[author : Marlin Ouverson] #Edito
Extract : « Software piracy as an issue has inspired a predictable shower of editorial comments and disclaimers from every magazine and bulletin on the market. The tendency, unfortunately, appears to be defensive rather than showing genuine interest in the problem. It is as if, after publishing a standard note of abhorrence on the subject, editors consider the matter closed. [...] »
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Extract : « Strings in FORTH [...]
Softcost Software [...]
N-Logs [...]
Small-C Compiler [...] »
[author : H. T. Gordon] #Languages #Programming
Extract : « [...] The most important quality of an HLL [High-Level Language] is not speed or efficiency, but acceptability to a quite large number of users. I doubt that any HLL will ever be truly acceptable to everyone, even if its creator is a genius. I vaguely see that distinct types of HLL’s are possible. Within each type, optimizations are possible such that several different excellent designs could be made to work equally well. If so, only one design is needed, so that the number of exchangeable, complex programs will be maximized. Reduction in the number of widely-used HLL’s would also allow CPU designers to optimize "real" machines for one (perhaps even more than one) virtual machine. Minimizing variations at all levels makes possible economies of scale. CPU’s, systems, and complex programs would all cost less.
The cost of development of any innovation is minimized by extensive theoretical exploration. I am convinced that ultimate quality can be maximized by the participation of many human minds, including those of amateurs like me. We cannot see as far as experts do, but we may sometimes see things that their biases cause them to overlook. Most of our ideas will indeed be of no value, long ago evaluated and rejected by the cognoscenti. Any expert who bothers to read what we write will be utterly bored. What interests them is the work of other experts, and the needs of the rich and powerful minority within our society. That’s the IBM complex which dominates computer science. Big is beautiful.
The purpose of this note is to offer a purely theoretical extension of the "parametrized command" concept that arose from my earlier, casual study of FORTH. My hope is that it will be criticized (perhaps enhanced, perhaps rejected) for sound, logical reasons by more able minds than my own. [...] »
[author : John B. Palmer] #Computer #Review
Extract : « A few days ago, I received a Sinclair ZX80 in the mail. I took it out of the box and got it to work after finding a portable TV that would tolerate the Channel 2 output of the built-in VHF video modulator. I was pleased with the ZX80’s overall performance, but I was disappointed with the quality of the video display.
Before I give a rundown of all my likes and dislikes, let me first review what the Sinclair ZX80 is and what it is not. I hope this will aid others who may be thinking about the purchase of a personal computer in the $200 price range.
The ZX80, as you might guess, is built around a Z-80 microprocessor. It has a built-in 4K integer BASIC and 1K of RAM for programs you write. A very tiny keyboard is part of the 7 inch by 8-1/2 inch (about 21 mm by 19 mm) plastic wafer that encloses everything except the power supply. Connections for recorder, TV and power supply are on the backside, where the wafer thickens to 1-1/2 inches (3-1/2 mm).
As I mentioned earlier, the ZX80 comes with a VHF video modulator builtin and preset to Channel 2 for use in North or South America. (The ZX80 is made in England.) You also get a nice, 128 page operating manual that explains how to install the unit and how to program in Sinclair’s version of BASIC. [...] »
[author : T. J. Van Iderstine] #Listing #Assembly #Programming
Extract : « An enhancement to Microsoft BASIC Version 3.2 (8K version) to enable PEEK and POKE to any location in memory.
For four years now I have been running MITS ALTAIR BASIC Version 3.2 (Microsoft 8K version) with no major complaints. However, I recently expanded my ALTAIR 8800’s memory beyond the 32K point which created a problem with the PEEK and POKE functions.
In this early version of Microsoft BASIC, which many of us are still using, these two functions work only with addresses of less than 32768 (32K). [...] »
[author : Dave Caulkins and David C. Harris] #Networks #OnlineService
Extract : « The Personal Computer NETwork had its inception at the First West Coast Computer Faire. It marked the beginning of today's international movement toward computer networks. PCNET is the frontrunner in a field still largely dominated by Computer Bulletin Boards and other relatively simple systems.
