A Review of Microcomputer Journals and Magazines

The vast increase in the number of available microprocessors and microcomputers over the past five years has recently been matched by a similar expansion in the publishing of new journals and magazines relating to these devices. Many such new publications originate from the United States and to some extent rellect a greater awareness, particularly in the small business environment, of the public in that country to microprocessors. Furthermore there are vigorous developments in the home computer or 'hobbyist' market in the U.S.A. Many of the journals published are thus aimed, not at the professional engineer or computer scientist but rather at amateurs with very limited electronics or computer knowledge. We thus have a spectrum of publications covering three broad areas; research, hobbyist/small business systems and industrial/engineering applications. The last area is already covered by existing tradejournals such as Electronics, EDN, Electronic Design, Computer Design, New Electronics, Systems International, etc., which, in the main, have sections dedicated to microprocessor developments and applications. We shall concentrate in this review on the new research and hobbyist/business journals. Only one journal is totally dedicated to the theoretical and research aspects of microprocessors, this being the Euromicro Newsletter or, more formally, The International Journal of Microprocessing and Microprogramming. This publication is a vehicle for papers on all aspects of theory, design and research in both hardware and software for microprocessors and will be of value to anyone with interests outside the straightforward application of microprocessors to relatively simple tasks. Microprocessors and Microsystems also covers this area although at a lower level, concentrating mainly on new systems and advanced devices. Both these journals are, in my view, expensive as will be seen from the list below. The large number of hobbyist/business microprocessor journals prohibits even a Ibrief description of individual characteristics. However, an indication of their broad area of coverage can be given. Typical of the business end of the spectrum are Personal Computer World and Practical Computing, which are European and Interface Age and Calculators and Computers which are American. These journals tend to include a good deal of information on applications software, particularly programs written in BASIC, and details on the user aspects of microcomputer systems. The hobbyist journals generally cover both software (in BASIC and assembly language) and hardware in similar detail. Typical of this class are Creative Computing, Byte, Kilobaud, 73, Personal Computing, Peoples Computers and ROM, all published in the U.S.A. These journals are often of great interest to beginners since introductory articles appear with some regularity. Finally, two journals are available which fall into the specialist hobby category. These are Dr. Dobb's Journal ofComputer Calisthenics and Orthodontia and Computer Music Journal. The coverage of the latter is fairly obvious. Dr. Dobb's consists almost entirely of program listings provided by readers. Programs are usually in BASIC or assembly language and cover applications in games, arithmetic and systems software. Some problems may be found in obtaining the American hobbyist journals, although specialist companies do provide U.K. subscription services to the majority of publications listed here. For example L.P. Enterprises of 313, Kingston Road, Ilford IGI UP, Essex and Computer Workshop, 38, Dover St., London WIX 3RB both stock many of the magazines and journals reviewed.