HOW TO CHOOSE A NEW K!

onnpuTE

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AUGUST 1993

Ul^DOWS

• 32-BIT SPEED!

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"This is the new standard in multimedia entertainment " Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft®

r One Gigabyte of groundbreaking full frame animation for the CD-ROM and complex graphic processing techniques including rendering and morphs!

^ Musical soundtrack by The Fat Man of Wing

^lommander™ fame as well as extensive use

of digitized dialogue recorded by live actors.

^ Based on an original story and screenplay written by horror author Matthew Costello.

Distributed esdush'ely by

THE Tlh aatST and IntcraclKt Oam aie llllltnillta oC Virgin Oma, lac. Viig'ui Is i

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GAMESI

Circle Reader Service Number 267

cannpuTE

VOLUME 15, NO. 8, ISSUE 155

AUGUST 1993

FEATURES

6

WINDOWS KT

By Len Feldman

Windows NT IS here and it'

hot. But should you

upgrade?

16

TEST LAB

Edited by Mike Hudnall

Test Lab looks at ten top

Windows databases.

60

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

By Lamont Wood

Inside the latest scam:

desktop forgery!

66

PRODUCTIVITY CHOICE

By William Harrel LaserJet 4 from Hewlett- Packard

COLUMNS

4 EDITORIAL LICENSE

By Clifton Karnes

Ten best products at

COMDEX.

38

NEWS & NOTES

By Jill Champion Top computer news.

42

FEEDBACK

Answers to tough questions.

50

WINDOWS WORKSHOP

By Clifton Karnes

Why Windows users need

DOS 6.

52

TIPS & TOOLS

Edited by Richard C. Leinecker Tips from our readers.

54

INTRODOS

By Tony Roberts Should you always have the latest version of a program?

Cover screen from Microsoft Dinosaurs.

56

PROGRAMMING POWER

By Tom Campbell The scoop on True BASIC,

58

HARDWARE CLINIC

By fylark (s/linasi More on MultiConfig.

68

PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY

By Rosalind B. Resnick

Ten tips on how to choose a

new PC.

70

MULTIMEDIA PC

By David English

/nfernnedia, the multimedia

megashow!

72

ART WORKS

By Robert Bixby By the books: ruminations

and recommendations regarding computer books.

120

DOS 6 FIRST-AID KIT

By Clifton Karnes

Before you upgrade, read

this.

ENTERTAINMENT 74

DISCOVERY CHOICE

By David Sears

Stunt Island from Disney

Software.

76

GAME INSIDER

By Shay Addams

What to expect from the

computer industry in the last

days of summer,

80

ENTERTAINMENT CHOICE

By Scott A, May X-Wing from LucasArts,

82

GAMEPLAY

By Paul C. Schuytema

Games that let you design

and run your own world.

84

WARS OF THE DISTANT PAST

By Paul C. Schuytema Relive the days of chivalry and savagery on your PC.

REVIEWS

89

AST 4/33S Model 123B,

Microsoft Mouse 2.0,

ManagePro,

Arthur's Teacher Trouble,

Doctor Schueler's Home

Medical Advisor,

YourWay,

SimLife,

VIRUSCAN, CLEAN-UR

VSHIELD,

Amazon: Guardians of

Eden,

Flight Simulator Add-Ons,

Peachtree Accounting for

Windows 2.0,

Data Stor 486-25SX,

DoDot 4,0.

Space Quest V,

Disk Manager,

doubleRES 4,

Follow the Reader,

International Sports

Challenge,

Putt-Putt Joins the Parade,

RoboCop 3D, and more.

ADVERTISERS INDEX

See page 97.

COMPUTE {ISSN 0194-357>;) is published nnonlhly in the United Slates and Canada by COMPUTE Publications International Ltd., 1965 Broadway New York NY 10023-6965 Volume IS Number B, issue 155 Copyrighl s 1993 by COMPUTE Publications Internalional Lid. All rights rese.-vea. COMPUTE is a registered trademark of COMPUTE Publications International Ltd' Distributed worldwide (except Australia and Ihe UK) by Curtis Circulation Company. PO Box 9102, Pennsauken. NJ 08109. Disinbuied in Australia by The Horwitz Group PO Box 306' Camrrieray NSW 2062 Australia and m the UK by Norttiem and Shell Pic . PO Box 381 , Miliharbour. London EM 9TW. Second-class postage paid al New York, NY and at additional mailina o,1ices POSTMASTER: Send address changes 10 COMPUTE Magazine, PO Box 3245, Harlan, lA 51537.3041, Tel. (BOO) 727.6937 Entire conterls copyrighted All riohts reserved Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part wlihout written permission from the publisher. Subscriptions: US, AFO - $19 94 one year; Canada and elsewhere -$25 94 one year Slnoie copies szas in US. The publisher disclaims all responsibility to return unsolicited matter, and all rights in portions published Ihereot remain the sole property of COMPUTE Publications International Ltd Letters sent to COMPUTE or its editors become the property o( the magazine. Editorial offices are located at 324 W, Wendover Ave., Ste. 200. Greensboro NC 27408 l6i, (yi9J 275-9809- ' '

Printed in the USA by R. R, Donnelley & Sons Inc, 2 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

#R126607415

Not just a new Sound Blaster: A new 16-bit audio standard

Introducing the Sound Blaster 16 Digital Audio Platform. A new concept in sound cards. And a new standard for 16-bit PC audio.

You WON'T Believe Your Ears.

PC audio never sounded so good- genuine CD-quality audio with fully 12% more dynaniic response and 15% Hmids-frce mm better signal-to- vokewniwi ^^ noise ratio than any con\petiiig 16-bit sound board. Plus software data compression that delivers 16-bit fidelity while maximizing disk storage capacit)', But there's more. Included in the Sound Blaster 16 package is the biggest advancement in PC control since the invention of the mouse: our exclusive VoiceAssist'" software. It's a sophisticated speech recognition interface that uses a 32,000-con\mand library to control Windows applications hands-free!

THE ONLY SOUND CARD THAT GROWS WITH YOU.

Unlike other 16-bit cards, Sound Blaster 16 comes with built-in interfaces for CD-ROM, MPU-401 MIDI and

joystick confrol. And the unique modular, scalable architecture lets you add more advanced feahires and technolo- gies as you need them. Like our Advanced Signal Processing chip that delivers 4:1 real-time hardware data compression while reducing CPU time up to 65%. Or professional-quality sampled wave synthesis witii our

StstMHheAtt PC Sound with l&iii Codec digild aiiiia chip,

iMH Data Compression snti difk fpiKC u'ithoul losf cf signal qualily,

Ui^dable, Modular Pistform

nmkes if cas^ to add neu' tedi- wlogies life Advanced Signal Processing and Wave Bbsltr.

100%Compatib|[ltym(f!i7;i Sound Blaster tippiicaiions, plus cross platform support pr Windows U, DOS or OS/1-

Vpgradc to Adivnred Sig- nal Processing with our chip.

Tiic ikii) i b-bii PC tuidio .-iii'ii.iiTfii; incUuiii progjammabk mixer, niicicfiiom. VoiceAssist speedi recognition software, plus more tlian S 1 000 in softuwe tipplicniions.

plug-in Wave Blaster" daughter board,

And- unlike other cards-the Sound Blaster 16 is 100% compatible xoith roerygame and application ever written for the Sound Blaster. , .which is to say virhially every game and application a\'ailable for sound.

simple ii.< iiliij^mni; ill n ihnmhler hminl

NOBODY PACKS IN MORE VALUE THAN

THE INDUSTRY Leader.

And as if that weren't enough, we've completed tlie package with more than $1000 worth of leading sofhvare- not too shabby considering the entire package retails for just $249.*

So let's face it. When it comes to audio quality, fea- tures, and bottom-line value, we've got it all right here. With the Sound Blaster 16-the new 16-bit PC audio standard.

For more information about Creati\'e Labs products and tlie name of your nearest Sound Blaster Dealer, call 1-800-998-5227.

s^^ii^ CREATIVE

BLASTER

CREATIVE LABS

:::aTI *Ba5e SRP.

jijajj SCop\Tight 1993 Creative TecKnolog;- Lid. Sound Blister, VoiceAssist. Wave Blister and the Sound Blaster and Creative Labs logos arc trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd.

ME»s»r- All other trademarks are owned by their lespective companies, CreativcJ,abs 1-408-428-6600

eSWSSa Irtemationil inquiries; Creative Technology Ltd., Singapore, TEL 65.773-(K33 FAX 63-773-0353.

CItxie Reader Service Number 125

EDITORIAL LICENSE

Clifton Karnes

Here's a list

of tlie ten best

products [

saw at this year's

Spring COMDEX.

Spring COMDEX, held this past May in Atlanta, Geor- gia, will go down in the his- tory books as the best COMDEX to date. Exhibit halls were jam-packed with ea- ger attendees, and a record number of exhibitors filled the show floors and demonstrat- ed an amazing assortment of cool new products. Here are the ten best products I saw at this year's show.

10. Doublecase makes a se- ries of superlight, hard cases designed to fit almost any note- book. The Doublecase name comes from the case's de- sign, which uses two hard shells for each wall. The in- side of the case is dense foam rubber that you can mold to tit almost any note- book or laptop. Your traveling PC is probably as safe in a Doublecase as it is on your desk back at the office. Pric- es start at $59.95.

9. Star has really upped the ante in color printers with its sleek, new SJ-144. This su- perb small printer uses a new medium to print color pages that are amazingly crisp and rich. Cost per page is about the same as with a color DeskJet, and the suggested retail price is $599.

8. if you find yourself switch- ing screen resolutions in Win- dows, you'll love Any View from Binar. This clever soft- ware add-in lets you click on a button to go from 640 x

480 to 800 X 600 to 1024 x 768. You also get a virtual desktop, and perhaps most im- pressive of all, you can adjust your screen's scaling so rul- ers in programs like Word for Windows and PageMaker measure exactly one real- world inch. Neat.

7. Image-editing and screen capture programs are a large, competitive category in Windows, and a new ver- sion of ImagePals (U-Lead) in- troduced at COMDEX goes to the head of the class. With ex- cellent tools for editing bitmaps, editing color, and capturing screens, all in a scrapbook interface, Image- Pals is fast, powerful, and easy to use.

6. Intel's Pentium proces- sor has caused quite a stir in the last few months, and at this COMDEX we saw some of the first machines that are actually designed around the chip. The Pentium's potential is amazing, but hardware sys- tems and software must be specially designed to take full advantage of this poten- tial. When they are, perform- ance increases of nearly ten times over that possible with a 486 are attainable. Putting a Pentium in a 486 systenn will double your performance.

5. Here's a tie. Corel and Mi- crografx have long been the two giants in the illustration program category. Both com- panies had new products at COMDEX, and both looked great. The programs seemed amazingly easy to use, even for nonprofessionals. Co- relDRAW! 4.0 includes every- thing but the kitchen sink in its box, and the company's selling the previous version of CorelDRAW! for $199, which is a super deal. Designer 4.0 won't have quite as much in its package as CorelDRAW!, but you'll still find lots of good- ies including clip art, fonts, and a bitmap editor

4. Last year, presentation programs became a major cat- egory. This year, multimedia presentation software is really hitting its stride, and the best newcomer is Compel from Asymetrix. It's easy to use, and it has all the tools you'll need to combine dazzling graphics, animations, and sounds.

3- If you're in the business of creating Windows help files, RoboHelp 2.0 from Blue Sky Software is the most ad- vanced tool available. New at COMDEX, RoboHelp 2.0 works with Word for Windows and, as the name implies, au- tomates help file creation, An- yone who's created help files by hand will appreciate the point-and-click ease with which you can build topics and jumps and include bitmaps in your help files, You can also compile and test your help files, all from a tool- box that RoboHelp installs in Word.

2. Windows programmers and power users now have a high-powered tool to investi- gate what's going on behind the scenes in Windows. Win- Scope from Periscope lets an- yone spy on the Windows mes- sages, API calls, and hooks, Ever wonder what's really hap- pening when you drag a file from File Manager and drop it on Notepad? With WinScope you can find out.

1. Page layout has long been the domain of ultraexpen- sive, powerful programs like QuarkXPress and Page- Maker. Now, PagePlus from Serif changes the formula with a program that's ultrainex- pensive and very powerful. This amazing program will do the lion's share of what the heavyweights do and at a price of $59.95. PagePlus even surpasses Quark and PageMaker in a couple of ar- eas, and it's easier to use than either D

COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

Missi

ission

IBM Programming Systems introduces C Set++™ the most complete application development package you can buy for 'OS/2® lis 32-bit C/C++ compiler lets you unleash all the power of OS/2 — so you can create the most advanced, high- performance applications.

It has an extraordinary code optimizer with a full set of options. Even a switch to optimize for the new Pentjum'" processor. Plus a full set of class libraries, including application frameworks for PM, container classes and classes for multitasking, streams and more.

There's also a full complement of other helpful features. Such as an interactive source level debugger.

And the unique Execution Trace Analyzer traces the

execution of a program, then graphically displays ^^^ ^_,^^_^ diagrams of the

^^^ ^^^nBiv" ^k ^L ^ii^y^i^- Pi^s a class ^"^ ^"^ *^ ** T '^ library browser that shows class librEiry relationships.

What's more, you get Workframe/2,™ a language- independent tool that lets you customize your own envi- ronment. It's adaptable and flexible — you can use any 16 and 32-bit DOS, Windows™ and OS/2 took

C Set ++ Technical Features

ANSI C X3.159-1989

NIST validated

ANSI C++ X3J16 (Full ARM)

180 9899:1990

Global

Inter- module

Fundion inlining

Instruction sctieduling

starts here

Upgrade until August 31, 1993, from C Set/2 or Work Set/2 for only-Sl49. CD ROM prices slightly lower.

To order C Set++ , contact your nearest dealer or caU

1-800-342-6672 (USA) or

1-800-465-7999 ext. 460 (Canada). "5"^"==""

Qearly, there's only one place to start. C Set++ . ^ " ~ ^ ~ ^

Manutacluref's suggested retail pries is S595. iBM and OSB are registered tradamarla and C Set ++ and Wbrldrame/2 aie Imdemar i<sor Interrtatlonal Business Machines

Corporation, Ponlium is a tradsmarii ol intel Corporation. Windows is a Irademarlt of Microsoft Corp © 1993 IBM Corp. Circle Reader Service Number 207

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NT PROMISES: MICROSOFrS NEX

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-EN FELDMAN

GENERATION OPERATING SYSTEM

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Microsoft's recently re- leased Windows NT (New TeclinolQgy) is a bold attempt to extend Win- dows' incredible marl<:et success far beyond individual desktop PCs into companywide networlo and essential mission-critical applications. NT is an industrial-strengtii operating system capable of competing head to head with OS/2 and UNIX, as well as a fully featured network operating system for both modest peer-to-peer networks (S la Windows for Workgroups) and large client/server networks (like those sup- ported by Novell NetWare}. Yet, to the average user, Windows NT looks and feels almost identical to today's Windows 3.1.

To understand what Windows NT is, it's important first to understand what it is not. NT is not the next ver- sion of Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, although it can do virtu- ally everything that those two operat- ing environments can do, and far more. Unlike today's Windows 3.1, which is an operating environment that runs on top of DOS, NT is an entirely new operating system, built from the ground up to demolish the limitations that PC users and software developers have labored under for more than a decade. This means that NT can tackle sophisticated net- worked applications that are far beyond the reach of Windows 3.1; but as we'll see, it exacts a price in the form of hefty processor, memory, and hard disk requirements.

NT's designers had to balance their desire to develop a state-of-the- art operating system, capable of satis- fying the computing needs of large organizations, with the knowledge that NT had to be compatible with the huge installed base of DOS and Windows applications. The result is a 32-bit operating system that pays homage to many of today's most pop- ular computing buzzwords {multitask- ing, multiprocessing, objects, and client/server computing) while sup- porting 16-bit DOS and Windows applications.

Leaving DOS in the Dust

What are some of the practical improvements of Windows NT over today's DOS and Windows combina- tion? For one, Windows NT says good- bye to the memory management limi- tations of DOS. No more questions about vjhen and how to use extended versus expanded memory, and no more memory managers such as HIMEM, EMM386, or QEMM-386 to tweak and configure. Unlike DOS with its arcane segmented memory archi-

8 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

lecture, NT supports a linear memory address space of four gigabytes (two gigabytes for programs and two giga- bytes for the operating system), which is more than enough for all but main- frame- and supercomputer-class applications.

If you've tried to run multiple appli- cations at once under Windows 3.1, you know how limited Windows' capa- bilities are. Trying to print a long docu- ment or transfer a file by modem while working in your word processor or spreadsheet can be an agonizing process. Even worse, if any of your programs crash, it can bring the entire system to a screeching halt. Windows NT, however, eliminates these prob- lems with a sophisticated preemptive multitasking system that switches between programs so quickly and smoothly that, from the user's point of view, each program appears to run nearly at top speed. An even more sophisticated capability called multi- threading enables many programs, or in NT terminology, processes, to be broken down into two or more threads, each of which can be executed con- currently. Muitithreading enables NT to do many more things at once, and it's widely applied within NT itself in order to speed things up. However, programs must be written with multi- threading in mind in order to get maxi- mum performance.

in addition, NT's virtual memory manager (which gives each program more room to run by combining avail- able RAM with hard disk space) pro- tects the system by keeping programs and system tasks from interfering with each other. If one program crashes, Windows NT itself and the remaining programs continue to run. The frustrat- ing General Protection Faults and freezes that are common in Windows 3.1 are largely a thing of the past in Windows NT.

