throttle by hitting the F2 key. The engines rev up, and you steer to keep yourself in the middle of the runway using the rudder keys. When you reach 55 knots as shown on your airspeed indicator, you raise the nose by pressing key 2 about six times. You're off (see photo lb). In addition to the airport and the lake, the John Hancock Tower is visible. For this VFR flight, the tower is an excellent reference. The adjustments that you must make on the flight simulator are very much what would be done in a real aircraft. After the gear is up, you gain a bit of airspeed and can slightly reduce power to get the best rate of climb. The easy flight mode is a perfect way to get used to the feel of your computerized airplane. Turns are auto- matically coordinated, which means you don't have to worry about the rudder controls whenever you bank the aircraft. Landing, as in a real airplane, is the toughest part. The best thing to do before even attempting it is to fly out over the lake and try turns, ascents, descents, and fly- ing at a constant altitude until you're absolutely sure you're comfortable with your aircraft. Experienced pilots will spend a great deal of time looking at their instru- ments, the best cues for what's happening. Unless you're particularly talented (or lucky), you'll probably crash more than a couple of times. As in a real aircraft, there's a strong tendency to overcorrect on your controls, mak- ing the situation worse. With all the graphics and sound, you might expect a realistic crash. Sadly, that's not the case. If you crash, all you see is "CRASH!" on the screen. If you spin into the lake, you'll see "SPLASH!" Some- how, I expected more. You have to face the fact that unless you're specially gifted you're going to botch up landings. Although I've done hundreds of real landings, I found getting used to using the keyboard a big hurdle to overcome. As pre- 230 BYTE March 1984 The personal, portable daisywheel printer. Only $599. The new briefcase size Transtar 1 20 is easy to take with you to work, to school and home again. The 120 is light, only 19 pounds, and easy to use with all the best selling word processing programs. Plug it into your computer and watch this precision printer purr along at 14 cps. It's a tough, durable little machine and does everything a big, heavy, expensive printer does — including superscript, subscript, underlining and boldface, only a little slower Automatic single sheet loading adds new convenience. Just think of it: quality printer .. Only $599. everything you want in a letter- . anywhere you want it. Transtar 120 P.O. Box C-96975. Bellevue, WA 98009 Circle 358 on inquiry card. byVivitar Photo 4: "Radar" view of your aircraft at rest on the runway. Left to right, the top four round instruments are airspeed, attitude, altimeter, and Omni-Bearing with glide slope (navigation); the bottom four round instruments include a turn coordinator, heading indicator, vertical-speed indicator, and tachometer. Also shown are control- position indicators for ailerons, elevator (and trim), rudder, flaps, and throttle. Beneath the compass (top right) are outer/middle/inner marker lights, communication and navigation radios, an identification transponder, and a clock. The top, far right, of the instrument panel holds fuel and engine oil temperature and pressure gauges as well as landing-gear, lights, magneto, and carburetor-heat indicators. viously mentioned, a landing involves a great deal to reach the ground at the same time the runway starts— without hitting the ground. It's damn tough in the simulator and took me about 15 tries to get it right. There was a satisfying feeling of accomplishment when I finally made it and heard the squeal of the wheels hitting the pavement. Even then you have to be careful— otherwise you'll bounce a few times before coming to a stop. Advanced Flying Once you've conquered the rigors of basic flying (which might take weeks of concentrated effort for begin- ners), you can graduate to more involved flights, such as those at night or from airports with control towers. Messages from the tower appear as text that marches across the top of your screen. Just as in a real airport, you'll receive clearance, contact ground control, taxi to the active runway, contact the tower (which will give takeoff clearance), and take off. All along the way you'll be told to change frequencies and will stay in contact with controllers until you're out of the airport area. It's incredibly realistic. The pinnacle of the pilot's art is flying by instruments. Getting an instrument rating is a long and involved pro- cess that requires many hours of concentrated ground and flight instruction. Although Microsoft's manual tells you all you need to know about how to operate the in- struments, understanding how to fly by instruments is well beyond its scope. If you plan to do any extensive instrument flying, Microsoft suggests obtaining the In- strument Flying Handbook published by the FAA. If you're not familiar with instrument flight, it's an absolute essential. Instrument flying with the simulator is, if possible, even more fun than VFR. Like the real thing, it requires intense concentration. You can fly complete trips in IFR, receiving instructions from the ground and tracking your course using VOR (VHF omnidirectional range) stations along your path. You might be asked to fly a holding pattern and then make an instrument approach through heavy overcast. Breaking out lined up with the runway and making a perfect landing is truly an exhilarating ex- perience. If you're a real glutton for punishment, you can even program in some heavy turbulence or aircraft problems that can be surprising. Making a successful landing after one of these flights may tempt you to kiss the carpet under your computer. The Negatives Despite its fantastic graphics and realism, I had one large problem with the simulator, the keyboard. After many hours of use, I still had to stop and think about which keys I needed to press in order to get the airplane to do what I wanted it to. Sometimes the delay was fatal. Unlike a real aircraft simulator, it's never possible for more than a few seconds to actually feel like you're fly- ing a real aircraft. Airplanes use controls, not keyboards; and whatever sense of reality existed quickly evaporated when I had to press a key. As a pilot, that reality of the keyboard was an intense bother, although I suspect someone who's never flown an airplane won't have that problem to the same degree that I did. With all the features programmed in, it's difficult to criticize the simulator for a few minor inconsistencies over a real aircraft. The major one, which amused me greatly, was the ability to do barrel rolls and even fly up- side down. The actual aircraft the simulator is patterned after is incapable of doing that. Airplanes designed for inverted flight must have special oil and carburetion sys- tems that work in any attitude. Conclusions The Microsoft Flight Simulator is a tour de force of the programmer's art. It acts like a real airplane, and the numerous variables that must be kept track of in actual flight are required here as well. It can be an excellent introduction to how an aircraft actually operates for a budding or student pilot and can even help instrument pilots or those going for an instrument rating sharpen their skills. It is, however, no substitute for professional FAA-approved flight instruction and is not recognized by flight schools or the FAA, so don't expect credit. The major block to its being rated excellent is that you must use a keyboard. I suspect that prospective pilots who use the flight simulator first may have some problems in converting to a real control yoke and rudder pedals. ■ Stan Miastkowski (POB 445, Peterborough, NH 03458) is a licensed pilot and currently is the computer columnist for Esquire magazine. 232 BYTE March 1984 Think ahead. The Accounting Partner can carry you into the future for only $395. Face it. If you have a growing business with sales up to 5 million, there s a 90% chance you'll be using a micro- computer by 1990. That s why Star Software Systemsr probably the most sophisticated name in computer software, created The Accounting Partner. The Account- ing Partner is a complete, user- friendly ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ accounting package comprised of """""^^^^^^^^^^^ General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Invoicing, Accounts Payable, Purchase Orders and Payroll Programs. All for the single price of $395. Suppose you're the average businessman shopping for a micro- computer. Chances are, you'll wind up paying three, maybe four thousand dollars for it. Then, it's awfully easy to get hooked into spending an equal amount just for the software. It's like paying as much for your tires as you did for your car. And that's where The Accounting Partner is light years ahead. For only $395 it will satisfy your accounting needs. A value no other system can match. And the bonus is how easy The Accounting Partner is to use. With menu-driven programs, fully formatted screen displays, extensive error checking, on-line editing and updating, integration calculations performed and complete audit trails. Also, The Accounting Partner is compatible with any CP/Mf CP/M-86? MS-DOS™ or PC-DOS® computer (8-bit or 16-bit)* For feature-by-feature breakdowns see your local Star dealer or call Star Software Systems at (213) 538-2511. •Handles totals up to $999,999,999.99. CP/M® and CP/M-86* are registered trademarks of Digital Research, Inc. MS-DOS* is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. PC-DOS* is a registered trademark of IBM Requires a minimum of 56K RAM; two disk drives or hard disk; a 24 x 80 video display with cursor addressing and a printer with 132 columns; 16 bit systems require 128K RAM. Customer support available for nominal fee. THE ACCOUNTING PARTNER General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Invoicing, Accounts Payable, Purchase Orders and Payroll STAR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS,™ 20600 Gramercy Place Jorrance, California 90501 ■ (21 3) 538-251 1 Circle 334 for Dealer inquiries. Circle 335 for End-User inquiries. byte March 1984 233 Era one. Era two Era One saw the personal com puter increase the productivity of the business executive dramatically. Yet for all their power, personal computers have not fulfilled their poten tial. Because the different makes have been unable ta? communicate reliably with one another and with the various public data networks. But now, Microcom moves the personal computer into a new era of communi- cations compatibility with Era 2-the first Personal Computer Communications System with the industry-standard communications protocol MNP. Era 2 finally enables dissimilar personal computers to communicate with one another reliably and cost effectively. It also allows the personal computer to access public data networks easily and error-free. A closer look at Era 2. Era 2 with MNP is a 1200 baud Communi- cations System (software and inboard modem) designed to operate with the IBM PC, PC XT, compatibles and PCjr; Apple lie, Apple II Plus and Apple II. Its features include IBM 3101, Digital VT400 and VT-52 terminal emulations. Era 2 exe- cutes multiple functions with a single keystroke. Stores a virtually unlimited number of telephone numbers - each one up to 31 digits. Era 2 is Bell 212A compatible, works with Pulse or Touch- tone™ dialing. Its speaker alerts you to busy signals, wrong numbers, etc. Era 2 gives your personal computer error-free compatibility with other personal computers, data bases, mainframes, almost any information source that can be reached by telephone line. Microcom, Era 2 and MNP are trademarks of Microcom, Inc. Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc. Digital is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation. IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Circle 236 on inquiry card. new era in dependability. Era 2's electronics are so well put Jogether IWre e to offer a fou r-year warranty- twicethetermof pro- ' ection you get from yesterday's products, n top of that our product support s outstanding. Our 800 number operates 9AM to 8PM (EST), Mondays through Fridays, 9AM to 5PM Saturdays with experts available to solve any problem or answer any question. The state of the price of the state of the art. We're able to offer Era 2 for an amazing $429. By any standard the price/value ratio of Era 2 is outstanding. Move your personal computer forward into a new era of communications. Visit your Era 2 dealer soon. Call 800-322-ERA2 (in MA, 617-762-9310) for the name of one nearest you. Or write us, Microcom, Inc., 1400A Providence Highway, Norwood, MA 02062. We'll send you a brochure with complete information on Era 2. Only from Microcom: The Personal Computer Communications System with MNP. BYTE March 1984 235 Software Review The Eagle PC A clone with a few improvements and a few mistakes by Tom Wadlow The Eagle PC Reference Guide describes the Eagle PC as "a compact, modular personal or business computer system for the serious user with an eye to his budget." The Eagle is all those things, but it does have its short- comings. The bottom-of-the-line Eagle PC is the Eagle PC-E, which costs $1995 for 64K bytes of RAM (random-access read/write memory), one 320K-byte floppy-disk drive, a keyboard, a parallel port, and two serial ports. It comes with no display board, monitor, or software. For $3495, you can get the Eagle PC-2, which comes with 128K bytes of RAM, two 320K-byte floppy-disk drives, a mono- chrome monitor, MS-DOS and CP/M-86, Eaglewriter, and Eaglecalc. Photo 1 shows the Eagle PC-2. Hardware Physically, the Eagle PC resembles the IBM PC. A pleas- ant feature for those with limited desk space is the little alcove underneath the chassis. You can slip the keyboard into this alcove when the system is not in use. The cav- ity shown in photo 2, extends to the rear of the machine on the right side so that the keyboard cable can be routed through it. This is far superior to IBM's layout, in which the keyboard cable must come around the side of the machine, where it can get in the way. Unfortunately, the Eagle's cord enters the keyboard enclosure at an angle that guarantees the keyboard will not slide easily into the alcove. You can get around this by picking the key- board up as you place it in the cavity, but a quick, one- handed push would have been nicer. The Eagle has carried over one of my pet gripes from the IBM. I prefer to place my monitor beside the com- puter rather than on top of it. Both IBM and Eagle put their video connectors and power connectors on oppo- site sides of the rear of the chassis, so no matter which side you put the monitor on, one of the cables will be too short. An extra six inches of cable would eliminate this problem. The Eagle's construction leaves something to be desired if you intend to do simple maintenance on it. There are no less than 17 small screws of three similar (but not identical) sizes that you must remove to get at the inside of the unit. As a result, changing one of the power-supply fuses (two are outside, one inside) or add- ing a new set of memory chips involves removing and replacing 17 soft-metal Phillips-head screws. Do it with extreme care and you won't have a problem. But it doesn't take much to strip the slots for the screwdriver and wind up with a jammed screw. The Eagle does not perform a lengthy memory test on power-up, as the IBM PC does, so the machine will boot almost instantly when turned on. It can also be warm- started in the same manner as the IBM PC, by typing Ctrl-Alt-Del as one keystroke. And like the IBM, the Eagle cannot perform this vital function (short of turn- ing the power off) when a program bug trashes the soft- ware that listens for a Ctrl-Alt-Del. In my opinion, the hierarchy of personal computer fea- tures should be as follows: display, keyboard, mass stor- age, and anything else. The quality of the display should take precedence in both design time and effort over the keyboard, and the keyboard over the mass storage, and so on. Engineering involves compromises between goals and costs, and while a properly designed computer will still have compromises, they should be deep enough in- side the machine to escape notice. Compromising a dis- play or keyboard is asking for trouble. By this measure, the Eagle isn't quite up to what I would like to see in a personal computer. The optional Eagle display, when no motion is taking place, is a very 236 BYTE March 1984 Photo 1: The Eagle PC. close copy of the IBM monochrome display. Motion, however, is a different story entirely. The Eagle mono- chrome display scrolls in a visible ripple that is quite unpleasant to watch. Combining this with the long- persistence phosphor on the monitor makes the Eagle display annoying for any serious text editing. An IBM monochrome display board does work quite well, how- ever, in place of the Eagle display. It produces both at- tractive text and acceptable speed. I couldn't tell if bad interactions take place between the two printer ports when an IBM display is used. Since the expansion bus is also IBM PC compatible, most of the display boards on the market should work with the Eagle. As with all such mix-and-match components, you should check with the manufacturers to ensure compatibility. My biggest complaint about the Eagle concerns the keyboard (see photo 3). The keyboard is the means by which you communicate with your computer. The bet- ter you can do that, the better you can use your com- puter. I am a touch-typist and have used dozens of key- boards, both professionally and personally, over several years. These days, I move quite easily between my home IBM keyboard (with its accursed Shift and Backspace keys) and a Lisp Machine keyboard at work (which has seven different kinds of Shift keys, any combination of which can be, and often is, used with a single character). As you can see, I am used to dealing with a variety of often quite peculiar keyboards. The Eagle keyboard certainly qualifies as peculiar. While the alphanumeric keys are laid out more tradition- ally than on the IBM keyboard, they are not as widely spaced. My left hand always found the proper Home keys, but my right hand invariably went one key too far to the right. The Eagle keys have a mushy feel, with very little tactile feedback. This is fine if you just want to hit a key or two, but with extensive typing or word process- ing, it becomes quite bothersome. There are some serious errors in the layout of the other keys. My particular favorite is the way the cursor-control keys are laid out. The IBM PC places cursor control on the 2-4-6-8 keys of its numeric keypad. This layout is satisfactory, unless you want to enter numbers and move the cursor at the same time, which is not uncommon. Eagle chose to remove the cursor-control keys from the numeric pad and place them between the Enter key and the numbers. So there, in a vertical column, you have Up, Right, and Down. The Backspace key does double duty as Left, but you have to type Shift-Backspace to get the proper Left code. This layout is not very intuitive, not to mention being somewhat uncomfortable, and you Photo 2: The expansion-card connector cavity. The keyboard con- nector is to the left of the card connectors. The dark rectangle at the top is the magnetic catch. To get at the expansion slots, you can remove the piece of metal to which the cavity door is hinged. BYTE March 1984 237 mmm Photo 3: The Eagle's keyboard. spend a lot of time rubbing out characters every time you want to move left. A little experimentation produced the undocumented fact that the 2-4-6-8 keys on the number pad do produce cursor-control codes when shifted. Unfortunately neither the Shift- Lock nor the Alpha-Lock keys affect the number keys at all, so you must always hold down a Shift key to use this feature. Many of the function keys are labeled with functions for one or more of the Eagle applications programs. For example, hitting the function key labeled Files in Eagle- calc displays a directory of the current disk. While I have nothing against this per se, it seems to me that a general- purpose keyboard and a nice set of cardboard overlays would save us all the trouble of explaining to a novice why the Files key doesn't work with dBASE II or some other non-Eagle product. Eagle does have one special key that I do like a great deal— the Help key And it does exactly what you would expect it to when you use it with Eagle software. Unlike the IBM keyboard, the Eagle keyboard has mechanically locked Shift-Lock and Alpha-Lock keys that actually give some indication of the state of the key- board. It is just a hint, though, since a program can set these locks in software. Thus, under some all-too- frequent circumstances, the actions of the two lock keys can be reversed, so that lowercase can be achieved only by keeping the Shift-Lock down. The keyboard has lots of other peculiarities, such as the numeric keypad with convenient Plus, Minus, and Times keys, but no Divide. Or the Enhance key, which is as big as the Enter key and takes up a space that would be a pretty good location for a correctly configured set of cursor-control keys. Enhance is used only in Eagle- writer, and I really had to dig in the manual to find out where. But the major peculiarity of this keyboard is that it exists at all. Several companies are making good money selling properly designed keyboards for the IBM PC. If Eagle had simply chosen one of those keyboards, it would be in a very enviable position compared to the IBM PC. Perhaps the "not invented here" syndrome isn't limited to IBM. As Eagle's keyboard exists today, the only people that will benefit by its presence are the companies that sell Eagle-compatible replacement keyboards. The Eagle can support two double-sided double- density disk drives; the second drive is optional. They are half-height Teac drives, and the design of the enclosure precludes any possibility of converting to more than two half -height drives (as you can do with the IBM PC). I had no problem running the disks with MS-DOS 1.1 (giving each a formatted capacity of 320K bytes) or with MS-DOS 2.0 (capacity 360K bytes). Disk access is not as fast as the IBM PC; in fact, formatting a single floppy disk on the Eagle takes several times longer than formatting on the IBM. It seems to be a problem with either the disk controller or the low-level Eagle software, since both MS-DOS and CP/M-86 maintain this snail's pace. The Eagle has a three-slot expansion bus for the addi- tion of special boards. One of these slots is used for the display board and one is used for the disk controller, so, in effect, you have only one slot to play with. Luckily, the major uses of the expansion slots are already taken into account on the motherboard. For instance, the Eagle has enough memory-chip sockets to handle up to 512K bytes of RAM. Eagle has also done what IBM should have: included one parallel and two serial ports on the motherboard. So most typical uses for a PC can be met with an Eagle and one board. Access to the expansion bus is through a plate screwed 238 BYTE March 1984 WE ALL AGREE Auto Cut Sheet Feed (option) Tractor Feed (option) We can't think of anyone who isn't better off with A DX-15 DAISY WHEEL PRINTER. Dynax's DX-1 5, And if you want the kind of printer that lives in the fast lane; the DX-15 is your printer, it does it all, certainly all that far more expensive models can do. The DX- 15 offers you some important options like Keyboard, Tractor Feed and Auto Cut Sheet Feed. Not only that, the DX-15 is a very durable unit, be it for business, home or word processing applications. And who says a great printer has to be expensive? Not us! What we say is you'll be dumbfounded when your dealer tells you just how inexpensive the DX-15 happens to be. Give him a call or drop by. Dynax s DX-15 says it 5698 Bandini Blvd. Bell, CA 9 ALL. (213)260-712 s Dynax, Inc. Circle 135 on inquiry card- • Offices; (NJ) 201-471-0100 / (TX) 214-257-1700 / (\l) 312-981-5633 / (MA) 617-933-81627 (ri.CA) 408-730-1712. At a Glance Name Eagle PC Use IBM PC-compatible desktop computer Manufacturer Eagle Computer Inc. 983 University Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 (408) 395-5005 Components All models: The system unit is 20.5 inches wide by 5.75 in- ches high by 13 inches deep. The keyboard is 19 inches wide by 1.75 inches high by 8.75 inches deep. The entire system weighs about 40 pounds. All feature a 4.77-MHz 8088 microprocessor, a 10 5 -key separate keyboard with 24 user-definable keys, RAM expandable to 512K bytes on the main board, two built-in RS-232C ports, and one parallel port. Also, they have three expansion slots— one for the disk controller, one for the display (except PC-E), and one for ad- ditional devices. Eagle PC-E: 64K bytes of RAM and one 320K-byte floppy- disk drive Eagle PC-1: 128K bytes of RAM, one 32QK-byte floppy-disk drive, and a 12-inch, 720- by 320-pixel monochrome monitor Eagle PC-2: 128K bytes of RAM, two 320K-byte floppy-disk drives, and a 12-inch, 720- by 320-pixel monochrome monitor Eagle PC-XL: I28K bytes of RAM, one 320K-byte floppy-disk drive, and a 10-megabyte hard-disk drive Software MS-DOS, CP/M-86, Eaglewriter, and Eaglecalc are included with the Eagle PC-I and PC-2. This software costs S8I0 separately. Options Hardware 64K-byte RAM add-on kit 8087 coprocessor 320K-byte floppy-disk drive 10-megabyte hard disk 32-megabyte hard disk Hard-disk interface Monochrome monitor Monochrome adapter Medium-resolution color board Software MS-DOS CP/M-86 MP/M-86 GW BASIC Eaglewriter Eaglecalc Flex Menu $135 $495 $500 $2495 $3995 $125 $329 $295 $295 $60 $60 $395 $245 $495 $195 $50 Documentation An Eagle PC Reference Guide for novice users, but no technical documentation. Eagle-supplied programs contain a great deal of on-line documentation. Price Eagle PC-E Eagle PC-I Eagle PC-2 Eagle PC-XL $1995 $2995 $3495 $4495 Comments Poor keyboard, marginal display. Seems to run most IBM PC software. to the bottom of the Eagle chassis. Thus all the boards are "upside down" compared to their orientation on an IBM PC. Even so, I found it much easier to swap boards on the Eagle than on the IBM PC. The light weight of the system unit made it very easy to disconnect the cables, flip the unit over, and pop the boards out. The connectors on the side of the board stick out into a small cavity, actually inside the body of the Eagle. On the IBM, the connectors stick out the back. To get at the board connectors, you can open a small magnetically latched door on the side of the Eagle. The keyboard connector is in the same area. I wonder about Eagle's decision to use a magnetic latch on a piece of equipment that is going to be in the im- mediate vicinity of delicate magnetic media. Surely a mechanical catch would have worked equally well and eliminated the threat to the floppy disks. Firmware The ROM (read-only memory) routines in the Eagle are different from the IBM PC's firmware routines. Un- fortunately, Eagle does not include any documentation on the low-level differences between its machine and the IBM. Eagle claims to have several technical manuals in the works, but as of this writing none were available. Eagle now offers Revision C of its ROM set, which is supposed to emulate the IBM PC better and increase dis- play performance. The revision also makes the Eagle ful- ly compatible with IBM-style keyboards and the Epson MX-80 printer. I was not able to test these new ROMs, but they are currently available from Eagle. Extensive installation instructions accompany the new ROM set. You'll need to open the Eagle chassis, so be careful that you don't strip those soft screws. Perform- ing the ROM upgrade might be an excellent opportun- ity to replace the screws with better quality ones to avoid future problems. Software Eagle sells several application packages for the Eagle PC. Because the machine seems to run MS-DOS fairly well, many more packages should run with it. Eagle's version of MS-DOS is labeled 1.25 rather than 1.1 or 2.0. A version of CP/M-86 is also available. Eagle supplies a menu-driven disk utility that performs copies and formatting. It's a good idea, but I managed to crash the program (and the machine) in the first few minutes of running the disk utility by bumping some keys on the keyboard and causing a DIVIDE OVER- FLOW error. Of all utilities, a disk-copy program (the first program you should use on any new system) should be absolutely bombproof. Eagle does not supply a BASIC interpreter with its ma- chine. BASIC being the quasi-standard that it is, this is 240 BYTE March 1984 With Idris, developers get the of UNIX. And GREATER PORTABILITY. Applications developed under Idris on any micro compiler can run on any other which supports Idris. These are PDP-lls (including PRO -350 and Micro-11), numerous Motorola 68Ks and the 8086/88 based IBM PC and DEC Rainbow. Idris runs under MS/DOS as an application! COMPLYING WITH THE UNIX USER GROUP STANDARDS. as UNIX on comparable hardware, because Idris is optimized for microprocessors . MORE DISK SPACE FOR FILES AND PROGRAMS. Idris occupies less than 1 .5 megabytes of disk. functionality, compatibility and portability pocket the Idris difference. . MORE COST EFFECTIVE PER USER. The $550 end-user price is for as many users as the hardware will allow. • MORE TASKS RUN SIMULTANEOUSLY because Idris requires less memory. Typically, 50 KB for the Kernel plus 50 KB for a compile. For example, you can overlap communication simultaneously with word processing and spreadsheet analysis and Fortran compilation. provided by use of Whitesmiths* authorization seal. That's UNIX with change. To get more out of your computer, call or write to Whitesmiths, Ltd. Whitesmiths, Ltd. 97 Lowell Road Concord, MA 01742 Circle 381 on inquiry card. (617) 359,3499 Telex 951708 SOFTWARE CNCM UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories: DEC, PDP-11 and Rainbow are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation: IBM and IBM PC are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation: MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.: Idris is a trademark of Whitesmiths, Ltd. Distributors: Australia, Fawnray Pty. Ltd., Hurstville, (612) 570-6100; Japan, Advanced Data Controls Corp., Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (03) 263-0383; United Kingdom, Real Time Systems, Douglas, Isle of Man 0624833403; Sweden, Unisoft A.B., Goteborg, 031-13-56-32. surprising. Instead, Eagle offers GW BASIC as a separate product. Eaglewriter is a word-processing program that is tailored to the Eagle's keyboard. It can be used with other keyboards (IBM's, for instance) but is best suited to the Eagle's. Eaglewriter uses explicit end-of-line marks and a large set of commands. It is very flexible in dealing with the printer. It has several kinds of global search and re- placement commands, a real must for serious editing. Most important, Eaglewriter has a macro capability. Macros are stored sequences of commands that the user can create. Eagle supplies several macro packages that do such varied and useful things as mail merges, sort- ing, selective printing (printing a portion of the file), multifile printing, boilerplate letters, and filling in forms. Macros are usually seen only on mainframe computers or expensive professional workstations, though they are becoming more popular on personal computers. It is very encouraging to see that Eaglewriter is equipped with such a powerful tool. I was not too impressed with Eaglewriter's human in- terface, but I suspect this is a matter of taste rather than bad design. One slight drawback is the cumbersome way that Eaglewriter handles files larger than 16K bytes. Since handling files is a fairly mechanical operation (there is a 12-step procedure for it in the manual), the Eagle's designers might have let the program perform the opera- tion for you. Unfortunately, they didn't. DECADES OF SERVICE FROM THE NATION'S LARGEST NEC DEALER \fW?S+ THE PERFECT [H Id V SOLUTION Advanced Personal Computer PC-8800 INCL UDED: •Comprehensive Business Software • High Resolution Graphics •8 & 16 Bit Power •Built-in Reliability • User Friendly PC-8200 portable computer •Low Prices •Support •Service •Leasing •Exporting NEC, IMS, MORROW ON GSA & N.YS- OGS CONTRACTS Washington Computer Services (212)226-2121 97 Spring Street N.Y., N.Y. 10012 tf /WflSHIP*GTOMw ttt 1912 HOURS: 9 AM -5 PM /Monday- Friday TELEX: 12-5606 CABLE: WASHCOMPNYK D I C A Ci SZT | D° not confuse us with mail order dealers. We are a f ul! ? L L./\<0 C > service distributor serving the data processing & installa- tion needs of business and industry from micros to mainframes. System houses, educational institutions & governmental agencies given special consideration. Dealer and international inquiries welcome. Eaglecalc is a typical spreadsheet program designed to be compatible with the Eagle keyboard. It has a spreadsheet size of 255 rows by 64 columns. It performs adequately and has the right features, such as variable- width columns and formatting. It can be run indepen- dently of the Eagle keyboard, but it functions at its best with the dedicated function keys. It also has a fairly ex- tensive Help utility. Both Eaglewriter and Eaglecalc can be called via a menu that can be invoked by placing the proper disk in drive A and rebooting. The menu is somewhat useful for a novice user but very limited in function. The menu system has no provision for switching application pro- grams short of rebooting. Each menu has a QUIT com- mand that prints a message telling you to turn off the power and then paralyzes the processor. None of the menus has any provision for dropping into the DOS command processor (you can do it, but you have to type Control-C at exactly the right time). Unlike some other menu systems, this one is written as a binary program file, so it cannot be extended. Eagle does offer a pro- gram, Flex Menu, that lets you design your own menus, but it wasn't included in the package I tested. System Support For the novice user, the Eagle documentation is pretty good. Because it has a cookbook approach, you don't need much technical background to read it. In addition, the manuals are full of examples. However, no technical documentation is provided for advanced users. Except for BASICA, all the IBM software at my disposal ran on the Eagle. This included the Multiplan spread- sheet, dBASE II, Peachtext, Wordstar, the Finalword, and Laboratory Microsystems' FORTH. Conversely, Eagle- writer and Eaglecalc both ran on the IBM PC. MS-DOS 2.0 also ran on the Eagle with no noticeable difficulties. Eagle isn't the easiest company to deal with for user support. A call to the company's headquarters for technical answers involves a lot of time on hold and replies such as, "That's not my department, but I'll for- ward you to the XXX department." But there are people deep in the bureaucracy who know the answers to tech- nical questions; it just takes patience to reach them. Conclusion The Eagle is a fairly acceptable machine. The problems with the display are slightly annoying but not enough to remove the machine from serious consideration as an alternative to the IBM PC. With the latest ROM set, the Eagle display should perform acceptably. The Eagle keyboard is a more serious problem, but if you're doing only a small amount of typing, it might not present too much of a problem. For serious word- processing, database, and spreadsheet applications, you should seriously consider a better keyboard, such as an IBM or an IBM compatible. ■ Tom Wadlow is an engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He can be reached at FOB 2755, Livermore, CA 94550. 242 BYTE March 1984 Circle 379 on inquiry card. YOU NEED MORE THAN JUST MICROCHARGE MICROHOUSE will finance your purchases. Buy your com- puters, peripherals, or soft- ware now— and PAY LATER. SALESMAN Don't be shocked when you call and hear a friendly voice. Our salesmen enjoy working with you. They also answer compatibility and information requests. MICROLINE The first dedicated computer shopping center. Use your mo- dem to look at descriptions, prices, order or see what's available. (215)868-1230 MAIL ORDER PRICES CORPORATE PLAN Volume purchasers need SPECIAL ATTENTION. We of- fer research, technical support, and special pricing. Gall for your account representative. TECHNICAL SUPPORT We support all products we sell. During our 4 years we have developed one of the best staffs in the industry. (215)868-4133. PAYMENT Talk about flexible. We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, cash, COD's and pur- chase orders. And, of course MICROCHARGE. SELECTION We have one of the largest selections in the industry. We carry peripherals, software, and supplies for alt major computers. INSTANT SOFTWARE We can immediately send in- stock software to you over the phone. FORMAT CONVERSION We have the capability to copy files and programs between many of the most popular com- puters. LANGUAGES FORTRAN $289 C Compiler. 329 BASIC Compiler 285 BASIC Interpreter 249 COBOL ....539 muLISP/muSTAR .144 muMATH/muSIMP 189 PASCAL ...249 CBASIC 95 CBASIC Compiler 329 PLI-80 489 DR-LOGO 89 Access Manager. . . 199 Display Manager 269 DATA/GRAPHICS PFS: File $95 PFS: Report 79 PFS: Graph 95 dBase II 429 Visifile 179 Quickcode 179 Infostar 279 FINANCIAL Home Acct $94 Visicalc 164 Visitrend/Plot 199 TK Solver! 205 MISCELLANEOUS Crosstalk $109 Word & Mouse 339 Norton Utilities 59 Password 1200 379 Apple Cat II ...279 D-Cat Modem 159 Maxell MD-1 29 Maxell MD-2 40 Quadboard64K 279 CCS 132 col for IBM ......... 599 Visiword. 259 CDEXTraining 59 BMC 12" green 89 Cables Call (800) 523-951 1 215 • 868* 8219 BOX 499, DEPT.200 BETHLEHEM, PA 18016 Circle 243 on inquiry card. MICROHOUSE Prices subject to change without notice BYTE March 1984 243 OUR AD #B1 ALU MAIL: Conroy-LaPointe, Inc., P.O. 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A40, Belt Dr. 163K i / t man JEAQ JAQ DjfBct Dr mK TEAC.T80, Dbt.Sided,326K Controller Card by ComX Rana Bite 1,1 63K, 40 Track ^^ Bite 2, 326K, 80 Track mm Elite 3, 652K, 160 Track WW Bite Controller $ 479 S 230 $ 569 S 429 $ 100 S 79 $ 449 s m $ 599 S 299 $ 100 S 79 $ 299 S 199 $ 349 S 239 $ 449 S 329 $ 110 S 59 $ 379 S 249 $ 649 S 399 $ 849 S 499 $ 145 S 14 RAM EXPANSION * ALS,ADDRam(ll+) 16K $ 100 S 59 * ComX,80 col. +€4K RAM, for He, 1 Yr. Wty. $ 199 S 99 + ConOCRAM Card, 1 Yr, Wry. (II+)16K $ 179 I 39 * Microsoft, RAM Card (11+) 16K $ 100 t B9 * Tltan/Satum RAM Card (II+) 32K $ 249 S 159 RAM Card (11+) 64K $ 425 S 299 RAM Card (11+) 128K $ 599 S 399 VIDEO CARDS • ALS,Smartermll(+ore) $ 179 S 139 ComX, 80 col. +64K RAM(lle) 1 yT. wty. $ 199 I 99 Vldox, VideoTerm 80 col. (+ore) $ 345 S 229 * UrtraTerm(+ore) $ 379 S 279 Soft Video Switch (11+) $ 35 I 25 Enhancer II (11+) $ 149 S 99 Function Strip (I l+) $ 79 S 59 We Have Full Videx Line. 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THE IBM-PC SUPPLY CENTER k invtnivnico j 256K IBM-PC Two 320K Disk Drives by CDC 90 Day Warranty By Us Call for Details DRIVES CONTRPL DATA OR landon 320K 360K DS DD DISK DRIVES With Detailed Installation Instructions 30 Day Warranty by Factory Authorized Distributor Same as now installed by IBM. $239 For One. $229 HALF $199 HEIGHT Amdisk V, '/i height, internal, 320K/360K Amdisk III. Dual 3" Micro Floppy, 320K/360K Cable. Amdisk III to IBM-PC interface MAYNARD Floppy Drive Control Brd.-up to 4 drives $ 195 S 186 same with Parallel Port $ 275 S 206 QUADfWl QUADISK GALLON AVAILABILITY 5 Meg. Removable 6 Meg. Fixed 12 Meg. Fixed 20 Meg Fixed 27 Meg. Fixed 72 Meg Fixed S2295 11796 $1995 11595 $2250 $1750 $2650 $2060 $2895 12285 $6500 $4950 OUR AD #B1 VISA_ 9hH ©1984 by Contoy-LaPointe, Inc. All rights reserved. MEMORY CHIP KITS Add-on to your memory cards or mother board. 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Software Review STSC APL*PLUS and IBM PC APL Two APLs for the IBM PC by Jacques Bensimon When details of the much-anticipated IBM Personal Computer (PC) were made public in 1981, 1 sadly joined the ranks of the crystal-ball gazers whose various predic- tions bit the dust that summer. You see, I had convinced myself that IBM was about to share with the world what often seems to be the computer industry's best-kept secret, namely that APL is one of the most powerful, expressive, and— not undesirable in the context of a per- sonal computer— fun-to-use programming languages ever devised. Looking back on it now, I suppose that it was ex- travagant of me to expect Big Blue to embrace APL as the premiere language for its PC while the rest of the microcomputer universe remained entrenched in BASIC. It was not unreasonable to expect, however, that IBM would at least include in the PC's character set the special symbols that are the hallmark of APL; this would have paved the way for headache-free design of APL inter- preters for its new machine. IBM, after all, was an im- portant (though at times unwilling) contributor to the development of APL in the mid-60s and remains to this day one of the language's most avid users; surely that called for encouragement of APL in the PC environment. And yet, as I stared at the Personal Computer's 256 char- acters, I could find no trace of most APL symbols among that dizzying collection of playing-card suits, happy faces, musical notes, and generally unusable mathe- matical symbols. I was not happy But time passes, wounds heal, life goes on, and I have forgiven IBM. I can afford to be magnanimous because 246 BYTE March 1984 the void caused by IBM's omission was quickly filled. First (in June 1982) came the University of Waterloo's microAPL, an offering intended for the educational market. Next out of the gate (in December 1982) came STSC Inc. with its ambitious APLTLUS/PC Application Development System. STSC, a leading vendor of APL timesharing and consulting services, was already a sup- plier of APL-language processors for IBM mainframes, DEC VAX superminis, and, remarkably, Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III microcomputers. And most recently (in June 1983), IBM itself introduced a surprising Per- sonal Computer APL System, the first major piece of software for the PC to come out of the halls of IBM. It won't give away too much of the ending for me to tell you right off the bat that the news is mostly good: both STSC's APLTLUS/PC and IBM's PC APL fully im- plement conventional APL's language component; dif- ferences between the two packages— and there are many— arise from language extensions to handle such things as report formatting and error trapping and from the mechanisms used to provide access to disk files, video screen, printers, and communication ports. (More on all this later.) STSC's Version of APL For the not-insignificant sum of $595, you can buy the APLTLUS/PC Application Development System. It con- sists of a 5V4-inch disk in single-sided format (but re- corded on both sides) that contains the APL interpreter and a collection of utility workspaces, a 24-pin ROM IC At a Glance Name APL*PLUS/PC Application Development System release I, version 2.6 Type APL language interpreter Manufacturer STSC Inc. 2)15 East Jefferson St. Rockville, MD 20852 (301) 984-5000 Format 5 'A -inch single-sided floppy disk and 24-pin ROM IC Language 8088 machine language Computer An IBM Personal Computer for PC XT) running PC-DOS version 1.1 or 2.0 t with a minimum of 128K bytes of RAM, at least one disk drive [single- or double-sided) and an 80-column display (monochrome or color/graphics) Documentation A 450-page programmers reference manual, 8/2 by II inches, in a 3-ring binder; a 170-page tutorial, APL Is Easy; and a 380-page textbook, APL: An Interactive Approach Price S595 (read-only memory integrated circuit) providing the APL symbols, a plasticized card showing the keyboard loca- tion of the characters, and extensive documentation in- cluding a 450-page programmer's reference manual, a tutorial introduction, APL Is Easy!, and the classic text- book, APL: An Interactive Approach by Gilman and Rose (second edition revised, Wiley, 1976). The textbook makes frequent references to a now-defunct desktop APL computer called the IBM 5100; interestingly, the Per- sonal Computer's lesser-known name is the IBM 5150. STSC deserves high marks for its well-designed inte- gration of APL with the PC. The custom ROM chip re- places the character-generator ROM on either the mono- chrome or the color/graphics display adapters mounted inside the PC's system unit. I found the replacement in- structions clear and easy to follow; the entire procedure took less than 10 minutes. With the new ROM in place, about one-quarter of the PC's original characters (most- ly the novelty and mathematical characters with 8-bit values in the range 0-31 or 224-255) give way to the miss- ing APL characters; unaffected are the ASCII characters in the range 32-127, the line-drawing graphics, and most of the international accented letters and punctuation. Beyond this unobtrusive addition of APL symbols to the PC, STSC seems to have put great thought into the environment presented to users of its system. The keys on the cursor pad and some of the Alt/function-key com- binations allow you to move quickly around the screen, move to the beginning or end of a line, edit the contents of a line, insert or delete lines and characters, make one At a Glance Name IBM Personal Computer APL System version 1. 00 Type APL language interpreter and auxiliary processors Manufacturer International Business Machines POB 1328 Boca Raton, FL 33432 (305) 998-2000 Format 5 1/4 -inch single-sided floppy disk Language 8088 machine language Computer An IBM Personal Computer [or PC XT) running PC-DOS version 1.1 or 2.0. with a minimum of 128K bytes of RAM, at least one disk drive (single- or double-sidedj, an Intel 8087 numeric coprocessor and a 40- or 80-column graphics display Documentation A 370-page reference manual, 5/2 by 8V2 inches, in a 3-ring binder Price S195 (from IBM Product Centers; authorized IBM dealers might charge differently) line a continuation of another, and break continued lines into two lines. Flexibility in managing the display and the fact that the APL interpreter will process the screen line that con- tains the cursor when you press the Enter key make it very easy to modify, combine, and reenter previous in- puts, to simulate full-screen editing of defined functions, and to store already displayed output in a variable as an afterthought. All of this encourages the experimen- tal approach to APL programming, in which the germ of an idea gradually evolves into a complete algorithm with the computer itself helping you make design deci- sions along the way. Before I discuss IBM's package, I'd like to offer a few more preliminary observations about STSC's APL in the PC environment. You can assign sequences of characters to the 10 function keys (as well as to the Shift/function- key and Ctrl/function-key combinations) by using the programs in the utility workspace MULTIKEY. You can choose to make the assignments last only for the dura- tion of the current session or to make them permanent for a particular copy of the APL interpreter. Typical uses include storing often-needed commands or making avail- able single characters (such as the line-drawing graphics) that cannot otherwise be entered from the keyboard. In practice, I found this feature be of limited usefulness: what we really need is a system function that allows us to define function keys from our own workspace as the need arises. If you install an Intel 8087 Numeric Data Processor in BYTE March 1984 247 Benchmark IBM PC APL (w/ 8087) STSC APL*PLUS (w/ 8087) STSC APL*PLUS (w/o 8087) Advanced BASIC (8087 N/A) 1. Plus Reduction Z++/VI 90 msec. 102 msec. 157 msec. 1155 msec 2. Logical Reduction Z+v/VL 0. 4 3 N/C - 3. Maximum Reduction Z<-r/[l]AfI 40 25 N/C 660 4. Exponentiation Z+VI*.l 390 282 2466 3781 5. Absolute Value Z+WR 80 79 130 1007 6. Indexing %+f$iVIl\20ll 20 14 N/C 114 7. Sorting z-viiyvii 600 112 N/C - 8. Take Z«-~2 1 + MR 9 24 N/C - 9. Membership Z+VIcVI 150 146 N/C 105215 10. Transposition Z-2 IWC 450 60 N/C - 11. Outer Product, Characters z+vc° >=VC 360 141 N/C - 12. Outer Product, Integers Z«-(i50)°. + i 50 2530 439 N/C 13169 13. Inner Product, Reals Z+VRl.+VR 210 341 546 2012 14. Matr i x Division Z+MRmo + VR 70 1488 2206 - 15. Fibonacci Series L Z<-1 1 :-*-( 100>pZ^Z, +/~2+Z)/L 2200 3827 3943 832 16. Multiplication Z+VRxZ . 14 100 136 468 1314 17. Division Z«-Ki?*3.14 110 142 724 4653 18. Logar i thm Z+9VR 150 143 5094 2394 19. Sine Z+loVRx . 1 411 438 12009 3913 20. Sieve of Eratosthenes (Listing 2) 16 8 sec. 1693 sec. N/C 1722 sec. 21. Chess Problem (Listing 3) 33.316 min. 28.345 min. N/C - Note 1: The times given for benchmarks 1-19 are in milliseconds and are adjusted to represent one execution of the given expression (net of looping overhead) . Note 2: The variables used in benchmarks 1-19 are defined by Afi>10 10p7I<-(500pO 10 1)/\500 VL+l 110 1 MR+10 IQpVR+VI+O.l MC*-2B 2&pVC+' ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1 Note 3: The times given for benchmark 20 are in seconds and represent ten executions of the programs in Listing 2. Note 4: The times given for benchmark 21 are in minutes and represent one execution of the function FMATE of Listing 3 wi th_lef t_argument 2, right argument (7p0),~3 i* 14 3,(10p0), l,(14p0),5 10 6 11 10010 120 6 , ( 4p0 ) , 1 . 12 pO and global variables A and B set to 1 and -1 respectively. Table 1: Twenty-one benchmarks for the two versions of APL. "N/C" (no change) and " - " denote benchmark tests that were not run. Benchmark 21 solves the chess problem in the text on page 256. your PC, APLTLUS/PC will automatically take advan- tage of the coprocessor to accelerate all floating-point computations. If you choose not to use the 8087 (the chip currently costs anywhere from $200 to $260, and IBM Product Centers sell an 8087/8088 matched pair for $260), the interpreter will use software floating-point routines to provide the same range and precision at the expense of speed. The benchmark timings in table 1 may help you decide whether you can live with the difference. IBM's Version of APL In the other corner, weighing in at a modest $195, the pride and joy of the IBM Madrid Scientific Center: the IBM Personal Computer APL System. It comes boxed in the obligatory (and rather pleasant) 8- by 9V2-inch for- mat and consists of a single-sided 5V4-inch disk, a set of key top decals, and a 370-page reference manual. (The manual is good but will not teach you the language; buy APL: An Interactive Approach.) However, this implemen- tation requires an 8087 chip, significantly increasing its price for most users. IBM's integration of APL with the PC falls far short of STSC's: because no ROM character generator is pro- vided (I hope all you add-on manufacturers out there are paying attention), APL characters can be displayed only if your system has the color/graphics adapter and 248 BYTE March 1984 Divine inspiration for people who use the IBM PC and XT. Introducing SAVVY PC : Now you can create custom databases in less time, with less effort and for less money. SAVVY PC is unique. It integrates a database management system with a truly "natural" command language and a self-documentation capability. There has never been a faster or easier database building tool than SAVVY PC. SAVVY PC speaks English. You wont have to master the rigid syntax and complex symbols of typical computer programming languages to develop a wide range of business and personal applications. Because SAVVY PC is a fully integrated database, your applications can directly access all master files, speeding and simplifying operations. And because SAVVY® can recognize your personal word patterns, you can misspell, mistype, abbreviate or rephrase and still command your computer. The speed, flexibility and economy of computing with SAVVY PC is truly inspired. For more information and the name of the SAVVY dealer in your area, or to arrange for a SAVVY PC demonstration call 1-800-551-5199. (In New Mexico call 505-242-3333.) SAVVY PC is a product of Excalibur Technologies Corporation, 800 Rio Grande Boulevard N.W., Mercado 21, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104. Dealer Inquiries Invited SAVVY a product of Excalibur Circle 154 on inquiry card. SAVVY is a registered trademark of Excalibur Technologies Corporation. SAVVY PC is a trademark of Kxcalibur Technologies Corp. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION The Origins of APL The acronym APL derives from the title of the book A Program- ming Language (Wiley, 1962) by Dr. Kenneth Iverson, then an applied mathematician at Harvard University. Finding that stan- dard mathematical symbolism was inadequate for communicating the results of his studies of sorting and other algorithmic processes, Iverson developed his own concise and consistent notation for the description of solution procedures. Iverson's Notation, as APL was then known, was not original- ly meant to be a computer programming language; it evolved into one during the years Iverson spent refining his creation at the IBM Thomas ]. Watson Research Center. It was there in 1965 that the first experimental APL interpreter was completed for use in Iverson's research. APUs interactive design was so successful that use of the interpreter quickly grew to include helping out with the day-to-day work of the research center staff. With its fame spreading by word of mouth, it wasn't long before APL had become an underground sensation throughout IBM. Dubbed API\360, a version of the interpreter was eventually released to interested outside organizations, primarily universities and timesharing com- panies. Two of the timesharing firms, LP Sharp Associates (where Iverson currently continues his research) and Scientific Time Shar- ing Corporation (now STSC Inc.), have since then played an im- portant role in shifting APL from the scientific to the commercial world, primarily through the addition of an integrated file system, a powerful formatting facility, and exception-handling (error-trap- ping) features. a graphics monitor. If you prefer the high resolution of the monochrome adapter and display, you'll have to mentally map the mathematical and international char- acters that appear on your screen into their correspond- ing APL characters; this actually isn't too bad because, in assigning the correspondence, IBM took advantage wherever possible of similarities between APL symbols and original PC characters. To further confuse the character- set issue, the inter- nal APL 8-bit representation of the 256 characters (i.e., the order in which they appear in the atomic vector □AV) is not documented and bears no resemblance to the display representation mentioned above— in other words, it makes no attempt to look like ASCII (American National Standard Code fox Information Interchange) code. This adds all kinds of needless translation dif- ficulties to the use of files, printers, and communication ports. The key top decals are a nice touch: they require patience to install, but once in place they show clearly the location of APL characters on the keyboard. IBM's APL provides a limited but still very useful capa- bility to modify and reenter any line appearing on the screen. Lines entered from the keyboard are restricted to 80 characters (with no continuation allowed), and there are no provisions for recalling the last input line to the display when it has scrolled off the top. A handy feature for those who have both monochrome and color/ graphics monitors is the capability to switch from mono- chrome to color/graphics with the press of an Alt/func- tion-key combination. This is the only use of the func- tion keys: you cannot program them with your own char- acter sequences. The Benchmarks I have already mentioned that these two packages offer all the language-related features commonly found in APL systems. But before I turn to extensions and system- related features, I'll deal with two questions about the language aspect: How accurate are the implementations, and how fast are they? After several weeks of using the two systems, I have yet to run across a single instance of a primitive func- tion not returning a correct result when presented with 250 BYTE March 1984 valid arguments. STSC's APL, however, does tend to be too lenient, sometimes returning a result when the argu- ments to a function are invalid. For example, the use of transposition in listing 1 should have caused a DOMAIN ERROR message. Unless your algorithms hinge on the occurrence of certain errors (not a good practice), this kind of bug should not be a problem. I used a set of 21 benchmarks to compare the speeds of the two packages; table 1 summarizes the results. Each benchmark was run under IBM's APL (necessarily with the 8087 coprocessor), STSC's APL*PLUS (with and with- out the 8087), and, in some cases, IBM's Advanced BASIC (which cannot use the 8087). I excluded from BASIC those benchmarks that I considered awkward in the language, such as those involving character data (which is treated differently in BASIC), the sorting and matrix division benchmarks (which are not primitives in BASIC and depend critically on the algorithms used), and the chess-problem benchmark (which I'm not be- ing paid enough to attempt in BASIC). Benchmarks 1 through 15 have been floating around APL literature for years and crop up often in manufac- turers' advertising. I added benchmarks 16 through 19 to further exercise the floating-point capabilities of the packages. The times shown in table 1 for these bench- marks represent single executions of the expressions but are based on 100 consecutive repetitions; they are ad- justed to nullify the effects of the required looping. Benchmark 20 is the prime-number-generating Sieve of Eratosthenes. The January 1983 BYTE (page 290) con- tained an APL version of the benchmark that did not faithfully apply the algorithm described by the authors of the article (and gave incorrect results to boot). A let- ter published in the May 1983 issue (pages 8-9) offered a correct APL solution but used a significantly modified algorithm to reduce execution time, which goes against the spirit of benchmarking. Listings 2a and 2b present the APL and BASIC programs that I used in my timings. Note that to be consistent with results previously pub- lished by BYTE, the times shown in table 1 for this benchmark represent 10 executions of the programs. Benchmark 21 is the solution of the chess problem (see the text box on page 256) using the APL functions in Text continued on page 254 THE WY300 TERMINAL GREAT COLOR FOR UNDER $1000 *,*■,•*«* / / IF COLOR IS A LUXURY YOU THINK YOU CAN'T AFFORD, THINK ABOUT OUR WY300— the smart color terminal as 10W aS $975.* 'Quantity 100 The WY300's high-resolution 8-color display adds vivid relief to any text edit- ing or data entry task, without adding significantly to the price you'd pay for monochrome. Economically designed with a swivel and tilt CRT and a detachable keyboard, the compact WY300 fits into the work- place as comfortably as it does into your budget. On top of that, the WY300 gives you a host of features like a soft downloadable monochrome oriented, off-the-shelf software. Best of all, the WY300 is plug compatible with our monochromatic WYlOO's and most ASCII terminals. So, using color is as easy as it is inexpensive. Need more information? Call or write us today. We'd like to convince you our smart color terminal is your wisest buy. WYSE character generator; extensive alpha- numeric and line drawing symbols; and compatibility with most standard, Circle 386 on inquiry card. Make the Wyse Decision . WYSE TECHNOLOGY 3040 N. First St., San Jose, CA95134, 4081946-3075, TLX 910-338-2251 , Outside CA call toll-free, 8001421-1058, w So. CA 213/340-2013, A Brief Look at APL When using APL, you are essentially interacting with a very powerful programmable calculator: you enter a valid APL expression, hit the Return key, and the answer (if any) is displayed starting on the next line; for example, 12 0.75 3x4 3*4 Notice that entries are indented six spaces to distinguish them from the computer's answers and that no explicit command is required to have results dis- played. The number of operations, or primitive functions, available in the language is very large; other examples include 8 5 8 3 1 2*3 5 L 8 5 T 8 5 |28 3>5 'A f * l B f These illustrate, respectively, the exponentiation, mini- mum, maximum, residue (or remainder), greater than, and not equal to functions. You can see from the last two ex- amples that the comparison functions return the numeric values 1 or to represent logical true or false. The examples so far have shown functions that oper- ate on two objects, their so-called left and right argu- ments; they are known as dyadic functions. There are also monadic functions that operate on a single (right) argument. The examples H 0.25 • 1 2.718281828 L5.8 5 14 24 ~0 1 illustrate the reciprocal, exponential, floor (or integer part), factorial, and logical negation functions. Because the number of primitive functions is so large and because you can define your own, functions in an APL expression are executed in the order in which they are encountered going from right to left across the line, except as modified by parentheses: 9-2x5-3 5 9-(2x5)-3 2 (9-2)x5-3 14 The seemingly strange choice of right-to-left execution stems from the desire to have a monadic function's argument appear on its right, where it belongs natural- ly, while keeping the design of the interpreter simple and efficient. I intentionally used the vague term object when refer- ring earlier to the right or left argument of a function. A lot of the power of APL derives from the fact that these objects need not be single numbers (numeric scalars) or single characters (character scalars) but can in fact be entire vectors, matrixes, or higher-dimensional arrangements of numbers (numeric arrays) or characters (character arrays). Unlike other languages, APL treats arrays as wholes, accepting them as arguments and returning them as results: 1 3.2 5 7+246 8.4 3 7.2 11 15.4 'ABBEl' = 'ABLE?' 110 10 You can assign a name to an array without, as in other languages, having to first declare its type and shape to reserve its storage; APL manages all available memory space and allocates it dynamically The assign- ment function (denoted by the left-pointing arrow) at- taches the name on its left to the array on its right: 1220 63 19 S<-6. 28*2 V*-' JOSEPH* MAT+Z ZpVEC+1 S 3.14 V JOSEPH VEC 1 12 2 MAT 112 2 _Q 6 3 19 The following examples use the variables defined above to illustrate, without additional comment, some of the many other primitive functions that APL pro- vides for the manipulation of arrays: 6 3 19 252 BYTE March 1984 P V (shape) 6 i$f (reverse) HPESO* 2$V (rotate) SEPHJC Vll 2 4] ( index) JOE 10 10 1 1/V (compress) JSPH V*-V t < 15 //£/?£* (catenate) K JOSEPl pf 14 + /y£C (sum) 21 + W£C (running sum) 1 2 4 4 10 13 12 21 "1 l/VEC (minimum) [\VEC (running maximum) 1 1 2 2 2 6 6 5 iVEC 9 (grade up) 2 8 5 13 4 7 6 9 SO/PTfifll'fir+l'ECC AFEC] (sort) ■SCtfrSZ^EC "l "l 12 2 3 6 9 SISORTEDVEC (drop) 2 3 6 9 3t50tfr£Dl'£C (take) 3 6 9 pM/ir 3 3 ct^r ( reverse) 2 "1 1 6 2 9 "l 3 (reverse) 3 "l 9 2 6 1 "l 2 (transpose) 1 2 3 1 1 2 6 9 MATINV+&MAT (matrix inverse) MATINV 3 3.5 3 1.5 1 1 1 1 MAT+ . xMATINV (matrix multiplic 1 1 1 Programming in APL is the process of creating new functions. These user-defined functions are denoted by names rather than by symbols but are otherwise used just like primitive functions. They can be monadic, dyadic, or even niladic (requiring no arguments) and may or may not return a result. You indicate to APL that you wish to temporarily leave calculator mode and go into function-definition mode by typing the triangular del character followed by a function header. The func- tion header is APL's only declarative statement; it specifies the function's name, its syntax (the number of arguments it requires and whether or not it returns a result), and the names of any temporary local vari- ables it uses. While you're in function-definition mode, APL prompts you with bracketed line numbers and then records (rather than acts upon) the statements that you enter. You have already seen two of APL's three types of executable statements: the assignment, which does not display a result, and the APL expression not ending with an assignment, which does display its result (if any). The third type of statement is the branch (denoted by the right-pointing arrow), which can alter the top-to-bottom sequence of execution of a defined function's lines by directing execution to a given line. APL work is organized around the concept of the workspace: the active workspace is that portion of the com- puter's memory in which all of the functions and vari- ables you create are stored and in which all of the com- putations you request take place. You may, at any time during your APL session, have the current contents of the active workspace preserved in secondary storage as a named saved workspace (which usually appears as a file on your disk). Once saved, a workspace can be reactivated (loaded) at a later time, thus restoring the active workspace to its original state, or its contents (variables and functions) can be selectively copied in- to the current active workspace. An APL application usually consists of a saved workspace containing all of the pertinent functions and variables along with a la- tent expression, a special vector containing the character representation of an APL statement to be executed automatically as soon as the saved workspace is loaded. The latent expression will typically initiate execution of the application's master function. Most APL implementations provide a battery of so- called system commands to manage the saving, loading, copying, and erasing of workspaces and to make pos- sible examination and control of their contents. These system commands are not, strictly speaking, part of the APL language and therefore cannot be lines in defined functions. The trend in recent years has been for APL systems to provide system functions that duplicate the action of system commands and can be used under pro- gram control. The language has two advantages that cannot be readily conveyed by a quick printed tour of its facili- ties. One is the ease with which you can learn the lan- guage: the simplicity of APL syntax, the absence of red tape in using arrays, and the immediate feedback of calculator mode combine to provide an environment in which you can freely experiment with language fea- tures, concentrating at first on a few functions and gradually building up your repertoire. The second ad- vantage is the sense of programming confidence that you will experience as a user of APL. The power and versatility of the language encourage you to tackle even the most difficult tasks with the knowledge that the step between a mental solution and a computer solu- tion is a short one. APL drastically reduces program- ming time because a verb-oriented oral description of an algorithm can often be immediately written down as a function-oriented APL expression. This leads to terse programs and explains the often-heard criticism that APL is unreadable. APL is in fact quite readable, but you should not expect to grasp at a glance the meaning of a line of APL any more than you would a pageful of BASIC or five pages of COBOL. BYTE March 1984 253 Text continued from page 250: listing 3. 1 include it in this review for two reasons: first, because it involves the cooperation of several functions, one of which (FMATE) is recursive, it gives a thorough workout to the systems' function-calling mechanism (with the associated stacking of the execution environ- ments and creation of local variables); second, it provides a good example of APL's capability to make short work of a relatively complex programming problem. I spent more time selecting data structures than I spent actual- ly writing code for the functions, with the entire pro- cess taking about 10 hours. With most programming lan- guages, this recreational exercise would have been a major project. Now, what are we to make of the results of all these benchmarks? If you consider speed to be the deciding factor in choosing between the IBM and STSC APL sys- tems, you'll find no final pronouncement here. I'm call- ing it a draw. IBM showed up slightly faster in the sim- Listing 1: An example of STSC APL code that should have caused a domain error but didn't. uio< 1 2 2pi4 1 2 Listing 2: The prime-number-generating Sieve of Eratosthenes (using the algorithm originally described in BYTE) in APL (listing 2a) and BASIC (listing 2b). (2a) V PRIMES [1] X+l F^(8191p7) 9 E [2] 7:F[I + Pxi L(8191-I)tP

tf [3] tf:+F[I«-I+l] [4] E: (¥J+.=F) , f PRIMES' (2b) 10 DEFINT A-Z 20 OPTION BASE 1 30 DIM F(8191) 40 C = 50 FOR 1=1 TO 8191 60 F(I)=1 70 NEXT I 80 FOR 1=1 TO 8191 90 IF F(I)=0 GOTO 170 100 P=I+I+1 110 K=I+P 120 WHILE K<=8191 130 F(K)=0 140 K=K+P 150 WEND 160 C=C+1 170 NEXT I 180 PRINT Cj n PRIMES" 190 END pie arithmetic benchmarks (with the exception of ex- ponentiation), quite a bit faster in the inner product and heavily-looping Fibonacci series benchmarks, and shock- ingly faster in the matrix division benchmark. STSC, on the other hand, did much better in the categories of in- dexing, sorting, transposition, and outer product, and put it all together to come out on top in the grueling chess-problem marathon. If nothing else, these timings point out where the authors of the packages chose to cut corners: it is a fairly common practice in designing APL interpreters to implement some primitive functions (especially those considered infrequently used) as a com- bination of calls to other already-coded functions, which essentially means that those functions are written not in assembly language but rather in a subset of APL. I would guess that this was the fate of STSCs matrix divi- sion primitive and of IBM's outer product, dyadic trans- position, and maybe even grading (sorting) primitives. Without the 8087 coprocessor, STSCs APL still per- formed quite acceptably in the floating-point bench- marks; the difference became painful only in the case of logarithmic and trigonometric functions. The multi- plication, division, and exponentiation benchmarks were slowed down by factors of about 3, 5, and 9, respective- ly. That's a far cry from the factors 78, 82, and 170, which represent the published relative speeds of the 8087 and the 8088 performing single instances of those same dou- ble-precision operations. This is probably due to the fact that, overall, the 8088 spends the majority of its time re- trieving operands from memory and storing results back into memory. Nevertheless, if your applications tend to be numerically oriented, the coprocessor is likely to be a good investment. As for BASIC, although it did very well in the Fibonacci series benchmark and held its own in the Sieve of Eratosthenes (both of which involve a lot of looping), it ran out of breath trying to keep up with APL's easy handling of array operations in the other benchmarks. BASIC'S apparent superiority over STSCs APL without the 8087 in the logarithmic and trigonometric bench- marks is a result of the fact that version 1.1 of BASIC calculates such functions to single precision only, less than half the accuracy of STSCs software emulation of the 808Z Other Features To be great, an APL system must provide many facili- ties beyond the language itself. This is especially true of an APL system running in a microcomputer environ- ment, where users expect to have direct control of the hardware and where there's a need to support a wide array of peripheral devices. I'll discuss STSCs and IBM's efforts in this direction under several broad headings. Workspace size: Your workspace under STSCs APL can be as large as your machine's total memory minus an interpreter and operating-system overhead of approxi- mately 90K bytes. A parameter on the operating system command that starts up APL even allows the interpreter to use memory beyond the 544K-byte maximum recog- 254 BYTE March 1984 A hard disk makes your Apple He or 64K Apple II Plus even more powerful. And makes you even more productive. But you still have to load a new floppy and reboot when you need to change programs. And the more programs you have, the more time you waste. That's why Quark developed Catalyst™ 11^^ A unique ProDOS program selector that lets you switch between even copy-protected programs. Without rebooting, A few keystrokes move you from Word Juggler He to your spreadsheet, then to your file management system, and so forth. The convenient menu lists the programs you've stored on your hard disk, organized in any way you wish. You can automatically install virtually any programs which use Apple's new ProDOS operating system. Including software from Quark, Apple Computer and other leading manufacturers. You can even load CP/M programs on the menu, when you use the CP/M CARD from Advanced Logic Systems. Catalyst He is an affordable $149. So see your favorite dealer today for a complete demonstration . And while you're there, look into Quark's other office automation tools for the Apple He and Apple III. Especially our popular Word Juggler™ word processor which now includes the Lexicheck™ spelling checker. A powerful combination, intelligently priced at only $ 1 89 for the Apple He and $229 for the Apple HI. $er <^« tl All prices suggested US. retail. For the name of the Quark nearest you, call, toll-free, I (800) 543-7711. ggtf Quark, Catalyst. Word Juggler and Lexicheck are trademarks of Quark IncorporajpL Apple, ProDOS and ProFile are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, ImJ^P* CP/M is a registered trademark, and CP/M CARD is a trademark of Digital Research. Inc. . ^^■1^1 © 1983, Quark Incorporated Quark MWHMI INCORPORATED Office Automation Tools 2525 West Evans, Suite 220 Denver CO 80219 Circle 299 on inquiry card. Notes on the Chess Benchmark Given sufficient time, this set of five functions (see listing 3) will solve any chess problem that ends in checkmate, including problems that involve castling, en-passant capture, or under- promotion of a pawn to a knight, WSINIT must be run once to define some global variables. To solve a problem, assign to variable A the attacking color and to B the defending color (White = 1, Black = -1), and then run FMATE, The left argument ofFMATE is the maximum number of moves to mate, and the right argument is a SB-element numeric vector representing the position. The first element is either or the square number on which an en-passant capture can take place on the next move. Squares are indicated in algebraic chess nota- tion (e.g., c5 is 35 andfl is 62). The next four elements are either 1 or to indicate whether or not castling is still possible (in the order White queen- and king-side, then Black queen- and king- side). The remaining 64 elements are the contents of the chessboard from the top left corner to the bottom right corner as seen from White's side (0 = empty, 1 = pawn, 2 = knight, 3 ■ bishop, 4 m rook, 5 = queen, 6 = king, positive for White, and negative for Black). The result ofFMATE is a two-element numeric vector that con- tains, if a solution is found, the "from" and "to" square of the winning move (in algebraic notation, with a negative "to" square indicating pawn-to-knight promotion); or, if no solution is found, either 01 or (0 indicates that the attacker has no legal move in the given position). The functions should run in any API system if statements using the diamond separator are broken up into several lines and if the abcdefgh The chess position used in benchmark 21; see table 1 and listing 3. White is to move and checkmate in 2. sequence ",[0]" is substituted for the hyphen-comma overstrike character (as in lines 5 through 9 of function MLIST). I'd be in- terested in timings of the benchmark problem on hardware more powerful than the PC (see note 4 in table 1 for its definition, and expect the solution 85 15). FMATE makes no attempt to examine potential moves in an intelligent order and can take a long time to execute. nized by version 1.1 of DOS (disk operating system). Under IBM's APL, all memory up to the 544K-byte max- imum can be used, with system overhead ranging be- tween 84K and 1BK bytes, depending on which auxiliary processors (APs) you choose to load. (I'll be coming back to the subject of APs later on.) There is, however, a twist to IBM's use of memory: the first 64K bytes of the active workspace constitute what IBM calls the main workspace; whatever is left over is labeled the elastic workspace. All real APL work, like state- ment execution or the creation and modification of APL arrays and functions, takes place in the main workspace; the interpreter uses the elastic workspace strictly for the temporary storage of APL objects when space is needed for an operation in the main workspace. I find this quasi- virtual memory scheme a rather timid way for IBM to deal with the segmented architecture of the 8088 micro- processor. Although the shuttling of data between the main and elastic workspaces is not usually noticeable, this arrange- ment does have some drawbacks: IBM APL arrays are limited to 32K bytes, and certain operations (such as add- ing two large numeric vectors) cannot be carried out because of the need for both the arguments and the result to fit simultaneously in the 64K-byte main work- space. (Under STSC's APL, an array can occupy a full memory segment, or 64K bytes, and as long as there is room in memory for the result, operations between large arrays can take place.) Report formatting: STSC's APLTLUS offers the power- ful and much-imitated DFMT formatting function. Its capabilities are too numerous to detail here (as witness the fact that STSC offers a separate manual on its use), so I'll limit myself to the example given in listing 4a. STSC also provides the utility workspace FORMAT con- taining a set of rather slow functions that simplify add- ing titles, column headings, and row names to reports being formatted with DFMT. IBM's APL offers Picture Format, an extension to the simple dyadic format available on all APL systems. Pic- ture Format has for many years been discussed and re- fined by various authors within IBM, and the result of all this work is a facility that cannot hold a candle to STSC's good old DFMT; listing 4b shows an example of its use. Not only is Picture Format of limited capability (e.g., it is unable to duplicate the first example with its different floating decorators for positive and negative numbers), but it is also hard to learn because it attaches various unintuitive meanings to the digits that appear in the picture argument. All I can say for Picture Format is that it's better than nothing. (Note: You must specify your intention to use Picture Format when you load IBM's APL from DOS; it'll cost you an extra 7.6K bytes of overhead.) Text continued on page 260 256 BYTE March 1984 Information and uata Processing Software Engineering Legal Protection Flexibility Maintenance Management Packages and more! U*j icrocompu Computer Systems EDiMNI THE MOST COMPLETE COMPUTER INFORMATION RESOURCE AN J IVALUEl Thoroughly revised, updated and reorganized. "Hardware Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Engineering IS YOURS $095 1 FOR ONLY £ l WHEN YOU JOIN THE LIBRARY OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES You simply agree to buy 3 more books — at handsome discounts — within the next 12 months. Indispensable to consultants, business peo- ple, data processing professionals, and enthusi- asts, the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING is a veritable data base of information on: • Artificial Intelligence • Computer Applications • Personal computing and much more! • Hardware • Software • Programming languages The Encyclopedia is organized to make find- ing and using its wealth of information easy. Arti- cles are alphabetically arranged and are cross- referenced to related articles and to specific subject matter. The clear and expanded appen- dices include abbreviations, acronyms', special notation and terminology, as well as numerical tables, the mainstay of applied technologies. A complete 5,000-term index contains references to sub-categories, doubles as a computer sci- ence dictionary, and is an invaluable tool for locating specific information. Praise For the First Edition: Called "Impressive . . . comprehensive. . . well done" by Datamation, and "...a real treasure cache" by Business Management, the new Sec- ond Edition promises to eclipse Computer Man- agement's statement on the original of "There isn't another book like it." Send for your free 10- day trial. This up-to-date Second Edition contains: • Over 1,670 pages of revised, expanded, and updated text. • 550 articles on virtually every aspect of the computer sciences • 301 distinguished contributors • Over 500 photos, and over 250 diagrams, graphs and charts The Library of Computer and Information Sciences is the oldest and largest book club especially designed for the computer profes- sional. In the incredibly fast-moving world of data processing, where up-to-date knowledge is essential, we make it easy for you to keep totally informed on all areas of the information sci- ences. In addition, books are offered at dis- counts up to 30% off the publishers' prices. Begin enjoying the club's benefits today! 4 Good Reasons to Join 1 . The Finest Books. Of the hundreds of books submit- ted to us each year, only the very finest are selected and offered. Moreover, our books are always of equal quality to publishers editions, ne^er economy editions. 2. Big Savings. In addition to getting the ENCYCLOPE- DIA OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING for $2.95 when you join, you keep saving substantially — up to 30% and occasionally even more. (For example, your total savings as a trial member— including this introductory offer— can easily be over 50%. That's like getting every other book free!) 3. Bonus Books. Also, you will immediately become eligible to participate in our Bonus Book Plan, with savings up to 70% off the publishers' prices. 4. Convenient Service. At 3-4 week intervals (16 times per year) you will receive the Book Club News, describ- ing the Main Selection and Alternate Selections, together with a dated reply card. If you want the Main Selection do nothing and it will be sent to you auto- matically. If you prefer another selection , or no book at all, simply indicate your choice on the card, and return it by the date specified. You will have at least 1 days to decide. If, because of late mail delivery of the News, you should receive a book you do not want, we guaran- tee return postage. If the reply card has been removed , please write to: The Library of Computer and Information Sciences Dept. 7-CJ8 Riverside, N.J. 08075 to obtain membership information and an application. BYTE March 1984 257 Listing 3: A complicated chess-problem solution program, FMATE, and its associated functions (subroutines). See the text box on page 256 for more details. 8 8 12 19 21 .*v7 1 9 V WSINIT;OIO [I] QIO+l [2] Atf* _21 19 12 [3] AB* _11 "9 9 11 °, [4] Ai?* _10 _1 1_10_°, [5] A** 11 10 9 1 [6] A£*AK°.x l 7 [7] A^^-,(, LA; LB ; SA; SB;IA; IB ; FAiFBiBA; BB iMBiUIO [1] QI0*O KA+" pKB+LAl 5 + BD\6*A,B] KB*KB[ 1 ] Z,*0 = ff*Af-l [2] LA*-' 'ppSA+A MLIST BD IA+ 1 FA+0 [3] ^:*(L/l = I/l^Iv4 + l)pZ) +((BAKA 9 MALll)lKA = MAlQH)SCHECK BA-(MA+-SAtIA;l)MMAKE BD)pA [4] FA+1 +L+X +((A,KB)SCHECK BA)+A [5] *:LB*' » ppSB*B MLIST BVl IB^- 1 FB*0 [6] B:-^(LB=JB^lB+i)p£ O *( ( A , ( KB , MBl 1 ] ) [ KB=MBt ] ] )SCHECK BB+{MB+SBtIB ;])MMAKE BA) pB [7] *Lp£ *(0=lptf FM4TF BB)pA FB*1 *B [8] C:*(£vFB)pO ->((A,KB)SCHECK BA)pO -A [9] Z?:Afi4*0,F4 V V AfL*2W A/Z,ISr BZ?;P;r;L;PV;AP;£5;L0;Lff;P5;2*5;5i/;I;ni0 [I] ML* 2 pQJ6>«-0 PW+(TN*1)$ 2 7 AP*37Vx ~g 11 1 2 [2] L5*L0*lOOpl LS[AF t FS*(Z>:Ftf=:F*xp«-5 + B0)/A4]*O TS-(\L/P) ,0 [3] LO[(r=-rff)/A/i]*-o o le+lsalo o ^(sw*o t p t M *H*R»S.»£) tfsii^o ]] [*♦] P:T*( (£0[2pT][O] = 2pT) ,A\Lf[2 + r] )/T*P+(3+lpL*PV=10 |F*F5[I])pAF [5] tfL*AfZ^F,[0.5]2\-L[l]/T -*"SJ?£ T$tl+I+ 1 3 3 [6] N:ML+ML-;P,t0.5lLSlT]/T+100\hN + P*-PStIl -►SVtrSC 1*1+1 ] ] [7] B:ML*MZ, T F, [0.5]( , a \L5[ T] Al f L0[ _1 + !F] )/ ,T*100 | LB+P+PStH +SWLTSlI*-I+ 1 3 ] [8] R:ML^ML-,P, 10. 5]( , a\LS[T] ai t L0[ _1 + T] ) / ,2**1 00 | A/?+P*P5[I] *SV[rS[I*I+l ] 3 [9] e:WL^WL T P,[0.5]( ,A\L5[3 1 ]Al t LO[0 1 +T] ) / ,r*100 | AG+P*PS[I] -SJ/C TS[I*I+1 3 ] [10] K:2*LS[T]/2 , *AA' + P*P£[I] 0*(*/£*BZ?[2 3 -TNI ) pY_ *( ** I L*Z,a ( a/LELP- 10 20 30]),a/L£[P+ 10 20])pY [II] -+(((-TN) ,P)SCHECK BD)pY_ *£[0]+* T+T . ( ( ( -TN) ,P-10 )SCHECK BZ))+P-20 *L[l3+Y [12] X_;T*-T t ( ( (-2W) ,F+10 )SCtfFCA: BZ?)+P+20 [13] y:A?L*WL-;P,[0.5]!r -Stf[rS[ 1*1+1 ] 3 V V NB+MV MMAKE BD ;UP;FT ; P;UI0 [1] yP^-AfF[l]B£>[Fr*F2 , Cl3 + l, 1-2=8|FT[133 *F [4] P:*(2* I -/MV)pX_ tfB[Q]*My[0] + xp NB+NB.BD *0 [5] X:*(tfB[0]*/W[l])pr ^B[0]*BZ?[FT[l] + 8xxp]^-o NB+NB ,BD *0 [6] Y:*(l 8 A.*iO|WV[l])pE B£[FT[l]]* 5 2 [tfP]xxp *g V V £#*-€£ SCHECK BD;PS;P;LE;T;UI0 [1] BZ?*5 + BZ?,DI0*O P5*C5[0]x l 7 P+CSl Ytf*l ] [2] -(PS[l]eB£[AZ[P+C\S[0]x H 9]])p0 [3] *( PSl 2 ] eBZ?[ AZ[ 1 I P+Atf]])p0 [4] LF*100pl L5[AF,(0*64p5/?)/A>l3*0 [5] -^(v/PS[3 5]€BZ?[AZ[( ,A\1,LE[0 _1 +T] ) / , T*l 00 | P+ AB] ] ) pO [6] *(v/P£[i+ 5]cBZ?[AZ[( ,a\1 t LElO 1 ♦ fj ) / ,7*1 00 | P+ A/?] ] ) pO [7] y/V*PS[6]eBi?[AZ[P+AK]] Listing 4: A formatted output in API. Listing 4a shows an example of the powerful STSC API formatting function. Listing 4b shows the less powerful IBM APL Picture Format option. (4a) D< A< F< F 8/26/79 1/05/82 12/13/83 82679 10582_121383 1234.567 98765.4 1 G ,P<$>Q< UFMT (D;A) $1 234.57 ZERO (598 ,765 .40) >M<($>N<)>0F13.2' Listing 4 continued on page 260 258 BYTE March 1984 AffliternDagFaMt. nee upon a time there was a very diligent man, jack. Every year the man promised his very faithful wife that he would keep accurate records to make tax time more bearable. One sunny day, Jack traded in his family cow for a new computer. That starry night, he began to enter all of his tax records onto disk. "How easy and accurate this will be,*' he stated. The months went by. Tax time approached. Confidently, Jack inserted his data file and entered "Run Taxes." "Just watch," he said to his wife. But alas. His CRT, as if it were alive, proclaimed, "I/O ERROR." "Gads," he stammered in frustration. "Oh my," said his wife. Then entered his neighbor carrying three beans, a golden lyre and the new Discwasher® Clean Runner t M Interactive Drive Cleaner. The good neighbor told Jack, "Preventive maintenance will destroy dirt in the disk drive and keep it running clean." The good neighbor promptly inserted the Clean Runner Interactive Drive Cleaner into the drive and cleaned the read/write heads for Jack. Saying "Bye," he left to tend to his garden. Diligent Jack then proceeded to run his tax data and this time all went well. The moral of the story, Disc washer Clean Runner is a disk of prevention for a bit of frustration. ftta €jrt. Not all endings are that happy. A dirty read/write head can cost not only many hours of time but also the loss of Valuable data. ^ Discwasher® Clean Runner™ Interactive Drive Cleaner is one disk mQ t contains both the program software and the cleaning surface. There is no program to enter. ^p Clean Runner is an interactive system. It responds to your individual entries as it leads you step-by-step through the cleaning process. ;jgp Clean Runner directs the head(s) of your drive to a different trackfor each cleaning. Clean Runner provides a contamination- free cleaning surface. ^p Clean Runner effectively Works on both single or double -sided drives . j£* Clean Runner is programmed for 20 cleaning operations. J\ Disk Of Prevention Tor J\ Bit Of frustration Circle 125 on inquiry card. QiSCWQShCt 1407 N. Providence Rd., P.O. Box 6021, Dept. BY, Columbia, MO 65205 USA A DIVISION OF JENSEN an ESMARK Company Listing 4 continued: (4b) f 55/05/05 (55.551. 50 ) • ▼ .D 9 ll.S]A 8/26/79 1,234.57 1/05/82 .00 12/13/83 (98,765.40) Text continued from page 256: Error trapping: When an error occurs during execution of a statement, STSC's APL suspends processing at the point of error, retrieves the current contents of the special character vector DELX (error latent expression), and ex- ecutes them as a line of APL. You might have previous- ly set up DELX to force an exit from the executing func- tion (returning some specific result indicating that a problem was encountered) or to generate a branch to a different part of the function, where the cause of the er- ror may be determined by examining the system-gener- ated variable DDM (diagnostic message). If the program is sufficiently sophisticated, it may then be able to take corrective action and resume execution. IBM's tool for the automatic handling of errors is the elegant system function HE A (execute alternate). It takes two character-vector arguments representing APL ex- pressions and attempts to execute the one on its right; if it fails because of an error, it goes back and executes the left argument instead. This allows you to exercise very fine control over errors occurring in different parts THI PURCHASING AGENT We can buy any microcomputer product for you from our 292 participating wholesalers. Here are the net prices on a few of the 7,000 products we can buy for you, acting as your purchasing agent. COMPUTERS Altos 580-10 586-20 w/G Term 986-40 Compupro Godbout Sys.816ARAM2r Sys.816AH* Sys. 816C* Sys. 816D' 81668KRAM2V 4.199 6.018 9.027 4,075 6,630 6.632 10.324 6.632 COMPUTERS Northstar Advantage w/Duat Floppies 2.107 w<5 meg. 3.249 w/l5meg. 4.315 Onyx C5002A.256K. 14M 9.022 'Completely Assembled M- Drive- H CPU 68K Disk 3 RAM 21, 128K, 14 Mhz RAM 22, 256K Pragmatic 20 meg. Pragmatic 40 meg. Columbia Sys, 2-320K Sys,, 12 meg Sys,. portable Corona desktop, 2-320K Eagle 1630 Molecular SM 8 10 meg. Morrow Micro D, MD-3 NECAPC-H03 APC-H12 Col. Graph 1,100 500 587 788 1,292 2.990 4,686 2,779 4.119 2.320 2.487 4.699 4.648 1,585 2,999 618 Sagell, W/2-640K IV, w/12meg. IV.w/18meg IV. w/40 meg Sanyo 555. 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I Since 1980 B-84-3 THE PURCHASING AGENT, INC. 574 Weddell Drive, Suite 5 Sunnyvale, CA 94089 (408) 744-0646 d of a statement: for example, the expression in listing 5 adds the inverse of matrix A (or a matrix of 0s if A is not invertible) to the inverse of matrix B (or to a matrix of Is if B is not invertible). One problem with UEA, however, is that if an error occurs in a defined function called from UEA's right argument, the execution state of that function is dis- carded before processing of UEA's left argument begins. This means that it becomes impossible to determine the cause of the error, to recover the values of the function's local variables, or to automatically resume execution at the point of error. Disk file access: This topic brings up a long-standing philosophical debate between STSC and IBM on the sub- ject of APL's control over its hardware environment (i.e., peripherals). STSC holds the view that APL should pro- vide primitive system functions and variables that allow you to manage every aspect of your computer and has accordingly never been shy about adding such facilities to its APL interpreters. (APL*PLUS/PC boasts more than 100 system functions and variables as well as approx- imately 20 documented memory locations that you may modify to further control the system's behavior.) IBM, on the other hand, believes that such matters belong out- side the realm of the APL language and should be han- dled by external programs (auxiliary processors) oper- ating independently of the APL interpreter. You com- municate your wishes to an auxiliary processor (and it in turn communicates results to you) by the clever device of sharing one or more variables in your workspace with the auxiliary processor: when you assign a value to a shared variable, the auxiliary processor can examine and modify it so that when you next look at the variable, it contains the result of your request. For example, a hypothetical clock/calendar auxiliary processor named AP24 (auxiliary processors are distinguished by number) might work as shown in listing 6. The example demonstrates the use of the system func- tion USVO to first "offer" to share VAR with AP24 and then to verify that the share was "accepted." If you want to program in assembly language, check out the IBM APL reference manual to find out how to create your own auxiliary processors to complement (or replace) the ones distributed with the system; this is potentially a very powerful capability. Now, then, what about disk file access? Not surpris- ingly, STSC provides an abundance of excellent system functions to support two kinds of file organizations: the APL component file, a random-access arrangement of ar- bitrarily shaped APL arrays, and the so-called native file, 260 BYTE March 1984 Circle 295 on inquiry card. STOP STRUGGLING WITH SPREADSHEETS! THERE'S AN EASIER WAY TO DO YOUR BUSINESS PLANNING: PROFIN. If you don't have days, or even hours, to do projections with a spreadsheet, consider this: There is now a highly specialized software tool expressly for the business person who needs the answers more than the workout. TIME-CONSUMING WORK ALREADY DONE FOR YOU If you want to do forecasts and budgets, return on equity, discounted cashflows, net present values, capital expenditure analysis, interest calculations, depreciation comparisons or taxation scheduling without setting up the mathematical calculations or laying out a spreadsheet, you need Prof in. Profin is an easy-to-use (menu driven) program which leads you through your business analysis step by step. You simply answer the questions as they appear on the screen. REPORTS AUTOMATICALLY LAID OUT Once you've completed entry, you'll be able to see any or all of the following reports laid out for you: • income statements • tax schedules • interest schedules • returns on equity • capital expenditures • discounted cashflows • and balance sheets. You can then make any changes to any of the information already entered and look at revised reports. And you can automatically load your Profin reports onto a Multiplan, VisiCalc, SuperCalc or Lotus 1-2-3 screen (or any other spreadsheet that reads D.I.F. files) to carry out further manipulations. Circle 398 for Dealer Inquiries. Circle 399 for End-User Inquiries. SPECIALIZED HELP FOR BUSY PEOPLE Think of it this way: spreadsheets are great for the hobbyist who gains satisfaction from hours in front of the screen. But if you're a business person with little com- puter experience and even less spare time, you need the specialized tool: Profin. Available under $300 for CP/M-80, MS-DOS, and IBM PC-DOS from your local retailer. Also available: PLANFIN. For sales, marketing and other executives who just want simple forecasts and budg- ets, Planfin gives you operating income statements plus net in- come and discounted cashflow reports in less than 15 minutes. Under $200. ITM BUSINESS DQGODQQG D Please send me more information about how Profin and Planfin beat the spreadsheets for budgets and forecasts. Name Address City/State/Zip Computer Brand Owned or Planned to Buy Mail to: Business Software, Inc. • 12021 Wilshire Blvd., #194 Los Angeles, CA 90025 ■ which is simply a DOS file viewed as a long sequence of bytes that you can read or modify at will. The file func- tions are easy to use and extremely fast. You might espe- cially enjoy the capability to snoop around DOS files interactively. IBM, of course, provides a file auxiliary processor (named AP210) and a collection of APL-defined func- tions that use the auxiliary processor to achieve a pale imitation of STSCs file capabilities. AP210 illustrates all that goes wrong in practice with the elegant concept of auxiliary processors: it's difficult to use interactively Listing 5: An example of the IBM PC "execute alternate" function, which tries to evaluate the expression on the right and, if an error occurs, evaluates the alternate expression on the left. ( '(p^)pO' UEA 'H4 1 ) + f (p£)pl f UEA 'SB' Listing 6: An example of auxiliary processors (APs) in IBM APL. Given a hypothetical auxiliary processor AP24 that gives time and date information, the name VAR is associated with AP24 (lines 1 and 2). This association is confirmed by the query in line 3 and the response in line 4. VAR then returns the time when passed the message TIME?' (lines 5, 6, and 7) and the date when passed the message 'DATE?' (lines 8, 9, and 10). 1 24 USVO 'VAR' OSVO 'VAR' 2 VAR+'TIME?' VAR THE TIME IS 11:07 : 45 VAR-' DATE?' VAR THE DATE IS 12/01/83 Listing 7: An example of the replicate extension to the compress (/) function. Normally, the compress function uses the left argument as a logical mask through which filter selected components of the right argument (see listing 7a). If the left argument contains numbers greater than 1, the corresponding element is repeated that many times in the result. (7a) ACE BCD (7b) ccc 10 10 1/ 'ABCDE' 1110/ 'ABCDE' 3 0/ f ABCDE* 10 2 0/ 'ABCDE 1 ADD 262 BYTE March 1984 because of the many steps involved in initiating and veri- fying shares, assigning data and hard-to-remember re- quest codes to the shared variables, and retrieving data and success/failure codes from the shared variables. Also, because the auxiliary processor has no knowledge beyond the shared variables, it can't take advantage of available memory in your workspace and must use its own small buffers for disk access, which limits data transfers to 2K-byte chunks and creates unnecessary time and space overhead. Printer and communication ports support: STSC provides a very powerful system function, called HARBIN, that's somewhat tedious to use. It gives you detailed control over all of the parallel and serial ports in your PC and enables you to send or receive characters in any of the following modes: typewriter-pairing and bit-pairing APL/ ASCII overlays (which enable communications with timesharing APL systems and with high-quality APL printers), 8-bit ASCII, and Epson dot-graphics (which enables printing of all 256 characters using the graphics features of Epson graphics printers). In addition to OARBIN, STSC also supplies the system terminal mode; with the push of a function key, you can transform the PC into an excellent APL/ASCII terminal that emulates the Datamedia 1520 and enables you to switch between your APL workspace and a remote computer. IBM provides more modest capabilities through two auxiliary processors. AP80 supports the first parallel port but will print APL characters only if your system has an IBM Graphics Printer (which, despite rumors to the con- trary, is not quite compatible with Epson graphics printers); AP232 supports the first serial port and does a reasonably thorough job of it, although you would have to write a fairly sophisticated program to duplicate STSCs capability to make APL printouts with a serial printer. A set of APL functions furnished with the system uses AP232 to provide a very limited form of terminal simulation. Full-screen I/O (input /output): STSC provides system functions that enable you to capture or modify characters and video attributes in any rectangular region of the screen. IBM's AP205 offers the same capabilities plus an excellent form-designing feature that should make it easy for you to support full-screen applications. Machine language and memory access: In addition to vector-oriented versions of BASIC'S PEEK and POKE functions, both APLs provide you with the capability to call machine-code subroutines stored in the workspace; in STSCs case, the code can be given access to APL ob- jects and can modify them if necessary. IBM gives you the potentially powerful capability to write your own auxiliary processors. Speaker support: A system function in STSCs APL allows you to generate a sequence of tones of specified frequency and duration. IBM offers a more sophisticated music-playing capability through auxiliary processor AP440 (similar to BASIC'S PLAY statement). Miscellaneous extensions: STSCs APL supports the dia- mond statement separator (which allows multiple APL The leader in quality and reliability now offers the Viewpoint family with all the most user-requested features: • Earth-tone colors and small size to complement any office environment. • Tilt and swivel display for operator comfort. • Low profile keyboard with adjustable height for easier data entry. VIEWPOINT®/Color. The first truly low-cost color terminal. V1EWPOINT®/90. OEM's delight. . .double- high /double-wide, split screen, programmable function keys, down-line loadable, and more. VIEWPOINT®/78and VIEWPOINT®/78 Color. IBM functionality in mono- chrome and color. VIEWPOINT®/60. A fully featured editing terminal. VIEWPOINT®. Best price/ performance in a conversational terminal. VIEWPOINT is a registered trademark of Applied Digital Data Systems Inc. Applied Digital Data Systems Inc. A Subsidiary of NCR Corporation 1 00 Marc us Boulevard . Hauppauge , N Y 1 1 788 (5 1 6) 23 1 -54O0 Atlanta. G A (404) 458-71 20 • Boston, MA (61 7) 875-2337 Dallas. TX (214) 387-2337 • Palo Alto. CA (415, 856-0560 Philadelphia. PA<215) 564-0135 • Phoenix. AZ (602) 968-0950 Shaumburg, IL (312) 843-7555 • Tustin, CA (714) 730-6700 ADDS, UK 44 01 949 1272 IT ALL ADOS IP. Circle 31 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 263 statements on one line), the replicate extension to the compress (/) function (see listing? for some examples), and a string search primitive. It also provides system func- tions that can load or copy workspaces from within defined functions; this enables you to split very large applications among several workspaces in a transparent manner. IBM's APL allows ambivalent defined functions (i.e., functions that can be used with either one or two argu- ments). System commands are provided to store and retrieve workspaces in transfer form, an ASCII-like representation of APL functions and variables that lets them be moved to or from other APL systems. (I used this feature to transfer the benchmarks from STSC's APL to IBM's through files created by the STSC native file facility.) Both APLs allow you to sort character arrays by using dyadic forms of the grade primitive functions. Planned extensions: Release 2 of STSC's APL*PLUS/PC (which will probably be available by the time you read this) promises to add several new features. Some of them are: •APL keyword form, which substitutes English words for APL symbols and lets you program in APL without installing the character ROM •on-line documentation in the form of a user-modifiable Help facility •graphics primitive functions to support the IBM color/ graphics display adapter (as well as the higher-resolution Hercules Graphics Card and possibly others) •detached I/O, which enables input to the APL inter- preter to come from a file and APL output to be re- directed to a file •the capability to execute DOS commands from within APL •the capability to easily program the function keys As for IBM's plans beyond version 1.00 of PC APL, your guess is as good as mine— IBM never announces its plans in advance. Conclusions After using the two packages, I feel that STSC's APLTLUS/PC represents the more serious effort to pro- vide a heavy-duty APL system that does not sacrifice control over any aspect of the IBM Personal Computer. I especially like its terminal mode and other communica- tions features, file system (particularly the native file facility), flexible printer support, and clean integration of APL characters into the PC environment. IBM's APL succeeds admirably in delivering the power of the raw APL language to the PC. It also makes a valiant effort to apply auxiliary processors to the task of controlling peripherals, but unfortunately it comes up short in this respect. The strengths of IBM's approach are that it provides a language uncluttered by special features, which makes it suitable for educational pur- poses (especially at its $195 price), and it gives an am- bitious user the capability to customize the system by writing auxiliary processors. Unfortunately, the IBM APL's low price of $195 is offset by the major expense of installing an 8087 chip, which most people won't already have.B Jacques Bensimon has a master's degree in mathematics from New York University and works as a financial systems analyst for Becker Paribas Inc. in New York City. He can be reached at One Strawberry Hill, Stamford, CT 06902. EPROM PROGRAMMER & CIV ERASER FOR THE 80s SI 5 PROGRAMS OVER 300 DEVICE TYPES MOS (8K - 256 K, SINGLE & 3 VOLTAGES) BIPOLAR PROMS, 40 PIN MICROS BUV-IIA $95.50 Stand AJone / 256K Buffer (200 ns) Integrated keypad EPROM simulation Fast algorithm /_ Power down sockets Temp compensated Ref. voltages 1 6 formats & 8 baud rates Auto-user friendly-mode BVT6KI S15F $995 OVER 26 FUNCTIONS Edit CRC check Block Move Over Program Insert Delete 16 Diagnostic Functions And More ! (305) 994-3520 COMPUTER SYSTEMS CORP 40 89 S. Rogers Circle #7, Boca Raton, FL 33431 • Heavy duty • Timer • Safety switch • 110/220 voltage BUV-IIB $66.50 | • Heavy duty • Safety switch • UV indicator OTHER COMPLETE SYSTEMS S15R (remote) $6§S S15F(4key) $795 S15B (bipolar) $895 S15G(gang) $1095 264 BYTE March 1984 Circle 53 on inquiry card. The truth about information management: The Knowledge Manager beats dBASEover 250 ways. ". . .the leading seller is no longer the best You get more from the Knowledge Time (in minutes) to sort* a two-field record on one numeric field. ment, ad hoe queries (like IBM's SQL/DS), spreadsheet, math and statistics, printed forms manage- ment, screen I/O management, a full-scale programming language. All for less than the list price of d BASE. Plus you can now get a te painter, color graphics and a run-time KnowiedgeMan *K-MAN Vi.05, dBASE II V2.3D, IBM XT, 256 K RAM, heavily populated directory. rocessor, a u All completely integrated: anything you wish. Like I order entry, job costing o decision support & about / 1^*22222. t ,v* H c;> sl,s fa* >»» y, ;!.. >*»' ♦ ■'•■:> ■;;:;,- % >•: . l ,.•• , ' , ^••;:::.'r-" 1 . l .' : c:' #*;£ \\\ ' fe?%?sSf>^' \\ «" , :; , ,t; •" Dealer inquiries invited. Please send me: □ Free feature-by-feature comparison □ Forms painter information □ Graphics information □ Text processor information □ Run-time package information □ Please accept my order for KnowiedgeMan Package $500.00 D Shipping and Handling* 10.00 (Indiana residents must add 5% sales tax— $25.00) Machine: Operating Systems: □ PCDOS D MSDOS D CP/ M-86 Disk Format: □ 8" IBM-3740 SS/SD □ 5 1 /4" IBM PC SS □ 5Va" Victor/ Sirius □ 5V4" DEC Rainbow (Dig. RX50) *Add $20.00 if outside U.S., Canada or Mexico □ Check or money order enclosed (must be drawn from U.S. bank in U.S. currency) MasterCard No VISA No American Express No.- Expiration Date Bank No. (if M.C.) Signature VISA and MasterCard orders may be placed by phone (317) 463-2581. ..LEDGE m®n KnowiedgeMan is a trademark of Micro Data Base Systems, Inc., dBASE II of Ashton Tate, SQI/DS of IBM. Current release is 1.05 as of 1 1/1/83. Name Title__ Zip. Company Phone ( )_ Address City State Send To: rt\ MDBS/ Consumer Products JV P.O. Box 248 *RJ* Lafayette, IN 47902 © Phone: (317)463-2581 Or Contact Your Local Dealer. PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE Circle 191 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 265 nOl COMPUTER TO HAVE WHEN YOU'RE HAVING THANONE. If you're considering linking up more than one computer, there's only one computer worth considering. The British Broadcasting Corporation Microcomputer Sys- tem by Acorn. One of the BBC Micro's many built-in features is an economical and powerful com- munications network. We call this the Econet® local area network. Econet lets you combine up to 254 BBC's into a single com- munications system. Virtually no other system lets you hook up this many computers this easiiy. What's more, you can link two micros without any special hardware. And all computers on the Econet network can share disc drives and printers. But what really makes Econet such a great network of comput- ers is the computer it networks. The BBC Micro. The most versa- tile computer anywhere for its size and price. Its enormous built-in expansion potential means it can handle anything from basic tasks to advanced Econet networking. It also means changing technology won't change it into an obsolete system overnight. All of which make Acorn the perfect communications system for schools or business. If you'd like to learn more about how Acorn can build you the perfect communications net- work, write Acorn Computers Corporation, 400 Unicorn Park Drive, Woburn, Massachusetts, 01801, or call toll-free 1-800- 225-8001 (in Massachusetts call 617-935-1 190). We'd be happy to communicate with you. vlCORN COMPUTER^ © !983 Acorn Computers Corporation. Circle 394 on inquiry card. Hardware Review Chalk Board's Powerpad and Leonardo's Library A new large touch panel for the Atari 400/800, the Commodore 64, and the Apple II comes with a wide selection of software by Elaine Holden At last! Technology is finally beginning to incorporate educational philosophy. A new company Chalk Board Inc., has come up with the Powerpad (hardware) and Leonardo's Library (software). The Powerpad, shown in photo 1, is a touch-sensitive pad that is used by the pro- grams in Leonardo's Library as the primary input. The programs teach visual arts, music, mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies. However, only a frac- tion of the total series of educational packages is current- ly on the market. The Powerpad does not involve traditional teaching ap- proaches such as ditto sheets (those awful purple un- readables handed out by many teachers) and workbooks. Instead, there is direct in- teraction and immediate feedback with this teaching tool. This is referred to as the multimodal approach. In other words, if you touch it while you hear it and see it, you remember it longer. Powerpad The main component of the product is a 12-inch by 12-inch touch pad housed in a 20-inch by 17-inch hard plastic case. Mylar overlays that are part of the software package take the place of a conventional keyboard. Some areas of the pad are defined as keys, depending bility of the Powerpad expands the range of potential users. Because an intricate keyboard is not involved, children and nontyping adults can learn with the com- puter in a much more relaxed and natural fashion. The Powerpad connects through the game input port of your computer. It is lightweight, well constructed, and very versatile. [Editor's Note: See the text box on page 270 for technical notes on the Powerpad.] Leonardo's Library The set of learning packages is named after Leonardo da Vinci, who explored many areas of study. Similarly, Chalk Board's library tries to cover many disciplines in the Renaissance tradition. Each discipline has pack- ages that range over five levels of sophistication and complexity. Almost any child or adult can locate a program at the appropriate educational level without becoming frustrated. Included with each soft- ware package is a Mylar overlay sheet that fits over the active surface of the Powerpad. The overlay defines areas of the pad's surface that correspond with specific functions. The matching overlay imprinted with color-coded "buttons" serves as the menu and as on the program. The flexi- Photo 1: The Powerpad with the Mylar overlay for Micromaestro. special function keys. 268 BYTE March 1984 For this review, I had access to three of the available packages from Leonardo's Library— Leo's 'Lectric Paint- brush, Micromaestro, and Powerpad Programming Kit. The first two packages help learners discover art and music; the third allows you to use the Powerpad as an input device in your own BASIC programs. Lea's 'Lectric Paintbrush Briefly, this program lets you finger-paint electronically. Using Leo's 'Lectric Paintbrush has to be the most fun I've had since I dipped my fingers into a paint dish as a six-year-old in Mrs. Sparrow's first-grade class. Brush, paint, and crayons are often regarded as too messy for frequent use by children. Only when art class has begun or mother has the patience can a child paint. We tend to forget that a child's timetable may be different from ours, and later we are often disappointed when children do not develop enthusiasm for art. With this program, you don't need paints or even paper. A stylus is provided, but I much preferred my fingers. The stylus, however, is useful for drawing fine lines. All you have to do is press the pad and the image appears on the screen. The 36-page instruction booklet provided a very con- siderate walk-through of all the capabilities of the Paint- brush program, but it did not answer all my questions. It did, in fact, raise some of its own. These probing but nonthreatening questions provide directions for the learner without stifling the process of discovery. I had to experiment and explore to answer the questions. Eight colors are provided for the palette. With the colors and my fingers, I was ready to create a master- piece. Naturally, at first, I left small green fingerprints all over the place while trying to pinpoint where I left off. There's no way to tell on the Powerpad where I had already painted. The images show up only on the screen. Then I discovered that, much like my Logo program, the Powerpad has a Pen-up command that lets me see where my finger is without marking on the screen. When my finger is in the right place, I press the Pen-down area to recommence drawing. First, I attempted to draw a landscape. Traditionally, a bright yellow sun hovers over all my versions of Mt. Monadnock. I used the Fill command to color in my sun. This is when I discovered that an incomplete circle (or any other shape, for that matter) will leak color all over the landscape. Cancel stopped the process and I cleaned up. You can also move objects. The manual suggested mak- ing clouds. They fit in the picture, so I did. To and End commands define objects. I defined a cloud and used the Move command to put a second cloud, just like the first, in another place. Failing to recall the Pen-up com- mand, I first positioned the cloud in the treetops. Even- Photo 2: A landscape created with Leo's 'Lectric Paintbrush. BYTE March 1984 269 tually it made its way across the sky to the right posi- tion, then I cleaned up all my little fluffy fingerprints. The result is shown in photo 2. You can get quite carried away with this and before long discover that all the computer's memory is used up. Economical use of computer memory is learned through trial and error at this stage but, to make it less frustrating, a Hashmark key (#) is provided on the Mylar overlay as well. When pressed, this key provides a vertical gauge of memory to the right of the picture. The artist can determine how much memory is left because, as he draws, this gauge fills with color. Pictures can be saved; very clear directions are pro- vided for this, with sample experiments. The experi- ments stimulate a learner rather than just provide him with lockstep directions. Too many programs give such precise directions that the student behaves like a robot. This is not teaching, this is programming. Complete referencing is the form of an index is also provided. This is very useful for beginners. It is clearly organized and not complicated. Micromaestro This program is an answer to a music teacher's prayer. Limited funds prohibit quantity purchases of pianos, so classes often only hear music, but never make it. Prior solutions have included recorders for all (an agony of sound) and cardboard keyboards (no sounds but every- one got to practice). Structured music class, individual classroom practice, and home use are all possibilities for Micromaestro, shown in photo 1. Naturally, this program is not a sub- stitute for the real McCoy. I have yet to be convinced that any electronic marvel will ever take the place of a real piano. But basic music theory and composition can ef- fectively be learned through this program. Its visual display function is especially useful, because it lets you At a Glance Name Powerpad, Leonardo's Library Type Hardware and accompanying Programming Kit; Software: Micromaestro, Leo's 'Lectric Paintbrush Manufacturer Chalk Board Inc. 3772 Pleasantdale Rd. Atlanta, GA 30340 (800) 241-3989 Price Powerpad, $99.95 Micromaestro, $24.95 Leo's 'Lectric Paintbrush, $24.95 Powerpad Programming Kit, $24.95 Other software in the Library will be available at prices ranging from $24.95 to $49.95 Format Cartridge or disk Documentation 36- to 40-page booklets plus self-explanatory keys on the Mylar overlays Computer Needed Commodore 64 and V\C-20, Atari, Apple, IBM PC Audience Preschool to adult see what you are playing on your computer screen. Photo 3 shows you what I mean. Very little music theory is directly provided in the 40-page user's guide. I assume that this is because it is the most basic of the proposed five music packages and The Technical Side of Powerpad The Powerpad contains an x,y matrix of 120 by 120 wires. The wires are connected to several 4051 eight-channel analog multi- plexer/demultiplexers. The 4051s along one axis are connected to +5 volts. A 4024 seven-stage binary counter makes the 4051s transfer the +5 volts to its matrix wires, one wire at a time. When the user presses the Powerpad matrix, the wires under the point of pressure touch each other so that the potential from one axis is carried over to the wires of the other axis. When this happens, the scanning process stops and the SENSE line to the computer goes low. This alerts the computer that the Powerpad has been touched and the coordinates of the touched area may now be read. The coordinates are stored in two 4021 8-bit shift registers that, for programming purposes, are treated as one 16-bit register. The 16-bit register always contains the values present in the two 4024 binary counters. The x-axis coordinate is stored in the least signifi- cant 7 bits of the register, and the y-axis coordinate is stored in the next 7 bits. The most significant 2 bits of the register are always 01. These are discarded by the computer. To read the coordinates, the computer pulses the CLOCK line to the Powerpad high 16 times. At each pulse, the shift register outputs one bit of its contents to the DATA line through a 4069 inverter. When all the data has been read, the computer pulses the CLEAR line to the Powerpad high. This tells the Powerpad to place the SENSE line low and continue scanning for a touch. Note that the binary counters are not set to zero. Instead, they retain their count and continue the scan from there. The scanning begins from the point 0, 0. The y axis is scanned from to 119 while x remains at zero; then x is incremented by one, and the y axis is scanned again. By the way, the Powerpad uses the same I/O port on the Com- modore 64 that the keyboard uses. This means that you cannot use the keyboard while the Powerpad is communicating with the computer, although Chalk Board Inc. says that it will tell you how to use both if you join the Padmasters Guild, the Powerpad users group. 270 BYTE March 1984 • '• ^SL ** 1 v v -^ipCT c ■■*■ ■ mj , gj & ' : ^ : % S \ >*yb^ j^. X v" iL^BSm^ v \ %ip fc2S"^H - s> ;, # .0*^ ■ wi^7^'' Jn ■ SS^»: Encounter REVELATION >r $950, Revelation Software by ;osmos will give your PC capabili- ties that no microcoputer has ever had before. Through a versatile, high performance Relational Data Base Management System developed by Cosmos, Revelation will give your microcomputer all the power and sophistication of a minicomputer Revelation features a data base with variable-length fields and records, (up to 64K), and unlimited files and accounts. File size is R 0. Box AH, Morton, WA 98356 Circle 102 on inquiry card. limited only by disk size. Also featured: A powerful, hybrid programming language. A fourth generation applica- tions and program generator Our programs write programs! Communications functions that give your PC the power to uti- lize applications, programs, and data from thousands of existing mainframe and minicomputers. 8087 math chip support Revelation co-exists with MS/DOS™ or PC/DOS™ 1.0. 1.1, COSMOS 2.0 versions, and is compatible with the IBM PC™* XX™ COMPAQ™ Corona™ Columbia Multi- Personal® and the Eagle 1600™. Its also compatible with mini- computers utilizing the PICK Operating System™ Minimum configuration requires 320K memory and 8087 math chip. MS/DOS™ of Microsoft Corp. IBM PC Registered TM of International Business Machines Corp. CO MPACP of COMPAQ Computer Corp. PICK Operating System™ of PICK SYSTEMS. Eagle 1600™ of Eagle Computers. Corona PC™ of Corona Data Systems. Columbia Multi- Personal™ of Columbia Data Products Inc. Telephone 1-800-422-2511 Inside Washington 206-496-5974. BYTE March 1984 271 Photo 3: A visual reproduction of music played with Micromaestro. also because the truly capable music student will attain a lot on his own. The program carries the student along by suggesting various notes to play. Nothing much beyond this is sug- gested for songs, the remainder of the booklet being taken up with instructions on the use of various keys, symbols, and game suggestions. Hopefully, the remain- ing four packages in this series will teach some theory. Powerpad Programming Kit This programming kit consists of a blank overlay and a book that explains how to program the Powerpad with BASIC. This is not for the very young or the recent con- vert to the Computer Age. I was delighted with the pro- gram. Middle-school students who are familiar with computers and BASIC are naturals for this kit. I feel that average inquisitive elementary-age youngsters would have a problem, though, unless they are first instructed in the fundamentals of programming. Conclusions Leonardo's Library and the Powerpad are fine ex- amples of educational tools. They follow sound educa- tional philosophy, they stress creativity and problem solving, and they have the element of surprise. With these programs, students cannot rush through an exer- cise to get done, look at the back of the book for answers, or ask someone else — they must discover on their own. The electronic wizardry of the Powerpad is impressive, and the rigid plastic housing keeps it quite safe. I would say it will last for a long time under normal use. The Mylar overlays also seem durable but, should accidents occur, they can be replaced for only $6. In order for the student not to feel alone with his discoveries, another feature is the Padmasters Guild and the Chalk Board newsletter. The Guild membership is free to anyone owning a Programming Kit and costs $9.95 a year for everyone else. Included is a hot-line number for troubleshooting and publications on new programs for the Powerpad written by other programmers. The newsletter answers questions and publishes users' com- ments and ideas. These features, plus the excellent soft- ware, add up to a useful tool in education. ■ Elaine Holden (22 Elm Street, Peterborough, NH 03458) is the supervisor of reading and language arts at the Merrimack School District in New Hampshire. 272 BYTE March 1984 if**" * " ' A. The strong stainless steel tongue and groo> i frame, designed f< >i m »isture and dust resistance, \. Is the only one of its kind, \ B. Secure three-point latching is provided by lock and key combift d ^ it h an easy to use combination I. ». I- I >m Suretflide iM cam ... tiotl \vm* I. lucres hold even when the case is dropped. C. Customized foam interior is die cutlo lit andprotect yourcompun i I >n l.,,.., i ... il.. hd is padded with convoluted un ih.n» loam for complete preted On 2ff* case the lid contains a folio designed to ho $* inii i:. imiitoui paper and manual I >. A sturdy w.ill i .1 high impact resistant AHS (used it) fcotbafl helmets and .tuiuh p. i i pi m id. idut able outer protection as well as good looks, Th lll()lll . .,,„ yousexterioi oi the case camouflages vmn computer for added security. K. Comfortable padded handle makes < . i - a \ l.an'et models also I ,.,«.