WORLD'S LARGEST COMPUTER MAGAZINE i I & E L ECT»R O I C S AUGUST 1984 HEATH/ZENITH'S NEW PC COMPATIBLES C ' WE COMPARE WM. F. BUCKLEY, JR. - TEN TOP >>` `'`::! " -ON KEYBOARDINGO RDING COMMUNICATIONS HP'S 150 CPS PACKAGES BATTERY POWERED FINDING POST THINKJET WARRANTY HELP PRINTER _ ,;SNiPl15 - s ti _ 1 - P -` +- i dm_ , - -- ,.- -- - , F Ashton -Tale's New . Compaq's o Integráted SoftWare aT,s11 Powerful AU v10S6 H3 OA I 1213df1..:3_ 21a 000N3-111AL-I 0519 New >IH*80 gil' 113f`>ldd0 1 b8030 OTbT T60W0Sb9 >iaC 860L0£ Desktop tUi0S6 .11.19I0-5***************-* 10 Computers "14UL4"l4Ll8' AmericanRadioHistory.Com /xvsuaa annop a paptS a\gPup o'e®% \ >ISi Ldd01 "' 11aX21% .. Lizs . .. wt .is. `.á7 'w_i..-1`_ `a., .4:.*:'..'.. a -- ;ri._ r, r wy7 1.9.1;31.V.Vtzy: While some disks lose their way in the torrid zone of drive heat, Maxell guarantees safe passage. maxell.. A lifetime warranty. And manufac- Maxell's the disk that many drive manu- FLOPPY DISK turing standards that make it almost facturers trust to put new equipment F unnecessary. through its paces. It's that bug -free. tnFixvo Consider this: Every time you take So you can drive a bargain. But in .8Alt! - your disk for a little spin, you expose accelerated tests, Maxell was an 911ax1111til it to drive heat that can sidetrack data. industry leader in error -free perform- Worse, take it to the point of no return. ance and durability. Proving that if Maxell's Gold Standard jacket construc- you can't stand the heat you don't tion defies heat of 140°F. And keeps stand a chance. koOCD your information on track. 1'JD7+'RL And Maxell runs clean. A unique process impregnates lubricants through- out the oxide layer. Extending media maxell® and head life. How good is Gold? IT'S WORTH IT Maxell Corporation of America, 60 Oxford Drive, Moonachie. N.J. 07074 201-440-8020 Circle No. 30 on Free Information Card AmericanRadioHistory.Com INTRODUCING HAVAC. THE NEXT BEST PERSONAL COMPUTER If you're buying a personal computer for the first time, you don't need the biggest and brightest to begin with. Think simple. Sensibly priced. Less than $850. Of course, you'll want some initial training to get you started. The Havac comes with its own disk operatíng system and "Train-491""'_ ing" software like Typewriter, Calculator and Havacom for communi- cations. And once you've mastered the basics, you can use software from the largest selection in the world. Apple® Software. Game- like computers that are comparably priced can't offer software like Havac can. But if games are your bag, Havac has a Joy- stick/Paddle port. And a port for RS -232C, Parallel/Serial printer or an additional disk _(!(f'1(1 drive. Which we also make. Havac already _ ...- has one disk drive built in. So, if the biggest and brightest are beyond ---' A your budget, take a look at The Neff lest Personal - Computer. The Havac from ÍI(iIIíííf ~ ' ~ MICROSCI. /...MO.. .' . 4T =, ., Ask your t=i,,,; .. dealer for a simple demonstra- r ,. .. - -_ . 2158 , write: . -. ; ó tion or MICROSCI, :r- ., ` - y ' Hathaway, Santa Ana, CA 92 705 \ G ©= :' , _ ` (714) 241-5600. Circle No. 7 on Free Information CardSei. MICROSCI Apple` is a registered Trademark of Apple Computer Inc. A Standun Company -Built-in.16471: disc drive, 611i12».191!;" ROPI. 40 column/24 line screen. 28C x192 dot color graphics. -1 cursor keys and 2 special function keys. Compact and transportable. \lade In America. AmericanRadioHistory.Com 1 r DISCOVER COMPUTERS WITH ATARI. 1-- { - É r LJ ._.i I-- ..1 ,,- - áz91 1-1; diráiá Atari® presents the five greatest advances :C, in the creative arts since someone put 72 crayons in one box. ,t l What would Cezanne say to an bols as well as words. So everyone basics you'll be ready to move up to electronic orange? Surely Van from preschoolers to grandparents ATARI Music Composer® and Gogh would go for some flowers can create without going near the create original compositions in four painted in phosphors (those glow- keyboard. part harmony! ing things in your TV screen). And All of these programs were de- you bet Beethoven would be blown signed to get the best from your away by a computer synthesized ATARI Computer, including the symphony. ATARI 800XLT" or the less expensive Too bad. They were all born too ATARI 600XLT" Both machines give early. But luckily you weren't. Be- you unsurpassed Atari graphics cause Atari makes several home and four sound channels. And computer products to help you whether you're painting with light create all these