1255 lines
51 KiB
Plaintext
1255 lines
51 KiB
Plaintext
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ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
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³ ³
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³ ³
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³ C A R R I E R D E T E C T ³
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³ ³
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³ The PC Communications Journal For Every Modem User! ³
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³ ³
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³ Volume 2, Winter 1992 ³
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³ ³
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³ ³
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ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
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Table of Contents:
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Welcome and Year End Review ........................ 2
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Product Evaluations ................................ 5
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Boyan Communications Version 5.0 ............... 5
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Potluck ............................................ 8
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19 Timesaving Tips for BBS Users ............... 8
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Writer's Roundup ................................... 11
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Reflections 2 .................................. 11
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ByteLine ........................................... 14
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Feedback ........................................... 18
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Product Information .............................. 18
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Advertisements ..................................... 19
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Carrier Detect is published quarterly by Michael W.
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Crosson. Contents may not be reproduced without written
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permission from the publisher. All brand and product
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names mentioned in this publication are trademarks and
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registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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(c) 1992 Michael W. Crosson. All rights reserved.
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W E L C O M E
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Welcome to the first edition of Carrier Detect in
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1992! This seems to be an appropriate time to look back
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over some of the major trends and developments of the past
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year. Plus, every other publication does this so why
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shouldn't we?
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1991 - The Year in Review As I See It
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* V.32 Modems emerged as the victor in the war of the
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high speed modems. HST modems begin their slow death in
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the face of their technically superior competitors.
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V.32bis modems are released by several manufacturers
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including Hayes, Intel and USR.
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* QWK type offline mail doors and readers begin to
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dominate the offline mail market. By the end of the year
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the QWK readers are proliferating and a shakeout seems
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eminent in the future. Blue Wave, MegaMail, SilverExpress
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and XRS are met with user indifference or resistance.
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* Remote Access surges ahead of it's inspiration -
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QuickBBS. More and more QBBS sysops seem to adopt the
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"too little, too late" attitude concerning the original.
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* Many begin to call PC Board, "PC Bored." I take it
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this means that many find calling a PCB system an
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unstimulating experience?
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* Echos, echos and more echos... We seem to be in the
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midst of Echomania. Fidonet seems to be bulging at the
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seams as the system grows bigger and bigger each year.
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Hundreds of echos are now offered on the backbone. Does
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this mean more people are messaging on BBS systems or the
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same people are posting more? Quoteaholics become a
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serious problem in the echos and there seems to be more
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off topic messages than ever. Related to this is the
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growth of Networks. There seems to be a new one every
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week soliciting members.
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* Telix 4.0 turns out to be vaporware in the finest Lotus
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tradition.
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* High Speed Link makes its debut. It seems to be
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everything that Bimodem should have been. It is easy to
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use and even the pre v1.0 wide release betas are working
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 2
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well! V.32 and V.32bis modems make it more practical than
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ever.
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* ARJ makes some headway against ZIP as the preferred
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compression method. It reigned as the compression king
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for most of the year. Yet, in December PKZIP v2.0 beta
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appeared to take the lead once again. Yoshi continued to
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work on LHA but his low key approach stifled its success.
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PC Magazine gives LHA a product of the year award.
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* Wildcat! 3.0 is finally released to mixed reviews.
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Everyone agrees it is a vast improvement, but the
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conference scheme they dreamed up is flawed. Security
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options galore were added but was it overkill? The lack
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of a competent mail tosser hurt business and the 3rd party
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Wildmail became known as a "backyard" tosser. Neverthe-
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less Wildcat!'s presence in the BBS world grew
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tremendously.
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* Datastorm's long awaited ProComm v2.0 appears and
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becomes a best seller despite many bugs in the original
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release. Popular opinion of ProComm in the shareware
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world plummets.
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* BBS Systems become enstrangled in legal battles with
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several phone companies across the US. NY Bell wants to
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charge sales tax on shareware downloads (I guess they
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assume every time a user downloads a file they register
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it... what kind of drugs are they on?). Another of the
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little Bells contend that all BBS systems are commercial
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operations and try to force all sysops to pay commercial
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(read as EXPENSIVE) rates.
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* Prodigy comes under attack for allegedly transferring
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personal data off of subscribers hard drives unbeknownst
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to them. The charges are emphatically denied and
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technical explanations are offered.
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* Compucom Speedmodems become the center of various
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controversies. The company begins to market cheap v.32
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modems.
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* Maximus v2.0 is released and it's popularity grows.
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The price (Free) is right in our sagging economy and it
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includes some nifty features like an internal QWK mail
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reader.
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* Mustang software makes news again as they go on a
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buying spree. They buy the rights to the Tomcat! QWK mail
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door, the popular Silly Little Mail Reader (QWK of
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course), and most significantly Qmodem. I think the
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future looks rosy for Qmodem but many feel upset about the
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takeover. Part of the backlash was caused by the fact
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that Qmodem will primarily become a $99 dollar commercial
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 3
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program and there will be no more "free updates".