< ( a \ i'.li 03 — accumulator = 04 — accumulator < = 05 — accumulator > = 06 — accumulator < > Table 1: Simulated Computer II instruction set. The variable xx represents a memory location and must be in the range to 23. SUBxx MULxx DIVxx INPxx OUTxx JMPxx STP SKPcc 4xx 5xx 6xx 7xx 8xx 9xx 000 Occ When the turtle receives a command, the main display disappears and is replaced by the turtle screen (see photo 2). This is an aerial view of the little fellow, surrounded by a rectangular border near the edges of the screen. As a program runs, the system flips back and forth between the main and turtle screens, and you can watch the graphics commands execute step by step. I discovered that if you command the turtle to move some distance that would send it off screen, it rams into the border with a painful crashing sound and the pro- gram halts. I really wish the little printer had sputtered out ERROR-INJURED TURTLE. A Sample Machine Cycle Since the beauty of this simulation is its ability to reveal the individual actions that must take place for a single machine instruction to execute, let's take a look at what happens when we single-step through an LDA06 (load the accumulator from memory location 6). Well assume that our instruction is stored at location 00: 1. The number 00 appears inside the program counter and fetch register boxes in the central processor. The numbers gleam brightly for an instant when they ap- Photo 2: Simulated Computer II's turtle hard at work on the turtle screen producing a 12-point star. 276 BYTE March 1984 EQUATIONS PROCESSED NO PINCH.. NO PAPIR. NO MANUAL LABOR. The TKISolver® program will take on your toughest problems- linear, quadratic, simultaneous equations, whatever. Then stand back. Because TKISolver turns your personal computer into a simple, yet powerful, desktop equation processor. Whether your problem is a simple formula or a model con- sisting of many equations, TKISolver can help improve your productivity. Once the equations are written, enter the known values, press the ! key, and TKISolver gives you the answer. Engineers, scientists, architects, financial analysts and planners, educators, researchers, and other professionals who use equations and mathematical models can work more creatively with TKISolver. TKISOLVER GIVES YOU: BACKSOLVING If the programs you use now require you to rewrite the same equation to solve for different unknowns, TKISolver can dramatically improve your productivity. Enter your problem once and then solve for the un- knowns no matter where they are in your equation. ITERATIVE SOLVING If TKISolver can't solve an equation directly, take an educated guess at the answer. Type the ! key and the TKISolver program starts with your guess and performs repeated approximations to con- verge on the answer. LIST SOLVING Given a list of input values, TKISolver automati- cally calculates the equation for every value in your list. For example, if you want to know how different interest rates will affect monthly loan pay- ments, enter a list of interest rates and let TKISolver calculate the payment amount for each value. UNIT CONVERSIONS Any type of unit conversion - Fahrenheit to Celsius, meters to feet, dollars to deutschemarks, newtons to dynes- can be made without altering your equations. Just define the numerical relation- ship between two units of mea- surement and the TKISolver program automatically converts the variable value to the unit you specify. TABLES AND PLOTS Quickly generate tables and plots of your results on your screen or printer. AVAILABLE NOW You can run the TKISolver program on the IBM® PC and XT and compatible machines, the Digital™ Professional™ 350, the Digital™ Rainbow™ 100, the Wang Professional Computer, Apple® //e, and on the following personal computers using MS™-DOS: Tl Professional Computer, GRiD Compass Com- puter,™ Canon AS-100, Eagle® 1600, Toshiba T300, and the Zenith Z-100.™ SEE IT TODAY There's more. Lot's more. But you'll have to see it to believe it. And that's easy. Bring your own equations into your nearest computer retailer and . ask to see the TKISolver program in action. The world's first equation processor for personal computers. TKISolver' By Software ArtsJ" creators of VisiCalc® 27 Mica Lane, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02181 617-237-4000 TKJKI, TKISolver, the stylized ! and the slogan "THE WORLD'S FIRST EQUATION PROCESSOR FOR PERSONAL COMPUTERS" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Software Arts, Inc. Software Arts is a trademark of Software Arts, Inc. and Software Arts Products Corp. The TKISolver program is a product of Software Arts, Inc., which is solely responsible for its contents. VisiCalc is a registered trademark of VisiCorp. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. GRiD Compass Computer is a trademark of GRiD Systems Corporation. Z-100 is a trademark of Zenith Data Systems. Eagle is a registered trademark of Eagle Computer, Inc. Digital, Professional, and Rainbow are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. WANG is a registered trademark of Wang Laboratories Inc. MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Copyright © 1984 Software Arts, Inc. All rights reserved. Circle 325 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 277 pear so we don't miss their arrival. 2. The contents of location 00 scintillate, and a buzzing electron zips out of that box and races over to the in- struction register. There is another flash, and the number from address 00 appears; we've just wit- nessed a fetch from location 00. Meanwhile, the fetch register is cleared and the letters PC appear in the in- crement register. This means that the program counter is about to be incremented— an important action; most microprocessors set the program counter to point to the instruction following the one being executed. 3. The program counter flashes, and a 01 appears in it. The letters LDA pop up in the execute register. The computer has correctly decoded the contents of the instruction register. 4. The number in location 06 flares briefly, and another electron rushes out of that box, depositing the number in the accumulator. A 01 appears in the fetch register. Our load was successful, and the contents of the fetch register show that the computer is ready to execute the next instruction. Documentation At the time this article was being written, only a rough draft of the documentation was available. The final ver- sion should be a booklet about 35 pages long. In any case, the rough draft was extremely well written and easy to follow. The first two chapters guide you through the process of loading Simulated Computer II on your computer, then describe the different elements of the display. This is followed by instructions for entering a number of ex- ample programs and a wonderful breakdown of central processor operations as you process a program in single- step mode (possibly the most worthwhile part of this entire simulation). One chapter is devoted to sound generation— more than it deserves, I think— and one to turtle graphics. A lot is left to user innovation at this point. Several "pro- gram challenges" presented problems requiring pro- gramming solutions. I was pleased to find that sample solutions to these challenges were printed in the ap- pendixes. A rather drawn-out process just to get the contents of a memory location into the accumulator, I agree. The point is, that was a close approximation of what hap- pens when a real computer executes a "load accumula- tor" instruction, and we were able to watch each in- dividual step. This is what a graphic simulation is all about. 64K CPU, 2 Drives, Controller, 8O-C0S $ SAVE S //e Portable PC64K 2-Drives, Controller Color & Monochrome, Parallel Port $2495 XT's JR's PRINTERS Gemini 10X 269 Okidata92P 429 Epson RX-80 269 FX-80 Call Juki 6100 459 Prowriter 349 NEC 3550 1839 2030 Call MONITORS Princeton HX12. 469 Max 12... In Stock Amdex310A 169 Taxan Amber 1 29 Color II+ 429 Columbia 1 600-1 2650 Compaq Call ACCESSORIES Grappler+ 1 19 Microsoft Mouse 1 29 Kensington Fan 59 Kraft Joystick 39 Corvus. Sale Grappler+ Workalike 79 Koala Pad Apple 79 Thin Line Drive //eorlBM.. 198 Micro Sci A2 205 Rana Elite 1 229 Tandan 100-2 .239 Sony 3V* Drive Call Mockingboard Call MODEMS Hayes 1200 479 1200B 389 MM//1 239 Signalman Mark XII 279 Volks Modem 300 baud ...59 Novation Apple Cat 2. . . . Calt Pro-modem 1200 Call MODULES STB RIO+ 249 Super RIO 279 AST 6 Pak 279 Mega+ 279 Quadboard 249 Graphix Plus 299 BEST PRICES ON BUSINESS SOFTWARE-CALL FOR DETAILS 714 841-6160 Computer Price Club NO CLUB FEE 1 6783 Beoch Blvd. Huntington Beach, Cfi 92647 Conclusion Although I agree with the designers' decision to keep the instruction set simple, I feel that their omission of indexed addressing and subroutine CALL/RETURN in- structions was a mistake. It's easy to see from table 1 that Simulated Computer's instruction decoding scheme limits the number of processor instructions to 10, so that any additions would require a major overhaul of the en- tire product. However, given the importance of address indexing and subroutines, I urge the designers to include this in the next version of the program. Subroutines could be used to introduce users to the stack, which is also missing from the current design. My other big objection concerns the sound generator. If there were some way to turn off the noise of the elec- trons and run the processor at twice its current top speed, maybe you could make a little melody or even a scale. As it stands, I don't see much use for this feature at all. Tom Smith of Carousel Software explained that, limited though it was, sound was found useful in motivating children who might not be attracted by other parts of the simulation. As he put it, "Different kids re- spond to different things." Despite my complaints, I remain generally enthusiastic about Simulated Computer II. Introductory computer classes from high school up to continuing education should have something like this in their software libraries. I recommend it to anyone interested in learn- ing more about what "goes on under the hood." Cer- tainly programmers about to take their first jump into assembly or machine language will find it a worthwhile introduction to what lies ahead. I sure could have used it when I learned assembly language a few years ago.B Richard Grehan (621 North WOW. Apt. C, Orem, UT 84057) is an educa- tional software applications programmer for WICAT Systems. 278 BYTE March 1984 Circle 88 on inquiry card. Statpro™ brings the power of mainframe statistics t< your personal computer Until now, serious statistical analysis meant mainframes, computer cen- ters and a lot of extra work for you. Enter Statpro, the most power- ful statistical software system ever developed for personal computers. It lets you do almost everything you do on a mainframe on your IBM* or Apple" personal computer. Including descriptive statistics, regression, ANOVA, factor and cluster analysis, to name just a few capabilities. And Statpro 's awesome power isn't limited to number crunching. You can plot all your results in four- color graphics, such as scatter, triangle and regression plots, dendrograms, histograms and pie charts. Statpro is a trademark of Wads worth Professional Software, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of Intern, What's more, Statpro has sophisticated database management capabilities ^^T which make entering, manipulating, transforming and editing data quick and easy. Most important of all, you get this incredible power in one inte- grated, fully documented, easy-to- use package. Statpro for personal computers. Another example of why small is beautiful. Contact your local dealer. Or Wadsworth Professional Software, Inc., Statler Office Building, 20 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116. 800-322-2208 In Massachusetts call (617) 423-0420. Wadsworth Rrofessional Software Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. ational Business Machines, Corp. Circle 376 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 279 Don't buy a spreadsheet A lot of electronic spreadsheets just cant cover your needs. They don t go far enough. They re unable to work like you or a dapt to the way y ou think. | ^^^^^ ■ ' ■ ".>■■*» Time for Microsoft® I^^^^^KSBsSBHH Multiplan® the high energy J^^^^^B^"^ 7^^K^ spread. A spreadsheet ^^^^^^P^H^^HHBQ with more workspace ^^^^^^^^P^*]3^^^^Bfl than the other ^^^^^AfeM^^^w] high 4^^^^^B^^^^^V1 performance V^^^^^^^B!^5(^^^^BBBB^ m capabilities IttHfitt^^ ^^^^^^ / Jf for your IBM® ^^■BL*-^ fci *** U PC, PC XT PC jr. or ^^^^K^m^^W other MS-DOS microcomputer. ^^^^^BBBPf Multiplan loves you as you are* Other spreadsheets force you to learn how they think. Multiplan learns how you think. It remembers the way you work. Anticipates frequent commands. Even offers sugges- tions on spreadsheet set-up. Commands are in English. So are formulas. Instead of typing mysterious coordinates like H54 ~ L73 = BK154, you can simply name worksheet areas: Sales - Costs = Profit. that spreads too thin* Multiplan can link information in different spreadsheets. When you make a change on one, every related one is changed. Multiplan has optional Multiplan Application Programs that work with you to design and build custom spread- -"**& sheets for Budget Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis or Cash Planning in minutes. Not hours. Or days. The trained mouse* Microsoft's Mouse is a speedy little critter that flies through Multiplan so" _ easily you barely have to lift a finger to select and execute commands. Small wonder Microsoft gets more performance out of a spreadsheet We designed the MS-DOS operating MICROSOFT s V stem ^at tells the IBM PC how to The High Performance Software think. And OUr BASIC is the language spoken by nine out of ten microcomputers worldwide. To get the best spread call 800426-9400 (in Washington state call 206-828-8088) for the name of your nearest Microsoft dealer. Now featuring Multiplan at a reduced price: $195* Suggested list price shown for Multiplan. Microsoft and Multiplan are registered trademarks and MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Software Review Bank Street Writer A word processor simple enough for children, but powerful enough for many writers by Mario Pagnoni "Word processing is the best invention since the eras- able pen." With that perceptive comment, my 10-year- old son, James, thanked the computer industry. James, like many of his teachers, is finding that word process- ing is one of the best educational uses for computers. Sure, schools are using drill and practice programs, tutorials, simulations, and other forms of "computer- assisted instruction." And they're making strides teach- ing programming languages like BASIC, Logo, and PILOT. But through all the hoopla about the computer "saving" education, many teachers remain skeptical. One thing that does impress many educators, though, is the machine's ability to help children express them- selves. Children use word processing for a variety of writing tasks including stories, poetry, school reports, and letters to Grandma. James and his brother, Joseph (age seven), have used word processing for about a year. Their writing has improved and they enjoy it more. For Joseph, word processing arrived just in time. Re- membering his struggles with messy, erasure-riddled papers in our pre-word-processing days, he said, "The best thing is, when you erase your mistakes, the paper doesn't scrunch up and tear." Word processing bought time for his fine motor coordination to catch up to his expressive skills. And it's even more beneficial for those "special needs" children for whom the physical process of writing is difficult or impossible. Everyone seems to agree that processing words is great for children. As they learn to manipulate text, they begin to look into the very fabric of writing. They become acutely aware of the effect of the different arrangements of their words. Moreover, they become conscious of the logical progression of thoughts expressed in good writ- ing. Their writing gradually becomes clear and unclut- tered. Children today take to all phases of computing with little or no instruction. 'It's the parents and teachers who need the handholding," said one computer instructor. "To get children writing, all you have to do is give them a word-processing package they can handle." The problem is just that— finding a word-processing program that children can handle. Most are difficult to learn and even more difficult to use. And if, after master- ing a program, the children don't run it for a while, they forget how to use it. Powerful editors with exotic func- tions bewilder children. Having to spend a long time learning a program frustrates them, and they may give up before doing any actual writing. Manuals are often confusing and intimidating. According to William Zinsser, author of Writing with a Word Processor, "If any single force is destined to impede man's mastery of the computer, it will be the manual that tries to teach him to master it." One word-processing program that solves these prob- lems and opens the world of processing words to chil- dren is Bank Street Writer by Broderbund Software Inc. Bank Street Writer is a well-designed, inexpensive, easy-to-use word processor. It's not only simple for children to learn, it provides prompts to help them re- member how to use it. Developed by the highly respected Bank Street College of Education to serve children, it is billed by Broderbund as "the home word processor" While it lacks the sophisticated features of a business word-processing package, it does everything most nonprofessional writers want. It's ideal for people with little or no computer experience. Bank Street Writer consists of three programs— the writer itself, a tutorial (on the flip side of the disk), and the utility program (used to change how the writer com- municates with your peripherals). The Tutorial Bank Street Writer features a logical, interactive tutorial containing five brief lessons. Working through the exer- cises (in less than 30 minutes) is all most children need to begin working with the writer program, and many don't need the tutorial at all. The same goes for the printed documentation. It is a concise, 28-page pocket- size manual with a useful index/glossary feature. It would be even more useful if you needed it more. The program is so simple and logical that you could misplace the manual after the first few days and never miss it. 282 BYTE March 1984 At a Glance Name Bank Street Writer Type Word-processing program Manufacturer Broderbund Software Inc. 17 Paul Dr. San Rafael, CA 94903 (415) 479-1170 School Package (three copies of Bank Street Writer and teacher materials) Scholastic Inc. 730 Broadway New York, NY 10003 Format 5/4 -inch disks with program on one side and tutorial on the other Computers Apple II Plus, lie, Atari 400, 800, and 1200 with 48K bytes of memory and 1 drive, Commodore 64, IBM PC Price Home version: S 69.95 (two copies and user's manual) School version: $95 (three copies and teacher's manual) Documentation Broderbund version: 28-page pocket-size user's manual Scholastic version: three-ring indexed binder Comments Simple enough for children and powerful enough for most adults Audience School age to adult The Writer Because the entire program loads into memory at the start, it is easy to use with just one disk drive. Boot the program disk, then replace it with a data disk. Boot time is quick— you'll be ready to write in about 12 seconds. There are no exotic graphics, just a blinking, beckoning cursor. The writer program has three modes—Write mode (to enter text), Edit mode (to make corrections and revi- sions), and Transfer mode (to "communicate" with your drive or printer). You can get from one mode to another by hitting the Esc key. If you get confused, all you need do is press Esc until you come to a familiar mode. A mes- sage in the screen's upper-right corner always indicates which mode you are in. Write mode gives you a 38-character screen that allows 18 lines of writing. A rectangle that resembles a sheet of paper outlines the screen; the area inside that border is for text. Outside the border, at the top of the screen, is an area devoted to prompts. This virtually eliminates the need to memorize commands. The few that you do need to know are logical: Control-I to indent 8, 16, 24, or 32 spaces; Control-C to center text; and Control-S to determine how much space is left in your file. Bank Street Writer accommodates files of 1300 words if you have a 48K-byte machine— 3200 words if you have an additional 16K-byte RAM (random-access read/write memory) card. To overcome these file-length limits you can create short files and then link them before printing. When text memory is almost filled, an additional prompt appears-^NOTE: ROOM FOR 50 WORDS REMAINING" (it counts every six characters as a word). Bank Street Writer displays uppercase and lowercase letters on the Apple II without additional hardware. Hit Shift-N and the following letter will be capitalized. Hit Shift-N a second time for caps lock and once more to unlock the caps. If your machine has the Shift-key modi- fication for capitalization, you can "notify" the Bank Street Writer through the Utility mode (this is unneces- sary with the Apple He). The program features word wrap so that carriage re- turns are necessary only to start a new paragraph. After 18 lines of text, the screen automatically scrolls up eight lines to allow for more typing. Characters can be erased in either direction with the left and right arrow keys. In the Edit mode the cursor-movement keys (the four arrow keys on the Apple He, and IJ,K, and M on the Apple II Plus) are displayed in the prompt area. You'll have to "memorize" that B gets you to the beginning of your document, E to the end, U takes you up 12 lines, and D down 12 lines. To edit text, enter the Edit mode and use the cursor-control keys to locate your error. Then press Esc to get back to Write mode and type the cor- rection. Bank Street Writer "knows" whether it is booting on an Apple II Plus or He and loads the appropriate ver- sion. The He uses the open and closed apple keys to select a function and the II Plus uses the left and right arrow keys. In either case you access the function by highlighting your choice and pressing Return, Edit mode functions include Erase, Unerase, Move, Moveback, Find, Replace, and Transfer. You can erase up to 15 lines of text at a time. To do this, select Erase from the prompt menu. Follow the step- by-step directions that tell you to place the cursor at the beginning of the text you want to erase— then hit Return. Place the cursor at the end of the text that you want erased— hit Return. The appropriate text will be high- lighted and you will be asked, "Are you sure you want to erase highlighted text (Y/N)?" (Bank Street Writer always double-checks your command before executing it.) If, after erasing text, you decide that the erased por- tion should have stayed, you can Unerase (now there's a term children can understand). It could be the first example of "computerese" that demystifies. If you have to learn to Access and Interface and Paginate, you may as well learn to Unerase. The Move function is similar to Erase, You highlight the section of text you want to move (again, up to 15 lines) and indicate its destination. You are then asked, "Are you sure?" All of this is well prompted and, of course, you can Moveback if you change your mind. The Unerase and Moveback functions only allow you to undo BYTE March 1984 283 your last move immediately after that move. Thus, if you Erase a passage and then enter some new text, you will not be able to Unerase your original passage. There are also powerful Find and Replace functions. Select Find on the edit menu. Type in the word or words (up to 29 characters) that you want to find. The first ap- pearance of the word will be highlighted. Answer "Y"(es) to the prompts to find subsequent occurrences of the word(s). Replace operates in a similar way replacing the word you searched for with the replacement of your choice. Transfer mode (which you enter from Edit mode) is for disk and printer operations. It allows you to initialize disks, Save and Retrieve files, Rename or Delete files, Clear memory, Print-draft, Print-final, or Quit the writer program. If you attempt to Quit Bank Street Writer with- out saving your document, you will be reminded that "You did not save this text. Are you sure you want to quit now (Y/N)?" The Print-draft function prints your text exactly as you see it on the screen (38 characters per line). This is useful for proofreading and leaves generous margins for teachers' comments. It also makes it easy for students to go back to the computer and find their mistakes on the screen. Some students "paste up" two print-drafts (side by side) to create a two-column effect for their school newspaper. Print-final prompts you with options about how you want the printed document to look. You can select page numbering and double or triple spacing, for example. You can print copy that is 40 to 126 characters per line. Another useful feature allows you to see and adjust page breaks before printing. All of this formatting goes quick- ly, especially if you accept the default values by press- ing Return after each question. The Utility Program You access the utility program by pressing Esc while Bank Street Writer is booting. It is used to list the names and passwords (used to lock files) of each file on your data disk, and to convert Bank Street Writer files (binary) to standard text files and vice versa. Conversions are slow. It took 15 minutes to convert this review (about 2600 words). You can also change default values like width of margins and page length through the utility program. In addition, the cursor can be changed from a blinking line to a white square, and you can engage a typing keyclick sound. The keyclick option is helpful to experienced typists who don't need to look at the key- board or screen. Those barely audible clicks reassure them if they feel that they may have missed a key. I ap- preciated the keyclick option for a different reason. It reminded me that, although the program was designed for children, it is powerful enough for most adults. Drawbacks Bank Street Writer does not support right justification, tabbing, or embedding commands for things like under- lining or boldface, though Broderbund does plan en- hancements. Nor does it support split-screen operation, subscripts, or superscripts. These criticisms are almost invalid when you consider that the program was not de- signed for professional writers. This software isn't for for- matters; it's for writers and would-be writers of all ages. My only complaints are that it's slow going from the Write mode to the Edit mode as text memory gets filled, and that there is no storage buffer that saves deleted text and lets you reinsert it elsewhere. Bank Street Writer supports all parallel and serial printers that are Apple compatible. Conclusion Bank Street Writer is great for school and the home, too. If you're planning to write the great American novel or do technical writing involving superscripts and in- dexes, look elsewhere. If, however, you want a program that your family can actually use the first day— a pro- gram that helps you recover from mistakes— then I recommend Bank Street Writer without reservation. ■ Mario Pagnoni (76 Emsley Terrace, Methuen, MA 01844) is a teacher/ free- lance writer who spent last year teaching his children at home. He is work- ing on a "how-to" book for home schoolers that emphasizes the use of microcom- puters in education. ninni INTERNATIONAL CORP FUTECH 2000 SERIES ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL GRADE\ S-100 MAIN FRAMES The most advanced industrial grade high-tech, high quality, sleek style S-100 bus main frame. • Front panel LED display for TIME/DATE and temperature of internal system air flow... • Heavy duty power supply meeting todays standards for multi-user multi-tasking high speed CPU applications... • A variety of front panels for floppy and Winchester configurations. .. • Synthesized warning voice indicator... 2100 N.Hwy. 360, Suite 1807, Grand Prairie, Texas 75050,(214) 660- 1955, Tel ex 703033 284 BYTE March 1984 Circle 402 on inquiry card. BEFORE YOU DAMAGE YOUR COMPUTER, PLUG IT IN RIGHT. INTRODUCING THE WIRE TREE™ AC SURGE PROTECTOR, FROM NETWORX l M Power surges and voltage spikes. Their causes can be as simple as someone opening your refrigerator, or running a power tool or switching on a fluorescent light. But their results can be dev- astating. They can wipe out your computer's memory. Even damage its sensitive circuits. That's why smart camp* users protect their per- sonal computers by plug- ging them into The Wire I j/|T\ tree from Networx. / \i The Wire Tree has ■■; [ M four outlets and provides Votk3ge surge en- tersThe Wire Tree, put enters The put Wire Tree. SwiW power surge protection that conforms to IEEE guidelines. It comes with a bracket to mount underneath your desk or table and has a unique ca- ble support feature which or- ganizes your system's power cords into a neat bundle and moves them out of your way And it lets you control system power from a single illuminated on/off switch. You've invested a lot of time ;: and money in your com- puter system. Protect that investment with The Wire Tree. Only $69.95. Ask for one at your local com- g — puter store. Networx, Brooklyn, NY 11237 (212) 821-7555 Circle 265 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 285 ANNOUNCING A PROUD ADDITION TOTOR FAMILY The next addition to your family could be the bright little newcomer in the growing family of IBM® personal computers. Name: PCjr. Weight: 12 pounds. Heritage: more than 30 years of computer experience. "Junior" is a powerful tool for modern times. Yet its simple enough for a child to enjoy. BRINGING HOME BABY Its a big day when PCjr comes home. The surprises begin the moment you open the carton. Surprise # 1 is the IBM " Freeboard — a keyboard that doesn't need a connecting cord. The Freeboard frees you to move around and relax. Then there's the Keyboard Adventure — an instructional exercise for first-time users. It's built into the computer and explained step-by-step in the Guide to Operations. It will help anyone begin learning as soon as PCjr is hooked up to a TV set. In systems equipped with a diskette drive, there's a program that lets you explore computer fundamentals at your own pace, with PCjr as your teacher. And to get you off and running from the very first day, a sample diskette with eleven useful mini-programs (ranging from a spreadsheet for monthly expenses to a word game and a recipe file) is also included. But there are still more surprises. FAMILY COMPUTING MADE EASY Many IBM software programs written for other IBM personal computers will run on PQr. And inexpensive new ones written especially for PCjr are being released. An easy-to-use diskette word processing program, for example, uses pictures as well as words to guide you along. A comprehensive The Chaplin character licensed by Bubbles, Inc. , S. A. Circle 181 on inquiry card. IBM home budget program makes keeping track of money easier. There's also a selection of educational programs for children at home and at school. And when the work is finished (or perhaps before), the fun can begin. Just slip in a game cartridge and stand back. GROWING UP WITH JUNIOR Add a printer. A diskette drive. An internal modem for telecommunications. Increase user memory from 64KB to 128KB. With these and other add-it-yourself options, even the lowest-priced PCjr can grow up real fast. PCjr is a powerful tool for home, school or college. With its optional carrying case, it's a powerful tool anywhere you care to take it. SEE JUNIOR RUN Juniors starting model includes a 64KB cassette/cartridge unit and Freeboard for about $700. A 128KB model with diskette drive is about $1300. (Prices apply at IBM Product Centers. Prices may vary at other stores.) \bur local authorized IBM PCjr dealer proudly invites you to see this bright little addition to the family. For the store nearest you, just call 1-800-IBM-PCJR. In Alaska and Hawaii, 1-800-447-0890. BYTE March 1984 287 Software Review SPOC The Chess Master by Emil Flock and Jonathan Silverman, Computer Hand Holding Photo i: Screen generated by SPOC. The board is shown after move 8. . .QxP? in table 2. 288 BYTE March 1984 At a Glance Name SPOC The Chess Master, version 2.0 Type Chess-playing program Programmer Jacques F. Middlecoff Manufacturer Cypress Software 1450 Koll Circle, Suite 108 San Jose, CA 95112 (800) 321-3900 (408) 995-5185 Price $39.95 Format 5 ! /4-inch floppy disk for IBM PC-DOS Language FORTRAN and assembly Computer IBM PC or XT; 128K bytes of RAM Documentation 12 pages (5/2 by 7 inches) Audience Chess players at all levels The pleasure of playing chess on a microcomputer comes, in part, from the heartfelt appreciation of losing to a good opponent. You can replay the game from the printout, changing an occasional move and learning how to avoid specific problems. In addition, the computer never coughs while you're deep in thought and never blows smoke in your face, glares at you, or tries to con- fuse you. If you like to recreate Bobby Fischer's prize-winning games, computer chess may not be for you. But if you want to practice with an opponent that puts up with un- told verbal abuse and never gets tired, a chess program is the answer. Few computers, and certainly no microcomputers, can seriously compete with a human chess master; however, computer chess programs can force the average person to play better chess. Lazy players who make blunders and initiate half-baked attacks usually lose badly to a program. Computers— mainframes, minis, and micros— tend to play ugly, inelegant chess. They are impatient, which almost always leads to defeat against a master player. Robert Byrne, one of the best chess players in the United States, wrote that "computers lack positional judgment and do not know what to do in tranquil situations. How- ever, tactically they are freer from error than the average human player." Chess involves subtleties that are beyond everyday im- agination. It is, indeed, an art form. You can lose a game Mean rating of USCF members (December 1983) 1537 E 0-1199 D 1200-1399 C 1400-1599 B 1600-1799 A 1800-1999 Expert 2000-2199 Master 2200-2399 Senior Master above 2400 Highest active rating (Anatoly Karpov) 2710 (FIDE) Highest rating ever (Bobby Fischer) 2760 (FIDE) Belle's rating (approximate) 2203 SPOC's estimated rating 1700 Table 1: Chess rankings for the United States Chess Federation (USCF) and Federation Internationale pour le Developpement des jeux d'Echecs (FIDE). completely and irretrievably by making a small error. A seemingly tiny positional disadvantage in the opening can lead to a devastating defeat by the middle of the game. "Endgame" study is an art form all its own. It's easy to lose early in the game to a world-class human chess player. Mainframe and minicomputer chess programs are be- ginning to play well by any standards. A program called Belle achieved a master rating at 1983's United States Open against some top-notch human players (see table 1). Computer Chess Theory In 1949 Claude Shannon showed that a typical chess game contains some 10 120 possible continuations. Today's "supercomputers" do 80,000,000 operations per second. Even a supercomputer would take 10 110 seconds to run the entire chess tree. (Our universe is only 10 17 seconds old.) The human player escapes this massive and im- possible task by considering only a fraction of the moves available following any given move— and the machine must also. While the computer examines a vast number of continuations compared to the human player, that number is tiny compared to the total possible. In chess the branching factor— the average number of possible moves from a given position— is 35. Therefore, a complete list of legal moves for a depth of three moves from any given position could contain 1.8 billion entries. To help prune this enormous tree, Belle uses an alpha- beta algorithm that throws away any move not better than the one already under consideration. Belle also re- members repeated positions. Microcomputer Chess The state-of-the-art chess programs for the IBM Per- sonal Computer include two main contenders: SPOC (Selected Pruning Optimization Chess) and Bluebush (Bluebush Inc., 3379 St. Mary's Place, Santa Clara, CA 95051). These programs are new and haven't been thoroughly tested under tournament conditions. In this review we will concentrate on SPOC. After playing many BYTE March 1984 289 games to test its skill as an opponent, we've chosen SPOCs best effort to give you an idea of its quality of play (see the text box "Modern Benoni Defense" on this page). For the average tournament chess player (who rates around 1500 on the United States Chess Federation's scale), SPOC is a worthy opponent. It plays at an average rating of about 1700 points, or as a "B" player (sometimes better, sometimes worse). SPOC has nine levels of play. When you give it three minutes to move (level 6), it plays like a strong amateur. We didn't try its "postal chess" mode (level 9, 60 minutes per move) because of the time involved to finish even one game. It played a number of fairly decent blitz games (level 2, 10 seconds per move). Playing Against SPOC You load SPOC by typing its name in at the PC DOS prompt. SPOC then asks you (1) to select the level of play (1-9), (2) if you want to print the moves, (3) if you have a color display, and (4) if you want to resume a pre- vious game saved on disk. If you press F10 during the startup questions, it starts over and asks each question again, ignoring invalid answers. You may choose to play either black or white. When you have chosen your color, the chessboard and play- ing pieces appear on the screen. If SPOC has white, it starts its own clock and begins "thinking" about its move. If SPOC has black, it starts your clock and waits for your move. At tournament level, the clocks accumulate time for a 40-move sequence, similar to a real tournament. For other levels, the clocks reset themselves after show- ing the accumulated time for each single move. (You will find you have a compelling desire to disconnect the loud beep that occurs each time SPOC makes a move.) You move the chess pieces with the cursor keys. Posi- tion the cursor over the piece you want to move and press the carriage return. Next, position the cursor where you want to put the piece and enter another car- riage return. SPOC doesn't follow the "if you touch it, you move it" rule. Until you press Return at a new square, you can retract your move. SPOC checks the legality of all your attempted moves and growls at you if you try to castle out of check or move your King as if it were a Knight. (Castling is accom- plished by moving your King two squares in the direc- tion you wish to castle.) SPOC also handles "en passant" captures properly. [Editor's note: This is not always the case. I tested one version of SPOC and it did not execute an "en passant" capture correctly] Function keys let you change the level of play (F2) and save the game to disk (Fl). To abandon the game and return to PC-DOS, press the Escape key (Esc). The SPOC version we tested lets you set up game positions with a stand-alone program on a separate disk. Just load the desired game position into SPOC and play. How a Computer Plays Chess How does a computer play chess? First, it generates Modern Benoni Defense White: SPOC The Chess Master, tournament level 6 Black: Jonathan Silverman, USCF Expert San Francisco October 2, 1983 -:■:,: I? 1 ' SPOCs notation Descriptive notation 1. d2-d4 1. P-Q4, N-KB3 2. g8-f6 3. c2-c4 2. P-QB4, P-K3 4. e7-e6 5. gl-f3 3. N-KB3, P-B4 6. c7-c5 7. d4-d5 4. P-Q5, PxP 8. e6xd5 9. c4xd5 5. PxP, P-Q3 10. d7-d6 11. cl-f4 6. B-B4, P-QR3 12. a7-a6 13. e2-e3?! 7. P-K3?!, P-QN4 14. b7-b5 15. a2-a4 8. P-QR4, P-N5 16. b5-b4 17. fl-c4 9. B-B4, QN-Q2 18. b8-d7 19, el-gl 10. castles, N-N3 20. d7-b6 21. dl-d3!? 11. Q-Q3!?, P-N3 22. g 7-g6 23. e3-e4 12. P-K4, B-KN2 24. f8-g7 25. c4-b3 13. B-QN3, P-QR4 26. a6-a5 . 27. fl-el 14. R-Kl, castles 28. e8-g8 29. bl-d2 15. QN-Q2, B-R3 30. c8-a6 31. d2-c4 16. N-B4, N-R4 32. f6-h5 ■ ;:-nj#; ; : : ' 33. f4-cl 17. B-Bl, K-Rl 34. g 8-h8 35. el-dl? 18. R-Ql?, R-R2 36. a8-a7 37. d3-e2?! 19. Q-K2?!, R-K2 38. a7-e7 39. cl-g5 20. B-N5, P-B3 40. f7-f6 41. g5-d2? 21. B-Q2?, NxQP 42. b6xd5 : 43. b3-c2 22. B-B2, QR-K1 44. e7-e8 45. g2-g3 23. P-KN3, P-B4 . a list of all its legal moves (the first ply) and all the legal responses to each of these (the second ply) as depicted in figure 1. This tree is extended, branch by branch (ply by ply), until the computer begins running out of time. Belle builds a tree of some 30 million positions, allow- ing a "look-ahead" of four moves (eight plies). SPOC 290 BYTE March 1984 46. f6-f5 47. e4-e5 24. P-K5, BxP 48. g7xe5 49. d2-h6? 25. B-R6?, B-B5 50. e5-£4 51. e2-fl 26. Q-Bl, BxN 52. a6xc4 53. flxc4 27. QxB, N-N3 54. d5-b6 55. h6-g7 28. B~N7ch, KxB 56. h8xg7 57. c4-a6 29. Q-R6, B-K4 58. f4-e5 59. £3xe5 30. NxB, RxN 60. e8xe5 61. a6-a7 31. Q~R7ch, R-K2 62. e5-e7 63. a7xa5 32. QxP, P-KB5 64. f5-f4 65. g 3-g4 33. P-N4, N-B3 66. h5-f6 67. g 4~g5 34. P-N5, N-K5 68. f6-e4 69. c2xe4 35. BxN, RxB 70. e7xe4 71. h2-h4 36. P-R4, P-B6 72. £4-f3 73. a5-a7 37. Q~R7ch, R-B2 74, f8-£7 75. a7-a6 38. Q-R6, RxP 76. e4xh4 77. dl-d5 39. R-Q5, NxR 78. b6xd5 79. a6xd6 40. QxP, QxPch 80. d8xg5 81. d6-g3 41. Q-N3, N-B5 82. d5-f4 83. g 3xg5 42. QxQ, N-K7ch 84. f4-e2 85. gl-fl 43. K-Bl, R-R8ch 86. h4-hl 87. g5-gl 44. Q-Nl, RxQ mate 88. hlxgl In this game, SPOC holds its own at the beginning, then it makes the subtle mistake of developing a Bishop before a Knight, followed by an incorrect Queen posting. SPOC does come up with one move currently in vogue in master play— half move 8— a testa- ment to its quality of play. A few annotations on specific moves are in order here: Out of its own book openings, SPOC begins to "think" for itself and continues to make book moves (see reference 1). 6. A logical move, attacking the weak Queen pawn. However, white usually develops the Queen Knight first. This later becomes a problem. 7. In this opening, white customarily answers . . . a7-a6 (. . . P- QR3) with a2-a4 (P-QR4), to prevent black from expanding on the Queen side. 8. The idea chosen by SPOC of allowing . . . b7-b5(. . . P-QN4) and then attacking the pawn chain has gotten some attention lately in master play. It's dubious here, though, because white will have trouble bringing his Queen Knight into play. 9. Defending the Queen pawn so the Knight can come to dl (Q2). Again, white will have a pawn loose if 10. bl-dl d7-b3 (N-Q2, N-N3). 11. Here the Queen controls three important squares: d5, c4, and e4 (Q5, QB4, and K4), permitting the Queen Knight to enter the game. But the Queen is also somewhat vulnerable on this square. 13. . . . White was threatening 14. a4-a5 (P-R5), winning the Queen pawn when the Knight retreats. Now black threatens 14 . . . c8-a6 ( . . . B-QR3), skewering the Queen and Rook. 16. White has brought a Knight to c4 (QB4), an important objec- tive in the Benoni defense. From here, the Knight attacks black's Queen and Queen Rook pawns, blockades his Queen Bishop pawn, and helps control e5 (K5). Unfortunately, the Knight is pinned, which points up the drawback of 11. dl-d3 (Q-Q3). In short, SPOC has played the opening logically, but not especially well. Black stands better and he now begins counterplay. 17. Defending the Queen Knight pawn, but now the Queen Rook is a shut-in. However, 17. f4-g5, fl-f6 18. g5-e3, f6-f5 or 18. g5-h4, h5-f4 (17. B-N5, P-B3 18. B-K3, P-B4 or 18. B-R4, N- B5) also favors black. 17. . . . This is partly to get the King off the white Bishop's diagonal in preparation for . . . f7-f5 (P-B4). But it is also a waiting move, because it is not obvious how white can improve his posi- tion. This tactic pays off, because SPOC now begins a series of weak moves. 21. A difficult move to understand, as it just gives up a pawn. After 21. g5P 9 CUSTOMER SERVICE (602) 861-1141 TWX 910-950-1194 10439 N. CAVE CREEK RD., #111, PHOENIX, AZ 85020 292 BYTE March 1984 ^ Circle 156 on inquiry card. 2ND PLY rfpjjip^Py Figure 1: A chess tree two plies deep. list of the program's favorite openings). The computer "memorizes" many openings in order to get past the critical first 8-12 moves, much as tournament players do. Belle's book contains 350,000 opening moves; SPOCs has about 3000. This means SPOC is forced out of book much earlier in a game than Belle. Because SPOC only looks three plies deep, it relies on an extensive scoring function written in FORTRAN. A random-number generator prevents it from playing the same openings again and again. As it progresses to higher playing levels, SPOC restricts itself to its best openings. You can begin play at level 1 to get the widest choice of openings and then change to higher levels (F2) after a few moves. A handy move-immediate feature (F3) forces SPOC to make obvious moves like Queen recap- tures. SPOC jumps into a separate endgame routine when it determines that there is not much power left on the board. In an endgame with no Queens, the King be- comes a powerful piece. Before the endgame, SPOCs scoring function discourages King moves after castling. (You can't coax SPOCs King out from behind its protec- tive wall of pawns.) Once the program decides that the endgame has started, however, it lets its King roam. How to Beat SPOC By examining the actual moves a computer makes, you can understand something about its scoring function. For example, if it makes useless checks, you can assume that the scoring coefficient for checking moves is too large. If it is slow to recognize sacrifices, perhaps the material coefficient is overriding the danger coefficients. It is difficult to work an instinct for the kill into the scor- ing function. There are a number of ways to beat SPOC depending on your chess experience. Circle 309 on inquiry card. > UR COMPUTER TO WORK AT THE SCENE WITH RYDEX REMOTE INTELLIGENCE © loo IS£7®S£i -SL?oo irst your computer helped do the boc played some games and helped typ 3tters. Now, put it to work, 24 hours RYDEX IC unit lets you activate relays, temperature and control motors, /e control over practically any real world The technology is here, the applicati iding. Your computer with a single srial port can connect directly, or by one or hundreds of IC units. iputer knowledge is needed; th the IC using simple BASIC commands. An IC system is easy to istall with complete user instructions. Or if you are considering controlling an entire factory, then our :al staff can be called in to assist. )me or in the field, a RYDEX IC puts your work. The modular structure of the IC buy a single unit to attach to your home computer. Familiarize yourself with environment control by securing your household, controlling appliances and monitoring energy consumption. Automate your plant or office next, using RYDEX IC's connected to your business computer system. The IC lets you capture vital data, analyze it, and react immediately when the need arises. At the lab, oil rig, mill or factory; RYDEX IC's create a network for information • flow and control. >nsider the advantages of RYDEX intelligent control. \R: You build your network as you require using langeable IC units. ON SITE DATA CONVERSION: The amission of signals is controlled by the IC unit, with smission if an error occurs. Eliminate the possibility of errors. INTELLIGENCE: Relieves you and your the responsibility for critical timing, counting and ary in control environments. ISOLATION: If rdous environment, the IC takes the risk are safe elsewhere. >rd on RYDEX IC's. Most ^stalled for less than $1,000. further information contact: t)EX INDUSTRIES Use inquiry card, or immediately CALL (604) 278-6772 INTELLIGENT COIMTROL BY Or write to RYDEX INDUSTRIES CORPORATION 200 4040 NO. 3 ROAD, RICHMOND, B.C. V6X 2C2 RYDE 1. Exploit its materialistic nature. Maintaining the bal- ance of pieces is essential for SPOC; it's not likely to sacrifice material for positional advantage. 2. Take it out of its book early. If you don't, the middle game is sure to be a real fight. However, if you can play an opening SPOC doesn't "know," it starts its positional slide sooner. 3. Exploit its early Queen moves. This kind of mistake is a "natural" result of SPOC wanting to bring its heavy artillery to the front line. Chess "rules of thumb," such as "develop Knights before Bishops and minor pieces before major pieces," are hard to trans- late into a scoring equation. 4. Offer it "poisoned" pawns. Even the big machines have trouble here. Computer chess programs are "willing to give up too much for a pawn," says Belle's author, Ken Thompson. 5. Give it useless checks to make. SPOC will waste moves putting you in check because that's the first step to checkmate. These possibilities get good grades from the scoring function. 6. When all else fails— try speculative attacks on SPOC's King. Throw a few pieces at it. It never expects you to sacrifice. The opening in table 2, ending in photo 1, shows you how to use the strategies above to defeat SPOC. An early stroll of its Queen leads to the capture of a poisoned pawn and then to the exchange of a pawn for a Knight. Conclusion While a Senior Master would be able to exploit SPOC's weaknesses, 90 percent of the estimated 40 million American players who "know" the moves would not. Even many tournament players would have trouble beat- ing SPOC (the average ranking of the United States Chess Federation's 30,000 chess players is 1537). Some informed people expect the programs to start beating the best of human chess masters. Professor Monroe Newborn of McGill University, who wrote Ostrich, predicts that a program good enough to be the world chess champion will be developed within two or three years. David Levy, author of All About Chess and Computers, isn't so sure: " . .the best chess programs see 10,000- 50,000 times more (than humans) but do not understand what they see (This) produces a kind of monkey/ typewriter situation .... (The computer) appears to play moderately well, whereas it is actually playing very weak chess so much of the time that its best results resemble the moves of strong players. Some programmers . . . argue that as the search becomes deeper, strategy and tactics merge into one. But in my opinion this view is erroneous." David Slate, author of Northwestern University's Nuchess, has said that a chess program is " . . like sharks swimming around, it's not very bright, but once it gets a taste of blood, it's right there and goes munch, munch, crunch." Sicilian Defense White: Jonathan Silverman, USCF Expert Black: SPOC The Chess Master October 3, 1983 SPOC's notation Descriptive notation 1. e2-e4 1. P-K4, P-QB4 2. c7-c5 3. b1-c3 2. N-QB3, N-QB3 4. b8-c6 5. g2-g3 3. P-KN3, P-KN3 6. g7-g6 7. n-g2 4. B-N2, B-N2 8. f8-g7 9. d2-d3 5. P-Q3, P-Q3 10. d7-d6 11. g1-e2 6. KN-K2, P-K3 12. e7-e6 13. d-e3 7. B-K3, Q-N3?! SPOC moves its 14. d8-b6?! Queen too soon. 15. e1-g1 8. castles, QxP? A shameless grab 16. b6xb2 for which SPOC 17. a1-b1 9. R-N1, Q-R3 soon pays. 18. b2-a3 19. c3-b5 10. N-N5, Q-R4 20. a3-a5 21. b5xd6 11. NxPch, K-K2 22. e8-e7 23. b1-b5 12. R-N5, QxP 24. a5xa2 25. e3xc5 13. BxP, B-Q2 26. c8-d7 27. f2-f4 14. P-B4, P-N3 28. b7-b6 29. d6-f5 15. N-B5ch, K-B3? 30. e7-f6? 31. e4-e5 16. P-K5ch, NxP 32. c6xe5 33. f4xe5 17. PxNch, . . . A hopeless position for SPOC. Table 2: Chess moves used to defeat . SPOC. Whether you're a "patzer" (a Yiddish word used in chess lingo for "wood pushers" or inexpert players) or an expert, SPOC's utilitarian, methodical play can wear you out. We've had a great deal of fun with it, however; it has improved our play and our appreciation for the game. SPOC's ability to start a game from any board position and present it on the screen is a nice added fea- ture. But the important thing is the level of play and that level is surprisingly high.H References 1. Harston, William R. Benoni. London: B.T. Bataford Limited, 1977 2. Levy, David N.L., and Monroe Newborn. All About Chess and Com- puters. Potomac, Maryland: Computer Science Press, 1982. 3. Mantanovic, Aleksander (editor). Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, volume C, 2nd edition. Belgrade: Chess Informant, 1981. 4. Shannon, Claude. 'Chess-Playing Machine." Scientific American, 1950, 182, volume 2, pages 48-51. Emil Flock and Jonathan Silverman (Computer Hand Holding, 1800 Market St., #92, San Francisco, CA 94102) are both editors. Emil Flock is editor of Mentor, the magazine on disk, and The Reference Encyclopedia for the IBM PC. He worked on the original version of Ostrich. Jonathan Silverman is a professional writer and editor, and an amateur chess player. 294 BYTE March 1984 A Complete Graphics Department For Just $2295 ^^/JEssr,- Realize day-in and day-out solid performance from a quiet and capable desktop plotter, It's true. For only $2295* the Houston Instrument HIPL0T™DMP-29 will provide you with world- class multi-color hard copy graphics, and deliver a level of quality and performance that you would expect in a plotter costing three times as much. It's a hard worker. The DMP-29 goes about its job with amazing speed and precision. Unbeatable resolution and repeatability are yours in both 8V2" x 11" and 11" x 17" formats, and 8-pen capability assures you of fast attention-free flexibility when multi-color output is required. High pen speed combined with an addressable resolution of O.OOl" assures fast accurate and stepless traces. it's friendly. You can call 21 different functions directly from the front-panel membrane keyboard. It's tolerant too. The DMP-29 will modestly protect itself from user errors, as when attempting to place a pen in an already occupied stall. And it's smart. An extensive set of firmware routines makes life easier for the user. A small sampling of the built-in talent inherent in the DMP-29 includes character generation, circle, arc and ellipse synthesis, line type variations, viewport/windowing, clipping and scaling. For the name, address and phone number of your nearest representative, write Houston Instrument, P.O. Box 15720, Austin, TX 78761 Phone 512-835-0900, or 800-531-5205 if outside Texas. In Europe contact Bausch & Lomb Belgium NV„ Rochesterlaan 6, 8240 Gistel, Belgium. Tel 059-27-74-45, tlx 846-81399. houston instrument U.S. Domestic price only TM Trademark of Houston Instrument Circle 179 on inquiry card. 4P005C Software Review M.U.L.E. Beneath its clever packaging lies a fascinating economic simulation by Gene Smarte Whoa, mule, whoa! Whoa, mule, I say! I ain't got time to kiss you now, The mule has run away. — "Buckin' Mule/' traditional folk song The fun-to-use economic strategy game M.U.L.E. (multiple-use labor element) lets you plot the economic development of a new territory on a planet called Irata. With your grubstake of money and goods and your knowledge of capitalism, you and three other "planeteers" are ferried to an undeveloped area of the planet. Once there, using the limited supplies of the general store, the planet's only structure, you must decide how to make the best use of your resources. Your supply ship won't be back for at least six months. Before the game begins, the program introduction takes you through a demonstration in which you (and the computer, when there are fewer than four players) select a color and the type of creature— there are eight kinds— you wish to be. A brief description of each and its advantages and disadvantages is included. The com- puter always picks the mechanical Mechtron— but so can you. You also select the game level: beginner, standard, or tournament. As the game begins, you have just landed on Irata and are watching your only link with help, your supply ship, cruise off into space. A status report lists the resources of each planeteer and the general store. (In the tourna- ment-level game, the planeteers have but one round to become self-sufficient because their supplies are good for only one month.) Photo 1: After you've chosen the level of difficulty, picked the number of planeteers, and decided which of eight characters you'd like to be, the disk leaves the demo mode and loads the game. You'll see your spaceship pass over Irata, descend and deposit you and your fellow planeteers, and disappear from view. Photo 2: Inside the general store. After selecting a plot of land, you pay your money, outfit a M.U.L.E. for your selected task, and head out to install the critter. The empty colored rectangles become addi- tional choices as the difficulty of the game increases. The vertical bar at the right edge is a shrinking time indicator; when it's gone, your time is up. 296 BYTE March 1984 While "mule" might conjure up images of bearded prospectors and four-legged flop-eared beasts of burden, this M.U.L.E. is actually an intelligent (though some- times unpredictable— it can run away) machine designed to resemble a real mule. You purchase it at the general store. Each M.U.L.E. must be outfitted for the task you choose: farming, energy production, or mining. Those are the main tasks of this game. As in real societies, or "life in the rest of the galaxy/' as mentioned in the player's guide, a balance must be struck between various needs and wants. In the case of Irata, you must have food, so farming is a requirement; you must have energy for the creation of all products, so energy production is necessary; and you must mine Smithore, the stuff from which a M.U.L.E. is made (except at the beginner's level), to ensure availability of the M.U.L.E. as the scope of Irata's development increases. After the resource status report, the display shows an aerial view of the area of Irata to be developed. The land- scape includes a fertile river valley ideal for farming, prairies for open-space energy production, and moun- tains for mining. A cursor scans the territory, and each planeteer chooses a plot of land by pressing a joystick push button. The color-coded plots correspond to the colors the planeteers select earlier in the game. After the first round of plot selection, each planeteer has a limited time to enter the general store, decide which type of production best suits the plot just selected, outfit a M.U.L.E. accordingly, lead, via the joystick, the M.U.L.E. out to the plot, and install him (a M.U.L.E. is referred to in the masculine). Should you have some time left over, you can return to the pub in the general store and do a little gambling or go Wampus hunting. Gambling is an automatic way to win, but it ends your turn. The Wampus, as explained in the Player's Guide, lives in mountain caves, and when he opens his door a light flashes that signals his whereabouts. You must move quickly if you expect to capture him. He's difficult to catch, but he'll pay you to let him go. When each planeteer has installed a M.U.L.E., produc- tion begins automatically. But, just as in real life, ran- dom events can help or (more likely) hinder your pro- duction, Planetquakes, meteor showers, and an imagi- native array of pest attacks can wipe out a turn's pro- duction. These random events are particularly clever in concept and execution and had me looking forward to the next one. After production, planeteer and store resources are displayed and an auction for each commodity begins. Here, a dog-eat-dog capitalist mentality can help. But you must remember that if, for example, all the planeteers try to corner the Smithore market and no one does any farming, you all have a good chance of perishing on Irata (shudder). I liked this touch of realism. If you have the cash, you can buy what you want, and you can sell any surpluses, providing someone is inter- ested. Both buying and selling prices are set by the planeteers with some limits in the beginner's level. The program sets the store's rate of exchange. With the con- clusion of the auctions, an updated status report pre- pares you for the next round of plot selections as your first month of development ends. The game continues for 6 turns (beginner) or 12 turns (standard and tourna- ment levels). At the conclusion, the player who has ac- cumulated the highest net worth is the winner. It's impossible to adequately describe all the interac- tion and economically realistic subtleties of M.U.L.E. The standard level increases the complexity of the beginner level with land auctions and selling, development- Photo 3: After five rounds, Irata real estate is getting scarce. Col- ored squares identify players' plots. Symbols within each square in- dicate that a M.U.L.E. has been installed. The best food production is in the central river valley; energy gathering is best in the plains; the mountains are loaded with Smithore. Photo 4: One of the three auctions that concludes each round. In this case, the seller has come down to $32 per unit; the buyers, how- ever, are unimpressed as they are holding fast below the rock-bottom bid of $15. BYTE March 1984 297 Introducing the Moore Business Center. A supply store for the computer age. Promises, promises. The people who sold you your hardware and software told you to call them any old time, with even the smallest problem. But the problem is that most of your questions deal with "afterproducts." And that's an area the manufacturer doesn't seem to care much about. F< )rtunately, there has now sprung up a group of retail stores that care very much about your accessory needs. Enough to line their shelves with a mind-boggling array of flexible disks, printer ribbons, storage bind- ers, printout labels, and on and on. Enough to stock their stores with all the computer f umiture and equipment you'll ever need to build quiet, physically comfortable work stations. Enough to offer y< >u the technical expertise and personal assistance required to satisfy a demanding com- puter operation. We're the Moore Business Center, with ( >ver 100 years < >f ded ication U > the business community. Now, our retail computer supply stores are ready to serve you. So forget all the harcK ware) luck stories < >f the oast . Fr< >m 1 1< >w on, it's strict lv R AMs to riches. MOORE BUSINESS CENTER |>H()NE8(M)-238-23()0EXT v advanced features: Random Access ^sr ^o anc | Sequential files, debugging capa- bility, COPY statement, character string, 16 bit binary and decimal data types. Colleges use the fine documentation as class room texts. It's field- proven by 10,000+ worldwide business, government and education users. Join them. COBOL Application Package-Book I. Superior user documentation that saves even experienced programmers many hours. "If you want to learn or teach some- one FORTRAN, 4& this is the package *fid* K to buy" ACCESS, ^' for micros. A character-oriented full-screen display editor, Nevada EDIT is great for program editing as it's specifically designed to create COBOL, BASIC, and FORTRAN programs. Simple to- configure, you customize tab stops, default file type, keyboard layout, and CRT by menu selection. Nevada EDIT may pay off better than any software purchase you've made. Send to ELLIS COMPUTING, INC. 3917 Noriega Street San Francisco, CA 94122 Phone 415/753-0186 Please send me: Software Packages n BASIC n COBOL □ FORTRAN D PILOT Disk Format □ 8" SSSD (Standard CP/M IBM 3740) •EDIT 5 1 / 4 " Diskette for: D Access □ Apple CP/M □ DEC VT 180 D Epson QX-10 □ Heath Hard Sector (Z-89) □ Heath Soft Sector (Z-90) □ IBM-PC (Baby blue or big blue card) □ Kaypro Double Density H Micropolis Mod II (Vector Graphic) □ NEC PC 8001 D Northstar Double Density □ Northstar Single Density □ Osborne (Single Density Disk) □ Sanyo □ Superbrain DD, DOS 3.X (512 byte sec) D Televideo D TRS-80 Model I (Relocated to 4200 hex) □ Xerox 820 (Single Density) Money back guaran- tee: you must be completely satisfied, or return the pack- d^ ages(s)-in good condition ^ with the sealed diskette(s) unopened-within 30 days, and we'll gladly refund your money. CP M is a registered trademark of Digital Research. Inc TRS-80 is a regis- tered trademark of Tandy Corp. Apple It is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Osborne is a registered trademark of Osborne Computer Corp. Xerox 820 is a trademark of Xerox Corp. Kaypro is a trademark of Non-linear Sys. Heath/Zenith is a trademark of Heath Corp. IBM is a trademark of Interna- tional Business Machines. Corp. Nevada BASIC. Nevada COBOL, Nevada FORTRAN, Nevada PILOT Nevada EDIT and Ellis Computing are trade- marks of Ellis Computing, Inc. Q 1983 Ellis Computing, Inc. Send my order for packages (§ $39.95 each Total . COBOL Application package (u $9.95 each Total . Sales Tax . Shipping . TOTAL . California residents add 61 2% Sales Tax. Outside North America, add $6 per package for shipping. (Postage paid within North America.) Checks must be in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank. Q Check enclosed □ Mastercard □ VISA Card#- . Exp. Date_ Signature Ship to: Name- Street City /State/Zip _ The CP M operating system, an 8080, 8085, or Z-80 microprocessor, and 32K RAM are required. Note: Double Density drives can read Single Density diskettes. 300 BYTE March 1984 Circle 148 on inquiry card. Software Review The Witness A prose murder-mystery game for detectives whose business is trouble by Dennis Barker Somebody was nuts. I was nuts. Everybody was nuts. None of it fitted together worth a nickel . . . . I was in bad with the police, I had spent ten dollars of my twenty expense money, and I didn't have enough leverage anywhere to lift a dime off a cigar counter. —Philip Marlowe, speaking in Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler I can understand Marlowe's lament now that I've played The Witness, the second prose murder-mystery game from Infocom. I logged a considerable number of hours trying to crack this programmed puzzler, but the case remains unsolved, wide open, no good leads, no evidence that sticks. This is one mystery-game review you can read without worrying about the solution be- ing revealed. Stu Galley, the author of The Witness, has styled his prose after that of Chandler, Ross Macdonald, and other captains of the hard-boiled mystery. Galley, a program- mer at Infocom, has apparently read enough of the genre to emulate the style without mocking it. The descrip- tions are well done— quick but thorough and evocative. The narrative is detailed enough so that the player can imagine the surroundings but not have his mental pic- ture cluttered with knickknacks. Because they provoke use of the imagination, the all-prose games are like the radio dramas of pretelevision days. The story of The Witness begins: "Somewhere near Los Angeles. A cold Friday evening in February 1938." The player is the detective, dispatched by police chief Klutz to assist a nervous Mr. Linder, who says his life is being threatened by a somewhat sleazy Mr. Stiles. Linder's wife has recently killed herself. Stiles has allegedly been sending nasty notes. A taxi drops you off at the Linder joint. The questions and decisions begin before you enter the house. Do you go to the front door? (Nah, too obvious.) Do you check out the garage? Do you stalk around the backyard? Re- member, you have only 12 hours (720 moves) to solve the mystery, and every move kills a minute. If you take the right steps, you can meet the main char- acters before they get away from the house. There's Free- man Linder, who's made millions in the Orient trade. There's his daughter Monica, a tough dame who acts "as though you were a masher who just gave her a whis- tle." There's Phong, the mysterious butler. And there's Stiles, who apparently was on very good terms with the late Mrs. Linder and allegedly wants Mr. Linder to join her in that Big Sleep. The best detectives operate in a mode that balances logic and instinct. The Witness gives you plenty of op- portunity to exercise both. You can minimize dead ends by keeping a list of questions asked and responses received. I sketched each room as it was described. Because the Linder house is big, I had to make lots of maps. However, the maps I drew were not much help. Despite an effort to diagram the layout of the place and to chart my steps, I frequently ran into walls and win- dows. This can be a problem when you're trying to shadow someone. At one point, I gave up mapping and relied on instinct, luck, and the handy LOOK AROUND command, which flashes a description of the surround- ings on the screen. I have yet to determine if the trouble is due to a bug in the program or in the player. Infocom's parser, the program's language analyzer, is obviously a remarkable improvement on the simple two- word verb-noun commands of earlier adventure games. A player can interact with The Witness on a more ar- ticulate basis, which makes for a greater sense of realism. Despite this remarkable addition of adjectives, preposi- tions, indirect objects, and compound verbs, I still felt considerably limited in the vocabulary I could use. The rule book points out that the parser uses far more words than it understands, but when you're onto a hot lead, with clues and questions running through your mind, it's hard to remember that you're talking to a computer BYTE March 1984 301 LOMAS DATA PRODUCTS PRESENTS: HUNDER186 ,v^ single board computer. THUNDER 186 utilizes a highly integrated 80186 microprocessor from Intel to bring all the features required of an SI 00 bus computer system together on a single height IEEE-696 board - rli- L-:vua;U>; I*} ^n; 8 Mhz 80186 micro-processor (10 Mhz 8086 performance). Floppy disk controller, controls both 5W' and 8" disk drives simultaneously. Two RS232 serial ports with full handshaking, i One parallel printer port.. i Either 128K bytes or 256K bytes of no waitstate dynamic RAM with parity. ' Full IEEE-696 (SI 00) bus compliance. THUNDER 186 is the only single board 16 bit computer that requires no additional boards to complete a functional system. THUNDER 186 is fully supported by our full line of operating systems: MS-DOS** CP/M-86* MP/M-86*, and CONCURRENT CP/M-86* which are all available immediately. Thunder 186 includes CONCURRENT CP/M-86 in the low introductory price. 128K Byte version 256K Byte version $1250.00 $1595.00 LIGHTNING 286 Ligh n the SI 00 BUS available. BUS. We have incorporated the Intel 80286 microprocessor on a CPU board that again brings new levels of performance to micro- computers. The 80286 is capable of supporting up to 16 megabytes of physical memory and up to 1 Gigabyte of virtual address space when utilized in virtual address mode. In real address mode, the 80286 is compatible with the vast library of 8086/88 programs already written. We have the three major operating systems available immediately on our Lightning 286, no need to wait for third party support to take advantage of this exciting new processor. >£&m % "*"'jj& ^:^^^ ^^ Up to 64 Kbytes of onboard EPROM 9 Vectored interrupts expandable to 65 levels Full compliance with IEEE 696 Multi-layer board for low-noise reliable operation In addition to these features, a high speed memory bus expansion port has been included that will allow extension of the memory with a high speed c*;;namic memory board. The use of the companion memory board will allow use of an 8 Mhz 80286 without memory wait states. The board will contain 1 Mbyte of memory, and will allow cost efficient expansion of 80286 memory space. Price $1395.00 If your application requires 16-bit computing power and versatility, call Lomas Data Products today. Dealer inquiries invited. . LOMAS DATA PRODUCTS, 1 J T t! 66 Hopkinton Road, Westboro, MA 01581 ! i Tel: (617) 366-6434 program. Generally, the linguistic limitations cause only a minor inconvenience; you may have to rephrase a question until the parser understands. But in a few cases the restrictions impede the detective work. Here's a per- fect example. I asked one character to please tell me about Monica and her father. The program informed me that I couldn't use multiple indirect objects with the word "tell." This is an unfortunate snag. A detective dealing with several characters, particularly characters who are suspect, would want to know about the relationships between them. It's a line of questioning that can help reveal motives, and unearthing motives is what investigation is all about. Certain grammatical constructions are im- portant to the detective of a programmed mystery. The game's designers have provided some very helpful commands. The ones I used most frequently, besides the usual legwork commands (e.g., WALK WEST), were EX- AMINE, which lets you look closely at something; ANALYZE, which includes checking for specific sub- stances and fingerprinting; and SEARCH (something or someone), to which some characters do not react favor- ably. And as Holmes had his Watson, you have Sgt. Duffy, who can be called in for assistance. Duffy can handle analysis, booking, questioning, and other tasks— if you can find him. Failing that, you can still shout obscenities and even shoot at characters. (Galley antici- pated certain input statements and apparently expected some players to get very frustrated.) The Witness, in the Infocom tradition, is attractively packaged. The National Detective Gazette, the main piece of documentation, is cleverly and clearly written and fea- tures some nice illustrations. The graphic artists involved in this project deserve a round of applause. The reference card is straightforward and explains booting and play- ing procedures in terms simple enough to be followed by the village idiot. This is commendable. Playing time varies greatly. Infocom games have re- portedly taken from 20 to 60 hours (real time). You can play The Witness for five minutes if you like, store your game position, and resume the investigation later. If you arrest a character judged innocent by the grand jury (it takes a lot of evidence to convince the jurors), the ses- sion is ended for you. Wrong moves can be counted against you. Think before you act; think again before you enlist the steel. Frustration is a part of this game. Questions multiply, answers are scarce. Hours after suspending play, you might find yourself evaluating a move you made or pon- dering that response a suspect made. How often have you played Monopoly and then wondered hours later why you didn't buy Baltic Avenue? Remarkably, The Witness gives you an idea of the sort of situations an investigator is up against. Dropped into a situation in which a crime has been committed, you have to decide what questions to ask and whom to ask. You have to determine who's lying and who's got some- thing to hide. You have to make assumptions about peo- ple you've only recently met. And your approach is At a Glance Name The Witness Type Prose murder-mystery game Manufacturer Infocom Inc. 55 Wheeler St. Cambridge, MA 02\38 (617) 492-1031 Author Stu Galley Price $49.95; $59.95 for DEC RT-il, NEC APC, and CP/M versions Format SVa- or 8-inch floppy disk Computer Any of the following with 48K bytes of RAM, one disk drive, and a black-and-white or color monitor: Atari 400 or 800, Apple II, Commodore 64, DEC Rainbow or RT-J1, IBM PC, NEC APC or PC-8000, Osborne, TRS-80 Models I or III, Tl Profes- sional, CP/M-based computers Documentation A computer reference card, National Detective Gazette, and assorted props (including a suicide note, a telegram, and a matchbook) Audience Game players based on scant clues: a note, a matchbook, a trace of gun- powder, a conflicting statement. Kojak never had it so rough. Of course, there is one big difference between being a detective and playing an adventure game. Real- life detectives sometimes must look down the barrel of a gun; the game player only has to look down the tube of a video display. No law-abiding gumshoe likes a dead end, a lying sus- pect, or a stiff. But these are the elements of a good mystery and a good mystery game. Galley and the In- focom staff have succeeded in designing what Sherlock Holmes would call "a three-pipe problem." A Tip If you begin to feel as if the district attorney is breathing down your neck, everyone's lying to you, and the Scotch is starting to taste sour, you probably need some help. An Invisiclues booklet contains some hints that might assist your investigation. It costs $7.95 and comes with a special pen that lets you reveal clues one at a time. To order, telephone (800) 262-6868; in New Jersey, (800) 238-2200. Above all, keep cool. And remember: it's Chinatown, Jake.H Dennis Barker is a copy editor at BYTE. He can be reached at POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449. BYTE March 1984 303 Expansion Boards Price ; Monochrome graphics adapter $449 Eight-color graphics adapter (Monochrome adapter + extra memory) $698 TV/Joystick adapter $250 Mouse/Clock adapter (Includes MS Windows) $120 128K-byte memory board $499 256 K- byte memory board $798 Other options Monochrome monitor $249 Color monitor $799 Second 128K-bytes memory $299 Digi-Mouse $100 Floor stand $145 Monochrome display pedestal $ 90 Table 1: Expansion boards and options for the Model 2000. Software Type Price Planetfall Game $ 50 ; Videotex Plus Communications $ 50 Witness Game $ 50 | MS-Assembler Macro assembler $100 Home Account. Plus Personal finance $125 PFS: Report Report generator $125 PFS:Write Word processing $140 PFS: File Database $140 PFS:Graph Business graphics $140 Multiplan Spreadsheet $249 M ultimate Word processing $250 GW-BASIC compiler BASIC compiler $300 MS-Pascal compiler Pascal compiler $300 ' MS-FORTRAN FORTRAN compiler $350 MAI/Basic Four Purchase orders $395 ; Accounts payable $495 Accounts receivable $495 General ledger $495 Inventory control $495 Payroll $495 COBOL RM-COBOL compiler $595 dBASE II Database $595 Table 2: Software offered by Radio Shack for the Model 2000. 2000's BASIC interpreter is its graph- ics capabilities. Because of the Model 2000's fast processor, its version of BASIC runs rings around that of the IBM PC. To see the FILL routine in action is especially impressive. Watch for one particular software package for this machine. Ovation, which should be available during the second quarter of 1984, lets you go from spreadsheet to word processor to database manager very easily with- out having to cut and paste to trans- fer data. Demonstrations of Ovation at COMDEX in November left no doubt that applications software has advanced to a new level. 312 BYTE March 1984 As for that other operating system, CP/M-86, Radio Shack has expressed no interest in making a second oper- ating system available for the Model 2000. Compatibility Radio Shack stresses that its machine is an MS-DOS machine, not an IBM PC clone. Yet in its advertis- ing, Radio Shack repeatedly makes direct comparisons with the machine from Boca Raton. And obviously, compatibility with the IBM PC is im- portant because of IBM's ever- growing library of software. To its credit, Radio Shack makes it quite Flip the pages. You see PC modem cards with fewer features advertised for as much as $599. Up until now that's how much it cost to make a modem capable of transmitting at 1 20 characters per second {1 200 baud). It doesn't take a computer to figure out the savings in phone line charges when you communicate four times faster than the 30 character per second modems{300 baud). Now you can have the solution to your communication needs at an affordable price. SEE HOW THEY WORK You can imagine how precise the components have to be to convert tones over a phone line into 120 characters every second. Precision equates to cost. With the advent of the mass market in personal computers the economies of scale drove the costs of manufacture down, but did not effect the precision required. The technology used is called "analog filtering". It is the process of sending (modulating) and receiving (demodulating) tones with perfect pitch. A lot of adjusting, noise suppression, and a little magic is required. Real expensive. Some use lots of chips and filters (known as discrete components). The latest rage is LSI (Large Scale Integration) technology. Which is the same old analog stuff condensed onto fewer chips. ADVANTAGE #1 Digital Signal processing A NEW IDEA We took a different approach. Through the use of four microprocessors the tones are chopped up digitally and measured millionsof times per second, eliminating the need for analog cir- cuitry. Two microprocessors do the modulating, two the demodulating. The chips are program- med to emulate the 103 (30 characters per second) or 212 (120 characters per second) standards and determine the correct speed automatically. It's a proven technology that provides outstanding performance. Best of all, it's inexpensive and reliable. pgp «c . 5 ?i.*?.t 1200 Baud, Auto-Dial, Modem for IBM PC PC212A/1200: A GENUINE BREAKTHROUGH NO CORNERS CUT We included every feature you would want in a modem card. It's FCC registered for direct connection to your modular phone jack with the cord which is included. There is a separate modular jack for your tele- phone or you can listen through the onboard speaker. The autodialer works on rotary lines, tone lines, or a combination of both, and will pause for use with Sprinter MCI. It will work in originate or auto-answer modes. A separate microprocessor, a Z8, controls all the functions, ADVANTAGE #2 Optional external serial port connector ADVANTAGE #3 Just one slot in PC or XT AN ASYCHRONOUS ADVANTAGE The modem board is addressed in the software as COM1 or COM2 and we have a handy little option you ought to consider. If you would like to use the asynchron- ous communications port when your modem is not in use, we will add a connector and the neces- sary circuitry for just $20. This saves you the hundred bucks or so you would spend for another async card and saves a valuable slot. It can be configured as C0M1 or COM2 and works just like IBM's does. THIN IS IN It plugs into your IBM PC or XT and occupies any one slot since it is just 1 /2 of an inch thick. This is made possible by using a special speaker which is just 1/8" tall. Competing brands either use a conventional cone type speaker, or they just skip the speaker altogether. Some modems also have large transformers which allow rob valuable space. LET'S TALK SOFTWARE Our modem is 100% compatible with the Hayes software commands so you can use any of the popular communications pack- ages like IBM's Asynchronous Communi- cations Support, CrossTalk, Transend, or PC Modem. We go one better than the competition. We include PC-TALK III. PC WORLD magazine referred to it as "the benchmark that other PC communications packages are measured against." it stores phone numbers, handles setting the modems characteristics, saves to disk files, transmits from disk files, even binary files. You can program up to forty keys to have things like passwords and log-on infor- mation be entered when you hit them. And to make sure data is sent and received accurately, the XMODEM protocol detects errors caused by poor line quality and automatically retransmits the data. WHY BUY FROM US Because besides having the best product on the market, we stand behind it and you. You get factory direct technical support after the sale. If at any time during the one year warranty period your modem should require service, we will fix or replace it within 48 hours. Notice also there are no hidden charges in our price. Nothing extra for credit cards or COD charges. We even pay UPS shipping. If you still are not convinced, and are ready to buy another brand of modem, ask them if they will take our acid test. THE ACID TEST Qubie' gives you a 30 day satisfaction guarantee on your modem. If you are not completely satisfied we will refund the entire amount of your purchase including the postage to return it. If you can, get anyone selling one of our competitor's products to give you the same guarantee. Buy any modem you like and return the one you don't like. We know which one you will keep. ORDER TODAY It's easy to order by mail or by phone. BY PHONE: Call us and one of our sales staff can answer any questions you have and take your order. Have your Visa or Mastercard number handy when you call. (805) 987-9741 BY MAIL: We need your name and street address, daytime phone number, how many modems you want, and whether your computer has single or double sided drives. VISA & MASTERCARD ^Tls^i W«*i $299 includes: PC 212A/120 dial modem card, PC-TALK III sc cord to connect to modular pho and manual. 1 year limited war Optional: Connector and circuitr serial port for another serial dev SHIPMENT We pay UPS surface charges. UF air service add $5 extra. Credit bank check orders shipped n< {Personal checks take 1 8 days t QUBIE' 4809 Calle Alto Camarillo, CA auto- jftware, ne jack, ranty. y to use ce$25. >S 2 day card or 5xt day. o clear) 93010 Circle 302 on inquiry card. Circle 283 on inquiry card. People & Technology ACCESS TOMORROW'S COMPUTER SOLUTIONS TODAY! We've broken the disk access bottle- neck using advanced 3M™-patented technology never before available for the IBM PC. Now, for the first time, this advanced storage technology is made available exclusively to the small-to- mid-sized business user by People & Technology.™ INTRODUCING 20 Mb Disk Drive • IBM™ compatible • Plug-compatible w/ most PC/DOS and MS/DOS (version 1.1 and 2.0) • Mainframe data access time & reliability for your PC . . . only 65 ms! • All installation software, cabling, and comprehensive operations/ information manual included • Look-alike IBM packaging • Bank financing available • Only $2,350 . . . more storage for less money! For product and ordering information, call our 24 hour toll free order line at 800-443-0100 Ext. 428 People & Technology Access tomorrow's computer solutions today. People & Technology 844 Manatawna Ave., Phila.. PA 19128 Pfoplf H IcThncilogy and f iPCln People & Technology IBM is a to Machines 3M IS a registered tru change wilhout prior notice ilp Cabinet are registe'vtt TMrtvm.i eieit Ir.-Klemark dI lniffnatiori.it Hir- nark ol 3M Corporation Price suh| Runs on Software Publisher Model 2000? 1-2-3 Lotus Development No Accounting IUS Yes Accounting Open Systems Yes Bottom Line Strategist AshtonTate Yes DJ Market Analyzer Dow Jones No Easywriter IUS No Peachtext IBM No Planftn Business Software Yes Quickcocle Fox & Geller Yes Random House Dictionary Aspen/Wang Yes Smartcom Hayes No Spellguard Sorcim Yes Supercalc2 Sorcim No Superwriter Sorcim No Tax Preparer Howardsoft Yes The Word Pius Oasis Yes Visicalc Visicorp No Volkswriter Lifetree No Wordpl us/The Boss Professional Software No Wordstar Micropro No Table 3: Partial list, compiled by Radio Shack, of popular MS-DOS software, indicating which packages will run on the Model 2000. For more information, check your local Radio Shack dealer. clear that several IBM PC programs will not run on the 2000. In brief, any IBM PC program that, for the sake of speed, bypasses MS- DOS routines and directly accesses the IBM's memory is unlikely to run on the 2000. Similarly any program that makes use of certain unique keys on the IBM keyboard or the unique graphics features is also unlikely to run (see table 3 for a list provided by Radio Shack of those programs that will or will not run). In some cases, the obstacle to run- ning a particular program is trivial. For example, Radio Shack mentioned a program that accesses a certain memory location in the IBM PC to ascertain whether a monochrome or color monitor is being used. To make this program run on the 2000, you simply change two bytes in the pro- gram so that it accesses the equiva- lent memory address on the 2000. Obviously, some programs are more difficult than others to "port" to the 2000. Note that the best-selling 1-2-3 package from Lotus Develop- ment is not among those offered by Radio Shack. This may reflect Tandy's preference for Ovation as much as the difficulty of porting 1-2-3. Two additional levels of compatibil- ity with the IBM PC require mention. The first is disk compatibility and the Radio Shack makes it quite clear that several IBM PC programs will not run on the 2000. second is hardware compatibility. With regard to disks, the 2000, because it uses a quad-density disk format, has sacrificed complete com- patibility with the IBM. The 2000 can read an IBM disk but it cannot write to one, and, while this situation is bet- ter than nothing, I'm sure that the limitation will be more than a little frustrating. (I should note that the 2000 did have trouble reading one of my IBM PC disks.) As for hardware compatibility with the IBM PC, there is almost none. The expansion slots are completely different. The monitors are said to be specially designed for the 2000. The only common points seem to be the related CPU chips and the serial and parallel ports. Several manufacturers, such as Tec- mar, AST, and Quadram, have devel- oped expansion boards for the IBM 314 BYTE March 1984 piBO Ajmbu! uo 082 a )° J !0 ■>L A J ut'idilin^ pufjjt eujij jno jo peeqe A|p|6i|S jsnf oiuoseued ajopq pen J3A3U pq japdwoo apBuod e ui pasu sAB/wp 3a noA 6uiL|iAjaAa s,u J3uuBd js oiuosEUBd 3i)i "L9£t^6e (10S) lieo jo >60Z0 TN 'snoneoas 'Ab/\a oiuosBUBd 8UQ 'Bousuuy p AuediucQ oupag BiiusnsiBiAj p uoisjajq 'AuediuoQ jeujsnpui oposBUBd 'luaiuuBdaQ japdiuoo :oj sjum - *'» ^» ! . ^wiu^^^wnsj-v^iwi dpo AjOLuauu Djiejs »t^9 b pu\/ 'wajsAs Ajpa bjbp auogdapt jeuiuijai p>pod„ y japea! japBJBup IBDjjdo auipo uy jaindiuoo b oj bibp ajiujisoBj oauuoo AjpeJip ieu,i uuajsAs Ajpa ejep e :apnpui A6opuipai aoyp puB japdtuoa oj suoijbaouui Pub suoiinqupoo paoaj SBiiusnspiAj anpepuew soiuojpap jawnsuoo isa6jB| s,p|JO/v\ agipauosj puB8L6L aouis ssauisnq ui uaaq sbij "oq |BiJjsnpu| oupag ejpsnsjeiAj 'pajBd jno sapBdiuoo .mojjoujoi auofe 'ABpoj ajau,,, asou,i p auo pu o J( ^ m a A)i|!qepuadaa jo sjbga 09 -^M) sjapap aoiAjas pazuoqtnB p ^joaapu [Buoipu b aABL| a/v\ '6upiAjas paau jaAa pinous jaujjBd js agj |j pu\/ sAbp 06 A|uo sjajp uoilipdiuoo agi p iso|/\| Ajubjjbaa pajiLuif qpouj-^t b Aq dn pa>peq os|B si jaujjBd is am apBpjojp A|6uisudjns s^blii aoud e joj hv pod o/l aoBuapi puas Z£ZSti ub pu\/ "spjauduad puoijdo sjdaooB jbu,) jjod o/l aoBpajui pipjBd soiuojpaoy indinojoipouj aOd uy aJBMpjBL] [Ajgi jo} p|S uoijdo uv isoo ejjxa ou p sopdeiB pus jopo ui-Jiing \\ ey\\\ jsnl auo jaqpuB Sunpueu, p Amiqedeo au,i puB aAijp osp Lpu!-t/ t g 'M09C Vtysuap apnop 'papis-apnop 'uj-Jiinq v ja>toos jossaoojd-oo /808 uy waisAs Buipjado og Mi SOQ-SlAJ B MJ! M Jossaoojdojoiuu 8808 uy uaajos aujojijoououj iiiiaa xyQ uoiinpsaj-uilDiij l ipui-aup y >^IS 01 apspuBdxa l (i/\iyy) Ajoujouj pujajui >i8£l sbu, ji apidujoo pa||BO aq oj suo-ppB do ajinbaj ) usaop \ei\\ LuajsAs papjBapi ub si jauued J S 8 M1 ujajsAs ajaiduiOQ v sjaAipp ubjsap oiboi puoipajip-p s\\ puy sujBJbojd buipnooot 4\o puB spaqs psajds joj papad s pqi aui| japBJBqo^ci QM1 put ui] japBJBgo-08 ub sjaip puB pinbApujajixa osp sj japiJd aqi ajoiu gonuj 'qonuu puB su,dBj6 sapu aouajapo: 'sajnOi) p6pnq 'soijsipis p spopud h^iaa sjaiuoisno jnoA jc roA apiAOjd ubo puB A)!|iqBdBO soiL|dBj6 ssg j| japud ui-npq b miM ssBp sj; u ! aiqBUod Apo aqj si jauued us 9 M1 poiugoaj s.jauiJBd JS ©Ml 'ajBMpjBq apipdiuoo Qd 1AJ9I sjdaooB osp ii asriBoaq puy ■6uiujuuBj6ojd UMO jnoA puB paujdopAap L|dej6 'iuauja6BUBUj q\\\ 'spays psajds oiuojpap 'buissaoojd djoaa Buiop mimi m 3Mfrwft saw a6jBL|0 BJlxa Ou |e uv *^UIbVtl /V\ U ^ 'l u 4J^^ot) e 9|y 'MdBJQ ,Sdd ^bispjom JoieQisiA 6uipnpui SLUBj6ojd pappj-ssauisnq papadsaj isouu aqip 3Ai} ajB jauiJBd JS 9 M1 M1! M papnpui 'uoiiippB u| opinujis p6iy uaAa pus ^uBidiipiAj i£-£"l w snp-| pnpu| AjBjqii ajBMijOS buijsixa ub ujojj sujBJbojd dod p spajpunu, luoji ^oP ubo noA os SLUBj6ojd iujoo Od lAiai sum jauiJBd JS 3MJ 'Ml 1 ^ ui6aq oi stuejBoJd aiqjiediuoo 3d lAISI suny Aublu ajB ajagi os A? ;sjaA puB apixan isoiu auoAnq oisuosBaj jo sjajndaioo appuod IJBd JS OpOSBUBd 3U.1 jajuud uj-iijnq e ljijm jeu)jed J S ojuoseued am tuatsAs jainduioo aiqeiiod iiq-91. c pauie|uo3-||as c a|a|duioo jsjii s ( p|,iOM am 6uionpoi|U| You don't need a computer to talk to another computer. DISPLAY (VP301 2D). High performance, 12" diagonal non-glare, green phosphor screen. RESIDENT MENUS. User-friendly terminal sef-up and phone directory maintenance DIRECT CONNECT MODEM Built-in, 300 baud, originate/answer/auto answer AUTO DIAL. Tone or pulse dialing of up to 26 stored phone numbers, voice or data base calls. AUTO-LOG-ON. Enters information automatically after auto dialing.-- — VIDEO OUTPUT. Selectable 80 or 40 characters x 24 lines on standard monitor. TV OUTPUT. Displays 40 characters x 24 lines on Ch. 3/Ch. 4 of standard TV set. MEMORY BACKUP, Minimum 48-hour storage of directory, log- on and other parameters without plug-in power. No batteries required. FUNCTION KEYS. User programmable or downloadable from host computer. APTVP4801 The new RCA APT (All Purpose Terminal) expands your data communications capabilities for a lot less money. For business, professional and personal data communications, you'll find more user- friendly features and greater communications capabilities in the RCA APT than in other termi- nals selling for up to three times the price. The new APT terminals are ideally suited to multi-data base time sharing and dedicated, direct computer-connected applications. They feature menu-controlled operation and a pro- grammable "personality" to match specific communications requirements for your data bases. A single keypress can dial a stored num- ber, send the log-on sequence to the host computer, and return terminal control to the user. Password protection prevents unauthor- ized access to designated numbers. APT can also be used as an auto-dialer for voice communications. OTHER FEATURES RS232C port for direct computer connections at data rates to 9600 baud, or for connecting high speed modems and other accessories. Parallel printer port for hard copy. Numeric keypad, can dial phone numbers not in terminal directory. Built-in speaker with adjustable volume control for audio monitoring of phone line. Smooth scroll display. Automatic screen blanking to reduce possibility of burn. Briefcase size: 17" x 7" x 2". Weight: under 4 lbs. Quite simply, matching features with price, there is no other professional quality terminal available today that can do as much at such low cost. APT terminals list for $399, in your choice of full stroke or membrane keyboard versions. Either style is also available with a display monitor for $598 list. The data display monitor alone, VP3012D, $199 list. For more information— or to order- call 800-233-0094. In Penna., call collect to 71 7-393-0446. Or write for fully descriptive brochure to RCA Microcomputer Products, New Holland Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17604. OEM and dealer pricing available. The new RCA APT Expansive. Not expensive. APT VP3801. Flexible membrane keyboard version designed for travel and hostile environments. itc/i 316 BYTE March 1984 Circle 22 on inquiry card. PC. If these manufacturers will sup- port the Tandy 2000 in the same way, the new machine's owners and Tan- dy itself will benefit greatly. Apart from the IBM PC, the second area of compatibility is with other Radio Shack computers. Quite prob- ably, the new 2000 will find its way into offices that already have a Model III or 4. Unfortunately although they share the same disk size, they cannot read each other's disks. It would, of course, be too much to expect that these two different machines would run each other's programs. But it might sometimes be useful to be able to transfer a text file from the Model 4 to the 2000. Until someone writes a routine, you'll have to resort to using a serial cable. Currently, the only visible compat- ibility with Models III and 4 is that the default disk drive is the lower one. Conclusion The designers at Radio Shack have corrected many of the faults present in the IBM PC, and, in some respects, have completely surpassed it. Most importantly, they have accomplished this at a very reasonable price. Anyone who does serious number crunching should consider the 2000 (particularly if the 80187 chip ap- pears). A significant amount of MS- DOS software will probably become available for this machine. But users who require a particular software package should first check if that soft- ware is compatible. This new machine should be a very effective competitor for the IBM PC- it will allow Radio Shack to enter markets it has hitherto had difficulty penetrating. And, because of Radio Shack's formidable marketing, this strong product could spell trouble for some of the other MS-DOS machines on the market. ■ Rich Malloy is BYTE's product-review editor. In a future issue we hope to present a detailed System Review of this product thai will include results of several benchmark programs and com- patibility tests. . . . R.M. TWO- PINGER TYPERS: What About the Undetected Errors You Make Because You Can't Watch 1 he Screen? INTRODUCING TYPEQUICK Faster Speed, Fewer Errors And Improved Productivity In A IS-Hour Microcomputer Course Two fingers are fine for play- ing "Chopsticks," but mistakes on your computer are just too time-consuming. It's the errors you don't see that are the worst, but how can you read the screen when you're searching for keys? BREAK THE KEYBOARD BOTTLENECK TYPEQUICK, the serious key- board training course for the successful micro user, will quickly teach you to touch type so that you can watch the screen for errors. It will hold your in- terest, but it's not a game. It's the same course used in many colleges because it's so effective. TYPEQUICK is the easy and re- warding way to learn in the con- venience of your office or home in about 15 hours. The course will increase your quickness and accuracy with its unique pacing system which forces you up to speed— a proven success. In ten enjoyable lessons, TYPEQUICK encourages and re- inforces like a good teacher, changes the exercises to remove weak keys, waits for you to correct errors, uses most- r words and Company. Address text, and displays and prints three reports per lesson. RUNS ON MOST SYSTEMS Available for PC-DOS, MS-DOS, CP/M, and CP/M 86. Requires 128K (64K under CP/M) and 160K disk drive. About $85— with a money -back guarantee — at your local computer or software retailer. Ask to see TYPEQUICK at your retailer today, or send for an in- formative brochure. It's the only touch typing course worth your time and money — a very important step to improved productivity. TYPEQUICK I need to get serious about my key- board productivity. Please send me more information about TYPEQUICK immediately. Name. City/State/Zip_ Machine Type Op.Sys._ Disk Format. Mail to: TYPEQUICK 12021 Wilshire Blvd. #219 Los Angeles, CA 90025 s M mm wmm warn wmm warn w Circle 361 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 317 ::::::: a^ us: ■$&& d?JX& m *W %S3& *^ ORYX SYSTEMS QUALITY DISCOUNTS APPLE/ FRANKLIN ASHTON-TATE d-Base tl $ 389 ASPEN/WANG SOFTWARE Grammatik $ 60 Proofreader 42 BEAGLE BROS. Apple Mechanic $ 22 DOS Boss 17 Utility City 22 BRODERBUND Bank Street Writer ... $ 45 General Ledger w/AP . 305 Payroll 275 CDEX Visicalc Training $ 45 CONTINENTAL SOFTWARE Home Accountant .... $ 49 DOW JONES Market Analyzer $ 245 Market Manager 219 Microscope 525 HOWARD SOFTWARE Tax Preparer '84 $ Call f LOGO CORNER ) I Krell Logo. ..■■■■ $ 75 J LINK SYSTEMS Datafax $ Call Datalink....... 79 d-BASE II CORNER Ashton-Tate dBase II. $ Call Bottom Lme Strategist 259 FPL 410 Friday 189 Human Soft dBase Plus $ 95 Fox & Geller Quick Code $ 175 D Util 58 Software Banc d Base II User's Guide: w/ dBase II Purchase $ 15 w/o d-Base II Purchase 20 Anderson-Bell Abstat $ 349 Tylog Systems dBase Window.. $ 159 dBase Door $ Call All above available PC-DOS MICROPRO Wordstar (Special) w/ CP/M Card, 70 col. &64K) $ 350 Infostar (Includes CP/M, 70 col., 64K).. 350 Pro Pak (W5/MM/SS/lndex) . . 399 MICROSOFT Cobol-80 $ 499 Fortran-80 145 TASC Compiler 119 A.L.D.S 79 Multiplan (DOS) 169 OMEGA Locksmith $ 79 PEACHTREE (CP/M) Peachpak 40 G/L + A/R + A/P (Speaal). . $ 215 All Other Peachtree Products . . $ Call PENGUIN SOFTWARE Complete Graphics. .. $ 50 Graphics Magician ... 39 Complete Graphics/ Apple Tablet 86 SIERRA ON-LINE Homeword $ Call SOFTECH Basic Compilers' Runtime $ 169 Softeach 94 UCSD P-system Set ... 469 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING PFS: File $ 79 PFS: Graph 79 PFS: Report 79 SUPERSOFT Basic Tutor $ 79 Fortran 299 SYSTEMS PLUS Landlord $ 375 VISICORP Visicalc (II or HE) $ 165 Visischedule ......... 195 CP/M SOFTWARE COMPUVIEW •V-Edit 8080 Z80, IBM/PC ....$ 130 •V-Edit CP/M 86, MS DOS 160 DIGITAL RESEARCH 'Pascal MT + W/SPP . . $ 389 DR Assembler & Tools . 149 CP/M 2.2 125 C Basic 2 95 PL/1-80 375 C Basic Compiler (CB 80) 299 Access or Display Mgr. 299 C Language/compiler 260 Concurrent CP/M 2.0 . 225 All 8" - 86 Version of Above % Call INFOCOM •Deadline $ 49 'Starcross 39 'Suspended 39 •Zork, I, II, III (each) ... 39 Planet Fall 49 LEXISOFT •Spellbinder $ 239 MARK OF THE UNICORN •Final Word .....$ 199 MICROPRO •WordStar $ Call 'InfoStar $ Call *Pro-Pock (WS/MM/SS Index} . $ Call All others $ Call van NORTHWEST ANALYTICAL •Statpak $ 365 OASIS The Word Plus $ 103 Punctuation and Style 90 ORGANIC SOFTWARE •Datebook $ 229 "Milestone..... 229 PICKLES & TROUT CP/M for TRS-II S 180 PRO/TEM SOFTWARE •Footnote $ 105 REVASCO Z80 Disassembler $ 85 SORCIM •Supercalc III $ 249 Superwriter (w/Speller& Mailer) . $ 169 Basic-8086 225 C Cross Assembler . . . 400 'Scratchpad 187 T MAKER III 215 PEACHTREE CORNER ► PeachPok 4 (GL, AP, AR) $ 215 ► General Ledger / Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable / Sales Invoicing / Inventory Control / PeachPay Payroll Each 389 ► PeachText 1 60 ► PeachText w/ Random House Thesaurus 195 ► Spelling Proofreader 95 ► PeachCalc 90 ► Job Cost System 389 ► Client Posting & Accounting 389 ► Graphics Language 259 ► Business Graphic System 1 99 MICROSOFT Basic 80 Basic Compiler. . . ...$ 239 ... 249 SELECT Select Word Processor .... $ 329 STAR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS ACCOUNTING PARTNER Easy to use menu-driven programs for the beginner that can be linked with a sophisticated system as needed. Your "Partner" includes: general ledger, ac- counts receivable, accounts payable and pay- roll. Also included for a nominal fee is an "800" number for access to the Star Question Center Back-Up Support Unit. Fortran 80 330 Cobol 80 449 Macro 80 1 30 MuMath/MuSimp 179 MuLisp/MuStor 155 'Multiplan 165 MICROSTUF 'Crosstalk $ 109 STAR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS •Legal ^me, Billing... . 845 Property Mgmt 845 'Acc't Partner 299 SUPERSOFT •Diagnostic II $ 89 Disk Doctor 74 * Fortran 4 299 FORMATS AVAILABLE All prices below are for 8" standard. Other formats are available. Some formats subject to "Download" fee and require minimum 2 weeks for delivery. Please inquire. IBM /PC Please see CP/M listing. All products with a * in front are also made for PC/DOS and are priced the same unless otherwise specified. ALPHA SOFTWARE Data Base Mgr. II .... $ 179 Mailing List 72 Executive Pkg 105 Type Faces 79 Question 35 Apple-IBM Connection 189 CENTRAL POINT Copy II PC $ 34 CONTINENTAL Home Accountant .... $ 89 CTek PC Calculator $ 29 Prog. PC Calculator . . 49 Prog. PC Calculator w/ Fin. Mod 55 DIGITAL RESEARCH Concurrent CP/M 86 . . $ 225 CP/M-86 39 Cobol 86 499 Pascal MT + 86 CP/M 86 w/SPP 375 SPP86 130 C Basic 86... 135 Pascal MT+ (PC/DOS) 385 DR Logo 109 DOW JONES Market Analyzer $ 245 Market Manager 219 ECO-SOFT Microstat $ Call FINANCIER Tax Series 105 Financier II $ 129 FYI Superfile , . $ 139 FYI 3000 287 GRAPHIC SOFTWARE Super Chartman II .... $ 299 Super Chartman IV . . . 199 Both (above) 350 LIFETREE Volkswriter Deluxe ... $ 179 PEACHTREE Please see listing under CP/M. PeachText 5000 $ 215 PEARLSOFT Personal Pearl Acctg (GL. AP, AR, P, INV.) . S 650 318 BYTE March 1984 SUPERSOFT C Compiler - 8086 ... $ 350 Star Edit 180 Disk Edit 75 Baste Compiler 225 Fortran IV PC/DOS or 8086 299 8087 Support 40 Diagnostics II . 89 Scratch Pad 187 SYSTEMS PLUS Landlord (prop mgmt) $ 375 Runtime Basic (req d for above} .... 45 . . and many more! We offer the following complete systems w/ full support on our technical line* Franklin 1000 & 2000 NEC APC & 8800 Corona Columbia Televideo Hyperion APPLE/ FRANKLIN BOARDS ALS CP/M Card $ 299 ALS Smarterm ........ 249 ALS Z-Card II 129 ABT Keyboard 99 Axlon Ramdisk 128K .. 299 Bit 3 Dual Comm-plus . 209 CCS 7710 Asynch Serial 119 Central Point Alaska . . Call East Side Wild Card .. Call Microsoft 16K Ramcard 69 Microsoft Softcard 219 Microsoft Softcard + . . 419 Microsoft Premium Softcard (HE) Wi Microtek Printer l/F . . . 75 Microtek Dumpling- 16 195 Microtek Dumpimg-GX 119 Mountain AD/DA ... 2/9 Mountain Music System w/Software . . . 299 PCP 4 MHZ Appli- Card + 88 Card 599 PCP 88 Card 16 Bit + 64K 4/5 Prometheus Versacard 159 Prometheus Graphitti Card 99 SSM ASIO Serial l/F w/cable 129 SSM AIO-2 Serial/ Parallel 1/9 Street Echo II Speech Synthesizer l/F ....... 129 Tymae Parallel l/F w/cable , Videx Display Enhancer 79 99 Videx Display Enhancer II 109 Videx Func. Strip 59 Videx Videoterm VT-600 235 Videx Ultraterm 259 Wesper 16K Ram Card 69 Quadlink 64K Memory, Game Port allows Apple Software to run on IBM/PC $ Call TECMAR Products ....$ Call XEDEX/MICROLOG Baby Blue $ 425 TALL TREE 512K JRAM Memory Board $ 699 IBM /PC BOARDS AST RESEARCH ComboPlus 64K Clock/ Calendar, Serial & Parallel, l/F, Expand- able to 256K $ 279 MegaPlus 64K, Clock/ Calendar, Serial Port, Expandable to 512K w/Megapak 269 Extra ports available for Megaplus and I/O Plus II includes Game, Parallel & Serial 40 Megapak 256K upgrade for Megaplus $ Call I/O Plus II Clock/Calen- dar and Serial Port ... 115 LNW Products $ Call <■ "X MONITORS J Amdek Video 300A Amber . Amdek RGB Color 11+ NEC 12" Hi-Res Green Sanyo 12" Hi- Res .$ 149 Call 169 199 USI H.-Res 12" Amber 159 NEC JB -1260 Green .. PGS RGB Color NEC JC 1216 RGB .... 119 . $ Call 435 Panasonic Monitors . . Taxan 12" Amber .... Taxan 12" Green .... Toxan 12" Low RGB . . $ Call 142 132 . 323 Taxan 12" High RGB . Toxan RGB Cable for PC 459 17 DISPLAY CARDS CORNER Hercules Graphics Board $ 359 Orchid Monochrome Graphics Adapter 360 Plantronics Colorplus 389 USI Display Card (color/monochrome) $ Call Amdek MAI Card $ Call Tecmar Graphic Master $ Call MAYNARD ELECTRONICS Floppy Drive Controller $ 155 Floppy Drive Control- ler w/Parallel Port , , , 209 w/Senal Port 219 Sandstor Mem. Card — 3 modules cap. . , 194 Sandstar Multifunction Card - 6 modules cap 93 Sandstar Modules .... $ Call QUADRAM Quadboard 64K, Clock/ Calendar, Serial & Parallel Ports, Software $ 2/9 Microfazer Stack Printer Buffer (expandable to 512K) ► Parallel/Parallel 8K . . 132 ► Parallel/Parallel 64K 188 ► Serial/Parallel 8K . . . 1/0 ► Serial/Serial 8K 1/0 SONY Profeel 12" .... $ Call Profeel 19" .... $ Call Profeel 25" .... $ Call MODEMS Hayes Smortmodem 300 $ 205 Hayes Smartmodem 1200 495 Hayes Chronograph .. 189 Novation 212 Auto-Cat 565 US Robotics Auto- Dial (full auto 300/1200) .. 459 US Robotics Auto- Link (auto-answer 300/1200) 4 1 US Robotics Password . 3/9 DISK DRIVES Tandon TM-55-2 $ 255 Tandon TM-100-2 239 Davong DSI-501 Hard $ Call Davong DSI-512 Hard $ Call Davong DSI-519 Hard $ Call Corona 5 MB Hard w/ Controller 1,395 Corona 10 MB Hard w/ Controller 1,795 CDC 1800 249 Corvus $ Coll Tall Grass $ Call PRINTERS Anadex $ Call C. Itoh Star writer $1,149 C. Itoh Prownter 8510 . $ Call C. Itoh Prownter 1550 . 689 NEC 3550 $ Call NEC 8023A $ 389 NEC 2031 $ Call Okidata M.crolme82A $ Coll Microlme 83A S Call Microlme92 $ Call IDS/Data Products Prism 80 (w/4 options) 1,399 IDS/Data Products Prism 132 (w/4 options) 1,547 IDS/Data Products Micro Prism 399 Siemens Ink Jet Printers $ Call Silver Reed Daisy Wheel $ Call Star Micronics Gemini 10X 319 Star Micronics Gemini 15X $ Call GE Printers $ Call Epson FX-80 599 Transtar T-130-P ...... 699 Transtar T-315P Color . 519 Transtar T120P 4/5 Mannesman n Tally MT 180L $ Call MT 160L 595 Spirit $ Call . . . and much more. Please: ► Wisconsin residents add 5% for sales tax. ► Add $3.50 for shipping per software and light items. For multiple and other items, call. ► Foreign — add 15% handling & shipping for prepayment. (Int'l money order.) ► Prices are subject to change without notice. ► All items subject to availability. Store prices are strictly retail. ORYX SYSTEMS, INC. CRAFTSMEN OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY 425 First Street RO. Box 1961 Wausau, Wl 54401 *For technical assistance, order status and in Wisconsin: 715-848-1374 r -*• 1 DISKETTES IM 5" DS, DD, Box ... $ 40 Maxell 5" DS, DD, MD2, Box 40 Verbatim 5 " DS, DD, Box 35 Ultra Magnetics 5" DS, DD, Bonus Box (12 Diskettes) 35 3 Boxes Minimum) f s PLOTTERS *- —^ Enter P100 Sweet P Apple/Franklin, IBM/PC $ Call Strobe Ml 00 Plotter w/ l/F Apple/Franklin 499 Strobe M100 Plotter (RS 232) 499 Panasonic Digital Plotter $ Cal r ^ MISC. Alpha- Delta MACC Surge Protector $ 69 Chalk Board $ Call Koala Technologies Graphic Tablet $ 95 Symtec Light Pen IBM/PC 14C Symtec Light Pen Apple/Franklin 200 TG Joystick IBM/PC... 49 TG Joystick Apple/Franklin 46 Versa VersaWnter Tablet IBM/PC, Apple/Franklin 235 Wico Analog Joystick. . 59 Wico Apple Adapter . , 18 Wico IBM/PC l/F Card $ Call Keyframe Keyboard IBM/PC :.".-.$ Call Keytronic Keyboard Apple/Franklin 249 Curtis PC Products .... $ Call Seattle Computer 8087 Package $ 29S \ CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research. IBM and the IBM logo are registered trademarks of International Business Machines. Apple and the Apple logo are registered trademarks of the Apple Computer Company. Franklin and the Franklin logo are trademarks of the Franklin Computer Company. We welcome: ► COD (Add $2.00 per shipment. Cash or certified check required.) ► Visa, MasterCharge & American Express. (Add 4%.) ► Checks. (Allow 1-2 weeks for clearing Working Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:30-5:30 • Fri. 8:30-6:30 Sat. 10:00-2:00 • Central Time M/4H ir A^ Int'l Telex: 260181 ORYX SYS WAU ^E O^r Circle 276 on inquiry card.. BYTE March 1984 319 A Closer Look at the IBM PCjr Comparing the PCjr to the PC and evaluating its performance and expandability by G. Michael Vose and Richard S. Shuford IBM finally starts shipping PCjrs to customers this month. As IBM dealers try to cope with an avalanche of initial orders, many questions re- main about the machine's design, its operation, and its future in the volatile microcomputer market. BYTE recently took a closer look at the PCjr. Our examination focused on the new machine's performance as compared to the IBM Personal Com- puter (PC); we also examined its ex- pandability, compatibility with its big brother, and graphics capabilities. Our report reveals a few surprises (see the accompanying text box, Photo 1: The IBM PCjr. "Benchmarking the PCjr," on page 324.) The debut of IBM's home computer on November 1, 1983, provoked a cool media reception and a simulta- neous outpouring of enthusiastic praise from personal computer mar- ket researchers. The microcomputer man on the street was glad to see the cat-and-mouse game between the media and Big Blue come to an end, quelling the hysteria to be the first to get the story, which is a distinction few people recognize. Besides, it had become clear that nobody would get the story until IBM wanted it re- leased. The media's reaction to the low-key presentation of the product, made at IBM's Gallery of Art and Science in New York, was lukewarm in part because the scribes viewed the PCjr, based on Intel's 8088 microprocessor, as being woefully short on state-of- the-art technology. What many of the press pundits failed to appreciate was that the PCjr, as the following pages demonstrate, is a product designed to do for the home market what the PC did for the business market— pro- vide a solid, well-conceived, and well-designed machine backed by the world's largest computer company. The press also seemed predisposed to criticize the PCjr in order to vent 320 BYTE March 1984 the frustration built up during the months before the announcement by Big Blue's careful manipulation of in- formation-gatherers to keep everyone off the track. The market-research crowd crowed about the new machine, seeing it as the proverbial goose of golden-egg fame. The industry-watchers' only questions were, "Why are there no shipments before Christmas?" and "When will all of Big Blue's com- petitors file for Chapter 11?" In the midst of this post-announce- ment media blitz, BYTE visited IBM's public relations office in Delray Beach, Florida, to get to know the PCjr. A Description of the PCjr The PCjr, billed by IBM as "the company's most affordable personal computer," is a repackaged, slightly redesigned IBM PC. (See "IBM An- nounces the PCjr," by Rich Malloy, December 1983 BYTE, page 358.) It comes in two versions, one with 64K bytes of memory that uses cartridge- based software, and the other with 128K bytes of memory and one double-density, double-sided disk drive with a capacity of 360K bytes. Major options include a thermal printer, joysticks, and a plug-in modem card. Table 1 shows the soft- ware products created especially for the PCjr, and table 2 lists a variety of IBM PC packages and their compati- bility with the PCjr. The PCjr comes in three separate pieces: keyboard, system unit, and power transformer. The transformer connects to a rear-mounted jack on the system unit and to a standard 110-volt, 60-Hz electrical outlet. The transformer drives a 33-watt, three- voltage-level, two-stage power supply. The motherboard contains an Intel 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A power-on self -test routine, cassette BASIC interpreter and oper- ating system, I/O (input/output) drivers, and a disk bootstrap loader are provided by 64K bytes of ROM (read-only memory). RAM (random- access read/write memory) consists of eight dynamic 64K by 1-bit chips with a 150-nanosecond access time. Software Product Monster Math Animation Creation Mouser Scubaventure Horneword* Crossfire Mine Shaft Bumble Games* Juggles' Butterfly* Bumble Plot* Personal Communications Manager IBM PCjr BASIC (cartridge) Turtle Power Fixed Disk Organizer Adventures in Math DOS 2,10 Home Budget jr Casino Games 1.05 Strategy Games 1.05 Easy writer 1.15* pfs:FILE 1.05* pfs:REPORT 1.05* Time Manager 1.05* BASIC Program Development System 1.05 *Prices will vary at authorized IBM Personal Computer dealers. Table 1: Software packages for the PCjr. Price $30 $40 $35 $35 $75 $35 $35 $40 $35 $40 $100 $75 $50 $50 $35 $65 $45 $35 $30 $175 $140 $125 $100 $130 An expansion slot accepts a board providing an additional 64K bytes of RAM. The PCjr uses the Motorola MC6845 graphics display controller (see the section on graphics and display, page 326) and the Texas In- struments SN776486N three-voice sound chip (there is no internal speaker for this chip, but its output can be sent to an external speaker or to a TV speaker). The machine includes a single serial port and interfaces for a joystick and a cassette recorder, along with dedicated expansion slots for an in- ternal 300-bps (bits per second) modem and the disk controller. An optional parallel printer attachment connects to the right side of the sys- tem unit with four screws. The only innovative technology employed in the PCjr is an infrared (IR) optical transmission link be- tween the machine's keyboard and the system unit. (For additional infor- mation on IR technology, see "Use Infrared Communication for Remote Control," by Steve Ciarcia, April 1982 BYTE, page 40.) The IR link lets the keyboard be moved up to 20 feet from the system unit, as long as the key- board remains in front of it. This optical-link technology is new to microcomputers but has been used for years in remote controllers for television sets. IBM adopted this technology be- cause it perceives that a home com- puter, used primarily in settings that do not include a desk, needs a key- board unencumbered by an umbilical link to the rest of the machine. The company apparently feels that a home environment demands a more mobile keyboard and that the trade- off of an occasional lost character won't matter much in this applica- tion. A keyboard cord is available for people who don't feel comfortable with the infrared link and for applica- tions, such as a classroom, where multiple PCjrs are in use. Connection of this cord disables the IR link. The keyboard contains a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semi- conductor) version of the Intel 8048 microprocessor to handle the inter- pretation of keystrokes and serial en- coding of keystroke data for transmis- sion by two infrared-emitting diodes. The system unit contains an infrared receiver and circuitry to demodulate the 40-kHz carrier signal from the keyboard and send it on to the cen- tral processing unit. The keyboard, when used without BYTE March 1984 321 Requires Operates on Requires BASIC Program Name/Version IBM PCjr Comments DOS 2.10 Cartridge Adventure/1.00 yes cannot set foreground and background colors no no Adventure in Serenia/1.00 yes colors may vary from IBM PC no no Adventures in Math/1.00 yes no yes Animation Creation/1.00 yes will run on an IBM PCjr with 64K memory no no APL (A Programming no n.a. n.a. Language)/1.00 Arithmetic Games (Set 1)/1.00 yes no color on composite monitor yes yes Arithmetic Games (Set 2)/1.00 yes no color on composite monitor yes yes Asynchronous Communications no n.a. n.a. Support/2.00 BASIC Compiler/1.00 yes must have sufficient storage for Compile and Link yes no BASIC Primer/1.00 no n.a. n.a. BASIC Programming Development yes not recommended for IBM PCjr; use same procedure System/1.05 to load DOS 2.10 as for DOS 2.00 yes no Binary Synchronous 3270 no n.a. n.a. Emulation/1.00 BPI Accounting Software (all) no n.a. n.a. Bumble Games/1.00 yes no yes Bumble Plot/1.00 yes no yes Casino Games/1.05 yes no yes COBOL Compiler/1.00 no compiler output will run on IBM PCjr if there is sufficient storage n.a. n.a. Decathlon/1.00 no n.a. n.a. Diskette Librarian/1.00 yes yes yes Dow Jones Reporter/1.00 yes . yes yes Easywriter/1.15 yes yes no Fact Track/1.00 no n.a. n.a. Filecommand/1.00 yes use same procedure to load DOS 2.10 as for DOS 2.00 yes no Fixed Disk Organizer/1.00 no n.a. n.a. FORTRAN Compiler/1.00 no compiler output will run on IBM PCjr if there is sufficient storage n.a. n.a. Home Budget jr/1.00 yes yes yes Homeword/1.00 yes no no Juggles' Butterfly/1.00 yes no yes Learning DOS 2.00/1.00 no n.a. n.a. Learning To Program in BASIC/1.00 no n.a. n.a. Logo/1.00 yes yes no Macro Assembler/1.00 yes yes no Mailing List Manager/1.00 no n.a. n.a. Monster Math/1.00 yes no yes Multiplan/1.10 yes yes no Multiplication Tables/1.00 no n.a. n.a. One-Hundred-and-One no n.a. n.a. Monochrome Mazes/1.00 Pascal Compiler/1.00 no compiler output will run on IBM PCjr if there is sufficient storage n.a. n.a. Peachtext/1.00 yes not recommended for IBM PCjr yes no Peachtree Accounting Software (all) no n.a. n.a, Personal Communications yes no no Manager/1.00 Personal Editor/1.00 yes yes no pfs: FILE/1 .05 yes yes no pfs: REPORT/1 .05 yes yes no Private Tutor/1.00 no n.a. n.a. Professional Editor/1.00 yes yes no SNA 3270 Emulation/RJE no n.a. n.a. Support/1.00 Strategy Games/1.05 yes no yes 3101 Emulation/1.00 no n.a. n.a. Time Manager/1.05 yes yes no Turtle Power/1.00 yes no no Typing Tutor/1.00 no n.a. n.a. UCSD p-System (all products) no n.a. n.a. Visicalc/1.20 yes yes no Word Proof/1.00 yes yes no Table 2: IBM PCjr software compatibility chart 322 BYTE March 1984 miiiiiiii mid More micro software is ggf// written for Hayes than for any other modems! Because Hayes, the telecomput- ing leader, continues to lead the way! With popular-selling modems that make telecomputing a breeze for beginners or professionals. And with sophisticated engineering that appeals to software developers. Send for our free Communications Software Directory. It lists more than a hundred software programs written for Hayes modems by independent programmers. For diverse communi- cation functions, from the practical to the fun. But all maximizing the advanced telecomputing capabilities of Hayes modems. Whether you're collaborating on competitive strategies with offices in the field. Doing your gift shopping via computer Or collecting and analyz- ing commodity or stock information. Let Hayes provide the superior com- munications link! Mail the coupon today for your free copy of the Hayes Communica- tions Directory. (Or pick one up at your local computer store.) 'I HI-". [-LIGHT PLANNER TELE GAMMON Provides a comprehensive -portfolio management — system for active trader, money manager or investor. Protects sensitive information sent over — telephone lines so that no unauthorized person can decode files. Permits use of normal — telephone lines for accessing international Telex network. Aviation software - simplifies planning and increases safety. Automatically logs-on to networks, answers phone, saves incoming - data, and allows it to be stored on disk, edited, and printed. Transfers files between - various micros, minis or mainframes. Automatically answers phone in your name; - receives, delivers messages. NOTE: More and more software is being written for Hayes modems every- day. Please let us know if you would like to have your program included in our next software directory. Allows users to play backgammon with players at distant locations. ft Mail To: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. Attention: Marketing Services, 5923 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross, Georgia 30092. Name . Address . City . State . .Zip. Please send additional information on: G Smartmodem 300* ** D Smartmodem 1200* ** □ Smartmodem 1200B* {plug-in board for IBM PC) □ Micromodem He* (for Apple computers) B-3 ©Hayes *FCC approved in U.S.A. **DOC approved in Canada. 1983 Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. Circle 416 on inquiry card. the optional cord, is powered by four AA batteries. The keyboard is in a perpetual standby state until a key is pressed. Only then do the 80C48 processor and the IR transmitter draw power. As soon as the character data has been transmitted, the key- board reenters the standby, power- down mode. The 62 unmarked, carbon-contact/ rubber-dome keybuttons return scan codes rather than ASCII (American National Standard Code for Informa- tion Interchange) codes. (See "Com- patibility" on page 328.) These keys will stymie the efforts of a touch- typist but will feel comfortable to children and novice computerists. We discovered a key-rollover problem when typing BASIC programs in. When three keys were pressed simul- taneously, as is common with fast touch-typists, releasing the first two keys caused the machine to display the first and third characters; the sec- ond letter was lost. The IR transmission link is suscep- tible to interference from very bright light, including sunlight, and high- voltage sources, including some tele- vision sets. The system unit issues loud beeps when there is high- energy interference affecting the unit; during our tests of the PCjr in IBM's office building in Delray Beach, these beeps were frequent enough to be annoying. The absence of markings on the keybuttons requires a keyboard over- lay for key labeling. The standard, at- tached overlay is color-coded and at- tractive but forces you to tilt the key- board slightly forward to see the legends. An alternative would be to hunch forward to look down on the keyboard from a position above and perpendicular to it. Virtually every- thing about the keyboard, from the square, rubber-topped keybuttons to the overlay, and even the IR link, guarantees a vigorous after-market in keyboard replacements for the PCjr. Benchmarking the PCjr To evaluate the PCjr's performance, we ran a set of standard BYTE benchmark pro- grams. These benchmarks were developed over the past two years and were used to evaluate the IBM PC (see "A Closer Look at the IBM PC," by Gregg Williams, January 1982 BYTE, page 36), the Victor 9000 (see 'Victor Victorious: The Victor 9000 Computer/' by Phil Lemmons, November 1982 BYTE, page 216) and numerous other popular microcomputers. The PCjr we benchmarked contained the full 128K bytes of RAM and the color dis- play adapter. The monitor used was the IBM Color Monitor. The test machine was "fully loaded" with optional peripherals. Listing 1 shows BASIC benchmark pro- grams developed by Richard Willis; the results are summarized in table c on the next page. The listings for the benchmarks summarized in table a can be found in the articles cited above. The Visicalc and Word- star benchmarks consisted of: (1) a recal- culation of a small spreadsheet containing two columns of numbers, six digits in one, seven in the other; (2) reading a large text file into memory, moving a page forward and back, and rewriting the file after mak- ing an editing change. The three tables (a, b, and c) on the next page summarize the results of these bench- marks. The Results The PCjr executes BASIC programs from 24 percent to 32 percent slower than the PC. Because the BASIC interpreter in the two machines is fundamentally the same, this speed degradation is due to the screen update lag created by the PCjr's use of RAM for video buffering. Using main memory rather than a separate 16K bytes of RAM on the monochrome or color adapter display boards, as is the case with the PC, places the microprocessor in a wait state as often as two out of every three clock cycles while the screen updates. (See the section on graphics and display in the main text, page 326.) The disk read/write operations in BASIC, not involving any significant Listing 1: A benchmark program by Richard Willis. Results for these benchmarks are sum- marized in table c. io ' ****** 20 ' WRITE-TO-SCREEN 30 '{FIXED # OF DIGITS) 40 ' 50 WIDTH 80 60 SCREEN 70 DEFINT I, J 80 J=12345 90 T0-TIMER 100 FOR 1=1 TO 1000 110 PRINT J 120 NEXT I 130 T1=TIMER 140 TDIF=T1-T0 150 LPRINT USING "###.### SECONDS" ; TDIF 160 RETURN 170 ' BENCHMARK ROUTINE 180 ' ****** 190 ' WRITE-TO-SCREEN 200 '(VARIABLE # OF DIGITS) 210 ' 220 WIDTH 80 230 SCREEN 240 DEFINT I, J 250 J=12345 2 60 T0=TIMER 270 FOR 1=1 TO 1000 280 PRINT I 290 NEXT I 300 Tl=TIMER 310 TDIF=T1-T0 3 20 LPRINT USING "###.### SECONDS " ; TDIF 330 RETURN 340 ' BENCHMARK ROUTINE 350 ' ****** 360 ' SCREEN 1 GRAPHICS 370 ' 380 CLS 390 SCREEN 1 400 DEFINT I 410 T0=TIMER 420 FOR 1=0 TO 319 430 LINE { I,0)-{319-I, 199 ) , I 440 NEXT I 4 50 FOR 1=0 TO 199 460 LINE (0,1 )-(319, 199-1 ) ,1 MOD 470 NEXT I 480 T1=TIMER 490 TDIF=T1-T0 500 LPRINT USING "###.### SECONDS" ; TDIF 510 RETURN 520 ' BENCHMARK ROUTINE 530 ' ****** 540 ' SCREEN 2 GRAPHICS 550 ' 560 CLS 570 SCREEN 2 580 DEFINT I 590 TO^TIMER 600 FOR 1=0 TO 639 610 LINE (I,0)-(639-I,199) 620 NEXT I 630 FOR 1=0 TO 199 640 LINE (0,1 )-(639,199-I ) ,1 MOD 650 NEXT I 660 T1=TIMER 670 TDIF=T1-T0 680 LPRINT USING "###.##« 690 RETURN 700 ' BENCHMARK ROUTINE , I MOD SECONDS" ; TDIF screen updates, demonstrate a 15 percent to 24 percent slower execution time for disk reads and writes. The PCjr does not use direct memory access (DMA); the PC does. The use of DMA is largely responsible for the PC's outstanding performance in disk The System Software The base model of the PCjr comes with cassette BASIC in ROM. An en- hanced version of BASIC, called Car- tridge BASIC, is available for $75. This version of BASIC is comparable to the familiar IBM Advanced BASIC (BASICA), with some additional en- hancements for graphics and sound and support for light pens and joy- sticks. The Cartridge BASIC is re- quired to obtain disk BASIC file I/O functions. PCjrs equipped with a disk drive use the $65 IBM PC-DOS 2.1 operat- ing system, an upgrade of the earlier PC-DOS series. (BYTE will assess the modifications to this operating sys- 324 BYTE March 1984 ■l l l l l l lMIIIMi ' MIIIIIWIIlili lill l li l BUBBLE SORT rF,I 11 I^HH^HnBIHl^H^n^H^HI^n^B^Hi^ni^HiH 710 720 730 740 DEFINT A,B, 750 DIM A(50) 760 FOR 1=1 TO 50 770 A(I)=51-I 780 NEXT I 790 T0=TIMER 800 F=0 810 FOR 1=1 TO 4 9 820 IF A(I)=A(I+1) THEN 870 830 B=A(I ) 840 A{ I)=A(I+1 ) 850 A( 1+1 )=B 860 F=l 870 NEXT I 880 IF F=0 THEN 900 8 90 GOTO 800 900 T1=TIMER 910 TDIF=T1-T0 920 LPRINT USING "###.### SECONDS" 930 RETURN 940 ' BENCHMARK ROUTINE g 50 ' ****** 960 ' TEXT MANIPULATION 970 ' 980 DEFINT I,J,K 990 DIM A$(1120 ) 1000 DIM B$(7 ) 1010 DIM C$(560) 1020 T0=TIMER 1030 FOR J=0 TO 4 1040 FOR 1=1 TO 224 1050 K=(256*J+I+31) MOD 256 1060 A$(224*J+I )=CHR$(K) 1070 NEXT I 1080 NEXT J 1090 FOR J=l TO 7 1100 B$(J)="" 1110 FOR 1=1 TO 80 1120 B$(J)=B$(J)+A$(80*(J-1)+I) 1130 NEXT I 1140 NEXT J 1150 CLS 116 FOR J=l TO 7 1170 PRINT B$(J) ; 1180 NEXT J 1190 PRINT 1200 FOR 1=1 TO 560 1210 C$(I )=A$(1121-I) 1220 IF ASC(C$(I))65 THEN 1250 1230 IF ASC(C$(I))90 THEN 1250 1240 GOTO 1260 1250 C$(I )=CHR$(176) 1260 NEXT I 1270 FOR J=l TO 7 1280 B$(J)="" 1290 FOR 1=1 TO 80 1300 B$(J)=B$( J)+CS(80*(J-1 )+I ) 1310 NEXT I 1320 NEXT J 1330 FOR J=l TO 7 1340 PRINT B5(J) ; 1350 NEXT J 1360 T1=TIMER 1370 TDIF=T1-T0 1380 LPRINT USING 1390 RETURN operations. The PCjr's performance in the absence of DMA is a testament to the effi- ciency of the disk routines in PC-DOS 2,1 and the hardware design of the slim-line drives. "###.### SECONDS" ;TDIF IBM PC PCjr Benchmark Time Time Ratio 4-MHz Z80 MBASIC 4.51 Time empty loop 6.43 8.51 1.32 5.81 division 23.8 30.2 1.27 24.9 subroutine 12.4 16.0 1.30 9.4 MID$ search 23.0 29.6 1.29 18.6 sieve 190 236 1.24 151 disk (read) 31.9 28.7* 39.5 1.24 n,a. disk (write) 28.5 29.6* 32.6 1.15 n.a. * PC-DOS 2.0 Benchmarks for the PCjr against the PC and an 8-bit microcomputer: a 4-MHz Z80 run- ning MBASIC 4.51. The ratio compares PCjr and PC performance. All times (in seconds) and ratios are valid to three significant digits. (b) Benchmark IBM PC Time PCjr Time Ratio Visicalc 1.59 3.68 2.31 Wordstar 3.24 (read) (write) 11.9 30.2 8.12 35.0 0.68 1.16 page forward 2.18 4.42 2.02 page back 2.24 4.46 2.04 Benchmarks comparing execution times for a Visicalc spreadsheet recalculation, Word- star read/write operations, and page forward/back maneuvers in Wordstar using double- spaced text. (c) Benchmark IBM PC Time PCjr Time Ratio write screen (fixed) 50.2 41.8 0.83 write screen (variable) 48.9 37.8 0.77 medium- resolution graphics 23.7 31.8 1.34 high-resolution graphics 54.5 73.7 1.35 bubble sort 25.9 32.4 1.25 text manipulation 32.7 40.3 1.23 Benchmarks of a variety of tasks, as shown in listing 1. tern in a future Technical Forum.) This operating system is designed for the entire IBM PC family of com- puters (referred to at the fall COM- DEX technical presentations as con- sisting of the PC, PC XT and PCjr only). PC-DOS 2.1 consumes 24,688 bytes of memory, compared to 24,576 for version 2.0. Although the PC and the PC XT will run PC-DOS version 2.1 as well as versions 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0, the PCjr requires version 2.1. This require- ment derives from new disk-interface routines dictated by the disk-drive hardware used in the PCjr. PC-DOS versions other than 2.1 may boot and run in the PCjr, according to IBM BYTE March 1984 325 dealer literature, but the company will guarantee data integrity with ver- sion 2.1 only. Our attempts to boot version 2.0 were unsuccessful. The MODE command in PC-DOS 2.1 enables the alteration of the moni- tor's screen display in machines equipped with the 64K-byte Memory and Display Expansion board. The PCjr uses a 40-column display as a default because it is designed to be used with television sets, but the dis- play format can be altered to display 80 columns with the DOS (disk oper- ating system) command MODE 80. The PC-DOS 2.1 system disk con- tains the files BASIC.COM and BASICA.COM. These files are the standard IBM PC disk and Advanced BASICs, respectively. They are for use only by the PC and the PC XT, however. The PCjr, whether using ROM or Cartridge BASIC, does not load or access these files. Commands to invoke BASIC are trapped and vec- tored directly to motherboard ROM or the cartridge vector address, as ap- propriate. For disk BASIC program- ming, 59,604 bytes of RAM (in a 128K- byte PCjr) are therefore available to the user. Graphics and Display There is no expansion slot in the PCjr dedicated to a video-display adapter card, and with good reason: the video circuitry is built into the motherboard circuitry. Using the Motorola MC6845 for most of its functions, the video-graphics subsys- tem makes available several modes of operation that will be familiar to users of the PC's color/graphics adapter. But a new wrinkle has been added— a video gate array (VGA), the proprietary LSI5220 chip. The gate ar- ray makes possible two new high- bandwidth video-graphics modes that provide more colors at higher resolutions than were possible on the standard PC. There is also a new low- bandwidth graphics mode (see table 3). The PCjr can switch display modes without clearing the video buffer, enabling some new kinds of display manipulation. The VGA provides a color-selection palette and separate selection of background (frame) color. A program Compatible Requires 64K-byte with Memory and Buffer N umber Color/Graphics Display Expansion Size Mode of Colors Adapter Board (Bytes) 40-column alphanumeric 16 yes no 2K 160 by 200 16 no no 16K 320 by 200 4 yes no 16K 640 by 200 2 yes no 16K 80-column alphanumeric 16 yes yes 4K 320 by 200 16 no yes 32K 640 by 200 4 no yes 32K Table 3: PCjr video modes. can change the screen-display colors caused by a given set of display data merely by changing the values in the palette registers. Sixteen colors are available in the palette; in modes that use fewer colors, any combination can be chosen for display. Black-and- white display modes use a full gray scale. The big difference from the PC's video architecture is that part of the main system memory must be used to contain the video-display data, thus the 8088 processor must share memory space and memory-access time. At least 16K bytes of memory must always be reserved for the dis- play buffer, though only 2K bytes are used for a 40-column alphanumeric display, and the two high-bandwidth graphics modes require a 32K-byte buffer. The designers of the PCjr did pro- vide a measure of compatibility in display addressing; in early reports on the PCjr, this point was some- times lost. In the big PC, the color/ graphics display buffer, although separate from the main memory, is mapped into the 8088 processor's ad- dress space beginning at location hexadecimal B8000. The PCjr con- tains special address-mapping cir- cuitry that traps memory references made by the 8088 to addresses in that region and redirects them into the low-range addresses of main memory where the PCjr's display data is kept, using a processor page register as an index. Consequently, some programs that bypass the operating-system dis- play routines will run unmodified on the PCjr. Because the main memory is shared, the processor and video-dis- play circuitry must access it at dif- ferent times. The 8088 can read or write memory during only one of every three memory clock cycles. Dis- play refreshing takes place during the other two cycles. In the unexpanded PCjr, the first refresh memory cycle fetches a byte that contains the ASCII value of the character to be displayed via an 8-bit data path; the second re- fresh cycle fetches the display at- tribute of the character. But when the 64K-byte Memory and Display Ex- pansion board is plugged into the PCjr, the memory addressing is re- configured so that even-addressed bytes reside on the motherboard and odd bytes on the expansion card. During both refresh cycles, 16 bits of character and attribute data are fetched via a 16-bit data path, dou- bling the bandwidth of the display. The denser graphics modes and the 80-column alphanumeric mode re- quire the greater bandwidth. In either case, the 8088 can get to mem- ory every third memory cycle, or ap- proximately every 1.1 microseconds. All of this gives rise to a limitation of the PCjr: the unexpanded 64K-byte system cannot use several of the video modes; in fact, text display is restricted to 40 columns in the minimal unit. The PCjr does not contain any cir- cuitry to emulate the functions of the PC's monochrome display adapter, so the IBM Monochrome Display can- not be used with the PCjr. The IBM Color Display with its RGBI (separate red, green, blue, intensity) inputs works fine, but at $680 it's rather ex- pensive for use with a computer that has a base price of $669. A radio- frequency modulator for using the 326 BYTE March 1984 LOWS J Lotus 12 3™ and Dataproducts P Series color printer are the best combination for any business assignment. Everyone's talking about the best software package on the market the Lotus 1 2 3. Dataproducts wants you to go one step further with their P Series color printer The versatile P Series translates the wealth of information generated by the Lotus 1 2 3 into brilliant full color charts, graphs and text. It delivers a full page of text quality print in nothing flat while its sheet feeder auto- matically prevents loading hassles. And the P Series uses pin feed or plain paper and has the brains to fill every appropriate line with crisp, sharp copy even if it has tojustify to do it And the P Series color printer has dual speed capability for correspondence quality output for word processing applications, and high speed output for draft or spreadsheets. The Dataproducts P Series color printer And the Lotus 1 2 3. There's no better combination on the market For more information go 1234 to your nearest computer store and ask about our P Series color printer, or call Dataproducts, 1-800-258-1386.

