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Personal Software (GB)

Personal Software was a British multi-format magazine published by Argus Specialist Publications. It was published quarterly, with each issue covering a different topic. The articles & listings were typically republished from other magazines by the same publisher. The editors included Henry Budgett and Dave Reeder. Note: Some issues have not been scanned, so there could potentially be missing programs from this magazine.

Download all programs from this magazine on one disk:


Personal Software.d64

11 programs

Program Author Requirements Files Info
VIC Editor

Vol 2 No 1 (Summer 1983),
Pages 54-56.
Pieter Hintjens 3K expansion vic editor 3k.prg
Screenshot
Simple word processor/text editor, that uses a large 26x32 screen.

Controls:
Type as normal, and use the cursor keys to move around. F1 (save to tape), F3 (load from tape), F5 (printout). Note: the 'press record/play' messages do not appear when loading & saving.
Address Book

Vol 2 No 1 (Summer 1983),
Pages 63-65.
Pieter Hintjens 8K expansion address book 8k.prg
Screenshot
Database for storing addresses and/or telephone numbers. Operate the program by using the cursor to type commands.

Controls:
Type HELP for a list of commands. Create new entries by typing e.g. "/A.B.NAME;TEL 12345", and type LIST to show all the entries. See the magazine for details.
Tailoring VIC's Characters

Vol 2 No 1 (Summer 1983),
Pages 79-82.
Chris Wyatt Unexpanded tailoring chars.t64
Screenshot
Character designer. Produce your own user-defined graphics, designing them four characters at a time on a 2x2 grid. The demo program shows how to include graphics in your own programs by redefining @, A, B & C as a boat.

Controls:
Cursor keys (move), F1 (set pixel), F3 (clear pixel), F2 (paint), F4 (unpaint), F8 (show data values).
VIC Blow-Up

Vol 2 No 1 (Summer 1983),
Pages 92-94.
Chris Wyatt Unexpanded vic blow-up.prg
Screenshot
Utility. Enlarge any keyboard character, and view its byte values and memory location. Can also be used with lower case and reversed characters.

Controls:
Press the desired character key.
Galaxy Hero

Vol 4 No 2 (Summer 1985),
Pages 41-43.
David Wilkinson 3K expansion galaxy hero 3k.prg
Screenshot
Star Trek game. As captain of the Starship Exitprise, you must destroy all the Klingons.

Controls:
Follow on-screen prompts. The galaxy is a grid of 5*12 quadrants, where each quadrant is a grid of 8*8 coordinates. A long range scan tells you the number of Klingons (left number) and starships (right number) in each quadrant. After shooting a ship you must perform a long range scan to enter it into the log.
The Bells!

Vol 4 No 2 (Summer 1985),
Pages 44-45.
Joe Sayones Unexpanded the bells.t64
Screenshot
Quasimodo game with 14 screens. Dodge the arrows, barrels, pits and other obstacles to reach the right-hand side of the screen.

Controls:
/ (move right), Ctrl (jump). Press both keys together to jump over something.
Music Aid

Vol 4 No 2 (Summer 1985),
Pages 46-49.
Alan Blackham 3K expansion music aid 3k.prg
Screenshot
Write music on your computer by selecting notes on a stave, then entering the duration for each note. It can produce a BASIC listing for incorporating the tune into your own program.

Controls:
Follow on-screen prompts.
Collision Ahead!
(Race Car)

Vol 4 No 2 (Summer 1985),
Pages 50-51.
R H Boyd 3K expansion race car 3k.prg
Screenshot
Dodgems game. Navigate your car through the maze collecting as many dots as you can, but do not hit the white car.

Controls:
J (move inwards), K (move outwards), A (accelerate), D (slow down).
VIC Enhancers

Vol 4 No 2 (Summer 1985),
Pages 52-55.
Allen Webb 8K/16K expansion
See description for loading instructions.
vic enhancers 8k-16k.t64
Screenshot
Collection of graphics utilities.
Enhanced Basic: Basic extension with commands accessed via SYS calls. See here for details & loading instructions.
VIC Configuration: Helps you set-up the screen.
Hi-Res Plot: Subroutine for drawing hi-res graphics. See here for details & loading instructions.
Crazy Craneman

Vol 4 No 2 (Summer 1985),
Pages 56-57.
Andrew McNally Unexpanded crazy craneman.prg
Screenshot
Use your crane to pick up the crates (red square) and put them on the moving ship.

Controls:
Press any key to pick up a crate, and again to lower it onto the ship.
Great Britain

Vol 4 No 2 (Summer 1985),
Pages 58-59.
P Stoddart Unexpanded gb and eire.prg
Screenshot
Displays a detailed map of Great Britain and Eire.

Controls:
None.

Notes

  1. A different version of Tailoring VIC's Characters (83-05) was published as Karakta (VicTape Computing, issue 4).
  2. Galaxy Hero (85-05) was also published as Star Trek (Home Computing Weekly, 83-11-29).
  3. The Bells! (85-05) was also published as Quasimodo (Home Computing Weekly, 84-07-10).
  4. A slightly different version of Music Aid (85-05) was published in Home Computing Weekly (83-11-08). This version displays the author's name on the title screen, and has some additional REM statements.
  5. Collision Ahead! (85-05) appears to be a modified version of Race Car (Commodore Computing International, 83-08). The Personal Software version was also published as Race Car (Home Computing Weekly, 84-07-03); this version has an additional REM statement.
  6. VIC Enhancers (85-05) was also published as Enhanced Basic (Home Computing Weekly, 83-09-20) and Better Graphics (Home Computing Weekly, 83-03-08). Some of the REM statements are slightly different in this version.
  7. Crazy Craneman (85-05) was also published in Home Computing Weekly (84-02-28).
  8. Great Britain (85-05) was also published as Great Britain and Eire (Home Computing Weekly, 84-02-14).

With thanks to DLH's Commodore Archive for scanning this magazine.

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