Cover of the January 1990 issue of Amstrad Computer User
While the Amstrad CPC was virtually unheard of in the U.S., it was a popular computer in the U.K. from the mid 1980s into the early 1990s. While there were several variants, they were all based on a 4 MHz Z80 processor and most commonly had 64KB to 12KB of RAM and a built-in cassette or 3-inch disk drive. Amstrad Computer User was one of the magazines dedicated to these machines. The January 1990 issue includes:
Regulars
- Letters - Letters from readers about splitting the screen into two modes, fractal landscapes, typing in programs, building a robot, and more.
- News - Sexism in software; Darius+; the new Delta 2000 joystick; Page Publisher, a new desktop publishing package released; Verran AC Datalink; and more.
- Competition - Win several Ghostbusters themed items by answering a few simple questions about the movies.
- Combat Zone - A look at upcoming arcade games including Exterminator (Gotlieb), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Konami), Special Criminal Investigations (Taito), Mechanized Attack (SNK), and Line of Fire (Sega).
- 10 Liners - Short type-in programs to create a TV static effect, a robot race, a disk management program, and a morse code converter.
- Microscope - Capturing and printing out images with the CPC.
- Gameplan - Reviews of games including Ghouls 'N' Ghosts, Dynamite Dux, After the War, Sporting Triangles, Star Wars Trilogy, Mutant Fortress, and Spaceghost.
- Hints and Tips - Tips, tricks, and cheats for License to Kill, APB, Shinobi, Bards Tale, Archon, Skate or Die, Arctic Fox, Total Eclipse, Dizzy II, and much more.
- Auntie John - A technique for reducing a 16K image to only 8K.
- Comms - An introduction to the world of the BBS.
Table of Contents from the January 1990 issue of Amstrad Computer User
Features
- Sprites Alive - A review of a software package that allows you to generate your own sprites.
- Ledger - A review to an update of General Ledger 6128, a computerized book-keeping program for the Amstrad CPC from SD Microsystems.
- Fractals - The final part of a three part series on fractals. This part relates to generating landscapes.
Back cover of the January 1990 issue of Amstrad Computer User
...and more!
Check out some of my other recent posts:
Vintage Photos - Lot 3 (445-448)
https://ecency.com/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-3-445
PC World (March 1990)
https://ecency.com/retrocomputing/@darth-azrael/pc-world-march-1990
Vintage Photos - Lot 3 (441-444)
https://ecency.com/filmphotography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-3-441
Digital Archaeology: Floppy Disk #14 – DM0126.DOC
https://ecency.com/retrocomputing/@darth-azrael/digital-archaeology-floppy-disk-14-2a4b4e4246a6d
Vintage Photos - Lot 3 (437-440)
https://ecency.com/filmphotography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-lot-3-437
Byte (March 1980)
https://ecency.com/retrocomputing/@darth-azrael/byte-march-1980
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The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson
Total Power by Vince Flynn
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I never had an Amstrad, I was a spectrum user then a c64 user, the amstrad always intrigued me though and was supposedly a good system, especially when programmers took advantage of the system instead of doing cheap spectrum conversions, I’m going to have to try this system, only on emulation though, but I’m itching to see what it was like lol