T " ■■'! Circle 39 on inquiry card. v , ^ ta- ^ ' ■ i -jihiiw" jri-m^r* «sat0K^~ &£ m > -** ^V- *»~**r_***'jOf*a*B><. Enter tomorrow on basf today mi BASF 'Contact BASF for warranty details g 1982, BASF Systems Corporation. Bedford, MA used by the 83-key setup. In this way you can emulate any keystroke com- bination from the big PC on the PCjr's keyboard. (You can even emulate the Num Lock key, which produces a less-than-useful working condition on a keyboard without a numeric keypad, as one of us found by accident during our examination of the PCjr.) Expandability IBM states publicly that there are no architectural limits to memory or disk-storage expansion of the PCjr. The IBM PCjr Technical Reference Man- ual confirms that a 512K-byte block of 8088 address space is reserved for future user RAM (see figure 1). Additional electrical power will be needed, however, for any expansion of RAM or disk storage. No room ex- ists within the system-unit chassis for memory above 128K bytes, nor for another disk drive; therefore, expan- sion requires the use of the 60-pin I/O expansion bus. The power available at the connector for the expansion bus is limited to 400 mA of +5V DC. Because disk drives require + 12V DC, no power is available at the connec- tor for floppy expansion unless an additional power supply is provided. Similarly, 400 mA of +5V DC could marginally power 64K bytes of addi- tional RAM, but expansion beyond this limit also requires additional power. It seems likely that significant ex- pansion will dictate a separate box containing power supply, additional RAM up to a maximum of 512K bytes, and one or more floppy drives and/or a hard disk. Because the elec- tronics and housing for this kind of expansion unit could cost from $800 to $2500, expanding the PCjr is costly. Expanding the basic PCjr unit with IBM peripherals could drive the cost to $2,073 for a system with 128K-byte RAM, disk drive, keyboard cord, thermal printer, joysticks, and carry- ing case. Other than cassette BASIC, there is no software bundled with the machine. Conclusions One surprise beneficiary of limita- tions in the PCjr's design will be the BIOS/Diagnostic/Cassette Basic Program Area Standard Application Cartridge Standard Application Cartridge Reserved For Future Cartridge Reserved For Future Cartridge Reserved for I/O ROM Video RAM Reserved Future Video Reserved Future User RAM Expansion RAM Base RAM FFFFF F0000 E8000 E0000 D8000 DOOOO ; C0000 B8000 A0000 20000 10000 00000 Cartridge J Chip Selects Memory Map Figure 1: The IBM PCjr memory map. older generation of microcomputer- software vendors. Their products, largely derived from programs writ- ten for 8-bit computers, naturally work at their full capabilities in a relatively small memory space and with few system resources. It's the newer software houses— especially the ones whose products are "in- tegrated" and therefore memory- hungry— that will gnash their teeth trying to figure out how to sell pro- grams to owners of PCjrs. Their molars may get relief, how- ever, if the memory cavity enjoyed by the ROM cartridges can be filled. As much as 192K bytes of ROM could be addressed (with some ingenuity), enough perhaps to accommodate slimmed-down versions of some of the larger IBM PC packages. There are two other advantages to putting application programs in ROM: they execute faster (read-only memory needs no delays for refreshing), and the single floppy- disk drive is freed from program-loading duties; it can be dedicated to holding the applica- tion's data files. But it will take time for ROM-cartridge versions of popular programs to be produced. The PCjr may turn out to be "the hobbyist's IBM." Unstymied by fea- tures left out of the design and at- tracted by the low (for IBM) cost, hobbyists and experimenters could soon be happily running a "poor man's clone" with wire-wrapped ac- cessories hanging off on every side: an interface for a better keyboard, outboard memory expansion, and a DMA-based controller for a second floppy-disk drive connected by clip- leads to a Navy-surplus power sup- 330 BYTE March 1984 You can count on 3M diskettes. Day after day. Just like the sun, you can rely on 3M diskettes every day. At 3M, reliability is built into every diskette. We've been in the computer media business for over 30 years. And we've never settled in. We're constantly improving and perfecting our product line, from computer tape and data cartridges to floppy disks. 3M diskettes are made at 3M. That way, we have complete control over the entire manufacturing process. And you can have complete confidence in the reliability of every 3M diskette you buy. Look in the Yellow Pages under Computer Supplies and Parts for the 3M distributor nearest you. In Canada, write 3M Canada, Inc., London, Ontario. If it's worth remembering, it's worth 3M diskettes. Circle 351 on inquiry card. 3 M hears you. ply. Stimulus for ingenuity might turn out to be the biggest feature under the Peanut's shell. The computer industry's rumor mill is still grinding with speculation that IBM will or will not support the PCjr, will or will not restrict produc- tion, will or will not produce up- grades for the machine. It's a popular pastime to be paranoid about IBM, but if the events surrounding the in- troduction of the PCjr are an indica- tion, even the Blue Giant is finding it cannot absolutely control the volatile small-computer field. The PCjr is appropriately designed for the home market. It is more af- fordable than the PC, yet it provides sufficient compatibility with its big brother to enable a worker to use a PC at the office and to work at home on the PCjr (with some limits) by simply transporting disks. In this context, the PCjr will seem awkward to use— the single floppy-disk drive will require much swapping of disks for format, copy, and backup opera- tions, for example. Although the PCjr is officially a home computer, you can be sure that IBM will try to sell it to schools and colleges, where students will be more tolerant than business users of the keyboard and the limited memory and storage. IBM is making the Logo language available for the PCjr, a strong hint of its desire to sell to the education market. Furthermore, IBM's dialect of BASIC is superior to that available on the Apple II and Commodore computers used by many schools (although the Ex- tended BASIC for the TRS-80 Color Computer is almost as good). The PCjr will be costly to expand for additional memory or disk stor- age. The new, low-cost bubble mem- ory or EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable ROM) chips might be an alternative to a second disk drive. The PCjr performs well compared with low-cost machines like the Com- modore VIC-20 and 64, but it is slower than the PC. It cannot be com- pared in cost with most of the com- peting home computers. The software and hardware after- markets for the PCjr will be vigorous. Vendors have already announced keyboard replacements, and several are planning to make memory-ex- pansion boards to compete with the IBM board, which sells for $140. There is still some question as to the magazine address space of the PCjr. Several publications have already been announced, and one, PCjr, published by Ziff-Davis, will have prepared three issues before customers begin receiving machines. Should the PCjr fail to attract a market, a lot of folks will be crushed by the resulting fall . ■ Bibliography 1. Ciarcia, Steve. "Use Infrared Communication for Remote Control." BYTE, April 1982, page 40. 2 . IBM Personal Computer Seminar Pro- ceedings, Vol. 1, No. 3. Boca Raton, FL: IBM Corporation, 1983. 3. Lemmons, Phil. "Hard Choices for Software Houses." BYTE, April 1983, page 242. 4. Malloy, Rich. "IBM Announces the PCjr." BYTE, December 1983, page 358. G. Michael Vose is BYTE's features editor. Richard S. Shuford is special projects editor for BYTE. They can be reached at FOB 372, Hancock, NH 03449. CxTEK DEVELOPMENT HARDWARE/SOFTWARE HIGH PERFORMANCE/ cost ratio jnc (601)467-8048 BPROM PROGRAMMER Model 7128-L1.L2.L2A $239.00 Model 7128-24 $329.00 DR8 or DR5 $ 30.00 DR8PGX or DR5PGX ..$ 75.00 Cross Assemblers $200.00 XASM (for MSDOS) . . $250.00 U/V Eraser DE-4 $ 78.00 RS232 Cables $ 30.00 "751 adapter $174.00 8755 adapter $135.00 48 Family adapter ... $ 98.00 Compatible w/all Rs 232 serial interface port * Auto select baud rate * With or without handshaking * Bidirectional Xon/Xoff and CTS/DTR supported * Read pin compatible ROMS * No personality modules * Intel, Motorola, MCS86, Hex formats * Split facility for 16 bit data paths * Read, program, formatted list commands * Interrupt driven, program and verify real time while sending data * Program single byte, block, or whole EPROM * Intelligent diagnostics discern bad and erasable EPROM * Verify erasure and compare commands * Busy light * Complete w/Textool zero insertion force socket and integral 120 VAC power (240 0Hz avail " " $879 stand alone MODEL 7956 VAC/50F ailable) DR Utility Package allows communica- tion with 7128, 7228. and 7956 programmers from the CP/M com- mand line. Source Code is provided. PGX utility package allows the same thing, but will also allow you to specify a range of addresses to send to the programmer, Verify, set the Eprom type. MODEL 7316 PAL PROGRAMMER Programs all series 20 PALS. Software included for compiling PAL source codes. Software Available for CPM, ISIS, 1. TM of Digital Research Corp. 2. TM of Intel Corp. 3. TM of Tandy Corp. 4. TM of Microsoft. Post Office Box 289 Waveland, Mississippi 39576 [601 ]-467-8048 Avocet Cross Assemblers are available to handle 8748, 8751, Z8, 6502, 680X, etc. Available for CP/M and MSDOS computers. Order by Erocessor type and specify ind of computer. Model DE-4 U/V Products hold 8. 28 pin parts. High quality professional construc- tion. MODEL 7324 PAL PROGRAMMER Programs all series 20 & 24 PALS. Operates stand alone or via RS232. 332 BYTE March 1984 Circle 170 on inquiry card. Be confident because your PowerType Daisywheel corres pondence becomes y on. When vou can't personally be there, only the from letter to legal size, from fantold to roll to cut clearest typed correspondence should be your substi- sheet. You can set r.ght and left margins, vert.cal and tute. With a PowerType Daisywheel printer your docu- horizontal tabs ments look highly professional. And so do you! Plus, of course, PowerType has both serial PowerType It's "typewriter friendly." Using a and parallel interfaces to enable it to connect to just simple drop-in ribbon cassette, it bi-directionally about any personal or business computer, types executive quality correspondence at 18 cps So the next time you re going face to face with a print wheel that holds 96 flawless characters. through the mail, rely on PowerType It will help you Designed for personal or business applica- make a professional impression. And that s always -■ PowerType's carriage accepts paper that ranges very becoming. I micronics'inc THE POWER BEHIND THE PRINTED WORD. Computer Peripherals Division P.O. Box 612186, Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport TX 75261 (214) 456-0052 Circle 333 an inquiry earn UndoAVindows* New Microsoft Word, It makes your IBM Personal Computer think its better than a $10,000 word processor With Microsoft Word, what you see on the screen is what you get on the paper So its easy to spot mistakes. Boldface, underline , and italics look like this, not this: A Bboldface A B, A Sunderline A S, AKtalicsAL And, when you make changes, paragraphs are automatically reformatted. Flush right, flush left, centered or justified. It even gives you several columns on a page, like a newspaper. Word forgives and doesn't forget There s an "uh-oh" command called Undo, Make a mistake? Or just want to experiment? Hit Undo, Microsoft is a registered trademark and MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Mouse* Word undoes your last change and remembers things the way they were. Word does windows. Up to eight, to be exact. So you can transfer or edit between eight different documents. Or between eight different pieces of the same document. Word travels fast Word has a Mouse, a handy little critter that lets you move copy, select commands and edit faster than you can say 'cheese!' W JWJ^^^^KMW/ord also lets you create ^-ii i ^^^^BBP^your own style sheets, so ■l^^^ou can standardize your documents, memos, files and letters. Its not surprising that Microsoft has a way with Word. We designed the MS™ DOS operating system that tells the IBM® PC how to think. And we pioneered the first microcomputer BASIC, the language spoken by nine out of ten micros worldwide. For a few final words, call 1-800426-9400 (in Washington State call 206-828-8088) for a free Word brochure and the name |V/||CR©SOFT of your nearest Microsoft dealer. The High iw^ance software f The Japan Shows An Update on the Japanese Computing Scene NEC introduces an impressive 16-bit computer, and Canon previews a remarkable, inexpensive laser printer by Richard Willis Business applications of microcomputers were the over- riding emphasis at the 1983 Japan Data Show, held in Tokyo October 18-21, 1983. Individual personal com- puters took a back seat as computer makers put forward a wide range of networking and office-automation sys- tems promising to transform the Japanese workplace into a futuristic information-intensive environment. But the home computer was also given its due. After a long, ex- hilarating day interfacing with the office workstation, tomorrow's Japanese workers will apparently look for- ward to spending the evening in front of their own ultra- high fidelity, satellite downlink videotex banking and home-management terminals and laser-disk-driven ar- cades. At least that's the scene painted by some of the same manufacturers at the Japan Electronics Show, held the week before in Osaka. You have to wonder whether, at some point, people will start to overdose on all this technoculture. Restraint is clearly not the operative term for describ- ing the Japanese love affair with the latest electronic gadgetry— nor for describing the means by which such innovations are promoted. The Data Show and Elec- tronics Show are cases in point. Big Japanese trade shows like these are an organized assault on all the bodi- ly senses, at least an order of magnitude more intense than one experiences at NCC or COMDEX. Multimedia theaters at many of the larger firms' booths extol the ex- hibitor's technical wizardry, often with only minimal reference to specific products. Legions of young women sporting brightly colored blazers and overamplified microphones keep the halls brimming with decibels. Most of all, there are the crowds, a continuous human crush in the aisles and the booths that can only be com- pared to rush hour on the subway (see photo 1). A week- long NCC or COMDEX show in the U.S. may draw 100,000 to 150,000 visitors. The Japan Data Show, four days long on about the same amount of real estate, at- tracts close to 400,000. Fewer Machines, Better Systems The shows clearly revealed some new and significant movements within the Japanese microcomputer in- dustry. Microcomputers are beginning to have a real im- pact on the Japanese workplace. Because even the simplest of business applications requires the computer to deal with kanji characters, microcomputers did not really begin to penetrate the business world until the in- troduction of 16-bit microprocessors. Even when the 16-bit machines first appeared, they left a lot to be desired in terms of software support, for their makers lacked the three or four years of hard-won business- market experience that benefited Western systems de- signers. Now, however, at least a few Japanese manufac- turers seem to have realized the necessity of providing total systems packages, including a full range of applica- tions software, for each new machine they introduce. And all the makers are working hard to improve their support of existing models by enhancing both hardware and software. Almost every major firm at the Data Show was touting its new data-networking capabilities. But most of these systems were large-scale proprietary networks, specifical- ly tailored to the needs and conditions in the Japanese office or factory and in many cases tied to one or more of the company's mainframe computers. There did not appear to be any standardized, compact network system emerging that might eventually have an impact on the American office-automation market. And while software is receiving tremendous, much- needed emphasis in Japan, there is little or no consen- sus among computer makers as to which operating sys- tem (OS) to adopt. Microsoft got a jump on the market 336 BYTE March 1984 Photo 1: The 1983 Japan Data Show was fairly well attended. by developing a Japanese-language version of MS-DOS, currently the most widely used OS among garden-varie- ty 16-bit machines. But some manufacturers had already started to develop their own proprietary oper- ating systems for their high-end hardware. Others are abandoning standard operating systems in favor of Photo 2: NEC's new PC-100 8086-based system with a color display. A monochrome display is also available. Both CRTs can be turned horizontally. building custom OS modules into each individual task- environment program, claiming that this strategy can im- prove performance substantially. Some machines pro- vide a combination of stand-alone program modules (usually for word-processing and similar text-intensive tasks) and OS-dependent programs. And while some manufacturers have stuck with MS-DOS, others are moving to CP/M-86. There is considerable behind-the- scenes interest in Unix, but very few of the major manu- facturers have introduced Unix packages for their machines, and its acceptance will probably remain in doubt until the next generation of processors arrives. The effect of this fractious environment is, not surpris- ingly, to discourage independent software development, the force that has driven the American microcomputer industry ahead so vigorously. Most third-party software development is carried out under contract with a single large manufacturer for a specific machine. There are very few Japanese-written standard software packages (such as Visicalc or Wordstar), and it's doubtful that a healthy, inventive, independent software industry will emerge in Japan any time soon. Recent BYTE reports from the Japanese computer shows ("New Japanese Microcomputers," April 1983, page 110, and "Update on Personal Computing in Japan," September 1983, page 250) have given fairly detailed summaries of the models produced by each of the ma- jor Japanese manufacturers, and most of these product lines have undergone incremental upgrading rather than total overhaul. Relatively few of the machines exhibited this year were new introductions. I will focus on those new systems that demonstrate significant technical ad- vances or that typify major trends in the Japanese market, especially those that may soon affect us in the US. Good News for Mouse Fans Published surveys give Nippon Electric Corporation (NEC) over a third of the personal and desktop computer market in Japan, and the company shows no sign of BYTE March 1984 337 slacking off. In what was perhaps the most significant system introduction of the show, NEC unveiled its new PC-100, an 8086-based personal com- puter (see photo 2). This reasonably compact system is built around a very high-resolution display, a mouse, and a bundled software package. The 8086 processor runs at 7 MHz, and there is provision for an optional 8087 numeric coprocessor. The standard memory complement is 128K bytes of RAM (random-access read/write memory) expandable to 640K bytes, plus video RAM of 128K bytes for monochrome display or 512K bytes for color. The unit can be configured with one or two built-in 320K-byte 5V4-inch floppy-disk drives. The video RAM is organized as a 1024 by 1024 bit map, of either one plane for monochrome or four planes for color. The 14-inch CRT (cathode- ray tube) display units offered with the system, both the monochrome (soft white) and the color, will display any 720- by 512-pbcel window of the bit map, with smooth scrolling that can be controlled by either the mouse or a keystroke command. The color unit can display 16 colors from a palette of 512. The real kicker is that the display can be turned vertically or horizon- tally to suit the application. In this characteristic, the system is similar to the Corvus Concept ("What a Con- cept," May 1983 BYTE, page 134). The user has a choice of four different kana or alphanumeric character for- mats (up to 64 lines of 120 characters) and two kanji character formats when the display is set horizontally, and three kana and one kanji format when the display is in its vertical orienta- tion. A new type of display controller is used in this system; instead of employing its juPD7220 controller chip, NEC has designed an analog- output controller circuit, which may indicate that NEC plans to integrate the system with other video media in the future. Both the color and mono- chrome displays produce beautifully crisp visuals. All in all, the PC-100 sets a new high standard for personal computer graphics capability. The two-button mouse that comes with the PC-100 is identical to the Microsoft mouse; Alps Electric, a ma- jor Japanese maker of electromechan- ical devices, developed it under con- tract from Microsoft and now sells or licenses it to NEC. The mouse's tail (cord) plugs handily into the right edge of the detached keyboard unit. The keyboard itself is extremely simple in layout, with the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) kana pattern and 10-key pad, five numbered func- tion keys, and a bare minimum of special-purpose keys, all in a light- weight, low-profile enclosure. The most revolutionary aspect of the PC-100 is that it is one of the first Japanese computers to come com- plete with a well-chosen package of software. The key element of the package is a Japanese-language word-processing program called JS- Word that employs a screen-icon- and-mouse control structure similar to the Apple Lisa or the new Micro- soft Windows system. Up to eight overlapping windows, each carrying its own appropriate icons, can be opened on the screen at one time. Japanese textual material may be entered either in kana or in Roman- character equivalent form and then converted to kanji. Jean Yates, writing in a recent issue of The Yates Perspec- tive (a newsletter covering software trends, with an emphasis on Unix) after a hands-on demo of JS-Word, describes it as one of the best word- processing programs she has seen, surpassing even Microsoft's Word (a fascinating irony because JS-Word was developed by ASCII-Microsoft, Microsoft's Japanese partner/sub- sidiary). Also provided in the package are a Japanese-language version of Multi- plan, a BASIC interpreter (whose program files, incidentally, can be edited by JS-Word), and some utili- ties, including software support for the standard RS-232C interface. The operating system is a Japanese-lan- guage version of MS-DOS dubbed version 2.01. NEC clearly has designed a winner in the PC-100, a machine with a near- ly perfect mix of capabilities at an im- pressive price: $2200 (in Japan) for a two-disk monochrome system with monitor, $3200 for color. A full kanji- capable, 18-magnet dot-matrix printer plus interface is available for another $1100. While the system does not have the total integration of different task environments offered by systems like the Lisa (you must load the various function programs separate- ly and pass data via disk files), it goes a long way toward providing simple, accessible computing power and will undoubtedly appeal to many Japa- nese business and personal users. The question is whether this machine will be imported into the U.S.; the NEC spokesperson I talked to was noncommittal on this point. However, last May an NEC executive said that the PC-9801 (NEC's other new high- end computer) would not be ex- ported but, rather, that NEC was de- veloping a new machine with high- resolution graphics for introduction in America. So there is a very high probability that we will see the PC-100 here. It is also a good bet that it will feature a software package composed of Microsoft's Tools run- ning under that company's Windows operating environment. If and when the PC-100 does show up in the U.S., it will certainly pose some stiff com- petition for Epson's QX-10 Valdocs system and perhaps also for Apple's mouse-and-icon-based Macintosh system. The introduction of the PC-100 gives NEC a third 16-bit personal computer; the other two are the N5200 (sold in the U.S. as the APC; see October 1983 BYTE, page 280) and the PC-9801. Each of these ma- chines now will be steered toward specific segments of the Japanese microcomputer market. Daring Sordplay While almost all Japanese com- panies are intensely competitive and ambitious, this year's prize for Most Audacious Agenda by a Start-Up Company must go to Sord Com- puter. Founded by a small group of very young engineers and program- mers in the early seventies, Sord has been gaining steadily on its giant competitors in the microcomputer in- dustry and now holds about 7 per- cent of the overall market (about 13 percent if the focus is narrowed to 338 BYTE March 1984 SALVO Shatters The Information Barrier! At last. Create your own applications in a fraction of the time compared to BASIC, COBOL or any data base language. You know exactly what you want. Now, let your personal computer generate that information by using SALVO, the fourth generation information manager from Software Automation, Inc. It's Better. Faster. And Easier to use. Natural Language Interpreter* Unique to SALVO, this allows you to enter the following type command, "List my customers and their orders. " Watch as SALVO generates the application. It truly shatters the information barrier. In minutes you get what you want, the way you want it. Inventory, Accounting, Mailing Lists, Sales Reports and more. Fourth Generation Language. SALVO is a powerful nonprogrammer's language combined with a true relational DBMS. This method increases your productivity 10 to 20 times normal! People in all professions can benefit from SALVO. Regardless of their level of expertise. Applications Development Package* SALVO is a complete tool for information management. Develop your own applications. Maintain your data base. Retrieve information using natural language. All of these functions can be performed by nonprograrnmers. SALVO is also a complete application generator for advanced users and professional programmers. SALVO's secret is simple. Technological innovations including artificial intelligence (expert systems, natural language processors) combined with relational data structures. SALVO runs on most personal computers. Compatible with MS-DOS, PC-DOS and CP/M. SALVO requires only 64K memory. SALVO is available at your local computer store or you may contact us for information on how to get your own personal preview copy. 14333 Proton Road, Dallas, Texas 75234 (214) 392-2802 Circle 326 on inquiry card. See SALVO At Softcon Booth L4023 New Orleans Feb. 21-23. BYTE March 1984 339 Sord business microcomputers) . One might expect a small company such as this to adopt a relatively cautious product strategy, choosing to address only a few markets that of- fered the best chance of suc- cess. Sord, however, has never shown the least sign of faint- heartedness as it charged ahead, achieving (according to a recent study) the highest five-year sales-growth rate of any company in Japan. Sord's current line of microcomputer products, together with several new products to be introduced in the coming months, will put the company into virtually every micro- computer category, from video-game-oriented home computers, to portables, to business machines, to main- frame-challenging super- microcomputers. All in all, seems to be in an excellent position to continue its so-far spectacular growth. Indicative of Sord's capabilities is its latest high-end machine, the M68, one of the first Japanese desktop computers to be built around the Motorola MC68000 16/32-bit micro- processor (see photo 3). The M68 runs its 68000 at 10 MHz and comes standard with 256K bytes of parity- checked RAM, expandable to 1 megabyte. It also includes an aux- iliary Z80A on line with 128K bytes of additional video RAM. The Z80 can function as an I/O and display controller for the 16-bit system or it can be used to run existing 8-bit soft- ware under CP/M-80. It is augmented by an Am9511 (Advanced Micro Devices) arithmetic processor that performs 16- and 32-bit fixed-point and 32-bit floating-point arithmetic operations. The M68's monochrome and color displays have a resolution of 640 by 400 pixels; 16 displayable colors can be chosen from a palette of almost 5000. This is excellent resolution for any sort of business graphics but a little coarse for CAD (computer-aided design) work, one .of the more obvi- Photo 3: The Sord M68, a 68000-based desktop system. In the spring of 1984, the machine will be available with 1 megabyte of RAM standard, expandable to 4 megabytes, using 256K~bit dynamic RAMs. ous applications for a system with such computing power. Sord is plan- ning to offer a higher-resolution dis- play with the M68 at some future date. The M68 comes standard with a pair of 1.2-megabyte 5V4-inch floppy- disk drives and two RS-232C ports, one Centronics and one IEEE-488 in- terface port. A hard-disk controller is built in, but the drives (either a 7.5- megabyte 5-inch or a 20-megabyte 8-inch) must be added externally. A pair of expansion slots can be fitted with specialized interface modules, including a network-communication controller, analog- or digital-signal in- terfaces, and a module that interfaces the M68 to an S-100 expansion chassis. Sord is now exporting the M68 sys- tem to the U.S. at a very attractive price; a 256K-byte system with dual floppy-disk drives and a mono- chrome monitor lists for $4890. But the real bargain will arrive in the spring of '84, when Sord starts ship- ping M68s with Fujitsu 256K-bit dynamic RAMs installed. The base system will then have 1 megabyte of main memory and will sell for $5690 with a monochrome monitor or $5990 with color. Additional 1-mega- byte memory modules— up to a total of 4 megabytes— can be added for $2390 each. In the matter of software for the M68, Sord seems to have expansive plans, especially at the OS level. The company literature lists six operating systems that can be run, in- cluding CP/M-86, RDOS, the UCSD p-System, and a ver- sion of CP/M-80. With an op- tional 8088 module installed, the machine will run MS- DOS. And Sord is planning to release a Unix system for the M68 sometime in 1984. At the same time that Sord is trying to be all things to all programmers, it is also contin- uing to promote its own pro- prietary software philosophy, as embodied in the package called PIPS (Pan-Information Processing System). PIPS is the pride and joy of Sord and prob- ably is the best-known standard soft- ware package of Japanese origin. As Sord products start arriving in the U.S., PIPS will no doubt follow, heavily promoted. The PIPS framework, designed by a banker, reflects a banker's way of looking at data (mainly numbers) in that all data in the system is thought to be organized in tables. At the heart of PIPS is a database manager; infor- mation is entered into the system in the same manner as to any relational database, though it is not clear whether the internal data structures of PIPS are true relational records or classical data tables. Once the data- base is established, it can be operated upon in various ways. The best analogy I can invoke here is that of a tool chest. The PIPS tool chest has several drawers, each containing a certain category of tools— Sorting and Searching, Arithmetic, Graphing, and so on. In general, only one drawer of the tool chest can be open at a time, but when you change drawers, you don't have to pick up all the data, put it away, and then pull it out again; the data of the table you're working on is always actively at hand. You call up the specific tools, 340 BYTE March 1984 %* ^Jrdfe <£ < key between the Z and the left Shift, bad keys to interfere with hitting Return, and other such insults to touch-typists (see photo 2). DEC claims this keyboard will be standard on all its new offerings, including the new VT-200 replacements for the VT-100 terminal. DEC is primarily a minicomputer company, of course. Part of the mini tradition is to isolate your customers from anyone else. Use a proprietary operating system, make people run software written just for your ma- chine and useless for any other ma- chine; that way you keep your cus- tomers away from the competition. DEC made it, what with disk formats that no one else can read or write to and its own operating sys- tem. True, the Rainbow can run both 8- and 16-bit software, which is a big plus, but on the other hand, little outside software is currently avail- able. DEC wanted to keep its people from using software written for the IBM PC. It succeeded beyond its wildest dreams. I didn't notice one single exhibit advertise itself as "DEC compatible." For the Most Important Person in My Life. . . . Last year we saw laser printers that could also double as your office copier, I had thought they'd be avail- able at reasonable prices by summer, but I never saw any. John Carr, our long-suffering editorial associate, was getting fed up with not having a copier, so we went out and bought one of those Canon machines that you see Jack Klugman advertising. We love it. It has never failed to work. We never have to mess with 354 BYTE March 1984 •>'&*/ r JS %« "WHY PAY MORE" COMPARE THESE PRICES MC-P APPLICATIONS BRINGS SOFTWARE & HARDWARE AT UNBEATABLE PRICES SOFTWARE LIST OUR APPLIED SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY VersaForm $389 $269 ASHTON TATE Financial Planner 700 452 Friday . „ - 295 199 BPI ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS GL/AP/AR (Each) ... 395 285 CONTINENTAL Property Management 495 327 FOX & GELER Quick Code 295 174 FUNK SOFTWARE Sideways 60 45 HOWARD SOFT Real Estate Analyzer II Apple 199 135 Tax Preparer Apple 199 135 Apple -.- 199 135 IBM 250 165 HUMAN SOFT DB Plus 89 LATTICE C Compiler 700 285 LIFETREE Volkswriter 195 129 METASOFT Benchmark 499 375 MICROSTUFF Crosstalk 195 129 MICROPRO Spell Star 250 162 Word Star w/Applicard 495 349 Mail Merge 250 162 Super Sort _ 250 149 Calc Star 145 86 Info Star 495 320 Report Star 350 221 MICROSOFT Flight Simulator (IBM) 50 35 Flight Simulator (Apple) 29 Multitool Word W/Mouse 475 339 Multitool Financial 100 69 Multitool Budget 150 99 Pascal Compiler 350 245 C Compiler 500 345 PBL CORPORATION Personal Investor 145 98 PETER NORTON Peter Norton Utility 80 57 PEACHTREE Peach Pack (AR, AP, GL) 595 239 Peach Text 5000 395 245 ROSESOFT Prokey 75 57 SOFTWARE ARTS T.K Solver 299 219 SOFTWARE DIMENSIONS Accounting Plus GL, AR, AP, PR, INV 495 295 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING Pfs:File 140 79 Pfs:Report 125 79 SATELLITE SOFTWARE Word Perfect 495 325 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING Pfs: File Apple 125 85 IBM 140 95 Pfs: Report 125 85 SOFTWORD SYSTEM Multimate 495 315 SORCIM SuperCalc II 295 185 SuperCalclll 395 275 SYNPSE File Manager 150 97 NO MAIL ORDERS FOR: Lotus 1-2-3 LOTUS 1-2-3 S29900 WORD STAR s 2 75oo DBASE II S37900 EDIX/WORDIX s-|29 00 MULTIPLAN S168 00 HOME ACCOUNTANT 00 ET WRITER s 46 00 TANDON TM1000-2 S 2 igoo OKIDATA 92 S47900 AMDEK COLOR II HI RES RGB S435OO AST MEGA PLUS 64K S27500 NOVATION J-CAT s-|05 00 EPSON FX 100 s 735 00 HERCULES GRAPHICS CD S369 00 KOALA TOUCH PAD s 9500 WOLF Move-It 199 125 VISICORP Visicalc IV 250 175 Visifile (Apple) 250 187 Visifile (IBM) 300 195 VisiSchedule .... 300 195 VisiWord w/free VisiSpell 375 285 Visitrend/Plot 300 195 HARDWARE LIST OUR HAYES MICROCOMPUTER PRODL i Hayes Stack Chronograph (RS-232) $249 185 Hayes Stack Smart Modem (RS-232) 300 Baud 289 199 Smart Modem 1200B Smart Modem 1200 699 495 ADVANCED LOGIC SYSTEM (Apple II) Z-Card 169 115 Printer Mate (Parallel) 99 55 CP/M Card (W/ CP/M 3.0) 399 315 MICROSOFT Softcard (Apple) 345 259 Ram Card (Apple) 100 75 64K Ram Card (IBM) 350 249 MPC PERIPHERALS (Apple) Parallel Interface Card (w/Cable) 90 68 MOUSE SYSTEMS PC Mouse w/Software 295 218 NOVATION Apple - Cat II 389 275 212 Auto Cat 695 595 Smart-Cat 103/121 595 445 Smart-Cat 103 24z9 187 PEGASUS Hard Disk 10 mgb 1439 PERSONAL COMPUTER PRODUCTS Applicard 6 Mhz 375 280 KRAFT & TG Joystick IBM 70 49 Apple 65 45 CDC DISK DRIVE 265 VERBATIM DISC S/S D/D 10 Pk 49 24 AMDEK MAI BOARD 599 495 ELECTRONICS PROTECTION DEVICES Orange 140 99 Peach 98 69 QUADRAM Quadboard 64K 395 295 Quadlink 680 525 MEMORY CHIP SET (64K/9 chips) 95 55 PRINTERS Mennesman Tally MT 160L 798 669 NEC 7730 RO Parallel 2595 2295 Daisey Writer 2000 1395 1185 Qume 1140 1685 1525 MONITORS Amdek 12" 310A 230 185 Quadchrome 17" 695 525 Princeton Graphics RGB Hi Res 795 495 CALL FOR SOFTWARE & HARDWARE PRICES NOT LISTED HERE INTERNATIONAL DEALER ENQUIRIES WELCOMED Circle 226 on inquiry card. MC-P APPLICATIONS, INC. 111 W. St. John St., Suite 307 San Jose, CA 95113 Phone (408) 293-3360 Telex: 294207 MCPA UR HOURS: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Mon. - Sat. Call for prices in AUSTRALIA at 02-929-8468 TERMS: All prices subject to change. Cashier's check /MO/ Bank Transfer. Allow time for company or personal checks to clear. Prices reflect cash prepaid discount. VISA /MASTER CARD /COD /POs =3%. California residents add sales tax. SHIPPING: $4 per item for UPS surface ($8 for Blue Label); Monitors $20, Printers $25, within continental USA. toner or other copier supplies because the Canon uses a cartridge system that's good for about 3000 copies. When it's used up, you put in a new one. The cartridges cost about $60 (that's about 2 cents a copy). We got the model that has a paper- feed system. You can override that by inserting a sheet of paper, which means that you can make it print on both sides of the paper if you like. We've been very pleased with it. At COMDEX, Canon announced a laser printer built much like our Canon office copier. It uses the same paper-feed system, including the override feature, so you can hand- feed special paper (or print on both sides). It uses the same cartridge system. I couldn't tell whether the cartridges were identical to those in our copier. I'd be surprised if they were. The model on display at COMDEX was really nice. It isn't any larger than our daisy-wheel printers, and it's much faster (about 12 pages a minute). The character set is very nice, and it's certainly a letter-quality printer. There's provision for full fonts: uppercase and lowercase, italics, small capitals, etc., as well as for special graphics, or for that matter, for downloading your own design. It doesn't have a tractor, but it does have a single-sheet feeder. We've used our Canon office copier long enough to have considerable confidence in the cartridge system and sheet feeder being used. I liked the Canon enough that I wanted one, but the company isn't selling them yet. All Canon would say is that you should be able to get one by the fall of 1984 and the end- user price will be less than $4000. Canon doesn't intend to sell direct to end users at all; it will sell the units to other manufacturers for incorpora- tion into systems with a non-Canon brand name. I confess I was consider- ably impressed. Unless I hear good reason not to, I expect to get one when it comes out; I like the speed, and it's very quiet. Big Bubbles There was a lot of new hardware, including machines based on the Intel iAPX186 chip; but what im- pressed me most was Helix Labora- tories' Helix PC Bubble Disk for the IBM PC. (Helix also makes them for Apple II and He machines.) The Helix PC Bubble Disk is a board containing half a megabyte of bubble memory. You drop it into the PC, and the machine thinks this is a fast hard disk. It has its own ROM (read-only memory) aboard to read in the programs required to access it. Because it's bubble memory, it's nonvolatile. You could even use it to transfer programs from one machine to another. It also has a write-protect switch (accessible from the back of the PC cabinet) and power-failure protection circuitry. Helix wants $1500 for the 500K-byte board, but when Intel lowers the price of the bubble chips, it expects to cut that by a hundred dollars or so. We're getting a Helix PC Bubble Disk board, so there'll be a full report Our Specialty: 68000, 6809 CPU, graphic, database, communication, export Come visit us in our New York City Showroom *IBM COMPATIBLE MICRO- PRISM EPSON BANANA OKIDATA PRISM 132 TOSHIBA GEMINI DIABLO M.T. NEC DYNAX COMREX C.ITOH DIABLO QUME STAR PRINTER 110 cps, 84x84, graphic .415 RS-232/paraliel, pin & friction FX-8Q, FX-10O 50 cps 205 Fuli Line CALL 200 cps, 132 col 1.100 I 60 cps max 24-wire head .... excellent letter quality. . .1,550 Delta 10 525 PI 1 100 cps, 80 col .488 P38 400 cps, 132 col. . .1,795 Spirit 80 cps 350 •Letter Quality* 2050 20 cps for IBM 965 3550 35 cps for IBM . . . .1,775 7710 55 cps for serial. . .2,150 HR25 23 cps parallel 799 0X15 13 cps 475 Comwriter II . . 499 F-10 40 cps Excellent. . .1,075 A- 10 18 cps 570 630 API w/interface. . . .1.735 II + 40 cps 1,350 50 cps 1,550 Letter Type 18 cps 399 TRANSTAR 315 graphic 479 HAYES NOVATION LEXICON USR MODEMS Smartmodem 300/1200 bps 499 Micromodem II w/software . . 270 Smartmodem 300/1200 bps 415 PC cat 300/1200 bps 450 300 bps accoustic coupler . 1 25 Password 1200/300 339 KEYBOARD WITH MODEM Zenith ZT- 1 , ZT- 1 1 , Quazon Quichlink CALL COMPUTER 128K RAM, two floppies, monitor keyboard, softwares CORONA * 128K RAM, two drives, 640x325 graphic, monitor, MSDOS, PC TUTOR MuitiMate word processing, BASIC 128K RAM, two floppies, software, monitor 256K RAM, monitor, keyboard, two floppies printer, CP/M, Valdocs IBM compatible option 128K RAM, two drives software MBC 550, 555 1605 256K RAM Dual drives, Color 128K RAM, graphic CR0MEMC0 * C10 64 K RAM, monitor, Z-80 CPU keyboard, software 64K RAM, Z-80 & 8088 CPU, monitor, CP/M, keyboard Color APC 128KRAM Dual 8" drives COLUMBIA EAGLE EPSON QX-10 NEW LEADING EDGE SANYO TELEVIDEO ZENITH DEC RAINBOW NEC APC POWERFUL 68000 CPU Cromemco 512K RAM 68000 & 4120 CS1D5 Z80 & two floppies DUAL 68000 CPU, 80MB SMD hard disk, intelligent I/O, UNIX, Database WICAT 1 to 12 users, 68000 CPU, 256K to 4.5MB RAM, 10MB to 474MB hard disk, graphic ALTOS, NORTHSTAR, OSM PLOTTER/DIGITIZER HOUSTON INSTRUMENT DMP 29 CALL DMP 40 795 DMP 41, DMP 42 CALL HI PAD digitizer 725 AMDEK XY plotter 1 pen 665 6 pens 1,095 MT PLOTTER PIXY-3 3 pens 650 TERMINAL/MONITOR ZENITH Z-29 smart terminal . BEST ZVM 135 # RGB color/green monitor. ZVM 123 *green monitor 124 22 MHZ, for IBM Amber Monitor: Panasonic, Comrox HAZELTINE Esprit II Esprit III 50 55 VT-100/VT-102 compatible 102 103 132 col WYSE VISUAL QUME PRICE 475 . .119 CALL .560 625 585 725 895 . 520 890 PORTABLE ON-THE-GO Columbia, Corona, Eagle Televideo (8-b'rt, 16 bit) NEC PC 8021, Toshiba T-100 Prices subject to change. American Express, Visa/ Mastercard add 3%. F.O.B. point of shipment. 20% restocking fee for returned merchandise. Personal checks take 3 weeks to clear. COD on certified check only. N.Y. residents add sales tax. Manufacturers' warranty only. International customers, please confirm price before order. Accept P.O. from Fortune 500, schools and gov't. Computer Channel TELEX: 21-55 44th Road 429418 Long island City, NY 11101 CSTNY For information CALL (212) 937-6363 To order CALL 1-800-331-3343 356 BYTE March 1984 Circle 82 on inquiry card. There are a lot at powenui reasons to write software for HP systems. \bu're looking at two of them. An enhanced UNIX™ operating system. And the cash bonuses you'll earn when you sell your UNIX- compatible applications with an HP system. Those are compelling reasons to participate in HP's special program for software companies. We have a whole range of products that can run UNIX, from our popular line of MC 68000-based machines to our powerful 32-bit systems. And we'll be expanding that range all the time. While we're giving you a wider choice of prod- ucts for your programs, we're also making it even easier for you to write them. We've developed an especially powerful version of the industry standard UNIX, called HP-UX. Its enhancements provide for graphics, data base management and networking, to name just a few. When you team up with HP, you have our full service organization behind you. Our factory and field support teams are dedicated to problem- solving. So, if you or your customers have any questions about HP-UX, just give us a call. We're ready to help. And we're ready to make your efforts very rewarding. When your customer buys an HP sys- tem because of your application, we'll give you a cash bonus of 30% of your software's sales price — up to 6% of the net HP system's price. Our only restriction is that, to qualify for the bonus, your software must sell for at least $10,000. There are lots of other good reasons to write HP- compatible software for UNIX or any of our other operating systems. To find out all about them, write to Hewlett-Packard, Attn: Gwen Miller, Dept. 57190,19447 Pruneridge Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014. In Europe, contact Henk van Lammeren, Hewlett-Packard Nederlands B.V., Dept.57190,P.O. Box 529, 1180 AM Amstelveen, The Netherlands. ra HEWLETT PACKARD UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories. Circle 176 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 357 in an upcoming column. Meanwhile, I saw it running at COMDEX, and this is my choice for the most exciting new hardware at the show. Mass Storage Last year I speculated that if the in- dustry could get together on the size and format of disk drives of 3 + inches, these drives plus memory drives and cartridge hard-disk drives would take over, leaving little place in the market for conventional 8-inch and 5V4-inch floppy disks. That doesn't seem to be happen- ing. Instead, even someone as con- servative as I am now must admit that 5V4-inch technology is reliable and here to stay. That's not optimum, because when they designed 5%- inch disks they didn't put in com- munications lines that let the machine know whether there's a disk in the drive. With 8-inch disks there's a hardware method of telling whether the drive is ready; thus, a "drive not ready" error can be com- pensated for. It's much harder to recover from that kind of error in 5V4-inch disks because there's no way for the machine to determine whether there's a disk present until it actually tries to read it. Even so, 5 ¥4 -inch drives are gaining on the vest-pocket drives. I think that's a shame; the vest-pocket disks are, I think, more convenient, and certainly make for smaller and lighter machines. However, the industry's failure to agree on a standard— at least three sizes and formats are out there, each with powerful advo- cates—has hurt the vest-pocket disk's chances of taking over. Example: the Jonos, a really nice little portable, began with 3V2-inch vest-pocket disks, but it can now be bought with 5V4-inch disks. Meanwhile, few companies seem to have gone with the 5V4-inch re- movable hard-disk cartridges. These hold 5 megabytes and looked like a good deal last year, although my engineer friend Tony Pietsch was a bit concerned about some of the tech- nical details. Whether it's spindle wear or something else, I didn't see any removable cartridge systems, al- though there may well have been some I overlooked. Certainly, they weren't very much in evidence. However, Rana did have on display its new 2.5-megabyte 5 x k -inch floppy- disk system. This is a special drive that uses a preformatted floppy disk. The formatted floppy disks will cost (initially) about $15 each. Compare that to $90 for a 5-megabyte hard-disk cartridge. Also, the Rana drive system will sell for less than removable hard disks. We're getting an early copy of the Rana 2.5-megabyte drive; full report in an upcoming column. Meanwhile, this new development may well be the salvation of floppies for some time to come. Carrying the Mail Tony Pietsch contracted with Bill Godbout to furnish WRITE, the text editor Tony wrote more or less to my specifications, for the Compupro 10, a multiuser system better known in my columns by the code name Shirley. Shirley uses the MP/M-8/16 operating system, which has some significantly different quirks from the CP/M 2.2x environment that WRITE was developed in. Tony ground up a new version of WRITE to run on Shirley, but he didn't get finished until the absolute last minute. He also hadn't arranged for a hotel room. That turned out to be a mis- take: nobody was accepting reserva- tions in Las Vegas during COMDEX. Tony didn't want to go up and sleep in the park, so he prevailed on me to carry a copy of WRITE for Shirley, which I duly did. Of course, there were a couple of system options and switches that had to be set right, and nobody knew how to do that, so it took a couple of phone calls to Pasa- dena to get WRITE going; but by Monday afternoon, I could see WRITE running on four different ter- minals, all powered by the same central machine. Interestingly enough, running four at once didn't slow things down at all; at least I didn't notice anything, with one exception. When you write to the hard disk, you have to wait your turn; so if two users try to save text at the same time, one has to wait while the other gets done. Even with waiting it takes about as long to save on Shirley as it takes me to save onto floppies with my single-user system. A Standing Ovation Ovation Technologies has what may be the best microcomputer soft- ware I've ever seen. I met Robert Kutnick, Ovation's director of development, at the Tandy press breakfast. The Ovation soft- ware was running on one of the new Tandy 2000 machines. Alas, I was more concerned with talking with the Tandy design people— on that, see below— and thus never saw a demonstration of Ovation with that machine. However, Dr. Kutnick was kind enough to give me a ride from Caesar's Palace, where the breakfast was, to the Convention Center, and during the ride he invited me to come see Ovation's product. I went more out of gratitude for the ride than anything else. I don't usually watch software demonstra- tions; I prefer to get the stuff to Chaos Manor and bang on it myself. Worse, Ovation didn't even have its software running in its exhibit booth; for marketing reasons I don't need to understand, it was exhibiting the Real Thing only up in its suite in the Hilton. It's nearly impossible to get any- where in the Hilton during COM- DEX. There aren't enough elevators, and there are too many people look- ing for free dinner and drinks at hospitality suites. However, the Ovation suite was on the same floor as the Xerox Americare party I was going to, so it wasn't hard to stop by which I did, and wow! am I glad. Ovation has a combination text editor and spreadsheet that interact so that the overall effect is wonderful. Let me describe. You write a letter. In the letter you put some numbers. Now you go through and put the cursor on each number. You can give that number a variable name. The name is known to the computer; the number in the letter stays the same. But now you can redefine that vari- able as, say, the sum of some other variables. When you do, kazango!, the number is changed in the letter. There's more. Now assume you want to make a graph. You use the 358 BYTE March 1984 WITH THE PASSWORD™ MODEM AND TELPAC ™ BEN FRANKLIN COULD HAVE PUBLISHED THE FRIDAY EVENING POST Ihe Lhe Password™ modem and Telpac™ software deliver text fast, far, cheap, and letter-perfect. Fast? Ten times faster than an expert typ- ist (and four times faster than most other modems). Far? Crosstown or crosscountry. Letter perfect? Multi- ple accuracy checks of your text are just one editorial benefit. Cheap? Thousands of words by phone lines, for less than express mail. And if the text is to be typeset, *a the cost will be half or less - the proofreading zero! Password is USR's virtually automatic modem: 300/1200 baud, auto dial/answer, auto mode/ speed select, two-year warranty. $449 * Telpac, the USR friendly telecom- munications software package, $79. Write or call for complete J M descriptions - both Telpac and Password do far more than this! U.S. ROBOTICS INC. 1123 WEST WASHINGTON •CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60607 (312)733-0497 Circle 362 on inquiry card. fitfx I \ i s s w o rd t o m pie i with power aiinptri phone t\ibk\ RS232»rttTt^c\ ft, and USR logo are trademarfs J^ls Koboties Inc. Circle 204 on inquiry card. TOTAL CONTROL FORTH: FOR Z-8(P, 8086, 68000, and IBM® PC Complies with the New 83-Standard GRAPHICS • GAMES • COMMUNICATIONS . ROBOTICS DATA ACQUISITION • PROCESS CONTROL • FORTH programs are instantly portable across the four most popular microprocessors. • FORTH is interactive and conver- sational, but 20 times faster than BASIC. • FORTH programs are highly struc- tured, modular, easy to maintain. • FORTH affords direct control over all interrupts, memory locations, and i/o ports. • FORTH allows full access to DOS files and functions. • FORTH application programs can be compiled into turnkey COM files and distributed with no license fee. • FORTH Cross Compilers are available for ROM'ed or disk based ap- plications on most microprocessors. Trademarks: IBM. International Business Machines Corp.; CP/M, Digital Research Inc.: PC/ Forth + and PC/GEN, Laboratory Microsystems, Inc. FORTH Application Development Systems include interpreter/compiler with virtual memory management and multi-tasking, assembler, full screen editor, decompiler, utilities, and 130 + page manual. Standard random access files used for screen storage, extensions provided for access to all operating system functions. Z-80 FORTH for CP/M®2.2 or MP/M II, $50.00; 8080 FORTH for CP/M 2.2 or MP/M II, $50.00; 8086 FORTH for CP/M-86 or MS-DOS, $100.00; PC/FORTH for PC-DOS, CP/M-86, or CCPM, $100.00; 68000 FORTH for CP/M-68K, $250.00. FORTH + Systems are 32 bit implementations that allow creation of programs as large as 1 megabyte. The entire memory address space of the 68000 or 8086/88 is supported directly PC FORTH + $250 00 8086 FORTH +for CP/M-86 or MS-DOS $250.00 68000 FORTH + for CP/M-68K $400.00 Extension Packages available include; soft- ware floating point, cross compilers, INTEL 8087 support, AMD 951 1 support, advanced col- or graphics, custom character sets, symbolic debugger, telecommunications, cross reference utility, B-tree file manager. Write for brochure. am Laboratory Microsystems Incorporated r 4147 Beethoven Street, Los Angeles, CA 90066 Phone credit card orders to (213) 306-7412 Business as Usual? Business as usual these days means a / " " *i Fast, courteous claims handling prevents computer that's up and "humming." / \ your losing valuable business computing But if your computer were stolen or u s \ time, damaged, you wouldn't have bust- jj tj Find the premium price for the ness as usual. fNnf irjfhnuf ■ ' covera g e y° u nee d listed in the table be- WU'D HAVE TROUBLE! !» < iWf wnuwu ,, i 0% availableforaslowas $35per You can get fast replacement ! J JOUT COTHpUtCV j ] year. Fill in the coupon today. Your for your entire system and be back in J J ff WOtlldti 't b&.) I ' covera 8 e *$ begin as soon as your business in a hurry by protecting \\ j{ coupon application is received. Or for your computer with SAFEWARE Per- \\ ij even faster coverage, call our toll free sonal Computer I nsurance. It's the only \> r - „ // number: coverage designed specifically for per- ' _p- ------- -- ^s^--—-l< , 2A^Q sonal computers used for business h -* J-i /" OUU m OrtO-j t! Ojr — in your office, shop or home. f - / r*| (In Ohio call 1-614/262-0559) SAFEWARE protects All t *^ ! \ P^meso P en8anLto8n.m., , . ... *Z .. « i 1 , jl Monday through Saturday hardware, ALL purchased software / T i and ALL media against theft, dam- t -*IZ \ age or any other kind of loss, re- ~--~ZZ z Z.T* gardless of use, after a low $50 deductible. Mail to: SAFEWARE. P.O. Box 02211. Columbus. OH 43203 Total Hardware, Media & Annual otai Hardware, Media & Annual o^/U—^ r*-*. A -.* ^ f L* -«^«^«« Software System Value Premium BejOte I fit OUt OJ OUStfieSS, Upto$ 2,000 $ 35 $ 2.001-$ 5,000 $ 60 $ 5.001-$ 8,000 $ 75 $ 8.001-SI 1.000 $ 90 $11,001-514.000 $105 please issue my SAFEWARE Insurance Coverage. Name . Street , Citv Slate . _2.p_ Call Hill- free for rates on higher coverage. Coverage differs in Texas. ft is an underwriting requirement that von insure vour \v stem for its fall value. System value $_ Card# -□Check Enclosed DVISA QMasterCard Exp. Date cursor to open a hole in the letter; that's where the graph will be printed. Now you put the cursor on each number you want to be in the graph, or specify the variable name associated with the number; touch a special function key; and, kazango!, there's your graph, right there in the middle of the letter. Suppose it was a pie graph and you decide to change to a bar graph. Nothing to it. Now, use the cursor to change one of the bars on the graph— and the number in the text instantly changes to match it! There's more, but you get the idea. I don't recommend that people go out and buy software until I've had a chance to wring it out, examine the documents, test it at boundaries, and the like. On the other hand, Ovation isn't ready to sell the program this week anyway. We're getting Ovation here Real Soon Now. I can hardly wait. It's potentially the most powerful micro software I've ever seen; and it's real easy to use, too. Before you buy a spreadsheet or text editor for your IBM PC, do try to look at Ovation. You might like it. Tandy Strikes Again Tandy introduced its Model 2000 at a press breakfast in Caesar's Palace. After speeches by at least four dif- ferent people, each of whom re- peated what the last one had said, they literally unveiled the machines, which had previously been covered with a tablecloth. It's nice-looking equipment. The Tandy 2000— there's nowhere on it the words "Radio Shack"; ap- parently the company is a bit con- cerned about its image with the business community, as indeed it darned well ought to be—uses an Intel iAPX186 chip. The "one-eight- six," as it's known in the development community, is one of Intel's 8086 family. It will run any software developed for the 8086 and 8088 chips. It also has some unique in- structions of its own, and it's a lot faster than the 8086 or 8088. What this means is that any PC- DOS software that's hardware in- dependent (not written specifically to 360 BYTE March 1984 Self-dFENSE forEDP The micro invasion has begun. And, chances are, youVe now got a lot of different people in a lot of different departments using a lot of different micros. Now there's a way for you to control and maxi- mize the benefits of all the different micros in your domain. Fight back with dBASE II.® dBASE II is the relational database management system from AshtonTate that enables you to manage your micro- based corporate data resources with the high level of consistency and sophistica- tion youVe enjoyed with mainframe and minicomputer systems. Armed with dBASE II and the dBASE II RunTime™ program develop- ment module, you can write programs which will enable micro users in each department to "do their own thing" while creating complete database consistency throughout the company. dBASE II is a powerful, flexible way for you to effectively manage the micro proliferation. Circle 35 on inquiry card. Help is here. If you'd like to know more about how dBASE II and RunTime can help you win the micro management battle, contact AshtonTate today. 10150 West Jefferson Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230. (800) 437-4329, ext. 212. In Colorado (303) 799-4900. In the U.K. (0908) 568866. ASHTON -TATE dBASE II is a registered trademark and RunTime is a trademark of AshtonTate. Suggested retail price for dBASE II is $700. ©AshtonTate 1984 BYTE March 1984 361 Photo 3: Color graphics on the Tandy Model 2000. Monochrome is standard, but color doesn't cost much more. The Model 2000 shows all the signs of being a great success if the Radio Shack image can be overcome. But can Tandy get enough 80186s to build the 2000? Photo 4: The Zenith 25-inch RGB monitor. The Zenith Z-100 is run- ning Microsoft's Windows program. You can read it from across the booth. Zenith also showed its newest 13-inch RGB monitor intended for both Zenith and IBM products. make use of the IBM PC's graphics and such like) will run with the Tandy 2000. However, there may be problems with some copy-protected software. The machine will be described in great detail in other BYTE articles, so I'll only mention my impressions. (See "The Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000" on page 306.) First, we liked the color graphics (see photo 3). The machine seems fast, and it does a nice job with its ex- tensive color capabilities. Alex will probably have more to say on that; he's the graphics freak in Chaos Manor. Second, it looks like a good, well- made machine, with good all-around capability. Incidentally, the Tandy 2000 is going with Microsoft operating sys- tems, including Xenix. It's my im- pression that more companies are drawing away from Xenix, which is a Microsoft "sort of Unix," than are adopting it. Zenith Zorro, our Z-100, has become a workhorse here, so I was glad to see new Zenith products. The most im- pressive was a 25-inch RGB (red- green-blue) monitor. It was dis- playing Microsoft's new Windows program on a Z-100. Believe me, a 25-inch monitor is big (see photo 4). Zenith also announced an 8087 board for the Z-100. Jim Hudson, who developed the 8087 math board for our Compupro, also has an 8087 for the Z-100. The Zenith one is much simpler, only four chips; Hudson's board uses an S-100 slot and contains 256K bytes of memory. We're getting both boards, so I'll be able to report on them in a future column. Mean- while, there's a growing list of soft- ware that makes use of the 8087. It's a worthwhile capability if you do any number crunching at all; the 8087 does floating-point arithmetic about a zillion times faster than the 8086. Meanwhile, the Hudson and Zenith boards have different niches, and I expect them to coexist. Alex notes: "Zenith put a quieter fan on its new Z-lOOs. Even in the noise and haste of COMDEX it was noticeable." That makes me wonder if I can get one of the new fans and retrofit it; we like Zorro, but he is a bit noisy. Alex also notes that the new ROMs and BIOS (basic input/output system) for the Z-100 are much ad- vanced over the versions we have, and it's time to update. Apparently Zenith has made update offers to people who bought its machines, but since Zorro still belongs to Zenith Data Systems we don't always get the notices, alas. It wasn't at the Zenith booth, but we saw the Macrotech 1-megabyte memory board working in a Z-100. Macrotech's memory still has the lowest cost per kilobyte, as far as I can tell, anyway. We continue to hear the rumor that Zenith will come out with a Z-100 with a detached keyboard, but there was no sign of one at the show. Maybe it is just a rumor after all. MPI Zenith also had the Printmate 150 printer in its booth. This is our favorite dot-matrix printer, for rea- sons I've given in the column. Hav- ing an outside printer in a Zenith booth is a first, since previously only Heath stores carried the Printmate. MPI, "The Printer People," was dis- playing the Sprinter in its own booth. The Sprinter is a small portable printer. Like the Printmate 99, it can take tractor feed or single sheets of paper such as letterhead; and like the 150, it has the capability for up to 68K bytes of print buffering. The Sprinter comes in a hard shell case and is designed to be rugged enough to go as checked luggage. John Matlock of MPI has taken his on three trips now and swears that the only signs of travel are some black marks on the case. I was supposed to receive a demonstration model of the Sprinter at COMDEX so I could test that myself, but Alex and I were so burdened with stuff that we just 362 BYTE March 1984 The j^M ^M Original IBM Debug Program difference Myfstar Symbolic Debugger V1.1 The plain and simple difference is that Mylstar's Symbolic Debugging Program speaks to your IBM PC in a language you both can understand, plain and simple. Employing the same command structure, it allows you to use symbol names, mathematical expressions, batch files, on-line help, multi- command macros and other time-saving entries. TO ORDER... Call (312) 562-7400 or mail coupon today. * Designed for IBM PC-DOS 1.1 with 128K RAM minimum MYLSTAR ELECTRONICS INC. 165 West Lake Street Northlake, Illinois 60164 A Columbia Pictures Industries Company is Mylstar's Symbolic Debugging Program* It's the enhancement to the IBM Debug Program you've been looking for — because it fills in the gaps — shortening the frustrating debugging process by as much as 50% — leaving you more time to do the work you need to do and the work you want to do, plain and simple. Mylstar's Symbolic Debugging Program has been programmer-tested for over a year at Mylstar Electronics, Inc., (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co.), designers of the video arcade game, Q*BERT™ Mylstar Electronics, Inc., 165 W. Lake St., Northlake, IL 60164 Please send me Mylstar's Symbolic Debugging Program for use with the IBM PC computer. Enclosed is $125, plain and simple. □ Check l. Money Order 1 1 5 NAME FIRM ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP llinois residents add 7% sales tax Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery Circle 258 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 363 couldn't carry anything more. MPI is shipping one instead, and I'll carry it on my next few lecture tours. I con- tinue to be impressed with MPI's printers. The portability of the Sprinter gen- erated some humorous advertising, including buttons that said "Handle me," and "Pick me up," and "I'll go with anybody," which seemed a bit daring for a Salt Lake City firm . . . Teletype Teletype is back in micro land with a terminal. It's a bit expensive, about $1500, but it has a number of pages, lots of memory, and lots of features. It may well be worth it. When I went into the Teletype ex- hibit area, I was approached by a young salesman. "I want a five-level Baudot machine," I said wickedly. He was completely nonplussed. Fortunately, a sales manager was nearby, who said, "In the Smith- sonian, I imagine." After all, in the early days of the micro revolution, old Teletype elec- tromechanical bangers were often the only terminal equipment we could get, which is why one of the "devices" in CP/M is to this day the TTY: or Teletype. It's also why to this day some programs have the Delete key "echo" the deleted letter; if you're Because the Hilton exhibit area is in a direct line between the Hilton lobby and the main Convention Center, it was always full of traffic- using the Teletype as a console, it has to be that way because a TTY can't backspace. Alas, for all its early dominance, Teletype didn't understand what was happening and made no concessions to the micro revolution; and whereas most micro people owned some kind of Teletype device early on, it wasn't long before the micro community had left the company behind. I don't really miss the sound of the old TTY banging away, and I'm sure glad I don't have to remember what five-level Baudot is; but I'm also glad to see Teletype coming back. It's like welcoming the return of an old friend. The Mad Computer The Mad machine was over in the Hilton exhibition hall; this was ex- ceedingly hard to get to because the security people never let us in before show hours, and because the Hilton exhibit area is in a direct line between the Hilton lobby and the main Con- vention Center, it was always full of traffic. I very nearly didn't go in there at all. Alex did get there, and persuaded me to go see the Mad computer. He votes the Mad "best-looking com- puter in the show," and says, "It has one well-kept secret: it has IBM slots in it. Another module can hold four more IBM PC cards. Because it uses the Intel 1APX186 chip, it can't use IBM memory boards (because the 186 is a true 16-bit device, and Big Blue stayed with an 8-bit bus). Most other expansion boards should work fine" Alex also noted, "The gimmicks for Mad are impressively different: modularity and ergonomics. The basic computer has two modules: the computing module and the data module. The computing module has the processor, memory, two serial ports, one parallel port, video, and keyboard interface. The data modules contain either two half-high IBM- type floppies or one floppy and a 10-megabyte hard disk. Of course, you can buy the hard-disk module later and run both. Interestingly, the hard disk is powered by the main computer. "The Mad's screen has 720- by 350-dot resolution; add more RAMs, get more resolution. The keyboard (and the whole computer) conforms to European ergonomics standards, but it still looks good. It has a Selec- tric keyboard layout, without extra keys in the wrong places. If you're looking for a machine that will look good in the office while working well, look at the Mad." I did note that Mad claims high compatibility with the IBM PC, while running much faster than the PC. It certainly is a handsome machine. Alex and I played about with one for a while, and it's quite fast. Like the Eagle, it's an improvement on the PC rather than just a copy. Mad claims high compatibility with the IBM PC, while running much faster; like the Eagle, it's an improvement on the PC rather than just a copy. Networks A number of networking systems were on display; so many that Alex makes them (along with windows) one of the two themes of this year's COMDEX. Networking is a subject of suffi- cient complexity that I want to deal with it in the column rather than in a show report. For here, I'll just report that there are a lot of ways to get computers to talk to each other, and no one standard method has emerged. This was one of Bill Godbout's laments at his press breakfast. Com- pupro has taken a firmly wishy- washy stand on networks by cutting holes and covers for a bewildering variety of plugs and jacks and sockets on the back of its machines. Godbout did cite some studies that indicate that perhaps the best network ar- rangement is nodal, with perhaps four machines connected together into a node, then one connection from that to similar nodes. The Com- pupro 10 is a four-user system, which isn't a total coincidence. Corvus, meanwhile, has taken a firm stand for Omninet. No wonder, since it's its baby. Omninet has the advantage that the cable connecting systems is simple— just twisted pairs of wires— and the maximum distance between nodes can be about 2000 feet. This is almost as long as Ether- net, which uses coaxial cable and is 10 times as fast but more than twice as expensive. We have a Corvus sys- tem here, and we're beginning to Let the gibberish stop here. The TDK No-Risk Disk. SM Because no matter how many times you play it, the TDK No-Risk Disk won't scramble your thoughts or play games with your words. Not once. Not ever. Our lifetime replacement warranty guarantees that. And our almost 50 years of experience in developing superior magnetic recording products support that. That incidentally is more than you can say for any other disk. Bringing us to our point. Don't play games with an ordinary disk. When you can play for keeps with an extraordinary disk. 1 1 s ZJ 1 J w ~n i q o -Q I I ) ^< 1 o 1/1 A TDK offers a complete line of the most popular disks in 5 '/i- and 8-inch formats. TDK.THE NO-RISK DISK. Circle 344 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 365 string twisted pairs of wire from the back room to my office, so we'll be able to report in detail later. Meanwhile, there's no agreement on what will be the network; but there's wide agreement that network- ing is desirable. Bottom Line COMDEX is huge. If you don't be- lieve that, consider that I was a week in Las Vegas and didn't manage to make one single wager. Now true, I'm hardly a gambling man, but I do like to buy about $50 worth of chips and shoot craps until it's gone; but not this time. Between the breakfasts and the evening receptions and the dinner parties, I found COMDEX all work and very little play. It's a strenuous show, and I don't recommend that readers go to it; but it's a must for anyone trying to keep up with this bewildering world of microcomputers . Onward and upward. I love it.B Jerry Pournelle welcomes readers' com- ments and opinions. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Jerry Pournelle, do BYTE Publications, POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449. Please put your address on the letter as well as on the envelope. Due to the high volume of letters, Jerry cannot guarantee a personal reply. Jerry Pournelle is a former aerospace engineer and current science-fiction writer who loves to play with computers. Products Mentioned Canon U.S.A. Inc. Laser Printer MPI Printmate 99 One Canon Plaza 4426 South Century Dr. Printmate 150 Lake Success, NY 11042 Salt Lake City, UT 84107 Sprinter (516) 488-6700 (801) 263-3081 Compupro Compupro 10 Otrona Corporation Attache Computer 3506 Breakwater Court WRITE 4755 Walnut St. Hayward, CA 94545 Boulder, CO 80301 (415) 786-0909 (303) 444-8100 Corvus Systems Omninet Ovation Technologies Software 2029 OToole Ave. 770 Dedham St. San Jose, CA 95131 Canton, MA 02021 (408) 946-7700 (617) 821-1420 Digital Equipment Corporation Keyboard Panasonic Consumer Products Panasonic Computer 146 Main St. One Panasonic Way Maynard, MA 01754 Secaucus, NJ 07094 (617) 897-5111 (201) 348-7000 Eagle Computer Eagle 1600 Series Rana Disk Systems 2.5-megabyte System 983 University Ave. Eagle Spirit XL 21300 Superior St. Los Gatos, CA 95030 Chatsworth, CA 91311 (408) 395-5005 (818) 709-5484 Helix Labs Helix PC Bubble Disk Tandy Corporation Model 2000 16776 Bernardo Center Dr. One Tandy Center Ste. 106A Fort Worth, TX 76102 San Diego, CA 92128 (817) 390-3011 (619) 451-0270 Teletype Corporation Terminal Jonos Ltd. Jonos Computer 5555 West Touhy Ave. 1835-A Dawns Way Skokie, IL 60077 Fullerton, CA 92631 (312) 982-2000 (714) 999-6661 Xerox Service Group Americare Macrotech International Corporation Memory Board Xerox Square 025 20630 Lassen St. Rochester, NY 14644 Chatsworth, CA 91311 (716) 423-5078 (818) 700-1501 Zenith Data Systems Color Monitors Mad Computer Inc. Mad Computer 1000 Milwaukee Ave. 3350 Scott Blvd., Bldg. 13 Glenview, IL 60025 Santa Clara, CA 95051 (312) 391-8865 (408) 980-0840 366 BYTE March 1984 Nobody is very happy. See Software. Dick is a programmer. Dick is bored. Harried. Dick strug- gles with trace chores. Debugging routines. Nonexistent documentation. Hidden bugs. So Dick is four months behind schedule. And customers are upset when bugs slip through. They yell and make Dick upset. They make Dick's boss upset. ■"^^^^^ See Software ■ \\ I II Jane is a happy program- ■*■ w *-* * / *■• mer. She uses ANIMATOR™ It's a visual programming aid for Micro Focus COBOL. It runs on a micro. It makes child's play of test and debugging tasks. With ANIMATOR Jane sees a picture of the program explaining itself. In real time. In COBOL source code. ANIMATOR tracks the program's exact execution path. Including sub- routine branches. Jane can have the program run fast. Or slow. Or stop. With one key. This makes it easy to spot problems. Insert fixes. Set break- points. Instantly. Jane's programs are best sellers. They're delivered on time. With no hidden bugs. Jane's boss likes this about Jane. Because he doesn't like customers to yell at him. Run, Software, £|1 J JHL This software vendor just VWAAA« went public. Because he doubled productivity. Eliminated bugs. Cut costs. Produced terrific applications. Beat the competition to market. And customers don't yell at him anymore. All thanks to ANIMATOR. See ANIMATOR now. Let ANIMATOR help you do better work. And speed your applications to market. For detailed information or a demo, contact: MICRO FOCUS 2465 East Bayshore Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 (415)856-4161 © 1983 Micro Focus Inc. Circle 397 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 367 THE BYTE COMPUTER SHOW Chicago McCormick Place Mav 10-12, 1984 l W elcome to the new computer shows designed specifically for BYTE sub- scribers. . .the BYTE Computer Shows. The first will be in Chi- cago's McCormick Place on May 10-12, but you don't have to travel cross-country to get there— others will be held this year in San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles. The BYTE Shows will be "selling" shows— where you can buy, not just look. BYTE sub- scribers will enjoy special reduced admission prices to all BYTE shows, and conference seminars. Those seminars will be targeted to the interests of BYTE subscribers, and led by such BYTE favorites as Jerry Pournelle. The BYTE Shows will be profes- sionally produced by The Interface Group— the same pros who bring you the Comdex Shows. Their show know-how, combined with BYTE's editorial expertise, will make the BYTE Shows ideal information centers and shopping marts for BYTE subscribers. xwjiore details on BYTE sub- scriber benefits will be coming to you by mail. But plan now to be in Chicago May 10-12, or at the BYTE Show nearest you! BITE Pascal's Design Flaws Modula-2 Solutions and Pascal Patches A description of seven subtle problems with Pascal, and a look at how Modula-2 avoids them by Mark C. Johnson and Allen Munro, Behavioral Technology Laboratories Niklaus Wirth was only warming to the task of creating the perfect pro- gramming language when he devel- oped Pascal. If you regularly program in Pascal you probably have pet peeves about its "bugs" or "gaps'— the design flaws of the language that you encounter again and again. Pas- cal, like other languages originally designed to teach computer pro- gramming, has several serious defi- ciencies. Wirth's newest structured language, Modula-2, remedies some of Pascal's flaws and also provides mechanisms to enforce modular pro- gram design more strictly than does Pascal. The most important components of Modula-2 are not its ability to "fix" Pascal's structure, but rather the fea- tures associated with the concept of the module. Modules provide for secure independent development of different portions of a program in a way that Pascal constructs do not. Even those Pascal implementations that provide separately compiled units such as the UCSD (University of California at San Diego) p-System do not provide for truly modular de- velopment. Our focus here, however, is not Modula-2's underlying design con- cepts. Instead, we want to examine some of the flaws of Pascal, to see how Modula-2 solves them, and also to show how working Pascal pro- grammers get around these flaws. In addition, our analysis should help you form some opinions on the value of the Modula-2 compensations for some of Pascal's design flaws. Pascal's Seven Deadly Sins We will examine seven separate problems with Pascal with different degrees of detail. Many of the solu- tions may be familiar to you, but you may find a useful Pascal trick or two that you haven't encountered else- where. While some of the problems are straightforward, others are more subtle and may call for more than one solution, each appropriate in a dif- ferent programming context. For each language-design flaw, we present first the nature of the problem, then the approach taken in Modula-2, and finally one or more Pascal method for getting around the difficulty. Short-Circuited Boolean Expression Evaluation For processing a Boolean expres- sion (e.g., in an IF statement), the Pascal-language definition does not permit what we call short-circuited evaluation— cessation of the evalua- tion when the expression is false. In fact, in most implementations, eval- uation of a Boolean expression pro- ceeds inexorably from left to right until the end of the expression. This can be inefficient, because the result of a Boolean expression can often be determined without a complete eval- uation. Encountering a false part on one side of an AND expression means the result will be false, regard- less of the complexity of the other side. For example, consider: IF FALSE AND ( (A = B) OR (B = C) OR (C = D) AND (ARCTAN(X*Z) / 99.0= 22.0) ) THEN DO_SOMETHING; Clearly, the procedure DO SOME- THING will never be invoked be- cause of the false on the left side of the AND. In Pascal, the right side will be evaluated anyway, which is ineffi- cient. In the same manner, a true condi- tion on one side of an OR expression BYTE March 1984 371 forces an expression to be true, re- gardless of the other side. In the statement below, DO_SOMETHING will always be called: IF TRUE OR ( (A = B) OR (B = C) OR (C = D) AND (X*2/ 99.0= 22) ) THEN DO_SOMETHING; In addition to being inefficient, full Boolean evaluation causes problems when part of the expression is unde- fined. For example, suppose you wish to see if someone struck the Escape key. You might use the follow- ing code: READLN(STRNG); {STRNG is declared STRING} IF STRNG [1] m CHR(27) { Escape is ASCII 27} THEN WRITE('Escape was detected!'); This works fine, unless the user hits Return without entering anything. In such a case, the variable STRNG has a length of zero and that causes a value-range error for the IF state- ment. In Modula-2, this problem is easily avoided with the following test for the length of the string: IF ( LENGTH(STRNG)< >0) AND ( STRNG [1] = CHR (27) ) THEN WRITESTRING('Escape was detected!'); If the first part of the IF expression, LENGTH(STRNG)< >0, is found to be false, then the evaluation is short- circuited, and the second conjunct is never evaluated. This prevents a ref- erence to STRNG[1] that produces an error. If you attempt such an approach in UCSD Pascal, you will discover, to your dismay, that the compiler gen- erates code that blindly evaluates the entire expression. Even when the first part is false, the second conjunct will be evaluated, despite the fact that "FALSE AND X" must always be false, regardless of the value of X. In this Escape-detection example, the Pascal code still produces a value- range error. One well-known substitute for AND expressions in Pascal is to use two IF statements as below: IF ( LENGTH(STRNG)< >0 ) THEN IF ( STRNG[1] = CHR(27) ) THEN WRITE('Escape was detected!'); If the first IF is false, then the second IF will not be evaluated. Thus, for AND-type expressions, the Pascal programmer can simulate a short-cir- cuited evaluation of the Boolean ex- pression. Short-circuited evaluation works equally well with OR conjuncts in Modula-2. In Pascal it is necessary to If you attempt such an approach in UCSD Pascal, you will discover, to your dismay, that the compiler generates code that blindly evaluates the entire expression. find a way to replace the OR expres- sion with nested IF statements in order to prevent the unwanted eval- uation of its second part. If the first conjunct is true, there is no need to evaluate the second, since the entire expression must be true. Suppose you want to call pro- cedure WHATEVER if the user either types the Escape key followed by the Return key, or if just "Return" is entered. In Modula-2, short-circuit- ing makes the following statement a good solution: IF (LENGTH(STRNG) = 0) OR (STRNG[1] = CHR(27)) THEN WHATEVER; In Pascal, to accomplish the same result, code like this must be used: IF LENGTH(STRNG) = THEN WHATEVER ELSE IF STRNG[1] = CHR(27) THEN WHATEVER; Here, the second conjunct is the IF expression of the IF statement em- bedded in the IF statement of the first conjunct. A match for either IF ex- pression results in WHATEVER, but the second IF expression is evaluated only if the first is false. To get the same results provided by the short-circuited evaluation of ex- pressions in Modula-2, you have to put forth more effort in Pascal and the end result is not as readable. Machine-level Access One of the goals of high-level lan- guages is to avoid machine-depen- dent code. Machine-independent programs are both more portable and more reliable than machine-depen- dent programs. Of course, in the real world you often find yourself forced to access actual machine addresses, or call subroutines contained in ROM (read-only memory) at some machine address. Since machine indepen- dence is a fundamental principle of Pascal, the language has no explicit way to access machine addresses, as BASIC does with PEEK and POKE. In Modula-2, the standard data- type ADDRESS is provided to enable access to particular locations in mem- ory. ADDRESS is defined as a pointer to a word, so it is machine-depen- dent—word size is, after all, a ma- chine-dependent quality. Suppose that a variable SOMEADDR is de- fined as an address and assigned a particular address value. An opera- tion like PEEK can be performed simply by looking at the value of the word pointed to by SOMEADDR: SOMEWORD := SOMEADDR"; To perform the equivalent of a POKE statement, you simply assign an ad- dress to a variable of the ADDRESS type and then assign a word to the location pointed to by the address: SOMEADDR := 28990; SOMEADDR " : - SOMEWORD; The ADDRESS data type permits the assignment of cardinal values— those between zero and MaxCardinal— directly to its variables. 372 BYTE March 1984 ANNOUNCING THE INSIDE STORY ON DATA SPEC CABLES. 2mm PVC cover Aluminex shield 22AWG twisted conductors Strain reliever underhood shield gold plated pins Take a look at the pictu re above. The shielding under the RS232 connector hood of DATA SPEC™ cables is different from anything you've seen before. No flimsy foil. Or painted hood. Instead, DATA SPEC™ gives you an extra heavy gauge shield underthe normal hood which ensures that the cables exceeds the FCC requirements on emission standards. And, if you look further inside, underthe shield, you'll see the advent of PDT™* Technology DATA SPEC™ cables are the first to employ this technique outside of aerospace applications. PDT Technology ensures that you will never have to solder a broken joint or even open the hood. However, the biggest news is actually the littlest part of the story. The price. You can find out about it at your dealer who carries DATA SPEC™ products. Modern manufacturing techniques have made DATA SPEC™ cables priced lowerthan lesserquality shielded cables. DATA SPEC™ cables. There's more to it than meets the eye. * PDT (Poly-vinyl doping technique) involves the injection of poly-vinyl under the shield to fuse the conductors and pins together, thus ensuring reliability under the most adverse conditions. PDT is a regis- tered trademark of Advanced Tool Technology Inc. aura TM THE FAMILY OF HIGH INTEGRITY COMPUTER SUPPORT PRODUCTS. 18215 Parthenia Street, Northridge, 91326 CA (213) 701-5848 g£ m*S!i5SS» Listing 1: Calling a machine-language program in ROM from an assembly-language pro- cedure designed to be linked to Pascal as an EXTERNAL procedure. {Pascal program which calls a routine at C005 Hexidecimal} PROGRAM trycall; PROCEDURE CALL(LOCATION: INTEGER); EXTERNAL; BEGIN CALL(-1510*i); {-15104=C500Hex address of ROM in slot 5} END, Below is the external assembly procedure which calls a routine at the address passed to it. .MACRO POP PL A STA *1 PL A STA jM+1 .ENDM .MACRO PUSH LDA $1 + 1 PHA LDA %i PHA . ENDM ; Stores 1 word off stack ;Loads 1 word onto stack .PROC CALL t 1 ; {procedure calKaddr: integer)} ; must be page zero address ; save return to PASCAL ; save ADDRESS to be JSR ; jump saving return (call) to address in ; CALLADDR ;do any other special stuff here ; that may be needed before return to ; pascal, if this is not a general-purpose "caller". CALLADDR .. EQU POP RETURN POP CALLADDR JSR 0CALLADDR PUSH RTS RETURN .WORD .END RETURN Push return address to Pascal Now back to Pascal Temporary area for return address Modula-2 implementations may optionally provide a facility to specify a fixed address for a variable when it is declared. This feature has the fol- lowing form: VAR KEYBOARDSTATUS [28990]: CARDINAL; Another example of machine-level access is provided in the Volition Sys- tems' implementations of Modula-2 that permits the use of CODE pro- cedures. A CODE procedure's body consists of a sequence of machine- code instructions and operands. Be- cause a p-machine approach is used in these implementations, such a procedure consists of p-code instruc- tions rather than the machine in- structions of the actual central pro- cessing unit. This means that such CODE procedures can give access only to the pseudomachine; it would be interesting to see this capability in a native machine implementation of Modula-2. Standard Pascal provides no direct means for achieving low-level ma- chine access. Fortunately, there are ways around the problem. A pointer variable in Pascal— as in Modula-2— is a variable that can access actual ma- chine addresses. Suppose we want to PEEK address 23120. We could declare a variable such as IPTR to be an" INTEGER (pointer to an integer). If we could make the assignment IPTR: =23120, we could print the value contained in that location with the statement WRITELN('Value at address 23120 is = ', IPTR"); . The catch here is that strong type checking in Pascal forbids the assign- ment of 23120 (an INTEGER type) to IPTR (an* INTEGER). Using variant records, however, you can define two types of elements that share the same memory location. Define one of the elements to be an INTEGER and the other to be a POINTER to an INTEGER: TRICK: RECORD CASE BOOLEAN OF TRUE: ( I: INTEGER ); FALSE:( IPTR: - INTEGER ); END; Now, make the assignment TRICK.I:= 23120; Since TRICK.I and TRICK.IPTR share the same location in memory, we in fact have assigned 23120 to IPTR as weU. Thus IPTR" refers to the contents of 23120, the desired result. This technique lets us simulate PEEK and POKE statements in Pas- cal. But suppose we have a subrou- tine contained in a ROM that we wish to call. Pascal has no direct analog to the call to an address that BASIC provides. The UCSD imple- mentations, however, make it possi- ble to link an externally assembled subroutine to a Pascal program. Such an EXTERNAL assembly-language routine can actually perform the call to the ROM address. Figure 1 gives a sample program using this tech- nique. An option to include in-line native- code procedures would probably be more convenient in Pascal than sepa- rately linked assembled code, such as that in figure 1. But at least it is pos- sible to use native code modules in Pascal implementations such as UCSD's. Pascal Lacks Open Array Parameters How many times have you, as a Pascal programmer, wished you could write a procedure or function that could take arrays of some base type as parameters without regard to the bounds of the array? 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(0753) 820981 , Tetex 925-859 The Leader in Software Production Technology Reps wanted BYTE March 19* gers into ascending order or that prints out an array of strings, no matter how many elements the array has? If you write a procedure SORT_ INT(A) / that sorts an array of inte- gers, your procedure declaration might begin: PROCEDURE SORT_INT (VAR A: ARRAY50); (*Type ARRAY50 declared as ARRAY[1..50] of INTEGER*); Here SORT_INT will sort integer arrays with a lower bound of 1 and an upper bound of 50. But if you need to sort an array of 51 integers, you will have to declare the follow- ing new procedure: PROCEDURE SORT_INT (VAR A: ARRAY51); (*Type ARRAY51 declared as ARRAY[L.50] of INTEGER*); Pascal forces us to redo the whole procedure we wrote for sorting 50 integers in order to sort an array of 51 integers. This approach wastes programmer time and computer memory. It also discourages the writing of modular code for use in more than one pro- gram. It would be better if we could write a procedure that sorts integer arrays of any length, place it in a sys- tem library, and retrieve it for use in later programs. Without this capabil- ity, programmers are forced to write special-purpose code each time an integer array of different length is to be sorted. There are also the atten- dant risks of error that otherwise would not be present if a well-tested library module could be used for the same purpose. Modula-2 permits the use of open array parameters. An open array pa- rameter is one that specifies the base type of the array (INTEGER, in the case of the proposed SORT INT procedure) without constraining the bounds of the array. In Modula-2, the opening of the SORT _INT declara- tion could be PROCEDURE SORT__INT (VAR A: ARRAY OF INTEGER); 376 BYTE March 1984 Whatever the upper and lower bounds of the actual array parameter passed to SORT_INT, within the procedure they will be considered to be O..HIGH(A), where HIGH(A) is the number of elements in the array. As much as a Pascal programmer might wish for open arrays, they aren't available in Pascal. There are ways, however, to get some of the advantages of the Modula-2 open ar- ray concept within Pascal. Two methods are illustrated here. One is quite simple, but does not lend itself to the practice of building user-trans- parent independent library modules. The other requires a more complex method that is suited for use in sepa- rate modules. Faking Open Arrays In order to write a Pascal procedure that operates on arrays without speci- fying the size of the array in the pro- cedure declaration, you must pass two arguments— the first element of the array and the size of the array. A trick must be employed to access other elements of the array, given the first element. The simple method requires that the programmer using the sort pro- cedure define a variant record. TYPE SINGLE_ELEMENT: ARRAY [1.1] OF INTEGER; then: VAR INTVARIANT: RECORD CASE INTEGER OF 0: (I__ARRAY: ARRAY[1..50] OF INTEGER); 1: (I_ELEMENT: SINGLE_ ELEMENT); END; INTVARIANT is a variant record that can contain either an array of fifty integers or a single element array. The two variants of INTVARIANT, I_ARRAY and I_ELEMENT, share the same location in memory. Now we can pass I ELEMENT to the sort procedure in order to get at the ele- ments of I_ARRAY. 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BYTE March 1984 377 Circle 403 on inquiry card IEEE -488 High Speed Interfaces for Personal Computers IBM PC™ IBM PC Compatibles RAINBOW 100™ Zenith Z-100™ TI professional Language Support — BASIC, C, FORTRAN, Pascal, Assembly Operating Systems— PC DOS, MS-DOS,CPM 86/80, Z DOS, UNIX Software Compatible with our family of IEEE-488 Interfaces for VAX, PDP-11, LSI-U, S-100 BUS, STD BUS, SBX, and Multibus computers. The Leader in IEEE-488 Computer Interfaces 12109 Technology Blvd. Austin, Texas • 78727 800/531-5066 • 512/250-9119 Rainbow '" is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corp. IBM PC" is a trademark of Internationa! Business Machines. 378 BYTE March 1984 Listing 2: A program demonstrating calls to a general sort module depending on a user-supplied interface mechanism. To use the sorting procedure PASC INT_SORT to sort a different array of integers, a separate variant declaration, similar to that of INVARIANT, is required. PROGRAM VAR_ARRAY_DEM0; TYPE SINGLE_ELEMENT = ARRAY[1..1] OF INTEGER; VAR INTVARIANT: RECORD CASE INTEGER OF 0: ( I_ARRAY: ARRAY[1..50] OF INTEGER); ("actual array*) 1: ( I^ELEMENT: SINGLE_ELEMENT) ; (*to satisfy Pascal*) END; I: INTEGER; PROCEDURE PASC_S0RT_INT (VAR ITEM: SINGLEL.ELEMENT; ARRAYSIZE: INTEGER); (* This procedure sorts an array of integers by increasing value, using a selection sort technique. *) VAR I,J,TEMP: INTEGER; BEGIN (*$R- must turn off range checking *) FOR I:=1 TO ARRAYSIZE-1 DO FOR J: =1+1 TO ARRAYSIZE DO IF ITEM[J] < ITEM[I] THEN (*ITEM[J] smallest so far. Exchange w/ ITEM[I]*) BEGIN TEMP:= ITEM[I]; (*save element I in temp*) ITEM[I]:= ITEM[J]; (*put element J into element ITEM[J]:= TEMP; (*put temp into element J*) END; (*$R+ may turn range checking back on*) END; (*PASC_ J SORT_INT*) BEGIN (*MAIN«) FOR I;=50 DOWNTO 1 DO INTVARIANT. I_ARRAY[I]: =50-1+1 ; WRITELN(* Sorting array I_ARRAY. Please wait... 1 ); PASC_SORT_INT(INTVARIANT.I_ELEMENT, 50) ; I*) END. (*MAIN») bounds of the variant passed, I ELEMENT. For example, the pro- cedure PASC_SGRT_INT shown in listing 2 turns off range checking so that it is possible to refer to elements of I_ELEMENT, even though I_ ELEMENT is only a single element array. In the body of PASC_SORT_ INT, ARRAYSIZE is used to check that the upper boundary of the actual array is not exceeded. (In Modula-2, a separate size parameter need not be passed, since the standard procedure HIGH( ) is used to return the upper bound of an array.) This method is quite easy to imple- ment. Unfortunately, it requires that the programmer consciously engage in variant record trickery every time the general procedure for sorting integers is to be used. Every time, you've got to declare the array to be sorted, not as a straightforward array, but rather as a variant record, with one variant the actual array to be sorted. Is there a way to imitate open arrays in Pascal without having to make a variant record declaration global to the call of the sort pro- cedure? Invisible Open Array Trickery There is a somewhat more compli- cated approach that conducts its dirty work invisibly to the calling program or procedure. With this technique, an independent library module such as that given in listing 3 simulates PEEK and POKE statements to place values in the array You do not have to be aware of the variant record tricks to use this library unit. The success of the invisible ap- proach to imitating open arrays depends on the version of Pascal em- ployed for the program. As it hap- pens, in the UCSD Pascal Version II .0 implementation (and its offspring, Apple Pascal), the address of the left- most VAR parameter of a procedure is placed in the memory location im- mediately before the location re- Text continued on page 382 Illllllllllllllllllllllll NO COMPROMISES. 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Maslercharge Money Orders, and Certified checks. • Checks require hank clearances • All shipments FOB San Diego • Minimum shipping and handling 2 00 minimum order 10 00 • California residents add f>% sales tax. Prices and terms subject to change without notice. • All sales subject to availability, acceptance, and mification. * All sales are final • Satisfaction guaranteed or full refund. We also offer printer ribbons prmtwheels. type elements, equipment covers, power consoles, paper supplies, storage and filing equipment, furniture and many other accessories for word and data processing systems Write for our free catalog 800-854-1555 619-268-3537 Modem Hotline (Anytirr 619-268-4488 ABC DATA PRODUCTS ITT TELEX 4992217 8868 CLAIREMONT MESA BLVD SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92123 Listing 3: A module for sorting integers that does not require knowledge of the variant record tricks outside of the actual sorting unit. The client modules need not provide special record formats for the arrays to be sorted. This method is likely to prove more implementation- dependent, however, than that in listing 2. (*$S+«) UNIT SORTJJNIT; INTERFACE (*procedure defined here is callable by a program*) PROCEDURE SORT_INT (VAR INT: INTEGER; ARRAYSIZE: INTEGER); IMPLEMENTATION (*eode below is not accessable to any calling program*) PROCEDURE PUT_ITEM(VAR FIRST: INTEGER; WHICH_ITEM: INTEGER; VALUE : INTEGER); (•order of declaration of parameters is important I*) (•FIRST must be first parameter*) (* PLACEHOLDER MUST be first declared variable. This ensures that address of 'FIRST 1 is at X[-1]*) VAR PLACE-HOLDER: ARRAY[0..0] OF INTEGER; (•VARIANT lets us "peek" at elements of array*) VARIANT: RECORD CASE INTEGER OF 0: ( PTR: "INTEGER); 1: (ADDRESS: INTEGER); END; (*CASE») BEGIN (*$R-») (•put location of 'name 1 into f address' •) VARIANT. ADDRESS := PLACE_HOLDER[ -1 ]; (•$R+«) (•bump address to access desired element *) VARIANT. ADDRESS := VARIANT. ADDRESS + (WHICH_ITEM-1) * SIZEOF (FIRST); VARIANT. PTR" :=VALUE; END; (•PUT_ITEM«) (•this procedure reads the value of an element of the array*) FUNCTION GET_ITEM(VAR FIRST: INTEGER; WHICH_ITEM: INTEGER) : INTEGER; (•order of declaration of parameters is important!*) (•FIRST must be first parameter*) (* PLACEHOLDER MUST be first declared variable. This ensures that address of 'FIRST' is at X[-1]*) VAR PLACE-HOLDER: ARRAY[0..0] OF INTEGER; (•VARIANT lets us "peek" at elements of array*) VARIANT: RECORD CASE INTEGER OF 0: ( PTR: "INTEGER); 1: (ADDRESS: INTEGER); END; (*CASE») BEGIN (•$R-») (•put location of 'FIRST' into 'address'*) VARIANT. ADDRESS := PLACE_HOLDER[ -1 ]; (»$R+») (•bump address to access desired element •) VARIANT. ADDRESS := VARIANT. ADDRESS + (WHICH_ITEM-1) « SIZEOF (FIRST); GET_ITEM: = VARIANT. PTR" END; (*GET_ITEM») PROCEDURE SORT_INT (• VAR INT: INTEGER; ARRAYSIZE: INTEGER *); (• This procedure sorts an array of integers by increasing value, using a selection sort technique. *) VAR I, J, TEMP: INTEGER; BEGIN FOR I:=1 TO ARRAYSIZE- 1 DO FOR J: =1+1 TO ARRAYSIZE DO IF GET_ITEM(INT,J)64K) • Configuration Builder Utility • Resource (semaphore) Manager • Buffer Manager • Integer Math Library • Real-Time C Library User Tasks Interrupts N" Suspend ; User Device Service Procedures X General Operatioi AMX (for 8080) manual only $800 U.S. $ 75 U.S. AMX, Real-Time C areTM of KADAK Products Ltd. 280isTMofZilogCorp. KADAK Products Ltd. ■ ■ 206-1847 W Broadway Avenue 5^ Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6J 1 Y5 if Telephone: (604) 734-2796 Te!ex: 04-55670 Treat your personal computer to famous Diablo letter-quality printing* MTI has the Diablo 620 & 630 API ready for you. The best letter- quality printers on the market. At MTFs best prices. Whether you buy, rent or lease our equipment, you'll find MTI is the one source for all the terminals, peripherals, systems, applications expertise and service you'll ever need. At good prices. Call us today. New York: 516/621-6200, 212/767-0677, 518/449-5959 Outside N.Y.S.: 800/645-6530 New Jersey: 201/227-5552 Ohio: 216/464-6688 m QED" Discounts VISA & MasterCard mti systems corp, DldUlO Distributor Applications Specialists & Distributors, New York, New Jersey and Ohio. DEC, Intel, Texas Instruments, Altos, Lear Siegler, Dataproducts, Diablo, Esprit, Intecolor, Racal-Vadic, MICOM, Digital Engineering, U.S. Design, Cipher, Protocol Computers, MicroPro, Microsoft, Polygon and Select. Text continued from page 378: served for the first local variable. Using a subscript one less than the defined range of the local array makes it possible to access the mem- ory location containing the address of the VAR parameter. Each successive memory location for the other ele- ments of the array can then be calcu- lated, starting from this address. This method, like the first, uses the variant record technique, this time to accomplish direct memory manipula- tion, through simulated PEEKs and POKEs. The article by Daniel Sokol in the September 1980 BYTE ("Notes on Absolute Location Interfaces to Apple," page 324) discusses simulat- ing PEEKs and POKEs in Pascal. Constant Expressions Whenever constants must be used, it is good practice to assign names to them. This increases readability and makes program changes easier. For example, suppose you wish to have several arrays of different types, each having the same maximum size. By defining a constant CONST ARRAYSIZE = 20;, you can change the size of the follow- ing arrays: VAR X: ARRAY[1.. ARRAYSIZE] OF INTEGER; Y: ARRAY[1.. ARRAYSIZE] OF CHAR; Z: ARRAY[1.. ARRAYSIZE] OF REAL; just by changing the constant ARRAYSIZE. In Pascal, constants cannot be ex- pressions. This greatly limits the use- fulness of the CONST definition. For example, suppose array Y must have limits twice the size of X, while Z must be three times the size of X. Pascal requires that the three upper bounds' constants be declared in a manner that makes their inherent re- lation invisible. In Modula-2, the rela- tion among the three constants can be made clear in a declaration with the form: CONST XSIZE = 20; TWICEX = XSIZE * 2; 382 BYTE March 1984 Circle 257 on inquiry card. gsms oooiKse soDuoaaa *^V Extended Pascal for your IBM PC r APPLE CP/M, MS DOS.CP/M 86, CCP/lvf 86 or CP/M 80 computer features: • Full screen interactive editor providing a complete menu driven program development environment. • 11 significant digits in floating point arithmetic. • Built-in transcendental functions. • Dynamic strings with full set of string handling features. • Program chaining with common variables. • Random access data files. • Full support of operating system facilities. • And much more. ORDER YOUR COPY OF TURBO PASCAL TODAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL. 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In Pascal, the best that we can do is to use constant identifiers that clarify their intended relation, as in: CONST XSIZE - 20; TWICEX = 40; THRICEX - 60; You have to hope that, if you must later modify the program by doubling the size of the arrays, the names TWICEX and THRICEX will help you to remember to change those con- stants as well as XSIZE. Another problem with Pascal is in defining character constants. Sup- pose we wish to define ESCAPE as ASCII (American National Standard Code for Information Interchange) character 27. Pascal doesn't allow the expression CONST ESCAPE - CHR(27). In Modula-2, however, this declara- tion can be accomplished with CONST ESCAPE = 33C which declares that ESCAPE is a character constant with the octal value 33 (decimal 27). The traditional Pascal program- mer's solution to the prohibition of constant expressions is to use global variables as constants. A special ini- tialization procedure is created that assigns to global variables the values that should remain constant through- out the program. The declaration of ESCAPE in Pascal is done like this: CONST ESC_ORD = 27; VAR ESCAPE: CHAR; 384 BYTE March 1984 Circle 359 on inquiry card. THE THINGS COMPUTER USERS A whole host of natural and human disasters can shut your electric power down at any time. And lost power can cause your personal computer serious trouble. Big blocks of data can be garbled and wiped right off your discs. Your computer's main memory can go blank and sensitive electronic components can even be damaged Protect your data and your business profits from the power line with Elgar's Uninterruptible Power Systems. Our desktop-size UPS monitors power from the line and when it fails, a battery back-up takes over and runs your com- puter long enough for you to shut your system down safely. 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A Graphics Option Card provides Tektronix* 4010/4014 compatible graphics. VISUAL 311/336 are versatile terminals that can be easily customized. The VISUAL 300 emulates the DEC VT100 and VT52. VISUAL 330 emulates the DEC VT52, ADM3A, Hazeltine 1500 and Data General D200. VISUAL 5W/55G are low cost, high resolution graphic terminals with powerM alphanumeric capabilities. The VISUAL 500 emulates the VT52, ADM3A, Hazeltine 1500, D200 and Tektronix* 4010/4014. The VISUAL 550 emulates the VT1Q0, VT52 and Tektronix 4010/4014. VISUAL terminals feature extended ergonomics including tilt and swivel non-glare 12" and 14" screens, detached keyboard, large character size, menu-style setup, sculptured key caps and more. VISUAL has earned for itself an exclusive place ... a solitary niche. . .in the arena of emulating terminals. Four great ter- minal series offer a combination of advanced features found oh no other terminals anywhere in the world. Each series delivers higher performance at lower cost for its particular market segment. And nobody else gives such a wide choice of emulations as VISUAI the pioneer in the field. So check the chart before you choose your next ter- minal. See for yourself why VISUAL stands alone as the first choice for emulating terminals. Service available in principal cities through Sorbus Service, Division of Management Assistance, Inc. AVj tf I M for yourself * Visual Technology Incorporated 540 Main Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876 Telephone (617) 851-5000. Telex 951-539 386 BYTE March 1984 "Registered trademark of Visual Technology Incorporated Circle 374 on inquiry card. PROCEDURE INIT; BEGIN ESCAPE : = CHR(ESC_ORD); END; (*INIT*) This approach is much less desirable than the use of true constants, since the value of a global variable could be inadvertently changed by any pro- cedure in the program. To increase the probability of program correct- ness, adopt a special naming conven- tion for global variables that mas- querade as constants (e.g., ESC CONST for ESCAPE) to reduce the chances of accidentally assigning values to them outside of the initial- ization procedure. Restricted Declaration Order In Pascal, all the declarations at a particular program level must be made in a particular order: first all the constant declarations, then the types, next variables, and finally pro- cedures and functions. This strict constraint is likely to reduce program readability in some contexts, because it prevents grouping together of re- lated declarations. In Modula-2, one can group related constant, type, and variable declarations for improved readability, as in: (* 8-bit declarations *) CONST MAXBYTE - 255; ZERO = 0; TYPE BYTE - [ZERO.. MAXBYTE]; VAR ABYTE, BBYTE: BYTE; (* 12-bit declarations *) CONST MAXTWELVEBIT - MAXBYTE * 16 + 15; TYPE TWELVEBIT - [ZERO. .MAXTWELVEBIT]; VAR ATWELVE, BTWELVE: TWELVEBIT; There is no simple fix for Pascal's restrictions on declaration order. To some extent, the problem can be re- duced by avoiding global constant and type declarations where only local ones are required. Such a prac- tice promotes natural groupings. At times, however, Pascal programs must include long sequences of con- stant declarations followed by se- quences of type and variable declara- tions, whose correspondence can only be determined by careful read- ing of the declarations and the judi- cious use of comments. One method that Pascal program- mers use to make relationships clear among constants, types, and vari- ables is to make use of descriptive names. If the names of related ele- ments contain the same meaningful elements (such as the declarations of the TWELVEBIT family illustrated above), the consequences of restric- tions on declaration order can be par- tially overcome. But this brings up another problem with many Pascal implementations, that of restricted identifier lengths. Although the Pas- cal language definition puts no re- strictions on the names of identifiers, many implementations are restricted to eight significant characters. The only patch for this limitation is to make certain that your identifiers dif- fer in the first eight characters. This can be done quite easily, but it often results in cryptic acronyms and ab- breviations that are not easy to inter- pret. