& LIGHT-YEARS! - TRS-80 Color Computer Archive

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JUNE 

1989 

VOLUME 11 

NUMBER 6 

ISSUE 109 

The Leading Magazine 

of Home, Educational, and 

Recreational Computing 

Science! 

FEATURES 

Watch your computer mutate into a scientific wonder with 

the right software. Seventeen topnotch packages make 

science fascinating and fun./David Stanton 18 

Light-Years and Lasers 

Science Fiction Inside Your Computer 

Alien worlds, alien races, alien adventures. An awardwinning 

SF writer turns 11 science-fiction games inside 

out. 

Orson Scott Card 28 

Power Home Computing 

Pack power into your PC for hotshot play or high-tech 

home working. Dozens of products that upgrade your PC, 

Mac, or Amiga for less than $1,000. 

Heidi Aycock, Steven Anzovin, Gregg Keizer, and Peter 

Scisco 36 

Buyer's Guide 

Historical Games 

Relive history, then change it, with one of these 51 histori 

cal games./'Mickey McLean 41 

REVIEWS 

Fast Looks 

Kings of the Beach 

Apple II Video Overlay Card 

Project Firestart 

Menu Works . 

PC Tools Deluxe, Version 5.0 

J. Blake Lambert 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit 

Carol S. Holzberg 

62 

63 

65 

Leisure Suit Larry II: Looking for 

Love (In Several Wrong Places) 

Bob Guerra 66 

College Explorer 

Kristen Sternberg _ 

Abrams Battle Tank 

Peter Scisco 

TV Sports Football 

Steven Anzovin 

Geometry 

Carol S. Holzberg 

67 

68 

69 

70 

Twilight Zone: Crossroads of 

Imagination 

David Stanton 

Cartooners 

Nancy Rentschler _ 

Flodd, the Bad Guy 

Carol S. Holzberg _ 

Publish It! Lite! 

Daniel Will-Harris 

WriteNow 2.0 

Heidi E. H. Aycock 

Hometown, U.S.A. 

Nancy Rentschler 

71 

71 

72 

74 

76 

77

COLUMNS 

Editorial License 

Science fact, science fiction—love 'em 

both, leave 'em both. It just depends 

on whether there's a computer 

around.fGregg Keizer 

News & Notes 

Sports on the wire, college on a disk, 

Apple on Beatles' bad list, and more 

news on our home computer 

beat./Editors 

Gameplay 

If you think of computer games as art, 

then game designers are artists. 

Orson Scott Card 12 

Impact 

Understand the miracles and wonders 

of science with your personal 

computer.jDavid D. Thornburg . 88 

Discoveries 

Cover photo © 7989 by Mark Wagoner. 

Computing isn't tough—not any more. 

So what's your excuse? 

David Stanton 16 

COMPUTE! SPECIFIC 

MS-DOS 

Clifton Karnes 

64 & 128 

Neil Randall _ 

Apple II 

Gregg Keizer 

Amiga 

Steven Anzovin 

Macintosh 


Atari ST 

David Plot kin 

Letters 

Piracy and the ST: The Falcon 

6ebac\e./Editors 

New Products! 

Laptop with weight, finance update, 

chopper that's great, and more new 

products of \a\Q./Mickey McLean 

COMPUTE! The Leading Magazine of Home, Educational, and Recreational Computing (USPS: 537250) is published monthly by COMPUTE1 Publications, Inc.. ABC Consumer Magazines, 

Inc., Chillon Company, one of the ABC Publishing Companies, a pan of Capital Cities/ABC. Inc. Editorial Offices are located at 324 West Wendover Avenue. Greensboro. NC 27408. Domestic 

Subscriptions 12 issues, S20. POSTMASTER: Send Form 3S79 to: COMPUTE!. P.O. Box 3245, Harlan. IA 51537. Second-class postage paid at New York. NY and additional mailing offices 

Entire contents copyright & 1989 by COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. All rights reserved, ISSN 0194-357X. 

52 

53 

54 

56 

58 

60 

14 

79

Science Fact, 

Science 

Fiction. I Love 

Both, I Hate 

Both. It Just 

Depends on 

Whether 

There's a 

Computer in 

the Room. 

COMPUTE! 

• GREGG KEIZER 

Science fact, science fiction. That's what 

this issue is about. One I love deeply, 

the other I could do without. 

I was the kid in science class who 

turned on the Bunsen burner and pointed 

the flame across the lab table. Charred note 

book pages and some singed hair were the 

usual results. I refused to take biology in 

high school—not because of some open- 

mouthed respect for the rights of frogs, but 

because I thought lectures about the lym 

phatic system would be boring. Instead, I 

took chemistry my last year; a handful of 

seniors lorded it over a class composed of 

juniors who were science geeks from the get- 

go. Sometime in there we stuck an unfortu 

nate junior under the emergency fire- 

dousing shower and pulled the chain: 30 

gallons of water spilled over him and the 

classroom floor. 

In college I made the mistake of taking 

an Honors class in something called Practi 

cal Biology. I should have read the course 

description a bit more carefully. I ended up 

in a class full of pre-med majors, people who 

were born with knives in their hands. And 

the class! We operated on dogs at an animalresearch 

facility—simple operations at first. 

then more involved procedures. Everyone 

had to take turns playing head surgeon, or 

assistant surgeon, or nurse. There I was with 

a scalpel poised above a slowly breathing 

mongrel when I should have been in front of 

a typewriter in the journalism department. I 

was cured of science for good. 

Science fiction, on the other hand, was 

something I took to like dark to the night. I 

went through every SF novel in my home 

town library, then convinced my mother to 

let me use her card so that I could check out 

books from the adult section upstairs. Andre 

Norton, Robert Heinlein. Robert Silverberg, 

Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and hun 

dreds of other writers filled my head with 

tales of strange worlds, strange ships, and 

even stranger beings. It was everything sci 

ence wasn't—fresh, inviting, imaginative, 

creative, and most of all, lots and lots of fun. 

So when I decided I wanted to write fic 

tion, I knew it had to be science fiction. I 

wrote bad stuff, not-so-bad stuff, and, final 

ly, good stuff that someone wanted to pub 

lish. Now I write strange stories about 

people who can't die. prisoners in an alien 

war, Hitler coming back from the dead. 

Stuff my mother takes a rain check on. (You 

must be doing something right when your 

mom can't fathom your stories.) 

But there's no science in mv science fic 

tion. A dash here, a splash there—just 

enough to get me by. Not the nuts-and-bolts 

kind of science fiction that writers like Greg 

ory Benford or Larry Niven put out. 

Yet when I look at the computer soft 

ware for science and science fiction, I get the 

strangest feeling. I may have made a mis 

take somewhere. Science on a computer is 

cool. Cooler by far than science fiction. 

As David Stanton points out in this is 

sue's "Science!," science software lets you 

manipulate the universe. Pretend to experi 

ment with chemicals too dangerous for any 

teenager to handle. Track a grizzly bear 

through the wilds. Peer into the body of a 

human or a frog. All these windows on the 

world are only possible because of the per 

sonal computer. The future of scienceoriented 

simulations alone is staggering. 

Imagine splitting the atom, splicing genes. 

delving into the guts of a tornado—all from 

the safe side of a computer screen. Science 

software makes science come alive in ways I 

never dreamed of when I was mixing strange 

concoctions in an empty drawer during 

Chem class. If there had been personal com 

puters and science software when I was 

growing up, I might be sitting in a lab now 

instead of pounding keys like this. 

Science-fiction computer games, on the 

other hand, can't match the real thing. Orson 

Scott Card, in "Light-Years and Lasers," 

takes a look at 11 topnotch games and draws 

the same conclusion: SF games are often not 

good science fiction. There's no contest be 

tween a well-written, contemporary SF nov 

el (Great Sky River, for instance, by Greg 

Benford) and a science-fiction computer 

game when it comes to plot, characteriza 

tion, even originality. Rather, SF computer 

games work because, as Card says, they "do 

an excellent job of what only computer 

games can do." That means letting you par 

ticipate in the science fiction, letting you in 

on the adventure to new worlds, new times. 

Yet for all its charm, science-fiction com 

puter entertainment dulls me; the anticipa 

tion of the game is almost always better than 

the game itself. It's like the feeling I get 

watching reruns of "Mister Ed"—the show 

isn't nearly as funny as I remembered it 

from my eight-years-old days. If there had 

been personal computers and science-fiction 

software when I was a kid, I might be writ 

ing stories that my mother, heaven forbid, 

would actually read. 

Science fiction. Science fact. I love 

both, I hate both. It just depends on whether 

there's a computer in the room. B

Fabulous Ad Lib synthe 

sized sound is now available 

with your favorite entertain 

ment software! 

If your ears perk up at th 

idea of adding even more 

excitement to your com- j 

puter, listen to this. 

Synthesizer Card that set 

the home computer music 

world on its ear just a year ago 

is now stepping out with some of the 

hottest entertainment software on PCs 

anywhere. So you get to experience 

a whole new dimension of thrills 

and excitement. 

Ail it takes is the Ad Lib 

Music Synthesizer Card and any one 

of the 

growing 

number 

of IBM 

PC pack 

ages that 

include 

an Ad Lib 

enhanced sound track. 

You'll find it in new games from Acti- 

vision. Electronic Arts, Lucas Films, 

Origin, Paragon, Sierra, and Taito. 

And in more titles, from more pub 

lishers, all the time. 

And remember, with the Ad Lib card, 

you've got one serious sound synthe 

sizer. In fact, it uses the same digital sound 

technology as the best electronic keyboards, 

so you hear rich, rumbling base, crystal clear 

highs, and true up-front mid-range. It also 

has up to 11 discreet channels for up to 11 

different instruments and game sounds 

playing at once. And the built-in amplifier 

and output jack let you listen with head 

phones, bookshelf speakers, or even 

your home stereo. 

So don't just sit there looking at 

your computer. Get the Ad Lib 

card for the kind of sensa 

tional sound that makes the 

PC worth listening to, as well. 

wmmn 

Ad Lib Music Synthesizer Card — $195.00 

You can also use the Ad Lib card with 

these exciting Ad Lib packages: 

Juke Box — FREE with the Ad Lib card. 

The original music playback program. 

Visual Composer — $89.95 Powerful 

spreadsheet-like music editor. Includes 

entry level composition guide. 

Visual Composer/MIDI Supplement — 

$39.95 MIDI sequencing option for Visual 

Composer. 

Instrument Maker — $49.95 Create thou 

sands of new instrument sounds. 

Music Championship #1, Basic Concepts 

— $39.95 Challenging music training 

jnd Space Quest III tram 

Sierra (bottoml. 

j*^ competition, 

Pop-Tunes 

Memory 

music play- 

back program. 

Programmer's 

anual — 

Complete 

technical 

guide with 

examples 

formats. 

Ad Lib Personal Computer Music System 

— $245.00 Includes the Ad Lib card, 

Visual Composer, and Juke Box at a great 

low price. 

System Requirements: IBM" PC, XT, AT or 

compatible, 256K RAM (384K for MIDI Supple 

ment}, DOS 2.0 or higher, CGA, EGA or MGA. 

For the name of your nearest 

dealer, for a phone demonstra 

tion, or to place your order, call 

us toll-free from the US or 

Canada today. (International: 

1-418-529-9676) 

Ad Lib Inc. 

50 Staniford Street,Suite 800 

Boston, MA 02114 AdLib 

1-800463-2686

Hello, Sports Fans! 

Play ball! will be the call of 

Monday-morning quarter 

backs and armchair baseball 

managers when they hook 

their personal computers into 

an electronic sports network 

sponsored by Washington- 

based Gannett, the publisher 

of USA Today, and Line Net 

works of Greensboro, North 

Carolina. 

Susan Bokern, director of 

sales and marketing at Gannett 

News Media, said the USA 

Today Sports Center service 

grew out of the sports depart 

ment at USA Today, which 

wanted its own database both 

for research and for supplying 

Gannett's 88 other newspapers 

with sports information. "We 

saw that this was something 

we could offer to the public," 

she said. 

Besides scores, stats, sched 

ules, and spreads, sports fans 

can field Fantasy/Rotisserie- 

league teams for baseball, bas 

ketball, football, and hockey. A 

chat line and electronic mail 

keep players in touch with one 

another, and a special service 

that crunches your fantasy 

6 COMPUTE 

nem&notes 

team's stats is also available 

($40.00 per season per mem 

ber, $60.00 per season per 

nonmember). 

Although the Sports Cen 

ter started up in mid-February. 

Gannett and Line anticipated 

that the Fantasy/Rotisserie 

leagues wouldn't be running 

until April 1. Other services, 

like shopping, have been 

scheduled for a iate May roll 

out. Bokern said agreements 

with vendors had been com 

pleted, but that the first prior 

ity was signing up new 

customers. 

If team games aren't your 

style, you can also play chess, 

backgammon, checkers, even 

blackjack. High scores for the 

week are posted, and you can 

play online against another op 

ponent. For baseball-card afi 

cionados, live online auctions 

and a trading post for collect 

ibles have been planned to de 

but in late May. Public forums 

and communications with the 

USA Today sports department 

add to the network's offerings. 

Cost for an individual 

membership is $ 14.95, which 

Computerized 

College Come-On 

College recruiting may never 

be the same. The Illinois Insti 

tute of Technology, a high-tech 

university in Chicago, really 

wants the attention of high- 

school seniors. To get it, IIT 

has taken note of its own cur 

riculum and put together a 

computerized come-on aimed 

at kids with PCs. 

Instead of a flashy four- 

color brochure, IIT has been 

sending prospective students a 

single 5'/i-inch disk. When 

they pop the disk into an MS- 

DOS machine, high-schoolers 

are treated to an animated pre 

brings with it $ 15.00 worth of 

online time. There are no an 

nual or monthly dues. Other 

people within one household 

can join for an additional 

S4.95 each (no free 

time); club and 

team rates are 

also available. 

Optional SportsWare 

software, which presents a 

graphics face to the service, 

costs $24.95 and is available 

for the IBM PC and compati 

bles, Commodore 64/128, 

Apple II, and Macintosh com 

puter lines. Phone and net 

work charges vary depending 

on how you access the service; 

costs range from $ 17.95 per 

hour (for dialing direct 

through an 800 number be 

tween 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. week 

days) to $2.95 per hour (if 

you're lucky enough to live in 

the calling area for Greens 

boro, North Carolina). Cus 

tomers can also access the 

Sports Center through Tym 

net, Telenet, Telenet 2400, and 

ConnNet 

— Peter Scisco 

sentation that hypes the school, 

its strengths in high technol 

ogy, and its location. A menu 

system navigated with single- 

character keypresses lets the 

college-bound explore such 

areas as financial aid, student/ 

faculty ratios, key majors, on- 

campus sports, and job 

placement. 

Running on any PC with 

CGA graphics or better, the 

Why Should You Consider IIT 

disk was created by The Learn 

ing Curve, a Chicago-based 

company that specializes in 

adding animation and graphics 

to training packages. The 

graphics, though lacking the 

polish (and in CGA, the color) 

of much commercial software, 

are enough to keep people 

pressing keys. 

Has the unique recruit 

ment tool been a success? Ac 

cording to Bill Black. IIT's 

director of admissions, "A 

high percentage of the inqui 

ries are from top students— 

just the sort of prospect that is 

suited to our programs." 

For more information 

about IIT and its disk, contact 

the Institute's public relations 

office at (312) 567-3104. 

— Gregg Keizer

Mean Mister Mustard 

vs. Macintosh 

The next time you buy an Ap 

ple product, it may be a Peach. 

In February, Apple Corps filed 

suit in Great Britain's High 

Court against Apple Com 

puter. Apple Corps is owned 

by the three surviving mem 

bers of the Beatles and the es 

tate of John Lennon. 

Apple Corps claims thai 

Apple Computer broke a 1981 

agreement in which the com 

puter company promised not 

to use the Apple logo on any 

products designed to produce 

music. These products include 

the MIDI interface, the Macin 

tosh line of computers, the Ap 

ple IIgs, and the Apple He. 

"We believe the case has 

On the Road Again 

It's back and it's hot. The gang 

that brought Test Drive 

screeching onto your computer 

screen is on the road again 

with The Duel: Test Drive II, 

New cars, new road, computer 

competition, and enhance 

ment disks are sure to give 

white-line fever to more com 

puter users than ever. 

Taking its lead from flight 

simulator programs, Accolade 

is also offering Test Drive ad 

dicts scenery and car disks. So 

far. one scenery disk (Califor 

nia Challenge) and one car 

disk (The Supercars) are avail 

$500 

$450 

£400 

1350 

S3 00 

| $250 

$200 

$150 

$100 

$50 

$0 

■nem&notes 

no merit," said Carleen LeVas- 

seur, spokesperson for Apple 

Computer. "And we do not be 

lieve that we are in violation of 

any agreement with Apple 

Corps." 

The Beatles' company has 

asked the court to force Apple 

Computer to change its name, 

to sell the music products un 

der a different name, or to 

change the computers by re 

moving the sound chips. Apple 

Corps lawyer Paul V. LiCalsi 

said a remedy might also re 

quire Apple Computer to pay a 

licensing fee for the products 

that have already used the 

logo. 

"The whole realm of the 

able. Although Accolade hasn't 

set a release date for future en 

hancement disks, a company 

spokeswoman said there 

would probably be another 

disk available by the end of the 

year. She said the release of 

scenery and car disks was in 

response to letters received 

from Test Drive players. 

Additional disks will 

probably be designed by Dis 

tinctive Software, the same 

team that developed The Duel 

and the original Test Drive. 

Car game enthusiasts may one 

dav be able to race from the 

Consumer Software Sales Hit the Ceiling 

music business was preserved 

for the Beatles' company by 

this contract," LiCalsi said. 

"Technology being what it is, 

these lines get blurred, and 

that's what we were protecting 

ourselves against." 

In 1986, Apple Computer 

and Apple Corps negotiated 

another agreement to expand 

the use of the Apple logo to a 

wider range of products. Dur 

Big Apple to Big Sur in the car 

of their dreams. So if shifting 

gears and burning rubber is 

ing those ill-fated negotiations, 

LiCalsi said, Apple Corps real 

ized that Apple Computer had 

already broken the 1981 

contract. 

Apple Computer will file a 

response with the British 

court. Until then, the company 

won't affirm or deny any of 

Apple Corps' claims. 

— Heidi E. H. Aycock 

your idea of fun. buckle your 

self in to Test Drive 11 and run 

with the best. 

MS-DOS Takes Over 

— Peter Scisco > 

1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 

Home Education! MS-DOS M Apple II M acini os h Commodore 

JUNE 1989

That Old Ball and Chain 

It used to be that a person 

could get in real trouble slip 

ping a file into a jail cell. But if 

you're a member of the Prison 

er's User Group (PUG) in the 

Washington State Reforma 

tory of Monroe. Washington, 

you're encouraged to bring 

files into the Big House—com 

puter files, that is. 

Sponsored by Edmonds 

Community College, also of 

Monroe, the group consists of 

about 20 Commodore 64/128 

users. The group corresponds 

by way of iis PUG newsletter 

subtitled "The Computing Be 

What the Future 

Has in Store 

New York City has long been 

the center of finance and fash 

ion for the United States. But 

software? If Software. Etc. gets 

its way. the Big Apple will 

soon be toasting another cul 

tural focal point—the software 

store of the future. 

Cheat Right 

Slogging through complicated 

simulations and adventure 

games may be fun for folks 

with lots of time on their 

hands, but for those of us with 

lives to lead, every minute lost 

looking for the Magic Scroll is 

another minute lost to family, 

friends, and other hobbies. 

Enter the hint book, an in 

valuable aid to players who 

want to play detailed games 

but just don't have the time. 

Epyx, a noted publisher of en 

tertainment software, has just 

released an attractively pack 

aged booklet that includes tips 

8 COMPUTEI 

hind Bars Publication." In ad 

dition to prison news and hints 

on computer use. the newslet 

ter carries such items as "From 

the Soapbox." a general forum 

for discussing a variety of 

problems particular to using 

computers in prison. 

In the latest issue, for in 

stance, the editor blasts the 

Midnight Gamester, the com 

puter user who disturbs other 

prisoners with the sounds of 

game playing deep into the 

night. "This is the same lack of 

consideration for others that 

landed the Midnight Gamester 

Opened March 13 on fam 

ous Fifth Avenue, the 4323- 

square-foot store features an 

electronic chair connected to a 

16-screen Media Wall for mul 

timedia demonstrations of 

software programs. Called the 

Power Desk and adapted from 

the bucket seat of a Premiere 

car. the chair is equipped with 

and hints on four of its popu 

lar games: The Legend of 

Blacksilver, Space Station 

Oblivion, L.A. Crackdown, and 

Sub Battle Simulator. 

The Master Collection 

Hint Book contains general 

suggestions as well as hints to 

help you move past a particu 

larly troublesome spot in the 

game. A variety of detailed 

maps aid in game navigation; 

the maps for The Legend of 

Blacksilver are particularly 

helpful. Tips for the one non- 

adventure game in the quartet. 

Sub Battle Simulator, arc more 

in prison in the first place." 

writes editor and group presi 

dent Ed Mead. He also criti 

cizes computer users who run 

their printers after 10:00 p.m. 

in defiance of prison rules. 

Besides playing games 

and producing newsletters, the 

users at the prison can take 

part in community college 

two personal computers and is 

wired for sound. From the 

chair, salespeople and develop 

ers can demonstrate software 

packages on the Media Wall, 

which dominates the back of 

the store. "This incredibly fu 

turistic New York store re 

flects our predictions for where 

software is heading and how it 

will be merchandised in the 

years to come," said Jordan 

Levy, vice president and direc 

tor of marketing. 

The huge outlet will sup 

port the major persona! com 

puter platforms: IBM PC and 

compatibles, Apple II. Macin 

tosh. Commodore, and Amiga. 

In addition to software, visi 

tors will find more (han 1000 

different books and magazines 

tactical in nature but still 

valuable. 

Other tip books may use 

clever techniques to keep you 

from discovering too much, 

but Epyx's booklet can get 

quite specific. Thai may dis 

turb some who wani just a bit 

of aid, but for those of us 

pressed for time, it's more a 

benefit than anything else. 

For a copy of The Master 

Collection Hint Book, contact 

Epyx at 600 Galveston Drive, 

Redwood City, California 

94063; (415) 366-0606; $9.95. 

— Gregg Keizer 

classes, including Introduction 

to DOS. math (up to calculus), 

compuier programming, and 

computer literacy. 

Anyone interested in 

communicating with the PUG 

can write lo Mead at P.O. Box 

777, Monroe, Washington 

98272. 

as well as supplies and 

accessories. 


The slorc also boasts a 

special desktop publishing 

area, complete with a Macin 

tosh II computer, laser print 

ers, and scanners. Elsewhere in 

the outlet arc eight personal 

computers, stationed on a car 

ousel, that can be used for 

demonstrations. Theatrical 

lighting and vaulted ceilings 

complete the store's look. 

Opening ceremonies were 

attended by The Amazing 

Kreskin (who attempted to 

read a computer's "mind"), 

film designer Syd Mead (Blade 

Runner), financial guru An 

drew Tobias, and major league 

baseball manager Earl Weaver. 

— Peter Scisco

1 

5 sure steps to a fast start 

as a high-paid 

computer service technician 

Choose training 

that's right tor today's 

good jobs 

Jobs for computer service technicians 

will almost double in the next 10 years, 

according to the latest Department of 

Labor projections. For you, that means 

unlimited opportunities for advance 

M 

4 

ment, a new career, or even a com 

puter service business of your own. 1989 

3MPU1 EH 

1 

3ERVIC E- 

A 

4* 

But to succeed in computer service today, you need trainingcomplete, 

practical training that gives you the confidence to service any 

brand of compuler. You need NRI training. 

Only NRI—the leader in career-building, at-home electronics training 

for 75 years—gives you practical knowledge, hands-on skill, and realworld 

experience with a powerful XT-compatible computer you keep. 

Only NRI starts you with the basics, then builds your knowledge step by 

step until you have everything you need for a fast start as a high-paid 

computer service technician. 

f 

f 

— 

2000 

2 Go beyond 

"book learning" 

to get true handson 

experience 

NRI knows you learn better by 

doing. So NRI training works 

overtime to give you that 

invaluable practical experience. 

You first read about the subject. 

studying diagrams, schematics, and photos that make the subject even 

clearer. Then you do. You build, examine, remove, lest, repair, replace. 

You discover for yourself the feel of the real thing, the confidence gained 

only with experience. 

3 Get inside 

a powerful com 

puter system 

If you really want to get ahead 

in computer service, you have 

to get inside a state-of-t he-art 

computer system. That's 

why NRI includes the 

powerful new Packard 

Bell VX88 computer as 

the centerpiece of your 

hands-on training. 

As you build this 

fully IBM PC XTcompatible 

micro 

from the keyboard up, 

performing key tests 

and demonstrations at each stage of assembly, you actually see for 

yourself how every section of your computer works. 

You assemble and test your computer's "intelligent" keyboard, 

install the power supply and 514" floppy disk drive, then interface the 

high-resolution monitor. But that's not all. 

You go on to install a powerful 20 megabyte hard disk 

drive—today's most-wanted computer peripheral—included in your 

training to dramatically increase the data storage capacity of your 

computer while giving you lightning-quick data access 

By getting inside this powerful computer, you 

get the confidence-building, real-world experience 

you need to work with, troubleshoot, and service 

today's most widely used computer systems. 

4,'■ Make sure you've always got 

someone to turn to for help 

Throughout your NRI 

training, you've got the 

full support of your 

personal NRI instructor 

and the entire NRI 

technical staff. Always 

ready to answer your 

questions and help you if 

you should hit a snag, 

your instructors will 

make you feel as if 

you're in a classroom of 

one. giving you as much time and personal attention as you need. 

5 Step into a bright new future in 

computer service—start by sending for 

your FREE catalog today! 

Discover for yourself how easy NRI makes it to suc 

ceed in computer service. Send today for NRJ's big. 

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career fields. 

If the coupon is missing, write to: NRI 

School of Electronics, McGraw-Hill Continuing 

Education Center, 4401 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008. 

HIM is ,i n-yisliTwl iriiclvinark eif International EJiisiiess Maihini's Corp. 

School of 

Electronics 

McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center 

4401 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008 

S^CHECK ONE CATALOG ONLY 

□ Computers and Microprocessors 

□ Robotics 

□ TV/Video/Audio Servicing 

□ Data Communications 

I 

I Address 

j City __ 

I 

Name . 

For career courses 

approved under Gl Bill 

] check (or details. 

□ Security Electronics 

□ Electronic Music Technology 

□ Digital Electronics Servicing 

□ Compuler Programming 

□ Basic Electronics 

State. .Zip. 

Accredited bv the National Home Stjdv Council 198-069 i69 |

Collected Works 

For years, computers have 

promised to make things sim 

ple, to keep track of the detri 

tus of our lifes. Organization is 

supposed to be their forte: tire 

less cataloging, their domain. 

But have you ever tried to 

create a database? One that 

holds just the right infor 

mation for your record collec 

tion, your photograph file, 

your baseball-card boxes? 

With a database program, the 

chore isn't tough. But it may 

be more than you bargained 

for (especially if you don't al 

ready own a database and so 

have to go out and buy one) or 

take more time than vou can 

CD-ROM Surge 

More than 2,000 people gath 

ered in Anaheim for Micro 

soft's Fourth Annual CD- 

ROM (Compact Disc-Read 

Only Memory) Conference. 

The March conference ad 

dressed both the current state 

of CD-ROM and its potential 

for continued growth. 

CD-ROM is thriving in 

both areas. Software revenues 

last year approached half a bil 

lion dollars, and 1989 prom 

ises to be even larger. Because 

CD-ROM offer enormous 

amounts of storage, the tech- 

The Gospel 

According to 

Bubeck 

If you've been looking for an 

electronic bulletin board that 

calcrs to an unusual interest, 

lay your hands on the 1989 

BBS Bible, released by Bubeck 

Publishing. First of its kind, 

the 19S9 BBS Bible lists nearly 

5000 public computer bulletin 

board systems in the United 

States. 

The BBS Bible was com 

piled by Thomas W. Bubeck. a 

freelance writer who has edited 

magazines and annual directo 

ries, because he found a scarci 

ty of useful, up-to-date infor 

mation about BBSs. 

Using your computer and 

10 COMPUTE! 

devote. 

Call up Steve Hudgik, 

owner of HomeCraft Com 

puter Products. Hudgik has 

developed a whole scries of 

customized databases for IBM 

PC and compatible comput 

ers—databases specifically 

set up to track records, books, 

videos, baseball cards, jazz 

albums, comic books, and clas 

sical recordings. 

Each Organize Your Col 

lection database is complete 

and ready to run and has a va 

riety of fields already set. For 

instance, the For Record Col 

lectors database has three lev 

els, each of which provides 

progressively greater detail of 

nology is seen by many as cru 

cial to the elevation of the PC 

from data-crunching work 

horse to true multimedia ap 

pliance. Several conference 

announcements showed that 

such an appliance may be in 

our future. 

Philips. Microsoft, and 

Sony jointly announced CD- 

ROM XA (extended Architec 

ture), a standard that adds 

compressed audio capabilities 

to CD-ROM discs. IBM and 

Intel announced advances in 

DVI (Digital Video Interac 

tive), which further extends 

a modem, you can connect to a 

BBS for fun and conversation. 

Some BBSs offer electronic 

mail or live chat sessions: oth 

ers offer games, special-interest 

groups, or computer-specific 

information. 

The 1989 BBS Bible lists 

BBSs by area code and by 

more than 130 special interests, 

including machine-specific cat 

egories. Noncomputer inter 

ests include genealogy, 

religion, science, and music. 

Besides the directory, 

Bubeck has compiled several 

articles helpful to people using 

BBSs. For example, you can 

read about low-cost long 

distance services and about 

beating viruses before they 

attack. 

information that can be stored 

for a song. The simplest level 

offers only six fields: Catalog 

Number. Song Title, Artist, 

Year Released. Note, and Val 

ue. The most advanced level 

includes another 15 categories, 

ranging from Writer to Date 

Last Played. 

Hudgik's databases arc 

simple to use: All you have to 

do is enter the information. 

Data can easily be edited, and, 

of course, searched for and 

printed. It's a quick task to 

search for all the songs in your 

collection that were recorded 

by Neil Young, for example— 

a printout lakes just a moment 

longer. 

CD technology by the addition 

of full-motion video. Other 

product announcements in 

cluded CD-based telephone di 

rectories. Bibles, entertain 

ment and education packages, 

authoring systems, and mas 

tering processes that allow 

CDs to run on both MS-DOS 

and Macintosh machines. 

Perhaps the heaviest traf 

fic in the exhibit hall flowed 

toward two products unavail 

able here—Fujitsu's 

fm TOWNS, a 386-based PC 

Bubeck plans for the BUS 

Bible to be an annual affair 

with the 1990 edition due out 

in the fourth quarter of 1989. 

The current edition costs 

Even more interesting for 

some, however, is Hudgik's of 

fer to create a custom database 

for any collection. If Home- 

Craft doesn't already offer a 

database for whatever you col 

lect and Hudgik believes he 

can sell at least 6-10 copies, 

he'll do the programming and 

come up with a specialized 

database just right for you. The 

price is the standard $59.95 

that Homecraft charges for all 

its specialty databases. 

For more information on 

Homecraft's products, contact 

the company at P.O. Box 974, 

Tualatin, Oregon 97062; (503) 

692-3732. 

—Gregg Keizer 

with a CD-ROM drive; and 

NEC's phenomenally success 

ful PC Engine, a dedicated 

game platform that's sold 

more than a million units in 

Japan. In December, the com 

pany introduced a CD-ROM 

drive for the Engine and pro 

ceeded to sell 100,000 drives in 

three months—despite limited 

software. 

Neither NEC nor Fujitsu 

announced plans to release 

their products in the West. 

— Keith Ferreli 

$24.99. For more information, 

contact Bubeck Publishing at 

P.O.Box 104, Collcgcvillc, 

Pennsylvania 19426; (215) 

287-6356. 

—Heidi KH.Aycock h

SUMMER, IT WON'T BE THE 

WEATHER THAT MAKES YOU 

HOT. 

It may reach 

the 100's this 

summer, but 

that's mild 

compared to 

this scorcher 

from SSI: 

Curse or 

the Azure 

Bonos. 

It's the sizzling 

sequel to Foot 

of Radiauce, 

the best-selling 

AD&D* role- 

playing game 

from SSI. 

Advanced 

Dungeonsgdpragons 

wubuc ■.i»iunun i 

Look for Curse or 

the Azure Bonds this 

summer at a store 

near you. 

Available for most 

home computers. 

ADVANCED DUNGLON5 t< DRAGONS. AD&D. 

FORGOTTEN RKALM5 ,m

Judge 

Computer 

Games as Art, 

Respect Game 

Designers as 

12 COMPUTE! 

Artists 

mmeplay 

The other day I was reading a book of 

lilerary biographies—you know, the 

kind of book where some star-struck 

academic tells us common people how it 

was that genius writers got to be so wonder 

ful in spite of the fact that they were horri 

ble, selfish people who ruined the lives of 

everybody around them and wrote stuff that 

nobody would ever read if they weren't re 

quired to by English teachers. 

You know—the kind of book I want 

somebody to write about me someday. 

At one point the author of this book, re 

ferring to a very popular writer of the early 

twentieth century, wrote, "His work showed 

some talent, but it was hardly literature." 

That sort of snobbery makes my skin 

crawl. You hear it all the time, from the sort 

of people who enjoy despising others* tastes. 

*'I suppose it's all right if you like that sort of 

thing, but it's hardly art. is it?" 

Often that attitude is used to react 

against anything new. That's how theatrical 

people referred to the movies—as commer 

cial trash, not art. Now. after 80 years, film 

is definitely accepted as an art—whose prac 

titioners sneer at television just as theater 

people sneered at them. 

Painters did it to photographers when 

photography was new. Elizabethan poets did 

it to playwrights. 

Computer games are new and subject to 

this same snobbery. But when I review 

games, I start from the assumption that 

gamewrights should be judged, criticized, 

and respected as artists, and that they—and 

we—should take their work seriously as art. 

I don't mean art and artist the way we 

might speak oUheart of'ditch-digging or a 

pickup artist. I mean that a gamewrighl can 

be an artist the way Shakespeare, Rem 

brandt. Bach, Chaucer, and Capra are art 

ists. Maybe gamewrights aren't as good 

yet—but they should aspire to the same sort 

of ageless greatness in their work. 

That's my view, but am I right? After 

all. computer games arc games, not art. 

Take football. Few would call a football 

game art, even though it has an audience. 

it's performed by professionals, it's loved for 

its own sake, and it has traditions, styles, 

schools of thought, and even critics declar 

ing who is good or bad. There arc even aes 

thetic moments—a beautiful catch, a 

gorgeous bit of footwork, a perfect punt. 

Still, it's a contest, not an art. Most of 

the events in the game arc random. The 

rules and the playing field are standardized, 

but during the game itself, as the opposing 

ORSON SCOTT CARD 

coaches constantly try to surprise each oth 

er, as players test each other's strength and 

wit in a series of individual contests, specific 

outcomes are always unpredictable. 

A football game is also not repeatable. 

You can see a play or movie or painting. 

read a book, hear a symphony over and over 

again, and each time can be as powerful and 

important as the first. However, if you 

videotape a game and watch it again, the 

outcome is known. The contest is over. It 

isn't real the second time around. 

Most importantly, no single intelligence 

guides the story that unfolds on the field. 

The course of the game is not created; it 

merely happens. 

But videogames aren't like football 

games. They're more like golf. Here, the real 

contest is between the player and the design 

er of the course. The designer's work is de 

fensive; the player's job is to attack. The 

only contest between the players is to com 

pare their scores—just like a vanity board at 

the end of a videogame. 

In golf, a single intelligence does guide 

the experience of playing. Aesthetics are pro 

foundly involved; beauty and drama are 

much of the reason for playing at one course 

rather than another. And the course is re 

peatable: You can play it again and again, 

discovering new things about it each time. 

Of course, some golf courses aren't very 

artlike. You play on them because they're 

cheap and close and you want to practice. 

I've played videogames like that. too. But 

just because some are bad doesn't mean the 

good ones aren't art. 

But I'm still comparing computer 

games to a game, not to an art. So how 

about architecture? There are a lot of ugly, 

uninspired buildings in this world—even 

uglier than the average municipal golf 

course. But that doesn't change the fact that 

some architects create buildings that are un 

deniably great art. inside and out. 

Furthermore, you don't just experience 

the architect's art from the outside. You can 

go inside and walk around. You can explore. 

discover, even live inside that art. Just the 

way you don't simply look at a golf course— 

you play through it. 

Computer games are works of art—a 

new art, one that has yet to earn respect. But 

it is an art nonetheless, and we the players 

arc the audience, as we control our own pas 

sage through the world of the game. We are 

collaborators with the gamewrights in an 

open-ended art. created for our pleasure, 

completed by our choices. n

HOT NEW SELECTIONS! 

OFFICIAL I 

BOOK OF 

KING'S 

QUEST 

DAVENTRY AND BEYOND 1 

DONALD !i, TRlVfclTE 

The Official Book of King's 

Quest: Daventryand Beyond 

fay Donald B. Trivette 

ISBN 0-87455-155-2 

Retail: $10.95, pb, 144 pp 

This is ihe official guide to America's 

most popular series of 3-D animated 

adventure games—the bestselling 

King's Quest from Sierra On-Line. The 

book provides clues lo solving the four 

King's Quest games, maps to help 

navigate Ihe world of Daventry and 

beyond, and answers to questions like 

"What is the gnome's name?" It 

describes the elaborate programming, 

artwork, and musical composition that 

goes into the making of a King's Quest. 

Includes eight pages of color photos 

showing the stunning graphics that 

have made King's Quest the king of 3-D 

adventure games. 

Mapping the Commodore 64 

and 64C 

bySheldon Leemon 

ISBN 0-87455-082-3 

Retail: $18.95, pb, 324 pp 

This sourcebook has been expanded and 

now covers Ihe new icon-based GEOS 

(Graphics Environment Operating 

System) with dear descriptions of how to 

make it work for you. For BASIC and 

machine language programmers of both 

the Commodore 64 and 64C. 

MACHINE 

LANGUAGE 

ROUTINES 

== FOR THE == 

COMMODORE 

Machine Language Routines 

for the Commodore 64 and 128 

fay Todd D. Heimarck and 

Patrick C. Parrish 

ISBN 0-87455-085-8 

Retail: $18.95, pb, 585 pp 

A must for every Commodore 128 and 

64 machine language programmer. 

Scores of routines that can simply be 

inserted into your own programs. 

Included is the assembly language code 

with easy-to-understand documentation 

and instructions. A companion disk 

that includes alt the programs in the 

book is available for $12.95 (E0858 

BDSK). 

r 

r 

DISK 

INCLUDED 

COMPUTERS 

Music System 

for fJie- 

COMMODORE 

128 & 64 

t 

COMPUTERS Music System 

for the Commodore 128 and 64 

by Craig Chamberlain 

ISBN 0-87455-074-2 

Retail: $24.95, pb, 274 pp 

Sidplayer, the powerful and popular 

musk player and editor program, is 

now more versatile and more impressive 

ili.in before. EnhancedSidplayer ior the 

Commodore 123 and 64 includes two 

new versions—one for the Commodore 

128 running in 128 mode and another 

strictly for the Commodore 64. The 

accompanying disk contains the Editor 

and Player programs (indudinga 

singatong program), utilities, and 

sample music that you can enjoy 

immediately or change. Book/Disk Only 

COMPUTE!'s Computer Viruses 

by Ralph Roberts 

ISBN 0-87455-178-1 

Retail: $14.95, pb, 180 pp 

The authoritative guide to computer 

viruses, worms, and Trojan horse 

programs. Includes important informa 

tion every computer user needs to 

protect against possible disaster—the 

Toss or ajtering of valuable data. 

Written in a light yet information style, 

COMPUTE/'s Computer Viruses 

explains how viruses infect computers, 

how io protect against them, and what 

to do if a virus attacks. This book also 

includes informative reviews of the 

most popular virus-protection software 

available. Must reading for every 

computer user. 

ORDER C O 

Computer Viruses (178-1) $14.95 

King's Quest (155-2) $10.95 

Machine Language Routines 

for the Commodore 

128 and 64 (085-8) $18.95 

Companion Disk (E0858) $12.95 

Mapping the Commodore 64 

&64C (082-3) $18.95 

Music System for the Commodore 

128 & 64 (074-2) $24.95 

Please send check or money orderto: ->ub Total: $ 

s+KMMMWiMM&ootc Postage& Handling: $ 

Wrf7#Jta# ^JMWCOMPANY ($3.50 plus 50C for each addition a I title) 

Chilton Way Sa'es Tax wnere applicable: $ 

Radnor, PA 19089 Amount Enclosed: $ 

(215) 964-4700 

(800) 345-1214 

J-C689

COMPUTE! 

Tttm ttodlng Vsgs: -," 01 Hor>«. i--j:r or-T Ar>d Ptcreattongl C - - r . - z 

Editor 

Senior Art Director 

Features Editor 

Assistant Editors 

Buyers Guide Coordinator 

Editorial Assistant 

Copy Editors 

Staff Contributors 

Contributing Editors 

ART DEPARTMENT 

Assistant Art Director 

Junior Designer 

Mechanical Art Supervisor 

Mechanical Artist 

Gregg Keizer 

Janice H. Fary 

Keith Ferrell 


Peter Scisco 

Caroline D. Hanlon 

Michey McLean 

Karen Siepak 

Tammie Taylor 

Karen Uhlendorl 

David English 

Clifton Karnes 

Arlan Levltan 

David Thornburg 

Robin L. Strelow 

Meg McArn 

Robin Case 

Scolty Billings 

PRODUCTION 

DEPARTMENT 

Production Director Mark E. Hillyer 

Assistant Prooucfton Manager De Potler 

Production Assistant Kim Potts 

Typesetting Tarry Cash 

Carole Dunton 

Advertising Production 

Assistant Anita Armfield 

COMPUTEI PUBLICATIONS 

Group Vice President. 

PuWisher/Edrtonal Director William Tynan 

Managing Editor Kathleen Martinek 

Senior Editor Lance Elko 

Editorial Operations Director Tony Roberts 

Executive Assistant Sybil Agee 

Senior Administrative 

Assistant Julia Fleming 

Administrative Assistant Iris Brooks 

ABC CONSUMER 

MAGAZINES, INC. 

Senbr Vice President Hichard D. Bay 

Vice Presdent, Advertising Peter T. Johnsmeyer 

Vice President. Circulation Robert I. Gursha 

Vice President, Production llene Berson-Weiner 

Director, Financial Analysis Andrew 0. Landis 

Senior Art Director John Ciofalo 

CIRCULATION 

DEPARTMENT 

Subscriptions Ora Blackmon-DeBrown 

Harold Buckley 

Maureen Buckley 

Beth Healy 

Thomas D, Slater 

Raymond Ward 

Newsstand Mitch Frank 

Jan a Friedman 

Customer Senvce S. Adekemi-Adarafegbe 

ABC Consumer Magazines. Inc ffi 

CHILTON Company. One of the ABC Publishing Companies 

ADVERTISING OFFICES 

a pan ot Capital Cmes'ABC. Inc 

President Robert G. Burton 

825 Seventh Avenue 

•,■■■■■ ■•jrk, .NY 10019 

New York: ABC Consumer Magazines. Inc., 825 Seventh 

Ave.. New York, NY 10019. Tel. (212) 265-8360. Bernard J. 

Theobald, Jr.. Group Advertising Director. 

Greensboro: COMPUTE! Publications. Suile 200, 

324 West Wendover Ave., Greensboro. NC 27408. Tel. 

(919) 275-9809. Kathleen Ingram 

New England & Mid-Atlantic: Bernard J. Theobald. Jr. 

(212) 315-1665; Kathleen ingram (919) 275-9809. 

Midwest & Southwest: Jerry Thompson, Lucille Dennis, 

Jennifer Dells (312) 726-6047 [Chicago]; (713) 731-2605 

[Texas]: (303) 595-9299 [Colorado]: (415) 348-6222 

[California], 

West, Northwest, & British Columbia: Jerry Thompson, 

Lucille Deravs. Jennifer Dells (415) 348-8222. 

Southeast & International: Bernard J. Theobald, Jr. (212) 

315-1665; Kathleen Ingram (919) 275-9809. 

Address all advertising materials to Anita Armfield. 

COMPUTE1 Publications, Inc., 324 West Wendover Ave.. 

Suite 200, Greensboro. NC 27408. 

Editorial inquiries should be addressed to The Editor. 

COMPUTE1, 324 West Wendover Ave.. Suite 200, 

Greensboro. NC 27408 

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. ~.. 

14 COMPUTE 

Simpler, Cheaper, Better 

I couldn't agree more with the February 

1989 "Editorial License"—computers 

cost way too much. The problem is that 

manufacturers are trying to give every 

one the cutting edge in technology 

when it really isn't necessary. Look at 

the successful Nintendo system. Does 

anyone know what microprocessor or 

graphics chip it uses? Does anyone care? 

How about a nice, solid home 

computer, one that's simple to operate 

but doesn't include such consumeruseless 

features as being able to finetune 

time slicing in a CONFIG file? 

Yes, outdated technology, but who 

cares? Forget computers that appeal to 

everyone from the Department of De 

fense to fifth graders—leave the hightech 

stuff to computer scientists and 

engineers. 

Stop Stealing 

James Hague 

Richardson, TX 

Talking to Atari users, we learned many 

wanted to see our best-selling air com 

bat simulator. Falcon, converted to the 

Atari ST. 

Many of our competitors warned 

us that releasing an ST product would 

be a money-loser. We were told that 

within weeks the product would be up 

on the bulletin boards and sales would 

fall to 0. We chose to disregard these 

comments and felt that the piracy prob 

lem only existed with a small handful of 

users. 

However, within 30 days of our re 

leasing Falcon ST, pirates had put the 

product up on the bulletin boards— 

complete with diagrams for the code- 

wheel protection, keyboard layout, and 

mission maps of the product. 

The real cost of such software pira 

cy is not the lost $49.95 sale, but rather 

the lost industry support for the Atari ST. 

