The Guide to Computer Living (May 1986)

The Guide to Computer Living was a regional magazine (published and distributed in the Northwest part of the U.S.) for the VIC-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128 and Amiga. It was not one that I was familiar with at the time it was being published. There were at least six monthly issues published and it was published as The Northwest Users Guide before that.

Content from the May 1986 issue includes:

• RND (0) Notes - Commodore related news including an Amiga price drop to less than $1000, Commodore's poor marketing, and Commodore's poor financial situation.


• To The Editor - Comments and praise regarding previous issues.


• SuperScript 128 - A review of SuperScript 128, a word processor for the Commodore 128. The Commodore 128's 80-column mode made it much better for word processing and other productivity tasks than the Commodore 64 which only supported 40 columns.


• Fleet System II - Another word processor for the 128. In the first couple years of the Commodore 128's life, there was a ton of productivity software released for it and it was an ideal cheaper alternative to IBM PCs for home users. Plus you could play all those Commodore 64 games.
• PaperClip - Another 128 word processor. The Commodore 64 version was long a best seller for that machine.


• Shopping Advice - An article warning that you shouldn't buy software just based on reviews. Try it yourself first if you can or try something inexpensive first to learn if and how it does not meet your needs before moving on to more expensive software.




_{Table of Contents from the May 1986 issue of The Guide to Computer Living}

• Elite - A review of one of the more famous games for the Commodore 64. A great game but not necessarily the best copy protection scheme especially given the unintelligible instructions.


• Bud Izzit Art School - Ways to manipulate strings and text on screen.


• X-Ten Powerhouse - An overview of an X-10 system for the Commodore 64. This is how home automation worked before Alexa.


• Amiga: Window on the Future - An article on the Amiga's graphical UI. Really the most advanced there was at the time.




_{Table of Contents from the May 1986 issue of The Guide to Computer Living (continued)}

• Pascal's Triangle - How to factor integers on your Commodore 64.


• I Don't Speak Hexadecimal - The writer's experience at being the first in her office to use a computer.


• Little Computer People - You can think of Activision's Little Computer People as an early version of The Sims.


• 80 Columns on 128 PC - Using the Commodore 128's 80-column mode and how video memory works in that mode.

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