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Randys Rumor Rag 1994 02
RAndY's RumOR RaG
February 1994
COREL VENTURA
Ventura Publisher has been slipping behind, especially in the
last couple of years. When they shifted from GEM to Windows, it
seemed like they didn't understand what Windows was all about.
Last year, Corel bought the company in a move I would
characterize as brilliant. This can only be a good thing for both
products. As mentioned last month, when Corel 5 is introduced
later this year Ventura Publisher will be integrated with the
drawing package.
Corel Ventura 4.2 is not a large step forward. It appears
that they have corrected some of the problems of the previous
version and packaged it with a ton of fonts and clipart. This new
version does load much faster than before, but look for the big
changes to come when it's released with a new CorelDraw package.
The choice is yours as to whether to upgrade now. I'm sure
something better is around the corner.
---------------
NEWS IN YER FACE
Borland has lifted restrictions on developers wishing to use
Borland language tools to create applications which compete with
Borland products.
---------------
Alpha testers continue to doubt that Microsoft can meet
performance criteria for Chicago by the scheduled ship date. The
target is to operate with the same hardware specs as Windows 3.1.
---------------
Cyrix has agreed to quit using an advertising logo that
parodies Intel's logo.
---------------
I just went out and got my mail, and seeing a copy of Computer
Retail Week, was anxious to dig in and see what is new. I started
reading and the news seemed rather old. I checked out the front
page and it was dated November 15, 1993. Guess the pony was tired.
And these are the people they want to put in charge of health
care?
---------------
Look for IBM to drop the MCA bus on desktop machines and use
it only on servers. They have realized that the bus has little
value in the average desktop machine and will use MCA's advantages
in the server market. Cry me a river. . .
---------------
Lexmark will soon begin shipping a laser printer that is based
on Microsoft's At Work software. Jointly developed with Microsoft,
it will have a bi-directional interface for communicating with
Windows and result in reduced printing times. It's rated at 10 ppm
for 300 dpi and 8 ppm for 600 dpi. Look for a list price less than
$1600.
---------------
WFW UPDATE
Well, I've had a little more time to work with Windows for
Workgroups 3.11 as reviewed last month.
I've only got 8 megs of memory and that just doesn't cut it.
I can't use the 32-bit file access and I've found that it makes an
incredible difference. I've installed this Windows on a 486-50
VLB with 16 megs of memory. This thing really snaps when you can
get the 32-bit file access working on a VLB machine. (The reason
I can't do it is that you either have to have no swap file, or a
permanent one. On a DoubleSpaced drive you can't have a permanent
swap file and I don't have enough memory to go without a swap
file.)
But if you've got the hardware, this is a version of Windows
that will really fly. Don't waste your time if you've just got 4
megs, though.
---------------
DIAMOND VIPER
Back several months ago when I was looking to buy a VLB video
card, I had to choose between the Diamond Stealth Pro and the
Viper. I chose the Pro based upon price constraints. So far it
has been an admiralable performer.
I've recently had the opportunity to work with a Viper and it
is HOT. Instead of using an S3 chip, it uses a Weitek coprocessor.
Wanna make Windows really fly? The Viper will do the trick. It
comes with 2 megs of VRAM so you can do lots of colors at high
resolutions. Of course, being a local bus card you're moving at
the speed of the processor so all of this adds up to one screaming
video card. It doesn't make my Pro look sick, but there is a
definite difference. Don't expect much if you're using just DOS,
with the exception of CAD. DOS performance is nothing exceptional.
To be honest, the difference between the two cards is not real
noticeable until you start working with applications like
CorelDraw. The screen redraws with the Viper snap much faster than
the Pro. The same goes for PageMaker and most other mainstream
applications. Another advantage the Viper has is that when you
switch resolutions or use more colors, performance is not
significantly degraded. Using WinBench, performance in 65K color
mode is only slightly slower than the Stealth Pro VLB in 256 color
mode.
The price for this performance does not come cheap. Expect to
pay close to $500.
---------------
MAUI WOWIE
OK, that headline speaks volumes about my "old days". Anyway,
the topic is a new sound card from Turtle Beach called MAUI.
The MAUI can serve as a stand-alone sound card or be used with
an existing sound card. If you've got a regular FM-synthesis card,
you can plug the output of your card into the input of the MAUI and
use them both. If you have one of the newer wavetable cards, there
is a special connection on the MAUI to let you interconnect them.
The MAUI has 128 sampled instruments. That means you don't
get something that sounds like a piano - you get a real piano.
There are two SIMM sockets on the board which let you add any
combination of 256K, 1M, or 4M SIMMs. Then, in addition to the
256K the card comes with, you can sample any sound, load it into
the card, and use it as a voice. That means you can take the sound
of a burp, for example, and be able to play music using the burp
instead of a piano. The possibilities are incredible.
There is a connection for hooking up to an external MIDI
device, such as a keyboard. Extensive diagnostics are also
included which seem to check everything possible with the board.
