Softdisk

Infobox_Company
company_name = Softdisk
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = Providing Technology Solutions for Over 20 Years
foundation = Shreveport, LA (1981)
location = Shreveport, LA
industry = Software, Internet
revenue =
num_employees =
key_people = Jim Mangham, Founder
Judi Mangham, Founder
Al Vekovius, Founder, Past CEO
John Beaird, Past CEO
John Carmack, Former Game Programmer
John Romero, Former Game Programmer & Designer
Tom Hall, Former Game Designer
Adrian Carmack, Former Artist
Kevin Cloud, Former Artist and Manager
Jay Wilbur, Former Manager
Michael Amarello, Former Manager
Mike Hogan, System Administrator
Jason Bonnough, Assistant System Administrator, Lead Technical Support | products = Softdisk (Apple II diskmagazine)
Softdisk G-S (Apple IIgs diskmagazine)
Loadstar (Commodore 64 diskmagazine)
Softdisk PC
Softdisk for Windows
Softdisk for Mac
Screen Saver Studio
Catacomb 3D
Keen Dreams
homepage = [http://www.softdisk.com/ www.softdisk.com]

Softdisk is a software and Internet company based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Founded in 1981, its original products were disk magazines (which they termed "magazettes", for "magazine on diskette"). They were affiliated and partly owned by paper magazine "Softalk" at their founding, but survived its demise.

Names they have been known by at various times and for various purposes include: "Softdisk Magazette", "Softdisk Publishing", "Softdisk, Inc.", "Softdisk Internet Services", "Softdisk, L.L.C.", and "Magazines On Disk".

Publications

Publications included:

* "Softdisk" for the Apple II
* "Loadstar" for the Commodore 64
* "Big Blue Disk" (later "On Disk Monthly" and "Softdisk PC") for the IBM PC
* "PC Business Disk" for the IBM PC
* "Diskworld" (later "Softdisk for Mac") for the Apple Macintosh
* "Softdisk G-S" for the Apple IIgs
* "Softdisk for Windows" for the Windows platform.

By the late 1990s, however, these publications were discontinued, although "Loadstar" had a continued life as an independent company catering to a cult following of Commodore buffs.

Standalone programs and Gamer's Edge

Softdisk has also published some standalone programs, including screensaver creator Screen Saver Studio (which is now published by Flat Rock Software).

However, they are probably most famous for being the former workplace of several of the founders of id Software, who worked on a short-lived game subscription product, "Gamer's Edge". "Gamer's Edge" was a bi-monthly PC game disk started in 1990 by John Romero. The disk's developers were John Carmack, John Romero, and Adrian Carmack. Tom Hall, then a programmer who worked in the Apple II department of Softdisk, would come in at night to help with the game design. Lane Roathe was the editor.

These developers later left Softdisk to found id Software. However, to complete their contractual obligation to Softdisk, they did several more games for them including "Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion", "Rescue Rover", "Hovertank 3D", "Rescue Rover 2", "Tiles of the Dragon", "Catacomb 3D" and "Keen Dreams" (the "lost" episode of the "Commander Keen" series). Softdisk later published games by other developers using the game engines of the earlier games.

Also, some of the earliest employees of Origin Systems worked there before moving on: Greg Malone "(Moebius, Windwalker)", Dallas Snell ("The Quest" and "Ring Quest"), Joel Rea ("The Quest" and "Ring Quest"), and Alan Gardner "(Windwalker, Ultima VI)".

Current state

Since 1995, Softdisk has been an Internet service provider, Web hosting service, and Internet developer as well, and this eventually became their primary area of business. They have offered local dialup service in the Shreveport area, and Web hosting and development services.

As of 2006, their Web site redirects to that of Bayou Internet, which has taken over their Internet operations. The downloadstore.com site formerly owned and operated by Softdisk is now run by Flat Rock Software, which also publishes former Softdisk product Screen Saver Studio.

References

* Kushner, David (2003). "", New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50524-5.
* Shannon, L.R. (1987). "Peripherals; New Look of Magazines", "The New York Times", October 27, 1987 [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7D61630F934A15753C1A961948260]

External links

* [http://www.softdisk.com Official website] (redirects to bayou.com)
* [http://www.softdisk.com/sub/windows/ Softdisk Legacy Software Information (Official Site)]
* [http://store.syndicomm.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=19 Licensed collection of the Apple versions: Softdisk Magazine; Softdisk G-S and UpTime (includes Mac)]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/company/softdisk-publishing "Softdisk"] at MobyGames