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GEnieLamp IBM - Vol.2, Issue 19
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~ WELCOME TO GEnieLamp IBM! ~
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ RAndY's RumOR RaG ~
~ The ULTIMATE Multimedia Computer ~
~ TECH_TALK: File Management Made Easy ~
~ MINI_BYTE REVIEWERS: OUR 1ST GEnieLamp Excellence Award! ~
~ HOT NEWS, HOT MESSAGES, HOT FILES! ~
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GEnieLamp IBM ~ A T/TalkNET OnLine Publication ~ Vol.2, Issue 19
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Editor......................................................Bob Connors
Publisher..............................................John F. Peters
Copy-Editor............................................Bruce Maples
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~ GEnieLamp IBM ~ GEnieLamp ST ~ GEnieLamp [PR] ~ GEnieLamp TX2 ~
~ GEnieLamp A2Pro ~ GEnieLamp Macintosh ~ LiveWire Online ~
~ Member Of The Digital Publishing Association ~
GE Mail: GENIELAMP Internet: genielamp@genie.geis.com
////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
>>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE IBM ROUNDTABLE? <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ September 1, 1993 ~
FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM] GEnieLamp GOES HYPER! .... [HYP]
Notes From The Editor. All About HyperText.
HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY] HUMOR ONLINE ............. [HUM]
Is That A Letter For Me? Fun & Games On GEnie.
RAndY's RumOR RaG ....... [RAG] COWTOONS ................. [MOO]
Bits & Pieces. More Mootations.
MINI_BYTES WINDOWS ...... [MIW] TECH_TALK ................ [TEC]
(NEW!) 3 On 1: WinLock. File Management Made Easy.
PD_QUICKVIEW ............ [PDQ] MULTIMEDIA ............... [MUL]
How To Get From Here To There. Ultimate Multimedia Computer.
REFLECTIONS ............. [REF] THE ONLINE LIBRARY ....... [LIB]
Thinking Online Communications. Files, Files & More Files!
SEARCH_ME ............... [FUN] MINI_BYTES ............... [MIN]
Online Puzzle Fun! 3 On 1: Mah Jongg.
NEWSBYTES ............... [BYT] CLASSICS ................. [CLA]
PC Prices: How Low Can They Go? What Is Yahtzee?
CONNECTIONS ............. [CON] ADD ALADDIN ............. [ADD]
Online Thoughts Cut & Paste Scripts.
LOG OFF .................. [LOG]
GEnieLamp Information.
[IDX]"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
READING GEnieLamp GEnieLamp has incorporated a unique indexing
""""""""""""""""" system to help make reading the magazine easier.
To utilize this system, load GEnieLamp into any ASCII word processor
or text editor. In the index you will find the following example:
HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]
[*]GEnie Fun & Games.
To read this article, set your find or search command to [HUM]. If
you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA]. [EOF] will take
you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the index.
MESSAGE INFO To make it easy for you to respond to messages re-printed
"""""""""""" here in GEnieLamp, you will find all the information you
need immediately following the message. For example:
(SMITH, CAT6, TOP1, MSG:58/M475)
_____________| _____|__ _|___ |____ |_____________
|Name of sender CATegory TOPic Msg.# Page number|
In this example, to respond to Smith's message, log on to page
475 enter the bulletin board and set CAT 6. Enter your REPly in TOPic 1.
A message number that is surrounded by brackets indicates that this
message is a "target" message and is referring to a "chain" of two
or more messages that are following the same topic. For example: {58}.
ABOUT GEnie Effective July 1, GEnie's non-prime time connect rate drops
""""""""""" to $3.00 per hour, a reduction of 50% from the current rate.
The monthly fee has been restructured, and moves from $4.95 to $8.95, for
which up to four hours of non-prime time access to most GEnie services,
such as software downloads, bulletin boards, GE Mail, an Internet gateway,
multi-player games and chat lines, are allowed without charge. To sign up
for GEnie service, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369. Upon connection type
HHH. Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99014,DIGIPUB and hit RETURN. The
system will then prompt you for your information. Need more information?
Call GEnie's customer service line (voice) at 1-800-638-9636.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
/////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "true story: I was downloading a file the other day when /
/ my phone line was hit by lighting. Just before it died /
/ my modem said "*&^%$#@!" /
////////////////////////////////////////////// G.MARON ////
[EOA]
[FRM]//////////////////////////////
FROM MY DESKTOP /
/////////////////////////////////
Notes From The Publisher
""""""""""""""""""""""""
By John Peters
[GENIELAMP]
TOP OF THE PAGE The BIG news this month is there is a whole new way to
""""""""""""""" enjoy GEnieLamp IBM. If you haven't already, type GO at
the DOS prompt and hit the return key. Our new HyperRead text reader will
take care of the rest. Using keypresses or a mouse, either way you'll
find HyperRead easy to use. To see the advantages HyperRead offers, click
on this word: "index". NOTE: Experiment! Jump around all you like. To
get back here, just keep clicking the right mouse button or the B key.
Nifty, huh?
Next month we will be offering screenshots of the PD_Q and Mini_Byte
reviews. And if you're interested in learning how you can make your own
HyperRead files, visit the DigiPub RoundTable on page 515 and download
HyperGen. See [HYP] for more details. (Or just jump to it now!)
Until next month...
John Peters
GEnieLamp/DigiPub RoundTable
PS. I'm happy to announce that GEnieLamp IBM has offically signed up the
popular newsletter, RAndY's RumOR RaG. Wondering just what's going
on in the world of computers? Well, wonder no more! Look for this
popular newsletter every month right here in GEnieLamp IBM.
[EOA]
[HYP]//////////////////////////////
GEnieLamp GOES HYPER! /
/////////////////////////////////
All About HyperText
"""""""""""""""""""
By David Leithauser
[D.LEITHAUSER]
>>> HyperText <<<
"""""""""""""""""
What Is It, What Is It Good For? There are several immediate advantages
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" to digital publishing over printed
publishing. First, it's cheaper. The cost of producing a disk file is
much less than the cost of a printed book or document. Distribution costs
are almost nothing compared to shipping hard copy books. Second, digital
publications can be much more current. There is a several-month lag time
between the time a magazine article or book is written and the earliest the
publication can appear on the street. To take full advantage of the
possible benefits of digital publishing, however, we need a system for
using the power of the computer.
Hypertext is such a system. Hypertext is a system of cross-referencing
and linking the material in a document so that the information can be
accessed quickly, without flipping through all the "pages." In a hypertext
document, certain words and phrases are linked to other parts of the
document. By "activating" a linked word or phrase, you cause the computer
to jump to material elsewhere in the document that the linked word
references. For example, a hypertext encyclopedia may have an article on
the light bulb. The article could mention that the light bulb was invented
by Thomas Edison. If the phrase "Thomas Edison" is a link phrase,
activating this link could cause the computer to display the article on
Thomas Edison elsewhere in the encyclopedia. When you finished reading the
article on Thomas Edison, you could jump back to the article on the light
bulb and resume reading right where you left off. Of course, if you had no
interest in Thomas Edison, you would not have to activate the "Thomas
Edison" link. You could just ignore the link and continue reading the
article on the light bulb.
An advanced hypertext system can do more than simply move you around
within a document. It also could allow you to create links to other
documents, to picture files (like PCX files), and even to other computer
programs. For example, activating a link to a picture file could cause the
computer to show the picture on the screen. Activating the link to a
program could cause the computer to run that program. When the computer
had finished running the program, it would automatically return to the
hypertext document at the place you left when you ran the other program.
HyperRead is such a hypertext program. It allows you to view a
hypertext document and activate link words. HyperRead is designed to be a
broad-based, general-purpose hypertext file-distribution program. It can
be used by shareware authors to distribute their manuals, as well as
digital publishers of all types. It will run on almost any IBM
PC-compatible computer, even one with an old MDA text-only display card.
It runs on a system with only 256 K of memory. It will support a mouse and
printer, but does not require either. The read-only module is freeware,
(which is included with this issue of GEnieLamp) so the person reading the
document does not need to pay for the privilege of using the system. The
HyperRead Generator program that converts a plain ASCII document to a
hypertext file is shareware ($25.00). The read-only program is designed
for maximum ease-of-use (for that matter, so is the HyperRead Generator).
The HyperRead read-only program is available in the DigiPub library #32
(M1395;3) as a self-extracting archive under the name HYPRED##.EXE, where
## will be replaced by a version number like 41. The HyperRead Generator
program is available in the same library under the name HYPGEN##.EXE, where
the ## is again replaced by a version number. The easiest way to find the
latest version is to search the DigiPub library for programs uploaded by
D.LEITHAUSER.
You can use the HyperRead program as a simple file reader if you like,
without using the hypertext features. You can page up and down through the
document one page at a time by pressing your computer's PgUp and PgDn keys.
Holding the Ctrl key while you press PgUp or PgDn will scroll the document
one line at a time. You also can scroll up or down one line at a time by
using your computer's up and down cursor keys to push the screen cursor
past the top or bottom of the screen. Pressing the Home key will take you
to the first page of the document. Pressing the End key will take you to
the end of the document. There is also a SEARCH function. Press S on your
keyboard. HyperRead will ask you what to search for. Type the word or
phrase you want to find and press ENTER. The search is case-insensitive
(capitalization does not matter). HyperRead will find the next occurrence
of the search phrase after the current top-of-the-page line. If you press
S again, HyperRead will ask you for the next phrase to search for. Once
you have done one search, the previous search phrase becomes the default,
so you can just press ENTER if you want to search for the next occurrence
of the same phrase.
To use the hypertext features of HyperRead, look for the link phrases,
which look like this. If you have a mouse, position the mouse cursor on
the phrase and press the left mouse button. HyperRead will jump to the
material linked to that phrase. You can jump from one phrase to another,
up to 1,000 jumps deep. You can then backtrack by pressing the right mouse
button. You can backtrack repeatedly, all the way to the beginning of your
series of jumps.
If you do not have a mouse, you can still use the hypertext features.
Use your keyboard cursor keys to move the screen cursor onto the link
phrase. Then press the J key on your keyboard. That will activate the
jump. Press the B key on the keyboard to backtrack.
In addition to jumping within the document, you can display PCX
picture files within HyperRead. If the name of a PCX file is hypertexted,
activating that link will cause HyperRead to display that picture on the
screen. When you finish looking at the picture, press any keyboard key
(except control keys like Shift or Ctrl) or either mouse button to return
to the document. You also can run DOS programs from within HyperRead. If
the link word is the name of a DOS program with the extension EXE, COM, or
BAT, HyperRead will run that program. When you exit the DOS program,
HyperRead will resume where you left the document.
You can view the HyperRead HELP screen at any time by pressing the H
key on your keyboard. When you are finished with HyperRead, just press the
Q key to quit.
[EOA]
[HEY]//////////////////////////////
HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
/////////////////////////////////
Is That A Letter For Me?
""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Bob Connors
[R.CONNORS2]
o IBM POT-POURRI
o HOT TOPICS
o WHAT'S NEW
o TIPS & HINTS
o THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT
>>> IBM POT-POURRI <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ This And That, IBM! ~
TURN IT ON - TURN IT OFF: THE DEBATE CONTINUES By far the biggest draw
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" of electricity in a home
is the refrigerator, followed by the air conditioner. Also, to those who
leave their equipment on, consider the biggest factor in determining an
electronic devices live is heat. The more heat your system builds up, the
quicker the components will die. In today's high-temp 486 machines,
leaving the chip on all the time at 140 degrees (and up) will kill the chip
much sooner than if you leave it off during the night.
Also note that the entire "on-off" debate started with something that
had nothing to do with component life, it had to do with the time it took
to get maninframe and minicomputers up and running. If it took you an hour
to get your home PC up and running every morning, you'd probably leave it
on all the time too :-) -Peter
(DIPLOMACY-1, CAT11, TOP5, MSG:42/615)
APPLE II EMULATOR I've been spending a lot of time with Randy Spurlock's
""""""""""""""""" Apple ][ emulator for the PC and I have been going
through trying to fix bugs in it as well as expand its emulation
capabilities, with varying degrees of success. The emulator I have is an
Apple ][+ emulator with 64K ram but with a 65C02 CPU, which normally could
not be done because of the hardware incompatibility between the 65c02 and
the ][/][+ motherboards. I've written software for the Apple ][ that
enables me to archive 16-sector disks into a file which I can send by
serial cable to the PC in order to use with the emulator (I've archived and
ported about 560 Apple ][ floppies so far). Unfortunately the author
(Spurlock) didn't leave any address electronic or otherwise because I would
love to contact him and praise him for the admirable emulation job he did
and to get some help from him on some of the modifications I'm doing. But
if anyone here would like to trade information or help with my project,
speak up! I don't seem to have enough hours in a week to do all of these
changes and testing myself.
One thing which is of major concern to me: I think that the posting
of these emulators to people who don't already have Apple ][s may not be
legal, because the ones I've seen all contain copyrighted Apple ][ ROMs as
well as copyrighted Apple DOS and other code. I guess Apple's litigious
legal department isn't aware that some of these files have been sitting
around on GEnie for a couple of years... -Stowe
(SKELLER, CAT3, TOP38, MSG:42/M615)
DOWN MEMORY LANE... I am using DOS 5 and EMM386.exe at present. I have
""""""""""""""""""" configged my files to give me about 614k in
conventional memory with Smartdrv, Mouse and Doskey loaded high. I have 8mb
of ram and allocate 2mb of expanded memory for a number of DOS programs I
run under windows. Question I have is what can QEMM386 do for me at this
point? I don't have much more in the way of high memory blocks available
and I cannot use the NOEMS switch because I need EMS for my DOS programs.
Would QEMM386 sound like a waste for me?
(R.SILETTI, CAT28, TOP18, MSG:28/M615)
>>>>> QEMM386 v7 would probably increase your DOS memory free statistic
""""" by another 20k approx. You may even get it to read over 640,000
bytes free.
It also replaces both HIMEM.SYS >and< EMM386.EXE, as it is like both
programs in one. It also includes a DPMI server that for some programs
(like the new CDSK program in the PC library) makes them fast and lets them
manage HUMONGOUS files (as big or bigger than your total memory). These big
files are manipulated quickly as RAM is much faster than paging back and
forth off hard disk. But I should tell you very VERY few programs use DPMI,
and all of them are DOS programs.
QEMM does not require that you tell it how much to allocate to EMS. It
treats memory as a common resource and doles it out according to how a
program asks for it. Therefore, in a 8 meg system, it appears there is
about 7meg of EMS and 7meg of XMS whereas really there is just 7meg of RAM.
If a program wants EMS, it is doled out a portion of the 7meg and the rest
waits for the next request. If after that 2meg is desired of XMS, again it
is apportioned.
QEMM and programs like it simplify memory management--because they
eliminate the need to partition memory AND they offer advanced techniques
for loading DEVICE= drivers and TSR programs out of the conventional DOS
program areas. 640K and beyond can be available for DOS programs.
Beyond 640K is possible through the use of VIDRAM, which will let a
DOS program spill into the A000:0 address range, assuming the program is a
text- only program. This area is used by the VGA adapter only in graphics
and high resolution text modes. QEMM can re-map RAM into this area so the
DOS Transient Program Area can grow by 32k (maybe more).
But I should tell you that above 601k free, there are very few
programs that NEED more memory to run. QEMM has some side benefits on some
systems, like reclaiming "lost" shadow RAM, remapping ROMs, and so forth.
(NTN5, CAT28, TOP18, MSG:29/M615)
MNP5, MNP7, MNP9. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? I've HEARD of MNP7, but I
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" haven't SEEN it anywhere.
Does anyone know why all MNP's seem to stop at 5? Any input would be much
appreciated. -Tristan
(I.FILLMORE1, CAT23, TOP3, MSG:7/M615)
>>>>> MNP 7 is a more efficient compression technique than MNP 5 (300%
""""" to 200%), but less efficient than the V.42bis international
standard (400%). The only modem that I see listed using it is the Microcom
QX/12K (MNP stands for Microcom Networking Protocol). It would be silly for
a modem manufacturer to license MNP 7 from Microcom when the standard
V.42bis is better - and of course MNP 7 only works when both modems have
it. There's also a MNP 9, BTW, that is an enhanced V.32 mode in the
Microcom QX/.32c. -Tim Mallery
(T.MALLERY1, CAT23, TOP3, MSG:8/M615)
>>> HOT TOPICS <<<
""""""""""""""""""
~ Too Hot To Handle, Almost ~
HMMMMMM..... Doesn't it seem odd, that when a major O/S is released RAM
"""""""""""" price boom?
This happened with OS/2 in 87 and 91 and with Windows 3.0 in '90, and
now it's Windows NT.
-Ricker (RICKER, CAT9, TOP4, MSG:30/MSG:30/M615)
PROBLEMS WITH DELL TECH SUPPORT? Has anyone had problems with Dell tech
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" support? The reason I'm asking is that
the times I've delt with them they were far from being competent or even
polite. When ttech support said they would call back, they would not, when
they decided to answer the my technical questions I would get a different
answer. As a tech responsible for maintaining 8 server network consisting
of 433E's. I found their support a joke. Considering that my company was
planning to upgrade to Dell's lastest systems ( a $50,000 + buy) I had to
recommend to the purchasing manager not buy Dell because near non-existant
support (They were happy to swap mother boards but that about it). Regards
Rodger. :-| (R.CLAMPITT1, CAT16, TOP32, MSG:33/M615)
>>>>> Maybe it's not a fair comparison (I'll explain why in a second),
""""" but we haven't had many real problems. In our case, we buy enough
systems from Dell that we've got a dedicated tech for our corporate
account. He (or his backup) are supposed to return our call within some
period of time (I don't remember exactly what it is, but it's some number
of hours), and they've done that pretty well.
If you're planning to spend a bundle with them, you might want to
inquire as to how you can get that kind of support. I don't know if we pay
anything extra for it, or if our annual sales volume with Dell is
sufficient that we get this "hand-holding" for free.
(D.KOZINN, CAT16, MSG:34/615)
>>>>> I've gotten fantastic support from Dell.
""""" Their prices have gotten better, too. I just ordered a CMS Jumbo
250 drive from them for only $185.
(DENNYA, CAT16, TOP32, MSG:35/M615)
>>>>> Nope, the Colorado Jumbo 250's retail is $299; it's the 120 that
""""" retails for $199. At any rate, DellWare's price was competitive
with the best mail-order places, which is what surprised me.
At any rate, on the customer service front: I'd ordered the needed
custom drive rails (latest industry scam that most biggies are in on -- if
you have to sell PCs cheap, make 'em need custom drive rails and charge for
'em) and they didn't come with the drive. When I called the 800 number, the
girl was VERY apologetic and helpful and had the rails overnight expressed
to me. While I'd prefer to have gotten 'em the first time, they were great
about fixing the problem.
(DENNYA, CAT16, TOP32, MSG:38/M615)
MORE SUPPORT TALK Just talked to Zenon today, a person called James. I
""""""""""""""""" asked about memory upgrade for Z-cad and was told I
could NOT use 8 meg SIMMS. If I wanted 16 megs I would have to install 4-4
meg SIMMS. I cannot use 2-8 meg SIMMS.
What's the deal here? Did I get screwed on this as well as
everything else?
Bye the way, I called 5 different companies (including Zenon) and
NONE will buy back 1 meg SIMMS if you purchase an upgrade! Seems you can
always get your friends together and play dominoes!
I just *LOVE* that customer support from ZENON!
>Nilic< (J.STARZINSKI, CAT17, TOP30, MSG:72/M615)
PIRATE TALK Software piracy is the act of illegally making copies of,
""""""""""" using, and/or selling copies of commercial software. It is a
topic that I think interests a lot of computer users such as ourselves
because it seems to be the most widespread computer crime of the lot. This
is due largely to the fact that it's so easy to do. I mean, let's face it.