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* Telegard 2.7 appears at the tail end of the year and
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only Martin Pollard is credited as author. Don't know
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what happened to "Martygard." Mr. Pollard claims to have
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rewritten over 75% of the code, justifying his sole
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authorship listing. At the same time rumors that the real
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source to 2.5i was leaked (things that make you go
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hmmmmmmmm?). Martin denounces Telegard sysops and says
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there will never be another release. The Telegard Echo is
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killed from the backbone.
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* 1991 also saw major new upgrades for Boyan, Commo,
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HyperAccess 5, Qmodem, and Telemate.
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* Riding the Windows wave of popularity, Communication
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programs for the GUI became a hot item. Both commercial
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and shareware terms for Windows became commonplace.
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* Widespread popularity of WWIV still seems to be largely
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limited to California.
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* Novell in cooperation with Federal Authorities began
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intensive sting operations aimed at prosecuting large
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pirate bulletin boards across the nation. Systems that
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offered Network files for download were especially at
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risk.
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---
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Several new changes to Carrier Detect begin with this
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issue. Carrier Detect will now be released quarterly.
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The bimonthly release schedule was proving to be too
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difficult to meet between work and school. To insure the
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quality of the journal I felt this change was necessary.
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The low number of reader submissions affected this
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decision too. Also, please note my new address and phone
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number at the end of the journal.
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Sincerely,
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Michael Crosson
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 4
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P R O D U C T E V A L U A T I O N S
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Each month Carrier Detect contains several product
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evaluations. Most of these will be software reviews but
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from time to time hardware will be discussed as well. The
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opinions expressed in Carrier Detect are solely my own or
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the respective author of the article. Carrier Detect
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strives to be as objective as possible when evaluating
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software. Judgments to suitability are made with the
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typical modem enthusiast in mind and are not geared toward
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the complete novice nor the power user. Exceptions to
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this are noted as such in the article.
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* Boyan Communications, Version 5.0
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Reviewed by Michael Crosson
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Pros: Thoughtful little touches abound
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Excellent dialing directory and queue
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Internal file manager
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Cons: Supplied host is simple
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Internal protocols are weak
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Oh Boy!... The shareware community was graced with a
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new release of Boyan last year and it looks to be a real
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winner! Justin Boyan's communication package has been
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flirting with greatness for years and with version 5, it
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may have reached it. Boyan was first released as
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shareware in 1986 when Justin was still in high school.
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Subsequent releases have since helped to finance his B.S
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in Mathematics at Chicago University. Boyan is one of
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those stellar shareware success stories. From its humble
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beginnings it has blossomed into a robust package with a
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thoughtful design. Read on to find out why I like this
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product.
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The user interface of Boyan is from the influential
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ProComm school. The user is presented with a sparse
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terminal screen after the program loads. It uses Alt key
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combinations to call most functions. For the most part,
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the default key assignments are intuitive (E.G. Alt-X will
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exit the program), but if some seem strange they can
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easily be changed to an alternative key assignment. A
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status bar on the bottom of the screen keeps the user
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informed about current activities and offers short help
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messages. More detailed context sensitive help is
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available by using the F1 key.
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The dialing directory is one of the strongest points
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 5
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of Boyan. Each directory can hold 200 entries and you can
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have as many dialing directories as you like, although
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only one can be loaded at a time. For each phone number
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the following default information can be assigned: system
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name, phone number, terminal emulation, script, protocol,
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baud, and password. The last connect date is also
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recorded. Numbers to be dialed are selected with a light
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bar or by typing the number of the entry. Many useful
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extras have been built into the directory. Some of these
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enhancements include the ability to alphabetize and sort
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the directory, print the directory, search for certain
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phone numbers and a unique little feature that "Grabs"
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phone numbers off the screen and creates an entry in your
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directory.
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Yet, the most useful aspect of the dialing directory
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for BBS fanatics may be the Dialing Queue. Boyan allows
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you to tag entries with the light bar and then hit "Q" to
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enter the dialing queue. The queue looks similar to the
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normal dialing directory but only lists those systems you
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want to dial repeatedly until a connection is made. It
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keeps track of the number of tries and the elapsed time
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for every entry. When a connection is made, Boyan sounds
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a loud alarm. The dialing queue found in Boyan is one of
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the best I have used and is perfect for connecting to busy
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BBS systems.
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File transfers can be accomplished with ease when
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using Boyan as well, but adding an external protocol or
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two is strongly recommended. Boyan includes several
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internal protocols, but they are not likely to be used
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frequently. Xmodem, Ymodem, Ymodem-G and ASCII are your
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internal choices. All of these are older, slower
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protocols and none of them allow batch transfers. When
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using these protocols, Boyan presents a rather plain
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status box and a thermometer type display to aid in
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viewing transfer progress from across the room. Again,
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several innovative features make file transfers more
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convenient than in other packages. Boyan guesses the
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filename you are attempting to transfer, and more often
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than not, it is correct (not so with many other terms that
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sport this feature). Also, a special protocol for
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uploading messages is provided. Its use is preferred to
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using ASCII since it works better with full screen editors
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that use word wrapping. One last little goody is a
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feature that checks the free space on the drive before
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starting a download, just the thing before transferring a
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huge batch, especially if you own a high speed modem.
