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HomePak
HomePak, published in 1984 by Batteries Included, is an integrated application written for the Atari 8-bit family and ported to the Commodore 64, Commodore 128, IBM PCjr, and Apple II. It includes a word processor (HomeText), database (HomeFind), and terminal communications program (HomeTerm). HomePak was designed by Russ Wetmore (who previously wrote the game '' Preppie!'') for Star Systems Software, Inc. The Commodore 128 version was ported by Sean M. Puckett and Scott S. Smith. The Atari 8-bit version of HomePak is implemented in the Action! programming language from Optimized Systems Software. Reception ''Ahoy!'' warned "don't expect more than you pay for", stating that while HomeText was "quite nice" and HomeTerm was "wonderful," HomeFile was "very disappointing. Anyone who needs to use the database for even a mildly sophisticated operation will be frustrated and confused ... a total mess". In a review of the HomeTerm portion of the package, Ron Luks wrote in a 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russ Wetmore
Russ Wetmore is an American computer programmer and video game designer best known for writing commercial games and applications for the Atari 8-bit family in the early to mid 1980s. His ''Frogger''-inspired '' Preppie!'' was published by Adventure International as well as its sequel. He stopped writing games after the video game crash of 1983 and developed the integrated '' HomePak'' productivity suite for Batteries Included. Education Interested in classical music, Wetmore majored in music composition at Morehead State University, from 1973–1975, until running out of money. Game development Wetmore met Scott Adams in 1981 and was hired to work for Adventure International as a liaison for external game authors. When he became interested in developing his own games, Adams loaned him an Atari 800. Wetmore's first commercial game was '' Preppie!'' (1982) for the Atari 8-bit computers, which merges the design of ''Frogger'' with the preppy fad of the early 1980s. He designed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Batteries Included (company)
Batteries Included was a computer software and hardware company based in the Toronto area. It developed products for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit family, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. The company was best known in the 1980s for its popular PaperClip word processor, which was available for the Atari 8-bit family and Commodore 64. Batteries Included was acquired by Electronic Arts in 1987. History Batteries Included was founded by siblings Alan Krofchick, Robbie Krofchick and Marcie Swartz in 1978 as a calculator and personal computer retail store. The hand-held electronic devices they sold were always advertised as "batteries not included," so they included the batteries for free and named themselves Batteries Included. The company began to develop its own computer software and hardware and became a multimillion-dollar multi-faceted company, charging its way into the international computer software and accessory market. Michael Reichmann joined the company in its early years a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Preppie! (video Game)
''Preppie!'' is an action video game for the Atari 8-bit family published by Adventure International in 1982. It was programmed by Russ Wetmore of Star Systems Software, whose name is prominently displayed on the box cover. Leaning on the preppy trend of the early 1980s, the game follows prep schooler Wadsworth Overcash as he navigates the hazards of a country club to retrieve golf balls. ''Preppie!'' borrows heavily from Konami's ''Frogger'', with lanes of traffic in the bottom half of the screen and a river crossing the top portion. Alligators are an element from both ''Frogger'' and preppy fashion; an open-mouthed gator is the icon of shirt brand Izod. Reviewers recognized the game as derivative, but called the music and visuals some of the best for Atari 8-bit computers. ''Preppie!'' was followed by a maze game, ''Preppie! II'', from the same author in 1983. In January 2016, Russ Wetmore released the source code for both games. Gameplay Like ''Frogger'', the player must cr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atari 8-bit Family Software
Many pieces of software were available for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers (the 400/800, XL, and XE series). Software was sold both by Atari, Inc. (then Atari Corporation starting in mid-1984) and third parties. Atari also distributed software through the Atari Program Exchange from 1981 to 1984. After APX folded, many titles were picked up by Antic Software. Programming languages Assembly language Atari, Inc. published two assemblers. The Atari Assembler Editor cartridge is a friendlier, integrated development environment using line numbers for editing source code similar to Atari BASIC. The professionally targeted Atari Macro Assembler shipped at a higher price on a copy protected disk without editor or debugger. Third-party assemblers include SynAssembler from Synapse Software and MAE (Macro Assembler Editor) from Eastern House. Optimized Systems Software published an enhanced disk-based assembler mimicking the structure of Atari's Assembler Editor as EASMD (Edi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Action Programming Language
Action! is a procedural programming language and integrated development environment written by Clinton Parker for the Atari 8-bit family. The language, which is similar to ALGOL, compiles to high-performance code for the MOS Technologies 6502 of the Atari computers. Action! was distributed on ROM cartridge by Optimized Systems Software starting in 1983. It was one of the company's first bank-switched 16 kB "Super Cartridges". Parker, working with Henry Baker, had previously developed Micro-SPL, a systems programming language for the Xerox Alto. Action! is largely a port of Micro-SPL concepts to the Atari with changes to support the 6502 processor and the addition of an integrated fullscreen editor and debugger. Action! was used to develop at least two commercial products—the ''HomePak'' productivity suite and '' Games Computers Play'' client program—and numerous programs in ''ANALOG Computing'' and ''Antic'' magazines. The editor inspired the PaperClip word processo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ANALOG Computing