It isn't difficult to pop the installation disks of Microsoft Excel for
Windows into the floppy drive of your office system and issue a quick and
seemingly-painless DISKCOPY A: B:. And really, who's gonna know?
Well, the simple answer would be: probably no one. Chances are you'd
walk out of your office with a fresh copy of Excel (or Ami Pro, or Winfax,
or even X-Wing) to use on your system at home. The question that comes into
play in the end is: Can you morally justify it and do you care?
Is it okay to copy a commercial program to "try it out" before you buy
it? Is it okay to make one quick copy for yourself so long as you don't
sell and/or make copies of it for anyone else? What are some of the
penalties for prosecution? These are some of the questions I hope this
topic will talk about.
I read an article in one of the more popular computer magazines some
time ago. (The name of the magazine and the article elude me for the
moment.) It was a report on a fax poll the magazine conducted. Among the
questions asked on the anonymous poll were "Have you ever pirated a
program?", "How many/how often?", "Which programs did you pirate?", "Would
you do it again?" I was a little surprised by the results in the report.
Like it or not, it seems a *whole lot* of people have done it or are doing
it. If someone were to estimate the software industry's annual loss of
sales due to software piracy, I bet it'd be quite a figure.
(R.HASSELBAUM, CAT11, TOP6, MSG:1/M615)
NEVER GIVE 'EM THE SATISFACTION Ugh. Never give Intel the satisfaction
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" of buying a "487 math coprocessor" which
is just a 486DX chip that requires a 486SX chip as a dongle. Most
motherboards will support you simply removing the 486SX chip and replacing
it with a DX or DX2 chip. Which means you can then sell the 486SX chip to a
friend, which of course Intel doesn't want you to do.
(DENNYA, CAT12, TOP43, MSG:187/M615)
>>>>> I don't think that's exactly correct about the 487 coprocessor.
""""" If memory serves me, the upgrade actually consists of a full 486
"Overdrive" chip that plugs into the "Intel Inside" socket :-). This
"upgrade" (I believe) still requires that the original 486SX remain in the
machine. Just another way your friendly CPU vendor (Intel) rips off the
computer-buying public...
I try never to purchase anything with an Intel logo on the CPU. My
386/33 is an AMD, my other 386 box now runs a Cyrix 486DLC/33 and I'll wait
for the AMD or Cyrix 486DX2/66 equivalent before making the next move. My
feelings of malevolence towards Intel are second only to those I harbor for
Microsoft.
Both companies sort of think that every dollar being spent out there
really ought to be heading towards their pockets. Oh, you don't think so?
Well wait till our legal department gets through with you.... Market
domination through lawsuit.
(STEVE.HIRSCH, CAT12, TOP43, MSG:188/M615)
>>> WHAT'S NEW <<<
""""""""""""""""""
~ New and/or Improved ~
1993 DATA PRESERVATION AWARDS 3M is starting an awards program honoring
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" individuals who have created outstanding
personal computer data backup and protection policies for organizations.
The 1993 Data Preservation Awards are intended to help eliminate the
nearly $4 billion in annual productivity losses incurred by U.S.
organizations due to the inadequate backup and protection of personal
computer-based data, 3M says.
The Grand Prize winner will receive a travel package for two to New
Orleans-- where Preservation Hall is located. This includes roundtrip
airfare, $100 spending money, and a four-night stay at the Hotel
Inter-Continental New Orleans. Cash awards will be presented to the Second
Prize winner and the nominators of both the Grand Prize and Second Prize
winners.
The person who nominates the grand prize winner gets $250. The second
prize winner will receive $500, and that person's nominator will receive
$250.
Nomination forms may be obtained by calling 1-800-888-1889, ext. 33,
through several electronic bulletin boards and on-line services, and
through several supporting computer users groups.
Another place to go for further information and an online copy of the
nominating form. is Cat 4, Top 21 of the VIRUS RT.
Mitch
Sysop, Virus/Computer Security RoundTable
Page 1350 Keyword: VIRUS
(MITCHWAGNER, CAT1, TOP14, MSG:14/M615)
QEMM v7.01 REPORT I just received my 7.01 upgrade and think that it is
""""""""""""""""" great. It gave me about 7K more conventional memory
and deals with the multiconfig problem that can happen in DOS 6
Autoexec.bat of having the same driver line to optimize differently in each
config by using a reference file that contains the loadhi info for each
driver within each config. Optimize also dealt with my self- loading
drivers (drivers that automatically load themselves high) properly.
Optimize even moved some lines up to the COMMON section of Config.sys if
they were in common to all configurations. The only problem I had was
QSETUP did not install the correct options I specified for my third
configuration (I have 6 configurations) and I had to manually edit
config.sys before running optimize for this configuration. Also, even
though I had to specify that my shadow rom was OPTI (it didn't
automatically recognize it), it did recapture 160K of the shadow rom when I
added it to the command line. This happened even though I was using some of
it for shadowing(it recaptured the rest). I highly recommend the upgrade.
-DennyB (D.BORUCK, CAT28, TOP18, MSG:26/M615)
>>>>> Me too, Me too: After looking over my upgrade card and wondering
""""" if it was't just another rip off I logged on here and read the
entire message base. There was enough good information for me to convince
me to take the plunge.
The results: The best free memory I have been able to get under
Memmaker or QEMM v 6.02 was 632,000 (618k). When QEMM v7.01 was installed
and optimized I immediately ram the MEM /c /p command and was I surprised.
I expected to see an additional 3 or 4 k of free space. Not so!!! My free
memory is now at 649,028. My eyes almost popped right out. I still have
about 73k of free upper memory too. 17k of additional free lower memory
space is a bargain to me.
I can hardily recommend this product.
-Paul Gittins (P.GITTINS, CAT28, TOP18, MSG:27/M615)
CIE REPORT I just bought CIE for $86 at a Pace Discount Membership store
"""""""""" in Utah. They didn't require one to show proof of ownership
of a CDROM Encyclopedia (though I do have Compton's DOS encyclopedia). On a
yellow card in the package was the statement "CIE is scheduled for shipment
August 31, 1993".
Before you buy make sure you have the drivers to run Windows in 256
colors. I'm having difficulty getting my 256 color drivers to work. You
can't watch the videos or slide shows in 16 color. -Rick
(R.WILLOUGHB4, CAT3, TOP142, MSG:95/M615)
A SOUND INVESTMENT I've had my new sound card, the Computer Peripherals
"""""""""""""""""" ViVa Maestro 16VR, for about a month now and have
been very happy with it. There's a noticable improvement over my last
sound card, the Soundblaster v1.5.
ViVa Maestro 16/16VR Features:
* ViVa Maestro 16/16VR Synthesis using real sampled sound
* Digital audio recording and playback featuring:
- Stereo record from a stereo microphone, CD ROM or
stereo auxilary input
- Sample rate of 11.025 KHz, 22.05 KHz, and 44.1 KHz
- Data resolution of 8 or 16 bits per sample
- Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM). Compression
and Decompression
* Mixer for digital audio, ViVa Maestro 16/16VR Synthesizer,
CD audio and external input
* Software controlled external input for either microphone or
line level input
* Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
- Industrial standard Roland MPU-401 compatable mode (UART mode)
* Soundblaster emulation
* AdLib compatable
* Dual game port
* SCSI-1 and SCSI-2 CD-ROM interface
SPECIFICATIONS
16-bit Sampling and Playback
* Digital audio playback at either 8 or 16-bit resolution with 8
to 44.1 KHz sampling rate
* Digital audio record at either 8 or 16-bit resolution with
11.025 KHz, 22.05 KHz, and 44.1 KHz sampling rate, other rates
available through pitch shifting
DAC Specification:
* 16-bit stereo
* < 0.1% distortion
* 92 dB typical signal-to-noise ratio
* Up to 44.1 KHz stereo sample output rate
ADC Specification:
* 10-bit mono
* Stereo conversion up to 44.1 KHz sample rate
DSP: Clock rate = 42.336 MHz (+/- 100 ppm)
Synthesis:
* Sierra Semiconductor Aria chip set including DSP, Controller
and Sound (512K or 1Mb) ROM
* 32 simultaneous stereo voices (polyphony)
* 16-bit DAC
* General MIDI compliant with all patches defined by the General
MIDI specification
Mixing:
* ViVa Maestro 16/16VR Synthesizer (stereo)
* Digital audio (stereo)
* External line-in or microphone input (stereo)
* CD audio (stereo)
* Master volume control controlled by DSP
* Input volume control for external or CD audio
* 8-bit linear level control for auxiliary and external inputs,
independently adjustable
* External input is selectable for line level or microphone
(gain of 100) level
Frequency Response and Signal to Noise Ratio:
Frequency response: 20 Hz to 16 KHz -3 dB
Noise: -70 dB max
Distortion: 0.5% max
Power Amplifer:
40 mW RMS per channel (8 - 32 ohm load)
Frequency response 50 Hz to 16 KHz (8 ohm load)
Distortion 0.5% max at 40 mW (1 KHz, 8 ohm load)
Output connection stereo 1/8" mini jack
MIDI Interface:
* Industry standard MPU-401 UART mode
SCSI Interface:
* Adaptec AIC-6269AL SCSI Controller Chip
* Uses ASW-1210 SCSI device and ASW-410 CD-ROM drivers
* Supports CD-ROM as well as other SCSI based accessories
(JIM.LUBIN, CAT15, TOP34, MSG:115/M615)
NNANS935 - A MUST HAVE I just uploaded NNANS935.ZIP. Here is some
"""""""""""""""""""""" information from the doc file.
NNANSI.COM (version 5/93) is an improved version of NANSI.SYS (version
2.2), by Daniel Kegel, which is in turn such an improvement over ANSI.SYS
that *no one* should be without one of these.
If you are using ANSI.SYS, be aware that either of these drivers will
offer greatly improved performance and functionality over your current
driver. Current users of NANSI.SYS with EGA or VGA displays (and other
enhanced ANSI.SYS drivers) will notice still greater performance and
functionality in NNANSI.SYS.
Even if you don't use an ANSI.SYS driver, you will achieve major
performance benefits. (Note that there will be no performance benefits for
programs that write directly to the display).
A short list of improvements of NANSI.SYS (version 3.0) over ANSI.SYS:
1. Intrinsic 43 or 50 line support (MS-DOS 4.0 now has this).
2. Some additional text mode escape sequences: Insert Lines, Delete
Lines, Insert Characters, Delete Characters.
3. Greater to *much* greater performance.
4. Supports higher resolutions, both text and graphic modes.
5. Graphic mode cursor
6. Special configuration that uses the BIOS only for display.
A short list of improvements of NNANSI.COM (version 5/93) over NANSI.SYS:
1. Additional escape sequences: erase to start/end of display,
insert/delete lines in graphic modes, added Set Graphic Rendition
codes (and properly working reverse video, underline, and
invisible modes). Accurate ANSI escape sequence parsing
2. Graphic cursor support is better, and can be disabled.
3. Intrinsic support for both 43 and 50 line modes on a VGA. The
prompt command can be used to maintain 43 or 50 line display
modes. 40 column support for 43 and 50 line modes.
4. Faster text mode performance; *much* faster scrolling (when in
"fast mode").
5. Much faster performance in 640x350 to 800x600 16 color graphic
modes. Every ANSI control sequence (except insert/delete
characters and blink) work in these modes as well.
6. Readily configured for enhanced graphic and text modes of various
display cards. Support for several popular cards are provided.
7. Blink in 16 color graphics modes (up to 800x600) will exclusive-OR
characters.
8. Support for MS-DOS V4.0 and later MODE commands, and properly
clears the display in enhanced modes using command.com's CLS.
9. Driver can be loaded as TSR from the command line.
10. Desqview aware.
11. Supports Japanese DOS/V
(JIM.LUBIN, CAT23, TOP35, MSG:9/M615)
>>> TIPS & HINTS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""
~ People Helping People ~
GOOBERS KEY???? I've downloaded and read all of the messages in this
""""""""""""""" topic and can't believe that nobody has mentioned the
"-goobers" key.
So I downloaded all the files in the library that had anything to do
with Wolfenstein and searched through those (with Magellan) and didn't find
any mention of it there either. I'm starting to think it's not "allowed"
because it's a spoiler, or something, but that doesn't make sense --
because there is a "cheat" file in the library. So, here it is ...
When you load WOLF3D.EXE add the modification "-goobers" to the
command, like so:
WOLF3D -goobers
The game will run normally at that point. However, if you
simultaneously press "SHIFT-ALT-BACKSPACE" a message will appear,
"Debugging keys now available!"
At that point the "TAB" key, plus other keys, will turn on various
modes, programmer's statistics (like how many doors there are on this
floor), and extra goodies. Some are:
TAB-I "Items" You get more health and weapons
TAB-W "Warp" You can warp to another level
TAB-H "Hits" You are hit (shot) and your health goes
down -- this can make the game more challenging
since you can start out with only 50% health,
for example
TAB-S "Slow" Turns on slow motion (not fun, but interesting)
TAB-G "God" You are un-killable; they follow you but
can't destroy you -- as you walk along
you can attract quite a crowd! :>
These are fun to play with, but (of course) take all the challenge out
of the game. However, one can only stand so many near heart attacks
before one wants to "get even" (heheh).
The most frustrating and discouraging thing (for me) is to have to
start over at the beginning of a level, so I always load W3D with the
"-goobers" modification through a batch file, then I use TAB-I (Items) to
bring myself back to life if my health gets below 5%. That way I can
finish the floor.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
By the way, when I registered the game and got the six modules they
were Version 1.1. Now I notice that you guys are talking about version
1.4.
Am I missing anything interesting?
(I love the sound of a machine gun after a hard day's work, don't you?)
\
O===||===Caliburn====>
/
(CALIBURN, CAT7, TOP15, MSG:164/M615)
COMPRESSION WOES I recently downloaded a couple of programs but can't
"""""""""""""""" extract them. I downloaded libfile1.lzh and tried to
extract it using LHA (version 213), but it kept saying it couldn't find the
archive. Also I downloaded Slots11.zip and tried to extract it using
Pkzmenu (version 104) but it didn't recognize the compression method. Any
idea what I'm doing wrong??
(R.DULL, CAT1, TOP3, MSG:181/M615)
>>>>> The first one is easy: Specify the filetype for LHArc. (I think
""""" it defaults to LHA.) Personally, I like LHArc the best of the
compressors, but for some reason the extensions are never 'standard' (if
there is such a thing). I've even seen elsewhere things with .ICE as the
extension.
I haven't used PKZMENU, but if it's more than about 6 months old, and
SLOTS11 is less than that, the problem is that there is a new version of
PKZIP out. Check out PKZ204G.EXE here. It's a self-extracting archive, so
you don't need anything special to upgrade.
(BRIAN-CPM, CAT1, TOP3, MSG:182/M615)
<<<<< I still don't get it. I'm trying to extract libfile1.lzh using
""""" lha213. I type "lha ex libfile1.lzh" and it tells me it's missing
an archive. I'm sure it's something very simple, but I'm stuck. Any
suggestions are appreciated. Brian, thanks for the tip on PKZ. I will
download the newer version.
(R.DULL, CAT1, TOP3, MSG:183/M615)
>>>>> Put LHA in a directory that is in your PATH. Or include the path
to the file you want to extract in the command.
LHA x C:\path\FILELIB1.LZH
Much better if you put LHA in a directory that is in path. Then goto the
directory that holds LIBFILE1.LZH and type;
LHA x FILELIB1.LZH
If you want the extracted files in another directory lets say \TEST
LHA x C:\path\FILELIB1.LZH C:\TEST
LHA x FILELIB1.LZH C:\TEST
(J.GLEASON, CAT1, TOP3, MSG:184/M615)
<<<<< I am having a bit of a problem. I downloaded a file which has an
""""" .arc after it. I know it is archived, but what do I use to
de-arch. it. I have PKZip, ARJ. and LHArc. Of course neither one works.
Which file can I download to get a usable program? Barry
(B.L.WATSON, CAT1, TOP3, MSG:186/M615)
>>>>> Wow! I haven't seen an ARC file for many years. Where did you
""""" find it? See if there is a copy of PK361.EXE in the SL. That's
the old Phil Katz program that worked with the regular .ARC formats that
spawned the infamouse shareware copyright lawsuit. Since Katz was injoined
from collecting any money for it, I now consider it freeware. If it isn't
there I can upload my copy.
The original SEA archive program should still be around, but so help
me, I can't remember what it was called.
(K.CORBIN, CAT1, TOP3, MSG:187/M615)
13940 ARC602.EXE X K.LAW 890412 143640 7797 1
Desc: SEA archive program Ver. 6.02
FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED I read all the messages in this topic looking for
""""""""""""""""""""""" the answer to this question. There was a
similar question but no answer. When I download at 9600 I only get a
transfer rate of about 725 cps. I usually get a transfer rate of
1050-1100 cps. Why is GEnie so slow. I am using a Viva 14/4 modem with
Procom plus for Windows 1.02. Also while you are at it wouldn't it make
sense for there to be a 9600 baud LOCAL San Jose number. It's got to be
cheaper than an 800 number. Thanks Bob Walters
(B.WALTERS5, CAT1, TOP13, MSG:63/M615)
>>>>> In my experience, the 800-number transfer rate is MUCH better than
calling 9600 bps local nodes (especially on the West Coast). GEIS' packet
switching network just can't seem to keep 9600-bps connections running at
full speed. It appears that calling the 800-number bypasses most or all of
those switches, because it sure runs faster. Still, about 800 cps is the
fastest I have seen when calling the 800-number. On CI$, I have gotten as
high as 920 cps sustained, but it is typically 800-850 cps for me.
-Dan (D.WILSON4, CAT1, TOP13, MSG:65/M615)
>>>>> Dan, you are right on target with your analysis. The WATS lines
""""" bypass most of the network, so they do not suffer from the
propogation and other network delays. I typically see about 700cps on a
non-WATS line. (STROM, CAT1, TOP13, MSG:66/M615)
HEY DOC, IF I DO THIS IT HURTS! I went inside my case today, and happend
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" to touch the heat sink on the 485DX2
chip, and it was HOT! So hot that I really had to force myself to keep my
finger on it. (no blisters tho.... <g>)
Should I worry about this?
(BRAUMEISTER, CAT12, TOP43, MSG:178/M615)
>>>>> Now why would you force yourself to get burned? If you're really
""""" into that sorta thing, I know this woman who'll... oh... sorry,
forgot where I was <G>.
Yeah, your CPU should be hot. Yeah, REAL hot. That's why there are
some outfits selling little "CPU Fans" that you can attach to the top of
the CPU to keep it cooler.
IMHO, that makes about as much sense as using a $30 "CD Cleaner", but
PT Barnum calls the shots in the Real World. <g>
In short... don't worry about it unless you really really want to
waste $30 on a special fan.
(BRIAN-CPM, CAT12, TOP43/M615)
>>>>> Yes you should worry. Inflicting pain on oneself is sick...Keep
""""" your fingers out of the box. Besides a soldering iron hurts a lot
more. :)
Seriously, that's what the heat sink is for; make sure the fan vents
and case vents stay clean and check your airflow occasionally.
(D.OLIVER4, CAT12, TOP 43, MSG:180/M615)
TAPE BACKUP HELP I seem to be having trouble using CPBackup (DOS or
"""""""""""""""" WIN). Every tape I try to format stops half way thru.
I've tried all the advice in the manual but no joy. This and Datamon losing
its .INI file every time I shut down(lost sectors) has me ready to switch
to Norton.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
(O.BRICKER, CAT4, TOP22, MSG:22/M615)
>>>>> I've never succeeded in formatting a tape under Windows, using
""""" either PC Tools for Windows or Norton Desktop. Most of the
problems occur when the screen blanker kicks in. Another problem occurred
after I ran Solitaire or a terminal program at high baud rate.
