Features p.38 The Osborne Executive and the Executive II [author Jerry Pournelle] Adam Osborne's second and third machines come with more standard equipment, offer more options, and have a slightly larger video screen than the Osborne I. p.49 Build an RS-232C Code-Activated Switch [author Steve Ciarcia] This device will let you switch between several peripherals connected to one serial port. p.59 The Electronic Office [author Pamela A. Clark] A short introduction to our theme articles. p.60 Local Area Networks [author Harry Saal] The proliferation of office communication systems makes standardization all the more imperative. p.104 The Movable Conference [author Irving A. Lerch] Computer moderated conferencing is not bound by time and geographic restrictions and is sure to change the structure of the executive business meeting. p.124 Electronic Publishing: The New Newsletter [author Arthur S. Bechhoefer] How a newsletter evolved from its traditional format to a computer-accessed, interactive investment advisory service. p.154 Achieving Greater White-Collar Productivity In the New Office [author Randy J. Goldfield] The conversion to automated tools in an office must address many issues, especially human factors. p.203 Full Use of the Epson MX-80 Under Wordstar [author Neil G. Wallace] How to upgrade Version 3.2 of Wordstar to use more of the capabilities of the Epson MX-BO equipped with Graftrax-Plus. p.232 Stalking the East-Asian Microcomputer [author Phil Lemmons] The author chronicles his five-nation tour and reports on the state of microcomputing in East Asia as revealed by attending six electronics trade shows. p.236 The Japanese Microcomputer Marketplace [author Kurt Veggeberg] A short report on the current state of microcomputing in Japan. p.242 An Inexpensive letter-Quality Printer [author Stuart Brown] If low cost and letter quality are two of your priorities for a printer, consider this Interface between a personal computer and the Olivetti Praxis 30. p.266 BYTE West Coast: Ferment In Silicon Valley [author Phil Lemmons] Profiles of four start-up companies suggest the dynamism of the region and illustrate several ways in which firms get started. p.272 NAPLPS: A New Standard for Text and Graphics, Part 4: More Advanced Features and Conclusions [author Jim Fleming] A standard way to encode color mapping and animation, closing with some predictions on how NAPLPS will be used by personal computers. p.286 Better Software Manuals [author Dana Sohr] The quality of a product's companion documentation could make or break a sale. Tips on whal constitutes a good manual. p.298 User's Column: Ulterior Motives, Lobo, Buying Your First Computer, JRT Update [author Jerry Pournelle] Our resident critic takes his first look at Modula-2. p.331 The Enhanced VIC-20, Part 4: Connecting Serial RS-232C Peripherals to the VIC's TTL Port [author Joel Swank] The last in this VIC series discusses port connections. p.342 Design Philosophy Behind Motorola's MC68000, Part 2: Data-movement, Arithmetic, and logic Instructions [author Thomas W. Starnes] A look at the capablillies of the MC68000's instruction set. p.368 Building a Hard-Disk Interface for an S-100 System, Part 3: Software [author Andrew C. Cruce and Scott A. Alexander] How to alter the CP/M operating system so that it will accommodate a Winchester disk drive and controller. p.402 Using IBM's Marvelous Keyboard [author David B. Glasco and Murray Sargent III] It's a fairly simple procedure to change IBM's keyboard to the Dvorak layout, or even use the keyboard with other computers and software. p.418 Strongly Typed Languages [author Earl E. McCoy] Ada, Pascal, and other new languages let you define your own data types. p.438 The Ins and Outs of the TRS-BO Color Computer [author Colin J. Stearman] Find out how the Color Computer interfaces with the outside world. p.452 A Conceptual Approach to Real-Time Programming [author Craig R. Wyss] You can use various real-time programming techniques to turn a lazy computer into a real worker. p.474 Regression Fitting to Economic Indexes [author Dr. John R. Merrill] An Apple II program can help determine base rates of innation through analysis of the Consumer Price Index. p.482 Sorting Algorithms for Microcomputers [author Terry Barron and George Diehr] Programmer ingenuity and search of the existing literature can significantly improve sort performance. Reviews p.14 Little Big Computer, The TRS-80 Model 100 Portable Computer [author Rich Malloy] p.82 The Fortune 32:16 Business Computer [author Steven H. Barry] p.134 What a Concept! A View of the Corvus Computer [author Curtis Feigel] p.176 Word Tools for the IBM Personal Computer [author Richard S. Shuford] p.220 A Comparison of Five Database Management Programs [author Jack L. Abbott] p.263 Painter Power [author Chris Pappas and William H. Murray] p.426 Solarsoft [author Winslow H. Fuller] Nucleus p.6 Editorial: Disenchantment with Detroit p.8 Letters p.326 Book Review: Microprocessor Systems, Interfacing and Applications p.494 BYTE LINES p.499 Event Queue p.509 Software Received p.51 3 Books Received p.515 Ask BYTE p.521 Clubs and Newsletters p.524 What's New? p.589 Unclassified Ads p.590 BOMB, BOMB Results p.591 Reader Service