SoftSide is a defunct computer magazine, begun in October 1978 by Roger Robitaille and published by SoftSide Publications of Milford, New Hampshire.
History
Dedicated to personal computer programming, SoftSide was a unique publication with articles and line-by-line program listings that users manually keyed in. The TRS-80 edition was first, launched in 1978. An Apple II specific version began in January 1980, followed by more individual versions supporting the Atari 400/800 and IBM-PC, as well as one for BASIC language programmers, Prog80. The platform-specific versions were combined into a single monthly edition in August 1980. In the first few years of publication, users often had problems with the legibility of the dot-matrix program listings. By the time the printout was photographed and printed 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!" Subscriptions were offered that included the printed magazine and a cassette tape, and later 5¼-inch floppy disks, to be literally "played" into the input port to load the complete program into the subscriber's personal computer. Like many computer publications of the time, SoftSide faced considerable financial pressure and competition in an industry-wide shakeout of personal computer publications in 1983. As a result, Robitaille reorganized the publication into two new magazines: SoftSide 2.0 and Code, each with its own disk-based featured software included. Neither magazine found sufficient market to become fully established, and SoftSide ended with its March 1984 issue. Early on, in 1978 or 1979, SoftSide was joined by a sister company called TRS-80 Software Exchange, a software publisher. 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. Due to a copyright challenge by Tandy, owner of the TRS-80, the business name was changed to The Software Exchange or just TSE. By mid-1979, hardware systems and peripherals of the day could be ordered via mail order/phone order from the newest branch of the business, named HardSide. It is notable that this magazine launched the careers of many programmers, many of which are still active in the profession. It also provided the experience and support for several entrepreneurs who went on to create companies including MicroMint, The Bottom Line, Campbell Communications, The Gollan Letter. Scott Adams took out the first ad for a commercial software game in Softside Magazine in 1978.
Software
SoftSide published numerous computer games and utilities for the TRS-80, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, and Commodore PET over its six-year history. The following titles were collected in the Apple edition of The Best of SoftSide and released on accompanying 5¼-inch floppy disks.
Bruce Campbell reviewed SoftSide in 1982 in The Space Gamer No. 61. Campbell commented that "SoftSide has evolved from a pulp tabloid to a slick, professional magazine. A wide variety of programs are featured: arcade games, adventures, economic situations, board games, educational programs, and more. In general, I have found these of higher quality than most listings in books and magazines."