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Without internal Z modem and batch capability, adding
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external protocols to Boyan is going to be a necessity for
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most users. Not surprisingly then, Boyan has excellent
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external protocol support and the process of installing
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them is as painless as possible. Boyan allows the use of
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 6
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ten external protocols of your choice and once installed,
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they integrate seamlessly with the rest of the program.
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The configuration of DSZ, MPt, Kermit and others are
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predefined. All that is left is for the user to do is
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drop the proper .EXE or .COM file somewhere in the
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configurable DOS directory.
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Boyan contains a internal file manager making the most
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common disk and file commands just a keystroke away.
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I find internal file managers to be extremely useful
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during communication sessions and this one is no
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exception. Some of the commands possible from within
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Boyan are Copy, Delete, List, Rename, View, Execute, and
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Edit. A few of these, such as the List and Edit commands
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rely on user definable external support programs such as
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Buerg's List, Qedit, or VDE. The file manager also
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simplifies batch uploads by allowing you to tag a group of
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files for sending to the remote system. Time estimates
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for transfers are also readily available.
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There is more to the Boyan Communications package. It
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contains a powerful macro/scripting language with over 200
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commands. The language consists mainly of a backslash
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plus two characters and any other information needed to
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execute the command following in square brackets. As an
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example, \di[602-741-7401] would tell Boyan to dial my
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BBS. When you string these types of commands together you
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can create complex scripts that perform many different
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functions. \zs \di[602-741-7401] tells Boyan to clear the
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screen and then dial my system. These scripts support
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many variables and can be compiled as well.
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Boyan uses scripts to learn log on sequences to the
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systems that you call. However, it does so in a fashion
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that works well but is unique to Boyan. To learn a log on
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sequence, you would first log on as normal. Then using
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the excellent scroll-back buffer, you mark the parts of
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the sequence you wish to include in the script (typically
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all of it). Boyan then automatically inserts the proper
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macro commands that will mirror the actions you took to
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log on to the system. The system works great most of the
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time and if any editing of the learned script is
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incorrect, it is easy to alter with a text editor (in fact
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Boyan optionally gives you the opportunity to do so right
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as you finish learning each script).
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Boyan's host mode is also script based. However, I
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was not overwhelmed with it's power or ease of use. Basic
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functions are available such as uploading and downloading
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of files, simple message writing, and chat. Even when I
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tried an enhanced Boyan host called Mosthost, things were
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rudimentary at best. Let it suffice to say that no one
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will ever mistake the Boyan host as a bulletin board
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system. If strong hosting functions are your priority, a
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 7
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better choice is the Telix/Host v4.4 combo or HyperAccess
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5 v2.0.
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All in all, Boyan v5.0 is a powerful communication
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program that should suit the needs of most. Its
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intelligent design makes it a pleasure to use. The
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program is highly configurable, although there is a
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moderate learning curve involved since most of program's
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behavior is controlled through macros. Justin Boyan has
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paid close attention to detail in the design of the
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program and has automated many of the more mundane details
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of communication sessions. Frequent BBS callers should
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definitely give Boyan a try; many of its features seem
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specifically oriented toward this group. Business users
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should also find Boyan an attractive alternative subject
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to the following qualifications: exotic terminal
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emulations are not important (Boyan only comes with 6),
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voice technical support is not necessary (support is given
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by BBS only) and a fancy host is not needed. Boyan is
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distributed as user supported shareware. Registration of
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the latest version is $60 with a typeset manual or $40
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without. Corporate site licensing discounts are available
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as are user group discounts.
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P O T L U C K
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This department of Carrier Detect contains articles that
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do not neatly fit into the other departments that appear
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regularly. Here the articles could be on anything and
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will vary considerable in each issue that Potluck
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appears.
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* 19 Timesaving Tips for BBS Callers
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Article by Michael Crosson
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Callers to BBS systems frequently complain to sysops
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that they do not have enough time to do all the things
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they want to online. Sysops on the other hand, are
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hesitant to give callers too much daily time for fear that
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some users might monopolize the system for hours on end.
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It is a dilemma that will probably be around as long as
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there are bulletin board systems. This article offers
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some tips and tricks for callers to get the most out their
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daily time on any given BBS system. If you have ever felt
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frustrated with the amount of time your access level
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affords you on a BBS, what follows should offer some
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relief. And if you are calling long distance, you might
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even save some money in the process too!
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In no particular order...
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1. Use offline mail readers -
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 8
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Most BBS systems now offer offline mail doors that allow
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you to download packets of mail and messages to read at
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your leisure offline. On your next call you can upload
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any replies you might have written to the system and begin
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the process all over again. There are several
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incompatible offline mail systems currently used. The
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most popular is the QWK type of mail door. Others include
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Blue Wave, Megamail, Silver Express and XRS.
