SMUG Bytes
Publisher(s):
Sinclair Milwaukee Users Group (SMUG)
| Title | Description | Computers |
|---|---|---|
| 'Twas the Night Before Christmas | A computer-themed parody of the classic Christmas poem, substituting computing terminology and imagery for the original’s Christmas night setting. | |
| 2068 Code Bytes #2 | Second installment in a series on interrupt-driven Z80 machine language programming for the Timex/Sinclair 2068. Covers a BLINK routine that alternates two User Defined Graphics characters on screen using variables for timing, position, and attributes, followed by three sound-effects routines: a border-toggle BEEP, a gun/bomb effect, and a whistle-and-bang bomb effect. Full machine code listings | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| 2068 Code Bytes #4 | Fourth installment in Lloyd Dreger’s Z80 machine language series for the Timex/Sinclair 2068, presenting the general menu system used in his CONQUEST wargame. Covers the SetTV and GetTV screen-switching routines, PrintMENU for rendering menu text to screen, MoveCURsor for arrow-key cursor movement, and GETINFut for accepting both keyboard and joystick input. Full assembly listings with | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| 2068 Code Bytes #5 | Fifth installment of the Z80 machine language series, presenting the world-map printing routine for CONQUEST. Covers FMO (find map start based on player position), PMAP (print map to screen), WRAP (horizontal and vertical wrapping logic for a 64×64 toroidal map), FINDAT (attribute address calculation), and PRUDG (print User Defined Graphic characters for map symbols). Full | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| 2068 Code Bytes #6 | Sixth installment of the Z80 series, providing corrections to the issue #5 map routine plus the FINDAT color-attribute routine that assigns display colors to map units and cities for three players, a PAPER routine for background attribute setting, and the PRUDG UDG printer used throughout the CONQUEST map display system. Full assembly listings with addresses | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| 2068 Code Bytes #7 | Seventh installment of the Z80 series, presenting the map-cursor and map-editor routine for CONQUEST. Covers PRCURS and PRCUR (cursor initialization and main loop), PIXLOC (screen address from XY coordinates), ATTR (attribute address calculation), PRCHA (print character), INTJOY (joystick-to-cursor translation), TRANS (cursor-to-map coordinate conversion), PUTX (place map element), DOIT (dispatch table using JP(HL)), and four scroll | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| A Commitment -- What It Takes | ||
| A Fond Farewell | Tribute to “THE HACKER” newsletter, which is ceasing publication after membership dropped to only six; Heberlein praises the award-winning newsletter’s good articles and interesting news, and expresses hope the situation may reverse. | |
| A Little More on the MS DOS Emulator for the QL Computer | Sinclair QL | |
| A New Meeting Day | Brief notice announcing that SMUG has changed its regular meeting day to the first Thursday of each month, to be held at the Equitable Bank location. | |
| Activating AERCO Banks for Basic | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| AERCO User's Corner | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| And You Thought You Had a Bad Day | Humorous filler piece in the form of a letter to an insurance company elaborating on the cause of a construction worker’s accident. The narrator’s attempt to lower 500 lbs of materials from a six-story roof using a pulley and barrel results in a cascade of injuries — fractured skull, broken collarbone, fractured ankles, cracked vertebrae | |
| April Meeting | ||
| At Our Last Meeting | There was some qood discussion on our classes and what classes will be held. There will not be a basic Basic class unless more of you are interested. There will be Advanced Basic and Intro to Machine Code. Special class will be the Modem Class. The first two classes will be taught by Lloyd Dreger | |
| At Our Last Meeting... | Notes about the meeting. | |
| Bill on Mscript | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Bill on Mscript | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Bill on Mscript | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Bill on Mscript | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Bill on Mscript | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Bill on Mscript | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Bill on Mscript | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Bill on MSCRIPT | Tips for using the MSCRIPT word processor to produce two-column newsletter layouts. Explains how to use the left-margin commands (>lm=3 for the left column, >lm=43 for the right column) together with the BLOCK print option to print column by column rather than page by page, and provides guidance on paper alignment for accurate column registration. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Bill on QL | Sinclair QL | |
