SoftSide
Encyclopedia
SoftSide Magazine is a defunct computer magazine, begun in October 1978 by Roger Robitaille and published by SoftSide Publications of Milford, New Hampshire
.
, with articles and program listings that users could manually enter and try out. A version specific to the Apple II began in January 1980 and lasted as an Apple II-only publication until August 1980, when it combined with the other versions of SoftSide covering TRS-80
, Atari 800
and IBM-PC computer platforms. The Apple edition was edited by Apple II game author and publisher Mark Pelczarski
.
In the first few years of publication readers often had problems with the legibility of the dot-matrix
program listings. By the time the printout was photographed and placed in the magazine, it had become a bit illegible. One reader commented, "after a short while of typing, you felt like you needed some of the 'coke bottle bottom' eye glasses!" http://apple2history.org/history/ah20.html#x3
Like many computer publications of the time, SoftSide fell on hard times because of financial pressures and competition. This came during their attempt in 1983 to increase their distribution and reach a larger audience of readers. As a result, Robitaille made some efforts to reorganize the publication into a new magazine called SoftSide 2.0 (directed towards the computer user), and Code (for the programmer), with disk versions of both to be made available. He was never able to get either concept fully established, and SoftSide ended with its August 1984 issue.4
Softside Magazine had a sister company called TRS-80 Software Exchange (or TSE) that distributed software. Many titles sold by this company were magazine submissions that were either very high quality or written in languages that the magazine did not support (which was mainly various dialects of BASIC). Due to some legal issues over copyrights and the name of the business, the name was changed to The Software Exchange or just TSE. Eventually hardware was also added to the items for sale and it was again renamed to TSE/HardSide to go along with the SoftSide name. A year or so later, the company was sold off to the manager of the business and renamed "The Bottom Line". This store competed with PC Connection for many years until they too were forced under. The employees of The Bottom Line were mainly ex-SoftSide employees. Oddly, enough, after the death of The Bottom Line, the company was purchased by Roger Robitaille until it again went out of business.
It is notable that this magazine launched the careers of many programmers, many of which are still active in the profession. It also spawned or was directly involved in the creation of several companies such as Campbell Communications, who later bought the rights to SoftSide games and used some of the games as incentives to subscribe to their TRS-80 newsletter.
Scott Adams
took out the first ad for a commercial software game (Adventureland) in Softside Magazine (probably in 1978).
Peter Favaro
Ame Choate Flynn
Spyder Webb (Cartoonist)
.
Milford, New Hampshire
Milford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States, on the Souhegan River. The population was 15,115 at the 2010 census. It is the retail and manufacturing center of a six-town area known informally as the Souhegan Valley....
.
History
Dedicated to computer programming, SoftSide followed a similar format to early issues of NibbleNibble (magazine)
Nibble was a magazine for Apple II computer users with a focus on hobbyist programming. The name meant "half a byte" or "four bits." Its slogan was "The Magazine for Apple II Enthusiasts." Most of the articles incorporated the source code of a small to medium-sized utility, application program,...
, with articles and program listings that users could manually enter and try out. A version specific to the Apple II began in January 1980 and lasted as an Apple II-only publication until August 1980, when it combined with the other versions of SoftSide covering TRS-80
TRS-80
TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
, Atari 800
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
and IBM-PC computer platforms. The Apple edition was edited by Apple II game author and publisher Mark Pelczarski
Mark Pelczarski
Mark Pelczarski wrote and published some of the earliest digital multimedia computer software. In 1979 while teaching computer science at Northern Illinois University, he self-published Magic Paintbrush, which was one of the first digital paint programs for the Apple II, the first consumer computer...
.