Installation is easy, although I had to select a different
interrupt from the default. Windows installation is a snap with
the included software. You do have to edit your MIDI Mapper, but
it's easy and the book tells you how to do it. Also included is a
special version of Turtle Beach's Wave program which gives you
extensive control over WAV files.
A DOS program which executes upon system boot up checks the
MAUI card and loads its operating system. This procedure takes 15-
20 seconds.
How does it sound? Excellent!!! I'm used to my PAS16 and its
FM sounds (run through my stereo with JBL speakers). They sound
amateurish in comparison to the MAUI. The horn sounds are a little
weak, as are the saxophone and electric guitar patches. The piano
samples are pretty good as are the strings. Drums sound great as
do the various organ sounds.
DOS games or Windows, it doesn't matter. The MAUI is an
excellent investment and will bring much more enjoyment to your
computer experience.
---------------
DR DOS VS MICROSOFT
The DOS wars will be heating up again when Novell releases DR
DOS 7, expected to ship by February. Included will be both the DOS
operating system and Personal NetWare, Novell's enhanced peer-to-
peer network.
A common install routine will install stand-alone Personal
NetWare and common documentation. Personal NetWare includes low-
end networking functions such as the ability to share files,
printers, and CD-ROMs and networked applications such as electronic
mail and databases. Integration with NetWare 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x is
better than NetWare Lite because there is a common Universal
NetWare Client and common interface with big NetWare.
Microsoft has noted this forthcoming DOS by releasing a
document which identifies points of comparison between MS-DOS and
Windows for Workgroups. They also point out DR DOS 7's lack of
compatibility with Windows' enhanced mode.
In other network/Novell news, Novell has released an upgrade
CD to registered NetWare 4 owners. A new client for DOS/Windows is
included along with utilities providing a migration path between
LAN Manager and previous NetWare versions.
---------------
OS/2 NEWS
IBM is denying that OS/2 2.2 exists but the fact is that it
has entered beta testing. Improvements include the ability to
reliably operate in 4-8 MB of RAM as opposed to the current 8-12
MB, new security hooks which will allow developers to product
security tools, new mouse and screen pointer technology for easier
screen navigation, some version of a Win32 API, asynchronous input
queues. Version 2.2 will be DOS 6 compatible.
Look for this new version to debut possibly as early as late
June.
In other OS/2 news, WordPerfect has released a maintenance
upgrade to their OS/2 version of WordPerfect which gives users a
REXX launcher and fixes some bugs. WordPerfect 6 for OS/2 is
basically finished, but will not be released. OS/2 word processor
development will cease for the moment. According to WordPerfect,
the projected return on their OS/2 product "just wasn't there."
WordPerfect will continue to support OS/2 as a server in their
Office and Message Server, however. Programmers have been
reassigned to working on a Chicago (Windows 4) project.
---------------
ON THE SOAPBOX AGAIN
It's time for me to rant and rave about a few things that have
been happening in the computer biz.
I've about had my fill of vaporware. There are three products
I have had customers asking for lately, products that have been
advertised since November in the major end-user magazines.
Reviewers in these magazines have done reviews and sung the praised
of these products yet neither you nor I can buy them - anywhere.
As I finish this issue, these products are all available.
Now, let's name some names. Earlier in this issue, I did a
review on Turtle Beach's MAUI card. The card works well and seems
to be a great product. The MAUI has been advertised in both
industry and consumer magazines since at least November, yet I had
to do some fast talking to get one from a major supplier - after
watching the projected ship date slip on numerous occasions.
The three major computer magazines have all done glowing
reviews on Microsoft's Excel 5.0. We're told it's a wonderful
program and you'll find a review later in this issue (I finally got
my dealer demo). Yet I just checked with a major software supplier
and the projected ship date is still at least a week away (as I
write this). How can a magazine reviewer do a review before the
software has been released?
You've surely seen the ads for NEC's new triple-spin CD-ROM
drives. PC Mag and the others have done short reviews praising
these new CD drives. Have you seen them on the shelf yet? I have
a customer that's been waiting for over a month for one of these.
After watching the ship date slip gradually it looked like we were
going to get one. Nope, the expected ship date is now the end of
February. (As I write this, my supplier got a few in but
widespread distribution is still scheduled for the end of
February.)
Advertising things that aren't available has always been a
problem in the computer biz. It is not uncommon for magazine
reviewers to get pre-release copies of new products nor is it
uncommon for release dates to slip. But I think things have gotten
out of hand. These companies' mouths are writing checks their
production can't cash.
Enough is enough...
---------------
WINSTONE 94
PC Magazine has a new suite of benchmarks out.
PC Bench is a series of DOS-based tests which have been
rewritten to give a better representation of a system's
performance. The same goes for WinBench for the Windows tests.
The real news here is a series of Windows-based tests called
Winstone 94. This thing is so huge it comes on CD-ROM. The
program installs a run-time version of several popular programs and
puts them through a series of tests, depending upon the
application. Applications tested include Microsoft Access, Word
for Windows, 1-2-3, PageMaker, Claris FileMaker Pro, CorelDraw,
Excel, Works for Windows, Paradox for Windows, PowerPoint, Quattro
Pro for Windows, and WordPerfect for Windows.
