People's Computer Co
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PEOPLE'S COMPUTER CO. ~~ Stall 1 Subscription Information EDITOR: Bob Albrecht 2 Computer Awareness lab PRODUCTION: Mary Jo McPhee 3 Comfort House BOOK REVIEW EDITOR: Dan Rosset , Trenton Computer Festival CIRCULATION: Laura Reininger , FORTRAN Man COMPLAINT DEPT: Happy Lady 6 BASIC Music ART DIRECTOR: Dover 9 San Andreas Fault Caper STRAIT FRONT: LeRoy Phillip Finkel 10 World As a Holcq<lm in Your Heart DRAGONS-AT·LARGE Bill fuller's Biofeedback Bibliography John Snell Larry Press l' YOlX Brain is a Hologram Oon Inman LO ·OP Center 16l' Electronic Projects for Musicians Gregory Yob Mac Oglesby 17 Computer Music References Lee Schneider NeTM 18 Minicalculator Information Sources Todd Voros Kurt Inman 20 S!NNERS Peter Sessions Bill Fuller 22 Tiny BASIC Doug Seeley Sprocket Man 23 Tiny TREK Marc LeBrun Joel Miller 2' LO·OP Center Dean Kahn Joyce Hatch 26 Computer Clubs & Stores Roger Hen5tey Sol Libes 27 Publications 101" Computer Dr.Oobb MS. Frog 29 Dr.Oobb's Lichen Wang 30 16 Bit Computer Kit 31 A Musical Number Guessing Game RETAINING SUBSCRIBERS: 32 Los Cost Software John R. Lees, Jr. 33 Dragonsmoke Th. Computer Corner, Harriet Shair 34 Sprocket Man John Ribl. 36 Programmer's Toolbox Bill Godbout ElectroniCl 37 Leters and Other Numbers ""rk S. Elgin 43 BookstOl"e PEOPLE'S COMPUTER COMPANY. P.O. Box 310.MENlO PARK, CALIFORNIA 94025.(415)323-3111 PCC /)/)J PeC is published six Of more times a year by PEOPLE'S COMPUTER DR. DOBS'S JOURNAL OF COMPUTER CALlSTHENT1CS AND COMPANY, a tax exampt, independent non-profit corporation in ORTHODONTIA is published ten times per year, monthly except Menlo Park~ California. Donations to People's Computer Company July and December. are tax deductible. U.S. Subscriptions: For foreign subscriptions: o Retaining subscription @ $25 ($19, tax deductible) o $1.50 for single copy o add $4 per year surface mail, or o Sustaining subscription @ $100 + (94 + tax deductible) o SIO.OO per year (10 issues) o add $12 per year for air mail With permission, names of retaining and sustaining subscribers will Payment mU$[ accompany the subscription. We do not invoice for be published in PCC. subscriptions or single orders. Subscriptions to PCC - U.S. Subscriptions: For foreign subscriptions: '". Clift/II, EtI,. o $1.00 for single copy Now that Dr. Dobb's Journal is here to deal with the present, PCC will move out into the future. The next year or two of PCC o $6.00 per year (6 issues) o add $2 ptt year for surface mail will skim the edge of realizable fantasy while holding on to the 0$11 for 2 years o add $8 per year for air mail realities of computers in schools, homes and in the hands of people. Watch for- Back issues, @ $1.00 each, stil1 available as we go to press: e Kids Building Kits Vol. I, Nos. I, 2, 3 Vol. 3, Nos. 1, 2,4 eNew Low Cost Computers for Schools Vol. 2, Nos . 5, 6 Vol. 4, Nos. 2, 3,4, 5 eComputer Clubs eComputer Stores Circle those issues you wish to order, and indicate how many copies elmprobable Art if more than one of each is requrested. eThe Impossible Game (The Don Quixote Starship) If ..yn.nt do. not aceom ..ny Ql'd •••1.00 billing ehafge will IN .dded. Copyright ©1976 by People's Computer Company, Menlo Park, California COMPUTER-AWARENESS-VAN -bY-JOYCE-HATCH The Computer Awareness Van has corled its rirst year operation, sufficient oxygen for fisk to live, below the line there is not with plans being made for a second year. This year has been enough oxygen in the water to support fish. The graphic out funded with a $34,505 grant from National Science Foundation. put dramatically illustrates the eHect of pollution on the body of However, with cut backs in NSF high school funding, N.C. State water. University will provide an almost total support. The N.C. Depart· ment of Public Instruction has provided the van, and the Mathe Next year we're hoping someone will loan us a time-sharing sys matics Division of the department has done almost all correspond· tem and we'll put in four or five CRT's and teletypes. (One ence and scheduling with the high schools of North Carol~na. can always dream). Dr. James D. Powell , Associa te Professor of Computer Science The walls of the van are papered with computer printouts of at NCSU, who directs thc project says, "Most students have heard drawings, draftings and electrical wiring diagrams, compuler poe about comput ers but they don't know what a computer is or how try, photography and engineering applications, A display of it works. They lend to think of computers as mechanical mons wafers and chips, with a chip under a microscope for students ters." With the