Many ST owners argue that the ST 

has no more pirates than the IBM or 

Mac. Many of us at Spectrum HoloByte 

believe this to be true. The problem is 

that the number of installed STs is con 

siderably smaller than that of the IBM 

or Macintosh, thus increasing the im 

pact of piracy on sales. In addition, ST 

pirates seem better organized and pira 

liters 

cy seems more accepted (or, should I 

say, tolerated) by ST users. 

The cost of developing and pub 

lishing a product is quite high, especial 

ly on a complex machine like the ST. 

The Amiga version's sales volume is al 

ready double that of the ST, even 

though Amiga Falcon has been on the 

market for less time. When Macintosh 

and IBM versions were released, they 

sold four times the volume of product 

over the same period of time. Based on 

the current sales trend, the ST develop 

er will be lucky to break even. 

There is no clear-cut solution to 

the problem of piracy. All we can ask is 

that if you like a program, buy it. Think 

of it as an investment. The more invest 

ed, the more and better titles you'll see 

for the ST. It's a shame that a few users 

can hurt a market as badly as the ST pi 

rates can and deprive thousands of 

good ST users of the product support 

that other machines receive. 

Gilman G. Louie 

CEO/Chairman 

SPHERE, Spectrum HoloByte 

What's the Difference? 

Do you produce COMPUTED PC 

Magazine? If so, what is the main dif 

ference between it and COMPUTE!? I 

get COMPUTE! and don't want to go to 

the expense of subscribing to a parallel 

format. 

MaurineE. Phinisee 

Washington, DC 

COMPUTE! Publications publishes four 

magazines: COMPUTE!, COM- 

PUTEl's PC Magazine, COMPUTED 

Gazette, W COMPUTEI's Amiga Re 

source. COMPUTEI's PC Magazine dif 

fers from COMPUTE! in its focus (MS- 

DOS only), its content (features, reviews, 

and between five and eight ready-to-run 

programs on the accompanying disk), 

and price ($12,95 per issue). From our 

perspective, ifyou own an IBM PC or 

compatible computer, vou'llfind both 

COMPUTE! and COMPUTEI's PC 

Magazine invaluable resources. Thefor 

mer gives you a broad view about home 

computing in general, while the latter 

provides a focused perspective and useful 

software.

Apple vs. Amiga 

Recently, while looking through some 

old issues, I came across the item "Ap 

ple Loves the Plus" in the November 

1988 "News and Notes" section. It's a 

wonder to me that anybody pays that 

kind of money for that kind of system 

when computers like the Amiga are 

available for less. 

Let's do a quick comparison of the 

Apple lie Plus and the Amiga 500 

(which is what I own). The Apple He 

Plus comes with 128Kof RAM; the 

Amiga 500 comes with 512K of RAM. 

The Apple has a very low screen resolu 

tion. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I 

think it has 320 X 200, the same as the 

C64. The Amiga has a maximum reso 

lution of 640 X 400. The Apple lie Plus 

has bleeps and tones for sound. The 

Amiga has four-channel stereo sound. 

The Apple has 16 colors; the Amiga has 

4096 colors. The Apple runs at a maxi 

mum speed of 4 MHz; the Amiga runs 

at a speed of 7.2 MHz. The Apple has a 

6502 microprocessor; the Amiga has a 

Motorola 68000 microprocessor. And 

the list goes on. 

The final thing I would like to 

point out is that an Amiga 500, 

equipped with an RGB analog monitor, 

costs around $900. The Apple He Plus, 

equipped with a composite monitor, 

costs $ 1,099. As you can see from the 

above list and the prices, there really is 

no comparison. How can Apple justify 

this? It should price this computer 

down nearer to the price of a compara 

ble Commodore 64 system. Why any 

one would pay so much money for so 

little computer is beyond me. 

XTs for Less 

Layne Adams 

Rockwall, TX 

I just read your column on the cost of 

computers ("Editorial License." Febru 

ary 1989). You said it was possible to 

buy a color TV, CD player, and so on, 

for under $300, but "good luck" trying 

to find a computer system for that 

amount. I agree that there probably 

aren't any serious computer systems 

around for $300. but it is possible to put 

together an IBM PC XT-compatible 

system (less printer) for about $365, in 

cluding monochrome monitor, disk 

drive, and 128 K of RAM. 

I don't think you will see an EGAcapable 

system for $400-$500 (with 

printer) in the near future. The lowest 

priced EGA monitor I could find costs 

$320 all by itself. A more realistic figure 

is $900-$ 1,000.1 do not believe the 

$400-$ 500 figure will result even from 

high volume, direct sales, or mass mer 

chandisers, as the figures I found are 

the lowest direct-sales prices I could 

find. 

I, too, would like to see lower sys 

tem prices, but I think we have hit near 

bottom on PC compatibles based on 

the 8088 and 80286 microprocessors. 

Phil Imber 

Glendale, AZ 

Mr. Imber included a price list for XTcompatible 

components that hefound in 

Computer Shopper—a 4.77-flO-MHz 

motherboardfor $69, a computer case 

for $24, a power supply for $30, and so 

on. Ifyou 're willing to tinker and search 

for good prices, you can probably build a 

cheaper system than you can buy. 

Diet Search 

I'd like to ask for your assistance in lo 

cating a program. Several years ago, I 

purchased a program called the Scarsdale 

Medical Diet for my Apple He. I've 

since sold the Apple and replaced it 

with an MS-DOS system. I would now 

like to locate the MS-DOS version of 

the program, having sold the Apple ver 

sion with that computer. 

Garry G. Stiegman 

New York, NY 

Bantam Books has discontinued The 

Complete Scarsdale Diet, but there are 

other options. Try, for example, Your 

Personal Weight Loss and Nutrition 

Center ($49.95) from Instructional 

Systems, 14 East Fourth Street, Suite 

602, New York, New York 10012; (212) 

477-8800. 

Neat Niche 

I think COMPUTE! magazine has defi 

nitely created a niche for itself. Several 

of your columnists are unique in their 

personal approach; I especially like 

Orson Scott Card. 

Furthermore, few magazines 

would have the ambition and courage 

to cover both very inexpensive and 

very expensive software in the same ar 

ticle as Caroline Hanlon did with word 

processors in May. Her list may not 

have been complete, but its diversity is 

a credit to your multidimensional ap 

proach to home computing. 

Arleigh Hartkope 

East Brunswick, NJ B 

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JUNE 1989 15

Computing 

Gets Easier 

Every Day 

16 COMPUTE 

. DAVID STANTON 

Q £ "F" 'II never understand all those but- 

I tons," a colleague recently admit- 

\- ted. speaking of her VCR. "Playing 

back a tape is simple enough, but when I 

want to record something. I just ask my son 

to set up the machine." 

My nemesis is the telephone system at 

work: Three outside lines coming into the 

building serve who knows how many phones. 

Only those who understand all the lights and 

buttons can capture a dial tone, and that's 

only half the battle. The town of Friendship 

is just ten miles away—long distance in tele 

phone talk. Travel 25 miles in the opposite 

direction and you'll reach Olean—"local 

calling area ... no charge ... no need to dial 

1." explains the operator. What about Niag 

ara Falls, three counties and 80 miles away? 

Same area code. Alfred? Same county as 

ours but different area code—more numbers 

to dial. 

All this is not to suggest any basic fail 

ing of Ma Bell. It simply serves to highlight 

some of the common complexities we all 

cope with as part of the cost of modern 

technology. 

Like my friend the VCR-phobc, some 

of us resent all this unnecessary confusion. 

Others revel in it. Some have even figured 

a way to turn it into cash. But for many of 

us. high-tech and confusion have become 

synonymous. 

Until recently, microcomputers only 

served to exacerbate the growing division 

between techies and technophobes. Limited 

memory, a lack of programming standards. 

and hardware incompatibilities conspired to 

make it so. In the early 1980s. you never 

knew computers; instead, you knew the TI- 

99/4A or the Atari 400 or the Commodore 

PET. You didn't know word processing; in 

stead, you knew PapevMate or PaperClip or 

77 Writer. Computer literacy came slow and 

hard. 

Now, as then, RAM, ROM. CAD, CAI. 

CMI, WYSIWYG, 80386, 65C8I6, 6510, 

CPU, and similar cryptic jargon add to the 

popular view that computing is a complex 

skill best left to the few. Knowledge is pow 

er, and those who learned the hard way too 

often oppose moves to simplify computing. 

What else could explain the resistance 

so many experienced computists have to 

ward simpler-to-learn operating systems? 

Can it really be true that some hard-core 

types actually prefer MS-DOS's command 

structure to the growing number of DOS 

shells that make things so much easier? 

What rational user could seriously object to 

the desktop metaphor made popular by the 

Macintosh and now available for virtually 

all popular microcomputers? Do some really 

believe that learning to use each new com 

puter brand or program should require 

hours of tedious study? 

No matter. Resist though some will, 

things are changing, and today's truth will 

out: Computing in 1989 need not be compli 

cated! Today's best computers are not hard 

to understand. Today's most powerful soft 

ware packages need not take hours to learn. 

Apple Computer probably deserves a 

large part of the credit. When the company 

introduced that first I28K Macintosh, many 

laughed. "Real computists don't use mice!" 

doubters scoffed. 

Considered in retrospect, that view was 

a bit shortsighted. Since then, point-andclick 

devices have proliferated faster than 

rabbits. Today it's almost impossible to find 

a computer system that doesn't come with a 

mouse as standard equipment or, at least, as 

a strongly recommended option. Similarly, 

graphics-based operating systems and DOS 

shells have spread everywhere. Consider 

GEOS for Commodore 64s and 128s. or 

GS/OS for the Apple IlGS. or GEM Desk 

top. Even IBM is making moves in the right 

direction with its DOS 4.0 operating system. 

Although these environments differ in 

some respects, they look and feel similar 

enough to ease the pain of moving from one 

machine to another and from one applica 

tion to another. Increasingly, software is 

bridging the gap of hardware incompatibil 

ity. As this trend accelerates, hardware will 

become almost incidental. What docs it 

matter which machine you're using if it 

boots to a familiar desktop? 

This trend toward uniformity of human 

interfaces holds great promise for both current 

and potential computer users. The less time 

we all spend learning about computers, the 

more time we can spend learning with them. 

Increasingly, computing is becoming as 

easy as it should have been all along. If 

you've avoided buying a computer out of 

some vague insecurity, now is the time to re 

consider. If hardware and software require 

hours to master, place the blame where it 

belongs—with the manufacturer or publish 

er. And if you can't program your VCR or 

dial your telephone without help, don't wor 

ry. Computing really isn't tough! H 

David Stanton can be contacted via Compu 

Serve (72407,102) or by mail at P.O. Box 494, 

Bolivar, New York 14715.

GREAT NEWS FOR IBM, TANDY, & PC COMFftTIBLE USERS 

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FOR FflSTEft SERVICE, CflLL TOLL-FftEE 4-8OO-727-6W 

"I

SCIENCE! 

David Stanton 

born scientists. 

ever exploring, constantly striving to understand our world. 

From the moment we search for our own infant fingers and 

feet, we're hooked. Each new conquest inspires another search. Each question 

answered evokes unlimited new inquiries. 

Where does the sun go at night? How many feet does a snake have? 

What does electricity look like? 

The quickly approaching summer days provide the perfect environment 

for scientists of all ages. Woods and wildlife, beaches and lakes, blue skies 

and shooting stars vie for attention and offer unlimited opportunities to 

expand our knowledge of the universe and ourselves. 

But some subjects lie beyond the reach of personal 

experience. The stars, the seas, history itself guard 

their secrets with barriers of space and time. 

The risk of injury limits our ability to directly 

explore subjects like nuclear energy and human 

physiology. The abstract nature of electricity, 

temperature, and the law of acceleration makes 

them difficult to understand without help. 

The solution? A personal computer and 

good software. Science simulations, lab kits, and 

tutorials eliminate danger and provide untold oppor 

tunities for experimentation and analysis. With the right 

software, anyone can study astronomy or rocketry or the habits \g) 

of grizzly bears. Connect a few probes and suddenly an ordi 

nary home computer becomes the perfect science lab, ready 

to analyze real-life data. 

Unravel the mysteries of the universe 

with the kind of science software that 

puts the expertise of an Einstein, a Galileo, 

an Audubon inside your computer. 

JUNE 1989 19

•m- 

Hundreds of science programs are currently available, 

and their subjects cover the full range of scientific discov 

ery. We've selected a few of the most popular science pack 

ages to illustrate your opportunities. Some are classics. 

Others are new. But all invite you to expand your knowl 

edge of the world around and within. 

Back to the Past 

Dinosaur mania has infected a large part of the population. 

No longer are the prehistoric creatures content to keep to 

museums. Now dinosaurs turn up almost anywhere: in li 

braries, in malls, on television, even inside computers. 

Whatever their promotional secrets, they have achieved top 

billing and have developed a strong following. 

Among the most popular software packages for aspir 

ing paleontologists is Design Ware's Designasaurus. Three 

separate segments of the program provide something for 

everyone. With Build-a-Dinosaur, budding scientists can 

study several species, including the tyrannosaur, the bronto- 

saur, and the stegosaur. By mixing and matching fossils, 

kids can build a realistic onscreen dinosaur or create an en 

tirely new species. Walk-a-Dinosaur lets children assist their 

pet as it struggles to survive in a hostile world. Print-a- 

Dinosaur, though, will probably get the most use because 

it's so much fun. With it, you can print a dinosaur ref 

erence book, complete with pictures and explanatory text. 

Those who prefer wall decorations can print black-and- 

white posters for coloring and hanging. Best of alt, children 

can produce their own dinosaur T-shirts by using the sheet 

of heat-transfer paper included with the program. 

Design Ware publishes Designasaurus for most popular 

personal computers. Each version fully exploits the unique 

sound-and-graphics capabilities of its host. When it's time 

to explore the world as it was millions of years ago, 

Designasaurus is one program that's sure to please. 

Dyno-Quest approaches the same subject in a different 

manner. Designed for children ages 6-14, Dyno-Quest uses 

an adventure-game format in which players must help 

Donnie and his dog, Doobie, do research on one of 18 

dinosaur species. 

Secondhand knowledge from stodgy libraries and dusty 

books will not suffice. Instead, Donnie and Doobie must 

fly their Kaboom (a spaceship) through time and space in 

search of their special dinosaurs. During their travels they 

encounter uninhabited terrain, typical hazards of the era, 

dinosaurs, and other creatures. 

When did dinosaurs live? Which species lived where? 

What did the earth's continents look like so long ago? What 

did dinosaurs eat? And what did they do in their spare 

time, without radios and televisions? These are a few of the 

20 COMPUTE! 

questions children answer as they complete the quest. 

Donnie, Doobie, and the traveling Kaboom also 

encourage players to think clearly and make sound de 

cisions. Those who waste gas or fuel may be stranded in 

the past. Success comes only from careful planning and 

solid judgment. 

Griz! 

Recently, Advanced Ideas released Audubon Wildlife 

Adventures: Grizzly Bears. This program is just one in a se 

ries being developed by the National Audubon Society. As 

you might expect, the program encourages a better under 

standing and appreciation of grizzlies by providing factual 

information in an entertaining manner. 

Seven grizzly-related activities can be selected from the 

main menu. A database lets users search for information 

about bears and other animals that populate the forests. On 

the Spot with Dr. Pots is a simulation in which players as 

sist Dr. Pots in studying the bears of Bear Country. When a 

bear attacks a farmer's herd in Bear Encounters, the user 

must play a park ranger's role and decide what to do. Must 

the bear be killed, or can it be relocated? 

From an educational standpoint, Grizzly Bears has 

much to offer. Each activity requires users to read and an 

alyze information and make judgments based upon their 

new knowledge. The program's design is perfect for in 

dependent study and exploration, and a management sys 

tem maintains a record of each user's success. What better 

way to spur interest in a summer trip to one of our beauti 

ful national forests! 

It's Alive! 

How could you forget the day you dissected your first frog? 

Ah, the smell of formaldehyde, the nervous movements 

with the scalpel. Some of us were openly squeamish. Others 

concealed uneasiness behind childish snickers. All of us 

sensed that we were learning something profound. 

Now there's an alternative that will better suit many 

students and virtually all frogs. It's Scholastic's classic Op 

eration: Frog, a science simulation that guides beginning 

biologists through the dissection and reconstruction of a 

frog. During the process, you learn to use probes, dissecting 

scissors, forceps, and a magnifying lens. You can remove 

organs, magnify portions of them for closer inspection, and 

even replace them. Animated sequences demonstrate how 

each organ functions, and appropriate diagrams illustrate 

the placement of each organ within its own body system. 

Although Operation: Frog does not show everything 

quite as it is in the real thing, it does display all major or 

gans and their physical relationship to each other. The body

cavity is organized into three layers. Removing an organ 

from the top layer reveals additional organs beneath. In 

this way, the program forces students to progress in an or 

derly fashion much as they might in an actual dissection. 

One advantage over actual dissections is that you can 

stop at any point and save your progress to disk. In addi 

tion, the software provides onscreen help at the touch of a 

key and maintains a running score to help you judge your 

progress. More importantly, the kitchen table stays much 

cleaner when dissections are confined to computer screens. 

With Body Transparent, another DesignWare package, 

would-be doctors can study the human skeleton and learn 

about the placement and function of important organs in 

the human body. It's the perfect solution for anyone who 

thinks a patella is for flipping pancakes and a clavicle is a 

musical instrument. The program consists of three main 

sections: a tutorial, a quiz-based game, and an editor. 

Body Assembly, the tutorial, teaches the names and 

locations of bones and body organs. You use the keyboard, 

joystick, or mouse to move each part to its proper place. 

The computer explains incorrect responses and rewards 

correct ones. In Easy mode, the bone or organ and its name 

are presented. In Hard mode, only the picture of the bone 

or organ is given. 

Once young physiologists have mastered tarsals. tibias, 

lungs, and livers, they can try Body Facts and Functions, 

the game part of the program. Actually, it's essentially a 

quiz in which you point out body parts described in a se 

ries of questions. Additional quiz sets include questions 

about common diseases, complete body systems (respi 

ratory and circulatory), and the functions of various organs. 

The faster you respond with correct answers, the higher 

your score. 

One of the program's nicest features is its fact editor. 

With this, parents, teachers, or students can create their 

own specialized fact lists for the game. Overall, Body 

Transparent is carefully designed, easy to use, and some 

what addictive. One thing is certain: A few hours spent 

with this program will definitely improve your sense of 

humerus. 

Chemical Reaction 

Many of us grew up with chemistry sets. Their experiments 

were as much a rite of passage as they were a way to dis 

cover how things worked. At the same time, those experi 

ments made our parents prematurely gray as they worried 

about the explosive results of our unbounded curiousity. 

Fortunately for modern moms and dads, home computers 

and chemistry software make potluck potions safe for 

everyone. 

I '-:: 

-■h—16ft: 

\5llzFt 

Simon & Schuster's Chem Lab illustrates the potential 

of such software. The program simulates a chemistry lab 

complete with flasks, Bunscn burners, other paraphernalia, 

and hundreds of chemicals. Budding chemists dispense 

ingredients from three special dispensers—one for gases, 

another for liquids, and a third for solids. Two keyboard- 

controlled robot arms move and manipulate equipment. 

The manual contains 50 experiments of various diffi 

culty. Each experiment provides just enough information to 

get things rolling. Students must produce the correct target 

chemical by proper mixing of specified ingredients. A chart 

of chemicals and their formulas, a glossary of chemistry 

terms, and the periodic table give students most of the 

information they'll need. Do things right and everything 

will work out fine. Do things wrong and ... KABOOM! 

As students attempt to make a synthetic diamond, 

some laughing gas, or a silicon chip, they'll also be learning 

about how chemical formulas are named and how chemi 

cals arc combined to make new products. Best of all, no 

one will ever be in danger. Simulated explosions, toxic sub 

stances, and caustic chemicals remain safely stored within 

your home computer—no fuss, no mess, and no gray hairs! 

Another chemistry lab simulation is The Incredible 

Laboratory, by Sunburst. You won't find any real chemicals 

here, though. Instead of teaching chemistry, this program 

teaches young scientists how to gather and record data, 

form hypotheses, test those hypotheses, and develop 

conclusions based upon their research. 

In this program, you must manipulate imaginary 

chemicals to determine what effects they have on the mon 

sters they create. In Novice level, for example, there are 

five chemicals that affect five body parts. Which chemical 

causes the head to turn yellow? Which causes amphibian- 

like feet? Which deforms arms? By careful observation. 

note taking, and logical thinking, you can match each 

chemical with its specific effect. 

In Challenge mode, two players compete against each 

other. One mixes chemicals to create a monster. Then both 

players attempt to select their new monster from a group of 

three candidates on the screen. The learning comes from 

losing: "If I'm wrong and she's right," a player might ask, 

"then what does she know that I don't?" 

Players who master the Novice level can move up to 

Apprentice and eventually to Scientist. Apprentices must 

cope with a wider variety of chemicals. On the Scientist 

level, ihe effects of chemicals change each time the program 

is used: consequently, students must study the chemicals 

before each new competition. 

Admittedly, a science program involving chemically 

created monsters may sound a bit bizarre. It is important 

JUNE 1 9 8 9 21

SCIENCE! 

to remember, however, that The Incredible Laboratory is 

not intended as a chemistry tutorial. Instead it hopes to in 

volve children in the process of thinking logically. It is ex 

cellent at doing just that. 

Probing Questions 

Science simulations and tutorials help children learn about 

the real world while protecting them from its dangerous 

realities. Keyboard, joystick, or mouse input may control 

graphics and text, but the programs themselves run inside a 

world of their own, separated from real life by plastic and 

glass. Some of the most exciting science software crashes 

through that artificial barrier between microchips and re 

ality and lures the world inside the machine. 

One of the most popular packages of this type is 

Broderbund's Science Toolkit: Master Module. Along with 

software and a User's Manual and Experiment Guide, the 

kit includes a temperature probe, a light probe, and an 

interface box for connecting these and other devices to a 

computer's joystick port. Any scientist over age 10 can 

hook everything up in less than five minutes, and the 

experiments in the manual are simple enough for any 

youngster and exciting enough for almost any adult. 

What do radiators and elephant ears have in common? 

One experiment begins with exactly that question. Its an 

swer explores the dissipation of heat. (Don't worry—this 

experiment doesn't require an elephant!) Experimenters take 

a series of temperature readings on containers filled with 

warm water. Does the water cool faster when stored in a 

pie plate or a coffee cup? Why? 

Why does it get darker and darker as you move farther 

and farther away from a light source? What happens when 

plaster of Paris hardens? How does color affect the reflec 

Science Software of the Future 

The abundance of science software offers something for every 

one, but a vague discontent keeps us constantly searching for 

more. True computer buffs demand the best and will be satisfied 

with no less. 

Imagine, for example, the perfect tutorial on human physiol 

ogy. It boots to the expected graphic of a human physique. 

Maybe parts are labeled and maybe they're not. Either way, the 

screen image rivals the best color photography imaginable. But 

having impressive graphics is only the start. 

The real power of this perfect tutorial is its ability to deliver 

unlimited information on any aspect of its subject. Point and 

click, and a fully labeled eye appears. Click on the retina to en 

large and analyze its structure. Click on any label for explanatory 

text. Use the menu bar to select information about retinal dis 

eases or current research or treatment procedures. Press the 

Escape key to continue with a study of the lungs or the human 

skeletal structure or the brain. Wander as you might from topic 

to topic—the knowledge you seek is instantly available. 

Maybe you'd like to check your heart rate. Just click on the 

heart, install a simple test device according to onscreen instruc 

tions, and select Test from the menu bar. Suddenly, the 

onscreen heart leaps to life, pounding beat for beat at your own 

heart's rate. A series of charts display related data. 

What does a diseased heart look like? A short mouse walk 

and a click activate a videodisc sequence complete with doc 

22 COMPUTE! 

tion and absorption of light? Experiments outlined in the 

manual help children discover answers to these and many 

other questions. 

Once you've mastered these experiments, you can ex 

pand your scientific horizons by purchasing one of the 

three add-on kits Brederbund offers (all kits require the 

Master Module). 

Speed and Motion adds a second photocell and a 

balloon-powered car to your growing lab. Two new measur 

ing instruments—a speedometer and a tachometer—help 

kids of all ages study jet propulsion, pendulum motion, 

acceleration, and similar phenomena. Earthquake Lab, the 

weakest of the kits, includes three experiments, an onscreen 

seismograph, and an assemble-it-yourself seisrnoscope; the 

latter is primitive at best. This one is best left for the class 

room, where it can be used by many different students or 

for demonstrations from year to year. The most recent en 

try is Body Lab. In addition to the usual manual and disk, 

this kit comes with a build-it-yourself spirometer (used to 

measure and display lung capacity). The spirometer, an 

onscreen heart-rate timer, and an onscreen response timer 

encourage experiments about the human body. With the 

kit's heart-rate timer, for instance, children can study the 

effects of exercise and caffeine on heart rate. Although the 

spirometer works only with difficulty, young scientists will 

still learn much about themselves and their own bodies. 

tors, nurses, patients, and operating rooms. Watch and learn. 

Advance, freeze frame, backtrack at will. No matter what you 

want, you're always in control of this software. 

How about a fully functional weather station? A few realtime 

probes combined with the right software could be just the thing 

for turning a home computer into a personal weather forecaster. 

Or imagine the perfect software-based chemistry lab. Start with 

a huge database of chemicals, mix a bit of artificial intelligence 

with just the right algorithms, and scientists could perform seri 

ous chemical research without the need for test tubes, Bunsen 

burners, and the rest. 

Does all this sound farfetched? It shouldn't. Today's Mac 

intosh II and IBM VGA graphics look sharp and clear. Current- 

generation 80386 and 68030 microprocessors have improved 

operating speeds significantly; next-generation chip research is 

already in the works. By the time you read this, the NeXT com 

puter should be shipping, complete with its 256-megabyte optical 

drive as standard equipment. And at least one manufacturer is 

already working on an optical disk device capable of holding one 

gigabyte (1 billion bytes) of read/write storage space. Couple all 

that with the trend toward ever more RAM and higher-capacity 

memory chips; factor in expected advances in input/output tech 

nology; and the potential is mind-boggling. 

Any way you look at it, the next few years should be an 

exciting time for scientific computer watchers.

Another inexpensive package that can turn a computer 

into a science lab is Sunburst's Playing with Science: Tem 

perature. The package includes a disk, three thermistors 

(temperature probes) that connect to an Apple IPs joystick 

port, and an extensive manual complete with lesson plans 

and activity sheets. Connecting the hardware takes less than 

five minutes even if you insist on reading the directions. 

Each of the experiments begins with a question. Can 

water be hot and cold at the same time? How far from a 

fire can you sit and still feel warm? What makes rocks hot? 

What kind of cup keeps water hot the longest? Each experi 

ment includes detailed directions for answering its question 

by gathering data and analyzing it. 

Students use three thermistors to gather their data. As 

temperature readings change, the results are displayed on 

the computer's screen. Depending upon the parameters cho 

sen in the software's setup menu, data can be represented on 

bar graphs, line charts, thermometers, or digital readouts. 

You can also configure the software for maximum and 

minimum temperatures, maximum time of the experiment 

(1 minute to 23 hours, 59 minutes), and number of active 

thermistors. Activity sheets guide you through the process 

of recording appropriate notes and analyzing results. 

Playing with Science: Temperature is easy and fun to 

use. The best part, though, is that all but the youngest chil 

dren can use it with a minimum of supervision. 

The Space/Time Continuum 

Not all science software is designed for free-flowing experi 

mentation and discovery. Broderbund's Physics, for ex 

ample, is a hard-driving tutorial that's suitable either as a 

classroom supplement or as a tool for independent study. 

The two-disk program for the Macintosh covers a full 

year's material and includes plenty of physics problems. 

Teachers' Pets 

What do educators look for when evaluating software for their 

own courses? Which packages do they especially like, and why? 

We asked a few computer-using teachers. 

Before becoming a teacher in Bolivar, New York, Jim Good 

win was a well-site geologist involved in oil and gas exploration. 

He spent most of his time analyzing core samples and deciding 

where to drill. Jim likes teaching, but he loves rocks. 

Ask him what software he prefers for his Earth Science 

classes, and the answer comes back quick and sure—Geolo 

gists at Work, by Sunburst "It's a perfect simulation of what 

geologists really do," he insists. Students select a site from 

which to drill and extract a core sample. Then they analyze the 

sample to determine its composition at various depths. Based 

on this information, students can deduce the history of a particu 

lar land mass as far back as 10 million years. By taking selected 

core samples in an area and comparing them, students can 

identify evidence of such geological processes as folding, fault 

ing, tilting, intrusion, and erosion. 

The program includes simple problems for beginners and 

more difficult ones for experts. Aspiring scientists especially en 

joy the simulation in which they become field geologists in 

search of oil and gas. Jim strongly recommends Geologists at 

Work for both school and home use. 

At first, Physics looks a bit like a computer-based text 

book. Twelve chapters cover such topics as vectors, ther 

modynamics, and the properties of light. Each chapter 

consists of pages of text that can be turned at the click of a 

mouse. Like most printed physics texts, each chapter ends 

with a series of problems to test comprehension. If that 

were the extent of Physics, there would be little to recom 

mend the program. 

However, Physics offers much more than any printed 

text. When you need a new term clarified, just click on it 

and you'll get an in-depth explanation. Diagrams that 

would sit lifeless on a printed page come alive and move in 

this software. What better way to describe motion or acceler 

ation than to demonstrate it graphically on a computer 

screen? And when the time comes to solve a few problems, 

Physics provides instantly available hints—or even solu 

tions, if necessary. Students willing to study on their own 

and those who want a little extra assistance with a high 

school course will find this package an invaluable aid. (In 

cidentally, under its Sensei label, Braderbund also publishes 

two math tutorials—Calculus and Geometry: the latter is 

available for the Apple IIgs as well as for the Mac.) 

You Don't Need to Be a Weatherman 

to Know Which Way the Wind Blows 

What's the average temperature in Dallas in January? What 

percentage of daylight hours are sunny in San Diego? How 

Bill Bauza teaches at Amsdell Heights Junior High School 

(Hamburg, New York), where he also serves as chairman of the 

science department. He uses many different programs with his 

seventh-grade students, but a special favorite is Broderbund's 

Science Toolkit series. He finds it especially effective for class 

room demonstrations, but feels it would be quite suitable for 

home use as well. 

His district has the entire set: the Master Module and the 

three add-on kits. The complete system contains light sensors, 

temperature probes, a balloon-powered car, a seismograph, and 

a spirometer. That should be enough equipment to keep any 

teenager busy experimenting for a long time. 

Lance Eggleston, a physics teacher at Hamburg Senior 

High School (Hamburg, New York), combines Precision Timer, 

from \ternier Software, with photoelectric instruments from 

PASCO Scientific to demonstrate important principles of physics. 

He and his students enjoy designing their own experiments and 

using their equipment to verify the physical laws explained in 

their textbooks. 

Eggleston feels that this combination offers greater flexibility 

and power than some of the more popular programs. He es 

pecially appreciates the fact that Precision Timer is written in 

BASIC and can be easily modified to suit any particular purpose. 

JUNE 1989 23

SCIENCE! 

many inches of snow fall during an average December in 

Albany, New York? Mindscape's Forecast! can answer all 

these questions and many more. 

Forecast! helps aspiring meteorologists learn about 

weather and the factors that affect it. The program consists 

of several useful and enlightening segments. Weather Fore 

caster, for example, produces a realistic weather prediction 

based upon current data—temperature, wind velocity, baro 

metric pressure, and the like. Anyone considering a move 

to a more habitable climate will enjoy Weather Traveler be 

cause it quickly provides accurate data on such things as 

average rainfall, temperature variations throughout the 

year, and how often the sun shines. Weather Calculator per 

forms weather-related conversions—Celsius to Fahrenheit, 

knots to miles per hour, and such. 

If someone in your family is intrigued by weather, 

Forecast! could be just the gift you've been looking for. It's 

educational, entertaining, and, for those of us who accept 

subzero winter temperatures as a necessary evil, very 

enlightening. 

Summer Science Software 

Audubon Wildlife Adventures: Grizzly Bears 

Ages 9 and up 

Apple II—$49.95 

Apple IIgs—$59.95 

IBM PCs and compatibles with CGA or 

better—$49.95 

Advanced Ideas 

2902 San Pablo Ave. 

Berkeley, CA 94702 

(415)525-9100 

Body Transparent 

Ages 10-17 


Commodore 64/128—S29.95 

IBM PCs and compatibles—$39.95 

Designasaurus 

Ages 7 and up 

Amiga—$49.95 


Apple lies with 768K—$49.95 

Commodore 64/128 (requires joystick)— 

$29.95 


DestgnWare by Britannica Software 

345 Fourth St. 

San Francisco. CA 94107 

(415)546-1866 

Chem Lab 

Ages 9-14 

Apple II—SI 9.95 

Commodore 64/128—$19.95 

IBM PCs and compatibles~$19.95 

Simon & Schuster 

One Gulf + Western Plaza 

New York. NY 10023 

(800) 624-0023 

(800) 624-0024 (in New Jersey) 

Dyno-Quest 

Ages 8 and up 



MindPlay 

3130 N. Dodge Blvd. 

Tucson, AZ 85716 

(800)221-7911 

24 COMPUTE! 

Forecast! 

Blinded by Science 

As you can see, science software covers a lot of territory. 

There really is something for everyone. Before you rush out 

and buy software that may not fit your needs, though, 

remember that not all educational packages work equally 

well at school and at home. 

Home users will be most satisfied with programs that 

require only a minimum amount of adult supervision. The 

best educational software for the home appeals to widely 

divergent age groups and offers enough activities to assure 

hours of enjoyable use. The wisest approach to selecting the 

right program is to find something that might appeal to 

members of your family and then to try it out at a local 

software dealership. 

Ages 13-18 


IBM PCs and compatibles (64K)—$59.95 

Mindscape 

3444 Dundee Rd. 

Northbrook, IL 60062 

(800)221-9884 

Geologists at Work 

Ages 14 and up 


The Incredible Laboratory 

Ages 8 and up 


Commodore 64/128—$65.00 

IBM PCs and compatibles (CGA or better)— 

$65.00 

IBM PS/2 Model 25—$65.00 

TRS-80 Color Computer—$65.00 

Playing with Science: Temperature 

Ages 5-13 


Sunburst Communications 

39 Washington Ave. 

Pleasantville, NY 10570-2898 

(800)431-1934 

(800) 247-6756 in Canada 

(914) 769-5030 

Operation: Frog 

Ages 9-16 


Commodore 64—$59.95 

Scholastic 

P.O. Box 7502 

2931 E. McCarty St. 

Jefferson City, MO 65102 

(800)541-5513 

(800) 392-2179 (in Missouri) 

Photogates (used with Precision Timer) 

PASCO Scientific 

1876 Sabre St. 

Hayward, CA 94545 

(800) 772-8700 

All this takes time, of course, but the payoff may be 

worth far more than the investment. The child you inspire 

today just might be tomorrow's Nobel prize winner! H 

David Stanton, COMPUTE'.'^ "Discoveries" columnist, is the com 

puter coordinator (or the Bolivar school district in New York. 

Physics, Geometry, Calculus 

Ages 15-18 

Macintosh—$99.95 each (Home Edition); 

$109.95 each (School Edition) 

Apple IIgs (Geometry only)—$79.95 (Home 

Edition); $89.95 (School Edition) 

Science Toolkit: Master Module 

Ages 9-18 

Apple II—$79.95 (Home Edition); $99.95 

(School Edition) 

IBM PCs and compatibles (machines without a 

built-in joystick port require a special gamecontrol 

adapter card)—$79.95 (Home Edi 

tion); $89.95 (School Edition) 

Science Toolkit Module 1: Speed and 

Motion 

Ages 9-18 



IBM PCs and compatibles—$39.95 (Home 

Edition); $49.95 (School Edition) 

Science Toolkit Module 2: Earthquake Lab 

Ages 13-18 

Apple II—S39.95 (Home Edition); $49.95 


Science Toolkit Module 3: Body Lab 

Ages 9-18 



Broderbund 

17 Paul Dr. 

San Rafael, CA 94903-2101 

(800) 521-6263 

Precision Timer 

Ages 15 and up 


PCs and compatibles (game card required)— 

$39.95 

vernier Software 

2920 SW 89th St. 

Portland, OR 97225 

(503) 297-5317

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28 COMPUTE!

LIGHT YEA 

ID LASE 

SCIENCE FICTION INSIDE YOUR COMPUTER 

and thrusting? 

hat computer game first 

seduced you? Was it As 

teroids, as you mastered 

the technique of flying 

through space, turning 

Was it Space Invaders? 

Galaxians? Star Raiders on the 

Atari 800? Zork? Hitchhiker's Guide 

to the Galaxy? 

What drew you into the games? 

Was it the strange adventures they 

let you have? The exotic places they 

let you visit? 

Computers have been tied to 

science fiction from the start. Back 

when computers were house-sized 

behemoths—with fragile vacuum 

tubes providing a whopping 8K of 

memory and programs stored on 

perforated cards—science fiction 

Orson Scott Card 

cience fiction games 

are fun, but are they really 

science fiction? Avard-winning 

author Orson Scott Card puts 11 

games to the SF test. 

And computer people loved 

science fiction. Even though few 

science fiction writers foresaw the 

miniaturization that would make 

personal computers possible, the 

early programmers who first dis 

covered the possibilities of comput 

ers had science fiction in their 

blood. 

That's why when some young 

programmers were playing around 

with a prototype video display 

terminal—imagine, a TV screen 

hooked up to a computer!—one of 

the first things they invented was a 

game, and the game was a prototype 

of Asteroids. Science fiction was in 

their blood. 

A lot of these young program 

ming geniuses had cut their teeth on 

science fiction. Some of them may 

writers busily invented possibilities for the new have heard about computers for the first time in a sci- 

technology. ence fiction story. Science fiction set them to dreaming, 

There were stories about computers choosing the and when they got old enough, they set about making 

president, computers becoming intelligent beings, the dreams come true. 

computers running an intelligent house, computers go- Ever since, science fiction has been a strong theme 

ing crazy, computers that even turned out to be God. running through the arcades and, later, home computer 

Science fiction loved computers. games. ■> 

llustration by Cary Henrie JUNE 9 8 9 29

Games Aren't Books 

But are these games good science fic 

tion? Yes and no. 

I remember 1977, when a friend 

at work told me about an incredible 

new movie called Star Wars. We all 

took a long lunch hour (nice boss!) 

and went to see it. It was wonderful. 

All the ray guns and blasters and 

aliens and space battles we had read 

about in science fiction were up there 

on the screen. I could finally see it 

with my own eyes. 

None of the hokey cardboard sets 

and sound-stage planets of "Star 

Trek," none of the witless writing and talentless actors that 

had been part of science fiction film and television almost 

from the start. With Star Wars, somebody had finally made 

a space movie that felt real as you were watching it. 

We loved it. We raved about it for days afterward. 

My friends knew I had sold a few science fiction sto 

ries, though none had yet been published. It was almost in 

evitable that one would say, "Hey, Card, don't you wish 

you could have written something like Star Wars?" 

It felt like he'd spit in my face. Write something like 

Star Wars? What a humiliating idea. Star Wars was a 

wonderful movie, but it was straight out of 1930s pulp sci 

ence fiction. Written science fiction had outgrown that 

space-opera stuff decades ago. 

That's the way it often is with science fiction games. 

We love them because they finally give us a chance to act 

out some of those old science fiction stories. Asteroids ac 

tually lets us feel how tricky it would be to pilot a ship that 

moves by rocketry—it can't slow down without turning 

around. Star Flight captures the feeling of exploring where 

no one has ever gone before. 

But compared to good science fiction, they aren't even 

in the same league. If I can't invent a better alien than 

those in Star Flight, I'm out of business as a storyteller. 

The point is, you don't measure games the same way 

you measure books. They do different things. 

A game isn't going to be very good at characterization. 

Point of View vs. Mapping 

Game designers use two strategies to take you through their 

game worlds. One is mapping: You are looking down on the ac 

tion, watching your player-figure (vehicle or character) move 

through a flat map of the world. You can see all around your 

player-figure, to the edges of the screen. 

The other strategy is point of view: You are seeing the 

world from ground level in a 3-D display. Far-off things are 

small; you can't see what's behind a wall until you go around 

the corner or through a door; and to see what's behind you. you 

have to turn around. 

One strength of mapping is clarity; you know where you 

are. Also, mapping is very frugal with memory. Maps can be 

graphically gorgeous (like the planet surfaces in Sentinel Worlds 

or the terrain in Firezone), but they do it by repeating certain im 

ages over and over again. One symbol always means moun 

tains, while another always means trees. 

Point of view, however, attempts to give you movielike im 

mediacy. You're actually seeing things, moving through the 

world yourself instead of maneuvering a player-figure around on 

a map. The trouble is that 3-D graphics are slow and they eat 

up memory in unbelievably large gulps. Each new angle of view 

30 COMPUTE! 

But then, it doesn't have to be, since 

the hero of the game is the player. The 

player supplies the character's motiva 

tion—game heroes do what they do 

for the players' reasons. 

Nor can you have an intricate, 

logical plot—not in a good game. 

That's because a game has to give the 

player options, give the player the 

power to make choices and carry them 

out. Games that force you to follow a 

plot step by step aren't all that much 

fun the first time, and once you've 

acted out the story the game designer 

has forced on you, there's no reason to 

go back and play again. So a good game has a whole bunch 

of incidents and adventures, but players discover them in 

fairly random order. Again, the player supplies the plot. 

World Creation 

There is an area, though, in which a game can be good sci 

ence fiction—sometimes better than anything in books or 

movies. Science fiction writers call it world creation. 

This doesn't mean simply inventing planets with neat 

aliens. Look at the movie Blade Runner. It takes place in 

Los Angeles. No aliens at all. But it isn't the L.A. we know. 

It's set in the near future, and things have changed. Lots of 

things, moving through the background of the film, give us 

a powerful sense of being in a strange new place, a place 

we've never seen before. And yet it feels absolutely real. We 

believe that the future might be this way, and so we believe 

in and care about the characters, even though their prob 

lems could not even exist in our own time. 

Science fiction is the literature of the strange. If the 

story doesn't differ from the known world in some im 

portant way, it isn't science fiction. 

The same thing applies to science fiction computer 

games. They are the opposite of sports games and flight 

simulators. Instead of letting us act out a real-world activity 

like playing basketball with Michael Jordan or landing a jet 

fighter, science fiction games let us do things that can only 

happen on the computer screen. 

requires a new picture, so you not only have to have a picture 

of each place, but you also have to have a new picture for every 

conceivable angle! 

The solution is usually to use vector graphics to draw the 3- 

D display. At a primitive level, this means straight lines to repre 

sent the bare walls of rooms, with one view for each of the four 

cardinal directions. When you turn, you lurch a full 90 degrees at 

a time. 

Space Station Oblivion and The Colony both attempt far 

more ambitious 3-D displays. Instead of having four views of a 

room, you scroll smoothly through dozens of different angles. 

The result is very satisfyingly realistic movement. Unfortunately, 

the cost of this is that you can never get the lush pictorials of 

mapping, and even on my speed-demon 386 machine, it can be 

a bit slow. 

As long as computers place limits on speed and memory, 

these tradeoffs are going to be unavoidable. But both strategies 

have been proven to work well, and some games now move 

easily back and forth between them—most notably Sentinel 

Worlds, which at one level uses mapping and point of view on 

top of each other.

And in this area, computer games can be even better 

than movies and books. 

In books, the author can explain to you how this strange 

new world works, so you understand it; you grasp how and 

why it's different from present reality. Filmmakers can show 

you strange things—make them seem real because you see 

and hear them, even if you don't understand. But computer 

games let you actually do things—take part in the strange 

adventures that take place on the computer screen. That's 

something that books and movies can never do—and that's 

why computer games have a valid role within the science 

fiction tradition. They can be good science fiction, not by 

imitating science fiction books or movies, but by doing an 

excellent job of what only computer games can do. 

What Makes a Game Good Science Fiction? 

Strangeness. The game must take us to a place we've never 

been to before, let us do things we cannot do anywhere 

else. Not only must the game differ from the real world, 

but it must also differ from all previous science fiction 

games. If a game is just a rehash of another, with nothing 

new to offer, it has no reason to exist. 

Experience. There must be lots of detail, lots of things 

to see and do. The game must transform the act of punch 

ing a keyboard or wiggling a joystick 

or moving a mouse while staring at a 

screen into a fresh, meaningful, 

memorable experience. 

Depth. The game must give play 

ers the sense that the game world goes 

on forever and that wonderful or ter 

rible things are going on all the time, 

even in places they never visit. 

Rationality. Both people and na 

ture should act in believable ways. Sci 

ence fiction differs from fantasy in the 

requirement that natural laws must 

prevail, that things must make sense. 

Bizarre things can and should happen, 

but there should always be some hint that things are 

happening for a reason. 

Options. There should be many possibilities—lots of 

different things can and will happen. It is important in all 

computer games to give players the feeling that they have 

choices—that they are in control. But it's vital to science 

fiction games that players never feel that they're being 

forced into narrow channels without meaningful choices. 

People love science fiction because it opens up possibilities; 

it never walls you in. 

Playability. A game can't be good science fiction unless 

it's also a good game, just as print and film science fiction 

can't be good unless they tell a good story. If it isn't 

exhilarating to play—or terrifying, or astonishing, or just 

plain fun—then why should we bother leaving the present 

world to get there? 

When all these things come together in a game, when 

the game designer allows you to truly be a stranger in a 

strange land, then the game deserves to take its place as 

one of the classics of science fiction, along with movies like 

Blade Runner and Star Wars and The Day the Earth Stood 

Still, along with books like The Left Hand of Darkness and 

Dune and A Door into Summer. And just as these books 

and films are so different from each other that you can 

hardly recognize them as being from the same genre, so 

also the best science fiction games will surprise us, will re 

invent science fiction even as they fulfill it 

Let's take a look at some of the most recent science fic 

tion games and see how they measure up. To be fair, how 

ever, I not only looked at these games myself, but also had 

my ten-year-old son, Geoffrey, play them all. He isn't 

loaded down with all this critical philosophy. He doesn't 

care whether a game measures up to some set of principles. 

He just wants it to be fun. That makes him sometimes a 

better critic than I am. So I'll tell you which are his favor 

ites as well as which are mine. 