It's my opinion that formatting is a very time-critical function, and
anything that interferes with its smooth timing often results in false bad
sectors. I've found that pre-formatted tapes are well worth the money (for
all the time they save)--they're about $2 more expensive per tape, and my
time is worth more than $2/hr. It also gives me peace of mind knowing the
tape has already passed the hours' worth of formatting process without err.
I think that as soon as formatting (and other tape operations) become
pre-emptive tasks (for Windows or whatever multi-tasking environment), you
can then probably format, backup, restore, (whatever) with impunity.
Because all these programs "give time back to the Operating System" while
the tape drive is still in motion, any other task that takes more than a
minuscule time- slice will probably affect efficient tape operation.
Anyhow, don't spend money on Norton unless you can return the product
for a refund. Chances are likely that it won't work any better than what
you already have. (NTN5, CAT4, TOP22, MSG:698/M615)
>>>>> Correct, backup operations are timing critical, and they are also
""""" heavily dependent on absolutely stable hardware. A number of
machines in the 386/33 class and above come with NSC765 floppy controller
chips which are incapable of supporting a device that needs to stream. If
you have PCTW or know someone who does, there is a utility on the DOS
RESTORE disk called FDCID. If you run that without switches, it will
identify the base port address of the floppy controller, and the chip. If
you then add a /D switch it will present a table of known chips and you can
match your chip up in the table and see its capabilities. Absolutely
critical is that the floppy controller have a FIFO. 90% of all QIC tape
drive problems where the drive is connected to the floppy controller can be
traced back to inexpensive and inadequate floppy controller chips.
(T.NOBLE, CAT4, TOP22, MSG:699/M615)
COFFEE AND COMPUTERS DON'T MIX I just had a bad experience this morning.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" My son spilled coffee on my keyboard.
Now the computer beeps when I first turn it on and some of the keys don't
work or repeat a keystroke continually when pressed.
The keyboard is made by Honeywell and it's the type that doesn't make
a click sound when used.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
(E.GRANTL.J, CAT12, TOP86, MSG:57/M615)
>>>>> Ed, take the keyboard over to a sink and run warm (not hot) water
""""" through it thoroughly. Then let is dry for several days. If you
are lucky, you will be back in business again.
(STROM, CAT12, TOP86, MSG:58/M615)
>>>>> If you are up to it, you can take your keyboard apart and wash it
""""" in plain water. Let it dry for a long, long time! As long as it
is completely dry when you again attempt to use it, it probably will be all
right.
However, Honeywell keyboards can be had for $40.00 retail, if you have
any problem. (P.GRANZEAU, CAT12, TOP86, MSG:59/M615)
>>> THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Rumors, Maybes and Mayhem ~
NEC 3FGe PROBLEM? I recently purchased an NEC 3FGe. However, I was very
""""""""""""""""" disapointed to find that it had a faint band running
the height of the screen on the right side. After going through every
monitor in stock at the store where I purchased the monitor and finding the
same band on every one of them I upgraded to a 4FGe. NEC tech support had
no clue as to the cause. Does anyone else out there have a 3FGe? Does it
have a faint band down the right side? if so, what did you do about it?
-SRC (S.CRANDALL1, CAT14, TOP6, MSG:230/M615)
FASTMICRO UPDATE FastMicro has sent me a letter saying it has gone
"""""""""""""""" bankrupt and so forth. I mention it here because it
does say that anyone who had a computer on order from them is a secured
creditor at some level and may recovers as much as <wait for it> $900.
I wasn't in this situation, but if you know anyone who was, mention
it to them in case FastMicro misplaced the letter going to them.
(TOM.PERRY, CAT16, TOP8, MSG:100/M615)
EBEREX OUT OF THE TAPE BIZ I contacted Everex today and learned, after
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" guessing the right menu selection, that they
have sold there tape backup business. A tape message then gave different
numbers for support for various drives. Other types of drives had voice
numbers to call but the floppy interface required a fax, so I had to wait
until I got home to send a Geniemail fax to whoever the new tech support
is..the message didn't say (;-(
Apparently their new "stream" type drives come with an adapter cable.
I hope they have a work around for the floppy interface. -Len
(L.GROSSMAN2, CAT13, TOP35, MSG:291/M615)
>>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Listen Up! ~
IBM PC RoundTable
Category 9, Topic 4
Message 44 Wed Aug 04, 1993
J.JIMENEZ [Juan] at 14:04 EDT
Ok, here's the full scoop on this.
The company is Sumitomo Chemical Co., and the plant that went up in
smoke is localed in Niihama, a remote village in Japan. It turns out that
my info is not correct. The plant went up in smoke, the warehouse
apparently is OK, but they only had something like 2 months supply of the
epoxy resin. Also, the resin is not used to glue the component in place --
the entire housing of the component is made of the epoxy resin. Actually,
the resin is called "epoxy cresol novolac" (ECN).
Sumitomo Produces about 60% of the epoxy resin in use in many, many
types of semiconductor manufacturing operations. They have the lion's share
of the market. The resin is produced to extremely stringent quality control
standards because any impurities can ruin the device it's used in.
In Japan there are three other manufacturers of that type of epoxy
resin; Nippon Kayaku, Inc., Dainippon Ink and Chemicals are two of them. In
Taiwan there's Chang Chun Plastics. Nippon Kayaku's stock is already up.
Sumitomo has stated that it may take as much as a year to rebuild the plant
in Niihama, but in the meantime they have said that they have secured about
60% of their original production capacity from these other companies (about
300 tons/month on an OEM basis). However, the area has been sealed off by
the police as part of the investigation so the people in the company that
estimate how long it will take to rebuild may in fact just be issuing
educated guesstimates. The worst case estimates are sitting at 18 months.
Apparently, the leading semiconductor manufacturers have supplies to
last a few months, but they are scrambling to figure out what will happen
if a shortage hits them a few months from now. The prices are rising in -
anticipation- of a shortage, not because there is a shortage at this very
moment.
One very important point of interest: Intel does not use the resin
because it relies on ceramic packaging for their components. That means
that Intel has no reason to raise its prices -- anybody know if Intel is
doing this? If so, assuming that my sources are correct, that could indeed
be classified as opportunistic price gouging. I wonder what C&T and AMD
uses for their components. Are they on ceramic as well? This may give
Intel another welcome opportunity to bury their competition. National
Semiconductor and Motorola have already reportedly put holds on all new
orders.
Why has the anticipation of a shortage come up? That's because
apparently the Japanese had driven the US manufacturers out of the business
with extremely low profit margins. Some of the plants, like Dow Chemical,
have been out of that business for years, since 1991, when they lost tens
of millions of dollars, and most of their customers flocked to Sumitomo.
Dow has stated they could be online in three months by reconverting a plant
in Freeport, Texas, but there are plenty of if's and but's in the middle of
all of this.
They have expressed an interest in coming back into the market, but
they are obviously worried about the fickle nature of the industry. If the
Sumitomo plant comes back online a year from now, will the companies
continue to purchase from Dow, and will Dow's investment be justified a
year from now? The stringent QA requirements require expensive equipment
and procedures, and Dow is not sure if it is worth it to reenter the
market, at least not yet. Also, the testing phase for new lines of ECN can
take up to three months or more. If Dow doesn't get assurances for long
term buying agreements, they may decide not to make the investment.
Other manufacturers are also taking a wait and see attitude. The sure
fact that Sumitomo WILL return to the market will act as a deterrent to
other companies to reenter the market. Another company that also has the
know-how to make the resin but is taking a wait and see attitude is
Swiss-based Ciba- Geigy Ltd. They make some types of ECN's at their
McIntosh, Alabama, plant, but they do not supply ECN's to the
microelectronics industry at this time.
Ironically, some people are predicting that this will have a serious
impact on the success of Windows/NT, which needs a lot of memory to run
well. Microsoft has to be, quite obviously, depending on the low DRAM
prices to justify such a large requirement on potential customers. This
does not bode well for Bill Gates. The cost of 16 to 20 megs of RAM has
increased by almost $500 in the last few weeks.
An interesting comment I saw related to this is that large companies
like IBM, Dell and Compaq are not going to be affected because their sheer
size allowed them to leverage pricing agreements on a long term basis
before the fire happened. So, machines that come preconfigured from the
factories of these companies should not increase that much in price.
However, dealers who order boxes with minimum RAM and then buy it from
other sources for in-house configurations are going to have to raise
prices. It may be that we'll see more orders from the big companies with
full memory requirements.
That's all I have for now...
[*][*][*]
While on GEnie, do you spend most of your time downloading files?
If so, you may be missing out some excellent information in the Bulletin
Board area. The messages listed above only scratch the surface of
what's available and waiting for you in the bulletin board area.
If you are serious about your IBM, the GEnieLamp staff strongly
urge you to give the bulletin board area a try. There are literally
thousands of messages posted from people like you from all over the
world.
[EOA]
[HUM]//////////////////////////////
HUMOR ONLINE /
/////////////////////////////////
Fun & Games On GEnie
""""""""""""""""""""
[JOKEMASTER]
>>> JOKEMASTER'S COMPLETE LIST OF BOGUS VIRUSES-POLITICAL VIRUSES <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
BILL CLINTON VIRUS This virus mutates from region to region. We're not
"""""""""""""""""" exactly sure what it does, but may be taxing to your
system.
BILL CLINTON VIRUS - Strain 2 It doubles the files on your hard drive
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" while it states it is decreasing the
number of files, increases the cost of your computer, taxes its CPU to
maximum capacity, and then uses Quicken to access your bank accounts and
deplete your balances.
AL GORE VIRUS Not strong enough to act on it's own, but when combined
""""""""""""" with another virus it hops on a bus and travels around the
system.
ROSS PEROT VIRUS Similar as the Jerry Brown Virus, only nicer fonts are
"""""""""""""""" used, and it appears to have a lot more money put into
it's development. Unknown effects, but just when you think it's quit...
IT'S BACK!
ROSS PEROT VIRUS - Strain 2 Activates every component in your system,
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" just before the whole thing quits.
ROSS PEROT VIRUS - Strain 3 After several years, the damage caused by
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" this little virus is still unclear. It often
displays impressive graphics which have little relevance to the users
interests or needs.
Source: JOKEMASTER (some from various sources) #3707C
Keywords: Virus,Original,Computer,Political
[*][*][*]
HUMOR_QWIKPICK true story: I was downloading a file the other day when
"""""""""""""" my phone line was hit by lighting. Just before it died
my modem said "*&^%$#@!" [G.MARON]
HUMOR_QWIKPICK Ad in the classified section of a local computer rag.
"""""""""""""" Honest! Coleman Grads! Are you or your computer "not
working"? We can help! IBM, Apple, Amiga? We can tell you which one you
have! We specialize in: power cable attachment and power switch toggling;
Advanced DOS commands such as DIR, COPY, DEL, and "FORMAT
C:" Making
write-protected diskettes usable again; Programmer deprogramming. REMEDIAL
CONSULTING GROUP. ###-#### [KD]
[EOA]
[RAG]//////////////////////////////
RAndY's RumOR RaG /
/////////////////////////////////
Bits & Pieces - August 1993
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
[RAG]
NEWS IN YER FACE Here's a new one for you. You've surely seen the
"""""""""""""""" coffee mugs and pens emblazoned with corporate logos
that companies routinely give away. Metromedia Communications is selling
the PhonePass. It's a disposable credit card you give to a client which is
good for a pre-determined amount of long distance service. The client you
give it to uses it like a credit card and then throws it away when it's
used up. You can have your logo printed on the card and callers using the
card can even hear a customized greeting. Each PhonePass is available for
10-100 minutes of long distance time ($5-$50) and the minimum purchase of
cards is $2,500.
>>>>> Intel is pushing the 486DX2/66 as an attempt to keep users away
""""" from AMD chips. AMD is due (as I write this) to release a 486
compatible chip based on non-Intel code.
>>>>> Microsoft will release a beta of Windows for Workgroups, code-
""""" named Snowball, in mid August and a new 3.11 version could be out
by the fall.
>>>>> To be an integral part of the product will be IPX and TCP/IP
""""" protocol stacks. They're hoping to ease the installation process
and reduce memory requirements. The product will be faster with database
and disk I/O operations. Another goal is better connectivity with
non-Windows environments.
>>>>> WordPerfect has delayed the release of InForms due to technical
""""" glitches, not a lawsuit from Shana Corp. (which markets a forms
package called Informed). Shana claims that there is customer confusion
over the name, but WordPerfect is sticking with its plans.
Expect an interim release of InForms this fall which will include
support for DDE and OLE 2.
>>>>> Quarterdeck is hoping that their new upgraded memory management
""""" software will provide the company with some financial stability.
Recent releases of DOS have hurt their business severely, recently slipping
23.5%.
>>>>> Here's an interesting new product - PhotoMorph (from North Coast
""""" Software). Select a starting image and ending image, and place
markers around the area to be morphed. The software will generate an
animation. You control the compression and frames per second. Included
is a runtime version of Video for Windows so you can distribute your
animation. Several transitional effects are also possible. The list price
is only $149.95.
>>>>> Expected to be released in August is the Scanman EasyTouch from
""""" Logitech. What distinguishes this scanner from others, besides
its size and appearance, is that it requires no board. It connects to the
parallel port (with a pass-through connector). The different software
packages with which the scanner will be bundled will be TWAIN-compliant.
Suggested list price will be $399.
>>>>> Oak Technology will introduce a Windows and OS/2 accelerator chip
""""" with multimedia capabilities. The chip, called Spitfire, has a
video port that will accept full-color, full-motion video and display it in
a window. The Spitfire has a 64-bit data path to graphics memory and a
series of built-in FIFO buffers for maintaining transfer rates of up to
200M per second. There are four bit maps that allow Windows and NT raster
operations to be performed in one step. There is an interface for VESA
local bus, PCI, and ISA.
>>>>> Sales of Novell NetWare 4.0 are sluggish. Users are skittish about
""""" giving up what they've got and some are wary of version numbers
ending in "0". There are also apparent problems with an inability to load
Virtual Loadable Modules to launch under Windows, bindery emulation
difficulties when using third party applications, and sluggish login times.
There was one day recently when *no* support calls were received for
NetWare 4.
FREDDY PHARKAS FRONTIER PHARMACIST Imagine Leisure Suit Larry meets
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Blazing Saddles and you've pretty
much got the idea.
This new game from Sierra On-Line is very entertaining. You're an
ex-gunslinger turned pharmacist in the Old West. Someone is trying to
destroy your town and it's up to you to find out who it is and stop them.
(HINT: The person you least suspect is the guilty party.)
Along the way you'll encounter lots of interesting characters
including an Indian sidekick (Eastern Indian), the local Madame, and the
new Schoolmarm. The sound effects are excellent. In addition to the usual
background music are interspersed occasional sampled sounds (like glass
being broken, the crack of a whip, etc.).
The puzzles are challenging and the scenery is very well done. There
are several places in the game where a sepia-toned image is gradually
transformed to natural color.
I wouldn't recommend the game to children, due to miscellaneous sheep
jokes and flatulent horses (with sound effects). The jokes aren't dirty,
they're more corny than anything.
AND SO IT GOES My PageMaker 5 woes continue. After ten days they
"""""""""""""" returned my call. Their fix for the problem with old
documents was to link with the original graphics. Unfortunately I don't
have the original graphics. I've figured it out that it's the imported CGM
graphics causing the problem. If I delete the graphics, the documents will
print. If I replace existing graphics with new graphics, the documents
will print. Looks like a problem with CGM graphics to me. This was
confirmed with the Aldus call. They said that they were aware of a problem
with the CGM import filter and a fix was due in the future.
To compound the problem, imported CGM graphics from Corel are flipped
upside-down. That makes extra work for me to flip them back the way
they're supposed to be. I've tried the graphics in other programs and
they're fine, so that tells me the problem is with PageMaker. Again, this
was substantiated by Aldus Technical Support. Their suggestion was to use
the filter from PageMaker4 and cautioned that there may be other problems
using the older version.
What ever happened to beta testing?
MORE NEWS IN YER FACE The Sierra Network recently signed a pact with
""""""""""""""""""""" AT&T and General Atlantic Partners giving AT&T
part ownership in The Sierra Network.
>>>>> The Sierra Network also aligned itself with Prodigy. Said John
""""" Williams, vice president of The Sierra Network, "The Sierra
Network and Prodigy are a perfect fit. We're like the comics section and
they're like the rest of the paper."
>>>>> Micronics, a major manufacturer of motherboards, is now making
""""" motherboards in standard and "green" versions. The board features
two standard VL slots and an integrated VL-bus IDE controller. Micronics
claims that energy savings could drop to $12 per year compared to $35 for
standard systems. Air-conditioning costs could be reduced also, because it
takes 1.5 watts of cooling energy for each watt of electricity consumed by
a PC.
>>>>> WordPerfect has new DOS-based fax software available which lets
""""" users fax from within any DOS application. Soon to follow is a
Windows version which is expected to support OCR and remote communications.
The package was previously sold under the name of METZ/ExpressFax and
was packaged with computers sold by Dell, Megahertz, Zoom Telephonics, and
U.S. Robotics under OEM agreements.
>>>>> Concerning recent announcements of a layoff of 2,500 employees by
""""" Apple, Jay Leno recently quipped they were achieving their
longtime dream of becoming the same size as IBM.
>>>>> I recently attended a WordPerfect product rollout and was amazed at
""""" the negative comments by resellers concerning Clinton and his
proposed economic policies. A recent survey by Computer Reseller News
found a majority of venture capitalists in the technology industry fear the
Clinton administration will be bad for business. I thought I was the only
one who had this figured out.
>>>>> Sierra On-Line is scheduled to release a new Leisure Suit Larry in
""""" November called "Shape Up or Slip Out". Larry gets chosen as a
contestant on a dating show and, of course, loses. The consolation prize
is two weeks at La Costa Lotta health spa. I hear he's surrounded by
women, each with a physical flaw that must be corrected. The icon and
inventory bars are permanently visible and there are scrolling text bars.
>>>>> Police Quest IV is also due out soon, featuring photo- realistic
""""" images. This game was developed by former Los Angeles Police
Chief Daryl Gates.
>>>>> You've probably heard that Sierra is moving their corporate
""""" offices to the Seattle area. Game development and TSN will stay in
Coarsegold, CA. Hope Ken and Roberta like latte. Welcome to God's
country.
>>>>> A new screen saver called Coaster has simulations of four well-know
""""" roller coaster rides from across the country. The simulations
take the rider's point of view and use digitized sound (like the creaking
of wood) and graphics. Scenery adjacent to the ride changes as the car
moves. List price is $59.95 from Road Scholar Software and the program
will be followed up by one that lets you build your own roller coaster.
>>>>> Microsoft and an un-named CD-ROM drive vendor are rumored to have
""""" plans for bundling Windows NT with a drive and SCSI adapter.
>>>>> In an unrelated piece of information, I learned that Microsoft's
""""" Mike Maples' son works for IBM on OS/2. Small world.
MICROSOFT DINOSAURS Dinosaurs have been popular for some time and the
""""""""""""""""""" movie "Jurassic Park" has produced an explosion of
interest in dinosaurs recently. Microsoft has finally released their
multimedia excursion into the world of Dinosaurs. This CD is extremely
well done. The only way it could be better is if the dinosaurs could jump
out of the screen and rip your face off. The interface is pretty obvious
and easy to navigate.
There are several animations and a short video from the PBS series,
all using Video for Windows technology. The accompanying sound is
outstanding - so get your sound card hooked up through your stereo now.
