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Tiago
5th June 2008, 17:17
what is the oldest mag you have?

Amiga:
I have the Amiga Format from May 1991

Atari:
I have the Atari ST user from 1987, dont remember the month
(i never had an atari, but a friend gave me this one maybe in 1990, and i keep it)

Bloodwych
5th June 2008, 17:56
Great idea for a thread! :)

Without going around my parents (which I use as a free storage place) and looking, I'll try and dig into the depths of my memory....

..erm..darkness...right...oh yeah!

Oldest would be a Sinclair User. Had a full collection of these but gave them away when I got my Atari ST. At that age, you're not bothered about hoarding stuff, that mental illness comes on with age! One however survived the culling - it has a pixelated Tarzan swinging through the jungle on the front cover with a yellow background!

Erm, next oldest will be issue 1 of the Games Machine. I have a few issue 1's from various mags, but this one is the oldest I think. Bought it at an Airport with my parents to read on the plane. It was our very first holiday abroad and the memory is still vivid. I can even picture the front cover. I remember listing the games I wanted for the ST when I got back from our hols. Those were the days.

Great memories.

Quagmire
5th June 2008, 18:03
Amiga wise probably this one I've just found. ST/Amiga Format issue 1 July 88
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/scottspikey/STAMiga.jpg

I've also some Atari users from may 85 onwards and some Dragon mags too:o

Harrison
5th June 2008, 18:09
Wow! Issue 1 of ST/Amiga Format. Nice. I've only got it from issue 8.

As for the earliest magazine I own. That is a difficult one. I think it could be a PC World magazine from 1984, featuring the Amstrad CPC 464. :)

Graham Humphrey
5th June 2008, 18:38
I've got an early issue of Amiga Computing (issue 3 I think) from about the same time as that ST/Amiga Format issue.

I also own the first issue of Amiga Format from August 1989 :)

Stephen Coates
5th June 2008, 19:42
Mine is January 1991 Amiga Format.

Ghost
5th June 2008, 21:09
I think mine is a number of CVG, I believe released in 1991

Buleste
6th June 2008, 10:27
I think mines an MSX Computing from about 1985 which included a Basic programme called DANI-Dynamic Aritificial Non Intelligence. And there is a version of it for the PC.

Demon Cleaner
13th June 2008, 10:37
I dumped all of my magazines :-( I only collect Retrogamer and the german Retro magazin, nothing else, as it takes too much place to store later.

Buleste
13th June 2008, 10:40
I found a Practical Motering form June 1968 up in the loft the other day does that count?

Zetr0
13th June 2008, 12:15
Hmmmm the oldes mag i have is a 1984/5 Transformers Mag Issue 23 :D

Harrison
13th June 2008, 12:20
Aw, I just thought. Does the comic of The Empire Strikes Back count? As it is in magazine form? Because if it does I still have mine that I got at the opening of ESB from the cinema in 1980.

Buleste
13th June 2008, 12:47
If we're talking about comics then i have Prog 1 of 2000AD and quite a few Uncanny X-men from the late 70's

Harrison
13th June 2008, 13:16
I think as this thread is in the Amiga Magazines forum it was originally intended to be computer related magazines. But as with most we never stay completely on topic. :)

Cortona
28th September 2008, 18:43
I've got a bunch of ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) mags from June 1988 to sometime late 1990. I used to have a few Amiga Computing from around that time but I seem to have lost those, although I still have a few cover disks from late '89.

I also have an Amiga Shopper magazine from early '95, which is not very old but it has an interesting article on Commodore's closure. Apart from three years' worth of 'Dragon' magazine's from my D&D-playing days in the late '80s (which did have a computer game review section), that's all I have.

...And my dad chucked out about six years' worth of Sinclair User from issue one onwards! Nice one dad... That was a long long time ago though.

I'll have to dig out those ACE mags, they were pretty good.

thirtywinter
5th March 2009, 06:36
Commodore User January 1985 with lots of games that you could key in yourself in Basic. To my recollection anyways. I seem to remember a Francis Drake adventure game?? Something like that anyway. Ah.. Those were the days.

