TRS-80.org » 80 Micro http://www.trs-80.org TRS-80.org is a source for information about the Radio Shack TRS-80 line of computers, hardware, and software, with articles, interviews, and more! Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:36:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 80 Microcomputing http://www.trs-80.org/80-microcomputing/ http://www.trs-80.org/80-microcomputing/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:38:06 +0000 Matthew Reed http://www.trs-80.org/80-microcomputing 80 Microcomputing, also known as 80 Micro, was the most famous of the TRS-80 magazines and the best remembered. It was the first of the platform-specific computer magazines to become very popular, creating a model that many other magazines followed. Harry McCracken, former editor-in-chief of PC World, described PC World as “essentially an 80 Micro clone that happened to be about Windows, not TRS-80’s.”

80 Microcomputing published for 101 issues from January 1980 to June 1988, plus one special anniversary issue in 1983. With the combined June/July 1982 issue, 80 Microcomputing was renamed to 80 Micro and the cover date was advanced one month.

The magazine was very successful and spawned:]]> http://www.trs-80.org/80-microcomputing/feed/ 11 The Assembly Line http://www.trs-80.org/the-assembly-line/ http://www.trs-80.org/the-assembly-line/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:39:56 +0000 Matthew Reed http://www.trs-80.org/the-assembly-line/ 80 Microcomputing. It was written by William Barden, well known for his books about assembly language such as the Z80 Microcomputer Handbook, TRS-80 Assembly Language Programming, and Programming Techniques for Level II BASIC. The first “Assembly Line” column began with these words:

This is the first of what I hope will be many columns devoted to TRS-80 assembly language programming. Judging from articles I’ve read and comments I’ve heard at users’ groups, many of you are interested in assembly language. I’ll provide tutorial material on the more difficult aspects of assembly-language routines that you can use with BASIC programs or other assembly-language code.

]]> http://www.trs-80.org/the-assembly-line/feed/ 2 Computer User http://www.trs-80.org/computer-user/ http://www.trs-80.org/computer-user/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:06:55 +0000 Matthew Reed http://www.trs-80.org/computer-user/ Computer User was a short-lived TRS-80 magazine created by the publishers of Interface Age, a popular computer magazine that began in 1976. (There was no relationship with another non-TRS-80 magazine named Computer User, which still exists at ComputerUser.com.)

Unlike many other TRS-80 magazines, Computer User was a professional, glossy publication from its first issue in November 1983. It was heavily promoted, with promotional copies of the premiere issue sent to subscribers of competing magazines.

Computer User was clearly aimed as competition to 80 Micro, the leading TRS-80 magazine at the time, and the dissatisfaction many felt with the changes that had been made to the magazine. Robert S. Jones, the publisher of Computer User and Interface Age, wrote in the premier issue:]]> http://www.trs-80.org/computer-user/feed/ 1 How popular were the TRS-80 magazines? http://www.trs-80.org/how-popular-were-the-trs-80-magazines/ http://www.trs-80.org/how-popular-were-the-trs-80-magazines/#comments Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:49:06 +0000 Matthew Reed http://www.trs-80.org/how-popular-were-the-trs-80-magazines/ 80 Microcomputing, later 80 Micro, was the most popular of the TRS-80 magazines. It was ranked the seventh fastest growing magazine in 1982 and was the third thickest magazine that year. (Those figures were for all magazines, not just computer magazines.)

80 Microcomputing began publishing in 1980, and its circulation rose steadily until it topped 124,000 readers in 1983. Circulation began a slow decline after that although subscriptions picked up slightly in 1985.]]> http://www.trs-80.org/how-popular-were-the-trs-80-magazines/feed/ 0 The Next Step http://www.trs-80.org/the-next-step/ http://www.trs-80.org/the-next-step/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:45:09 +0000 Matthew Reed http://www.trs-80.org/the-next-step/ 80 Micro. Originally conceived as a five part column about integrating BASIC and assembly language, “The Next Step” went on to become one of the longest running columns in the magazine.

The focus of “The Next Step” was programming the TRS-80 in assembly language. It covered the Model I and Model III at first, but had largely switched to the Model 4 by 1984. The name was a reference to assembly language as being the next step beyond BASIC, as was stated in the first column:]]> http://www.trs-80.org/the-next-step/feed/ 0 The Gamer’s Cafe http://www.trs-80.org/the-gamers-cafe/ http://www.trs-80.org/the-gamers-cafe/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:02:44 +0000 Matthew Reed http://www.trs-80.org/the-gamers-cafe/ 80 Micro magazine. It first appeared in the November 1982 issue near the height of the TRS-80 game market and ran until April 1984. “The Gamer’s Cafe” had some similarities to “Captain 80,” a column written by Bob Liddil that premiered in the first issue of 80 Microcomputing in 1980 and later appeared in 80-U.S. Journal.

With only a few exceptions, “The Gamer’s Cafe” was written by the fictional character of Rodney Gambicus. The column started when Rodney and his friend Winthrop Luzerdraw decided to travel the country in a Ford Econoline van. They filled the van with TRS-80 computers and games, including multiple Model I’s, Model III’s, Color Computers, and two Pocket Computers that the Radio Shack dealer threw in as part of the deal. They also had a PMC-80 which they described as a “PMC ½.” Their plan was to stop at various locations around the country, put out tables, and let people play TRS-80 games, literally a “Gamer’s Cafe.”]]> http://www.trs-80.org/the-gamers-cafe/feed/ 7