Each application is installed, tested, then deleted before the
next application is installed. All of this takes a while, but if
you're comparing different machines - or you want to know how yours
performs compared to computers reviewed in the magazine - it is a
useful effort. These are real-world tasks using real-world
software.
Winstone 94 is the sole Microsoft-certified benchmark for the
testing of industry-standard PCs running Windows-based
applications.
Lest you think you can get this disk and rip off the
manufacturers of these programs, they appear to be limited in
functionality. I suppose you could run them to get a feel for how
a program works before buying it.
The CD also contains the aforementioned WinBench and PC Bench.
You can get one for free by writing to PC Labs and asking for one.
---------------
QUAKE UPDATE
A lot of computer firms were located in the area of the LA
quake. Packard Bell moved from its quake-damaged headquarters to
a temporary office in West Lake Village. Most of their inventory
was located outside the quake zone.
MicroAge was located less than two miles from the epicenter
and had water pumping from burst sprinkler pipes.
Hard drive manufacturer Micropolis suffered water damage from
broken pipes and had to close their technical support department.
Large distributors like Ingram Micro (located outside the quake
zone) and Merisel (built on shock-absorbing rollers) fared better
through the ordeal.
---------------
SHOOTOUT ON CD-ROM
I just happened to see a piece of software that's been out for
a little while - but I was quite impressed with the technology.
Mad Dog McCree is a CD-based (DOS) game which is a shoot-out
set in the Old West. Instead of dealing with cartoon characters,
you have full-screen video with actors who do a decent job of
directing the action.
When a bad guy appears on the screen it's your job to gun him
down - but be careful you don't shoot one of the good guys. The
acting is quite good and as the game progresses, the bad guys start
coming fast and furious.
What impressed me is how well the game is done. The video is
smooth and if you shoot the bad guy he falls and dies - if you
don't shoot him he shoots you. It's something you really have to
see.
Now don't jump on my case about the violent content of the
game - this is a game - it's not real. Concern yourself with real
violence, the root cause of which is not poverty or discrimination,
but a lack of morality and values - and taking people's guns away
will do nothing to solve the problem.
---------------
SPINNING WHEEL TIMES 3
I finally got my hands on a NEC 3Xi CD-ROM drive. I've sold
a number of double-spin drives from several manufacturers. The
Toshiba 3401 is a real mover and I prefer the NEC CDR-84 overall.
So how fast is this new triple-spin drive. Well, you still
don't want to run software directly from the CD. Some programs are
noticeable faster compared to a double-spin, others seem about the
same.
PhotoCD images load faster but other things are about the
same. My feeling is that it has to do with the software you're
using. I've heard that current software is not optimized for
triple-spin drives but that changes are in the works which will
show triple-spin drives significantly faster.
NEC has done a couple of things with the design of these
drives which make your computing experience more pleasant. The
downfall of the NEC double-spin drive was that you had to hold the
door open with one hand and insert the CD caddy with the other.
With the 3Xi, you roll the door down and it stays latched down
while you insert the caddy. To eject the CD, just open the door
and it ejects like a piece of toast.
The front of the drive has buttons like an audio CD player so
you can play audio CDs without software. Just insert the CD and
press the buttons to play music and select tracks - you can even
have the CD repeat.
Diagnostics are included in ROM which allow you to check the
drive's internals when you power up. The price on these triple-
spin drives is less than the double-spins were when they were
introduced. Expect a street price in the low five hundreds.
---------------
EXCEL 5
I just got my copy and haven't had much of a chance to put it
through its paces. These days my spreadsheet needs are pretty
simple.
They've gone to the tabbed worksheet idea first used by
Quattro Pro. They've now got a Formula Wizard which helps you
build formulas along with several add-ins.
I know this isn't much of a review, but what can you say about
a product that has been consistently excellent? If you're a
current Excel user you'll want to upgrade for sure.
I'm surprised that Microsoft did not produce a bloated pig
with this release. Generally new releases consume more hard drive
space and run slower, but the performance of Excel 5 seem to be the
same as with Version 4.
This is the spreadsheet by which all others are judged.
=================================
DISCLAIMER
RAndY's RumOR RaG is published on a monthly basis by AINSWORTH
COMPUTER SERVICES and is available on various local BBS's, GEnie,
and America Online as well as in Modem News.
In case anyone cares, RAndY's RumOR RaG is produced on a 486-
50 with 8 megs of memory, Diamond Stealth Pro VESA VLB (1 MB), 105
MB Toshiba IDE hard drive, Teac 1.2 MB and 1.44 MB floppies, Pro
Audio Spectrum 16 running a Hitachi 3750 CD ROM drive, Sceptre SVGA
display, Microsoft mouse, WordPerfect for Windows and transmitted
through a US Robotics HST Dual Standard modem.
Opinions expressed are those of the author. Comments should
be addressed to Ainsworth Computer Services on GEnie, America
Online, phone, analog mail, or whatever method makes you feel good.
AINSWORTH COMPUTER SERVICES
605 W. Wishkah
Aberdeen, WA 98520-6031
(206) 533-6647
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