| Bill on QL | Sinclair QL | |
| Bill on QL Basic | Sinclair QL | |
| Bill on QL Basic | Sinclair QL | |
| Bill on QL Basic | Sinclair QL | |
| Bill on QL Basic | Sinclair QL | |
| Brave New World and the Good Old Days | An unsigned editorial contrasting nostalgic enthusiasm for analog tools (slide rules, typewriters) with skepticism about contemporary environmental and scientific alarmism. Critiques the overconfidence of computer-based modeling in fields such as climate science and cosmology, arguing that models are constrained by their underlying assumptions. Stands as a philosophical counterweight to the technical articles in the same | |
| Burnout | ||
| Buyer Beware: Reprint from The Hacker | ||
| CapitalFest | ||
| Classic Computer Fair | ||
| Comment on Using Artworx | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Commitment—What It Takes | An unsigned editorial on the planning and commitment required to write a major game for the Timex/Sinclair 2068. Discusses the machine’s memory constraints (39,826 bytes available), the design of a large 64×64 wrap-around world map for war and RPG games, estimated development time (~2,000 hours for the CONQUEST project), and the value of team programming. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Computer Definitions | A short humor piece presenting satirical redefinitions of common computer terms including hard disk, bus, expansion board, chip, nanosecond, and picosecond. | |
| Computerfest '92 | Editorial noting that Dayton will be the only Sinclair show in 1992; discussion of the Sinclair community’s declining numbers; call for officer nominations and new program submissions for the newsletter. | |
| Contest Program — Attendance Tracker, Part 1 | First installment of a QL SuperBASIC attendance-tracking program submitted as a SMUG programming contest entry. Tracks monthly attendance for up to 500 members across 8 months; menu-driven with disk I/O on flp2. Includes program listing from the beginning through the main menu and display routines. | Sinclair QL, Type-in program |
| Contest Program — Attendance Tracker, Part 2 | Continuation of the QL SuperBASIC attendance-tracking program from v8 n6; covering lines 2050 through 14000+, including display and print routines, sort, save, load, and master file adjustment menu. | Sinclair QL, Type-in program |
| Contest Program — Attendance Tracker, Part 3 | Final installment of the QL SuperBASIC attendance-tracking program; covering lines 15000 through 17180+, including routines to delete records by number, add a new month to records, and change existing record data. | Sinclair QL, Type-in program |
| CTM pulls a big coup | CTM picks up current subscription of T-S Horizons. | |
| Current Membership | ||
| Current Membership | ||
| Dave Flemming's Corner | ||
| Dayton Computerfest | Directions to Hara Arena for Dayton Computerfest; layout of tables; SMUG and Zebra share two tables; call for members to help staff the display. | |
| Dayton Computerfest Report | Post-event report on Dayton Computerfest: 26 Sinclair users on the sign-in list, plus many former users; RMG donated door prizes; user groups attended from Washington DC, Indiana, Chicago, and Milwaukee areas. | |
| Dealers Note | Editorial urging Sinclair dealers to send out catalogs and product notices to the club; calls for product descriptions and reviews to help keep the community informed. | |
| Digitizer | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Disk Makers Ire Stirred by Tester | Reprint from MIS Weekly (November 2, 1987) reporting on a survey of 18 floppy disk brands conducted by Memory Control Technology Corp. (Memcon) using ANSI extra-bit and missing-bit testing. BASF, JVC, and Memorex achieved 100% pass rates; Dysan and Xidex performed worst with 39 failures per 200 disks tested. | |
| Editor's Page | Brief editorial note from editor Bill Heberlein asking members to mention SMUG Bytes when contacting advertisers, along with an apology for incorrect phone numbers printed in a prior issue. | |
| Editor's Page | Editorial notes covering the new 2nd Bytes computer store and the TS2068 Safe Disk Up-Date newsletter ($12/yr, Panama City FL). Letters section addresses a credit dispute between Roelof Mulder and R.A. Hilsmann over the SQ Notes menu program (editor sides with Hilsmann), and a request from John Sheppard for information about the FD68 disk system | |
| February Meeting | ||
| For Sale | Classified notice advertising Lloyd Dreger’s second Machine Code book for the Timex/Sinclair at $16.95 ($15.00 for members) plus $1.50 shipping and handling. | |