Star Flight 

Your crew must discover and explore new worlds to judge 

their suitability for colonization while you try to solve the 

mystery of why stars are destabilizing and blowing up— 

before your home world's star is destroyed. 

More than a year old, Star Flight deserves its status as 

the Star Wars of science fiction games. Brilliantly designed 

and programmed, this is the first game to really give you 

the sense of exploring space. You have tremendous free 

dom: You don't have to do things in any particular order 

and you can develop your own style of play. 

The depth of creation has always been astonishing. The 

alien species are different and interesting. Sometimes you 

have to fight and sometimes you have to run, but usually 

you can talk your way through en 

counters. The planets you explore can 

be dangerous, and no two are alike. 

It's thrilling to discover the ruins of an 

ancient civilization, and when you fi 

nally find out who the surviving an 

cients are, I promise it will blow you 

away—exactly the sort of discovery 

that can make a science fiction novel 

unforgettable. 

Star Flight remains the standard 

against which all other spaceexploration 

games must be measured. 

With superb full-screen graphics and 

intuitive game controls, it will make 

you impatient with games that clutter the screen with need 

less distractions or force you to waste time on tedious rep 

etition. Still, this is not a fast-action game; you have to 

think, and it takes a long time. It's a mid-list game for 

Geoffrey—enjoyable, but sometimes discouraging. 

Sentinel Worlds I: Future Magic 

Sentinel Worlds owes a lot to Star Flight—or perhaps Karl 

Buiter, the game designer, solved similar problems in simi 

lar ways. There are fewer worlds to explore, but once you're 

on a planet, you get to do far more than is possible in Star 

Flight. As you tool around in your all-terrain vehicle 

(ATV), you run across buildings—so you get out of the 

ATV and go inside, where an astonishing combination of 

overhead map and 3-D display lets you explore and meet, 

converse with, and sometimes fight with other characters. 

I have seen no other game, science fiction or otherwise, 

that matches Sentinel Worlds for sheer depth. Buiter has 

found an almost perfect balance, giving you plenty of 

choices without bogging you down with complex command 

structures and tedious repetition. The graphics are colorful 

and clear at every level; there isn't a moment when the 

game isn't a pleasure to look at and a pleasure to play. The 

music is interesting, a genuine movie score—but even 

tually, anything played on the computer's internal tweeter 

is going to drive me crazy. 

Buiter's solutions to programming problems are 

surprising but exactly right. Game designers are often torn 

JUNE 1989 31

etween the desire to put a lot of 

information into the game—especially 

when you're conversing with game 

characters—and the problem of 

putting huge amounts of text into 

memory and onto the tiny screen. 

Buiter has put the text into a book of 

"paragraphs." When you encounter 

the right character in the game, you 

are referred to the book to find out 

what he says. 

The paragraphs are believable di 

alogue, very well written (a rarity in 

games; compare it with the embarrass 

ingly bad writing in the Ultima series, 

for instance). To keep you from cheating and reading the 

paragraphs ahead, there are false clues; if you're peeking, 

you'll end up on wild goose chases that accomplish 

nothing. 

Your sensors immediately peg strangers as hostile or 

friendly. You can talk to the friendlies and can only fight 

with or flee from the hostiles. Not too subtle (don't you 

wish you had a machine like that?), but it's better than just 

killing anything that moves. 

Some of the world creation is medium-dumb: a planet 

where there are only two seasons—at every latitude? And 

Buiter has a rather lackluster sense of naming; he puts lots 

of unpronounceable letters together to fake alienness in 

stead of developing the sense of a linguistic tradition. 

But the game world is big enough to accommodate dif 

ferent experiences, and it doesn't force you into set pat 

terns. You can explore randomly, having the adventures 

you want to have. I call it the best of the space adventure 

games, and it placed high on Geoffrey's list as well. 

Firezone 

This simple futuristic war game has beautiful graphics and 

simple, intuitive controls. If you've ever played a war game 

before, you can literally start to play Firezone the moment 

it comes onto the screen. This was obviously one of the 

game designer's goals: The directions include Quickstart 

Creating Characters 

Most games that let you assemble a group of characters to take 

part in your adventures follow the role-playing pattern set years 

ago by the paper game Dungeons & Dragons. Your characters 

are different from each other because they have a range of abil 

ities. Some have a great deal of strength but aren't too bright. 

Some have considerable dexterity and quickness, but they're 

quite frail and can't withstand much injury. 

Strengths in one area mean weaknesses in another—no 

one character has it all. Thus all the characters in your party are 

necessary to overcome obstacles and accomplish your goals. 

Most of these games follow that basic pattern, but with vari 

ations. Sentinel Worlds, for instance, lets you choose faces for 

your characters from a group of pictures. Star Flight and Star 

Command require you to put your characters through training 

before they become reliable in using their skills. Star Command 

amusingly takes you through the ups and downs of your charac 

ters' education until they finally get good enough to bring along 

on your adventure. 

Most games use the standard ability groups: strength, 

dexterity, intelligence, and endurance. Star Command adds 

Esper ability, which serves the role that magical ability serves in 

fantasy games. Star Flight uses categories that apply to specific 

jobs on your starship: Characters train in areas like medicine, 

32 COMPUTEI 

instructions for those who don't want 

to bother with thick rule books. 

Yet despite its simplicity, 

Firezone is fascinating, with infinite 

choices in both strategy and tactics. If 

you play alone, the computer is a 

tough but fair opponent. If you play 

head to head with someone else, you 

can play the same scenario again with 

vastly different results. And the game 

includes a construction set, so you can 

devise more scenarios—though you 

won't soon tire of the ones that come 

with the game. 

This could have been a World 

War II simulation; setting it in the future adds little, except 

that the designer avoids the standard villains. There's none 

of this us-against-the-Nazis or us-against-the-commies stuff. 

As science fiction, the game isn't much, but it's still a 

fine war game. It is Geoffrey's absolute favorite. 

Star Command 

This game wants to be Star Flight or Sentinel Worlds, but 

it isn't. The setup phase is tedious and too detailed, though 

there are touches of wit in training crew members. 

It isn't just the primitive graphics; the look of the game 

is certainly adequate, and the screen communicates well. 

And there's some decent invention in the scenario. The 

problem is that there's no sense of experiencing anything. 

Mostly you're told about what's going on, and after a short 

time it seemed to me that it was a text game which con 

sisted of getting assignments from mission control and 

mechanically going out. doing them, and coming back. I 

wasn't having fun. Geoffrey did find it playable, though it 

isn't high on his list. 

Wasteland 

This game owes a lot to the Ultima series of fantasy games. 

You move through a map of post-nuclcar-holocaust Amer 

ica, entering surface villages and underground dungeons. 

The world creation is interesting and fun—not just jokes 

languages, navigation, engineering, and science. 

The benefit of this is that you get the sense that you're 

playing with well-drawn individual characters. You begin to feel 

that you know them personally; you're responsible for keeping 

them from getting killed. The drawback is that spending too 

much time creating the characters and manipulating them 

through the game becomes extremely tedious. 

This is particularly true in the area o! weapons and armor. 

Maybe some players really enjoy dressing up their characters 

like dolls. Star Command has more weapons options than I ever 

wanted. But if you're someone who cares about the difference 

between an LTV Ranger Seeker Missile and an SS-29 Bulldog 

Missile, go for it. 

I prefer the approach of Firezone: The game's choices are 

few, but those choices differ significantly. This is no more limit 

ing than, say, chess, with only a few kinds of pieces that never 

theless allow almost infinite possibilities. 

And Wasteland, with its full cast of interesting characters, 

lets you skip character generation altogether. You can use the 

existing characters and get right into the game, or, if you prefer, 

you can start from scratch and create your own. I like having 

that choice.

like mutant bunnies and prairie dogs, but intriguing villages 

and settlements where you can actually volunteer to help 

fellow survivors with their work. 

It's that real-life element that I liked best. What both 

ered me was the way you're constantly having to fight the 

same annoying creatures and pick up treasures in an ob 

vious rehash of generic fantasy adventures. Mutant bunnies 

can get boring, too, especially when the battles are reported 

by text instead of happening visually on the screen. 

In fact, the science fiction elements are the only virtues 

of this game: The world is visually and conceptually in 

teresting and I enjoyed exploring it. But the game designer 

brought nothing new to the actual game itself. This is still a 

kill-the-monsters-and-get-the-treasure game, without the 

overarching story that makes each Ultima installment 

meaningful. Geoffrey and I both enjoyed it at first; both of 

us got quite bored after a very short time. Devoted fantasy 

gamers, on the other hand, will probably love this. 

Space Station Oblivion 

The lame science fiction story here—you have to dig into a 

lot of places to release "natural gas" to keep a moon from 

blowing up—is a thinly veiled excuse for what's really a 

programmer's exercise in 3-D graphics. But once you stop 

expecting the story to make sense, this 

is a fun game, as you explore a strange 

world of geometric shapes. The move 

ment is smooth and believable, and 

the visual experience of this unnatural 

world is compelling. There are fas 

cinating puzzles to solve, dangerous 

enemies, and plenty of wonders to be 

hold, so the game succeeds in some of 

the goals of science fiction. 

It's also full of fast action, which 

makes it one of Geoffrey's favorites. 

And it still sticks in my mind as a fas 

cinating experience. 

The Colony 

David Smith's The Colony tries to do the same sort of 

thing with 3-D graphics that Space Station Oblivion at 

tempts, and while the line drawings betray the game's ori 

gin on the Macintosh, the graphics are marvelous and I 

salute the programming achievement. 

Too bad it's wasted on a very limited puzzle game that 

became so annoying and confining for me and Geoffrey 

that we both gave up in disgust. Your crippled spaceship 

lands on a planet after a collision with a black hole (scien 

tific nonsense, of course—if you collided with a black hole. 

you'd never come out). Your job is to figure out how to es 

cape from the ship and get into an underground colony. 

You have no options. You must solve puzzles in a cer 

tain order—and, to make matters worse, the game designer 

plays stupid tricks on you. For instance, if you pick up a 

cigarette from an ashtray, you're told, "Cigarettes are bad 

for your health." and you die immediately. The lesson? The 

game will randomly punish you for exploring—yet you 

have to explore in order to accomplish anything. 

There are other annoyances. Anytime you pick up the 

book to move it somewhere else, when you set it down you 

have to read the text again. You can move things around 

on the desk, but if you leave and come back later, every 

thing is back the way it was before. In other words, you 

don 'i make any difference in this world. You exist in order 

to do the designer's bidding. 

How did this game ever become a "game of the year"? 

Only because it originally appeared on the game-poor Mac. 

Tower Toppler 

In this arcade-style action game, you're a froglike alien, try 

ing to destroy towers by climbing them. There are doors 

that lead to other doors; you go from level to level using 

elevators, dodging various opponents. When you reach the 

top of a tower, it sinks down into the sea. Then you go 

fishing during a bonus round until you reach a new tower 

and start over. 

The science fiction element is irrelevant, but the game 

is fun and the graphics are terrific. The smooth animation 

as you move around the cylindrical tower is delightful, and 

there's a lot of good animation. 

As science fiction, it's fun but shallow. As an action 

game, it's just plain fun. This was Geoffrey's second 

favorite. 

Captain Blood 

Never mind the dumb copy protection (a key disk and a 

once-only hard disk installation). Never mind the incoher 

ent instruction book that keeps referring you from one seclion 

to another without ever making sense. Captain Blood 

should have been a triumphant game. 

The EGA graphics are gorgeous— 

though they owe a great debt to H. R. 

Giger by way of the movie Alien. The 

control panel is fascinating and orig 

inal. The planet's 3-D surface is craggy 

and beautiful. Movement is smooth. 

In other words, the graphics program 

ming is terrific. 

And as science fiction, it's pretty 

good. The story is inventive and 

intelligent. I especially liked the little 

fishlike alien that you send down to 

explore the world for you. 

Unfortunately, as a game, this one 

sucks pond scum. It was almost 

impossible even to tell what was going on, what we were 

supposed to do, and how we were supposed to do it. We 

couldn't tell what the onscreen signals meant as we tried to 

land on the planet's surface. We were never told why we 

crashed. Was it an enemy shooting us down? Did we bump 

into a rock? And when we did reach our goal, we had no 

idea what we had done right. 

Maybe we would have liked later phases of the game. 

But Geoffrey and I found it so frustrating that we didn't 

stick around to find out. In fact, Geoffrey blew up the 

planet—and I removed the game from the hard disk with 

out the uninstall option. We haven't regretted either 

decision. 

Star Saga: One—Beyond the Boundary 

This is a game that tries to transcend the limitations of the 

computer by having much of the action take place on a 

game board, with the machine serving primarily as game 

master, doing the housekeeping for a group of human play 

ers. The story of the game is wonderfully inventive, and I 

got far enough into the game to know that it shows great 

promise. Unfortunately, the game plays best when you 

have several people playing—and I wasn't able to assemble 

such a group in time for this article. But Star Saga looks 

like first-rate science fiction and a darn good game. (Later, 

when I've had a chance to play it with a group, as it's 

meant to be played, I'll review it at length in my column, 

"Game-play.") > 

JUNE 1989 33

Balance of Power: 1990 

Edition 

This may be the best-designed game 

ever. It's simple and beautiful, and it 

uses the Windows environment better 

than any application I've seen. It is 

also the most detailed, carefully 

extrapolated future world I've worked 

with. 

I should love this game. I'm the 

guy who, in the 1978 short story 

"Breaking the Game," described a 

Risk-like: game in which hundreds of 

players take part in a deep and perfect 

computer simulation of recent history. 

Game designer Chris Crawford has come closer than any 

one to making that sort of game a reality. 

But when I first played it, it infuriated me. When you 

push too hard in the wrong situation, nuclear war erupts, 

and Crawford slaps you with an insulting message about 

how he isn't going to show you a big mushroom cloud be 

cause he doesn't "reward failure." It makes you feel like 

you're in a college class with a professor who thinks he's 

God. The fact is, nobody knows what will cause a nuclear 

war because we've never had one, and for Crawford to 

taunt you because you didn't guess the same way he did is 

offensive. 

Nevertheless, one of the people I respect most picked 

the game as one of the 20 best games in this magazine 

[June 1988—Ed.]. I was baffled. So, as I reviewed science 

fiction games for this article, I resolved to look again. 

The game is still brilliant in the way it collects and 

uses data about the real world—you can practically use it 

as an almanac. Unfortunately, in simplifying geopolitics, 

Crawford made some choices that result in absurdities. For 

instance, if you're playing the part of the President of the 

United States, you're supposed to sit back and let the Sovi 

Software of the Future 

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1990 Edition 

Amiga—$49.95 

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The Colony 



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34 COMPUTE 

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Sentinel Worlds I: Future 

Magic 


Star Flight 


ets introduce troops into Syria without 

protest. The historical fact is that when 

the Soviets proposed to do exactly that 

back in 1973, President Richard 

Nixon put the U.S. military on alert, 

and the Russians backed down. In 

Crawford's world, Syria is vital to the 

Soviet Union and unimportant to the 

U.S. In the real world, almost the 

reverse is true. 

Likewise, in the real world, no 

U.S. President could stay in office if 

he allowed the introduction of Soviet 

advisers in Mexico without taking 

massive countermeasures—and it's 

hard to imagine a Mexican government insane enough to 

try it. But in Crawford's world, resisting such Soviet adven 

turism often results in nuclear war. Hasn't he heard about 

the Cuban missile crisis? 

When I first reviewed Balance of Power, I assumed 

these absurdities reflected Crawford's political views. Since 

then, I've come to realize that they probably reflect the 

limitations of the game program. There are only so many 

variables that the computer can handle. 

So here's my advice. Pretend that Balance of Power 

takes place on an alien planet that through sheer co 

incidence is divided into nations and continents astonish 

ingly similar to those of Earth, with the same names. So, 

you must act solely on the basis of what the game tells you 

about the world. If you do that, you'll find this a deep and 

powerful game. If you don't, the game will drive you crazy, a 

Orson Scott Card is an award-winning science fiction writer, with 

two Nebula and two Hugo awards to his credit. His novels include 

Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, and Prentice Alvin. His most 

recent work is a novelization of the movie Abyss. His column on 

computer entertainment, "Gameplay," appears monthly in COM 

PUTE! magazine. 

Wasteland: Adventure in 

Post-Nuclear America 


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game, you are a secret agent. 

□ RISK |3436) - For all of us who love the 

great board game. Conquer the world! (CGA) 

□ PkMm & Morel (3421| - Several arcade nits 

including two PAD-MAN games. iCGA) 

□ WM of MIshrtiiM |3422] - A really fun 

version of the classic TV gameshow. 

□ Muter UK Mirkst (3425) - A stock rrrarket 

simulation game. More options and better 

all around play than the popular "Millionaire" 

game. 

□ KM Ginm (3426| - A set of educational 

games designed to teach kids in a fun way. 

□ Suptr Pinbalt (3429) - A collection ol five 

great video pinball games. (CGA) 

P Global Thtmnnuclnr Wir (3430) - Inspired by 

the movie "Wargames". 

□ Video PoKcr/Ullinn 21 (3435) - The BEST 

poker and blackjack games available. 

□ Stir Trtk (3438) - You are the captain as 

you lead the Enterprise irto space battle. 

Q Me: Witan (3 BOB I - Store and retrieve 

info about your favorites. Comes with pre 

programmed info, on hundreds of movies 

Q Chun* DfUBitt (3B1Z| - Automates record 

keeping relating to congregation members. 

Q Lotto! (3823) - Complete system lor the 

lotteries ol most states. 

□ Crwwonl Cmttr (3824] - Create your own 

custom crossword puzzles easily. 

□ The DM Disk (382fi) - Provides you with 

many tools for a successful weight-loss 

□ Attrology (3831] - Let your computer tell you 

what lies ahead in the stars! 

| :T| Tht Horn Bihandlng Guldi (3833, 3B34] -Mix 

most drinks like a pro. Includes 149 recipes. 

12 | Th) family HisUiy Syslsr [3852. 3653] - 

Creates files of personal information 

including family relationships and produces 

standard genealogical reports. (2 disks) 

Q PC-Mmletin |3900| - Develop and play-back 

songs on your PC. 

Q PC-Art 13952] - Graphics drawing package for 

creating color pictures and designs. ICGA) 

Q EDraw |3954| - Draw designs, flowcharts, 

schematics, printed circuits, or just about 

anything you can think of. 

GAMES 

□ Trattirl (3411) - Drive an 18-wheeler Irom 

LA to NY. Watch out fur Smokie! 

□ MvMlurtWirt (3420) - Five new text 

adventures sure to keep you intrigued. 

[T] Trivli Town (3423,3424) - A challenging 

trivia game for 2-6 players or teams. 

□ 3-D Chm (3427| - Chaienge a tough compu 

ter opponent in the classic game of chess. 

□ Soiililrr |3«8| - The computer deals the 

cardi and makes sure you don't cheat! 

□ Donlnott |343T| - Play a nice game of dom 

inoes against the computer, anytime. (CGA)

Heidi Aycock, Steven Anzovin, Gregg Keizer, and Peter Scisco 

What's it take to be a power 

user these days? How much 

can you really pack into your 

home computer system 

before the power lines melt? 

Just when is too much still 

not enough? Here's how to 

turn your wimpy home 

machine into the Bulgarian 

weightfifter of computers. 

■^t ower. 

It's the most seductive 

word in the computing lexi 

con. Hardware and software 

makers know this and use the word to 

tantalize- Apple puts the tag The 

power to be your best at the bottom of 

each ad; Paperback Software reminds 

everyone that Knowledge is Power. 

Home computer users aren't im 

mune to the power plague, either, Just 

as much as anyone in a corporate 

tower, we thirst for a machine that 

sings through spreadsheets, that whips 

through word processing. We hunger 

for the most complete, the bestequipped 

computer system we can 

afford. 

Ah. there's the rub, isn't it? 

Money. Because we don't have a 

capital-outlay budget—because it's our 

36 COMPUTEI 

money, not someone else's—we have 

to be careful about how our computer 

currency is spent. Hard choices are in 

store for anyone who wants to make a 

home computer more powerful. 

That's what this article is about— 

hard choices. Deciding that you want 

a more powerful machine is easy; the 

tough part is choosing how to make 

that machine a power beast. 

We've eliminated some of the 

guesswork by taking $1,000 and 

putting power into three typical home 

computer systems—an 8088-based 

MS-DOS computer, a Macintosh Plus 

(or SE), and a Commodore Amiga 

500. And because not everyone uses a 

home computer for the same tasks, 

we've shown you more than one route 

to power computing. More interested 

in writing than in graphics? Planning 

on creating the ultimate game system 

instead of the ultimate database? 

Read on. And may the power be 

with you. 

MS-DOS 

Five years ago, when you bought your 

IBM PC or compatible, a power user 

was a gas-station grease monkey with 

an air wrench. Today, you're still 

clicking along with 512K. of RAM. a 

monochrome monitor, and two floppy 

disk drives. But something's wrong. 

Every computer magazine you open 

bristles with the hottest hardware this 

side of a crooked pawn shop. Face it: 

You're an 8088 chip in a 386 world, 

and it's time for a makeover. 

Game Master 

If you're a gamester looking to bring 

your PC compatible up to the level of 

today's competition, you'll want EGA 

color, the minimum standard for top 

flight gameplay. You'll also want to in 

crease your computer's RAM to 640K. 

and add a game card and a joystick. 

The Boca Research EGA by Boca 

board will give you the colors you 

need for $249. The board supports not 

only EGA. but MDA, CGA, and 

Hercules standards as well. A scan of 

mail-order houses reveals no-name 

EGA cards priced as low as $145. 

Of course your new board is use 

less without a color monitor. The 

choices are mind-boggling. Mail-order 

prices for EGA monitors can be as low 

as $325. Mitsubishi's XC1410C mon 

itor lists for S659. but can be had 

through the mail for $375. Samsung's 

CM4531 display retails for $349. 

That's about $550 so far. The 

next step is to boost your PC's mem 

ory. For about $55, you can add two 

banks of 64K RAM chips {a total of 

18) to your computer's motherboard.

minimum for today's entertaining 

memory-munchers. Be sure to buy 

chips that match the speed of the 

chips already in your PC. Check the 

number on your installed chips and 

use the digits to the right of the dash 

to determine speed (for example, 

4164-15 signifies a 150-nanosecond 

chip; 41256-08 means it's an 80nanosecond 

chip). 

To round out your game system, 

you'll want to pick up a game card 

with two ports and a decent pair of 

joysticks (for head-to-head competi 

tion). All told, these will set you back 

about 70 bucks: $20 for the card and 

$50 for the joysticks. With the $225 

you have left, you can buy several of 

the new games you've been lusting 

after; or, better yet, you can look for a 

deal on the Ad Lib Music Synthesizer 

Card (list price, $195) to replace the 

wretched warble of your PC. 

Your revamped PC will make you 

the envy of every gamester on your 

block. Play on. 

Pumped-Up Productivity 

Time is money, and to make your PC 

work faster, you need to boost it to 

AT status with a 286 accelerator 

board. Either AST's Hot Shot/286 (list 

price, $545; street price, $355) or Or 

chid's TinyTurbo (discount price, 

$279) will replace your computer's 

8088 processor with an 80286. Both 

accelerator boards are fairly simple to 

install—much, much easier than 

replacing your PC's motherboard. 

To create an even more impres 

sive productivity machine, expand 

your computer's memory to 640K and 

then start looking at storage options. 

You'll want at least a 20-megabyte 

hard disk (a Seagate drive and control 

ler will set you back about $270 if you 

buy mail order), but for only a little 

more money you can have 50-percent 

more storage (street prices of 30- 

megabyte drives are around $290). 

If you have an older PC, it may 

not have the power to handle the extra 

storage capacity. Replacing your power 

supply isn't too difficult, and 150-watt 

units are available for about $ 150 from 

mail-order dealers. You may also have 

to upgrade your computer's BIOS 

PC Purchases 

Ad Lib 

50 Staniford St. 

Boston. MA 02114 

(800) 463-2686 

Amdek 

1901 Zanker Rd. 

San Jose. CA 95112 

(800) 722-6335 

AST Research 

2121 Alton Ave. 

Irvine, CA 92714-4992 

(714)863-1333 

Boca Research 

6401 Congress Ave. 

Boca Raton, FL 33487 

(407) 997-6227 

Electronics America 

991 Knox St. 

Torrance, CA 90502 

(213)515-3993 

Key Electronics Enterprises 

9112 Hwy. 80 W 

Suite 221-K 

Forth Worth, "D

upgrade options, depending on your 

artistic bent. Your first step: Boost 

your system's memory to 640K. 

If it's music you're after, you'll 

want to add a sound board like the Ad 

Lib or, even better, the Roland MT-32 

Multi-Timbre Sound Module, from Si 

erra. The Roland will set you back 

$550 if you buy it at full retail price. 

That leaves you about $400 for a 

MIDI interface like Midiator, from 

Key Electronics (interface, sequencer, 

and software for about $130), or 

PC/Musicpak, from Voyetra (retail 

price, $249). The rest of the money 

you can sock away for a sampling 

keyboard. 

If computer art is your passion, 

then you'll need the cream of displayadapter 

technology: VGA. The Video 

Seven Vega ($499, retail; $259, mail 

order) or another VGA card will get 

you started. Back your choice with the 

Amdek Monitor/632 ($595, retail) or 

the NEC MultiSynch II ($949, retail; 

$570, mail order). Keep in mind when 

matching cards with monitors that the 

display quality is tied to the highest 

resolution common to both products. 

Macintosh 

You probably thought your Macintosh 

was powerful enough to last a lifetime. 

Although it's a highly sophisticated 

computer—one that includes a stateof-the-art 

interface and sports more 

RAM than most MS-DOS machinesit's 

not, as the saying goes, everything 

it wants to be. You'll have to make 

some tradeoffs as you plan your sys 

tem expansion (don't expect to turn 

your Mac Plus into a Mac IIx), but 

with around $1,000, you can dramati 

cally transform your machine. 

Writer's Wonder 

Your Macintosh may be a premier 

writer's tool and a robust word proces- 

38 COMPUTE! 

For example, a board that supports a 

color resolution of 640 X 350 pixels 

won't drive an 800 X 600 pixel mon 

itor to its full potential. You can save 

money by matching a lower-resolution 

board to a comparable monitor. Use 

your last $100 for a Microsoft Mouse 

($99 from some mail-order houses, 

including a copy of PC Paintbrush). 

To make your PC a publishing 

system worthy of any potential Alfred 

Knopf, you'll want to add a 20megabyte 

hard disk to hold a desktop 

publishing program and a collection of 

fonts and art. A mouse will help you 

design the next Pulitzer winner. You 

won't be able to afford a full-page dis 

play with the $575 you have left, but 

you can upgrade your monitor to 

VGA status if you stick with a crisp, 

paper-white phosphor display like 

Samsung's ML4571 (14-inch screen; 

$249, retail). After you've paid for a 

VGA card, you'll still have enough 

cash left over for a multifunction card 

that will equip your PC with a serial 

port (just in case you can spring for a 

laser printer next year). 


sor, but it can be even more help to 

anyone who puts words on the screen 

if you punch up its power. 

Speed, print quality, and more 

storage are three of the most im 

portant things writers demand from a 

computer. Speed, because time is 

really money. Print quality, because 

editors have a nasty habit of not read 

ing illegible print. And more storage, 

because a good writer is a prolific 

writer. 

The easiest way to boost the 

speed of your word processor is to put 

as much of your document as possible 

into RAM, where it's instantly acces 

sible. Your first step to power writing, 

then, is to add memory to your Mac. 

Bumping up your Mac to 2.5 mega 

bytes (the most efficient path) will run 

$899 from your local Apple dealer, but 

you can do better by going to a thirdparty 

source. Levco's One-Plus-One, 

which turns a Mac Plus into a 2-megabyte 

machine, costs just under $400. 

Taking an SE to 2.5 megabytes costs 

around $470 when you use third-party 

RAM; one source among many is the 

Hardware House, of Philadelphia. 

You can also use some of the 

added RAM to run print spoolers and 

ram caches. Print spoolers let you 

keep working with your computer 

while you print by writing the file to 

disk or to memory. As you work, the 

printer retrieves the file, bit by bit, 

during the tiny increments of time 

when your computer isn't busy. Some 

recommended spoolers are Mainstay's 

MacSpool ($79.95) and SuperMac's 

SuperSpool ($99.95). Both work with 

the ImageWriter, but SuperSpool also 

works with LaserWriter printers. Disk 

caches store frequently used parts of a 

program in RAM, which the computer 

can access more quickly than it can 

access a disk drive. A disk cache is 

available via your Mac's Control 

Panel; if you have more memory, you 

can simply set aside more RAM for 

the cache. 

Once your Macintosh's memory 

needs are satiated, you can head for 

higher-quality printing. You won't find 

a laser printer for your $1,000, and the 

difference between your ImageWriter 

and a 24-pin printer is probably not 

enough to justify the expense. But you 

have other options. One printer to 

consider is the Hewlett-Packard 

DeskJet, an ink-jet printer that retails 

for $999 ($680, mail order). Add a 

Grappler LQ interface ($149, retail; 

$98, mail order), from Orange Micro, 

and the DeskJet prints pages that rival 

a LaserWriter in quality if not in 

speed. Another ink-jet printer is the 

made-for-the-Mac WriteMove printer, 

from GCC Technologies. A small- 

sized printer, WriteMove retails for 

$699 but requires special paper— 

something the DeskJet can do without. 

If topnotch printing isn't a prior 

ity, you'll want to spend the rest of 

your $1,000 for a hard disk drive. Not 

only does a hard disk drive hold more 

than an 800K floppy disk can, but it 

also can load and save files far, far 

faster. Just as important is the fact 

that today's high-octane word proces 

sors take up three or more floppy 

disks, leaving you with some disk 

swapping to do unless you have a hard 

disk. Moving up to a hard disk is one 

of the smartest things you can do to 

power up your system. 

Hard disks come in different 

capacities; the 20-megabyte size is the 

most common. A 20-megabyte hard 

disk holds the equivalent of about 25

floppies and costs around $550. 

Companies like Crate and Jasmine sell 

hard drives at competitive prices. 

Spend $1,000 on RAM and a 

printer or on memory and a hard disk 

and you'll ensure your place in the 

halls of powerful writers. 

Superior Spreadsheets, 

Dynamic Databases 

Spreadsheets and databases run best 

from a hard disk, so that should be 

the first system enhancement to con 

sider if you're into numbers and lists 

for your home business. Spreadsheets 

and databases eat up even more stor 

age space than do text documents, 

though, so you should consider a 

larger-capacity drive. A 42-megabyte 

LaCie Cirrus hard drive, for instance, 

will cost you $650 direct from the 

company. 

If you want to see more of your 

spreadsheet or database form at one 

time, you'll find that a large-sized 

screen can be of immeasurable help. 

It's tough to find a name-brand largescreen 

monitor for your $1,000, but 

it's not impossible. The best advice is 

to scout the mail-order ads and hope 

for the best. One source is Icon Re 

view, which recently advertised a 

Cornerstone SinglePage Display for 

$899. 

A recently announced alternative 

to a Macintosh-specific full-sized 

screen is the Mobius card ($479), from 

Mobius Technologies. Installed in 

your Mac SE, the Mobius card lets 

you connect hi-res IBM-compatible 

monochrome monitors to your com 

puter. The benefit, of course, is the 

drastically reduced cost of such mon 

itors. A 14-inch NEC Multisync GS 

monitor, for instance, runs only $279 

at full retail; $ 190, mail order. For less 

than $700, then, a Mobius card/ 

Multisync GS combination can display 

about 75 percent more than the stand 

ard Macintosh can. That means 75 

percent more of your speadsheet or 

database is on the screen. 

If you're a serious number 

cruncher and you already have a hard 

disk, you may be the perfect candidate 

for an accelerator board with a math 

coprocessor. Such boards either have a 

68000 microprocessor running at a 

faster speed than the original, or a 

next-generation 68020 microprocessor, 

an even faster chip. A 68881 math 

coprocessor chip speeds up numerical 

manipulations, making things like 

spreadsheet recalculations really swift. 

As with the large-screen monitor up 

grade, though, you can afford only this 

one improvement on your $1,000 bud 

get. Even then, you'll have to look 

hard. One possible buy is the SiClone 

Turbo SE accelerator, a board based 

on a 16-MHz 68000 microprocessor. 

The accelerator itself costs $398, while 

the 68881 math coprocessor chip runs 

$298. 

Cheaper tactics, such as ramdisks 

and disk caches, can help. Follow the 

guidelines in the previous section if 

you want to up your Mac's RAM. 

Even trashing the Finder and switch 

ing interfaces can be a boon. Take a 

look at CE Software's DiskTop ($50, 

retail; $27, mail order) or Fifth 

Generation's Power Station ($60, re 

tail; $32, mail order); they can free up 

memory for your applications. 

Picture Perfect 

Macintosh artists need as much com 

puter speed as anyone does, but they 

also need high-quality printing, topnotch 

displays, and a lot of storage 

space. Trying to decide between 

increasing the quality of your printing 

or bumping up your storage capacity is 

tough. If you work with digitized pic 

tures, you're saddled with enormous 

files. And most high-powered graphics 

packages, such as PageMaker and 

Macintosh Merchandise 

Apple Computer 

20525 Mariani Ave. 

Cupertino, CA 95014 

(408) 252-2775 

CE Software 

1854 Fuller Rd. 

P.O. Box 65580 

West Des Moines, IA 50265 

(515)224-1995 

Crate Technology 

6850 Vineland Ave. 

Building M 

North Hollywood, CA 91605 

{818)766-4001 

Fifth Generation Systems 

11200 Industriplex Blvd. 

Baton Rouge, LA 70809 

(504) 291-7221 

GCC Technologies 

580 Winter St. 

Waltham, MA 02154 

(617)890-0880 

Hardware House 

3440 Market St. 

Philadelphia, FA 19104 

(800) 356-2892 

(215) 386-2208 

Hewlett-Packard 

18110 SE 34th St 

Camas, WA 98607 

(206)254-8110 

Icon Review 

101 Reighard Ave. 

Williamsport, m 17701 

(800)228-8910 

Jasmine 

1740 Army St. 

San Francisco, CA 94124 

(800) 347-3228 

(415)282-1111 

Freehand, require a hard drive. Con 

sider a 40-megabyte (or larger) hard 

disk if you're active in desktop 

publishing or computer graphics. 

But if you must produce cameraready 

artwork, you'll have to find a 

way to get clear, sharp printouts. 

Again, $1,000 is not enough to put a 

laser printer next to your Mac. Some 

photocopy shops and typesetting firms 

can print your Macintosh files on a 

LaserWriter or even on a Linotronic 

typesetter for top-quality output. If 

you have access to such a service, 

your best option is to buy a hard drive 

and more memory. Spending the en 

tire $1,000 will be easy ($650-$700 for 

a 40-megabyte hard disk and $400 or 

so for additional RAM), but you'll 

have a more powerful graphics station 

at your beck and call. 

For clear, sharp printing without 

going to an outside printer, you can 

turn to the GrappIer/DeskJet combi 

nation or even the WriteMove option. 

The output rivals that of laser print 

ing, and the cost is much lower. 

— Gregg K£izer and 

Heidi E. H. Aycock > 

LaCle 

16285 SW 85th 

No. 306 

Tigard. OR 97224 

(800) 999-0143 

(503) 684-0143 

Levco 

6181 Cornerstone Court E 

Suite 101 

San Diego, CA 92121 

(619)457-2011 

Mainstay 

5311-B Derry Ave. 

Agoura Hills, CA 91301 

(818)991-6540 

Mobius Technologies 

6020 Adeline St. 

Oakland, CA 94608 

(415)654-0556 

NEC Home Electronics 

1255 Michael Dr. 

Wood Dale, IL 60191 

(312) 860-9500 

Orange Micro 

1400 N. Lakeview Ave. 

Anaheim, CA 92807 

(714) 779-2772 

SiClone 

1169 Borregas Ave. 

Sunnyvale, CA 94089 

(408)734-9151 

SuperMac Technologies 

485 Potrero Ave. 

Sunnyvale, CA 94086 

(408) 245-2202 

JUNE 1989 39

Amiga 

The recent explosive growth in the 

Amiga hardware market has made tak 

ing a basic Amiga 500 system—512K 

computer, single 3'/2-inch disk drive, 

and Amiga RGB monitor—to the 

hardware max a lot easier. For a mere 

$ 1,000, you can build a graphics com 

puter Max Headroom would be proud 

of. Or put together a home-productivity 

machine that will give you far-reaching 

number-crunching and databasesorting 

capabilities. Of course, there 

are other possible $1,000 Amiga addi 

tions to cover such uses as music cre 

ation, computer-aided design, and 

even gaming. 

Animated Workstation 

There are almost loo many exciting 

hardware tools for Amiga graphics: De 

ciding on the add-ons best suited for 

you can be daunting. Just keep in mind 

the capabilities you need for your art, 

though, and assembling a system 

should be simplified. 

Before you add any exotic graphics 

hardware, you'll want to turbocharge 

your Amiga 500 with additional memo 

ry by buying the A501 512K RAM ex 

pansion, from Commodore ($ 199). 

Amiga Add-Ons 

Commodore Business Machines 

1200 Wilson Dr. 

West Chester, PA 19380 

(215)431-9100 

Creative Microsystems 

10110 SW Nimbus 

Suite B1 

Portland, OR 97223 

(503) 620-3821 

Great Valley Products 

Plank Ave. 

Paoli, m 19301 

(215)889-9411 

40 COMPUTE 

You'll also want to add more disk stor 

age with an external floppy disk drive; a 

good example is the Master 3A disk 

drive, from Oceanic America, widely 

available for $ 160. The extra memory 

and storage space will make it possible 

to create super-sized graphics and com 

pile animations without a lot of irritat 

ing disk swapping. 

Two simple devices can really ex 

pand your Amiga's usefulness as a 

graphics workstation. The Digj-View 

Gold video digitizer, from NewTek 

($200), complete with the Panasonic 

WV-1410 monochrome CCTV camera 

($280; also available from NewTek), 

lets you capture any external image for 

later manipulation with a paint or an 

animation program. Digi-View pro 

duces accurate, full-color reproductions 

of anything you can focus a video cam 

era on. The system is simple and easy 

to use, and gives far better results than 

you'd get from any other digitizer on 

the market. For desktop video applica 

tions, nothing beats a genlock, a device 

for mixing live video and Amiga graph 

ics for taping on a VCR. The basic 

Amiga genlock of choice is the Amigen, 

from Mimetics ($179). This small unit 

is the only low-cost genlock on the mar 

ket that works with any Amiga. With it. 

Mimetics 

P.O. Box 1560 


(408)741-0117 

NewTek 

115 W. Crane St. 

Topeka, KS 66603 

(800) 843-8934 

Oceanic America 

P.O. Box 70587 

Eugene, OR 

(503) 741-1222 

you can easily put titles and animations 

on your videos for professional-looking 

effects. 

The total cost of your newfound 

graphics power is $1,018. Watch out, 

Walt Disney! 

Amortized Amiga 

You may not think of the Amiga 500 

as a business dynamo, but it can pack 

the same productivity wallop you'd get 

from an AT clone or a Macintosh SE. 

What the basic Amiga 500 lacks, 

though, are the hard drives and faster 

processor speeds that give those ma 

chines the clout to eat through big 

spreadsheets and massive databases. 

At the moment, the most efficient 

way to add mass storage to your 

Amiga 500 is with the Impact 20HD/ 

RAM hard drive, from Great Valley 

Products ($795). This external SCSI 

drive allows up to six more SCSI 

peripherals to be connected to the 

computer. With the optional Autoboot 

EPROM (an additional $100; also 

from Great Valley), you can start your 

Amiga 500 directly from the hard disk 

under version 1.3 of the Amiga operat 

ing system. The Impact drive also has 

room to accept two megabytes of 

RAM, which you can purchase when 

and if the price of memory chips de 

scends from its current stratospheric 

level. (Commodore has promised, and 

even shown, a combination 20- 

megabyte hard disk/RAM-expansion 

unit. Called the A590, it may appear 

sometime in 1989; its price is 

undetermined.) 

If the 7.16-MHz 68000 micro 

processor in your Amiga 500 seems a 

little pokey when you compare it to 

the 10- and 12-MHz 80286 chips in 

current ATs, or even to the notexactly-maxed-out 

8-MHz 68000 in a 

Macintosh SE, how about giving your 

Amiga a caffeine jolt with a faster 

processor? Creative Microsystems of 

fers a 68000 microprocessor (S200) 

that runs at 14.32 MHz, double the 

standard speed. Simply pop out your 

current 68000 and pop in the faster 

version for speed increases of up to a 

theoretical 200 percent. (Opening the 

Amiga 500 case voids your warranty. 

but the speed increase is worth it.) 

Pumping up your 500 to give it 

productivity prowess doesn't come 

cheap, but it shouldn't exceed 

$1.100—well worth the numbers when 

you're crunching numbers. 

— Steven Anzovin 3 

Heidi E. H. Aycock and Peter Scisco are the 

assistant editors, and Gregg Keizer is the 

editor, of COMPUTE!. Steven Anzovin writes 

the Amiga column for the "COMPUTE! Spe 

cific" department. All of them want more 

than $1,000 to spend on their computers.

Historical Games 

Mickey McLean 

The Ancient Art of War 

Broderbund 

IBM PC and compatibles. Macintosh 

Color graphics card required for IBM 

S44.95 

buyer's 

Wish you could be a legendary leader? Want to change the course of 

history? Can you think ofa better way to run the world or win the war? 

Players challenge eight of the greatest mili 

tary leaders in history—Genghis Khan, Alex 

ander the Great, Sun Tzu, and others. 

Players choose armies, weapons, battle for 

mations, and strategies. The game features 

11 historical and fictitious battfes, and new 

battles can be created. Joystick is optional. 

The Ancient Art of War at Sea 

Broderbund 

Apple II, IBM PC and compatibles. Macintosh 

Graphics adapter card required for IBM 

S44.95 

In this war-strategy game, enemies include 

Blackbeard, John Paul Jones, and Admiral 

Lord Nelson. Players can choose from 11 

sea battles or create their own. Battles are 

fought in realtime. Three levels of zoom bring 

players right down to the ship decks, and an 

illustrated guide explains the enemy's strate 

gies and tactics. 

Whether it's hobnobbing with Genghis Khan, rubbing shoulders with 

Napoleon, or shooting the breeze with MacArthur, there's a historical 

game in this buyer's guide that's as good as any time machine. 

In the race against nuclear war, players 

use diplomatic savvy and military finesse 

to preserve the safest Balance of Power. 

Ancient Battles 

Scorpion Software 

IBM PC and compatibles 

CGA required 

S44.95 

Ancient Battles is a strategy war game, with 

several battle scenarios, to be played by two 

players or one player against the computer. 

There is also a construction set for creating 

new scenarios. 

The Annals of Rome 

Datasoft 


Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, IBM PC and 

compatibles 

S24.95 (Commodore) 

$34.95 (Amiga. Atari ST. IBM) 

As leader of the Senate's ruling party in 

Rome in 273 B.C., the player controls Roman 

armies at home and on foreign soil. The play 

er must reckon with 13 foreign powers and 

command 21 Roman officers who vary in 

their abilities and degree of loyalty. 

Balance of Power 

Mindscape 

Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, IBM PC and compatibles, 

Macintosh 

$39.95 (Amiga. Atari ST, Macintosh) 

S44.95 (Apple) 

$49.95 (IBM) 

As U.S. President or General Secretary of the 

Soviet Union, the player has eight years to 

manage overt and covert actions, insurrec 

tions, political deceptions, divisions of troops, 

and diplomatic relations. During the game, 

each nation's prestige will rise or fall. 

Balance of Power: 

The 1990 Edition 

Mindscape 

Amiga. Apple Ngs, Atari ST, IBM PC and compati 

bles, Macintosh 

640K required for IBM 

$49.95 

This updated version of Balance oi Power in 

cludes more countries, a multipolar orienta 

tion, and an updated database. As U.S. 

President or Soviet General Secretary, the 

player tries to complete eight years in office. 

The goal is to avoid nuclear war and to earn 

prestige. i> 

JUNE 1989 41

Battlefront 

Strategic Studies Group 


Apple II. Commodore 54 

$39.95 

Scenarios for Saipan, Bastogne, Crete, and 

Stalingrad recreate major land battles of 

World War II in this game. The player can 

command either the Allied or the Axis forces. 

Each side has as many as 60 battalions divid 

ed into three divisions. Units include infantry, 

armor, and antitank units. New games can be 

created with the game-design kit. 

Battlegroup 

Strategic Simulations 

Apple II, Commodore 64 

$59.95 

In this World War II game, the U.S. and Brit 

ish forces meet Hitler's army on the Western 

Front. The game features most of the weap 

ons from 1943 to 1945, including mortars, 

tanks, troop carriers, antitank guns, flame 

throwers, and bazookas. The computer cal 

culates the hit probabilities for each soldier 

and weapon. 

Battle of Antietam 


Apple II, Atari, Commodore 64, IBM PC and 

compatibles 


$49.95 

Robert E. Lee's army meets General George 

McClellans forces at Antietam Creek in this 

Civil War simulation. The basic game has 

simple ruies and options, and it moves quick 

ly. The advanced and intermediate versions 

require more strategy and use factors such 

as hidden units and chain o( command. Each 

turn represents 30 minutes of actual battle 

time. 

Battles in Normandy 




$39.95 

This sequel to Battlefront features eight sce 

narios from the World War II Allied invasion 

of Normandy and the two months afterward. 

A map of the Normandy Peninsula and a his 

torical article for each scenario—Omaha, 

Utah, Sword, Cherbourg, Carentan, Villers 

Bocage, Goodwood, Epsom—are included. 

Each scenario may be edited, and new 

games can be created. 

Battles of Napoleon 




S49.95 

Players can simulate almost any Napoleonic 

engagement on a detailed tactical level. The 

construction set recreates battles, and play 

er-generated maps and armies can also be 

used. Scenarios include Waterloo, Quatre 

Bras, Auerstaedt, and Borodino. 

42 COMPUTE! 

buyer's 

gum 

Black Monday 

Keypunch Software 


Color graphics card required 

$9.99 

Players can relive the stock market crash of 

Monday, October 19,1987. As many as six 

people can borrow and invest up to $5 million 

in 20 different stocks. Investors can compile 

personal daily reports, speculate on market 

trends, and identify market patterns. 