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to this problem. CASE Limitations The CASE statement is a very use- ful feature of Pascal. With it, we can perform one of a group of statements depending on the value of the CASE selection variable. For example, con- sider: CASE A OF 1: WRITE('ONE'); 2: WRITE(TWO'); 3: WRITE(THREE'); END; Here, we conveniently can print out the written equivalent of an inte- ger. But what if A does not have the value one, two, or three? In standard Pascal, the result is not even defined. Fortunately, in Apple Pascal (and other UCSD Pascal successors) the CASE statement is defined to fall through this event. We can add a statement following CASE such as: IF NOT ( A IN [1..3] ) THEN WRITE(A OUT OF RANGE'); Modula-2 provides a more elegant solution, permitting us to specify ex- plicitly within the CASE statement an ELSE clause to be executed if none of the case labels are matched. Some re- cent Pascal implementations also pro- vide such a special selector, some- times called OTHERWISE. Pascal requires that every label of the CASE statement must be enu- merated. Suppose A can be 1 to 999. In Modula-2 we can use the follow- ing CASE statement: CASE A OF l.S : WRITESTRING('Less than 10 '): 10. .99 : WRITESTRING('Greater than 9, but less than 100'): 100. .999 : WRITESTRINGCGreater than 99, but less than 1000') ELSE BOUNDSERROR END; This statement is clearly much more readable than the equivalent Pascal statement, in which every label, in- cluding all those from 100 to 999, would have to be listed (100, 101, 102, 103, 104, etc., all the way to 998, 999:). Because Pascal does not allow sub- ranges as CASE selectors, program- mers do not use the Pascal CASE statement for this type of program- ming. Instead, nested IF statements perform the same task: IF A > THEN IF A < 10 THEN WRITE ('Less than 10') ELSE IF A < 100 THEN WRITE ('Greater than 9, but less than 100') ELSE IF A < 1000 THEN WRITE ('Greater than 99, but less than 1000') ELSE BOUNDSERROR ELSE BOUNDERROR; This code is less readable than that using CASE selectors, although it may produce more efficient code. Static Variables In Pascal, variables that are local to BYTE March 1984 387 Circle 305 on inquiry card. C PM / 8 MACRO ASSEMBLERS We've been setting these industrial-quality assemblers to the development system mar- ket since 1978. They are now available for the CP/M market. FEATURES: • Fully relocatable • Separate code, data, stack, memory segments • Linker included • Generates appropriate HEX formatted object files • Macro capability • Conditional assembly • Cross reference • Supports manufacturer's mnemonics • Expanded list of directives • 1 year free update Assemblers now available include: Price Chip Price Chip 1 802/ 7805 $495 NSC800 $495 805 f 495 F8.3870 495 6500/01/02 495 Z8 495 6800/01/02 495 Z80 395 6805 495 9900/9995 595 6809 495 Z8000 695 8085 495 68000 695 Take advantage of leading-edge technology. Get your own Reims assembler today. Use your Master- charge, Visa or American Express, and order by phone: (408) 729-3011 Relational Memory Systems, Inc. 1650-B Berryessa Road, San Jose, CA 95133 All software shipped on a 8" single density floppy disk. A signed object Code License Agreement required prior to shipping. Prices subject to change without notice. a procedure are always allocated dy- namically. That is, room for them is allocated automatically on entry to the procedure. When the procedure is exited, the memory used by the local variables is freed up for other use. While this is a useful feature be- cause it saves memory, it can be a problem if the values must be re- tained between invocations of the procedure. The easiest solution available to the Pascal programmer is to declare the variables in an outer block. The values of the variables will be re- tained as long as the block in which they are declared is not exited. But this means variables that really ought to be invisible outside of the pro- cedure must be made global, and therefore visible, to the rest of the program. As global variables, they are vulnerable to modification by parts of the program that should have no knowledge of them. In Modula-2, it is possible to declare a variable for use in pro- cedures in such a way that its value is preserved across invocations of the procedure— as though the variable is global— while preventing any other part of the program from accessing it. To do this, one declares a module, providing a visibility barrier around the procedure. Suppose we want to count the invocations of a procedure DOSTUFF. The count variable, COUNTDOSTUFF, can be made in- accessible to the rest of the program if it and DOSTUFF are declared in- side a module, STUFFMODULE, as follows: MODULE STUFFMODULE; EXPORT DOSTUFF; VAR COUNTDOSTUFF: CARDINAL; PROCEDURE DOSTUFF (I: INTEGER); VAR A,B,C: INTEGER; BEGIN COUNTDOSTUFF : = COUNTDOSTUFF + 1; END; (*DoStuff*) BEGIN (*StuffModule's body*) COUNTDOSTUFF := 0; END; (*StuffModule*) If STUFFMODULE is declared at the top level, that is, just within the program module, then its body, which initializes the variable COUNTDOSTUFF, will be executed at the time that the program body is executed. The DOSTUFF procedure, which has been explicitly exported from the module, is available from everywhere else in the program, but its count variable, COUNTDOSTUFF, is inaccessible from outside the pro- cedure DOSTUFF COUNTDO- STUFF is a global variable in the sense that it exists outside of the pro- cedure DOSTUFF, but it is a local variable in terms of its visibility out- side of the procedure. UCSD Pascal also permits this feature of hidden variables that can retain their values in the unit construct. Those variables declared in the implementation por- tion of the unit, rather than in the in- terface, are present at the level of the unit, but are invisible to program en- tities outside the unit. Switch or Fight Our purpose here has not been to present Modula-2 as a panacea for all of Pascal's faults. In some ways Modula-2 makes life harder for the Pascal programmer. For example, consider the lack of a set of type- insensitive I/O (input/output) pro- cedures, such as Pascal's WRITE and WRITELN. In Modula-2 you cannot mix types in a WRITELN statement. Instead, you must use a separate pro- cedure to output each type, such as use WRITESTRING for strings and WRITEREAL for reals. Furthermore, each write procedure can have only a single parameter. Like Pascal, Modula-2 is not with- out faults. Both are well designed, but each has features that at least some programmers will object to.B Allen Munro is assistant director of Behavioral Technology Laboratories (USC, 1845 S. Elena Ave., 4th Floor, Redondo Beach, CA 90277). He holds a Ph.D. from UCSD and a B.A. from Stanford. Mark C. Johnson is project director, also at Behavioral Technology, and his interests include R-C gliders, sailing, and skiing—aside from com- puters and electronics. 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The new B-Versions handle text, math symbols (including super- and sub-script), complex graphics, mid-line font changes, and underlining. . .the simplified programming and buffer memory is almost like getting a second computer free. But with all that's new, some things haven't changed. The Anadex commitment to service and support. For example, any Anadex customer can call our toll-free numbers and get technical help. For as long as he owns the printer. The new, B-Version Silent/Scribes. Now the highest quality matrix printers just got even better. Call us to arrange a demonstration. Call (800) 4 ANADEX In California 800-792-9992 Mi nnadex ©Copyright 1983. Anadex, Inc. MADE IN FOR THE WORLD The more you know printers, the more you'll like Anadex. ANADEX, INC. • 1001 Flynn Road • Camarillo, California 93010 • Telephone: (805) 987-9660 • TWX 910-494-2761 U.S. Sales Offices: Irvine, California (714) 261-6140 • Schiller Park, Illinois (312) 671-1717 • Wakefield, Massachusetts (617) 245-9160 Hauppauge, New York, Phone: (516) 435-0222 • Atlanta, Georgia, Phone (404) 255-8006 • Austin, Texas, Phone: (512) 327-5250 ANADEX, LTD. • Weaver House, Station Road • Hook, Basingstoke, Hants RG27 9JY, England • Tel: Hook (025672) 3401 • Telex: 858762 ANADEX G ANADEX GmbH • Behringstrasse 5 • 8752 Mainaschaff • W. Germany • Tel: 011-49-06021-7225 • Telex: 4188347 Circle 26 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 389 COMPUTER MAIL ORDER ^ NEC PRINTERS NEC 2050 $999.00 NEC 3550 $1 699.00 PERCOM/TANDON □ RIVES 5V« 320K Floppy $229.00 5Meg Hard w/Controller. . .$1 399.00 10 Meg Hard w/Controller. ..$1699. 00 15MegHardw/Controller...$2095.00 20 Meg Hard w/Controller. ..$2399.00 AMDEK 31 0A Amber Monitor $1 69.00 DXY 100 Plotter $599.00 Color II $399.00 AST RESEARCH Six Pak Plus... from $279.00 Combo Plus II. ..from $279.00 Mega Plus., from $309.00 I/O Plus., .from $1 39.00 QUADRAM Quadlink $499.00 Quadboard...as low as $289.00 Quad 51 2 Plus ...as low as.. .$249.00 Quadcolor...as low as $219.00 Chronograph $89.00 Parallel Interface Board $89.00 64K RAM Chips Kit $59.00 MICROPRO WordStar/MailMerge $349.00 InfoStar $299.00 SpellStar $1 59.00 CalcStar $99.00 MICROSTUF Crosstalk $105.00 MICROSOFT Multiplan $159.00 ASHTON TATE dBASE II $389.00 Friday! $185.00 IUS Easy Wnter II $249.00 EasySpeller $1 1 9.00 EasyFiler $229.00 CONTINENTAL SOFTWARE 1st Class Mail/Form Letter .. $79.00 The Home Accnt. Plus $88.00 VisiCalc VisiCalc 4 VisiCalc- Advanced VisiWord/Spell Visitrend/Plot VisiLink VisiFile VisiSchedule Visidex VisiPlot VisiTerm Desktop Plan Bus. Forecast Model Stretch Calc VisiTutor Calc VisiTutor- Advanced VisiTutor Word Vision Calc Vision Graph Vision Mouse Vision Host VISICORP IBM APPLE 159.00 159.00 269.00 249.00 199.00 199.00 169.00 199.00 169.00 199.00 199.00 159.00 135.00 75.00 199.00 169.00 75.00 75.00 75.00 75.00 59.00 59.00 75. OO 75.00 59.00 59.00 249.00 129.00 159,00 319.00 pfs Write: Graph: Report: File: Solutions' APPLE 79. OO 79. OO 79.00 79.00 : as low as 16.00 89.00 89. OO 79.00 89.00 16.00 'Call On Titles LOTUS 1-2-3 $319.00 PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE PC Plus/The Boss $349.00 SYNAPSE File Manager $89.00 ■PRIIMTERS- axiom AT- 100 Atari Interface $239.00 CD 100CBM 64/VIC 20 . .$239.00 GP 100 Parallel Interface. ..$1 99.00 BMC 401 Letter Quality .... $589.00 BX 80 Dot Matrix $269.00 CENTRONICS 122 Parallel ..$399.00 739 1 Parallel $299 00 739-3 Serial $349.00 C.ITOH Gorilla Banana $209. OO Prowriter 851 OP $379.00 Prowntef 1 550P $679.00 A10 (18 cps) 569.00 F10-40 $999.00 F10-55 $1 499.00 COMREX ComWriterll Letter Quality . . . $499.00 DIABLO 620 Letter Quality $949.00 630 Letter Quality $1 749.00 DAI BY WRITER 200O $999.00 Tractor Feed $1 09.00 EPSON MX-80FT, MX-100, RX-80. RX SOFT. FX-80, FX-1 00 CALL IDS Prism 80... For Configurations. . CALL Prism 32...ForConfigurations. . CALL MANNESMAN TALLY 160L $589.00 180L $799.00 I 80 $309.00 NEC 201 0/2030 $899.00 8023 Dot Matrix $379.00 8025 Dot Matrix $669.00 351 Serial/ Letter Quality . . . $1 449.00 3530 Parallel/Letter Quality . . . $1499.00 77 10/7 7 30 Serial/Para I lei... $1949. 00 OKI DATA 82.83,84.92.93.2350,2410 ...CALL SMITH CORONA TP-2 $399.00 Tractor Feed $1 1 9.00 SILVER REED 500 Letter Quality $469. OO 550 Letter Quality $699.00 STAR Gemini 10X $299.00 Gemini P1 5X $399.00 Delta 10 $559.00 Serial Board $75.00 TOSHIBA ... TRANSTAR. .CALL .CALL PRINTER CABLES Available for Atari. Commodore. IBM. Apple. Epson, Kaypro. TelevkJeo, Frank- lin, Eagle. Sanyo. Osborne, NEC. Zenith and many others. We supply all your computer needs! PAPER SUPPLIES 1O00shts.8'/2x1 1 Tractor Paper .19.99 1 000 shts.1 4 '/2X 11 Tractor Paper.. $24. 99 1 or 2 Address Labels $9.99 MBC-550 PC . . . CALL MBC-555 PC . . . CALL MBC 1100 $1499.00 FDD 3200-320K Drive $389.00 MBC 1150 $1899.00 MBC 1200 $1849.00 FDD 6400-640K Drive $469.00 MBC 1 250 $2099.00 PR 5500 Printer $599.00, ©SANYO We stock a full line of EAGLE COMPUTERS CALL FOR PRICING TERMINALS 914 $569.00 924 $689 .00 925 $739.00 950 $929.00 970 $1 039.00 COMPUTERS Teleport Portable CALL 800A $1099.00 802 $2699.00 803 $1949.00 802 H $4695 .00 806/20 $4999.00 81 6/40 $91 99.00 1602 $3399.00 1603 CALL MONITORS AMDEK 300 Green $1 49.00 300 Amber $1 59.00 31 Amber $1 69.00 Color 1 $279.00 Color 1 Plus $299.00 Color 2 $399.00 Color 2 Plus $41 9.00 Color 3 $349.00 Color 4 $699.00 BMC 12" Green $79.99 12" Green HI-RES $119.99 9191-13" Color $249.99 GORILLA 1 2" Green $88.99 1 2" Amber $95.99 NEC JB 1260 Green $109.99 JB 1201 Green $149.99 JB 1205 Amber $159.99 JC 1215 Color $299.99 JC 1216 RGB $429.99 PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX-1 2 RGB $51 9.00 SAKATA 1 00 $269.00 TAX AN 1 2 ' Green $11 9.00 12" Amber $129.00 Taxan 1 RGB.... $279.00 Taxan 210 $299.00 USI Pi 1 , 9" Green $99.99 Pi 2. 12" Green $119.99 Pi 3. 12" Amber $149.99 Pi 4, 9" Amber $139.99 1 400 Color $269 99 ZENITH ZVM 122 Amber ..$109.00 ZVM 123 Green $89.99 ZVM 135 Color/RGB $469.99 fcTekVideo MODEMS ANCHOR Mark I (RS-232) $79.00 Mark II (Atari) $79.00 Mark III (TI-99) $109.00 Mark IV (CBM/PET) $1 25.00 Mark V (Osborne) $95.00 Mark VI (IBM-PC) $1 69.00 MarkVII(AutoAns/AutoDial) ...$119.00 Mark XII (1 200 Baud) $299.00 TRS-80 Color Computer $99.00 9 Volt Power Supply $9.00 HAYES Smart modem 300 $219.00 Smartmodem 1 200 $509.00 Smartmodem 1 200B $459.00 Micromodem II $265.00 Micromodem II Plus $299.00 Micromodem ME .$269.00 Micromodem 100 $299.00 Smart Com II .$89.00 Chronograph. .. % $199.00 NOVATION J-Cat $99.99 SmartCat 1 03 $1 79.00 SmartCat 1 03/21 2 $399.00 AutoCat $21 9.00 21 2 AutoCat $549.00 Apple Cat II $249.00 21 2 Apple Cat $569.00 Apple Cat 212 Upgrade $309.00 Cat $139.99 D-Cat $1 49.00 PC-Cat $339.00 ZENITH ZT-1 $309.00 ZT-10 $339.00 ZT-1 1 $369.00 APPLE INTERFACE CARDS & BUFFERS Choose from PKASO, Orange Micro. MPC, MicroMax. Tymac, Quadram & Practical Peripherals. CALL . . _ _ „ -CANADA- _ & /^ 800-648-33ff 800-268-4559 800*255°8950 in NV call |702|588 5654 Oept, 030 1 Order Status Number: 588 5654 P O Box 6689. Stateline. NV 89449 In Toronto call (416*828 0866 Oept 0301 Order Status Number: 828-0866 2505 Dunwin Drive, Unit 1 B Mississauga. Ontario. Canada L5L1T1 i nodepositon COD orders Pre-paid orders receive freeshipping within the UPSContinental United State Add 3°o {minimum $5.00) shipping and handling on all C and credit card orders Larger shipments ma< ax AH items subject to availability and price change We stock manufactuer sand third party software tor mo In PA call (717)327-9575. Dept 0301 Order Status Number: 327-9576 Customer Service Number: 327-1450 477 E Third St.. Williamsport. PA 17701 no waiting period for certified checks or money re additional charges NV and PA residents add omputers on the market Call today forour new AILORDER APPLE/FRANKLIN DISK DRIVES MICRO-SCI A2 $219.00 A40 $299. OO A70 $319.00 C2 Controller $79.00 C47 Controller $89.00 RAIMA Elite 1 $279.00 Elite 2 $389.00 Elite 3 $569.00 APPLE lie STARTER PACK 64K Apple lie, Disk Drive & Controller, 80Column Card, Monitor II & DOS3.3 COMPLETE.. S1 199.00 ACE 1 000 Color Computer CALL ACE Family Pack System CALL ACE PRO PLUS System CALL ACE 1 200 Office Mgmt. System . . . CALL NOT ME EXPENSIVE" f S commodore CBM 8023...S599 CBM 4032 $599.00 CBM 8096. $869.00 CBM 9000 $999.00 B1 28-80 $769.00 CBM 64K Memory Board . . . $269.00 8032 to 9000 Upgrade $269.00 2031 LP Disk Drive $299.00 8050 Disk Drive $949.00 8250 Disk Drive ..$11 99.00 4023 Printer $379.00 8023 Printer $569.00 6400 Printer $1 399.00 Z-RAM $499.00 Silicon Office $699.00 The Manager $199.00 Soft ROM $1 25.00 VisiCalc $1 59.00 PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE Word Pro 2 Plus $1 59.00 Word Pro 3 Plus $189.00 Word Pro 4 Plus/5 Plus... each... $279. OO InfoPro $1 79.00 Administrator .$399.00 Power $79.00 SX-64 PORTABLE S 8B9 ° VIC SO CALL. CBM 64 $199 MSDSD1 Disk Drive (C-64) . . . $349. 00 C1 541 Disk Drive $249.00 C1 530 Datasette $69.00 C 1 520 Color Printer/ Plotter ... $1 69.00 M-801 Dot Matrix Printer ... $21 9.00 C1526 Dot Matrix/Serial... $279. 00 C1 702 Color Monitor $249.00 C1 31 1 Joystick $4.99 CI 31 2 Paddles $1 1 .99 C1 600 VIC Modem $59.00 C1650 Auto Modem $89.00 Logo 64 $49.00 Pilot 64 $39.00 Simon's Basic $19.00 Word Pro 64 Plus $59.00 Parallel Printer Interface $49.00 Calc Result 64 $129.00 Codewriter 64 $75.00 Quick Brown Fox $49.00 Word Pro 64 Plus $59.00 We stock a full inventory of software for Commodore, such as: Artworx. Broderbund, Commercial Data, Creative Software, Epyx. HES, MicroSpec, Nufekop, Romox. Sinus, Synapse, Thorn EMI, Tronix, UMI, Victory, Spinnaker, Rainbow ATimeworks! CALL FOR DETAILS! ^% ...$249.99 ,5199.99 HANDHELD COMPUTERS 4*1 CX. 41 CV 41 C S 144.39 HP 10C $51.99 HP 11C $69.99 HP 12C $88.99 HP 15C $88.99 HP16C $88.99 HP 75C $749.99 HPIL Module $98.99 HPIL Cass, or Printer $359.99 Card Reader $1 43.99 Extended Function Module . . . $63.99 Time Module :.$63,99 NEC PC-8201 Personal Computer... $599 .00 PC-822 1 A Thermal Printer . . . $1 49.00 PC-8281A Data Recorder ....$99.00 PC-8201 -06 8K RAM Chips. . . $1 05.00 PC-8206A 32K RAM Cartridge... $3 29. 00 PC-1 500A PC-12SOA . S88.99 CE-1 25 Printer/Cassette. ... $1 28.99 CE-1 50 Color Printer/Cassette... $1 71 .99 CE-1 55 8K RAM $93.99 CE 161 16K RAM $134.99 CE 500 ROM Library $29.99 TIM EX/SIM CLAIR Timex/Sinclair 1000 $24.99 Timex/Sinclair 2086 CALL 16K Memory $25.00 2040 Printer $99.99 VuCalc $17.99 Mind ware Printer. $99.99 A ATARI 600XL $189 BOOXL $299 1 01 Recorder $74.00 1020 Color Printer $249.00 1025 Dot Matrix Printer $449.00 1027 Letter Quality $299.00 1030 Direct Connect Modem.. CALL 1050 Disk Drive $379.00 CX30 Paddle $12.00 CX40 Joystick each.. $8.00 CX77 Touch Tablet $64.00 CX80 Trak Ball $48.00 CX85 Keypad $1 05.00 488 Communicator II $229.00 4003 Assorted Education $47.00 401 1 Star Raiders $33.00 4012 Missile Command $29.00 401 3 Asteroids $29.00 5049 VisiCalc $1 59.00 7097 Logo $79.00 7101 Entertainer $69.00 71 02 Arcade Champ $75.00 8026 Dig Dug $33.00 8030 E.T. Phone Home $33.00 8031 Donkey Kong $39.00 8033 Robotron $35.00 8034 Pole Position $39.00 8036 Atari Writer $79.00 8040 Donkey Kong, Jr $39.00 8043 Ms. PacMan $39.00 8044 Joust $39.00 DISKETTES MAXELL 5'/4" MD-1 $29.00 S'A " MD-2 $39.00 8" FD-1 (SS/DD) $39.00 8" FD-2 (DS/DD).. , $49.00 VERBATIM S'A" SS/DD $26.99 S'A" DS/DD $36.99 ELEPHANT 5V«" SS/SD $1 8.49 5V4" SS/DD $22.99 5W DS/DD $28.99 HEAD §*A M Disk Head Cleaner $14.99 DISK HOLDERS INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS Flip-n-File 10 $3.99 Flip-n-File 50 $1 7.99 Flip- n-File<400/800ROM)Holder..$1 7.99 HOME COMPUTERS LJK ENTERPRISES Atari Letter Perfect-Disk(40/B0). . . $79.99 Atari Letter Perfect- ROM<40 col)... $79. 99 Atari Utter Perfect- R0M(80 col).. $79.99 Atari Data Perfect-ROM(80 col) $79.99 Atari Spell Perfect- DISK $59.99 Atari Uti I ity/ MailMerge ....... $21 .00 Apple Letter Perfect $99,00 Apple Data Perfect $75.00 Apple LJK Utility $21 .00 Apple LowerCase Generator ... $1 9.00 12DOXL 1 4QOXL ..CALL ..CALL PEfiGCM AT 88-S1 $369.00 AT 88-A2 $259.00 AT 88 S1 PD $429.00 AT 88-DDA $1 1 9.00 RFD 40-S1 .$449.00 RFD 40-A1 $269.00 RFD 40-S2 $699.00 RFD 44-S1 $539.00 RFD 44-S2 $869.00 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TX 99-S1 $279.00 RANA 1000 $319.00 TRAK AT-D2 $389.00 MEMORY BOARDS Axlon 32K $59.00 Axlon 48K $99.00 Axlon 1 28K. $299.00 Intec 32K $59.00 lntec48K $85.00 Intec 64K $99.00 Intec Real Time Clock $29.00 ALIEN VOICE BOX Atari $119.00 Apple $149.00 KOALA PAD Atari $75.00 Apple $85.00 IBM $95.00 CBM 64 $75.00 CONTROLLERS & JOYSTICKS WICO Joystick $21.99 3-way Joystick $22.99 Famous Red Ball $23.99 Power Grip $2 1 .99 BOSS Joystick $1 7.99 ATARI/VIC Trak Ball. $34.99 Apple Trak Ball $54.99 Apple Adapter $1 5.99 Apple Analog $37.99 KRAFT Joystick $41.99 Atari Single Fire $1 2.99 Atari Switch Hitter. $1 5.99 Apple Paddles $34.99 IBM Paddles $34.99 IBM Joystick $46.99 AMIOA 3100 Single $13.99 3101 Pair $19.99 Joyboard $37.99 TQ Atari Trak Ball $47.99 Apple Joystick $47.99 Apple Trak Ball $47.99 CANADA: zSAST 800->648.55ff 800-263-4559 800"253->8950 in NV call (702.588 5654 Dep' Order Status Number 588 5654 PO Bo* 6689 Statelme NV 89449 CANADIAN ORDERS Al! prices are subject to shppmg ta INTERNATIONAL ORDERS AM shipments out<»>de the t on! handling EDUCATIONAL DISCOUNTS Additional dp rail .4 6>B ?8 >»066 Uep< 03O1 die S'a rus Nun •>be' 8 28 0866 ?505 unw r- r r.ve Unit IB -■• - -j.i Onta*. > ranada L5L1T< rency t uctuat' ons Cal? for exat t pn C-r»g ir i Canada ntedSt ates n-u st be pre paid by cert t.edc leek only stable •o a jal. f>ed Edui At,i,n* Ino ' itinn m PA can f n T 327 9575 Depi 0301 Order Status Number 327 95*6 Customer Servtce Number 327 1450 477 E Th.rd St Wiliiamspon PA 17701 I VtSX PICK UP WHERE IBM LEAVES OFF. Portable or desktop, you're way ahead when you pick up a corona PC.™ Because we give you everything you've ever wanted in an IBM 1 -com- patible PC and more. For a great deal less. COMPATIBLE AND MORE. Our systems run all software that conforms to IBM PC programming standards. And the most popular software does. We deliver twice the memory with room for eight times as much. We deliver a fast-access 320K floppy drive, a communication port and an improved IBM PC keyboard with indicator lights. Our systems include high-resolution monitors (12 "desktop, 9 "portable) for crisper, cleaner displays, and both have built-in high-resolution graphics (640 x 325). You get a complete system, ready to go to work. MORE SPEED. Our RAM-disk software gives you tem- porary disk-type storage that works many times faster than disks. PLUS SOFTWARE. Our systems come with the operating system: MS-DOS. 2 A pro- gramming language: GW BASIC. 2 A training course: PC Tutor. 3 A professional word processor: MultiMate. 4 Plus DOS utilities and demonstration programs. Or you can get the p-System 5 from N.C.I, and write or run portable Pascal packages. ALL FOR A GREAT DEAL LESS. Even with all the extra features and performance, our systems still cost signifi- cantly less than the equivalent IBM PC. Drop by your nearest corona PC dealer for a very convincing demonstration. Or contact us at 31324 Via Colinas, Westlake Village, CA 91361. (213) 991-1144 or (800) 621-6746 toll-free. Telex 658212 WSLK, in Europe 76066 CDS NL. Corona Data Systems 1983. 1. TM International Business Machines. 2. TM Microsoft. 3. TM Comprehensive Software Support. 4. TM Softword Systems. 5. TM University of California. MORE VERSATILITY With all the necessary features built into the main unit, the four expansion slots can be used for your special needs. For example, color or our optional 10MB hard disk. 392 BYTE March 1984 corona data systems, inc. Circle 101 on inquiry card. Trademarking Software Packages Trademark clearance can prevent litigation and loss of hard-earned goodwill. by Robert Greene Sterne and Perry J. Saidman The scene is all too familiar. The de- veloper of a successful software package sits in the office of a trade- mark attorney fretting. He holds in his hand a certified letter he received the day before from another lawyer whose client is challenging his use of the brand name Aisle for his software package. The letter states that the client owns a federal trademark registration for use of the name Isle on software and that he considers the use of Isle and Aisle for the same type of prod- uct likely to cause confusion in the marketplace. In addition, the letter warns that the developer "imme- diately cease and desist from using the Aisle trademark on his software packages" or be subjected to dire legal consequences. The letter has made the developer furious. He can't believe that he has been forced to waste time with what he considers legal harassment when he should be working on his new ad- vertising campaign, handling a dis- Copyright © 1983 Saidman, Sterne & Kessler. All rights reserved. This fictional article does not constitute legal advice, for which you must consult a lawyer. satisfied customer, or taking care of other pressing business concerns that need his attention. But he decides to take the bull by the horns and deal with the matter because the letter says that he must respond within 30 days. He has brought the Aisle pack- age to the marketplace, so he hopes he can take a tough position against the owner of the Isle trademark with the help of his lawyer. A clearance search determines whether a word chosen as a trademark Is already being used. Choosing a Trademark The developer's lawyer asks him to recount how he developed the Aisle package and how he chose its name. The software entrepreneur knows that the time it takes to tell his story will cost him a lot of money in legal fees, but he enjoys describing the history of his creation. The story is really very simple. In early 1981, the developer saw a need and met it with his Aisle software package. Some of his friends who own computers discovered his useful program and asked for copies, which he provided proudly and gladly. He later decided that he could sell such a package and started analyzing ads in computer magazines for marketing tips. Studying how they were writ- ten and designed, he noticed the symbols that appeared with- their names: ©, ®, and ®. He also learned that he must come up with a name for his program by which it could be distinguished from competing programs. Everywhere he looked he saw successful software packages with great names such as Visicalc, Wordstar, and Easy Writer. He finally settled on Aisle after con- sidering many names. When he dis- cussed his choice with his closest friends, they responded enthusiasti- cally. He did not know of anyone else using the name Aisle for the type of software he produced, therefore he began to market the package under that name. A friend advised him to use an ® beside the Aisle name in all of his ads. The lawyer interrupts the story to ask whether a clearance search of the Aisle mark had been conducted to determine whether anyone was BYTE March 1984 393 Change your face with one finger. Now there's a printer that lets you express yourself. It's the Letterprinter 100, from Digital. When you're feeling very professional and business-like, then it looks just like this. In fact, this is an actual printout. It's great for word processing You can send a nice polite letter to your most important client. But there may be times when you want to put on a different face. You can program your host computer to do it for you. Or you can do it yourself. Simply by pushing a button. YOU CAN SHOUT AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS. Tell them they'd better pay their bills or else. They'll get the message, or you can be elegant. Impress people with your sophisticated style. But back to business. The Letterprinter 100 gives you all of the typefaces on this page. If you don't see one you like, we'll customize one for you. The Letterprinter 100 also gives you full graphics capabilities. Plus three printing settings: one for letter quality, one for graphics, and a high speed one that ' gives you draft-quality documents in only 10 seconds- So face it. Why buy an ordinary printer when you can express yourself just by lifting a finger? See the Letterprinter 100. It's just one of the family of printers Digital of fers, including a daisy wheel printer, the LQP02, and a low cost Personal Printer, the LA50. Call 1-800 -DIGITAL, extension 700 , for the distributor nearest you. Or write Digital Equipment Corporation, Terminals Product Group, 2 Mt. Royal Avenue, UP01-5, Marlboro, MA 01752. Circle 122 on inquiry card. Circle 233 on inquiry card. using the name on software. The developer says he is unfamiliar with the term clearance search but that he had never consulted a lawyer about the name. In addition, he says, he was unaware of the Isle trademark when he adopted the name Aisle. After he learned of Isle's existence, he also discovered that its sales are con- fined exclusively to the East Coast, while Aisle software is sold primari- ly on the West Coast. Becoming agitated, he points out that Aisle dif- fers significantly from Isle. The lawyer calms him, then explains some principles of trademark law. Trademarks Afford Protection The major issue in most trademark- infringement suits, the lawyer notes, is whether the plaintiffs and defen- dant's trademarks, used on their respective goods, will likely cause confusion as to the goods' source or origin. Thus, he explains, even if two names differ, a court could find likelihood of confusion in the event the sound, appearance, and meaning of the two are close. In the devel- oper's case, he says, even though the meanings differ, the appearance of the words Isle and Aisle is very similar and the sound is identical. He concludes that a court could therefore find a likelihood of confusion to exist. The developer objects to the idea that the two words might cause con- fusion, saying that he did not know of any instance where a customer bought Aisle software thinking it was an Isle package. His lawyer points out, however, that it was the likeli- hood of confusion that constituted the legal test, not the actual confu- sion; the fact that no one had ever confused the two programs did not matter. The lawyer goes on to explain that both the Aisle and Isle marks are ar- bitrary choices for names of software packages. Under trademark law, ar- bitrary means that the product's name does not describe its goods— in this case Isle and Aisle do not describe the function of the packages they name. Software, after all, is neither an island nor a lane. The lawyer offers an example to illustrate the point. The primary meaning of the word "apple" is a type of fruit. Thus, the use of the word "apple" on any type of goods other than fruit, such as Apple bicycles, Apple sportscoats, or Apple computers, is an arbitrary use. Other examples of products with ar- bitrary trademarks include the Lisa computer, Camel cigarettes, and Dove soap. Arbitrary trademarks, he explains, tend to be strong trade- marks that are protectable as soon as they are adopted. In other words, no customer recognition has to be devel- oped through sales to protect them, Adopting a new name will constitute trademark infringement if customers are likely to be confused as to source or origin. in contrast to primarily descriptive, surname, or geographic trademarks, which do require customer recogni- tion for protection. A descriptive name is one that de- scribes a function, property, or char- acteristic of the goods it labels. An ex- ample is Sortfile Plus, used for a soft- ware package that sorts files quickly and efficiently. Franklin is a surname used as a trademark for a personal computer, and an example of a geo- graphic trademark is Palo Alto, used on a spreadsheet package. To afford protection, these types of trademarks require customer recognition. Be- cause of their original meaning to the public, a secondary meaning must at- tach in the market through certain commercial activity. This secondary meaning is an indication of source for the trademarked goods. In other words, the Franklin or Palo Alto must be recognized by the interested public as symbols of computer goods from a particular source before they can be protected. In the case of the Isle versus Aisle trademarks, the lawyer points out that they are both arbitrary names used for the same type of software, Multi-function RS-232 Transfer Switches MFJ-1240 $7995 Choice of 8 models Multi-function RS-232 transfer switches let you switch your computer among printers, modems, terminals, any RS-232 peripherals; monitor data/ line failure, protect data lines from surges, and use as null modem for less cost than a switch alone. Switches 10 lines (2,3,4,5,6,8,11,15,17,20). LED data/line indicators monitor lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8,20. Metal oxide varistors protect data lines 2, 3 from voltage spikes and surges. Push button reverses transmit-receive lines (2,3). PC board eliminates wiring, crosstalk, line interference. Connects any one input to any one output. Model Price In MFJ-1240 $79.95 1 MFJ-1241 $99.95 2 MFJ-1242 $119.95 2 MFJ-1243 $119.95 1 Out 2 3 4 Model Price in Out MFJ-1244 $139.95 3 3 MFJ-1245 $169.95 3 5 MFJ-1246 $199.95 5 5 jMFM-1247 $99.95 1 2] [switches 20 lines AC Power Centers MFJ-1108 MFJ-1108, $99.95. Add conven- $ QQ 95 ience, prevent data loss, head * #%ef bounce, equipment damage. Relay latches power off during power tran- sients. Multi-filters isolate equipment, eliminate interaction, noise, hash. MOVs suppress spikes, surges. 3 isolated, switched socketpairs. One un- switched for clock, etc. Lighted power, reset switch. Pop-out fuse. 3 wire, 6 ft. cord. 15A, 125V, 1875 watts. Aluminum case. Black. 18x2 3 /ix2 in. MFJ-1107, $79.95. Like 1108 less relay. 8 sockets, 2 unswitched. MFJ-1109, $129.95. Like 1107 but intelligent. Switch on device plugged into control socket and every- thing else turns on. Others available. Acoustic/ Direct Coupled Modem Use with any $ J%MBK phone anywhere I £J3 MFJ-1233 Acoustic/Direct Coupled 300 baud modem. Versatile. Use with virtually any phone, anywhere. Use battery or 110 VAC. Direct con- nect mode: Plug between handset and base. Use with single or multi-line phones. Acoustic coupled mode: Use with phones without modular plugs. Quality muffs give good acoustic coupling, isolates external noise for reliable data transfer. Originate/answer. Self test. Carrier detect, ON LEDs. RS-232, TTL compatible. Reliable single chip modem. Crystal controlled. Aluminum cabi- net. 9x1 1 /2x4 in. Other models available. Order from MFJ and try it. If not delighted, return within 30 days for refund (less shipping). One year unconditional guarantee. Order yours today. Call toll free 800-647-1800. Charge VISA, MC. Or mail check, money order. Add $4.00 each for shipping and handling. CALL TOLL FREE . . . 800-647-1800 Call 601-323-5869 in MS, outside continental I ENTERPRISES INCORPORATED 921 Louisville Road, Starkville, MS 39759 BYTE March 1984 395 and therefore are likely to cause con- fusion. Consequently, the critical legal questions would involve prior- ity and good-faith adoption in a remote geographic area. The gen- eral rule in trademark law is that the user who first applies a trademark to goods in a particular geographic area has exclusive rights to it and related products in that area. The law allows another user to use the same or a similar trademark for the same goods only if the second user has adopted, and first used, his trademark in good faith in a geographic area remote from the first user. This legal defense would be available to the Aisle developer under normal cir- cumstances, the lawyer says, because the developer of Aisle was unaware of the Isle trademark when he chose the name Aisle and because he was selling Aisle software in an area remote from that where Isle was sold. However, the lawyer notes rueful- ly that the owner of the Isle trade- mark was smart to take the initiative to obtain a federal registration of Isle. The Isle developer was granted such protection a few months before Aisle's developer adopted a similar name. The federal registration pro- vided nationwide constructive notice of the Isle trademark, which means that the law will presume people have notice of the trademark. Thus its owner can presume others are aware of its use, and the developer's defense of good-faith adoption is eliminated. Arbitrary trademarks, such as Apple computers, don't describe the function of the products or services they identify. The developer does not believe what he is hearing. He asks the lawyer pointedly whether the law was telling him to stop using the Aisle mark. The lawyer says that without a legal fight, the law was say- ing just that. The developer explodes, vowing that he will not be party to such legal ransom by the owner of the Isle trademark, particularly now that his software package is known extensively by the Aisle name. He says he will refuse to change the name unless a court orders him to, and the meeting comes to an end. Epilogue Despite his lawyer's warning, the developer did not respond to the let- ter, and several months later he was served with a summons in a lawsuit. After spending $30,000 in the defense of a preliminary injunction motion, the case was settled as follows: even though he still felt he had done nothing wrong, the developer agreed to stop using the Aisle mark on his package or "any confusingly similar variation thereof; to destroy all labels, ads, promotional materials, and actual packages using the Aisle mark; and to pay court costs. Never- theless, the developer disregarded the court order and subsequently was found to be in contempt of court, which resulted in a stiff fine, addi- HDfUnB Automates Lab Instruments • Interactive Microware's general-purpose ADALAB™ data ac- quisition and control system interfaces with virtually any lab in- strument using a recorder or meter, including GC and HPLC sys- tems, spectrophotometers, pH meters, process control apparatus, thermocouples, etc. • Lab Data Manager™ software facilitates single or multi- channel acquisition, storage, display and chart recorder style out- put of lab instrument data. IMI QUICKI/O software operates within easy-to-use BASIC! • Thousands of scientists currently use IMI software and/or ADALAB products worldwide! *Price includes 48K APPLE 1 11+ CPU, disk drive with controller, 12" monitor, dot matrix printer with interface, IMI ADALAB™ inter- face Card. trademark of Apple Computer. Inc IMI'S ADALAB INTERFACE CARD IS AVAILABLE SEPARATELY FOR ONLY $495 (Includes 1 2-bit A/'D, 1 2-bit D/A, 8 digital sense inputs, 8 digital control outputs, 32-bit real-time clock, two 16-bit timers plus QUICKI/O data acquisition software.) INTERACTIVE MICROWARE, INC. P.O. Box 771, Dept. 3 State College, PA 16801 (814) 238-8294 TTje SoftWareToolwdrks MyCctlc YO, FREDDIE. STILL GLAD YOU FIRED THE ACCOUNTANT? CAR PAYMENTS. BANK STATEMENTS ! TAXES... ARR6H! "-.'. "-. '.. as TWENTY THREE HELP SCREENS! THIS IS EASY, I MEAN MY BUDGET'S ALMOST DONE. Full featured MyCalc" with sort bar graphs, multiple files and more is ideal for financial planning and budgets. It sells for $59.95 from The Software Toolworks, 15233 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1118, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 (818) 986-4885. 396 BYTE March 1984 Circle 187 on inquiry card. Circle 331 on inquiry card. The Rixon PC212A... The Perfect Modem For Your IBM® PC ...Only *499 The Rixon® PC212A offers you the only 300/1200 BPS full duplex card 1 * 11 modem with auto dial and auto answer that plugs directly into any of $ the IBM PC® * card slots. Because the Rixon PC212A was designed * specifically for the IBM PC, it is loaded with user benefits. The PC212A eliminates the need for an asynchronous communications adapter card and external modem cable, this alone saves you approximately $190. The PC212A provides an extra 25 pin EI A RS232 interface connector, a telephone jack for alternate voice operation, and a telephone line jack for connection to the dial network. Without question, the PC212A is the most user friendly, most reliable, and best performing modem for your , IBM PC. An internal microproces- sor allows total control, operation, jm and optioning of the Jm PC212A from the keyboard. A user friendly HELP list of all interactive commands is stored in modem memory for instant screen display. Just a few of the internal features are auto/manual dialing from the keyboard, auto dial the next number if the first number is busy and instant redial once or until answered. In the event of power disrup- tion a battery back-up pro- tects all memory in the PC212A. In addition, the PC212A is compatible with all of the communication pro- grams written for the Hayes Smartmodem™**such as CROSSTALK .™+AIso available for use with the PC212A is the Rixon PC COM I,™* a communications software pro- gram (Diskette) and instruction manual to enhance the capabilities of the PC212A and the IBM PC. PC COM I operates with or replaces the need for the IBM Asynchronous Communications Support Program. The pro- gram is very user friendly and provides single key stroke control of auto log on to multiple database services (such as The Source SM& ), as well as log to printer, log to file transfer and flow control (automatic inband or manual control). PC COM I is only $49.00 if purchased at the same time as the PC212A. The PC212A comes with a 2 year warranty. For more information contact your nearest computer store or Rixon direct at 800-368-2773 and ask for Jon Wilson at Ext. 472. PC212A $499. PC212A WITH ASYNCH PORT $539. SANGAMO WESTON — — — ; Schlumberger 2120 Industrial Pky., Silver Spring, Md. 20904 301-622-2121 TWX 710-825-0071 TLX 89-8347 1 IBM is a registered trademark of the International Business Machine Corp. ' Hayes Smartmodem is a product of the Hayes Stack ™ series, a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. | + CROSSTALK is a trademark of Microstuf Inc. ( # PC COM I is a trademark of Rixon Inc. & The Source is a servicemark of Source Telecomputing Corp. 3043B © RIXON INC. 1983 The Rixon PC212A Card Modem Another Modem Good Enough To Be Called RIXON Circle 306 on inquiry card. OPEN OP AN ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT FOR $395.00 Why staff up? With the Desktop Accountant™, all the accounting help your office needs can be at your fingertips! No matter what type of business you're in. Desktop Accountant will let you manage the financial end of it more professionally than ever before. A Complete System with Support, Desktop Accountant includes accounts receivable, accounts pay- able, payroll and general ledger programs, along with comprehen- sive user manuals and training aids, including an audio cassette tape. And our telephone "hotline" means personalized support. Produces 42 Reports. 'Keeping the books" has never been so easy! Desktop Accountant prepares every bookkeeping/accounting report your growing business requires: from invoicing to statements to aged A/R listings; from cash distribution to A/P checks to vendor activity reports; from complete payroll checks and stubs to W-2 forms; from the chart of accounts to balance sheet and income state- ment, as well as many other vital to efficient management. Desktop Accountant is available for nearly every portable, personal and desktop com- puter. The system requires either CP/M® or MS-DOS™ (PC DOS), Microsoft BASIC™, 64K RAM, two disk drives or hard disk, and a 132-column printer (or an &V?. "x 11 " printer with compressed print mode). You won't find better quality software at such a low price. Just $395.00 for most CP/M® formats ($495.00 for IBM ° and some CP/M formats) complete. Call for available formats. To order Desktop Accountant or for comprehensive literature, call toll-free: © 1-800-832-2244 (In California call 1-800-732-2311) or send orders to: 1280 C Newell Avenue, Suite 1201 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 /*\ ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS Business Microcomputers and Software " California residents add 6'/,> % Sales Tax • Payment by VISA/Master Card/COD/MO/Cashier's Check • All Brand Names are manufacturers' registered Trade Marks* Ho sales to Dealers 'F oreign orde r s plea se call or write before ordering* 1983 Rocky Mountain (ijBMBkj fl^^^^** 1 Software Systems. '-^^^3 V/S< r m HEROISM IN THE MODERN AGE THE ROLE-PLAYING GAME OF TODAY © Copyright 1983 PadOc tnfotech Corp. A sophisticated simulation of modern life and human psychology Includes: BASIC MODULE - create and guide characters through their lives... PROJECT CONTACT (Scenario #1) — save the U.S.A. from a mad scientist and terrorist plot... you have only 60 hours to complete your mission... HEROISM IN THE MODERN AGE is expandable to other modules and exciting scenarios. At your computer store. 10850 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800 Los Angeles, CA 90024 U.S.A. SYSTFM REQUIREMENTS: IBM PC* with one double-sided or two single- sided disk drives, an 80-column monitor, and 64K RAM (96K for DOS 2.0). Color graphics/ adaptor optional. *IBM PC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp. WBSm- ■■■- ■ -sit ■ ^iflwH Pacific tnf otech Corp. tional attorneys' fees, and bad pub- licity in the trade press. Clearly, the developer did not han- dle this in a proper legal manner or cost-effectively. He could have main- tained the hard-earned goodwill his trademark had won by taking a few steps to protect it. He should have first obtained a legal opinion from a trademark at- torney as to whether his proposed Aisle mark was available and reg- istrable prior to using it. A clearance search would have cost him far less than the value of the goodwill in his trademark that he subsequently lost, not to mention the attorneys' fees re- sulting from the cease-and-desist let- ter and ensuing litigation. If he had asked an attorney to check out his proposed mark, and the attorney had indicated that it was unavailable, the developer could have chosen one that was indeed regis- trable and begun using it properly in his software packaging, advertising, other promotional material, and documentation. Merely using the symbol of federal registration, the circled R, does not provide legal pro- tection. Therefore, once the package was a commercial success, he should have applied for federal registration at the United States Patent and Trade- mark Office. Finally, to ensure that others were not using the Aisle name or marks similar to his on software products, he could have vigilantly policed the market for infringers. Under the current state of the law, trademark protection is considered by many to be the most effective way to legally protect mass-marketed soft- ware. Thus, trademark conscious- ness makes good business sense. ■ Robert Greene Sterne is a partner in the law firm Saidman, Sterne & Kessler (412 Ban Building, 910 Seventeenth St. NW, Washington, DC 20006), spe- cializing in computer and intellectual property law. He is co-chairman of the APIA 1984 National In- stitute on Computer Law and author of Trademark Law: Federal, Maryland Statutory and Maryland Common Law. Perry ]. Saidman is also a partner in the firm Said- man, Sterne & Kessler. A member of the United States Trademark Association, he teaches a patent bar review course sponsored by the Patent Resources Group and is author of Patent Law for General Practitioners and Business Lawyers. 398 BYTE March 1984 Circle 278 on inquiry card. DISCOVER THE DYSAN DIFFFRENCE Four Reasons Why The Dysan Difference isWxth Paying For ^jy^^AFTEMLHMSHINC SURFACE BEFORE BURNISHING "frtt fry ^ 1. 100% Surface Tested 2 Advanced Burnishing • Techniques 3 qy 10 ™ • Lubricant 4 Only Dysan provides fully usable diskette surfaces that are truly 100% error-free across the entire face of the diskette. An exclusive on- and-between the track test- ing procedure guarantees error-free performance regardless of temperature and humidity distortions or slight head misalignments. Dysan's advanced polishing methods create a smoother, more uniform diskette sur- face. This results in better signal quality on each track, less wear on drive heads and reliable access to data after millions of head passes. Dysan's proprietary DY 10 lubricant complements the advanced burnishing pro- cess. Both maximize error- free performance while minimizing headwear. Optimal signal presence is maintained between the head and diskette surface during millions of write/ read interfaces, DY 1D is a trademark of Dysan Corporation Auto-Load • Certification Dysan's unique quality control methods reflect technological leadership in designing, producing and testing precision magnetic media. Each diskette is un- erringly certified by Dysan - built, automated and microprocessor controlled certifiers. Your system and data base will benefit from Dysan's diskette reliability and unsurpassed quality. Select from a complete line of premium 8" and 5 l A n diskettes, in single or double densities, certified on one or both sides. Circle 136 on inquiry card. O Dysan, ^CORPORATION Corporate Headquarters: 5201 Patrick Henry Drive Santa Clara, CA 95050 (800) 551-9000 BYTE March 1984 399 An EPROM Simulator This versatile project includes battery backup An EPROM (erasable program- mable read-only memory) is a conve- nient place to store a machine-lan- guage program (for instance, a boot- strap loader program for a large sys- tem or the entire application program in a data-collection system). The de- velopment cycle for such programs involves writing and assembling the program on a development computer system and programming (burning) an EPROM, The EPROM is then plugged into its socket on the target computer system and the program is tested, EPROMs are great for programs that are already debugged; but they create a bottleneck in the develop- ment process. On my development system, the EPROM programmer takes up memory space needed by the editor I use for writing programs, so I have to power down and change the hardware configuration before programming the EPROM. And, of course, once a program is in EPROM it cannot be easily changed, so I can't use a monitor or debugger on the target computer to try out simple modifications at the machine-lan- guage level. A bug requires going back to the development system. I have often wished for something simpler. by Albert S. Woodhull There are several alternatives to EPROMs. Steve Ciarcia has written about the new electrically erasable nonvolatile memory chips in the December 1979 BYTE ('Add Non- volatile Memory to Your Computer," page 36). These devices are an attrac- tive possibility, but they are expen- sive and cannot be plugged into the same socket as an EPROM. Eric Rehnke described an EPROM emula- tor in the February 1982 BYTE ("Build an EPROM Emulator," page 194). This two-port memory gives a develop- ment system the ability to control the contents of a portion of the memory of a target system. While this ap- proach is excellent for some pur- poses, I needed nonvolatile memory for development of bootstrap pro- grams for the development system itself. I chose a third approach, a battery-powered RAM (random- access read/write memory) that could be unplugged from one socket and plugged into another without risk to chips or loss of data. The EPROM simulator turned out to be an easy project. I decided to use a 2K-byte wide static-memory chip, the Hitachi 6116. I have been using these in my projects and for main memory in my development system. Standard 2716 EPROMs can be used in the same sockets, a convenient ar- rangement for frequent changes of hardware configuration. The 6116 uses CMOS (complementary metal- oxide semiconductor) technology and requires very little power when deselected. By proper choice of oper- ating conditions, the standby current drain of one of these chips can be held to less than 2 mA (milli- amperes). CMOS chips also are re- latively tolerant of voltage variations. Hitachi's data sheets specify the operating voltage of the 6116 as 5.0 volts ±10 percent; many digital in- tegrated circuits require ±5 percent regulation. As I will explain later, the voltage tolerance for retention of data is more permissive than the operat- ing voltage range. Nicad (nickel-cadmium) recharge- able batteries are an obvious choice for powering the EPROM simulator. The nominal voltage of a nicad cell is 1.2 volts, but when fully charged, a battery of four cells will produce just over 5.5 volts. Nicad voltage holds up well during discharge; a 4.5-volt end- point enables use of most of the charge. Size AA nicad cells are read- ily available and are rated at 450 milliampere-hours (mAh), enough to keep a 6116 chip alive for well over a week. 400 BYTE March 1984 After choosing to power a 6116 RAM with nicad batteries, the prob- lem I had to deal with next was pro- tecting the memory chip and its data from damage while unplugging it from the development system and plugging it into the target computer. Plugging and unplugging solid-state components while power is applied is not a good idea. Pins won't make connections simultaneously and in- ternal voltages momentarily can be the wrong polarity. Even if you could be sure components would survive the surges of power, there is too much chance of misalignment or short circuit with a large number of closely spaced connections. The answer to this is to use buffer circuits from which the power can be re- moved without turning off the RAM itself. Only inactive devices will be connected to the external plug dur- ing insertion or withdrawal. The buf- fer chips do not have to draw on the battery; they are needed only when power is available from a host devel- opment or target system. The Circuit The block diagram in figure 1 depicts the overall scheme. All con- nections to the 6116 RAM chip are isolated by tristate buffers. The buffer chips get their power from the host computer; the RAM is powered by a 5-volt battery. A diode allows the bat- tery to be partially recharged from the computer but prevents the buf- fers from draining the battery when the host computer is off or the unit is unplugged. The diode also permits the RAM to get its operating current from the host when it is selected. During a read or write cycle, a selected RAM chip may need as much as 80 mA. The buffers for the address and control lines are always enabled; the data buffers are selected appropriately when the socket into which the simulator is plugged is selected for reading or writing. Details of the circuit are shown in figure 2. Instead of conventional OR gates, I put an extra 74LS367 buffer chip on the board and used two buffer sections and pull-up resistors to gate the enable signals for the data buffers. I was planning for the +5V i — m — r V CC . ALL BUFFERS DATA OUT BUFFERS + ^5V PLUG TO 2716/6116 < SOCKET Figure Is A block diagram of the EPROM simulator. All external connections go to a 24-pin DIP (dual-inline package) plug that can be inserted into a 2716 EPROM or 6116 RAM socket on the host computer. The host may be either the development system upon which a program is being written and assembled or a target system upon which the program will be run. All lines from the host are isolated from the RAM by 74LS367 buffers, and these buffers receive power from the host. The RAM is powered by a battery. The host may be powered down and the EPROM simulator removed to be plugged into an alternative host or a different host memory location, without damage to the RAM chip or loss of data. future— someday I'll want to use 4K- or 8K-byte RAM and EPROM chips, and unused buffers then can be wired up for additional address lines. The switches on the CS and W lines are for peace of mind. The CS switch guarantees that no transients will come through when the buffers are powered up or down; the W switch protects the RAM from accidentally BYTE March 1984 401 (% Computer-Line announces Compucard VJ^ Extra Specials— Extra Discounts— Extra Savings Call For Details The Computer-Line believes that it is important to be competitive by offering low prices; however, we regard service as the most important aspect of a mail-order organiza- tion. All our lines are available so that you, the customer, are able to talk to fully qualified computer specialists trained to answer all your questions pertaining to our line of microcomputers. We are renowned for our excellent after-sales support and our promptness for delivery. Peace of mind and excellence in service is our pledae to ail our customers, K ywivonuui Prices too low to publish COLUMBIA DATA PRODUCTS 1 • IBM PC Compatible • 128K Main Memory • 8 Expansion Slots • 2 Serial and One Parallel I Port Built In • 2 Double Sided/Double Density 1 320K Drives • Over $3000 Free Software I Including: |— Perfect Writer/Speller -Perfect Filer/Calc. 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CANOGA PARK, CA 91303 IRVINE, CA 92714 DENVER, CO 80222 CALL: (818) 716-1812 CALL: (714) 863-9944 CALL: (303) 758-3261 General/Mailorder(714] 863-9988 .. . An< customer service and order INOUIRY (714) 863-9933 Circle 401 on inquiry card. TERMS All prices reflect a 2 9% cash discount All goods acknowledged faulty on receipt by the customer will be repaired or replaced at our discretion Customers must call for an RMA number before returning any goods This facilitates our quick attendance to faulty goods We reserve the right to repair or return to the manufacturer for repair all goods becoming faulty within the specified warrranty period Any goods (hardware or software) • returned for restocking are subject to a 15% restocking fee at our discretion The charge for cancellation of orders is 20% at our discretion No returns on software We accept no responsibility for any false claims made by manufacturers Prices quoted for stock on hand and subject to change without notice Specialists in APO and international deliveries Please add 3% (minimum $3 00) for shipping. APO add to all prices 5% for shipping (minimum $5 .00) We will calculate exact freight Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks plus mail time (if an order is mailed in) for receipt of all UPS delivered goods All goods (other than APO or international) delivered UPS ground All items listed available tor 48 hour service provided products are readily available from the manufacturer ALL BRANDS ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS WWWW pofT> DlflO> D2fT7> 03(n> D4[U> D5[l5> 06 [W> D7[l7> 7k 2 Z * ¥ 10V m 1N191 + 5V TO ALL BUFFERS (PIN 16) + 5B TO RAM IC1 " ~ ' \ 74LS367 ■2.2 M F '10V m A soil + _L BATTE i BATTERY 4 A A NtCAD CELLS pT> INDICATES PIN n ON CABLE TO 2716/6116 SOCKET GROUND: IC6-7 IC7-12 Figure 2: A detailed schematic diagram of the EPROM simulator. The pin numbers indicate the pinout of the plug that connects to a 2716 or 6116 socket on a host computer, other numbers indicate pin connections on the integrated circuits. For clarity, the enable lines to the buffers (six 74LS367s) are not shown; the connections are summarized at the bottom of the diagram. The control lines with overbars are active low lines, i.e., a zero-volt level on line CS selects the RAM chip. Two sections of IC3, a 74LS367, are used as OR gates; because the output is high impedance when the buffers are not enabled, pull-up resistors are needed. Note that these pull-up resistors connect to the host-derived power, +5H, but the pull-up resistors on the control lines to the RAM chip must be connected to the battery line, +5B. BYTE March 1984 403 • :* MEM4 FLEXIBLE DISCS WE WILL NOT BE UNDER- SOLD!! Call Free (800)235-4137 for prices and information. Dealer inquiries invited and CO.D.'s accepted PACIFIC EXCHANGES 100 Foothill Blvd. San Luis Obispo. CA 93401. InCal. call (800)592-5935 or ;805)543-1037 Circle 277 on inquiry card. CONTROL THE WORLD1 The SYS-3A is a low cost, powerful microcontroller card with a Tiny BASIC language. Used in robotics, energy management, process control, science and education. Contains everything needed to write, debug, and permanently store programs that auto run on powerup. The 46 input/output lines include A/D, D/A, TTL I/O, and high current drivers. Multi- ple input ranges and drive capabilities. 4K RAM, 4K EPROM space, 2K software, & Tiny BASIC in- cluded. I/O and memory expandable. Programs both EPROM's and EEPROM's. RS-232C port connects to CRT terminals, printers, or personal computers. Software, hardware, peripheral cards available. 4.5" x 6.5". 5V operation. OCTAGON SYSTEMS CORPORATION 6501 W. 91st Ave., Westminster, CO 80030 (303) 426-8540 Circle 272 on inquiry card. SiSfelS f=6£L ADD/NET INDUSTRIAL/LABORATORY LOCAL AREA NETWORK ADD/NET provides a modular, low cost, easy to use approach to factory and laboratory networking. ADD/NET modules may be used stand-alone or linked together in an extended network. Features include: • Up to eight ports per module; interfaces include RS232C, RS422, RS449, IEEE-488, and industrial I/O • Transparent communication from any port to any other port within the network • User friendly menu permits easy interactive setup from a terminal • Command mode permits computer controlled setup for dynamic linking of ports • Multiple baud rates supported, with automatic baud rate lock-in and baud rate conversion • Up to 2000 feet between network modules • Error checking and correction for reliability • Ideal for linking your factory and lab equipment with your mainframe, PC. and peripherals CALL TODAY (305} 293-2002 Adroit Electronics, Inc. Dept. A, 3790 Silver Star Rd. Orlando, FL 32808 Circle 11 on inquiry card. 12 Bit A/D Converter Professional data conversion for your Apple® computer at a new low price of £ 299 95 Compare with any competitive product at twice the price! • 1 6 channels of analog input • Full 12 bit data accuracy (1 part in 4096) • Mo programming needed — convert any channel direct from Basic • Complete accessory software on disk — Including high-speed access handler — "Demo-Scope" multichannel waveform display — Plain English discussion and example tutorial • Applications include: — Secuntv — Control — Laboratory data acquisition — Voice analysis — Energy control 6842 VALJEAN AVE. VAN MU YS. CA. 91 406 I %%ZXZZ (21 31 989-1 204 ***- [•.»«*« *c Circle 178 on inquiry card. maxell Floppy Discs CALL NOW -TOLL FREE 1-800-328-DISC Dealer inquiries invited. CO.D.'s and charge cards accepted. AH orders shipped from stock, within 24 hours. Call toll FREE. © m Xk\ North Hills Corporation 3564 Rolling View Dr. White Bear Lake, MN 55110 1-800-328-DISC MNCall Collect 1-612-770-0485 Circle 107 on inquiry car< being written into. Both of these lines have pull-up resistors connected to the battery supply to ensure that the chip will be in the standby mode when the host power is off or discon- nected. The diode is a germanium type; this is not essential, but it reduces the diode voltage drop to about 0.25 volt. The 50-ohm resistor limits the charg- ing rate of the battery and protects the diode from surges of current. The standby current demand of the RAM is so low that the voltage drop through this resistor during dis- charge is unimportant. The LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are frills, but I like to know when a circuit is en- abled. The one on the battery- powered side of the circuit probably draws as much current as the RAM, and can be omitted if data retention for long periods is necessary. Construction My prototype was constructed on a small piece of perforated board using wire-wrap techniques; there is nothing critical about the wiring, with the possible exception of the cable to the RAM or EPROM socket on the host computer. I made this cable about eight inches long with some doubts about whether it would give me problems. I've had no prob- lems with an 8080 processor with a 500-nanosecond cycle, but a shorter cable might be necessary with a faster system. Mechanical protection is also needed; a wire-wrapped prototype board like this is something like a pet porcupine. To avoid short circuits on a crowded bench, I mounted the entire assembly inside a small plastic box. Data Retention and Battery Charging The maximum supply voltage for the 6116 is specified as 7.0 volts. This is a maximum safe-voltage rating, with no guarantee that the part will actually work while the voltage is that high. The operating voltage range specification of 4.5 to 5.5 volts is for all phases of operation, including writing and reading data. In the EPROM simulator, reading and writing only take place while the host Professional Software for the Software Professional DMA products operate on the full range of Z80, 8086, 8088 processors, including the IBM-PC Here's what you can do! Application Creation FORMULA II™ The Application Creator The first and only Application Creator — a do-it-your- self concept for office automation. FORMULA II lets you define your files, forms, menus, and reports — FORMULA II then creates your program. FORMULA II includes a Database manager with an English Query language and a Form/Report Creator with word processing features. Communications ASCOM™ ASCOM™ is the most versatile asynchronous com- munication package for microcomputers on the market. It features interactive, menu-driven, and batch operations; supports auto-answer and auto-dial modems; includes most popular protocols; provides network simulation; and many other options. Xerox Corporation, NCR, Mon- roe Systems for Business, and the big 8 accounting firms use ASCOM™. SYNC /cO|V|tm — A bisynchronous communication package that will oe configurable for a variety of systems and includes a flexible interface to the operating system. 2780/3780/3270 protocols available on microcomputers with appropriate hardware. TERMCOM™— A configurable terminal emulator allowing any personal computer to emulate most conversa- tional and selected block mode terminals with asynchron- ous communications. Available December 1983. Utilities EM80/86™ This software emulator lets you use eight bit software on sixteen bit microcomputers without hardware modifi- cations. The 8086 O.S. Converter™ CP to MS — Permits execution of Digital Research's CP/M-86 programs under Microsoft's MSDOS (or PCDOS). MS to CP — Permits execution of MSDOS programs under CP/M-86. UT-86™ This package of user-friendly utilities for the IBM Per- sonal Computer and similar systems includes copying, directory sorting, patching, and a general purpose file print utility. Coming Soon DMA."C"™ — A "C" language compiler which will gen- erate either Z80 or 8086 assembly language code. Due to a unique optimization routine which is based upon a functional "P-code" model, the efficiency of DMA."C" will far exceed that of existing compilers. WE SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE WE SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE WE SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE DYNAMIC MICROPROCESSOR ASSOCIATES, INC. 545 FIFTH AVENUE, NY, NY 10017 Dealer Inquiries only • (212) 687-7115 Circle 130 on inquiry card. BYTE Match 1984 405 POWER SUPPLY 12 TO 15 I VOLT 33 , ,+5V 7805 SOL- [common | 120ii m m — BATTERY -=_ TO BE -^- CHAR6ED 1. I Figure 3: A constant-current circuit for charg- ing nicad batteries. The regulator maintains 5 volts across the resistor, which passes a cur- rent of about 45 mA. The resistor current and the small operating current of the regulator itself flow through the battery to be charged. The power supply may be rated at anything from 12 to 35 volts. computer supply is on; the diode will allow the battery voltage to be brought up if it is low. The voltage of a fully charged four-cell battery falls to 5.5 volts soon after the charger is disconnected. The rating sheets do not specify a supply voltage range for retention of data. After constructing my EPROM simulator I experimented to try to determine these limits. With known data stored in the RAM, I charged the battery with an external charger, then checked and verified the data. Next, I loaded the battery with a resistor to discharge it to a low level and again checked the data. While charging at 45 mA, the battery voltage soared to about 6.3 volts, and during my dis- charge test I let the voltage fall to about 1.7 volts. The data remained intact in both cases. There is no guarantee that all 6116s will work this well, but it proved to me, at least, that retaining data with a battery is entirely feasible. The battery cannot be fully charged from the host computer power sup- ply with the circuit shown in figure 2. Diodes have a forward voltage drop that is relatively constant over a wide current range; with a ger- manium diode, this limits the voltage to which the battery can be charged to about 4.75 volts. If the EPROM simulator is constantly plugged into a computer that is used for a few hours each day, this should be good enough to retain data indefinitely, but an external charger will be needed if a full charge is required for maximum duration of data retention. Standard nicads should be charged at about 10 percent of their Ah (ampere-hour) rating, requiring 14 hours for a full charge. A simple constant-current charger can be made with a standard voltage regulator chip and a resistor, as shown in figure 3. The regulator keeps the voltage across the resistor constant, which means the current through the resistor will be constant also. There is a small error due to the additional current that flows through the regulator's common terminal, but this is only a few milliamperes. The supply voltage must be greater than the fully charged battery voltage, plus the nominal output voltage of the regulator, plus about 2 volts. A 12-volt supply is adequate for charging the EPROM simulator battery, using a 5-volt regulator chip. Using the EPROM Simulator I'll describe the use of the EPROM simulator with an example. I gave it its first test by tracking down an an- noying bug in my terminal I/O (in- put/output) routines, which normally are in EPROM where I can't modify them with the system debugger. I unplugged a RAM chip at a memory address I knew I would not need for my system routines, plugged the EPROM simulator into that socket, powered up, and copied the old sys- tem EPROM into the RAM with both the CS and W switches closed. I then opened both switches for pro- tection, powered down the system, and replaced the system ROM with the EPROM simulator plug. With the CS switch on, everything worked as it had with the EPROM in place. Finally, I closed the switch in the W line and used the system debugger to quickly investigate several of the "what-if" questions I had about the program. This EPROM simulator was a weekend project. By the next week- end I was wondering how I had lived without it. It makes any task involv- ing development of code for an EPROM much more convenient. At the beginning of a project I know my programs will have bugs. Having my code as safe and portable as if it were in an EPROM, yet as easy to modify as if it were in RAM, makes starting such a project much more pleasant. ■ Albert S. Woodhull (33 Enfield Rd., RFD2, Pel- ham, MA 01002) has a Ph.D. in physiology and psychology and is an associate professor of computer studies and biology at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. He uses computers for laboratory in- strumentation in research in various aspects of physiology. His hobbies include ham radio opera- tion, hiking, and backpacking. DATA TRANSFER PROBLEMS? Your Simple Solution is REFORMATTER® Diskette Conversion Software Avoids serial communication protocols. Needs only one system to transfer data. Converts source code and data files. • Allows 2-way transfer. • Quick, reliable, and inexpensive. VERSIONS Runs On CP/M CP/M CP/M-86 CROMIX DEC RT-11 MS-DOS TRSDOS II* TRSDOS II Reads/Writes •-IBM 3740 -DEC RT-11 -IBM 3740 •-DEC RT-11 -CP/M -IBM 3740 -CP/M -DEC RT-11 PRICE: $350 *$249 Requires 8" floppy drive. (4 1 5) 324-9 1 1 4 TWX : 9 1 0-370-7457 467 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 2, Palo Alto, Calif. 94301 406 BYTE March 1984 Circle 251 on inquiry card. ■■ )T HrH 6 SMAB^CABP c ^ ptA r ^ DELUXE Our most popular model • Manages 288 proj- • Name or initials ects: 2 panels— 72 SMART-CARDS per side. Expands to 1440 w/purchase of extra panels • 750 asst'd SMART- CARDS • Color-coded signals on cover • Pen, tablet and business card storage • Deluxe lock Plus the SMART- CARD Management System Manual Leather grained vinyl $44.50 Genuine leather $84.50 Plus $4 shipping and handling THE TRAVELER Our streamlined model • Manages 144 projects • 500 asst'd SMART-CARDS • Color-coded signals • Name or initials on cover • Pen holder Plus the SMART-CARD Management System Manual Leather grained vinyl $27.50 Genuine leather $52.50 Ptus $4 shipping and handling All Models Available in: LEATHER GRAINED VINYL Chestnut Brown (dark), Willow Brown (medium), Black, Burgundy and Natural Tan Suede. GENUINE LEATHER Black, British Tan and Burgundy. Add $7.50 per model for shipments to Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, $12 to Mexico and $18 to all other countries. Copyright 1983, Executive Management Systems, inc. U.S. and International patents pending. EXEC-U- PLAN m SMART-CARD™ SMART-CARD Management System™ and the products named herein are trade- marks ot Executive Management Systems, Inc. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your EXEC-U-PLAN SMART-CARD System, simply return it within 30 days of purchase for a full and prompt refund. •i-artSSSasss ss£i«5sss£- process! bility and ease -SSSfflS- mmm SUPER DELUXE Our premier model • Manages 576 projects: 4 panels— 72 SMART-CARDS per side. Expands to 1440 w/purchase of extra panels • 4 tabbed dual pocket dividers • 1,000 asst'd SMART-CARDS • Multi-function calculator • Digital time piece and alarm • Calendar-phone-address book • Color-coded signals • Name or initials on cover • Pen, tablet and business card storage • Deluxe lock Plus the SMART-CARD Management System Manual Leather grained vinyl $105-00 Genuine leather $155.00 Plus $4 shipping and handling QUAUTYC^^-nhe finest gen-- T . CAR D ideal for a" you, an^osearo;-- TpEN P.NG _nra SPECIAL BONUS. Now— for a limited time only— 1 receive a handsome, matching 1 . ^^ — J Pocket Organizer FREE with any ** 9 ^ > ^ model shown at left. This compact tuck-away version of the SMART-CARD Management System puts key data in your pocket— and lets you easily make new entries on-the-go. Retail value $15.00. CREDIT CARD ORDERS PHONE TOLL FREE 1-800-USA-0700 t or write: EXEC~U-PLAN m DEPT ' 184 31-17 QUEENS BLVD., LONG ISLAND CITY NX 11101 Circle 155 on inquiry card. NEW FROM PRENTICE CORPORATION .--• t f^'^-^V^^^C^^xsN5iM- ,-k v POPCOM is a trademark of PRENTICE Corporation. THE CONNECTION Automatic or manual dialing and answering for all voice and data calls. Voice and data transmission during the same call — ends the 3 separate calls ("I'm going to send," "I'm sending," "Did you get what I sent?") Smart modem compatible — works with widely available communications software. Flexibility — compatible with 103, 113, and 212A dial-up modems; connects to all standard single and multi-line equipment. Fast, easy setup — 'tune' tells when the three cables are properly connected. Adjustment-free operation — no manual switches to contend with. The X100 automatically takes its instructions from your PC or terminal. Automatic computer briefing — reports to your PC all call-progress tones ... dial tone, busy signal, remote ringing, talk, even line disconnect — so your computer can do more. "In-Use" light on multi-line phones — protects against inadvertent interrup- tion. Smart interface — automatically adapts itself to various RS232 cables. Versatile Installation — fits conveniently on wall, desk or floor. Circle 288 on inquiry card. See your dealer or write for more information. Make the connection between yourself and the challenging world of information. □ Please send me literature on POPCOM products. □ Please call me immediately. NAME TITLE COMPANY TEL: ADDRESS STATE ZIP PRENTICE CORPORATION, 266 Caspian Dr., P.O. Box 3544, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3544, (408) 734-9855 01 02 SEVEN ACES \ ■. ; ; ' ♦ 1 ' 8 N I . if .il, ■ - ^ * \\ fe '1 ■A\MV;\ PUs nimble and swift — a card sharp's delight. I I When CompuPro introduced the first CPU board with both 8- and 16-bit capabilities, it was like handing a royal flush to systems integrators. How could we top that? You gave us the answer. "Make a CPU that will access 16 megabytes at a swipe," you urged. So we designed CPU 68K. "Make one for people who need jp speed and 16-bit power," you pleaded. CompuPro responded with CPU 286, the board with two brains: one to bundle bytes and the other to scan the conveyor belt ahead and fetch the necessary tools. So, by giving you flexibility without sacrificing performance, quality or reliability, CompuPro has dealt all players a winning hand: Seven Aces. They're worth betting on. CPU 8085/88 is CompuPro's pioneering dual processor, running the vast library of both 8-bit and 16-bit.programsat clock speeds up to 8 MHz. Maximum software access. $495, $595 CSC. CPU 86/87 uses Intel's widely favored 8086 chip, so you get the broadest range of time-tested 16-bit software. Includes sockets for the 8087 math co-processor and 80130 firmware chip. $800 10 MHz, $850 CSC 10 MHz. With 8087 chip, $1050 5 MHz, $1150 CSC 5 MHz. CPU68K lets you rummage around in 16 Mbytes of memory at a time — not just the usual 64 Kbytes. Access huge databases, invert mammoth matrices, or turn titanic tables topsy-turvy. Includes socket for memory management unit. $695 8 MHz, $775 10 MHz, $850 CSC 10 MHz. CPU 2 brings the Z80 chip's sophisticated instruction set to bear on the whole range of 8-bit software at clock speeds of 6 MHz. Ideal for multi-user installations, with 24-bit addressing that handles up to 16 Mbytes of memory. $325, $425 CSC. CPU 286 is CompuPro's most far- sighted processor. It handles all 8086/8088 software, but many times faster with the help of a unique look- ahead capability. A memory mangement unit is built-in. $1595 8 MHz, $1750 CSC 10 MHz. CPU 16032 features true 32-bit internal architecture that makes your micro byte off bigger words, tike a mini. Ideal for Unix and other large operating systems. Includes sockets for floating point unit and memory management unit. Handles clock speeds up to 10 MHz. $695, $845 CSC. MMU available. SPU-Z lets multiple users share expensive resources such as disk drives, printers and modems' — not to mention data. Let our slave processor give individual attention where it's needed, freeing the more expensive CPU for bus management. $695, $795 CSC. For your business, industrial and scientific computing solutions, call (415) 786-0909, ext, 206 today for the location the Full Service CompuPro System Center nearest you. of CompuPro products are backed by a one-year limited warranty — two years for boards qualified under the Certified System Component high-reliability program. Prices and specifications subject to change without notice. ; 1983 CompuPro BYTE March 1984 CompuPro, A GODBOUT COMPANY 3506 Breakwater Court, Hayward, CA 94545 For dealer locations see page 461. Circle 79 on inquiry card. Application Note Simulation with Electronic Spreadsheets Spreadsheet programs make a career change Electronic spreadsheets aren't just for financial models. In fact, they can simulate many different types of dy- namic processes. In this article, I pre- sent examples of dynamic process simulation using Visicalc on an Apple II and Supercalc on an Osborne 1. I assume that you can also apply my examples to other elec- tronic spreadsheet programs. Using an electronic spreadsheet, you can construct a table with rows and columns of different kinds of entries. The entries may be character data (such as names or labels), nu- meric values, or formulas. Formulas usually contain references to other entries in the table. If a formula uses an entry that is also a formula, this question is raised: "Which formula is evaluated first?" Visicalc and Super- calc both start at the first row and first column, go down the first column to the bottom of the table, then to the top of the second column, down the second column, then to the top of the third column, and so on until the programs have calculated all the en- tries. Or you can tell them to calculate by rows instead of by columns. Ambiguities may arise when one by Art Matheny formula refers to another in one of two ways, a forward reference or a cir- cular reference. A forward reference occurs when a formula refers to an- other formula that comes up later in the calculation sequence— further down the column or in any column further to the right. It is even worse if the second formula refers back to the first one, which is a circular ref- erence. Figure 1 shows a spreadsheet with a circular reference. (The figures in this article use the notation of Supercalc.) Enter the formulas in cells Al and Bl of figure 1 and recal- culate the spreadsheet a few times. With each recalculation, the num- bers drift uncontrollably. You can, however, bring circular references under control. Figure 2 is an example of a useful circular reference. This spreadsheet calculates the balance of a savings account that is com- pounded monthly. The annual inter- est rate is entered in cell B2 and the monthly deposit in cell Bl. Each time the spreadsheet is recalculated, a new month is computed. You can re- peat the recalculations for as many months as you wish. To see how much money would be in the ac- count after 20 years, press the recal- culate key 240 times. Cell B3 keeps track of the number of months since the account was started. To reset to the starting condition, simply enter in cell Bl. Change the interest rate if you wish and then reenter the monthly deposit in cell Bl. The preceding example is an exact calculation for a savings account that is compounded monthly. The calcu- lation is capable of being exact because the events that change the balance are discrete— that is, the time and interest payments change by fixed amounts that cannot be broken into smaller amounts. But dynamic processes are often continuous rather than discrete; that is, they may have no smallest discrete change because each change is infinitesimally small. Such processes are described by dif- ferential equations. The following dif- ferential equation describes the growth of population P with birth rate r: dP = rPdt The term dP refers to infinitesimal changes that occur in P as time (dt) changes infinitesimally. A computer program can approxi- mate the differential equation by using finite differences; thus, dP dt ■ AP At Figure 1: A circular reference. Al makes a forzvard reference to Bl, and Bl refers back to Al. The symbol A denotes a finite, rather than an infinitesimal, change in some BYTE March 1984 411 1 A 1 1 B 1 11 MONTHLY DEPOSIT 2| ANNUAL INTEREST RATE .08 3| NUMBER OF MONTHS IF(B1=0,0 ,B3+1) 4 | OLD BALANCE IF(B1=0,0 ,B6) 5| INTEREST B2*B4/12 6 |NEW BALANCE B1+B4+B5 Figure 2: Compound interest calculated using a circular reference. I TIME I TIME STEP IF(B1=0,0,B2+B1) I INITIAL POPULATION 100 I BIRTH RATE .1 lOLD POPULATION IF (B1=0 ,B4 ,B8 ) IBIRTHS B1*B5*B6 INEW POPULATION B6 + B7 Figure 3: A spreadsheet simulation of a population explosion. quantity. The differential equation can then be approximated by a finite- difference equation: AP = rPAt or P, = P + rP At where P equals population at the start of A t, and F 1 equals population at the end of At; thus, P r - P = A P. The number of births during the time interval At is rP At. This equa- tion can be used iteratively to simu- late the population growth process. Given a starting population, the equation yields the population after a small time step, At. Starting from there, the equation can be used again for the next time step, and the next, and so on. Figure 3 shows how to do this with an electronic spreadsheet. The for- mulas at B2 and at B6 contain IF func- tions. The IF function contains three arguments: the first is a condition and the other two are formulas. If the condition is true, the second argu- ment is used; if the condition is false, the third argument is used. With the spreadsheet as shown, the condition is true in both cases. Thus, the time remains equal to 0, and the old pop- ulation remains equal to the initial population. There is no change when the spreadsheet is recalculated. Move the cursor to Bl and save the table. It is now ready for use. To begin the simulation, change the value at Bl to some value greater than (1, for example). Now repeatedly press the ! key or whichever key pro- duces a recalculation. Note that the value at B8 increases exponentially with time. If you continue until the time equals 100, the population should be well over 1 million. At this point, you may need to change col- umn widths and formats to clean up the spreadsheet. To reset the system, just change the value at Bl back to 0. The next example, figure 4, is more complex in that there are two quan- tities that vary with time. This model simulates the decay of nuclear iso- topes. Suppose you start with 1000 micrograms of a certain radioactive isotope. Let's call this the parent iso- tope. Each parent nucleus eventual- ly emits an alpha particle and thus decays into the daughter isotope. It is often the case that the daughter isotope is also radioactive. The daughter nucleus eventually decays into the final product. Change the time step in Bl to 1 or any other positive value to start the simulation. The value in B8 is the amount of parent isotope that decays during each time step. Those nuclei are all converted into daughter nuclei, which is why B8 is added to the current daughter amount in cell C9. Notice that the daughter amount increases at first, reaches a maximum level, and then declines. A Geiger counter held up to this sample would measure the total activity of both iso- topes combined. You can experiment with different decay rates for the two isotopes by changing the values in cells B6 and C6. The decay rate is the probability that a given nucleus will decay in a unit of time. The half-life of an iso- tope equals the natural logarithm of 2 (ln2) divided by the decay rate. The time step used in Bl should be less than one-tenth of the shorter half-life. When you set the time step in any of these examples, you should be aware of the trade-off between accu- racy and number of iterations. If the time step is too large, the finite- difference approximation will need only a few iterations, but accuracy will be poor. If the time step is too small, the approximation will need many iterations, but accuracy will be I I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TIME STEP TIME IF(B1=0,0,B2+B1) ISOTOPE INITIAL AMOUNT DECAY RATE OLD AMOUNT AMOUNT OF DECAY B1*B6*B7 NEW AMOUNT B7-B8 PARENT 1000 .05 IF(B1=0,B5,B9) DAUGHTER .02 IF(B1=0,C5,C9) B1*C6*C7 C7+B8-C8 TOTAL ACTIVITY LOG (ACTIVITY) (B6*B7)+(C6*C7) LN(Cll) Figure 4: A spreadsheet simulation of radioactive decay. 412 BYTE March 1984 VI MM We're Customer Friendly We're Sun Software. We're new and we're ready to start treating you like a valued customer- not just a voice on the telephone. And we're convenient, too. Just call our toll-free number to order any one of over 2000 titles and more than 90 formats . Plus we guaran- tee that our prices are absolutely the lowest you'll find anywhere. We'll take your order and get it to you in 5 days or less r ^—virtually anywhere in the 'world. And if you're in the U.S., you'll never pay for shipping. So call us to access the most in service, the best in selection. We're going to make "customer-friendly" state-of-the-art. Call 1-800-222-7393 (in California call: 1-800-722-6284) TELEX: 215604 PCS UR ATTN: Sunmicro By modem: (213) 458-9209 m Sun Software 1344 Fourth Street. Santa Monica, CA 90401 TERMS: Shipping by UPS Surface, US Mail. Call for UPS Blue or next day delivery. COD,. Check, Master Card and Visa accepted. California residents add 6% tax. Los Angeles County residents add 6.5% tax. SUN SOFTWARE A division of Sunmicro Electronics, Inc. ©1983 Sunmicro Electronics, Inc. Circle 282 on inquiry card. BYTE Mai 1 A ! 1 B II C I llTIME STEP 2 [TIME IF(B1=0, 0,B2+B1 ) -21 _ _ j i —~ — —— — 4 ISPECIES PREDATOR PREY 5 I INITIAL POP 50 200 6 | BIRTH RATE 0.3 7 | DEATH RATE 0.1 8 I INTERACTION 0.001 0.003 9 1 OLD POPULATION IF(B1=0,B5,B12) IF(B1=0,C5,C12) 10 | BIRTHS B1*B8*B9*C12 B1*C6*C9 11 | DEATHS B1*B7*B9 B1*C8*C9*B12 12 | NEW POPULATION B9+B10-B11 C9+C10-C11 Figure 5: A spreadsheet simulation of predator-prey interaction. very good. One way to judge the rate of error is to double the time step and compare the results. The example in figure 5 is a finite- difference approximation of the Lotka-Volterra model of predator-prey interaction. When the prey popula- tion is high, the predators thrive and thus increase rapidly in number. As the predator population grows, how- ever, the prey population declines be- cause it has a difficult time surviving with all those predators around . Fewer prey means starvation for many of the predators, so the preda- tor population falls. With fewer predators around, the prey are able to reestablish themselves in large numbers. Whether this cycle really occurs in nature is open to question, but the mathematics of this model are quite fascinating nevertheless. The model assumes that if the prey were left alone they would experi- ence unrestricted growth at the birth rate specified in cell C6. It also assumes that the predators have an intrinsic death rate, given in B7 The quantity in B8 is a measure of the skill of the predators in hunting prey, and the quantity in C8 is a measure of the probability that a prey individual will fail to escape an encounter with a predator. Using this simulation, you could construct a graph with the prey population on one axis and the predator population on the other. You could then follow the trajectory of this system for a complete cycle, modify the initial populations in B5 and C5, and draw other trajectories until a pattern emerges. I have shown how spreadsheets can be used to model several dynam- ic systems. There are many other dynamic systems, discrete and con- tinuous, that you can simulate with spreadsheets, which proves that spreadsheets can be used for much more than financial analysis. ■ Art Matheny earned an M.S. in physics at Pur- due University. His hobbies are electronics and com- puter music. He can be reached at 1405 Four Seasons Blvd., Lutz, FL 33549. FLOPPY DISK DRIVES SALES & SERVICE SPECIALIZING IN FDD'S H & M Disk Drive Services is a leader in the repair/refurbishment of 8-inch flexible disk drives. We service and repair 5 1 /4 inch flexible disk drives from all manufacturers. Work is guaranteed! • all 8 inch single-sided = $45 plus parts • all 8 inch dual-sided = $55 plus parts • ail 5% inch single-sided - $30 plus parts • all 5% inch dual-sided - $40 plus parts {prices include bench and system tests plus alignments; all testing performed with state-of-the-art equipment) NEW FDD'S FOR SALE • 5'/4 inch— Apple™ compatible V^height Enclosure & cable included. Controller not provided. High-performance, direct-drive motor MTBF in excess of 50K hrs. $229 • 5V4 inch— Panasonic™ Y2-height D/S D/D Direct Drive. Compatible with Shugart™ SA-455 $219 • 5% inch— HiTech™ 1 /2-height, 8" emulator. This 5 1 /4" half-height drive replaces STD 8" drive. Software compatible. Will operate from existing hardware. Requires only +5v and +1 2v DC power. No AC. D/S D/D (1 .6 M byte) • 8 inch Seimens FDD100-8 S/S D/D Seimens FDD200-8 D/S D/D $335 $179 $229 Other FDD's available. Call for prices & availability. All drives include 90-day warranty; extended, 2-year warranty at a nominal fee. h^iyi Mail Order Add $7 Shipping California residents add 6% sales tax Disk Drive Services 589 L South State College Blvd Fullerton, CA 92631 (714)526-1992 Peripheral Networking Now Buy ASCI Intelligent Port Expanders • Eliminate Manual Switching by Remote Control • improve Productivity and Reliability • Share Printers, Modems or Plotters • Expand Computers or Terminals • Use Matrix Switching for Multiple Trans- mission or Security • Supports Polling and Queing INSTANT COMPATIBILITY with new computer devices and MAJOR OEM PRODUCTS: Altos — Burroughs — Data General — DEC H.P. — IBM — NCR — Northstar — Victor and other key manufacturers. Call 213-793-8979 to EXPAND YOUR SYSTEMS tt TODAY. Advanced Systems Concepts Inc. 435 N, Lake Ave., Dept. B3 Pasadena, CA 9 1 l o i 800-824-7080 Telex: 70 1 215 414 BYTE March 1984 Circle 171 on inquiry card. Circle 16 on inquiry card. SAGE™ TECHNICAL BRIEFING p It's Fast In Any Language. When it comes to software development, the difference between a Sage IV computer and other micros is like day and night. With the Sage Computer it'll take you fewer days and nights to finish your program. Speed is the reason. Speed resulting from the fast MC68000 microprocessor, fast architecture, fast operating systems, and blinding transfer rates. The fact is, even we are surprised by the amount of software that's developed on Sage Computers. So if you're a programmer, maybe you should spend some time learning how much time you could save using a Sage IV. The Hottest Languages And Operating Systems. Programs in nearly all of the important languages can be written on the Sage computer. Included in the price is the p-SYSTEM operating system which supports Pascal, BASIC, and FORTRAN. Other operating systems are optional. For UNIX fans there's IDRIS, which runs up to twice as fast (even without a Sage computer). IDRIS conforms to /usr/Group Standards Committee standards and programs written under it are highly portable to other micros. CP/M advocates please note that Digital Research has developed CP/M- 68K for Sage hardware, providing a truly complete software development environment. Versions of Pascal, BASIC, C-BASIC, C, and FORTRAN 77, as weil as a very fast APL, may be used under this operating system. The Sage IV is also blindingly fast when running hyperFORTH with its extended programmer and user interfaces. Besides IDRIS, other Multi-User operating systems that run on the Sage Computer are PDOS, MBOS, and MIRAGE. A lot of excitement has been brewing in the Pascal World over Niklaus Wirth's new MODULA2— and it's available for Sage computers. So is ADA, for the record. If you found your language here, you just found your computer. The 16-bit, 2-million operation/sec Sage IV micro with up to one MByte RAM and 18-MByte internal hard disk. For more information and the name of your nearest SAGE dealer, call us today And be sure to ask about our new software catalog describing over 200 application programs for Sage computers. Sage Computer Corporate Office, 4905 Energy Way, Reno, Nevada 89502. Phone (702) 322-6868 TWX: 910-395-6073/SAGE RNO Eastern United States Sage Computer 15 New England Executive Park Suite 120, Burlington, MA 01803(617)229-6868 © T983 Sage Computer Technology air rights reserved Sage & Sage IV are trademarks of Sage Computer Technology ADIFortranl^ Circle 312 on inquiry card. Byte Book Club DATABASE DESIGN. By G Wiederhold. 2nd Ed., 704 pp. The expanded second edition of this widely acclaimed book presents the methods, the criteria for choices between alternatives, and the prin- ciples and concepts that are rele- vant to the practice of database design. 701/326B $32.00 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) MICROCOMPUTER GRAPH- ICS AND PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES. By H. Katzan, Jr. 240 pp., WO illus. and tables. Here's a stimulating introduction to com- puter graphics for small com- puters. It covers all the advances to date in color coding and computer graphics technology and — best of atl — it's written for information professionals who can't draw! In- cludes actual graphics programs worth hundreds of dollars! 582576-7 $22.50 COMPUTER PERIPHERALS FOR MINICOMPUTERS, MI- CROPROCESSORS, AND PER- SONAL COMPUTERS By C. L. Hohenstein 294/518 $23.95 A PROGRAMMER'S VIEW OF THE INTEL 432 SYSTEM. By E. Organick. 4 18 pp., 75 illus. Really two books in one — an introduction to a powerful new computing tool and a practical guide to its many uses! Targeted at persons familiar with programming in Ada or Pascal, the book examines the i432's operating system, architec- ture, and language. 477/191 B $29.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) PROGRAMMING WITH ADA: An Introduction By Means of Graduated Examples By P. Weg- ner 789/24X $19.95 OPERATING SYSTEMS By H. Lorin & H. M. Dietel 582354-3B $25.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) MINICOMPUTER AND MI- CROPROCESSOR INTERFAC- ING. By J. C. Cluley. 266 pp., 73 illus. and tables. Unless you are content to have your information processing system simply talk to it- self, you need the intense coverage of interfacing provided so bril- liantly by this compact volume. In addition to discussing the logical design of interfaces assembled from small-scale integrated circuits, the book gives you a lucid picture of the interface packages designed for mi- croprocessor systems and the way in which they are used. 582585-6B $27.50 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) AN INTRODUCTION TO V1SI- CALC MATRIX 1NG FOR AP- PLE* AND IBM". By H. Anbar- lian. 252 pp., illus., softcover. Enables you to use VisiCalc ma- trixes — also known as templates and models — to put your Apple or IBM personal computer to productive use almost immediately. It de- scribes the actual process of devel- oping matrixes for such applica- tions as expense vouchers, price/ earnings ratios, payrolls, stock portfolios, and more. 016/054 $22.95 ASSEMBLERS, COMPILERS, AND PROGRAM TRANSLA- TION By P. Calingaert 582110-9B $25.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) INTERFACE PROJECTS FOR THE TRS-80 By R. C. Hallgren 582466-3 $18.95 POWERFUL TOOLS! POWERFUL SAVINGS! New Members take any $4 3 books for only I 00 only ■ each * Values up to $79.90 APPLE PASCAL GAMES By D Herget & J. T. Kalash 582521-X $19.95 MATHEMATICS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ALGO- RITHMS. By D. H. Greene and D. E. Knuth. 107 pp. Gives you a clear picture of both the structure and the power of algorithms — and their intimate relationship to the world of the computer programmer. 582707-7 $10.00 MICROPROCESSOR APPLI- CATIONS HANDBOOK. Ed- ited by D. F. Stout. 472 pp., 284 il- lus. This BIG book on SMALL chips will help you make your systems timely, versatile, and cost-effec- tive. The 16 expert contributors provide in-depth treatments of both hardware and software so you can completely analyze, design, con- struct, and program. 617/988B $39.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) 416 BYTE March 1984 REAL-TIME COMPUTING With Applications to Data Ac- quisition and Control. Edited byD.A. Mellichamp. 552 pp., 260 illus. This comprehensive guide helps you specify the type of real- time computing system you need, start it up, and keep it running smoothly and productively. 582844-8B $39.50 (Counts as 2 or your 3 books) GUIDE TO THE IBM PER- SONAL COMPUTER: Features DOS 2.0 and BASIC 2.0 for the IBM PC and XT. By W. Si- konowiz. 352 pp., illus. Going far beyond the manufacturer's man- uals, this guide gives you the in- valuable hands-on experience nec- essary to make the most of your machine. 574/847 $19.95 LEARNING WITH LOGO By D. H. Watt 685/703 $14.95 COMPUTER GRAPHICS: A Programming Approach. By S. Harrington. 448 pp., 242 illus. Cov- ering everything from viewing transformations, parallel projec- tions, and perspective projection to line removal, shading, and the drawing of curves, this introduc- tion to interactive graphics gives you hands-on experience. 267/510B $25.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) THE BUSINESS GUIDE TO SMALL COMPUTERS By L Cal mus 096/627 $19.95 INTRODUCTION TO THE UCSD p-SYSTEM ". By C. W. Grant and J. Butah. 330 pp., illus. This book takes you through the whole process of implementing the UCSD p-System — and gives you hands-on programming experience in Pascal. 582767-0 $24.95 MICROPROCESSOR AND MI- CROCOMPUTER DATA DI- GEST. By W. H. Buchsbaum and G. Weissenberg. 336 pp., 199 dia- grams. Containing all the detailed technical data for every micro- processor integrated circuit that is currently listed as a "stan- dard," off-the-shelf item, this book presents the critical pin configura- tions, voltages, operating parame- ters, descriptions of each IC. 582835-9B $29.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) ELECTRONICS DICTIONARY, 4/eSyJ. Markus 404/313B $32.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) MICROPROCESSOR DATA BOOK. By S. A. Money. 350 pp., 220 illus. A truly awesome collec- tion of data about virtually every chip available today! 427/062B $42.50 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) ANNOUNCING: The Most Important Computer Handbook Ever Published! The McGRAW-HILL COMPUTER HANDBOOK, 992 pp., 475 illus., edited by Harry L. Helms, with over 24 world-reknown contributors, is by far the most useful and comprehensive reference yet designed for today's computer user. Crammed with easy to get at information, ranging from design concepts to programming techniques, from data bases to interfacing, networking, speech synthesis and recognition to mention just a few of hundreds of entries, this one volume reference does it all — in language and presentation everyone can understand. Invaluable for home, office, and school use, The Computer Handbook "can be helpful to users in solving many mysteries, while opening new doors for exploration and serving as a continuing reference," writes Thomas C. Bartee of Harvard University. 279/721A $79.50 (Counts as 3 of your 3 books) 3 books for only $1.00 each ... if you join now for a trial period and agree to purchase three more books— at handsome discounts— during your first year of membership. (Publishers' prices shown) MICROPROCESSOR-BASED ELECTRONIC GAMES: De- sign, Programming, and Troubleshooting. By W. Buchsbaum and R. Mauro. 293 pp., illus., softcover. Turn your TV into a home arcade with the first tech- nical guide dedicated to fun! 087/229 $9.95 STRUCTURED PROGRAM- MING: Theory and Practice By R. C. Linger, H. D. Mills & B. I. Witt 788/537B $26.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) THE SMALL COMPUTER CONNECTION: Networks for the Home and Office. By N. L. Shapiro. 256 pp. Shows you how to use existing hardware and soft- ware to link your small computer to other computers — large and small — and to a vast universe of databases. 564/124 $15.95 ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS' HANDBOOK, 2/e By D. G. Fink & D. Christiansen 209/8 12A $79.90 (Counts as 3 of your 3 books) ZSO USERS MANUAL. By J. Carr. 326 pp., with diagrams, charts, and tables. Takes you through every opportunity the ZAP can offer! It covers ZSO pin definitions, CPU control signals, support chips, in- terfacing peripherals, and much more. 582336-5 $21.95 INTRODUCING THE UNIX SYSTEM. By H. McGilton & R. Morgan. 256 pp., 50 illus. soft. This book helps you over the initial hur- dles of learning this new and pow- erful computertool — even if you have never used the Unix system or penetrated any of its literature. 450/013 $18.95 HANDS-ON BASIC For the IBM® Personal Computer By H. Peckham. 308 pp., spiral- bound, softcover. Learn BASIC programming right at the com- puter! Step by step, this manual gives you hands-on experience with BASIC through a series of guided activities. Each of the 12 chapters requires at least one hour at the computer and at least one hour studying the text. 491/78X $19.95 HANDS-ON BASIC FOR THE Atari 400/800/12XL By H. Peckham 491/941 $19.95 THE C PRIMER. By L Hancock & M. Kreider. 256 pp., 25 illus., soft- bound. This is the only book on the market that describes the C lan- guage clearly and simply from the novice's point of view. 259/81X $14.95 MICROCOMPUTER INTERFAC- ING By B. Artwick 789/436B $28.00 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) APPLE PASCAL: A Hands-On Approach. By A. Luehrmann and H. Peckham, 426 pp., spiralbound. Fi- nally — a how-to-use-PASCAL book for Apple computer users that makes a complete language as easy as (forgive us!) applesauce. Takes you from "total ignorance" all the way up to a very impressive com- petence in the use of that rather complex language, PASCAL. 491/712 $19.95 PRINCIPLES OF INTERAC- TIVE COMPUTER GRAPH- ICS. By W. M. Newman and R. Sproull. 2nd Ed., 544 pp., UIus.Now in a revised, updated Second Edi- tion, this volume has long been THE standard source of information for designers! Now, as before, it is ut- terly comprehensive and up to the minute in its coverage. 463/387B $32.50 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) r— Consider these Byte Books as well! — . MICROCOMPUTER OP- ERATING SYSTEMS By M. Dahmke 150/710 $16.95 TRS-80 GRAPHICS FOR THE MODEL 1 AND MODEL 111 By D. Kater & S. Thomas 333/033 $14.95 THREADED INTERPRE- TIVE LANGUAGES By R. G. Loeliger 383/60X $20.75 THE BRAINS OF MEN AND MACHINES By E. W. Kent 341/230 $20.95 BASIC SCIENTIFIC SUB- ROUTINES, Vol. 11 By Dr. F. R. Ruckdeschel 542/023B $26.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) ClARCIA'S CIRCUIT CEL- LAR, Vol. 2 By S. Ciarcia 109/63X $15.95 BYTE BOOK OF PASCAL By B. W. Liffick 789/673B $27.50 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) BASIC SCIENTIFIC SUB- ROUTINES, Vol. 1 By Dr. F. R. Ruckdeschel 542/01 5B $27.95 (Counts as 2 of your 3 books) ClARCIA'S CIRCUIT CEL- LAR, Vol. HI By S. Ciarcia 109/656 $15.95 MICROCOMPUTER DISK TECHNIQUES By P. Swan- son 625/824 $15.95 BUILD YOUR OWN Z-80 COMPUTER By S. Ciarcia 109/621 $18.95 Why YOU should join the Byte Book Club™ now! Best and newest books from ALL publishers! Books are se- lected from a wide range of publishers by expert editors and con- sultants to give you continuing access to the best and latest books in your field. Big savings! Build your library and save money too! Savings range up to 30% or more off publishers' list prices — usually 20% to 25%. Bonus books! You will immediately begin to participate in our Bo- nus Book Plan that allows you savings up to 70% off the publishers' prices of many professional and general interest books! Convenience! 14-16 times a year (about once every 3-4 weeks) you receive the Club Bulletin FREE. It fully describes the Main Selection and alternate selections. A dated Reply Card is included. If you want the Main Selection, you simply do nothing — it will be shipped auto- matically. If you want an alternate selection — or no book at all — you simply indicate it on the Reply Card and return it by the date speci- fied. You will have at least 10 days to decide. If, because of late deliv- ery of the Bulletin you receive a Main Selection you do not want, you may return it for credit at the Club's expense. As a Club member you agree only to the purchase of three additional books during your first year of membership. Membership may be dis- continued by either you or the Club at any time after you have pur- chased the three additional books. M Fill out the card and mail today! If the card is missing, write to: BYTE BOOK CLUB™ P.O. Box 582, Hightstown, New Jersey 08520 BYTE March 1984 417 Circle 1 on inquiry card. " * Super Savings 10-50% OFF LIST ANADEX t+295. CITOH $-595, DAISYWRITERS ^4495. DIABLO W95. DYNAX t-58SL EPSON ^-499_ GEMINI ^~^95L GE t*93Q- IDS t^99_ NEC ^4915. QANTEX t+495. QUME t+995. SILVER REED t-599. TALLY ^-399 TOSHIBA ^2495. r» cE ?, ADDS -$-ssa AMPEX -$-ez& COMREX ■$~44a ESPRIT T-595. LEAR SIEGLER "$-595. All equipment is in factory cartons with manufac- turers' warranty Prices subject to change without notice. Most items in stock or shipped as received. 1 NATIONWIDE SERVICE, MOST PRODUCTS SUPER WAREHOUSE PC BOX 373 WALUNGFORD, CONNECTICUT 06492 ORDER LINE ORDER HOURS 203-265-1223 900 AM ■ 50 ° PM - EST BYTE's User to User Conducted by Jerry Pournelle MONDAY-FRIDAY PHONE ORDERS FREE (ONE DOLLAR CREDIT fOR PHONE ORDERS) From Logo to FORTH Dear Jerry, In BYTE's User to User, a reader implied that Logo is "baloney" (November, page 585). For several years I shared a similar opinion, but have recently reversed my thinking and see considerable value in Logo, particularly as a teaching tool. Two factors contributed to my about-face. First, teachers understand Logo and are comfortable with it. As a result, they use it with confidence and encourage their students to use it. No other language has been received so well by teachers and has spanned such interest as Logo. Second, Logo is the perfect language to introduce structured programming. When I teach FORTH to children or adults, I invariably begin with a version of Logo or Turtlegraphics. Most of my students can then make an easy transi- tion to FORTH. Logo has considerably reduced the level of technophobia among teachers, helping them to adjust to a new technology that is rapidly finding its way into the class- room. It is also a lot of fun, and school- age children find it challenging as well as enjoyable. Although there is no doubt there is more froth than substance to the Logo mystique, it is nonetheless a great instructional tool. Michael N. Milone Jr. Honesdale, PA You are not alone in your admiration of Logo as a teaching language. Alas, DR Logo re- quires a color system, and we have only a monochrome for our IBM PC, while the Logo we have won't run with the Z-100, which is a color machine. Ah, well One day III get to play about with Logo and get Mrs. Pournelle interested in it. . . . Jerry No Frills Nevada Dear Jerry, I have been following your column in BYTE for a few months now, and am grateful for the insight you've provided on those products that you've written about. I am curious, however, about a set of products advertised in BYTE from Ellis Computing, consisting of Nevada FOR- TRAN, EDIT, COBOL, and PILOT Each product carries a $29.95 price tag and runs under CP/M (there are several disk for- mats available), so I am sure there must be a whole host of people in your au- dience who would benefit from this pack- age if it is worthwhile enough. If you have already covered these software packages, forgive the intrusion, I only have a limited number of back issues of BYTE available. John DaMassa Davis, CA I've had limited experience with the Nevada products, but what experience I have had is very good indeed. They're a bit "no frills" as you might expect from the price, but the stuff seems solid to me. I'm not overly enamored with the editor. . . . Jerry Legal Clarification Dear Jerry, You and your readers are mistaken in most of your views regarding the legality of warranty disclaimers and license agree- ments sold in mass-marketed software. The following should provide a basic framework of the law: Warranty Disclaimers 1. A manufacturer cannot disclaim an ex- press promise. If the advertising, pack- aging, or operator's manual says a product will do "X," then it must. 2. A disclaimer first mentioned after the sale is void. The sales contract is "formed" at that instance. Any attempt to unilaterally modify a previously ex- isting bilateral contract (between the seller and the purchaser) will fail for lack of consideration. 3. If the software is bought by a consumer and the seller provides a service con- tract (e.g., pay $20 in advance and you will be sent all updates as they occur), then the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. §§2301-2312, provides that the warrantor may not disclaim the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. License Agreements 1. Software that is "perpetually licensed" is sold and not licensed. 2. A self-executing license agreement (e.g., break the seal and you are deemed to have accepted the license 418 BYTE March 1984 Do You Run Your Business or Does It Run You? The biggest headache you may be facing these days is getting better control of your business. Tracking unpaid bills, sending out second billings, monitoring which salesman sold how much and to whom, keeping track of inventories, and on and on. There's a remedy. It's called Versa Form ... the business database. Versa Form is a powerful database designed specifically for busi- ness, but based on the simplicity and convenience of your ; familiar business forms. If you can fill out a business form, you can create a database. VersaForm starts with your existing forms and procedures. As you copy your forms onto the screen, Versa- Form automatically creates a database for you. It records and saves information from Purchase Orders, Invoices, Job Estimates, Disbursement Ledgers. . . maybe even a few things you're not recording that you should be. VersaForm is an electronic file cabinet that will store all this information, yet have it at your fingertips when you need it! Its designed with a non-technical user in mind, so you can concentrate on streamlining your business with none of the usual database headaches. Adapts to your business . . .your way. With VersaForm you don't have to completely re -orient your staff. It fits right into the way you're doing business now. Only now your operations will be completed more efficiently and with electronic speed. * A doctor in Moulton, Texas, posts his patient billing and completes his medical insurance forms with VersaForm. • A small college in Wheaton, Mary- land, uses VersaForm to create tuition invoices, class lists, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. ■ A computer supplies company in Mountain View, California, writes payables checks and does expense distribution with VersaForm. A roofing company in Green Bay, Wisconsin, computes job estimates, contracts, invoicing, and tracks actual costs with VersaForm. 1 A manufacturer in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, uses VersaForm to build his company's parts records, and generates "where -used " lists. VersaForm has the power to do these jobs and more because it's designed especially for business. It can also calculate taxes and prices, and can look up discounts, so you don't have to. VersaForm will even print on your own pre -printed forms. Pull information together fast. Pulling information together from paper files can be time- consuming and frustrating. Why make it tough? VersaForm puts vital reports like sales analyses, over- due payables, open purchase orders, and alphabetical employee lists at your finger- tips. Minimum effort, maximum results. All in one easy-to-use, integrated package. VersaForm provides a screen formatter, a data entry program, a data- base, a report generator and a forms printer. And you can purchase prede- signed Templates for standard jobs like Purchasing, Invoicing, and Expense Journals. VersaForm is the all-in-one business productivity tool. Ask for a demonstration at your computer dealer. Or contact us directly. If you want to know more, send in this coupon. We've got a lot to tell you about. Name Company Address City State Zip Type of Business Mail to: Applied Software Technology 170 Knowles Drive Los Gatos, California 95030 (408)370-2662 For use with the Apple II, He and III, and the IBM PC and compatibles. Circle 32 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 419 Circle 348 on inquiry card. Heart of TEXAS COMPUTER SYSTEMS TRS-80 Model IV Portable: CALL Model 12 & 16 at discount: CALL TCS Model 12 with 2 drives: $2995 Model 12/16 Accessories/discount. TCS Model IV, 64K, 2 Drive w/rs 232 $1499 (40 track) $1699 (80 track} The New TRS-2000: CALL (IBM Compatable) We carry the full TRS-80 line . Call for our discount prices. DISK EXPANSION M ,„ m.v 1 Controller, Pwr.Sup. Hdwr, Instruct. $249 $329 2 Kit 1, plus 1/40-trk.Tandon Dr. $429 $479 3 Kit 1, plus 2/40-trk. Tandon Dr. $598 $649 3a Kit 3 w/2 80 trk. drives $698 $729 (dual sided 40s) Model IV needs 64K to operate. For 64K Kit, CALL. mn 7 Quality disk drives-O.E. brand on IBM Available bare and in cabinets. TM50-1 SS Slimline: $145 TM50-2 DS Slimline (IBM): $209 TM100-1: $159 TM100-2: CALL CALL US IF YOU FIND LOWER PRICES! CORVUS 25% OFF LIST PRICE! OMNINET- A high speed multi-user network that connects several computers for instant communication up to 4,000 feet away. Save Over $1 ,000 on a 20 mg. Corvus Hard Disk system for IBM PC and other computers. 5mg. $1649 10mg. $2279 20 mg. $3049 DAVONG Systems, Inc. Single user or networking hard disk system for IBM & Apple. Lowest prices anywhere. Priced from $1375. 10, 15, 21, 32 mg. & cartridge tape backup-CALL. l>lE€Wf ENTERS Fast, dependable, versatile, low price. Gemini 10X 9in. T 120cps, Friction/Tractor Gemini 15X 15in.. 120cps, Friction/Tractor Delta 10 10in., 160cps, Friction Tractor Delta 15 PowerType Daisywheel Call for our low, low prices! CompuDisk. top quality mint floppy diskettes from $1.50 complete with hub rings, protective envelopes, write protect tabs, and adhesive labels. SSDD, DSDD, boxed or in bulk. Money back guarantee. 100% Certified Error Free. CALL! Heart of TEXAS COMPUTER SYSTEMS P.O. Box 1327 Arlington, TX 76004 Toll Free 1-800-433-5184 Texas 1-817-274-5625 VISA,MC,cashier's check, money order. No tax out of state. Texans add 5%. Prices subject to change. BYTE's User to User. and its terms) probably has no legal ef- fect. It has never been tested in court. However, such self-serving words when placed on an automobile check (e.g., parking-lot owner is not liable for damage done to your car) have been uniformly declared void. There is a good discussion of the computer warranty issues in my book, Computer Buyer's Protection Guide: How to Protect Your Rights in the Microcomputer Marketplace, Prentice-Hall (ISBN 0-13- 164195-6). There will be an in-depth analysis of software licensing in my next book, The Law and Software, also for Prentice-Hall. L. J. Kutten St. Louis, MO Thanks for the briefing. However, why do you say I am mistaken? I've always believed those "licensing agreements" were unen- forceable and unlikely to get any serious at- tention from a court, and I've said so, often. If I were a software publisher, I'd rely on copyright law for protection, and not try to be a hog with "licenses." . . . Jerry That's a Good Question Dear Jerry, You've made a fine contribution in pro- moting the phrase "Real Soon Now;" it rivals "The Check Is in the Mail" for im- plying implausibility. I recommend an- other useful phrase, which I'd appreciate your trying out on your friend Bill God- bout. It's a phrase I keep hearing from his Compupro dealers whenever I ask any- thing about my 68000/mapFORTH system. The phrase is "That's a Good Ques- tion," and it is never accompanied by a useful answer. Examples: Why won't my system print using the Interfacer IV? Answer: 1AGQ (in this case I was able to fix the bug myself). Why does the system refuse to boot if the Interfacer IV screens are precompiled? TAGQ. Can I add Com- pupro's hard disk under mapFORTH? TAGQ. Compupro and its dealers seem to be concentrating on 8086 systems, which would be fine as long as they don't or- phan the CPU-68K board. Since the dealers appear to know less than their customers about mapFORTH and the CPU-68K, we need someone knowledge- able at Compupro to whom we could talk directly. Perhaps you can convince Bill Godbout of the worthiness of this idea, and then publish the person's name and number in your column. At present, Compupro asks that we work through their dealers, which is useless. The CPU-68K is a good product, and it de- serves Compupro's support. Richard F. Olivo Northampton, MA J agree that Compupro hasn't provided enough software support for their 68000 board. Indeed, their software department isn't very large. After all, it's only been a year or so since Dr. Godbout's idea of user support was to read the spec sheet over the phone to those who called with questions about one of their boards! They're getting better, and III pass your let- ter along; perhaps it will encourage more ac- tivity. They're also putting their Systems Center dealers through intensive training, . . . Jerry Correction and Update Dear Jerry, I recently read your review "The User Looks at Books" (December, page 519). I am pleased that your "current favorite beginner's text" is my book, A First Course in Computer Programming Using Pascal (McGraw-Hill, 1982). However, my first name was listed incorrectly. I have listed it below. I consider learning to program as a pro- cess that requires quite some time and ef- fort. It may be possible to cover a little about records and pointers in a first course; however, in-depth coverage of records and pointers is usually included in a second course. Consequently, my book does cover the use of linked lists to form stacks and queues. The success of A First Course in Computer Programming Using Pascal encourages me to consider writing a second-course text, in which ad- vanced topics could be given more com- plete coverage. Arthur M. Keller Stanford, CA I'm sorry I got your name wrong; our copy of the book has fallen victim to the Brotherhood of Book Borrowers, and alas, has gone away forever. I don't disagree with your decision to limit the scope of an introductory book, but I did feel obliged to let the readers know. When you get the next book done, I'd like to see it. . . . Jerry $1595... Complete. .!' Oh, mentor of highest wisdom, help all mystified first-time buyers discover the ultimate truth about personal business computers. Tell them that, unlike other computer companies, Kaypro does not advertise a low "starter system" price, then charge extra for so-called "options" like a monitor, software, disk drives or peripheral interfaces. Tell them that Kaypro 2 has become the fourth largest-selling personal business computer because we sell it complete. For $1595. Tell them that Kaypro 2 comes with a highly readable, 9" green- screen monitor. A 64K RAM, Z-80 microprocessor. Two. built-in disk drives with a 400K capacity. A more complete keyboard than Apple He. Interfaces for both a printer and a telecommunica- tions modem. And a full comple- ment of CP/M software to handle the overwhelming majority of Word Processing, Data Base Management and Financial Spreadsheeting needs, with top quality programs such as Wordstar. All for $1595. Then, tell them to call 800- 447-4700 for their nearest dealer, or call Kaypro at 619-481-4318. Circle 201 on inquiry card. Registered Trademarks: Z-80, Zilog; Apple, Apple Computer Corp.; CP/M, Digital Research, Inc.; Wordstar, Micro Pro. © 1984 Kaypro. BYTE March 1984 421 yO*>* The essential new catalog of the business computer forms and supplies you need most! It 's quick • convenient • easy-to-use. Now Deluxe Computer Forms, a division of Deluxe Check Printers, gives you the software- compatible checks, invoices, state- ments and word processing stationery you've been searching for. And acces- sories too. And we can ship them all to you in as few as 3 working days! Deluxe delivers your order in record time because we know how much you depend on it to make your office run smoothly. And we deliver it to your pre- cise specifications. That means cus- tomization for your unique program needs, or personalization of any of our 200 standard forms for popular soft- ware programs. And you order only what you need — as few as 500 forms. See what we've got to offer your business. Then see just how fast we can deliver it. Send for your FREE catalog today! I ST PAUL. MINNESOTA 55164-0046 LJ YES. Rush me your complete, new catalog of computer forms and essentials. My Name Title Company Name Address City ( ) State Zip BYTE's User to User. Phone Clip out and mail or call TOLL FREE: 1-800-328-5727 SSf" (In Minnesota, call 1-800-742-5685 Dept. #99.) J 7325 Encryption and Security Dear Jerry, Here is the letter you requested out- lining my thoughts on cracking Charlie Merrit's encryption program (see "In- terstellar Drives, Osborne Accessories, DEDICATE/32, and Death Valley/' July, page 323). The first point I would like to emphasize is that the purpose of this ex- ercise, in my view, is not to see whether the trapdoor algorithm can be broken. I know enough about number theory and NP-completeness to know that the algorithm is fundamentally sound, and that nothing short of a major mathe- matical revolution is going to change that. What I am concerned about is the im- plementation of the algorithm. A flawed implementation can reduce the algorithm to total worthlessness. It is entirely possi- ble that people could be buying encryp- tion programs they believe to be "un- breakable," which in reality provide little or no security. The purpose of this exer- cise is to point out that it takes more than a good encryption algorithm to make data secure. Merrit's program provides the service of generating the prime-number keys for the user. This is a valuable service, as it would be unreasonable to expect the average user to come up with 200-digit prime numbers! However, this service can also provide some security problems. Let's assume the existence of a similar program written by someone who de- cided to take a shortcut and built a table of possible keys into the program (ac- knowledging that Merrit's program does not do this). The keys are very large because the larger the keys, the harder it is to distinguish the private key from the public key. Let us further assume the pro- gram is a roaring success, and there are hundreds of thousands of users of it. Does the program really provide securi- ty? The answer is no. Now let there be a hacker who, as hackers are wont to do, decides to disassemble the object code to see what makes the program tick. Never mind how protected the object code may be; there always seems to be a way to get around the protection. Now, the hacker is obviously going to discover the table of primes. In all probability, this table will be quite large, so as to provide the max- imum number of keys practical to give the user. However, even if there were 10,000 primes in this table, it would be a simple matter to have a computer try each one in turn to see if it is the private key that matches the known public key. A larger key length in this case would not offer much more security. Even if the program in question did not use a table, but instead used a random- number generator, for example, there can still be problems. For example, if the random-number generator used a 16-bit seed, then the generator could produce only 65,536 distinct keys at most, no mat- ter how long the keys were. Again, an ex- haustive search for the private key be- comes feasible. Even if the seed were significantly larger, there is still the prob- lem of where the initial random seed comes from. Also, the random-number generator might be a very poor generator of random numbers. Just because the seed is a 64-bit number does not neces- sarily mean that the generator will pro- duce all possible 2 64 numbers. Especially if the programmer naively assumed that a super-duper complicated generator will produce "more random" numbers than a simpler, but mathematically guar- anteed, producer of random numbers. Even if it were not possible to get at the object code, it is still possible to crack the program if it can only produce a limited number of possible keys. Mathematically, there is no distinction between public and private keys; the two can be freely inter- changed. Therefore, the key generator might produce the same key sometimes as a private key and sometimes as a pub- lic key. By running the key generating many times and saving the keys pro- duced, it becomes possible that one of those keys might be the private key to go with the public key in question. Of course, with this approach, there is no way to know in advance whether it will work without trying it. From what I have been told, I doubt that Charlie Merrit's program can be broken. However one can never be sure, and there's only one way to find out. Jeff Cohen Sunnyvale, CA I've talked to Charlie Merrit, and he just chuckles; but he's willing to furnish you with a copy of his encryption program to work on. He says he uses the refresh counter on the Z-80 chip for his random-number source, and that's affected by barometric pressure and the phases of the Moon. It really looks as if we've got unbreakable codes we can implement on micros. The im- plications are a bit staggering. "But Your Honor, I only have the public key. I can't decode those records ..."