This episode features Decision Maker, originally released in 1981 by Color Computer Concepts through APX.  It was written by James L Bruun.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was written in BASIC and released on cassette and diskette.  Absolute initial pricing was hard to discern as different sources listed different amounts at the time of release.

Podcast: Download

Many Faces of APX

APX, Atari Program Exchange, was a software distribution model run by Atari between 1981 and 1984.  It was similar to shareware in that it allowed users to write and sell software as commercial titles, but it allowed for a central point of sale and distribution.  I like to think of it as a very early App store.

1981.  Similar to the Atari Connection magazine logo:

 

 

1982.  This one is my favorite.

 

1983.  This is the one I remember the most:

APX Decision Maker in Action

There is no menu.  Starting the programs does just that, starts the program.  This is start screen:

 

Entering the choices you want to decide on:

 

Entering the common attributes for the choices:

 

Instructions for, and entering, the relative weights for each each attribute:

 

Entering the weights for each attribute and choice combination:

 

The results display complete with weighting graph and recommended choice:

 

Breakdown of Use Case Weighting

Relative Attribute Weights:

• VARIETY = 75 (most important)
• QTY P/YEAR = 0 (least important)
• QTY P/TYPE = 0 (least important)

 

Individual Attribute and Choice Weights:

• VARIETY – STAY SAME = 50
• VARIETY – BY EP CNT = 99  (most important)
• VARIETY – BY YEAR = 25
• VARIETY – BY TYPE = 25
• QTY P/YEAR – STAY SAME = 33
• QTY P/YEAR – BY EP CNT = 00
• QTY P/YEAR – BY YEAR = 99
• QTY P/YEAR – BY TYPE = 00
• QTY P/TYPE – STAY SAME = 33
• QTY P/TYPE – BY EP CNT = 00
• QTY P/TYPE – BY YEAR = 00
• QTY P/TYPE – BY TYPE = 99

Show Links:

• Atari Mania: http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-decision-maker_29964.html
• Atari Archives: http://www.atariarchives.org/APX/showinfo.php?cat=20044
• Analog Computing Review: http://analog.katorlegaz.com/analog_1981-03_120dpi_jpeg_cropped_thumpnugget2/analog_1981-03_023.html
• Radio Shack Executive Decision Maker: http://www.retrothing.com/2007/10/radio-shack-exe.html
• Modern Executive Decision Maker: http://www.amazon.com/Abernook-Executive-Decision-Maker/dp/B0012ULOKW

 

 

Intro music is an excerpt from a chip tune by Wizwars named 8 Bit Raceway.  It is used under Creative Common license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.