BASIC
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There were many computer magazines featuring BASIC programs in addition to the already-mentioned ''Dr. Dobb's.'' Others included ''Byte'', ''Creative Computing'', ''Compute!'', ''RUN'', and ''Rainbow.'' ''Creative Computing'' was a significant early magazine for microcomputer users interested in exploring computing. Founded by David H. Ahl, who also wrote some ground-breaking books, this magazine for the home computer hobbyist was launched in 1974 and published until 1985. | There were many computer magazines featuring BASIC programs in addition to the already-mentioned ''Dr. Dobb's.'' Others included ''Byte'', ''Creative Computing'', ''Compute!'', ''RUN'', and ''Rainbow.'' ''Creative Computing'' was a significant early magazine for microcomputer users interested in exploring computing. Founded by David H. Ahl, who also wrote some ground-breaking books, this magazine for the home computer hobbyist was launched in 1974 and published until 1985. | ||
| − | As ''Creative Computing'' was nearing the end of its run, other magazines were just getting started. One was ''RUN,'' (1984-1992) a monthly magazine published by IDG Communications that is significant in the current context for including a version of 10 PRINT in its pages. Like many later-phase microcomputer magazines, ''RUN'' was platform specific: It focused on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20. A German edition of ''RUN'' was published as well, and ''ReRUN'' disks made programs in the magazine available for purchase in machine-readable format. Another home computer magazine of this era was ''Compute!'' (1979-1994), which began as ''Pet Gazette,'' a 1978 magazine put together by Len Lindsay that was specific to the Commodore PET computer. In July 1983, that magazine launched a spin-off publication, ''COMPUTE!'s Gazette,'' which was for Commodore 64 and VIC-20 owners specifically and included programs for these computers. In the UK there were several other magazines for Commodore users, including ''Zzap! 64'', ''Commodore User'', and ''Commodore Format''. The last of these, which focused on the Commodore 64, did not start publishing until October 1990. This magazine was not about BASIC or learning to program, however. It focused on gaming and offered game news, reviews, and cheats, with its "Powerpack" tape including full games and demos for subscribers to run. | + | As ''Creative Computing'' was nearing the end of its run, other magazines were just getting started. One was ''RUN,'' (1984-1992) a monthly magazine published by IDG Communications that printed a version of 10 PRINT in its pages. Like many microcomputer magazines, ''RUN'' was platform specific: It focused on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20. A German edition of ''RUN'' was published as well, and ''ReRUN'' disks made programs in the magazine available for purchase in machine-readable format. Another home computer magazine of this era was ''Compute!'' (1979-1994), which began as ''Pet Gazette,'' a 1978 magazine put together by Len Lindsay that was specific to the Commodore PET computer. In July 1983, that magazine launched a spin-off publication, ''COMPUTE!'s Gazette,'' made for Commodore 64 and VIC-20 owners specifically. In the UK there were several other magazines for Commodore users, including ''Zzap! 64'', ''Commodore User'', and ''Commodore Format''. The last of these, which focused on the Commodore 64, did not start publishing until October 1990. This magazine was not about BASIC or learning to program, however. It focused on gaming and offered game news, reviews, and cheats, with its "Powerpack" tape including full games and demos for subscribers to run. |
While magazines were ready and regular sources of new programs, many also found enjoyable code in books. David H. Ahl's influential and early compilation, ''101 Basic Computer Games'', was first published in 1973 by the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Though not the first book of computer games, it was the first to collect only games in BASIC. It contains a listing of games, a sample run of each game, and usually a short description of each game. It also acknowledges who wrote each game (there were many contributors) and names earlier sources, if any, for games. The program's "computer limitations" are described so users understand the hardware requirements. Illustrations, courtesy of ''Mad Magazine'' among others, punctuate the presentation -- a rather playful presentations for a corporate publication from a 1970s computer company. The game's titles are abbreviated into names that look rather cryptic today but could be generally used as filenames, since they did not exceed six letters. For instance, there was ACEYDU for "Acey Ddeucy CArd Game"; AMAZIN for "Draw a Maze"; or POET for "Random Poetry (Haiku)." The preface makes a point of teasing out the educational value of playing and creating games and the need for "unguided learning." DEC continued to publish a version of this book after Ahl left in 1974 -- just without Ahl's name on it. | While magazines were ready and regular sources of new programs, many also found enjoyable code in books. David H. Ahl's influential and early compilation, ''101 Basic Computer Games'', was first published in 1973 by the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Though not the first book of computer games, it was the first to collect only games in BASIC. It contains a listing of games, a sample run of each game, and usually a short description of each game. It also acknowledges who wrote each game (there were many contributors) and names earlier sources, if any, for games. The program's "computer limitations" are described so users understand the hardware requirements. Illustrations, courtesy of ''Mad Magazine'' among others, punctuate the presentation -- a rather playful presentations for a corporate publication from a 1970s computer company. The game's titles are abbreviated into names that look rather cryptic today but could be generally used as filenames, since they did not exceed six letters. For instance, there was ACEYDU for "Acey Ddeucy CArd Game"; AMAZIN for "Draw a Maze"; or POET for "Random Poetry (Haiku)." The preface makes a point of teasing out the educational value of playing and creating games and the need for "unguided learning." DEC continued to publish a version of this book after Ahl left in 1974 -- just without Ahl's name on it. | ||