Harrison
5th March 2009, 09:47
Keying in programs yourself. I remember the days. All 8-bit magazines had the listings pages. :) I remember one issue of Amstrad User had the code for a complete drawing program and it was a huge program with about 20 pages of code to enter. I spent days entering all of the program and saving it to tape each day. Eventually I completed the code and ran the program, and it actually worked, although I don't think it was that great. :lol:

Another I remember entering was a game for the CPC based on hunchback. It had lots of bugs though and I could only ever get the game to play to the end of the first screen. Not sure if it was due to typing errors on my part, or just bad code in the first place.

I also used to buy a BBC Micro magazine mainly for the large code listing section it contained each month, and I would spend time in my IT classes at school coding on the BBC Micro, and later the Acorn Archimedes. :)

Buleste
5th March 2009, 10:06
I remember programming in something called DANI (Dynamic Artificial Non Intelligence) from MSX User that someone has translated for the PC although I've not been able to find it.

thirtywinter
12th March 2009, 14:22
Rem ********************************************************************
Rem ** NIALL Non-Intelligent AMOS Language Learner Version 1.0 **
Rem ** ========================================================== **
Rem ** Written By Matthew Peck in 1990 **
Rem ********************************************************************
Set Buffer 120
MNW=3000
Randomize Timer
Hide On : Close Editor
Close Workbench
Dim WORD$(MNW,1),W$(255),CO(1)
Global COM,T$,WORD$(),NUM,W$(),W,SPEAK,HARD,CO(),MNW
WORD$(0,0)=" " : WORD$(MNW,0)="."
SETUP
Do
USER_INPUT
If COM=1 Then Goto SKIPIT
NIALL_REPLIES
SKIPIT:
Loop
Rem --------------------------------------------------------------------
Procedure SEE_INSTRUCTIONS
Screen Hide 1 : Screen Hide 0
For F=1 To 2 : Unpack 2 To 2 : Gr Writing 0
For G=1 To 25 : Read C,A$ : Ink 0 : Text 17,33+G*8,A$
Ink C : Text 16,32+G*8,A$
Next G : Wait Key : Fade 2 : Wait 30 : Next F
Screen Close 2
Screen Show 1 : Screen Show 0
Data 6," COMMAND WORDS"
Data 1," "
Data 1," When you are given the prompt USER: you will normally type in a sentence,"
Data 1,"but you can also type in a command word. All command words are prefixed"
Data 1,"by a '#'. This version (1.0) can support the following commands."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#LIST Displays Nialls current dictionary on the screen."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#LLIST Outputs the dictionary to a printer."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#LPRINT Toggles direct output to printer."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#SPEAK Toggles speech."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#SAVE Saves the current dictionary to disc under any name."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#LOAD Loads a previously saved dictionary from disc."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#CORRECT Corrects a mispelt word in the dictionary."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#FRESH Clears the current dictionary."
