https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/inverseatascii-s1e17-apx_typoattack.mp3

This episode features Typo Attack, originally released in 1982 by APX.  It was programmed by David Buehler, a seventeen year old high school junior.  It was the winner of the APX Star Award earning David $25,000.

Podcast: Download

From Antic Magazine September 1983:

APX released version:

News from Atari Connection Spring 1983:

David demonstrating Typo Attack:

Scan of the front of the box (the Atari released version):

Scan of the back of the box (the Atari released version):

Animated intro with hands typing to trigger missiles:

Completion of the animation.  Notice the Atari copyright.  This screen shot was captured from a dumped cartridge image:

The games start screen:

Wave 1:

Wave 2 (Notice Sp for Space on the third base):

Wave 3:

Wave 4:

Wave 5:

Wave 6:

Wave 7:

Wave 8:

Screenshots of my progress:

Screenshots of my type testing:

Scanned Manual: Download

The booklet that taught me to type properly:

Podcast: Download

This episode features Timewise, originally released in 1982 by Atari.  It bears a striking resemblance in appearance and usage to APX Weekly Planner (episode 7).  I believe it was developed by RLM Micro Systems (Ronald and Lynn Marcuse) and is likely the natural evolvement of Weekly Planner.

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/inverseatascii-s1e16-atari_timewise.mp3

This episode features Timewise, originally released in 1982 by Atari.  It bears a striking resemblance in appearance and usage to APX Weekly Planner (episode 7).  I believe it was developed by RLM Micro Systems (Ronald and Lynn Marcuse) and is likely the natural evolvement of Weekly Planner.

Podcast: Download

Scan of the front of the box:

Scan of the back of the box:

Bootsplash:

Booting without BASIC installed yields a nice warning:

Booting from single drive, swap diskette:

Booting from dual drive, insert diskette:

Checking data diskette format:

Main Menu (asking for date):

Main Menu:

End Session:

The List Appointments menu:

Option 1 – Today’s Appointments

You can only list appointments for the current day (date entered at program boot), but you can choose which person:

Output of list todays appointments:

Option 2 – Display Appointment List

Entering search criteria:

Results of the search:

Option 3 – Print Appointment List

Before the first print operation from any module or sub option you’re asked if you have a 40 column printer.  This is remembered until you reboot:

Before printing appointments, you’re asked if you want to print blank forms:

If you opt to print bank forms, you enter the date range and select if you want 12 hour or 24 hour formats:

If you opt to print non-blank forms (normal), you enter the date range, person, and type of appointment.  Wildcards supported in all fields:

The monthly calendar menu:

Option 1 – Display

Enter month and year to display:

Calendar is displayed.  Days with ** have appointments.  Enter a day number to see details:

Details (appointments) for single day:

Option 2 – Print

When printing blank forms you are asked for the month and year to print:

When printing non-blank forms you are asked for the month and year, and the person.  Wildcard is supported in the Person field:

There is no menu, you are dumped right into editing a new record (appointment).  You are given the syntax for each input field as you move through the form:

A completed input form asking for confirmation the data is OK:

The Inquire / Update menu:

Option 1 – Inquiry

Entering search criteria for the inquiry.  Wildcards supported:

Results from the inquiry:

Option 2 – Update / Delete

After entering the search criteria (similar to above), you are shown each match in succession.  You have option to Update or Delete.  Update works like editing a new record:

Option 3 – Browse

After entering the search criteria (similar to above), you are shown the list of matches:

File Maintenance menu:

Option 2 – File Compression

The menu item shows the current number of records.  Entering month and year here will purge all records before this date:

Atari Timewise appears to use Atari DOS 2.0.  It uses a custom VTOC though.

Program Disk

The contents of the program disk:

Data Disk

The contents of the data disk:

List Print 80 Column:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-listprintdata80.pdf

List Print 40 Column:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-listprintdata40.pdf

List Print 80 Column Blank:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-listprintblank80.pdf

List Print 40 Column Blank:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-listprintblank40.pdf

Calendar Print 80 Column:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-calprintdata80.pdf

Calendar Print 40 Column:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-calprintdata40.pdf

Calendar Print 80 Column Blank:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-calprintblank80.pdf

Calendar Print 40 Column Blank:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e16-print-calprintblank40.pdf

Scanned Manual download

Podcast: Download

This episode features The Color Accountant, originally released in 1981 by FutureHouse.  It was developed by Programmers Institute and written by Andrew A. Hock.

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/inverseatascii-s1e15-futurehouse_thecoloraccountant.mp3

This episode features The Color Accountant, originally released in 1981 by FutureHouse.  It was developed by Programmers Institute and written by Andrew A. Hock.

Podcast: Download

Neither the box nor the manual could be located.