computer demonstrations, students and teachers to view, is impressive to them. There are also displays of com become more fami liar with computer hardware, and see how puler technology advancements and the be6innings of information computers can be used as a learning tool in math, science, busi processing, The core memory sets under some close-up photo ness and social studies classes. Even music, art and games have graphs of it. Tapes of Hal Chamberlain's (of The Computer an interesting computer future. Hobbyist) computer music are frequently played while studenls are in the van, There are also two good IBM films, "The The van goes mainly to high schools in North Carolina which have Information Machine" and "A Computer Glossary" for classes no computer facilities for student use. It stays at each school for to see. • two days. Four students from the school being visited are given a quick course (about 30 minutes) and become computer operators Feedback has been tremendous, with more requests for the van for the two days. After a school-wide assembly, classes visit the than can be filled. Students are really turned on to computers_ van. Student response to the assembly presentation is great. The Teachers would be, given some time. AdminiSlrators and School program suggests ways computers are used to solve some of society's board members are the key to gelling computers in schools. problems and explains different ways of producing computer music, We're not really gelling through to them yet. Information re accompanied by recordings of each type. There is also a recording garding educational comput ing around the state, together with of a computer singing, "When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of alternate ways of providing computing in schools is left with an beer." Chips are also discussed. Students hear a song program interested teacher or principal of each school. Meetings with on the microprocessor, go through a bit of game logic and hear faculty and administrators arc hoped for, even asked for , but about core memory (there's a large core memory for them to there is seldom time in their busy schedules. We can only hope see). Much of the information has come from reading PCC that enthusiasm will fil ter from students to those controll ing (Thanks!) Lots of interesting ideas and stories have come from school budgets. ta lking to software and hardware people here at NCSU. Next year we hope to have a "Nova" which Data General loaned The microprocessor is the newest addition to the van's equip us, to replace the "Nova" belonging to NCSU which was in the ment, being loaned by Pro-Log Corporation, Other equipment van the first half of the year. It was taken for a bridge-monitor includes an analog computer, a "Classic" digital computer and up ing system which NCSU students are designing for the Highway until Christmas, a "Nova" digital computer. The "Classic" is Department of North Carolina. Originally the "Nova" was taken leased from DEC for one yearj it is a PDP8 in a desk with from the van to classroom for Huntington II simulations, primari floppy disk storage and a CRT disRlay, Students coming through. the van can choose anyone of the "101 Computer Games" to ly STERL and MARKET, The "Nova" had a card reader, a CRT, run. The games keep the "Classic" busy from early morning till and a teletype, giving students exposure to more peripheral late afternoon, even occaSionally, late evening. equipment. The analog computer, belonging to NCSU, is programmed for the Students get really involved in the simulations. Teachers say HuntinsttOll1 simulation POLUT. The wiring for the program is they haven't seen such enthusiasm on the part of every student. shown behind a sheet of plexiglass. A separate instrument panel and display were designed for input/output. Students enter the The project has been successful in showing students that com parameters for the the simulation by setting a series of dials. puters are into many, many things besides math and business. These dia ls indicate the type of water, amount of pollution, Many students are deciding that computers have a definite place water temperature, type of poll uta-nt and type of treatment. A in their future studies and in their choice of occupations. graphic tablet displays the results of the simulation with plots of the amount of oxygen vs. time in days and the amount of waste For more info, contact Joyce Hatch, Department o f Computer vs. time in days. A line is printed on the graph paper which scp Science, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 5972, Raleigh, arat~s the oxygen sca le into two parts, Above the tine there is NC 27607 .•• .