Blitzkrieg at the Ardennes, 

1MB version 

Command Simulations 

Amiga 

1 megabyte required 

$59.95 

This enhanced version of Blitzkrieg at the Ar 

dennes depicts the World War II Battle of the 

Bulge. New features include hidden unit 

movement, a more flexible attack rule, and 

aerial reconnaissance. New sound and 

graphics have been added. An upgrade from 

the 512K version is available for $10.00. The 

512K version sells for S52.95. 

Blue Powder Grey Smoke 

Garde 

Apple II, Commodore 64, IBM PC and compatibles, 

Macintosh 

$49.95 

Players fight in the Civil War battles of Gettys 

burg, Antietam, and Chickamauga. Players 

must reckon with 11 types of terrain and sea 

sonal changes. Players can choose to view 

any part of the battlefield in either a close-up 

or a broad overview. 

Carriers at War 1941-1945 




$49.95 

As task commander, the player locates and 

sinks enemy vessels in this simulation of 

World War II Pacific Ocean warfare. There 

are 31 carriers, 215 other ships in 63 classes, 

and more than 4000 aircraft in 126 squad 

rons. Six scenarios are included—Pearl Har 

bor, Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, 

Santa Cruz, and Philippine Sea. Using a 

game-design kit, the player can create new 

battles. 

Conflict in Vietnam 

MicroProse 

Apple II. Commodore 64, IBM PC and compatibles 

CGA or EGA card required for IBM 

$19.95 

Full-color graphics recreate five battle sce 

narios of the Vietnam War. The player con 

trols the troop movements, counterattacks, 

and artillery bombardments. The battles can 

be replayed as they really happened, or dif 

ferent strategies can be used to try to alter 

the outcome. 

Crusade in Europe 

MicroProse 



$19.95 

This war game recreates some of the major 

land battles of World War II, beginning with 

the Normandy invasion on D-Day. Players 

monitor troop movements across maps of 

France and Germany and wage battles 

against opposing generals. Battles can be 

played as they actually occurred, or new 

strategies can be attempted. 

Decision on the Desert 

MicroProse 



$19.95 

The player can command either the Allied or 

the Axis forces in the desert warfare of World 

War II. As commander, the player controls air 

strikes, armored battalions, and infantry 

movement in North Africa from 1940 to 1942. 

The game features accelerated realtime, 

graphics, and variable skill levels. 

Decisive Battles of the Ameri 

can Civil War, Volumes I, II, 

and III 




S39.95 each 

Volume I, Bull Run to Chanceliorsville, cov 

ers six major battles of the American Civil 

War—First Bull Run, Shiloh, Second Bull 

Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancel 

iorsville. Volume 2 of this historical-war-game 

series covers five Civil War battles—Gaines 

Mill, Stones River, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, 

and Chattanooga. The third game in the 

American Civil War trilogy features Spotsylvania, 

The Wilderness, Franklin, Nashville, 

Atlanta, and Cold Harbor. A graphics editor 

and war-game construction kit are included in 

all three packages. 

Desert Rats 



CGA required 

$39.95 

Desert Rats, a collection of six battle simula 

tions, is set in the North African campaign 

from 1941 to 1942. The fight begins with 

Rommel's invasion of Tripoli and ends with 

the Battle of El Alamein. Maps and historical 

notes are included with this one- or twoplayer 

game. >

Magnavox 

BM7652 $89.95 

BM7622 $89.95 

7BM-623 $79.95 

CM87D2 $184.95 

CM8762 $239.95 

BCM-515 $259.95 

9CM-053 $345.95 

9CM-Q82 $419.95 

Si 1981 

C f PRINTERS 

.IL 

Seikosha 

SP Series Ribbon ....$7.95 

SP160DAI $179.95 

SP1200AS 

RS232 $189.95 

SLBOAi $309.95 

SK3000Ai $359.95 

SK30O5Ai $445.95 

SL130AJ $569.95 

MP5420FA $999.95 

SPB10 $2995-95 

Brother 

HR20 $339.95 

M1709 $439.95 

M1724L $569.95 

HR40 $599.95 

HR60 $699.95 

Twin writer 6 Dot & 

Daisy $899.95 

Lyco Computer 

7 Marketing & Consultants 

Air Orders Processed Within 24 Hours 

MONITORS 

GoldStar 

2105 G Composite $79.95 

2105 A Composite $79.95 

1410CGA14- $219.95 

1420 EGA 14' $319.95 

1430 VGA 14- $379.95 

1440 Supetscan $459.95 

NX-2400 

Star Micronics 

NX-1000 $164.95* 

NX-1000C(64C) .$169.95* 

NX-1000 Color ....$217.95 

NX-1000C Color 

Superior 24 pin performance 

is ngw a luxury you can 

afford. With 170 cps draft 

and 57 cps letter quality 

mode, your document needs 

are quickly taken care of. 

Add Star's paper parking 

feature, variety of print styles 

and you have unprecedented 

24 pin performance at a price 

(64C) $225.95- 

NX-15 $299.95 

NX-2400 $299.95 

NR-10 $319.95 

NR-15 $419.95 

NB24-1024 Pin ...$419.95 

N824-I5 24 Pin ...$545.95 

NB-1524Pin $669.95 

Lasers $1699.95 

' limited quantities 

Atari. C-64.& IBM 

Interfaces Available 

you can afford. 

$299 95 

NEC 

Multisync GS $189.95 

Multisync II $589.95 

Multisync* $899.95 

Multisync XL $2099.95 

Citizen 

120 D $137.95" 

180D $159.95 

MSP-40 $279.95 

MSP-50 $299.95 

MSP-15E $315.95 

Tribute 124 $369.95 

MSP-45 $379.95 

MSP-55 $439.95 

Premiere 35 $489.95 

Tribute 224 $549.95 

- with interface cable 

Epson 

LX800 $164.95 

LQ500 $294.95 

FX850 $329.95 

EX800 $349.95 

FX1050 $429.95 

LQ850 $515.95 

LQ950 $569.95 

LQ1050 $719.95 

LO2550 $699.95 

Panasonic 

KX-P1180 

The 1180 by Panasonic 

offers you more than what 

you might expect in a low cost printer. 

With multiple paper paths, versatile paper handling, and 

front panel programmability through the EZ Set Operator 

panel, the 1180 is an excellent value. The 1180 also 

features 2 excellent print qualities: Near Letter Quality and 

Draft, with speeds up to 192 cps in Draft and 38 cps in 

Near Letter Quality plus crisp, clear graphics. 

$175 95 

1-800-233-8760 

Avatex 

i200iPCCard $69.95 

i200e $65.95 

1200p $89.95 

1200hc $89.95 

2400i II PC Card $129,95 

2400 $129.95 

Panasonic 

1180 $175.95 

1191 $245.95 

3131 $2B9.95 

1092i $2B9.95 

1124 $319.95 

1592 $359.95 

1595 $429.95 

1524 24 Pin $545.95 

Fax Partner $579.95 

Optical Scanner ..$859.95 

KXP 4450 User $1369.95 

Cables & Connections 

For All Applications 

Printer Ribbons Available 

MODEMS 

Hayes 

Smartmodem300.... 

Srrartmodem 1200B 

Sn-artmodem 1200.. 

Srrartmodem 2400B 

Smartmodem2400.. 

PRINTERS 

Okidata 

Okimate 20 $129.95 

Okimate 20 w/cart $189.95 

182 $209.95 

180 $219.95 

182+ $228.95 

183 $249.95 

320 $337.95 

321 $475.95 

390 $469.95 

391 $639.95 

393 $989.95 

Laser6 SCALL 

Toshiba 

321 SL $449.95 

341 SL $599.95 

35! SX 400 cps ...$899.95 

m citizen 

Citizen 120 D 

if you are seeking world renowned 

printer performance for your home, 

look no further than the 120 D. 

Your data processing needs are 

handled quickly at a prim speed of 

120 cps (draft) or 25 cps (NLQ). 

The 120 D features 9 pin dot 

matrix print quality, standard 

parallel Centronics interface 

and a 4K text buffer. 

$13795 

PAGE Turn page for 

1 OF 4 more specials. 

$139.95 

$279.95 

$279.95 

$399.95 

$399.95

MAGNAVOX 

CM8762 

• 17% Larger Screen Ttian 

Standard 12" Monitors 

• RGB TTL (CGA) 

■ Composite Video Inputs 

• 640X 240 Resolution 

■ Green Text Display Switch 

• Audio Input 

• Built-in Till Stand 

• One-Year Limited Warranty 

JWLASER128 

•Built-in 12BKRAM 

• Built-in 5* Drive 

■ Built-in Parallel Port 

■ Built-in Mouse/Joystick Port 

■ High Res. Graphics 


Marketing & Consultants 

$235 95 

GoldStar 

THr Bnihitii Vi: in Flnunuu 

2405 A 

Attention 

Educational 

Institutions: 

II you are not currently 

using our educational service 

program, please call our 

re presences for details. 

$589 95 

Quantities Limited 

Cables Optional 

12" Composite Monochrome Monitor 

Compatible with IBM, Commodore, Apple computers 

Apple L/O m pat I Die • SO Character (8x8 Matrix) per line with 25 lines 640 x 200 pixel 

COMMODORE 

128 D 

• 128K Std. 

• 3 Mode Operation 

1-64: Runs 64 software. 

2-C128: Faster, more 

memory for increased 

productivity 3-CPM: 

Uses standard cpm 

titles 

$41895 

Seagate 

ST138R30Meg 

Internally Mounted Card 

• Premounted on its own Controller Card 

• EZ Slot Installation {app. 10 min.) 

$329 95 

20-30-49 meg drives available1 

Panasonic, ^ ,~-~QC 

Office Automation^"",/-V( ^"4 *Jfr?flH5 

KXP4450 

Laser Partner Special Purchase 

Move your business into the 

laser age with Panasonic. 512K 

memory comes standard. 11 

pages per minute print speed 

makes it the fastest in its class. 

Panasonic's laser technology and 

2-year warranty — committed to 

your printing needs. 

MLASER128 

Take a look at the Laser 128 

Apple-compatible computer, 

and beginning with its built-in 

disk drive and 12BK RAM of 

memory, you start to leel that 

this machine was designed 

with you in mind. 

$379 95 

2400 Modem 

When co mm uncial ion becomes an 

integral pan of your computing, stay 

wilh the Avatex 2400 baud modem. 

The Avatex features 300/1200/2400 

switch able baud rates, auto-da i I and 

auto-answer plus internal speaker. 

Stay Hayes compatible with (he 

Avatex 2400. 

$129 95 

^CITIZEN 

180 D 

■ 150 cps Draft 

■ 29 cps NLQ 

■ Graphics Capability 

■ Built-in Pull Tractor 

Apple llc-lle 

Compatible 

$10 off any Item Purchased 

With Laser 128! 

TOSHIBA 

3.5 Floppy Drive 

■ IBM PC XT/AT Compatible 

■720K 

■ 3.5" DSDD 

' Universal Installation Kit Included 

■ Full Manufacturers Warranty $84 

95 

See complete listings under Toshiba Drives. 

.IL 

NX-1000 

1-800-233-8760 

$16495 ■ 

Star's answer to 9 pin dot 

matrix printers. A sort touch 

control panel and Star's pa 

per park feature solves your 

murti-oocumerit needs. 144 

cps draft and 36 cps NLQ 

give you high resolution 9 

pin performance in an af 

fordable package from Star. 

Avatex 

PC's & Accessories 

Laser Compact XTE 640K $539.95 

Laser Turbo XT Model II $629 95 

BCC CG ColorCard S94.95 

ATI VIP $299.95 

Mitsubishi MP 28GL Laptop .. $2495.95 

Metra 286-12 PC/AT $999.95 

^Seagate HARD DRIVES 

5.25" Half Heights 

ST223 20 meg 65msec MFM ... $209.95 

ST225N 20 meg SCSI S289 95 

ST238R 30 meg FILL $219.95 

ST251 40 meg 40 msec MFM ,. $339.95 

ST251-1 40 meg 28 msec MFM $399.95 

ST277R 65 meg 40 msec RLL $389.95 

3.5" 

ST125 20meg40msecMFM ..$235.95 

ST125N20megSCSI $329 95 

ST138R 30 meg RLL $249.95 

ST138N30megSCSI $334.95 

ST157R 49 meg RLL $399.95 

ST157N48megSCSI $445.95 

Seagate Internal Cards 

ST125 20 meg Internal Card .... $299.95 

ST157R 49 mBg Internal Card ,. $485.95 

TOSHIBA 

DRIVES 

5"" 360 KB PC/XT Compatible 

ND-04D $69.95 

3"" 720 KB PC/XT Compatible 

ND-354A $84.95 

3';H 1.44 MB PC/AT Compatible 

ND-356T $99.95 

5" 1.22 MB PC/AT Compatible 

ND-08DEG $89.95 

COMMODORE 

HARDWARE 

64C Computer $149.95 

C128O Computer/Drive 5418.95 

1541 II Disk Drive $179.95 

15S1 Disk Drive $187.95 

Excel FSD-2* C64 Drive $149.95" 

1802C Monitor $189.95 

1084 Monitor $279.95 

C1351 Mouse $38.95 

1764 RAM C64 $117.95 

Coll PC $669 95 

Call for system pricing. 

' Limited Quantities 

LASER 128 

Compatible with Apple Software. 

Laser 128 EX $419.95 

Laser External 5' Drive J 119.95 

Laser External 3 ■ 800K Drive .$19995 

Two Slot Expansion Box $44 95 

Laser 128 EX Mouse S55.95 

We carry a full line ol laser accessories.

Turbo XT Model II 

Outperform the conventional PC/XT competition 

with Laser's Turbo XT-II. The Laser provides 

everything you ex peel from an XT plus such 

standard leaiures as 4.77/10 MHz speed. 102 

key enhanced keyboard, security lock and a 

clock/calendar with battery backup. Laser's compatability 

is guaranteed through a 150W power 

supply, four accessible drive slots, (t 360K5.25 

standard) 8 I/O expansion slots, parallel Centron 

ics and RS 232 interfaces, 640K RAM standard, 

(expandable to 1.6 MB) along with a CGA video 

card already installed. Introduce yourself lo the 

new generation XT through Laser's Turbo XT-II. 

MITSUBISHI 

MP 286L Laptop 

■ 80286 Processor Running at 12 MHz or 8 MHz 

■ 640 KB RAM 

■11- Diagonal BSW Display 

1 Color Graphics Adapter 

■ 1.44 MB Capacity 3.5' 

Disk Drive 

■ Centronics Parallel Port 

■ 2 RS-232C Serial Ports 

' 4 Expansion Card Slots 

MS-DOS 3.30 

■ GW BASIC 3 20 

Internal Speaker 

1 -Year Manufacturer's 

Limited Warranty 

$249595 

95 

$629 

Monitor Oplional 

FCC Class B Approved 

COMMODORE { fl [ J $66995 

Monitor Optional 


^CITIZEN 

World class competition 

in an 80286 PC/AT Irom 

Citizen. One MB RAM is 

standard, along with 2 

serial and 1 parallel port, 

EGA video card and 

keyboard switchable 

6.25/12.5 MHz lor full 

PC/AT compatability. 

Citizen also includes 

added features such as, 

swilchable 150 watt 

power supply, 1.2 MB 

5.25- floppy drive. MS- 

Mate/12 AT 

PAGE 

3 OF 4 

DOS-GW Basic software to 

provide for your immediate 

computing needs. Leave the 

competition behind with the 

Citizen Mate 12 Plus. 

$1349 

ftft. 

fif/LASER XTE 

11 you are about to pick a 

personal computer tot your 

home or office and you need 

to be one step ahead ol the 

competition, choose the 

Laser Compact XTE. The 

Compact XTE features tha 

same standard equipment 

as the Compact XT, 

however, 64OK RAM and a 

m o n och ro me/CG A/ EGA 

video card is supplied. You 

won't beat its performance or 

extraordinary !ow price. 

Laptop PPC 640-2 

Step into a new era o( convenience and control with Amstrad's 

exerting new PPC 640 portable computer. The PPC 640 features 

640K RAM, full sized AT 101 keyboard, Hayes com pal ible modem, 

an 8086 processor (6MHz) and your choice ol either one or two 

3.5" 720KB disk drives. 

$749 95 

The Commodore Colt is a 

computer with all the built-in 

features you need. The Colt 

includes 640K RAM, CGA video 

support, two 5.25 360K disk 

npy YT drives, serial and parallel ports 

• **/A I with ihrBa clock speeds (4.77/ 


FCC Class B Approved I 

7.16/9.14MHz). Plus.lookat 

these Commodore extras: full 

size keyboard, clock/calendar 

with battery back-up, MS-DOS 

3.2 and GW Basic 3.2 and 

Wordstar word processor. Try 

the Commodore Colt in your 

home or office and experience 

what a difference it will make. 

VENDEX (HI 

$729 


VENDEX" 

VTI-55-AT 

• IBM AT Compatible with 

Award Bios 

• Small Footprint 

■ 80286-12 Turbo Processor 

with 8 MHz Of 12 MHz 

Software Switchable 

• 640K, Expandable to 1MB 

• One 1.2 MB Floppy Disk 

Drive 

• Parallel Printer Port 

• RS232 Serial Pon 

• Clock Calendar with Battery 

Backup on Board 

• 101 Key Keyboard 

■ EGA Graphics Adaptor 

■ 5 total Empty Slots 

• 200 Wat! Power Supply 

$599 ,95 


TOSHIBA 

T-1000 Laptop 

Pick up on Ihe T-1000 and >oull go far. Give 

yourself desktop PC power wherever you need it. 

Toshiba's T-1000 includes 512K RAM, one built-in 

720KB 3.5" disk drive supertwist LCD display with 

CGA capability. 

VT1-33-XT 

• IBM XT Compatible with Award 

Bios 

■ Small Footprint 

■ 8038-1 Tubo Processor with 

4.77 or 9.54 MHz Software 

Switch able 

■640K 

■ 2-360K Floppy Disk Drives 

■ Parallel P-mter Port 

■ RS232 Serial Pod 

■ Clock Calendar with Battery 

Backup on Board 

■ AT Style 84 Key Keyboard 

■ CGA;MGA and Hercules 

Graphics Adaptor 

■ MS-DOS Version 3.3 

■ GW-Basic 

$1,19995 


■ MS-DOS Version 3.3 

■ GW-8asic 

■ Easy Working Writer (Word 

Processor by Spinnaker) 

Turn page for more specials.


Marketing & Consultants 

• Price Guarantee • 

Since 1981, 

we have led the industry by continuing to offer 

the lowest national prices while providing 

quality service. Many companies have 

come and gone trying to imitate our quality 

and service. If by some oversight we do not 

have the lowest prices advertised on the products 

you desire, then we would appreciate the 

opportunity to rectify this oversight. 

Sales: 1-800-233-8760 or 717-494-1030 

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Customer Service: 717-494-1670 

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Fax: 717-494-1441 

Activiaion: 

Might& Magic $27.95 

Broderbund. 

Print Shop $34.95 

Jel Fighter $28.95 

Epy*: 

California Games $22.95 

Print Magic $32.95 

4x4 Off Road Racing... .511.95 

Sporting News 

Baseball $22.95 

Firebird: 

Universal Military 

Simulator $28.95 

Microlaaguc: 

Microleag. Baseball S22.95 

GMDisk $16.95 

StatDisk $13.95 

88TeamDisk $11.95 

Micro pros*: 

Gunship $28.95 

5-1/4 

Disk Notcher $5.95 

Mutll: 

SSDD $7.95 

DSDD $8.95 

Bonus: 

SSDD $5.95 

DSDD $6.95 

DSDD $6.95 

DSHD $13.95 

Balance of Power il $27.95 

Ultima IV $34.95 

UltimaV $34.95 

Heroes of the Lance $25.95 

Jet Simulator $30.95 

Western Europe 

Scenery Disk $14.95 

WordwriterPC $27.95 

PC Quintet $49.95 

Partner PC $22.95 

Publish It $99.95 

Xldw: 

DSDD $4.95 

3.5 

Maxell: 

SSDD $11.50 

DSDO $17.95 

Bonus: 

SSDD $10.95 

DSDD $13.95 

Why shop at Lyco Computer? 

Lyco Computer Is one ot, it not the largest, and mosi established lifms to provide only quality name brand computer 

products a! prices 30% to 50% below retail. We've set many industry standards, and we are setting the pace for 

many more in the future. Our standards include: a separate departmenl for customer service; a price guarantee; 

guaranteed factory fresh merchandise; diverse payment and shipping policies, including a C.O.D. policy which al 

lows customers to have products in their hands before paying anything. Selection places Lyco at Ihe lorefront o! the 

industry. Due to our in-stock volume, we cannot advertise all of our products. If you do not see the product you 

want advertised, call Lyco Marketing toil free. 

How do I know I will gel Ihe product I need? 

Our marketing staff is well-educated in the computer industry. They receive continuous formal training by our 

manufacturers whtch enables them to develop and maintain a high degree of expertise on the products they 

represent. Though our strict guarantee on providing only new merchandise prohibits free trial periods and a 

guarantee on compatibility, a wealth of knowledge is available lo our customers to help with the purchasing decision. 

As thousands of people every week capitalize on our savings and services, we hope you too. will make Lyco 

Computer your first choice. 

Whal about warranty or service? 

We decided several years ago thai a Customer Service Department was needed in the industry. Unfortunately, few 

of our competitors offer this service. Our Customer Service Department is available at (717) 484-1670 lo provide 

assistance in all warranty matters. Our product line enjoys "name brand recognition," and we back all of our 

manufacturer's stated warranty terms. Many manufacturers will allow defective products to be exchanged. Before 

returning any Item that appears to be defective, we ask that you call our Customer Service Department lo assist you 

in determining il the product is defective. If the product is determined detective, they will give you a special 

authorization number and speed processing of your order. 

Will you rush an Item to me? 

Since 1981, we have set the standard in the industry by processing orders within 24 hours- not 4 to 6 weeks. We 

Offer next day air, two day air, standard UPS, and postal international shipping services. Our records show we fill 

95% of our orders daily. Temporary shortages are normally litled within 10 days. If an order cannoi be filled within 

60 days, we refund your money in lull, unless you choose to wail lor the order and benefit from the price savings. 

Any time prior to shipment, you may cancel or change the out of stock product by contacting our Customer Service 

representatives. 

How do I order? 

Send your order to Lyco Computer, P.O. Box 5088, Jersey Shore, PA 17740. Or. call 1-800-233-8760 or (717) 494- 

1030. We provide four payment methods. We have always accepted C.O.D. orders through UPS. Prepaid orders 

over $50 are shipped freight-lree in continental U.S. For orders under $50, please add $3 for freighl. Orders 

prepaid by a certified check or money order are shipped immediately. Personal and company checks require a 4 

week waiting period pnor to shipping. Visa and MastBr Card orders are accepted for your convenience, but we 

cannot pass along the 4% discount offered for cash. Prices advertised are cash prices. Purchase orders are 

accepted from Educational Institutions. We only charge sales tax on items delivered in Pennsylvania. For APO, 

FPO, and International orders, please add $5 plus 3% for priority mail. Advertised prices and availabilrty are subject 

to changu. Not responsible for typographical errors. 

AATARI 

Access: 

Triple Pack $11.95 

Leader Bd. Double Pk. ...$9.95 

B rode round: 

PrinlShop $26.95 

Graphic Lib. I. II. Ill ea ..$14.95 

Lode Runner $9.95 

Mlcroprose: 

Silent Service $19.95 

F-15 Strike Eagle $19.95 

Mlndscape: 

Gauntlet $20.95 

Infiltrator $17.95 

Origin: 

Autoduel $24.95 

Ultima IV $34.94 

CALL FOR 

ATARI ST. LISTINGS 

Call for Apple Listings 

COMMODORE 

Mach128 $28.95 

Wld. Cl. Leader Brd $22.95 

LastNinja $19.95 

Mights Magic $22.95 

Maniac Mansion $19.95 

Ofttwrfes iasiuf-er 

Paperdiplll $31.95 

Geofile64 $29.95 

Geos64 $35.95 

Geos128 $39.95 

Geowrite 128 $39.95 

Berkeley TriPak $29.95 

Print Shop $26.95 

Graphic Lib. I. II, III ea .$14.95 

Jordan vs. Bird $19.95 

Epyx: 

COMMODORE 

FasHoad $22.95 

California Games $22.95 

4x4 Off Road Racing ....$11.95 

Mindroli $22.95 

Mlcroprose: 

Airborne Ranger $22.95 

F-15 Strike Eagle $19.95 

Pirates $22.95 

Stealth Fighter $22.95 

Red Storm Rising $23.95 

Qrgfrv. 

Ultima V $34.95 

Springboard: 

Newsroom $19.95 

Certificate Maker $14.95 

Strategic Simulations: 

Pool of Radiance $25.95 

Timsworks: 

Diskettes Joysticks 

Verbatim: 

SSDD $12.95 

DSDD $18.95 

DSDD $12.95 

SSDD $9.95 

DSDD $13.99 

1-800-233-8760 

Tac3 $9.95 

Tac2 $10.95 

Tac5 $12.95 

Tad +IBM/AP $26.95 

Slik Stick $6.95 

Black Max $10.95 

Boss $11.99 

3-Way $19.99 

Buthandle $16.75 

SwrftcalCi28 $27.95 

Wordwriter3 $22.95 

Winner 909 $24.95 

Wico I8M/AP $29.95 

Llpstic Plus $14.95 

Kraft KC 111 AP/PC $16.95 

Kraft PC Joystick 

Card $24.95 

Kraft Maze Master $8.95 

i Controller $13.95 

Epyx 500 XJ (Atari,84C) $13.95 

Epyx 500 XJ (PC) $23.95

Europe Ablaze 




$49.95 

The player can be either a British command 

er during the Battle of Britain or a member of 

the U.S. Eighth Air Force during the bombing 

of Germany, planning bombing missions and 

air defense. A weather system provides vari 

ables such as wind strength and cloud cover. 

There are 37 types of aircraft and 255 squad 

rons operating from 127 airbases. Three sce 

narios are included. 

Genghis Khan 

Koei 


EGA or VGA required 

S59.95 

One to four players build empires in this mili 

tary, economic, and diplomatic simulation. 

Features include characters with distinct per 

sonalities and two scenarios with five leveis 

of difficulty. Players assume the role of Gen 

ghis Khan, Richard the Lion-Hearted, Emper 

or Alexius III, or Shogun Minamoto of Japan. 

Once the empire has been built, players must 

keep the population happy, the treasury full, 

subordinates loyal, and the enemies down. 

Gettysburg: The Turning Point 



Amiga, Apple II, Atari, Commodore 64. IBM PC and 

compatibles 

$59.95 

This war game reenacts the three days of 

fighting at Gettysburg in 1863. The game fea 

tures a command-control system to show the 

effects of the commanders, ammunition 

points, fatigue rules, and variable reinforce 

ment. Three versions—basic to advanced— 

are available. The computer can play either 

side. One or two people can play. 

Gold Rush! 

Sierra On-Une 


$39.95 

Players encounter problems as they travel 

from New York to California, searching for a 

fortune in gold. Players can choose to sail 

around the tip of South America, cut through 

Central American jungles, or ride across the 

North American landscape. A book detailing 

the story of the California Gold Rush is in 

cluded with the package. 

Guardians of Infinity 

Paragon Software 

Distributed by Medalist International 


512K; EGA or CGA required 

S44.95 

In this role-playing text game, scientist Adam 

Cooper travels back in time to November 

1963 and interviews 125 historical characters 

to prevent President Kennedy's assassina 

tion. The game is compatible with Aicom's 

Accent speech board. 

Buyer's., 

guide 

Halls of Montezuma 



Apple II, Commodore 64, IBM PC and compatibles 

S39.95 (Apple, Commodore) 

S44.95(IBM) 

Letting players join the Marines, this game 

simulates such battles as Belleau Wood, Iwo 

Jima, Okinawa, and Inchon. The program 

features night-capable units, brittle units, re 

ports, Al routines, historical articles, players' 

notes, and two programs for designing origi 

nal games. 

In Gold Rush, treacherous landscape and 

rough waters mark all routes west in the 

feverish search for precious gold. 

Kampfgruppe 



Amiga, Apple fl, Commodore 64, IBM PC and 

compatibles 


S59.95 

In this World War II, Eastern Front simulation, 

players command German or Russian forces 

and their respective arsenals of tanks, tank 

destroyers, self-propelled artillery, assault 

guns, mortars, and flamethrowers. There are 

four historical scenarios, and new scenarios 

can be created. One or two people can play. 

Lords of the Rising Sun 

Cinemaware 

Apple IIgs, Atari ST, Commodore 64, IBM PC and 

compatibles 

EGA required for IBM 

$34.95 (Commodore) 

$49.95 (Apple !Igs, Atari ST, IBM) 

A civil war has begun in twelfth-century Ja 

pan. The Taira clan has killed your charac 

ter's father and subverted the emperor. 

Players command armies of samurai war 

riors, defend against ninja assassins, negoti 

ate alliances with other clans, and confront 

enemies in personal combat. The ultimate 

object of the game is to become shogun. 

Mac Arthur's War 




$39.95 

Set during the Korean War, MacArthur's War 

recreates the top battles of the conflict. Play 

ers command United Nations or Communist 

forces against human or computer oppo 

nents. Program features include historical ar 

ticles covering the entire campaign, with 

battle notes for each scenario; a war-game 

construction kit; and an icon editor for game 

customization. 

Nam 

Thunder Mountain 

Distributed by Mindscape 


Joystick required 

314.95 

In this tactical war game of U.S. and Allied 

forces in Vietnam, introductory- and interme 

diate-level players test their command abili 

ties in six historical scenarios, including the 

Tet Offensive. Units are rated for strength 

and effectiveness and are armed with rifles, 

machine guns, mortars, and rocket launch 

ers. Play lasts from one to four hours for one 

player. 

Napoleon in Russia— 

Borodino 1812 

Datasoft 


Atari, Commodore 64, IBM PC and compatibles 

S24.95 (Atari, Commodore) 

S34.95 (IBM) 

Napoleon in Russia recreates the battle of 

1812 that changed the course of Napoleon's 

advance across Russia and eventually led to 

his overthrow. Players can let the Russians 

escape, as Napoleon did, or defeat the Rus 

sians and see how the war might have 

changed. Action takes place on scrolling 

maps recreated from Russian military 

cartography. 

Nobunaga's Ambition 

Koei 


EGA or CGA required 

S59.95 

Set in sixteenth-century Japan, Nobunaga's 

Ambition combines aspects of a war game 

with a role-playing adventure. Players as 

sume the role of Nobunaga Oda, who tried 

but failed to take over the nation. Nobunaga 

must successfully rule during war and peace. 

From one to eight players may play either of 

two scenarios at five different levels of 

difficulty. i> 

JUNE 1989 47

The Oregon Trail 

MECC 

Apple II, IBM PC and compatibles 

CGA required for IBM 

S39.95 

The Oregon Trail reenacts the journey of set 

tlers traveling from Independence, Missouri, 

to Oregon in the nineteenth century. Players 

cross rivers, fend off grizzly bears, ration 

supplies, and repair covered wagons. The 

program is designed to help players practice 

and sharpen problem-solving skills. 

Overlord 


Atari ST 

Color monitor required 

£39.95 

Overlord is based on the Max Hastings book 

of the same name. Players can control six 

different countries in this recreation of the in 

vasion of Normandy on June 6,1944. 

In Pirates!, players learn the essentials of 

a successful seafaring life—fencing, sail 

ing, cannon firing, and courtship. 

Patton vs. Rommel 


Commodore 64. IBM PC and compatibles, 

Macintosh 

$14.95 (Commodore. IBM) 

$19.95 (Macintosh) 

Players assume the role of either General 

George Patton or Field Marshal Erwin Rom 

mel as these two World War II military lead 

ers meet in battle on D-Day in Normandy. 

There are 20 kinds of tactical orders, and 

each division can handle up to 32 different or 

ders at a time. After orders have been issued, 

players watch the battle progress. The gen 

erals may even appear on the screen to eval 

uate the players' strategies. 

48 C O M P U 

buyer's., 

guide 

Pirates! 

MicroProse 

Apple II, Apple IIgs. Commodore 64, IBM PC and 

compatibles. Macintosh 

$44.95 (Apple. Apple IIgs, Commodore, IBM) 


In the role of captain of a seventeenth-century 

pirate ship, players search the Caribbean for 

treasures, Spanish ships, and cities to plun 

der. They develop skills in sailing, sword 

fighting, battle tactics, trading, and naviga 

tion. More than 70 graphics scenes and pic 

tures include a map of the Caribbean. 

Difficulty levels vary. 

President Elect—1988 Edition 


Apple II, Atari ST. Commodore 64, IBM PC and 

compatibles 


$14.95 

Three players simulate any presidential elec 

tion from 1960 to 1988, using a roster of 71 

candidates and statistics. Candidates are rat 

ed on social, economic, and foreign policy as 

well as public image. Players alter the elec 

tion's outcome by varying economic and po 

litical factors. Fictional candidates may also 

be created. For grade 5 through college level. 

Ram 

Avalon Hill 


Color graphics board 

S30.00 

One player can recreate the naval battles in 

the Mediterranean Sea during the Pelopon- 

nesian War. The player commands the an 

cient Athenian navy against the Corinthians 

and Spartans. Five scenarios can be played 

in realtime. 

Rebel Charge at Chickamauga 



Amiga, Apple II, Commodore 64, IBM PC and 

compatibles 


S49.95 (Apple, Commodore, IBM) 

S59.95 (Amiga) 

Players can test their strategies by recreating 

the battle at Chickamauga Creek. The battle 

takes place on a 64 X 54 square-grid map, 

and players can switch between strategic 

and tactical displays. The conflict is played in 

13 turns, with each turn representing two 

hours of realtime. Introductory, intermediate, 

and advanced game levels are included. 

Road to Moscow 

Game Designers' Workshop 

Commodore 64 

$40.00 

Players relive World War II in Russia through 

five strategy games, including the invasion of 

and fight for Poland. The object is to take and 

hold key Russian cities before the computer 

or an opponent can accumulate reinforce 

ments. Ten levels of difficulty and random 

events ensure that no two games play alike. 

Romance of the Three 

Kingdoms 

Koei 


CGA or EGA required 

$69.95 

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a military, 

economic, and diplomatic simulation set in 

second-century China. The program merges 

a war game with a role-playing adventure. 

This game for one to eight players features 

255 distinct characters and five scenarios de 

tailing the struggle for control of China. 

As many as eight players can join in the 

struggle for control of second-century- 

China in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. 

Rommel Battles for North 

Africa 



Apple II. Commodore 64 

$39.95 

This war and strategy game allows players to 

recreate eight of the major World War II bat 

tles between General Erwin Rommel and the 

Allied forces in North Africa, including Syria, 

Cauldron, and Tebourga Gap. A construction 

kit can be used to create new scenarios. This 

game is the fourth sequel in the Batttefront 

series. 

Russia: The Great War in the 

East, 1941-1945 




$39.95 

Players command the Russian Red Army or 

the German Wehrmacht in this simulation of 

the World War II conflicts on the Eastern 

Front. Each army has up to seven divisions 

and three theaters. An economic system pro 

vides replacements, reinforcements, rail re 

pair, and Western Front forces. Three shorter 

scenarios—Leningrad, Stalingrad, and 

Kursk—are also included.

The Seven Cities of Gold 


Apple II, Atari, Commodore 64, IBM PC and com 

patibles, Macintosh 

S14.95 {Apple, Atari, Commodore, IBM) 


Players assume the role of a Spanish explor 

er from 1492 through 1540, seeking out the 

Aztec and Inca cities. Over 2800 screens rep 

resent the different worlds to explore. Play 

ers can generate computer-drawn maps as 

they explore sixteenth-century North, South, 

and Central America. 

; ' ■.:;■■ .. ■■-': ■ ■■■ ■ 

Players can fight in five historic battles 

and design new 3-D battle grids when 

they play The Universal Military Simulator. 

Shiloh: Grant's Trial in 

the West 




$39.95 

In 15 turns, this game recreates the Confed 

erate Army's surprise attack on General 

Grant's Union forces. The terrain of Shiloh is 

displayed on a 30 X 30 square-grid battle 

field, and all the brigades and artillery are 

included. Play can be switched between stra 

tegic and tactical display. The program has 

three levels of play. 

Sons of Liberty 




Color monitor required 

$34.95 (Commodore) 

$39.95 (Apple, IBM) 

Three major battles of the Revolutionary War 

are recreated in this simulation: the Battle of 

Bunker Hill (the easiest of the three), the Bat 

tle of Saratoga (a turning point in the war), 

and the Battle of Monmouth (the battle that 

proved George Washington's abilities). In 

Solitaire mode, the computer can direct one 

side or both sides. Each game has three lev 

els of difficulty. 

buyer's 

guide 

Tsushima 

Avalon Hill 


S30.00 

Set in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Tsu 

shima recreates ship battles on both strate 

gic and tactical levels. The strategy game 

involves sightings and battles, with ship-toship 

maneuvers and combat. In the tactical 

game, each side selects a fleet drawn from 

the 29 ships available. One or two people can 

play- 

Under Fire 

Avalon Hili 


Hercules or color graphics card required for IBM 

$59.95 (Apple II) 

$34.95 (Commodore. IBM) 

This World War II simulation contains three 

maps of Europe, nine scenarios, and a mapmaker 

disk. The computer can control the 

U.S., German, or Russian armies, and it al 

lows simultaneous movement. The armies 

are divided into ten-person squads, which 

are rated by weapons and quality of training. 

The Universal Military 

Simulator 

Rainbird 

Amiga. Apple lies. Atari ST, IBM PC and compati 

bles, Macintosh 

$49.95 

This game reenacts five historical battles- 

Gettysburg, Arbela, Hastings, Marston Moor, 

and Waterloo. Players can use the built-in 

editor to design new maps, the order of bat 

tles, objectives, and what-if scenarios. Batties 

take place on a 3-D grid system so the 

player can view the field from any angle or 

zoom in on an area. Digitized sound accom 

panies the play. Two additional scenario 

disks, The American Civil War: Scenario Disk 

One and Vietnam: Scenario Disk Two, are 

also available for $19.95 each. 

Vulcan 



CGA required 

$39.95 

Vulcan is a simulation of the Tunisian cam 

paign from 1942 through 1943. Features in 

clude five different scenarios and a special 

hidden-movement option. Players control five 

different armies—three Allied and two Axis. 

Wooden Ships & Iron Men 

Avalon Hill 

Commodore 64 

$35.00 

Wooden Ships & Iron Men recreates the tacti 

cal actions of the era of the Napoleonic Wars 

and the American Revolution. The battles in 

clude the Bonhomme Richard versus the Serapis 

and The Constitution versus the 

Guerriere. Players can also recreate 20-ship 

skirmishes such as the Nile, Chesapeake, 

and Trafalgar battles. One or two people can 

play. 

Publishers of Historical Games 

For more information about the historical games listed in this buyer's guide, con 

tact the publishers listed below. 

Avalon Hill 

4517 Harford Rd. 

Baltimore, M0 21214 

Brederbund 

17 Paul Or. 

San Rafael. CA 94903 

Cinemaware 

4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd. 

Westlake Village, CA 91362 

Command Simulations 

297 N St. 

Bldg. #3 

Hyannis. MA 02601 

Datasoft 



San Maleo. CA 94404 


1820 Gateway Of. 

San Mateo. CA 94404 

Game Designers' Wtorkshop 

P.O. Box 1646 

Bloomington. !L 61702-1646 

Garde 

8 Bishop Ln. 

Madison, CT 06443 

Keypunch Software 

1221 Pioneer Bldg. 

St Paul, MN 55101 

Koei 

20000 Mariner fve. 

Suite 100 

Torrance, CA 90503 

MECC 

3490 Lexington Ave. N 

a Paul. MfJ 55126-9097 

MicroProse 

180 LakefrontDr. 

Hunt Valley. MD 21030 

MinrJscape 

3444 Dundee fid. 

Northbrook. IL 60062 

Paragon Software 

Distributed by Medalist International 

A division of MicroProse 

180 Lakefront Dr. 

Hunt Valley, MD 25030 

Rainbird 

3885 Boharmon Dr. 

Menlo Park, CA 94025 


19 Harbor Dr. 

Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 

Sierra On-Line 

P.O. Box 485 

Coarsegold. CA 93614 


1046 N- Rengslorff fve. 

Mountain Vi2w,CA 94043 


Distributed liy Electronic Arts 



Thunder Mountain 

Distributed by Mindscape 

3444 Dundf« Rd. 

Northbrook IL 60062 

JUNE 1989 49

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COMPUTE! 

COMPUTE! v 

specific 

Choosing a PC mouse used lo 

be simple: You bought Micro 

soft's mouse or Logitech's. But 

the increasing popularity ofthe 

mouse with PC users has creat 

ed a hotbed of competition. 

After Microsoft introduced its 

new, streamlined mouse last 

year, everyone seemed lo be 

releasing new mice, many em 

ulating Microsoft's Dove bar 

look. 

Logitech, which made the 

three-button mouse popular, 

hasjuslintroduced a threebutton, 

high-resolution mouse 

with a sleek new look (Logi 

tech, 6505 Kaiser Drive, Fre 

mont. California 94555; 800- 

231-7717; $139). Besides its 

new took, the Logitech mouse 

shares two important features 

with Microsoft's newest offer 

ing: It has a short button travel 

and its trackball has been 

moved from under the palm lo 

near the front. 

The curvaceous shape of 

the new Logitech mouse may 

take some getting used to, es 

pecially if you're familiar with 

the traditional, wedge-shaped 

Logitech mouse. The new 

mouse doesn't support your 

hand with ridges on the but 

tons and grooves on the side 

the way Logitech's previous 

C7 did. And the new Logitech 

isn't happy with just any 

mouse pad—in feet, the only 

pad it works well with is a 

hard-surfaced pad such as the 

MouseTrakL/F(930Dow 

Dell Lane. Saint Helena. Cali 

fornia 94574; 707-963-8179; 

$11.95). But on the right sur 

face, ihis mouse is fast and 

surefooted. 

Perhaps the biggest threat 

to the dominance of Microsoft 

and Logitech in the mouse 

market is Key Tronic. Famous 

for its high-quality keyboards. 

Key Tronic recently intro 

duced a new 200-dpi, high- 

quality two-button mouse 

(P.O. Box 14687. Spokane, 

Washington 99214; 509-928- 

8000: $119). The Key Tronic 

mouse is shaped something 

like Microsoft's, but it's larger 

and will probably fit a large 

hand better. Key Tronic shows 

a conservative bent when it 

comes to trackball location: It 

places the trackball directly 

under the palm. Another inter 

esting feature is the raised 

nubs on the left mouse button. 

The left button gets the most 

use. and these nubs make a 

good nonslip surface for your 

index finger. 

The Key Tronic mouse 

has a solid feel, with just the 

right weight and resistance. 

And it glides effortlessly across 

almost any surface. The button 

travel is a liltle longer than 

Logitech's (which many people 

may prefer), and it has jusl the 

right amount of resistance. 

If you're interested in 

buying a mouse, it's best to try 

a variety ofthe devices and 

decide which is best for you. 

But if you don't have an op 

portunity to go comparisonshopping 

and you want a twobutton 

mouse, you can't go far 

wrong with Key Tronic. 

SideTalk 

Background telecommunica 

tions can certainly take the 

sting out of uploading and 

downloading. While your 

computer burns up the phone 

lines transferring files in the 

background, you can work un 

disturbed in another applica 

tion in the foreground. 

Invisible Link (see this 

column in the February 1989 

issue) is a good, basic package 

that uses less than 30K, but it 

does have some limitations. It 

has no script language, it sup 

ports only XMODEM Check 

sum and CRC error-checking 

protocols, and it doesn't gel 

along very well with other 

memory-resident programs. 

At the other end ofthe 

spectrum from Invisible Link 

are high-powered, industrialstrength 

programs such as Re 

lay Gold. Mirror 111, and 

BackComm, Unfortunately, 

the power of these heavy 

weights comes at a price: Each 

uses about 200K of RAM 

when operating in its memoryresident, 

background mode. 

Between Invisible Link 

and the big guns is SideTalk 

(Lattice. P.O. Box 3072, Glen 

Ellyn, Illinois 60138; 800-533- 

3577; S119.95). In its default 

configuration. SideTalk uses 

about 75K. supports an array 

of communications parame 

ters, offers speeds ranging 

from 300 to 9600 bps, and 

sports a powerful BASIC-likc 

script language that can handle 

complex communications. 

SideTalk supports not only 

XMODEM Checksum and 

XMODEM CRC protocols, 

but also the staples ofthe 

BBS world, YMODEM and 

YMODEM BATCH. And the 

program has ANSI emulation 

(though unfortunately, it 

doesn't support ANSI color). 

In ils background mode 

(the program can also be used 

as a one-time command), Side 

Talk performs flawlessly: II 

doesn't crash your system, it 

works well with other memoryresident 

programs, and it com 

pletes transfers without muss 

or fuss. I tested SideTalk with 

a variety of foreground and 

memory-resident programs, 

including Borland's SidcKick, 

and experienced no problems. 

In fact. I even loaded and un 

loaded SideKick from memory 

while SideTalk was download 

ing in the background—Side-

Talk didn't miss a byte. 

Background communica 

tions is only half the SideTalk 

story. SideTalk's powerful 

script language Is an excellent 

partner for the program's back 

ground ability. The language is 

so complete that you can even 

write games in it. More to the 

point is the fact that you can 

write your own simple, singleuser 

BBS in less than 20 lines 

of code. An example that's 

easy to customize is included 

with the package. 

There's very little to com 

plain about with SideTalk. 

The manual contains a lot of 

useful information, but it also 

contains some errors, and. 

though the number for the Lat 

tice BBS (which offers techni 

cal support and files for 

downloading) is included in 

the autodial directory, the 

number is incorrect. These mi 

nor reservations aside, Side- 

Talk is a winner. If you're 

interested in communicating 

in the background, don't over 

look it. It may be as close as 

we're going lo get to an ideal 

background telecommunica 

tions program. 

Still the King 

Peter Norton built his reputa 

tion on The Norton Utilities, 

but he has never been content 

to rest on his laurels. Each new 

release of The Norton Utilities 

has introduced new programs 

and new features. If you trace 

the changes in the Utilities, 

you can see the evolution of 

the average PC user. 