... Jerry 422 BYTE March 1984 jr. , -' ■i^to: Peter B. Kaplan I ^ K you still For nearly a hundred years, the Statue of Liberty has been America's most powerful symbol of freedom and hope. Today the corrosive action of almost a century of weather and salt air has eaten away at the iron framework; etched holes in the copper exterior. On Ellis Island, where the ancestors of nearly half of all Americans first stepped onto American soil, the Immigration Center is now a hollow ruin. Inspiring plans have been developed to restore the Statue and to create on Ellis Island a permanent museum celebrating the ethnic diversity of this coun- try of immigrants. But unless restoration is begun now, these two landmarks in our nation's heritage could be closed at the very time America is celebrat- ing their hundredth anniversaries. The 230 million dollars needed to carry out the work is needed now. J" in me, save me. All of the money must come from private dona- tions; the federal government is not raising the funds. This is consistent with the Statue's origins. The French people paid for its creation themselves. And America's businesses spearheaded the public contributions that were needed for its construction and for the pedestal. The torch of liberty is everyone's to cherish. Could we hold up our heads as Americans if we allow- ed the time to come when she can no longer hold up hers? Opportunities for Your Company. s ponsor You are invited to learn more about the advantages "~~1 of corporate sponsorship during the nationwide pro- motions surrounding the restoration project. Write on your letterhead to: The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., 101 Park Ave, N.Y., N.Y. 10178. KEEP THE TORCH LIT Save these monuments. Send your personal tax deductible donation to: RO. Box 1986, New York t N.Y. 10018.The Statue of Liberty-ElllS Island Foundation, Inc.' BYTE's User to User. Reflections on PL/I Dear Jerry, As a long-time science-fiction buff I have always enjoyed your writing, in Analog as well as BYTE. But I should in- troduce myself . . . My name is Kelly Cook. I was em- ployed for 19 years at Kitt Peak National Observatory, first as an observer, later as an optician. As such, I specialize in the testing of large mirrors, which is how I got involved with computers and pro- gramming. In 1981, I left Kitt Peak to at- tempt a career change to programming. On the nonprofessional side, my main passion is designing war games. What prompted this letter was your mention in BYTE about gathering times on different systems for your benchmark ("New Computers, Books, Languages, and Other Tidbits," October, page 107). So here is PL/I-86 on an IBM PC, wreaked keyboard and all (see listing 1). This was made possible by my client, Arizona Technologies, who makes large mirrors for telescopes. The client asked me to write a program for interferomerric testing on the PC. Of course, such programs have traditionally been done in FOR- TRAN on mainframes. Wanting to stick with FORTRAN, I started out with IBM's UCSD FORTRAN77 But a subroutine to put a very crude map of a mirror surface on the screen took 10 minutes to com- plete! With panic, I then turned to PL/I-86. Now the same routine takes only 14 seconds! Your benchmark ran so fast that I add- ed a 10-iteration loop to give my simple watch a better handle on it. The result of 92 seconds can then be divided to give a corrected time of 9.2 seconds (20 by 20 arrays). CP/M-86's Stat gave the object file size as 2K, but that is the smallest size that Stat can report so it's probably not very accurate. Linkage is another story. To make an object file into an executable COM file, it first has to be linked with PL/I's library of Built-in Functions. This means a great deal of disk grinding and a final file that Stat reports as 20K! I had heard the tales about PL/I being a bear to learn. My experience is with FORTRAN and BASIC, plus a little dab- bling in FORTH, C, and Pascal. PL/I may not be as simple as BASIC, but it's cer- tainly easier to understand than C or FORTH. It should be a snap for anybody who already knows Pascal. Just read the listing of your benchmark and see for yourself! The provisions for pointers and recursion can be tricky, but that is intrin- sic in those concepts. Those things are just as tricky in Ada or C. And they are options, after all, so you can just ignore them if you want. The bottom line is that PL/I-86 can be a bona fide lifesaver for anybody doing large-scale number crunching on a micro. Kelly Cook Tucson, AZ My late mad friend, Dan MacLean, became a PL/I enthusiast in his last year. Had he lived, I make no doubt that he would have con- verted me; Dan had his ways. However, without his stimulus I became a backslider. Most of my previous programs have been done in CB-80. Most of my future ones will be done in Modula-2. We have PL/I, but so far I've done almost nothing with it. But Dan Alderson (inventor of the Alder- son Drive for those who've read The Mote In God's Eye) is a PL/I enthusiast, and as soon as he's properly set up with a machine, I'll have a PL/I consultant. . , . Jerry IW4MTEDI Buyers /Well pay the shippin •CALL FREE~(800) 654-4058- "Call For Reduced Prices At Various Quantities" \ferbatim. 3* 3* 305 340 Si sv si- 8" 8" 8" Head Cleanin g Kits.. ..5?P Refills. 9^ sm-side dbf-oen. dbl-side dbl-den. sin- side quad dbf-skte quad sin-side sin- den. stn-side dbkien. dbt-stde dbkten. Dysan 320 4?o 445 4* 3 4 - 5 445 4* . sin -side ** dbl-den. el" dbl-side 0/ A dbi-dea cl" sin-side ^4 quad el" dbl-side °'4 quad p" sin- side sinden. o" sin- side 5 dbl-den. o" dbl-side dbl-den. We Stock "Bulk-Packed" Diskettes Scotch' cl" sin-side O 20 ° y A dbl-den. L ~ cl" dbl-side 320 0/ A dbl-den. J~ 2*. 2* 3§o o" sin-side sin -den. sin-side dbi-dea dbl-side dW-dea Disk Minder •Smoked Plastic •Holds 75 Disks 16 15 - Prices per ea. TO per box the Di$ette4 Dealer Inquiries Welcomed PO. Bo* 1674 BntWY OK 730O8 umnecuorf ^jl '(Continental U.S. only. Add 3^ on orders under 40*) ^% From Computer Plus to YOU . . . PLUS after PLUS after PLUS r . 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RamSpool is hard disk supported under DOS 2.0. • RamDisk creates up to two electronic disk drives in RAM, utilizing up to 320K ea. AddRam Elite (parallel & serial ports) AddRam Plus (Two serial ports) Memory installed--- 64K 128K 192K 2S6K 320K 384K 448K 51 2K $399 $459 $519 $579 $639 $699 $759 $819 QUAOBOARD - Multi-Function board for IBM-PC. Full parity checking & memory selec- tive addressing. w/QSpool & QDrive software. Amount of memory installed on card — none 64K 128K 192K 256K with parallel, serial ports, clock/calendar-— $235 $275 $325 $375 $425 QUADRAM ■■V^HA R '° PLU S Multi-function memory expansion card for jay JJBM IBM -PC/XT. 64K-384K parity checked memory. Com- ^b^^— plete with parallel port, RS-232C serial port, game port, — ■■■■■aa^ clock/calendar, print buffer/disk emulator software. memory installed 64K 128K 192K 256K 320K 384K $289 $339 $389 $439 $489 $539 PC $35 ■ Serial modem/ ■ cable for IBM I PC $35 ■ RS-232 A-B - All 25 pin Gold plated connectors. Plastic case. .......... Metal case s^SfflHayes' ■-, !Chi!d j ■ Smart Modem 300 $209 .$115 Z 1200- $125 12006 -$429 HERCULES GRAPHICS CARDS - Creates hi-resolu- tion graphics on the IBM monochrome SCall Amdek MAI Board — for both monochrome & color monitor plus 96K user memory expansion , ,$499 Universal Research Color Card — for both color and hrome displays, w/ parallel port $399 Vista Disk Master — Disk controller card for both 5%" 8" drives, IBM-PC/XT compatible .... $CALL Offers more colors in hi resolution plus parallel port$Call TECMAR GRAPHIC MASTER - Multi-function graphics board for both RGB color or monochrome displays and can do graphics on both CALL STB Color Graphics Board - The newest entry from STB. Operates RGB color or jSpecialPun^ | PLANTRONIC ColorPlu: Super dot-matrix printer w/24-pin hi-resolution head. 192 CPS draft, 100 CPS letter-quality(parallel)$call 3550 Spinwriter, 350 wpm, 203 auto proportional space, justifica- tion, bi-directional, parallel SCALL 2050 Spinwriter, similar to above but 200 words per minute . . . $CALL Cutsheet Feeder for 3550 . . . SCALL 18 CPS daisywheel, 13" pi buffer, 3-pitch, (parallel). . Tractor for 61 00 DS Micropr DS Prism 80, 200 cps, 80 col, graphic, •/friction feed, sheet feeder, parallel $1,159 IDS Prism 80C, above ♦ 4-color .$1,259 IDS Prism 132, similar to Prism 80 but 132 columes, parallel . . . . $1,395 $1.495 40 CPS daisywheel (parallel ) $1,149 55 CPS daisywheel (parallel) $1,495 Tractor for F-10 $225 TRANSTAR 130P Letter quality daisywheel printer. 16 CPS, bi-directional, proportional spacing, super/sub script, underline, bold face. 65dB quiet operation. Parallel $699 ML-80, 80 CPS, 80 col.. Parallel. $269 ML-82A, 120 CPS, 80 col, pin & friction feed, serial & parallel .$359 ML-83A, 120 CPS, 136 col., tractor & friction feed, parallel/serial $595 ML-84P, 200 CPS, 1 36 col ., friction & tractor feed, (parallel) . . . .$989 ML-84S, above but serial . . $1,059 ML-92P, 160 CPS, 80 col., friction & tractor feed, (parallel) . . . $429 ML-92S, above but serial . . . .$599 ML-93P, 160 CPS, 136 col., tractor & friction feed, (parallel). . . $699 ML-93S, above but serial . . . $739 2410P, 350 CPS, 136 col., friction & :or, 2-color, (parallel) . $2,295 EASTERN ENTERPRISES, INC. Mass Merchandising Since 1969 2937 S. VAIL AVE., LOS ANGELES, CALIF. 90040 (Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm Pacific Time) All merchandise is brand new & guaranteed. All prices reflect 3% cash discount for full payment by cashier's check/money order. Personal or company checks require 2-3 weeks to clear. Visa, Mastercard & PO's accepted from qualified customers. COD's accepted with 20% paid deposit plus $3 COD fee. No COD's to Canada or FPO/APO. Shipping/insurance/handling charges : 3% of total order value by UPS Surface, 5% by UPS Air & Parcel Post (min. $3). Cal. residents add sales tax. No sales tax on out-of-state orders. Prices & availability subject to change without notice. Circle 139 on inquiry card. Circle 2 on inquiry card. 1st PLACE COMPUTER SYSTEMS 13422 N. CAVECREEK RD. PHOENIX. AZ. 85022 CALL FREE 1-800-841-2748 COMPUTERS ALTOS 580-10 ALTOS 586-10 ALTOS 586-20 . ATARI APPLE LOOK-A-LIKE PIED/PIER (PORTABLE). . . SANYO 550-555 TELEVIDEO 803 $1769 1603 . . PORTABLE NORTHSTAR ADVANTAGE . . $2945 . $4600 . $5565 $CALL $CALL $CALL $CALL $2019 $CALL $2099 PRINTERS BROTHER HRI5P DAISYWRITER 48K. . . . DATASOUTH 180 DATASOUTH DS220 . . . GEMNI 10X I.D.S. MICROPRISM 480 . t.D.S. PRISM 132 I.D.S. PRISM 132C JUKI 6100 OKIDATA (LOW PRICES) QUME 1140+ . QUME 1155+ DIABLO 620 $860 630 . NEC 3550 ... .$1699 8025 7710 . . . .$1849 2030 . $479 . $975 $1095 $1499 . $280 $399 $1340 $1489 . .$459 $CALL $1275 $1475 $1689 $659 $799 TERMINALS ALTOS II QUME 1026. . . . TELEVIDEO 914. TELEVIDEO 924. TELEVIDEO 950. TELEVIDEO 970. $759 $529 .$540 $670 $869 $975 MONITORS AMDEK 300G AMDEK 300A AMDEK COLOR l + AMDEK COLOR II + B.M.C. GREEN ;..... B.M.C. COLOR . . . . N.E.C. 1216 $130 .$145 .$275 .$429 . $79 $219 .$429 DISK DRIVES INDUS APPLE MICRO SCI A2 ATARI 1050 . INDUS ATARI RANA 1000. . $259 $229 $365 $345 $330 MODEMS HAYS SMART MODEM. . . . SMARTMODEM 1200 SMARTMODEM 1200 B. . . . MICROMODEM HE U.S. ROBOTICS PASSWORD. $199 $485 $429 $240 $349 1st PLACE COMPUTER SYSTEMS 13422 N. CAVECREEK RD. PHOENIX, AZ. 85022 OTHER INFORMATION: 602-867-9897 BYTE's User to User. Listing 1: The program below performs a series of matrix operations to provide a benchmark. The original benchmark was published by Jerry Pournelle in "A BASIC and Pascal Benchmark, Elegance, Apologies, and FORTH" (October 1982, page 254). It's run ten times to allow more accurate measurement. MATRIX i procedure opt ions (main) ; ^replace maxsize dy 45* * DY 20, n dy 201 declare i* J* main-loop**- listC A filled.')? call FILLBl put skip listC B filled.')! /♦ FILLC call replaced dy "initial" option durins declaration */ call MATMULTl put skip listCMultiPlied.')! call SUMMIT! put skip(2) listCSumm is ', Summ)! FILLAs procedure! do i = 1 to m! do i « 1 to n! A(i,j) = i + J! end; end; end FILLA; FILLB! procedure! do i m 1 to ni do J * 1 to mi B(i,J) = f ixed((i + J ) / j)i end! end! end FILLBi MATMULTl Procedure! declare k! do i E 1 to mi do J » 1 to n; do k » 1 to ml C(i,j> * C(i.j) + A(i.k> * B(k,J)! end! end; end; end MATMULTl SUMMIT: procedure! do i - 1 to m! do j ■ 1 to ml Summ = Summ + C(i.J); end! end! end SUMMIT! end! BELL = ascii(7)l put list (BELL); end MATRIX; /# end main-loop 426 BYTE March 1984 THE INTERNATIONAL VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR COMPETITION HERALDS THE "NEW AGE" IN VIDEO/COMPUTER GAMES $175,00 mm TT I JUSTFOR, create A NEW MI0E0 OMEflND V0UOWLD MAKE YOURSELF A MILLIONAIRE Create a brilliant, new video game < and you could be on your way to becoming a millionaire. This fantastic ^^competition, organised by I.R.P. (The International Register of Independent Computer Programmers Ltd) and the famous Mark McCormack International Management Group, offers programmers and inventors the opportunity of a life time. There are huge, immediate cash prizes and the on-going revenue of 1 0% of the sales of all games to distributors throughout the world, plus the chance to appear on an international TV show. Your skill and imagination could bring you fame and fortune! PRIZES! imagination couia Dnng you Tame ana Torcunei ^i $100,000FIRSTPRIZE!I^ffi^ Devise a totally original new video game in one of these categories: SPORTS, SIMULATORS, ARCADE, STRATEGY, ADVENTURE/FANTASY or a special section which covers programmes that are not necessarily games but have outstanding Educational or Entertainment merit. We'll also be announcing a number of 'MERIT awards which will be entitled to carry the message An International Video Game of the Year MERIT AWARD' on their retail packaging. It's a great challenge. And the rewards, both financially and in terms of prestige, are tremendous. This is the most exciting competition ever for creative computer and video enthusiasts. Circle 371 on inquiry card. YOU'RE ATV STAR T/Y/\| All six winning games | \J\J \ and their inventors willbefeaturedonan internationally distributed, spectacular TV special. That's going to make your name! HOWTO ENTER Just send in your game, orqames, programmed on cassette for any popular home computer. Use the coupon, today, and we'll send you all the facts you need. CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES IS 31st MAY 1984 To: IRP Limited, Pinewood Film Studios, Iver, Bucks, England. Name Address . B1 BYTE March 1984 427 Circle 17 on inquiry card. Decision makers wouldn't be without AIM BENCHMARKS* For UNIX* Systems AIM BENCHMARKS - The industry standard for UNIX Systems measurement In uae by over 100 leaders worldwide- - - to make their UNIX system purchase decision - - to fine-tune UNIX System performance - - to compare competitive UNIX systems - - to evaluate UNIX product improvements AIM BENCHMARK'S nine distinct tests measure any UNIX system including Version 7, System III, System V, and Xenix. AIM TECHNOLOGY 3333 Bowers Avenue, Suite 199 Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408)727-3711 Telex 705404 *AIM BENCHMARK is a trademark of AIM Technology 'UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories BYTE's User to User, A Mariner Queries Dear Jerry, I just recently began reading BYTE and liked it so much that I rounded up some old issues. In your discussion of the 8087 ("New Computers, Boards, Languages, and Other Tidbits," October, page 107), you mentioned a lack of supporting soft- ware. Probably you know this by now, but Microsoft's implementations of FOR- TRAN and Pascal both fully support the 8087 The real reason I'm writing is to find out if you have tested the piggyback 8087 board in your Z-100. If not, could you be persuaded to do so? I will be buying an H-100 in a few weeks. It will eventually be installed in the ocean-cruising sailboat I'm building, where it will serve as a navi- gation tool. Since number crunching is an inherent feature of navigation, I am ex- tremely interested in having the 8087. It seems to me that a board that works in the Compupro ought to work in the Z-100, but it would sure be nice to know for cer- tain. Can you help? The last issue of the Heath Users' Group magazine, REMark, contained a couple of pieces of information that might interest you. Zenith is working on an in- terlaced scan routine to double the ver- tical resolution of the Z-100 display At 640 by 450 pixels, it should be fantastic. Also, Zenith won a DOD contract competition and the Z-100 will be the desktop com- puter in all four military services. Will we be seeing Ada before long? Robert D. Williams Hampton, VA Regarding 8087 boards for the Z-100, watch my column. The Hudson board for the Com- pupro will not work with the Z-100; but the good news is that yesterday Jim Hudson called to say he'd finished the prototype Z-100 board. I haven't seen that board working yet, but I do have his add-on for my Compupro; and I know Jim well enough to have some confidence that his final product will be reliable. He's a perfectionist, and does his own work. I've asked around, and my colleagues tend to agree that the H-100 is a good choice for your navigation computer, provided that you've given sufficient thought to waterproof- ing. I presume you've enough salt-water ex- perience to appreciate just how serious corro- sion problems can be. I'd particularly worry about the mechanical parts, such as switches, keyboards, fans, and floppy disks. The Zenith is a good, rugged machine. The only one I can think of that's even more so is the Compupro, and that's heavy enough to serve as a keel. Good luck on your cruise, and keep me posted. Long ago I did a bit of blue-water midget ocean racing, and I've read Slocum and Hiscock and the other classics. 1 still delude myself that one day I'll take a long sailing cruise. . . . Jerry A General Comment from Jerry In the interests of sanity; we threw away all the mail dated prior to September 1, 1983. This wasn't easy to do, because there were some excellent letters that deserved reply; but it became obvious we just weren't going to keep up, and the sight of all that unanswered mail was depressing. If you wrote earlier than that and still want an answer, please write again. This includes discussions of software for review. We have a somewhat better sys- tem now, and we're caught up for the moment. ■ Jerry Pournelle is a former aerospace engineer and current science-fiction writer who loves to play with computers. Jerry Pournelle welcomes readers' com- ments and opinions. Send a self-addressed envelope to Jerry Pournelle, do BYTE Publications, POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449. Please put your address on the let- ter as well as on the envelope. Due to the high volume of letters, Jerry cannot guarantee a personal reply. BYTE's Bits Call for Papers A call for papers has been issued by Computer Faire, sponsors of the annual West Coast Computer Faire and the PC Faire. The call is for papers to be delivered at next year's conference pro- grams. The West Coast Computer Faire will be held in San Francisco on March 23-25, 1984. The dates for the PC Faire, also to be held in San Francisco, will be October 26-28, 1984. Interested parties are invited to request a speaker's kit from Computer Faire Inc., 570 Price Ave., Redwood City, CA 94063, (415) 364-4294. ■ 428 BYTE March 1984 The hardware that brings out the best in software. The Wang Professional Computer runs hundreds of the most common business applications. And almost all of the most popular software programs- including Visi On,™ Lotus 1-2-3,® TKISolver,™ Multiplan™ and Peachtree.™ And because the Wang Professional Computer is more powerful than most other personal computers-includingthe IBM PC- it runs all of these programs better. Applications are more responsive, s Screens are faster. ; The graphics are sharper In fact, many software companies have told us they prefer to see their software demonstrated on the Wang Professional Computer. Which is only natural. Everybody ^\likes to look their best. For a demonstration of the Wang Professional Computer, call ; 1-800-225-9264. Or write to: Wang Laboratories, Inc., Business Executive Center, One Industrial Avenue, Lowell, MA 01851. Visi On is a trademark of VisiCorp. Lotus 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Develop- merit Corp. TK!Solver is a trademark of Soft- ware Arts Inc. Muftiplan is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. Peachtree is a trademark of Peachtree Software Inc. WANG The Office Automation Computer People. BY 5 ©1984 Wang Laboratories, Inc. Ask BYTE Conducted by Steve Ciarcia S-100 Versatility Dear Steve, I would like to learn assem- bly-language programming for the Motorola MC68000. There seem to be add-ons for the Apple that let you get an inexpensive system for a rea- sonable price, but none is available for a CP/M system. I have an S-100 Delta CP/M system with 64K bytes of RAM. Can I buy an inexpen- sive (much less than $2000) S-100 board that would let me do it? Whatever system I bought would have to in- clude a 68000 software-devel- opment system. Would it be possible to design a modular system so that a person with a com- plete, one-processor system could add one or more addi- tional processors, some RAM, or whatever was needed? What I'm talking about is a generalized hard- ware converter analogous to software converters for disk formats. The S-100 bus was supposed to be something like that, but I have had my Delta for two years and have yet to add my first board to it because I've never seen anything I wanted badly enough to pay the "Rolls- Royce" prices that S-100 bus designers seem to have to charge. With an external converter, you could add whatever you wanted, even a Commodore 64 or VIC-20, to your big CP/M system and get pretty good color and all the things a large system does. With something like that, people might be able to combine all the little goodies you've designed. Dean Dwyer Torrance, CA Your letter addresses quite a few good questions. Let me answer them somewhat out of the order you posed them. First of all, you have already taken the direction of a general- ized system when you selected the S-100 bus. Any system de- signed around a popular bus will offer quite a bit of user flexibil- ity. The S-100 bus is also very much alive and well since the in- troduction of the IEEE-696 pro- posed standard. Estimates of the number of S-100 bus systems in operation range around 500,000. I do agree with your statement about the "Rolls-Royce" prices of some of the commercial boards offered for the S-100 bus. The way around these prices is to buy bare boards or to construct your own boards. A good refer- ence manual for interfacing your own boards to the S-100 bus was written by Sol Libes and Mark Garetz, Interfacing to S-100/ IEEE 696 Microcomputers, published by Osborne/ McGraw- Hill. For example, you should be able to interface the speech generator with the information in this reference. Another good source for S-100 and CP/M information is the monthly publication called Microsystems. Some adver- tisers in Microsystems have been addressing the question you have on running 68000 software with your 8-bit system. For ex- ample, HSC Inc. is advertising a C016 resource processor to run CP/M-86, CP/M-68000, MS- DOS, or Unix on a Z80 system (see Microsystems, September 1983, page 23). Avocet Systems Inc. is advertising several cross- assemblers that run on any com- puter with CP/M. Its ad claims to have a 68000 version coming soon (see BYTE, November 1983, page 435) Steve Income Tax Software Dear Steve, I have a Commodore 64 with a floppy disk, and I'm running Microsoft BASIC and CP/M-80. Could you tell me what software is available for state and federal cor- porate and personal income taxes? Thanks. Chester Fuchs Yonkers, NY Several income tax programs are available for the Commodore 64. Two that recently have been advertised are: The Complete Personal Accountant (Program- mer's Institute, FOB 3470, Dept. C, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, (800) 334-7638), which is a combination of programs for accounting, budget, mailing lists, spreadsheets, and income taxes; and Tax Command (Prac- tical Programs Inc. , POB 93014-S, Milwaukee, WI 53203, (414) 278-0829), which features built-in tax tables and most of the commonly used schedules. From the advertisements, it appears that both programs are designed for personal income tax preparation. I am not aware of a program for corporate or state income tax for the Commodore 64 Steve Portable Terminal Dear Steve, I'm looking for a small por- table terminal. My current line of thinking is to adapt a Radio Shack Pocket Com- puter, but I have had no luck obtaining technical informa- tion. Can you provide a source for technical informa- tion on the construction and internal operation of the PCs? Thank you for your help. Tim McDonough Springfield, IL The IXO Telecomputing Sys- tem sounds like the ideal solu- tion to your problem. It features a keyboard with a full ASCII character set, has a built-in modem with autodialer, can emulate other terminals, has an uninterruptible power supply (battery), and can fit in your pocket. In addition, it has op- tional RS-232C and video inter- faces and a 20-column printer. Best of all, its price starts at about $500. A review of this unit was presented in the April 1982 BYTE (page 6) and the May 1982 Popular Computing (page 16). For further informa- tion, contact IXO Industries Inc., 6041 Bristol Parkzvay, Culver City, CA 90230, (213) 417-8080. If you have the urge to build your own, see my January and February 1984 article ("Build the Circuit Cellar Term-Mite ST Smart Terminal) on a low-cost, high-performance terminal. . . . Steve Give Me a Break Key Dear Steve, I have written a communi- cations program for my Com- modore VIC-20 that lets me do much work from home. I am communicating with a Honeywell 6000 Level 66 mainframe. The problem is that the VIC-20 doesn't have a Break key, so I cannot exit any loops. I have tried send- ing many different ASCII values but have had no suc- cess. The Honeywell docu- mentation does not mention how its terminals implement the Break function. If you know how to solve this prob- lem, I would greatly appre- ciate it. Michael J. McCarthy Pittsburgh, PA The Break key is used to in- dicate a need for immediate at- tention. It is a unique signal and is not in the standard ASCII code. Pressing the key causes the data line to go high for approxi- mately 300 milliseconds, which is interpreted by the computer as a Break signal. This condition always occurs when operating in a full-duplex mode, but it can oc- 430 BYTE March 1984 MEMORIES 512KB TO 2 MB EDC SINGLE BOARD MULTIBUS MEMORY • Pin to Pin MULTIBUS compatibility for both 8 bit and 16 bit systems. • Addressable up to 16 megabytes. • On board parity with selectable in- terrupt on parity ERROR. OR • Error Detecti ng and Correcting ( EDC) . SINGLE QTY. PRICE: Without/EDC W/EDC 512KB $ 895.00 $1495.00 2MB $5995.00 $6495.00 a? a* %> 2MB Q-BUS EDC 512KB TO 2MB QUAD Q-BUS MEMORY WITH ERROR DETECTION AND CORRECTION UNBELIEVABLE LOW PRICE! Call for details! 256KB TO 1 MB SINGLE BORAD LSI 11 MEMORY Control Status Register (CSR) On board parity generator checker. Battery back-up mode SINGLE QTY. PRICE: 256KB $525.00 DISK SYSTEMS COMPUTERS 2MB FLOPPY Dual drive, double density, double sided 2MB floppy (8") with controller and bootstrap. Also reads single sided, single density! CM 220 TF $2695.00 42MB, 70MB, 140MB formatted Win- chester (8") disk system w/controller and 2MB floppy (8") backup w/controller. CM 240- WF: 42MB Winchester $6995.00 CM270-WF: 70MB Winchester $7495.00 CM340-WF: 140MB Winchester $9995.00 10MB WINCHESTER OR 20MB WINCHESTER RL02 compatible Winchester subsystems. 2MB floppy single dual controller and bootstrap is supplied with each purchase. CI-820: 10MB Winchester 2MB floppy (8") $4495.00 20MB version add $500.00 CM 1/23 AC: LSI 1 1/23CPU, 256KB, 4x8 backplane, power supply and chassis (excluding rack slides) CM 1/23 AF: LSI 11/23 + CPU, 1MB, 4x8 backplane, power supply and chassis (excluding rack slides) 'OFFERING QUALITY WITH AFFORDABLE PRICING" Chrislin Industries, Inc. 31 352 Via Colinas • Westlake Village, CA 91 362 Telephone: 213-991-2254 • TWX 910-494-1253 CHRISLIN WKVG $2675.00 $4125.00 Circle 63 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 431 Ask BYTE. cur during half-duplex operation only when the terminal is trans- mitting. When the computer is transmitting, the Break key is unrecognized. A simple way to achieve this 300~ms pulse is through the use of a one-shot circuit activated by the Break key. . . . Steve Laboratory Automation Dear Steve, I am a radiological physicist and part of my work consists of the calibration of X-ray generators used in the treat- ment of cancer. Much of the work consists of the manual positioning of an ionization probe or diode within the radiation beam and then sampling the probe with an electrometer. The elec- trometer has a convenient output for use with analog plotters with inputs ranging from to 10 volts (V) DC. This voltage is proportional to the radiation intensity. The problem is the time, energy, and wear and tear on the equipment, and myself, when taking these measure- ments. Entering the room, walking a distance of 50 feet or so, opening and closing a one-ton door, positioning the probe, and starting and stop- ping the machine is a process that takes nearly four minutes per reading. Acquir- ing enough points to generate a beam profile can take several hours. I have a TRS-80 Model III and a Starbuck Data Model 8882. The latter has an 8-channel 8-bit analog-to- digital (A/D) converter, eight on/off switch inputs, and eight on/off switch outputs. I am very happy with the 8882, and with the addition of a few simple circuits, which I hope you can pro- vide, I will be able to perform my job much more effec- tively. First, I would like to be able v s «> Figure 1: Stepper-motor controller. + 5V ft? LED /, + 5V >100K 1^2 ™ JlL ><>^ OSENSING CIRCUIT 74C14 SCHMITT TRIGGER FPT-IOO PHOTOTRANSISTOR SLOTTED DISK Figure 2: Position-limit sensor. + 5V A LIGHT SOURCE R3 100K SHIELDED CABLE — 0— <9 R2 100K +12V ft? FPT-100 PHOTOTRANSISTOR -12V FILM Figure 3: DC amplifier/sealer. to control a three- or four- phase stepper motor with the opto output switches of the 8882. The stepper must have about 30 ounce-inches of torque to function effective- ly. I intend to keep track of the position of the probe by the number of pulses in either direction. I need a sim- ple stepper-motor controller capable of direction and step- ping logic from two of the eight output switches of the 8882. Second, I need a limit switch capable of accurately sensing a position to a milli- meter or less, possibly some sort of optical device. This circuit would be used to reference the stepper motor. Third, I need a circuit that would convert film optical density into a voltage propor- tional to film density. I will use this device to convert a film exposed to the radiation beam into a dose profile. The stepper will be used to auto- matically move the film over the density reader. Last, I need a DC amplifier that will convert a voltage from the electrometer, or film-density reader, into a voltage in the range of to 5 V for the Starbuck 8882 A/D. Because the electrometer may range from to 10 V and the film-density reader also may vary out of the 0- to 5-V range, I need the capability of offset as well as amplification greater than and less than one to get the voltage be- tween and 5 V for the 8882. This will enable me to get full resolution out of the 8882. I need circuits that are sim- ple to build and understand because I have a very limited knowledge of electronics. Your help could make a substantial contribution to the effectiveness of my job and the treatment of our patients. Dwight T. Still Lawrenceville, GA Automating your TRS-80 to acquire beam profiles can be ac- complished with some simple circuits and a little research in- to stepper motors. Several manufacturers are now producing stepper motors that will match your needs. In particular, North American Philips Controls Corporation of- fers both the stepper motors and an integrated-circuit pulse-to- step drive controller in 16-pin DIP (dual-inline package). It also offers a Stepper Motor Handbook with all the infor- mation needed to design a stepper-motor device. You can obtain this handbook from North American Philips Controls Corp., Cheshire, CT 06410, (203) 272-0301. Figure 1 was gleaned from the Stepper Motor Handbook and shows how simple the cir- cuitry is with the SAA1027 con- troller. The direction of rotation is controlled by applying a low or high level to pin 3. The motor will step when a low-to-high transition occurs on pin 15. The 432 BYTE March 1984 Want to hoc* IBM? Terminals. Personal Computers. ASCII devices. Hook them all into the IBM world with the new AVATAR™ PA1000 Protocol Converter. The PA1000 provides low-cost IBM 3278/2 terminal emulation and coaxial connection to an IBM 3274/ 3276 cluster controller. Then, a single keystroke switches you back into the asynchronous world through an auxil- iary RS-232-C port to access other computer systems, public information services or copy a screen to a printer. Our microprocessor-based unit provides user-selectable rates up to 9600 baud, terminal keyboard configu- rations, screen management and local or remote print functions. And, you can hook the PA1000 to a modem for remote dial-in access. Simple, economical access to the world of IBM, just when you thought there was no answer. At $995, getting hooked has never been so affordable. For more information on our AVATAR PA1000 Protocol Converter, contact Avatar Technologies Inc.J 99 South Street Hopkinton, MA 01748 Or call us at (617)435-6872. DWft{ Making IBM smarter since 1983. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. i ■"€-. Circle 36 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 433 Imagine what you can do with 4 more serial ports... Now imagine doingitfor$279. For Port Expansion.., Model 524/1279 Increase your I/O capabilities by interfacing your RS-232C peripheral de- vices to your computer with a BayTech Serial Port Expander. All BayTech Multiport Controllers - like the Model 524 -allow the user to mix and match peripheral devices of different configurations without the need to recon- figure the host device. BayTech's port expanders allow port selection through software control Port configuration of the peripheral device ports may be changed by the user with the 524's menu-driven software. ForMuldplexlng/Demultiplexing.., Model 524E/I3 19. BayTech's Model 524E, with its four buffered peripheral ports, allows four lines of data to be ' -- t£ multiplexed and sent sequen- tially over a single communica- tion line, then automatically de- multiplexed by another 524E with distribution to the corresponding peripheral ports. 524E's configured back-to-back allow economical utilization of telephone communications. ForTime-Sharing... Model524DQ/$319 The Model 524DQ allows one to four users to share a computer through a single port. Users requesting M Tmmus access when the host port is busy will be given aposition in a queue with the 524DQ pro- viding appropriate messages, e., 'YOU ARE #1 IN THE QUEUE', 'YOUARE*2 IN THE QUEUE', etc. Users will be auto- matically advanced in the queue with the 524DQ updat- ing status messages. The 524DQ allows the most eco- nomical multi-user productivity from a single-port computer. For Networking... Model 524F/J329 The Model 524F is BayTech's most versatile serial port expander. With its host port and four peripheral ports capable of any-port-to-any-port inter- connection, applications are virtually unlimited. Because of its features, the 524F allows the user to create a local net- work providing simultaneous com- munication for four RS-232C devices. HIGH-SPEED LETTER-QUALITY Other Models Available BayTech continually develops new serial port expanders as the computer in- dustry discovers new applications. Call us about our other models. . . . need 8 ports. . Just $499! If you've found a BayTech Multiport above that handles your specific application, but you need even more expansion, choose an 8-port model from BayTech's new 528 Series You get the same outstanding features but with 8 peripheral ports. And you get them at comparably modest prices. To place your order or discuss your expansion problems 1-800-523-2702 j> BAY TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES, inc. HIGHWAY 003, P.O. BOX 387 BAY ST. LOUIS, MS 39520 (601) 467-8231 Ask BYTE, values of R s and R b depend on the stepper motor chosen and the value of V s , These values are tabulated in the handbook for various stepper motors. Figure 2 shows a simple method of obtaining a reference position for the stepper motor. The method is analogous to the methods used in disk drives. An opaque disk with a small hole or slot can be mounted on the shaft of the stepper motor. A light source, such as an LED, can be mounted on one side of the disk and a phototransistor on the other side. When the light passes through the slot, the phototran- sistor will conduct and the volt- age at pin 1 of the 74C14 Schmitt trigger will go to approximately V. The Schmitt trigger will now convert this voltage change into a sharp O-to-5-V transition at its output. This transition can now be monitored by a voltmeter or fed into one of the on/off switch inputs on the Starbuck 8882. Figure 3 shows one simple method of converting a film den- sity into an analog voltage. Again, a light source is applied to one side of the film, and a phototransistor is used to sense the light on the other side. However, in this case, the mag- nitude of the light is monitored by your AID circuitry through the 741 operational amplifier. The 741 is connected as a simple inverting amplifier with gain controlled by the variable resistor Rl. The DC gain of the circuit is set by the ratio R2/R1. The equation for the output voltage (V ) is V - V t x R2/R1, where V, is the input voltage at the junction of the photo- transistor and R3. A shielded cable may be needed if the amplifier is placed a long distance from the phototran- sistor. The circuit in figure 3 is sim- ple in design and has no provi- sions for DC drift that can be caused by several factors, in- eluding ambient temperature changes. If small drift errors are a problem, you can find any number of texts on operational- amplifier design at most public or company libraries and at most bookstores .... Steve Compatibility Revisited Dear Steve, As a businessperson who is a small computer user, I share the sentiments and frustrations of the first-, second-, and even third-time purchasers of small com- puters. In their ads, many companies claim "Apple compatible," "will run most software for. . . ," "IBM com- patible," or "runs CP/M software." What are the main aspects of a computer and software that would make them truly "IBM" or "Apple" compati- ble? An article on this would be of great service for those of us who don't hold ad- vanced degrees in computer science and engineering. Jeff Van Buren Morehead City, NC There are almost as many definitions of "compatible" as there are "compatible com- puters." A good definition of a compatible computer is one that will run the same software and accept the same hardware expan- sion and accessory cards as the computer with which it is sup- posedly compatible. Some of the compatibles offer more features at a lower price and have captured a small share of the market. To be truly 100 percent com- patible requires the same oper- ating system and interface ad- dress locations. This is difficult to achieve without violating soft- ware copyrights, so most "com- patible" computers lack certain features. CP/M allows the clos- est compatibility because the operating system is the same and the BIOS (basic input/output system) accounts for the hard- ware variations. Unfortunately, disk sizes and formats have not achieved this level of com- patibility. Compatibility is an excellent 434 BYTE March 1984 Circle 40 on inquiry card. ■&:■;■' The best career move you can make is to the keyboard of your personal computer. It's free. If s confidential. Never before have technical and financial career markets undergone such rapid change. But now there's a way to keep up with it. This new key to career opportunity is your personal computer. And the cost is nothing but a phone call. Just call CLEO. That stands for Computer Listings of Employment Opportunities. CLEO responds to your commands and it's inter- active. You specify what job categories, companies, or geographic locations interest you. CLEO calls up the appropriate ads right on your screen. At every step, you're guided by explicit online instructions. Daily updates keep CLEO job listings current. You can even apply for positions right from your Circle 66 on inquiry card. own terminal. For a detailed job search, or just an idea of what's available, CLEO is waiting for your call today. With today's opportunities. CLEO access: (415) 482-1550 • (408) 294-2000 • (213) 618-8800 • (714) 476-8800 • (619) 224-8800 • (818) 991-8900 300 BAUD, full duplex, standard ASCII code. Access assistance: (213) 618-1525 Recruitment advertisers — call (213) 618-0200 collect to find out how you can Computer Listings of Employment Opportunities place yourad On CLEO. An electronic publishing activity of The Copley Press, Inc. BYTE March 1984 435 Ask BYTE, subject for an article, but it would have to concentrate on a particular computer. Trying to cover the field would require an encyclopedia .... Steve ZX81 Floppies and Interfaces Dear Steve, I have a Sinclair ZX81 and would like to use a floppy- disk drive with it. I know that I will also need an interface. Are there a drive and an in- terface that you know about that could be used? Thank you. Denis Boulais Iberville, Quebec, Canada A floppy-disk interface is available for the Sinclair ZX8V Timex 1000 that will allow the use of the popular Shugart SA200 disk drives. Software commands include saving and loading BASIC programs as well as data, initialization of a disk, CREATE, READ, WRITE, KILL, STAT, DIR(ectory), and NEWD(isk). All of these func- tions can be called from pro- grams or from the immediate mode. The FDC-100 interface is available for $199. A single-drive package that includes interface, drive, and power supply (FDC-101) is $499; a two-drive package (FDC-102) costs $799. Contact Compusa, 1101 Bristol Rd., Mountainside, NJ 07092, (201) 654-7220. . . . Steve Prototype Boards Dear Steve, I have been looking for a prototype board like the one pictured on the front of your book, Build Your Own Z80 Computer. The only boards I can find have extra pads for regulators, etc., which make them unsuitable for your application. Would you please let me know the manufacturer and model number of the card you used? Robert Kanen Long Valley, NJ Vector Electronics has a com- plete line of prototype boards for many computer buses. The board shown on the cover of my book uses a 72-pin connector and was designed for the Digital Group system. lam not sure if this par- ticular board is still available. Even if it is, obtaining 72-pin sockets will be very difficult. I recommend one of the S-100 prototype cards that are made by Vector. The company has almost a dozen different combinations, from a blank, unetched printed- circuit board to one with power buses and pads. You will need a catalog to choose. Remember, too, that traces can be cut and rerouted to accommodate your layout. Should you decide to expand your system, motherboards and cabinets will be readily available with the S-100 pinout and geometry. A catalog can be obtained from your local electronics dealer or from Vector Electronics Com- pany, 12460 Gladstone Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342, (818) 365-9661 SteveH In "Ask BYTE/' Steve Gar- cia answers questions on any area of microcom- puting. The most represen- tative questions received each month will be an- swered and published. Do you have a nagging prob- lem? Send your inquiry to: Ask BYTE c/o Steve Ciarcia POB 582 Glastonbury, CT 06033 Due to the high volume of inquiries, personal re- plies cannot be given. All letters and photographs become the property of Steve Ciarcia and cannot be returned. Be sure to in- clude "Ask BYTE' in the Board for S-100 Bus 256K/1MEG Byte Dynamic Ram Model 256KM features: 256K using 64K chips $759.00 • 256K/1 mega Byte using 64K or 256K DRAMS • 8/1 6b Data • 24b Address • Parity per Byte • 175 nsec Access Time • will run Z80/Z8000 to 6 mhz, 8086, 80186, 68000 to 8mhz without wait states • transparant refresh, unlimited DMA. FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLER Model FDC1 $395 features: • Single or Double density, sides, in any combination of up to four 8" or 5.25" drives, • Digital phase locked loop. • DMA data transfer with cross 64K boun- daries, 24B address, DMA arbitation. • Monitor/boot EPR0M accomodating two different processors. • CPM Bios programs. • Serial port to 19.2K baud. Z80B CPU BOARD Model Z80 CPU $325 features: • 2, 4 or 6 mhz clock. • 22 bit Address by Memory Mapping in 16K blocks. • 2 or4KbyteEPR0M(notsupplied) with Phantom generation. • JumponReset. • Provision to run two different CPU's on the same bus, such model 80186 CPU. 80186 CPU BOARD Model 80186 CPU $495 features: • Intel 80186 Based. • Executes 8086 codes plus 1 additional. • Built in DMA channels, timers, interrupt controller. • Interface to Numeric Data Processor, 8087. • 8 or 16 bit data transfer, with 4 or 8 mhz clock. • Provision to run 2 different CPU's on the bus, such as our M:Z80 CPU. Board Sets: Z80 CPU, 256KM. FDC1, and CP/M 3.0 plus manual SI 390. *CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc. Delivery is within 3 to 5 working days. MC, Visa or COD orders accepted. {Add 6% for COD orders.) Shipping Extra. Illinois residents add 5Vi% sales tax. OEM. & DEALER PRICE AVAILABLE S.C. DIGITAL INC. 1240 N. Highland Ave., Suite #4 • P.O. Box 906, Aurora, Illinois 60507 Phone: (312) 897-7749 JUKI 6100 LETTER QUALITY PRINTER • 18 ops • Word processing and graphic functions • Proportional spacing control f Uses IBM Selectric ribbons • Compatible with Kaypro, IBM, Apple, .~fC 'ill- 1 ", m/^H MPUTERS and more versify Ave., To Order o.Ce 4 (6 1-1442 436 BYTE March 1984 Circle 310 on inquiry card. Circle 93 on inquiry card. «>ir~b The power of dBASE without dBOTHER. N " DaS C £''?A*' m Can build ' P°»«'«' Wlica.i„„ with L/^i/iEAbfc,. Come see our entire in te^raWl fnmiUr WORDEASE™,GRAPHEASE T - DOSFASF-!^ X ~ c , MEDFASF'-.nni.r! di /UUbhAbE andourpowerfu M S E a PP»cation. Plus get your free demo diskette and details on our innovative service, support and multi-million dollar marketing and sales promotion programs Softcon Booth A-761 Toll-free info line 800-243-5123 Software Solutions, Inc., 305 Bic Drive, Milford, CT 06460 (203)877-9268 TELEX- 703972 DATAEASE, GRAPHEASE, MEDEASE, WORDEASE and DOSFASF Circle 330 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 437 Event Queue March 1984 March-April Continuing Engineering Edu- cation Courses, Washington, DC, Orlando, FL, and San Diego, CA. More than 300 courses for practicing com- puter and information-pro- cessing professionals are of- fered by George Washington University. A few of the titles include "Local Area Com- puter Networks/' "An Appli- cations-oriented Approach to Artificial Intelligence/' and "Minicomputers, Microcom- puters/Processors for Non- electrical Engineers." Fees range from $625 to $875. Con- tact Continuing Engineering Education, School of Engi- neering and Applied Sci- ence, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, (800) 424-9773; in the District of Columbia, (202) 676-8522. March-April Courses from Integrated Computer Systems, various sites throughout the U.S. "Implementing Local Area Networks," "Designing Dedi- cated/Embedded Computer Systems," and "Computer Network Design and Proto- cols" are a few of the courses to be presented. For course information, contact Ruth Dordick, Integrated Com- puter Systems, 6305 Arizona Place, POB 45405, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (213) 417-8888. March-April Courses in C Language and Unix, various sites through- out the U.S. Three five-day courses are offered: "C Pro- gramming Workshop," "Ad- vanced C Topics " Seminar," and "Unix Workshop." For complete details, contact Joan Hall, Plum Hall Inc., 1 Spruce Ave., Cardiff, NJ 08232, (609) 927-3770. March-April Electronic Motion Control Association Seminar, Dallas, TX and Uniondale, NY This two-day program combines tutorial sessions with tech- nical paper presentations and displays of devices and sys- tems. It also reviews DC motors and control systems and overviews step motors and step-motor drives. Reg- istration forms and informa- tion are available from the Electronic Motion Control Association, Suite 1200, 230 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60601, (312) 372-9800. March-June Productivity '84> various sites throughout the U.S. This series of two-day programs serves as a showcase for Hewlett-Packard products. Seminars are available, and more than 25 products are to be demonstrated, including the HP 150 personal com- puter and laser printers. Ad- mission is free to the public. For more information, con- tact Hewlett-Packard, Public Relations Department, 3000 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA 94304, (800) 554-4466. March-June Seminars from Datapro Re- search Corporation, various sites throughout the U.S. Subject areas include data communications, microcom- puters, and information sys- tems. In-house presentations of technical programs can be arranged. For a 40-page cata- log of seminars, contact Data- pro Research Corp., 1805 Underwood Blvd., Delran, NJ 08075, (800) 257-9406; in New Jersey, (609) 764-0100. March-July Reliability and Maintain- ability Engineering Insti- tutes and Short Courses, various sites throughout the U.S. A few of the programs to be offered are "Reliability Engineering, Testing, and Maintainability Engineering" and "The Tenth Annual Re- liability Testing Institute." For a complete schedule, contact Dr. Dimitri Kececioglu, Col- lege of Engineering, Aero- space and Mechanical Engi- neering Department, Univer- sity of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, (602) 621-2495. March-August Conferences and Expositions from the Society of Manu- facturing Engineers, various sites throughout the U.S. and around the world. More than 25 conferences and exposi- tions are scheduled. For a calendar, contact the Public Relations Department, Soci- ety of Manufacturing Engi- neers, One SME Dr., POB 930, Dearborn, MI 48121, (313) 271-0777. March-October Tutorial Short Courses from Hellman Associates, various sites throughout the U. S. Among the courses offered are "VLSI Design," "Digital Control," and "Error Correc- tion." Fees are generally $895. For a descriptive brochure, contact Hellman Associates Inc., Suite 300, 299 California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, (415) 328-4091. March 12-14 Auditing and Controlling Microcomputers, Houston, TX. This seminar reviews the technology behind micro- computers and shows how they can be used by an audi- tor for practice management or as a tool in an audit en- gagement. For a course out- line, contact Miriam Hoyt, MIS Training Institute Inc., 4 Brewster Rd., Framingham, MA 01701, (617) 879-7999. March 12-14 Softside of Software, Hilton Harvest House, Boulder, CO. Examining the many facets of writing user-friendly soft- ware and documentation, this seminar focuses on documentation techniques, standards, software engi- neering tools, and designing on-line help. User and cus- tomer training are also ad- dressed. The cost for all three days is $595. For registration details, contact Cross Infor- mation Co., Suite B, 934 Pearl Mall, Boulder, CO 80302- 5181, (303) 499-8888, March 12-15 Interface '84, Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. For details on this twelfth annual data communications/infor- mation-processing confer- ence and exposition, contact the Interface Group Inc., 300 First Ave., Needham, MA 02194, (800) 325-3330; in Mas- sachusetts, (617) 449-6600. March 12-16 Auditing in the Contem- porary Computer Environ- ment, New York, NY. Par- ticipants will learn a com- prehensive audit approach for computer-based systems. Topics include how to evalu- ate controls, how to prepare an audit report, and how to design a program of tests using questionnaires, check- lists, software tools, and flowcharts. Contact the EDP Auditors Foundation, 373 South Schmale Rd., Carol Stream, IL 60187, (312) 682-1200. March 13 NorWesCon-84, Red Lion Inn Convention Center, Bellevue, WA. The theme of this ninth annual Pacific Northwest in- dustrial electronics trade show is "Discover Solutions in Technology." Almost 50 manufacturers will present exhibits, demonstrations, and seminars of original- equipment manufacturing and end-user products for 438 BYTE March 1984 REPORT ON NEW PERIPHERAL HARDWARE: IK YOUR APPLE COMPUTER The "Second Serial Hardware Decision"... Once you've selected the right serial printer or modem for your Apple* system, your hardware decisions are over for a while. Right? Wrong, of course! You still have to decide on an interface card. This "second serial hard- ware decision" is an important one— one made much simpler SERlALL Printer/Modem Interface by seriALL™, the new serial interface for Apple computers. At a significantly lower cost than Apple's own serial card —$159.00 vs $195.00— seri ALL gives you a bunch more features. Practical, everyday features, not useless extras. For one, seriALL is the only interface that provides graphics capabilities for serial printers including Apple's new dot matrix Imagewriter™. Ililll lill— 1 Graphics capabilities for serial printers seriALL also offers 27 easy commands for text formatting and screen dumps, making it the most intelligent serial interface you can use with an Apple. Equally important, seriALL gives you complete communica- tions interfacing capability. You can use it for modems or in the special terminal mode for timesharing and talking to other computers. In fact, seriALL completely emulates the Apple serial card as a communications interface. No additional software or hard- ware modification is required. Finally, consider the quality. seriALL's five-year warranty is proof that this interface is built to work long and hard. No other serial card is backed by a guarantee like this. After comparing seriALL feature-for-feature with other serial interface products, we think you'll agree— seriALL truly is the Do-It-All serial card for Apple computers. Available from Practical Peripherals— makers of MICROBUFFER™, PROCLOCK™, PRinterface™, and GraphiCard™. *Apple and Imagewriter are registered trademarks of Apple Computers, Inc. mm PRACTICAL mPERIPHERALS 31245 La Baya Dr., Westlake Village, CA 9I362 • (818) 991-8200 • TWX 910-336-5431 Circle 290 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 439 BEST IN PRICE & QUALITY Call Now TOLL FREE 800-368-3404 (In VA, Call Collect 703-237-8695) AMPEX-INTERTEOTEXAS INSTRUMENTS-GENERAL DATA COMM. -ANDERSON JACOBSON-C. ITOH-QUME • BEEHIVE- DATASOUTH-DIABLO-CENTRONICS -NEC -PRENTICE INTERTEC SUPERBRAIN il 64KDD* $1798 64KQD* $2143 64K SD* (96TPI) $2689 •(Includes M/Soft BASIC) DYNABYTE8/16BIT Call CALLAN 16/32 BIT Call EBEnna NEC 7710 Ser $1899 7715 $1949 7730 Par $1899 7720 $2449 7725 $2496 Std. Tractor 77xx $ 199 3510 $1364 3515 .$1394 3530 $1390 3550 (IBM) $1709 DATASOUTH DS180 Call DATASOUTH DS220 Call DIABLO 620-SPI $ 849 630-R-102/147 .,$1949 630ECS $2389 630-R183 $1694 *(forlBMPC.Applell.TRS-80) 630K104(KSR) $2265 QUME Sprint 11/40 $1288 Interface $ 76 Sprint 11/55 $1446 STAR MICRONiCS Delta 10 $484 Bi-Dir Forms Tractor .... $ 219 CENTRONICS: 122 Par $ 689 351 .$1673 BarCode $ 98 maaggg AMPEX D80 $ 689 PHAZE (3270 Ex. Mem) .$1589 BEEHIVE (SMART DISPLAY) DM5 Call DM5A Call DM83 (Burroughs) Call DM3270 (3270 Emulator) . . Call Protocol Converter Call QUME QVT-102 $ 549 QVT-108 Call C. ITOH CIT101 $1289 CIT1 61 (64 Colors) Call C1T201 (Graphics for TEK 4010/4014) Call CIT 41 4 (Graphics 640x480 Res.) Call TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 745 Standard $1172 745 Std. (Reconditioned) . . Call 765 Bbl M'my Call 785/787 Call 810 Basic . .$1249 810 Package $1439 820 Package RO $1610 820 KSR Package Call 703 Std $ 459 707 KSR ..... $ 549 850 Tractor Feed $ 549 EEHZa Prentice Star 300 Bd. $ 124 U.S. Rob Password AD (21 2 A) . . $ 347 USRobTelPack $ 69 Stat Muxes Call Ventel212 + 3E Call Prentice 24/9600 bd . Call QUME DataTrak5$ 289 or 2 for $ 549 DataTrak8$ 51 9 or 2 for $ 999 B3iigEai BISYNC-3780 . $ 569 WordStar $ 279 DataStar $ 218 Mail Merge $ 144 SpellStar $ 144 Plan 80 $ 249 dBase II $ 489 CalcStar $ 119 SuperSort $ 1 44 SuperCalc $ 144 InfoStar $ 279 InfoStar (8") .... Special $ 249 CIS Cobol $ 689 Forms II $ 159 MACRO 80 $ 183 "C" Compiler $ 239 WordStar Professional (WS, SS, MM, S1) ... .$ 399 ReportStar $ 1 99 Starlndex $ 1 29 PlanStar Call StarBurst Call InfoStar Plus Call 256K RAM Bd $ 256 256K RAM Bd Full Parity . $ 305 BabyBlue $ 600 BabyTex $ 600 BabyTalk 3270 BISYNC $ 895 8" Disk Controller $ 395 We also make EIA RS 232 or RS 449 cables to your order, can supply you with ribbons, printer stands, print wheels, thimbles for all printers listed. Plus many, many more items. Most items in stock. CALL NOW. All items shipped freight collect either motor freight or UPS unless otherwise speci- fied. All prices already include 3% cash discount. Purchase with credit card does not include discount. Virginia residents, add 4% Sales Tax. For fastest delivery send certified check, money order or bank-wire transfer. Sorry, no C.O.D. orders. All equipment is in factory cartons with manufacturers ?^ mm change without notice. kTCRfllflflLS J Terminals Terrific, Inc., P.O. Box 216. Merrifield, VA 22116 Phone: 800-368-3404 (In VA, Call Collect 703-237-8695) Event Queue. the industrial electronics marketplace. Admission is free for all members of the in- dustry. For information, call the sponsor, Almac Elec- tronics Corp., 14360 South- east Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, (206) 643-9992. March 13-15 CIMCOM, Convention Cen- ter, Washington, DC. The Computer-integrated Manu- facturing and Communica- tions (CIMCOM) conference and exposition is sponsored by the Computer and Auto- mated Systems Association of the Society of Manufactur- ing Engineers (CASA/SME). It will focus on software de- velopment and applications, beginning with manufactur- ing planning and continuing through the manufacturing- control processes. For infor- mation, contact CASA/SME, One SME Dr., POB 930, Dearborn, MI 48121, (313) 271-1500, ext. 521. March 13-15 Micro/SET 84: Microcom- puter Expo for Science, En- gineering, and Technology, Engineering Society of De- troit, MI. Papers empha- sizing microcomputer appli- cations in research, design, engineering, and manufac- turing will be presented. Complementing the confer- ence program will be dis- plays of scientific, engineer- ing, and technical microcom- puter hardware and soft- ware. For more information, write to the Conference Man- ager, Engineering Society of Detroit, 100 Farnsworth, Detroit, MI 48202. March 13-15 Online Business Strategy Conferences and Exposition, Barbican Centre, London, England. Three concurrent conferences will be held: Mobile Communications, Telecoms Today, and Satellite Communications. Multiple- conference session registra- tion is optional. Organized by Online Conferences Ltd., Registrations Dept., Pinner Green House, Ash Hill Dr., Pinner HAS 2AE, Middlesex, UK; tel: 01-868 4466; Telex: 923498 ONLINE G. March 13-15 Optical Storage of Docu- ments and Images, Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, CA. Top- ics to be covered are read- write and read-only storage of analog and digital informa- tion including office docu- ments, engineering draw- ings, and parts catalogs. The fee is $695 for the first person from an organization and $595 for each additional at- tendee. For more informa- tion, contact Technology Op- portunity Conference, POB 14817, San Francisco, CA 94114-0817, (415) 626-1133. March 13-16 Inside the IBM PC, Shera- ton-Hartford Hotel, Hart- ford, CT. This intensive seminar explores IBM PC- DOS, hardware, communica- tions, networking, and graphics. It's designed for ad- vanced IBM PC or XT users, programmers, engineers, and designers. The fees are $345 per participant for a single day or $295 per partici- pant per day for two or three days. In-house presentations can be arranged. Contact the Center for Continuing Edu- cation, Northeastern Univer- sity, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115. For infor- mation on in-house presen- tations, call (617) 329-8000. March 14-16 The Seventeenth Annual Simulation Symposium, Bay Harbor Inn, Tampa, FL. Papers dealing with applica- tions of simulation, simula- tion languages, and method- ologies will be presented. Contact Alexander Kran, IBM Corp., B/300-40E, Hope- well Junction, NY 12533, (914) 894-7142. 440 BYTE March 1984 Circle 347 on inquiry card. The only way to make costly anti-static mats 100% effective, Anti-static mats offer some protection. But the anti- static protection ends where the mat ends. Someone walking past a terminal can generate enough static energy to zap your computer — creating anything from a glitch to a serious memory loss. In dealing with real life situa- tions, mat protection doesn't go far enough because the mat doesn't go far enough. So unless everyone is standing barefoot on the mat, you're asking for static problems. Staticide® protection goes everywhere — static-proofs every square inch of your EDP or office environment. One application of Staticide to floors, work stations and equipment keeps the entire area static-free for up to six months. And now you can wipe out static on CRT screens, copiers and key- boards with new Staticide® Wipes™ . This convenient towelette cleans while eliminating static — without harming or damaging sensitive electronic components. The Staticide System. 1 00% protection for just a small percent of what a mat will cost. Best of all, people can behave like normal. No tiptoeing. No mat crowding. No kidding. Staticide and Staticide Wipes. The only practical 100% solution. Staticide by ACL Incorporated We take static from our customers. 1960 E. Devon Avenue Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 (312) 981 -921 2, TELEX: 4330251 ACL products available worldwide. Call or write for free literature. Circle 9 on inquiry card. Event Queue. March 14-18 Managing the Audit Com- puter-based Bank Systems, Washington, DC. This course provides a comprehensive audit approach for evaluating and testing controls in com- puter-based bank systems. Information is available from Darlene Floading, Bank Ad- ministration Institute, 60 Gould Center, Rolling Mea- dows, IL 60008, (312) 228-6200. March 15-16 Technology Outlook, Wis- consin Center, Madison, WI. This seminar, conducted by the University of Wiscon- sin—Extension Engineering and Applied Science pro- gram, is designed for in- dustrial executives seeking an understanding of telecom- munications, automation, computer advances, and genetics. The fee is $475. For information, contact the University of Wisconsin- Extension, Department of Engineering and Applied Science, 432 North Lake St., Madison, WI 53706, (608) 262-3748. March 17 The Sixth Annual Delaware Computer Faire, Delaware State College, Dover. Work- shops, demonstrations, and sessions on the uses of com- puters in the classroom will be held. This program is tailored for kindergarten through senior high school teachers, administrators, and parents. Hardware and soft- ware will be exhibited. Con- tact Dr. William J. Geppert, Department of Public In- struction, Townsend Build- ing, POB 1402, Dover, DE 19903, (302) 736-4885. March 18-22 Saudicomputer '84— The Business Computer Show, al-Dhiafa Exhibition Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For in- formation, contact Philip Jen- kinson, Saudicomputer '84, Overseas Exhibition Services Ltd., 11 Manchester Square, London W1M 5AB, UK; tel: 01-486 1951; Telex: 24591 Montex G. March 19-21 The First Annual Computer Furniture and Home Office Show, Serra Grand Ball- room, Convention Center, Monterey, CA. Approximate- ly 100 exhibits are planned. Seminars designed to intro- duce manufacturers and re- tailers to marketing and mer- chandising techniques will be conducted. For further details, contact National Fairs Inc., 1902 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94109, (415) 474-2300. March 19-21 Material Characterization Techniques for Integrated- Circuit Processing, San Mateo, CA. This three-day course is designed to ac- quaint participants with cur- rent techniques for inte- grated-circuit development, process monitoring, and failure analysis. The course fee is $450 for lectures only or $695 for the third-day lab ses- sion. For information, contact Continuing Education in Engineering, University of California Extension, 2223 Fulton St., Berkeley, CA 94720, (415) 642-4151. March 19-22 Automated Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition (AM84), Textile Hall, Green- ville, SC. Representatives from more than 200 firms will present the latest auto- mated manufacturing tech- nologies at this combination exhibition and seminar. Conference details can be ob- tained from the AM84 Regis- tration Control Center, POB 5616, Station B, Greenville, SC 29606, (803) 242-3170, ext. 260. Exhibition details are available from AM84, POB 5823, Greenville, SC 29606, (803) 233-2562. March 19-22 The Eighth Annual Federal Office Systems Expo (FOSE '84), Convention Center, Washington, DC. The theme for this year's expo is "Reali- ties of Integration: Technolo- gies, Applications, Human Resources." More than 60 conference sessions and 1200 exhibits are planned . Ad- dress inquiries to Jacqueline Voigt, National Trade Pro- ductions, 9418 Annapolis Rd., Lanham, MD 20706, (800) 638-8510; in Maryland, (301) 459-8383. March 22-23 Computers in Construction, New York, NY. This seminar is designed to assist construc- tion contractors and con- struction management firms in acquiring computer sys- tems. The fee is $425 per registrant. More details are available from CIP Informa- tion Services Inc., 1105-F Spring St., Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 589-7933. a message to our subscribers From time to time we make the BYTE subscriber list available to other companies who wish to send our sub- scribers material about their products. We take great care to screen these companies, choosing only those who are reputable, and whose products, services, or information we feel would be of interest to you. Direct mail is an efficient medium for presenting the latest personal computer goods and services to our subscribers. Many BYTE subscribers appreciate this controlled use of our mailing list, and look forward to finding informa- tion of interest to them in the mail. Used are our subscribers' names and addresses only (no other informa- tion we may have is ever given). While we believe the distribution of this information is of benefit to our subscribers, we firmly respect the wishes of any subscriber who does not want to receive such promotional literature. Should you wish to restrict the use of your name, simply send your request to the following address. BYTE Publications Inc Attn: Circulation Department 70 Main St Peterborough NH 03458 442 BYTE March 1984 CpmpuShack PRICES AND AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE ALL RETURNED MERCHANDISE SUBJECT TO A 20% RESTOCKING FEE. ADD 10% FOR NET TERMS PRICES GOOD IN U.S. ONLY. PRICES REFLECTED IN THIS SECTION ARE LOWER THAN FRANCHISE STORES. PERSONAL ^^^^^^ COMPUTER I'lmiiNfli^ ^^WI Special *~ of the Month! IBM PC ^COMPLETE LINE IBM PC 64K. Two 320KB Disk Drives, Floppy Disk Controller, Video Card and High Res Monitor $2599.00 HARD DISK SYSTEM FOR IBM PC 256K IBM PC® 360KB Disk Drive, FDC, 10MB Hard Disk W/Controller, Cabinet Con- troller & Software, Video Card and Monitor $3999.00 Hard Disk Sub-System for IBM PC By TAVA CORP . . $1275.00 LOTUS 1-2-3 SOFTWARE $399 WE TEST EVERY COMPUTER SYSTEM BEFORE WE SHIP IT! SPECIAL OF THE MONTH! ©TAVA PC Desk Top IBM PC® Compatible Computer, 128K RAM, Two 320KB Disk Drives, Floppy Disk Con- troller, Video Adapter and Monitor, One Parallel Port, Two Serial Ports. System runs DOS 1,1, 2.0, and CP/M86® C1QQC Suggested List $2395.00 Low Price High Quality TAVA Personal Com- puter Uses The Industry Standard Operating Systems: CP/M86® MS DOS® UCSD p-system® One year warranty on all parts. Runs most of the Software for IBM PC, eg. Lotus 1-2-3® dBasell® Words Star® Multiplan® PFS® and Thousands more FLOPPY DISK DRIVES For IBM PC ADD-ON DRIVE FOR PC Jr.® . . CALL TANDON TM-100-2 DS/DD SLIMLINE 320KB CALL S 2 29.00 PRINTERS OKIDATA 82A $429.00 83A $669.00 84AP parallel $999.00 84AS serial $1099.00 92A $525.00 93A $899.00 Daisy writer Daisy wheel Printer $1175.00 NEC SPINWRITER . ,„ NEC 7710-1 $2095 7715-1 $2295 7730-1 $2095 7720-1 $2695 7725-1 $2695 3510 $1495 3515 $1495 3530 $1695 3550 $1995 PC8023A . . $ 595 COMPANY SHOWROOM WALNUT CREEK, CA (415) 945-8011 SHARP PORTABLE A Portable IBM PC Compatible Light Weight Computer With 128K CPU, Liguid Crystal Display 8 Iinesx80, Keyboard, I28K Bubble $1995.00 With Built-in 80 Column Thermal Printer $2395.00 INTRODUCING APPRICOT A handsome Computer and almost totally compatible with IBM PC. Includes 256K Memory, Two Disk Drives and Monitor. A Complete System with $1250 worth of Software $2999.00 AST RESEARCH IO Plus-Parallel & Serial Port, Clock Calendar W/Bat. back-up. Superdrive. Superspool $199.00 Combo Plus— 256K, Parallel & Serial Port, Clock Calendar W/Bat. back-up. Superdrive. Superspool $450.00 Mega Plus— 512K, Parallel & Serial Port, Clock Calendar W/Bat. back-up $999.00 QUADRAM Quad Board - 256K, Parallel Port, Serial I/O Clock Calendar with battery backup $450.00 5J2K Ram with Serial I/O $799.00 CONOGRAPHIC Color Card ... $995.00 HERCULES GRAPHICS CARD This card gives you 720x350 graphics $499.00 BIG BLUE $479.00 MAYNARD SANDSTAR SERIES Multifunction Card $95.00 Floppy Disk Controller $225.00 Memory Card $189.00 HAYES MICROCOMPUTER PRODUCTS Micromodem 300 baud $299.95 Smartmodem 1200 baud $529.95 MONITORS AMDEK 300A $199.00 I $349.00 300G $169.00 II $699.00 3I0A ... $199.00 III $399.00 IV $1199.00 PRINCETON GRAPHICS SYSTEMS High Res. Color $499 APPLE lie CIPPKZ Computer System Controller, Two Disk Drives, Monitor $1699 ROMAR II Apple compatible Computer W/Z-Card Controller, Two Disk Drives and a Monitor for $1195.00 BROTHER, TAVA, NEC, TANDON, SHUGART, AND OTHER MFGR. PRO- DUCTS AVAILABLE" CompuShack HIGH TECHNOLOGY • LOW PRICES Circle 81 on inquiry card. CALL FOR STORE LOCATION THE UNIQUE FRANCHISING CONCEPT WITH THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: PRIVATE LABEL PRODUCTS WITH NO ROYALTIES, DISCOUNT PRICES, FULL SERVICE & SUPPORT, COURTESY AND MORE. COMPANY SHOWROOM TUSTIN, CA (714) 730-7227 (714) 261-1000 FRANCHISE INQUIRIES WELCOME 16S61 ARMSTRONG, IRVINE, CA 92714 HEADQUARTERS TELEX: 181667 - ANSWER BACK: COMPOSHACK IRIN "IBM PC is a registered trademark of IBM Corp Multiplan is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp "dBASE II is a registered trademark of ASHTONTATE. Inc PFS is a registered trademark of Software Publishing Co LOTUS 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development CP/M86 is a registered trademark of Digital Research. Inc WordStar. Spellstar Mailmerge are registered nademarks of Micropro International MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp Visicalc is a registered trademark of Visicorp UCSDp is a registered trademark of Softech Microsystems PRODUCTS AND PRICES NOT AVAILABLE AT ALL STORES ALL FLOPPIES REPAIRED QUICKLY AT LOW COST Event Queue. March 22-25 The Ninth West Coast Com- puter Faire, Civic Auditorium and Brooks Hall, San Fran- cisco, CA. This is one of the largest annual computer shows. For information, con- tact the Computer Faire Inc., Suite 201, 181 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02159, (617) 965- 8350; in California, (415) 364-4294. March 23 The 1984 Computer Law In- stitute, Cleveland, OH. This event, sponsored by the Bar Association of Greater Cleve- land, will cover current legal and tax issues that affect the computer industry. For de- tails, contact Carole Falcone, Mall Building, Cleveland, OH 44114, (216) 696-3525. March 24 The Seventh Annual Phila- delphia Area Computer So- ciety Computer Games Fes- tival, La Salle College Ball- room, Philadelphia, PA. Re- creational and educational games will be featured. For more information, contact Dr. Stephen A. Longo, Physics Department, Box 312, La Salle College, Philadel- phia, PA 19141, (215) 951-1255. March 25 The Fifth Annual Lake County Hamfest and Com- puter Fest, Madison High School, Madison, OH. Ad- mission is $3 in advance. For information, send a self- addressed, stamped enve- lope to Lake County Hamfest Committee, POB 150, Men- tor, OH 44061, (216) 953-9784. March 26-28 The Seventh International Conference on Software En- gineering, Orlando, FL. This conference seeks to evaluate what has been learned from the past and to provide direc- tions for future investigations into software engineering. Its theme is "Fifteen Years of Software Engineering: Re- sults and Futures/' A soft- ware tools fair will be held concurrently. Contact the IEEE Computer Society, POB 639, Silver Spring, MD 20901, (301) 589-3386. March 26-29 The 1984 National Design Engineering Show & ASME Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. More than 600 companies will display and demonstrate products and services in this con- ference program sponsored by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). Almost 50 technical sessions and 20 short courses will cover engineering manage- ment and operations, CAD/ CAM and CAE, materials and processes, mechanical and fluid systems, and elec- tronics. Information is avail- able from the National De- sign Engineering Show & Conference, 708 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017, (212) 661-8410. March 26-29 Personal Computer Interfac- ing and Scientific Instru- ment Automation, Blacks- burg, VA. These hands-on workshops, sponsored by the Virginia Polytechnic Insti- tute and State University, provide participants with ex- perience in wiring and test- ing interfaces on popular personal computers. For in- formation, contact Dr. Linda Leffel, C.E.C., Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, (703) 961-4848. March 26-30 The Sixth NC Industrial Automation and Robot Con- ference and Exhibition, Milan Fair, Milan, Italy. Con- trols for automated material handling, variable mission manufacturing systems, and quality control will be fea- tured. A concurrent confer- ence consisting of 20 sessions will be presented. For more information, contact the So- ciety of Manufacturing Engi- neers, One SME Dr., POB 930, Dearborn, MI 48121, (313) 271-0023. March 27-28 The Eighth Annual Com- puter Faire, University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OH. Terminals, minicomputers, microcomputers, and word processors will be featured. Details can be obtained from Dan Schumacher, University of Dayton, 300 College Park Ave., Dayton, OH 45469, (513) 229-3511. March 27-28 Meetings of the American National Standards Institute, Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel, Arlington, VA. Two meetings are planned: the Annual Public Conference of the ANSI and the Seminar on Administering Domestic Standards Activities. The theme for the former is "Standards and the Law." The latter will focus on due process and such issues in- volved in standardization as the interpretation of stan- dards and coordination of domestic and international activity. Contact Deborah R. Maskin, Communications Department, American Na- tional Standards Institute Inc., 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, (212) 354-3315. March 27-29 Southwest Computer Con- ference (SWCC), Myriad Convention Center, Okla- homa City, OK. This seventh annual business and indus- try conference is aimed at both management and tech- nical personnel. It will fea- ture more than 50 seminar presentations and 250 ex- hibits. For details, contact E. Z. Million, SWCC, POB 950, Norman, OK 73070, (405) 329-3660. March 28-30 The Sixth Annual Computer Graphics Conference, Doral Hotel On-the-Ocean, Miami Beach, FL. The theme for this conference is "Forecast and Assessments." Further details are available from Carol Sap- chin, Frost & Sullivan Inc., 106 Fulton St., New York, NY 10038, (212) 233-1080. March 30-31 Third Annual Conference on Communication Technology, Joseph Stokes Auditorium, Children's Hospital of Phil- adelphia, PA. This program presents advances in tech- nology and treatment alter- natives for physically dis- abled and speech-impaired persons. Speakers, equip- ment demonstrations, and workshops are planned. The two-day registration fee is $95, which includes all course materials. Group rates are offered. For full par- ticulars, contact Joan Bruno, Children's Seashore House, 4100 Atlantic Ave., POB 4111, Atlantic City, NJ 08404, (609) 345-5191, ext. 278. March 30-April 1 The NY Personal Computer Show, Exposition Rotunda, Madison Square Garden, New York City. Formerly called the Eighty/Apple/PC Computer Show, this event will feature products and ser- vices for all small computer systems. Complete show de- tails can be obtained from the Kengore Corp., POB 13, Franklin Park, NJ 08823, (201) 297-2526. April 1984 April 1-4 The 1984 EFT Expo, Hyatt Regency, Grand Cypress Re- sort, Orlando, FL. This an- nual convention and exposi- tion, sponsored by the Elec- tronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Association, provides the op- 444 BYTE March 1984 5 f It's True - We Did It I WE STILL MEET OR BEAT MOST ADVERTISED PRICES. Looking for a printer? The OKIDATA 82A for $300 will put an end to that! EAGLE OUR PC FLYS IBM Compatible Simply a better PC. All models available for immediate delivery Call Lowest $ Mannesmann Tally • Standard — 7 x 9 160 CPS • NLQ— 40x18 40 CPS • 2K Buffer and Tractor Standard 160 L 80 col. Call Best Seller 180 L 132 col. Call Best Seller SPIRIT Call Best Seller ^^ IDS • Proportional Spacing • 8 Character Styles • 200 CPS Bi Directional • Color Optional • Sheet Feed • Graphics • 3.4K Buffer Prism 80 Prism 132 and Micro Prism $ Call Red Hot Special I Novation J-CAT * 300 BPS Modem • Originate/Auto Answer Sizzling $Ca n ! ^ COLUMBIA DATA PRODUCTS, INC. Pick Up Columbia's Portable VP Computer And Get A Real Handle On IBM-PC Compatibility Introducing the *380 terminal that emulates with DEC . . . Freedom 1001 And — the Signalman Mark XII (1200 Band) Modem ( for just $ 285! Or — Buy them as a package for ONLY $ 634f ALTOS ZENITH TELEVIDEO SANYO USI FRANKLIN HAYES NOVATION EAGLE PRINTEK VENTEL AMDEK MICOM DATASOUTH GTC TAXAN DIABLO NEC EPSON TRANSTAR OKIDATA OSBORNE COMREX DAISYWRITER JUKI For Price Quotes and Ordering Call: 1-800-328-8905 For Technical Information and Arizona Orders, Call: 602-949-8218 For Shipping and Order Status Information, Call: 602-990-7556 LIBElm^GROUP, Inc. 4221 Winfield Scott Plaza • Scottsdale, Az 85251 STAR ADDS DEC C ITOH SILVER-REED Everything in computer related products: • Computers • Modems • Printers • Software • Monitors • Terminals • Ribbons • Office Furniture Prices listed reflect a cash discount and are subject to change without notice We welcome Certified and Cashiers Checks, Bank Wires and Money Orders C.O.D.s are shipped with a minimum COD charge Allow 3-7 days for personal checks to clear Product is subject to availability Equipment is in factory sealed boxes with manufacturer's warranty There will be a re-stocking charge for returned merchandise Call first for an RMA number Software not warrant eed for suitability No return of Software which has been opened Add 2% for shipping & handling charges (minimum $2.50) All equipment shipped F OB Scottsdale, Az 85251 _. , _„ . Circle 208 on inquiry card. ^chips better than one Is your Apple's 6502 processor chip a little overworked lately? Have you been eyeing one of those new, 16-bit systems? But you don't want to give up all your Apple pro- grams ... Add the powerful 16-bit 8088 processor to your Apple with ALF's Processor Card. Let the 6502 and 8088 work together to tackle your toughest problems— like speeding up your Applesoft and Apple Pascal programs. With the Processor Card, you can use the CP/M™ 86 or MS-DOS™ operating system to run the latest 16-bit software, including many IBM PC programs. 64K or 128K of high-speed memory is available for ALF's Processor Card. Use the Processor Card with 128K as a fast disk emulator or to view sixteen hi-res images in under a second. Or run Basic, C, COBOL, or Pascal with 16-bit performance! The ALF Processor Card is just $395 (Ap- plesoft speed-up software included). See your Apple dealer today, or contact ALF for more information. Trademarks: "Apple": Apple Computer. "CP/M": Digital ALF ALF Products I nc. 1 31 5F Nelsor i St Denver , CO BQ215 003) 234 C DB71 Telex: 4991824 Event Queue. April 4-11 CeBIT, Hannover, West Ger- many. This office-equipment and data-processing technol- ogy exhibition will bring to- gether exhibitors from more than 25 countries. For infor- mation, contact Hannover Fairs Information Center, FOB 338, Route 22 E, White- house, NJ 08888, (800) 526- 5978; in New Jersey, (201) 534-9044. April 5-7 COMDEX/Winter, Conven- tion Center, Los Angeles, CA. For information, contact the Interface Group Inc., 300 First Ave., Needham, MA 02194, (800) 325-3330; in Mas- sachusetts, (617) 449-6600. April 7-8 Eastern States Conference, Franklin Plaza Hotel, Phila- delphia, PA. Speakers, dem- onstrations, and workshops focusing on "Computers and Reading/Learning Difficul- ties" are planned. For addi- tional information, contact Educational Computer Con- ferences, Department N, 1070 Crows Nest Way, Richmond, CA 94803, (415) 222-1249. April 8-11 World Retailers Business & Equipment Exposition, Palais des Congres, Paris, France. This exposition is sponsored by the National Retail Merchants Association (NRMA) and runs concur- rently with NRMA's Ninth World Conference of Re- tailers. The exposition is de- signed to introduce store merchants to new develop- ments, equipment, and pro- cedures. Admission is free, although retail store mer- chants must show ticket. For complimentary tickets and details, write to Dan Soskin, NRMA Enterprises, 100 West 31st St., New York, NY 10001. April 9-12 Intergraphics '84, Sasakawa Memorial Hall, Tokyo, Japan. This conference and exposi- tion is cosponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the World Computer Graphics Association (WCGA). It will focus on the growing impor- tance of computer graphics in business and manufactur- ing industries. For informa- tion, contact James McLaugh- lin, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, One SME Dr. , POB 930, Dearborn, MI 48121, (313) 271-0023. April 10-11 Business Expo & Conference '84, Convention Center, San Jose, CA. More than 30 work- shops, seminars, and panel discussions have been sched- uled. A few of the presenta- tions are "Handling Training Crisis in Office Automation Explosion," "How to Select Small Business Computers," and "Managing Your Small Business." Complete details are available from Expo '84 Management, Cartridge & Associates Inc., Suite 205, 4030 Moorpark Ave., San Jose, CA 95117, (408) 554-6644. April 12-14 Computers and Writing — Research and Applications, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Papers and panel discussions will focus on local-area networks, em- pirical studies of writer's behavior, and automatic evaluation or correction of writing. Demonstrations of hardware and software are planned. For further infor- mation, contact the Program in Composition and Com- munication, University of Minnesota, 209 Lind Hall, 207 Church St. SE, Minnea- polis, MN 55455, (612) 373-2541. April 13-14 The Fourteenth Annual Vir- ginia Computer User's Con- ference, Sheraton Hotel, Blacksburg, VA. This con- 448 BYTE March 1984 /11icra4ge "BECAUSE WE COULDN'T AFFORD MISTAKES!" "They guided us over the rough parts when we needed it' "During September of 1 982, we started our MicroAge Computer Store in Tulsa >u following MicroAge's advice and marketing strategy when we started in -usmess we were able to reach Tubas business computer buyers n a much shorter time than we could have on our own." "Both of us had technical backgrounds in computers but lacked the marketina experience necessary to reach our goals. We used MicroAge's experience Z hSS!Lf^ ^^ US bUM * SakS organhMtion *<> reac " *** Oklahoma \ohn Mosier MicroAge Franchisee George McLawhon MicroAge Franchisee To build your own professional computer sales organization with MicroAge write to: MicroAge* coAtPUTer srores "The Solution Store" 9 1457 West Alameda • Tempe. Arizona 85282 (602)968-3168 MicroAge franchisees John Moiser and George McLawhon shown with IBM products. Circle 235 on inquiry card. "There's no magic to using your personal computer for data acquisition." Fred Molinari, President There's no trick to it. Just take your choice of our new single board plug-ins and bring com- plete analog and digital I/O capabilities to your personal computer. Whether you're working in laboratory research or indus- trial process con- trol, our single boards can give you measurement and control capabilities without having to spend big bucks. And who knows that better than the leading sup- plier of low cost data acquisition boards, systems, and software? Our boards include A/D with programmable gain, D/A, digital I/O, clock and direct memory access capabilities. With power and performance to match your PC, our analog interfaces provide 12 or 16-bit A/D resolution and direct connection for high or low level signal inputs. And these boards just plug into the PC's backplane. No messy external boxes or cables. User input connec- tions are simple with our compatible line of screw terminal panels. DATA ACQUISITION FOR PC'S film IBM PC" X X X X X APPLE II™ X X Tl PROFESSIONAL" X X X X X DEC RAINBOW" X X X X X COMPAQ™ Portable X X X X X Data Translation is the leading supplier of personal computer hardware and software for data acquisition and control. Comprehensive user manuals with many programming examples get you up and running fast. So why look any further? No other analog I/O systems can offer PC users such quality, power and performance for such a reason- able price. After all, making data acquisition easy is what we're all about. And that's no illusion. Call (617)481-3700, Ext. PC DATATRANSLATION World Headquarters: Data Translation Inc., 100 Locke Dr.. Marlboro, MA 01752 (617) 481-370011x951-646. European Headquarters: Data Translation, Ltd.. 430 Bath Rd,, Slough, Berkshire SLI 6BB England (06286) 3412 Tlx 849-862. In Canada: (416) 625-1907. IBM PC is a registered trademark of IBM. Apple II is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Corp. Tl Profes- sional is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments, Inc. DEC Rainbow is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corp. COMPAQ is a registered trademark of COMPAQ Computer Corp. Event Queue. ference is sponsored by the Virginia Tech Student Chap- ter of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) and the computer science department of Virginia Tech. Topics include modeling and simulation, STARS and Japanese fifth-generation computers, and microcom- puters. For information, con- tact Suzanne Nagy or Roger Goff, VCUC-14, 562 McBryde Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacks- burg, VA 24061. April 13-15 The International Personal Robotics Congress and Ex- position, Convention Center, Albuquerque, NM. Interna- tional corporations and high- technology executives can view the latest in robots de- signed to serve personal needs. For details, contact Al- buquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc., POB 26866, Albuquerque, NM 87125-6866, (505) 243-3696. April 13-15 Interstellar Personal Com- puter Show, Interstate Fair- grounds, Spokane, WA. For details, contact Heymac Pro- motions, East 3607 33rd, Spokane, WA 99203, (509) 534-3661 (mornings) or (509) 327-4842 (afternoons). April 13-15 Microcomputers and Basic Skills in College, Instruc- tional Resource Center, City University of New York, NY. Papers will explore the use of microcomputers in post-sec- ondary school basic-skills in- struction, including English as a second language, read- ing, writing, and speech. Ad- dress inquiries to Geoffrey Akst, Conference Chair, In- structional Resource Center, City University of New York, 535 East 80th St., New York, NY 10021, (212) 794-5425. April 14 Third Semi-annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Asso- ciation of Computer-using Educators, Simmons College, Boston, MA. This meeting will feature demonstrations on the uses of computers in the classroom. Contact Dr. Leonard Huber, Hampshire Educational Collaborative, Center School, 36 Hadley St., South Hadley, MA 01075, (413) 534-4563. April 14-15 The Ninth Annual Trenton Computer Festival, Trenton State College, NJ. More than 100 commercial exhibitors will complement five acres of flea-market tables. Contact Marilyn Hughes, Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ 08625, (609) 771-2487. April 16-18 Softside of Software, Loew's L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Wash- ington, DC. For details, see March 12-14. April 16-18 Videotex '84, Chicago, IL. The focus of this interna- tional conference and exhibi- tion is commercial applica- tions and activities of video- tex. For details, contact Sally Summers, London Online Inc., Suite 1190, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121, (212) 279-8890. April 17-19 IPAD II, Marriott Hotel, Denver, CO. This is the sec- ond national symposium to promote a wider awareness of the technology surround- ing the Integrated Program for Aerospace-vehicle Design (IPAD). The focus will be on advances in distributed data- base management technol- ogy to support integrated CAD/CAM requirements. It is sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration, the Department of the Navy, and the Indus- try Technical Advisory Board for IPAD. Information is available from the IPAD Proj- ect Office, Mail Stop 246, 450 BYTE March 1984 Circle 116 on inquiry card. Up—*' ,-N°o^ . NE W PBOOUCTO- Before Johann Sebastian Bach developed a new method of tuning, you had to change instruments practically every time you wanted to change keys. Very difficult. Before Avocet introduced its family of cross-assemblers, developing micro-pro- cessor software was much the same. You needed a separate development system for practically every type of processor. Very difficult and very expensive. But with Avocet's cross-assemblers, a single computer can develop software for virtually any microprocessor! Does that put us in a league with Bach? You decide. The Well-Tempered Cross-Assembler Development Tools That Work Avocet cross-assemblers are fast, reliable and user-proven in over 3 years of actual use. Ask NASA, IBM, XEROX or the hun- dreds of other organizations that use them . Every time you see a new microprocessor- based product, there's a good chance it was developed with Avocet cross- assemblers. Avocet cross-assemblers are easy to use. They run on any computer with CP/M* and process assembly language for the most popular microprocessor families. 5 l A" disk formats available at no extra cost include Osborne, Xerox, H-P, IBM PC, Kaypro, North Star, Zenith, Televideo, Otrona, DEC. Turn Your Computer Into A Complete Development System Of course, there's more. Avocet has the tools you need from start to finish to enter, assemble and test your software and finally castitinEPROM: Text Editor VEDIT « full-screen text edi- tor by CompuView. Makes source code entry a snap. Full -screen text editing, plus TECO-like macro facility for repetitive tasks. Pre-configured for over 40 terminals and personal computers as well as in user- configurable form , CP/M-80 version $150 CP/M-86 or MDOS version $195 (when ordered with any Avocet product) EPROM Programmer Model 7128 EPROM Programmer by GTek programs most EPROMS without the need for per- sonality modules. Self-contained power supply . . . accepts ASCII commands and data from any computer through RS 232 serial interface. Cross-assembler hex ob- ject files can be down-loaded directly. Commands include verify and read, as well as partial programming. PROM types supported: 2508, 2758, 2516, 2716, 2532, 2732, 2732A, 27C32, MCM8766, 2564, 2764, 27C64, 27128, 8748, 8741, 8749, 8742, 8751, 8755, plus Seeq and Xicor EEPROMS. Avocet Cross-assembler Target Microprocessor CP/M-80 Version •CP/M-86 IBM PC, MSDOS** Versions • •XASMZ80 Z-80 $250.00 each •XASM85 8085 XASM05 6805 $200.00 each XASM09 6809 XASM18 1802 XASM48 8048/8041 XASM51 8051 XASM65 6502 XASM68 6800/01 XASMZ8 Z8 XASMF8 F8/3870 $300.00 each XASM400 COP400 XASM75 NEC 7500 $500.00 Coming soon: X/ VSM68K... 68000 (Upgrade kits will be available for new PROM types as they are introduced.) Programmer $389 Options include: • Software Driver Package -- • enhanced features, no installation • required. • CP/M-80 Version $75 • IBM PC Version $ 95 RS 232 Cable $30 8748 family socket adaptor ... $ 98 8751 family socket adaptor . . . $174 • 8755 family socket adaptor . . . $135 • G7228 Programmer by GTek baud • to 2400 ... superfast, adaptive program - • ming algorithms ... programs 2764 in one • minute. • Programmer $499 • Ask us about Gang and PAL programmers. • HEXTRAN Universal HEX File Con- • verter - Converts to and from Intel, • Motorola, MOS Technology, Mostek, • RCA, Fairchild, Tektronix, Texas • Instruments and Binary formats. • Converter, each version $250 Call Us If you're thinking about development sys- tems, call us for some straight talk. If we don't have what you need, we'll help you find out who does. If you like, we'll even talk about Bach . CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-448-8500 (In the U.S. except Alaska and Hawaii) VISA and Mastercard accepted All popular disc formats now available -- please specify. Prices do not include shipping and handling - call for exact quotes. OEM INQUIRIES INVITED. 'Trademark of Digital Research 'Trademark of Microsoft AVOCET /f SYSTEMS INC. DEPT 384-B 804 SOUTH STATE STREET DOVER, DELAWARE 19901 302-734-01 51 TELEX 46721 Circle 37 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 451 Event Queue. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665, (804) 865-2888. , April 18-19 Minnesota Office Systems Association Symposium and Exhibition, Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, MN. Speakers, more than 100 exhibits, and 21 seminars will highlight this eleventh anniversary event focusing on "Evolving Technologies." Further infor- mation is available from the Minnesota Office Systems Association, FOB 2144, Loop Station, Minneapolis, MN 55402-0144, (612) 293-1395. April 18-20 The 1984 Rocky Mountain Data Processing Expo & Conference, Denver, CO. This is the seventh annual expo sponsored by the Mile High Chapter of the Data Processing Management As- sociation. Displays will in- clude mini- and microcom- puters, word processors, software, educational ser- vices, and network systems. It is being held in conjunc- tion with the DPMAs Region 4 conference. For informa- tion, contact Industrial Pre- sentations West Inc., Suite 304, 3090 South Jamaica Court, Aurora, CO 80014, (303) 696-6100. April 23-27 Auditing in the Contem- porary Computer Environ- ment, Philadelphia, PA. For details, see March 12-16. April 24-25 Workspace 84, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA. This second annual confer- ence and exposition, spon- sored by National Fairs Inc., will be devoted to the con- cerns of the automated office. For details, contact Charley Yourd, National Fairs Inc., The Little Board Quantity One... $349* The world's simplest and least expensive single board computer *Substantiat Quantity discounts available • 4mHz ZSOAt CPU, 64K RAM • Two RS232 serial ports • Mini floppy controller • Parallel printer port • On-board -12V converter • Only 5.75 * 7.75 inches • Power Requirement: +5VDC @ ,75A; +12VDC @ .05A • Screws directly onto a mini floppy drive All this... and CP/M 2*2 also! 1 Z80A is a registered trademark of Zilog, Inc. COMPUTERS. INCORPORATED I ' CP/m is a registered trademark of Digital Research ^67 East Evelyn Ave. • Mountain view, CA 94041 • (41 5) 962-0230 J J 1902 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94109. April 26-28 Science Park '84^ New Haven, CT. This microcomputer con- ference and exposition is de- signed for small-business ex- ecutives. For details, contact Science Park '84, Five Science Park, New Haven, CT 06511, (203) 436-3089. May 1984 May-July Courses from Integrated Computer Systems, various sites throughout the U.S. Among the courses to be pre- sented are "Designing with 16-bit Micros," "Program- ming in C: A Hands-on Workshop," and "Hands-on Unix Workshop." The fee for each course is $895. Enroll- ment details are available from Ruth Dordick, Inte- grated Computer Systems, 6305 Arizona Place, POB 45405, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (213) 417-8888. May 1-3 Electronic Production Effi- ciency Exposition, National Exhibition Centre, Birming- ham, England. This exhibi- tion brings together various organizations involved in producing hardware and software for automated fac- tories. Technical sessions will cover such issues as com- puter-aided design and manufacturing, integration, test diagnosis and repair sys- tems, and electronic-manu- facturing assembly tech- niques. Contact Network Events Ltd., Printers Mews, Market Hill, Buckingham, MK18 1JX, England; tel: (0280) 815226; Telex: 83111. May 4-6 The Serious Computer Show, Currigan Hall, Denver, CO. Conference topics include "Reducing Information Stor- age Costs Through Micro- graphics," "Software Integra- tion for the '80s," and "The Law as It Relates to the Com- puter World." Microcom- puters, peripherals, services, accessories, and supplies will be exhibited. For complete particulars, contact Industrial Presentations West Inc., Suite 304, 3090 South Jamaica Court, Aurora, CO 80014, (303) 696-6100. May 5 The Sixth Annual Computer Conference for Educators, Lesley College, Cambridge, MA. Panel discussions, more than 20 presentations, and sessions that include hands- on workshops on software in science, social science, lan- guage arts, and mathematics will be offered. Additional in- formation is available from Susan Friel or Nancy Roberts, Lesley College, 29 Everett St., Cambridge, MA 02238, (617) 868-9600. May 7-9 EDP Audit, Controls, and Security Symposium, Wood- field Hyatt House, Wood- field, IL. This symposium provides seminars, work- shops, and exhibits relating to the state of the art in elec- tronic data-processing audit- ing. Address inquiries to EDP Audit Associates Inc., POB 255, Chicago Ridge, IL 60415, (312) 582-4622. May 7-11 Tutorials for Professional Development, Marriott O'Hare, Chicago, IL. Two tracks, "Software Engineer- ing" and "Networks and Communications," compose this program sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society and the Association for Com- puting Machinery. For a copy of the program, contact Tutorials for Professional De- velopment, POB 639, Silver Spring, MD 20901, (301) 589-8142. 452 BYTE March 1984 Circle 25 on inquiry card. TIME is MONEY PrintMate™ 150 doesn't waste either. You can't afford to waste time waiting for your printer to finish before your computer can move on to something else. The PrintMate™ 150 is designed for THRUPUT. The large print buffers, high speed space skip and fast paper advance combine to generate 'usable' speed, not simply impressive spec sheet figures! With the PrintMate™ 1 50's unusually large buffers, you can print and process simultaneously. NO WAITING. Most printers have very small buffers - 2K or 4K at most. Our 1 50 CPS wide carriage PrintMate™ 1 50 comes standard with a 4K buffer which is expandable to 20K, 36K, or 68K. MPI offers the biggest buffers in the business! The PrintMate™ 150 has other outstanding features like an optional SoftSwitch™ front panel keypad and a fast and impressive near letter quality mode. Our exclusive applications packages (AP- PAKS), providing enhanced graphics printing along with a vast selection of decorative type styles, are available for selected microcomputers. At a suggested list price of $1045, the PrintMate™ 150 won't take your life's savings either. STOP WASTING TIME AND MONEY. BUY A PRINTMATE™ 150 FROM MPI - The American Printer Company! Call Us For More Information At: 1-800-821-8848 Model shown with optional SoftSwitch™ keypad Micro Peripherals, Inc. 4426 South Century Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84123 (801)263-3081 Circle 256 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 453 Event Queue. May 9-11 Session 84, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This is the annual national conference of the Canadian Information Pro- cessing Society. The theme is "1984: Images of Fear, Images of Hope" Parallel seminars, panel discussions, technical papers, and exhibits of hard- ware, software, and services will assist in the exchange of views between users and suppliers. Conference infor- mation can be obtained from Ms. Marilyn Harris, Suite 722, Suncor Tower, 500 4th Ave. SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 2V6, Canada, (403) 261-5903. May 12-14 Softwest '84, Regency Hotel and Conference Center, Denver, CO. This conference and exhibition features semi- nars, lectures, and panel discussions on software, equipment, and peripherals for Apple and IBM com- puters. For information, con- tact Colorado Conference Group, Suite C, 3312 Cripple Creek, Boulder, CO 80303, (303) 499-1034. May B-17 Computer Graphics '84, Convention Center, Ana- heim, CA. This is the fifth annual conference and ex- position sponsored by the National Computer Graphics Association (NCGA). For details contact the NCGA, 8401 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax, VA 22031, (703) 698-9600. May 14-16 Annual Conference of ADCIS, Ohio State Univer- sity, Columbus. This annual conference is sponsored by the Association for the Devel- opment of Computer-based Instructional Systems (AD- CIS). Papers and demonstra- tions of hardware, software, and courseware will empha- size portability. For details, contact ADCIS International Headquarters, 409 Miller Hall, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, (206) 676-2860. May 15-17 . Criminal Justice Systems Conference, Virginia Com- monwealth University, Rich- mond, VA. Presentations and panel discussions on recent developments in criminal justice applications of com- puter technology are planned. Additional sessions will address the uses of microcomputers in law en- forcement. The fee is $20. In- formation is available from Ben Wood, Department of Criminal Justice Services, 805 East Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219, (804) 786-4000. May 15-17 Micro City '84, Exhibition Complex, Bristol, England. More than 100 companies will exhibit computers, busi- ness systems, and communi- cations equipment. For com- plete details, contact Tomor- row's World Exhibitions Ltd., 9 Park Place, Clifton, Bristol BS8 ljp, England; tel: (0272) 292156/7. May 16-18 Teaching Math with Micro- computers, Marriott Hotel, Miami, FL. This program, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Math- ematics (NCTM), is designed to inform elementary, inter- mediate, and secondary school teachers of mathe- matics how to effectively use the microcomputer as a class- room tool. For further infor- mation, contact NCTM, 1906 Association Dr., Reston, VA 22091, (703) 620-9840. In Less Than 3 Minutes Your IBM Model 50, 60, 65, 75, or 85 Electronic Typewriter can be an RS232C PRINTER or TERMINAL CALIFORNIA MICRO COMPUTER Models 5060 and 5061 can be installed easily and require NO modifications to the typewriter. For additional information contact: CALIFORNIA MICRO COMPUTER 17791 Jamestown Lane Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (714) 848-3947 SAVE MORE THAN EVER ON 3M SCOTCH DISKETTES! NEW, LOWER PRICES. Come share in the benefits of Disk World's mammoth buying power. . . buy genuine 3M Scotch diskettes at the lowest prices you'll ever see., .less than half of what you'd pay in the store. All 3M Scotch diskettes are factory packed in cartons of 10 with Tyvec envelopes, labels and reinforced hubs (on 5 '/i" only). LIFETIME WARRANTY! $-|88 m *"" D0 $063 I city, so 5 1 /4"DSDDea.| (Kp Q™ 50 Other 5W Diskettes: 8" Diskettes: 5V4"SSQD $2.89ea.* 8"SSSD $2.02 ea. 5WDSQD $3.95 ea.* 8"SSDD $2.49 ea. 8"DSDD $3.25 ea. Add 5 cents per diskette for quantities less than 50. 'indicates Quantity 20 prices. 3M HEAD CLEANING DISKETTE -Non abrasive cleaning kit contains 2 cleaning diskettes and 30 packettes of cleaning fluid $23.00 + $1.50 Shpng. ^KSL DISKETTE 70— Holds 70 5W diskettes in dust mr*L ^L W free safet y $M - 95 + 3 - 00 Sh P n 9- * ~^r%^*^ DISK CADDIES— FI 'P U P st V ,e holds 10 5% " diskettes . . $1.65 + .20 Shpng. «"ir "®#gm& FLIP N" FILE— New style holds 50 diskettes in more style and safety than ever. A $39,95 retail value $26.95 + $5.00 Shpng. For the lowest priced, highest quality diskettes, storage cases, printer ribbons and computer paper products, get our catalog. Free with your order; $1.00 otherwise. BONUS! Every catalog contains $15.00 worth of bonus coupons. SHIPPING: 5W DISKETTES— Add $3.00 per 100 diskettes or fraction thereof. 8" DISKETTES— Add $4,00 per 100 diskettes or fraction thereof. OTHER ITEMS: Add shipping charges as shown in ad. PAYMENT: VISA or MC. COD orders, add $3.00. Taxes: Illinois residents, add 8% sales tax. Nationwide: 1-800-621-6827 In Illinois: 1-312-944-2788 Minimum Order: $35.00 WE WILL BEAT ANY NATIONALLY ADVERTISED PRICE! DISK WORLD! Suite 4806 • 30 East Huron Street • Chicago, Illinois 60611 Authorized Distributor Information Processing Products 454 BYTE March 1984 .ook at what the best modem has been reduced to. Our engineers have come up with some state-of-the-art LSI technology and a whole new modem. It's smaller. J-Cat is about l/5th the size of an ordinary modem. Easy to stick-on, tuck- in, put anywhere you want. It's better. J -Cat does the things you need for professional performance. No fussing to get it into the right answer or originate mode; it does it auto- matically. LED s show you status; and audio "beeps" tell you when you reach a busy signal, detect a carrier, get a dial tone, etc. And you can hook it into any modular RJ11C phone jack. It COStS less. If you ve shopped around, you know a modem with close to these fea- tures costs $250 or more. Our LSI technology has let us do the right thing with the price, too. Suggested retail — $149. Smaller is definitely better. See your dealer. He has them right now. The Novation J-CAT TM J-CAT FEATURES: Direct Connect, FCC ■ Dialtone/Busy Status at Serial 'art 68 Registered ■ Auto Answer ■ Auto Search (Originate or Answer Mode) ■ Disconnect/Test Key ■ Connect/ Break Key ■ Self-Test ■ Audio Line Status Indicator I/O Connector • Off Hook Control at Serial I/O Connector ■ Compatible With EIA-RS232C or TTL Interfaces ■ Low Power ■ And it's from Novation, the world's leader in personal communications. Novation 20409 Prairie Street, Box 2875 Chatsworth, CA 91311 (800) 423-5419 In California: (213)996-5060 Circle No. 75 on Free Information Card Event Queue. May 19 The Seventh Annual Show & Tell Microcomputer Con- ference, University of Okla- homa Mathematics and Physical Science Complex, Norman, OK. Computer hobbyists are invited to speak briefly, demonstrate an exam- ple of their presentation, and answer questions in a Show & Tell period. For details, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Show & Tell, Dr. Richard Andree, University of Oklahoma, Mathematics Department, 601 Elm St., Norman, OK 73019. May 20-23 The Thirteenth Mid-Year Meeting of the American So- ciety for Information Sci- ence, Indiana University, Bloomington. The theme for this meeting is 'The Micro Revolution: Implications for the Information Age." Joseph Weizenbaum, author of Com- puter Power and Human Reason and a computer science pro- fessor at MIT, will speak. For more information, contact Stephen Harter, School of Library and Information Sci- ence, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, (812) 335-5113. May 20-25 The Fourth Jerusalem Con- ference on Information Tech- nology— JOT, Jerusalem, Israel. Papers, panel discus- sions, workshops, and ex- hibits will emphasize soft- ware engineering and manu- facturing related to the theme of this international event, the "Next Decade in Informa- tion Technology." Until April 30, the registration fee is $200. After that date, the fee is $225. Isratech '84, the na- tional exhibition of high tech- nology, runs concurrently with JCIT. For information on Isratech '84, contact the Gov- ernment of Israel Trade Center, 350 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10118, (212) 560- 0660. For details on JCIT, con- tact the Fourth Jerusalem Conference on Information Technology, POB 29313, 61292 Tel Aviv, Israel; tel: (03) 258-535. May 22-23 AAMSI Congress 1984— The Third Spring Joint National Congress, Hilton Hotel, San Francisco, CA. Invited and contributed papers, special sessions, tutorials, reviews, panel discussions, and dem- onstrations will explore the applications of computers and information technology and systems to all fields of medicine. A dozen profes- sional organizations have joined the American Associa- tion for Medical Systems and Informatics (AAMSI) as pro- gram sponsors. For par- ticulars, contact AAMSI, Suite 402, 4405 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 657-4142. May 22-25 COMDEX/Spring, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta. For details, contact the Interface Group, 300 First Ave., Needham, MA 02194, (800) 325-3330; in Massa- chusetts, (617) 449-6600. May 22-26 Oficomp Korea 84— The In- ternational Korean Office and Information Manage- ment Exhibition and Con- ference, Korea Exhibition Center, Seoul, South Korea. Exhibits will include demon- strations of computers, com- munications equipment, and business machines. Contact Clapp & Poliak International, POB 70007, Washington, DC 20088, (301) 657-3090. May 23-24 Automach-Australia '84, Royal Hall of Industries Showground, Sydney. This trade show serves to update Australian manufacturing in- dustries on automated, in- tegrated factory systems in- corporating numerically con- trolled machinery, CAD/ CAM, and robotics. Contact SME World Headquarters, One SME Dr., POB 930, Dearborn, MI 48121, (313) 271-1500. In Australia, contact Mr. Greco, Howard Rotavator Pty., POB 82, Parramatta 2150, New South Wales, Australia; tel: 630-1231; Telex: AA21328. May 23-24 The 1984 Trends and Ap- plications Conference, Na- tional Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD. Presenta- tions will address current systems and applications as well as research into ad- vanced concepts relating to the theme, "Making Data- base Work." Information can be obtained from Trends and Applications 84, POB 639, Silver Spring, MD 20901, (301) 921-3491. May 23-25 The Eighth Conference on Computer Applications in Radiology, Stouffer's River- front Towers, St. Louis, MO. Patient information systems, personal computers and computers for the private of- fice, teleradiology, computer- assisted instruction, and ar- tificial intelligence are a few of the topics to be covered. Exhibits are included. The fee is $350. For details, contact American College of Radio- logy, 20 North Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606, (800) 227- 5463; in Illinois, (312) 236-4963. May 23-25 The Third Annual European Semiconductor Industry Conference, Hotel Kempin- ski, Berlin, West Germany. International industry leaders will discuss issues facing the semiconductor in- dustry. Contact Barbara Chupp, Dataquest Inc., 1290 Ridder Park Dr., San Jose, CA 95131, (408) 971-9000. May 29-31 Gulf Coast Computer and Office Show, New Orleans, LA. Speakers, technical ses- sions, and product displays will highlight this exhibition. For full details, contact Gulf Coast Computer and Office Show, 119 Avant Garde Cir- cle, Kenner, LA 70062, (504) 467-9949. ■ In order to gain optimal coverage of your organizations com- puter conferences, seminars, workshops, courses, etc., notice should reach our office at least three months in advance of the date of the event. Entries should be sent to: Event Queue, BYTE Publications, POB 372, Hancock, MH 03449. Each month the cover date and the two following calendar months. Thus a given event may appear as many as three times in this section if it is sent to us far enough in advance. Call for Papers The conference chairper- son for COMPCON Fall 1984 (September" 16-19, Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arl- ington, VA) has issued a call for papers on the theme "The Small Computer (R)evolution." Suitable topics include user friendliness, embedded systems, and the architecture of small computer applica- tions and products. Send three copies of your 1000- to 5000-word paper to Joe Batz, Small Computer (Revolu- tion, POB 639, Silver Spring, MD 20901, before April 2.B The Mi cromi nt Collection Micromint. Supporting the varied projects that appear in Steve Ciarcia's monthly article in BYTE Magazine, "Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar. " Offering a wide range of computers and peripherals designed to meet the exacting demands of the hobbyist as well as worldwide corporate clients. TERM-MITE ST SMART TERMINAL BOARD As featured in Ciarcia's Circuit Ceifar BYTE Magazine, January 4 February 1984 All you need to build a Smart Video Terminal equiva- lent to the types advertised lor $1,000.00 or more is a Term-Mite ST circuit board, scanned or parallel key- board, video monitor and power supply. • Uses brand new Nat' I Semi NS455A Terminal Processor. • 24 lines by 80 characters, 25th reverse-video status. • Upper & lowercase. Line (block) graphics. • Selectable data rate, panty & display options • Reverse video, half intensity, double height & width, underlined, blinking and/or blank character. • Separate sync or composite video output. Self Test. Term-Mite ST Video Display Terminal Board BCC22 Assembled & Tested $284. BCC23 Complete Kit 244. MPX-16 MICROCOMPUTER IBM PC COMPATIBLE Z8 BASIC SYSTEM CONTROLLER NEW!!! As featured on the cover of BYTE Magazine. Also featured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar November, December 1982 & January 1983 The Computer With A Split Personality. —Use tt as an IBM PC look alike that directly boots PC DOS 1 .1 and accepts all expansion boards designed for the IBM PC. — Use it as a powerful 8088 single board computer for all your OEM applications. Just add serial ter- minal, disk drive and power supply. Directly boots CP/M-86. Buy the MPX-16 in the form that best meets your ■ needs or budget. As a bare board, as a wave soldered board that contains all components less ICs, as an assembled and tested circuit board or as a complete 'system. • Directly boots PC DOS 1.1 and CP/M-86. • Most IBM PC software executes with no modifications. • IBM PC bus compatible + 9 expansion slots. • Intel 8088 16-bit microprocessor. • Optional Intel 8087 math coprocessor • 256K bytes on board memory. • Up to one megabyte of system memory • Up to 64K bytes of system ROM/EPROM. • 2 RS-232C Serial & 3 Parallel I/O ports. • Disk controller for 5V4" or 8" drives. • Sixteen levels of vectored interrupts. MPX-16 Circuit Board Assembled W/64KRAM $1,200. OEM100 quantity price 900. MPX-16 Circuit Board Asembled W/256KRAM. 1,400. MPX-16 Semi-Kit (wave soldered circuit board w/all components) Less ICs 595. Complete Kit ot ICs w 256K RAM 595. MPX-16 Unpopulated (bare) PC Board ... 300. CP'M-86 Operating System • Manuals ... 80. MPX-16 Switching Power Supply 300. MPX-16 Technical Reference Manual 50. MPX-16 Metal Enclosure with Fan 300. Tandon TM 100-2 Double Sided Density Drive 300. IBM PC Keyboard Interface Adapter 100. Shipping & handling additional on all MPX-16 orders. IBM PC is a trademark ot International Business Machines Inc CP/M-86 is a trademark ot Digital Research Inc. Z8 is a trademark of Zilog Inc Circle 240 on inquiry card. As featured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar. BYTE Magazine, July & August 1981 Trie 28 Basic System Controller is an updated version of our popular BCC01 . The price has been reduced and features added. The entire computer is 4" by AW and includes a tiny BASIC interpreter, up to 6K bytes of RAM and EPROM, one RS-232C serial port with switchable baud rates and two parallel ports, BASIC or machine language programming is accomplished simply by connecting a CRT terminal. Programs can be transferred to 2732 EPROMs with an optional EPROM programmer for auto start applications. Addi- tional Z8 peripheral boards include memory expan- sion, serial and parallel I/O, real time clock, an A/D Converter and an EPROM programmer. • Uses Zilog Z8 single chip microprocessor • Data and address buses available for 124K memory. • Can be battery operated. • Cross assemblers for various computers. BCC11 Assembled & Tested $149. New Low Price Z8 MEMORY. I/O EXPANSION. CASSETTE INTERFACE • 8K bytes of additional RAM pr EPROM. • Three additional 8 bit parallel ports. • Cassette interface— 300 baud K.C. Standard. • Software real time clock. BCC03 w/4K RAM Assembled & Tested $150. BCC04 w/8K RAM Assembled & Tested 180. Z8 EPROM PROGRAMMER • Transfer BASIC or Assembly Language application programs from RAM to 2716 or 2732 EPROM. • Comes with programming & utility routines on EPROM. • Requires BCC03Z8 Expansion Board for operation. BCC07 Assembled & Tested $145. 28 ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER • Uses Analog Devices 7581 IC, 8-channel 8-bit. • Adds process control capability to the Z8 system • Over 1 ,000 conversions per channel per second. • Monitors 8 analog signals in one of two 1 0v ranges BCC13 Assembled & Tested $140. 28 SERIAL EXPANSION BOARD • Adds additional RS-232C and opto-isolated 20 ma. current loop serial port to the Z8 System. • Runs at 75 to 19,200 baud in all protocols. • Comes with listings of sample serial I/O routines. BCC08 Assembled & Tested $160. Z816K MEMORY EXPANSION BOARD • Add up to 16K of additional memory, RAM or EPROM, to your Z8 System Controller in any multiple • Accepts 2016, 6116, 2716, or 2732 memory types. • Four 16K cards may be installed on the Z8 System bringing the total memory to 64K. BCC14 Assembled & Tested w 8K RAM $120. 8CC16 Assembled & Tested w 16K RAM 155. COMING SOON! MICRO D-CAM FORTH LANGUAGE VERSION DIGITAL TV CAMERA OF THE 28 With the new Z8 with on board 4K FORTH you can program high speed control functions in a few simple high level language commands. Perfect for data reduction, process control and high speed control applications. BCC20 Z8F FORTH Microprocessor chip .... $150. BCC21 Z8F FORTH System Controller (This board is a BCC11 with a BCC20 installed) Assembled & Tested 280. 28 CROSS ASSEMBLERS Fmm Micro Resources IBM PC, APPLE, 6502 Systems 5V4", CP/M2.28" $ 75. From Allen Ashley TRS-80 Model I, III, Northstar 5V4 " 75. CP/M2.28 ".. , 150. 28 FIVE SLOT MOTHER BOARD • Expand your Z8 BASIC System with minimum effort. • Contains five slots complete w 44 pin connectors. MB02 Assembled & Tested $69. TRIPLE VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLIES +5V @ 300 ma. + / -12V @ 25 ma. UPS01 Assembled & Tested $35. UPS02 Complete Kit 27. +5V @ 1 Amp. + 12V @ .5 Amp. -12V @ 50 ma. UPS03 Assembled & Tested 60, UPS04 Complete Kit 50. SPEECH SYNTHESIZERS MICROVOX TEXT-TO-SPEECH SYNTHESIZER As featured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar BYTE Magazine September, October 1982. Microvox is a second generation professional voice quality text-to-speech synthesizer that is easily inter- faced to any computer, modern. RS-232C serial or parallel output device and provides speech of unbelievable clarity. • Unlimited vocabulary • 64 programmable inflection levels • 6K text-to-speech algorithm. • Full ASCII character set recognition and echo. • RS232C and parallel output. • 1000 character buffer, 3000 optional, • Adjustable baud rates (75-9600). • Spelling output mode. • 7 octave music and sound effects. • On board audio amplifier & power supply. • X-On'X-Off handshaking. MV01 Assembled with 1K buffer $299. MV02 Complete Kit with 1K buffer 219. Add $15.00 for 3K buffer option. VOTRAX SC-01A PHONETIC SPEECH SYNTHESIZER IC The SC-OIA Speech Synthesizer is a completely self- contained solid state device that phonetically syn- thesizes continuous speech of unlimited vocabulary. Used in our Microvox and Sweet-Talker SC01A Quantity1-99 W4.es. 100+ 32.ea. 1000+ 24. ea. As featured in Ciarcia 's Circuit Cellar BYTE Magazine, September & October 1983 GIVE YOUR COMPUTER THE DIMENSION OF SIGHT • Interprets, enhances and stores images. • 256 - 128 digital image sensor. • Plug-in boards for the IBM-PC, APPLE II i or e. • Software includes utilities for auto exposure, multi-level grayscale, screen dump and image enhancement. • Includes interface card, 4 foot extension cable, camera assembly, manual, and software on diskette 0C01 IBM PC Assembled & Tested $299. DC02 IBM PC Complete Kit 264. DC03 APPLE II Assembled & Tested 299. DC04 APPLE II Complete Kit 264, 300 BAUD ANSWER/ ORIGINATE MODEM KIT As featured in Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar BYTE Magazine, March 1983 Micrommt's latest 300 Baud Modem Kit is crystal controlled, uses the Tl TMS99532 IC, contains just 25 parts and requires no calibration or adjustments Use with acoustic coupler or in direct connect mode MD04 Complete Kit as shown $60. MD05 Transformer for Direct Connect Mode . . 