For complex applications that require more power than one proces- sor can provide (such as sophisticat- ed engineering-design problems or transaction-processing systems for high-speed processing of sales orders or airline reservations), NT sup- ports multiprocessing. With this capa- bility, two or more processors can work in concert to execute applica- tions. In fact, by combining muitipro- cessing and multithreading, each processor can run different portions of the same application, or entirely differ- ent applications, in order to gain potentially enormous performance improvements. However, most appli- cations must be written from the ground up with multiprocessing in mind; otherwise, performance

improvements are modest at best, Virtually no existing Windows applica- tions can take full advantage of multi- processing without involving extensive redesign.

The Compatibility Suite

Even though its internal architecture is completely different from that of DOS, Windows NT runs most existing DOS and Windows applications without modification. To do so, NT uses an emulator. Macintosh and NeXT users will be familiar with one such emulator called SoftPC, which completely reproduces the PC hardware architec- ture in software, so that DOS and Windows applications can run "inside" SoftPC under Macintosh System 7 or NextStep. Insignia Solutions, the com- pany that developed SoftPC, worked with Microsoft to develop a similar emulator for Windows NT called the Virtual DOS Machine, or VDM. The VDM emulates both DOS and the standard PC hardware, and it runs all DOS applications except those that bypass the operating system to talk directly to hardware, such as some games, CAD programs, and older applications that require direct access to hardware for acceptable graphics or hard disk performance.

Windows applications also run on NT by using an emulator; in this case, an emulator called Windows on Win32, or WOW for short, runs on top of the VDM. WOW supports most stan- dard and enhanced mode Windows applications, but not Windows 3.0 real mode applications. (As with DOS, any application that bypasses Windows and directly manipulates memory or hardware is unlikely to work with Windows NT.) Multiple applications can run simultaneously inside WOW, but since the WOW environment so closely duplicates Windows, an appli- cation crash within WOW has a good chance of crashing other running applications and possibly even WOW itself, Unlike in DOS/Windows-based systems, however, a crash within WOW will not affect any other non- Windows applications. In other words, while existing DOS and Windows applications are no more "bulletproof" in Windows NT than they are today in Windows 3.1, the overall system is far more reliable.

In addition to DOS, Windows, and Windows NT applications, NT also runs a limited set of OS/2 and UNIX- like applications. For example, NT can run character mode OS/2 1.x applica- tions. In reality, this feature is of very limited usefulness, because most OS/2 1.x applications have long since been upgraded to take advantage of

CompuServe does Windows.

Introducing a whole new way to look at CompuServe: CompuServ^e Information Manager for Windows (WinCIM"). It's a fully integrated Windows application, and lets you take advantage of Windo^vs when you're on CompuSer\'e. It'll make your session faster, more efficient, easier, and a lot more fun.

With the help of icons and pull-down menus, you'll find your CompuServe time is almost effortless Cruise the forums, browse through your messages, download files — it's all about as simple as clicking a mouse button.

And with WinCIM you can do more offline, too. That means everything from writing letters to reading the answers to your hardware and software questions can be done J much more economically.

So take a look for yourself. If you're already a CompuServe member, just t)pe GO WINCIM. If you aren't, call us for more information at 1 800 848-8199. Either way, you'll soon see why the best view is the one from CompuServe Information Manager for Windows.

CompuServe'

The information service you won't outgrow.'

SVimioui i^ a Irsdcmirlc <>f MicTowri Cor]Kir*lion.

Circle Reader Service Number 108

features

MS-DOS 6

Windows 3.1

0$/2 2.1

UNIX

Windows NT

Virtual Memory

no

yes

yes

yes

yes

Multitasking

no

limited

yes

yes

yes

Multitlireading

no

no

yes

some (a)

yes

Symmetric Multiprocessing

no

no

no

some (a)

yes

Portable

no

no

no

yes

yes

Access Security

no

no

limited

yes

yes

Graptiical User Interface

yes

(MS-DOS Shell)

yes

yes

yes, multiple

yes

Requires DOS

yes

yes

no

no

no

Runs 1 6-Bit Real Mode Windows Applications

no

yes

yes

some (a)

no

Runs 16-Bit Standard Mode Windows Applications

no

yes

yes

some (a)

most

Runs 16-Bit 386 Entianced Mode Windows Applications

no

yes

yes

no

' yes

Runs 32-Bit Windows Applications

no

no

no

no

yes

Runs OS/2 Applications

no

no

yes, all

no

l.x- character mode only

POSIX Support

no

no

no

some (a)

yes

Supports DOS FAT File System

yes

yes

yes

some (a)

yes

Supports OS/2 HPFS

no

no

yes

no

yes

Supports NTFS

no

no

no

no

yes

Networking Built In

no

Windows for Workgroups only

no

some (a)

yes

Buift-in E-mail

no

Windows for Workgroups only

no

some (a)

yes

386 or Higher CPU Required

no

no

yes

yes

yes

(a) This feature is standard or optiona

in some flavors of

UNIX, while other UNIX variants r

night not offer

the feature at all.

OS/2 2.x's Workplace Shell and Presentation Manager graphical user interface features.

Likewise, NT is also capable of running POSIX I.O-compatitjIe appli- cations. POSIX is a U.S. govern- ment-specified standard flavor of UNIX that allows compatible pro- grams to be run on a wide variety of different computers.

Unfortunately, most existing UNIX applications require more features

10 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

and capabilities than those specified in POSIX 1.0.

Further. POSIX doesn't yet support the X Window system or higher-level graphical user interface tools that are quickly becoming an integral part of most UNIX systems. Therefore, as with OS/2, Windows NT's POSIX sup- port is, for now, primarily a token ges- ture aimed at providing cross-platform compatibility, rather than an immedi- ately useful feature.

Keeping Secrets

As mentioned earlier, Windows NT includes sophisticated networking capabilities. Existing Windows tor Workgroups (WFW) users will recog- nize NT's networking features as extensions of WFW's capabilities. NT systems can share files, printers, and other resources {such as networkable modems) on a peer-to-peer basis with other NT systems, as well as with WFW systems. These peer-to-peer

Royalty Free CD-ROMs

USK

F«gr CD-ROMs pocked wilh hundreds of prolestiannlly shot videos and ■ - orcliestrated musit. All dips (ome bundled with Aldus Fetch — Ihe power- :^y IdI multinedia lalaloging, browsing, and retrieval software. Each video '' ^'' and music CD-ROM covers a ditferenl popular topic. AMERICA IK MOTION featnTSf videos of the Americon Dream including events, Iwll- doys, places and londmarlis, with music ranging from Ragtime to Rode 'a Roll. BUSINESS IN MOTION contains greol videos of worbrs of every kind making o difference in manufacturing, agriculture, aerospace and construction. This CD also includes popular business themes perfect for ony presentation. NATURE IN MOTION contoin? videos of the ptin) aid animal kingdoms combined wilh clossicol orchestrated music. SPACE IN MOTION has Ihe best U.S. & Soviet videos and NASA animations, along -:\ wilh music. Best of all Jasmine's CD-ROMs of clip medio can heunL royally free in any computer application you create.

VIDEOS WITH TEXT

FAMOUS FACES: Meet the 100 most nrominent people of the 2ath cen- tury. The inventors, politicians, ccleorities, artists, business and reli- gious leaders who mode history. Combined with the exceptional historic toologe ore educotionol biographies and famous quotes. This interactive CD-ROM includes Churchill, Sailol, Ghondi, Disney, Ford, Edison, Einstein, . . ; Thorpe, Hirohito, De Gaulle, Wright Brothers, Rulh, Houdini, King, h^ Chaplin, and so many more. As with oil Jasmine titles, the clips can he used royalty-free in any computer opplicalion.

FAMOUS PLACES: Explore the wonders of the modem world. Discover the Earth's greatest landmarks from the grandeur of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, through the romantic canals of Venice, to Ihe Great Woll of China and beyond. Breathtaking videos complete wilh fascinatir "~" ries. Experience Ihe Colosseum, Jerusalem, Hollywood, the Votii Square, the Eiffel Tower, Sears Tower, Toj Mohol, Australia, New City, Tokyo, Big Ben, the Acropolis, and much more. All clips con btilMd royally-free in any computer application you create. J

STILLS WITH MUSIC

Onr photographers have canvassed the globe to capture the world's most exotic animals, fascinating people, and spectacular settings. From for off locations to close-up textures, these three CD-ROMs encompass Ihemoit diverse collection of stills ever gathered. WILDERNESS STILLS featurhig extraordinary photos of nature and onimals; SCENIC STILLS with sMking photographic backgrounds, textures, and famous locations; and WORK- ING STILLS wilh stunning photos of business and industry. Alt include over 300 color photos, mognilicent music and Conversion Artist Software for changing TIFFs into other formats, Also included is Aldus Fetch — the powerful multimedia cataloging, browsing and retrieval softwore. And all this content con be used royally-free in any computer application you create.

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networks don't require expensive ded- icated file and print servers. Or you can clioose to create client/server net- work configurations, witin NT systems acting as file, print, and application servers to other NT, WFW, LAN fvlanager, and DOS-based systems. In fact. Windows NT includes approxi- mately 90 percent of the functions and features found in Microsoft's LAN tvlanager 3.0. NT supports the network protocols used by LAN Manager and IBM's LAN Server, as well as the pro- tocols used by most UNIX systems and the worldwide Internet. Additionally, Novell NetWare users aren't left out; Windows NT systems can be connected as clients to exist- ing NetWare servers.

A powerful networked operating system like Windows NT will usually be used in applications in which more than one user needs to use the net- work; otherwise, there's little reason to upgrade from Windows 3.1. As soon as multiple users begin to access a single system or network of systems, security becomes essential. Each user will have applications and data files that must remain private to him or her, while some programs and files will need to be shared by other users.

More importantly, critical functions such as modifying operating system files and adding or deleting users must be strictly limited to authorized system administrators.

Windows NT includes the Security Subsystem, which requires all users to log on with a unique user name and password in order to gain initial access and then strictly controls access to files and subdirectories according to rules set up by the sys- tem administrator. NT meets the U.S. government's 02 level of security, meaning that it can be used for mod- erately sensitive applications (although its safeguards are insuffi- cient for secret or even more sensitive data). By comparison, OS/2 has only rudimentary security features: it relies on LAN Server's network-based secu- rity for more extensive protection.

UNIX, on the other hand, has had password protection and access con- trol features for years, but only recent- ly have some desktop UNIX vendors (Univei and SunSoft) brought their products' security up to 02 standards. These vendors require users to pur- chase add-on software to achieve the same level of security built into Windows NT.

In order to keep track of who has permission to access which files and subdirectories, a file system (which manages the directories and file attributes for each hard disk) must

12 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

maintain and update a great deal of security information. The FAT file sys- tem used by DOS and Windows makes no allowances for security, nor does it provide the fail-safe features required in mission-critical applica- tions, where a single disk failure could have catastrophic results.

Windows NT's developers devised a new file system, called NTFS (NT File System) that works hand in hand with the Security Subsystem to keep track of security permissions for every file, subdirectory, and user. In addi- tion, for reliability, NTFS supports disk mirroring, in which two disk drives contain identical information, so that the mirror drive can take over instantly in the event of a failure in the primary drive. NTFS can also improve disk performance with a technique called disk striping, in which files are written, or "striped," across two or more physi- cal disk drives.

Because each drive can read or write a different block of data from the same file simultaneously, the time it takes to perform disk functions can be dramatically reduced. In addition, by adding parity, which stores disk data with a small amount of redundant information, small data errors can often be corrected on the fly, and data damaged by more severe hardware or software failures can usually still be reconstructed.

In addition to NTFS. Windows NT is also compatible with the FAT file sys- tem and OS/2's High Performance File System (HPFS), although NT's secuhty features can't be used with FAT or HPFS volumes.

Intel and Beyond

One of the most important and excit- ing new features of Windows NT is its ability to run on non-Intel processors. UNIX can run on a wide variety of dif- ferent computers, from desktops to supercomputers, but even today, DOS and Windows can run oniy on either Intel or Intel-compatible processors, or on top of software that emulates the Intel x86 architecture. In addition to Intel's family of 386, 486, and Pentium processors, NT supports the new gen- eration of high-performance RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processors that offer big price and performance advantages over CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) processors (such as Intel's x86 and Motorola's 680x0 families). Windows NT currently runs on MIPS 4000 RISC processors from Silicon Graphics, as well as on Digital Equipment's Alpha RISC processor family. Future support for Hewlett-Packard's HP-PA and Intergraph's Clipper RISC processors

is planned, and IBM is rumored to be working on moving NT to the PowerPC processor family that will form the backbone of Apple's and IBM's next generation of desktop computers.

Later this year, the first RISC PCs will begin to appear, using Alpha and MIPS 4000 processors. These PCs will be priced slightly higher than, and look and run very much like, existing high-end PCs; they'll have EISA-bus slots and support ISA- and EISA-bus expansion cards.

For superior video display and hard disk performance, most will also support local-bus architectures such as VL-Bus or PCI. They'll use the same keyboards, mice, monitors, modems, phnters, and other peripher- als as conventional PCs, but instead of DOS and Windows, they'll run either Windows NT or a flavor of UNIX.

These RISC PCs wilt run existing DOS and Windows applications under NT about as fast as a 33-MHz or clock-doubled 50-MHz 486-based PC does today under DOS, but they'll equal or exceed all but the fastest available Pentium chips when running native Windows NT applications, (Existing DOS and Windows applica- tions won't have to be modified in order to run on these systems, but new NT applications will have to be recompiled in order to run on different processor designs.) Windows NT will help to turn these RISC PCs into real competitors for Intel-based PCs and servers, and in so doing will help to drive down the price of high-end 486- and Pentium-based systems,

NT Versus OS/2 and UNIX

Windows NT is often compared to OS/2 and UNIX. In fact, when NT was first conceived by Microsoft, it wasn't called Windows NT at all, Instead, it was called OS/2 3.0, and it was intended to be Microsoft's next-gener- ation platform-independent version of OS/2. The split between IBM and iVIicrosoft sealed OS/2 3.0's fate, and the announcement of the ill-fated Advanced Computing Environment in the fall of 1991 by MIPS, Compaq, Microsoft, and others was the first for- mal acknowledgment that OS/2 3.0 had metamorphosed into Windows NT. Today, Windows NT 3.1 will com- pete head to head with OS/2 2.1, as well as with a variety of UNIX flavors, including UnixWare (Novell/Univel), SCO UNIX (Santa Cruz Operation), Solaris (SunSoft), and NextStep (NeXT).

The table provided on the preced- ing page summarizes the similarities and differences between NT. OS/2, and genehc UNIX.

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The Price of Power

Windows NT's power and flexibility has its price. NT demands faster processors, more nemory, and big- ger hard disks. Unlike Windows 3.1, which runs on virtually any 386, 486, or Pentium processor, f^/licrosoft states that at least a 25-MH2 386 is required for NT. In fact, anything short of a 486 is underpowered so far as NT is concerned. A 25-MHz 486SX is probably the minimum processor needed for adequate performance.

Also, be prepared to buy more RAM. Until March of this year. Microsoft's stated goal was to make NT run in 8MB of RAM with acceptable speed, but software developers who tested the first two beta versions of NT were dubious that Microsoft would ever achieve its goal. With the March beta release, Microsoft threw in the towel and raised the minimum requirement to "12MB of RAM, with the best perfor- mance possible only on systems with 16MB or more.

Finally, NT needs lots of disk space; the complete operating sys- tem, including networking, OS/2, and POSIX support, requires 80MB of stor- age. The complete Software Develop- ment Kit requires another 40MB. Swap files for virtual memory will require another 10-20MB, so depending on whether you1l be developing applica- tions or simply running them, you'll need 100-140MB of hard disk space just to get started. And don't plan to save money or slots by using Stacker or SpeedStor; at the present time, NT is totally incompatible with these utili- ties. In fact, NT doesn't even under- stand Microsoft's own DoubleSpace compression, which is built into DOS 6. (Microsoft is working on a new NT disk driver that will be able to read

and write DoubleSpace volumes, but it won't be available until sometime after NT ships.)

Should You Switch?

It's clear ttiat Windows NT is a big step beyond DOS and Windows, However, for the average home or small-business user, does it make sense to switch? The answer depends on how success- fully you can get your tasks done today with Windows 3.1. If you're constantly battling with DOS's memory limitations, if you need the ability to do both peer- to-peer and client/server computing, or if you want to move a favorite UNIX application to Windows, NT could be right for you, Keep in mind, though, that NT currently doesn't support multi- user capabilities with low-cost charac- ter-oriented terminals. Unless you're going to develop your own application from scratch, or move an existing application from UNIX to NT, be sure that your software suppliers are ready- ing NT versions of their programs before you take the plunge. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with expensive NT sys- tems that offer little practical benefit over what you're already using.

