| News |
| What's
news to us is probably
news to you: and this
time we've got our
hands on Commodore's
brand new modem for
the 64 ... among other
things! |
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| Show
time again |
| The
world's premier Commodore-only
exhibition runs from
7-9 June in London
- and we'll be there
in force. The exhibitors
will have the latest
games, the latest
add-ons, the newest
business software
for all the Commodore
computers: there'll
be Commodore itself,
of course, with its
new machines (and
some good 64 stuff
too): and there'll
be sideshows, like
the razmatazz from
Radio Luxembourg.
As a preview and taster,
here's a run-down
on the goodies you
can see at the Fifth
International Commodore
Show ... |
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| Aaaaargh!!!
The errors of your
ways |
| The
Vic and 64 are quick
to highlight your
mistakes by flashing
a veritable host of
error messages on
to the screen - but
that doesn't guarantee
you finding out where
you've gone wrong.
Here's a practical
guide to what the
computer might tell
you, in the shape
of an alphabetical
list of error messages:
what they mean ...
and what you might
be able to do about
them. |
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| Screen
scene for Vic |
| Happily,
new games for the
Vic keep on trucking
on. Here's our review
panel's regular and
highly critical look
at yet another batch. |
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| Vic
victuals |
| Another
batch of program-fodder
for your Vic. |
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| Butterfield
on 64 video - part
6 |
| This
time, Jim plunges
into more advanced
and technical waters
- split screens on
the 64. Has to be
seen to be believed,
and makes full use
of what he's already
taught us in previous
issues. Can you find
a better intro to
the 64's ways with
displays? No, you
can't. |
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| Machine-code
packages for Vic and
64: |
| three
head-to-head reviews |
| When
you've mastered Basic,
your next stride should
inevitably be towards
machin-code programming
- run faster, use
more of the computer's
facilities. And to
help you there are
plenty of ready-to-go
packages around to
choose from. David
Bolton indicates what
you should be looking
for from such products
and assembles three
of them for inspection:
User-friendly 6502
for Vic, Micro for
the 64, and Osirisan
for both. Which did
he prefer? |
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| Word
processing round-up
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| Chris
Durham takes a well-earned
breather from his
Herculean task of
reviewing WP packages
for the 64 - he's
done a dozen and there's
more to follow. But
it's time for a mid-term
report on the state
of play: is professional
word processing really
feasible on the 64?
What should you look
for in a word processor
- and what will you
have to pay? How do
the packages he's
reviewed already compare
with each other? |
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| Deals
for readers returns
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| bigger
and better! |
| The
early summer hiatus
in our mail-order
section is now over.
And we've been using
the time well - more
products, more discounts
to offer you. Like
a decent tape database
package at a good
price: like a very
fine assembler / monitor
/ editor package for
Vic and 64: like not
one but two Commodore
User cartridges for
the 64, one an excellent
set of toolkit commands
and the other with
a strong collection
of extensions to Basic
... and there's more! |
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| Screne
scene for the 64 |
| After
last issue's excursion
into disk-based games,
we're back to the
latest offerings on
tape. Some duds, but
also some champions
... |
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| 64
victuals |
| Among
this month's offerings
is a program that
allows you to draw
pictures on the 64's
screen in hi-res mode
- using a joystick. |
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| All
about wedges |
| Wedges
are very useful for
keeping doors open,
but there's more to
them than that. You
want to add extra
commands to Basic
for use in your program?
The Wonderful Wedge
lets you do just that.
Chris Preston shows
you how. |
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| Commodore's
seal of approval |
| The
Commodore Approved
Products Scheme started
about five years ago,
emblazoning its 'seal'
on selected Commodore-orientated
products from independent
suppliers. Is it a
rip-off? A gimmick?
A guarantee of respectability
for the suppliers?
A safeguard for the
users? Bohdan Buciak
found out how (and
if) the scheme works
- and ponders on whether
the accolade represents
any real value. |
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| The
Directory of Commodore
User |
| Groups
- part one |
| Whether
you're in Wonthaggi
or East Grinstead,
there are users eager
to share their computing
- and there'll be
a club with a Vic
and/or 64 bias just
waiting for you to
join. We've been collecting
and updating our information
on user groups in
Britain and abroad
- almost everywhere
except the USA, in
fact. We go Stateside
next issue. |
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| 64
Book Look |
| A
mixed bag of bibliophagistic
offerings this issue,
but something for
all tastes: yet another
attempt to provide
a definitive 64 handbook,
a book of programs
and for the uninitiated,
a general introduction
to personal computers. |
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| A
taste of Paramount |
| If
you're a small software
house, newly into
the games scene, you've
got to make all your
products count. Diminutive
Paramount Software
is majoring on the
Vic and 64, and is
looking for a small
range of best-sellers.
Bohdan Buciak took
the early train to
Stockton, to find
out how Paramount
intends to live up
to its name. |
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| Tommy's
Tips |
| No
respite for Tommy:
he continues to plough
indefatigably through
readers' queries.
This issue he looks
at the Vic's less-than-friendly
RS232 port, the 64's
screen display and
a 'Monopoly' program. |
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| Write
Away |
| Suggestions,
complaints, constructive
criticism - even paraise?
You write, we read. |
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