Data 1," "
Data 7,"#QUIT Leaves the program."
Data 1," "
Data 5," PRESS A KEY"
Data 5," CREDITS"
Data 1," "
Data 4," Written by Matthew Peck in AMOS Version 1.1 in August 1990"
Data 1," The original idea for NIALL was adapted from a program called DANI, which"
Data 1,"was written for the MSX machines and published in a magazine,MSX Computing."
Data 1,"NIALL is a complete re-write but I would like to give credit to the author"
Data 1,"of DANI for the inspiration. However, I no longer have the magazine and do"
Data 1,"not know the author's name. If you wrote DANI then contact me so that I can"
Data 1,"place your name in the credit list."
Data 1," "
Data 1," Many thanks go to the following people for their help, suggestions etc."
Data 6,"Adam Wright................................For waiting for me to code this."
Data 6,"Pat Fox and Julian Brown.....For playtesting my BBC basic version to death."
Data 6,"Kevin Tye...................................For being a generally nice guy."
Data 6,"Gary Keogh...............For being a great room-mate and friend at college."
Data 6,"Francios Lionet........................For AMOS, what else, and finally to "
Data 6,"Sarah Gould...........For being such a caring and understanding girlfriend."
Data 1," "
Data 1,"My address is:"
Data 4," 23 Welbeck Avenue, Bedgrove, Aylesbury, Bucks, ENGLAND, HP21 9BH."
Data 1," Contact me with/for ideas, programs, NIALL dictionaries and NIALL updates."
Data 1," "
Data 5," PRESS A KEY"
Data 1," "
Data 5," AMOS (c) 1990 Mandarin/Jawx"
End Proc
Procedure USER_INPUT
COM=0 : For F=1 To 3 : Print : Next F : For F=1 To 3 : Cup : Next F
Pen CO(1) : Print "USER:"; : Pen 1 : Line Input " ";T$
Cup : Pen CO(1) : Print "USER: "; : Pen 1 : Print T$
If HARD=1 Then Lprint " USER:";T$
If T$="" Then Pop Proc
T$=Lower$(T$)
Rem --- Is it a command string ---
If Left$(T$,1)="#" Then COMMANDS : COM=1 : Pop Proc
Rem --- Cuts out the rubbish ---
R$="" : For F=1 To Len(T$)
If Mid$(T$,F,1)="," Then Mid$(T$,F,1)="."
If Instr("!£$%^&*()_+|}{@?></#\="+Chr$(34),Mid$(T$,F,1))=0 Then R$=R$+Mid$(T$,F,1)
Next F : T$=R$
Rem --- Seperates into words ---
If Right$(T$,1)="." Then Right$(T$,1)=" "
Q$=T$
FULLSTOP:
If Instr(Q$,".")<>0 Then FS=1 : T$=Left$(Q$,Instr(Q$,".")-1) : Q$=Right$(Q$,Len(Q$)-Instr(Q$,"."))
W=1 : W$(W)="" : For F=1 To Len(T$)
If Mid$(T$,F,1)=" " Then If Mid$(T$,F+1,1)<>" " Then W=W+1 : W$(W)="" : Goto SKIP
W$(W)=W$(W)+Mid$(T$,F,1)
SKIP: Next F
If NUM<>MNW-1
ANALYSE_SENTENCE
End If
If FS=1 Then FS=0 : T$=Q$ : Goto FULLSTOP
End Proc
Procedure ANALYSE_SENTENCE
Rem --- Loop for the number of words +1 ---
OLD=0
For H=1 To W+1
If H=W+1 Then F=MNW : Goto FOUNDIT
For F=1 To NUM : If W$(H)=WORD$(F,0) Then Goto FOUNDIT
Next F
Rem --- The word is a new one ---
NUM=NUM+1 : WORD$(NUM,0)=W$(H) : F=NUM
FOUNDIT:
If WORD$(OLD,1)="" Then WORD$(OLD,1)="1|"+Str$(F)+"(1)" : Goto ALLDONE
C$=WORD$(OLD,1) : C$=Str$(Val(C$)+1)+Right$(C$,Len(C$)-Instr(C$,"|")+1)
For G=Instr(C$,"|")+1 To Len(C$)
If Val(Right$(C$,Len(C$)-G))=F Then Goto HERE
G=Instr(C$,")",G)
Next G
C$=C$+Str$(F)+"(1)" : WORD$(OLD,1)=C$ : Goto ALLDONE
HERE:
G=Instr(C$,"(",G) : I=Instr(C$,")",G)-1