''ANALOG Computing'' (an acronym for Atari Newsletter And Lots Of Games) was an American computer magazine devoted to the Atari 8-bit family of home computers. It was published from 1981 until 1989. In addition to reviews and tutorials, ''ANALOG'' printed multiple programs in each issue for users to type in. The magazine had a reputation for listings of machine language games–much smoother than those written in Atari BASIC—and which were uncommon in competing magazines. Such games were accompanied by the assembly language source code. ''ANALOG'' also sold commercial games, two books of type-in software, and access to a custom bulletin-board system. Originally the title as printed on the cover was ''A.N.A.L.O.G. 400/800 Magazine'', but by the eighth issue it changed to ''A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing''. Though the dots remained in the logo, it was simply referred to as ''ANALOG'' or ''ANALOG Computing'' inside the magazine. While the program listings were covered under the m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apple II Software
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ''Malus sieversii'', is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were brought to North America by European colonists. Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse, Greek, and European Christian tradition. Apples grown from seed tend to be very different from those of their parents, and the resultant fruit frequently lacks desired characteristics. Generally, apple cultivars are propagated by clonal grafting onto rootstocks. Apple trees grown without rootstocks tend to be larger and much slower to fruit after planting. Rootstocks are used to control the speed of growth and the size of the resulting tree, allowing for easier harvesting. There are more ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Word Processors
A word processor is an electronic device (later a computer software application) for text, composing, editing, formatting, and printing. The word processor was a stand-alone office machine in the 1960s, combining the keyboard text-entry and printing functions of an electric typewriter with a recording unit, either tape or floppy disk (as used by the Wang machine) with a simple dedicated computer processor for the editing of text. Although features and designs varied among manufacturers and models, and new features were added as technology advanced, the first word processors typically featured a monochrome display and the ability to save documents on memory cards or diskettes. Later models introduced innovations such as spell-checking programs, and improved formatting options. As the more versatile combination of personal computers and printers became commonplace, and computer software applications for word processing became popular, most business machine companies stopped manufa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antic Software
Antic Software was a software company associated with ''Antic'', a magazine for the Atari 8-bit family of computers. Bound into issues of the magazine, the Antic Software catalog initially sold Atari 8-bit games, applications, and utilities from the recently defunct Atari Program Exchange. Original submissions were later added, as well as public domain collections, with all software provided on self-documented disk. When the Atari ST was released, it became a mixture of Atari 8-bit and Atari ST software and sold some major Atari ST titles such as CAD-3D. The magazine insert changed names several times, eventually being branded as ''The Catalog''. ''Antic'' assistant editor Gigi Bisson wrote in the May 1986 issue that, " ntic Softwarekept the magazine afloat during the lean year," referring to the period following Atari, Inc.'s financial collapse. History When the Atari Program Exchange (APX) was shut down by Atari CEO James J. Morgan in 1984, Gary Yost convinced ''Antic'' ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rolodex
A Rolodex is a rotating card file device used to store business contact information. Its name, a portmanteau of the words ''rolling'' and ''index'', has become somewhat genericized (usually as ''rolodex'') for any personal organizer performing this function, or as a metonym for the total of an individual's accumulated business contacts. In this usage, it has generally come to describe an effect or characteristic of the small-world network of a business's investors, board of directors, or the value of a CEO's contacts, or in organizational structure. The Rolodex is iconic enough as a piece of ubiquitous business furniture that it has been shown in the Smithsonian. History The Rolodex was invented in 1956 by Danish engineer Hildaur Neilsen, the chief engineer of Arnold Neustadter's company Zephyr American, a stationery manufacturer in New York. Neustadter was often credited with having invented it. First marketed in 1958, it was an improvement to an earlier design called the ''Whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AtariWriter
AtariWriter is a word processor program for the Atari 8-bit family released by Atari as a 16 kB ROM cartridge in 1983. The program was fast and easy to use, while still allowing the creation of fairly complex documents. It was a huge success for the platform, with at least 800,000 examples sold not including international versions and later updates. Atari had introduced its first branded word processor in 1981, Atari Word Processor. Reviews invariably lauded its features but concluded it was too difficult to use and its system requirements were too demanding. During the process of introducing new models of the computers, the XL series, the decision was made to abandon Word Processor in favour of a simpler program that would run on any machine. This led to them hiring William Robinson, author of Datasoft's Text Wizard, and having him to modify the program to run from a cartridge. Highly positive reviews in all major magazines quickly followed its release. The only major concer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Page 6
''Page 6'' (subtitled ''Atari Users Magazine'' and later known as ''Page 6 Atari User'', then ''New Atari User'') was an independent British publication aimed at users of Atari home computers. It was published between 1982 and 1998. The magazine supported both the Atari 8-bit family and later the Atari ST models. History The magazine had its origins in the newsletter of the Birmingham User's Group, an independent Atari club based in England. Les Ellingham was appointed to be the editor of the newsletter, but decided to produce a magazine with broader appeal instead. He remained editor of ''Page 6'' throughout its entire run of 85 issues. Although subscription-only for most of its life, it was available through newsagents during the late 1980s and early 1990s. When ''Database'' ceased publication of the original ''Atari User'' magazine in 1988, ''Page 6'' bought the rights (and subscriber list), and renamed their magazine, firstly to ''Page 6 Atari User'' in February 1989 and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
