Analog Computing

''ANALOG Computing'' was an American computer magazine devoted to Atari 8-bit computers. It was published from 1981 until 1989. In addition to reviews and tutorials, ''ANALOG'' printed multiple programs in each issue for users to type in. Almost every issue included a machine language video game—as opposed to Atari BASIC—which were uncommon in competing magazines. Such games were accompanied by the assembly language source code. ''ANALOG'' also sold commercial games, two books of type-in software, and access to a custom bulletin-board system. After the Atari ST was released, coverage of the new systems moved to an ''ST-Log'' section of the magazine before spinning off into a separate publication under the ''ST-Log'' name.

The title began as an acronym for Atari Newsletter And Lots Of Games, which was only spelled out in the first two issues. Originally the title as printed on the cover was ''A.N.A.L.O.G. 400/800 Magazine'', but starting with the sixth issue it was shortened to ''A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing''. Though the dots remained in the logo, over time it became ''ANALOG'' or ''ANALOG Computing'' inside the magazine.

The program listings were covered under the magazine's copyright protections, and users were granted the right to type them into their computer for personal use, so long as they were not sold or copied.

History

''ANALOG'' was co-launched by Lee H. Pappas and Michael DesChesnes who met at a ''Star Trek'' convention in 1978. The first issue of the magazine was January / February 1981. It was published bi-monthly through the November / December 1983 issue and then monthly beginning with the January 1984 issue.

Following the Atari ST announcement in early 1985, ''ANALOG'' expanded its scope to include the new computer line. Starting with the April 1986 issue, ST coverage was consolidated into a supplementary section titled ''ST-Log''. With its 10th issue, in January 1987 ''ST-Log'' became a separate magazine and ''ANALOG'' returned to being fully devoted to the Atari 8-bit computers. (This paralleled ''STart'' magazine being spun off from '' Antic''.)

In the April 1988 issues of ''ST-Log'' and ''ANALOG Computing'', Pappas announced that both magazines were under new ownership and the offices moved from Worcester, Massachusetts to North Hollywood, California. Circulation was interrupted between issues 58 and 59 (from October 1987 to March 1988). Details of the acquisition were not mentioned in the editorial, but the masthead showed the publisher as L.F.P., Inc. (for Larry Flynt Publications). Subscribers were not told ahead of time.

In the September 1989 issues of both ''ANALOG'' and ''ST-Log'', it was announced that the two magazines would be recombined into a single Atari resource under the ''ANALOG'' name, beginning with the November issue. Two issues of the combined magazine were published before L.F.P., Inc. shut it down. ''STart'' magazine reported this, incorrectly claiming that both magazines were dropped less than a month after the announcement, but correctly reporting that production staff merged into another publication owned by Pappas, '' Video Games & Computer Entertainment''. The final issue of ''ANALOG Computing '' was December 1989, #79. There was no mention that this would be the last issue.

Additional products

ANALOG Software

In its early years, ''ANALOG Computing'' sold games via mail order under the name ANALOG Software. Several of these were written by magazine staff members. Some games were advertised, but never completed or published, such as ''Sunday Driver'' and ''Titan''.

Released games
* ''Crash Dive'' (different from the Brian Moriarty text adventure printed as a type-in listing)
* ''Star Sentry''
* ''Buried Bucks'', later published by Imagic as '' Chopper Hunt''
* ''Race in Space'', later printed as a type-in listing in the magazine
* ''Carnival'', licensed from Sega

Books

''ANALOG'' published two books of program listings and tutorials. The ''ANALOG Compendium'' (1983) contains "the best Atari home computer programs from the first ten issues." ''An Atari 8-bit Extra from ANALOG Computing'' (1987) contains previously unpublished programs.

The ''ANALOG Computing Pocket Reference Card'' was published in 1985 and sold for US$7.95. It contains a summary of Atari BASIC commands, player/missile memory layout, hardware register and operating system addresses, ATASCII characters, graphics modes, and other information.

Bulletin board

The ANALOG Computing Telecommunications System, or ANALOG Computing TCS, was a custom bulletin board system accessible only through paid subscription. After the TCS launched in May 1985, an 8-page ''ANALOG Computing TCS Guide'' was bound into an issue of the magazine.

''ANALOG Computing'' writers

Staff

* Lee Pappas
* Tom Hudson
* Brian Moriarty
* Clayton Walnum

Contributors

* Charles F. Johnson
* Russ Wetmore

See also

* '' Antic'', the other major Atari magazine in the US
* '' Atari User'', a British Atari magazine
* ''Page 6'', one of the longest running Atari magazines

References

{{reflist, refs=
{{cite web, last1=Pappas, first1=Lee, title=A.N.A.L.O.G.: A Brief History in Time, url=http://www.gearrant.com/atari/a-n-a-l-o-g-a-brief-history-in-time/, website=GearRant, date=January 29, 2015, access-date=December 22, 2015, archive-date=July 20, 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720192718/http://www.gearrant.com/atari/a-n-a-l-o-g-a-brief-history-in-time/, url-status=dead
{{cite magazine , magazine=ANALOG Computing , title=A History of ''ANALOG Computing'' , issue=51 , page=15 , last=Gaw , first=Diane L. , url=https://archive.org/details/analog-computing-magazine-51/page/n15/mode/2up

External links

''ANALOG Computing''
at Classic Computer Magazine Archive

''ANALOG Computing''
archive at Cyberroach.com (archive.org)
''ANALOG Computing''
on the Internet Archive

''ANALOG Computing'' full index
at Neocities.org

''ST-Log''
at Classic Computer Magazine Archive

Magazines established in 1981
Magazines disestablished in 1989
Defunct magazines published in Massachusetts
1981 establishments in Massachusetts
1989 disestablishments in California
Bimonthly magazines published in the United States
Monthly magazines published in the United States
Atari 8-bit computer magazines
Defunct computer magazines published in the United States