Cover of the November 1985 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
Compute!'s Gazette was a Commodore 8-bit specific spin-off of their main publication which was just called Compute! The November 1985 issue includes:
Features
- CD-ROMS: The Ultimate Database - CD-ROM storage for personal computer use wouldn't become mainstream for almost another decade but the technology existed long before. Here's a look at early CD-ROM tech including the new CDU-1 from Sony.
- Anatomy of a Spreadsheet - For a long time, the spreadsheet was THE killer app for personal computers. Here's a look at some of the spreadsheet software available for Commodore 8-bit computers.
Reviews
- Field of Fire - A World War II infantry strategy game from SSI.
- Homewriter 10 Printer - An inexpensive easy to use dot-matrix printer from Epson for the Commodore 128, Commodore 64, and VIC-20.
- Project: Space Station - A simulation of planning, building, and operating a space station from HesWare.
- Carriers at War - A game from SSG that puts you in charge of various aircraft carriers during World War II.
Table of Contents from the November 1985 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
Games
- Backgammon - A type-in version of this classic game for the Commodore 64, VIC-20, Plus/4 and C-16.
- Power Poker - A type-in poker game that features play on a 5x5 grid.
Education/Home Applications
- 64 Music Maker - A short type-in machine language program that turns the Commodore 64 into a musical keyboard.
- Computing for Families: Gobbledygook Processing - A look at ways to turn your Commodore 64 into a sandbox for kids to explore.
Programming
- Exploring 128 BASIC - BASIC 7.0 was much more powerful than previous BASIC versions for Commodore computers. This article looks at some of the new commands and provides examples for the Commodore 128.
- Power BASIC: Screen Customizer - A type-in utility that will allow you to set your screen colors and keep them from changing even when using other machine language programs. For the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.
- Auto File - A type-in utility that automatically loads and runs both BASIC and machine language programs on the Commodore 64.
- Preview-80 for Speedscript - The display on a Commodore 64 was only 40 columns but this type-in utility would allow you to preview SpeedScript files in 80 columns.
- Disk Encoder - A type-in program for encrypting your disk files.
Departments
- The Editor's Notes - Commodore's great computers and poor marketing.
- Gazette Feedback - Letters from readers about typing on a powered off computer, resaving a program, DATA statements, TurboTape, doublespacing on the 1526 printer, random numbers, making text flash, telecommunications costs, saving data in sequential files, customizing the cursor, and more.
- Simple Answers to Common Questions - Questions answered about EEPROMs and parsers.
Back cover of the November 1985 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2025/12/16/computes-gazette-november-1985/
Check out my other Social Media haunts (though most content is links to stuff I posted on Hive or re-posts of stuff originally posted on Hive):
Wordpress: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/darth-azrael
Blogger: https://megalextoria.blogspot.com/
Odyssee: https://odysee.com/@Megalextoria:b
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2385054
Daily Motion: https://www.dailymotion.com/Megalextoria
Books I am reading or have recently read:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.
You Like It Darker by Stephen King.
The Altar Path by Joseph Lisiewski.
Mine Monero in your browser!
Earn Gridcoin while also helping various scientific projects by sharing your computer's idle CPU time!