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2. Use log on scripts -
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Using automated scripts to log onto a BBS can save a
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surprising amount of time. Most communication programs
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have provisions for easily learning logon procedures.
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Learn how to use this feature and take advantage of it!
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3. Learn log on tricks -
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Many BBS systems have short cuts to log on. A good
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example is on Wildcat! BBS systems. On a Wildcat! system
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you can enter your first name, last name and password on
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the first prompt rather then waiting for each, (E.G.
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Michael Crosson SecretPassword).
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4. Use fast protocols -
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Some protocols can transfer files much faster than others.
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A more efficient protocol saves you time and money. Some
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suggested fast protocols to try are High Speed Link,
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Hyperprotocol, Jmodem, Mpt, and Zmodem.
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5. Download the "allfiles" listing -
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Download the "allfiles" listing and peruse it offline
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rather than searching and browsing for files while
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connected to the BBS. Decide what you want to download
|
|
and upload in advance of your call.
|
|
|
|
6. Use advanced file area features -
|
|
Advanced file area features save much time and frustration
|
|
when selecting files to download. These features might
|
|
include file marking, file masking, and wildcards. Few
|
|
BBS systems support all of these but nearly all will
|
|
support at least one.
|
|
|
|
7. Download the BBS User's Manual -
|
|
Download the User's Manual if available and familiarize
|
|
yourself with special features of your favorite BBS.
|
|
|
|
8. Use hotkeys -
|
|
Hotkeys save time and are convenient. They allow you to
|
|
select commands without pressing the enter key. Some BBS
|
|
systems with hotkeys are QuickBBS, Remote Access, RBBS and
|
|
Wildcat!.
|
|
|
|
9. Use archive viewers -
|
|
Ever waste time downloading a huge file only to find out
|
|
that it was unsuitable for your purposes? If unsure about
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the usefulness of a file, looking at the contents of the
|
|
archive and reading a little of the documentation online
|
|
can give you a better idea what the program does. Better
|
|
to spend 5 minutes looking through the documentation than
|
|
30 minutes on an unnecessary transfer.
|
|
|
|
10. Use the expert mode -
|
|
Once you are comfortable moving around on a BBS start
|
|
using the expert mode rather than novice mode. If you
|
|
don't need to look at all those menus, why waste time
|
|
watching them display?
|
|
|
|
11. Turn ANSI graphics and color off -
|
|
ANSI graphics and color menus take long to display. Shut
|
|
them off if time is a concern. The slower your modem the
|
|
more you should consider doing this.
|
|
|
|
12. Lock your comm port -
|
|
If you have an error correcting modem or high speed modem,
|
|
lock your comm port at 19,200 baud or higher. This will
|
|
result in much faster file transfers with many protocols
|
|
(including Zmodem).
|
|
|
|
13. Set file descriptions to 1 line -
|
|
Most BBS systems allow you to configure how many lines of
|
|
description you want displayed in the file areas. Choose
|
|
one rather than 2 or 3.
|
|
|
|
14. Utilize batch uploads and downloads -
|
|
Batch uploading and downloading can save time over
|
|
transferring a file at a time. It saves you the steps
|
|
required to begin the transfer and lets you leave the
|
|
computer unattended longer during the process.
|
|
|
|
15. Use Avitar -
|
|
If you must use color screens see if your communications
|
|
program and BBS support Avitar. Avitar screens are in
|
|
color but display much faster than traditional ANSI. An
|
|
increasing number of terms and BBSes support this new
|
|
graphics standard.
|
|
|
|
16. Newscan selectively -
|
|
Only scan the message areas and file areas you are
|
|
interested in. Just about every BBS system supports some
|
|
form of selectively setting the newscan.
|
|
|
|
17. Upload files in proper format -
|
|
Many sysops want all their files to be compressed with the
|
|
same archiver. Some of the possible archivers include
|
|
ARC, ARJ, LZH, and PKZIP. If you upload a file in the
|
|
wrong format the sysop may delete the file resulting in
|
|
wasted time or you may have to wait several minutes while
|
|
a conversion utility converts the file to the preferred
|
|
archive method.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18. Call late night or early morning -
|
|
These are the times when the majority of systems are least
|
|
busy and some sysops give extra time to callers during
|
|
these hours. In addition you may find it much easier to
|
|
get through to your favorite system at these times. If
|
|
calling a long distance BBS rates are cheaper at night and
|
|
cheapest after 11pm.
|
|
|
|
19. If you find that you STILL don't have enough time on
|
|
the system, consider using the time bank if the sysop has
|
|
install one. Time banks allow you to "bank" time from the
|
|
current session for a future one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
W R I T E R 'S R O U N D U P
|
|
|
|
|
|
Writer's Roundup is a department that features
|
|
creative writing submissions from readers. Essays,
|
|
fictional stories, and poems are examples of the kind of
|
|
reading that you might find here. However, each will
|
|
share a common theme of computers and communications.
