COMPUTE!’s Gazette Issue #3 Digital Edition – September 2025

Description

COMPUTE!’s Gazette: September 2025 (Volume 1, Issue 3)

A SepTANDY Celebration!

Welcome to SepTANDY! The September 2025 issue of COMPUTE!’s Gazette pays tribute to the enduring impact of Tandy computers with a collection of features dedicated to the iconic TRS-80 line and its passionate community. Dive into the history of the “Trash-80,” discover incredible hardware mods, learn to program for its unique machines, and explore the music scene it inspired.

This issue is packed with deep dives, programming tutorials, game listings, and community news for retro enthusiasts of all stripes.

SepTANDY Feature Articles

• The Timeless Legacy of Tandy Computers: Our cover story explores the complete history of Tandy, from its leather-crafting roots to its pivotal role in the “1977 Trinity” of personal computing. Discover the rivalries, innovations, and the vibrant modern community that keeps the Tandy spirit alive.
• The 1.21 Jigawatt CoCo: Witness an astonishing project by Danniielle O’Connor, who transplants a Tandy Color Computer 3 into a classic TRS-80 Model 4 case and controls a custom-built, laser-powered flux capacitor with it.
• A World in 20k: Programmer Jim Gerrie shares the challenges and unique strengths of coding for the TRS-80 MC-10, a minimalist machine that required creativity and skill to master.
• Music from the TRS-80: Meet Downpoly, an artist who creates incredible live music using a bank of TRS-80s and the classic Orchestra 90 attachment.

Technical Deep Dives & Regular Columns

• Today in Retro History: Travel back 45, 40, and 35 years to the pivotal Septembers of 1980, 1985, and 1990. Explore the market debut of the Commodore VIC-20, the 16-bit software wars, and the dawn of the multimedia CD-ROM gold rush.
• Some Assembly Required: Continue your journey with the second installment of our series on 6502 assembly language. This month’s lesson is a comprehensive guide to the processor’s powerful and flexible memory addressing modes.
• FujiNet Report: Get a complete guide to using and programming the FujiNet network adapter for the Tandy Color Computer, from initial setup to writing your own network-aware programs in C.
• The Atari Outpost: Veteran programmer Jerry White teaches you how to program sound in Atari BASIC with a fun dice game and the theme from The Flintstones. He also puts out a call to the community to help find his long-lost animated demo, “Jerry’s Kids”.

Games, Code & Community

• Memory Match: A multi-platform game in BASIC! Get the full story behind this concentration-style game and find complete type-in listings for the Tandy CoCo, Commodore 64, and Commander X16.
• Reviving The Code: Take a nostalgic look back at the Micro Adventure book series, which blended young adult novels with type-in BASIC programs. The article includes a brand new spy-fi short story, “Operation Black Cipher,” complete with a C64 BASIC decoder program for you to type in.
• Lost & Found: Andrew Fisher’s column on unreleased games highlights two incredible 2025 recoveries: Nigel Mansell World Championship (1993) and the shoot ’em up Dominion (1988) for the C64.
• Games You (Probably) Missed: Discover hidden and late-release gems for the C64 from the 1990s and 2000s, including Solar Jetman, Daffy Duck, and Alien 3.
• Program Listings: In addition to Memory Match, you’ll find listings for an MC-10 conversion of the classic COMPUTE! game “Mindbusters” and “Snaker,” a new snake game for the Commander X16.