| For You TS2068 Gamers | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres | ||
| From the Pres. | Brief presidential update noting SMUG members’ plans to attend the Winter Computerfest and announcing the upcoming Ham/Computer Fest on January 9 at the Waukesha County Expo Center. | |
| From the Pres. | Brief presidential update noting the upcoming annual meeting and officer elections, plus a schedule of regional Ham/Computer fests: MSOE (March 5), Madison (April 10), Cedarburg (May 7), and Manitowoc (May 14). | |
| From the President's Desk | ||
| Front Page Extra | Sinclair QL | |
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO Or In Otherwords The Meeting | ||
| GIGO: The Meeting | Meeting notes covering the club treasurer’s financial report, plans for modem classes at the November meeting, ongoing orders for SMUG commemorative cups, and an observation that meeting attendance has been declining. | |
| GIGO: The Meeting | December meeting report noting low attendance due to a snow storm and consequent cancellation of planned modem training. Covers the treasury report (in good shape), circulation of letters from FOG (Friends of Gateway), distribution of Robert Shade’s digitizer book, and a surprise visit from former member John Wells who reported on a local FIDO BBS | |
| High Tech Without Knowledge | An editorial arguing that powerful computing tools—word processors, spreadsheets, graphing software, and modeling programs—are being misused due to inadequate knowledge of grammar, statistics, and programming fundamentals. The author critiques flawed statistical reasoning, overreaching cosmological models, and poor software quality (including a dig at MS-DOS 6), then advocates learning C as a portable successor to BASIC. | |
| If You Missed the Expo | ||
| Image Capture with the S.M.U.G. B&W Video Digitizer | A detailed technical walkthrough of using the SMUG black-and-white video digitizer board with the Burle TC-1501 camera, Videotex software, Art Studio, and Wordmaster/Typeliner to capture, retouch, and print video images on the TS-2068. Covers the full workflow from camera setup to finished output. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Is This It? | ||
| Is This It? I Guess Not! | ||
| January Meeting | ||
| Label Program | Sinclair QL, Type-in program | |
| Label Program — Part 2 | Continuation of the QL SuperBASIC mailing label program; covering lines 1580–9999 including window definition procedures, disk file load and save routines, and label printing procedures for the Sinclair Expo name badge/label format. | Sinclair QL, Type-in program |
| Last Minute Expo Hints and Happening | ||
| Lemke Software | ||
| Letter on the Digitizer | Letter from Robert Shade of Philadelphia to SMUG listing 14 items enclosed for feedback on his TS2068 video digitizing experiments. Items include revised versions of the Eye by Night, Videotex, and Video 3-D programs adapted for the Larken disk system; WORDMASTER program screen color substitution patterns; and multiple printed examples of digitized video images in | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Letters | Editor-curated letters section covering several reader questions: John Shepard on mixing Shugart-compatible disk drives; Robert Fischer asking about Extensions for Profile; a reader requesting information on Cherry keyboard add-ons; another requesting an IBM-compatible printer driver; Larry Anderson on using the Magnavex RGB monitor with the TS2068 and QL. | Sinclair QL, Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Letters From You | Editorial covering a letter from Joan Kealy about Jack Dohany’s upgraded word processor; announcement that Don Lambert is the new SNUG newsletter editor; contact information for Paul Holmgren. | |
| Letters From/For U | ||
| Local Timex/Sinclair BBS | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Lotto Program for the QL | Sinclair QL, Type-in program | |
| M/TERM Patch for AERCO Interface and Printer | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| March Meeting | ||