|
|
|
|
|
|
REFLECTIONS 2 (C) 1986-87 by Steve Schneider
|
|
(reprinted with permission)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dateline : The RainForest BBS
|
|
Time : 12 AM On a Wednesday
|
|
|
|
|
|
Excitement galore in the household tonight. Nope;
|
|
didn't win the daily double but it's close! As time has
|
|
passed on The RainForest BBS a need has arisen for yet
|
|
another computer in the household. The Radio Shack M-100
|
|
was fine for calling other BBSes to stay in touch but for
|
|
file work or word processing <as in typing the
|
|
bimonthly RainForest newsletter, BIRDS THAT WALK (and
|
|
other trees) or the son in high school typing term papers
|
|
or special reports..> I, and he, were forced to take
|
|
the BBS down at slow hours to utilize the system for other
|
|
tasks.
|
|
|
|
I never did like having to do this. Not only did I
|
|
take pride in keeping the system =UP= and though I felt
|
|
somewhat justified in typing the newsletter on the system
|
|
because it was of, and for, the Members of the BBS, being
|
|
the somewhat obstinate (and yes, selfish) system operator
|
|
of the BBS I dreaded the system being down for'schoolwork'
|
|
and therein lie the battle line twixt son and father for
|
|
access to the computer, an Apple //e loaded with printer.
|
|
(In the farthest reaches of the psi ability of my somewhat
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
senile mind I hear the system operators that only do
|
|
battle with wives or girlfriends or loneliness snicker
|
|
that they =NEVER- have such problems... <sigh> and I'm
|
|
ashamed to admit that, at times, I envy them and their
|
|
freedoms..... at times [ worth repeating ] )
|
|
|
|
Therein lies the rub! Obviously a =THIRD= <gasp!!>
|
|
computer was of a necessity to maintain peace in the
|
|
household. <Hmmm...obvious doesn't ever mean easy, you
|
|
know.> Lest you think my wife runs my household may I
|
|
remind all that she only runs my life; =I= run the
|
|
household! So when I whispered to my son (and daughter)
|
|
to talk up having another computer <but =DON'T= mention
|
|
my name..> the subterfuge was in place. I sit back and
|
|
huff and puff that three computers (HA!) in =THIS=
|
|
household are -not- necessary and here are the two
|
|
beautiful little sweethearts with tears in their eyes
|
|
sniffling that they can't do their very best without a
|
|
system that's available whenever they need to use it.
|
|
(Emotion expended by children with moisture in their eyes
|
|
is a very powerful elixir).
|
|
|
|
BAM! You! Yes you, you brute! How dare you deprive the
|
|
children of doing their very best in school? (I just
|
|
love it when a plan comes together ...hehehehhehe) Who??
|
|
Me dear?? You really think that it's in the best interest
|
|
of the children to have another computer in the house??
|
|
[This is the =BEST= part; being =FORCED= to buy another
|
|
computer..... oooooooooooo; how sweet it is! ] I'll start
|
|
looking into it right away.... [ RIGHT AWAY!! ]
|
|
|
|
Well; "right away" turned into a =BIG= project. Do =YOU=
|
|
have any idea how many brands and types of computers are
|
|
out there? Let me tell you; a bunch! Being weaned on
|
|
the Apple, so to speak, I naturally went to what was
|
|
available from Apple first. Unfortunately, even with the
|
|
advent of the IIgs, I was left wanting. I =LOVED= the
|
|
demos for the IIgs but when it came down to the
|
|
practicality of the matter I didn't really need sound or
|
|
graphics. I seriously considered the //c as well as
|
|
another //e....
|
|
|
|
The problem?? The //c and //e technology was old hat and
|
|
my son and I wished to learn more of this mysterious
|
|
monster called MS-Dos (or PC-Dos). I firmly believe in
|
|
what I've written (notice how I can't bring myself to
|
|
say -post-?) on my BBS when the "My computer is better
|
|
than your computer" stuff hits the CRT. I think the
|
|
=BEST= computer for a 'user' is one that does what he, or
|
|
she, expects of it. There is no =BEST= computer... If it
|
|
does what you want it to do and you're happy with it,
|
|
then you have the =BEST= computer! Actually, I lie a
|
|
bit... a CRAY II is the =BEST= computer whether it does
|
|
what you want it to or not... (ppffftttt! so there!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So with demos of Apple IIgs looking beautiful (but not
|
|
doing what I need for the buck) I started searching for
|
|
the IBM compatibles. <GASP!!> [ He mentioned IBM on an
|
|
Apple subsystem ..........................................
|
|
......................... s o w h a t ?? ] I needed
|
|
something I (and my kids) could type on, and try a
|
|
different programming language on (to stay current with
|
|
the real world) and since I couldn't afford the =BEST= IBM
|
|
made (which is a COMPAQ; don't let them kid you!) I had to
|
|
look elsewhere.... and I did.