9. Acoustic Coupler Kit 20. E-Z COLOR GRAPHIC INTERFACE WITH SPRITES APPLE It E-Z Color plug-in board with Graphics Editor on 3.3 disk EZ01 Assembled & Tested $150. E202 Complete Kit 125. APPLE II E-Z Color Plus • Allows the use of a single monitor or TV set EZ11 Assembled & Tested w Graphics Editor . $200. KRELL LOGO for E-Z Color and E-Z Color Plus Supports Sprite Graphics. E221 Krell LOGO w full documentation $89. Animation Software for E-Z Color Plus • Draw with Sprites using Joystick or Koala Pad. • Animate Sprites from your own BASIC program EZ21 Animation Software $49, $100 E-Z Color Graphics Board • With sound generator & joystick interface. • MBASIC Graphics Editor on 8" diskette. EZ04 Assembled & Tested $289. MICROMINT INC. 561 Willow Avenue. Cedarhurst, NY 11516 To Order: Call Toll Free 1-800-645-3479 For Information Call: 1-516-374-6793 Call: Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM Clubs and Newsletters interest for realty profes- sionals. REINET takes special interest in the TRS-80 Model 100. A quarterly publication, REINFO, is produced. Mem- bership requires a one-time connect charge of $100; the hourly rate is $4.50. For mem- bership information, send a self-addressed, stamped en- velope to REINET, POB 257, Nyack, NY 10960, or call CompuServe 72235,301. board listings, an education column, product briefs, classified advertisements, and events. Nontechnical ar- ticles and paid advertising are accepted. Single issues are $1 and subscriptions are $12 a year. For information, contact Home Business News, 12221 Beaver Pike, Jackson, OH 45640. Computer & Program Ex- change Club (CAPEC DEP- D), POB 1142, Oak Ridge, TN 37831. Visitors Welcome In Atlanta The Atlanta IBM-PC Users Group, a nonprofit corpora- tion that assists users of the IBM Personal Computer and similar personal or desktop computers, welcomes visitors to its monthly meetings. General meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. and business-users meetings con- vene at the same time on the third Wednesday of every month. The club maintains a software library, a bulletin board, and a monthly news- letter, Atlanta PC News, A dis- count is offered to members at local computer stores. An- nual dues are $20 a year. For details, contact the Atlanta IBM-PC Users Group Inc., POB 76516, Atlanta, GA 30358, or call Will Macoy at (404) 433-4500. Dues for News or Floppies The Robin Owners Group is a nonprofit group dedi- cated to spreading informa- tion to owners and users of the DEC Robin (VT180). A newsletter is produced and costs $2 for every four issues. Floppy disks containing public-domain software are $2 and include a formatted disk. For details, contact John Cornelia, 2 Mockingbird Lane, Maynard, MA 01754. An Original Eye Opener Over Hill, Over Dale The Original Apple II Its is a nonprofit organization that meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in San Francisco. The newsletter, Open Apple Gazette, is produced monthly and contains articles on im- portant points about the Apple III. Annual member- ship is $30. Further details are available from Original Apple Hlrs, 1850 Union St. #494, San Francisco, CA 94123. Field Portable Computing, an independent quarterly news- letter produced by Break- through Inc., contains prod- uct reviews, industry trends, analyses, and information of interest to both users and manufacturers of battery- operated briefcase-style com- puters. Single issues are $15; an annual subscription is $48. For details, contact Break- through Inc., POB 230, Logan, UT 84321, (801) 753-7555. Mother Hubbard Invites Women The Mother Hubbard Users Group meets every month, alternating between mornings and evenings to allow all members to par- ticipate. This women's user group is designed to in- troduce computer novices to the uses of the Apple com- puter. Meetings are free and are held either in the Long Beach/West Orange County area of California or at Com- puKids Inc. in Seal Beach. For details, contact Dory Spencer at (213) 438-5643 or Mary Kay Toumajian at (213) 597-6330, or write to Compu- Kids Inc., Rossmoor Shop- ping Center, 12385 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach, CA 90740, (213) 430-7226. Windy City Atarians Suburban Chicago Atarians (SCAT) is an independent computer users group that meets on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. A monthly newsletter contain- ing articles, minutes of the meetings, and programs is produced. Membership is $15 annually, which includes a subscription to the newslet- ter. Write to SCAT, POB 72266, Roselle, IL 60172. Model 100 Club in Britain Printscreen In the Bay Area Users of the TRS-80 Model 100 in England have formed a club to ensure the ma- chine's capabilities are real- ized. A quarterly newsletter is planned. An annual sub- scription is £12. Send a self- addressed envelope for de- tails to REMSOFT, 18 George St., Brighton BN2 1RH, England. The Stanford/Palo Alto Users Group for the IBM PC meets at 7 p.m. on the last Wednesday of every month. The monthly newsletter, PrtSc, is free with an annual $25 membership. For infor- mation, write to Linda de Sosa, POB 3738, Stanford, CA 94305, or call (415) 856-6281. A Real Network The Real Estate Informa- tion Network Inc. (REINET) provides programs and other information for real estate professionals, appraisers, in- vestors, syndicators, brokers, property managers, and at- torneys. It supports various newsletters, a financial data- base, current sales and ren- tal data, and other items of 458 BYTE March 1984 Apples in Oak Ridge Users of Apple, Franklin, and compatible computers are welcome to join a club in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that meets to exchange knowl- edge, skills, and software in the areas of members 7 inter- ests. An annual membership is $15. For details, contact the The Cottage Industry Cottage Computing, a monthly publication from Home Business News, con- tains the latest information on computer-based busi- nesses, book and software re- views, and business tech- niques. It contains bulletin- C-64 Users of the South Bay The South Bay Commo- dore 64 Users Group meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month to discuss problems, programs, and hardware. Classes and seminars are offered and a monthly newsletter is planned. For details, contact the South Bay Commodore 64 Users Group, POB 3193, San Ysidro, CA 92073. North American Readout The North American Com- puter Service Association (NAC/SA) is composed of charter memberships by par- ticipating companies and cor- porations. NAC/SA promotes the development of com- puter maintenance, services, and industry. The group of- fers courses, conducts sur- veys, sponsors conferences, and produces a newsletter en- titled Readout. Associate mem- ber dues for corporations are based on the size of the company; a flat rate is avail- able for individuals and edu- cational institutions. For ad- ditional information, contact David Glascock, NAC/SA, 227 North Magnolia #202, Orlando, FL 32801, (305) 442-2000. Virginia's Technical Network CPro Users Group, a na- tional users group for owners and users of Godbout's Com- pupro, is designed for techni- cal people to share informa- tion, solutions, and applica- tions. A monthly newsletter is produced, a bulletin board is maintained, and publica- tion of the member list is an- ticipated. Membership is $10. For details, contact Curt Hess, CPro Users Group, POB 1474, Woodbridge, VA 22193, (703) 690-3312. What You Can Do For Your Club The Society of Pet Han- dlers for Information Ex- change (SPHINX) is a Com- modore users group in the San Francisco area. Meetings and classes are held, a news- letter is produced, and a bulletin board is maintained. SPHINX also distributes public-domain software and equipment. Suggestions are welcome. Annual member- ship dues are $24. For infor- mation, send $2 for a catalog, or contact SPHINX, 267 Ar- lington Ave., Kensington, CA 94707, (415) 527-9286. Compucats of Maryland The Compucats Computer Club, sponsored by the Soft- ware Development Company of Aberdeen, Maryland, opens the monthly meetings to all those interested in com- puting. Although the focus is on Commodore computers, many members own other systems. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Tues- day of each month and in- clude demonstrations. The club sponsors shows and programming contests. A monthly program disk and a monthly newsletter entitled The Compucats Chronicle are produced. Dues are $15 a year and provide members with access to the club-main- tained library of hardware and software. For details, write to Betty Jane Schueler, Compucats Computer Club, 680 West Bel Air Ave., Aber- deen, MD 21001, or call (301) 272-4195. Japanese Atari Club An Atari users group, the Ryukyu Atari Motivators (RAM), welcomes new mem- bers, information, and news- letter exchanges. RAM is an affiliate of the Okinawa Com- puter Club, which serves users of many kinds of com- puters. For details, write W. Martin Justice, PSC#2, Box 11165, APO SF, CA 96367. Introducing the 64K BYTE MODULE... VK64-1-8V 8 DYNAMIC RAM CHIPS IN I COMPACT UNIT. SCHEMATIC r®=4 I DATA IN .©= *OPTJON FOR PARITY BIT REQUIRED SYSTEMS. Featuring • 40% to 70% reduction in PC. board area • Possible reduction from 4 to 2-layer mother board • Compactness gives shorter distances, lower distributed capacitance, higher speeds, less support components • Higher speed, reliability due to lower chip temperatures • Single +5V operation, expand in 64K byte increments • 1 00% tested: each chip as well as the module is tested • 200 nanosecond access time is standard; faster available • 32-pin package • Designed to be pin for pin compatible with upcoming 256K Byte Module, available soon from VANKELL INDUSTRIES. NOW — Move up to the 64K Byte Module for maximum memory in the smallest amount of space! The 64K Byte Module is available in two sizes (vertical and horizontal). Each size may be ordered with parity bit option. Application notes for the Zilog Z80 and the Intel 8088 microprocessors will be shipped with each order. VERTICAL MODULES: 1 .05 H x 1 .71 x .5 W Model No. VK 64- 1 -8V $ 1 95.00 Model No. VK 64- 1 -9V (with parity bit) $209.00 HORIZONTAL MODULES: AS H x 1 .7 L x 1 .1 5 W Model No. VK 64- 1 -8H $ 1 95.00 Model No. VK 64- 1 -9H (with parity bit) $209.00 Also available ... a 64 x I x 4 module which is pin for pin com- patible with the 71-44 1 6 or an equivalent 16x1x4 chip. Model No. VK 64- 1-4 $11 2.00 ORDER TOLL FREE: (800) 521-0060 California residents call: (800) 521-81 65 Master charge, Visa, Bank Checks or Money Orders accepted. Mail orders accepted. California residents add 6.5% Sales Tax. All orders shipped UPS. Prepaid within continental U.S. For product information call (818) 793- 1 1 40 VANKELL INDUSTRIES 100 N. Hill Ave. • Ste. 203 • Pasadena, Ca. 91 106 Circle 368 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 459 Clubs and Newsletters. See BASIC News CBNews, the monthly newsletter of the CBASIC Compiler Users Group (CBUG), is produced by Soft- ware Magic for the benefit of CB80 users. It covers corpor- ate news, letters, new prod- ucts such as conversion tools, and bugs. Call the CB80 hot- line, (213) 765-3957, with problems or questions. A 12-issue subscription is $12. Contact CBNews, Software Magic, 11669 Valerio St. #213, North Hollywood, CA 91605, (213) 765-3957. National Capital Group for Apple Washington Apple Pi meets at 10 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month in Bethesda, Mary- land, on the campus of the National Naval Medical Center. Meetings include speakers and cover such topics as databases and the uses of personal computers by disabled persons. A sign interpreter and reserved seat- ing are provided. The club maintains a hotline serving 4000 members and produces a monthly publication. For further information, contact Washington Apple Pi, Suite 201, 8227 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 654-8060. Massachusetts CP/M Users Meet The Central Mass CP/M Users Group welcomes CP/M and VT-180 users to meetings held at 2 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The intention of the meetings is to dis- tribute information and there MICRO BEE SOFTWARE Manufacturing licences for the popular Australian designed Micro Bee computer have recently been granted to many com- panies throughout the world. MYTEK Computing is the largest and most respected producer of software for the Micro Bee Computer. MYTEK Computing invites dealers to sample its large and extensive range of Micro Bee Software. Micro Bee users are also invited to re- quest to be included on MYTEK Com- puting's free mailing list. Catalogues are air-mailed regularly to all parts of the world. mvcEc BSK COMPUTING 1 Kent Street, Bicton, 6157, Perth, Western Australia Telephone: (09) 330 7336 are no dues. For further de- tails, contact Brother Jim Smith, Saint John's High School 378 Main St., Shrewsbury, MA 01545, or call (617) 8454878. Applications for the Blind Raised Dot Computing Newsletter is free to owners of Braille-edit, a software pro- gram that works in print, braille, and voice. The monthly newsletter will cover the applications of small computers for the blind and for transcribers, low-cost braille devices and transla- tion, and voice synthesis. Subscriptions are available in the two forms of print or audio; 12 print issues cost $12 and 12 cassettes cost $20. A sample print issue is free; back issues are $2 each. For information, contact Raised Dot Computing, 310 South 7th St., Lewisburg, PA 17837, (717) 523-6739. CP/M Grows in Napa Valley The Napa Valley CP/M Users Group (NVCPMUG) meets at 7:30 p.m. on the sec- ond Wednesday of each month at the Napa Valley College Campus and wel- comes anyone interested. Meetings are free and there are no membership dues. Topics include system lan- guages and hardware appli- cations related to CP/M. The newsletter is on line 24 hours a day on the club's remote CP/M bulletin-board system (RCPM). To access the Napa Valley RBBS/RCPM, call (707) 257-6502, or mail a self- addressed, stamped en- velope to NVCPMUG, POB 4096, Napa, CA 94558. Cooking With Gas The Sacramento Area Users of Televideo Equip- ment (SAUTE') meets twice a month to listen to lectures prepared by one of the mem- bers on applications relevant to programmers and systems analysts who use Televideo TS802 and TS803 systems. After each meeting is an open discussion; printed minutes are distributed. Ex- changes of information or out-of-town members who would benefit from the com- munications are welcome. Dues are $12 a year. For de- tails, contact Ron Odom, SAUTE', 8200 Longden Cir- cle, Citrus Heights, CA 95610. Silicon Valley Hosts dBASE II Users The dBASE II User Group/ Silicon Valley meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month in Sunnyvale, California. It is designed for all levels of users of Ashton- Tate's dBASE II. There are no dues. For details, contact Melissa Gray, dBASE II User Group/Silicon Valley, POB 190, Mountain View, CA 94042-0190. ■ If you would like BYTE readers to know about your club or newsletter send the details accompanied by no more than one newsletter to Clubs and Newsletters, BYTE Publications, POB 372, Hancock, I\IH 03449. Overseas groups are encouraged to participate. Please allow at least three months for your announcement to appear. 460 BYTE March 1984 Circle 164 on inquiry card. for Performance, Quality and Reliability Anyone can sell you a box full of hardware. But is it too much computer? Too little? Will it run the appropriate software? What about service? If you need the right answers before and after the sale, call your nearest Full Service CompuPro System Center. For product information, see pgs. 119 & 410. ALABAMA Birmingham Cost Plus Computers {205} 879-5976 ARIZONA Scottsdale S-100 (800) 528-3138 CALIFORNIA Bakersfield Creative Computing Serv. (805)835-1118 Berkeley American Computers & Engineers (415) 849-0177 Track Computer Center (415) 845-6366 Burlingame Mentzer Computer Systems (415) 340-9363 Canyon Country Creative Computing Serv. (805) 251-9877 Carmichael Logic Systems (916) 971-3133 Chats worth Priority One Electronics (213) 709-6789 Hayward Best Computers Hayward (415)886-4732 Irvine Priority One Electronics (714)660-1411 Los Angeles American Computers & Engineers (213)477-6751 Gilford Computer Systems (213)477-3921 Mountain View ACC (415) 969-4969 Oakland Track Computer Center (415) 444-8725 Pacific Palisades System Interface Consultants (213) 454-2100 Pasadena Omni Unlimited (213)795-6664 Petaluma Advanced Information Management (707) 763-7283 Pleasanton Best Computers Stoneridge (415)463-2233 Sacramento Logic Systems (916) 922-3377 San Leandro Gilford Computer Systems (415) 895-0798 San Rafael Computer House (415) 453-0865 Santa Barbara Data Bank (805) 962-8489 Santa Maria Data Bank (805) 922-1333 Santa Rosa Matrix Computers (707) 542-0571 Sunnyvale Pragmatic Designs Inc. (408) 736-8670 COLORADO Lakewood Rocky Mountain Microsystems (303) 232-4545 FLORIDA Brandon/Tampa Micro Computer Technology (813) 685-7659 Orlando Data /Office (305) 629-6776 Satellite Beach Binary Magic, Inc. (305) 777-7080 HAWAII Kahului Maui Capacity Plus Computers (808) 871-7984 ILLINOIS Athens Computers Plus (217)636-8491 La Grange Park Small Business Systems Inc. (312)579-3311 Skokie Lillipute Computer Mart Inc. (312) 674-1383 MARYLAND Bethesda JR Systems (301)657-3598 MASSACHUSETTS Boston New England Electronic Exchange (617) 491-3000 Chestnut Hill Key Micro Systems (617) 738-7306 MISSISSIPPI Pascagoula Automated Accountants (601) 769-2937 NEW YORK Amherst Gilford Computer Systems (716)833-4758 Deer Park Datapro Systems, (516)595-1311 Inc. New York Park Plaza Computer Center, Inc. (212) 759-5820 Park Plaza Computer Center, Inc. (212) 505-8200 Park Plaza Computer Center, Inc. (212) 344-5151 Park Plaza Computer Center, Inc. (212) 595-5353 Staten Island John D. Owens Assoc. (212)448-6283 NORTH CAROLINA Greensboro Genera! Semantics Computers (919) 378-1500 OREGON Portland Microwest Computer Products (503) 238-6274 PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia Information Network Systems (215)364-8220 RHODE ISLAND Coventry Key Micro Systems (401)828-7270 TEXAS Austin CPA Systems, Inc. (512) 458-9281 Informa, Inc. (512) 459-4216 Dallas Dator Systems (214)521-0915 Ft. Worth Dataworth Computer Systems (817)877-4041 (ompuPro A GODBOUT COM PA NY 3506 Breakwater Court, Hayward, CA 94545 Houston Gifford Computer Systems (713) 680-1944 Informa, Inc. (713)861-7612 Seguin CPA Systems, Inc. (512)379-0660 VIRGINIA Woodbridge Office Networks Corp. (703) 690-3312 WASHINGTON Bellevue North Ridge Computer Systems (206) 453-0596 Seattle American Computers & Engineers (206) 583-0130 WISCONSIN Greenfield Byte Shop of Milwaukee (414) 281-7004 Madison Beam International (608) 255-2325 AUSTRALIA Bankstown Automation Statham Pty., Ltd. (02) 709-4144 CANADA Coquitlam, B.C. CSC System Center Ltd. (604) 941-0622 Vancouver, B.C. Dynacomp Business Computers Ltd. (604) 872-7737 THE PHILIPPINES Quezon City Corona International Inc. 78-34-71 UNITED KINGDOM Swansea Comcen Technology Ltd. (0792) 796000 ©1984 COMPUPRO Software Received Apple Capital Strategy for Inves- tors, an investment-planning program. By performing mathematical calculations, this program not only lets you decide what to invest in, but how much to invest. The computer will provide infor- mation for optimal capital growth without financial strain, show the effects of the growth rate, and test the results of varied investment decisions. For II Plus, lie, and III; floppy disk, $69. Ventura Data Systems, 1061 Sage View, Chula Vista, CA 92010. Family Medical Advisor, a medical-diagnostics pro- gram. This program is de- signed to analyze health symptoms and identify prob- able causes of medical condi- tions, including drug abuse and poisoning. Using almost 10,000 combinations of symp- toms, the program helps to diagnose common ailments, obscure diseases, or child- hood illnesses. You reply with yes and no answers to a series of questions. For infor- mational purposes only. For the II; floppy disk, $37.50. Navic Corp., Box 14727, North Palm Beach, FL 33408. Gene Machine, an educa- tional program for use by high school biology students. This program explores the basic ideas concerning the structure and function of the two nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. Also useful for chem- istry courses that include aspects of the chemical basis of heredity. For II, II Plus, and He; floppy disk, $65. HRM Software, 175 Tomp- kins Ave., Pleasantville, NY 10570. The Graphics Department, an integrated graphics sys- tem for use in business pre- sentations. This program combines the graphics func- tions of plotting, chart gen- eration, lettering, a graphics editor, and a slide projector to quickly create and en- hance your own business presentations. For II, He, and III; floppy disks, $124.95. Sensible Software Inc., 6619 Perham Dr., West Bloom- field, MI 48033. Health Awareness Games, five interactive software pro- grams suitable for school or home uses. A variety of age groups can increase their health awareness with pro- grams entitled Coronary Risk, Why Do You Smoke?, Exercise Weight, Life Expec- tancy, and Life Style. For II, II Plus, and He; floppy disk, $99. HRM Software (see ad- dress above). Heredity Dog, an interactive, educational genetic simula- tion. High school students combine genetic differences in dogs as an introductory study of basic genetics. The computer shows potential outcomes in litters of pups. For II, II Plus, and He; flop- py disk, $49. HRM Software (see address above). Homeword, a personal word- processing program that leads you through each step. You can write letters, school assignments, shopping lists, and memos. Text combined with pictures (icons) show you text commands and your formatted page. For II, II Plus, and lie; cassette and floppy disk, $49.95. Sierra On-Line, Sierra On-Line Building, Coarsegold, CA 93614. Mad Rat, an arcade-type game. Three mice are trapped in a department store. You must get them to eat the cheese while also keeping them away from the cat and the holes under the escala- tors. If the cheese drops through the escalator holes, it turns into more cats. Vari- ous skill levels. For II, II Plus, and He; floppy disk, $24.95. Phoenix Software Inc., 64 Lake Zurich Dr., Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Mastering the College Board Achievement Tests: English Composition, a comprehen- sive program for individuals preparing to take College Boards. This self-paced pro- gram has more than 1000 problems to give you practice in rewriting sentences, phras- ing, identification of gram- matical errors, and pointers on sentence structure. It pro- vides scores and error anal- ysis for further study. For II Plus and He; floppy disks, $175. CBS Software, 1 Fawcett Place, Greenwich, CT 06836. Murder by the Dozen, a whodunit-simulation series. This is a game containing 12 murder mysteries and their case histories. You are the top detective and must solve each case within a limited amount of time using clues and a map of the city. Up to four people can play in- dividually or as a team. For II Plus and He; floppy disk, $34.95. CBS Software (see ad- dress above). Pconvert, a data-transferral system. Data, text, and code files can be transferred be- tween DOS 3.3 and Apple Pascal format disks. You can use BASIC data or text files with Pascal programs; Pascal text or data files with BASIC programs; and code files from the Pascal 6502 assem- bler as DOS binary files. For II, II Plus, and He; floppy disk, $34.95. DESC Software, POB 7212, Stanford, CA 94305. Picture Writer, an artistic educational program. Chil- dren ages 4 through 12 can easily draw lines, shapes, and pictures. A tutorial teaches the child to draw original pictures using the keyboard, use the artwork on disk, alter or store pictures, and add color. This teaches spatial and color relation- ships and the basics of early programming skills. For II, II Plus, He, and III; floppy disk, $39.95. Scarborough Systems Inc., 25 North Broadway, Tar- rytown, NY 10591. Project for an Energy En- riched Curriculum (PEEC), a collection of six independent, integrated programs on energy-conservation issues. Technical Education Research Centers (TERC) and the Na- tional Science Teachers Asso- ciation (NSTA) aided in the development of these six pro- grams that include Electric Bill, Energy Conversions, Home Energy Savings, Per- sonal Energy Inventory, Power Grid, and Tempera- ture Grapher. For II, II Plus, and He; floppy disk, $225 for all six programs; also avail- able individually. HRM Soft- ware (see address above). Songwriter, a music-compos- ing system for ages four through adult. Compose or learn theory with music and a metronome already on disk. Manipulate tempo or scale by touching a key; print out your composition; or hear it on a computer or stereo. Includes a cable that connects the stereo to the computer. For II, II Plus, lie, and III; floppy disk, $39.95. Scarborough Systems Inc. (see address above). Super Quiz II, a multiple- choice test-generation sys- tem. This educational tool enables teachers and ad- 462 BYTE March 1984 ministrators to create a test bank of up to 10,000 ques- tions; add, edit, or replace questions; print copies of exams; and choose from a dozen other tasks. For II, II Plus, and He; floppy disk, $49.95. Sterling Swift Pub- lishing Co., 7901 South IH-35, Austin, TX 78744. Termexec, a comprehensive communications package. You can log in via modem to a remote host computer, elec- tronic bulletin-board system, or an information, news, or stock-market service. Fea- tures include expanded char- acter set, long-file handling, scrolling, macro commands, exec files, full-screen editor, and more. A hotline is avail- able for technical support. For II Plus and He; floppy disk, $79.95. Exec Software Inc., 201 Waltham St., Lex- ington, MA 02173. Atari Cosmic Tunnels, an arcade- type game. Save your planet Sirref from energy starvation the Jebs have imposed by de- stroying their space mines and missile launchers. Then retrieve as many glowing energy bars from four aster- oids as you can while avoid- ing dynobots and quicksand. For 800 and 1200; floppy disk, $34.95. Datamost Inc., 8943 Fullbright Ave., Chats- worth, CA 91311-2750. FDOS, a disk operating sys- em for FORTH users. In ad- 1 ition to performing normal OS 2. OS file manipulations, is program also converts ^S files to FDOS files that saved on your FORTH . You can create data files existing BASIC pro- s operating under DOS 3nd then convert them • in a FORTH program. V800 and 1200; floppy disk, $39.95. Superware, 2028 Kingshouse Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20904. Hellcat Ace, a flying-combat simulation. The three-dimen- sional scene is in the Pacific during WWII. You confront 14 scenes in time ranging from 1940 to defending the fleet from Kamikaze attacks during the invasion of Iwo Jima in March 1945. Become an ace by maneuvering your aircraft through aileron rolls, loops, split Ss, and Immel- mann turns. For 400/800; floppy disk, $29.95. Micro- prose Software, 10616 Beaver Dam Rd., Hunt Valley, MD 21030. Major League Hockey, a hoc- key-simulation game. Use your maneuvering ability to score goals and beat the other team. Features include a scrolling display of the rink and a game timer. Because the ice rink is triple the screen size, your view of the rink changes according to where the puck is. For 400/ 800 and 1200; cartridge, $44.95. Thorn Emi Home Video, 1370 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Monster Smash, an arcade- type game. You are the mas- ter of the local graveyard. The monsters who have moved in have destroyed the peace and quiet and are trying to escape through the gates. You must smash as many monsters as possible but let all the visitors and children pass through the gates unharmed. For 400/ 800 and 1200; floppy disk, $29.95. Datamost Inc. (see ad- dress above. Mountain King, an arcade- type game. Armed only with a flashlight and a thirst for adventure, you delve into the heart of a secret mountain and try to capture the crown. Carry it safely to the top of the mountain before your time expires and you will be- come Mountain King; if not, you will be destroyed. Re- quires a joystick. For 400/800; cartridge, $25. CBS Software, 1 Fawcett Place, Greenwich, CT 06836. Party Mix, a collection of five arcade-type games. In Bop a Buggy, you drive a two- wheeled buggy through vari- ous screens to cross the finish line. In Tug of War, your team tries to pull the opposing team across the line. In Wizard's Keep, you control a wizard who releases his fireball to hit chickens or ships. In Down on the Line, workers must move packages around on colorful conveyor belts. In Handcar, you race on railroad tracks across the desert. For the 2600; car- tridge, $9.95. Epyx/Auto- mated Simulations, 1043 Kiel Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. Pooyan, a high-resolution arcade-type game. Battle a pack of vicious wolves to pro- tect your helpless piglets. You shoot arrows at wolves that float in the air by holding onto balloons. For 400/800 and 1200; floppy disk, $29.95. Datasoft, 9421 Winnetka Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311. Scroll It, a machine-language program. You can implement variable-speed fine scrolling in a BASIC program. The fine scrolling can be continuous horizontal, vertical, or diag- onal; the ANTIC character mode can be changed; and the screen can be coarse scrolled to any x,y location. For 400/800; floppy disk, $19.95. Superware (see ad- dress above). Solar Fox, an arcade-type space-adventure game for one or two players. As Earth runs out of energy, you must navigate your starship through a complex matrix of solar cells guarded by fire- ball-shooting Sentinels. The faster your speed, the greater your reward. See if you can unlock the secret of the Solar Fox. For the 2600; cartridge, $25. CBS Electronics, 41 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010. Space Knights, a group of simulated science-fiction ad- venture games. As you fol- low Jake and Lisa through challenging encounters, you try to land your rocket on the surface of an alien planet or race through the Corridor of Time. Learn vector-trigono- metry fundamentals in Navi- gate. For 400/800; floppy disk and book, $24.95. Reston Publishing Co. Inc., 11480 Sunset Hills Rd., Reston, VA 22090. CP/M Datacure, an error-detecting and backup/restore utility program for CP/M version 2.2 operating systems. Using proprietary error-detection and correction techniques, you can reconstruct the ori- ginal contents of disk sectors that have gone bad. Rebuild the original file and regener- ate all the information for a complete track or for sectors damaged by a multitrack scratch. Floppy disk, $99. Colorado Online Systems Inc., 40 Balfour Lane, Ram- sey, NJ 07446. FORTRAN Relabel, a label- renumbering program. All the numeric labels in FOR- TRAN programs containing statements and all labeled line references can be renum- bered using this program. Subroutines, function sub- programs, and Microsoft EDFI80 line numbers are pro- cessed automatically. You specify ASCII code and the numeric value of desired BYTE March 1984 463 Software Received. label and increment. Floppy disk, $29.95. Cleydale Engi- neering, POB 784, Dahlgren, VA 22448. Magicbind, a word-process- ing program. Upgrade your word-processing equipment with automatic numbering of chapters, paragraphs, and ar- ticles; automatic printing of personalized letters for mass mailing; print-time selection of records; automatic verifica- tion of data-file accuracy; flexible page heading and footing; and other capabili- ties. Floppy disk, $250. Com- puter Editype Systems, 509 Cathedral Parkway 10A, New York, NY 10025. Printman, a print-spooler system. An alternative to the standard DESPOOL and SPOOL programs. Minicom- puter capabilities such as add, change, delete, list, and others give you increased system use. Perform more functions on files with spe- cial features and enter any number of items to the list. Floppy disk, $195. Data Base Administrators Inc., W305 S4553 Brookhill Rd., Wau- kesha, WI 53186. The Word Machine, a word-processing/text-editing program. Transform your computer into an automatic typewriter letting you create, edit, store, and print letters, forms, manuscripts, and per- sonalized form letters. De- tailed help instructions are included. Floppy disk, $37. GB Associates, POB 3322, Granada Hills, CA 91344. Commodore The Complete Personal Ac- countant, five personal finan- cial programs. This package transforms your computer into a financial manager with a checkbook-maintenance program, a detailed sum- mary budget, an appoint- ments and payments calen- dar, a "what if" spreadsheet, and a tax-handling format. For the 64; floppy disk, $79.95. Programmer's In- stitute, POB 3470, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Easy Finance I— V, five finan- cial-calculation programs that include a loan-analysis pro- gram, an investments-anal- ysis program, an advanced investments-analysis pack- age, a business-management package, and a statistics and forecasting package. For the 64; floppy disks, I: $39.95, II— V: $24.95. Commodore Business Machines Inc., 1200 Wilson Dr., West Chester, PA 19380. Easy Script, a word-process- ing program. You can create, store, modify, and print text. A training section introduces you to ten sections that in- clude exercises, applications, and format examples. A ref- erence section shows you how to use the facilities, in- cluding mail-merge. For the 64; floppy disk, $50. Commo- dore Business Machines Inc. (see address above). Final Orbit, an arcade-type game. You must stop the Maladroid fighters who are raiding the Earth. You lose energy each time Earth or your fighter gets hit. Try to regain energy by destroying a Maladroid base. Bumper Bash included for free. For the VIC-20; cartridge, $39.95. Sirius Software Inc., 10364 Rockingham Dr., Sacramen- to, CA 95827. Spitfire Ace, an air-combat simulation game. Fly your WWII fighter in loops, rolls, and split-S maneuvers to win in 14 scenarios. If you can complete five missions that include the Battle of Britain and the challenge of the first jet fighter, you become an ace. For the 64; floppy disk, $29.95. Microprose Software, 10616 Beaver Dam Rd., Hunt Valley, MD 21030. Squish 'Em, an arcade-type game. As you climb to the top of a 48-story building to collect a suitcase of money, try to avoid being knocked off the building by a variety of Creepy Creatures or falling objects. For the VIC-20; cas- sette, $19.95. Sirius Software Inc. (see address above). 3-D Othello, a three-dimen- sional board-game simula- tion of Othello in machine- language programming. Two players can compete in four skill levels with colorful graphics and sound effects for younger players. Helps to develop spatial perspective and strategic skills. Requires a joystick. For the VIC-20; cassette, $15. Ojai Software, POB 1860, Ojai, CA 93023. IBM Personal Computer Aura, an integrated informa- tion-management system containing word-processing, electronic-spreadsheet, busi- ness-graphics, and commu- nications programs with an optional micro-mainframe communications link. You can create business reports of customers with outstanding balances, weed inactive ac- counts from mailing lists, track sales by product and region, and create reorder lists of low inventory. Floppy disks, $495; with communi- cations-link capacity, $995. Softrend, 87 Indian Rock Rd., Windham, NH 03087. BASLIN, a BASIC line num- ber/page program. This util- ity is designed to let BASIC use programs that were pre- viously created as a program library. You can combine pro- grams, renumber the listing, and create a new, enhanced program. Floppy disk, $35. Orion Co., 524 North 2nd St., Weatherford, OK 73096. Burgertime, an arcade-type game. Your chef is in a maze surrounded by pickles, hot dogs, and eggs that are try- ing to get him. If they catch him, his fast-food career is over. Try to sprinkle pepper on a pickle and dodge down a ladder. Floppy disk, $25. Mattel Electronics, 5900 Wil- shire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. Chartmaster, a commodity- and stock-charting program. You can examine, analyze, display, and print a variety of price charts. You can also generate high, low, close bar, and moving averages. The database can be updated by retrieving stock or commod- ity price information via data communications. Floppy disks, $275. Professional Farm Software, 219 Parkade, Cedar Falls, IA 50613. Conquest, a prehistoric-sim- ulation game. As King of the Falcons, you use your strength and endurance against pterodactyl warriors. You must swoop down to destroy them while encoun- tering hurricanes, tornados, and dragons trying to deter you. Floppy disk, $39.95. Windmill Software Inc., 2209 Leominster Dr., POB 1008, Burlington, Ontario L7P 3W8, Canada. CP+, a collection of training and productivity programs for your computer. It is a user-friendly interface be- tween you and the command interface of the operating sys- tem and provides extended utility features. Designed for nontechnical users. Floppy disk, $79.95. Taurus Software Corp., Suite 170, 3155 Kearney, Fremont, CA 94538. OF THE S-IOO JUNGLE You'll reign supreme when your S-100 system is equipped with Macrotech's high performance products. Our full megabyte high speed dynamic RAM and 16 channel intelligent DMA I/O boards provide the edge you need in today's competitive jungle. Our one slot MAX dynamic RAM is field expandable from 256K to one megabyte. You get far more than just the low price per kilobyte of $2.39. You get: • IEEE 696 full parity detection • Virtual disk support in all popular Digital Research operating systems • High Speed Z80, 8085 — 6 MHZ; 8086, 8088, 68,000—8 MHZ No Wait States • On-board refresh • 16-24 bit Memory Mapped Addressing option • DMA fully supported in strict compliance with IEEE 696 Our ADIT 16-channel serial I/O board is no pussycat either. An on-board 6 MHZ Z80B provides intelligence for a large array of commands. Plus important things like: • Resident virtual disk interface • Memory to memory DMA • 24- bit DMA addressing • Field expandable from 4 to 16 channels • Full compliance with IEEE 696 Macrotech makes every slot in your computer really count! To get the rest of our story on the ADIT or the MAX, write or call us. In the S-100 jungle Macrotech products can be your key to success. MACROTECH INTERNATIONAL CORP. 9551 IrondaleAve., Chatsworth, CA 91311, (213)700-1501 TELEX: 9109970653 Dealer/Distributors: Priority One Electronics [800} 423-5922, [213] 709-5111 John D. Owens Assoc. [212] 448-6283. In England: Fulcrum [Europe] [0621] 828-763 Circle 218 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 465 Software Received. EMSearch Bioscience Soft- ware, a database-retrieval sys- tem. You can store/ cross- index, and retrieve electron- micrograph records. For use in biological and materials science, this program uses 14 search categories (specimen, fixative, and user-defined) for 4200 to 8500 electron micro- graphs on one disk. No com- puter experience is neces- sary. Floppy disk, $99. New Leaf Enterprises Inc., 1901 C Waters Edge, Ft. Collins, CO 80526. The Executive's Guide to the IBM Personal Computer, a BASIC programming and Visicalc spreadsheet template for business purposes. Exec- utives can learn to program chapter by chapter by using payroll, inventory, and other business examples. Mathe- matical experience is not re- quired. Floppy disks, $49.95. Reston Publishing Co., 11480 Sunset Hills Rd., Reston, VA 22090. Financial Planning for Lotus 1-2-3, an electronic-spread- sheet template program. You can calculate 16 financial planning and forecasting problems contained on disk. Each program, called a work- sheet, is a complete and ready-to-use program that solves several related finan- cial problems with Lotus 1-2-3. Floppy disk, $89.95. Howard W. Sams & Co. Inc., 4300 West 62nd St., Indian- apolis, IN 46268. Fontastic, a document-en- hancing printer program. De- signed to work with a word processor, this program lets you print diagrams, draw- ings, and foreign language characters with 20 fonts sup- porting sub- and super- scripts, italics, underline, bold, and more. You can also create your own character set. Floppy disks, $125. IHS Systems, Suite 211, 4718 Meri- dian Ave., San Jose, CA 95118. 4-Point Graphics, a color- graphics program that fea- tures a four-part cursor for versatility in creating, manip- ulating, storing, and retriev- ing images from all or part of the screen. Dual memory buffers allow access to im- ages for comparison, over- lays, and creation of anima- tion. Floppy disk, $195. Inter- national Microcomputer Software Inc., 633 Fifth Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901. The Idea Processor, an inte- grated word-processing sys- tem and textual data-man- agement system that run simultaneously. This pro- gram lets you save spread- sheets and graphics in a data- base, cross-index them using 10 keywords, use graphics from DOS-based programs in its printed documents, and put on a slide-show presen- tation with a graphics pro- gram. Floppy disk, $295. Idea Ware, 225 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012. Knoware, an educational program for business profes- sionals that teaches business applications. By playing games, you learn about spreadsheet applications, database management, text editing, financial decision- making, simple graphics, and programming tech- niques. Floppy disk, $95. Knoware Inc., 301 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA 02139. Match Wits, an educational game for the whole family. In six categories (words, sports, famous people, multiplica- tion, cities, and animals), you try to match pairs to uncover a hidden picture puzzle. You Egghead Bytes Back Finally there's a convenient, sim- ple way to buy the hottest quality software at the lowest possible prices. Introducing Egghead's new Software Simplified Catalog & Buyers' Guide. Hundreds of programs, listed by category, prioritized by popularity, with the difference between products, what they do and compatible hardware r Mail this coupon today, and we'll rush you Egghead's new Catalog & Buyer's Guide. Only $1 plus 4-bits postage and handling. Address, Phone # _ City, State, Zip D Check D Money Order enclosed. □ VISA, □ MasterCard # _Exp Date Washington State residents add 7.9% sales tax. I To order by phone: (206) 451-8155 1 B&H&P SOfWeAR 10636 Main st #206 Bellevue. WA 98004 J New Release! MICROSTAT® MICROSTAT® Rel. 4.0 has all of the powerful features that have made MICROSTAT® the most popular interactive statistics package for the past several years and now includes: • Interface with ASCII files and external data base/spreadsheet files. • Output redirection to text files for editing and report generation. • Missing data handling. • Improved Recode/Select options. • Handles large data sets. File size is limited only by disk capacity for most procedures. Runs under MS-DOS/PC-DOS, CP/M86, and CP/M. Requires 128K memory (64K for CP/M). The price of $375 includes the expanded manual. A demo disk and manual are available for $40. P.O. Box 68602 Indianapolis, IN 46268-0602 (317) 255-6476 Registered trademarks: Ecosoft (MICROSTAT), Microsoft (MS-DOS). IBM (PC-DOS), Digital Research (CP/M, CP/M-86) 466 BYTE March 1984 Circle 142 on inquiry card. Circle 140 on inquiry card. Circle 86 on inquiry card. can also create and program your own categories. Floppy disk, $29.95. CBS Software, 1 Fawcett Place, Greenwich, CT 06836. Night Stalker, an arcade- type game. Your man is trapped in a maze with robots, spiders, and bats try- ing to track him down. Destroy them with your gun before they get him. Floppy disk, $24. Mattel Electronics (see address above). PC Write, a word-processor and text-editor program. This program helps you write and format any text. Features in- clude insert, replace, delete, wordwrap, search, move and copy blocks, a split-screen mode, and functions for more advanced users. Flop- py disk and manual, $35. User registration fee, $75, Quicksort, 219 First North #224, Seattle, WA 98109. Pits & Stones, an artificial-in- telligence strategy game for all ages. Try to collect the most stones in your home pit by taking turns distributing them. Plan each move ahead while anticipating your op- ponent's strategies. Floppy disk, $36.95. Orion Software, POB 2488, Auburn, AL 36831. Realpac, a collection of real estate analyses programs. Features include files that let you calculate fixed rate, fixed principal reduction, gradu- ated payment and equity, re- negotiable/variable rate amortization schedules, in- ternal rate of return calcula- tor, and other programs re- lated to real estate purchas- ing and sales. Floppy disks, $275. Creative Business Com- puter Systems Inc., 6731 Red Rd., Coral Gables, FL 33143. Rogue, a fantasy-adventure game. You are on a quest for the amulet of Yendor in the Dungeons of Doom. Dis- cover magical objects, food, and weapons, but beware of the monsters lurking in the darkness. Floppy disk, $44.95. Artificial Intelligence Design Systems, POB 3685, Santa Clara, CA 95055. SR-LIB, a library-manager program. You can create and modify library files that are compatible with the PC-DOS linker. Add object files, delete and replace modules in a lib- rary, and list the names of the modules in a library. Floppy disk, $29.95. Software Re- search, POB 10004, Austin, TX 78766. Scientific Mathematical Function Library, a mathe- matical-applications system. This Microsoft package is for C programmers in engineer- ing and graphics who need more mathematical sophisti- cation than C provides. Fea- tures include 20 functions, fatal errors, warning errors, and a math library of three files. Floppy disk, $45. Soft C, 14350 Southwest Derby St., Beaverton, OR 97005. Small Fortune Auto-Ledger, a general-ledger program. Handle your bookkeeping by structuring your accounts and reports. Designed for business-accounting needs, features include transaction entries, suggested accounts, setting up reports, testing templates, and updating records. Floppy disks, $250. Emerald Software Inc., 2416 Warren Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109. Tiao Ch'i, a Chinese-checkers simulation game. Played on a six-pointed star, two to six players take turns consecu- tively moving men from their star point to the opposite star point. Whoever makes it in the least number of moves is the winner. Floppy disk, $24.95. Microclassics, 315 OPTIMIZING C86 , .. controls Charlie... LI KG 8 Puppet on a String ! Serious programmers can use Optimizing C86 to control the IBM PC and other MS-DOS/PC-DOS computers. Features include: • Full and Standard versions of the C language — to balance portability with complete control of the machine. • Hardware and operating system interfaces for graphics, interrupt control. 8087 use, I/O ports, real time applications and for producing ROMS. • Standard MS- DOS Linker support and option to pro- duce MASM from C86. This helps integrate with MASM, MS FORTRAN and PASCAL. • A rich set of libraries includes source for K&R func- tions, string handling, graphics, sorting, floating point (8087 and 8086/88), "Large" model (1.000K RAM), "Small" memory model, MS-DOS 1.1, 1.25, 2.0, 2. + + . • Support for numerous add-on libraries including: HALO Graphics, C Tools, PHACT for ISAM file management and numerous others. Ask for a list. Pull Charlie's strings with our fast, complete, reliable C Compiler — the leading compiler for serious program- mers of MS-DOS and CPM-86 systems. "They Say It All... We Do It All!" Visa and MasterCard accepted. Computer Innovations 960 Shrewsbury Avenue Suite J- 504 Tinton Falls, N J 07724 (201) 542-5920 C86 is a trademark of Computer Innovations, Inc. CPM-86 and MPM-86 are trademarks of Digital Research. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft. PC-DOS is a trademark of International Business Machines. Pal. # 4,259,705 Computer problems? DON'T BLAME THE SOFTWARE! 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( ) Company Name Your Line of Business Street Address City, State and Zip Use computer for: (Check as many as apply) □ Home □ Business □ Word Processing □ Accounting □ Apple □ TRS-80 H IBM PC p Other J Nebs . , ■ Computer Forms Lb — «— 42 South Street, Tov □ Plan to purchase within □ Have a printer? CODE 11008 Townsend, MA. 01469 _ M A division of New England Business Service, Inc. Circle 261 on inquiry card. byte March 1984 469 Books Received Ada, An Advanced Introduc- tion, Narain Gehani. Engle- wood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall, 1983; 700 pages, 18 by 243 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0- 13-003997-7, $28.95. Advanced BASIC, Roy A. Boggs. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co., 1983; 208 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-8359-0161-0, $16.95. Affordable Word Processing, Richard A. McGrath. Engle- wood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall, 1983; 160 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 0- 13-018259-1, $10.95. Applied Numerical Methods for the Microcomputer, Terry E. Shoup. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984; 272 pages, 15.8 by 23.8 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-041418-2, $25.95. Basic Beginnings, Susan Drake Lipscomb and Mar- garet Ann Zuanich. New York: Avon/Camelot Books, 1983; 96 pages, 13 by 19 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-380-83774-9, $2.25. BASIC-80 and CP/M, Jack Jay Purdum. New York: Mac- millan Publishing Co., 1983; 240 pages, 17.5 by 25.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-02-397020- 0, $16.95. Basic & Pascal In Parallel, S. J. Wainwright. London, England: Bernard Babani Ltd., 1983; 64 pages, 11 by 18 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-85934- 101-1, £1.50. BASIC-PIUS for Business, Wilson T. Price. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983; 350 pages, 23.5 by 17.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-03- 061768-5, $17.95. Basic Programs for Production and Operations Management, Pricha Pantumsinchai, M. Zia Hassan, and Ishwar D. Gupta. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 448 pages, 15 by 22.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-13-066266-6, $14.95. Battlestar BASIC for the TRS-80, David H. Dasen- brock. Indianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams & Co., 1983; 104 pages, 13.5 by 21.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-672- 22006-7, $12.95. CP/M Bible, Mitchell Waite and John Angermeyer. In- dianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams & Co., 1983; 432 pages, 18 by 23 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-672-22015-6, $19.95. CP/M and the Personal Com- puter, Thomas A. Dwyer and Margot Critchfield. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1983; 512 pages, 21.8 by 28 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-201-1-355-9, $19.95. Churches, Charities & Com- puters, G. Walter Coles. Huntington Beach, CA: Coles Associates, 1983; 208 pages, 13.5 by 21 cm, soft- cover, ISBN-none, $15. Commodore Software Ency- clopedia, 3rd ed. Commodore Business Machines Inc., West Chester, PA: Commodore Electronics Ltd., 1983; 896 pages, 21.5 by 28 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-672-21944-1, $19.95. The Complete Book of Home Computers, Van Waterford. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1982; 256 pages, 13 by 20.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0- 8306-1423-0, $10.95. Computer Assisted Invest- ment Handbook, Albert LA. Bookbinder, Elmont, NY: Programmed Press, 1983; 230 pages, 17.8 by 25 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-916106-03-9, $19.95. Concepts for Distributed Sys- tems Design, Gregor von Bochmann. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1983; 274 pages, 17 by 25 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-387-12049-1, $19. Conceptual Programming Us- ing BASIC, Allen Baker and Kathy Hamrick. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984; 224 pages, 15 by 22.7 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13- 166678-9, $16.95. A Course on Programming in FORTRAN, 2nd ed. Valerie J. Calderbank. New York: Methuen Inc., 1983; 196 pages, 15.5 by 23.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-412-23790-3, $9.95. Data Management and File Processing, Mary E. S. Loomis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 512 pages, 16 by 23.5 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-196477-1, $29.95. Developing Data Structured Information Systems, Michael H. Brackett. Topeka, KS: Ken On* & Associates Inc., 1983; 206 pages, 21.5 by 28 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-9605884-1-8, $20. Developing Microcomputer- based Business Systems, Chris Edwards. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 224 pages, 15 by 22.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-13-204545-1, $16.95. Documenting Computer Ap- plication Systems, Derek A. Kelly. Princeton, NJ: Petrocel- li Books, 1983; 186 pages, 16 by 24 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-89433-206-6, $19.95. Documentation Development Methodology, Techniques for Improved Communications, Sandra Pakin & Associates Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982; 240 pages, 22 by 28.8 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-217167-8, $35. Dynamics of Visicalc, Barry D. Bayer and Joseph J. Sobel. Homewood, IL: Dow Jones- Irwin, 1983; 200 pages, 19 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0- 87094-391-X, $19.95. Executive's Guide to Com- puter-Based Information Sys- tems, James C. Wetherbe. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Pren- tice-Hall, 1983; 192 pages, 16 by 24 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0- 13-295428-1, $17.95. Forecasting on Your Micro- computer, Daniel B. Nickell. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1983; 384 pages, 19.5 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0- 8306-0607-6, $15.50. High-Tech Consulting, John Zarrella. Fairfield, CA: Micro- computer Applications, 1983; 176 pages, 15.3 by 23 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-935230-08-4, $18.95. How to Program Your Atari in 6502 Machine Language, Sam D. Roberts. Holzkirchen, West Germany: Ing. W. Hof- acker GmbH, 1982; 112 pages, 13 by 20.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 3-92-1682-97-5, $9.95. IEEE Transactions on Com- munications, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 192 pages, 22 by 28.5 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-13-450271- X, $30. Inside the IBM Personal Com- puter, revised ed. Tenley De- sign. Washington, DC: Star- ware, 1982; 36 pages, 13.5 by 21.5 cm, softcover, ISBN- none, $14. Introduction to Data Base Management in Business, James Bradley. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983; 642 pages, 18 by 24 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-03-061693- X, $33.95. Introduction to Information Processing, William M. Fuori and Dominick Tedesco. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Pren- tice-Hall, 1983; 352 pages, 23.3 by 17.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13-484634-6, $9.95. Introduction to Numerical Computation in PASCAL, P. M. Dew and K. R. James. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1983; 304 pages, 15.5 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-387- 91216-9, $16. An Introduction to Visicalc Spreadsheeting for the TRS-80 Model HI, Harry Anbarlian. New York: BYTE Books/ McGraw-Hill, 1983; 448 pages, 15.8 by 23.5 cm, spiral- bound, ISBN 0-07-001597-X, $49.95. Includes SYi-inch floppy disk. Machine Code and Better Basic, Ian Stewart and Robin 470 BYTE March 1984 Jones. Boston, MA: Birk- hauser, 1983; 200 pages, 16 by 24 cm, softcover, ISBN 3- 7643-3115-1, $11.95. Manager's Guide to Com- puters and Information Systems, Larry E. Long. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 416 pages, 15.5 by 23.5 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-13- 549394-3, $25. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Electronics and Computers, Sybil P. Parker, ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984; 976 pages, 22.3 by 28.8 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-07-045487-6, $59.50. Micro Cookbook, Fundamen- tals, vol 1. Don Lancaster. In- dianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams & Co., 1982; 384 pages, 13.5 by 21.5, softcover, ISBN 0-672-21828-3, $15.95. Micro Cookbook, Machine Language Programming, vol. 2. Don Lancaster. Indianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams & Co., 1983; 13.5 by 21.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-672-21829-1, $15.95. Micros for Managers, Joseph R. Little, Philip E. Mackey, and Leroy J. Tuscher. Tren- ton, NJ: New Jersey School Boards Association, 1983; 276 pages, 21.5 by 28 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-912337-01-1, $28. Micro Software Distributors, Richard Loftin and Jack F. Shelton, eds. Washington, DC: Software Research Co., 1983; 192 pages, 20.3 by 26.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-940758- 26-1, $95. Microcomputers, A Parent's Guide, Kenneth P. Goldberg and Robert D. Sherwood. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1983; 208 pages, 15 by 23 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-471- 87278-4, $8.95. Microcomputer Companies in the UK, 1st ed. Eurolec 58. Bristol, England: David Ray- ner Publisher, 1983; 370 pages, 21 by 30 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-900614-58-7, $50. Microcomputer Experimenta- tion with the Synertek SYM-1, Lance A. Leventhal. Engle- wood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall, 1983; 512 pages, 17.5 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13- 580910-X, $19.95. Needed: Professional Manage- ment in Data Processing, John J. Callahan. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 224 pages, 15.5 by 23.5 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0-13- 610956-X, $25. New Technology Coloring Book, Rita Aero and Howard Rheingold. New York: Ban- tam Books, 1983; 80 pages, 21.3 by 27.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-553-34022-0, $6.95. Numerical Methods for Un- constrained Optimization and Nonlinear Equations, J. E. Dennis Jr. and Robert B. Schnabel. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 400 pages, 16 by 23.5 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-627216-9, $28.95. 101 Projects for the Z80, Frank P. Tedeschi and Robert Colon. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1983; 368 pages, 19.5 by 23.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-8306-1491-5, $16.95. PDP-ll Software Source Book, 1st ed. Maynard, MA: Digital Equipment Corp., 1983; 998 pages, 13.3 by 20.3 cm, soft- cover, free. The Personal Computer BASIC(S) Reference Manual, Donald A. Sordillo. Engle- wood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall, 1983; 336 pages, 17.5 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13- 658047-5, $16.95. The Personal Computer Book, Peter A. McWilliams. Los Angeles, CA: Prelude Press, 1983; 336 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 345- 31106-X, $9.95. The Personal Computer in Business Book, Peter A. Mc- Williams. Los Angeles, CA: Prelude Press, 1983; 288 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 345-31294-5, $9.95. Personal Computing with the UCSD P-System, Mark Overgaard and Stan String- fellow. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 464 pages, 15.5 by 23.5 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-658096-3, $23.95. Pocket Guide to FORTH, Linda Baker and Mitch Derick. Reading, MA: Addi- son-Wesley, 1983; 110 pages, 10 by 15.5 cm, spiral-bound, ISBN 0-201-10103-3, $7.25. The Politics of Projects, Robert Block. New York: Yourdon Press, 1983; 152 pages, 15 by 23 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-917072-35-9, $18.50. Planning for Future Market Events Using Data Processing Support, Jerome Svigals. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1983; 202 pages, 16 by 24.5 cm, hardcover, ISBN 0- 02-949740-X, $27.95. Planning, Implementation, and Control in Product Test and Assurance, Richard H. Spencer. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 222 pages, 18 by 24.5 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-679506-4, $27.50. Problem Solving and Struc- tured Programming with FOR- TRAN 77, Martin O. Holoien and Ali Behforooz. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., 1983; 528 pages, 18.5 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0- 534-01275-2, $19.95. Program Descriptions I for Hofacker Software for your Atari Computer, Winfried Hofacker. Holzkirchen, West Germany; Ing. W. Hofacker GmbH, 1982; 128 pages, 13 by 20.5 cm, softcover, ISBN-none, $4.95. Program Design with Pseudo- code, X E. Bailey and Kris Lundgaard. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., 1983; 224 pages, 23.5 by 18 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-534- 01361-9, $10.95. Programming with Graphics, Garry Marshall. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 128 pages, 15.3 by 22.9 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13- 729608-8, $12.95. Programming Your Timexl Sinclair 1000 in Basic, Mario Eisenbacher. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 208 pages, 15 by 23 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13-729863-3, $9.95. Questions & Answers on Word Processing, Peter A. McWilliams. Los Angeles, CA: Prelude Press, 1983; 224 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 345-31295-3, $9.95. Reference Manual for the ADA Programming Language, ANSI/MIL-STD-1815A-1983. United States Department of Defense. New York: Springer- Verlag, 1983; 340 pages, 21.5 by 28 cm, softcover, ISBN 0- 387-90887-0, $13.50. Security Dictionary, Robert A. Hofmeister and David J. Prince. Indianapolis, IN: Howard W Sams & Co., 1983; 176 pages, 13.7 by 21.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-672- 220-20-4, $8.95. The Software Catalog, Spring 1983, New York: Elsevier Science Publishing Co., 1983; 808 pages, 21 by 28 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-444-00745-8, $69. The Software Catalog, Spring 1983 (Update), New York: Elsevier Science Publishing Co., 1983; 408 pages, 21 by 28 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-444- 00749-0, $15. The Software Catalog, Fall 1983. New York: Elsevier Science Publishing Co., 1983; 1040 pages, 21 by 28 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-444-00776-8, $69. Stimulating Simulations for the VIC, 2nd ed. C W Engel. Rochelle Park, NJ: Hayden Book Co., 1983; 96 pages, 15 by 23 cm, softcover, ISBN 0- 8104-5173-5, $6.50. Structured Computer Orga- nization, 2nd ed. Andrew S. Tanenbaum. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984; 480 pages, 18.5 by 24.3 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-854489-1, $29.95. Structured Digital Design In- cluding MSI/LSI Components and Microprocessors, Raymond M. Kline. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 462 BYTE March 1984 471 Books Received. pages, 18 by 243 cm, hard- cover, ISBN 0-13-854554-5, $28.95. Synchronous Packet Radio Using the Software Approach, vol. 1, Robert M. Richardson. Chautauqua, NY: Richcraft Engineering Ltd., 1983; 232 pages, 21.5 by 28 cm, spiral- bound, ISBN 0-940972-07-7, $22. Telephony: Today and Tomor- row, Dimitris N. Chorafas. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Pren- tice-Hall, 1984; 304 pages, 15.3 by 22.8 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-13-902700-9, $19.95. 30 Games for the Timexl Sinclair Computer, Bill L. Behrendt. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983; 96 pages, 13.5 by 20.3 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-13-918896-7, $4.95. 26 Basic Programs for Your Micro, Derrick Daines. In- dianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams & Co., 1982; 174 pages, 13.5 by 21.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-672-22047-4, $8.95. Understanding Microcom- puter Concepts, Jefferson C. Boyce. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984; 336 pages, 15.3 by 22.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-13-936956-2, $14.95. Using Business Basic, Wilson T. Price. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983; 267 pages, 19 by 23.5 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 0-03-063176-9, $19.95. Using 1.2.3, Geoffrey T. LeBlond and Douglas Ford Cobb. Indianapolis, IN: Que Corp., 1983; 448 pages, 18.8 by 23.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-88022-045-7, $14.95. VIC Graphics, Nick Hamp- shire. Rochelle Park, NJ: Hayden Book Co., 1982; 192 pages, 15 by 23 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-8104-1057-5, $12.95. VisiWord, David Myers. San Jose, CA: Visicorp, 1983; 272 pages, 18.8 by 23 cm, soft- cover, ISBN 912213-01-9, $18.95. Who's Who in Microcomput- ing, 1983, Datapro Research Corp. New York: McGraw- Hill, 1983; 686 pages, 21.5 by 28 cm, softcover, ISBN 0-07- 015405-8, $39.95. ZX-81/Timex, Programming in BASIC and Machine Lan- guage, Holzkirchen, West Germany: Ing. W. Hofacker GmbH, 1982; 148 pages, 13 by 20.5 cm, softcover, ISBN 3- 921682-98-3, $9.95. ■ This is a list of books received at BYTE Publications during this past month. Although the list is not meant to be exhaustive, its purpose is to acquaint BYTE readers with recently published titles in computer science and related fields. \X/e regret that we cannot review or comment on all the books we receive; in- stead, this list is meant to be a monthly acknowledgment of these books and the publishers who sent them. BYTEs Bits Color Computer BBS On-Llne A computerized BBS (bulletin-board system) for users of the Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer is up and running 24 hours a day in Santa Barbara, Califor- nia. A 300- or 1200-bit-per- second modem is required, and the system permits both up- and downloading. For more information, call the CoCo Corner BBS at (805) 687-9400. ■ WAIT NOT, WANT NOT! If you've been waiting for a disk emulator that can Increase your system's throughput by as much as 50 times, the wait Is over. Quasi Disk Is here I Quasi Disk is a high capacity, I/O mapped RAM board which acts like an additional disk drive on any S- 1 00 system. Here's what makes Quasi-Disk a better buy than the others: • Fully S- 100/696 compatible. • Quasi-Disk offers 2 modes of expansion: a) Chip capacity may be doubled with the addition of an add-on module. b) Storage capacity may be increased to 4 Megabytes by replacing 64K RAMs with 256K devices. • DMA compatible with transfer rates to 2 Megabytes/second. • On board powerfail logic write protects disk during power failures. • Optional battery back-up provides 2 hours of powerfail protection. • External wall mount power supply allows system power to be switched off while data is retained indefinitely. • Six layer printed circuit board improves performance and reliability. Requires only 6 I/O addresses to access entire board. Supports extended I/O addressing when enabled. On board 22 bit address generator may be programmed for auto increment or decrement if desired. Any sector size may be implemented. • Onboard LED's indicate "drive active" and "powerfail status". • Price includes installation software on 8" SS/SD diskette with all source code supplied. • Sample CP/M* Bios routines are included for integration into any CP/M* system. • Quasi-Disk is covered by a 1 year warranty and an extended warranty option is also available. GUARANTEE Unique design guarantees that Quasi-Disk will perform as advertised, in standard as well as non-standard S-100 systems. OR YOUR MONEY BACK Prices valid until March 31, 1984. Manufactured by: Electra L#l? Quasi Disk (51 2K )- $1299.00 Expansion Module (additional 512KJ - $799.00 Back-up Battery (including wall mounting supply) - SI 59.00 *CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research. TIME SAVED IS MONEY WELL SPENT ■■*— Incorporated — 39 Durward Place, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 4E5. Phone: (519) 884-8200 472 BYTE March 1984 Circle 407 on inquiry card. Book Reviews Discover FORTH Thorn Hogan Osborne/McGraw-Hill Berkeley, CA: 1982 1 40 pages, softcover, $14.95 Reviewed by Paul E. Hoffman Although the microcom- puter industry has adopted BASIC as a standard lan- guage, it is by no means the final word on languages. More than five other lan- guages are becoming popular for specific applications and users, and FORTH is among the most recent. Thorn Hogan's Discover FORTH is not simply another language book because FORTH is not at all just an- other language. The concepts in FORTH programming are very different from those used in BASIC program- ming, and Hogan introduces FORTH programming in- novatively in a nontechnical fashion. Hogan has previous- ly authored Osborne CP/M User Guide. To a BASIC programmer, FORTH programs resemble a long list of subroutine calls with few procedural steps. Once a procedure is defined in FORTH, it can be used anywhere else, so that a pro- cedure can call any other pro- cedure or even call itself. This is quite a different technique than programming in BASIC, and Discover FORTH holds the reader's hand, so to speak, throughout this learn- ing process. Why FORTH? Although the FORTH lan- guage has been available in the microcomputer market for a few years, this is the first book to answer the question, Why should I be interested in another language, and why should it be FORTH? Hogan points out the uniqueness of FORTH programming, such as relying on a memory stack and the absence of GOTO statements. He describes how FORTH is better suited to programming than other languages. Several books on the mar- ket are introductions to FORTH, but Discover FORTH has more for the novice FORTH user. Hogan has kept in mind the fact that micro- computer users are not always oriented to bits and bytes, and many have pro- grammed only in BASIC. The book thus has a friendly tone without talking down to people who know other lan- guages but want a flavor of FORTH. Hogan also realizes the ad- vantages of humor in teach- ing. Without trying to be a laugh a minute, he succeeds in making an otherwise dry and sometimes complex language interesting. A few section headings are puns, as in "It's His FORTH Opera- tion, Doctor" for the section discussing arithmetic opera- tors, and "I/O You an Ex- planation" for the section describing how to use input/ output operations. Using FORTH Hogan suggests that the FORTH language is one that should be learned by doing. The author gives short ex- amples of programs that in- clude the operations being described. Each example is shown in its environment so that the reader can easily follow the sequence. Since FORTH is an interactive lan- guage, results can be viewed at any time throughout the entire programming process. Because FORTH programs look very different from BASIC, Hogan recommends that the reader verify the results of steps explained in the book. Two of the most difficult FORTH concepts to teach are the use of the stack and the greatly reduced use of vari- ables. Most programmers familiar with procedural lan- guages such as BASIC have never used stacks and fre- quently use variables in their programs. Thus, FORTH's techniques for storing infor- mation during program exe- cution need special attention. Discover FORTH devotes chapters to each of these con- cepts early in the book to give the reader a clearer idea of why FORTH might seem strange. While many authors cover these basic FORTH structures only briefly, Hogan emphasizes them early enough so that you can be sure you understand them before reading on. He suc- ceeds in explaining the con- cepts through the use of illus- trations and real-world anal- ogies. Examples in FORTH One problem with Discover FORTH is the rarity of ex- amples. Although Hogan fully explains each FORTH word (which is the equiva- lent of a BASIC command), he offers only three or four small programs to show how to actually develop some- thing with the language. This makes it harder to decide if you're interested enough in the language to buy the book. However, the examples he does provide are clear and explained fully in the text. Regardless of Hogan's un- deruse of example programs, you will certainly know what each part of FORTH does by the time you finish reading the book. Since FORTH rarely uses variables (at least, not in the way they are used in BASIC), it is a major task to describe the structure of the language and diagram the actions of particular FORTH words. The Book's Structure The book is broken into three areas: the low-level concepts and history of FORTH, how words in FORTH make things hap- pen, and how to make your computer run your FORTH programs. Because each area is covered thoroughly, the reader is left with the impres- sion that the author said everything he wanted to in a small amount of space. The book demonstrates how FORTH can be taken out of its current jargon-riddled state and be tailored to the in- dividual programmer. Hogan stresses this throughout the book and takes some of the edge off the strange words chosen for some FORTH concepts. In essence, Discover FORTH is a practical book for anyone who is interested in a new and very different language for his microcomputer. It is written on a level that anyone can appreciate, and it shows FORTH's strengths as well as its weaknesses. As the title implies, the purpose of the book is to exhort you to become involved in FORTH, and it does so in a way not found in other FORTH manuals.! Paul E. Hoffman, president of Proper Software (Suite 1024, 2000 Center St., Berkeley, CA 94704), writes manuals for microcomputer companies in the San Francisco area. BYTEs Bits Electronic Bookshelf on Air McGraw-Hill Book Com- pany's Electronic Bookshelf is on air weekdays from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. eastern standard time and for 24 hours on weekends. For a catalog of computer and electronic books, log on by calling (212) 997-2488. ■ BYTE March 1984 473 What's New? SOFTWARE Magical Programming Language MAGIC from Data Manage- ment Associates is a medium- level, portable programming language that creates applica- tions programs without requir- ing a run-time package. The in : struction set permits the crea- tion and maintenance of ma- chine-executable programs, and its file I/O capabilities sup- port random, sequential, and ISAM file types. MAGIC has in- ternal data areas that are said to be completely variable with buffers that are dynamically allocated for hardware and software efficiency Other fea- tures include BCD arithmetic with up to 36 digits, simplified screen formatting and data editing, the ability to mix assembly language anywhere in source code, and total string- manipulation capability. MAGIC is available for CP/M; 8O867 and 8088-based sys- tems. \t costs $795, which in- cludes a cross-referenced manual. For details, contact Data Management Associates Inc., POB 4340, Wilmington, DE 19807, (302) 655-8986. Circle 510 on inquiry card. Utility Lets You Media Magician is a full disk- editing utility that lets you view, change, and save any byte, string, or sector any- where on a floppy or hard disk. It provides simultaneous screen displays of the hexadecimal and ASCII representations of each byte. Editing can be done on either window, and all changes in one window are immediately made in the cor- responding display. Media Magician uses single-character commands for such functions as printing out a sector, search- ing for a specific string, com- paring two sectors, and mov- Edlt Any Byte ing sectors. Other features in- clude help screens and the ability to use IBM PC color or monochrome graphics. Media Magician works with the IBM Personal Computer and machines running MS- DOS version 2.0. it requires 64K bytes of RAM and an 80-colurnn display The price is $48.50, plus $1.50 for postage and handling. Contact Photon Software, 636 120th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98005, [800] 426-2675; In Washington, (206) 451-8272. Circle 502 on inquiry card. Simulation Environment Is Interactive GPSS/PC is a simulation en- vironment designed for inter- active use on the IBM Personal Computer. Using GPSS/PC, you can predict the effects of managerial or engineering de- cisions on complex real-world systems. The software features more than 70 blocks and com- mands, 45 SNAs (system nu- merical attributes), clock and internal precisions limited only by the amount of computer memory, full-period 32-bit random-number generators, and the ability to include ex- ponents, cosines, tangents, and logarithms in complex ex- pressions. All blocks and SNAs can be accessed from within the program or entered interac- tively through the keyboard during simulation. You can mix SNAs into complex expressions and construct accurate prob- ability distributions without using GPSS functions. GPSS/PC will expand be- yond a megabyte of memory if your DOS permits. Models typically require approximately 0.003 second per block entry on the IBM PC's 4.77-MHz 8088 processor. Dynamic allo- cation of individual entry types and indirect addressing through transaction parameters are sup- ported. The following are lim- ited solely by the amount of memory in your computer: pa- rameters per transaction, random-number generators, chains occupied by a transac- tion, and internal accumula- tors. Operator conveniences include on-line helps, com- mand recognition, keystroke- error correction, assignable function keys, automatic spac- ing, cursor prompting, and a built-in line editor. Production quantities of GPSS/PC w\\l be available in May. For information on li- censing fees, contact Minute- man Software, POB 171, Stow, MA 01775, (617) 897-5662. Circle 504 on inquiry card. Pro-Accountant for DEC Professional Deccomp's Pro-Accountant General Ledger accounting software operates on the DEC Professional 350 microcom- puter. A novel feature of this system is its multitasking capa- bility, which lets you set up posting of journals or generate and print reports in the back- ground while continuing to use the keyboard for other tasks. Pro-Accountant can handle multiple companies and divisions on the same disk, and two years of detail is main- tained with one year of budget amounts, When a report is generated, the profit account is automatically computed, which allows contribution in- come to be shown by in- dividual or ail departments. Pro-Accountant is menu-driven, and it fully supports all the Pro- fessional 350's special function keys. Pro-Accountant costs $1500. For complete details, contact Deccomp Inc., 14752 Sinclair Circle, Tustin, CA 92680, (714) 730-5116. Circle 500 on inquiry card. Sophisticated Word Processor for PC Volkswriter Deluxe is a so- phisticated word processor for business and professional users of the IBM Personal Computer and its compatibles. When used with a database man- ager, such as dBASE \l Volks- writer lets you compile a mail- ing list send personalized form letters, and print labels. Through the use of virtual memory, document sizes can be as large as 1 megabyte. Page endings, underlining, boldface, double strike, and strike-th roughs are shown on screen. Special features include horizontal scrolling up to 250 characters, chapter-end foot- notes, and proportional spacing. 471 BYTE March 1984 What's New? This program comes precon- figured for 16 printers. Multiple fonts and color monitors are supported. It can handle multi- lingual keyboards and printer character sets and work with Lotus 1-2-3, Visicalc, and a variety of spelling checkers. Among the additional word- processing functions provided with Volkswriter are single- keystroke editing, on-screen reference guide, variable margins, superscripts, and sub- scripts. Volkswriter Deluxe costs $285. For more information, contact Lifetree Software Inc., Suite 315, 411 Pacific St., Monterey, CA 93940, (408) 373-4718. Circle 501 on inquiry card. Sort/Merge Co-routine Operates Interactively Co-Sort from Information Re- sources is a general-purpose sort/merge co-routine for on- line report generators, data- base managers, mailing lists, and compilers. Co-Sort operates interactively with a calling program or off-line for utility sorting and merging. Its time-sorting algorithm is ac- cessed interactively by pro- grams in ASM, CBASIC, MBASIC, Pascal, and other lan- guages that can call a ma- chine-language routine. Any number and type of filters, in- puts, keys, and outputs are per- mitted with Co-Sort, including exception processing. I/O rec- ords can be transferred in files or directly in memory without physical HO. Co-sort runs under CP/M- 80, CP/M-86, or MS-DOS. It costs $200, which includes programs and documentation in ASM and BASIC. For more information, contact Infor- mation Resources, POB W, Manhasset, NY 11030, (516) 365-7629. Circle 507 on inquiry card. Family Medical Program Navic Corporation's Family Medical Advisor is an informa- tional and educational pro- gram that analyzes overt symp- toms and identifies the prob- able cause of a medical condi- tion. This program prompts you with a series of yes-or-no questions to establish a pat- tern. It then analyzes your re- sponses and lists related dis- orders with similar symptoms in descending order of prob- ability. In the database are details on nearly 200 common illnesses. Family Medical Advisor runs on an Apple II Plus with 48K bytes of memory and a disk drive. For more information, contact Navic Corp., POB 14727, North Palm Beach, FL 33408, (305) 627-4132. Circle 508 on inquiry card. LISP System for IBM PC Gold Hill Computers has an- nounced the availability of Golden Common LISP (GCLISP) for the IBM Personal Com- puter. GCLISP offers a full range of data types, including infinite-precision integers, floating-point numbers, arrays, character strings, lists, struc- tures, and symbols. It supports object-oriented programming. GCLISP has been enhanced with such programming devel- opment aids and operating ex- tensions as a full-screen in- telligent editor, multitasking capabilities, macro instructions, memory allocation, garbage collection, and stream-oriented I/O. Gold Hill Computers plans to support the iAPX286 and to release a GCLISP compiler. GCLISP requires PC-DOS 2.0 or greater and 256K bytes of memory. The suggested price is $375, which includes com- prehensive documentation. Dealer inquiries are invited. For further information, contact Gold Hill Computers Inc., 163 Harvard St., Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 492-2071. Circle 505 on inquiry card. Accounting Software The Certified Accounting System is an integrated ac- counting package for micro- computers running under CPIM-80, CP/M-86, MS-DOS, and PC-DOS. A key feature of this software is that it supports end-user customization of in- put screens, files, and report formats. Certified Software lets you tailor input screens to your business documents and forms, change numeric and alphanu- meric field lengths and types, design new printed reports to replace or supplement stan- dard reports, modify program print positions to match print positions on existing forms, and create vertical accounting packages targeted at specific needs. This package has re- ceived independent third-party review and certification from Touche Ross & Co., an. interna- tional accounting firm. The Certified Software pack- age comprises five basic ac- counting modules: general ledger, accounts payable, ac- counts receivable, inventory and payroll. In addition, a customizing kit is offered. All the modules are available with or without the ability to auto- matically update the general ledger whenever new data are entered into any module. With- out the automatic general- ledger update, the suggested retail price for each module is $195. Individual modules with the update feature are $295. A required system guide is $45. The customizing kit is $145. Dealer inquiries are welcome. For the name of your nearest dealer, contact Certified Soft- ware Inc., 9900 Southwest Wilshire St., Portland, OR 97225, (503) 297-8666. Circle 503 on inquiry card. Business Graphics for Microangelo The DaVinci Business Graph- ics package from Professional Research Consultants lets you create presentation-quality charts and graphs using the Scion Microangelo Color Sys- tem. From two to eight Micro- angelo bit planes can be sup- ported by DaVinci to generate 4 to 256 colors per image. This package handles pie charts, ex- ploded pie charts, bar and three-dimensional bar charts, linear pie charts, and line graphs. A menu-driven interac- tive data-entry program, Da- Vinci allows you to enter data values, titles, color selections, and axis-scale information. Data can come from user- written programs or programs capable of generating ASCII data files. All parameters and options for a particular image are stored in a work space that can be loaded for displaying or modifying the graph. DaVinci runs on any Z80- based S-100 system compatible with CP/M 22. It costs $650. Additional details are available from Professional Research Consultants, 12832 Augusta Ave., Omaha, HE 68144, (402) 330-5433. Circle 506 on inquiry card. Integrated Package for Business An integrated software pack- age for business people using the DEC Professional 350, Pro- pel is distributed by Pro Com- puting. Propel's applications are divided into three catego- ries: telephone communica- tions, written communications, and number processing. Its telephone communications capabilities are made up of a telephone directory with auto- dial functions, a telephone-call notebook, and an answering and message service. For writ- BYTE March 1984 475 What's New? ten communications, Propel offers word processing, elec- tronic mail, and meeting and reading notebooks. A spread- sheet and graphics constitute its number-processing abilities. In addition, Propel enables the Professional 350 to emulate DEC and IBM terminals for communicating with main- frame computers. Propel can operate at four different levels of sophistica- tion. Each level offers addi- tional features for customizing applications. The software uses dedicated function keys, simple menu hierarchies, single-key- stroke commands, and a con- sistent set of commands across all applications. Data transfers between applications are said to be simple. On-screen prompts for each menu option and help screens assist users. Propel is available with or without the telephone func- tions for $1195 or $950, respec- tively A toll-free hot-line num- ber supports users. For full details, write to Pro Computing Inc., Suite 3314, One Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10119. Circle 509 on inquiry card. MASS STORAGE f Fluid Dynamics Boosts Storage Capacities Iomega's engineers have adapted eighteenth-century Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli's principle of fluid dynamics to flexible-disk sub- systems. Called the Bernoulli Box, the unit controls the movement of air around a flex- ible disk as it spins under the re- cording head. As the disk is enveloped by air, it rises to within 10 microinches of the head, creating a soft interface that permits high media den- sity and rapid access. The average access speed is 30 mil- liseconds, and the transfer rate is I megabyte per second. The removable flexible-disk car- tridge can handle 10 mega- bytes of formatted data. Cabinet dimensions are SVi by 19 ] /2 by 18 9 / w inches. The Bernoulli Box is available in 10- and 20-megabyte ver- sions for the IBM PC XT and the Texas Instruments Profes- sional Computer. The Io- mega byte unit, which is up- gradable to 20 megabytes, has a $2695 suggested retail price. The 20-megabyte unit lists for $3695. The 10-megabyte up- grade kit is $ 1000. The disk car- tridges cost approximately $60. Iomega also produces 5/4- and 8-inch cartridge drives capable of holding 5.2 mega- bytes of data. For complete details, contact Iomega Corp., 4646 South 1500 W, Ogden, UT 84403, (801) 399-2171. Circle 514 on inquiry card. S'A- and 3VHnch Winchesters Unveiled Microcomputer Memories has unveiled a line of Win- chester-disk drives aimed at the OEM and systems integrators market. The drives have ST-506 interfaces and offer 6.38 and 12.75 megabytes of storage and are available In half-height 5/4- and 3/2 -inch formats. These devices are engineered with such safety features as head-landing zones for re- corded-data protection. The 12-megabyte unit features two oxide platters and manganese/ zinc read/write heads, permit- ting less critical densities and enhancing reliability. The single-unit price of the 12-megabyte Winchester drive In a 5 Va -inch enclosure is $1300. OEM pricing can be less than $700. Address in- quiries to Microcomputer Memories Inc., 7444 Valjean Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91406, (213) 782-2222. Circle 512 on inquiry card. Microfloppies Designed for Atari A pair of 3-inch microfloppy- disk drives, the single-drive AMDC-I and the dual-drive AMDC-11, are compatible with Atari ^00/800 and XL Series computers. Both units have an integral intelligent controller and DOS/XL operating system software. They can control up to four drives, each program- mable for single- or double- density operation, and can be used in conjunction with Sc- inch drives to boot Atari soft- ware. The media are Amdek's 3-inch cartridges, which fea- ture an automatic shutter mechanism to protect against dust and fingerprints. The AMDC-I provides 180K bytes of formatted storage. The AMDC-I! gives you I80K bytes of double-density storage per side for a total of 360K bytes. (Note that you must manual- ly flip the cartridge.) The sug- gested retail price is $599 for the former and $850 for the latter. The 3-inch cartridge media are $6.99 each. For full information, contact Amdek Corp., 2201 Lively Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, (312) 364-1180. Circle 511 on inquiry card. Turbo-Disk Unveiled The Turbo-Disk from New World Computer Company Is a 5/4 -inch Winchester-disk drive with a dozen read/write heads on each side of the disk. Its head slider assembly is mounted on a parallelogram that moves the read/write heads across a rotating disk in a purported J/12th the time and distance of a single head. The Turbo-Disk provides an 8- millisecond access time for data under the heads and a 16-mil- lisecond average access for re- maining data. When not in use, the heads are locked above the disk surface, protect- ing data. Turbo-Disk comes In con- figurations for the OEM and high-performance end-user markets. The first OEM model is a half-height 5-megabyte fixed-disk drive priced at $1800. A 5-megabyte half-height fixed-disk drive enhanced with 5 megabytes of removable storage is available for $2325. For end-users, the Turbo-Disk can be purchased as a 20- megabyte subsystem. This sys- tem features 5 megabytes fixed and 5 megabytes removable storage, plus 10 megabytes of additional storage in the form of two removable cartridges. It's provided with a power sup- ply, disk controller, connecting cables, utility software, and a host interface that's compati- ble with IBM, Apple, DEC, S-100 bus, and Multibus sys- tems. It lists for $4950, with 476 BYTE March 1984 What's New? volume discounts available. Additional cartridges and an ST506/412 interface are op- tional. New World Computer Co. Inc., 6624 Owens Dr., POB 1479, Pleasanton, CA 94566, (415) 463-0330. Circle 515 on inquiry card. Drive Stores 3.2 Megabytes at 170 TPI MPI has announced Mega- drive, a 5/4 -inch floppy-disk drive with an unformatted storage capacity of 32 mega- bytes at 170 tpi. Standard fea- tures include back-up and program-load capabilities, 3- millisecond track-to-track ac- cess time, and a closed-loop positioning system designed to adjust the drive to media dis- tortions caused by heat or humidity Megadrive has a microprocessor coupled with a stationary quad sensor and a mylar reference scale that enables it to sense track loca- tions and guide the head to the intended track, eliminating the risks associated with higher tpi densities. It's plug- compatible with existing 8- inch controllers with ST 850 in- terfaces, and it can read 48- and 96-tpi floppy disks. Mean time between failures is 8000 hours under typical usage. OEM evaluation units are priced at $500. Contact MPI, 9754 Deering Ave., Chats- worth, CA 91311 (213) 709-4202. Circle 516 on inquiry card. Subsystem Upgrades PC to XT Storage Capacity Piiceon 's WHAMS I-XT is a 10-megabyte Winchester-disk subsystem that upgrades the IBM PC to the storage capaci- ty of a PC XT. The complete subsystem comprises a multi- function board equipped with an RS-232C asynchronous serial port and room for up to 256K bytes of RAM, a half- height drive, and a drive con- nector cable. It's hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM PC and PC XT and runs all versions of PC-DOS, in- cluding DOS 2.0, as well as utilities. WHAMS fits into the IBM's second floppy-disk slot and re- quires two cable connections. It operates with the PC's power supply Without RAM, WHAMS costs $2375. Each 64K-byte RAM is $90. For ad- ditional information, contact Piiceon Inc., 2045 Lundy, San Jose, CA 95131, (408) 998-4016. Circle 513 on inquiry card. PRINTERS Qantex Compatible with Epson and Anadex ESC Codes The Qantex Model 7065 serial dot-matrix printer Is fully compatible with Epson and Anadex escape codes. Its oper- ating speeds are 300 cps for draft copy; 250 cps, compose; 125 cps, near letter quality; and 65 cps, letter quality. In its dot graphics mode, this printer pro- vides 144 by 144 bit-mapped dots per square inch at a repeti- tion rate of 1500 dots per sec- ond per activated needle. Pro- minent print attributes include proportional spacing, right- hand margin justification, auto- matic underline, overprint and boldface, and downloadable fonts. The 7065 will store three letter-quality fonts on line before requiring a change of print wheels. Standard word- processing fonts are Trend and Courier; Emphasis, Cubic, Scientific, APL, Script, and italics are offered as options. The Model 7065 is con- trolled by a Z80A micropro- cessor. The built-in 4.7K-byte buffer is expandable. The printer's single-sheet feeder in- corporates a combination roller-tractor that lets you use continuous or cut-sheet forms. DIP-switch activated Cen- tronics parallel or RS-232C serial interfaces are provided. Data-rate capabilities range from 110 to 19,200 bps. Diablo compatibility is op- tional. In single units, the Model 7065 is $1995. Purchas- ing information is available from North Atlantic Industries Inc., Qantex Division, 60 Plant Ave., Hauppauge, NY 11788, 1800) 645-5292; \n New York, (516) 582-6060. Circle 517 on inquiry card. Canon Unveils Three Printers Canon U.S.A. recently intro- duced two near letter quality printers and a color ink-jet printer. The PW-1080A and the PW-D56A printers give you single-sheet insertion with roll, fan-fold, single-sheet, and multipart copy paper. They have a built-in, adjustable trac- tor feed, removable cartridge ribbon, and the ability to print four character styles on the same line. For high-resolution graphics, they provide N- by 16-dot matrix printing. Both operate at 160 cps. The PW-1080A prints 80 characters per line t and the PW-1I56A can print 156 characters per line. Superscript, subscript, and in- ternational character sets are optional. The PJ-1080A ink-jet printer can produce seven colors on paper and overhead trans- parencies. It has four character styles that it prints at 37 cps. The PJ-1080A has separate black and tri-color ink car- tridges, high-resolution color- graphic printing of 640 dots per line, and automatic vertical and horizontal tabulation with page-length-per-inch setting. International character sets are available. The suggested price for the PW-1080A is $595. The PW-1156A is $895, and the PJ-1080A is $795. For more specifications, contact Canon U.S.A., 1 Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042, (516) 488-6700. Circle 518 on inquiry card. Color Printer for Atari Axiom Corporation has in- troduced a multifunction, full- color printer that's compatible with Atari computers. The GP-700AT plugs directly into the Atari's serial port, elimi- nating the need for an 850 in- terface. It also permits daisy- chaining of cassettes and other BYTE March 1984 477 What's New? peripherals without the 850 in- terface. Alphanumerics, sym- bols, and graphics elements can be output at speeds of up to 50 cps, and as many as 25 colors can be penned with a single pass of the four-hammer print head. A cassette ribbon, inked with black, magenta, cyan, and yellow, allows col- or mixing without smearing. A data-compression/expansion system that scans each line to be printed for repetitive data to contract is said to send color information to the printer up to 100 times faster than conven- tional software. The GP-700AT comes with a connecting cable and screen- dump programs, it lists for $599. A complete description is obtainable from Axiom Corp., 1014 Griswold Ave., San Fernando, CA 91340, (213) 365-9521. Circle 519 on inquiry card. Thermal Printer Complements Portables The TTX 1280 Portaprint, a three-pound battery- and AC- powered thermal-matrix print- er, complements your portable or hand-held computer. This bidirectional printer operates at 40 cps (batteries) and 80 cps (AC). Portaprint uses a 5- by 7-dot nonimpact print head to produce a variety of character sizes and densities, specialized letters, and line and dot-by-dot placements. It offers graphics capabilities, bold and shadow printing, and oversized charac- ters. Portaprint has a con- densed-printing mode that lets you expand its normal 80-col- umn line so that 132-column spreadsheets can be printed on standard 8!/2- by 11-inch paper. Six-volt batteries provide 4000 to 5000 lines of print or ap- proximately 2V2 hours of operation. The TTX 1280 Portaprint costs $199. An AC adapter is supplied. Production quantities will be available in the spring. For full details, contact Teletex Communication Corp., 3420 East Third Ave., Foster City, CA 94404, (415) 341-1300. Circle 521 on inquiry card. Multifunction Printer from Epson Epson's LQ-1500, a multi- function serial dot-matrix print- er, can run at speeds from 60 to 200 cps. This 136-column unit has built-in character sets that provide the 96 ASCII char- acters, 13 international sets, and 128 downloadable char- acters. Its 45 standard fonts im- plement Pica and Elite spacing in regular, enlarged, empha- sized, and condensed formats. Proportional spacing \n regular and enlarged formats and regular and enlarged super- and subscripts are provided. A 24-pin print head forms char- acters with matrices spanning 9 by 17 to 37 by 17 dots. For graphics printing, variable resolution from 60 to 240 dots per inch can be achieved using 8- and 24-pin head configura- tions. Also supplied are a 15K- byte print line image buffer, bidirectional printing with logic seeking, automatic sheet load- ing, and software control over intercharacter spacing, print size, and vertical and horizon- tal tabs. Centronics 8-bit parallel, RS-232C, and IEEE-488/GPIB interfaces are available. The LQ-15000 retails in the $1200 to $1500 range. OEM dis- counts are offered. Contact Epson OEM Products Division, 3415 Kashiwa St., Torrance, CA 90505, (213) 533-8277. Circle 523 on inquiry card. Smith-Corona Unveils Matrix Printers Smith-Corona recently intro- duced a line of dot-matrix printers. At the high end is the D-300, which offers a printing speed of 140 cps and a column width of 132 characters (10 pitch). Among the key features of this near letter quality printer are six pitches, emphasized and elongated print, propor- tional spacing, italics, bit- mapped graphics, character descenders, superscript, sub- script, a 2K-byte buffer, and a 96-character ASCII set for print- ing in six foreign languages. Friction and tractor feed, bi- directional printing, shortline seek, and vertical and horizon- tal tabs are all standard. The character matrix ranges from 9 by 8 to 17 by 16 dots. Parallel and serial interfaces and self- test are supplied. The D-300 lists for $795. The D-200 differs from the D-300 in that it operates at 120 cps and its column width is 80 characters per line at 10 pitch. The suggested retail price is $595. The $395 D-100 prints an 80-column line at 100 cps. This parallel printer, which is fur- nished with most of the ac- coutrements of the D-300, has a full-line buffer capable of ac- commodating up to 132 char- acters. A serial interface is op- tional. Further information on these products is available from Smith-Corona, 65 Locust Ave., New Canaan, CT 06840. Circle 522 on inquiry card. Dot-Matrix Printer Supports Hi-Res Graphics Apple's Imagewriter dot- matrix printer reproduces high- resolution graphics at speeds approaching 180 cps. The Im- agewriter prints in a 7- by 9-dot matrix and provides vari- able resolution of 72 to 160 dots per inch. Such print fea- tures as variable pitch from 10 to 17 characters per inch, eight fonts, variable line spacing from 1/6 to 1/144 inch, and pro- portional font and line spacing are furnished. Fonts, under- scores, superscripts, and sub- scripts can be mixed on the same line. Its bit-mapped graphics technology supports the Lisa's graphics capabilities. 478 BYTE March 1984 hat's New? The Imagewriter uses either friction-feed or adjustable- width pin-feed tractors. Paper sizes range from 3 to 10 inches wide. Single sheets, fan-fold continuous forms, roll stock, and precut labels are all accept- able. Four copies can be printed simultaneously. The Imagewriter uses a standard RS-232C interface to connect directly with the Apple III or Lisa. The Apple Super Serial Interface card is re- quired for the Apple II Plus and lie. The suggested price is $675, which includes cables, applications manual, user guide, and software for print- ing high-resolution graphics. Contact Apple Computer Inc., 20525 Marlanl Ave., Cuper- tino, CA 95014, {800} 538= 9696; in California, (408) 996-1010. Circle 520 on inquiry card. SYSTEMS 128K Standard with Leading Edge PC The Leading Edge Personal Computer is an IBM PC-com- patible offering I28K bytes of memory and an integrated RS-232C serial port. Salient fea- tures include a 7.16-MHz pro- cessing speed, seven IBM bus- compatible expansion slots, a digital time-of-day clock with battery backup, an 83-key IBM- format keyboard, and twin 5 '/4 -inch 320K-byte floppy-disk drives. A 12-inch green-screen monitor with an 80 by 25 display format is standard. Microsoft DOS 1.25. Microsoft GW BASIC, and the Leading Edge Word Processor are bundled with the system. The Leading Edge Personal Computer has a suggested retail price of $2895. For fur- ther details, contact Leading Edge Products Inc., 225 Turn- pike St., Canton, MA 02021, (800) 343-6833; in Massachu- setts, (617) 828-8150. Circle 529 on inquiry card. Senior Partner for Portable Computing Panasonic's portable Senior Partner uses MS-DOS 2.0 and is compatible with IBM PC hardware and software. It in- corporates a built-in thermal printer, a double-sided double- density 320K-byte floppy-disk drive, and a 9-inch display in a single 28.7-pound case. It has 128K bytes of RAM (ex- pandable to 5I2K bytes) and is based on the 16-bit 8088 chip. For mathematics process- ing, the Senior Partner has a spare socket for an 8087 processor. The thermal printer has graphics capabilities and can be switched from 80 to 132 characters per line. The video display has a green back- ground and an 80 by 25 for- mat. The format is adjustable to 40 characters per line. Senior Partner carries an RGB monitor port and Centronics parallel and RS-232C interfaces. The Senior Partner measures 18/4 by 13 3 / 6 by 8/4 inches. It costs $2495, which includes six software packages. Contact Panasonic Co., One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094. Circle 525 on inquiry card. Turbodos System Carries Five Slaves The QDP-400 TurboDOS multiuser system features a 6-MHz Z80B master central processor and up to five Z80A or Z80B slave processors. It comes with a standard 128K bytes of RAM, I28K bytes of RAM for each user, and a six- slot S-I00 motherboard that ac- commodates double-height boards. Overall system speed is increased with a master con- troller DMA for disk and mem- ory transfers. It's compatible with CP/M and MP/M applica- tions software, and bank- switching of the operating sys- tem in master and slave opera- tions provides a transient pro- gram area for applications pro- grams. TurboDOS networking gives users access to disks, magnetic tape cartridges, printers, modems, and other peripherals. The QDP-400 features Win- chester hard-disk storage to more than 30 megabytes and a double-sided double-density 8-inch 1.2-megabyte floppy disk. Up to 12 RS-232C serial ports with optional network- ing communications through serial channels and two Cen- tronics parallel ports are available. System prices start at $9995. Contact QDP Com- puter Systems, 10330 Brecks- ville Rd., Cleveland, OH 44141, (216) 526-0838. Circle 527 on inquiry card. Single-Board Computer Controller The Model 83-230 single- board computer from John Bell Engineering is designed for use as a print spooler or as a con- troller in security systems or robots. This 6502-based board has 55K bytes of dynamic RAM, 8K bytes of EPROM, four parallel ports, one serial RS-232C port, and four timers. It measures 4/2 by 6/2 inches and uses the 44-pin AIM bus. A 2716 monitor EPROM is available as a $19.95 option. The bare board is $49.95. The assembled and tested version is $299.95. Full documentation is supplied. A universal interface suitable for laboratory experiments and industrial-control applications is also available from John Bell Engineering. Designed for the IBM Personal Computer, the Model 83-064 has nine parallel 8-bit ports, 16 analog input ports, a timer, interrupt circuitry and a prototyping area. It uses three 8255 programmable pe- BYTE March 1984 479 What's New? ripheral-interface chips and an ADC-0817 analog input de- vice. Analog inputs are to 5 volts; the conversion time is ap- proximately 200 microseconds per channel. The timer-oscil- lator runs at 32768 Hz and provides a total of 25 different frequencies. All I/O ports attach through 16-pin ribbon cables with DIP connectors. With documentation, the 83-064 costs $299.95, assembled and tested. Contact John Bell Engi- neering Inc., 1014 Center St., San Carlos, CA 94070, (415) 592-8411. Circle 530 on inquiry card. Headstart Offers Up to I Megabyte RAM Intertec's Headstart can be equipped with 1 megabyte of memory. Headstart comes with dual 8/16-bit micropro- cessors, 3/2 -inch 500K-byte (unformatted) floppy-disk drives, and built-in multiuser networking capabilities. System interfaces comprise coaxial communications, RS-449/ RS-232C serial communica- tions port, and a Centronics- type parallel port. A detached keyboard, a 12-inch nonglare screen, IBM PC compatibility and RAM disk emulation capa- bilities are some of Headstart's highlights. It employs the 16-bit Intel 8088 and Zilog's 8-bit Z80A, respectively running MS-DOS and CP/M-80. Up to 255 Headstarts can be linked with Intertec's high- speed coaxial interface. Net- working capabilities include electronic mail and software file protection. A 5 'A -inch 20-megabyte Winchester unit and an 8-inch Winchester with 25 megabytes of fixed storage and 25 megabytes of removable storage are offered as network enhancements. Headstart can be obtained in 128K-, 500K-, and 1-megabyte versions. In as- cending order, base prices are $1895, $3495, and $4495. Software utilities and 514 -inch floppy-disk drives are optional. For details, contact Intertec, 2300 Broad River Rd., Colum- bia, SC 29210, (803) 798-9100. Circle 524 on inquiry card. PUBLICATIONS lip 1984 BuYE^Guroe Computers for Everybody Computers for Everybody 1984 Buyer's Guide by Jerry Willis and Merl Miller carries up-to-date information on microcomputers. It describes 143 computers in detail rang- ing from keyboard design to available software. Topics covered include an introduc- tion and guide to hardware and software, steps in selecting a computer, and portable computers. Computers for Everybody is available in paperback for $19.95. Contact Dilithium Press, Suite 151, 8285 South- west Nimbus, Beaverton, OR 97005, (800) 547-1842; in Oregon, (503) 646-2713. Circle 533 on inquiry card. Statistics Program Directory An Annotated Directory of Statistical and Related Micro- computer Software for Socio- Economic Data Analysis by Kelly, Stevens, Stilweli, and Weber is available from Michi- gan State University. This direc- tory describes more than 260 programs and places a special emphasis on those packages written for Apple, IBM, and CP/M systems. It also identifies and provides information on 30 generalized statistical packages. The 165-page directory costs $7. Copies can be obtained from the Department of Agri- culture, Agriculture Hall, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824. Circle 532 on inquiry card. Independent Maintenance Service Guide Offered C/ESN Publications has in- troduced its first annual Guide to Independent Service, a directory of companies offering third-party on-site mainte- nance and depot repair to OEMs and end users. The directory contains a geograph- ical index of service companies and provides such information as number of employees, ser- vice revenues, years in busi- ness, and hardware and soft- ware maintained. Services of- fered include depot and on-site repairs, remote diagnostics, repair of communications equipment, and operating-sys- tem and applications-software troubleshooting. Such man- agement innovations as cen- tralized dispatch, telephone support, and automated parts inventory are noted. Also in- cluded in the directory are details of each company's ser- vice contracts and feature ar- ticles of interest. The cover price for the Guide to Independent Ser- vice is $19.95. For more infor- mation, contact C/ESN Publi- cations, POB 428, Peter- borough, NH 03458, (603) 924-9457. Circle 536 on inquiry card. Directory oS PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE ferrh© IBM Personal Computer 100 Plus Public-Domain IBM Programs A catalog listing more than 100 public domain and user- supported programs for the IBM Personal Computer has been published by the PC Soft- ware Interest Group. Programs listed include financial and stock market analysis, word pro- cessing, communications, data- bases, BASIC utilities, graphics, spreadsheets, and print spoolers. Copies of the book are avail- able for $2.95 plus $1 for ship- ping. A set of the 10 most popular programs on disk costs $59. The complete set of 75 programs on disk is $439. Con- tact PC Software Interest Group, Suite I30R, 1556 Hal- ford Ave., Santa Clara , CA 95051, (408) 247-6303. Circle 534 on inquiry card. Graphics Market Subject of Directory You can locate information on the computer graphics in- dustry in Computer Graphics Marketplace 1983-84. Edited 480 BYTE March 1984 What's New? by John Cosentino, this book provides a listing of manufac- turers, consultants, services, professional organizations, educational programs, con- ferences and conventions, and publications geared toward the graphics industry. Each entry includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, titles, and descriptions of each com- pany's products or services. Product and geographical in- dexes augment the presenta- tion. This 102-page paperback costs $32.50. It's available directly from the Oryx Press, 2214 North Central, Phoenix, AZ 85004, (602) 254-6156. Circle 535 on inquiry card. Manual Experiments with Hero Heath's Robot "HERO"; 68 Experiments: Fundamentals and Applications by Howard Boyet covers the basics behind controlling all of the Hero I's in- puts, outputs, and applications. This 160-page book covers the Hero's use in such areas as in- dustrial manufacturing, securi- ty systems, and home educa- tion. Its objective is to teach you how to become a robot innovator, capable of conceiv- ing and implementing pro- grams to control the Hero in a variety of applications. Topics addressed include machine- language control of inputs/out- puts, user-dedicated keys, how to write an interpreter behind any higher robot language, and using Hero's motion- detection and range-measur- ing capabilities. Heath's Robot "HERO" costs $21.95. For more informa- tion, contact Microprocessor Training Inc., 14 East 8th St., New York, NY ]0003 f (212) 473-4947. Circle 531 on inquiry card, FOREIGN Home Computers With Stereophonic Sound The Enterprise 64 and 128 Home Computers from Elan Computers Ltd. have stereo sound capabilities and 256 colors. Distributed in 64K- or 128K-byte versions, the Enter- prise comes with a 69-key full- travel keyboard, a built-in joy- stick, color and black-and- white video outputs, a 56 by 84 display format, the ability to display text and graphics simul- taneously, and an integral word processor with word- wrap, justification, text center- ing, and paragraph moving. Cassette, RS-423 serial, and Centronics-type parallel inter- faces are standard, and a car- tridge slot and an expansion connector are furnished. Enter- prise is equipped with a net- work scheme that permits up to 32 computers to communi- cate and share resources. Cassettes or 3!/2-inch micro- floppy-disk drives serve as mass-storage devices. A fully structured program- ming language based on BASIC and enhanced with special operation commands and graphic- and sound- control facilities is supplied. Video and strategy games, educational programs, and programming aids are avail- able. For complete details, con- tact Elan Computers Ltd., 31-37 Hoxton St., London Nl, England; tel: 011441 739 4282; Telex: 221M ELCOM G. Circle 540 on inquiry card. Drafting System Introduced Datagraph has introduced a computer-aided design and drafting system that's built around an IBM PC or IBM PC XT and designed to serve as a tool for creating technical drawings, circuit diagrams, building plans, sketches, and il- lustrations. It features a 20-inch high-resolution graphics moni- tor, a video controller with 512K bytes of RAM, 1024- by 1024- by 4-pixel graphics, a mouse or digitizer tablet, and a drum or flatbed plotter. Ele- ments such as lines, circles, arcs, rectangles, polygons, and text can be entered from a graphics tablet. Users can create and store elements. Drawings can be saved for ma- nipulation or hard-copy print- outs. Including the IBM, prices for the system range between DM ^0,000 and DM 55,000, depending on configurations. Contact Datagraph GmbH, GiessenerStr. 27, D-6302 Lich 1, West Germany; tel: 64 04/20 71; Telex: 48 28 90 video d. Circle 537 on inquiry card. Ball-Bearing Carriage Eliminates Noise The Edcom slim-line floppy- disk drive uses a ball-bearing carriage to eliminate the noise and friction generated from a sliding read/write head. Edcom features a direct-drive brushless spindle motor, an automatic disk-ejection mechanism, a continuous band positioner, and ceramic heads. Memory capacity is 250K bytes double density and 125K bytes single density The double-density transfer rate is 250k bits per second, and the single-density rate is 125k bits. Track density is 48 tpi, and track-to-track ac- cess averages 6 milliseconds. It works with Apple DOS, CP/M, and Pascal. Edcom measures 5.75 by 1.66 by 8.1 inches. For complete details, contact EDP Resources Co. Ltd., Number 5, 2/FJ Newport Centre Phase 2, 116 Ma Tau Kok Rd., Tokwa- wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong; tel: 3-342405-8; Telex: 37449 ACTEL HX. Circle 539 on inquiry card. Commodore Speech Unit The Commtalk speaker syn- thesizer for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 has a virtually un- limited vocabulary. It operates independently, affecting neither your computer's nor- mal sound functions nor its BASIC language. Commtalk uses allophones, which are the variants of individual pho- nemes, to construct words. You can access speech direct- ly through BASIC commands and create a library of words with strings. The synthesizer has the ability to talk with the continuous execution of a BASIC program. Speech is out- put through your monitor. Commtalk connects directly to the Commodore, leaving free its cartridge slot. BYTE March 1984 481 What's New? Commtalk comes with a program cassette and manual. It costs £39; the PET version is £45. Contact Andor Systems, 28 Hillside Dr., Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, Ireland; tel: 01-900107. Circle 538 on inquiry card. Phone Replacement Allows High-Speed Dialing The Voice Oriented Auto Dialer, or VOAD, Keyboard Phone replaces standard rotary-dial or Touch Tone tele- phones and allows high-speed automatic dialing from a com- puter keyboard. VOAD permits detailed call recording, conve- nient access to such telecom- munications systems as MCI or The Source, programming of call restrictions into a host com- puter, and, with the appropri- ate software, the selection of the most cost-effective call placement. VOAD draws its power from the telephone line. It automat- ically selects Touch Tone or pulse modes and offers redial- ing capabilities, VOAD con- nects to an RS-232C port and comes with an RJ-11 jack for hook-up to a handset, head- set, or speaker phone. It costs $199.50; quantity and OEM discounts are available. Con- tact VOAD Systems, Suite 227, 8570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211, (213) 550-0629. Circle 543 on inquiry card. Mouse System The Optomouse/AutoCAD package from USI Computer Products combines a digital mouse with a drafting and design software system. The Optomouse operates on a desktop grid and is accurate at speeds of up to 20 inches per second. It has four control but- tons and is about the size of a deck of cards. AutoCAD offers a variety of design and drafting applica- tions ranging from architectural and landscaping drawings to drafting for mechanical, elec- trical, chemical, civil, and struc- tural engineering. It lets you create and edit drawings of any size and scale. Drawings can be saved to disk, and com- plete drawings or combina- tions of design elements can be moved, copied, modified, erased, rotated, or rescaled through commands entered by and CAD Introduced the mouse or keyboard. The Optomouse/AutoCAD works with the IBM Personal Computer and its compatibles. The retail price is $ 1200. For in- formation, contact USI Com- puter Products Inc., 71 Park Lane, Brisbane, CA 94005, (415) 468-4900. Circle 544 on inquiry card. Single-Dot Editing with Light Pen Magellan Computer's Light Pen System for the Apple II Plus allows single-dot editing on the Apple II Plus or He's high- resolution screen. The Light Pen has push-button control over drawing operations. It comes with an electronic module that connects to the computer's game I/O port. This technique is transparent and allows game paddles, joysticks, and other peripherals to oc- cupy the port as well. Two programs are supplied: Quick-Draw lets you create and edit presentation-quality graphics; Amper-Pen lets you incorporate light-pen opera- tions into Applesoft BASIC programs. The Magellan Light Pen Sys- tem costs $189.95, including software and documentation. It's available from Magellan Computer Inc., Suite D, 4371 East 82nd St., Indianapolis, IN 46250, (317) 842-9138. Circle 545 on inquiry card. Digital Transmits to Computers The Cybervision CV Series Digital-Camera detects an im- age and digitally transmits it to your computer for screening, printing, modification, trans- mission to another computer, or storage. A complete Digital- Camera includes an fl.6 lens with adjustable focus and f- stop, digital detector, an inter- face board, connecting cable, a tripod, and supporting soft- ware. Camera resolution is 128 by 256 pixels. The crux of this device is Micron Technology's IS32 OpticRAM. The Cybervision CV Series Digital-Camera is designed for direct coupling to Apple, Com- modore 64, IBM PC and PC XT, or Radio Shack TRS-80 computers. A version that can communicate with most microcomputers through an RS-232C cable is offered. The Digital-Camera may be ordered in kit form or completely assembled and tested. Prices begin at less than $300. For full particulars, contact Cybergen Systems Corp., 2070 Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95050, (408) 727-6766. Circle 541 on inquiry card. 482 BYTE March 1984 What's New? Dual-Channel Chromatography for Apple A full chromatography sys- tem for the Apple II is available from Anadata Inc. The Chrom- card II, a 17-bit dual-channel A/D converter, comes with I28K bytes of RAM and nec- essary hardware and software. Data is acquired and displayed from two independent chrom- atographs and then analyzed at speeds of up to 40 points per second. A finished analytical report and graphic data can be output after peak detection and integration. If automatic selection is inap- propriate, you can impose your own baseline. Methods and data can be stored on disk for retrieval and reprocessing. Chromcard II costs $2450. For more information, contact Anadata Inc., 516 North Main St., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, (312) 858-9606. Circle 542 on inquiry card. MISCELLANEOUS Joystick Has ASCII Output Turbo Stick is a high-point- ing-speed joystick with full RS-232C ASCII output. Pro- duced by the KA Design Group. Turbo Stick offers high resolution (i.e., one part in 4096) and dual fingertip-oper- ated microswitches that let you alternate between an absolute mode with high pointing speed and a rate mode with high resolution. The switches can be redefined under soft- ware control to perform dif- ferent functions. Turbo Stick is suitable for graphics and instrumentation systems. It's priced at $395. OEM discounts are available. For details, contact KA Design Group, 6300 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94069, (415) 654-6300. Circle 555 on inquiry card. RS-232C Adapters Ora Electronics designed the Data Spec ARS232AM adapter to convert a 25-pin RS-232C female connector to a male connector and the ARS232AF to perform the reverse func- tion. These adapters are fully shielded to standards that are said to exceed FCC require- ments. They incorporate a PVC molding to ensure maximum integrity and durability under adverse conditions. All 25 RS-232C pins are connected, making these adapters com- patible with virtually all equip- ment. For more information, contact Ora Electronics, 18215 Parthenia St., Northridge, CA 91325, (213) 201-5848. Circle 554 on inquiry card. Cable Tester Has Remote Indicator The Datacom RS-232C Cable Tester with remote indi- cator is a pocket-sized, battery- powered unit for testing and verifying cable configurations. Cables can be tested in either Step or Scan modes, and the Tester has 50 LEDs that indi- cate connections on each end of the cable. Three additional LEDs indicate Open, Short, or Continuity for each connec- tion of the cable under test. Cable connectors are dual male/female 25-pin D-type, which allow any configuration of RS-232C cable connectors to be tested. The remote in- dicator lets you test and verify operations on installed cables. The Tester weighs 8 ounces, and the remote indicator is 3 ounces. The suggested retail price for the Datacom Cable Tester is $399. For a complete product brochure, contact Datacom Northwest Inc., 11300 25th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98125, (206) 363-5805. Circle 553 on inquiry card. OstclllIC , Tive Analyzer Datalife Datallfe Detects The Datalife Disk Drive Analyzer from Data Encore detects common disk-drive problems in Apple and IBM computers. Datalife runs four tests: disk alignment, disk clamping, write/read accuracy and disk speed. It produces a display that indicates required adjustments and repair areas. System disassembly is not re- quired. The entire test se- Datalife Drive Problems quence takes only a few minutes. The Datalife Disk Drive Analyzer comes on a 5/4 -inch floppy disk. The suggested retail price is $39.95. For more information, contact Data En- core, 585 North Mary Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086, (408) 720-7400. Circle 552 on inquiry card. Where Do f\Jew Products Items Come From? The information printed in the new products pages of BYTE is obtained from new product or press release copy sent by the promoters of new products. If in our judgment the infor- mation might be of interest to the personal computing experi- menters and homebrewers who read BYTE, we print it in some form. We openly solicit releases and photos from manufac- turers and suppliers to this marketplace. The information is printed more or less as a first in first-out queue, sut ject to oc- casional priority modifications. While we would not knowing- ly print untrue or inaccurate data, or data from unreliable com- panies, our capacity to evaluate the products and companies appearing in the "What's Mew? feature is necessarily limited. We therefore cannot be responsible for product quality or company performance. BYTE March 1984 483 RIBBON RE INKERS Introducing the Pika-Ink , an incredible new device which extends the life of your fabric printer ribbons by a factor of TEN! Works with any fabric ribbon with Ya-inch or narrower width. Automatically re-inks your ribbons either on or off the printer for consis- tent dark black print. Pays for itself on the first rib- bon! TM The Pika-Ink is a kit which includes # Stainless steel ink reservoir • ball bearing assembly # transfer felts • 1 15v 60Hz electric motor * power cord » special computer ribbon ink {extra ink available). Comes with complete instructions. Re- quires assembly and fabrication with hand tools. Pika-Ink kit each $89 3+ ~$84T 10+ ~W78~ TERMINALS & PRINTERS Micro-Term E301 $875 Visual 55 $850 Visual 102 $1050 QumeQVT-102 $675 QumeGVT-108 $850 Qume Sprint 11/40 $1495 Sprint Interface $90 Sprint Tractor $235 RS232 BREAKOUT BOX The Pika-Box RS-232 I/O tester is the most advanced breakout box on the market today. An absolute necessity for anyone who uses or works with RS-232 peripherals, interfaces, or data lines. Saves hours of aggravation. Available in standard or deluxe tri-state models. Lifetime warranty! • 25-pin male DCE I^X^./'.B and female DTE connectors. • Individual LED's monitor pins, 2, 3,4,5,6,8,15, 17,20,21,22,25, plus MARK and SPACE. p_ • 24 DIP switches allow signal lines to be individually ♦ <#.