Chromasette

Chromasette was the first cassette-based TRS-80 Color Computer magazine produced by David Lagerquist and was an offshoot of CLOAD magazine.^[1]^[2] The first issue was published July 1981 and the last issue may have been April 1984 (needs verification). Issues were published monthly. While some references cite the price as having been $3.50 USD an issue, it was advertised in Creative Computing magazine in May 1983 as $45 USD a year for 12 issues, $25 USD for 6 issues, or $5 USD each.^[1]^[3] The first issue contained 5 Basic programs and the "cover" of the electronic magazine (which had to be loaded onto a TRS-80 Color Computer and then run) was dynamic. Included with each cassette was a 5-6 page newsletter explaining the programs included on the cassette, including their PMODE and PCLEAR values (if needed), their locations on tape, and several paragraphs of documentation about each (sometimes suggesting program alterations that change or improve the results). The newsletter contained tips, rumors (for example whether the TRS-80 Color Computer would soon support 5¹⁄₄" floppy diskette drives in addition to cassettes for loading and recording software programs), along with other insights. They contained a variety of information about the Color Computer and some of the hardware and software available for it. In addition, they included advertisements. Dave signed only his first name to the CLOAD and Chromasette letters.^[1]^[3]

How cassettes were produced

(from comment from David Lagerquist in the April 1983 issue)

"How do we duplicate the 6000 or so cassettes we send out each month? Rose just doesn't sleep! Really, the programs are read off a disk and sent through a line amplifier to 30 cassette recorders hooked up in parallel. The recorders are controlled by a Color Computer through the microphone jack. The 'random' clicking of 30 buttons lets us know that the tapes are done and that it's time to put in some more blank ones. A heck of a way to make a living..." ^[4]

Issues

The following is an incomplete listing of files included in Chromasette issues.^[2]

July 1981

COVER BAS 0 B 3
HOWFAR BAS 0 B 4
BLOCKADE BAS 0 B 3
ACUMEN BAS 0 B 3
DISRTATN BAS 0 B 3
BLAST BAS 0 B 3

August 1981

HORNCOV BAS 0 B 2
DRAWINST BAS 0 B 3
DRAWER BAS 0 B 3
WORDS BAS 0 B 3
JERUSADV BAS 0 B 4
LANDER BAS 0 B 3
TWODATES BAS 0 B 2

September 1981

NERVES BAS 0 B 2
SPELLIT BAS 0 B 3
BASEGUES BAS 0 B 3
HICALC BAS 0 B 3
MUSICPAT BAS 0 B 2
SEEKCOVR BAS 0 B 3

October 1981

COVER124 BAS 0 B 2
MAGICSQR BAS 0 B 2
MCJUMP BAS 0 B 3
COEFF BAS 0 B 2
TOWERINS BAS 0 B 1
TOWER BAS 0 B 2
PHONEWRD BAS 0 B 1

November 1981

TURKCOV BAS 0 B 3
STAREATR BAS 0 B 2
UFOMATH BAS 0 B 2
MORSINST BAS 0 B 1
MORSQUIZ BAS 0 B 4
REVERSI BAS 0 B 2

December 1981

GRAPHCOV BAS 0 B 3
DOGSTARS BAS 0 B 2
BASECONV BAS 0 B 2
AMORT BAS 0 B 2
POUNCE BAS 0 B 1
ROTATE BAS 0 B 1
FIGURE DAT 1 A 3
WORLDMAP BAS 0 B 4

January 1982

LINESCOV BAS 0 B 2
BLOCK BAS 0 B 2
TYPING BAS 0 B 2
MANSION BAS 0 B 4
POWER BAS 0 B 3
WORLD3D BAS 0 B 4

February 1982

MOIRECOV BAS 0 B 1
BLEEP BAS 0 B 2
DUMPALL BAS 0 B 3
ABM BAS 0 B 3
DISASSEM BAS 0 B 3
SHRINK BIN 2 B 1
CHECKREG BAS 0 B 4
SPIRAL BAS 0 B 2
MINMUSIC BAS 0 B 1
AMAZING BAS 0 B 2
ADDRESS BAS 0 B 3
OLDHOUSE BAS 0 B 5
CKMON BIN 2 B 1

