ScuzzBlog: Diaries February 2026 Entry 21st February 2026: Post 1: Amiga Computing - Early cover disks as WB replacement. Amiga Computing - Early cover disks as WB replacement. I have discussed at length in previous blogs how you can use an early Amiga Computing cover disk as a Workbench replacement. This helps if you don't have access to a formal Amiga Workbench disk for the Amiga 500 and need to boot into a basic cut down Workbench to view and edit disks. I have also explained in my BayBench blogs just how you can customise a cover disk to enhance its capabilities to run relatively complex applications such as text editors and PC disk readers. It can be a bit tricky sourcing the correct cover disk to generate the Workbench as I realise the magazine rack doesn't appear to have a lot of the early disks. The numbering can also be a bit tricky as Amiga Computing did not adopt a numbering system that referred to dates. So when you are acquiring a cover disk you need to establish that the disk can be used as a Workbench replacement. The simple test when viewing the disk contents is whether there is a SHELL/CLI window open at the base of the screen. This is necessary to access all the tools in C as WB1.3 has very limited icon selection from the desktop. Sadly tools just don't appear in 1.3. Also there should be a RAM icon and the name of the disk. I have included images here of the first 25 Amiga Computing disks to show which ones are suitable as a Workbench replacement. Note the ones with a SHELL/CLI window at the base. As a guide to timeline the magazine I showed yesterday with the image of Elvira on the cover is for November 89 and cover Disk 004. From simple interpolation you can work out that Cover Disk 001 is for Aug 89. So either side of Elvira sits CD003 and CD005. The numbering is important cus up to disk 16 they were numbered and named as CD001 to CD016 and then at 17 they changed it to the words CoverDisk17. And so from that point forward that is the wording they use. Like I say I have shown the first 25 disks for reference and I may just include ADF copies of the first 25 disks tomorrow. I need to reflect on that. I was going to attempt the Machine Code feature in CD004 until I realised that there was over 1400 lines of code. Even I was going to find that a little tiring, what with not making a mistake and all that. The feature runs on for several months and if you are interested in such things its worth getting the mags. Hope that makes sense. Personally I have always found a self made WB 1.3 disk far more useful than the official ones. This became apparent to me when I was working with the 1060 sidecar. You learn just how limiting the original WB is. Release 2 is where the Amiga finally comes of age. I can never stress the significance of having actual magazines and Amiga Computing is seriously one of the best. I bought another copy of an old edition yesterday. Just to have a thumbed copy next to the A500 so I can put my mint version away. So valuable. Amiga Computing - Early cover disks as WB replacement.

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Last updated 21st February 2026

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