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Summer meeting with low attendance; programming contest discussed; guest Brother Mateja demonstrated QL digitizer software featuring a 4-second video demo with pause and zoom capabilities. | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Meeting notes covering mugs pickup, election of Bud Dankert as secretary, an inquiry from a Northwestern University student about orphan computers, and a growing mailbag. | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | No January meeting was held; February meeting designated as the Annual Meeting, at which dues are due, elections will be held, and a party is planned. Elections expected to be uncontested as no one has stepped up for the nomination committee. | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | President was unable to attend due to a medical issue; reports a good turnout in his absence; brief note that Systech Electronics has moved to share a building with GK Enterprises. | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Meeting notes: member swap items, a question from an MSTC student about a music interface, discussion of laser printer access, and renewal by Arnold Ramaker (18 paid members noted). | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Meeting notes: discussion of Dayton Computerfest with favorable impressions; Gold Card hardware for the QL mentioned; DOS emulator on QL noted; new emulator on a color monitor demonstrated. | Sinclair QL |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Meeting notes: agreement to have a table at Dayton Computerfest; programming contest discussed; note that the president’s late arrivals are now over. | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Meeting discussion of upcoming Dayton Computerfest; member Gordon displayed a TS-1000 with a handicap hook-up peripheral; article from John Peterson of a Southern California Sinclair group about the state of the Sinclair community. | Timex/Sinclair 1000 |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | President’s notes on the January meeting: distribution of mugs, incoming letters, and planning for a birthday-themed event. Short summary of club business. | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Meeting notes: president missed the meeting; old member Paul Boise attended; discussion of going to Dayton; UPDATE magazine and a classic computer section of an unnamed magazine mentioned; renewal noted. | |
| Meeting Notes / GIGO | Low July attendance; guest Brother Mateja again demonstrated QL digitizer software from disk (no hardware present); program was purchased from Paul Holmgren. | |
| Membership List | Updated club membership list showing paid and unpaid status for 1991. Useful reference document for tracking active SMUG membership. | |
| Membership List | ||
| Membership List | Current membership list with names, addresses, and phone numbers for the Sinclair Milwaukee Users Group, 1991 edition. Serves as a directory for members to contact one another. | |
| Midwest Computerfest Seminar Video Tapes | Notice that video tapes of seminars from the 1st and 2nd Annual Midwest Computerfests are available for purchase. The 1st Annual tape is $8; from the 2nd Annual, the first seminar is $10 with additional seminars at $2 each, up to $40 for all twelve. A list of seminar titles is included. | |
| Modifying the Star NX1000 with the AERCO Printer Interface | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| More Expo News | ||
| More Icon Freeware | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Multiple Copies in QUILL | Sinclair QL | |
| Multiple Disk Systems | Report on an experiment by Dennis Nickel and Lloyd Dreger attempting to run both an AERCO and an Oliger disk interface simultaneously on the Timex/Sinclair 2068 for data transfer between the two systems. Both connection methods tested caused system crashes; the club is seeking a working solution. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Multitasking on the 2068 | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| Multitasking on the 2068 (Part 2) | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| My .02 Worth or .03 with Inflation | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Net on the QL | Sinclair QL | |
| New QL 'Open' | Sinclair QL | |
| New QL Program | Sinclair QL | |
| New Sinclair Magazine for Desk Top Publishing | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| News from Sector Software and England | Sinclair QL | |
| Of Mice and Men | An unsigned editorial offering a philosophical meditation on how computing standards evolve through imperfect consensus rather than rigorous scientific proof. Uses analogies to the Big Bang, black holes, and theoretical physics to argue that widely adopted paradigms are not necessarily correct, and that the computing industry—like science—advances through social acceptance as much as empirical validation. | |
| Paid Up Membership | ||
| Personal Database | Sinclair QL, Type-in program | |
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Message | ||
| President's Program | ||
| President's Program | ||
| President's Program | Call for new officers and club volunteers; upcoming shows listed. | |
| President's Program | SMARC swapfest planning notes; mention of the attendance tracker program appearing in the newsletter as a contest entry; upcoming shows. | |