When The Norton Utili 

ties was introduced, the rankand-file 

PC user was techni 

cally oriented and probably 

had some programming skill. 

The first edition of The Norton 

Utilities was intended for a 

techie group. As the PC market 

matured, more and more non 

technical people started using 

the machines. There was a 

need for software that would 

perform critical disk chores 

but be easy to use. Each new 

version of The Norton Utilities 

has addressed more of these 

users. 

The Norton Utilities, ver 

sion 4.5 (Peter Norton Com 

puting. 100 Wilshire Boule 

COMPUTE!. _ 

specific 

vard. 9th Floor, Santa Monica. 

California 90401-1104; 213- 

319-2000; Standard Edition— 

S100, upgrade—S25; Ad 

vanced Edition—$150, up 

grade—$39), is the easiest of 

the Utilities to use yet. Almost 

every program in the package 

has had at least a minor face 

lift, and several new programs 

have been added. 

The Norton Utilities Ad 

vanced Edition's new offerings 

include File Date and Time. 

Norton Control Center, Safe 

Format. Norton Disk Doctor, 

and a book, Norton Trouble 

Shooter. And all the utilities 

now work with DOS 4.0 and 

DOS 3.3's extended partitions. 

In the flurry of new fea 

tures, it's easy to miss 4.5's big 

news, which is NDD—the 

Norton Disk Doctor. This is 

an automated disk-tcst-andrepair 

program that performs 

more than 100 tests on your 

disk's logical and physical 

structure. 

Norton Disk Doctor can 

be operated in two modes: 

quick and complete. In quick 

mode, NDD is like a superversion 

of CHK.DSK. It ana 

lyzes your disk's logical 

structures: the boot record, the 

FAT (File Allocation Table), 

and the directories. This series 

of tests is quick enough to run 

every day. 

If you specify the com 

plete switch, in addition to 

performing the logical tests, 

NDD tests every sector on 

your disk for data integrity. If 

bad sectors are found, the pro 

gram moves the data to a safe 

location and marks the sectors 

as bad. This test is similar to 

but more thorough than Disk 

Test (familiar from previous 

editions of The Norton Utili 

ties). NDD takes quite a while 

lo run a complete lest. 

You can run NDD either 

interactively or as a command 

line option. Peter Norton's 

technical support suggests that 

you run NDD with the quick 

switch every day to catch logi 

cal problems before they be 

come critical and that you run 

either NDD with the complete 

switch or Disk Test even1 week 

to insure the physical integrity 

of your disk. If you're thinking 

of upgrading to The Norton 

Utilities 4.5, NDD alone is 

worth the price. 

— Clifton Kames 

A few columns ago I took 

SSG's Ian Trout to task for an 

announcement he made in 

Run 5 (SSG's house maga 

zine). He said that the 64 was 

in a state of demise and that 

SSG would probably stop sup 

porting it. 

Well. Trout leads off the 

latest Run 5 editorial with an 

apology for what he wrote, re 

assuring his readers that all of 

SSG's new games, including 

the Napoleonic system and the 

new World War II commandlevel 

system, will indeed be re 

leased for the 64. This is 

excellent news, because SSG's 

games grow stronger all the 

time. If you haven't tried an 

SSG war game, start off with 

one of the Decisive Battles of 

the American Civil War vol 

umes ($39.95), with the superb 

Reach for the Stars, third edi 

tion ($39.95). or with Halls of 

Moniezuma ($39.95). 

Contact SSG at 1820 

Gateway Drive, San Mateo, 

California 94404; (415) 571- 

7171. 

Fun Fare 

New games have been released 

on several fronts. 

From Mindscape (3444 

Dundee Road, Northbrook. Il 

linois 60062; 312-480-7667) 

comes Willow ($29.95), the 

game based on the unsuccess 

ful movie. Excellent graphics 

and good gameplay (as well as 

support for fast-load car 

tridges) can't hide the fact that 

the movie was flawed, but as a 

game it's pretty good. Mindscape 

has also released the 

long-awaited Uninvited 

($34.95). This program uses 

the same game mechanics 

found in Deja Vu, and its plot 

is every bit as absorbing. With 

Deja Vu 2 around the corner, 

you'll probably want to get 

through Uninvited as quickly 

as possible. But take your 

time; it's worth it. 

Sega (of videogame fame) 

is now releasing games in Com 

modore 64/128 format. Alien 

Syndrome ($29.95), available 

now, is an arcade shoot-'em-up 

with well-executed graphics 

and good game speed. Sega 

games for home computers are 

distributed by Mindscape. 

Mastertronic a division of 

Virgin Mastertronic Interna 

tional (711 West 17th Street, 

Unit G9, Costa Mesa, Califor 

nia 92627; 714-631-1001) has 

released a computer rendition 

of Shogun ($9.99), the epic 

novel by James Clavell. Your 

goal is to become the military 

ruler of Japan. Although Mas 

tertronic calls the package an 

interactive novel, it's mostly 

just good, fast arcade action. 

Trilogy(${4.9% another 

Mastertronic release, offers a 

trio of graphics-and-text ad 

ventures—Venom, Kobayashi 

Naru, and Shard of Inovar. In 

an interesting twist, the games 

come on flippy disks—one 

side for the 64 and the other 

for MS-DOS. 

Melbourne House a divi 

sion of Virgin Mastertronic In 

ternational (71! West 17th 

Street, Unit G9. Costa Mesa, 

California 92627; 714-631- 

1001) has converted Barbarian 

($29.99) to the 64/128 format. 

A graphics masterpiece in the 

Amiga and Atari ST formats, 

this Psvgnosis release takes full 

advantage of the 64*8 capabili 

ties. As a barbarian warrior 

seeking to destroy the evil Necron. 

you move through the 

underground world of Durgan. 

You'll find this game addic 

tive. The monsters are inter 

esting and the interface works 

well. 

In contrast to the worlds 

of fantasy and the worlds of 

the past, consider the world of 

hockey. Electronic Arts (1820 

Gateway Drive, San Mateo, 

California 94404; 415-571- 

7171) has released Powerplay 

Hockey ($24.95). which pits 

the United States against the 

Soviet Union. A fast-moving 

JUNE 9 8 9 53

arcade game, Powerplay com 

bines solid graphics with rea 

sonably accurate gameplay to 

produce a contest that's espe 

cially fun between two players. 

The problem is that hockey is 

one of the most difficult team 

sports to simulate properly, 

but EA has managed to cap 

ture a good part of the feeling 

of a game always on the verge 

of chaos. 

128 Only 

Here's some good news for 

Commodore 128 owners. If 

you bought your 128 under the 

impression that 128-specific 

software would be plentiful 

and quick to arrive, you've 

probably been quite disap 

pointed. One of the 128's ma 

jor selling points is its total 

compatibility with the 64, a 

point that's worked more 

against the 128 than for it: Be 

cause the 128 is also a 64, there 

is very little reason for publish 

ers to develop software tai 

lored specifically for the 128. 

Berkeley So'ftworks (2150 

Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, 

California 94704; 415-644- 

0883) is one of the publishers 

that has made its packages 

available for the 128. 

GEOS128. geoCalc!28. geo- 

Fiiel28—all have been re 

leased for the machine, with 

considerable appreciation by 

128 users. Each program costs 

$69.95. Timeworks (444 Lake 

Cook Road. Decrficld. Illinois 

60015; 312-948-9200) is anoth 

er publisher with a strong line 

of 128-specific products, offer 

ing Word Writer 128 ($49.95). 

Sylvia Porter's 128 Personal 

Financial Planner ($49.95), 

and several other packages 

available in different versions 

for the 64 and 128. For many 

companies, though, the 128 is 

given only lip—or, in ihis case, 

boot—service. A few games 

autoboot on the 128, but other 

wise they are no different from 

the 64 versions. 

Some new packages add 

to the 128-specific category, 

though. Free Spirit Software 

(58 Noble Street, Kutztown, 

Pennsylvania 19530:215-683- 

5699) has recently released 

three titles, all exclusively de 

signed for the 128. in fact. 

54 C O M P U T E I 

COMPUTE!. „ 

specific 

these packages go so far as to 

require not just a Commodore 

128. but a 128 with a mouse, 

the 64K video RAM chips, 

and an RGB monitor. In other 

words, you need a top-of-thcline 

128 or, better still, a USD. 

The 128D already has the vid 

eo chips in place, and many of 

these computers are sold with 

the 1084 monitor. All three 

programs support the 1750 

RAM expansion unit and the 

1581 3'/:-inch disk drive. 

Spectrum 128 ($39.95) is a 

paint program complete with 

an interlace option for those 

who own multisync monitors 

or high-persistence monitors. 

The package lets you draw and 

color several classes of 

shapes—boxes, circles, poly 

gons of various kinds, spheres, 

donuts. cylinders, and spools. 

You can adjust shading and 

lighting, and you can work 

with individual pixels. You 

can access 16 colors in high 

resolution and 128 colors in 

low resolution. 

Sketchpad 128 ($29.95) is 

a drawing program that uses 

the 128's video capabilities to 

let you draw smoothly curved 

objects. Rays, boxes, circles, 

arcs, and lines are available, 

and you can load Print Shop 

graphics directly. The Lock 

command is a strong feature 

lhat saves your picture to 

memory while you experiment 

with it and then lets you bring 

it back intact if you wish. 

News Maker 128 ($29.95) 

is an easy-to-use desktop pub 

lishing package designed for 

newsletters, signs, posters, and 

the like. The package includes 

almost 50 fonts and five preset 

page formats with different 

column layouts. Using pictures 

from Basic 8.0 or The Print 

Shop, along with text created 

on a notepad, you can pour 

words into columns and wrap 

ihem around graphics. 

Because the company sup 

ports the 128's superior capabil 

ities and because its programs 

aren't copy-protected. Free Spir 

it deserves commendation. 

But Berkeley Softworks 

isn't left out of this 128-specif 

ic discussion. Following close 

on the heels of version 2.0 of 

GEOS for the 64 comes ver 

sion 2.0 of GEOS 128. The 

same improvements found in 

the Commodore 64 upgrade 

have made their way to the 

128 version, geoWrite 2.1 and 

geoPaint are more powerful 

packages, with more impres 

sive features. GEOS now in 

cludes geoSpell for accuracy, 

geoMerge for mail-merging, 

gcoLaser for printing on an 

Apple LaserWriter, and Paint 

Drivers for converting nongraphics 

files into geoPaint 

format. 

In other words. Berkeley 

has answered the criticisms 

made by the host of GEOS 

users. Given the 128's 80column 

mode and its larger 

memory, GEOS becomes a su 

perior product. The program's 

added support of the 1750 

RAM expansion unit and the 

1581 disk drive make GEOS 

128 a serious productivity pro 

gram. Even the problem of sys 

tem lockup, which some users 

have complained about with 

the original GEOS, seems to 

have largely disappeared. 

— Nell Randall 

School kids know this crimi 

nal. She's been followed by 

more children than the Pied 

Piper. Carmen Sandiego, infa 

mous star of Where in the 

World Is Carmen Sandiego? 

(as well as two sequels, Where 

in the U.S.A.... and Where in 

Europe... ), has been eluding 

students for years, all the while 

teaching them about geogra 

phy, history, and cultures. But 

now Broderbund's popular 

educational scries puts on a 

finer set of clothes for the Ap 

ple IIgs. A IlGS-specific Where 

in the World Is Carmen San 

diego? works like the original 

but looks so much better that 

it's a crime if you have to play 

the old version. 

The plot remains the 

same: Track down one of Car 

men's minions (or Carmen 

herself) by using clues scat 

tered around the globe. You 

search for evidence, decide 

where to investigate next, and 

jet from city to city in your 

pursuit of these pilferers of na 

tional treasures. 

Carmen's success has al 

ways depended on tricking 

children into thinking that 

they're having fun when actu 

ally they're learning about ge 

ography, culture, flags, and 

more as they practice using a 

reference book (Where in the 

World... puts the 1989 World 

Almanac in the box). The IIgs 

version of Where in the World 

Is Carmen Sandiego? retains 

this trait and adds terrific 

graphics, mouse support, and 

pull-down menus to make 

learning even more fun. 

Although the graphics are 

a peripheral part of gameplay 

(they simply illustrate your 

present location), their quality 

ups the ante in Apple educa 

tional software. More impor 

tant to the pursuit of Carmen 

and her gang, however, are the 

dossiers on disk and the pro 

gram's mouse support. The 

mouse makes menu selection 

simpler, and with the gang's 

files on disk, kids hardly need 

to crack open the documenta 

tion to pinpoint the guilty 

party. 

Where in the World Is 

Carmen Sandiego? retails for 

$44.95. For more information, 

contact Bredcrbund at 17 Paul 

Drive, San Rafael, California 

94903; (415) 492-3200. 

Dinosaurs in Town 

Kids and dinosaurs are nearly 

inseparable. Take a quick peek 

into most kids' rooms and 

you'll find at least one dino 

saur. Classrooms aren't im 

mune, either, posters and 

stickers of the terrible lizards 

are everywhere. Computer 

software publishers haven't let 

this fascination of the little for 

the large go untapped. From 

Designasaurus to Dinosaurs 

Are Forever, educational soft 

ware packages have made

$2.99 Public Domain Software and Shareware* for IBM~and Compatibles, DOS' 

Programs and Utilities to meet all your computing needs. 

BUSINESS 

3 IICKIEX V4.2 (552) - Tick let/ calendar/ 

office scheduler Hotd drive required.. 

0 EZ-FOBMS R«v. D15 (66}. Menu-driven 

forms oenerator. misc. skeleton lorms 512 K 

□ FAST BUCKS V4.07 (S64 ft 865] - Menudriven 

home finance package. 2 drives 

D EXPRESSSRAPH VI.04 [457] - Business 

graphing program. CGA required 

D IN CONTROL V2.702 (17d&175)- (2 disk 

tel] The ultimate prospecl / client customer 

& activity trockina system Hard driê req. 

□ CATALIST V3.21 [163 & 164) - (2 disk setj 

The ultimate mailing list manager. Also 

handles Canadian. U.K., ft European addresses.N#n'. 

Hard drive required 

n BUSINESS IETTEBS (303 & 304] - (2 disk 

set) 660 business lettets to (if all vour needs. 

Edit with anv word processor. 

0 EASYPB0JECTV3.1 (440] -A Complete 

project management system. 1000 tasks. 

100 sub-tasks. S much more. 380K.N#tv. 

0 ftENIALS V2.04 (585) - Menu-driven. 

does credits, debits, reports, handles up 

to 9604 rental units. 2 drives req 

3 PCLOAN4 V4.07 (799] - Does loan cal 

culations ft amortization schedules; olmost 

any type of loan. Superl 

D MANAGING PEOPLE (643] . Manage 

ment course for supervisors. 

3 PAINLESS ACCOUNTING VC2.50 (774- 

776]- (3 disk set) An integrated G/L. A/R. 

A/P menu-driven accounting package. 

512K. hard drive required. 

D O/UWB.A/P. P/R (76) -Stand alone mod 

ules from Jerry Medlin. Excellent! 

□ PFBOI V2.4c |B7) - Complete portfolio 

manager. 

O BIUPOWER PLUS V4.1 (794 ft 795] ■ (2 disk 

set] State ol the or! time/billing/ bookkeep 

ing program. 340K. hard drive required. 

COMMUNITIONS 

O OMODEM V3.1A [293 S 294) - |2 disk set) 

Full featured modem program. Nmw, 

DRBBS BULLETIN BOARD V17.1A [613-616] 

- (d disk set) Turn your computer into a RBBS. 

Industry standard Hard drive req. 

3 PROCOMM V2.42 [53 ft 54) - [2 disk set] 

Menu-driven modem program; still one of 

the best. 

DATABASE 

3 INSTANT RECAIL V1.64F (515)- Memory 

resident free-form database 

3 FILE EXPRESS V4.28 (33 4 34) - (2 disk set) 

Menu-driven database; report generator, 

many features. One of the best database 

programs on the market! 2 drives Nmw. 

O WAMPUM V3.3S" (37) - Menu-driven 

dBase III clone. Knowledge of dBase sug 

ared. Hard drive required. Nmw. 

EDUCATION 

3 PC-FASTYPE V3.01 (120)- Improve your 

touch typing skills. CGA required. 

I 

3 PIANOMAN V4.00 (4 & 5| - (2 disk set) 

Turn your PC into a piano, create & edit 

music. {PC-DOS.) 

3 THE WORLD V2.9 * WEADATA V2.0 (127) - 

Displav maps of the world. CGA, EGA. 

a DOS TUTORIAL V4.4 (256)- Menu-driven 

tutorial that teaches DOS commands, etc 

O FUNNELS & BUCKETS V2.0 (130) - Learn 

ing game; add, subtract, etc. Ages 6-10. 

3 PLAY -H LEARN V2.01 (624) ■ Contains 7 

games designed for kids up to 6 years old. 

CGA required. 

D SPANISH TEACHER V1.2 (121] -Menu driv 

en language tutorial. Basic required. 

3 ALGEBRA TUTOR (577) - Teaches various 

operations ol algebra. CGA , DOS Ver 3 xx 

3 BALLOON SPELLER (809) - 3 different 

types ol spelling gomes 

3 DIGITAL BASEBALL VI.1 (344| - Pick your 

team and players. Nice graphics .CGA req. 

3 BLACKJACK GAMES Vl.l (95) - 3 ad 

vanced blackjack games, multiple players/ 

setup. 

3 GAMES OF SKILL (100] ■ Contains pool, 

bowling. & backgammon. CGA required 

3 MONOPOLY V6.7 (106) -Just like the 

board game. 21o 4 players. CGA req. 

3 SAILING IN THE BERMUDA TRIANOLE (757] 

- Try and rescue the survivors and moke it to 

port. CGA required. 

3 SUPER PINBALL (212] - 5 different 

games. CGA required. 

3 SLUETH (89] - A who ■ dun ■ it - mystery 

gome similar to 'Clue'. 

Please print disk numbers 

□ 3-0 CHESS V1.0I [215] ■ Excellent chess 

game. Switch between 2-D ft 3-D. 

3 EQA-1REK V1.0 (677] - Star-Trek with super 

graphics EGA required. 

3 CAPTAIN COMIC V3.0 (755] - Arcade 

style odventure gome with super graphics. 

EGA required. 

3 PC-PRO-GOLF V4.0 [667} - 16 hole golf 

course with nice graphics. CGA required. 

GRAPHICS 

3 VGA PAINT Vl.l (S06) - A graphics 

drawing program, 246 colors at once! VGA 

& mouse required. 

3 PC DRAFT II V3.20 [629)-A pointing/ 

drafting program uselul lor producing clipart 

for desktop publishing. CGA required. 

3 PRINTMASTER GRAPHICS (319. 549 & 

550) • (3 disk set) Over 440 misc. graphics 

for Print master/Plus. Requires Printmaster or 

Plus. For Prlntihop Graphics- Ord*r disks # 

320. 589, 590 respectively. 

3 PC-KEY-DRAW V3.53 (748-751] - [4 disk 

set) Combines features ol a CAD & paint 

program lor power/flexibility. Includes a lull 

graphic database HYPERDRAW. CGA . hard 

drive required. Nmw 

3 IMAGE 3-D V2.6 (676)-3-D wire frame 

modeling CAD. 512K, CGA, 2drives req. 

3 CHARTS UNLIMITED (812) - Integrates 

graphics & text into one system; flowcharts, 

organizational charts, floorplans. electrical 

diagrams. Gaont charts, etc. 256k. CGA. 

3 MEAL MASTER Y5.22S(120)- Manage your 

recipes. 

3 HUMOROUS DOS TRICKS [236) - Various 

tricks 1o play on your friends. A must for any 

joker.. CGA required 

3 CROSSWORD CREATOR V3.30 (422) - De 

sign, solve & print professional looking 

puzzles. 256k required. 

3 PC LOTTO V2.2 [651) - Playalmost any lot 

to in the world. 

3 THE DIET DISK (566)- How to lose thoto 

unwanted lbs. 

3 FAMILY TIES V1.17(154]- Complete gen- 

eology system. 

3 HOME INSURANCE V3.01 (626) - Home in 

ventory ft record keeping system. 

3 THE ONLINE BIBLE (B47 ■ 855] - (9 disk set] 

-The complete King James Bible with sea 

rch 8t look-up capability Hard drive req. 

3 FOR FILMS & VIDEO TAPES VI. 10 (621)- 

Catalog all your films ft video tapes. 256K. 2 

drives required. 

3 THE NUTRITIONIST V3.0 (670) Food evalua 

tion for nutritional content. 

PRINTER UTILITIES 

3 ON-SIDE V1.01 (560)- A sideways print 

ing program with multiple fonts, up to 175. 

3 LQ V2.32 [509] ■ Produces hign quality text 

on dot matrix printers. Multiple fonts, print 

spooler 

3 LASERJET FONTS/1 [765 & 766)- [2 disk set) 

Fonts include: Century Schoolbook. Gara- 

mond. Optima & [?oman*Times. HP LJ+ot II. 

3 LASERJET UTILS/3 (759) - Various utilities 

including one that allows true Epson emula 

tion on your Laserjetl HP LJ+ or II. 

3 LOTUS LEARNING SYSTEM V2.4 (769 ft 770) 

- (2 disk set) Explanations, illustrations. & 

practice sessions. Tutor Does NOT require 

Lotus. 512K. 2 drives required. 

3 QUBECALC V3.02(591] -A 3-D spread 

sheet program, import Lotus files,. 

3 AS EASY AS V3.01F (302) - Lotus clone. 52 

column sheet, graphing, supports functions 

of 123. 

UTILITIES 

3 ALT VI.16* (581 & 582 ] ■ (2 disk sef) Com 

bines (unctions ol Sidekick. Superkey, Nor 

ton, ft Software Carousel. 

3 GAME UTILITIES [220] - Great for most programs 

that need color |CGA) to fun. 

3 DOS HELP (255)- Help screens lor DOS 

commands. 

2.1 or higher. ONLY $2*99 

per Disk! 

3 PC-DESKTEAM V2.01 (276) - Sidekick like 

utility plus more feature*. 

3 AUTOMENU V4.W [260)- Excellent menu 

progrom lor your hard drive. Password pro 

tection 8. more 

a FLU-SHOT PLUS V1.4 [541)- Various pro 

grams to prolecl against "trojan horses' 8; 

the "virus-. A MUST FOR ALL III 

3 LIST V6.2A (274) - Best utility for viewing 

documentation, A MUST for all. 

3 WINDOW BOSS V8.15.8i (782 & 763)- (2 

disk set) Powerful programming techniques 

Hard drive required. 

■ of 5.25" disks 5 S2.99 Each. H of 3.5" media 3 $3.99 Each. = Calif. Res. Sales Tax 16.5%)=. Shipping & Handling = 

3 CATDISK V3.71 |237) - Inventory system 

for floppy disks. 

WORD PROCESSING 

3 GALAXY V2.42 |11) - Eosyto use word 

processor; menus & quick commands. 

3 PC-WRITE V3.02 [784-786] - (3 disk set] 

Full feotured word processor; all the fea 

tures of the expensive ones. Nmw. 

3 IDEA TREE |947; - Personal information 

manager/though! processor; see thoughts 

& Ideas in a free structure. 256K. 2 drive*. 

3 NEW YORK EDIT V2.10 (&60) - A powerful 

programmer s text editor. 

3 WORDPERFECT MACROS FOR V5.0 (189] 

Contains over 60 macros, 

NEW PROGRAMS 

3 WORDPERFECT LEARNING SYSTEM (&66 ft 

667) - [2 disk set) A lulorlal for learning how 

to use WordPerfect Ver. 5.0 Ord»r diik 

#868 4 869 for Wo-dport.c! VoM 2 513K. 

3 MR- MILWAUKEE V2.04 [932)- Over 800 

drink recipes, adjust serving sizes, etc. Hard 

drive required. 

3 PC-DRAFT-CAD VI.01 (938) - Complete 

CAD program with 'ots of features. 384K. 2 

drives required. 

3 PC-JIGSAW VI.00 (939| - Displays a pic 

ture, scrambles it like a jigsaw puzzle, you 

put it back together. 3 levels of play. Nice. 

3 BASS TOUR VI.0 (952) - A graphic bats 

fishing tournament game. Select your rod. 

reel, lure, etc. 6 different lakes. 3 levels of 

play. Superl 512K. EGA required. 

3 MAXI-READ V2.B [878) - Improve your 

speaking 8 writing Skills. 

3 IASK MASTER V2.0 I960) - All purpose pro 

ject tracking system 

3 GRAB PLUS V5.2 (951) - A memory - 

resident program tnat will grab names/ 

addresses from your word processor & send 

them to your printer; lor envelope printing. 

3 BUSINESS CONTACTS MANAGER VI.10 

(960 8; 961] - (2 disk set] Business contacts 

manager that tracks everything. Hard drive . 

□ SCHOOL MOM VI.2 [137] ■ Educational 

lool for ages 4-14. Molh. Art, Music ft 

Spelling. 4 levels of difficulty for each por 

tion. Superl Joystick for portions CGA req. 

ORDER TOLL FREE! 

1 (800) 359-2189 

I Canada Add S2.00 mare for S/H. International Orders Add S7.00 more for S/H. Call for Disclaimer Information. Prices subject to change. This ad supercedes all prior 

We Accept M C Visa |Please circle creditcard used.! Card # Exp. Date Signature 

I Payment ip U.S. fund* ONLY II 

Mail order form with check or money order to: 

I CALIFORNIA FREEWARE 

1466 Springllne Dr. Dept. X 

Palmdale. CA 93550 

COMPUTE" 6/89 

• Shareware programs require seperale 

payments to authors if found useful 

Order Desk: 7 am ■ 7 pm PST 

Customer Service: 11 am • 4 pm PST 

Monday - Friday 

(803) 273 ■ 0300 

Call (or FREE caialog ! 

Over 900 disks of quality software. 

Address 

City 

Phone( ) 

St Zip_ 

"I 

I

stegosaurs, brontosaurs, and 

tyrannosaur rexes major moni 

tor stars. 

A new entry in the elec 

tronic dinosaur category is an 

entertaining and educational 

program called Return ofthe 

Dinosaurs (American Educa 

tional Computer. 7506 North 

Broadway Extension, Suite 

505. Oklahoma City, Oklaho 

ma 73116; 800-222-2811: 

$39.95). 

Your friend, Professor T. 

Rex, has invented a time 

transporter, but the machine 

has malfunctioned. To save 

your hometown, you must 

identify and collect the dino 

saur that's slipped through a 

crack in time. In a process 

that's reminiscent of the Car 

men Sandiego series, you track 

down clues by going from 

place to place and by talking 

with the townspeople who 

have seen the beast. You move 

through four separate screens, 

combing Main Street, the Mu 

seum Park, the Museum itself, 

and the nearby countryside as 

you hunt for your next infor 

mant. With $60 in your pock 

et, you head out to converse 

with Sergeant Prime Evil in 

the police station: talk to Di 

nah, the rural mail carrier; and 

even gab with Auntie Sedcnt. 

The clock is licking, though, 

and you've got to find the di 

nosaur and zip it back in time 

by the end of the week. You 

can walk from place to place 

or. to save time, spend money 

and take a taxi or bus. 

Press Control-N to call 

up your notebook; then enter 

the clues you've uncovered. 

How large is the dinosaur? 

What does it eat? Does it walk 

on four legs or two? When 

you've gathered a few clues, 

you can use the Dinofile, a 

database of 70 dinosaurs, to 

determine the dinosaur's exact 

name, the period in which it 

belongs (so you can return it), 

and where it lived. The Dino 

file is the heart of the package, 

for it's there that children learn 

how to access a computerized 

database and extract infor 

mation from it. 

Return ofthe Dinosaurs 

offers passable graphics and 

meager sound so that it can 

run on the lowest-cornmondenominator 

Apple II sys 

tem—a 128K lie or He (and an 

Apple IlGS in He mode). 

Sound and graphics are good 

56 COMPUTE 

COMPUTE!.. 

specific 

enough to hold a kid's interest, 

though. One plus is that the 

package contains both 5Vi-inch 

and 3'/2-inch disks. 

Using dinosaurs as its 

bait. Return ofthe Dinosaurs 

makes kids think through a 

problem; by showing children 

how to use a database, the pro 

gram helps them find the facts 

to solve that problem. Return 

ofthe Dinosaurs doesn't have a 

computer publishing jugger 

naut's advertising budget be 

hind it, but it deserves a look 

by teachers and parents. 

Up and Down 

Although Apple II sales during 

the 1988 Christmas season— 

typically the time of year when 

Apple pushes computers hard 

est at consumers—were off 

nearly 50 percent from 1987. 

software sales last winter were 

up significantly. 

Figures released by the 

Software Publishers Associa 

tion, a collection of 440 lead 

ing software publishers, show 

that Apple II software sales 

were up nearly 20 percent dur 

ing the last three months of 

1988 when compared to the 

same period in 1987. Leading 

the increase were sales in the 

desktop publishing category, 

up almost 130 percent. Print 

It!, from Timeworks: Spring 

board Publisher, from Spring 

board Publishing; and geo- 

Publish, from Berkeley Softworks, 

are the front runners in 

the category. 

Not far behind was the in 

tegrated software category, 

which increased by 102 per 

cent. The release of Claris's 

AppleWorks GSduring the 

quarter undoubtedly played a 

major role in the sales jump, 

since the category only grew by 

5 percent for all of 1988. 

AppleWorks GS's release may 

also have affected word pro 

cessor sales, which dropped by 

9 percent—AppleWorks GS's 

word processing module is ar 

guably its strongest feature. 

Educational software 

went up 17 percent, while 

game programs crept up only 4 

percent. The big losers were 

graphics packages; that catego 

ry dove 25 percent. 

For all of 1988. however. 

Apple II software sales were 

flat, crawling up only 4 percent 

(in fact, when inflation is taken 

into account, Apple II software 

sales probably declined slight 

ly). Yet Apple II owners can 

lake comfort in the fact that 

ihings are worse for someone 

else: Commodore 64 software 

sales grew by only 0.8 percent 

during the year. 

Micro Fun 

Home computer users are al 

ways on the lookout for good 

software at bargain prices. 

When you're spending your 

own money on Apple II soft 

ware, you want the most for 

your dollar. 

One source of inexpensive 

but still worthwhile education 

al software is Scholastic Soft 

ware, the publisher of a unique 

series of disks called Microzine 

and Microzine Jr. Long a sta 

ple in many classrooms, 

Microzine and Microzine Jr. 

make the transition to the 

home with ease. If you have 

kids and an Apple II computer 

in your house, check these out. 

Microzine is aimed at kids 

ages 9 and up. while the newer 

Microzine Jr. 's audience is 

children ages 6 to 9. Each issue 

of Microzine and Microzine Jr. 

includes four programs, either 

on two 5'/i-inch disks or on 

one 3'/;-inch disk. A booklet 

offers instructions and tips as 

well as program-related activi 

ties teachers and parents can 

do with their kids. 

One recent issue of Micro 

zine. for instance, included a 

certificate creator, a delightful 

(and fast-paced) math game 

based on percentages, a visualdiscrimination 

program much 

like those what's-wrong-withthis-picture 

pages in children's 

magazines, and a graphics ad 

venture story in the Twistaplot 

scries. A sample Microzine Jr. 

issue offered a mask maker, a 

Twistaplot adventure where 

kids take on the identity of 

various African animals, a ro 

bot simulation that mimics 

the game twenty questions, 

and a graphics screen where 

children locate inappropriate 

objects. 

Both Microzine and 

Microzine Jr. use a menu sys 

tem to select programs and the 

issue's other features, which 

range from Letters to the Edi 

tor to disk-formatting selec 

tions. The menu, while help 

ful, isn't the slickest around. 

For instance, you have to use 

the arrow keys to move the 

pointer, even if you have a 

mouse. 

The proof is in the pro 

grams, though, and, on that 

count. Microzine and Micro 

zine Jr. are definitely a par 

ent's good buy. 

Home versions of Micro 

zine and Microzine Jr. run 

$32.95 an issue (five issues are 

produced in a school year). To 

find out the current price of a 

year's subscription, contact 

Scholastic at 2931 East 

McCarty, P.O. Box 7502. Jef 

ferson City, Missouri 65102; 

(800)541-5513. 

— Gregg Keizer 

Who would have thought that 

Commodore Business Ma 

chines would ever become the 

darling of Wall Street? Well, 

that's what's happening, as an 

alysis scramble to explain the 

company's recent financial 

success. Earnings for 1988 

were up 74 percent over 1987. 

sending the price of Commo 

dore stock to a four-year high 

that even beat Apple's current 

stock price. Sales of Amigas 

and Amiga peripherals ac 

counted for about 40 percent 

of the profits, and Commo 

dore's PC-compatible line 

brought in about 20 percent of 

the bacon. The rest was mainly 

from the Commodore 64 and 

128. which, despite their aging 

technology, show no sign of 

imminent demise because of

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their immense software base. 

The company has broadened 

its dealer base to 1500, about 

twice as many dealers as last 

year. And a new president, 

Mchdi Ali, has taken Ihe reins, 

although Irving Gould re 

mains chairman and undoubt 

edly still wields the real power. 

While a number of market 

analysts have been recommend 

ing Commodore stock as underpriced, 

many others arc still 

struggling to catch up with the 

new Commodore image. 

Three years ago Commodore 

was nearly in receivership, 

with its creditors operating the 

company by proxy. Some illinformed 

Wall Strceters appar 

ently have Commodore 

pegged as a toy manufacturer, 

probably confusing it with 

Coleco. As a reader of this col 

umn, you have a definite ad 

vantage over these market 

pros, since you know Commo 

dore for what it really is. If you 

like to play the stock market, 

now might be a good time to 

give Commodore a hard look. 

So what is Commodore 

going to do with its newfound 

wealth? Among the things I'd 

like to see is a complete over 

haul of AmigaDOS, Intuition, 

and the Workbench look and 

feel. It's not enough to have 

the only multitasking operat 

ing system—the Amiga operat 

ing system should be internally 

consislent, carefully detailed, 

easy to access and program, at 

tractive to look at, and above 

all. bulletproof. Operatingsystem 

redesign, more than 

new hardware or new market 

ing efforts, will convince cor 

porate buyers that the Amiga 

is a serious computer. Better 

quality control on Commo 

dore products and a respon 

sive customer-service operalion 

would go far in that 

direction also. 

Register your own opin 

ion by contacting Commodore 

Business Machines, 1200 Wil 

son Drive, West Chester, 

Pennsylvania 19380; (215) 

431-9100. 

Dateline: AmiEXPO 

The New York AmiEXPO 

show (March 3-5) looked like 

the biggest Amiga-only show 

58 COMPUTE! 

COMPUTE!, 

specific 

ever held in the United States. 

Attendance was larger than ex 

pected, the hubbub was deaf 

ening, and the place was so 

crowded that it was hard to 

squeeze from one aisle to the 

next. 

And this was without any 

visible suppon from Commo 

dore or many of the other ma 

jor players in the Amiga 

market—Commodore didn't 

even have a booth. Gale Wel 

lington, Commodore's Gener 

al Manager for Worldwide 

Software and Product Support. 

said in her keynote address 

thai this was because there 

were too many conflicting 

shows before and after 

AmiEXPO. But the rumor is 

that Commodore has an un 

specified grudge against the 

AmiEXPO organizers. 

Video professionals were 

hobnobbing with artificial- 

intelligence mavens, per 

formance artists with regional 

sales reps, while roving gangs 

of teens—hapless dads in 

tow—were blitzing every game 

on display, especially Space 

Harrier. Excitement over the 

Amiga's creative capabilities 

was palpable everywhere. 

Crowds gathered around the 

latest killer demos, such as 

Chris Williamson's Walker 

Demo II, NcwTek's sciencefiction 

demo reel, and Glen 

Graham's glistening Sculpt- 

Animate 4D dragon. 

Amiga hard drives, 

scarcely to be seen at last year's 

New York AmiEXPO. were in 

evidence all over the floor. 

Great Valley Products (225 

Plank Road, Paoli, Pennsylva 

nia 19301; 215-889-9411) 

showed a complete line of ex 

ternal and internal drives, in 

cluding a 44-megabytc SCSI 

removable media drive ($1,299 

for drive, and $139 for the 

storage media), a first for the 

Amiga. Interactive Video Sys 

tems (15201 Santa Gertrude 

Avenue, Y102, La Mirada, 

California 90638;714-994- 

4443) also displayed a range of 

fasl, autobooting controllers 

and hardcards for the A2000/ 

A25OO. The IVS cards looked 

especially sturdy and cleanly 

designed. 

New genlocks were popu 

lar, loo. The trend is toward 

pro-quality genlocks that inte 

grate into supcrformal sys 

tems. Communications Spec 

ialties (89A Cabot Court, 

Hauppauge, New York 11788; 

516-273-0404) showed its 

Gen/One ($895), a profession 

al genlock/keyer/encoder 

that's both NTSC and Super- 

VHS compatible. The Scanlock 

Model VSL-I (VidTcch 

International, 2822 NW 79lh 

Avenue, Miami, Florida 33122; 

305-477-2228; $995) is similar 

ly capable, with the addition of 

front sliders for fade control. It 

also comes in a PAL version 

($1,095), compatible with Eu 

ropean video standards. 

There was plenty of new 

software to be seen and tested. 

Haitex Resources (208 Carrollton 

Park. Suite 1207, Carrollton, 

Texas 75006; 214-241- 

8030) showed Adnim ($79.95), 

a nice drum machine capable 

of loading up to 26 sound sam 

ples. Another music program. 

M (Intelligent Music, 116 

North Lake Avenue, Albany, 

New York 12206; 518-434- 

4110; $200), is a full-featured, 

realtime MIDI sequencer with 

an unusually powerful pattern 

editor. M looks to be one of 

the holiest Amiga music pro 

grams of 1989. 

Ifyou looked around,you 

could also find new business 

software. Projeci Master, from 

Brown-Wagh (16795 Lark Av 

enue. Suite 210. Los Gatos, 

California 95030; 408-395- 

3838; $ 195), is a well-thoughtout 

and easy-to-use graphical 

project-planning tool. You de 

fine the various tasks and goals 

of your project, name your re 

sources, and eslimate how 

much money and time each 

lask will take. Then Project 

Master graphs the best way to 

organize the project and pro 

vides complete time, resource. 

and cost breakdowns at each 

stage. A program like this can 

be usefully applied to any 

complicated job, like writing a 

large software program, pro 

ducing a film, or managing a 

production run on the shop 

floor. 

A Lot of Elan 

The besl new graphics pro 

gram at AmiEXPO was Elan 

Performer, from Elan Design 

(P.O. Box 31725, San Francis 

co, California 94131; 415-621- 

8673; $59). Elan Performer is a 

utility program that displays 

all kinds of Amiga graphics, in 

cluding IFF, HAM, RGB, AN- 

IMs, and RIFF animation 

files. A program like this really 

comes in handy when you 

have many different kinds of 

images to show, but you don't 

want to carry around the appli 

cation programs used to create 

the graphics. Assign picture or 

animation files to keys on the 

keyboard by clicking a simple 

keyboard diagram; to play the 

slide show, press the chosen 

keys. The show also can be 

automated. ANIMs can be 

played forward and backward 

at various speeds by moving 

the mouse. Elan Performer al 

ways keeps your memory as 

full of graphics as possible, so 

disk access during a show is 

held to a minimum. 

Elan Performer offers 

basic animation capabilities as 

well. You can sequence images 

and use the program to com 

pile them into an ANIM or 

RIFF animation. Elan Per 

former even tells you which 

animation file format pro 

duces the smallest file, and 

then it lets you choose the best 

format. Use the control screen 

to synchronize your show with 

music or other events. The 

screen gives you precise con 

trol over liming, duration, and 

looping of each image. Elan 

Performer is one program that 

every Amiga artist should own. 

— Steven Anzovin 

Next time you're in the grocery 

store, check the produce sec 

tion—you may find Macin 

tosh and Apple II computers

nestled among the fruits and 

vegetables. Apple has joined 

with grocery chains around the 

country to offer computers in 

exchange for cash-register 

receipts. 

By January, the program 

had attracted 504 grocery 

stores and about 7000 schools. 

Students collect as many re 

ceipts as possible in a 26-week 

period and trade them for Ap 

ple components. To get an 

ImageWriter. for instance, 

schools need $65,000 worth of 

receipts. To get a Macintosh 

Pius, they need $! 85,000 worth. 

Participating supermarket 

chains are located all over the 

country, from Michigan to Flor 

ida, from Nevada to Virginia. 

The giveaway is John 

Connelly's idea. His company, 

J. Edward Connelly Asso 

ciates, develops incentive mar 

keting campaigns. Connelly 

buys the computers from Ap 

ple at a discount and then sells 

them to the supermarkets. The 

supermarkets expect boosted 

business as a result of their 

participation. Some have re 

ported sales increases of as 

much as 10 percent. 

If you're interested in 

starting an Apples-for-the- 

Student movement in your 

community, join forces with a 

supermarket chain that serves 

your area and contact Peter 

Jarvis or George Pittei at Ser 

vice Marketing Group. 300 

Garden City Plaza, Garden 

City, New York II530; (516) 

747-7111. 

Magic Lessons 

Programming may not be the 

most popular activity among 

Macintosh owners, but its 

magic is strangely compelling 

to thousands. Creating just the 

right spells and incantations 

can be difficult, though, so Sy 

mantec has released a package 

for the programmer's appren 

tice in all of us. 

Just Enough Pascal ($75) 

is a Pascal programming tuto 

rial that works with THINK's 

Lightspeed Pascal, from Sy 

mantec. By showing you how 

to build a program step by 

step, JEP teaches you about 

programming logic. Pascal 

commands, Macintosh-specific 

COMPUTE! 

specific 

routines, and Lightspeedspecific 

debugging. You may 

open JEP as a novice, but 

you'll close it knowing enough 

to write your own applications. 

The tutorials are stored in 

a desk accessory. Choose JEP 

Instructions from the Apple 

menu and you'll find a hyper 

media system with buttons for 

program assembly instruc 

tions. Other buttons take you 

to explanations of concepts 

and tinkering sessions for ex 

perimenting with the code. 

Just Enough Pascal is a 

terrific teacher. If you have a 

little programming back 

ground, you'll be surprised at 

how well the lessons explain 

tough concepts. Each variable 

type, each function, each pro 

gram unit is explained carefully 

with detailed, practical exam 

ples. If you have no program 

ming experience, you'll never 

know how hard it can be to 

grasp some of the necessary 

information, because Syman 

tec's program makes it fairly 

easy. 

Although Just Enough 

Pascal is specific to THINK's 

Lightspccd Pascal, that's not a 

real drawback. Lightspeed is a 

particularly good Pascal com 

piler with excellent debugging 

tools. 

Nothing makes program 

ming a snap except a perfectly 

logical mind. For most of us, 

only practice and experiments 

will improve our skills. So 

don't be surprised if the infor 

mation in Just Enough Pascal 

isn't instantly transparent— 

that's simply not the nature of 

programming. If you want to 

learn the magic of the Mac, 

though, you can get a good 

start with Symantec's package. 

Contact Symantec at 135 

South Road. Bedford. Massa 

chusetts 01730; (617) 274-4800. 

Holy Writ 

If you don't have The Macin 

tosh Bible, get it. The book 

gathers together a wealth of 

information about the Mac: 

tips, ideas, hints, and minireviews 

that help you choose 

new products and make better 

use of old ones. 

Not a book to be read 

straight through, The Macin 

tosh Bible, Second Edition is 

best used as a reference when 

you think there must be a bet 

ter way to do something. It's 

organized by topic—Fonts, 

Page Layout, Utility Programs, 

and so on. If you're wondering 

whether there's a way to close 

all open windows at once, for 

example, look in the "Tips 

about Windows" section in the 

"Basic System Software" chap 

ter. Sure enough, it's there: 

Jusl hold down the Option key 

as you click in the close box of 

an active window tc close all 

other windows, too. 

Ifyou'reanold hand at 

the Macintosh, you may find 

the book too elementary at 

first glance. It is, however, one 

of the few places you can find 

all this information under one 

cover. You'd have to search 

bulletin boards, join user 

groups, peruse CompuServe, 

and subscribe to most of the 

Macintosh magazines to repro 

duce the work that Arthur Naiman 

and his crew have done in 

The Macintosh Bible. 

The Macintosh Bible 

($28) is published by Gold 

stein and Blair, Box 7635, 

Berkeley, California 94707; 

(415) 524-4000. The price in 

cludes two free upgrades to 

keep you up-lo-date with im 

portant changes in the Mac 

world. 

Or Not to Upgrade 

When is an upgrade not an up 

grade? When you don't need it. 

Apple has described the 

latest upgrade to HyperCard 

(version 1.2.2) as a mainte 

nance release, and many of its 

new features won't apply to 

home users. Version 1.2.2 of 

fers improved display and 

printing of Japanese, Arabic, 

and other characters, for in 

stance, and provides CD-ROM 

drive support for international 

users and A/UX compatibility. 

Doesn't sound too inter 

esting, but surely some home 

users could use these new 

offerings. 

HyperCard 1.2.2 docs fix 

some minor bugs from earlier 

versions, and the new version 

also has improved sound capa 

bilities. Of particular interest 

to you may be its improved 

operation in low-memory situ 

ations. If you have a onemegabyte 

Mac, HyperCard 

1.2.2 is a good upgrade for 

you. 

Apple calls this version an 

optional update, and U.S. cus 

tomers aren't required to up 

grade. If you're interested, the 

update is available from all 

registered Apple dealers. 

Under the Apple 

When they're stored as desk 

accessories, applications take 

on a new character. Word pro 

cessors under the Apple menu 

become handy scratch pads 

with text-manipulation capa 

bilities. Databases under the 

Apple become easy-access 

fountains of information. Gen 

erally, desk accessories aren't 

as feature-packed a;; stand 

alone programs in the same 

genre, but they offer enough 

for people who have only an 

occasional need for the 

application. 

Preferred Publishers has 

released two such packages: 

DAtabase and Vantage. DAtabase 

h as good an informa 

tion manager as most of us 

need. Vantage, on the other 

hand, really can't replace your 

word processor. (But then, 

your word processor prob 

ably can't replace Vantage, 

either.) 

Although its reporting fea 

tures are limited, DAtabase of 

fers many useful functions.. 