Some of the animations are quite graphic, but then so is nature. My only
complaint is the pro-evolution philosophy that is used to explain some
things. Your kids will love this. There's even a special mode for
watching a slideshow of images and sound. Since the names for some of
these creatures are hard to pronounce, there are pronunciations throughout
the multimedia experience. You can also print just about anything that's
on the screen including "fact cards" which are like trading cards. There
are even a couple of screen savers included.
ACCESS 2 WISH LIST Although Microsoft's Access Version 2 has not yet
"""""""""""""""""" reached beta testing, they're already compiling a
list of features which will likely be implemented. (Rumor has it that the
program will ship by year's end.)
Look for a graphical relation builder which would simplify creation of
one-to-many-to-many relationships, table wizards, inproved join semantics,
faster SQL pass-through, and an integrated expression builder function to
allow development of complex expressions. They're also likely to add
Rushmore-like optimization.
EVEN MORE NEWS IN YER FACE In case you haven't noticed, DRAM prices have
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" jumped noticeably. The price of 1 Meg SIMMs
recently more than doubled. The culprit, for once, isn't restrictive
government regulations. Fire recently destroyed the Sumitomo Chemical
Company which produced 60% of the the world's epoxy resin which is used in
chip manufacture.
>>>>> The Windows word processor wars will be heating up this fall. It
""""" is expected that Word for Windows will beat out WordPerfect for
Windows 6 in getting to market.
Word for Windows will support OLE 2 and also include Wizards,
background printing, editable print previews, open database connectivity,
and automatic calculation of tables.
WordPerfect for Windows 6 will not initially support OLE 2, but will
have features not found in Word such as expanded spreadsheet capabilities
within tables. You'll also see the Coaches feature from the new DOS
WordPerfect.
WordPerfect reports that in the first few days after the introducion
of the new DOS word processor they shipped over 500,000 copies.
>>>>> It Was Only A Matter of Time Dept.: I see that someone is now
""""" offering an adult PhotoCD. Technology marches on...
>>>>> What's the difference between Jurassic Park and IBM?
""""" One's a high-tech theme park for dinosaurs and the other is a
movie by Steven Spielberg.
Want another take on this one?
What's the difference between Jurassic Park and Microsoft?
One is a high-tech theme park dominated by expensive, nasty, hungry,
predatory monsters that will destroy anything they can get their teeth
into, and the other is a movie.
>>>>> WARNING: If you got a Publisher 2.0 demo disk from Microsoft, be
""""" sure it's clean. Reports are that it contains the Forms virus.
Microsoft confirms the fact and blames it on a third-party manufacturer.
Clean disks will be sent out. Some wonder if this is a ploy to sell more
DOS 6 with anti-virus.
>>>>> By the time you read this, Microsoft should have released Screens,
""""" a line of screen savers with collections of photographic images
from nature, art, and outer space. Using Wizards, users can add their own
bitmap images to the collections. Genigraphics gives users three free
conversions for personal photographs with additionals costing $8 each.
The nature series contains 48 images from the Sierra Club with a
"substantial" portion of the proceeds going to the Sierra Club and users
get a $10 reduction on club memberships. Let's all hug a tree now.
>>>>> Also due out from Microsoft soon is Microsoft Arcade. This is a
""""" Windows-based rendition of the five most popular arcade games from
Atari - Asteroids, Centipede, Battle Zone, Missile Command, and Tempest.
The $39.95 package will have sounds digitized from the original games and
can be played full-screen if desired.
>>>>> I hear that Microsoft will release 20-30 consumer titles by the
""""" end of the year.
>>>>> Virus zappers McAffee Associates have signed a letter of intent to
""""" purchase Buttonware, the shareware kings.
>>>>> Corel is going to pass on developing CorelDraw 4 for OS/2.
""""" Instead, they've decided to develop a common code base to
streamline development for all platforms. This common API will appear in
CorelDraw 5, scheduled for a spring 1994 appearance.
>>>>> Bill Gates recently slammed Novell saying this regarding Novell's
""""" role in the FTC investigation, "The only issues that are still
active are the ones Novell raises to sell more of their attempted clone
product". Gates said he is "very disappointed" in the way Novell fueled
the investigation.
Gates also said, "Novell has stuffed the hell out of the channel and
only succeeded in confusing themselves anew. They have a bifurcated
strategy offering NetWare as a file server and Unix as an application
server".
EIGHT BALLS OF FIRE I think they should call this one "Give Me A Break"
""""""""""""""""""" instead of "Take A Break". Sierra started
advertising this over a year ago, then you suddenly heard nothing about it.
I assume they had some programming difficulties or something.
Anyway, it's finally here. Pinball has never been too popular on the
computer. I think it's because you can't hit and shake the machine (this
game allows for that - be careful you don't TILT), and up until now,
computer pinball simulations have been lame.
Sierra has done an outstanding job with this one. You get eight
different games featuring themes from their adventure games. There are
three games from Space Quest, two from Nova 9, one from Leisure Suit Larry,
Willie Beamish, and the King's Quest series. My least favorite is the
Willie Beamish one - because there's so much going on that it's hard to
keep track of the ball.
Each of the games is different, not just the same game with a
different background. Each presents its own challenges. It looks like
they have provided for adding games in the future.
The action is excellent and as realistic as you'll see on a computer
simulation. There are tons of music and sound effects, supplemented by
animated characters who may sometimes come out and steal your ball. One of
the Nova 9 games has two effects which could not be done with a real
pinball machine.
You can have up to four different players and the best part is that
you don't need a quarter to play. The executable file has a variety of
icons available to keep your boss from catching you when you minimize a
game.
WINSENSE Do you have trouble making sense out of your Windows INI
"""""""" settings? SoftLogic's Winsense will analyze your system and
Windows settings, then recommend numerous fine-tuning changes.
Although the program does a decent job of system snooping I'd advise
you to be savvy over what some INI options are before deciding to change
them. The program gives some information, but one of the settings it
recommended I delete is required for a certain program.
Winsense will likely do the job for fine-tuning your Windows
configuration, but don't blindly accept it's recommendations.
PRESENTATIONS FOR WINDOWS If you've seen the DOS version, you've seen
""""""""""""""""""""""""" the Windows version. In terms of
functionality, they're virtually identical.
The product ships with some Bitstream TrueType fonts which you may
find useful. The clipart eats up an enormous amount of hard drive space
and a full installation takes 24 megs. Like it's word processing cousin,
Presentations for Windows takes a little while to load (even on my 486-50
VESA local bus).
Creating objects and entering text is easy enough, but I'm too used to
the way Corel does it. It would take a user of any other graphics program
a little time to get used to placing, filling, and moving objects on the
screen. The QuickTutors are helpful, but they don't go far enough and are
far less elegant than Microsoft's Wizards.
I don't know, it seems like WordPerfect just doesn't get it when it
comes to Windows programs. This is a good package that's probably worth
what they're charging for it. But there's something about this and
WordPerfect for Windows (which I use) which just isn't as smooth as a
Windows product should be.
For example, if you mess with fonts at all, you get the "Updating
Printer Information" message. Although WordPerfect has worked to keep this
nonsense to a minimum it shouldn't be there at all.
Do what you want to on this one, but I'll stick with Corel.
IBM VS MICROSOFT IBM and Microsoft are at each others' throats again.
"""""""""""""""" Microsoft published a document called "Windows NT and
OS/2 2.1: The Advantages of Windows NT for Today's Client-Server Computing"
which contrasted Windows NT with OS/2.
Here are some excerpts from IBM's rebuttal.
"The most prominent theme Microsoft stresses throughout the document
is that the client/server functions needed for most customers are
"built-in" to Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server and, therefore, are
integrated. Most of the functions, however, were actually previously
available separately, or are still separate Microsoft products that are
bundled with Windows NT (e.g., the LAN server function in Windows NT
Advanced Server was a port of the Microsoft OS/2 LAN Manager product plus
enhancements)."
"'Built-in' does not mean products are more tightly integrated. Both
IBM LAN Server 3.0 and NetWare from IBM for OS/2 products, for instance,
are integrated down to ring 0 (privileged kernel areas) of the OS/2
operating system. The fact that Microsoft uses the word 'built-in' is much
more of a marketing and packaging statement than it is an integration
statement."
Another key requirement that Microsoft focuses on is "reliability". We
agree that this is a major requirement for client/server environments. We
disagree with Microsoft's definition of reliability, which is summarized on
Microsoft's chart on page 3 as "tightly integrated security", "built-in
fault tolerance", "integrated systems and network management services", and
"application and system integrity". Removing the words "tightly",
"integrated", and "built-in", per the discussion above, OS/2 and its family
of flexible extensions is delivering virtually all of what Microsoft is
referring to, plus many more important IBM exclusives, and IBM PSP has
demonstrated or announced products that extend our lead as the premier
provider of client/server solutions."
"The Microsoft document also has distorted Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1
volumes to emphasize Windows market acceptance. There is no dispute that
Microsoft has achieved market success with the Windows 3.x family, but what
is misleading about the document is that it uses Windows 3.x volumes when
comparing to OS/2's market presence, but uses Windows NT's features when
comparing product lines."
Given these overall observations, we would like to address the
statements one by one.
Microsoft Claim: "It [OS/2 2.1] does not run Windows applications as well
"""""""""""""""" as Windows does."
IBM Response: OS/2 2.1 includes actual Windows 3.1 code to provide
""""""""""""" Microsoft Windows 3.1 functionality and compatibility.
OS/2 can also provide Windows applications with key client/server features,
such as crash protection and pre-emptive multitasking, by running them in
separate Virtual DOS Machines (VDMs). (These are features that Microsoft
presentations concede will not be supported in Windows NT for 16-bit
Windows 3.1 applications.)
Microsoft Claim: "Today, OS/2 does not support key Windows features
"""""""""""""""" [such] as dynamic data exchange (DDE), object linking
and embedding (OLE) and even cut and paste between separate Windows virtual
device machines (VDMs)."
IBM Response: Not true. OS/2's public clipboard enables DDE and
""""""""""""" cut-and-paste to work correctly between Windows
applications in separate Windows VDMs (OLE works correctly between
applications in the same Windows VDM, which is equivalent to Windows NT OLE
support).
Microsoft Claim: "IBM has no single strategy ... long-term, IBM is
"""""""""""""""" working on eight different operating systems."
IBM Response: IBM recognizes that there is no "one size fits all"
""""""""""""" strategy when it comes to customer computing environments.
The number of operating systems offered by IBM is a result of our long-term
leadership in helping customers develop mission-critical systems to meet
their needs on a wide variety of hardware platforms. The breadth of IBM
offerings is underscored by a singular commitment to serve our customers.
On the Intel-compatible platform alone, Microsoft has at least eight
operating systems supporting their strategy: Windows 3.1, Windows for
Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows NT Advanced Server, Chicago, Cairo, Modular
Windows, and Winpad, all of which have differences in their application
programming interfaces (APIs).
Microsoft Claim: "IBM embraces Windows."
""""""""""""""""
IBM Response: It is true that the IBM PC Company resells Windows, and
""""""""""""" may also pre-load Windows NT when customers request it.
IBM recommends OS/2 and its client/server extensions over Windows and
Windows NT because it is a superior platform for client/server computing.
Microsoft Claim: "Key ISVs, such as Micrografx, are halting their OS/2
"""""""""""""""" development efforts ... "
IBM Response: This statement is incorrect. OS/2 Professional magazine
""""""""""""" published the following in the May 1993 issue: "PC Week
recently published an article saying Micrografx was not behind OS/2. On the
contrary, J. Paul Grayson, Micrografx CEO, says the company has more people
working on OS/2 than ever before. Grayson says Mirrors is doing very well,
and they are evaluating new directions for OS/2 products. Among
Micrografx's OS/2 offerings are Designer and Windows Draw. Grayson also
reportedly attempted to get the PC Week article corrected prior to
publication, but was unsuccessful."
Microsoft Claim: "... 25 million customers are using Windows already ..."
""""""""""""""""
IBM Response: While the shipment volumes of Windows is granted, there are
""""""""""""" several reasons to question the number of actual Windows
users. First, the 25 million number is the number of shipments since
Windows 3.0. Most users of Windows 3.0 have upgraded to OS/2 or Windows
3.1. Second, 60 percent of all PCs ship with Windows pre-installed, whether
the user intends to use it or not. Last October, Windows magazine estimated
that only 1/3 of all Windows shipments were actually being used.
Microsoft Claim: "Windows 3.1 leverages existing hardware and software
"""""""""""""""" better."
IBM Response: It is a pretty safe assumption that most of the PCs that
""""""""""""" are running Windows 3.1 are 386 or above class machines
with 32-bit architectures. While Windows 3.1 runs on more existing machine
configurations, it does not fully exploit the capabilities of those
machines like OS/2 2.x can, since Windows 3.1 is a 16-bit DOS extender
running on 32-bit hardware. In addition, there are more software packages
that run on OS/2 2.1, since it runs DOS, Windows 3.1, and advanced 32-bit
OS/2 applications.
Microsoft Claim: "... Usage of OS/2 has dwindled. This is because
"""""""""""""""" Windows NT best addresses customer requirements for
high-end operating systems."
IBM Response: Contrary to Microsoft's claims, usage of OS/2 has not
""""""""""""" "dwindled". Shipments of OS/2 2.0 exceed all previous
releases of OS/2 combined, and OS/2 2.1 has had a very positive reception
in the market and is currently shipping in high volumes.
"The assertion that Windows NT best addresses requirements for
high-end operating systems is subjective and unsupported. A phone survey
done by Communications Week for their 19 April issue asked the question
"Which operating system is more strategic to your enterprise network: IBM's
OS/2 or Microsoft's forthcoming Windows NT?" Over 1,400 votes were cast for
OS/2, with only 75 cast for NT (95 percent to 5 percent)."
"The primary correction (besides the inaccuracies about OS/2)
is to include Windows 3.1, Microsoft's high-volume client OS. As you can
see, it fails Microsoft's own criteria as a client for client/server
computing. By these criteria, Microsoft's strategy might be looked at as a
server/server strategy."
Microsoft Claim: "Windows NT is the most powerful, reliable and open
"""""""""""""""" operating system for client-server computing."
IBM Response: This statement is subjective and unsupported.
"""""""""""""
Microsoft Claim: "NT runs on all Intel 386/486 and compatible CPUs and
"""""""""""""""" will take full advantage of Intel's Pentium processor."
IBM Response: This is not correct. The recommended minimum environment
""""""""""""" for NT is either a very fast (25 MHz+) 386 or 486
processor with 12 to 16 MB of memory. International Data Corporation
estimates this to be only 20 percent of the installed base of PCs. OS/2, on
the other hand, runs on 386SX or above processors, and requires less memory
(6 to 8 MB recommended).
Microsoft Claim: "OS/2 2.x only runs on the Intel x86 platform. IBM
"""""""""""""""" claims they are porting OS/2 to the Mach kernel, but
this means creating an entirely new OS, which is a long and difficult
project. For example, Windows NT took over four and one-half years to
develop and spent over a year and one-half in large-scale external
testing."
IBM Response: To compare the development of an OS/2 personality that
""""""""""""" works on top of the IBM microkernel (Mach-based) to the
development of Windows NT is very misleading. Windows NT was developed from
scratch to provide complex, high-end operating system functions that are
not available in the DOS/Windows environment, such as multitasking,
multi-threading, 32-bit memory model, high-performance file system, etc.
OS/2 already has all these high-end features, and we do not have to
"create" an entirely new operating system to move them to a microkernel
environment. We also do not need to "create" the Mach microkernel, which is
an established code base developed by Carnegie Mellon University, and is
adopted, approved, and licensed by the Open Software Foundation.
Microsoft, on the other hand, decided to build the kernel for NT from
scratch (which they admit is a long and difficult project). In doing so,
they have also decided to keep their operating system proprietary, not
truly open to the industry. IBM, on the other hand, is in the process of
licensing our microkernel technology to various industry players.
Microsoft Claim: "OS/2 2.x does not support multiprocessor systems."
""""""""""""""""
IBM Response: As mentioned earlier, OS/2 currently supports the
""""""""""""" multiprocessing (asymmetric) PS/2 195 and 295 (available
today), and OS/2 2.x was demonstrated on a variety of symmetric
multiprocessing machines at COMDEX/Spring '93 and PC Expo 1993.
Microsoft Claim: "OS/2 does not have integration between 16-bit Windows
"""""""""""""""" and 32-bit OS/2 applications. In addition, integration
features such as OLE and DDE do not work between separate 16-bit Windows
VDMs. In many cases, simple cuts and pastes between VDMs do not work
properly."
IBM Response: As stated earlier, OS/2's public clipboard enables DDE and
""""""""""""" cut-and-paste to work correctly between application in
separate Windows VDMs (OLE works correctly between applications in the same
Windows VDM, which is equivalent to Windows NT OLE support). We also
support cut-and-paste and DDE between Windows and OS/2 applications.
Microsoft Claim: "This [NT's] complete memory protection prevents errant
"""""""""""""""" applications from corrupting data, interfering with
other applications, or damaging the system."
IBM Response: This is not correct. Because NT runs all 16-bit Windows
""""""""""""" applications in a single address space, it is possible for
one of these applications to interfere with one of the others running in
that same space. This can happen between 16-bit Windows applications under
Windows 3.0 and 3.1 in the form of UAEs and GPFs, respectively, and can
continue to happen under Windows NT.
Microsoft Claim: "IBM's strategy ... [is to] show that Windows NT is
"""""""""""""""" broken."
IBM Response: This is not correct. IBM does not believe that Windows NT
""""""""""""" is broken. It is late, still unavailable, and definitely
unproven. We do, however, believe that Microsoft's client/server strategy
and products are not as good as ours, as we offer a more reliable,
comprehensive, and available set of client/server solutions.
Microsoft Claim: "IBM has promised these features and others that
"""""""""""""""" Windows NT has today for the future, but equivalent
functionality is still one to three years out."
IBM Response: Windows NT is not generally available today, and
""""""""""""" Microsoft's statements do not reflect IBM's priorities or
product plans. OS/2 has a 15-month lead as an available 32-bit operating
system, and has features Microsoft does not plan to ship in Windows NT 3.1,
such as an object-oriented Workplace Shell user interface and our System
Object Model, which incorporates object technology directly into the
operating system to allow object reuse between different object languages.
In addition, we have announced delivery for the third quarter of 1993, and
are beta-testing Distributed SOM, which allows object communication and
re-use over networks, between different languages, and potentially even
different operating systems (e.g., AIX and OS/2). In addition, IBM has
recently stated its intent to use OpenDoc technology from Apple for
compound document integration that will support SOM and DSOM, providing
application integration across multiple operating systems, including UNIX,
and across networks (both of which are features that are lacking in OLE 2.0
from Microsoft). OpenDoc is vendor-independent, and has growing industry
support from major players, including IBM, Apple, Novell, WordPerfect, and
Borland.
Microsoft Claim: "Windows NT is compatible with Windows 16-bit and MS-DOS
"""""""""""""""" applications."
IBM Response: We believe NT will be compatible with the high-volume
""""""""""""" applications, but Microsoft will not focus on
compatibility for lower-volume or home-grown applications. Also, DOS and
Windows applications that ship with and use a DOS device driver will not
run under NT without modification unless a new device driver is supplied.
Microsoft Claim: "Windows NT's 16-bit application protection model
"""""""""""""""" provides error trapping between applications and more
importantly provides full integration between applications. OS/2's model
breaks application integration."
IBM Response: The error-trapping mechanism in Windows 3.1 (and NT) for
""""""""""""" 16-bit applications is not the same thing as the true
protection that OS/2 provides for all applications by running them under
separate processes. Error trapping just notifies the user once the damage
has been done, and recommends the user reboot (Windows 3.1) or restart the
Windows subsystem (Windows NT). Also, as stated earlier, Microsoft is
incorrect about OS/2's ability to support DDE and cut-and-paste between
Windows applications in separate VDMs, and OLE works correctly between
applications in the same Windows VDM, which is equivalent to Windows NT OLE
support. Also, IBM has announced its intention to support OpenDoc, which
will provide compound document integration across multiple operating system
types, including UNIX, and over networks, which are features that OLE 2.0
does not support.
