.IF DSK1.C3

     

^^^^^^^^TEXTWARE, SOFTWARE, and ELSEWHERE



^^^^^^^^^^TI Articles and Reviews



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^by Jack Sughrue   



     

     The drought is over, of course, but now the deluge has begun.

     As I sit at my marvel (the T.I.) with my expansion box plugged in and
humming and my disk drive answering my every beck and call through my T.I.
Writer Word Processor and my monitor beams its warm green glow (while my
Gemini 10 X waits patiently for printing orders, I can't help but wonder what I
did with my leisure time two years ago.
     I remember clearly what I did with that 
leisure time last year.  I spent
it going from store to store and magazine rack to magazine rack and library to
library trying desperately to find something - some tiny written word about the
T.I.99.  Something.  Anything.  Just a few words about how to program or a few
simple games I could type onto this thing.  I found two lousy books in three
months.   I begged store owners and librarians to order books and magazines for
us poor 99 freaks.  The pleas did not fall on deaf ears.  There just wasn't
anyting to order.

     BUT ALL THAT HAS CHANGED NOW, MY FRIENDS!  At least for the present on
this April Fool's Day, 1984.  I hope the day is not a warning not to be fooled
by the heavenly manna.  Tomorrow, I realize, I could be hungry again.  In any
event, let's enjoy the moment and hope it's a decade.



 
     There's not only a lot of stuff out there, there is a lot of great stuff!
(Some junk, too, but we won't waste any reviews on junk.)

     I sit here at my machine and look at the shelves lining my den.  On them
(in the computer corner - "Dad's Playroom," my kids call it, not realizing the
serious aspect of my endeavors - ) are magazines (99er, FAMILY COMPUTING,
COMPUTE!, K-POWER, UNOFFICIAL 99, COMPUTER SHOPPER, MUNCH, HOME COMPUTER
COMPENDIUM, lots of user-group newsletters, etc.) and lots of books.

     [I'm just going to pause a moment to see how many T.I. books I have.  Hold
on just a moment, please.]



     I'm back.

     Thanks for waiting.

     I have 47 T.I. books.  47!  All of the great DATAMOST and COMPUTE! and
SAMS books just made for the 99.  And all piles of games books and utility
books and educational books and combination books.  This is amazing, actually.

     Today you can even buy T.I. books from Publishers Central and other
remainder mail-order book houses.

     There are T.I. books on assembly language (four different ones in one
bookstore I stopped in today), LOGO, graphics, data, C.A.I., modem services,
free sources, and so on.  Once the specialty books on a particular brand of
computer hits the market, you know you've got it made.  If no new books on our
cmputer come out from this day forth, there would still be enough to satisfy
most users for a lifetime.  (I, for example, haven't begun to plumb the depths
o my 47 wonderful purchases.  I didn't even realize I had that many.  Enough
for four more years of reviews without ever buying another one.  But I probably
will.)

     

     And, if I type in all the programs offered in thses books and read and
assimilte all of the turtorials given, the value of my T.I. software will be
triple what it is today.  That's a considerable value in education and in use
and in real money (saved by not purchasing similar disk or tape programs).



     Although I've purchased some of these books in local bookstores, there are
not that many carrying TI materials.  Let's be vocal.  The only way store
owners will carry our stuff is if we buy and let them know we want more.  It
might help when you go there or anywhere else for your T.I. books if you talk
to the salespeople and tell them how much you appreciate their carrying of
these items.  It would also help to tell all your friends about the bookstore
you go to to buy your magazines and books and encourage them to go there, too.



     So what goodies this month?  Just some new titles worth looking into which
will be reviewed eventually: THE LAST WORD ON THE TI 99/4A and THE LAST WHOLE
TI99/4A BOOK (I hope these two are not prophetic.  They are the ones that got
me thinking about the April Fool optimism I have.  Ah, well.); THE ELEMENTARY
TI 99/4A (an exceptional book); ZAPPERS, CREATING ARCADE GAMES ON THE TI 99/4A;
and TI GAMES FOR KIDS.  All of these books came out this month and all are
really fine.  The latter two are COMPUTE! books, so you know they are superb.
I'd recommend all of them if you don't feel like waiting for the reviews.



     And don't forget to prod and poke your local bookdealer and subscribe to
as many TI-oriented magazines as you can.  That is truly the ONLY way our
orphaned community is going to survive.


[Jack Sughrue, Box 459, E.Douglas, MA 01516]



     ******************



If any newsletter editor prints these articles, please put me on your mailing
list.  Thanks - JS

 
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