| President's Program | Dayton Computerfest confirmed as the official Sinclair show for 1991; notes on Audrey Curnutt possibly attending; upcoming events summary; digitizer boards nearly gone. | |
| President's Program | Bob Swoger/CATUG information about Dayton; swapfest report (ZX88 spotted for $400, TS1000 seen); upcoming shows listed. | |
| President's Program | Reports no Sinclair Computerfest this year; Dayton Computerfest to serve as the main annual show; notes on upcoming ham and swap events; digitizer boards nearly depleted. | |
| President's Program | Low attendance discussion; question of whether to continue as a formal club or shift to an informal group; upcoming shows listed (Fallfest ’91, Kettle Moraine Swapfest). | |
| President's Program | Notes on the new CTSC newsletter from Don Lambert; newsletter exchange arrangement with CTSC; upcoming swap and ham shows; digitizer boards almost gone. | |
| President's Program | 1992 meeting dates submitted and approved except January (first Wednesday falls on New Year’s Day); NO JANUARY 1992 MEETING; upcoming ham and computer shows listed (Hamfest 3/22/92, Swapfest 10/11/92). | |
| President's Program | Notes on upcoming ham and computer shows; report that digitizer boards are running low in supply; mention of John McMichaels’ new print program for digitized pictures. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| President's Program | Heberlein reports switching to an IBM compatible with WordPerfect 5.1 to produce the newsletter, enabling access to a laser printer while noting the QL is not abandoned. Label program concludes in this issue; upcoming computer and ham shows listed. | |
| President's Program — Dayton Attendees List | Full roster of approximately 30 Sinclair attendees at Dayton Computerfest, organized by state (PA, MD, VA, AL, KY, OH, IN, MI, IA, WI, IL, CO). Documents the geographic reach of the 1991 Sinclair community gathering. | |
| Presidents Program | Brief presidential note announcing a SMUG group buy for Sinclair QL keyboard replacement membranes in response to a rash of membrane failures among members, with a note that Frank Davis of 2068 UP DATE has a supply available for under $20. Also includes a meeting report noting discussion of incoming mail, purchase of a desktop | Sinclair QL |
| Presidents Program | Brief update noting that three SMUG members (including the president) have purchased IBM clones but continue using their Sinclair computers alongside them. Lists upcoming computer events: Serb Hall computer show November 10 ($4 at door) and Waukesha County Expo January 12 ($3). | |
| Presidents Program | Brief presidential note listing the upcoming Waukesha County Expo on January 12 ($3 at the door) and confirming that a December issue will be published despite the recent bimonthly announcement. | |
| Presidents Program | Club update noting concerns about SNUG (Sinclair National Users Group) combining newsletters, Vulcan Computer Monthly dropping its Sinclair section, and the upcoming Waukesha County Expo January 12. Reports on a detailed package of materials received from Robert Shade of Philadelphia documenting his TS2068 video digitizing experiments and revised disk software for the Larken system. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Print Your Program in Quill | Sinclair QL | |
| Printers and Quill | Sinclair QL | |
| Programming Contest Details | Expanded rules for the SMUG programming contest: categories broken into professional and amateur, accepted languages, and program types including business, utility, game, and learning/handicapped. Restatement and clarification from the April announcement. | |
| Programming Idea | Sinclair QL, Type-in program | |
| Public Notice from Jack Dohany | Reprint of Jack Dohany’s formal notice announcing his retirement from TS-2068 user support activities as of January 1, 1991. Dohany states he will continue developing software and hardware for the 2068 through dealers RMG and Ed Grey. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Pumpkin | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| Putting Headings on Video Tapes Using the Computer | User’s thoughts on using the computer composite video to title videos. | |
| QL Boot Program | Sinclair QL, Type-in program | |
| QL C | Sinclair QL | |
| QL C: The Two Versions | Sinclair QL | |
| QL Pokes | Sinclair QL | |
| QL Support World Wide | Sinclair QL | |
| QL-Keyboard-90 | Sinclair QL | |
| QL/IBM PC | Sinclair QL | |
| QUILL Print Driver | Sinclair QL | |
| QUILL Users Tip | Short tip for users of the QUILL word processor on the Sinclair QL: how to jump to the previous or next paragraph boundary (defined as the position of the Enter key) by entering the command menu (F3), selecting the copy command (M), and pressing the up or down arrow key. Works both for cursor navigation | Sinclair QL |
