Antic: The Atari Resource (March 1987)

in retrocomputing •  4 months ago 


Cover of the March 1987 issue of Antic

ANALOG and Antic were the two most popular magazines that covered Atari 8-bit computers. While ANALOG stuck to being mostly 8-bit exclusive throughout its life, Antic moved to covering both the Atari ST and the 8-bit line when the ST was introduced.

The March 1987 issue includes:

Features

  • Word Searcher - This type-in program solves word search puzzles for you. All you have to do is type in the letter grid and the words you are looking for.

  • Rainbow Screen Customizer - A routine to make variable colored backgrounds in your own programs.

  • Today's Victorious Atari Corp. - Praising the release of the Atari ST and XE line of computers, this article paints a rosy picture of Atari's future. This did not age well.

  • Dvorak Keyboard - This type-in program changes the layout of your keyboard from the standard QWERTY layout to the supposedly faster to type on Dvorak keyboard. It may indeed be faster but I can't imagine learning a new keyboard layout after learning to type on a QWERTY keyboard. I can type fast enough. To give you an idea how much better it is though, supposedly the fingers of someone who types for a living will move 16 miles a day on a QWERTY keyboard as opposed to only a mile with the Dvorak layout.


Table of Contents from the March 1987 issue of Antic

Deparments

  • Editorial - All about ANTIC On-Line, an online version of ANTIC available via CompuServe.

  • I/O Board - Letters from readers this month include topics such as using Atari computers at an MDA telethon, sharing a hard drive between an Atari ST and Atari 8-bit, a correction to Budget dB, obtaining the Atari Developers Kit, the Microline 1025 printer, hints for Ultima IV, Atari 1020 Plotter pens, and more.

  • New Products - New products mentioned this month include Video Vegas, a casino sim; Math Blaster!, Word Attack!, and Spell It! educational software; Guderian, a World War II sim; Stocks and Bonds, an investment game; Warship, a World War II ship combat sim, and more.

  • Game of the Month: Vectron - The play mechanics of this type-in game remind be a bit of Combat for the Atari 2600...at least the game modes in which your shots bounce off of the walls.

  • Starting Out; New Owners Column - This month, learn how to use the various graphics modes of your Atari 8-bit.

ST Resource

  • Using INP and OUT - Learning how to use the INP and OUT commands by creating a terminal program in ST BASIC .

  • ST Puzzler - A type-in program that generates random jigsaw puzzles.

  • ST Reviews - Items reviewed include ST Pool and 8-Ball, two pool games; Timekeeper, a real-time battery backed-up clock; Mean 18, a golf game from Accolade; and MIDI Magic, software that sends MIDI music from disk out the MIDI port of the Atari ST.

  • BASIC Alert - How to create alert boxes in ST BASIC.


Back cover of the March 1987 issue of Antic

Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/07/24/antic-march-1987/

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"Whoa, what a blast from the past! 🕹️📚 I'm loving all the retro Atari goodness in this post - Antic magazine, type-in programs, and old-school gaming reviews 😍. It's awesome to see these nostalgic gems being shared with the community. Have you ever tried any of these classic games or utilities? What's your favorite retro computing memory? 🤔"

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"Wow! What a blast from the past! 😎 The March 1987 issue of Antic magazine is like a time capsule for Atari enthusiasts. I'm loving the type-in programs, such as Word Searcher and Rainbow Screen Customizer! 💡 And who wouldn't be excited about learning how to use INP and OUT commands on the ST? 🤓

What's your favorite feature from this issue? Are you an old-school gamer or just discovering the magic of Atari? Let's chat in the comments below! 👇️ Also, don't forget to vote for xpilar.witness by going to https://steemitwallet.com/~witnesses. Your support is what keeps us growing and thriving as a community! 🙏"