On the other hand, if you're cur- rently using Windows applications and you don't really need the additional

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power of Windows NT, or if you have an existing small LANtastic, NetWare, or Windov/s for Workgroups network and you're not planning to add lots of new users, today's DOS/Windows combination is probably fine for you. In fact, switching to NT might actually be counterproductive for two reasons. First, as I explained earlier, both DOS and Windows applications run in erru- lators under NT, not in the native NT environment. Like all emulators. NT's Virtual DOS Machine and Windows on Win32 exact a performance penalty.

The second reason for not switch- ing is the extra expense involved in equipping each PC to run Windows NT. Applications that run perfectly well today on a 25-MH2 386SX will proba- bly need at least a 25-MHz 486SX in order to satisfy NT's requirements and still provide adequate performance. In addition, a system with 8f\/IB of RAf^ that's perfectly adequate for your cur- rent DOS/Windows needs will require at least 12MB and probably 16MB of RAM for acceptable performance with NT. For existing applications, you'l get even greater performance gains by upgrading your PC's processor and memory while keeping your cur- rent DOS/Windows software configu- ration. Your existing software will run

significantly faster, and you'll be ready for Windows NT in the future.

It you're willing to wait until some- time in 1994 for a "lite" version of NT, Microsoft is working on Windows 4.0, often referred to by its code name, Chicago. According to industry sources, Chicago will have most of the features of Windows NT except its ability to act as a server on client/serv- er networks and its support for OS/2 and POSIX applications. Like NT, Chicago will be a complete operating system and thus will no longer require DOS in order to run. Chicago's memo- ry and disk requirements will probabiy be significantly more modest than NT's. For exampie, Microsoft claims that Chicago will be able to run on PCs with 8MB of RAM; however, keep in mind that up until March of this year, Microsoft claimed that NT would also be able to run in SMB. Also, indi- cations are that like today's DOS and Windows, Chicago will run only on Intel and Intel-compatibie processors, although that might change if NT is a big hit on non-Intel platforms,

The bottom line is that Windows NT offers true multitasking, multithreading, and multiprocessing, along with exten- sive networking capabilities, while remaining compatible with most exist-

ing DOS and Windows applications. In addition to Intel x86- and Pentium- based PCs, you'll also be able to run NT on RISC-based PCs and worksta- tions using MIPS 4000 and Digital Equipment's Alpha processors. However, to use NT with your present PC. be prepared to upgrade your sys- tem with a faster processor, more RAM, and a bigger hard disk. If you're a home or small-business PC user, there's little reason to switch to NT unless you really need one or more of its advanced features. Windows 4.0. or Chicago, due out sometime next year, promises to offer most of NT's func- tionality in a smaller package. In short, Windows NT is a powerhouse that's likely to be overkill for all but the most demanding applications, but it offers a first look at the future of desktop com- puting, Microsoft style.

Len Feldman is the author o/^ Windows NT: The Next Generation, published by Sams Publishing. Mr. Feldman is a computer industry consultant based in San Jose, California: his clients include Borland, l-litachi, Radius, and Toshiba. He was formerly the chief sysop of CompuServe's l[^ultlmedia Vendor Forum. J

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TEST LAB

Edited by Mike Hudnall Reviews by Tom Campbell

This is an exciting time in the Windows database arena. And it's no wonder: Database applications are, depending on whom you believe, the most popular or the second-most-pop- ular use for computers.

The arena wasn't always this interesting- When Windows 1.0 came out in 1984, there was noth- ing. A few vertical market appli- cations appeared with 2.0, as well as a couple of failed Mac ports. Microsoft was curiously silent all this time, developing, we now know, Access. Microsoft was also well behind the market curve, for by version 3.1, Windows had a downright respect- able selection of database manag- ers. Approach Software released Approach 1.0 to great acclaim; it's at version 2.0 now and shows Windows at its best.

SPC's Superbase had a com- manding lead of the market be- fore Access sold nearly a nnillion copies at the loss-leading price of $100: with its intelligent imple- mentation of a database-oriented BASIC, Superbase is still a pre- mier development environment. Fox Software, now subsumed by Microsoft, had done a great job porting its FoxBase dBASE clone to the Macintosh and was revers- ing the process when Microsoft

■n,f/)T.'w'0""

16 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

bought Fox for a cool $175 mil- lion. The reversal was complete this year when FoxPro appeared on Windows, DOS, Mac, and UNIX — a desktop computer grand slam. Borland was hardly idle. It was developing a dBASE clone for Windows and reengineer- ing Paradox, its flagship data- base. After more than a year's delay, Paradox emerged from the chrysalis just in time to battle with FileMaker Pro, from that insanely great software company called Apple,

As interesting as the market soap opera is, the products are much more so. These full-fea- tured database managers can all be used to create mousing, win- dowing, push-button database applications. With some of them it stops there; you can add push buttons, but not list boxes, com- bo boxes, or radio buttons. All of them import dBASE files — a great relief from times past when compatibility wasn't even men- tioned by database publishers. Some of them provide macro lan- guages and ways to replace the standard menus with your own; some don't. All have some form of network support, and many speak SQL; both of these fea- tures are left unexplored in these reviews because the typical COM- PUTE reader is a hobbyist or small-business person on a single- user system.

Access, FoxPro. Paradox, and Superbase ail have programming languages of their own. Every one of them is expensive, and eve- ry one of them is a stunning achievement. At list pnce they're bargains; at the competitive up- grade prices, they're steals. You can't go wrong with any of them.

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The middle tier is less predict- able. Its products range wildly in feature combinations; among them, Approach and FileMaker Pro are out-and-out winners.

If your needs are simpler, you'll want to take a look at the sidebar describing Instant Database from Asymetrix, Data Manager from Timeworks, and FormWorx from PowerUp, They taste great, and they're less filling price- wise. Another sidebar covers CA-dBFast 2.0, a product that shipped too late for coverage in the Test Lab regular reviews.

Some of the products covered in this Test Lab support an image data type for fields, but OLE gets extra credit because it can han- dle any data type, at no cost to the DBMS. Interestingly, few use the common file open dialog Microsoft began promoting with Windows 3,0, and too few sup- port data entry masks to restrict input to, say, a phone number or Social Security number style.

All trends point upward; this is a healthy and impressive bunch. Installation programs are all com- petent at the very least, although some are called INSTALL, EXE instead of the more standard SET- UPEXE and some don't show available and required disk space. A goodly number offer something besides a full, default installation: sometimes a minimal installation and sometimes a cus- tom installation.

All can print a report to a text file if you install the Windows Generic print driver, but that's a pain, I looked for plain text output without Generic. All of them have calculated fields, and all but one employ the standard Windows help system, Paradox uses the help system most effectively, with a number of well-thought-out visu- al metaphors that show we are only now beginning to understand the efficacy of hypermedia.

If you've been thinking about graduating from Cardfile, go for it. The game has begun.

TOM CAMPBELL

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AceFile is a midrange product with a broad, sliailow feature set. In addition to using dBASE III PLUS data files as its native for- mat, AceFile boasts graphing, a dialer, and a rudinnentary mail- merge facility witfi a text editor.

Because of its shallow feature set. AceFile is pretty easy to learn. Some things are a little awk- ward, such as its handling of index files, but if AceFile is your first database, these considera- tions are small and shouldn't affect your enjoyment, I find AceFile fairiy snappy, and it would be an even better performer were it not for bad handling of screen redraws. There's way too much flick- er when AceFile launches, when you quit, and when you enter da- ta or scroll through records in a multiwindow application.

AceFile's idea of a complete database application is a "view set," a file containing the arrange- ment of windows, databases, and relationships in the applica- tion. Nowhere nearly as cohesive as, say, the equivalent applica- tion in Access or Superbase, but it gets the job done.

While there's no programming language, AceFile has a wide va- riety of very useful functions you can embed in forms and reports;

reports are especially flexible. It also has a macro facility, so put- ting together a view set as a turn- key application is straightforward with only a little study.

The graph module is flexible and has a number of charts. It's not quite as visual as I'd like, tak- ing a fill-in-the-forms approach when direct manipulation would be more desirable. For example, you type in numbers for the angle and tilt of a 3-D pie chart, rather than rotating a model of the chart in realtime.

Somehow I feel that the whole is less than the sum of its parts. 1 probably wouldn't have noticed this had I not dealt with such seam- lessly integrated masterworks as Access and Superbase. For ex- ample, you can't have parts of several related files show up in the same window. Each must occupy its own window, leading to rather creative use of tiling in the sample applications.

The manual is pretty good.

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although, despite a longish index, I was stymied when I tried to find out whether the program has memo fields. I couldn't find memo or field types \n the index, AceFile does indeed support memo fields, by the way, because it uses dBASE files as its native format,

If you need a broad range of fea- tures in one box with a moderate price, AceFile is a good choice.

Circle Reader Service Number 371

APPROACH 2i) FOR WINDOWS

Of all the "easy" Windows data- base managers in this roundup. Ap- proach and FileMaker Pro seem the best to me. While Approach lacks a programming language, it lets you create impressive turnkey applications very quickly.

Approach impressed me right from the start. Its toolbar contains only the most-used features, so I found it the easiest to learn. Its menus are perhaps the best designed of any in the products I used, leaving the toolbar for what it's supposed to do — provide quick access to the actions that you'll perform most frequently. And let's face it: Icons are helpful if you already know what they mean; however, having to learn 30 or 40 of them can slow you down, even if you're the

AUGUST 1993 COMPUTE 17

TEST LAB

most determined power user,

I found the manuals elegant and useful, with a well-written tutorial. Unlike, say, FoxPro's big tutorial, which targets experi- enced Xbase programmers who want to learn FoxPro's special features, the Approach tutorial teaches you both the product and database management at the same time.

The Approach user's guide is equally good, making its few omis- sions stand out. According to the box. Approach allows you to "be- come productive instantly by providing turnkey business templates, " but I couldn't find templates in the index.

This product's online help is fine, but what it calls an index is actually a table of contents. My biggest complaint about help is that you usually can't get it from inside a dialog, such as when you're adding a field to the data- base structure. The documenta- tion on importing and exporting data is the best I saw with any DBIvlS, The few connplaints I have are minor ones about an oth- erwise superb product.

Approach was one of the first significant database managers for Windows 3.x, and it shows, I found the drawing tools parttcular-

18 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

ly good, and they have a Group/ Ungroup feature, which lets you fuse objects together to form a Sfngle selectable unit. Need form

letters? With Approach they're easy, and they're built right into the product. Creating a macro is a snap, although macros are somewhat limited and don't run very fast. The query mechanism IS so simple that it doesn't even have a separate name; it's just an extension of the Find dialog you'll see in most Windows applica- tions. While Access makes a big deal about its dynasets. Approach has had a similar fea- ture for a long time. With Approach, when you create a report, you can edit the records output by the report. They aren't called dynasets, but the effect is similar.

An Approach application is held together by a "view" file, and view files do some amazing things. For example. Approach can use both Paradox and dBASE as native file formats with- out translation. Neither has a

JA-DBFAST 2.0

A few months ago, I questioned Com- puter Associates' purchase of both Clipper, a DOS Xbase compiler, and dBFast, a Windows compiler. Since they had different extensions to the dBASE language, I implied that per- haps CA had gotten in over its head.

I'm happy to be proved wrong by release 2.0 of CA-dBFast— glorious- ly wrong. (Release 2.0 arrived too late for regular coverage. This pre- liminary look is based on just one day of examination, so bear In mind that it's not an exhaustive look. The dBASE compatibility helped me in this regard, because I was able to run a goodly amount of vanilla III PLUS code through,)

Like Clipper, dBFast is an implem- entation of the dBASE 111 PLUS language. Wisely, CA has given dBFast a complete development environment with a multiwindow editor, a debugger, and visual report and form designers. The extensions to dBASE III PLUS are numerous- more than 350 of them, by my count. Many of them echo similar extensions to Clipper (array-handling routines, conditional compilation, binary file I/O), making it clear that

CA is heading in the same direction with both products.

Like FoxPro. CA-dBFast lets you create true Windows applications in dBASE style, Unlii^e FoxPro, CA- dBFast gives you true EXE file crea- tion at a price that competes favora- bly with those of Borland and Micro- soft language products: S550, ver- sus about $1,500 with FoxPro. The EXEs require some frightening over- head— a simple one was 500K — but the productivity gains are worth it,

Version 1 ,0 was beset with prot)- lems and was so delicate that it often couldn't run even generic dBASE code. Happily, this seems to be a thing of the past, CA-dBFast 2.0 has some incredible language exten- sions, a terrific language reference that's chock-full of examples, and a good debugger at a very competi- tive price. It has a bright future.

CA-dBFast 2.0 lists for S550. For more information about this product, contact Computer Associates at 1 Computer Associates Plaza, Islandia, New York 11788(800-225- 5224 or 516-342-5224),

-TOM CAMPBELL CIrcte Reader Service Number 330

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TEST LAB

DataBase

counter data type, yet you can have them in any Approach database, because the view file manages them — an ingenious strategy. The README file is an Approach view file, giving a hypertext twist to the usual last- minute documentation along with a showy but useful illustration of Approach's assets.

One truly non-Windows feature is that Approach is pleasingly fast, allowing you to scroll through records at a satisfying clip. All in all, Approach is prob- ably the best of the nonprogram- mable Windows databases in this Test Lab roundup.

CIrcie Reader Service Number 372

DATAEASE EXPRESS 1.1 FOR WINDOWS

DataEase is a powerful develop- ment environment for nonprogram- mers, though it has significant flaws. Designed more for corpo- rations than for individuals, it's built on a rock-solid data engine with numerous connections to minicomputer and mainframe database managers.

While I found it more complicat- ed than the other nonprogramma- ble database managers, I also found that it can do substantially more in certain areas: queries, view- ing the data in different form con- figurations, and mainframe que- ries. Another feature geared more toward the corporate user, its use

20 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

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of style sheets on forms, allows you to standardize on one or more visual themes.

Some things just didn't sit well with me. For example, to create a table (database file), you have to choose File/New/Form and choose <NewTable> in the Select a Database Table column. It nev- er occurred to me to look there because most DBfvlSs keep the form and table separate.

While most of the packages in this Test Lab offer a good number of sample applications, DataEase wins for real-life usability. You can modify the Club ParaDease and project manager sample apps for use in your own business, where- as the sample appiications that come with other products would be better thought of as starting points. The DataEase sample apps show a weakness of the over- all package, a cluttered design and overenthusiastic use of color that I found somewhat confusing.

Compounding this, the sample apps seem to have been created for a Super VGA system:, so the text label Appo/n/menf became Ap- pointmen and DayMinder Person- al Plannerwas truncated to DayMin- der Personal Pla. Also, the sample application uses teensy fonts in some areas that users with less than perfect vision will find impos- sible to read.

DataEase employs my favorite catalog approach of the bunch, giving it the edge for team pro- jects. The main window of the catalog is collapsible, like an outliner, and you can double- click on its elements to go direct- ly to them. Its support of graph- ics is a little iffy, requiring you to enter a filename for each graph- ic: you can't just paste it in from the Windows Clipboard. On the other hand, it supports all major graphics file types: Windows bitmap. Encapsulated PostScript, CompuServe GIF, Paintbrush PCX. Targa, TIFF, and Windows Ivletafile.

DataEase wouldn't be my first choice for home or small busi- ness use. It's sufficiently eccen- tric and complex to learn that I'd rather go all the way and learn Access or Paradox.

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FILEIVIAKER PRO 2.0 FOR WINDOWS

From the manual to ttie sample ap- plications to the software itself, this version of FileMaker Pro ooz- es quality.

It's one of the first Windows products released by Claris, a wholly owned subsidiary of . . . Apple! Yes, the people who created the fvlacintosh final- ly wised up and started cashing in on the Windows market, which they indirectly helped to create. Filefvlaker Pro has attracted a iot of attention and deserves it. While you can exchange files be- tween the Macintosh and Win- dows versions of FileMaker Pro, this does not feel like a soulless ripoff. FileMaker Pro is one of the best examples around of how to create a great Windows product.

Miscues are few and far be- tween, One of them is that there are two kinds of scroll bars, the standard Windows variety and a homegrown one. The radio but- tons aren't factory issue, either. This is no doubt an artifact of the common code base the program shares with the Macintosh ver- sion, but these features lumped out at me. And you can't get help from within dialogs, a feature I missed greatly but was able to do without because of the program's amazing design. The help system is a model for Windows applica- tions— another surprise given its ancestry.

With FileMaker Pro, creating a database is easier than with any

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other product in this Test Lab. An Options dialog for each field type allows you to override the sen- sibly chosen defaults, and it makes such tasks as defining the field as unique or uppercase downright simple. I missed logi- cal field types, but you can get the same effect by making the field a check box— arguably a bet- ter solution. Choosing a font brings up a visual representation of all the fonts on your system; I've never seen this in a Windows product, and it's a godsend.