C$=Left$(C$,G)+Str$(Val(Right$(C$,Len(C$)-G))+1)+Right$(C$,Len(C$)-I)
WORD$(OLD,1)=C$
ALLDONE:
OLD=F
Next H
End Proc
Procedure NIALL_REPLIES
If NUM=0 Then Pen CO(1) : Print "I cannot speak yet!" : Pen 1 : Pop Proc
REP$="" : C=0
RLOOP:
C$=WORD$(C,1) : R=Rnd(Val(C$)) : If R=0 Then Goto RLOOP
For G=Instr(C$,"(") To Len(C$)
R=R-Val(Right$(C$,Len(C$)-G)) : If R<=0 Then Goto THISWORD
G=Instr(C$,"(",G+1)-1
Next G
End
THISWORD:
For F=G To 1 Step -1
F$=Mid$(C$,F,1) : If(F$=")") or(F$="|") Then Goto WORD
Next F
WORD:
D=Val(Right$(C$,Len(C$)-F))
REP$=REP$+WORD$(C,0)+" "
C=D : If C<>MNW Then Goto RLOOP
Do
If Left$(REP$,1)<>" " Then Exit
REP$=Right$(REP$,Len(REP$)-1)
Loop
If REP$="" Then Pop Proc
Left$(REP$,1)=Chr$(Asc(Left$(REP$,1))-32)
Right$(REP$,1)="."
Pen CO(1) : Print "NIALL:"; : Pen 1 : Print REP$
If SPEAK=1 Then Say REP$,0
If HARD=1 Then Lprint "NIALL:";REP$
End Proc
Procedure SETUP
If Fast Free<>0
Unpack 1 To 0 : Screen Display 0,128,40,320,28
End If
If Fast Free<>0
Screen Open 1,640,230,4,Hires : CO(0)=2 : CO(1)=3
Else
Screen Open 1,320,230,2,Lowres : CO(0)=1 : CO(1)=1
End If
Screen Display 1,128,70,, : Flash Off : Screen 1 : Palette $0,$FFF,$F00,$48
Pen CO(0) : Paper 0 : Cls
Centre "Welcome to NIALL" : Print
Centre "Non Intelligent AMOS Language Learner" : Print
Centre "Written in AMOS Basic Version 1.1" : Print
Centre "by Matthew Peck in 1990" : Print : Print
Centre "This program is fully Public Domain" : Print : Print
If Fast Free<>0
Centre "Would you like further instructions (Y/N)" : A$=Input$(1) : Print
A$=Upper$(A$)
If A$="Y"
SEE_INSTRUCTIONS
End If
Centre ".......... Get Typing ..........."
End If
Print
End Proc
Procedure COMMANDS
If T$="#list"
For F=0 To NUM Step 20
For G=0 To 19 : If F+G<=NUM
Print F+G,WORD$(F+G,0),WORD$(F+G,1)
End If
Next G : Print : Pen CO(0) : Centre "PRESS A KEY" : Pen 1 : Print : Wait Key
Next F : Pop Proc
End If
If T$="#llist"
For F=0 To NUM : Lprint F,WORD$(F,0),WORD$(F,1) : Next F
End If
If T$="#save"
Show On : A$=Fsel$("df0:*.NIALL") : Hide On
If Upper$(Right$(A$,6))<>".NIALL"
A$=A$+".NIALL"
End If
Open Out 1,A$ : Print #1,NUM
For F=0 To NUM : Print #1,WORD$(F,0) : Print #1,WORD$(F,1) : Next F
Close 1
End If
If T$="#load"
Show On : A$=Fsel$("df0:*.NIALL") : Hide On : Open In 1,A$
Input #1,NUM
Y=Y Curs
For F=0 To NUM : Locate 0,Y : Print "Countdown:";NUM-F;" "; : Input #1,WORD$(F,0) : Input #1,WORD$(F,1) : Next F
Close 1
Print
End If
If T$="#correct"
Pen CO(0) : Print "Enter incorrect word:"; : Pen 1 : Input " ";O$
For F=1 To NUM
If Lower$(O$)=WORD$(F,0)
Pen CO(0) : Print "Enter correct spelling:"; : Pen 1 : Input " ";N$
WORD$(F,0)=Lower$(N$)
Else
Next F : Print "Cannot find word ";O$
End If
End If
If T$="#fresh"
Pen CO(0) : Centre "Are you sure (Y/N)" : A$=Input$(1) : Print
If Upper$(A$)="Y"
For F=0 To NUM : WORD$(F,0)="" : WORD$(F,1)="" : Next F : NUM=0
End If
End If
If T$="#quit"
Pen CO(0) : Centre "Do you really want to quit (Y/N)" : A$=Input$(1) : Print
If Upper$(A$)="Y"
Screen Close 0 : Screen Close 1 : End
End If
End If
If T$="#speak"
If SPEAK=0
SPEAK=1
Else
SPEAK=0
End If
End If
If T$="#lprint"
If HARD=0
HARD=1
Else
HARD=0
End If
End If
End Proc

