A.N.A.L.O.G.

This article is about the computer magazine devoted to the Atari 8-bit home computer line. For the science fiction magazine, see Analog Science Fiction and Fact.

A.N.A.L.O.G. (from Atari Newsletter And Lots Of Games) was an American computer magazine devoted to the Atari 8-bit home computer line. It was known for its advanced programs in comparison to most type-in magazines of the era, especially its main rival, ANTIC, another long-lived Atari-specific magazine. ANALOG‍ '​s first issue was released in January/February 1981 and it was published bi-monthly until November/December 1983 and then monthly from January 1984 on, interrupted once for approximately six-months in late 1986-early 1987. In 1988, it was sold to LFP, Inc. It continued to run until its final issue in December 1989, totalling 79 issues.

Lee H. Pappas and Michael DesChesnes co-launched ANALOG. The full meaning of the acronym was rarely spelled out in the magazine. Originally the title as printed on the cover was A.N.A.L.O.G. 400/800 Magazine, but by the eighth issue it changed to A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing. Though the dots remained on the cover, it was simply referred to as ANALOG or ANALOG Computing inside the magazine.

In addition to articles and reviews, ANALOG published games and other assorted programs as program listings. While the programs were covered under the magazine's copyright protections, users were granted the right to type them into their computer for personal use, so long as they were not sold or copied. ("Reader Comments", ANALOG #2, page 5). ANALOG earned a reputation for publishing fast and smooth machine language games, whereas most listings in the other Atari magazines of the time were written in Atari BASIC. Such games were accompanied by the assembly language source code.

Pappas went on to launch ST-Log, a magazine for Atari ST computers, Video Games & Computer Entertainment, PC Laptop Computers Magazine,TurboPlay, VISIO, Picture This!, Popular Home Automation, and Home Theater Builder.

In 1989 LFP, Inc. announced it would merge ANALOG and ST-Log into one Atari resource. Instead, both magazines were dropped less than a month later and the staff merged into Video Games & Computer Entertainment. December 1989 was the final issue of ANALOG.

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