The Find dialog is secretly also a query mechanism, used to select records for reports. This is so subtly integrated into the pro- gram that there isn't even a sec- tion on reports in the manual.

There is a macro facility that's limited but easy to use. As a pro- grammer, I found it limiting, but as a user in need of slapping together a database application fast, I found it agreeable. File-

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Maker Pro reads all the major graphics file types and then some, probably more than any oth- er DBMS in this roundup. The sam- ple applications have their own manual, so you don't have to doc- ument or create them from start, Its price puts FileMaker Pro up with the high-end programmable database managers, but I think it's justified by the sheer ele- gance of its implementation. It adds up to a brief learning curve married to an ample feature set — two qualities that appear often in Windows products but seldom in the same one.

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TEST LAB

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MICROSOFT ACCESS 1.0

Access typifies the worst and the best of Windows. It's big, slow even on a four-meg 486SX ma- chine, and complicated. It's also a masterpiece, an instant classic of Windows design.

What makes Access special is the depth, richness, and integra- tion of its features. You can save a form as a report. You can edit the results of a query exactly as if you were using the data itself. Windows drag-and-drop features are used extensively. And often, a feature is so obvious that you'll use it without thinking about it because you're simply not accus- tomed to such an intensely visual environment. The manuals and sample applications look fine and do an amazingly good job for a 1.0 product.

Rough edges in this package are evident but few: The manual slips and calls the program Cirrus, its code name under devel- opment; I noticed a page refer- ence of ??? where the writer had neglected to fill in the number: and some simple tasks require a dip into the Access Basic pro- gramming language.

I don't see this as an easy database manager, but the pro- gram's incredible power yields more per hour of learning than any Windows product I've ever seen. After a few serious months learning Access, you could cre- ate very sophisticated Windows

24 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

Microsoft Access 1.0 List price: $49S

MICROSOFT 1 MIcrosoU Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399 1800) 426-8400

applications in very few billable hours. It has the best macro facility of any of the databases reviewed in this Test Lab round- up, and when I checked Compu- Serve, I noticed that a fair num- ber of nonprogrammers are doing the job of programmers using macros alone.

Access Basic is a strong, capable language, but you won't learn it fast. It looks a lot like Vis- ual Basic, but the two aren't com- patible. If you ve never used Vis- ual Basic. Access Basic will be a real stretch. There's an extensive, weil-written tutorial to help you bridge the gap.

Not only can Access import data from a respectable variety of sources, but it can also "attach" dBASE and Paradox files and indexes. Attached files are left in their original formats, but they act just like they're native to Access. It's faster if you import them, but if you're not willing to entrust your

current data exclusively to Access, you can have it both ways. Keep in mind, however, that importing has a hidden price. Access stores everything — forms, data, program code, reports, macros, queries— in a sin- gle file. So if you're developing Access applications for clients off- site, there's no comfortable way to update the code portion of a database without destroying the existing data,

I must admit that my Windows system wasn't comfortable with only four megabytes of memory. IVIicrosoft optimistically lists two megs as the minimum working configuration, but don't even think about it. Be willing to accept the reality that Access is a resource hog.

Access is a thrilling first release. Some features, such as data entry validation, aren't as pol- ished as they could be. IVIost oth- ers, such as its macro facility, drag-and-drop user interface, and Basic language implementa- tion, have already made it to the head of the class. If you're willing to spend some time with the man- ual, Access will handle any data- base management task you throw at it,

circle Reader Service Number 375

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MICROSOFT FOXPRO 2.5 FOR WINDOWS

FoxPro is the one product in this roundup ttiat you must be a database expert to use, Users who don't already know an Xbase language need not apply. If you do know dBASE and want to move to Windows, this is quite simply a product without peer, If you want source compatibility among DOS, Mac, and LJNIX ver- sions of a serious database man- ager, it's ttie only game in town.

FoxPro is an unabashed pow- er user's tool. While it will laugh in your face if you feed it a machine with less than a 386 and two megs, it gets more perform- ance out of that machine than any other Windows DBMS, (How- ever, all of the products in this Test Lab will do just fine for the typical COMPUTE reader, who usually has fewer than 20,000 records in a database.) Typical FoxPro developers either are port- ing a DOS Xbase application to Windows or need its screaming performance on data sets with 100,000 or more records.

If you already know dBASE or Clipper, you can't go wrong with FoxPro, The dBASE language

Microsoft FoxPro 2.5 lor Windows List price: $495

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was already becoming Byzantine with version III PLUS, and the trend has continued to the behe- moth FoxPro is today As a pro- grammer, I'm particularly fond of FoxPro because the entire appli- cation can be represented in sim- ple ASCII program listing. This makes team development of pro- grams a realistic goal in a GUI world where maintaining source code for visual application envi- ronments is uncharted terhtory.

While the ads proclaim FoxPro has an applications generator that will let you create programs without coding, don't be misled. The applications generator is weaker than those of Access and Paradox, and you'll have to dip into the source it generates pret- ty quickly Also, FoxPro is orient- ed to the creation of stand-alone EXE programs (with the purchase of the FoxPro Distribution Kit) that can use the Windows API directly, so language shortcomings can al- ways be patched up with C.

If you know a variant of the

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circle Reader Service Number 376

PARADOX 1.0 FOR WINDOWS

Paradox gives you the best of both worlds: the assured maturity of a product created by an experienced design and documen- tation team and the freshness of a 1 .0 version. Although Paradox for DOS has been around for years now, the Windows version is a com- plete rewrite with only data compat- ibility. Paradox is an awesome development environment.

Paradox, like Access, is billed as being easy enough for an end user but powerful enough for the most experienced developer, I don't believe the former, but the lat- ter is true in spades. If you want to make full use of Paradox, you'll have to learn at least some of its ObjectPAL language, but your ef- forts will be rewarded handsomely,

Paradox, long famous for its query mechanism, is even better as a Windows product, allowing you to edit the data set returned by a query Excellent under DOS, the form designer has no equal in Windows, Paradox thinks of eve-

AUGUST 1993 COMPUTE 25

TEST LAB

rything in a database application as an object, and you can bring up an object's properties by selecting ttie object and then click- ing the right mouse button. This brings up a submenu, and from that submenu you choose an item that brings up a property dialog for font or color or behavior at phnt time or whatever. Explaining this takes a lot longer than doing it, and I found it much easier to use than the property sheet Access brings up. While Access lets you see all the properties at once, they appear in a tiny system font that often doesn't fit completely in the box, The Paradox way was much more comfortable to me.

Paradox has an industrial- strength report generator. It does the best iob of all the data-

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calculated field. A field tfiat displays ttie result oi some computation, usually based on otiier fields, Calculated fields require no space in a file because their values aren't stored, only displayed.

catalog. An idea gaining currency in ttie last few years, tfie catalog is a way to store information about a single data- base application— the files it uses, the way data Is stored, the program code, and the visual attributes of the applica- tion's user interface.

counter data type. A number that increments automatically when a record is added: normally, counter fields can't be edited. Useful for generating serial numbers and. more important, for guar- anteeing that no record in the database IS identical to another record.

DBMS. DataBase h/anagement Sys- tem, such as the programs reviewed here. This is different from a database, which Is usually information that can be stored in categories, such as names, ad- dresses, and phone numbers. Lately, databases are being called tables, to emphasize the theoretical view of data as rows and columns.

field. A single "unit" or category of in- formation: last name, first name, area code, phone number, and so on. Also called a row in a table.

filter. A quick way to select records meeting certain criteria from the data- base. By convention, a filter can't be

GLOSSARY

saved and a Query can, but they are oth- erwise similar

form. The user interface into which da- ta Is entered. Usually, the form is separated from the structure of the table (ak.a, database), and there can, in fact, be several forms per table.

functloti (in forms and reports). All of the database managers in this roundup allow the use of built-in numeric and text manipulators such as SUU{). UPPER- CASE!), and AVERAGEO: these are called functions. Sometimes the func- tions can be used only in forms, some- times only in reports, but usually in both. Functions work just like spreadstieet func- tions and can usually be similarly built up into complex expressions.

index. Database records are stored on disk and copied into faster RAM only one at a time, while a ^ecord is being edited. An index contains a copy of a selected field from all the records in the database in RAI\,1, making it possible to navigate through the database in an ordered fash- ion without sorting the database.

macro. A macro contains one or more memorized actions, such as positioning to the next record or choosing an item from a menu. Less complicated than a prtjgramming language but also less use- ful, macros allow the creation of turnkey applications by nonexperts.

memo field, t^ost fields in a database are of fixed size— a 30-character last

name, an eight-byte numeric field, a two- byte time field, and so on. Memo fields let you store arbitrary amounts of infor- mation, usually textual, without wasting space on the disk for records that don't have sjch information. Useful for record- ing patient histories, special directions, and sometimes more exotic values like images or sound.

query. A way of finding records that meet selected criteria so a report can be printed. Queries are like filters except that they can be saved and quickly re- trieved for later use. Sometimes called fillers,

table. Information stored in row-and- column format, sometimes called a da- tabase. Columns are sometimes called fields. The rows are called records. The old term for table is database, but that's slowly going out of style.

turnkey application, A program written using the database manager that any- one, not just the programmer, can use. Normally, it has its own menu, help sys- tem, prompts, tables, data entry forms, queries, and reports, typically activated by push buttons or menu picks.

Xbase. The most popular database lan- guage in the world is dBASE, so influential that it has inspired a horde of similar-but- not-identical counterparts: Clipper, Arago, FoxPro, and so forth, Xbase encompass- es all these entities,

-TOM CAMPBELL

26 COfulPUTE AUGUST 1993

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circle RMdtr Swvie* Hunter 203

TEST LAB

Borland

Paradox

for Windows

bases surveyed here when creat- ing a default report or form that's based on several tables at once.

ObjectPAL is a killer language. Borland made the right choice in creating a new language that can't use programs created for its DOS predecessor, despite the pain it will cause those with a big invest- ment in DOS Paradox code. Ob- jectPAL is documented brilliantly; its reference manual is by far the best of the bunch. You can learn ObjectPAL from the ground up through this manual and never have to purchase a third-party book. The ObjectPAL debugger outdistances all other debuggers for database languages.

Paradox is a major achieve- ment and a product of staggering proportions. Among the program- mable databases, Access and Superbase are its only competi- tion in this group, and Paradox meets the challenge.

Circle Reader Service Number 377

28 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

Paradox 1.0 lor Windows List price: $795 ($139 while supplies last; call Borland (or inlormallon on tlie Super Pacit and Borland Office offers.)

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SPCS PRIMABASE 11

Scandinavian PC Systems' Pri- maBase is the least full featured of any database in this Test Lab roundup, yet it happens to be the only one guaranteed to pay for it-

Who cares? Anyone whose business or club sends out a lot of bulk mail, Applying bar codes to the labels as the postal serv- ice requires is tricky without computerized help, but it can result in massive savings when you convert from first class to third class with machine-reada- ble POSTNET markings.

Without the bar codes, PrimaBase would be better posi- tioned as an inexpensive share- ware database manager. Forms are sharply limited. For example, you can add push buttons, but their size, function, and captions are fixed — 17 varieties such as New, Edit, Search Next, and so forth, Reports are fairly good, but

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self. That's because PrimaBase's main claim to fame is its ability to print all popular bar code types and then some; POSTNET, UPG- A, UPC-E, and others.

SPCS PrimaBase 3.1 List price: S349.95

SCANDINAVIAN PC SYSTEMS

P.O. Box 3156

Baton Rouge. LA 70821-3156

(800) 487-7727

(504) 338-9580

queries are little more than advanced Find dialogs and can't be saved.

A handy little mail merge that you can use with Windows Write allows you to include text format- ting in the form letters that you create. This is certainly a novel and very appropriate use of existing tools.

If you need to print bar codes, PrimaBase is well worth its $349.95 price. If not, you should probably look elsewhere.

Circle Reader Service Number 378

Move

Fly higher.

Higher. Faster. Farther. CH Products is defining new standards of design and performance for computer pilots. We'll empower you to effortlessly relay commands with a feel of absolute control.,, to swoop, loop and soar like never before.

Get your hands on the

red-hot precision FLIGHTSTICK"^ series joysticks. Or our lightning-fast GAMECARD 3 AUTOMATIC'"' And VIRTUAL PILOT'^', a yoke that will defy your concept of reality. And there's more on the horizon. ^ i- x bm41«

From drawing board "©aCtl Tarxner« to your fingertips, ours is a relent- less pursuit of new and better products. CH Products began with a dream 25 years ago, and we've never looked back. Today, we give you the wings to fly. Higher. Faster, Farther.

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970 Park Center Drive Vista. CA 92083 PhOne:619.598.251B Fax; 619.598.2524

TM 1903 CH ProducTE, a JcystK:!* Ti?ch*Tolcxp*?B Inc. Co.

Circle Reader Service Number 156

TEST LAB

LESS FILLING, FEWER FEATURES

FormWorx 2.0 for Windows

It would be wrong to call 'hese prod- ucts fuH-festured database managers, but they're handy tools in the fight against data glut.

FornnWorx 2.0 for Windows (there's a nearly identical, compatible DOS ver- sion) is an intriguing package designed specifically for the creation of printed forms such as purchase orders, past- due notices, credit card applications, fax cover sheets, sales reports, and so forth. It also comes with a companion product named Fill & File, which ef- fectively turns FormWorx into an in- dexed database manager, complete with table lookups, default data entry val- ues, calculated fields, search and re- place, and customized prompts.

As you might imagine, FormWorx is heavy on border patterns, variable units of measurement, alignment tools, and so on. You can ceate librar- ies of form objects or use the supplied ones. Hidden in the bacl< of the book is an invaluable discussion of how to use LaserJet output and manipulate the files from other languages (you can send the form out as an HP macro, a customized set of commands proc- essed directly by the laser printer).

To ease form creation, there's a palette of "data objects," which con- strain data entry to the formats for Amer- ican currency, numbers, dates, times, five- and nine-digit ZIP codes, and sev- en- and ten-digit phone numbers. You can create custom input masks for those that aren't covered— for example. Social Security numbers, foreign tele- phone numbers, or European date styles. In all, FormWorx is a bargain and, with a library of 600 forms, may be less expensive than hiring an artist to rustle up even one simple form.

To order FormWorx (S99.95), call (800) 826-0706 (in London, call 44-81- 742-7222) or write Power Up, A Sub- sidiary of Spinnaker, 201 Broadway. Cambridge, Massachusetts 02021,

Clrcle Reader Service Number 381

Instant Database 2.0

Instant Database 2,0 comes from Asymetrix, the company that brought you ToolBook. Written in Tool- Book, Instant Database exhibits some of that product's slowness, but not unbearably so. Instant Database has an 80-page manual that manag-

es to cover most issues, but it leaves a few of them, such as the dialer, woe- fully short of full coverage.

Instant Database is just that; you can create a database structure in a very few minutes just by drawing the fields onto a blank form. You don't bother with giving the fields types, such as number or text, and you don't even type in a maximum length, as is customary with most oth- er database managers. The result is a database that runs plenty fast with up to a few thousand records but

then bogs down quickly. The report mechanism is quite limited, but it has a few useful options such as one to four columns, rudimentary mailing la- bel support, and conditional expres- sions. This last option appears to be quite powerful.

If you're interested in multimedia computing, take note: With Instant Da- tabase, you can add animation, graphics, Asymetrix fvlediaBlitz scores. Wave audio, IvllDI audio, and digital video files to the record fields. The product also supports IVII- crosoft Video for Windows.

If flexibility is less important to you than convenience, Instant Database, with 1 4 gorgeous but limited sample applications, may be for you.

To order Instant Database (S95, S25 upgrade for users of Instant Da- tabase 1.0), call (800} 448-6543, or write Asymetrix a! 110 110th Ave. NE, Ste. 700, Bellevue, Washington 98004, circle Reader Service Number 382

Tlmeworks Data Manager 1.0 for Windows

Timeworks Data IVIanager 1 .0 for Win- dows wins the sweepstakes for best price-to-performance ratio in the non- programmable database category. For S60, you get a DBtyiS that com- petes favorably with AceFile and PrimaBase in most features, at a frac- tion of the price.

While it's not possible for you to cre- ate forms with custom buttons or to replace the standard menus with menus of your own. Data IWanager does its job just fine, thank you. It has a toolbar with 12 icons and — miracle of miracles— they're actual- ly labeled! While this may not seem to be a great leap forward in user interface technology, it typifies what Data tvfanager is so good at; getting the job done.

Timeworks' forms don't support data entry masks such as A" to force the input to uppercase in a text field. While I'd like that feature because of the flexibility it adds. Data fi4anager instead lets you bring up a Field Formatting dialog box, and here's where you see some of the program's flexibility It al- lows you to force text to uppercase, lowercase, or initial capital (very handy for entering names, unless it's one like deForest); round numbers up or down or truncate them; limit numeric and date values to a certain range; and set the precision for num- bers. Sure, it does mean that I can't create a data entry mask for, say, So- cial Security numbers, but it lets me do the most common tasks easily

Calculated fields and reports make use of an expression builder that works in an easy, visual Win- dows fashion. Reports have all the standard features and, while there are no presets for Avery labels, the instructions for creating labels are crystal-clear. Tech support was not hard to reach — amazing for such an inexpensive product,

At $60, Data fvlanager is a steal and quite good enough for most ap- plications.