| Rainbowfest / Chicago Group News | Bob Swoger of the Chicago area Timex user group called about Rainbowfest (April 26–28, Schaumburg IL); includes Don Lambert’s address and phone for the SNUG newsletter. | |
| Review of DBAddres, An Archive Program | Sinclair QL | |
| Review of the Cleveland Computerfest | ||
| Review of the QL IBM Emulator | Sinclair QL | |
| Rudy's SQ Notes | Screen captures from the SMUG Digitizer. | |
| Sektor Tutorial | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Silicon Mountain Computers Catalog Report | Report on companies that did and did not respond to catalog requests from the author. Focuses on Silicon Mountain Computers (SMC), listing available and planned products for the ZX81, TS2068, and PC8300: a Timex ROM for the PC8300 ($14.95), and a range of peripherals under development pending sufficient customer interest—CPI-1 printer interface, HR-Copy, Universal Printer | Sinclair ZX81, Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Sinclair Magazines | Sinclair QL, Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| Sinclair Names | Heberlein offers to share his database of over 1,100 Sinclair user names and addresses, organized by state, available in Archive or Quill format on various disk sizes. Covers TS-1000, TS-2068, and QL users. | |
| Sinclair Northamerica Users Group | ||
| Sinclair Vendors | ||
| Sinclair Vendors | ||
| Sinclair Vendors | ||
| Sinclair Vendors | ||
| SMUG Bytes Goes Bimonthly | Announcement that SMUG Bytes will shift from monthly to bimonthly publication, combining two months per issue. Two reasons are given: the shrinking Sinclair community no longer generates enough content to fill a monthly newsletter, and the editor has been producing the monthly since September 1984 and is fatigued. Notes that other Sinclair newsletters have made | |
| SMUG Bytes Salutes Time Designs | ||
| SMUG Bytes Tries Something New | Newsletter produced with Quill on the QL. | Sinclair QL |
| SMUG Programming Contest Announcement | Call for programming contest submissions open to professional and amateur categories; accepted languages include BASIC, machine code, and C; program types include business, utility, game, and teaching/learning (including programs for the handicapped). Deadline September 30, 1991. | |
| So You Want to Write a Program! | Part I of a multi-part programming tutorial on structured software development methodology. Covers eliminating distractions before coding, clearly writing down program goals, decomposing a problem into functional modules, and flowcharting each module. Uses a name/address list program with menu, sort, print, and save functions as a running example. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| So You Want to Write a Program! (Part II) | Second installment of the structured programming tutorial. Provides BASIC code for the menu function (lines 5–680) featuring arrow-key navigation and GOSUB dispatch to sub-functions, followed by the New List dimension function (lines 1000–1990) for initializing a name/address data structure. The listing is intended as a practical model for well-structured BASIC program design. | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| Some Editorial Comments | ||
| Some Editorial Comments | ||
| Some Expo News | ||
| Some New Newsletters | Notices of two new QL newsletters: the International QL Report from SeaCost Services in Newport RI, and a letter from Franz Herrmann of the Sinclair QL User Club e.v. in Germany requesting a newsletter exchange. | Sinclair QL |
| Some Not So New Programs | Sinclair QL | |
| Some Pertinent Facts Regarding the Expo | ||
| Speakers Needed For the Expo, How About You? | ||
| Special Notice to 1991 Members | ||
| Special Notice to 1991 Members | ||
| Spellbound | Sinclair QL | |
| Spellchecker Problems | Sinclair QL | |
| SQ Notes | Inaugural installment of the SQ Notes column (SDOS/Spectrum/QL/Software). Presents a BASIC menu program for the Timex/Sinclair 2068 in Timex mode that lists the contents of an SDOS disk, displaying file name, type, disk location, and length with cursor navigation and an audible rollover signal. Full BASIC listing with embedded machine code DATA statements is provided. | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| SQ Notes | Installment of the SQ Notes column presenting a modification to the VU-FILE database program for the Timex/Sinclair 2068 under the Oliger disk system in Sinclair mode, enabling 80-column printer output. Describes F$ string manipulation, a 19-byte machine code subroutine at address 28254 for automatic tab-setting, and switching between elite and condensed print modes. Full BASIC | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program |
