Buyer's Guide
New Products
JOYTYPER-400 (keyboard)Microtronics, Inc.
P.O. Box 8894
Fort Collins, CO 80525
(303) 226-0108
$129.95
This 800-style keyboard mounts on the ATARI 400, replacing the membrane keyboard. Joytyper-400 plugs into the computer - no soldering required. The metal case mounts with adhesive pads, is painted Atari beige, and has a slim appearance.
Miner 2049er (game)
Big Five Software
P.O. Box 9078-185
Van Nuys, CA 91409
(213) 782-6861
$49.95 Cartridge
Dig this maneuver game. The player, a miner, scores points and stays alive by exploring sections of the mine, gathering goods left behind by others, and by crunching "mutants" in their weaker moments. There are ten sections to the mine, each more difficult than the last. The easier sections are even suitable for adults. Cartridge loading makes this a convenient game to play.
I Talk II (speech synthesizer)
Greenbrier Marketing, Inc.
8225 East Rovey
Scottsdale, AZ 85253
(602) 948-0005
$199.00 16K Diskette or Cassette versions
This speech synthesizer is a hardware item with supporting software on either cassette or disk. It uses Ports 3 and 4 and the parallel connector, for a plug-in-and-go readiness. I Talk II speaks while screen display and other sounds are executed, and uses less system memory space than other synthesizers. Designed specifically for the ATARI computers, it is compatible with all other peripherals and never needs to be disconnected.
AAARRRGGG!!!
Android Attack
Starbase Assault (games)
Pretzelland Software
2005 Whittaker Rd.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
$18.95 each
16K-Cassette, 24K Diskette
AAARRRGGG!!! is a game of tag. You're "it" against opponents that appear, then disappear, on the screen. One runs away from you, and some are "poison." Level of difficulty is selectable.
Android Attack is a maze hunt in a nuclear reactor nearing meltdown. The player must negotiate the maze against the opposition of a robot security force, find the valve, flood the maze and escape. Players shoot ala Berzerk.
In Starbase Assault you are the target ~n center screen with protective shields against the torpedoes of attacking spaceships. When your shie]ding force is gone, so are you. Score points by destroying your attackers and stay alive as long as you can.
Hodge Podge (educational)
Artworx Software Co.
150 N. Main St.
Fairport, N.Y. 14450
(800) 828-6573
$19.95 Diskette
Small children should love this "game." Any keystroke calls up a different screen of animated characters in full color and sound.
Other recent Artworx programs for the ATARI include: Hazard Run (car driving), 16K, $27.95; Beta Fighter (two-player Mars war), 16K, $16.95; Drawpic (create and store color graphics), 16K, $29.95; "T" (text display program), 16K, $17.95; Predictor (multilinear regression), $29.95; and Forest Fire Two (put out fire), 24K, $16.95.
Filemanager + (data base program)
Synapse Software
5327 Jacuzzi St., Ste. 1
Richmond, CA 94804
(415) 527-7751
$125.00 40K-Diskette BASIC cartridge required
This upgraded data base program adds computed fields and numerical sorts to the earlier Filemanager 800, with which it is fully compatible. Filemanager + also allows merging entires with Text Wizard from DataSoft. It can also be used with the Axlon RAMDISK. Synapse will soon offer a companion program, Trendmanager, a comprehensive graphics and forecasting program.
Smartmodem 1200 (modem)
Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
5835 Peachtree Corners
East Norcross, GA 30092
(404) 449-8791 $699.00
Hayes piles another chip on its stack with this new 1200 baud intelligent modem. It will also handle data transmissions from 0 through 300 baud.
Smartmodem 1200 is compatible with the Bell 212A and the RS-232C standards, and can intermix touchtone and pulse dialing. It is "intelligent," in that it will respond to any programming language, even English word codes. It has autodial and autoanswer features, and the user can monitor the line aurally through a TV speaker. The modem automatically redials when encountering busy signals.
The product is designed to match previous units for a modular, uncluttered look. Status lights on the front panel keep the user informed of all functions.
Cosmic Balance (game)
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
465 Fairchild Drive, Suite 108
Mountain View, CA 94043
(415) 964-1353 $39.95 Diskette, 48K
This game simulates space war of the war-game variety. The player, as commander, chooses many variables before combat, each affecting the outcome of his battle. There is no "best" strategy, just compromises and tradeoffs, that may or may not be justified when battle is joined.
A sophisticated game, it can nevertheless be played quickly, either solitaire or against another player.
EPRQM Burner (2516 or 2532)
ELCOMP, Inc.
53 Redrock Lane
Pomona, CA 91766
(714) 632-8314
$249.00
EPROM means Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. EPROM burners are the devices that make cartridges. If you have created a program and want to make a cartridge version the program can be "burned" into EPROMS (the 2516 or 2532) with this product.
ELCOMP's burner attaches to the ATARI's gameports and comes with operational software.
ELCOMP also sells an inexpensive interface kit ($19.95) to connect the ATARI gameports to an EPSON printer without using the 850 interface.
Preparing for the SAT (education)
Program Design, Inc.
11 Idar Court
Greenwich, CT 06830
(203) 661-8799
$125.00 Cassette, 16K
A set of six cassettes prepares students to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and other educational or IQ tests. Topics covered by the cassettes include "Taking Aptitude Tests," "Vocabulary Building," "Analogies," "Number Series," and "Quantitative Comparisons." Some cassettes are available individually.
Each cassette loads into the ATARI 400 or 800 and presents a simulated testing situation. Users are familiarized with typical testing techniques, and trained for high performance. A printed manual "Making the Grade" accompanies the set.