[ interrupted. i • 25 test pins for ^JF^ monitoring or cross rll-:-': patching with in- cluded jumpers. • Tri-State model displays signals as high low, or invalid. • Fits in shirt pocket. 2.9"x5.5"x1.5", wt. 8 oz, with batteries {included}. • Fully assembled, ready to use. list $199 each 3+ Pika-Box $179 $174 Tri-State Pika-Box $249 $219 $211 RS-232 SWITCHES SAVE 40% TO 80%! Allows several devices to share a single RS-232 data line. Enhances flexibility of your system and puts an end to juggling cables. You've heard them called AB switches or T-switches, and they have outrageous prices! The Pika-Switch™ is an economical alternative in kit form. You assemble it yourself and save 40% to 80%! Available in two models: 2-device (AB + common) with 3 female connectors, and 5DD (100% certified) 10 up 100 up 1.75 1.55 2.50 2.30 BMC PRINTER BX-80 dot matrix printer -with 80 cps, 9x7 print / head. Quiet, reliable and priced for entry level $OCQ00 end-user &-0*7 MODEM Novation 103 Smart-Cat . $210.00 -M SUNTRONICS CO., inc. NEW MODEL SAMWOO DISPLAY VIDEO MONITORS Features: *Anti glare screen 'Attractive case • Std composite video input, also out- put for second monitor • 22 MHz video bandwidth ■ High resolution; 1,000 lines or 132 characters across * Adjustable contrast, brightness, V H-hold, V-size, H-center • Input impedance: high or 75 ohm • Passes FCC test for computer equipment • UL approved Compatible With: IBM, IBM PCjr, Apple II, Apple lie, Comodore, Columbia MPC, Eagle, Radio Shack, Sinclair Timex, and more. Each 3-up DM-216 1 2" Green $145.00 Call DM-216 12" Orange. ...... $149.00 Call DEALER INQUIRY INVITED EPROM & RAM SUPER SALE P/N 2716 2732 2764 4164 6116P-3 Description (450nS) (450nS) (28pinJ (in stock) 050nS) 8-24 3.95 4.40 8.95 Call 6.10 25up 3.95 4.40 Call Call Call Mother Boards & Card Cages SLOTS Bare Bd KIT A & T w/CAGE 6 $19.00 $4400 $59.00 $84.00 8 24.00 56.00 81.00 116.00 12 29.00 75.00 110.00 150.00 10MHz, No termination. Includes power indicator and wiring for muffin fan. Uses OK connector for solderless installation and removal of power & reset lines. Ionly, 1-800-421-5775 1213-644-1149 S-100 Products S1CC00 64KSM A&T without RAM .. . \\>\3 64KSM A&T w 64k RAM (32-61 16's}. 339.00 S-100 Board Uses 6MHz 61 16's. V? Amp max. power, Bank Select plus Extended Addressing allows for multi-memory board set-up. 4 independant 16K Blocks make easy use with multi-user sys- tems. Any 2K RAM may be replaced by a 2716 EPROM. SBC-880 Z80A CPU, A&T $169.00 SBC-880 Z80A CPU, Kit 149.00 4MHz Z80A CPU boards with Serial Parallel Ports. UFDC-1 Floppy Controller, A&T 245.00 UFDC-1 Floppy Controller, Kit 225.00 The UFDC-1 Floppy Controller uses the WD1795 chip which runs either and or 8" 5W' Disk Drives. CLOCK CALENDAR A&T 115.00 CLOCK CALENDAR Kit 95.00 This S-100 Clock Calendar Board has 4 Interrupts, Time, Day of Week and Battery Backup. Special Sale Items Apple Keyboard Assm & Tested $49.95 SUN-721 S-100 Prototype Board 9.95 SUN-722 Apple Prototype Board 5.95 See our January 1984 BYTE Ad for above item descriptions. Quantities are limited. r $1 0. Visa or MasterCard (pit ^S?^ 12621 Crenshaw Blvd., Hawthorne, CA 90250 484 BYTE March 1984 Circle 339 on inquiry card. Apple Country Ltd. has your Number for ROCK BOTTOM PRICES *ft m 1-800-222-2602 MONITORS AMDEK COLOR I PLUS 294.95 AMDEK COLOR II PLUS 424.95 AMDEK COLOR III 369.95 AMDEK COLOR IV 749.95 AMDEK VIDEO 300 (GREEN) 134.95 AMDEK VIDEO 300 (AMBER) 144.95 AMDEK VIDEO 310 (AMBER) 164.95 BMC 12" GREEN 89.95 BMC 13" COLOR 249.95 BMC 13" RGB AP2 COLOR 349.95 BMC 13" RGB IBM 419.95 COMMODORE COLOR 1702 289.95 COMREX 13" COLOR W/ SOUND 269.95 COMREX 12" HI-RES AMBER 134.95 COMREX 12" HI-RES GREEN 129.95 COMREX 12" HI-RES LT GRN 129.95 COMREX 13" RGB COLOR 269.95 GORILLA 12" AMBER 99.95 GORILLA 12" GREEN 89.95 NEC 12" HI-RES GREEN 154.95 NEC 12" ECONO GREEN 109.95 NEC 12" LO-RES COLOR 289.95 NEC 12" AMBER SCREEN 164.95 NEC 12" COLOR - IBM 469.95 PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX-12 LOW !! SAKATA 13" COLOR 264.95 SAKATA 13" RGB COLOR 499.95 SAKATA SUPER RGB 679.95 SAKATA 12" GREEN 109.95 SANYO CTR-70 HIRES COLOR 599.95 SANYO AUM-255 25" RGB 749.95 SANYO DMC-6500 13" RGB 399.95 TAXAN 12" GREEN 124.95 TAXAN 12" AMBER 129.95 TAXAN RGB VISION I 294.95 TAXAN RGB VISION III 439.95 ZENITH 12" AMBER 119.95 ZENITH 12" GREEN 99.95 ZENITH RGB ZVM-135 COLOR 519.95 USI 9" AMBER PI-4 129.95 USI 9" GREEN PI-1 119.95 USI 12" AMBER PI-3 149.95 USI 12" GREEN PI-2 139.95 USI 14" LO-RES COLOR 289.95 ANCHOR MARK I (RS-232) 79.95 ANCHOR MARK II (ATARI) 79.95 ANCHOR MARK III (TI99/4A) 99.95 ANCHOR MARK V (OSBORNE) 94.95 ANCHOR MARK VI (IBM PC) 199.95 ANCHOR MARK VII (RS-232) 109.95 ANCHOR MARK X11 (RS-232) 279.95 ANCHOR VOLKSMODEM 64.95 NOVATION J-CAT 104.95 NOVATION 212 AUTO CAT 579.95 SMARTCAT 212 {1200 BAUD) 429.95 SMARTMODEM 300 BAUD 194.95 SMARTMODEM 1200 BAUD 484.95 SMARTMODEM 120 0B - IBM 449.95 US ROBOTICS AUTODIAL 212 449.95 US ROBOTICS PASSWORD 359.95 PRINTERS ANADEX DP-9501A 1029.95 ANADEX DP-9625A 1339.95 ANADEX DP-9620A 1129.95 ANADEX WP-6000 2199.95 ANADEX DP-6500TR 500CPS 2329.95 APPLE IMAGEWRITER LOW! ! CENTRONICS 352 DP 1999.95 C.ITOH A10 DAISY WHEEL 539.95 C.ITOH 8510SP 499.95 C.ITOH 8600BP 979.95 COMREX CR-I DIASY WHEEL 629.95 COMREX CR-I I DAISY WHEEL 469.95 DAISYWRITER 2000 48K LOW! I DELTA- 10 LOW!! DELTA- 15 LOW! 1 EPSON FX-80 W/TRACTOR LOW! ! EPSON FX-100 F/T LOW!! EPSON MX-100 F/T LOW!! EPSON RX-80 LOW! ! EPSON RX-80 F/T LOW! ! GEMINI 10X LOW! ! GEMINI 15X LOW! ! GORILLA BANANNA 189.95 IDS MICROPRISM 480 479.95 IDS PRISM 132 1299.95 IDS PRISM 132C - COLOR 1499.95 JUKI 6100 PRINTER (P) 449.95 MANNESMANN TALLY MT160L 599.95 MANNESMANN TALLY MT180L 799.95 MANNESMANN TALLY MT1802 1499.95 MANNESMANN TALLY SPIRIT 399.95 NEC 3550 SPINWRITER-IBM 1754.95 OKIDATA MICROLINE 80 LOW! ! OKIDATA PACEMARK 23 5 OS LOW! ! OKIDATA PACEMARK 2410P LOWS! OKIDATA PACEMARK 2410S LOW!! OKIDATA 82A W/OKIGRAPH LOW! ! OKIDATA 83A W/OKIGRAPH LOW! I OKIDATA 84P LOW! 1 OKIDATA 84S LOW! ! OKIDATA 92P LOW! ! OKIDATA 93P LOW! ! OKIDATA 93S LOW! ! PANASONIC P1090 329.95 PRINTMASTER (DAISY) 1549.95 PROWRITER I (851 OP) 344.95 PROWRITER II (1550P) 619.95 QUME SPRINT 11/40+ 1399.95 SANYO PR5500 DAISY WHEEL 659.95 SILVER-REED 550 DAISY 699.95 STARWRITER DAISY WHEEL 1099.95 TOSHIBA P-1350 LP 1579.95 TRANSTAR 315 COLOR 449.95 TRANSTAR 120P 14CPS 464.95 TRANSTAR 130P 18CPS 699.95 TRANSTAR 140P 40CPS 1229.95 MICROBUFFER( EPSON RS232) 134.95 GRAFITTI CARD (APPLE) 84,95 GRAPPLER + (APPLE) 119.95 MICROBUFFERII 16K( APPLE) 144.95 PKASO PRINTER I/F( APPLE) 129.95 WIZARD BPO 16K (APPLE) 129.95 WIZARD SOB 16K (APPLE) 179.95 OTHER PRINTERS AVAILABLE COMPUTERS APPLE He STARTER SYSTEM LOW! ! APPLE MACINTOSH COMPUTER LOW! ! COMMODORE 64 COMPUTER LOW! ! COMMODORE 1541 DISK DRIVE LOW!! COLUMBIA VP PORTABLE LOW! ! COLUMBIA 1600-1 COMPUTER LOW!! IBM-PC COMPATIBLE SYSTEM 128K, 2-DS/DD DRIVES, KEYBOARD WITH COMPLETE SOFTWARE PACKAGE EAGLE PC PLUS- 2 SYSTEM 3199.95 128K, 2-DS/DD DRIVES, MONITOR, EAGLEWRITER, MS-DOS, EAGLECALC, S. CP/M-86 EAGLE SPIRIT- I I 2549.95 EAGLE SPIRIT-XL 3649.95 PORTABLE 128K EXPANDABLE TO 640K ON BOARD, 1 320K FLOPPY, 10 MEGABYTE HARD DISK, IBM COMPATABLE KEYBOARD, 2 SERIAL 1 PARALLEL PORT, MS-DOS 2.0, MONOCHROME MONITOR, CP/M 86 APPLE HARDWARE & SOFTWARE NEC APC-H0 1 2049.95 NEC APC-H02 2549.95 NEC 820 1 COMPUTER 609.95 SANYO 550 COMPUTER 769.95 SANYO 555 COMPUTER 1049.95 TELEVIDEO TPC- 1 LOW! ! IBM COMPATABLE SYSTEM WILDCAT STARTER SYSTEM 1399.95 APPLE II COMPATABLE SYSTEM 64K, DETACHABLE KEYBOARD, 2 APPLE COMPATABLE DISK DRIVES, HI-RES 12" GREEN MONITOR, RBG & COMPOSITE COLOR OUTPUT, 2 CPU'S (Z-80 A & 6502) , 80 -COLUMN CARD S. JOYSTICK ZORBA PORTABLE COMPUTER 1399.95 BUILT IN 7" GREEN SCREEN, 2 DS/DD DISK DRIVES, RS-232, PARALLEL, IEEE488 BUS, KEYBOARD EMULATION MODE FOR OSBORNE I, KAYPRO I I, XEROX 8 20, DEC VT-180, CROMEMCO 520, TELEVIDEO 802 AND MANY MORE! WORDSTAR, MA I LMERGE,CALCSTAR, C-BASIC, CPM 2.2, M-80 ATARI HARDWARE ALIEN VOICE BOX 99.95 KOALA PAD TOUCH TABLET 79.95 RANA 1000 DS/DD DRIVE 299.95 TRAK AT-D2 DS/DD DRIVE 399.95 DISKETTES SS/SD ELEPHANT 16.95 OPUS 15.95 SS/DD ELEPHANT 19.95 OPUS 17.95 DS/DD ELEPHANT 25.95 OPUS 24.95 4TH DIMENSION DRIVE-ONLY 4TH DIMENSION DRIVE+CTRL ALS CP/M CARD APPLE-CAT II MODEM BANK STREET WRITER BUFFERED GRAPPLER+ d-BASE II (REQ Z-80) HAYES MICROMODEM He MACH II JOYSTICK He MASTERTYPE MICROBUFFER 11+ 16K (P) PFS:FILE PKASO/U PRINTER I/F PREMIUM SOFTCARD He QUADRAM 64K80COL CRD He VIDEX VIDEOTERM W/SFTSW VIDEX ULTRATERM WORDSTAR w/ APPLICARD IBM HERCULES GRAPHICS CARD KOALA PAD TOUCH TABLET KRAFT JOYSTICK MICROPRO PRO PACK MICROSOFT SYSTEMCRD 256K MICROSOFT MOUSE MOUSE SYSTEMS PC MOUSE QUADCHROME MONITOR QUADLINK APPLE EMULATOR QUADRAM QUADBOARD I 64K QUADRAM QUADCOLOR I RANA DS/DD DISK DRIVE STB SUPER I/O MULTIFUNCT TG JOYSTICK W/TOGGLE TRANSEND P.C. MODEM 1200 VERS AWR ITER GRAPH TABLET WIZARD SPOOLER P/S 16K 199.95 289.95 299.95 264.95 54.95 189.95 449.95 234.95 34.95 29.95 199.95 99.95 134.95 334.95 124.95 239.95 279.95 299.95 379.95 99.95 54.95 429.95 449.95 134.95 224.95 549.95 489.95 289.95 229.95 259.95 169.95 49.95 399.95 239.95 239.95 COMMODORE 64 CALC RESULT ADVANCED 109.95 CARDBOARD/5 5 SLOT EXPAN. 54.95 CARD? GRAPHICS INTERFACE 64.95 DATA20 Z-80 VIDEOPAK 224.95 DELPHI'S ORACLE DATA BASE 99.95 DISKEY DONKEY KONG EASY SCRIPT64 EASY SPELL 64 ELECTRONIC CHECKBOOK FLIGHT SIMULATOR II HOME ACCOUNTANT HOMEWOrjD WORD PROCESSOR KOALA PAD TOUCH TABLET MSD-SD1 DISK DRIVE MULTIPLAN OMNI-CALC PAPER CLIP W/P PAC-MAN POPEYE ROBOTRON S.A.M. S ARGON II VOICE BOX 74.95 39.95 69.95 37.95 39.95 37.95 44.95 27.95 99.95 We wilt try to meet or beat any advertised price! CALL US. . . WE CAN HELP! 1-800-222-2602 For technical assistance, order status and California calls (619) 765-0239 Apple Country, Ltd., P.O. Box 1099, 2602 Washington St., Julian, Calif. 92036 ^ Terms: We accept American Express. No extra charge for Visa /MasterCard, Cashier's Check, J ^^^** personal check (allow 2 weeks to clear) Shipping & Handling; 5% ($5 rrii.n.); APO FPO Alaska r /**•***> Hawaii & Monitors 5% ($10 rnin,) Foreign orders 15% ($15 min.) Alt items are new with / *{**S\ manufacturer's warranty. Prices are subject to availability & change without notice. Purchase order I ' /"**J must include check. California residents add 6% sales tax. Send $1 (qood toward first purchase) for VJ^""^- Apple Country, Ltd. is a DISCOUNT MAIL ORDER HOUSE for the micro computer industry and is a California corporation not affiliated with Apple Computer Inc. Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc Circle 29 on inquiry card. rnrnn 4 Circle 72 on inquiry card. ITlEGfl'BVTEB FDR miCRD-BUDGET5 expand Ljaur system... shrinh qaur cast. Why pay more for top quality peripherals and accessories when our prices are consistently among the lowest anywhere? We invite you to compare prices, then call us. MICROSOFT. MULTIPLAN MULTIWORD WITH MOUSE. . MULTITOOL FINANCIAL STATEMENT. MULTITOOL BUDGET. SOFTCARD SYSTEM CARDS SALE PRICE $176.00 339.63 70.49 104.96 CALL MISC. ITEMS 92P . . . OKIDATA . . . PRINTER 93P . . . OKIDATA . . . PRINTER NEC JB1260 MONITOR NEC JB1205 MONITOR AMDEK COLOR II. . .MONITOR FX 80 EPSON PRINTER. FX 100 EPSON PRINTER. SALE PRICE 485.10 812.70 112.50 177.50 466.50 550.00 699.00 DYSAN DISKETTES (Boxes of 10 each) 104/1 5.25" .SS.SD 104/1D 5.25" .SS.SD 104/2D 5.25" .DS.DD 3740/1 8" .SS.SD . 3740/1D 8" .SS.DD 3740/2 8" .DS.SD 3740/2D . 8" .DS.DD SALE PRICE $32.83 .34.72 . . . . . .41.04 34.09 42.29 42.29 49.24 VIDEX SALE PRICE UL-00 ULTRATERM $282.39 VT-600 VIDEOTERM 60.Hz 207.87 VT-601 VIDEOTERM 60.Hz SOFTSWITCH 230.22 VT-602 . VIDEOTERM 60.Hz SOFTSWITCH INVER.257.tf* PS-000 PSIO 170.61 ENH-000 ENHANCER II 111.04 ENH-FS-000 FUNCTION STRIP 29.06 ENH-FS-001 ENHANCER II, FUNCTION STRIP 133.37 HARD DISK SYSTEMS SALE PRICE PEGASUS . . 10 MEG EXTERNAL $1,245.00 PEGASUS 23 MEG EXTERNAL 1,869.00 PEGASUS 40 MEG EXTERNAL 2,439.00 PEGASUS TAPE BACK UP ... 23 MEG 795.00 PEGASUS 10 MEG INTERNAL CALL CORVUS 06N 1,795.00 CORVUS 06N with MIRROR 2, 506 .00 CORVUS UN 2,575.00 CORVUS UN with MIRROR 3,225.00 CORVUS 20N 3,415.00 CORVUS 20N with MIRROR 4,125.00 ORDERS ONLY 800-858-4810 IN CAL. 800-821-6662 COMMERCIAL BUSINESS SYSTEMS 2858 S. ROBERTSON BLVD. LOS ANGELES, CA 90034 INFORMATION (213) 559-0596 Phone orders accepted on Visa and Mastercard only. California residents add 6,5% sales tax. No C.O.D. Actual shipping and handling charge added to all orders. Prepaid orders as follows: Money orders or cashier's check— merchandise shipped upon receipt. Personal checks must clear before shipping. 20% restocking fee. Prices and availability subject to change. $100 minimum order. BITE "back issues for sale 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Jan. $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $4.25 Feb. $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $3.70 $4.25 March $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $3.70 $4.25 April $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $3.70 May $2.00 $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $3.70 June $2.00 $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $3.70 July S2.00 $2.00 $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $4.25 Aug. $2.00 $2.75 $2.75 ?3.25 $3.70 $4.25 Sept. $2.75 $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.70 $4.25 Oct. $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $4.25 Nov. $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $4.25 Dec. $2.75 $2.75 $3.25 $3.25 $3.25 $3.70 $4.25 Circle and send requests with payments to: BYTE Back Issues P.O. Box 328 Hancock, l¥H 03449 Prices include postage in the US. Please add $.50 per copy for Canada and Mexico; and $2.00 per copy to foreign countries. □ Check enclosed Payments from foreign countries must be made \n US funds payable at a US bank. □ VISA □ Master Card Card # Exp. _ Signature Please allow 4 weeks for domestic delivery and 8 weeks for foreign delivery. NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP i( XTT0 \nna cicn L s ■ 1 n« l ih^nn^l l ,nnnprting Yni i And 1 Inrnpi it-^r-c A PPI f SflFTWflRF PHOENIX Zoom Grafix ™ 34.00 QUALITY Bag of Tricks ™ 29 00 ASHTONTATE ™ dBase II 385.00 Bottomline Strategist 279.00 QUADRAM Quadiink Quadboard 64K 485.00 285.00 AST Versa Form $245.00 SENSIBLE Speller 83.00 Financial Planner 419.00 Quadboard II 64K 285.00 Qbase 139 00 SIERRA ON LINE Friday! 198.00 Quad 512 plus 64K 265.00 Templates PO/INV @ 39 00 Screen Writer II 85.00 BLUE CHIP Millionaire 39.00 Quad 512 plus 256K 420 00 ML/CRJ/EJ @ 33.00 Dictionary 69.00 BPI'" GL/AP/AR/PR @ 459 00 Quad 512 plus 512K 675.00 ARTSCI Magic Window ™ 99.00 Screen Writer/Dictionary 135.00 CENTRAL POINT Copy II PC 32.00 64K Ram Chips 79.00 Magic Mailer 49.00 Frogger 25.00 COMPREHENSIVE Quadchrome 519.00 Magic Words 49.00 Ultima II 39.00 PC Tutor 1.1 45.00 Quadscreen 1.595.00 Magic Calc 99 00 SILICON VALLEY „. PC Tutor 2.0 45.00 TG Paddles 39 00 ASHTON TATE '" dBase II bottumiine Strategist Financial Planner 385.00 279.00 41900 198 00 Word Handler 39.00 List Handler ™ 35.00 SIRIUS Type Attack 28.00 CONTINENTAL™ FCM 79.00 Home Accountant Plus 89,00 Property Management 329.00 Joy Stick Track Ball WICO Joy Stick 49.00 49.00 59.00 BEAGLE BROTHERS m Alpha Plot 28 00 Pascal Graphics Editor 75.00 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING '" DATAMOST Write On 89 00 DIGITAL RESEARCH'" CP/M 86 45.00 MODEMS HAYES* Micromodem II Apple Mechanic 22.00 (Specify II* or He) Concurrent CP/M 86 235.00 w/SC I (II) 249.00 Beagle Bag Doss Boss 22.00 17.00 • pfs: File 84.00 ■■ pfs: Report 79.00 Dr. Logo 79.00 Other Products CALL SMartcom I (II) Smartmodem 1200B 89.00 Double Take 27.00 a pfs: Graph 84.00 DOW JONES'" Market Analyzer™ 275.00 w/SCII (PC) 439.00 Pronto Dos 22 00 » pfs: Write (lie only) 84.00 Market Manager'" 235,00 Smartcom II (PC) 89 00 Utility City 22 00 SPINNAKER'" up to 30% off Market Microscope 525.00 Smartmodem 1200 BLUE CHIP Millionaire 39 00 SSM Transcend I 69.00 Investment Evaluator" 129.00 (RS232) 499.00 BPI GL/AP/AR/INV/PR™ @ 295 00 Also SEE MODEMS Connector 85,00 Smartmodem 300 BR00ERBUN0 " A E 25 00 ™ STONEWARE D.B. Master 145.00 FINANCIER Financier II 159,00 (RS232) 205.00 25 00 D.B. Master Ver 4 229.00 Tax Series 139 00 Chronograph (RS232) 189.00 Bank St. Writer 45.00 SUBLOGIC Flight Simulator 25.00 FOX & GELLER Quick Code 195,00 NOVATION Apple Cat II Lode Runner 26.00 TERRAPIN Logo 119.00 dGraph 195.00 (3Q0B) (II) 269.00 G. W/AP 305 00 ™ VISICORP Visicalc ® dUtil 69.00 212 Apple Cat II (300/1200B) AR/PR i 275.00 (li/IH (lie) 169.00 HAYDEN Pie Writer 135.00 (H) 559.00 CENTRAL POINT Copy II Plus 32 00 Other Products CALL • HAYES Smart Com II ™ 89.00 212 Apple Cat II Filer CONTINENTAL '"GL/Afl/AP/PR@ Home Accountant 15.00 158 00 49.00 APPLE HARDWARE INFOCOM'" Deadline ™ 34 00 Zork l/ll/lll@ 27.00 • INSOFT Data Design 169.00 Upgrade Kit Cat (300B) (RS232) D-Cat (300B) (RS232) J-Cat (300B) (RS232) 319.00 139.00 159.00 109.00 CENTRAL POINT Alaska Card'" 99.00 FCM 68.00 DANA • Fan 59.00 MICROCOM Micro Terminal 69.00 Smart Cat 103 CRANE Menu Generator DATA SOFT (Zaxxon) tm Micropainter 29.00 27 00 25.00 EPS Keyboard 319.00 Prom @ 29.00 GIBSON LABS LPS Light Pen 279.00 MICROSOFT'" Multiplan 169.00 Budget System 109.00 Financial Statement 69.00 (300B) (RS232) Smart Cat 103/212 (RS232) 199 00 409.00 DIGITAL RESEARCH'" CALL HAYES Micromodem II W/SC 1 ™ 249.00 Word 275.00 212 Auto Cat(RS232) 569.00 DOW JONES T "Market Analyzer'" 275.00 KOALA * Graphic Tablet 85.00 Word w/Mouse 339,00 SSM Modemcard w/SOURCE II Market Manager tm 235.00 KRAFT Joystick 49.00 Other Products CALL 259.00 Market Microscope 525.00 Paddle 39.00 MONOGRAM Dollars & Sense 119 00 Transmodem 1200 (II) 499.00 InvestmenfEvaluator 129.00 MICRO SCI A2 w/o Controller 219.00 MUSE™ Supertext Pro 73 00 AI0-2 Ser/Par Interface 169.00 Connector EDUWARE FOX & 8ELLER"Qutck Code dGraph dUtil Quick Screen HAYDEN Pie Writer 85.00 CALL 195.00 195.00 69.00 119.00 99.00 A2 Controller 79.00 A40 w/o Controller 299.00 A70 w/o Controller 399.00 A40/A70 Controller 79.00 ™ MICROSOFT® 16K Ramcard 69.00 Softcard 219.00 Softcard Plus 449,00 PEACHTREE Peachtext 5000 235 00 PERFECT SOFTWARE™ CALL PETER NORTON Utilities 59.00 SIRIUS Type Attack 29 00 Gorgon II 29.00 SOFTWARE ARTS TK Solver 219.00 MONITORS AMOEK Video 300 Video 300A Color 1 Color 1 plus Color II Color III 135.00 149.00 289 00 319.00 439.00 389 00 895 00 HAYES® Smartcom 1 89.00 Softcard Premium 479.00 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING Color IV INFOCOM r "Oeadline ™ 34.00 Premium Softcard lie 369.00 pfs: File 94.00 pfs: Report 84.00 pfs: Graph 94.00 pfs: Write 94.00 SPINNAKER'" up to 30% off DVM Interface (II) 169.00 Zork l/ll/lll @ 27.00 NOVATION See MODEMS DVM Interface (He) 169.00 ® INSOFT Electric Duet ® 22.00 ORANGE MICRO" 1 NEC 12" Green JB1201 159.00 GraphFortn » KENSINGTON 9 Format II 56.00 11300 Buffered Grappler 16K 179.00 PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS 12" Color JC1215 12" RGB JC1203 (PC) 299.00 559.00 LOTUS'" Executive Briefing System MICROCOM Micro Terminal ™ MICRO PRO" Infostar MICROSOFT Multiplan™ Budget System 149 00 59.00 259 00 169.00 109.00 Microbuffer II plus 16K PAR 199,00 Other Products CALL SSI Word Perfect CALL STONEWARE JC1203 to PC Cable PGS HX-12 24.00 539 00 SSM See MODEMS TG Paddles 29.00 Joy Stick 45.00 Select a Port 45.00 D.B, Master Advanced 449.00 SUPERSOFT Personal Database 90.00 ™ VISICORP CALL IRM HARDWARE QUADRAM Quadchrome Quadscreen TAXAN 13" Color 12" Green 12" Amber 519.00 1.595.00 319.00 145.00 149.00 319 00 Financial Statement 69.00 Track Ball 49.00 AMDEK MAI Board 519.00 RGB Vision 1 12" Lo Other products CALL Joy Stick (He) 49.00 AST Call RGB Vision 3 12" Hi 559 00 MONOGRAM Dollars & Sense MUSE* Supertext Home Office 79 00 73.00 TENCAL Cool & Time 75.00 VIOEX Videoterm w/ss 239.00 HERCULES Graphics card 399,00 * HAYES Smartmodem 1200B /SCII 439 00 PRINTERS CALL EPSON FX 80/100 Supertext Pro. (Ile» 73.00 Ultraterm 279.00 KOALA™ Graphic Tablet 109.00 OKIOATA Complete Line CALL Castle Wolfensteir ™ 22 00 ® WICO Joy Stick 59.00 KRAFT Joystick 49.00 BROTHER CALL PENGUIN Complete Graphics System II Graphics Magician Special Effects PERFECT SOFTWARE'" 49.00 39 00 ?qnn CALL IBM SflFTWARr Paddle 39.00 MICROSOFT- Mouse 14900 System Card 64K 295.00 System Card 256 K 465.00 MICROTEK Q-Disc 329.00 DISKETTES DYSAN* SI*" SS/SD 5%" SS/DD 5 V," DS/00 Plastic Box Add 32 00 37 00 43.00 1.50 AST Versa Form 24500 Qbase 13900 Templates PO/INV @ 39.00 ML/CRJ/EJ 1! 33 00 IBM. MAXELL TDK, VERBATIM CALL other brands ORDERS 01 *LY INFORMATION: (805) 683-1779/683-3006 National: 1-! 800-821-4381 ORDER HOURS: M-F 8-6pm, Sat. 8-5pm Calif: 1- 800-421-3245 STORE HOURS: M-F 9-6pm, Sat. 9-5pm 5788 DAWSON ST. GOLETA, CA 931 1 7 TERMS: Add 3% for shipping & handling. $3.00 minimum. Allow 2 weeks for c\ tecks to clear. Add 6% for Calif. Sales Tax. Add 2% to total for Visa & !■■■■■■; Master/ unarge. All sales final to r software, accessories & diskettes. Defective Hardware, Monitors, Printers returns must be within 10 working days of f^^^^^BI OBBjlBB purchase accompar ied by RMA ss Machines If for exchange only. Apple is the Registered Tr Corp. $2.00chargeforC.0.D.'s, Cashier's check only. P ademark of Apple Computer Inc. IBM is the Registered Trademark of rices subject to change without notice. International Busim Circle 60 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 487 74LS00 74LS00 74LS01 74LS02 74LS03 74LS04 74LS05 74LS08 74LS09 74LS10 74LS11 74LS12 74LS13 74LS14 74LS15 74LS20 74LS21 74LS22 74LS26 74LS27 74LS28 74LS40 74LS42 74LS48 74LS51 74LS54 74LS55 74LS73 74LS74 74LS75 74LS76 74LS78 74LS83A 74LS85 74LS86 74LS90 74LS92 74LS93 74LS95 74LS96 74LS107 74LS109 74LS113 74LS114 74LS122 74LS123 74LS124 74LS125 74LS126 74LS132 74LS133 74LS136 74LS138 74LS139 74LS145 74LS148 74LS151 74LS153 74LS154 74LS155 74LS156 74LS157 74LS158 74LS160 74LS161 74LS162 74LS163 74LS164 74LS165 .60 .60 .60 .60 .75 .75 75 .75 .65 .75 .75 .95 1.25 .75 .60 .75 .75 .75 .75 .75 .75 .95 .95 .60 ,60 .60 .95 1.42 .95 .95 .95 1 15 1.25 .75 .95 .95 .95 .95 1.25 .75 .75 95 .95 1.05 1.35 1 35 .95 .95 1.35 .95 .95 1.10 1.10 1.75 1.75 1,25 1.25 1.70 1.25 1.35 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.65 1.25 74LS166 74LS168 74LS169 74LS170 74LS173 74LS174 74LS175 74LS181 74LS190 74LS191 74LS192 74LS193 74LS194 74LS195 74LS196 74LS197 74LS221 74LS240 74LS242 74LS243 74LS244 74LS245 74LS247 74LS248 74LS249 74LS251 74LS253 74LS258 74LS259 74LS260 74LS261 74LS266 74LS273 74LS275 74LS279 74LS283 74LS290 74LS293 74LS295 74LS298 74LS323 74LS324 74LS347 74LS348 74LS352 74LS353 74LS363 74LS365 74LS366 74LS367 74LS368 74LS373 74LS374 74LS375 74LS377 74LS378 74LS385 74LS379 74LS386 74LS381 74LS390 74LS393 74LS395 74LS424 74LS640 74LS668 74LS645 74LS670 74LS690 250 1.35 135 2.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 2.50 1.45 145 1.35 1.35 1.45 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.85 1.85 1,85 2.25 3.95 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.75 1.75 1.50 2.95 1.15 3.75 1.35 1.75 4.95 .95 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.65 1.65 4.95 2.15 255 2.55 1.65 1.95 1.95 1.25 1.25 .95 .95 2.50 4.95 1.25 1.95 2.55 1.95 2.55 1,25 3.95 2.55 2.55 2.55 3.95 3.95 2.75 4.95 2.50 2.50 74S00 74S00 75 74S02 .75 74S03 .75 74S04 .75 74S05 75 74S08 .95 74S09 .95 74S10 .95 74S11 .95 74S15 .95 74S20 .95 74S22 .95 74S30 .95 74S32 95 74S38 1.95 74S40 .95 74S51 95 74S64 95 74S65 - .95 74S74 1.50 74S86 1.25 74S112 1.25 74S113 1.25 74S114 1.25 74S124 3.65 74S133 95 74S134 1.25 74S135 1.65 74S136 2.25 74S138 1.95 74S139 1.95 74S140 1.25 74S151 1.95 74S153 1.95 74S157 1.95 74S158 1.95 74S160 2.95 74S161 3.95 74S163 3.95 74S174 2.25 74S175 2.25 74S188 3.55 74S194 2.55 74S195 2.55 74S196 2.55 74S225 7.75 74S240 2.95 74S241 2.95 74S242 395 74S243 395 74S251 2.25 74S253 2.25 74S257 1.95 74S258 1.95 74S260 1.25 74S280 295 74S283 3.95 74S287 3.95 74S288 3.95 74S289 4.95 74S373 3.95 74S374 3.95 74S387 3,95 74S471 7.95 74S472 7.95 74S473 7.95 74S474 9.95 74S475 995 SUPER COOLING FANS For APPLE WITH SURG $39. 50 FOR APPLE II & lie 16K RAM CARD Compatible with: DOS 3.3 CP/M Visicalc, PASCAL 1 YR. WARRANTY $39. 95 Apple ll/lle Compatible Disk Drive $185. 00 CONTROLLER CARD $49. 95 SPEEDY EPROM PROGRAMMER For APPLE II PROGRAMMING 2716, 2732, 2764, 27128, 2532, 2564 IN 30 SECONDS WITH FIRMWARE $149. 00 JOYSTICK FOR APPLE II $42. 00 FOR IBM P/C MULTIFUNCTION BOARD WITH 128K, 2 Serial Port, 1 Parallel Port, Real Time Clock $430. 00 Color Graphic Display Card $320. 00 IBM MEMORY EXPANSION KIT IBM 64K $59. 95 Joy Stick for IBM P/C $45. 00 High Resolution Color Monitor for IBM P/C $680.°° 8087 MATHEMATICS CO-PROCESSOR $250. 00 TERMS: For shipping include $3.00 for UPS Ground or $5.00 for UPS Blue Label Air. Items over 4 lbs. require j additional shipping charges. $20.00 minimum order. 1-(800) 821-3628 488 BYTE March 1984 IS Hand well orp 4962 EL CAMINO REAL, SUITE 119 • LOS ALTOS, CA 94022 (415) 962-9265 • TLX: 171947 HANDWELL HH bb^ Circle 173 on inquiry card IWII THE PC SYSTEM SPECIALIST PRICES AND AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT- NOTICE SPECIAL OF THE MONTH! @ TAVA PC A Superior quality IBM PC Com- patible Personal Computer. Runs DOS U, 2.0, 2,1, CP/M86? UCSD p-System® Runs Lotus 1-2-3® Multi- plan® Word Star? PFS® dBASEII® and many more! Hardware includes 128K CPU, Floppy Controller, Two DS/DD Disk Drives, Video Monitor, Video Adaptor, Parallel & Serial Ports. Suggested List $2395 ALL FOR $1995 PERSONAL COMPUTER Special of the Month! IBM PC ^COMPLETE LINE COMPLETE SYSTEM VERY SPECIAL PRICE 64K, Two Disk Drives, Floppy Disk Controller, Video Card and High Res Monitor $2590 256KRAM, 360KB Disk Drive, FDC, Video Monitor & Adaptor 10MB Hard Disk Sub-System. COQQfl APPRICOT An IBM PC Compatible Computer W/Two Drives & Monitor W/$12S0 worth of Software- Complete System. $2999 SLIMLINE DISK DRIVE FOR IBM PC DS/DD 320KB By tava coup $190 ADD-ON Disk Drive for IBM PCjr? .... CALL HARD DISKS FOR IBM PC® ffi* 10 MB Hard Disk Sub-System by TAVA CORP. includes Software, Cables, etc. Internal. $1295 MEMORY BOARDS CONOGRAPHIC High Res. Color Graphics Card $995 QUADRAM Quad Card. Fully pop 256K $450 QUADLINK CALL AST SIXPAK 384K CALL HERCULES Graphics Card $490 APPLE He Computer System, Controller, Two Disk Drives, Monitor $1590 DISK DRIVE FOR APPLE Slimline, or Standard $190 PRINTERS DAISYWRITER 2000 CALL OKIDATA 82 A 83 A 93A $425 $650 84A 92A BROTHER HR-1 DX-15 MONITORS AMDEK 300A $190.00 / . , . 300G $160.00 // 310A $190.00 /// IV PRINCETON GRAPHICS SYSTEMS Hi-Res Color , $975 $525 $850 $675 $450 $340.00 $690.00 $390.00 $1190.00 $490 ROMAR II Apple Compatible Computer W/Z-Card Controller, Two Disk Drives and a Monitor for $1195 NEC TANDON TAVA IBM APPLE QCS MAYNARD LNW ROMAR PRODUCTS AVAILABLE rim^iwi 631 E, First St„ Tustin, CA 92680 (714) 838-9100 *IBM PC is a registered trademark of IBM Corp. *dBASE II is a registered trademark of ASHTON-TATE, lnc LOTUS 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Wordstar, Spellstar Maiimerge are registered trademarks of Micropro International Visicalc is a registered trademark of Visicorp Multiplan :s a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. PFS is a registered trademark of Software Publishing Co CP/M86 is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. UCSDp is a registered trademark of Softech Microsystems Circle 244 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 489 Lyco Computer Marketing & Consultants toll free 800-233-8760 TO ORDER CALL US In PA 1 717-327-1824 PRINTER PRINTER PAPER INTERFACING AVAILABLE Av.llabl. lor IBM PC. Appl*. Atari, Vic 20 ft Vic 64 SAVE -PRINTERS EPSON OKI DATA CITOH LETTER QUALITY SMITH CORON ATP2. . . $449,00 DIABLO 630 . .$1 71 9.00 ALPAHCOM 42 $89.00 ALPHACOM 81 $1 29.00 NEC 8023 $369.00 NEC 8025 $699.00 NEC PC-8200 COMPUTER $CALL RX-BO $SAVE$ RX-80FT ON FX-80 In-Stock FX-100 EPSON MX-80FT PRINTERS MX-1 00 $$CALL$$ MANNESMANN TALLY SPIRIT 80 ..$CALL MT 1601 SCALL eo $SAVE$ 82A CALL for 83A LOWEST 84 PRICES 92 on these 93.. ......In-Stock PACEMARK 2350. . . PRINTERS ATARI 850 REPLACEMENTS IN-STOCK GORILLA GX100 $179.00 PROWRITER 851 . . . $339.00 PROWRITER II $659.00 8600 .$1025.00 STARWRITER $ 1 099.00 PRINTMASTER $1499.00 STAR MICRONTICS GEMINI 10X $269.00 GEMINI 15X $CALL DELTA 10 $479.00 MODEMS ANCHOR MARK I .S79.00 ANCHOR MARK II.. $79. CO HAYES SMART . . S239 00 HAYES MICRO It $309 00 Micro Bit PP-1000 $129.75 NOVATION CAT ...$144.00 D-CAT $155.00 J-CAT $115.00 APPLE CAT II .... $279 00 212 APPLE CAT . $569 00 MONITORS Sakata Color $229.00 Amdek Color I . . $275.00 Amdek 300 Green $149.00 Amdek 300 Amber .... $149.00 Gorilla Green $99. CO CARDCO Cardprinter / LQ1 $499. OO Cardprint DM1 $109.00 5 Slot Expansion 64 $54.00 64 Write NOW $39.00 64 Mail NOW $29.00 2 -/ Write NOW $29.00 64 Keypad $29.00 Universal Cass, tnt $29.75 Printer Utility $19.75 6 Slot Expansion $79.95 3 Slot Expansion $24 95 PRINTER INTER FACE $39.75 PRINTER INTERFACE with full graphics $65.75 LIGHT PEN $29.75 HES 84 Sound Box $9.95 64Forth $55.75 Hesmon $25.75 Turtle Graphics $37.75 Heswriter $28.75 Grid runner $19.75 SPINNAKER 64 Kindercomp $21.75 Story Machine $23.75 Face Maker $23.75 Snooper Trooper $29 75 Delta Drawing , . $34. 75 Shamus llc/d $24.95 Pinhead c/d $22.95 DUST COVERS 800 $3.99 400 $3.99 12O0 $3.99 410 $3.99 810 $3.99 1050. $5.99 PROWRITER $5.99 GEMINI 10X $5.99 PERCOM DISK $5.99 jcippkz SSI Battle of Shilo $26.75 Tigers in the Snow. . . . $26.75 Cosmic Balance $26.75 APPLE OUMPl (NO GX $99 75 APPLi DUMPLING 64 (16 Bufter)$1 79 75 INFOCOM Zork I. II. or III $26.75 Deadline $33.75 ATARI Computers for people: Voice Box 2 . $99.75 600XL ...$CALL 800XL for 1400XL... Lowest 1450 Prices 1050 DISK DRIVE .... $SAVE$ 1010 RECORDER $74.75 SYNAPSE 64 ZEPPELIN C/D ..$24.75 BLUE MAX C/D $24.75 DIMENSION X C/D ....$24.75 EPYX 64 ASPHIR $28.75 JUMPMAN JRR $28.75 PIT STOP R $28.75 commodore BR0DERBUND64 BANK STREET WRITER ...$49.75 CHOPLIFTER $24.75 LODE RUNNER $24.75 DROL $24.75 KOALATOUCH TABLET. ..$69. 75 MARKER BROTHERS Tutankham R $33.75 Super Cobra R $33.75 Astro Chase R $33.75 Frogger R $33.75 OBert R $33.75 Popeye R $33.75 Monkey Wrench 2 $52.75| SPINNAKER Story Machine R . $26.75 I Face Maker R $24.75 I Kinderomp R $20.75 I Fraction Fever R . .$24.75 Delta Drawing R...$26.75 ] BLANK DISKETTES ELEPHANT Single Side SD (1 0) $17.75 Single Side DD (1 0) $21 .75 Double Side 00(10) $26.75 MAXELL MDI(IO).... $28.75 MD 11(10) $38.75 CERTRON CASSETTES CC-10 12 for $15.00 CC-20 1 2 for $1 7.00 INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS Disk Storage (holds 10).... $4.05 Disk Storage (holds 15).... $0.05 Disk Storage (holds 50). . . . $26.05 TRAK DISK DRIVES AT-D1 $379.00 AT-D2 $399.00 PRINTER CABLE $22.95 Software for ATD-2 .... $22.95 RANA DISK DRIVE COMPUTER CARE BIB 5Y« DISK DRIVE CLEANER ....$1*2.75 COMPUTER CARE KIT ..$19.75 HARD DISK DRIVES for APPLE IBM-PC 5MEG $1349.00 10MEG ...$1599.00 15MEG ...$1999.00 20MEG ...$2359.00 Add S .IfJ OO *«»' TR S HO O. ves TEXAS INSTRUMENT Disk Drive . . . $245 .00 FOR ATARI COMPUTERS AT88S1 .. AT88S2 .. AT**S1PD. RFD40S1 . RFD40S2. RFD44S1 . .$299.00 .$535.00 ..$439.00 .$399.00 .$675.00 .$449.00 AT88 doubler c© TO ORDER CALL TOLL FREE 800-233-8760 or send order to Lyco Computer P.O Box 5088 Customer Service 1-71 7-327-1 825 Jersey Shore. PA 1774C POLICY In-stock items shipped within 24 hours of order. Personal checks require four weeks clearance before shipping. No deposit on C.O.D. orders. Freeshippmgon prepaidcashorders within the continental US PA residents add sales tax. All products subject to availability and price change. Advertised prices show 4% discount offered for cash, add 4% for Master Card or Visa. DEAl FR INQUIRIES INVITED. 49r£» FORMULA INTERNATIONAL INC. ^RE PKG. W/ 1600-1 $2695 MODEM ORDERS 602-948-1387 sales800- 528-3138 TECHNICAL 602-991-7870 DEALER INQUIRIES WELCOME FULL DEALER SUPPORT VISIT OUR SHOWROOM Hrs. 9.00AM - 5:30PM M-F mmPRACTICAL mPERIPHERALS MICROBUFFER/ EPSON' MBS 16/32K SERIAL MBS-32K SERIAL MBP 64K PARALLEL CARD $125 $153 $195 MICROBUFFER IN-LINE"* STAND ALONE MBIS SERIAL 64K $244 MBIP PARALLEL 64K $244 MICROBUFFER II +"* 16K, APPLE II, }l+ lie $181 PC MATE by mssm FOR IBM-PC CAPTAIN W/384K, $557 Clock/CAL w/Battery, Serial, Para, RamDisk, Spooler 1st MATE 256K, CL/CAL $419 W/BATTERY,SERIAL, PARA, RAM DISK, SPOOLER 256K DYNAMIC MEMORY $349 TIME MASTER W/BATTERY BACK- UP $109 GRAPHICS MASTER HI RES RGB COLOR GRAPHICS $575 IEEE 488 BD. W/ Software $368 5Mb CART WINCH IN PC $1479 33Mb + 5Mb REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE IN AN EXPANSION CHASSIS $3,21 9 (S) u S. ROBOTICS $55 $299 TELPAC SOFTWARE S-100 BOARD MODEM 300/1200 BAUD AUTO ANS/DIAL PASSWORD 1200 BAUD AUTO ANS/DIAL $299 AUTO DIAL 21 2A $399 PERSONAL MODEM W/SOFTWARE IBM-PC PLUG-IN BD. $299 PERSONAL W/64K, SERIAL, PARA., CLOCK/CAL-BATTERY, SOFTWARE $469 FLOPPY DISK DRIVES ADD-ON DRIVES W/INDUSTRIAL QUALITY CABINETS & 1 YR. WARRANTY W/2 QUME 142 JW DSDD $449 W/2 QUME 242 8" DSDD $999 W/2 QUME 842 8" DSDD $1,259 ^— ^— BARE DRIVES — — "— ■*— Qume 142 BW DSDD Thin $179 242 8" DSDD Thin $395 842 8" DSDD STD $460 landon 100-2 5V4 DSDD $219 Subject to Available Quantities Prices Quoted Include Cash Discounts Shipping & Insurance Extra APPLE COMPATIBLE Disk Drive $150.00 ea. Controller Card $35.00 ea. Computer Case $55.00 ea. Keyboard $70.00 ea. (Numeric and Function Keys) Switching Power Supply . .$49.50 ea. Joystick (Heavy Duty) . . . .$17.50 ea. Slim Fan . $25.00 ea. Prices for dealers in quantities of 25 or more. End Users Inquiries welcomed. ELECTRADE CO. (408) 946-2541 780 Trimble Rd. Suite 605 San Jose, CA 95131 Circle 145 on inquiry card. The INTELLIGENT GRAPHICS TERMINAL AH of this on a single S-100 board • Full 512 color mapping pallette • TTL/analog RGB color or 8 level grey • 680x480 4 color and/or 340x480 16 color • Transparencies, overlays, multiple pages • 8086, EPROM, 128K RAM expandable on-card • Full editing terminal/graphics firmware • Text throughput is greater than 2000 cps • 10 windows, individually scrollable • Programmable terminal formats to 113x40 • 64K x 64K virtual screen graphics with clipping and scale • Drawn/filled circle, pie, arc. polygon • Complex fill patterns and line styles Low introductory prices: Assembled and tested $895. Partial kit $295. Availible soon: Fully integrated expansion card adds speech, sound effects, serial and parallel ports, and time-of-day clock. Advanced Graphics Engineering P.O. Box 3403, Retton, VA 22090 (703) 435-8110 Circle 15 on inquiry card. DATA ACQUISITION and control for ANY computer The Model 8232 communicates via RS-232, and has 8 analog inputs (0-5 VDC; 8 bits), 8 digital inputs and outputs, and a 2000 point buffer. Suitable for field data logging or lab use, the 8232 costs only $540. Direct bus-connect unit for TRS- 80/ 1 1 1 & 4 is $295. Detailed manual, $6. Phone our applications engineer or write: + + STARBUCK ± + W- W DATA COMPANY W W Q Box 24, Newton, MA 02162 (617) 237-7695 Multi-Port Serial Card for S-100 (IEEE-696) Systems Designers who need an IEEE-696 serial interface card have a choice of either 2 or 4 ports with the Multi-Port Serial Card. Each port can operate as either a "data set" or as a "data terminal." Independent baud rate generators for each port (50 - 19.2k baud) and an 8-level vectored interrupt controller are provided. 36" cables are included. Single Qty: $280.00 (4-port), $210.00 (2-port). Call: 1-800-426-8936 Dealer and OEM inquiries are invited. Seattle Computer Products, Inc. 1114 Industry Drive, Seattle, WA 98033 Circle 314 on inquiry card. SUPER FAST! Z80 DISASSEMBLER • Two pass operation - generates labels at referenced locations. • Generates Zilog mnemonics. • Allows user defined labels. • Allows define byte, define word and define space directives. • COMPLETE cross-reference • Output to console, list or disk device(s) in any combination. • Generates mnemonics for CP/M system calls. • Start and stop at any location in file. • Source or complete listing type output. Most formats available for Z80 CP/M, CDOS. &£Q95 and TURBODOS. V V^ — S" L R Systems— For more information or to order call: 1-800-833-3061 In PA, (412) 282-0864 1622 North Main Street. Butler, PA 16001 Circle 324 on inquiry card. INDUSTRIAL CONTROL MICROCOMPUTERS We have six single board computers, two video boards and 20 other control products. You can use our products for security systems, heat control, light control, auto- mated slide show, traffic lights, irrigation systems, home computer systems, auto- mated process control, and robot control just to name a few. OEM prices available. For catalog call or write to: JOHN BELL ENGINEERING, INC. 1014 CENTER STREET SAN CARLOS, CA. 94070 (415)592-8411 64k Static RAM for S-100 (IEEE-696) Systems The fully static design makes it easy to interface Seattle Computer's 64k Static RAM board with a variety of CPU and DMA devices in IEEE-696 systems. High-speed (85 ns) RAM chips enable operation to 10 MHz with no wait states. Board can be used as either 8- or 16-bit wide memory. 48k, 32k, and 16k OEM versions are available. Single Qty: $495.00 Call: 1-800-426-8936 Dealer and OEM inquiries are invited. Seattle Computer Products, Inc. 1114 Industry Drive, Seattle, WA 98033 Circle 315 on inquiry card. Dysan ^CORPORATION Solve yoterdfec problem* buy 100% surface teetod Dyeen dfakettee, All onkra ehlpped from stock, within 24 hour*. Cell toll RtEE (800) 2354137 far price, m VIm end Meefter Card accepted. PACIFIC EXCHANGES 100 Foothill Blvd. San Luis Obispo. CA 93401 (In Cat. call {805) 543-1037.) Circle 277 on inquiry card. The Statistician CPM IBM-PC TRS-DOS XENIX Multiple Regression Stepwise Ridge All Subsets Backward Elimination Time Series Analysts Descriptive Statistics Transformations * Survey Research * Nonparametrics " X-Y Plots *ANCVA * Random Samples * Data Base * Search & sort * Hypothesis tests Please call TOLL FREE 1-800-334-0854 (Ext. 814) Q for more information or write: Quant Systems Box 628 Charleston, SC 29402 VISA-M/C Accepted Circle 336 on inquiry card. Circle 41 on inquiry card. Circle 298 on inquiry card. Computer Components Unlimited may be the Kins of Computer Peripherals — but . . ♦ PIPELINE will be the KING of all IBM Products The Source! PC COMPATIBLE DISK DRIVES TANDON TM100-2(320K) 2 for $41 5 1 for $219 MPI B-52{320K) 2for$380 1 for$199 CDC 9409 Dbl/Dbl (320K) .... 2 for $440 1 for $229 SHUGART SA 455 Slimline (320K) . . 2 for $400 1 for $209 PANASONIC Slimline (320K) 2 for $380 1 for $199 TEAC FD55A(160K) $ 169 FD55B(320K) 189 MODEMS ANCHOR Mark VII, 300 Baud $ 139 Mark XII, 1200 Baud 299 HAYES 300 Smart Modem $ 205 1200 Smart Modem 489 1200B Smart Modem 389 NOVATION Access 123 Call PRINTERS EPSON RX80,120cps $ Call FX80,160cps Call OKIDATA Microline92w/Plug&Play $ 449 Microline93w/Plug&Play 749 NEC 3550 PC Compatible $1850 MONITORS AMDEK 300G,12"Green . . .$ 129 300A, 12" Amber 139 31 0A, 12" Amber Monochrome 169 Color I + Color Composite 289 Colorll + RGBw/Cable 409 PRINCETON GRAPHICS PG-SHX12 $ 469 Other Models Call ^ ; nS Minimum 4.50 se Orders Accepted This Ad Supersedes all Others Prices Subject to Change Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Source! IBM PC SYSTEM • 2/320K Drives Slimline • 256K Memory • Monitor (Green) and Interface Card $2850 TANDON DISK DRIVE • TM100-2 • 320K Dbl/Dbl $219 PGS MONITOR * PGSHX12 • PC Copy $469 SANYO COMPUTER • MBC 555 • 2 Disk Drives • 128K, Full Software Package $1149 OKIDATA PRINTER • Microline 92A • W/Plug & Play $449 ANCHOR MODEM • Mark VII • 300 Baud $139 p u MAIL ORDER WAREHOUSE: 1 1 42 Manhattan Avenue, CP21 1 2308 Burl Avenue Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Hawthorne, CA 90250 ORDER DESK: (213) 970-0177 IBM & COMPATIBLE COMPUTERS CORONA DATA SYSTEMS PCII,1 Drive(128K) $1995 COMPAQ PC Compatible $2695 EAGLE PC-2, 1 28K, 2-Drives, Monitor, Software . $2595 COLUMBIA 1600-1 2-Drives, Software $2595 IBM PCJr $ 689 PC w/64K,1 -Drive 1995 PC W/64K, 2-Drives 2245 XTw/Hardisk, 128K 4695 SANYO MBC-550, 1 -Drive $ 799 MBC-555, 2-Drives, more software 1199 TOSHIBA T-300 PC Compatible List $2995 $2595 ALL INTERFACE CARDS FOR PC AST No. 1 SixPac + $ 269 lo + 119 Mega + 269 MesaPack 269 Additional Ports 50 QUADRAM Color! $ 209 Color II (640x200) 199 Quadlink 479 KEYTRONICS Keyboard $ 199 64K UPGRADE 9/4164 $ 49 HERCULES Color Graphics Card $ 339 PLANTRONICS Color Plus $ 379 IBM Dos2.1 $ 59 Monochrome Monitor or Adaptor 309 Color Monitor 649 DISKETTES Dbl/Dbl (lifetime guarantee) , $ 19 MORE ACCESSORIES Koala Graphics Tablet $ 89 8087 Co-Processor 109 KraftJoystick 39 Sigma Controller Card 159 Cable for Printer 29 Amdek MAI Card 499 | Circle 287 on inquiry card. 'we Accept MC, Visa, Wire Transfers, Certified Checks COD's Avialible All Prices Reflect a Prepaid The Source! 1ST APPLEWARE, IMC The Apple Users Group Software Library Bonanza At truly affordable prices! For the first time enjoy your Apple to its fullest capacity, using specially packed disks with over 60 outstanding progri [not a\i [not available from any other source] Each packed disk includes an extensive variety of interesting, useful and entertaining programs indispensable to all computensts 1 Each mixed category packed disk includes: BUSINESS • EDUCATIONAL • DATA BASE • GAMES UTILITIES • SCIENCE • MUSIC • GRAPHICS • FINANCE Library Disks I. II and III are mixed categories Dedicated disks are: • GAMES • UTILITIES • GRAPHICS - INTEGER * SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. Each packed disk is available for only S59.95 each. WHY PAY MORE? Order direct from this ad and Save up to S150. Buy Library Disks I, II and III and get a special bonus disk FREE - over 26D programs for $1 79.95 + S3 shipping. For the best value, receive all 9 disks featuring over BOO of our best programs for only 65 C each for a package price of only £389 Postage Paid' NEW Business • Professional • Executive Package (enabling you to bring your business to its highest level of efficiency) also available, circle Readers Service Card for our complete catalog For Orders Only Call now TOLL FREE: 1-800-327 8£ Florida: 1 305-987 8665 Compatible with II, II + , He. Ill Emul . and Franklin Ace [For 3 3 DOS; OW j)^^ ■MB r 8664 WWW ! vtSA MagiKey* THE FULL-FEATURED KEYBOARD EXPANDER Redefine any key to send a string of characters. MagiKey™ does more . . . • automates application software, integrates function or cursor keys • "help" menus displayed at any time • built-in batch processing more powerful than SUBMIT or XSUB • strings can redefine keys, pause for fill-the- blanks keyboard input, or contain nested key definitions • invisible to system and software • for any 8080-8085-Z80-CP/M 2.2, no system or software modifications $100 8" SSSD, Kaypro W - inquire about other 5//' formats check, VISA, MC add 6% tax in CA microSystems 16609 Sagewood Lane Poway, California 92064 (619) 693-1022 CP M (tm) Digital Research CHIPS. >& DALE U THE INFLATION FIGHTERS! 4116 200ns 8/$ 12.00 4116 1 50ns 8/$ 13.75 2114L 300ns 8/$ 12.00 2114L 200ns 8/S13.0O 4164 200ns $5.50 each 4164 150ns $5.95 each 6116 150ns $5.20 each 6116 200ns $4.85 each 6116LP 150ns $5.85 each 1791 Disk Controller $20.00 each 1771 Disk Controller $16.75 each Z80A.Z80ACTC $3.50 each Z80A P10 $4.00 each 8251 A $4.00 each 8255 $4.25 each 2716-1 5V 350ns 8/S4.25 $5.00 each 2716 5V 450ns $3.35 each 2732 5V 450ns $3.85 each 2532 5V 450ns 8/S4.25 $5.00 each 2764 5V 300ns 28 pin $5.95 each 2564 8087 68000 5V CALL CALL CALL Allow up to 3 wks. for personal checks to clear. Please include phone number. Prices subject to change without notice. Shipping & Handling for Chips 53.50. FOB Bellevue, WA. for all else. Washington state residents add 7.9% Sales Tax. CHIPS & DALE 10655 M.E. 4th St., Suite 400 Bellevue, WA 98004 1-206-451-9770 Circle 30 on inquiry card. Circle 293 on inquiry card. Circle 62 on inquiry card. S-100 COLOR GRAPHICS! THE ORIGINAL TMS9918A GRAPHICS BOARD • Field-proven board meets IEEE-696 standard, fully socketed - with solder masks, sitkscreen and gold contact fingers. • Prioritized display with backdrop and pattern planes plus 32 sprite planes: each pixel in a plane can be colored or transparent • Three graphics and one text display mode; maximum graphics resolution is 256H x 192V in 16 colors • Composite video output • Onboard 16K RAM is separate from system memory • Vertical retrace interrupt for real time clock capability • 0-4 wait states for use with fast MRUs • All board options are DIP switch selectable • Professional quality documentation with BASIC demonstration programs and Tl s TMS9918A manual • Exclusive Graphics Editor available on 8" SSSD CP'lVi-compatthle diskette MUroDynaml« Corporation 6363 Poplar Ave • Suite 105 Memphis. TN 38119 $189.95* (A & T) ORDER DESK 1-800-237-8400 ext 440 Technical Inquiries (9011-682-40 54 •Price includes MICROSPRITE with documentation Graphics Editor diskette - $9.95 Manual - $19.95. Bare board - $59.95 UPS ground -$2 00. UPS air -$4 00. COO -$1.50. Foreign add $15 00. VISA SMC welcome TNadd6% DEALER AND OEM INQUIRIES INVITED Apple ll/lle® Robotic Development Package mm 2 Axis ~W- Stepper Motor System • A6T/D Plug-In Interface • R2 D23 Dual Axis Driver • (2) Size 23 Motors < 35 oz • Positioning Command with Ramping from Applesoft* BASIC Also Available with: (2) Size 34 Motors (220 oz. in.) I R2 D34Dual Axis Driver $365 $595 ROGERS LABS (714)751-0442 271 S. Croddy Way, Santa Ana, CA 92704 fHICS Juki 6100 18 CPS IBM Ribbons Diablo Compatible 2K Buffer Best Value Yet SCall Its a Piece of Cake I High Quality Software for Personal Computers • Word Processor • Mail List • Spelling Checker • Telecom NEWI • Graphics Package • Financial Planner • Data Manager Call for Prices I w~ « & Star Mfcronics Gemini 10X + 15X 120 CPS 5 Call Delta 10X 160 CPS SCall STX80 SCall I Red Hot Special I Novation J-CAT i • 300 BPS Modem • Originate/Auto Answer Staling $ 89.50 AMDEK BMC TAXAN DIABLO NEC EPSON PRINTEK MOLECULAR UDS SILVER-REED U.S. ROBOTICS OKIDATA COMREX JUKI STAR NORTHSTAR ADDS KIMTRON INTERCOLOR COLUMBIA CORONA C ITOH DEC AMPEX TOSHIBA VE\X/ RIXON HAZELTINE SEIKOSHA SANYO PC OTRONA BLUE CHIP PRINTACOLOR QUME KEYTRONICS ANCHOR BROTHER VISUAL DAISY Everything In computer related products: • Computers • Accessories TEXAS INSTRUMENTS • Modems • Printers • Software • Monitors • Terminals • Paper • Ribbons • Diskettes • Office Furniture • I n-Store Training For Price Quotes and Ordering, Call: 1-800-821-4128 For Technical Information and Order Status, Call: 602-952-1057 w******** 3370 North Hayden Road • Suite 123-314 Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 Prices listed reflect a cash discount and are subject to change without notice. C.O.D.s are shipped with a minimum COD. charge. Allow 3-7 days for personal checks to clear. Product is subject to availability. Equipment is in factory sealed boxes with manufacturer's warranty. There will be a re-stocking charge for returned merchandise. Call first for an RMA number. Software not warranteed for suitability. No return of Software which has been opened Add 2% for shipping & handling charges [minimum S2.50). All equipment shipped FOB. Scottsdale, A2 85251. Circle 161 OH inquiry Card. I MAKE YOUR PROGRAMS TALK Best buy in speech synthesis!! With PROTALKER by Speech, Ltd. add natural sound- ing speech to your software. PROTALKER uses ADPCM technology to provide high fidelity reproduction of any speaker's voice & intonation. Record & play messages in any language. Choose the best storage/quality trade- off for your application via switch selectable digitiz- ing rates of 2, 3, or 4 KB/sec. Manual comes with easy to follow programming examples. PROTALKER software includes: program for easy preparation of speech files; program to access PROTALKER from BASIC; and source for assembly language driver routines. Use PROTALKER to insert voice instructions in all your pro- grams. PROTALKER for the developer who wants to pro- gram applications, not sentences. Free Software for ordering now!! PROTALKER & manual $325. Manual only $12. Specify S-100 or IBM PC board; CPM, CPM-86 or MS-DOS; 8" IBM SS-SD or 5V4" IBM PC disk format. M/C & VISA, include your card number & expiration date. CA residents add 6.5% sales tax. SPEECH, LTD. 3790 El Camino Real, Suite 213 Palo Alto, CA 94306 415-858-2795 Circle 219 on inquiry card. WE SELL WHAT YOU NEED... NOT JUST WHAT WE STOCK. PLUS- LOW PRICES, TECH SUPPORT AND RELI- ABILITY. DISKETTES SSSD 8 IN. SSDD - B IN. SSDD - &*A IN. DSDD 5/4 IN. DSDD - 96 TPI 5'/. IN. 3M MEMOHEX $270/50 $2 35/100 12.70/50 53.05/100 $2)0/50 S2 10/100 $285/50 $285/100 $4.30750 S4 45/100 PLASTIC STORAGE BOX WITH KEY FOR 100 DISKETTES. 524 DO TAPES AND CARTRIDGES |3Mj 0C100A 51620/1 10 514 10/10+ OC300XL SZ4.75/1 -10 52150/10 + 2400 FT TAPE SEAL 515.00/10 50 514 35/50 + BLACK WATCH 2400 FT TAPE SEAL 516.25/10 50 51 5 .60/50 + WINCHESTER DRIVES 10MB (FORMATTED) 15MB (FORMATTED) 20MB (FORMATTED) 32MB [FORMATTED] 5535 5750. 5980. $1155. FLOPPY DRIVES INTERNAL EXTERNAL IBM/RADIO SHACKS. SIDE 5195. 5255. IBM RADIO SHACK D. SIDE 5245. $335. APPLE — $210. HARD DISK SUBSYSTEMS 5MB 10MB 15MB APPLE 51250 51450 Si 650 IBM 51300. 51500 SI 700 i AtL'f-Clicm ; 291 1 Dixwell Avenue Phone: (203) 248-32 mden. Conn 06518 r 1.800-638-2436 APPLE II COMPATIBLE DISK DRIVES Mitac AD-1 only $189.00 Controller Card $55.00 Just Plug in and Run VERBATIM 5V*' Diskettes SSDD Soft per box of 10 $23.55 HARD DISKS Mitac Performance and Quality 5V*" 10 MB Winchester Disk Drive For Apple Users AD-IOOA . .only $1395.00 For IBM Users AD-lOOl .... only $1450.00 MONITORS Mitac 12" 20 MHZ Green , $115.00 Amber $115.00 IBM PC COMPATIBLE DISK DRIVES National JA-551-2KHT .$205.00 OZtech, Inc. VISA/MC Accepted 1400 Coleman Ave. Suite E-25 Santa Clara t CA 95050 (800) 222-6677 in Calif. (408) 980-9987 Circle 21 on inquiry card. ORDER NOW! We have developed a better way- new, improved software packages for simple everyday use in your business. Save time, money, and frustration on daily tasks using our EASY and TESTED mailing list program and cash flow system for your general ledger. Balance your Eliminate mailing books before you costly duplicates post with CFS-1 with MS-2 _ $190 BBS $249 mm Call 713-921-3414 Business Support Systems 2328 Telephone Rd. • Houston, TX 77023 The FORTH ROBOT The only educational robot arm to use FORTH the acknowledged control language. CYBER 310 $1199 Details from t Complete with cable, Cyber's RoboFORTH software, FORTH compiler. • Simple user interface based on LOGO'S turtle graphics. • 5 degrees of freedom plus grip; reach of 228 inches; working height of 35.4 inches; lift capacity of V2lb. • Computer interface 8 bit parallel (CENTRONICS). • Works with Apple, Pet Acorn, Atari and most other computers. State make when ordering. Cyber Robotics America \$Q co JMR Electronics Inc. 19151 Parthenia Street E. NorthridgeCA91244 Circle 109 on inquiry card. Circle 230 on inquiry card. Circle 49 on inquiry card. Circle 380 on inquiry card. wabash Flexible Diskettes 6 Year Warranty - 1 00% Certified DELIVERED PRICES 5V4" $160 SINGLE SIDE SINGLE DENSITY 48 TP! W/HUB RING Packed 10 s>w Soft Pack 5 1 A" $189 single side t ■ garh DOUBLE DENSITY 48 TPI W/HUB RING Packed JO par Soft Pack 5V4" DOUBLE SIDE DOUBLE DENSITY 48 TPI W/HUB «ING Packed TO per Soft , fceacl" BULK SSSD $140 h T I each BULK SSDD MB each BULK DSDD 100/Case While Envelope W/HUB RING each Free shipping in continental USA Call for quantity discounts. We accept money orders, certified checks, VISA and MasterCard. Personal checks accepted, but take two weeks to clear bank N.D. add 4%. Software Services" 1326 -25th St. S., Suite H Fargo, ND 58103 1 -800-634-2248 cuie PERSONAL SERVICE/FRIENDLY AOVICE DISCOUNT PRICES COMPUTERS Retail CUE \ DECmatellW/basicW.R $3,745 $3,180 DECRainbow100 $3,495 $2,975 NEC Portable W/1 4 applications » Software Programs. Use alone or as an 1MB Peripheral $799 $750 SPECIAL QSM ZEUS 4-2 CPU , $5,595 $4,899 PRINTERS Daisy writer 2,000 - 48K w/buffer $1,495 $999 Panasonic 1 090 $499 less 25% TERMINALS I Televideo925 $995 $695 950 $1,195 $899 WYSE 50 (emulates TVI 910) $695 $549 MODEMS ; HAYES: Smart Modem 1200B..,. $599 $439 Smart Modem 1200 $699 $484 MicroModem 11 e w/Smartcom $329 $239 Please, call tor our surprising low prices. We carry an I extensive line of all computer related products and ] brands not mentioned above. *.c*s su&tea m cwnge wnnoui nonce j CORPORATE ACCOUNTS WELCOME I •" I Circuits World Electronics Corp. 156 Depot Road, Huntington Station, N.Y. 11746 MBrtwConJ' 03 CALL COLLECT (516) 423-9100 Master-Charge, Visa, Persona) Checks Accepted GREAT DISKETTES Super low prices SYNC0M The low priced. high quality diskette wtth a LIFETIME WARRANTY. Packed in polybags of 10 with Tyvek envelopes, labels and reinforced hubs. One of the best buys we've seen. $139 I QTY. 2C «ea.5WSSDD 5 1 /4"DSDDea. ,$185 9 ■ QTY. 2C OTHER GREAT VALUE*: DISKETTE 70 — Holds 70 5 1 * diskettes in dust tree safety $14.95 ea. - $3.00 Shpng. DISK CAODIES— Flip up style holds 10 554* diskettes $1.65 ea. + .2 Shpnfl - i u n. I. ... i n ma For the lowest priced, highest quality diskettes, storage cases, printer ribbons and paper products, send for our catalog. FREE with your order; $1 00 otherwise BONUS! Every catalog includes $15.00 worth of bonus coupons. Shipping: 5«" DISKETTES— Add $3.00 per 100 or fraction thereof. OTHER ITEMS: Shipping charges as shown in addition to diskette shipping charges Payment: VISA or MC COO orders, add $3.00. Taws: Illinois customers, please add 8%. Nationwide: 1-800-621-6827 In Illinois: 1-312-944-2786 Minimum Order: $35.00 WE WILL BEAT ANY NATIONALLY ADVERTISED PRICE! DISK WORLD! Suite 4806 • 30 East Huron Street • Chicago, Illinois 60611 SYNCOM Circle 329 on inquiry card. Circle 65 on inquiry card. TOLL-FREE ORDERING: 800-222-8686 FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT/ SERVICE / IN ARIZONA: 602-282-6299 CCT CUSTOM COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY 1 CRAFTSMAN COURT - BOX 4160 - SEDONA, ARIZONA 86340 Purchase your Hardware and Software directly from an OEM/Systems Integrator. Take advantage of our buying power! We stock a full line of Board Level Components, Software, and Peripherals. Call for your needs. We'll give you the Lowest Prices, and the Technical Support and Know-How we are quickly becoming well-known for. Satisfied Customers Nation- wide! The Nations's Custom Systems House for Business, Education and Science. Call for a system quote. FOREMOST QUALITY • ADVANCED SUPPORT » REASONABLE COST OF PRIME INTEREST Our prime interest at CCT is service and support. We build and sell hundreds of systems per year to the serious computer market. We rigidly adhere to our strict policy of reliable machines, and reliable people behind them. We feel the Com- puPro product line to be the state-of-the- art of the computer industry. THE CCT EXCLUSIVE WARRANTY With any system we build, we provide, in writing, an unconditional 12 month direct warranty on the entire system, in- cluding mainframe, boards, drives, power supplies, cabling and peripherals! We of- fer guaranteed 24 hour in- house repair and/or replacement with just a toll-free phone call. We can offer this, since we are so sure of our level of quality and reliabili- ty. It's great to know that in the event of a problem, you're not out of business waiting on service turnaround. We deliver! Our various OEM contracts with all the manufacturers of the components we in- tegrate, allow us this unprecedented flex- ibility. No factory O.K.'s necessary — just get it running — NOW! Wyse 100 terminal -14" Green .. WS Prom Option - Installed $50 Mitsubishi 8" DSDD drives, full or half height. Set-up FREE OF CHARGE .. $449 Okidata 82 $389/83 $619 84 $1029/92 $469/93 $779 AshtonTate dBASE II 8 or MD ... $299 Supercalc86-forCP/M86&MP/M .$99 Visual Terminals in stock Call LearSieglerADM20 $499 Freedom 50 $499/100-$549 Hays Modem- $259 • Diablo 620 $1029 We carry a full line of software in all available formats at discount prices. TECH TIP CORNER dBASE II USERS - CUSTOM TERMINAL KEYS! Implement your arrow keys; emulate Wordstar edit commands - send an SASE with $2.00 - (ATTN: TTC). Tell us your arrow key codes. We'll return easy, detailed instructions to change almost anything. It's beautiful — Pat... PROFESSIONAL LEVEL BUSINESS SYSTEMS STATE-OF-THE-ART QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY PPT AMMHI 1MPCC- 0UR 0WN IN-HOUSE ENGINEERED \Aj I MIMIMUUIMUCO. custom compupro systems CCT-1 - ENTRY LEVEL S-100 BUSINESS SYSTEM • Enclosure 2-Desk-20 Slot Mainframe • CPU 8085/88 - 6Mhz 8085/8Mhz 8088 ■ • Disk 1 - DMA Floppy Disk Controller • • RAM 16 - 64K Static RAM - 12 Mhz • • Interfacer 4 - 3 Serial/2 Parallel I/O < • CCT 2.4 Dual 8" Mitsubishi DSDD Drive System - 2.4 Megabytes • • CP/M 80 - 2.2 LD/M - CCT Modified ■ • All Cabling, Complete CCT Assembly, Testing, and Minimum 20 Hour Burn-in ■ INTRODUCTORY PRICE: $3,399 iNinuuuuunTrniuc $6,799 RUNS ALL STANDARD 8" CP/M SOFTWARE - INCLUDES OUR EXCLUSIVE 12 MONTH DIRECT WARRANTY CP/M MP/ M NOTE: Each copy we furnish is CCT modified for the target system. M-Drive/H and hard disk drivers are furnished, and the BIOS optimized for the fastest disk step rate, as well as terminal and printer compatibility. • * CCT-2- THE FASTEST*MICROCOMPUTER IN THE WORLD!! * * Enclosure 2-Desk • 90K Baud Parallel Terminal Board • 78 Key Professional Ergonomic Keyboard CPU8086-10Mhz • Disk 1 • 512KM-Drive/H • High Resolution Amber Monitor. INTRODUCTORY PRICE: 128K- 16 Bit Memory • CP/M 86 -CCT Modified • CCT 2.4 Dual DSDD Drive System Interfacer 3-8 • SS1 • All Cabling, Complete CCT Assembly, Testing, & Minimum 20 Hour Burn-in RUNS ALL CP/M 86 SOFTWARE - ULTRA FAST - INCLUDES 12 MONTH DIRECT WARRANTY • • CCT-3~10Mhz68K System simitar to above, with 128K RAM $6,699 • • We are the largest in the custom configuration of complete state-of-the-art S-100 systems, at package pricing, with integration, burn-in and programming. We custom build CompuPro systems / hard disk systems for business applications. Call for Com- puPro literature, CCT system configuration data and technical information. We can save you money! * SUPER PRICES * COMPUPRO COMPONENTS * IN STOCK * SYSTEM SPECIALS -ALL CCT A&T, BURNED IN: 816A-S4299 816B-$4999 816C-S6499 M-DriveCP/M-Blowout-$39 • Disk1w/CP/M-$449 • M-Drive/H~512K-$1149 CPU8085/88-S319 • CPU8086/87-$579/10Mhz-$659 • CPU68K-$519/10Mhz-$639 • CPU-Z-$249 CPU286-$1249/10Mhz-$1359 • Disk1-$369 • Disk 2-$599 • Disk3-$599 RAM17(12Mhz)-$329 • RAM 16(1 2Mhz)-$359 • RAM 21 (128K)-$779 • RAM22(256K)-$1399 Interfacer 1-$229 • Interfacer 2- $249 • Interfacer 3- 5- $399/ 3-8- $459 • Interfacer 4-$349 System Support 1 -$299 • Enclosure 2-Desk-$599/ Rack-$649 • 20 Slot Motherboard-$210 CP/M80-$99 • CP/M 86-1150 • MP/M8-16-$699 • CP/M68K-$279 • UNIX-SOON 86 Upgrade Kit: Consists of CP/ M 86, 64K Ram, System Support 1 , Cable - $749 Call for CSC Boards — New Releases — Operating System Mods/Updates * PRICE BREAKTHROUGH * Hard Disk Subsystems CCT/Fujitsu 5 1 /4" subsystem, includes Disk 3, custom enclosure & power supply, all cabling, A&T, formated, burned in. Ready for any CompuPro or similar S-100 system: CCT-5 (5.5 Meg>$1599 CCT-10 (11 Meg)-$1899 / CCT-20 (22 Meg)-$2299 ? ? HARD DISK DECISIONS ? ? ' Hard/Floppy Combinations An exclusive CCT innovation. CCT/Fujitsu/ Mitsubishi ultra-system; 5V4" hard disk next to a 1.2 Meg. DSDD 8" floppy. Includes Disk 3, custom horizontal enclosure and power supply, all cabling, A&T, formatted, burned - fn. Will stand alone in any CompuPro system: CCT-5/1-S2099 CCT-10/1-$2399 CCT-20V1-$2799 NEW DISK 3/5V4"HD SYSTEMS * 2.4 Megabyte Floppy Systems CCT/ Mitsubishi 2.4 Megabyte Dual DSDD 8" system. Includes custom horizontal enclosure, ail cabling, A&T, burned- in. This is the fastest system available: $1149 With stacked half-height drives: $1 175 All Systems Carry Our Exclusive 12 Month Warranty. Prices & availability subject to change. All products new, and carry full manufacturer's warranties. Call for catalog. Free technical help to anyone. We can configure boards & soft- ware for your system . Plug-in and go. Arizona Residents add sales tax. CompuPro 5 ' Trademark - W.J . Godbout; CP/M* MP/M® Trademarks - Digital Research Circle 108 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 511 WHOLESALE DISKETTES 5V«" Soil Sector 10 100 SS/SD 17.50 15.95/10 SS/OD 18.50 16.95/10 DS/DD 23.95 19.95/10 7 Year Gaurantee! $3.00 Shipping & Handling in Continental USA RIBBONS Ribbon Typ« 12 Apple DMP 5.**M. 5*M. 4«««, C. Uoh Prowriter (all modeli) 5 ." ea 5." ea. 4.** ea C. Itch F10 40/55 Multi-Strike 5." ea. 4 » ea. 3*» ea Diablo Hytype II Multi-Strike . 5." s ea. 4. w ea. 3." ea Epson/IBM FX/RX/MX-80 ... 5." ea 4." ea. 4." ea Epson/IBM FX/RX/MX-100 . . . 9. 9i ea. 8* ea. 6. w ea Gemini 10/10X/15/15X 2. 8S ea. 2. n ea. 2 » ea NEC 3500 Mu HI- Strike 7 •» ea 6." ea. 5." ea Okidata 80/82/83/92/93 2 9i ea 2 TS ea. 2.' ; Other Ribbons — CALL CALL Ship. + Hand, in Cont. USA . . 3.™ Free Free Order Toll Free 1-(800) 821-5339 3C or Call 1-(801) 296-0872 H or Rush Check or Money Order To: C. R. E. Wholesale Products P. O. Box 361 N.S.L., Ut. 84054 Circle 103 on inquiry card. AP-PEEL© Price MO. 00 U.S. NEW CONTROL FOR YOUR APPLE 2 + * AP-PEEL - Reprograms the reset key to give you complete control over operation. AP-PEEL - Protects disks from possible damage on start-up. - Reset allows choice of entry to one of 5 modes of operation. - Exit Mocked-in' programs to view any memory on screen. - 'Page' through memory to look for key words in games. - Make changes in memory at any time. - Eliminates use of power switch to re-boot on Mocked-in' programs. - Installed or removed in seconds. A MUST FOR APPLE 1 + * OWNERS MQ J Co. Check or Money Order 88 Wellington Ave. Altow 30 day delivery VICTORIA B.C CANADA V8W 4H6 *TM Apple Computer WHOLESALE MODEMS U. S. Robotics 1200/300 Baud Password 359. * IBM PC Modem Card 359. M with 64K Ram 559, M with 256K Ram 925.°° S100 Modem Card 359. 00 Auto Dial 469. 00 PRINTERS Inforunner Rlteman (120 CPS 10" PAR) 299. * {Epson, Gemini Compatible, 1 Year Warranty) Sliver Reed EXP 500P (16 CPS Daisy Wheel 10" PAR) . 469. 00 EXP 500S (16 CPS Daisy Wheel 10" SER) . 509. 00 Daisy Writer 20O0-48K Buffer (20-40 CPS/PAR) 1099. 00 OKI-DATA Microline 82A (Ser/Par 120 CPS 10") 349." Other Printers CALL (Free shipping & handling in Continental USA) Order Toll Free 1-(800) 821-5339 3C or Call 1-(801) 298-0872 M or Rush Check or Money Order To: C. R. E. Wholesale Products P. O. Box 361 N.S.L., Ut. 84054 Circle 104 on inquiry card. SUPER LOW PRICES On 3M Diskettes With Lifetime Warranty! Now, you can save more than ever on 3M diskettes! Packed m factory seated cartons of 10 with Tyvel envelopes, labels and (on 5'/«") reinforced hubs. «ea.5WSSDD $063 5V4"DSDDea.> <&?£f $188 " QTY. 50 vm \j^u\jxs*.v — qty. 50 5VSSQD $2.89 ea.* 8" SSSD $2.02 ea. 514" DSQD $3.95 ea.* 8" SSD0 $2.49 ea. 8" DS00 $3.25 ea Add 5 cents per diskette for quantifies less than 50. 'indicates Quantity 20 on t hes e items. DJSKETTE70^olds 70 5 v diskettes "n dust free safety $?T95ea^ $3.00 Shpng. DISK CADDIES— Flip up style holds 10 5V diskettes $1.65 ea. + .20 Shpng. For the lowest priced, highest quality diskettes, storage cases, printer ribbons and paper products, send for our catalog. FREE with your order; $1.00 otherwise. BONUS! Every catalog includes $15.00 worth of bonus coupons. Shipping: SW* OISKETTES— Add $3.00 per 100 diskettes or fraction thereof 8' DISKETTES— Add $4 00 per 100 diskettes or fraction thereof OTHER ITEMS: Add shipping charges as shown in addition to diskette shipping charges. Payment: VISA or MC. COD orders add $3.00. Taies: Illinois customers, please add 8%. Nationwide: 1-800-621-6827 In Illinois: 1-312-944-2788 Minimum Order. $35.00 WE WILL BEAT ANY NATIONALLY ADVERTISED PRICE! DISK WORLD! Suite 4806 • 30 East Huro n Street • Chicago. Illinois 60611 TT Authorized Distributor Information Processing Products *IBM PC Compatible — ■» Cdc m, E PROMS - CALL" Lowest Prices Anywhere M164-150P $520 ♦4164-200/250 505/469 4116-200 149 M164-120 549 6116-P3 499 Disk Drives: (FOB. Tampa> ♦TM-100-2 $ 22424 -4 29983 *TM- 55-2 22386 *10mbWin 1,38547 (MS/DOS 2 O/IBM plug in & go) Add $2 95 shipping to all orders 2 6% for credit card orders OEM • Quantity discounts available • P.O.s on approval • C.O.D. OK • Credit cards • FL residents add 5% tax • All new, no surplus, no seconds (Prices sublet to change I 4920 Cypress St., Tampa, FL 33607 in FL, and for info., call 813-875-0299 FOR ORDERS ONLY, 800-237-8910 ~SW 8AM-8PMEST Circle 281 on inquiry card. _ IBM-PC COMPATIBLE! Build your own with A PERSONAL COMPUTER (APC) kit. It runs all the programs written for the IBM-PC. APC Mother Board: 11% t H 64K RAM expandable to 1 28K on the board, parallel port, serial port, speaker/audio port, cassette port, game port, 5-62 pin edge connectors, 32K EPR0MS, Socket for 8087 co-processor. D Bare Board $99,95 □ BIOS ROM $49.95 □ Components $249.95 D Assembled & Tested Add $129.95 APC Color High Resolution Graphic Board $229 95 APC Disk Controller Board with a parallel port option $ 1 39.95 APC Memory Board expandable to 384K RAM $99.95 APC Power Supply $119 95 APC Cabinet $139.95 APC Cooling Fan $ 16 95 APC Keyboard $189 95 APC Disk Drive $229.95 APC Monitor 9" Diagonal $99.95 12" Diagonal $129.95 (Prices subject to change without prior notice) AMERICAN SYSTEMS 3819 Thousand Oaks Blvd • Westlake Village, CA 91362 (805)497-1445 OEM/Dealer Inquiry Welcome Domestic/International Circle 234 on inquiry card. Circle 23 on inquiry card. "YELLOW PAGES" of the COMPUTER INDUSTRY MARKETPLACE •Unique — Covers entire industry •Over 3300 companies listed under several hundred categories: — Hardware — Software — Services (DP's, leasing consultants, etc.) — Retailers — Distributors — OE M ' s — Furniture — Supplies •Answers a phone call away •Price $14.96 (1984-88 ed) •Free listings — available to companies and individuals WRITE: C.I.M. Dept H. 9371 Kramer Ave. Unit I Westminster, CA 92683 CALL: (714) 892-4468 ext 8 Bytcom 212AD now available at TCI Turnkey Communications Inc. 1607-116th Ave NE #101 BeMevue Wash 98004 206-451-4370 $439 SYMBOLIC DEBUGGING for IBM PC-DOS The Mylstar Symbolic Debugging Program enhances your IBM PC-DOS Debug Program to make your work easier and simpler. Employing the same command structure, the Mylstar Program lets you use: * Symbol Names *Mathematic Expressions *Batch Files *On-Line Help *Multi-Command Macros *Loop Structures Shorten your debugging process and work time. Designed for PC-DOS 1.0, 128K RAM minimum. Send $125 check or money order to: Dept. 115B Mylstar Electronics. wrwm MYLSTAR W % ELECTRONICS ■Ml SEBWSfiSM Dealer ■ WH T»t(3i2}5e2-74oo Inquiries ■ W ^B Tel** 72-8463 , *.. j ■ T ■ Ac^-btaPH:^.*— «..c«»«n, Invited Circle 123 on inquiry card. Circle 52 on inquiry card. Circle 259 on inquiry card. Computer components unlimited's ST. PATRICKS DAY usi Monitors • Any USI Monitor §1 192 or more § 1 lOe CDC Disk Drive Model NO. 9409T » SW Quad Density $159 2 «,r $300 Hayes Micro computer Smart Modem 1200 Baud • Top of the Line $089 2f or $479 TC Products • Select-A-Port Your Connect-All Sanyo Computer • Model NO.: MBC555 2 Slimline Disk Drives, 128K « Color Composite & RGB interface • complete Software Package $1249 Okidata • Model NO. 82A • 120 cps Parallel & Serial interface $299 Siemans Drive • Model FDD100-8 • 8' SglSide/Dbl Density $149 2 for $280 Ouentin Research • Thinline 5W Drive • Apple Compatible introductory Offer $189 2 for$360 Tandon • Model NO. TM100-2 • 320K — Dbl/Dbl • IBM Drive $219 2 for $420 Rana systems • Elite I Disk Drive *> Apple Compatible 300% Faster, Tract-to-Track $249 2 ^ $400 Micro Tek • Dumpling CX • Orappler Compatible Graphics interface for Apple Dynax Model NO. DX15 • 3K Buffer • Letter Quality $469 Amdek • Colon + Monitor 12" Color Composite $299 Astar • RF Modulator Computer _ Components S Unlimited 800-847-1718 OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA RETAIL STORE: 11976 Aviation Blvd. inglewood, CA 90304 MAIL ORDER: P.O. BOX1936 Hawthorne, CA 90250 'nia Corporation This Ad Supersedes All Others (213)643-5188 il merchandise new We accept MC Vis,- r.insfer COD Call Certified Check. PO s uahfied firms APO accepted Shu linimumS4 50 first 5 pounds Tax Calif orr mlv add 6 1 ? sales tax Mon.— Fri. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Circle 395 on inquiry card. St. Patrick's Day Pot-O-Gold AhL ^ )A Lowest Prices in this Magazine MONITORS Amdek Colon + Composite Video $ 299 Color II + RCBVideo 419 300C, 12" Green 139 300A, 12" Amber 149 310A, Monochrome Amber 179 BMC l2AUW,80column $ 84 1 2 EUN Hi-Res Green 109 9191 Color New version 239 IBM Monochrome Hi Res Green $ 319 RGBColor 699 Princton Graphics PGSHX12, IBM Copy $489 PCSSR-12, Hi-ResColor 649 PGSMAX-12, 12" Monochrome ..... 199 USI P1 1,9" Green, Hi Res, 20MHz $ 119 Pi 2, 12" Green, Hi Res, 20MHz 119 PI 3, 12" Amber, Hi Res, 20MHz 119 PI 4, 9" Amber, Hi Rex, 20MHz 119 zenith ZVM122, Hi-ResGreen $ 109 ZVM123, Hi-Res Amber 109 Dynax DX15, LetterQuality S 469 DX25 Call Epson RX-80(120cps» $ call RX-80FT (1 20 cps) Frictions Tractor . call FX-80(160CPS) Call FX-i00(i60cps) 15" Carriage call NEC 8023A-C New version (120 cps) S 399 8025 (15" Carriage) 699 Okidata 82A (120 cps) Par &ser inter $ 299 83A (15" Carriage) 569 84P (200 cps) Frictions Tractor 999 New Series Okidata 92P(160cps) $ 429 93P (15" carriage) 739 Star Micronics Gemini 10X(120cps) $ 299 Gemini 15X (120 cps) 15" Carriage. . . 399 Powertyped8cps)Ltr.qual 479 DISKETTES COMPUTER SYSTEMS Apple HEStarterSystem $1326 CPUOnly 999 Mcintosh Call Compaq Portable(PCCompatible) $2795 Franklin Ace1000,64K $ 799 Ace1200OMS 1699 Kaypro Kayproll $1450 Kaypro4 1695 KayprolO 2495 IBM PC64K,2-Drives $2295 XT Hard Disk Drive, 128K 4695 SANYO MBC-550 PC Compatible $849 MBC-5552-Drives, more software .. 1249 ecu Sgl/Dbl reinforced hub $18 100 for 150 Dbi/Dbi reinforced hub 22 100 for 200 Not Bulk Packed Dysan Sgl/Dbl $33 100 for 300 Dbl/Dbl 39 100 for 370 Maxell MD1 Sgl/Dbl $25 100 for 235 MD2Dbl/Dbl 38 100 for 360 Memorex sgl/Dbl .$26 100 for 230 Dbl/Dbl 35 100 for 320 verbatim sgl/Dbl $26 100 for 240 Dbl/Dbl 36 100 for 340 Wabash sgl/Dbl $22 100 for 200 Dbl/Dbl 29 100 for 270 8" DISKETTES Dysan sgi/sgi $34 100 for 320 Dbl/Dbl 53 100 for 480 Maxell Sgl/Dbl $44 100 for 380 Dbl/Dbl 50 100 for 469 Memorex Sgl/sgl $27 100 for 250 Dbl/Dbl 38 100 for 350 verbatim sgl/sgl $30 100 for 280 Dbl/Dbl 40 100 for 360 Wabash sgl/sgl $24 100 for 220 Dbl/Dbl 34 100 for 320 verbatim 8" or 5 1 /4" Head Cleaning Kit $ 11 Flip Tub 5W Holds 50 disks, plexiglass 17 5Ya" Holds 70 disks, plexiglass 21 Apple DiSk2 $ 299 Disk2controllerw/DOS3.3 89 Micro Sci A-2 Fully compatible $ 209 Controller w/ diagnostics 79 Quentin Research Appiemate $ 209 Controller 75 Rana Systems Eiitei $ 249 Elite ll Dbl Sided 379 Elite in Quad Density 479 Controller, controls 4 85 Super 5 Slimline $ 199 Controller 75 DISK ACCESSORIES APPLE DRIVES For the WIDEST VARIETY of peripherals and the lowest prices in this Magazine CALL 800-847-1718 ! Circle 396 on inquiry card. Special Pricing from ecu and that's no blarney!! * p ** DISK DRIVE CABINETS %%V> Cabinets Single cab. w/ power supply $ 59 Duaicab.w/powersupply 85 DualThinfineCab.w/pwr.sup 85 8" Cabinets SingleCab.w/fan&powersupply . .$ 209 Dual cab. w/fan& power supply .. . 259 " DISK DRIVES CDC 9409dbl/dbl $ 229 9409TQuad Density 179 Panasonic Slimline320KPCcomp $ 199 Tandon TM100-1,160K $ 179 TM100-2,320K 219 TM1 01 -4 Quad Density 279 Mitsubishi 2894Dbl/Dbi S 419 Qume DT8Dbl/Dbl S Shugart 801RSgl/Dbl $ 359 851RDPI/Dbl 479 Siemans FDD100-8Sgl/Dbl $ 149 FDD100-8Sgl/Dbl 2for 479 Tandon TM848-1 Sgl/DblThinline $ 299 TM848-2Dbl/DblThinline 399 PRINTER INTERFACES Cables iBMtoPrinter $ 25 Kaypro to Printer 25 RS232 Cables 19 Fourth Dimension Card&Cable $ 49 Microtek Dumpling ex (Crappler Compatible) $ 99 Dumpling ex expto64K 149 DumplingGXl6Kw/l6Kexpto64K . 169 for each additional 16K 15 Okidata Options Tractor for 82 & 92. . . / $ 59 Serial interface 99 Orange Micro crappler + $ 119 Crappler + W/16K 179 Star or Epson Epson serial interface S 119 StarSerial interface 59 wesper Micro Wizard Full Graphics interface $ 89 MODEMS Anchor Mark vii 300 Baud .....$ 159 MarkXll, l200Baud 299 Hayes Micro computer Smart Modem 300 Baud $ 209 Smart Modem 1200 Baud 489 smart Modem 1200B for PC 409 Micro Modem HE 239 Novation J-Cat $ 119 Appiecatii 259 Computer Components Unlimited RETAIL STORE: 11976 Aviation Blvd. inglewood, CA 90304 MAIL ORDER: P.O. BOX 1936 Hawthorne, CA 90250 wion.— Fri. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This Ad Supersedes All Others No Surcharge for credit Cards APPLE ADD ON'S ALS ZCard .....$ 119 CPM3.0Card . 269 Apple Diskll S 269 Monitorll 99 After RF Modulator $ 15 Fanw/Surge 39 Kensington System saver S 69 Koala Graphics Tablet $ 99 Kraft Joystick $ 49 Micro Max ViewmaxSO^Ocol.card $ 149 Vlewmax80E(FforllE)64K 139 Micro soft 16KCard $ 69 PremiumSoftCardllE 379 Multiplan 189 Softcard(Z80) 239 Micro Tek Bam 16, 16K Memory $ 59 Serial interface 99 TC Joystick $ 44 Seiect-A-Port 31 Paddles 34 Ast Research SixPack+ s 279 Mega + 279 IBM Monochrome Adapter $ 319 Colorcard 275 Plantronics PC+ w/Software $ 389 Quadram QuadColorCard S 219 Quad Link 499 64K Upgrade 64KofMemory $ 54 usi Research Paradise Systems multi-display card $ 399 IBM ADD ON'S Sales Desk (800) 847-1718 (213) 643-5188 Outside California inside California Customer service & Technical (213)843-5191 All merchandise new. We accept MC, visa Wire Transfer, COD Call, Certified Check, P.O. s from qualified firms, APO accepted. Shipping Minimum $4.50 first 5 pounds. Tax- California Res. Only add 6V 2 % sales tax. Prices Subject to Change RYTF March 19R4 515 IBM PC = 1. DEC VT100? 2. DEC VT125? 3. DASHER D400? SMARTERM™ DOES IT! • full emulation (to PC limits) • powerful file transfer • full printer support • multiple setups • "smart" softkeys • 132 column support available • online help screens • 30-day return policy Available through your local software dealer or directly from: = ====R erSOft 2740 Ski Lane 1 Madison, Wl 53713 nC. (608) 273-6000 Software for Professionals ... by Professionals. 5'/4" DISK DRIVES • QUME 142 A Half Height, Double .Ji Sided, 40 TRK/Sida *229 Free Shipping • TANDON: TM 100-2 Double Sided, A ■ , 40 TRK/Side '235 Free Shipping • CDC: 9409 Double Sided, _ 40 TRK/Side $235 Free Shipping • SHUGART: SA 455 Half Height, Double Sided, ^ 40 TRK/Side . '. *229 Free Shipping Order Toll Free: 1-800-531-5475 (Outside Of Texas) W (512) 250-1489 (in Texas) HE Texas Residents Add 5% Sales Tax. jOompufldd cop 13010 Research Blvd., Suite 101 Austin, Texas 78750 RS-232 TO CURRENT LOOP CONVERTER NEW! Circle 285 on inquiry card. Circle 77 on inquiry card. Uses high speed optical isolators in both Transmit and Receive Data lines. An optional power supply is available to power the Current Loop. Order Now! Only $49.95. Optional Loop Supply— $14.95. Add $1.75 for postage and handling (IL Res. add 6% sales tax). We accept MC, VISA. FREE: expanded il- iustrated catalog of interface and problem equipment. Phone: 815-539-5827. BO electronics Box 68B. MENDOTA, IL 61342 Circle 38 on inquiry card. CONVERSES COMPUTER Created at MIT in 1966. ELIZA has become the world's most celebrated artificial intelligence demonstration program ELIZA is a non-directive psychotherapist who analyzes each statement as you type it in and then responds with her own comment or question-arid her remarks are often amazingly appropriate' Designed to run on a large mainframe. ELIZA has never before been available to personal computer users except in greatly stripped down versions lacking the sophistication which made the original program so fascinating Now, our new microcomputer version possessing the FULL power and range of expression of the original is being offered at the introductory price of only 125 And tf you want to find out how she does it (or teach her to do more), we will include the complete SOURCE PROGRAM for only *20 additional. Order your copy of ELIZA today and you'll never again wonder how to respond when you hear someone say, ''Okay, let's see what this com- puter of yours can actually do! ELIZA IS AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING FORMATS: Please add S2.00 shipping and handling to all orders (California residents please add 6% sales tax) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH GROUP 921 North La Jolla Avenue. Dept, B yKA "i _ Los Angeles, CA90046_ I 3P Circle 33 on inquiry card. Maxell Floppy Disks The Mini-Disks with maximum quality. Dealer inquiries invited CO.D's accepted. Call FREE (800) 235-4137. PACIFIC EXCHANGES 100 Foothill Blvd.. San Luis San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. In Cal. call (800) 592-5935 or (805)543-1037. Disks 'n Things Circle 127 on inquiry card. MEMORY FOR IBM PC-XT 64K —$159.95 320K — $319.95 384K - $359.95 51 2K — $439.95 • Uses 64K Drams • Gold Fingers — Solder Mask • Addressing On Any 64K Block • No Parity Add 6°/o sales tax in California. Add $2.00 for shipping. Add $2.00 for C.O.D. Send check or money order to: In Sync 5738 Commerce Blvd. Rohnert Park, CA 94928 (707) 585-2793 PAL, EPR0M PROGRAMMERS & UV ERASERS from $49.95 LOGICAL DEVICES INC. Whete, RetieJtilibf, otul U, off titm&it 9mp&da*tce, SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 58 QESOSflQ ORDER TOLL FREE 1-800-EE1-PROM (1-8GO-3317776) Circle 212 on inquiry card. 6800 Family Software Software for 6800/01/05/09 microprocessors. SOFTWARE: C compiler, Pascal, multitasking DOS, macro-assemblers, FORTRAN, 16K BASIC FIRMWARE: Fantom monitor/debugger, math library, 4K BASIC CROSS-SOFTWARE: Assemblers, PL/W Compilers, Linker, Simulators TT wimii: Circle 277 on inquiry card. Circle 184 on inquiry card. Circle 383 on inquiry card. Your Satisfaction Guaranteed Since 1975 VISIT ONE OF OUR 6 RETAIL SHOWROOMS! LOS ANGELES 18503 Hawthorne Blvd. Torrance, Calif SAN FERNANDO VALLEY 21800 Ventura Blvd Woodland Hills, Calif ORANGE COUNTY 3313 S. Bristol St Santa Ana, Calif SAN DIEGO 4344 Convoy Street Kearny Mesa, Calif SUNNYVALE 1291 W. El Cammo Real Sunnyvale. Calif DALLAS 4950 Beltline Road Addison, Texas 'Pricing May be slightly higher in our retail showrooms— Please call for local pricing. SIX PAK PLUS—AST Up to 384K RAM, Clock calendar with battery back-up. Serial port, Parallel printer port, optional game port Super drive and super spool software included FREE' 64K, C,S,P List Price $395.00 ___ $269.95 256K, C,S,P List Price $665.00 _____ _ $489.95 For Game Port Option Add List Price $50.00 _ $39.95 MEGA PLUS— AST Up to 51 2K RAM, clock calendar with battery back-up. 2 serial ports, parallel printer port, game port. Super drive and superspool software included FREE' 64 K, C,S List Price $395.00 . $269.95 256K, C, 1 serial List Price $665.00 $429.95 512K, C, 1 serial List Price 1059.00 $795.00 Second serial port option List Price $50.00 ___ $39.95 Printer port option List Price $50.00 _ $39.95 Game port option List Price $50.00 $39.95 Each additional 64K, Add List Price $89.95 $44.95 COMBO PLUS— AST Up to 256K RAM. Clock with battery back-up. Serial port. Parallel port, superspool software included FREE 1 64K, C,S,P List Price $395.00 $269.95 256K, C,S,P List Price $695.00 __ $419.95 I/O PLUS— AST Up to 2 serial ports, parallel printer port, clock calendar with battery back-up. Superdrive and super- spool software included FREE! Clock & 1 serial port List Price $165.00 $129.95 Printer port option List Price $50.00 $39.95 Second serial port option List Price $50.00 $39.95 Game port option List Price $50.00 $39.95 QUADBOARD I— Quadram Up to 384K RAM, serial port, parallel port, clock calendar. RAM disk, and printer spooler software Quadboard w/o RAM List Price $295.00 $214.95 64 K Quadboard List Price $395.00 __ $275.95 256K Quadboard List Price $595.00 $399.95 384K Quadboard List Price $795.00 . $595.00 QUADBOARD II— Quadram Two serial ports, clock/calendar, memory expansion, and Quadmaster software Quadboard II, 64K List Price $395.00 $275.00 Quadboard II, 256K List Price $595.00 $399.95 QUADLINK— Quadram Allows IBM PC to run Apple software, includes interface . card and software to allow your IBM PC to run both Appte DOS and PC DOS Quadlink List Price $680.00 $485.00 SYSTEM CARD— Microsoft From the authors of PC-DOS— up to 256K RAM, serial port, parallel printer port, clock calendar, plus RAM drive disk emulation software, print spooler, time utilities, and terminal emulation software. DOS 1.1 or 2 compatible 64K system card List Price $395.00 _ 256K system card List Price $625.00 . $279.95 $429.95 DISKETTES For IBM PC High quality double-sided, double-density diskettes, certified to be absolutely error free. Box of ten, warranteed for one year Box of 10 w/FREE! plastic case List Price $39.95 $24.95 Bulk Pack 100 diskettes w/o plastic box List Price $350.00 $199.95 Verbatim Datalife List Price $49.95 ____ __^____________________-____ $34.95 HI-RES COLOR MONITORS Only the best: Princeton HX-12 or Quadchrome, 690 x 480 resolution, 16 brilliant colors, special .31mm dot pitch tube, includes FREE! cable Princeton Graphics HX-12 List Price $695.00 $529.95 Quadram Quadchrome List Price $795.00 $549.95 AMDEK MONITORS Full line of high quality monochrome and color video monitors Video 310 Amber (IBM) List Price $230.00 Color II (RGB) List Price $529.00 Color III (RGB) List Price $449.00 $179.95 $429.95 $399.95 Color IV (Analog RGB) List Price $995.00 __ $775.00 HERCULES GRAPHIC CARD Two pages of ultra-high resolution text and graphics 720 x 348. compatible with Lotus 123, Vistcalc, dBASE II, etc. Includes parallel printer port Hercules graphic card List Price $499.00 _____ $359.95 QUADCOLOR I & QUADCOLOR II Ouadcolor I delivers standard IBM PC color and graphics, add Ouadcolor II and hi-resolution (640 x 200) color graphics are possible Ouadcolor I (basic board) List Price $295.00 $234.95 Ouadcolor II (add on) List Price $275.00 ._ $229.95 HAYES SMARTMODEMS 300 and/or 1200 baud direct connect, auto answer-auto dial, pulse or touch tone, auto baud rate selection. 1200B is a plug-in board for IBM PC only and includes Smartcom II FREE' 1200B with Smartcom II List Price $599.00 _ $399.95 Smartmodem 1200 List Price $699.00 $475.00 Smartmodem 300 List Price $289.00 _______ $199.95 Smartcom II List Price $149.00 ___ $79.95 THE BEST SOFTWARE For IBM PC We have taken the top rated programs and reduced the price tor a super value! LOTUS 12 3 Best spreadsheet Lotus 1 2 3 (1A) List Price $495.00 $329.95 dBASE II Best Data base Ashton-Tate dBASE II List Price $700.00 . $429.95 CROSSTALK Best communications package MicroStuff Crosstalk List Price $195.00 _ $129.95 KEYTRONICS KEYBOARD Similar to the IBM PC keyboard, but with all the keys in the right places 1 Keytronics/IBM List Price $299.95 _________ $199.95 JADE IS AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR EPSON, OKIDATA, TOSHIBA, MANNESMAN-TALLY, C. ITOH, etc. CALL FOR BEST PRICES! OKIDATA PRICES SLASHED! Okidata's new plug-n-play ROMS for Oki 92 or Oki 93 printers are fully IBM PC compatible 1 412 ASXII characters, full graphics, complete Epson emulation, and near-letter quality printing not available with Epson Okidata 92 160 C PS List Price $599.00 __ $459.95 Okidata 93 160 C PS List Price $999.00 $799.95 Plug-n-play tor 92 List Price $59.95 $49.95 Plug-n-play tor 93 List Price $59.95 ___ $49.95 IBM PC to Oki or Epson cable List Price $54.95 $32.95 COMREX CR-II Best buy in letter quality printers. NEW from Comrex! Full feature letter quality printer, FREE! 5K buffer, logic seeking bi-directional printing, boldface proportional spacing, double-strike, backspace, underline, true superscript and subscript, drop-in daisy wheel cartridge CR-II parallel List Price $599.00 __ $495.00 CR-II serial List Price $644.00 $589.95 Tractor option List Price, $140.00 ___ _ $99.95 Cut sheet feeder List Price $259.00 __ Keyboard option List Price $199.00 __ $189.95 . $179.95 64K RAM UPGRADE For IBM PC High speed RAM upgrade kit with parity (error detection) and one year warranty 64K kit for IBM PC List Price $89.95 _______ $49.95 320K DISK DRIVES Tandon TM-100-2 double-sided, double-density 320K disk drive. Original equipment drive on IBM PC Full size Tandon List Price $395.00 ________ $224.95 HALF-HEIGHT 320K DRIVES Double-sided, double-density 320K drives for IBM PC Two drives fit in the space of one standard drive Half-height 320K drive List Price $395.00 $199.95 Teac Half-height List Price $395.00 $239.95 HARD DISK For IBM PC Hard disk with controller, software, and P/S 5MB system List Price 1995.00 10MB system List Price 2495.00 _______ 15MB system List Price $2995.00 $1395.00 $1699.00 $2199.00 PLACE ORDERS TOLL FREE Continental U.S. 800-421-5500 Inside California 800-262-1710 For Technical Inquires or Customer Service call: 213-973-7707 We accept cash, checks, credit cards, or purchase orders from qualified firms and institutions. Minimum prepaid order $15.00 California residents add 6 1 / 2 %tax. Export customers outside the US or Canada please add 10% to all prices. Prices and availibility subject to change without notice. Shipping and handling charges via UPS Ground 50C/lb. UPS Air $1.00/lb. minimum charge $3.00 Prices quoted are for pre-paid orders only JADE Computer Products 4901 West Rosecrans Avenue, Hawthorne, California 90250 Circle 192 on inquiry card. EPSON Printer *349 95 OKIDATA Printer $349 95 EPSON EPSON PRINTERS SAVE At Least s 1 50.00! CALL US FOR THE BEST DEAL ON THE WORLDS BEST SELLING LINE OF PRINTERS! EPSON RX-80 100 CPS w/ tractor, graphics PRM-29082 A 499.00 Value, Save 200 00 _ $349.95 EPSON P. X -80 FT 100 CPS with FREE graphics PR M -29084 Friction & tractor feed _ SAVE $150.00 EPSON MX-flOFT 80 CPS with FREE graphics PRM-28082 Friction & tractor feed _ SAVE $150.00 EPSON MX-100 100 CPS 75" ptatten PRM-28100 Friction & tractor __ SAVE $150.00 EPSON FX-80 160 CPS with FREE graphics PR M -29080 Friction S tractor feed _ SAVE $150.00 EPSON FX-100 160 CPS 15" ptatten PRM-29100 Friction & tractor feed L SAVE $150.00 $59.95 Commodore Interface & Cable PRICES TOO LOW TO PUBLISH! OKIDATA— Microline 92 & 93 160 CPS, true corespondence quality printing, full graphics, IBM PC compatible (optional), handles single sheet as well as fan-fold paper, professinal design construction and quality OW 92 parallel SAVE AT LEAST $120.00 Okl 93 parallel SAVE AT LEAST $200.00 2K serial board List Price $150.00 $120.00 IBM PC ROMs for 92 List Price $59.95 $49.95 . $49.95 _ $9.95 . $54.95 IBM PC ROMs for 93 List Price $59.95 . Extra Ribbon (2) List Price $19.95 Tractor for Okl 92 List Price $89.95 MICROLINE 82, 83, & 84 120 CPS (82, 83) 200 CPS (84), industry standard printers, serial and parallel interfaces, true lower case descenders, handles single-sheet as well as fan forld Okl 82 List Price was $499.00 Now on SALE for $349.95 Okl 83 w/FREE tractor SAVE $120.00 Okl 84 parallel SAVE $350.00 Oki 84 serial SAVE $350.00 2K serial board List Price $120.00 . $99.95 Extrs Ribbons 82/92, 83/93 List Price $19.95 _ $9.95 Tractor for Oki 82 List Price $89.95 $54.95 Ribbons for 84 List Price $19.95 $9.95 IBM PC ROMs For 82 or 83 $39.95 IBM PC For 84 $89.95 Commodore Interface & Cable $59.95 CALL US FOR SUPER LOW PRICES ON ALL STAR PRINTERS GEMINI 10X& 15X 120 CPS, full graphics, friction & tractor, Epson FX-80 compatible Gemini 10X SAVE AT LEAST $150.00 Gemini 15X SAVE AT LEAST $150.00 Serial I/O Card List Price $69.95 $54.95 Serial I/O Card w/4K Buffer $99.95 Commodore Interface & Cable „ $59.95 DELTA 10 & 15 160 CPS, full graphics, 8K buffer, serial & parallel, Epson FX-80 compatible Delta 10 SAVE AT LEAST $150.00 Delta 15 SAVE AT LEAST $150.00 RADIX 10 & 15 200 CPS, full graphics, 16K buffer, serial & parallel, semi-auto sheet feeder RADIX 10 . RADIX 15 SAVE AT LEAST $200.00 SAVE AT LEAST $200.00 POWER TYPE 18 CPSdaisywheel printer, parallel and serial, four print sizes. Qume wheels and ribbons Power Type List Price $499.00 CALL for discount price COMREX CR-II Besl buy in fettei quality printers NEW from Comiex full featured lettei quality printer, FREE' 5K buffer. logic seeking bi-directional printing, boldface piopoitionai spacing, double-stnke, backspace undo hue true super-script and sub-script, diop-m daisy wheel cartridge CR-II parallel List Price 599.00 $495.00 S589.95 $99.95 5199.95 $179.95 CR-II serial List Price 644.00 Tractor option List Puce 120.00 . Cut sheet feeder List Puce 259 00 Keyboard option List Price 199 00 STARWRITER F10 High speed letter quality printer. 40 or 55 CPS daisy- wheel Extensive built-in word processing functions, up to 15 inch paper width. Uses standard Diablo style print wheels 40CPS.H0/parallel List Price 1895.00 $1125.00 55 CPS. HO/parallel List Puce 1995.00 . 51599.00 MANNESMAN-TALLY Spirit. 80 CPS 10 inch parallel List Puce 399 00 $329.00 160L, 160 CPS 10 inch List Price 79800 ... $588.00 180L, 160 CPS 15 inch List Puce 1098 .00 S828.00 MICROFAZER— Quadram The microfazer stand-alone punter buffers are available in any configuration of serial or parallel input, with serial or parallel output. All are expandable up to 64K of memory (about 30 pages of 8" x 1 1 text): the parallel-to-parallel version is expandable to 512K copy and pause feature included Parallel/Parallel 8K List Price 169.00 ... _._ $139.95 32K List Price 225 00 _. $164.95 128K List Price 445.00 $269.95 Serial/Parallel 8K List Price 199.00 ... - $169.95 32K List Price 260 00 -. $199.95 Parallel Serial 8K List Price 199.00 $169.95 32K List Price 260.00 — $199.95 MICROBUFFER Practical Peripherals, Inc Stand-atone Mlcrobutfers Parallel. 32K List Price 299 00 $229.95 Parallel. 64K List Price 349 00 $269.95 Serial, 32K List Price 299 00 $229.95 Serial, 64K List Price 349.00 $269.95 64 K add-on board List Price 179.00 $149.00 Microbuffers tor Apple It Parallel. 16K List Price 259 95 Parallel. 32K List Puce 299 95 Serial. 16K List Price 259 95 Serial, 32K List Price 299 95 . Microbuffers for Epson Printers Parallel, 16K List Pncc 159 95 Serial, 8K List Price 159 95 ... S 189 95 S229.95 S189.95 S229.95 S1 29.95 $129.95 5'/ 4 inch DISK DRIVES MPI B51 SS DO 48 TPI List $299.00 $189.95 ea 2 for $1*9.00 ea TANDON TM 100-1 SS DD 48 TPI List 349.00 $225 ea 2 for $195.00 ea SHUGART SA 400L SS DD 48 TPI List 299.00 $209.00 ea 2 for $199.95 ea TANDON TM 100-2 DS DD 48 TPI List 399.00 . $229.00 ea 2 for $225.00 ea 5%" CABINETS/POWER SUPPLY Single cab w/ power supply List Price 99.00 $69.95 Dual Cab w/ power supply List Price 129.00 $85.00 8 inch DISK DRIVES SIEMENS FDD 100-8 Single sided, double density List 399.00 ...... - $179.00 ea 2 for $175.00 ea SHUGART SA 801R Single sided, double density List 502.00 $355.00 ea 2 for $349.00 ea SHUGART SA-851R Double sided, double density List 605.00 $459.00 ea 2 for $455.00 ea QUME DT-8 Double sided, double density List 599 00 $479.00 ea 2 for $459.00 ea TANDON TM 848-1 SS DD thin-line List 499.00 $369.00 ea 2 (or $359.00 ea TANDON TM 848-2 DS DD thm-l.ne List 599 00 $439.00 ea 2 foi $435.00 ea NECFD1165 DS DD thin-line v $450.0 ea 2 foi $440.00 ea List 599.00 DISK SUB-SYSTEMS— Jade Handsome metal cabinet with proportionally balanced air flow system, rugged dual drive power supply, cable kit, power switch, line cord, fuse holder. cooling fan. nevermar rubber feet, all necessary hardware to mount two 8 inch disk drives, power supply, and fan Does not include signal cable Dual 8" Sub-Assembly Cabinet Bare cabinet List Price 75.00 $49.95 Cabinet kit List Price 299.00 $199.95 A4T List Price 349.00 $249.95 8" Sub-System— Single sided, Double Density Kit w/2 Siemens FD100-8Ds List Price 950.00 $579.00 A & T w/2 Siemens FD1 00-8 Ds List Price 995 00 $595.00 Kit w/2 Shugart SA-801 Rs List Price 1 195.00 $939.00 A & T w/2 Shugart SA-801 Rs List Price 1295 00 $969.00 8" Sub-Systems— Double Sided, Double Density Kit w/2 Qume DT-8s List Price 1495.00 $1229.00 A & T w/2 Qume DT-8s List Price 1595.00 $1249.00 Kit w/2 Shugart SA-851 Rs List Price 1495.00 $1199.00 A & T w/2 Shugart SA-851 Rs List 1595 00 $1219.00 DUAL SLIMLINE SUB-SYSTEMS Dual 8 Slimline Cabinet Bare cabinet L ist Price 75 00 $59.95 A & T w/o drives List Price 249 00 $164.95 Dual 8 Slimline Sub-Systems Kit w/2 SS DD drives List Puce 1195.00 5869.00 A & T w/2 SS DD drives List Price 1295 00 $879.00 Kit w/2 DS DD drives List Puce 1395.00 . $1060.00 A & T w/2 DS DD drives List Price 1495 00 $1099.00 DISK DRIVE POWER SUPPLY Sufficient current to power up to three 8 inch drives Power supply I is t Price 149 00 S89.95 Serial/Serial 8K List Puce 199.00 32K List Puce 260.00 $169.95 $199.95 PLACE ORDERS TOLL FREE! Continental USA Inside California Los Angeles Area (800) 421-5500 (800) 262-1710 (213) 973-7707 We accept cash, checks, credit cards, or purchase orders from qualified firms and institutions. Prices quoted are for prepaid orders only and are subject to change without notice. Minimum prepaid order $15.00 California residents add 6V 2 % tax. Export customers outside the U.S. or Canada piease add 10% to all prices. Shipping and handling charges via JPS Ground 50C/5b UPS Air $1.00/lb minimum charge $3.00 BUI % or your APPLE SUPER DISKETTE SPECIAL! We bought out a major manufacturer's overstock. and we ate passing the savings on to you* Single sided J double density, package of ten with FREE plastic case Box of 10 w/FREE plastic box List Price 34 95 $18.95 DISK DRIVE For APPLE Totally Apple compatible, 143.360 bytes per drive on DOS 3.3 full one year warranty, half-track capability, reads all Apple software, plugs right into Apple controller as second drive, DOS 3,3, 3.2.1 Pascal, & CP/M compatible Standard Disk II size List Price 299.00 _ S1 99.95 Controller only List Price 99.00 __L_ $60.00 HALF-HEIGHT DRIVE For APPLE Totally Apple compatible Works with all Apple software and controllers Faster and quieter than most other drives yet only half the size! Half-height drive List Price 249.00 . $199.95 DUAL 8-inch DISK DRIVE SYSTEM Up to 2 Megabytes for your Apple, two double density 8 inch slimline disk drives, cabinet, power supply. cable, controller, and software Compatible with DOS. CP/M Pascal and IBM 3740 formats 1 Megabyte Sub-system List Price 1995.00 $1195.00 2 Megabyte Sub-system List Price 2495.00 $1395.00 PRINTER CARD AND CABLE Foi Apple; standaid Centronics parallel interface for Epson. Okidata, C Itoh, Gemini. NEC. Comrex. etc. Includes printer cable and support graphics Printer card & cable List Price 119.95 $49.95 CP/M 3.0 CARD For APPLE— ALS The most powerful card available for your Applet 6 MHz Z-80B. additional 64K RAM. CP/M 3.0 plus, 100% CP/M 22 compatibly. C Basic. CP/M graphics. 300% faster than any other CP/M for Apple ALS CP/M 3.0 card List Price 399 00 $299.00 BUFFERED GRAPPLER PLUS Combines the flexibility of the Grappler+ with the convenience of the Bufferboard, all on a single board Expandable of 64K Buffered Grappler W/16K List Price $245.00 _ $175.00 FAN/POWER CENTER For APPLE Cooling fan for your overheated Apple II, II+. or He: also includes power switch and two switched outlets with voltage protection circutry Apple fan List Price 99.95 - $59.95 NEW! MICROMODEM He— Hayes The standard in direct-connect, plug-in-modem cards foi Apple 110-300 baud Includes FREE Smartcom I Micro modem He List Price 299.95 $239.95 KOALA PAD— Koala Tech. A touch sensitive pad that functions like a joystick or mouse, allowing you to move the cursor around the screen with the touch of a finger Complete with software 16K RAM CARD For APPLE II Expand youi Apple II to 64K use as language card. full one yeai warranty Why spend S175 00 ? 16K RAM Card List Puce 99.00 ... . $49.95 Z CARD For APPLE— ALS Two computers in one. 2-80 and 6502. more than doubles the power and potential of your Apple, includes Z-80 CPU card. CP'M 22 and complete manual set. Pascal compatible One year warranty 2 Card with CP/M 2.2 List Price 169.00 _ _ $1 39.95 GRAPPLER PLUS— Orange Micro The ultimate parallel printer graphics interface card with many new features, now at a new low price! Grappler Plus List Price 175.00 $119.95 80 COLUMN CARD Koala Pad List Puce 124 9b S99.95 80 column x 24 line video card for Apple II addressable 25th status line, normal inverse or high/low video 128 ASCII characters, upper and lower case, 7x9 dot matrix with true descenders. CP'M, Pascal and Fortran compatible. 40/80 column selection from keyboard 2 year warranty Best 80 column card! Viewmax 80 List Price 219.00 $139.95 Vrsicalc/Easy writer Preboot List Price 30.00 $24.95 64K STATIC RAM— Jade Uses new 2K x 8 static RAMs, fully supports IEEE 696 Bare board List Price 69 00 $49.95 Kit less RAM List Price 149 00 . $69.95 32K kit List Price 229.00 . S169.95 56K kit List Price 299.00 S225.95 64K kit List Price 399.00 .. ... S265.95 Assembled & Tested List Price 50.00 add $30.00 EXPANDORAM III High density memory board 64K 128K. oi 256K 64K List Puce 475.00 $390.95 128K List Price 595 00 $464.95 192K List Price 709. 00 . $524.95 256K List Price 825.00 $589.95 I/0-4 SSM MICROCOMPUTER Two serial I'O ports plus two parallel I'O ports t/O-4 A & T List Price 290.00 __ $245.95 ISO BUS— Jade Computer Silent, simple and on SALE' A better motherboard 6 Slot f5% ' x fi%'7 19 MHz 6 Slot Bare board List Price 40 00 _ ..I . $22.95 6 Slot Kit List Price 60 00 __. „ _. $39.95 6 Slot A & T List Price 75.00 .. . . . $49.95 12 Slot (W x 8%") 10 MHz 12 Slot Bare board List Puce 54 00 __ $34.95 12 Slot kit List Price 110 00 ., $69.95 12SMA&T List Puce 140 00 .. $89.95 18 Slot (14V 2 ' x 8%") 6MHz 18 Slot Bare board List Price 70.00 554.95 18 Slot Kit List Price 150.00 . ... $99.95 18 Slot A & T List Price 200.00 ... $139.95 SBC-200 SD Systems 4 MHz Z-80A CPU with serial and parallel I O A & T List Puce 350 00 _ . . . 5299.95 ISOBAR The ISOBAR looks like a standard muiti-oultet powei stnp. but contains surge suppression circuitry and built-in noise filters, plus 15amp circuit breaker 4 receptacle List Price 89 95 _. 559.95 8 receptacle List Price 99.95 _ $69.95 DOUBLE D— Jade Computer High reliability, double density disk controller Bare board 4 hdwr man List Price 75.00 $59.95 Kit w/hdwr & sftwr man List Price 399.00 _ $299.95 A & T w/hdwr & sftwr man List Price 449.00 $325.95 CP/M 2.2 with Double D List Price 200 00 $99.95 THE BUS PROBE Best selling inexpensive S-100 diagnostic analyzei Bare board List Price 89.00 . $59.95 Kit List Price 249.00 $179.95 AIT Um Price 29900 ___ ... $199.95 VERSAFLOPPY II— SD Systems Double density disk controller for 5' ." and 8" Versatloppy II with PROM List Puce 400 00 $344.95 Versaf loppy 1 1/696 A & T List Puce 400 00 $349.95 CP/M 3.0 with VF-II List Price 200 00 $80.00 THE BIG Z— Jade 2 oi 4 MHz switchable Z-80 CPU boairi with senai I O Bare board w /manual List Pi ice 50 00 $35 00 Kitw/manual List Puce 249 00 S1 79.95 A & T list Puce 299.00 $199.00 ULTRA-VIOLET EPROM ERASERS Inexpensive erasers for rndustiy oi home Spectronics w/o timer List Puce 99.00 . S69.95 Spectronics with timer Lis t Pi ,ce i 39 (K) $94.95 Logical Devices List Price 89.00 $49.95 (D Hayes SMARTMODEM— Hayes Sophisticated direct-connect auto-answer auto dial modem, touch tone or pulse dialing RS232C interface programmable Smartmodem 1200 List Price 699.00 1200B tor IBM PC List Price 599 00 Smartmodem 300 List Price 289 00 Hayes Cronograph List Price 249 00 Micromodem 100 List Price 399.00 Micro modem lie List Price 299 00 $475.00 $399.95 $199.00 $199.95 $299.95 $239.95 1200 BAUD SMART CAT Novation 1 03 212 Smart Cat and 103 Smart Cat. 1200 and 300 baud, built-in dialer, auto re-dial if busy, auto answer' disconnect, direct connect, LED readout displays mode anaiogdigital loopback self tests, usable with multi-line phones 300 Baud 103 Smart Cat List Price 249 00 _ $199.95 1200 Baud 212/103 Smart Cat List Price 595.00 $449.95 J-CAT MODEM— Novation 1 5 the size of ordinary modems. Bell 103 manual or. auto-answer, automatic answerorginate. direct connect, built-in self-test, two LEDs and audio beeps provide status information Novation J-Cat List Price 149.00 $114.95 Computer Products i Wff^\ MICROPROCESSOR COMPONENTS SN7400N 1 SN7401N 1 SN7402N 1 SN7403N 1 SN7404N 1 SN7405M i SN7406N 1 SN7407N ■ SN7408N ' SN7409N ■ SN7410N ' SN7411N SN7412N SN7413N SN7414N SN7416N SN7417N SN7420N SN7421N SN7422N SN7423N SN7425N SN7426N SN7427N SN7428N 5N7430N SN7432N SN7437N SN7438N SM7439N SN7440N SN7441N SN7442N SN7443N SN7444N SN7445N SN7446N SN7447N SN7446N SN7450N SN74S1N SN7453N SN7454N SN7459N SN7460N SN7470N 74LS00 74LS01 74LS02 74LS03 74LS04 74LS05 74LS08 74LS09 74LS1Q 74LS1 1 74LS12 74LS13 74LS14 74LS15 74LS20 74LS21 74LS22 741S26 74LS27 74LS28 74LS30 74LS32 74LS33 74LS37 74LS38 74LS40 74LS42 74LS47 74LS48 74LS49 74LS51 74LS54 74LS55 74LS73 74LS74 74LS75 74LS76 74LS78 74LS83 74LS85 74LS86 74LS90 74SO0 74S02 74SQ3 74S04 74S05 74S08 74S09 74S10 74S11 74S15 74S20 74S22 74S30 74S32 74S38 74S40 74S5t 74S64 74S65 74S74 74S85 74S86 74S112 74S113_ C04000 CD4001 CD40C2 CO40O6 CD4M7 CD4009 C04010 CD401 1 CD4Q12 CD4013 CD4014 C04O15 CD4016 CD4Q17 G04018 CD4019 CD4020 CD4021 CD4022 CD4023 CD4Q24 CD4025 C04026 C04027 CD4028 CD4Q29 CD4030 CD4034 CD4035 »w (Mori ii PirtNo, "Pins MM P»rt Mo, SN74156N 16 SM74157N 16 SN74160N 16 SN7J161N 16 SN74162N 16 SN74163N 16 SN74164N 14 SN74165N 16 SN74166N 16 SN74167N 16 2 SN74170N 16 1 SM74172N 24 < SN74173N 16 SN74174N 16 SN74175N 16 SN74176N 14 SN74177N 14 SN74179N 16 1 SN 741 SON 14 SN74181N 24 1 SN74182N 16 I SN74184N 16 S SN74185N 16 ! SN74190N 16 SM74191N 16 SN74192N 16 SN74193N 18 SN74194N 16 SN74195N 16 SN74196N 14 SN74197N 14 SN74198N 24 SN74199N 24 SN74221N 16 SN74251N 16 SN74276N 20 SN74279N 16 5N74283N 16 SN74284N 16 SN74285N 16 SN74365N 16 SN74366N 16 5N74367N 16 SN74368N 16 SN74390N 16 SN74393N 14 74LS92 74LS93 74LS95 74LS96 74LS107 74LS1G9 74LS112 74LS113 74LS114 74LS122 74LS123 74LS125 74LS126 74LS132 74LS133 74LS136 74LS138 74LS139 74LS1S1 74LS153 74LS154 74LS155 741S156 74LS157 74LS158 74LS160 74LS161 74LS162 74LS163 74LS164 74LS165 74LS168 74LS1S9 74LS170 74LS173 74LS174 74LS175 74LS181 wiyj.j. i' ia 74S114 74S133 74S134 74S13S 74S136 74S138 74S139 74S140 74S151 74S153 74S157 74S15B 74S160 74S174 74S175 74S188' 74S194 74S195 74S196 74S240 74S241 745242 CA3Q10H 135 CA3039H 1 35 CA3046N 14 1.35 14 C0404Q CD4041 C04042 CD4043 CD4044 CD4Q46 CD4047 C04048 CD4049 CD4050 CD4051 CD4052 CD4053 C04056 CD4059 CD4060 C04Q66 CD4068 CD4069 CD4070 CD4071 CD4072 CD4073 CD4075 C04076 C04078 CD4081 CD4082 CD4093 CD4098 16 CD4506 16 CD4507 14 C04508 24 CO4510 16 CD4511 16 CD4512 16 C04514 24 CD4515 24 C04516 16 CD4518 16 CD4519 16 CD4520 16 CD4526 16 CD4528 16 CD4529 16 CD4543 16 CD4S62 14 C04566 16 CD4583 16 CD4584 14 CD4723 16 C04724 16 MC 14409 16 MC14410 16 MCI 4 24 -MICROPROCESSOR CHIPS- "Rns Function COP 1802 MCS6502 MCS65C26 INS8035N-6 INS8039N INS8Q40N-6 INS8070N INS8073N 40 CPU 40 MPU w/Oock 40 MPUw/Clockat3MHz 40 CW-*«{WBnal Clock; ;mh; 40 CPU-B-bil (External Clod ■ I MHz 40 MPU-8-bil (6MHz) 40 CPU-Sgi.chip8-bTtil2aws.Ram> . . . 40 CPU (256 bytes PAM) 40 CPU (64 bytes RAM) 40 CPU w/Basic Micro Interpreter . P80B5A 40 CPU 8086 40 CPU 16-M 5MHz 8088 40 CPU8M6-bn 81 55 40 HMOS RAM I/O Port-Timer 8748 40 HMOS EPROM MPU Z80, Z80A, Z80B, Z8000 SERIES- Z80 40 CPU (MK3880M)(780C) 2MHz Z80-CTC 2B Counter Timer Circuit Z80-DART 40 Dual Asynchronous Rac. /Trans. ZBO-DMA 40 Direct Memory Access Circutl 280-P10 40 Parallel 1/0 interface Controller . .. Z8O-S10/0 *0 Serial 1/0 (TxCB and RxCB Bonded) ZeO-SIO/1 40 Serial 1/0 (Lacks DTRB). Z80-S10/2 40 Seriall/0(LacksSYNCB) . Z80-S10/9 40 Serial I/O Z80A 40 CPU (MK3880N-4)(78OC- 1)4MHz ZaOA-CTC 28 Counter rimer Circuit Z80A-DART 40 Dual Asynchronous Hec./ Trans. . Z80A-DMA 40 Direct Memory Access Circuit ZSOA-P10 40 Parallel I/O Interface Controller Z80A-S10/0 40 Serial 1/0 (TxCB and RxC8 fjonded) ZB0A-S10/1 40 Serial KOfLacKS DTRB] Z8OA-S10/2 40 Serial I/O (Lacks SVNCB) Z80A-S10/9 40 Serial I/O Z80B 40 CPU(MK38B0N-6)6MHz Z808-CTC 26 Counier Timer Circuit Z8QB- DART 40 Dual Asynch Reoeiver/ T ransmWer Z8OB-P10 40 Parallel I/O Interlace Controller Z8001 48 CPU Segmented Z8002 40 CPU Non- Segmented ... Z8030 40 Serial Comm Controller Z8036 40 Counter/Timer & Parallel! /0 Unit MC6502A MC6520 MC6800 MC6802CP MC6809E wc6ts; ; - MC6828 MC6830L8 MC6850 MC6852 MC6860 -6500/6800/66000 SERIES - 40 MPU with clock and RAM (2MH2) -Si) ;-'<••■; . i-..; ::c ■ :j; '■■ 40 MPU 40 MPU with clock and RAM 40 CPU 11MHz] External (Locking) 40 Peripneral inter. Adapt (MC6820) 24 Priority Interrupt Controller 24 1 024x8-bit ROM ( MC68A30-8 ) 24 Asynchronous Comm Adapter 24 Synchronous Seria! Data Adapter 24 0-600bps Oigital MODEM . 64 MPU 16-Brt (8MHz) 40 General Purpose Int. Adapter 40 Multi. Protocol Comm Controller "" Enhanced Prog. Comm I nt INS8247 INS8248 1NS8250N DP8251 DP8275 DPS279 0P8303 40 Synchronous Data Interface (SIRC) 40 CPU 40 128 Byte RAM 16-Bit I/O 40 RAM with I/O Port and Timer 20 Octal D Flip flop Tri-Slaie(74C374) 24 8-btlfnpuf/0utpul(74S412) . . 24 Priority Interrupt Control 16 Bi-Oirectionai Bus Driver . . . . 16 Clock Generator/Driver 16 Bus Driver . 28 System Con! /Bus Dmier (74S428) 28 System Controller (74S438) . 24 I/O Expander for 48 Series 18 16-Key Keyboard Encoder (74C922) 20 20- Key Keyboard Encoder (74C923) . 28 [I \,\-\<- '.rt-.it " hC'IH 28 Display Controller(74C952) . 40 Asyn Comm Element 28 Prog Comm. I/O (USART) 24 Prog interval Timer 40 Prog. Peripheral I/O (PPI) 40 Prog. DMA Control 28 Prog Interrupt Control 40 Prog CRT Controller 40 Prog Keyboard/Display interface 20 8-Bit Tri-State ei-Directional Trans. . 20 8-Wt Bi-Dtrectional Receiver . 20 8-bd Si-Directional Receiver 20 8-bit Bi-Directtona! Receiver . . . 20 Octal Latched Peripheral Driver 40 8- Kt Univ Peripheral Interface 40 16K EPROM with I/O — DISK CONTROLLERS Single Density } Single/Dual Density (Inv ) . J Single/Oouole Density (True) ] Dual Density/Side Select (Inv) Dual Density/Side Select True Floppy Disk Conlrofer (tMHz) - SPECIAL FUNCTION 16.95 29 95 .29.95 8 Dual MOS Clock Driver (5MZ) 8 Dual MOS Clock Driver (SMZ) 28 Communication Chip 18 Floppy Disk Read Amp System 24 Microprocessor Real Time Clock 16 Micro. Compatible Time Clock . . 40 Microcontroller w/64-digli RAM . . and Di red LED Dnve 40 Microprocessor w/ 64 -digit RAM & Direct LED Drive w/N Buss int. 20 32-seg VAC Fluor. Drvr (20-pin pkg ) 8 Prog. Osctllator.'Oivider (60Hl) 8 Prog. Oscillator/Divider (100Hz) . ••Pins DYNAMIC RAMS Price 4027 4116N-2 4116N-3 4116N-4 4 1 64 N -200 MM5261 MM5262 MM5270 MM5280 MM5290-2 MM«90-3 MM5298-3 2.49 1 89-B/14.95 1 69-8/12 95 1 49-8/10.95 6 95-8/49.95 5 95 - 8/44 95 49-8/1.95 IB 1024x1 (300ns) 16 4096x1 (250na> 16 16.384x1 (150ns) 16 '■.--■■ 16 16,384*1 I, ' L :IK?S: 16 65.536x1 I 'Mrs 1 - 16 65.536x1 (200ns) 18 1024x1 300ns) 22 2048x1 (365ns) 49.8/1.95 IB 4096x1 i?50nsiMKi096 ^95 n 4096x1 (200ns) 2107 3 95 16 16.334x1 (150ns) .. 189-8/14.95 16 if, .jS4x' COOnsi . 1.89-8/12 95 16 16 384x1 (250nsj 149-8/1095 16 8192x1 (200ns) 1 69 -STATIC RAMS 2111 16 256x1 22 256x4 16 1024x1 16 1024x1 IB 256x4 (650ns) (450ns) 8101 (350ns) . . , . (450ns) L P (450ns|B111 . (450ns) MOS (450ns) 2112 16 256x4 2114 18 1024x4 . 2114L 18 1024x4 (450ns) LP 2114-2 18 1024x4 (200ns) 2114L-2 18 1024x4 (200ns) LP. 2 2! 2147 18 4096x1 (7Dns) 2148 18 1024x4 (70ns I TMS4045 18 1024x4 (450ns) TMS40L47-45 20 1024x4 (450ns) 5101 22 256x4 (450ns)CMOS MM5257 18 4096x1 (450ns) 4044 HM6116P-3 24 2048x8 ( 150ns) CMOS HM6116-4 24 2048x8 !?00nS)CM0S. HM6116LP-4 24 2048x8 (200ns) L P CMOS HM6264P-15 28 8192x8 (150ns) CMOS 27LS00 74C930 74S189 74S200 74S206 IB 256x1 (80ns) LP 16 16x4 (50ns) 3101 22 256x4 (250ns) 18 256x4 (250ns) CMOS 16 1024x1 (250ns) CMOS (6501). IB 1024x1 (250ns)CM0S(6518) 16 16x4 (35ns) 93405 . 16 256x1 (80ns) 93410 16 256x1 (60ns) 93411 16 16x4 (35ns|3101 .. . 16 1024x1 (50ns) 0.0(93415) 16 16x4 (50ns)0,C.(74S269). - PROMS /EPROMS 5.49 39 95 9,95 1702A 24 256x8 (1us] 2708 24 1024x8 (450ns) '■. 2708-5 24 1024x8 1 550ns (SM00246 .i TMS2516 24 2048x8 (450ns|2716 ! TMS2532 24 4096x8 (450ns) NMC2532 I TMS2564 2B 8192x8 (450ns) 1' TMS2716 24 2048x8 (450ns) 3 voltage .... A 2716 24 2048x8 (450ns) 2716-1 24 2048x8 (350ns) '■ 2716Q-5 24 2048x8 (550ns) 2732 24 4096x8 (450ns) i 2732A-3 24 4096x8 (300ns) 2732A-4 24 4096x6 (450ns) 21V ... . ' 27320-4 24 4096xB (550ns) 2758Q-A 24 1024x8 (45Qns) 2764-4 28 8192x8 (450ns) 2764-3 28 8192x8 (300ns) 1 MM5204Q 24 512x8(1 us) MCM68764 24 8192x8 (450ns) 2 27128 28 16,384x8 (450nsl 128K EPROM 5 74S168 16 32x8 PROM C (6330-1) 745287 16 256x4 PROM T S (6301-1) 745288 16 32x8 PROM TS (6331-1) . 74S387 16 256x4 PROM C (6300-1) 745471 20 256x8 PROM T S (6309-1) 745472 20 512x8 PROM TS. (6349-1) 745473 20 512x3 PROM C. (6348) 745474 24 512x8 PROM T S. (DM87S296N) 745475 24 512x8 PROM O.C (6340) 18 1024x4 PROMT.S PROMT PROM C (6305) PROM T S. (6306) . . PROM C (6352) .... PROMT S (82S137) PROMOC (27S18) PROMT.S (27S15) .. PROM r S . (27S19) . . PROMO C (27S20) PROMT S (27S21) . . . PROM O.C (27S12) .. 2048x4 PROMT.S. (TBP24S81) 825190 24 2048x8 (80ns) 825191 24 2048x8 (80ns) DM87S180N 24 1024x8 PROM O.C. (82S180) . . DM87S181N 24 1024x6 PROM T S (82S181) DM87S184N 18 2048x4 PROM C (62S184) OM87S185N 18 2048x4 PROM T.S. (82S185) DM87S190N 24 2048x4 PROMOC 823190) DM87S191N 24 2048x8 PROM TS (82S191) DATA ACQUISITION 24 1024x8 16 512x4 16 512x4 18 1024x4 18 1024x4 16 32x8 24 512x8 16 32x8 16 256x4 16 256x4 16 512x4 4 (if .2 95 . . 4.49 DC 10 Mostek DC /DC Convert . _ MC3470P 18 Floppy Disk Read AMP System MC1408L7 16 7-bit D/A Converter (DAC0807LCN) MC1408L8 18 8-bil D/A Converter (DAC0808LCPJ) ADC0803LCN 20 8-bit A/ D Converter ( * 1 .■ 2LSB) ADC0804 20 8-bit A/ D Convener (1LSB) . DAC0806 16 8-bit D/A Convener (0 78% Lin.) AOC0809 2fl 8-bit A/D Converter (8-Ch Multi) ADC0817 40 8-bit A/D Converter (16-Ch Multi.) DAC10O0 24 10 bit D/A Conv Micro. Comp. (0.05%) 7.95 DAC1008 20 10-bil D/A Conv. Micro. Comp. (0.20%) 6.95 DAC1020 16 10-bit D/A Conv (0 05% Lin.) 7.95 DAC1022 16 10-bit D/A Conv (0.20% Lin ) . .. 5.85 DAC1222 It 12-bilD/A Conv .(0.20% Lin.) 6.95 LM334Z Constant Curreni Source . 1.19 LM335Z Temperalure Transducer 1.40 LM399H Temp Comp Prec Ref ( 5ppm/C) . .5.00 AY-5-1013A 40 30K Baud Uart(TR 1602) . , - .3.95 LOW PROFILE (TIN) SOCKETS 1-9 1099 100-up SOLDERTAIL (GOLD) STANDARD 1-9 10-99 100-up Ml Hrfrr! SOLDERTAIL STANDARD (TIN) 1-9 10-99 100-up 14 pin ST 16 pin ST 18 pin ST 20 pin ST 24 pin ST 2B pin ST 40 pin ST WIRE WRAP SOCKETS (GOLD) LEVEL #3 1-9 10-99 100-up 2B pin WW 36 pin WW 40 pin WW 1.99 1.89 1-W $10.00 Minimum Order — U.S. Funds Only California Residents Add BVi % Sales Tax Shipping — Add 5% plus $1.50 Insurance Send S.A.S.E. for Monthly Sales Flyer! Spec Sheets — 30c each Send $1.00 Postage for your FREE 1984 JAMECO CATALOG Prices Subject to Change lameco ELECTRONICS VISA Digitalker DT1050 — Applications: Teaching aids, appliances, clocks, automotive, telecommunica- tions, language translations, etc. The DT1050 is a standard DIGITALKER kit encoded with 137 separate and useful words, 2 tones, and 5 different silence durations. The words and tones have been assigned discrete addresses, making It possible to output single words or words concatenated into phrases or even sentences. The "voice" output of the DT105O is a highly In- telligible male voice. Female and children's voices can be synthesiz- ed. The vocabulary is chosen so that It is applicable to many pro- ducts and markets. The DT1O50 consists of a Speech Processor Chip, MM54104 (40-pln) and two (2) Speech ROMs MM52164SSR1 and MM52164SSR2(24p)rt) along with a Master Word list and a recommended schematic diagram on the application sheet. DT1050 Digitalker™ $34.95 ea. MM54104 Processor Chip $14.95 ea . DT1 057- Expands the DT1050 vocabulary from 137 to over Z60 words. Includes 2 ROMs and specs. Part No. DT1057 $24.95 Ba. OIMHU^OQ 7045IPI 28 CMOS Precision Timer 14.95 704SEV/Kif 28 Stopwatch Chip, XTL ...19.95 7106CPL 40 3 V; Digit A/0 (LCD Drive) 9.95 FE0203D 3 Vt Digit LCD Display Ipr 71 06 & 71 16 19 95 7106EV/KH' 40 IC. Circuit Board, Display 34.95 7107CPL *0 3V, Digit A/D (LED Drive) .... 11.95 7107EV/KK- 40 IC Circuit Board. Display 29 95 7116CPL 40 Vh Digit A/0 LCD Dis HLD 16.95 7201IUS Low Battery Volt Indicator 225 7205IPG 24 CMOS LED Stopwatch /Timer 12.95 ffllB&tfW 24 Stopwatch Chip, XTL 14 95 7206CJPE 16 Tone Generator 4 95 7206CEV/KrP 16 Tone Generator Chip. XTL 7 95 7207AIPD 14 Oscillator Controller 5 95 7207AEV/Kil* 14 Freq. Counier Chip, XTL 7 95 7215IPG 24 4 Func CMOS Stopwatch OCT . 13 95 7215EV/KH* 24 4 Func Stopwatch Chip. XTL 14 95 7216AIJI 2B 8 Digit Univ. Counter C. A.. .. 29.95 7216CIJI 28 8 Digit Freq Counier C. A 24 95 72160IPI 2B 8 Digit Freq Counier C.C 19 95 7217IJI 28 4 Digit LED Up/ Down Counter C. A . . .... 10.95 7217AIP1 28 4 Digit LEO Up/Down Counter CC 1195 7224IPt 40 LCD 4 ft Digit Up Counter Dfil 10 95 7226AIJL 40 8 Digil Univ. Counter 29.95 72Z6AEV/KK* 40 5 Fu nction Counter Chip. XTL N 95 13OQ09 1983 INTERSIL Data Book(i356p.) . . . .$8.95 I 74HC High Speed CMOS 14 59 74HC139 1b .99 74HC251 lb .89 59 74HC147 lb 1 19 74HC253 1b .99 14 75 74HC151 IS B9 74HC257 16 >i : - 14 59 74HC153 M .99 74HC259 1b 1 44 14 65 74HC154 24 249 74HC256 14 1.19 59 74HC157 M .89 74HC273 2U l m 14 .59 74HC158 16 69 74KC280 14 74HC11 14 .59 74HC160 M 1 29 74HC373 2u i jy 14 .85 74HC161 n 1 29 74HC374 21) i jy 74HC20 T4 59 74HC162 16 1.29 74HC390 1b • m 14 .59 74HC163 M 1.29 74IIC393 14 * 48 74HC32 14 75 74HC164 14 1.29 74HC533 to 2.39 M .99 74HC165 lb 2.79 74HC534 20 ■i Si 74HC51 14 75 74HC173 16 74HC595 16 ■i y-. 74HC58 14 .75 74HC174 1b .99 74HC688 20 3.19 74HC73 14 79 74HC175 1b 99 74HC40Q2 14 .59 14 79 74HC192 1b 1.39 74HC4017 lb / ts 74HC75 IS 89 74HC193 16 1 39 74HC4020 lb ■ £ 74HC7S ft! 79 74HC194 lb 1.09 74HC4024 14 1.59 74HC85 n 1 59 74HC195 1b 1.09 74HC4040 1b i m 14 69 74HC237 lb 2.95 74HC4060 1b i m 74HC107 14 79 74HC240 2U 1.95 74HC4075 14 .59 Ifi 79 74HC241 M 1 95 74HC4078 14 69 M 79 74HC242 14 1.95 74HC4511 16 t m 14 79 74HC243 14 1.95 74HC4514 24 i n /■ihcu; 1 14 99 74HC244 20 1,95 74HC4538 IS 2.39 7i'- J C H 3/ H 1.95 74HC245 2U 2.49 74HC4543 lb 3.49 74HC138 IB 1.09 74HCU04 is unbuffered All others are buffered ^Programmable Array Logic (PALS) PAL10H8 PAL12H6 PAL14H4 PAL10L8 PAL12L6 PAL14L4 PAL16L8 PAL16R8 PAL16R6 PAL16R4 Octal 10-lnpui AND-Ofl Gale Array (Higri Output) Hex 12-lnput AND-OR Gale Array (High Output) Quad 14-lnput AND-Oft Gate Array [High Output) Oclal 10-lnput AND-OR-lnvert Gate Array (Low Output) . Hex 12-lnput AND-OR-lnvert Gate Array (Low Output) Quad 14- input AUD-OH- invert Gate Array (Low Output) Octal 16-lnputANO-OR-lnvert Gate Array Octal 16-lnput Register ANO-OR Gale Array Hen 16-lnput Register AMD-OR Gate Array Quad 16-lnput Register AND-OR Gale Array I 30012 1982 NATIONAL PAL Data Book(i76p) . $5.95 74C00 74C02 74C04 74C08 74C10 74C14 74C20 74C30 74C32 74C42 74C4S 74C73 74C74 74C85 74C86 74C89 74C90 74C93 14 1355 SHOREWAY ROAD, BELMONT, CA 94002 3/84 PHONE ORDERS WELCOME — (475) 592-8097 Telex: 176043 TL071CP 8 TL072CP 8 KQ7KH 14 TL081CP 8 TL082CP 3 TL084CN 14 LM301CN 8 LM302H LM304H LM305H LM307CN B LM308CN 8 LM309K LM310CN 8 LM311CN 8 LM312H LM317T LM317K LM318CN 8 LM319N 14 LM320K-5 LM320K-12 LM320K-I5 LM320T-5 LM320T-12 LM320T-15 LM323K LM324N 14 LM337T LM338K LM339N 14 LM340K-5 LM340K-12 LM340K-1S 74C95 74C107 74C151 74C154 74C157 74C160 74C161 74C162 74C163 74C164 74C173 74C174 74C175 74C192 74C193 74C195 LM340T-5 LM340T-12 LM340T-15 LF347N 1 LM348N 1 LM350K LF355N LF356N LM370N 1 LM373N 1 LM377N 1 LM380N 1 LM381N 1 LM382N 1 LM384N 1 LM386N-3 TL494CN 1 TL496CP NE531V NE544N 1 NE550A 1 NE555V LM556N 1 NE564N 1 LM565N 1 LM566CN LM567V NE570N 1 LM7Q3CN LM709N 1 LM710N 1 LM711N 1 LM1488N 14 89 LM1489N 1* .89 LM1496N 14 195 LM1800N 16 2 49 LM1871N 18 2.95 LM1872N 18 3 25 LM1877N 9 14 2.49 LM1889K IB 2 25 LM1896N 14 2 95 LM2002T 195 LM3189N 16 1.59 LM3900N 14 .59 LM3905CN 8 1 19 1.M3909N B 99 LM3914N 18 2 95 LM3915N IB 2 95 LM391SN IB 2.95 RC4136N 14 1.25 RC4151NB I 1.95 RC4194TK 4.49 NE5532 B 2.49 NE5534 B 169 ICL8038B 14 3.95 LM13080N 8 1 19 LM13600N 16 1.19 MORE AVAILABLE 30003 1982 Nat. Linear Data Book (1952 pgs) .$11.95. 520 BYTE March 1984 Circle 194 on inquiry card. home computer accessories KEYBOARDS — POWER SUPPLIES VOICE SYNTHESIZER FOR APPLE AND COMMODORE JE520AP JE520CM • Over 250 word vocabulary -affixes allow the formation of more than 500 words • Built-in amplifier, speaker, volume control, and audio jack • Recreates a clear, natural male voice • Plug-in user ready with documentation and sample software • Case size: 7V4"L x 3V«"W x 1-3/8-H APPLICATIONS: • Security Warning • Telecommunication • Teaching • Handicap Aid • instrumentation • Games The JE520 VOICE SYNTHESIZER will plug right into your computer and allow you to enhance almost any application. Utilizing National Semiconductor's DIGITALKER''" 5 Speech Processor IC {with tour custom memory chips), the JES20 compresses natural speech into digital memory. Including the original Inflections and emphases Tht result Is in eitremXy clear, natural vocalization. CMtng ton VOCABULARY EXPANSION MODULE • Expands to over 1000 basic words • Allows selection ot up to 6 additional wen) sets Part No. Description Pries) JE520CM For Commodore 64 & VIC-20 $114.95 JE520AP For Apple II. II+, and lie $149.95 ,*% JE664 EPROM PROGRAMMER 8K to 64K EPROMS - 24 & 28 Pin Packages Complelel* Sell Contained - Requires No Additional Systems lor Operation ■ Programs and validates EPROMs ■ Checks tor properly erased EPROMs ■ Emulates PftOMs or EPROMs • RS232C Computer Interface tor editing and program loading • Loads data into RAM by keyboard • Changes data in RAM by keyboard ■ Loads RAM from an EPROM • Compares EPROMs for content differences • Copies EPROMs • Power Input: 1 1 5VAC, 60Hz. less than tOW power consumption ■ Enclosure Co lor -coordinated, light tan panels with molded end pieces in mocha brown • Size: tSV'L x SVD x 3VH • Weight: 5»lbe. The JE664 EPROM Programme! emulates and programs various 8-Bit Word EPROMs Irom 8K to 64K-Brt memory capacity Data can be entered into the JE6&4"s internal 8K x 8-Bit RAM in three ways: (1 ) Irom a ROM or EPROM : (2) Irom an external computer via the optional JE665 RS232C BUS. (3) imm lis panel keyboard. The JE664's RAMs may be accessed lor emulation purposes Irom the panel's test socket to an external microprocessor In programming and emulation, the JE664 allows tor examination, change and validation ot program content The JEW 5 RAMs can be programmed quickly ta all ■ t "s lor any value), allowing unused addresses in the EPROM to be programmed later without necessity of "UV" erasing The JE664 displays DATA and ADDRESS in convenient hexadecimal (alphanumeric) format. A "DISPLAY EPROM DATA" button charities the DATA readout from RAM word to EPROM word and is displayed in both hexadecimal and txnary code. The front panel feaitures a convenient operating guide The JE664 Programmer includes one JM16A Jumper Module (as fisted betow). JE664-A EPROM Programmer. . $995.00 Assembled & Tested (Includes JM16A Module) - The RS232C Interface Option implements JEG65 - HS232C INTERFACE OPTION computer access to the JE664's RAM This a Iranster EPROM data to and from ihe JES64 A sample program listing is supplied in M BASIC lor CP/M computers. Documentation is provided to adapt the software to other computers with an RS232 port 9600 Baud, 8-bit word, odd parity and 2 stop bits. FOR A LIMITED TIME A SAMPLE OF SOFTWARE WRITTEN IN 8ASIC FOR THE TRS-80" MODEL I, LEVEL II COMPUTER WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED JE664-ARS EPROM Prog WJE665 Option $1195.00 Assembled 4 Tested (Includes JM16A Module) EPROM JUMPER MODULES - The JE664's JUMPER MODULE (Personality Modulei is a plug-in Module that presets the JE664 for the proper programming pulses to the EPROM and configures the EPROM socket connections for thai particular EPROM aum JMVJRM It mm f TJP" gmmnmm •me JMWM 2708 75V AM), Motorola, Mat, InM, Tt . . . 114.96 JMI6A jrts.TwejwrD) 25V Intel, Motorola, Nat, NEC. Tl, AMD, Hitachi, MtBtefc. m as jttaa nszm !,-.■ -W.+5V.+12V tMnATt . ttW MM TMS25& »V Motorola. Tl HWcfti, OK. .. *M9S JM32S 2732 ?hV AMD. fuiitiu. NEK HiMch,. Intel. Mitsubishi. National . . . 11495 ■tax ■■■ni* "V =y« lr.* IHM 4-Digit Fluorescent Alarm Clock Kit • Bright 4 digit 0.5" high display • 10 minute snooze alarm • AM.'PM indicator • Automatic display dimmer m trar The JE750 Clock Kit is a versatile 12-hour digital clock with 24-hour alarm. The clock has a bright 0.5" high blue-green fluorescent display. The display will automat- ically dim with changing light conditions. The 24-hour alarm allows the user to disable the alarm and immediat- ely re-enable the alarm to activate 24 hours later. The kit includes all documentation, components, case and wall transformer. Size; 6VL x 3 1 A"W x 1 VD. JE750 Alarm Clock Kit $29.95 W x 1 VH I l 106-Key 8-Bit Serial ASCII Keyboard • Numeric and cursor keypad • 1 user defina- ble keys • 7 LED function displays * Security lock * N-key rollover • Uses Intel 8048/8748 ■ Color: white w/black panel ■ Documentation included • Weight: 8ft lbs. KB139 $59.95 Micro-Switch 1 06-Key Keyboard 8-Bit Serial ASCII • Numeric and cursor keypad • 8 user defina- ble keys • Japanese/English characters • 8 LED function displays • Documentation incl. * Fits DTE-22 enclosure ■ Wt: 3% lbs. KB106SD29-4 $29.95 SMK 1 03-Key Unencoded Keyboard Numeric and cursor keypad • SPST mechan- ical keyswitches ■ 40-pin header connection • Features: escape, control, cursor keypad, user function and special function keys • Fits DTE-22 enclosure ■ Weight: 3% lbs. KB9000..... $19.95 Power/Mate Corporation +5VDC @ 3 Amp REGULATED POWER SUPPLY ■ Input: 105-1 25/2 10-250V AC at 47-63 Hz 'Output: 5VDC @ 3.0 Amps/6VDC @ 2.5 Amps • Line regulation: 0.05% • Load reg.: 0.1% • Open frame mounts on any 1 of 3 surfaces • Size: 4VL x 4"W x 2VH • Weight: 2 lbs. EMA5/6B . . $29.95 Power/Mate Corporation +5VDC @ 6 Amp REGULATED POWER SUPPLY • Input: 1 05-1 25/21 0-250VAC at 47-63 Hz ■ Output: 5V ® 6A/6V @ 5A ■ Line reg.: 0.05% • Load reg.: 0.1% • Open frame mounts on any one of three surfaces • Size: 5VL x 4 VW x 2VH * Wt: 4 lbs. EMA5/6C $39.95 Switching Power Supply for APPLE II, 11+ & lie" ■ Can drive four floppy disk drives and up to eight expansion cards • Short circuit and overload protection • Fits inside Apple computer • Fully regulated +5V @ 5A, +12V @ 3A, -5V @ .5A, -12V @ .5A • Direct plug-in power cord included • Size: 9VL x 3VW x 2VH • Weight: 2 lbs. KHP4007. . . $79.95 POWER SUPPLY +5VDC @ 7.5 AMP, 12VDC @ 1.5 AMP SWITCHING Input: 115VAC. 50-60Hz g 3 amp/Z3u¥AC, SOHi & 1.6 »mp. Fan volt/power supply select iwrt- chas (1T5/Z30Vj= 7 6 amp. 12VDC,;; 1 6 amp. I ft. blk. paw. cord. 11Vj"Wk t3'A"0 t 3VH. Wt. 6 lbs. Part No. PS94V0S $39.95 each POWER SUPPLY 4-Channel Switching Microprocessor, mini-computer, terminal, medical equipment and process control applications. In- put: 9O-130VAC 47-440H*. Output: ♦5V0C@ SA, -5V0C m 1A: +12VDC @ 1A. -12V0G ,0 ICM-412W150 ICT-8409 ICE-2708 ICE-2716 ICE-2716TMS ICE-2732 ICE-2732350 ICE-2532 ICE-2764 ICE-27128 95 5.85 5.S5 Available Mar .84 00 35.00 29.00 7.95 7.65 4.50 8.50 8.00 10.50 9.90 6.95 6.95 18.95 STATIC MEMORY 21 L02 200ns. IK static 21L02 450ns. 1K static 2112 450ns. 2K static 2114 300ns. 1 ICM-21 L022OO ICM-21L02450 ICM-21 12450 4044TMS 450ns. 4K x 1 ICM-4044450 3.49 3.25 2.99 5257 300ns. 4K x 1 ICM-5257300 2.50 2.2S 1.99 6116P4 200nS.2Kx8 ICM-61 16200 4.85 4.6S 4.50 6116P3 150ns.2Kx8 ICM-61 16150 5.2S 4.05 4.85 5167/2167 100ns. 16K x 1(20 pin) ICM-61 671 00 9.95 9.50 CTORS DB25P S-100 Gold TTTTn-wrry GOLD S-100 EDGE CARD CONNECTORS catalog each 10-99 100+ Imsai s/l 250 CNE-IMS 2 95 2.50 2 19 SullinsHi/Rel CNE-M100 4 19 3 85 3 47 S-100 Wire W CNE-W10 3 95 3 50 3 19 Altaif M0"s;( CNE-IOOA 4.95 4.50 4 19 .156" CENTER EDGE CARD CONNECTORS 22/44 Eyelet CNE-44E 2.50 2 15 195 43/72 KfotO S/t CNE-72S 6.60 6.15 5.75 Hf.