For more information or to order the product, call (708) 559-1300, or write Timeworks at 625 Academy Drive, Northbrook, Illinois 60062. Circle Reader Service Number 3S3

30 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

Take Control Of Your Future Wii) A CoUegeD^reek Computer Science

Now you can get the opportunity and earning power a college degree confers— without leaving home and without spending thousands of dollars.

The AlCS home study program:

• B.S. and M.S. college degree programs

• In-depth courses in Programming Languages, Pascal, C, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Com- piler Design, and ^'^' much more.

• Approved Ada course available

• All courses through home study

Proven acceptance in business, industry, and government.

Many leading corporations have approved the AlCS program for their employees. More than 75 employers have paid the tuition for their employees, including a number of Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

AlCS lowers the cost of a college degree without lowering the standards.

The academic program includes comprehen- sive courses using the same textbooks used in major universities. Qualified instructors are available on telephone help lines.

Join students from leading computer companies.

Thousands of men and women working in the Computer Science field throughout the U.S. and around the world are earning their degrees through the AlCS non- traditional program. You can be one of them.

For a free catalogue call: 1-800-767- AlCS

Outside U.S.: 1-205-323-6191 Fax 1-205-328-2229 2101-CCF Ivlagnolia Avenue Suite 200 Birmingham, AL 35205

AMERICAN

INSTITUTE

COMPUTER SCIENCES

TI.W kdding edge ofkaniin^

TEST LAB

<JDMib*^Sok!iUa,J9fL

lEwfafl

SUPERBASE

I

SUPERBASE 2.0

Let's get one thing clear about Superbase from the start. You must know BASIC to use it prop- erly. If you know BASIC, good, because the Superbase dialect Is a good one. Superbase Is a mature product that's gotten rave reviews, and it deserves them. It's fast, easy to program, and wonderfully documented, and it comes with some bonus development tools that will make you even more productive.

Superbase has all the bells and whistles you expect from a high-end Windows database manager: easy forms design, a complete and well-integrated query-by-examples mechanism, default creation of several dif- ferent kinds of reports, a dialog editor, and a macro recorder. The macro recorder is ingenious in that it generates code in SBL, Superbase's version of BASIC.

Creating applications with Superbase is even easier than with Access. For example, you can attach SBL code directly to a button (or list box or whatever), whereas in Access you must attach the code to a macro and then run the macro from the but- ton. I also like SBL better than Access Basic because it's far closer to the spirit of BASIC. Soft- ware Publishing intimates in its literature that it will begin to

32 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

Superbase 2.0

List price: $795 ($199 (or

competitive upgrade)

SOFTWARE PUBLISHING

3165KilerRd.

P.O. Box 54983

Santa Clara, CA 95056-0983

(4081 988-7518

make SBL more like Access Ba- sic, but I hope the plans don't pan out. While Access is quite powerful, it's harder to learn than Superbase. If you've been de- veloping applications in, say, PowerBASIC or QuickBASiC as opposed to Visual Basic, Superbase will make more sense to you. There's also a big library of canned SBL routines, so you could well put together a com- plete app with nothing more than (hose and some glue code.

Superbase is very fast, too — one of the fastest of the DBMSs in this group. You can scroll through complicated forms even faster than with some DOS data managers.

I do have a few complaints, though. I found that dBASE memo fields don't import proper- ly (they become ten-character text fields), and L could find no documentation addressing the

pie rdil view Draw .Di;(irii; Mlilitifs (Iptions Help

issue. The SBL reference manu- al, chock-full of useful example code, isn't Indexed, And I began to realize that the reason Super- base relies so heavily on what it calls validation formulas (which check to see whether you've entered information into a field properly) is that it doesn't have data entry masks, also known as picture fields.

But you can't go wrong with Superbase, especially if you have experience as a BASIC programmer. Like dBASE in its heyday, Superbase is a full data management system with an easy-to-learn, state-of-the-art script language

circle Reader Service Number 379

NEXT MONTH:

TEN FAST, POWERFUL,

AND EXPANDABLE

486 NOTEBOOKS

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Dr&q a file to link, or dJickaJinklo modify

flNS

You've heard about if, you've reod about it, now expe- rience she breobhrough of Microsoft's* Flight Simulator'' v.5.0 with the breathtaking photo-realism of Mallard Software's new scenery.

Never before seen real-tinne ray traced images lake you over terrain so real you'll be checking for a seol belt. Layers of realistic ciouds wisp post your screen just before completely obscuring your vision. Shadows change according to longitudinal and latitudinol position as the seasons and weather change along your course.

The new satellite sceneries will take you over our nation's capital, Washington D.C. and ttie noturol vistas of ttie west coast; Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles ond San Diego. These images are so detailed and so real, you'll see what it really means to have a bird's eye view.

So look for Mallard to bring you tfie most exciting new products in the coming months that will keep you on the edge of your seat and above all the rest.

Mallard.

For more information or to order coll

1 -SOaWEB^FEET

© 1993 Mallord Sopors, Inc Circle Reader Service Number 13B

TEST LAB

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34 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

ADVERTISEMENT

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

How to get surround sound without buying the theater. . .

An amazing new surround sound decoder turns your existing stereo into a five channel home theater.

B\/ Cluick Anton

As much as I love reiUing vidoos, it's just not the same as seeing a inm-ie in a t theater. I remember the first time ! saw Top Gun. I nearlv jumped out of my sent when tlic planes flew overhead. One of the rensuns movies seem so real is because they use sur- round sound to make it seem like you're ac- tually there. Now, an incredible new de\'ice lets you use your stereo receiver to gel that same surround sound in your home.

It takes more than just four speakers to get surround sound. You need to have some wav of separat- ing the signals. The new QI>1 Series II de- coder does just that, and in a revolutionarv way that rivals the best Dolby Pro-Logic and THX Systems available.

Wins over critics. Noted audio critic, Len Feldman, review- ed the QD-1 for the September issue of Audio Magaziiw. He concluded that ■'...the QD-l pro- duced a complete!}' accurate and realis- tic surround sound experience from a va- riety of videotapes and laser discs with Dolbv surroLmd en coding.,, the QD-1 delivers home theater soinid the wav it was nieant to be lieard."

Brealtthrougli 'L minus R.'

Back in the 1960's, Dvnaco dis- covered that in addition to the right and left channels, a "dif- ference" signal existed in a stereo recording, and aptly named it "L minus R." The QD-1 is able to de- code Dolby Surround signals in a videotape or a laser disc because those spatial and depth cues have been matrixed into the "L minus R" portion of the stereo soundtrack. It does so passi\elv, with no signal pro- cessing. What's more amazing, the QD-1 us- es your main stereo amp to amplify the rear channels. You do not need any addi- tional amplifiers! Concert hail sound. TheQD-l also decodes the ambience found in all musical record- ings. This sense of space, or concert hall acoustics Is pre- sent in all CDs and cassettes, especiailv live recordings. John Sunier of Auiiiophilc Eiiition, a nationally svndicated radio pro- gram, says "If you're a surround sound buff who loves to listen to music, you'll find this S79 passive black box superior to e\'en the S3000 TIIX or Dolby Pro-Logic processor,"

The Secret of Surround Sound

Surround sound has become the rage of the ■go's because it adds "depth" to stereo sound, giving you tfie home ttieater experience. Simply slated, it makes you lee! like you're actually at a concert or a movie theater,

To "fill a room" with sound you need more than the two channels. And that's the beauty of the Dynaco OO-i, it provides five channels from any two channel stereo or TV.

Dynaco offers rear chan nei speakers specif- ically designed !o integrate with the QD-1 de- coder. You may also need our center channel speaker, the Ai o-v. if your tv/o front speakers are more than eight feet apart. Adding this fifth speaker, or center channel, helps keep dialogue and importani localization cues centered. So you don'l need to spend thousands of dollars to enjoy sur- round sound. ^- J A 1^^

THE PASSIVE ADVANTAGE

Passive. The OD-1 is passive, meaning it requires no AC current. It actually sounds better than active decoders, producing more clar- ity, more detail, no noise, a greater sense of space, and zero distortion, This superior passive system is a break- through unique to Dynaco.

The QD-1 decoder makes your movies come to life. Surround sound brings the theater experi- ence home to you.

Active. All Dolby Pro-Logic decoders (stand-alone or built-in units) are active. This means they decode and amplify the signal electronically. The active way induces noise and distortion, hindering the home theater experience. This is an example where "more is less." Spending thousands on an active sys- tem will not give you the performance of the QD-i.

Quicl( and easy installation. Mook up is easy. The QD-1 connects to the speaker out- puts on your amp. Tlie speaker leads then run to each of your four (or fi\'e) speakers. The rear channel speakers mav be small; we recommend the AVV-ts at S99 a pair. They come with mounting hardware, a key- hole slot for flush mounting, and have an attrac- tive all-weather _. ,,,, , ^ , ,

The AW-1 rear cfianne! speakers

gun metal alu- imegrateperfsclly mitt the OD-l. minum finish.

Factory direct offer. The QD-1 is so new you won't find it at your local department store. To introduce this product, we are offcr- iiig it direct to you for a limited time special offer. By ordering now, you can sa\'e a sub- stantial amount of money. Risk-free home trial. Let's face it. The best wav to evaluate surround sound is in your home, not in a showroom. That's u'hy we're offering this risk-free home trial offer.

We're so sure vou'll be delighted with the qualitv of these products and the surround sound experience that we are gi^'ing you 30 days io try them for yourself. If they're not ev- ervthing we sav. rehini them for a full refund,

QD-1 surround sound decoder S79 S6 S&H

Speakers ilefi;,;imi hi/ Diptitco for Ihf QD-1:

AW-1 Ueo rear channel speakers $99 S6 S4H

A-10V shielded center speaker $59 $i S&H

To receive this special pricing you must mention promotional cade Ct.!ll(l, For fastest service call toll-free 24 hours a day

800-992-2966

1^^ ^S^ ^^ i^^

To order bv mail send check or monf\' iirdcr for the tutiil *imount including S&H (VA fcsidcntii t\iid -^.5% ^ales tax.) Or just charge it to your credit aird, cnclos- iii); your account number and t?>ip. dntt'. Sond to:

INDUSTRIES

2820 Waterford Lake Drive Suite 106

Midlothian, Virginia 23113

Circle Reader Service Number 175

TEST LAB

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16

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"Not automatic, but you san tweak the product to make it happen.

36 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

Role Playing Then.

You push a button. You open a door. Leave the lite of paperwork and laundry, of squalling kids and car trouble.

Enter new worlds. Of advciuure. Horror. Magic. Love. Death. Solve a niysrery. Save a kingdom. Live by your wits, tap

the reserves. Find our who you are, the stuff you're made of. With the power of 1300 floppies on a single disc,

CD-ROM LETS YOU ESCAPE INTO THE DEPTHS OF YOUR OWN IMAGINATION.

Role Playing Now

Video clip,'; from David l.yiich's culr film of Frank Herbert's famed sci-fi epic lu'iglucn the re.dity of dune ', .i5 you battle to control prodtictioii of the cnnsclotisncss-cxpanding spice .Melange.

THE 7TH GUEST"; assembles a cast of 2,3 actors I 24, including you] in the wotld's llrsi irue Intetactive Drama", sel inside the haunted hilltop mansion of twisted tovmakcr Henrv St,iuf.

In FABLES AND FIENDS": THE LEGEND OF KYHANDIA'", yoii are the righifiil ptince ot Kyr.uidia who must recovcf the precious Kyragem, the source ol all the maiilc in the land.

Circle Reader Service Number 122

THE?tHC«STcndlplm«™l>iwoi>i»K«i»™t3dViglnaiira.liK ondTnbtytt, l™: B l992'...,)r,G£.™i l^c.-dI.io=vK, lt«ii6l«ir.=miii.fABtES4F1ENDSc«idmEIKaNDOfCTiiANt» iii«l:od«rn!j.uc^W»>MOdSwfc». he elWJWeslmotiSlodte. kit At iflkii ie>s™si DUrJf ,i = iTxterKik d C.TO [>» la«IW.J C<>pc»ir<»i o«d limad b, MCA/lh-^iol Mmhondang. he '

^

NEWS & NOTES

Jill Champion

Ergonomics helps

Microsoft's

mouse ease wrist

strain.

Of Mice and People

Both Microsoft and Logitech have chosen this summer to in- troduce new ergonomically de- signed mice. Logitech, maker of the Kidz Mouse and mil- lions of OEM mice, made headlines two years ago with its new line of built-for-comfort mice. Its new three-button cordless mouse fits the palm pleasantly while substituting low-energy radio waves for the usual desk-encompassing tangle of mouse cable. The mouse can be sensed by its receiver over a range of six feel. Users can program the driver to interpret the middle button as a double click and the third button as a keypress (the default is the Esc key). The mouse is scheduled for re- lease in August. Its suggest- ed retail price is S149. Microsoft, also vy- ing for the

Order of the Palm", intro- duced its latest ver- sion of one of the most successful ro- dents since Disney's. Its first redesign in six years boasts a more comfortable angle (while retaining ambidextrous operation), a thumb grip, and a weight over the ball for en- hanced traction. The new mouse driver (version 9) pro- vides many improvements to ease working in Windows, in- cluding an automatic snap to the default button in a dialog box, a magnifier for the two square inches of screen near- est the mouse pointer, and a wrap feature that moves the mouse pointer to the opposite side of the screen when you

move past the edge. The se- rial version lists for $109.00 and the bus version for $125.00. The software's sug- gested retail price is S19.95.

New Deal

Compaq Computer and Micro- soft have formed the Frontline Partnership, in which both companies will work together to develop products "that are the easiest to use and the sim- plest to install, with the best performance and value in the industry" — including desktop PCs, portable PCs. docking stations, and hand-held com- puters, according to a press release issued by Compaq.

One area that the two com- panies plan to promote heavi- ly to PC hardware, software, and peripherals industries is the new Plug and Play ISA specification codeveloped by Compaq, Microsoft, Intel, and several other companies. The goal of Plug and Play is to cre- ate automatically self-configur- ing hardware and software.

Easy Labels

Whether you want one label or a hundred, forget your print- er. The LabelWriter II is a hard- ware/software combo that plugs into your computer's se- rial port, ready to produce la- bels in any quantity instantane- ously Running as a TSR pro- gram (DOS version) or a full- featured Windows application (Windows version), the Label- Writer 11 software gives you a number of options for creative label making, including scala- ble fonts and the ability to mix font sizes and styles on a line- by-line basis. Other features let you create time-saving la- bel templates, print POSTNET postal bar codes, and view WYSIWYG displays of each la- bel before printing.

LabelWriter II uses a 1- inch printhead and retails for S249.95. The LabelWriter II Plus uses a ZV-i-inch print-

38 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

head and retails for $299,95. For more information, contact CoStar, 100 Field Point Road, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830-6406: (203) 661-9700, (203) 661-1540 (fax).

Sounds like q Bargain

If your budget can't handle a Roland MT-32. you might want to consider Modular Cir- cuit Technology's $49.95 Ad- Lib-compatible sound card. Called MCT-SOUND, the low- cost card is equipped with a stereo connector that allows external speakers, head- phones, or an amplifier to be connected. MCT-SOUND is available through JDR Mi- crodevices. JDR says that the card "makes the most of appli- cations by producing the high- quality sounds they're de- signed to create.''

For more information, con- tact JDR Microdevices, 2233 Samaritan Drive, San Jose. California 95124; (408) 559- 1200, (408) 559-0250 (fax).

Photo CD Catalog

Searching through tiny photo- graphs in a big stock-photo book is the old way of doing things, now that Kodak's new Photo CD technology allows high-resolution 35-mm film im- ages to be stored on a CD for review on a computer or TV screen. And Kodak has formed a joint relationship with L. A. -based Westlight, one of the largest stock-pho- to agencies in the world, to market its new Kodak Photo CD Catalog, which allows Westlight's photos to be viewed and manipulated on a Mac or PC.

Ad agencies, publishers, or anyone else who uses stock photos in creative work "can review and discuss each photo in a conference room instead of crowding around a light table." says Westlight's founder, Craig Aur- ness. And once a photo's se-

The best sound is not in tlie cards.

Perk Lip your presentalions. Mal<e training more effeclive. And, put some guts into your gaming pastimes. Anytime. Aiiywtiere. In fact, if you ire not a card carrying

member of the cuiniiulut ml. you fiave to hear

PORT-ABLE Sound Plus from Oigispeech. You

know, those real smart people who make simple

sound solutions.

PORT-ABLE Sound Plus is the first portable

external sound peripheral to deliver 16 Bit CD

quality music with stereo audio capabilities.

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compression capability with the highest quality sounds. Here is something else that will be music to your ears. PORT-ABLE Sound Plus comes complete with everything you need including a high fidelity speaker and built-in micmphone. There is an "Audio-in" for a CD or tape player and a "Line-out" for external powered stereo speakers. Even a built-in smart parallel port pass through so you can keep printing.