The PCNET Project is conducting three principal activities. The most significant is the Personal Computer NETwork (PCNET) "protocol," [...]
The second activity, coordinated by Pat Cleland, is the "Electric Phone Book," a list of Bulletin Board Systems believed to be in operation. [...]
The third activity of the PCNET Project is the PAN electronic mail system, which we started distributing in early 1980. [...]
At the hardware level, PAN conforms to the Bell 103A standard operating at 300 baud. [...] »
[author : Greg Smith] #Listing #BASIC #Programming
Extract : « In order to save precious bytes and running time, program statements in several BASIC’s can be concatenated onto one line. [...]
One disadvantage of having concatenated programs is trying to debug or make changes. This is the reason that DECONCAT was written. DECONCAT is a program which will split concatenated program lines into their component statements, making each statement a separate line. [...] »
[author : P. L. WOODS] #Listing #Fortran #C #Programming #Book
Extract : « The author describes his experience of implementing the small C compiler in FORTRAN as a cross-compiler running on a large minicomputer, and describes a bug detected during the implementation. The bug permits an incorrect interaction between a function argument list and the type declarations for those arguments, resuiting in incorrect code being generated for references to function arguments. Corrective code is presented. [...] »
[author : Ray Duncan] #Memory #Diagnostic
Extract : « This Z-80 Memory Test for CP/M based systems is modeled after the exhaustive diagnostic programs used by minicomputer memory add-on manufacturers. Mode and area of memory tested are controlled from the keyboard. Failing locations are isolated to the bit level and audited on the console. Errors in mapping the logical address space to the physical memory are trapped by calculating and writing the entire data pattern before reading any locations. [...] »
[author : Michael Favitta] #Software #Review #Programming #DataManagement
Extract : « DB.BAS Ver. 2 is Holiday Software’s new release of their general file maintenance package. Those of you who read my review of Version 1 in Dr. Dobb’s #47 know I thought the idea was good, but the package was not what I considered complete. It also contained some serious errors. Ver. 2 of DB.BAS has corrected those errors along with adding capabilities which were lacking in the earlier version. [...] »
[author : Gene Head] #Software #Review #Programming
Extract : « ZDM is a Z-80 debugger and monitor program very similar to the debugger distributed with the CP/M operating system DDT. [...] »
#Experience
#Event #HealthCare #C #Programming #Software #TradeAndLaws #Office
Extract : « Papers are now being accepted for the Fifth Western Educational Computing Conference to be held in San Francisco on November 19-20. [...]
John Hopkins University is conducting a nationwide search for ideas and inventions to aid the handicapped through computer technology. [...]
Tiny-c two runs ten times faster than the original tiny-c, and includes new features like 32-bit integers, new operators, redirectable and direct access I/O, a UNIXtm-style command interpreter and more. [...]
The company will market non-HP software for their Series 80 machines through a catalog distributed to all HP dealers [...]
Personal Software Inc. has given Commodore International Ltd. exclusive license to reproduce, sell and distribute Visicalc outside the U.S. in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Danish. [...] »
#Book
Extract : « TRS-80 INTERFACING, BOOK 2 By Johathan A. Titus, Christopher A. Titus, and David G. Larsen Published by Blacksburg Continuing Education Series 254 pages, $9.95 [...]
Z8000 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING By Leventhal, Osborne and Collins Published by Osbome/McGraw-Hill 604 pages, $19.99 [...]
COMPUTER PERIPHERALS FOR MINI-COMPUTERS, MICROPROCESSORS & PERSONAL COMPUTERS By C. Louis Hohenstein Published by McGraw-Hill 312 pages, $19.50 [...]
CRT CONTROLLER HANDBOOK By Gerry Kane Published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill 184 pages, $6.99 [...] »
[author : Dick Greenlaw] #ComputerPortable
Extract : « [...] In summary, the pocket computer is very clever and should appeal to users of programmable calculators. It has trig and log functions and their inverses! However, it is a bit slow.[...] »