-zi'D-Gst CNE-72S c : 95 5 50 5 19 Other connectors available upon request RIBBON CONNECTORS DB25Pmale CND-r25P 5 65 5.25 4.15 DB:r '■ h-trnv,- C';Nn .:",S ','.'., 5.59 4.50 57-30360 male CNC-r36P 7 95 6 75 5.90 CNC-f3fl8 7 95 6.75 5.90 20 pm edge CNI-DE20 4.35 3.30 2 50 ZOpifl -uckP! CNI-DS20 2.75 1.85 1.60 26 pin edge CNI-DE26 4 95 3.50 2 70 — CNIDS26 3.50 2 40 2 15 CNI-DE34 4 95 4.50 3 50 CNI-DS34 4.50 3.95 3 15 CNI-DESO 5 95 5 60 4 90 CNI-DS50 4 95 4.60 3 80 26 pin sockel 34 pin edge 34 pin socket 50 pin edge 50 pin sockel D TYPE citalog each 10-99 100+ 0E9Pmale CND-9P 1.60 1 40 1 30 DH.lS ft-maic; CND-9S 225 200 • :«■> OEhood CND-9H 1.50 i "i--- i ?r, QAlSPmate CND-15P ? -v- : io i an 0A15S female CND-15S -,2b t 10 J'W DA 15 hood CND-15H 1.60 1 35 i :ui DB25Pmalt; CND-25P 1.95 1 75 135 0B25S female 2 ?b I ft) i m 0B2S hood CND25H 1.35 1 15 77 [C37PT1,J|(; CND-37P 4.20 ri95 ', hS DC37S female CND-37S =-95 5 75 SWI DC37hood CND-37H 2 25 1 96 ! hS DD50P male CND-S0P b SO 5 10 4 /'=, DD50 hood CND-50H 2.60 2.40 2 11) Hardware 2/ set CND-2HS .89 69 .42 AMPMENOL / CENTRONICS TYPE 57-30360 36/P CNC-36P 7.95 635 3 97 IEEE48B, C do rCND-24P 7 95 6.35 s:i'. DISK DRIVE POWER CONNECTORS 8 6 pin DC CNP-6DC * 95 1 29 as 8' 3ACSgl/S 8" 3ACD&/S CNP 3SS 1 69 1 09 f» CNP-3DS 1.69 1 09 .69 5U 4 pin DC CNP-4DC • ig m 3 pin DIN recpt. CNP-D3P 2.59 i as i sa Telex 753607 Shipping: First five pounds $3.00, each additional pound $.50. Foreign orders: 10% shipping, excess will be refunded. California residents add 6 1 2% sales tax. • COD's discouraged. Open accounts extended to state supported educational institu- tions and companies with a strong "Dun & Bradstreet" rating. Retail location: 17700 Figueroa Street, Carson CA. 90248. BLOWOUT SALE '169 California Digital has recently participated in-l the purchase of several thousand Siemens* , FDD 100-8 floppy disk drives. These units are electronically ana physically similiar to that of the Shugart 801 R. All units are new and shipped in factory sealed boxes, Manual and power connectors supplied free upon request. Your choice 1 15 Volt. 60 Hz. or 230 Volt. 50Hz. NOTE! European customers we have a large quantrty of 230 volt 50 Hz units warehoused in Frankfort Germany. Arrangements can be made to will call these drives in quantities of 50 w more in Franklort reducing import duty and freight charges. REMEX'SSf **t9 California Digital has just purchased a large quantity of Remex RFD-4000 Eight inch double sided disk drives. Remex is the only double sided disk drive that has an double gimbal mounted head assembly that guarantees lower head tracking. This drive is mechanically solid. Remex has always been known for producing premiere products for the floppy disk market The Remex company is a subsidiary of the Ex -cell-o Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company Eight Inch Single Sided Drives One Two Ten SHUGART 801 R 385 375 365 SIEMENS FDD 100-8 169 169 159 TANDON 848E-1 Half Height 369 359 349 Eight Inch Double Sided Drives SHUGART SA851R QUME842'QUMETRACK8" TANDON 848E-2 Half Height REMEX RFD-4000 MITSUBISHI M2894-63 MITSUBISHI M2896-63 Half Ht. 495 485 475 459 459 449 459 447 435 219 219 209 447 439 433 459 449 409 119 139 175 Five Inch Single Sided Drives TEAC FD-55A half height 179 169 165 SHUGART SA400L 235 229 225 SHUGART SA410 96TPI/80Trk. 129 129 SHUGART SA200% Height 159 149 TANDON TM100-1 189 179 Five Inch Double Sided Drives TEAC FD55B half height 219 209 199 CONTROL DATA 9409 IBM/PC 259 249 239 REMEX RFD480 IBM/PC 199 189 175 SHUGART SA450 319 309 299 SHUGART SA455 Half Height 259 249 239 SHUGART SA465 Half Ht. 96TPI 289 279 269 TANDON TM50-2 Half Height 215 209 199 TANDON TM55-4 half Ht. 96TPI 329 319 309 TANDON 100-2 279 269 259 TANDON 101-4 96TPI 80 Track 369 355 350 MITSUBISHI 4851 Half Height 259 249 245 MITSUBISHI 4853 % Ht. 96TPI 339 329 319 MITSUBISHI 4854 VzHL, 8" elec. 465 449 439 QUME 142 Half Height 239 229 219 Three Inch Disk Drives SHUGART SA300 with diskette 229 219 209 Five Inch Winchester Hard Disk Drives SHUGART 612 13M/Bytes 895 865 825 SHUGART706 6 M/Byte. Half Ht 795 775 755 SHUGART 712 13 M/Byte, VzHt. 895 865 825 TANDON 503 19 M/Byte 895 875 855 Upon request, all drives are supplied with power connectors and manual enclosures ft the volume is justified we will custom design an enclosure for your application. The following stock disk drive enclosures are available All include power supplies the 8"' enclosures are supplied with exhaust fans Horizontal mount two 8" full height drives. $279.00 Vertical mount two full height 8' disk drives 5299 00 Horizontal mount one full height or two half height 8" disk drives. $239,00 Vertical mount two full height $fkQ disk drives $139 00 TOLL FREE ORDER LINE (800) 421-5041 TECHNICAL & CALIFORNIA (213) 643-9001 CaUFornia DiqiTAi Post Office Box 3097 B • Torrance, California 90503 V5 WESTERN UNION EasyLink California Digital has recently contracted with the West- ern Union Telegraph Company for the privledge of offer- ing subscriptions to Western Union's new EasyLink data communications network. Subscribers are able to transmit and receive domestic and international communications from a network of over 1 .5 millon Worldwide Telex subscribers. EasyLink also allows access to other Western Union services that till recently have been available only to dedicated Telex installations. Send telegrams, Mailagrams and computer letters as easy as telephoning Western Union's toll free access line. Your personal computer and modem become your link to the World, One time $35.00 Installation fee includes EasyLink self teaching user manual, Telex directory and your EasyLink access password. PRINTERS H _ r *Z89 \^^^^^ Stat Gemini MATRIX PRINTERS S'iir nf;niini ui>. I . JO char/sec. StarGemim-15X. tOOchar/sec 15 paper Slar Gemini Delta 10 1 60 Char/sec Slar Coex 8QFT Iriclion & Iractor .. , .;,. (■•-.■;■ ■■■:■ !■., ■.. ■ ■:!' ■ ; ..an, :"ik. J j,ir,' 1 t f t 'A ., t !!„4lS [^-alaiiy/ paper Okidala92Ap,3':5:| [ ' l '" l ;i:"!,i(i; \>.<0^-.r Okidata 83A & parallel 1 5" paper 0kk*ata84AS ■■•■ - Oiil-iU'.:-' i:>0:nt;wi 35(! nhar/ sec Epson FX80. 10 160 char ./ sec with graphtra* r. .:■/.■■!> ..■ ; hi. ' '.'.i: ■ ■ NEC8023A parallel 9' i" paper . graphics IAh : .:■«--! *■■■><■ graphics A|.,i:'h. ■)- ■: ;■■ .'.:■ ■ ».r ■-.(■". [j-iHS ■■:<- il . jij; ( r ■ ■ i'. ■■ . ' ].'?H.('!iii;i:!'v If^'i.h,.' '«■■< Gorilla low cost dot matrix printer Prownteref)l0pa'ai.el9'. paper Pruwriti;' ii (■■ i Ml' ■ ■ I ' ■ '-'ipriics ::.i!,!i.-^l,i. Isi'! '--::> : ■■ i -in..! ;.-ir fr-i WV .IT.' Primromx P300 high speed printer 300 lines pe r mmui P- 11:00m* PROC] ultra high speed 600 lines per minute. Tunstiir l30Pparl IBM 'PC compatible STR-G10X STR-G15X STR-DlO VST-C80FT TOS-1350 OKI-82A OK I -92 A OKI-83A OKI-84A OKI -2350 EPS-FX80 EPS-MX100 NEC-8023A AOX-9501A ADX-9620A OTX-7030 PRO- 7500 PRO-8510P PRO-SP DPSB600 PTX-P300 PTX-P600 TNS-130P WORD PROCESSING PRINTERS NEC7710 SB char /second, serial interface NEC-7710 ■ .■ sec, par I interlace NEC- 7730 NEC3550 popular printer designed lor Ihe IBM/PC NB 35SS ■ hi linn -hi .t pari NEC-2050 Silver Reed EXP500. I4chafsec pari interlace SRD-EXP500 Silver Reed EXP550 17 Char'sec par I interlace SfiD EXP550 . ■;,,; io (j m 40 char-sec serial DBL-630 Vi\,v.;k, liL'O proportional Spacing, horz & vert tab. :'0 cps D8L-620 Juki 6100. 18r:har .'sec graphic mode JUK-6100 BfQflwHRlAda ,-. wheel, parallel interlace BTH-HRtP Brother HR1 A serial interface BTH-HRlS Starwriter F10 serial, 40 char/sec PRO-FlOS Starwnter F10 parallel. 40 char /sec PRO-F10P Comrtx CR 1 wnrci :ir. n esstng printer, serial intr CRX-CR1 S Comrex CR2. 5k butler, proportional spacing, par I CRX-CR2P 49') 00 229 00 ■■;:'■- oo 379 00 479 00 519 00 1019 00 6985 00 4250 00 ; - Jt :„;, t 799.00 995 00 ■:vj no >.v,i; i i -i- ■ -, 879 00 53900 >.■'/■ -n 779.00 1125.00 ■ - .-:; . ■■' ;::-; - '■ :■ ■ MONITORS BMC 1 2A green phosphor 1 5 MHz . compos it video. 8MC-12A 79. t B ; 'C 1 2 high resolution . 20MHz 8MC ■ 1 ZEN 1 34 £ Z: .ith ZVM 1 22 Amber Phosphor 1 2 40/80 column switch ZTH-122 119 £ /■■■Mh ZVM 1 23 green pnosphor 12 40,80 colun n switch ZTH-Z123 105.( NFC JB 1201 green phosphor 18 MHz composil -idea NEC-JB1201 169C ■ iiiC JB 1260 commercial grade composit NEC-JB1260 129 ( US1-12A 169( Motorola 23 oi. ■ -r fi !■-■.■! ;jl» wfWW composit video. MOT-BW23 1 59 t Motorola 1 2' Open Irame r.^u.re:; Nov svnc ana power. MOT-BW12 69. ( Conrac 9 Ope.' ii m r.>-qii.r<«; her/ :■ v« S i Sv nupplv CON-BW9 59. { COLOR BMC AU91 91 U Color composit video w.th sound BMC-9191 249.( BMC 9191 M RGB designed lor use with i he IBM ..ompulor BMC-9191M 499. ( NEC JC1203DM, RGB color monitor NEC 1303 699< NEC JC 1201 color composit NEC-JC1201 339 ( Zenilh ZVM13-: RGB DOtCH SWUfctefO* IBM PC ZTH-Z134 379 ( Comrex color c ornposn with sound COM-6500 329 { MODEMS DIRECT CONNECT $75 Hayes Smart Modem 1200 baud, autoanswer, autodial HYS-212AD 499.00 H,ayPL, 'rOOB lor use with IhelBM'Pr I 200 baud HYS-1200B 449 00 Hayes Smartmodem. 300 baud only, auto answer, auto dial HYS-103AD 229.00 I'm Micromodem II. 103 Apple direct connect HYS-MM2 279.00 Hayes Micromodem 100. S- 100 auto answer, autg dial HYS-100 319.00 Hayes Chronograph, time & date HYS-CHR232 1 99 00 US Robolics^'-A I200I • -.1 ,suto dial/answer USR-212A 439.00 US Robotics Password300/1200baud USR-PW212 389.00 Pennl300 1 200 auto dial.autolog PEN-1ZA0 695 00 Universal Data 1031 P .titmpowm answer & originate UDS-103LP 169.00 | ,. ■ i !m: tv HP Aul:..,iii ,*.'! UDS-103LPJ 219.00 Universal Data 202. 1200 baud, hall duplex only UDS-202LP 219.00 Universal Data 218LP lull 1200 baud duplex, line power UDS-212LP 359.00 Novation j Cai nfttMit connict. rmtrj annum nov-jcat 115.00 L Novalion Cat acoustic conneel NOV-CAT 1 59.00 t Novalion SmartCat 103, autoanswer, autodial NOV-SC103 219.00 Novation SmartCat 103/212, 1200 baud auto dial NOV-SC212 529.00 ' Signalman Mark 1 . direct conneel with terminal cable SGL-MK1 75 00 Your Choice Second Drive or Monitor^ SANYO IBM COMPATIBLE *995 Sanyo Electronics has just released the long awaited IBM/PC fook-a-ltke, the MBC-550. This is a complete microcomputer that includes 128K/byte of memory, a 5W" 160K/byte disk drive upgradeable to320K/byte drives. Also includes both color composite and RGB graphics interface, low profile key- board, and parallel printer port. Extensive software such as Sanyo Basic, disk utilities, Wordstar word processing software, Calcstar spread sheet & Easy Writer I. MS-DOS is supplied with the Sanyo computer. Most programs written for the IBM/PC wiil operate on the MBC-550. Along with all this California Digital offers "FREE" your choice of either a second disk drive, or a high resolution green or amber screen monitor. All at the super low price of only $995. We are currently experiencing an initial shortage of this computer. Please place your orders early. The MBC-550 will be shipped on a first ordered basis. Perkin Elmer 550! California Digital has recently purchased an OEM liquidation, of new Perkin-Elmer Bantam 550S terminals. These units fea- ture direct cursor addressing, numeric cluster, conversational or block mode transmission and RS-232 printer port. Self diagnostics and function keys make this terminal an excellent value at only $339.00. PRK-550S ■o page. func. neys Ampex Dialogue ;25o,iwi A'lipex Ui.i ouge '75 amber : Wyse 50, 14" green phospha .':', ■■ i I nV r,ii ,[ i, i, „. hi screen "eievideo 3 1 Plus, block mode . i< ■■.■■:. j". .' :: ! tetatehable keyboard. 22 function keys ",V.e video 950. graphic char split screen. 22 tunc. I > • i i i t 1 1 in PRK550S LIB-F1O0 QUM-102 VSL-50G APX-D125G APX-D125A WYS-50 WYS-100 WYS-300 TVI-910P TVI-925 TVI-950 TVI-970 Zenith 29 terminal VTV > -, r,| ' t ., '-• ■. i- ible keyboard ZTH-229 675.00 719.00 ■ : -'J<. :■ OC ,'95 OC: ■•'•■■:' 5 ■■::. (V 759.00 P:,;: On 1095.00 :'ih= :.o Apple ll/e, 64K computer only Apple ll/e staner kit. monitor, disk, 80 col. card. Advanced Busness Tech 13 Key Pad Calif. Computer 7710AAsync. Serial Interface Calif. Computer 771 OB same but for modem Calif. Computer 71 14A 12K PROM module Calif Computer 7720A parallel interface Caltf. Computer 7724A Calandar /clock modual Calif. Computer 7729A Centronics interlace Calif. Computer 7740A programmable timer California Digital 16K card for standard Apple II Hayes Micromodem II for Apple II Kensington Micro, System saver fan Microsoft Softcard with CP/M; 2-80 Mountain Computer The Clock" Mountain Computer AD/DA 1 6 input, 8bit Mountain Computer ROM Plus with keybd filter Mountain Computer ROM writer/socket socket Orange Micro "GRAPPLER" parallel interface Sorrento Valley 8" controller double side D/D. TEAC 5 V' disk drive for Apple II Vista Vision 80; 80 column card for std. Apple II Vista 8" disk controller double side D/D. ASCII KEYBOARD APL-2E S989 APL-2ESK 1365 ABT-13B 109 CCS-7710 125 CCS-7710B 1?5 CCS-7114 99 CCS-7720 99 CCS-7724 99 CCS- 7729 99 CCS-7740 99 CAL-A16 39 HYSMM2 279 KEN-SF1 75 MSF-SFTCD 239 MTN-TCLK 225 MTN-ADDA 269 MTN-RMF 169 MTN-ROMW 139 OMS-G2 135 SVA223 395 TEA-A2 269 VSA-VIS80 289 VSA-A800 389 49 California Digital has purchased over 3000 of these Wicroswilch keyboards from the General Dynamics Corporation 93 ASCII encoded Hall etfeel switches includes 8 function keys and 14 key numeric, cluster make this keyboard an 1 i at only $49 MIC-93GD 5 lbs available a matching General Dynamics steel mm panel S10. Hytek 50 key metal contact keyboard HIK-58 524 95. Matching 1 5 key !rS9 95. HIK-15 Both for only S29 95 HIK-5815 256 KILOBYTE MEMORY BOARD *49S I 256 kilobytes of memory using 64 K dynamic RAM I Over one megabyte ol memory using the new 256K dynamic RAM chips. I Error detection trap capability t Individual 16K block can be relocated (o any boundry within a megabyte of RAM. I 24 bil addressing and phantom mode capability. T'ie California Digital 256K R .;;. .:.- )■: flSll'' ing value in S- 1 0O memory technology idc'itiOnaltt-atuio:; : :,L M: ; K oi memory v.. ,..,._ . Ort. ERROR LED. or IEEE-696 -ERROR signal 24 : feature can be jumperei addressing with memory manager™ Proper Op*. rr *•* < - < r . '> 'i - DMA disk controllers, i assured With an on the board M 1 generator lor memory refresh liming. CAS and F i , I f. r i . M i . i, i 'in range The board is vcr, rerert m ;ie:-,iqi: .rvnu me National Semiconductor DP-S409 RAM Controller chip Split term-iaion , i i i liMasHracesOfrirtqinu T \ i .... ' ' . 1 1 "i [• - r V f ' i in _ne for the interface logic increasing the noise immunity of the ram ," i, t,[ , j | a.. . i| j i is a watts Documentation includes theory of oeeraMen ...tin'njuraiion guide, a schematic, and application noies on the use of the memo'-, n.,j ' i- j<, 'i . i- CAL-356K Z Lbs. $• 100 BOARDS 16 BIT MICROPROCESSORS Octagon dual CPU 8088'Z80. S controller. OCT-B8Z80 795 00 SINGLE BOARD COMPUTERS Insight EQ-4. 128K. 4 senal -no! S-100' INS-EQ4 595.00 Advanced Digital. Floppy S 64K Wi, n n i •' m >6 floppy 6JK TEL SMI 895 00 Teletek FDC-1 single board, no memory TEL-F0C1 675 00 8 BIT MICROPROCESSORS GodbootZSO 24 bit extended add GBT-Z80 250 00 i n' m 1 1 i . t t fl.ij i ' 810 275.00 Tarbell 280 with two RS232 ports TAR-Z80 339.00 FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLERS Godtout Disk t . double density GBT-DSK1 395.00 C<:lraiPiaCcr'!MLtr r ?-:?;AAiniL;!- , M CLS ?4?2 339 00 Morrow Disk jockey I: wih CPM ? 2 MDS-DJ2 350.00 MarroA Diiik.iOi-k^v I ,<,r.n LPM -,:] 0;]:i MfJS DJ1 225 00 Tarbell Electronics double density TAR-D0C 419.00 !_*> i t ■ ' " i . 'ij.M density TAR-SDC 2?9.00 Fulcrum DMA OmniOisX, I/O to hard disK FCM-001 389 00 CPM OPERATING SYSTEM Digital Research CP/M 3 0. 8' sgl. den DflC-CpM30 249 00 GodboutCPM2 2forD-sk! ' GBT-CpM '.' ,-n t f, ' , ,mJ8086 GBTCpr/-" Tarbell Electronics CPM 2.2 TAR-CpM22 159.00 HARD DISK CONTROLLERS Octagon hard disk controller with E/C. 0CT-HD1 475.00 |',:i:Ji;li;tH,sk2 8" 4 14'" hatdfJisk GBT-DSK2 569.00 , !t t [ i i- ' i •■ , Wi i nesti-r i,-*' 0SK3 Nov M.mOw.Des.j'i-, i.oiilrolirr tor jU' Win MQS-W506 49500 W«tf-r'.-i nigitsi new WD- 1001 (not S-100) WDl-1001 495.00 EPROM BOARDS Inner Access EPRfiM Be pi-.icr.ii'i:. 27128 lAC-PtOO 465.00 Digital Research PROM board. 32K DGH-P32 119 00 STATIC MEMORY BOARDS GorJboutRam 16. u-lK it", fci: data trans GBT-Rt6 459.00 GodboiiiRam 17. 54K 8 bit 24 bitaddress GBT-R17 359 00 Gcdbout Ram 2 1 . 1 28K by le ■■ ' ; . 1 1 - S ! R21 859.00 Fulcrum OmnsRa- " ; - 16 tl ■-:.■■■:■■•■ : : i K:U-R61S 395 00 t -,i DYNAMIC MEMORY BOARDS C-m Vina :;iq.r,i .:ttK ^i-mJ i. i Xir, CAl D256 495.00 California Comp Sijfc.i'. . i; K ;ja:> selec! CCS-2066 295.00 INTERFACE BOARDS Godboul Interlacer I, 2 serial ports GBT-133A i ' ' i ii i lii t 15 GST 150A .• >■„ „' 's GBT-135A Godbout Interface l : : wci B in-.a, :)nls GBT-138A i , -I, i, i hi , i , ki GBT-187A ,l : in i ;ia i j ( ' ' f r - ~1' f. -I ■ 1 1- nv'.'i ' ""' ■■ ""' a 1 -pa" ' I '- - ■ ''• .' i -.-|.. M i , i,,.-h', -r:" < i. ■,!., . ccs-2720 California ComoL.-i' ■*•■'■■ >■:.» ' .'."lu 1 CCS-2830 M rruA D. ',r M,;t baa'3 ! S 2P MDS-MTL1 239 00 ?:i!l 'J. 495 00 Mill , ■ I. 219 00 i '"' -.!, Ill SPECIAL FUNCTION BOARDS i M i 1 1 y-ii 300 baud. HYS-M100 . 325.00 0T Computer clock calendar, battery QTC-CC100 139.00 , l-n a (. -biard 4KEPR0MGBT-SVS1 350.00 Godbout System support board. 951 1 math GBT-S951 1 539 00 Dial Sysiems 4 channel 1 2 bit D.'A conv DSC-A0M1 2 619 00 ■i„-> iysten 12 bit resolution, 32 ch. A/0 DSC-AIM12 629,00 Mul M Cpto-lsolator controls 8ch MUL-ICB1D 179 00 Mullins extender board with logic & probe MUL-T84 79 00 I/O Technology wire wrap prototype IOT-W100 49.00 Artec Electronics wire wrap prototype ART-WW100 25 00 ■Met Elect leceral purpoie r de ART-GP100 25 00 MAINFRAMES & MOTHER BOARDS EOP-100 695 00 i -rl p'.t Dal.i sia ss. 22 slot Godbout Enclosure? 20 slots -r in .l^ COMPUPROS S-100 COMPUPRO 816A 4,250.00 COMPUPRO 816B 5,595.00 COMPUPRO 816C 7,150.00 Call for specifications APPLE/ FRANKLIN APPLE HE Starter— Includes CPU 1 F.D. Monitor and 80 Col Card 1 ,325.00 FRANKLIN ACE 1000 w/ color 799.00 FRANKLIN ACE 1200 OMS includes CPU-2 F.D. and bundled software 1 ,699.00 IBM PC-1— Includes 64K RAM, 1 ea. 320K Disk Drive 1,995.00 IBM PC-2— Includes 64 RAM, 2 ea. 320K Disk Drive 2,250.00 IBM PC-3— Includes 256K RAM, 2 ea. 320K Disk Drive, Mono Adapter, Mono Display 2,999.00 IBM PC-4— Includes 256K RAM, 2 ea. 320K Disk Drive, Color Card, Princeton HX1 2 Display 3,395.00 NEC PORTABLE PC8201A-Portable 2.4 MHZ CPU 16K Ram/ Expands to 64K-32K RAM LCD Display-Keybd (67 key-5 function) Modem, Serial and Par Port-FD and Cassette Interface— Uses 4AA Batt— bundled software 660.00 8201-06 Ram Chip - (8k) modi 105.00 8206-A 32k Ram Cartridge - modi 329.00 8221 -A Thermal Printer - prnt 149.00 8271-02 AC Adapt/ Print & Rec. - aces . 15.00 8271 -A AC Adaptor - aces 17.00 8281 -A Cassette Recorder - aces 105.00 9201 A-90 Nicad Battery Pak - aces .... 16.00 Modem Communication Cable - aces . . 25.00 Thermal paper for 8221 -A - aces (5 rolls per pack) 13.00 KAYPRO KAYPRO II w/ bundled software 1,475.00 KAYPRO 4 w/ bundled software 1,695.00 KAYPRO 10 w/ bundled software 2,495.00 Call for specifications KAYPRO ll-IV ADD ONS Sprinter K (5MHZ Speed-up) . . . K-Clock (Batt Backup Clk/Cal) . Video Output BD-(allows use of video monitor) . ... 99.00 . ... 99.50 125.00 1-801-972-2717 TOLL FREE 1-800-545-2633 COLUMBIA COLUMBIA (1600-1) T6 bit 12BK Ram 2 ea ~"0K Dink Onve-2 SER. 1 PAR, Key 8d 8 stoJs, are 2,775.00 >.-^6 BiT 128K RAM 2 each 320K, drives, R & PAR Port. 9" monitor 2,690.00 SANYO PORTABLE MBC-550 (PC Compatible) 1 F.D. w /software 849.00 MBC-555 2 F.D. w/ software 1,249.00 1780 West 2300 South The Great Salt Lake Computer Co. Salt Lake City, Utah 84119 Circle 168 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 529 QT 8" THINLINE MAINFRAME •Provisions for 2 ea 8" thinline drives* 6 ea DB 25 cutout»2 ea 50 pin«2 ea 34 pin«1 ea Centronic •EMI filter (fused)»2 AC out!ets»Power supply (+8V1 6A/ -5V/+24V6A+5V6A) QTC-IMF +DD6F (6 slot MB) 350.00 S VSSCOUNf Minimum Shipping ^3*00*** TOlL FREE 1-800-545-263i in the Continental U.S.A S-100 PRODUCTS IP QT SVa" MAINFRAME •Provisions for any 2-5W* drtves«15 ea DB 25 cutout»2 ea 50 pin«2 ea 34 pin«1 ea Centronic •EMI filter (fused)«2 AC outlets»Avbl. with 6-8 or 12 slot motherbcUPower supply (+8V16A/+12V5A) 7013/QTC-MF + MD12 (12 slot MB) 560,00 QT8" MAINFRAME •Provision for any 2-8" drives (hard or floppy) •15 ea DB 25 cutouU2 ea 50 pin«2 ea 34 pin«1 ea Centronic«EMI filter (fused)«2 AC out1ets»Avbl with 6-8 or 12 slot motherbd»Power supply (+8V16A/-16V3A/+5V6A/-5V1A/+24V6A) Desk Top Version QTC-MF + DD6 (6 Slot MB) 575.00 QTC-MF + DD8 (8 Slot MB) 625.00 QTC-MF + DD12 (1 2 Slot MB) 675.00 QT STANDARD MAINFRAME •Provisions for any 2-5V4" drives«1 5 ea DB 25 cutout •2 ea 50 pin»2 ea 34 pin*1 ea Centronic«EMI filter (fused)«2 AC outlets«Avbl with 6-8-12-18 or 22 slot MB»Power supply (+8V16A-16V3A) Desk Top Version 7014/QTC-MF +12 499.00 7016/QTC-MF +18 525.00 7015/QTC-MF + 22 . ... 550.00 mw QT DISK DRIVE CABINETS "All in one" Vertical Disk Drive Cabinet For 1) 2 ea or 4 ea 8" thinline drive or 2 ea. std. 8" 2) 1 ea hard disk + 1 ea standard 8" • Power supply (+5V6A/-5V1A/+24V6A) • Positive pressure fan w/filter«EMI filter • Power interface cable for any 8" drive QTC-DDC88V For 2 standard size 8" drives 269.00 QTC-DDC88T For 2 thinline 8" drives 269.00 QTG-DD87 For 1 ea 8" drive 249.00 For 2 ea 8" standard size drives (horizontal) • Power supply (+5V6A/-5V1A/+24V6A) • Interface cable for any 8" drive QTC-DDC88H 269.00 DATA CABLES 8"DSC 88-2SKT-for 2-8" drvs w/skt. conn. .20.00 5V<"DSC55-2SKT-for 1-SW dvs w/skt. conn. 20.00 RS232MM-5' (male to male) 19.00 IBM to PAR or COLUMBIA to PAR 32.00 Osborne to PAR 32.00 Kaypro to PAR 32.00 OKI-Data Serial 24.00 QT S-100 CARD CAGES •Made of anodized steekCard guides for ea. MB* 1 -Indicates w/MB«2-lndicates w/MB +1 ea fan •3-lndicates w/MB +2 ea fans CC4 20.00 CC4-1 60.00 CC6 22.00 CC6-1 70.00 CC6-2 : 90.00 CC8 31.00 CC8-1 100.00 CC8-2 120.00 CC12 41.00 CC12-1 140.00 CC12-2 160.00 CC12-3 180.00 CC18 50.00 CC18-1 200.00 CC18-2 220.00 CC18-3 240.00 CC22 75.00 QT S-100 MOTHERBOARDS •Silence Plus»Built in Termination«IEE696«Terminal strip for easy power connection 4 Slot Motherboards QTC-MB4BB 15.00 QTC-MB4A 40.00 6 Slot Motherboards QTC-MB6BB 20.00 QTC-MB6A 48.00 8 Slot Motherboards QTC-MB8BB 25.00 QTC-MB8A 69.00 12 Slot Motherboards QTC-MB12BB 30.00 QTC-MB12A 99.00 18 Slot Motherboards QTC-MB18BB 45.00 QTC-MB18A 150.00 22 Slot Motherboards QTC-MB22BB 60.00 QTC-MB22A 185.00 QT/COMPUTIME BOARD SET PN-2048 Best Bare Board Set Available QTC-SBC 2/4 CPU (SBC 880) QTC-EXP + III 256K (CT256) Memory bd./ Expandable to 1 MG QTC-FDC 5/8 Floppy disk controller Bare Board Set 165.00 1) Includes manuals & assembly instructions 2) Parts available 3) Monitor & B10S available QT COMPUTIME CLOCK/CALENDAR S-100«Time in hrs, min, sec.»AM/PM or Military Format«Date in Mo., Day, Yr., Day of Week & Leap Year recognitions hard interrupts (1024 Hz, 1 Hz 1 min, 1 hr)«On board battery (will last 14 mos. w/no power on) QTC-CCS-BB (S-100) 45.00 QTC-CCS-A (A+T) for S-100 100.00 CPU BOARDS/MEMORY BOARDS/I/O QTC-SBC 2/4 BB (SBC880) 50.00 QTC-SBC 2/4 AA + T (SBC880) 265.00 DYNAMIC (64K/256K or 1 MEG) QTC-EXP + III Bare Bd. (CT256) 75.00 QTC-EXP + III 64K A + T (CT256) 375.00 QTC-I/O + BB 2 SER 2 PAR A + T 75.00 QTC-I/O + A + T 300.00 QTC-ADA ADA Converter A + T 575.00 QTC-Dual GPIB-488 IEEE 488 Interface Bd. 795.00 SYSTEMS System 816A 4,395.00 System 81 6A with RAM 21 4,569.00 System 816A - H40 7,169.00 System 816B 5,595.00 System 816B - H40 8,349.00 System 816C 7,150.00 System 816C - H40 9,999.00 System 816D 11,099.00 System 816D - H40 .13,995.00 System 816E (68K) 7,150.00 System 816E - H40 9,999.00 System 8162 3,999.00 System 816Z - H40 6,725.00 CPU BOARDS CPU Z 6 MHz 245.00 CPU 8085/88 - 6/8 MHz 369.00 CPU 8086 - 8 MHz 650.00 CPU 8086 - 10 MHz 750.00 CPU 68K - 8 MHz 575.00 SPUZ (March '84) 575.00 MEMORY BOARDS RAM 16 475.00 RAM 1 7-64 369.00 RAM 21 839.00 RAM 22 1,475.00 M-DRIVE H , 1,199.00 INTERFACE BOARDS Interfacer 1 220.00 Interfacer 2 245.00 Interfacer 3 , 575.Q0 Interfacer 4 .349.00 DISK CONTROLLERS Disk 1 399.00 Disk 1A 575.00 Disk 2 (In 1 . CP/M 80) 750.00 Disk 3 750.00 DISK DRIVE SUBSYSTEMS 8" Floppy/H-40 4,595.00 8" Dual H-40 w/encl 6,000.00 Dual Floppy Subsystem 2,695.00 MOTHERBOARDS AND COMPUTER ENCLOSURES 6 Slot Motherboard 129.00 1 2 Slot Motherboard 149.00 20 Slot Motherboard 220.00 Enclosure 2-D 739.00 Enclosure 2-R 795.00 MISCELLANEOUS BOARDS/CONTROLLERS Memory Manager 75.00 System Support 1 , 349.00 MPX 1 495.00 Active Terminator 60.00 8087 Support Board for 8085/88 379.00 WARRANTY: 1 year from date of purchase by end user OPERATING SYSTEMS CP/M 80 2.2 {Disk 1) 150.00 CP/M 86 (Disk 1 8085/88) 199.00 MP/M 8-16 (For 8085/88) 495.00 MAP FORTH OS 169.00 CP/M 68K 269.00 SIERRA DATA S-100 BOARDS SDS-SBC-100-Z80 <4mhz) master 2 serial 2 floppy controller/64k ram SDS-SBC-100S4mhs slave/2 serial 2 par/ 64k ram SDS-ZSIO/4-4 serial port I/O bd SDS-MUX-RS232 multiplexer bd SDS-HDI-M-Hard disk bd for micropolis . . . SDS-CPM/B105-cp/m for SBC 100 w/BIOS SDS-Turbodos-Multi-user for master & slaves par/ 655.00 565.00 250.00 235.00 129.00 150.00 645.00 1-801-972-2717 The Great Salt Lake Computer Co. Salt Lake City, Utah 84119 530 BYTE March 1984 Circle 169 on inquiry card. Call Toll Free -800-545-2633 GREEN BMC 12AU (15MH2) 80 Col/12" 80.00 USI PI-1 (20 MHZ) Hi-Res/9" 119.00 USI PI-2 (20 MHZ) Hi-Res/ 12" 129.00 AMBER USI PI-4 (20 MHZ) Hi-Res/80-Col/9" 125.00 USI PI-3 (20 MHZ) Hi-Res/80 Col/ 12" 119.00 COLOR Amdek 1-12" Composite (For Apple) 259.00 Amdek II-12"-RGB (For IBM-PC) w/audio . 419.00 DISKETTES FOR APPLE, ETC. 5W Soft Sector SS/DD 17.00/10 For IBM PC & PARTNERS for Qty of 100 (15% Discount) 5Va" Soft Sector DS/DD 22.00/10 CENTEOH COLOR CODE YOUR FILES: 5 COLORS IN EACH PKG. (RED, P%LLOW, BLUE, GREEN, BROWN) 5V«" Sgl side/dbl den— Rainbow Pak . . . 23.00/10 5Va" Dbl side/dbl den— Rainbow Pak . . . 30.00/10 SVi" 10 sector— Rainbow Pak 24.00/10 SVi" 16 sector— Rainbow Pak 24.00/10 8" Sgl side/dbl den— Rainbow Pak 30.00/10 8" Dbl side/dbl den— Rainbow Pak 40.00/10 Lifetime Warranty Also Available in Solid Color Hub Rings Specify Color L " DISKETTE STO ft AG DATA SAFE DS-50 (holds 50 disks) 15.00 LIBRARY CASES CAS-5V4 (Avail, beige, black, red, grey, blue) 2.35 ea. CAS-8 3.80 ea. Color Burst Pack (Pack of 5 ea. CAS-5) 10.95 CONNECTORS RS232 Connectors SOLDER TYPE DB25P 2.50 DB25S 3.00 DB25 Hood 1.00 S-100 Connectors 10/25.00 DE9P 2.00 DE9 Hood 1.00 1-801-972-2717 AST PRODUCTS Combo Plus (Serial/Par/CLK 64 to 256K) . . Six Pak Plus (Serrat/Par/CLK 64K, Expand* to 384K) , . . . . . , . Six Pak Plus . , , . . , . Meg-A-Plus (Serial/CLK/64K Expands to 256K) Meg-A-Pak (Expands Meg-A-Plus to 51 2K) AST-5251 (Allows connection of IBM PC to System 340038) Game Port Kit Par Port Kit Serial Port Kit DC. HAYES Smartmodem 1200B-Smartcom 2 software included Smartcom II KEYTRONICS Enhance your PC-with a superior keyboard 279.00 mi 270.00 270.00 749.00 45.00 . 45.00 45.00 429.00 79.00 PLANTRONICS COLOR PLUS Color + Color Display Card (16 colors) 395.00 PRINCETON GRAPHICS PGS HX12-Hi-Res Color, The Best ........ 469.00 QUADRAM Quadlink— Allows Apple Software to be used in IBM PC HAS 64K Ram-Game Port Display Gen-Disk Intf. w/software 450.00 Quadcolor 219.00 SHUGART DISK DRIVES SA455L-1/2 HGT 320K DS/DD w/BRACKETS 225.00 ea. 420.00 for 2 ea. TANDON DISK DRIVES TM 100-2A 320K DS/DD 225.00 TM55-2 1 /2 HGT 320K DS/DD w/BRACKETS 249.00 ea. 440.00 for 2 VISTA Diskmaster (controls 5" & 8") ^ 169.00 TOLL FREE 1-800-545-2633 ^ APPLE Disk II 269.00 Monitor II 99.00 ALS CPM 3.0 Card 269.00 Z-Cardll 119.00 Smarterm 139.00 ASTAR RF Modulator 18.00 COMPUSERVE Beginner's Kit (5 hrs. time) 39.95 Software for HE 59.00 GENERIC 80 Col. Video (Videx Compatible) 99.00 Joy Stick 20.00 Keyboard 175.00 Parallel Interface 49.00 HAYES JOYSTICKS Mach II (For II & HE) 33.95 Mach III (with firing button) 42.95 HAYES MODEMS Micro-Modem II 259.00 Micro-Model II w/terminal package 279.00 KENSINGTON System Saver/ Fan & Surge Pro 75.00 KOALA Graphics Tablet 89.00 KRAFT Joystick for HE 44.00 MICRO-MAX View Max 80 (30 Col for II +) 149.00 View Max 80E (80 Col w/64K Memory Expto128K) 139.00 MICRO-SOFT Premium Soft Card HE 379.00 Multi-Plan 189.00 Softcard (Z80) 239.00 MICROTEK Dumpling 64K/lnterface and Graphics 64K Buffer 235.00 Dumpling GX-P/Par Interface Card and Cable99.00 Parallel Interface Board (RV611C) 61.00 BAM 16 (16K Add-on Memory) 55.00 Serial Interface 99.00 NOVATION Apple Cat II w/software 269.00 ORANGE MICRO Grappler + (Graphics Interface) 119.00 Grappler + 16K (Buffer and 5 to 64K) ..... .175.00 Buffer Board 135.00 TG PRODUCTS Joy Stick— For Apple II + 38.00 Paddles 29.00 Selecfa Port 38.00 VIDEX Ultraterm 279.00 Videterm 179.00 VISTA A800 Floppy Controller for 8" Drives 300.00 A-800-1 Cable 27.00 1780 West 2300 South The Great Salt Lake Computer Co. Salt Lake City, Utah 84119 Circle 169 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 531 SANYO CP/NF COMPUTER + PRINTER = $1 795 NOW! The Affordable UPS For Your Personal Computer! ^---f $359.00 MANNESMANN TALLY 200 Watts For 5 Minutes of Un interrupt able Power With AC Surge and EMI/RFI Filtering Built In! Perfect for Morrow Micro Decision, IBM PC ,U . Apple He, and many, many more! BCPTIPC200 (Sh. Wt 21 lbs.) $359.00 Letter Quality Dot Matrix Printer For Complete Specifications, see page 41 of our now '83/84 Engineering Selection Guide BCTALMT160L 80 column/160 cps (21 lbs.) $589 BCTALMT180L 132 column/160 cps (28 lbs.) $829 BCTALMTR1B160 Replacement Ribbon for MT160L $15.75 BCTALMTRIB180 Replacement Ribbon for MT180L $17.80 Order Interface Cables at Left PIXY 3 PLOTTER Nigh Quality, economical 3 color plotter See page 37 el our '83/84 Engineering Selection for details. $699 $769 BCTALPIX3P w/parallel interface (sh wt. 16 lbs. BCTALPIX3S w/senal interface (sh. wt. 1 6 lbs.) TXXAIM 18MHz 800 Line Resolution Yields An Incredibly Sharp 80 x 24 Display! AMBER GREEN BCTUKG12RBT List: SI 89 00 BCTAX612NIY List $179.00 $129.00 $119.00 (Shipping Weight 18 lbs.) (Shipping Weight 18 lbs.) Buy From The World's Largest Supplier of S-1QO Boards CompuPro ZdO SINGLE BOARD COMPUTERS «* ADVANCED DIGITAL CPU BOARDS Ust Price SALE Price BCGBT51068 BCGBT51568 BC6BT51086 BCGBT51586 BCGBT51067 BCGBT51567 BC6BT51080 BCGBY51580 BC6BT51080 BC6BT51580 CPU 68K A&T 8MHz CPU68KCSC 10MHz Co- Processor w/8086 only Co- Processor w/8086 only CPU 8086/8087 A&T CPU 8086/8087 CSC CPU 8085/88 A&T CPU 8085/88 CSC 3/6MHZ CPU-Z A&T 3/BMHz CPU-Z CSC $ 695.00 $ 850 00 A&T$ 750 00 CSC$ 850.00 $1050 00 $1150 00 $ 49500 $ 595.00 $ 32500 $ 425 00 $ 595.00 $ 785.00 $ 675.00 $ 765.00 $ 939.00 $1065.00 $ 389.00 $ 497.87 $ 279.00 $ 347.87 BCSDS38095 BCS0S38092 BCS0S38007 BCS0S38088 BCSDS38089 S8C-300 4MHzZ80ACPUA&T$ 741 00 $ 619. SBC-300 6MHzZ808CPUA&T$ 825.00$ 689. I DISK CONTROLLER BOARDS BAPDB171ACPM DISK 1 (A&T) w/CP/M* 2 2 $670 00 S489.00 When purchased with two 8 disk drives: $450.00 BC6BT5401B BC6BT41000 BCGBT41050 BCGBT54030 $425.00 $148.95 $249.00 DISK 1 Floppy controller (A&T) $495 00 CP/M* 2 2 tor Z80/8085 w/manuals & BIOS 8" S/D Disk CP/M-86* for CPU 8085/88 & CPU 8086/87 CPUs w/manuals. BIOS 8" S/D Disk DISK 2 8" hard disk controller $795 00 $725.00 w/CP/M* 2 2 (A&T) DISK 3 ST-506 type 5 v." hard $795 00 $725.00 disk controller w/CP/M-80* & CP/M-86- (A&T) I/O DOARDS Z80 Starter System A&T $ 450 00 $ 399. ExpandoRAM IV 256K A&T $1 145.00 $ 975. ExpandoRAM IV 256K $199000 $1875. w/EDC A&T BCSBS38097 ExpandoRAM 111/696 256K $ 825.00 $ 749, BCSBS38076 PROM- 1 00 w/software A&T $ 285.00 $ 219. BCSBS38082 RAM Disk 256K A&T $ 875.00 $ 775. BCS0S36081 ROM Disc 128K A&T $ 350 00 $ 319. BCSBS38096 1/0-8 4 -Port Async Ser. A&T $ 600,00 $ 549. BCSOS38093 1/0-8 8-Port Async Ser A&T $ 695.00$ 589. BCS0S38094 1/0-8 4 Sync, 4 Async, 8- Port $ 795 00 $ 699. Serial' 1/0 A&T BCSDS39099 Versafloppy III Floppy & ST-506 $ 895.00 $ 759, Hard Disk Controller BCP0B¥F339145*w/5V4" unbanked CP/M* 3.0 $1083.00$ 888. BCP0BKF339146* w/8" unbanked CP/M* 3 $1083 00 $ 888. BCP0Bi"F339147* w/5'V banked CP/M* 3.0 $1083 00 $ 888. BCP0BVF339148* w/8" banked CP/M" 3 $1083,00 $ 888. BCS0S380B8 Versafloppy II/696 (A&T) $ 400.00 S 344. BCP0BYF239141* w/5%" unbanked CP/M* 3 $ 588.00 $ 424. BCPBBYF239142* w/8" unbanked CP/M* 3.0 $ 588.00 $ 424, BCP0BVF239143* w,W banked CP/M* 3 $ 588.00 $ 424. BCPDBWF239144* w/8" banked CP/M* 3.0 $ 588 00 $ 424. •CP/M-Plus*" (3 01 configured for the SBC-300 See Complete Specifications on Pages 12-25 Of Our '83/34 Engineering Selection Guide Ust Price SALE Price BCA0CSUP6I28 Super Six 6 M Hz 1 26 K Master $995.00 $849.00 w/1 ADC PS1 RS232 Serial Adapter BCA0CSPRSLW126 Super Slave 6M Hz 128 K $695.00 $595.00 BCABCSBC15 Super Quad for 5^" drives $750.00 $695.00 BCA0CSBC18 Super Quad for 8" drives $750.00 $695.00 SOFTWARE & I/O PORT ADAPTERS BCADCPS1 BCAOCCPSP BCABCCPM22n BCABCCPBBO't BCA0CTB0S4UM PS/Nett RS232 Serial Adapter Centronics Parallel Port Adapter Advanced Digital CP/M® 2.2 Advanced Digital CP/M Plus™ {3.0} TurboDos® 1, 2, or 4 Multi-user •Replace * with Q to specify Super Quad; S for Super Six t Replace t with 6 for 8" IBM® 3740 format 48 for 5W* 48 TPI format or 96 for 5'A" 96 TPI format ST506/SA1000 HARD DISK CONTROLLER BCA0CHDC1OO15 BCA0CHDC10018 BCAOCHDCINSTL ST506 5 1 /4" Winchester Cont. $500.00 1450.00 8" Winchester Cont. $500.00 $450.00 BCGBT56010 System Support 1 Multifunction $450 00 I/O (A&T) BCG8T56010/56531 SS1 w/8231 Math Chip A&T $64500 BCSBT56010/S6320 SS1 w/8232 Math Chip A&T $645 00 BCGBT53030 Interlacer 3 - 8 port senal (A&T) $699 00 BCGBT53040 Interlacer 4 ■ 3 Serial, 1 Centron- $450 00 ics Parallel, 1 Parallel (A&T) CJoctagon BOARD LEVEL PRODUCT 6/16 BIT MEMORY BOARDS BCGBT52016 BC6BT52021 BC6BT52022 BC6BT52012 RAM1612MHz32KStaticA&T$ 55000$ 495.00 RAM 21 12 MHz 128K Static A&TS 995.00$ 895.00 RAM 22 1 2MHz 256K Static A&T$1 750.00 $1549.00 M-Drive/H 512K RAM Disk A&T$1475.00 $1195.00 MAINFRAMES BC0CTCPU816 8/16 Bit SBC (A&T) BC0CT8087N0P 8087 for CPU 8/1 6 BC0CTCPMM CP'M-86' BC0CTC0NCF1R86 Concurrent CP'M-86 BC0CTMPM66 BC0CTHDC BC0CTH0SUB19 BC0CTS256T0D BC0CTD512K BC6BT51200 20 Slot Desk Top (A&T) BC6BT51250 20 Slot Rack Mount (A&T) For more CompuPro Specifications see pages 2 33 of our New Catalog Manufactured hy Vector Electronic Co under license from CompuPro BCVCT8600GFB Interlacer 1. 2- Serial (A&T) $295.00 $219.00 BCVCT8800GF2B Interlacer 2. 3- Par.. 1 -Ser. (A&T) $325.00 $239.00 8CVCTMO06R17B RAM 1 7 64K 10MHz $450 00 $389.00 Static RAM (A&T) $ 895 00 S 795.00 $ 300.00 $ 150.00 $ 195.00 MP/M-B6" $ 495.00 ST-506 Hard Disc Controller $ 595.00 $ 525.00 19.2Mb Hard Disc Subsystem $2295.00 $1995.00 256K Static RAM (A&T) $1850.00 $1719.00 51 2 K Dynamic RAM (A&T) S1 450.00 $1345.00 See Specifications on Pages 12-27 Of Our '8 3/ '84 Engineering Selection Guide COMPLETE OCTAGON 8/16 M SYSTEMS BC0CT816$MPMw/256K Static RAM & MP/M-86™ $7350.00 BC0CTB16SCCPM W/256K Static RAM & Concurrent CP/M-8 6 $7350.00 BC0CT816DR1PMW/512K Dynamic RAM & MP/M-86 $7350.00 BC0CTB16OCCPM w/512K Dynamic RAM & Concurrent $7350.00 CP/M-86 See Complete Specifications on Page 5 Of Our Mew , 83/ , 84 Engineering Selection Guide Circle 292 on inquiry card. Install program for use with non-ADC $ 10.00 CPU board (Supplied on 8" CP/M® compatible disk) See Complete Specificatlona on Pagoa 14-27 of our 8 3/ 84 Engineering Selection Guide MAX: 1 S-100 SLOT 1 MEGABYTE The MACROTECH MAX is a 256K to 1 Megabyte S-100 IEEE/696 dynamic memory board. That's right up to 1 Megabyte on a single standard size S-100 board. The first 384 K is on the Host card that plugs into your motherboard. The remaining 640K is located on a unique "piggy- back" card that attaches to the host The MAX family is ideally suited to applications where density, speed, and software flexibility are essential. See Page 1 5 Of Our Mew 83/84 Engineering Selection Guide for Complete Specifications Ordering Information: The 256 K and 384 K versions include the fully socketed Host card The 51 2 K and larger versions also include the fully socketed "piggy-back" card. Ust Price SALE Price BCMACMAX258 256 K Dynamic RAM (A&T) $1125 00 $1185.00 BCMACMAX384 384 Dynamic RAM (A&T) $1467.00 $1395.00 BCMACMAX512 51 2K Dynamic RAM (A&T) $1880.00 $1795.00 BCMACMAXM 1 MEG Dynamic RAM (A&T) $2449.00 $2325.00 BCMACMAXTM MAX Technical Manual $ 15.00 BCMACMAXVDSKMAX Virtual Disk Software supplies $ 25.00 on 8" S/D Disk BCMACM3 Memory Mapping Option $ 91 .00 Attention CompuPro CPU 8085/88 Users: You must order the CPU modification hardware to insure complete compatibility BCMAC6BTH00 Hardware modification for CompuPro CPU 8085/88 $ 10.0 H ORDER TOLL FREE (OOO) 420-5922 - CA, AK, HI CALL (016) 709-51 1 1 SEE PAGE 392 IN FEBRUARY BYTE DRIVES & ENCLOSURES 5Y4" FLOPPY DISK DRIVES 8CMPI51* MPI Full Height SS 48TPI (5 lbs.) $200.00 BCMM52* MPI Full Height DS 48TPI (5 lbs.) $270.00 BCMPI91* MPI Full Height SS 96TPI {5 lbs.) $275.00 BCMM92* MPI Full Height DS 96TPI (5 lbs.) $400.00 BCMPI501 MPI Vi- Height SS 48TPI (4 lbs.) $260.00 BCMP1502 MPI V 2 -Height DS 48TPI {4 lbs.) $300.00 BCTNDTM1001 Tandon Full Height SS 48TPI $199.00 BCTNDTM1002 Tandon Full Height DS 48TPI $249.00 BCTNDTM1014 Tandon Full Height DS 96TPI $339.00 •Replace with M for MPI Door, or S for Shugart SA400 Type Door 5V4" Disk Drive Cobinefs BCJMR1C5 Single Drive Cabinet (5 lbs.) $79.00 BCJMR2C5 Dual Drive Cabinet (9 lbs.) $ 90.00 BCJMR2C5C Dual w/lnterna! Data Cable (9 lbs.) $115.00 8" Floppy Disk Drives BCSNU801R Shugart Full Height SS (18 lbs.) $349.00 BCSHU851R Shugart Full Height DS (18 lbs.) $479.00 BCS1EFDD1008 Siemens Full Height SS (18 lbs.) $169.00 BC0METRAK842 Qume Full Height DS (18 lbs.) $459.00 BCMITM289463B Mitsubishi Full Height DS (18 lbs.) $375.00 BCMPMIS MPI Full Height SS (11 lbs.) $380.00 BCMPI42S MPI Full Height DS (11 lbs.) $460.00 BCHPM1D MPI Dual V?- Height SS (22 lbs.) $760.00 BCntPW?D MPI Dual '.-Height DS (22 lbs.) $830.00 BCMPI41M MPI '/2-Height SS (9 lbs.) $380.00 BCMPM2M MPI '/^Height DS (9 lbs.) $460.00 BGTNDTM84B1 Tendon V?- Height SS (9 lbs.) $359.00 BCTNDTMB482 Tandon Vfe- Height DS (9 lbs.) $435.00 Dual 6" Disk Enclosures All of these rugged enclosures feature forced, filtered air cooling, hefty power supply, with the heat producing elements mounted to outside for cool, reliable operation. The rear panels are punched for the appropriate data cables. FDE002. Economical design for two standard size 8" floppies. Hinged lid for easy drive access. Power supply: 5V@4A, -5V@.8A, +24@3A. DT1O02. Cabinet for two '/2-heignt 8" drives or 1 full height 8" floppy or Winchester Includes Shugart tvpe AC power cable. Part Description List Price SALE Nee BCIIIF0E002 FDE002 Dual Enc (35 lbs.) $359.95 $325.00 BCHIDTL002SHU DTL002 Dual Thin Line (12 lbs.) $225 00 $175.00 BCIIIDTLMPIKIT MPI V?- Height DTL adapter kit S 24.95 BCII1CBLSQN304FM Shugart to Qume AC Cable $ 4.95 BUY CABINETS WITH DRIVES AND SAVE! WOW!! 2 SIEMENS FDD1008s !! 8 SINGLE SIDED DOUBLE DENSITY & IIIFDE002 Cabinet $499.00 Combinations with FDE002 BCP0BIIIFDE2S2 w/2 SHU801R Drives $ 969.00 BCP0BIIIFDE2M2 w/2 MFM289463BS Drives $1049.00 BCPDBIIIFDE2Q2 w/2 QMETRAK842 Drives $1199.00 BCP0BIIIFDE2851 w/2 SHU851R Drives $1239.00 Combinations with DTUM2 BCP0BIIITHD1 w/2 TNDTM8481 Drives $ 879.00 BCPDBIIITND2 w/2 TNDTM8482 Drives $1039.00 BCPD8IIIMPI1 w/2 MPI41M Drives $879.00 BCPDBIIIMPI2 w/2 MPI42M Drives $1039.00 Due to UPS Regulations, drives and cabinets will be shipped separately. Please include shipping for each disk drive and cabinet. 5V4" Hard Disk BCMCP1302 Micropolis 20 4/25 9 Mb (12 lbs.) $1465.00 BCMCP1303 Micropolis 33.9/43 2 Mb (12 lbs.) $1875.00 BCMCP1304 Microoolis 40.8/51.9 Mb (12 lbs.) $2195.00 BCTN0TM501 Tandon 6 Mb (9 lbs.) $ 699.00 BCTNDTM502 Tandon 12 Mb (9 lbs.) $ 849.00 BCTNDTM503 Tandon 19 Mb (9 lbs.) $ 995.00 DUAL 5 1 /V HARD DISK DRIVE CABINET All of the necessary power for two TANDON TM500 series or equivalent hard disk drives. Just imagine, you can have 1 0OM bytes of storage using two of the Micropolis 5 Va" Winchester disk drives and this cabinet' Power supply: + 5V@6A and +12V@6A. The rear panel is punched for two 20. two 34, and one 50 pin header connector Fan cooled. BCIIIH05002 Dual Hard Disk Enclosure (Sh. Wt. 20 lbs.) $369.00 DUY CABINET WITH DRIVES AND SAVE! w/2 TM501 Drives $1599.00 BCPDB5O2H05 w/2 TM502 Drives $1899.00 BCPDB503HD5 w/2 TM503 Drives $2149.00 BCPDB1302ND5 w/2 MCP1302 Drives $2099.00 BCP0B1303HD5 w/2 MCP1303 Drives $3799.00 BCPDB1304HD5 w/2 MCP1304 Drives $4399.00 Due to OPS Regulations, disk drives will be shipped separately from cab- inets. Don t forget to include snipping for each disk drive cabinet. 15M Byte Hard Disk For IBM PC ==; 50% More Capacity Than The XT!™ • Plug and Run — ready to go right out of the box! • Complete with controller card, data cable, & internal mounting hard- ware • Total PC/XT Compatible — will boot directly from the hard disk under DOS 2.0 • No special software needed • 8 K BIOS emulates XT command set • Controller will support any 2 hard drives • Hard disk can be partitioned into 4 operating systems • 2:1 interleaving (data transfer rate 3 times faster than XT™) INTERNAL 15NI Byte Hard Disk With Controller $1495 BCIIIHDPCM5 iSh WL 11 lbs.) EXTERNAL 15M Byte Hard Disk With Controller The 1 5Mbyte drive is mounted in a IIIHD5001 cabinet with power supply. All hardware speci- fications are the same. BCPOBIIMDPCX15 (Sh Wt 16 lbs) External 1 5Mbyte Hard Disk w/Controlier& Data Cable Backed By a 6-Month Warranty! maxell irS WORTH IT! 5'/«" DOUBLE DENSITY DISKETTES Sectors Tracks Sides/ Price Per Box of 10 Heads I 2 or more BCMXLMD1M Soft BCMXLMH110M 10 hard BCMXLMH116M 16 Hard 40 1 $28.00 $25.00 40 1 $28.00 $25.00 40 1 $28.00 $25.00 BCMXLM02DM Soft BCMXLMH2100M 10 Hard BCMXLMH216DM 16 Hard 40 2 $42.00 $38.0 40 2 $42.00 $38.0 40 2 $42.00 $38.0 BCMXLM01DDM Soft 80 1 $36.00 $33.00 BCMXLMD2DDM Soft 80 2 $44.00 $40.00 8CMXLMK2t8DDM 16 Hard 80 2 $44.00 $40.00 All mini disks with exception of MD1 DDM, M02HD, & MD2DDM are with hub ring 8" DOUBLE DENSITY DISKETTES BCMXLFD1t26M1200 Soft BCMXLFH132M1200 Hard $36.00 $33.00 $36.00 $33.00 Go on The Gold Standard! BCMXLFD2XDMI200 Soft BCMXLFK2320M1200 Hard $45.00 $40.00 $45.00 $40.00 Phone Today and Get On Our Priority interrupt Mailing List! Circle 292 on inquiry card. S ELECTRONICS tigg ■5T PRIORITY ^™ 9161 Deering Ave., Ctatsworth, CA 91311 5887 ORDER TOLL FREE (800) 423-5922 - CA, AK, HI CALL (616) 709-5111 Terms. US VISA, MC, BAC. Check. Money Order, U.S. Kinds Only Ca residents add 6'/?% Sales Tax. MINIMUM PREPAID ORDER $15^)0, Include MINIMUM SHIP- PINGS HAND LIN Got $3 00 for the first 3 lbs. plus 40C for each additional pound. Orders over 50 lbs. sent freight collect. Just incase, include your phone number. Prices subject to change without notice We will do our best to maintain prices through March, 1 984 Many quantities are limited. Sorry, no rainchecks, no refunds or ex- changes on sale merchandise. Credit card orders will be charged appronate freight Sale prices for prepaid orders only. We are not responsible for typographical errors. §^ RETAIL STORE PHONE NUMBERS: (Chatsworth:) (616) 709-5464 - (Irvine:) (714) 660-141 1 AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS • AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS • AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS • AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS ALABAMA Birmingham American Electronic Supply Birmingham J.L.S. Electronics Birmingham Long's Electronics Birmingham Micrologic, Inc. Florence Fuller Distributing Huntsville Industrial Electronic Supply Huntsville W&W Electronics Mobile Forbes Electronics Montgomery Handey's Electronic Center Opelika Southern Electronic Corp. Tuscaloosa Radio Parts Inc. ALASKA Anchorage Electronic Supply Center Anchorage The Electronic Company Anchorage Wapatco ARIZONA Lake Havasu City Electronics 4-U Sierra Vista B&S Electronics Tucson Electronic City Tucson Heathkit Electronic Center Yuma Yuma Electronics ARKANSAS Little Rock Southern Electronics CAUFORNIA Anaheim Heathkit Electronic Center Anaheim R.F. Electronics Antioch Goodrich Electronics Bakersfieid. . ; Jay Kern Electronics Berkeley Al Lasher's Electronics Buena Park, Ford Electronics Campbell Heathkit Electronic Center Chico Payless Wholesale Chula Vista Lion Electronics Chula Vista Sago Electronics Clearlake Clearlake Electronics Concord Pacific Radio Supply Coming Nor-Cal Electronics Costa Mesa Mar-Vac Electronics Covina G&H/AMCO Elect Supply Cucamonga Abletronics Cypress SCR. Electronics Davis Paradyme Consumer Elect. El Cajon Radio Shack Eureka Redwood Electronics Fontana Fontana Electronics Fresno National Computer Fresno Sparky Electronics Fresno Whitcomm Electronics Fullerton Industrial Electronics Glendaie Eagle Electronics Goleta Bill's Stereo Half Moon Bay Strawflower Elec./Radio Shack Harbor City Bluff Electronics Hawaiian Gardens Carson Electronics Hollywood Pacific Radio Exchange Inglewood Radioland/lnglewood Elect. La Habra A.B.C. Electronics La Mesa Heathkit Eiectronic Center Lancaster Consumer Electronics Los Angeles Heathkit Electronic Center Mission Viejo Heathkit Electronic Center Modesto Inland Electronics Modesto Pacific Radio Monterey Zackit Morro Bay Coast Electronics National City. Willy's Electronics Oakland Cass Electronics Oceanside Calco Digital Oceanside Electronic Center Oroville Radio Mart Palo Alto U.S. Electronics Palo Alto Zack Electronics Pasadena Dow Radio Paso Robles Mission Electronics Pomona Heathkit Electronic Center Redding Radio Mart Sacramento. Cal Radio & TV Sacramento The Radio Place Sacramento Zackit Salinas Salinas Radio San Bruno Bruce Electronics San Carlos J&H Outlet San Diego Radio Shack/Mtra Mesa San Fernando San Fernando Electronics San Francisco Zack Electronics San Jose Peninsula Elect. Supply San Jose United Radio and TV San Luis Obispo Mid State Electronics San Rafael Electronics Plus Santa Clara Digital Pacific Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Electronics Santa Maria Caps Communications Santa Maria Electronic Parts Supermart South Lake Tahoe Calpine Electronics Sunnyvale Sunnyvale Electronics Torrance Signal Electronics Torrance Torrance Electronics Tustin A.B.C. Electronic Supply Vallejo Zackit Van Nuys Thrifty Electronics Westminster. JK Electronics Whittier Whittier Electronics Woodland Hills Heathkit Electronic Center Yuba City Electronic World COLORADO Boulder Hapco Colorado Springs Calco Digital Equip. Colorado Springs Centennial Electronics Denver Fistell's Electronics COLORADO (Continued) Denver Fistell's Microelectronics Denver Mountain Coin Machine Lakewood D.H. Crump Co. CONNECTICUT Avon Heathkit Electronic Center New Haven Customized Computer Center Wallingford Tron Town USA Westport Computer Works DELAWARE Newark Computerland New Castle Delaware Amateur Supply Wilmington Laraco/Lafayette Radio Wilmington , Micro Products Wilmington Wholesale Electronics FLORIDA Coral Gables Olson Electronics Clearwater Amateur Electronic Supply Fort Lauderdale Tecktron Enterprises Gainesville Skipper Electronics Hialeah Heathkit Electronic Center Hollywood Errico Inc. Jacksonville Heathkit Electronic Center Miami Olson Electronics Orlando C&S Electronics Orlando Lafayette Stereo & Elect. Oakland Park Lafayette Radio Panama City Bay-Mar Electronics Pensacola Forbes Electronics Pensacola Pensacola Electronics Pensacola Quad Electronics Plantation Heathkit Electronic Center Tampa Heathkit Electronic Center GEORGIA Atlanta A.C.M, Computer Mart Atlanta Heathkit Electronic Center Dalton A.C.M. Computer Mart La Grange Eiectronic Supply Stone Mountain Coleman's Electronics Warner Robbins C&L Electronics HAWAII Hilo Al's Electronics Honolulu Industrial Electronics Honolulu Integrated Circuit Supply Pearl City Heathkit Electronic Center IDAHO Boise Kimball Electronics Boise R.J.M. Electronics Caldwell A-Gem Supply Pocatello Kimball Electronics Twin Falls Central Electronics ILLINOIS Addison Digital World, Inc. Berwyn B.B.&W. Electronics Carbondale Pick's Electronics Chicago Heathkit Electronic Center Chicago Howard Electronic Sales Chicago Olson Electronics Chicago, University of Illinois Bookstore Decatur Main Street Computer Downers Grove, .... Heathkit Electronic Center Groveland Moyer Electronics Harvey George Electronics Melrose Park Olson Electronics Mount Prospect Tri-State Electronic Corp. Niles Computerland of Niles Niles Joseph Electronic Peoria Computerland Peoria Warren Radio Co. Rockford Computer Store of Rockford Rock Island Team Electronics Skokie Litlipute Computer South Holland Union Electronic Dist. INDIANA Angola Lakeland Electronics Bedford Bex Mart Bloomington Stansifer Radio Chesterton Chesterton Electronics Evansville Hutch & Son Gary Calumet Electronics Indianapolis Heathkit Electronic Center Indianapolis Warren Radio Co. Lafayette Von's Electronics Muncie Pierce Electronics South Bend Genesis Electronics South Bend TV Supply Co. Terre Haute Industrial Electronics IOWA Ames Eiectronic Supply, Inc. Burlington Union Supply Co. Clinton R.J.S. Electronics Davenport Warren Radio Co. Des Moines Gifford Brown Inc. Des Moines Radio Trade Supply KANSAS Hutchinson Hutchinson Electronics Kansas City Electronic Surplus Sales Mission Heathkit Electronic Center Salina. Electronics Inc. Shawnee Mission Burstein & Assoc. Topeka Carroll Radio & TV Supply Wichita Amateur Radio Equipment Wichita Lloyd's Radio & Bex Wichita R.S.C. Supply KENTUCKY Lexington Radio Electronic Equip. Co. Louisville Heathkit Electronic Center Louisville Peerless Electronic Equip. Co. Paducah Warren Radio Co. LOUISIANA Baton Rouge Davis Electronic Supply Baton Rouge Industrial Elect. Supply Baton Rouge Menard Electronics Covington Electronic Mart Gretna Pelican Electronics Houma Pelican Electronics Kenner Heathkit Electronic Center Lake Charles W.R.E Inc. Metairie Pelican Electronic Supply Meridian Hooper Electronic Supply New Orleans Wm. B. Allen Supply Co. Shreveport . . . Electronic Supply of Shreveport Shreveport Industrial Electronic Supply Shreveport Southern Electronics Slidell Electronic Mart MARYLAND Aberdeen Harco Electronics Annapolis, Computers, Etc. Baltimore Heathkit Electronic Center Beltsville Mark Electronics College Park Electronics Plus Damascus Damascus OB. Glen Bumie Revacto of Maryland Laurel The Comm Center Lavale J&M Electronics Rockville Heathkit Electronic Center Rockvilie, Revacto Electronics Severna Park. . Futronics Inc. Suitiand Suburban Wholesalers Towson Baynesville Electronics Towson Computers Unlimited MASSACHUSETTS Danvers Computer Electronic Consultants Littleton Tel-Corn Inc. Peabody Heathkit Electronic Center Pittsfield Pittsfield Radio Equipment Waltham Computer Mart Inc. Wellesley Heathkit Electronic Center MICHIGAN Adrian E&B Electronics Allen Park Olson Electronics Ann Arbor Wedemeyer Elect. Supply Battle Creek Warren Radio Bay City Kinde Distributing Canton The Electronic Connection Dearborn Westside Radio Detroit ■. . . A.F. Electronic Parts Detroit Electronic Parts Co. Detroit. Heathkit Electronic Center Detroit S&S Electronics East Detroit Heathkit Electronic Center Fenton Tri-County Electronics Flint Shand Electronics Grand Haven K.S. Electronics Grand Rapids Micro World Inc. Grand Rapids Radio Parts Inc. Grand Rapids T&W Electronics Grand Rapids Warren Radio Holland Bits & Bytes Houghton Techtronics Jackson Fulton Radio Supply Kalamazoo Warren Radio Lansing Fulton Radio Supply Lansing Wedemeyer Elect Supply Livonia Norwest Electronics Madison Heights. Olson Electronics Madison Heights Warren Radio Midland Computronix Mount Clemens Olson Electronics Muskegon H&R Electronics Niles Niles Radio Supply Owosso Warren Radio Port Huron Main TV Radio Electric Saginaw, Electronic Mart Saint Clair Shores Bell Electronics Co. Sterling Heights Electronic Supermarket Taylor Electronic World Taylor Tel Van Electronic Supply Traverse City Traverse City Elect. Supply Westland Olson Electronics MINNESOTA Bemidji Bemidji Electronics Duluth Northwest Radio of Duluth Hopkins Heathkit Electronic Center Minneapolis Acme Electronics Saint Paul Heathkit Electronic Center Winona Hiawatha Electronics Biloxi Hooper Electronic Supply Jackson Ellington Eiectronic Supply Oxford Oxford Software .... Hooper Electronic Supply MISSOURI Bridgeton Heathkit Electronic Center Columbia Show Me Electronics Kansas City. Burstein & Associates Kansas City Electronic Supply Co. Inc. MISSOURI (Continued) Kansas City Walters Radio Rolla Show Me Electronics Sedaiia Show Me Electronics Springfield Show Me Electronics MONTANA Billings Coniey Radio Supply Bozeman Electronic Service & Dist. Great Falls Art's Electronics Great Falls Electric City Radio NEBRASKA Grand Island G.I.EIectronics Lincoln Computer Systems Inc. Lincoln Scott Electronic Supply Norfolk Caauwes Gun & Hobby Shop Omaha Heathkit Electronic Center Omaha Scott Electronics NEVADA Las Vegas Century 23 NEW JERSEY Edison William Eiectronic Supply Fairlawn Heathkit Electronic Center Mantua Electronic World Ocean Heathkit Electronic Center Trenton Lafayette Radio Supply Vineland Laraco/Vineland NEW MEXICO Alamagordo Basin Electronics NEW YORK Albany Greylock Electronics Amherst Heathkit Electronic Center Buffalo Olson Electronics Buffalo Radio Equipment Corp. Commack Spartan Electronics Hornet! Hornell Electronics Ithaca Rad-Tronics Jamestown Warren Radio Jericho Heathkit Electronic Center Johnson City Unicorn Electronics Kingston Greylock Electronics Middleton Greylock Electronics Newburgh Action Audio Inc. New York Manhattan Electronics New York. Taft Electronics Poughkeepsie Greylock Electronics Rensslaer Electronic Stockroom Rochester Heathkit Electronic Center Seneca Olson Electronics Troy Trojan Electronic Supply Utica Central Electronics White Plains Computer Corner White Rains Heathkit Electronic Center NORTH CAROLINA Greensboro Heathkit Eiectronic Center Winston-Salem. Trayer-Yelverton Inc. NORTH DAKOTA Fargo Radio & TV Equipment Fargo S/S Electronics OHIO Akron Akron Electronic Supply Akron Warren Radio Bucyrus Mead Electronics Canton Electronic Center Inc. Cincinnati Heathkit Electronic Center Cleveland Heathkit Electronic Center Columbus Heathkit Electronic Center Columbus Olson Electronics Dover T.V. Specialties Lima Warren Radio Massilion M. H. Martin Co. Mogadore Olson Electronics Parma Superior Electronics Reynoldsburg Universal Amateur Radio Toledo Heathkit Electronic Center Toledo Warren Radio Youngstown Olson Electronics Youngstown. Ross Radio Co. OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City Trice Wholesale Electronics OREGON Albany , Oregon Ham Sales Beaverton Norvac Electronics Corvallis Electronic Super Store Corvallis Norvac Electronics Dallas Norvac Electronics Portland Portland Radio Supply Roseburg Roseburg Musical Instrument Salem Computer Specialties Salem Norvac Electronics PENNSYLVANIA Braddock. Left Electronics Butler Computer Center Chambersburg Sunrise Electronic Dist. Drexel Hill Kass Electronic Dist. Erie Warren Radio Fairview. , Bell Electronics Frazer Heathkit Electronic Center McKeesport Barno Radio Norristown Computer Comer Philadelphia Heathkit Electronic Center Philadelphia Spectrum Electronics Phoenixville Stevens TV & Electric Pittsburgh Heathkit Electronic Center Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Computer Store Pittsburgh South Hills Electronics Pittsburgh. The Computer House York. G.Y.C. Co. RHODE ISLAND Cranston Jabbour Electronics Pawtucket Jabbour Electronics Providence Hope Electronics Warwick Heathkit Electronic Center TENNESSEE Bristol. . Shields Electronics Concord National Electronics Cookeville Wagnon's Stereo Center Dyersburg Warren Radio Knoxville Shield's Electronic Supply Memphis Bluff City Electronics Memphis Memphis Amateur Electronics Memphis Warren Radio Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Radio & Eiect. Murfreesboro Standard Auto Parts Nashville Eddie Warners Parts Co. Nashville Electra Dist. Co. Oak Ridge Mr. Radio Oak Ridge National Electronics Smyrna Delker Electronics Tullahoma H&H Electronics TEXAS Brownsville George's Electronic Mart Dallas Heathkit Electronic Center Enid Trice Electronics Fort Worth Heathkit Electronic Center Harligen George's Electronic Mart Houston Heathkit Electronic Center Lubbock Trice Electronics McAllen Carlos Franco Electronics McAllen George's Electronic Mart Richardson Martin Wholesale Electronics Richardson Trice Electronics San Antonio C&K Electronics San Antonio Heathkit Electronic Center Waco L&M Wholesale UTAH Midvale Heathkit Electronic Center Ogden Carter Supply Co. Provo Alpine Electronic Supply Salt Lake City Best Distributing Salt Lake City Kimbal! Electronics Salt Lake City Mountain Coin Distributing Salt Lake City RA-ELCO Inc. VERMONT Burlington Greylock Electronics Essex Junction I.E.S. Lafayette Radio VIRGINIA Alexandria Heathkit Electronic Center Annandale Arcade Electronics Arlington Arlington Electronic Wholesalers Blacksburg Scotty's Radio & TV Charlottesville Graves Electronics Falls Church Crossroad Elect Wholesalers Harrisonburg Electrical Wholesalers Hopewell B&G Electronics Lynchburg Electronic Service Co. Norfolk Avec Electronics Norfolk Cain Electronics Norfolk Priest Electronics Richmond Avec Electronics Roanoke Avec Electronics Vienna. Electronic Equipment Bank Virginia Beach Heathkit Electronic Center Woodbridge EG.E. WASHINGTON Bellevue A.B.C. Communications Bellingham Cascade Electronics Everett. A.B.C. Communications Hoquaim Harbor Electronics Kennewick. C&J Electronic Kent Electronic Supermart Moses Lake Ron's Electronics Olympia The Electronic Shop Pasco. Radio Shack Pullman H&O Electronics Richland Radio Shack Seattle A.B.C. Communications Seattle Amateur Radio Supply Seattle Electronic Supply Co. Seattle Heathkit Electronic Center Spokane D.S.C. Sales Spokane Personal Computer Tacoma C&G Bectronics Tukwila Heathkit Electronic Center Vancouver Heathkit Electronic Center WEST VIRGINIA Elkins Williams Electronics Fairmont T.P.S. Electronics Morgantown Computer Corner Morgantown Electro Dist Co. Morgantown State Electronics Wheeling Industronics WISCONSIN Kenosha Chester Electronic Supply Milwaukee Amateur Electronic Supply Milwaukee Heathkit Electronic Center Milwaukee Olson Electronics WYOMING Rock Springs. D.C. Electronics FOREIGN Guam: Agana Marianas Electronics . . Electronica Pan Americana Sonitel SA Tropelco SA Puerto Rico: Rio Pedras Microcomputer Store Puerto Rico: Rio Pedras Radio Shack Singapore Applied Digital Systems West Indies: Trinidad. . . , The Hobby Centre For Distributor Information, write or phone JIM-PAK, 1355 Shoreway Road, Belmont, CA 94002 [415] 595-5936 AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS 534 BYTE March 1984 Circle 198 on inquiry card. electronic components | 1355SHOREWAY ROAD BELMONT, CA 94002 Competitive Prices Distributors Welcome Authorized JiM-PAK Distributors For information calf (415) 595-5936 Telex #176043 CONNECTORS AND ACCESSORIES ft DOUBLE-ROW MALE HEADERS • Solder to PC boards for instant plug-in access ■ .025" square posts on a .1 0" x .1 0" matrix Part No. Description 923862R 20 post double row male 923863 R 26 post double row male 923864R 34 post double row male 923865R 40 post double row male 923866R 50 post double row male GENDER ^iaJl^ ■ • i * w CHANGERS ^j Used to connect 2 cables which have the same gender. Part No. Description JRSM-M Connects 2 male (DB25P) cables JRSF-F Connects 2 female (DB25S) cables D-SUB CONNECTORS SOLDER-TYPE CONTACTS Part No. Description DE9P 9 Pin Plug DE9S 9 Pin Socket DE9H Hood for DE9 Series Connectors DA15P 15 Pin Plug DA15S 15 Pin Socket DA1 5H Hood for DA15 Series Connectors DB25P 25 Pin Plug (Meets RS232) DB25S 25 Pin Socket (Meets RS232) DB25H Hood for DB25 Series Connectors DC37P 37 Pin Plug DC37S 37 Pin Socket DC37H Hood for DC37 Series Connectors DD50P 50 Pin Plug DD50S 50 Pin Socket DD50H Hood for DD50 Series Connectors DATA BOOKS Part No. Description 210830 Intel Memory 2 1 0844 Intel Microprocessor 30001 National CMOS 30003 National Linear 30005 National TTL Logic 30009 Intersil Data 3001 3 Zilog Microprocessor SPEAKER 1-3/16" Square • 5/32" Thick 8 Ohm • .40 Watt ■ Stainless steel diaphragm * Ultra Slim • For alarms, music sounds, telephone equipment, computers, speech aids, etc. Part No. TS30S W JOYSTICKS Part No. Description MICRO CHARTS Instant Data on the Most Popular Computer and Microprocessor Parts • Fully decoded data • Compact 8V2"x 11" size • Durable credit card plastic • Clear and concise two-sided tables for: Full instruction set, disassembly, ASCII, base conversion, pinout & much more... Part No. Description MLZ80 Z80CPU ML6502 6502 (65XX) ML7400 5400/7400 TTL Pinouts ML8080A 8080A/8085A JE750 4-Digit Fluorescent Alarm Clock Kit The JE750 Alarm Clock Kit is a versatile 1 2- hour digital clock with 24-hour alarm. The clock has a bright 0.5" high blue-green fluorescent display. The display will auto- matically dim with changing light condi- tions. The 24-hour alarm allows the user to disable the alarm and immediately re- enable the alarm to activate 24 hours later. The kit includes all documentation, case and wall transformer. Other features: flash- ing colon, alarm tone 500Hz once per sec., 10 minute snooze alarm, am/pm indicator. Size: 6 5 / 8 "L x 3Y4"H x 1 3 A"D. Part No. JE750 Kit Insulation Displacement Connectors Dip Plug Connectors Part No. Description 609-1 4 1 4 Contact Dip Plug Connector 609-1 6 1 6 Contact Dip Plug Connector 609-24 24 Contact Dip Plug Connector 609-40 40 Contact Dip Plug Connector Socket Connectors Mates 2 rows of .025" sq. dia. posts on patterns of .1 00" centers. Part No. Description S20 20 Contact Socket Connector S26 26 Contact Socket Connector S34 34 Contact Socket Connector S40 40 Contact Socket Connector S50 50 Contact Socket Connector Card-Edge Connectors Mates with double-sided 1/16" PC board with contact fingers on .100" centers. Part No. Description C20 20 Contact Card-Edge Connector C26 26 Contact Card-Edge Connector C34 34 Contact Card-Edge Connector C40 40 Contact Card-Edge Connector C50 50 Contact Card-Edge Connector D-Sub Connectors Part No. Description CDE9P CDE9S CDA15P CDA15S CDB25P CDB25S CDC37P CDC37S 9 Contact 9 Contact 1 5 Contact 1 5 Contact 25 Contact 25 Contact 37 Contact 37 Contact Plug Socket Plug Socket Plug Socket Plug Socket ra JS1 00K 1 00K Linear Taper Pots (with knob) JS1 50K 1 50K Linear Taper Pots (with knob) JVC-40 40K Video Controller in case (w/knob) DIODES CRYSTALS TRANSISTORS SOCKETS KITS SWITCHES RESISTORS LEDS HEAT SINKS KEYBOARDS WIRE SPEAKERS TOOLS CORDS SOLDER IC'S BOOKS CAPACITORS and more... CENTRONICS Part No. <=3 Solder Type Insulation Displacement Type Description ''"'illlllllllJ CEN36M 36 Contact Male-Insulation Displace. CEN36F 36 Contact Female-Insulation Displace. 57-30360 36 Contact Male - Solder 57-60360 36 Contact Female - Solder INSULATION DISPLACEMENT CABLE ASSEMBLIES Part No. Description S20-36 20-pin 36" Single-End Socket S26-36 26-pin 36" Single-End Socket S34-36 34-pin 36" Single-End Socket S40-36 40-pin 36" Single-End Socket S50-36 50-pin 36" Single-End Socket S20-6-S 20-pin 6" Double-Ended Socket S20-1 8-S 20-pin 1 8" Double-Ended Socket S26-1 8-S 26-pin 1 8" Double-Ended Socket S50-1 8-S 50-pin 1 8" Double-Ended Socket DB25P-1 0-P 25-pin male 1 0' Double-Ended Plug DB25P-1 0-S 25-pin male 1 0' 25-pin female CEN36M-5 36-pin Centronics 5' male CEN36M-5-F 36-pin Centronics 5' male to female CEN36M-5-M 36-pin Centronics 5' male to male Circle 198 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 535 64K DYNAMIC 200 NS $5» TIYIM2016 2KX8 STATIC 200 NS STATIC RAMS 12101 (5101 2102-1 2102L-4 2102L-2 2111 2112 2114 2114-25 2114L-4 2114L-3 2114L-2 TC5514 TC5516 I 2147 | TMS4044-4 TMS4044-3 TMS4044-2 ] MK4118 TMM2016 200 TMM2016-150 TMM2016-100 HM6116-4 HM6116-3 HM6116-2 HM6116LP-4 HM6116LP-3 HM6116LP-2 Z-6132 HM6264 256x4 256x4 1024 x 1 1024 x 1 1024 x 1 256x4 256x4 1024x4 1024 x 4 1024 x 4 1024 x 4 1024 x 4 1024x4 2048 x 6 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 1024 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 4096 x 8 8192x8 LP ~ Low Power (450ns) (450ns) (cmos) (450ns) (450ns) (LP) (250ns) (LP) (450ns) (450ns) (450ns) (250ns) (450ns) (LP) (300ns) (LP) (200ns) (LP) (650ns) (cmos) (250ns) (cmos) (55ns) (450ns) (300ns) (200ns) (250ns) (200ns) (150ns) (100ns) (200ns) (cmos) (150ns) (cmos) (120ns) (cmos) (200ns) (cmosKLP) (150ns) (cmos)(LP) (120ns) (cmos)(LP) (300ns) (Qstal) (150ns) (cmos) Qstat = Quasi-Static 1.95 3.95 .89 .99 1.49 2.49 2.99 8/9.95 8/10.95 8/12.95 8/13.45 8/13.95 2.49 9.95 4.95 3.49 3.99 4.49 9.95 4.15 4.95 6.15 4.75 4.95 8.95 5.95 6.95 10.95 34.95 49.95 EPROMS CRYSTALS 1702 2708 2758 2716 2716-1 TMS2516 TMS2716 TMS2532 2732 2732-250 2732-200 2732A-4 2732A 2732A-2 2764 2764-250 2764-200 TMS2564 MCM68764 MCM68766 27128 256 x 8 1024 x 8 1024 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 2048 x 8 4096 x 8 4096 x 8 4096 x 8 4096 x 8 4096 x 8 4096 x 8 4096 x 6 8192 x 8 8192x8 8192x8 8192x8 8192x8 8192 x 8 16384 x 8 <1us) (450ns) (450ns) (450ns) (350ns) (450ns) (450ns) (450ns) (450ns) (250ns) (200ns) (450ns) (250ns) (200ns) (450ns) (250ns) (200ns) (450ns) (450ns) (350ns) (300ns) (Sv) (5v) (5v) <5v) (Sv) (5v) (Sv) <5v) (5v)(21vPGM) (5v)(21vPGM) (5v)(21vPGM) (5v) (Sv) <5v) (Sv) (5v) (24 pin) (5 v) (24 pin)(pwr dn.) (Sv) 4.50 1 3.95 I 5.95 I 3.95 I 5.95 I 5.50 I 7.95 I 5.95 I 4.95 I 8.95 [ 11.95 I 6.95 I 9.95 [ 13.95 6.95 7.95 19.95 I 14.95 39.95 I 42.95 29.95 I 5v Single 5 Volt Supply 21 vPGM Program at 21 Volts! DYNAMIC RAMS EPROM ERASERS BSPECTROIMICS CORPORATION Capacity Intensity TMS4027 UPD411 MM52B0 MK4108 MM5298 14116-300 4116-250 4116-200 4116-150 4116-120 12118 I MK4332 | 4164-200 4164-150 MCM6665 ITMS4164-15 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 4096 x 1 8192 x 1 8192 x 1 16364 x 1 16384 x 1 16384 x 1 16384 x 1 16384 x 1 16384 x 1 32768 x 1 65536 x 1 65536 x 1 65536 x 1 65536 x 1 (250ns) (300ns) (300ns) (200ns) (250ns) (300ns) (250ns) (200ns) (150ns) (120ns) (150ns) (5v) (200ns) (200ns) (5v) (150ns) (5v) (200ns) (5v) (150ns) (Sv) 1.99 3.00 I 3.00 | 1.95 1.85 8/11.75 1 8/7.95 8/12.95 I 8/14.95 I 8/29.95 I 4.95 I 9.95 I 5.95 I 6.95 I 8.95 1 8.95 I Timer Chip (uW/Cm 2 ) PE-14 9 8,000 83.00 PE-14T X 9 8,000 119.00 PE-24T X 12 9,600 175.00 PL-265T X 30 9,600 255.00 PR-125T X 25 17,000 349.00 PR-320T X 42 17,000 595.00. SV = single 5 volt supply * computer managed inventory - virtually no bach orders! * very comoetitiue prices! • Friendly staff! • Fast service — most orders shipped within 24 hours! 6800 6500 I 68000 1 6800 6802 6803 6808 6809E 6809 6810 6820 6821 6828 I 6840 ] 6843 I 6844 16845 6847 6850 6852 6860 6875 I 6880 16883 I 68047 | 68488 6800 49.95 I 2.95 I 7.95 1 19.95 1 13.90 I 14.95 I 11.95 1 2.95 I 4.35 1 2.95 I 14.95 I 12.95 I 34.95 I 25.95 I 14.95 I 11.95 I 3.25 I 5.75 I 7.95 6.95 2.25 I 22.95 I 24.95 I 19.95 | 1MHZ 6502 6504 6505 6507 6520 6522 6532 6545 6551 2 | 6502A 6522A 6532A 6545A 6551A 6.95 1 9.95 1 11.951 27.95 I 11-95 I 9.9sJ DISC I CONTROLLERS I 68B00 10.95 68B02 22.25 68B09E 29.95 68B09 29.95 68B10 6.95 68B21 6.95 68B40 19.95 68B45 19.95 66B50 5.95 68B00 2 MHZ 1771 1791 1793 179S 1797 2791 2793 2795 2797 6843 8272 UPD765 MB8876 MB8877 1691 L2143 16.95 24.95 26.95 29.95 49.95 I 54.95 54.95 I 59.95 59.95 I 34.95 I 39.95 I 39.95 I 29.95 I 34.95 I 17.95 I I8.95J r 8000 W 8035 5.95 8039 5.95 INS-8060 17.95 INS-8073 49.95 8080 3.95 6085 4.95 8085A-2 1 1 .95 8086 24.95 8087 CALL 8088 29.95 8089 89.95 8155 6.95 8155-2 7.95 8156 6.95 8185 29.95 8185-2 39.95 8741 29.95 8748 24.95 .8755 24.95 r CRT CONTROLLERS 6845 14.95 68B45 19.95 HD46505SP 15.95 6847 11.95 MC1372 6.95 68047 24.95 8275 29.95 7220 99.95 CRT5Q27 19.95 CRT5037 24.95 TMS9918A 39.95 t DPS 350 49.95 8200 8202 24.95 8203 39.95 8205 3.50 8212 1.80 8214 3.85 8216 1.75 8224 2.25 8226 1.80 8228 3.49 8237 19.95 8237-5 21.95 8238 4.49 8243 4.45 8250 10.95 82S1 4.49 8253 6.95 8253-5 7.95 8255 4.49 8255-5 5.25 8257 7.95 8257-5 8.95 8259 6.90 8259-5 7.50 8271 79.95 8272 39.95 8275 29.95 8279 8.95 8279-5 10.00 8282 6.50 8263 6.50 8284 5.50 8286 6.S0 8287 6.50 8288 25.00 8289 49.95, Z-80 2.5 Mhz zoo-CPU z8o-ctc z8o-dart zso-DMA zso-pio Z 80- SI O/0 Z80-SIO/1 Z80-SIO/2 Z80-SIO/9 3.95 1 3.95 1 10.95 14.95 I 3.95 I 11.95 I 1 1 .95 11.95 I 11.95 I 4.0 Mhz zaoA-cpu Z80a-ctc z8oa-dart z8oa-dma z8oa-pio z8oa-sio/o Z80A-SIO/1 Z80A-SIO/2 Z80A-SIO/9 4.49 I 4.95 9.95 12.95 4.49 12.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 6.0 Mhz zsoB-cpu z8ob-ctc zsoB-pio zsob-dart Z8OB-S10/2 ZILOG Z6132 34.95 I Z8671 39.95J 9.95 12.95 12.95 19.95 39.95 I 32.768 khz 1.95 1.0 mhz 3.95 1.8432 3.95 2.0 2.95 2.097152 2.95 2.4576 2.95 3.2768 2.95 3.579545 2.95 4.0 2.95 5.0 2.95 5.0686 2.95 5.185 2.95 5.7143 2.95 6.0 2.95 6.144 2.95 6.5536 2.95 8.0 2.95 10.0 2.95 10.738635 2.95 14.31818 2.95 15.0 2.95 16.0 2.95 17.430 2.95 18.0 2.95 18.432 2.95 20.0 2.95 22.1164 2.95 ^2.0 2.95 ^UART^^ AY3-1014 6.95 AY5-1013 3.95 AY3-1015 6.95 PT1472 9.95 TR1602 3.95 2350 9.95 2651 8.95 IM6402 7.95 IM6403 8.95 INS8250 10.95 GENERATORS BIT-RATE MC14411 11.95 BR1941 11.95 4702 12.95 COM5016 16.95 COM8116 10.95 MM5307 10.95 CMOS FUNCTION I MC4024 3.95 LM566 1.49 i XR2206 3.75 L8038 3.95 MISC. UPD7201 TMS99532 ULN2003 3242 3341 MC3470 MC3480 11C90 95H90 2513-001 UP 12513-002 LOW 29.95 I 29.95 I 2.49 I 7.95 I 4.95 I 4.95 I 9.00 I 13.95 I 7.951 9.95 I 9.95J CLOCK CIRCUITS MM5314 MM5369 MM5375 MM58167 MM58174 LMSM5832 4.95 1 3.95 I 4.95 I 12.95 I 11.95 I 3.95J KEYBOARD CHIPS I AY5-2376 11.95 I AY5-3600 11.95 I LAY5-3600PRO 11.95J 4000 4001 4002 4006 4007 4008 4009 4010 4011 4012 4013 4014 4015 4016 4017 4018 4019 4020 4021 4022 4023 4024 4025 4026 4027 4028 4029 4030 4034 4035 4040 4041 4042 4043 4044 4046 4047 4049 4050 4051 4053 4060 4066 4068 4069 4070 4071 4072 4073 4075 4076 4078 4081 4082 4085 4086 4093 4098 4099 14409 14410 14411 14412 14419 14433 4502 4503 4508 4510 4511 4512 4514 4515 4516 4518 4519 4520 4522 4526 4527 .29 .25 .25 .89 .29 .95 .39 .45 .25 .25 .38 .79 .39 .39 .69 .79 .39 .75 .79 .79 .29 .65 .29 1.65 .45 .69 .79 .39 1.95 .85 .75 .75 .69 .85 .79 .85 .95 .35 .35 .79 .79 .89 .39 .39 .29 .35 .29 .29 .29 .29 .79 .29 .29 .29 .95 .95 .49 2.49 1.95 12.95 12.95 11.95 12.95 7.95 14.95 .95 .65 1.95 .85 .85 .85 1.25 1.79 1.55 .89 .39 .79 1.25 1.25 1.95 4528 4531 4532 4538 4539 4541 4543 4553 4555 4556 4581 4582 4584 4585 4702 74C00 74C02 74C04 74C08 74C10 74C14 74C20 74C30 74C32 74C42 74C48 74C73 74C74 74C76 74C83 74C85 74C86 74C89 74C90 74C93 74C95 74C107 74C150 74C151 74C154 74C157 74C160 74C161 74C162 74C163 74C164 74C165 74C173 74C174 74C175 74C192 74C193 74C195 74C200 74C221 74C244 74C373 74C374 74C901 74C902 74C903 74C905 74C906 74C907 74C908 74C909 74C910 74C911 74C912 74C914 74C915 74C918 74C920 74C921 74C922 74C923 74C925 74C926 74C928 74C929 1.19 .95 1.95 1.95 1.95 2.64 1.19 5.79 .95 .95 1.95 1.95 .75 .75 12.95 .35 .35 .35 .35 .35 .59 .35 .35 .39 1.29 1.99 .65 .65 .80 1.95 1.95 .39 4.50 1.19 1.75 .99 .89 5.75 2.25 3.25 1.75 1.19 1.19 1.19 1.19 1.39 2.00 .79 1.19 1.19 1.49 1.49 1.39 5.75 1.75 2.25 2.45 2.45 .39 .85 .85 10.95 .95 1.00 2.00 2.75 9.95 8.95 8.95 1.95 1.19 2.75 17.95 15.95 4.49 4.95 5.95 7.95 7.95 19.95, JDR Microdevices 1224 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128 800-538-5000 • 800-662-6279 (CA) (408) 995-5430 • Telex 171-110 VISIT OUR RETAIL STORE HOURS: M-W-F, 9-5 T-Th., 9-9 Sat. 10-3 PLEASE USE YOUR CUSTOMER NUMBER WHEN ORDERING TERMS: Minimum order $10. For shipping and handling include $2.50 tor UPS Ground and $3.50 for UPS Air. Orders over 1 lb. and foreign orders may require additional shipping charges — please contact our sales department for the amount. CA residents must include 6% sales tax, Bay Area and LA residents include 6V»%, Prices subject to change without notice. We are not responsible for typographical errors. We reserve the right to limit quantities and to substitute manufacturer. All merchandise subject to prior sale. 536 BYTE March 1984 Circle 195 on inquiry card. 16K EPROMS aii6 25 o NS 8/3795 RF MODULATOR {ASTEC UM1082) QUANTITIES LIMITED • PRESET TO CHANNEL 3 NOW • USE TO BUILD ONLY TV-COMPUTER INTERFACE • +5 VOLT OPERATION POWER SUPPLIES IDEAL FOR HOBBYIST. BENCHWORK & DO-IT-YOUR- SELFERS! 90-DAY WARRANTY! NEW & UNUSED! QUANTITIES LIMITED! $695 ASTEC AA1 1190 QUAD OUTPUT SWITCHING DESIGN AS USED IN APPLE III +5 @ 4A; -5 @ .25A +12 @ 2.5A; -12 @ .30A; 15.5"x4.5"x2" SIGMA INSTRUMENTS Model 2PC2241 I* DESIGNED FOR DEC EQUIPMENT * FUSE PROTECTED • LINEAR DESIGN • AUXILIARY AC OUTLET I* +5 @ 4A; -15V @ 1.5A; 12.25"x4"x4.75" NOW ONLY $59 90 NOW ONLY $1995 OUR BUYER BLEW IT... BOUGHT TOO MANY OF THESE! I 14116 250NS 8/7.95 CAPACITORS TANTALUM 6V 10V 15V 20V 25V 35V 22uf .40 .27 .40 .33 .40 .47 .35 .50 .60 .45 1.0 .40 .40 .45 .45 1.5 .45 .50 1.8 .75 2.2 .35 .40 .45 .65 2.7 .40 .45 .90 3.3 .45 .50 .55 .60 .65 3.9 .45 4.7 .45 .55 .60 .65 .85 6.8 .70 .75 8.2 1.00 10 .55 .65 .80 .85 .90 1.00 12 .65 .85 .90 15 .75 .85 .90 18 1.25 22 1.00 1.35 27 2.25 39 1.50 47 1.35 56 1.75 100 3.25 270 3.75 DISC 10pf 22 25 27 33 47 56 68 82 100 220 330 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V .05 .05 .05 .05 05 .05 .05 .05 05 ,05 .05 470 560 680 820 .001 ill .0015 .0022 .005 .01 .02 .05 .1 .1 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V 50V MONOLITHIC .1ul-mono 50V .18 .047ut-mono50V .15 ELECTROLYTIC .05 .05 .05 50V .05 50V .05 50V .05 50V .05 .05 .07 .07 50V .07 12V .10 50V .12 .47uf-mono 50V .25 .01uf-mono 50V .14 ,47uf 1 2.2 4.7 10 47 100 220 470 2200 RADIAL 50V 25V 35V 50V 50V 35V 16V 35V 25V 16V .14 .14 .15 .15 .15 .18 .18 .20 .30 .60 COMPUTER GRADE 26,000ut 30V 3.95 1ut 4.7 10 10 22 47 100 100 150 220 330 500 1000 1500 6000 AXIAL 50V 16V 16V 50V 16V 50V 15V 35V 25V 25V 16V 16V 16V 16V 16V .14 .14 .14 .16 .14 .20 .20 .25 .25 .30 .40 .42 .60 .70 .85 OPTO-ISOLATORS MICRODEVICES BYPASS CAPS IC SOCKETS 4N26 4N27 4N28 4N33 4N35 4IM37 MCT-2 LwCT-6 1.00 1.10 .69 1.75 1.25 1.25 1.00 1.50 MCA-7 MCA-255 1L-1 ILA-30 ILQ-74 H11C5 TIL-111 TIL-113 4.25 1.75 1.25 1.25 2.75 1.25 1.00 1.75J 1N751 1N759 1N4148 1N4004 KBP02 KBP04 LVM48 DIODES 5.1 volt zener 12.0 volt zener (1N914) switching 400P1V rectifier 200PIV 1.5amp bridge 400PIV 1. Samp bridge Dip-Bridge .25 .25 25/1.00 10/1.00 .45 .55 .35, NEW UN-USED MUFFIN FANS 1 4.68" Square | 3.125" Square HEAT SINKS I TO-3 style | TO-220 style SWITCHES I SPDT mini-toggle I DPDT mini-toggle LsPST mini-pushbutton 14.95 14.95 .95 1 .35 I 1 25 I 1.50 I 39J I'll IVIICROPRICES TRANSISTORS 2N918 MPS918 2N2102 2N2218 2N2218A 2N2219 2N2219A 2N2222 PN2222 MPS2369 2N2484 2N2905 2N2907 PN2907 2N3055 3055T 2N3393 2N3414 2N3563 2N3565 PN3565 MPS3638 MPS3640 PN3643 PN3644 MPS3704 .50 .25 .75 .50 .50 .50 .50 .25 .10 .25 .25 .50 .25 .125 .79 .69 .30 .25 .40 .40 .25 .25 .25 .25 .25 .15 MPS3706 2N3772 2N3903 2N3904 2N3906 2N4122 2N4123 2N4249 2N4304 2N4401 2N4402 2N4403 2N4857 PN4916 2N5086 PN5129 PN5139 2N5209 2N6028 2N6043 2N6045 MPS-A05 MPS-A06 MPS-A55 TIP29 TIP31 TIP32 .15 1.85 .25 .10 .10 .25 .25 .25 .75 .25 .25 .25 1.00 .25 .25 .25 .25 .25 .35 1.75 1.75 .25 .25 .25 .65 .75 .79 J .01 UF DISC .01 UF MONOLITHIC .1 UF DISC ..1 UF MONOLITHIC 100/6.00 I 100/12.00 I 100/8.00 I 100/1 5. 00 J LED LAMPS JUMBO RED JUMBO GREEN I JUMBO YELLOW L.ED MOUNTING HARDWARE 1-99 .10 .18 .18 .10 100-up .09 .15 .15 .09 LED DISPLAYS HP 5082-7760 .43" CC 1.29 MAN 72 .3" CA .99 MAN 74 .3" CC .99 FND-357 (359) .375' CC 1.25 FND-500 (503) .5" CC 1.49 FND~507<510) .5" CA 1.49 TIL-311 4x7 .270" HEX W/LOGIC 9.95 RESISTORS Vs WATT 5% CARBON FILM ALL STANDARD VALUES FROM 1 OHM TO 10 MEG OHM 50 PCS. SAME VALUE .025 | 100 PCS. SAME VALUE .02 L1000 PCS. SAME VALUE .015 J 8 pin ST .13 14 pin ST .15 16 pin ST .17 18 pin ST .20 20 pin ST .29 22 pin ST .30 24 pin ST .30 28 pin ST .40 40 pin ST .49 64 pin ST 4.25 100 .11 .12 .13 .18 .27 .27 .27 .32 .39 ST - SOLDERTAIL 8 pin WW .59 .49 14 pin WW .69 .52 16 pin WW .69 .58 18 pin WW .99 90 I 20 pin WW 1.09 .98 22 pin WW 1.39 1.28 24 pin WW 1.49 1.35 28 pin WW 1.69 1.49 40 pin WW 1.99 1.80 WW = WIREWRAP 16 pin ZIF 5.95 call 24 pin ZIF 7.95 call I 28 pin ZIF 6.95 call ZIF = TEXTOOL (Zero Insertion Force) DIP SWITCHES l 4 POSITION .85 5 POSITION 6 POSITION 7 POSITION { 8 POSITION .90 .90 .95 .95 .1. T JDR Microdevices 1224 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128 800-538-5000 • 800-662-6279 (CA) (408) 995-5430 • Telex 171-110 VISIT OUR RETAIL STORE HOURS: M-W-F, 9-5 T-Th., 9-9 Sat. 10-3 PLEASE USE YOUR CUSTOMER NUMBER WHEN ORDERING TERMS: Minimum order $10. For shipping and handling include $2.50 lor UPS Ground and $3.50 lor UPS Air. Orders over 1 lb. and foreign orders may require additional shipping charges — please contact our sales department tor the amount. CA residents must include 6% sales tax. Bay Area and LA residents include 6 V/°. Prices subject to change without notice. We are not responsible tor typographical errors. We reserve the right to limit quantities and to substitute manufacturer. All merchandise subject to prior s ' © Copyright 1984 JDR Microdevices 538 BYTE March 1984 Circle 196 on inquiry card. 2732 32K EPROM 2764 64K EPROM MICROCOMPUTER HARDWARE HANDBOOK FROM ELCOMP — $14.95 Over 800 pages of manufacturers data | sheets on most commonly used IC's. Includes: * TTL — 74/74LS and 74F * CMOS • Voltage Regulators * Memory — RAM, ROM, EPROM | • CPU's — 6800, 6500, Z80, 8080, 8085, 8086/8 • MPU support & interface — 6800, 6500, 280, 8200, etc. BEST SELLING BOOKS OSBORNE/MC GRAW-HILL | Apple II Users Guide 16.95 CRT Controller's Handbook 9.95 | 68000 Assembly Language Programming 16.99 CBASIC User Guide 15.00 | SYBEX Your First Computer 8.95 I The CP/M Handbook 14.95 The PASCAL Handbook 18.95 | Microprocessor Interfacing Techniques 17.95J TRANSFORMERS FRAME STYLE I 12.6VAC 2amp 4.95 I 12.6VACCT 2amp 5.95 12.6VACCT 4amp 7.95 12.6VAC CT 8amp 10.95 |25.2VACCT 2amp 7.95 1 PLUG CASE STYLE 12V AC 250ma 3.95 12VAC 500ma 4.95 12VAC lamp 5.95 12VAC 2amp 6.95 DC ADAPATER 6, 9, 12 VDC selectable with universal adapter 8.95 J NOTE: Please include sufficient amount for | Lshipping on above items. DISK DRIVES TANDON I TM100-1 m- (for ibm) ss/dd 229.00 I [TM100-2 5% (FOR IBM) DS/DD 259.00 1 SHUGART I SA 400L 5% (40 TRACK) SS/DD 1 99.95 1 I SA 400 5/4 (35 TRACK) SS/DD 1 89.95 1 PERTEC I FD-200 5% ss/dd 1 79.95 1 I FD-250 5% ds/dd 199.95 1 MPI | MP-52 5% (FOR IBM) DS/DD 249.00 1 NOTE: Please include sufficient amount tor shipping on above items. FD 100-8 SHUGART 801 EQUIV. SS/DD — 10/$1 75 EA. 8-INCH DISK DRIVE SALE FD 200-8 SHUGART 851 EQUIV. DS/DD — 10/$220EA. $18900 $23900 EDGE-CARD I CONNECTORS | I S-100ST S-100WW 72 pin ST 72 pin WW I 50 pin ST 44 pin ST 144 pin WW 3.95 I 4.95 I 6.95 I 7.95 I 4.95 I 2.95 I 4.95J VFSA CABINETS FOR CABINET #1 *29.95 I • DIMENSIONS 8% x 5^e x 3W • COLOR MATCHES APPLE I* FITS STANDARD 5 1 /4" DRIVES, INCL. SHUGART INCLUDES MOUNTING HARDWARE AND FEET I NOTE: Please include sufficient amount for I shipping on above items. 5W DISK DRIVES CABINET #2 $ 79.00 • COMPLETE WITH POWER SUPPLY, SWITCH, LINE CORD, FUSE & STANDARD POWER CONNECTOR • DIMENSIONS: 11 «.* 5% x3W I • +5V@1 AMP, +12V@1.5AMP • FITS STANDARD §W DRIVES | • PLEASE SPECIFY GRAY OR TAN VISIT DURING OUR EXPANDED RETAIL STORE HOURS SATURDAY 10 to 3 CENTRONICS | IDCEN36 Ribbon Cable 36 Pin Male 8.95 IDCEN36/F Ribbon Cable 36 Pin Female 8.95 LCEN36 Solder Cup 36 Pin Male 7.95 DIP CONNECTORS DESCRIPTION HIGH RELIABILITY TOOLED ST IC SOCKETS ORDER BY CONTACTS 8 14 16 18 20 22 24 28 40 AUGATxx-ST .99 .99 1.69 1 89 1.89 1.99 249 2.99 COMPONENT CARRIERS (DIP HEADERS) ICCxx .65 .75 .85 1,00 1.25 1.25 1.35 1.50 2.10 RIBBON CABLE DIP PLUGS (IDC) For order instructions see "IDC Connectors' 1.45 1.65 2.50 4.15 below. RIBBON CABLE CONTACTS SINGLE COLOR COLOR CODED V 10' V 10' 10 .50 4.40 .83 7.30 16 .55 4.80 1.00 8.80 20 .65 5.70 1.25 11.00 25 .75 6.60 1.32 11.60 26 .75 6.60 1.32 11.60 34 .98 8.60 1.65 14.50 40 1.32 11.60 1,92 16.80 50 1.38 12.10 2.50 22.00 D-SUBMINIATURE DESCRIPTION SOLDER CUP RIGHT ANGLE PC SOLDER IDC RIBBON CABLE HOODS MALE FEMALE MALE FEMALE MALE FEMALE BLACK GREY ORDER BY DBxxP DBxxS DBxxPR DBxxSR IDBxxP IDBxxS HOOD-B HOOD CONTACTS 9 15 25 37 50 2.08 2.69 2.50 4.80 6.06 2.66 3.63 3.25 7.11 9.24 1.65 2.20 3.00 4.83 2.18 3.03 4.42 6.19 3.37 4.70 6.23 9.22 3.69 5.13 6.84 10.08 1.25 1.60 1.60 1.25 2.95 3.50 For order instructions see "IDC Connectors" below. MOUNTING HARDWARE 1.00 IDC CONNECTORS DESCRIPTION SOLDER HEADER RIGHT ANGLE SOLDER HEADER WW HEADER RIGHT ANGLE WW HEADER RIBBON HEADER SOCKET RIBBON HEADER RIBBON EDGE CARD ORDER BY IDHxxS IDHxxSR IDHxxW IDHxxWR IDSxx IDMxx IDExx CONTACTS 10 20 26 34 40 50 .82 1.29 1.68 2.20 2.58 3.24 .85 1.35 1.76 2.31 2.72 3.39 1.86 2.98 3.84 4.50 5.28 6.63 2.05 3.28 4.22 4.45 4.80 7.30 1.15 1.86 2.43 3.15 3.73 4.65 5.50 6.25 7.00 7.50 8.50 2.25 2.36 2.65 3.25 3.80 4.74 ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS: Insert the number of contacts in the position marked "xx" of the "order by" part number listed. Example: A 10 pin right angle solder style header would be IDH10SR. Copyright 1984 JOR Microdevlt Circle 196 on inquiry card. BYTE March 1984 539 FOR APPLE COMPUTER USERS SKI JDR Microdevices JDR 16K RAM CARD FOR APPLE II+ I • Expand your 48K Apple to 64K I * Fully compatible with Apple Language System — Use ] in place of Apple Language card I* Highest quality card features: gold edge connector, I sockets for all IC's, I* 2 YEAR WARRANTY Kit with Instructions $40.95 i Bare PC Card $14.95 $4495 BET SLIM IN JDR HALF-HEIGHT DISK DRIVE | • 35 Track if used with Apple Controller | • 40 Track Controller and DOS Available (Call for Price) $209^ MA SVSTCMS lFD-35 DISK DRIVE I *199 95 I • Shugart Mechanism — Made in U.S.A. | • Direct Replacement for Apple Disk II | * Compatible with Apple Controller or other Apple | compatible controllers |* Specially designed electronics with low power | consumption I* DOS3.3and3.2compatible | | * One Year Warranty | CONTROLLER CARD $69.95 MasterCard APPLE COMPATIBLE POWER SOPPLV I* Use To Power Apple- Type Systems |*+5V@5A +12V@3A -5V@.5A -12V@.5A I* Instructions Included $7995 BfflC BfflX-80 PRINTER I* 80 CPS Dot Matrix Printer ] • Prints Bi-Directional in 40, 80, 71 or 142 Columns in Normal, Double Width or Compressed I Text. | • Print Superscript As Well As Superb Graphics in Character | or Bit Image nucromax VlEWMAX-80 NOW ONLY $ 159 95 | I* 80ColumnCardforApplell+l • Video Soft Switch • Inverse Video |* 2 Year Warranty VIEWMAX-80e A/EIVM29 95 I* 80 Column Card for Apple lie I • 64K RAM Expandable to 1 28K 1 64K RAM Upgrade $4760 GRAPHMAX *129 95 | I* Hi Resolution Graphics • Printer Card I* Centronics Parallel Interfacel | Graphmax with Color & Zoom Options . . . $ 1 49 95 ' NASHUA DISKETTES 5V«" WITH HUB RING I MD1 SOFT SECTOR, SS/SD 19.95 I I MD1D SOFT SECTOR, SS/DD 26.25 I l MD2D SOFT SECTOR, DS/DD 30.75 I I MD2F SOFT SECTOR, DS/QUAD DENSITY 45.00 I I MD110 10 SECTOR HARD, SS/SD 19.95 I | MD210D 10 SECTOR HARD, DS/DD 30.75 | 8" WITHOUT HUB RING I FD1 SOFT SECTOR, SS/SD 24.75 I | FD1D SOFT SECTOR, SS/DD 30.00 I FD2D SOFT SECTOR, DS/DD 36.75J UERBATim DATALIFE DISKETTES SS/DD SOFT SECTOR $29.95 SS/DD 10 HARD SECTOR $29.95 \5V*" DISKETTE] FILE r ATTRACTIVE, FUNCTIONAL | DISK STORAGE SYSTEM | * 75 DISK STORAGE CAPACITY | • MOLDED FROM' DURABLE | SMOKED PLASTIC WITH FRONT CARRY- ING HANDLE $16"J OTHER ACCESSORIES FOR APPLE II ITHUNDERCLOCK $129.95 1 ]• Real-Time Clock Calendar • Software Included • Mountain Software Compatible • BSR Control Options Available [KRAFT JOYSTICK $39.95j MONITORS BMC MONITOR STAND MODEL PA-900 Your Display Will __ Tilt & Swivel '29.95 MONOCHROME I BMC BM12AUW GREEN 12" $ 89.95 I BMC BM12EUY 18 MHZ AMBER $ 1 39.95 I BMC BM 12EUN 18 MHZ HIGH RES GREEN $ 1 1 5.00 NEC JB1201M- 20 MHZ GREEN . $ 1 69.00 I I ZENITH ZVM-121 - 15 MHZ GREEN $ 99.00 1 COLOR I BMC BM-AU9191U COMPOSITE 13" $ 279.00 | NO CO.D. ORDERS PLEASE VISIT OUR RETAIL STORE JDR Microdevices °?4 S, Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128 800-538-5000 • 800-662-6279 (CA) (408) 995-5430 • Telex 171-110 HOURS: M-W-F, 9-5 T-Th., 9-9 Apple is a trademark ot Apple Computer Corporation Copyright 1984 JDR Mil 540 BYTE March 1984 Circle 197 on inquiry card. Unclassified Ads WANTED: The Association of Radio Reading Services (ARRSj Inc., an organization representing stations that provide radio broadcasts to the blind and handicapped, seeks tax-deductible TRS-80 Model III or 4. We offer receipt; will pay shipping. Kent Bowers, Treasurer, ARRS, 1108 Northeast 36th St., Oklahoma City OK 73111, (405) 521-3514. WANTED: Established, nonprofit educational institution seeks tax-deductible gifts of microcomputer, disk drives, monitor and printer. Will pay shipping. Mary Kane Trochim, Community School of Music and Arts, Whlton House, Ithaca, NY 14850, (607) 272-1474 WANTED: Historic Hudson River church seeks tax-deductible donation of old but functioning personal or small business system for our name list, WP, accounts, etc. We would be happy with almost any disk-based system, such as CP/M, Apple, TRS-80 Models II orjll, etc. Christ Church, Elizabeth St., Tarrytown, NY 10591, (914) 631-9194 WANTED: Newly formed computer club in Philippines seeks correspondence with user's group in America to exchange in- formation on software utilities and applications. Dbrs, Mario Franco Arroyo, 14-D La Salle St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines. WANTED: Herbal Investigation of Pharmacology is a computer club seeking to share information and software about botanical medicine. Herbal Investigation of Pharmacology 2509 North Campbell #9, Tucson, AZ 85719. NEEDED: Nonprofit appropriate-technology organization in a developing country needs technical, engineering, health ser- vice, and bibliographical software for use in Apple/Corvus/Con- dor system. Botswana Technology Centre, Private Bag 0082, Gaborone, Botswana, Southern Africa. FOR SALE: Cromemco C-10 with two disk drives and soft- ware: $1000. Jim O'Toole, 422 South Las Palmas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020, (213) 933-9806. FOR TRADE: Unopened AshtonTate and Base II for Osborne I. Will trade for printer in good condition or S350. Gary Wat- son, R. 1, 903 East Mason Rd„ Milan. OH 44846, (419) 499-2063. WANTED: Computers, peripherals, parts, etc. in hopes that I can put together a working system. I will gratefully accept any- thing; especially interested in DEC or DG minis. Will pay for postage. Bill Donnelly POB 1978, Oroville, CA 95965. FOR SALE: Magic Wand. Doesn't work with my operating system. Only slightly used. Will sell for $120. Br. Brian Kerns, Abbey of the Genesee, Piffard, NY 14533, (716) 243-0660. WANTED: Parts lists and IC numbers for Redactron (mfg. 1970s) (CPU console) Word Processor with two cassette drives and IBM Selectric #745 I/O Quote or send and will reimburse. D. Teste, Box 9064, Newark, NJ 07104. FOR TRADE: Want to swap programs for Apple II Plus. Send your list of programs or games and I'll send mine. Koon-Ping Tong, POB 16274. San Francisco. CA 94116. WANTED: The Twin City TRS-80 User Group (TCTUG) is seek- ing to exchange public-domain programs with other groups or individuals. We accept any TRS-80 disk or tape format but prefer TRSDOS 1.3 format. We will return your disk with programs from our library. TCTUG Library Gary Schlegel, 21581 Creekside Cir- cle. Lakeville. MN 55044. FOR SALE: Hewlett-Packard HP-85A with 514 -inch dual master flexible disk drive, 32K memory advanced programming ROM, Assembler ROM, and other required hardware. John L. Brown, 66 Orange St., Brooklyn, NY 11201. (212) 834-9244. FOR SALE: Sources for BIOS for CP/M 2.2 on Corvus hard disk and dual floppy for CCS 2210; MP/M II XI0S for systems group 2810: MPM/II X10S for CCS 2210 floppy-disk system. All MP/M X10S include LDRBIOS, RESXIOS, and BNKXIOS supplied on 8-inch, single-density floppy disk: $100 each. Steve Mastrianni. Box 2168, Vernon, CT 06066. FOR TRADE: Programs for Apple II Plus. Send your list of pro- grams and I will send mine. Roland Forsman, 51 Tower Rd., Brookfield, CT 06805. FOR SALE: STD BUS Z80 CP/M computers with 16-slot card cage, CPU card, two serial l/Os, four parallel l/Os, hefty power supply, steel cabinet with locking door, all brand name equip- ment, documentation, guaranteed: $495. STD BUS !6K EPROM cards with eight 2716 EPROMS: $55. 8-inch disk drive with enclosure and power: $150. 5 14 -inch disk drive Shugart SA-400: $49. L. H. Gary, 6111 Edgerton Dr., Greensboro NC 27410, (919) 852-6806 evenings. FOR SALE: 64K Micro Profesor. Seven program and joysticks included. Has Apple and block graphics, one key basic com- mands, and accepts programs on tape (cable included). Monitor requires no interface. Cartridges and interfaces for printers and disk drives available. Asking $395. Francis Hsu, 42-11 149 PL, Flushing, NY 11355, (212) 939-2491. FOR SALE: Heath 1M-4I80 FM-deviation meter; $100. Heath ET-3300B breadboard: $65. Heath BASIC Programming course: $25. Analyzer: $40. Voltmeter: $100, Amplifier; S40. HDOS 2.0: $75. IMSAI motherboard: $75. EconoRAM 11: $50. Multi I/O board: $50. Keyboard: $25. Will trade some for H-89 accessories. Jack Ball, Rt. 2, Box 330, Durham, MO 63438. FOR SALE: Apple interface cards in language, Integer, FORTH, 16K RAM, CP/M. disk, Epson printer; $50 each. 80-cofumn (Videx type); S80each, Printer buffers I6K/32K/64K: $90/S100/$120, Our expatriate engineer's computer club is upgrading to IBM com- patibles and we have many Apple compatible accessories available. Include $5 per card for shipping; personal checks OK. Jimmy Menning, 36-90 Da Pei Rd., Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan, Republic of China. FOR SALE: Atari 800, 48K; dual DSDD Percom drives, 352K each; Atari 850 interface (four serial and parallel); Mannesmann Tally MTI60L printer. 160 cps; and two WICO BOSS joysticks. Soft- ware includes OS/A+ DOS. All necessary cables and supplies: $2300 or best offer, or will trade for IBM PC. David Hayes, 92 25th St., Troy. NY 12180. (518) 271-0709 evenings. WANTED: Used Apple II Plus with Disk II Drive (DOS 3.3) printer and CRT. M. Evangelista. 1 1128 East Canyon Meadows Dr., Whittier, CA 90601, (213) 627-1642 days and 692-2618 evenings. FOR SALE: MC68000 single-board computer (OB68K1) by Om- nibyte with 128 kilobytes of memory. IEEE-796 Multibus with documentation. Originally $1900; selling for $1100. TRS-80 Model III 48K RAM with cassette and green screen, plus many programs and books: $650. J. Creed 5 Befaire Court, Old Bridge. NJ 08857, (201) 679-8462. FOR SALE: BYTE 1976 through 1979. Also, many Kilobaud Microcomputing, '68 Micro Journals, dr dobbs journals, etc. Make offer. G. W March, 2110 Country Club Parkway SE, Cedar Rapids, (A 52403. FOR SALE: BYTE vol. I. no. 1 through January 1978 (have 2 sets). Many are still in original wrappers. Also, Kilobaud issues no. 1 to 5. All or any part at reasonable prices. Chuck Markham, 362 Commonwealth Ave. #2E, Boston, MA 02115. NEEDED: I am starting an Adventurer's Club for all computer owners interested in playing adventures or in writing their own. One purpose will be to exchange new adventure program listings through publication in a monthly newsletter. Maurice Dow, 84 Camberley Cres., Brampton, Ontano L6V 3L4. Canada. FOR SALE: TRS-80 Model I with 48K expansion interface, video monitor, four external disk drives, line printer, cables, system desk, and printer stand. Fully operational: $1900. Scott Wilson, 71 Jane St., Roslyn. NY 11577. (516) 621-3000. FOR SALE: Netromcs Expforer-85 with 4K RAM and MS-BASIC in ROM with two S-100 slots and RS-232C: $250. Netronics ter- minal; 64 by 16 with graphics and internal power supply; $150, both for only $350. Centronics 779 printer (if wanted, cable for Exp-85): $300. Colin Cook. 8112 Ravinia Rd., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825. (219) 489-9401. FOR SALE: S-100 boards. SD Systems ExpandoRAM II with 16K memory: $200. Ithaca Audio Z80 CPU: $80. SSM VB1-B video interface: $75. SSM MB6B 8K static memory: $65. SSM 104 I/O board: $80. Tarbell cassette interface: $60. Jade Double D disk controller: $200. Wameco Mem-IA 8K static memory: $65. Wameco QMB-12 12-slot motherboard with connectors: $50. MPI B52 5 'A -inch 2-sided disk drive: $200 Bruce Kabemagel, 2047 Finch Dr.. Bensalem, PA 19020, (609) 338-3226 days. WANTED: Apple programs for trade. Please send a list of your games, utilities, etc., and I will send you a list of my extensive software collection. David Sterner, 1281 Biafore Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18017. FOR SALE: Complete AIM-65, BASIC Assembler, 4K RAM, and documentation with heavy-duty power supply: $200 or best of- fer. David Allen, 184 Avenue A #2, NY, NY 10009, (212) 673-5055. WANTED: Atari users to buy, sell, or trade software. I have everything made for the Atari PC. Paul Hornung, 104 South 22nd St.. La Crosse, Wl 54601. |608| 785-2904. UNCLASSIFIED POLICY: Readers who have computer equipment to buy, sell, or trade or who are requesting or giving advice may send a notice to BYTE for inclusion in the Unclassified Ads section. To be considered for publication, an advertisement must be noncommercial (individuals or bona fide computer clubs only), typed double-spaced on plain white paper, contain 75 words or less, and include complete name and address. This service is free of charge; notices are printed once only as space permits. Your confirmation of placement is appearance in an issue of BYTE as we engage in no correspondence. Please allow at least three months for your ad to appear. Send your notices to Unclassified Ads, BYTE/McGraw-Hill, POB 372, Hancock, IMH 03449. FOR SALE: LNW80 computer board, 280A processor, has 480 by 192 color resolution, TRS-80 compatible, needs two sockets repaired, all schematics and manuals are included. I have a Com- modore 64, and I will trade for hardware or software, etc. Was SI995, asking $350. Jeff Fandl, Box 362, Highland Rd., Orefield. PA 18069, (215) 395-9857. FOR SALE: Zenith Z-89 with 64K RAM. 10-megabyte hard disk and 8-inch DSDD floppy. Software includes CP/M 2.2, MBASIC (interpreter and compiler), Wordstar, FORTRAN, COBOL, and communications program. Excellent condition: $3200 or best offer. R. DeTeresa, 155-18 Locke Ave.. Whitestone. NY 11357. (212) 767-1944 evenings, 430-2051 days. WANTED: Information on computer phreak boards and their numbers. Also, want to trade lode-runner data disks (include postage if trading disks). Eric Kinney, Rt. 1 Box 136, Walla Walla, WA 99362, (509) 525-5887. WANTED: I have a collection of cassette programs for the TRS-80 Model 111. I am interested in swapping games, utilities, and home programs. Also. I am looking for people interested in cor- responding. Paulo Pires, Caixa Postal 6125, 13.100, Capinas, SP Brazil. FOR SALE: SD Systems 256K 150 ns EXIII: $600. New MPC-4: $400. New MPMfl: $300. New SAI002 5-megabyte hard disk $500. Must sell at asking price or highest bid. Mark E. Hatch, 3961 West 8010 South, West Jordan, UT 84084, (801) 569-1266. FOR SALE: Four electrical surge protectors to save your data from glitches, and even rfi. All new with warranty never used: $35 each or all four for $120. Free shipping. Joseph Cross, POB 3633. Langley Park, MD 20787. FOR TRADE: Apple games and utilities. I have large list of pro- grams. Please send SASE. Kris Vogelsong, 1108 Kathryn St., Boalsburg. PA 16827, WANTED: Names, addresses, prices, and information about computer camps or courses near or far for my family Include description of your experience; would appreciate all information Matt Beha, 6390 Cheshire, Dimondale, Ml 48821 WANTED: CP/M 2.2 operating system or later version from authorized dealer with BIOS configured for the Sharp PC- 3 201 with 32K ROM BASIC, 64K RAM plus 48K RAM expansion, two 8-inch DSDD drives, 77 tracks, 26 sectors, cassette interface, and Epson MX-80 serial printer. The CRT display has 80 columns, 25 lines, and is memory mapped. Also, seek correspondence with users of Sharp PC-3201s. Irene Davis, Hamburgo 330-C, Santiago, Chile, South America. WANTED: Old computer parts, components, and equipment for educational displays. Need not be workingl Especially want parts of 1st to 3rd generation computers. Also, items from silicon- chip design and manufacture. Send list of equipment with details and asking price. Jackie Seppy 19216 Wbotton Ave., Poolesville, MD 20837 WANTED: Anyone interested in starting a users group for the Epson QX-10 is welcome to contact Patric Lee Howley, 454 Barcelona Dr., Satsuma, AL 36572. FOR SALE: IBM-PC game board, like new: $35. Also, a Tan- don I60K single-sided drive removed from my PC: $130. George Hurlbut, 1088 Alderbrook Lane, San Jose, CA 95129, (408) 252-0398. FOR SALE: Buy my (hopelessly broken) MX 70 printer for $25 or I will pay you $25 for your hopelessly broken MX 70. Bob Wiseman, 1899 Muskegon Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513} 474-3546, WANTED: Bytewriter or similar daisy-wheel printer. High school student setting up word-processing system. Will consider any reasonably priced, used, and working printer and/or system. Jason Bender, 23855 Southeast 16 2nd. Issaquah. WA 98027, (206) 392-2698. FOR SALE: Digital Group System complete 64K Z80 system with two 8-inch SSDD disks, communications board, plus lots of software: $1400 or best offer. Extra 8-inch SSDD Shugart disk drive: $125. Disk controller: $100. Votrax board: $200. Three 8K memory boards: $40 each. 6800, 6502, and 8080 CPU cards not completely populated: $25 each. Over 20 original software tapes available and more. All prices are negotiable. Aiian Cole. 4758 Fox Hunt Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431, (305) 994-3535. FOR SALE: Vector 20-sfot mainframe, Microbyte Z80 card (Dart-Parallel I/O), SD Sales ExpandoRAM II with 64 K, IMSAI 8-inch dual disk subsystem (IMSAI DIO-C disk controller), SSM I/O 4B: $1500 or best offer. TV910 (brand new): $575 anti Epson MX80: $475. Plus, lots of software. Michael D. Reeves, 6432 Alta Vista Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76148, (817) 498-9020 evenings. WANTED: TRS-80 Model I owners to trade software. Need Pascal/FORTRAN compilers, DOSs (NEWDOS80). and arcade games. I have many programs. Send your programs on single den- sity 35-track disks with DOS and I'll do the same. Also want coin- inventory programs. G. Schofer. 903 Nora Dr.. Silver Spring, MD 20904. FOR SALE: Zenith Z-100 complete system 8/16 bit with two DS/DD drives and TPI printer. Lots of software including' word processing, spreadsheet, database, high level, and interpretive lan- guages. First $3000 takes all. Mario Toscano, Bldg. 877 Apt. 602. Governors Island, NY 10004, {2)2\ 825-0150. FOR SALE: Timex/Smclair 1000 including complete training course: $)000. Will consider trade. L. Miller, POB 8183, Rockvilte, MD 20856, (301) 251-8670. BYTE March 1984 541 Unclassified Ads FOR SALE: Altair 680 with 1 6 K, three I/O, and two each Meca stand-alone RS-232 cassette drives, Micon portable RS-232 ter- minal, I by 32 LED display Sanyo DMC-6013 color CRT, Hewlett- Packard 5036A Micro-lab, Tektronix 221 portable oscilloscope, Heath kit 6800 Micro-trainer with course and HW-8 with P/S. Cromemco SCC CPU, S- 100, and OSf bare boards. B. Pinkerton, Box 2439, Melbourne, FL 32902. FOR SALE: TRS-80 Model I I6K Level II BASIC computer, good condition, includes CTR-80 cassette deck, and the standard Radio Shack monitor. Must sell, asking $400; will accept any other reasonable offer. Dan Durachko, 102 Hartranft, University Park, PA 16802, (814) 865-8768. FOR SALE: Apple II Plus-compatible 48K Syscom Computer with I6K Apple language card, RF modulator, disk-controller card (3.2 or 3.3}. Rana Elite I disk drive, and ten disks of software (home finance, utilities, games, etc.). All in super condition: $1050 takes it. (COD OK with $100 down payment.) M. C. Smalley, 4793 Gratiot, Saginaw. Ml 48603, (517) 791-1233. WANTED: A Commodore 4040 dual-disk drive. Also, an in- terface that will let me run a Commodore 64 with a 4040 dual- disk drive {or a 2031 single-disk drive) and a Commodore 4022 printer. Also, numerous Commodore programs for sale, Melvin Billik, 412 Hollybrook Dr., Midland, Ml 48640, (517) 631-7607. FOR SALE: TRS-80 Model I 48K with expansion interface, monitor, lowercase, double-density "nippy" disk drive, LNdoubler, RS-232C, power-line filter, sound interface, joystick, gold plugs. NEWDOS/80, FORTRAN compiler, mu-Math, ICL, Superterm, 30 purchased cassettes, 20 disks, plus much more. Asking $1300 but will take any reasonable offer. Phil Irey 102 Hartranft Hall. Univer- sity Park. PA 16802. (814) 865-8768. FOR SALE: Racal-Vadic 1200-bps modem. Model VA 1250, 55 P/S/G. Great buy. but half-duplex and uses Bell or Western Elec- tric 202, the original rare protocol or computer interface: $91 or best offer. Adam Sundor, 4537 Osage Ave.. Philadelphia. PA 19143, (215) 748-6463. FOR TRADE: Apple owners including Microsoft CP/M. Send (air mail) me a list of your software, and I will send mine in ex- change. R. Z. Nielson, ARAMCO, POB 4750, Ras Tanura, Via Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. NEEDED: Word-processing success stories sought by writer. Especially looking for form letters you've written that cut bureaucratic red tape, get jobs, settle grievances, etc. I'll call you. Hugh Deadwyler, POB 419, Newell, NC 28126. FOR TRADE: Many programs for the Apple available. Send a list of your software and a telephone number. I will send you a list of my software a week before I call you. Eric Podell. 4218 B Guilford Dr., College Park, MD 20740, (301) 779-8543. FOR SALE: Complete collection of BYTE starting with issue #1 to December 1982. Most in mint condition. Prefer to sell as one unit. Best offer plus shipping. Bob Mitchell, 721 Glenhaven Court, Boulder. CO 80303. WANTED: Used Apple II or compatible in working order. Send list of components with price. Walt Burkhardt, 12 Azenberg. D-7000 Stuttgart 1. West Germany, tel: 1-49-7! I -207-839 1. FOR SALE: Digital Group 64K system, Z80. six 4-port parallel boards, two Phi Deck controller boards, six Phi Deck drives, Digital Group floppy controller board, Deckmon and Phimon operating systems, and all kinds of documentation and software. I will pay all shipping. No reasonable offer refused. Mel Hagen, {303} 666-6536. BOMB BYTEs Ong oing Monitor Box Article # Page 1 28 2 47 3 8! 4 95 5 106 6 138 7 157 8 179 9 194 10 204 1 1 214 12 224 13 236 14 246 15 268 16 274 17 282 18 288 19 296 20 301 21 306 22 320 23 336 24 352 25 371 Article 26 27 28 393 400 411 Build a Third-Generation Phonetic Speech Synthesizer User's Column: New Machines, Networks, and Sundry Software BYTE West Coast: A First Look at Dayflo Computer Simulation: What ft Is and How It's Done Simulating Reality with Computer Graphics Simulation of Weighted Voting: The Banzhaf Index Queue Simulation A Risky Business— An Introduction to Monte Carlo Venture Analysis Simulation and Graphics on Microcomputers Going Further Compupro's System 8I6/C and System 68K— the Two and Only Microsoft Flight Simulator The Eagle PC STSC APL*PLUS and IBM PC APL: Two APLs for the IBM PC Chalk Board's Powerpad and Leonardo's Library Simulated Computer II Bank Street Writer SPOC: The Chess Master M.U.L.E. The Witness The Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000: A Powerful New MS-DOS Machine A Closer Look at the IBM PCjr The Japan Shows: An Update on the Japanese Computing Scene The User Goes to COMDEX, 1983 Pascal's Design Flaws: Modula-2 Solutions and Pascal Patches Trademarking Software Packages An EPROM Simulator Simulation with Electronic Spreadsheets Authorfs) Ciarcia Pournelle Shapiro Branson Sprensen Schrodt Rasmussen Macaluso Miller Pratt Teja Miastkowski Wadlow Bensimon Holden Grehan Pagnoni Flock, Silverman Srnarte Barker Malloy Vose, Shuford Willis Pournelle Johnson, Munro Sterne, Saidman Woodhulf Aatheny FOR SALE: New DT8 DSDD disk drive: S295. New Godbout Interfacer 3-8 with warranty card: S 39 5. DC Hayes S-100 modem: S125. R. Van Cleave. 256 South Tucson Circle, Aurora, CO 80012. |303) 340-2955. WANTED: I am interested in exchanging software and ideas with owners of TRS-80 Color Computers. VIC-20s, and Com- modore 64s. Send a list of your programs and I'll send a list of mine. John Van Gorp, Box )5, tie des Chenes, Manitoba R0A 0T0, Canada. FOR SALE: VIC-1600 modem for use with the Commodore 64 or VIC-20. I have the terminal program in disk and cassette. Will sell with ($50) or without |S45) CompuServe hour. Kevin Rudolph, 7811 Candle Lane, Houston. TX 77071, (713) 778-9973. FOR TRADE: Zenith Z-IOO programs. Send a list or disk of yours and I'll send the same Nathan Gaffaney. 109 Maple St. Apt. 2. Potsdam, NY 13676. WANTED: To trade Apple games and utilities programs. Send me a list or disk of your better programs and I'll send you a list or disk of mine. Greg Benfer, 805 Crestview Rd„ Mifflinburg, PA 17844, (717) 966-0372. WANTED: Have SOL-20 programs, will trade. Or if you own a Processor Technology SOL-20. please contact me. I have names and addresses of many SOL owners anxious to trade and talk. Robert Heerdink, 500 Redbud Dr., Forney. TX 75126. FOR SALE: SwTPC 6800 motherboard and box. MP-A2. 20K RAM, three MPL cards, two MP-S cards, DC-2 disk controller, AC30, two MP-A, motherboard. MP-M. Also, Heath H-89. 64K, Z67 10-megabyte disk. CP/M. COBOL. BASIC, DS180, printer power/surge projector. Luke Shepherd, 5801 Sagebrush Trail, Greensboro. NC 27409, (919) 855-0108. 1983s Last Tally Steve Garcia won first place and $100 with "Keep Power-Line Pollu- tion Out of Your Computer." The second-place winner is Jerry Pour- nelle with the User's Column, "Bud- dy; Can You Spare a Door Latch?" Dr. Pournelle wins the $50 bonus, in third place is Sam Edwards's "Why is Software So Hard to Use?" Mark Haas's review of the Texas Instru- ments Professional Computer scored a close fourth and in fifth place is the BYTE West Coast report on Microsoft Windows, written by managing editor Phil Lemmons. Hats off to these authors. Correspondence Address ail editorial correspondence to the editor at BYTE, POB 372. Hancock, NH 03449. Unaccept- abfe manuscripts will be returned if accompanied by sufficient first-class postage. Not responsible for lost manuscripts or photos. Opinions expressed by the authors are nor necessarily those of BYTE. En- tire contents copyright © I 984 by McGraw-Hill Inc. All rights reserved. Where necessary, permission is granted by the copyright owner for libraries and others registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCCj to photocopy any article herein for the flat fee of $ 1 50 per copy of the article or any part thereof. Correspondence and payment should be sent directly to the CCC, 2 1 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970. Specify ISSN 0360-5280/83. $1.50. Copying done for other than personal or internal reference use without the permission of McGraw- Hill is prohibited. Requests for special permission or bulk orders should be addressed to the publisher. BYTE® Is available in microform from University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Rd„ Dept. PR, Ann Arbor, Ml 48 106 USA or 1 8 Bedford Row, Dept. PR, London WCfR 4EJ England. Reader Service Inquiry No. Page No. Inquiry No. Page No. Inquiry No. Page No. Inquiry No. Page No. 1 1 SUPER WAREHOUSE 418 78 COMPUPRO 119 166 GIFFORD COMP.SYS. 111 257 MTI SYSTEMS CORP. 382 2 1ST PLACE SYSTEMS 426 79 COMPUPRO 410 167 GILTRONIX, INC. 500 * MUSYS CORP. 123 3 800 SOFTWARE 147 * COMPUPRO 461 168 GREAT SALT LAKE COMP. 528, 529 258 MYLSTAR ELECTRONICS 363 4 A.S.T. RESEARCH 101 80 COMPUSERVE 129 169 GREAT SALT LAKE COMP. 530, 531 259 MYLSTAR ELECTRONICS 512 413 A-SYSTEMS 468 81 COMPUSHACK 443 170 GTEK INC. 332 164 MYTEK 460 5 AB COMPUTERS 503 400 COMPUTER APPARATUS 502 • H&E COMPUTRONICS 217 418 NATIONAL COMPUTER GRAPHICS 349 6 ABC COMPUTER LTD 310 82 COMPUTER CHANNEL 356 171 H&M DISK DRIVE SERVICES 414 260 NATIONAL COMPUTER LTD. 220 7 ABC DATA PRODUCTS 380 415 COMPUTER CLUB INC. 468 172 HANDWELL CORP. 24 403 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 378 9 ACL INC. 441 83 COMPUTER DISCOUNT PROD. 504 173 HANDWELL CORP. 488 261 NEBS COMPUTER FORMS 469 394 ACORN COMPUTER CORP. 266, 267 84 COMPUTER HANDICAPPING SYS. 527 174 HAYES MICROCOMP.PROD. 72, 73 262 NEC HOME ELECTR. USA 348 10 ADDMASTER CORP. 342 85 COMPUTER HUT OF N.E. 133 416 HAYES MICROCOMP.PROD. 323 263 NEC INFORMATION SYS. 136, 137 11 ADROIT ELECTRONICS, INC. 404 86 COMPUTER INNOVATIONS 467 176 HEWLETT-PACKARD 357 264 NETWORK CONSULTING, INC. 221 13 ADV. COMP. PROD. 494, 495 87 COMPUTER MAIL ORDER 390, 391 175 HITACHI 71 265 NETWORX INC. 285 * ADV.DtGITAL CORP, 153 * COMPUTER PLUS 424 177 HITECH INT'L INC. 508 267 NICOLET PARATRONICS 22 15 ADV.GRAPHIC ENGINEERING 498 86 COMPUTER PRICE CLUB 278 178 HOLLYWOOD HARDWARE 404 * NORTH HILLS CORP. 404 16 ADV.SYS.CONCEPTS 414 89 COMPUTER SOFTWARE ASSOC. 527 179 HOUSTON INSTR/BAUSCH&LOMB 295 * NORTH HILLS CORP. 500 17 AIM TECHNOLOGY 428 * COMPUTER WAREHOUSE 141 181 IBM/SMALL SYSTEMS DIV. 286, 287 268 NORTHWEST DIGITAL SYS. 52 * ALF PRODUCTS, INC 448 401 COMPUTERLINE INT'L-A 402 406 IBS 88 75 NOVATION, INC. 455 18 ALPHA OMEGA COMPUTER 208 92 COMPUTERS AND MORE 60 182 IMAGE COMP.PROD. 506 • NRI SCHOOLS ELECTR. DIV. 97 19 AMDEK CORP. 63 93 COMPUTERS AND MORE 436 183 IMAGING TECHNOLOGY 175 270 O'HANLON COMP.SYS. 173 23 AMERICAN SYSTEMS 512 94 COMPUTERS WHOLESALE 51 184 IN SYNC 516 271 OASIS SYSTEMS 56, 57 * AMERICAN TOURISTER 273 384 COMPU-MEDIA, INC. 527 186 INTEGRAND 140 272 OCTAGON SYSTEMS CORP 404 25 AMPRO COMPUTERS INC. 452 95 CONROY-LAPOINTE 244, 245 187 INTERACTIVE MICROWARE 396 273 OPEN SYSTEMS, INC. 135 26 ANADEX 389 96 CONROY-LAPOINTE 244, 245 188 INTERACTIVE STRUCT. 125 275 ORBYTE SOFTWARE 62 27 ANN ARBOR TERMINALS 155 97 CONROY-LAPOINTE 244, 245 189 INTERDATA SYSTEMS, INC. 508 276 ORYX SYSTEMS 318, 319 28 APPARAT INC 185 98 CONSOLINK 16 190 INTERTEC DATA SYS. 8 21 OZTECH 510 * APPLE COMPUTER INC. CM, 1 99 CONSOLINK 17 192 JADE COMP.PROD. 517 277 PACIFIC EXCHANGES 310, 342, 404, 29 APPLE COUNTRY LTD. 485 417 CONTROL DATA CORP. 90, 91 193 JADE COMP.PROD. 518, 519 496, 498, 500, 506, 508, 516 30 APPLEWARE, INC. 500 101 CORONA DATA SYS. 392 194 JAMECO ELECTR. 520, 521 278 PACIFIC INFOTECH CORP. 398 31 APPLIED DIGITAL DATA SYS. 263 102 COSMOS 271 195 JDR MICRODEVICES, INC. 536, 537 279 PAN AMERICAN ELEC. INC. 310 32 APPLIED SOFTWARE TECH. 419 103 CRE WHOLESALE PROD. 512 196 JDR MICRODEVICES, INC, 538, 539 280 PANASONIC H.H.C. 315 33 ARTIFICIAL INT'L. RESEARCH 516 104 CRE WHOLESALE PROD. 512 197 JDR MICRODEVICES, INC. 540 281 PC PIPELINE 512 367 ASHTON-TATE 113 105 CREATIVITY UNLTD. 508 198 JIM-PAK 534, 535 337 PC WARE, INC. 104, 105 34 ASHTON-TATE 117 106 CROMEMCO INC. 5 199 JUKI INDUSTRY OF AMERICA 219 283 PEOPLE & TECHNOLOGY 314 35 ASHTONTATE 361 107 CUESTA SYSTEMS 404 200 KADAK PRODUCTS 382 * PERCOM DATA 1 1 36 AVATAR TECH. INC. 433 108 CUSTOM COMP. TECH. 511 201 KAYPRO 421 285 PERSOFT 516 37 AVOCET 451 109 CYBER ROBOTICS LTD. 508 202 KEYTRONICS CORP. 159 392 PERSONAL COMPUTER NETWORK 149 38 B&B ELECTRONICS 516 111 DATA SPEC 373 203 KNOWLEDGE SYS. 156 404 PERSONAL C0MP.USER FEST 222, 223 39 BASF SYSTEMS 329 112 DATA SPEC 373 204 LABORATORY MICROSYS. 360 286 PHONE I, INC. 49 40 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOC. 434 115 DATA TECH INDUSTRIES 163 205 LAKE AVENUE SOFTWARE 88 * PIKA-BOX, DIV.APPUED COMP. 484 41 BELL, JOHN ENGR. 498 116 DATA TRANSLATION INC. 450 206 LEADING EDGE PROD. Clll 287 PIPELINE COMPUTER 499 42 BERING INDUSTRIES 154 118 DATAPRODUCTS CORP. 327 207 LEXICOMP DATA SYS. 496 288 POPCOM/PRENTICE CORP. 408, 409 43 BHRT59 119 DATASOUTH COMP.CORP. 151 208 LIBERTY GROUP INC. 445 290 PRACTICAL PERIPH. 439 44 BINARY TECHNOLOGY 310 120 DAVIDGE CORP. 496 211 LOGICAL DEVICES 58 291 PRINCETON GRAPHIC SYS. 145 45 BIZCOMP 183 * DELUXE COMP. FORMS 422 212 LOGICAL DEVICES 516 292 PRIORITY ONE 532, 533 * BORLAND INT'L. 383 121 DIAMOND SFTW.SUPPLY 188 213 LOGITECH INC. 182 293 PRO MICROSYSTEMS 500 46 BOTTOM LINE, THE 61 122 DIGITAL EQUIPMENT 394 214 LOMAS DATA PRODUCTS 302 294 PROMETHEUS PRODUCTS 121 398 BUSINESS SOFTWARE 261 * DIGITAL RESEARCH COMP. 493 409 LYBEN 506 295 PURCHASING AGENT, THE 260 399 BUSINESS SOFTWARE 261 * DIRECT SOFTWARE 381 185 LYBEN 527 296 QUADRAM CORP. 55 49 BUSINESS SUPPORT SOFTWARE 510 124 DISCOUNT SOFTWARE 184 215 LYCO COMPUTER 490 297 QUADRAM CORP. 78, 79 50 BYAD 379 125 DISCWASHER COMP.ACCESS. 259 410 LSI JAPAN 508 298 QUANT SYSTEMS 498 51 BYTCOM 132 * DISKETTE CONNECTION 424 216 MA SYSTEMS 229 299 QUARK INCORPORATED 255 266 BYTCOM 506 127 DISKS 'N THINGS 516 * MACMILLAN BOOK CLUBS 257 300 QUBIE DISTRIBUTING 87 52 BYTCOM 512 * DISKWORLD 454 218 MACROTECH INT'L. 465 302 QUBIE DISTRIBUTING 312, 313 * BYTE BACK ISSUES 486 • DISKWORLD 510 220 MANX SOFTWARE SYS. 70 303 QUESTIONAIRE SERVICE CO. 496 * BYTE PUBL. INC. 368, 369 * DISKWORLD 512 221 MARK OF THE UNICORN 165 304 RADIO SHACK CIV * BYTE PUBL. INC. 442 128 DISPLAY TELECOM MNCTNS. 501 222 MARYMAC INDUSTRIES 527 22 RCA MICRO 316 53 BYTEK COMP. SYS. CORP. 264 130 DMA 405 223 MAXELL DATA PRODUCTS 210, 211 REFLECTONE 192 54 BYTEWRITER6 131 DOKAY COMP.PROD. INC, 524, 525, 526 224 MAYNARD ELECTRONICS 89 305 RELMS 388 123 C.I.M./DIRECTORIES OF INDUSTRY 132 DOW JONES SOFTWARE 178 225 MCT COMPANY 23 306 RIXON 397 512 133 DWIGHTCO., INC. 342 226 MC-P APPLICATIONS 355 307 RLC ENTERPRISES 506 * C WARE 446 134 DYNACOMP 496 * MCGRAW-HILL BOOK CO. 416, 417 ■ ROCKY MTN. SOFTWARE 398, 447 * C-SYSTEMS496 135 DYNAX, INC. 239 * MEMOTECH 25, 26, 27 308 ROGERS LABS 500 55 C.S.D. INC. 174 136 DYSAN CORP. 399 230 MET CHEM INT'L. CORP. 510 414 RPD PRODUCTS 468 385 CABLES BY WORSWICK 506 137 E.T.I. 53 231 METHOD SYS. INC. 496 309 RYDEX INDUSTRIES CORP. 293 56 CALIF. DATA CORP. 496 139 EASTERN ENTERPRISES 425 233 MFJ ENTERPRISES, INC. 395 310 S C DIGITAL 436 * CALIF. DIGITAL 522, 523 140 ECOSOFT 466 234 MGJ, LTD. 512 311 S-100 DIV. 696 CORP. 497 * CALIF. MICRO COMP. 454 141 EDUCATIONAL MICROCOMP. 342 235 MICRO AGE COMP.STORES 449 * SAFEWARE 360 57 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT 171 142 EGGHEAD SOFTWARE 466 237 MICRO CRAFT CORP 347 405 SAFT AMERICA 103 58 CDR SYSTEMS 310 143 ELCOMP 310 191 MICRO DATA BASE 265 312 SAGE COMP. TECH. 415 59 CENTENNIAL COMP.PROD. 44, 45 144 ELECTRADE CO. 496 238 MICRO MANAGEMENT SYS. 54 SCOTTSDALE SYSTEMS 127 497 CHAMPION SOFTWARE 370 145 ELECTRADE CO. 498 397 MICRO FOCUS 367 314 SEATTLE COMP. PRODS. 498 498 CHAMPION SOFTWARE 370 407 ELECTRALOGICS 472 239 MICRO MART 527 315 SEATTLE COMP.PRODS. 498 60 CHANNEL CONNECTION 487 146 ELECTRONIC SPECIALISTS 467 240 MICRO MINT 457 316 SEEQUA COMP.CORP. 7 61 CHECK-MATE 384 147 ELGAR CORPORATION, THE 385 241 MICRO-TAX 227 317 SEMIDISK SYSTEMS 311 62 CHIPS & DALE 500 148 ELLIS COMPUTING INC. 300 47 MICROCENTRE 143 318 SENSIBLE SOFTWARE 98 63 CHRISLIN IND.INC. 431 * EMPIRICAL RESEARCH GROUP 170 236 MICROCOM 234, 235 321 SHARP ELECTRONICS 309 41 1 CHROMOD ASSOC. 508 149 ENERCOMP 20 242 MICRODYNAMICS 500 322 SILICOM INTLSOFTWARE 86 64 CIRCUITS WORLD ELECTR. 506 151 ENGLISH I COMP. TUTORIALS 500 243 MICROHOUSE 243 * SILICON SPECIALTIES 68 65 CIRCUITS WORLD ELECTR. 510 * EPSON AMERICA 64, 65 244 MICROMAIL 489 323 SUCER COMPUTERS 102 66 CLEO 435 154 EXCALIBUR TECH 249 245 MICROPROCESSORS UNLTD. 506 324 SLR SYSTEMS 498 67 CLEVELAND CODONICS 66 155 EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT SYS. 407 * MICROSOFT CORP. BUS. BASIC 197 * SOFTCRAFT 308 68 COGITATE 508 152 EXPERT COMPUTERS 492 * MICROSOFT CORP. COBOL 199 408 SOFTESMYTHE 527 69 COLORADO COMP. PERIPH. 508 156 EXPOTEK 292 * MICROSOFT CORP. PASCAL 201 325 SOFTWARE ARTS 277 70 COLUMBIA DATA PROD. 77 157 FLOPPY DISK SERV. INC. 505 * MICROSOFT CORP. MULTIPLAN 280, 326 SOFTWARE AUTOMATION 339 71 COMMAND SERVICES CORP. 342 158 FORMASTER CORP. 375 281 327 SOFTWARE BANC 167 72 COMMERCIAL BUSINESS SYS. 486 159 FORMULA INT'L. 491 • MICROSOFT CORP. WORD 334, 335 328 SOFTWARE PRODUCTS INT'L 202, 203 73 COMMUNICATIONS ELECTR, 328 160 FORMULA INT'L. 491 251 MICROTECH EXPORTS 406 329 SOFTWARE SERVICES 510 395 COMP. COMPNTS. UNLTD. 513 161 FREEDOM COMP. MART 509 252 MICROWARE 152 330 SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. 437 396 COMP. COMPNTS. UNLTD. 514, 515 162 FUJITSU PROFESS.MICROSYS. 209 253 MINI MICRO MART 186 331 SOFTWARE TOOLWORKS 396 * COMPAQ COMPUTER CORP. 12, 13 402 FUTECH INT'L. CORP. 284 254 MOORE BUSN. CENTERS 298 * SORCIM 18, 19 76 COMPETITIVE EDGE 446 163 GENERAL TECHNOLOGY 43 255 MOUNTAIN VIEW PRESS 46 219 SPEECH, LTD. 510 77 COMPUADD 516 166 G&G ENGINEERING 111 256 MPI 453 332 333 334 SPERRY COMP.SYS. 80 STAR MICRONICS 333 STAR SOFTWARE SYS. 233 ■ 335 STAR SOFTWARE SYS. 233 To get further information o with your name and address. 1 n the 'hen c products advertised in BYTE, 336 282 338 339 STARBUCK DATA CO. 498 SUN SOFTWARE 413 SUNOL SYSTEMS 131 from the list. Add a 20-cent st SUNTRONICS 484 information, but our advertise rs are encouraged to use the mark< ?tplac< ? provided by BYTE. This 340 342 TALLGRASS TECH. 14 TAVA CORP. 343 helps us bring you a bigger BY1 PE. Th< ? index is provided as an addi tionaf service by the publisher. 390 391 344 TAXAN 115 TAXAN 115 TDK ELECTRONICS 364, 365 who assumes no liability for < ?rrors or omissions. * Correspond c iirectly with company. ■ * TEKTRONIX, INC. 191 ^^^^ ■ 393 TEKTRONIX, INC. 304, 305 BYTE March 1984 543 Inquiry No. Page No. Inquiry No. Page No. Inquiry No. Page No. Inquiry No. Page No. 345 TELETEK ENTERPRISES, INC. 41 358 TRANSTAR231 374 VISUAL TECH, INC . 386 388 XOR CORP. 21 346 TELTONE42 359 TRISTAR DATA SYS. 384 * VLM COMPUTER ELECTR. 527 * ZILOQ COMP. SYS. 94 347 TERMINALS TERRIFIC 440 361 TYPEQUICK 317 376 WADSWORTH PROFESSNLSFTW. 279 348 TEXAS COMPUTER SYS. 420 363 U.S. MICRO SALES 507 377 WANG ELECTR.PUB.INC. 172 Correspond directly with company. 349 THOUGHTWARE INC. 74, 75 362 U.S. ROBOTICS 359 * WANG LABS, INC. 429 351 THREE M COMPANY 331 365 UNIFIED SOFTWARE SYS. 527 378 WAREHOUSE SOFTWARE 196 INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING 150 TIGERTRONICS 506 366 UN I PRESS SOFTWARE, INC. 299 379 WASHINGTON COMP.SYS. 242 SECTION 352 TINNEY, ROBERT GRAPHICS 193 412 USED PERSONAL C0MP.8RKRGE 508 380 WCB COMPUTERS 510 353 TITAN TECHNOLOGY 67 368 VANKELL INDUSTRIES 459 381 WHITESMITHS LTD 241 475 ABTEX COMP. SYS. LTD. 192A 354 TITAN TECHNOLOGY 69 370 VANTEC342 382 WILLIAMS, MARK CO. 189 476 AMER. BUYING & EXPORT 192C 355 TOSHIBA AMERICA, INC. 376 371 VIDEO GAMES INTL. 427 383 WINTEK CORP. 516 477 ULTRA SPECIALTY 192B 356 TOSHIBA AMERICA, INC. 377 372 VISUAL COMPUTER 176, 177 386 WYSE TECHNOLOGY 251 * BYTE PUBL. INC. 192D 357 TRANSACTION STORAGE SYS. 341 373 VISUAL TECH, INC. 99 387 XEROX EDUCATION PUBL. 212 NO DOMESTIC INQUIRIES, PLEASE BYTE ADVERTISING SALES STAFF: J. Peter Huestfc, Advertising Sales Manager, 70 Main Street Peterborough, N.H. 03458 Tel (603) 924-9281 NEW ENGLAND MIDWEST Karen Miles (213) 460-5243, 487-1160 ME, NH, VT, MA, Rl IL, MO, KS, IA, ND, SO, MN, Wl, NB McGraw-Hill Publications Paul McPherson, Jr. (617J 262-1160 Jack Anderson (3121 751-3740 3333 Wllshlre Boulevard #407 McGraw-Hill Publications McGraw-Hill Publications Los Angeles, CA 90010 607 Boy Is ton Street Blair Building Boston, MA 021 16. 645 N.Michigan Ave. NORTH PACIFIC Chicago, IL 60611 HI, WA, OR, ID, MT, NORTHERN ATLANTIC CALIF, NV (EXCEPT LAS VEGAS), NJ (NORTH}, NY, NYC, CT GREAT LAKES, OHIO REGION W. 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Singapore 1024 72 01 81 France 720 33 42 Republic of Singapore 544 BYTE March 1984 THE DAY THE IBM PC BECAME OBSOLETE. lllf.-IIIIM! LEA0IN3 E03E It was a Monday in the autumn of "83: The day they announced the Leading Edge* PC-a per- sonal computer that's just plain better than the IBM' PC, at just about half the price. The Leading Edge PC is faster (by more than 50%), more powerful, more flexible and more dependable (for example, our disk drives have a "mean time between failures" of 20,000 hours, versus an 8,000-hour MTBF for theirs). It's compatible with just about all the software and peripherals that the IBM is. And unlike IBM's, ours comes complete with a high- resolution monitor, controller, seven expansion slots, serial port, parallel port, a time-of-da clock, double the standard memory (128K vs. 64K) plus hundreds of dollars worth of software to get you up and running immediately including MS -DOS version 1.25, GW Basic, and Leading Edge Word Pro- cessing" (the most powerful w.p. program ever created to run on an IBM -type personal computer). In short, the basic package comes to you com- plete and ready to work. With IBM, on the other hand, you get charged extra foi everything. Even for the PC DOS disk that makes it run (an extra $40) ... and $170 just for the time of day (a calendar/clock that's standard with Leading Edge). In short, the basic package comes to you as a very expensive paperweight It's this simple: The Leadini Edge Personal Computer is the first and only serious alternative to the IBM PC . . . and at only $2895 for the Leading Edge PC . . Get serious. Now at 500 Leading Edge Dealers across the country. For the one nearest you, call toll free 1-800-343-6833. In Mass., call collect (617) 828-8150. Get the printer you need at Radio Shack today! Why Risk Mail Order? At Radio Shack, you can see what you're getting— and there's no wait for delivery! Service and support are available nationwide, too. And we include parallel and TRS-80® Color Computer-compatible serial inter- faces for "no-problem" printing. DWP-210. This low-cost daisy wheel prints with electric typewriter quality at over 200 words per min- ute (18 cps). Select 10 or 12 char- acters per inch, or proportional pitch. Uses low-cost interchange- able print wheels. New! DMIM 10. Our lowest- priced, triple-mode dot-matrix printer ever! Features word and data processing, plus dot-address- able graphics modes. Print propor- tionally-spaced characters at 25 cps or mono-spaced characters at 50 cps. Italic and micro fonts, super/ subscripts and underline capacity: CGP-1 15. An affordable four-color printer Create charts, graphs, even computer "doodles" on 41/2" -wide paper. Built-in commands simplify drawing and plotting. Measures 2 15 /i6x8 1 /4x8 1 /2': CGP-220. This whisper-quiet ink- jet printer produces text and high- resolution graphics in seven vivid colors. A screen print utility for the Color Computer and the brand new Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000 personal computer allows multi-color print- outs of graphics screens. Uses eas- ily replaceable ink packs. Available Nationwide. Find the low-cost solution to any printing need, plus custom forms and re- placement ribbons, at your nearby Radio Shack Computer Center, par- ticipating store or dealer today. CGP-1 15 CGP-220 Mi mi AS LOW AS 5~l«^* S 28PER DWP-210 I V^26-12t AS LOW AS S^i] s 45PER 257 HBiP MONTH Radio Shack Has a Wide Variety of Printers to Choose From— Whether You Need Speed, Graphics or Formed-Character Quality Radio /hack The biggest name in little computers A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION Prices apply at participating Radio Shack stores and dealers. Circle 304 on inquiry card.