What are you reading in October 2017?

I just finished issue 10 of The Home Computer Course, a 1980s UK computer magazine intended to introduce beginners to computing. It can be found with a bit of googling. 

The issue includes an article on computer animation, an article on speech synthesizers, an article on the Ti 99/4A home computer (a good system that somehow never caught on), an article on software piracy (a really huge issue in the early 1980s, as software could not be copyrighted in the UK at that time), plotters (now an obsolete technology), and a brief biography on Alan Turing. 

Recently finished two magazines, from 1983, issues 11 and 12 of The Home Computer Course. As mentioned above, these were intended to introduce people to computers, and now serve as fascinating time capsules of early 1980s computing. The magazines were published in Britain, which had a very different computing scene to the U.S. (and in my opinion, the British scene was a lot more interesting). 

Issue 11 features articles on flight simulators, interfaces, random numbers, acoustic couplers, local area networks, a review of the popular Sinclair ZX81 computer and a brief biography of Charles Babbage. There's also an article on the unsuccessful ROMOX programmable cartridge, a sort of early downloadable games. 

Issue 12 is lots of fun, with an article on arcade games (which wrongly calls Pong the first arcade game, a common mistake at the time), an article on the ZX Microdrive (a form of software storage using tape, but much faster than cassette), a general look at which computers are good for which tasks and advice on buying a home computer, a review of the sensationally popular Commodore Vic-20 home computer (which sadly seems to be forgotten these days), an article on buffers used by printers, an article on analogue computers, and a brief biography of Herman Hollerith. There's also an advertisement for the popular Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer. 

Recently finished issue 13 of The Home Computer Course, published 1983. This magazine was created to last 24 issues and was intended to be collected into book format (the 24 issues would have their covers removed and be turned into two books via binders...how common was this idea in the 1980s?)

Unfortunately this isn't one of the better issues, parts of it are dull. On the other hand, it was enjoyable to read the article on the Sord M5, a home computer I've always wanted to emulate. There's also an article on the notable game Pinball Construction Set. 

Recently finished issue 15 of The Home Computer Course, published 1983. It can be found online with a bit of googling.

Decent. The article on robots was interesting, as was the review of the Mattel Aquarius computer. They gave the Aquarius a fairly positive review, but the computer was a flop (I read it was very difficult to program, and it had the image problem of looking too much like a toy). 

Recently finished issue 16 of The Home Computer Course, published 1983. It can be found with some googling. 

Interesting that they talked about the possibility of interactive cable TV (something that never really took off). Another discussed are the late great bulletin board systems. There's also a mixed review of the Sharp MZ-711 home computer.