Baylis Big Stick (joystick)
Torry Engberg Smith Co.
P.O. Box 1075
Glendale, CA 91209
(213) 247-6484
$39.95
Now that's a sturdy joystick! The Baylis Big Stick brings arcade level response and durability to the ATARI game player. This is the same mechanism used in arcade machines. Inside, reed switches translate movement into signals for the controller port. Fire button has quick, positive response. Comes in right or left handed versions.
ACR (Atari Cash Register)
High Country Microsystems
9551 Green Court
Westminster, CO 80030
(303) 427-9036
$199.95 32K or 48K-Diskette Printer required
Record sales and control inventory with this program designed for a small business. Sales transactions produce a receipt or invoice for the customer, a record for you, and data to track 300 inventory items (70() with 48K). Program will give daily, monthly and year-to-date reports.
Microcables (connectors)
Milford Null Modem
Phx'ville Pike & Chas'tn Rd.
Malvern, PA 19355
(215) 296-8467 $18 to $29
Cables to connect the ATARI eo a variety of peripherals are available from MNM. These are completely assembled and typically plug into the 810 Interface. Printers for which MNM makes cables include Epson, Okidata, IDS, and C. Itoh. Other printers and peripherals will soon be included. Modem cables are also available, including one for the Hayes Smart Modem.
Raster Blaster (game)
BudgeCo
428 Pala
Piedmont, CA 94611
(415) 658-8141
$34.95 Diskette only
Pinball simulation is the fame of this game. It is done so well that Raster Blaster for the APPLE won "Softtalk's" Game of the Year Award for 1981. Now it is available for the ATARI 800 with 32K RAM.
The program imitates the physics of real pinball. "Roll rate" up and down the slant, ball spin, elastic and inelastic bounces, and many subleties of flipper action have been recreated.
Besides that, the game is challenging pinball, incorporating many features of the most modern and complex machines. Multiplayer competition at two levels of difficulty is possible.
P.M.P. 2000 (property management program)
Talcove & Familian Co.
10902 Riverside Drive
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(213) 501-5845
$199.95 32K-Diskette
If you own or manage property, this program will help you keep track of necessary information and will compute various figures for you. It tracks apartment status, tenant status, cash flow, income and expenses, and your bank account. Developed by a property management firm, P.M.P. 2000 works as a template for VisiCalc.
Musicbox (utility)
Program Design, Inc.
11 Idar Court
Greenwich, CT 06830
(203) 661-8799
$29.95 Diskette, 32K
MUSICBOX is a utility program by Jerry White that allows the user to add music to a computer program. The music will play while the program executes, without affecting the program.
The product contains ten music data files that can be loaded by using MUSICBO-X. User-generated music files can also be used. The music is produced in the VBI period, so no screen-related functions are affected.
Compu-Mate CM-1000 (interface)
Compu-Mate Corp.
6305 Airzona Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
$289.00
This peripheral device for the ATARI 400 and 800 replaces the ATARI 850 interface while saving 1762 bytes of RAM.
Compu-Mate uses the ATARI serial I/O port and can be accessed without the hassle of XIO commands. It has the unique ability to translate escape and control codes for many different printers. Output from the CM-1000 is either serial or parallel.
The CM-1000/V ($489) does the same as above, and provides an 80column by 25-line screen display (fully supporting screen editing and inverse video), that can be dumped to the printer.
Related Compu-Mate products include 64K buffer memory for the printer (CM-20M), and a light pen (CM-30 / LP).
Atari Pascal (language)
ATARI Program Exchange (APX)
155 Moffett Park Drive, B-1
P.O. Box 427
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
$49.95 Diskette (two drives required)
Advanced programmers familiar with Pascal may find this product useful. Not a tutorial, not completely debugged, not supported by Atari after sale, this is strictly for the professionals with patience and persistence.
ATARI Pascal is a tool for developing and maintaining programs. It is a multipass, pseudo-code compiler with a modular scheme that provides great flexibility. It also contains many enhancements to UCSD Pascal, with which it is not completely compatible. ATARI Pascal also requires two disk drives to be used.
ACCU/WRITE (word processor)
DPH, Inc.
1700 Stumph Blvd., Ste. 705
Gretna, LA 70053
(504) 361-8594
$20.00 16K-Cassette
Cassette-based word processors with low RAM requirements are rare in this world, so ACCU/WRITE should be right for someone. The program requires an Epson printer and will work with either the ATART 400 or 800 supported by the 410 Program Recorder. Versions requiring 32K RAM are also available on cassette and disk at a higher price.
Legionnaire (game)
Avalon Hill Game Co.
4517 Harford Road
Baltimore, MD 21214
$35.00 16K-Cassette
Legionnaire is a real-time combat game between Caesar's legions and selected barbarian tribes. Designed by Chris Crawford, it is similar to his Eastern Front 1941, but different in that play is constant (real-time) once started. The player, as Caesar, must maneuver his units while the battle rages on an oversized "scrolling" playfield.
Printer Control Code (reference card)
Optimal Performance
14W Kappas Marina
Sausalito, CA 94965
$3.50
Printers do not always do what you want them to, because they are not receiving proper control codes from the computer. This reference card summarizes the codes for the ATARI 825, Centronics 727, C. Itoh 8510A, Epson MX-80 (including Graftrax), NEC 8023A-C, and others.
Financial Wizard (finance package)
Computari
9607 Athlone Dallas, TX 75218
$59.95 24K-Diskette
Financial Wizard controls all personal finance needs, including budgetting; check entry; search and balance; check printing (optional); expense analysis and graphic display of 26 categories.