| SQ Notes | SQ Notes column presenting the planned (but never released) Timex TS 2060 System Expansion Unit. Covers the full specification as described in the QL Technical Manual: memory expansion to 16MB via bank switching, Centronics parallel port, RS-232, 80- and 64-column video modes, RGB output, up to eight Microdrives, local area network support, CP/M mode, and | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| SQ Notes | Practical repair guide for Sinclair QL keyboard membranes with broken circuit traces. Describes using a VOM ohm meter with an attached razor-blade probe to locate breaks through the plastic laminate by piercing the surface along the trace. Covers two failure modes: a single broken trace (repaired by exposing the area, bridging with aluminum foil strip | Sinclair QL |
| SQ Notes | Two topics. First: a systematic chip-swap procedure for diagnosing failed memory chips in a Sinclair QL Trump Card expansion board — removing the board cover, identifying the three memory chip banks, swapping chips one at a time into the critical first-position slot of the right bank (the only position that allows partial initialization), marking tested | Sinclair QL |
| SQ Notes: Biorhythms | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Checkbook and Budget Manager, Part 1 | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Checkbook and Budget Manager, Part 2 | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Checkbook and Budget Manager, Part 3 | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Checkbook and Budget Manager, Part 4 | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| SQ Notes: CP/M | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| SQ Notes: Disk Library | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Disk Library Program | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Disk Recover Program | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Disk Recover Program 1.3 | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: DIY ROM Switch | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| SQ Notes: Functions | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: INPUT | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| SQ Notes: Lotto Program | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Lotto Program (corrected) | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: Math Functions | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| SQ Notes: QL to IBM RGB Connections | Sinclair QL | |
| SQ Notes: SNUG Letter | ||
| SQ Notes: Terminal Program | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| SQ Notes: VU-Calc Improvements | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| Sunshine Computerfest | Report on the Sunshine Computerfest held March 4–6, 1988. Highlights include a ZX80 for sale at $50, an attempt by attendees to organize a new North American Sinclair User Group, and the continued availability of Midwest Computerfest seminar video tapes at the same pricing as previously announced. | |
| Telephone Pager Alert | Warning to members about pager scam calls using 212-540-XXXX numbers that function like 900 numbers charging $55 per call; information attributed to Barry Carter of AT&T National Accounts and confirmed by Illinois Bell. | |
| Thank You Speakers | ||
| Thanks to Donors | ||
| The 1989 Capitalfest | ||
| The 1990 Sinclair Fest | ||
| The 1990 Sinclair Fest | ||
| The 1990 Sinclair Fest | ||
| The Dayton Computerfest | Advance information on the Dayton Computerfest scheduled for August 24–25, 1991 at Hara Arena; table pricing (professional vs. user group rates), banquet details, and Gary Ganger as the contact. | |
| The Digitizer | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| The Digitizer | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| The Digitizer | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| The Digitizer and A Problem Found: Notes from Marty | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| The Digitizer and What's Happening | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| The Digitizer and What's Happening | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| The Future of Science and Mathematics | An unsigned editorial arguing that theoretical science has become increasingly PC-aided and abstract, often disconnected from experimental verification. Discusses the controversy over the red shift and expanding universe theory, limitations of quantum mechanics and weather modeling, and the claim that mathematics itself is incomplete. Presents a skeptical view of computer-assisted theoretical work. | |
| The Latest from SNUG | ||
| The Limits of Computer Intelligence | First of four installments of a talk by Dr. Lloyd Dreger delivered at the 1990 Sinclair Expo. Establishes the philosophical framework: computer programs are purely formal/syntactic systems — they manipulate symbols without understanding them. Illustrates with three examples of syntactic-but-not-semantic tasks: chess (goal-directed tree branching), 20 Questions (binary branching with a learnable database), and Trivial | |
