Byte (February 1984)
Cover of the February 1984 issue of Byte
Byte tended to be a technically oriented magazine that covered a large variety of computers. As the world moved more towards PC compatibility, its popularity faded. Some of the issues were massive, especially some of the earlier ones. This issue from February 1984 has nearly 550 pages and includes:
Cover Story
- The Apple Macintosh Computer - A review of the original Macintosh computer. The machine that popularized the GUI windowed interface and the desktop metaphor.
- An Interview: The Macintosh Design Team - An interview with Andy Hertzfield, Chris Espinosa, Joanna Hoffman, George Crowe, Bill Atkinson, and Jerry Manock.
Columns
- Build the Circuit Cellar Term-Mite ST Smart Terminal, Part 2: Programming - Software for the terminal introduced in the previous issue.
- User's Column: Chaos Manor Gets Its Long-Awaited IBM PC - Reviews of the IBM PC, Dedicate/32, Disk Doubler, Eagle 1600 Series, Final Word, Logimouse, Magic Keyboard Write, Spellbinder, Tactical Armor Command, Turbo Pascal, Wordstar, Zenith Z-100 Computer, and more.
- BYTE West Coast: A Business Computer, a Business Program, and More - A look at the Northstar Dimension, Microman integrated software package, and more.
Table of Contents from the February 1984 issue of Byte
Themes
- Don't Bench Me In - An examination of the meaningfulness of benchmarks.
- Beyond MIPS: Performance is Not Quality - A look at quality aspects of systems beyond just performance.
- Software Performance Evaluation - Some guidelines for evaluating software performance.
- The Age of Benchmarking Printers - Coming up with ways to measure performance of dot-matrix and daisy wheel printers.
- Benchmarking FORTRAN Compilers - Comparing FORTRAN compilers.
- Benchmark Confessions - A look at the subjective nature of benchmarks.
- The Word-Processing Maze - Evaluating the various new features found in modern word processors.
- Evaluating Word-Processing Programs - A 100-point checklist to help you choose the best word processor for you.
Reviews
- ProDOS - A new DOS for Apple II computers that adds support for hard drives and much more.
- Knowledgeman - An integrated management system that includes database and spreadsheet functionality.
- The IB CS-9000 Lab Computer - A machine from IBM consisting of an 8-MHz Motorola MC68000 CPU, 128K RAM, and more, designed for a lab environment and real time OS.
- The Rixon R212A Intelligent Modem - A Hayes compatible 1200bps modem for $499.
- Savvy - An intuitive suite of business applications in a unique hardware/software system for both the Apple II and IBM PC.
- The Micro-Sci Gameport III for the Apple III - An add-on card for the Apple III that makes the Apple III compatible with most Apple II games.
- The Videx Ultraterm - An add-in card for the Apple II that allows the display of up to 160 columns or 48 lines of text.
- Apple Disk Emulators: Axion, Legend, Pion, and Synetix - A comparison of four RAM disk emulators for the Apple II.
Table of Contents from the February 1984 issue of Byte (continued)
Features
- Apple Announces the Lisa 2 - The Lisa 2 was more of a revision to the original Lisa. It was marketed as the Macintosh XL.
- IBM/Apple Communications - Simple programs to transfer text files between the IBM PC and Apple II.
- A Low-Cost, Low Write-Voltage EEPROM - An inexpensive EEPROM that can be programmed with your PC.
- Foot Control - Adding a foot-operated control key to your keyboard.
- Inside a Compiler: Notes an Optimization and Code Generation - An article on compiler optimization with a particular look at evaluating Pascal/MT+86 and Pascal-86.
- Writing Device Drivers for MS-DOS 2.0 Using Tandon TM100-4 Drives - Being able to create your own device drivers was a new feature of MS-DOS 2.0.
- Deciphering Word Games - Two BASIC programs that can be used to solve cryptograms and anagrams.
- Five Original Graphics - Creating graphics with mathematical curves.
- Bubbles on the S-100 Bus - Make Micropolis MDOS and CP/M work with a bubble memory project from the previous issue.
- Calculating Overhead Costs by Computer - An arithmetic procedure for determining the distribution of indirect costs.
Nucleus
- Editorial: The Compatibility Craze - Concerns about IBM's affect on innovation in the PC market.
- MICROBYTES - Commodore plans UNIX like operating system for Z8000 based computers; IBM boosts production; Seagate and Vertext announce 100 megabyte hard drives; Intel introduces new RAM; and more.
- Letters - Letters from readers about Morrow Micro Decision, ANSI standards, public domain software, Supersoft, Radio Shack's TRS-80 Model 16, and more.
- Programming Quickie - A PASCAL program to validate input.
- Technical Forum - Using discrete Fourier transforms to benchmark your computer.
- Ask BYTE - Questions answered about interfacing the Apple II with robots, New Zealand TV standards, Dvorak terminals, Apple II display issues, upgrading an Exidy Sorcerer, modifying arcade games, power supplies, and more.
- Book Review - A review of Legal Care for Your Software by Daniel Remer.
- What's New? - Micro-Tax tax prep software, The Individual Tax Planner, Accountant's 1040 Preparation System, Northland Accounting's Taxiad for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64, and much more.
Back cover of the February 1984 issue of Byte
...and more!
Check out some of my other recent posts:
Vintage Photos - Lot 3 (253-256)
https://ecency.com/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-3-253
NFL Blitz (Nintendo 64)
https://ecency.com/hive-140217/@darth-azrael/nfl-blitz-nintendo-64
Vintage Photos - Lot 3 (249-252)
https://ecency.com/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-3-249
Computer and Video Games (September 1995)
https://ecency.com/retrogaming/@darth-azrael/computer-and-video-games-september-ac1a3abfa9e05
Vintage Photos - Lot 3 (245-248)
https://ecency.com/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-3-245
Pokemon Crystal (Game Boy Color)
https://ecency.com/hive-140217/@darth-azrael/pokemon-crystal-game-boy-color-866c3b78fdb01
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Books I am reading or have recently read:
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson
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Loving these magazine posts you make available. When I think I knew all of the publications from back in the day, I see you post about one I had either never known or had forgotten and I am transported back to that convenience store in Northern California and the MASSIVE magazine rack they available.
We didn't realize how good we had it back then.
Yeah, there is something to be said for anticipation vs. instant gratification. I enjoy making these posts because it gives me an excuse to go through all these magazines I have on my hard drive (or shelves in some cases).
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