The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1985

418 Pages·2014·53.11 MB·English

The Addison-Wesley Book
of
Atari Software
1985

The Addison-Wesley Book
of
Atari Software
1985
by
Dennis L. Foster
and the editors of
The D. L. Foster Book Company
&
'Y'Y
Addison-WesleyPublishingCompany, Inc.
Reading,Massachusetts MenloPark,California
DonMills,Ontario Wokingham, England Amsterdam
Sydney Singapore Tokyo Mexico City Bogota
Santiago SanJuan
MarshallHenrichs,CoverDesign
D.L. FosterBookCompany,InteriorDesign
Copyright© 1985bytheD.L.FosterBookCompany
Allrightsreserved. Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,
inanyformorbyanymeans, electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise, withouttheprior
written permissionofthePublisher.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica. PublishedsimultaneouslyinCanada.
Manyofthedesignationsusedbymanufacturersand sellerstodistinguish theirproductsareclaimedastrade-
marks.Wherethosedesignationsappearinthisbook andAddison-Wesleywasawareofatrademarkclaim,
thedesignationshavebeenprintedininitialcapsi.e.Atari.
ISBN 0-201-12019-4
Printedfrom camera-ready
ABCDEFGHIJ-AL-8987654 mechanicalssuppliedby
Firstprinting,November1984 theauthors.
The Editors
Managing Editor Dennis L. Foster
Associate Editors Susan Murany
Kelly Brassel
Adrienne Arnold
Contributing Editors Pat Dervin, Ph.D
John Dervin, M.D.
John Byrne
Alex Humphrey
Research Associates Dawn Foster
Kevin Robins
Gail Frazier-West
Design Michael Harman

Foreword
When a novelist in Sonoma
County, California wakes with
the embers of dawn, she throws
on a robe, heats the teapot, and
switches on the personal com-
puter sitting atop the kitchen
counter. Not long ago, she
couldn't have told you the dif-
ference between a daisy wheel
and a magnolia leaf. Today she'll
finish up her latest romance
manuscript with a full screen text
editor compatible with her pub-
lisher's typesetting equipment.
When a salesman in New
Jersey finally earned his promo-
tion to an executive position at
his company's headquarters in
Houston, he opened the phone
book to the Yellow Pages. Call-
ing around, he quickly located a
book dealer who stocked a
popular computer software guide.
Three days later, his family move
had been completely budgeted
down to the penny. Today, he's
successfully relocated in an af-
fluent Houston suburb with all
his tax deductible expenses
securely organized on a floppy
diskette only five and one-quarter
inches in diameter.
When a chef in New Orleans
throws his weary frame into a
soft leather recliner after a hectic
weekend in the kitchen, the next
thing he does is to slide a diskette
into his home computer's disk
drive. As the subtle glow of the
monitor lights up his eyes, a craf-
ty smile creases his face. Tapping
at the keyboard, he frantically base of clients and customers. As
manipulates an animated barbe- a consultant in computer science
que grill across a neatly trimmed and education, I've personally
lawn. Had he not found our reviewed several hundred pro-
book, this chef might never have grams in installation. As a soft-
grilled a single alien hamburger ware seller and developer, I've
patty from outer space. had to master and implement
All these folks - and 10 hundreds more. Through affilia-
million other Americans - have tion with computer learning cen-
at least one thing in common. ters, I've been fortunate to
They use computers. These three develop important inroads in
particular individuals from educational software. As a con-
opposite corners of the nation tributing editor to computer trade
share another trait: each found a journals (and as the author of
computer program for a very this book), I continually receive
special need by consulting the new software for evaluation from
software evaluations contained in nearly every reputable producer.
this book. Many of our evaluations were
Why this book in particular? contributed by users, educators,
Our reviews focus on factors executives, and professionals,
that are important to the user, no and others were conducted by
matter what the intended applica- paid researchers. But one of our
tion. You'll find more than most important objectives is to
names and prices in this book. make every review concise,
You won't find promotional readable, and free of computer
descriptions written by a software gobbledy-gook.
company's ad man. What you'll It is only fitting to thank and
find are subjective evaluations acknowledge the numerous soft-
conducted by specialists in ware suppliers who graciously
business, finance, education, submitted new products to evalu-
health care, law, computer ate for this 1985 edition, as well
science, and the arts. as those who rearranged their
The D. L. Foster Book Com- schedules to accommodate our
pany first began building a analysts.
comprehensive data base of We sincerely believe this volume
microcomputer software in 1979. to be the most valuable guide to
Over the last six years the infor- microcomputer software currently
mation pool has continually in print. Of course, we're equally
swelled not only in size but in sincere in our desire to build and
scope and detail as well. The improve future editions. The
sources include numerous busi- editors welcome feedback and
ness associates in a wide range of suggestions from all our readers,
industries and an equally large as well as information about new
software products that might the real architect of the Computer
make the" Addison-Wesley 500" Revolution.
in the future.
This book is dedicated to you, Dennis L. Foster