Whether you take your work across the hall or across the country, with PORT-ABLE Sound Plus, you have all the cards you need to play right in your hip pocket. The hinged design lets you flip up the unit if you are short on desk space or lap space. And, the power will always be with your whether you use rechargeable or non- rechargeable AA batteries. PORT-ABLE Sound Plus also comes equipped with an AC/DC power converter.

As a bonus, you will get all the software you need to communicate. Like Lotus Sound" an OLE server lor Windows 3.1. WinReader for Windows 3.1, a handy text- to-spee:h utility. Digispeech's DOSTalkandDOSReader text-to-speech applications. Show & Tell For Kids "for

inc.

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Why compromise on quality, portability, compatibility or affordability? When all the cards are on the table, PORT-ABLE Sound Plus from Digispeech, Inc. is your ace in the hole. Suggested retail is only $198.95,

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NEWS & NOTES

Logitech continues its design excursion Into hand- friendliness with a new cordless mouse.

lected, it can be quickly import- ed into a program like Pho- toShop to create a comp for the client.

For Kodak, the move is a m.a|or rollout of its Photo CD technology into the profession- al and commercial graphics markets, not to mention bring- ing ever closer the day when visual information available in a standardized, multiplatform digital formal will be business as usual.

For more information about the CD catalog, contact Westlight. 2223 South Carme- lina Avenue, Los Angeles, Cal- ifornia 90064: (800) 872-7872.

Videogames on TV

Don't look up if you hear a son- ic boom this fall. It's probably just Sonic the Hedgehog spin- ning faster than sound across your TV screen — on the new/ Sega Channel.

The Sega Channel is a sign of these electronic times — the first TV channel de- voted to videogame playing and specifically to owners of Sega Genesis game ma- chines. Subscribers will choose from a wide selection of popular games, previews, and upcoming releases. News, playing tips, contests, and promotions will be fea- tured regularly.

Set for test marketing this fall, the Sega Channel will be priced in the range of most

pay-cable subscription servic- es and, if all goes well, could be available to all U.S. cable operators by early 1994.

Digitize It

A new service from Orbit En- terprises allows you to "sign" a digitized version of your sig- nature to letters, reports, finan- cial statements, or anything else you regularly print out that requires your John Han- cock. Orbit says the result looks hand-signed.

To use the service, you send your signature to Orbit for digitizing. The company re- turns your digitized l!aserJet Signature fvlacro as either an easily installed DOS applica- tion ($75) or a TrueType font for Windows applications ($95). To use the signature, Windows users simply select a signature font, type a char- acter, and choose a point size. DOS users enter a short printer command at the place in the document where the sig- nature will appear

The Signature Macro works with most word proces- sors, including WordPerfect and Word, and it doesn't slow down printing time.

For more information, con- tact Orbit Enterprises, P.O. Box 2875, Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60138; (800) 767-6724.

Your Health on a Data Card

The newest thing to hit the healthcare industry is the Op- tical Card System, developed by Canon, that serves as a portable patient record The credit card-sized OC20 opti- cal card can store the equiv- alent of 1600 pages of text. In- formation is written to the card and read by a read/ write drive unit, the RW20, that connects to standard IBM PC/AT and compatible computers.

Healthcare-system adminis- trators, insurers, and provid- ers currently conducting pilot

projects with the card say it should help head off healthcare fraud and elimi- nate redundant medical pro- cedures— and therefore help contain costs. Also, you can expect improvements in the quality of your care "when a comprehensive, accurate, up- to-date medical summary — including full medical history and drug therapy — is immedi- ately available to a doctor dur- ing consultation." according to a press release issued by Canon. But healthcare is only the first application for the card.

Possible uses for optical da- ta cards as storage media are almost unlimited.

It's Virtually Golf

The plaid high-waters are for real, but you'll only think you're playing 18 holes in Ha- waii when you swing a club on this virtual-reality golf course, where you'll see exact- ly where your ball would land — fairway, green, hazard, rough, trees — if you were play- ing on an actual course. Tech- nigen's Joytec Indoor Golf Center, located in Merv Grif- fin's Resort Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is where you'll find the thrills.

Besides having fun, you might learn something, too, be- cause the computerized "green" you stand on analyz- es your stroke, weight distribu- tion, and other factors after every swing — it's sort of like having a built-in personal golf instructor.

Companies or public relations firms with items suitable for "News & Notes" should send information along witti a color slide or transparency to News & Notes. Attention: Jill Cham- pion. COI\APUTE. 324 West Wendover Avenue, Suite 200, Greensboro, North Carolina 27408. a

40 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

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FEEDBACK

Music by the

numbers,

time bending, bacl{

to BASICS,

density readings,

and more

Music Man

Years ago I ran across a BA- SIC program that would turn a PC keyboard into a simple or- gan keyboard. Can you show me how that's done?

WILLIAM TAYLOR LOS ANGELES, CA

Here 's a very simple record- and-play-back program that turns your keys A-' (the sec- ond tier of keys on a standard keyboard) Into the white keys on a piano. It keeps track of the notes you play and allows you to play them back at will.

You might want to alter tlw program to request a file- name for your recording, be- cause the way the program is written, you'll overwrite your re- cording each time you play.

It works better if you play staccato, because the operat- ing system's debounce rou- tine causes the note to be turned off and then back on as you hold the key down.

We attempted an alternative version using the ON KEY com- mand, which worked very well but limited the keyboard to 1 1 keys. With this version of the program, you can add to your keyboard whenever you like.

IMPUT "(P)layback or

(Rjecord"; a$ IF a$ = "r" OR a$ = "R" THEN

GOTO record playback: OPEN "notefile.dat " FOR INPUT

AS#1

WHILE NOT E0F(1) LINE INPUT #1, aS:a = VAL(a$) LINE INPUT #1, aS:b = VAL(a$) SOUND a, b WEND GOTO ender

record:

SHELL "mode con rate = 32 delay

= 1" OPEN "noleflle.dat" FOR OUTPUT

AS#1 top:

a$ = INKEYS SELECT CASE a$

CASE "a": a = 451 CASE "s": a = 506 CASE "d": a = 536 CASE "f": a = 602 CASE "g": a = 675 CASE "h": a = 716 CASE "i": a = 803 CASE "k": a = %2 CASE "I": a =1012 CASE";": a =1072 CASE'"": a = 1204 CASE"":a = 0 CASE "q": GOTO ender END SELECT SOUND a, 1 IF a = b THEN counter = counter + 1 ELSE

PRINT #1, STR$(b): PRINT #1, STR$(caunter + 1): counter = 0 END IF b = a GOTO top ender: CLOSE

Old Times

I read somewhere that you can change the time and date of a file with some para- meter of the Copy command. I can't remember where I read it. Do you know the com- mand syntax?

WALTER GREENWOOD SANTA ROSA, CA

This technique was covered in the March 1993 'Tips & Tools" column. Use the Copy command with concatenation. If you want to change the time and date to something other than the current time and date, use the Time and Date commands first to change these settings in DOS. Then, use this command.

COPY FILENAME + ,,

This will change the file's time and date stamp to what- ever the computer's current time and date is.

Norton Utilities has the com- mand FD that will allow you to set any date you wish for a file.

There are ways to access the directory listing directly with Debug. Each directory list- ing is exactly 32 bytes long. Bytes 22-23 are the time and 24-25 are the date. It's a little difficult to figure out the coding of these bytes, but if you're ad- venturous, you can alter them to reflect times and dates that can't exist, such as the time 25:63:62 on the 31st day of the 13th month.

We only mention Debug as an option because DOS's com- mand interpreter (the spoil- sport) prevents you from enter- ing impossible times and dates from the command line.

Is There a DR in the DOS?

You see the statement "Must have DOS 3.0 or higher" eve- rywhere. I have DR DOS 6.0. Does that fulfill the require- ment? What's the difference between MS-DOS 5,0 and DR DOS 6.0? Also, where can I get a BASIC language (GW- BASIC or QBASIC)?

R G DINGWALL MEADViEW. AZ

DR DOS 6.0 should perform properly with any program that requires MS-DOS 3.0 or higher The main difference be- tween DR DOS and MS-DOS IS the collection of utilities you receive with each one. One of the advantages of MS-DOS is that you get a free BASIC pro- gramming language with it. Bill Gates, the cofounder of Mi- crosoft, got his start writing BA SICs for microcomputers, and he 's never forgotten his roots. Gary Kildall, the founder of Dig- ital Research, got his start cre- ating microcomputer operat- ing systems.

The only way you could get GW-BASIC or OB AS 10 with- out purchasing a Microsoft ver- sion of DOS would be by com- mitting a federal crime — cop- ying one of them from some- one else's DOS. We don't ad- vise that you do that. If you

42 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

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Circle Reader Service Number 145

FEEDBACK

need a BASIC, "Feedback" 's recom- mendation would be to purctiase Quick- BASIC 4.5. PowerBasic Is supposed to tiave a new version out, but as of tliis writing, we Inaven't seen it. True BASIC is anottier contender. The ciieapest way to get a BASIC would be to pur- chase and install Microsoft DOS 6.0.

More Density Problems

My hotne computer has a double-den- sity disk drive. Wlien I purciiased some programs on higln-density disks, I was told tliat I could install tliem on a computer with a high-density drive and then recopy them to double-density disks so my computer could read them. 1 have tried this with several pro- grams, but it doesn't seem to work. I get an error message from DOS, such as Data error reading drive A: or Sec- tor not found: error reading drive A:.\s there a way to run high-density disks on my double-density drive? Is there something wrong with my drive?

MICHAEL STAUFFER ALLEN, WY

Ttie answer to your last question is tiiat there's probably nothing wrong with your disk drive. We suspect tliat you're using disks formatted as double- density in high-density disk drives. These drives leave narrow tracks that the relatively coarser heads in double- density drives have trouble locating and reading. Format some double-den- sity floppies in your computer, and then copy the files to them on a com- puter with a high-density drive. If this doesn't work, there's a possibility that your drive is out of alignment and will require the attention of a trained technician.

in answer to your penultimate ques- tion, you can 't read high-density disks with your double-density drive.

Do you have a question about hardware or software? Or have you discovered something that could help other PC us- ers? If so, we want to hear from you. Call our special "Feedback" line: (900) 884-8681. extension 7010201 (spon- sored by Pure Entertainment, P.O. Box 186, Hollywood, California 90078). The call will cost 95 cents per minute, you must be 18 or older, and you must use a touch-tone phone. Or you can write to "Feedback" in care of this magazine. Readers whose calls or letters appear in "Feedback" will receive a free COM- PUTE baseball cap while supplies last. Ws regret that we cannot provide person- al replies to technical questions. n

Eiiitar

Art Director

Managing Editor

Features Editor

Reviews Editor

Editor, Gazette

Editor, Amiga Resource

Senior Copy Editor

Copy Editor

Editorial AssistanS

Contributing Editors

Intern

Clifton Karnes

i^obin C Case

DavfCi English

Robon Bixby

f^iko Hudnail

Tom Nelsel

Denny Aikin

Karen Huffman

Margaret Ramsey

Pally Cillpam

Sylvia Graham. Eddie Huffman,

Tony Roberts, Karen Siepal<

Kim Havlena

ABT

Assistant Art Director Kenneihi A. Hardy Designer Katie Uurdock Copy Production Manager Terry Casti PRODUCTiON Production Manager De Potter

Traffic Manager Barbara A. Williams

PnOGRAMMiNG & ONUNE SERVICES

Manager

Tioy Tucker

Programmers

Bruce M, Bowden

Sieve Draper

Bradley M Stnall

ADMINISTRATION

President, COO

Kailiy Keeior

Executive Vice President,

William Tynan

Operations

Editorial Director

Keith i^errell

Operations Manager

David Hensley Jr.

OKice Manager

Sybil Agee

St. Administrative Assistant

Juha Fleming

Administrative Assistant

Lisa G Caslnger

Receptionist

LeWanda Fax

ADVERTISING

Vice President,

Peter T Jahnsmeyer

Associate Pubiialier

(212(496-6100

ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES

East Coast: Full-Page and Standard Display Ads— F^ier T Jorins- meyer. Chris Coeitie; COfvlPUTE Publications internalionat Ltd.. 19GS Broadway. Mew rork, NY 10023: (212) 496-6100 Soutti- eas:— Harriet Rogers, 5C3 A St.. SE, Washington. D.C. 20tX)3: (202) 546-5926. Florida — \. M. Remer Associates 3300 t^JE 192nd St., Suite 192. Aventura. FL 33160: (305) 933-1467, (30S) 933-8302 [FAX). Midwest— Full-Page and Standard Display Ads — Starr Lane, hjatronal Accounts fvtanagec: 111 EastWack- er Dr.. Suite 508, Cnicagc, IL 60601, (312) 819-0900. (312) 819- 0S13 (FAX). MoriliwGst^erry Thompson. Jules E- Thompson Co.. 1290 Howard Ave,, Suite 303, Burllngame, CA 94010: (415) 34B-6S22. Lucille Dennis, (707)451-8309. Sou;bwest--lan Ling- wood, 6723 Eton Ave.. Canoga Park. CA 91303: (818) 992- 4777 Product Mart Ads — Lucille Dennis, Ju.es F. Thompson Co., 1290 Howard Ave., Suite 303, Burlingame, CA 94010; (707) 451.8209. U.K & Europe— Beverly Wardale. Flat 2. ID Stafford Terrace. London WB7 BH, England; 011-471l-937-l517, Ja- pan— Intergroup Communications. Ltd.: Jiro Semba, President: 3F Tiger BIdg. 6-22 Shiba-koen. 3-Ctiome, Minato ku, Tokyo 105, Japan; 03-434-2607 Classified Ads— Maria Manaseri, i Woods 01.. Hunlrngton, WY 11743: (TEUFAX) 1516) 757-9562.

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Richafd Cohen (executive vice president and treasurer)

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services]

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

Sr. VP/Corp. Oir.. hJew Business Develcpment: Beverly Wardate: VP/Dir., Group Advertising Sales: Nancy Kestenbaum; Sr, VP/Souibsrn and Midwest Advertising Dir : Peter Goldsmith. Offices: New York. 1965 Broadway, n™ York. NY 10023-5965. Tel (212) 496-6100. Telex 237128, Midwest: 111 East Wacker Dr, Suite 508. Chicago, IL 60601; (312) 819.0900, (312) 819- 0813 (FAX) Soulb: 1725 K St, NW. Suite 903. Washinglcn. DC 20006. Tsl. (202) 728-0320. West Coast: 6726 Eton Ave.. Can. oga Park. CA 91303, Tel. (818) 992-4777. UK and Europe: Flat 2. 10 Stafford Terrace, London Wa7 BH. England; Tel. 011-4711- 937-1S17. Japan: Intergroup Jiro Semba. Telex J25469IGLTYO, Fax 434-5970 Korea: Kaya Advlsng,. Inc., flm. 402Kunshin Annex B/D 25M. Dohv/a Dong, Mapo-Ku, Seoul, Korea (121). Tel. 719-6906, Telex K32144K3yaad.

ADMINISTRATtON Sf. VP CFO: Patrick J. Gavin; EVP/Corporate Sen/ices: Jen Win- ston: EVP/Graptiics Director Frank Devino; EVP/Ciroulation: Jarres B. f^artise; VP Director Sales Promoticns: Beverly Grei- per. Dir Newsstand Circulation: PSul Rolnick; Dir.. Newsstand Operations- Joe Gallo; Dir, Subscnption Circulation: Beatrice J. Hanks: VP Director of Research; Ftobert Rattner: Advertising Pfo- duction Director: Cfiarlene Smith; Advertising Production Traf- fic Mgr,: Pam Pizk; Traffic Dir,: William Harbutt; Dir , Budget and Rnance: Tom Maley; Production Mgr.; TomStinEon; Asst Produc- tion Mgr.: Nancy Rice; Mgr,. International Div.: George Rojas: Exec. Asst. to Bob Gucdone: Diane O'Connell: Exec. Asst. to David J, Myerson: Teri Psani; Special Asst. to Bob Guccione: Jane Homlish.

miiiii^aiiiiifiiiimiifr

— . TM

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..HIW

Relentless Space Combat -

For Naive Rookies or Hardened Vets

s a student at the TCSN Academy, you custom- design and fly unique combat, rescue, and search and retrieval missions from the CyberSchool's holodeck console. In the Wing Commander^' tradition, the game features a dynamic musical score, improved rendered, bit-mapped graphics, and a dazzling array of customizing options. But Wing Commander Academy isn't another cinematic extrava- ganza — it's an intense dogfighting marathon.

♦ Custom-design a variety of missions that match your skill level as you place fighters, capital ships, data pods and ejected pilots - up to 10 in each of the four action spheres.

♦ Save up to 24 games to disk and trade with your friends or upload them to bulletin boards to challenge others.

♦ Request random missions where each action sphere yields an unknown num- ber of enemy ships with pilots of varying skill levels.

♦ Climb into the cockpits of the new Confederation Wraith or Kilrathi Jratbek fighters for a new combat experience. /

♦ Select a cybernet wingman - from a frightened cadet to a hotshot veteran.