Using a HyperCard-hkc inter 

face called DAtabase Builder, 

that's part of the package, you 

create forms that look like 

cards. Besides graphics tools, 

DAtabase Builder offers basic 

text fields, calculated fields, 

check-box fields, and pop-up 

menu fields. 

Once you've designed the 

look of your database form, 

you quil DAtabase Builder 

and start up DAtabase from 

the Apple menu. From there, 

you can enter, browse, sort, 

and search for your infor 

mation. DAtabase stores text 

and graphics, so you can cata 

log clip art and other pictures 

as well as phone numbers and 

addresses. 

Too bad DAtabase Build 

er isn't more closely linked 

JUNE 1989 59

with its parent, DAtabase; 

you'll probably want to adjust 

the form once you start enter 

ing data. 

Vantage is a good desk ac 

cessory for people who share 

text files with other computer 

formats. As a mini-word pro 

cessor, it can't compete with 

something like QuickLetter, 

but as a utility for stripping 

control characters, sorting text 

lists, adding line numbers, and 

editing text, it's a good package. 

Even if you perform these tasks 

only a few times each year, you 

still may want a program to do 

the dirty work. Vantage will 

clean up cheerfully. 

DAtabase retails for 

$129.95; Vantage, for $99.00. 

For more information, contact 

Preferred Publishers at 5100 

Poplar Avenue, Suite 706, 

Memphis, Tennessee 38137; 

(901)683-3383. 


Wouldn't it be nice if you 

could switch between two pro 

grams at a moment's notice? 

One way to do this is to use 

Juggler 2, from MichTron 

(576 South Telegraph, Pontiac, 

Michigan 48053; 313-334- 

5700; $49.95). 

The package actually in 

cludes two programs. The first 

is the original program, called 

The Juggler. It displays several 

programs in separate windows 

at the same time. To switch be 

tween the programs, you just 

click on the window contain 

ing the program you want. 

While The Juggler is handy, it 

doesn't work with programs 

that don't follow the rules for 

60 COMPUTE! 

COMPUTE!. _ 

specific 

programming under GEM. 

Juggler 2, the other pro 

gram in the package, works 

with many more programs. 

Depending on memory, as 

many as eight partitions can be 

set aside, each independent of 

the others. To switch between 

the partitions, simply press 

Shift and Alternate simulta 

neously. The partitions can 

contain either GEM or TOS 

programs, and these programs 

can even be in different resolu 

tions on a color monitor. 

The first time you switch 

to a partition, that partition is 

booted to the desktop with any 

programs or accessories that 

you have in your AUTO folder. 

By naming boot disk folders 

AUTOI,AUTO2,AUTO3, 

and so on, you can customize 

the partitions and what auto 

matically appears in each. The 

desktop layout of each parti 

tion can also be customized by 

placing a DESKTOP.INF file' 

in the AUTOX folder. 

You may find two small 

glitches in Juggler 2. The 

JUGGLER2.PRG file must be 

the last to run from an AUTO 

folder; however, even then, 

JUGGLER2.PRG doesn't run 

all the programs ahead of it 

when booting a partition after 

it's been added to an existing 

AUTO folder. The problem is 

easily solved: Simply delete 

the AUTO folder and rebuild 

it by dragging files to it in the 

exact order that they should 

run in. 

The desk accessory Univer 

sal Item Selector II (mentioned 

in this column in the February 

1989 issue) caused Juggler 2 to 

crash repeatedly. Oddly, 

though, UISII didn't cause this 

crash when used inside Multi- 

Desk, perhaps because the ac 

cessory is loaded after Juggler 

2 in this configuration. 

Another switching solu 

tion is Revolver (Intersect Soft 

ware. 2828 Clark Road, Suite 

10, Sarasota, Florida 34231; 

800-826-0130; $49.95). Revolv 

er aWows you to separate your 

ST's memory into partitions of 

256K. or more. The partitions 

can be different sizes and offer 

different resolutions on a color 

monitor. 

Cycling through the differ 

ent partitions takes just a key 

stroke. A partition can be 

rolled out—saved to disk in a 

compressed format—or rolled 

in—retrieved from disk. The 

first time you access a parti 

tion, it's booted from disk. 

Pressing Reset reboots only the 

current partition, leaving the 

others alone. You can even 

view one partition while in an 

other partition. 

The package includes a 

reset-proof ramdisk, a print 

spooler, and a disk I/O buffer, 

all of which will survive a 

warm boot. 

A control-panel button 

gives you access to a screenful 

of file functions, such as copy, 

rename, move, and delete. The 

control panel also lets you ad 

just such items as key-click 

control, key repeat on/off, bell 

on/off, mouse speed, and time 

and date settings. A built-in 

VT52 emulator is also includ 

ed, along with a timed auto 

matic reminder to roll out a 

partition. You'll also find a fix 

for the famous 40-folder bug 

(this bug crashes the ST after 

you've accessed 40 folders). 

The one problem with Re 

volver is that you can't perform 

certain operations on the partilion 

you're in. so you must 

first switch to another parti 

tion. The control panel, how 

ever, doesn't tell you which 

partition you're in and will let 

you choose the active partition 

or even a nonexistent partition. 

Bloody Games 

There's nothing delicate about 

Technocop, from Epyx (600 

Galveston Drive, Redwood 

City. California 94063; 415- 

366-0606; $39.95). In this 

graphically violent game, you 

play a police officer of the fu 

ture. In the first segment you 

drive your car down a winding 

road. If you're feeling nice, you 

can avoid enemy cars and 

motorcycles, but if you're feel 

ing belligerent, you can run 

them off the road or blast them 

with your guns. The game 

ends when your vehicle be 

comes damaged (by running 

off the road, ramming a tree, 

and so on). 

In the second segment, 

you arrive at a crime scene. 

You enter a building and. un 

der a time limit, try to appre 

hend the criminal. You can 

duck, jump, use elevators, and 

defend yourself in the quest for 

the miscreant, whose presence 

is monitored on a wristmounted 

radar. 

As you move through the 

building, various toughs as 

sault you with axes, whips, 

knives, and other instruments 

of mayhem. Blasting them 

with your .88 Magnum re 

duces them to a quivering pile 

of bloody bones. You must 

also avoid blasting innocent 

bystanders. This game is load 

ed with gratuitous violence 

and is not recommended for 

the squeamish. 

Accessorize 

The six-desk accessory' limit of 

the ST has become a problem 

as larger memory configura 

tions become more common. 

A variety of all-in-one desk ac 

cessories have been marketed 

to address this problem, but 

they share one drawback: You 

may not need everything that 

such packages offer, but you 

still have to sacrifice the mem 

ory required for the whole 

package even if you only need 

one or two of the tools offered. 

Yet another ST desk ac 

cessory limitation is that the 

accessories are set when you 

boot up and can't be changed 

unless you reboot. 

Codehead Software (P.O. 

Box 4336. North Hollywood, 

California 91607; 213-386- 

5735) intends to change ail 

that. Its Multi-Desk ($29.95) is 

a remarkable utility that cir 

cumvents the ST's desk acces 

sory problems. 

Multi-Desk lets you access 

as many as 32 desk accessories 

from a single slot in the Desk 

menu. (And because Multi- 

Desk can occupy more than 

one of these slots, the number 

of desk accessories is virtually 

unlimited.) Further, Multi- 

Desk lets you load and unload 

accessories at any lime. Con 

figuration options allow you to 

store accessories in a folder. 

load a slate of desk accessories 

at boot-up, and reserve memo 

ry. You can even run Multi- 

Desk as a regular program— 

just change the extension—so 

you can run desk accessories 

from the Desktop the same 

way you run regular programs. 

— David Plotkin 0

aslowas IT 

Thousands of IBM/Compatible Public Domain and Shareware Programs 

Are Available from the Micro Star Library and at Incredibly Low Prices! 

We feature the best and most up-to-date shareware available. 

Our software is guaranteed against bugs, defects, viruses, etc. 

And We Offer FREE Technical Support For Our Customers 

ORDER TODAY on our TOLL FREE PHONE LINES • ORDERS SHIPPED OUT SAME OR NEXT DAY 

ARCADE GAMES (106) Has 

Kong. 3-D Pacmon. Bricks. 

Pango. (Requires color.) 

BASIC GAMES (107) Pacman, 

Lunar Lander. Startrek. 

Meteor. Breakout, and others 

CARD GAMES (109) Canasta, 

hearts, draw poker & bridge 

STRIKER (HO) Defender-like 

game. "Top Gun" in space. 

FLIGHTMARE (112) Futuristic 

fighter pilot game, (Requires 

color graphics adapter.) 

SLEUTH (117) Who done \Y> 

DND (119) Like Dungeons 

and Dragons. 

ROUND 42 (120) Better than 

Space Invaders. 42 levels. 

GAMES IN BASIC (124) Land 

er, biorhythms, desert. Phoe 

nix. Star Wars, others. 

QUEST (152) Role playing 

adventure fantasy game 

(Requires CGA.) 

SPACE WAR (158) Dogfight in 

outer space, using phasers, 

photon torpedoes, etc. 

BRIDGE PAL (171) Complete 

game of contract bridge, 

with tutorial. 

FENIX (193) Just like the 

lamous arcade game. 

PINBALL GAMES (197) Pinball, 

Rain. Twilight Zone. 

Wizard, etc. 

KID-GAMES (GAM8) Animals 

math, clock game, alpha 

bet, etc. 

CHESS (GAM9) Incredible. 

2D and 3D. Many levels. Ray 

back moves, store games. 

EGA RISK (GAM11) World 

domination in great color. 

Includes EGA Asteroids. 

PC PRO-GOLF (GAM27-28) 

Great graphics. Complete 

18 hole. 72 par course. (CGA) 

PEARL HARBOR (GAM32) 

Shoot down Jap Zeros before 

they destroy US Fleet. (CGA) 

ULTIMA 21 DELUXE (GAM34) 

Best Blackjack game around, 

includes Video Poker. 

FORD SIMULATOR (GAM37) 

Great driving simulation. 

(Requires CGA). 

PIANOMAN 4.0 (301) Turn 

your keyboard into a piano 

PC-MUSICIAN (302) Com 

pose, save, and play music. 

PC-Write 3.0 (434, 435, 436) 

(3 disks) Newest version! 

Very popular and complete 

Includes spelling checker. 

PC-TYPE+ (421-423) (3 disks) 

Excellent. Includes mail 

merge. 100,000 word spell 

ing checker. Interfaces with 

PC-File+, PC-Style. 

MAXI-MAX (432) 59 macros 

to use with Word Perfect 42 

or later. 11 templates for 

forms, border designs, etc. 

RtruRAW CAD SYSTEM (1001, 

1002, 1065, 1066) (4 disks) 

Popular. Also uses mouse. 

(Requires color graphics). 

CURSOR IWCE SCI PC89 

SIDEWAYS (1007) Prints text 

sideways. Useful for Lotus. 

SIMCGA/HGCIBM (1027, 

1062) (2 disks) Use with Her 

cules graphics card/com 

patible to run programs 

requiring CGA on your mono 

chrome PC. 

IMAGE 3-D (1048) Create 

and edit 3-D objects. Move, 

scale, rotate and tip image. 

FINGERPAINT (1050) Use key 

board or mouse to draw. 

Like MacPaint. (Requires 

CGA or EGA). 

DANCAD 3-D (1051, 1052) (2 

disks) Create 3-D graphics. 

Rotate, magnify, etc. Runs 

on CGA EGA, or Hercules. 

FANTASY (1057) Create flow 

ing graphic images with 

mouse or keyboard. (CGA). 

FLOWCHARTING (1078-1079) 

Complete system for How 

charts, organizational, elec 

trical, etc.. with symbols. 

AS-EASY-AS (505) Great. In 

cludes screen help menus. 

Utilizes function keys. A Lotus 

clone that reads Lotus files. 

PC-CALC+ (512-514) (3 disks) 

Jim Button's famous Lotuscbne. 

PC-PROFESSOR (1401) BASIC 

tutorial. Good. 

BASIC PROGRAM GENERA 

TOR (1402) The menu driven 

way to write programs. 

B-WINDOW (1407) Give win 

dowing capabilities to your 

Basic program. 

HOMEBASE (2608, 2612, 2613) 

(3 disks) Complete desktop 

organizer. Great. 

PROFESSIONAL MASTERKEY 

(2S05) Like Norton's. Retrieve 

deleted files. A lifesaver. 

BAKER'S DOZEN (2621) 13 

utilities from Buttonware. 

AUTOMENU (3003) Make PC 

menu driven. Incl passwords 

SCREEN (3006) Save your 

monitor from screen burn-in 

DOT MATRIX FONTS (3061- 

3062) (2 disks) Print your test 

in different fonts. 

MARKET CGA (BUS17) Per 

forms sophisticated analysis 

on stocks, funds, etc. (EGA 

version is BUS16). 

BILLPOWER+ (BUS 40, 41) (2 

disks) Bill clients for time and 

materials, advances, retain 

ers, etc. Computes, taxes, 

past due interest, etc. Has 

full G/L 

CPA LEDGER (706-708) (3 

disks) Complete general 

ledger for corporations, part 

nerships or sole proprietors. 

PERSONAL FINANCE MAN 

AGER (715) Household bud 

get manager, Track check 

ing, savings, investments. 

PAYROLL USA (725-726) Up to 

2.000 employees in any state. 

dBaselll and Lotus compati 

ble. Complete P/R system. 

EXPRESS CHECK (786) Check 

account with running bal 

ance, monthly reports, etc. 

Prints checks. 

FINANCE MANAGER II (774- 

775) (2 disks) For personal or 

small business financial 

management. 

DOS TUTORIAL (1301) Teaches 

you to use DOS, 

STILL RIVER SHELL (1304) Run 

DOS commands from a 

menu. Makes DOS easy. 

BATCH FILE TUTORIAL (1305) 

Utilize batch file processing. 

MORE DOS TIPS (1318, 1323) 

(2 disks) More about DOS. 

HELP DOS (1326) On line 

DOS help with menus. In 

cludes DOS dictionary of 

terms and a hints menu. 

THE BIBLE (3301-3306) (6 

disks) Old Testament. King 

James version. 

THE BIBLE (3307-3308) (2 

disks) New Testament. King 

James version. 

WORD WORKER (3309-3310) 

(2 disks) Bible search pro 

gram. New Testament, King 

James version, 

BIBLEMEN (3330) Excellent 

Bible quiz program. 

AMY'S FIRST PRIMER (248) 

Child's learning game 

teaches letters, numbers, 

keyboard. 

ni Bb Cc 

• 4~ 

ffi"B c 

X « ic 

»U3 

OK 50MG 

K0RY FUN LETTERS 

BUhKV LITTERS 

BEAK FUN COUNTING 

HELF THE FBOCCI 

LOAD THE TRUCK 

UKV'S FIRST PB1MR 

FUNNELS AND BUCKETS (201) 

A fun way to learn math, 

MATHPAK (202) Tutorial with 

lessons in higher math. 

PC-TOUCH (204) Learn typing. 

BASIC TUTORIAL (208) Learn 

programming with BASIC. 

BEGINNING SPANISH (211) 

Tutorial. 

SPANISH II (232) Sequel. 

BIBLEQ (214) Learn the Bible 

with this Q-A tutorial. 

FACTS 50 (239) Geography 

lessons for U.S Nice graphics. 

LOTUS MACROS (601) Save 

hours of work. (Req. Lotus) 

LOTUS SPREADSHEET TEM 

PLATES (602) Ready-made. 

(Requires Lotus 1-2-3) 

GOAL-SEEKER V3.5 (624) 

Achieve objectives by chang 

ing spreadsheet and seeing 

result, (Requires Lotus). 

LOTUS TUTORIAL (630) Learn 

Lotus (requires Lotus). 

FORM LETTERS (1907) Com 

monly used form letters and 

business applications. 

E-Z FORMS (1908) Make forms 

to meet different needs. 

INCREDIBLY 

lowprices 

1-9 Disks $2" ea. 

10-19 Disks 526'ea. 

20 or more 5249ea. 

MANAGER'S PLANNER (1920) 

Daily planner. Prints out. 

HOME INVENTORY (1966) 

Track all your possessions. 

BIORHYTHM (1990) Display 

the 3 biological cycles; phys 

ical, emotional, intellectual. 

FAMILY HISTORY (2203-2204) 

(2 disks) Create files and 

genealogical reports. 

LOTTO PROPHET (2364) Best 

Lotto program we've seen. 

CITY DESK (2513) Simple 

desktop publisher. 

Q-MODEM 3.1 (1101, 1102, 

1144) (3 disks) Powerful but 

easy to use. Fast. 

RBBS V16.1A (1107-1109, 

1150) (4 disks) Multi-user bul 

letin board system. 

PROCOM 2.43 (1156) Out 

standing modem software. 

SECURITY/HACKING 

COPY PROTECTION I (1219) 

Instrucfions for unprotecting 

commercial software. 

COPY PROTECTION II (1220) 

More software unprotect. 

COPY PROTECTION III (1221) 

More software to unprotect. 

FLUSHOT (1225) Checks soft 

ware for viruses. 

PC-FILE (ill (853, 854, 855) (3 

disks) Newest version! Rated 

better than dBase III+. 

FILE EXPRESS 4.0 (803-804) 

Powerful system. Allows 32.000 

records. Sorts to 10 fields. 

DBASE III+ ROUTINES (851- 

852) (2 disks) Latest utilities 

to help you utilize dBase llh 

Mic TAR 

ORDER FORM 

PLEASE PRINT DISK NUMBERS 

NAME 

ADDRESS 

CITY STATE .ZIP 

PHONE( 

NUMBER OF DISKS X (PRICE) 

($2.99 PER DISK FOR 1-9; S2.69 FOR 10-19; 

$2.49 FOR 20 OR MORE; NOTE: 2 DISK SETS ARE 2 X (PRICE), 

SOFTWARE ON 3.5" DISKS ADD S1-00 EACH.) 

CALIF. RESIDENTS ADD 7% TAX = 

SHIPPING AND HANDLING = S3.50 

(FOREIGN ORDERS ADD S5/CANADA $2) = 

MAIL CHECK Ofl tAQNEY ORDER TO. 

NUMBER: 

MlCROSTAB. 1105 SECOND ST 

TOTAL = S 

ENCINITASCA 92024 

F PAVING BY VISA OR MASTERCARD. PLEASE GIVE 

EXP DATE. SIGNATURE 

We also accept COD orders (add S4.00) Call or write (or free catalog. 

Phone orde's snipped same or next day. 

CALL TODAY FOR FREE CATALOG 

800-444-1343 

From 7 AM to 5 PM PST Monday - Saturday 

FOREIGN: (619) 436-0130

m reviews 

Tool DOS, Tackle 

Toons, Lounge 

with Larry, Explore 

College, Tread 

Softly, Hit and 

Stick, Play the 

Angles, Zone Out, 

Create Cartoons, 

Share a Story, 

Write It Up, Build a 

Town, and More 

62 COMPUTE! 

Each month, "Fast Looks" offers up 

snapshots of some of the most interest 

ing, unusual, or important software and 

hardware for the IBM PC and MS- 

DOS, Commodore 64/128, Apple II, 

Amiga. Macintosh, and Atari ST lines 

of personal computers. Get the last 

word on what's new—here, fast, first. 

Kings of the Beach 

Kings of the Beach is volleyball the way 

volleyball was meant to be, save that 

you play it on your computer—spikes, 

sun, and sand from California and Ha 

waii to the beaches of Australia. 

Using some complicated joystick 

controls, you have a choice of three 

serves, three offensive plays, and a de 

fensive block. You can also use a 

mouse or the keyboard to control the 

game, but the joystick is best. Seldom 

can you return a ball on the first hit, so 

you really get a feel for the pass/set/ 

spike strategy used by competitive 

teams. 

The court appears 3-D and is hard 

to get used to at first. But if you learn to 

follow the ball's shadow you'll gain an 

edge. Spiking the ball onscreen is al 

most as hard to master as it is on the 

court. It's a matter of timing: Jump at 

the wrong time and you'll hit the ball 

out of bounds or miss it entirely. 

Luckily, you don't have to face 

your opponents cold. A visit to the 

practice courts will hone your skills— 

and you'll need the drill. This tough 

game demands that you start out easy. 

You can always increase the difficulty 

later. 

If you're itching to put your fingers 

on leather and your feet in the sand, 

this game's for you. Don't forget the 

sunscreen. 

— HA 


{$44.95 for a package with both a 5'/4-incti version 

and a 3'/!-inch version) 




{415)571-7171 

Apple II Video Overlay 

Card 

Desktop video may be the newest buzz 

word in the computer business, but the 

phrase is just phosphor on the screen 

unless you have the right equipment. 

Until recently, that left the Apple He 

and IlGS out of the picture. Not any 

more. 

Acting essentially as a genlock 

card, the new Apple II Video Overlay 

Card fits inside an Apple lie or IIgs and 

accepts video input from a VCR, video 

disc, video camera, or television. It 

then synchronizes these video signals 

with the Apple II so that you can super 

impose Apple II graphics on the video 

pictures. Immediate uses for such a 

card might include titling the video you 

shoot at home or in the classroom or 

combining computer animation you 

create with a program like Cartooners 

with a video of the new baby gamboling 

about the living room. 

The Overlay Card dramatically im 

proves the video signal that leaves the 

Apple II, ensuring that what goes out is 

just as crisp as what goes in. Special 

VideoMix software makes it a snap to 

control the mixing of video and com 

puter graphics. And a variety of al 

ready-available software is compatible 

with the Overlay Card, including such 

first-rate Apple He and IlGS packages as 

Deluxe Paint II, Fantavision, and Art & 

Film Director. 

If you're trying to marry these two 

technologies—computers and video—a

genlock board is a must. And for the 

moment, Apple's Video Overlay Card 

is the only card game in town. 

Apple lie and lies—$549 

Apple Computer 

20525 Marian! Ave. 


(415)996-1010 

Project Firestart 

— GK 

Since it's been called "a horror movie 

in space," you can probably guess 

which film Project Firestart took as in 

spiration. Inexorable, insatiable crea 

tures are loose on a space station. You 

have to stop them. 

You arrive at the station, aware 

only that something is very wrong. Im 

mediately, you encounter carnage of the 

most gruesome sort: severed limbs, 

blood-splashed walls, rooms carpeted 

with corpses. This is not a game for the 

squeamish or the very young. 

The rest of us can have grim fun 

exploring the large, multilevel station. 

unlocking its secrets, walking its long 

corridors, looking for lurking monsters. 

Pay attention—your life depends on it. 

While you're armed with lasers 

and can find other weapons, your most 

important tool is your wits. By access 

ing computer records, for example, you 

can uncover the creatures' tolerances 

and vulnerabilities. If you're quick, you 

can manipulate station systems to pro 

duce deadly traps. 

Cutaway scenes enhance the 

game's cinematic feel. Graphics and 

animation are well realized, and the 

soundtrack is excellent. Documentation 

is slight, but a few minutes with the 

game should familiarize you with most 

of its conventions. 

This is an entertaining, if unspec 

tacular, program that succeeds at what 

it sets out to do—put you in a horror 

movie in space. 

— KF 

Commodore 54/128—$29.95 




(415)571-7171 

MenuWorks 

This program won't plan nutritious 

meals or draw up a grocery list. But it 

will customize your IBM PC or com 

patible computer so that you can run 

your favorite programs at the touch of a 

key—without ever facing the DOS 

command line. 

Upon installation, MenuWorks 

will search your hard disk for execut 

able files (.EXE) and build menus for 

those applications. For instance, if it 

finds WordPerfect in your computer 

(WP.EXE), it will construct a menu 

called Word Processing and make 

WordPerfect an item on that menu. 

MenuWorks'artificial intelligence rou 

tines recognize more than 1000 popular 

software programs, from business ap 

plications to games. 

If you'd rather design the menus 

yourself, Menu Works gives you that 

option as well. The program works with 

color and monochrome systems, offers 

mouse support, allows for password 

protection, and supports an almost un 

limited number of menus with as many 

as 81 choices in each. It also features 

several useful DOS commands that are 

tied to function keys—everything from 

setting the date to copying files. 

If you want to move away from the 

DOS prompt but the thought of creat 

ing batch files and arranging the syntax 

in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file gives 

you heartburn, this nifty little program 

sets a fine table. 

IBM PC. PS/2, and compatibles—S24.95 

PC Dynamics 

31332 Via Colinas 

Suite 102 

Westlake Village, CA 91362 

(818)889-1741 

Contributing to "Fast Looks" this month 

were Heidi E. H. Aycock, Keith Ferrell, 

Gregg Keizer, and Peter Scisco. 

PC Tools 

— PS 

Deluxe, Version 

5.0 

PC Tools Deluxe is more than a diverse 

collection of utilities—it's truly a pro 

gram for everyone. Beginners seeking a 

single program to help them get started, 

intermediate users looking to improve 

their productivity, and power users 

wanting to wring out the last bit of per 

formance from their PCs will find what 

they need in this renaissance package. 

Beginners will benefit from PC 

Tools Deluxe's PC Shell, which gives 

MS-DOS a friendlier face, making it 

easier and faster to use. Managing files 

with PC Shell's V-2-J-style menus 

works well, although some of the key 

assignments could benefit from a better 

arrangement. 

In the shell, a drive directory tree 

appears on the left of the screen, a list of 

files in the currently highlighted direc 

tory on the right. Choose from Copy, 

Move, Compare, Change, and other 

commands when working with files; for 

disk management, you can also select 

Search, Format, Park Disk, and Get 

Disk Info. Users can maintain directo- 

Move quickly from task to task with the 

latest version of PC Tools Deluxe. 

ries, print files, use a simple text editor, 

run programs, and perform other tasks 

from the shell. 

If desired, you can customize the 

PC Shell screen colors, size of windows, 

and other attributes. More importantly, 

you can also add your favorite pro 

grams to the Applications menu and, 

from there, launch WordPerfect, 1-2-3, 

or other applications with only three 

keystrokes. 

The Applications menu comes 

packed with utilities: Compress Disk, to 

improve disk performance; PCBACKUP, 

with optional fast-backup and sizecompression 

features; MIRROR, which 

offers great insurance against acci 

dentally formatting a disk; PC Format, 

which replaces the standard DOS com 

mand; and PC Secure, for password 

protection and file encryption. 

If the shell provides comfortable 

shelter for beginning PC users, then PC 

Tools Deluxe's Desktop furnishes pow 

er with an expansive versatility. Open 

as many as 15 windows at a time. 

Switch between tasks at will. Besides a 

notepad, a database (a nonrelational file 

manager), a calculator, and a calendar, 

the Desktop includes an outline editor, 

a telecommunications program, a mac 

ro editor, a clipboard, and miscella 

neous utilities. 

The notepad won't replace a fullfeatured 

word processor, but it's great 

for popping up over another applica 

tion to create or edit a file quickly. The 

notepad's autosave and spell-checking 

features are also a boon to busy com 

puter users, as are the macros that let 

you produce special printing effects—if 

you're prepared to spend time and ef 

fort learning how. Until you gain that 

experience, you can port important 

JUNE 1989 63

documents over to a full-featured word 

processor for editing and printing. 

The Desktop's outliner, while no 

MaxThink, is a solid worker. You can 

expand the current outline level, ex 

pand all levels, show the current level 

only, collapse the current level, show 

the main level only, or promote and de 

mote the current item and its subsets. 

The database manager is a great 

way to create, view, and edit dBasecompatible 

database files. Printing data 

is easy, though you've got to use the 

notepad to do so. But as easy as print 

ing data is, I would have liked more 

flexibility in defining the records 1 want 

to select. 

The program's appointment sched 

uler outperforms many stand-alone re 

minder programs. It offers the essential 

features, like a monthly calendar dis 

play, as well as options for defining re 

peating appointments. The built-in To- 

Do List works well enough, sorting 

itself by priority and allowing for future 

to-do items. You can also assign items a 

starting and an ending date. 

The three desktop calculators are 

each designed for a different kind of 

Kids are key to America's future. And so are computers. 

By the year 2010. virtually every job in our nation 

will require some computing skills. That means preparing 

all of our youth today to take on technology tomorrow. 

Our students' math and science scores are far below those 

in other countries. To excel in our high tech times, our 

kids need to catch on to computers. They're tools that can 

inspire them to think more independently. More creatively. 

math. The Algebraic calculator offers a 

visual scrolling tape, the Financial cal 

culator emulates the Hewlett-Packard 

12C calculator, and the Programmer's 

calculator operates in and converts be 

tween hexadecimal, octal, binary, and 

decimal number systems. 

PC Tools Deluxe'* telecommunica 

tions module includes background com 

munications capabilities, XMODEMprotocol 

support, and a script language. 

The program's macro editor lets you re 

define keys on the keyboard and assign 

commands and keystrokes to those 

keys (subject to some limitations). If 

you use the macro editor with the ap 

pointment scheduler, you can run pro 

grams or enter DOS commands auto 

matically at preset times. 

With all it has to offer. PC Tools 

Deluxe is a terrific one-shot power 

boost to any PC or compatible. But 

there's room for improvement. Help 

screens could be better, with beginner 

and expert help files that you can read 

from the disk. It would also be helpful if 

the notepad supported more file for 

mats and offered more cursor-control 

options. Lastly, the program would 

benefit from a pop-up 7-2-i-compatibIe 

spreadsheet program for editing work 

sheets. 

Those criticisms notwithstanding, 

the breadth and depth of PC Tools De 

luxe assure it a place in the world of 

power computing. Fortunately, its ease 

of use extends its reach even further, 

bringing full functionality to both ex 

pert and novice at an extremely attrac 

tive price. Instead of spending your 

money on several packages, this one 

program can do it all. Few programs 

cover so much ground so well for so 

little. 

— J. Blake Lambert 

PC Tools Deluxe, version 5.0 

For... 

IBM PC and compatibles—$79 

From... 

Central Point Software 

15220 NW Greenbrier Pkwy. #200 

Beaverton, OR 97006 

(503)690-8090 

And... 

Owners of version 4.0 can update for $15. 

The Computer Learning Foundation is a non-profit 

organization that's taking the lead in computer literacy 

efforts nationwide. We're bringing together companies, 

state departments of education, national non-profits and 

local groups. 

Our Computer Learning Month in October is a focus for 

thousands of community and classroom programs. We've 

involved millions in discovering the benefits of computing. 

7Tif Computer Learning Foundation is sponsored by: Academic Computing-. Broderbund Software, Inc.. Classroom Computer Learning, Compile! Computer Gamfnfl World 

Electronic Learning, IBM Corporation, mCider Magazine. Logo Computer Systems. Inc.. MECC. Mindscupe. Inc.. Prodigy Services Company. Scholastic Software'". Inc.

Who Framed 

Roger Rabbit 

□ REVIEWS 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an actionpacked, 

gag-filled software salute to 

Hollywood's full-length feature of the 

same name. Loosely based on scenes 

from the film, players join Roger Rab 

bit in three madcap, arcadelike adven 

tures as he tries to save Toontown from 

the evil Judge Doom. The dastardly vil 

lain wants to destroy Toontown by dis 

solving its Toon inhabitants, who are 

made of ink and paint, with buckets 

of Dip. 

But first, the story: The year is 

1947. Marvin, owner of Toontown and 

the Gag King genius behind the Gag 

Factory, supplies novelties and props to 

the cartoon industry. One night Marvin 

turns up dead, his will missing. Since he 

had promised to give Toontown to the 

Toons, they have only one hope for sur 

vival—find the missing will. They call 

upon Roger, our hare-brained hero, to 

recover the document and rescue the 

seductive but lovable Jessica from the 

menacing manacles of the malevolent 

Judge Doom. 

Join us. We're here to help you discover the ease and fun 

of computing. 

Contact the Foundation now for more information about 

our contests, books, free materials, programs and events. 

We're dedicated to sharing computer learning ideas. Write 

us today: Computer Learning Foundation, Dept. CP6 

P.O. Box 60007, Palo Alto, CA 94306-0007. 

Toontown remains on the brink of 

portentous peril and Jessica languishes 

at the Gag Factory while you, in the 

role of Roger, outmaneuver the Judge 

and his wily weasel henchmen. Your 

mission is fraught with danger. With 

every mishap, another bucket of Dip is 

added to your tally. If you accumulate 

five buckets, you vanish from computer 

memory as fast as a Toon dissolves in 

Dip. 

You begin your quest behind the 

wheel of Benny the Cab, steering your 

way through the bustling streets of Los 

Angeles. You must beat Judge Doom to 

the Ink and Paint Club while avoiding 

numerous obstacles. Stay away from 

the weasels in their Toon Patrol wag 

ons, avoid collisions with the Red Cars, 

and parry the puddles of despicable 

Dip. But be quick: The sooner you ar 

rive at your destination, the more time 

you'll have to rescue Jessica. 

Benny the Cab's accordionlike sus 

pension lets him rise to the occasion. 

He leaps out of trouble by hopping onto 

buildings. You can also maneuver him 

to help you grab useful items along the 

Curriculum Product News, Davidson & Associates, Inc., DLM Teaching Resource;,. Early Childhood News, Education Systems Corporation, 

Soft-Kai/Baker & Taylor, Teaching and Computers, T.H.E. Journal. Today's Catholic Teacher 

way. Grab a tire for a burst of super- 

speed, rubber gloves to protect you 

from the Dip puddles, and diamonds to 

reduce your Dip tally by one bucket. 

Once at the Ink and Paint Club, 

you must answer a question from the 

1947 summer edition of the Gag Fac 

tory Catalog, which is included with the 

game. This method of copy protection 

gives you three chances—answer incor 

rectly and the game ends abruptly; an 

swer right and you're inside the club. 

Inside, it's a mad rush to find the 

missing will. You circle the club's seven 

tables, each set with drinks and papers. 

One of the papers contains the will, but 

since Marvin used invisible ink when 

he penned his final testament and you 

don't know which of the papers is the 

real thing, you have to grab them all. 

It's not easy. If you accidently grab 

a drink, you lose time. As you near your 

goal, penguin waiters pop up to restock 

the tables with more drinks and papers. 

Watch out for Bongo, the gorilla bounc 

er—a chance encounter with him, and 

he'll boot you from the club. You're 

also working against a clock, trying to 

make your rounds and collect the pa- 

COMPUTER 

LEARNING 

FOIIKOHION

REVIEWS 

pers before the music stops. If time runs 

out, it's good-bye Ink Club, hello Ben 

ny, as you find yourself back on the 

streets of Los Angeles, racing Judge 

Doom to the Gag Factory. 

At the Factory, weasels galore stop 

at nothing to pound Roger to a pulp. 

Your only hope is to grab the gags that 

lie strewn about and use them to dis 

able your opponents. The more gags 

you try, the more the weasels laugh. 

Eventually, they giggle themselves into 

oblivion. 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit sets you off on 

three madcap adventures. 

But watch your step: Some of those 

stray gags will backfire and there's al 

ways a perilous puddle of Dip to avoid. 

Survive the weasel onslaught and you 

confront the evil judge himself—just as 

he's about to send Jessica to that big 

Toontown in the sky. Defeat Judge 

Doom, rescue Jessica, and you become 

Toontown's greatest superhare-o. 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is as 

entertaining as it is exciting. It's packed 

with amusing animated high jinks. 

Colorful graphics, while not as threedimensional 

as the Toons in the film, 

add a flamboyant touch. Add music 

and sound effects, and you have a rich, 

if simple, program. 

This merry chase through Toontown 

offers several hours of pleasurable 

playing—easy to start but hard to fin 

ish. It's loads of fun—but when you 

mix Disney with Spielberg, and then 

add Buena Vista, it's hard to imagine 

anything else. 

— Carol S. Hoizberg 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit 

For... 

Amiga—$44.95 

Apple I!—S39.95 



From... 

Buena Vista Software 

500 S. Buena Vista 

Burbank.CA 91521 

{818)972-3300 

COMPUTE 

Leisure Suit 

Larry II: Looking 

for Love (In 

Several Wrong 

Places) 

You know the type—terribly obnoxious 

but somehow endearing. The kind of 

guy you'd never hang out with, but you 

would get a kick out of watching from 

across the room as he hits on, and is 

promptly rejected by, every woman he 

approaches. You know the type—a guy 

like Larry Laffer. 

Larry's special brand of charisma 

surfaced in Leisure Suit Larry in the 

Land of the Lounge Lizards and returns 

in the sequel, Lookingfor Love (In Sev 

eral Wrong Places). Sierra's latest in 

stallment not only lives up to the 

original, but surpasses it: The graphics 

and animation are better and the story 

line is more intricate and sophisticated. 

One thing that remains unchanged, 

however, is the humor. Lookingfor 

Love doesn't focus quite as much on the 

adult aspects of Larry Laffer's adven 

tures as did Lounge Lizards, but it's 

every bit as funny. 

Lookingfor Love opens with our 

favorite nerd down and out near Bever 

ly Hills. After he's told in no uncertain 

terms to hit the road by Eve, the wom 

an he had planned to spend the rest of 

his life with. Larry sets out in search of 

romance. Before leaving, however, he 

finds a dollar in Eve's garage—all he 

needs to turn his life around. He buys a 

lottery ticket at the local convenience 

store, then weasels his way into a near 

by television station and onto the set of 

the Lucky Life lottery show. A spin of 

the big wheel turns Larry's buck into a 

million dollars a year for life. What's 

more, while waiting in the green room 

at the TV studio. Larry is mistaken for 

Bachelor Number 2 and ends up as the 

big winner on the Dating Connection 

show. His prize: a cruise to the South 

Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Love Tub. 

Before setting sail. Larry gets to 

spend some major bucks. First stop: 

Rodeo Drive. (Where else can you 

break a million-dollar bill?) After he's 

bought a $ 100,000 swimsuit for his 

cruise and dropped a cool $ 100 for a 

haircut, Larry heads back to the 

convenience store for a 32-gallon Gro 

tesque Gulp—a soft drink the size of a 

small trash can that somehow fits into 

Larry's jacket pocket (along with every 

thing else he collects during his 

adventure). 

Unfortunately for Larry, his luck 

soon begins to run out. A case of mis 

taken identity puts him right in the 

middle of a bizarre plot of international 

intrigue involving an evil doctor's plan 

to take over the world. The cruise ends 

in disaster, with Larry escaping to a 

small island in the Pacific, where he is 

pursued by KGB agents. To survive, 

Larry must resist the temptation to fall 

for every pretty face he sees. 

Looking for Love is thoroughly en 

tertaining from beginning to end. The 

story is as interesting as anything you're 

likely to find on network television, and 

less predictable to boot. In addition, the 

way Larry moves around in his 3-D 

world (you use the keyboard, a mouse, 

or a joystick) and interacts with other 

people and objects creates a realistic en 

vironment that makes you forget you're 

sitting in front of a computer. 

Join Larry Laffer in his search for everlast 

ing love in Leisure Suit Larry II: Looking for 

Love (In Several Wrong Places). 

Also impressive is the way the 

game's designers have included effects, 

such as animated traffic flowing in the 

distance, and employed adventure 

"extras": characters who have nothing 

whatsoever to do with the story but 

who go about their business oblivious 

to your, or even Larry's, presence. 

These features create the illusion that 

you're peeking into a world that contin 

ues to function even when you put the 

disks away. 

A variety of game options let you 

adjust the overall speed of the anima 

tion, control the volume, or toggle the 

sound on and off. You can adjust a set 

ting in the game to minimize or maxi 

mize the adult aspects, and you can 

insert your own favorite cliche to re 

place the Have a nice day line. 

Because of the adult nature of 

Looking for Love, it isn't suited for 

young players—not because it's overtly 

offensive, but because a certain amount 

of sophistication and experience is re 

quired to appreciate the puns, double 

entendres, and innuendos that compose 

the game's humor. If such risque ri

□ reviews 

poste appeals to you, this is a terrific se 

quel to one of the best adventure games 

ever written. 

— Bob Guerra 

Looking for Love (In Several 

Wrong Places) 

For... 



From... 

Sierra 

P.O. Box 485 

Coarsegold, CA 93614 

(209) 6&W468 

And... 

Hard disk recommended; the IBM version 

supports Roland MT-32, Ad Lib, and IBM 

music cards and includes 3Va- and 5V4inch 

disks. 

j College 

Explorer 

Choosing a college isn't easy. You're 

faced with stacks of catalogs, piles of 

brochures, and mounds of applications. 

Out of all that, how do you cull the 

school that best fits your goals, your 

abilities, and your financial situation? 

It's a laborious process, but one made 

much easier by College Explorer, a soft 

ware package in a class by itself. Second 

ary schools, libraries, college-placement 

services, parents, and students will find 

this program a nearly indispensable 

tool during the search process. 

Hunting for the right school is made a littfe 

easier with College Explorer. 

College Explorer's two databases 

include pertinent information on more 

than 2800 colleges. The program works 

as a kind of filter, guiding you first 

through broad criteria like type of de 

gree offered (associate's or bachelor's) 

and, in the end, allowing you to narrow 

your choices by means of some 400 fea 

tures and preferences. The program fo 

cuses on Fields that can help this 

narrowing-down process: Location, 

size, campus life, fees, competitive 

sports, and majors offered are among 

the fields you can explore. And after 

you've made your choices, College Ex 

plorer can sort your list by a number of 

criteria, including location, tuition, and 

enrollment size. 

Because of the breadth of infor 

mation, plan on spending at least 30 

minutes with the program each time 

you start it. Surprisingly, one of College 

Explorer's strengths leads to one of its 

weaknesses: Although specification in 

each field is encouraged, the program 

gives no warning as to how many ex 

plicit choices you can make before you 

run the risk of eliminating every college. 

The guidelines for stating necessities 

and preferences should be clearer. I fre 

quently put down so many preferences 

that the computer couldn't find a match. 

But don't worry if that happens to you, 

because you can easily reenter the pro 

gram to make more general selections 

and to continue your explorations. 

Immediate entry into the database, 

an easy-to-use manual, and helpful 

menus make College Explorer a plea 

sure to use. Its impeccable technical 

performance—complete and simple 

menu access to features, effortless load 

ing and operation, quality recordkeeping, 

and easy saving and printing of 

your selections—is without flaw. The 

user's guide is concise, explicit, and in 

formative. No special skills are needed. 

Even if you haven't had much previous 

computer experience, you should be 

able to use the program easily and ex 

tract its valuable information smoothly. 

College Explorer will help you in 

your search for a college, but that's just 

the beginning of the search process. 

You still must write to each college for 

catalogs and detailed information. The 

database descriptions of colleges are ex 

tremely dry. In future updates I'd like 

to see a sampling of courses offered at 

the colleges, listed according to prefer 

ences I indicate; also, a listing of faculty 

and their respective distinctions would 

be informative. Any attempt to person 

alize the directory of colleges would be 

welcomed. 

The listing of degrees offered for 

each selected college is somewhat con 

fusing, if complete. The list itself is 

much like that found in standard col 

lege guides; the only difference is that a 

Y or an N appears before each degree to 

indicate whether it is offered. It would 

be much clearer if those not offered 

were struck from the list. This criticism 

also applies to other fields, like sports 

and extracurricular activities. 

Given the amount of time and 

money many of our college-bound stu- 

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JUNE 1989 67

H REVIEWS 

dents spend requesting catalogs, prepar 

ing essays, visiting colleges, and thinking 

about the many choices before them, an 

investment in College Explorer is mini 

mal and can pay handsome dividends. 

Deciding which college to attend is up 

to you. College Explorer doesn't rob 

you of that responsibility, but it does 

assist you in the more tedious opera 

tions. And that will make your hunt for 

the right school a pleasure. 

— Kristen Stemberg 

College Explorer 

For... 

Apple II (128K RAM and extended 80column 

card needed for lie)—$49.95 

IBM PC, PS/2, and compatibles in either 

5V4- or 3«nnch disks—$49.95 

From... 

The College Board 

College Board Publications 

Box 886. Dept. PO8 

New York. NY 10101 -0886 

(212)713-8165 

Abrams Battle 

Tank 

There's a firestorm every minute in the 

land of rolling thunder, Western Eu 

rope, where the Warsaw Pact has bro 

ken through NATO defenses to begin 

World War III. You're in command of 

an M1A1 Abrams tank, history's most 

sophisticated armored fighting vehicle. 

If Patton had ridden in this tank, Berlin 

would have made him mayor. 

Abrams Battle Tank gives you a 

taste of what it's like inside one of these 

60-ton iron maidens. Whether guiding 

your crew through a single mission or 

holding your own in a World War III 

invasion scenario, be prepared for firing 

action from every angle—east, west, 

north, south, and even from above. 

From the main menu, you select 

from four options: Scenario, Campaign, 

Mi-Info, and Exit. Mi-Info gives you a 

rundown of your weapon systems, using 

illustrations and appropriate military 

jargon. Select Scenario to choose a sin 

gle battle from among eight missions; 

choose Campaign to move through all 

eight missions in an order randomly se 

lected by the computer. 

Before you head to war with the 

Russkies, you'll report to the fuel depot. 

That's where you choose your arma 

ment mix, balancing Sabot (very effec 

tive against tanks and other armored 

vehicles), HEAT (very effective against 

infantry and constructions like enemy 

68 COMPUTE! 

headquarters), and AX (an experimen 

tal wire-guided weapon that can vapor 

ize enemy helicopters) rounds. It's 

enough to make weapons procurement 

part of your everyday vocabulary. 

Out on the battlefield, you play 

three roles: commander, gunner, and 

driver. Each position offers a unique 

view of the outside world and is ac 

cessed by a specific function key (Fl to 

move to the gunner's position, for 

instance). 

In the heat of battle, moving from 

one station to the other can cost you 

time—and your life. Therefore, you'll 

almost always stick with the command 

er and gunner stations. The driver's sta 

tion is more an afterthought than a 

necessity: You can get speedometer 

readings from the commander's station 

and receive warnings if you're working 

the motor too hard. I would gladly 

trade the driver's perspective for a good 

pair of binoculars: Spotting the enemy 

at a distance is imperative to survival. 

Guiding the tank is your first chal 

lenge. You'll have to learn to distin 

guish between heading (the direction in 

which the body of the tank is pointing) 

and bearing (the direction the turret— 

and therefore the main gun—is facing). 

To turn the tank or the turret, press the 

left- or right-arrow key or move your 

joystick to the right or left. The A key 

aligns the turret and the tank; the C key 

switches control between the tank and 

the turret. 

For example, suppose you're in the 

commander's station and your heading 

is 270 degrees (there are no compass di 

rections in this game—just degrees). 