Also, http://gniall.sourceforge.net/download/

Buleste
12th March 2009, 14:43
Cool!!!!!!

slicer1000
9th April 2009, 10:31
I have Issue 9 of amiga format and issue 1 of amiga power

Cortona
31st May 2009, 17:21
I've hunted down my old Advance Computer Entertainment (ACE) mags. I've got June 1988 to August 1989 (March '89 is missing) and November 1990. I seem to remember defecting to Amiga Format around August '89.

I'll tell you what - there's nothing like reading through those old mags to make you glad your in the modern age of computing!

"CD-i... the future of computer games?"

If I get some time, I'll scan some pages. Does anyone have any scanning tips?

woody.cool
1st June 2009, 10:22
On Saturday, when I was organising myself for the RCM meeting, I discovered an old Amstrad Action magazine :)

Harrison
1st June 2009, 17:01
I'll tell you what - there's nothing like reading through those old mags to make you glad your in the modern age of computing!

"CD-i... the future of computer games?"

I love reading old magazines again. Always beings back so many memories and there is so much you completely forget you ever originally read. It is also great reading the old reviews again and seeing how true they really were all these years later.

And as with everyone, the adverts are the best. Seeing the mad claims (much like the CDi) or the silly prices for things that are now very out of date.


If I get some time, I'll scan some pages. Does anyone have any scanning tips?

It is better to scan at a higher resolution than needed, as you can reduce the image size later. It is better to have more pixels to work with than not enough. 150 - 300 DPI is a good scanning size range.

Scanners do also tend to slightly blur things and the colours are never 100% accurate. So after scanning the first thing to do is apply a sharpen filter to the image. For Photoshop the best is Unsharpen Mask at about 65-80%. And also do some colour correction. Again in Photoshop I tend to use the levels control as scanned images are never by default using the whole available range of colours, brightness and contrast. Adjusting the levels to bring in the top and bottom of an image's colour range is often all that is needed to fix the colour balance, brightness and contrast all in one go.

If you are using different software then you can achieve similar results using the brightness and contrast filters, and a sharpen filter. Just don't over sharpen or over saturate the colours.


On Saturday, when I was organising myself for the RCM meeting, I discovered an old Amstrad Action magazine :)

Nice. I used to buy that in my CPC days. I might even have a couple of magazines stashing in my parents loft somewhere. I really do need to spend a couple of days clearing out their loft and sorting out what I still have up there.

Puni/Void
2nd June 2009, 15:20
I've got a Commodore User magazine from 1984. This was the first year of the magazine if I remember correctly. Also have some older Commodore related magazines. These also feature Amiga stuff.

It's fun to browse through them. Interesting to see how much things have changed since the 80's.

Shoonay
15th June 2009, 13:39
A real, paper one? Probably some old Top Secret issue from 1990
A scanned digital version? That would probably be the 1st issue of Bajtek from 1985

(You can grab a few here (http://retroreaders.pl/phpBB2/dload.php?action=category&id=2&sid=3c01d2a1fa78d457630bf2b6e33f19f2) but beware, it's Polish only, lol)

xpect
17th June 2009, 09:59
The oldest computer mag I have is Byte magazine from November 1979. It was from a set that my uncle had and I kept this oldest number as a collectable, till today.

On Amiga side I have a September 1988 Commodore Amiga Revue the first Amiga magazine i found and bought.

In terms of publications I have several 1945 Reader's Digest, which are the oldest monthly magazines I have.