♦ Fly from the cockpit view or try the chase-plane view for a new perspective on the dogfighting action.

^ Sharpen your combat skills as you compete for high-point ^'^"(^''^flJIJJIJjJlP

♦ Engage the "Wave" - a dogfighting marathon with 15 progressively difficult levels of attacking ships - including three flights of fighters in each level.

♦ Build missions so tough that even our professional Wing Commander pilots can't survive.

A Stand Alone Game — No previous Wing Commander experience necessary.

io^mt.

^>^F.

nnescaQQ

Actual screens may vary.

Sbrigin\

An Electronic Arts- Company

P.O. BOX 161750 AUSTIN, TX 78716

For MS-DOS 386SX, 386, 486 or 100% compatible systems.

Sound Support: Ad Lib, Sound Blaster, Roland LAPC-1 or lOO'S, compatible sound card

required for music.

Requires: 256-color VGA, 2 megs RAM, 7 megs hard drive sp,ite free, joystick.

©Copyrighl 1^93 ORIGIN Sysli-iiis, Inr. Ori[;in, Wu create worlds and Wing Coniniandfr .irc registered lr,idem,irks of ORIGIN Syblfms, Inc. Academy is .i Iraderuirk (j) ORIGIN Systems, Inc. Electronic Arts is ,i tf)j;islcTed Ir.idemark of Electronic Arls. a

r^ln^r* Vtiuuittr <^rwiu. Ntimhtr 204

FLIGHT ASSIGNMENT: ATP

A greafiijying sim ula tion for a

frustration- free aviation

experience!

For fifteen years our flight simulations have won acclaim for their dazzling displays of techni- cal wizardry. Now we're using the computer medium to provide a satisfying introduction to the world of aviation. You might say that Flight Assignment: ATP revision D represents the current state of the art with a user- friendly twist.

ATP External View

Six months of intensive real- world flying helped our engineers ing staff refine ATP's flight characteristics and joystick interface, making the simulation both easier and more realistic to fly. ATP combines exceptional responsivenes§.with an easj^tg..

read flight manual to give you a great flying experience.

While you're getting comfortable at the controls, let ATP's auto- flight mode give you a relaxed introduction to commercial aircraft flight and navigation. Sit back and follow the maps while "Jack" the autopilot and "Roger" the Air Traffic Controller (spoken ATC messages with optional SoundBlaster card) fly and guide the aircraft from takeoff to touchdown.

ATP contains visual scenery, over 350 airports and the radio naviga- tion aids you need to fly jet routes between all major U.S. cities. Fly predeflned flight assignments or

select your own departure jrod^ destination airports. ATP provides inflight Air Traffic Control guidance and a postflight performance evaluation.

m

SCENERY COLLECTIONS

Constant flowing scenery for easy visual navigation

Essential for a truly gratifying flight experience is the ability to navigate successfully "from point A to point B." Our new Scenery Collections provide a continuous ^ flow of super-detailed scenery that's ideal for visual navigation, and include comprehensive color maps and plotter.

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Maps and Plotter for Realistic Navigation

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Great Britain and California Scenery Collections make it easy for you to plot a course from Glasgow to London, or take a quick flight from Eureka to Lake Tahoe. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, even simple visual flights help develop your aircraft control and naviga- tion skills. (While we emphasize visual navigation to encourage new pilots, Scenery Collections also offer excellent coverage of I eoroute and approach radio navigation aids for those wishing to advance to instrument naviga- tion.)

Great Britain - Wliile Cliffs of Dover

USA SCENERY

For the first time ever!

Complete^' comprehensive

USA scenery coverage

Now the revolution continues with USA Scenery & Flight Assig- nment System, a nationwide scenery database and worldwide automatic flight dispatcher. While you can switch between USA and ultra-detailed Scenery Collections at the touch of a key, only USA gives you comprehen- sive coverage of the entire United

States; cities, roads, railroads, mountains, lakes, rivers, plus every public access paved- runway airport and radio naviga- tion aid (including ILS approaches). USA provides a fantastic new level of default scenery for Flight Assignment: ATP and Microsoft Flight Simulator, giving you a smooth flowing, nationwide visual and instrument navigation platform.

i-aiiioniia Colieciion - San Diego

USA's revolutionary new flight assignment system lets you take structured flights of any duration and difficulty, anywhere in the USA database or any Scenery Collection (even Great Britain). Just select a time length and diffi- culty level, and let the program take care of the rest. Or spell out your choice of aircraft, weather conditions, time of day, etc. Then press a key to print a copy of your flight log. At the destination airport you'll be greeted by special visual cues designed to

eliminate frustration, ease traffic pattern entry and guide you down to a safe landing.

Join the computer flight revolu- tion! A totally new and wondrous flight experience is waiting for you with the next generation of flight simulation software from SubLOGIC.

Flight Assignment: ATP and Scenery Collections for IBM and compatibles are available for the suggested retail price of $59.95 each. USA East and USA West for IBM/compatibles are $69.95 each. See your dealer or feel free to call our friendly sales/customer service people at 800-637-4983 for additional product information.

Flight Assignment, Scenery Disk and Scenery Collection arc trademarks of SubLOGIC. All other productsand brands are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Ih9 Computer Flight people

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TELEPHONE: (217)359-8482

FAX: (217)352-1472

ORDER LINE: (800)637-4983

Crrcle Reader Service Number 179

rt and Map View

USA Scener}' - Select Highlighted Navigation Aids and Floating Traffic Patterns for Frustration -Free Arrival

WINDOWS WORKSHOP

Clifton Karnes

For Windows

users, DOS 6 is an

upgrade that's

definitely worth

considering.

DO WINDOWS USERS NEED DOS 6?

If you live on a desert island, you may not have tieard about DOS 6. The rest of us, tfiougti, hiave been hearing about it a lot. And everyone's trying to figure out tfie same thing: Is it wortfi tfie $50 up- grade? The ones wondering the loudest are probably Win- dows users. Many of us, after all, don't have all that much to do with DOS. So is DOS 6 worth the upgrade if you run Windows? In a word, yes, and in this column, I'll tell you why.

First, there are several Win- dows programs included with DOS 6: fvlicrosoft Undelete, f^i- crosoft Backup, Microsoft An- tivirus, and a Windows-hosted compression information pro- gram that works with Dou- bleSpace.

The Undelete and Antivirus programs are from Central Point Software, and they strong- ly resemble the programs of the same name in PC Tools De- luxe. The Backup program is a special version of Syman- tec's Norton Backup. These are all first-class tools that any Windows owner will be happy with. And to its credit, the DOS 6 installation program automat- ically installs a Microsoft Tools group in Program Manager, a Tools menu on File Manager, and, if you're using Windows for Workgroups, four new but- tons on the File Manager's toolbar.

Of these utilities, the Un- delete program is especially useful. It offers an easy way to recover deleted files, and it can be configured for three lev- els of delete protection. With Standard, a file can be recov- ered if it hasn't been overwrit- ten. With Delete Tracker, Un- delete stores some informa- tion about the state of each file

to make successful undeleting more likely. And with Delete Sentry, deleted files are actu- ally spirited to a hidden subdi- rectory and held there as long as disk space permits. With De- lete Sentry, files can always be undeleted in perfect condi- tion as long as you don't wait too awfully iong.

The Undelete command in- stalled in File Manager is very helpful, too. The Installation pro- gram puts this command on the File menu, and, if you're us- ing the Windows for Workgroups File Manager, it in- stalls an Undelete button on the toolbar. When you access Undelete from File Manager, Undelete opens in the directo- ry selected in File Manager. It's much faster and easier to select a directory in File Ivtan- ager than to use Undelete's Change Drive and Directory di- alog box.

These Windows programs are obviously useful to a Win- dows user, but beyond them there are several other signifi- cant enhancements in this DOS.

First, there's MemMaker. If you run DOS programs from Windows, this can be a god- send. MemMaker optimizes the way your computer uses UMBs (Upper Memory Blocks). On my PC, I'm run- ning Stacker, DOS network driv- ers, multimedia drivers, plus the usual stuff like SMARTDrive, Share, Mouse, and Doskey. Before running MemMaker, I had less than 500K of conventional memory free in a DOS session, and some DOS programs just wouldn't run. After running MemMai<er, I have about 570K of memory for DOS pro- grams, and everything runs fine. If you need more DOS memory, MemMaker alone may be worth the upgrade.

The next DOS 6 enhance- ment that may be useful to Win- dows users is Interlnk. If you

share information between computers, Interlnk is an easy way to move flies. With In- terlnk, you have a client ma- chine and a server machine. On the client, you run an In- terlnk device driver. On the server, you run an Interlnk ex- ecutable. When both pro- grams have been run and your computers are connect- ed with either a serial or paral- lel cable, the server's drives ap- pear as virtual drives in both DOS and Windows.

If you run Windows File Man- ager on the client, you'll see the server's drive icons on File Manager's drive bar. You can treat these drives just like your machine's native drives. You can display a directory tree and file window for them, you can copy files to and from these drives, you can tile and arrange the drive windows mixed and matched with your native drive's windows, and you can run programs from them.

The first time I ran Interlnk between my desktop and lap- top, I copied a directory and all its subdirectories from the client to the server by drag- ging and dropping. This is the easiest way I've seen to trans- fer files between machines.

The last reason for Windows users to upgrade to DOS 6 is DoubleSpace, which can near- ly double the size of your hard disk. We all know fiow Win- dows programs gobble up disk real estate, and we can all use the extra space. Dou- bleSpace seems like a bless- ing for Windows users, but no other part of DOS 6 has caused as much controversy. Next issue, I'll talk about how to install DoubleSpace, how to use it, how it fares against Stack- er, and some DoubleSpace add-ons. If you want to go ahead and try DoubleSpace, please see my "DOS 6 First- Aid Kit" in this issue for some safety tips, D

50 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

Pirates Has Gone Gold!

The best adventure game ave. just got better!

)w Pirates! Gold Takes , Inducted into the Computer

le Excitement Even Further! Gaming World Hall of Fame! 1

Now Pirates! Gold Takes The Excitement Even Further!

" Bombard moVe enemy ships!

'■ Feel the ring of crossing swords!

~ Experie^BaHJBH||g0n'packed combal on ships an^afi^^^^^*"

Plunder treasure in all-new harbor towns!

Gain power, prestige, or even the hand of the governor's daughter! M/

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Stale-

J'P-

GAN

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circle Reader Service Number 1S4

TIPS & TOOLS

Edited by Richard C. Leinecker

Dazzle yourself witli screen savers and

get random numbers (or your batch file.

Screen Saver fieaven

Two readers sent in graphical screen savers that were writ- ten in QBASIC. Altiiough mon- itor manufacturers insist tliat llieir monitors won't be dam- aged it left on for extended pe- riods of lime, most people don't like to take chances. Be- sides, screen savers add an appealing, interesting look to w/hat might be a boring screen with a command line prompt. If you have DOS 5.0 or higher, you should have QBASIC in your DOS directo- ry. If it's missing, try reinstall- ing DOS 5.0.

You can run any one of these as an independent pro- gram. I'd suggest putting them all in a subdirectory where you can keep track of them, I put mine in a directo- ry within my DOS directory called SAVERS, All of my ref- erences will assume a path to the BASIC source code of \DGS\SAVERS,

With QBASIC in your path and the code in a central loca- tion, you can type qbasic/run \clos\savers\saver1 .has from anywhere on your drive, and the first screen saver will run. You could also put this com- mand in a batch file to save typing.

REM BASIC Source Code for REM Screen Saver 1 Display REM by Zach Dinkmeyer REM of Huntington Beach, REM California CLS: SCREEN 9 RANDOMIZE TIMER DrawLoopI: x1% = RND * 638 y1% = RND * 349 x2% = RND * 639 y2% = RND * 349 c% = RND * 15

LINE (x1%, y1%)-(x2%, y2%), c% Counter = Counter + 1 IF Counter = 100D THEN CLS (0): Counter = 0 a$ = INKEYS

IF a$ = " " GOTO DrawLoopI SYSTEM

REM BASIC Source Code for

REM Screen Saver 2 Display

REM by Jason Haimerl

REM Df GconomowQc, Wisconsin

CLS : SCREEN 1

RANDOMIZE TIMER

DrawLoDp2:

x% = (RND * 30D) + 1

y% = (RND * Z6D) + 1

RESTORE

FOR j% = 1 TO 13

READ k%

CIRCLE (x%, y%), k%

FOR i% = 1 TO 5000: NEXT: CLS

NEXT

a$ = INKEY$

IFa$ = "" GOTO DrawLoopZ

SYSTEM

DATA1, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125

DATA 150, 175, 200, 225, 250

DATA 275, 300

REM BASIC Source Code for

REM Screen Saver 3 Display

REM by Jason Haimerl

CLS: SCREEN Z:

RANDOMIZE TIMER

DrawLDDp3:

x% = (RND * 155) + 1

y7o = (RND* 1000) + 1

LINE (y%, x%)-(y%, x%)

x% = (RND * 2000) + 1

y% = (RND * 155) + 1

LINE (x%, y%)-(x%, y%), 300

CIRCLE (x%, y%), 1

PRINT

FOR i% = 1 TO 1000: NEXT

a$ = INKEYS

IF a$ = " " GOTO DrawLoopS

SYSTEM

REM BASIC Source Code for

REM Screen Saver 4 Display

REM by Jason Haimerl

CLS: SCREEN 1

RANDOMIZE TIMER

DrawLoap4:

x% = (RND * 800) + 1

y% = (RND * 145) + 1

1% = (RND * 50) + 1

CIRCLE (x%, y%), j%

PRINT

FOR i% = 1 TO 1000: NEXT

a$ = INKEYS

IFa$ = "" GOTO DrawLoop4

SYSTEM

REM BASIC Source Cade for REM Screen Saver 5 Display

REM by Jason Haimerl

CLS: SCREEN 1

RANDOMIZE TIMER

DrawLoQp5:

x% = (RND • 800) + 1

V% = (RND ' 100) + 1

LINE (x%, y%)-(x%, 191)

PRINT

F0Ri% = 1 TO 1000: NEXT

aS = INKEYS

IFa$ = "" GOTO DrawLoopS

SYSTEM

With a little bit of effort and some programming savvy, you could turn these stand- alone programs into some- thing more. I wrote two small utilities and a batch file that use these screen savers.

The first utility waits a spec- ified number of minutes. If there's a keypress, it returns with an errorlevel of 1. If the time has elapsed, it returns an errorlevel of 0, and you can execute one of the screen savers. It's called Wait- time, and to use it, you just type waittime followed by the number of minutes you want to wait.

The second utility returns a random number as an error code. You must specify a max- imum value.. If you want it to re- turn values from 0-14, you'd type getrand 14.

debug waittime.com File not found

-e100 be 81 00 ac 3c Od 74 20 -elOB 3c 20 74 17 4e ac 3c 30 -ellO 7c 16 3c 39 7f 12 8a c8 -e118 b8 Oa 00 f7 e3 3b d8 80 -e120 e9 30 2a ed 03 d9 eb e5 -e 128 Ob db 75 03 bb 05 00 b8 -e 130 47 04 17 e3 8b d6 2b cO -e138 8e d8 be 6c 04 8b Oc b4 -e140 01 cd 16 75 10 3b Oc 74 -8148 f6 8b Oc 4b Ob db 75 ef -e150 b8 00 4c cd 21 bS 01 4c -e15B cd 21 ■RCX CX 0000

:5a -W

Writing 005a bytes ■Q

52 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

If you run Checksum (July 1993 "Tips & Tools") on Wait- time, you should see the num- ber 10125 on your screen.

Bradley M. Small (of Greens- boro, North Carolina) points out that if you change the last two lines of Waittime, the pro- gram will return the ASCII val- ue of the key pressed as an errorlevel.

If you are interested in cre- ating this utility, give it anoth- er name because it isn't intend- ed to work with this series of programs, The following lines are the ones you should mod- ify in Waittime.

-e15Q bS 00 4c cd 21 90 b4 4c -e158 cd 21

If you make this modification and run Checksum, the num- ber 10264 should appear on your screen.

debug getrand.com

File not found

-e100 be 31 00 ac 2c Od 74 20

-e108 3c 20 74 n 4e ac 3c 30

-e110 7c IB 3c 39 7f 12 8a cB

-e118 b8 Oa DO 17 e3 8b d8 8D

-e120 eg 30 2a ed 03 dQ eb eS

-e 128 2b cO 8e dS be fO Q4 8a

-e130 Oc 30 el Of 8a eQ fe c5

-e 133 88 2c be 6c 04 2b d2 3b

-e 140 d3 73 07 d1 e2 80 ca 01

-e 143 eb f5 8b 04 d3 c3 23 c2

-e 150 3b C3 77 d4 b4 4c cd 21

-RCX

CX 0000

:58

-W

Writing 0058 bytes

-Q

If you run Checksum on Getrand, the number 11268 should appear.

Here's my batch file. If a key is pressed, the keypress is sensed, and the batch file simply quits. Otherwise, the batch file executes one of the screen savers at random after five minutes.