March 1982

POLYCOV BAS 0 B 2
RUBIC BAS 0 B 5
BOBO BAS 0 B 3
SPACE BAS 0 B 2
FINANCE BAS 0 B 3
LAZKEY BIN 2 B 1
MANYBODY BAS 0 B 1
BLOTCH BAS 0 B 2
RADAR BAS 0 B 3
NOTEBOOK BAS 0 B 1
NOTEDESC BIN 2 B 5
ULTIMATE BAS 0 B 5
APPEND BAS 0 B 2

April 1982

POLYCOV BAS 0 B 2
RUBIC BAS 0 B 5
BOBO BAS 0 B 3
SPACE BAS 0 B 2
FINANCE BAS 0 B 3
LAZKEY BIN 2 B 1
MANYBODY BAS 0 B 1

May 1982

BLOTCH BAS 0 B 2
RADAR BAS 0 B 3
HELLO BAS 0 B 2
NOTEBOOK BAS 0 B 1
NOTEDESC BIN 2 B 5
ULTIMATE BAS 0 B 5
APPEND BAS 0 B 2

June 1982

FIRECOV BAS 0 B 2
MARTIAN BAS 0 B 2
FINDIT BAS 0 B 3
STRING BAS 0 B 1
SCRAMBLE BAS 0 B 5
DISKEDIT BAS 0 B 4
SPACEACE BIN 2 B 2

July 1982

GEOCOV BAS 0 B 3
STARMAP BAS 0 B 3
TICKER BAS 0 B 3
ROCKS BAS 0 B 3
NOTES BAS 0 B 3
MUSICK BAS 0 B 1
MENU BAS 0 B 2

August 1982

MUSICCOV BAS 0 B 3
CHICKEN BAS 0 B 2
EQUATION BAS 0 B 2
NAUGAINS BAS 0 B 3 (Realm of Nauga instructions)
NAUGA BAS 0 B 4 (Realm of Nauga)
MAXIMUM BAS 0 B 4
DISDEMO BAS 0 B 3
CLOCK BAS 0 B 1

September 1982

BOXCOV BAS 0 B 2
PICKEM BAS 0 B 3
WILLADV BAS 0 B 5
TYPETUTR BAS 0 B 4
TAPEINV BAS 0 B 3
BASICMAP BAS 0 B 3
GERM BIN 2 B 1

October 1982

CLASSCOV BAS 0 B 4
ASTROINS BAS 0 B 2
ASTROMIN BAS 0 B 3
ROLL BAS 0 B 3
BEAMS BAS 0 B 4
CATALOG BAS 0 B 2
SAY&PLAY BAS 0 B 6
PONG BIN 2 B 1

November 1982

TEXCOV BAS 0 B 2
MORAINE BAS 0 B 3
LIFE BAS 0 B 3
DIGGEM BAS 0 B 3
CRAZMAZE BAS 0 B 2
SMALTEXT BAS 0 B 3
GRAFTEXT BAS 0 B 4
PIANO BIN 2 B 1

December 1982

XMASCOV BAS 0 B 3
MRMUNCH BAS 0 B 4
ROBOTRUN BAS 0 B 3
KALIEDOS BAS 0 B 2
CURVEINS BAS 0 B 4
CURVEFIT BAS 0 B 4
HISCORE BAS 0 B 2
BOXSHOOT BIN 2 B 2

January 1983

(missing listing)

February 1983

(missing listing)

March 1983

BIRDCOV BAS 0 B 3
MICROBE BAS 0 B 3
UTOPIAN BAS 0 B 4
TAX BAS 0 B 6
PIE BAS 0 B 3
LANGINS BAS 0 B 2
LANGDRL BAS 0 B 3
SPANISH DAT 1 A 1
FLYBY BIN 2 B 2

April 1983

TARTCOV BAS 0 B 2
FOOL BAS 0 B 1
RESCUINS BAS 0 B 2
RESCUE BAS 0 B 4
FILES BAS 0 B 4
ASTBLAST BAS 0 B 3
PENIPEDE BIN 2 B 2
VARMAP BAS 0 B 3

May 1983

DESCOVER BAS 0 B 2
BALLOONS BAS 0 B 3
ANDREA BAS 0 B 5
KEEPADDR BAS 0 B 3
MAZE BAS 0 B 2
GREMLML BIN 2 B 2
GREMLIN BAS 0 B 2
DELETER BIN 2 B 1

