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^Cby
^CDaniel Tobias


   As I write this, this column's namesake, the space shuttle Discovery, is in
orbit after successfully launching in the first manned U.S. space mission since
the Challenger tragedy in 1986.  Our sister publication Softdisk (for Apple II
computers) devoted a graphic screen shortly after the Challenger explosion to
the memory of the seven astronauts who lost their lives.  BIG BLUE DISK hadn't
even begun publication yet.  This painfully-long hiatus in mankind's conquest of
space has lasted long enough for a diskmagazine to go from its earliest planning
stages to where it is now, past its second anniversary and presently the
leading-circulation publication of its kind.  But now we're back in space, and
hopefully space development will move forward towards a point where we may have
BIG BLUE DISK subscribers whose homes are away from Earth.  (I imagine we'd be
better off fulfilling interplanetary subscriptions by transmitting the data via
radio beam; postage rates to mail diskettes off-planet are likely to be rather
high.)

   This issue, number 27, is also a milestone of sorts for us.  Softdisk (for 
the Apple) #27, back in 1984, was the first issue of that diskmagazine to be 
distributed to retail outlets in addition to the mail subscribers.  It 
represented the culmination of the evolution of our product from a low-
circulation disk promoted mostly by word-of-mouth among a small "hacker" 
community into a mass-marketed consumer product.  A lot of evolution took place 
over that period of slightly more than two years.  Now, our much-newer IBM PC 
product has lasted through the same time period, experiencing evolution of its 
own.  My, how time flies! 

   Anyway, we've got another varied issue which should have something up your
alley.  If you keep plants at home, the House Plant Journal will help you keep
track of which ones need watering and feeding each day.  If you're thinking of
getting into ham radio, or just like listening in on the shortwave bands, Morse
Code Magic will help you learn the code.  Gamers can try to defeat the evil
Shalan in his dungeon, in an attractive game programmed by the author of last
month's Electronic Christmas Card.  Aspiring programmers can make their MS-DOS
batch files do some of the tricks normally limited to full-scale programming
languages with the Batch Utilities.  The artistically inclined can discover the
little-known 16-color graphics mode on the CGA adapter with Sketch 16.  And
Print Shop fans will like Print Shop Utilities Too, accompanied by a new set of
graphics.

   In addition to this regular material, this issue has a special bonus feature
that should be of interest to anyone who has been concerned about the computer
virus problem.  We have made special arrangements to distribute Flu_shot+, a
program that is renowned as one of the finest virus-detectors for the IBM PC and
compatibles, on this issue, with the normal shareware registration requirements
waived for our readers.  (However, you are encouraged to register anyway if you
wish updates and support from the author.)

   NEWS FLASH:  The space shuttle Discovery has now landed, after successfully
completing the first manned U.S. space mission since 1986.  Congratulations!