| The Limits of Computer Intelligence II | Second installment. Presents Searle’s Chinese Room thought experiment — a human following an algorithm with Chinese symbol baskets never learns Chinese — and extends it to a ‘nonsense symbol room’ to show the computer’s additional disadvantage: no ability to even recognize symbol type. Dismisses Churchland’s electromagnetic ‘light room’ counterargument. Examines Proposition 3 (syntax alone cannot | |
| The Limits of Computer Intelligence III | Third installment. Returns to the Chinese Room to demonstrate that even adding a dictionary (without illustrations) provides no semantic breakthrough for the computer; only colored illustrated definitions give the human ‘something to relate to.’ Conclusion 1: computer programs can perform only the syntactical portion of mental activity. Proposition 4: brains cause minds. Details the staggering | |
| The Limits of Computer Intelligence IV | Fourth and final installment. Argues that brain simulation is impractical due to complexity theory (combinatorial explosion). Conclusion 2: simulating the thought process is more tractable than simulating neurons. Traces human cognitive development from birth — senses, pleasure/pain center, cause/effect experience forming concepts — to show that all higher cognition (language, abstraction, scientific reasoning, insight) arises | |
| The PC8300 Computer | Lambda 8300 | |
| The President's Program | ||
| The QL on Net | Sinclair QL | |
| The Real Thing | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| The RGB to NTSC Converter In Other Words Rock Solid Video | Converter using LM1377, from article in December 1989 issue of Radio Electronics. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| TIFFS | Two short hardware tips. First: a standard 5-pin Commodore monitor cable works as a QL monitor cable, with the audio output usable as a video input in a pinch. Second: a caution about using write-protect tabs on disks when running certain software, as some programs behave unexpectedly when disk writes are blocked. | Sinclair QL |
| Tips for the T/S 2068 | Hardware modification tip describing replacement of the short factory cable on the T/S 2040 or Alphacom 32 printer with a two-foot Centronics parallel cable, requiring only seven wires. Covers the modification technique including use of electrician’s tape and cable ties, and notes that the printer and plug cases needed to be notched to accommodate the | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Total By State of Sinclair Users | ||
| Treasurer: Tricky Dick | ||
| TS-2068/QL Tips | Sinclair QL, Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| TS2068 Digitizer | The club is selling digitizer boards. – For one assembled, tested and shipped the cost will be $49.95 + $3 shipping and handling. If you only want the bare board it will be $19.95 + $3 s&h. The board has a leading edge connector and is ready for a mother board. If you want a | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| TS2068 Tips | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| TS2068 Utilities | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| TS2068 Utilities | Timex/Sinclair 2068, Type-in program | |
| Updated Program for QUILL | Short notice about an upgraded version of SPELLBOUND, a spell checker add-on for the QL’s QUILL word processor, released by Sector Software (39 Wray Crescent, Ulnes Walton, Leyland, Lancashire, PR5 3NH). The upgrade is priced at £50 or £30 plus the original copy. Also mentions a forthcoming QL-to-Amiga file link and an Atari ST-to-Z88 link | Cambridge Z88, Sinclair QL |
| Videotex Program Image | Continuation of the video digitizer series from v8 n1; shows a side-by-side comparison of the original camera image versus the Videotex program image to illustrate the digitizing process on the TS-2068. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
| Wanted: Contest Entries | Brief editorial noting that the SMUG programming contest has received no entries at all despite the approaching deadline; a last appeal for submissions. | |
| War Games | Timex/Sinclair 2068 | |
| What You Missed at the December Meeting | ||
| What's Up With Quantum Computing? Can You Get Your Money Back? | Sinclair QL | |
| Who's Who and What's What! The Election | ||
| Wordmaster/Typeliner Printing Graphics Files at 1:1 Ratio | Illustrated reference showing the aspect ratio options available when printing digitized graphics files through the Wordmaster/Typeliner programs on the TS-2068. Accompanies the digitizer tutorial series. | Timex/Sinclair 2068 |
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