June 1983

GUTSCOV BAS 0 B 3
BOUNBABY BAS 0 B 2
MATHINS BAS 0 B 3
MATHVADE BAS 0 B 3
KEEPLIST BAS 0 B 3
ZAPEM BAS 0 B 4
REVERSE BAS 0 B 1
FILECOPY BAS 0 B 1

July 1983

COLORCOV BAS 0 B 3
COVERUP BAS 0 B 2
FLIGHT BAS 0 B 2
HALL BAS 0 B 3
PRECOMP BAS 0 B 2
ADDRESS PRE 0 A 3
ADDCASS BAS 0 B 2
ZEROG BIN 2 B 2
LISTER BIN 2 B 1

August 1983

DOTCOVER BAS 0 B 2
MOONFLT BAS 0 B 2
CASTLADV BAS 0 B 6
COLORINS BAS 0 B 2
COLORDOT BAS 0 B 3
KEEPCHEK BAS 0 B 3
TRKLOC BAS 0 B 2
GRID BIN 2 B 2
MLSCORE BIN 2 B 1

September 1983

XFORMCOV BAS 0 B 3
TRAILS BAS 0 B 3
FACTORS BAS 0 B 4
BLAKINS BAS 0 B 4
BLAKJAK BAS 0 B 4
KEEPBUDG BAS 0 B 3
DIRSAVE BAS 0 B 2
ANALYZE BIN 2 B 1

October 1983

MARTNCOV BAS 0 B 3
QUICK BAS 0 B 2
CHICK BAS 0 B 3
TUTOCAT BAS 0 B 4
CARDCAT BAS 0 B 4
ISLEADV BAS 0 B 5
OFFSET BAS 0 B 2
NEWTRACE BIN 2 B 1

November 1983

FIGURCOV BAS 0 B 3
TIMEFLT BAS 0 B 3
ASSMBLER BAS 0 B 5
ASMTEST DAT 2 B 1
RADRUN BAS 0 B 2
MASTRCAT BAS 0 B 4
TRSMEM BAS 0 B 1
ANIHLTR BIN 2 B 3

December 1983

FROSTCOV BAS 0 B 4
FLIP BAS 0 B 3
QBEE BAS 0 B 4
DSKTODSK BAS 0 B 2
CLUES BAS 0 B 2
BOUNCER BIN 2 B 2
FOREST BIN 2 B 3

January 1984

OPARTCOV BAS 0 B 3
TAX83 BAS 0 B 5
STAYLIV BAS 0 B 2
STARMUSS BAS 0 B 5
FORTRAN BAS 0 B 4
FORDEMO FOR 1 A 1
HELP DAT 1 A 2
CLIMB BIN 2 B 3

February 1984

SCALECOV BAS 0 B 2
CANNON BAS 0 B 3
AUTODOC BAS 0 B 2
STRKINS BAS 0 B 4
COCOSTRK BAS 0 B 4
BLAZER BAS 0 B 3
WIGWORM BIN 2 B 2

March 1984

SHUTCOV BAS 0 B 3
MATCH4 BAS 0 B 4
COUNT BAS 0 B 4
PILOT BAS 0 B 3
\*SAMPLE DAT 1 A 1
SAMPLE BAS 1 A 1
TAIPAN BAS 0 B 6
COLRDUMP BAS 0 B 2
EZSKI BIN 2 B 2

April 1984

CLOCKCOV BAS 0 B 3
PUZZROLL BAS 0 B 5
BUDGET BAS 0 B 3
LUNARADV BAS 0 B 6
DRIVER BIN 2 B 1
ABLE BIN 2 B 2
MAZELAND BIN 2 B 2

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Coco Chronicles
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 [Coco] [Color Computer] Realm of Nauga Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "bob_devries" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Trs-80 strings
↑ [Coco] a bit of coco trivia

External links

Chromasette (Physical collection) at the Highland Historic Computer Museum

[alfredo-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Coco Chronicles

[bob_devries-2] 2.0 ^2.1 [Coco] [Color Computer] Realm of Nauga Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "bob_devries" defined multiple times with different content

[Creative_Computing_Vol._9.2C_No._5.2C_May_1983_pg._296-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Trs-80 strings

[bob_devries2-4] [Coco] a bit of coco trivia

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]