You take a hit bearing 2 degrees. You 

can swing the entire tank toward the 

right (0 degrees is due north), or you 

can switch control to the turret and 

change your bearing to point your can 

non at the enemy. Getting a moving, 

southbound enemy into your sights 

when you're rolling west at 40 kilome 

ters an hour is a skill that takes hours to 

develop. 

Your main defenses are speed, nat 

ural cover, and smoke canisters that 

blind the enemy for about 20 seconds. 

To see through the smoke or to see at 

night, you can switch on your thermal 

imaging system (press the T key). If 

your tank is too heavily damaged to 

continue the fight, you can return to 

base for repairs. 

When you contact enemy forces, 

use your target acquisition and designa 

tion system (press the Enter key while 

in the gunner's station) to identify the 

target—don't shoot friendly forces, or 

headquarters will have your head. Press 

the L key to lock onto the target and hit 

the space bar to fire. If your hit takes 

out the enemy, your commander ap 

pears onscreen to acknowledge the kill. 

My few objections to Abrams Bat 

tle Tank center on its operation. The 

game ran well on an AT clone, but the 

tank was slow to respond on my Tandy 

1000 EX. To compensate, I had to an 

ticipate my movements—another level 

of confusion to an already-complex 

game. Also, the skill levels—Novice, 

Moderate, and Expert—function only 

in the Scenario mode; if you choose 

Campaign, you must play on the Expert 

level. Fighting on that level, while 

much more realistic than fighting on 

the other two (no tank can survive hit 

after hit without serving up its crew like 

so much fondue), is frustrating for be 

ginners eager to fight an entire cam 

paign. My tours usually ended with a 

snap, crackle, and pop—and I'm not 

talking Rice Krispies. 

Hit your enemies on the run if you want to 

survive in Abrams Battle Tank. 

Abrams Battle Tank provides 

hours of rapid-fire warfare simulation 

without much emphasis on real NATO 

defensive strategies. (No one expects a 

single tank to rescue a stranded con 

voy—that's a job for a helicopter gun- 

ship—or to take on single-handedly 

several enemy battalions.) But if you 

put those questions aside and accept the 

game as a graphically excellent, tactical 

ly complex simulation, you'll get a lot 

of bang for your buck. 

Abrams Battle Tank 

For... 

IBM PC and compatibles—S39.95 

From... 




(415)571-7171 


And... 

A combination pack for the IBM that in 

cludes 514- and 3Y2-inch disks sells for 

$44.95; an Amiga version is planned for an 

August release, but no price has been set.

n reviews 


Red dog 23! Hut! Hut! Hut! Thud! Ooof! Crash! XJunhl 

Arrgh! 

Once you've heard Cinemaware's TV Sports Football, 

you'll know this program is, as the package says, "so 

real... il sweats!" Its bone-crushing, in-the-trenches ac 

tion propels this gridiron simulation to the top of the 

computer-football heap. 

As in real football, there are strategic and tactical lev 

els to the game. You can play with either the 28-franchise 

Cinemaware Football League (CWFL), modeled on the 

NFL, or use the program's editing features to build your 

own players, teams, and leagues. The computer can run 

any or all of the franchises, or you and up to 55 (!) of your 

friends (one each as offensive and defensive captains of 

each franchise) can play against each other. This game en 

courages team play, an aspect lost in many other sports 

games. You have to play an entire season, but if you can't 

devote that much time to the turf, the computer can play 

most of the games for you. 

The CWFL franchises have offensive and defensive 

strengths and weaknesses modeled after the actual records 

of NFL teams; you can even play a franchise against itself, 

which can settle those nagging postseason disputes about 

the relative merits of one team's offensive and defensive 

squads. The program saves league stats on a separate disk, 

which must remain in a second drive while you play. 

You perfect your tactics by watching exhibition 

games and then trying practice plays. Learn how to hand 

off, pitch out, rush, kick, and pass with the joystick. It 

takes practice to learn how to drop into a pocket, spot a re 

ceiver, avoid the rush, fire the ball, and then make a div 

ing catch. Don't rush into a season before you're prepared. 

You select your plays from the Playcalling screen, 

which also shows play diagrams, the score, the down, 

yards to go for a first down, and the game clock. Choose a 

play by selecting the appropriate icon in the lower part of 

the Playcalling screen, or let the computer call the play for 

you. Over time, TV Sports Football learns the kind of 

plays you are likely to call in any situation and will call 

those plays if you're temporarily away from the game raid 

ing the fridge. 

Once you have selected a play, you switch to the play 

ing-field screen to run it. With the joystick you can control 

key players, such as the quarterback, receivers, and defen 

sive backs; or, you can let the computer handle them. If 

you want to veg out in front of the screen as you do during 

a real TV game, the computer will run the entire game. 

Calling and running plays is exciting, but TV Sports 

Football also scores in the visceral-impact department. 

The look and feel of the game are amazingly authentic. 

The design, pacing, and graphics accurately mimic a tele 

vised game, with commentators, pregame and postgame 

shows, commercials, and a halftime extravaganza. The 

colorful screens, detailed players, and smooth animation 

are what you'd expect from a Cinemaware game, especial 

ly on the Amiga; you won't be disappointed. 

Added to the stunning visual effects is the game's 

realistic sound. With the digitized samples you'll hear the 

explosive grunts of colliding linebackers, the roar of the 

crowd, and the calls of the refs. The ball does make a 

funny arcade-type noise as it flies through the air, but that 

helps you read its flight and position your receiver. Even 

the program's musical score sounds like the kind of 

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m reviews 

hyped-up fanfare that opens and closes 

every NFL game. I do have one quib 

ble: The announcers are silent. Instead 

of reading text, I would have liked to 

hear John Madden's ravings. Maybe 

Cinemaware couldn't fit him on the 

disk. 

Another gripe I have, at least with 

the Amiga version, is that you can't run 

it from one disk drive, install it on a 

hard disk, or multitask it with other 

programs. Cinemaware has bypassed 

the Amiga operating system entirely in 

its new games, resulting in software that 

loads faster from disk but behaves bad 

ly by Amiga standards. That won't 

bother the typical fan, however. 

The onscreen action rivals the real thing in 

TV Sports Football. 

By making a game that mirrors the 

good and bad points of televised sports, 

Cinemaware has achieved something 

new, something more than the standard 

run-of-the mill computer football 

game. 

If you're turned off by the video 

hoopla and blather of professional foot 

ball, you'll want to pass up TV Sports 

Football. But no gridiron addict should 

be without it; it's simply the most real 

istic football simulation ever created. 

The only problem fans face is whether 

to watch the game on TV or play it 

themselves. 

— Steven Amovin 

70 


For... 

Amiga with external disk drive and joy 

stick—$49.95 

From... 

Cinemaware 

4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd. 

Westlake Village. CA 91362 

(805)495-6515 

And... 

Release of a version for the IBM PC and 

compatibles is imminent. AppSe lies, Atari 

ST. and Commodore 64/128 versions are 

under development. 

COMPUTE 

Geometry 

Almost all students will, from time to 

time, need some extra coaching when 

confronting their studies. Unfortunate 

ly, teachers and parents are sometimes 

unavailable or unprepared to offer help. 

Enter the electronic tutor. 

Geometry, newly released for the 

Apple IIgs and long available for the 

Macintosh, follows a standard highschool 

textbook approach. It offers ten 

chapters on a variety of topics: points, 

lines, planes, angles, triangles, congru 

ence, parallel lines, parallelograms, and 

more. Each chapter contains about a 

dozen subtopics for further exploration. 

For example, some of the subjects 

covered in Points, Lines, and Planes in 

clude geometric figures, the distance 

postulate, the angle-measure postulate, 

and theorems about complementary, 

supplementary, and vertical angles. A 

student interested in similarity can ex 

amine ratios, proportions, the proper 

ties of proportion, and more. 

Geometry retains its book meta 

phor throughout; students can "turn" 

pages with a mouse or brush up on a 

particular concept by looking it up in 

the program's online index—an alpha 

betized list of terms arranged on tabbed 

indexlike cards. 

To use the index (located under the 

Subject menu), students click on the tab 

where the term is likely to be listed. For 

example, to find out more about hypot 

enuse, the student would select the tab 

labeled F-l. Then, he or she could se 

lect hypotenuse directly with a double 

click. The student can use the scroll bar 

to examine all the index listings on a 

particular card in searching for a specif 

ic subject. 

Throughout the program, students 

advance at their own pace. They can 

work on more than 350 problems, or 

they can stick to the tutorials, reviewing 

each chapter's concepts. The graphics 

capabilities of the IIGS and Macin 

tosh—and both computers' intuitive in 

terface (icons, dialog boxes, point-andclick 

mouse control, and pull-down 

menus)—enhance the program's opera 

tion. Keyboard commands also assist 

with cursor control. 

One advantage to selecting subjects 

on a chapter-by-chapter basis is the ani 

mated graphics that appear at the start 

of each lesson, illustrating the concepts 

under discussion. For example, the 

chapter on congruence opens with two 

animated triangles. As the triangles ro 

tate, they change shape. At some points 

in their movement, the triangles are 

congruent, while at others they are not. 

providing a clear sense of what congru 

ence means. 

Among Geometry's several 

convenient features is the Save Place 

command, which lets you place a 

"bookmark" in the program and auto 

matically return to that point the next 

time you run Geometry. To find your 

place, click on the BookMark icon from 

the Finder or the Restore Place com 

mand in the File menu. If you're run 

ning Geometry from a hard disk, the 

Save Place and Restore Place com 

mands are fully functional, but you 

won't be able to take advantage of the 

BookMark file directly from the Finder. 

Other useful features include the 

Help menu options, which provide 

background information on the current 

page or problem, clues to solve the cur 

rent problem, and even the solution to 

problems. 

The program does suffer from an 

initial lack of grace. Because Geometry 

comes on three 800K floppy disks, it 

demands multiple disk swaps to 

launch, even if you have two 3V;-inch 

disk drives. 

Use Geometry to get the right angle on 

your math studies. 

A hard disk will reduce the time it 

takes to boot and reboot, but not all 

users are prepared to make that pur 

chase. Likewise, not all users are pre 

pared to increase their computer's 

memory. While Geometry runs on a 

IIgs with 512K. you'll encounter prob 

lems if you print pages that include ani 

mation, because such printing cats a lot 

of memory. Printing such pages with 

the Print Page command means reboot 

ing when printing is done. Apple IIgs 

programs arc notorious for their long 

launch time, so the last thing you want 

to do is reboot on a regular basis. Ge 

ometry doesn't take advantage of 

GS/OS. which could have sped up pro 

gram loading. And the program sup 

ports AppleTalk only if your system is 

equipped with at least 768K. 

Geometry's user's guide provides a 

thorough explanation of program oper 

ation, but it's an inadequate reference

n reviews 

tool. Concept definitions and references 

are available only on disk. Students 

should bring their geometry text home 

from school or use the program index, 

from which they can print the infor 

mation they need. 

Despite the demands it places on 

your hardware, Geometry successfully 

underscores the computer's role as an 

instructional aid. Its interactive learn 

ing abilities and animated geometric 

figures that rotate through several 

planes bring abstract theorems and clas 

sical postulates to life. This may be the 

angle teachers and parents need to get 

kids to enjoy their geometry lessons. 

— Carol S. Holzberg 

Geometry 

For... 

Apple lies—$79.95 


From... 

Broderbund Software 

17 Paul Dr. 

San Rafael. CA 94903-2101 

(415)492-3200 

And... 

A school edition, with supplemental teach 

ing aids, retails for $109.95 (Macintosh) 

and $89.95 (Apple IIgs); a lab pack, with 

five copies of the program and supple 

mental teaching aids, retails for $219.95 

(Macintosh) and $199.95 (Apple lies). 

Twilight Zone: 

Crossroads of 

Imagination 

Consider for your approval: You're an 

average person in a routine situation 

going through the everyday motions we 

all find so comforting. But take a wrong 

turn at a strange intersection or a walk 

down an unfamiliar road, and suddenly 

you find that you've crossed over into a 

new dimension—a world of imagina 

tion, a strange place to which others re 

main oblivious. 

You have just returned to the Twi 

light Zone, but not to the late-fifties-toearly-sixties 

television series. Instead, 

the popular science-fiction show lives 

on in The Twilight Zone: Crossroads of 

Imagination, the first in a series of roleplaying 

adventures from First Row 

Software Publishing based on Rod 

Scrling's classic show. 

Twilight Zone begins with a nor 

mal setting. It's a typical 1980's un 

kempt bachelor's bedroom, complete 

with blaring television set. Bleary-eyed 

and unshaven, the hero awakens and 

glances around his room. He has no 

idea of the problems that lie ahead— 

perhaps a meeting with the Grim Reap 

er himself. Suddenly, a very ordinary 

day takes a very nasty turn. 

Once you enter the sixth dimen 

sion, there's no going back. You must 

conquer all obstacles or face a horrible 

fate. Before it's all over, you'll save a 

young girl from a fiery death, perform 

valiantly in an important race, and 

serve honorably a grateful king. You'll 

wander city streets, bury the wounded 

in distant jungles, and solve baffling 

riddles. And when it's all over, then ... 

well, only then will you discover how it 

all ends. 

Of course, you understand that I'm 

sworn to secrecy. But—what the heck— 

a few brief hints won't give anything 

away. Just don't tell anyone where you 

heard them. If A. J. Foyt calls, remem 

ber to request a few pointers; a consul 

tation with a member of the local 

volunteer fire department wouldn't 

hurt; and if your memory isn't as sharp 

as it once was, you might consider re 

reading the legend of Excalibur. Take 

these suggestions for what they may (or 

may not) be worth. From here on my 

lips are sealed. 

This game is a classic text adven 

ture. You interact by reading text and 

then reacting to it with typed com 

mands. The program responds predict 

ably to the usual direction commands 

(North, South, and so on), as well as In 

ventor}', Load, Save, and Quit. In addi 

tion, it recognizes an unusually large 

vocabulary of verbs and objects. 

One of Crossroads ofImagina 

tion's most noteworthy attributes is an 

especially good parser. The manual 

credits artificial-intelligence routines 

for taking the game far beyond the com 

mon verb-object syntax of many text 

adventures. The command Take book 

and read it, for example, works fine. In 

some instances, the program even re 

quires qualified commands like Tie 

hunter with rope. 

The game's numerous graphics 

aren't necessary to the adventure, serv 

ing only to help players imagine the de 

scribed settings. That doesn't mean the 

artwork looks bad. But players who run 

the text-only version will suffer no dis 

advantage and, in fact, will gain speed 

by deactivating the pictures. 

Similarly, sound also plays an un 

important role. On occasion, your com 

puter speaker will emit a few notes 

from the television show's theme song, 

but mostly you're left alone to think 

and type. Although some players might 

prefer interactive graphics and more 

sound, an engaging plot with carefully 

constructed responses ensures the 

game's success. 

Cross the threshold into danger in Twilight 

Zone: The Crossroads of Imagination. 

Unfortunately, the well-planned 

responses are marred by many mis 

spellings and grammatical errors. It's 

not unreasonable to expect professional 

software to deliver a higher measure of 

technical excellence. 

Twilight Zone rates high marks for 

plot construction and player involve 

ment. It's easy enough for beginners yet 

challenging enough for more advanced 

players. With a bit more polishing, it 

could be outstanding, sparking renewed 

interest in that world of space and time, 

the world of imagination. 

Too tee too doo too tee too doo.... 

— DavidStanton 

Twilight Zone: 

The Crossroads of 

Imagination 

For... 

Amiga—$39.95 

Apple Jl—S39.95 

Commodore 64/128—S29.S5 

IBM PC and compatibles—539.95 

From... 

First Row Software Publishing 

900 E. 8th Awe. 

Suite 800 

King of Prussia. PA 19406-9773 

(215)337-1500 

Cartooners 

You wake up Saturday morning. You 

hear nothing. The TV is silent. Where 

are the kids? Surely not sleeping—no 

kid sleeps late on Saturday. After all, it's 

the day of the marathon cartoon. 

The answer is in the computer 

room. Your kids are creating their own 

cartoons. They squeal with laughter as 

they program a rabbit to jump high in 

the air, turn around, and land next to a 

JUNE 9 8 9 71

P REVIEWS 

weasel. They giggle uncontrollably as a 

pig does the moonwalk in a cornfield. If 

it's unusual for your kids to use brain 

power on Saturday morning, wait until 

you boot up a copy of Electronic Arts' 

Cartooners. The Flintstones were never 

like this. 

Cartooners uses the excellent 

graphics and sound capabilities of the 

IlGS to full advantage, Background 

scenes take on a 3-D effect. Clouds, for 

example, look multilayered in the sky 

behind the windmill. And the only way 

to improve the lively and complex mu 

sic would be to hook your Apple IIgs 

into vour stereo. 

ffdd Scene 

Blank Scene 

Cemetery 

Cornfield 

•Country.Rood 

Write your own gags and be a comic 

genius with Cartooners. 

These fantastic features extract 

their price. You'll need at least one 

megabyte of memory and, though the 

program will run on one drive, you 

should have a second disk drive. Cartooners 

comes with a program disk and 

an art disk; another drive makes the 

program easier for young children to 

use. If you've been waiting to add 

memory to your computer, this pro 

gram gives you a pretty good excuse for 

opening your wallet. 

Making animation with Car 

tooners is a blast. The instructions are 

easy to follow, and the menu-driven 

program is easy to use. The menu bar 

across the top of the screen allows for 

every scene, actor, action, and text 

needed for creating a cartoon. While the 

program disk carries some of the infor 

mation, the art disk has most of the 

selections. 

The program includes plenty of 

background scenes, ranging from a 

cornfield to a park to a graveyard on a 

dark night. Choose one and you're on 

the way to producing your first cartoon. 

The next step is to select the actors, 

which can be animal characters or ob 

jects such as clouds, shrubs, weasels, 

and butterflies. Each actor can be pro 

grammed to move independently of the 

other actors in the scene. The rabbit can 

walk. hop. turn around, or freeze. The 

72 COMPUTEI 

butterfly can fly forward, backward, up, 

or down. You can also program the 

timing and speed of the action, but 

you'll need practice to get everything 

coordinated. You can have one actor 

walk in front of or behind another. Five 

copies of an actor can be placed on the 

scene at once: for example, you could 

have a group of squirrels dancing 

around a campfire and a raccoon doing 

the shimmy nearby. 

The cartoon's action is controlled 

by the number of frames it takes to 

complete a move. The menu bar at the 

bottom of the screen provides the op 

tions for movement. To set the frames, 

click on the forward button and ad 

vance it as far as needed. To go back. 

click on the rewind button. When the 

play button is clicked, the cartoon starts 

from the beginning. The frame counter 

indicates which frame the cartoon is 

showing and changes according to the 

action on the screen. 

Actors speak through the use of 

speech balloons, which you can fill with 

as much or as little text as needed. An 

invisible balloon programmed to move 

upward and off the screen can give the 

effect of a scrolling caption. Speech bal 

loons are controlled the same way the 

actors are; a pause feature lets you hold 

a frame, giving you time to read the 

text. 

After you've created and saved 

your cartoon, you can string it with 

others to run as a show. You can also 

record your cartoons on videotape, 

freeing you from the computer when 

you want to put on a show. 

Cartooners does import graphics 

from Deluxe Paint II; however, the 

color palette may be a little different, so 

be watchful. Music can be composed 

and imported as well, using Instant 

Music. 

If you get up really early next Sat 

urday morning, maybe you'll beat the 

kids to the computer and get to try Cartooners 

for yourself. Bui since most kids 

think they can operate a computer bet 

ter than any adult can. don't be sur 

prised if they find you funnier than the 

cartoon you create. 

— Nancv Rentschler 

Cartooners 

For... 

Apple IIgs—S59.95 

From... 




(415)571-7171 

Flodd, the Bad 

Guy 

In a kingdom far. faraway, kindly 

young King Alex rules, and everyone 

lives happily and without a care in the 

world. Alex and his canine cohort, 01lic. 

have great times together. Life is so 

terrific, in fact, the young monarch has 

never had to use his magic lamp with 

its genie and three wishes. 

This peaceful scene is the setting 

for Flodd, the Bad Guy. an electronic 

lapware adventure from the Reading 

Magic Library of Tom Snyder Produc 

tions. The program builds reading, 

problem-solving, and decision-making 

skills in youngsters ages 2 through 6 

while giving kids and adults the oppor 

tunity to share a computer. It's known 

as lapware because kids can sit in a 

grownup's lap while reading the story 

and playing at the computer. 

In the story. Flodd, the bad guy, 

sneaks into town one summer night. He 

pulls the plug from the water tower, 

leaving Alex's subjects high and dry. 

Alex summons the genie and uses wish 

number 1—rain to fill up the tower. 

When Flodd threatens to pull the plug 

again. Alex rubs the lamp once more 

for wish number 2—the water tower 

plug to stick forever. 

he .genie cane oul < 

ttle. "What 

sited 

Share a tale of genies, magic, princes, 

and villains in Flodd, the Bad Guy. 

In a fit, Flodd kidnaps Ollie, Alex's 

trusty companion. In desperation, Alex 

summons the genie for wish number 3, 

his last. Much to everyone's surprise, 

however, Alex doesn't plead for Ollie's 

return. Instead, he asks the genie to 

make Flodd happy. The story ends on a 

heartwarming note when Flodd returns. 

carrying Ollie in his arms, and the boy 

king and his dog are reunited. 

The story of Flodd, the Bad Guy is 

simple. The accompanying graphics are 

colorful, but not exceptional. The ani 

mation is dynamic, yet uncomplicated. 

Nevertheless, the program is a success. 

Prereaders will find its highly interac 

tive quality very appealing. >

Advertisers Index 

Reader Service Number/Advertiser Page 

102 Ad Lib 5 

103 California Freeware 55 

104 Computer Direct 50-51 

105 Computer Learning 

Foundation 64-65 

Crutchfield Personal Office 67 

106 Indus-Tool 77 

107 Lyco Computer 43-46 

108 Mad Scientist Software . . 75 

109 Melbourne House IFC 

110 MIBROCo., Inc 84 

111 Micro Star 61 

112 Montgomery Grant 57 

NRI Schools 9 

113 Paragon PC Software ... 85 

114 Parsons Technology 1 

115 Parsons Technology .. 26-27 

116 Precision Data Products . 75 

117 Radio Shack IBC 

118 Renco Computer Printer 

Supplies 77 

119 Sierra On Line BC 

120 Smart Luck Computer 

Systems 75 

121 Soft-Byte 73 

122 Software Discounters of 

America 87 

123 Software Excitement .... 35 

Strategic Simulations Inc. 11 

124SubUOGICCorp 15 

125 United Computer Express 69 

COMPUTE! Books Hot New 

Selections 13 

COMPUTER'S Amiga Resource 

Subscription 25 

COMPUTEPs PC Disk 

Subscription 17 

COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. is seek 

ing a fulltimo Assistant Editor to join 

its inhouse staff in Greensboro, NC. 

The position requires extensive 

experience using MS-DOS computers 

and a knowledge of the computer 

industry. Excellent writing and editing 

abilities required. Undergraduate degree 

in journalism, English, or technical 

writing required. 

Excellent company benefits. 

Send resume in complete confidence to: 

Personnel Department 

COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. 

P.O. Box 5406 

Greensboro, NC 27403 

A Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. company 

JUNE 73 

COMPUTE! 

Publications 

Back Issues/ 

Disk Orders 

Individual back copies of maga 

zines and disks are available by 

mail only while quantities last. 

Please clip or photocopy, and 

mail completed coupon and 

check to: 

Name: 

Street: 

City: _ 

COMPUTE! Publications 

Single-Copy Sales 

P.O. Box 5188 


State: Zip: 

Type o( computer. 

Quantity 

Issue 

(Month 'Year) 

Magazine 

or Disk Name 

SUBTOTAL: 

NY residents—Add ffl&% Tax: 

NC residents—Add 5% Tax: 

TOTAL 

Price* 

Back issues of COMPUTE1, and COMPUTE! s Ga 

zette aie S6.00 each No issues dated poor to Janu 

ary, 1986. are available. In addition, the following 

issues are NOT available Gazelle; 1/86, 3/86. 

Single disks for COMPUTERS Gazelle are S15.00. 

Disk/magazine combinations are S16.00 NOTE No 

disks dated prior to June 1986 are available. The 

October. 1987 Gazefle disk is no longer available. 

Back issues of COMPUTE! s PC Magazine are 

S16 00 each. This publication is available only as a 

magazine/disk combinations. The lollowing issues 

are NOT available- PC Magazine: 9/87, 11/87 

Back issues ol COMPUTE'S Amiga Resouce maga 

zine are available beginnng with Spring, 1989 for 

S6.00 each Back issues of COMPUTES Amiga Re 

source Disk are available beginning with Summer. 

19B9 for S10.00 each. Disk/magazine combinations 

are $12.00. 

Shipping ana handling included. 

NO CREDIT-CARD ORDERS ACCEPTED. 

Payment must be in U.S dollars by check drawn on 

U.S. bank. 

95 

The original lotto data analyzer. 

ANALYZES 6 & 7 number lotto's AND 

THREE & FOUR NUMBER DAILY GAMES 

(freq., tracking, pairs, odds/even, etc). It's 

the sensible way to INCREASE your odds. 

Entirely MENU driven, it's the easiest to use 

software of its kind. Contains a built-in TU 

TORIAL to get you started fast. Sold by 

leading software dealers or call us for FAST 

service! 

Commodore 64, AMIGA, APPLE .... $29.95 

MS/DOS (IBM) version 539.95 

SOFT-BYTE 

513-278-1110 — 

P.O. Box556-ForestPark 

Dayton, Ohio 45405 cp 

MAIL TO: 

COMPUTE! 

SUBSCRIBER SERVICE 

P.O. Box 3245, Harlan. IA 51537 

Change of Address: Please advise as early as 

possible. Attach label with your old address and 

write in new address below. 

New Subscriber: Fill in your name and address 

below. Use separate sheet for gift orders. 

Renewal: Attach label. 

PLACE LABEL HERE 

One year S24.00 Two years $45.00 

(Foreign subscribers please add S6.00 per year for 

postage) 

CITY | STATE/2 IP 

Please bill me Payment enclosed 

For other subscription questions or problems, 

please write a note and send entire form to the 

above address.

n reviews 

As a parent or other adult reads the 

story aloud, the child gets to "turn" the 

pages by pressing any key on the key 

board. Children may turn pages for 

ward or use the left-arrow key to go 

back to previous pages. Once a page is 

turned, the built-in timer waits fora full 

second before the child can advance the 

story any further. This keeps the child 

from skipping ahead before the pages 

can be read. 

At numerous points in the narra 

tive, youngsters must make decisions 

about what happens next. Should Alex 

ask people where Flodd lives, or should 

he follow Ollie's nose? Should he and 

Ollie enter the dark passage or the lit 

one? Is it better to follow Flodd to the 

aquarium or take the shortcut? 

Children decide how to proceed by 

pressing the first letter of the choice 

word. To ASK, for example, a child 

would press A; to take a SHORTCUT, 

the child would press S. Each choice 

word appears onscreen in colorful capi 

tal letters, with its first letter standing 

out from all the rest. Every choice word 

is accompanied by an expressive graph 

ic clue—kids use it to figure out the cor 

responding letter. Next, they locate the 

letter on the keyboard and press the 

key. The story continues when the cor 

rect letter is pressed. There's no nega 

tive feedback if the youngster presses an 

incorrect key. however, once a decision 

is made, it can't be reversed. 

The story's numerous turning 

points are highlighted by flashing ani 

mated graphics with positive-sounding 

audio reinforcement. Some kids will 

want to hear the story again and again 

in order to try out all the possible plot 

variations. Others will feel more com 

fortable making the same choices every 

time. Either way, this tale provides a 

wonderful opportunity for prereaders to 

polish their early reading skills in a 

nonthreatening electronic setting. 

Besides promoting reading skills, 

Flodd, the Bad Guy introduces young 

children to the computer keyboard and 

promotes shared computer time be 

tween adults and kids. This successfully 

interactive storybook strengthens letter 

and word recognition as it gives chil 

dren a sense of power over their com 

puting environment. The package 

comes with a copy-protected program 

disk, an instruction booklet, and a color 

poster. You may purchase a backup for 

$ 10 or swap the 5 '/t-i nch floppy for a 

3'/2-inch version (or vice versa) for $2 

plus the original disk. 

The next time you turn on your 

computer, think about Flodd, the Bad 

Guy (or any of the other stories in the 

Reading Magic Library) and share your 

74 COMPUTE! 

lap and some time with a small person. 

If you sit still and don't misbehave, 

your child may even let you make some 

of the program's important decisions. 

— Carol S. Holzberg 

Flodd, the Bad Guy 

For... 


IBM PC and compatibles with CGA— 

$34.95 

From... 

Tom Snyder Productions 

90 Sherman St. 

Cambridge. MA 02140 

(800) 342-0236 or (617) 876-4433 

And... 

Also in the Reading Magic Library lire. 

Jack and the Beanstalk for Apple II and 

PC—$34.95; EGA and Tandy 16-color ver 

sions scheduled (or February release. 

Publish-lt! Lite! 

Just because you're on a budget doesn't 

mean you want your documents to look 

like Brand X. Publish-lt! Lite! can help. 

Despite its silly name (I guess they 

couldn't call it Publish-lt! Less), it's the 

best of the very-low-end IBM PC and 

compatible desktop publishing packages. 

This program differs significantly 

from competitors iike First Publisher, 

The Newsroom, and Pages. Using 

Lite—Ihe baby sibling of Timeworks' 

Publish-lt!, a medium-price desktop 

publishing program that has earned 

rave reviews for its ease of use and 

power—is like driving the base model 

of a luxury car. Not all the features are 

there, but the quality still is. Like its 

older sibling, Lite is fast and easy to use 

and has well-designed fonts and good 

print quality. 

On the screen. Lite looks similar to 

Ventura Publisher. It uses the familiar 

GEM interface with drop-down menus, 

scroll bars, and a sidebar that contains 

the mode selector and a list of files or 

attributes. You can view a page as actu 

al size or double size, and in full-page 

mode. 

With Lite, you create up to six col 

umn guides to help you design pages. 

These guides don't print, but appear on 

the screen as dotted lines. The guides 

also have a snap-to feature that aligns 

your frames within the column guides. 

Use your frame to place text or 

graphics on the page. You create a 

frame by clicking on the frame icon and 

then clicking and dragging the mouse. If 

you don't already have a frame select 

ed, Lite presumes you want to create 

one. You can then create four styles of 

lines around the frame box: thin, thick, 

thicker, and double. 

To load text, click on the frame 

and then on Import Text, which dis 

plays a list of file formats. Publish-lt! 

Lite! reads files from WordWriter and 

Quintet but doesn't directly read files 

from WordPerfect. WordStar, or Micro 

soft Word. To import text from those 

programs and others, you'll have to 

save your work in ASCII. This limita 

tion means Lite can't import bold, un 

derline, or italic attributes from your 

word processor. However, it does con 

vert normal typewriter quotation marks 

into real typographic quotation 

marks—a small victory. 

If all your text won't fit in one 

frame, you can create another. Lite 

automatically redirects text so that it 

wraps around a new frame placed on 

top of a frame already filled with text. 

This feature helps you create more at 

tractive and professional-looking pages 

because text will continue to wrap 

around the frame no matter how often 

you move it, making it easier for you to 

experiment with design. Besides im 

porting text from a word processor, you 

can also type directly onto the page. 

Lite automatically scrolls the screen 

and offers a handy scareh-and-replace 

function—even Ventura Publisher lacks 

these features. 

Publish-lt! Lite! offers low-cost entry into 

the world of desktop publishing. 

You place graphics on the page as 

you place text—by creating a frame and 

importing the graphic. Lite will read 

only PC Paintbrush and GEM Paint 

files; while this is somewhat limiting, 

these are the two most popular bit-

The ACLS 

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Don'l let our low costs tool you! You've never seen anything this good on 

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Cardiac Aires t! is almost as fun to use as it is educational. There *re varying 

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You can actually go "beyond ACLS" with hypothermia, hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia, 

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non-medical people use the simulator to "play doctor." 

Our other medical teaching software is excellent, and priced within reach of 

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ACLS Teaching Series1 SIM 

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each additional Lotto game). Piease 

specify which Lotto game(s). 

5Vt".$39.95 

SMART LUCK 

COMPUTER SrSTEMS 

P.O.Box 1519-Dept. D-7 

White Plains. NY 10602 

lor information or technical support 

312/934-3300 

Visa/Mastercara orders only — cafl toll free 

(800(876/G-A-l-L(4245) 

Check Out This Sale 

3M Diskettes 

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n reviews 

mapped formats. You can use the pro 

gram's graphics editor to edit bit 

mapped graphics and object-oriented 

graphics (for drawing lines, boxes, and 

circles). And unlike Pages, which takes 

forever to display pictures, Publish-h! 

Lite'quickly handles that task. That 

means you can use the program effi 

ciently on a PC or XT—no need to up 

grade to an AT-class computer. 

Publish-W. Lite!'really shines when 

it prints. While the font quality of some 

low-end publishing programs is suited 

only for children's play, Lite's printing 

is a cut above. That quality, however, is 

limited to Epson-compatible 9- or 24pin 

dot-matrix printers. 

Lite comes with three typefaces: 

Dutch (Times Roman), Swiss (Helve 

tica), and Bullets. You can print any of 

these fonts in sizes ranging from 7 to 36 

points. 

The program's excellent manual 

is easy to follow and includes a com 

plete tutorial. The onscreen help is lim 

ited—enough to jog your memory, but 

not complete enough to replace the 

documentation. 

As good as it is, however, Publish- 

It! Lite! has some significant limitations. 

More experienced users will find the 

program lacking in advanced features. 

It can't, for example, create documents 

longer than four pages, and it hogs 

memory when producing graphics. 

Also, there are no automatic head 

ers, footers, or page numbers. Hyphen 

ation is completely manual, a blow to 

justified text. You can't move frames 

from page to page, and you can't turn 

off the nonprinting page and frame 

guides, so your screen display, while ac 

curate, isn't what-you-see-is-what-you- 

get quality. Most inconvenient, you 

can't set a default type style for import 

ed text: You must manually select the 

text and then select a type style. 

Publish-WLite.'is also missing 

manual control for leading (the space 

between lines). This limitation can be a 

benefit to the beginner, who is ensured 

that text is always set with enough lead 

ing (no complicated settings to master). 

More limiting, however, is Lite's inabil 

ity to print landscape (sideways) pages. 

Despite these limitations, Publish- 

W. Lite! operates on a more professional 

level than its low-priced competitors. 

Its greatest edge is its upgrade path, n.i 

inexpensive Laser Accessory Pack lets 

you print to a laser printer. And, if you 

outgrow Publish-W. Lite!'(and you will 

if you're a frequent desktop publisher), 

you can graduate to the standard Pub 

lish-W., a full-featured program with all 

the bells and whistles Publish-W. Lite! 

lacks. 

76 

COMPUTE 

Publish-W Lite! offers a stable, af 

fordable entry into desktop publishing. 

Though limited, it offers beginners an 

easy-to-use framework within which 

they can hone their page-design skills. 

Ifs a good place to start. 

— Daniel Will-Harris 

Publish-lt! Lite! 

For... 

IBM PC. PS/2, and compatibles with two 

disk drives or a hard disk; 512K RAM 

(640K is required for Hercuies or EGA dis 

plays): and CGA, EGA. MCGA. or Hercules 

graphics—$59.95 

From... 

Timeworks 

444 Lake Cook Rd. 

Deerfieid.IL 60015 

(312)948-9202 

And... 

A Laser Accessory Pack sells for $19.95; 

users may upgrade to Publish It! for 

$99.00. 

WriteNow 2.0 

There's nothing wrong with a word pro 

cessor that doesn't jump through hoops 

blindfolded, as long as it's designed to 

handle pure text processing with grace 

and common sense. In this regard. 

$400 word processor that eats up more 

than a megabyte of RAM. But if you 

want a shallow learning curve, the en 

durance of a marathon runner, and just 

the right features to produce basic docu 

ments, buy WriteNow. You only have 

to feed it 512K of RAM. 

As with most Macintosh word pro 

cessors, you format paragraphs in 

WriteNow 2.0 by changing settings on a 

ruler at the top of the screen. Icons con 

trol various tabs, margins, first-line in 

dents, line spacing, and text alignment. 

If you've been using a more powerful 

word processor, you may miss features 

that automate paragraph formatting, 

like the style sheets in Microsoft Word. 

WriteNow has similar features, but 

they're not as elegant. To transfer for 

mats, you must copy and paste rulers 

throughout your document. You can 

change all paragraphs controlled by 

identical ruler settings, though, by se 

lecting them and holding the Shift key 

when you change ruler settings for one 

of the paragraphs: the others will 

change accordingly. A similar control 

works on fonts, type styles, and type 

sizes. For example, select several lines 

of text, starting with a boldface entry; 

then hold the Command key as you se 

lect Underline from the Styles menu. 

and all selected, boldface entries will 

change to underline. 

The program's spelling checker is 

speedier than some because it skips text 

Write Now 2.0 is a high-performance word processor in an entry-level package. 

T/Maker's WriteNow 2.0 holds its own. 

WriteNow is a good example of 

what an entry-level word processor 

should offer: ease of use. sufficient 

speed, and economy. If you want a 

complicated program that runs like an 

Olympic sprinter and offers a long list 

of obscure features, go out and buy a 

previously checked until those sections 

are revised. Several buttons control the 

spell-checking procedure. One suggests 

intelligent alternatives to misspelled 

words—it's even smart enough to sug 

gest transposed spellings. Another but 

ton ignores spellings that are unique to 

a particular file. Other buttons add and

n reviews 

subtract words. The 100.000-word dic 

tionary is so well stocked that it recog 

nizes contractions and some possessives. 

WriteNow 2.0 includes several lit 

tle details that affect case of use and the 

general appearance of your document. 

You can, for example, set typographicstyle 

quotation marks and apostrophes 

by choosing Smart Quotes in the Page 

Setup dialog box when you start a docu 

ment. (It won't change any punctuation 

you've already typed, though.) The 

Window menu is another nice feature; 

it lets you move from one open file to 

another. Center, right, and decimal tabs 

increase your options for designing ta 

bles and charts; flexible line spacing 

makes room for graphics that are too 

big for the line of type they inhabit. 

Headers, footers, and automatically 

numbered footnotes give your docu 

ment a professional or scholarly ap 

pearance. Tab leaders add a little zip to 

your tables of contents. All in all. these 

little features are as welcome as the 

more significant ones. They don't slow 

down the program, and they improve 

the look of your pages. 

Features like mail merge were once 

the territory of more expensive word 

processors. WriteNow's mail merge lets 

you use conditional statements and 

merge more than one document into 

your template. A stationery feature 

stores default formats as well as text 

and graphics that will appear on each 

new document you open. You can sup 

press this feature by holding down Op 

tion when you launch WriteNow, 

Many people who have been using 

Microsoft Word would be pleased with 

WriteNow, so T/Maker has included a 

system of filters for converting Word 

files into WriteNow format. The pro 

cess, however, is relatively clumsy, for 

you must first save the Word file in 

RTF format. There's also a filter for 

converting MacWrite files directly into 

WriteNow's format. Filters for other 

word processors will be available soon. 

Text-only files, of course, are easily im 

ported to WriteNow. 

WriteNow 2.0 answers your de 

mands and more. Some of its features 

work very well; however, others can't 

compete with similar features in fullfeatured 

packages like Microsoft Word 

or WordPerfect. The multicolumn op 

tion is impressive, but the format you 

choose controls the whole document. 

You can't even run a headline across 

several columns without a pair of scis 

sors and a bottle of glue. Background 

printing is another impressive offering, 

but it's sluggish and slows down any 

other computer work you do while you 

wait for your printing to finish. 

Compared with the entry-level 

word processors that used to dominate 

the Macintosh market, WriteNow 2.0 is 

a slick, sophisticated writing tool. But 

it has limits. Use it to produce plain 

documents—letters, reports, great 

novels—and you'll be pleased with its 

performance. 


WriteNow 2.0 

For... 

Macintosh—S195 

From... 

T/Maker 

1390 Villa St. 

Mountain View, CA 94041 

(415)962-0195 

Hometown, 

U.S.A. 

If you've ever wanted to design the 

exterior of a house or build a small vil 

lage, then you'll want to visit Home 

town, U.S.A. Publishing International's 

program is just the thing for budding 

architects and closet city planners. 

Designed for adults and children. 

Hometown, U.S.A. includes templates 

of 13 large structures and several small 

er ones. Also included are patterns for 

doors, windows, signs, and other items 

you can use to "dress up" the buildings 

you design. 

The program's Ideas Book con 

tains hints for getting the most out of 

the program and suggestions for cutting 

and assembling the buildings. A second 

manual contains loading instructions, 

shots of the parts of each structure, and 

miscellaneous items. Also included are 

predesigned buildings that will give you 

an idea of how your buildings could be 

placed and decorated. 

The first step to designing a build 

ing is picking the basic structure. Since 

there are so many choices, you'll have 

no problem locating a pattern you like. 

It gets trickier when you must decide 

which doors, windows, balconies, fenc 

ing, and other additions to use. If you're 

building a store, for example, you'll 

have to pick a sign, which you can alter 

further with the program's paint/gra 

phics capabilities. 

The paint/graphics feature is also 

handy for adding shingles and bricks to 

your building—just select Patterns 

from the menu bar. Flood Fill lets you 

instantly create a roof. (You'll have to 

add color by hand. Crayons will do, but 

COLOR RIBBONS & PAPER 

COLOR 

RIBBONS 

Ribbons Price Each 

Apole Imagewriter l/ll 

Citizen 120 0 

Commodore MPS B01 

Commodore MPS 802 

Commodore MPS 803 

Commodore MPS 1000 

Commodore MPS 1200 

Commodo/e 1525 

Okidata 82/92/93 

Okidata 182/192 

Panasonic KX-P 1090 

Seikosha SP 800/1000 

Star SG 10 

Star NX10;NL10 

RED, BLUE, GREEN, 

BROWN, PURPLE, YELLOW, 

Bleck 

3.75 

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4.15 

6.00 

4-95 

3.95 

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1.75 

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Color 

4.50 

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Heat 

Transfer 

6.50 

7.95 

5.75 

7.00 

6.75 

7.95 

4.50 

7.95 

4.50 

7.95 

COLOR PAPER 

BRIGHT PACK-200 Sheeis/50 each color: Red, 

Blue, Green. Yellow. 9 1/2x11 - S10.90/pk. 

PASTEL PACK-200 Sheets/50 each color: Pink, 

Yellow, Blue. Ivory. 9 1/2 x 11 - $10.90/pk. 

T-SHIRT RIBBONS IHeat Transfer) - Call For Price. 

COLOR DISKETTES 

5 1/4" DS/DD Rainbow Pack. 10/pack - 512.50 

For ribbons & paper not listed above, call for price & 

avail. Price & spec, subject to change w/o notice. Min. 

order S25.OO. Mm. S & H S3.5O. Add S2.25 C.O.D. 

add'l. IL res. add 6.25% tax. MC & Visa accepted. 

RENCO COMPUTER PRINTER SUPPLIES 

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

1-800-522-6922 • (IL) 1-800-356-9981 

815-468-8081 

Save on BROWNOUT protection! 

LINE CONDITIONER 

keeps power constant during 

voltage sags and power surges! 

Prevents damage and downtime on computers, 

phone systems, cash registers, etc. by providing full 

voltage support when AC input power varies up or 

down. Maintains constant output of 120V. Line 

Stabilizer is a stepped transformer system that has 

higher efficiency than CVT's (constant voltage trans 

formers) and gives lower waveform distortion at FAR 

LOWER COST. Built-in spike and noise suppression. 

1-Year warranty! 

1200-Watt. 4 Outlet 

ONLY S199 

1800-Watt, 6 Outlet 

ONLY S259 

Order toll free 1-800-662-5021 

IN ILLINOIS CALL 1-312-648-2191 OR MAIL COUPON 

INDUS-TOOL, 730 W. Lake Street 

Dept. C!, Chicago, IL 60606 

Enclosed is $ or charge on 

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Send 1200-Watt «S S199 1800-Watt

n reviews 

Right Side (3) Rear (2) 

Left Side (4) Froni ( 1 ) 

Build the house of your dreams with Hometown, U.S.A. 

markers or watercolors give a more fin 

ished look.) 

After you've finished designing 

your building, you can print it out on a 

dot-matrix or laser printer {Macintosh 

version only). For best results, you'll 

want to use heavy bond or textured pa 

per. Several pieces of the structure ap 

pear on each page, and it may take two 

or three pages to prinl all the parts your 

building requires. 

The next step is to put your cre 

ation together. The program's manual 

offers excellent suggestions about how 

to cut. paste, and assemble your build 

ing. There are step-by-step directions 

for putting together each structure. 

Numbers printed on the tabs of the 

parts identify the section and indicate 

to which part it is to be glued. To make 

your structures even sturdier, glue the 

parts to cardboard or cardstock before 

you start. Use sharp scissors or an X- 

ACTO knife to get more finely cut 

edges. 

The buildings differ in size, but arc 

close to the HO scale familiar to modeltrain 

users. {To give you an idea of the 

basic size, a cassette tape fits nicely in 

side the hotel.) If you want to make 

your buildings larger or smaller, you 

78 C O M P U T E I 

can enlarge or reduce the printed tem 

plates with a photocopier before 

cutting. 

There's no wanting for ideas on 

using your model buildings around the 

house. The tiny homes could be turned 

into containers for cookies or candies 

given as holiday gifts. Reduce the size 

of the buildings and they make clever 

Christmas tree ornaments or. placed on 

a table, form a Christmas village. Con 

struct a town for your child's (or your 

own) electric train. Stuff some potpour 

ri in a schoolhouse for a great gift for 

your child's teacher. You'll find lots of 

clever ways to use your buildings. 

Hometown, U.S.A. also has many 

classroom applications. For example, a 

social studies project might have chil 

dren design the neighborhood where 

they live. The stcp-by-stcp design pro 

cess, followed by the construction of the 

buildings, bolsters logical thinking 

skills. Vocabulary and cooperativelearning 

skills are practiced as groups of 

children work together to create their 

own community. 

Parents eager to share in their 

child's learning experience will benefit 

from the teamwork that a program like 

Hometown, U.S.A. fosters. Adults and 

children work as partners, creating a 

place they can call home. 

