Presented is a chart which compares the nature of the BASIC programing languages found with the following systems: Atari, Apple Integer, Applesoft, Exidy, TRS 80 Level I, TRS 80 Level II, TRS 80 DOS, and PET. (MP)

Shares some insights into the school purchasing process. (MLF)

Maryland has passed legislation requiring school districts to structure their purchasing procedures to attempt to reach a goal of purchasing at least 10 percent of the dollar value of goods and/or services from minority enterprises when funds are provided through the Public School Construction Program (PSCP). (Author/MLF)

Lists and describes advantages and disadvantages of using phototypesetting in the journalism classroom. Suggests steps to follow in purchasing phototypesetting equipment. (TJ)

Provides step-by-step instructions for ordering documents online through DIALOG and ORBIT, including some helpful hints. Tables show database or independent document suppliers; list ordering commands, with examples; and explain optional commands, for the two retrieval systems. (SW)

The Secondary Learning Styles Inventory and the Consumer Styles Inventory were administered to 501 secondary home economics students. Factor analysis of the learning style characteristics from the sample of 482 found significant correlations between 21 of the 48 pairs of learning and decision-making characteristics. (SK)

Discusses the selection and purchase of tricycles for day care centers. Topics include: 1) comparison and ordering information for 10 different brands of tricycles; 2) 10 tips for choosing safe tricycles; 3) comments from the field concerning tricycles. (RJC)

Discussion of the factors that should be considered when purchasing or upgrading a microcomputer focuses on the MS-DOS and OS/2 operating systems. Macintosh purchasing decisions are discussed in a sidebar. A glossary is provided. (CLB)

Lists 46 household chemicals readily available at local stores by common name, chemical name, chemical formula, and typical commercial source. Suggests that school budgetary constraints can be eased by this practice and that students can become more chemically literate as consumers. (JJK)

With schools facing budget cuts, purchasing managers should drop old habits by shopping around, foregoing the favored vendor, and buying in large quantities with other schools. Describes a cooperative purchasing arrangement available to Iowa schools within the area of the Heartland Area Education Agency. (MLF)

Discusses purposes and effectiveness of indoor climbing structures and offers general safety guidelines. Provides a guide to products from 14 companies. The guide describes the equipment, age and weight range, guarantees, price range, and shipping. Addresses, telephone, and FAX numbers of each company are listed. (SH)

Describes a Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis Approach for the selection of personal computers that combines the capabilities of Analytic Hierarchy Process and Integer Goal Programing. An example of how decision makers can use this approach to determine what kind of personal computers and how many of each type to purchase is given. (nine…

Penn State University (Altoona Campus) devised an innovative program to encourage faculty members to purchase computers by offering a $1,000 discount. The program resulted in 65 of the 76 full-time faculty members having their own microcomputers. (DB)

Examines Britain's National Standards Development Programme and assesses the development of National Vocational Qualifications in the purchasing and supply field. (SK)

Presents basic considerations when school districts plan to acquire an access-control system for their education facilities. Topics cover cards and readers, controllers, software, automation, card technology, expandability, price, specification of needs beyond the canned specifications already supplied, and proper usage training to cardholders.…