Microsoft Claim: "Neither OS/2 nor Windows NT runs on [Intel 386 systems
"""""""""""""""" with 4 MB of RAM]."
IBM Response: This is incorrect. OS/2 does run on 4MB Intel 386 systems
""""""""""""" (although 6 to 8 MB are recommended). Windows NT does not.
Microsoft Claim: "IBM Asserts: OS/2 2.1 runs Windows applications faster
"""""""""""""""" than Windows NT on identical hardware ... Windows NT
performance is equivalent to OS/2 2.1."
IBM Response: Some independent performance tests on Windows NT and OS/2
""""""""""""" have been described on public bulletin boards that have
drawn the conclusion that DOS and Windows applications run faster on OS/2
than on Windows NT; however, IBM has not and will not "assert" anything
officially until the Windows NT code is made generally available.
Microsoft Claim: "Microsoft has met every development milestone with
"""""""""""""""" Windows NT and plans to deliver it as promised in Q2
1993."
IBM Response: The following would seem to suggest otherwise: MacWeek, 13
""""""""""""" July 1992: "NT is on track to ship by the end of the year
[1992] and is expected to cost less than 500 USD, Gates said." Computer
Reseller News, 28 September 1992: "Walker says that Windows NT will ship
during the first few months of 1993." Newsbytes, 28 September 1992: "The
new date is now 'early 1993', with Microsoft officials saying that it
'needs more time to respond to customer suggestions for improvements in the
Windows NT system'." Software magazine, December 1992: "At the ITAA
conference ... Mike Maples, Microsoft's executive vice president, said NT
would ship in April." InfoWorld, 15 March 1993: "NT could ship to customers
later than the promised date of 30 June, but no more than 30 days late,
Walker said." Windows World, Spring 1993: Gates said in his keynote address
that Windows NT would ship within 60 days [by 22 July] and that Windows NT
Advanced Server would ship within 30 days of Windows NT [by 21 August]. PC
Week, 5 July 1993: "Gates also said Microsoft will ship Windows NT by the
end of the month [July] ...".
COREL KODAK MOMENT Later in August, Corel will release a series of Kodak
"""""""""""""""""" PhotoCD products called "Corel Professional Photos".
They plan to release more than 40 titles within the next two months and
will have approximately 100 by the year's end. Each title will have an SRP
of $49.95. Corel plans to donate $1 for each CD registration to Child
Find, a charity that locates missing children.
There are 100 images per disk, all royalty free and compatible with
both PC and Mac. Included on the disks are utilities to aid the user in
manipulating and utilizing the images. There will be a screen saver and
wallpaper flipper utility along with Corel Mosaic (visual file manager) and
Corel PhotoCD Lab (slide show program). There will also be five musical
accompaniments to each disk along with the excellent Corel-Audio CD player.
Some of the first titles will include the Arctic, birds, churches,
insects, lingerie, Porsches, sunrises and sunsets, and trees.
INFORMS A lot of people who manage large numbers of forms have been
""""""" waiting for this one for some time. I don't have the time to
really get into the program, and have no need for such a thing in my
businesses. (I do have a dealer copy though.)
I saw the package demonstrated at a WordPerfect rollout and the reps
put it through its paces better than I could. It's impressive.
Not only can you create forms, fill them in on the screen and print
them out - but you can link them with any popular database format. Forms
can be easily distributed throughout a network and a QBE feature makes
queries easy.
The electronic signature feature is one WordPerfect is particularly
proud of. After you electronically sign a form, that form cannot be
modified using a TamperSeal technology.
This is a two-part package. Within a corporation, only a few people
are likely to need the designer module. The filler module is the one more
people will probably use. You also get the standard spell checker, ATM,
over 100 form templates, calculations with over 120 functions, and
Bitstream TrueType fonts.
If you need to manage numerous forms across a network, this is the one
that will certainly fill your needs.
NEW SOUND CHIPS Media Vision is now offering OEMs two new chip sets -
""""""""""""""" the Jazz and Jazz 16 - with low power consumption for
adding sound to laptops.
The Jazz chip set includes the MVD1208 8-bit audio controller, the
MVA408 8-bit code and the MVA514 mixer. The Jazz 16 includes the 16-bit
MVD1216 audio controller, the MVA416 16-bit codec, and the same mixer used
n the Jazz chip set. Each chip set can play and record either mono or
stereo sound at up to 44.1kHz.
[*][*][*]
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), local bus IDE card,
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
GEnie Address: RAG
America Online: RumOR RaG
[EOA]
[MOO]//////////////////////////////
CowTOONS! /
/////////////////////////////////
More Mootations
""""""""""""""" /\ /\
By Mike White |o \ / |
[MWHITE] | \ . . / o |
| o \_\__/_/ |
|o /~(oo)~\ o |
|/^ / \/ \ ^\|
| / \ o|
\/ Butter Fly \/
~~~~~~~~~~
(,/~\,)
(o o) (,/~\,)
/(.)\ (o o)
| ~ | /(.)\
/\ /\ * | ~ | * O__O
/ ^ ^ \ ) / \ / \ ) (oo)
| |/ | ^ ^ |/ /\/\
\ _)-(_ / \ _)-(_ / ( >< )/*
-~~~ ~~~- -~~ ~~- -~ ~-
Kangamoos Kangamoo Rat
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
(__I__)
(oo oo)
/-------\/^\/------\ Siamese Cows
/ | || || | \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
* ||----|| ||----|| * Joined at the horn
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
[*][*][*]
(__) Watch for another thunderin' herd of
( oo ) Moo Fun from Mike White in the next
( \/ ) issue of GEnieLamp.
( __ )
( || || ) If you have an idea for a CowTOON, we
~~ ~~ would like to see it. And, if we pick
your CowTOON for publishing in GEnieLamp
Michelin Cow we will credit your account with 2 hours
"""""""""""" of GEnie non-prime time!
[EOA]
[MIW]//////////////////////////////
MINI_BYTES WINDOWS /
/////////////////////////////////
3 On 1: WinLock
"""""""""""""""
By Daniel "Tippy" Martinez
[TIPPY.ONE]
Program Name : WinLock for Windows
Filename : AWLOCK36.ZIP
Library Area : 11
Program Number : 1349
File Size : 61,568 bytes
Program Type : Windows Security
Author : Teravision, Inc.
Version Reviewed: 3.06
File Type : Shareware ($19 plus $2 s/h)
Requirements : Windows 3.x
[*][*][*]
FROM THE AUTHOR WinLock for Windows, v3.06 -- WinLock protects your
""""""""""""""" Microsoft Windows and LAN environment from unauthorized
users. The easy to use security features lock Windows at start up, on
demand, and automatically when you're away from your desk. When locked,
all mouse and keyboard activity is restricted. Intruders are met with a
flashing red screen, an audible alarm, and deterrent messages. The security
audit trail provides you with a record of unauthorized password attempts.
Your Windows environment remains secure even when your PC is rebooted from
floppy. Since WinLock is compatible with most commercially available screen
savers you can enable your favorite screen saver without locking your
system. WinLock provides an additional level of security to any Novell, LAN
Manager, or Banyan network.
[*][*][*]
WIN_MINI_BYTE BY MIKE [2 1/2 Lamps] WinLock is an easy way to add an
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" extra layer of security to your
Windows environment. At Windows startup, WinLock blanks your screen and
asks for a password when the keyboard is touched or the mouse is moved.
Any time during your session, lockout can be immediately invoked by
pressing Alt-Tab and clicking the icon. Although the screen goes black,
your screen saver will start up at its regular interval.
Speaking of screen savers, WinLock invokes itself after sensing a
period of inactivity. I set both my screen saver and WinLock timers at one
minute and waited for the crash. After one minute WinLock blacked my
video. After another minute the screen saver came on without a hint of a
problem.
Unfortunately, WinLock will let you create a one-character password,
which is poor protection in any security analyst's handbook. At least the
spacebar is not allowed as a one-character password, and I was also able to
use ASCII 255, a hard-space character created by pressing Alt and 255 on
the numeric keypad. Few people think of trying that or any of the other
extended ASCII characters.
WinLock lets you make one mistake with the password. If you goof the
second time, the screen flashes bright red and the speaker beeps until you
(or the intruder) enter the right password. Repeated password failures
cause different warning messages to appear, and advise that the LAN
administrator has been notified of an intrusion. SoundBlaster fans would
probably prefer a barking dog, but WinLock doesn't claim to support sound
files. Once the right password is entered, a list of all the intrusion
attempts is displayed. Nice feature. Too bad the errant passwords aren't
included in the list so you can see what the intruder was trying.
Although installation is a breeze, I'm chapped that WinLock forces me
to install in the C:\WINLOCK directory since all my Windows apps are on the
D: drive. Don't bother trying to copy everything to a different drive and
directory. It didn't work for me even after editing my INI files, and
there is no list of extra features that might come with the registered
version. There's a Help button on the order form, but it doesn't do
anything.
WinLock is stable but only passable as programs go, and I was annoyed
because some of the OK buttons work with the mouse and some require
<Enter>. Although plenty of people can think of ways to beat WinLock, it
does seem to get the job done -- WinLock makes workstation intrusion an
inconvenience.
MINI BYTE BY BRUCE [3 Lamps] This program is an effective security
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" device for Windows that needs a few more
features to be really complete. For most users, though, it may be all
they need or want.
The program installs easily enough, although the user has no choice
about location ("C:\WINLOCK\" has to be the home directory). The only
change it makes to your Windows setup is adding itself to the RUN= line of
WIN.INI. Thus, to remove it from your system you delete the directory and
remove the RUN line.
I found the locking effective, and especially liked the warning
messages. They would probably be effective with someone who doesn't know
computers or is scared of them. Of course, once a fellow user found out
that the program doesn't really send warnings to the network
administrator, some of the bite would be gone from the warnings! :)
I also liked the record of attempted entries, which I think is the
most useful feature of the program. With the Windows 3.1 screen blanker,
you have password protection, but no hint anyone tried to get in. It would
be nice if the record also showed the passwords tried, though.
One irritation was that some dialog boxes didn't follow CUA
guidelines - pressing Enter didn't hit the OK button. A small thing, but
part of "fit and finish" in today's Windows world.
This program was written for Windows 3.0, and may be superfluous for
3.1 users or anyone with After Dark or another screen blanker that has
password protection. Winlock does nothing to protect against unauthorized
entry by reboot -- one would simply stop AUTOEXEC before getting to Windows
and edit WIN.INI by hand. It is also pretty easy to figure out where the
password is stored, although it is encrypted.
If you simply want password protection, use the built-in screen
blanker. If you want total security including reboot protection, you'll
have to look elsewhere and pay more. If, though, you want a record of
illegal entry attempts on your system, or think the warning messages might
be needed and/or effective in your situation, then get Winlock.
MINI BYTE BY TIPPY [2 1/2 Lamps] At first glance, WinLock seems like the
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ultimate safe for your Windows based PC,
whether it is on a LAN or a stand alone work station. However, while
WinLock does provide adequate security, it is NOT the end all of Windows
security programs. The included documentation file even provides
instructions on bypassing the locking measure (in case of loss of the
password according to the documentation.) It does, however, work as
advertised, and does it in a very stable fashion.
After extracting the file and running the EXE file, I was suprised to
see that I MUST install this program to the C:\WINLOCK directory. I
usually leave my C: drive as clean as possible and would have preferred to
install the program onto a different drive and/or directory. The
installation itself, however, was quick and painless.
After the program is activated, the correct password must be entered
to allow the user access to the computer. After the first incorrect
attempt, the program will inform you that it differentiates between
uppercase and lowercase letters. Subsequent password failures invoke other
warning messages, such as "Level 1 Security has been envoked." and "The LAN
administrator has been alerted." An audio alarm (the default beep) also
sounds after the second password failure. All of this is very nice, and
will probably keep the honest people honest, but I doubt it will scare any
real intruders away.
A feature I appreciated very much was the instructions on uninstalling
the program. As many of you are aware, Windows applications are known for
tossing program parts all around your hard disk without even a second spent
to inform the user of this. I would very much like to see more shareware
authors provide such instructions with their programs. Due to the nature
of shareware, many programs are installed in deleted during the search for
that perfect utility.
[*][*][*]
GEnieLAMP MINI BYTE'S RATING
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Mike ............................................... 2 1/2
Bruce .............................................. 3
Tippy .............................................. 2 1/2
""""""
MINI BYTE SCORE .................................... 2 1/2
. __
(^) <^> /~ ~\
\-=======_/"\_======-/ \)
MB RATING "\. TWO & A HALF ./"
""""""""" "\._ LAMPS _./"
(_____)
MINI BYTES RATING SYSTEM
""""""""""""""""""""""""
5 LAMPS.........What? You haven't downloaded this program YET?
4 LAMPS.........Innovative or feature rich, take a look!
3 LAMPS.........Good execution, stable program.
2 LAMPS.........Gets the job done.
1 LAMP..........A marginal download.
0 ..............GEnieLamp Turkey Award!
If all three reviewers give the program a "5 LAMPS" rating, the
program and author receives the ~ A GEnie Lamp Excellence Award! ~
>>> REVIEWER PROFILES <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
Mike.........is a part-time Windows user and BBS operator.
He is also a full-time Information Specialist for
a midwestern scientific R&D company and Co-SysOp
of the Digital Publishing RoundTable. When Mike
isn't in front of a computer, he's either driving
or sleeping.
Bruce........Bruce is a computer consultant, trainer, and
programmer, who got started with computers as an
end user and got "hooked" on them. He reads
everything about computers he can, even the
manuals! He also enjoys writing and music, and
occasionally finds time to play at golf.
Tippy ...... uses his 386 system for Windows based Word
Processing and Database Management to enhance the
computing power of a large Air Force Squadron in
Washington D.C. His spare time involves downloading
large numbers of files in search of that perfect
program that he can't live without.
[EOA]
[TEC]//////////////////////////////
TECH_TALK /
/////////////////////////////////
File Management Made Easy
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Joanna Benz 8/24/93
[J.BENZ]
THERE'S NOTHING MORE FRUSTRATING than not be able to locate a piece of
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" vital information when you need it. A
good file management system makes it easy to locate all of our software
programs and data files.
It encourages us to keep information on our computers -- which is
what we bought them for! A "system" keeps us from feeling disorganized and
overwhelmed, and saves us from those last-minute, frantic searches for
paper-based information that can often last long into the night!
Once you master a few basics, you'll find it far easier to find
things in your computer system than in your paper files! How do we
accomplish this miracle? Well, here are a few of the most basic steps.
1. Keep only software programs on your hard drive. There are a few
minor exceptions here -- like reference data that you use
everyday. But generally, you should save precious hard drive room
for space-gobbling software.
Many software programs can ONLY be run from a hard drive. Brand new
software programs can be tested most easily on your hard drive, even if you
transfer them to floppies later. And there are quite a few little tricks
of the trade that can make your life easier -- if you keep some neat little
utility programs on your hard drive.
2. Keep most of your data files on floppy disks. Data can pile up
very quickly. And, while you might wish to erase programs from
your hard drive, you won't be erasing valuable data files: names
and addresses, your checkbook register data, important letters,
and so on.
It can be argued that floppy data is more secure than hard drive
data, provided disks are handled properly and kept in storage cases. If a
floppy gets damaged, much of the data can usually be recovered. But if a
hard drive gets damaged or corrupted by a virus, you could easily lose
everything on it!
3. Make regular backup copies.
-- For a Hard Drive: copy everything to floppies, at least
once a month, using a backup/compression program like
Megaback or Fastback. It's even better to have TWO complete
backup sets of your hard drive. That way, if you
accidentally damage one, say with faulty backup software, you
will still have the other one intact.
-- For Floppy Disks: keep at least one backup copy of each
important software or data disk. Copy your plain text data
files with the DOS copy command or a file manager like Xtree;
these should be kept in regular text format (not compressed),
so they can viewed easily.
4. Store floppies in an organized filing system. You will have
several types of floppies, which you may wish to keep in two
separate disk holders, like this:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Master Library -- Masters, original program disks from author
"""""""""""""" Backup copy of each master disk
Working copy, installed version
(if different from master disk)
Backup copy of working version
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Data Library -- Floppies containing personal data
"""""""""""" Backup copy of each personal data disk
Backup copy of data on hard drive
(for example, name/address database)
Hard drive backup set 1
Hard drive backup set 2
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Master Library disks will all be filed alphabetically by program
name; for example: Lotus 123 Master, Lotus 123 Master Backup, Quicken
Master, Quicken Master Backup, etc. These precious originals or "masters"
are all disks you will rarely use. All the programs you NEED have already
been installed on your hard drive, right?
The Data Library will include your personal data on floppies, plus a
few working software programs on floppy that you need constantly. Think of
these as your "working" files. Use whatever filing system seems easiest
for you and whoever else will use your system. Here is one sample filing
scheme for data disks:
-- First, file all data disks by general subject. You might have
disk dividers for: Text, Jane; Text, John; Database records;
Financial; Games; System files (i.e. a working, bootable copy of
DOS, and maybe your backup software); Utilities.
-- Next, you will file your data disks alphabetically within
their file area.
Under Text, Jane: you might have data disks called Diary
(for Jane's journal), Personal (for letters), and Professional
(for Jane's resumes).
Under Games, you would have your actual game programs plus any
saved-game data, since you probably will not want to keep a ton
of small games on your hard drive.
Unless your Data Library storage case is huge, hard drive backups
should probably be kept in their own, separate location (or in old disk
boxes). One compressed backup of a 100 meg hard drive can easily use up 20
or 30 high density floppies. Make sure to label each backup disk,
including the date created.
4. Finally, use a graphic tree-type file manager, like XTree
(shareware version available). File managers make it easy to
view a list of ALL files on any drive -- hard or floppy --
including hidden and system files. They can help avoid confusion
and mistakes, since you can watch the screen as files are being
copied or erased.
You can easily reset file attributes (as from read-only to fully
accessible). And it's a snap to reorganize your hard drive: create, erase
or rename subdirectories, rename and move files, etc. You can usually view
text files directly from your file manager, plus much, much more.
Xtree is an excellent program for simplifying your life. There's one
minor drawback; it has a limit on how many files it can track at once. But
it handles a 50 meg drive nicely. Therefore, if you have a large hard
drive, say 100 megs or bigger, you may wish to configure it as two (or
more) separate hard drives. Although you sacrifice a few milliseconds in
access time, you might find it easier to manage only 50 megs or so of
programs/data at a time.
All this seems like a LOT just to get organized, doesn't it? But
once you have conquered the unwieldy task of managing your files, other
tasks will seem simple, by comparison. And that's the way it SHOULD be.
Your computer should be serving you, not the other way around!
With all these little cubbyholes for your programs and your data, you
will be amazed at how easily you can find any needed information. Grabbing
last October's letter to the President becomes simple; just view your
"letter" disk with your "file manager," move to the Politics subdirectory,
and keep viewing text files until you see the letter you want... And no
more lost versions of your resume, either!
Now you can move on to more important tasks, like mastering various
software packages, using online information services, and downloading
files. Before you know it, you'll be a master at unzipping new software,
installing and testing it, and deleting it if it doesn't measure up. The
only remaining problem is finding those gems of software that you really
want to
keep!