|
|
|
|
I read so darn many magazines my head is still spinning.
|
|
I researched and looked and viewed every system made in
|
|
the free world and I'm here to tell you that there is
|
|
-nothing- out there that does =EVERYTHING= for $728!
|
|
Absolutely =NOTHING=!! (As far as that goes; there ain't
|
|
nothing on the other side of the curtain either!) Finally
|
|
(says I with desperation in my voice) I'll go for price.
|
|
Hhmmm; guess what hombre'?? Even true compatibles cost a
|
|
bunch of moola. <damn!> As head spins at five
|
|
revolutions per hour and I've worn out the Computer
|
|
Shopper as well as the last two issues of BYTE Magazine
|
|
and then P.C. Magazine I make a decision. =HELP=!!!???!!
|
|
I've narrowed it down to seven systems... <geez> The
|
|
newspaper and it's Monday business section is there and I
|
|
quit. I see that Epson Equity I is $995 (complete) and I
|
|
say, "WOW.. neat".
|
|
|
|
I speed down to the dealer (who also sells IBM, COMPAQ,
|
|
and Apple) and soon learn that "due to the special deal,
|
|
there is a two week wait, etc,etc" and as is all too true
|
|
still in the computer world he was only able to
|
|
=CORRECTLY= answer about 50% of the questions about the
|
|
Epson system. Would you buy a used Camel this man?) A
|
|
friend asks "Have you checked with our (the company I work
|
|
for) employee price on our IBM compatible??"
|
|
|
|
"No", I answer since the last time I checked our price was
|
|
about $2800 for the $4000 system.
|
|
|
|
"Well" he says, "call our telemarketing and check on
|
|
today's prices".
|
|
|
|
I did.... THANK GOD they were out of Epsons! (Does an
|
|
AT&T 6300 with 512K and one floppy and a TEN meg rigid
|
|
drive plus a color monitor -and- MS-Dos 3.1 as well as GW
|
|
BASIC for..... are you ready??)
|
|
|
|
$1260 <<= put a pucker in the ole purse string?? <Damned
|
|
straight!> I lied again earlier, you know. The reason
|
|
why I wanted to get into the IBM compatible section is
|
|
things like a 30 Meg hard drive (with controller) for
|
|
$490... Try getting the same break on our Apples.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm still smiling (as I type this out on the BBS Apple
|
|
//e). My IBM compatible will be arriving in three weeks.
|
|
It's GREAT!! But I'll never forget my =FIRST= love (and
|
|
best love) the Apple. No one ever forgets their first
|
|
love..... but how many wound up married to it??
|
|
(chuckle... trick question, I know)
|
|
|
|
I'm =STILL= an Apple BBS sysop.... don't =EVER= forget
|
|
it.... not ever! And The RainForest BBS is staying the
|
|
way it is. I like it that way. I, however, will be
|
|
expanding my horizons.... that's the way life is.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
Steve Schneider is the System Operator of RainForest BBS
|
|
in Cooper City, Florida. He can be reached at his BBS,
|
|
(305)-434-4927.
|
|
|
|
|
|
B Y T E L I N E
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fast facts, tips, comments and rumors on all kinds of
|
|
computer related topics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
* BYTELINE
|
|
By Tom Garcia and Michael Crosson
|
|
|
|
WORD PERFECT is beta testing a new version of their OFFICE
|
|
program. It has been almost five years since that one was
|
|
revised or updated. The new one will include their nice
|
|
"slim & trim" word processor (Letter Perfect) plus
|
|
communications, a basic spreadsheet, database, FAX
|
|
program, file manager,
|
|
etc.
|
|
|
|
WINDOWS 3.1 (release version) will not have a REAL MODE is
|
|
the latest rumor. One that I find hard to believe..... I
|
|
guess everyone and their brother has seen one or another
|
|
of the beta versions of 3.1 by now. Each version was
|
|
better and the final version (for sale to the public)
|
|
should be very well debugged.
|
|
|
|
WORD PERFECT FOR WINDOWS (everything installed) takes up 9
|
|
megs of HD space.
|
|
|
|
OS/2 Version 1.3 comes on 19 1.44 meg disks. To install a
|
|
"base" version (single user) you only use 8 of the disks.
|
|
|
|
DID YOU HEAR about Borland's demo of QUATTRO FOR WINDOWS
|
|
at Comdex? The crowd broke into applause/laughter when the
|
|
demo screen lit up with Unrecoverable Application Error.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PsL NEWS arrived (I should have written this up last month
|
|
but I ran out of time to do it) and said on page one,
|
|
"Someday virtually everyone will be using Windows (or its
|
|
off-spring or future clones.)" If PC MAGAZINE had
|
|
tried to shove that down my throat I would have taken
|
|
offense but coming from Nelson Ford at PsL I have to sit
|
|
up and take notice. He is probably right. Sort of like the
|
|
old "DIESELS FOREVER" bumperstickers and patches that the
|
|
submarine guys had when nuclear subs first came into the
|
|
inventory. It was a losing battle.
