Stop The Presses!

[ Table of Contents ]

The Newsroom Ad
Family Computing
Page 3

This Stop The Presses! ad for Springboard Software's popular The Newsroom desktop publishing software appeared on page 3 of the February 1986 issue of Family Computing magazine.

Family Computing was a U.S.-based computer magazine published by Scholastic, Inc. It covered most of the popular home computers of the time, including the Atari 8-bit family, the Apple II series, the Commodore Vic 20 and the Commodore 64, as well as the IBM PC and Apple Macintosh. The magazine was published from September 1983 until April, 2001. Although, in around July 1987, the magazine changed from a hobbyist home computing magazine to more of a home office computing magazine.

The Newsroom was a best selling (over 400,000 unit sold) Productivity software title for the Apple II series, the Commodore 64, the IBM PC and the Macintosh, as shown in the Software Best Sellers list compiled by the Billboard Research Department of Billboard Publications, Inc., and published on page 18 in the September 1986 issue of Compute! magazine.

Atari 8-bit Version Main Menu
The Newsroom
Springboard Software

According to a 1988 Springboard Software catalog available on archive.org, The Newsroom and its three optional clip art collection packages (Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3) were the only software titles that Springboard released for the Atari 8-bit series of computes. In the July 1987 issue of Compute! magazine, there is blurb in the News & Products section on page 118 that states "Springboard has announced the release of Atari and Macintosh versions of its popular programs, Certificate Maker and Certificate Library Volume 1. And again, Certificate Maker for the Atari is mentioned in a WinWorld article. Unfortunately, Certificate Maker "for the Atari" was only released for the Atari ST platform, according to the same catalog.

Springboard Software
1988 Catalog

Springboard Software/Counterpoint Software existed as early as 1982 based on the Wikipedia entry for Early Games. From page 27 of the July 21, 1984 issue of Billboard, "Educational software maker Counterpoint Software has changed its name to Springboard Software Inc. According to a spokesman, the name change is part of a company-wide program to expand its operation. Company founder John Paulson would not comment on the change. It is believed that the switch is due to an undisclosed amount of venture capital which shuffled in new key staffers. The name modification is being explained as a more accurate reflection of the company's software."

In 1990, Spinnaker bought Springboard Software, creator of The Newsroom, Certificate Maker and Springboard Publisher, among others software packages.

Originally, The Newsroom wasn't even going to be published for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers as Springboard Software had an unofficial "No Atari" policy.

In an editorial published on page 6 in the June 1987 issue of Antic magazine, editor Nat Friedland started a write-in campaign to convince Springboard Software to make an Atari 8-bit conversion. Two months, hundreds of letters and a chance meeting at the June Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago later, Springboard Software president John Paulson gave the go-ahead. The Atari 8-bit version of The Newsroom was finally released in March, 1988.

Editor Nat Friedland again addressed the successful Springboard Software write-in campaign in another editorial in the December 1987 issue of Antic. Antic magazine and its readers definitely deserve a lot of credit for getting an Atari 8-bit conversion of this popular and useful piece of software published.

There is a review of the Atari 8-bit version of The Newsroom by Clayton Walnum beginning on page 90 of the July 1988 issue, issue #62, of ANALOG Computing magazine. In his review, Mr. Walnum states

"What is The Newsroom? Basically, it's a stripped-down desktop publishing system that allows you to create newsletters, brochure, forms and other simple publications. It doesn't have anywhere near the power of such desktop publishing programs as Publishing Partner for the ST, but that's not its detriment. In fact, its simplicity is actually a good part of its charm."

For more information on Clayton Walnum, listen to an interview with him by the hosts of Antic The Atari 8-bit Podcast. He was interviewed in the ANTIC Interview 142 episode, published on March 8, 2016.

There is another review of The Newsroom by Jim Pierson-Perry starting on page 18 of the July 1988 issue (Vol. 7, No. 3) of Antic magazine. The Newsroom is also prominently featured on the July 1988 issue's cover.

Cover Feature - Springboard's The Newsroom
Antic Magazine
July 1988

There is a review of the Apple II version of The Newsroom by Deborah Kovacks in the October/November 1985 premier issue of II Computing magazine.

I used the Apple II version of The Newsroom years before I ever saw the Atari 8-bit version. When I started my senior year in high school at Toms River High School North (Go Mariners!) in the fall of 1985, I bought an Apple IIc from Atlantic Computers. One of the software packages I bought along with the Apple IIc was The Newsroom. [The other software package I bought was Karateka.] I used The Newsroom to create a short newspaper for a high school English project. I can remember two of the spoof articles I wrote for "the newspaper". One article was on Kurt Waldheim running for president of Austria with screenshots borrowed from Beyond Castle Wolfenstein by MUSE Software, specifically, the successful end of game graphic of the castle blowing up. The other article I remember was a spoof piece on the Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Soviet Union, complete with imagery of mutated monsters.

My Atari 8-bit copy of
Springboard Software's The Newsroom

The Atari 8-bit version of The Newsroom requires an Atari XL/XE with at least 64K of RAM, an Atari 1050 or compatible enhanced denstiy disk drive and a graphics-capable dot-matrix printer. An optional Atari-compatible joystick can also be used. A printer interface is most likely required for printer connectivity. The Atari 8-bit version box states "Recommend use with Microprint interface - Does not support Atari 850 interface." The previously mentioned review by Mr. Walnum also states "... The Newsroom doesn't seem to be compatible with the Atari 850 interface, although from talking to Springboard Software's representatives, I get the impression that they're planning to correct this oversight."  I do not know if the product was ever updated to support the Atari 850 interface.

[Note that Jason Howe mentioned that he uses the Atari 8-bit version of The Newsroom with an Panasonic KX-P2123 printer and the Atari 850 Interface, possibly with a patched disk image from an atariage thread or the atarimania website.]

Also, as previously mentioned, in addition to The Newsroom software itself, at least three optional additional clip art disks were published by Springboard Software as well.

Typical Clip Art Found In The Newsroom

B & C ComputerVisions still has new in box Atari 8-bit The Newsroom software available on their website and their eBay store. The Newsroom and The Newsroom Clip Art Collection have entries on the on the atarimania website, but no disk images are currently available. If you would like to try The Newsroom with the Altirra Atari 8-bit Emulator, try using the patched disk images in this thread on atariage website.You can load the disk images to physical Atari 8-bit hardware with the AspeQt SIO2PC software and the proper cable.

Did you use the Atari 8-bit (or any version) of Springboard Software's The Newsroom for school projects, group newsletters or any other interesting project?

If you find that this The Newsroom blog post is putting you to sleep, you can always get The Newsroom Clip Art Pillow!

Thank you to Allan Bushman for scanning and archiving the Springboard Software catalog referenced in this blog post!

-- Bill (@BillLange1968)