From Compute! September 1982:

At boot …

Disk 1 Menu:

Disk 2 Boot Splash:

Disk 2 Menu:

Disk 1 Module 1 – Chart Of Accounts

Module Loading:

Main menu:

Add/Change/Delete Accounts menu:

Add Account:

Change Account:

Delete Account:

Chart Of Accounts menu:

Print (screen):

Disk 1 Module 2 – Checkbook Maintenance

Loading screen:

Main menu:

New Checkbook / Month:

Check entry form (note running totals at bottom):

Balance – Clearing (canceling) checks:

Balance (result):

Disk 1 Module 3 – Checkbook Search

Load screen:

Main menu:

Search results (browse):

Disk 1 Module 4 – Home Budget Analysis

Load screen:

Main menu:

File Maintenance menu.  For any menu that has this menu, this is where you will need to load your data at the start of the module and save your data when you are done with the module:

File Source menu (when loading).  Seems wasteful and irritatingly un-necessary:

Build menu:

Build Budget Add Item:

Build Budget Change Item:

Build Budget Delete Item:

Analyze Budget:

Disk 1 Module 5 – Appointment Calendar

Load screen:

Main menu:

File Maintenance menu:

Add/Change/Delete/Print menu (print makes more sense at the main menu, but it’s here):

Change Appointment:

Print Appointment Summary menu:

Print Summary (to screen):

Check Appointments (select date or date range):

Check Appointments (result):

Disk 2 Module 1 – Payment Calendar

This module is a virtual clone of the Appointment module.  The only difference being Bills verses Appointments and a couple of field name changes.

Load screen:

Main menu:

Disk 2 Module 2 – Net Worth / Income Statement

Load screen:

Main menu:

File Maintenance menu:

Pre-Statement Maintenance menu:

Print Net Worth Statement:

Print Income/Expense Statement:

Disk 2 Module 3 – Color Graph

Load screen:

Main menu:

Menu item 5 – Check Summary Accounts:

Menu item 6 – Graph Budgeted Items:

Disk 2 Module 4 – Mailing List

Load screen:

Main menu:

Add/Chance/Delete menu:

Add entry:

Change entry:

Delete entry:

Print will first ask you for search criteria:

Print results:

Disk 2 Module 5 – Decision Maker

Load screen:

Select decision type:

Enter list items, importance, and relevance.  Relevance is repeated until all combinations are exhausted or you are satisfied with a result set:

List result:

Yes/No Result:

The Color Accountant uses Atari DOS 2.0.  The contents of the disk can be seen in this screenshot:

Print Chart Of Accounts:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e15-print-chartofaccountsprintprint.pdf

Print Check Book:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e15-print-printcheckbook.pdf

Print Check Search Browse:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e15-print-checksearchbrowseprint.pdf

Print Mailing List:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e15-print-maillistprintprint.pdf

Print Appointment Calendar (Payment Calendar produces nearly identical results):

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/s1e15-print-apptcalprint.pdf

If you find one, let me know.

Copy and paste, then replace ” (dot) ” with “.”.

I did this as some players were picking up the S1E13 chapterized AAC up as S1E15 media.

Podcast: Download

This episode features Atari Memo Pad, originally released in 1979 by Atari.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was the first multi function productivity software suite for the Atari.

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inverseatascii-s1e14-atari_memopad1.mp3

Do NOT be stupid!  This is NOT an A.I. generated episode.  This was released in March of 2015, long before generative A.I. was a hot topic.  It is simply using the text to speech capability built into Mac OS.  Don’t bother sending me any comments on how AI failed.  You are simply wrong if you think AI had anything to do with this podcast.

This episode features Atari Memo Pad, originally released in 1979 by Atari.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was the first multi function productivity software suite for the Atari.

Podcast: Download

This program boots immediately, zero waiting here.  Boot screen:

Features:

Word Processor:

Database:

Spreadsheet:

Paint:

To Do List:

Notebook:

Memo Pad Operating System (M.P.O.S.).  This was accidentally discovered.  I couldn’t get back to it once I left it:

Podcast: Download

This episode features Home Inventory, originally released in 1983 by APX.  It was developed by RLM Micro Systems.  It was programmed by Ronald and Lynn Marcuse, Atari Star Award of Merit winners of January 1982.

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inverseatascii-s1e13-apx_homeinventory.mp3

This episode features Home Inventory, originally released in 1983 by APX.  It was developed by RLM Micro Systems.  It was programmed by Ronald and Lynn Marcuse, Atari Star Award of Merit winners of January 1982.

Podcast: Download

APX Summer 1983:

Manual Cover:

Boot Splash:

Boot Error:

Main Menu:

Insert Data disk 1:

Insert Data disk 2 (if second drive was detected):

Format Data disk (if Home Inventory format not detected):

Input for used for add and edit.  Field names and lengths are non customizable:

Input form filled in:

Input form showing field extents:

Menu:

Inquiry/Update – Lookup form:

Inquiry/Update – Record detail:

Inquiry/Update – Update record:

Inquiry/Update – Delete record:

Browse:

Menu:

All Records (see the Print Output section for the report):

Home Inventory uses Atari DOS 2.0s.  The contents of the program disk can be seen in this screenshot:

Data files directory.  The format is proprietary or at least the VTOC (volume table of contents) is not in the standard location:

The program files are:

Print all records:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e13-print-all.pdf

Print all records of single type:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e13-print-type.pdf

Podcast: Download

This episode features Data Perfect, originally released in 1982 by LJK Enterprises.