Dot matrix printer
A dot matrix printer or impact matrix printer is a type of computer printer with a print head that runs back and forth, or in an up and down motion, on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like the print mechanism on a typewriter...
program listings. By the time the printout was photographed and placed in the magazine, it had become a bit illegible. One reader commented, "after a short while of typing, you felt like you needed some of the 'coke bottle bottom' eye glasses!" http://apple2history.org/history/ah20.html#x3
Like many computer publications of the time, SoftSide fell on hard times because of financial pressures and competition. This came during their attempt in 1983 to increase their distribution and reach a larger audience of readers. As a result, Robitaille made some efforts to reorganize the publication into a new magazine called SoftSide 2.0 (directed towards the computer user), and Code (for the programmer), with disk versions of both to be made available. He was never able to get either concept fully established, and SoftSide ended with its August 1984 issue.4
Softside Magazine had a sister company called TRS-80 Software Exchange (or TSE) that distributed software. Many titles sold by this company were magazine submissions that were either very high quality or written in languages that the magazine did not support (which was mainly various dialects of BASIC). Due to some legal issues over copyrights and the name of the business, the name was changed to The Software Exchange or just TSE. Eventually hardware was also added to the items for sale and it was again renamed to TSE/HardSide to go along with the SoftSide name. A year or so later, the company was sold off to the manager of the business and renamed "The Bottom Line". This store competed with PC Connection for many years until they too were forced under. The employees of The Bottom Line were mainly ex-SoftSide employees. Oddly, enough, after the death of The Bottom Line, the company was purchased by Roger Robitaille until it again went out of business.
It is notable that this magazine launched the careers of many programmers, many of which are still active in the profession. It also spawned or was directly involved in the creation of several companies such as Campbell Communications, who later bought the rights to SoftSide games and used some of the games as incentives to subscribe to their TRS-80 newsletter.
Scott Adams
Scott Adams (game designer)
Scott Adams is the co-founder, with ex-wife Alexis, of Adventure International, an early publisher of games for home computers....
took out the first ad for a commercial software game (Adventureland) in Softside Magazine (probably in 1978).
Staff
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Software
SoftSide published numerous computer games and utilities for the Apple, TRS-80 and Atari platforms over its six year history; among the most popular were the following titles collected in the Apple edition of The Best of SoftSide (1983) and released on accompanying 5¼-inch floppy disksFloppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
.
- Arena of OctosArena of OctosArena of Octos is a single-player, turn-based combat game for the Apple II and TRS-80 computer families. It was created by Steve Kropinak and Al Johnston in 1981 and published by SoftSide Magazine.-Premise:...
by Steve D. Kropinak (Apple version) and Al Johnston (TRS-80 version) - Battlefield by Joe Humphrey
- Database by Mark Pelczarski
- Escape from the Dungeons of the GodsEscape from the Dungeons of the GodsEscape from the Dungeons of the Gods is a single-player text adventure game for the Atari 800 and Apple II computer families. It was created by Ray Sato and published by SoftSide Magazine in the June 1982 issue It was subsequently republished in The Best of SoftSide and released on accompanying...
by Ray Sato (Apple version by Alex Lee) - Flight of the Bumblebee by William Morris and John Cope
- Galaxia by Michael Prescott
- Gambler by Randy Hawkins (Apple version by Rich Bouchard)
- Leyte by Victor A. Vernon, Jr.
- Magical Shape Machine by Tom Keith
- Melody Dice by Gary Cage
- Microtext 1.2 by Jon R. Voskuil
- Minigolf by Mitch Voth (Apple version by Steve Justus)
- Operation SabotageOperation SabotageOperation Sabotage is a single-player text adventure game written for the Atari 800 by Ray Sato and subsequently translated for Apple II by Ron Shaker. It was published by SoftSide Magazine in 1982 and republished in The Best of SoftSide , which also included the program on an accompanying 5¼-inch...
by Ray Sato (Apple version by Ron Shaker) - Quest 1Quest 1Quest 1 is a single-player text adventure game originally written for the TRS-80 and translated for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit computer families. It was created by Brian Reynolds and published by SoftSide Magazine in 1981. It was subsequently republished in The Best of SoftSide and released on...
by Brian Reynolds (Apple version by Rich Bouchard) - Solitaire by Larry Williams
- Space Rescue by Matt Rutter
- SWAT by Jon R. Voskuil
- Titan by William Morris and John Cope
- Word Search Puzzle Generator by David W. Durkee