|
|
|
|
PsL has had a new disk of WINDOWS utilities and routines
|
|
every month for the past six months now. The flood of
|
|
shareware and PD programs has really accelerated since the
|
|
introduction of Microsoft's Visual Basic last June. You
|
|
can get lots of interesting stuff from PsL such as
|
|
WinSpell which Ford calls "The best Windows spelling
|
|
checker" (it works inside any Windows application) to
|
|
---- WinRoach, "When you close or move a window on the
|
|
Desktop roaches scurry from under the window to hide under
|
|
other windows."
|
|
|
|
I THINK YOU CAN STILL get a free sample of PsL NEWS (I
|
|
think) by calling 1- 800-242-4775.
|
|
|
|
PC TOOLS 7.1 is out and all you should have received a
|
|
FREE update in the mail by the time you read this. Seems
|
|
CENTRAL POINT rushed the release of 7.0 and it was chock
|
|
full of BUGS. Call 1-800-445-4178 if you didn't get it.
|
|
|
|
SPEAKING OF PC TOOLS, I got a free copy of the latest
|
|
version with my INTEL 14.4EX MODEM. Not a bad promotion
|
|
eh? I already was a registered PC TOOLS owner, but
|
|
stopped upgrading after 5.5...the last version without
|
|
menu overkill. I think the promo is off but maybe INTEL
|
|
has extended it or replaced it with something similar.
|
|
|
|
I SURE LIKE THE software outfits that put a README file
|
|
(or something in the manual) telling what each file is and
|
|
does. Like Microsoft MONEY for WINDOWS. I like to delete
|
|
files I don't need to save disk space.
|
|
|
|
TWO WEEKS PASSED and no computer parts in the mail from
|
|
Florida. So, I called there and was told, "We have no
|
|
record of you having ordered anything from us." Called my
|
|
bank and they said my credit card had not been charged....
|
|
Guess I'll buy locally, thought I. Called store number one
|
|
and was put on hold for a long time. Gave up and called
|
|
store number two. I had recently received a flyer from
|
|
them (I seemed to remember) which listed controller cards
|
|
on sale. "Not here" they told me. Called Fast Micro in
|
|
Phoenix. "How fast can you get a controller card down to
|
|
Tucson?" I asked. "About a week" was the reply. . . )
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UPDATE: Called them again on 4 Dec. to try again to buy
|
|
from them. They offered to ship by air but only charge
|
|
me for ground shipping. So, I decided to give them another
|
|
chance. It's now 12 December and I have no parts. Called
|
|
Florida (800 number) Was put on hold briefly and listened
|
|
to a company promo that said, "Order by three PM and we
|
|
will get your order to you the next day via over night
|
|
shipping." The next time I'm going to order parts from
|
|
someone in California that ships Federal express.
|
|
|
|
MUSTANG SOFTWARE is offering registered Wildcat! sysops
|
|
the forthcoming QMODEM 5 at a greatly reduced price.
|
|
QMODEM 5 is scheduled to hit the stores before long and
|
|
will feature a built in QWK offline mail reader based on
|
|
SILLY LITTLE MAIL READER. Retail price is $99 but WC!
|
|
sysops can get a copy for $35.
|
|
|
|
UPDATE Number Two: The parts finally arrived from
|
|
Florida's Verticom. Took about 5 minutes to setup and
|
|
install the controller card. That confirmed that I have a
|
|
bad 1.2 meg floppy drive. Another five minutes to put in
|
|
the new drive. Sure glad I have a "flip-top" computer
|
|
case. ... The controller ($19) is a four drive job made in
|
|
China. It has such good markings on the board that I can
|
|
throw away the instruction sheet and will still be able to
|
|
reset the dip switch & jumpers five years from now for a
|
|
new combination of drives. The sheet is not all that hot,
|
|
as in: "The following is some drive blands for you
|
|
computer is setting." ... The no-name drive (the ad said
|
|
Chinon & maybe it is) ($55) works fine and formats 84
|
|
tracks, my normal setup via MaxiForm.
|
|
|
|
FROM OUR SECRET software testing laboratory in North
|
|
Dakota comes the following: "Stacker takes 23K of my
|
|
conventional memory. If I had the hardware card as well as
|
|
the software I'd lose less memory. Deleted the Stacker
|
|
program and not only gained 23K but my system speed
|
|
increased noticeably, back to the way it was before
|
|
Stacker."
|
|
|
|
FREE DEMO of Micrografx Designer - 1-800-659-2151.
|
|
|
|
FREE MEMBERSHIP & software from AMERICA ONLINE (nice BBS
|
|
with neat GEOS interface) call 1-800-827-6364, Ext. 5668.
|
|
|
|
TIMELINE 5.0 demo from SYMANTEC. 1-800-228-4122, Ext.
|
|
314P.
