This episode features A Financial Wizard, originally released in 1982 by Computari.  It was sold exclusively through On-Line Computer Centers of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Podcast: Download

Scans

I could not locate any boxed copies or scans of the box.  I did find early advertising though.

Advertisement from January 1982 Analog Magazine:

 

Advertisement from May 1982 Analog Magazine:

 

A Financial Manager in Action

The boot splash screen (nice graphic) that is displayed briefly while the program loads:

 

The main menu (you are treated to various tones as this is drawn):

 

Check entry:

 

Check entry exit:

 

Budget entry step 1 – Month Select:

 

Budget entry step 2 – Category amounts:

 

Check Search step 1 – Search Criteria:

 

Check Search step 2 – Results:

 

Tabulations Menu:

 

Tabulations 1 – Expenses/Budget by Month (you are treated to a descending tone as this is drawn):

 

Tabulations 2 – Expenses/Budget by Category:

 

Bar Chart Menu:

 

Bar Chart 1 – One Month Listing All Categories:

 

Bar Chart 2 – One Category Over 12 Months:

 

Bar Chart Printer Selection (see the Print Output selection below for the actual print outs):

 

Check Balancer step 1 – Ending Balance input:

 

Check Balancer – Warning if there are no checks for the month specified:

 

Check Balancer step 2 – Clearing entries:

 

Check Balancer step 3 – Balance Summary with congratulatory note at successful balance (a melody is played as well):

 

Check Balancer step 4 – Balance Summary with scolding note at non-successful balance (an explosion is played as well):

 

Check Writer step 1 – Date Input (note the hardcoded 19 for the century):

 

Check Writer step 2 – Checks.  I didn’t actually test printing checks due to the program not being Y2K compliant as you can see in the screenshot below:

Utilities

The Utilities Menu:

 

Utility Function 1 – Audit Checkbook:

 

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 1 – Instructions:

 

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 2 – Disk prep:

 

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 3 – Creation (working):

 

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 4 – Validation:

 

Utility Function 3 – Change Expense Categories:

 

Utility Function 4 – Clear Expense Files – Warning:

 

Utility Function 5 – Clear Budget Files:

 

Utility Function 6 – Correct Expense Files (working):

 

Utility Function 7 – End of Year Check Transfer:

 

Files

A Financial Wizard uses Atari DOS 2.0s.

Data Disk Contents

The contents of the data disk can be seen in this screenshot:

 

The data files are:

• BAL contains the account balance information, in ATASCII.
• BUDGET.DAT contains budget information, in binary.
• CKTOT.DAT contains ?, in binary.
• EXPCAT.DAT contains expense categories, in ATASCII.
• CHECKDAT.M1 through .M12 contain expense data for each month, in ATASCII.

 

Print Output

Utilities – Audit:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/s1e11-print-utilaudit.pdf

Check Search:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/s1e11-print-checksearch.pdf

Check Balance Summary:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/s1e11-print-checkbalancesummary.pdf

Bar Chart – 1 Month:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/s1e11-print-barchart1month.pdf

Bar Chart – 1 Category:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/s1e11-print-barchart1cat.pdf

Tabulation – 1 Month:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/s1e11-print-tabulation1month.pdf

Tabulation – 1 Category:

https://inverseatascii.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/s1e11-print-tabulation1cat.pdf

 

 

Instructions

Could not be located.  Sorry.

 

Show Links:

• Atari Magazines Archive Compute! review: http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute//issue32/073_1_REVIEWS_A_FINANCIAL_WIZARD_FOR_ATARI.php
• Trademark info: http://www.trademarkia.com/on-line-computer-centers-73418598.html

 

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.