— Nancy Rentschler 

Hometown, U.S.A. 

For... 

Apple II—S39.95 

Apple Has—$39.95 



Macintosh—S39.95 

From... 

Publishing International 

333 W. El Camino Real 

Suite 222 

Sunnyvale. CA 94087 

(408) 738^1311 

And... 

Print drivers for laser printers are being de 

veloped for the IBM version. Q 

To receive additional 

information from the 

advertisers in this issue, 

use the handy reader service 

card in the back of 

the magazine.

HFS-III Upgraded 

Jay Gold Software has updated its 

Home Finance System-Ill for the IBM 

PC and compatibles to version 3.2. The 

financial management program tracks 

income and expenses, balances check 

books, writes reports, and prints checks. 

With this version, users can view a 

report onscreen, send the report to disk, 

or send it right to the printer. A Find 

feature allows access to selected trans 

actions for viewing or editing, while 

Smart menus follow keystrokes to the 

desired menu entries. A Quick Ques 

tions card refers to the Main Menu and 

answers other common user questions. 

The program supports laser printers for 

checks, and an onscreen check-design 

option lets you purchase business-size 

checks from any vendor. The suggested 

retail price for HFS-U1 is $49.95. 

Jav Gold Software, P.O. Box 2024, 

DesMoinesJA 50310 

Circle Reader Service Number 200. 

Powerful Lightweight 

Weighing in at 11.6 pounds, the T1600 

80C286 laptop is the lightest and most 

powerful of Toshiba's battery-powered 

portable PC line. The system boasts a 

12-MHz clock speed and comes equipped 

with 1 megabyte of RAM (expandable 

to 5 megabytes), a 20-megabyte hard 

disk with 27-millisecond access time, 

and a high-capacity 1.44-megabyte 3'Ainch 

IBM PS/2-compatibIe disk drive. 

A detachable backlit supertwist 

EGA liquid-crystal display is standard; 

an external monitor can be connected 

through the system's EGA port. Other 

system ports include a parallel, two seri 

al, one for an external 5!/i-inch external 

disk drive, and one for a numeric key 

pad. The dedicated modem slot accom 

modates Toshiba's optional 2400 bitsper-second 

Hayes-compatible modem. 

A general-purpose expansion slot is also 

available. 

The computer comes with one 15- 

ounce battery pack but can support 

two. A Sleep Mode for the microproces 

sor and power-down features for the 

hard disk drive and backlit display con 

serve battery power. An AutoResume 

feature allows for instant reentry into 

an application without rebooting or re 

loading application software. 

The T1600 comes with MS-DOS 

3.3, PC-Kwik Power Pak disk-cache 

utility software, a hypertext diskresident 

DOS, and user documentation. 

The suggested retail price is $4,999. 

Toshiba America, Information Sys 

tems Division, 9740 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, 

CA 92718 


The Toshiba T1600 portable PC weighs 

11.6 pounds. 

Copter Rescue and Attack 

ThunderChopper, SubLOGIOs heli 

copter flight simulator, requires players 

to execute rescue and combat missions. 

But before facing the enemy, players 

must complete a set of training missions. 

In the first combat mission. Armed 

Escort, players must guide ground 

troops to safety through enemy territo 

ry', protecting them from guerrilla fight 

ers. Rescue at Sea asks players to locate 

and rescue the survivors of a major na 

val engagement. Players must search 

the floating wreckage while staying on 

Mickey McLean 

wductsl 

alert for enemy ships. 

An on-board flight computer pro 

vides mission instructions and perfor 

mance feedback. Flight instrumentation 

includes Forward-Looking Infrared, 

CO2 laser radar, and zoom television. 

The helicopter's armament includes 

TOW and Stinger missiles. Zuni rock 

ets, and a Hughes Chain Gun. 

ThunderChopper requires an IBM 

PC or compatible with a CGA, EGA, or 

VGA graphics card and a color or 

monochrome graphics monitor. The 

suggested retail price is $39.95. 

SubWGIC, 501 Kenyon Rd, 

Champaign, 1L 61820 


Goofy Golfing ST Style 

Electronic Arts' Zany Golf has come to 

the Atari ST. On this unusual miniature 

golf course, as many as four players 

compete for best score over nine holes, 

each of which provides a different chal 

lenge and experience. 

For example, players must maneu 

ver a golf ball through flashing lights 

while on the Pinball hole; putts must 

clear a bouncing burger on the Ham 

burger hole; and the Energy hole fea 

tures dart laser beams, particle rays, 

and transporter pads. Other holes have 

moving walls, magic carpets, a castle. 

and, of course, the classic windmill. 

One hole seems to have a mind of its 

own, while another remains a secret. 

The suggested retail price for the 

Atari ST version of Zany Golf is $39.95. 

The game was previously released for 

the Apple IlGS and the IBM PC and 

compatibles at the same price. 

Electronic Arts, 1820 Gateway Dr., 



That's Some Display 

Boca Research's Dual Graphics Adapt 

er enables IBM PC and compatibles 

users to enhance monochrome-monitor 

resolution and upgrade to a CGA moni 

tor with one adapter. The board com 

bines the functions of CGA, MDA, and 

JUNE 1989 79

the Hercules graphics card. 

Display enhancements on TTL 

monochrome monitors include stand 

ard 80 X 25 line text and 720 X 348 

Hercules graphics. On CGA, EGA, or 

other RGB monitors, the adapter deliv 

ers 80 X 25 sixteen-color text, 320 X 

200 four-color graphics, or 640 X 200 

two-color graphics. 

Other features include automatic 

mode switching and a 25-pin parallel 

port. The installation procedure con 

sists of the board's insertion into any 8- 

or 16-bit PC-style bus and setting its 

jumper; no software is required. 

The Dual Graphics Adapter carries 

a suggested retail price of $99. 

Boca Research, 6401 Congress 

Ave., Boca Raton. FL 33487 


Boca Research's Dual Graphics Adapter 

enhances both monochrome and CGA 

monitors. 

New and Improved GEOS 128 

A new and enhanced GEOS 128 has 

been released by Berkeley Softworks. 

The new version includes geo Write 2.1, 

a full-featured word processor; geoSpell 

128, an 80-column spelling checker; 

and geoPaint, a high-resolution graph 

ics workshop. 

Also included with the package is 

an enhanced deskTop program that 

supports two disk drives and a RAM 

expansion unit, offers multiple file se 

lection, and displays the date and time. 

Other features include geoMerge, which 

creates customized form letters and la 

bels; Text Grabber, which imports text 

from any Commodore word processor; 

and the Desk Accessories, which in 

clude a calculator, a notepad, an alarm 

clock, a screen preference manager, and 

both photo and text managers and 

albums. 

80 

GEOS 128 {version 2.0) supports 

COMPUTE! 

nemftwductsi I 

numeric keypad, keyboard, and other 

input device options, as well as more 

than 70 printers. The system is compat 

ible with the entire family of GEOS ap 

plication products. The suggested retail 

price is $69.95. Upgrades are available 

for $35.00 plus shipping and handling. 

Berkeley' Softworks, 2150 Shattuck 

Are., Berkeley?, C4 94704 


Circle Gets the Square 

For those tired of waiting for an invita 

tion to a game show, GameTek offers 

home computer versions of "Holly 

wood Squares," "Super Password," and 

"Double Dare!." 

Hollywood Squares asks players to 

second-guess computer celebrities in 

the popular game of tic-tac-toe. The 

game comes complete with the show's 

theme music and wisecrack comments 

and answers. Two computer contes 

tants can compete head to head or one 

can play Gametek's expert player. 

Micro kid. 

In Super Password, one or two 

players are paired with computer celeb 

rities to give and receive word clues. 

Players go through the same rounds 

that their television counterparts do, in 

cluding the S10,000 speed round, in 

which the champion must correctly 

guess ten words in 90 seconds. 

Double Dare, based on the syndi 

cated game show produced by MTV, 

combines questions with physical chal 

lenges, including launching contestants 

off a teetertotter and onto a trampoline. 

Players control their onscreen charac 

ter's ability to jump over, throw, or toss 

objects. 

The three games are available for 

the IBM PC and compatibles, the Com 

modore 64/128. and the Apple II for 

$14.95 each. 

GameTek/Navarre, 6750 W. 

Broadway, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428 


Crime Solver 

Avalon Hill has released a detective 

mystery game that challenges your 

crime-solving abilities. Police Blotter 

places you in the role of a rookie detec 

tive of the 13th Precinct of the Queensport 

Police Department. You must 

interview witnesses, decipher police re 

ports, and gather clues. 

The game features seven mysteries 

involving blackmail, kidnapping, theft, 

and murder. Each of the seven cases is 

programmed for three levels of com 

plexity. False clues, red herrings, and 

dead ends tend to make finding a solu 

tion difficult. An onscreen case clock 

tracks the time it takes you to appre 

hend a suspect. 

The game is currently available for 

the Apple II and has a suggested retail 

price of $29.95. Versions for the Macin 

tosh and the IBM PC and compatibles 

are planned. 

The Ai-alon Mill Game Company, 

Microcomputer Games Division, 4517 

HarfordRd., Baltimore. MD 21214 


One to four players can attempt to solve 

mysteries in Police Blotter. 

Roll With It 

Test your joystick skills as you maneu 

ver a ball through a multidimensional 

puzzle on ten different planes in Mind- 

Roll, from Epyx. Each successive plane 

increases in difficulty, but players can 

rearrange the planes in any order for 

play or practice. 

Players must walk a plank, hunt 

for hidden amulets, fill the screen with 

tiled squares, and roll over puzzle 

squares in a predetermined sequence. 

All onscreen activities must be com 

pleted before time expires. Plane 7 fea 

tures time boosters that give you extra 

seconds to negotiate obstacle courses, 

roll down a racetrack, or complete a 

maze. 

After each plane, any remaining 

time units are converted into points. t>

Crossroads II: Pandemonium 

Action-packed shooc-'em-up that 

you'll play for hours—includes maze 

editor for customizing. 

Basketball Sam & Ed Delightfully 

clever one- or two-player arcade 

game with outstanding graphics and 

animation. 

Delta War Fast and furious two- 

player game loaded with options. 

YES! Send me 

For Arcade and Strategy Game Lovers 

Gazette has published more than 200 games in the past six years. Which are the 

best? The most exciting? The most challenging? The editors have looked at them all 

and picked the best dozen arcade and strategy games for the 64. Now they're all on 

one disk—with documentation—ready to load and play. 

12 Top Ready-to-Run Games for the 64! 

Heat Seeker Arcade action at its 

best—for the nimble-fingered and 

nimble-minded. 

Omicron Frantically paced, multi 

level arcade action. 

I've enclosed $9.95 for each copy. 

Name 

Address 

City Suit1 

Powerball Futuristic version of 

Breakout, packed with challenges. 

Q-Bird Graphically stunning 

action/strategy game. 

Trap 3-D universe that demands 

your best strategy skills for survival. 

Arcade Volleyball Fast-paced, two- 

player arcade version of America's 

favorite beach sport. 

Mosaic Classic battle of wits for one 

or two players. 

Power Poker One of the most 

addictive strategy games you'll ever 

play—guaranteed. 

Scorpion II Superb game of mental 

challenge with great graphics. 

copies of the Best Gazette Games disk. 

Amount. 

Sales Tax*. 

Total. 

Mail personal check or money order for S9-95* to Best Gazette Games Disk 

P.O. Box 5188 


"Residents of New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina add appropriate sales tax for your state. All orders must be paid in U.S. funds by a check drawn on a 

U.S. bank. Sorry, no credit card orders accepted. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. 

-

Players also have the opportunity to 

improve their score with bonus rounds 

following each completed plane. 

Mind-Roll is available for the 

Commodore 64/128, the Amiga, and 

the IBM PC and compatibles. The sug 

gested retail price is $29.95. 

Epyx, 600 Galveston Dr., P.O. Box 

8020, Redwood City, CA 94063 


Keyball or Trackboard? 

Octave Systems has combined a key 

board and a trackball in KeyTrak, 

which was designed to save desk space 

and increase the efficiency of computer 

users. 

The trackball is compatible with 

both Microsoft and Mouse Systems se 

rial mouse drivers. It has a serial port 

and a X-shaped cable that plugs into the 

keyboard port; plus, it can switch be 

tween XT- and AT-class computers. 

Three mouse buttons are located above 

the trackball, and the primary button is 

duplicated on the left-hand side of the 

keyboard. 

KeyTrak has a suggested retail 

price of$ 189. 

Octave Systems, 1715 Dell Ave., 

Campbell, CA 95008 


KeyTrak combines a trackball with a 

keyboard. 

Start Off Right 

Curtis Manufacturing has introduced 

The Computer Starter Kit, five com 

puter accessories designed to protect 

computers, save valuable desktop 

space, and provide greater user com 

fort. The kit contains a disk file, a Cur 

tis Clip copy holder, universal printer 

legs, a computer-cleaning kit, and a 

surge protector. 

The kit can contain either a 3lh- or 

a 5%-inch cleaning kit that rids disk 

drives of dust and debris and a disk file 

that holds up to fifty 5'A- or forty 3Viinch 

disks. The Curtis Clip attaches di 

rectly to the monitor and swings out of 

B2 COMPUTE 

wemfiroductsi ■I 

the way when not in use. Any desktop 

printer can be elevated with the kit's 

printer legs, and the Safe-Bloc Surge 

Protector, with hot-to-neutral protec 

tion, features six multipurpose outlets 

and mounts directly into any duplex 

wall outlet. 

The Computer Starter Kit carries a 

suggested retail price of $59.95. 

Curtis Manufacturing, 30 Fitzger 

ald Dr., Jajfrey, NH 03452 


The Computer Starter Kit combines five 

computer accessories into one package. 

In Stereo 

Give your Commodore 64 or 128 sixvoice 

stereo music capabilities with the 

SID Symphony Stereo Cartridge from 

Dr. Evil Laboratories. The cartridge lets 

you play Sidplayer songs, both standard 

and enhanced, including ones available 

in the public domain, such as Mark A. 

Dickenson's Stereo Player version 10.0. 

You can also create your own stereo 

Sidplayer songs with COMPUTED 

Music System for the Commodore 128 

and 64: The Enhanced Sidplayer, writ 

ten by Craig Chamberlain and available 

from COMPUTE! Books. 

The SID Symphony Stereo Car 

tridge requires no assembly; however, 

you will need two RCA male-to-male 

cables to connect the outputs of the 

computer and cartridge to a stereo sys 

tem. The cartridge is powered by a re 

placeable 9-volt alkaline battery. 

The suggested retail price for the 

SID Symphony Cartridge is $34.95. 

Dr. Evil Laboratories, P. O. Box 

190, St. Paul, IN 47272 


Portable Fax and Data 

Touchbase Systems has released the 

WorldPort 2496 Portable Fax/Data 

Modem. The small battery-powered 

modem combines a 9600-bits-persecond 

(bps) Group III facsimile mo 

dem with a full-featured 2400-bps data 

modem. Designed for use with IBM 

PC-compatible portable and laptop 

computers, the external unit can also be 

used with desktop computers. 

Features include two standard 

RJ11 telephone jacks and an interface 

for acoustic-coupler operation, which 

allows the unit to be used in phone 

booths, hotel rooms, and with non- 

U.S. phone jacks. 

The unit can automatically detect 

and route an incoming fax or data call. 

Proprietary PC software allows unat 

tended background operation for send 

ing or receiving fax transmissions and 

sending group broadcasts; it integrates 

full data-communications features for 

the data-modem section. 

Data-modem features include AT 

command-set compatibility, autodial/ 

auto-answer/auto-rate select. Bell and 

CCITT compatibility, a speaker, and 

LED indicators. 

The WorldPort 2496 has a suggest 

ed retail price of $699. 

Touchbase Systems, 160 Laurel 

Ave., Northport, NY 11768 


The WorldPort 2496 Portable Fax/Data 

Modem combines fax and data. 

Label It 

A program for creating and customizing 

mailing labels for the IBM PC and com 

patibles is now available from POP 

Computer Products. Labels! can store 

as many as 4000 names and addresses 

and features a Lookup Engine that al 

lows for quick recall if the user remem 

bers only a few characters such as part 

of a name or street address. 

Users can type labels in any for 

mat, with or without fields. Up to ten 

different address and label formats can 

be kept in memory. The program can 

also import and export ASCII text files. 

The Grabber feature lets you enter 

an address once and then have the data 

available later for printing an envelope. 

The address is stored until it's time to 

print, but the feature isn't a traditional 

memory-resident program: The Grab-

er is only memory-resident while the 

user writes a document. 

Labels! supports most printers. It 

carries a suggested retail price of 

$29.95. 

POP Computer Products, P.O. Box 

1833, Evergreen, CO 80439 


Users can create and customize labels 

with Labels!. 

C-128 Wall Decorator 

Free Spirit Software has released Poster 

Maker 128 for the Commodore 128 

running in 128 mode. The program al 

lows users to create posters as large as 

five feet by five feet. 

You can print the posters or save 

them to disk as picture files. A graphics 

utility lets you import Basic 8, Sketch 

pad 128, or Spectrum 128 graphics files. 

These files can also be enlarged on both 

the x- and the _v-axes. A utility that re 

duces the size of graphics screens to cre 

ate clip an is also included. 

Poster Maker 128, which operates 

in 128 mode with an 80-column dis 

play, runs on the Commodore 128D or 

the Commodore 128 with 64K video- 

RAM upgrade. Resolution is 640 X 

200 pixels. A 1351 or compatible 

mouse and a 1571 disk drive are re 

quired. Optional support is provided 

fora 1571 or 1581 diskdrive as a sec 

ond drive. The suggested retail price is 

$29.95. 

Free Spirit Software. P. O. Box 128, 

58 Noble St., Kutztown, PA 19530 


From Across a Crowded Room 

Salespeople, educators, and others re 

sponsible for presentations and demon 

strations will find Forte Communica 

tions' remote-control device handy for 

working with an IBM PC or compatible 

computer from a distance. With Re 

mote Keyboard, users can run and ma 

nipulate programs from as far as 50 feet 

away. 

Remote Keyboard transmits infra 

red signals to a receiver that plugs into 

the computer's serial port. Users point 

the device at the computer's display 

and then press a button to control the 

PC. Built into the product's disk-based 

software is a pointer that can be used to 

call attention to specific displays during 

presentations. 

The hand-held device weighs less 

than ten ounces, including batteries. 

The suggested retail price is $395. 

Forte Communications, 680 W. 

MaudeAve., Sunnyvale, CA 94068 


Users can control their PC from as far as 

50 feet away with Remote Keyboard. 

Convoy Escort Service 

Command a Destroyer Escort ship in 

the North Atlantic during World War II 

in Destroyer Escort, from Medalist In 

ternational's MicroPlay Software line. 

The safety of a World War II sup 

ply convoy is your responsibility. There 

are six convoy routes to choose from, 

each with three difficulty levels. Players 

can pick a route that provides the type 

of challenge they seek, such as one that 

is prone to submarine attacks. 

The escort ship's weapons include 

torpedoes, a five-inch gun, depth 

charges, and an antiaircraft gun you can 

use against submarines, aircraft, and 

surface ships. Seven different battle 

screens provide control over your ship. 

Destroyer Escort, a one-player 

game, is initially available for the Com 

modore 64/128 and has a suggested re 

tail price of $39.95. Medalist Inter 

national is a division of MicroProse 

Software. 

Medalist International, 180 Lakefront 

Dr., Hunt Valley, MD 21030 


Escort a convoy of World War II supply 

ships in Dsstroyer Escort. 

Attack Copter 

The Sega arcade hit Thunder Blade has 

been released by Mindscape for the 

Commodore 64/128, the IBM PC and 

compatibles, the Amiga, and the Atari 

ST. 

As a helicopter pilot, you must de 

feat the enemy while flying over sky 

scrapers, mountains, deserts, and 

ocean. 

The game offers two different vis 

ual perspectives: top-down and from 

behind the helicopter. The top-down 

view lets you see the surrounding area 

in 3-D, while the rear view lets you see 

forward through the approaching 

landscape. 

The Commodore 64/128 version 

of Thunder Blade has a suggested retail 

price of $34.95. The IBM PC and com 

patibles version sells for $39.95; the 

Amiga and Atari ST editions retail for 

$49.95. 

Mindscape, 3444 Dundee Rd., 



Young Storytellers 

Compu-Teach has released a sequel to 

Once Upon a Time.... Like the origi 

nal, the program allows children ages 

6-12 to write, design, and publish their 

own illustrated books. 

The new version. Once Upon a 

Time... II, features subjects associated 

with the forest, dinosaurs, and under 

water. Hundreds of graphic images are 

JUNE 1969 83

wempvductsi I 

available to encourage children to use their imagination lo 

create stories and illustrations. Vocabulary, reading, and 

spelling skills are combined with concepts that teach story 

creation and illustration techniques, including those asso 

ciated with perspective and other spatial relationships. 

Available for the IBM PC and compatibles and the 

Apple II, the program retails for $39.95. A classroom pack 

with five sets of disks and instruction booklets sells for 

$79.95 in SVînch format and $99.95 in 3'/:-inch format. 

Compu-Teach, 78 Olive St., New Haven, CT065J1 


Free Game Offer 

Consumers who purchase any two Cinemaware products 

can receive a third product free, while supplies last. 

Buyers can select from such packages as Lord ofthe 

Rising Sun, TV Sports Football, Rocket Ranger, and The 

Three Stooges, as well as Spotlight titles like Deathbringer, 

Federation, Dark Side, and Speedbaii. Other titles will be 

come available through June 1989. 

To receive their free software, consumers must send 

in the original dated sales receipts and completed registra 

tion cards from two qualifying packages, a coupon found 

in specially marked packages or available at many soft 

ware retailers, and $3 for shipping and handling. Consum 

ers can choose their free program from among Defender of 

the Crown, S.D.I.. Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon, or 

The King of Chicago. 

Cinemaware, 4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake 

Village, CA 91362 


Amiga Gunship 

MicroProse's helicopter simulation, Gunship. will soon be 

available for the Amiga. The game puts you behind the 

controls of a U.S. Army AH-64A Apache attack helicopter 

armed with Hellfire and Sidewinder missiles, folding-fin 

aerial rockets, and a 30mm cannon capable of firing 625 

rounds per minute. 

A variety of skill and reality levels, mission types, and 

specific mission objectives are available for players who 

can earn commendations, medals, and promotions during 

gameplay. 

Gunship pilots must fly missions in Southeast Asia, 

Central America, the Middle East, and Western Europe. A 

training scenario conducted in the U.S. gets players used 

to the helicopter in a less hostile environment. 

The Amiga version runs on the Amiga 500, may be 

installed on a hard disk, uses the key-disk copy-protection 

routine, and can be controlled by joystick. The suggested 

retail price is $54.95. Gunship is already available for the 

Commodore 64/128, the IBM PC and compatibles, and 

the Atari ST. 

MicroProse, 180 Lakefront Dr., Hunt Valley, MD 

21030 


SEE US AT _ 

world of _ 

commodore 

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catalog (refundable), APPLE, C64-128 (specify) 

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FREE G\TALOC-OVER 1000 PUBLIC DOMAIN 

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Large library of the best public domain 

software for the IBM, C64. and the 8 bit 

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C&T, Box 393-E, Clinton, OK 73601 

BULK PRICED SOFTWARE FOR THE IBM & COMP. 

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GAMES »1 produces 11 million bytes or 31 

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SAVEWARE, P.O. 274F, Glenview, IL 60025 

COMPUTER BOOK5 AND SOFTWARE CATALOG! 

Send $2.00 (refundable with first order) 

for catalog, disk 5-1/4" or 3-1/2" formats. 

DOYLE SYSTEMS, 12178 Greenspoint Drive 

No. 318, Houston, TX 77067 

COMPUTE! Classified is a low-cost way to tell over 250,000 

microcomputer owners about your product or service. 

Rates: $25 per line, minimum of four lines. Any or all of the first line set in capi 

tal letters at no charge. Add S15 per line for boldface words, or $50 for the entire 

ad set in boldface (any number of lines.) Inquire about display rates. 

Terms: Prepayment is required. Check, money order, American Express, Visa, or 

MasterCard is accepted, Make checks payable to COMPUTE! Publications. 

Form; Ads are subject to publisher's approval and must be either typed or legibly 

printed. One line equals 40 letters and spaces between words. Please underline 

words to be set in boldface. 

General Information: Advertisers using post office box numbers in their ads must 

supply permanent address and telephone numbers. Ad will appear in next avail 

able issue after receipt. 

Closing: 10th of the third month preceding cover date (e.g., June issue closes 

March 10th). Send order and remittance to: Kathleen Ingram, Classified Manager, 

COMPUTE!, P.O. Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403. To place an ad by phone, 

call Kathleen Ingram at (919) 275-9809. 

Notice: COMPUTE! Publications cannot be responsible for offers or claims of 

advertisers, but will attempt to screen out misleading or questionable copy. 

SHAREVVARE/PD Programs for IBM PC and 

compaiibles-5.25". Cames/Util + more. 

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JUNE 1989 85

Cocaine can 

make you blind. 

Cocaine fools your brain. 

When you first use it, you 

may feel more alert, more 

confident, more sociable, more 

in control of your life. 

In reality of course, nothing 

has changed. But to your 

brain, the feeling seems real. 

From euphoria... 

You want to experience it again. 

So you do some more coke. 

Once more, you like the . 

effects. It's a very clean high. 

It doesn't really feel like you're 

drugged. Only this time, you 

notice you don't feel so good 

when you come down. You're 

confused, edgy anxious, even 

depressed. 

Fortunately that's easy to fix. 

At least for the next 20 min 

utes or so. All it takes is another 

few lines, or a few more hits 

on the pipe. 

You're discovering one of 

the things that makes cocaine 

so dangerous. 

It compels you to keep on 

using it (Given unlimited 

access, laboratory monkeys 

take cocaine until they have 

seizures and die.) 

If you keep experimenting 

with cocaine, quite soon you 

may feel you need it just to 

e 19H7. DPI) Nttdham Worldwide Inc. 

function well. To perform 

better at work, to cope with 

stress, to escape depression, 

just to have a good time at 

a party or a concert 

Like speed, cocaine makes 

you talk a lot and sleep a little. 

You can't sit still. You have 

difficulty concentrating and 

remembering. You feel aggres 

sive and suspicious towards 

people. You don't want to eat 

very much. You become unin 

terested in sex. 

To paranoia... 

Compulsion is now definitely 

addiction. And there's worse 

to come. 

You stop caring how you 

look or how you feel. You 

become paranoid. You may feel 

people are persecuting you, 

and you may have an intense 

fear that the police are waiting 

to arrest you. (Not surprising, 

since cocaine is illegal.) 

You may have hallucinations. 

Because coke heightens your 

senses, they may seem 

terrifyingly real. 

As one woman overdosed, 

she heard laughter nearby and 

a voice that said/Tve got you 

now" So many people have 

been totally convinced that 

bugs were crawling on or 

out of their skin, that the hal 

lucination has a nickname: 

the coke bugs. 

Especially if you've been 

smoking cocaine, you may 

become violent, or feel suicidal. 

When coke gets you really 

strung out, you may turn to 

other drugs to slow down. Par 

ticularly downers like alcohol, 

tranquilizers, marijuana and 

heroin. (A speedball-heroin 

and cocaine—is what killed 

John Belushi.) 

If you saw your doctor 

now and he didn't know you 

were using coke, he'd probably 

diagnose you as a manicdepressive. 

To psychosis... 

Literally you're crazy 

But you know what's truly 

frightening? Despite everything 

that's happening to you, even 

now, you may still feel totally 

in control. 

That's the drug talking. 

Cocaine really does make you 

blind to reality And with what's 

known about it today you 

probably have to be something 

else to start using coke in the 

first place. 

Dumb. 

Partnership for a Drug-Free America

Software Discounters 

of America , l 

USA/Canada Orders—1-800-225-7638 

PA Orders—1-800-223-7784 

Customer Service 412-361-5291 

• Free shipping on orders 

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ORDER LINE HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 9:00 AM-9:00 PM Fri. 9:00 AM-7:00 PM Sat. 10:00 AM-4:00 PM Eastern Time 

TIVISiON 

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Can one Hack writer, 

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Aie of Acts $9.88 

Apollo 18 524 

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Serve & Volley 524 

Tesl Drive S24 

Test Drive 2: The Duel $29 

T. Drive 2 Calif. SceneryS14 

T. Drive 2 Super Cars.S14 

The Train S23 

T.K.O $25 

ACTIVISION 

Bailie Chess S32 

Batllehawks 1942 532 

Black Jock Academy . .524 

Lasi Ninja S26 

Maniac Mansion $29 

Might and Magic 1 or 2S32 Ea. 

Music Studio 3.0 S65 

Prophecy 1: Trinadon ,S25 

Rampage 524 

Slarglidor 2 Call 

Zak McKracken $29 

ARTWORX 

Bridge 6.0 Call 

Centerfold Squares . . .519 

Creative Cuisine 519 

Daily Double Horse RacingCall 

Data Disk =1 Female .514 

Data Disk =2 Male .. .514 

Data Disk =3 Female .514 

Linkword languages . .Call 

Strip Poker 2. S25 

\rw-u \ru- 

THE DUEL is on. Head to| 

head racing between a 

Ferrari F40 & a Porschel 

959! Also available for 

use with Test Drive 2 

are Calif. Challenge 

BOX OFFICE 

Alf's First Adventure $9.88 

California Raisons... .$16 

High Rollers $9.88 

5100,000 Pyramid . .59.88 

Psycho S16 

BRODEKBUND 

Ancient Art of 

War at Sea 'S29 

Carmen San Diego 

Europe S29 

USA $29 

World $25 

Downhill Challenge ..519 

Jet Fighter: Adventure 532 

Karateka $6.88 

Lode runner S6.88 

Print Shop S36 

P.S. Companion $32 

P.S. Graphics 

Library Kl or "2 521 Ea. 

Science Tool Kit 549 

Space Racer $29 

Star Wars 525 

BUENA VISTA 

Roger Rabbil $25 

CENTRAL POINT 

Copy 2 523 

PC Tools Deluie 547 

CINEMAWARE 

Defender of the Crown$32 

Three Stooges S3! 

DATA EAST 

Bad Dudes S25 

Guerilla War 525 

Heavy Barrel Call 

Ikarl Warriors S25 

Karnov 525 

Lock On S25 

Platoon S25 

Scenery & Super Cars Disk at $14 Ea. 

Test Drive 2: The Duel 

List $44.95 


Over 50 New Titles Added This 

Month For Your IBM Or Compatible! 

Super Hang-on Call 

Victory Road $25 

DATASOFT 

Fire Zone 519 

Hum for Red October ,S32 

Time & Magik 526 

DAVIDSON 

Algeblaster $32 

Math Blaster Plus $32 

Reading & Me 524 

Word Attack Plus 532 

DF-SIGNWARE 

Designasaurus $25 

Jigsaw $25 

ELECTRONIC ARTS 

Software Classic Series: 

Arctic Fox $9.8a 

Lords of Conquest.. .$9.88 

Marble Madness . .. .59.88 

Pallon vs. Rommel . .$9.88 

World Tour Golf $9.88 

ELECTRONIC ARTS 

Bard's Tale 1 or 2 .S32 Ea. 

Chessmaster 2100 $32 

Chuik Veager's AFT. . .$26 

Deluxe Paint 2 S65 

Demon Stalkers $26 

Double Dragon 526 

Earl Weaver Baseball . .S26 

Empire $32 

[ordan vs. Bird 526 

Kings Beach Volleyball $26 

Modem Wars $26 

Scavengers $32 

Sentinel Worlds: 

Future Magic 532 

5kale or Die S23 

Starflight 532 

Strike Fleet S26 

Wasteland S32 

Zany Golf . $26 

EPYX 

California Game* $24 

Death Sivord $19 

Destroyer $14 

Dive Bomber 514 

Final Assault $14 

4x4 Off Road Racing. .514 

Home Video Producer. S32 

Impossible Mission 2 . .514 

Omnicron Conspiracy .Call 

Print Magic S39 

Sporting News Baseball524 

Street Sports Baseball .514 

Street Sports Basketbal!514 

Street Sports Soccer . .$14 

Sub Battle Simulator. .$14 

Summer Games 2 . . , . S14 

The Games: 

Summer Edition . . . .532 

Winter Edition 532 

Winter Games $14 

World Games $14 

GAMESTAR 

Champ. Baseball ...59.88 

Champ. Basketball . .$9.88 

GFL Ch. Football . . .$9.88 

Pelc Rose's Pennant Kver$29 

RM250 MolOCTOB , . .Call 

GAMETEK 

Candy Land $9.88 

Chutes & Ladders . .$9.88 

Double Dare $9.88 

Go To Head of ClassS9.8B 

Hollywood Squares .$9.88 

Super Password . . . .$9.88 

HI-TECH 

Desk Power 59.88 

Fun House Call 

Muppet Print Kit Call 

Print Power $9.88 

Remote Control Call 

Ses. St. Print Kit $9.88 

5es. St. Writing Kit .59.88 

Swim Wear $6.88 

Win, Lose or Draw . $B.88 

INFOCOM 

Battlelech $32 

Beyond Zork $9.88 

Hitchhikers Guide . .59.88 

Journey .Call 

Leather Goddesses. .$9.88 

Shogun Call 

Zork 1 $9.88 

Zork Trilogy $32 

Zork Zero Call 

LEARNING COMPANV 

Math Rabbil $25 

Reader Rabbit $25 

Think Quick! $32 

Writer Rabbil 532 

MECA 

Andrew Tobias: Managing 

Your Money S139 

MELBOURNE HOUSE 

lohn Elway's QB $19 

War In Middle Earth. 532 

MICHTROS 

Time Bandil $25 

MICROPROSE 

Airborne Ranger $25 

F-15 Strike Eagle 523 

F-19 Stealth Fighter . .$44 

Gunship $32 

Pirates $25 

Red Storm Rising $35 

Silent Service $23 

MINDSCAPE 

Balance of Power 1990532 

Captain Blood 525 

Combat Course S23 

Gauntlet $25 

Indiana Jones $25 

Infl Team Sports . . . .Call 

MISL Soccer $24 

Oul Run $23 

Paperboy $25 

Pole Position 2 $16 

Road Runner $25 

Shadowgate $29 

Space Harrier $25 

Super Star Ice Hockey 525 

Super Star Soccer .. . .$25 

Uninvited $25 

MY SOFTWARE 

My Label Maker $9.88 

My Mail List 59.88 

ORIGIN 

Moebius 525 

Times of Lore $25 

Ultima 1 or 3 $25 Ea. 

Ultima 4 or 5 $39 Ea. 

Ultima Trilogy $39 

POLARWARE 

Tracon $29 

Get out your fatigues 

& shine your boots. 

You've been drafted 

for a top-secret training 

camp for military elite. 

Fast paced action. 

Construction set option. 

Combat Course 

List $34.95 


POWER UP! 

Address Bonk Plus . . .565 

Calendar Creator Plus 532 

Labels Unlimited $39 

Name Tag Kit $65 

Name Thai Disk $32 

SHARE DATA 

Concentration $9.88 

Family Feud $8.88 

Icopardy $8.88 

Jeopardy 2 $9.B8 

Sports leopardy 58.88 

Wheel of Fortune . .58.88 

Wheel of Fortune 2 .S9.B8 

Wheel of Fortune 3 .S9.88 

SIERRA 

Black Cauldron $25 

Cold Rush $25 

King's Quest 

I, 2, 3 or 4 ... 532 Ea. 

Leisure Suit Larry . .. .$25 

Leisure Suit Larry =2 .$32 

Manhunler $32 

Mother Goose $19 

Police Quest 1 or 2 $32 Ea. 

Space Quest 1 or 2 532 Ea. 

3-D Helicopter Sim. . .$32 

Thpuder 523 

SIR TECH 

Deep Space 523 

Heart of Maelstrom ..$32 

Knight of Diamonds . .532 

Legacy of Lylgamin .. .532 

Proving Ground 532 

Return of Werdna $32 

SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE 

Falcon $32 

Solitaire Royale $23 

Telris $23 

SPINNAKER 

Backgammon 514 

mi i I'm r* i 

mi i iii h i\r\r 

HOUSE 

Tolkien's panoramic 

vision of the 

cataclysmic struggle 

between good & evil 

has been skillfully 

crafted into a game 

of epic proportions. 

War in Middle Earth 

List $49.95 

P.O. BOX 111327—DEPT. CP— BLAWNOX, PA 15238 

SDA Discount Price $32 

Eight in One $39 

Kindercomp Gold . .. .$25 

Resume Kit $25 

The Scoop $25 

T-Shirt Maker $9.88 

SPRINGBOARD 

Certificate Maker $24 

CM. Library »1 $19 

SSJ 

Demon's Winter Call 

First Over Germany . .Call 

Gettysburg $39 

Heroes of the Lance . . $26 

Hillsfar Call 

Mech Brigade $39 

Questron 2 $29 

Pool of Radiance $32 

Star Command $32 

Stellar Crusade $32 

War CamiiScnr. CEi)k> .iml Q-lm

Turn On Your 

Computer and 

Throw Open a 

Window onto 

the Wonders 

of Science 

88 COMPUTE! 

impact 

JL nA\/m n thoi 

DAVID D.THORNBURG 

The popular cartoon image of science 

depicts bespectacled men in white lab 

coats standing around a blackboard 

filled with equations and carries a caption 

like Here's the problem: It's x before y except 

after z. The reality of science is quite differ 

ent. During my ten years as a scientist, 

many of my colleagues were women, most 

of us didn't wear glasses, and we rarely 

stood in front of blackboards—we sat in 

front of computers. 

It's hard to imagine what scientific re 

search would be like if the computer had 

never been invented. Computers are used in 

all aspects of scientific research, from the 

acquisition of data to the development of 

abstract theories. 

Any experimental scientist will tell you 

that the most tedious part of the job is col 

lecting data. Typically, one measures a vari 

ety of parameters (resistance or blood 

pressure, for example) under varying condi 

tions (different voltage or sound levels, for 

instance) and then generates tables or graphs 

that depict the relationship (if any) between 

the stimulus and the response. It's not un 

common for a single experiment to generate 

thousands of data points. 

When data is taken by hand, the oppor 

tunity for writing numbers incorrectly is al 

ways present. And even if the numbers are 

recorded properly, that data usually goes 

into a computer program for analysis: more 

chances for error. Only by using a computer 

to capture data over long periods of time 

can errors be decreased. 

Inexpensive products for the personal 

computer, like Broderbund's Science Tool 

kit and Sunburst Communications' Explor 

ing Science, allow home computer users to 

conduct scientific experiments using auto 

mated data acquisition. 

Today's high school students, armed 

with personal computers, are exploring sci 

entific ideas that were beyond the reach of 

the best nineteenth-century scientists. Much 

of the excitement in scientific circles today 

revolves around exotic subjects like chaos— 

a branch of science with simple principles, 

but whose results remained obscure prior to 

the spread of computers. But now many of 

these fascinating theories can be explored 

outside the laboratory—by individuals 

using their personal computers. 

Historically, physicists and other scien 

tists developed theories laden with simpli 

fying assumptions in order to make the 

resulting equations simpler to compute by 

hand. The result was a collection of theories 

filled with various "fudge" factors designed 

to compensate for these simplifying assump 

tions. Scientists could often adjust these fac 

tors to allow a theory to fit any set of data 

that was handy—hardly the basis for a rigor 

ous proof. Now that computers allow scien 

tists to deal with the complexity and nonlinearity 

of the real world, theories of greater 

accuracy can be proposed and tested. 

Besides theoretical explorations, anoth 

er application for computers in the sciences, 

and one with a tremendous future, is simu 

lation. Computers allow us to construct 

microworlds based on certain assumptions. 

By monitoring the behavior of these 

microworlds over time, we can see what the 

long-term consequences of these assump 

tions might be. For example, simulations 

that show collisions of two galaxies over 

millions of years can be presented, in ani 

mated form, on a display screen in a few 

minutes. The popularity of simulation pro 

grams (often offered as games) reflects some 

of the power that can come from these 

microworlds. In any software store, one can 

find simulations of nuclear reactors, war, 

and aircraft flight—and recently even a sim 

ulation of an entire city. 

The growth of the home video market 

has opened even more doors for simulation 

and scientific exploration. Genlock cards 

allow images from videodisc or videotape to 

be blended or overlaid with computer 

graphics. An animated computer model of a 

skeletal structure can be superimposed on a 

video image of a walking person, for ex 

ample, to show how various bones move in 

relation to each other. Or. a teacher might 

use a videodisc to illustrate cell division to a 

class. During the presentation, the teacher 

can freeze the image and then label its parts 

with a drawing program. 

The impact of computers on science is 

tremendous, but another aspect of scientific 

computing is even greater. Personal comput 

ers have made science accessible to people 

who had felt intimidated by the field's ap 

parent abstractions. By allowing people to 

"mess around" with ideas and to play with 

those ideas until they make sense, the per 

sonal computer has greatly increased people's 

awareness of scientific issues. 

The personal computer helps to make 

abstract theoretical ideas tangible and con 

crete. It demystifies science without taking 

away any of its wonder, informing all of us 

with the miracle of our world. At a time 

when science and technology are playing an 

increasing role in private life, the need for 

an informed public has never been greater.

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Tandy® Computers: The broadest One of PCs in America. 

1000 HX 

The Tandy 1000 HX is one of the 

easiest-to-use PC compatibles ever. 

MS-DOS is built into memory. This 

"power-and-run" feature lets you in 

sert your program disk and go! 

The feature-packed 1000 HX is 

ready to run from day one. It includes 

a built-in 72OK Vh" disk drive and 

our exclusive Personal DeskMate 2 

applications software. 

Personal Deskmate 2 gives you 

seven great programs. Write with 

Text, prepare budgets with Work 

sheet, and store important data with 

i M II I II I rl,jm 

I I I I I 1 I I I I I 

I I 1 I I I I I I I I I 

I I I I I I I I 

Filer. There's an appointment calen 

dar, and a telecommunications pro 

gram for use with an optional modem. 

You can even exercise your creativity 

with the Music and Paint programs. 

Personal DeskMate 2's pull-down 

menus and pop-up dialogue boxes 

make it easy to use—add a mouse for 

"point and click" convenience! 

Of course, the 1000 HX also runs 

today's popular IBM® compatible soft 

ware. Choose from programs for your 

child's education, financial planning, 

exciting games, sophisticated word 

processing, and much more. 

- 

Still, the 

most affordable 

PC compatible 

with built'in 

MS-DOS® 

The Tandy 1000 HX. From the 

best-selling family of PC-compatibles 

made in America. 

I 

1 

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I 

I 

Send me a 1989 RSC-20 

computer catalog. 

Mail to: Radio Shack, Dept. 99-A-929 

300 One Tandy Center. Ft. Worth, TX 76103 

Name. 

Address. 

City 

Slate 

h pnone 

Phone 

Tandy Computers: Because there is no better value.7' Radio /hack 

MS-DOS/Reg. TM Microsoft Corp. IBM/Reg. TM IBM Corp. The Technology Store 

A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION 

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Such Adventure Such Danger Such Wonderfully Silly Fun 

YOU'RE IN DEEP PLASMA 

THIS TIME, ROGER WILCO! 

THERE MUST BE 

AN EASIER WAY TO 

MAKE A LIVING 

There's never a moment's rest for 

galactic heroes, and when you're Roger 

Wilco. space-age swashbuckler and all- 

around nice guy. the thrills just keep on 

coming. It seems there's always some kind of 

dangerous mess to clean up. 

This time it's those Two Guys from 

Andromeda, bestselling designers of Space 

Quest and Space Quest II. who have gone and 

gotten themselves foully abducted by the pesky 

pirates of Pestulon, those poaching parasites, 

those perverse perpetrators of petty mischief 

and putrid software. 

If Roger can't rescue the two guys from the 

bowels of the Scumsoft Software sironghold, 

his days as a popular adventure game character 

are definitely numbered. 

So it's simple, right? Just set course for 

Pestulon and storm the Gates of Scumsoft. 

Pilot your ship through the farthest reaches of space, using 

onboard computer to navigate between planets and defend 

yourselffrom enemy fighters. 

S*SIERRA 

Sierra Os line, inc • coafisegOld ca )wi* ■ raw WMHS 

t 

NOT SO FAST, SPACEWIPE! 

But the Two Guys don't write games for 

sissies. If you can't stomach being picked up 

like so much trash by a wandering garbage 

freighter, stalked by giant rubbish rats, ground 

into hamburger in the belly of the Mog, zapped 

by a scorpa/.oid in the deserts of Phleebhut, or 

deep-fried like a chimichanga on ihe planet 

Ortega, you'd better play one of those 

"nice' games. In Space Quest III. The 

Pirates of Pestulon, you're not likely 

to be shown any mercy. 

LIFE'S NOT EASY FOR HEROES 

Real heroes thrive on danger, and space- 

faring broomjockey and freelance good-guy 

Roger Wilco is no exception. Is he afraid of 

being fried by lightning in a megathunderstorm? 

Is he afraid of landing in the trash 

shredder in the depths of the intergalactic 

garbage truck? Is he afraid of finishing the 

Belcher Combo plate at Monolith Burger? You 

bet vour sweet asteroid! 

Check out ill the emj and absurd 

junk, er, uh, treasures at 

Fester Blali's wacky 

World of Wonders. 

ORIGINAL MUSIC FROM 

SUPERTRAMP'S BOB SIEBENBERG 

Space Quest 111 features the besl and most realistic 

.ound of any Space Quebi game. The exciting original 

music score and the more than (wo dozen realistic 

.ound effect!, must be heard to be believed. 

TRASH HEAPS OF PRAISE 

FOR OUR TWO GUYS 

Game reviewers throughout the 

galaxy love Space Quest games: 

"...humorous and challenging...", 

■'laugh-out-loud funny...", 

"genuinely entertaining...". "...A three 

dimensional graphic wonder..." 

■ Quest bust its 

Battle for your life in the arena with the ,\ukt 'em-Duke 'em 

robots. He's domi! He's up! This crowd is out for blood, and 

it might as veil be yours, 

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES? 

NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO FIND OUT 

But don't take their word for it - blast off 

for adventure, challenge, and laughs with 

Roger Wilco and the Two Guys from 

Andromeda in Space Quest III. Tiie Pirates of 

Pestulon. 

^

& LIGHT-YEARS! - TRS-80 Color Computer Archive

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