Make sure that the batch file, QBASIC, and the two util-

ities are in your path.

ECHO OFF

CLS

REM First, we'll wail for a live-

REM minute period or a

REM keypress.

WAiniME 5

IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO END

IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO DOSAVER

GOTO END

: DOSAVER

REM Next, we'll call the program REM that gives us a random REM number. The maximum value REM is 4 because we have five REM screen savers and our REM numbering starts at 0. GETRAND 4

IF ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO SAVERS IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO SAVER4 IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO SAVER3 IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO SAVER2 IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO SAVER1

:SAVER5 QBASIC ^UN

\O0S\SAVERS\SAVER5.BAS GOTO END

:SAVER4 QBASIC mti

\D0S\SAVERS\SAVER4.BAS GOTO END

:SAVER3 QBASIC flUN

\D0S\SAVERS\SAV£R3.BAS GOTO END

:SAVER2

QBASIC ma

\D0S\SAVERS\SAVER2.BAS GOTO END

:SAVER1 QBASIC /RUN

\D0S\SAVERS\SAVER1.BAS GOTO END

:END

RICHARD C. LEINECKER REIDSVILLE. NC

Deep Directories

I often need to make directo- ries that have more than one

new subdirectory when I'm or- ganizing my hard drive. For in- stance, I might need to store THIS. TXT in the C:\EDIT\- FILES\TXT subdirectory Nor- mally, if all three of these don't exist, you have to make each one. 1 have a batch file, called MMD.BAT which cre- ates them in one step and re- moves one more headache from the DOS prompt.

©ECHO OFF

IF"%1"=="" GOTO USAGE CnV NUL

ECHO D IXCOPY%COMSPEC% %1\NUL CnV CON GOTO END

:USAGE

ECHO Usage: MMD PATH_TO_CREATE :ENO

THOMAS E. HINES III KANSAS CITY, MO

Maintain Your Cover

If you're constantly putting new cards in your computer, you might be tempted to leave the cover off. Don't do it. The cover is important- It guards your safety, it chan- nels cooling air through the machine, and it protects the boards inside (one dropped paper clip or screw could wreak havoc on an open, run- ning machine),

ROBERT BIXBY GREENSBORO. NC

If you have an interesting tip tliat you thinP: would fieip otti- er PC users, send it along with your name, address, and Social Security number to COf^PUJE's Tips & Tools, 324 West Wendover Avenue. Suite 200. Greensboro, North Carolina 27408. For each tip we publish, we'll pay you $25- $50. All tips submitted be- come the property of Genera! t^edia International. O

Make batch files pause for a specified time and create whole directory trees with a single command.

AUGUST 1993 COMPUTE 53

INTRODOS

Tony Roberts

How important

is it to

l(eep up with t)te

versions?

UPGRADE UPDATE

Have you upgraded to DOS 6 yet? Do you have the latest and greatest version of your word-processing program? How about the newest install- ment of your checkbook man- ager, the one with charts and graphs?

My mailbox — and I'll bet yours, too — is often chock-full of upgrade notices for the soft- ware I own, and for some pro- grams I don't own. All this mail has me wondering how impor- tant it is to keep up with the ver- sions, software's version of sub- urbia's keeping up with the Joneses.

The answer is not a simple one: It depends on how you use your computer and fiow you work.

For starters, let's take a look at DOS 6. This is an inter- esting, but not a revolutionary, upgrade. In my case, it adds nothing to nny system that is not being accomplished by some other commercial or shareware program.

Do I need DOS 6? No.

Do I have DOS 6? You bet. After all, this is a DOS column. Its author ought to be in touch with the latest DOS product whether he needs it or not.

Upgrade Rule #1: If your livelihood depends on the soft- ware, upgrade.

Another issue to consider is support. Do you, or those who work for you, need help using your software? Do you rely on the software manufacturer's support staff to help solve tech- nical problems as well as to give you guidance when you don't feel like reading the man- ual? If so, it's probably a good idea to stay current for that product; as each day passes, the support staff will become less and less familiar with the foibles of past versions,

Upgrade Rule #2: Stay cur- rent if you want handholding.

When deciding whether to

upgrade, you also must consid- er whether you're a loner or you share your work with oth- ers. In the desktop publishing business, for example, publica- tion files often are worked on by two or three people. Then the files are handed over to a service bureau for output. In a case like this, it makes sense to make sure everyone is up- graded to the same software level.

Upgrade Rule #3: Stay com- patible with associates, ven- dors, and suppliers.

Many software companies seem to have embraced the idea of annual upgrades. I'm willing to bet that I'll see an up- grade notice for my check- book/financial manager soft- ware this October. The pro- gram's been upgraded each of the last three autumns; why should 1993 be any different?

Looking back at my re- cords, 1 see I've paid more for upgrades than for the original version of that program. But that's OK: the upgrades I've purchased have added impor- tant functions, made the pro- gram easier to use, and saved me time. I'm happy with what I've paid for.

I did bypass last year's invi- tation to upgrade, however. The improvements in that up- grade centered on the pro- gram's new abilities to create charts and graphs pertaining to my financial situation. I didn't see how those multicol- or graphics would make me richer or better organized finan- cially, so I skipped the up- grade and saved a few bucks — a clear plus for my fi- nancial status.

Upgrade Rule #4: Don't be swayed by the fancy bro- chures; it's up to you to decide whether new features are val- uable to you.

Finally, be aware that com- puter and software technology is a rapidly advancing field. No program invented today

will be worth much in five years. If you're buying soft- ware that's central to your busi- ness, plan to make regular up- grades to stay on the cutting edge. If you're a hobbyist, it probably won't hurt you to be a generation or two behind.

Upgrade Rule #5: Software upgrades are a cost of doing business — budget for them.

Now that we've looked at whether to upgrade the soft- ware you have, what about up- grading the software you don't have? This phenomenon has become known as the compet- itive upgrade, and for software addicts, it's one of the best deals around.

Let's say you own Brand X word-processing program, which normally lists for S495. The maker of Brand Y word processor wants you to con- vert to his program, so he of- fers you a competitive up- grade for the price of $99. What a deal! You get a brand- new S495 program for $99!

If you like to acquire new software, keep your eyes open for the competitive up- grade deals, and when the pro- gram you're yearning for goes on sale, snap it up.

But competitive upgrades are a little unfair, and that may contribute to their undoing. Let's say you don't own a word- processing program. How does it make you feel to pay full price, when everyone around you buys a copy for 80 percent off?

1 find It hard to buy under those conditions. I'll stay on the sideline until the price comes down for everybody. Software companies are dis- covering that lower software prices translate into increased sales. Perhaps before long, the competitive upgrade pric- es will become the suggested retail prices.

Then the manufacturers will have thousands of new poten- tial upgrade customers. O

54 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

rNTRODUCING

THE EXPERIENCE OF REAL PINBALL

Dislribated By

Bfoderbund

mist

e.5H5.S00i J^i

AMTEX, the maker of the award-winning and critically acclaimed Tristan™, is proud to announce the release of Eight Ball Deluxe, the world's most popu- lar traditional pinball game. It's the first of many pinball favorites to be released in the "AMTEX Pinball Classics"

Eight Ball Deluxe is all

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r strategic shot making -

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AMTEX

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circle Flasder S«ni)ce Number 157

PROGRAMMING POWER

Tom Campbel

The only

ANSI-standard

BASIC

implementation

trom the guys

who invented BASIC

BASICALLY, A TRUE BARGAIN

Continuing a BASIC hot streak (last month, we cov- ered the estimable PowerBA- SIC), we turn to an amazing bargain: The True BASIC Sam- pler Edition, a $15 version of the only ANSI-standard BASIC implementation from the guys who invented BASIC.

John Kemeny and Tom Kurtz, two professors at Dart- mouth, literally created BASIC from scratch in 1964. They wanted a friendlier introduc- tion to computers than FOR- TRAN, then the state of the art. What is not so well known is that they upgraded their BA- SIC with astonishing speed, creating interactive versions that acted very much like QuickBASIC did 20 years lat- er. They gave the language a host of features yet to be matched in most other BA- SICS, such as matrix manipu- lation, advanced graphics, lo- cal variables, and required variable declarations, Kemeny and Kurtz were understandably embarrassed when simplified imitations of the very earliest ver- sion of their language were cloned on every machine from toy microcomputers to main- frames and their beloved crea- tion was then nearly throttled to death by programming cogno- scenti who judged it thirdhand and pronounced the impostor versions dead on arrival.

It is also relatively uncom- mon knowledge that there is an ANSI standard for BASIC, ratified several years ago, and True BASIC conforms to that standard (QuickBASIC, GW- BASIC. and the like don't even come close). The obvious ques- tion is, of course, so what? QuickBASIC and QBASIC are the de facto standards, run- ning on millions of desktops, as opposed to perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands us-

ing True BASIC. It would not be difficult to stop the argu- ment there.

But an ANSI-standard BA- SIC has the tantalizing poten- tial of allowing, say, PCs, Macin- toshes, Amigas, and Sun work- stations to run the exact same source code. Kemeny and Kurtz finally wised up and formed their own company, one that now carries — sit down; you'll be shocked when you hear this — versions of True BASIC that run identi- cally on PCs, Macs. Amigas, and Sun workstations. True BA- SIC (it's the name of the com- pany, too. and it's located at 12 Commerce Avenue, West Lebanon, New Hampshire 03784: 800-872-2742, 603- 298-7015 [fax]) also carries a host of True BASIC source li- braries for math, scientific, engineering, and some gener- al-purpose use.

What's most exciting to me is that you can experience True BASIC yourself if you own a PC compatible (or if you slipped and accidentally bought a Mac) for only $14,95. This is easily the best demo package I've ever seen; it gives you a full version of the language, the ability to create files up to 150 lines long, and a 208-page paper- back book by the masters themselves showing you BA- SIC from the ground up, I got both the Mac and the PC ver- sions, and sure enough, the same source runs identically on the two machines.

True BASIC is a very differ- ent animal from the other BA- SICS. Like QuickBASIC and QBASIC. it compiles pro- grams in the background as you type, so you get the speed of a compiler with the convenience of an interpreter. The environment isn't nearly as comfortable as QBASIC, al- though it's similar in concept: menus, an immediate window, and so forth. The problem is

that it's clunky. You bring up a menu by pressing Alt-1 for the leftmost menu. Alt-2 for the one next to it. and so on. The help system, while user-exten- sible, is phmitive and requires that you press Ctrl-Break to leave a help screen. F1 isn't the help key, F10 isn't the menu key, and it can't find help files when run outside the directory It was installed In.

True BASIC is very strong in the math and string-handling departments, TRUNCATE trun- cates a number to the speci- fied decimal places: MIN and MAX return the minimum and maximum of two numbers; pi is built in; there's support for natural, common (base 10), and base 2 logarithms; and more. There are whole groups of string functions not found in other BASICS. LTRIM, RTRIM, and TRIM removing leading and trailing blanks; CPOS finds the first occurrence of a character in a string; CPOSR does the same but from the end; NCPOS finds the first oc- currence of a character not found in a string; and NCPOSR does the same but from the end. There's a whole array (sorry) of matrix-han- dling statements and func- tions, and the graphics subsys- tem is far better thought out than those built into other BA- SICS.

The sample edition is a roar- ing success, and my main crit- icism is a political one. The manual never mentions the Mi- crosoft; BASIC variants, prob- ably on the theory that there's no reason to aid the competi- tion. That doesn't make sense to me. I'd much rather the book contain a 10- or 12- page comparative analysis and conversion guide so that interested parties could con- vert their Microsoft BASIC code over to True BASIC. This would only increase its mar- ket, a move both True BASIC and we users deserve. G

56 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

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HARDWARE CLINIC

Mark Minasi

DOS 6'S

MullJConfig lets you

combine several

AUTOEXECBAT and

CONFIG.SYS files.

DOS 6's MULTI- CONFIG, PART 2

In the June issue, I started look- ing Into MultiConflg, the new DOS 6 feature that allows you to unify your scattered CON- FIG.SYS/AUTOEXEC.BAT files. This month, we'll look fur- ther into MultiConfig's many capabilities.

If you have a color monitor, you can customize the colors of your MultiConflg menu with the Menucolor command. It looks like this: menucolor fore- ground, [background].

Foreground and back- ground are numbers represent- ing the colors that the PC text screen can display — there are 16 of them. Foreground is a mandatory value, but back- ground is optional. If you don't specify a number, then you just get the normal black background.

I guess what troubles me about this command is the wasted time it causes. If you remove all the combinations where the foreground equals the background, there are still 240 different foreground/back- ground combinations. Experi- ence has shown me that there are a fair number of people who won't rest until they've seen them all.

So far, we've merged only one of DOS's startup files. Now that you've merged two differ- ent CONFIG.SYS files into one using MultiConflg, com- plete with a startup menu, defaults, timeouts, and even col- ors, it's time to see what MultiConflg does for your AUTOEXECBAT, And the an- swer is, "not much,"

There is, however, enough in the way of tools to allow you to link CONFIG.SYS configura- tions to AUTOEXEC.BAT con- figurations. Here's how.

Let's return to the two-con- figuration approach we estab- lished in June. Suppose there

are two AUTOEXEC. SATs, one for the normal configura- tion and another for the inter- link configuration. The normal AUTOEXEC.BAT might look like this.

©ECHO OFF PROMPT $P$G PATH CXDOS DOSKEY

The interlink AUTOEXEC.BAT might look like this,

©ECHO OFF PATH C:\DOS INTERSVR

I want to explain this so both batch veterans and begin- ners can use this information, so let nne first show the peo- ple who are comfortable with batch language programming how to put these AUTOEX- EC.BATs together into one AUTOEXEC.BAT Then I'll pre- sent a step-by-step formula for combining batch files that anyone who can use an edi- tor can follow.

The key to being able to combine two {or more) AU- TOEXEC.BATs into a single batch file and then extract them as they were originally is an environment variable called CONFIG. It contains the name of the configuration that you selected — in our example, that means either normal or interlink. You then use "IF . . . ==" com- mands and GOTOs to control which part of the AUTOEX- EC.BAT file is executed. Here's what it would look like for our example AUTOEX- EC.BAT situation,

©ECHO OFF

IF %CDnfig%=normal GOTO

normal IF %config%==interlink GOTO

interlink :normal PROMPT SP$G PATH C:\DOS

58 COMPUTE AUGUST 1993

DOSKEY GOTO end :interllnk PATH C:\DQS IMTERSVR GOTO end :end

Batch experts may look upon my approach in the previous example as being a trifle inef- ficient, but it follows a nice, simple formula that anyone can use to quickly combine a number of configurations into a single AUTOEXEC.BAT Let's see how to use that formula to assemble different AUTOEXEC. BATs into a sin- gle file. If we have three AUTOEXEC.BAT configura- tions that are named c1, c2, and c3, we could build our AUTOEXEC.BAT like this.

©ECHO OFF

IF %conlig%==c1 GOTO c1

IF %conlig%==cZ GOTO c2

IF %ctinlig7o=c3 GOTO c3

:c1

[put the g1 commands tiere]

GOTO end

:c2

[put the cZ commands here]

GOTO end

:c3

[put the c3 commands here]

GOTO end

:end

This skeleton of a batch file is intended to underscore how to build an AUTOEX- EC.BAT that supports three configurations. You can easi- ly see how to extend it to four, five, or any number of configurations.

It may be obvious, but I'll mention anyway that the lines in brackets shouldn't be typed literally; they're intend- ed to be instructions to you, not to be typed to the PC,

Perhaps even more gener- ally, you can assemble a com- bined AUTOEXEC.BAT using this step-by-step method.

Step 1: The first line of your combined AUTOEX- EC.BAT stiould be an ©ECHO OFF.

Step 2: Examine your CON- FIG-SYS's [menu] section tfiat you assembled previous- ly and write down the names of all the configurations. Take the name of the first configu- ration and incorporate it into an if statement that looks like this: IF %config%==[name of configuration] GOTO [name of configuration].

You should replace [name of configuration] with the actual name of the first configuration. Do that for each configuration name. For example, suppose you find that your CONFIG.SYS has a menu section that looks like this.

[menu]

menuitem standard, Normal

stuff I use menuitem maxniemory,Set up

to give maximum free

memory menuitem wingcomm.Conflgura-

tion to run Wing Commander II menudefault . . .

That means that you have three configurations named standard, maxmemory, and wingcomm. (Notice that I didn't include the normal and interlink configurations. I didn't want you to start think- ing that they were mandato- ry.) You'd prepare the first con- figuration IF to look like this: IF %config%==standard GOTO standard,

Notice that the ==standard is in lowercase. The case in the IF statement must match the case of the named config- uration, or this just plain won't work.

You'd then assemble the other IF statements, one for each of the two other config- urations, and you'd have an AUTOEXEC.BAT that looks like this.

©ECHO OFF

IF %config%==standard GOTO

standard IF %conflg%==maxmemory GOTO

maxmemory IF %Eonlig%==wing(;amm GOTO

wingcomm

Step 3: Create a section of the AUTOEXEC.BAT for each of the configurations. Each section should have two lines. The first line is the name of the configuration preceded