Cover of the premiere issue of Home Computer Magazine (1984)
Home Computer Magazine started life as TI99er which exclusively covered the the Texas Instruments TI-99 line of computers. With this issue (Volume 4, Number 1) it was re-branded and started covering the Commodore 64 and VIC-20, Apple II, and IBM PC (DOS) in addition to the TI-99. This issue was published some time in 1984 and includes:
Features
- Uncle Larry's Fiddle Tunes - Type-in folk songs for the Commodore 64, TI-99/4A and PCjr.
- Pocket Canon - More type-in music, this time for the TI-99/4A.
- TI-Writer Tutorial - The third part of a tutorial TI-Writer, a word processor for the TI-99/4A.
- I Write the Songs: Electronic Sheet Music - A type-in BASIC program for the TI-99/4A called Music Magic that lets you play, display, and save music.
- Just Assemble Melody: Music in Mini Memory - A type-in program that makes writing music on the TI-99/4A easier.
- PCjr: A Detailed Look Inside the Peanut's Shell - An overview of IBM's new PCjr. It was doomed to failure for a variety of reasons, including a terrible keyboard, incompatibility with PC parts, limited expansion ability, software compatibility issues, a relatively high price, and probably other reasons.
- 66 Keys to Graphics Success: A Primer for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 - A beginner's guide to the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.
- Have No Fear: Assembly Language Won't Byte, Part 3 - The third part in a beginner's assembly language tutorial for the TI-99/4A.
- Porsches and Other Pipedreams: Computer Assisted Savings - A type-in program for the Apple II, PCjr, Commodore 64 and VIC-20 that does things like calculating compound interest, payment plans, future value, and more.
Table of Contents from the premiere issue of Home Computer Magazine (1984)
LOGO Times
- What Is LOGO - It's a programming language.
- Lyrical LOGO - Recursion using LOGO.
Product Reviews
- Henpecked - A cartridge based Joust clone for the TI-99/4A featuring chickens.
- Hopper - A cartridge based Pengo clone for the TI-99/4A in which you control a kangaroo on a cargo ship trying to avoid capture.
- Zeus - A game inspired by Space Invaders for the Commodore 64 in which you must avoid lightning bolts from Zeus.
- Beach Head - This classic for the Commodore 64 plays kind of like a series of mini-games with a World War II theme. It is definitely among the best early games for the commodore 64.
- Gruds in Space - A sci-fi themed graphic adventure for the Apple II.
- Jumpman Junior - A cartridge version of this screen based platform game. The graphics were definitely simple but this game was a lot of fun (and also hard).
- Stellar Seven - A wireframe space combat sim for the Apple II.
- Coveted Mirror - A graphics adventure game for the Apple II with the somewhat unique feature for the time that the screens were animated.
Table of Contents from the premiere issue of Home Computer Magazine (1984) (continued)
Gameware Buffet
- Flak Attack - A type in game for the Apple II, Commodore 64, VIC-20, PCjr and TI-99/4A in which you must shoot down enemy aircraft.
- Slots - A type-in slot game simulator for the TI-99/4A.
- Meltdown - A type-in game in which you must prevent a nuclear power plant from melting down for the TI-99/4A.
Departments
- On Screen - TI exits the personal computer market and all about the changes in the magazine.
- Group Grapevine - News and upcoming events related to computer users groups.
- Letters to the Editor - Letters from readers including converting programs for the TI Editor/Assembler, the IBM PC vs. the IBM PCjr, and more comments on articles from previous issues.
- HCM Product News - TI announces two new games for the TI-99/4A (Symoids and Pirate's Isle); the Super Stik from Personal Peripherals; Persuasion, a strategy game from Orion Games for the PC; new printing service for TI users; Flight Simulator II from subLogic for the Commodore 64 and Atari; a new TI BASIC compiler; and much more.
- Tech Notes: TI - A guide to setting up data files on cassette for the TI-99/4A.
Back cover of the premiere issue of Home Computer Magazine (1984)
Check out my other Social Media haunts (though most content is links to stuff I posted on Hive or re-posts of stuff originally posted on Hive):
Wordpress: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/darth-azrael
X: https://x.com/Darth_Azrael
Blogger: https://megalextoria.blogspot.com/
Odyssee: https://odysee.com/@Megalextoria:b
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2385054
Daily Motion: https://www.dailymotion.com/Megalextoria
Books I am reading or have recently read:
Red Star Falling by Steve Berry.
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson
Mine Monero in your browser!
Earn Gridcoin while also helping various scientific projects by sharing your computer's idle CPU time!