|
|
|
|
THE PRICE CLUB sent a folder on their Positive line of
|
|
computers. A 33MHz 386 at $2,999 looks to be about the
|
|
same (configuration & features) as a ZEOS that sells for
|
|
$400 more. Tax at the price club would run $210. I
|
|
don't know what ZEOS shipping charges would be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCREDIBLY FAST is what the Price Club sez about their
|
|
SONY CD ROM drive (It's probably 340ms or so, the average
|
|
CD speed). It is $450 for the internal version and $500
|
|
for an external unit. Five free CD's come with it. It's
|
|
installed free in a Positive brand computer if you buy the
|
|
computer from them. The ad doesn't mention an interface
|
|
card for clone installation, ie., if an interface card
|
|
comes with the drive or not.
|
|
|
|
ONCE I GET a 720K 3.5 inch disk formatted to 1.44megs on
|
|
my desktop computer (the 1.44 drive has a switch that I
|
|
flip to fool the drive into thinking that the extra hole
|
|
in the disk shell is there when it isn't) I can use it in
|
|
my laptop at the higher density. Turns out that the only
|
|
thing you need the extra hole for is the FORMATTING. After
|
|
that it's a free ride.
|
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WANT TO START WINDOWS without the welcome (logo) screen?
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Do this: WIN : and make sure there is a space between the
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WIN and the colon. Won't start any faster but at least
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it's a little different for a change.
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FREE DEMO disk of Q&A Ver. 4.0 database program
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1-800-228-4121, Ext. 104-D. Upgrade price from 3.0 has
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been reduced to $79.
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FREE DEMO disk of MATHCAD Ver. 3.0 - 1-800-MATHCAD.
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FREE DEMO disk dBFast for Windows 1-800-645-3003. From
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Computer Associates.
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FREE DEMO of Freelance Graphics for Windows by Lotus.
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Call 1-800-872-3387 if you want one.
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THERE ARE 15,000 beta testers out there for WINDOWS 3.1
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plus a number of others who are "volunteer" testers, ie.,
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got their copy some back door way... There is a
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compatibility problem when you run WINDOWS 3.1 with DR
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DOS 6.0 and I wonder if Microsoft did it that way on
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purpose?
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WORD 2.0 for WINDOWS tends to crash (itself and WINDOWS)
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when checking spelling in 1.1 files that have been loaded
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into 2.0. Fortunately, its mostly documents that have
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footers, not any others.
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SEIKO has upgraded their label printer to the Smart Label
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Printer Plus and they have a free demo disk (which I
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suppose runs a little movie about the product.) Call
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1-800-888-0817. Buy the product by 1/15/92 and get a free
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copy of Instant Recall.
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 17
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F E E D B A C K
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I am interested in getting as much feedback as
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possible regarding Carrier Detect and welcome suggestions
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or any other comments you may have. If you are a software
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publisher or shareware author and want to submit your
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program for possible inclusion in future issues you are
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welcome to do so. Finally, if you are interested in
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writing an article or review, please let me know!
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To make it as easy as possible to reach me, I have set
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up a new Bulletin Board System that is based in my home.
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In addition, I have purchased an Intel 14.4EX V.32BIS
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modem and a 2nd 40 Meg Hard Drive dedicated to the BBS. I
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would like to offer callers 100 megs of files but have
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exhausted my budget. If anyone who finds this Journal
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valuable would like to send in a donation or hardware to
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help support and expand the BBS, it would be greatly
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appreciated.
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Fiesta! BBS - The Home of Carrier Detect
|
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Call today and download the Carrier Detect Reader Door!
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(602) 741-7401
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1200/2400/9600/14.4K and V.32/V.32BIS/V.42 supported
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Fidonet node # 1:300/28
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24 hours a day
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First call access to Carrier Detect Related Files and
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programs reviewed in the current issue.
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Home Mailing Address:
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1970 W. Valencia Rd. #209, Tucson, AZ 85746
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I also can be reached on GEnie as (M.CROSSON) - since
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Electronic Mail on GEnie is a part of the flat rate *Basic
|
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Services this may be the cheapest way to contact me
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(provided you have a GEnie account)!
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P R O D U C T I N F O R M A T I O N
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Following is product information for the products
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reviewed in this issue of Carrier Detect. If you are
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interested in purchasing or evaluating any of the products
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|
please note the publisher's address listed below. In
|
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addition, all current shareware programs featured in
|
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Carrier Detect will be made available to first time
|
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callers on the Carrier Detect Support BBS.
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BOYAN COMMUNICATIONS
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distributed as shareware
|
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version 5.0
|
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registration - $60 with typeset manual or $40 without
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 18
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published by - Boyan Communications
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P.O. Box 71
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Woodstock, MD 21163
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Phone Orders: (301) 805-7168
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Fax Orders: (301) 805-7168 22#
|
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Support BBS: (301) 730-2917
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A D V E R T I S M E N T S
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Advertisments cost $15 dollars for a each issue (3
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|
months). If you are interested in placing an
|
|
advertisment, please contact me through the US Mail or my
|
|
BBS system.
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Carrier Detect - Winter 1992 - page 19
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