This detailed look into proper diskette maintenance presents general precautions on temperature, humidity, lifespan, labeling, storage, and disk drive maintenance. The Apple UniDisk 3.5 disk drive is described, tips on purchasing diskettes are presented, and information on specific data retrieval and backup software and diskettes is included. (MBR)

Reviews terminology inherent in discussing microcomputer storage technologies and addresses aspects of magnetic storage and present and near-future technologies, including floppy disks, Winchester and removable hard disks, optical digital disks, optical video disks, (audio) compact disks, perpendicular magnetic recording, and erasable optical…

Review of similarities and differences between magnetic-based and optical disk drives includes a discussion of the electronics necessary for their operation; describes benefits, possible applications, and future trends in development of laser-based drives; and lists manufacturers of laser optical disk drives. (MBR)

Reports on the state of currently available digital storage and retrieval systems and describes in detail one-sided optical videodisc LaserData and the Mnemos system, which stores graphic images on microfiche discs. Video Patsearch, Matrox, Philips Megadoc, DEMAND, and Digital Recording Corporation's optical digital records and future videodisc…

This paper describes the efforts of the Program on Teacher Effectiveness of the Stanford Center for Research and Development in Teaching to survey and catalog available teacher training products. It is stated that the project developed from the program's own need to identify potential products which could be incorporated into the program's…

Describes a hardware/software configuration based on personal computers and commercially available generic software that has been assembled to support online bibliographic database searchers. Searchers' ability to trade scripts to transfer expertise in this complex field, and to provide facilities for post-processing of downloaded citations are…

Identifies and describes the major areas of videodisc technology; discusses the operation, reliability, storage capacities, and applications of two types of laser systems; and illustrates the versatility of the optical digital disc through a description of its ability to digitize large bodies of data. Included are six figures and three tables.…

This hardware review describes such innovative features of the Texas Instrument Portable Professional Computer as integrated color screen and option slots permitting customization as well as the physical unit (inside and out), its mass storage flexibility, and sturdiness. A comparison with the IBM PC Portable is included. (MBR)

Describes and evaluates the hardware, software, peripheral devices, performance capabilities, and programing capacity of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum microcomputer. The computer's display system, its version of the BASIC programing language, its graphics capabilities, and the unique features of its data entry keyboard are discussed. (JL)

Reviews new educational materials designed for microcomputer use: compact disk encyclopedia derived from "Grolier's Academic American Encyclopedia"; "PC Word Power," vocabulary enhancement game; "Public Domain Software on File," 250 programs for Apple II microcomputer users; "RightWriter," program designed to teach effective writing; "Kansas…

Describes and evaluates the features, performance, peripheral devices, available software, and capabilities of the Apple III microcomputer. The computer's operating system, its hardware, and the commercially produced software it accepts are discussed. Specific applications programs for financial planning, accounting, and word processing are…

Describes computer operating systems applicable to microcomputers, noting hardware components, advantages and disadvantages of each system, local area networks, distributed processing, and a fully configured system. Lists of hardware components (disk drives, solid state disk emulators, input/output and memory components, and processors) and…

Reviews seven commercially produced test generator programs appropriate for use by classroom teachers or individual instructors and identifies item construction and test formatting features that facilitate test design and delivery. Test generator programs and their manufacturers are listed. (MBR)

This overview of optical videodisc technology focuses on microcomputer-based applications for information processing. Topics discussed include fundamentals of videodisc technology, interactive videodisc technology, and associated hardware systems; government-supported and commercial videodisc and CD ROM information projects; and speculations on…

Included in this thorough overview of the probable future developments in videodisc technology and its role as an educational medium are (1) a review of current educational technology literature on videodiscs, which summarizes a U.S. Navy Delphi Study of videodisc technology use through 1986, discusses a National Institute of Education (NIE) study…