[EOA]
[PDQ]//////////////////////////////
PD_QUICKVIEW /
/////////////////////////////////
How To Get From Here To There
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Brad Biondo
[B.BIONDO]
Program Name : VACATION PLANNER
Filename : TRIPLAN.ZIP
Library Area : 7
Program Number : 33492
File Size : 179,456
Program Type : Miscellaneous
Author : RV Software
Version Reviewed: 4.6
File Type : Shareware / $25
[*][*][*]
FROM THE AUTHOR VACATION PLANNER (VP) helps you plan vacation and
""""""""""""""" business trips by car. It determines the shortest route
to your destination and produces a trip plan that gives you valuable
directions including highway, time, and distance information. VP can print
this in a convenient format that eliminates the need to unfold large maps
while driving. If you do not need the most direct route, VP can also plan
deviations to visit friends or visit popular vacation spots. You can
customize your "computer" maps with "Map Maker" to include your areas of
interest such as your home, Grandma's house, favorite vacation spots, or
short cuts.
VP is a compiled BASIC program and should operate on any IBM-compatible
computer with any monitor. There have not been any problems on the printers
tested to date. Compressed pitch, either hardware- or software-selectable,
is helpful. A single-floppy system or hard drive easily supports program
operation.
There are individual map files for all 50 states, plus a U.S. map
with over 1000 points. There is also a general planning map covering
the U.S., Canada and Mexico. State maps have approximately 100-350 points
depending on the size of the state. Some smaller states are combined
into one file.
There are also regional maps. The map files cover the 48 contiguous
states in the six files listed below. They have approximately 1000 points
each, and have the same level of detail as the state map files. Regional
map files allow planning through several states without having to combine
trip plans. Their only disadvantage is loading times (only significant on
XT class machines) and trip plan calculation times (as much as two minutes
for long trips on slower computers). Alaska and Hawaii state maps, as well
as the expanded U.S. map and the North American general planning map,
are included in this set.
NEUS: CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, VT, VA, WV, RI
SEUS: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN
SWUS: AZ, CA, CO, NV, NM, UT
NWUS: ID, MT, ND, NE, OR, SD, WA, WY
NCUS: IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, OH, WI
SCUS: AR, CO, KS, LA, MO, NM, OK, TX
Note: Either the state map file or the regional map files are included
with the basic registration. The other set can be ordered separately if
desired.
[*][*][*]
. __
(^) <^> /~ ~\
\-=======_/"\_======-/ \)
PD_Q RATING "\. FOUR LAMPS ./"
""""""""""" "\._ _ _./"
(_____) (1-5)
DOCUMENTATION EXCELLENT
"""""""""""""
PD_Q COMMENTS Do you like to travel, but hate looking at maps? VACATION
""""""""""""" PLANNER (VP) can save you a lot of time and aggravation by
laying out your route for you.
VP comes with an excellent documentation package, including a tutorial
that steps you through the process of defining your route, and the
resulting output you get. The author suggests you follow along with a map
of the southwestern part of the US to get the hang of it all.
The only "drawback" is that this shareware version hasn't been updated
in a couple of years, so some of the roads may no longer be valid, or there
may be new roads that give more direct routes. But that's not necessarily
a problem, because you can use the Map Maker feature to make any changes
necessary. You can also set up new maps. This version comes with a map of
the US and a more detailed map of California.
Once you've set up the trip, you can access the utilities menu to have
VP calculate the cost of the trip. You enter estimates for gas mileage,
the cost of a gallon of gas, how many days lodging needed, with associated
costs per night, and a dollar amount for food. You can combine trips, and
make modifications to the plan that VP produces -- a very flexible package!
Registration is $25, which gets you the latest version of the program,
plus either the state maps or the regional maps (explained above).
Additional maps range from $2.50 to $5, or the entire package is available
for $35. VACATION PLANNER is available from RV Software, PO Box 50267,
Henderson, NV 89014
Enjoy!
[EOA]
[MUL]//////////////////////////////
MULTIMEDIA /
/////////////////////////////////
The Ultimate Multimedia Computer
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By David Holmes
D.HOLMES14
AS I WRITE THIS... I am anticipating the arrival of my brand new Gateway
"""""""""""""""""" 2000 4DX2-66 system, and needless to say, I can't
wait. Once I get it, though, I will outfit it with quite a few add-ons, so
that I can turn it into a powerful multimedia computer. I was planning to
share my experiences in doing this, but because my deadline is a few days
before I will get everything together, I thought I'd just fill you all in
about the "top-of-the-line" multimedia hardware (most of which is the
hardware I'll be getting).
This article is appropriate, not only because I am buying all new
equipment, but because the MPC Marketing Council recently introduced the
Level 2 MPC standard (MPC2). This does not replace the original, but is,
in my mind, the real minimum needed for "true" multimedia. (The only area
in which it is lacking is full-motion video, since it does not yet require
MPEG. However, I expect this to change as soon as the low-cost MPEG boards
arrive.)
Some of the new minimums include a 486 processor, 16-bit sound,
support for 640x480 with 64K colors, and an XA-compatible double-speed
CD-ROM drive.
The MPC2 standard calls for at least a 486SX-25, but I'd certainly
recommend buying as much power as you can afford. The 386 is just about
dead (I saw very few 386 computers while thumbing through Computer
Shopper), and even the 486DX and DX2 systems are selling for quite
reasonable prices. A 486DX-33 or better is probably satisfactory, although
almost all 486 computers are very upgradable now (most of them up to the
P24T), so you needn't worry about buying enough speed to last you the next
three years. More and more programs are placing heavy demands on the
processor now, though. Just look at a game like Strike Commander, often
called unplayable on anything less than a 486DX2-50. And with many coming
games utilizing SVGA and applications using more bloated code, your
computer can never be too fast.
The sound-card world is more confusing than ever, although there are a
few emerging standards. My advice is to look for something that is General
MIDI compatible. If you plan to run anything from DOS, you'll want that
plus SoundBlaster compatibility. If you already have a 16-bit sound card,
throw in one of the new MIDI-only boards for better music. Nothing beats
the popular Roland SCC-1, but there are many new competitors coming from
Kurzweil, Turtle Beach, and Creative Labs.
For the ultimate in sound cards, go for the Turtle Beach MultiSound or
the Roland RAP-10. I planned to purchase the RAP-10, but the last time I
called the music store, they said that while they expected it last week
(the week of August 8), it had still not come in. Hopefully, it will be
out soon. Another interesting card is the coming Media Vision Pro
AudioStudio 16 XL, out sometime this month. It will have all the features
of the popular PAS16, plus a built-in Korg synthesizer, all for $495. You
can't go wrong with buying from Media Vision. For low cost quality sound,
you could try the UltraSound. While barely supported now, with less-than-
ideal SoundBlaster emulation, Gravis claims the major game companies will
soon add native support. This includes Origin and Sierra. Of course, it
will already work fine with Windows apps.
Double-speed CD-ROM drives are finally becoming the norm, and there
are several to choose from. Do NOT buy a single speed drive; while they
will not be obsolete for a couple of years, most CD titles will benefit
from, and some may require, a double-speed drive. (Gateway still only
offers the Sony CDU-31A and a Phillips drive, both slow single-speed
drives.) For the fastest access time and transfer rate, go for the Toshiba
XM3401. It actually runs at 2.2 times the normal rate, giving a max
transfer rate of 330K/sec, plus it has a 200 ms seek time. Other popular
drives include those from Texel and NEC. Make sure you get any accessories
you may need, such as an interface card and connecting cables. It might be
a good idea to get your sound card and CD-ROM drive at the same time from a
company that knows what you'll need. (ComputAbility is one good source,
since they allow you to make your own bundles.)
Don't forget about speakers. Poor speakers will make your investment
in a high-end sound card worthless. The premier multimedia speakers seem
to be the Altec Lansing ASC-300, but I read one review expressing
disappointment in them, claiming the Acoustic Research Powered Partners 622
are the best. I won't be able to go out and test all the speakers on the
market for you, so try to listen before you buy. (Both of the above
speakers use a separate subwoofer, so that's something you'd want to
consider.)
What else will you need? Well, sometime in the next year you'll
probably want an MPEG board. MPEG compression can give you near VHS
quality video at the standard 150K/sec CD transfer rate. (Finally, 30 fps
with decent sound!) This means you can store 72 minutes of video on a CD.
The CD-I platform already has its MPEG upgrade, and Hollywood movies are
being released on CD for that platform. 3DO will also have an MPEG upgrade
soon after its release. For the PC, attention is centered on the Reel
Magic board from E-Motion. From its preview at the summer CES, it seems
like it will be one hot multimedia board, likely to be supported by many
companies. Return to Zork will come out with a special MPEG version, and
Dragon's Lair will play just like the arcade version. Plus, you can now
create your own digital videos, without taking up half your hard drive or
being limited to a small jerky picture. It should be available in a couple
months, and I believe it will cost around $400. (As a sidenote, you might
be interested to know about Cinepack, a software compression standard soon
to be supported by just about everything, including the Mac, PC, 3D0, Sega
CD, and Atari. It's fine for software-only, but is limited to 15 fps and
needs a 486 to get 320x200 resolution.)
How much will this cost? It can get expensive. Multimedia upgrade
kits range from under $500 to $1200 and more. Plan to spend around $500
for a double-speed CD-ROM drive, maybe more if you need the SCSI interface
card. The sound cards range up to $700, and the speakers go up to around
$300. All in all, I plan to spend around $1400 for the multimedia
equipment for my new computer, with the Toshiba XM3401B, Roland RAP-10, AR
622 speakers. (If the RAP-10 doesn't come out soon, I'll be getting the
Pro AudioStudio 16 plus the Roland SCC-1 instead.) Most people don't need
this much; but for the ultimate multimedia computer, this is the system to
beat.
[EOA]
[REF]//////////////////////////////
REFLECTIONS /
/////////////////////////////////
Thinking About Online Communications
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Phil Shapiro
[P.SHAPIRO1]
>>> THE SOCIAL RAMIFICATIONS OF LOW-COST HIGH-SPEED MODEMS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Every advance in communications technology brings with it a
concomitant advance in human welfare. The easier and less expensive it
becomes to communicate at long distance, the greater the benefit to society
as a whole.
For instance, when long-distance modem communications is made less
expensive, new opportunities open up for software developers around the
country to collaborate on new software development projects. Naturally,
society as a whole benefits from the fruits of software development
projects.
Likewise, when long-distance modem communications is made less
expensive, doctors in different parts of the country can more easily share
the results of medical tests, medical records, and medical research.
Society, as a whole, benefits substantially in this way.
In a similar way, engineers and scientists can benefit from the
lower-cost interaction. Writers and artists can more easily communicate,
resulting in a more productive cross-fertilization of ideas. Students can
benefit from having access to more information resources at their
fingertips.
So when U.S. Robotics introduced their popular "Sportster" high-speed
modems a few months ago, the online world quickly became abuzz with
excitement. With a street price of under $200, these new modems bring
high-speed communications within the reach of many individuals and small
businesses.
Other modem manufacturers have made similar price cuts in their line
of high-speed modems. What makes these high-speed 14,400 bits-per-second
modems so useful is that they allow even large files to be transmitted in a
matter of minutes.
But what are the social ramifications of individuals and businesses
connecting at 14,400 bits-per-second? Many and varied.
In a manner of speaking, high-speed modems shrink distances across the
country. With the advent of low-cost high-speed modems, California becomes
closer to Washington DC. In the past, physical distances served as a
barrier between people. Three hundred years ago, if someone lived more
than a hundred miles away from you, you might never have a chance to meet
them in your life. Today, the chances of your exchanging ideas with
someone across town are almost the same as the chances of you exchanging
ideas with someone across the country.
Those of us who have been involved with online communications are so
accustomed to incremental improvements in telecommunications technology
that it is difficult to appreciate when a truly breakthrough development
occurs. The introduction of low-cost high-speed modems in the past few
months is the type of advance that will bring a quantum increase in social
benefits, both near and far.
In a sense, modem manufacturers are involved in producing a tool that
brings benefits to people in all walks of life -- regardless of whether
they themselves personally make use of the new communications technology.
A reverberation of benefits will be accruing to society as a whole as
high-speed modems penetrate our homes and businesses.
A round of applause, please, for U.S. Robotics, Hayes, Microcom,
Practical Peripherals, Zoom, Supra and the many other modem manufacturers
who have brought us forward to this point. Their work to bring cheaper,
faster modems to market will produce social benefits whose importance we're
only just beginning to fathom.
-Phil Shapiro
[*][*][*]
The author takes a keen interest in the social dimensions
of communications technology. He can be reached on GEnie
at P.SHAPIRO1; on Internet: p.shapiro1.genie.geis.com;
on America Online at: pshapiro
[EOA]
[LIB]//////////////////////////////
THE ONLINE LIBRARY /
/////////////////////////////////
Files, Files & More Files!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Daniel "Tippy" Martinez
[TIPPY.ONE]
[*] [*] [*] FILES! FILES! FILES! [*] [*] [*]
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
THE SOFTWARE COLLECTION There you are with four big hours to use online,
""""""""""""""""""""""" and your just aren't sure how you are going to
get your money's worth. There are literally thousands of files available
in the IBM and Windows Roundtables just waiting for you to download. This
article highlights some of the more interesting or useful files available.
Each entry includes the file number, file name, approximate number of bytes
and the long description of each file, as it was provided by the uploader.
Any additional comments from me are preceded with "** NOTE:" and follow the
uploader's description.
Additionally, from each library, I have slected one file as the HOT
"TIP" of the month. This focus highlights a file, whether it is an update
of a classic, or a new program headed for classic status. If you are only
going to download one file this month, this file should get serious
consideration.
Without any further delays, lets check out this month's collection of
goodies just waiting to be downloaded!
[*] [*] [*] HOT NEW FILES! - IBM ROUNDTABLE [*] [*] [*]
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Type M615;3 at any GEnie prompt ~
HOT TIP OF THE MONTH Any of you who have come face to face with a virus
"""""""""""""""""""" on your computer know what problems these little
devils can cause. Having killed a virus or two myself, I have found the
best provention is a decent virus scanner (and the willpower to use it!)
Download this program and sleep better knowing your computer is virus free!
33557 FP-209.ZOO 351104 F-Prot is a virus scanner that has received
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" high ratings from a number of sources,
including several computer security organizations. It detects and
disinfects literally hundreds of viruses and variants. Changes in Version
2.09 include better handing of boot sector virus removal correction of some
false positives, and 202 new viruses recogniz ed.
[*][*][*]
33322 GOLF32.ZIP 48000 Golf Handicapper 3.2. A golf score database
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" handicap calculator program that stores any
number of scores for any number of players and automatic ally calculates
their handicap for each game. Can be used by individual players, teams, or
entire golf clubs. Version 3.2 fixes aminor bug in version 3.1. Shareware,
$25.
33327 GSU.ZIP 96640 GEnie Stock Utilities - Offers fast
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" conversion of GEnie Closing Quotes so they can
be easily read into Quicken or your favorite spreadsheet. The se utilities
don't stop here though - we offer a complete solution for collecting stock
information on-line. Included are step by step instructions including
sample scripts for use in Aladdin or other communication program plus batch
files so a single menu selection will take you all the way from logging
onto GEnie to loading Quicken with nokey presses in between. Shareware
registration $10. Regis tered users will also receive bonus files for
charting stocks and monitoring portfolio performance.
33328 ATBAT101.ZIP 54784 ATBAT v1.01 <ASP> - A utility for
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" AuTomatically creating and executing BATch
files which consist of a list of filenames, each associated with th e same
DOS command or other text, without the usual manual editing associated
with such tasks. The files may be optionally selected by size, age,
attributes, or matching text. ATBAT can also be used for automatically
creating "make" files used by programmers. 24-page manual. C source code
available. ASP shareware - $15. Version 1.01 fixes a bug in the -t
parameter and some documentation erro rs.
33331 MM45.ZIP 41472 Wilstar Message Minder version 4.5 allows
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" the user to leave a messageon screen, or save
one to disk. This is useful when more than one person u se the same
computer, or in an office environment, etc. The message is displayed on
screen, along with date, time, who left the message, what time it was
left, and instructions on leaving replies to t hat message. Replies are
stored on disk for later retrieval. Screen colors change every 20 seconds
to preserve monitor.
33341 ED-DRIL2.ZIP 50944 Wilstar Edu-Drills contain games in
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" multiplication, addition, subtraction, and
spelling. Scores are kept on disk for the math drills. You can makeup
word lists for the spelling drill, and print out missed words or entire
lists. Shareware. NOTE: This is the same games as the previous
EDU-DRILL program on GEnie, except that all four drills have been
consolidated into a single .EXE file, making the program much shorter than
before.
33348 MDIC150.ZIP 51968 The Modem Dictionary, version 1.50.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Freeware. This is a text file thatincludes
definitions for over 650 words relating to modem usage. Thesewor ds range
from the common (BBS) to the obscure (LAP/M). The definitionsare easy to
read for beginners, yet there are definitions of words thatexperts need to
know. It has been used in courses by major modem manufacturers, bar
associations, in BBS new user files, and even in several programs. A must
for anyone who uses a modem.
33630 QB1FE.EXE 77568 This is the front end program for NTN's QB1.
""""""""""""""""""""""""" For more information on QB1, type QB1 from any
GEnie menu prompt. This program requires an IBM-compatible computer with a
VGA, EGA, CGA, or MCGA graphics adapter, at least 257K of free memory
(either from DOS, or from inside your communications program), and a modem
connected to COM1 (IRQ4), COM2 (IRQ3), COM3 (IRQ4), or COM4 (IRQ3). A
Microsoft Mouse-compatible pointing device is supported, but not required.
Please read the READ.ME file included in the self-extracting archive for
further operating instructions. This is a MANDATORY upgrade from previous
versions.
33403 DIAL15.ZIP 39296 Wilstar Dialing Directory Ver. 1.5 can be
""""""""""""""""""""""""" used to dial the phone from the DOS prompt.
Simply type DIAL followed by the name or number you're calling. If you
enter a name, the dialer will search your personal dialing directory that
can be created from within the program or with any ASCII text editor.
Redial capability for busy numbers.
33411 SIMST1&2.ZIP 495232 SIMSTAT V2.1 <ASP> - Easy & powerful
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" statistics and simulation analysis program with
mouse support, pulldown menu, context sensitive help. Reads Lotus, dBase,
ASCII files. Provides descriptive, frequency, crosstab, breakdown, t-test,
oneway anova, multiple responses, linear, nonlinear & multiple regression,
time-series & many nonparametric an alysis. Hi-resolution graphics, missing
values, weighting, and more!
33426 ALDPERTL.ZIP 156800 This file contains a number of utility
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" programs originally designed to work with
GEnie's PC Aladdin. The tagline programs (ACT and ART) and the message
storage and retrieval system (AFS), however, can be used with any
appropriate message editing program that allows "shell to dos" macros and
imports and exports ascii files! The programs includ ed in this package are
shareware and are registered in two separate sets: the tagline programs
(ACT and ART) and the Aladdin Folder System and its Extra Utilities (AFS,
AFSBILL, and INETBB).
33430 AMISE210.ARJ 276480 AMI-Setup is a great Dos tool for viewing,
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" saving & editing the Bios from AMI.
Furthermore you can create security CMOS mirror file. Soundblaste r
support, ISA and EUISA boards are supported. Please read the included,
detailed manual for more details, and notice the very important general
hints about CMOS security. Ami-Setup is coming from Germany, of course
with english and german manuals and program text! Shareware.
33526 EVOLITE.ZIP 196096 Evolve! Lite is a graphical, very fast
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Artificial Life simulation.You create new
species by programming their genes with a unique, icon-based sp ecies
editor. Then turn them loose in the environment to compete! They run
around, eat plants, hunt, mutate, spawn, and actually evolve as you watch!
Assembly language programming makes this program FAST - the screen updates
at over 10 frames/sec on a 386/33 (typical). Evolve! Lite has a mouse-based
interface, with pull-down menus and pop-up control panels, and lots of
on-line help. Sound Blaster music and sound effects are supported.