things and more. or composing .at the com- First, there's ATARI Paint* the puter keyboard, you can store program that turns the joystick you your creation on the ATARI already own into a computerized 10107? Program Recorder paintbrush that helps you explore or the more sophisticated the fascinating world of computer 1050?" Disk Drive. Hz1 art. And if all that doesn't Get the'magic touch with Atari Light Pen lets you convince you that our new Atari Touch Tablet. write right on the screen. programs are a giant step beyond The ATARI Touch ATARI Light Pen with Atari - crayons, consider this: the kids Tablet with Atari - Graphics" software cartridge is will never write on the wall with a Artist"' software among the best tools available for computer. cartridge turns teaching hands-on computer cre- 'SuperBools'" Software developed by Capital Children's your TV into Museum. Washington. D.C.. licensed by Reston Publishing a ativity. To draw circles, rect- Company Inc. 0 1982 Reston Publishing Company. Inc. magic palette of angles, or simply fool around with All Rights Reserved. 128 dazzling colors. freehand sketching, just press the The Touch Tablet works a pen to your TV screen and VOILA little like an electronic slate. Hook it ...A trail of sparkling color follows it. into any ATARI Computer and what You can fill in your sketches with you draw on the tablet will in- one or more of 128 colors. Or stantly appear on your TV screen. choose from over 2,800 patterns. You can draw on the Touch Tablet Roll over Beethoven, DISCOVER with the unique electronic stylus AtariMusic is here. that comes with even with Sure, it-or Beethoven took music les- ° T YOU AND your finger. sons. But even he didn't get the And all the on -screen com- head start you'll get with ATARI mands that control your Touch Tab- AtariMusic" I or AtariMusicT" II. let are labelled with simple sym- And once you understand the CAN DO. 01984 Alan Inc. All Rlphis Reserved ®A warner Communications Company Circle No. 9 on Free Information Card AmericanRadioHistory.Com AUGUST 1984 WORLD'S LARGEST COMPUTER MAGAZINE VOLUME 22, NUMBER 8 jl &E L E C T. R O N I CS Features Columns 44 Compaq's Newest 14 Les Solomon on Compatible Computer Hardware By Barbara E. and John F. McMullen 16 Bits & Bytes The new DESKPRO line uses the Intel 8086 microprocessor `C By Sol Libes ~iminiumar- - I 48 Big Picture LCD's COVER PI -OTO BY BARRY BLACKMAN 18 The Computer Scientist By Bob Peterson New liquid crystal displays offer increas- By Forrest M. Mims, Ill ing competition for CRTs Reviews 52 Micro Service 32 Zenith Z151 Computer Organizations By Michael Guttman By Elizabeth Bibb Finding post -warranty help 34 Commodore's Complete 56 Guide to Portable System Communications Software By Tom Haughney By John Helliwell 36 HP 110 Computer 24 Guest Column Choosing a terminal emulation package and ThinkJet Printer By William F. Buckley, Jr. 60 3M Stretches the By Forrest M. Mims, Ill Learning to Touch Type Floppy Capacity of 26 Review: Typing Tutor Ill Disks and Master Type By J. Smith -Richardson By Lee D. Zimskind A new technology provides the storage ,1 . capabilities of hard disks in floppies M d / 64 Software Arts' Office of the Future \ -1 Departments By Barbara and John McMullen 6 Editorial The company that developed VisiCalc 42 Framework has built a high-tech workplace By Seth R. Alpert By Lee D. Zimskind Software's New Wave 73 Taskware for 12 Letters I Convergent's lT Workslate 68 New Products . By Tom Haughney , .1i 94 Computer Mart/ 74 ExecuVision Electronics Classified By Jack Bishop 102 Advertisers' Index Volume 22, Number 8. Published monthly COPYRIGHT o 1984 BY ZIFF-DA V IS PUBLISHING COMI'ANY. All rights reserved. Computers & Electronics (ISSN 0032-4485) August 1984, A. Abrams, Secretary. One year subscription by Ziff -Davis Publishing Co., at 3460 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010. Richard I'. Friese, President; Selwyn Taubman, Treasurer; Bertram Postage Paid at Los Angeles, CA 90052 and at addi- rate for U.S. and Possessions, $15.97; Canada, $20.97; all other countries, $23.97 (cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency). Second Class including ELECTRONICS tional mailing offices. Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Dept., Ottawa, Canada, and for payment of postage in cash. POPULAR ELECTRONICS Skiing, Stereo WORLD trademark registered. Indexed in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. 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