Shareware.
33555 AC94.ZIP 120192 AMERICHAOS 1994 by Brian Rose. Bands of
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" genetically-altered motorcycle bandits tough
enough to shrug off shotgun blasts prowl ruined cities. Arm ored city
fortresses house the rich and powerful, while the rest face daily fights
for survival. A complete hypertext role playing rule book. The game itself
is not played on the computer. It is to be used as a hypertext set of rules
for playing the game with friends.
33558 RLOG100.ZOO 278016 Runner's Log is an application that provides
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" an easy to use interface that facilitates the
logging and reporting of running data typically track ed by runner's. In
addition, Runner's Log provides answers submitted to frequently asked
questions about running and provides the capability to make several
different computations including time, pace, and distance. Shareware.
$25 fee requested by author.
33560 STOCK_XL.ZIP 31360 Stock_XL is a very easy to use Excel
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" spreadsheet. It will record all transactions in
a brokerage account with a few key strokes. A price history chart is
created for each stock in the portfolio with a press of the Chart button.
A summary of the current status of the account is available, as well as
easy end of year accounting of your transact ions. Don't be in the dark
about your stocks, download Stock_XL today! Must have Microsoft Excel 4.0
spreadsheet to run.
33561 AUTOCN2I.ZIP 140032 AutoCon v2.0g provides full interactive
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" (internal/external editor, pull down menus,
mouse, context sensitive help) or command line AUTOEXEC.BAT & CONFIG.SYS
configuration management. AutoCon can read current configuration files, and
has provisions for disk caching software. MENU.CTL (now in color) device
driver or MSDOS 6 menu system allows configuration selection during boot
process. DRDOS compatible. Shareware. ($15/Registration)
[*] [*] [*] HOT NEW FILES! - WINDOWS ROUNDTABLE [*] [*] [*]
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Type M1335;3 at any GEnie prompt ~
HOT "TIP" OF THE MONTH Hey laptop users, this is one file you need! Ever
"""""""""""""""""""""" lose that cursor on your monochrome laptop
screen? This nifty little program should help keep that cursor in sight at
all times!
1368 ASMITH10.ZIP 36096 ArrowSmith lets you change Windows' default
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" mouse pointer and wait symbol (hourglass) to
any one of 66 hand-crafted cursors that are easier to s ee, easier to use,
and more fun. You can change pointers interactively (in full-screen mode)
or automatically (as part of your Windows startup). ArrowSmith uses zero K
and includes several left-handed cursors. It's a must for notebook users.
Comprehensive online help included. No-nag shareware ($20). Uploaded by
author.
[*][*][*]
1324 DTPTLS11.ZIP 96384 DTP Tools 1.1 is a collection of macros for
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Ami Pro 2.0 and 3.0, designed by Robert
Simanski, primarily for advanced desktop publishing. Includes excellent
16-page doc (in .SAM format) detailing each macro, written by the author.
1328 DMENU121.ZIP 49664 An efficient replacement or addition to the
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Program Manager. Provides a menubar at the top
of the Windows desktop with menu headings defined by you to represent the
categories of applications you typically need to access. A simple
interface allows you to customize the look and feel of the useful system
utility.
1332 PRGGRP13.ZIP 12800 Progman-Groups gives you the possibility to
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" have groups in groups in Windows Program
Manager. PRGGRP uses normal program groups, you don't have any limitations.
You can even put groups in groups in groups!
1333 RIPBAR30.ZIP 161024 RipBAR V3.0 is an application ToolBar that
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" sits on your Desktop-- where programs are just
a mouse click away. Supports Drag & Drop. Can display time, date, resource
& memory statistics, as well as display an unlimited number of application
icons. Includes the Resource Tracker-- a tool that monitors other apps'
use of resources. New Version 3.0 features more customizable features--
including memory & resources as graphs, font choices, Customized Minimize
and the new RUN tool.
1339 ELEPHAN2.ZIP 8448 The second version of Elephant Clock still
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" runs from your mouse cursor so you can easily
get at the windows controls; it also now offers several options, like a
maximizable form, one with no date showing, and automatic moves to help
save your screen from burn-in. Your choices can be saved in an INI file so
they become your defaults. $7 shar eware from Samarkand Software, 7111
W.Indian School Rd., #117, Phoenix, AZ 85033-3133.
1340 RUNNER10.ZIP 42624 The Runner Utilities are four programs that
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" make it easier to launch and manage Windows
apps. TaskRunner is a powerful replacement for Windows' Task Manager that
features hide/unhide, quick exit, quick reboot, and more. WinRunner
controls window sizes. GroupRunner puts groups on groups in Program
Manager. And RightClick calls TaskRunner with a single right mouse click.
Comprehensive online help and wallpaper included. No-nag shareware ($25).
Uploaded by author.
1341 4-WAY.ZIP 8320 4-Way loan calculator will calculate
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Paymment, Interest, length, or inital value
from any of the other 3 known values. Also included is a Amorti zation
printer which calculates and prints interest paid for each calendar year
and total interest paid for the length of the loan. 4-Way is released as
P.D. software so use it and up load it as you please. Enjoy R.Beauchamp
1343 IMAGECAL.ZIP 204416 Image Calculator is Windows 3.1 utility
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" program for scanning and printing gray scale
images using a desktop publishing program. Determines the number of gray
levels that can be printed given printer resolution and the line frequency
of the image. The calculator determines the scanning resolution that is
appropriate for each situation. Requ ires VBRUN200.DLL (Visual Basic 2.0
DLL). Can be downloaded from Genie as VBRUN2.ZIP
1347 WINPEEK.ZIP 352128 WinPeek is a Notepad replacement for Windows
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" that performs file Viewing and editing all in
one interface. It allows font and color configuratio ns and has a very
nice button user interface. It also has on-line help. WinPeek was
programmed in Visual Basic 2.0 and the ZIP file already includes the
VBRUN200.DLL. Technical support is provided for registered users. Please
support the Shareware concept by registering your software!!
1350 ASTLIT.ZIP 137472 Astro-Lite 1.2 is a Windows program that will
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" pop up each morning and give you your horoscope
for the day, in either a serious or funny version. Requires Windows 3.1
and a '386 or better PC. Shareware ($20) from Flat Broke Software.
1354 NTJULHCL.ZIP 192000 This file contains the latest Hardware
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Compatability List for the retail release of
Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server. It lists the over 1,600
computer systems that Windows NT has been verified to run on. The list
also includes printers, network adapters, disk adapters, CD-ROM drives and
other hardware which Windows NT supports. In cluded in the zip file are
text, Windows Word and Help format files.
1370 WINPEEK.ZIP 186368 WinPeek is a Notepad replacement providing
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" file viewing/editing in a single interface.
Allows configuration of background color, text color, fontsize, and
typeface. The Shareware version is limited to 32Kb files like Notepad.
Written in Visual Basic 3.0 and requires VBRUN300.DLL to be installed in
the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory before WinPeek's Setup routine will run.
(VBRUN300.DLL is available on the WINDOWS RT.) Please support the Shareware
concept by registering your shareware!!
1378 TCT.ZIP 368000 True Color Tet. This version of Tetris uses
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" your BMP and GIF files for the background to
the Tetris well. Supports all BMP and GIF files including 24bit true color
BMPs. Will run in video modes from 16 colors to 16 million. 16 million or
32000 colors is recommended.
1379 SKIRZY10.ZIP 918784 Skirzy version 1.0 -- a Windows RTC program
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" for GEnie's RTCs. Fully automated navigation,
multiple resizeable windows, full logging, menued com mands, quick access
keys, sounds, help file, etc. This is a full-featured communications
package tailored for GEnie's RTCs. Skirzy is shareware -- not crippled.
Fully functional. This ZIP includes 13 sample .WAV sounds and all necessary
files to run Skirzy. Automated installation program. Just download, unzip
into a temporary directory, and run the Setup program. ** NOTE: This ZIP
file already contains VBRUN300.DLL. If you already have this file, check
the lite version of this file below **
1380 SK_LITE.ZIP 382592 This ZIP file is identical to SKIRZY10.ZIP
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" (also available in this library) except that
it does not include VBRUN300.DLL or sample .WAV files. You must already
have VBRUN300.DLL in order to use the "lite" version. Unzip into a
temporary directory and run the Setup program.
1381 MRMIND2.ZIP 26496 Mister Mind is a great conversion of the
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" popular board game Super MasterMind. The object
is to guess a code sequence of five colored pegs. After each guess, the
computer gives you hints about how close you are to the solution. Version
2.0 has a better interface, better graphics, and loads and runs MUCH faster
than version 1.0. Requires VBRUN3 00.DLL. Zipped with PKZIP 2.00
1382 ICONVAC.ZIP 69376 Icon Vacuum lets you manage your icons, from
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" copying to renaming. Most importantly, though,
Icon Vacuum lets you look into ANY Windows file for icons and then "vacuum"
out the ones you want into their own ICO files! Icons are displayed by the
hundreds in a sizeable window. Version 1.7 fixes some minor bugs in v1.6,
has an improved interface, and now lets you view an unlimited number of
icons at a time! Version 1.5 received a three-cursor rating in Windows
User magazine (July 1993). Requires VBRUN200.DLL (available on GEnie).
Zipped with PKZIP 2.0
1390 WINCL.ZIP 161408 WinClean is a handy tool that monitors
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" applications installed to Windows, tracking
those obscure support files (.DLL and such). When or if you d ecide to
delete an application, WinClean helps you completely rid it from every
directory.
1395 MINICAL.ZIP 134784 Mini Calendar is a calendar, clock, and
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" scheduling program with nice 3D effects and
multimedia alarms. It uses the "freeform" data entry method which allows
events to be typed directly on the calendar. This is often more convenient
than database-type entry programs for people who do not need to accound for
every minute of the day. Adds seqential text and clock options in this
version. Requires VBRUN300.DLL (VBRUN3.ZIP) Shareware- $15 Registration
1400 3X3.ZIP 87680 3x3 Labeler creates floppy labels, on laser,
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" for Avery 5196 labels, containing the filenames
on the disk. Great for cataloging those old floppies. New version allows
control of fonts, sizes, filename patterns, and other things. All bugs
fixed, much better than first release. Uploaded by the author. Requires
Visual Basic 3.0 runtime library for use (search for Visual Basic or
Runtime).
1406 CNEWS_1.ZIP 94976 The premiere issue of CompuNews, a free
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" online publication for Windows and PC users.
Please spread this around freely. In Windows .HLP format (usable by any
Windows user).
[*][*][*]
Unfortunately, sometimes files are removed from the library after we
publish this magazine. In many cases, the removed file has been replaced
with an updated version of that file. If you can't find one of the files
listed here, there is a way to check for a newer version. Do a keyword
search on the library using a word that describes the file you are look-
ing for. Chances are, you will find a newer version of that file, or
another file that meets your expectations.
Well, that wraps it up for this month. Remember, this is just a small
sample of the files available in the IBM and Windows Roundtables. The next
time you are looking for that certain utility or application, head on over
the Software Library and, chances are, it will be there just waiting for
you to download.
[EOA]
[FUN]//////////////////////////////
SEARCH_ME /
/////////////////////////////////
Online Puzzle Fun
"""""""""""""""""
By Scott R. Garrigus
[S.GARRIGUS]
>>> SEARCH_ME! <<<
""""""""""""""""""
THIS HAS GOT TO BE A MISTAKE! A couple of months ago my brother went out
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" shopping for a new computer. Now after
all these years of having Atari around the house and me being an avid Atari
user, you can imagine my surprise when he came home with a Tandy Sensation.
"This has got to be a mistake!", I thought to myself. "This is nothing but
an IBM PC clone!". Well, at least that's what I thought at the time; but
not anymore. I've heard all the war stories about how IBM's have all these
problems and how Windows can't do this and Windows can't do that. Well,
let me tell you, after about a month of playing around with it, I have to
admit, I really like it! I can't say I like it better than my Atari. No,
Atari will always be my first love; but working with Windows on an IBM can
be a lot of fun!
As you've probably guessed by now, this month I visited the Windows
Roundtable. I must say that after being around for only about a year, they
are really doing a great job over there. The BBS is already loaded with
topics on all kinds of Windows subjects from General Windows Questions to
Windows Development. There are also separate categories for Windows NT and
for many Windows software vendors too. They have RTC's every day of the
week except for Saturday and Sunday. Even Sysops need a little time off,
you know. :) Of course, most of my time has been spent in the software
library downloading files and having lots and lots of fun playing with some
of the programs. You'll find games, pictures, .WAV files, and utilities
galore here.
So if you've got an IBM with Windows, by all means visit the Windows
RT! To get there type either M1335 or WINDOWS at any GEnie prompt. First,
however, be sure and solve this month's puzzle, which is full of all those
wonderful Windows buzzwords you ought to know! I don't do all this work
for nothing! ;) Until next month!
>>> WINDOWS ROUNDTABLE <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Keyword: WINDOWS, Page 1335 ~
W A G Y E S W W D C R M T C C H P A E Q F N
O R F G N I K S A T I T L U M O Y L R R W J
R C A N J V P Z B R E B S N W L M B Z O T T
D E B L R V O J V K Q A O E O F M E T S Y S
P T A R T F H D A Y A L R R W T E M T G S U
E D S D F N S I F T C P E E L A R Z S I F S
R B I B O G O O I H O E H M O A V O A D U T
F Z C V S M T V C I I R A S K J N F N P Q A
E N G F O U O R N I C W L O U E J D I P O R
C D G K R L H T E Z S L C T F R H F R L S T
T X Q K C T P F J D M A J Y N M B K Q S E U
T Q M E I I U R L T R S B H G S H T I O X P
G R J P M M C J X G B O W L Q X W C N B V E
X M P Y I E Q B B B R N C I A V J O Q I E Z
D L K T U D P W R A H N K E N U N V D G A D
T B S E B I V E N T U R A R R D S L K N V P
I P G U V A W I N C L O C K B Q O I V M I H
C R Q R G O O I Q F H V C Y A A U W V B A W
X Z T T P D L B R P A U E U T H Q Z S Z M A
BORLAND GFABASIC MICROSOFT
MULTIMEDIA MULTITASKING NORTON
PAINTBRUSH PHOTOSHOP POWERBBS
POWERPOINT RECORDER STARTUP
SYSTEM TRUETYPE VENTURA
VISUALBASIC WAVFILE WINCLOCK
WINDOWS WINDOWSNT WORDPERFECT
[*][*][*]
GIVE UP? You will find the answers in the LOG OFF column at the end of
"""""""" the magazine.
This puzzle was created with a freeware program called
SEARCH-ME, an Atari ST program by David Becker.
[EOA]
[MIN]//////////////////////////////
MINI_BYTES /
/////////////////////////////////
3 On 1: Mah Jongg
"""""""""""""""""
By Bob Connors
[R.CONNORS2]
~ A GEnieLamp Excellence Award! ~
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Program Name : Mah Jongg
Filename : MAHJNG41.ZIP
Library Area : 7
Program Number : 33544
File Size : 184552
Program Type : Game
Author : Nels Anderson
Version Reviewed: 4.1
File Type : Shareware
Standard Edition $15.00 + $2.00 s/h
(12.95 in the U.K.)
Deluxe Edition $22.00 + $4.00 s/h
[*][*][*]
FROM THE AUTHOR Mah Jongg solitaire is based on an ancient Chinese game
""""""""""""""" whose origins are supposed to date back some 3000 years.
This version has similarities to solitaire played with cards and also with
dominos since it is played with tiles. When I first discovered the game my
initial impression was that the game would quickly become dull but having
played it for a while and having given it to friends we've all found that
it is quite addictive despite (or maybe because of) its apparent
simplicity.
The program requires an MS-DOS compatible PC that can run 640x350, 16
color graphics. Either EGA or VGA video cards are capable of handling this
video mode. If you're still running an older video card I'm afraid the
game won't work. (Apparently many people do not understand the differences
between EGA, CGA, VGA, MDA, etc.; basically, if you get a screen full of
letters blinking on and off when you try to run Mah Jongg you don't have
EGA and the game will not work on your system.) When I originally wrote Mah
Jongg I had never seen a game that used the hi-res 16 color mode and I
thought it would be nice if there was one.
This version also supports Hercules graphics mode. Since it's
monochrome it's not as pretty but the resolution is similar so it's not
bad. The type of video you have is automatically detected, so you should
not have to do anything to get the right mode.
[*][*][*]
MINI_BYTE BY BRAD [5 Lamps] I happen to own a registered copy of version
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 3.51, so when I saw version 4.1, it sent me
into an upgrade tizzy. There are some neat new features, the most prominent
of which is the variety of board layouts. As if it isn't hard enough with
the default layout, now you can drive yourself crazy in different shapes.
There is a whole slew of tilesets out in electronic land, if you don't
have the time or wherewithal to create your own with the included tile
maker program. This is truly an addictive game. Many's the time I've said,
"Only one more game", and looked up to see the little hand on the clock past
the 12 <g>. If you have a limited download budget, be _sure_ to put this
one near the time of your list!
MINIBYTE BY TIPPY [5 Lamps] Every once in a while a program comes along
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" and defines a standard. Mah Johngg by Nels
Anderson is one such program. As you can see from his description, it is
an ancient Chinese solitaire game that requires you to match tiles and
remove them from the playing board. It is such a simple concept that you
would think that it would be an easy task to accomplish. But, like all
great games that stand the test of time, what seems to be the obvious is
not true. Clearing the entire board is no easy task and provides a
challenge for even the most serious gamer among us.
The last time I looked at this program, it was version 3.2 and an
excellent package. With version 4.1, I was impressed on the improvements
that were made. The program includes a very nice tile generator, that
allows you to design your own tiles. The classic Chinese tiles and a flag
set are included. The setup program and statistics generator have also
been approved. The biggest addition I enjoyed, however, was the ability to
change the shape of the tableau the tiles start in. This variation alone
adds a great deal of variety and challenge to the game. If you even
slightly enjoy any solitaire game, this is one program you should not be
without!
MINIBYTE BY BOBSIE [5 Lamps] As you may or may not know, I am not a
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" computer gamester. That is, I do believe
that a computer is a tool not a game machine and that, if you want to play
computer games, then you should do so on a dedicated game machine such as a
Sega. The only interest I have ever had in games that could be played on a
general purpose computer was from a programming aspect. If the source
code was available, I would study it to learn tricks and techniques that
could be used for other purposes (such as graphics).
Notwithstanding, it was my suggestion that we review a game this month
and, as always, the staff came up with a good one. I have never played
MahJong before although I carry the game for downloading on my BBS along
with a bunch of tile files that may be used with the game. I will base my
comments on the structure and operation of the program because, to be
honest, I do not think I could tell you whether or not the program follows
the official rules of the game since I don't know them.
Having two systems, an 8088 Hercules Graphics based one and an 80386
VGA based one, I tested the program on both systems. What can I say? The
operation was flawless on both systems. Try as I might, I could not get
the program to do anything incorrectly. The only thing I didn't like was
the inability to break out of the help screens; you had to read all of them
to get back to the main screen. I hope this is only in the shareware
version and not in the registered version.
The graphics were excellent. The resolution was outstanding in VGA
and very acceptable on my Hercules system as well although, a bit slow
(this is more the fault of the speed of an 8088, not the game). I played a
game from start to finish but lost (maybe that is why I don't like computer
games -- I am no good at it). I must admit, it is addicting to play the
game as, when I lost, I wanted to try another to see if I could win.
However, not really having the time to do so, I overcame the temptation.
I can clearly see that a dedicated computer gamester could easily
spend hour after hour with this game. I can also see that a lot of effort
went into its development and it clearly shows in the quality of the
screens and keyboard control. I do not consider the shareware limitations
I mentioned earlier sufficient justification to give this program any less
than a rating of 5 lamps! This is the first program all three reviewers
have given that rating!
GEnieLAMP MINI_BYTE'S RATING
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
BRAD ............................................... 5
TIPPY .............................................. 5
BOBSIE ............................................. 5
"""""
MINI_BYTE SCORE .................................... 5.
~ A GEnieLamp Excellence Award! ~
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MINI_BYTES RATING SYSTEM
""""""""""""""""""""""""
5 LAMPS.........What? You haven't downloaded this program YET?
4 LAMPS.........Innovative or feature rich, take a look!
3 LAMPS.........Good execution, stable program
2 LAMPS.........Gets the job done
1 LAMP..........A marginal download
0 ..............GEnieLamp Turkey Award!
If all three reviewers give the program a "5 LAMPS" rating, the
program and author receives the ~ A GEnieLamp Excellence Award! ~
>>> REVIEWER PROFILES <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
BRAD.........uses his _new_ 486/33 to run a shareware distribution
business, in search of Windows software, now that he
has a big enough machine <g>.
TIPPY........uses his 386 system for Windows based Word
Processing and Database Management to enhance the
computing power of a large Air Force Squadron in
Washington D.C. His spare time involves downloading
large numbers of files in search of that perfect
program that he can't live without.
BOBSIE........Bob Connors is a Programmer and Computer
Consultant who also is the Editor of the
GEnieLamp IBM version and is also known as
Doctor Bob. Bob has been involved with
personal computers of all types since 1978
and carries a degree in Computer Information
Systems. His current main interest is
programming as he is writing an electronic
Front-End Mailer program for BBS systems,
allowing those systems to access networks such
as FidoNet.
[EOA]
[BYT]//////////////////////////////
NEWSBYTES /
/////////////////////////////////
PC Prices: How Low Can They Go?
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(Reprinted with permission)
Editorial - PC Prices, How Low Can They Go? 08/13/93
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 AUG 13 (NB) -- By John McCormick.
Should you buy now or wait for lower prices?
That question, often ignored by computer publications, is really more
important to most users than whether the latest microprocessor is 2.5-times
faster than the last release or will really only run their software
2.25-times more quickly.
Because most users never push their hardware or software anywhere near
the limits, few buyers really care about the fastest hardware and instead
are far more interested in the cost of just enough power to meet their
particular needs.
These days, that generally means a 386SX if you don't run Windows, and
a 486 if you do, or whatever Macintosh you can afford if you are
Apple-oriented.
With the steady deterioration in profit margins for manufacturers and
a consequent Dutch-auction atmosphere among buyers, you really have to give
some serious thought to non-essential new hardware purchases. (A
Dutch-auction just means that, unlike normal auctions where people keep
bidding prices up, prices are constantly marked down until products sell.)
Obviously, if you need new hardware then you buy it now, selecting
among vendors based on price, quality, and options. This also holds true
if you don't have a computer yet - they are such powerful tools that
virtually every business and many individuals really need one and the
price/pay-off ratio for a first computer has been right for almost a
decade.
But what if you would like to upgrade although you don't really need
to yet? In that case, your real problem is not selecting a vendor but
deciding if prices will continue to drop.
Apple Computer, after suffering the worst fiscal quarter in its
history, will obviously have to continue its recent price-cutting ways and
work at reducing costs if it wants to improve or even maintain its market
share.
Price cuts continue for two basic reasons. First, competition is
really getting to cutthroat proportions as more and more buyers are
discovering that, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a PC is a PC is a PC. And,
second, efficient PC makers can afford to cut prices because component
prices are continuing to fall. Intel's 486 processor prices are falling
and will probably plunge when AMD starts selling large numbers of its
compatible chip.
Also, if you have delayed buying a large hard drive because of high
costs, then you obviously haven't been paying attention because many drive
prices have dropped by as much as 50 percent just since January.
Don't look for prices to ever go much below $1,000 for a decent
computer simply because it costs that much to package, market, warehouse,
and support a hardware package at a reasonable profit, but if you are
looking at desktop computers priced in the $2,000 to $3,000 range then you
can expect to see more features along with larger memories and hard drives
added to specific clone models and lowered prices on big-name computers in
that price range.
If you are looking at workstations, and especially servers priced from
$5,000 to $20,000 or more, then hold on to your hats because it looks as if
hardware prices will really plunge.
Why wouldn't they, when you can assemble a 66-megahertz 80486- based
server-type system with 16 megabytes of memory and a pair of gigabyte plus
hard drives for less than $5,000?
Notebooks are the one major area where prices may have bottomed out
and could even increase. Recently Compaq's notebook manufacturer, Citizen,
stopped shipping computers to the Texas- based company because the drop in
value of the US dollar versus the Japanese yen has meant that Citizen had
lost its entire profit margin on the deals.
This upward price pressure may well continue and spread since most
notebook computers and all notebook display screens are made overseas and
the dollar shows no real signs of strengthening.
(John McCormick/19930716/)
Copyright (C) 1993, GEnie. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or further distribution prohibited.
[EOA]
[CLA]//////////////////////////////
CLASSICS /
/////////////////////////////////
What IS A Yahtzee?
""""""""""""""""""
By Brad Biondo
[B.BIONDO]
Program Name : A Game Of Yahtzee
Filename : AGOYAHTZ.EXE
Library Area : 7
Program Number : 19480
File Size : 25,200
Program Type : Game, Dice
Author : P.D. ADDICTION
Version Reviewed: 1.0
File Type : Public Domain (?)/ $10 donation requested
[*][*][*]
FROM THE AUTHOR This program is in the Public Domain...Please pass it on.
""""""""""""""" If you like it and wish to inspire us to create more
Public Domain software, send $10.00 and any suggestions or comments.
[*][*][*]
. __
(^) <^> /~ ~\
\-=======_/"\_======-/ \)
PD_Q RATING "\. THREE LAMPS ./"
""""""""""" "\._ _ _./"
(_____) (1-5)
DOCUMENTATION NONE
"""""""""""""
PD_Q COMMENTS Talk about Classics: many of us have probably seen at
""""""""""""" least one version of Yahtzee. This one is pretty basic.
Two human players go at it against each other. If you don't know how to
play (are you from another planet <g>?), then this one is definitely not
for you -- there are no instructions. But it plays nicely, and contains
all the fun that any Yahtzee lover needs.
It's interesting going back three years and pulling out Classics for
these columns to see just how far shareware, freeware, and public domain
programs have come. Authors Michael W. Chard and Robert H. Rider Jr. were
under some confusion about what Public Domain (PD) is, since they included
a copyright statement on the opening screen (PD and copyrighted works are
mutually exclusive, in case you didn't know <g>). Not being a legal type,
I don't know which takes precedence, the copyright or the PD statement.
Yahtzee's a fun game, no matter how you play it, and since this file
is so small, it won't cost much at all to give it a try.
A Game Of Yahtzee was produced by P.D. ADDICTION, P.O. Box 357,
Tularosa, NM, 88352. The authors request a donation of $10 to spur them on
to create more Public Domain software.
Enjoy!
[EOA]
[CON]//////////////////////////////
CONNECTIONS /
/////////////////////////////////
Online Thoughts
"""""""""""""""
By Al Fasoldt
[A.FASOLDT]
>>> ARE WE READY FOR MULTIMEDIA? <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Copyright 1993 by Al Fasoldt. All rights reserved. ~
IS _IT_ READY FOR US? When television was invented, the world was abuzz
""""""""""""""""""""" with talk about the wonders of the new technology.
Most of them have been wasted, as we all know by now --or as we soon
discover after an afternoon of sex-and-scandal shows from Oprah, Phil and
Maury.
The same sort of dreck is about to come our way in the guise of
multimedia. My advice is to pass it by until either multimedia or its
creators grow up.
Multimedia is a catchword for something that no one really knows how
to define. It's like love or a bad smell --you can't really define it, but
you know it when you find it.
Multimedia is supposed to be the marriage of sight, sound and text in
a computer or a device that works like a computer. What makes multimedia
different from plain old TV is that multimedia is controllable --you can
zip around in a multimedia document, playing it (or viewing it, hearing it,
or reading it) in any order, for example.
It's possible to have multimedia on a more-or-less regular personal
computer such as an Apple Macintosh or a PC running Microsoft Windows, even
if the computer doesn't have anything fancy added on. But to really get
into multimedia, you need a computer with some sort of laser disc attached.
Usually, this is a CD-ROM drive. It's a compact disc player that can
play (the computer term is "read") CDs that have computer data on them.
Most CD-ROM drives can't deliver the data to the computer fast enough, so
what you get if you buy a cheap CD-ROM drive is a bunch of jerky images and
halting text displays.
In another year, the best of today's CD-ROM drives -- the ones that
are fast enough for multimedia -- will be the cheapies, and the world will
be ready for the new way of reading, viewing, watching and experiencing
things.
But
right now, multimedia is for the most part an exercise in
silliness.
You can already buy multimedia encyclopedias that show you text and
moving pictures. That's good, right?
Not when you see what those moving pictures look like. They're tiny
and spasmodic. Uncle Harry did a lot better with his camcorder at the last
family picnic.
They also have built-in hi-fi sound. As a devoted high-fidelity fan,
I'm probably biased when it comes to judging sound that comes out of one or
two tiny speakers attached to a PC, but I can tell you this: Beethoven
would end up with the "1813" overture if he had to listen all year to a PC
that thought it was a stereo set.
But encyclopedias don't make money for the multimedia mavens anyway.
Games do. Computer games with do-it-yourself endings and fancy graphics do.
That's what's coming your way.
Don't ask me whatever happened to stickball and hopscotch. They're
old stuff. The new stuff keeps the kids in a darkened room, staring at a
screen and listening to squeaky loudspeakers all day.
And for those older kids, there are, um, different kinds of games.
Adult games, with, um, adult, um ... you know what I mean.
This is dismal, I agree. But there is hope. Companies here and in
Japan and Europe are working on multimedia atlases that you can use in the
car. They read your position from a satellite and tell you exactly where
you are and how to get anyplace else.
They're also working on multimedia tours of museums. And multimedia
dramas and musicals.
That sounds like fun. And looks like fun -- someday.
In the meantime, I'll just wait and see. Watching a technology grow
up can be a long process.
[EOA]
[ADD]//////////////////////////////
ADD ALADDIN /
/////////////////////////////////
Cut & Paste Scripts For Aladdin
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Aladdin Script By Jim Lubin
[J.LUBIN]
WHERE IS IT GOING? Keeping track of Usage/Billing here on GEnie is a
"""""""""""""""""" snap, just log onto page 920 and follow the prompts.
Better yet, let Aladdin and Jim's Usage/Billing script do it for you.
>>> GEnie USAGE/BILLING DATA <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ cut here ~
Script # Get Usage/Billing Data
echo off
clear
note "GEnie Usage/Billing Data"
note "Select Month(s) [Jul or Apr-May or <Return> for All] ?"
getstring 9
log onto "920"
sendline "2"
waitfor "?"
sendline "%9"
if string 9 is ""
erasefile "usage.bil"
capture "usage.bil"
else
erasefile "%9.bil"
capture "%9.bil"
endif
waitforprompt
endcapture
log off
EndScript
~ cut here ~
>>> HOW TO ADD THIS SCRIPT TO ALADDIN <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Installing The Script First of all, you will need to separate this
""""""""""""""""""""" script from the magazine. To do this, just load
this magazine into any word processor or text editor, and cut or block this
script file out to it's own separate file and save it as REMIND.SCR. (Our
thanks to Ed Perrone, Sysop, Astrology RT for these quicky instructions.)
[*][*][*]
Aladdin IBM Before you can use this script, you must add it to Aladdin.
""""""""""" You only need to do this once, and then the script will be
available every time you run Aladdin. Use the following procedure:
1. Copy the into the Aladdin directory on your computer.
2. Start Aladdin.
3. At Aladdin's Main Menu, on the bottom right-hand side of the
screen, you'll see a listing of scripts already contained in
Aladdin. The scripts will be numbered from 3 through 9.
4. Select a script number into which you will load this script. If
you have empty slots in the script listing, use one of them. If
all the slots already contain scripts, you'll have to delete one
of them before you can add this one. (If you have version 1.0 of
this script, delete it and replace it with this new version.)
5. Jot down the script number you've selected so you don't forget it.
6. Press F7 to enter Aladdin's script editor. The listing of scripts
will now be on the upper right of your screen.
7. If you need to delete an existing script to make room for this
one, press D. Then press the number of the script you wish to
delete. Aladdin will delete the script. (If you don't need to
delete an existing script, then skip this step.)
8. To add the new script to Aladdin, press A. Aladdin will place you
into the script editing window and display a "skeleton" new
script.
9. Press CTRL-Y several times to delete all the text that's displayed
in the editing window.
10. Press CTRL-K (Aladdin will beep), then press R. A dialog box
will open requesting a file name. Type REMIND.SCR, then press
<ENTER>. Aladdin will read the script file into the editor.
11. Press CTRL-PgUp to move to the beginning of the script.
12. The first line of the script will read, "Script # Send Me A
Reminder". Replace the "#" with the script number you'll be
using (the number you jotted down in step 5).
THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT!
13. Now press <ESC> to save the script. When Aladdin finishes saving
the script, you'll be back at the script editor menu. Press
<ESC> again to return to the Aladdin's Main Menu. The new script
should now be listed in your list of Aladdin scripts -- and it's
ready to run!
AMI/ST ALADDIN
""""""""""""""
o Under the "File" menu, click on the "Edit User Script" option.
This will load in your current script file.
o Position the cursor at the end of your script file. Now, using the
"Paste File" option under "Edit" add the new script file.
o Change the # in the line SCRIPT # to reflect the script number
you've previously noted. For example, if you have already
installed 3 files, the line would like like this:
Script 6 Send Me A Reminder
o ESC to save
>>> ALADDIN NEWS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""
GEnie PC ALADDIN 1.71 NOW AVAILABLE We are pleased to announced the
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" release of GEnie PC Aladdin (tm)
version 1.71. This version of Aladdin is primarily to fix problems that
were found in previous releases. Problems fixed include Aladdin "hanging"
while uploading messages to RT topics or GEmail, email replies to messages
from @INTERNET#, a problem that could occur if you tried to hang up the
phone line from Aladdin without first going into terminal mode and some
instances in which the cursor would disappear entirely from the screen.
Because of the nature of this release, it is being made available in
two different forms: Users that already have downloaded Aladdin 1.70 should
select option 10 from the GEnie PC Aladdin RoundTable main menu, "Download
1.70 to 1.71 patch" to download a set of patches that will update your
version 1.70 Aladdin to version 1.71. This is an administrative option,
which means that connect charges will be waived for the download.
Instructions for the use of those patches are in the long description of
the file (displayed when you select the menu choice to download the
patches) are are displayed as part of the self-extracting file process.
Users who have not yet downloaded Aladdin 1.70 may obtain a complete
version of Aladdin 1.71 by selecting option 4 from page 110 or by
requesting a download of ALAD171.EXE from the PC Aladdin Software Library
on page 110;3. Normal connection charges apply to download of the complete
1.71 archive.
IF YOU ARE ALREADY USING ALADDIN 1.70 YOU SHOULD ONLY DOWNLOAD THE
PATCHES FROM OPTION 10 ON PAGE 110! You will be charged if you download
either the full version of Aladdin from the software library (or option 4
on page 110) or if you download the patches directly from the software
library!
Although this update is not mandatory, we strongly urge all users to
obtain and install it as it fixes several widely-reported problems.
After downloading, please read the !README!.1ST and CHANGES.DOC files
for important information about installing or upgrading PC Aladdin from
your current version.
/////////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "My [GEnie] bill went down roughly 30%... and I just got a raise, /
/ too. This should be enough to cover the new tax gouge..." /
///////////////////////////////////////////////////// C.OINES1 ////
[EOA]
[LOG]//////////////////////////////
LOG OFF /
/////////////////////////////////
GEnieLamp Information
"""""""""""""""""""""
o COMMENTS: Contacting GEnieLamp
o GEnieLamp STAFF: Who Are We?
GEnieLamp Information GEnieLamp is published on the 1st of every month
""""""""""""""""""""" on GEnie on page 515. You can also find GEnieLamp
on the main menus in the DigiPub (1395), ST (475), Macintosh (605), IBM
(615), Apple II (645), A2Pro (530), Unix (160), MacPRO (480), Geoworks
(1050), BBS (610), CE Software (1005) and the Mini/Mainframe RoundTables.
GEnieLamp is also distributed on CrossNet, Internet, America Online,
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o On Internet our address is: genielamp@genie.geis.com
o GEnieLamp pays for articles submitted and published with online
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o We welcome and respond to all GE Mail. To leave comments,
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o Back issues of GEnieLamp are available in the DigiPub RoundTable
Library #2 on page 1395.
>>> GEnieLamp STAFF <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""
GEnieLamp o John Peters [GENIELAMP] Senior Editor/Publisher
"""""""""
ATARI ST o John Gniewkowski [J.GNIEWKOWSK] Editor
"""""""" o Mel Motogawa [M.MOTOGAWA] ST Staff Writer
o Sheldon Winick [S.WINICK] ST Staff Writer
o Richard Brown [R.BROWN30] ST Staff Writer
o John Hoffman [JLHOFFMAN] ST Staff Writer
o Al Fasoldt [A.FASOLDT] ST Staff Writer
ATARI ST/TX2 o Cliff Allen [C.ALLEN17] Editor/TX2
""""""""""""
ATARI [PR] o Bruce Faulkner [R.FAULKNER4] Editor/GEnieLamp [PR]
""""""""""
IBM o Robert M. Connors [R.CONNORS2] Editor
""" o David C. Leithauser [D.LEITHAUSER] HyperRead Editor
o Brad Biondo [B.BIONDO] IBM Staff Writer
o Tippy Martinez [TIPPY.ONE] IBM Staff Writer
o David Holmes [D.HOLMES14] IBM Staff Writer
MACINTOSH o Richard Vega [R.VEGA] Editor
""""""""" o Tom Trinko [T.TRINKO] Mac Staff Writer
o Bret Fledderjohn [FLEDDERJOHN] Mac Staff Writer
APPLE II o Doug Cuff [D.CUFF] Editor
"""""""" o Phil Shapiro [P.SHAPIRO1] A2 Co-Editor
o Mel Fowler [MELSOFT] A2 Staff Writer
o Darrel Raines [D.RAINES] A2 Staff Writer
o Gina E. Saikin [G.SAIKIN] A2 Staff Writer
o Steve Weyhrich [S.WEYHRICH] A2 Staff Writer
A2Pro o Jim B. Couch [J.COUCH2] Editor
""""" o Nate C. Trost [N.TROST] A2Pro Staff Writer
o Jim Maricondo [A2PRO.DYAJIM] A2Pro Staff Writer
ETC. o Jim Lubin [J.LUBIN] Add Aladdin
"""" o Scott Garrigus [S.GARRIGUS] Search-ME!
o Mike White [MWHITE] (oo) / DigiPub SysOp
>>> SEARCH_ME! ANSWERS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
Material published in this edition may be reprinted under the follow-
ing terms only. Reprint permission granted, unless otherwise noted,
to registered computer user groups and not for profit publications.
All articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and
author at the top of each article reprinted. Opinions present herein
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edit all letters and copy. Please include the following at the end or
the beginning of all reprints:
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
(c) Copyright 1993 T/TalkNET Online Publishing and GEnie. To join
GEnie, set your modem to 2400 baud (or less) and half duplex (local
echo). Have the modem dial 1-800-638-8369. When you get a CONNECT
message, type HHH. At the U#= prompt, type: XTX99014,DIGIPUB and hit
the [return] key. The system will then ask you for your information.
Call (voice) 1-800-638-9636 for more information.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
[EOF]
